This city has also produced many other persons of virtuous and literary fame: the most conspicuous among whom are—
Besides these and several other eminent persons, Lima has given birth to six archbishops, three of whom were conventual priests; and to fifty-two bishops, twenty-five of whom were regulars of the different conventual orders.
The Spaniard who arrived at Lima brought with him either some commission from the government of Spain, or an intention of residing in the country for the purpose of gain. Of the first class, however low the appointment might be, the individual conducted himself towards the natives with a haughty superiority, which to an impartial spectator was truly disgusting; he assumed the Don if he excused the Señor, and was never addressed without one or both of these appendages to his name; indeed el Señor Don was more common in the streets of Lima, than at the court of Madrid. The second class often consisted of sailors, who ran away from their ships at Callao, and got places as servants in a pulperia (a shop where spirits, wines, spices, sugar, and all common place articles are sold), a bakehouse, or a farm. If industrious, they soon obtained as much as was necessary to establish themselves, and many amassed considerable fortunes, married advantageously, and remained in the country; knowing full well, that in their own they would neither be admitted into such society as they enjoyed here, nor be treated with that deference to which they had become habituated. All this would be excusable enough, if the beauty, riches, and comforts of Spain—its learned societies, noble families, and enlightened population, were not the universal topic of their conversation and their universal song of praise. I have seen many of this class who, having been taught to read and write in America, and acquired riches, have purchased an order of knighthood! for although it was pretended, that nobility of descent must be proved before any of the military orders could be obtained, yet a Spaniard has purchased dispensation, and thus laid the foundation of a noble family.
All Spaniards in America fancied themselves to belong to a race of beings far superior to those among whom they resided. I have frequently heard them say, that they should love their children with greater ardour if they had been born in Europe; and during the struggle in different parts of the colonies between the royalists and the patriots, I have known more than one Spaniard assert, that if he thought his children would be insurgents he would murder them in their beds. A Spaniard would solicit countrymen of his own to marry his daughters, preferring these without any trade or fortune, to a creole possessed of both; indeed they had one powerful inducement to make this election; the Spaniard would be more likely to procure riches; and, generally speaking, they considered nothing else worthy their attention, thus in cases of matrimony, the inclinations of the daughters were not often consulted. The Spaniards appeared to form a separate society, not only in their own houses and in the public walks, but even in the coffee houses, where the creoles were seldom seen at the same table. This visible antipathy was carried to such an extent, after the beginning of the dissensions, that several Spaniards, although some of them had children born in Lima of creole mothers, formed an agreement, and bound themselves by an oath and fine, not to take any native of the country into their employ. This determination became public in the city, and, after the patriot troops entered, was the cause of the most severe insults to its authors. It is well known, however, that in a reverse of fortune, no man is more docile or more servile than a Spaniard, who will, according to his own adage, besar la mano que quisiera ver cortada—kiss the hand he would wish to see cut off.
A creole of Lima in many respects partakes of the character of an Andalusian; he is lively, generous, and careless of to-morrow; fond of dress and variety, slow to revenge injuries, and willing to forget them. Of all his vices, dissipation is certainly the greatest: his conversation is quick and pointed—that of the fair sex is extremely gay and witty, giving them an open frankness, which some foreigners have been pleased to term levity, or something a little more dishonourable, attaching the epithet immoral to their general character—an imputation they may deserve, if prudery and hypocrisy be the necessary companions of virtue; but they certainly deserve it not, if benevolence, confidence, unsuspecting conviviality, and honest intention, be the true characteristics of morality. The creoles are generally kind and good parents, very affectionate and indulgent to their families; and this conduct, with few exceptions, insures the love, respect, and gratitude of their children. I have often heard a creole ask his son, "Who am I?" and receive the endearing answer, "my Father and my Friend." It frequently happens, through vanity or weakness, that a creole mother teaches her daughters to call her sister, which may be construed into the desire of not wishing to be considered old; but if this really be a crime, in what part of the world are females innocent? I have no hesitation in asserting, that any impartial person who shall reside long enough among South Americans to become acquainted with their domestic manners, will declare, that conjugal and paternal affection, filial piety, beneficence, generosity, good nature and hospitality, are the inmates of almost every house. I have no doubt, too, that these virtues will continue here, until civilization and refinement shall drive them from their abode in the new world, to make room for etiquette, formality, becoming pride, prudery and hypocrisy from the old. Then, the children of the first families in Lima (whom I have often seen rise from the table, and carry a plateful of food to a poor protegée beggar, seated in the patio or under the corridor, wait and chat with the little miserable till it had finished, and return to the table) will look on such objects with disdain, because mamma has subscribed a competent sum to a charitable institution, and made that sum known to the world through the medium of the newspapers!—I cannot avoid fearing that this modern improvement will supersede their own pure, but almost antiquated customs.
This picture may appear to some highly coloured; but I speak from experience, and could relate innumerable instances of the practice of all the social virtues which I have mentioned: sufficient, I am sure, to convince the most hardened sceptic. I arrived at Lima a prisoner, pennyless, and, as I thought, friendless; but in this I was deceived; I owe to persons whom I had never seen, and of whose existence I was then ignorant, such friendship, kindness, and pecuniary relief while in prison, and generous and kind protection afterwards, as I hope will never be eradicated from my bosom; and yet I trust, that I neither do, nor ever can, attribute to the creoles virtues which they do not possess: it is my duty, as an author, to speak the truth, however my gratitude and affection might incline me to conceal their failings.
Gambling is carried on to a great extent in Lima, but much more in the higher circles than in the lower. No public gaming houses are permitted by the government, and the police officers are on the alert wherever a house is suspected; but private parties are very common, particularly at the country houses of the nobility, and at the bathing places of Miraflores, Chorrillos and Lurin. The tables, although in the houses of noblemen, are free to all—the master and the slave, the marquis, the count, the mechanic, and the pedlar, mix indiscriminately. This vice is generally confined to the men; but some females now and then join in these fashionable amusements.
Having observed, that the female creoles are kind mothers, it is scarcely necessary to say, that adultery is rare. One would think that the exclamation of the elder Cato to some young Romans was here observed: "courage, my friends, go and see the girls, but do not corrupt the married women." Concubinage is common, or perhaps only more public than in Europe, where civilization appears to have established the law, that to sin in secret is not to sin at all. It is true, that scandal often aggravates the crime, which is certainly mollified by the sincere regard which the father generally entertains for his natural children; making their happiness a principal object of his attention, and frequently at last legitimating them either by marriage or by will.
The creoles are careful of the education of their children, and will strain every nerve to support them at college until they have finished their studies, and are thus able to enter the church, to follow the profession of the law, or to practise in medicine. The education of the daughters generally devolves on the mother: proper schools for their instruction are very rare; so that, excepting a little drawing, dancing, and music, for which purposes good masters are scarce, the needle claims the greater portion of their time; and from the highest to the lowest ranks they are continually employed in embroidery or other kinds of needlework, at which they are very dexterous. The necessary accomplishments of reading and writing are, however, never dispensed with among the higher and middle orders.