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.

10 R())al Commeritarief. BooK l. C l-I A P. Vt Of the Jifferent ways óf Marrzages; and Jzverfitj óf lán~ guages amongfl them. And of the Poifons and Witch- crafts that they ufed~ S Uch as there Jndian1 were in tbeir eating and cloatbing, fuch were they in their Marriages, in which they were as beíl:ial, as in their other manners, exercifing coition.in the fame way as Beaíls; for having not Wives in propercy, they ufed their Wml)en as Nature incited, or as accidentally they occurred 7. without regml to Mothers, Daughters, or Siíl:ers, or rhe neareíl: proximiry of bloud . In fome Countries, :where a certain fort of Marriag~ was tifual, rhofe \iVom~n rhat were free of their Bodies, were motl eHeerned, and obrained the beíl: f:lusbands, becaufe they were accoumed aél:ive, and buíie in theil' calling, when others of a more chaíl: and cold Narnre, were re}eéted as drones, dull and unfit for love. In orher Countries they obferved a ditferent cuíl:ome; for the Mothers ·preferved. their Daughters witb great ref~él: and care, till the time·of their Mardage, when bringing thern into publiek, they fhewed the Tokens of their Virginity. . In other pares the Farher, ornear ofkindrecl, claimed a title to the Maidenhead of the Bride by conditions of the Marriage,: before íhe was given to the Husband. Petcr de Cieca in rhe "4th Chapter of his Book affirms the fame; apd that Sodomy was ufed amongíl: the1n, btJt yet in fecret, and as-. a crime: though the Devil perfüaded th~m ~º it in their Temples, as a<Pleafure which their Gods de1ight€d ÍO; tha~ fo under the guife ofReligion he rnight take off that veil of Modeíl:y, which covered humane nature. Thete were fome, both men and Wornen, that praél:ifed the art of Poifoning, fo that they could kili with it irnrnediately, orina certain time, or could rnake mad, or fools, disfigure the countenance, make the body le~rous, and che Limbs fo wither and pine away. . _ Every Province, and every Na:tion hada different Tongue, or Dialeél:; thofe who fpake the fame Language they eíl:eemed Friends and Kindred, and with them they kep~ peace and confederacy, ali others were c¡ccounted Enemies· a.nd Srran.. gers, with whom they maintained a perpetua! War, eatiog ~bofe whom chey toQk as if they had been Anirnals of anotner fpecies , . Witchcraft was more cornmonly ufed by the Women; than by the Men, who, to gain arepuration to themfelves of Wifedom, of Prophecies and Predifüons of things _to c'Ome; like Pythonef{e1, or Siby,!1, treated familiarly with the Devil. 'fheie W ornen, out df rnalice Qr Envy prafüfed thls Art moíl: commonly on the Men, <¡n~ which operarnd the .farne effeét as their Poifons; fuch was the coníl:itu- tion of chefo Indian1 in che firíl: age, and in che time of their Gentiliím, when they had no other guide but che Devil and their own Natures; and hereof we fhall more particular\y treat in rhe fequel of this Hiíl:ory, when corning to difcourfe of the Nations apare, we fhall have occafion to memion the barbarifms and be- füalities which are refpeél:ively appropriated unto che feveral People. CHAP.