opinion, that the whole crowd of gods and goddesses, in ancient Rome and modern Varanes (Benares) mean only the powers of nature, and principally those of the sun, expressed in a variety of ways, and by a multitude of fanciful names."

Since the appearance of this work, Major Moor has given to the public an account of the practice of infanticide among certain tribes of India, which shall be the subject of notice in a future number of the CLASSICAL JOURNAL.

EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES.

Extract of a Letter from Monsieur Drovetti French Commissary General in Egypt, to Mr. Asselin.'

Ir is not in my power at present to answer, as I could wish, the questions which you have communicated to me from Mr. Seetzen. The islands still remaining in Lake Manzaleh are at present called by the name of those different Sheikhs or holy men whose tombs are there held in veneration by the Musulmans. The island of Tanis retains its ancient name, preceded, however by Sheish

و

Sheish شیش و تنیس thus it is named

and the conjunction rau wau Tanis. I have gone over this whole island, where, it is said, was situated the capital of the province bearing the same name, but I have not discovered any ruins of considerable edifices. A bath into which I descended, is in a good state of preservation, but the column which supports the vault is neither of granite nor of marble-but simply constructed of bricks. There are vestiges here of an ancient canal, which, like the Kalice of Cairo, appears to have crossed the city; on the borders of this canal are some ruins which prove how much superior the cement formerly used, is in comparison with the modern. The examination of these ruins, the level of them and the earth above the bath into which I descended to the depth of six feet, convince me that by digging here, some interesting discoveries might be made. The inhabitants say that the French have never undertaken to explore those remains; a great deal might be done with money and a firman of the Bashaw. But what appears extremely surprising is, that in the environs of this island, a spot very much circumscribed, no other vestige of building whatsoever can be found, although there is but very little water for a considerable distance. I shall collect as much information as possible to satisfy the curiosity of Mr. Seetzen, on the existence of the islands of

.Aboo al Koom, &c ابو الكوم

Between Cattié and El-arish there still remain vestiges of the canal drawn from Damietta to Suez; and these are sufficiently considerable to be seen by those who, going from Damietta to Jaffa, sail

at some distance from the coast.

From the first number of the Fundgruben des Orient, &c. or Mines of the East"--published at Vienna, 1809, page 77, &c.

I propose to see the ruins near Semanout in returning to Cairo, but I shall not confine myself to those; I hope to examine some others near Mansoura, which, it is said, are called at present Behabeit. I regret my own insufficiency of knowledge in determining situations, so as to ascertain the original denominations of different places. A Dictionary of modern Geography, compared with the ancient, and illustrated with suitable maps, would be extremely useful. If you or Mr. Seetzen can procure me such a work, it would afford me great satisfaction.

I have seen the Papyrus, and it abounds here, especially in that spot where the Jewish cemetery is situated; the pulp or pith of the stalk, near the roots, has a delicious sugared flavor.

All my researches have hitherto failed of procuring any information respecting the existence of an island in Lake Menzaleh where columns and other vestiges of antiquity have been found. They boast much of the ruins of Jan in the province of Salaiesh-these ruins are six hours distant from the Lake Menzaleh, and situated within half an hour's distance of the canal called Mousef. I should have visited them, had not a quarrel taken place between the Arabs and the province of Farascon and those of San; the latter would probably have detained me, in hopes of effecting the liberation of several of their people who are now confined in the prisons of the former.

I am every day more strongly confirmed in the opinion which I have already expressed, respecting that flower which is found in the neighbourhood of Damietta, and which is considered by some travellers as the ancient Lotus; from you I learn that its name in the old Arabic is Noofer, thus it is called in Syria, where, like the Nymphæa of Europeans, it is employed in medicine. Here it is called Bishnin, and by this name it is known equally at Cairo, where it is found in marshy places, as I have been assured. I also am informed, that at Cairo the people eat the root, as here, and even the interior part of the flowers. Now, as the ancient Egyptians exalted into Divinities almost every thing which yielded them a wholesome or pleasing nutriment (Felices populos, quibus nascuntur in hortis-numina) we are authorized in believing that, since the modern inhabitants eat the root and other parts of the Lotus, the Nymphæa must have been extremely salutary in so hot a country as Egypt. After this digression, it remains to determine what de gree of relation and resemblance exists between the Noofer and the Lotus, to ascertain whether those travellers have been deceived, who thought that they had discovered the latter in the vicinity of Damietta. But this is a subject of discussion beyond the reach of my powers. I once possessed a medal, (which formed part of the precious collection sold to Ali Bey) of some ancient city of Lower Egypt, as well as I can remember, and on this medal the Lotus (being the reverse to the Apis) was represented as so much blown that the points of the leaves of the flower diverged, and these leaves appeared to me of a form more elliptical than that of the Noofar and resembling much more the flowers of the lily.

NOTICE OF

ELEMENTS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR,

With EXERCISES and QUESTIONS for examination, and NOTES for the use of the advanced Student. By the REV. W. ALLEN. 1813. Lackington and Co. Pr. 5s. bound.

IT has been well observed by one of the predecessors of this ingenious grammarian, that "many of the differences in opinion amongst men, with the disputes and alienations of heart which have too often proceeded from such differences, have been occasioned by a want of proper skill in the connexion and meaning of words, and by a misapplication of language.”

