The New York herald., 1850-04-25
HrLax.rSl,s Dieeoxeraes.

Architects, LONDON, ON tuesday, 10th uit, M
.,Bellamy, vice president, in the chair, Mr.. Sidney
Smirke, fellow of the institute, read s. Some
marks on the style Of ornamentaon prevalent in
the Aseyrian sculpture recently discovered, and on
peculiarities OF Assyrian architecture disclosed
by Mr.. Layard's discoveries" Mr. Smirke exhi-
bied some admirable casts Of portions OF the scup
ture which he had taken from the remains now de-
posted in the British Museum representing arnllets,
bracelets, hiits Of swords, singular kind of foliage
belonging TO tree apparently objec, of worship,
the hems and borders of costume, human figures,
horses, &c Considering the extreme antiquity of
these remains, the only moderate hardness of the
material, and the lowness OF the relief, these scu
lures must be considered remarkably well pre-
served. Major Rawlinson, who had mastered to a
great extent the knowledge handed down in the
strange characters found in these remains, enter
tained the opinion that the earlier ruins dated twelve
or thirteen centuries before the Christian era. The
love Of ornament common TO eastern nations was
remarkable in these specimens. Every hgure had
some carved representation of ornament; even the
common soldiers had their weapons covered with
rosettes, bulls heads, other figures, and the trap
pings OF horses were most richly decorated As the
finger ring amidst these minute decorations Was no
where to be found, il was presumed that that was
an ornament unknown to the Assyrans Without
going into the question OF the antiquity oi iinger
rings, he might state that they were mentioned IN
Esther and Jeremiah and Pausanias, who wrote
AZ years before Christ, related that he saw on
painting on the walls of temple, figure of Phocas,
which had a ring on the hand. There Was, how
ever. no such example known to exist at the pre-
sent time in Greek sculpture. Very few illustra-
tons of domestic furniture had been found but
there were chairs with feet initiating the feet OF
animals--an ornament usually adopted IN Greek
art, and continued downwards through the media
val period. The ornamental drawings exhibited
frequently spirit and artistic skill which would
do no discredit TO our best artists. They had
a freedom of execution wholly unknown in Egyp-
tan remains. The honeysuckle ornament, which
apps red very commonly, was as perfectly classic
80 4 execution as the numerous specimens winch
yert to be found in Greek art The most friiing
ANIL. obi nrof
me mass OF drawings OF this description was SO I'M
riense, that they must have been the work OF the
id AIRY artisans. He doubted whether there were
Z. working sculptors in England, who could work
Ln piece OF marble winged wolves and antelopes
eith such a freedom of execution, and boldness
agd accuracy of drawing. These fgures had, in
fst a strong analogy to the works of the Greeks,
End .e believed that the banks of the Tigris and
llo rates were more entitled than the banks of
Lille and Egypt, to the honor of giving birth to
Greek art. Mr. Smirke then proceeded to show,
at some length, the connection of the Assyrian OBJ
jects of worship, such goats and bulls, with
those of the Egyptians, and he drew interesting
comparison between deity springing from wheel,
which is much represented in these Assyrian
sculptures, and the wheels mentioned in the sth
chapter Of Ezekiel The total absence OF columns
was remarkable. Mr.. Layard mentioned only one
instance in which he had found them, and in that
he presumed, from other circumstances, that they
l were of later date. In one OF the casts now ex-
hibited there representation of sort of tent
roof, supported by three pillars, which were so
slender as 10 lead 10 the presumption tlidt
must have been of wood. At the top of these
pillars were placed the horns Of goat, arranged
that they suggested the idea of Ionic capitals: The
style Of architecture TO which the first Jewish
temple might be attributed, had long been matter
Of controversy, but he was disposed to think that
these magnificent ruins afforded better clue than
any we had hitherto possessed, Geographically
and politically speaking, the kingdom OF Israel had
more connection with these people than with the
Egyptians, and il was from the countries west OF
Judea that Solomon sought his cunning work
men, who employed in the building OF the
temple. In conclusion, he referred to the recent
accounts from Nineveh, as being provokingly
vague and meagre. There had been found,
II would appear, most miscellaneous colec-
ton of rich armour, antique vessels, costly
apparel, and other treasures, put together
in manner perfectly perpexing. An ingenious
pupil of his, Mr. keitch, had, however, drawn his
attention TO passage in Dlodorus Siculus, which
would perhaps help TO explain so otherwise utterly
unaccountabe circumstance. Sardanapalus, as
they all knew, when his danger was imminent, and
the Median enemy in possession OF his city, owing
10 sudden irruption of the river breaking down 70
stada of the walls, collected together all his va
luables, his vestments, his armor, his gold and
)ilver and all his treasures, and formed OF them
grand funereal pile. SON thestop he placed his wives,
his concubnes, his servants, his eunuchs, and him
SELF and applying the torch, the whole were burn,
together. Diodorous relates that of the eunuchs
not yet tired of life, or at least having an insur-
mountable objection TO 80 fiery mode OF going out
OF it, made his escape, and gave information to a
Babylonian priest that under the ruins of the king 3
palace might be found enormous treasures. The
priest went straight 10 Arbaces, who in the midst
of his triumph was distributing rewards To his
traps and reminding the monarch that he had pre-
dctcd the fall Of Nineveh, said that in the midst
the battle he had vowed a vow TO Belns that, II
the Babylonans were victorious. he would convey
the ruins OF the royal palace TO Babylon, AMI erect
there a temple TO that god, which should be al once
a monument of .the destruction OF Nineseh, and
serve as landmark TO those who nayigated the
river that ran through that great city. The Median
King who was described by Diodorus as possessing
noble and generous disposition, grated him all
the ruins of the royal palace for this purpose. The
priest then, with the help Of the eunuch, removed
The greater part of the treasure, but the fraud was
discovered and hc was condemned to death. The
operations of the priest far the treasures were
concerned, were surrepttous, and Of course the in
,estigation of the runs could not have been so
complete as il u had been conducted openly and de-
hhcrately, and that would seem 10 account for the
incungrueus heap Of valuablcs discovered BY Mr..
Llyard. Thus, II the cunuch had not had 40 ma
ural distasie 10 be one of the principals in the
avfo-da-f Of the monarch, Ir Lsyard would have
been by this time in possssznn ~ the treasures Of
Sdrdanapalus