Charles
V., Francois II., Henry IV., Louis XIII., and Louis XIV., all exercised
their taste upon it, and all added to its general deformity.
Near this Henri Quatre built another chateau, which fell into ruins forty
or fifty years ago. These ruins were altogether effaced by Charles X., who
had formed the project of raising another structure upon the spot,
entirely his own. The project, however, failed, like that of the coup
d'etat, but this is of no consequence. The new chateau exists in various
books of travel, written by eye-witnesses, quite as palpably as the
enormous bulk of the ancient chateau. It is a true "castle in Spain."
Among the sights to be seen in the palace is the chamber of Mademoiselle
de la Valliere, and the trap-door by which she was visited by Louis
Quatorze. There are also the chamber and oratory of our James II., who
died at Saint Germain, on the 16th September, 1701.
The forest of Saint Germain is seven leagues in circumference, pierced in
every direction by roads and paths, and containing various edifices that
were used as hunting-lodges.
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