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SCIENTIFIC REVIEWS. 



Two Essays on the Geography of Ancient Asia, intended partly 

 to illustrate the Campaigns of Alexander and the Anabasis of 

 Xenophon. By the Rev. John Williams, Vicar of Lampeter, 

 and Rector of the Edinburgh Academy. Murray. London. 1829. 



Amongst the many literary and scientific publications which 

 have issued from the shop of Mr. Murray in the course of his ca- 

 reer as a bibliopolist, the work before us is none of the least valu- 

 able. Its learned and reverend author is well known to the pub- 

 lic as the historian of the modern Jews, and the biographer of 

 Alexander the Great, whose talents as a general, whose success as 

 a conqueror, and expanded views in the promotion of science, lite- 

 rature, and civilization, (which latter were unhappily frustrated by 

 his premature death,) worthy the pupil of the philosopher of Sta'- 

 g}Ta, have secured him deathless fame, have established for him 



Claram et venerabile nomen 



Gentibus — 



" — Quod nee Jovis ira, nee ignis 

 Nee potent ferrum nee edax abolere vetustas." 



For both of these works, Mr. Williams has obtained a well-earn- 

 ed reputation, and received his due meed of praise from those best 

 qualifaed to appreciate his labours and estimate their worth. 



The publication now before us is intended as a sequel to the 

 work on the Macedonian hero, for the purpose of illustrating seve- 

 ral of his marches, particularly those from Babylon to Susa, from 

 Susa to Persepolis, and from Persepolis to Ecbatana, and to fix the 

 relative sites of these interesting cities. But by far the most labo- 

 rious part of his work, is to illustrate the marches of Xenophon in 

 that immortal work the Anabasis, — a work more generally read 

 than his memorabilia of Socrates, and as much so as his biography 

 of the elder Cyrus, but less understood than both. His main pur- 

 pose, in the first essay, is to identify the ancient Ecbatana with the 

 modern Ispahan, and in the latter to fix that of Opis, — a position 

 which has been weU denominated the opprobrium of modern geo- , 

 graphy. 



The miscellaneous nature of our monthly Journal, prevents us 

 from discussing the work at any length, and doing that justice to 

 it which its importance, as an intended illustration of ancient geo- 

 graphy, demands. To do the one or the other, would require an 

 extended dissertation on each of the subjects, equal to the work it- 

 self, — a work so replete with collateral discussion, though evident- 

 ly subordinated to the main topics. All we can do is to give an 

 outline of the two essays, and subjoin a few remarks. The work 

 abounds in classical and geographical erudition ; so much so, in- 

 deed, that most of his readers will be able to follow him, ^ed longo 



