residence we know was in the lot of land appertaining to the tribe of Benjamin? (1 Sam ix. 1.) (To be continued.)

SARDIS

(Continued from No. 77.)

Sardis was magnificently situated on one of the roofs of Mount Tmolus, which commands an extensive view to the northward over the valley of the Hermus, and the country beyond it. To the south of the city, in a small plain watered by the Pactolus, stood the temple, the ruins of which appeared in one of our last, built of coarse whitish marble. The western front was on the bank of the river; the eastern under the impending heights of the Acropolis.

But two columns of this temple now stand having capitals one of them shifted from its original position. Six columns were seen by Peysonnel in 1750, and a part of the cell, which have been removed by the Turks in expectation of finding lead or gold between the stones that compose them. "The columns are buried in the soil to nearly half their height, chiefly, it is probable, by the destruction of the hill of the Acropolis, which is continually crumbling and presents a very rugged and fantastic outline."

So much of the columns being thus buried, it cannot be doubted that an excavation would expose the greater part of the building; even now, there is sufficient above the soil to give an idea of the dimensions of the temple, and to shew that it was one of the most magnificent in Greece; for though in extent inferior to the temples of Juno at Samos, and Apollo at Branchidæ, the proportions of the order are at least equal to those of the former, and exceed those of the latter. The diameter of the exterior columns about 35 feet below the capitals is 6 feet 4 inches.

The capital (says colonel Leake) appeared to me to surpass any specimen of the Ionic I had seen, in perfection of design and execution. I suppose the temple to have been an octastyle dipterous, with seventeen columns in the flanks; though in regard to the

number in the flanks, I am more guided by the proportion of the other dipteral temples of the lonic order than by any proof that can be derived from the ruins in their present state. The gradual diminution of the intercolumnia from the centre of the front to the angles is remarkable, and I believe, without any other example. The larger intercolumnium in the centre is indeed found in the temple of Diana at Magnesia, and is recommended by Vitruvius lib. iii. c. ii. the contraction of the intercolumnia in all the flanks is exemplified in the temple of Samos. The smaller diameter of the interior columns is not uncommon in Greek temples; the capitals resemble those of the exterior order. The flutings are not continued in any of the columns below the capital: which I conceive to be a proof that this temple, like that of Apollo Didymeus, was more finished.

The great height of the architrave, the peculiar style of the design and workmanship, and the difference of intercolumnia in I cannot but regard as tokens of high antithe faces and in the flanks of the perystyle, quity, and perhaps we may consider as no less so the vast size of the stones employed in the architrave and the circumstances of temple of Didyma and in the Parthenon their being single stones, whereas in the

there were two blocks in the same situation.* In subsequent times the durability ensured by this massive mode of construction was sacrificed for appearances, and for a more easy result.

The merit of the very ancient architects

• The reasons which are here given for believing that the temple of Sardis was a building of very high antiquity render it probable, that it was the work of one of the kings, or perhaps several successive kings, of the Lydian dynasty; which began under Jyges in 715 B.C., and ended with the capture of Sardis by Cyrus in 545. It was undoubtedly in the same period, when the power and opulence of Samos were at their height, that the magnificent temple of Juno in that island was constructed, and it was probably about that time that the inhabitants of the little island of Aegina, which was then sufficiently powerful to rival Samos and even Athens, constructed the temple of

Jupiter Panellenus. The temple of Sardis was

burned by the Ionians in the year 503. It may have been repaired, but it is not probable that it was entirely rebuilt after that misfortune.

in overcoming such a difficulty, and the great expense incurred by it, may be illustrated by the practical observation, that the cubic foot of stone is doubled and trebled, according to size, as well in the quarrying as in the carriage and setting. Modern architecture has indeed succeeded in producing buildings of immense bulk, but they cannot be kept together without repair; and the triumph is little more than that of balancing a skeleton on its legs. In some late works only, such as the recent artificial docks and basins, have we imitated the solidity of the ancients.

On the north side of the Acropolis of Sardis, overlooking the valley of the Hermus, is a theatre, attached to a stadium: in the manner of which we find several examples in Asia Minor. The stadium is near 1000 feet in length, the theatre near 400 in diameter."

THERE IS A BRIGHTER world above.

By eastern travellers we are told
Of countries rich with gems of gold:
Of beautiful scenes the poet loves,
Waving palm-trees, and orange groves.
They tell us of sunny Italy;

Of its ruins, grey and dark blue sky,
Where 'neath the sheltered myrtle bowers
They charm away their peaceful hours
With tales of love and tales of war,
With the soft lute or sweet guitar.
We hear of fair Arcadia's fields;
Where happy shepherds peacefully
Watch their large herds of pastures by;
Or through the shady vallies rove,
Singing the praise of them they love.
But there are fairer worlds on high,
Far, far above yon dark blue sky.
There in that happier world above
We soon shall meet with all we love.
Nor strife, nor woe, nor earthly sin.
Nor fell disease can enter in.
Oh that to us it may be given
To find this happiness in heaven.

