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Porticos, Parterres, Gardens, and Cascades; which, when viewed all together, have an admirable Effect upon the Eye.

They go from one of the Valleys to another, not by formal ftrait Walks as in Europe; but by various Turnings and Windings, adorned on the Sides with little Pavillions and charming Grottos; and each of these Valleys is diversified from all the rest, both by their manner of laying out the Ground, and in the Structure and Difpofition of its Buildings.

All the Rifings and Hills are sprinkled with Trees; and particularly with Flowering Trees, which are here very common. The Sides of the Canals, or leffer Streams, are not faced (as they are with us) with smooth Stone, and in a ftrait Line; but look rude and ruftic, with different Pieces of Rock, fome of which jut out, and others recede inwards; and are placed with so much Art, that you would take it to be the Work of Nature. In fome Parts the Water is wide, in others narrow; here it ferpentifes, and there fpreads away, as if it was really pushed off by the Hills and Rocks. The Banks are sprinkled with Flowers, which rife up even through the Hollows in the Rock work, as if they had been produced there naturally. They have a great Variety of them, for every Seafon of the Year.

Beyond these Streams there are always Walks, or rather Paths, paved with fmall Stones; which lead from one Valley to another. These Paths too are irregular ;

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irregular; and fometimes wind along the Banks of the Water, and at others run out wide from them.

On your Entrance into each Valley, you fee its Buildings before you. All the Front is a Colonnade, with Windows between the Pillars. The Woodwork is gilded, painted, and varnished. The Roofs too are covered with varnished Tiles of different Colours; red, yellow, blue, green, and purple; which, by their proper Mixtures, and their Manner of placing them, form an agreeable Variety of Compartiments and Designs. Almoft all these Buildings are only one Story high; and their Floors are raised from Two to Eight Feet above the Ground. You go up to them not by regular Stone Steps, but by a rough Sort of Rock-work, formed as if there had been fo many Steps produced there by Nature. The Infide of the Apartments answers perfectly to their Magnificence without. Befide their being very well difpofed, the Furniture and Ornaments are very rich, and of an exquifite Tafte. In the Courts and Paffages, you fee Vafes of Brafs, Porcelain, and Marble filled with Flowers; and before fome of thefe Houses, instead of naked Statues, they have feveral of their hieroglyphical Figures of Animals, and Urns with Perfumes burning in them, placed upon Pedeftals of Marble.

Every Valley, as I told you before, has its Pleafure-house; small indeed in Respect to the whole Inclosure; but yet large enough to be capable of receiving the greatest Nobleman in Europe, with all his

Retinue.

Retinue. Several of these Houses are built of Cedar, which they bring, with great Expence, at the Dif tance of 1500 Miles from this Place. And now how many of these Palaces do you think there are, in all the Valleys of the Inclofure? There are above 200 of them, without reckoning as many other Houses for the Eunuchs; for they are the Perfons who have the Care of each Palace, and their Houses are always just by them; generally at no more than Five or Six Feet Distance. These Houses of the Eunuchs are very plain; and for that Reason are always concealed, either by fome Projection of the Walls, or by the Interpofition of their artificial Hills.

Over the running Streams there are Bridges, at proper Distances, to make the more eafy Communication from one Place to another. These are most commonly either of Brick, or Free ftone, and fometimes of Wood, but are all raised high enough for the Boats to pafs conveniently under them. They are fenced with Ballifters finely wrought, and adorned with Works in Relievo; but all of them varied from one another, both in their Ornaments and Defigns. Do not imagine to yourself, that thefe Bridges run on, like ours, in ftrait Lines: On the contrary, they generally wind about and ferpentize to fuch a Degree, that fome of them, which, if they went on regularly, would be no more than Thirty or Forty Feet long, turn fo often and fo much as to make their whole Length 100 or 200 Feet. You fee fome of them which, either at the Midft, or at the Ends, have little Pavillions for People to reft themselves in;

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supported sometimes by Four, fometimes by Eight, and fometimes by Sixteen Columns. They are ufually on fuch of the Bridges as afford the most engaging Profpects. At the Ends of other of the Bridges there are triumphal Arches, either of Wood, or white Marble; formed in a very pretty Manner, but very different from any thing that I have ever seen in Europe,

I have already told you that these little Streams, or Rivers, are carried on to supply several larger Pieces of Water, and Lakes. One of thefe Lakes is very near Five Miles round; and they call it a Meer, or Sea. This is one of the most beautiful Parts in the whole Pleasure Ground.

On the Banks are feveral Pieces of Buildings, feparated from each other by the Rivulets, and artificial Hills above mentioned.

But what is the most charming Thing of all is, an Island, or Rock, in the Middle of this Sea; raised, in a natural and ruftic Manner about Six Feet above the Surface of the Water. On this Rock there is a little Palace, which, however, contains an Hundred different Apartments. It has Four Fronts, and is built with inexpreffible Beauty and Taste; the Sight of it ftrikes one with Admiration. From it you have a View of all the Palaces, scattered at proper Distances round the Shores of this Sea; all the Hills that terminate about it; all the Rivulets, which tend thither, either to discharge their Waters into it, or

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to receive them from it; all the Bridges, either at the Mouths or Ends of thefe Rivulets; all the Pavilions and triumphal Arches that adorn any of these Bridges; and all the Groves that are planted to feparate and screen the different Palaces, and to prevent the Inhabitants of them from being overlooked by one another. The Banks of this charming Water are infinitely varied; there are no two Parts of it alike. Here you fee Keys of smooth Stone; with Porticos, Walks, and Paths, running down to them from the Palaces that furround the Lake: There, others of Rock-work, that fall into Steps, contrived with the greatest Art that can be conceived: Here natural Terraces with winding Steps at each End, to go up to the Palaces that are built upon them; and above thefe, other Terraces, and other Palaces, that rise higher and higher, and form a fort of Amphitheatre. There again a Grove of flowering Trees prefents itself to your Eye; and a little farther you fee a Spread of wild Foreft-trees, and fuch as grow only on the most barren Mountains: Then, perhaps, vaft Timber-trees with their Under-wood; then Trees from all foreign Countries; and then, fome all blooming with Flowers, and others all laden with Fruits of different Kinds,

There are alfo, on the Banks of this Lake, a great Number of Net-work-houfes, and Pavilions; Half on the Land, and Half running into the Lake, for all Sorts of Water-fowl; as farther on upon the Shore, you meet frequently with Menageries for different Sorts of Creatures; and even little Parks for the

Chace.

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