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.

B.ooK II.' Royal Commentaries. e HA· P. xt Of the. Learning a11ll Sciencés to which the Incas attaineJ ; and firfl of their Aflrology. T\. H E irnprovernent whi¿h the lnctU had made either in Aílrology or Philo. · fophy, was as yet for want of Lecters 'very im.perfelt, howfoever there were forne cerrain meo amongft chem of good wic and underftanding, wlüch chey called Amautas; who were fubtile in their Argument¡¡.tions, anQ laid down cercain Phit,nomena of natural tbings ; but iri regard they were unac'quainted wich Lecrers,, chey could leáve none of chofe conceptions chey had formed unco poíle~· ricy, unlefs fome few principies difcovered by che Light of Nature, which chey .denoted by Glypbicks, or fome uncouth and rude figures ; yet in Moral Phi:lofo:. phy chey atcained . to a greater degree, for tlieir Laws, Cufl:oms and Praétices :vxere ~heir daily leíions, and che dofüine of good manners bdng che work of che Magifüate, an eafie and conftanc improvement was made cherein. · · . Of Natural Philofophy indeed tney hád fiudied lit~le ; they knew not how to .fearch into the feqets of nature, or lay clown che firíl principies ofit; they knew not what che qualities. of che Elements were, or could fay chat che Earch was cold and dry, ,and che fue h9-t and dry ; they onely obferved che effe& of ~hiqgs, chac fire woúld warm and bu~n them: Howfoever, they learned fomerhing of Medi- cines, and of che Vermes of certain- Herbs and Plants which experience and ne- ceíftty had caught them. . . . In J\hrolqgy chey had prcx;eeded yet farther, for che appare{lt. objeérs of che Suñ, 'and Moon, and Stars yielded them more·fenfible matter far fpeculation : they had obferved the varfolis motions of (be Planet Penm, che im::reafe, full antl c!ecr.e:ife of che Moon ; and ':Vhen it was upon che change and cónjunéhon wich the Sun, they called it the Death of che ·Moon, The Suh efpecially afforded rhem che moft profound matcer of fpeculacion ; chey ob(erved rhat by his motion the feafons of che year wére diíl:ingniíhed, the hours of che day co.unted, and che days and·nights m~afured; in all which they accained not to a farcher fearch or fOnfideration than what was vifible, and materially prefented ic felf before thieir eyes: chey admired the effe&, bue laboured noc to penetrare inco che caufe, or k¡mw che reafon of th~ . various changes of the Moon, or motfons of th~ Planees. They called che Sun Tnti, the Moon filJ!.illa, the bright Star of Venm, Chafca, which ftgnifies radiant ; other Stars alfo ofgreacer Milgnimde they obferved, out did not fliíl:inguiíh them by their particular names, bue onely under that general denomi- nation of Coy!lur; whith fignifies a Star. And yet for all chis fottiíh fiupiditY> the Incas had obferved chat th&Sun accompliíhed his courf~ in che fpace ·of a year 5 whieh they called H11a~"' chough che Commonalty 9ivided je onely by irs feafons; and reckoned cheir y~ar to end, or be finiíhed wich their Harveft: The cerms Qf Surnme~ and Wincer Solfüces, they denoted' by che large charaéters qf eight Towers, which chey had erelted to the Eaft, and as many to che Weft of che City <:ouo ? being ranked four and four in feveral Pofoions, chofe. cwo i~ th~ mid- . die being h1gher cban che ocher two a~ each end, and were bmlc much 10 rhe form· of the VVatch-towers in Spain: When the Sun carne to riteexaétly oppo~ fice co four of thefe Towers, which were to che Eaíl of che City, and to fet juft a- gainíl: chofe in che Weft, it was then che Summer Solfüce; and in like ma'nner, when ir carne to rife, and fet juíl: wirh che other ·four Towérs on each fide of che City, it was then the Winter Solílice. Pedro de Cieca aod Acofta, make mention of thefe towers, which ferved for their Almanacks>and were che beft cyphers they .had to diíl:inglliíh their times and feafons; for they had not anaiqed .as yec t-0 other meafures by Days and Momhs, though they kept an account oy Moons~ as we íhall hereafter declare ; by which and by cheir Solíl:ices the.y divided one year from another : thefe Solfüti;il Towers 1 left remaining in che year 1 )60, ·and . G~ mQ 43 . •