LA PERICIIOLE'S AMBITION GRATIFIED. 



49 



asked if he had come alone, or whether he had 

 Dot thought of bringing some of his people with 

 him to assist in guarding the city at this critical 

 moment. " Guard the city ! — don't mention such 

 a thing," cried he ; " they are the greatest set of 

 villains in Peru, and would cut the throats of half 

 Lima before morning if they were trusted within 

 the walls." 



The streets were this morning secured in every 

 direction by mounted patroles, consisting of ten or 

 a dozen gentlemen each, who allowed no one, 

 without special permission, to remain out of doors 

 after eight o'clock. These precautions were taken 

 by the inhabitants, in consequence of the tumul- 

 tuous assemblages of people in the streets the night 

 before, shouting " Viva la Patria ! Viva la Inde- 

 pendencia ! " and making a furious riot, which 

 was greatly assisted by the incessant ringing of all 

 the church-bells. Several shops were broken 

 open, and one or two people were shot. Some 

 judicious pel-sons at last obtained an order that 

 the bells should cease ringing ; after which the 

 mob soon retired to rest. In the midst of the 

 confusion a violent shock of an earthquake was 

 felt, but I missed this by having gone on board 

 my ship in the evening, a few hours before it took 

 place. 



On the night of the 11th of July, the patroles 

 did their duty so effectually, that, after it was dark, 

 hardly a soul was to be seen in the streets, and not 

 a door open, except here and there, where a 

 drinking-house was allowed, the solitary mirth from 

 which proved the real repose of the city more than 

 if every house had been rigorously blocked up. I 

 walked, in company with a gentleman, over great 

 part of the town, without meeting any one except 

 the patrole. As we were returning through the 

 Plaza, or great square, the deep silence was sud- 

 denly broken by the clank of a hand-bell rung in 

 front of the cathedral. Presently there issued 

 from the palace, on the other side of the square, a 

 great lumbering old-fashioned gilt coach ; which 

 drove to the principal entrance of the cathedral, 

 and having received the priest charged with the 

 Host, or consecrated wafer, moved slowly away to 

 the house of some dying person. The Host is 

 usually carried in procession on foot ; but a car- 

 riage has been appropriated to this duty in Lima, 

 in consequence of a curious circumstance, the 

 details of which were related by my companion, a 

 person who delighted in anything tending to make 

 the past times look ridiculous. 



It seems that a certain viceroy, some years ago, 

 had become deeply enamoured of a celebrated 

 actress, named La Perichole ; and as vice mon- 

 archs, like real monarchs, seldom sigh in vain, La 

 Sefiora Perichole soon became mistress of the 

 palace, where, besides spending large sums of the 

 public money, she succeeded in making her admirer 

 even more contemptible than he had been before. 

 Every request she chose to make was immediately 

 granted her, except in one trifling case, which, of 

 course, she resolutely set her heart upon attaining. 

 Her whim was not of great consequence, it might 

 be thought, since it was merely to be allowed, for 

 once, to drive in a carriage of her own through the 

 streets of Lima. Now this, which to us seems the 

 simplest thing in nature, was looked upon in quite 

 a different light in the capital of Peru ; for although 

 any one might ride about as long as he pleased in 



a gig, or a calesh, or in a balancia, no one ever 

 presumed to dream of entering a coach but a I 

 grandee of the highest class. The wretched viceroy 

 tried every argument to free La Perichole's head 

 of this most unreasonable fancy, but all in vain : 

 at length he was obliged to set public opinion at 

 defiance, and, at the risk of a rebellion, order a 

 coach to be made for the lady, whose folly was 

 destined to render them both ridiculous. How to 

 traverse the streets without being mobbed, was 

 the next grand difficulty ; for the viceroy, who 

 dreaded the indignation of the populace, was pretty 

 sure that he should never behold the fair Perichole 

 again if she went alone : to go in the same carriage, 

 however, was too scandalous to be thought of, — 

 besides, it was not what the lady wanted, who 

 must needs go in her own carriage. In the end it 

 was arranged that the viceroy should lead in his 

 coach of state, and that of La Perichole should 

 follow, while the usual train of carriages brought 

 up the rear, with the body-guard surrounding all. 

 It is said the viceroy had a window cut in the back i 

 part of his carriage, for the express purpose of 

 keeping an eye on his lady : be that as it may, it 

 so happened that the mob were amused with the 

 ridiculous nature of the procession, and, instead of 

 pelting the ambitious damsel, followed with huzzas 

 the delighted Perichole, while she crossed and 

 recrossed the city. On returning towards the 

 palace, she drew up before the cathedral, and 

 stepping out, declared that the grand object of her 

 life being now satisfied, she had no farther occasion 

 for the coach, and would therefore, in gratitude 

 to Heaven, devote it to the service of the church ; 

 and desired that henceforward it might always 

 carry the Host, whenever the sacrament of extreme 

 unction was to be administered to dying sinners. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



Entry of General San Martin into Lima.— His Reception 

 by the People.— Characteristic Scenes at the Marquis of 

 Montemira's. 



The 12th of July 1821 is memorable in the 

 annals of Peru, from the entry of General San 

 Martin into the capital. Whatever intermediate 

 changes may take place in the fortunes of that 

 country, its freedom must eventually be established: 

 and it can never be forgotten, that the first im- 

 pulse which led to so glorious a consummation, 

 was due entirely to the genius of that great Patriot 

 leader, who planned and executed the enterprise 

 which first stimulated the Peruvians to think and 

 act for themselves. 



San Martin did not enter in state, as he was well 

 entitled to have done, had he cared about forms 

 and ceremonies instead of cordially despising them, 

 but waited till the evening, and then rode in 

 without guards, and accompanied only by a single 

 aide-de-camp. Indeed, it was contrary to his 

 original intention that he came into the city on 

 this day ; for he was tired, and wished to go quietly 

 to rest in a cottage about half a league off, and to 

 enter the town before daybreak next morning. 

 He had dismounted accordingly, and had just 

 nestled himself into a corner, blessing his stars that 



