The rooms abound in excellent engravings,
paintings, and other works of art; and the greatest taste and
splendour is displayed even in the minor arrangements.
A pretty Chinese chiosque, filled with good statues, which have been
unfortunately much damaged and broken, stands near the palace.
These three beautiful royal residences are situated in parks, which
are so united that they seem only as one. The parks are filled with
fine trees, and verdant fields crossed by well-kept paths and
drives; but I saw very few flower-beds in them.
When I had contemplated every thing at leisure, I returned to the
palace of Sans Souci, to see the beautiful fountains, which play
twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday, from noon till evening. The
columns projected from the basin in front of the castle are so
voluminous, and rise with such force, that I gazed in amazement at
the artifice. It is real pleasure to be near the basin when the sun
shines in its full splendour, forming the most beautiful rainbows in
the falling shower of drops. Equally beautiful is a fountain rising
from a high vase, enwreathed by living flowers, and falling over it,
so that it forms a quick, brisk fountain, transparent, and pure as
the finest crystal. The lid of the vase, also enwreathed with
growing flowers, rises above the fountain. The Neptune's grotto is
of no great beauty; the water falls from an urn placed over it, and
forms little waterfalls as it flows over nautilus-shells.
The marble palace lies on the other side of Potsdam, and is half an
hour's distance from these palaces; but I had time enough to visit
it.
Entering the park belonging to this palace, a row of neat peasants'
cottages is seen on the left; they are all alike, but separated by
fruit, flower, or kitchen-gardens. The palace lies at the extreme
end of the park, on a pretty lake formed by the river Havel. It
certainly has some right to the name of marble palace; but it seems
presumption to call it so when compared to the marble palaces of
Venice, or the marble mosques of Constantinople.
The walls of the building are of brick left in its natural colour.
The lower and upper frame-work, the window-sashes, and the portals,
are all of marble. The palace is partly surrounded by a gallery
supported on marble columns. The stairs are of fine white marble,
and many of the apartments are laid with this mineral. The interior
is not nearly so luxurious as the other palaces.
This was the last of the sights I saw in Potsdam or the environs of
Berlin; for I continued my journey to Vienna on the following day.
