Page:Discovery and Decipherment of the Trilingual Cuneiform Inscriptions.djvu/145

 Persepolis had appeared, and no text, but Fergusson was able to use a considerable part of the drawings, in 1850, for his 'Nineveh and Persepolis.'

Texier set out upon his enterprise, as Porter had done before, with a desire to aim at the most scrupulous accuracy; but his fatal passion for 'restorations' has made sad havoc of his moral aspirations.

He began the Persian portion of his work at Van, and travelled steadily round to Persepolis. Like Flandin, who followed closely on his track, he was prevented by the disturbed state of the country from visiting Susa. He devoted two days (January 12-14, 1840) to Murgab, and gives six drawings. He was fully convinced that the famous tomb was that of Cyrus, though the winged figure may be only 'a prince or magus in the attitude of devotion. He confessed he could make nothing of the general disposition of 'the Palace'; it consists, as he candidly admits, of 'a certain number of pillars, of which the relations cannot be easily established; a large column and remains of walls.' The second palace noticed by Porter seems to have escaped his observation. Persepolis occupied him for about ten days, and resulted in twenty-four drawings. His general views have nothing of the artistic merit afterwards displayed by Flandin, and they are probably in no degree more accurate. He observed from the 'débris' at the bottom of the outside wall of the Terrace that it had been originally ornamented by a parapet; and he considered there were distinct traces of a triple wall of defence on the hill at the back, which may in some decree account for the description given by Diodorus. He thought that nearly all the buildings had been left incomplete, an