PARIS. 357 



■seat of the laic Empress Josephine, and once the chosen 

 retreat of Buonaparte ; and also of Lusieimc, the villa 

 of Madame du Barry, the favourite of Louis XV. The 

 great Machine of Marly, constructed by Rcnnequin, could 

 not fail to arrest our attention for a time : at one place, 

 we passed below the rods which move the pistons. It is 

 now comparatively in disrepair : when perfect, it was cal- 

 culated to raise daily 5000 tons of water to the height of 

 500 feet. 



Uenneniont. 



Having breakfasted at St Germain, we walked to Henne- 

 •mont, where we found Mr Blaikie at the house of Mr Hud- 

 son, an Englishman, who had been principal gardener to 

 Josephine at La Malmaison, but had left the place upon 

 her death, and retired to this pleasant spot, which he has 

 purchased, and now occupies as a 7netairie, or possession 

 chiefly laid out for profit, but partly for pleasure. Henne- 

 mont, with extensive vineyards around, formerly belonged, 

 to a brotherhood of friars, who were dispossessed in the 

 early period of the revolution, when their grounds were 

 sold in lots, as national property. Some monumental 

 stones, with the original inscriptions nowise obliterated, now 

 form steps at the garden~door ; so that there seems to ex- 

 ist no dread of such property ever being reclaimed or chal- 

 lenged by the churchmen ; and from what we have already 

 observed of the feelings of the people, this confidence is 

 perfectly well founded. The house stands on the top of a 

 hillock, from which little vineyards slope on every hand. 

 It commands a rieh and varied prospect, including Mont 

 Valerien, and terminated on two sides by the great Forest 

 of Laye. This forest makes an extensive sweep around 

 the town and palace of St Germain; -and deer and wild 

 boars, avc were told, still abound in it, Mr Blaikie men- 



