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Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. men fitting o!l:ride upon it, one upon each extremity of the beam. This feat was performed at Rome before pope Clement VII. and many Roman princes, by two Mcxic.ms fcnt over there by Cortes from Mexico, to the fingular hlti f:1Cl:ion of tbe fpt:Ctators. The cxcrcifes alfo which, in fome countries are .. callcd the powers of Hercules, were extremely common amongft them. One man began to dance; another, placed upright on his llwulders, accom p:1n icd him in his movements ; while a third, Handing upright upon the head of the fccond , danced aod difplayed other in frances of agility. They placed alfo a beam upon the fhoulders of two dancers, while a third danced upon the end of it. The firft Spaniards, who were witneftcs of thofc and other exhibitions of the Mexicans, were fo much afioni01ed at their agility, that they fufpected fome fupernatural power affifl:ed them, forgetting to make a due allowance for the progrefs of the human genius when affifl:cd by application and labour. Though games, da.nces, and mufic, conduced lefs to utility than pleafure, this was not the cafe with Hifiory and Painting; two arts, which ought not to be feparated in the hifiory of Mexico, as they had n0 other hifl:orians than their p:1inters, nor any other writings than their paintings to commemorate the events of the nation ~ The Toltecas were the firft people of the new world who emp1oyed the art of painting for the ends of hifl:ory; at leaft we know of no other nation which did [o before them. The fame practice prevailed, from t ime imq1emorial, an~ong the Acolhuas, the fcven Aztecan tribes, and among all the poli!hcd nations of Anahuac.. The Chechcmecas and the Otomies .weFe taught it by the Acolh.u:.1.s and the Toltecas.._ when they deferted their fuvage life. Among the paintings of the Mexicans, and all thofe nations, there. were many which were n:ere pot:traits or images of their gods, their kings, th<.ir heroes, their aninuls, and their plants. \Vith thefe the. royal pal ces of Mexico and Tezcuco both abounded. Others were hifiorical, containing an account of particular events, fuch as are the. firfi thirteen paintings of the collection of Mendoza, and that of the journey of the Aztc~as, which appears in the work of the traveller Gemelli. Others were mythologica l, containing the myfteries of their religion. Of this kind is the volume which is preferved in the great librarY' 405 BOOK VII. ~ SecT. XLVII. Different kinds ofMcx.! can pai.nt.wgs. ... |