404 HISTORY OF MEXICO; 



The rites obferved by thofe nations were entirely 

 agreeable to the idea they had of their gods. Super- 

 flition was common to them all, but that of the Mexi- 

 cans was lefs, and not fo puerile ; this the companion of 

 their auguries will be fufficient to fhew. The Mexican 

 diviners obferved the figns or characters of the days con- 

 cerning marriages journeys, &c. as the European aftro- 

 logers obferved the pofition of the liars, to foretel from 

 thence the fortunes of men. Both of them were equal- 

 ly fearful of eclipfes and comets, as they fufpected them 

 the forerunners of great calamities. This fuperllition 

 has been common to all the people of the world. They 

 were alfo all afraid of the voice of the owl, or any other 

 fuch bird. Thefe and other fuch fuperftitions have been 

 general, and are (till common to the vulgar of the old 

 and new continents, even in the centre of mod: cultivat- 

 ed Europe. But all which we know of thofe Ameri- 

 can nations in this matter, is not to be compared with 

 that which we are told of the ancient Romans by their 

 poets and hiflorians. The works of Livy, Pliny, Vir- 

 gil, Suetonius, Valerius Maximus, and other judicious 

 authors, which cannot be read without fmiling, fhew us 

 to what excefs the childifli fuperllition of the Romans 

 arrived. No animal among the quadrupeds, reptiles and 

 birds was not employed to foretel future events. If a 

 bird flew towards the left hand, if the raven croaked, if 

 they heard the voice of the crow, if a moufe tafled ho- 

 ney, if a hare paiTed acrofs the road, all thofe incidents 

 were prognoftics of fome great calamity. Formerly 

 there was a luflration made of all Rome for no other 

 reafon than becaufe an owl entered the Capitol (/>). 



' Not 



(py Bubo funebris et maxime abominatus publlcis precipue aufpiciis . . . Capi- 

 tolii cqllam ipfam intravit.' Sex. Papellio Iftro L. Pedams Coff. propter quod 

 nonis Martiisurbs luftrata eft eo anno. Plin. Hill. Nat. lib. x. cap. 1%. 