The first object of education is to train up an immortal soul. The second (but second at an immeasurable distance,) is to do this in a manner most conducive to human happiness; never sacrificing either the interests of the future world to those of the present, or the welfare of the man to the inclinations of the child; errors not dissimilar in complexion, though so awfully different in the importance of their results.

RESIGNATION.

There would be no unhappiness in this world, if we could conform our wills entirely to the will of God; but such a feeling in its utmost perfection, can never be attained while the soul continues imprisoned in a mortal body; yet men are happy in exact proportion, as they advance in such implicit submission to the Almighty: and it is the greatest triumph of faith over nature, when we can see hope even illuminate the grave, and calmly acquiesce in the solemn decree, that the tomb shall speedily close between us, and all we have ever yet seen or known, confidently believing, that au admission has been obtained for us, undeserving as we are, into a brighter and better world, "a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

IN FESTO DEDICATIONIS.
The holy Jerusalem
From highest heaven descending,
And crowned with a diadem
Of Angel bands attending,
The living city built on high,
Bright with celestial jewelry!

She comes the bride, from heaven gate, In nuptial new adorning,

To meet the Immaculate

Like coming of the morning.
Her street of purest gold are made,
Her walls a diamond palisade.

There with pearls the gates are dight

Upon that holy mountain;

And thither come both day and night,

Who in the living fountain

Have washed their robes, from earthly stain, And borne below Christ's lowly chain.

By the hand of the unknown

Those living stones are moulded

To a glorious shrine, all one,
Full soon to be unfolded;

The building wherein God doth dwell,
The holy church invisible.

Glory be to God who layed
In heaven the foundation;

And to the spirit who hath made
The walls of our salvation;
To Christ himself, the corner stone
Be glory! to the three in one.

ودود

Lyra Apostolica.

The MALTA PENNY MAGAZINE is published and sent to Subscribers, in Valetta, every Saturday. Subscriptions at Is. per quarterreceived at No. 97. Str. Forni.

No. 81.

JOURNEY TO BETHANY, JERICHO, THE JORDAN, AND THE Dead sea.

(Continued from No. 80.)

Jericho.

The road from Bethany to Jericho is one continued descent bounded by high hills on the right and left, and only occasionally interrupted by a short distance of level ground. It is literally a "going down to Jericho," (Luke x.30.) and as it appears to have been in the time when our Saviour uttered the parable of the Good Samari tan, so now this road is the frequent resort of lawless banditti or Arab "thieves." We met only a few fellaheen in our ride, who appeared as suspicious of us as we of them; but luckily no mishap occurred to our party. The road itself is good but extremely dreary, and highly favourable as a hiding-place for robbers and cut-throats. Sometimes it leads

[Price 1d.

taking their rise in Scythopolis northward are supposed to extend as far as Idumea on the south. From the declivity we had a full view of the extended plain before us, hemmed in on the opposite side by the lofty walllike mountains of Moab and Ammon. The reiterated shout of the muleteers bawling out Erieha! Erieha! (Jericho! Jericho!) roused me from a pleasing association of its early history with the scene around us, and led me to look attentively for the object of their notice But I looked long in vain,

for I beheld nothing but a small quadrangular tower far away in the plain, with one or two solitary palm-trees growing by its side. I soon found, however, that this was all that my companions saw of the once mighty Jericho.

nearly two hours we reached the village, After traversing the plain for which consists of about fifty of the most wretched hovels I ever beheld. These are scarcely five feet high, and are constructed

Sometimes it is confined to a narrow pass betwixt two lofty hills, from which there could be no possibility of escape in case of

a sudden attack. The whole face of the region is dry and barren, and may very aptly be called a wilderness. One particular feature in the rocks hereabouts is worthy of notice The mass of which they are compounded is calcareous lime-stone, with occasional strata of flint, or coarse agate, projecting a little from the surface. These lay towards the summit, and encircle the hills in a zig-zag direction, so as immediately to raise the presumption of their having been acted upon by some strong undulatory subterranean motion After travelling for five

hours we reached the termination of the mountains which bound the valley of the Jordan, or El Ghor, on the west, and which

with dry bundles of a thorny shrub which grows luxuriantly in the valley. The appearance of the villagers suited the misery of their abodes, for both men and women were

ragged and dirty to a proverb. Their only

labour seemed limited to the cultivation of a few fields in the immediate vicinity, which are watered by a clear stream issuing from the foot of the western mountains we had just crossed, and supposed to be that of Elisha.* Their manners are those of Bedooeen, if not more barbarous, and plunder is their most gainful occupation. We could procure nothing from these wretches but a few eggs, and heartily rejoiced at having brought a tent with us, whereby we were relieved from the disagreeable necessity of lodging even for a night in such brute-like

habitations.