406 Gardening Visit to Paris, 



walls, and the remaining two thirds in the roof; and another cha- 

 racteristic is straight jambs and lintels to the chimneys : while the 

 style of Louis XIV. has the largest windows on the second 

 story, or what in England is called the first floor, with windows 

 entirely in the roof; and, interiorly, curved lintels and jambs 

 to the chimneys. Other descriptive details might be given of 

 the two styles, but these we think are specific features. To 

 describe the palace in detail would occupy a volume. We shall 

 only notice the Chapel of St. Saturnin, built by Louis VII. in 

 1169, which is the oldest part of the building; the Church of 

 the Trinity, and the Pavilion of Louis IX. The great body of 

 the palace was built by Francis I. and Louis XIV. Henri IV., 

 who inhabited this palace with the fair Gabrielle d'Estrees, 

 built la Cour des Cuisines and part of that of des Princes. 

 Louis XIII., the son and successor of this king, was born at 

 Fontainebleau in 1601 ; and was baptised under an open cupola 

 raised over an archway which leads from one large court to 

 another, in order that the baptism might be seen by some thou- 

 sands of persons, who were assembled in each court. This 

 cupola is called the Cupola of the Dungeon; a dungeon, it is 

 supposed, having originally existed beneath it, but at present 

 there is no indication of anything of the kind. 



The Villa of Madame de Pompadour is at present in possession 

 of M. le Baron de Hanequert; whose son-in-law, M. le Marquis 

 Boiseplat, was so good as to show us the plan of the house and 

 grounds as originally laid out. The situation of the villa is 

 quite near the palace, but separated from the palace gardens by 

 the public road. The piers of the private gate by which 

 Louis XIV. went privately from the palace, across the public 

 road, to the gates of Madame de Pompadour, still exist in 

 the wall, the place of the gates being built up, Madame de 

 Pompadours villa must have been exceedingly convenient; and 

 from the extent of stables, coach-houses, and other offices at- 

 tached to it, she must have lived in good style. The house was 

 entered through a large square court of honour, paved. To the 

 right a wall separated this court from the offices; and to the 

 left a similar wall, with a similar gate, separated it from a small 

 flower-garden, containing an orangery, a fountain, and some 

 ornamental buildings. On the garden front of the house, 

 a long narrow parterre extended to a considerable distance ; 

 and on the right and left were bosquets, intersected by various 

 straight walks, radiating from stars and patees-d'oye. Be- 

 vond was the kitchen-garden. The whole was surrounded by a 

 high wall, which, however, had openings in two places to admit 

 views along glades in the forest. These openings are protected 

 exteriorly by deep pits, which are called smites-de-loup, a term 

 which is generally applied to the opening itself. These openings 



