Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 3: France and the Netherlands, Part 1
History
Seeing Europe with Famous Authors, Volume 3: France and the Netherlands, Part 1
France -- Description and travel; Netherlands -- Description and travel
After the second Restoration Prince Eugène sold Malmaison, removing its
gallery of pictures to Munich. There is now nothing remarkable in the
desolate rooms, tho the Salle des Maréchaux, the bedroom of Josephine,
and the grand salon, with a chimney-piece given by the Pope are pointed
out. In later years the house was for some time inhabited by Queen
Christina of Spain. It will be a source of European regret if at least
the building connected with so many historic souvenirs, and the
immediate grounds are not preserved.
St. Germain
By Leitch Ritchie
[Footnote: From "The Rivers of France." Pictures by J. M. W. Turner,
R.A. Text by Leitch Ritchie.]
The view from the terrace of Saint Germain is one of the finest in
France. This view, and a shady walk in the forest behind, are the only
attractions of Saint Germain; for the old palace of the kings of France
presents the appearance of nothing more than a huge, irregular,
unsightly brick building. It is true, a great portion of the walls is
of cut stone; but this is the idea which the whole conveys to the
spectator. The edifice stands on the site of a chateau built by
Louis-le-Gros, which, having been burned down by the English, was thus
raised anew from its ruins. Charles V., François II., Henry IV., Louis
XIII., and Louis XIV., all exercised their taste upon it, and all added
to its general deformity.
Near this Henri Quatre built another château, which fell into ruins
forty or fifty years ago. These ruins were altogether effaced by
Charles X., who had formed the project of raising another structure
upon the spot, entirely his own. The project, however, failed, like
that of the coup d'etat, but this is of no consequence. The new château
exists in various books of travel, written by eye-witnesses, quite as
palpably as the enormous bulk of the ancient château. It is a true
"castle in Spain." Among the sights to be seen in the palace is the
chamber of Mademoiselle de la Vallière, and the trap-door by which she
was visited by Louis Quatorze. There are also the chamber and oratory
of our James II., who died at Saint Germain, on the 16th September,
1701.
The forest of Saint Germain is seven leagues in circumference, pierced
in every direction by roads and paths, and containing various edifices
that were used as hunting-lodges. This vast wood affords no view,
except along the seemingly interminable path in which the spectator
stands, the vista of which, carried on with mathematical regularity,
terminates in a point. This is the case with all the great forests of
France except that of Fontainebleau, where nature is sometimes seen in
her most picturesque form. In the more remote and unfrequented parts of
Saint Germain, the wild boar still makes his savage lair; and still the
loiterer, in these lengthened alleys, is startled by a roebuck or a
deer springing across the path....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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