364 THE PRAISE OF GARDENS 



Regnaudin was a transparent compliment to ' Le Roi Soleil ' 

 reposing from his labours. 'When in the eighteenth century, 

 Citizen Rousseau discovered Nature, English ideas invaded the 

 Continent, and the fashion was for landscape gardens. This 

 transformation was effected at Versailles by the plan of Hubert 

 Robert, the designer in fashion, the " Romantique " of the moment, 

 the painter of ruins, who, amongst other improvements, hollowed 

 out of an enormous sham rock three grottos as a sort of umbrella 

 to the group of Apollo and the Nymphs, and as stables for the 

 horses of the sun ; wall plants were scattered over the rocks, and 

 water came through the fissures. The English style gained the 

 victory over the French, and the beauties of Versailles, the marvel 

 of the universe, became purely historical; its life was gone out, 

 its character was lost.' {Gautier.) 



The illustration after Rigaud shows the Bains d^Apollon before 

 the improvements, when the gilt metal canopies still sheltered 

 the statuary. The Bosquet de Venus was the scene of the famous 

 Diamond Necklace Rendez-vous between the Cardinal de Rohan 

 and Demoiselle Oliva. 



The Salle de Bal as here given, is the least disfigured by the 

 alterations of Hubert Robert. On this spot a royal supper was 

 given in 1691 to the King and Queen of England; and although 

 the steps for the spectators have disappeared and many details 

 are changed, the shades of the courtiers might still, according 

 to Gautier, execute the Ballets of Benserade. The Labyrinth 

 was composed of a complicated net-work of alleys cutting one 

 another at right angles or forming curves of the most puzzling 

 character. At each turning was a fountain in rockwork on 

 which was represented one of ^sop's fables. Of this labyrinth 

 no appreciable trace remains. 



Taine well sums up the impression left by Le Notre's creation : — 



'The monarchical and formal gardens of Le Notre are the 

 complements of the grave, pompous, and studied architecture 

 of Mansard and Perrault; buildings and parterres are all con- 

 structed for men studious of their dignity and observers of the 

 proprieties.' ^ ' It was,' says Gautier, ' the supreme formula of 



^ Philosophic de I'Art. 



