FONTAINEBLEAU is a town of France, in the depart ment of the Seine and Marne. It is beautifully situated in the forest of the same name, and consists of a principal street, with several smaller ones. Fontainebleau is chiefly celebrated for its royal palace, which is built at the south end of the town. In its external appearance it is very ugly and irregular, having been erected at different times. It consists indeed of four distinct chateaus, each of which has a garden, and contains no fewer than about 900 apartments, most of which arc fitted up in the most splendid style. The apartments in wine h the Pope was detained by Bona parte ; the small room, in which Bonaparte himself abdi cated the throne of France ; and the bed-room in which he slept before he set off for Elba, are now shewn with great interest to travellers. The gallery of Francis I. contains 26 busts of eminent men upon marble pillars. Among these, the writer of this article observed Alexander the Great, Demosthenes, Cicero, Gustavus Adolphus, Duke of Marlborough, Washington, Colbert, L'Hopital, and a great number of Bonaparte's aides de camps. A large bust of
General Dessaix presided at one end of the room. The chapel is extremely beautiful, the floor being variegated with the finest marble ; but it had not received any repairs since the revolution. The theatre is remarkably elegant, being adorned with blue and gold. In the middle of a large piece of water stands the pavilion of Louis XIV. Se veral pieces of water arc seen from the palace, and sonic fine wooded hills, but there is nothing very remarkable about the grounds. The front of the palace, which is op posite to the town, is inclosed with a lofty iron railing, each rail being in the form of spear with a gilt top, a form which is adopted at all the palaces of Bonaparte.
The forest of Fontainebleau is almost round, and con tains about 25,000 acres. It covers several small hills and plains, and the surface of these hills is covered with large insult,ted stones, which have the appearance or being thrown there by accident. Many fine trees in the forest are in a state of complete decay. Population of the town 9' 00. (j)