"Count that day lost whose low descending sunViews from thy hand no worthy action done."
"Count that day lost whose low descending sunViews from thy hand no worthy action done."
"Count that day lost whose low descending sunViews from thy hand no worthy action done."
"Count that day lost whose low descending sun
Views from thy hand no worthy action done."
"It seems strange our children should be so perverse; we have always given them good counsel," said a lady, whose darling son had just been sent to sea as the last scheme parental anxiety could devise for his reformation.
Good counsel is a very good thing, doubtless; but, to make it effectual, we must convince our children that goodness is pleasure. I once saw a lady punishing her little son for playing on the Sabbath. The boy sat sobbing and sulky, and his mother, whose heart melted at his tears, while her sense of duty forbade her to indulge him, turned to me and said—
"The Sabbath is a most trying day; I can keep it myself, though it is dull; but my children have nothing to occupy their minds, and they will be in mischief. I am always glad when the Sabbath is over."
The children looked up, very pleasantly, at this, and probably thought their mother hated the Sabbath as truly as they did; and they might reason it would be a pleasure to her if there were no Sabbaths.
The elder Mr. Lloyd managed things better. He maintained that children were inclined to good or tempted to evil by the influences of their education; that the fear of losing a pleasure operated more forcibly on their hearts than the fear of incurring a punishment; and, consequently, that we must make the way in which we would have them go seem so pleasant by our own gladness while treading it, that they may be inclined to follow us from choice.
"It is a poor compliment to virtue, if her votaries must be always sad," he would say; "and thepeace and good-willwhich the Gospel was given expressly to diffuse over the earth should not make men gloomy and children miserable."
What he commended he practised. In forming the character of Arthur, he was careful to make him distinguish between the happiness which in his own heart he enjoyed, and that which others might flatter him with possessing.
"The reason why so many are blind to their best interests," Mr. Lloyd would say, "is because they will trust to their neighbors' eyes rather than their own. I intend Arthur shall see for himself. Had Bonaparte done what his own heart approved, he would have preserved freedom and the republic; but he wanted the world should flatter him, that posterity should honor him, and so he violated his integrity of purpose, and grasped a crown that proved but a shadow."
It would be very gratifying to me to describe particularly the manner of Arthur Lloyd's domestic education, the means which were employed to draw forth his powers, ascertain his peculiar talents, and exercise and direct these as they were developed. But it is now my purpose rather to display effects than trace causes. Yet one thing must be noted; his father's great aim, after religious training, was to cultivate the reason and judgment of his son. Mathematics and natural philosophy had been made to occupy a prominent place in his studies.
"The pleasures these pursuits confer," Mr. Lloyd would wisely remark, "cannot be enjoyed without self-exertion. Any man who has money may obtain the reputation of taste by themere purchasing of works of art, while his own mind is as inert as the canvas or statue on which he gazes with so much seeming admiration. But he who would gain credit for understanding mathematical sciences or natural philosophy, must deserve it by patient toil and persevering industry. Now, this thirst for knowledge, which must be won by personal exertion, is the talisman which will effectually secure the rich man from the torment of ennui; and, if with this knowledge be united the disposition to make his talents and means of doing good serviceable to the world, his own happiness is secure as that derived from earthly objects can be."
So thought the father, and so he trained his son to think.
"I did not expect to find you thus deeply at work," said George Willet, a classmate, who had called on Arthur shortly after he was settled in his home. "Why, the arrangement of all these minerals and shells and insects must be an endless task. If I had as much money as you, I would purchase my cabinets ready furnished."
"So would I, if all I wanted was to exhibit them," replied Arthur, pleasantly.
"And what more important purpose do you intend these shall serve?"
"I intend they shall contribute to my own gratification and improvement," said Arthur. "There is hardly a specimen here but has its history, which awakens some pleasant association of heart, memory, or mind. Some were presented by men I honor, and some by friends I love. This curious shell was the gift of a lady on my last birthday; and the benignant wishes that accompanied it made me, I trust, a better man; or, at least, they inspired me with new resolutions to deserve her commendations. These petrifactions and fossils are a memento of many delightful hours I have spent with some of the noble French naturalists and philosophers. Thatbeetle, I could tell you a long story about it, the time I spent in watching its habits, the pains I took to assure myself it was a nondescript, and the pleasure I enjoyed when the great Cuvier complimented me for my patience and research—but I fear you would think this all nonsense."
"It is not what I should go to Paris to learn," returned the other. "But then I must think of my profession; a physician is the slave of the public. You can use your time as you please, and are not compelled to coin it into money in order to live."
"No; but I have had as hard a lesson perhaps. I have had to learn that money will not buy happiness, and that he who is not compelled to labor for food must labor for an appetite, which, in the end, amounts to about the same thing."
"You were always stoically inclined, Arthur; but a young man with a million at command will find it rather difficult to act the philosopher. The world has a powerful current, and fashion a sweeping breeze."
"They will not move me from my course, George: that is fixed, and, with Heaven's blessing, I will hold on my way. My father's example is my chart, and the Christian rule my compass."
