Part I.] ORIGIN OF MEXICAN CIVILIZATION.

397

a curious theme for speculation, entirely beyond the-province of history.

The American languages, so numerous and wide-ly diversified, present an immense field of inquiry,which, notwithstanding the labors of several distin-guished philologists, remains yet to be explored. Itis only after a wide comparison of examples, thatconclusions founded on analogy can be trusted.The difficulty of making such comparisons increaseswith time, from the facility which the peculiar struc-ture of the Indian languages affords for new combi-nations ; while the insensible influence of contactwith civilized man, in producing these, must lead toa still further distrust of our conclusions.

The theory of an Asiatic origin for Aztec civili-zation derives stronger confirmation from the lightof tradition , which, shining steadily from the farNorth-west, pierces through the dark shadows thathistory and mythology have alike thrown around theantiquities of the country. Traditions of a Western,or North-western origin were found among the morebarbarous tribes , 57 and by the Mexicans were pre-served both orally and in their hieroglyphical maps,where the different stages of their migration arecarefully noted. But who, at this day, shall readthem ? 53 They are admitted to agree, however, in

87 Barton, p. 92. —Heckewel- Antiquitds Mexicaines, part 2, p.der, chap. 1, ap. Transactions of 185, et seq.the Hist, and Lit. Committee of 88 The recent work of Mr. De-the Am. Phil. Soc., vol. I. lafield (Inquiry into the Origin

The various traditions have been of the Antiquities of America,assembled by M. Warden, in the (Cincinnati , 1839,)) has an en-