Trente-six fables d'Ésope/Le combat des oiseaux
La fable d'Ésope | Le quatrain de Bensérade | ||
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Guerre entre les oiseaux sanglante et meurtrière, Dont pas un ne voulut avoir le démenti ; Mais la chauve-souris trahissant son parti, N'osa jamais depuis regarder la lumière. |
La fontaine de Versailles Cette fontaine est dans un grand cabinet de treillage de fer et de bois,
La fontaine, à l'intérieur d'une superbe résidence estivale, très bien décorée de (chantournage) |
Le texte d'origine en anglais
This Fountain, within a superb summer- house, beautifully embellished with fret-work, composed of carved wood and polished iron artfully intermixed, and covered with honey- suckles, roses, and a great variety of the choicest and most fragrant flowers. – It is adorned with all the beauties of architecture ; the dome whereof is open, having small balisters only all round the aperture. The cornice or vault, is full of BIRDS of almost every species, who eject a profusion of water down into the vase or bason, which is all rock-work ; in the center whereof, is erected a rock, and all along the whole exent of it are represented a numerous army, as it were of four-footed BEASTS, such as LIONS, TYGERS, etc. each of which are ejecting large streams of water that almost reach the vault, and are levelled at the BIRDS above. Other Animals of an inferior species are represented standing, at different posts, in a hostile manner, all around the spacious edifice. And at each corner are planted a whole troop of them, ejecting their several waters in such a variety of large streams, as very naturally represent the storming of a Fort. – But what is most admirable, is the various attitudes in which each BEAST is described ; and their resolution to die or conquer. – At the great gates of this superb Building are planted two MONKIES, each humorously mounted on a GOAT, in the nature of centinels, who eject a surprising quantity of water into the air from their standards, which are
composed of polished brass, richly gilt.