JOHN EVELYN 109 



permitted, so that you shall see some walkes and retirements 

 full of gallants and ladys ; in others melancholy fryers ; in others 

 studious scholars ; in others jolly citizens, some sitting or lying 

 on the grasse, others running, jumping, some playing at bowles 

 and ball, others dancing and singing; and all this without the 

 least disturbance, by reason of the largeness of the place. 



What is most admirable is, you see no gardners or men at 

 worke, and yet all is kept in such exquisite order as if they did 

 nothing else but work ; it is so early in the morning, that all is 

 despatched and don without the least confusion. 



I have been the larger in the description of this Paradise, for 

 the extraordinary delight I have taken in those sweete retire- 

 ments. The Cabinet and Chapell neerer the garden front have 

 some choyce pictures. All the houses neere this are also noble 

 palaces, especially petite Luxemburge. 



The next morning I went to the Garden of Monsieur Morine, 

 who from being an ordinary gardner is become one of the most 

 skilful and curious persons in France for his rare collections of 

 shells, flowers and insects. 



His garden is of an exact oval figure, planted with cypresse 

 cutt flat and set as even as a wall; the tulips, anemonies, 

 ranunculus's, crocus's, etc., are held to be of the rarest, and 

 draw all the admirers of such things to his house during the 

 season. He lived in a kind of Hermitage at one side of his 

 garden, where his collection of purselane and coral, whereot 

 one is carved into a large Crucifix, is much esteemed. He has 

 also bookes of prints, by Albert (Durer), Van Leyden, Calot, etc. 

 His collection of all sorts of insects, especially of Butterflys, is 

 most curios ; these he spreads and so medicates that no corruption 

 invading them, he keepes them in drawers, so placed as to 

 represent a beautifull piece of tapistre. 



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 



