The influences of colonial life generally stimulated practical activity rather than philosophical or religious reflection, but now and then minds appeared so predisposed to mysticism that they could not be awakened out of their dreams even by the uproar of the frontier. Among such persons, Medina mentions Ignacio García, Domingo Antomas, José Torres, Pedro de Tula Bazán and Manuel Lacunza. García was born in Galicia in 1696, studied at Coruña, entered the order of the Jesuits, and completed his academic career at Salamanca. His request for service in America having been granted, he sailed from Cadiz for Buenos Aires, and made the journey of nearly a thousand miles from that town across the plains and over the Andes into Chile. The first field of his mission was Coquimbó. From this place he was transferred to Santiago, but in 1730 he was in Concepción, where he gave instruction in philosophy. This was the year that witnessed the destruction of Concepción by an earthquake, and after that event García returned to Santiago, where he performed the duties of a professor of theology. He died in that city in 1754 as rector of the Colegio Máximo. His work entitled _Desengaño consejero_ was published in Lima the year of his death. In this he emphasized especially the need of fervent prayer, confirming this by citations from the Scriptures, and proposing exercises for meditation in retirement. Another work of a similar character was called _Respiración del alma en afectos píos_, which set forth the exercises needed to keep alive the spirit, as respiration keeps alive the body. In view of approaching death he requested Padre Javier Zevallos to present to bishop Alday the manuscript of a volume entitled _Cultivo de las virtudes en el paraíso del alma_ (Barcelona, 1759). CHAPTER XV GOVERNMENT AND LAW I. _Melchor Calderón, Francisco Falcón and Francisco Carrasco de Saz._ II. _Nicolás Polanco de Santillana, Juan Matienzo, Juan de Solórzano Pereira, and Gaspar de Escalona y Agüero._ III. _The brothers Antonio, Diego, and Juan de León Pinelo and Juan del Corral Calvo de la Torre._ IV. _Jorge Escobedo y Alarcón and José Rezabal y Ugarte._ V. _Alonso de la Peña Montenegro._ I [Sidenote: Spanish autocracy] [Sidenote: British and Spanish colonies compared] [Sidenote: Rôle of Council of the Indies] [Sidenote: Public discussion]