"You think so now—-well, we shall see. Your father was a good man and a happy one, and that is much in your favor. Had you witnessed, as I have done, the weary, monotonous, heartless, wretched life many who call themselvesgoodundergo, and, what is worse, inflict on others, you would not have much inclination for goodness."
"Your remarks, George, are just. I have known young men plunge into dissipation avowedly to shake off the restraints of morality which had been imposed in a manner so galling. And I have known others hold business in abhorrence only because the selfish, slavish life their fathers had led made application seem a drudgery. I trust I have more rational views—thanks to my good parents!"
No man should say he will be always wise. Who would guess that Arthur, so calm, rational, and discriminating, would have fallen in love with a coquette? But this he did, notwithstanding thepenchanthe intended to cultivate for the pretty Ellen Gray. My lady readers probably thought she was predestined to be his wife, and I should have been glad to describe the tender and tranquil loves of two beings who seemed so congenial. But authors cannot control fate.
Arthur Lloyd was, to be sure, deeply interested with Ellen's meek and innocent beauty, and he was touched to the heart by the unaffected sorrow which any allusion to his parents would excite in her manner, even when she controlled the expression of her grief, which she could not always. And he often thought nothing could be more lovely than her fair face, rather pale perhaps; but then the predominance of the lily seemed to be the effect of purity of mind, not languor of body, when contrasted with the deep mourning habiliments which he knew were in truth the outward token of that sadness of spirit which she was cherishing for the loss of those who had also been the dearestto him. Could they choose but sympathize? If they did, it was very secretly and silently.
It might be that this necessity for communion was the very cause which prevented Arthur from feeling other than a brother's affection for the sweet girl whose interests he was deputed to defend; and, on her part, there hardly seemed a sister's confidence yielded to her young guardian. A guardian! Who ever read of a lady falling in love with her guardian? The impossibility of the circumstance seemed fully understood and acted upon by the belles of New York, who were sedulous to attract the attention of such a fine man as Arthur Lloyd. But he was not disposed to mingle much in society; and, during the year which succeeded his father's death, he was almost wholly engrossed with his business and various plans for promoting public education and elevating the character of our national literature. This was the favorite object to which he resolved to devote his energies and his resources. He was persuaded that a republican people must derive their chief happiness and their highest honors from intellectual pursuits, if they intend their institutions shall be permanent. The glories of conquest and the luxuries of wealth alike tend to make the few masters and the many slaves; but, if the mild light of science and literature be the guide of a people, all will move onward together, for the impulse of knowledge has an attractive force that elevates, proportionally, every mind over which its influence can be extended.
Such were Arthur Lloyd's sentiments; and it would have been strange if he had not felt a deep respect for the character of the Puritans, and a wish to cultivate an acquaintance with New England people, who, whatever be their faults, have rarely sinned through ignorance.
So Arthur visited Boston during the summer of 18—, and received from theélèvesof society all that courtesy and hospitality which a rich stranger is sure to elicit. He could hardly be termed a stranger, however, for his father had many commercial friends in Boston, and they cordially transferred their favor to the son. Everything was calculated to make Arthur think highly of the people; the tone of intelligent and liberal feeling appeared the result of the liberality which had laid the foundation of popular instruction, and young Lloyd became every day more satisfied of the truth of his favorite theory, namely, educate all the children and you will reform all the world. A man is never more self-satisfied than when he is confirming a favorite theory.
Among the multitude of friends and flatterers that surrounded Arthur, none charmed him so completely as the Hon. Mr. Markley and family. The gentleman was himself very eloquent, his lady very elegant, and their daughters exceedingly fascinating. They all exerted their talents to please Arthur; it was no more than he merited, a stranger and a guest, and so handsome and intelligent and agreeable! Who thought he was worth a million? Not the Markleys; for they were never heard to speak of a selfish sentiment except to condemn it. Arthur thought he never met with a more disinterested family.
Arabella Markley was a most captivating creature, and she soon contrived to make Arthur sensible of it; and he found, to his mortification, that he had not so fully and firmly the mastery of his own mind as he had flattered himself with possessing. Love exhibits much the same symptoms in the wise as the weak; and Arthur, when beside Arabella, forgot there was for him any higher object in this world than to please a woman. But sometimes in the solitude of his chamber other thoughts would arise; he could not but see that the Markleys were devoted to fashion and gayety, though Arabella had assured him she did not enjoy the bustle, but that excitement was necessary for her father's spirits and health.
If she makes this sacrifice for her father, thought Arthur, how gladly will she conform to my quiet domestic plan! Still there was something in the expression of her face, and more in her manner, which denoted a fondness for show and variety; and whenever Arthur wrote to Ellen Gray, which he often did, as he had promised to give her the history of his tour, the contrast between her beauty and that of Arabella always came over his mind. He described Arabella in one of his letters to Ellen, and concluded with observing: "If she had a little more of your tenderness and placidity in the expression of her eyes, she would be a perfect model of female loveliness; but that would make her too angelic, the arch vivacity of her glance assures her to be human, and susceptible of human sympathies."
