The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-06-23

heroes, of cupids, muses. and graces.
Among the most famous Of the
ancient gardens the ruins Of which
still remain to give an idea Of their
vastness and grandeur, were "the
Hanging Gardens ofBabylon." These
have a special interest for those who
are familiar with the Bible, in which
Babylon, the mighty city over which
the warlike kings Of Assyria ruled,
is referred to. go "'i" '''H'..''
~ The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
were one Of the seven wonders Of
the world and truly, if we can Judge
anything by the remains Of them
which still exist, they well deserved
a place among the marvels Of the
olden time. ,
The story Of their origin is an in
teresting one. 1t is said that there
once lived a great Assyrian king, of
vast wealth and power, who was de-
votedly attached to his wife. Every
thing that she asked Of him he was
wont to grant. The moment that
she formed a wish, it was gratifed.
Now this fair queen came from
one of the most beautiful valleys of
Persia, in which she was born and
reared. She had been accustomed to
live amid the most romantic scenery,
to delight in avenues Of trees and
banks Of flowers.
But Babylon was a dull place, and
around it were nothing but bare
fields and dreary heaths. So the
queen, though she had every luxury
which money could bring, tired Of
the uninteresting views from her
palace windows, and remembering
the lovely scenes of her childhood,
she pined for them, and begged the
king to make for her garden which
should remind her Of her native
valley.
The king FASTENED to crafty her
and setting an army of laborers,
some of whom he called from Persia,
to work, in the course Of time the
wilderness about Babylon was con-
verified into the magnificent Hanging
Gardens.
They were constructed on the
sides Of some sloping hills not far
from the royal palace. Of course, as
they were intended for the pleasure
Of the queen, they must be made on
the most splendid scale. Vastness
was the ancient idea Of magnificence.
Not long ago, the royal palace at
Nineveh was explored, and found to
cover a space larger than that Gov
cred by Boston Common and the
Public Garden put together.
SO the Hanging Gardens were
made to v a large expanse. They
were adorned with noble ediices
and the most skilfully carved stat
ues and pillars. In form, the gar
dens mere a vast square. From the
bottom of the hills on which they
rose they were reached by broad
flights Of stone steps leading from
terrace to terrace, the terraces rising
one above another in a series. AT
the foot of the hills were noble arch.
ways, with paved roads, and sculp-
tured figures Of great size lining the
walls on either side; and beneath
these archways the Assyrians might
pass with ease on the backs of THEN
largest elephants. .r...
At the end Of each terrace, just
before the next stairway, was either
an arch or a pavilion supported by
massive pillars; while at the tops OF
the s%taircases were to be seen i'm.
mense vases filled with flowers, and
vines which hung down their sides
and carved figures oflions and tigers
1t was upon the broad terraces
which rested on gigantic columns
that the gardens were laid out with
lavish hand.