The habits of life of any people both affect and are affected by their religious belief. In heathen lands, both of the present and the past, the daily home-life is interwoven with religious observances. The Assyrians have been called “the Romans of the East.” They were a fierce and warlike race. They were naturally a religious people, and the worship of the gods held a very prominent place at least in their public life. But, sad to say, their devotion to religion was associated with such a degrading worship of many false gods, that they were dragged down by it, instead of being exalted. They were very intelligent. They were mainly agriculturists, though the arts flourished. It seldom rained there except in winter, so they turned the waters of the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers into channels, and conveyed them through their fields. [Illustration: ROBED STATUE.] The priests and kings dressed in garments of woven stuffs dyed in brilliant colors, and beautifully embroidered with symbolical figures, animals, men, flowers and divine symbols. The costume of the Assyrians consisted of a robe open at the side, often with a border of fringe, and decorated with rich embroidery, hanging down to the feet, and confined in the middle by a broad girdle. It precisely resembled the djubeh of the Eastern people in the present day. The common people and soldiers used a shorter tunic, reaching only to the knees, so as to allow them to walk freely. The king, in his robes of ceremony, wore over all a sort of long mantle or chasuble, thrown obliquely over one shoulder and splendidly ornamented. This is also seen on the monuments on the figures of the gods. A high conical tiara surmounted his head, and in his hand he held a long sceptre or staff, nearly the height of a man. The insignia of his rank were the same as those of Asiatic monarchs in the present day, the parasol and large feathered fly-flaps carried behind him by slaves. The Assyrians wore their hair long and curled at the end, the beard square and with rows of curls. They were fond of wearing great quantities of jewelry, large ear-rings, finger-rings and bracelets. Some of the soldiers wore a cuirass of small pieces of metal protecting the body, and allowing the tunic to appear beneath it. These were probably light infantry. Others wore long coats of mail reaching to the feet, with a conical helmet to which was attached a sort of veil of chain mail, falling down on the neck, and brought round to protect the chin, such as are now worn by the Circassians. THE RELIGION OF ASSYRIA.