BETAGH S ACCOUNT OF PERU, II 



to the public good, arc unthougjht of here: for, as there is naturally a great mixture 

 of phlegm and ftubbornnefs in Spanifli conftitutions, fo whatever fettles amongfl: them 

 into a cudom, obrains the force of an inviolable law; and,, however abfurd, however 

 contrary to relit^ion or virtue, however noxious to fociety, or fatal to private peace, is 

 not to be rcotea out by art or force. The amufemcnts, therefore, that ferve to relax 

 the labours of the induftrious in other countries, and yet keep alive the vigour i nd 

 activity of body, and of mind, are never known in Peru ; and whoever (hould atterrpt 

 to introduce them, would be confidered as an innovator, which, among Spaniards is 

 a frightful thing : nor would they fuffer themfelves to be convinced, that martial exer- 

 cifes, or literary conferences, are preferable to intrigues. They have, however, a fort 

 of playhoufe. where the young gentlemen and (Indents divert themfelves after tl eir 

 fafhion ; for what performances they have in the dramatical way are fo mean, that tl ey 

 are hardly worth mentioning, being fcripture ftories 'interwoven with romances, and, 

 which is ftill worfe, with obfcenity. 



It was at this theatre, that two Engliftimen, of Monfieur Martinet's fquadron, fought 

 a prize a little before I came to Lima : they firft obtained leave of the viceroy to exer- 

 cife at the ufual weapons ; and, after the Ihew-day was fixed, moft of the time was 

 taken up with preparatory ceremonies, to bring, as we phrafe it, an houfe ; preceded 

 by beat of drum, in their Holland fhirts and ribbands, faluting the fpeftators at the 

 windows with a flourifh of the fword ; fo that, by the extraordinary gallant manner of 

 the thing, the whole city came to fee the trial of fkill : fome gave gold, but very few 

 lefs than a dollar : when the company, male and female, were clofe packed together, 

 the mafters mounted the ftage ; and, after the ufual compliment, peculiar to the Eng- 

 lifli nation, of fliaking hands before they fight, they retired in great order, and flood 

 upon their guard. Several bouts were played without much wrath or damage ; but the 

 defign of this meeting being more to get money than cuts or credit, one of the mafters 

 had the feafonable fortune to receive a fmall hurt on the breaft, which, having blooded 

 his fhirt, began to make the combat look terrible ; upon w^hich the company fearing, 

 from fuch a dreadful beginning, that the zeal of the champions might grow too warm, 

 and conceiving, till they were reconciled, no man in the houfe was fafe, unanimoufly 

 cried out Bafta, Bafla, which fignifies Enough, Enough ; and fo the houfe broke up. 

 The failors, finding this a better prize than any they ever met with at fea, humbly be- 

 fought his Excellency to grant them a licence for another trial of fkill ; but the viceroy, 

 and all the people, were againft it, from a religious objedion that could never be got 

 over ; and that was, left the fellows fhould kill one another, and die without abfolution. 

 One cannot help obferving, when fo fair an opportunity offers, that the public diver- 

 fions of any place always fliew the temper of a people ; whence appears the danger of 

 introducing, under the notion of elegance, the amufements of a dejedted or an effemi- 

 nate nation, becaufe, in time, they every where produce the fame effefl:s ; that is to fay, 

 they mould thofe, amongft whom they are introduced, into the fame temper with thpfe 

 from whom they are derived ; and I dare fay, if gallantry prevailed here as much as in 

 Peru, we fhould foon grow as much out of love with prize-fighdng, and with whatever 

 elfe had any affinity with labour or danger, as they : fo natural it is, for the love of 

 pleafure to daftardize the very braveft people. 



A further inftancc we have of this deficiency of fpirit in the Spaniards, from their 

 carcleffnefs with refpeft to thofe countries and iflands yet undifcovered, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of thfir vaft dominions in Aiiierica ; notwithftanding the affurances they have 

 had, that fome of thefe countries are richer, and of much greater confequence, than, 

 thofe they have already conquered or fetded. The firft Spanilh governors of Mexica 



c 2 and 



