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 578 OUSTED inscription contains a mass of mythological and other fables, showing it to have been the pro- duction of an exceedingly superstitious people, In this; as in many other Assyrian inscriptions, while a consistent meaning can be made out, yet there is some doubt as to the words repre- sented by the characters and some uncertainty as to the general result. Even Mr. Smith does not pretend to give the proper names with exactness. However, Sir Henry Rawlinson, who presided at the meeting before which Mr. Smith's paper was read, vouched for the accuracy of the translation, and ascribed to the legend which the inscription records an antiquity of 6,000 to 7, 000. years B. 0. But amid all that is doubtful, scholars are so far agreed on the interpretation of these inscrip- tions that we may expect important additions from this source to our knowledge of the an- cient world. Thousands of inscriptions yet remain buried among the ruins of Assyria; and when they are exhumed and subjected to the searching criticism of modern scholars, As- syrian, like classical philology, may come to be regarded as a distinct, extensive, and impor- tant department of learning. The literature of the subject of cuneiform inscriptions is already very extensive, and is rapidly increas- ing. The following works are perhaps the most useful, and contain abundant references to other sources of information : Fr. Spiegel, Die AltpersiscJien Keilinschriften (Leipsic, 1862) ; Menant, Expose des elements de la grammaire assyrienne (Paris, 1868) ; Oppert, Elements de la grammaire assyrienne (2d ed., Paris, 1868); F. Hitzig, Sprache und Sprachen Assyriens (Leipsic, 1871) ; Ewald, GescJiicJit- liche Folge der semitischen Sprachen (Gottin- gen, 1871); Schrader, Die KeilinscJiriften und das Alte Testament (with chronological appen- dices and a glossary, Giessen, 1872), and Die Assy risch- Baby lonischen Keilinschriften (Leip- sic, 1872); Rawlinson and Norris, "The Cunei- form Inscriptions of Western Asia" (3 vols., 1861-'70, lithographed for the British museum) ; George Smith, " History of Assurbanipal," cu- neiform texts with translation (London, 1871), and "Phonetic Values of Cuneiform Charac- ters " (1871) ; A. H. Sayce, " An Assyrian Gram- mar" (London, 1872); and Norris, "Assyrian Dictionary " (vols. i.-iii., London, 1868-'7l). CCNEO. SeeCoNi. CUNNINGHAM. I. Allan, a Scottish poet and miscellaneous writer, born at Blackwood, Dum- friesshire, in 1785, died in London, Oct. 29, 1842. He was of humble parentage, his fam- ily having lost its estate by taking the side of Mpntrose. He acquired from his father a love for old Scottish tales- and ballads, and was sent to school till his 12th year, when he was ap- prenticed to a stonemason. In his 18th year, having already written several poetical pieces, he sought the acquaintance of Hogg, the Et- trick Shepherd, who describes him as at that time " a dark, ungainly youth, with a broadly frame for his age, and strongly marked manly CUPAR features, the very model of Burns, and exactly such a man." Cromek, in gathering the re- mains of Nithsdale and Galloway song, en- gaged Cunningham for an assistant, who fur- nished materials for an octavo volume, which was published in 1810; but it soon appeared that he was himself the author of the most beautiful pieces in the collection. At the age of 25 he went to London, and during four years established a reputation by numerous contri- butions to periodicals. In 1814 he was selected by the sculptor Chantrey to be his foreman and confidential manager, in which position he re- mained till the artist's death. Some of his songs were declared by Scott to rival those of Burns. He wrote " Sir Marmaduke Maxwell " (1822), a wild drama founded upon border su- perstitions; several novels, as "Paul Jones," "Sir Michael Scott," "Lord Roldan," and "Traditional Tales;" the "Life of Burns" (1834), and the "Life of Sir David Wilkie" (1843) ; " The Maid of Elvar," a poem ; " The Songs of Scotland, Ancient and Modern, with Introduction and Notes" (1826), which con- tains many of his own best poems ; " The Lives of the most eminent British Painters, Sculptors, and Architects" (1830); and the literary illustrations to Major's " Cabinet Gal- lery of Pictures." His ballads and 'smaller poems are graceful, natural, airy, and emi- nently Scotch. II. Alexander, a soldier and au- thor, son of the preceding, born Jan. 23, 1814. He became second lieutenant of engi- neers in 1831, and served in India from 1834, being employed in various important missions and engineering works, and reaching the rank of major general. In 1858 he became chief engineer of the Northwestern Provinces, and in 1870 archaeological surveyor general of In- dia. He has published "An Essay on the Arian Order of Architecture " (1846); "The Bhilsa Topes, or Buddhist Monuments of Cen- tral India" (1854); "Ladak, Physical, Statis- tical, and Historical " (1854); and voluminous reports on the antiquities of northern Hin- dostan. III. Peter, brother of the preceding, born in London, April 7, 1816, died May 18, 1869. He was appointed a clerk in the audit office in 1834, became chief clerk in 1854, and retired about 1860. He contributed to pe- riodicals, and had the charge and arrange- ment of the works of art in the Manchester exhibition of 1857. He wrote an excellent " Handbook of London," and other interesting topographical works, and edited the poems of Drummond of Hawthornden, the " Works of Goldsmith," a new edition of Johnson's "Lives of the Poets," &c. CUNNINGHAM, John, a British poet, born in Dublin in 1729, died in 1773. He was the son of a wine merchant, and adopted the stage as a profession, but without much success., He wrote several small volumes of poetry, distinguished by simplicity and sweetness. CUPAR, a royal and parliamentary borough of Scotland, capital of Fifeshire, on the left bank