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lure painters in the seventeenth century, of which 1 have many 

 beautiful specimens by artists of Agra and Delhi; often deficient 

 in proportion and perspective, but probably faithful in general 

 character and physiognomy, and exquisitely finished. It is a 

 mistaken idea that the Mahomedan artists do not imitate subjects 

 in animated nature. The Turks I believe sometimes make ob- 

 jections, from particular passages in the Koran; it has always 

 been otherwise in Persia, and the northern capitals of India. 

 Among the munificent acts of the imperial Akber, he employed 

 artists to make portraits of all the principal omrahs and officers in 

 his court; they were bound together in a thick volume, wherein, 

 as the Ayeen Akbery expresses it, " the past are kept in lively re- 

 membrance, and the present are insured immortality." 



It is not probable that portraits were often taken of females, 

 especially those of distinction. Oriental manners, and the natu- 

 ral jealousy of Mahomedans, would generally prevent it ; yet I 

 have seen a few pictures, drawn from Mogul and Persian beauties, 

 in a costume like that of the Mogul lady described atSurat; and 

 the dress of the high Mahomedan females at Ahmedabad, almost 

 exactly resembles that of an eastern beauty upwards of two thou- 

 sand years ago. " I washed thee with water, and anointed thee 

 with oil; I clothed thee with broidered-work, girded thee with fine 

 linen, and covered thee with silk: I also decked thee with orna- 

 ments, put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chain on thy neck: 

 I put a jewel on thy forehead, earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful 

 crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and 

 silver; thy raiment was of fine linen, silk, and embroidery : thou 

 wast perfect for comeliness, and thy renown went forth for thy 



