Green Walks Groves Statues Urns Paintings Seats and pleasant Prospects into the Country Before the Gate that enters into the Court of the Palace there is a broad Green Walk between a double row of Oaks half a mile long and at the end of this Walk next to the Heath there is a Gate of Iron Rails between double Stone Pillars of an Ancient Model the Pillars being about a yard distant from each other and joined at the top by a Crown Work on each side wherein is cut His Majesty's Cypher and at the bottom by a Stone Ground-work or Supporters The Golumns are of a good heighth Before this Gate there are three Walks between Trees for a Mile or more farther into the Heath On the South-side of the Palace we do enter through a large Gate of Iron Bars painted Blew and Gildel into a Quadrangular Court of which the whole Soughtside hath Iron Rails alike Painted and Gilded The Rails are placed on a low Brick Wall that is covered with Free-stone the whole length five Inches above the Brick Among these Iron Rails which do rise above eight Foot higher than the Wall there are at due distance eight and twenty Pilasters every one of them of one entire Stone The East-side of the Court does contain Offices and Chambers for the Officers and Servants of His Majesty's Houshold On the West-side of the Court are the King's Stables and in these are kept Horses for His Majesty 's own riding And at the end of this Stable adjoining to the Rails before-mentioned there is another double Stable for His Majesty 's other Horses and for those of some of his Servants extended Westward about eighty Paces on the Road that comes from Utrecht At the other end of the Rails or adjoining to the East-side of the Court upon the Road there is another Row of Building in proportion to the Stables containing a Guard-house a large Orangery or Green-house the King's Coach-house c. In the middle of the Court there is a Fountain whose Basin consists of a wrought blew Stone and whose Stone-work is raised two Foot and a half high In the middle of this Fountain there are four Marble Dolphins out of whose Mouths do fall four Sheets of Water to the East West North and South The Dolphins are placed upon a Marble Pedestal their Tails are intertwisted and turned upward in the middle of the Pedestal But this Fountain has been ordered to be changed into a Noble Cascade in a octangular Basin seven yards diameter Next unto the Walk that encompasses this Fountain there are in this Court four Gazons or Green Plots with Walks on every side paved with Brick On the North-side of the Court in the King's Palace to which we ascend by nine broad Stone-steps The Palace is built of Brick and had the Honour to have its first Stone laid by the hands of the most Incomparable and Best of Queens her late Majesty of ever Blessed Memory From the Front or Body of the House each Wing does stretch out in two Pavilious towards the two sides of the Court until the Wings and Sides do come to unite Besides the Gate in the middle of the Front there are two others in the two outmost Pavilious Over the Gate of the Front and the Garden-Gate and over the two outmost Pavilions there are Frontispieces or Relievos on high with Representations relating to Hunting The Pilasters of all the Gates or Doors the Frize and the Cornishes of the Windows do consist of Free-stone The Body of the Palace is Leaded above and adorned with Ballisters and it has large Shash-windows throughout The Hall we do first enter into is paved with very large Black and White Marble The Dining-room below is very remarkable throughout and especially in its Marble and Military Devices and glorious Gilding The Great Room above that we do first enter into from the Stair-case and in the middle of the Apartments is not only adorned with large Landskips as well as the Stair-case but is very resplendent with its Gilding on every side and throughout all the Cieling The Rooms of State and the Bed-chambers and other Chambers are all provided and furnished after the Noblest manner for the entertainment and reception of Great Persons But the Antichamber to His Majesty's Bed-chamber has most excellent Hangings representing the Functions or Duties of Cavalry to wit the Incampment of Horse their Foraging their making of Fascines and the Firing it self of two Parties of Horse in an Engagement most lively and naturally exprest in four several Pieces The Chappel is handsomely Wainscoted and the whole so compleatly finished that nothing can be said to be wanting and no Cost spared in order to render the House Magniscient as well as the Gardens When we have gone through the Hall of the Palace and advanced between a very large Stair-case on either hand we do come to the garden-Gate which is directly before the Entrance and consists of Iron Bars coriously wrought and painted But before I describe particularly any of the Gardens it may not be amiss to take a short and general Prospect of them as also to