Ellen Gray read that passage over and over; but she never answered the letter, for Arthur returned to New York before she could arrange her thoughts for a reply.
Arthur left Boston without any explanation, as they say, though he had been several times on the point of making the love speech. It seemed as if some spell were restraining him, for Arabella had given him opportunities of seeing her alone, and Mr. and Mrs. Markley had evidently sought to draw him to their parties.Perhaps this solicitude had been one means of deferring the proposals. Lloyd found himself so agreeably entertained, he could hardly wish to be happier. Like the Frenchman who would not marry the lady he admired and visited constantly, because he should have no place to pass his evenings, Arthur Lloyd might have been fearful thatcertaintywould have made his visits, which were hailed as favors, appear only events of course. Young gentlemen have thus reasoned.
Arabella was sadly disappointed, for she had really acted her part most admirably, and she expected to succeed. She knew the power of her charms, and, fond of flattery as she was, had resolved such unsubstantial coin should never gain her hand. A coquette by nature and habit, she had managed to draw many distinguished beaux in her train, but none, till Arthur had appeared, had been rich enough to satisfy her ambition. However, he had agreed to correspond, and she knew well how to draw an inference or frame a remark which would render it necessary for him to explain.
So they parted, both persuaded in their own hearts that they should soon meet, though he did not feel that the choice was one his parents would entirely have approved. But her letters might prove her excellence; he knew the fashionable scenes in which he had chiefly beheld her were not calculated to display the amiable traits of character in a woman. There were several circumstances which occurred to Arthur, as he journeyed homeward, that determined him to be guarded in his letters, at least for a season. And he determined also to consult Ellen Gray on the subject; he considered her as having a sister's right to his confidence. But Ellen was very ill, he found, and any allusion to the fair lady he had seen in Boston seemed difficult to introduce to one who looked so sad and serious. Nevertheless, he ventured to name the subject once, and Ellen listened calmly to all his praises of Arabella; and to his reiterated request that hissister, as he called Ellen, should give him her opinion.
She advised him to marry the lady if he loved her, and felt assured she loved him. The last remark was spoken in a low tone, and Mrs. C., the preceptress, entering at that moment, thought Ellen was too much fatigued for further conversation. And so it proved, for she was seriously ill for several days after, and it was weeks before she was able to see Arthur again.
In the mean time, the correspondence between Mr. Lloyd and Miss Markley commenced with spirit; on his part, rather intended to fathom her principles and taste than her affections; and on hers, under an appearance of careless vivacity, to ascertain his real intentions respecting her. There is nothing like a little jealousy for expediting love matters, many ladies believe; and Arabella held the creed fully, as her third letter proved. It was filled with the description and praises of an emigrant Frenchman, Count de Verger, who had recently arrived in Boston. His merits could be equalled only by his misfortunes, which had been manifold as those of Ulysses. His courage and constancy had hitherto borne him up; but, when he arrived penniless on the shore of the New World, his mental sufferings were, as Arabella described them, extreme. In Europe, a man was respected for his birth and breeding, and, though he had lost his property, his rank entitled him to consideration. But, in our republic, where men were judged by their own merits, not by their father's title, the unlucky Count de Verger feared that his misfortunes might be imputed as crimes. He could endure poverty, but not contempt. He had once resolved to conceal his rank, and even his name; but his abhorrence of falsehood and hypocrisy enabled him to overcome this false pride, and so he was known for a nobleman, though he modestly disclaimed all intention of endeavoring to support his rank. If he could earn sufficient by his talents and accomplishments to maintain himself, he felt that he should be truly happy. Among his accomplishments was that of playing the harp with a surprising degree of skill, when it was considered that he had only practised for his own amusement. But he now thought it possible he might make this knowledge of music available, if any of the fair ladies of Boston should feel disposed to take lessons on the harp. His wonderful condescension was no sooner known than there appeared a competition among fashionable ladies who should first secure the services of this amiable and gifted nobleman. His tuition charges were exorbitant; but he was a foreigner, and a count; and, besides, he had been unfortunate, and republicans must pay liberally for the graces which can only be taught by those who have witnessed the refinements of royal taste and the magnificence of courts.
These were the items of intelligence Arabella dilated upon with touching pathos in her letter to Arthur Lloyd; she was in raptures with the Count de Verger. Such an accomplished scholar! so perfect and gentlemanly! His mind was a constellation of all brilliant qualities; his manners the embodied essence of suavity and elegance! There were but two objections themost fastidious critic could make to his appearance He squinted a little; but Arabella did not dislike a slight cast of the eye, it rather gave a fascinating effect to a handsome countenance. The other fault was, in her opinion, a perfection. The count wore moustaches (this was before beards were the rage), and our smooth, Puritan-faced men of business disliked moustaches; but Arabella was glad the ladies had more taste for the picturesque. For her part, she should for the future make it asine qua nonwith all gentlemen who aspired to her friendship to cultivate moustaches. It was needless to say she was learning to play the harp; it might more properly be called adoring it. She was never before so engrossed with any pursuit; and she only wished, to complete her felicity, that Mr. Lloyd could become acquainted with her tutor, and witness the proficiency she was making.
