216 JOHN EVELYN 



house, are knotts in trayle or grasse worke, where like- 

 wise runs a fountaine. Towards the grotto and stables, 

 within a wall, is a garden of choyce flowers, in which 

 the Duke spends many thousand pistoles. In sum, 

 nothing is wanting to render this palace and gardens 

 perfectly beautifull & magnificent ; nor is it one of the 

 least diversions to see the number of persons of quality, 

 citizens and strangers, who frequent it, and to whom 

 all accesse is freely permitted, so that you shall see 

 some walkes & retirements full of gallants and 

 ladys ; in others melancholy fryers ; in others studious 

 scholars ; in others jolly citizens, some sitting or 

 lying on the grasse, others runing, jumping, some 

 playing at bowles and ball, others dancing and singing ; 

 and all this without the least disturbance, by reason of 

 the largeness of the place. What is most admirable is, 

 you see no gardners or men at worke, and yet all 

 is kept in such exquisite order as if they did nothing 

 else but work ; it is so early in the morning, that all is 

 dispatch'd and done without the least confusion. 



I have been the larger in the description of this 

 Paradise, for the extraordinary delight I have taken in 

 those sweete retirements. The Cabinet and Chapell 

 neerer the garden front have some choyce pictures. 

 All the houses neere this are also noble palaces, 



