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CHAPTER XII. ! 



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VERSAILLES. j 



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This being one of tlie most celebrated gardens in tbe world | 



it behoves us to examine it somewhat in detail — were we, bow- j 



ever, to treat of it in proportion to its real merits as a garden, ] 



a very small amount of space would suffice. Let us pass ■ 



tbrougb tbe vast stone courtyard and take up our position i 



near tbe garden front of tbe palace. Standing near tbe walls, 1 



looking over tbe gardens, and following tbe vista of tbe j 



canal into tbe low country beyond, tbe eye first rests on a j 



vast spread of gravel, some marble margins of great water ; 



basins, sundry protuberances from tbe level of tbe water, 



and away in tbe distance an effect like tbat afforded by a 



suburban canal in a bigbly practical and unlovely country. | 



A few Lombardy Poplars belp tbis remote vista, but tbe < 



eff'ect of tbe wbole is from tbis point of view lamentable. 



To tbe rigbt of tbe palace tbere is a ratber pleasing garden, i 



witb big box-edgings, clipped conical Yews and otber trees, 1 



and numerous statues well sbown against dense woods of | 



Horse- cbestnut trees. To tbe left tbere is one of tbose 



spreads of gravel, grass, a few stumpy clipped Yews, &c., 



generally known as geometrical gardens, tbe Horse-cbestnut 



groves starting up ratber abruptly and relieving tbe wbole ! 



so as to render it tolerable. Advancing from tbe palace, tbe j 



lower terrace and its surroundings come into view, and tbe 



eff'ect improves. Tbe faces of tbe terrace walls are bedged ' 



witb green ; tbe flower borders are somewbat after tbe i 



fasbion of tbose at tbe Tuileries, and surrounded by a line i 



of well-grown Orange trees. Above tbe terrace walls Yew i 



trees are planted and clipped very regularly ; in tbe centre 



tbere is a fine and costly fountain, and tbe dense gi^oves of 



trees near at band again save tbe scene from bald formality, } 



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