The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-02 00:00:00

7111144

nat.,
A VISIT TO FONTAINEBLEAU.

Fontainebleau, Aug. 27.
Two illnstrious travellers have this week visited Fontaine-
bleau, the King of Naples and your anonymous correspon-
dent, whose greatness you will be pleased to proportion to
the humility with which he conceals his name and estate.
Monsieur 71Z071 bon frere, as Monarchs style each other both
in peace and war, has hurried on to his dominions, in dread,
it is whispered, of a new Constitution. I, that have left my
realms to mend an old and decayed constitution, have tar-
ried here a day or two, and now sit myself down to scribble
much that know, and, I fear, not much that you know not.
Fontai.nebleau has always been frequented by strangers,
especiaiity by Englishmen, who, in addition to the reputa-
tion of hunting after the marvellous, enjoy in France that
mr,rc creditable quality of exploring such spots as yield
historical recollections. In this respect few places in
Europe are more attractive than this, which was the abode
of Louis VII. so early as the year 1169. Scarcely a day
passes without some foreign pilgrim being seen sketching the
architecture of Francis I. or Henry 11. ; and it was but
two days ago that I gazed on two lovely daughters of
Albion busily engaged in ornamenting their albums with
drawings of the beautiful staircase in the Cheval Blanc-
court, where Napoleon clasped to his heart the banners of
his Guards, tore himself from his fellow-survivors of a hun-
dred battles, and exchanged his empire for the rock of Elba.
The Chateau, which, from its extent and irregular struc-
ture, an English traveller has aptly likened to a rendezvous
de chateaux, I have minutely inspected under the guidance
of the complaisant keeper, who, strange enough, has come
from Circassia to show foreigners over the Palaces of the
Most Christian Kings ; for Monsieur Ali is a native of that
distant region, whence be entered the Mamalukes, and in
that capacity was attached to Napoleon. He conducted
me first to the apartments of the King and Queen of the
Belgians, which look upon the JardinAnglais ; thence to
the Pope's, which are still hung in violet—the delicate
attention of his Imperial gaoler ; for it was there that Pius
the Seventh sojourned, both in 1804, when he was sum-
moned to crown Bonaparte, and eight years later, when
the Holy Father became his prisoner. When the Duke of
Orleans visits Fontainebleau he sleeps in the violet bed in
which the Roman Pontiff slumbered. The tapestry of this
couch, from the Gobelins, represents subjects which it must
he owned are much more suited to the Gallant Prince than
to the spiritual head of the Catholic world. Here also
Francis the First received his great rival Charles V., and
it was in the same apartment that Charles the Fourth of
Spain took up his abode.
In the Palace is to be seen a picture representing the
Duchess d'Estampes, mistress of Francis the First, in the
act of returning to Charles the Fifth a ring of great value
which he had designedly dropped whilst washing his hands.
The Emperor observed, " I perceive that this ring will have
another owner, and beg you will keep it, for it cannot be in
fairer hands." The wily Emperor had heard that the
Duchess advised the King to have him arrested until the
treaty of Madrid should be revoked, and to propitiate the
Royal mistress he resorted to the stratagem, which proved
completely successful.
I was subsequently led through numberless rooms more
or less beautiful or interesting, and some most magnificent,
till at length we reached as it were the bouquet or apartment
in which the grand homnie of ultra-liberal and ultra-incon-
sistent jeuneFrance signed his abdication. The small
round table upon which that memorable document was
penned is still exhibited to visitors, but the precious quill
which the unwilling Emperor used on the occasion has va-
nished, so many having been sold that few gulls can now be
found to supply this branch of honest Ali's perquisites.
Fontainebleau Palace had long required extensive re-
pairs. Several of the principal apartments were falling to
ruins, among others the galleries of Henry 11. and Francis
1., the hall of the guards, the chapels, &c. Under Louis
XVIII. the Diana Gallery was, with much taste, restored
by the most eminent artists. Louis Phillippe has resumed
the repairs, and under his auspices the beautiful gallery of
Henry 11. will be soon completed, with rare and truly royal
magnificence. The fresco paintings by Nicolo, after the
drawings of Prirnatier, have been admirably revived. En-
tirely new ceilings of oak, with partitions, in which are em-
bossed, upon a ground of gold and silver, the cyphers of
Henry 11. and Diana of Poictiers, will produce a most splen-
did effect. When finished this gallery will be the fineFt
monument of the Renaissance style. Below it Louis Phil-
lippe has caused another gallery to be constructed, which 1:
to 'bear his name, and to serve as a hanquetting room ; it
is of the same style, and, though inferior in beauty. of a fine
effect. The gallery of Francis 1., also ornamented by Pri-
matice, is likewise about to undergo repairs. But one of
the most interesting parts of the building is the small chore!
of Saint Saturnin. situate on the ground floor, next to th.-
Louis. Phillippe gallery. This little monument, constructed
by King Louis VII., and consecrated by Thomas a'Becllet.
was almost wholly rebuilt by Francis 1., and has just been
repaired. The ornaments are charming. An inscription
records that which is particularly pleasing at a period wl:en
the rising generation of France, of all others, would con-

