University of Virginia Library

ENVIRONS OF PARIS.

34. Versailles.

Three different routes lead from Paris to Versailles, situated about
10 M. to the S. W. of the city: the two railways on the r. and l. banks
of the river, and the high road which lies between them. As the stranger
will probably desire to visit the extensive historical museum (closed on
Mondays) more than once, he may on each occasion agreeably vary his
route. Admission to the museum, see p. 171; fountains, see p. 184.

Railway on the right bank of the Seine (rive droite); first class
(diligence) 1 fr. 50 c., second class (wagon) 1 fr. 25 c., on Sundays and
holidays 2 fr. and 1 fr. 50 c. Trains start from Paris every hour from
7. 30 a. m. till 8. 30 p. m., and from Versailles every hour from 7 a. m.
till 10 p. m.; time of journey 44 min. Omnibus see p. 24. Station in the
Rue St. Lazare 124 (Plan, red 6).

Passing through two tunnels, the first under the Place de
l'Europe, the second penetrating the ramparts, the train skirts
the Docks Napoléon, and leaves the city behind. Between Clichy
and Asnières, where the "Casino d'Asnières" and a much frequented
swimming-bath are situated, the Seine is crossed. The
lines to Argenteuil, St. Germain and Rouen here diverge to the
r. (pp. 187, 221).

The Versailles line describes a wide curve. The long edifice
to the l. of the station of Courbevoie is a barrack erected by
Louis XV. for his Swiss Guard; under Napoleon I. it was occupied
by the Imperial Guards and is now tenanted by troops
of the same corps. The next station is Puteaux. The line traverses
elevated ground and affords an extensive prospect of Paris,
the Bois de Boulogne and the valley of the Seine.

Mont Valérien, the base of which is skirted by the railway
near the station of Suresnes, rises to a height of 600 ft.
above the Seine and commands a magnificent view. It cannot,
however, be visited without the permission of the commandant
which is not always granted. The summit was formerly occupied
by Le Calvaire, a monastery erected in the reign of Louis XIII.
and a popular resort of the pious. Napoleon I. caused the building
to be demolished and an establishment for the education
of daughters of members of the Legion of Honour to be erected
on the site. Under the Restoration the hill again came into the
possession of an ecclesiastical body, the Pères de la foi, and was
once more frequented by pilgrims. These ecclesiastics were dispersed
by the revolution of July, and ten years later the fortification
was commenced.

The train next stops at the station of St. Cloud (p. 185), then
passes through a short tunnel and skirts the deer-park of the
imperial château. Some distance farther, a second tunnel.

To the r. of the line is situated Ville d'Avray, a pleasant and
picturesque summer resort of the Parisians, and at the same time
the station for Sèvres (p. 187). Chaville is next passed and the
train reaches the viaduct which crosses the high road and unites
the lines of the right and left banks.

The station of this line (rive droite) at Versailles is nearly
1 M. distant from the palace. On the way thither after leaving
the station, the visitor will perceive an open space in which, to
the r., is situated Lemaire's Statue of General Hoche, "né à Versailles
le 24 Juin 1768, soldat à 16 ans, général en chef à 25,
mort à 29, pacificateur de la Vendée". Another monument to the
memory of this illustrious soldier has been erected near Neuwied
on the Rhine, where shortly before his sudden death at Wetzlar
he had crossed the river and repulsed the Austrian forces.

Railway on the left bank of the Seine (rive gauche); fares the same
as by the rive droite; the journey occupies 35 min. Trains start from
Paris every hour from 8 a. m. till 10 p. m., from Versailles every hour
from 8. 30 a. m. till 8. 30 p. m., also at 10 p. m. Station, Boulevard
Montparnasse 44 (Pl., blue 6), 35 min. drive from the Bourse. Omnibus,
see p. 25. The finest views are to the right.

On the way to the station, in the Rue de Sèvres, adjoining
the Hôpital des incurables (femmes), the stranger will observe a
fountain ornamented with a fine figure of an Egyptian woman
pouring water out of two vessels. Farther on, in the Rue de
Rennes to the l., is situated a small, new church, tastefully constructed
of wood. The Cemetery of Montparnasse is also in the
vicinity of this station.

The line skirts the village of Issy, where on July 3rd, 1815,
the last struggle for the possession of Paris took place between
Blücher and Davoust. On the same day the capitulation of Paris
was signed. On the field of battle rises the Fort d'Issy, forming
a portion of the fortifications of Paris. Clamart is the station
for Vanvres, Issy and Châtillon. Near the station, a German
Hydropathic establishment. The line skirts the slopes of the hills,
affording a fine view of Paris and the valley of the Seine.

Meudon possesses an imperial château, where during the Russian
campaign in 1812 the empress Marie Louise resided with the
king of Rome. It is now a summer residence of Prince Napoleon.

Bellevue is the station for the palace of St. Cloud (p. 185),
about 1½ M. distant. Near the station is situated a small Gothic
chapel, dedicated to Notre Dame des Flammes. It commemorates
a frightful railway catastrophe, May 8th, 1842. The train caught
fire, and upwards of 200 persons perished, amongst them Admiral
d'Urville (p. 166).

The next stations are Sèvres (p. 187), Chaville, Viroflay, and
then Versailles. The station of this line (rive gauche) is about
½ M. distant from the palace.

High Road. Omnibus (Chemin de fer américain), Rue du Louvre 2,
opposite the great colonnade, from Paris to Versailles by Sèvres every
hour from 8 a. m. till dusk; fares 1 fr. or (Impériale) 80 c.; on Sundays
and festivals 1 fr. 10 c. or 90 c.; time of journey 1 hr.

The route by Sèvres is extremely animated. For a long
distance it skirts the Seine, passes the bridges at the W. extremity
of the city, the Barrière de Passy and almost unbroken rows
of houses, and traverses the suburbs of Passy and Auteuil, much
frequented by the Parisians in summer and once a favourite resort
of Boileau, Lafontaine, Racine, Molière etc. Here the external
fortifications of Paris are intersected (the road to St. Cloud diverges
to the r.), the Seine crossed and Sèvres reached. The
drive from Sèvres to Versailles occupies 20 min. more; the road
passes under the railway viaduct and soon reaches the Avenue
de Paris.

The town of Versailles is indebted to Louis XIV. for its
foundation. That monarch, like his predecessors, had during the
first years of his reign made St. Germain his summer residence,
but, as is alleged, conceived a dislike to it from the fact of
the tower of St. Denis, the royal burying-place, being visible
from the palace. The palace and park of Versailles, termed by
Voltaire "l'abîme des dépenses" are said to have cost the enormous
sum of 400 million francs (16 million pounds); vast sums were
also expended on it by subsequent monarchs.

Near the statue of Hoche (p. 169) is the Church of Notre
Dame, erected in 1684; the second chapel to the l. contains the
remains of M. de Vergennes (d. 1787), minister of Louis XVI.

In the Quartier St. Louis, the S. portion of the town, at no
great distance from the palace, is situated the Jeu de Paume or
tennis-court, memorable in history as the spot where the National
Assembly held the decisive session of June 23rd 1789, in which
the Marquis de Dreux-Brézé appeared as the king's deputy and
pronounced the assembly dissolved, but received the audacious
reply from Mirabeau: "Allez dire à votre maître que nous sommes
ici par la volonté du peuple, et que nous n'en sortirons que par
la force des bayonnettes". The tennis-court is now disused.

Versailles (*Hôtel des Reservoirs, in the Rue des Reservoirs;
*Hôtel de France, Place des Ares 5; Café de la Comédie, in the
park, near the Bassin du Dragon; at the station (rive gauche) *Restaurant
du Coin), notwithstanding its population of 30,000 inhabitants,
its extensive palace, erected in 1660—1710 by Mansard.
its gardens, villas etc., has little to attract the stranger beyond
the incomparable **Musée Historique, founded by Louis Philippe,
and occupying an almost interminable suite of apartments in the
palace. In 1832 these rooms were entirely refitted and adorned

Versailles

with historical pictures brought from the Louvre and other palaces,
the deficiencies being supplied by works of the most eminent
living artists. The first establishment of the museum is said to
have cost upwards of 600,000 L., the funds being derived from
the civil list. Subsequent governments have retained the original
disposition of the museum, and have greatly enriched and extended
it.

The gallery of Versailles may be regarded as a collection of
modern pictures and sculptures. The historical object, however,
was always predominant, to serve which, numerous works were
received often without regard to their merits as works of art.
The critical eye, therefore, will not fail to detect very inferior
productions intermingled with the efforts of transcendant genius.

The Historical Museum is open daily, Mondays excepted, from
May 1st to Sept. 30th 11—5 o'clock, during the rest of the year
11—4 only. The mass of pictures and sculptures is so overwhelming
that the stranger will find one visit totally inadequate
for the examination even of the most celebrated works. A walk
through the entire suite of apartments without a single halt alone
occupies 1½ hr.

Strangers are particularly cautioned against purchasing catalogues
from persons who hawk spurious and unauthorized editions
in the vicinity of the château. The best selection of works of
this description is to be found in the entrance-hall of the palace
itself, where the purchaser should be careful to make choice of
one which embraces the entire collection. As, however, the pictures
are all furnished with the name of the artist and of the
subject, a catalogue may be dispensed with in a cursory visit.

The Palace Court is entered by a handsome gateway, the
pillars of which are adorned by groups emblematical of the victories
of Louis XIV. over Austria to the r. (eagle) and Spain to
the l. (lion). In the court are placed two rows of colossal Statues,
some of which stood on the Pont de la Concorde in Paris until
the year 1837. To the right: Bayard (d. 1524): Colbert
(d. 1683), the able minister of Louis XIV.; Cardinal Richelieu
(d. 1642), regent of France under Louis XIII.; Marshal Jourdan
(d. 1833), Marshal Masséna (d. 1817); Admiral Tourville (d. 1701);
Admiral Dugay-Trouin (d. 1736); Marshal Turenne (d. 1675)
To the left: Bertrand Duguesclin (d. 1380), Constable of France
(p. 192); Sully (d. 1641), the celebrated minister of Henri IV.;
Suger (d. 1152), Abbot of St. Denis and regent under Louis VII.;
Marshal Lannes (d. 1809); Marshal Mortier (d. 1835); Admiral
Suffren (d. 1789); Admiral Duquesne (d. 1687); the Great Condé
(d. 1686), general of Louis XIV.

The friezes of the pediments of the two projecting lateral
pavilions bear the inscription: "A toutes les glories de la France."

In the centre stands a colossal Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV.
in bronze, the horse by Cartellier, the figure by Petitot.

The palace is usually entered from the Cour de la Chapelle,
to the right. Sticks and umbrellas must be given into the custody
of an attendant at a charge of 10 c. each; overcoat 20 c. The
following description is in accordance with the prescribed order
in which the various apartments are visited. To facilitate the
progress of visitors through the apartments, attendants are posted at
intervals to indicate the route.

