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Show A P P E N D I X. two h'undred and fixty days, in fuch a manner, that the Mexicans could, from the firft day of every year, diflinguilh what year it was. The p~riod of civil months, multiplied by the number of days, (that is eigh·teen by twenty), and the period of lunar months, multiplied by the· number of days, (that is, twelve by thirty), give the fame produd, or the Humber three hundred and fixty; a number certainly n~t lefs memorable, and in ufe among the Mexicans than among the mofl: ancient nations; and a number, which from time immemorial, has ruled in geometry and afironomy, and is of the utmofi particular~ty on account of its relation to the circle, which is divided into three hun .. dred and fixty parts, or degrees. In no nation of the world do we meet with any thing fimilar to this clear and difrinCl: method of Calendar. From the fmaU period of four years, multiplied by the above mentioned cycle of two hundred and fixty years, arofe another adr\lirable cycle of one thoufand and forty years. The Mexicans combined the .finall period of four years with the period above named week of thirteen years.; thence refulted their ·noted cycle or century of fifty-two. years ; and thus with the four figures, indicating the period of four years, they had, as we have from the dominicalletters, a period, which,. to fay the truth, exceeded ours; as it is of twenty-eight years, and the _Mexican of fifty-two; this was perpetual, and ours in Gregorian years 1s not fo. So much variety and fimplicity of periods of weeks, months,: years, and cycles, cannot be unadmired ; and the more fo, as there is immediate_ Jy difcovered that particular relation which thefe periods have to· many dtfferent ends, which Boturini points out by faying: "TheMexi-u can Calendar was of four fpecies; that is, natural, for ,agriculture. " chronological, for hifro1y; ritual, for fe.frivals; and a1l:ronomicat :' for the courfe ~f the .ilars; and the year was lunifolar." This year: 1f w~ do not put 1t at the end of three Mexican ages, after (everal ca} .• culat10ns I am not able to find it. Boturini determines by the Mexican paintings the year of the con- , fufion of tongues,. and the years. of the creation of the world . which detet·tnination appears not to be difficult, becau[e as the eclipfes are noted in the Mexican. paintings, there is not a doubt but the true epoch. , ~ A luo.a. lignum dici fefii ••• Mcnfis fecundum nomen ejus eft. Etd. xliii. of' , . A p E ~. of chronology may be obtained ft6tlt lhem, as · P. Soudet O'b't!'i:ft1~ the Chinefe from the folar eclipfe which he fixed in the yeir 21 S_§ , b'e.~. fore the Chrifiian eta, An edipfe well circumibi.ntiated; as P. Briga (e) Roma'gnoli proves at length, may affift us to fix the epoclt of chronology in the fpace of twenty t}1oufari-d years, rlnd altnotigl\ in the ' ' Mexican paintings, all the circumftances of eclipfes are not defcribed'. yet the defed of them i's remedied by many eclipfes which are marked there. The Mexican lords therefore, who ftill preferve great numbef of paintings, might by fiudy of them adduce many lights to chr6- nology. Refpetl:ing the fymbols of the Mexican months and year, they difcover ideas entirely conformable with thofe of the ancient Egyptians. The latter difiinguiihed, as appears from their monuments, each month or part of the zodiac, where the fun frood, with charatteri.frical figures of that which happened in every feafon of the year. Therefore we fee the figns of Aries, Taurus, and the two young Goats (which now are Gemini), ufed to· mark the months of the birth of thofe animals; the figns of Cancer, Leo, and Virgo, with the ear of corn, for thole months; in which the .fun goes backward like a crab ; in which there is greater heat, and in which the harvefts are reaped. The fign of tlie· Scorpion (which in the Egyptian fphere occupied the fpace which at prefent is occupied by the fign of Libra), and that of Sagitta'!. rius, in the months of virulent, or contagious diil:empers, and the chace; and· la.frly, the figns of Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pifcis, in tliG(e months in which the fun begins to afcend towards others ; in whkh it rains m'uch, and in which there is abundant fiihing. Thefe ideas at leail: are fimilar to thofe which the Mexicans affociated with their clime. They called their fidl: month Acahua/co, that is, the ceffation of the· waters, which began on the 26th of February, and they fymbolize this month by a houfe, with the figure of water above it; they gave alfo to the fame month the naqte of ff<.!fahuit/ehua, that is, the moving or budding of trees. The Mexicans afterwards di1l:inguifl1ed their fir.il: month by two names, of which the fir11: Acahualco, or the ceflation of the watets, did not correfpond with their climate where the (t) Scientia Eclipfium ·ex Europa in Sinas, Pars 'iii. c • .z. fea • .zd. rains I |