The Park in Muskau 183 



From the "stands," which are erected on a 

 high point, one overlooks the whole course as 

 well as a romantic region, with some small lakes. 

 Stables for the horses "in training" and all the 

 other requisites will be furnished close by. One 

 of the above lakes will serve a purpose of a 

 peculiar character. It will be planted, including 

 its islands, with a mass of weeping willows, and 

 quarried rocks scattered about, inscribed with the 

 names of dear departed ones in silent memory 

 (««). The race-course at one point passes close 

 by this lake of mourning, where at the same 

 moment one may look down as into a hollow at 

 the race-horse in his joyous flight and upon the 

 monuments of those who now repose so deeply 

 and whose race on this earth has forever been 

 run. The large nursery from which the greater 

 part of the park was planted might also be 

 thought worth our attention as we pass (vv). 

 The neighboring lake yields the needful water, 

 which, however, is sparely used for watering, in 

 order to harden the young plants from the be- 

 ginning, for which reason also a soil of only 

 medium quality was selected. From the race- 

 course the road leads to the Gobelin colony, a 

 collection of cottages of various shapes, which 

 we have already mentioned {^i). (See Plate 

 XXXIX.) They are mostly inhabited by the 

 garden laborers, and are scattered on a height, 

 with a few old oaks, which may, perhaps, be 

 several centuries old. Among them a few years 

 ago a small treasure was found, buried probably 



