The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-20 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Holy Places. A Narrative of Two Years
Residence in Jerusalem and Palestine. By
Hamner Dupuis. 2 volt. Hurst and Blackett.
Those who are interested in the details of foreign
travel, and the traditionary marvels and modern
wonders of mighty nations, will welcome this addi-
tion to the number of such records. It is observed
at the commencement of this work that Jerusalem,
as it now appears, is but as the shadow of a shade
compared with its former state, but that it still,
in ruins and decay, has a hold on the attention.
" There exists, indeed, a mystic sublimity in per-
petual vigour still, which overshadows the ruins of
this ancient city, bespeaking, as it does, former
happier and prouder days—ays of sanctity and
renown ; so that, viewing the Jerusalem of our
days in every aspect it presents, we must yet con-
sider it the greatest marvel this globe contains.
Although shorn of vitality, the halo of its splen-
dour can never be extinguished.
"'Ohl weep for those that wept by Babel's stream,
Whose shrines are desolate, whose land a dream ;
Weep for the harp of Judah's broken shell,
Mourn, where their God hath dwelt, the godless
d well.'"

During the time of the memorable siege of Titus
the population must have exceeded three million,
but now the city could not by any contrivance be
made to contain one-tenth part of such numbers.
It is a remarkable reflection to consider what is here
said that the Jew is a stranger to the soil ; it is only
in Europe that the Jew is intelligible, while talking
of " his nation," observes the author. If he said
so to a Moslem, the answer would be, " Where
upon earth is it to be found I" There is something
of mournful interest in the desire experienced by
the Jew to be buried iu the soil of his ancient land.
He returns from foreign countries, after years of
strife and trouble, " to walk the streets of his own
happy Zion." There is a tradition that the Jew
who is buried away from Palestine will have to
migrate through the earth to the Valley of Jehoso-
phat, where they believe the great judgment will
take place. They are not alone in this credence, the
Moslem also fixing there, in idea, the place of resur-
rection; In consequence of this conviction, the
Jewish 'cemetery is in the valley by the Mount of
Olives. The graves are so close together that they
pave the. slope of the mountain. It is mentioned
that Palestine must, in early times, have had
ample reservoirs of water. Pool is the scriptural
term, as the Pool of Siloam, Bethesda, lrc. The
springs of water that are in the country are not
calculated to counteract the heat of Syria. The
pools of Solomon are now greatly changed ; the
spot is mentioned in Scripture as adorned with
gardens and orchards, and trees with all kinds of
fruit ; now, except that the soil might. be made
productive, the place is not distinguishable from
the desert. It is a curious fact that the palm tree
is not now to be found to any great extent in
Palestine, which is declared here to be the more
strange, as Josephus gives evidence that it
was by no means scarce in earlier times. Some
geologist has reckoned the valley of the Jordan to
be the lowest in the globe. The author considers
it probable that many traces of earlier ages are yet
to be discovered in the soil of Palestine, which
will compete in interest, and rival in importance,
the wonderful results of the researches on the Assy-
rian plains. During his residence in the country,
the flooring of a room next to the tower of Hipp-
cus fell in, and a vault, whose existence had pre-
viously been unsuspected, was discovered beneath
it, containing a store of the shafts of arrows.
From their material and manufacture, it was con-
chided that they must have been the weapons of
some northern or western nation ; hence it is pre-
sumed to have been a military deposit for the
armies of the crusaders. This may offer a sugges-
tion to future antiquarians. In speaking of the
climate of the country, it is remarked, that if we
did "not know that modern Egypt bears but a faint
resemblance to the land of the Pharaohs, we might
be puzzled to reconcile the Palestine of the ancients
with that of the present day. It is further affirmed
that, though a barren soil, much may be done by
artificial irrigation. The greater part of the second
volume is occupied by notes on the tribes of Ca-
naan and other• Oriental races, by the father of the
author, Joseph Dupuis, late British Vice• Consul
in Tripoli and Tunis. He takes a complete review
of his subject, and affords much information likely
to be of extreme interest to the ethnologist. A
work like the present has always a claim on the
attention, concerning, as it does, a country whose
influence has extended to all the nations of the
world, and whose records appear in the pages of
history, in its every division, ancient and modern,
sacred and profane.

Lonely _Hours. By C.trolino Giffard. Phillipson.
Moxf
This is a new and enlarged edition of these
poem's, adorned with a portrait of the authoress.
The poemsare many of them tuneful and melodious,
though not displaying any great poetic power.
The verses run smoothly, however, and the senti-
ments are unexceptionable. Some of the pieces
are really meritorious, and the generality are above
mediocrity. The following is one of the most
pleasing :
" Ye are not missed, fair flowers,
From the valley where ye grew ;
The birds s'2.ng sweet in the summer bowers,
But they sorrow not for you.
nature, balmy odours breathing,
Sheds her incense round the grot ;
Summer boughs are darkly wreathing,
But, sweet flowers, they mourn ye not !
"Bright the pearly waters glance,
Gently m.irmuring through the vale ;
Forest bi.ughs above them dance,
•
With echoings on the gale.
The birds sing sweet among the bowers,
And on the festive grot
Where ye once hung ; but, lovely flowers,
Your odours aro forgot."
A strain of melancholy runs through all the Volume,
which may render it more acceptable to many
readers. The young and uncriticising will doubt-
less find much to charm them in its mournful melo-
dies, and to them the sin• othness of the verse and
unworldliness of the sentiments will very possibly
raaJcOunends for the want of originality of thought
and yigour of expression.