frances, infignificant on a fuperficial view, may, if well examined, and meditated upon, make us better acquainted with the policy of a country, and the difpofitions of its inhabitants. Thus a reader, more cavilling than acute, may say, what have we to do with fuch a frequent repetition of the straw-bag on which Mr. Baretti flept, and of the borracho which contained his wine? But the mention of the straw-bag introduces us to a knowledge of the accommodations in the dif ferent Spanish and Portuguese inns where Mr. Baretti lodged; and by the emptiness or fulness of the borracho, we know whether the tract of country, through which he is paffing, abounds with wine, or not. This is information worth learning, by whatever object it is communicated.

;

Befides, we muft put up with real faults in this, as in every other fpecies of writing. One man is of a different turn from another; and the fame man is very differently difpofed at different times. Mr. Baretti's book would certainly have been more agreeable to an English tafte, if he had not fo often af. fected to be witty; for his wit is not fterling, it is not Attic but it may recommend his performance to a Dutchman, a German, or even to a Piedmontefe. We can all recollect fome little circumftances of our lives, which from the gay humour, and the agreeable company we were in when they befel us, have pleafed us more, and are yet fresher in our memory, than occurrences of importance and advantage. Thus Mr. Baretti fometimes relates minuteneffes, which may have impreffed him ftrongly, but must be infipid and uninteresting to the reader. None but the morofe, indeed, will find fault with him for dwelling with such raptures upon the fair Paolita. To lay before us the emotions of the human heart, is to give us a philofophical entertainment, on whatever occafion they are excited. He, who through four volumes is attentive in general, to write what may be worthy of publick perufal, isexcufeable if he fometimes relaxes and amufes himself.

We fhould but ill confult the entertainment of our readers, if we were sparing of quotations from this work. It gives an account of countries as yet but little examined by English curiofity; therefore it's novelty will invite attention. We shall not, however, extract at random: we fhall carefully felect the moft ftriking paffages, the most judicious, animated, and defcriptive.

In the year 1760, Mr. Baretti went from England to Piedmont, his native country, by Portugal, Spain, the South of France, and Genoa. He took this circuit to make himself acquainted with thofe countries. And he made fuch good ufe of his time, and of what he faw; he hath showed himself fo active

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He fet fail again for the fame parts, much better equipped than before. In the course of this voyage, he discovered Jamaica, and the Caribbee-Iflands. When he arrived at Hispaniola, he found the Spanish colony deftroyed, and their houses burned. But Columbus had now not only to contend with external accidents, but likewife with the treachery of his companions. He met with the most unworthy treatment from the fpies of the envious courtiers, particularly of his inveterate enemy, Fonfeca, bishop of Burgos, who were embarked on board his fleet. By them he was brought home in irons. He was released, however, by his patronefs the queen, and four years after he failed on his third expedition. In this voyage he difcovered the continent of America, though one Americus Vefpulius, a private adventurer, but highly in favour with the bishop of Burgos, the obftinate enemy of Columbus, disputed with him the honour of difcovering that vaft continent, which took its name from Americus, notwithstanding his pretenfions were found to be groundlefs. Columbus was again put in irons in his own fhip, through the malice, as was fuppofed, of Fonfeca. But when he arrived in November 1500, at Cadiz, the king and queen fent orders that he should be fet at liberty, and received him graciously at Madrid. During the remainder of his life, however, he was harraffed with the envy of the Spanish courtiers, and died at Valladolid in 1506, aged 64, leaving this important, but much neglected leffon to mankind that ambition, greatnefs, and fame, may be incompatible with happiness.

The difcoveries of Columbus were followed with the conqueft of Mexico and Peru, by Hernan Cortez, and Francis Pizarro. Cortez landed on the continent of America in 1519, with fix hundred men, and a few pieces of cannon. He penetrated, after various adventures, as far as Tlafcala, which was a republic, and here he first met with any material oppofition. The Indians were defeated, entered into a treaty with him, and helped him to fubdue the Mexican empire, the grandeur of which had excited their jealoufy.

The fuccefs of Cortez in the western world was rapid,, but may easily be accounted for. The fight of large veffels, and the thunder of artillery, ftruck a panic into the Indians, unaccuftomed to fuch objects; they, for fome time, thought the Spaniards an order of beings fuperior to the human race.

Cortez foon arived at the capital of the emperor Montezuma. It was built upon a lake, and the various quarters were joined by bridges. It was adorned with fpacious squares and fine buildings, and was inhabited by an industrious, a well-tempered, and in general, a civilized people.

Monte

firft words with fo churlish an air, that I gave over presently, and like them kept filent the whole time.

How I came to disgust them thus at once, I cannot guess: . but by their frequent and affected glances upon my coat, which I held up at laft to the friar, not without fome refentment, that he might infpect it nearer, I fufpected that they conceived a very low opinion of me for not being dress'd in filk like other gentlemen. Yet it was not my fault, having not yet had time to do what I muft do in this hot weather.

The king, whose box was not far from that in which I fat, was drefs'd in a plain sky-blue with some diamonds about him. He had with him his own brother the Infant Don Pedro, who has lately married the king's eldest daughter call'd the princess of Brafil.

The queen was in another box with that princess and her three other daughters all fparkling with jewels.

In the area and juft, under the queen's box there was a man on horseback; a kind of herald, I thought; drefs'd fomewhat like one of our Neapolitan Coviello's in our plays, who held a long rod in his hand.

