DISCOVERIES IX BABYLONIA AND THE XEIGHBOUKTXG LAXDS. 115 



The princi j»al buildiug probably had its origin at an exceedingly 

 early date — earlier, in all probability, than the time of the 

 viceroy Gudea, who seems to have rebuilt it. In its area of 

 about 174 feet by 98 feet it contains an extensive series of 

 rooms — reception rooms, sleeping places, kitchens, etc. In later 

 times the entrances to some of the chiiinl:»ers seem to have been 

 regarded as being too public, and they were accordingly partly 

 walled up by a man named Addu-nadin-ahi, who belongs to 

 a peri'>d after the date of Alexander. 



The discoveries in this little place, strange to say, were much 

 more important than its situation would lead us to expect. It 

 has given us pictures of feats of arms, representations of 

 conquests, and delightful things in the way of architecture, 

 literature, and art. Though ir^ architecture was rather massive 

 for what we should consider to be really good, it is probably 

 owing to this circiimstance that the buildings have been 

 preserved to us, and though its art has the same defect in many 

 cases, it has given us the A-illage-chief, and the lady who might 

 well have been his consort and helpmate. Thero have been 

 preserved to us likewise the god with the fire-stick (as he has 

 been called), inscribed with Gndea's dedicatory inscription to 

 Xin-Girsu, and the remains of the beautiful stele in which 

 Gudea is depicted, led by a priest, into the presence of that 

 same god, who, seated on his throne, waits to receive him. The 

 antiquity of their art is illustrated by those remarkable 

 cylinder-seal impressions bearing the name of En-gal-gala, 

 existing in many forms, all very similar. There will doubtless 

 be much discussion as to what the subject may mean, but the 

 shouting man and the silent women (if we may judge from the 

 mouths of the figures) may have something to tell us as to 

 the manners, customs, and beliefs of the people of that early 

 period — prol^ably 3,500 or 4,000 years before Christ. Of 

 Kterature of the earliest period we have no real specimens, 

 but if I had time, I would read you something of their national 

 troubles, and also the accounts of the pious works of the kings 

 of the place. The work of M. de Sarzec has been very 

 successfully continued by his successor. Colonel Cros. 



Among the most impKDrtant of the discoveries in Babylonia 

 must be noted those of Mr. Eassam. Sir Heniy Layard's old 

 lieutenant, and the discoverer of Assur-bani-apli's splendid 

 palace at Xineveh, whence the finest of the Assyrian reKefs in 

 the British Museum came. It is needless to say that Assyriolo- 

 gists are greatly indebted to him, for the number of the 

 inscriptions which he sent to this country was enormous — 



