12 Travels in France 



the whole cultivated with the spade : it makes a pretty appear- 

 ance, but must form a poor system of trifling. 



Chantilly! — magnificence is its reigning character; it is never 

 lost. There is not taste or beauty enough to soften it into milder 

 features: all but the chateau is great; and there is something 

 imposing in that, except the gallery of the Great Conde's battle, 

 and the cabinet of natural history which is rich in very fine 

 specimens, most advantageously arranged, it contains nothing 

 that demands particular notice; nor is there one room which 

 in England would be called large. The stable is truly great, 

 and exceeds very much indeed anything of the kind I had ever 

 seen. It is 580 feet long, and 40 broad, and is sometimes filled 

 with 240 English horses. I had been so accustomed to the 

 imitation in water, of the waving and irregular lines of nature, 

 that I came to Chantilly prepossessed against the idea of a canal ; 

 but the view of one here is striking, and had the effect which 

 magnificent scenes impress. It arises from extent, and from 

 the right lines of the water uniting with the regularity of the 

 objects in view. It is Lord Kaimes, I think, who says, the part 

 of the garden contiguous to the house should partake of the 

 regularity of the building; with much magnificence about a 

 place this is almost unavoidable. The effect here, however, 

 is lessened by the parterre before the castle, in which the divi- 

 sions and the diminutive jets-d'eau are not of a size to correspond 

 with the magnificence of the canal. The menagerie is ^'ery 

 pretty, and exhibits a prodigious variety of domestic poultry 

 from all parts of the world; one of the best objects to which a 

 menagerie can be applied ; these, and the Corsican stag, had all 

 my attention. The hameau contains an imitation of an English 

 garden; the taste is but just introduced into France, so that it 

 will not stand a critical examination. ^Thejnost-English ides 

 / 1 saw is the lawn in front of the stables ; it is large, of a gooa 

 verdure, and well kept ; proving clearly that they may have aa 

 fine lawns in the north of France as in England. The labyrintl 

 is the only complete one I have seen, and I have no inclination\ 

 to see another: it is in gardening what a rebus is in poetry. In 

 the Sylvas are many fine and scarce plants. I wish those persons 

 who view Chantilly and are fond of fine trees would not forget 

 to ask for the great beech; this is the finest I ever saw; straight 

 as an arrow, and, as I guess, not less than 80 or 90 feet high; 

 40 feet to the first branch, and 12 feet diameter at five from the 

 ground. It is in all respects one of the finest trees that can 

 an}'where be met with. Two others are near it, but not equal 



