614 The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay: who seem ever fo little to forget it. To conclude, there are doors on both fides, by which the whole congregation may come in and go out without the leaft diforder or confufion. The reader may imagine from what I have already faid of the natural tafte which thefe Indians difcover for mufic, that the miffionaries failed not to avail themselves of fo happy a difpofition to engage the infidels, whom curiofity, accident, or business, lead to the reductions, to listen to their inftructions, and infpire thofe they converted with a greater liking to the divine fervice. It is for this purpofe that all the chriftian doctrine has been fet to mufic, and this expedient has anfwered exceedingly well. Thefe muficians, who, when they perform in church, wear, as all others immediately in the fervice of it, a very decent and neat habit, at the fame time that they infpire others with devotion, feem to glow with it themselves, which proves till more, that they do not make any extraordinary efforts to fucceed; and that, as the natural effect of mufic is to excite in the heart thofe fentiments which it already poffeffes, this art finds in the Indians who practife it, and in those who hear them, no fentiments but fucir as tend to piety and devo tion. The folemn feftivals are celebrated with the greatest pomp, especially that of the faint whofe name the church bears, and that of the blessed sacrament. On the approach of the first, invitations are fent to the inhabitants of the neareft reductions; and they attend in great numbers, the officers on horfeback and in their uniforms. The folemnity begins the eve of the holiday by a very fine military proceflion, in which the Alferez, who carries the great ftandard, appears mounted on a proud courfer richly caparifoned, and rides under a magnificent canopy. After perambulating the principal ftreets in very good order, to the found of the drums and other warlike intruments of mufic, they repair to the great door of the church, where thofe on horfeback alight, and the Alferez takes his feat in a chapel prepared for his reception. The fit velpers are then performed, after which the children are made to dance in the great fquare, where the whole company, both inhabitants and De ftrangers, are placed in the great order. The dances being finished, the cavalry returns to the place where they began their march. At night, bonfires are made from distance to di tance, and all Atreets are illuminated. The next day, they repair to high mals in the fame order they r paired, the evening before, to fit velpers. At noon, the inhabitants ca tertain the ftrangers; and every one is regaled with a fmall cup of win. Immediately after the fecond velpen, at which every thing paffes as at the firft, they run at the ring. The milfionaries affift at it, with all the chiefs and officers, to keep the spectator in order; diftribute the prizes to the canquerors; and give the signal t breaking up. But nothing can compare with the proceffion of the bleffed facrament; and it may be affirmed, that, without any difplay of riches or magnificence, it forms a fight, which yields in nothing to the richest and most magnificent proceffion in any other part of the world. Don Antonio de Ullos isforms us, in general, that it is tended with very fine dancing, far above what is to be feen in the prevince of Quito; that the dancers are very neatly dreffed; and that the le pomp of it, upon the whole, equis that of the greatest cities, at the ant time that infinitely more decency and devotion accompanies it. I faid, that no treasures were to be seen at this c remony; but all the beauties of fimple nature are there so happily difposed ≈ to reprefent her in all her glory. She even appears, if I may fay fo, all life and foul on the occation; for, over the greens and flowers that com pole the triumphal arches, under which the blefied facrament pales, there appear flocks of birds of every colour, tied by the legs to ftrings of fuch a length, that a stranger would imagine they enjoyed their full liberty, and were come of their own accord to s mix their warblings with the voices of the muficians, and the reft of the pesple; and bless, in their own way, him, whofe providence carefully fup- ke plies all their wants. All the streets are hung with carpets very well wrought, and feparated by garlands, feftoons and compartiments of verdure, difpofed with the ai beautiful 769. The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay. The great royal ftandard is carried behind the bleffed facrament. The cacique, the corregidor, the regidors, and the alcaldes, fupport the canopy. The militia, both horfe and foot, with their colours and ftandards flying, afft, likewife, at the proceffion in good order. But, however ftriking this spectacle may be, the greatest beauty of it, beyond all manner of doubt, confifts in the piety, the modefty, the refpect, and even the air of holinefs, visible in every countenance; to that, perhaps, the triumph of the Saviour of mankind is no where more complete than