504 
TOMB OF CYRUS. 
with all other ornamental traces of those paradises, in the lapse 
of so many centuries. That he has not mentioned the marble' 
colonnade, the remains of which at present surround the qua¬ 
drangular base, proves nothing against its existence there at the 
time of his visit; it evidently appearing, from the cursory way 
of his describing the outside of the structure, and the minute¬ 
ness of the details within, that his observations were eminently 
attracted to the contents : he speaks of “ robes, and under¬ 
garments, of Babylonian and Median manufactory, richly dyed 
in violet, purple, and other colours. There were likewise 
chains, scymitars, and ear-rings of gold, the whole beautifully 
set with precious stones.” ( Idem . Arist. in Arrian.) But he tells 
us nothing of the measurement of the “ quadrangular base,” nor 
of that of the tomb; all which, an eye accustomed to archi¬ 
tectural observation, would have specified. His noticing the 
lowness of the door, does not oppose my argument, since his 
probably striking his head against its lintel would give him a me¬ 
morandum of that disproportion; but the extraordinary pecu¬ 
liarity of a stone house and roof, could hardly have been over¬ 
looked by a man who had eyes. He mentions, that “ in the 
vicinity was built a small house for the attendant Magi.” That, 
which is now called the caravansary, may very fairly be consi¬ 
dered as the identical place. Perhaps, it may be said, that its 
scale is too extensive, and its chambers too numerous, for this 
use. Yet, when we recollect that this college of devout and 
wise men, had a daily allowance made to them of a sheep, a 
measure of corn, and a certain quantity of wine ; we cannot cal¬ 
culate that their numbers could be very few ; and then, when 
we consider their pupils, their attendants, and the accommo¬ 
dations, which, at all times in the East, were left vacant for 
