HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



99 



In the mode of computing time, the Mexicans were 

 much more fimilar to the Egyptians ; that is, of the lat- 

 ter Egyptians, not of the former, of whofe method we 

 know nothing. The Egyptian folar year was compofed 

 of three hundred and fixty-five days, like that of the 

 Mexicans : the one and the other contained three hun- 

 dred and fixty-five days in their months, and as the 

 Egyptians added five days to their laft month Mefori, fo 

 did the Mexicans to their month Izcaili, in which parti- 

 cular they agreed with the Perfians ; but in other re- 

 fpe&s, there was a great difference between them ; the 

 Egyptian year confided of twelve months and thefe of 

 thirty days, the Mexican year confided of eighteen 

 months and thefe of twenty days (V). The Egyptians, 

 like many other nations of the old continent, counted by 

 weeks ; the Mexicans by periods of five days in their 

 civil and "thirteen days in their religious year. 



The Mexicans, like the Egyptians, employed hiero- 

 glyphics ; but how many other nations have done the 

 fame to conceal the myfleries of their religions ; and if 

 the Mexicans learned hieroglyphics from the Egyptians, 

 why had they not alfo the ufe of letters from them ? Be- 

 caufe letters, it may be faid, were invented after their 

 feparation; but how is it known that before they fepa- 

 rated they had made the invention of hieroglyphics? 



The drefs of the firft Egyptians may have probably 

 been the fame as that of the other fons and nephews of 

 Noah ; at leafl we have no reafon to think otherwife, 

 Refpe&ing the political cuftoms of thofe firft men we 

 know nothing. The mofl ancient Egyptians, of whom 

 we have any certain marks, were thofe who lived in the 



times 



(c) We fpeak of the religious year of the Mexicans, for of their civil or af- 

 tronomical year we have no account. 



