Ix ?
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th e charge of it. 1 began with the little plain already there (which may still be recognised in the ichnography,
in which are the covered arbours, otherwise called leafy), and making the said garden on different
stages, according to the declivity of the mountain. But what is much to be observed in this work,
is the great difficulty of removing the rocks, of which the greater part of the mountain is composed ;
and the said rocks are so solid, th a t scarcely any fissures are to be found to facilitate the breaking of
them, as are seen in freestone. But his majesty would not give up his design for these difficulties ; therefore,
with expense and labour, we have arrived, in th e present month of November, 1619, very near the
accomplishment of all the work ; and if it had not been for the present wars, the whole might have been
done in about six months.”
Description. “ Therefore, to begin to make
a description of all th a t is most exquisite, and
of what is to be when the whole shall be finished,
I shall begin with the two great p la n s :—the
one, of all the gardens ; the other, o fth e sceno-
graphy, or perspective, of the said garden, with
p a rt of the city and the surrounding country:
and as these two plans may not be sufficient to
show all the particulars of the whole work, I
have made individual plans, from the first of
which may be seen one of the parterres of the
garden, in which is situated th e fountain de la
Colonne, which was th e first done. A valley
passed through th e said parterre, which was 62
feet deep a t th e place of the pillar, so th a t it was
necessary to fill it (as was the case with the
greater part of th e rest) with the rock which
was cut from the higher sides. The said pillar
throws the water all round, falling in drops on
th e surrounding masses of rocks. Near to the
said parte rre there is another of similar size, in
embroidery patterns, round which are eight
Muses, ancl one, in the middle, called Urania.
T h e latter shows the hour with a rod, by means
of th e shadow of the end of the said rod, when
the sun shines. T h e other parte rre following,
is a compartment, th e borders of which are of
freestone, raised two feet, and filled with earth
within. This parte rre serves to p u t a p a rt of
the moveable orange trees in, when they are
taken out of the sto v e; and between these orange
trees melons may be sown. Then comes a parterre
d ’eau quite near, in which there are five
figures as large as life viz..urea us iurj;e us me ; viz.. uounee iiini tuhiee miiiiiduduilce
■g.98.), who holds a kind of parasol over his
■ whence issues a quantity of water ; two
s of women, one of whom wrings her hair
( j^ .9 6 .) , and the other her chemise {Jig. 97.),
the water issues from the hair and from the
chemise. T h e two others are two children upon
sea m onsters, which throw out water from their
nostrils.” (E g s . 99. and 100.)
“ The orangery follows, in which there are
thirty large orange trees, each about 25 feet
high, and about 400 others, both middling-sized
and small. These orange trees are about sixty
years old ; they were brought of this size from th e garden below, and carried up th e mountain witfi
great labour, and the earth around them, th e roots preserved in the cases made on purpose ; a thing
which was thought impossible by most people. This orangery is 28D feet long and 32 wide ; and it is
made of wood, which is p u t up every year about Michaelmas, and the orange trees are warmed by means
of four furnaces all the winter ; so that, in the time of the great frosts, one can walk in this orangery
without feeling any cold, on account of the heat which proceeds from the furnaces. At Easter the framework
is taken away, to leave the trees uncovered all the summer. On account of the difficulty of putting
up this frame, and of th e expense of keeping it in repair, I advised his majesty to have the orangery
covered with a construction of freestone, so th a t in winter, th e roof being already covered, it was only
necessary to close th e windows, and thus much wooden-work might be spared, which often requires
repair and keeping in order. T h e holes th a t are drawn in the four pilasters are for the escape of the
water when it rains. T h e pillars should be all in th e shape of trunks of trees, with ivy round them.
“ The jiower-garden is 460 feet long and 200 broad. The round p arte rre in the middle is divided into
four parts, for th e four seasons o f the y e a r; and each of these parts contains nine double beds, which,
divided into three parts, will be, each month of th e year, th ree double beds of fiowers, which flower in the
month ; for it is certain th a t flowers may be had all times of th e year. I have represented, in drawing,
the fountain which is in the middle of this parterre, which should be ornamented with rocks and other
rustic things. At the bottom of this garden there is a large summer-hou.se, 88 feet long and 70 broad.
