ANECDOTES OF HIS POLICE REGULATIONS. 263 



second Count Re villa- Gigedo, all of which have characterized him 

 as a just, liberal and far-seeing ruler. In the account of his 

 father's reign, we have already noticed some of this viceroy's 

 meritorious qualities ; but we shall now break the ordinary tenor 

 of these brief annals by inserting a few anecdotes which are still 

 traditionally current in the country whose administration he so 

 honestly conducted. 



The Conde was accustomed to make nightly rounds in the city, 

 in order to assure himself that its regulations for quiet and security 

 were carried into effect. On one occasion, it is related, that in pass- 

 ing through a street which he had ordered to be paved, he suddenly 

 stopped and despatched a messenger to the director of the work, 

 requiring his instant presence. The usual phrase with which he 

 wound up such commands was "lo espero aqui," — " I await him 

 here," — which had the effect of producing an extraordinary degree 

 of celerity in those who received the command. On this occasion 

 the officer, who was enjoying his midnight repose, sprang from his 

 bed on receiving the startling summons, and rushed, half dressed, 

 to learn the purport of what he presumed to be an important busi- 

 ness. He found the viceroy standing stiff and composed on the 

 side walk. When the panting officer had paid his obeisance to 

 his master : — " I regret to have disturbed you, Senor," said the 

 latter, " in order to call your attention to the state of your pave- 

 ment. You will observe that this flag stone is not perfectly even," 

 touching with his toe one which rose about half an inch above the 

 rest of the side walk, " I had the misfortune to strike my foot 

 against it this evening, and I fear that some others may be as 

 unlucky as myself, unless the fault be immediately remedied. You 

 will attend to it, sir, and report to me to-morrow morning! " With 

 these words he continued his round, leaving the officer in a state 

 of stupefaction ; but it is asserted that the pavements of Mexico for 

 the rest of his excellency's government were unexceptionable. 



Another anecdote, of this kind, places his peculiarity of temper 

 in a still stronger light. In perambulating the city one pleasant 

 evening about sunset, he found that the street in which he was 

 walking terminated abruptly against a mass of wretched tenements, 

 apparently the lurking places of vice and beggary. He inquired 

 how it happened that the highway was carried no farther, or why 

 these hovels were allowed to exist ; but the only information he 

 could gain was that such had always been the case, and that none 

 of the authorities considered themselves bound to remedy the evil. 

 Re villa- Gigedo sent immediately to the corregidor : — " tell him 



