The Press.
London, England, 1858-09-04 00:00:00

THE PRE S S, SEPTEMSER 4, lB5B.

" survey of the field or of the sequence and har-
" mony of its various parts." He knows probably
what to tell now he is informed, because he
recollects what he wanted to know when he was
ignorant. His arrangement is clear and com-
prehensive, and his style, though not first-rate,
is fresh and pleasant to read.
The contents of his work will be best set forth
in his own words :

On opening the book, the reader will find a chapter enti-
tled The Historian's Materials, which enumerates the
various sources from which early ancient history is com-
piled, that he may not passively receive what is said, but
may reflect and compare for himself. Then it will be seen
that my subject is simply the aute•Greek era, beginning
from the earliest period, and continued down to the point
where Persian history ceases to flow on as a distinct
stream, but commingles with that of Greece. And there
seems tome a peculiar propriety in selecting this period,
because it is, of all others, the one where the chasm is at
this moment the widest between the compendium and the
larger scientific works. The progress of discovery has
been of late very rapid in Egypt and Assyria, and a com-
pendium written only a few years ago has, with regard to
many important particulars, been left behind. Egypt, for
instance, is no longer a single mass as it then was. It is
broken up into three very distinct periods, of which the
first is widely different from the last—that is to say, the
Old empire from the New empire. Then I have a chapter
on Egyptian chronology; and another to show the accord-
ance between Egyptian history and Bible history. In
speaking of social life and of the state of the arts among
the Egyptians and Assyrians, I become, so far, a supple-
mentary handbook to the British Museum. Much, for
want of space, cannot be said ; but what is said will, I hope,
Rive a fresh zest to many in the study of these antiquities.
Next follows a chapter on Palestine, too often regarded as a
part of sacred history alone ; after which we survey the
wonders of Babylon—the fall of that city--and of the As-
syrian power; and lastly, the rise and progress of the
Persians. This is the most amusing period, because, as
time rolls on, the narrative becomes more distinct, the
events are more graphic, and Herodotns is everywhere my
guide.

The chapter on the materials of history includes
the Bible, Herodotus, Diodorus, Xenophon,
Plutarch, Strabo, Manetho, and Berosus, and
gives some account of the modern Egyptian and
Assyrian discoveries. These authorities are well
enough described, though it may perhaps convey
a wrong impression to say of Herodotus that "no
author was ever more worthy of our confidence."
No author, certainly,—because the Father of
history evidently meant to tell the truth ;—but
many books are more worthy," because he did
not always succeed in telling it. In alluding to
the blunders of Herodotus which have afterwards
turned out to be proofs of his accuracy, Mr.
Menzies might well have mentioned his view of
the source of the Nile. For some time after
Bruce's supposed discovery it was considered to
be erroneous, but it has since turned out that the
Black Nile, which Bruce explored, is not the
principal one, and that the Bahr-el-Abiad, or
" White River," which is really the main stream,
flows, as Herodotus said it did, from the south-
west. Mr. 'Menzies would also, probably, have
found the " intelligent mechanic," to whom he
has an eye, not by any means averse to some lucid
explanation of the means by which the first steps
were respectively taken in decyphering the
Egyptian and Assyrian inscriptions. Few things,
we should think, are more adapted to awaken the
curiosity of the people who "at the British
Museum besiege the civil officials with questions,"
than an account of the manner in which the key
to the interpretation of the Rosetta atone was dis-
covered, and the curious inductive process—some-
thing like that by which prying persons unravel the
cryptographs in the second column of the Times
—that was employed by Rawlinson, llincks, and
Grotefend for compelling the Babylonian cylinders
to surrender their treasures of information.
Of the two parties into which Egyptologers
are divided,—those who make Egyptian events
harmonize with popular systems of chronology,
and those who throw back their commencement
to a point quite incompatible with the period of
six thousand years ago at present assigned to the
limits of historv,—Mr. Menzies sides with the
former. Most Englishmen will be disposed to
agree with him ; there being always a certain
balance among us in favour of any 'orthodox '
view, and a slight balance against it in Germany
and France. He quotes with approval Mr.
Poole's " Hone Egyptiacie," which has been pub-
lished some years, but he does not appear to have
seen that gentleman's articles (' Egypt and Hiero-
glyphics') in the new edition of the Encyclopedia
Britannica, where the most recent authorities
are cited, and the arguments for the shorter period
are set forth in a wore mature and much more

popular way than in the previous work.—The
following passage has struck us as the best in the
Egyptian chapters.. After describing the high
state of civilization and power evidenced by the
monuments, Mr. Menzies draws our attention
to the parallel " which may be traced between
" sacred and profane history with regard to the
" state of society in Egypt" •

