this city, as it was the metropolis of those Arcadian settlers, who constructed the most ancient towns of Italy, according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus. The drawings and details transmitted by Mr. Dodwell prove, that in the ramparts of the city of the Lycosuri, there are two kinds of Cyclopean architecture, the one more ancient than the other, and that there are other walls in the same place, which seem to have belonged to a period when the Cyclopean construction was no longer The same learned traveller has taken the present occasion to add to the list of Cyclopean structures already known, the ramparts of the towns of Elatea, Ithaca, Amphissà, Leucados, and Stymphalos. Finally, by way of answer to the first question put by the Class, he has named the ruins of eighteen cities of the Peloponnesus, in the walls of which he has only observed the construction in parallelogram blocks of the second age of the Greek antiquities.

in use.

Islands of the Archipelago.-M. Fourcade, French commissary in the Archipelago, has observed some ruins in the Island of Candia, (formerly Crete) which he thinks are Cyclopean. They are on the top of a mountain, on which was situated the ancient citadel of Cydonia. History will render this fact extremely probable in the opinion of those, who know to how remote a period we may refer the settlement of the Telchines in Crete, and their subsequent return into Boetia, where, according to Pausanias, they erected monuments. The Telchines and the Cyclops were one and the same people, according to the best critics.

M. Fourcade also observed the Cyclopean architecture in the walls of the ancient Cytherea, in the Island of Cerigo, and in the village adjoining the walls of the ancient temple of the Phoenician Venus: he saw that ruins of this kind were surmounted by other ruins in rectangular parallelogram stones, as elegant in composition as those which composed the tomb of Atreus, at Mycena. The same arrangement of the two kinds of building has been observed in the walls of Melos, by M. Jassaud, another French commissary, who has also transmitted drawings on the subject.

Western Shores of Asia Minor.-Dr. Chandler has noticed, under the appellation of incertum, the Cyclopean walls which confine the bed of the Caïster, near Ephesus. M. Le Chevalier has also published some observations on the above two kinds of Cyclopean building in the walls of Prusa, in Bithynia. He has also given, in his Travels in Troas, the engraving of a Tumulus of the same construction. Monuments of the same kind have been discovered by M. Gropius, on one of the summits of Mount Sipyla, near Smyrna, in the ruins of two cities, and of several Tumuli; some of Cyclopean construction, and others of parallelogram blocks. The distant period to which we ought to ascribe the origin of these two cities, seems already confirmed by the parallel of Tumuli of a different construction, but corresponding respectively to the two different systems of the construction of the ramparts of these cities. One of these tombs was 300 feet in circumference, and its height is proportioned to this base.

M. Cousinery, commissary in the Levant, has communicated a letter of M. Tricon, a French antiquarian, settled at Smyrna. This gentleman, on pursuing the discoveries made by M. Gropius on Mount

Sipyla, found two other ruins of cities, the walls of which were of Cyclopean origin, and the buildings of parallelogram blocks. He thinks, therefore, that the walls were built at an earlier period than the houses; but the antiquity of the whole is unquestionable, for no fragments of regular columns, or any inscription, are to be found. M. Tricon is about to pursue this inquiry in Caria and Ionia, where he has hitherto only met with ruins of Ionian origin, the age of which does not go beyond the year 1130. A. C.

Northern Shores of Asia Minor.-The result of the researches of M. Fourcade, in the neighbourhood of his residence in Paphlagonia, proves, that the moles which jut out into the sea at Synopa and Amysus, are of Cyclopean origin. Several ancient Tumuli in the same district are of a similar construction. One of these tombs, when opened, contained some small pieces of gold with some characters inscribed on them. We know that Bithynia and Paphlagonia have been occupied from the earliest periods of Greek history, by those Thracian colonies, who divided with the Thessalonian colonies the shores of Asia Minor, where maritime works, and Tumuli of the same architecture, have been already discovered.

Chersonesus Taurica.-One half of the Peninsula of Kertsch, according to M. Fourcade, is crowded with gigantic Tumuli, composed of raised earth covered with huge irregular blocks of stone. On attentively examining a series of sixty-six tombs, he found all the various shades of architecture which distinguish the walls of the ancient cities of Greece. Drawings of two of these tombs have been transmitted; the largest is situated on Cape Myrmecium, and it occupies a space of one hundred and thirty feet. The other is formed of rocks, extremely rude in appearance, but carefully joined.-The above are supposed to be tombs of the Scythian Kings, which, according to Herodotus, were preserved with great care.

