670 
THE ROYAL CANOPY. 
broad frieze between each row, fill the space between the royal seat 
and the ground. The first row consists of four persons, supporting 
the upper frieze, or rather platform on which the throne is placed, 
with their uplifted hands, in the manner of caryates : the second 
row exhibits five men, upholding the intermediate frieze in 
the same way : while one figure only, and that an Ethiopian, 
is visible of the third range, which is so overgrown with 
earth, that a few strokes of the pick-axe were necessary to arrive 
at a distinct sight of this solitary Atlas. The rest of the figures 
on the two upper rows, are all in dresses I had seen in the pro¬ 
cession on the great stairs; some in the Persian tunic and short 
sword, but more in the Median garb. The whole is inclosed 
in a sort of frame-work of double pillars, to which the canopy is 
attached at the top ; while their nether extremities rest on each 
side of the royal platform, meeting the summits of two immense 
horizontally fluted columns; the lower ends of which are huge 
lion limbs, on a base something like that of the pedestal under the 
same-formed legs of the chair. These two columns support the 
platform on which the king sits, on each side of the caryatided 
front; the whole bearing a close resemblance to the royal eleva¬ 
tion on the tombs at Nakshi-Roustam, and therefore a no in¬ 
considerable argument of both being the work of nearly the 
same age. 
Some of the niches, in the interior of the building, are still 
entire ; and present a simple and beautiful effect, whether seen 
singly, or viewed in a range together. That which I have 
drawn, (Plate L.) stands about fifteen feet above the accumulated 
earth on the floor, and is composed of four stones. The upper 
one forms the pediment, which is carved with three rows of the 
lotos-leaf, exquisitely cut, and rising from a beaded cornice. 
