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Show BOOK Vll. ~ H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. Tczcn 0 , and other buildings which cfcnped the fury of the conquerors, and alfo from feveral paintings . Cornices, and other ornaments of architeB:nre, -..vcre likewife in ute among them. They took great delight in makin (r ornaments of fionc, which had the appearances of iiHtrcs , bout their doors and windows, and in fome buildings there was a large f ·rpent made of !tone in the aCt of biting his tail, after having twifted his body through all th e windows of the houfe. The walls of their buildings were upright and perpend icular; they mull: have made u{e of the plummit, or iome other inll:rument of. its nature,_ although owing to the negligence of hiftorians, we are sgnomnt of t:le tool · which they employed in building, as well as many other tlungs belonging to this and other arts. Some are of opinion, th:1t the Mexican mafons in builJing walls, filled them up with earth on both fides, and that as the wall was raifed, they raifed likewife the heaps of earth {o high, that, until the building w.1s completed, the walls remained entirely buried and unf<.:cn; on which accoun t the mafons had no occafion for planks or fcaffolding. Bu t although this mode of bu\]Jing may app ar to have been in praCtice among the Miztecas, and other nations of the Mexican empire, we do not believe that the Mexicans ever adopted it, from the great expedition with which they fi.ni!hed their buildings . 1 heir columns were cylindrical, or fquare; but we cannot fay whether thc..:y had either bafes or capitals. They endeavoured at nothing more anxiouOy than to make them of one fin gJe piece, adorning them frequently with figures in baflo relievo. The found<ltions of the brge houfes of the capital were laid upon a floor of brge beams of cedar ~xed in the earth, on accoun t of the want of folidity in the foil, which example the Spaniards have imitated. The roofs of fuch honfes were made of cedar, of fir, of cyprefs, of pine, 'or of ojametl; the colnmns were of common none ; but in the royal palaces they were of marble, and Jome even of alabafter, which many Spaniards mifl:ook for jafper. Before the reign of Ahuitzotl, the walls of houfes were built of common fione; but as Lhey difcovered in the erery moment to fcc the arch fall. But if they were fei1.cd wirh :rny fuch app rchcnlion, it was cnmi11 ly not occ:dioncd hy feeing the ar~lr, whid1 wa> in uf"e nmong th c111t"clvcs, but pofii bly fro111 feeing the fcaflohling taken awny qltid·ly, or fume other cit·ctun t1 ~ncc which cxcit ct.l their admiration. time II I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. time of that king the quarries of the fl:one Tetzontli, upon the banks of the M exican lake, it was afterw::u·ds preferred as the moft fit for the bnildings cf the capital, it being hard, light, and porom like a fpunge: on which account lime adheres very firmly to it. For thefe proper · and its colour, which .is a blooJ red, it is at prefent valqcd above any other fl:ont; itll' buildings. The pavements of their courts anct temples were in general of the ftone of Tenajoccan ; but fome alfo were chequered with marble and other precious fl.ones. Although the Mexicans are not to be compared with the Europear:s in regard to ta!l:e in architecture, yet the Spaniards were fo fl:ruck with admiration and furprize on feeing the royal palaces of Mexico, thJt Cortes, in his firft letter to Charles V. unable to find words te~ de.fcribe them, fpeaks thus: " He had," he fays, fp aking of Montezuma, " bdides thofe in the c.ity of Mexico, other fuch admirable houfes " for his habitation, that I do not bclie\'e l 01all ever be able to exprets " their excellence and grandeur ; therefore l n1all only Gty that there are "no equals to them in Spain." Such expreilions arc made ufe of hy Cortes in other parts of his letters ; by the anonymous conqueror i11 his valuable rela tion, and by Bernal Diaz in his moll faithful hitl::ory, who were all three prefent at the conquefl:. The Mexicans nlfo confl:rutl:ed, for the convenience of inhabited places, fevr-ral excellent aquenuCt:s. Thoie of the capital for conducting the water from Chapoltepec, which was two miles difbnt, were two in number, made of fionc and cement five feet h igh, and two paces broad upon a road raifed for that purpofe upon the lake, by which the water was broltght to the entrance of the city, and from thence it branched out through fmallcr chan nels to fupply fcvcral fountains, and particular! y tho!e of the royal palaces . A I thoush there were two aq u - duets, the water was on ly brought by one at a tim e, as in the inter·val they cle:1red the other that they might always 1 ave the water pure. At Tezcut~illco, formerly a palace of plcafl.ll'e of the kings of Tez-uco, may ll:ill be fe n an aqneJucl: by which water w.ts conveyed to the royal gardens . T he above mentioned road of Chapoltcpec, as well as others made upon the lake, and frequently taken notice of in this hiflory, are in-· contefl:ible proofs of the indu.fl:ry of the Mexicans; bnt it is il:ill Ii h h z mon.: • 4I9 BOOK VII. 1.~ S ECT . LlV. Ag llCUllflS and wa~·s l1 P· 011 the h k<·. |