344 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



confidered ; that of the detign, and that of the cafting ; 

 fo that the fifti, of which we have made mention above, 

 might be ill formed as to figure, and yet wonderful and 

 furprifmg in that alternation in the fcales of gold and fil- 

 ver, done by cafl work. Sixthly and laflly, The judg- 

 ment of fome perfons entirely unknown upon thofefew 

 doubtfuHvorks which are in the royal cabinet of Madrid, 

 fliould not avail againfl the unanimous depofitions of all 

 ancient writers, who certainly faw innumerable labours 

 of this kind which were really Mexican. 



From what we have faid, it is manifefl that M. de Paw 

 has done the greatefl injuftice to the Mexicans, in be- 

 lieving them inferior in induftry and fagacity to the rud- 

 efl people of the old continent. Acofla, when he treats 

 of the induftry of the Peruvians fpeaks thus : " If thofe 

 cc men are beafls, let who will judge ; fince I am certain, 

 * c that in that to which they apply themfelves, they ex- 

 " eel us." This ingenuous confeiTion of a European of 

 fo much criticifm, fo much experience, and fo much im- 

 partiality, is certainly of more weight than the airy fpecu- 

 lations of any Pruffian philofopher, or all the reafoning 

 of a Scottifh hiflorian ; the one and the other ill inform- 

 ed in the affairs of America, or prejudiced againfl it. 

 But although we fhould grant to M. de Paw, that the 

 induflry of the Americans in the arts is inferior to that 

 of other people in the world, he can infer nothing from 

 them againfl the talents of the Americans, or the clime of 

 America : as it is certain and indubitable, that the in- 

 vention and progrefs of arts are generally more owing to 

 chance, avarice, and neceflity, than genius. The men 

 the mod induflrious are not always the mofl ingenious 

 in arts, but often the mofl neceflitous, or eager for gold, 

 are fo. The barrennefs of the earth, fays Montefquieu, 



makes 