:--

It is a parallel which evidences that the sacred histo-
liens must have been eye-witnesses of what they describe
or they could not possibly have described it so faithfully:
Fully to appreciate it, we must bear in mind that Egypt under
the Pharaohs—in the time of Joseph—no more resembled
the court of a prince in Palestine than Queen Victorio's
court now resembles that of some great African chief. It
is a contrast between civilization and semi-civilization,
exactly ou the points wherein the two differ. In
Pharaoh's court much attention was bestowed upon dress
and ceremony. There was a refined taste and simplicity
in the dress of the higher ranks, unlike the many-colonred
and grotesque fashions of a semi-civilized people. What,
indeed, more elegant or suitable for a hot and clearclimate
than just a vesture of fine linen, with the single ornament
of a gold chain thrown around the neck, and a ring on the
finger. In Pharaoh himself we see a nisjesty and dignity
of demeanour befitting a great sovereign descended from
an ancient line of princes. No violence of passion or
summary judgment on offenders, but everything orderly
and systematic. Even a slave, and on an occasion re•
quiring haste, must not appear in the royal presence until
he had shaved and dressed himself. In the arrangements
of the court the same order is apparent. There is a gre.
dation of offices, with principal officers of rank over etch
department, a standing corps of guards, and a regular pri•
son built in wards. The nobles kept their pnyste car-
riages, distinct from the war-chariots. They had stewards
of their houses, and used silver plate at table.
. .

The picture which the Bible gives us of Egypt at the
time of the Exodus is equally graphic, and it actor to very
exactly with the representations on the monuments. T.
lose at a blow a fifth part of the population—one in every
house—and yet immediately afterwards to pursue the
Israelites with six hundred chosen chsriats, with horse.
men and a vast army, is an effort beyond what could be
anticipated from the most flourishing monarchy of modern
Europe. It shows a •igour in the Government, and la
organization of its resources during a great crisis, which
places Egypt infinitely in advance of the rest of the world
at that time ; and if the sacred writers had not been per.
sonally and intimately acquainted with Egypt, they could
not have so accurately described these things. The accord.
ante between the monuments and the Scripture narrative
in such particulars may confirm our faith in those
earlier historical facts also, in which there is no such
accordance.

The remainder of the account of Egypt appears
to be abridged from Sir J. G. Wilkinson's large
work, and though well enough done, there is
nothing in it to call for further special notice.
The chapter on Palestine is rather less satis-
factory. Considering that Mr. Menzies is of an
extremely orthodox turn, and loses no opportu-
nity of impressing on the " intelligent mechanic"
that the Bible is not an obsolete work of fiction.
it is curious that his remarks upon it should be
so scanty. He passes over the social condition of
the Jews because, he says, " we are familiar with
" them [it ?] from our childhood." Familiar we
may be with the leading events in their history.
but few people, we imagine, realize to themselves
how a Hebrew, of the time of Solomon, for in-
stance, spent his day—what sort of house he
lived in, and how he amused himself, if he did
amuse himself—with anything like the vividness
with which they can follow a Greek or a Roman
through his various scenes and occupations. of
Menzies's notices of the physical geography 0
Palestine might have been enriched by some re-
ference to Mr. Stanley's able and attractive work.
His remark also on the Dead Sea is perils? a
little misleading :
It is by far the deepest known fissure in the earth, far
in addition to its own great depth of two thousand leel.
the surface of it is considerably below that of the Medi-
terranean.
Johnston, to whom reference is made in a note.
says "on the earth's surface." The text 101111
seem to imply that a person at the bottom of the
Dead Sea would be nearer to the centre of the
earth than at any other point. But this would
be erroneous, for the surface of the Dead Ses
1,312 feet lower than that of the 31editerranesn.
and this, added to its own depth,
make only 3,412 feet, which is far less than the
profound abysses, "deeper than ever plwumet
sounded," which exist in the Atlantic and other
oceans.
The following passage will put our residers in
• ' of Mr.
possession of one of the characteristics
'lenzies's work. He is speaking of Herodotuss
350 fathornhs.
sto of the visit of Solon to the court of Creesuler
and the well-known advice of the ft:rut'
" to esteem no man happy till htihad 01111)
L "his life" ;