of antiquity produced great authors, who have survived to our days, could not fail to shake this belief. It was forgotten, that although such writers, for example, as Strabo, in Asia Minor; Terence, in Spain; Trogus and Ausonius, in Gaul; attested the extension of literature beyond the neighbourhood of Athens and Rome; yet that elsewhere, as in Britain,* civilisation was unquestionably established without leaving similar evidence of its existence. Another capital point also forgotten was, that the classics were mainly preserved by the Christians, and when Christianity was abolished as in Central Asia, ancient learning also disappeared. It was desirable, therefore, that means should be found to show the precise degree of progress made by the Greeks in their union and struggles with these Asiatics. The discoveries now under review seem likely to offer such means; to be aided by Chinese authorities, as well as by Greek, Latin, and other writings; all of which, by throwing light on each other, will be read at present with far more advantage than in times past.

The advances made in the study of those coins are various, and eminently illustrative of the patience and sagacity of the long list of inquirers who have at length been rewarded by remarkable success. In tracing this list we rely on the interesting volumes of Professor Wilson, to whose well-deserved reputation the Ariana Antiqua gives new honcurs. We venture to add one or two points to which he seems scarcely to have done full justice.

In the spirit of that earnest encouragement to the enterprising, which Washington Irving derives from the ultimate success of Columbus after eighteen weary years of exertion to convince men of the existence of the new world, Professor Wilson opens his work with an admirable remark, applied to some important inquiries now only in progress.

"It can rarely happen," says he, "that talent and perseverance toil in vain. It has not un

eve of becoming familiar with whatever the inscripions of Babylon or Persepolis may have preserved from periods anterior to authentic history; and the doctrines or facts perpetuated on rocks or columns, or in inscriptions on stones which so long crippled the industry and erudition of Indian orientalists, the more fortunate applications of learning, talent, have been at last made accessible to the world by scription cannot fail to demonstrate the advantage ingenuity, and perseverance. Instances of this deof not desisting from a course of inquiry, merely because the attainment of its objects is not apparently nigh at hand."

es are very important. Instead of what Sir The new facts ascertained by these researchJohn Malcolm, only thirteen years ago, called the "blank in eastern history," which all formdeath of Alexander, did not fill up, we now er records of nearly five hundred years from the know, as Professor Wilson says, that

"The latest of the princes of Greek origin must have ruled until within a brief interval of the era of Christianity."

And he adds that in illustration of the Christian
histories, the coins enable us to trace
«several and successive dynasties of barbaric
rulers, Sakas, Gete, Parthians, Huns, and Turks;
who from the beginning of the Christian era, or a
brief period before it, to the fifth and sixth centuries
after it, occupied with fluctuations for times, the
country on the west of the Indus, from the Hindu
Koosh to the Indian Ocean."

from the numerous Greek and Barbaric coins
It curiously confirms the conclusions drawn
found in Affghanistan. which is the region here
described, that very little Roman money is
by the recent zealous explorers, but less than
among those coins. Some of it has been found
was long since stumbled upon by accident in
Hindostan, as shown above from the "Asiatic
Researches."
The truth is, that the Romans
never possessed Afghanistan, although embas-
sies frequently reached Rome from India. Con-
sequently the only coins deposited in the ground
would be the comparatively few brought by
trade to the country, as intimated in the pas-
sage quoted above from Cosmas Indico-Pleuses;
and in the same way as a few Russian coins
were brought as curiosities to Mr. Moorcroft
twenty years ago in Central Asia.

frequently occurred, that at the moment when interest most languished and hope grew faint, fortune proved propitious, and unexpected success rewarded the resolution that gave not way to despair Scholars and antiquaries have not yet unrolled the entire volume of the Egyptian records, but the labour which so long sought in vain for a key to the characters in which they are concealed, has not been wholly disappointed of its reward, and they Alexander died in the year 324 before our may reasonably now look forward to a more bril-era ; and it is not until 60 years later that the liant recompense. We seem to be at last upon the

It is true that the Roman poet mentions the success of the British Students in jurisprudence.

