ovalle's historical relation of chile, jl^^ 



that they are placed in theTront, or clfe there would be no hearing the church mufic, 

 nor any means of underftanding one another about the government of the proceffion. 

 The other feafts and hoHdays in the year are proportionably folemnized with the 

 fame decency by all the orders of friars, who all of them have fome devout perfons who 

 help to bear the charge. But the nuns exceed all the reft in ornaments ; and thefe 

 nunneries are fo populous, that in that of St. Auftin alone there are above five hundred 

 perfons, whereof three hundred are veiled nuns, the reft are lay-fifters ; and becaufe the 

 nunnery being full, there can be no more received, but with great difficulty, the other 

 imnnery of Sancta Clara receives fo many every day, that in a little time it will equal 

 the other in number, as it does already in the pomp and ornament of its church-fervice ; 

 that which thefe angels of Heaven, (for fo we may juftly call thofe who with fo much 

 piety and anxiety do ferve God continually, and are as a wall of defence to the city,) 

 that which they do moft fhine in, can hardly be expreffed as to the neatnefs, curiofity, 

 and richnefs of their altars, and the church-ornaments. What fhall I fay of the fmells, 

 artificial flowers, fruits, chocolates, paftillos, and perfuming pots, which I have feen 

 fometimes of fo great a fize, that they ftruck me with admiration, confidering the 

 matter they are made of, which is of a refined fugar, as white as fnow, fometimes 

 in form of a caftle, fometimes of a candleftick, or a pyramid moft exquifitely 

 wrought. 



They are not content with this ; for I have fometimes feen the whole grate of the 

 choir, and the joiners' work, and beams of the church, all covered with preferved ^ /^ 

 citron, in form of funs or angels of tmzzo relievo, and a thoufand other inventions, 

 which I fhould never have done, if I fhould report them all. I muft only fay, that the 

 generofity of thofe ladies is fuch, that though this cofts very much, yet I have often 

 feen them, at the end of a mafs, diftribute all thofe things to thofe who happen to be 

 in the church, without keeping it for themfelves : they do not only do this within the 

 church, but the altars which are fet up in their cloifters, and ftreets near them ; for 

 the procellions are adorned, after the fame manner, with fruits and flowers of the fame 

 materials, fo well imitated, that they appear new-gathered. 



The monafteries of men are not fo well filled as thofe of the nuns, though fome 

 have a hundred, others fixty or feventy friars. The fecular clergy is ' alfo very nu- 

 merous, very virtuous, and learned. Since I came away, there has been founded an- 

 other nunnery of about thirty nuns, who will need no portion, being provided for by a 

 gentleman who left all his eftate to that foundation ; it was Captain Alonfo del Campo 

 Lantadilla, Alguazil mayor of that city, which will be of great fervice to help the pro- 

 viding for poor maids, who, perhaps, elfe would not find it eafy any other way. 



CHAP. Yil. — In which is treated of the ProceJJtons of the Holy Week in the City of 



St. Jago, 



LET us conclude this matter of religion and pious exercifes with faying fomething of 

 the moft remarkable pradlice of it in the holy week, by the ftatelinefs of the procef- 

 fions at that time ; which is fuch, that all ftrangers confefs, that if they had not ieen 

 it, they fliould hardly have believed it. Thefe proceffions begin on the Tuefday in the 

 holy week, to which the company of the Morenos, which is founded in our college, 

 give a beginning, (of which we fhall fpeak more when we treat of its employments, as 

 alfo of the brotherhood or confrary of the Indians, on the morning of Eafter-day.) 

 The proceflion that follows next, is that which comes out of the convent of St. Auftin, 



jj, A 2 * ia 



