The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

· BooK IV. R~yal Commentaries. CH A P. XII. That they educated their l'hildren without any tender.:. · nefs. 111 A s well the lncM, as the Commonalty' both rich and poor' bred up cheir Children with the 1eaíl: of tendernefs and delicacy that was poffible: for fo foon as an lhfanc was born, they waíhed it in cold water, before they fwathed ir in its MarÍtles; and then every morning they bathed it in cold water , and fome- times expofed it to the dew of the night; perhaps the Mother would fometimes out of rendernefs fpirt che water out.of her momh on the Child, and fo waíh it; but generaUy they had (!n opinion, that cold and exerciíe did con-oborate and ftrengthen che Bpdy and Limbs: their Armes they kept fwathed, and bound clown for three months, upon fuppofition, that to looíe them fooner, would wea-. ken them; they kept them always in their Cradles, which was a pitifull kind of a frame, fet on four legs, one of which wasJhorcer chan che reíl:, for conve~nce of rocking; the Bed was rnade of a fon ofcouríe knitting, which was fomerhing more foft than che bare boards, and with a füing of this knitting they bound up che Child on one fide, and the other, to keep it from falling out. When they gave them fuck they never took them into their Lap or Armes, for if they had ufed them in that manner, they believed thac they would' never leave crying, and would always exIJeét to be iq Armes, and not lie quiet in t.heir Cradles; and therefore the Mother would lean over tb(f Child, and reach it the Breafr, whkh they did three times a day, thac is, at morning, noon and night, a.nd unlefs it were at thofe times, they never gave it fuck; for they faid, that not accuíl:orning it to fet hours, would caufe it. to expeétfuckling the whole day, and be never quier, but when the Breaíl: was at the Mouth; which caufes frequenc vomits and pewkings, and made them, when they were grown Men, to be glut- tons, and·drunkards; for we fee, faid they, in other Crearures,"that they admini- fier i:heir Dugs and Nipples to, cheir Y oung at certain hours and feafons. The Mother always nurfed lier OWIJ ,Child, for though íhe were a Lady of the higheíl: degree, fhe wouid riever fuffer her lnfant to be nouriíhed with the milk of another, unlefs in the q¡fe of fickne.fs , or fome other infirrnity ; and during the time of their nurfing, they abíl:ained fihrotn the Bed of their Husbands, as tbat which would cnr9le their rnilk, and make t e Child a Changeling. Such as were chus transferr~ to fh'anger Nurfe, wei:e called Ayufca, which is aparticiple of the preterperfeét tenfe, and is as rpuch as to fay, one denied, or renounced, or changed by its Parents; and by way. of M~~aphor ~h~ YG?nger fort ,wo~ld re_proach on~ th~ ocher with t~ac word; mtlplatmg thac his Miíl:refs fhew d more favour to h1s Rival than ro h1m- ' felf;· to utter that word to a married rnani were a high affront, being one of chofe f:jve words that are (cand~ous, and will bear an Afüon. I knew once a Palla, ot , iady of che Bloud Royal, 'who was forced to gi,ve her Daughter to be fuckled by anot.ber; che faithlefs Nurfe proving with Child, her Foíler-child fell into aCon- fumption and.Convulfions, and becarne nothing bue Skin and Bones; the Mother linding her Daughcer in chis rnanner rnade Ayufca, at the end of eight rnomhs after, when fhe had almoíl: dried up her milk, íbe refiored her fofant to her own natural Breqfis, which fetched clown her mjik again, and applying an Unguem of Herbs fo che Shoulders, the Infant recovered, which was before given over, as in a de- fperace condition ; fuch is che vircue of che Mother's Milk, chat there is nothing qiore medicinal, and nodii11g m_ore reíl:otative than tbat na~ural fuíl:enance. . If che Mother hada ftifficient íl:ock .ofMilk, the Child never received any other . nourifhrnent than that, llntill the time ,it .w.as weaned; for tbey were of opinion, · that all other forts of food .éreated nothing·but crudities and indigeíl:ions. When ic was tim~ ~o take it out of tbe Cradle, they made a little pic for it in che floor, which reached to che Breaíl, in which they put ir, wich fome old cloucs to make . . k