The
Entrance To the Gardens
From
the entrance of Livsden
Gardens, a dusty cobblestone
path leads our visitor
to Tranquille Walk,
which houses the Gardens
Proper: a walled esplanade,
separated in three distinct
parts, once abundant
with floral settings,
ponds, and benches,
all attended by an array
of sculpture, and within
one section, a garden
maze. The outer walls
of Tranquille Walk are
inlaid with numerous
gargoyles and pensive
angels, though weathered
quite drearily due to
seasons of storms. Within,
the cobblestones of
the Walk are barely
detectable beneath weed
and moss; the sundry
stone benches and meditative
statuary attending the
now tumultuous garden
milieus are in various
stages of decline, all
littered with layers
of dead leaves. Here
is where our tour begins,
dear reader, in the
Gardens Proper...
Walking
towards the entryway
of Tranquille Walk,
one can see the Pool
of Inevitability on
their left, a once impressive
reflecting pool, now
an unrestrained natatorium
brimming with overgrowth
and pond wildlife. On
our right, we come to
the Gardens Proper...
The first entryway into
the Gardens leads one
into a maze of stone
walls and weedy dead-ends.
It is quite dark within
this part of Tranquille
Walk and terribly easy
to get lost; the walls
are over ten feet tall
and the paths are very
narrow. The smell of
damp earth and rotting
leaves fills the air...
The
Forgotten Crypt
At
the far end of Tranquille
Walk is a sectional promenade,
consisting of two parts,
only one of which is actually
known. The main room is
the largest, and there
one will find Silent Pond,
a shallow reflecting pool
that stretches across
the length of the wall.
Four statues attend each
corner of the pool, three
being the Fates personified,
and the fourth, a young
man kneeling towards the
pool with a rapt expression
on his face. It is popularly
thought that the statue
is the likeness of the
Unfortunate owner and
original mastermind of
Livsden Gardens. Countless
years earlier, when Livsden
was still accessible and
of interest to the townspeople,
it had been the source
of great speculation as
to why the one statue
in the entire Gardens
never affected by age
and weather was that of
the young man. The three
Fates, who have held their
faded hands in the steadfast
act of weaving for over
500 years, are hardly
recognizable.
The
young man looks directly
at a quiet place beyond
the pool: The Forgotten
Crypt. The Crypt, a large
antiquarian stone tomb,
is the only one within
Tranquille Walk. Standing
at the head is the remnant
of a woman's form, her
arms stretched towards
the heavens, her expression
tranquil. It is rumored
that Livsden's entire
property was originally
owned by a wealthy nobleman,
who had built the gardens
for his beautiful young
bride. The crypt is therefore
thought to be hers, though
the epitaph faded centuries
ago, and the actual facts
surrounding her life and
untimely death have diminished
into the past as well.
The face of the young
man who gazes perpetually
upon this shrine at times
seems almost lifelike.
The
Wall Builder's Song
For
just one sympathetic soul
I did destroy my sturdy
wall.
And
with my fortitude in dust,
I placed my spirit in
their trust.
But
having found then lost
this friend,
I build the wall back
up again.
