74 MEMOIR OF 



symmetry and regularity of the whole, the great 

 number and interesting character of the statues and 

 bas-reliefs with which they are ornamented, excite 

 our wonder that they were not earlier examined, 

 sketched, and described." 



It is almost during the present century, and 

 chiefly by the exertions of Sir Stamford himself, 

 that these singular reliques have been brought to 

 light, and made known to Europe. His volumes 

 contain some hundreds of these objects, including 

 temples, statues, inscriptions, medals, coins, cups, 

 and other implements, taken from the original casts 

 in stone, copper, or brass, but rarely of silver. It 

 is said that formerly many gold casts were dis- 

 covered of a similar description, but these have 

 disappeared, and one village is mentioned as having 

 from time immemorial paid its annual rent, amount- 

 ing to upwards of a thousand dollars, in gold pro- 

 cured by melting down the relics of antiquity found 

 in its neighbourhood. The age of most of these 

 remains is alleged to be between the sixth and 

 ninth century of the Christian era, that being the 

 period of greatest splendour in the East, though 

 the darkest spot in the intellectual history of 

 Europe. They are partly Mohammedan, but chief- 

 ly Pagan or Indian, several of them having been 

 evidently consecrated to the worship of Budh. 



In concluding his interesting remarks on these 

 architectural antiquities, Sir Stamford infers, from 

 the extensive variety of temples and sculpture, as 



