Next the house the
ground fell away so sharply that he had been able to create a terraced
garden, the only private terraced garden in Rome, extending across the
entire rear of his palace and with three terraces, from the uppermost of
which the view was almost as good as from the upper windows of the
mansion. Below this, each extending along but half the length of the
terraces, was a grass-garden, where it was possible to play ball-games, it
being a mere expanse of sward shut in by high walls covered with flowering
vines; and a formal garden, in the fashionable style. Below the grass-
garden was one of similar size, all flower-beds, to supply roses, lilies,
violets and other staple blossoms for his banqueting-hall, below the
formal garden was one called the wild-garden or shrubbery-garden, like the
grass-garden in being covered with sward almost from wall to wall, but
unlike it, in that it had four shade trees, no two alike, and many
flowering shrubs of all kinds and sizes. Lastly below these two was the
water-garden, the same size as the terraced garden, taken up with
fountains and pools, and all gay in season, with the flowers which thrive
in or beside ponds and pools. It had also eight beautiful lotus trees.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203