The objects of the greatest interest, whether historical or artistic,
are enumerated in the following pages. Strangers who are unable
to pay more than one visit to Versailles are recommended to
direct their attention almost exclusively to those works which
are denoted by asterisks. Those whose time is less limited should
devote their first visit to a walk through all the apartments, in
order to gain a general idea of the whole, and subsequent visits
to the examination of the objects in which they may feel interested.

From the Veslibule de la Chapelle the visitor first enters the
five *Salles des Croisades, adorned with fine carving and the
armorial bearings of French crusaders, and containing a number
of magnificent modern pictures.

*1st Room. Signol, the Christians crossing the Bosphorus under
Godfrey de Bouillon in 1097. — Opposite, Signol, Taking of Jerusalem
(1099), the Christians return thanks for the victory. —
353. R. Fleury, Baldwin enters Edessa. — 350. Hesse, Adoption
of Godfrey de Bouillon by the Greek emperor Alexander Comnenus
(1097). — *356. Gallait, Taking of Antioch (1098).

*2nd Room. *365. Schnetz, Battle of Ascalon (1099). 374.
Signol, St. Bernard preaching the second Crusade at Vezelay in
Burgundy (1146).

**3rd Room. Among the armorial bearings on the central pillars
are those of Frederick Barbarossa, the Emperor Conrad III.
and Richard, Cœur de Lion; near them a mortar from the island
of Rhodes; opposite, the gates of the Hospital of the knights of
St John, from Rhodes, presented by the Sultan Mahmoud to
Prince Joinville in 1836. — Casts of the monuments of three
grand masters of the Maltese order. *453. Eug. Delacroix, Taking
of Constantinople (1204). — *451. Blondel, Surrender of
Ptolemais to Philip Augustus and Richard, Cœur de Lion. — 465.
Larivière, Raising of the siege of Rhodes (1480). — 472. Larivière,
Raising of the siege of Malta (1565). — Horace Vernet,
Battle of Toulouse (1212). — *428. Schnetz, Procession of Crusaders
round Jerusalem.

*4th Room. Rouget, Louis IX. receiving the emissaries of the
Old Man of the Mountain (1251). — 403. Jacquand, Taking of
Jerusalem by Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Templars
(1299). — 408. Lepoittevin, Naval Battle of Embro (1346).

[ILLUSTRATION]

Terrasse.

Parterre du Midi.

Parterre du Nord.

Rue de la Surintendance.

Rue des Réservoirs.

*5th Room. 380. Larivière, Battle of Ascalon (1099). — *387.
Hesse, Taking of Beyrout (1197). — 392. Gallait, Coronation of
Count Baldwin of Flanders as Greek emperor (1204).

The next rooms contain busts and statues, after examining
which visitors are invited to inspect the Theatre, where the ill-judged
fête to the Garde du Corps was given by the court in
Oct., 1789. Beyond the interest of this historical association, it
contains nothing worthy of note.

A suite of eleven rooms is now entered, containing historical
pictures from the time of Clovis to Louis XVI.

1st and 2nd Rooms: Large pictures from the campaign in the
Netherlands, of no great artistic value. 1st Room: 225. Hersent,
Louis XVI. and his family dispensing alms (1788).

3rd Room: 180. Philippsburg; 187. Freiburg.

4th Room: Similar pictures from the campaigns of 1672 to
1677; 148. Sinzheim; 144. Emmerich; 143. Wesel; 142. Büderich;
158. Philippsburg; 159. Mannheim; *154. Gallait, Battle of
Cassel in Flanders.

5th Room: Campaigns of 1644, 1645; 108. Bingen; 107. Mayence;
109. Creuznach; 106. Oppenheim; 104. Speyer; 105.
Worms; 116 and 114. "Passage du Rhin" (1672), mentioned at
p. 38.

6th Room: Small pictures of battles in Turenne's campaigns
on the Rhine (1644); 89. Durlach; 92. Philippsburg; 86. Freiburg;
90. Baden.

7th Room: Large pictures of no great value.

8th Room: 59. Schnetz, Battle of Cérisolles (1544). — 52.
Ary Scheffer, Gaston de Foix's Death at the battle of Ravenna
(1512).

9th Room: 49. Larivière, Taking of Brescia (1512). — 48.
Jollivet, Battle of Agnadello in the Venetian Dominions (1509).

10th Room: 34. Johannot, Battle of St. Jacob on the Birs,
near Bâle (1444). — 32. Vinchon, Coronation of Charles VII. at
Rheims (1429). — 28. Johannot, Battle of Rosbeck in Flanders
against Philip of Artevelde (1382).

11th Room: 20. Rouget, St. Louis (d. 1270) acting as mediator
between the king of England and his barons. — 8. H. Vernet,
Charlemagne wrests the passes of Mt. Cenis from the Lombards,
a large picture, occupying the principal wall. — 10. Ary Scheffer,
Charlemagne dictating his code of laws (799).

In the hall, at the egress of these saloons, busts and statues:
cast of the monument of Ferdinand the Catholic and Isabella of
Castille in the Escurial near Madrid. A spiral staircase is now
ascended; at the entrance of the next saloon statues by Pradier
of General Damrémont, who fell in 1837 at the siege of Constantine,
and the Duc de Montpensier (d. 1807), brother of Louis
Philippe.

The suite of apartments which is now entered contains some
of the finest pictures in the collection, among which is the
Algerian series by Horace Vernet.

1st Room. Occupying the principal wall: Chr. Müller, Opening
of the Chambers on March 29th 1852. — 2000. Vernet, Marshal
Bosquet. Portraits of the marshals Regnauld de St. Jean d'Angely
and Baraguay d'Hilliers and of Admiral Bréat. — 1957. Rivoulon,
Battle of the Alma. — Several pictures (Balaclava, Magenta,
Solferino) by Jumel, a French staff - officer, are interesting on
account of the accurate delineation of the ground and the positions
of the troops.

2nd Room: Yvon, Retreat from Russia (1812); 1994. Dubuffe,
Congress of Paris (1856); 1964. Vernet, Storming of the "Mamelon
Vert" at Sebastopol.

**3rd Room: Horace Vernet, Taking of the Smalah of Abdel-Kader
(May 16th, 1843), a magnificent picture 40 ft. in length
and 16 ft. in height, containing numerous portraits as will be
seen by the sketch beneath it. The "Smalah" of Abdel-Kader,
consisting of his camp, his itinerant residence, his court, harem
and treasury and upwards of 20,000 persons, including the chieftains
of the principal tribes with their families, was taken by
surprise on this occasion by the Duc d'Aumale at the head of
two cavalry regiments. A booty of enormous value and 5000 prisoners
were the prize acquired with so little difficulty. Abdel-Kader
himself was absent at the time.

2028. Vernet, Battle of the Isly (August 14th, 1844), won by
Marshal Bugeaud: among the figures are portraits of Cavaignac
and Lamoricière.

1945. Horace Vernet, Storming of one of the bastions at the
siege of Rome (Juny 30th, 1849), in consequence of which the
city was compelled to capitulate.

To the left: View of Rome and the work of the French
besiegers, by Jung and Gobaut; portrait of Marshal Vaillant,
by E. Bien; Decaen, Taking of Tigvert Hala (1857).

To the right: Storming and capture of Laghouat (Dec. 4th, 1852),
by Beaucé; Tissier, Napoleon III restoring his liberty to Abdel-Kader;
Vernet, Marshal Pélissier; portrait of Abdel-Kader, by Tissier.

**4th Room: seven large (and seven small) pictures by Horace
Vernet: 2018. Battle of the Habrah (Dec. 3th 1835); 2021. Siege
of Constantine (Oct. 10th, 1837): in the foreground a churchyard,
the tombstones of which are employed in constructing intrenchments;
to the l. Constantine, a battalion of the Foreign Legion
and another of the 26th light infantry engaged in action; near
two cypresses the Duc de Nemours with his staff; General Damrémont
reconnoitring, beside him General Rullière; 2022. Advance
of the troops to the storming (Oct. 13th, 1837): in the foreground

the breach battery, by one of the guns General Vallée, commander
of the besiegers under the Duc de Nemours; to the l.
General Caraman, commander of the artillery, to the r. General
Fleury of the engineers, in front the Duc de Nemours, Colonel
Lamoricière at the head of the Zouaves, in the central group
the English Lieutenant Temple. — 2023. Taking of Constantine
(Oct. 13th, 1837): in the centre Colonel Combes turning to those
following him, above him to the r. Lamoricière at the head of
the Zouaves; the drum-major with conscious dignity at the head
of his drummers and trumpeters. — 2024. Attack on the Mexican
fort St. Jean d'Ulloa by Admiral Baudin; the vessel was commanded
by the Prince de Joinville. — 2025. Storming of the
pass of Tenia de Mouzajah (May 12th, 1840). — 2016. Siege of
the citadel of Antwerp (1840).

5th Room: 1970. Yvon, Entrance of the tower of Malakoff. —
1969. Yvon, Storming of the Malakoff. — 1971. Yvon, Curtain
of the Malakoff. — Yvon, Battle of the Alma. — Portraits of
the marshals Mac-Mahon, Canrobert and Niel. — Yvon, Battle
of Solferino. — Barrias, Disembarkation of the army on the
coast of the Crimea.

6th Room: *1952. Bouchot, Bonaparte dissolving the Council of
the Five Hundred (Nov. 9th, 1799). — 1954. Vinchon, Louis XVIII.
tendering the charte of the constitution and opening the Chambers.
— 1951. Couder. Union of the National Guard with the
army in the Champ de Mars (July 14th, 1790). — 1950. *Couder,
Oath taken (June 20th, 1789) by the National Assembly in the
Jeu de Paume (p. 170), "de ne jamais se séparer, de se rassembler
partout où les circonstances l'exigeront, jusqu'à ce que la Constitution
du royaume soit établie et affermie sur des fondements solides".

7th Room *1948. Steuben, Battle of Ivry (1590); Henry IV.
rallying his followers with the words: "Si les cornettes (standards)
vous manquent, ralliez-vous à mon panache (plume) blanc, il vous
ménera toujours dans le chemin de l'honneur".

The long gallery of Statues is now entered. *Pradier's
monument of the Duke of Orleans (p. 87), the figure in a sitting
posture, with reliefs from the siege of Antwerp and Constantine.
As counterpart to those mentioned at p. 174: Marshal Bugeaud,
by Dumont; Count Beaujolais (d. 1808), brother of Louis Philippe,
by Pradier. — At the extremity of the gallery an admirable
statue of **Joan of Arc by the Princess Marie of Orleans
(d. 1839), daughter of Louis Philippe and wife of the Duke
Alexander of Wirtemberg.

