natives, however, were readily won from their own rude faith to the splendid ceremonial of their persuasive teachers, and the faggot and the rack were seldom invoked. These baneful influences, however, repressed education and freedom of opinion. Men only dared read or write what the Jesuits permitted.

"At the end of the eighteenth century, there were but three presses in Spanish America-one in Mexico, one in Lima, and one, which belonged to the Jesuits, at Cordova; but these presses were designed for the use of the government alone, in the determination of its decrees.

"Luther, Calvin, Vattel, Puffendorff, Robertson, Addison, and even the Roman Catholic Fenelon, were all proscribed. The inquisition was the great censor of the press, and nothing was submitted to the people unless it had passed the fiery ordeal of the holy office. It was quite enough for a book to be wise, classical, or progressive, to subject it to condemnation."

It would be difficult to present a much sadder picture of misrule than this. As well might we expect an infant to heave from him a mountain, as look for a respectable nationality under such a mass of abuses. Apart from the continuing curse of its mineral wealth, it is not surprising that the Mexican is a dwarfed and insignificant nation. It needs more than the vibration from leader to leader, and system to system, through the period of her quasi-independence-more, we fear, indeed, of the "vis medicatrix naturæ" than belongs to the body politic-to shake off the effects of these deadly poisons. When commerce is trammelled by legislation, and labour is burdened with taxes-when thought is fettered by tyranny, and education is repressed by censorship-when enterprise is crushed by monopoly, and religion is soiled by corruption—it is worse than vain to look for a happy people or a stable government. The laws of national progress are immutable as the tables of Sinai. The foundations of a state must be broadly laid in virtue and justice, or the superstructure cannot be durable or worthy. Like those wonderful exhalations, whose congregated towers and battlements startle the desert traveller with their beauty, but fade before the approaching step, so the external splendor of a state may hide for a time its true condition; but its glory is that of the mirage, and the sands shall surely swallow it up.

For nearly three centuries after the withdrawal of Cortez from Mexico, say from 1530 to 1821, the country was ruled by viceroys, sixty-two in number. The general characteristics of that government we have already briefly summed up, and, with some brilliant exceptions, of wise and just men, who nobly strove to remedy the existing abuses, we have sufficiently indicated their general character. We pause, however, to give to Mr. Mayer the place he richly merits, in supplying, in this portion of his work, an important link in the history of Mexico, never before given to the world in the English language, nor even in the continuous work of any Spanish author. Here, also, we see not only the evidence of the research of our author, but another illustration of the sound policy of attaching to the missions of the government in foreign countries gentlemen who are fitted, by education and taste, to do something for the honour of our national literature, and the increase of general knowledge. The reader will derive from the study of this portion of Mr. Mayer's work, a specific knowledge of those abuses to which we have heretofore alluded. The narrative is clearly and beautifully written. A sound discrimination marks the deductions of the author, and an evident fairness distinguishes all his estimates of measures and perThe history is enlivened with personal anecdotes, some of which so well illustrate the character of the viceroyal rule, that we quote them:

sons.

"Upon the death of the viceroy, Fray Garcia Guerra, the Audiencia, of course, took possession of the government during the interregnum-and, as it seems that this body of men was always doomed to celebrate its authority by acts of folly or cruelty, we find that, soon after its accession to power, the city was alarmed by the news of an outbreak among the negroes. The people were panic struck. A terrible noise had been heard in the streets of the metropolis during the night, and although it was proved that the disturbance was entirely caused by the entrance, during the darkness, of a large drove of hogs, the Audiencia determined, nevertheless, to appease public opinion, by the execution of twenty-nine male negroes and four negro women! Their withered and fetid bodies were left to hang on the gallows, tainting the air and shocking the eyes of every passer, until the neighbourhood could no longer bear the sickly stench, and imperiously demanded their removal."

The Viceroy Gigedo seems to have been a very energetic and excellent ruler, and to have possessed, withal, a spice of humour, as the following anecdotes of his administration indicate:

"The Conde Revilla-Gigedo was accustomed to make nightly rounds in the city, in order to assure himself that its regulations for quiet and security were carried into effect. On one occasion, it is related that, in passing through a street which he had ordered to be paved, he suddenly stopped, and despatched a messenger to the director of the work, demanding his instant presence. The usual phrase with which he wound up such commands was, 'Lo espero aqui ''I await him here!'-which had the effect of producing an extraordinary degree of celerity in those who received the command. On this occasion, the officer, who was enjoying his midnight repose, sprang from his bed, on receiving the startling summons, and rushed, half dressed, to learn the purport of what he presumed to be an important business. He found the viceroy standing stiff and composed on the sidewalk. When the panting officer had paid his obeisance to his master, 'I regret to have disturbed you, Señor,' said the latter, in order to call your attention to the state of your pavement. You will observe that this flag stone is not perfectly even,' touching with his toe one that rose about half an inch above the rest of the sidewalk, 'I had the misfortune to strike my foot against it this evening, and I fear that some others may be as unlucky as myself, unless the fault be immediately remedied. You will attend to it, sir, and report to me tomorrow morning.' With these words he continued his round, leaving the officer in a state of stupefaction; but it is asserted that the pavements of Mexico, for the rest of his Excellency's government, were unexceptionable."

