pend of 300 pezos to each curate of the Guaranies, for the mainte. nance of himself and his assistants the money is paid to the superior, who issues out monthly to each curate as much as is necessary for his subsistence; and when they want any thing extraordinary, their wants are supplied, upon application to him. But the Chiquitos maintain their own curates. In every town there is a plantation set apart for the maintenance of the curate, which is cultivatad by the joint labour of all the inhabitants. The produce of these plantations is generally more than sufficient for the subsistence of the curates, and the surplus is sold to buy ornaments for the churches. " Nor are the curates spiritual rectors of the towns-only; they are also in effect the civil governors. It is true, there are in every town of the missions, a governor, regi. dores, and alcades, as there are in the other towns and cities under the Spanish government. But though the governor is elected by the Ine dians, he must be approved by the curate before he enters upon his office; nor can he chastize or punish delinquents without the curate's permission. The curate examines those who are accused of offences; and, if he finds them guilty, deli. vers them to the governor to be pu. nished, according to the nature and quality of the offence com. mitted. He sometimes orders them to be imprisoned for a few days, sometimes to fast, and, when the fault is considerable, to be whipped, which is the severest punishment that is ever inflicted; for the regulations and instructions of the curates have been so effica. cious, that murder, and such like heinous crimes, are never here committed; and even before they undergo these gentle corrections, the curate discourses the offenders in a mild friendly manner, and endeavours to excite in them a due sense of their crime, and of the ill consequences that might flow from it, and to convince them that they merit a much greater punishment than is inflicted. This mild treatment prevents tumults and insurrections, and acquires the curates universal, veneration and esteem. The alcades are chosen annually by the regidores. The governor, regidores, and alcades, are all Indians of the best capaci ties, and are, in effect, so many overseers appointed by the curate, and dignified with these empty titles. Every town has its armoury, or magazine; in which are lodged the fire-arms, and other weapons; wherewith the militia are armed when they take the field, to repel the irruptions of the Portuguese and wild Indians. The militia are very dextrous and expert in the management of their arms, and are exercised, on the eves of festivals, in the squares or public places of the towns. The militia is composed of all those who are able to bear arms: they are formed into companies, which have each a proper number of officers chosen from amongst those who are most distinguished for judgment and can. . . duct. The dress of the officers is rich, adorned with gold and silver, and the device of the town to which they belong: they always appear in their uniforms. on, fes. tivals, and on the days of military exercises. The governor, alcades, and regidores, have also proper robes robes and dresses suitable to their respective offices, in which they appear on public occasions. There are schools in every town, in which the common people are taught reading and writing, and also music and dancing, in which arts they become very skilful. The Jesuits are very careful in consulting the natural bent and genius of their scholars, and in directing their studies and application accordingly. The lads of the most promising genius are taught the Latin tongue with great success. In one of the court-yards of every curate's house are the various shops or work-houses of painters, or carvers, gilders, silver. smiths, carpenters, weavers, and clock-makers, and of several other mechanics and artizans, who daily work for the public under the direction of the coadjutors, and at the same time teach the youth their respective arts and occupa tions. The churches are large, well built, finely decorated and enlightened, and not inferior to the richest in Peru. Each church has a choir of music, composed of instruments of all sorts, and very good voices, so that divine service is celebrated here with as much pomp and solemnity as in cathedrals nor are the public processions less splendid, especially that of the host, which, whenever it is carried abroad, is attended by the governor, alcades, and regidores, in their robes, and also by the militia in a body. The houses of the Indians are as well built and as well furnished as most of the Spanish houses in Peru. The greatest part indeed have mud walls, others are built In with brick, and some with stone, but all are covered with tiles. every town there is a house where gun-powder is made, that they may never want it when they are obliged to take arms, and always have it ready to make artificial fire-works on rejoicing days; for all festivals are here observed with as great ceremony and exactness as in the greatest cities. Upon the proclamation of a new king in Spain, the governors, alcades, regidores, and officers