House £5 Garden 
The flower-beds are laid out formally, 
with small box-wood edgings, and, here and 
there, a corner box-tree or a fountain of a 
single jet in a center. Toward the north, 
one looks from the iron-railed wall directly 
down the river, which here takes a sharp 
turn and flows rapidly over a low weir and 
away amidst grassy islands. Above the 
weir, a flume carries a small stream, which, 
passing beneath the garden bridges, flows 
is in more northerly climes, but that they 
have thrived much better than such exiled 
palms is shown by their healthy appearance 
after so many years. 
It would, indeed, be difficult to find a 
more pleasant walk than along this Salon 
de los Reyes Catolicos. Here from benches 
placed between the trees are afforded, on one 
hand, views up and down the wooded river- 
bank and away to the hills, while on the 
COURT OF “ THE LABORER’S HOUSE ” 
swiftly, boiling along beneath the palace 
windows, coursing through the woods and 
amongst the tall elms to rejoin the main 
river below the gardens. To this cool and 
shady part of the palace grounds is given 
the name of El Jar din de la Is la, or the Island 
Garden. Crossing the moat by one of the 
bridges, gay with its groups of statuary, we 
stand on this wooded island. Beyond the 
fountain we look down a splendid avenue of 
plane-trees. These giants imported originally 
from France are looked upon by the inhabi¬ 
tants with the same curiosity as a palm-tree 
ARANJUEZ 
other side, inviting paths lead off into the 
cool depths of the grove. The hedges here 
have grown wild, and visitors are few, so that 
we wander with careless pleasure up and 
down the various walks amidst a mass of 
vines and bushes, the shrubbery, however, 
being kept within bounds by bordering beds. 
How shady and peaceful it all is ! Now and 
then a statue or some old fountain, marks 
the meeting of principal paths, fountains 
differing in design, moss covered, cool and 
dripping, each junction of ways furnishing 
four equally pleasing paths to be followed 
533 
