HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



319 



paintings, fay, that among the different modes practifed 

 by the Mexicans to reprefent objects, that of hierogly- 

 phics was one, and that of fymbolical pictures another. 

 The fame point is attefted by Acofta and Gomara, in 

 their hiftories ; by Eguiara, in the learned preface to the 

 Mexicana Bibliotheca ; and by thofe learned Spaniards 

 who publiftied, with new additions, the work of Garcia 

 on the Origin of the Indians. Kircher was ftrongly refut- 

 ed by Siguenza in his work entitled Theatre of Political 

 Virtues. It is certain that Kircher contradicts himfelf 

 openly ; for in the firft volume of the Oedipus Egyptia- 

 cus, where he compares the religion of the Mexicans 

 with that of the Egyptians, he freely confelfes that the 

 parts of which the image of the god Huitzilopochtli was 

 compofed, had many fecret and myfterious fignifications. 

 Acofta, whofe hiftory is juftly efteemed by M. de Paw, 

 in the defcription which he gives of that image, fays, 

 " all this ornament which we have mentioned, and the 

 " reft, which was confiderable likewife, had its particu- 

 " lar fignifications, according to what the Mexicans de- 

 <f clared :" and in the defcription of the idol of Tezcat- 

 lipoca expreffes himfelf in thefe terms : " His hair was 

 " tied with a golden cord, from the extremity of which 

 " hung an ear-ring of the fame metal, with clouds of 

 " fmoke painted upon it, which fignified the prayers of 

 " the afflicted and finners, who were liftened to by that 

 66 god when they recommended themfelves to him. In 

 " his left hand he had a fan of gold, adorned with beau- 

 " tiful green, blue, and yellow feathers, fo bright that 

 <f it feemed a mirrour ; by which they intimated, that 

 " in that mirrour he faw every thing which happened in 

 " the world. In his right hand he had four arrows to 

 " fignify the punilhment he gave to criminals for their 



"mifdeeds." 



