Conquest of Mexico
either in feature or form, to the Mexican. They are surmounted by a short of headgear, which looks something like a modern peruke. On the chin of one we may notice a beard, a sign often used after the Conquest, to denote a European. Many of the persons are sitting cross-legged. The profiles of the faces, and the whole contour of the limbs, are sketched with a spirit and freedom very unlike the hard angular outlines of the Aztecs. The characters also are delicately traced, generally in an irregular, but circular form, and are very minute. They are arranged, like the Egyptian, both horizontally and perpendicularly, mostly in the former manner, and, from the prevalent direction of the profiles, would seem to have been read from right to left. Whether phonetic or ideographic, they are of that compact and purely conventional sort which belongs to a well-digested system for the communication of thought. One cannot but regret that no trace should exist of the quarter whence this MS. was obtained; perhaps some part of Central America; from the region of the mysterious races who built the monuments of Mitla and Palenque. Though in truth, there seems scarcely more resemblance in the symbols to the Palenque bas-reliefs than to the Aztec paintings.
Page 62 (5).—There are three of these: the Mendoza Codex ; the Telleriano-Remensis, formerly the property of Archbishop Tellier, in the Royal Library of Paris; and the Vatican MS., No. 3738. The interpretation of the last bears evident marks of its recent origin; probably as late as the close of the sixteenth, or the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the ancient hieroglyphics were read with the eye of faith, rather than of reason. Whoever was the commentator (comp. Vues des Cordillères, pp. 203, 204; and Antiq. of Mexico, vol. vi., pp. 155, 222), he has given such an exposition as shows the old Aztecs to have been as orthodox Christians as any subjects of the Pope.
Page 62 (6).—The total number of Egyptian hieroglyphics discovered by Champollion amounts to 864; and of these 130 only are phonetic, notwithstanding that this kind of character is used far more frequently than both the others. — Précis p. 263; also Spineto, Lectures, lect. 3.
Page 62 (7).—Ixtlilxochitl, Hist. Chich., MS., Dedic. — Boturini, who travelled through every part of the country, in the middle of the last century, could not meet with an individual who could afford him the least clue to the Aztec hieroglyphics. So completely had every vestige of their ancient language been swept away from the memory of the natives. (Idea, p. 116.) If we are to believe Bustamente, however, a complete key to the whole system is, at this moment, some-where in Spain. It was carried home at the time of the process against Father Myer, in 1795. The name of the Mexican Champollion who discovered it is Borunda. — Gama, Descripcion, tom. ii. p. 33, nota.
Page 63 (1).—Teoamoxtli, "the divine book," as it was called. According to Ixtlixochitl, it was composed by a Tezcucan doctor, named Huematzin, towards the close of the seventh century — (Relaciones, MS.). It gave an account of the migrations of his nation from Asia, of the various stations on their journey, of their social and religious institutions, their science, arts, etc., etc., good deal too much for one book. Ignotum pro magnifico. It has never been seen by a European. A copy is said to have been in possession of the Tezcucan chroniclers, on the taking of their capital. — (Bustamente, Crónica Mexicana [Mexico, 1822], carta 3.) Lord Kingsborough, who can scent out a Hebrew root, be it buried never so deep, has discovered that the Teoamotli was the Pentateuch. Thus,—Teo means "divine," amotl "paper," or "book," and moxtli "appears to be Moses,"—"Divine book of Moses!"—Antiq. of Mexico, vol. vi. p. 204, nota.
Page 63 (2).—Boturini, Idea, pp. 90-97.—Clavigero, Stor. del Messico, tom. ii. pp. 174-178.
Page 63 (3).—See some account of these mummeries in Acosta (lib. 5, cap. 30),—also Clavigero (Stor. del Messico, ubi supra). Stone models of masks are sometimes found among the Indian ruins, and engravings of them are both in Lord Kingsborough's works, and in the Antiquités Mexicaines.
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