PALACE OF FORTY PILLARS. 
599 
palaces, is evident, from the lion’s den which we find at Babylon 
after its conquest by Cyrus ; but by no accounts that I can 
recollect, does it appear that the beasts so immured were ever 
used for sport of any kind after their first capture. Eyery 
historian of these countries, and all remains of the principles of 
their religion, bear one testimony to their tenderness for the 
brute creation; and the fondness of the people for the chase no 
way contradicts it; for it certainly is one thing to the humane 
feelings of a man, whether he engage in the open sports of the 
field, often putting his own life as much to hazard as the 
animal’s he hunts, or sits at his ease to see two noble creatures 
pent in an arena, tearing out each other’s brave hearts for his 
✓ 
amusement. Had any thing of this sort been customary with 
the Persians prior to the time of Cyrus, we should have found 
some trace of it in the games he established after his accession 
to the empire ; but we read only of horse and chariot races, and 
similar exercises, calculated “ to raise emulation in men to 
perform great and intrepid actions.” 
Hence, as we are not to consider the bas-relief under discus¬ 
sion, as representing a combat between two animals in any thing 
like the Roman fashion; the question remains, are they, like the 
bulls on the portals, allegorical figures? Were we to regard this 
group in a point of view analogous to the mysteries of the Zend- 
avesta, it might be supposed to allude to the conquest of 
Ahriman, the power of darkness and of evil, over Ormuzd, the 
power of light and goodness, in the person of his creature the 
bull, or bull-man, which the Zend-avesta represents as having- 
been so subdued; but I cannot imagine that the devout Persians 
would have any gratification in thus celebrating the defeat of 
the power whom they worshipped. Besides, there is one 
