Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/202

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This work has been published with the praiseworthy design of offering science in a popular and inviting form. While furnishing pure and correct examples of the architectural styles of different peoples and different ages, it forms at the same time a handsome ornament even to the drawing-room table. It is particularly calculated to give wide and general views to popular readers, by leading to habits of comparison, and for this reason it is especially deserving of encouragement. The drawing is correct, and the plates are beautifully executed. It ought to be stated that the work was originally published in France, and that the plates are the works of French artists; the text, written by some of the most distinguished of the French antiquaries, has been translated into English, with the addition of a preface by professor Donaldson. The volume we have before us forms the first series, or year, and we have also received five parts of the second year, which give promise of a volume fully as interesting as the first.

The subjects in the first volume commence with the Indian temples. It is remarkable that the most durable monuments of the far east were temples, while those of the west which have lasted longest are its tombs. Several plates are devoted to the wonderful temples of Elora, excavated from the solid rock, which, although they are placed first in the series, are probably not much older than the commencement of the Christian era. They hold the position here given to them by their primeval character, rather than by their early date. The Egyptian style is illustrated by interesting details of the little temple of Ebsamboul, one of the most remarkable monuments of that singular country. From Egypt we are led to the primitive monuments of Persia, which are illustrated by the celebrated tomb of Nakshi-Rustam, and by some details from the ruins of Persepolis. There can be little doubt that the tomb of Nakshi-Rustam was the burial-place of some one of the early Persian kings, and it is supposed to be that of Darius, described by the Grecian writers.

From these eastern monuments we are brought to the primeval monuments of the west, which are here divided into Pelasgian and Celtic. One of the most remarkable examples of the former has been discovered in the small isle of Gozo near Malta, of which several views and ample details are given in the volume before us. It is interesting as furnishing a more perfect specimen of a building which appears to bear some analogy in form to the supposed circular temples left by the earlier inhabitants of our islands. The selection of Celtic monuments engraved in the present work is especially interesting to the English reader, because they are all chosen from examples in Brittany, and afford the means of comparison with similar monuments in our own island. The Celtic monuments consist entirely of unornamented