312 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



finally fall into the two lowest and largest fountains. The 

 last mentioned fountains are backed by a high plateau, be- 

 yond which are the waters of the large lake, whose islands 

 are peopled by monsters that inhabited the earth when the 

 world was young. To the right and to the left, in the 

 grounds, are beautiful sloping lawns, dotted here and there 

 with trees, and thickly planted shrubs, and trees ; beyond the 

 palace precincts, stretching away into the far distance, is vis- 

 ible the great garden of nature herself, a picture of rural love- 

 liness, almost unmatched by any scene so close as this to the 

 great city of London. 



Undulating scenery prevails ; here it is rich with bright 

 verdure ; there, dark with thick wood : here, the grass field ; 

 there the gray soil, which in the spring-time is covered with 

 the delicate green of young wheat, and, in the autumn, waves 

 thick with golden grain. Across the fields run long lines of 

 hedgerows, telling plainly of the country in which they are 

 found ; and in the very heart of all, the village church spire 

 shoots through the trees surrounded by clusters of cottages, 

 whose modest forms are almost hidden by the dark foliage in 

 which they are nestled. This exquisite scene is completed 

 by a long line of blue hills that ranges at the back of all. 



After taking this bird's-eye survey of the grounds and vi- 

 cinity, I descended the steps and reached the first terrace, on 

 the balustrade of which are placed twenty-six allegorical 

 statues of the most important commercial and manufacturing 

 countries in the world, and of the chief industrial cities of 

 England and France. 



On the left side of the great central staircase, (when facing 

 the gardens) are statues representing Mulhouse, Glasgow and 

 Liverpool ; the two first by Calder Mursholl, the third by 

 Spence. On the left side are personifications of Paris, Lyons, 

 and an allegorical statue of French Art, by Etex. 



The next bastion or alcove on the left side is surmounted 

 by statues of Spain and Italy, admirably executed by Monti : 

 the succeeding bastion forms a pedestal for the very charac- 

 teristic figures of California and Australia, by Bell. 



The staircase of this end of the terrace is ornamented at 



