a little tour in france-第27部分

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XXV。

〃Cette；　with　its　glistening　houses　white；　 　　　Curves　with　the　curving　beach　away　 To　where　the　lighthouse　beacons　bright；　 　　　Far　in　the　bay。〃

That　stanza　of　Matthew　Arnold's；　which　I　hap…　pened　to　remember；　gave　a　certain　importance　to　the　half…hour　I　spent　in　the　buffet　of　the　station　at　Cette　while　I　waited　for　the　train　to　Montpellier。　　I　had　left　Narbonne　in　the　afternoon；　and　by　the　time　I　reached　Cette　the　darkness　had　descended。　　I　therefore　missed　the　sight　of　the　glistening　houses；　and　had　to　console　myself　with　that　of　the　beacon　in　the　bay；　as　well　as　with　a　_bouillon_　of　which　I　partook　at　the　buffet　afore…　said；　for；　since　the　morning；　I　had　not　ventured　to　return　to　the　table　d'hote　at　Narbonne。　　The　Hotel　Nevet；　at　Montpellier；　which　I　reached　an　hour　later；　has　an　ancient　renown　all　over　the　south　of　France；　…　advertises　itself；　I　believe；　as　_le　plus　vaste　du　midi_。　　It　seemed　to　me　the　model　of　a　good　provincial　inn；　a　big　rambling；　creaking　establishment；　with　brown；　labyrinthine　corridors；　a　queer　old　open…air　vestibule；　into　which　the　diligence；　in　the　_bon　temps_；　used　to　penetrate；　and　an　hospitality　more　expressive　than　that　of　the　new　caravansaries。　　It　dates　from　the　days　when　Montpellier　was　still　accounted　a　fine　winter　re…　sidence　for　people　with　weak　lungs；　and　this　rather　melancholy　tradition；　together　with　the　former　celebrity　of　the　school　of　medicine　still　existing　there；　but　from　which　the　glory　has　departed；　helps　to　account　for　its　combination　of　high　antiquity　and　vast　proportions。　The　old　hotels　were　usually　more　concentrated；　but　the　school　of　medicine　passed　for　one　of　the　attrac…　tions　of　Montpellier。　　Long　before　Mentone　was　dis…　covered　or　Colorado　invented；　British　invalids　travelled　down　through　France　in　the　post…chaise　or　the　public　coach　to　spend　their　winters　in　the　wonderful　place　which　boasted　both　a　climate　and　a　faculty。　　The　air　is　mild；　no　doubt；　but　there　are　refinements　of　mild…　ness　which　were　not　then　suspected；　and　which　in　a　more　analytic　age　have　carried　the　annual　wave　far　beyond　Montpellier。　　The　place　is　charming；　all　the　same；　and　it　served　the　purpose　of　John　Locke；　who　made　a　long　stay　there；　between　1675　and　1679；　and　became　acquainted　with　a　noble　fellow…visitor；　Lord　Pembroke；　to　whom　he　dedicated　the　famous　Essay。　There　are　places　that　please；　without　your　being　able　to　say　wherefore；　and　Montpellier　is　one　of　the　num…　ber。　　It　has　some　charming　views；　from　the　great　pro…　menade　of　the　Peyrou；　but　its　position　is　not　strikingly　fair。　　Beyond　this　it　contains　a　good　museum　and　the　long　facades　of　its　school；　but　these　are　its　only　de…　finite　treasures。　　Its　cathedral　struck　me　as　quite　the　weakest　I　had　seen；　and　I　remember　no　other　monu…　ment　that　made　up　for　it。　　The　place　has　neither　the　gayety　of　a　modern　nor　the　solemnity　of　an　ancient　town；　and　it　is　agreeable　as　certain　women　are　agree…　able　who　are　neither　beautiful　nor　clever。　　An　Italian　would　remark　that　it　is　sympathetic；　a　German　would　admit　that　it　is　_gemuthlich_。　　I　spent　two　days　there；　mostly　in　the　rain；　and　even　under　these　circum…　stances　I　carried　away　a　kindly　impression。　　I　think　the　Hotel　Nevet　had　something　to　do　with　it；　and　the　sentiment　of　relief　with　which；　in　a　quiet；　even　a　luxurious；　room　that　looked　out　on　a　garden；　I　reflected　that　I　had　washed　my　hands　of　Narbonne。　　The　phyl…　loxera　has　destroyed　the　vines　in　the　country　that　sur…　rounds　Montpellier；　and　at　that　moment　I　was　capable　of　rejoicing　in　the　thought　that　I　should　not　breakfast　with　vintners。

