Satire and Daily Life in the Palace: Mexico City in the Mid-18th Century

The imp of Mexico, a satire that circulated in 1755, made fun of greedy and lax authorities. The imp complained that during the government of Viceroy Count of Revillagigedo (1746-1755), there was “much silver and much gold, and little justice in all, ordinances in droves, yet disorders untold.” Few observed the laws, the imp lamented. While that rings familiar, the imp had a point, because much daily life in colonial Mexico did not unfold in accordance with the Laws of the Indies, for instance. Especially life in palace of Mexico City was often informal and spontaneous, despite many royal rules ordering strict, ritualized, and formal conduct. We know that the viceroy was late twice when the ministers of the Holy Inquisition came calling – which the inquisitors registered as a slight to their office. Similar meetings in the main viceregal hall were not choreographed. Rambunctious quarrels over social standing and etiquette punctured larger reunions in the palace. Even during his off-time, the viceroys often stretched the letter of the law by gambling, hunting, or relaxing with friends and family. This paper seeks to analyze the informal workings of the palace, as revealed by diaries, private letters, and the rumors spread by the imp of Mexico.