The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-10
lie BOIS DE BOULOGNE
STORY OF THE FRENCH CAPITALS
GREAT PLEASURE GROUND.


and Planting of the Ncw-Psris Never
NeElccts Iier Children.
1t is interesting to trace tho HISTORICAL
associations of Paris most celebrated place
OF public resort, tho famous Bots do Bou-
iogne, ono of tho fow "lungs'' of the great
city on tho Seine. Wo havo only to think
of our own London parks to realizo what
tho Bots do Boulogno is to tho Parisians.
10 mutilato, disflgure or inoloso this be-
loved promenade would DO II wrong dono
to tho whole oity-One may shy to tho
whole nation. Tho SO called wood is tho
lust rolic of tho vast Rouvray forest, which
extended so far along tho borders of tho
Seine. 1t was just such forest us former
~ covered much of Great Britain. Ac-
cording to tradition Dagobcrt used to
hunt hero in company with Saint EIoi A
few rudo huts and cabins worc all that it
contained. In all respects it was similar
tract of woodland to that which occupied
tho present sto of Edinburgh. BY degrees
those who became property holders of tho
nclghborhood cleared u largo portion of
tho forest, which gradually lost its name
of Rouvray and took that of Bois dc st.
Cloud. Littlo hamlcts began TO spring up
III tho clcarings. Ono of tho hnmlcts was
named Menus-los-St. Cloud, and here, in
1919, somo pilgrims raised Il church which
was counterpart to tho church of Bou-
lognc, which WAS then II small place. From
this circumstance tho wood took tho namo
OF Dois dc Notro Damo dc Bouognc whici,
inevitably became Bcis dc Boulogno, ana
oven this tito is too long for p;risians,
who simply say 'I4o Bois"
Kings and nobility had already begun
30 raise their establishments in this beau.
tiful ncighborhood Tho oldest Of thcso
princcly residences was tho Longchamps
abbey, founded in 1856 by isabelle, sister
of tho king, st. Louis. she hero insti-
tutcd community II women, joined by
some Of tho most famous ladies of French
society According to usual custom, mi.
raculous virtues were ascribcd to tho place
after lsabclic's death, and it became u re-
sort of pilgrimage. When in timo faith
slackcncd and pilgrims became fow, tho
lords and ladies of the gay court continued
TO mako the abbey an excuse and an ond
for their promenadcs.
Tho custom of walking out to tho Long
champs abbey especially prevailed during
holy week and Is said to have led to scenes
far from cdifying. Princes Of tho blood
calnc thithcr in company with ballet girls
and "iigurantcs'' from lhc Partisan opera
houses. These scenes represent tho shady
sido of tho Bots hstory-that part over
which it might prefer TO draw Il veil.
Other notable buildings raised on tho for
est wcro tho Chateau 10 Madrid, built by
Francis l, and the Chateau do la Muettc.
which became tho fnvoritc residence OF
Louis XIV and MuricNntoinettc A hunt
ing lodge had formerly stood on this site,
and hence the name Muet;c. 1t was Marie
Antoinctto herself who caused tho institu-
nf nf,l, nft l,,
well known London variety garden, and
tho Parisians are indebted To another lady,
Milo. do Chnrolais, for tho delightful
Neuilly Pare do Bagatclc.
Louis XIV laid all Franco under his
debt by being tho first To mako rules for
tho duo preservation of the l}OiS dc Bot.
lognc. An cdict of his, which continued
IN iorco for moro than Il century, clearly
appointed tho laws of its management.
But tho first Napoleon went farther thar
Louis III the attention that he paid to the
forest. His orders worked q general trans
formation Where tho too thick growth
OF trees inpcdcd its proper development he
Trimmed them out so as To open numerous
gl:des, alleys and ulcadcs. In places he
enriched tho land by Planting bccchcs,
birchcs, naples and wych Gins, which con
trastcd finely with the old immcmoriGl
cvcrgrccns, and he completed tho good
work by organizing u body of forest keep
ors for the maintenance and guarding OF
that In which he had taken such pains
Even nature is susceptible Of improve
mcnts except in tho eyes of those VINO wish
no landscape 10 reveal tho trace of mans
nand. liumaniZcd nature has its own cs-
peciai charm, such Us wo find not only in
rich parks and ancestral domains, but also
in rural scenes and meadows tipped with
tho village spiro
But in times of war Keepers and regu
lations arc not of much account. During
tho campaign of lS14-l5 tho Bois was &C.
cupicd by tho invading troops and was
very sadly devastated. Many of tho most
venerable oaks, tho pride of tho ncighbor
hood, were beaten down, though some of
these still survive near tho race course of
Autcuil. After the departure of tho foreign
forces it WAS found necessary for tho ax
to complete what war had begun, and then
came an opportunity for fresh planting.
with the restoration chcsnuts and noun
tam ashes were introduced, and nurseries
Tor fostering young trees were established.
Under Louis Philippe attention was paid
TO tho roads travcrsing the wood, which
wcro still in Il very unsatisfactory condi
tion. AT the revolution Of 1913 the Bots
ccascC to belong TO the civil list and be.
ca1no moro of Il state domain. y few years
previously ii had lost II somewhat consid-
cradle portion, including the grccnsward
OF Ranclagh. 1t was still in tho Same con
ditiOn rs most of the woodlands surround
ing Paris. The roads crossing it were i'll
made and i'll kept, being cycrybody's prop
orty, nobody attending to them.
satisfactory change took place in
1852. An edict of tho 9th of July in that
year coded the Bots to Paris, under certain
necessary conditions. The town was To
provide all expense of maintenance and
preservation, to spend 1000, 600 francs
within n DcrOd of foiir venrs from tbnt