216 



THE PAKKS AND GAEDBNS OF PARIS. [Chap. XIV. 



them. The water is the worst feature here. A wide ditch trails 

 through the grounds near the house, and prevents it from being 

 seen to advantage from one side. By the same means the lawn 

 is cut up and destroyed. Needless bridges are of course an 

 accompaniment to needless water. The pond in front of the 

 cottages, etc., would; have been enough here, and one brooklet 

 trickling through the grass. The scene however is scarcely wide 

 enough for the successful use of water, except in the form of a 

 streamlet. From any point of view the pond approaches too 

 near the cottage. In many parts the effect of the water is 

 spoiled by rounded margins. This is most 

 noticeable where the water is dragged about in 

 a ditch-like manner near the palace. 



The gardens of the Grand Trianon near these 

 are part of the series of gardens at Versailles, 

 and very instructive from the point of view of 

 garden-design. They are, perhaps, the most 

 repulsive of all the gardens of the same school 

 yet made. Many other gardens have something 

 to distract attention from the puerile or barba- 

 rous nature of their plan, but here the geometry 

 stares at us naked as a prison-wall. They are 

 in a position not demanding a geometrical garden 

 at all, being an adjunct to a pretty little palace, 

 situate on level ground. The illustration on p. 

 214 gives a feeble idea of one of the dismal pro- 

 spects which meet the eye of the visitor wan- 

 dering through the grounds in search of objects 

 of interest or beauty. According to the books, this is a legitimate 

 phase of garden-design — " very well in its place." But the art 

 to which it belongs is that of destroying all beauty, or possibility 

 of beauty, in a spot specially intended by man for his delight. 



In speaking of Versailles, it is impossible not to consider the 

 way trees in the streets of that town are mutilated. A huge 

 ladder, reminding one of the shrouds of a ship, is moved along on 

 wheels, and from the top of this a man, armed with a very 

 long-handled bill-hook, slashes away at the trees. It would be 

 difficult to find a more striking example of labour worse than 

 thrown away than that bestowed on clipping trees in France. 



A Shorn Tree (" ideal" 

 form : after years 

 of tnuiilation the 

 trees are even more 

 hideous'). 



