HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



317 



SECT. IV. 



On the Want of Letters. 



NO nation in America knew the art of writing, if by 

 it we are to underftand the art of exprefling on paper, 

 on ikins, on cloths, or on fome other fimilar fubftance, 

 any fort of words by the different combinations of cer- 

 tain characters : but if the art of writing is taken for that 

 of reprefenting and explaining any fubject to abfent per- 

 fons, or pofterity, by means of figures, hieroglyphics, and 

 characters, it is certain that fuch an art was known and 

 much ufed by the Mexicans, the Acolhuas, the Tlafca- 

 lans, and all the other polifhed nations of Anahuac. The 

 count de BufFon, in order to demonftrate that America 

 was a country entirely new, and the people who inha- 

 bited it alfo new, has alleged, as we have already faid 

 elfewhere, that even the nations who lived in focieties 

 were ignorant of the art of tranfmitting their events to 

 pofterity by means of durable figns, although they had 

 found the art of communicating together at a di fiance, 

 and of writing by making knots on cords. But this 

 fame art which they made ufe of to treat with thofe who 

 were abfent could not ferve alfo to fpeak to pofterity. 

 What were the hiftorical paintings of the Mexicans but 

 durable figns to tranfmit to pofterity the memory of 

 events to diftant places and diftant ages ? The count de 

 BufFon fhews himfelf truly as ignorant of the hiftory of 

 Mexico as he is acquainted with the hiftory of nature. 

 M. de Paw, although he grants that art to the Mexicans 

 which the count de BufFon unjuftly denies them, makes, 

 however, feveral remarks to depreciate it ; and among 

 others fome fo fingular we muft mention them. 



He 



