Henry Rawlinson

“ Early in his career Rawlinson devoted himself to the preparation of an elaborate English edition of Herodotus. He arranged that his brother. Sir Henry Rawlinson, and Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson, should contribute special articles on historical, archaeological and racial questions, while he himself prepared the translation with short notes and other adjuncts of scholarship. The edition was dedicated to Gladstone and superseded all other editions at Oxford for many years ; it was entitled 'The History of Herodotus. ”

“ On the other hand, some signs, which were quite clear at the time when Sir Henry Rawlinson made his copies, have now entirely disappeared, and these have been here restored and are placed within brackets. With a view of making the work as useful as possible to students, renderings in English, accompanied by a series of transliterations, have been added. ”

“ His gown in the reproduction is the best sample of three-colour work I had had done, and he was so pleased with my drawing that he bought it.
Of course I did not confine my secret observations to the House, but made for my man anywhere that I could watch him. I caught Sir Henry Rawlinson at a Royal Academy Soirée and finished the study at another social evening at the Royal Geographical Society. In those days the Royal Academy social gatherings made good hunting-ground, and it was vastly entertaining to watch the orthodox social celebrities swarm round the "lions." ”

“ The warning voice of a small minority could not succeed in making head against the Optimists, against those apostles of the new political doctrine. Sir Henry Rawlinson, whose perfect conversance with the circumstances of that region no one can dispute, a man whose practical experience is at one with his theoretic insight, has here and there in the Quarterly Review pointed out the errors of such speculations in solidly written essays; and though, as doubting any ultimate design of Russia upon India, he protested against all actual interference, merely blaming the indifference above-mentioned ”

“ At Babil no explorations have thrown the least light upon the disposition of the building. In the whole of its huge mass, which rises to a height of some 130 feet above the plain, no trace of the separate cubes or of their dimensions is to be found. All the restorations that have been made are purely imaginary. At Birs-Nimroud the excavations of Sir Henry Rawlinson in 1854 were by no means fruitless but, unhappily, we are without any detailed account of their results. ”

“ I felt confused for a moment, as the scrutiny was unexpected from that quarter; but a few moments’ reflection told me, that if Sir Henry de Clare and Melchior were the same person, and this man his agent, in all probability he had not been sent to England for nothing; that if he was in search of Fleta, he must have heard of my name, and perhaps something of my history. “I appear to have a great likeness to many people,” observed I, to the agent, smiling. “It was but the other day I was stopped in Bond Street as a Mr Rawlinson.” ”

“ From 1851-1855 the oversight of English excavations was entrusted to Sir Henry C. Rawlinson, the British consul-general at Bagdad. Under his direction J. E. Taylor, British vice-consul at Bassorah, made an excavation at the mound of Mugheir, the site of Ur of the Chaldees, where he unearthed important inscriptions. ”

“ These, said his brother Richard, he ‘collected in almost all faculties,’ but more particularly ‘old and beautiful editions of the classical authors, and whatever directly or indirectly related to English history.’ Returning to London, Rawlinson devoted himself to the study of municipal law, with a prospect of good practice, but on succeeding to a large estate upon the death of his father in November 1708, his main efforts were directed to amassing books, manuscripts, and, in a lesser degree, pictures. ”

“ He married Mary, eldest daughter of Richard Taylor, of Turnham Green, who kept the Devil tavern by the Temple. She was buried in St. Dionis Church on 1 March 1724–5. By her Rawlinson had fifteen children. His sons Thomas [q. v.] and Richard [q. v.] are noticed separately.
A grandson, Sir Thomas Rawlinson (d. 1769) , also lord mayor of London, was son of Rev. Robert Rawlinson of Charlwood, Surrey, and his grandfather Daniel Rawlinson was the first Sir Thomas Rawlinson's first cousin. ”

“ Educated at Wrington and Ealing, Rawlinson was nominated to a military cadetship in the East India Company's service, and had the good fortune to set sail for Bombay in July 1827, round the Cape, in the same ship as the governor, Sir John Malcolm [q. v.] , the well-known diplomatist and oriental scholar, whose stimulating influence revealed itself in Rawlinson's later studies. ”