As the king came in, two triumphal cars very meanly adorned entered the area, each drawn by fix mules. Eight black Africans were upon one, and eight copper coloured Indians upon the other. They made feveral caracols round; then all leapt from the cars and bravely fought an obstinate: battle with wooden fwords one band against the other. The Indians were foon flain by the Africans, and lay extended a while on the ground, fhaking their legs in the air as if in the laft convulfions, and rolling in the duft before they were quite dead. Then, like Bays's troops in the Rehearsal, both the dead and the living went to mix with the croud, while the cars drove away amidst the acclamations of the multitude, and made room for the two knights that were to fight the bulls.

• Thefe knights came in, both on horfeback, drefs'd after the ancient Spanish manner, made, fine with many ribbonds of various colours, with feathers on their hats, each brandishing a long and thin fpear. Their horfes were beautiful, mettlefome, and gallantly accoutred. One of the hero's was clad in crimson, the other in yellow. Both look'd very brifk, and both paid their obeisance to the king, queen, and people, making their horses kneel three times: then, clapping spurs, made them caper and vault a while round the area with a furprifing dexterity.

When all this was over, the yellow champion placed himself over against the gate at which the bulls were to come

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out,

The twelfth Ynca was named Huayna Capac, the father of Athabalipa. On the news of the landing of the Spaniards, Athabalipa collected an army of forty thousand men, armed with darts, and long pikes of gold and filver.

The Ynca confented to an interview with Pizarro, after many meffages had paffed between them. Athabalipa and Pizarro met between their two armies: the Spanish general, with the infolence of an invader, and the abfurdity of a bigot, immediately propofed that the Ynca, and his fubjects fhould embrace the Catholic faith. A popish priest, with a crofs in one hand, and a breviary in the other, made a wretched harangue in praise of the Chriftian religion, which was as wretchedly interpreted by an Indian. In the midft of this holy farce, the Spanish foldiers feized a Peruvian idol, adorned with gold and precious ftones. The foldiers of Athabalipa, with just retaliation, threw the priest and his trumpery on the ground. The torch of religion in a moment kindled the conflagration of Pizarro, with his own hand, pulled the Ynca from his litter, and made him prifoner; a dreadful carnage enfued, in which, unfortunately for the caufe of humanity, the Spaniards loft not a man. The Peruvians were flain like sheep, till the conquerors were tired with purfuing and killing them. The aftonishment and terror which the horses, the armour, but above all, the fire arms had infpired, deprived them of all thoughts of defence. Athabalipa met with a fate unworthy of his virtues; not being able to fulfil the promise which he had made of an enormous ransom for his liberty, he was, on various pretences, condemned to be burned, but obtained the favour to be ftrangled firft, on confenting to be baptized, and owning himself a Chriftian.

war.

Manco Capac fucceeded Athabalipa in the fovereignty of Peru, and for fome time harraffed the Spaniards with his policy and his courage. A difpute arofe between Pizarro and Almagro, which produced open hoftilities. A decifive battle gave the victory to Pizarro, and Almagro was executed. The Ynca having difbanded his army at the commencement of this quarrel, miffed a favourable opportunity of being revenged on his enemies. Pizarro was afterwards affaffinated in his palace by the partizans of his deceased rival. Chili, and all the neighbouring parts of the New World, were foon fubdued by the Spaniards.

To this epitome of our author's account of Columbus's expedition, and of the conqueft of Mexico and Peru, we fhall add his ingenious difquifition on the first population of Ame

rica.

• Eighteen were the bulls flaughter'd in this feaft or hunting, and each with fome variety of wanton cruelty. Spears were stuck into some of them that carried fquibs and crackers, whofe fire and noise was more troublesome than the wound. One of the most fierce leapt over the barrier of a box just under mine, and I expected him to do fome mischief; but the Portuguese are well aware of fuch accidents, and the people in that box were quick to quit their feats, fome throwing themfelves over the barrier into the area, and fome over the partitions into the next boxes. The bull embarraffed in the benches was presently dispatched by many swords.

The laft bull however was very near revenging all the reft upon the crimfon-knight and his horfe. He ran them both down with terrible fhock; and had it not been for the knobs on his horns, the horse at least would have been sadly gored. Both the horfe and the knight were within a hair of being trampled upon, when the other knight gave the bull a great cut across the neck, while all the fighters on foot thruft their daggers, fome into his mouth and fome into his eyes. The horse got up, ran frighted through the croud, and threw feveral of them down, while his unlucky rider, who was no great gainer by his tumble, ftood curfing and fwearing at the horfe, at the bull, and at himself.

• Thus ended the maffacre of thofe noble animals: a maffacre encouraged as long as it lafted by a moft outrageous uproar, and concluded with a most thundering clap of univerfal approbation.

What effect thefe cruel fpectacles (repeated almost every Sunday, as I am told) may have upon the morals and religion of this people, better fpeculatifts than myself may determine. To me indeed they appear moft brutal and moft unchriftian. However, they have the fanction of the law of the country; and the government that permits and countenances them, may have reafons for fo doing out of the reach of my intellects. Therefore, inftead of yielding to the temptation of blaming what appears to me very blameable, let me go on with matter of fact, and relate an incident that fufpended for about half an hour this horrible entertainment.

• The feventh or eighth bull had been just slain and dragg'd out, and the man at the bull's gate was going to let in another, when the people in the ground floor-boxes, oppofite to that where I was, rofe at once one and all with the moft hideous fhrieks, leapt precipitously into the area, and ran about the place like madmen.

This fudden diforder terrified the affembly, and few were those who had any fang-froid left. All wanted to know what