of the militia, appear dressed in new robes and uniforms, of a different fashion from those they wore before. There is a sort of convent in every town, in one part whereof are confined women of an ill life, and the other part is destined for the reception of married women who have no family, and who retire thither when their husbands are absent for the maintenance of this house, and for the support of orphans, and of old and infirm people, all the inhabitants of the town work two days in every week, and the profits of their labour, which is called the labour of the community, are set apart for this purpose. If the produce of this labour be more than is neces. sary for their subsistence, the surplus is laid out to buy ornaments for the churches, and clothes for the orphans and aged, and infirm people: so that here are no beggars, nor any who want the necessaries of life. In short, by the wise policy and prudent regulations of the Je suits, the whole community enjoys peace and happiness. The Guaranies are so profuse and negligent, that the curates are obliged to take into their hands all their goods and stuff as as soon as they are manufactured and made ready for sale, otherwise they would waste and destroy them, and not be able to maintain themselves. The Chiquitos, on the contrary, are diligent and frugal, so that the curates have no other trouble with them than the assist ing them in the disposal of their goods, and procuring returns for them. For this purpose, the so pen public would be utterly subverted. However, there are some who suspect that these are all specious pretences, and that the society's real motive for prohibiting all intercourse with strangers, is the fear of rivals in the beneficial commerce of Paraguay, which is now entirely in their hands. I -In vitium libertas excidit & vim Dignam lege regi. HOR. SIR, ciety keeps a factor or procurator From the Universal Weekly Chronicle. at Santa Fie, and Buenos Ayres, to whom the merchandize of the missions is sent to be disposed of; and these factors return the value to the fathers, in such sorts of European commodities as are wanted. The goods of every town are kept separate, and the royal taxes are taken out of them with. out any other discounts, or allow ances, save the stipends of the curates of the Guaranies, and the sions of the caciques. The fathers choose to manage the commerce of their subjects themselves, lest they should contract vices by their communication with other people. In this respect the fathers are so Careful, that they will not suffer any of the people of Peru, whether they be Spaniards, Mestizos, or Indians, to enter into the territories of the missions. They say that the Indians are but just recovered from a barbarous and dissolute way of life, and that their manners are now pure and innocent; but that if strangers are suffered to come among them, the Indians would soon become acquainted with people of loose lives; and as the Guaranies especially are very prone to vice and wickedness, disorder and rebellion would soon be introduced; the society would lose all the souls they have converted, and their little re. AM engaged in a visit at a friend's house in the country, where I promised myself much satisfaction. I have, however, been greatly disappointed in my expectations; for on my arrival here I found a house full of children, who are humoured beyond measure, and indeed absolutely spoiled by the ridiculous indulgence of a fond mother. This unlucky circumstance has subjected me to many inconve niences; and as I am a man of a grave reserved disposition, has been a perpetual source of embarrassment and perplexity. The second day of my visit, in the midst of dinner, the eldest boy, who is eight. years old, whipped off my perriwig with great dexterity, and received the applause of the table for his humour and spirit. This lad, when he has reached his fourteenth year, and is big enough to lie without the maid, is to be sent to a school in the neighbourhood, which has no other merit than that of being but seven miles off. Six of the children are permitted to sit at table, who entirely monopolize the wings of fowls, and the most delicate morsels of every dish; because the.. the mother has discovered that her children have not strong stomachs. In the morning, before my friend is up, I generally take a turn upon the gravel walk, where I could wish to enjoy my own thoughts without interruption; but I am here instantly attended by my little tormentors, who follow me back. wards and forwards, and play at what they call running after the gentleman. My whip, which was a present from an old friend, has been lashed to pieces by one of the boys, who is fond of horses, and the handle is turned into a hobby. horse. The main-spring of my repeating-watch has been broke in the nursery, which, at the mother's request, I had lent to the youngest boy, who was just breeched, and who cried to wear it. The mother's attention to the children entirely destroys all conversation: and once, as an amusement for the evenings, we attempted to begin reading Tom Fones, but were interrupted, in the second page, by little Sammy, who is suffered to whip