“ He left the university without taking a degree, and probably, like his friend Edmond Smith, with a greater reputation for wit than for steadiness of character. According to Rawlinson, he ‘served an uncle, a Justice of the Peace in Hampshire, as his clerk,’ and about 1706 he drifted to London, where he became a hack-writer for the booksellers. His chief success arose through his connection with the tory paper the ‘Examiner,’ of which he edited vols. ”

“ Rawlinson died unmarried and intestate, and his landed estates passed to the issue of his father's sisters Anne and Katherine. The furniture of Carke Hall was sold by auction at his death, and his manuscripts were at the same time disposed of in bundles, and were bought for pence by the villagers. Rawlinson had made valuable collections for the history of Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland, all of which have probably perished. ”

“ RAWLINSON, Sir WILLIAM (1640–1703) , serjeant-at-law, second son of William Rawlinson, of Graithwaite and Rusland Hall, Lancashire, was born at Graythwaite on 16 June 1640. The father had been captain in a troop of volunteers in the parliamentary cause during the civil wars, doing good service at Marston Moor and Ribble Bridge. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Anthony Sawrey of Plumpton (Foster, Lancashire Pedigrees) . William was admitted from Hawkshead School a pensioner of Christ's College, Cambridge, on 13 April 1655, aged 15 ”

“ After taking a brilliant part in the defence of the city, he in August accompanied Nott and the garrison in the march to Ghazni, assisted in its capture, went on to join Pollock at Kabul, and thence returned with ‘the avenging army’ to India. Rawlinson thus served through the whole Afghan movement, and he came out of it all with an enhanced reputation. For these services he was rewarded with the companionship of the Bath on 9 April 1844, besides the Persian order of the Lion and Sun, first class, and the third class Durrâni order. ”

“ In fact the old will does not hold good in those circumstances. Besides, there will be the settlements. I am perfectly aware that you mean well, Tom. But don't distress yourself. I know what I am about."
"Well, then, I'm blest if I do, and that's flat!" exclaimed Rawlinson. "No shilly shallying, I hope, my fair cousin. Let me tell you, once for all, de Güldenfeldt is not the sort of fellow to stand any confounded feminine nonsense. Pay attention to what I say, my dear, and don't for heaven's sake, behave like a fool."
Pearl drew herself up, and her eyes flashed ominously. ”

“ We chatted for a time about the war, and the prospect of his return to Canada and his friends. He gradually thawed out, and took me in a measure into his confidence. But he was still in the depths, and continually referred to his deplorable lot. There was, he said, nothing in this world for him now, and he added pathetically: "I'm only twenty years old; I have seen practically nothing, and as both my eyes are out, I never shall be able to enjoy life and nature. ”

“ Off Ireland als, God haith providit so.'
This leaf is one of two copies executed for Cecil and Q. Eliz. Two, probably unique, 'red-letter' books are also among the rarities of Rawlinson's printed collection. The one is a Sermon on Ps. iv. 7, preached before Charles I at Oxford by Josias Howe, B.D., of Trinity College. It is printed entirely in red, and has no title. It was bought, included in a volume of miscellaneous sermons, out of Dr. Charlett's library, by Hearne, who says in a MS. note that only thirty copies were printed. A description of it is given by Dr. Bliss in his Reliquiæ Hearn. ”

“ As a general Assyriologist, as a philologist and man of learning, he has been surpassed by others; as a discoverer and bold instinctive interpreter of an undeciphered language, perhaps by none.
Rawlinson returned to England in 1849. The signal importance of his discovery was recognised on all hands, and inspired further research. The trustees of the British Museum made him a grant of 3,000l. for excavations in Babylonia, and by his energy and skill many valuable sculptures were added to the museum collections. Rawlinson resigned his consulship on 19 Feb. ”

“ Rawlinson opened his lazy eyes with somewhat of an effort.
"Both Pearl and Amy are quite vain enough of their looks without any compliments from me," he grunted. "The only thing unusual that I observe about them to-day is that the things they are wearing on their heads look, if anything, a shade more absurd and grotesque than they do even on ordinary occasions. My dear Rosina, I do wish you would leave me alone, and make the proper use of your parasol, instead of employing it for the sole purpose of poking me in the ribs. ”

