PARIS. 415 



especially while its dolphin-like fountain is in action. Some 

 swans and gulls, swimming about in beautiful plumage, 

 add considerably to its embellishment. The water is 

 brought in an aqueduct from Arceuil ; and the water of 

 this place, we may notice, is accounted so pure and excel- 

 lent, that we heard it called through the streets of Paris 

 for sale, in the manner in which the water of St Marga- 

 ret's well, near Restalrig, used to be hawked through Edin- 

 burgh and Leith. The summer orangery is adjoining ; 

 and statues and vases of marble, placed at intervals, encir- 

 cle both. In the vases, geraniums in pots are placed : the 

 pots being in general hid or disguised, the plant appears 

 to be growing in the elegant vase, and its foliage and flow- 

 ers are directly contrasted with the white marble. The 

 palace lies too low, or rather, perhaps, the terraces behind 

 or to the southward, have been raised too high. The in- 

 tention of the artist seems to have been, to form a gradual 

 slope, or regularly inclined plane, from the national Obser- 

 vatory to the Palace ; but he has sacrificed too much for 

 the attainment of this object. While standing at the pond, 

 it is impossible to divest oneVself of the idea, that, if the 

 water should escape, it w r ould enter the palace-doors, and 

 overflow the state-rooms on the ground-floor. It was in 

 these lower apartments, we may remark in passing, that 

 the Directory held its sittings, and that Robespierre pre- 

 sided during the Reign of Terror : and in the very same 

 apartments do some of the Royal Family now assist at mass 

 every Sunday, — a practice, we think, not indicative of 

 much good taste, or of much prudence. 



The collection of rose-trees is here very extensive ; but 

 they are planted in formal squares, on the east and west 

 sides of the palace, and arranged quite in the manner of a 

 London sale-nursery. They are chiefly budded on tall 



