RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.

"IN every thing relating to the treatment of the Mexican children, even in the mode of punishing them, the Mexicans resembled the Jews. Torquemeda has also observed that festivals took place at the naming of the Infant, and afterwards on its being weaned; omitting further mention of baptismal ceremonies and the use of circumcision, both which it may be presumed, on the authority of very ancient writers, were in use amongst the Mexicans."

"In nothing did the civil policy of the Mexicans more closely resemble that of the Hebrews, than in their dedicating their children to the Temple,1 and afterwards sending them to be instructed by the master or superior Rabbi in the doctrines of their religion and moral and ceremonial laws. Torquemeda says that the ceremony of

1 Torquemeda says "The same time in which this offering or purification was made, one of the old men held the child in his arms, whence it is plain that either these people descend from the Hebrews, or that the devil gave them these rites and ceremonies to emulate those with which God honoured his people. Certain however it is that greater would have been this triumph of the accursed Demon if he had," &c. &c.

Baron Humboldt remarks, with reference to this passage of the interpretation of the collection of Mendoza, "that the Mexican custom of naming children in the presence of three other children who were parties to the ceremony was analogous to the Jewish rite of baptising the proselytes before three witnesses. The remaining rites of baptizing the children, and after presenting them with an offering at the Temple, seem to be a confusion of Christian ceremonies with Jewish customs and traditions, which however distant the period, or intricate the manner in which it was effected, the longer we meditate on the religious rites of the Mexicans and the Peruvians, the more we are inclined to believe did actually take place, (viz. the colonization of the new continent by the Hebrews.) The custom of offering their children at the Temple was peculiar to the Jews, and no other nations imitated them in this except the Mexicans."—p. 45.

dedicating their children to the military profession, was also a religious one."

He continues, "I likewise wish it to be noticed, that the Devil commanded amongst this vain Indian people, that the first thing a father bid his children do, should be to love and honor their gods." Of the excellent nature however of the moral precepts which the Mexican parents inculcated on the minds of their children, the same author is a witness; where, adducing the authority of the book of Ecclesiasticus, in favour of the early education of children, quoting the seventh chapter, page 230, he says, the Indians strictly fulfilled this doctrine. "This doctrine" adds Torquemeda, "we shall find wonderfully approved amongst the Indians of the territory of New Spain, who not only took care to nourish their children with food and bodily aliments, for the sake of strengthening their bodies, but also with admirable moral doctrines in order to render them rational and proper members of a civil community; and that they might live the life which had been allotted to them as befitted those who possessed minds capable of reason and order: since the doctrines of those Indians are characterized with much prudence and counsel. I will not omit to record their conversations and exhortations to their children, since from them it will be apparent that neither natural law, nor that of grace, nor human policy could demand more, as far as moral policy is concerned, setting aside the knowledge of the true God.”

These exhortations were translated from the Mexican language into the Spanish by the venerable Father Andrew

1 It is certainly doing the Mexicans injustice to suppose that their embodiments of the attributes of God were considered by them as distinct gods. It would therefore be more in character with the rest of their peculiarities to introduce the Hebrew term which implies a concentration and manifestation of powers in one essence. It is impossible for our translated term to express this, for either it is simply God in the sense of a unit, or else in combination of persons it is gods.

f

D'Olmes, a brother of the order of the glorious Father St. Francis; (who laboured in this vineyard and new plantation of the Holy Gospel with the greatest diligence, undergoing great and numerous hardships in laying the foundation of this new church,) which exhortations in the Mexican language I have in my possession; and I can venture to affirm that neither the said Father D'Olmes, nor the Lord Bishop of Chiapa, Don Bartholomew Las Casas, who obtained them from him, nor I, who now own them, and have bestowed pains on understanding them, and thoroughly comprehending their metaphors; have known how to translate them into the same softness and sweetness as the natives uttered them in their own language. They impressed upon them the duty of serving the Gods, carrying the children with them to the Temples on appointed days, and hours, in order that they might acquire a liking for the same teaching when they should live separate from them, and become fathers of families."-p. 57.