demn to the same oblivion and proscription the old mom:-
merits as well as old institutions of their country. The in-
scription says that the window glasses are painted aftrr
drawing,,, of Princess Mary of Orleans, and it is hut just to
say that the work would do as much credit to the hand or
an artist as it does to the good taste of Louis Phiilippc's
youthful daughter.
It would be too long to enumerate the repairs of all dc-
s3riptions which the Palace is undergoing. Unfriendly 3'
I am to the political character of Louis Philippe, I
cannot withhold my humble tribute to the taste he displays
in the arts, and especially in architecture. Amidst thi.
recklessness and contempt with which the French of tit'
present. day view the decay of their historical souvenirs
is gratifying to behold him, by judicious repairs, religiously
preserving whatever can be wrested from the withering,
hand of time, and so scrupulously respecting the primitive
style that at Fontaineb!eau visitors are to be continually
heard inquiring whether such part be modern or whether it
be old.

'ln vain does one search this Palace for the Galerie deg
erfs, in which the Qucea Christina of Sweden caused
her equerry, the Marquis de Monaldeschi, to be put to
death. The gallery has vanished, to make room for apart-
ments which possess no remarkable feature. The spot on
which the unfortunate lover was stabbed to death is, how-
ever, pointed out to visitors.
In the interesting narrative of this tragic occurrence
left us by Father Lebel, who vainly. implored the revenge-
ful Queen's mercy, and attended her victim in his last
moments, is the .following passage :—" She (Christina)
ordered me to have his corpse removed and buried ; she
added that she would have several masses performed for
tne repose of his soul. I had a coffin made, caused him
to be put into a cart, owing to its being dusk, to the
weight ,of the body, and the badness of the road ; and thus
he was conveyed to the parish of Avon by my Vicar and
Chaplain, assisted by three men, with orders to bury him
in the church, near the holy-water bason. This was ac-
complished at five o'clock."
With Father Lebel's report of the horrible transaction,
I proceeded to the humble tomb of Monaldeschi, in the
little church Of Avon, which was formerly the parochial
church of the chateau. The village is about a mile from
Fontainebleau. As I entered the church I perceived, at
the foot of the Benitier, a wretched stone, between ten and
twelve inches square, resembling a paving stone, upon
which are coarsely engraven the words " Cygit Monodel-
zi." Few persons have seen this stone—few even are
aware of its existence. In the village I was told an anec-.
dote, which, as a native of Great Britain, and devout wor-
shipper of historical monuments, I attentively listened to.
About a year ago an Englishman came and visited the
church of Avon. Ile espied the stone, and, not doubting
that beneath it lay the remains of Monaldeschi, requested
the curate to allow him to dig up the spot, at the same
time tendering a sum of money to the parish. The curate
rejected the application. Our countryman, nothing de-
jected by the repulse, successively addressed himself to the
mayor, the Sous-Prefet, and even Procureur du Roi, and
ultimately obtained the permission he sought for. He
forthwith brought workmen to the task, and soon found
the remains of the poor equerry. He had them enclosed in
a leaden coffin, which he deposited on the same spot, and
covered in precisely the same manner. At the distance of
about a foot from the old tomb he had another stone placed
upon which he had recorded some of the particulars given
by Father Lebel. I was further assured in the village that
in this operation our countryman had spent between 5,000
and 6,000 francs. In the little church of Avon are also
the hearts of Philippe le Bel, and the Queen, his Consort,
and the remains of the naturalist, Daubenton, and the ma-
thematician, Bezout.
On leaving the Palace I repaired to the reservoir or
etang, and paid my respects to the numerous carp thriving
there on the copious donations of cake and bread which
they are indebted for to their abundant visitors. Many of
these venerable fish are upwards of a hundred years old, and
their long acquaintance with society has rendered them free
and familiar. Some are even represented to have been
dabblinc, in their pond since the days of Francis the First.
That they are very old is not doubtful ; for they are almost
white, and several lost their scales. In the middle of this
sheet of water a little pavilion, built by the Roi Chevalier,
and repaired by Louis Philippe, has been honoured
with tne presence of Peter the Great. On the occasion
the Czar and his suite so largely partook of a sumptuous
luncheon that it was found necessary to carry them back to
the boat, and from the boat to their carriages. The Mus-
covite Monarch then proceeded to Petit-Bourg, the magni-
ficent chateau of the Duke d'Antin, which thanks to the
loans„of King Ferdinand VII., has become the property of
the opulent M. Aguado.
One word 1,t0.e, and I have done with Fontainehleat,.
The forest is a magnificent one, presenting at the same time
the most beautiful, smiling, arid, and desolate scenery, Its