Misc. Subjects. CXXIX. Fol FL No, gì. 



VIEW OF THE GREAT' S:QUARE ' OF THE CITY 

 OF MEXICO IN .AMERICA. 



%n the place of the present city of Mexico, 

 which has been built hy the Spaniards after 

 the conquest of that country of the new 

 world , anciently was situated the city of 

 Tenochtitlan , the residence of proper kings 

 of the ancient inhabitants. This city having 

 been taken by the Spaniards and wholly 

 destroyed, after a persévérant siege in 1521, 

 Cortez ,, the leader of the Spanish army, 

 ordered a new city of Mexico to be founded 

 after the european fashion , which contains 

 about 140,000 inhabitants , not being infe- 

 rior to any one of the most celebrated cities 

 of Europe. 



We behold here represented the great 

 square (la plaza major) where in former 

 times stood the great temple of Mexitili, 



or the God of war of the primitive! inhabi- 

 tants of America afterwards thus called. 



Now-a-days this place is adorned with 

 the magnificent equestrian statue of Char- 

 les IV. , King of Spain, constructed of metal 

 by the celebrated Spanish artist Don Manuel 

 Dolsa, and reared in Mexico in 1203. The 

 place round the statue is paved with free- 

 stones of porphyry, surrounded by a balu- 

 strade and locked up with four gates. Be- 

 hind the principal place in the center of 

 our figure we behold the stately cathedral 

 church (2), part of which (3) is entirely 

 built in the moresk style. On the left of 

 the cathedral church we view the palace 

 simply built, which is the seat of the Vice- 

 roy of- new Spain.- 



