Note II-17 — Chapter II · ORIGIN AND END OF THINGS.

Literally, in the earliest copy of the myth that I have seen, the milk of the thistle, 'la leche de cardo,' which term has been repeated blindly, and apparently without any idea of its meaning, by the various writers that have followed. The old authorities, however, and especially Mendieta, from whom I take the legend, were in the habit of calling the maguey a thistle; and indeed the tremendous prickles of the Mexican plant may lay good claim to the Nemo me impune lacessit of the Scottish emblem. 'Maguey, que es el cardon de donde sacan la miel.' Mendieta, Hist. Ecles., p. 110. 'Metl es un arbol ó cardo que en lengua de las Islas se llama maguey.' Motolinia, Hist. de los Ind., in Icazbalceta, Col. de Doc., tom. i., p. 243. 'Et similmente-cogliono le foglie di questo albero, ò cardo che si tengono là, come qua le vigne, et chiamanlo magueis.' Relatione fatta per un Gentil'huomo del Signor Cortese, in Ramusio, Viaggi, tom. iii., fol. 307.