the South -Sea. 243 



dren. This Superftition is common among the Ladies and 

 the meaner People ; but there is another which is almoft 

 general, and of great Moment for avoiding the Pains of 

 the other World, which is, to take care in this to provide 

 a religious Habit, which they buy, to die and be buryM 

 in ; being perfuaded, that when clad in a Livery fo much 

 refpeited here below, they fhall, wichout any Difficulty, be 

 admitted into Heaven, and cannot be drove into the utter 

 Darknefs, as the Friers give them to underftand. This is 

 not to be wonder' d at : It is known, that this Devotion, 

 which began in France, in the 12th Century, being advan- 

 tageous to the Communities, made the Franc ifcans advance, 

 that S. Francis once a Year regularly came down into Purga- 

 tory, and tool out all thofe who had died in the Holy Ha- 

 bit of his Order ^ with fome other Follies which were con- 

 demn'd by the Council of Bafil in the 15 th Century, 

 which thole Friers in Peru have little regarded, as alfo in 

 the Portuguese Colonies I have feen for their Churches 

 are ftill full of Pi&ures, reprefenting this yearly Defcent 

 of S. Francis into Purgatory 5 the other Orders fay no lefs 

 of their Patriarch. 



They have alfo form'd another Method^ by abufing the 

 Credulity of the Rich, to draw to themfelves fome Part of 

 their Wealth which is, to perfuade them, that the nearer 

 the Altar they are bury'd, the more they partake of the 

 Benefit of the Prayers of the Faithful ; and there are fome Noncnim eft 

 Cullies foolifli enough to believe them, and tacitly toaceeptatio 

 flatter themfelves, that God will make Exception of Peiv'P e ^^^ nrl 

 fons. Of this Sort were two Perfons fome Days before Y-Rom. 2!™' 

 -came away from Lima, who had eacli of them given 6000 

 Pieces of Eight, to be bury'd in the Charnel Houfe of the 

 Auguftins of this City. 



Experience making it appear, that thefe Honours and 

 Advantages are at an End with the Solemnity of the Funeral ; 

 notwithftanding the great Sums they have coft, Recourfe 

 is had to pious Legacies, under the Denomination of Foun- 

 dations for Maffes or other Prayers. There is no dying 



I i 2 Perfon 



