BAHARAM AND HIS QUEEN. 
535 
this village. He saw a young woman carrying a large cow 
up a flight of twenty steps. He was astonished, and sent to 
enquire, how strength so extraordinary had been acquired by a 
woman of apparently so truly a feminine form. The young 
person, who had wrapped herself in her veil, said she would 
communicate her secret to none but the king ; and to him only, 
on his condescending to come to the tower alone. Baharam 
instantly obeyed the summons ; and on his repeating his ad¬ 
miration of what he had seen, she bid him not lavish praises, 
as if she had performed a miracle, for 4 Practice makes perfect!’ 
said the queen, in her natural voice, and at the same time lift¬ 
ing her veil. The king recognised, and embraced her. Struck 
with the lesson she had thus given him, and delighted with a 
proof of love, which had induced her for four years to pursue so 
arduous a plan of convincing him of his mistake in doubting its 
existence, he restored her to his affection, and rank as his fa¬ 
vourite wife; and had a palace built on the spot of their re¬ 
union, to commemorate the event.” 
The female figure in the bas-relief, may very fairly be consi¬ 
dered this redoubtable queen; for, notwithstanding the compli¬ 
ment paid to her 44 feminine form,” while carrying her immense 
burden, we cannot suppose but that its proportions would in some 
measure spread, to yield such great augmentation of strength. Yet 
we know that an originally graceful outline, however extended, 
must always preserve beauty ; and that is sufficiently seen in the 
Juno port of the queen in the bas-relief, who seems as capable of 
asserting the rights of sovereignty, as the really manly form of the 
king by her side. But, setting all this aside, Baharam would only 
see the strength of his favourite’s love, in the increased energies 
she had acquired to display its power, when the softness of the 
