SPANISH MONARCHY AUSTRIA BOURBON. 223 



authorities, who they always accused of criminally withholding 

 grain or maintaining its exorbitant price whenever the seasons were 

 inauspicious. But the Conde de Montezuma was on his guard, 

 and immediately took means to control the Indians and lower 

 classes who inhabited the suburbs of the capital. In the mean- 

 while he caused large quantities of corn to be sent to Mexico from 

 the provinces, and, as long as the scarcity continued and until it 

 was ascertained that the new crop would be abundant, he ordered 

 grain to be served out carefully to those who were really in want 

 or unable to supply themselves at the prices of the day. 1 



In 1698 the joyful news of the peace concluded in the preceding 

 year between France, Spain, Holland and England, reached 

 Mexico, and gave rise to unusual rejoicings among the people. 

 Commerce, which had suffered greatly from the war, recovered its 

 wonted activity. The two following years passed over New 

 Spain uneventfully ; but the beginning of the eighteenth century 

 was signalized by a matter which not only affected the politics of 

 Europe, but might have interfered essentially with the loyalty and 

 prosperity of the New World. 



In 1701, the monarchy of Spain passed from the house of 

 Austria to that of Bourbon. The history of this transition of the 

 crown, and of the conflicts to which it gave rise not only in Spain 

 but throughout Europe, is well known at the present day. Yet 

 America does not appear to have been shaken in its fidelity, amid 

 all the convulsions of the parent state. Patient, submissive and 

 obedient to the authorities sent them from across the sea, the people 

 of Mexico were as willing to receive a sovereign of a new race, as 

 to hail the advent in their capital of a new viceroy. Accordingly 

 the inhabitants immediately manifested their fealty to the succes- 

 sor named by Charles II., a fact which afforded no small degree 

 of consolation to Philip V. during all the vicissitudes of his fortune. 

 It is even related that this monarch thought at one period of taking 

 refuge among his American subjects, and thus relieving himself of 

 the quarrels and conflicts by which he was surrounded and assailed 

 in Europe. 



The public mourning and funeral obsequies for the late sovereign 

 were celebrated in Mexico with great pomp according to a precise 



1 In 1697 there was an eruption of the volcano of Popocatepetl, on the 29th of 

 October. 



