IMAGES OF INSTABILITY IN THE LITERATURE OF VICEREGAL LIMA (1687-1797) John Samuel Krieg A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Romance Studies (Spanish) in the College of Arts and Sciences. Chapel Hill 2020 Approved by: Rosa Perelmuter Oswaldo Estrada Irene Gómez-Castellano Juan Carlos González Espitia Emil Keme © 2020 John Samuel Krieg ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT John Samuel Krieg: Images of Instability in the Literature of Viceregal Lima (1687-1797) (Under the direction of Rosa Perelmuter) Instability is a persistent theme in literary depictions of Lima, Peru, from throughout the long eighteenth century. The city’s geographical instability, marked by earthquakes that took place in 1687 and 1746, also affected social and economic structures of a viceregal society in flux. By focusing on three distinct forms of the theme of instability (seismic, caste hierarchy, and economic), I was able to bring together a literary corpus that spanned from 1687 to 1797 and included both works of poetry and prose, canonical and less-studied texts. This includes poetry by Juan del Valle y Caviedes (1649-1698), Pedro de Peralta Barnuevo (1663-1743), Friar Francisco del Castillo (1716-1770), and Esteban de Terralla y Landa (1750?-1805?); travel chronicles co-authored by Antonio de Ulloa (1716-1795) and Jorge Juan (1713-1773); the prose work El lazarillo de ciegos caminantes (1775), by Alonso Carrió de la Vandera (1716-1783); as well as epistolary correspondence penned by Spanish and Creole noblemen. While some of these works individually have received a fair amount of critical attention, the dissertation brings them together in a unique way that allows us to view how they portray the paradigm of instability (volatility, change, mobility) and compare them within their specific historical and literary context. In the three main chapters of the dissertation, I examine different forms of instability by focusing on how the period’s literature discussed earthquakes (Chapter 1), caste hierarchy iii (Chapter 2), and commerce (Chapter 3). These texts shed light on specific historical events, and also illustrate how repeated fluctuations in different areas of limeño society contributed to a general atmosphere of instability evident to authors throughout the eighteenth century. By examining several types of instability over the course of more than a century, I conclude that focusing on this theme provides a framework for analysis that brings to bear a wide range of topics relevant to eighteenth-century Spanish America: scientific inquiry and religious discourse at the dawn of the Enlightenment, discrimination against and forms of societal participation of men and women of African ancestry, urban development, social stagnation and mobility, as well as commercial activity and the exploitation of natural resources. iv To Chelsea and to the memory of Margaret and John Krieg. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The number of people who have supported me throughout my years as a doctoral student is too large to be told here, but I will give it my best shot. First, a huge thank you to my dissertation director, Dr. Rosa Perelmuter, who worked with me throughout my entire graduate experience. As an instructor, you inspired my studies and, as a director, you helped guide this project from seed to completed project. Thank you so much for your support and the priority that you have given my work throughout the years. I am also very grateful to the other members of my dissertation committee: Drs. Oswaldo Estrada, Irene Gómez-Castellano, Juan Carlos González Espitia, and Emil Keme. Your teaching and scholarship have opened my eyes to new ideas and inspired my own work as a literary scholar. Thank you very much for your dedication and guidance. My fellow ROMS graduate students have been a constant source of encouragement, inspiration, motivation, and support. I hope that the department’s collegial atmosphere, which has helped me grow so much, will persist for many years. In particular, I would like to recognize some who (at the time of this writing) are currently in the graduate program: Bob, Che, Chloé, Jordan, Katie, Kelly, Maury, Paco, Parker, Sarah Booker, Sarah Blanton, Thomas (and Caleb!), and Toni. I must also recognize those who have preceded me in graduating: Adrienne, Ale, Alex, Angela (and Jason!), Carlos, Elena, Emiliano, Emily, Greg, Holly, Jonathan, Julie (my first friend in Chapel Hill!), Mari Carmen, Paco, Philip, Rhi, and Vinodh. In particular, thank you Maria for your friendship, sage advice, and delicious cooking. vi I must also thank Drs. Liz Bruno, Glynis Cowell, Tacia Kohl, Josefa Lindquist, and Bill Maisch. You all played immensely important roles in my development