New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-08

| intaQo designs Of the greatest interest, golden
! lion and gems OF serpcntine and agate Nith this
last splendid piece Of trGver the work ceased. III
/ Scbhemann makes no statements of his reason for
disseminating the excavations but we presume tno
! expense was too great for his own undi'ed means
J aud. moreover. he could not hope, By continuing his
/ abors, for any discoveries at all approaching III
value those which he had already made.
The volume 10 rather loosely written, INT II con-
t,ins no unnecessary matter He who reads for en-
tertanment may desire more coherent ana er'u'h-
stantio accouut of the progress Of the researches
tbe exolorer's alternating hope and discouragement
or the daily incidents which might turn te uuu'I
taking into romantic story. Dr. Sch'i'mann mas
avoided All such devices. lie confines hilnS't
strictly 10 the objects nc cyhume7, describes mem
clearly, and with an amount Of illustrations "H''n
may depr,ss The nostrils OF some OF ms German ne
tr2cfnrs and furnishes 90 the reader who earnestly
attracted by the subject much information as Is
possible within Che limits OF his book. The iustra-
TONS in fact are more than equivalent TO double
amount of text They are proiuse-beiug 700 ~
number-sele.tcd with uucrring Judgment, and adj
mirably engraved in this respect, it j. much SD
perior to the authors work ON Troy.
Mr. GladstonGs preface, written, rs nc says,
with much reluctance aud only d" at tho pcrserG-
ag request" of DR.. Schliemann, Is Judicial In tone.
vet hints al a repIessed enthusiasm. Since bis ac-
ceptance of Hissark as Che site of Troy, and his
carefully considered work ON " The Age OF Homer
we are not unprepared to find him giving Schiie-
mann the benefit of kindred impressions and desires
for we can scarcely say arguments. Yet he is very
frank and cannot state his position IN regard to
the archaeological question more succinc,y than IN
these. his own words: when the disclosures NJ
TirynS and MycenR were announced IN England NY
own first impression was that OF strangely bee
Ga lfIf
ance of .copcal against believing tendencies, M re-
gard 10 the capital and dominating subject Of the
Tornbs in the Acora | am boand 10 say, that r.
Election and n fuller knowledge have nearly turned
the scales tie other way. There are indeed NOT
only gaps to be supplied bat difficulties t. be con-
fronted and 10 be explained or to be left over Tor
future exploration Yet the balance. Will not say
Of evidence. but Of rational presumption seems ~
though it might ultimately lean toward the behei
that thls eminent explorer has exposed 60 the hsht
OF dav. after 5000 years. the memorials and ro-
mains Of Agamcmnon and his companions Do the Ac-
turn from Troy
We cannot quite ropnss a smile o. ind Nh Glad
stone after Tins guarlediy admitting that The ha.-
ancc Of rational presumption "secals as though Do
might ultimately leau" etc., going ON 70 support pT.
schlcmaun's claim 90 have really found Aeamcm-
non and his companions who were slaughtered %
the fatal banquet, by The hypothesis that Egishu'
and Clytcmncstra might very well have buried the
bodies without adding %35. 900 worth of gold orna-
ments but that after the return and vengeance Of
Olcstcs the latter had them rcintrrred in manner
betting their rank and glory. This is plausible
conjecture, although il is brought forward TO con
flute another conjecture. The evidence Of the crowns
and other royal ornaments, aud OF the simultaneous
cremation Of so many distinguished bodies. together
with their sopulture in the Agora Of Mycena, ought
to be sufficient. We suspect that the final verdict
Of scholars will be that Dr.. Schlenann has actually
discovered the remains of the man, some part OF
whose history. at least is preserved in the Agamem
non of Homer and E5chylus.