OX GARDENS 225 



glorious fabrick or rather dore-case adorn'd with divers 

 excellent marble statues. This garden abounded with 

 all sorts of delicious fruit and exotiq simples, fountaines 

 of sundry inventions, groves, and small rivulets. There 

 is also adjoining to it a vivarium for estriges (ostriches), 

 peacocks, swanns, cranes, &c. and divers strange beasts, 

 deare, and hares. The grotto is very rare, and represents 

 among other devices artificial raine, and sundry shapes 

 of vessells, flowers, &c. which is effected by changing 

 the heads of the fountaines. The groves are of cypresse, 

 laurell, pine, myrtil, olive, &c. The 4 sphinxes are very 

 antique and worthy observation. To this is a volary 

 full of curious birds. The house is square, with turrets 

 from which the prospect is excellent towards Rome 

 and the environing hills covered as they now ars with 

 snow, which indeed commonly continues even a great 

 part of the sum'er, affording great refreshment. Round 

 the house is a balustre of white marble, with frequent 

 jettoes of water, and adorn'd with a multitude of 

 statues. 



I went to see the garden and house of the Aldo- 

 brandini, now Cardinal Borghese's. This palace is, 

 for architecture, magnificence, pompe and statr, one of 



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