JOHN EVELYN 103 



died, illustrious for having the first designed those beautiful gardens, 

 which decorate France. Le Notre possessed a probity, an exact- 

 ness and uprightness, which made him valued and loved by 

 every one. He worked for private individuals and for the King 

 with the same industry : his only thought was to aid Nature, 

 and to reduce the truly beautiful to the lowest cost. All he 

 did is still far beyond what has been done since, whatever 

 pains have been taken to copy him." Memoirs. 



\A7E visited the Haff or Prince's Court at the Hague, with JOHN 

 * * the adjoining gardens, which were full of ornament, / 

 close-walks, statues, marbles, grotts, fountains, and artificiall 

 musiq, etc. . . . 



From hence we walked into the Parke, which for being entirely Bruxelles. 

 within the walls of the city is particularly remarkable; nor is it Oct ' 8> l641 ' 

 less pleasant than if in the most solitary recesses, so naturally is 

 it furnish'd with whatever may render it agreeable, melancholy, 

 and country-like. Here is a stately heronry, divers springs of 

 water, artificial cascades, rocks, grotts, one whereof is composed 

 of the extravagant rootes of trees cunningly built and hung 

 together. In this Parke are both fallow and red deare. 



From hence we were lead into the Manege, and out of that 

 into a most sweet and delicious garden, where was another grott, 

 of more neat and costly materials, full of noble statues, and 

 entertaining us with artificial musiq; but the hedge of water, in 

 forme of lattice-worke, which the fontainer caused to ascend out 

 of the earth by degrees exceedingly pleased and supris'd me, for 

 thus with a previous wall, or rather a palisad hedge, of waters, 

 was the whole parterre environ'd. 



There is likewise a faire Aviary, and in the Court next it are 

 kept divers sorts of animals, rare and exotic fowle, as eagles, cranes, 

 storks, bustards, pheasants of several kinds, a duck having four 

 wings, etc. In another division of the same close, are rabbits of 

 an almost perfect yellow colour. 



