terrace to a walk on either side of the water-course, 

 conducting the water from the upper fountains to 

 those we have just passed. At the top is the "bos- 

 quet " or grove, and in its centre, flanked by two most 

 beautiful pavilions, is the reservoir. This is, in its 

 turn, enclosed in a kind of court of Doric columns, 

 supported o.n pedestals and connected by .balustrades. 



The sylvan court thus composed makes the bos- 

 quet of the Villa Lante one of unusual beauty. The 

 trees behind the columns form a dense glade. The 

 branches of the trees are allowed to grow in and out, 

 making the effect that of being surrounded by a 

 forest. The two pavilions which mark the corners of 

 this enclosure deserve special attention ; there is noth- 

 ing of the kind in any other villa, and they form the 

 key-note of an exceedingly well-conceived place. 



It will be seen that in the Villa Lante the main 

 features of the Italian villa are found in much of their 

 original perfection namely the house, the flower- 

 garden, the terrace, the grove, the fountains, and the 

 water system ; and a general study of other villas will 

 show that their different dispositions are the result of 

 harmoniously combining these different parts with the 

 natural formation of the land. If any prominence is 

 given to one or the other of these features, it is sug- 



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