the Royal Asiatic Society, and other readings of monuments, I have only to say with Pliny, "Penes auctores sit fides." While I believe them to be reliable and substantially correct, I beg that the authors themselves may be held respectively responsible. And while I have freely used all the authors within my reach that afforded me what I considered reliable help in explaining the sacred text, yet as far as I know, all due acknowledgments are made in the body of the work, and as far as my knowledge goes, this is the only volume of the kind offered to the public on the Book of Esther. Indeed one reason why, in my humble publications, I have selected such subjects as "The Wedge of Gold," "Samson, the Giant Judge," and the Hebrew-Persian Queen, is that these portions of our holy writings seemed to be almost overlooked. As Truth is of too noble and holy a nature to be forced upon mankind, I have only to add as one before me has done: "Pray, place the Holy Scriptures, kind Reader, before you on the desk of your heart, and acquaint yourself with the WHOLE matter, before you arrive at a decision." "Happy is he that speaketh in the ears of them that will hear." God Almighty bless all the readers of this volume. Amen. W. A. SCOTT. SAN FRANCISCO, 10th March, 1859. "And see-the Sun himself!-on wings Where are the days, thou wondrous sphere, To meet that eye where'er it burned? When, from the banks of BENDEEMEER To the nut-groves of Samarcand Thy temples flam'd o'er all the land? Where are they? ask the shades of them Who, on CADESSIA'S bloody plains, From IRAN's broken diadem."-Lalla Rookh. THE wars of Persia with Greece, the lives of Oriental princes, and tales and illustrations of the manners of the East a long time ago, are a part of the early studies of our boyhood, and a never failing source of amusement to an enlightened mind, through all the periods of life down to old age. Even the loftiest strains of poetry in our holy prophetical books-the noblest outpourings of Hebrew song are about the people who lived on the Tigris and the Euphrates more than two thousand years ago. And even now, it is found after centuries for research and examination, and after the wonderful discoveries of Botta, Layard, Rawlinson and others, that the Hebrew Scriptures are the best guide to the East-that the minutest allusions in the Bible to the habits of the people of Bible lands, and that even the details of their wars and religions, and customs, given by the father of profane history, are so accurately told that the history of the inhabitants of those countries in the present day, written from actual observation, varies in but few things from that of Herodotus. In our day, the long sleep of Oriental literature is broken-never again to be resumed. Its untombed records have assumed a place, in historic value, above the classic glory of Greece and Rome. The scholar, the antiquarian, and the interpreter of ancient records, have vast treasures of priceless worth now opened to them that were hidden for ages. The fall of Constantinople somewhat retarded Oriental studies by the consequent revival of Greek learning, which was followed by the invention of printing in the West. The tendency of the attention given to Greek literature, and of printing, was to lay aside the learning of the East as fabulous, or valueless. But, for the last three centuries, European travelers and scholars have been diligent in those researches that have so happily resulted in our present attainments. As we are desirous of becoming acquainted with some of the most remarkable personages, aud some of the most extraordinary events of ancient Persia, a brief reference to its legendary history seems necessary to enable us to form something like a correct opinion concerning its institutions. All men of letters have admired her poets, Jami, Hafiz, Saadi and Firdusi; but ALEXANDER IN PERSIA. 27 Persia has been admired for something more than her poets. Alexander the Great intensely coveted her dominions, not so much because she was the favorite country of the imagination, as because she was wealthy and powerful. The legends of the golden egg, and like fancies, do not solve the great question, why Alexander marched his armies across her territory. Was it then to revenge Greece for Persian invasions before his day? or was it merely to imitate the exploits of Achilles, whom he greatly admired, and whose history he diligently studied? No. I believe his was a nobler ambition-an ambition as justifiable as that which inspired Napoleon, when he invaded Egypt and dreamed of an Oriental empire-an ambition in every way as justifiable as that of the English in the conquest of India, or of China-the very same in substance that now moves all the great powers of Europe, and the United States, to seek an extension of their influence over the populous regions of the East, namely: to carry European, that is, as it was called in Alexander's day, Greek enterprise into Asia, and thereby awaken its decaying kingdoms, and stimulate them to trade and civilization. No doubt he wished, at the same time that he was thus arousing them, to make them develop the riches of their country, and doubtless, also, he was quite willing, as a conqueror, to take the lion's share, but in as honorable a way as is practiced in our day. That such views were entertained by him is proven from his enlarged ideas of trade, and his building of cities and highways of travel and commerce. These remarks are made, not for the purpose of indorsing the wars of Alexander the Great, but because |