princes. They speak of new conquests, of
spreading empire; and the heaped-up treasures
of many a captive nation bear witness to their
words. With wealth comes luxury; and ere
an hour of the world's great week has passed,
the sound of music strikes my ear, singing,
and the voluptuous dance; no more the battlecar,
the crash of armies, and the shout of victory;
Ashur's monarchs, sunk in an inglorious
ease, make me a spectator of such revels as
were misery to see, and shame to chronicle.

Anon there is a rush of feet, a clash of
arms, a troubled surging of unknown tongues
amidst our halls, already ancient to ephemeral
man; " Cyaxares! Cyaxares! " rings loud
and triumphant. It tells a mournful tale.
Ashur is fallen—the conqueror is conquered
—the destroyer, destroyed!

Long did the foreigners hold us; and by
degrees the beauty of ancient work faded:
walls crumbled, roofs decayed, but I and my
companions stood firm. At length, the building
tottered and fell; elsewhere, fire had
completed the work of the conqueror; we
were left to silent ruin; a heap of earth
covered all in, and no vestige of our magnificence
remained, save a stray stone, or a
crumbling clod.

From this time, I remember little but at
intervals, as in the breaks of a heavy slumber;
the spring rain, sometimes uncovered part of
our dwelling; I felt the greenness of the
moist season, the drought and fervid glare of
summer. Travellers came, at long periods;
one I heard speak gloriously, in a foreign
tongue, of tales gathered from many climes,
of a fair land beneath the northern star:
many a story of our ancient grandeur he told,
and of the history he would write of all our
wonders. He passed away, and again I slept
until the same tongue echoed among our halls,
now masses of shapeless ruin. Their rude
speech named our home Larissa; they spoke
of Cyrus and of Xenophon, and again left us
in our gloomy silent abode, watching in
ruins over our forgotten nation.

Once more a mighty concourse passed,
crying " Alexandros; " they looked at us with
ignorant eye, and never dreamed that these
shapeless mounds had seen armies more noble,
kingdoms more vast, and men more brave
than they.

Again I slept; as one dreaming the fitful
visions of illness I felt the hours, days, and
years roll on, countless and dreary; at times
a dark figure flitted by, cursing me as the
unbelievers' idol, or a cry of misery rose from
the dwellers in the village hard by: all else
was stern and desolate.

But my sleep was not to be ever. I had
long heard the sounds of spade and mattock
around me; I had little heeded them; at
length the shrouding earth fell from before
me, and, for the first time after many an age, I
gazed with waking eye on the scene around
me. And what a change was there! I was
in a deep pit, from the bottom of which rose
my head; around me were half-clad wild
seeming men, viewing me with wonder and
awe. Presently came one who seemed a lord
among them; his dress was strange, unlike
what I had seen before. Joy was in his face
as he gazed on me, and I rejoiced in spirit,
for I saw he knew me and my history; I was
again awake and restored to the world.
Meanwhile men dug and laboured near me,
as I had seen them do in the days when I
was young. Soon I rose in my ancient dignity,
standing over the ruins. Often would
the man of strange aspect, but of noble and
enterprising countenance, contemplate me, as
one whose mind is in the ages passed away;
methought he spake to me as doth a child to
one many of years; he asked me of the days
of yore; I seemed to answer with mine own
thoughts, and I said, " I am the guardian of
the house of Ninus, protector of nations,
reverence of kings; to me are known the secrets
of our mystic worship, the sacrifices of our
dread altar; Father am I of many generations;
ruler of the world! " Thus boasted I
in the weakness of my heart; for, in his silent
steady gaze, I read my changed condition; I
called to mind my long slumber, my inglorious
waking, and I felt my fallen state. Thrice
had the world's great wheel rolled on to its
close; four more days were added since I fell
asleep; and he said, " Behold the change
around thee; where once thou sawest a
mighty nation standing in its pride, where
thou gloriedst in wealthy temples, in the
riches of great cities, in the mastery of
the world, now look upon the misery and
ignorance of barbarian hordes, see around
the ruins and shapeless heaps of earth.
Where was thy noble palace, now passes the
rude plough, now waves the yellow corn!

And my shame was clear in mine own eyes;
I was sad, for my pride was fallen. Why need
I tell more, the tale is grievous to me; I was
borne down beide my own ancient river,
amidst strange voices and shouts—" Layard!
—Layard! " they seemed to cry. I saw
my country desolate, my dwelling a prey to
strangers, I was tossed many days on the
heaving waters. Now I stand in a strange
land, the wonder of earth's younger children.
They say I am far from my violated home, in
a city prouder, greater, more glorious than
my native realm; but boast not, ye
vainglorious creatures of an hour. I have
outlived many mighty kingdoms, perchance I
may be destined to survive one more.

WEALTHY AND WISE.

LITTLE he loseth, who, for greater gain
Of wisdom, letteth fall the golden clue
By which he should unto those hoards attain,
Of treasure which the feet of men pursue.
Small toll of sorrow to the bar is due
Of him who, on the pathway to success,
Pauses, and passes not beyond the True,
Content an inward pleasure to possess
In God, whose worship is Man's noblest worldliness