, 1879-08-03

Loulscs has added something to its splendor
From an architectural, historical, and decorative
point OF view, it is probably the most magnif-
lccne ana Interesting monument in this coun-
trV. windsor, outwardls far. grandcr, IS poor,
internally, beside 1t. Versailles will not bca1
comparison with it.
Wc must not leave the Palace without o visit
to the famous Carp-foud at the back. Thnr-
sands upon thousands of them swarm below
the surface :-thc water, Such finuy monsters
Buy slice Of bread Tor, better, u rolD OF the
o!u woman in the courtyard, and throw It into
the pond Now watch! Here they come in
shoa1s, hundreds at time, packed close as her.
rings in barrel. Of all ages and szes.-,he
carIllng Of ~ next tn the venerable carp o1
l5o! They assure you that there are fish among
them
UPWARDS OF TWO CENTURIES OLD;
ano indeed, some are go gray and huge that you
can almost believe it. What commotion ,.ey
make III the watcra First one will catch hold OF
gulp. Then smother will snatch it away, only
to be robbed OF it by third, who in turn is dis
appolnted by fourth; and SO on for quarter
OF an hour at u time, till some ancient grav-
oeafd-not much less than yard lopg-maies-
tical'y lntcrfcres and settles the whole dispute
by single swallow The amount OF splashing,
dashing, granting, and snorting, made BY the
voracious wretches, is Incredible. Fontaine-
bteau holds its carp In the greatest respect, as
well it max, it the strange stories OF their
longevity be true. Who would not respect a
tlsh that may have been fed by his great great
Ereat-rreat-gr4ndfather!
You have beautiful view before you as you
lean over the stone D2rR?et OF the Carp Pond.
lie WATER with its reflection Of the ancient Pal
ace, and its tiny boat-hou6c, forms q pleasing
foreground. Behind, you sec the trees and
green lawns ot tho Park, planned rather sti11y,
in the taste Of ths seventeenth century, At the
back Of atl, the immense and lonely avenues Of
the Forest. Those Two rounded heights in the
distance, that from where you stand look SO
stern aud desolate, are
THE HILLS OF AVON.
. II you we're nearer to them, you would find
them sterncr and wilder than they seem. In
some terrible uphcayal of Nature, ages aud ages
ago, the earth uear Fontainen.eau vomiten
countless thousands of tremendous boulders.
There they still lie, piled one upon another, or
strcwn in solitary masses by the waysile. At
Avon, at Franchard, at Aprcmont, in the Bas-
Breau, and On The hills overlooking the Valley
OF The Sole, these fantastic relics Of q
mysterious past meet you at every step.
In some parts Of the Forest the rocks
form enormous natural aulphitheatres, several
miles in circumference. At Frauchard they arc
grouped, norseshoe-sha2e, round the sides OF
the rugged, pine-ciad slopes for 2O0 feet above
the savage valley. Scale the nights. Oilicr
rocky valleys Stretch away in every direction
for miles and miles. On gloomy, sunless day,
towards evening, the aspect of this Fontaiue-
bleau scenery is ludescrbably mournful and i'm
prcssive.
THE VEGETATION
which abonuds IN the neighborhood OF Franchard
adds new beauty to the picture, Each rock ID
framed in masses Of graceful silver birch and
pine. Oaks and eims are plentiful. anu the
beeches arc famous. But, to see these in per-
fccti0n, you should 20 mile or two beyond
Fls1ncnarG, to tie Gorges d'Aprenlont and
what is called the Domair, both situate
at the very gates OF Barbizon. Here
the Forest. has different character
endless ranges Of stony hill and pine, you have
a vast plain, carpeted With heath and bracken,
dotted with mighty boulders OF every conceiya
bic shape, between which rise great oaks7 whose
far-spreadng branches have br2ved the storms
and showers Of thrice 4 hundred years. Many
are but shells. The stem and branches make
goodiy show, but the heart is withesed. One
scared and bl.gnted veteran filings its arms
abroad like an enormous cuttle-fsh, or q adlshev-
elcd fury. They have named it the - Kagenr."
Near stands the "Sully,''-sauly damaged by
the trosts OF last winter, but great nnd pictur-
csque Witha!. In The Bas-Breau nearer Barbi-
Zon, there are more oaks, more el1ns
and bceches; and here the uudergrowtn OF
fern and moss, ivy and holly, give
MARVELLOUS FRESHNESS TO TIE LANDSCAPE.
Diaz and Theodore Rousseau {who, like nearly
all the great French painters Of modern times,
were passionate admirers Of Fontainebleau)
never tired OF this part of the Forest. They
have painted It. aQain aQd again, finding new
loneliness in every corner. Richct and others OF
the Diaz school still 20 to Barbizon for their
subjects, and no Salon is without some pictures
of the Rocher Brulc or the 'Darmoir.n Iknow
artists who paint them in the moonlight; others
who, following In the footsteps OF Til. Rousseau,
show you faint reflections OF it in sunlight; and
others who prefer it in shadow. So long as
French art exists and landscape is cultivated,
Fontainebleau will be tue headquarters auu the
Canaan Of painters. HARgr MELTxER.