NOTICES OF PERU. 



283 



in prayer, and then asks how the saint came there, and gets a 

 most miraculous account of its appearance in the house. The 

 husband runs out to assemble the village to carry the pretended 

 image in procession, and in the mean time, the wife and saint 

 discuss the means of getting free from the difficulty ; but the 

 husband returns so suddenly, that the saint has not time to 

 assume his position, but kneels on the table. The village 

 troop assemble, and place candles in the saint's hands, and carry 

 him around in procession. They at last discover the imposi- 

 tion by the entrance of the curate, who recognises in his saint- 

 ship no other than the sexton. Then all fall to beating and 

 maltreating him, and applying all kinds of epithets, producing 

 most immoderate laughter in the audience. 



Though a censor was appointed in 1S22, by San Martin, to 

 watch over the morality of the stage, and prevent any repre- 

 sentation that might be favorable to royalty or tyranny, the 

 Lima theatre is far from having any claims to perfection in 

 this respect. On particular occasions, fire works are exhibited 

 in front of the theatre, just as the audience leave it. 



Such are the amusements in Lima, on Sundays and religious 

 holy-days. 



CHAPTER XL 



Bull-bait— Plaza del Acho. 



About half past two o'clock on a Monday afternoon, in 

 December, people of all classes were to be seen pouring from 

 the plaza into the street that leads over the bridge to the suburb 

 of San Lazaro. The tailor left his thimble, the cobbler deserted 

 his awl, the donkey of the water carrier enjoyed rest for a 

 time, the collegian threw aside his book, the workshops were 

 closed, the merchant left his store, the lady gave up the si6sta, 



