149 
T 
which they were menaced, on the first discovery 
of America, by monkish fanaticism, and the 
stupid carelessness of the first conquerors^. An 
antiquary who has made deep researches on the 
arts, the mythology, and the domestic life of the 
Greeks and Romans, Mr. Boettiger, gave me 
information of the Codex Mexicanus in the royal 
library at Dresden. He has spoken of it lately 
♦ 
in a work, which displays the most extensive 
ideas concerning the paintings of the barbarous 
nations, as well as those of the Hindoos, the 
Persians, the Chinese, the Egyptians, and the 
Greeks-f". I am indebted to the friendship of 
this distinguished gentleman, and to the kind 
ness of Count Marcolini, for the copy of the 
fragment contained in the 45th plate. 
This Azteck manuscript, as Mr. Boettiger as- 
sured me, was purchased at Vienna, by the li- 
brarian, Goetze:}:, in his Literary Journey to 
Italy, in 1739. It is on paper made of metl 
(agave mexicana), like those I brought from 
New Spain ; and forms a tabella plicatilis^ nearly 
six metres in length, containing forty leaves, 
covered with paintings on both sides. Each 
pagn is 0*295 met. (seven inches three lines) 
* Vol. xiii, p. 178. 
t Boettiger, Jdeen zur Archseologie der Malerei, tom. i, 
p. 17 — 21 . 
X Gcetze, Denkwuerdigkeiten der Dresdner Bibiiotliek, 
erste Sammlung, 1744, p. 4. 
VOL. XIV. L 
