one of the Princes of the Blood; which coft him near [b] Two Hundred Thousand Pounds; without reckoning any thing for the Furniture and Ornaments of the Infide; for they were a Present to him from the Emperor.

I must add one Word more, in relation to the Variety which reigns in these Pleasure-houses. It is not only to be found in their Situations, Views, Difpofitions, Sizes, Heights, and all the other general Points; but alfo in their leffer Parts, that go to the compofing of them. Thus, for inftance, there is no People in the World who can fhew fuch a Variety of Shapes and Forms, in their Doors and Windows, as the Chinese. They have fome round, oval, square, and all Sorts of angled Figures; fome, in the Shape of Fans; others in thofe of Flowers, Vafes, Birds, Beafts, and Fishes; in fhort, of all Forms whether regular or irregular.

It is only here too, I believe, that one can fee fuch Porticos, as I am going to describe to you. They serve to join fuch Parts of the Buildings in the fame Palace, as lie pretty wide from one another. Thefe are sometimes raifed on Columns only, on the Side toward the Houfe; and have Openings, of different Shapes, through the Walls on the other Side; and fometimes have only Columns on both

[b] The Original says, Soixante Ouanes; and adds in a Note, that one Quane is worth Ten Thousand Jaëls; and each Jaël is worth Seven Livres and a Half; so that Sixty Ouanes make Four Million, and a Half of Livres ; which is equal to 196,875 Pounds Sterling.

Sides; as in all fuch as lead from any of the Palaces, to their open Pavilions for taking the fresh Air. But what is fo fingular in thefe Porticos, or Colonnades, is, that they feldom run on in ftrait Lines ; but make an Hundred Turns and Windings: Sometimes by the Side of a Grove, at others, behind a Rock, and at others again along the Banks of their Rivers or Lakes. Nothing can be conceived more delightful; they have such a rural Air as is quite ravishing and inchanting.

You will certainly conclude from all I have told you, that this Pleasure-place must have cost immense Sums of Money; and indeed there is no Prince, but fuch a one as is Mafter of fo vaft a State as the Emperor of China is, who could either afford fo prodigious an Expence, or accomplish fuch a Number of great Works in fo little Time; for all this was done in the Compass of Twenty Years. It was the Father of the present Emperor who began it; and his Son now only adds Conveniences and Ornaments to it, here and there.

But there is nothing fo furprising or incredible, in this; for befides that the Buildings are moft commonly but of one Story, they employ fuch prodigious Numbers of Workmen, that every thing is carried on very faft. Above Half the Difficulty is over, when they have got their Materials upon the Spot. They fall immediately to difpofing them in Order; and, in a few Months the Work is finished. They look almost like those fabulous Palaces, which are

faid to be raised by Inchantment, all at once, in fome beautiful Valley, or on the Brow of fome Hill.

This whole Inclofure is called Yuen-ming Yuen, the Garden of Gardens; or the Garden by way of Eminence. It is not the only one that belongs to the Emperor; he has Three others, of the fame Kiad; but none of them fo large, or so beautiful, as this. In one of these lives the Emprefs his Mother, and all her Court. It was built by the prefent Emperor's Grandfather [i] Cang-hy; and is called Ichang tchun yven, or the Garden of perpetual Spring. The Pleasure-places of the Princes and Grandees are, in Little, what those of the Emperor are in Great.

Perhaps you will ask me, " "Why all this long De"fcription? Should not I rather have drawn Plans of "this magnificent Place, and fent them to you?" To have done that, would have taken me up at least Three Years, without touching upon any thing else; whereas I have not a Moment to spare; and am forced to borrow the Time in which I now write to you, from my Hours of Reft. To which you may add, that for fuch a Work, it would be neceffary for me to have full Liberty of going into any Part of the Gardens whenever I pleased, and to stay there as long as I pleased; which is quite impracticable here. 'Tis very fortunate for me, that I had got the little Knowledge of Painting that I have; for, without this, I fhould have been in the fame Cafe with feveral other

[] Cang-by began his Reign in 1660; his Sop Yongtching fucceeded him in 1722; and his Grandfon Kien-long in 1735.

Europeans,

Europeans, who have been here between Twenty and Thirty Years, without being able ever to set their Feet on any Spot of this delightful Ground. There is but one Man here, and that's the Emperor. All Pleasures are made for him alone, This charming Place is scarce ever seen by any body but himself, his Women, and his Eunuchs. The Princes, and other chief Men of the Country, are rarely admitted any further than the Audience-Chambers. Of all the Europeans that are here, none ever entered this Inclosure, except the Clock-makers and Painters, whofe Employments make it neceflary that they should be admitted every where. The Place ufually affigned us to paint in, is in one of thofe little Palaces above-mentioned; where the Emperor comes to see us work almost every Day; fo that we can never be abfent. We don't go out of the Bounds of this Palace, unless what we are to paint cannot be brought to us; and in such Cases they conduct us to the Place under a large Guard of Eunuchs. We are obliged to go quick, and without any Noise; and huddle and fteal along foftly, as if we were going upon fome Piece of Mischief. 'Tis in this Manner that I have gone through, and seen, all this beautiful Garden; and entered into the Apartments. The Emperor ufually refides here Ten Months in each Year. We are about Ten Miles from Pekin. All the Day we are in the Garden; and have a Table furnished for us by the Emperor: For the Nights, we have bought us a House near the Entrance to the Gardens. When the Emperor returns to Pekin, we attend him; are lodged

there within his Palace; and go every Evening to the French Church [k].

I think it is high Time both for you and me, that I fhould put an End to this Letter; which has carried me on to a greater Length than I at firft intended. I wish it may give you any Pleasure; and should be very glad if it was in my Power to do any thing more confiderable, to fhew you the perfect Efteem I have for you. I fhall always remember you in my Prayers; and beg you would fometimes remember me in yours. I am, with the greatest Regard,

[] Here follow Fourteen or Fifteen Pages in the Original, which treat only of the Author's private Affairs, or of the Affairs of the Miffion, without any thing relating to the Emperor's Garden; and are therefore omitted by the Tranflatoṛ.

DEFOR