"There is another adventure told, to display the excellence of Revilla-Gigedo's police, in which the Count figures rather melodramatically. It seems that, among the Creole nobles, who, with the high officers of the government, made up the Viceroy's court, there was a certain Marquis, whom fortune had endowed with great estates and two remarkably pretty daughters, and it was doubted by some whether the care of his cash or his heiresses gave him most anxiety. The eldest, who bore her father's title, was celebrated for beauty of an uncommon kind in those regions. She had blue eyes, brilliant complexion and golden hair, and was every where known as the fair-haired marquesa. Her sister, who, on the contrary, was very dark, with eyes like the gazelle, and raven hair, was called the pretty brunette. But, different as they were in looks, and perhaps in character, there was one trait in which they perfectly agreed, for they were remarkable coquettes! It is un

known how many offers of the wealthiest grandees and most gallant cavaliers about court they had refused; and the poor Marquis, who was by no means a domestic tyrant, and desired to govern his family only by kindness, was quite worn out in persuading them to know their own minds.

"One night he was roused from his sleep by a message from the Viceroy, who awaited him in the palace. Not for his best estate would the loyal Marquis have kept the representative of his sovereign waiting a moment longer than necessary. Wondering what reason of state could require his presence at that unusual hour, he dressed himself hastily and hurried to the place. The Viceroy was in his cabinet, surrounded by several of his household, and all in a state of painful curiosity. Marquis,' said the Viceroy, as soon as the nobleman entered, my lieutenant of police, here, complains that you did not take proper care to secure the doors of your mansion last evening.' 'I assure your highness,' replied the Marquis, in great surprise, 'that my steward locked both the great gate and the outer door, according to the invariable custom of my mansion, before retiring for the night.' 'But have you not a postern opening into the next street?' returned the Count, and are you equally heedful in regard to it? But, in short,' he continued, 'you must know that this watchful lieutenant of mine has saved you to-night from robbery.' 'Robbery! your Excellency! Is it possible?' ejaculated the Marquis, startled, for a moment, out of his habitual composure. Yes! and of the worst kind,' replied the Viceroy; 'the fellows were in the act of carrying off your most exquisite treasures, which are now restored to you.' At these words, a door at the side of the cabinet flew open, and the astonished Marquis beheld his two daughters, dressed for travelling, and locked in each other's arms. They seemed overwhelmed with confusion, the fair hair all dishevelled, and the black eyes drowned in tears. And these are the robbers,' added the Viceroy, pointing to a door on the opposite side, which also flew open. The Marquis turned mechanically, and saw two of the gayest, handsomest and most dissipated youths of the court, whom he recollected as occasional visitors at his house. They appeared no less confused, and, with their embarrassment, there was an evident mixture of alarm. The truth now began to break on the mind of the nobleman. You see, Marqusi,' said the Count, that, but for the vigilance of my police, you would have had the honour of being father-in-law to two of the greatest scamps in my vice-royalty. See what a dilemma your carelessness has brought me into, my dear sir! I am obliged to wound the feelings of two of the most lovely ladies in my court, to save them from the machinations of scoundrels unworthy of their charms, and I fear will never forgive me! Farewell, Señor Marquis! Take my ad

vice, and brick up your postern. Calderon* was a wise man, and he tells us that a house with two doors is hard to keep. As for these young scape-graces, they sail in the next galleon, for Manilla, where they can exercise their fascinating powers on the Chinas and mulattos of the Philippines!"

Another striking illustration of the despotism of the Spanish rule in New Spain is afforded in the following condensed account of the conduct of the Audiencia, in the case of the Marquis del Valle, the son of the conqueror, whose high position, and the splendour with which he maintained the honour of his house, had excited the jealousy and hatred of some of the myrmidons of the government. Some little incidents, that occurred in connection with a family festivity, were seized, as the miserable pretexts for this despotic interference, and complaint was made to the Audiencia that the Marquis and his friends had conspired to seize the supreme power. Under a falee pretext, the Marquis was entrapped into the presence of the Audiencia, when the hall was at once closed, and the doors guarded by armed men. The Marquis was ordered to seat himself on a common stool, while one of the functionaries announced to him that he was a prisoner, in the name of the king.

"For what?" eagerly demanded Cortez.

"As a traitor to his majesty," was the foul reply..

"You lie!" exclaimed Cortez, springing from his seat, and grasping the hilt of his dagger. "I am no traitor, nor are there any among any of my lineage !"

He was, however, hurried to prison, and his half-brother, Don Martin, Don Luis Cortez, and Alonzo Alvarado, and Don Gil Gonzalez, were also seized and incarcerated, as parties to the assumed conspiracy. The authorities, of course, were unable to find any proof of the falsely imputed crime; but, determining to justify their conduct, in the popular estimation, by sacrificing some one, and knowing the blow would fall heavily on the family of Cortez, they basely executed Alonzo and Gil Gonzalez, the cherished companions of the Marquis.

The arrival, soon afterward, of the Viceroy, the Marquis de Falces, which terminated the power of the Au

* One of Calderon's comedies is named, de guardar."

NEW SERIES, VOL. VI.-NO. 11.

"Casa con dos puertas, mala es

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