The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1896-10-07
TWAS EVER THUS.
How . Princess Called Down Another
Woman $500 Years Ago.

How . Princess Called Down Another
Woman $500 Years Ago.
twenty-five hundred years ago
princess of the royal family of AS
syria wrote letter to lady of the
imperial court, in which the hitter
was haughtily rebuked for pIesun-
ing to use the familiar title of isis
ter" in addressing tho royal lady.
In Baltimore an English translation
of this letter was published by tho
Johns Hopkins university. DR..
Christopher Johnston has been
working for some time to puzzle out
the dignified terms in which one
woman of these anciont days re-
buEed another.
The letter was not written with
ink upon a sheet of tinted paper, as
would be done by fair dame today,
but was inscribed in cuneiform char
acters upon tablet Of baked clay.
1t is in 10 lines, and the royal lady
did not waste words to express her
contempt at the Others ,mperti.
nence. The tablet was written only
a few years before the destruction
Of Nineveh and the overthrow of
tho Assyrian empire, which is gen.
orally placed by historians as hav-
ing occurred in COG B. G. It is ono
of the few remains of that period
which have come down to the schol-
ars Of the present day. 1t was dis.
covered score or more years ago,
and many Assyriologists have tried
their hand Mt translation. DR..
Johnston, in working upon it. did
not have the original tablet, but a
picture Of It, The royal lady who
wrote the letter, or who probably
dictated it to her scribe, was the
Princess Sheruaeterat, q grand
daughter of the famous Assyrian
monarch Assurhanipal, called Sar-
danaralus by Greek writer's, who,
in addition to being q great con-
queror, vas the founder Of an ex-
tensive public library and a patron
of literature ard tie arts. The let
ter is translated ty Johnston:
Message CT the kings daughter to
Asshur- Shazrat. Thou dost not prop
erly address thy letter to me, nor
use the title to me betting my sta
ton. People might say, Is she the
sister Of Skeruaeterat, the Oldest
daughter of Ashur-etil-ilani-ukinni,
the great king, the mighty king,
king of hosts, king of Assyria?'
But thou art only the daughter Of
tho duughter-in-law of the wife Of
Assurbanipal, eldest son Of Esarrad
don, king Of Assyria.
DR.. Johnston suggests that this
sentence was probably q crushing
blow for the recipient CT the letter
as the peculiar expression "daugh
ter of the daughter-in-law of Assur
baDipal's WIFE was most likely ;
reference to some deleotable bit o,
court scandal in the famous Assyria1
empire, The doctor also said tina
the rebuke was perfectly prope'
one from what is known today o
Assyrian etiquette in letter writing
IF the lady. Asehur- Sha1rat, I'D
dressed the princess as sister with
out being so related" said be, Ssh
certainly committed gross breacl
of etiquette and was guilty Of Al
impertinence which richly merite'
a rebuke. Even If she was actuall
, her sister, it il doubtful whethe
/ she could have so addressed the cid
r est daughter Ct the sovereign fam
!, ly. We find prince speaking Of hi
father as the king, my lord, bu
| never as my father. And anon
I private individuals, except in til
a case of near relatives, it was til
< invariable rule to address each pei
q son by his proper title, with the at
n dition of tho words my lord. -
:. Baltimore Sun.