are many things touching primitive paganism, they are not mentioned in this epitome, lest in being brought to notice, they should be the means of confirming more strongly an idolatrous superstition."—34th sect. p. 30, of the Preface of his Constitution, in Antiq. Mex.

Rosales, in his history of Chili, gives the following account of a curious inscription discovered in that province: "The tradition of some apostle having come to preach the gospel in this kingdom, is further confirmed by a marvellous thing which still exists in the valley of Tarna, where there is a stone of a yard and a-half high, and two in length, on which are imprinted the footsteps of a man wearing shoes, who there left the impression of his feet; having been accustomed to ascend upon it to preach to the Indians of the valley, and so leaving his feet imprinted on the stone; and who also wrote on the front of it three lines in plain letters cut in the rock in characters which no one understands or can explain." Ibid.

"Father Joseph Maria Adams, belonging to the society of Jesus, a missionary in the province of Cuio, caused them to be faithfully copied out, and transcribed, and sent them to three fathers of that company, famous for their skill in languages, but none of them were able to read them, so that their signification is still unknown.”—p. 332.

Sahagun says, "that in the reign of Ytzcoatl, the lords and principal persons amongst the Mexicans (who were the priests, the government being a Theocracy) buried their ancient records that they might not fall into the hands of others. This might refer to the destruction of the TEOmoxtli (divine book of the Toltecas) in the reign of the above-mentioned king, from which the Mexicans might have borrowed their notions and metaphors."

"Garcia, citing Laet, and likewise on his own authority,

M

says, "that paintings were used in Peru," &c. We have seen some specimens1 of a similar nature, painted by the Mexicans after their conversion to Christianity, exceedingly rude, in which hardly a trace of the old style of Mexican painting can be discerned, and the same may have been the case with the later Peruvian paintings, from which it would be wrong to form an estimate of the degree of excellence which the art of painting had attained in the time of the Incas."

"It is not easy to give a complete notice of the hieroglyphic paintings that have escaped the destruction with which they were menaced on the first discovery of America by monkish fanaticism and the stupid carelessness of the first conquerors."-Vol. vi. p. 145.

163

LANGUAGE.

THE changes to which Language is subjected during a long series of ages, geographical interposition, and intermarriage, render the mere sounds, a much less certain criterion in tracing it to its original source, than its construction, and those essential characteristics which are peculiar to the Hebrew, whom the writer of the "Primogeniture and Integrity of the Holy Language," happily characterizes as "the mother who lendeth to all but borroweth from none."

The Jews, who had only been in Babylon seventy years, had so corrupted the Hebrew language, as to render it necessary to affix a determinate pronunciation by the introduction of vowel points.

It is, therefore, in the genius of the transatlantic dialects that we are to expect Hebraism, rather than in the use of Hebrew terms; although in their religious rites these have been wonderfully preserved. For example, the same mysterious personage who was by the antient Chiapanese designated Votan (HEART of the people): by the Tulians Bah-ab, (Son of the Father): and by the Mexicans Toplitzin and TEO-piltzin (our son and GOD's-son); was by the Peruvians denominated Ver-chocha (son and star). This latter term for son, viz. is Chaldee, and is only used with reference to the Son of God, as in Psalm ii. 7. This term compounded with a star, no doubt had allusion to that star which Balaam was constrained to declare, would, at a remote

period of the world's history, "come out of Jacob, and smite through or consume the captains of Moab."

The Author of Historical Researches, &c. observes, with regard to the number of languages in America, “There are said to be more than a thousand. If an Englishman of the present day is puzzled to understand the English of the fourteenth century, where writing or printing has always been used, what stability of language is to be expected among Americans who have never had an alphabet?"-p. 470.

Another striking feature of identity in the genius of the primitive languages of the East and the West, is that the same term serves to express breath or spirit, and the wind. And this peculiarity is restricted to the Hebrew language.

The term pronounced eth-ruach-was by the Chiapanese exactly so termed-while by the Mexicans, who supplied the use of the letter r with that of l, called it Eh-euach; and as elision was also practised by them, the same term stands as the sign of Quetzalcoatl on their calendar as Echa-tl.

Las Casas affirms that in Haiti (now St. Domingo) the inhabitants spoke corrupt Hebrew; they styled their judges or councillors, Chochome; which is precisely the term by which the Jews all over Europe would designate a wise or learned Rabbi. He is a great chocham.'

The northern tribes have preserved in many cases the primitive YA-HO-WAH, and also Hallilu-YAH: Vega affirms that Halli was the Peruvian term for praise or triumph.

1

Eight youths," writes Vega, who was a descendant of the Incas, (metiffs born of Spanish and Indian parents,) "my schoolfellows sang the Halli in the processions, accom

1 Vega, Book v. c. 2, in Hist. Research. p. 183.

panied by the whole musical choir. They were dressed after the manner of the country, and each carried a ploughshare in his hand, this having been the song of the Incas1 on agricultural ceremonies; the Indians were exceedingly delighted at the Spaniards adopting their song in the worship of their God, whom they called Pachacamac." The reasons why the Peruvians did not like some of the northern tribes compound Halli with YAH might have been on account of the extreme veneration which they had for the ineffible Name.

2

The Abbe Clavegero observes3 of the copiousness of the Mexican language, that it abounds in terms that signify material things, while the highest mysteries of religion can be expressed in Mexican without any necessity for introducing the Spanish term Dios, that of TEO-tl being equivalent to Ail, Theos and Deus. There was therefore,' he justly adds no reason for introducing the Spanish term Dios, but the excessive scruples of the first missionaries,

1 "In the city of Cozco, near the hill where the citadel stands, there is a portion of land called Col-cam-pata, which none are permitted to cultivate except those of royal blood. The Incas and the Pallas solemnized that day with great rejoicings, especially when they turned up the earth (with a kind of mattock). On this occasion the Incas were dressed in their richest jewels, and sang an anthem at the ceremony, so much were they inspired."-Robertson, Vol. ii. p. 315. in Hist. Researches. p. 197.

2 It was not in praise of the Sun, as has often been erroneously supposed, but of the Supreme Moral Light of the Universe, of which the Sun was accounted the symbol: the term Pacha signifies universe, and camac is from the verb camar, to animate: cama is the soul.

3 The Abbe annoyed with the erroneous statement of Monsieur Du Pauw, (who," knowing no more about the Mexicans than the little that Dr. Robertson has furnished, intimates that among many other extraordinary things, "they had no words to express metaphysical terms, or to count above the number three ;") observes, we could here give the numeral terms of this language, by which the Mexicans could count up to forty-eight millions at least,' &c. The Mexican language, like the Hebrew, wants the superlative term; and, like the Hebrew, the comparative term-which are supplied by certain equivalent particles. It is not less copious in verbs than in nouns, as from every single verb others are derived of different significations. The Mexicans combine with more economy than the Greeks did, often cutting off letters and even syllables.Teopixqui (priest) is composed of TEOtl (God), and the verb pia, to keep, guard, hold.'