50 



the balance, the twins, and, what is very re- 

 markable, by the symbols of agriculture. The 

 Egyptian zodiac is the zodiac of an agricultural 

 nation. In proportion as nations are civilized, 

 and the mass of their ideas enlarged, the deno- 

 minations of the zodiacal constellations have lost 

 their primitive uniformity, and the number of 

 celestial animals has diminished. This number, 

 however, has remained considerable enough, to 

 exercise an evident influence on religious sys- 

 tems. Astrological reveries have led men, to * 

 attach a great importance to the signs, which 

 preside over the different divisions of time. At 

 Mexico, each sign of the days had its altar. In 

 the great teocalli (§68 natihu), near the column 

 which supported the image of the planet Venus 

 (IlhuicatitlanJ, were small chapels for the aste- 

 risms macuilcalli (5 house), ome tochtli (2 rab- 

 bit), chicome at I (7 water), and nahui ocelotl 

 (4 tiger) ; as the greater part of the hierogly- 

 phics of the days was composed of animals, the 

 worship of these was intimately connected with 

 the system of the Calendar. 



