VERSAILLES. 407 



inclosurc. Here the grounds had been planned on a 

 larger scale, and altogether in the French taste. Their 

 beauties consist very much in pieces of water, with jets 

 d'eau, and in marble ornaments of varied character. About 

 thirty years ago, even the serpentine of Portsoy was in re- 

 quest for the adornment of this favourite seat of royalty. 



So much of our day was already spent, that we could 

 not spare time to view the Trianons more in detail. We 

 therefore proceeded across a meadow, beautifully studded, 

 at this season, with the flowers of the autumnal crocus, to 

 one of the avenues leading directly to the celebrated Gar- 

 dens of Versailles. On viewing the comparative sterility of 

 the greater part of the surrounding country which now 

 opened to us, we could not help wondering at the caprice 

 of Louis XIV. in expending sums so vast on such a site, 

 when he had so many richer and happier to choose among. 

 The exterior avenues present some "pretty large trees ; but 

 none of those planted by Le Notre now remain. The Vir- 

 ginian poplars are large and handsome. The elms are 

 now meeting, although the roadways are very wide ; but 

 the limes are so dressed or cut in, as to form only a desi- 

 rable shade over the walks. 



Versailles. 



We soon came to the large lower basin, called the Ca- 

 nal. In this piece of water, Trapa natans, or water-cal- 

 trops, has become completely naturalised : the fruit was 

 now formed, and, we are told, is sometimes used at table : 

 it tastes not unlike chesnuts, and has hence received from 

 the French the name of chdtaigne cTeau. 



Of this wonderful place, we now proceeded to explore 

 every compartment to which access was not denied by locked 



