HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



67 



The diftribution of the figns or characters, both of 

 days and years, ferved the Mexicans as fuperftitious 

 prognoftics, according to which they predicted the good 

 or bad fortune of infants from the fign under which 

 they were born ; and the happinefs or misfortune of 

 marriages, the fuccefs of wars, and of every other thing 

 from the day on which they were undertaken or put in 

 execution ; and on this account alfo they confidered not 

 only the peculiar character of every day and year, but 

 likewife the ruling character of every period of days or 

 years ; for the firft lign or character of every period, was 

 the ruling fign through the whole of it. Of merchants 

 we find, that whenever they wifhed to undertake any 

 journey, they endeavoured to begin it on fome day of 

 that period, during which the fign Coatl (ferpent) ruled, 

 and then they promifed themfelves much fuccefs in their 

 commerce. Thofe perfons who were born under the 

 fign £>uauhtli (eagle), were fufpe&ed to prove mockers 

 and flanderers, if they were males ; if females, loquaci- 

 ous and impudent. The concurrence of the year with 

 the day of the Rabbit was efteemed the mod fortunate 

 feafon. 



To reprefent a month they painted a circle or wheel, 

 divided into twenty figures fignifying twenty days, as 

 appears in the plate we have given, which is a copy 

 from one publiflied by Valades, in his Rettorica Cristi- 

 ana^ and the only one hitherto publiflied. To reprefent 

 the year they painted another, which they divided into 

 eighteen figures of the eighteen months, and frequently 

 painted within the wheel the image of the moon. The 

 reprefentation which we have given of this image, was 

 taken from that publiflied by Gemelli, which was a copy 

 from an ancient painting in the poffefiion of Dr. Si- 



guenza. 



