462 THE BRITISH LEGISLATURE. But Again, To the king is committed the cognizance of all caufes. fhould his judges or jufticiaries pervert the rule of righteoufnels, an inquifition, impeachment, and trial impends, from whofe judgment the judges cannot be exempted. Again, The king hath a negative upon all bills, whereby his own prerogatives are guarded from invasion. But thould he refufe the royal affent to bills tending to the general good of the fubject, the commons can alio withhold their bills of affeffinent, or annex the rejected bills to their bill of aids; and they never failed to pass in fuch agreeable company. Laftly, To the king is committed the right of calling the two eftates to parliament. But, fhould he refufe fo to call them, fuch a refufal would be deemed an abdication of the conftitution; and no one need to be told, at this day, that an abdication of the conftitution is an abdication of the throne. Thus, while the king acts in confent with the parliament and his people, he is limitless, irrefiftable, omnipotent upon earth; he is the free wielder of all the powers of a free and noble people, aking throned over all the kings of the children of men. But fhould he attempt to break bounds, fhould be caft for independence; he finds himself hedged in and traitened on every fide; he finds himself abandoned by all his powers, and justly left to a state of utter impotence and inaction. Hence is imputed to the fovereign head, in the conftitution of Great Britain, the high and divine attribute, the king can do no wrong; for he is fo circumfcribed from the poffibility of tranfgreffion, that no wrong can be permitted to any king in the conflitution. While the king is thus controuled by the lords and the commons; while the lords are thus controuled by the commons and the king; and while the commons are thus controuled by the other two eftates, from attempting any thing to the prejudice of the general welfare; the three eftates may be aptly compared to three pillars divided below at equidiftant angles, but united and fupported at top, merely Sept. by the bearing of each pillar againt the others. Take but any one of thele pillars away, and the other two muff inevitably tumble. But while all ačt on each other, all are equally counteracted, and thereby affirm and esta blifh the general frame. How deplorable then would it be fhould this elaborate ftructure of our happy conftitution, within the fhort period of a thousand years hence, poffibly in half the time, fall a prey to effeminacy, pufillanimity, venality, and feduction; like fome ancient oak, the lord of the foreft, to a pack of vile worms that lay gnawing at the root; or, like Egypt, be contemptibly deftroyed by lice and locufts. Should the morals of our conftituents ever come to be debauched, confent, which is the falt of liberty, would then be corrupted, and no falt might be found wherewith it could be feafoned. Those who are inwardly the fervants of fin must be outwardly the fervants of influence. Each man would then be as the Trojan borse of old, and carry the enemies of his country within his bofom. Our own appetites would then induce us to betray our own interefts; and state policy would feize us a willing facrifice to our own perdition. Should it ever come to pass that corruption, like a dark and low-hung mift, fhould spread from man to man, and cover thefe lands. Should a general diffolution of manners prevail. Should vice be countenanced and communicated by the leaders of fashion. Should it come to be propagated by minifters among legiflators, and by the legiflators among their conftituents. Should guilt lift up its head without fear of reproach, and avow itself in the face of the fun, and laugh virtue out of countenance by force of numbers. Should public duty turn public ftrumpet. Should' fhops come to be advertifed, where men may dif pofe of their honour and honefty at fo much per ell. Should public markets be opened for the purchafe of confciences, with an ozey! We bid moft to those who fet themselves, their trufts, and their country to fale! If fuch a day, I fay, fhould ever arrive, it will be doom's day, indeed, to the virtue, the liberty, and conftitution of thefe kingdoms. It would be the fame 1769. The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay. T The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay, HE affairs of the Jefuits have been fo long the fubject of converfation, and their fuppofed authority in Paraguay has been fo often mifreprefented, that we think it will prove an entertaining as well as inftructive article to our readers, if we prefent them with a real ftate of matters in that part of the world; this we are enabled to do from Father Charlevoix, who tells us," that there are two Jefuits in every