New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-07

The industry OF Mr.. DcuIscn was mh 'O'""' ''fO-
sons OF a lsugud temperament. But 1t was only tno
expression of interior activity 10 when exercise Is
more essential than rest He had profound knowledge
of English literature which would have been remark
able in native and which In stranger was wonderful
But his chief studies devoted to oriental pmoogy
he had passion for Phnnican, which shared his en-
thusiasm for Cuneiform. It was said OF him with
Justice: There is probably no man in England who
possesses to an equal degree, the varied knowledge
combined with the intense sympathy for art, nature,
and humanity that distinguished the deceased scholar"
The contents of he present volume exhibit a noble
monument of study and erudton. Their reconcile
learning will command the sympathies of the scholar,
although 1t leads HIM into labyrinth OF th9rny ana
engage his interest in most of the discussions Of the
of studous enthusiasm inspired by pure love OF learn
ing without emotion on without pr01t.
ETRUsCAN RESEARCHES. BY Isaac TAILOR l2mO pP $685.
Macmillan Co.
The curious researches of this volume,
which present novel theory in regard to the Etruscan
language will challenge the attention a the student OF
ehnoogy by their ingenuity and earnestness, even If
they do not produce conviction OF their sOundness and
force DR. Taylor supposes that he has discovered am
Pile proofs of the descent of the Etruscans from the
Ugic ORA Tartar family Of nations. He finds the evidence
of this In the creed and custom of the Eruseans In
their sepulchral remains and other monuments of Their
But the ultimate test of race is language III tins test
could be applied would show the truth or false
hood OF the hypothesis. We have no literary remains
of the Etruscan language But according TO ancient
writer's 1t was wholly different from Latin, ana quite
unintegibe TO the Romans This affords presumption
against its Aryan character The monumental records
In the Etruscan language ample, but thus far they
have defed all attempts OF Interpretation. A vast
amount of learning been devoted 10 their expana-
tion but wholly without success Latin Greek Hebrew
Phnnician Arabic. Ethopc, Chinese, Coptic, Basque
Gothic Celtic and Armenian, have been tried III turn
| but all in vain.
There is no doubt however, that the Etruscans were
not the original inhabitants of Etrura. They were
race OF conduerors who arrived in Italy at some very
remote period and subugated the aboriginal inhab-
itans. The Eruscan power continued To increase lor
several centuries and ultimately stretched far south OF
tine Tber, including Rome itself in Its dominion Inc
early history of Rome great extent the history OF
the uprising OF the Latin race, and It's struggle LOT
Italian supremacy with lis Etruscan foe 1t took Rome
a least six centuries to break down the barrier of the
| Etruscan power Mr.. Taylor is of opinion that the
Etruscan civilization existed about thousand years IN
an independent At the time OF its greatest extent
the Etruscan dominion reached from Eba 10 the Adri-
attic, from the Rhetan Alps to the Gulf of Salerno.
Chavenua in the north and Capua in the south were
| both Etruscan cities. This dominion, however, was
one OF conquest not Of colonization The Etruscan peo
pie were collected mainly in the twelve great cities OF
Etrura proper, between the Arno and the Tiber Here
was the real of the Eruscan power and here have
been found the chief monuments of Etruscau society
The lyric family, to which Mr.. Taylor refers the
Etruscan people, comprehends the Turanian tribes OF
the great static table land the lofty plateau OF Cen
! tral Asia That tho E,ruscals branch of THIS
family and neither Aryau Semitic, Mr. Taylor argues
from a variety Of considerations apart from the eV
dence afforded by comparative phiology. Their social
institutions and religious beliefs for instance indicate
directly Turanian origin. The characteristics Oh the
Etruscan tombs and Of the social customs, confirm the
conclusion. Equally strong is the evidence that among
the Turaniau peoples the Usric is the one with which
the Etruscan possessed the strongest aihnlties Inc
linguistic anaoges bring the argument to focus Mr.
Taylor deyote the principal part of his work to the elu'
cdaon of this point. lie shows that the numerals, the
personal pronoun and certain forms OF the verb agree
in their indications that the Etruscan was lyric form
of speech. these in pathological Importance are
the words denote kinshp. No class OF Etrusean
words are better known, and they ALL without ex-
ceptlon, Enthusiastically Ugric in their character Inc
grammatical infections afford less decisive evidence
After the conclusion that the Etruscans belonged To
the Icrc branch OF the Turanan family Mr. Taylor ad
mts that the further solution the problem attended
with almost insuper,ble difficulties. He viii not under
take to connect the Eruscans with any one OF the Ve
great divisions OF the Urc stock The obstacles are TOO
numerous to be contended with. In the first place the
Etruscan was not literary language. The speech rep
|
| dtion. In the same tomb, even in the same nscrp-
ton there are perpexng variations in the formation Of
the letters. The is not uniformly spelt in
the way. The punctuation Is also most irregular.
The words are not divided divided wrong There Is
stem in the abbreyatons vowes are retained or
thrown out apparently at random In Short the Eirus-
can language was tine language OF people without lit
| erary culture.
Nor are the difficulties pertaining TO the lyric Ian
! guIge of less formidable magnitude We can find only
the scanuest remains of the primitive vocabulary
among nomad tribes of hunting and fishing sava6es
which, for three thousand years, have been Isolated in
the wlds OF Siberia. The Language Of races without
literature and without much mutual intercourse, rap
idly degeueraes. 1t is only within recent period that
any of The lyric dialects have arrived at the dignity OF
literary language, with fixed grammar aud yocabu-
lary and the three languages moreover, winch have
made this step in linguistic progress have been largely
corrupted by foreign influences The Osmani abounds
with words and constructions derived from Arabic and
Persian sources; the Magyar has absorbed numer-
Gus ScavOnc Clements and the Finnish Languages OF the
| Baltic have been extensively TcutDnHrd. Hence the
Ugrc student is in perpetual danger Of being mlsed by
these foreign elements Mr. Taylor has certainly made
brave tight under these dscOuraging circumstances.
! We cannot say that he has victory His argn-
mcut, are plausible. ingenious, without OF
subtlcty, and showing perfect fairness of mind HIS
freedom from unseemy warmth i remarkable in DIS
eusson of the kind in which ohscurity OF evidence is
often balanced by of vehemence. His method
shows scholarly habits and instincts, and II he has failed
81 success ia cstanShhS new t,eo.5 IL
l. for o. Ggeht research OF acute cJmpdrSOu
lie has entered labyrinth in which the light Is AIM and
| the path broken, ana though he may lot thread its
mazes, the Joy OF the labor is sufficient reward.
OLD TImE PICTURES AND SHRAvES or RHYME ~ BByJ. H
| TAYLOR. limo. pp 1874 Chcago' Gngss 4 Co
The creative power of the poet is less con-
spiclous in volume the Of natural beauty
and the gift OF picturesque expression. Mr.. Taylor