102 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



drew their origin from one common ftock, was made a 

 fable of by the above mentioned authors, from ignorance 

 of its meaning. 



II. The Americans do not derive their origin from 

 any people now exifling in the ancient world, or at leaft 

 there are no grounds to affirm it. This inference is found- 

 ed on the fame argument with the preceding, fince if 

 the Americans defcended of any of thofe people, it 

 would be poffible to trace their origin by fome marks in 

 their languages in fpite of the antiquity of their fepara- 

 tion: but any fuch traces have not been difcovered 

 hitherto, although many authors havefearched with the 

 utmoft attention, as appears from the work of the Do- 

 minican Garcia. We have leifurely compared the Mexi- 

 can and other American languages with many others 

 which are now living, and with thofe which are dead, 

 but have not been able to difcover the leaft affinity be- 

 tween any of them. The refemblance between the Teotl 

 of the Mexicans and the Them of the Greeks, has induc- 

 ed us fometimes to compare thofe two languages, but 

 we have never found any agreement between them. 

 This argument is ftrong in refpect to the Americans, as 

 they fliew great firmnefs and conftancy in retaining their 

 languages. The Mexicans preferve their language 

 among the Spaniards, and the Otomies retain their diffi- 

 cult dialect among Spaniards and Mexicans, after two 

 centuries and a half of communication with both. 



If the Americans defcended from different families dif- 

 perfed after the confufion of tongues,, as we believe, and 

 have been feparated fince then from thofe others who 

 peopled the countries of the old continent, authors will 

 labour in vain, to feek in the language or cuftoms of the 

 Afiatics for the origin of the people of the new world. 



SECT. 



