INTRODUCTION. 43 



sense, honesty, and right feeling of O'Higgins, was not always a 

 match for the more worldly talents of San Martin ; and he was too 

 apt to rely on the honesty of others from the very uprightness of 

 his own intentions. It is singular, that, with that natural straight- 

 forward honesty, he should ever have been induced to admire or 

 practise any thing like a crooked policy ; but he was taught to con- 

 sider it as a necessary evil in civil government, and therefore always 

 preferred the camp to the palace, as there, at least, deception could 

 not be requisite. The secretary, Zenteno, afterwards minister of 

 marine, and governor of Valparaiso, was now rising into impor- 

 tance. He had been an attorney in Conception, had joined the 

 patriot army early in the revolution ; and, having been among the 

 fugitives in 1814, had been so reduced as to serve as a boy in a 

 pulperia, drinking-house, in Mendoza, for a maintenance, but rejoined 

 the army of the Andes in 1817, and reappeared in his proper station. 

 Zenteno has read a little more than is usual among his countrymen, 

 and thinks that little much : like San Martin, he dignifies, scepticism 

 in religion, laxity in morals, and coldness of heart, if not cruelty, with 

 the name of philosophy ; and, while he could show creditable sensi- 

 bility for the fate of a worm, would think the death or torture of a 

 political opponent a matter of congratulation. His manner is cold ; 

 but, as he is always grave and sententious, and possesses much of the 

 cunning and quickness commonly attributed to his former profession, 

 he passes for clever. 



Such were the principal persons with whom Lord Cochrane had 

 to deal on his arrival in Chile. O'Higgins was sincere ; and of San 

 Martin it may be said, that, like Lord Angelo, 



" I partly think 

 " A due sincerity governed his deeds, 

 " Till he did.look on — " 



the possibility of exercising absolute power in the rich country of 

 Peru. But events will speak for themselves. The present business is 

 with the history of Chile, during the early part of the year 1819. 

 The squadron of Chile then consisted of the O'Higgins, Lord 



a 2 



