Germain, she
immediately flew, in a most superstitious manner, from all places
and churches that bore this name; she no more resorted to St.
Germain-en-Laye, and because her palace of the Tuilleries was situated
in the parish of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, she was at the expense of
building another, which was the Hotel de Soissons, near the church
of St. Eustache. When it was known to be Laurence de Saint Germain,
Bishop of Nazareth, who had attended her upon her death-bed, people
infatuated with astrology averred that the prediction had been
accomplished.]
[Footnote 15: Henri IV se plaisait beaucoup a Saint-Germain, et y vint
souvent, quand son coeur fut epris des charmes de la belle Gabrielle.
Ce prince galant et liberal, qui deja lui avait prouve son amour par
le don d'une infinite de maisons de campagne, aux environs de Paris,
voulut encore lui donner une preuve de sa tendresse, en batissant pour
elle, a deux cents toises de l'ancien chateau, une nouvelle et belle
habitation, qu'on appela le Chateau Neuf. Eleve sur les dessins
de l'architecte Marchand, il etait surtout remarquable par son
architecture simple, ses nombreuses devises, les chiffres amoureux
et les emblemes allegoriques qui le decoroient, et qui faisoient une
ingenieuse allusion a la passion du monarque pour sa maitresse.
L'une des ailes de ce chateau s'appelait meme le Pavillon de
Gabrielle.--_Hist. Topo. des Environs de Paris_.]
The City of Paris is seen in the distance. The fine aqueduct of Marly,
the mountain de Coeur volant, Mount Calvary,[16] and Malmaison to the
right; in front the forest of Vesinet, and beyond it the vale of Saint
Denis; on the left the hills which encompass the beautiful vale of
Montmorency; the Seine winding at the foot, and extending its course
until it loses itself in the distance--all within one sweep of the
eye!--Such is the enchanting prospect which presents itself.
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