A Marvel Of Architecture In India

Tho famous ThJ. tho gein of India and of the world, tle Knh-i-nor of architecture, is situiited about t bree milen from Agra, on ihe west buriks of tlie Jumna. Oti approach.:g it, one sces white marblo minarots risintj among the trees. Wc baU at the giaud portal of the great garden, aud the entranoe hall or gatt?, so arresta u tbut we feel ticliued to ask, with a littlo feling of (lisiippuintaieiit, Ihis 'l'uj ? 'Dun )cae, a eplcndid building of hard, rei itoue - whetluT sand-3tone or jtjratiite, I oauuot reuieinber-ialaid with wliiio aii'l blaok tuarble, and vavioue colorccl gtoues. lts arebed halji ara spacious. We aro conduotod to the upper story, and fioui a great opon arch, behind tbc Tai, All seusiLlo troreleri here psue, wben at tempting to describe thU buildiug, aod protest tliat the attempt is fullv, and bttrajs only au uuwarrauted cuufidenee in the power of word to gire auy idea of ruuh visión iu stoue. 1 do uct oherisfa the Lope of bcing uble tu ooorej uuv true impreation of tha magnifioeoce aiid beauty of tLe ïaj, but utvc-rthdesa. I oaunot, bo tileol abiut it. Frnm tbj srob iu tby aUvnj iho vye followa r long brond road, tuarble caimi, ofturj fiill of crystsl wator, at tho extremf oud of whicb rises tbc pliitform on w'uicïi the Taj U built. Sacfa nde oí iho white inarble canal u bordt-red by tal], c!ai k cypress treos, nud ün fansl 'd.ijN a bont eigbty fouutuiüs - twenty-two buiu iu the oentor- fling their eoolin spray alüng its whole leugtb, whilo treos of evpry hbade, and plauta of swcitest odor fili the rost of thu garden. The buildng8 wiiiub make n tha rost of tba Taj are all erected on a platform ubout wüiity faot high, uud oí'upy a Hpaoo .f about 350 feet squaro. 'l'hose buildings consist of the Unub itself, which is au octagon, gunnountüd by au egg gliapsd douiti of about seviuty icet circutnfereuoe, oud of four ruinarets, bout oueiundred and fifty feet higb, whioh lioot ïp like ojliiuins üf lijjht ii.to the blue ky. üua feature peculiar to its II ia tg pel feet purity ; for uil portiuoii of the i íij - t h ü greal platform, tha f-ky [aeroing iiiinaretHjtho building proper - areof puro wbito murble. Tlia only exboption - but what an eiceptiou ! - s tho beautiful orDameutal wo'rk, of an exquit-ite üower pattern, wbicb wrouthug thu doorn aud Wiiuders towaid the dome, one hage nosaio of ïulaid ïtout- of differeot colrs. Imsgiue, f jou oao, such a buildng as tbis - "White as the nows of Appcnino. Iuduratcd by fro.-t," isin?. among the trees of un Essutq arden i icli in color, frait ai.d fl. wers. nd ítandinrif aüiost a sky of e buríal jlue, witb uotliiníí tu breuk iia rupige ave tlio gleiuuing yiugs of flocks of aroquuls, adiling to the gli.ry of colur; ;aioful assooialioiutdJiiiiirrb" tlü! áíi.'ü,' r to tbrow it out of bur:nony wiih t!ie )leasinfif memories of u wifo uud uiothr buried by a hunband who ovod ber or twouty yenri of niarrioil lifu, aüd who lie begide bcr. We (valk up frora the gieat portal long tho cantrul marble oanul, asoend iie platfor by tweuty stepg, and croasïg the uiaibl pavemenU, enter thu 'aj wilh a feeling of awo and roverace. Out adinirstiou is ncreaed as we examine tbe douila of thu woudrous uterior. Tho libt duiited by tlie door oea not dispol, but ouly subdues lbo "■loom witliiu. We stand before noli a screen as wc ïavo uevcr ieeu equaled. Divided into overal compartuionlg and panels, it weepi around m:irble cenotapa that lie vitLii) it, and repreaout the real tomb oen in tlio vault beuuath. It is of pur st uiarble, so pieroed and oarvcd as to ook like u bigh feuoe of exquirtite lacework, but is roally far more rcfincd aud beautiful ; for everj-where along th isa panuls are wronthes of flowers coinposed of latnps, lazali, jasper, beliirope, ehalcedony, coruelian, &c. 80 ihat to uiake one of lliualiuiiili ods of tbose bouquuts a bundred different stoues aro requireil.' Tlie Florence tnasaio works does Dot surpass it. And uil thia visión in stone wil ruised by a Mobainmudan emperor over bis dream of love - tli wife wlio clied more tban two bundred ye:irs ao, wheu Christian kiogl and emperors were ent into dark aud "wu-ping vaults" - "tho" longest wceper for ibeir lunerals !" - witli no ornaiiioiits s:ive ppider's webs. When a um-ical note is souudeil beneatti this douie, bow strango are tbe euhoes trom withio it ! Tlicy are uuearihly - like those of un 2BÜan harp. But whu - it may be usked by tryiug ordir of readers ealled the loviM'! of kuowledgo - wns Uiis einieror, and who WMbie wife so honored? The falhor of tho builJer of tha Taj Jübangbir, was the fhst luier in India who reocived un ambawador frm Eng' and, Sir Thomas U'e, ia the reigu of Juidus I. Jehaogbir mairiod a famous beauty, Nihir-ul-uissa, tho widow of Slier Afghan, who, foor years previously, had buen axsiuuied by this samo Jchaüghir Her name was chutijied firit int) Noor-Maha), "tbo light of th harem," and afterward tu Noor Jchan, "ihe light of tho world." Jehanghir, it m:iy be noticed, a chiiraoteristio of the linies, luid impttkd eiht hundred of the raee of Timuur, ho wero "iu his way tO tllO tlllüLO." Shah succeedcd him, having muidered his (iwn broiber in Order to dn HO. - Fie murried Arzumuud Banco, tbenieoe of "tho light ot barcra,: the daugliter of her bmtber. Sbe was a guud uit , and brought to lier busbuiid teverul etiildren, ainoiig wIkmu was Aurungïebe, who was the last ruler ot the united ompiro of tlie great Akgar, lii; grefet grandfathür. Alttfr barjiog his "ite in the Taj, Juhuu bucamu a lingera ble dobauobee. lie has, hou ever, been vei) quiet and sober during the '200 yeara inhus la n boeido Arzutnond Bauoo, boDeath the mtirlile (inine. The oost of the Tnj, I may add, was upward of L3,0UO,0ü0 sterlng. Tbousinds of workineu were éugaged upoo it fur long yearB. So iiiuoh for tlie price of a eiiliimut. Wag il too' niuch 'i - And how uhall wc bahinee tho ucuouut belween seotiment aud BÜver '! - Zcy in North India. k- ■ A country paper savs tliat mitfatllsw (tho name of Napoleon' ariillcry iuveuj tion) ia EDglish for meat ri JJIer.