his top in the parlour. I am known to be trou bled with violent head-achs; notwithstanding which, another of the boys, without notice given, or any regard paid to the company, is permitted to break out into the braying of an ass, for which the strength of his lungs is commend. ed; and a little miss, at break. fast, is allowed to drink up all the cream, and put her fingers into the sugar-dish, because she was once sickly. I am teazed with familiari. ties, which I can only repay with a frown; and pestered with the petulance of ludicrous prattle, in which I am unqualified to join. It is whispered in the family, that I am a mighty good sort of a man, but that I cannot talk to children, Nor am I the only person who suf fers from this folly: a neighbouring clergyman, of great merit and modesty, and much acquainted in the family, has received hints to forbear coming to the house, because little Sukey always cries when she sees him, and has told her mamma, she can't bear that ugly parson. Mrs. Qualm, my friend's wife, the mother of this hopeful offspring, is perpetually breeding; or rather, her whole existence is spent in a series of great bellies, lyings-in, visitings, churchings, and christenings. Every transaction of her life is dated from her several pregnancies. The grandmother, and the man-midwife, a serious sensible man, constantly reside in the house, to be always ready on these solemn' occasions. She boasts, that no family has ever sent out more numerous advertisements for nurses with a fine breast of milk. As her longings have of late been in the vegetable way, the garden is cultivated for this purpose alone, and totally filled with forward pease, and melon-glasses, in hopes that she may luckily long for what is at hand. She preserves to the utmost the prerogative of frequent pregnancy and, conscious of the dignity and importance of being often big, exerts an absolute authority over her hus band. He was once a keen foxhunter, but has long ago dropped his hounds; his wife having re monstrated that his early rising dis turbed the family unseasonably, and having dreamed that he broke his leg in leaping a ditch. I revere Mrs. Qualm as the mo ther, and only wish I could recom mend her as the manager of chil dren. I hope this letter may fall into her hands, to convince her how how absurd it is to suppose, that others can be as much interested in her own children as herself. I would teach her, that what I complain of as matter of inconve nience, may, one day, prove to her a severe trial; and that early licentiousness will, at last, mock that parental affection from whose mistaken indulgence it arose. I am yours, &c. The IDLER. man was not hurt by the bullet, which, according to vulgar appre hensions, swept away his head; the follower of Berkley, who, while he sits writing at his table, declares that he has neither table, paper, nor fingers-have all the honour at least of being deceived by fallacies not easily detected, and may plead that they did not forsake truth, but for appearances which X. Y. Z. they were not able to distinguish from it. Redulity, or confidence of opinion too great for the evidence from which opinion is derived, we find to be a general weakness imputed by every sect and party to all others, and, indeed, by every man to every other man. Of all kinds of credulity, the most obstinate and wonderful, is that of political zealots; of men, who, being numbered, they know not how nor why, in any of the parties that divide a state, resign the use of their own eyes and ears, and resolve to believe nothing that does not favour those whom they profess to follow. The bigot of philosophy is seduced by authorities which he has not always opportunities to examine, is entangled in systems by which truth and falsehood are inextricably complicated, or undertakes to talk on subjects which nature did not form him able to comprehend. The Cartesian, who denies that his hor e fecls the spur, or that the hare is afraid when the hounds approach her; the disciple of Mal branche, who maintains that the VOL. I. But the man who engages in a party, has seldom to do with any thing remote or abstruse. The present state of things is before his eyes; and if he cannot be satisfied without retrospection, yet he seldom extends his views beyond the historical events of the last century. All the knowledge that he can want, is within his attain. ment, and most of the arguments which he can hear are within his capacity. Yet so it is that an İdler meets, every hour of his life, with men who have different opinions upon every thing past, present, and fü. ture; who deny the most notorious facts, contradict the most cogent truths, and persist in asserting to-day what they asserted yesterday, in defiance of evidence, and contempt of confutation. Two of my companions, who are grown old in idleness, are Tom Tempest and Jack Sneaker. Both of them men who consider themselves as neglected by their parties, and therefore entitled to credit, as hav ing no motive to favour ingratitude. They are both men of integrity where no factious interest is to be promoted, and both lovers of truth, when they are not heated with political debate. |