148 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



chronicler, that the Arctic is colder than the Antarctic 

 part, becaufe it enjoys lefs of the fun. But how can 

 there be lefs of the fun enjoyed in the Arctic part, when 

 this luminary is feven days longer in the northern he- 

 rn ifphere ? Our land extends from west to east, and is 

 therefore more accommodating to human life than the other, 

 which growing narrow from west to east, enlarges too much 

 frc?n one to the other pole ; for the land which lengthens 

 itfelf from west to east is at a more equal distance from 

 the cold of the north, and the heat of the fouth. But if 

 the north is the region of cold, and the fouth that of 

 heat, as our chronicler fuppofes, the equinoctial coun- 

 tries, according to his principles, would certainly be the 

 ben 1 calculated for human life, from being thofe which 

 are equidiftant from north and fouth. In the other he- 

 rn ifphere our author concludes, there were no dogs, alfes, 

 fheep, or goats, and no lemons, oranges, figs, nor quin- 

 ces, &c. 



Thefe, and other fuch abfurd notions of feveral au- 

 thors, are the effects of a blind and immoderate partiality 

 to their own country, which makes them afcribe to it 

 certain imaginary pre-eminences over all others in the 

 world. It would not be difficult to oppofe to their in- 

 vectives the great praifes which many very celebrated 

 Europeans, better informed than them, have bellowed 

 on thofe countries ; but befides that, it would be foreign 

 to our purpofe, it would be difguftful to our readers : 

 we lhall therefore content ourfelves with examining in 

 this Differtation that which has been written againft the 

 * land of America in general, or againft that of Mexico in 

 particular. 



SECT. 



