126 Dr. Kennedy Bailie's Researches amongst the inscribed Monuments 



These Epheslan monuments cannot but be regarded as possessing much to 

 interest us, from the notices which they contain of a prominent idolatry of the 

 Panionian Confederacy. But interest of another order attaches to them also in 

 the eyes of the Christian antiquarian, who will not fail to perceive in these 

 strenuous efforts of individuals and bodies of men, marked indications of a de- 

 caying worship, and melancholy forebodings. The address of the silversmith of 

 Ephesus* is familiar to all here, which presents so remarkable an instance of the 

 admixture of low and sordid motives with the more elevated feelings of national 

 vanity and pride : and doubtless, Demetrius was not only a skilful artist, but a 

 sharp-sighted spectator of passing events. He well knew the versatile character 

 of his fellow-citizens, and trembled for his craft ; with what justice, these docu- 

 ments of a somewhat later era sufficiently attest : for to what are we to attribute 

 these efforts of the heathen priesthood to reconstruct, to invest with additional 

 solemnity, to fortify with more stringent sanctions, the worship of their tutelary, 

 but the astounding fact, that the temple of the great goddess was fast falling 

 into contempt, and that the magnificence of her, whom all Asia and the world 

 had worshipped, was about to be destroyed ? How truly the illiterate artisan 

 predicted coming events ! What a contrast his misgivings present to the as- 

 sumed tone of confidence with which one of the state documents described above 

 concludes ; inasmuch as this will conduce to the promotion of the honour of the 

 goddess, which will continue more glorious and in higher repute, on those days, 

 for all succeeding time ! The vaunted magnificence, and with it the decrees, of 

 the proud Asiarchs of Ephesus, have crumbled, and are still crumbling, into 

 dust, whilst the anticipations of her humble mechanic are inscribed in indelible 

 characters on the ruins of her palaces and her shrines ! 



Between Ephesus and Laodicea, which was the next site that I wished par- 

 ticularly to visit, I took the road which included the towns of Aidin, Nazeleh, 

 Yeni-shehir, Gheyerah, and Serai-kui, which represent in their order the ancient 

 names of Tralles, Nysa,f Antiocheia, Aphrodisias, Karoura.J Of these, the 



* Acts, xix. 24, ss. 



t Viz. according to D'Anville. Vid. Ansart, Not. in Plin. v. 29, 6. This, however, is ques- 

 tioned. 



X Vid. "Visit to the Seven Churches," &c., by the Rev. Fr. V. J. Arundell, p. 73, and accom- 

 panying Map. Strab. xii. c. 8, p. 75. Tauchn. 