Ascending to the second story and entering the Salle des
Académiciens to the right, the visitor will find a series of Portraits
of eminent French civilians from the commencement of
the 16th cent. to the present day. The following eight Salles

des portraits historiques antérieurs à 1790 and a long gallery contain
portraits of historical value only; also a collection of coins.

Descending to the first floor: ten rooms with Pictures representing
events between the years 1800 and 1835.

1st Room: (1830—1835). No. 1809. Court, Louis Philippe
signing the well known proclamation terminating with the words:
"la Charte sera désormais une vérité"; the portraits deserve
inspection.

2nd Room: (1825—1830). No. 1792. Gérard, Coronation of
Charles X. at Rheims. — 1791. Horace Vernet, Review of the
National Guard in the Champ de Mars in presence of Charles X.

3rd Room: (1814—1823). No. 1787. Paul Delaroche, Storming
of the Trocadero near Cadiz under the Duke of Angoulême.
— 1778. Gros, Louis XVIII. quitting the Tuileries on being
apprized of Napoleon's approach.

4th Room: (1813, 1814). No. 1770. Copy from Horace
Vernet by Henry Scheffer, Battle of Montmirail; Napoleon against
the Russians: in the foreground Davoust leading the old guard
to the charge. — 1768. Copy from Horace Vernet by Feron,
Battle of Hanau, Napoleon against the Bavarians: in the foreground
General Drouot attacked by Bavarian light cavalry. —
1766. Beaume, Battle of Lützen, Napoleon against the Prussians
and Russians under Blücher, York and Wittgenstein: in the foreground
Prussian and Russian prisoners.

5th Room: (1810—1812). No. 1765. Langlois, Battle of Borodino,
on the Moskowa.

6th Room: (1809). No. 1746. Meynier, Napoleon retiring to
the Lobau after the battle of Essling. — 1749. Bellangé, Battle
of Wagram. — 1745. Gautherot, Napoleon wounded on the battle
field of Ratisbon (engravings from this picture are common).

7th Room: (1807—1809). No. 1839. Hersent, Taking of Lands-hut.
— 1740. Thévenin, Taking of Ratisbon.

8th Room: (1806, 1807). No. 1803. Camus, Napoleon at the
tomb of Frederick the Great at Potsdam. — 1720. Vafflard, Monument
on the battle-field of Rossbach demolished by the French.
— 1727 (over the door), Rohn, Military hospital in the chateau
of Marienburg occupied by Russians and French after the battle
of Friedland.

9th Room: (1800—1805). No. 1709. Taunay, The French
entering Munich.

10th Room: (1800). Campaigns in Egypt and Italy. —
No. 1689. Langlois, Battle of Benouth.

As these rooms are quitted, a glimpse of the Chapel is obtained
from above.

The following Salon d'Hercule contains a portrait of Louis XIV.
and a picture representing the Passage of the Rhine (p. 37).

In the small room next entered: 2038. Siege of Freiburg in
1677, painted at that date by Van der Meulen.

The next two rooms contain several drawings in crayon, the
subjects being taken principally from the campaigns in the Netherlands
of 1745 and 1746.

In the contiguous *Corner-apartment, with the inscription:
"États généraux, Parlements, Lits de justice", a number of large
pictures: *2275. Couder, Opening of the Chambers, May 5th, 1789.
Above, continued round the entire room, Procession of the Assembly
to the Church of Notre Dame at Versailles, by Bellangé.

The following Salon de Vénus, de Diane, de Mars, de Mercure,
d'Apollon, de la guerre contain a number of large pictures
by Van der Meulen, subjects taken from the Netherlands campaigns
of Louis XIV. The long Galerie de Louis XIV. possesses nothing
of interest beyond its magnificent fitments and its delightful
situation facing the garden. To the left, adjoining this gallery are
the three following apartments: the Salle des Pendules, so called
from the intricate piece of mechanism it contains, by which the
days of the month, the revolution of the earth, the phases of the
moon etc. are recorded; the second is the sleeping apartment of
Louis XIV., preserved nearly in its original condition, from the
balcony of which (Sept. 1st, 1715) the king's chamberlain announced
to the people: "Le roi est mort!" at the same time
breaking his wand of office; then taking another, he exclaimed:
"Vive le Roi!"

The third room is the Œil de Bœuf, so called from the oval
form of a window at the extremity. Is was formerly the apartment
where the courtiers awaited the lever of the monarch and
was celebrated as the scene of numerous intrigues. To the left
are the Petits appartements of Marie Antoinette, whence the attempt
at escape was made on the night of Oct. 5th, 1789. The
rooms of Louis XVI. in the opposite wing are also deserving of
a visit; a meridian employed by that monarch himself is still in
the position in which he placed it.

Quitting the Œil de Bœuf and re-traversing the long gallery,
the visitor enters a series of rooms containing large pictures,
principally by Van der Meulen, the contemporary of Louis XIV.
In the 3rd Room: *2108. Gérard, The Duke of Anjou proclaimed
king of Spain as Philip V. (Nov. 16th, 1700).

5th Room (Salle du sacre de Napoléon): *David, Coronation
of Napoleon and Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre Dame
(Dec. 2nd, 1804). — *2278. David, Napoleon distributing the
Eagles to the army. — *2276. Gros, Battle of Aboukir (1799).

6th Room (campain of 1792—1793). *2327. Lami, Battle of
Hondschoten.

Small room to the left (campain of 1793—1794): *Bellangé,
Battle of Fleurus between the Austrians under Prince Cobourg
and the French under Marshal Jourdan.

*8th Room (1792): Portraits of celebrated soldiers who afterwards
became emperors, kings, marshals etc., represented according
to the rank they held in 1792. — No. 2335. Cannonade of Valmy,
and 2336. Battle of Jemappes, in both of which Louis Philippe
distinguished himself (copies from Horace Vernet), reminiscences
of his youth which that monarch appears to have specially valued.
His portrait is also here (to the l.), as "Louis Philippe d'Orléans,
duc de Chartres, lieutenant-général". — 2333. Cogniet, Departure
of the National Guard to join the army.

An ascent of a few steps to the left leads to the Salle des
gouaches et aquarelles des campagnes de 1796 à 1814. In the
first room pictures of French Uniforms, and sketches in Water-colours
by French staff-officers, interesting on account of the
subjects alone.

Returning to the Room of 1792: in the passage a statue of
Louis Philippe by Dumont.

The **Galerie des Batailles, a magnificent hall in two
compartments, is now entered. It contains 33 modern chefs
d'œuvre, and is adorned with the busts of 80 celebrated
generals who have fallen in battle. Their names are inscribed
on large tablets; those in the window-recesses record the names
of the slain in the Crimean and Italian campaigns.

To the left: *2670. Ary Scheffer, Battle of Tolbiac (496).

*2671. Steuben, Battle of Tours (732).

To the right: **2776. Horace Vernet, Second day of the battle
of Wagram (1809).

l. *2672. Ary Scheffer, Submission of the Saxon duke Wittekind
to Charlemagne (785).

r. 2772. Hor. Vernet, Battle of Friedland (1807).

l. *2673. Schnetz. Eudes, Count of Paris, delivers the city
from the Normans (889).

r. 2768. Hor. Vernet, Napoleon addressing the Guards before
the battle of Jena (1806).

l. **2674. Hor. Vernet, Philip Augustus defeats the Barons at
the battle of Bouvines (1214).

r. 2765. Gérard, Battle of Austerlitz.

l. 2676. Eug. Delacroix, Battle of Taillebourg (1242).

l. 2679. Henry Scheffer, Battle of Cassel in Flanders (1328).

r. 2756. Philippoteaux, Battle of Rivoli (1797).

l. 2691 H. Scheffer, Joan of Arc raising the siege of Orleans.

r. 2747. Couder, Siege of Yorktown in America under General
Rochambeau and Washington (1781).

r. 2744. Couder, Battle of Læffelt (or. Lawfeld) near Mæstricht
(1747).

l. 2715. Gérard, Henry IV, entering Paris (1594).

r. **2743. Horace Vernet, Battle of Fontenoy, Marshal Saxe
against the English (1745).

l. 2721. Heim, Battle of Rocroy, Condé against the Spaniards
(1643).

r. 2741. Alaux, Battle of Denain, Marshal Villars against Prince
Eugene (1712).

The *Salle de 1830, which is next entered, contains five
large pictures referring to the July Kingdom:

2785. Lurivière, Arrival of the Duke of Orleans at the Place
de l'Hôtel de Ville; to the l. by the door of the edifice Lafayette
in the uniform of the National Guard, his hat in his hand.

2786. Gérard, Reading of the declaration of the deputies, and
proclamation of the Duke of Orleans as "lieutenant - général du
royaume".

2787. Ary Scheffer, Louis Philippe as "lieutenant - general",
accompanied by the Duke of Nemours, receiving his eldest son
the Duke of Chartres (afterwards Duke of Orleans) at the head
of his regiment of hussars.

2788. Eugène Deveria, Louis Philippe in presence of the
Chambers and his whole family swears fidelity to the charter.

2789. Court, The King distributes flags to the National Guard
in the Champ de Mars. All these pictures deserve careful examination
on account of the portraits they contain of the promoters
of the July revolution.

Passing through a small door to the right, the visitor again
ascends to the second story (on the staircase: Vernet, Pope Gregory
XII.; Decaisne, Death of Louis XIII.) and enters the Galerie
des portraits de personnages célèbres, a series of apartments con-
containing an immense number of Portraits. Among others, in
the 4th Room: Washington and other American celebrities; Ma-
dame Roland, beheaded in 1793, wife of the minister, who was
banished after the fall of the Gironde; Charlotte Corday, by whose
dagger Marat fell, also beheaded in 1793. In the passage room
portraits of English celebrities, amongst them *Queen Victoria
and *Prince Albert, painted by Winterhalter in 1842.

The two Salles de résidences royales contain portraits of the
Napoleon family; among them, to the r., a well-known *picture
by David, Napoleon as First Consul on the St. Bernard, painted
in 1805; in the two Galeries des portraits de l'Empire et de la
Restauration are Portraits of the period of the empire, among
them the "Birth of the king of Rome" by Rouget, and portraits
of the Turkish emperor Selim III. (d. 1808) and of Feth-Ali-Schah
(d. 1834), king of Persia.

In the last room: Madame Campan (d. 1822); *Pope Gregory
XVI. (d. 1846), by Paul Delaroche; the Duchess of Berry
with her two children the Duke of Bordeaux and the last Duchess

of Parma; the Duke of Angoulême (d. 1844) on the battle-field,
a large painting by Paul Delaroche; Pope Pius IX. with several
cardinals, by Horace Vernet (d. 1863).

The last small room contains a picture representing a lecture
delivered by Professor Andrieux, containing 46 portraits of eminent
men of letters, actors and actresses, painted by Heim.

The visitor now retraces his steps, descends to the hall of
1830 and finally regains the staircase at the entrance to the
Galerie des Batailles, where the statues of Louis Philippe, Napoleon
I. and Louis XIV. are placed. Descending the stair to
the ground-floor, he then enters the Salles des campagnes de
1796 à 1810.