The　gem　of　the　place　is　the　Musee　Fabre；　one　of　the　best　collections　of　paintings　in　a　provincial　city。　Francois　Fabre；　a　native　of　Montpellier；　died　there　in　1837；　after　having　spent　a　considerable　part　of　his　life　in　Italy；　where　he　had　collected　a　good　many　valuable　pictures　and　some　very　poor　ones；　the　latter　class　including　several　from　his　own　hand。　　He　was　the　hero　of　a　remarkable　episode；　having　succeeded　no　less　a　person　than　Vittorio　Alfieri　in　the　affections　of　no　less　a　person　than　Louise　de　Stolberg；　Countess　of　Albany；　widow　of　no　less　a　person　than　Charles　Edward　Stuart；　the　second　pretender　to　the　British　crown。　　Surely　no　woman　ever　was　associated　senti…　mentally　with　three　figures　more　diverse；　…　a　disqualified　sovereign；　an　Italian　dramatist；　and　a　bad　French　painter。　　The　productions　of　M。　Fabre；　who　followed　in　the　steps　of　David；　bear　the　stamp　of　a　cold　me…　diocrity；　there　is　not　much　to　be　said　even　for　the　portrait　of　the　genial　countess　（her　life　has　been　written　by　M。　Saint…Rene…Taillandier；　who　depicts　her　as　de…　lightful）；　which　hangs　in　Florence；　in　the　gallery　of　the　Uffizzi；　and　makes　a　pendant　to　a　likeness　of　Alfieri　by　the　same　author。　　Stendhal；　in　his　〃Me…　moires　d'un　Touriste；〃　says　that　this　work　of　art　represents　her　as　a　cook　who　has　pretty　hands。　　I　am　delighted　to　have　an　opportunity　of　quoting　Stendhal；　whose　two　volumes　of　the　〃Memoires　d'un　Touriste〃　every　traveller　in　France　should　carry　in　his　port…　manteau。　　I　have　had　this　opportunity　more　than　once；　for　I　have　met　him　at　Tours；　at　Nantes；　at　Bourges；　and　everywhere　he　is　suggestive。　　But　he　has　the　de…　fect　that　he　is　never　pictorial；　that　he　never　by　any　chance　makes　an　image；　and　that　his　style　is　per…　versely　colorless；　for　a　man　so　fond　of　contemplation。　His　taste　is　often　singularly　false；　it　is　the　taste　of　the　early　years　of　the　present　century；　the　period　that　produced　clocks　surmounted　with　sentimental　〃sub…　jects。〃　　Stendhal　does　not　admire　these　clocks；　but　he　almost　does。　　He　admires　Domenichino　and　Guer…　cino；　and　prizes　the　Bolognese　school　of　painters　be…　cause　they　〃spoke　to　the　soul。〃　　He　is　a　votary　of　the　new　classic；　is　fond　of　tall；　squire；　regular　buildings；　and　thinks　Nantes；　for　instance；　full　of　the　〃air　noble。〃　It　was　a　pleasure　to　me　to　reflect　that　five…and…forty　years　ago　he　had　alighted　in　that　city；　at　the　very　inn　in　which　I　spent　a　night；　and　which　looks　down　on　the　Place　Graslin　and　the　theatre。　　The　hotel　that　was　the　best　in　1837　appears　to　be　the　best　to…day。　　On　the　subject　of　Touraine；　Stendhal　is　extremely　refresh…　ing；　he　finds　the　scenery　meagre　and　much　overrated；　and　proclaims　his　opinion　with　perfect　frankness。　　He　does；　however；　scant　justice　to　the　banks　of　the　Loire；　his　want　of　appreciation　of　the　picturesque　…　want　of　the　sketcher's　sense　…　causes　him　to　miss　half　the　charm　of　a　landscape　which　is　nothing　if　not　〃quiet；〃　as　a　painter　would　say；　and　of　which　the　felicities　reveal　themselves　only　to　waiting　eyes。　　He　even　despises　the　Indre；　the　river　of　Madame　Sand。　　The　〃Memoires　d'un　Touriste〃　are　written　in　the　character　of　a　commercial　traveller；　and　the　author　has　nothing　to　say　about　Chenonceaux　or　Chambord；　or　indeed　about　any　of　the　chateaux　of　that　part　of　France；　his　system　being　to　talk　only　of　the　large　towns；　where　he　may　be　supposed　to　find　a　market　for　his　goods。　　It　was　his　ambition　to　pass　for　an　ironmonger。　　But　in　the　large　towns　he　is　usually　excellent　company；　though　as　discursive　as　Sterne；　and　strangely　indifferent；　for　a　man　of　imagination；　to　those　superficial　aspects　of　things　which　the　poor　pages　now　before　the　reader　are　mainly　an　attempt　to　render。　　It　is　his　conviction　that　Alfieri；　at　Florence；　bored　the　Countess　of　Albany　ter…　ribly；　and　he　adds　that　the　famous　Gallophobe　died　of　jealousy　of　the　little　painter　from　Montpellier。　　The　Countess　of　Albany　left　her　property　to　Fabre；　and　I　suppose　some　of　the　pieces　in　the　museum　of　his　native　town　used　to　hang　in　the　sunny　saloons　of　that　fine　old　palace　on　the　Arno　which　is　still　pointed　out　to　the　stranger　in　Florence　as　the　residence　of　Alfieri。

