« __ To speak of a library of bricks may sound strange, and yet we are fully justified in calling the mis cellaneous collection made by the Assyrian King Ashurbanabal a library. This ruler, whose name Greek writers have converted into Sardanapahis, reigned over Assyria from the year 668 till 626 b.c He was not only a great warrior but prided himself on being also a liberal patron of science ajid art. In his days Assyria reached the zenith of her greatness, Ashur banabal seems to have been bent upon making Nineveh the centre of learning and intellectual life. He ordered his scribes to gather and copy all ihe ancient and modern literary pro ductions to be found in the land. The material used for writing was soft clay, which, after the cuneiform characters had been impressed upon it with a sharp pointed stylus, was baked until it became perfectly hard. These tablea> ranging in siae from about Gin to lOin square, though not infrequently much larger, wer*> ranged aloDg the walls of the room set apart for this purpose. In the case of a number of bricks belonging together — =■ volum.es or parts,, a$ we would say—each brick had its number, together with the opening words of the series of which it formed a part. Generally a stamp was added with the words, " The pro perty of Ashurbanabal, the king of hosts, the King of Assyria"— and sometimes the subscript contained a few additional phrases. The king tells us that he founded the library for the benefit of h,is subjects. . . Next to grammar an.4 lexicography, Ashur banabal's library was particularly rich in its mythological, legendary, a,nd religious divisions. Some Qf the hymns addressed to the godi-s wera truly sublime. Tiiere were prayers for loijg life, for prosperity, for forgive ness of sins. Of surpassing interest were some fragments of tablets which contained the Babylonian and the Assyrian cosmogony, and traditions concerning a great flood. (These were the fragments illustratiye of Noah's Flood, on which the late J^r George Spth' expended so much labor.)

(Received March 26, 11 30 a.m.) the pbimatil; Sydney, March 26. The Primate has left on a visit to England.