reduction or town, the fecond is almost always a miffionary newly arrived from Europe, or a young priest, who has just finifhed his ftudies in the univerfity of Corduba. He, at once, acts as vicar under the parish priest, and learns to fpeak the Indian language. It is even found requifite to have a third prieft; as, for example, when any epidemical fickness rages in a town; a thing that often happens, and without which this republick would be twice more populous. On thefe occafions, the reductions are no better than large hofpitals; and two priests would never be able to vifit the fick, adminif. ter the facraments to them, and bury the dead. But, whatever the number of priests may be, there reigns among them the most perfect fubordination. The parish prieft is conftantly the fuperior; and, as he has always about him fix children deftined for the fervice of the church, his houfe looks like a little convent, where every thing is done by found of bell. Himself, though established in the king's name, depends, in all things, on the fuperior of the million, who is conftantly employed in vifiting the parishes under his care; and on his provincial, whofe vifits are like wife regular, fo that Don Antonio de Ulica has not faid too much, in reprefenting all these millionaries as compo. 463 fing one fingle and well regulated family. The fathers, on their fide, repay thefe teftimonies of efteem and affection by a perpetual flow of more than paternal tenderness. “The most laborious part (fays Don Antonio de Ulloa) of the duty belonging to the priests, is to vifit, perfonally, the chacaras or plantations of the Indians; and in this they are remarkably fedulous, in order to prevent the ill confequences of that flothful difpofition fo natural to the Guaranis, who, were they not frequently roufed and ftimulated by the prefence of the priest, would abandon their work, or, at least perform it in a very fuperficial manner. He alfo attends at the public flaughter houfe, where, every day, they kill fome of the cattle; large herds of which are kept for the public ufe by the Indians. The fleth of these beafts is dealt out by the priests, proportionable to the number of perfons each family confifts of; fo that every one has a fufficiency to fupply the calls of nature, but nothing for wafte. He alfo vifits the fick, to fee that they want for nothing, and are attended with that care and tenderness their condition requires. These charitable employments take up so great a part of the day, as often to leave him no time for affifting the father coadjutor in the fervices of the church." The number of reductions is, at prefent, thirty, of which the thirteen nearest to the Parana are within the diocefe of the Affumption. They were within the government of Paraguay, till the year 1726, when, for reafons I fhall mention hereafter, Philip V. directed provifionally, and till further orders, that they fhould be under the jurifdiction of the governor of Rio de la Plata. Some time after this, the governors not only gave the Neophytes fome uneafinefs in regard to their tribute, but ftrenuously folicited the king to increase it. But his majesty, far from complying with their reprefentations, issued a decree, dated the 28th of December 1743, to forbid any addition to be made to it. He even declared, that he forgave the Neophytes the fums they might then happen to owe to his treasury; and gave orders to inform them, that 464 Jefuits in Paraguay. These fervices, which we fhall likewife fpeak of as occafion offers, added to what the Spaniards are often expofed to fuffer from the unconquered or revolted Indians, are a proof, which; from day to day, becomes more glaring, that it was the intereft of all the Europeans to treat the people of America in the fame manner, in which the Jefuits of Paraguay have treated them, though they have been often charged with it, and even perfecuted for it, as a capital crime. But what proves ftill better, the inveteracy with which their defigns have been traverfed, is, that while the Indians, under other religious and fome fecular priests, were exempt from paying tythes to their bithops, the Jefuits alone were attacked on that fcore. An edict was even obtained, in 1694, by which they were ordered to pay them. But the chapter of the Affumption, having reprefented to the council, that no tythes had ever been required from the other Indians, though better able to pay them, the council voted, that it would be, perhaps, dangerous to infift upon their compliance, In procefs of time, however,' fome perfons were for having Don Jofeph Paralta, bishop of Buenos Ayres, exact the tithes of the feventeen reductions within his diocefe; but this prelate very prudently answered, that it was impoffible for him to think of loading them