FRENCH GARDENS: i6th AND EARLY 17TH CENTURIES 83 



Frangois I. The engraving shows the garden as it appeared in 1654, ^^'^^ 

 out for Henri IV. The gardens were designed hy Duperac and laid out 

 b^ Claude Mollet. 



A splendid series of terraces, arcades and stairways led down to the 

 river Seine, two hundred feet below. The grottos under the terraces were 

 decorated with shellwork, painting and statuary, and contained many curious 



SAINT GERMAIN-EN-LAYE IN 



[654. 



mechanical contrivances and fanciful waterworks invented by the great 

 Florentine fontamier, Thomas Francini, who was brought from Italy 

 by Henri IV. A description of them was published by Andre Duchesne 

 in 1610, and they have also been engraved by Abraham Bosse. 



Before considering the work of Le Notre and his school there is 

 one garden designer to whom attention must be drawn. Jacques Boyceau, 



