A description of the King's royal palace and gardens at Loo together with A short account of Holland in which there are some observations relating to their diseases / by Walter Harris ...

CHAP. VII

Of the Park, and its Fountains, Long Canal, Cascade, &c. together with the Viver, that supplies the Fountains and Cascades with water: as also a description of six other Vivers, or Fish∣ponds.

THE Park is a great space of Ground contain∣ing many Long Green Walks, Groves, Nurseries: Fountains, Canals, Cascades, the Viver and divers Corn-fields, within the Pales. So that when His Ma∣jesty is pleased to take diversion at home, there is not wanting Game for Shooting, Setting, &c.

As we go from the Fowl-Garden Westwards, we do leave the Old Hoof on the the left hand, and at the West-end of this Garden we come to a large Wire-grate, of the bigness of a large Gate, on both sides of which Grate we pass through Doors into the Park, and first to a Long Ca∣nal, in the which there are no less than a hundred and eight Spouts, half on one side, and the other half on t'other side of the Canal. They throw the water above four foot high, and the water of every Spout is made to fall on the contrary side of the Canal. This Canal is about six foot broad, and the distance between every one of the Spouts is five foot, so as that between eve∣ry two on the same side there are ten foot distance.

At the beginning and end of the Canal, there are pla∣ced two Spouts falling the one upon the place of the other; but all the rest do fall on the contrary side, and distant from the opposite Spouts, the whole length of the Canal. All these Spouts do fall into the figure of an Arch.

This Canal reaches from the Gate of the Fowl-Gar∣den already described, unto a Great Cascade that will be presently mentioned; it has Hedges on each side five yards high; and on the farther side of the Hedge South of the Canal, has a stately Grove of tall Trees, and Northwards of it has all along a Nursery of young ones. About half way, the Walk on each side between the Hedge and the Border of the Canal is about five foot broad, but the other half way, next the Cascade, the Walk is widened unto fifteen foot on both sides. The Canal is Bordered with Green Turf, and has a Slope of the same from the Border down to the water.

About the middle of this Canal, on the South-side, there is placed a Marble Statue of a Flora at length, on a high Stone Pedestal; and on each side of the Flora there is also a Head; the which Statue and Heads are seen as at the end of a long Green Walk North of the Canal, the which Walk is a hundred and seventy paces, to go from the Canal unto the Fountain of Faunus, that will soon be described.

At the West-end of this Long Canal, we come to a most Noble Fabrick of wrought Stone, or to the Cas∣cade of the Fishers, sometimes also called the Cypher Fountain. It is joined to the side of one of the Walks about the Viver; it has Ballisters at the top of the Fabrick, and joining to the Walk above; and there are covered Flowerpots upon the Ballisters. On each side of

this Cascade there are two several ascents by Stone-steps. And first we come to four Steps, on the corners of which there are placed two little Dragons, out of whose mouths the water falls into two scollopt Stone Basins at the bottom, under the Dragons. From these four Steps on both sides, we cross over other Canals by a Stone-bridge, and then come to eleven Stone∣steps more. These Canals do serve to carry away good part of the water that makes this Cascade, and the rest of it runs into the Long Canal, just now described.

In the middle of this Cascade, below the Ballisters, there are four little Boys a fishing, and drawing a Nett full of Fish; the four little Boys are of Stone, with leaden Net-work coloured like Stone, in their Arms; and through a great deal of this Net-work placed between the Boys, the water falls into the a large wrought Basin, and from this Basin the water falls again in five several places between other Net-work. Two of these falls of water from the said Basin are made into a Stone Canal below, that runs along the side of the Wall, under the Stone Bridges into the Canals on the North and South sides of the Cascade. The three other falls are thence made first upon Rockwork, and from thence into a common or general Basin that receives the water aforesaid, besides what comes from the Spouts, and Bell, that will be presently mentioned.

Moreover, into the said Canal that runs along the side of the Wall of this Casacade, there are four other falls of water, whereof the two outward are from two Heads of Stone, the two inward from two Heads of Marble, placed at due distances in the Wall aforesaid. The water from the Heads of Stone falls directly into the Canal, but from the Heads of Marble it falls into Stone-basins, that are about a yard in front, and from

them the sheet of water falls into the said Canal. Be∣sides, out of the lower Wall of this Canal there are two other falls out of two more Heads of Marble into two other Stone-basins of the same bigness with the former, and directly under those Heads of Marble and Basins, that were before mentioned to be placed in the upper Wall of the Canal, or the Side-wall of the Cas∣cade. And from these two Basins the sheets of water of fall into the general Basin at bottom.

