40 



INTRODUCTION. 



is extremely difficult to comprehend, unless it be the 

 jealously of French literature, which had become 

 very much in request towards the close of the last 

 century, throughout all Spanish America. The pol- 

 ished and immaculate Godoy, thought it wise to issue 

 a decree forbidding the study of the law of nature and 

 nations; (derechos de gente) a prohibition, which may 

 perhaps be attributed to ignorance of the meaning of 

 the terms. Something of this excessive caution, is 

 doubtless to be ascribed to apprehensions of that 

 flood of light poured upon the world by the American 

 revolution; for it is since that period especially, that 

 Spain has manifested such a disposition to tyrannize 

 over the human mind in America. 



No part of the vast suras drawn from the Indies 

 were appropriated to the diffusion of general infor- 

 mation. The institutions fostered by the government 

 had nothing in view but some special objects. It was 

 found that American curates, lawyers and physicians 

 were necessary; colleges must therefore be established 

 to enable these to make their preparatory studies; there 

 was no disposition to encourage the Americans to visit 

 Spain, and it was not safe to allow them to go abroad. 

 It is not to be expected that the young Americans who 

 had no intention of dedicating themselves to any of 

 these professions, could undertake the arduous and 

 painful task of mastering studies, that they could ap- 

 ply to no other practical use. The university of 

 Mexico was fostered by the Spanish government, 

 principally on account of its school of mineralogy; all 

 the exact sciences were cultivated here, on the same 

 principles as in Europe; next to that of Mexico, the 

 university of Lima had the most extensive privileges 



