Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/372

 350 History of Art in Antiquity. as to the house of Ochus, its ruinous state forbade attempting a restoration. The Palace of Xerxes, and in its rear the hypostyle hall, are seen in the background ; thanlcs to the height of the platform upon which they stand, and the space interposing between them, the whole facade is displayed to view. On the left — ' somewhat apart from the other buildings — ^upon the central and highest platform, appears the mysterious pillared hall with porch in front (Na 6 in plan) ; that which, however, rivets the attention is the enormous mass of the Hall of a Hundred Columns and its Propylaea, restored upon the model of the other monumental portal, but turned the other way. We had not the same data with regard to the building of which scanty fragments have been noticed between the south angle of the Hall of a Hundred Columns, and the mounds fringing the group of structures towards the east (Na 7 in plan), hence the former has been omitted from our general view ; but as there is but little doubt that the latter represent the site of ancient buildings, notably the hillock contiguous to the Palace of Darius, we have allowed conjecture in this one instance to have its way, and have placed there an ornamental pavilion surrounded with beautiful trees, a building analogous to the staged towers of Assyria, surmounted by a kiosk of wood or metal. From this belvedere, the king at a glance could take in the palaces he or his ancestors had built, along with the magnificent panorama of the oudying city, and the verdant plain hemmed in by a belt of lofty mountains. At the farther end, in the background, the view was intercepted by the rampart of hills overhanging the esplanade that served as pedestal to the monuments grouped about it In the rocky flanks of this St. Denis of the Persian monarchs, in touch with their Versailles, stand out a brace of tombs (Fig. 10, Nos. 10, 11). The dark gtey of those bare slopes formed a pleasing contrast with the manifold splendours of the royal borough, which no pencil, however faithful or cunning, is able to convey; a deft brush, aided by the magic of colour, could alone attempt repro- ducing some of its effects. In order to realize the appearance the great level offered to Alexander and his amazed companions, we should have to restore the elements which infuse so great a charm and fascination in the modern dwellings of Persia. We should have to bring gleaming water from the mountains to fill the channels, traces of which are visible on the ground ; clothe Digitized by Gopgle