In the middle of the common Basin there is a large inverted Bell of water, near two yards high, and the diameter of its basis on the top seems to be much about two yards likewise. About this Bell there do arise twelve Spouts which throw up the water about eight foot. On the North and South sides of the Basin, wherein were the said Great Bell, adn the twelve Spouts, there are other lesser Bells of water inverted, on each side one. These do rise about a foot high, and the diameter of them at the top is much the same. The common Basin below the Cascade is bordered with a broad Stone of sixteen inches breadth, and walled with Rock∣work; and the whole space between the said Border, and the Long Canal before described, as well as to the Stone∣stairs on either side of this Cascade, is taken up chiefly with little Stone-Canals of seven inches breadth, their Border but two inches. But in the intervals between those little Canals the space is paved with white and black Pebbles in divers Figures. From the two lesser Bells the water does run along those little Canals, which besides the flourish they do make on each side, do form the Letters R. W. M. R. And above those Let∣ters the said small Canals are so disposed, as to form the representation of a Crown. Moreover, from among these Pebbles, with which all the intervals between the

little Canals are paved, there are made to rise, when 'tis thought fit, by the turning of two sCocks, about fourscore the most minute Spouts that can be con∣ceived. They are like a shower of small rain, ar∣tisicially made in a certain order. One half of the fourscore is made to play by the turning of one Cock, and the t'other half by turning the other. And these Cocks are turned in the Walk above the Cascade, or between it and the Viver. Every one of these little Spouts plays about a yard high, and the Pipe of every one of them is covered with a small Copper Cover, that has five little holes through which the water does rise in five small branches, like to a very small shower of Rain. Some of the Covers of these Pipes are half an inch, others are three quarters of an inch diameter. But in short, they do make a very pleasant and agreeable sight, when∣ever they are made to play: And they are intended to divert the Spectators, by causing a small Rain un∣awares on those who shall advance within the compass of their reach.

I did before mention two pair of Stone-steps, the one of four, the other of eleven Steps on the North and South sides of this Cascade. From the two sides of the lowermost, or least pair of Steps, where the little Dragons were said to be placed, there are conti∣nued from the Steps on one side to the Steps on the other side of the Cascade, all round this space (which was said to be paved with Pebbles, and to consist of the soresaid Stone Canals) two circles of Stone of fourteen inches, breadth, which do serve instead of a double Bor∣der to the whole; the two Borders keeping the same distance from one another throughout, as the Steps do make in front, or breadth.

When we are up the second pair of Stairs of eleven Steps, we enter upon a Walk, that encompasses a large Quadrangular Pond, called the Viver, being the common Storehouse of the Water that supplies so many of these Fountains, Cascades, and Canals. The Walk on the four sides of the Viver is seven yards broad; it is a Gravelled Walk; and on the side next to the water it is adorned with Juniper-trees two yards high, adn six yards distance from one another; and on the other side of it has Lime-trees at the same distance, besides large round Bushes between the Lime-trees. The Viver is a hundred and forty paces long, and threescore and ten paces broad. It is bordered with green, and has a green Slope from the Border down to the water.

At the West-end of the Viver, in the middle of the Walk, we do pass through another Gate, the Bars partly Gilt, and partly Blew, into a long shady Grove, usually called the Queen's Grove, wherein there are divers Walks, some near unto Brooks of a clear running water, others at some distance from the Brooks, and all of them as solitary and retired, as can well be imagined. This Grove is of a good extent, and in the Summer-time very delightful.

And now before we end, let us return unto the East-gate of the Fowl-Garden, from whence we may enter North-west into a long Walk between high Trees, there being a Grove on each side beyond the rows of Trees. In this Walk, when we have gone about two hundred and twenty paces, and there cross'd another long green Walk, towards the middle of this Walk, where the Groves do end, we do at length come to the Fountain of Faunus, whose Basin is round, and about fifty seven foot diameter. In the middle of this Fountain there is crected the Statue of Faunus in Stone at length, with an Infant in his Arms, and a Goat at

