HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



217 



and among all the poliflied nations of Anahuac. The 

 Chechemecas and the Otomies were taught it by the 

 Acolhuas and the Toltecas, when they deferted their 

 favage life. 



Among the paintings of the Mexicans, and all thofe 

 nations, there were many which were mere portraits or 

 images of their gods, their kings, their heroes, their 

 animals, and their plants. With thefe the royal palaces 

 of Mexico and Tezcuco both abounded. Others were 

 hiftorical, containing an account of particular events, 

 fuch as are the firfl thirteen paintings of the collection of 

 Mendoza, and that of the journey of the Aztecas, which 

 appears in the work of the traveller Gemelli. Others 

 were mythological, containing the myfteries of their re- 

 ligion. Of this kind is the volume which is preferved 

 in the great library of the order of Bologna. Others 

 were codes, in which were compiled their laws, their rites, 

 their cuftoms, their taxes, or tributes ; and fuch are all 

 thofe of the above mentioned collection of Mendoza, 

 from the fourteenth to the fixty-third. Others were 

 chronological, agronomical, or aftrological, in which was 

 reprefented their calendar, the pofition of the liars, the 

 changes of the moon, eclipfes, and prognoftications of the 

 variations of the weather. This kind of painting was 

 called by them TonalamatL Siguenza makes men- 

 tion (/) of a painting reprefenting fuch like prognoflica- 

 tions which he inferted in his Ciclographia Mexicana. 

 Acofta relates cc that in the province of Yucatan, there 

 " were certain volumes, bound up according to their 

 " manner, in which the wife Indians had marked the 

 p diftribution of their feafons, the knowledge of the plan- 

 <c ets, of animals, and other natural productions, and alfo 

 Vol. II. E e " their 



(t) In his work entitled, Libra Ajironomica, printed in Mexico. 