history of the times is held to be elucidated by recently found coins. His are well known, but they seem to be usually found in more westerly Life of Columbus, 12mo edition, p. 56.-" Let the death of the great conqueror, directed the situations. The confusion which followed upon those who are disposed to faint under difficulties, in attention of those who shared his dominions exthe prosecution of any great and worthy undertak-clusively to less remote countries than those ing, remember that eighteen years elapsed after bordering on the Indus, and those north of the Columbus conceived his enterprise, before he was enabled to carry it into effect; that the most of that Himalaya mountains. At length, however, uptime was passed in almost hopeless solicitation, on Seleucus leading an expedition towards Inamidst poverty, neglect, and taunting ridicule; that the prime of his life had wasted away in the struggle; and that when his perseverance was finally crowned with success, he was about fifty-six years of age. His example should teach the enterprising never to despair."

dia, he obtained the mastery of Bactria, and of the whole region to the Indus; and from the year 130 to 256 before Christ, as is inferred from coins with Greek inscriptions and figures, a regular succession of sovereigns of Greek origin continued uninterruptedly to hold the country.

Their names cannot be mistaken, Theodotus, | wears the fillet of peaceful rule on the helmet and Euthydemus, Demetrius, Eukratides, Lysias, defensive armour, but is exhibited in an attitude of Antimachus, Heliokles, Philoxenes, Menander, attack, or as launching a javelin in battle. His Apollodotus, Diomedes, Agathocles, Pantalon, and Hermæus. All these men must have had a Greek origin, and their coins prove that they were sovereign princes. Some of them had separate cotemporary kingdoms, as was probable in disturbed countries bordering upon a more disturbed world of barbarians.

The confirmation and correction of history by means of those ancient coins will be best shown by an example, and we take that of Menander from Professor Wilson.

coins, therefore, give precision to the indication of history, and leave little doubt that he was a king of Paropamisan India, and a conqueror of the neighbouring provinces. His prog ess to the north was Scythians, whose contests with the Arsacidan monprobably checked by the advancing power of the archs deterred both from molesting Menander; his arms were therefore turned against his own countrymen, as well as against Indian princes; and such fragmentary portions of Greek dominion as may have subsisted to his day were perhaps once consolidated under his reign.

"It does not appear that there is any satisfactory "According to Strabo," says the Professor, " Me- ground for making Menander a brother of Euthydenander was one of the Bactrian kings by whose vic- mus, and the style of his coins is evidence of his tories the boundaries of the kingdom were chiefly being subsequent not only to that monarch, but to extended towards the east. He crossed the Hypan-Eukratides and Heliokles. He first adopts the title is, and passed eastward as far as the Jsamus river; the latter is considered to be the Jumna, the Hypanis being the Setlej. It appears likely, also, from what follows, that the occupation, if not the conquest of Pattalene, is ascribed to Menander; and this harmonises well enough with the fact mentioned by the author of the Periplus, that, in his time, the end of the first century after Christ, the drachms of Menander and Apollodotus were still current at Barygaza, or Baroach, on the coast of Guzerat.

"Menander is spoken of by Arrian as a king of Bactria, and Plutarch gives him the same designation. The title, however, is applied by them without any consideration, and it may be doubted if he ever reigned in Bactria. Bayer, following Valens, makes him either the brother or a kinsman of Euthydemus, and his successor; he calls him also king of India and Bactria, assuming the former from the record of his Indian victories, and a passage in the summary of a chapter of Trogus Pompeius, which, however, does not necessarily indicate the reign of Menander in India. The only authority, therefore, we have for his ruling over any part of India is the writer of the Periplus.

"Upon examining the coins, however, of this prince, we have every reason to believe that he never was King of Bactria, but that he reigned over an extensive tract from the foot of the Paropamisan mountains to the sea. How far he held sovereignty on the east of the Indus, or even in the delta of that river, is somewhat doubtful, as his coins have not been found in those directions; they are most abundant in the vicinity of Kabul, in the Huzara mountains, and at Baghram; they are obtained in the Punjab, but apparently they are brought thither for sale. Colonel Tod, however, discovered his coins of Apollodotus and Menander on the Jumna, and there is no reason, therefore, why they may not be dug up in any of the intermediate spots. The chief seat of their issue was the neighbourhood of Kabul, and here was in all probability the royal capital of Menander.