"Fudge!" said Arthur, giving audible expression to his thoughts, as he kicked a fallen brand with the petulance of a poet, forgetting there was poker, tongs, or servants in the world. "Fudge! wears moustaches and squints! I'll see the fellow!"
Arthur was sensible he felt disappointed, not so much that Arabella proved a coquette as that his estimate of the effect of education on the female mind should be found false. He had drawn his conclusions logically; thus: Virtuous and intelligent women are sincere and reasonable; New England ladies are virtuous and intelligent; therefore, they are sincere and reasonable. And yet here was one who had enjoyed every mental and moral advantage a lady could require to perfect her character acting the part of an artful coquette; or otherwise she was a silly dupe, for the story of the Count de Verger Arthur credited no more than the adventures of Baron Munchausen.
He did not write to Arabella to announce his intention of visiting her, fearing the count might, in that case, retire for a season, and he much wished to see him. So Arthur reached Boston and astonished his friends, who could find no solution for the sudden movement but that he had learned the danger there was that Miss Markley would be won by the gallant Frenchman; and all the inquiries he made respecting the count he had the mortification of finding were regarded as the promptings of a jealous spirit seeking to find matter of accusation against a rival. Many of the gentlemen whom he addressed on the subject declared their belief that the professor of the harp was a real count, his bearing and manner were decidedly noble, and there was a thoroughbred air in his address which distinguished foreigners of high rank, and which our richest and most eminent men, who were always compelled to speak of themselves as plain citizens, and only enjoying equal privileges with the people, never could display.
"I would give fifty thousand," said a young mercantile gentleman, whose father had, by careful industry, amassed a large fortune, "if I could appear with the ease and elegance of the Count de Verger. I met him the other day at the dinner party of Mr. ——, and I assure you he was the lion of the day. It is no wonder the ladies admire him."
"No, it is no wonder," thought Arthur, "that our ladies despise us for not possessing the manners of slaves, while we men so undervalue and abuse our privilege of being free. If fashion and etiquette are to be considered the most important objects of pursuit among those who assume the first place in our society, we shall always be inferior to the nobles where distinctions of rank and descent of property are so established that fashion and etiquette can have trained subjects and established laws. We republicans must have our standard of respectability founded on moral worth, usefulness, and intelligence, or the discrepancy between our institutions and manners will make us ridiculous in the eyes of other nations, and contemptible in that of our own. But I will see this count, and, if he prove to be my old valet"——
Compressing his lips, as if to prevent the expression of a hasty resolve, he bent his steps to the dwelling of Mr. Markley.
It was in the morning, and too early for a fashionable call; but Arthur had learned that the Count de Verger gave lessons to Miss Markley at half past ten; and that the young lady frequently admitted her particular friends to congratulate her respecting the astonishing progress she made on the harp. Mr. Lloyd was known to the servants as a favored visitor, and found no difficulty in being admitted, and ushered familiarly into the parlor where Arabella was practising. There were two ladies, her intimate friends, and one gentleman present. Neither Arabella nor the count noticed the entrance of Mr. Lloyd, and he stood for several minutes regarding them. Arabella was playing with enthusiasm; it was evident she was charmed with her own performance; her noble teacher sat beside her, the music-book open in his hand, his small keen eyes cast partly upward in admiration; but, as his oblique glance could rest on the face of his fair pupil, it was notcertain whether her beauty or her music caused his raptures.
"Martin!" said Mr. Lloyd, in a deep, commanding tone.
The count started to his feet, every nerve agitated as though he had received a shock from a galvanic battery.
"Jean Martin, how came you here?" continued Mr. Lloyd, sternly.
"I—I am not here—that is, you mistake—I am the Count de Verger."
Mr. Lloyd walked closely up to the impostor.
"Villain, let me hear no more of your falsehoods! Away, instantly, or you shall answer for your crimes."
The accomplished nobleman obeyed the order promptly as it was given, bolting from the apartment without the ceremony of a single bow. There was blank silence for a moment; then Arabella indignantly inquired the reason of such a proceeding in her father's house, and without her father's knowledge.
"Pardon me, Miss Markley," said Arthur; "I am aware my conduct requires explanation. That fellow was my valet. I hired him in Paris: shrewd, ingenious, and attentive, he won my confidence, and for many months I treated him more like a friend than servant. He accompanied me to Germany, and there found means to rob me of a considerable sum of money, besides a casket of jewelry I had in my charge, belonging to a banker of Paris, and for which I was responsible. Martin escaped, and I had no idea of ever meeting him again, till your eloquent description of the Count de Verger awakened my suspicions. I came here therefore unceremoniously, for which I again beg pardon; but trust you and your father will not regret the impostor is detected and exposed."
"You must be mistaken, Mr. Lloyd. This gentleman is a real count; I have seen his coat of arms, and seals, and rings."
