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 II. Royal Commentdríei. MeC< l.ls, is dangerous and prejudicial to Man's health ; and for that reafon, they founded ali their Metals in the open Ai.r, and not under Covens. But above all, tihcir Carpemers íeemed to be woríl: provided wich Tools; for though 0úrs ufe many lníl:ruments made of Iron, thofe of Peru had no orher than a Hatdaet, and a Pick-axe made of Copper; they neither had Saw, nor Augre, nor Pl(!ner, not any other TooJ for che Carpenter's work, fo that they could not make Arches o~ Porrals for doors; onely they l1ewed and cut their Timber, and whitenoo itj and then it was prepared for their Building: And for making rheir Hatchets anti Piclc- axes, and fome few Rakes, they made ufe of che Silverfüürhs, for as ~rét chey had not arrained to the Art of Working in Iron. Nor did rhey know how ro make Nails, or ufe them, but tied ali rheir Timber with Cords of Hemp. Nt>r· were rheir Hewers ofStone more artificial, far in cutting and íhaping cheir Smnes; theyhad no ocherTool, than onemadewith fome íharp Flincs and Pebbles, wlücn theyailled HihuA1ta., with which cheyrather wore out the St~me by continua! rub- bing, than cutúng. Far lifting or carrying up their StoMs, they nad no Engines, • but did all by the íl:tiength and force of their Armes ; and notwithíl:anding aU chis defeét, they raifed fuch mighty and fiately Edifices 1 as is intredible, ~7hich appears by che Writings of che S.pani(h Hillorial)S, and by che Ruines c<>f them, wfüch fi:ill remain. They knew not how to mai(e Sciilirs, nor Needles of Me- tal~ but in place thereof they úfed <t certain long Thorn, which grows in chofe parts; for which reafon they fowed very 1ittle, but rather parchee! or cobled, as we íhall hereafrer declare. With this fort ofThorns they a1ade alío their Combs for the head, which they fixed wichin a Cane, which ferved for the back of che Comb, and the Thorns on each fide for the Teech. Tbe Looking~glaffi:s which the Ladies of Quality ufed, were made of Burniíhed Copper ; but che Meo ne.. ver ufed any, for that being eíl:eemed a part of effeminacy, was alfo a difgrace¡ if not ignominy, to them. In this manner they paífed, as well as chey could, in .providing chofe matters which were onely neceífary for humane life; -and chough .thefe people were endued with no great capacity of invention, yec, when rhé Spaniards caught them, they learned with great facility, and imitated (ó \Vell thé patterns given them, chat in time they excelled their Mafi:ers in cheir Artificial workmaníhip and concrivances. This ingenuicy and apcnefs ro attain StiencéS) was evidenced by a genius they had in Perfonating and Aéting Comedies, which the Jefuics and fome Friars, and other Religious had compofed for them. I reme,m, ber the argument of one to have been che Myfi:ery of Man's redemption, and re- prefented by che India.ns wich gracefull and proper aélion; nor were they alroge- ,ther fi:range rs to c his divertifel'tient, becauíe in the times of the Jnt:tU they ufüally reprefented che.ir own Scories in Dialogúes, and therefore more eafily improved in that Art to wh ich they were fonnerly inolined by a natural aptitude. lt is obfervable bow well.they Aéted ª. Cornedy, made by a Jef~it, ~n ~raife of th~ Blelfed Virgin Mary, wh1ch he wrote m the T ongue Aym4ra, whKh is differént from che Langúage of feru: the Argumem was on thoíe words in the 3d Chapter of Geltefis, where it is faid, 1 wi/l put Enmity bct111een thee a11d the Woman, and thAt .fhc'jha/l break.,th;, Head.,&c. This was Alled by Children and Young men in the Countrey, called Sulli. And at Potow they rehearfed a Dialogue, which contained al.l che Particulars of our Faich, at which abour 11. ooo Jndians were prefent. At Couo another Dialogue was recited of the Child Jeíus, at which were ali the Nobles. and People of the · . City aífembled. Another was recited in the City, which is called the City ot the Kings, where the Lord Chancellour and ali the Nobiliry were preíent, toge- ther with an innumerable company of lndians : the Argument of whieh was, the Moíl: Holy Sacrarnent, compofed in .Sp_anijh, ar:id. che G~n~ral Tongge of Peru ~ which was repeated by che Jndian Youth in Dialogues, ana ptonounceá with fuch grace and ·emphatical expreffion, with íuch air and handíorne geíl:ures, imerrnixed wíth Songs fet to pleafant Tunes, that the Spaníards were much content~d, and pleaíed to behold them; and fome íhed cears for joy; to fee the ingenuicy and good inclination of thoíe poor Jndiam, that ever afrer they conceived a better opi- nion of them, confidering them not to be blockiíh, rude and filthy, but docible, gentle and capable of improvement. -· When cheíe Jndian Youths defire to commit any thing to meinory, which is given them in writing, they go to chofe Spaniards who are acquainted with letters, deírring chem to réade the fuíl: lines to them four or five times over, untill they have learned them by heart; and to fix them better in their memories, chey re~ peat