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228 A HISTORY OF CHILE amnesty toward political offenders and inviting exiles to return. The policy of the administration was pelu- cone so far as liberal and republican sentiments were concerned. Although the government was at first con- ciliatory it soon began persecutions and became as ret- rograde and oppressive as under Prieto. Prieto had encouraged literature of a kind bearing the aristocratic stamp and Bulnes continued the policy. The new universit}' at Santiago was inaugurated by Minister Montt in 1843. Don Andres Bello, the author of a well known work on the law of nations, was in- stalled as first rector. The members of this state institution were authorized to prepare a national his- tory; Bello was intrusted with the task of writing a civil code, a work of which Chile stood much in need. Schools were also established for teaching the differ- ent branches, such as agriculture, navigation, art and music. Literary periodicals appeared at this time and pro- moted a new zeal for literary and educational affairs; religious matters came to be discussed with much warmth, for there were outspoken sceptics who were not backward in expressing their ideas; considerable attention was given to art, particularly after the arrival of the celebrated French painter, Monvoisin ; a new impetus was given to theatrical matters by the intro- duction of lyric operas. Argentine exiles, escaping from the tyrann}' of Rosas, contributed with their pens to the literary awakening. One of these, Don Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, became in time the principal of the normal school, which was established in Santiago for the purpose of preparing competent teachers for educational work. The school of arts, when established, was given in charge of a Frenchman, Jariez. The Neapolitan painter,