PALACE OF FORTY PILLARS. 
613 
but the first of them carries in addition, a dagger, or short sword, 
held up by both hands, with the sheath and fastenings to the 
belt attached to it. Hence, I should suppose, from that being 
the only weapon of the kind which we see on these sculptures, 
that its steel original answered indiscriminately to the name of 
sword or dagger, according to the ideas of the ancient writers 
who described it; for, perhaps, it is as much too large for the 
common fashion of the one, as it is too small for the usual size 
of the other. The next figure carries a couple of immense 
bracelets, or fetters, like those in a preceding bas-relief; and the 
two succeeding men are armed with war-hammers, holding one 
in each hand. The last person in the group wears the same 
dress as the others, with the exception of the belt and cased 
bow ; his occupation is to lead a very fine horse, of a totally 
different description from the former. The tree terminates this 
line of sculpture, by the side of an inscription. (Plate XLIV.) 
We now commence the lower range, (Plates XLI. XLII. XLIII.) 
which is clear all the way to the very feet of the figures ; at which 
point I am inclined to think the ornamented part of the stairs 
finished ; leaving only a few feet of plain surface below, now 
hidden by the mouldered ruins, before we come to the original 
level of the top of the first terrace. 
The conductor of the first group in the lower row, is one of* 
the robed Persians, with his short sword, and Median fluted 
cap; He is the only one whose staff of office has retained its 
rounded top. The three figures which immediately follow him, 
wear high pointed tiaras, seemingly formed of rolled linen, and 
shaped like the descriptions we have of the priests’ mitres. 
Neither their hair nor beards differ in any way from the common 
fashion of the time, excepting that behind the ear hangs a long 
