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ANCIENT MEXICO. 



The well-known and extraordinary Expedition of Cortez, three cen- 

 turies ago — an expedition in which true History equalled the wildest 

 fictions of Romance — brought an ancient and mighty empire under 

 subjection to a band of desperate adventurers. Aided by those terrible 

 engines which imitated the thunder of the Gods, and were infinitely 

 more destructive ; united with those dreadful animals which appalled 

 the Aborigines beyond what was ever fabled of Centaur ; bound 

 together by an Iron discipline, and incited by every passion which can 

 inflame the human heart, Cortez and his associates annihilated the race 

 of Montezuma, overthrew the throne of Mexico, and established in the 

 richest portion of the new world the delegated dominion of an Eu- 

 ropean nation. 



The story of this wonderful enterprise may be thus briefly told : — 



The Spanish soldiers arrived at Vera Cruz, where they were soon 

 greeted by Ambassadors sent from the Emperor of Mexico. These 

 Ambassadors were accompanied by painters, or rather draughtsmen, 

 whose office it was to delineate and describe the Strangers, that from 

 their pictured report the Government might learn how to act on so 

 great an emergency. 



The jealous policy of Old Spain has so uniformly, so rigorously, 

 and so successfully prevented Europe from acquiring correct in- 

 formation on the subject of Mexico, its condition, and antiquities, 

 that it is not to be wondered that Mexican history should have 

 remained in utter doubt and darkness. The ravages and desolation 

 of the wars carried on by Cortez, and the subsequent zeal for 

 religious proselytism, completed the work which the government 

 at home had begun. By the one scourge, the Capital and other 

 populous Cities were reduced to ruins ; while, by the other, Temples 

 were cast down, Idols broken to pieces or buried, and all the memorials 

 of former ages diligently obliterated. Yet from the wreck thus made, 

 this Catalogue will show that much has been saved ; and, owing to the 

 happy opportunity which the recent revolution afforded, a very interest- 

 ing Collection has been formed for the observation of the British public. 



In directing attention to these objects, farther than a mere enume- 



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