beatrix-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　Guerande　over　quicksands；　which　efface　during　the　night　the
tracks　made　by　day；　and　also　by　boats　which　cross　the　arm　of　the　sea
that　makes　the　port　of　Croisic。

This　fascinating　little　town　is　therefore　the　Herculaneum　of
feudality；　less　its　winding　sheet　of　lava。　It　is　afoot；　but　not
living；　it　has　no　other　ground　of　existence　except　that　it　has　not
been　demolished。　If　you　reach　Guerande　from　Croisic；　after　crossing　a
dreary　landscape　of　salt…marshes；　you　will　experience　a　strong
sensation　at　sight　of　that　vast　fortification；　which　is　still　as　good
as　ever。　If　you　come　to　it　by　Saint…Nazaire；　the　picturesqueness　of
its　position　and　the　naive　grace　of　its　environs　will　please　you　no
less。　The　country　immediately　surrounding　it　is　ravishing；　the　hedges
are　full　of　flowers；　honeysuckles；　roses；　box；　and　many　enchanting
plants。　It　is　like　an　English　garden；　designed　by　some　great
architect。　This　rich；　coy　nature；　so　untrodden；　with　all　the　grace　of
a　bunch　of　violets　or　a　lily　of　the　valley　in　the　glade　of　a　forest；
is　framed　by　an　African　desert　banked　by　the　ocean；a　desert　without
a　tree；　an　herb；　a　bird；　where；　on　sunny　days；　the　laboring
/paludiers/；　clothed　in　white　and　scattered　among　those　melancholy
swamps　where　the　salt　is　made；　remind　us　of　Arabs　in　their　burrows。

Thus　Guerande　bears　no　resemblance　to　any　other　place　in　France。　The
town　produces　somewhat　the　same　effect　upon　the　mind　as　a　sleeping…
draught　upon　the　body。　It　is　silent　as　Venice。　There　is　no　other
public　conveyance　than　the　springless　wagon　of　a　carrier　who　carries
travellers；　merchandise；　and　occasionally　letters　from　Saint…Nazaire
to　Guerande　and　/vice　versa/。　Bernus；　the　carrier；　was；　in　1829；　the
factotum　of　this　large　community。　He　went　and　came　when　he　pleased；
all　the　country　knew　him；　and　he　did　the　errands　of　all。　The　arrival
of　a　carriage　in　Guerande；　that　of　a　lady　or　some　invalid　going　to
Croisic　for　sea…bathing　（thought　to　have　greater　virtue　among　those
rocks　than　at　Boulogne　or　Dieppe）　is　still　an　immense　event。　The
peasants　come　in　on　horseback；　most　of　them　with　commodities　for
barter　in　sacks。　They　are　induced　to　do　so　（and　so　are　the
/paludiers/）　by　the　necessity　of　purchasing　the　jewels　distinctive　of
their　caste　which　are　given　to　all　Breton　brides；　and　the　white　linen；
or　cloth　for　their　clothing。

For　a　circuit　ten　miles　round；　Guerande　is　always　GUERANDE；the
illustrious　town　where　the　famous　treaty　was　signed　in　1365；　the　key
of　the　coast；　which　may　boast；　not　less　than　the　village　of　Batz；　of　a
splendor　now　lost　in　the　night　of　time。　The　jewels；　linen；　cloth；
ribbon；　and　hats　are　made　elsewhere；　but　to　those　who　buy　them　they
are　from　Guerande　and　nowhere　else。　All　artists；　and　even　certain
bourgeois；　who　come　to　Guerande　feel；　as　they　do　at　Venice；　a　desire
（soon　forgotten）　to　end　their　days　amid　its　peace　and　silence；　walking
in　fine　weather　along　the　beautiful　mall　which　surrounds　the　town　from
gate　to　gate　on　the　side　toward　the　sea。　Sometimes　the　image　of　this
town　arises　in　the　temple　of　memory；　she　enters；　crowned　with　her
towers；　clasped　with　her　girdle；　her　flower…strewn　robe　floats　onward；
the　golden　mantle　of　her　dunes　enfolds　her；　the　fragrant　breath　of　her
briony　paths；　filled　with　the　flowers　of　each　passing　season；　exhales
at　every　step；　she　fills　your　mind；　she　calls　to　you　like　some
enchanting　woman　whom　you　have　met　in　other　climes　and　whose　presence
still　lingers　in　a　fold　of　your　heart。