with any fuch burden, as long as he had ocular demonftration of their being no way able to fupport it. It is not to be doubted, but that the interior government of the reductions depends chiefly upon the miffionaries. The limited understanding of their Neophytes requires, that they fhould enter into all their affairs, and direct them in their temporal as well as in their fpiritual concerns. Every town, however, has the fame officers of juf tice and of police with the Spanish towns; a corregidor, regidors, and alcades, all chofen by the Indians themselves with the affiftance of their miffionaries; but afterwards confirmed by the fupreme governor of the province. As, however, there is no laying any great stress on the capacity Sept. of thefe officers, they are not permitted to decide any thing of importance, and much less inflict any punishment, without the approbation of their pas tors. The punishments, after all, confift in nothing but prayers, fafting, confinement, and fometimes whipping; thefe Neophytes committing no faults that deserve any severer animadverfion. Before confinement, care is taken to make them fenfible of their faults in the mildest manner; a tak no way difficult, confidering the goodnefs of their difpofition. Accordingly, not one of them has ever been known to prove refractory under it, or exprefs the leaft refentment against his judges. "Indeed the love and veneration, fays Don Antonio Ulloa, the Indians pay their paftors, are fo great, that could they be guilty of enjoining an unjust punishment, the fuffering party would impute it to his own demerits, being firmly perfuaded that the priests never do any thing without a sufficient reason." To conclude, there is in every town a cacique, who is, as it were, the governor in chief; but he attends to little, but military affairs. He is, however, exempt from tribute, as is likewise his eldeft fon, It has been judged requifite to ufe the greatest precautions, to hinder thefe new Chriftians from having any correfpondence with the Spaniards; fo that no Spaniards are permitted to enter their towns, but fuch as wait on the bishop and governor. The neceffity of this precaution, befides being proved by experience, must appear to any one who has the leaft opportunity of confidering the wide difference between thefe Neophytes, and thofe in whose favour it has not been obferved. The miffionary fathers will not now allow, fays Don Antonio de Ulloa, any of the inhabitants of Peru to converse with their Indians, the decline of fome of the latter, from their primitive happiness and piety, being found to proceed entirely from too open an intercourse between them and the latter. Nay, their paftors have, as yet, in a manner, hindered them from speak. ing Spanish, barely teaching the children, in general, to read and write in that language; and thofe alone are taught to read and write the Latin, 769. The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay. they take it up in a furprizing lanner. To hear them read thefe nguages, one would imagine they aderflood them perfectly well; and to writing them, they copy manuripts in them without a fingle fault, nd in a very fine hand. There is acJally a very large one of their copyg at Madrid, which would do hoour to the beft copiers of Europe, oth in point of beauty and exactness. The motive which hindered the miffion ries from going greater lengths with hem, was, that they never left home, on any military expedition, or to cary on the king's works, without a miffionary to serve them, not only as chaplain, but likewife as interpreter. Befides, their manners could hardly efcape corruption, were they to communicate with the Spaniards. Philip V. however, fearing that this referve might be interpreted to the difadvantage of the Jefuits, ordered, by his decree of the zoth of December 1743, that they should be all taught to fpeak Spanish. But, confidering their great reluctance to learn this language, the execution of his majefty's orders will, it is probable, be attended with very great difficulties. We have already often obferved, that thefe Indians are, by nature, of a very limited capacity, and underftand nothing, but what immediately falls under the fenfes. This dulnefs of apprehenfion appeared to the first miffionaries, to fall little fhort of downright ftupidity; and they accordingly remained in fufpenfe for fome time, whether it was proper to adminifter to them any facrament, but that of baptifm. But, being too wife to decide for themselves in an affair of fo much confequence, they confulted the bishops of Peru affembled in council at Lima; and received for answer, that they should be very cautious how they admitted them to the other facraments. It foon, however, plainly appeared, that the interior master, who gives understand. ing when he pleafes to infants, communicated himself in a fenfible manner to these new Christians. And, perhaps, there never appeared a more convincing proof, that our holy religion is the only true one; fince, at the fame time that it implants in the Sept. 1769. 