viii 



translator's preface. 



the new world, and other difadvantages attending the 

 lituation of a writer at a diftance from that continent, 

 unacquainted with its languages, productions, or people, 

 perhaps, have made him diffident of entering into very- 

 minute details, or of dwelling upon grounds where he 

 was uncertain of being accurate, and induced him, rather 

 than offer conje£i:ures which might not have reached the 

 truth refpe£i:ing that country and its inhabitants, to ad- 

 here to records more authentic concerning the difcover- 

 ers of it. 



This conduCl, however prudent, has left the American 

 fide of the pi(5lure flill greatly in the dark. The Abbe 

 Raynal and M. de Paw have not contributed much to 

 remedy this defe6l. The hiftory of Mexico, by the 

 Abbe Clavigero, a native of Vera Cruz, who refided 

 near forty years in the provinces of New Spain, examined 

 its natural produce, acquired the language of the Mexi- 

 cans and other nations, gathered many of their traditions, 

 ftudied their hiftorical paintings, and other monuments 

 of antiquity, it is prefumed, has fupplied their deficien- 

 cies. The tranflator, therefore, hopes the prefent work 

 which contains all the valuable matter of other authors, 

 befides many important particulars never before publilh- 

 cd, will prove acceptable to the public. 



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