[480] la invisible confidente, i.e., la musa.
[481] Rompió la tradición clásica. Cf. 24, 13.
[482] perdiendo, with concessive force, though losing.
[483] Tucumán. V. map.
[484] las Provincias Unidas de la Plata. Until 1853, the date of the adoption of the Federal Constitution, the republic of Argentina was known by the above name.
[485] del pueblo que la realizaba. The pronoun la refers to declaración, in the previous sentence; trans., of the people that proclaimed it.
[486] seis años después, etc. The first revolutionary uprising took place the 25th of May, 1810. The great victories of Chacabuco and Maipo did not come until 1817 and 1818.
[487] las armas, the armies—by metonymy.
[488] Proclamada, with concessive force, Though proclaimed.
[489] que habría de retardar por otro medio siglo, which was to retard for another half century. It was not till 1853 that the Constitution was adopted. Even then it took some ten years more before the old feud between federalists and unitarians was settled.