Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

Woman and man, by vows sincere betroth'd,

Heard but the voice of Nature. The still moon

Arose-they sawit not-cheek was to cheek

Inclin'd, and unawares a stealing tear Witness'd how blissful was that hour, that seem'd

Not of the hours that time could count. A kiss

Stole on the listening silence; never yet Here heard they trembled, e'en as if

[blocks in formation]

1

But angels, as the high pines wave,

Their half-heard 'miserere' sing!

No flow'rs of transient bloom at eve

The maidens on the turf shall strew; Nor sigh, as the sad spot they leave, Sweets to the sweet! a long adieu!

But in this wilderness profound,

O'er her the dove shall build her nest, And Ocean swell with softer sound A requiem to her dreams of rest!

Ah! when shall I as quiet be,

When not a friend, or human eye, Shall mark beneath the mossy tree

The spot, where we forgotten lie!

To kiss her name on the cold stone

Is all that now on earth I crave; For in this world I am alone

O lay me with her in the grave.'

FOR

SEPTEMBER, 1807.

Eibrum tuum legi & quam diligentissime potui annotavi, que commutanda, que eximenda, arbitrarer. Nam ego dicere verum assuevi. Neque ulli patientius reprehenduntur, quam qui maxime laudari merentur.

PLIN.

ART. 47.
(Continued.)

A Voyage to the eastern part of Terra Firma, or the Spanish Main, in South-America, during the years 1801, 1802, 1803, and 1804, &c. &c. By F. Depons. Vol. II. pp. 362

THE labour of reviewing this valuable work is lessened, and the gratification of our readers increased, by the abundant quotations we necessarily make. The second volume commences with an account of the civil and military economy of the colony. The system of preserving subordination has been the same with all the Europeans, except the Spaniards; but the difference may be less than this author pretends. The privileges of Spanish colonists are infinitely inferiour to those enjoyed by our fathers in these colonies; yet to the little restraint on the inhabitants this author attributes their loyalty. But the indolence of the Spanish character is a better guarantee, than their gratitude.

The political division of the Spanish colonial dominions is not, perhaps, generally understood.

The whole of the Spanish possessions in America is divided into four vice-royalties: Mexico, Peru, Buenos Ayres, and Santa-Fé; and six capitanerias: Porto-Rico, HaVol. IV. No. 9. 3 P

vana, Caraccas, Guatimala, Chili, and the Philippine Islands in Asia.'

p. 11.

On the Grand Council of the Indies, the writer bestows the most honourable praise, which we are willing to believe fairly deserved.

Its integrity so effectually disiard, wealthy and powerful, who in concerts intrigue that every Spanhis cause or his pretensions has more to hope from favour than from justice, directs all his efforts to avoid the jurisdiction of the council of the Indies. His only hope of to the decision of the ministers whom success rests on bringing his cause it is incomparably more easy to deceive.'.

. 15.

In the note the mistake of the Abbe Millot is exposed, whose general character of Spanish justice is certainly true, however inapplicable to the administration of the Grand Council.

'cil of the Indies is entitled to more conThe homage I render to the counsideration, as, when the misfortunes of St. Domingo obliged me to pass into the Spanish dominions, I arrived with a prepossession against the council, writers, particularly the Abbe Millot, produced by the works of celebrated who in his political and military memoirs says: "there are abuses in all Indies more than in any other; instead the councils of Spain, and in that of the of punishing malversations, they support the culpable in proportion to the presents received from them." Dar

ing twelve successive years that I have been within the limits of their jurisdiction, I have seen cause to applaud all their decisions: nor can I cite a single instance of corruption or of favour. The oppressed, whatever may be the credit of his oppressor, regards his cause as gained, when he is certain that it will be carried to the council of the Indies. It is necessary to have resided among the Spaniards of America, to know the veneration in which this august tribunal is held.'

Ample proof is found of our author's knowledge of the purity of Spanish officers in no inferiour rank.......

I request the reader not to infer from my opinion of the tribunals of residence my confidence in their efficacy. My homage is immediately and solely addressed to the wisdom of the law. I resign all criticism on its operation to those, who know the seductive influence of Plutus over the feeble and pliant Themis.' 1. 25.

Even external character is not properly consulted.

"By the Spanish laws a judge is forbidden to preside in causes of his father, his children, his kindred, his family, persons of his

household or who dwell with him, a female whom he is desirous to marry, or to take in concubinage, and all the family of such female, his capital enemy, or him whom he has maltreated, and their families.' p. 53.

The general remark on personal insecurity is strictly just.

The Spaniards have great consideration for the life of a man,and an absolute contempt for his liberty. The most atrocious crimes are required for his condemnation to death the most trivial suspicion suffices to deprive him of his freedom. Every man, who possesses the slightest degree of authority, has a right to imprison him who The smallest debt, whatever may be its nature, plunges

has none.

into prison the debtor, who is unable to discharge it. It is true that, if no property belonging to him can be discovered, and he makes oath that he has none, he obtains his release, after whole months of confinement. In every accusation, whether calumnious or not, they commence with imprisonment. No proof of crime is necessary for incarceration; but to obtain enlargement, innocence must furnish proof that the suspicion was unjust, and the grounds on which it originated p. 54. false.'

The military state of the country is less amusing, but equally The author, in his important. narration, calls Sir Francis Drake a pirate, against which we earnestly protest. There are some strongly fortified places on the shore of this colony, as in all other Spanish dominions. We might indeed infer their debasement of spirit from their wonderful improvements and use of intrenchments. The re

gular force over this immense region, amounts to ten thousand men, and the militia are not much So many are the exemptions, that nobody is enrolled, but those who could never be depended on.

more numerous.

