PARI S. 
496 
cloud, and crowned by Glory. Peace and the Loves join 
together feveral turtle-doves bearing on their necks me¬ 
dallions, fymbols of the alliances which occurred during 
the reign of Louis XIV. The ornaments in relief are of 
gilded bronze. Beyond this faloon two other apartments 
complete this grand and magnificent fuite. 
The opera-lwufe is a grand ftru&ure, though much 
fallen to decay: it no doubt once combined tafte with 
fplendour; the orcheftra is large enough to contain eighty 
muficians. 
The chapel of the palace was finiflied in the year 1710, 
and is afuperb monument of the munificence of Louis 
XIV. Thegrand altar-piece is compofed entirely of fcarce 
marble, and decorated with a Glory, with angels worfhip- 
ping on each fide 5 the whole in bronze, gilt. This chapel 
lias been preferved with great care from the havoc of the 
revolution, and has moreover been repaired and beautified 
very recently. 
The park and gardens next claim cur attention. The 
palace is furrounded towards the weft by three inclofures ; 
the laft of which, called the Great Park, is about thirty 
miles in circumference. The circuit of the Little Park 
comprifes feveral farms; and this property and Trianon 
are inclofed at the two extremities of the two arms of the 
canal, while the centre is cut by a large quantity of hand- 
fome avenues, with four rows of trees. The molt noble 
entrance into the park is by the great (fairs of the green- 
houfe, but the fhorteft courfe is from the grand terrace 
by the lateral arcades of the palace. When the water¬ 
works play, the coup d’ceil is exquifite; and a traveller 
w ill therefore endeavour to pay his vifit at that time: they 
are fet playing about once a month, anti the time may be 
known by application at Paris. By placing yourfelf on 
the middle of the parterre, by the water-piece, you fee in 
front, beneath the two combats of beufts, the bafons of 
Latona, of Apollo, and the canal; to the right, the par¬ 
terre of the north, called the Parterre of Flowers, the 
Fountain of the Pyramid, the Cafcade, a fheet of water 
terminated by the Bafon of the Dragon, and by the great 
piece of Neptune, to the left, the parterre and the green- 
lioufe. Various parts of the gardens are ornamented 
with groves, groups, antique ftatues, baths, vafes, bafons, 
and fountains, in marble, bronze, or metal gilt. The 
principal groves are the rock or bath of Apollo, the co¬ 
lonnade, the domes, and the three fountains. 
Among the various groups which are fcattered about 
the gardens, there are two by Puget, in which the lkill 
of the artift has been pre-eminently diftinguifhed ; thefe 
are, Milo of Crotona, and Perfeus delivering Andromeda. 
The great pieceof Neptune is a vaftand magnificent bafon 
of water, ornamented with five groups, and twenty-two 
great vafes of bronzed metal. The principal groups re- 
prefent Neptune and Amphitrite, Proteus, and the Ocean. 
The green-houfe and hot-houfe are very good buildings. 
The parterre, decorated with a large piece of water and 
two marble vafes, is furrounded with a confiderable num¬ 
ber of orange-trees, feveral of which are as old as the 
time of Francis I. The hot-houfe is conftrufted with 
great fimplicity, and confifts of a gallery lighted by twelve 
arched and two oblique windows, which communicate 
with the one at the top. Oppofite to the green-houfe, 
and beyond the Little Park, is a large bafon, 2100 feet 
in length, and 730 in breadth, called the Piece des Suifi'es, 
at the extremity of which is an equeftrian ftatue reprefent- 
ing Quintus Curtius devoting himfelf for his country. 
The canal is about 4800 feet in length and 192 wide; the 
two branches, each of which is 1530 feet long, join on 
one fide Great Trianon, and on the other the Menagerie. 
There are many objects worthy of attention at Ver- 
failles befides the palace. Among thefe may be named 
the public official buildings, the theatre, public baths, 
and a fuperb manufactory of arms. Volumes indeed have 
been written upon the fubjeCt, with engravings of various 
parts of the palace, the (tables, the gardens, water¬ 
works, &c. 
