BRUSSELS. 277 



Mr Macdonald ascertained it to be about 140 feet long, by 

 50 in breadth. This house is lighted entirely by side-win- 

 dows to the north and south, and it is pretty evident that 

 it had not been originally destined to the purpose which 

 it now serves. On inquiry, our conductor told us, that it 

 was once a menage or riding-school, — afterwards a theatre, 

 — and, on its third transformation, had become an orangery 

 and lecture-room ; for during the summer season botani- 

 cal lectures are here delivered. Such an account could not 

 fail to call to mind our Equestrian Circus at Edinburgh, 

 which, in a tranquil city, visited by no kind of revolutions, 

 has experienced an equally chequered fate, having become 

 a church, a playhouse, and a concert-hall in succession. 



The garden displayed to us unequivocal symptoms of 

 the superiority of the climate of Brussels above that of 

 Edinburgh. Many plants of Althaea frutex (Hibiscus 

 syriacus), with flowers, both single and double, of various 

 hues, purple, white and striped, were blooming freely in 

 the open border. Some of them were ten feet high, and 

 quite covered with blossoms. The oleander (Nerium 

 Oleander) also appeared en pleine terre ; but not in so vi- 

 gorous a state as the Hibiscus. The mandrake (Mandra- 

 gora officinalis) seems here to be a common border plant ; 

 and Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis Jalapa) is one of the prin- 

 cipal ornaments of the showy parterres. The capsicum 

 pepper (Capsicum annuum) is planted out in the borders ; 

 and Love-apple (Solanum Lycopersicum) trained to the 

 walls, is now covered with fruit. 



Palace of Lacken. 

 In the afternoon we made an excursion to the Chateau 

 de Schoemberg, near Lacken, built for the Arch-duchess, 

 Princess of Saxe-Teschen, the sister of the unfortunate 



