
b879%.] | 
the union of a well-combined affembly, thou 
wouldft banifh far from thee all divifion and 
tumult—chou country of fo many fages, thy 
population would be happy if a few of the 
many learned men, by whom thou art enlighten- 
ed, would unite themfelves to the academical 
fociety of the Phil-harmonics.”’ 
The uncertainty of human affairs was flrong- 
ly illuftrated by oar fociety, which a cruel feries 
of accidents and calamities difperfed. Homo- 
TIMO pafled over to Madrid, whither he was 
called by the career of his political life. 
HeEsPeRiorixo, having lott what he confidered 
as moft precious and amiable in this world, 
went to Sierra, with a view to miiigate his 
grief by abfence. HexmaAcoras felt the lofs 
of thefe two companions. ARisTio fell fick 5 
and Minpiripo took to himfelf a_ wife. 
Thus did the members of the Phil-harmonic 
Academy feparate in an inftant. 
_ After a lapfe of two and twenty months, 
the fociety, which appeared to have been dif- 
folved for ever, again united, as if by an effect 
of magnetifm. Homotimo ‘returned from 
Madrid, after having received from his fove- 
geign the diftinguifhed favours to which his 
merits entitled him. HesPerrorizto 1. ft 
Dehind him, in Sierra, the mifanthropy he had 
carried thither. HrrMAGorAs and ARI€TIO, 
full of health and benevolence, celebrated the 
return of their two companions, and became the 
bonds of the new union which took place. | 
Minp1r1po, engaged in the duties of the huf- 
band and the father, could not as yet become an 
affociate of this new focicty, which was aban- 
doned by AGELASTo, in confequence of the 
whole of his time being engaged in commerce. 
Our meetings were held in the houfe of Hzr- 
MAGORAS, as was the cafe before the difperfion 
of the Phil-harmonics. 
Behold then a fociety of four men, retired 
from all that conftitutes the pleafure of the 
Breater part of mortals, and delighting in fuch 
{cientific objets as they could illuftrate by the 
employment of their talents, ArisTIO re- 
fumed the tafk of diftributing the fubjeéts 
which were to be inveftigated; and it was 
agreed that all our differtations fhould be in 
writing. Thefe pieces, combined with the 
fragments which we had fill preferved from 
among others of the fame kind written at the 
time of the Phil-harmonical mectings, became 
fs many monuments of our attachment to, and 
love for, our country. Our humility and want 
of confidence conftantly denied thefe works the 
honour of being printed ; and we confined our- 
felves to beftowing on our new fociety the flat~ 
tering title of t42 Lovers of the Country. 
In this way we went on for the fpace of a 
few months, when, at length, the analyfis with 
which Don Jayme Baufate introduced the pub- 
lication of his Diario Curicfa (curious diary) 
pointed out to us a convenient mode by which 
we could render our labours of public utility. 
We perceived that that work would afford a 
fair opening for the fubjects which were dif- 
cuffed in our academical converfations 5; and it 
Curious Account of a Literary Club at Lima. 2.79 
flruck us, that this idea might be fuccefsfully 
followed up. As we were, however, four only 
in number, we did not think ourfelves altogether 
competent to the tafk we were thus to affign to 
ourlelves, and we were defirous to call in the 
aid of a fifth affociate who fhould make up for 
our deficiency, and, in a manner, unite in his 
fun&tions the reprefentation of the whole 
fociety. ‘This new xflociate we found in the. 
perfon of Chrifipo, Each of us animated by the 
fame fpirit and the fame zeal, we came to a 
refolution to fet on foot a periodical publication, 
to be intitled Mercurio Puruano (Peruvian 
Mercury) which we hoped the public favour 
and patronage would enable us to continue. A 
_ city like our’s, in which fo much {fcience, as 
well as patriotif{m, is to be found, could not, we 
thought, fail to fupport fuch an undertaking, 
entered into from the pureft motives. We 
proceeded to confer the title of honorary afio- 
ciates on Teagnes, Hypparco, and Thimeo, 
at the fame time that Bafilides and Paladio de- 
clared themfelves protecting affociates. Among 
thofe wno pay us the moft marked attentions, 
while they affift us with great afliduity, are 
Archidamo and Cefalio, to whofe folicitude and 
fottering encouragement it is owing, that our 
work now meets the public eye. This will not 
be a little flattering to us, when we fhall be 
enabled to draw afide the veil, and arnounce 
their real names. 
If this paper, which is altogether the fruit of 
our meditations and efforts, fhould prove ufeful 
to the country, and to che nation, it behoves us 
to acknowledge, that our thanks and gratitude 
will be due to the e'itor of the Diary; but for 
him, the productions of the fociety of the Lovers 
of the Country would have been buried in obli- 
vion, like thofe of the Phil-barmonic Society. 
JUS. 
——~SE ae 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
/ ST R, 
(S8ace be much obliged to any of 
your correfpondents, who will explain 
‘the article of faith in our creed—“ fhe 
Communicu of Saints.” 
N. 
Se 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, | 
I SHOULD be much obliged to any one 
of your correfpondents learned in the 
law, who will give himfelf the trouble 
to inform, by means of your Magazine, 
my neighbours, country juftices, what 
punifhment, if any, may be infliéted on 
a poor woman, for gleaning, or leafing, 
that is, taking up the refute part of the 
wheat, in a field or land reaped and 
fhocked?—the quantity gleaned being 
worth one penny. 
A FRIEND TO JusTICE. 
PROCEEDINGS 


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