We notice a few of the inaccuracies in language which occur in the Essay. P. 179, " luculenter;" 183,"consedunt;" qu. considunt? 190, " Enones" pro Enones; 198, "pepigerunt" for pinxerunt; 204, "trochaico Stesichoreo;" 208, and elsewhere, "Tragedia;" 220, "triginta menda magis gravia;" (Paginibus nostris dicitis mihi menda quod insunt, &c.) 227, "terribilis magnificentiæ descriptionem,' a terribly magnificent description; 236, "Trogloditis;" 242,"excerpi" for "excerpsi;" 255, "bellum Persicum" for the Persian war: a Roman would probably understand by this expression the war of Perses; 257, "autem" for "tamen. There are also many instances of the confusion of moods, &c. Several criticisms on passages in the Latin writers are interspersed throughout the essay, which we reserve for consideration in a future number of the Nuga. EGYPTIAN, BABYLONIAN, AND PER SEPOLITAN WRITING. SINCE the beginning of this present century, I have allowed myself to indulge very flattering hopes, that the literary world was on the eve of being astonished or delighted by two important discoveries; a key to the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphics, and a key to the inscriptions found on Babylonian bricks, and Persepolitan marbles. But year after year has elapsed, and, with respect to the hieroglyphics, all my pleasing hopes would be now changed into absolute despair, (notwithstanding the labors of Zoega, Akerblad, Silvestre de Sacy, Champollion, and others) did not the ingenuity and perseverance of our learned countryman, Dr. Young, still justify the most sanguine expectations. Meanwhile, respecting the Babylonian and Persepolitan writing in those letters which the French denominate “caractères à clous," or nail-headed, and we, generally, arrowheaded, or cuneiform, I much fear that, although Tychsen, the late venerable professor at Rostoch, Bishop Münter of Copenhagen, Lichtenstein, Grotefend, and other able philologers, have devoted considerable attention to the subject, not one line, not even one word, has yet been satisfactorily explained: in fact, the very language of those inscriptions, however numerous the conjectures offered concerning it, does not appear to be ascertained while some assert that the writing runs, like Hebrew or Arabic, from right to left; another would read it in a perpendicular direction, like the Chinese: and others, (with whom I agree,) from left to right, like Latin or English. From Mr. Grotefend's system of deciphering the Babylonian inscriptions, some accomplished orientalists of my acquaintance were, at first, inclined to anticipate the most successful results: but their hopes seem latterly to have subsided; and the contradictory opinions of those writers above mentioned, are still to be examined. Perhaps some learned correspondent of the Classical Journal would have the goodness to inform me, whether any attempts more recent than Mr. Grotefend's have been made towards the deciphering of those arrow-headed characters. Reverting to Egyptian antiquities, I would inquire, at what period may we suppose the art of hieroglyphic writing to have ceased. The celebrated Father Kircher (in dip. Egypt. t. iii. p. 484.) declares his opinion, that the custom of embalming human bodies had been discontinued with the art of writing in sacred character, immediately after the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses. Yet, five centuries after this event, (or in the 30th year before Christ) the bodies of Antony and Cleopatra were embalmed according to the Egyptian manner (see Dio Cass. L. 11. §. 11 and 15. Malala, Chron. p. 284.); and so lately as the fourth century of our æra, Saint Antony requested that the monks might not send his body into lower Egypt, lest it should be preserved in houses: μη αφητε τινας το σώμα μου λαβειν εις Αιγυπτον μη πως εν τοις οίκοις αποθωνται -a passage explained by Saint Athanasius, (for to him is attributed the life of Saint Antony) as signifying that the Egyptians would not conceal the body under ground, (μŋ xgutteiv de Uπо yŋv: S. Athan. Op. T. ii. p. 502.) &c. Thus Kircher seems to have formed an erroneous opinion on the subject of embalming; and we must suppose him equally wrong concerning the period at which hieroglyphic writing ceased in Egypt. This, indeed, is sufficiently proved by the Rosetta stone, that gem of antiquity, the ornament of our great National Museum, which exhibits a long hieroglyphic inscription, executed in the time of Ptolemy Epiphanes, nearly three hundred years after the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses, as appears from a Greek inscription on the same precious mo nument. M. Y. OXFORD ENGLISH PRIZE POEM, FOR 1823. STONEHENGE. WRAPT in the veil of Time's unbroken gloom, No pillar'd lines with sculptured foliage crown'd, Here oft, when evening sheds her twilight ray, How, at deep midnight, by the moon's chill glance, Rise, from thy haunt, dread genius of the clime, Waves the dark wand, and chants the thrilling spell. O'er the black scene of death each conscious star, 'Tis gone! e'en now the mystic horrors fade From Sarum's loneliness, and Mona's glade; Hush'd is each note of Taliesin's lyre, Sheath'd the fell blade, and quench'd the fatal fire. THO. STOKES SALMON, NOTICE OF INSTITUTES of LATIN GRAMMAR, by JOHN THIS is a new edition of this learned and instructive work. A translation of the Port Royal Grammar was at first the only book written in English on the subject. Johnson's Grammatical Commentaries, which is a critical commentary on Lilly's Grammar, is the most interesting work written in our language on the Latin language. Milner's Practical Grammar, although containing some valuable observations, is written in a confused method, and is now seldom used. We are not speaking of Elementary Grammars for the use of schools, of which the number is almost infinite. Mr. Grant has the merit of combining the merits of his predecessors; and in this edition has produced the best work, which our language can boast; and we think Mr. Johnson's arguments in favor of Grammars in the vernacular tongue conclusive. Mr. Grant has adopted a clear metaphysical mode of explaining the rationale of Latin Grammar; and he has condensed in a moderate volume the observations made in various critical commentaries. He has embraced every part of the subject; and even in Prosody, we have nothing equal, except Dr. Carey's work, which is written on that part of Grammar exclusively. That we may not be thought to deal in unqualified praise, we may observe, that Mr. Grant is inaccurate in some of his French quotations. We will correct two lines, p. 409. Il faut nous entre-aider, c'est la loi de nature. NOTICE OF SCRIPTURE CHRONOLOGY, digested on a new plan; or, the principal facts of Sacred History arranged in the order of time from the creation of the world to the destruction of Jerusalem. Lond. 12mo. Pr. 3s. 1822. For Schools. THIS little work we can safely and strongly recommend to the young student, not only of the Scriptures, but of Jewish History. It is written by a learned dignitary of the Church, who has thought it consistent with his duty to assist the masters of schools and the tutors of colleges in what they no doubt consider as an important part of their labors. While this book is adapted by its simplicity to the least instructed capacity, it is by no means beneath the notice of the maturer biblical scholar. The author has selected the dates from the best authorities; and has given lists of the names and order of the Judges, of the Roman Procurators of Judea, and of the family of the Herods. He has given an account of the various particulars, in which the persons, who typified our blessed Redeemer, both before and after the law, chiefly resembled their great Antitype. NOTICE OF ESSAIS sur les PREPOSITIONS, considérées surtout géographiquement, ou nouveau Supplément à la GRAMMAIRE GRECQUE; ouvrage dans lequel on explique souvent les Textes grecs à l'aide des Cartes géographiques, et où, parfois, à l'aide des Textes, l'on corrige les anciennes Cartes. Par J. B. GAIL. Paris. THE extreme obscurity in which that important department of Greek literature, the use of the prepositions, is involved, |