The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-06

graphs or steam vessels in those days
Nobody but the archbishop could OPP
( pose him; nor need he fear anybody
but the head of the Inquisition and
the head Of the Jesuits The pomp
that surrounded him, the pageants
with which HIS entrance was cele-
hrated. were Ike those or a Mogul
emperor
A City of Reeds and Mud.
Lima was called by Pizarro the City
Of the Kings. I. e. the Three Wise
Men of the East. but the name IL now
bears variant from that of the
river Rimac. soon prevailed. II stands
in "A wide fiat valley, guarded by steep
mountains To the north. on both banks
OF the broad stony bed OF the Rirnac,
a large part Of whose waters has been
diverted for irrigation. Except where
this river water has made cultivation
possible the plain Is bare, being part
of the coastal desert
AS I'm the most Spanish-American
cities. the streets are narrow and
straight. cutting one another at right
angles. one Is at first surprised to
find the houses extremely low. many
of one story and hardly any 7save
few new residences on the ontskirtsl
exceeding two stories. and TO be told
that they are built Of bricks, or more
commonly Of cane and reeds plastered
with mud 1t IS commonly said that
in Lima burglar needs nothing more
than q bowl of water and Spouse
to soften the plaster. and knife To
cut the canes.
But the reason Is apparent when
one remembers that no place on the
West coast has suffered more from
earthquakes hus, except the con
vents and seine Of the olders churches
everything looks modern. unsubstan-
tial and also unpicturesque. having
little variety and little ornament in
the architecture except the long
wooden balcony which usually pro-
tec}s above the gateway.
The bridge that spans the Rimae
ia hardly worthy OF a great capital.
The shops are small and mediocre.
and only In one or two thorough
fares IS there any threng Of passers
TO and fro. One notes little Of the
life and stir, and still less OF the state
illness, that BELTS AN ancient and IA
nous home Of power.
Where pizarro Met His Death.
Yet to :hgs medlocrlty there is one
exception. 1t is the great central
square In Spanish. as in an Italian,
city. one usually enquiries first for
the Square. for whatever nobleness
d place has IS sure TO be there.
The Plaza de Armas at Lima has
much dignity in its ample space, ana
beauty in it's fine proportions, in its
central fountain, In the palms and
adorn IL. besides wealth of historic
associations in the buildings that
stand around 1t.
Most conspicuous Is the Cathedral.
with its rich facade. it's two quaint
towers. its spacious interior, not
broken. as are most of the great
churches of old Spain. by q central
choir, its handsome carved choir stalls
it's side chapel shrines, I'm one Of
which a glass case holds bones which
tradition declares TO be those of the
terrible Pizarro. That pious conoueror
founded the church in l54o. but
earthquakes have made such havoc
with the walls that what one sees now
IFS of much later date.
are the government offices, compare
lively recent buildings low, and OF no
Architectural interest. In the open
arcade which borders them a white
marble slab In the pavement marks
the spot where piazarro, cut down
Il by the swords of his enemies. the
men of Chile. made the sign of the
cross with his own blood as he ex-
pired The passage is still shown
whence the assassins emerged from
la house hard by the Cathedral, where
they had been drinking together 10
nerve themselves, and crossed the
Plaza to attack him in his palace.
Where Spanish Rule i'm South America
Came TO An End.
Also on the Plaza, facing the Cathe-
dral il the municipal building, from
the gallery of which nearly four cen
turies after the Inca power had fallen
under the assault OF Pizarro, Generai
San Martin, the heroic Argentine VINO
/ led the revolutionary forces TO tne
liberation of Peru, proclaimed 10 the
crowd beneath the end OF spanish
rule in South America.
I OF the old Palace of the Viceroyst
which also fronted on the Plaza, there
remains only the chapel, now desc
Grated and used as storehouse Tor
archives, whose handsome ceiling
and walls, decorated with colored
/ tiles of the sixteenth century carry
one back TO the Moorish art of Spain.
Other churches there are in plenty
| seyenty-two used to be enumerated
and some of them are large and
grandiose in style, but all are of the
same type, and none either beauti-
full or imposing.
/ Few relics OF antiquity are left in
them or indeed anywhere In Lima
i The library OF the university, the old
est seat of learning in America, which
was formerly controlled and stated
by the Society Of Jesus. suffered sad
iy at the hands of the Chilean in
vaders when they took the city In the
war OF 1882. The old hall Of the In
QUESTION, in which the Peruvian SEN
ate now sits, has a beautiful ceiling of
dark red cedar richly carved, work
worthy of the best days OF Spain.
What scenes may 1t not have looked
! down upon during the three centuries
when the holy office was q power at
A..