The pyramidal form, as we shall hereafter see, was long prevalent in India, Mexico, Egypt, Greece, and other countries, and many ancient buildings are to be found, in steps or stories, similar to the Temple of Belus, which I have described; as for example, the Hindu temples at Chalembarum and Tanjore, the great Mexican temples, and some of the smaller Egyptian pyramids. This rough pen-scratch represents one of the latter.

Until very recently little if anything was known of the ruins in Assyria and Babylon. Mr. Rich, in 1820, was the first person who examined and described the remains there at any length; but until four years ago, our knowledge on the subject was of the most confined nature. It was left for Dr. Layard and M. Botta to investigate these mysterious mounds, the contents of which have rendered us familiar with the people and their arts to an extent that could not have been anticipated, and have corroborated in a wonderful manner many parts of the holy writings. You, I know, have seen and studied

with your usual intelligence the surprising relics of a mysterious past-winged bulls and engraved slabswhich have reached us through Layard's researches, and have been deposited in some cellars at the British Museum. They have been so long buried, that it was, perhaps, thought they could not yet stand the light. It is scarcely possible to contemplate these wonderful monuments-some of them contemporary with Abraham, and dating probably more than 2,000 years before our era-without emotion. These inscribed stones were the records of that early timeand well have they fulfilled their office. The practice of thus chronicling events is often referred to in the Bible. Ezekiel, you will recollect, was told "to take a tile and portray upon it the city of Jerusalem."

These slabs are of alabaster or gypsum, which was found in large quantities on the spot, and they were used to case the walls of sun-dried bricks which inclosed the Halls; above them coloured tiles were probably fixed. The walls went up only a certain height, perhaps 18 or 19 feet, and were very thick,— from 16 feet to 20 feet. The winged lions formed the entrances. On the top of the walls, Mr. Fergusson has suggested, two rows of short pillars were placed (one on the inner, the other on the outer edge of the wall), and these supported a flat roof of mud, and thus formed a series of upper chambers or galleries. The effect of the courts, with their colossal lions and bulls, their sculptured sides, and painted

and gilded decorations, must have been singularly imposing. We cease to wonder that Nineveh, now "a desolation and a waste," was the admiration and glory of the ancient world. From Assyria, Greece probably obtained part of her art, as we shall see byand-by. If I occupy you longer, however, on this point, you will regret the expression of your opinion to which I alluded at starting, and I cannot afford to tire you yet, and so to lose your cheerful countenance. I shall be glad if you find every letter too short, and that it suggests to you more than it tells.

LETTER III.

S

INCE I wrote my second letter, which included a few remarks on Assyrian architecture, some additional examples of the art of that nation

have been deposited in the National Museum, especially several more of the enormous winged animals which originally formed the doorways in the palaces or temples. I should have pointed out to you, in proof of my observation that Greece had some of her art from Assyria, the prototype of what is known as the Greek honeysuckle on several of the incised slabs in the cellars, but I thought it would come more forcibly before you when we are tracing the progress of Grecian art. You will observe, too, that arched doorways, and even what seems to be a bridge with arches, are represented on some of the slabs; but to these I will refer when speaking of the history of the arch. You will, of course, remember that there may be a considerable difference in the age of Assyrian monuments, ranging, as they do, from 2,200 years before Christ to 600 B.C., when the final destruction of Nineveh was effected.

The arrow-headed or cuneiform characters seen

on the Babylonish bricks are found also at PERSEPOLIS, the ancient capital of Persia, and serve to show, with winged bulls at the entrances, and other coincidences, a certain degree of connection between the modes of building in the two cities. Of the latter there are more perfect ruins remaining than of Babylon, especially those of the Chehil Minar, or Great Hall of Xerxes; and in these there is seen to be a coincidence both with Egyptian architecture as we now know it, and the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem, as described in the Bible. Mr. Morier, in his novel of "Abel Allnutt," has introduced a serious dissertation to prove that the ruins of the "Temple of Forty Columns" afford specimens of the architecture and general character of the Temple of Solomon.

The description of Solomon's Temple to be found in the 1st Book of Kings (ch. vi.) and the 2nd Book of Chronicles (ch. ii. and iii.), shows the enormous scale on which building operations were then conducted. Eighty thousand men were set to hew in the mountains, seventy thousand to bear burdens, and three thousand three hundred to overlook and direct. The building consisted of the main body of the temple, a porch or portico in front, and the sanctum behind. The length of the body of the temple in feet (if we consider the cubit as 1 foot 6 inches) was 60 feet, and the width 30 feet, or onehalf the length. The height was 45 feet, or half the