Year: 1879

roTUTy RY ALEXANDER WILLIAM RINGLAEB Franknn


Square Library Harper & Brothers,


The name of the brilliant historian OF the
Crimean War WAS first brought prominently pelore
the public by this remarkable specimen OF the romance
of Oriental travel Since it's original publication III
1874 several works of similar character have been
added 70 the attractions of English literature In this de-
partmcnt but have surpassed the spaIkhns
prototype III graceful Of expression spehoor VI
colorng, or vivacity and force OF Illustration INC
rouneer class Of readers who have not yet become
acquainted with this delightful production have store
Of pleasure in reserve which scarcely be atained
from the frcsher and more familiar narratives OF
Oriental life at the present day. In the cohposuoh
OF the work, Mr. Kinglake supposes himself 10 oe
writing to an intimate friend with whom De can
lay aside all formal restraints, and speak with the
cheerful and careless freedom which he could not COM


and before an audience OF strange and casual readers
His bCOk, II may trust his own eonfesson Is qu'o
superficial its characters he has purpOsey amed 10
discard from It all valuable matter derived from the
works Of others and IL may boast of being eney hee
from all details OF geogra pbcal discovery or antiquarian
research from AL display sound learning and religious
knowledge, from all useful statistics rom All
political disquistons, and from al goOu ho'"'
reflections The charm Of the work consists IN Its beng
purely record OF personal experience The author mas
written precisely he felt He has described no neH
tious scenes lie has given uterance TO no arthclal
emotions pages reflect not what he ought TO nave
felt what every "well-cOnstituted mind" would nave
felt certain occasions but what he actuay ana ieel
at the tine II Tie religious sentiment was less strongly
excited in Judea than in Galiiee IL was because the
brain which was heated the sanctuary of Nazareth was
cooled down at tie of Mount Zion by disseminating
scenes and this, contrary TO the regulation treatment
Of the case be tells his readers in so many words
bunch or two Of grapes from the clusters OF Eshcol
which the traveller brings back from the riches OF the
East will afford OF the quality of his gifts and the
sl OF his presentation He thus describes his first ap-
proach 10 the Dead Sea- went on, ard came near 10
those waters death. They stretched deeply into the
southern desert and before and all around as far
away as the eye could follow, blank hills piled high
over hills, pale, yellow and Naked walled up in her
tomb forever the dead and damned GomOrrah. There
was no fly that hummed IN the forbidden air but instead


deep stiffness; no grass grew from the earth, no weed
peered through the void sand but in nockery of all
HE there we're borne down by Jordan
in some ancient flood; and these, erotesquely
planted upon the forlorn shore, spread out their
grim skeleton arms, all scOTched and eharred to
blackness by the heats OF the long, silent years"
The contrast between the solemn decorum OF Turkish
manners and the innocent freedom Of the Christian
madens of Bethlehem affords the theme for Yey PIC
ture ITO a Christian and thoroughbred Engltshman
not even the HcentiOusness which generally acconpa-
mics IL can compensate the OppressiveDess Of that
horrible decOrum which turns the cities and the
palaces Of into deserts and jals So say, when
You see and them those rOmpins girls OF Bethle-
hem will gladden. your very soul Distant at first and
then nearer and nearer, the timid flock viii gather
around you with their large burning eyes gravely
axed against yours so that they into your brain;
md il you imagine evil against them they VIII know OF
your i-thougbt before 1t is yet well born and will fly
and be gone the moment But presently II you will
only look viruOus enough to prevent alarm, and vicious
enough to avoid looking silly, the bithe maidens Will
draw and nearer to YOU and soon there will be
one-the bravest Of the sstors-who will venture right
your side and touch the hem OF your coat in play


f defiance OF the danger; and then the rest Will fol-
low the daring Of their youthful leader and gather close
round YOU and hold a shu controversy the Won
drous formation that you call hat and the cunning OF
the hands clothed you with cloth ne and then,
growing more profound in their researches they will


pass from study OF your dress to serious con-


temptation Of your stately height, and nutbrOwn
halr and the ruddy glow OF your English cheeks"


The presence Of the the desert is made the sub


feet Of brief poem in delicious prose "As long you
are fourneyng interior of the desert you have
particular point make for Testingplace The
endless sands yield nothing but small stunted shrubs


even these fail after the first three days, aud
from that time you pass over broad plans-yOu pass
over newly reared hlsyOu pass through valleys that
the storm Of the week has dug and the bills and the
valleys are saud sand sand still sand and only sand.
and and and sand again The earth IS so samey that
your eyes toward heaveu-toward heaven. mean,
in Of sky You look TO the sum- for he your
taskmaser, and by him you know the measure Of the
work you have DONE aud the peasure Of the work
that remains for you do he when you strike
your in the early morning and then, for the first
hour the day you move forward on your camel he
stands at your side and makes you know that the
whole DAYS toll is before you then for awhile, and
long while, you him more, for you yelled and
shrouded and dare look upon the greatness Of his
glory you know where he strides overhead by the
touch of his flaming sword. No words are spoken, hut
your Arabs moan, your camels sigh, you skin glows
your shoulders ache ana for sights see the pattern
and of the silk that wells your eyes, aud the
glare of the outer light. Time labOrs On-yOur skin
gows and your shoulders ache, your Arabs mOan your
cames sigh and YOU the same pattern in the silk
and the same glare Of light beyond; but cOnquering
Time marches Oh, and byaudby tue descending sun has
compasse ed the heaven, and softly touches your
right arm and throws your snk ehadow the sand
right along Oh way for Persia then again you look
upon his face for his power Is all eed in his beauty.
and the redness of flames has become the redness of
roses; the fair. wayy cloud that fed in the morn
ing now comes his sight once more-comes
blushing, yet still comes On-cOmes burning with
bushes yet hastens, and clings to his side" An
optical illusion OF not uncommon occurrence in the
desert brought before the eye Ia few words of faith
fu description about this part Of my journey saw
the likeness Of freshwater lake. saw as 1t seemed,
broad sheet OF calm water that stretched far and fair
toward the SOuth-sreehng deep into winding creeks
and hemmed by juttlng prOmontOries, and shelving
smooth of toward the shallow side on Its bosom the
reflected fire OF the playing and seeming TO float
upop waters deep and still Though knew OF the cheat


It was not till the spongy foot OF my camel had almost
trodden the seeming waters that could undeceive
my eyes, for the shore-ne quite true and natural


soon saw the cause OF the phanasm. sheet OF water
heavily impregnated with salts had filled this great
hollow and when dried up by evaporation had left a
white saline deposit that exactly marked the space
which the waters had covered and thus skctched true
fhoreue The minute crystals OF the salt sparkled in
the SUM- and so looked like the face OF lake that calm
and smooth" A sull remarkable Illusion
addressed to another sepse aud not yet well
accounted for, is thus described: "On the fifth