Soter,' which may have been suggested to him by the example of Demetrius, Soter of Syria; to whom, however, if the conjectural date here given is near the truth, he was considerably subsequent. His extensive conquests in India cannot well have been anterior to those of Mithridates, which makes him posterior to 137 before Christ, and the probability that he was preceded by petty dynasties to which he put an end, cannot allow us to date him much earli er than 126 before Christ. The prevailing device on his coins is the Minerva Promachos, which is found on Thessalian, Macedonian, and Seleucidan medals, generally executed in a much more masterly manner. Some of his coins offer a similar indication, and denote his attachment to the same goddess by the representations of her attributes, as her owl and her ægis. On a small copper coin, which is very abundant, we have the head of an elephant on one side, and the club of Hercules on the other; and these, as well as the Minerva, connect him, if they have any such purport, with Euthydemus, or rather with Demetrius. The presence of a winged Victory offering a regal diadem on some of his coins may, however, as conjectured in regard to other princes, intimate his being the founder of a new dynasty. Of others of his devices the import is not obvious, as the dolphin, boar's head, and the wheel; of the first of these the style is more like Roman than Greek, though distinguished from both by the usual quadrangular shape. A single coin has been found bearing the title AIKAIOZ, and having on the reverse a panther; a title and a type which would seem to connect him with Heliokles and Agathokles, but which may merely indicate his be ing posterior to both those princes.

"An anecdote is related of Menander by Plutarch, which is curiously analogous to one of an Indian origin, although relating to a different individ ual. Menander, it is said, enjoyed such favour with his subjects, that upon his death, which happened in camp, different cities contended for the possession of his ashes, and the dispute was only ad"That Menander was never king of Bactria is to justed by their agreeing that the relics should be dibe inferred from the total absence of any tetra- vided among them, and that they should severally drachms, or any other coins, silver or copper, with a erect monuments to his memory. This story is told mono-lingual inscription. The largest coin found of Gaulama, or Sakya Sinha, in all the traditional bioof this prince is a dedrachm, which, although of graphies of him which are current amongst the naneat workmanship, is inferior in spirit and execu- tions following the faith of Buddha. Upon his tion to the tetradrachms of Heliokles; it bears also death, and the cremation of his corpse, eight cities an Arianian as well as a Greek legend. His small-, contended for the ashes; the precious remains were er silver coins are very numerous, and the copper divided among them, and each built magnificent are in great variety as well as number, from which shrines for their reception. The existence of such we may ascribe to him a long and prosperous reign. monuments in Bactria and Paropamisus was known Thus in war a reign of military exertion is also de- in the second century, and the persons with whom ducible from the portraits of the king, who not only ' the knowledge of the fact originated may have mis

taken or misstated the object of the posthumous | another important matter-the conquest of the honours."

civilized Greek dominions in the remote east by barbarians. The same cause which led to the Several points in this curious passage, which overthrow of the Roman empire by the northern is a fair specimen of the learned Professor's own barbarians in Europe, inflamed the people of volume, might be discussed with profit; but the Asia. Mutual injuries rendered the more civipassages in italics are connected with by far the lized and the less civilized furiously hostile to most interesting circumstance in the new learn- each other; and the latter-not suffering, as the ing recently brought to something like perfec- barbarian of modern times does, the evil of betion in regard to the East. These coins, and ing exposed in the conflict to gunpowder and the languages of the Asiatic tribes, compared very superior science-generally conquered. In with our own and the Chinese books, of which those days the Chinese were invaders of foreign improved translations of considerable extracts lands, as well as other nations; and they had so have lately appeared in France, not only estab-active an intercourse of various kinds with Cenlish ancient history upon indisputable founda- tral Asia, and towards the west, that when the tion, so as to open altogether a fresh insight into the condition of very extensive portions of the whole globe in times heretofore utterly dark, but present the more important people of Asia under circumstances altogether novel and hopeful.

