2s6 A VOYAGE TO Book V, 



rebuilt, and a church ereded, which, though fmall, is 

 very beautiful and finely decorated. 



This order of our Lady of Bethlehem has been 

 lately founded under the name of a congregation, and 

 had its origin in the province of Guatemala. The 

 name of the founder was Pedro de San Jofeph Beta- 

 neur, a native of the town of Chafna (or Villa Fuerte) 

 on the ifland of Teneriff, in the year 1626. After his 

 death, which happened in the year 1667, his congre- 

 gation was approved of by a bull of Clement X. dated 

 the 16th of May 1672; and ftill more formally in 

 another of 1674. In 1687, Innocent XL eredted it 

 into a community of regulars ; fince when it has be- 

 gun to increafe in thefe cour^tries as a religious order. 

 It had indeed before pafTed from Guatemala to Mex- 

 ico, and from thence in the j^ear 1671 to Lima, 

 where the fathers had the care of the hofpital del 

 Carmen. In the city of St. Miguel de Piura, they 

 took poITcffion of the hofpital of St. Ann in the year 

 1678 j and of that of St. Sebaftian in Truxillo in 

 1680. And their probity and diligence in difcharg- 

 ing thefe trufts, induced other places to feledt them 

 as diredors of their hofpitals, and among the reft the 

 city of Qiiitov where, notwithftanding they , have been 

 only a few years, they have repaired all former 

 abufes, and put the hofpital on a better footing than 

 it had ever known before. 



The fathers of this order go bare-footed, and wear 

 a habit of a dark brown colour, nearly refembling that 

 of the capuchins, which order they alfo imitate in not 

 fhaving their beards. On one fide of their cloak is 

 an image of our Lady of Bethlehem. Every fixth 

 year they meet to chufe a general, which ceremony is 

 performed alternately at Mexico and Lima. 



Among the courts, whofe fefiions are held at Qinto, 

 the principal is that of the Royal Audience, which 

 was eftabliihed there in the year 1 563, and confifts of 

 a prefident (who is alfo governor of the province vvith 



regard 



