61 



history, the worship, the astrology, and the 

 cosmogonical fables of the Mexicans, forms a 

 system, the parts of which are closely connected 

 with each other. The paintings, the bas-reliefs, 

 the ornaments of the idols and of the divine 

 stones (teotetl of the Aztecks, ^ew'mh^* of the 

 Greeks), all bear the same character, and the 

 same physiognomy. The deluge that begins the 

 history of the Aztecks, and from which Coxcox 

 saved himself in a bark, is indicated with the 

 same circumstances in the drawing, which re- 

 presents the destructions and regenerations of 

 the world *. The four indictions (tlalpilli), 

 which relate-}- to these catastrophes, or to the 

 subdivisions of the great year, are sculptured on 

 a stone, discovered in 1790 in the foundations 

 of the teocalli of Mexico. Robertson, who is al- 

 ways severe in the examination of facts, has ad- 

 mitted, in the last edition of his work, the authen- 

 ticity of the paintings of the museum of Siguenza. 

 " We cannot doubt," says this great historian, 

 " that we are indebted for these paintings to the 

 natives of Mexico, and the correctness of the 

 drawing seems to prove only, that the copy has 

 been made or retouched by an European artist." 

 This last observation does not appear to be en- 

 tirely confirmed by the great number ofhiero- 



* Plate. 26. 



t See page 25 ; and vol. xiii, p. 372. 



