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Show 412 'BOOK VII. ~ S Ec T. L. Sc ul~ture . I H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. hifiories are frill preferved in fome libraries of Mexico, as we have a}. rea~y mentioned. . . The Mexicans were more fuccef!ful m fculptut·e, m the art of caft-ing metals and mofaic works, than in painting. Th.ey exprefled the images of their heroes, and of the works of nature m fton e, wood, gold, fil ver, and feathers, better than on paper, ei.t~ e r becaufe the ' greater difliculty of thofe labours il:imuhted greater dthgcnce and ex~rtlons, or becaufe the high eil:eem in which they were held among that people, excited genius and encouraged it~dufiry. . Sculpture was one of the arts exerctfed by the ancient Toltecas. Until the time of the conqueil: ftveral fiatues of ftone were preferved which had been cut by the artifl:s of that nation; in particular the tdo·l of Tlaloc, placed upon the mountain of the fim1e name, which was [(} much revered and wortl1ipped by the Chechemecas and Acolhuas, and the gigantic fl:atues ereCted in the celebrated temples of Teotihuacarr. The Mexicans had fculptors among them when they left their native country Aztlan, for we know that they had at that time formed the idol of Huitzilopochtli, which they carried along with them in their long peregrination. The ufual materials of their il:atues were fl:one and wood. They wrought the ftone without iron, fteel, or any other infl:rument than a chiJTel made of flint il:one. Their unparalleled phlegmatic nature and conftancy in labour, were both nece!fary to overcome the di fficulty, and endure the tedioufnefs of fuch labours ; and they fucceeded in fpite of the unfitnefs of their inftruments. They learned to exprefs in theili fiatues all th~ attitudes and poll:ures of which the human body is ca ·pabie; they obferved the proportions exaCtly, and could, when necef' fary, execute the mofi: delicate and minute il:rokes with the chiflel. They not only made entire ftatues, but likewife cut out in fione, figures in baffo relieve, of which kind are thofe o.fl\1ontl'zuma H. and one of his fons, recorded with prai.fes by Acofta. They alfo made ftatues of clay and wood, employing for thefc a chiffel of copper. The furprif.:. ing number of their ftatues may be imagined from that of their idols-, which we mentioned in the preceding book. In th is refpett we have· alfe; to lament the furious zeal of 'the firft biiliup of Mexico, and the firil: preachers of the gofpel; who, i11 order to remove from the figh t of H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. of their converts all incentives to idolatry, have deprived us of many BOOK Vll. val~ablc monuments of the fculpture of the Mexicans. The founda. ~ tion of the firfi church, which was · built in Mexico, was laid with idols~ and fo many thoufand ftattJes were then broke in pieces and de-ftroyed, that although the kingdom was mofl: abound ing in works of that kind, at prefent the mofl: dil igent fearch can hard ly find any of them remaining. The conduCt of thofe mi ffi onaries was no doubt laud-able both in caufe and e.ft"eet., but they 1l1ould have diil:inguiilied be-tween the innocent fl:atues of thofe people, and their fuperfiitious images, that fome of the former might have been kept entire in fome place where no evil confequence would have attended their prefer-vation. The works which they executed by cafl:ing of metals were in more efl:ecm with the Mexicans tlu n tbe works of fculpture, both on account of the greater value of the m:lterials, and the excellence of the 41rt itfelf. The miracles they produced of this kind would not be cre- .dible, if befides the tefiimony of thofe who faw them, curioiities in numbers of this nature h<!d not been fcnt from Mexico to Europe. ':('he works of gold and filver fent in prefents from the conqueror Cortes to Charles V. fill ed the goldfmiths of Europe with aftoniiliment; who, as feveral authors of that period atteft, declared (q) that they were al-together i n imit~1ble. The Mexican founders made both of gold and filver the moft perfeCt images of natural bodies. They made a fifh in this manner, which had its fc,des alternately one of iilver and the other of gold; a parrot with a moveable h ea~, tong ~e, an.d ~ings, a~d an ape with a moveable head and feet, havmg a fpmdle m Its hand .m the attitude of [pinning. They fet gems in gold and iilver, and made mofi: curious jewellery of great value. In 1l1ort, thefe fort of works were fo adiTiirably finifhed, that even the Spanin1 foldiers, all ftung with the flme wretched thiril: for gold, valued the workmantl1ip above the materials. This wonderful art, formerly praCtiCed by the Toltecas, the invention of which they afcribed to the god ~etzalcoatl, has been entirely loft by the debafement of the Indians, and the indolent neg- . (q) See in particulat· what is faid ~f. rhofe wo1~ 9 by .the hiflor.ia~ Gom ~ ra , who. had them in hi ~ hands, and h ear~ what the ~o!d fm t ths of Senile fiud upon lec111g them. lea s E' c T. LI. Cafl ing of metals. |