It is still unfinished, on account of th e Bohemian wars. There is, besides, the garden on the lowest
stage, different from all th e others ; the parterres of which are all in embroidery patterns, and the
walks raised two feet, by means of a border of freestone all ro u n d : a t the angles of these parterres
are put, in summer, orange trees and other portable shrubs. In the middle of this garden there is a small
fish-pond, which receives generally all the water of the gardens ; and two large figures, representing
th e two rivers, viz. the Main and tlie Neckar, exactly opposite each other, and the water issues from
th e rock which is near them. T o re turn to the higher stag e : there is, besides, a fountain in the flower-
garden similar to that o fth e pillar which is a t the entrance of th e garden, which is to be ornamented
with rocks and some compartment of shells, with four spouts of metal in the form of shells. In the
higher stage, above the large door, there are several covered arbours ; but the four in which are the
twisted columns are seen above th e others, by being placed in a situation from whence can be seen
almost all the garden. In these arbours are also fountains, the water of which runs into a stair of an
extraordinary form, in which there are pedestals on both sides, where the water descends from one_ to
the other, and then runs off to th e small fish-pond above the grottoes: in the middle of this there is a
Venus, borne by four dolphins, which throw th e water from their nostrils. This fish-pond serves for a
reservoir of water for the grotto which is below. Near to this, there is a large niche, at the end of one
of th e alleys of the pail-mail (pall mall), in which there is a fountain and a Neptune ; and quite a t the
top, th e figure of his majesty, 15 feet high. . ^ .
‘■‘■The large grotto is 70 feet long within, and 32 broad: it is as if half divided into two ; viz. one p a rt of
which, th e ceuing, is composed of several compartments and figures of shells ; the other p a rt is rustic.
In these grottoes there are many varieties of inventions in water, which require an hour to see them
all. The door of this grotto is composed of twelve figures of animals {Jig. 101.), with many rustic
stones.
“ Near to this srotto there is a small fish-pond, where there is a figure 18 feet long, representing the
Rhine ; and from the surrounding rock th e water issues by several small pipes, most of which play to the
^^‘^A ttlie '^o th eZd of the garden is seen a gallery of rustic pillars, in which are several fountains, which
serve as rS erv o irs d put the fish of the court in ; and a t one of th e ends of this gallery there is a grotto,
not so large as the other, but richer in rocks, shells, corals, &c. There is also great abundance of water,
which flows down the rocks, made like pieces of ice. T h ere are also two figures of stone as large as life ;
one representing a young man, who is pouring out water to wash the hands, when they intend
this grotto ; and the other is like a flat basket, to put g’— in. There i ) a table in the mTniidrtdrlllec,.
from whence proceeds several inventions in w a te r; and on th e two sides, and over the door on th e inside,
there are three rivers, which throw the water from pitchers, and which falls over rocks below. 1 hese
figures are to be covered with shells and little rocks, in.the manner of mosaics. There remains now to
be mentioned a vault, 30 feet wide and 275 feet long, which is divided into three parts. One serves for
trees and shrubs, such as orange trees, pomegranates, rosemary, &c., which could not all be put into
th e other orangery. His majesty had also the intention in time to have made a hydraulic machine^ to
represent, by means of water, th e three sorts of ancient music ; viz. th e diatonic, enftrmqnic, and chromatic
: b u t this design has been frustrated on account of th e wars of Bohemia. The other parftvould
have served to put the movements for making a satyr play on th e flageolet, which was to have been at
one of the endsfwhich would have been a bath fit for bathing m a t all times of the year, by means of
two furnaces which would have heated the water in th e place of the bath. At the other end ot this
would have been a rustic fountain, with a Narcissus near it. In this manner, courteous reader, his
malestv would have wished to have his garden ornamented with all these ra re pieces, of which a groat
part is finished : and, I hope, the rest will be finished, when God by his divine goodness shall give him
grace to live in peace, for which all his subjects and faithful servants pray, and ought to pray, eternally
to God to do.”