Just then Mr. Markley entered, the whole affair was detailed, and Mr. Lloyd produced an order, which had been granted by the Austrian government, for the apprehension of Jean Martin for the robbery; the paper contained a particular description of his person, and all, except Arabella, were convinced of the identity of theci-devantvalet and the elegant Count de Verger.
"It is impossible a person so exquisitely skilled in music and every accomplishment can be of base extraction and character," sighed Arabella.
"You fancied him noble, and invested him with all rare qualities. It is true, he has some skill in music; but he played vastly better for his title. Should you hear him as Martin"——
The lady turned her head scornfully, taking care, at the same time, to wreath her features in a very sweet smile—the scorn was intended for Martin, the smile for Mr. Lloyd; and then she requested the latter to tell her all the particulars, saying that she felt under the greatest obligations for the care he had shown to detect an imposition which she could never have suspected, and in which the whole town participated.
Arthur might have complied with her request; he might even have forgiven her taking lessons of his valet and honoring him as a nobleman, for he was aware that other ladies had been deceived by Martin, and that his own sex had favored the impostor because he pretended to a title; but, as she extended her hand in token of amity, his eye caught a brilliant on her finger; he knew it was one of the banker's jewels.
"That was the gift of Martin," said he.
"Of the Count de Verger," she stammered.
Arthur bade her good-morning.
The next day he left Boston, but not before he had learned that the count had decamped, leaving his landlord's bill and sundry loans of money from honorable men undischarged.
"It will teach me wisdom, I hope," said one gentleman. "I will never again lend money to the count when I would not trust it to the man."
Arthur Lloyd was blamed by some prudent people for the abruptness of his proceedings in the affair, as it severely wounded the feelings of the Markleys. Arabella did not recover from this shock till after she learned that Mr. Lloyd had wedded the pretty Ellen Gray, when she sent him a congratulating letter, which ended their correspondence.
I wish I could describe the course Arthur Lloyd is now pursuing without incurring the charge of personality. There are so few like him that the picture would be instantly recognized. But I can repeat two of his favorite maxims.
The first, "We must educate our sons to consider the title ofRepublicana prouder boast than the highest order of nobility that implies subjection, and requires homage to a mortal."
Second, "We must train our daughters to respect talent in a man more than money, and a character for usefulness more than a showy exterior; to consider their countrymen superior to the men of every other nation; and, above all things, never to receive the present of a ring, except from a near relative or an accepted lover."
FALLEN ROCK-SCULPTURES AT BAVIAN.
FALLEN ROCK-SCULPTURES AT BAVIAN.
FALLEN ROCK-SCULPTURES AT BAVIAN.
Babylon and Nineveh, those magnificent twins of the East, flourished through many centuries in all the pride of power and wealth, and sank into masses of ruin, leaving scarcely a record among the historians of the world. It was known such cities had existed, and it was said that, in the height of their glory, they had no peers in splendor. But of the mighty kings who ruled them, and the manners, customs, characteristics, and achievements of the people who dwelt within their walls, succeeding ages knew almost nothing. Nineveh was a heap of ruins in the days of Xenophon, twenty centuries ago. Greece and Rome grew, ruled, flourished, and decayed. A new religion arose, and spread a strange civilization among the nations of northern Europe, who rose to power upon the ruins of the Roman empire. From these people, curious travellers wandered to the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates. Vast mounds and fragments of sculptures met their gaze. There they were told the mighty Babylon and the gorgeous Nineveh had reared their temples and palaces to the sun, awing into submission the neighboring nations. No one cared to explore these ruins, so long untouched amid the busy march of centuries.
In 1820, Mr. Rich, the political President of the East India Company at Bagdad, visited the mounds of Babylon and Nineveh, and found some fragments of inscriptions, engraved stones, and pieces of pottery, of which a description was published. These precious relics were placed in the British Museum, and they excited much wonder and curiosity. But the great mass of ruins still remained unseen. Nothing was ascertained in regard to Assyrian art, and the architecture of Nineveh and Babylon was a matter of speculation.
At length an enthusiastic and persevering individual applied himself to the exploration of the sites of Nineveh and Babylon, and made discoveries that shed a lustre upon the present age. They are, in fact, the most important historical developments that have been made during the present century. During the autumn of 1839 and the winter of 1840, Austen Henry Layard, accompanied by a person no less enthusiastic than himself, had been wandering through Asia Minor and Syria, scarcely leaving untrod one spot hallowed by classical association. He then determined to turn eastward, and, at least, tread upon the remains of Nineveh and Babylon. Reaching Mosul in April, he had the pleasureof seeing, upon the opposite bank of the Tigris, the great mound called the Birs Nimroud, and other mounds, that had been generally considered the ruins of the mighty Nineveh. The curiosity of Mr. Layard was greatly excited, and, as he floated down the Tigris towards Bagdad, he formed the design of exploring those lofty masses of ruin. At that time, he had not the means to carry out his noble scheme; and it was not until the summer of 1842 that he could again visit Mosul.
