PART V. 



THE PERUVIAN CAPITAL. 



HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE POPULATION OP 



LIMA. 



THERE is not any object which has a greater tendency 

 to excite the curiosity of man, than a knowledge of the de- 

 gree of relation in which he stands with those of his species, 

 subje6l to the same legislation, and united to the same social 

 body. This principle, when confined to the art of governing 

 a state, is more particularly interesting, because it is the basis 

 of all the calculations which refer to the universal felicity of 

 nations. The Roman republic, the honour of which, ac- 

 quired by arms, was sustained by the sagacity of its political 

 combinations, was fully sensible of this truth, as is demon- 

 strated by the frequent recensions of the population, made, 

 not only in the capital, but in every part of its extensive do- 

 mains. The general recension ordered by Augustus is the 

 most remarkable in the records of Christianity, because the 

 Blessed Redeemer was born at the time of its verification. 

 The writers who were acquainted with all the importance of 

 this subje6t, introduced into the plan of their produ6lions a 

 variety of refle6lions, having for their aim a computation of 

 the total number of all living human beings. As it has been 

 impossible, however, to found the conje6tures on any fixed 

 data, inasmuch as there cannot have been any other funda- 

 mental 



