Austin C. Burdick
Published: 2015-07-04
Total Pages: 102
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Excerpt from The King and Cobbler: A Romance of Ancient Persia Among all the cities of old, the ruins of which are now left to tell of the mighty age that has long since passed away, none exceeded in extent, in wealth, or in grandeur, Persepolis, the chief capital of ancient Persia. At the foot of a steep, rugged mountain, was extended a wide plain, watered by a goodly river. Upon all hands this plain was shut in by high cliffs of rock, looming darkly in the distance, leaving the level space some five-and-twenty miles in length, and upon this was the city built, occupying the whole vast area. The wealth of the royal palace almost exceeds belief. It was a vast structure, serving not only for the royal residence, but also for a citadel and bulwark. Its colonnade of massive pillars still stands, and is a fit object of wonder. These pillars are of gray marble and seventy feet high, and their capitals, which are of an order of architecture differing from any other then in use, are beautiful in the extreme. The interior of this kingly abode was literally cased with gold and precious stones, and to count or estimate the wealth there displayed, were a task beyond the ability of one man. And then other evidences of grandeur were built in the city, and upon all hands were to be seen sculptures and towers, and courts and monuments. And as though the vast plain gave not room enough for the ingenuity of the sculptors, the faces of the very rocks that formed the cliff wall of the city were cut and carved in a most elaborate and finished manner. Into the facts of the larger rocks were cut tombs and sepulchral chambers, with beautiful porticos richly sculptured from the solid cliff. Truly the king of Persia had wealth, for his capital contained within itself the wealth of a nation. And he had power, for thousands on thousands bowed down to do him homage, and princes and potentates acknowledged his authority. Next in importance among the palaces of Persepolis to that of the king was the palace of Rustem, one of the most powerful satraps, or governors, of the realm. Rustem was now past the meridian of life, but still strong and vigorous, and fond of all those manly sports which were the delight of the warrior race of that period. He was a favorite of the king, a friend to those who bowed to him, and sometimes generous and benevolent to the poor. He could be warm and ardent in his attachments, and he could love with his whole heart; but there was no principle, no moral obligation, felt by him. He was the slave of impulse, and the owner of a will that would not bend. Very slight causes would attract his friendship, and causes just as slight would arouse his anger and hate. Above all things else did he love to be honored and obeyed and flattered. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.