27 8 
lifhed twice a week, fince the com- 
mencent of January, 1791, when it was 
fet on foot by a fociety_of literary men, 
calling themfelves the * Academical So- 
sir of the~Lovers of Lima;” among 
whom ae Jacinto Calero y Moreira is 
particularly noticed, as being highly dif- 
tinguifhed in the Republic of Letters. 
‘The Peruvian Mercury comprehends 
hiftory, eee ature,.travels, general in- 
telligence,-and a ereat variety of mifcel- 
? 5 
Janéous artic! es, which, at the fame time 
that they are replete with ufeful infor- 
mation relative to the modern ftate of 
Peru and Mexico,’ convey, in a va ariety 
of forms, precife ideas relative to the 
cuftoms, habits, and purfuits of the in- 
habitants of thofe provinces of South 
America. I have no doubt but that it 
will be higily gratifying to the readers 
of your excellent Magazine, to learn that 
in a part of the glebe, which, in confe- 
quence of all intercourfe being fhut out 
between it and ourfelves, we have been 
led to confider as plunged in the groffett 
ignorance; the fciences are fuccefsfully 
cultivated, and the minds of its inhabi- 
tants no longer fettered by fuperflition 
and prieftcrait.. : 
With a view to afford them this infor- 
mation, I fhall, with your permiifion, 
tranfmit you, from time to time, un- 
der the general head of Modern 
and Mexico, the moft interefting articles 
the Peruvian Mercury contains. From 
thefe it will eppear, that there are 
other mines in South America befides 
thofe in the fearch of which its innocen 
inhabitants were butchered by the merci- 
iefs Spaniards—rich mines of {cience and 
know ‘ledge, which will add to the fiock 
Europe already poffefles. 
Befides the Peruvian Mercury, ano- 
ther periodical work has appeared at 
Santé Fe, relative to which you fhall have 
fome information. 
London, O¢F. poe i Sie 
Will you now permit the authors of 
the Perutian oe rcury tointroduce them- 
felvesto the notice cf ycur readers by the 
follo. ving : . 
Details relative to the 
ef ibe Lovers of Lima, and the periedical 
cvork publifoed by ibem under the ttle of the 
Vercure Peruano (Peruvian Mercury). 
“<The pplious entertained a the public, 
relative to the eftablithment of this fociety, a 
the origin of our periodical papes, are fo various, 
that we Jeel ourfelves called on to explain the 
_principles of both ; we fhall, however, preferve 
a Raerions filence, both as to the number of 
perfens cf whom the fociety is compofed, and 
their real names: it may, Hee happen that 
E 
Academical Sociely 
Original Information relative to Pera. 
his e2 
Peru 
in a little time we may give fome information 
on thefe heads. 
‘Tn the year 1737, Ha sPERIoFILo, after 
having fuftained fome heavy loffes in commerce, 
took ep his refidence in this capital (Lima). 
His vivacious, ardent, and unquiet. fpirit could. 
not find fuficient food, either in the private 
daties and obligations of life, or in public diver- 
fons. Riding “and hunting afforded him an 
agrecai-le exercife abroad, while reading and 
roeditation alternately occupied the time he 
fpent in his cabinet. _{n-an excurfion to Lurin*, 
he became acquainted 
Homotimo, and Mindirido, all of them very 
amiable men. A fociety df men of letters had 
for feverai years met at the houfe of the 
former; and to this fociety Agelafto and 
Aniftio belonged, in. conjun@tion with ~ the 
perfors mentioned above. HEsPERIOFILO re= 
qucfted to have the honour to be united to this 
little fociety, which affembled regularly every 
evening at eight o’clock, and broke up at 
eleven. 
cufiion of literary fubje€ts, and the inveftigation 
of public occurrences ; detraétion, gaming, and 
whatever regarced the tender -paffion, or was 
otherwife lig eht and trivial, were profcribed in 
this congreis of phi ‘lofophers- 
The frft adv Sher which man derives from 
blifhment in ‘fociety, i is that of enlarging 
his ideas, and thinking with greater uniformity = 
We experienced this truth from the commence- 
ment. Froud of our union, and refolved te pre« 
ferve it; we endeavoured to give to it all the 
confitency of which any human eftablifhment 
is fufceptible. We took the name of the 
Phil-harmonie Academy; we drew up a code of 
regulations for the better government of our 
meetings; and appointed HERMAGORAS our 
prefident, and ArisTio our fecretary. We bes 
fiowed the title of Honorary Affociates on three 
females, Doralice, Floridia, and Egeria; with 
the laft of whom we had a violent difpute : 
fhe refufed the name of Egeria, on aecount of 
certain allufions which fhe, deemed improper § 
with” Hermaponias! 
It confined itfelf entirely to the dif-_ 
while we, on our fide, maintained that it was 
extremely analo ogous to her condition, - feeing - 
that etymol-gically it fignified foor. ARISTI0 
propofed every evening the fubjeMs which were 
to be treated. When any diverfity of opinion 
arofe, the parties drew up their allegations in 
writing, and in’ this-way the difouted pomt was 
aoe a ‘She academy was not without its 
Lous cor refpondents. 
rat thefe puriui ts our hours glided away ; as if 
on a theatre of bees” Each of us abiorbed 
in the ineffable pleafures of friendfhip and phi- 
lafophy, we were equa y ftrangers to difcord 
and toenzni. ‘Lran ies rted ‘by the contemplation 
of our happinefs, we oftentimes addrefled our 
country, exclaming, “Ah! Lima, if thou wert 
fenfibie of the fatisfattion which refults from 
ancony 
res 0 
i] 


* A {mall diftrié inhabited by Indians, fitu- 
ated at the diftance of five leagues from Lima. 
On account of the falubrity’of its climate, it is 
much frequented by valetudinarians. © c. 
£ a 
