life so long protracted ? Surely labours of im mense and stupendous proportions might well employ the genius and leisure of him whose ff dial's face might seem che mi adres badireab edr svig 9781 "To number o'erosie TO

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-IndyToThe mighty cycles of eternity." TO DIE que for 30 89080 To argue, therefore, even from analogy in this case, is to argue safely. For they whose span of life is degenerated to the duration of a mere moth, and who yet accomplish so much; can never bring their puny efforts into comparison with his, who, in the greatness of his might, BROOK 1952 poenos big bool 91 91019d arrived at 10 29041915 Full manhood of five hundred years. bo AusIn addition to this argument from analogy con the one hand, we have an argument drawn from facts on the other, which here presents itself gratuitously. A recent traveller,an exquisite judge of the fine arts,in speaking of the rémains of Persepolis, after observing, "that the principal, doorway of one of the halls,the huge window frames yet in their places, their lofty sides, and ponderous lintels resemble, though with the finest workmanship, the druidical monument of Stonehenge,"adds," perhaps, we cannot have a stronger concurrent argument for the truth of the longevity of the early patriarchs, than this habitual fashion of their more immediate descendants, in all countries, to erect buildings calculated for the duration of agesen odt m 29lave look into the history of the first men, we find a progress in the arts distinctly stated in the single family; of Lamech. Jabalsappears

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to have excelled in husbandry and in the pas toral departments of agriculture, and thereare of cattle. Jubal, in the finer art of music, is described as the inventor of instruments, to which our translators of the Bible, have given the names of the harp and organ. While TubalCain, another of the family, appears to have been an artificer in brass and iron. After these we read of mighty men-men of renown—who were probably the heroes, conquerors, and chieftains of their age. And if it be considered that each of Noah's sons was nearly a hundred years old before the flood, and consequently well acquainted with the habits, pursuits, arts, and sciences of their early contemporaries; and survived that event so long that "Shem was yet alive when Isaac was married" our scepticism with regard to the scient tific knowledge possessed by the first fathers of the new world would cease, Bandit we should be confident rather, that the principles of antideluvi an architecture, would assuredly be otransmitted by them to their posterityy 296167) #obniw

The colossal remains of antiquity in Egyptia all of so early a date that conjecture wearies itself to ascribe to them an origin appear to have been derived from the same source; and the pos terity of Ham, doubtless, owed to the instructions of their godless ancestor, the models of those immense piles of useless masonry which still exist in the pyramids. While Thebes with her bundred gates her innumerable columns and statues bather avenues of sphinxes and cher majestic porticoesy as described by ancient historians,

I was possibly but the fac-simile, or miniature likeness of some magnificent city in the world, before the flood. We must however confess, that here conjecture is nearly vain. But the holy Scriptures bear testimony to the magnitude of Nineveh and Babylon; and whether the latter be considered as ela compact city, or only, as we are disposed to believe, as a fortified district, the military strength of her empire is best ascertained by the extent and multitude of her conquests. For however limited the power of resistance might be on the part of Samaria and Judea; there can be no doubt that Egypt, in the reign of Pharaoh-Necho, was no contemptible adversary; and that the city of Tyre, which was able to sustain a siege of thirteen, years against the immense physical strength which Assyria could bring into the field, must have, been a power possessed of infinite resources, and of invincible courage and endurance. And even when mighty Babylon did yield to the prowess and genius of Cyrus, that manlike the heroes of poetry" true only here," was girded to the conflict with celestial armour; he was indeed the to delegate of heaven; yet even he, acting under a divine commission, occupied twenty-one years of bis brilliant history before he accomplished her destruction. 4 od vrampitne slj of diody vd It will be allowed, we think, that the subject which we have selected for the instruction of our young readers, is one of deep interest. The history of Assyria has afforded the rich and favourite materials of poetry to bards in every age. Its remoteness, its antiquity, its very obscurities

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have thrown over it sort of suddelikeagend mysterious grandeur. The splendour of the AsSyrian capital,its luxury," its magnificence,dits orientalism, its gigantic extent, invest in wide a pomp and majesty, which, while they charm the young imagination, prepare it to receive thęddsep and solemn lesson which the ultimate fate of this 10great empire inseparably carries is its main. Above all, its connection with the history of the bHebrews, when the Lord in his angelineast todown from heaven unto earth the beauty qof Is

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del,surrounds it with a saeved though sombre orglory, that at once affects the heart, and shreds a touching and melancholy light on all the mortal majesty of hans voie & nint-ne of older sibidw -yeah bila dignota hoieglę o normi odt jenings 819 remains only that we state the nature of -19 compilation before we consignoit to the indulgence of the reader. The two authold whom -We have Chiefly followed, and of a small pertion of whose works this little volpine professes to form an abridgement,are Rollin and Fri9xThe history of the first Assyrian empire; that which was dissolved after an existence of 10 thirteen centuries, and a dynasty of thirty geneTrations, is taken from Rollin an author whe, though to the antiquary he is nothingy nevertheless, ages yet unborn shall be enchanted by This works." And the Bee of France, as Montesquieu has called him, has proved, by his writing that his name expressed at once the sweetness of his labours, and his unwearied industrysu eti

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The history of the second Assyrian empire—

called indiscriminately the Babylonian and Chaldean-or that which commences with the dynasty of Arbaces, the Tiglath-Pileser of Scripture, has been furnished by the joint works of the two authors already named as each best illustrated the subject.

In addition to these, we have consulted the translations of such of the prose classics as we had access to; and commentators on the sacred Scriptures, as well as early and contemporary authors who have written upon the subject ; whether as geographers, historians, or travellers. The works, in general, from which we have derived assistance, will be found quoted in the course of the volume; and the following remarks will shew at once the nature of our subject, and if we have accomplished little, the difficulty of doing more.

"A detail of events in the history of the Assyrian and Chaldean empires is not to be obtained. A few rays of light serve only to break the darkness with which they are covered. What remains of their annals resembles an inscription upon a tomb; we see that mighty nations have fallen, but find at the same time the impossibility of attaining the knowledge of their history."*

Logan's Philosophy of History.

Leith, April, 1827.