his attention to the river Tigris, and had suggested that important discoveries might probably be made on the eastern bank of that river, opposite Mosul, if it were rightly investigated. Attention was thus directed to the subject, and in 1842, when the French government resolved to establish a consulate at Mosul, they selected for that office M. Botta, a gentleman of known antiquarian taste, of literary attainments, and of considerable science and enterprise. M. Botta first attempted to excavate the mound of Kouyunjik, and not finding such success as he had anticipated, transferred his operations to Khorsabad, where he soon penetrated into the ruins of an ancient Assyrian palace. This event took place in March 1843, and from this year the discovery of the remains of Nineveh and its neighbouring palaces and great cities must be dated.

But the enterprise was now undertaken by one singularly qualified for its prosecution. AUSTEN HENRY LAYARD, a young, ardent, and indefatigable English traveller, appeared, and soon outstripped all rivalry, making the field his own. He had already spent some years in Oriental travel, knew the country and the people, and was full of activity, energy, and perseverance. The vast mounds which cumber the banks of the Tigris had already engaged his attention; and while he gazed with admiration on M. Botta's discoveries, he was seized with an irresistible desire to devote himself to a similar task on another portion of the vast field. In 1845 he began his enterprise by piercing into a huge mound further down the Tigris, designated Nimroud. With the rapid intuitional perception which characterises true genius, Mr Layard soon apprehended the leading principle on which these

enormous Assyrian buildings had been constructed, and directed his trenches, tunnels, and excavations so as to attain the largest results with the least expenditure of means. They were all raised considerably above the level of the adjacent ground by a solid basement of brick masonry. The access to the palace level was by a magnificent flight of stairs, approaching the main entrance or gateway. These approaches and entrances were flanked by huge colossal figures of human-headed and winged lions and bulls, one on either hand, as if symbolically representing wisdom, courage, strength, and speed, in the combined guardians of the monarchy. The entrances, doorways, and vestibules were all similarly guarded and adorned, as was also the entire façade of the vast imperial pile. Along the passages, on the floors, and around the interior of the palace halls and chambers, were slabs of gypsum, bearing serial sculptures, representing the chief events of each monarch's reign, accompanied by cuneiform inscriptions, which were found to be the written records of those pictured exploits. Temples were also found with sculptured deities, of various form and attribute, and all the ceremonial of Assyrian worship. The monumental figures of the kings were easily distinguished by their majestic stature, their magnificent attire, the obsequious respect of their attendants, and frequently by the peculiar relation in which they seemed to stand to the deities and the mode of worship. Each monarch seemed to be not only the king, but also the chief priest, and even the object of worship, the king being occasionally represented as presenting religious service to a deity which was a likeness of himself. Over the king's head in worship, and even

in battle, hovered a deity in the form of a winged human figure inclosed in a circle, almost identical with the Persian Feroher of the Zoroastrian religious system. Certain other emblematical figures gave indications of at least an approximation towards a combination of the Assyrian worship with what may be regarded as the Zabian or primitive Zoroastrian religious system, having for its basis the idea of two co-eternal principles, Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, Ormuzd and Ahriman.

From Nimroud Mr Layard directed his attention to Kouyunjik, the great mound opposite Mosul, which Botta had attempted unsuccessfully. Layard's skill and perseverance were soon rewarded with the most complete success. A palace of vast extent and unrivalled magnificence was discovered and explored throughout its entire recesses. It appeared to have been the greatest work of the mightiest Assyrian monarch, in the most flourishing period of the empire, when art had reached its highest eminence, sustained by immense wealth and power. Not only were the statuesque lions and bulls hugest in dimensions and most skilful in execution-not only were its inscriptions exceedingly numerous, consecutive in order, and full in detail; but in one apartment there was found a great number of fire-baked clay cylinders, covered with cuneiform inscriptions, containing apparently the historical records of the kingdom. This apartment Layard designates "the chamber of records," expressing his opinion that it will be found to yield, when fully deciphered, a more full and minute account of that period of the Assyrian empire than can be obtained for any period of similar antiquity in the history of Greece or Rome.

Copies of the arrow-headed or cuneiform inscriptions were immediately transmitted to the most able scholars everywhere, in the hope that as the inscriptions in a similar character had been recently deciphered, it might be possible to read those of Assyria, so unexpectedly discovered. And now appeared the immense value of Rawlinson's investigations. Both that learned and penetrating man, and other able scholars who had engaged in similar studies, directed their attention to the Ninevite inscriptions; and, in a comparatively short time, and in different places simultaneously, many of these inscriptions were read and interpreted, the same meaning being given by Rawlinson and Dr Hincks, the one at Baghdad, the other in Britain, independently of each other, and thereby confirming each other's accuracy. The first element of certainty was obtained from an inscription on a black obelisk found in the north-west palace of Nimroud, on which was read the name of Jehu, King of Israel, and that of the city of Samaria. This served to identify the builders of these palaces with the powerful Assyrian kings mentioned in Scripture. The Kouyunjik records gave ample confirmation to this discovery, by relating the invasion of Judah during the reign of Hezekiah by the builder of that palace, who was thereby identified with Sennacherib.

Instead of further prosecuting an account of the investigations and discoveries of Rawlinson and Layard, we may now attempt to present an outline of the history of ancient Assyria, so far as it has been somewhat conjecturally ascertained. The brief statements of Scripture give little more than indications of that series of events which issued in the rise of nations, and the rise, probably,

of idolatry at the same time. Nimrod, the "rebel," appears to have resisted the patriarchal authority of Noah, to have resolved to retain his position in the plain of Shinar, and after having erected some fortified places around Babel, to have invaded the possessions of Ashur, who had migrated to the upper regions of the great plain of the Tigris. This early struggle gave rise to the two earliest monarchies, those of Babylonia and Assyria. In Babylonia the chief cities were Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh. In Assyria the chief cities were Nineveh, Rehoboth, Resen, and Calah. The confusion of tongues made some kind of writing necessary; but there is reason to believe that the first kind of writing was a kind of picture-writing, and syllabic in its structure, of which some indications may be still detected in the Ninevite inscriptions. Nimrod's invasion of Assyria gave a Cushite or Babylonian tinge to the language and manners of the Assyrians, and also introduced idolatry; but the real sovereignty soon returned to the Shemite race of Ashur himself, who was afterwards worshipped under the name of Assarac. A permanent hostility continued between the Cushdim of Babylonia and the Shemite race of Assyria at Nineveh.

At length the Medes, a Japhetian, or Indo-Scythic race, conquered Babylonia, and held it about 200 years. Near the close of that period occurred the invasion of Palestine by Chedorlaomer, in the time of Abraham, about 1913. Soon after this Babylonia recovered its freedom, and was governed by a native race of kings for about 400 years. Then followed an Arabian dynasty for about 240 years. During all this period Assyria was subject or tributary to Babylonia, but under native monarchs. It would ap