name some of the most remarkable Fountains and Cascades in them that thereby the whole may in some of its Particulars be more distinctly comprehended On the North-side of the Palace there is a large and most Magnisicent Garden the which is divided into two Parts the Lower Garden and the Upper the two Divisions being separated by Canals by a low Wall and a broad Cross-walk in the which Cross-walk there are on each side a double row of tall Oaks but in the middle of this Walk a Considerable space is left open without Trees for the more convenient view of all the Fountains the Porticoes and the Cascades that are beyond the said Walk from the Garden-Gate of the Palace The first partition of this Garden called the Lower Garden has a Terras Walk on three sides of it and here we behold straight before us the Fountain of Venus and beyond it another Fountain of a young Hercules In the Cross-walk that goes between those two Fountains there is on the right hand a Fountain of a Celestial Globe and on the left such another Terrestrial Globe And at the end of the same Walk on the right hand upon the side of one Terras Walk there is the Cascade of Narcissus as also on the left upon the side of the opposite Terras Walk the Cascade of Galatea In the Upper Garden we behold a most Noble Fountain with a Basin of a vast extent and with three and thirty Spouts that in the middle of all throwing up the Water five and forty foot high A little beyond this we see another Fountain wherein the Water rises in the form of a Peacock's Tail under which as also beyond it are divers Cascades We do likwise here behold two large Porticoes or semicircular Cloisters with Rails over them and supported on divers Pillars On the West-side of the
Rushes and Water-lilly Flowers which do all contribute to the ornament of this Magnificent Fountain On the right and left of this Statue Within the same Basin as also before and behind the Statue there are four Gilded Swans which do spout the water in broad sheets towards the Statue and all the Swans are raised a little above the water The Basin is bordered with a blew Stone about sixteen inches breadth It has four Angles but on the four sides where the Swans are placed it has a circumflexion or semicircular cut into the Walks in form of four Half-moons On either side of this broad Walk next to the Parterres both before we come to the foresaid Fountain and also on the sides of the Walk beyond the Fountain there are Spouts at proper distances in a distinct Canal and there are six Spouts in each of them which do throw up the water about a yard though of late those Spouts are now always stopt to avoid the inconvenience of the waters being blown on the Walk or on the Parterres These Canals are walled with Free-stone and bordered with the same three inches breadth They are each of them about eighty foot long and a foot and a half broad but in those parts where the Spouts are placed the Canals are widened unto three foot and a half squre every way in order to avoid the Winds blowing the water either on the Walk or Parterres These Canals are paved after the Mosaick manner with Pebbles of a dark colour but the Figures that are made by the Pebbles and which run along the middle of the Canals and especially about the Spouts are made in a long sort of Pebbles pure white and black of the Diamond cut If we advance still forwards beyond the Fountain of Venus in the same Walk we behold another Noble Fountain in the middle of whose Basin is a young naked Hercules of Marble arising as from his Cradle also of Marble the Hercules squeezing a green Serpent in each hand and both the Serpents spirting the water about two yards above the Basin On the right and left of the Hercules at a little distance within the same Basin there are placed two Dragons each spirting seven several Jette's towards the Hercules The Basin of this Fountain is likewise bordered with a broad blew Stone sixteen inches breadth and paved with a Stone that is about a foot square Turning out of the aforesaid Walk from the Fountain of Venus into a Cross-walk on the right we meet with a Fountain in the middle wherein is erected a Celestial Globe placed on a Marble Pedestal between which Pedestal and the Globe there are four naked Boys in Marble incircling one another in ther Arms. About the Globe the twelve Signs of the Zodiack are curiously painted the Stars Gilded and out of abundance of the Stars there do spout out Jettes on all sides of the Globe Passing beyond this Globe we behold at the end of the Walk a most Noble Cascade a Fabrick of wrought Stone reaching from the Terras-walk above down to the Gravel-walk below The water here falls out of the Mouth of a great Head at the top of the Structure a round carved covered Basin being placed above the Head into three great semi-oval carved Basins one below the other each of them being two yards in front besides the allowance of above two foot more on both