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.

~o Royal Commentarie1. _ BooK II. CH A P. IIl. Of the Crofs which the Incas preferved in d Confecrated place. I N the City of Co~co the IncM had a certain Crofs of wHite Marbie, which they called a Cryftalline {afpar; but from what time it had been kept tbere, is not certain. In the year 1 5 60 1 left it in the Vefiry of the Catbedral Church of that City; 1 remember it was hanged upon a Nail with a Lift of black Velvet ~ which when it was in thé power of the jndiam, it was hánged by a Chain ofGold or Silver, but afterwards changed by thofe who removed it. This Crofs was * fquare, being as broad as it was long, and about three fingers wide. lt former- ly remained in qne of thofe Royal Ap:mments, which they call Huaca, which fig- nifies a Confecrated place ; and though the lndiam did not adore it · yet they held it in great v.eneration, eirher for the Beauty ofit, or fome other reafun, which they knew not to aílign : and fo was obferved amongíl: them, umill the Marquefs Don Francifco Picarro entred into the Valley of Tumpi~, when by reafon of fome acci- dents which befell Pedro de Candia, they conceived a greater efieem and venera- tion for it, as we fhall declare ih its due place. The Spaniards, afrer they had taken die Imperial City, they ereéted a Church in it to rhe Almighty God, and hanged chis Crofs in che Veíl:ry (as we have faid) of that Church without other ornarnent or ceremony, wheoas chey oughc to have placed a ReÍique of char nature upon che High Airar, adorning ir with Gold and pretiousStones which abounded in thatCountrey: by which refpeét ro a thing whicb rhe Jndians efleerned Sacred, and by aílimilating the Ordinances of our Holy Religion, as near as was poffible, wirh thofe whic:h rhe Law of Na- ture had taught to chis People, preaching and recommend.ing the Works of Merey in füch ílyle, as the Dofüine of thefe Gentiles did teach and allow; che leffons of Chrifüanity would thereby have become more eaGe and familiar, ancl not feemed fo [arefu:anged from the Principles of their own Gentilifm. And be9l'11[e we have here memioned the Crofs, on which it is ufüal for us -to f\vear 1n our Courcs of Judicatory ; we fhall take rhis occafion ro fay, thac neithenhe IncM themfelves, nor yet any of the Nations under their Dominions did é'vet· know the meaning of an Oath, for Swearing was nota cuflome, nor in ufe amongíl: them. For though the Names of Pachacamlfc and the Sun were ta- ken fometiines into their mouths, yet it was always wich reverence and adora- tion : For when they examined Witneífes in the moíl: importam cafes whatfoever, the Judge, inílead of an Oath, did onely ask the Wimefs, 1f he promifed to [peak_ 1he Tmt h to the Inca? And then his Anfwer was, That he did prcmife: Then pro- ceeded the Judge, Se~ that thou declare the Trnth without any dijguife of faljhood, not conccaling any thing thrr t paffed, or that which thou ~nowefl. This was ali rhe formality rhey ured in giving-teíl:imony; che which rhey fo religiou!ly obferved, rhat with fcruple and rendernefs they utcered Truch in ics nakednefs and fimplicity : And in cafe any perfon did give a falfe teíl:imony in maner of imporrance, his crime was puniíhable wirh Dearh ; not onely in confideration of the damage he had done to the injured perfon, but of his falfhood to rhe Inca, who had made it one of the Roy:il Commands That he fhould nor !ye ; and it was a common and kno\\'n principie, rhat what a perfon declared to the Judge, he wirneíTéd to the Inca himfelf, who being reverenced by them as a God, they believed it impoffi- ble to conceal any thing from his frrutiny and knowledge. After che Spaniards had conquered this Empire, time happened a remarkable c:iíe of this kind upon an enquiry abC?ut Munher in che Prov ince of f2.!!_echuM. The Chief Jufüce of Couo [enr an Officer to take che cefümony of a cerrain Cu- rfüc, ( which is as rnuch as a Lord over many Subjeél:s;) and in performance hereof the Officer reached to him the top of his Scaff, on which was a Crofs, faying;