AN 



ACCOUNT 



OF THE 



WRITERS 



ON THE 



ANCIENT HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



In the SixteentJf Century, 



FERDINAND CORTES. The four very long let- 

 ters written by this famous conqueror to his fover- 

 eign, Charles the fifth, containing an account of the Con- 

 queft, and many valuable particulars refpe£ling Mexico, 

 and the Mexicans, were publiflied in Spanifli, in Latin, in 

 the Tufcan, and other languages ; the firft: of thefe letters 

 was printed in Seville in 1522 ; they are all well written, 

 and difcover both modefly and fincerity in the relation j 

 as he has neither made a boafl: of his own actions, nor 

 thrown obfcurity on thofe of others. If he had had the 

 rafhnefs to deceive his king^ his enemies who prefented 

 fo many complaints at court againft him, would not have 

 failed to reproach him with fuch a crime. 



Bernal Diaz del Caftillo, a foldier and conqueror ; A 

 True History of the Conquest of New Spain^ written by 

 him, was printed in Madrid in 1632, in one volume, 

 folio. Notwithftanding the mifcarriage of his undertak- 

 ing, and the coarfenefs of the flyle, this hiftory has been 

 much efteeraed for the Cmplicity and fincerity of its 



author. 