sides of the two lowermost of those three Basins which two foot do serve for conveying the water that is to make the lesser sheets which will be presently mentioned On both sides of the uppermost of those three Semi-oval Basins there is placed a Pine-apple in Stone by way of ornament and on both sides of the second of those Basins is erected a round scollopt Basin of two foot diameter that has a Spout in the middle which throws up the water about two foot From three parts of those round scollopt Basins as well as from the whole front of the three great semi-oval Basins the water does fall into the uppermost of six lesser semi-oval Basins placed on each side These lesser Basins are about a yard in front besides an allowance of about two more for the forming of the smaller falls of water that are now to be mentioned On each side of the six lesser Basins both on the right and left of the Structure there are made little sheets of water one below another in six descents contiguous to those made from the foresaid lesser Basins But at the bottom of this Fabrick between the falls on both sides there is an excellent Statue of Narcissus at length in Marble standing upright but looking a little downward into the water in the common Basin or Receiver below and holding a Hunting Horn in one hand whilft he draws up the other by way of Admiration at the beholding his own reflection in the water Again turning from the Fountain of Venus on the left hand the same distance in this Cross-walk as we did before from thence on the right to come to the Celestial Globe there is I say on the left such another Noble Fountain in the middle of which is crected a Terrestrial Globe On this Globe Europe Asia Africa and America the four parts of the World are exactly painted and out of the several parts of it there do spring a great number of Spouts which throw up the water from all parts round it as in the former Globe This is likewise placed on a high Pedestal round which there are four naked Boys in Marble the first with a Crown on his head the second with a Turhant the third a Negro in his short frizled hair and the fourth with long hair hanging down his back The four Boys representing the Inhabitants of the four parts of the Earth At the end of this Walk beyond this Globe and on the slope of the opposite Terras-walk there is such another admirable Cascade as was just now described Only in the middle of this Cascade there is a Marble Statue of Galatea sitting with a Lute in her hand at the bottom of the Fabrick where Narcissus was placed in the former Cascade All along the middle of this Crofs-walk between the Fountain of Venus and each of the Globes as also between the Globes and the Cascades now deseribed there are little Canals without any Jette's in them of the same length and make with the others that were placed on the sides of the first Walk This first Partition of the Garden that contains all the aforesaid Fountains and Cascades does likewise contain eight several Parterres all the Quarters being separated by Gravel-walks on every side The four inmost Parterres do consist of divers Figures in Box encompassed with Beds of Flowers and in those Beds there are intermixed many Juniper Trees growing in Pyramidal forms about round and high Staves painted Green. But the four outmost Parterres do consist of Green Plots that haves Statues placed upon high Pedestals in the middle of
a rough Grotesco manner and in one corner of this Grotto there is a Aviary The Room for the Grotto is paved with Black and White Marble there being two Fountains in it over-against one another and they are raised Arch-wise from the bottom to the top of the Room the border round the Fountains being raised above a foot from the floor in order to hinder the water from wetting the Room The sides are embellished with divers sorts of Shells and all parts of the Windows beautisied with the same in divers Figures There are three Gates or Passages into this Room one from the Queen's Garden another from the Great Garden under the Terras-walk the third goes into a little Room where a Couch is placed for Repose and thence we go into another Room adorned all over with abundance of Porcelaine or China The Aviary is exposed to the open Air but incompassed with a small Grate to confine the Birds and there is a place in the corner of the Grotto for the Birds to retreat into from the Rain or Weather On the Eastside of the Queen's Garden there is another Garden for retirement with Walks and Hedges of Witch-Elm about eight foot high into which we do pass out of the former through a Gate of wrought Iron painted Blew and Gilt. Turning in it Northwards in the second Walk we come to a Noble Fountain unto which we descend by six Stops but in the middle of these Steps there is a small fall of water in six descents from a Fountain at the top of the Step and from thence the water runs in a small channel cross the Walk that encompasses