Fénix 10, 203-234

LETTERS TO JAMES PAROISSIEN 233 1 am sure you will agree with me in thinking that it ought to be as exact as possible, on S.M.'s account; and as You & G. 156 must have it in your power to give it in proper detail 1 expect you will let me have it as soon as you can, for 1 am now actually correcting my rough draught of my own adventures with Benavides 157. You ask me to put explicit questions to you, which you promise to answer. In the first place you whill see, by a letter in Garcia's 158 hands, that I have already adopted the method you propose and you may perhaps save him thle trouble in some cases, as he appears from his letter to be much occu- pied. 1 have a great dislike to troubling people of business, and nothing but the great anxiety to do justice to our common friend S.M. would induce me to plague NIr. Garcia on the subject. In order to relieve him as much as 1 possibly could, 1 mentioned that if he could give me his answers in the course of a month it would save the press; but it would be infinitely better if 1 could have them now, as 1 am now setting about that part of S.M. history included in those questions, and as my information is scanty and not authentic 1 write with difficulty and doubt, and under the feeling that I may have to break up al1 my work again. If therefore, my Dear Sir, you can in any way contrive to get me replies soon, it will essentialíy contribute to the merit of that part of my book which refers to our great friend. If you can furnish me with any little anecdotes charactberistic of S.M. 1 shall be much obliged to you for them; 1 have got one or two, but you surely can give me some more and 1 will turn them to good account: the kind 1 want relate to his private habits, which, in my opinion throw more light on a man's real character than his public actions do. 1 remember one Eveg. at the Play at Lima we had some conversation about Oliver Cromwell and S.M. said he had thought of Old No11 when it was proposed to him to take the title of Protector, and that he hoped to imitate his good points -or something to that effect: you must have heard him speak at other times on that subject, and as this is a sort of thing which would engage the attention of the Public here 1 beg you will give me in his words exactly what you remember to have heard him say. Anything that shows an acquaintance with English History or cus- toms will enhance him in the epes of England, and 1 shall be most grateful for the smallest item on those heads. You see what you bring on yourself by offering your services! and 1 promise sincerely that if you and Garcia will only assist me with materials, 1 shall chase the foul fiend indolence 'mil le- guas' off, and amongst us we shall bring S.M.'s merits before the Public -it would be a shame to lose the opportunity. I agree quite with you as to S.M.'s admirable conduct on the occasion you allude to 159 -but 1 cannot doubt of your agreeing with me in keeping clear of the topic: it would do S.M. no 156. See note 153. 157. Hall op. cit., i, 332-75. 158. See note 153. 159. 1 suspect that the reference is to the quarrel between San Martín and Cochrane. Fénix: Revista de la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú. N.10, 1954