2i 8 JOHN EVELYN 



these, as also of his best flowers, he had caus'd to be 

 painted in miniature by rare hands, and some in oyle. 



I went to see divers of the fairest palaces, as that 

 of Vendosme, very large and stately ; Longueville, 

 Guyse, Condi, Chevereuse ; Nevers, esteem'd one of 

 the best in Paris towards the river. 



I often went to the Palais Cardinal, bequeathed by 

 Richelieu to the King, on condition that it should be 

 called by his name ; at this time the King resided in 

 it, because of the building of the Louvre. It is a 

 very noble house, tho' somewhat low ; the gallerys, 

 paintings of the most illustrious persons of both sexes, 

 the Queenes bathes, presence chamber with its rich 

 carved and gilded roofe, theatre, & large garden, in 

 which is an ample fountaine, grove, and maille, 1 are 

 worthy of remark. Here I also frequently went to 

 see them ride and exercise the Greate Horse, especialy 

 at the Academy of Monsieur du Plessis, and de Veau, 

 whose scholes of that art are frequented by the 



1 i.e. Play-ground for Pallle Maille (Pall Mall), "a pastime 

 not unlike goff" according to Strutt ; but more like croquet, 

 if we may trust Cotgrave's Dictionary: " Paile-Maille is 

 a game wherein a round box ball is struck with a mallet 

 through a high arch of iron, which he that can do at the 

 fewest blows, or at the number agreed upon, wins." 



