be expected to retain much of the literary flavor of its
originals. The Monolith, on the other hand, free from the necessity of
abridging, will hold its own in literary value with the other
historical writings of the Assyrians.

The next edition was prepared in 851, at the conclusion of the
Babylonian expedition. The document as a whole is lost, but we have
excerpts in the Balawat inscription. [Footnote: Pinches, PSBA. VII. 89
ff.; _The Bronze Ornaments of the Palace Gates of Balawat_, 1880;
Rasmussen, XIff.; Amiaud-Scheil, _passim_; Delitzsch,
_Beitr. z. Assyr._, VI. 133 ff.; Winckler KB. I. 134 ff. Scheil,
RP squared, IV. 74 ff.] For the years 859, 857, and 856, the excerpts are
very brief, but fortunately this is of no importance as we have their
originals in the Monolith. No mention is made of the years following
until 852-851 which are described so fully that we may believe we have
here the actual words of the document. It is interesting to notice
that there is no particular connection between the reliefs on the
famous bronzes [Footnote: Pinches, _Bronze Ornaments_, a
magnificent publication. A cheaper edition of the reliefs, with
valuable analysis of and comments on the sculptures, Billerbeck;
_Beitr. z. Assyr._ VI. 1 ff. Additional reliefs owned by
G. Schlumberger, Lenormant, _Gazette Arch._, 1878 p1. 22 ff. and
p. 119 ff. Still others, de Clerq, _Catalogue_, II 183 ff.,
quoted Billerbeck, 2. I have not yet seen King, _Bronze Reliefs from
the Gates of Shalmaneser_, 1915.] and the inscription which
accompanies them. The latter ends in 851, the pictures go on to
849. The more conspicious pictures were brought up to date, but, for
the inscription which few would read, a few extracts, borrowed from
the edition of two years previous, sufficed. Incidentally, it shows us
that no new edition had been made in those two years. For the years