and by a similar representation ; the three chil- 
dren called to celebrate the births, added to three 
flowers, forming the character of the celebration 
of the day of birth, which is represented also by 
the rising of theSun^. The whole of tiie details of 
this picture, or of this table of the Mexican laws, 
recalls to mind the baptism of the proselytes 
from Judaism in the presence of three witnesses; 
and the a[xCpid^o(jiix of the Greeks, in which the 
infant, on the fifth day from its birth, was devot- 
ed to the gods, and obtained a name, after expia- 
tory ceremonies. The law ordains moreover in 
this first division, that parents should present the 
child in the cradle before the high priest, and the 
master that taught the use of weapons, and 
should consider its future destination : his educa- 
tion is prescribed by the paintings on the follow- 
ing tables, which exhibit the verbal instruction, 
and indicate the allowance of the half cake and 
whole cake, by the hermetic mark of seven 
which parents are allowed to give their children 
from three to four years old. The numbers of 
years are marked by circles, as in the hierogly- 
phics, and in the language of the Romans. At 
five years of age the boy carries loads, and the 
girl attends her mother spinning. At six, the 
girl spins herself, and is allowed like the boy a 
* Analyse de i’lnsc. de Rosette;, p. 145. 
4 PI. 59, Fig. 2. 
