HISTORY OF MEXICO. 34S 



tan ; fecondly, That neither do we know whether thofe 

 perfons in whofe judgment he could confide, may be per- 

 fons fit to merit our faith : becaufe we have obferved that 

 Robertfon trufls frequently to the teflimony of Gages, 

 Corral, Ibagnez, and other fuch authors, who are en- 

 tirely undeferving of credit. Poffibly thofe perfons who 

 gave their judgment of fuch labours had their imagina- 

 tions heated alfo ; as it is eafier, according to the flate 

 of our degenerate nature, to feel the imagination heated 

 againft a nation than in favour of it. Thirdly, It is more 

 probable that thofe arms of copper, believed by intelli- 

 gent judges to be certainly oriental, are really Mexican, 

 becaufe we are certain, from the teflimony of all the 

 writers of Mexico, that thofe nations ufed fuch plates of 

 copper in war, and that they covered their breads, their 

 arms, and thighs with them, to defend themfelves from 

 arrows ; whereas we do not know that fuch were ever 

 in ufe among the inhabitants of the Philippine ifles («) 

 or among any other people who had commerce with 

 them. The dragons reprefented in thofe arms, inftead 

 of confirming, as Robertfon thinks, the opinion of thofe 

 who think them oriental, rather ftrengthen our opinion, 

 becaufe there never was any nation in the world which 

 ufed the images of terrible animals on their arms fo much 

 as the Mexicans. Nor is it matter of wonder that they 

 had an idea of dragons while they had ideas of griffins, 

 as Gomara attefts (o\ Fifthly, That although the im- 

 ages formed in thefe works of gold and filver are rude, 

 they might ftill be excellent, wonderful, and inimitable ; 

 becaufe in thofe works two diftincl: points ought to be 



confldered ; 



(«) Dr. Robertfon fays, that the Spaniards had thofe arm* poffibly from the 

 Philippine ifles. 

 (•) Chronicle of New Spain, chap. xxi. 