The members of the Class, in concluding their report, congratulate the lovers of antiquities upon the acquisitions which have been made through their exertions. One hundred and seventy-seven ancient cities, the walls of which are of Cyclopean architecture, have been described in the course of their reports, and they invite a continuation of the services of travellers in foreign countries to aid them in the further prosecution of their researches. They point out, as particularly worthy of the notice of the learned, the shores of Epirus, Thessaly,Macedonia, and Thrace, and the southern coast of Asia Minor, i. e. Lycia, Pamphilia, and Cilicia; the latter place in particular, as having been occupied by colonies from Argos, who extended themselves to the shores of the Tigris. Xenophon places on the banks of that river the walls of Larissa, a city once inhabited by the Medes, but which Cyrus found deserted. Strabo also speaks of the Argian colony of Gordys, as being settled in the same country, of which the Kurdis Tartars still retain the name.

ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BIBLE.

THERE

HERE are few more satisfactory arguments of the authenticity of the holy scriptures, than that we find coincidences between them and profane authors. From Homer down to the writers of the Augustan age, numerous passages may be found giving their testimony to the truth of the Bible; passages, many of which would be unintelligible in the present day, were we not possessed of the Bible as their key. Although some of these are plainly and clearly expressed, the greater part, however, have been so mangled by tradition from generation to generation, that the features of their original are but faintly to be distinguished. Amongst the latter we may rank the fabled war of the Giants against Jupiter, as undoubtedly deriving its source from the rebellion of Satan and his angels against God. The ascension of Ganymede to be Jupiter's cup-bearer, may have been probably corrupted from the ascent of Elijah: and many similar stories have been traced to facts mentioned in boly writ. In proof of the former assertion, that some are clearly expressed, I will quote one passage from Homer, to which probably more might be added, where, speaking of the rain-bow, he says

· άς τε Κρονίων

Ἐν νέφεϊ στέριξε, τέρας μερόπων ἀνθρώπων.

Il. 11. 27.

Can there be a better comment upon this than the 13th verse of the 9th chap. of Genesis? "I do set my bow in the cloud; and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."

But what more particularly led me to these reflexions were some passages in the Greek historians respecting Cyrus. The first is from Herodotus, relating to his birth, the substance of which is most likely known to the greater part of your readers; the expression however is very remarkable, and shows, I think, that at the time of Herodotus, Cyrus was considered as under the immediate and peculiar protection of God. The historian first relates that Astyages the grand-father of Cyrus, having been alarmed by a dream in which he was told that he should be dispossessed of his kingdom by his grand-son, ordered Cyrus immediately on his birth to be exposed; but the courtier, to whom Astyages intrusted the business, being unwilling himself to imbrue his hands in the blood of the infant, sends for a shepherd and commits the murder of the child to him. This shepherd's wife, as the historian says, ἐπίτεξ ἔουσα πᾶσαν ἡμέραν,” during the absence of her husband, “ τότε κατὰ δαίμονα τίκτει,” and when he returned with the infant Cyrus in his arms, and had informed her of his commission, she

through compassion proposed that the dead child of which she had been just delivered, should be substituted for Cyrus. The shepherd assents, and takes his own dead child to expose on the mountains; and by this means the life of Cyrus is miraculously preserved.

I am aware that the veracity of this account of Herodotus is called in question, since no such fact is mentioned by Xenophon; we must, however, consider the remark of Cicero, "Cyrus ille a Xenophonte non ad historiæ fidem scriptus, sed ad effigiem justi imperii." Besides, there can be no doubt, that some such report as this, respecting Cyrus' birth, was rife in the days of Herodotus; supposing therefore the fact to be false, it shows that general opinion considered him peculiarly regarded by heaven.

