This
immense basin, surrounded on the side
toward the chateau by a handsome wall of
stone, and on the other by an amphitheater
of turf and trees,--a vast half-circle, in the
center of which stands a marble statue of
Renown, is simple in conception and imposing
from its size. The richly carved lead vases
which adorn the wall were gilded under the
Grand Monarch, and each throws a jet of
water to a great height. Dangeau tells us
that His Majesty saw the waters play here
for the first time on the 17th of May, 1685,
and that he was quite content. However,
Neptune had not then appeared in the basin
that now bears his name; for the large
groups of Neptune, the Ocean, and the
Tritons, which ornament the base of the wall at
present, were not put in place until 1739, in
the reign of Louis XV. This majestic basin
at the foot of the _Allee d'Eau_ is a striking
contrast to Perrault's ugly Pyramid at the
head of it. Le Notre knew what was fitting
for the gardens of a Sun King."
A vast avenue, interrupted by many fair
reaches of water, stretched its level length
before the windows of the Grand Gallery.
It was prolonged to the outer bounds of the
gardens by the Grand Canal, on whose
gleaming surface the sky was mirrored in
the dusk of dawn, the golden glow of noon,
or the sunset of declining day. This has ever
been the supreme view from the palace of
Versailles. Standing at one of the great
windows of the Hall of Mirrors, the _Galerie
des Glaces_, it often pleased the ruler of
France to admire the Fountain of Latona,
casting its fifty jets of water from the
circular pool below the twin terraces.
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