reproduced without abridgment or modification.


The portrait, maps and illustrations are from a French edition of
Volney's complete works, published by Bossange Freres at No. 12 Rue de
Seine, Paris, in 1821,--one year after the death of Mr. Volney. It is a
presentation copy "on the part of Madame, the Countess de Volney, and
of the nephew of the author," and it may therefore be taken for
granted that Mr. Volney's portrait, as here given, is correct, and was
satisfactory to his family.


An explanation of the figures and diagrams shown on the map of the
Astrological Heaven of the Ancients has been added in the appendix by
the publisher.

PETER ECKLER.

New York, January 3, 1890.




TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE

OF THE ENGLISH EDITION PUBLISHED IN PARIS.


To offer the public a new translation of Volney's Ruins may require some
apology in the view of those who are acquainted with the work only in