defaced, and the walls whitened; From this hall, through a
fimilar arch to that ill the front, we defcend. into the garden ;
and the whole' of the tomb difplays itfelf through an avenue
of lofty trees. This avenue is paved with fiche : in the center
is a large fquare bafon, which was formerly'filled' with
watert but was quitè dry when I faw it. In the center of the
bafon was a fountain, the. pipe only remaining: the fqpply
of water, indeed, had apparendy been confiderable here, for
all through the middle of the avenue, and on either fide,
obferved' channels, which mud have been dëfigned for aqueducts,
but which were then dry. At-fome fmall didance
from the principal building rifes a high open gate, entirely of
white marble, of exquifite beauty, .
A b l a z i n g eaflem fun ffiining full on-this building, com-
pofed of fuch varied materials, produces a glare of fplepdour
almoft beyond the imagination of an inhabitant óf thefè^nor-
them climates to' conceive; and the prefent folitiide that reigns
over the whole of thé negleóted garden, excites involuntarily
a melancholy penfivenefs. After viewing this monument of
an Emperor, whofe great actions have refoiffided through
the world, and whofe liberality and humanity were his highed
praife, I became defirous óf feeing even that done which contained
his crumbling remains. There was an old Mollah
who attended, and who had the keys of the interior of. the
building, (which is dill held in veneration) and who obtains
a precarious fubfidence by fhewing it'jta the curious traveller,
The infide of the tomb is '& vad, hall, occupying the whole
fpace of the interior of the 'building,' which, terrninates in a
dbme^a few wmddws! atiithetop atTmit;a “ dim religious”
light,- and the whole, is lined with white marble. In the ceir->
ter the body is depofited in a-farcophagus of plain-white
marble, on which is' written, in black, marble,inlaid, limply
the namerof 6
A C B A L
F rom the fummit of the minarets in the’ front a fpedta-
le^s^eye- may • range .oye^ a prodigious1 jcircpit (.of copntry,.
not lefs than thirty miles in a;dire£t line, thewhcrlp of jwhich
is 'fl'at,'* and(filled:.with ruins of ancient grandeur: ,the river
Jumna is feen at fome didance, and the glittering, tower^pf;
Agra. This fine country exhibits* in its prefent date; a melancholy
proof of the confequences of a bad goviamment, of
wildli«ribiribu* and: thp honors attending, ciyil diffeprions $
for when the governors of this country were* in plenitude of
power, and exercifed their rights with wifdom, from the
excellence of its climate, with fome degree-,of indudry, it
mud have been a peffedfc' garden j but. mow all is defolation
and filence. "Surrounding the monument of Acbar .ai;e many
tombs }, fome of them very beautiful: mod probably they cover
the remains of certain branches of his family. The traditionary
report is here, that they are the tombs of his wives.