a semicircle, set round and covered with cypress-trees. The inner circles 

 enjoy the clearest day. They are filled with plenty of roses, and relieve you 

 from the chilliness of the shade with the agreeable warmth of the sun. 



" When you arrive at the end of all these winding alleys, you come out 

 into a strait walk ; nay, not into one, but into several, divided, in some 

 places by grass-plots, in others by box-trees, cut into a thousand shapes. 

 At the upper end of the middle space is a couch made of white marble, 

 over which a vine, supported by four small pillars of Garystrian marble, 

 forms an arbour. From the couch several pipes spout forth water, as if 

 forced out by the weight of those who lye down. It falls first into 

 a stone cistern, and from thence into a marble bason, and is so managed 

 by pipes underground, that it keeps the bason always full, without ever 

 running over. When I sup here, the more substantial dishes are placed 

 upon the border of the bason, whilst the lesser float in the water, in the 

 shape of little boats and birds. Over against this is a fountain which 

 throws up water. ... In many places of the walks and alleys are marble 

 seats, disposed at convenient distances ; upon which when you are tired 

 with walking, you may rest yourself with much ease. Near these seats 

 are little fountains. In every part of the hippodrome you hear the 

 murmur of water, conveyed through pipes by the hand of the artificer, 

 in such a manner as best pleased his fancy. This serves to water my 

 greens, sometimes in one part, sometimes in another, and sometimes in 

 all parts at once, . . . You now see the reasons why I prefer my seat in 

 Tuscany to those I have at 1'usculum, Tibur and Preeneste ; the repose I 

 enjoy here is more quiet and undisturbed than anywhere else." 



Something may also be learnt of the lesser gardens of the Romans 

 from the various wall-paintings that have been discovered at Pompei and 

 Herculaneum, as well as of the more permanent adornments of their 

 garden-courts, in the few cases where these have been left in situ. These 

 gardens are usually small rectangular enclosures, often surrounded by 

 a colonnade as is the case in the House of the Vettii. This house, though 

 not large, derives its chief interest from its well-preserved frescoes and 

 other ornaments, some of which still remain in position. All round the 

 garden are placed various fountain-basins, oblong or round, raised upon 

 pedestals, into which jets of water played from statuettes standing on 



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