.1 "DREAM" OR A "NIGHTMARE"? 217 



crude yellows will bring a little Indian sunshine into some 

 sombre German Schloss. 



Of course we visited the Secundra Bagh, Ftamud-daulah's 

 tomb, and the many other beautiful buildings around Agra. 

 But I will not insult the intelligence of my countrymen 

 by trying to describe monuments they know from acquaint- 

 ance or hearsay probably better than they do St. Paul's. 

 It would be sheer folly if I attempted to picture the Taj. 

 Taking it all in all, it is unique of its kind. But I cannot 

 help thinking it owes too much to the minute perfection 

 of its details : perhaps, also, to the glamour of a silver 

 moon, or bright blue sky, and the fairylike background 

 which they afford for its snowy marble. The jewel and 

 its setting are in harmony ! Londoners have sad experience 

 how discordant these may sometimes be ! Here, I can 

 understand the Taj being called a, "dream" in white 

 marble. But popped down amongst our heterogeneous 

 London monstrosities, or even contrasted with the classical 

 regularity of Paris, it might easily become a " nightmare." 



The Maharaja of Dholpur offered to lay us a dak to 

 Futtehpur Sikhri ; but the horses were not ready on the 

 appointed day, and unfortunately we could not wait. I 

 can only hope that on another occasion 1 may visit Akbar's 

 ruined city, on whose beauties men and books agree. I 

 regret it the more, that the Moghul buildings of the Agra 

 fort are to my mind the most interesting of its sights, and 



