a little tour in france-第29部分

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I　passed　the　Pont　du　Gard；　and　took　another　look　at　it。　　Its　great　arches　made　windows　for　the　evening　sky；　and　the　rocky　ravine；　with　its　dusky　cedars　and　shining　river；　was　lonelier　than　before。　　At　the　inn　I　swallowed；　or　tried　to　swallow；a　glass　of　horrible　wine　with　my　coach…　man；　after　which；　with　my　reconstructed　team；　I　drove　back　to　Nimes　in　the　moonlight。　　It　only　added　a　more　solitary　whiteness　to　the　constant　sheen　of　the　Provencal　landscape。



XXVII。

The　weather　the　next　day　was　equally　fair；　so　that　it　seemed　an　imprudence　not　to　make　sure　of　Aigues…　Mortes。　　Nimes　itself　could　wait；　at　a　pinch；　I　could　attend　to　Nimes　in　the　rain。　　It　was　my　belief　that　Aigues…Mortes　was　a　little　gem；　and　it　is　natural　to　desire　that　gems　should　have　an　opportunity　to　sparkle。　This　is　an　excursion　of　but　a　few　hours；　and　there　is　a　little　friendly；　familiar；　dawdling　train　that　will　con…　vey　you；　in　time　for　a　noonday　breakfast；　to　the　small　dead　town　where　the　blessed　Saint…Louis　twice　em…　barked　for　the　crusades。　　You　may　get　back　to　Nimes　for　dinner；　the　run　…　or　rather　the　walk；　for　the　train　doesn't　run　…　is　of　about　an　hour。　　I　found　the　little　journey　charming；　and　looked　out　of　the　carriage　win…　dow；　on　my　right；　at　the　distant　Cevennes；　covered　with　tones　of　amber　and　blue；　and；　all　around；　at　vineyards　red　with　the　touch　of　October。　　The　grapes　were　gone；　but　the　plants　had　a　color　of　their　own。　Within　a　certain　distance　of　Aigues…Mortes　they　give　place　to　wide　salt…marshes；　traversed　by　two　canals；　and　over　this　expanse　the　train　rumbles　slowly　upon　a　narrow　causeway；　failing　for　some　time；　though　you　know　you　are　near　the　object　of　your　curiosity；　to　bring　you　to　sight　of　anything　but　the　horizon。　　Sud…　denly　it　appears；　the　towered　and　embattled　mass；　lying　so　low　that　the　crest　of　its　defences　seems　to　rise　straight　out　of　the　ground；　and　it　is　not　till　the　train　stops；　close　before　them；　that　you　are　able　to　take　the　full　measure　of　its　walls。

