INTKODUGTION. . xxi 



not only learned to read these characters, but employed them to instruct 

 the Indians, has been authenticated by a recent discovery of a devotional 

 work written in this way. 



The earliest historian of Yucatan is Fr. Bernardo de Lizana.' But I 

 do not know of a single complete copy of his work, and only one imperfect 

 copy, which is, or was, in the city of Mexico, from which the Abbe Bras- 

 seur (de Bourbourg) copied and republished a few chapters. Lizana was 

 himself not much of an antiquary, but he had in his hands the Manuscripts 

 left by Father Alonso de Solana, who came to Yucatan in 1 565, and remained 

 there till his death, in 1599. Solana was an able man, acquired thoroughly 

 the Maya tongue, and left in his writings many notes on the antiquities 

 of the country." Therefore we may put considerable confidence in what 

 Lizana writes on these matters. 



The reference which I find in Lizana to the Maya writings is as follows: 



"The most celebrated and revered sanctuary in this land, and that t.) 

 which they resorted from all parts, was this town and temples of Ytzamal, 

 as they are now called ; and that it was founded in most ancient times, and 

 that it is still known who did found it, will be set forth in the next chapter. 



"III. The histor}' and the authorities which we can cite are certain 

 ancient characters, scarcely understood by niany, and explained by some 

 old Indians, sons of the priests of their gods, who alone knew how to read 

 and expound them, and who were believed in and revered as much as the 

 gods themselves," etc.^ 



We have here the positive statement that these hieroglyphic inscrip- 

 tions were used by the priests for recording their national history, and that 

 by means of them they preserved the recollection of events which took 

 place in a very remote past. 



Another valuable early witness, who testifies to the same effect, is the 

 Dr. Don Pedro Sanchez de Aguilar, who was cura of Valladolid, in Y^ucatan, 



'Bernardo do Lizana, Hisloria de Tucalam. Deoocionario de Nnestru Seftora de Izrnal,ij Conquisla 

 Espiritual. 8vo. Pinciaj (Valladolid), 1033. 



'^ For these facts see Diego Lopez Cogoliiido, Risloria de Yucatan, lib. ix, cap. xv. Cogolludo 

 adds that in his time (1650-'60) Solana's MSS. could not be found ; Lizana may have sent them to Spain. 



^ I add the original of the most important passage : "La historia y autores que podenios alegar 

 sou unos antiguos caracteres, mal enteudidos de muchos, y glossados do unos indios autigiios, quo son 

 hijos de los sacerdotes de sus dioses, quo son los que solo sabiau leer y adivinar, y a (juieu creiau rever- 

 onciavan como a Dioses dcstos." 



