SUMMER MEETING- AT BROOKFIELD. 175 



With the home-sick longing for her native land always in her heart,, 

 what were the gates of brass, the walls and temples to her ? Gladly 

 would she have exchanged them all for the rugged beauty of the rocks 

 and trees of her childhood. From the terraces of her munificent home 

 she would survey these mighty works ; then, turning from the glare of 

 the plain and the glitter of the palace, she would strain her eyes for a 

 glimpse of the beloved hills of far-off Media. 



The king saw the drooping of his mountain-born queen, and was 

 grieved that she should be unhappy where he was more than content. 

 Much as he loved wealth, much as he loved power, much as he loved 

 fame, he loved Queen Amytis still more. 



Faith, the great apostle tells us, can remove mountains, but love, 

 ah, love can build mountains, and this despotic oriental monarch re- 

 solved to build a garden which should resemble a mountain for the 

 pleasure of his beloved Amytis. So the "Hanging garden" was erected,, 

 the magnificent structure which was the main glory of the already won- 

 derful palace, and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 



It was a square, each side of which measured 400 Greek feet, cov- 

 ering an area of over four acres. It was supported by several tiers of 

 open arches, one rising directly above another like the walls of a Eoinan 

 amphitheater, thus making one perpendicular line from the summit to 

 the base. At each stage or story of the building a solid platform was 

 built, from which the next tier of arches rose till the structure over- 

 topped the walls of the city. 



Various estimates are given for the height of the garden. Eemem- 

 bering that it was built on the palace mound, making it in the start 

 about sixty feet above the level, the height of the garden itself may be 

 reckoned any place between 75 and 100 feet. 



The Euphrates river supplied the garden with water, which was 

 brought thither in pipes, and raised by a system of buckets and pul- 

 leys to a large reservoir at the top, from which it was sent to refresh the 

 garden. A chamber within the structure contained the machinery by 

 which the water was supplied. 



To prevent the moisture from penetrating the brick- work and grad- 

 ually destroying the building, there was placed between the bricks and 

 the mass of soil, first, a layer of reeds mixed with bitumen ; next, a 

 double layer of burnt brick, cemented with gypsum; last, and adjacent 

 to the soil, was a coating of sheet lead. 



Wide steps led up to the summit of the artificial mountain, each 

 landing revealing new groves, gardens and fountains. 



Covering the summit was a huge mass of earth, deep enough not 

 only to support shrubs and flowers but trees of the largest kinds, some 



