101 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 



college of Ocopa, for which Lima is indebted to the munifi- 

 cence of the sovereigns of Spain ; of the two jails built by the 

 city ; of the chapel of the Inquisition, constru6led by the 

 noblemen who compose that tribunal ; of that of the univer- 

 sity, ere6led at the expence of its illustrious chapter ; and of 

 the spittal of the Escurial, the work of the present enlightened 

 and zealous administrator of its rents : all the other edifices are 

 glorious monuments of the piety and benevolence of native 

 Peruvians. This is the more deserving of consideration, be- 

 cause these edifices having been repeatedly damaged or de- 

 stroyed, by the frequent earthquakes that have occurred ; and 

 their funds, embarked in real properties, either deteriorated, 

 or entirely lost, by the violence of the earthquakes themselves, 

 or by other accidental causes ; they have all of them been re- 

 edified, repaired, and improved by public alms, arising not 

 only from the large donations of the rich, but from the con- 

 tributions of the half reals of the poor. Without prejudice to 

 these immense largesses, incredible sums of money are col- 

 lected ; for the purpose of redeeming christian captives ; for 

 the ransom of the places where our own redemption was 

 wrought ; for the shrouds and interment of those who die ; for 

 religious communities ; for criminals under sentence of death ; 

 and for the support of indigent and decayed families. 



We cannot conclude better than by citing the expressions of 

 count De La Granja, in the preamble to his heroical poem on 

 the life of Santa Rosa. " In this territory (Peru), not less 

 favoured by Apollo and Minerva, than by Ceres and Pomona, 

 there happily prevails among the inhabitants a gentle tempera- 

 ment which renders them connatural with humanity and libe- 

 rality. All are compassionate ; all generous ; — not only those 



who 



