15* LETTERS FROM 



mony of all who have converfed with him on an ami- 

 cable footing, he is faid to poiieis. Here is a very fmall 

 gallery of paintings, coniifling merely of pieces by 

 Watteau ; and this is perhaps the greatefc and choiceft 

 collection of the works of this mafter that any where 

 exifts. The bedchamber of the king ferves equally the 

 purpofe of his fitting-room, and withal is the worft 

 furnifhed of any in the whole palace. His moll faith- 

 ful company in this room are four dogs, of which he is 

 exceedingly fond, and when they mail die he has ailigned 

 them a burial place in the garden, not far from the pa- 

 lace. Some already lie inurned in this lingular cceme- 

 4tery, and the name of each is carved upon a Hone : a 

 curious fort of man conducted me thither, who gloried 

 much in being grave-digger to the royal dogs. 



For making a counterpart to the new apartments, 

 which I faid are on the right hand of the palace, the 

 king has cau fed to be built, on the left hand, a picture 

 gallery, which for its general elegance and handfome 

 architecture deferves the greatefl encomiums. It pleafed 

 me the bell of any thing I have here feen, excepting 

 the marble veftibule in the new palace ; and is incon- 

 teftibly the moft beautiful , building for a collection of 

 paintings of any in the world. The walls are of a pale 

 green ; the ground of the cieling is white, and the an- 

 gles, decorated with rofes and other ornaments, are 

 done over with gold. The paintings hang only againft 

 one wall, which faces the windows ; between which are 

 placed ftatues and bufts in marble. The gallery con- 

 fifts of two long wings ; in the middle is a tribune with 

 a cupola, through which the daylight enters. In the 

 Vijjgs, in the entrance, and in the tribune, hang pic- 

 tures 