In the mean time, M. Botta, a man of energy and intelligence, had been appointed French consul at Mosul, and, when Mr. Layard arrived, he found that personage had already commenced excavations in the large mound on the opposite side of the river, called by the Arabs Konyunjik. These excavations were on a small scale. But Mr. Layard encouraged M. Botta to proceed, and went to Constantinople to interest some Englishmen in the work. To the persevering French consul belongs the honor of having discovered the first Assyrian monument, an acknowledgment of which Mr. Layard has very gracefully made in his "Nineveh and its Remains." A building was partially excavated, upon the walls of which were slabs of gypsum, covered with sculptured representations of battles, sieges, and other warlike events. The dresses of the figures, their arms, and the objects that accompanied them were all new to M. Botta, and he could find no clue to the epoch of the erection of the edifice. Numerous inscriptions, in the cuneiform or arrowhead character, were cut between the bas-reliefs, and evidently contained the explanation of the events thus recorded in sculpture. As Mr. Layard afterwards said: "The French consul had discovered an Assyrian edifice, the first, probably, which had been exposed to the view of man since the fall of the Assyrian empire." M. Botta communicated the results of his labors to the Academy at Paris; and, being furnished with funds by the French government, he returned to the work of excavation, which he continued until the beginning of 1845. His researches did not extend beyond Khorsobad; and, having secured some fine specimens of Assyrian sculpture, he returned to Europe.
The success of M. Botta increased the anxiety of Mr. Layard to explore the ruins of Assyria. He spoke to others, but received little encouragement. At length, in the autumn of 1845, Sir Stratford Canning, the British minister at the Sublime Porte, mentioned his readiness to incur, for a limited period, the expenses of excavations, in the hope that, should success attend the researches, means would be obtained to carry them forward on an extensive scale. Mr. Layard seized the opportunity, with many expressions of joy and gratitude. Furnished with the usual documents given to travellers when recommended by the embassy, and with letters of introduction to the authorities at Mosul, he started from Constantinople, and, after a journey of twelve days, reached Mosul. He immediately presented his letters to Mohammed Pasha, governor of the province, and the terror of the neighboring countries. That official received Layard with civility; but displayed a curiosity to know the object of his visit, which the adventurer did not, at that time, see fit to gratify.
Having procured a few tools and weapons, and engaged a mason, Mr. Layard, accompanied by Mr. Ross, a British merchant of Mosul, his canvas, and a servant, floated down the Tigris to Nimroud. There he engaged six Arabs to work under his direction. On the morning of the 9th of November, the work of excavation was commenced at the great mound, and, in a few hours, a chamber, formed by slabs of alabaster, which were inscribed with cuneiform characters, was exhumed. At another part of the mound, a wall, with similar inscriptions, was discovered upon the same day. From the appearance of the slabs, it was evident that the building or buildings had been destroyed by fire. Some of the slabs were reduced to lime, and they threatened to fall to pieces as soon as exposed to the air.
The next day, Mr. Layard, more enthusiastic than ever, employed more workmen, and had the gratification of making some new discoveries. In the rubbish, near the bottom of the chamber first discovered, he found several ivory ornaments, upon which were traces of gilding. Among them was the figure of a man in long robes, carrying in one hand the Egyptian crux ansata, part of a crouching sphinx, and flowers designed with great taste and elegance. The Arabs were at a loss to conjecture the real object of Mr. Layard's search. On seeing the gilding, one of them took him quietly aside, and, with a knowing wink, said it had been ascertained that he was searching for gold. Mr. Layard immediately presented him and his comrades with all the treasure they might find. The excavations were continued until the 13th, still uncovering chambers and passages, but finding no sculptures. Mr. Layard then deemed it expedient to go to Mosul, and satisfy the curiosity of the Pasha in regard to the object of the researches.
The authorities threw many obstacles in theway of Mr. Layard. At first, they suspected him of seeking the precious metals. When he had convinced them that their suspicions were totally unfounded, they afterwards strove to stop his work by placing false gravestones upon the mound, and declaring that no excavations could be made near the graves of Mohammedans. But the prudence and perseverance of Mr. Layard surmounted all difficulties, and the developments proceeded, all things considered, with remarkable rapidity.
Returning to Nimroud on the 19th of November, our explorer increased the number of his workmen to thirty. On the 28th of November, the first sculptured bas-reliefs were discovered. On one of the slabs was a battle-scene. Two chariots, drawn by horses richly caparisoned, were, each occupied by a group of three warriors; the principal person in both groups was beardless, and evidently a eunuch. He was clothed in a complete suit of mail, and wore a pointed helmet on his head, from the sides of which fell lappets covering the ears, the lower part of the face, and the neck. The left hand, the arm being extended, grasped a bow at full stretch; whilst the right, drawing the string to the ear, held an arrow ready to be discharged. A second warrior urged with reins and whip, to the utmost of their speed, three horses, who were galloping over the plain. A third, without helmet, and with flowing hair and beard, held a shield for the defence of the principal figure. Under the horses' feet, and scattered about the relief, were the conquered, wounded by the arrows of the conquerors. Mr. Layard observed with surprise the richness of the ornaments, and the faithful and delicate delineation of the limbs and muscles, both in the men and horses. Unfortunately, this slab had been so much injured by fire that its removal was hopeless. From its position, it seemed to have been brought from another building, and this rendered any conjecture as to the origin of the edifice still more difficult. Upon the same slab and its companion were found representations of a regular siege, with various attendant incidents. The figures displayed a thorough knowledge of art.
