HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



355 



and attended zealoufly to the obfervance of them. Even 

 in the reign of Montezuma II. who was the only truly 

 defpotic king, the magiftrates governed according to the 

 laws, and Montezuma himfelf puniftied tranfgreflbrs fe- 

 verely ; and abufed his power only in things which ferv- 

 €d to increafe his wealth and his authority. 



Thofe laws were never written, but they were perpe- 

 tuated in the memories of men, not only by tradition but 

 alfo by paintings. No fubjecl: was ignorant of them, be- 

 caufe fathers of families did not fail to inftrucl: their chil- 

 dren in them, that they might avoid tranfgreflion, and 

 efcape puniftiment. The copies of the paintings of the 

 laws were unqueftionably infinite in number, becaufe, 

 although they underwent a furious perfecution from the 

 Spaniards, we have feen many of them. The under- 

 standing of thofe paintings is not difficult to any perfon, 

 who has a knowledge of the manner in which the Mexi- 

 cans ufually reprefented things^ the characlers which they 

 made ufe of, and their language ; but to M. de Paw 

 they would be as unintelligible as thofe of the Chinefe 

 expreffed in the proper characlers of that nation. Be- 

 fides, after theconqueft many intelligent Mexicans wrote 

 in European characlers the laws of Mexico, Acolhuacan, 

 Tezcuco, Michuacan, &€; ; amongft others, D. {F. de 

 Alba Ixtlilxochitl, wrote in Spanifli the eighty laws for- 

 merly publiflied by his anceftor king Nezahualcojotl, as 

 we have already mentioned. The Spaniards afterwards 

 inveftigated the laws of thofe nations with more diligence 

 than any other part of their hiftory, becaufe the know- 

 ledge of them was effentially requifite to the chriftian 

 government civil and ecclefiaftical ; particularly in refpecl: 

 to marriages, the privileges of the nobility, the condi* 

 tions of vaffalage, and of Haves. They gained informa- 

 tion 



