LIMA. 



95 



and hatred to that of the Insurgents^ as they, in 

 the bitterness of their hearts, always called the Pa- 

 triots. At the same time they always affected to 

 despise their enemies, and to be perfectly indif- 

 ferent to our opinion ; yet, with the perversest 

 spirit of inconsistency, they occupied themselves 

 in watching us, and misinterpreting all our actions 

 and expressions to such a degree, that nothing was 

 too extravagant to be told and believed in Lima 

 respecting our breaches of neutrality. It was in 

 vain, by a frank and open behaviour, to hope to 

 escape suspicion ; for it had become a sort of dis- 

 ease amongst the Spaniards to suspect the Eng- 

 lish ; and its symptoms were aggravated every mo- 

 ment by the increasing distresses to which they 

 were exposed. It will be easily conceived that, 

 under such circumstances, we had not much en- 

 joyment in visiting Lima, and that, situated as I 

 was with many anxious duties to attend to, I could 

 find little leisure to remark or to record peculiari- 

 ties of society and manners. 



Even when we did go into company, no great 

 pleasure was to be derived from it ; as the people 

 had no leisure nor spirits to discuss any other 



