The way in which they painted proper names was rather curious, and showed at least some talent for punning. All Mexican names have some meaning; and therefore they had only to paint the things which are signified by the name, and join them to the figure of a man, or a man’s head. Thus the name of their second king was Chimalpopora, which means a _smoking shield_. To represent it, therefore, they painted a shield with smoke issuing from it. In like manner, if we had to express the name of Churchill, or Crowninshield, we should paint a church on a hill, or a shield with a crown in the middle. [Illustration] [Illustration] But the Mexicans had another sort of paintings, if so they may be called, formed entirely by means of feathers, selected from the plumage of the most beautiful birds. The art consisted in disposing the feathers so as to form a picture, exact in the nicest shade. They were fastened firmly on the canvass with glue. When any work of this sort was to be undertaken, several artists collected together, and each took his share of the design. They labored with the utmost care and diligence, sometimes spending a whole day in choosing and placing properly a single feather. When all the parts were finished, they brought them together, and united them, so as to form a picture of wonderful beauty. The colors were brighter than any that art could produce, and the feathers, as they were turned to the light, glittered with surpassing splendor. It is said that Mexican artists have been able to imitate exactly, by means of feathers, some of the best productions of the European painters. CHAPTER XVIII. _Religion.--Marriages and funerals.--Government.--War.--Medicine and surgery.--General character and probable destiny of the Mexican Indians._ The religion of the Mexicans was cruel, like themselves. They believed in a vast number of gods, who presided over every part of the world. There was the god of the air, a god of the day and night, another of games and sports, &c. They also worshipped the sun and moon. But the deity whom the Mexicans most venerated was Mexitli, the god of war; their city was named after him, and in his honor the great temple, of which we have given some account in a former chapter, was erected. Besides this, there were a great many other temples dedicated to the worship of their numberless deities. It is said that there were no less than two thousand such buildings in the city of Mexico.