1st Room (1796). In the centre a small statue by Matthieu
Meusnier, representing the youthful Jos. Agricola Viala, wounded
and with an axe in his hand. When a number of Royalists were
about to march from Avignon against Lyons in 1793, this youth
severed with an axe the rope of the ferry-boat on the Durance,
thus retarding their progress. His heroic deed was scarcely accomplished
when he was killed by a bullet. The Convention
directed his remains to be interred in the Pantheon.

2nd Room (1797). 1488. The Battle of Rivoli, a copy from
C. Vernet. — 1493. Lethière, Conclusion of peace at Leoben between
Bonaparte, the Marquis de Gallo and General Merveldt.

3rd Room (1798). *1496. Gros, Battle of the Pyramids;
"Soldats, du haut de ces pyramides quarante siècles vous contemplent"
was Bonaparte's address to his troops. — In the centre:
Kleber's Death, a group in marble by Bougron.

4th Room (1802, 1803). 1501. Van Bree, Bonaparte entering
Antwerp.

5th Room (1804). 1505. Serangeli, Napoleon after his coronation
receiving the deputies of the army in the Louvre.

6th Room (1805). *1514. Victor Adam, Capitulation of an
Austrian cavalry brigade at Nœrdlingen.

The suite is here broken by the *Hall of busts and statues
of the Imperial Family; in the centre Napoleon I., a copy of
the statue on the Vendôme column.

7th Room (1805). *1546. Debret, "Napoléon rend honneur
au courage malheureux", the words reported to have been uttered
by the emperor as he raised his hat in passing a waggon containing
wounded Austrians.

8th Room (1805). 1551. Gros, Interview of Napoleon with
the emperor Francis during the bivouac on the day after the
battle of Austerlitz, Dec. 3rd, 1805. "Je vous reçois dans le
seul palais que j'habite depuis deux mois" were the words with
which Napoleon addressed Francis. "Vous tirez si bon parti de
cette habitation, qu'elle doit vous plaire", was the reply.

9th Room (1806, 1807). 1552. Meynier, The French army
entering Berlin, Oct. 27th, 1806. — 1553. Berthon, Napoleon
receiving the deputies of the senate in the palace at Berlin.

10th Room (1807). 1555. Gosse, Napoleon and the king and
queen of Prussia at Tilsit.

11th Room (1808). 1558. Reynault, Nuptials of Prince Jerome
with the Princess of Wirtemberg.

12th Room (1809, 1810). 1561. Debret, Napoleon addressing
his German troops before the battle of Abensberg, the Crown-prince
Louis of Bavaria on horseback beside the emperor. —
1565. Rouget, Nuptials of Napoleon with the Grand-duchess
Marie Louise.

*Salle de Marengo (1800). *1567. David, Bonaparte ascending
the St. Bernard. — 1566. Thévenin, The French crossing the
St. Bernard. — 1568. C. Vernet, Battle of Marengo.

A staircase to the right, by the statue of Hoche at the
entrance to the hall of sculptures, now descends to four small
rooms containing *Sea-pieces, the finest of which are by Gudin.

The long Hall of sculptures contains Statues and Busts of
celebrities of the republic and empire, generals who fell in battle etc.
The statue of Hoche (d. 1797) at the entrance, by Milhomme,
represents the general in a sitting posture; the reliefs pourtray
his passage of the Rhine and the engagement at Neuwied. To
the left, farther on, the naturalist Cuvier (d. 1832); to the right
Champollion (d. 1831), the eminent archæologist and decipherer
of hieroglyphics; in the centre of the hall two reliefs representing
the delivery of the keys of Vienna and the peace of Pressburg.

At the extremity of this hall is the issue from the S. wing
of the palace into the Cour des Princes.

The Visitor should, however, first inspect the Basement-story
of the principal part of the edifice, where a long series of apartments,
extending as far as the outlet into the Cour de la Chapelle,
contain numerous Portraits; the first two, Admirals and
Constables; the following, Marshals of France. Memorial tablets
record the names of the marshals whose portraits could not
be procured.

6th Room. *Count de Rantzau, a German who in 1635 quitted
the Swedish service for that of France, and subsequently commanded
the corps of Bernard de Weimar after the death of the
latter. This eminently brave man was repeatedly wounded in
battle and lost several of his limbs, to which allusion is made
in his epitaph in the Abbaye des Bons-Hommes at Passy:

8th Room: Marshal Schomberg, born in 1616 at Heidelberg,
served successively in the armies of the Netherlands, France,
Brandenburg and England, and fell at the battle of the Boyne
in 1690.

9th Room: Vauban (d. 1707).

The Salle des rois, to the right, contains modern portraits by
Signol, Rouget, Blondel and Steuben of all (67) the monarchs
of France from Clovis to Napoleon III. Several apartments, adjoining
the latter towards the right, contain Résidences royales
and ancient chàteaux.

The Galerie de Louis XIII., facing the garden, is next visited:
*1066. Schnetz, Battle of Rocroy (1643). — Then three more
rooms with portraits of marshals:

1st Room: Saxe (d. 1750); Lœwendal (d. 1750), natural son
of Frederick III. of Denmark, successively in the Austrian, Saxon
and Russian service; both portraits by Couder.

2nd Room: Prince Soubise (d. 1789), defeated at the battle of
Rossbach by Frederick the Great in 1757.

3rd Room: Luckner, first in the service of Hanover during
the Seven Years' War, then (1763) in that of France, guillotined
in 1794; Murat (d. 1815); Gérard (d. 1852).

The three following rooms contain portraits of all the Marshals
of the Empire, the next two "Guerriers célèbres", not marshals,
from Godfrey de Bouillon (d. 1190) to Eugène Beauharnais
(d. 1824), viceroy of Italy. Finally the halls containing "Bustes
d'officiers généraux tués en combattant pour la France," among
them General de Bréa who perished in the revolution of 1848.

The Gardens and Park, with their numerous fountains and
celebrated Orangerie, some of the trees in which are several centuries
old, are nearly in the same condition as when first laid
out by Le Nôtre (d. 1700). the most eminent landscape gardener
of his time. The greater part of the grounds, which are not of
very considerable extent, may be surveyed from the terrace.

The garden contains an immense number of groups, statues
and vases, some of which are copies from celebrated antiques,
others originals of the 17th cent.

Some of the finest groups adorn the Parterres du Midi et du
Nord; by the steps which descend to the garden are two large
basins, the Fontaine de Diane and the Fontaine du Point du Jour,
both adorned with fine groups of animals by Keller.

At the foot of the steps is situated the Bassin de Latone,
consisting of several concentric basins surmounted by a magnificent
group in white marble of *Latona with Apollo and Diana,
by Marsy. The goddess entreats Jupiter to chastise the peasants
of Lycia who refused her a draught of water; they are accordingly
metamorphosed, some partially, others entirely, into frogs

or tortoises (Ovid's Metamorph. VI, 313—381) which spout forth
water on Latona in every direction.

The Statues and Groups in the crescent or Pourtour de Latone
are the finest in the garden to the left a singular statue
representing Melancholy, by La Perdrix, the book, purse and
bandaged mouth being supposed to indicate its peculiarities. Then
Antinous, Tigranes, Faunus, Bacchus, Faustina, Hercules Commodus,
Urania, Jupiter and Ganymede, and opposite, Venus in the
shell. — On the other side the Dying Gladiator, Apollo Belvedere,
Urania, Mercury, Antinous, Silenus, Venus Kallipygos, Tiridates,
Fire, Lyric Poetry.

At the extremity of the Tapis Vert, a long, narrow lawn, is
situated the Bassin d'Apollon, a magnificent fountain, environed
with tritons, nymphs and dolphins. In the centre Neptune and
Amphitrite are represented seated in an enormous shell, on the
E. side Proteus and on the W. the Ocean. The upper border
is adorned with a number of vases ornamented with reliefs.

The Canal, situated to the W. of the Bassin d'Apollon, is
nearly 1 M. in length. Its form is that of a cross, the two arms
of which together measure about ⅔ M.; the N. Portion extends
to the vicinity of the Grand Trianon.

To the right and left in the grounds of the park, which are
laid out in a symmetrical but simple style, are several other basins.
These, however, possess nothing worthy of mention and
need not be visited except when the fountains (les grandes eaux)
play, an imposing spectacle which is computed to cost about
10,000 francs on each occasion, and may usually be witnessed on
the first Sunday of each month from May to October. (Comp.
Galignani's Messenger.) At 4 o'clock the minor fountains (les
petites eaux) begin to play: Bassin d'Apollon, Bassin de Latone,
la Salle de Bal ou des Rocailles, Bosquet de la Colonnade, Bosquet
des Dômes, Bassin d'Encelade, l'Obélisque ou les Cent Tuyaux.

The greater of these fountains, the Bassin du Dragon ou
l'Allée d'Eau and the Bassin de Neptune begin to play about
5 o'clock; the columns of water which issue from these are upwards
of 80 ft. in height. As the spectacle does not last more
than twenty minutes, visitors are recommended to secure a good
point of view in time (chair 50 c.).

Vast numbers of visitors flock to Versailles on these occasions
and all the public conveyances are crowded. Strangers will
therefore act wisely in starting from Paris at an early hour and
not returning until late in the evening when the crowd has considerably
decreased.

The Grand Trianon, a handsome villa situated about ¾ M.
from the terrace of the palace, was erected by Louis XIV. for
Madame de Maintenon. It contains several sumptuous apartments
and some fine modern works of art. The Salle de Malachite derives

its name from the magnificent basin presented by the emperor
of Russia to Napoleon on the conclusion of the treaty of
Tilsit. The interior may be visited daily (Mondays excepted)
(gratuity 1 fr.): for those, however, whose time is limited a
glance at the exterior will suffice.

The Petit Trianon (card of admission from the Ministre de
la Maison de l'Empereur necessary), a short distance to the N.E.,
was erected by Louis XV. for Madame Dubarry. It is tastefully
fitted up, but contains nothing remarkable. The garden,
however, is worthy of a visit. It possesses some magnificent
trees and an artificial lake, once a favourite resort of Marie Antoinette
and the Duchess of Orleans. The villa was also occasionally
occupied by the empress Marie Louise.

Between the two villas a "Musée des voitures" has recently
been formed, containing a collection of state-carriages from the
commencement of the first empire to the baptism of the Imperial
prince in 1856.

Strangers may now, instead of returning to Paris, prefer to
proceed to St. Germain-en-Laye (p. 187), to which an omnibus
runs daily about 4 p. m., starting from the corner of the Rue
des Reservoirs and the Rue de la Paroisse.

35. St. Cloud and Sèvres.

Railways to St. Cloud and Sèvres see pp. 168, 169; Steamboat see p. 25.
Horse-railway from the Place de la Concorde (60 c.).

