MONTEAGUDO. 



87 



ment, npr live in the palace ; but retired to La 

 Magdalena, his country house, at a short distance 

 from Lima. 



Towards the end of the year 1821, a decree 

 was published, ordering every unmarried Span- 

 iard to leave the country, and to forfeit half his 

 property; and within a few months afterwards, 

 this decree was extended to married men also. 

 Upon one occasion, no less than four hundred 

 Spaniards of the first families, and the most weal- 

 thy persons in Lima, were forcibly taken from 

 their houses and marched on foot to Callao ; sur- 

 rounded by guards, and followed by their wives 

 and children, of whom they were not even allow- 

 ed to take leave, before they were thrust on board 

 a vessel ; which sailed immediately with them to 

 Chili. Though, by the original decree, only one- 

 half of the property of Spaniards was confiscated, 

 it was soon altered to the whole : and, in July 

 1822, the ruin of the old Spaniards was complete. 

 The manner, also, in which this persecution was 

 carried on, is said to have been unfeeling and ilL 

 judged : the most insulting decrees were publish- 

 ed, such as, " That no Spaniard should wear a 