as a teacher and demonstrated that passion for teaching has no expiration date. Additionally, Dr. Alicia Rivero opened my eyes to new literature and her courses led to two publications. Logan, Nefi, and Shavon: thank you so much for your attention to detail, encouragement, clear communications, and willingness to put up with my endless questions. As with any scholar, I would be nothing without a library. The staff at UNC Libraries, especially Teresa Chapa and Claudia Funke, helped make this project a reality. I would never have applied to a graduate program without incredible teachers and mentors in college. The instructors at the University of Mary Washington helped cultivate my love of literature and the Spanish language. Thank you to Drs. Gardner Campbell and Mara Scanlon, who taught me how to close read poems, as well as Drs. Ana Chichester, Jessica Locke, and Shara Voisard, who opened my eyes to Latin American literature. Dr. Elizabeth Lewis has also been with me at every stage, from undergraduate to doctoral candidate. At Germanna Community College, Dr. Miguel Lechuga was my first Spanish teacher and organized the Spain trip that changed my life. Anne Lyons and Donna Alexander challenged me to grow, offered sage advice, and cheered my successes. This project has also been supported by numerous organizations. Thank you to UNC’s Graduate School, Institute for the Study of the Americas, and Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program, for supporting my participation in conferences and scholarship through the Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Summer Research Fellowship, Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Graduate Student Transportation Grant, Mellon Conference Travel Award, and MEMS Conference Travel Grant. Thank you also to the Ibero-American Society for vii Eighteenth Century Studies and the Society for Renaissance and Baroque Hispanic Poetry for your inspiration and support. Part of this dissertation is adapted from my article, “‘Parecía Lima errante, terrestre armada’: Earthquakes and Instability in Viceregal Lima (1687 and 1746),” published in Dieciocho 43.1 (2020). I would like to thank the publisher for granting permission to use this article in my dissertation. Thank you to the staffs at Duke Regional Hospital, UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (particularly Mary Dunn, Dr. Juneko Grilley-Olson, and Dr. Michael Woods), and UNC Student Health, without whose expertise and care I would not be here. Thank you to the boys from Fredericksburg who have been there the whole time: Andrew, Ian, Owen, and Tim. Thank you to my parents, Susan and Fred. You were my first teachers and you have modeled love, dedication, faith, humility, hard work, curiosity, and how to have fun throughout my life. Thank you to my brother, Peter, for your friendship and being my concert partner. Thank you to Keith, Denise, and Rachel, for accepting me into your family and always being there when it has mattered the most. Thank you to my daughter, River, whose smile lights up my life and who has helped me see the world in a whole new way. Most of all, thank you to my incredible wife, Chelsea, to whom this dissertation is dedicated. You have been with me since I took the first step on this journey, and your support has never wavered. So much life has happened during my time in this program—you have been there to help me celebrate awards and recover from chemotherapy; we backpacked 500 miles viii together and we saw our child take her first steps. You open my eyes to so many things, help me keep perspective, and bring out the best in me. I truly am the luckiest. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………….………….………….1 CHAPTER 1: EARTHQUAKES AND INSTABILITY...………………………………………19 I. Earthquakes and the Space of Viceregal Lima...………………………………………19 II. Caviedes, Peralta, and the Earthquake of 1687..……………………………………...26 a. Poetic Speakers Describe the 1687 Earthquake……..………………….…..….28 b. Images of Instability and Destruction in Lima: 1687……..…………………...36 i. Topoi of Instability: Inexpressibility and World Upside Down……..…..36 ii. Structural Instability in Lima in 1687..…………………….………….....39 iii. Tidal Waves and the Destruction of Callao………...…………………....45 c. The Natural Causes of Earthquakes: Science in the Literature of Viceregal Lima…………………………………………………………...….....48 d. Lima’s Response to Catastrophe: 1687……………………………………...…58 III. The Lima Earthquake of 1746......................................................………………...…69 a. Giving Voice to the 1746 Earthquake……………………………………….....70 b. Images of Instability in Lima: 1746…………………………………………....78 i. The Rhetoric of Instability: Inexpressibility and World Upside Down.…80 ii. Structural Instability in