Near　the　church　of　Guerande　stands　a　mansion　which　is　to　the　town　what
the　town　is　to　the　region；　an　exact　image　of　the　past；　the　symbol　of　a
grand　thing　destroyed；a　poem；　in　short。　This　mansion　belongs　to　the
noblest　family　of　the　province；　to　the　du　Guaisnics；　who；　in　the　times
of　the　du　Guesclins；　were　as　superior　to　the　latter　in　antiquity　and
fortune　as　the　Trojans　were　to　the　Romans。　The　Guaisqlains　（the　name
is　also　spelled　in　the　olden　time　du　Glaicquin）；　from　which　comes　du
Guesclin；　issued　from　the　du　Guaisnics。

Old　as　the　granite　of　Brittany；　the　Guaisnics　are　neither　Frenchmen
nor　Gauls；they　are　Bretons；　or；　to　be　more　exact；　they　are　Celts。
Formerly；　they　must　have　been　Druids；　gathering　mistletoe　in　the
sacred　forests　and　sacrificing　men　upon　their　dolmens。　Useless　to　say
what　they　were！　To…day　this　race；　equal　to　the　Rohans　without　having
deigned　to　make　themselves　princes；　a　race　which　was　powerful　before
the　ancestors　of　Hugues　Capet　were　ever　heard　of；　this　family；　pure　of
all　alloy；　possesses　two　thousand　francs　a　year；　its　mansion　in
Guerande；　and　the　little　castle　of　Guaisnic。　All　the　lands　belonging
to　the　barony　of　Guaisnic；　the　first　in　Brittany；　are　pledged　to
farmers；　and　bring　in　sixty　thousand　francs　a　year；　in　spite　of
ignorant　culture。　The　du　Gaisnics　remain　the　owners　of　these　lands
although　they　receive　none　of　the　revenues；　for　the　reason　that　for
the　last　two　hundred　years　they　have　been　unable　to　pay　off　the　money
advanced　upon　them。　They　are　in　the　position　of　the　crown　of　France
towards　its　/engagistes/　（tenants　of　crown…lands）　before　the　year
1789。　Where　and　when　could　the　barons　obtain　the　million　their　farmers
have　advanced　to　them？　Before　1789　the　tenure　of　the　fiefs　subject　to
the　castle　of　Guaisnic　was　still　worth　fifty　thousand　francs　a　year；
but　a　vote　of　the　National　Assembly　suppressed　the　seigneurs'　dues
levied　on　inheritance。

In　such　a　situation　this　familyof　absolutely　no　account　in　France；
and　which　would　be　a　subject　of　laughter　in　Paris；　were　it　known　there
is　to　Guerande　the　whole　of　Brittany。　In　Guerande　the　Baron　du
Guaisnic　is　one　of　the　great　barons　of　France；　a　man　above　whom　there
is　but　one　man；the　King　of　France；　once　elected　ruler。　To…day　the
name　of　du　Guaisnic；　full　of　Breton　significances　（the　roots　of　which
will　be　found　explained　in　〃The　Chouans〃）　has　been　subjected　to　the
same　alteration　which　disfigures　that　of　du　Guaisqlain。　The　tax…
gatherer　now　writes　the　name；　as　do　the　rest　of　the　world；　du　Guenic。