Arabs pressed eastwards, the people of Afghanistan, who could not resist, appealed to the Chinese for aid. In the revolutions occasioned at an earlier period, by the progress of the more northern tribes towards the same country, the Chinese also took part against the invaders, and The first circumstance to which we allude is the transition from Greek civilisation to the the illustration of the Greek-Asiatic story by state of manners which ultimately settled down reference to the faith of Buddha: which Colo- into either Hinduism, or Mahometanism, with nel Sykes has put in an exceedingly satisfactory some exceptions of an obscurer faith, is distinctly point of view in a paper, or rather a volume, declared in the Chinese books, as it is distinctly published last year by the Royal Asiatic Socie- marked on the face of the coins recently found ty. In the year 399 A. D., a Chinese Buddhist so abundantly. In the present state of this priest, Fa-Hian, travelled through Afghanistan transit of knowledge the subject is somewhat and India; and in the years 502 and 650, other obscure, but enough is ascertained to gratify and Chinese frequented those countries. Their nar- excite curiosity. It is in the highest degree ratives are voluminous; and the translations of probable that the barbarians who, about the extracts, by the French principally, are consid-year 160 B.c. settled in the Greek kingdom of erable. Without attempting to analyze the full account given of them by Colonel Sykes, we offer our tribute of applause to the able manner in which he has performed his task; and we quote with entire approbation his concluding words. These genuine documents show, says he, that Brahminism is not "unfathomable in its antiquity, nor unchangeable in its character;" and he infers, we venture to assert, most soundly, that "by proper means applied in a cautious, kindly, and forbearing spirit, such further changes may be made in their condition and character as will elevate and greatly improve them."

It appears, that Fa-Hian, the first of those Chinese teachers and missionaries, describes a Buddhist temple which he saw near the Indus, in terms that clearly explain the figures upon the numerous Buddhist coins found lately in Af ghanistan. This temple had two pillars before it, the pillar on the left hand had a wheel on it; that on the right hand an ox; both of which are to be seen on these coins. Colonel Sykes also remarks correctly that the Pali inscriptions on many of these coins, together with their Buddhist emblems, attest the truth of Fa-Hian. And some recent disinterments mentioned in the posthumous volume of Sir Alexander Burnes, seem to confirm the opinion that the religion of Buddha is the parent stock of Indian faiths.|| The same coins and Chinese books concur in

• Ariana Antiqua, p. 280.

Bactria, "cultivated the arts of peace, and in
imitation of their predecessors struck coins of
gold and silver, as the Chinese report of the
people of Ki-pin, on one side of which was a
mounted horseman, and on the other the head
or the figure of a man.'
130 Mohammedan writ-
ers concur in these remarks; and the bowels of
the earth daily give forth witnesses to the exact-
ness of both. A succession of dynasties and
nations follows, Indo-Parthian, - Indo-Scy-
thian,---Sassanian,---Hindu,--and Mohammedan.

The late Colonel Tod and Mr. Masson seem to have been the most persevering and successful collectors of these coins. The former gentleman obtained the enormous quantity of upwards of 20,000; and so long ago as in 1833, the latter, as we find in his own report in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, published in Calcutta, made in the first four months of his explorations on one spot, a most abundant harvest.

Two other Englishmen deserve special mention on the subject; Mr. James Prinsep, already quoted, one of a family distinguished for talent, and eminent in station in India, who was the first who introduced this study with effect to the literary world; and Mr. Moorcroft, whose melancholy fate has not yet excited sufficient sympathy, nor his merits had a fitting recompense. Among the many other objects to which the lat ter paid attention when travelling in Central Asia, he did not neglect coins and antiquities; and he found Greek relics in the heart of the

Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, May, 1841. soil as well as Russian copecs in the hands of Ibid, p. 450.

§ Ibid, p. 295.

260.

Cabool, in 1836, 7, and 8, by Sir A. Burnes, p.

the population.

Mr. Moorcroft was our real pioneer to the commerce of the vast regions,

*Ariana Antiqua, p. 306.

population of the entire kingdom is estimated at 4.677,900 souls. We are among those who sympathize with Raumer when he talks of the "mute eloquence of these dead figures. What a long tale of departing glory is told by the ta bles that refer to Venice! The climate has of late years been repeatedly lauded, yet the deaths annually exceed the births by nearly a thousand! The young and enterprising, to whom the state looks for the rearing of embryo citizens, quit the sorrowing city; the aged alone remain to die amid the monuments of former splendour. How different are the fortunes of Milan, where the births exceed the deaths by more than 600.

