ANCIENT HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



XXV 



printed in Madrid, in 1729, in folio, is a work of vaft 

 erudition, but almofl totally ufelefs, as it gives little or no 

 afliftance in difcovering truth ; the foundation for the 

 opinions which he maintains concerning the origin of 

 the Americans, are, for the moft part, weak conjectures 

 founded on the refemblance between fome of their cuftoms 

 and words, and thofe of other nations. 



Juan de Torquemada, a Francifcan Spaniard. The 

 Hiftory of Mexico, written by him under the title of the 

 Indian Monarchy, printed in Madrid about 1 614, in three 

 great volumes in folio, is, without queftion, the moft com- 

 plete in refpeft to the antiquity of Mexico of any hitherto 

 publiflied. The author refided in Mexico from his youth 

 to his death ; knew the Mexican language well, converfed 

 with the Mexicans for upwards of fifty years, collected a 

 great number of ancient pictures and excellent manu- 

 fcripts, and laboured at his work more than twenty years ; 

 but in fpite of his diligence, and fuch advantages, he fre- 

 quently betrays want of memory, of critical /Idll, and 

 good tafte ; and in his hiftory there appear many grofs 

 contradictions, particularly in chronology, feveral childifti 

 recitals, and a great deal of fuperfluous learning, on which 

 account it requires confiderable patience to read it ; never- 

 thelefs, there being many things of curiofity and value 

 in it, which would be fought for in vain in other authors, 

 I was under the neceffity to do with this hiftory what 

 Virgil did with the works of Ennius, to fearch for the 

 gems amongft the rubbilh. 



Arrias Villalobos, a Spaniard. His Hidory of Mexico 

 carried on from the foundation of the capital, to the 

 year 1623, written in verfe, and printed there in the 

 above year, is a work of little value. 



Chriftoval Chaves Caftillejo, a Spaniard. He wrote. 

 Vol. I. d about 



