140 Notes mid Hejiections during a Tour : — 



bank, in great part covered with natural wood ; and of a hol- 

 low, with a small stream of water. The house is placed at 

 one end of this hollow, close to Chantilly; and there is one 

 short approach from the town, and another long one through 

 the bank of natural wood, from a cross country road. This 

 may be described as a double approach, there being one road 

 for entering and advancing to the house, and another for 

 returning. Both are admirably adapted for showing all the 

 beauties of the place to the best advantage : a circumstance 

 exceedingly favourable for the stranger, who, in order to see 

 the place completely, requires to do nothing more than drive 

 up to the house and drive back again. After passing through 

 the gates at the lodge, and advancing about 100 yards, the 

 stranger meets two roads, beside one of which is a post, with 

 the words chemin du kameau. On returning from the house, 

 at about the same, or perhaps rather a greater distance from 

 it, the road divides in a similar manner; and close to one 

 branch of it is a post, exhibiting the words, chemin du depart. 

 The House of M, Berthoud is in the Italian style ; small, 

 but richly ornamented. The principal view from it is along 

 a valley, in which the eye catches, in succession, glimpses of 

 water and buildings among trees and grass. In walking 

 through this valley, the buildings, seats, urns, statues, and 

 rockwork are found to be very numerous. Near the house is 

 a rustic grotto, over which is a highly finished and richly 

 furnished bed-room. A concealed door in the grotto leads to 

 a small kitchen and other conveniences ; so that this detached 

 building seems to have been intended either to serve as an 

 addition to the house, or as a lodging for a friend. Not far 

 from this grotto, and also near the house, is a larger build- 

 ing, with the external character of a chapel. On entering, we 

 found that the ground floor assumes this character, that the 

 sunk story is a wine-cellar, and the room over a billiard-room. 

 Hard by is an ice-house, disguised so as to appear a mass of 

 rock, but partially covered with trees and bushes. A con- 

 spicuous object from the house is an obelisk, covered with 

 hieroglyphics, and dedicated aux arts. The Chinese build- 

 ings, ornamental cottages, rustic buildings, and fanciful cattle- 

 sheds and sheepcots, are too numerous to be recollected. The 

 stables, the Chinese buildings, and also part of the exterior 

 of the house, are painted in fresco externally ; but, to an eye 

 not accustomed to this style of ornament, this conveys the 

 idea of superficial construction and temporary duration. The 

 only building about the place which we could thoroughly 

 approve of, was the entrance lodge. The usual defects of 

 too great a width of gravel or sand in front of the house, and 



