2^6 



Cloyfiers be- 

 longing to the 



Mtrsti. 



Womens 

 Cloyfters. 



S 



The Vice- 



Jtoy's Palace 

 and Arch- 

 bilhop'i Scat. 



The gallantry 

 cf Mtxico at 

 this day. 



AMERICA. Chap. Y. 



Market the Jefuits have a (lately Collcdgc , or High-School, where many are 

 brought up in the Latin and Greek Tongues, whence it is call'd, Cafa Trofejfa Les 



•Efludios. 



There is alio another Habitation of Religious Men, call'd IllefonfeSannaNoVtciad, 



which for State, may vie with any Royal Palace. 



The JMonks of La Merced dwell in two Cloyfters , both Confecrated to the Vir- 

 gin Mary, yet Sirnam'd Montferatte, and Cantiel : The firft lying not far from the 

 River is a mean Structure, in comparifon to the laft ; the uppermoft Tower of 

 whofe Temple appears above all other Buildings, in the upper part of Mexico near 

 the Cloyfter of St. Francis. 



The Women have alfo fourteen Cloyfters here, the chiefeft whereof is Dedica- 

 ted to Catharine of Siena 5 but much more fplendid is that of Santa Terefa, built like 

 an Imperial Palace 5 famous for its ftately Gardens, and round Fountain, which 

 continually fpouts Water. The reft, which we fiiall onely name, are La Encar- 

 nacio , Santa Ines , Jefuf*Maria, Laurenfo , Las Des-calcas, Santa Clara, Juan de la <Pe- 

 nitentia, fygina Cali, Santa Monica, las ^cogidas , Jeroriymo, and Conception ; befides the 

 Almfhoufes, <Rfal de los Indios, and TSioflra Senora del Amor : There are likewife eight 

 Hofpitals, vi%. de Dios, del Spiritu Santo, Juan de Doys, ds la Mtfericordia, dej'an Hippoli- 

 to, and defan La^aro. The three chief Churches bear the Name of Catharine, Mar* 

 tin, and Vera Cru^-, and the Clergy.men thereto belonging, enjoy many ftately Pa- 

 laces, amongft which Site Juan de Lateran, de Chrijlo, and las NiVas. 



The Refidence of the Vice-Roy which lies near the Dominican Cloyfter, Torto Ccc. 

 li, isfo fumptuous a Structure, that it may ftand in competition with any of thofe 

 Edifices which were fo much cry'd up by the Ancients 5 neverthelefs, it is not to be 

 compar'd to the Arch-bifliop's Seat, built round like a Theatre, whofe Lufter ex- 

 preflcs the Quality of him that inhabits the fame, he being Governor of the Bi- 

 fliopricks of Fafcala, Guaxaca, Mechaocan, New Galicta, Chiapa, Yucatan, Guatimala, Ve- 

 rapa^, and the fhilippinas. This marvellous Structure was begun by Ferdinand Qorte* 

 fim, but was finifh'd by Sebajlian %amires de Fuenleal 5 and not much inferior there- 

 unto is the Cafa de Cabildo Alameda. 



At prefent, Mexico is thought to be one of the richeft Cities of the World, 

 abounding (if reports be true) in all kind of voluptuous gallantry and bravery, 

 even to excefs : It is fuppos'd to contain about fix or feven Miles in compafs, and 

 to confift of above an hundred thoufand Houfes or Families, whereof not the tenth 

 part Spaniards, but thofe that are, all Gentlemen, at leaft as to their garb and 

 manner of living; for they live moft fplendidly in all refpects, both for Diet and 

 Apparel. 



For the firft, we have fpoken fo much already of the general plenty of all things 

 in the Kingdom of TS[fV>-Spain, that pertain to this part of pleafure, that it is not 

 to be doubted : And for the fecond this may be fome inftance, vi^. that it is no ex- 

 traordinary matter to fee an Hat-band or Role all of Diamonds, in fome ordinary 

 Gentlemans Hat ; and of Pearl among the common Citizens and Tradefmen. 

 The Coaches (which moft Gentlemen keep) almoft covered with Gold and Silver, 

 richly befet with Precious Stones, and within ordinarily lin'd with Cloth of Gold, 

 or the beft China Silk that can be gotten ; . of which Coaches, in time of year, at the 

 Alameda, as they call it, which is, as it were, Tl?e Hide^Varh of Mexico, and a place 

 made of purpofe for recreation and delight, a Man fhall obferve not feldom, above 

 a thoufand or two thoufand Coaches, full of Ladies and Gallants coming thither 

 onely to take the Air, and their Pleafure, both the one and the other attended with 

 a numerous Train of Servants and Mulattoes of both Sexes. In la flateria, which is 



but 



' 9 



