away those plagues of the East—­the flies.  The fan-bearer thus privileged wears always the long tasselled scarf, which seems to have been a badge of office, and may not improbably mark him for the chief Eunuch.  In the absence of the Vizier, or sometimes in subordination to him, he introduced the tribute-bearers to the king, reading out their names and titles from a scroll or tablet which he held in his left hand. [PLATE CXVII., Fig. 2.]

[Illustration:  PLATE 117]

[Illustration:  PLATE 118]

The fan carried by these attendants seems in most instances to have been made of feathers.  It had a shortish handle, which was generally mere or less ornamented, and frequently terminated in the head of a ram or other animal. [PLATE CXVIII., Fig. 1.] The feathers were sometimes of great length, and bent gracefully by their own weight, as they were pointed slantingly towards the monarch.  Occasionally a comparatively short fan was used, and the feathers were replaced by a sort of brush, which may have been made of horse-hair, or possibly of some vegetable fibre.

The other attendants on the monarch require no special notice.  With regard to their number, however, it may be observed that, although the sculptures generally do not represent them as very numerous, there is reason to believe that they amounted to several hundreds.  The enormous size of the palaces can scarcely be otherwise accounted for:  and in one sculpture of an exceptional character, where the artist seems to have aimed at representing his subject in full, we can count above seventy attendants present with the monarch at one time.  Of these less than one-half are eunuch; and these wear the long robe with the fringed belt and cross-belt.  The other attendants wear in many cases the same costume; sometimes, however, they are dressed in a tunic and greaves, like the soldiers.

There can be no doubt that the court ceremonial of the Assyrians was stately and imposing.  The monarch seems indeed not to have affected that privacy and seclusion which forms a predominant feature of the ceremonial observed in most Oriental monarchies.  He showed himself very freely to his subjects on many occasions.  He superintended in person the accomplishment of his great works.  In war and in the chase he rode in an open chariot, never using a litter, though litters were not unknown to the Assyrians.  In his expeditions he would often descend from his chariot, and march or fight on foot like the meanest of his subjects.  But though thus familiarizing the multitude with his features and appearance, he was far from allowing familiarity of address.  Both in peace and war he was attended by various officers of state, and no one had speech of him except through them.  It would even seem as if two persons only were entitled to open a conversation with him—­the Vizier and the Chief Eunuch.  When he received them, he generally placed himself upon his throne, sitting, while they stood to address him.  It is strongly