circumstances, that they are usually expressed by arbitrary monograms; that several monograms often apply indiffe rently to the same god; and that many of the gods have distinct and independent titles, in Syria, in Assyria, and in Babylonia. (See Rawlinson's Outlines.)

The

NOTE 78, p. 679.-(1.) The statement in the text (v. 13), that Nineveh should be destroyed by fire, is most remarkably verified by the state in which the ruins of Nineveh were found. The appearance of the ruins of the more recent palaces the palace at Khorsabad, the south-west palace of Nimroud, and the palace at Kouyunjik-proves beyond a doubt that they had been destroyed by fire; while it is quite as clear that the north-west and centre palaces of Nimroud owed their ruin to a different cause. In regard to the Khorsabad palace, M. Botta wrote: I must acknowledge I no longer doubt that this monument was destroyed by fire. The lower portion contains an enormous quantity of charcoal, and even remnants of burnt beams; besides, the surface of the gypsum, in many places, is evidently converted into plaster, and become friable; to these indications, in short, another sign may be added. I have already mentioned the discovery, during the excavations, of a little ball of clay, bearing a mythological impression. Six more, precisely similar, have since appeared, and, on examination, I perceived that a hole was bored through them still retaining fragments of carbonised string.-M. Botta's Letters, translated from the French. London, 1850. same thing was observed by Mr Layard in regard to Kouyunjik when first discovered by him. 'The palace,' he remarks, had been destroyed by fire. The alabaster slabs were almost reduced to lime, and many of them fell to pieces as soon as uncovered. The places which others had occupied could only be traced by a thin white deposit, left by the burnt alabaster upon the wall of sun-dried bricks, and having the appearance of a coating of plaster.'-Nineveh and its Remains, vol. i. p. 121. Similarly he remarks regarding the south-west palace at Nimroud: "The whole entrance was buried in charcoal, and the fire which destroyed the building appears to have raged in this part with extraordinary fury. The sphinxes were almost reduced to lime. The same fate had befallen the two temples at the high mound, the cedar-wood of which they appear to have been built being found amongst the ruins, for the most part reduced to charcoal. In a part of these ruins was found a mass of lead which had evidently been melted, for imbedded in it was the iron head of a hatchet. It is to the falling in of the roofs of the chambers, occasioned by the conflagration, that the preservation of the sculptures is mainly to be attributed. The débris of the upper brick-walls has formed a layer of earth, which, with the materials of the roofs, has protected the bass-reliefs from the destructive effects of atmospheric influences.

·

(2.) ̊ V. 17. ‘Thy crowned' (). The epithet crowned, as applied to the Assyrian princes, would appear to refer to the head-dress worn by them, which consisted of a diadem richly ornamented. It is unnecessary here to do more than refer to Note 70 in this Appendix, where the dress of the Assyrians is briefly noticed.

(3.) V. 19. For upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually.' The war-practices of the Assyrians, as represented on the monuments, were characterised by savage cruelty. Their treatment of captives was particularly cruel. In a sculpture at Khorsabad, for example, there is a representation of a man flaying a captive alive. In others, the king is represented holding in one hand a rope, which is attached at its other ends to rings through the lips of certain prisoners (see 2 Kings xix. 28); while with the other, he is putting out the eyes of a captive with a sharp-pointed instrument. Many bass-reliefs represent Assyrian soldiers bringing in the heads of the slain, and scribes keeping account of their number, to furnish matter for boasting to the vainglorious and barbarous tyrant. More horrible still, the monuments shew clearly that it was an occasional practice of the Assyrians to impale their victims, and the practice seems to have become more common during the later period of the empire.

These infamous usages, taken in connection with the extent and overwhelming success of the Assyrian conquests as represented on the sculptures, and narrated in the inscriptions-enable us to understand the force and point of the question: upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually.'

