VERSAILLES. 



249 



Libya, who refused her water. The peasants, changed, or 

 in the process of being changed, into frogs, tortoises, and 

 lizards, are placed on the different levels, and shoot water 

 upon Latona from every direction. The tablets are of red 

 marble, the group white marble, and the frogs, &c, in lead, 

 and the effect of the whole is very striking when the waters 

 play. 



There are many other fountains, basins, &c, of minor 

 importance which the visitor will be delighted to escape 

 from into the garden of the Petit Trianon, at the north 

 end of the park. 



The Grand and the Petit Trianons are simply two villas 



Fig. 93. 



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Temple de 1' Amour in the gardens of the Petit Trianon. 



at the extremity of the park, each with extensive gardens. 

 Those of the first mentioned are among the most angular, 

 ugly, and cheerless it has ever been my fortune to see — those 

 of the Petit Trianon by far the best gardens at or near Ver- 

 sailles. To pass into them from these interminable gardens, 

 where the " genius of Le Notre " has been so successful 

 in stealing from nature every grace, is as refreshing 

 as being suddenly transferred from some gigantic Cotton- 

 opolis to a green and sunny Piedmontese valley. It was 

 the favourite residence of Marie Antoinette, and the gar- 

 dens were in great part laid out by her in what the French 

 call the " English" or natural style. Most of the expense 