The other passages I have remarked are from the Anabasis, which appear to me to refer to Cyrus. The Greeks on their retreat arrive at a city called Larissa, on the Tigris, respecting which, amongst other observations on its size, strength, &c. the historian relates the following remarkable circumstance. Ταύτην (viz. Larissam) βασιλεὺς ὁ Περσῶν, ὅτε παρὰ Μήδων ἐλάμβανον τὴν ἀρχὴν Πέρσαι, πολιορκῶν, οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ ἐδύνατο ἐλεῖν· ἥλιον δὲ νεφελὴ προκαλύψασα, ἠφάνισε, μέχρις οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐξέλιπον, καὶ οὕτως ἐάλω. Γ. p. 226. Hutch. oct.

oi

And again, the next city they came to, Mespila, experienced something of the same sort and at about the same time, as Xenophon relates. ̓Ενταῦθα ἐλέγετο Μηδία γυνὴ βασιλέως φυγεῖν, ὅτε ἀπώλεσαν τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπὸ Περσῶν Μῆδοι. Ταύτην δὲ τὴν πόλιν πολιορκῶν ὁ Περσῶν βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἐδύνατο οὔτε χρόνῳ ἐλεῖν, οὐτε βίᾳ· Ζεὺς δὲ ἐμβροντήτους ποιεῖ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας καὶ ούτως ἐάλω.

Whoever this king of the Persians was, these seem indisputable marks that God especially fought on his side. Now who he could be except Cyrus, I am at a loss to conjecture; since under him the empire of Media was annexed to the Persians, nor have we, I believe, any account of the Medes being subjected to the Persiaus, before that prince. If then we may conclude that it is Cyrus of whom Xenophon is here speaking, it appears to me to stamp additional credit on Herodotus' account of his life. For he relates him to have attacked and dethroned his grand-father Astyages, and thus to have gained possession of the Median empire. Whereas Xenophon makes him the lawful successor to the throne, after the death of his uncle Cambyses. Now it is evident that whoever this & Пlepowy Bariλeùs was, he had possessed himself of the empire of the Medes by conquest, not by hereditary succession, and consequently that if it was Cyrus, his history given by Herodotus is the true one. Here it may be objected, that Xenophon would be unlikely to contradict himself in this manner, by making Cyrus in some of his writings acquire Media by right of succession, and in others by that of conquest; but here again I must recur to

Cicero's remark, that under the name of Cyrus he was writing the character of a perfect prince, and he therefore might think himself at liberty to pass by his dethroning his grand-father as not to be imitated. Or what is still more probable, Xenophon had in these two accounts followed different reports; for even so early as Herodotus, the life of Cyrus seems to have been related in different ways, which indeed that historian expressly declares respecting his death, τὰ μὲν δὴ κατὰ τὴν Κύρου τελευτὴν τοῦ βίου, πολλῶν τῶν λεγομένων, ὅδε μοι ὁ πιθανώτατος εἴρηται. (Clio sub fin. It is upon this principle that Rollin reconciles the differences between Herodotus and Xenophon. I. O.

CLASSICAL CRITICISM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CLASSICAL JOURNAL.

SIR, I believe that the 15th ch. of the 13th book of A. Gellius has frequently been the source of much controversy among scholars. Having lately had occasion to examine it, I was induced to consult the translation by Mr. Beloe, with which, although, upon the whole, of deserved and high repute, I cannot in the present instance totally coincide-The passage to which I more particularly allude runs thus.

"Prator, etsi collega consulis est, neque prætorem, neque consulem jure rogare potest, ut quidem nos à superioribus accepimus, aut ante hæc tempora servatum est; et ut in commentario tertio decimo C. Tuditani patet, quia imperium minus prætor, majus habet consul: et à minore imperio majus aut major collega rogari jure non potest: prætores nos his temporibus prætore creante veterum auctoritatem sumus sequuti, neque iis comitiis in auspicio fuimus."

As in the course of the following observations some comments are made on the different readings, it may not be improper to remark, that the Edition now before me is that "cum notis utriusque Gronovii, Lugd. Batav. 1706." Having stated this, I shall proceed by adding the words of Mr. Beloe's translation.

"A prætor, although he be the colleague of the Consul, cannot by law cite either Prætor or Consul, as we learn from our forefathers, and which has been observed till now; it appears also in the thirteenth commentary of Caius Tuditanus; because the Prætor is invested with an inferior, the Consul with a superior authority. A superior magistrate cannot be cited by one of inferior authority. At this period, we who have been Prætors, followed ancient custom in every thing which regards Prætors' elections, nor at these Comitia was it usual to take the auspices." P. 41. Vol III.

With all due deference I take the following to be the meaning of this perplexing chapter.

Messala says, that a Prætor cannot propose a Consul, because a Consulate is "majus Imperium," neither can a Prætor propose even a Prætor, because a Prætor when elected is the colleague of a Consul.