LAYARD, AUSTEN HENRY', English traveler and diplomatist, was b. at Paris, Mar. 5, 1817. Ile was destined for the law, but finding the profession little congenial to his tastes, he set out on a course of Eastern travel, visited several districts of Asiatic Turkey, and became familiar with the manners and dialects of Persia and Arabia. On his first journey along the banks of the Tigris, in 1840, he was struck with the ruins at Nimrod —a village near time junction of the Tigris and the Zab, pointed out by local tradition as the site of the original city of Nineveh—and felt an irresistible desire to examine the remains of the "birthplace of the wisdom of the west." In 1842, M. Botta, the French consul at Mosul, conducted some extensive excavations at that place, turd Layard return ing to the region, again directed his attention to Nimrud. It was 1845 before lie could obtain the requisite means and facilities for his search. and he then, with the help of some Arabs, began secretly to dig in the mound supposed to•contain the ruins. He soon came upon some sculptured remains, and became convinced that he had touched a rich vein of archaeological treasure. His excavations were resumed in 1846 and 1847, and his energy and perseverance were rewarded by the discovery of the ground remains of four distinct palatial edifices. The walls had been lined with large slab; of gypsum or alabaster, covered with bas-reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions. Many of these were
sent to England by Layard, together with gigantic-winged human-headed bulls and lions, and eagle-headed deities. They were placed in the British Museum. of which they have since remained the chief attraction. Layard at first conducted his search at his own expense; he was, in 1845, liberally assisted by lord Stratford de Redcliffe, then British ambassador in Constantinople; and eventually, as the value of these specimens of Assyrian art began to be known, the house of commons voted a sum of £3,000, which was applied by the trustees of the British musemn in continuing the excavations under Layard's superintendence. On his return to England he published a narrative of his explorations, under the title of .iVineveh and i!s Remains. and another work entitled Monuments of _Nineveh. He was presented with the freedom of the city of London, received the honor of D.C.L. from the niversity of Oxford, and was lord rector of Aberdeen university in 1835-56. In 1852 he became M.P. for Aylesbury, and in 1800 for Southwark; from 1861 till 1866 he was under-secretary of state for foreign affairs. In 1869 he went as British ambassador to Spain; and in 1877 he was sent to Constantinople at first as temporary, then as ordinary ambassador. His markedly philo-Turkish sym pathies during and after the war provoked some comment at home. In 1878 the order of the bath was conferred on him.