THE BASSIN DE LATONE, VERSAILLES _facing_ 272 THE FOUNTAIN OF NEPTUNE, VERSAILLES _facing_ 274 PETIT TRIANON _facing_ 276 LAITERIE DE LA REINE, PETIT TRIANON 277 SAINT GERMAIN (Diagram) 280 THE VALLEY OF THE SEINE, FROM THE TERRACE AT SAINT GERMAIN _facing_ 288 FAUTEUIL OF MME. DE MAINTENON 297 CHATEAU DE MAINTENON _facing_ 300 AQUEDUCT OF LOUIS XIV AT MAINTENON _facing_ 306 CHATEAU DE RAMBOUILLET (Diagram) 309 LAITERIE DE LA REINE, RAMBOUILLET _facing_ 312 CHATEAU DE RAMBOUILLET _facing_ 316 CHANTILLY (Diagram) 325 STATUE OF LE NOTRE, CHANTILLY _facing_ 326 CHATEAU DE CHANTILLY _facing_ 336 COMPIEGNE (Diagram) 343 NAPOLEON'S BEDCHAMBER, COMPIEGNE _facing_ 352 COURS DE COMPIEGNE _facing_ 356 Royal Palaces and Parks of France CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY The modern traveller sees something beyond mere facts. Historical material as identified with the life of some great architectural glory is something more than a mere repetition of chronologies; the sidelights and the co-related incidents, though indeed many of them may be but hearsay, are quite as interesting, quite as necessary, in fact, for the proper appreciation of a famous palace or chateau as long columns of dates, or an evolved genealogical tree which attempts to make plain that which could be better left unexplained. The glamour of history would be considerably dimmed if everything was explained, and a very seamy block of marble may be chiselled into a very acceptable statue if the workman but knows how to avoid the doubtful parts. An itinerary that follows not only the ridges, but occasionally plunges down into the hollows and turns up or down such crossroads as may have chanced to look inviting, is perhaps more interesting than one laid out on conventional lines. A shadowy something, which for a better name may be called sentiment, if given full play encourages these side-steps, and since they are generally found fruitful, and often not too fatiguing, the procedure should be given every encouragement. Not all the interesting royal palaces and chateaux of France are those with the best known names. Not all front on Paris streets and quays, no more than the best glimpses of ancient or modern France are to be had from the benches of a sight-seeing automobile.