Although considerable remains may still, be traced at Elis, they are in such a state of ruin as to excite but little interest: two modern villages, Palaiopoli and Calivia (or Kalybia), now cover the site of that ancient city, once so distinguished in Greece, from the singular privilege which rendered it the guardian of Olympia; but those who wish to know what Elis was in her days of splendor, Mr. Stanhope refers to the pages of Pausanias, giving, however, sketches and plans of the most remarkable fragments still remaining. The labors of our accomplished author have considerably extended our knowlege of the Olympian plain; yet we cannot affirm that the question respecting the existence of an ancient city on that spot, is thereby decided. Indeed he candidly admits this uncertainty in p. 3, where he says that his examination of the country— -far from enabling me to establish new facts, only led me to entertain doubts with respect to those which I had previously considered as determined. I felt that to give an unbiassed account of the actual state of the plain, it was absolutely necessary to avoid forming any theories of my own, and to content myself with laying before the Academy correct plans of Olympia, of the site of the city of Elis, and of all the ruins existing in both places; I should thus enable that learned body to form their own conclusions on the subject under discussion; a course I was the more willing to pursue, as I had understood from M. Barbié du Bocage that it was one as yet unattempted. The season of the year (April) was particularly favorable for such an undertaking at a later period it would, from the mal-aria that infests this beautiful valley, have been entered upon at the risk of our lives. Here closing Mr. Stanhope's splendid work, which has afforded us considerable information and entertainment, we shall remark, that although D'Anville, in the last century, noticed the uncertain position of Olympia, yet M. Gail is probably the first who has positively denied the existence of an ancient city at that celebrated place. This appears from the "Rapport de l'Institut," July 1813, and from his letter to the Editor of the Classical Journal, No. xxxI. p. 201, wherein he says, that five years before that time (1813) he had taught in his school that Olympia had never been a city. Such also is the opinion of Professor Ciampi, of Pisa, and of M. de Hause of Palermo. That excellent antiquary also, Mr. Dodwell, says, " Olympia never was a town, and it is not called so by any ancient author. Ortelius is wrong in calling it urbs." (Travels, 11. p. 326.) Yet many others have regarded it as a city. Thus Thomas de Pinedo, in his notes to Stephanus Byzantius ('Oxuμla)—our learned Potter (Antiq. of Greece, Religion, chap. xxii.)—the celebrated Barthelemy (Voyage du Jeune Anacharsis, ch. xxxviii.), although he confounds it with Pisa, " cette ville (Olympia) également connue sous le nom de Pise," as indeed Pindar has done (Olymp. vi. 7. viii. 12). A Ms. of Lucian, preserved in the Bibliothèque du Roi, at Paris, exhibits a scholium on the 'Própwv Aidáσxaλos (c. 9), which describes Olympia as a city of Elis - Πόλις ἦν ἐν "Ηλιδι Ολυμπία καλουμένη,” &c. (See the passage quoted in Classical Journal, No. xx. p. 210.) But M. Gail, in his valuable "Recherches Historiques," &c. (Tome I. p. 152. et seq.) declares that the Greek writers, when they mention the city next to the Hieron of Olympia, always mean either Elis or Pisa. Pausanias in twenty places names the inhabitants of Pisa, but never the Olympians; and M. Gail is of opinion, that although Pisa and Olympia were distinct, yet that the river Alpheus alone divided them. This proximity, says M. Gail (Rech. 1. 164), explains at once why there was not any city on the territory of Olympia, wholly occupied by the Hieron; and why Olympia and Pisa have been so frequently confounded. Adopting the notion of this learned critic, we are therefore to suppose, that the multitudes who assembled at the end of every fourth year to behold the games, resided in temporary structures during the time of their celebration, and abandoned the sacred territory when they were concluded; as those who attend our horse-races forsake the course. Yet we can scarcely imagine that so many splendid edifices and such a multiplicity of statues would be left unguarded during four years; or that the offerings and treasures deposited in the temples would be wholly confided to the sanctity of the place. Pausanias enumerates a surprising number of altars and statues, particularly four hundred and thirty-five representing gods and heroes, besides figures of horses, lions, &c. "Nero," says Mr. Dodwell, (Trav. II. p. 329.) "threw many of the finest statues into the latrinæ, or common sewers, which conducted to the Alpheios:" and on this subject he quotes Suetonius (Nero, c. 24), “ Ac ne cujus alterius hieronicarum memoria, aut vestigium extaret usquam, subverti et unco abjicique in latrinas omnium statuas et imagines imperavit." Now such latrine as could convey bronze or marble statues to the river, would indicate a populous city on the Olympian side; for it cannot be imagined that Nero removed those statues across the Alpheus to Pisa, that they might be there thrown into the sewers which were to convey them back to the river. Mr. Dodwell's local knowlege, as well as his general erudition and information, give great weight to his assertion, that those latrinæ communicated with the stream; and it is further confirmed by the discoveries of armor, bronze utensils, and other remnants of antiquity which the fishermen's nets frequently drag up from the bed of the Alpheus. To excavate the Olympic plain was a favorite project of the learned