Trianon —is within the enclofure of the park of Verfailles, 
on the right of the great canal; and was built by Manfard, 
at the command of Louis XIV. on the fpot where the 
village of Trianon formerly Hood. The front is 384 feet 
in length. Between the windows are elegant pilalters of 
Languedoc marble, of the Ionic order. Two wings are 
terminated by two pavilions, which are united by a pe- 
riftyle, compofed of twenty-two columns of red marble. 
The roof, in the Roman ftyle, is furrounded by ba- 
lultrades, ornamented with vafes and groups of little 
Cupids. 
The interior of the palace correfponds with its exterior 
embellifliments. The gallery and billiard-room contain 
fome exquifite views of the fcenery of the gardens and 
park. The gardens form the principal charm: they are 
tafteful and luxuriant beyond defcription. Every beauti¬ 
ful ffirub and flower of every climate blooms here : it is in 
truth a fairy fcene. It ufed to be laid of the three prin¬ 
cipal gardens planted by Louis XIV. that Verfailles was 
the garden of waters; Marly the garden of trees; but 
Trianon the garden of flowers. 
Little Trianon. —This fmall palace, fituated at one of 
the extremities of the park of Great Trianon, confifts of 
a pavilion, in the Roman Ityle, forming a complete fquare. 
Each front tneafures about eighty feet in length, confid¬ 
ing of two ftories above the ground-floor. Each front 
exhibits a different fpecimen of architecture. The whole 
is decorated with the Corinthian order, and crowned with 
a fine baluftrade; the columns and pilafters being fluted 
from the top to the bottom. The mod delicate and 
finiflied tafte is obfervable in the conftruftion of this edi¬ 
fice, which was built by Gabriel, at the command of 
Louis XV. The feveral fuites of apartments difplay a 
correfponding grandeur. The pleafure-grounds confift 
of gardens, laid out in the Engliffi and French tafte; 
being diverfified with ftatues, orangeries, a mufical faloon, 
grottos, temples, cottages, cafcades, and canals. The 
gardens are now, however, going to decay. The little 
Temple of Love, among artificial rocks, and embowered 
amid the thickeft trees, has been pillaged. The cottages 
are dilapidated, and the lake is almolt dry. 
This little palace was the favourite refort of the unfor¬ 
tunate Marie Antoinette. 
Saint Cyr. —This village, fituated about three miles 
from Verfailles, was long celebrated for an inftitution, 
eftabliflied by Louis XIV. under the title of the Royal 
Society of St. Cyr, for the education of the female nobi¬ 
lity. Its firft abbefs was the famous Mad. Maintenon, 
W'ho there ended her days. This inftitution was abolifhed 
of courfe at the Revolution, and the buildingappropriated 
to the reception of wounded foldiers. It has lince been 
converted into a fchool of public inftruCtion. 
Turning to the fouth-eaft, and again approaching the 
Seine, we come to the palace, or caftle, of 
Bellevue ,—which was built by the orders, and under 
the direction, of Mad. de Pompadour, miftrefs of Louis 
XV. This chef d’ceuvre of architecture, to embellifh 
which all the celebrated artifts of the time united their 
talents, was completed in the fhort fpace of two years. 
The park and garden are highly and fancifully orna¬ 
mented. Nothing can be grander than the profpeCt from 
the northern terrace. The view of Paris, of the Bois de 
Boulogne, and of the Seine, which winds in a thoufand 
direfiions, and forms as many canals, has very properly 
bellowed on this delightful fpot the name of Bellevue. 
Bellevue was inhabited by the aunts of the late unfor¬ 
tunate monarch, and fhortly after their departure from 
France it was transformed into a prifon. The furniture 
and all the exquifite works of art were wantonly defaced 
or deftroyed, or fold. The faloon alone efcaped the ge¬ 
neral deltruCtion, being ufed by the commanding officer 
of the day as his apartment. 
Ruelle. —This is a large village feven miles weft of 
Paris, fituated at the foot of a delightful hill, and contain¬ 
ing 3000 inhabitants. The chateau and park are_ very 
magnificent. 
