Excerpt from The Works of William Robertson, Vol. 8 of 9: With an Account of His Life and Writings

In the first edition, I observed that in consequence of the destruction of the ancient Mexican paintings, occasioned by the zeal of Zummaraga, whatever know ledge they might have conveyed was entirely lost. Every candid reader must have perceived that the expression was inaccurate; as in a few lines afterward I mention some ancient paintings to be still extant. M. Clavigero, not satisfied with laying hold of this inaccuracy, which I corrected in the subsequent editions, labours to ren der it more glaring, by the manner in which he quotes the remaining part of the sen tence. He reprehends with great asperity the account which I gave of the scanty materials for writing the ancient history of Mexico. Vol. I. Account of writers, p. Xxvi. Vol. II. 380. My words, however, are almost the same with those of Tor quemada, who seems to have been better acquainted with the ancient monuments of the Mexicans than any Spanish author whose works I have seen. Lib. Xiv. C. 6. M. Clavigero himself gives a description of the destruction of ancient paintings in almost the same terms I have used and mentions, as an additional reason of there being so small a number of ancient paintings known to the Spaniards, that the na tives have become so solicitous to preserve and conceal them, that it is diflicult, if not impossible, to make them part with one of them. Vol. I. 407. II. 194. No point can be more ascertained than that few of the Mexican historical paintings have been preserved. Though several Spaniards have carried on inquiries into the anti quities of the Mexican empire, no engravings from Mexican paintings have been com municated to the public, except those by Purchas, Gemelli Carreri, and Lorenzana. It afi'ords me some satisfaction, that in the course of my researches I have discovered two collections of Mexican paintings which were unknown to formerinquirers. The out which 1 published is an exact copy of the original, and gives no high idea of the progress which the Mexicans had made in the art of painting. I cannot coniecture what could induce M. Clavigero to express some dissatisfaction with me for having published it without the same colours it has in the original painting, p. Xxix. He might have recollected, that neither Purchas, nor Gemelli Carreri, nor Lorenzana, thought it necessary to colour the prints which they have published, and they have never been censured on that account. He may rest assured, that though the colours in the paintings in the Imperial Library are remarkably bright, they are laid on without art, and without any of that regard to light and shade, or the rules of perspective, which M. Clavigero requires. Vol. II. 378. If the public express any desire to have the seven paintings still in my possession engraved, I am read y to communicate them. The print published by Gemelli Carteri, of the route of the ancient Mexicans when they travelled towards the lake on which they built the capital of their empire, (churclnll, Vol. IV. P. Is the most finished monument of art brought from the New World, and yet a yery slight inspection of it will satisfy every one, that the annals of a nation conveyed in this manner must be very meagre and imperfect.

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