suspect that here was once an elaborate " parterre." 

 At present one finds no flowers at all, except those 

 which have grown wild, and these are frequently to be 

 found where there should be none. In an arrange- 

 ment so varied as that at D'Este any opportunity for 

 simplicity was valuable, and one was found in the 

 ponds or canals at the foot of the first line of terraces. 

 The form here is perfectly simple, in long straight 

 lines surrounded by high hedges, now overgrown al- 

 most into small forests. These ponds are now com- 

 paratively stagnant; but they were originally filled by 

 many jets of water flowing from the vases which 

 marked their borders. At present, of course, only the 

 general form is left, and though that is still fine, the 

 great overgrowth of the surrounding hedges naturally 

 dwarfs their effect, and the stairs above them are 

 quite concealed. The old stairway of the Condonata, 

 which was bordered by fountains from top to bottom, 

 is now too overgrown to be seen, and this is the case 

 with many beautiful parts of the villa. While this 

 wildness has given a certain charm of its own to the 

 place, it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to trace 

 much of the original design of the architect. 



Many of the architectural features have been re- 

 stored at unfortunate periods or by unskilful hands, 



76 



