OX GARDENS 205 



whole Citty, going, late as it was in the year, towards 

 the Course, which is a place adjoyning, of ncere an 

 English mile long, planted with 4 rows of trees, making 

 a large circle in the middle. This Course is walled 

 about, neere breast high, with squar'd freestone, and 

 has a stately arch at the entrance, with sculpture and 

 statues about it, built by Mary di Medices. Here it is 

 that the gallants and ladys of the Court take the ayre 

 and divert themselves, as with us in Hide Park, the 

 circle being capable of containing an hundred coaches 

 to turne commodiously, and the larger of the plantations 

 for 5 or 6 coaches a brest. 



Returning through the Thuilleries, we saw a build- 

 ing in which are kept wild beasts for the King's 

 pleasure, a beare, a wolfe, a wild boare, a leopard, &c. 



27 Feb. Accompany'd with some English gentle- 

 men, we tooke horse to see St. Germains en Lay, a 

 stately country-house of the King, some 5 leagues 

 from Paris. By the way we alighted at St. Cloes, 1 

 where, on an eminence neere the river, the Archbishop 

 of Paris has a garden, for the house is not very con- 

 siderable, rarely water'd and furnish'd with fountaines, 

 statues, and groves ; the walkes are very faire ; the 

 fountain of Laocoon io in a large square pool, throwing 

 1 Saint Cloud. 