in this barbarous country, where his name was not known two ages ago. As foon as the bleffed facrament is returned to the church, the Indians prefent to the miffionaries all the leveral kinds of eatables that have been expofed in the proceffion; and the fathers, after fending the best of every thing to the fick, diftribute what remains among the rest of the inhabitants. The evening, as on all other great 615 folemnities and days of public rejoicing, concludes with the most curious fireworks." In fhort, fays Don Antonio de Ulloa, thefe Neophytes omit no circumftance either of festivity or devotion practifed in the most opulent cities of Old Spain." Their cemeteries, or burying grounds, are great fquares, always near the church, divided, lengthways, by fine walks bordered with orange and lemon trees; the middle one leading to a chapel, planted all round with ftately cyprefs and palm trees, and inclosed with low walls. Every Monday a proceffion is made to the chapel, in order to fing a mass of Requiem, which is followed by a Libera at each of the croffes planted at the four corners of the cemetery. There are other chapels, at fome diftance from every reduction, to ferve as a station to the proceffions made on the rogation days, and at other times, either to deprecate God's anger in cafes of public calamity, or to return him thanks for fpecial mercies. All the streets of the town terminate at one or another of thefe chapels, and have, befides, every one of them a cross at each end, where the proceffion makes a paufe, to perform mufically an anthem, whofe words are adapted to the fubject of the proceffion, or else contain fome article of the chriftian doctrine. It then enters an avenue planted with the most beautiful and ftately trees, which leads to the chapel. In their way to this chapel they fing the ufual prayers, and conclude them by another anthem. All the inhabitants affift at this proces fion, except the fick, or those whole bufinefs will not admit them to be pre fent. No pains have been spared to eftablifh tlie moft exact police in this republic. All the inhabitants are to be at home, every evening, by a certain hour, when a fufficient detachment begins to patrol the streets and fquares, for a certain time, at the end of which, they are relieved by another; and lo on till day light. There are two rea fons for this institution; the firft is, to hinder the inhabitants from leaving home at an unfeafonable hour without its being known where they go, and upon what errand. The fecond is, to prevent the town's being furprized by enemy; for there are every 42 where 616 The State of the Jefuits in Paraguay. where ftroling Indians, against whom it is impoffible to be too much on one's guard. The perfons, thus entrufted with the care of maintaining good order, and preventing fudden atracks, are chofen with the fame precaution obferved in chufing those who are deftined for public employments and the fervice of the churches. Thefe precautions confift in preparIng, from their very infancy, for every employment, thofe who difcover the propereft difpofitions to fill it worthily. The inhabitants, in general, are taught nothing but what is neceffary to make them good workmen; enable them to govern their families well; and quaTify them for fuch little fubaltern employments, as require no extraordinary genius. Formerly, the Guaranis, and all the other Indians of these provinces, could only reckon by their fingers and toes. To exprefs any number exceeding twenty, they made ufe of a word équivalent to our many. At prefent, the Neophytes understand enough of numbers to answer all their purposes, and nothing more is required of them. The miffionaries know the extent of their capacity, and exact nothing beyond it. They keep them within the bounds of their ancient fimplicity, but divefted of all that vice and favagenefs which disfigured it. In a word, this republic is, properly, the feat of evangelical fimplicity; and it is in order to preferve it genuine and entire, that the miffionaies do all that lies in their power to hinder the Neophytes from having any communication with the Europeans; experience having convinced them, that all the new chriftians of America, who are fallen from their primitive fervour, fell merely in confequence of their having converfed too freely with the old chriftians from Europe, or even having only taken too near a view of them. It is, likewife, for this reafon, that, in all the journeys they are obliged to take, during their refidence in the Spanish towns, and all the time they ferve his majesty, as foldiers or la bourers; they are accompanied by millionaries, who never lote fight of them; who often speak to them of God; fee that they exactly comply with all their duties, and perform punctually all their religious exercifes; De and, as yet, thank God, they have n been known to give themselves an loose. On the contrary we are told, that the actions and difcourfes, mot capable of making bad impreffiom, ferve only to inspire them with a greater horror of vice; that no inde cent word ever escapes their lips; and