86 



MEXICO. 



the windows and balconies, and the colouring, the eye 

 recognises an endless variety at every turn. Whether 

 the style of embellishment is always in good taste or not, 

 it is often very curious and always striking. Most of 

 the facades are painted in distemper, white, orange, 

 crimson, blue, and green or red ; and many are overlaid 

 wkh glazed and stained porcelain tiles of extremely 

 beautiful design. 



Such is the number of the churches, convents, and 

 public buildings in the central part of the city, that you 

 can hardly move without commanding a view of one or 

 more edifices of this character, rising above the general 

 line, and rearing a pile of stately architecture, with 

 painted dome and towers in brilliant relief against the 

 sky. 



For the accommodation of a population estimated at 

 one hundred and sixty thousand, you enumerate fity-six 

 churches within the bounds of the citv, in addition to the 

 cathedral. The convents and monasteries are thirty- 

 eight in number. Some of these are of very great ex- 

 tent. That of the San Francisco contains five churches 

 within its walls. 



Many of the ecclesiastical edifices are of very great 

 size, and all more or less highly wrought and embellished 

 interiorly, though the number of those which are distin- 

 guished for really good design and good taste is com- 

 paratively small. Santa Teresa, the Antigua, the Pro- 

 fessa, San Augustin, the Incarnation, and one or two 

 others, might be named as having some claim to be ex- 

 empt from the general stricture of bad taste, false and 

 gaudy ornament, tinsel and glitter, which applies to the 

 majority, and which in many becomes absolutely offen- 

 sive. Statuary, painting, and carving, are lavished upon 

 all, but rarely of a character over mediocrity. In actual 

 riches, display of gold, silver, and embroidery, Mexico 

 far surpasses every city in Europe ; and the value of pre- 

 cious metals which you have sometimes before you, in 

 the shape of candelabras, vases, balustrades, shrines, and 

 consecrated vessels, is incalculable. 



The signs of the domination of the papal religion are 



