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 V. Koyál Commentaries. . . . . . . " in hardfhip and toil;, :contrjbuted much to the affiíl:ence of their Husbands iÚ ' ' ali their labours. But thofe Profeffions and Arts which were not common, " and which did not fo pro¡;ierly..belong to the neceffity ofHumane Life, fuch as ·" Silveríinitbs, Painters, Pott~rs, Boatm€n, Ac_countants and Pipers, had their par- " ticular Maíl:ers and Profeífours ; but the ,ordin:iry and neceífary Works were " taught and pr11étifed in every Family, every one doing his own buÍtnefs, did not " hire, or pay another for it, but made his mvn Cloaths and Shees, fowed his " own Fields, and gachered in his ownHarveíl: :, And chis., as it was the ancient " cuíl:ome amongíl: them, fo it hath continued even to this day ; wherein they " [eem to have imicaced the Lives of the.Ancient.Monks, as the Fathers of the " Church have delivered thern to us. The truth is, .they are a people neither " covetous, nor luxurious by nature; that, in tealiry, w~re the life rhey lead " a point of frne-will, rather than neceffity, :or chafen for the fake of Mortifica- " tion ; cert:iinly thefe people would be rarely well difpofed to receive the Doc- " crine of the Gofpel , which is an enemy to pride, and covetoufnefs, and luxu- " rious living, though the Preachers up of thefe Graces unto the Jndians do not " always live according to ~bofe Precepts which they (.ieliver in their Pulpits. An.d then foon after pe adds ; " That it was an Eíl:abliíhed Law amongíl: them, " that no Man fhould change che Habit an~ Fafhion qf his Countrey, though he " alcered his Habitation out of one Provirtce into another ; the obfervance of " which Rule, the Inca enjoined wirh great,foverity as a rnatt~r of imporrance in "-relation to rhe Government. Thus far are the words of Acofta: To which t !hall add, that the Jndians wonder much to fre the Spaniarqs fo fretjuei;itly change their Habits; and attribute it to their pride_, prefümption, arid wamonnefs of their bumour. .. . In the Y eat 1 ) 60, ·when I departeg from Peru, it was ncit the cuíl:ome for any to beg, or ask Alms ; for ·where-ever I traveljed in that Countrey, I never obfer- ved any Man ot WGman to beg, unlefs it were an Old Woman which I knew at Couo, calk~d Jfabel ; afid tfhe·neirher had no great neceffity; onely .fhe was deligh- ted to Goffip from hou[e to hou[e, and, like a GypÍte; with her Jefis and Tricks-. perfüaded the Neighbouts 1'.o be kind to her:. Howfoever, the lndian-s deteHed her way ot living, and in token of their abhorrence thereof ;~ould reprove·her with words, and then [pit on che grourid, which vyas a kind of réprqach; and for that reafon tliis Woman would never beg of the Indians, bue onely of the Spani- ard1 ; a'nd becau[e at that time, in my Coumrey, there v~as. no Money coined, they gave her Mayz, which was the chief rhing fhe d~füed ; and if fhe found tbis come freely, íhe would beg a little Flefh, and then fome of their Di:ink; and rhen with her fri'tks and Jeíl:s fhe would get fome of rheir Cu'r:a, which is tb:it preti· ous Planl' [o much ii::i eíl:eem amongíl: tbe Jndians, arid which they commonly carry, in their Mouths ; and thus fhe paffed a rnen:y.and wamon life, bue deteíl:able to her Neighbours. Nor were the IncM, amon gíl: their .other Charities, forgetfull of the corweniencies for Travellers, bue in all the great Roads built Houfes, or Inns, for thern, \vhich they called Corpáhu11ci, where they.were provided wirh Viétuals, · and other neceffaries, fot their Journies, out of the Royal Seores, whích were laid up in every Province; and in ca[e any Traveller fell fick in che way, he was there ~ttended, and care taken ofhim, in a better manner. perh4ps than ar his own home: ]3ut the truth is, no perfon Travelled for bis curiofüy, or pleafüre, or bufinefs, but for the fervice, and by arder of the King, or his Cur;ac1u, when rhey had oéca!ton to difpatch Meífengers, fuch :is C<ptains for the \Vai-, or other Officers for con[er- vation of the Peace; :rnd then thefe were well provided for, and treated with all conveniencies; whereas others who had not the pretence and pafs-port fot their Travels, were taken Yp for Vagabonds> and pun'ifhed accordingly. u