Star.
London, England, 1824-05-03 00:00:00

The Classical Journal.

The Fifty-seventh Number of this Work, so useful and
interesting to literary men, whiCh is published only
quarterly, has just made its appearance. As usual it
presents some valuable biblical articles, and various de-
tails relative to the Greek and Latin Classics, with
learned critical notes; Observations on ace Zodiac of
T)endera ; on the Pyramids of Egypt; and on other
subjects of Antiquity—one class of which is particularly
interesting: we mean, some observations caused by Mr.
Bollock's importation of the rare and curious specimens
of Mexican Antiquity, which have before been alluded
_to in our columns. This subject is rendered the more
interesting from Robertson in his History of America
having stated, without the least reservation, that there
were- no remains of antie;it monuments in all New
Spain. The•fact is, there yet remain many,—most of
them buried—the Priests, the Inquisition, and the Old
Spanish Government having been (inimical to_their ex-
istence, from a belief that the sight of them would tend
to keep up a spii it of idolatry among the natives. The
present Government of Mexico seems however to act
upon a different conviction.
" It is pleasing to think (says a writer in the Journal
alluded to) that much more enlightened views actuate
the present Government of Mexico, on whose talents and
patriotism already seems to dawn the auspicious morning
that precedes a brilliant day, now about to gild that
newly-emancipated and magnificent land. Perfectly,
opposite and contrasted as their policy in public mat-
ters is to the selfish and narrow line of conduct so long
persisted in by the mother country towards her colonies,
history and science seem likely to incur a separate debt
from the generous consideration shewn by a Minister in
Mexico to their interests. Don L. D'Allemagne, wisely
judging that several original Mexican manuscripts of
the most rare antiquity, preserved in various archives
in Mexico, ought to be published, as the means of pie-
serving those precious remains from the accidents to
which the Revolution or other causes might expose-
them, displayed excellent judgment in committing them
to the hands of Mr. Bullock ; whose zeal and interest in
the pursuit of discovery during his residence in Mexico,
as well as perfect experience in such inquiries, were at
once a full pledge that the greatest care would be taken
by him of the valuable deposits committed to him, and
which he was under promise to return safe and com-
plete to the Mexican Government from this country, in
which they have sought a temporary retreat and refuge.
If however that interest which they so fully merit,
should create a desire to have fac-similes and copies of
them, it is proposed to publish a work on Mexican An-
tiquities and Hieroglyphics, which would comprise what
indeed it would be tobe regretted should not see the light,
when so fair an opportunity seems to present itself. Cer-
tain painted Mexican annals, which for 300 years have
been buried far from the busy examination of men in
the archives of Mexico, the keys of which were always
Dreamed in the Palace of the Viceroy, are now in the
possession of Mr. Bullock ; in siren the most ample ma-
terials for a work pf this nature e,xist
" TO Mr. Bullock, the highest praise is due. He has
done not only what no -Englishman, but what no Euro-
pean has done before him ; and the complete success
which has attended his exertions, entitles him to the
congratulations of those who feel an interest in the ob-
jects of his inquiries. It must be rernembeefd too, that
the great difficulties and expense, with which helms had
to contend, intitle him to a considerable share of public
patronage; for, besides the manuscripts which he pos-
sessen, intrusted to him by the Mexican Government,
air infinitely more extensive collection, perfectly as cu-
rious (which is saying a great deal), has come into his
possession. He was the first foreigner who, for pur-
poses of research, visited Mexico since the Revolution,
which alone made it a country accessible to foreigners.
The Revolution, besides giving ingress to foreigners,
had, as always is the case in times of such general com-
motion, unbarred and thinwn open mary offices of re-
cords and other places of security ; and those things
which had perhaps been stored tip for ages, during
hiclopace of time they never n iglit have seen the,
light, on a sudden were found in the possession of the
multitude, from whose destroying hands each work
that was obtained might attribute to the person so for-
tunate as to recover it, its preservation. At a time pre-
cisely like this, Mr. Bullock arrived in Mexico; and
from hands like these, many most valuable antiquities
were by him rescued, which are now safely brought
over by him to England. Besides a collection of paint-
in every respect most curious, he has also brought
over with him a collection of Mexican sculptures of most
singular fashion, and exhibiting a proficiency in that
art, which, from the accounts of Dr. Robertson and
others, we had no reason to expect
" In all the rare antiquities of sculpture, either actu-
ally brought from Mexico to England by Mr. Bullock,
or the models of which, still existing in Mexico, he has
taken in the most ingenious and laborious manner in
plaster of Paris, that of the Rattlesnake is everywhere
copspicuous. A small.ldol in Atone, of exceedingly good
Arkmanship, is overwrought with this serpent, its
scales exhibiting the appearance of ornamental foliage
—its eyes and mouth were doubtless once adorned with
jewels. But besides this small image, there is another
of colossal size, on which interlaced snakes form a kind
of ornamental tissue. This image was highly worth
the pains which were taken to model it, as it was out of
the question to bring over so great a weight
" There is also another rattlesnake in a rearing and
upright attitude, of colossal size, amongst the collection,
like the other images, no doubt once an object of wor-'
ship. It is a singular fact that the serpent, in antiquity,
amongst nations very remote from each other, seems to
have been an object of mysterious veneration and early
tradition : the book of Genesis, the most ancient as well
as sacred record, makes particular mention of that ani-
mal, ascribing to it originally a superiority of instinct
over the rest of the animal creation: the relation of the
fall of man has an immediate connexion with this rep-
tile. Could it have been possible that tradition might
have preserved some faint recollection of this original
history, and thence ascribed to it a participation in cer-
tain religions mysteries
" Between the Mexicans and certain Asiatic people
considerable analogy seems to have existed in the mode
of computing time. From theirown accounti, the Alexi.
cans had, after long travelling, arrived in that portion
of America in which they fixed the seat of their empire.
Their singular and just method of computing time,
strictly regulated according to the pet iod of the natural
year, would certainly add weight to the argument;that

