The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-03-11 00:00:00

THE GRANDEST TOMB IN THE
WORLD.

The following is an extract from the letter of the Special
Correspondent of The Times, under date Agra, Jan. 27
The afternoon was devoted to an excursion in open
carriages fo what is perhaps the grandest tomb in the
world, as the Taj is certainly the most beautiful—
Secundra, where he the remains of Akber (or Akhbar,
or however else his name may be spelt), to whom
India—Hindoo and Mussulman—accords the title
of "Great "—apparently with every reason. The
road still shows the coshminars (round stone pillars)
which were put up at the distance of every two
miles along Imperial Mogul routes, and which it is
said were erected along the highway, extending
for more than 700 miles, from Agra to Lahore.
Near each end was a watch-tower, and there were
halting-places and serais and wells for travellers
in the olden time. So imperiously impatient were
Great Moguls in those days that, if the legend be true,
trees of full growth, 30 years old, were carried on ele-
phants from the forests and planted along the road to
shade the wayfarer. Some six miles from camp the
i modern tourist sees before him a grand gateway n a
quadrangle enclosure, with octagon minarets at each
angle. This gives access to a garden, in the centre of
which is a mausoleum, a square of noble masonry ofre
sandstone, 3001 t. a aide, built in five stories, each dimi-
nishing in area from the base, which measures 3001 t, to
the screen work of marble which surrounds the marble
story at the summit at the height Gf 1001 t. from the
bottom. Every terrace is ornamented with an arched gal-
lery and cupolas, and these were said to bear relation to
the divisions of the vast Empire over which he who
now rests below once ruled in dignity and power. This
grand pile is approached by a causeway from each of
the four gateways—one in each of the lofty battle-
mented walls surrounding the garden. Without going
so far as Mr. Bayard Taylor, who considers Secundra
nobler in conception and more successful in embodi-
ment of Saracenic art than the Alcazar or Alhambra,
it may be admitted that this work stands among the
grandest ever reared by man. Two hundred and sixty-
three years have elapsed since the tomb was finished.
The son of the Queen of that England which was
then represented in this land by a few adventurous
merchants and mariners and one or two wandering
travellers, whose greatest wonder was that they
were there at all, now stood before the Sarcophagus
within which lie the bones of the fourth descendant of
Tamerlane, grandson of Baber, grandfather of Shah
Jehan—stood there acknowledged heir to the sceptre,
which had been wielded with such grandeur and might
—successor to the throne of Akber the Great, (whose
titles one might read in the exquisitely carved inscrip-
tions) ascribing to him majesty and glory for ever.
Secundra stands amid ruins, some ascribed to Lake's
army, others to the Jets, others to 1857-8. It is a fit-
ting scene for a sermon on the rise and fall of Empire
and on the vanity of human wishes.
When the Prince got back to camp it was nearly
dusk. Most writers who have tried their hands at a
description of the Taj set out with the admission, too
often justified by their efforts, that it is indescribable,
and then "proceed to give some idea" of it. The
temptation must be resisted here, especially as those
who have not read much about it have no lack of
works which will, at any rate, convey the expression
of what the writers thought and felt when they visited
the place. Ido not know how many of the fair ladies
present agreed with Colonel Sleeman's wife, who
said to him, "I cannot criticise, but I can tell you
what I feel. I would die to-morrow to have such
another tomb." "Too pure, too holy to be the
work of human hands "—" a poem in marble"—" the
sigh of a broken heart "—" poetic marble arrayed
In eternal glory "—" the inspiration of the work
'is from heaven—the execution worthy of it." All
this can be fittingly said of it at any time. But the
Taj, with 7,000 people spectators-7,000 people who
came to look at the Prince of Wales looking at the
Taj ! Well, it played its part to perfection. In spite
of blue lights, and lime lights,- of a regimental band
playing " Vedrai carino " and lively dance music, of
clank of spurs and sabres on the complaining marble,
there was not a point which the peerless mausoleum
could make in the scene which was for an instant,
marred or lost: It was altogether a very Memorable
and a very interesting sight and occasion. The '
Mahomedans liked the idea of the Prince's visit to the•
beautiful creation of Mahomedan art, and accepted it
as a sort of tribute to the glories of the dynasty of
Akber. Ifin The doo was not adverse to such an exhi-
bltion of the power of the race which had conquered
his conqueror as that which was patentin the appear):
ance of a quietly-dressed gentleman, walking in evi=l
dent ease through the crowds which filled the avenues"
to the tomb, almost unguarded and in perfect security,"
. . Then the great gateway to the Taj was 112::
luminated. And let it be understood that the road-'
ways were lined with a mighty multitude. There was
a murmur among them as the cortege went by, which,
done into English, meant, "Which is the Prince ?"
He was dressed in forage cap, patrol jacket, and over-
coat, and unofficial eyes could scarcely have picked
him out in the open carriage in which he was seated,
although a small detachment of Cavalry preceded and
followed him. The crowd at the entrance to the Taj
was densest of all. There were British people there,
and there was a voice which cried, "Three cheers for
the Prince of Wales !" There were cheers accordingly,
but somehow they jarred on the ear, for there in a
nimbus of its own rose the Taj, in all the beauty
of snow, arch, dome, and cupola closing the vista
bounded by funeral cypresses, which stand in line
sentinels
the
nt
the avenue,
Herevenue, wi
but
ties
did the work
canal and
fountains ntaine in h
of many gaspipes, and did it better. There was a
centinuous crowd along this avenue. Their behaviour
was perfect; as the Prince passed there were salaams
and silence. Ascending to the terrace or esplanade
on which the Taj is erected, the Prince, Sir J.
and Lady Strachey, and the Head Quarters party
walked over to the shelter of the dark gateway of
the mosque, from the summit of which the Taj was
to be lighted up. Gradually there grew out in all
its bea.ity the marble "Queen of borrow," which
has power to dim every, eye, in all its fair propor-
tions, framed in the purple of the starry heavens.
The light case on it from above was steady and
pun ; it seemed as though the full moon had been