DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16633#0077
58
History of Garden Art
his new castle. It was said that Colbert visited it secretly while it was still in course of
building, and informed the king of the immense number of workmen and the enormous
expenses. The brilliant fete, at which the king was not present, excited his anger and
also his greed, and he offered to appear at another one on 17 August. But Fouquet's
fall was a prearranged affair; indeed the king had purposed to arrest his host at his own
house while the fete was going on, and it was only his mother who dissuaded him from
this. The king arrived, and was received with pomp; but he could scarcely restrain his
anger at the luxury which he could not equal. In the grand procession which inaugu-
rated the fete, he saw everywhere the armorial bearings of his minister, an ibex with the
proud but ill-starred motto, Quo non ascendet.
After the great feast came the performance, in the garden, of Mohere's piece, Les
Facheux, at the theatre erected at the end of an avenue of pines. This had been written
m fifteen days especially for the festival. Le Brun had painted the decorations; and
Pelisson, the well-known prose writer, and Fouquet's secretary, had composed a prologue
for it, which was recited by the best actress of the day, La Bejart. A ballet, suited to the
persons of the comedy, was conducted by Giacomo Torelli of Urbmo, whose cleverness
at decoration and machinery had gained him the name of "Le grand Jongleur." After
the acting a firework display caused the greatest enthusiasm. At this there occurred an
unfortunate accident: two horses belonging to the queen-mother's carriage shied and were
drowned in the great canal. Lafontame, who wrote an eloquent description of this gala
to his friend Mancroi, ends his letter with the words: " I did not imagine that my account
would have such a sad ending." The poet did not know what a gloomy import these words
held; for he and the host of admirers never suspected that, one short month later, their
Maecenas, their friend, and their protector, in strict custody, and accused of high treason,
would only just escape a sentence of death, and that his doom of exile for life would only
be commuted to imprisonment for life by the king who hated and would not forgive him.
The wonderful beauty of Vaux-le-Vicomte flowered quickly but soon faded and was
gone, leaving behind only loneliness and neglect. But Fouquet's name and character
never shone so brightly in the days of glory as now in the season of misfortune. Though
a strong opposing party might have oppressed him, though his own ambition might have so
far misled him that he had become a dangerous servant to the king, and though the new
course of the ship of state might have baffled him, he did as a fact acquire a glorious
halo, arising from the love, the unwearying faithfulness, and the active help of friends,
poets, artists, and men of letters. Fouquet was no ordinary patron; he knew how to make
these people his friends. He was really something of an artist himself, and understood
what he gave other people to do. It is related of him that, when he was ccming out of
the sessions room during his own trial and was being led through a court outside, he saw
some workmen busy at a well; he stopped and went up to them, and forgetting his
own troubles, gave them advice as to how they could start it better, "for I have some
knowledge of these matters."
The kind thought that he had constantly for those about him was shown in various
ways. Corneille, who wrote his (Edipus at Fouquet's request, says m his preface that
Fouquet, who at that time was living at the fine castle of Saint-Mande, had opened his
library in the town (as well as the one in the country) as a waiting-room. Scarcely was the
news of his downfall known when a general cry of lamentation arose. Pelisson, who had
History of Garden Art
his new castle. It was said that Colbert visited it secretly while it was still in course of
building, and informed the king of the immense number of workmen and the enormous
expenses. The brilliant fete, at which the king was not present, excited his anger and
also his greed, and he offered to appear at another one on 17 August. But Fouquet's
fall was a prearranged affair; indeed the king had purposed to arrest his host at his own
house while the fete was going on, and it was only his mother who dissuaded him from
this. The king arrived, and was received with pomp; but he could scarcely restrain his
anger at the luxury which he could not equal. In the grand procession which inaugu-
rated the fete, he saw everywhere the armorial bearings of his minister, an ibex with the
proud but ill-starred motto, Quo non ascendet.
After the great feast came the performance, in the garden, of Mohere's piece, Les
Facheux, at the theatre erected at the end of an avenue of pines. This had been written
m fifteen days especially for the festival. Le Brun had painted the decorations; and
Pelisson, the well-known prose writer, and Fouquet's secretary, had composed a prologue
for it, which was recited by the best actress of the day, La Bejart. A ballet, suited to the
persons of the comedy, was conducted by Giacomo Torelli of Urbmo, whose cleverness
at decoration and machinery had gained him the name of "Le grand Jongleur." After
the acting a firework display caused the greatest enthusiasm. At this there occurred an
unfortunate accident: two horses belonging to the queen-mother's carriage shied and were
drowned in the great canal. Lafontame, who wrote an eloquent description of this gala
to his friend Mancroi, ends his letter with the words: " I did not imagine that my account
would have such a sad ending." The poet did not know what a gloomy import these words
held; for he and the host of admirers never suspected that, one short month later, their
Maecenas, their friend, and their protector, in strict custody, and accused of high treason,
would only just escape a sentence of death, and that his doom of exile for life would only
be commuted to imprisonment for life by the king who hated and would not forgive him.
The wonderful beauty of Vaux-le-Vicomte flowered quickly but soon faded and was
gone, leaving behind only loneliness and neglect. But Fouquet's name and character
never shone so brightly in the days of glory as now in the season of misfortune. Though
a strong opposing party might have oppressed him, though his own ambition might have so
far misled him that he had become a dangerous servant to the king, and though the new
course of the ship of state might have baffled him, he did as a fact acquire a glorious
halo, arising from the love, the unwearying faithfulness, and the active help of friends,
poets, artists, and men of letters. Fouquet was no ordinary patron; he knew how to make
these people his friends. He was really something of an artist himself, and understood
what he gave other people to do. It is related of him that, when he was ccming out of
the sessions room during his own trial and was being led through a court outside, he saw
some workmen busy at a well; he stopped and went up to them, and forgetting his
own troubles, gave them advice as to how they could start it better, "for I have some
knowledge of these matters."
The kind thought that he had constantly for those about him was shown in various
ways. Corneille, who wrote his (Edipus at Fouquet's request, says m his preface that
Fouquet, who at that time was living at the fine castle of Saint-Mande, had opened his
library in the town (as well as the one in the country) as a waiting-room. Scarcely was the
news of his downfall known when a general cry of lamentation arose. Pelisson, who had