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.

. Royal' Commentarie!. BooK VI. drefs to the King, and others to che lnca1, in remrn to their late Cornplernenr. When they approached :the Inc11, it ~as with deep .filence, and hu!llble profira- tion; and che Inca rece1ved them w1th great Courteíie, and g~at10us · Counce­ nance; and in reg~rd ~e ~as t? pl~dge chem all, he took che Cup .from every Man's hand, touclung 1t w1th h1s Lips; though he drank more plenttfully out of che Bowl of chofe to whofe Dignity and Quality he bore fome p~rticular refpeét; what remained at che bottom of tbe Cup, me Inca cornmanded h1s Serv.ancs, who . were alfo Jnca1 by privilege, to drink of the rernainder, which being done, the Cups weie again re.turned to the Owners. . · Theíe Cups havmg touched·rhe Hands and i1ps of the Capa Inca, were ever afterwards conferved as facred Reliques, and held in great Veneration, never af- terwards being applied to common ufes, but feparated, as were their Idols, for Worfhip an~ Adoration; for in reality fuch was the interiolfr Devotion which they éonceived towards their Kings, that we cannot exprefs the Love and Vene- ration which chefe poor Jndian1 entertained of every thlng which had relation ~o them. · · . · In chis manner the Healths being gone about, and every one pledged, they ali returned orderly to cheir places; and chen che Dances and Songs begao; ali Na- cfons prefenting chemfelves reípeétively in their Mafquerades, and Colours~ and antick Poílures, according co die faíhion of their Countrey; during ali whicb che drinking íl:ill went on, the Incas invitíng each other, as alfo the Captains and C11- raca1 entertaining their Friends, aod Acquaintance, and füch as were Neighbours; and Relations in rheir feveral Countries. . Thus were nine days fpent in the folem·n'celebration of chis Feafi of Raymi~ where was plenty of Meat and J)rink (as we have faid) accompanied with aU kinds ofMirrh and Jollicy; though the firíl: day onely was appointed for Sacri- fices, and for inípeétion into the Entrails of Beaíls, from whence they made their bivinacions Qffuture Events. Aftel' the nii;ie days were over, the Curaca-1 taking their leave of the King, returned to their reípec.tive Countries, having .received entire fatisfafü9n in the folemn performance of the principal Feafi:, which they dedicated to tbeir God the Sun. When the King was ernployed in che War, or was far remoce in vifüations of foreign Countries, be always obferved rhe folemn Celebration of this Fefüval, in that place, where his occaGons had drawn him, though not with the pomp and magnificence, as it was performed at c~o; where in the abfence of the King, the Governour and High-Priefi:, who were always Jnca.1 of the Bloud, cook care to celebrare the Feíl:ival, at which che Cwraw or their Deputies did appear for them, with a grear concourfe of people from 'the adjacent Provinc~s. ' .CH A P..