BAS-RELIEF. 
573 
an ancient standard. Taking this altogether, it is the most 
inferior of any specimen I had hitherto seen of the ancient 
Persian sculptor; the proportions being bad, and the work 
extremely rude. It appears coeval with the superior labours of 
the kind at Nakshi-Roustam ; and, though far beneath them in 
merit, it is valuable on account of showing the fashion of the 
sword at that time, and the mode of carrying it. The length of 
this excavation is only fifteen feet. 
The third bas-relief is by much the largest. It has suffered 
so deplorably from the mallets of the destroyers, that hardly a 
face of the whole group, which fills the marble, has a feature 
left. The leading personage is evidently royal; he is on horse¬ 
back, preceding a train of followers on foot, who appear to be 
all in one position, leaning both their hands on their swords, 
which are fastened in front of their belts. These men are 
habited in tunics, trowsers, and outer close vests clasped on the 
breast. Their collars, belts, caps, and every other accoutrement, 
differ not in the least from each other ; hence we may suppose the 
originals represented the favourite guard of the monarch : but the 
disproportions in their effigies, and their utter violations of every 
law of perspective, amount perfectly to the ridiculous. The 
king and his steed are in better taste, for although the latter be 
of dray-horse bulk, it is full of spirit. His majesty, too, is not 
deficient in royal port; and his decorations are answerable. Pie 
has an abundance of curls on each side of his head, and quantities 
of floating drapery. His body is covered with a vest, most 
fantastically pointed, and curiously chiselled. It reaches mid¬ 
way down his thigh, where it meets a dagger attached to his 
side by an endless involvement of ribbands. Near its point we 
discern something like loose trowsers, which flowing downwards, 
