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 VI. Royal Commentaries. ·e HA P. XXIV. In what 1!1anner the Incas ~ook_ their Degrees of Chiva/ry, • an4 what Exa~zinatioiz the; paf/ed. T His word Huaracu is of the true Peruvian Language, and fignifies as much aS' to arm a Cavalier; meaning no other thing than thofe Badges of Honour and Banners which they gave to the youog Men of the Reyal Bloud ~ whereby they received their firíl: admiflion into the W ar, and were capacitated to take their Degrees and places qf Dignity; without thefe attefiations giyen to thefe young_Meo, . they could pretend to no Place, or Degree, in Civil or Martial Affairs; and farther to capacitare them thereumo they were to be Batchelours, or ~ngle Men, accQrding to the Books and Rules of Chivalry. Now to qualifie them farther ·to receive thefe'Honours, they were·(as we íhall more .amply difcourfe hereafter) to pafs a rnoíl: fevere anq rigorous Novitiate, which was an examination of all the Toils, Labours and Hardíhips incident to War, and which became a Souldier to under- go in profperous oí· adverfe Forcune. :Por the better underíl:anding ofwhich, it will be neceífary· to recite all .the particulars performed at this Fefüval ; whicli, confidering the barfority of this People , is extraordinary, and admirable, and which might be owned by fuch as are expert, and far advanced in the Art of Mi- · litary Difcipline. At this Fefüval the Common People d~onfirated great Joy, and .the Incas both old and young received the Honours ~µe to their.Merit and Conditioo; the old Meo were pleafed to have their valianc and noble a& reci- ted, and young Meo to be thought worthy of beirig adrnitced and enrolled in the Liíts of Chivalry; and becaufe the H0nour ~or Difhonour of this Teíl:, which the Novices underwent in their Examination, was derived to all their Parentage, and Kindred; the clear and handfome approbation which every one received, be- came the concernment of the whole Family· of~he Inc11-1, though they were tnor.e particularly intereíl:ed in the Reputation of ,fuch who were of che limpid and Iawfull Bloud. . Every Y ear, or two, more or lefs, according as ic was judged convenient, the young lnCM, of fixceen Y ears and upwards, were admitted to this military pro- bation; aod no others, though Sons of the gr.eateíl: Lords, and <;urac11-1: Tbeir Cuíl:orne was to educare them in a certain Houfe properly confütuted for thefe rnilitary Exercifes, built within the precinél:s of Collcampata, · which 1 rernember once to have feen, when they celebrared fome pare of chefe Ceremonies in it, bue fell fo íhort of the greamefs of the ancient Exercifes, that they may be ra- ther called íhadows, or reprefentations , chan real performances of them. The Maíl:ers or Iníl:ruél:c¡rs of the Novices in chis Houfe were ancient incas, who were well experienced in che Arts of War and Peace; and thefe were thafe who made tria! ofiliern in chefe following particulars; and in others which 1 have now for- gotten. One of the trials they made of thern, was, how chey were able· to en• <lure a faíl: of fix days, onely with fome few handfulls of unbaked Cara, which is a fort of their Wheat, and with no ocher Drink than •rfrriall Jarr ofWater, and without any thing elfe, eiclm'Salt or Vchu, which is the red Spanifh Pepper~ yiel~ ding.fuch a pleafing fort of taíl:e to'them, that ic made every thing to reliíh, and for that reafon it was forbidden to the Novices in dó1eir fafüngs. This fevere Faíl: was nevet enjoined to any above three days, but onely to the Noviciates, who were to be preved to che utmoíl extremity, whecher they were ' able to fuffer Hunger, and Thiríl, in theWars, irl cafe any accidem fhould neceffi- tate chem rhereunco; bue rhen another Faíl, lefs rigorous chan chis, che Fachers, Brothers, and near Relations to th~ Novitiates impofed on chernfelves, which chey folernnly obferved, fupplicating their Facher che Sun, that he would vouchfafe co befl:ow on his Children, who were now Probationers, force and íl:rengch to un- dergo their task~ and acquit cbemfelves with honour;, for fuch as were not able to G g fuílain