Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-05-14
NEW PUBLICATION.
AND IT'S REMAINS.

By AUSTIN HENRY LAYARD, EsQ., d. C: L. In
TWO VOLUMES. New YoRK. GEORGE Pur-
NAM. 1919.
This is he book Of the season. It II gotten IL
too IN the most elegant style and illustrated bv /
great many cngrayings. We do not express orr
selves TOO strongly when We say that we read !,
with AWFUL interest. II cannot fail to lave =
wide circulation and great popularity The mar
ratlve 81 adventures, the account of Tie villa
tribes Of Asatics among whom he soioumcd. ana
the description Of the country through which he
Travelled, are, Of themselves, highly INTERESTING
and attractive. though subsidiary to the main OBJ
Iject Of the work. That object is the description
Of the remains Of ancient Nineveh discovered
and eXcavated BY Mr.. Layard-of citv which
had been destroyed and the site Of which even
was matter Of dispute when Rome was a petty
village. There is something in all this to impress
the imagination and excite the livelicet curios-
y. We well recollcct the interest elected by
the discovery Of few brick and remains III pot-
terry, with inscriptions, made by Nh Rich, i'll
1920, On the site Of ancient Babylon. These
relics which occtIpy case but three feet square
are preserved as tire most precious of Curiositics
N the British Museum Within eight or ten wears
past, English, French and American travellers
have delighted and astonshed their readers Nv
descriptions Of the city Of Petra, in Arabia, IoSt
10 the knowledge Of the civilized world for many
centuries Subsequent TO this discovery there
came rumors that Mr.. Botta, French Consul at
MoSul had lighted upon remains in singuIarly
good preservation, Of some Assyrian city, at a
spot now called Khorsabad. These rumors reach
ed Mr. Layard, whilst he was wandering over
Syria, and he directed his steps to Mou He
explored the country around, was attracted to
spot which tradition said was the site Of the city
Of Nimroud, made partial excavations and discov-
cred enough 70 satisfy him that lie tad struck
vein far richer than that Of Khorsabad IIc re-
turned to Consantnople and laid the case before
Sir Stafford Canning who. with enlightened lib-
crafty, placed at his command the most ample
means to prosecute the work Of exhumation lie
set about his task with characteristic ardor and
energy,and the volumes in question tell what as
founding success has crowned his labors.
Space would fail us to give the merest abstract
OF these dlScovcreS-the most important and in
tcresting, by far, of any which this age has wit
messed. The bass reliefs and statuarv show
perfection IF the arts which could onlv consist
with high degree Of civilization ana refinement
The walls Of the houses were built Of sun-dred
brick and faced with slabs of marble, gypsum and
alabaster, on which were bass relicf Illustrative
Of Assyrian life and history. Many Of these
slabs were from II 10 II feet long and from To
? feet II width, ana all Sculptucd Some o(
these are now in London and others OIL their way.
The statues are more wonderful still-some are
colossal and executed with great care, and, altcr
an lntermcnt Of near twenty-five centuries, are
restored to tie light il a state Of singular prcs4r-
walton. II some instances, streaks Of rcd paint
are as fresh as when first But Oh. There are
number of mounds on the plain, in each Of which,
we doubt not, remains not less wonderful
We may soon expect to hear of speculation in
the marbles ofNineveh. Their exhumation and
to PARIS and London will follow, Of
course, and will not be attended with the moral
wrong perpetratcd BY Lord Elgin, when he lob
bed Athens Of her treasures provoked the Curse
Of Minerva" and was damned to everlasting
fame" in the poetry Of Byron.
But We must close-our object being simply
to call attention to one Of the most interesting
works which has come under our notice for
years. We give an extract in to-day's paper
which will repay peruSa
The book is for sale by JOHN P. WRIGHT, at
the Post Office.