In the midst of difficulties with the authorities, Mr. Layard continued his excavations. Many new and remarkable sculptures were discovered. Among them were gigantic winged bulls, winged lions, a small crouching lion, and a human figure nine feet in height, the right hand elevated, and carrying in the left a branch with three flowers, resembling the poppy. These were only partially uncovered, to prevent them from being destroyed by the action of the air. Mr. Layard was satisfied for the time. There was no longer any doubt of the existence of sculptures, inscriptions, and even vast edifices in the interior of the mound of Nimroud. The triumphant explorer lost no time in communicating the results of his labors to Sir Stratford Canning, and urging the necessity of a firman, or order from the Porte, which would prevent any future interference on the part of the authorities or the inhabitants of the country. Soon afterwards, Mr. Layard covered up the sculptures he had brought to light, and withdrew altogether from Nimroud; but left agents near the great mound. He did not return until the 17th of January, 1846. In the mean time, the agents had explored the mounds of Barshiekha and Karamles, and proved the Assyrian origin of the ruins by showing the name of the Khorsobad king inscribed upon the bricks.
Among the sculptures discovered soon after Mr. Layard's return to the scene of the excavations, was one of a singular form. A human body, clothed in long ornamented robes, was surmounted by the head of an eagle. The curved beak, of considerable length, was half open, and displayed a narrow-pointed tongue, which was still covered with red paint. On the shoulders fell the usual curled and bushy hair of the Assyrian images, and a comb of feathers rose on the top of the head. Two wings sprang from the back. In one hand was a fir cone, and in the other a square vessel, ornamented with small figures.
On the morning following the discovery of the above figure, the Arabs came running to Mr. Layard with the intelligence that they had discovered Nimroud himself. Hastening to the trench, he found an enormous human head, sculptured in full out of the alabaster of the country. The intelligent explorer conjectured at once that the head belonged to a winged lion or bull, similar to those of Khorsobad and Persepolis. The expression of the features was calm and majestic. The cap had three horns, and, unlike that of the human-headed bulls previously found in Assyria, was rounded and without ornament at the top. The Arabs, frightened at the sight of the head, carried the news of its discovery to Mosul; and, the next day, Mr. Layard received an order to stop the excavations. He at once hastened to the town, and, acquainting the Pasha with the real nature of the discovery, obtained permission to proceed as soon as the excitement had subsided. Thus was the persevering explorer continually disturbed by the maliciousand superstitious interference of the Turkish authorities.
By the end of March, Mr. Layard had discovered two finely preserved pairs of winged human-headed lions, which seemed to be so placed as to guard the entrances to the vast palace. They had undoubtedly been the divinities of the Assyrians. These people could find no better type of intelligence than the head of the man; of strength than the body of the lion; of rapidity of motion than the wings of the bird. For twenty-five centuries these strange idols had been buried from the sight of man, and now they were once more exposed to the light, and to the wondering gaze of those who had no worship for such gods. Once they were regarded with awe, now with mere curiosity.
Mr. Layard was now compelled to suspend operations until he could receive assistance from Constantinople. In the mean time, he visited the shieks of the neighboring tribes of Arabs. When he returned, he found near the human-headed lions some copper mouldings, two small ducks in baked clay, and tablets of alabaster inscribed on both sides. The number of workmen was now reduced of necessity; but the excavations proceeded with considerable rapidity. On some of the slabs were figures of a king, his vizier, and attendants. The dresses of the figures were singular. They had high boots, turned up at the toes, somewhat resembling those still worn in Turkey and Persia. Their caps, though conical, seemed to have been made up of folds of felt or linen. Their tunics varied in shape. All the figures seemed to have been colored. On one of the largest slabs were two kings facing one another, but separated by a symbolic tree, above which was a divinity with the wings and tail of a bird, inclosed in a circle, and holding a ring in one hand, resembling the image so frequently occurring on the early sculptures of Persia, and at times conjectured to be the Loroastrian "feronher," or spirit of the person beneath. The fact of the identity of this figure with the Persian symbol is remarkable, and gives rise to new speculations and conjectures in regard to the religion of the Assyrians. But, as yet, nothing definite has been ascertained.
Mr. Layard now began to prepare the sculptures he had discovered for transport to Bombay. All unimportant parts were sawn away from them. The winged human-headed lions could not be removed for want of means. But a number of slabs and figures were packed in felts and matting, screwed down in roughly-made cases, placed on rafts, and floated down the Tigris as far as Bagdad, whence they were taken in boats to Busrah. These sculptures formed the first collection sent to England and deposited in the British Museum. Soon after the departure of these treasures, Mr. Layard, whose health had suffered from continued exposure to the intense heat of the sun, retired to Mosul to recruit. Yet so indefatigable was his spirit that, instead of remaining quiet, he employed his leisure in making some fruitless excavations in the mound of Konyimjik. He returned to Nimroud in the middle of August, and attempted to renew his labors. But his health became so bad that he was compelled to retire to the cooler climate of the Fiyari mountains.