that they are of themselves extremely folicitous not to omit any of their usual exercises of devotion. It muit, however, be owned, that those who live at the greatest distance from the Spanish lettlements, and feldomeft leave their own, difcover a more extraordinary degree of fervour and fimplicity than the reft, on whom, for this reafon, the miffionaries are obliged to beftow more than ordinary care and attention. [To be continued in our Appendix.] The Natural Hifiory of the Beamer. HOWEVE OWEVER well known as animal conceive that the following defcription the beaver may be, I cannot but of him will be pleafing to your curious readers, as they may depend upon its authenticity. four foot in length, and twelve or fif The beaver is a creature about northern regions is generally black, teen inches broad; his skin in the but it heightens to a reddish tinđure in the temperate climates. He is covered with two forts of hair, one long, and the other a fort of down; the latter, which is an inch in length, is extremely fine and compact, and accommodates the animal with a necefiary warmth. The long hair preferves the down from dust and humidity. implements for building his dwelling i He is furnished with three natural his teeth, his paws, and his tail: his teeth are ftrong and deeply riveted in with thefe he cuts, as well the wood his jaws, with a long and crooked rostį furnishes him with food. His fore feet with which he builds, as that which what they eat in their paws, as apes, refemble thofe of fuch animals as hoid rats, and fquirrels: with these feet be digs, foftens, and works the day, which is extremely useful to him. Ha hind feet are accommodated with membranes, or large skins, extending between his toes, like thofe of ducks and all other water fowls; which make it evident that this creature is amphi 1769. The Natural History of the Beaver. -bious. His tail is long, a little flat, intirely covered with fcales, fupplied with mufcles, and perpetually lubricated with oil, or fat. This animal, who is an architect from his nativity, ufes his tail, instead of a hod, for the conveyance of his clay, or mortar, in building his habitation, and as a trowel to spread and form it into incrustation: the scales prevent these materials from penetrating the tail with their coldness and humidity; but the fcales, as well as the tail, would be injured by the air and water, were it not for the prevention of an oil which he diftributes all over them with his fhout. The beavers inhabit the fame manfion in great numbers, unless violent heats, or inundations, the pursuits of hunters, of or extra 617 enemy, erects all his darte with a menacing air, and fometimes plunges them fo deep in the flesh of the creature by whom he is affaulted, that feveral of them remain in the wounds, and are detached from his body when he retires; the fockets of these are likewife filled by others which are enlarged by time. If you think thefe particulars. worth a place in your Magazine, you shall find me an occafional correfpondent, and am, fir, Your bumble fervant, R.K. An Hiftorical Introduction to the Antiquities and Curiofities of Wilton- House, continued from p. 575. HE relievo with infcription brdiciary increase, oblige them to fepa-called Boultrophedon, spider rate. In order to raise themselves a convenient abode, they chufe a fituation that abounds with fuftenance, and is washed by a rivulet, and where they may form a neceffary refervoir for their bagnio. They begin with building a mote, or caufey, in which the water may rife to a level with the firft ftory of their habitation. This caufey may contain at the foundation ten or a dozen feet in thickness. Nothing can be more curious than the nice gradations by which they proceed on with their work, until it is completed. The edifice is vaulted within like the handle of a basket, and generally rifes in an oval form. The divifions are proportioned to the number of the intended inhabitants. Twelve feet in length and ten in breadth are fufficient for eight or ten beavers. If the number increases they enlarge the place accordingly. The civet cat, which is an animal peculiar to America, is in every particular a beaver in miniature, has the fame labours, and the fame inclinations. The porcupine is a creature whofe length feldom exceeds two feet: he is fhagged all over with hard and fharp hairs of an unequal length, from two or three to twelve inches, or more; these are shaped like the ftalks of corn, with intermixtures of black and white; they likewife fwell towards the middle, and terminate in a point with two harp fides. This animal prefents its fide to his than the completion of the Greek alphabet, and was brought out of Peloponnefus, where it was most probably made for a victor in the Olympic games. Statues and relievos were usually erected to thofe who were conquerors in thofe games. Cicero fays a victory in thefe fports was not lefs honourable than a triumph at Rome. If any man merited repeated honours, he was thought to have attained to the utmost felicity that human nature is capable of. To this