256 Á VOYAGE TO Book V. 



rejuilr, aiid a church erected, which, though small, is 

 very beautiful, and ñnely decorated. 



^ This order of our Lady of Bethlehem has been 

 lately founded under the name of a congregation, and 

 had its origin in the province of Guatemala. The 

 name of the founder was Pedro de San Joseph Beta- 

 neur, a native of the town of Chasna (or Villa Fuerte) 

 on the island of Tcnerifí-', in the year 162Ó. After his 

 deatii, which happened in the year 1667J his conere- 

 gation was approved of by a bull of Cleinent X-ca^^ed 

 the i6th of May 1672 ; and still more formally in 

 another of 1674. In i687> Innocent XI. erected it 

 into a community of regulars; since when it has be- 

 gun to increase in these countries as a religious order. 

 Ic had indeed before passed from Guatemala to Mex- 

 ico, and irom thence, in the year 1671, to Lima, 

 where the fathers had the care of the hospital del 

 Carmen. In the city of Sc. Miguel de Piur^i, they 

 took posse-sionof the hospital oi Si. Ann in the year 

 1678 ; and of that of St. Sebastian in Truxillo in 

 1680. And their probity and diligence in discharg- 

 ing tbeee trusts, induced other places to select them 

 as directors of their hospitals, and among the rest the 

 city of Quito; where, notwithstanding they have been 

 only a few years, they have repaired all former abuses, 

 and put the hospital on a better footing than it had 

 ever known before. 



The fathers of this order go bare-footed, and wear 

 a habit of a dark brown colour, nearly resembling, that 

 of the capuchins, which order they also imitate in not 

 shavinfi their beards. On one side of their cloak is 

 an image of our Lady of Bethlehem. Every sixth 

 yearihey meet to choose a general, which ceremony is 

 performed alternately at Mexico and Lima. 



Among the courts, whose sessio^.^ are held at Qui to, 

 the principal is that of the Royal Audience, which 

 v\ as established there in the year 1563, and consists of 

 a president (who is also governor of the province with: 



regard 



