10 BETAGH's account op PERU. 



miflrefs ; the other is in the evening, crofs the water, in calafhes, or at the great fquare 

 in the town, where the calafhes meet in great numbers towards the dufk ; thefe are 

 flung hke our coaches, but fmaller, and many of them fit only for two, fitting oppofite: 

 they are always drawn by one mule, with the negro driver upon his back ; and it is 

 ufual, among thofe calames, to obferve feveral of them with the windows clofe up, 

 {landing ftill for half an hour together. In thefe amufements, they have feveral cuftoms 

 peculiar to themfelves : after evening prayers, the gentleman changes his drefs from a 

 cloak into a montero, or jockey-coat, with a linen laced cap, and a handkerchief about 

 his neck inftead of a wig : if he wears his hair, it muft be tucked under a cap, and 

 that flapt all down j fo that it is an univerfal fafhion to be difguifed fome way or other; 

 for thofe who have no miftrefs are afhamed to be thought virtuous, and muft be in 

 fome mafk or other to countenance the way of the world. But, as all this is night- 

 work, they have an eftablifhed rule to prevent quarrels, which is, never to fpeak or 

 take notice one of another, whether they are going in qucft of, or vifiting their ladies ; 

 fo that, in fhort, the forepart of the night is a mafquerade all the year round. Among 

 the rank of people who do not keep calaihes, there are feveral points to be obferved, 

 particularly when they take the evening air ; one couple never walks clofe upon the 

 heels of another j but, to prevent the publifliing any fecret whifpers, each couple walks 

 at the diftance of twelve yards at leaft j and if any lady drops a fan, or any thing, by 

 accident, a gentleman may civilly take it up, but he muft not give it to the lady, but 

 the gentleman who is with her, for ftie may be the fifter or wife of him that takes it 

 up; and, as the women are all veiled, thefe wife laws are invented to prevent any 

 impertinent difcoveries. A freedom of that kind is looked upon as the higheft affront 

 in all gallantry, and merits a drawn fword through the liver. They are fo careful in 

 thefe rules, that if any man fees his intimate friend any where with a woman, he muft 

 in no wife take notice of him, or fpeak of it afterwards. Things of this nature are 

 all done with the greateft gravity imaginable, and the practice of gallantry becomes, 

 by this means, decent, foft, and eafy : but notwithftanding the commence of love is 

 here fo regularly fettled, yet there are jealoufies now and then fubfifting, which fome- 

 times have ended fatally. There was a ftory of this fort pretty frefh when I was at 

 Lima : — a young lady had for fome time, as fhe thought, been the. fole fovereign of her 

 lover's heart ; but, by chance, fhe found him in the company of another woman ; and, 

 as our inimitable Shakefpeare has it, "Trifles, light as air, are, to the jealous, confirma. 

 " tions ftrong ;** ftie waited therefore no further proof of his infidelity, nor expected 

 any excufe for the wrong done her, but fuddenly drew his dagger, and difpatched him. 

 She was foon brought to trial j and when every one expected ftie would pay the forfeit 

 of her life, her judges gave it this turn, that it was not malice, but excefs of love, that 

 prompted her to the rafti deed ; ihe was therefore acquitted : but fome nice cafuifts 

 thought ftie fliould, in honour, have hanged herfelf. How agreeable foever thefe 

 pradices are to the Creole Spaniards, yet they caufe an inconvenience to fociety ; for 

 the men are fo ferioufly taken up with thefe forts of matters, that the women engrofs 

 moft of their time, and fpoil public converfation. For this reafon, there are no taverns 

 or coffee-houfes ; fothat the men are only to be met with at their offices, or at church. 

 The fame inconvenience, in a greater or lefs degree, attends this propenfity to gal- 

 lantry, wherever it prevails ; and may be juftly confidered as the bane of induftry, 

 corrupting the minds of both fexes, and mftilling the bafeft principles of indolence and 

 debauchery. 



It is chiefly owing to this effeminate difpofition, that all manly exercifes, all ufeful 

 knowledge, and that noble emulation, which infpirits vhrtue, and keeps alive refpeft 



6 to 



