336 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



" lefs rafli or more difcerning than Solis, fays, that com- 

 " puting feven chapels, there were not more than eight 

 " places deilined for the repofitories of the idols of Mex- 

 " ico." In order to fhew the unfaithfulnefs of M. de 

 Paw in citing authors, we mail infert the pafTage from 

 Gomara to which he alludes. " There were," fays Go- 

 mara, in chapter eighty of his Chronicle of New Spain, 

 " many temples in the city of Mexico, fcattered through 

 <c the different diftri&s, that had their towers, in which 

 " were the chapels and altars for the repofitories of the 

 u idols — They had almoft all the fame form, fo that 

 " what we mail fay of the principal temple will fuffice 

 " to explain all the others." And after making a mi- 

 nute defcription of that great temple, of which he boafts 

 the height, largenefs, and beauty, he adds, " Befides 

 " thofe towers, which were formed with their chapels 

 <c above the pyramid, there were more than forty other 

 " towers, great and fmall, in other fmaller Teocalli 

 i( which were within the inclofure of that principal tem- 

 u pie, all of which were the fame in form . . . There 

 " were other Teocalli or Cues in other places of the city 

 66 . . . Ail thofe temples had houfes belonging to them, 

 " their priefts, and their gods, together with every thing 

 cc neceifary for their worfhip and fervice." So that Go- 

 mara, who, according to M. de Paw, does not enume- 

 rate in Mexico more than eight places deftined for the 

 repofitories of the idols, including feven chapels, reckons 

 clearly more than forty temples within the inclofure of 

 the principal temple, befides many others fcattered 

 through the other diftricls of the city. Can we give 

 any faith to M. de Paw after fo manifeft a falfification ? 



It 



(i) Teocalli, the houfe of God, was the name which the Mexicans gave to 

 their temple. 



