New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TEE STORY OF TWO NATIONS.

Sons. :. a..
Tho story Of tho PhosnIcians is one which, Il the
r,s,s,t.ls ware accessible would be deeply interest
ing anil Canon Rawlnson has certainly done az 'nas
was possible. with the meagre reeords avnsaDio, ~
~,ve h cohesion and continuity. Ills WORK inuepo 10
= very fngeniously composed account Oh peoR.' 80
corning whom Just enough is known 70 make !. 0isat
that the information possessed falis 80 .
oo veays hefors the beginning Of the present era
ssmitsc race was drifting toward the strip OF syrian
s.aboard which was subsequently known as Phoe-
rita rbev dfspossessod previous inhabitants, sup
uos,S 10 have been Canasntes, ana they soon Desah
IA make themselves felt by their neighDors Az hs
they are said to have been monothests' hke inc
ushr.wn with whom they always affiliated, but IN
ths oourss OF time polytheism displaced the simpler
ana puror worship and their cult Of the nature gods
was degraded and brutalized by the Introduction OF
bumsn Enthusiastically Of children, who were
hnrp.d alive. About the growth Of such rites
there must always be peculiar and sinister interest,"
TO the dnast 1t might appear that they represeniea
direct interposition of the Powers OF EVIL 70 MUMMY
religious aspirations by assocating worship with the
praesioe Of cruelty of the most unnatural and revolt
Inc lind 1t Is however, to DO observed that IN tne
majority of such cases the true cement OF the par
baros cult Is not its sangunary ceremonies out the
ssncttfcatiop of sensual indulgence under the torm
Of Worship Phallioism was q prominent feature IN
the old syro phoenicssn religion, as 1t has oeen N al
primitive cults, and as IL stu is In Hinduism.
The character Of the early Phoenicians has peen
aysaus,v renresented by writer's. mono Of whom had
rnu.h data to 20 upon. They were probably what "o
should can emcviEed, and In several respects more
advanced than their contemporaries from 'ne
earliest mention of them we find them noteo ior MARI
time enterprise They were the seafartng nation OK
The ancient world, IN fact and in their clumsy,
fragile open boats they boldly encountered what were
undoubtedly great risks. For long time they con-
fined their explorations TO the Mediterranean. While
S,don was their principal city, they 40 not seem 10
have ventared further; but, says Canon Kswhnson,
sWithn those limits they would seem to have vsited
sIl coasts TO have explored all Shores % have maze
thsu,selves acquainted with almost every ndivauai
leland. and to have carried with them everywhere
r,vsli,ina Influences If they did actually invent
as*tors they SO modified and improved tbem that their
system was everywhere adopted IS the best; ana
whore other systems had been previously INTRODUCED
as at Cyprus and In Lycia, these gave way 70 theirs
Thsy are entitled to the credit Of having introduced
writing and Of having organized commerce Whas
they effected for civilization is therefore most I'M
portant and that they should have accomplished SO
,,,eh without creating literature Of consequence for
themselves Is ono of the strangest facts. Canon
Rawlinson endeavors to account for It by the con-
sideratson that they were essentially pracucai
people absorbed in material concerns, and Indifferent
10 intellectual questions. But 1t appears that they
were always most eager to obtain knowledge Of
why they did not put on record and discuss the
treat mass of information about strange countries and
peoples seas and rivers coasts and haroors, climatic
and atmospheric phenomena, fauna and flora, which
tAefr adventurous accumulated In the cotse OF
ages
me Phoeniclans were great manufacturers. They
crcssed a monopoly for their textile fabrics, ana In
chs only perfectly legitimate way, by surprising all
competitors In excellence Of manufactures. Their
st,ffs and their dyes became famous the world over
Thetr sl in artistic bandicTatts also was specially
solomon was indebted 10 the artists and mechanics OF
Hiram of Tyre for all the gores of the Temple from
the hsazen sea to the two great pillars which came
10 be called by pa,pable msconception OF their
ryzuboNsm Jachfn and BoaE. And yet another
carr,ops fact here presents itself There are very
lew specimens Of Phoenician sculpture surviving WHICH
exhibit advanced art. Quito recently lew tombs
an the Syrian coat have yielded some stone carving
oonoeming whose merits the finders speak highly but
sns rule seems to be that whatever Is good In this
hind OF Phoenician work can DO plainly traced %
= Creek origin, while what rs purely Phoenicasn Is
almost certain 30 Be crude. Phoenician gem carving
eco shows far more skill in the lapdary work than In
sbs designs, which arc hequentiy barbarous and
pYtr,ittye to perpIsxng degree. Tue tewery, more
ever displays He variety and invention In form, and
sonsdershle simplicity in the patterns followed This
IN Of course inconcfusve, the presumption being
chat The most valuable articles IN every portable kind
Were carried away m the many raids made upon the
paoenseisn cities, white as to the tombs, It IS 80
rsre TO find one that has not been violated that the
treasures inferred IN them may also be considered as IN
khc main lost
Tina restless traders were great colonsts, but the
snoss important colony they founded was Carthage.
,1prc seems no, doubt that they c3rcumnayigaaco
AFRICA Enough no use made OF the new rouse
possibly because the report OF the bold navigatore
was too extraordinary to be accepted especially wneh
shsy declared that after reaching certain point they
bad found the sun on their right hand. Commerce,
cnlivensd occasionally by hetle piracy, made the
ryrians and others wealthy but they were 20 situated
geographically that they could hope TO continue
fndependent Tor any length Of time In turn the
sxexk Asiatc Powers, AssyTia, Babylonia, Persia,
Eaypt. subdued them and exacted tribute OF them.
Te dfcult mountain range watch lay at their backs
ana 50 narrowed their cultivable and hsoitaoie area
saved them from tho fusion and absorption which
rrs always the policy OF Asiatic conqaerors as the
scle alternative with extrmination, and they sue
ceeded beoause OF the difficulty Of getting at Them
a preserving kind Of semi-indcpcndenoe for cent
u,ses n Intervals their immunity wonh make
ssem rash and then they would Try to throw on
ne yoke altogether and the suEeFain would coneci
: great army ana descend upon the Syrian coast ana
.evaes X and capture the towns, and destroy them
Il fAey did not submit Sometimes . el.y,moss ne.
.ncn<ly Tsre-would hold out; because half OF Tyre
- =, an island and is isolation and it's heet made
q rsaszfo5llv unassaiable-untn Alexander the oreal
A..,@ ora buflt al mole from the land to tho Island
s.v ara so took the latter after gallant and pro
scn~~d reststance wassch reused the conqueror
ev,eity and moved him TO cruelty 1000 OF the 1yrisi
lpr<soosrs. they were horribly cruel. those on
nasxfcs Tortare in war was regular custom
er.csx,on and asytng alivc wore prsctised commonly
-. .srEaves tahcu In battle. Quarter was seldom
80, ave when opportunity offered for selling the
k-sn~rsys tntss slavery