16 JUNE 1928, Page 28

The Epic of Gilgamish (Luzac, 10s. 6d.) is a poem

in cuneiform characters which may belong to the fourth millennium before Christ. Mr. Campbell Thompson has published a new literal translation in English hexameters based on a fresh collation of the original tablets in the British Museum : this story of very ancient fights and friendships is well worth reading for its own sake.