344 HUMAN SACRIFICES. 



CHAP. xix. Of the Sacrifices they made of men. 



The most pittifull disaster of this poore people is their 

 slavery vnto the Devill, sacrificing men vnto him, which are 

 the Images of God. In many nations they had vsed to kill 

 (to accompany the dead, as hath beene declared) such per 

 sons as had been agreeable vnto him, and whome they 

 imagined might best serve him in the other world. Besides 

 this, they vsed in Peru to sacrifice yong children of foure or 

 six yeares old vnto tenne; and the greatest parte of these 

 sacrifices were for the affaires that did import the Ynca, as 

 in sickness for his health, and when he went to the warres 

 for victory, or when they gave the wreathe to their new 

 Ynca, which is the marke of a King, as heere the Scepter 

 and the Crowne be. In this solemnitie they sacrificed the 

 number of two hundred children, from foure to ten yeares 

 of age, which was a cruell and inhumane spectacle. The 

 manner of the sacrifice was to drowne them and bury them 

 with certaine representations and ceremonies; sometimes 

 they cutte off their heads, annointing themselves with the 

 blood from one eare to another. 



They did likewise sacrifice Yirgines, some of them that 

 were brought to the Ynca from the monasteries, as hath 

 beene saide. In this case there was a very great and 

 generall abuse. If any Indian qualified or of the common 

 sorte were sicke, and that the Divine told him confidently 

 that he should die, they did then sacrifice his owne sonne to 

 the Sunne or to Yirachoca, desiring them to be satisfied 

 with him, and that they would not deprive the father of life. 

 This cruelty is like to that the holy Scripture speakes of, 

 which King Moab vsed in sacrificing his first borne sonne 

 vpon the wall in the sight of all Israel, to whome this act 

 seemed so mournful! as they would not presse him any 

 further, but returned to their houses. The Holy Scripture 