The less the ministers of religion mingle in poli- | and the numbers of marriages, deaths, &c. The tical strife, the more will they be respected by their flocks. There are times, indeed, when none but a moral dastard can hold aloof; but on such occasions it is with the people, and not against them, that churchmen should side, if the cause of their church is dear to them. Much of the existing unpopularity of our own church is owing to its connexion with the aristocracy rather than with the people in the struggle that has been going on for some time between the two great elements of our constitution. In such a struggle, the only place of safety for the church is in the ranks of the people. In Holland the Catholic church perished because the church banded with tyrants to rob the people of their freedom; in France the church was humbled to the dust because it sided with those that would keep the people from freedom: and it is only since the French church has ceased to lend itself as a mere tool to tyranny, that it has recovered a portion of its former influence.

It was not our purpose, at present, to take more than a rapid glance at the work before us, of which it would not be easy to speak more highly than it deserves. Our few points of disagreement are points of minor importance, bearing upon the rivalry of England and Holland in India. In every more prominent matter connected with the history of Holland, the most praiseworthy research is displayed; the style is easy and correct; and the narrative occasionally invested with more than the interest of fiction.

Upon the whole it would not appear from M. Schmidl's work that the climate of Lombardy can be healthy, since the total number of deaths equals 1 in 26 of the whole population. The criminal statistics are not favourable to the people of this part of the Austrian dominions. The annual average gives 254 acts of murder or homicide, 780 wounds and personal injuries, 136 condemnations for rape, 112 for coining, and 736 for minor acts of personal violence.

The different dialects of northern Italy, the costumes, the local usages, the habitual diet, and the various occupations of the inhabitants, are described with much care, and are illustrated by 88 engravings on steel, and by a multitude of very elaborate tables. We have a detailed account of the much-vaunted system of agriculture, which, the author says, "would produce very different results, if the industry and intelligence of the German peasant could be brought to bear upon the country." At present nearly all this part of Italy is cultivated" by farmers who can scarcely obtain an existence from their locations," and have neither courage nor capital to attempt

The two volumes now before us bring the annals of the country down to the year 1660, a peiod at which De Ruyter had raised the naval glory of Holland to its highest point. The third volume, we believe, is intended to bring the history down to 1795, when the United Provinces were subjugated by the arms of the French re-improvements. public, and ceased for nearly twenty years to hold their place among the independent states of Europe.

The book contains an interesting description of the system of irrigation adopted for the ricefields. Of wine the average annual produce is stated at 2,500,000 eimer (the eimer, according to Mac Culloch, equals 12 1-2 imperial gallons), but " the treatment of the vines is slovenly, and that of the grapes even more slovenly." The Parmesan cheese appears to form an important ART. XIII.-Das Lombardish-venezianische Ko- branch of trade, no less than 28,000 cwt. being nigreich. (The Kingdom of Venetian Lom-annually exported. The rearing of silkworms is bardy.) Von A. A. SCHMIDL. Stuttgard. 1841.

on the increase, but we were hardly prepared to hear that from 1832 to 1837 no less than 34 bears and 155 wolves had been killed in Lombardy. The Alpine regions were probably the scenes of their offences and death.

immense, and indeed few intelligent Italians will deny that the happiest and best governed portion of Italy is that which is subject to the Germans. Yet are the Germans not loved there, much as they have done for the improvement of the country; while the French, ruthless and destructive as was their domination, have still numerous and zealous admirers in Italy.

THIS Volume forms a portion of a larger work, now in course of publication, under the general title of Das Kaiserthum Oesterreich, &c. (the Empire of Austria), of which seven parts, we be- The sums expended by Austria upon the conlieve, have now been published. This statisti-struction and improvement of roads have been ca! and topographical description of Lombardy will be found not only a useful guide-book to the traveller, but a valuable work of reference to all who take an interest in the development of that part of Italy which is subjugated to the Austrian sceptre. Mountains, rivers, and plains; lakes and rivers; climate, productions, &c., are minutely described in the first 54 pages; and as the book is very closely printed in a large octavo form, a great deal of information is brought within the space of 54 pages. Next follow a multitude of statistical tables, showing the amount of population in the several provinces,

VOL. XXIX.

36