“ Rawlinson frequently lent manuscripts to and otherwise benefited Thomas Hearne, who speaks of him warmly as a fellow Jacobite, a staunch friend, a strenuous upholder of the church, ‘contra fanaticorum rabiem,’ and as the most judicious and industrious of collectors. ”

“ The priest shall explain the wisdom of Epiphanes to all these people, and these shall listen with reverence, upon pain of death.
Seven years followed, in which twenty-one fresh and widely varying renderings were scored—none of them quite convincing. But now, at last, came Rawlinson, the youngest of all the scholars, with a translation which was immediately and universally recognized as being the correct version, and his name became famous in a day. So famous, indeed, that even the children were familiar with it ”

“ Rawlinson. "What business have your aunt and I skipping about at balls? We are both too old to make fools of ourselves. Our object in going is simply to look after you, and if you choose to take a ridiculous whim into your head to stay at home, why, we stay at home too, that's all."
And with a look on his face that expressed: "Nothing in heaven or earth will tear me hence," Mr. Rawlinson settled himself by the fire and deliberately lit a cigar.
"I'm dreadfully sorry to have to give it up," replied Amy, as she went towards the door, "but Pearl wants me. ”

“ On April 6 died Richard Rawlinson, D.C.L., a Bishop among the Non-jurors, notwithstanding that he passed in the world as a layman. From the time of Bodley, Laud, and Selden, he was the greatest benefactor the Library had known; and his only rivals since his own day have been Gough and Douce. In point of numbers, his donation of MSS. far exceeded all. From the short autobiographical notice of himself, given in his own collections for a continuation of the Athenæ Oxon. ”

“ If you only knew what we have suffered at the hands of the rascal!"
Rawlins nodded in sympathy.
"I did not imagine that," he said. "Of course, I have known for years that Henson was pretty bad. You may smile, but I have never had any sympathy with his methods and hypocritical ways, perhaps because I never did anything of the kind myself. Nobody can say that I ever robbed anybody who was poor or defenceless or foolish. By heavens, I am a more honest man than hundreds of London and New York capitalists. It is the hard rogues amongst us who have always been my mark. ”

“ I said that months agone, Rawlings, as you knows well, and I say it now agin.”
“I wish I could recollect whom he resembles, really,” said Ernest Wilton, to give a turn to the conversation, which had got into such an unpleasant hitch. “There is nothing so worrying as to try and puzzle over a face which you seem to remember and which you cannot place.”
“Yes,” said Mr Rawlings; “like a name sometimes seems to hover right on the tip of your tongue, and yet you can’t get it out, try what you may. I suppose you left England only lately?”
“I?” replied the young engineer. ”

“ But if the Supreme God whom we adore was recognized by this ancient people, he was soon lost sight of in the multiplied manifestations of his power, so that Rawlinson thinks [2] that when the Aryan race separated in their various migrations, which resulted in what we call the Indo-European group of races, there was no conception of a single supreme power, from whom man and nature have alike their origin, but Nature-worship, ending in an extensive polytheism,--as among the Assyrians and Egyptians. ”

“ We have all had a great pleasure: a Mrs. Rawlinson came and brought with her a nineteen-year-old daughter, simple, human, as beautiful as - herself; I never admired a girl before, you know it was my weakness: we are all three dead in love with her. How nice to be able to do so much good to harassed people by - yourself! Ever yours,
R. L. S.
Letter: TO MISS RAWLINSON
[SKERRYVORE, BOURNEMOUTH, APRIL 1886.] ”

“ At once all was confusion: every one sought to save himself; the herds with their keepers fled in wild panic, while the Egyptians plied them with their arrows. But the garrison of the town resisted bravely: a portion sallied from the gates and met Seti in the open field, but were defeated with great slaughter; the others defended themselves behind the walls. But all was in vain. The disciplined troops of Egypt stormed the key of Northern Syria, and the whole Orontes valley lay open to the conqueror.
Hitherto the Hittites had not been engaged in the struggle. ”