NOTE 79, p. 691.-It remains now for us to give a general and necessarily brief view of the ruins of Ninevehso far as is required in order to a clear comprehension of the question regarding the site of that ancient city. We have occasionally, in the previous notes, spoken vaguely of the ruins and monuments of Nineveh, when the reference was specially applicable, sometimes to Khorsabad, sometimes to Kouyunjik, and sometimes to Nimroud; thus assuming that all three formed part of one city. This, however, has been disputed. Colonel Rawlinson regards, or did regard, the enclosures of Nimroud, Kouyunjik, and Khorsabad, as well as other ruins, as the remains of distinct cities; although he admits that, at the time of Jonah, they went all vaguely under the name of Nineveh. Layard thought it improbable that distinct cities should exist in such close vicinity, and regarded the ruins as representing buildings which, from the first, belonged to one city. Nimroud he regarded as the original site of Nineveh, and the rest as successive additions to the original city. This latter view, however, should be modified by the fact, now ascertained, that the inscriptions shew the original name of Nimroud to have been Calah (Gen. x. 12); and the former view, also, is opposed by the circumstance, that all the chief ruins bear independent names in the inscriptions. The probability seems to lie, therefore, in favour of Rawlinson's opinion-that the ruins shew the sites of originally independent cities, which, in the latter days of the Assyrian empire, became united, and were spoken of as one city, under the name of Nineveh.

Mr Layard states, in his last work, so often referred to, that a trigonometrical survey of the country by Captain Jones, had proved that the great ruins of Kouyunjik, Nimroud, Karamless (unexplored), and Khorsabad, formed very nearly a perfect parallelogram, as Mr Layard had conjectured in his first work. In that work, Mr Layard gives the distance from the northern extremity of Kouyunjik to Nimroud, in a southern direction, as about 18 miles; the distance from Nimroud to Karamless, 12 (east); and the opposite sides, uniting Khorsabad with Karamless and Kouyunjik, as of the same length. These sides together amount to 60 miles-thus corresponding with the 480 stadia of Diodorus Siculus, and the three days' journey of the prophet Jonah. The reader will bear in mind, that the space enclosed within this 'perfect parallelogram' includes a number of mounds, indicating ruins; among which is Nebbi Yunus, opposite Mosul, surmounted by the pretended tomb of the prophet Jonas.

In order to furnish the reader with a connected view of an Assyrian palace, which may relieve his mind after the perusal of so many detached details, we quote the following eloquent description by Mr Layard, and with it close our notes on Nineveh :-The interior of the Assyrian palace must have been as magnificent as imposing. I have led the reader through its ruins, and he may judge of the impression its halls were calculated to make upon one who, in the days of old, entered for the first time the abode of the Assyrian kings. He was ushered in through the portal, guarded by the colossal lions or bulls of white alabaster. In the first hall, he found himself surrounded by the sculptured records of the empire. Battles, sieges, triumphs, the exploits of the chase, the ceremonies of religion, were portrayed on the walls-sculptured in alabaster, and painted in gorgeous colours. Under cach picture were engraved, in characters filled up with bright copper, inscriptions describing the scenes represented. Above the sculptures were painted other events-the king, attended by his eunuchs and warriors, receiving his prisoners, entering into alliances with other monarchs, or performing some sacred duty These representations were enclosed in coloured borders of elaborate and elegant design. The emblematic

tree, winged bulls, and monstrous animals, were conspicuous among the ornaments. At the upper end of the hall was the colossal figure of the king, in adoration before the Supreme Deity, or receiving from his eunuch the holy cup. He was attended by warriors bearing his arms, and by the priests or presiding divinities. His robes, and those of his followers, were adorned with groups of figures, animals, and flowers, all painted with brilliant colours.

The stranger trod upon alabaster slabs, each bearing an inscription recording the titles, genealogy, and achievements of the great king. Several doorways, formed by gigantic winged lions or bulls, or by the figures of guardian deities, led into other apartments, which again opened into more distant halls. In each were new sculptures. On the walls of some were processions of colossal figures-armed men and eunuchs following the king, warriors laden with spoil, leading prisoners, or bearing presents and offerings to the gods. On the walls of others were portrayed the 730

winged priests, or presiding divinities, standing before the sacred trees. The ceilings above him were divided into square compartments, painted with flowers or with the figures of animals. Some were inlaid with ivory, each com partment being surrounded by elegant borders and mouldings. The beams, as well as the sides of the chambers, may have been gilded, or even plated with gold and silver; and the rarest woods, in which the cedar was conspicuous, were used for the wood-work. Square openings in the ceilings of the chambers admitted the light of day. A pleasing shadow was thrown over the sculptured walls, and gave a majestic expression to the human features of the colossal forms which guarded the entrances. Through these apertures was seen the bright blue of an eastern sky, enclosed in a frame, on which were painted, in vivid colours, the winged circle, in the midst of elegant ornaments, and the graceful forms of ideal animals.'-Nineveh and its Remains, vol. ii., p. 262-4.