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The early Spanish writers have not failed to point out some curious traits of resemblance to Hebrew usages, in certain acts performed by the Kings and Incas, and in the external marks of reverence these monarchs received from their subjects: these consisted in their Kings presiding at sacrifices, dancing on great religious festivals; in being consecrated to the regal dignity by the hands of the high priests, with a pretended holy unction; in being invested with a crown and bracelets as the insignia of majesty. In his wearing a signet on his arm; in his rending his garments on receiving intelligence of any national calamity; in his saluting with a kiss, the general who brought him tidings of a victory; in his employing regular couriers for the despatch of public matters; in the ceremonies with which his subjects were accustomed to enter the palace-(taking

off their sandals, as in the temples of the gods,) as not looking the king in the face, but addressing him with their eyes on the ground, and finally, in burning incense and precious perfumes at his funeral.”

Herrera remarks "that the priests of Vitzliputzli, were entitled to succeed to their office, by being born of families resident in certain suburbs of the city, especially marked out for the purpose." Numbers i. 53. The dress was a crimson vest, resembling a robe, with open sleeves, to which were fastened fringes as a border.”—p. 69.

Amongst the Jews, all wars, not excepting their civil ones, bore a religious character, &c. and in the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomy, directions are given to the priests1 to accompany and exhort the soldiers to battle. The interpreter of the collection of Mendoza says, that priests likewise followed the Mexican armies, not only for the purpose of joining the combatants, but also to perform certain religious ceremonies, in which some analogy is discovered between the customs of the two nations."

"It has already been observed, that many analogies might be pointed out, in the usages of the Mexicans and Jews, in reference to their treatment of their kings. But omitting, in this place, to notice the oath which was administered to the kings of Mexico, at their coronation, by the high priest, (which is described by Gomara, p. 122, of his History of the Conquest of Mexico, in which the kings made a covenant with the people to protect the established religion, to preserve the laws, and to maintain justice,

The Hebrews in going to war were accompanied by a Priest to serve some of their special occasions in it; and after a sacred unction bestowed upon him, (we are told by Maimonides) he was called b n (Priest of the war.)

"That Incas waged war for the express purpose of compelling other nations to lay aside what they deemed their idolatry, and embrace the knowledge of the true God, we have the authority of Acosta, and other eminent historians for asserting."-p. 49.

reminding us of what David did, on a similar occasion, as recorded by Samuel-" So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron, &c." and the great burning of spices and other odoriferous substances, which took place at the funerals of the kings of Mexico, which was also customary at the funerals of the Jewish kings, we shall remark that the regalia, worn by the kings of both nations, were nearly the same. Amongst the Jews, they consisted of a crown and bracelets, as is evident from 2 Sam. i. 18, where the Amalekite announces to David the death of Saul, bringing him, not his sword and armour, but what he thought would be a more agreeable present to an aspirant to the throne, the royal insignia. A sceptre was also part of the Jewish regalia, and a mantle. The crown of the Jewish king more nearly resembled a mitre than the crown worn by emperors and monarchs. A crown and bracelets, sceptre and mantle constituted, though not the entire, the principal part of the royal costume of the Mexican kings. The crown was named TEOcatli, and the bracelets Cozcatl, and they are both represented in the 57th plate, in the collection of Mendoza, as forming a specimen of the dress worn by the Mexican kings, since the regal apparel of Montezuma differed but slightly from that of Moquihuix. It is true as a general remark, that both nations, in their costume 1 and the external decoration of their persons and buildings, nearly resembled each other. "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm," and it is very singular since there was

1 "Montezuma wore sandals embroidered with gold. The Mexican paintings shew that the use of shoes amongst the Mexicans was very general; their heroes, &c. are always represented with them. p. 230. They call themselves," says Gumilla, to the third degree of kindred, brothers and sisters, this was a Hebrew custom in the time of Abraham. What Gumilla affirms of the frequency of ablution, and anointing themselves with oil, corresponds with the account of Torquemeda and Clavegero. Oil was used likewise at the consecration of the high priests and the kings."