The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-04
vi.

me publication OF the report OF the Univer-
sity Commission sot Stanley free to pay a visit
to the Holy Land. which he had long felt to be
OF great Importance to his future studies. but
which his fathers death had postponed.
Every point in the tour from Alexandria to
Constantinople Is infinitely described in q
series Of letters which for descriptive vividness
and fulness OF details can scarcely be sur
passed. Sinai and Palestine" perhaps the
most widely popular Of his writings Ia
based on this material. As Goodwin Smith
wrote to Stanley on his return. You have
nothing to do but to piece together
your letters. cut OF their heads and tails.
and the book Is done" Mr. Prothero does
not quote from the letters. the substance OF
which has already met the public eye. but
merely presents n few personal details which
were excluded from the pu blished book. Stan
ley made Egypt his starting point because 1t
was tho background OF the history OF Israel
the inevitable veStibule OF SINAI and Pales-
tine" Wi;houta comprehensive OF its customs
habits agricultural practices, and daily &C.
equations. without a vision OF its temples and
monuments and its narrow strip OF verdure
hemmed In by sandy wastes. he felt that no
impression OF the Holy Land would he
complete. To saturate his mind with the
unchanged aspects OF the Nile Valley and OF
Egyptian life was to prepare for the necessary
contrast with the bare. silent solitary desert
II is to be noted that for Stanley Egypt had n o
history in the archn ologic sense OF the word
To him. as to the Israelites. its primeval world
was the starting point in the gradual unfold
ing OF a great drama which. physically as we'll
as morally. assembled by successive stages. till
1t eliminated at Jerusalem.
1t was on a camel that Stanley traversed tho
Sinaitic desert, and his spirit triumphed over
the iatlGues which exhausted younger men OF
nj nh In 4,
one drawback to his complete enjoyment was
the uncertainty ofthe localities. Unable to dog
Matte. he would sometimes content him self
with a hypothetical decision. occasionally
taking refuge In alternatives. and always en-
barrassed by the consciousness of hesitation.
In Palestine this drawback was removed.
Henceforward he was In tho midst OF cer-
tainties. passing through places tho names OF
which were the most familiar sounds OF
childhood. Perhaps no traveller has ever real-
ized more forcibly. or impaired more wildly
the charm OF travelling through a classic land.
In Palestine he was enabled to transfer with
bold yet reverent hand the whole subject Of
Biblical archaeology to its true place in the
science OF man. He exhibits In their rich
completely the extraor binary confluence OF
associations which in magnitude. In antiquity
and In variety are unique. None OF the rela-
tions OF Palestine with ancient or modern his
tory-with Egypt, Assyria. Rome. Arabia, and
the West-are overlooked. But II ono charac-
teristio OF Sinai and Palestine" is the pic
torial skill with which Stanley accumulates
the wealth OF historical associations. both
sacred and profane. another Is that mp
proa ching the we'll worn subject from a new
point OF view. he shows the general history OF
the chosen people TO be n reflection OF the
land in which they lived. and traces the special
course OF particular events TO the geoRraphi-