254 MATIAS GALVEZ VICEROY HIS ACTS. 



the ill treatment of her husband by the contemptible gift of twenty 

 thousand dollars. 



Mayorga was the victim apparently of an ill disposed minister, 

 who controled the pliant mind of Charles. The viceroy in reality 

 had discharged his duties as lieutenant of the king, with singular 

 fidelity. All branches of art and industry in Mexico received his 

 fostering care ; but he had enemies who sought his disgrace at 

 court, and they were finally successful in their shameful efforts. 1 



Don Matias de Galvez, 

 XL VIII. Viceroy of New Spain. 

 1783 — 1784. 



Don Matias Galvez, hastened rapidly from Guatemala to take 

 possession of the viceroyalty, and soon exhibited his generous 

 character and his ardent desire to improve and embellish the beau- 

 tiful capital. The academy of fine arts was one of his especial 

 favorites, and he insisted that Charles should not only endow it 

 with nine thousand dollars, but should render it an effective estab- 

 lishment, by the introduction of the best models for the students. 

 These evidences of his munificence and taste, still exist in the fine 

 but untenanted halls of the neglected academy. Galvez directed 

 his attention, also, to the police of Mexico and its prisons; — he 

 required the streets to be leveled and paved ; prohibited the raising 

 of recruits for Manilla, and solicited from the king authority to re- 

 construct the magnificent palace of Chapultepec on the well known 

 and beautiful hill of that name which lies about two miles west of 

 the capital, still girt with its ancient cypresses. 



It was during the brief reign of this personage that the political 

 Gazette of Mexico was established, and the exclusive privilege of 

 its publication granted to Manuel Valdez. On the 3d of November 

 Don Matias died, after a brief illness, unusually lamented by the 

 people, from amidst whose masses he had risen to supreme power 

 in the most important colony of Spain. Mexico had regarded his 

 appointment as a singular good fortune, and it was fondly but 

 vainly hoped that his reign might have been long, and that he 

 would have been enabled to carry out the beneficent projects he 

 designed for the country. 



As the death of this officer was sudden and unexpected, no 

 carta de mortaja, or mortuary despatch, had been sent from Spain 

 announcing his successor, and, accordingly the Audiencia assumed 

 the reins of government until the arrival of the new viceroy. 



1 See Bustamante's continuation of Cavo, vol. 3, pp. 45, 46. 