Every new attempt to lay down the canons of our tongue, and to give greater perspicuity to our oral or written communications, ought therefore to be viewed with attention. At this day, we are not indeed to expect that any important discoveries should be made, or that another Horne Tooke should arise to re-model our studies. The present author's aim appears to have been to collect carefully, from every quarter, the true principles of our tongue, placing them in order and embodying them in his own language, with examples selected from our best authors where necessary. This task he appears to have performed with commendable industry and very considerable success. His definitions and rules are expressed in simple, perspicuous language, and throughout his work the lucidus Ordo is well observed. Each paragraph is numbered, and at the bottom of the page, questions are subjoined, referring to each, and bearing the same Numbers. This author appears to disapprove the ordinary distribution made in English Grammars of nouns into three genders he thinks that a fourth class is necessary, under which to rank those names which are at once masculine and feminine, as Friend, Parent, Cousin, &c. For those names which are of neither sex, it has been deemed necessary to set apart one gender: for those which include either sex, or both sexes, it seems as necessary to set apart another.-The old names of cases familiar to our ears, of genitive and accusative are here restored; and in conjugating, "I shall have," is termed the future imperfect"I shall have had," the future perfect; not the 1st and 2d future.

The hints for writing with correctness and elegance are well condensed, and might be perused with advantage by many to

whom an English grammar has ceased to be useful, but we cannot equally approve the portion of the work which immediately follows: "On the Structure of Themes:" which has but an indirect relation to grammar.

As the author (page 304.) adopts expressly the opinion of Horne Tooke that the word many is a substantive, we wonder the more at his admitting that this word, and much, are susceptible of comparison; this assertion, we confess, we do not understand. No doubt can remain that Dr. Johnson's conjecture and Tooke's opinion, as to this word's being a substantive, are perfectly well founded. It still exists in its original form in German, the least corrupted dialect of Teutonic: there "Menge," signifies abundance; multitude; a heap; in ours the medial G is universally dropped. Many such words exist in the German, and in our dialect, as Segel, Flegel, Regen, Hagel, Auge, Galgen, -Sail, Flail, Rain, Hail, Eye, Gallows. In pronunciation the G becoming faintly marked as a guttural, at length disappears wholly.

The author does not always closely observe his own rules: after telling us, §. 211. and §. 369., that "either" is one or the other of two things, and should not be applied to three, he applies it §. 413. to one or the other of four; and § 418., to one or the other of eighteen. But notwithstanding this and a few other slight errors, which might be noticed, we think he has attained his end of laying before the public an English Grammar, which may challenge comparison with any that has yet appeared. A slight inspection of the work makes it evident that the author has spared no pains in his preparatory researches. On its perusal, as strong proofs appear throughout, of his taste and ingenuity as of his learning.

ASONAS OF THEOPHYLACT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CLASSICAL JOURNAL.

I was induced, many years ago, to solicit, through the medium of a respectable periodical work, some information concerning a word, which occurs in the Fourth Book of Theophylact's History, (Paris edition, 1647, p. 101.) but as my inquiries on this subject have hitherto failed of success, I now take the liberty of addressing your learned correspondents.

In the letter written by Varanes, or Bahram, the Persian General, to Chosroes, and in the Monarch's answer, we discover much "oriental bombast," as Mr. Gibbon very justly denominates the style of those exalted personages-(Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chap. XLVI. Note 14.) The General is "friend of the Gods, the illustrious conqueror, an enemy of tyrants, Satrap, or chief, of the great," &c.• Βαράμ φίλος τοῖς Θεοῖς, νικητὴς ἐπιφάνης, τυράννων ἐχθρὸς, σατράπης MEYIσTávov, &c. Among the titles assumed by Chosroes, (the King of Kings, he that gives eyes to the night, &c.) Theophylact enumerates" ὁ τοὺς Ασωνας μισθούμενος.”

66

The object of my inquiry is the true signification of "Arwvas; the Latin version, which accompanies Theophylact's Greek text, affording no elucidation in respect to the meaning or etymology of this word"Asonas mercede conducens.”

The learned Selden, in his "Titles of Honor," (vol. 111. p. 962.) would read avowvas, and render it Ausonians, or Italians; whilst Mr. Weston, very naturally seeking a Persian origin for the word, informs us, that it" is most probably lil, ashina, from li, Shinas, or Shonas, intelligent, knowing,"-(vide "Specimen of the Conformity of Languages," Preface, p. xxvi.) The title above mentioned would ac cordingly represent Chosroes as having the learned in his pay;"— thus Mr. Weston renders it.

But neither the reading suggested by Selden, (which would suppose a letter to have been omitted in the Greek text, and not supplied by the Latin translator,) nor Mr. Weston's conjecture, however ingenious, can satisfy my doubts, because-1st. "The Genii," as Mr. Gibbon (in the note before quoted) explains the word, would seem much better suited to the bombast of Chosroes's other titles, than either the Italians, or the learned-and 2d. It is so translated by Mr. Gibbon, without any note of interrogation, or expression of doubt, (such as frequently occurs in his voluminous work); and that there exists some authority, which he, at least, deemed sufficient, I am inclined to believe, from his manner of explanation; evincing, in my opinion, an air of confidence, that could scarcely be founded on mere conjecture—

σε ὁ τοὺς Ασωνας (the Genii) μισθούμενος.”

Among the "Veteris Linguæ Persica AEIVANA," of Burton, (Edition of 1657,) Asonas cannot be found; neither is it noticed by Hadrian Reland, who, in his " Dissertatio de Reliquiis veteris Lingua Persica," (the eighth of his "Dissert. Miscellan. Traject. ad Rhen." 1708,) has explained, according to alphabetical order, one hundred and sixty ancient Persic words, preserved by the Greek and Latin writers.

D. V.