Several of these religious plays were written by the Spanish priests in the Quichua language, for the people to perform at great festivals, and they of course bear unmistakeable evidence of their Spanish origin. I possess two of these plays. One is by Dr. Lunarejo, a native of Cuzco, and a celebrated Quichua scholar, who flourished in the eighteenth century. It is entitled _Comedia famosa del pobre mas rico_, and is on the plan of the “Autos” of Lope de Vega and Calderon. The other is anonymous and appears to be of earlier date. The title is _Usca Paucar, Auto Sacramental el Patrocinio de Maria_. We thus have evidence that the Yncas cultivated the drama in ancient times; that some of the plays were handed down and were acted as late as 1781; and that the Spanish priests, finding that the Peruvians possessed traditional aptitude for dramatic performances, turned this talent to account in the inculcation of religious dogma. It might, therefore, naturally be expected that one or more of the ancient Ynca plays, as distinguished from the religious “Autos” of Spanish times, would have been preserved. It has long been known that at least one such drama does exist, under the title of _Ollantay_, and Quichua scholars concur in the belief that it is really of ancient origin, and that it dates from pre-Spanish times. The drama of _Ollantay_, as it now exists, was arranged for representation, divided into scenes, and supplied with stage directions in Spanish times; but competent Quichua students believe that most of the dialogues, speeches, and songs date from a period before the conquest; and that consequently it is an Ynca drama. The manuscript copies are probably numerous, some carelessly made by ignorant scribes, and containing modern words in substitution of what may have been illegible in the originals. But others are older and more correct versions, and these alone should be referred to in discussing the question of the date of this composition. A really critical text has not, however, been hitherto established, from which all modern interpolations have been excluded, and the readings in the most authentic and oldest versions alone retained.