HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



65 



travagance of their horrible fuperftition, as the number 

 of their feftivals, and the rites which were obferved at 

 them ; in order the better to underftand this fubje£t, 

 it is neceffary to attend to their mode of dividing 

 time, and the method which they adopted to meafure 

 days, months, years, and centuries as already ftated. 

 What we have communicated on this head has been 

 carefully inveftigated and certified by intelligent men, 

 who are worthy of the utmofl: credit, who have applied 

 with the utmofl: affiduity to this fludy, and who have di- 

 ligently examined the ancient paintings, and obtained in- 

 formation from the befl inftru&ed perfons among the 

 Mexicans and Acolhuans. We are particularly indebted 

 to the religious miffionaries Motolinia and Sahagun, from 

 whofe writings Torquemada has taken aM that is valua- 

 ble in his work, and to the very learned Mexican, D. 

 Carlo Siguenza, whofe opinions we have found to be 

 juft and accurate by the examination which we have 

 made of feveral Mexican paintings, in which months, 

 years, and centuries, are diftin&ly reprefented by their 

 proper figures. 



Boturini affirms, that a hundred and more years be- 

 fore the Chriftian era, the Toltecas adjufted their ca- 

 lendar, by adding one day every four years, and that 

 they continued to do fo for feveral centuries, until the 

 Mexicans eftabliftied the method we have mentioned : 

 that the caufe of the new method was, that two fefti- 

 vals concurred upon the fame day ; the one the move- 

 able feftival of Tezcatiipoca, the other that of Huitzilo- 

 pochtli, which was fixed ; and that the Colhuan nation 

 had celebrated the latter, and pafTed over the former ; 

 upon which Tezcatiipoca in anger predicted, that the 

 monarchy of Colhuacan would foon be dhTolved j that 



Vol. II. I the 