The route as far as Auteuil has already been described at p. 170.
Here the road to St. Cloud diverges to the r., intersects the fortifications
and in a straight direction traverses the S. extremity of
the Bois de Boulogne. Beyond the suburb of Boulogne, almost
exclusively peopled by "blanchisseuses", the Seine is crossed.
On the opposite bank rises the small town of St. Cloud (3000 inh.),
with a new Romanesque parish church.

On an eminence above the town is situated the Palace of
St. Cloud, erected in 1572 by the wealthy financier Jérôme de
Gondy, purchased in 1658 by Louis XIV, and presented to his
brother the Duke of Orleans, whose family occupied it during
more than a century. In 1782 it was purchased by Louis XVI.
for Marie Antoinette with whom it was a favourite resort. —
Here in 1589 Henry III. was assassinated by the fanatical Dominican
Jacques Clément.

The Salle de l'Orangerie is celebrated as the apartment
where the Council of the Five Hundred held their sessions. On
March 9th, 1799, Bonaparte with his grenadiers dispersed the
assembly, and a few days later caused himself to be nominated
First Consul. To these reminiscences of the first rise of his
power is perhaps to be ascribed the marked preference which
the emperor always manifested for St. Cloud.

On July 3rd, 1815, the second capitulation of Paris was here
signed. here likewise in 1830 Charles X. signed the fatal decrees
(abolition of the freedom of the press, dissolution of the
Chambers, alteration of the statutes respecting elections) which
immediately preceded the revolution of July.

St. Cloud is now the principal summer residence of the emperor
and is only shown during the absence of the imperial family, when
the public are admitted on Sundays and Thursdays 2—4. The
palace contains but few reminiscences of Napoleon I., although
once his favourite residence, and a very limited number of works
of art. In the vestibule is placed *Pradier's Sappho, his last
work (1852); in one of the apartments Pollet's Hora ("une heure
de la nuit"); several modern pictures, among others the Sisters
of Charity by Pils; several choice specimens of Gobelins tapestry;
a collection of Sèvres porcelain etc.

The terrace in front of the palace commands a magnificent
prospect. The park, laid out by the celebrated Le Nôtre and
considered his master-piece, contains another still finer point
of view.

Quitting the palace by the route by which he ascended, the
visitor takes the first path to the right and proceeds in a straight
direction through the avenue, passing La Haute et la Basse Cascade,
the former surmounted by a fine group by Adam, representing
the Seine and the Marne. The fountains usually play
every alternate Sunday in summer, and every Sunday from 4 to
5 o'clock during the fête of St. Cloud which takes place in the
three last weeks of September. The "Jet Géant" or Grand jet
d'eau, to the left of the cascades, rises to a height of 140 ft.

By the small fish-pond the paved path to the left, by the
iron railing, should be taken. The visitor soon after turns to
the right and finally ascends a grassy slope to the left, opposite
to the W. side and the gardens of the palace.

On the summit of the hill is situated the Lanterne de Démosthène,
about 25 minutes' walk from the terrace of the palace.
It is a lofty tower surmounted by a cupola and supported by
Corinthian columns, and was erected by Napoleon I. in imitation
of the so-called Lantern of Demosthenes at Athens executed by
Lysicrates. The summit of the tower affords an extensive and
magnificent *panorama. Far below flows the Seine, to the left
is the bridge of St. Cloud, beyond it the town and the Bois de
Boulogne, then the triumphal arch and in the background Montmartre;
from among the houses of Paris rise St. Vincent de Paul,
the Dome of the Invalides, St. Sulpice, the Pantheon and (the
last dome to the right) the church of Val de Grâce; to the r. of
Paris the village of Issy (p. 169), commanded by the fort. On
the farther side of the city the cemetery of Père Lachaise may
also be distinguished.

If the stranger here pursue his route towards the right, then
turn to the left, cross a bridge, and where the path divides select
that to the right, he will in ¼ hr. reach the village of Sèvres
(Restaurant au Berceau), one of the most ancient in the environs
of Paris. The celebrated Imperial *Porcelain Manufactory
is situated 5 minutes' walk farther. It has for upwards of a
century been the property of the government, and employs
180 hands.

The public are admitted (after 11 o'clock) to the Exhibition
Rooms only (1 fr. gratuity), which contain a great number of
specimens of the products of the manufactory, the most remarkable
being the large paintings on porcelain, most of them copies
from celebrated Italian masters. Stained glass is likewise here
manufactured and may be compared with some beautiful specimens
of German workmanship from Munich, presented in 1838.

The Musée Céramique (open to the public on Thursdays),
founded in 1800 by Alexander Brongniart, consists of an extensive
collection of objects bearing reference to the history of the
fabrication of porcelain, and of specimens of modern manufacturers
from all parts of the world. Among other articles may be mentioned
those of the period of Bernard Palissy (15th cent.), the inventor
of glazing. The collection, however, possesses more interest for
the virtuoso than the ordinary visitor.

The old châateau in which the manufactory is at present
established being in a dilapidated condition, the works will soon
be transferred to a new building now in course of construction
nearer the Pont de Sèvres.

Railway (rive gauche) see p. 169; the trains of this line also
stop at Sèvres, those to Versailles at a quarter after every hour,
to Paris a quarter before every hour.

36. St. Germain-en-Laye.

Railway-station (Rue St. Lazare 124) and omnibus see p. 23. Trains
start from Paris every hour from 8.30 a. m. to 8.30 p. m., from St. Germain
every hour from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m., also at 10 and 11 p. m. on
Sundays and holidays; time of journey 42 min.; fares, diligence 1 fr.
50 c., wagon 1 fr. 25 c.; return-tickets at a reduced rate. — There are
also two omnibus routes, one by Nanterre, the other by Bougival, the
latter very agreeable and recommended to those whose time is not limited.

The first portion of the route as far as Asnières, where the
line to Versailles diverges to the left, is described at p. 168.

Nanterre, the following station, is a village where tradition
alleges that Ste. Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris, was born
in 425.

The château of Malmaison, not visible from the line, situated
in the wood to the left, 1½ M. from the Station of Rueil, was
the residence of the Empress Josephine after her divorce (1809).
Here she died in 1814, and was interred in the small church of

Rueil, which is also remarkable for its Saxon architecture. The
lateral chapels of the choir contain the monuments of the empress
and Queen Hortense. The former, erected by Eugène Beauharnais
and Queen Hortense, executed by Cartellier, represents
the empress in a kneeling posture and bears the inscription. "A
Joséphine, Eugène et Hortense, 1825". The monument to Queen
Hortense is of similar design and bears the inscription: "A
la Reine Hortense, son fils Napoléon III." After the battle
of Waterloo Napoleon retired to the château of Malmaison, but
on the approach of the Prussian troops from Argenteuil and
Chatou quitted it, June 29th, 1815. In 1842 the château became
the property of Queen Christina of Spain, who resided in it for
several years, and in 1861 it was repurchased by the present
emperor.

As the train proceeds, the arches of the aqueduct which
supplies the fountains of Versailles are perceived on the summit
of the wooded hills to the left.

Near Chatou the line crosses the Seine, which is here divided
into two arms by an island, and beyond Le Vésinet again reaches
the river, whence it ascends a considerable incline to St. Germain.

St. Germain-en-Laye is a quiet town (14,283 inhab.) of
similar origin with Versailles. It is indebted for its foundation
to the Palace, a large, gloomy edifice, constructed principally of
brick, in the vicinity of the railway-station, and once the favourite
residence of Francis I., Henry II., Henry IV., Charles IX. and
Louis XIV.

It was finally quitted by the last-named monarch, who presented
it to Madame de Montespan and transferred his residence
to Versailles. Napoleon I. converted the palace into a school for
cavalry-officers. Subsequently it served as a military prison, and
is now destined for the reception of a museum of Gallo-Roman
antiquities. The church, situated in the Place du Château facing
the palace, contains a handsome monument in white marble,
erected by George IV. of England to the memory of James II.,
who during his exile resided in the palace and died there in
1701. The monument has recently been restored by order of
Queen Victoria.

The principal charm of St. Germain consists of the *Terrace,
which extends for upwards of 1½ M. along the E. slope of the
hill at a considerable elevation above the Seine, and commands
a magnificent prospect of the valley, the winding river and the
animated plain. At the base of the hill is situated the village
of Le Pecq, to the right Marly, the aqueduct (see above) and
Louveciennes, once the country residence of Madame Dubarry,
and in the distance the towers of St. Denis. Paris itself is concealed
from view by Mont Valérien.

The beautiful and extensive forest of St. Germain is preserved
in admirable order and affords abundant shade and retirement.
The animated Fête des Loges which takes place in the forest on
the first Sunday in September and the two following days, derives
its name from Les Loges, a country residence erected by Anne
of Austria, consort of Louis XIII. The railway to Rouen traverses
the forest. (One-horse carr. 2 fr. per hour, on Sundays 2½ fr.,
two-horse carr. 50 c. more).

The elevated and salubrious situation of St. Germain render
it a favourite summer residence of the Parisians, as well as of a
number of English families.

At the S. extremity of the terrace is situated a pavilion commanding
a magnificent view, alleged to have been the birth-place
of Louis XIV., now converted into a *restaurant, 5 minutes' walk
from the railway-station. (Charges at the restaurants in the town
more moderate; adjoining the station *Galle.)

Omnibus (1¼ fr.), three times daily to Versailles by Marly,
in 1 hour.

37. St. Denis.

Chemin de fer du Nord, station in the Place Roubaix (Pl., red 10);
trains every hour to St. Denis in 11 min. A recently completed line
(Service circulaire de la gare du Nord à la gare de l'Ouest) runs to St. Denis,
Epinay, Enghien (p. 195) and Ermont, returning to Paris by Sannois, Argenteuil,
Colombes and Asnières (p. 168). Tickets for this agreeable circuit, which
may be broken at any of the stations, 1 fr. 80 c., 1 fr. 35 c., and 1 fr.

Omnibuses which start every half hour from the suburb of La Chapelle
(Barrière de St. Denis), situated to the E. of Montmartre, convey passengers
to St. Denis in half-an-hour; others start from Les Batignolles (Barrière de
Clichy), to the W. of Montmartre, and proceed to St. Denis by St. Ouen
in 50 min.; fares 30—50 c., "correspondances" see p. 23. In the château
at St. Ouen in 1814 Louis XVIII. before entering Paris signed the proclamation
by which the "Charte" was promised to the country. He afterwards
presented the château to Madame du Cayla, who in 1856 bequeathed
it to the city, on condition that a monument should be erected to the
memory of Louis XVIII. The bequest was, however, declined.

In the vicinity are extensive Glacières, establishments where in winter
the production of ice is facilitated by artificial means.

A visit to Montmartre and its cemetery may be conveniently combined
with an excursion to St. Denis, if the stranger have an entire day at
his disposal.