The sixth chapter explains the religious organization. Here is the source of all the impolitick principles, which influence other departments of the state.

Three tribunals of the inquisition, or holy office, which have their sessions at Mexico, Lima, and Carthagena of the Indies, are inexorable defenders of the faith in all Spanish America.' 2.74.

Every bookseller is compelled to furnish yearly to the Inquisition his catalogue of books, and must even have a catalogue of those forbidden by the holy office. Particular permissions may be grant ed to read prohibited authors.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Then follows the list, which we cannot read without indignation. Here are the names of Beccaria, Boileau, La Fontaine, Ganganelli, Montesquieu, Racine, Marmontel, Puffendorf, Millot, Vattel, Mably, Fenelon, in short of all such, as might rouse a spirit of inquiry in ethicks or legislation. Addison, and other hereticks, we could only suppose, are excluded. We know an American gentleman, who, go ing to a Spanish colony, reported, as he was required, the books in his trunk, among which the Spectator was one, which was seized. As the custom-house attendants, and not the holy brothers of the Inquisition, had possession, it was probably restored for a proper

[ocr errors]

consideration.

From the present degeneracy of.

the religious character of that country, it is refreshing to our spirits to revert to the days of the early missionaries. On them the author bestows his eulogy in the most lively manner.

The men who thus readily sacrificed themselves to the propawell convinced that an abode of gation of the faith, must have been happiness and of delights, is the eternal recompence of the just! They must have been fully satisfied of the nothingness of this world, of retirement for a life of agony who thus exchanged the pleasures prolonged. Well did they earn the palm of martyrdom-the only insions us to shudder whilst we adcitement to a vocation which occamire. Virtuous anchorites! whom society is indebted for so many men, who, but for you, would still dispute the prey with the ferocious beasts-to whom religion still have been plunged in the owes so many proselytes, who would gloom of pagan darkness-receive my homage: it is pure, as your lalours were painful and meritorious.' 1. 107.

to

Of the modern ministers of the

gospel we must learn something.

They are forbidden to exact any compensation from the Indians, either for administration of the sacraments, or for any other ecclesiastick function. The prohibition is not directly violated, but its spirit is completely eluded by the sale, at a thousand per cent profit, of rosaries, scapularies, and little saints. The poor Indian is perimages of the virgin and of the petually menaced with the wrath of God, till he has purchased some of all the different kinds for sale by the missionaries. This imposition, apparently so trivial, is repeated sufficiently often in the course of a year, to become an ob

ject of importance and of specula

tion.'

p. 110. Pious donations have begun how

ever among the whites to lose a little of their former reverence.

'People are almost convinced that they may venture to appear before God without having ruined their relatives to found prebends or to enrich convents; they begin to believe that we will be judged rather by our virtues, than our prodigalities; but what is given is given;-the convents and churches

must, therefore, possess the purest and most unembarrassed riches of Terra-Firma.' p. 119.

Next in the train of ecclesiastical abuses come the Asylums.

The popes imagined that they increased the respectability of the church and its ministers, by elevating its temples above the laws, and rendering them inaccessible to the magistrate: as if justice and the laws did not emanate from divine precept. tions, irreconcileable with publick safety, and still more incompatible with our ideas of divine justice, embarrassed many consciences: particularly among those who confounded the light of faith with the blindness of credulity. Reason revolted from the belief that God would protect in this world, the same crimes to which he had attached eternal punishment in the future. But in those days of human infatuation, it was found more convenient to believe than to reason.' p. 123.

These considera

Their jurisdiction is now happily narrowed, but it should be extirpated. That unhallowed ground should be ploughed,and harrowed, and sowed with salt. The reflec tions of Mr. Depons are admirable, and his language ardent.

Chap. 7. treats of agriculture, the cure of cacao, sugar, coffee, tobacco, &c. of which the details are very important, and, we doubt not correct; but we cannot extract them. On page 183 we note a mistake of the translator. The

author is made to say, that coffee is cultivable within the extent of sixty leagues crossed by the line. For leagues read degrees. Frost is the boundary of coffee plantations. Another gross errour, which can not be attributed to Mr. Depons, is on page 198. Grenada in Spain, between twenty-seven and twentyeight degrees, &c. For twenty r. thirty. Indeed, we are well satisfied, that the translator was unfit for his office. French idioms occur so often as to convince us, he knew little of the English; and we fear he has not acquired much more of the French language. So valuable a work should have been better treated,

At the close of the chapter wę find again the judicious reflections of an enlarged mind.

It is a matter of astonishment

14

that, in the most beautiful country. in nature, where every thing concurs to promote luxuriance of vegetation, the plantations should be so inconsiderable in magnitude.A planter, whose income amounts to four or five thousand dollars, is considered rich. There cannot be enumerated twenty plantations in all the province of Caraccas, which produce a greater revenue. It is not, however, that the property is too much divided. It is rare to see a plantation, of which one tenth part of its extent is cultivated. It is a cheerless and painful sight, to behold the labour of three successive centuries crowned with such pitiful results. On a soil two hundred times less spacious, incomparably less watered and less fer-" tile, and with not more than one half the white population, the " French have succeeded in raising at St. Domingo ten times more produce, than is raised at this day in the vast provinces of Caraccas, p. 244.

The causes are, the universal lazi-1 ness of the Spaniards, disuse of

t

« PředchozíPokračovat »