

PREFACE. 



From the Study of the Flora of the Assyrian 

 Monuments, there grew the study of an imposing 

 object of veneration — the Assyrian sacred tree ; and 

 from the study of this, there grew that of the 

 Assyrian horns, which form a prominent feature of 

 that tree ; and thus there grew these miscellaneous 

 pages, which I have called "The F"lora of the 

 Assyrian Monuments, and its Outcomes." 



This book is like a telescope, in which one tube 

 comes out of another tube 



I have endeavoured to make my telescope as 

 short as possible, for fear of wearying the reader. 



Some repetitions have occurred, which could not 

 well have been avoided, and which are of little con- 

 sequence ; at other times they are useful ; they 

 impress the point on the reader's attention. The 

 illustrations might have been better ; but the 

 moment you begin to use modern art to make 

 ancient art prettier, you begin to lose the very 

 thing you don't want to lose, viz. the rudeness, by 

 which they gave form to their crude ideas. Those 

 are the hieroglyphics you wish to decipher, and 