purpose, Plutarch relates a remarkable story of a Spartan, who meeting Diagoras, who himself had been crowned in the Olympic games, and feen his fons and grand-children victors, embraced him and faid, die, Diagoras, for thou canst not be a God. Many of our relievos were friezes taken from porticoes and temples. The antients always adapted the fubjects to the deities. Thus nothing could infpire greater awe for the power and anger of Apollo and Diana, than the dreadful vengeance they took on the family of Niobe. The fame propriety was obferved in the temples of Jupiter, Neptune and Bacchus. The modern practice in the Romish church, of adorning their altars with pieces of painting, was common among the heathens; but they had feulptures as well as paintings. Of the former fort is that relief in the ftone hall of a child's ftealing meat from the altar, and fome others. We shall now give a few remarks on the ftate of fculpture among the Ro mans. 618 Kennedy's Remarks on the Polite Arts. mans. The age of Auguftus was a period in which we are naturally led to look for excellence in the arts. Literature had then attained its fummit, and the emperor encouraged men of genius; architecture rather than fculpture feemed to flourish. The greateft part of the Roman fculptors made their apprenticeship in the condition of flaves; when they fhewed abilities, their masters improved them with the greateft care fo that an artist in this tuation, had a better opportunity of having his talents cultivated, than a freeman in indigent circumftances. Nero fent Carinas and Acritus, two connoifleurs, into Greece, to collect all the fine pieces of fculpture, which were to be met with, that he might embellish his new buildings at Rome. The poor Greeks, as Juvenal obferves, were fript even of their houthold Gods. ཇཱ་「 71 Their rapine is fo abject and profane, Stepney. Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Alexander Severus, encouraged this art, as did their fucceffors, and yet they were never able to refcue it from the degeneracy into which it was falling. We may look upon the bufto of Caracalla as the last effort of Roman fculpture. The two triumphal arches erected in honour of his father Severus, the chapiters of the columns in the Septizonium at Rome, which were after wards removed into different churches, fufficiently demonftrate how much fculpture had declined under that prince and his children. The baffo relievos of the largeft of thofe two triumphal arches, were done by an indifferent hand. It is natural, however, to fuppofe they were executed by the belt that age produced, were it only out of a regard to the place where they were erected. This was the most confiderable part of the city, at the further end of the Forum Romanum, and as we have reafon to believe, at the foot of thofe ftairs, deftined for af cending to the capitol. One cannot behold the ruins of Caracalla's baths without being alto-, nished; there never was a more fump Dec. tuous fabric, more loaded with ornaments and incruftations, or which did greater honour to a fovereign by its bulk, than the baths of Dioclefian and Gallienus. The great hall of this edifice is now the Carthufian church at Rome, and one of the porters lodges forms another circular church, viz. that of the mendicant friars of St. Berpard. When the fenate and people of Rome determined to erect a triumphal arch in honour of Conftantine, there was not in all probability in the capital of the empire, a fculptor able to undertake the work. Notwithstanding the respect they had at Rome for the memory of Trajan, they stript the arch of that prince of its ornaments, and without any regard to conformity or fitness, employed them in the fabric which they erected to Conftantine. This thews what a paucity there was of fculptors, and to what a low ebb the art was then reduced. What has been advanced is to be taken with fome restrictions. There might under the emperors be men of not fo much genius as to undertake capital works, and yet be able to execute inferior performances. The great number of beautiful buftos in this collection, feems to be a proof of this. Moft of them are of a very fine fculp ture, and would not disgrace the best ages of art. We know that a good portrait painter very rarely can execute a landfkip or fuch like, beyond the limits of his natural turn; fo to make a ballo relievo confifting of many figures in various attitudes, to give the features expreffions adapted to the occafion, and to make an agreeable whole, requires other talents than bare copying nature exactly, which is the principal excellence of any bufto, Among the best pieces of fculpture relating to the Romans may be reckoned that by Cleomenes, of Curtius leaping into the fiery gulph. This fculptor was one of the most eminent of his time, and was fent from Corinth to Rome by Polybius, the celebrated hiftorian, to execute this work: at whofe defire hiftory does not inform us; let this be as it may, it is fo maf. terly a performance as does honour to the skill of the artift. The beautiful ftatue of a Faun looking over his Boulder, |