possibility of a pre-arrangement flashed across me, of course to be instantly rejected. The printed rules were before us, thirty of them, mostly restrictive. But in my travels I found every hotel well provided in this respect, the English translations being always waggish in their literalness.
The lover of ancient art, and of objects that have a history, may find in Mexico an inexhaustible fund of interest in visiting the numerous convents that exist everywhere. In many cases they have been purchased by private individuals and are used as residences. The government owns others, and has established in them colleges and municipal and industrial schools. In no place have I found these establishments more interesting than at Morelia. One of the most extensive is El Carmen, the venerable convent of the Carmelites. We visited it one evening, but time did not permit us to explore its spacious interior, and we decided to return and complete the inspection.
The Carmelites, on leaving the country, had presented this convent, with all its belongings, to a private citizen.
We visited many others, and always with an increasing desire to investigate further these remnants of the past. Among them were San Juan de Dios, La Merced, and San Diego. Special mention belongs to the last named. The convent of San Diego stands at the opening of the San Pedro Park. Attached to it is the sanctuary of Guadalupe, erected in 1708, a beautiful specimen of Doric architecture, adorned with columns, entablatures, and shields. This consecrated building served as a retreat for the bishop and clergy. The convent was founded by the will of a citizen of Valladolid, who in 1747 left $21,000 for that purpose, with the condition that the sanctuary be annexed to it. Accordingly the building was erected and the old sanctuary enlarged. Many years later the magnificent altar was constructed which now adorns the church. The tall cypresses which screen the entrance were planted in 1807. They no longer shelter the devotees nor the monks pacing up and down in pious meditation; for the convent of San Diego, like so many others, has been secularized,
