The Idler in FranceBlessington, Marguerite, Countess of
History
The Idler in France
Blessington, Marguerite, Countess of
France -- Description and travel; France -- Social life and customs
The door on the left-hand end of the large _salon_ opens into a
beautiful room, known as the _Salle de la Victoire_, from its being
decorated by paintings allegorical of Victory. This apartment is
lighted by two large windows, and opposite to them is a deep recess, or
alcove.
A cornice extends around the room, about four feet beneath the ceiling,
and is supported by white columns, projecting into the chamber, on each
of which stands a figure of Victory offering a wreath of laurels. This
cornice divides the room from the recess before mentioned.
The chimney-piece is in a recess, with columns on each side; and the
large mirror over it, and which is finished by the cornice, is faced by
a similar one, also in a recess, with white columns, standing on a
plinth on each side. The windows are finished by the former cornice,
that extends round the rooms, and have similar columns on each side
with Victories on them, and a mirror between. The room is white and
gold, with delicate arabesques, and medallions exquisitely painted.
This _salon_ communicates with a corridor behind it, which admits the
attendance of servants without the necessity of their passing through
the other apartments. Inside this _salon_ is a _chambre à coucher_,
that looks as if intended for some youthful queen, so beautiful are its
decorations. A recess, the frieze of which rests on two white columns
with silvered capitals, is meant to receive a bed.
One side of the room is panelled with mirrors, divided by pilasters
with silver capitals; and on the opposite side, on which is the
chimney, similar panels occupy the same space. The colour of the
apartment is a light blue, with silver mouldings to all the panels, and
delicate arabesques of silver. The chimney-piece and dogs for the wood
have silvered ornaments to correspond.
Inside this chamber is the dressing-room, which is of an octagon shape,
and panelled likewise with mirrors, in front of each of which are white
marble slabs to correspond with that of the chimney-piece. The
mouldings and architectural decorations are silvered, and arabesques of
flowers are introduced.
This room opens into a _salle de bain_ of an elliptical form; the bath,
of white marble, is sunk in the pavement, which is tessellated. From
the ceiling immediately over the bath hangs an alabaster lamp, held by
the beak of a dove; the rest of the ceiling being painted with Cupids
throwing flowers. The room is panelled with alternate mirrors and
groups of allegorical subjects finely executed; and is lighted by one
window, composed of a single plate of glass opening into a little spot
of garden secluded from the rest. A small library completes the suite I
have described, all the apartments of which are on the ground floor.
There are several other rooms in a wing in the court-yard, and the
whole are in perfect order.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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