} 
Retrospect of French Literature—Novels, Romances, &e. 709 
nity; as for me, I have created a soli- 
tude, in order to amuse my leisure 
hours, and converse with my friends. 
Twenty acres of land have proved 
sufficient for the completion of my 
design. In the midst.is a large hall, 
where I have assembled five thousand 
volumes, for the purpose of interro- 
gating wisdom, and conversing with 
antiquity. 
Towards the south is a salcon, «in 
the midst of waters, formed by a little 
brook, that descends from. the side of 
yonder western acclivity. They form 
a deep and capacious basin, whefce 
they expand in five branches, like the 
claws of aleopard. These are covered 
with innutmerable swans, which swim 
about and enjoy themselves on all 
sides. On the margin of the first of 
these, where the stream precipitates 
itself in the form of caseades, rises a 
steep rock, the top of which is curbed 
so as to resemble the trunk of an ele- 
phant, this supports a balcony, whence 
may be enjoyed the fresh air of the 
evening, or the rubies with which 
Anrera crowns the rising sun, contem- 
plated at ease. ; 
‘The second branch soon divides it- 
self into two canals, which take a 
serpentine direction around a gallery 
bordered with a doubie terrass adorned 
with festoons, which are formed by 
means of a thousand different kinds” 
of jasmines, roses and pomegranates. 
The western branch, bending in form 
of abow towards the north, forms a 
little island. The banks of this isle are 
bedecked with sand, shells, and peb- 
bles, all of different colours: one part 
is planted with evergreens, another is 
ornamented with a cabin composed of 
reeds, and thatch, such as is weverally 
used by fishermen, . 
The two remaining canals,seem, by 
turns, to seck fer and fly from each 
other, white -foilowing the deciivity 
of a flowery meadow, to the fresh- 
ness and verdure of which they not 
a little contribute. Sometimes they 
Jeave their course, to form little sheets 
of water amidst the turf; at other 
times they guit the level of the 
field, and descend in narrow currents, 
to dash against a labyrinth of rocks, 
which dispute their passage and cover 
them with foam. 
To the north of the grand saloon 
are several little summer-houses pla. 
ced wilhout art, some on little hillocks, 
which rise above the rest, exactly 
Montruty Mae. No. 208. 
like a mother above her children... 
Others are built on the’ declivities ;_, 
while a few placed in the narrow val-..~ 
lies, are seen but in part. All the 
environs are shaded by groves of 
tufted bamboos, intersected by nar- 
row paths, into which the sun never 
penetrates. 
On the eastern side opens a little 
plain, divided into compartments, 
some of which are oval, and some 
square: these, which are sheltered by 
a wood of ancient cedar trees from 
thenorth wind, are filled with odori- 
ferous plants, salutary herbs, beauti- 
ful flowers, and sweet-scented shrubs. | 
Spring and the Zephyrs seem to have 
taken up their residence in this deli- 
cious spot. A little plot of pomegra- 
nate, citron and orange trees, always 
decked with fruit, as well as with 
flowers, terminates the view, and 
bounds the horizon. 
On the west side,an alley of weeping 
willows conducts you to the border of 
abroad stream, which falls at the dis- 
tance of a few paces from the top 
of acrag, hecome green by means of 
ivy, and coiled herbs. The neigh- 
bourhood presents nothing but a bar- 
rier of pointed rocks, fantastically 
assembled together, which form groups 
somewhat after the manner of an am- 
phitheatre, and appear at once ruslic 
and picturesque. Below is a profound 
grotto, into which you descend by 
means of steps. Enlarging itself by 
degrees, it at length forms an irregular 
kind of vault, the roof of which 
terminates in a dome, The tight 
enters through an opening, whence 
depend clusters of honey-suckle, and 
several other kinds of vines. This 
second saloon serves as a retreat dur- 
ing the heat of the doe days. Scat- 
tered fragments of rock, or alcoves 
formed in the wall, constitute the only 
seats. A little fountaw, which springs 
out of one side of the building, fills 
the hollow of a stene, which has been 
rendered circular by accident, and 
whence it escapes in little rills to trinkle 
over the pavement. Its waters, after 
hayiwg taken a thousand serpentine 
directions, ail unite at length in a re- 
servoir prepared fora bath, the basin 
of which is emptied at pleasure, into 
a hitle pool at the foot of the grotto, 
situate among the rocks which sur- 
round the whole habitation. These 
rocks in their turn, are inhabited by - 
a colony of rabbits, which return wilh 
; 4Y¥ . ~~ interest 
