worthy of
remark. In the ground-plans of buildings the straight line only is used;
all the angles are right angles; all the pillars fall into line; the
intervals between pillar and pillar are regular, and generally equal;
doorways are commonly placed opposite intercolumniations; where there is
but one doorway, it is in the middle of the wall which it pierces; where
there are two, they correspond to one another. Correspondence is the
general law. Not only does door correspond to door, and pillar to
pillar, but room to room, window to window, and even niche to niche.
Most of the buildings are so contrived that one half is the exact
duplicate of the other; and where this is not the case, the irregularity
is generally either slight, or the result of an alteration, made
probably for convenience sake. Travellers are impressed with the Grecian
character of what they behold, though there is an almost entire absence
of Greek forms. The regularity is not confined to single buildings, but
extends to the relations of different edifices one to another. The sides
of buildings standing on one platform, at whatever distance they may be,
are parallel. There is, however, less consideration paid than we should
have expected to the exact position, with respect to a main building,
in which a subordinate one shall be placed. Propylaea, for instance,
are not opposite the centre of the edifice to which they conduct, but
slightly on one side of the centre. And generally, excepting in the
parallelism of their sides, buildings seem placed with but slight regard
to neighboring ones.

For effect, the Persian architecture must have depended, firstly,
upon the harmony that is produced by the observance of regularity and
proportion; and, secondly, upon two main features of the style. These
were the grand sculptured staircases which formed the approaches to all
the principal buildings, and the vast groves of elegant pillars in and
about the great halls. The lesser buildings were probably ugly, except
in front. But such edifices as the Chehl Minar at Persepolis, and its
duplicate at Susa--where long vistas of columns met the eye on every
side, and the great central cluster was supported by lighter detached
groups, combining similarity of form with some variety of ornament,
where richly colored drapings contrasted with the cool gray stone of the
building, and a golden roof overhung a pavement of many hues--must
have been handsome, from whatever side the