461 heart the most noble and elevated fentiments, it proportionably opens and improves the understanding. They fucceed, as it were by inftinct, in all the arts, to which they are applied; but, then, they have been applied to fuch only, as were thought requifite to exempt them from the neceffity of having recourfe to foreign affiftance. As yet, they have not difcovered any talent for invention; but they were foon obferved to poffels that of imitation in a fovereign degree. It is enough, for example, to fhew them a crucifix, a candlestick, a cenfer; and give them materials for making others. They copy them fo well, that it is no eafy matter to diftinguish their work from the pattern. They have been known to make, on bare infpection, the most intricate organs; as also aftronomical spheres, Turkey carpets, and other most curious manufactures. They engrave upon brafs, after giving it a due polish, all the figures traced before them. They have naturally a juft air, and an uncommon tafte for mufick; and touch, as well as make, to admiration, all forts of musical inftruments. Father Cattaneo, whom I have already cited, affures us, that he has feen a child not more than twelve perform on the harp, with a fure and eafy hand, the most difficult anthems of Bologna. They have, befides, a fweet and fonorous pipe, which, according to what I have already faid, is attributed to the waters of their rivers. Thefe uncommon talents for mufic engaged the miffionaries to ef tablish choirs in all their churches; experience having fhewn, that nothing contributes more to infpire them with devotion; give them a strong liking to divine fervice; and make them more readily comprehend the instructions proper for them, which, for this purpose, have been all set to mufic. This natural tafte for mufic was, likewife, of great fervice in helping to people the first reductions. For the Jesuits, having observed in their journeys by water, that, as foon as, to recreate themselves in an innocent and holy manner, they began to fing any fpiritual canticle, crowds of Indians flocked to the banks, and feemed to take a particular liking to their mufic; they improved the opportunity Nnn to 1 Dr. Mulgrave's Address to the 462 Every reduction has two fchools. An Address to the Gentlemen, Clergy, and Gentlemen, HE fheriffs having fummoned a to confider of a petition for redrefs Sept the way of open and impartial e quiry. I need not remind you, gentlemen of the univerfal indignation and ab horrence, with which the condition of the late peace were received by the independent part of the nation. Yet fuch is the candid, unfufpecting nature of Englishmen, that even those who condemned the measure did not attribute it to any worse motive, than an unmanly impatience under the burdens of the war, and a blind, head ftrong defire to be relieved from them. They did not conceive, that perfons of high rank and unbounded wealth could be feduced by gold to betray the interefts of their country, and fur render advantages, which the lives of fo many heroes had been willingly facrificed to purchase. Such a fuppo fition, unhappily for us, is at prefent far from incredible. The important fecret was difclosed to me in the year 1764 during my refidence at Paris. I will not trouble you with a detail of the intermediate steps I took in the affair, which however in proper time I shall moft fully and readily difcover. It is fufficient to fay that on the roth of May 1765, by the direction of Dr. Blackftone, I waited on Lord Halifax, then fecretary of state, and delivered to him an exact narrative of the intel ligence I had received at Paris, with copies of four letters to and from Lord Hertford. The behaviour of Lord Halifax was polite, but evafive. When I preffed him in a second interview to enquire into the truth of the charge, he objected to all public fteps that whether I could point out to him any way of profecuting the enquiry in fe cret, and whether in fo doing there was any probability of his obtaining pofitive proof of the fact. I was not fo much the dupe of his artifice, a to believe that he had any ferious in tention of tollowing the clue I had given him, though bis difcourfe plainly pointed that way. It appear ed by the fequel that I had judge right. For having four days afte given a direct and fatisfactory answe to both his questions, he then put a end to my folicitations by a peremp tery refufal to take any steps whateve in the affair. It is here neceffary to explain wha |