Aigues…Mortes　stands　on　the　edge　of　a　wide　_etang_；　or　shallow　inlet　of　the　sea；　the　further　side　of　which　is　divided　by　a　narrow　band　of　coast　from　the　Gulf　of　Lyons。　　Next　after　Carcassonne；　to　which　it　forms　an　admirable　_pendant_；　it　is　the　most　perfect　thing　of　the　kind　in　France。　　It　has　a　rival　in　the　person　of　Avignon；　but　the　ramparts　of　Avignon　are　much　less　effective。　　Like　Carcassonne；　it　is　completely　sur…　rounded　with　its　old　fortifications；　and　if　they　are　far　simpler　in　character　（there　is　but　one　circle）；　they　are　quite　as　well　preserved。　　The　moat　has　been　filled　up；　and　the　site　of　　the　town　might　be　figured　by　a　billiard…table　without　pockets。　　On　this　absolute　level；　covered　with　coarse　grass；　Aigues…Mortes　presents　quite　the　appearance　of　the　walled　town　that　a　school…boy　draws　upon　his　slate；　or　that　we　see　in　the　background　of　early　Flemish　pictures；　…　a　simple　parallelogram；　of　a　contour　almost　absurdly　bare；　broken　at　intervals　by　angular　towers　and　square　holes。　　Such；　literally　speak…　ing；　is　this　delightful　little　city；　which　needs　to　be　seen　to　tell　its　full　story。　　It　is　extraordinarily　pictorial；　and　if　it　is　a　very　small　sister　of　Carcassonne；　it　has　at　least　the　essential　features　of　the　family。　　Indeed；　it　is　even　more　like　an　image　and　less　like　a　reality　than　Carcassonne；　for　by　position　and　prospect　it　seems　even　more　detached　from　the　life　of　the　present　day。　　It　is　true　that　Aigues…Mortes　does　a　little　busi…　ness；　it　sees　certain　bags　of　salt　piled　into　barges　which　stand　in　a　canal　beside　it；　and　which　carry　their　cargo　into　actual　places。　　But　nothing　could　well　be　more　drowsy　and　desultory　than　this　industry　as　I　saw　it　practised；　with　the　aid　of　two　or　three　brown　peasants　and　under　the　eye　of　a　solitary　douanier；　who　strolled　on　the　little　quay　beneath　the　western　wall。　　〃C'est　bien　plaisant；　c'est　bien　paisible；〃　said　this　worthy　man；　with　whom　I　had　some　conversa…　tion；　and　pleasant　and　peaceful　is　the　place　indeed；　though　the　former　of　these　epithets　may　suggest　an　element　of　gayety　in　which　Aigues…Mortes　is　deficient。　The　sand；　the　salt；　the　dull　sea…view；　surround　it　with　a　bright；　quiet　melancholy。　　There　are　fifteen　towers　and　nine　gates；　five　of　which　are　on　the　southern　side；　overlooking　the　water。　　I　walked　all　round　the　place　three　times　（it　doesn't　take　long）；　but　lingered　most　under　the　southern　wall；　where　the　afternoon　light　slept　in　the　dreamiest；　sweetest　way。　　I　sat　down　on　an　old　stone；　and　looked　away　to　the　desolate　salt…　marshes　and　the　still；　shining　surface　of　the　_etang_；　and；　as　I　did　so；　reflected　that　this　was　a　queer　little　out…of…the…world　corner　to　have　been　chosen；　in　the　great　dominions　of　either　monarch；　for　that　pompous　interview　which　took　place；　in　1538；　between　Francis　I。　and　Charles　V。　　It　was　also　not　easy　to　perceive　how　Louis　IX。；　when　in　1248　and　1270　he　started　for　the　Holy　Land；　set　his　army　afloat　in　such　very　undeveloped　channels。　　An　hour　later　I　purchased　in　the　town　a　little　pamphlet　by　M。　Marius　Topin；　who　undertakes　to　explain　this　latter　anomaly；　and　to　show　that　there　is　water　enough　in　the　port；　as　we　may　call　it　by　courtesy；　to　have　sustained　a　fleet　of　crusaders。　　I　was　unable　to　trace　the　channel　that　he　points　out；　but　was　glad　to　believe　that；　as　he　contends；　the　sea　has　not　retreated　from　the　town　since　the　thirteenth　century。　It　was　comfortable　to　think　that　things　are　not　so　changed　as　that。　　M。　Topin　indicates　that　the　other　French　ports　of　the　Mediterranean　were　not　then　_dis…　ponsibles_；　and　that　Aigues…Mortes　was　the　most　eligible　spot　for　an　embarkation。

