XIX 



de ce conquerant et de cet legislateur remplit la terre. 

 Tout fat uni par le force de son genie." De Sismondi 

 calls him " a brilliant star in that dark firmament." 

 Mr. Loudon, in p. 40 of his Encyclopaedia, says, that 

 " The Abbe Schmidt informs us (Mag. Encyc.) that 

 this monarch, who had domains in every part of 

 France, gave the greatest encouragement to the era- 

 dication of forests, and the substitution of orchards 

 and vineyards. He was on terms of friendship with 

 the Saracenic prince Haroun al Raschild, and by that 

 means procured for France the best sorts of pulse, 

 melons, peaches, figs, and other fruits." 



Francis I. when he built his palace at Fontainbleau, 

 introduced into its gardens, much of what he had seen 

 in those of Italy, and when he compleated St. Ger- 

 mains, its style of grandeur may be guessed at from its 

 rocks, cascades, terraces and subterraneous grots. 



Henry IV.'s attachment to agriculture and to gar- 

 dens, is well known. The magnificent improvements 

 he made at St. Germains, and the attention he paid 

 to his gardens at la Fleche, Vendome, and the Thuil- 

 leries, shew this. Indeed, his employing Claude Mol- 

 let, and Jean Robin, are sufficient proofs.* 



* I cannot pass by the name of Henry, without the recollection 

 of what an historian says of him : " L'Abb Langlet du Fresnoy a 

 public cinquante-neuf lettres de a bon Roi, dans sa nouvelle edition 

 du Journal de Henry III. on y remarque du feu de 1'esprit, de rim- 

 agination, et sur-tout cette Eloquence du cceur, qui plait tout dans 

 un monarque. On 1'exortoit u traiter avec rigueur quelques places 



