Page:The Conquest of Mexico Volume 2.djvu/470

 Page 388 (5).—"They received it with extraordinary reverence, with humility and tears, saying that they were eating the flesh of their God."—Veytia, Hist. Antig., hb. i, cap. 18.— Also, Acosta, lib. 5, cap. 24.

Page 389 (1).—Ante, vol. i. p. 40.—Sahagun, Hist. de Nueva España, lib. 6, cap. 37. That the reader may see for himself, how like, yet how unlike, the Aztec rite was to the Christian, I give the translation of Sahagun's account, at length. "When everything necessary for the baptism had been made ready, all the relations of the child were assembled, and the midwife, who was the person that performed the rite of baptism, was summoned. At early dawn, they met together in the courtyard of the house. When the sun had risen, the midwife, taking the child in her arms, called for a little earthen vessel of water, while those about her placed the ornaments which had been prepared for the baptism in the midst of the court. To perform the rite of baptism, she placed herself with her face towards the west, and immediately began to go through certain ceremonies. . . . After this she sprinkled water on the head of the infant, saying, 'O, my child! take and receive the water of the Lord of the world, which is our life, and is given for the increasing and renewing of our body. It is to wash and to purify. I pray that these heavenly drops may enter into your body, and dwell there; that they may destroy and remove from you all the evil and sin which was given to you before the beginning of the world; since all of us are under its power, being all the children of Chalchivitlycue ' (the goddess of water). She then washed the body of the child with water, and spoke in this manner: ' Whencesoever thou comest, thou that art hurtful to this child; leave him and depart from him, for he now liveth anew, and is born anew; now is he purified and cleansed afresh, and our mother Chalchivitlycue again bringeth him into the world.' Having thus prayed, the midwife took the child in both hands, and lifting him towards heaven, said, 'O Lord, thou seest here thy creature, whom thou hast sent into this world, this place of sorrow, suffering, and penitence. Grant him, O Lord, thy gifts, and thine inspiration, for thou art the Great God, and with thee is the great goddess.' Torches of pine were kept burning during the performance of these ceremonies. When these things were ended, they gave the child the name of some one of his ancestors, in the hope that he might shed a new lustre over it. The name was given by the same midwife, or priestess, who baptized him."

Page 389 (2).—Among Egyptian symbols, we meet with several specimens of the cross. One, according to Justus Lipsius, signified "life to come." (See his treatise, De Cruce [Lutetiæ Parisiorum, 1598], lib. 3, cap. 8.) We find another in Champollion's catalogue, which he interprets, "support or Saviour." (Précis, tom, ii. Tableau Gén., Nos. 277, 348.) Some curious examples of the reverence paid to this sign by the ancients have been collected by M'Culloh (Researches, p. 330 et seq.), and by Humboldt, in his late work. Geographic du Nouveau Continent, tom. ii. p. 354 et seq.

Page 389 (3).—"Aforetime there was grain, which possessed the virtue of winning divine favour for mankind," says Ovid. (Fastorum, lib. I., v. 337.) Count Carli has pointed out a similar use of consecrated bread, and wine or water, in the Greek and Egyptian mysteries. (Lettres Améric, tom, 1, let. 27.) See, also, M'Culloh, Researches, p. 240 et seq.

Page 389 (4).—Water for purification and other religious rites is frequently noticed by the classical writers. Thus Euripides: "First will I cleanse him with purificatory ablutions. The sea washes away all the evil of mortal men."—Iphig. in Taur., vv. 1192, 1194. The notes on this place, in the admirable Variorum edition of Glasgow, 1821, contain references to several passages of similar import in different authors.

Page 389 (5).—The difficulty, of obtaining anything like a faithful report from the natives is the subject of complaint from more than one writer, and explains the great care taken by Sahagun, to compare their narratives with each other.—See Hist. de Nueva España, Prólogo; Ixtlilxochitl, Hist. Chich., MS., Pról.;—Boturini, Idea, p. 116.