his Feet to suckle the Infant. This Statue of Faunus does lean upon a Stone Pillar, and stands upon a high Pedestal of a Blew Stone, placed in the midst of a Rock, consisting of many rough Stones, petrified Earth of divers colours, and large Shells here and there inter∣mixed. From about this Rockwork there are made six double sheets of water, whereof each double fall is over∣against a several Walk. For from this Fountain there are six distinct Walks, one opposite to another. And round about it, between each of the six Walks, near the corners of the Walks, there are placed two Statues in half-length of the Termini, or Gods of Boundaries, twelve in all; some of which twelve Statues have the face of a Man, and some of a Satyr; and they are placed upon Pede∣stals two yards high. All these Walks are twenty two, or twenty four foot broad; they are green in the mid∣dle, and on each side of the Green they are plain Earth ungravelled, according to the Dutch custom, to about four foot and a half breadth on each side of the Green. The Hedges of all these Walks do consist of Trees both great and small, planted close together. Here are also other handsome long Walks in the Park, that are not men∣tioned; besides Brooks, and Fishponds within the Grove on the sides of the Long Canal.

There is one thing more very remarkable in these many Fountains and Cascades that have been described; as that they are supplied with a natural conveyance of water that does constantly run, and is not forc'd up with Engines into great Cisterns, where it must soon corrupt and stink, if not quickly discharged. Whence it comes to pass, that the famous Water-works at Ver∣sailles have in this regard a very great disadvantage and inconvenience, because they soon contract corruption, and after they are forc'd to play, are found to cause

an ill stench in the Gardens. Whereas at Loo the water is always sweet, and there is no need of Commands, or Preparations for a day or two before, in order to make it run.

These Gradens in the whole are a Work of wonder∣ful Magnisicence, most worthy of so Great a Monarch; a Work of prodigious expence, infinite variety, and cu∣riosity; and after nine years labour by abundance of Workmen they were some years ago intirely finished, and brought to perfection in all respects.

I should here conclude this Description, if I did not judge it it may be acceptable to give a short account of six Vivers, or Fish-ponds, which His Majesty has caused to be made in the Heath, beyond the Gardens. When I was at Loo, two years since, there were about two hundred Persons imployed in the making the said Vivers, which are since finished. They are situated on the East-side of that Walk which is continued from the end of the Upper Garden, between Lime-trees, un∣to a Pyramid that is crected half a mile off in the Heath.

The first of these Vivers is about twenty yards di∣stant from the Lime-trees, and is eight hundred and forty foot, or two hundred and eighty yards in length. And it is two hundred and forty foot, or fourscore yards in breadth.

All the six Vivers do lye Eastward of one another, and the water is conveyed from one to another, after the manner as in the Fist-ponds in Hide-park. To the first there is made a subterrancan Passage, built of Brick, from the Canal that runs at the North-end of the Great Garden, by the which Passage the water is brought into the first Viver, and from that let into the others.

The second Viver is in length six hundred and twelve foot, or two hundred and four yards; and it is two hundred and forty foot, or fourscore yards broad.

The third Viver is four hundred forty four foot, or a hundred forty eight yards long; and of the same breadth with the two former.

The fourth, sifth, and sixth Vivers, are all of the same length, that is, three hundred ninety six foot, or one hundred thirty two yards long; and they are all three of the same breadth, that is, four hundred forty four foot, or one hundred forty eight yards.

The length of the three first Vivers is extended Northwards, but that of the three latter is made East∣ward; the situation of the ground, wherein they are made, requiring this alteration. For on the North∣side the Heath has a rising ascent, which makes this alteration of the dimensions necessary. Between the Vivers and this rising-ground there is room enough for receiving the water that shall at any time be emptied out of them, in order to fill them with fresh water.

They are not made above six foot deep, and the Earth that is dug out of them does serve to make the Banks round about them; the which Banks being rais∣ed three foot above the Vivers, does occasion that their depth is but three foot more. The Banks that surround all the six Vivers are twenty four foot broad, and on those Banks which so encompass them, there is made a pleasant Walk, adorned with Willows the whole circumference. But the Banks which serve to separate them from one another, are but eighteen foot broad. These Vivers are provided for the sup∣plying different sorts of Fish; and are now finished

by a Model of Mosieur Marot, a very ingenious Mathematician, who is the same Person that first Designed all these Gardens and Fountains; but the Or∣ders relating to them were from time to time gi∣ven by the Right Honourable the Earl of Portland; and his Lordship's Directions were punctually observed by Monsieur des Marais, His Majesty's Chief Archi∣tect, a Gentleman of great Endowments and Ca∣pacity.