Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

While she listened to him, it was with difficulty that Angelina kept a sufficient command over her feelings to withhold herself from throwing her arms round the neck of Camira. She gave him her hand, and tears of love were her reply.

The Guarani, overjoyed, conducted her immediately to the palace of Pedreras, where, on the same evening, Maldonado gave them the nuptual benediction. Never did any happiness equal the happiness which intoxicated them; except, perhaps, that which was experienced by the good Jesuit. All the three imagined that thenceforth nothing could disturb their delicious union; all three enjoyed at once the present and the future; but they were not yet at the termination of their troubles.

The governor had quitted the newly-married couple, to re-visit the cavern, which his workmen had entirely emptied of its contents. Such immense riches might have satisfied the avarice of Pedreras, if ever avarice could possibly be satisfied. But, having quickly perceived that the earth which was turned up did not produce any metal, he concluded from this circumstance that the Guarani was acquainted with rich mines, where, doubtless, he had obtained this gold. Too rich, however, to dare to complain, and fearing the Jesuit enough to be deterred from resorting to any shameful means of extorting the secret which was hidden from him, he took an indirect way, which however, was not the less calculated for the accomplishment of his purpose. He called together the colonists, and communicated to them the new orders, which, he said, he had received from the king, to continue making discoveries, and to reduce to submission the neighbouring tribes, and especially the Guaranis. Then, addressing himself to Camira, who turned pale on hearing these last words, " Nephew," said he, "it is in your hands that I entrust the interests of Spain. You are my adopted son: I make you my adelantado, and I order you, in the king's name, to set off with six hundred soldiers, to discover and reduce to submission the country of the Guaranis."

66

The adelantado is next in rank to the governor.

This choice was applauded by all the colonists. Camira had not power to reply. He was greeted, and acknowledged as adelantado; and Pedreras repeated his order for him to set off in the course of a few days. The unfortunate Camira hastened, with his wife, to ask advice of Maldonado.

The good Jesuit reflected in silence for a few minutes; then, taking the couple by the hand, "My children," said he, “the danger is great. Camira neither can nor ought to obey: if he refuse, he becomes an object of suspicion; by defending him I shall become so myself; and the governor is capable of every thing. There remains but one step for you to take; it is to fly to the Guaranis this very evening. I will go with you, old as I am; I will go, with the cross in my hand, to preach to the brethren of Camira; I will go to convert them, as I converted him. You will still be happy; you will still love each other in innocence and peace; shall be fulfilling my duty, I shall serve my God, I shall give men to him, and I shall be even more happy than yourselves."

Angelina and her husband threw themselves at the feet of the old man. Every thing was got ready for their flight. Camira procured a canoe, in which all three embarked as soon as the shades of evening had covered the earth. Camira took the oars, and ascended the stream as far as the commencement of the mountains. There, landing in the woods, he sunk the canoe, followed the tracks through the desart, and, in the course of a few days, arrived among the Guaranis. He was received by them as a brother. He lost no time in telling them what he had done for them, and what they owed to the Jesuit. All the savages then loaded Maldonado with caresses and presents; all were desirous to labour in building the cottage of the good father, and of Angelina and Camira. These cottages were built upon great trees, and were entered by a beam cut into steps, which was drawn up after having been used; a precaution which was rendered necessary by the tygers and inundations. Speedily established in their new habitations, without fear, without disquietude, freed from all the vexations which men take so much pains to create for themselves, em

ployed only in loving each other and in living, the married pair felt much more fully than they had ever done before, the charm, the delight of the union of that which is best in the world, the union of innocence, liberty and love.