The　institution　has　had　other　benefactors；　notably　a　certain　M。　Bruyas；　who　has　enriched　it　with　an　extra…　ordinary　number　of　portraits　of　himself。　　As　these；　however；　are　by　different　hands；　some　of　them　dis…　tinguished；　we　may　suppose　that　it　was　less　the　model　than　the　artists　to　whom　M。　Bruyas　wished　to　give　publicity。　Easily　first　are　two　large　specimens　of　David　Teniers；　which　are　incomparable　for　brilliancy　and　a　glowing　perfection　of　execution。　　I　have　a　weak…　ness　for　this　singular　genius；　who　combined　the　delicate　with　the　grovelling；　and　I　have　rarely　seen　richer　examples。　　Scarcely　less　valuable　is　a　Gerard　Dow　which　hangs　near　them；　though　it　must　rank　lower　as　having　kept　less　of　its　freshness。　　This　Gerard　Dow　did　me　good；　for　a　master　is　a　master；　whatever　he　may　paint。　　It　represents　a　woman　paring　carrots；　while　a　boy　before　her　exhibits　a　mouse…trap　in　which　he　has　caught　a　frightened　victim。　　The　good…wife　has　spread　a　cloth　on　the　top　of　a　big　barrel　which　serves　her　as　a　table；　and　on　this　brown；　greasy　napkin；　of　which　the　texture　is　wonderfully　rendered；　lie　the　raw　vegetables　she　is　preparing　for　domestic　consumption。　Beside　the　barrel　is　a　large　caldron　lined　with　copper；　with　a　rim　of　brass。　　The　way　these　things　are　painted　brings　tears　to　the　eyes；　but　they　give　the　measure　of　the　Musee　Fabre；　where　two　specimens　of　Teniers　and　a　Gerard　Dow　are　the　jewels。　　The　Italian　pictures　are　of　small　value；　but　there　is　a　work　by　Sir　Joshua　Rey…　nolds；　said　to　be　the　only　one　in　France；　…　an　infant　Samuel　in　prayer；　apparently　a　repetition　of　the　pic…　ture　in　England　which　inspired　the　little　plaster　im…　age；　disseminated　in　Protestant　lands；　that　we　used　to　admire　in　our　childhood。　　Sir　Joshua；　somehow；　was　an　eminently　Protestant　painter；　no　one　can　forget　that；　who　in　the　National　Gallery　in　London　has　looked　at　the　picture　in　which　he　represents　several　young　ladies　as　nymphs；　voluminously　draped；　hanging　gar…　lands　over　a　statue；　…　a　picture　suffused　indefinably　with　the　Anglican　spirit；　and　exasperating　to　a　mem…　ber　of　one　of　the　Latin　races。　　It　is　an　odd　chance；　therefore；　that　has　led　him　into　that　part　of　France　where　Protestants　have　been　least　_bien　vus_。　　This　is　the　country　of　the　dragonnades　of　Louis　XIV。　　and　of　the　pastors　of　the　desert。　　From　the　garden　of　the　Peyrou；　at　Montpellier；　you　may　see　the　hills　of　the　Cevennes；　to　which　they　of　the　religion　fled　for　safety；　and　out　of　which　they　were　hunted　and　harried。

I　have　only　to　add；　in　regard　to　the　Musee　Fabre；　that　it　contains　the　portrait　of　its　foun