210 



of the 15th plate, is a copy. P. Fabrega takes 

 this figure, which is covered with twenty hiero- 

 glyphics of the days, for a stag (mazatl) ; P. 

 Rios asserts, that it is an astrological conceit of 

 the physicians ; a painting which teaches, that 

 he who is born on such or such a day, shall have 

 pains in his eyes, his stomach, or his ears : we 

 see indeed, that the-twenty simple hieroglyphics 

 of the days are distributed over different parts of 

 the body. 



The sign of the day which began the small 

 period of thirteen days, or the half lunation, was 

 considered as ruling for the whole of this period ; 

 so that a man born on the day when the hiero- 

 glyphic was an eagle, nad every thing to fear, or 

 to hope, each time that an eagle swayed the 

 week of thirteen days. Mr Zoega* seems to 

 adopt the explanation of Rios ; and finds a strik- 

 ing connexion between this fiction and the 

 iatromathematic ideas of the Egyptians. If we 

 cast our eyes over our own almanacks, we shall 

 see, that these absurd ideas tarnish even our own 

 times ; since it is often less profitable to enlighten 

 the people, than to encourage their credulity. 

 I found this same allegorical figure, which be- 

 longs to astrological medicine, in the Codex Bor- 

 gianus, fol. 17 (MSS. No. 66) and in the Codex 

 Anonymus of the Vatican, fol. 54. 



* Zoega, p. 523 and 5.31. 