The station at St. Denis is ¾ M. distant from the abbey-church. The
town is reached by the principal street. The new and still unfinished
Gothic church rises to the l. Near the station are several small restaurants.

St. Denis, which contains a population of about 16,000, is
indebted for its celebrity to its ancient abbey-church, which the
monarchs of France have chosen for their burial-place. The
edifice is at present undergoing complete restoration and is only
partially accessible. It is one of the finest monuments of French
Gothic and replete with the most interesting historical associations.

About the year 250 a chapel was erected here in honour of
St. Dionysius (St. Denis) the Areopagite, who suffered martyrdom
on Montmartre (mons martyrum).

Dagobert I., king of Austrasia, and subsequently of the whole
of France, here founded a Benedictine Abbey, and about the year
630 commenced the construction of a new church. During a long
series of years masses for his soul were celebrated by the monks
on Jan. 19th, the anniversary of his death.

A new edifice was erected on the same spot by Pepin in
754 and completed by Charlemagne in 775. No trace of either
of these ancient structures exists at the present day.

Suger (d. 1152), the celebrated abbot of St. Denis, the adviser
of Louis VI. and Louis VII. and administrator of the kingdom
during the absence of the latter in the Holy Land, demolished
the church and caused a more handsome edifice to be
erected on the site, which was consecrated in 1144. The portal and
a portion of the towers of the present day belong to that period.

A century later the church was partially destroyed by lightning
and was restored in 1234—1284 by St. Louis. During subsequent
ages it underwent numerous alterations, but under Louis
Philippe was judiciously restored in the original style.

During the first revolution the sacred edifice, once so rich in
relics and sacred ornaments, was entirely pillaged and desecrated,
and converted successively into a "temple of reason", a depôt of
artillery and a salt-magazine. In accordance with the sacrilegious
spirit of the day the name of St. Denis was abolished and the
town called Franciade. The building being in a dilapidated and
dangerous condition, it was afterwards proposed to demolish it
entirely and convert the site into a public market-place. From
this fate, however, it was rescued by Napoleon I., who by a decree
of Feb. 19th, 1806, caused the edifice to be repaired and restored
to its sacred uses.

In 1837 the N. tower was destroyed by lightning and, although
partially re-erected, was subsequently found to be in so defective
a condition that it was entirely pulled down.

The façade of the church contains three receding portals
adorned with numerous sculptures. Those of the central portal
represent the Last Judgment; at the sides the Wise and Foolish
Virgins. The S. portal contains a representation of the martyrdom
of St. Denis; on either side of the entrance are curious
sculptures of the occupations peculiar to each month of the year.
The N. portal belongs to the period of the restoration.

A very limited portion of the interior of the church is accessible
to visitors, who are conducted by the verger (1 fr.) through
a narrow passage to the choir. A sufficient survey, however, is
thus obtained of the noble proportions of the church and its
numerous monuments. A decree of 1859 provided that the

ancient burial place of the kings of France should also be that
of her emperors, and an entire restoration of the church was
commenced. The style of the 12th cent. is most carefully adhered
to, and the pavement of the aisles has been lowered to
its original level. The church is cruciform; length 332½,
breadth 114 ft.

The Stained Glass of the windows is almost exclusively
modern; the two wheel-windows, especially that on the S. side
with the genealogy of Christ, merit particular attention. Those
of the galleries above contain a perplexing multitude of portraits,
saints, church-fathers, popes, kings and queens, abbots etc. In
the large windows of the nave are 55 large figures of kings and
queens from Clovis and Clotilde to Philip the Bold and Isabella
of Arragon; in the N. transept events from the crusades and the
life of St. Louis; in the S. transept the restoration of St. Denis
by Napoleon, interment of Louis XVIII., the visit of Louis
Philippe to the church and armorial bearings; in the choir the
history of St. Denis. All of these are destined to undergo a
careful renovation.

During the spring of 1867 divine service was performed in
a portion of the aisle, termed the Chœur d'Hiver. The altar-piece,
representing the martyrdom of St. Denis, is by Casp. de Crayer,
a pupil of Rubens. At the entrance the tombstone of the abbot
Antoine de la Haye (d. 1550).

An exhaustive enumeration of the monuments in the church
cannot be given until the restoration is completed. The places
assigned to them after the Revolution have been entirely changed,
as every endeavour is made to restore the edifice to its original
condition. Among the most interesting may be mentioned those
of Dagobert (d. 638) and his queen Nantilde, probably dating
from the 13th cent. The three singular reliefs of the former
represent the delivery of the monarch's soul from purgatory,
through the intervention of St. Denis, St. Martin and St. Maurice,
and his reception into heaven.

The N. transept contains the lofty monument of Louis XII.
(d. 1515) and his queen Anne of Bretagne, designed in 1527 by
Paolo Poncio. The king and queen are represented in a recumbent
posture on the sarcophagus, which is surrounded by twelve
arches, richly decorated and supported by graceful pilasters, beneath
which are statues of the twelve apostles. The pedestal is
adorned with reliefs representing the entry of Louis XII. into
Milan (1499), his passage of the Genoese mountains (1507), the
victory over the Venetians at Agnadello (1509) and their final
submission.

The adjoining monument of Henry II. (d. 1599) and Catherine
de Medicis, executed by Germain Pilon, is of similar design;
the recumbent effigy of the queen and the drapery deserve

examination; the reliefs represent faith, hope, charity and good
works.

The S. transept contains the monument of Francis I. (d. 1547)
and his queen Claude, the most sumptuous of these three of
the 16th cent., designed by Delorme and executed by several
eminent sculptors of that period. The basement is adorned with
numerous reliefs of scenes from the battles of Marignano (1515)
and Cérisoles (1544).

Another historically interesting tomb is that of "Noble homme
Messire Bertrand du Guesclin, comte de Longueville et Connestable
de France" (d. 1380), one of France's most heroic warriors in
her contests with England. In the left eye is indicated the
wound which the constable received in battle. The tomb of
his companion in arms, the Constable Louis de Sancerre (d. 1402)
is in the same chapel.

The Sacristy is adorned with ten modern paintings bearing
reference to the history of the abbey: Monsiau, Coronation of
Marie de Médicis; *Gros, Charles V. and Francis I. visiting the
abbey; Menjaud, Death of Louis VI.; Guérin, Philip III. presents
the abbey with the relics of St. Louis; Barbier, St. Louis receiving
the Oriflamme, the sacred banner of France formerly preserved
in the church; Landon, St. Louis restoring the burial
vaults; Meynier, Charlemagne at the consecration of the church;
Garnier, Obsequies of king Dagobert; Monsiau, Preaching of
St. Denis; Heim, Discovery of the remains of the kings in 1817.

The sacristan, if desired, also shows the treasury of the church,
containing valuable ecclesiastical robes and utensils. A suit of
armour preserved here is alleged to have belonged to Joan
of Arc.

At the High-Altar, on April 1st, 1810, the nuptials of Napoleon
with the Archduchess Marie Louise were solemnized, and
on the same spot, in 1593, Henry IV. was received into the pale
of the Roman Catholic church.

The four stone slabs in front of the raised choir mark the
entrance to the Crypt, which has been restored at the instance
of the emperor. Its history is replete with vicissitudes. The
vaults, which since the time of Dagobert (d. 638) had served
as a burial-place for the royal family of France, extended as far
as the W. side of the crypt only. When the last vacant space
was filled after the death of the Infanta Maria Theresa (d. 1683),
consort of Louis XIV., that monarch directed the vaults to be
extended and a burial-place to be constructed for the Bourbons.
This was accomplished by an encroachment on the crypt.

But few members of this family here found a resting-place
when the revolution broke out. "La main puissante de la
République doit effacer impitoyablement ces épitaphes superbes et

démolir ces mausolées qui rappeleraient des rois l'effrayant souvenir"
were the words used by Barrère before the Convention on
July 31st, 1793, and a commission was accordingly formed to
carry out this sacrilegious proposition. The Convention was also
influenced by the consideration that the government was in want
of ammunition, and therefore decreed that the metal thus obtained
should be employed in casting guns and bullets.

By a singular coincidence the work of desecration was commenced
on Oct. 12th, 1793, the precise day on which, exactly
one century before, Louis XIV. had caused the demolition of the
ancient tombs of the emperors at Spires. Hentz, the agent employed
by the Convention, was moreover a namesake of the superintendent
of the work of destruction at Spires. The remains of
Louis XIV. himself were among the first which were desinterred,
and a few days later those of Louis XV. "Mercredi le 16 Octobre
à onze heures du matin, dans le moment où la reine Marie Antoinette
d'Autriche, femme de Louis XVI., eut la tête tranchée,
on enleva le cercueil de Louis XV. mort le 10 Mai 1774" is the
testimony of an eye-witness. In order the more speedily to accomplish
the work, the wall of the crypt was broken through and
the bodies of the illustrious dead, among others those of Dagobert
and his queen Nanthilde, Louis X., Charles V., Charles VI.,
Louis XIII. etc., conveyed to trenches ("fosses communes") dug
in the adjacent Cimetière de Valois.

These atrocities were completed an Oct. 25th, but even with
these the sacrilegious Convention does not appear to have been
satisfied. The eye-witness of their proceedings already mentioned
goes on to relate: "Quelques jours après, les ouvriers avec le
commissaire aux plombs ont été au couvent des Carmélites faire
l'extraction du cercueil de Madame Louise de France, fille de
Louis XV, morte le 23 déc. 1787, âgée de 50 ans et environ six mois.
Ils l'ont apporté dans le cimetière et le corps a été déposé dans la
fosse commune; il était tout entier, mais en pleine putréfaction;
ses habits de carmélite étaient très-bien conservés".

On the restoration of the abbey in 1806, Napoleon decreed
that the crypt should be employed as a place of sepulture for
himself and his successors. Only one member of his family,
however, was here interred, the young Napoléon Charles, the son
of his brother Louis. The coffin was afterwards conveyed to
St. Leu, near Senlis, and there re-interred with the remains of
Charles Buonaparte, who died at Montpellier in 1783. The church
of St. Leu has been redecorated by the present emperor and adorned
with a monument to his mother Queen Hortense, to whose
memory a service is annually performed.

Louis XVIII. in 1817 caused the remains of his ancestors, as
well as those of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette who had been
interred in the churchyard of the Madeleine, to be re-interred in

the crypt. He himself (d. 1821), the Duc de Berry who was
assassinated in Feb., 1820, and several of his children were the
last of the Bourbons here interred. Charles X. died and was
interred at Gœrz in Austria in 1836. Louis Philippe had destined
the ancient château of Dreux for his family burial-place, but was
buried at Weybridge in England, where he died in Aug., 1850.

Napoleon III. has revived the plan of his great ancestor and
by a decree of Jan. 1859 destined this to be the resting place
of the French emperors. The crypt has in consequence been
entirely remodelled; the former monuments have been removed
and some of them placed in the church above. Until farther
notice the crypt is not accessible to the public.

