XXI 



many of her letters : that of July 1677, paints the 

 charms which one in Paris gave her : " I was invited 

 in the kindest manner possible to sup at Gourville's 

 with Mad. de Scomberg, Mad. de Frontenac, Mad. de 

 Coulanges, the Duke, M. de la Rochefoucault, Baril- 

 lon, Briole, Coulanges, Sevigne, in a garden of the 

 hotel de Conde; there were water-works, bowers, ter- 

 races, six hautboys, six violins, and the most melodi- 

 ous flutes ; a supper which seemed to be prepared by 

 enchantment, an admirable bass-viol, and a resplen- 

 dent moon, which witnessed all our pleasures." Of 

 her own garden, formed by her own pure taste, M. de 

 Coulanges thus speaks : " I have spent a most de- 

 lightful fortnight here. It is impossible sufficiently to 

 praise the gardens of the Rocks ; they would have 

 their beauties even at Versailles, which is saying every 

 thing." And that she delighted in what she well 

 knew how to describe, is evident from her letter from 

 Chaulnes: " This is a very handsome house, which 

 carries with it an air of grandeur, though it is partly 

 unfurnished, and the gardens neglected. There is 

 scarcely any verdure to be seen, and not a nightingale 

 to be heard ; in short, it is still winter, on the seven- 

 teenth of April. But it is easy to imagine the beau- 

 ties of these walks ; every thing is regular and mag- 

 nificent ; a spacious parterre in front, bowling-greens 

 opposite the wings, a large playing fountain in the 

 parterre, two in the bowling-greens, and another at a 

 distance in the middle of a field, which is well named 

 the solitary; a fine country, beautiful apartments, and 

 a pleasant prospect, though flat." She in another 



