145 



which they were menaced, on the first discovery 

 of America, by monkish fanaticism, and the 

 stupid carelessness of the first conquerors*. An 

 antiquary who has made deep researches on the 

 arts, the mythology, and the domestic life of the 

 Greeks and Romans, Mr. Bcettiger, gave me 

 information of the Codex Mexicanus in the royal 

 library at Dresden. He has spoken of it lately 

 in a work, which displays the most extensive 

 ideas concerning the paintings of the barbarous 

 nations, as well as those of the Hindoos, the 

 Persians, the Chinese, the Egyptians, and the 

 Greeks-}-. I am indebted to the friendship of 

 this distinguished gentleman, and to the kind 

 ness of Count Marcolini, for the copy of the 

 fragment contained in the 45th plate. 



This Azteck manuscript, as Mr. Bcettiger as- 

 sured me, was purchased at Vienna, by the li- 

 brarian, Gcetze^;, in his Literary Journey to 

 Italy, in 1739. It is on paper made of metl 

 (agave mexicana), like those I brought from 

 New Spain ; and forms a tabella plicatilis, nearly 

 six metres in length, containing forty leaves, 

 covered with paintings on both sides. Each 

 page is 0*295 met. (seven inches three lines) 



* Vol. xiii, p. 178. 



t Boettiger, Jdeen zur Archaeologie der Malerei, torn, i, 

 p. 17—21. 



X Goetze, Denkvvuerdigkeiten der Dresdner Bibliothek, 

 erste Sammlung, 1744, p. 4. 

 VOL. XIV. JL 