At　the　end　of　a　silent；　damp；　and　gloomy　lane　may　be　seen　the　arch　of
a　door；　or　rather　gate；　high　enough　and　wide　enough　to　admit　a　man　on
horseback；a　circumstance　which　proves　of　itself　that　when　this
building　was　erected　carriages　did　not　exist。　The　arch；　supported　by
two　jambs；　is　of　granite。　The　gate；　of　oak；　rugged　as　the　bark　of　the
tree　itself；　is　studded　with　enormous　nails　placed　in　geometric
figures。　The　arch　is　semicircular。　On　it　are　carved　the　arms　of　the
Guaisnics　as　clean…cut　and　clear　as　though　the　sculptor　had　just　laid
down　his　chisel。　This　escutcheon　would　delight　a　lover　of　the　heraldic
art　by　a　simplicity　which　proves　the　pride　and　the　antiquity　of　the
family。　It　is　as　it　was　in　the　days　when　the　crusaders　of　the
Christian　world　invented　these　symbols　by　which　to　recognize　each
other；　the　Guaisnics　have　never　had　it　quartered；　it　is　always　itself；
like　that　of　the　house　of　France；　which　connoisseurs　find
inescutcheoned　in　the　shields　of　many　of　the　old　families。　Here　it　is；
such　as　you　may　see　it　still　at　Guerande：　Gules；　a　hand　proper
gonfaloned　ermine；　with　a　sword　argent　in　pale；　and　the　terrible
motto；　FAC。　Is　not　that　a　grand　and　noble　thing？　The　circlet　of　a
baronial　coronet　surmounts　this　simple　escutcheon；　the　vertical　lines
of　which；　used　in　carving　to　represent　gules；　are　clear　as　ever。　The
artist　has　given　I　know　not　what　proud；　chivalrous　turn　to　the　hand。
With　what　vigor　it　holds　the　sword　which　served　but　recently　the
present　family！

If　you　go　to　Guerande　after　reading　this　history　you　cannot　fail　to
quiver　when　you　see　that　blazon。　Yes；　the　most　confirmed　republican
would　be　moved　by　the　fidelity；　the　nobleness；　the　grandeur　hidden　in
the　depths　of　that　dark　lane。　The　du　Guaisnics　did　well　yesterday；　and
they　are　ready　to　do　well　to…morrow。　To　DO　is　the　motto　of　chivalry。
〃You　did　well　in　the　battle〃　was　the　praise　of　the　Connetable　/par
excellence/；　the　great　du　Guesclin　who　drove　the　English　for　a　time
from　France。　The　depth　of　this　carving；　which　has　been　protected　from
the　weather　by　the　projecting　edges　of　the　arch；　is　in　keeping　with
the　moral　depth　of　the　motto　in　the　soul　of　this　family。　To　those　who
know　the　Guaisnics　this　fact　is　touching。

The　gate　when　open　gives　a　vista　into　a　somewhat　vast　court…yard；　on
the　right　of　which　are　the　stables；　on　the　left　the　kitchen　and
offices。　The　house　is　build　of　freestone　from　cellar　to　garret。　The
facade　on　the　court…yard　has　a　portico　with　a　double　range　of　steps；
the　wall　of　which　is　covered　with　vestiges　of　carvings　now　effaced　by
time；　but　in　which　the　eye　of　an　antiquary　can　still　make　out　in　the
centre　of　the　principal　mass　the　Hand　bearing　the　sword。　The　granite
steps　are　now　disjointed；　grasses　have　forced　their　way　with　little
flowers　and　mosses　through　the　fissures　between　the　stones　which
centuries　have　displaced　without　however　lessening　their　solidity。　The
door　of　the　house　must　have　had　a　charming　character。　As　far　as　the
relics　of　the　old　designs　allow　us　to　judge；　it　was　done　by　an　artist
of　the　great　Venetian　school　of　the　thirteenth　century。　Here　is　a
mixture；　still　visible；　of　the　Byzantine　and　the　Saracenic。　It　is
crowned　with　a　circular　pediment；　now　wreathed　with　vegetation；a
bouquet；　rose；　brown；　yellow；　or　blue；　according　to　the　season。　The
door；　of　oak；　nail…studded；　gives　entrance　to　a　noble　hall；　at　the　end
of　which　is　another　door；　opening　upon　another　portico　which　leads　to
the　garden。

This　hall　is　marvellously　well　preserved。　The　panelled　wainscot；　about
three　feet　high；　is　of　chestnut。　A　magnificent　Spanish　leather　with
figures　in　relief；　the　gilding　now　peeled　off　or　reddened；　covers　the
walls。　The　ceiling　is　of　wooden　boards　artistically　joined　and　painted
and　gilded。　The　gold　is　scarcely　noticeable；　it　is　in　the　same
condition　as　that　of　the　Cordova　leather；　but　a　few　red　flowers　and
the　green　foliage　can　be　distinguished。　Perhaps　a　thorough　cleaning
might　bring　out　paintings　like　those　discovered　on　the　plank　ceilings
of　Tristan's　house　at　Tours。　If　so；　it　would　prove　that　those　planks
were　placed　or　restored　in　the　reign　of　Louis　XI。　The　chimney…piece　is
enormous；　of　carved　stone；