Behind　the　straight　walls　and　the　quiet　gates　the　little　town　has　not　crumbled；　like　the　Cite　of　Carcas…　sonne。　　It　can　hardly　be　said　to　be　alive；　but　if　it　is　dead　it　has　been　very　neatly　embalmed。　　The　hand　of　the　restorer　rests　on　it　constantly；　but　this　artist　has　not；　as　at　Carcassonne；　had　miracles　to　accomplish。　The　interior　is　very　still　and　empty；　with　small　stony；　whitewashed　streets；　tenanted　by　a　stray　dog；　a　stray　cat；　a　stray　old　woman。　　In　the　middle　is　a　little　_place_；　with　two　or　three　cafes　decorated　by　wide　awnings；　…　a　little　_place_　of　which　the　principal　feature　is　a　very　bad　bronze　statue　of　Saint　Louis　by　Pradier。　　It　is　almost　as　bad　as　the　breakfast　I　had　at　the　inn　that　bears　the　name　of　that　pious　monarch。　　You　may　walk　round　the　enceinte　of　Aigues…Mortes；　both　outside　and　in；　but　you　may　not；　as　at　Carcassonne；　make　a　por…　tion　of　this　circuit　on　the　_chemin　de　ronde_；　the　little　projecting　footway　attached　to　the　inner　face　of　the　battlements。　　This　footway；　wide　enough　only　for　a　single　pedestrian；　is　in　the　best　order；　and　near　each　of　the　gates　a　flight　of　steps　leads　up　to　it；　but　a　locked　gate；　at　the　top　of　the　steps；　makes　access　im…　possible；　or　at　least　unlawful。　　Aigues…Mortes；　however；　has　its　citadel；　an　immense　tower；　larger　than　any　of　the　others；　a　little　detached；　and　standing　at　the　north…　west　angle　of　the　town。　　I　called　upon　the　_casernier_；　the　custodian　of　the　walls；　…　and　in　his　absence　I　was　conducted　through　this　big　Tour　de　Constance　by　his　wife；　a　very　mild；　meek　woman；　yellow　with　the　traces　of　fever　and　ague；　…　a　scourge　which；　as　might　be　ex…　pected　in　a　town　whose　name　denotes　〃dead　waters；〃　enters　freely　at　the　nine　gates。　　The　Tour　de　Con…　stance　is　of　extraordinary　girth　and　solidity；　divided　into　three　superposed　circular　chambers；　with　very　fine　vaults；　which　are　lighted　by　embrasures　of　prodigious　depth；　converging　to　windows　little　larger　than　loop…　holes。　　The　place　served　for　years　as　a　prison　to　many　of　the　Protestants　of　the　south　whom　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes　had　exposed　to　atrocious　penalties；　and　the　annals　of　these　dreadful　chambers　during　the　first　half　of　the　last　century　were　written　in　tears　and　blood。　　Some　of　the　recorded　cases　of　long　confinement　there　make　one　marvel　afresh　at　what　man　has　inflicted　and　endured。　　In　a　country　in　which　a　policy　of　extermination　was　to　be　put　into　practice　this　horrible　tower　was　an　obvious　resource。　From　the　battlements　at　the　top；　which　is　surmounted　by　an　old　disused　light…house；　you　see　the　little　com…　pact　rectangular　town；　which　looks　hardly　bigger　than　a　garden…patch；　mapped　out　beneath　you；　and　follow　the　plain　configuration　of　its　defences。　　You　take　possession　of　it；　and　you　feel　that　you　will　remember　it　always。



XXVIII。

After　this　I　was　free　to　look　about　me　at　Nimes；　and　I　did　so　with　such　attention　as　the　place　appeared　to　require。　　At　the　risk　of　seeming　too　easily　and　too　frequently　disappointed；　I　will　say　that　it　required　rather　less　than　I　had　been　prepared　to　give。　　It　is　a　town　of　three　or　four　fine　features；　rather　than　a　town　with；　as　I　may　say；　a　general　figure。　　In　general；　Nimes　is　poor；　its　only　treasures　are　its　Roman　re…　mains；　which　are　of　the　first　order。　　The　new　French　fashions　prevail　in　many　of　its　streets；　the　old　houses　are　paltry；　and　the　good　houses　are　new；　while　beside　my　hotel　rose　a　big　spick…and…span　church；　which　had　the　oddest　air　of　having　been　intended　for　Brooklyn　or　Cleveland。　　It　is　true　that　this　church　looked　out　on　a　square　completely　French；　…　a　square　of　a　fine　modern　disposition；　flanked　on　one　side　by　a　classical　_palais　de　justice_　embellished　with　trees　and　parapets；　and　occupied　in　the　centre　with　a　group　of　allegorical　statues；　such　as　one　encounters　only　in　the　cities　of　France；　the　chief　of　these　being　a　colossal　figure　by　Pradier；　representing　Nimes。　　An　English；　an　American；　town　which　should　have　such　a　monu…　ment；　such　a　square；　as　this；　would　be　a　place　of　great　pretensions；　but　like　so　many　little　_villes　de　province_　in　the　country　of　which　I　write；　Nimes　is　easily　ornamental。　　What　nobler　ornament　can　there　be　than　the　Roman　baths　at　the　foot　of　Mont　Cavalier；　and　the　delightful　old　garden　that　surrounds　them？　All　that　quarter　of　Nimes　has　every　reason　to　be　proud　of　itself；　it　has　been　revealed　to　the　world　at　large　by　copious　photography。　　A　clear；　abundant　stream　gushes　from　the　foot　of　a　high　hill　（covered　with　trees　and　laid　out　in　paths）；　and　is　distributed　into　basins　which　sufficiently　refer　themselves　to　the　period　that　gave　them　birth；　…　the　period　that　has　left　its　stamp　on　that　pompous　Peyrou　whi