the Fountain which I am going to describe This Fountain is oblong or of an Oval figure its diameter is in length twenty Paces and it is about ten Paces wide In the middle of this Basin there is a round Rock of rough Stones Shells and Forgecinders about a yard above the water Out of this Rockwork there springs a Jette about five yards high from the middle of it and from the other parts round about this Rock there do rise abundance of other Spouts This Fountain is bordered with green Turf on the Slope of which Border there are placed at due distances six collopt Shells of wrought Stone Into all these Shells there is a fall of water from the mouth of a wrought Head joined to the Shell in one and the same Stone and from four parts of each Shell the water falls into the Basin of the Fountain which is not paved at all the Bottom being only of Earth as the Border of it and the Slope were of Turf Round this Fountain next to the Hedge and directly behind the foresaid six Shells there are six Statues in Stone or so many little Cupids standing upon high Pedestals of wrought Stone and at the bottom of each Pedestal there is a fall of water into a small square Stone-basin from whence the water runs under the Walk into one of the Heads and Shells that were before mentioned to be placed on the Slope below the Border The first of these Cupids is drinking out of a Stone-cup held in one hand and has a bunch of Grapes in the other The second holds a Tulip in his Right hand The third is reading in a Book through a pair of Spectacles held near the Book The fourth has a Play-thing in his hand The fifth has a Snake which he squeezes hard in his Arms. And the sixth leans upon a Spade Also round about this Fountain there are placed fifty Orange-trees in Frames Going still Northwards about thirty Paces from this Fountain we come at the end of this Walk to a Statue of Venus at length a little stooping and holding Cupid by both hands The Venus is placed on a Stone Pedestal and out of a wrought Head at the bottom of the Pedestal there is a fall of water into a small Stone-basin A little Eastward of this Statue of Venus there is another Fountain in a square Stone-basin In the middle of it there is a small fall of water from a round Stone-basin whence the water does fall equally all round in one sheet And besides another Cascade that is here made out of a Head into a large Basin there are five other falls of water from out of the Walls of this Fountain each of them about a foot in breadth CHAP. VI Of the Voliere or Fowl-Garden AT the West-end of the Middle Walk that divides the Great Garden into two Parts we pass through a Gate of wrought Iron into a Walk between high Trees that goes Southward into the first Labyrinth described in the Fourth Chapter and Northwards as far as the Heath that is beyond all the Gardens At this Garden-gate we behold the Old Hoof directly before us Westward but are separated from it by two Moats between which there are five rows of Lime-trees on the South of which the Labyrinth is seated and on the North the Fowl Garden that is now to be described Advancing from the foresaid Gate fifty paces Northwards we turn to the Gate of the Fowl Garden on our left to which we pass on a Bridge over the Moat This Gate is likewise of wrought Iron painted Blew and Gilt. Going from this Gate two and twenty paces we descend by three Steps to a Noble Fountain and Cascade round which Fountain from the bottom of the Steps to the Border of its Basin there is a Walk twelve foot and a half broad into which Walk there are four descents by three Steps four opposite ways And between the one and the other row of Steps there is a Green Slope round the Fountain The Basin of this Fountain is oblong or oval and of a great circumference the Diameter at least forty paces in length and about twenty four paces in breadth It is designed for the use of divers sorts of Fowl and there are Houses built on the two sides of this Garden for sheltering the Fowl. In the middle of this Fountain there is a Jette that throws up the water about twenty foot and below the Jette there is a triple Cascade made from three round Basins whereof the uppermost appears to make a sheet about a foot in depth the middle-one near about two foot and the lowermost four foot Between these three Basins the spaces or intervals are filled all round with Shells c. the which Shells are seen round them through the Sheets of water that fall from the said Basins On the North and South-side of this Fountain six yards from one of the descents by three Steps there are two Summer Houses the one opposite to the other They are within painted in fresco and bronze and have Cupola's over them painted Blew and Gilded Into these Houses we enter by folding Doors which consist of two foot Wainscot from the bottom the rest in broad Glass up to the Cupola Each of these Houses hath four Shash-windows besides the Doors and hath on each side of