On returning to Mosul, Mr. Layard received letters from England, informing him that Sir Stratford Canning had presented the Assyrian sculptures to the British nation, and that the British Museum had received a grant of funds for the continuation of the researches at Nimroud and elsewhere. The grant was small; but Mr. Layard was induced to accept the charge of superintending the excavations even with that inadequate sum. He immediately applied himself to organizing a band of workmen, selected from the Chaldæans of the mountains and the Arabs of the Jebour tribe; and, at the end of October, 1846, he was again among the ruins, with completematerialfor extensive excavations.
Many new trenches were opened along the walls of the chambers; but the interior of them was left unexplored, as Mr. Layard desired to economize his means as much as possible. Upon the slabs exposed to view were bas-reliefs, representing the wars of the king, and the conquests of some strange people. In the battles, chariots, highly ornamented, spears, shields, and armor appeared. In the sieges, battering-rams, instruments like blunt spears, machines for throwing fire, and women tearing their hair and imploring mercy from the walls were seen. Boats towed by men, or rowed with oars, and persons supported on inflated skins swimming rivers, in the manner to be witnessed at the present day upon the Tigris, were finely sculptured.
Among other objects found amid the ruins, were fragments of copper and iron armor, several entire helmets of a pointed shape, and some vases of alabaster and glass. On exposure to the air, most of these articles fell to pieces. A glass vase, however, was preserved. On a brick in one of the chambers was found a genealogy, which afforded a kind of clue to the date of the building. An obelisk, containing twenty small bas-reliefs and a cuneiform inscription 210 lines in length, was taken from one of the trenches. From the nature of the sculptures, Mr. Layardconjectured that the monument was erected to commemorate the conquest of India by the king of Khorsobad. Winged bulls, crouching sphinxes, and winged divinities were exhumed in abundance. They had been injured by fire, and almost crumbled at the touch. A small sarcophagus, containing a crumbling skeleton, was found in another part of the mound; there was no name inscribed upon the sepulchre, and Mr. Layard could obtain no clue to its origin. A large number of these interesting relics of the past made up a cargo, to be sent to England.
By the end of April, 1847, Mr. Layard had explored almost the whole building which he had first touched, and which he calls the north-west palace. He had opened twenty-eight chambers cased with alabaster slabs. Each of the chambers had several entrances, and some of them were extensive enough to have been halls of state. Many sculptures, ivory ornaments, and other curious objects were taken from the various apartments. Paintings, in which the colors blue, red, white, yellow, and black were visible, were discovered in upper chambers. The subjects of the paintings appeared to be generally processions, in which the king was represented followed by his eunuchs and attendant warriors. But the most important discovery connected with these upper chambers was that of the slabs forming the pavement of the entrances, upon which were the names and titles of five kings, in genealogical succession, commencing with the father of the founder of the north-west palace, and ending with the grandson of the builder of the centre edifice.
In the centre of the mound, Mr. Layard discovered a number of tombs, which seemed to be the remains of a people whose funeral vases and ornaments were identical in form and material with those found in the catacombs of Egypt; while beneath these receptacles of the dead were the Assyrian ruins. From this state of things, it was inferred that, after the destruction of the Assyrian palaces, another nation had occupied the country.
Mr. Layard was astonished to find, by the vaulted passages of the palaces, that the principle of the arch was understood by the ancient Assyrians. This important principle was long believed to be a comparatively modern discovery. A pulley, resembling the one now used, was also seen upon one of the bas-reliefs.
Transferring the scene of his excavations to the mound called Kalah Sherghat, Mr. Layard came upon a sitting figure in basalt, which, from the inscriptions, he inferred to be a statue of one of the Nimroud kings. Around it were a large number of tombs, which seemed to have been made long after the destruction of the Assyrian buildings, and in the rubbish and earth that had accumulated above them. The principal ruin at Kalah Sherghat, as at Nimroud, Khorsobad, and on other ancient Assyrian sites, is a large square mound, surmounted by a cone or pyramid. Long lines of smaller mounds, or ramparts, inclose a quadrangle, which, from the irregularities in the surface of the ground, and from the pottery and other rubbish scattered about, appears originally to have been partly occupied by small houses, or buildings of no importance. The excavations at Kalah Sherghat were soon abandoned as laborious and unprofitable.
The removal of the larger sculptures from the ruins to Busrah was a work of great difficulty. Mr. Layard took drawings of a number of them that were too much injured to be conveyed to Europe. A gigantic winged lion, and a winged bull of equal size, were safely placed on board of an English vessel, while a considerable number of small bas-reliefs and ornaments were sent with them to enrich the British Museum, and set the scientific to speculating. Those sculptures which Mr. Layard had not the means of removing were covered with earth, and thus preserved from injury.
(To be continued.)