HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



Ill 



BOOK VII. 



The political and military Government of the Mexicans , that 

 is, the Kings, Lords, Eleclors, Ambaffadors, Dignities, 

 and Magistrates ; the Judges, Laws, and Punijhments ; 

 the Military Force ; Agriculture, Chace, Fijhing, and 

 Commerce ; the Games ; the Drefs, Food, and Houfehold 

 Furniture ; the Language, Poetry, Mujic, and Danc- 

 ing; Medicine, History, and Painting; Sculpture, 

 Mofaic Works, and Casting of Metals ; Architecfure 9 

 and other Arts of that Nation. 



IN the public as well as private ceconomy of the Mexi- 

 cans, the traces which remain of their political dis- 

 cernment, of their zeal for juftice, and love of the public 

 good, would meet with little credit, were they not con- 

 firmed both by the evidence of their paintings, and the 

 atteftations of many faithful and impartial authors, who 

 were eye-witnefTes of a great part of that which they 

 have written. Thofe who are weak enough to imagine 

 they can know the ancient Mexicans in their defendants, 

 or from the nations of Canada and Louiliana, will be 

 apt to confider the account we are to give of their refine- 

 ment, their laws, and their arts, as fables invented by the 

 Spaniards. But that we may not violate the laws of 

 hiftory, nor the fidelity due to the public, we {hail can- 

 didly fet forth all that which we have found to be au- 

 thentic, without any apprehenfion of cenrbre. 



The education of youth, which is the chief fupport of 

 a ftate, and which bed unfolds the character of every 

 nation, was amongft the Mexicans of fo judicious a nature 



as 