they probably derived their origin from some more civi.
lised nation. I might bere make some digression on the
subject of the Mexican cycle of time, but I shall spare
myself the trouble by referring to a colossal sphere,
which Mr. Bullock has brought from Mexico—an exact
model of thedeiginal, built into the wall of the Cathe-
dral of Merits:its under which reposes in pacific sleep
many a blood-sprinkled idol, curious from their anti-
quity, curious from the ideas associated with them.,
Tile same Gentleman has also brought over a model of ,
the famous Sacrifical Stone, belonging to the great
Temple, the sides of which are most curious] y, eloquent
respecting Mexican antiquity. The stone belg very
large, the compartments on the sides are numerous;
and, represented almost to the life, are seen the sacrifi-
cal rites, the sacrificers and the victims. This stone,
which is spherical and situated in the churchyard of
the Cathedral, had only the upper surface exposed, till
Mr. Bullock dug round the sides and brought to light
their mysterious sculpture. The native Indians of
Mexico know well the purpose which this stone an-
swered, and whenever they pass by it, it is now an In-
dian custom to stamp on it, to expre.s the disgust with
which the recollections of the inhuman sacrifices of their
ancestors still inspire them. It is computed that at least
5,000 victims were annually immolated on this memo-
rable stone, the upper surface of which, having a basin
excavated in the centre to catch tl.e blood as it fell from
the unhappy victims, with a channel to convey it thence
to the ground, both of mos; capacious size, silently,
but significantly declares how numerous were the
wretches immolated at the bloody shrine of the Idol ! I
was led, from mention of the model of the sphere, to
mention this also. At the end of this article is an en-
graving of the Mexicans' sphere, which is of colossal
size

A second engraving attached to this article, repre-
sents another Mexican cycle, consisting of 5'2 yeal s—a
period of time which they used in their historical com-
putations as we do our century. Two other eng: av!ngs
follow those of the cycles of time, copied from original
pictures drawn in Mexico. "Of the particular places
represented, the first is a distant •iew of a mountain not
far from the once famed city of Tezcirco, so celebrated
among the Spanish writers; the last King of which, as
well as the last Sovereign of Mexico, was most ignomi-
niously, after a long captivity, put to death by Cortes,
on some slight and unfounded suspicion of plots against
the Spaniards. The city of Tezcuco is still full of an-
cient monuments, though - Robertson declares, in the
most unqualified manser, that there were no remains or
ancient monuments in all New Spain, or if there were
I any, some rude, shapeless, and unintelligible mounds of
eaith only The mountain, of which arepresen-
tation is given, is covered with the ruins of ancient In-
dian buildings. At about two-thirds up the mountain
is a curious bath, hewn out of solid porphyry rock—a
circumstance which renders this place an object of cu-
rious attention when the immense labour is considered
which it must have cost in cutting the solid porphyry.
Our wonder is excited by the Egyptian art and labour
bestowed in working porphyry ; and knowing that of
all stone this species of granite is the hardest, and per-
ceiving how very slowly modern alt proceeds in the la-
bour of cutting it, what must we think of this work of
ancient American art ! Can we believe that theancient
Indians, who were very superior to their present de-
scendants, were as unacquainted with every species of
metal instrument, as some authors pretend ? It is im-
possible. The fact is, they had copper either naturally
so hard, or they bad the a: t of rendering it so hard, that
it answered all the purposes of iron to them ; with cop-
per tools, perhaps, this Curious wot k might have been
accomplished.

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