In 1817, when the Abbey recovered its ancient privileges, Louis XVIII.
directed all the monuments which had been rescued in 1793 and had been
preserved with many from other churches in the Musée des Petits Augustins
(Ecole des Beaux Arts, p. 150) to be brought back to St. Denis.

A flight of steps formerly descended from the N. aisle to the crypt.
The numerous figures and a few monuments, none of them dating earlier
than the 13th cent., have been arranged as far as possible in chronological
order.

The first four halls contain the monuments (32) of the Merovingians
and Carlovingians, from Clovis the Great, king of the Salic Franks (d. 511),
to Carlman (d. 771), king of Austrasia. (Charlemagne was by his own
wish interred at Aix-la-Chapelle instead of here; see p. 248.)

Then Hugh Capet (d. 996) and his descendants (34), down to Charles IV.
(d. 1328). Near the former are several sarcophagi, obscurely placed, containing
the remains which were re-exhumed in 1817 (see p. 193).

In the first semicircular space are the *sarcophagi of the two young
princes, Philippe, the brother, and Louis, the son of St. Louis, both of
whom died in the early part of the 13th cent. They formerly reposed in
the Abbey of Royaumont. Adjacent are two magnificent commemorative
stones, adorned with gold and colours, recording the victory gained by
Philip Augustus over the German emperor Otto IV. at Bouvines in Flanders
in 1215.

Napoleon I. caused the new entrance to the crypt to be transferred
to the spot where the aperture had been made in 1793 in order to remove
the coffins. Louis XVIII. directed this to be re-closed and replaced by a
Chapelle Expiatoire, gaudily painted and containing four marble tablets
with the names of all the members of the royal family here interred, as
well as of the abbots and other celebrated personages. Opposite to it is
the entrance of the vault constructed by Louis XIV.

The House of Valois begins with Philip VI. (1350) and terminates with
Henry III., who was assassinated by the Dominican Jacques Clément
in 1589. There were formerly 47 monuments here, the finest of which is
that of *Duke Louis of Orleans, second son of Charles V. (d. 1380), and
his consort Valentine, duchess of Milan, the work of Italian artists of the
16th cent. in the Renaissance style. A marble vase contains the heart of
Francis I. (d. 1547).

The House of Bourbon commences with Henry IV., who in 1593 was
here received into the pale of the Rom. Cath. church and was assassinated
by Ravaillac in 1610. It consists of 15 monuments placed in the halls of
the S. outlet of the crypt, most of them being fragments from other tombs,
often clumsily put together; also kneeling statues of Louis XVI. and his
consort, destined for a different site, and groups from the monuments of
the Duc de Berri and Louis XVIII.

The Tower, 190 ft. in height, is ascended by a staircase to
which a door in the S. portal leads. The summit commands a

magnificent *panorama: on an eminence to the N. the tower of
Montmorency; S.E. the village of Aubervillers-les-Vertus with its
fort, and contiguous to it the Canal de St. Denis which in the
vicinity unites with the Seine and in connection with the Canal
St. Martin cuts off the wide curve which the river describes
between the Pont d'Austerlitz and St. Denis. To the S. lies Paris
in which the most conspicuous objects are the Pantheon, Montmartre,
Dôme des Invalides and Arc de l'Etoile. To the S.W.
is situated the village of St. Ouen (p. 189), beyond which rises
the fortification of Mont Valérien.

The extensive buildings which adjoin the abbey-church of
St. Denis were erected by Louis XV. on the site of the monastery.

Subsequently to 1815 the Educational Establishment
for sisters and daughters of members of the Legion of Honour,
founded by Napoleon in 1801 and originally established in the
château of Ecouen, 6 M. to the N. of St. Denis, was transferred
to this secularized monastery. This "Maison Impériale d'Education
de la Légion d'Honneur" is fitted up for the reception of
upwards of 500 pupils, who enjoy educational advantages of the
most superior description. Their dress is entirely black and the
discipline partakes of an almost military character. Admission
may be procured by applying to the Grand Chancellor of the
Legion who resides in Paris, Rue de Lille 64.

Enghien-les-Bains, a small watering-place possessing a sulphureous
spring, a park and a lake, is reached by the trains of
the Northern line in 12 min. from St. Denis. The grounds afford
delightful promenades and are a favourite holiday resort of the
Parisians.

On an eminence to the right, surrounded with fruit-trees, is
situated Montmorency, another popular place of summer resort.
It is well known from having once been the residence of Rousseau,
who spent two years (1756 - 1758) in the house termed
"l'Ermitage de Jean Jacques Rousseau", and there wrote his
Nouvelle Heloïse. This habitation, which was originally a hermitage,
was fitted up for the use of the philosopher by the Countess
d'Epinay, in order to prevent his return to Geneva. During the
revolution the Hermitage became national property and was for a
short period occupied by Robespierre, who spent a night in it
three days previous to his execution (July 28th, 1794). In 1798
the Hermitage was purchased by the eminent composer Grétry,
who died here in 1813. His heart was interred in the garden,
where a monument was erected to his memory, but in consequence
of a law-suit was afterwards conveyed to Liège, his native
place. To this the inscription alludes: "Grétry, ton génie est
partout, mais ton cœur n'est qu'ici. Les Liégois n'en ont enlevé
que la poussière".

The Hermitage (access sometimes denied) has recently been
much altered and no longer contains reminiscences of Rousseau.
The garden, however, retains its former aspect. A stone bears
the inscription: "Ici J. J. Rousseau aimait à se reposer". The
laurel near it is said to have been planted by him.

An omnibus runs in 20 min. from the station of Enghien-lesBains
to Montmorency (fare 50 c.). Passengers desirous of visiting
the Hermitage quit the omnibus a short distance before Montmorency
is reached and enter the Rue Grétry. The Hermitage is
a small, red house near the extremity of the street, to the garden
of which strangers are generally admitted, on ringing at the
gate and applying for permission.

38. Fontainebleau.

By the Chemin de fer de Lyon in 2 hrs.; six trains daily; fares 6 fr.
10, 4 fr. 95, 3 fr. 35 c.; return-tickets, available for the day of issue, at
reduced rates. The station (Pl., blue 12) is in the Boulevard Mazas, on
the right bank of the Seine, in the vicinity of the Pont d'Austerlitz. Special
omnibuses start from the points mentioned at p. 24 half an hour before
the departure of each train.

Those who desire to visit Fontainebleau should devote an entire day
to the excursion and leave Paris by an early train (views on the left side),
reaching their destination in 2 hrs. One hour will probably suffice for
the inspection of the palace and garden, after which a drive or walk to
the Gorges de Franchard will occupy 2—3 hrs., and a visit to the Fort
de l'Empereur 1 hr. If the stranger purposes dining at Fontainebleau he
will do well on his arrival to order a "dîner à 4 ou 5 fr. par tête" at a
hotel, for the hour at which he intends to return from his walk.

Soon after quitting Paris the train crosses the Marne near its
confluence with the Seine at the station of Charenton (the lunatic
asylum is on an eminence to the left, p. 127). Alfort, on the
opposite bank of the Marne, possesses a Veterinary School. To
the right and left rise the forts of Ivry and Charenton which here
command the course of the Seine.

Villeneuve St. Georges, a place of some importance, with a
suspension-bridge over the Seine, is picturesquely situated on the
slope of a wooded eminence.

The beautiful green dale of the Yères, a small but deep river,
bordered with rows of willows and poplars, is now traversed.
Picturesque country residences, small parks and thriving mills
are passed in rapid succession.

The next stations are Montgeron and Brunoy. The chain of
hills to the left, as well as the plain, are studded with innumerable
dwellings. Brunoy is charmingly situated in the midst of
plantations and is inhabited almost exclusively by wealthy Parisians
and retired men of business.

Before Brunoy is reached the train crosses the Yères, and
beyond the village passes over a viaduct which affords an admirable
prospect.

The valley of the Yères is now quitted, and the district becomes
flatter. Stations Combs-la-Ville, Lieusaint and Cesson.

The Seine is again reached and crossed by a handsome iron
bridge at Melun (Hôtel de France), an ancient town with a population
of 11,000, known to the Romans under the name of
Methalum or Melodunum, and picturesquely situated on an eminence
above the river. The Church of Notre Dame, dating from
the 10th cent, and the modern Gothic Town-hall are fine edifices.

After affording several picturesque glimpses of the valley of
the Seine, the train reaches the forest of Fontainebleau. The
last station is Bois-le-Roi.

The station of Fontainebleau is situated upwards of 1 M.
from the palace. The town (Hôtel de Londres; Aigle Noir; Hôtel
de France; a Café adjoins the Aigle Noir), which owes its origin
principally to the proximity of the palace, and contains 10,500
inhabitants, is a quiet place with broad and clean streets.

The town contains nothing to arrest the attention of the
stranger, except perhaps the Statue of General Damesme, erected
in 1851 in the Place du Palais de Justice. This officer, a native
of Fontainebleau, was killed during the revolution of June, 1848,
when at the head of the guards he was in the act of tearing
down a flag from a barricade near the Pantheon.

The *Palace (accessible daily during the absence of the
emperor), situated on the W. side of the town, is an extensive
pile and possesses five different courts: Cour du Cheval Blanc,
Cour de la Fontaine, Cour Ovale or du Donjon, Cour des Princes
and Cour des Cuisines or de Henri IV.

The spacious entrance court, the Cour du Cheval Blanc, separated
from the street and the Place de Ferrare by an elegant
iron railing, derives its appellation from a statue formerly placed
here. It is sometimes termed the Cour des Adieux from having
been the scene of Napoleon's parting from his old Guard and
grenadiers, April 20th, 1814, after his abdication. Here, too,
March 20th, 1815, on his return from Elba, the emperor reviewed
the same grenadiers previous to marching with them to Paris.

The site of the Palace is said to have been formerly occupied
by a fortified château founded by Louis VII. about the year 1162.
The present edifice was almost entirely constructed and decorated
by a number of French and Italian architects, sculptors and artists
under Francis I. (d. 1547), whose favourite residence it became.
Henry IV. afterwards made considerable additions, and Louis XV.
substituted a new wing for one of the period of Francis I. It
subsequently became a favourite residence of Napoleon I., but
its after the restoration was much neglected. For its rescue
from its dilapidated condition it was indebted to Louis Philippe.

In addition to the historical associations mentioned in the
course of the following description, a few more may now be

enumerated. Here, June 4th, 1602, Henry IV. caused his companion
in arms Marshal Biron to be arrested on a charge of high
treason and a month later to be beheaded in the Bastille. Here
in 1685 Louis XIV. signed the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, by
which in 1598 Henry IV. had granted toleration to the Protestants.

