“ the fea from whence they are diilributed to all the
different fountains and water works, the whole garden
being on a flope, about two miles in circumference.
Other fprings with two brooks, form the little river
Erefma, abounding in falmon trout, where the king
often diverts himfelf with filhing, under the ihade of
thickets, beautifully variegated hy the pencil o f nature.
The dreary mountain at the top o f thefe gardens, is
a kind o f rock compofed o f clay and fine fand, which
by degrees crumbling and mixing with rotten, leaves
and roots, forms that light coat of earth,, which juft
covers the rock., and gives nurture to the firs and other
trees and ihrubs. The foot o f the mountain is of
granite, and ferves for building, fometimes for mill-
ftones, though rather too foft for this purpofe, Handing
in need of frequent repairs. They get vegetative
earth on the Northfide, about a hundred paces,from.the
green, rails* of the flower garden, which being further
cheriihed by manure, is laid a foot high on the rock,
and by dint of cultivation and care, they are enabled
to raife flowers and fruits, whofe roots hardly touch the
barren foil o f the place..
Mr* Bowles informs us, That when the late queen mouther
lived at St. Ildefonfo, the Infant, Don Lewis, her
fon, had an aviary in the gardens, filled with a great
variety
variety of beautiful birds ; one place was allotted for
woodcocks, where they lived for feveral years. In the
middle of their cage a channel o f fpring water was introduced,
which kept up a conftant frefhnefs of verdure ;
a fir tree, flood in the centre, furrounded with ihrubs, and
they were daily fupplied with frefh clods o f turf, full of
worms, which, though they hid themfelves ever fo
much therein, the bird would inflantly difcover by the
fmell, and driving in his long bill bring them immediately
out, then railing his head towards the iky, and
extending the worm gently the length o f his bill, would
let it flide down foftly, without any appearance o f deglutition
; all which was performed with the utmoft facility,
as if totally unemployed, without ever milling
its aim, and fhould the woodcock be killed at that
moment, thefe naufeous worms would immediately contribute
towards the forming a delicious repaft at the
moil elegant tables.
The palace of St. Ildefonfo has a noble colleilion o f
excellent pictures. In the gallery there are many fine
flatues bought at Rome, out o f the colledlion o f queen
Chriflina of Sweden; amongfl which the groupe o f
Caflor and Pollux facrificing, and a fawn, are undoubtedly
the moil beautiful. The flatues in the garden are
chiefly of marble of Granada, fome few o f marble of
Carrara; there is nothing elfe remarkable except the
fine