Holo Ancient America Wrote. 22-^ 



the inscriptions in Palenqne, engraved long before the arrival of the 

 Castilian adventurers, proves, beyond doubt, its indigenous origin. 



But, thus much is true: that the Maya notation was not purely alpha- 

 betical, but a mixture of both alphabetical and figurative ; "for aside 

 from the letters," says Landa, " they employed figures, and signs 

 within the figures," the latter, of course, as syllabic characters. But 

 what is of the greatest import, this notation enabled the writer to 

 convey, literally, a full sentence. 



It remains to add a few words regarding the order in which the 

 figures and characters were placed by the painter. According to 

 Clavigero, he was at libertv to commence at any corner, but he 

 had to follow the same direction throughout the page, from top to 

 bottom or from bottom to top, from right to left, or vice versa. Did 

 he choose to write bustrophedically, then the custom was to begin from 

 the lower left corner, continuing to the right, thence in the next higher 

 line to the left, and so on. 



The contents of the pictographic manuscripts embraced both divine 

 and mundane subjects. They treated of theology, dogmas, rituals, 

 festivals, historical events, public affairs, legal proceedings, tributes, 

 geographical, statistical and educational matters. They were collected 

 in libraries, temples and royal palaces. Academies and colleges were 

 established for recording the annals and giving instruction in reading 

 and writing. The sovereigns were the benign guardians and pro- 

 tectors of these institutions. That was the golden era of aboriginal 

 civilization. It vanished with the downfall of the Montezuraas, 

 The rude hand of the conqueror destroyed its blossoms. European 

 letters supplanted the native pictographs. It is true that Charles 

 the v., because of the legal (Jocuments being recorded in the 

 ancient characters, established a chair of didactic painting in the 

 university of the Capital. But since none of the wise professors have 

 left a syllable on the priuciiDles of this intricate art, the Amalthes will 

 remain a sealed book to us, until another Champollion detects the 

 magic key that unlocks its hidden treasures. What problem i< 

 unsoluble to science? 



