ROYAL PLEASURE-GROUNDS. 4J] 
the Chahar Bash. The roval domain which holds that title is a 
very extensive tract, inclosed within four majestic walls ; and di¬ 
vided into gardens, with pleasure-grounds ; each having a separate 
palace, adapted to the seasons, or rather to the changing humour 
of the royal planter, who called them the Hesht Beheste, or eight 
paradises. The prevailing plan of them all, is that of long pa¬ 
rallel walks, shaded by even rows of tall and umbrageous planes, 
the celebrated Chinar-tree , of which the Persians are so fond, 
and which grows here in great perfection. These are interspersed 
with a variety of fruit-trees, and every kind of flowering shrub, 
in full blow. Canals flow down the avenues in the same unde¬ 
viating lines ; and, generally, terminate in some large marble 
basin, ornamented with sparkling fountains, of square or octagon 
shapes. Formal as this may seem, and therefore the reverse of 
picturesque, the effect was amazingly grand; the number of 
avenues, and canals, forming so extended a sylvan scene, that, 
when viewed from any point, it appeared a vast wood, with 
thousands of brilliant rills gliding amongst its thickets. And 
through this wood we descried, at various openings, the dif¬ 
ferent palaces which belonged to each of these Hesht Beheste , 
or eight paradises. They appeared glittering, at the bottom of 
the green aisles, and amongst the foliage, like so many gay pa¬ 
vilions raised by enchantment; but when we drew nearer, the 
spell dissolved. We found gorgeous structures, indeed, but of 
too heavy and discordant a taste, to be of such spiritual archi¬ 
tecture. A close inspection reminded me of a cumbrous style 
of building much in vogue about a hundred and fifty years ago, 
in Holland and England ; a monstrous union of the Grecian with 
the Saracenic taste: and here it was loaded with every species 
of external ornament, in giiding, carving, painting, and looking- 
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