Winkelmann, who very reasonably expected that such an undertaking would be rewarded by the finest specimens of sculpture, and most precious remains of ancient art, both in bronze and marble. "The Tiber, at Rome," says Mr. Dodwell (11. p. 329), “is supposed to contain a vast assemblage of ancient sculpture; and thoughts are entertained of turning its course, in order to explore its hidden treasures. The diversion of the Alpheios from its present channel might be effected with less difficulty, and would probably be attended with greater profit." This hint we submit to the consideration of those classical travellers (and there are many among our own countrymen), who, with the zeal, taste, and judgment, necessary for such an undertaking, possess abundantly. the pecuniary means of accomplishing an object so desirable. THE NIGHTINGALE. " AFTER such a display of erudition and ingenuity respecting the Nightingale, in different numbers of the Classical Journal, (L111, LV, LVI, LVIII,) I should have thought it superfluous to indicate the following passages, did they not confirm the learned Mr. Barker's sentiments in proving what he declares the principal object of his Essay (No. LIII. p. 97), "that the Nightingale sings by day as well as by night.' The first passage to which I shall refer, occurs in Sir William Ouseley's Travels (vol. 11. p. 218), where he says: "But if Shiraz produced tarantulas, scorpions, and snakes, it abounded also in Bulbuls, or nightingales; hundreds of them singing in the Takht-i-Cajar garden, not only all night, but during the day. Concerning the Nightingale, I remarked on a former occasion, that the plaintive melody, the love-labored song, of this sweet bird, is not by day suspended in the East, as in our colder region; and that even some parts of Europe are equally favored in this respect as Persia. I also quoted an English traveller of the seventeenth century (Dr. Fryer), who, writing from Shiraz, seems inspired by the climate, and adopting the flowery language of that country, says: "The Nightingale, sweet harbinger of light, is a constant cheerer of these groves, charming with its warbling strains the heaviest soul into a pleasing ecstasy."" Sir William then alludes to Strada's beautiful Prolusion, on the contest between a lutanist and nightingale, and to Sir William Jones's anecdote on the same subject; also (in the Appendix, p. 482.) he notices from Bourdelôt, Robert Vilvain, and some Arabian authors, the extraordinary effects of instrumental music on nightingales. But reverting to Mr. Barker's object, we find in a former work of Sir William Ouseley (the "Persian Miscellanies"), among various passages respecting the nightingale, one (p. 146) which mentions that froni its song being heard at the first dawn, the Persians call it the "Early Nightingale," or "Bird of Morn." Even in the southern parts of Europe, adds he, the voice of this bird is often heard by day. An ancient and interesting French poet thus begins one of his chansons or love-songs: "La douce voix du rossignol sauvage, Me radoucit mon cuer et rasouage," &c. These lines are thus translated by Sir W. Ouseley: "The sweet voice of the wild nightingale, whom I hear by night and day amusing himself and singing, soothes the anguish of my heart, and consoles me." They are taken from the eighteenth chanson of Raoul de Coucy, whose "Mémoires Historiques," (Paris, 1781, 12mo.) founded on melancholy facts, and recording his unfortunate amours with the fair Gabrielle de Vergi, form, says Sir William, one of the most romantic and affecting stories of the age of chivalry. P. V. ORIENTAL LITERATURE. NOTICES OF 1. An Essay towards the History of Arabia, antecedent to the birth of Mahommed.-2. Takyodini Ahmedis al-Makrizii Narratio de Expeditionibus a Græcis Francisque adversus Dimyatham ab A. C. 708 ad 1221 susceptis.-3. Das Muhammedanische Munzkabinet des Asiatischen Museums, &c.-4. Die Chosroen-Münzen der frühern Arabischen Chalifen.-5. De Baschkiris quæ memoriæ prodita sunt ab Ibn-Foszlano et Jakuto.-6. De Chasaris, excerpta ex Scriptoribus Arabicis.-7. Antiquitatis Muhammedana Monumenta Varia.-8. De Antiquis quibusdam Sculpturis et Inscriptionibus in Siberia repertis. IN whatever degree our humble efforts may have promoted the diffusion of a taste for Eastern literature, it is certain that within a few years the accomplished Orientalists who contribute to this Journal, or who honor it by their perusal, have considerably increased in number; and we flatter ourselves with the recollection that it has introduced to their acquaintance several works (more particularly some published on the Continent), of which, as far as our inquiries enable us to ascertain, no contemporary Journal in this country has hitherto given any account. We now present to our readers a brief notice of eight different works; not exactly observing chronological order on this occasion, but beginning with that which is the largest, and may be considered as the most important. We allude to an Essay towards the History of Arabia, antecedent to the birth of Mahommed," by Major David Price, whose excellent "Retrospect of Mahommedan History" was noticed in the Classical Journal for June 1814 (Suppl. p. 546). Indeed the Essay before us may be regarded as a sequel, or rather as a supplement to the "Retrospect;" for it traces the history of Arabia from the earliest ages to the appearance of Mahommed in the sixth century. Our author's principal authorities are the Tarikh, or Chronicle of Abi Jauffer Mahommed, surnamed Tebry, the Rouzut-usSuffa of Mirkhond, and the Kholauset-ul-akhbaur of Khondemir. From these rare manuscripts he has collected a variety of extraordinary traditions respecting the fall of Adam in Para |