758 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



he takes from living subjects whatever he likes. When we add that 

 there is a frequent killing of victims to carry messages to the other 

 world, as well as occasions on which numbers are sacrificed to supply- 

 deceased kings with attendants, we are shown that life, liberty, and 

 property are at the entire disposal of the state as represented by its 

 head. In both the civil and military organizations the centers and 

 subcenters of control are numerous. Names, very generally given by 

 the king and replacing surnames, change "with every rank of the 

 holder"; and so detailed is the regimentation that "the dignities 

 seem interminable." There are numerous sumptuary laws ; and, ac- 

 cording to Waitz, no one wears any other clothing or weapons than 

 what the king gives him or allows him. Under penalty of slavery or 

 death " no man must alter the construction of his house, sit upon a 

 chair, or be carried on a hammock, or drink out of a glass," without 

 permission of the king. 



The ancient Peruvian empire, gradually established by the con- 

 quering Incas, may next be instanced. Here the ruler, divinely de- 

 scended, sacred, absolute, was the center of a system which minutely 

 controlled all life. His headship was at once military, political, eccle- 

 siastical, judicial ; and the entire nation was composed of those who, 

 in the capacity of soldiers, laborers, and officials, were slaves to him 

 and his deified ancestors. Military service was obligatory on all taxa- 

 ble Indians who were capable ; and those of them who had served their 

 prescribed terms, formed into reserves, had then to work under state 

 superintendence. The army having heads of ten, fifty, a hundred, five 

 hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, had, besides these, its superior 

 commanders of Inca blood. The community at large was subject to a 

 parallel regimentation : the inhabitants, registered in groups, being 

 under the control of officers over tens, fifties, hundreds, and so on. 

 And through these successive grades of centers reports ascended to the 

 Inca governors of great divisions, passing on from them to the Inca ; 

 while his orders descended " from rank to rank till they reached the 

 lowest." There was an ecclesiastical organization, similarly elaborate, 

 having, for example, five classes of diviners ; and there was an organ- 

 ization of spies to examine and report upon the doings of the other 

 officers. Everything was under public inspection. There were village 

 officers who overlooked the plowing, sowing, and harvesting. AVhen 

 there was a deficiency of rain, measured quantities of water were sup- 

 plied by the state. Any who traveled without authority were pun- 

 ished as vagabonds ; but, for those who were authorized to travel for 

 public purposes, there were establishments supplying lodging and nec- 

 essaries. "It was the duty of the decurions to see that the people 

 were clothed " ; and the kinds of cloth, decorations, badges, etc., to 

 be worn by the different ranks were all prescribed. ^ Besides this reg- 

 ulation of external life, th<?re was regulation of domestic life. The peo- 

 ple were required to " dine and sup with open doors, that the judges 