Cherished by a people of mild manners, Maldonado preached the Christian religion, and easily converted the simple race who adored his virtues. All the Guaranis received baptism. Some time after, they themselves requested the good father to invite other Jesuits, and they voluntarily submitted to the king of Spain, on condition that he should send among them only the colleagues of Maldonado. This proposition was accepted at Madrid. The missionaries arrived. The Guaranis, on the faith of the treaty, drew nearer to Assumption, and divided themselves into several colonies, each of which built a village, where a Jesuit, who was the pastor of it, taught them agriculture, and other useful arts, and governed them paternally. These colonies soon encreased. In 1734 they consisted of thirty thousand families. Each village had its administrator, and its own alcayde, who were yearly elected by the inhabitants. The vicar, chosen by the provincial father, looked to the administration of the laws, which were neither numerous nor severe. The heaviest punishment did not extend beyond fasting or imprisonment; and even these punishments were rare among an innocent and peaceable people, who had no idea of theft or murder; for the preservation of which happy ignorance they were indebted to the extreme care which the Jesuits took to prevent any stranger from entering into the country. The trifling taxes, which were paid to the king of Spain, were discharged by means of the sugar, tobacco, and cotton, the produce of an immense common land in each parish, which was cultivated two days in the week by each inhabitant. The overplus of the crops of this land was for the poor, the sick, and those who were too old to labour. A separate arsenal contained the arms of the colonists. On holidays they were delivered out to the young men, who having exercised themselves in the use of the musket, the sabre, and the sword, carried them back again to the arsenal; and on the first

A A

alarm of an attack, whether from the Portuguese or the Brazilians, each village poured forth a battalion of excellent soldiers.* In all parts were established schools to teach reading and writing, and workshops of locksmiths, carpenters, and weavers. All the professions, all the useful arts were gratuitously taught; and the vicar, who had the superintendance of these occupations, took care to consult the inclinations of the young pupils before he admitted them. They had, in short, every thing which is to be seen in our cities, except luxury, vice and poverty. This ecclesiastical republic has, nevertheless, been the object of censure: but, at least, no one can deny that it is, perhaps, the only government, founded by persuasion, supported by confidence, and ruled by virtue.

ANECDOTE AND WIT.

No. 17.-RUSTIC BRAVERY.

*A*.

IN the campaign of 1621, it was the intention of the Spanish general, to possess himself of a walled village, in the Palatinate, named Oggersheim, and he sallied from his quarters, at the head of a large body of troops, upon this purpose. On the first alarm nine tenths of the inhabitants removed to Manheim, leav ing behind only about twenty insignificant people, and a poor shepherd, who, besides being a brave fellow, was a man of some humour. The shepherd in good

* In 1705, when the Spaniards retook the colony of St. Sacrament from the Portuguese, the Guaranis, who were brought by the Jesuits to the assistance of the besiegers, were always at the head of the attacks, and by their intrepidity contributed greatly to the success of the Spanish arms. When they returned to their own country, the governor wished to make them a present of a hundred and eighty thousand piastres, which they generously refused.-History of Paraguay, by Charlevoix.

All these details, respecting the government of the Jesuits of Paraguay, are literally true, and are taken from the "Voyage in South America, by Don George Juan, and Don Antonio Ulloa," a work full of learning, talent, and 'philosophy.

time fastened the gates, let down the drawbridge, and made a wonderful shew of resistance. A trumpeter accosted the town in form, upon which the few remaining inhabitants escaped through a postern gate, and left only the shepherd, and shepherdess big with child. The peasant, having slipped on the old coat of an officer, gave audience from the walls to the military herald, and in the style of a representative of the garrison, made his bargain of capitulation inch by inch, contracting at the same time for the preservation of estate, and the free exercise of the Protestant religion. Let the reader judge what surprise the Spaniards felt when upon their entrance within the walls, they found with what garrison they had been arranging these articles. The fellow, however, himself preserved a most inflexible gravity, and some weeks afterwards, when his wife lay in, requested the general to be sponsor. For the humour of the thing, the pompous Castilian did not decline the honour, and for ever afterwards protected the child.

DEAN SWIFT.

WHEN Swift, who did every thing in his own way, introduced Bishop Berkeley to Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, he made use of these words:" My lord, here is a relation of your lordship's who is good for something; and that, as times go, is saying a great deal."

DR. TUDWAY,

DR. TUDWAY, celebrated as a musician, is still better known as having been an inveterate punster. When the Duke of Somerset was chancellor of Cambridge, during the discontents of several members of that university, at the rigour of his government and the paucity of his patronage, Tudway, himself a malcontent, joining in the clamours, said, "the chancellor rides us all without a bit in our mouths." Nor did the wicked habit of punning desert him even in sickness, for having been dangerously ill of a quinsey, and unable for some time to swallow either food or

« AnteriorContinuar »