 

A. Place de l'Etape aux vins. B. Place du grand Marché. C. Place du Palais de Justice. D. Place d'Armes. E. Place aux charbons. F. Place de Ferrare. 1. Sous-Prefecture. 2. Hôtel de Ville. 3. Poste. 4. Grand Quartier de Cavalerie. 5. La Charité.

6. Poste aux Chevaux. 7. Manutention. 8. Magasins à Fourrages. 9. Cour du Cheval Blanc ou des Adieux. 10. Cour de la Fontaine. 11. Jardin de l'Orangerie. 12. Cour Ovale ou du Donjon. 13. Cour des Princes. 14. Cour de Henri IV ou des Cuisines. 15. Pavillon de l'Etang.

In 1808 the dethroned king Charles IV. of Spain was confined
during 24 days in the palace by order of Napoleon. Here too,
Dec. 16th, 1809, the divorce of Napoleon from Josephine took place.

The palace is usually entered by a door below the Escalier
du Fer-à-cheval, so called from being in the form of a horseshoe,
situated on the E. side of the Cour du Cheval Blanc. This
central "Pavillon des Peintures" is adorned with a bust of Francis I.,
placed there by order of Louis Philippe.

An attendant (fee 1 fr.) here receives the visitor and conducts
him through a long series of apartments, many of them sumptuously
fitted up, but possessing no great artistic merit. A few
only of the more interesting objects need here be enumerated.

The Galerie des Assiettes derives its name from the porcelain
plates with which the wainscoting is decorated.

The Appartements des Reines Mères were once occupied by
Catherine de Medicis (d. 1588, mother of three kings, Francis II.,
Charles IX., Henry III.) and by Anne of Austria (d. 1666), mother
of Louis XIV. The same apartments were assigned to Pope
Pius VII. during his imprisonment from June, 1812, to January,
1814. Under Louis Philippe they were redecorated for the reception
of the Duke and Duchess of Orleans. The pictures are
by Coypel, Mignard, Vien and other French masters; the tapestry
is from the Gobelins manufactory.

The Galerie de François I., 200 ft. long and 20 ft. in width,
contains 14 large frescoes by Rosso and Primaticcio, containing
allegorical and mythological illustrations of the adventures of
Francis I. The walls are decorated with reliefs, caryatides,
trophies and medallions, among which the letter "F" and the
salamander, the emblem of Francis I., are frequently repeated.

In the Salle d'abdication Napoleon signed the document by
which he resigned his imperial dignity, April 6th, 1814. The
table on which this was done is still shown. The adjacent
sleeping apartment is in the same condition as when occupied
by the emperor.

In the Salle du Trône, which is richly decorated and contains
a magnificent chandelier of rock-crystal, the marshals of France
formerly took their oaths of allegiance.

The Galerie de Diane, a long corridor erected under Henry IV.
and restored by Napoleon I. and Louis XVIII., contains a number
of paintings from historical subjects; the ceiling is decorated with
mythological scenes from the lives of Apollo and Diana.

(The Petits Appartements, situated below the Galerie de Diane,
formerly accessible by ticket, are now under repair and closed
to the public. They comprise the room in which Christina of
Sweden, whilst a guest at the French court after her abdication
in 1654, caused her unfortunate secretary and favourite Count
Monaldeschi to be put to death after a pretended trial. Louis XIV.

expressed his strong disapprobation of this proceeding, but took
no farther steps in the matter, and for two years longer Christina
continued to reside at Fontainebleau. A marble slab in the
pavement of the small church of Avon, a village on the E. side
of the park, about 1 M. from the palace, bears the inscription:
"Ici fut inhumé, le 15 octobre 1657, à 6 heures du soir, le corps
de Monaldeschi, mis à mort dans la galerie des Cerfs, à 4 heures
et demie du même jour.")

The Galerie de Henri II., a spacious Salle de Bal, 95 ft. in
length and 32 ft. in breadth, was erected by Francis I. and
magnificently decorated by Henry II. for Diana of Poitiers. Her
emblem, a half-moon, and the initials "H" and "D" frequently
meet the eye. This sumptuous saloon was carefully restored
under Louis Philippe.

The paintings, the subjects of which are exclusively mythological,
were executed by Primaticcio and his pupil Nicolo del
Abbate, and afterwards revived by Alaux. The chimney piece in
white marble, decorated with lilies, is a fine work by Rondelet.

The Chapel of St. Saturnin contains windows filled with stained
glass executed at Sèvres from designs by the Princess Marie of
Orleans (p. 87). Here Pope Pius VII. usually performed mass
during his detention in the palace. The chapel occupies the site
of a more ancient edifice founded by Louis VII. and consecrated
by Thomas à Becket, at that time absent from England on
account of his differences with Henry II.

In the adjoining Galerie des Colonnes, of the same dimensions
as the Galerie de Henri II., the nuptials of the Duke of Orleans
with the Princess of Mecklenburg were solemnized according to
the rites of the Protestant church. The Roman Catholic ceremony
took place in the Chapelle de la Trinité, where in 1725 the
marriage of Louis XV. with Maria Lescinska of Poland was celebrated,
and in 1810 Napoleon III. was baptized.

The Porte Dorée, of the period of Francis I., as the salamander
which is occasionally introduced among the decorations indicates,
a magnificent portal adorned with revived frescoes designed by
Primaticcio, leads to the Cour Ovale or Cour du Donjon, the
most ancient in the palace and remarkable for its Renaissance
decorations. Facing this portal is the Allée de Maintenon.

The Jardin Anglais, behind the palace, merits a visit. The
Parterre was laid out by Le Nôtre in the style of that period.
The Etang, a fine sheet of water, contains a number of remarkably
large carp, which visitors generally amuse themselves by
feeding. The Chasselas de Fontainebleau are grapes of a superior
quality which are here trained on long frames (Treilles du Roi).

A lofty Obelisk at the S.W. extremity of a small plantation
in the rear of the palace and garden, marks the spot where at
a cross path in the forest the "wild huntsman" is said to have

appeared to Henry IV. shortly before his assassination by Ravaillac
(1610).

The *Forest of Fontainebleau has for centuries been the
favourite chasse of the monarchs of France. It is abundantly
stocked with deer and pheasants, and is remarkable for its strikingly
picturesque scenery. It is 60 M. in circumference and
possesses an area of 50,000 acres. It is intersected by paths in
all directions and affords the most delightful walks and rambles.

Those who are desirous of thoroughly exploring the forest
are recommended to procure the admirable Carte topographique
de la forêt et des environs de Fontainebleau by Denecourt (scale
1:100,000), which may be purchased (2 fr.) in the vestibule of
the Escalier du Fer-à-Cheval (p. 198). Strangers whose time is
limited may also visit the finest points under the guidance of
a conducteur (about 5 fr. per diem), or by carriage (about 12 fr.;
Rue de France 49 and 59). Mules and donkeys may also be
hired. Good walkers, however, furnished with the above mentioned
map, may by the aid of the numerous direction-posts which the
forest contains explore every part of it without difficulty. It
should be observed that the blue marks, which M. Denecourt,
the publisher of the map, has been instrumental in causing to
be placed on trees and rocks, indicate the way to the most
picturesque points; the red marks of the forest administration
point in the direction of the town.

Ordinary visitors seldom have leisure to extend their excursion
beyond the Rochers et Gorges de Franchard, about 3 M. from
the town, the route to which they may, by attending to the
following directions, find without a guide.

From the Barrière de Paris, at the N.W. extremity of the
town, the broad path, which diverges to the left from the high
road to Paris, must be taken; after 35 min. a cross-way (carrefour)
is reached, where the road to the left must be followed,
from which after 5 min. a footpath to the r. diverges, leading
through the forest in 5 min. more to the Restaurant de Franchard,
one of the most frequented spots in the environs of Fontainebleau.

The celebrated Rochers et Gorges de Franchard, a rocky basin
overgrown with trees and bushes, about 3 M. in circuit, commence
about 5 minutes walk to the W., at the Rochers des Ermites and
the "Roche qui pleure", a short distance beyond the ruins of an
ancient monastery (now forester's dwelling). The water which
trickles from this "weeping rock" is popularly believed to be
beneficial in cases of diseases of the eye; its appearance, however,
is not inviting. "L'eau que filtre le rocher qui est proche
votre cellule n'est ni belle à voir ni bonne à boire" wrote the
Abbot of Ste. Geneviève upwards of 800 years ago to the founder
of the monastery above alluded to. The accuracy of this opinion
may be tested on the spot.

Above the Roche qui pleure a good survey of the entire gorge
is obtained: in the distance to the N. the Gorges d'Apremont,
another well known rocky wilderness, are visible. These ravines
all partake of the same character, being strewn with huge blocks
of "grès de Fontainebleau", a species of hard white sandstone
of which a considerable portion of the paving-stones of Paris
are formed.

The visitor may now return to the town by the same route.

An excursion to the Rochers and Gorges d'Apremont and the
neighbouring Bas-Bréau is not less interesting than the above.
This locality affords an admirable field for artists, a whole colony
of whom have established themselves at the village of Barbison
in the vicinity. (The village of Marlotte, on the opposite verge
of the forest, contains a similar community.)

Many of the magnificent forest-trees of the Bas-Bréau are
designated by various names, such as Henri IV., Sully, Reine
Blanche etc. Between the Rochers d'Apremont and the Monts
Girard, another chain of hills, the Dormoir extends, a plain partly
wooded and partly covered with rocks and heath, one of the most
beautiful portions of the forest and a favourite rendezvous of
the Imperial chasse. In the upper part of the Gorges d'Apremont
is situated the Caverne de Brigands, said once to have been the
haunt of bandits. The only inhabitant of this locality at the
present day is an individual who lives in a rustic hut and supports
himself by the sale of beverages, carved walking-sticks,
living reptiles etc.

Among the innumerable other delightful rambles which the
forest affords may be mentioned the Belle Croix with its numerous
miniature lakes (mares), the largest of which is the Mare à Piat;
the Hauteur de la Solle, near which, in the Vallée de la Solle,
races take place in summer; and above all the Gros Fouteau,
with its magnificent forest-trees, at no great distance from the
town, the Rendez-vous des Artistes in the vicinity, and the Gorge
aux Loups and Longs Rochers near the village of Marlotte.

The most beautiful view in the neighbourhood of Fontainebleau
is afforded by the *Fort de l'Empereur, which may be
attained with ease in 25 min. from the railway station. By the
unpretending restaurants of the station the road to the left must
be ascended; after 10 min., where the wood commences, it should
be entered to the left and the broad, sandy path followed, leading
to the eminence on which the "Fort" is situated. This is a belvedere,
constructed in the form of a small fortification, which
commands a most strikingly picturesque panorama, embracing a
great portion of the forest, and to the N. and E. the chain of
hills studded with numerous villages, at the base of which the
Seine flows. The town of Melun is a conspicuous object; Paris
itself may in favourable weather be distinguished in the distance.