a little tour in france-第38部分

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e　rocks。　　Thousands　of　vulgar　persons；　of　both　sexes；　and　exclusively；　it　appeared；　of　the　French　nationality；　had　availed　themselves　of　this　implement；　for　every　square　inch　of　accessible　stone　was　scored　over　with　some　human　appellation。　　It　is　not　only　we　in　America；　therefore；　who　besmirch　our　scenery；　the　practice　exists；　in　a　more　organized　form　（like　every…　thing　else　in　France）；　in　the　country　of　good　taste。　You　leave　the　little　booths　and　stalls　behind；　but　the　bescribbled　crag；　bristling　with　human　vanity；　keeps　you　company　even　when　you　stand　face　to　face　with　the　fountain。　　This　happens　when　you　find　yourself　at　the　foot　of　the　enormous　straight　cliff　out　of　which　the　river　gushes。　　It　rears　itself　to　an　extraordinary　height；　…　a　huge　forehead　of　bare　stone；　…　looking　as　if　it　were　the　half　of　a　tremendous　mound；　split　open　by　volcanic　action。　　The　little　valley；　seeing　it　there；　at　a　bend；　stops　suddenly；　and　receives　in　its　arms　the　magical　spring。　　I　call　it　magical　on　account　of　the　mysterious　manner　in　which　it　comes　into　the　world；　with　the　huge　shoulder　of　the　mountain　rising　over　it；　as　if　to　protect　the　secret。　　From　under　the　mountain　it　silently　rises；　without　visible　movement；　filling　a　small　natural　basin　with　the　stillest　blue　water。　　The　contrast　between　the　stillness　of　this　basin　and　the　agitation　of　the　water　directly　after　it　has　overflowed；　constitutes　half　the　charm　of　Vaucluse。　The　violence　of　the　stream　when　once　it　has　been　set　loose　on　the　rocks　is　as　fascinating　and　indescribable　as　that　of　other　cataracts；　and　the　rocks　in　the　bed　of　the　Sorgues　have　been　arranged　by　a　master…hand。　The　setting　of　the　phenomenon　struck　me　as　so　simple　and　so　fine　…　the　vast　sad　cliff；　covered　with　the　after…　noon　light；　still　and　solid　forever；　while　the　liquid　ele…　ment　rages　and　roars　at　its　base　…　that　I　had　no　diffi…　culty　in　understanding　the　celebrity　of　Vaucluse。　　I　understood　it；　but　I　will　not　say　that　I　understood　Petrarch。　　He　must　have　been　very　self…supporting；　and　Madonna　Laura　must　indeed　have　been　much　to　him。

The　aridity　of　the　hills　that　shut　in　the　valley　is　complete；　and　the　whole　impression　is　best　conveyed　by　that　very　expressive　French　epithet　_morne_。　　There　are　the　very　fragmentary　ruins　of　a　castle　（of　one　of　the　bishops　of　Cavaillon）　on　a　high　spur　of　the　moun…　tain；　above　the　river；　and　there　is　another　remnant　of　a　feudal　habitation　on　one　of　the　more　accessible　ledges。　　Having　half　an　hour　to　spare　before　my　omnibus　was　to　leave　（I　must　beg　the　reader's　pardon　for　this　atrociously　false　note；　call　the　vehicle　a　_dili…　gence_；　and　for　some　undiscoverable　reason　the　offence　is　minimized）；　I　clambered　up　to　this　latter　spot；　and　sat　among　the　rocks　in　the　company　of　a　few　stunted　olives。　　The　Sorgues；　beneath　me；　reaching　the　plain；　flung　itself　crookedly　across　the　meadows；　like　an　un…　rolled　blue　ribbon。　　I　tried　to　think　of　the　_amant　de　Laure_；　for　literature's　sake；　but　I　had　no　great　success；　and　the　most　I　could；　do　was　to　say　to　myself　that　I　must　try　again。　　Several　months　have　elapsed　since　then；　and　I　am　ashamed　to　confess　that　the　trial　has　not　yet　come　off。　　The　only　very　definite　conviction　I　arrived　at　was　that　Vaucluse　is　indeed　cockneyfied；　but　that　I　should　have　been　a　fool；　all　the　same；　not　to　come。



XXXVI。

I　mounted　into　my　diligence　at　the　door　of　the　Hotel　de　Petrarque　et　de　Laure；　and　we　made　our　way　back　to　Isle…sur…Sorgues　in　the　fading　light。　　This　village；　where　at　six　o'clock　every　one　appeared　to　have　gone　to　bed；　was　fairly　darkened　by　its　high；　dense　plane…trees；　under　which　the　rushing　river；　on　a　level　with　its　parapets；　looked　unnaturally；　almost　wickedly　blue。　　It　was　a　glimpse　which　has　left　a　picture　in　my　mind：　the　little　closed　houses；　the　place　empty　and　soundless　in　the　autumn　dusk　but　for　the　noise　of　waters；　and　in　the　middle；　amid　the　blackness　of　the　shade；　the　gleam　of　the　swift；　strange　tide。　　At　the　station　every　one　was　talking　of　the　inundation　being　in　many　places　an　accomplished　fact；　and；　in　particular；　of　the　condition　of　the　Durance　at　some　point　that　I　have　forgotten。　　At　Avignon；　an　hour　later；　I　found　the　water　in　some　of　the　streets。　　The　sky　cleared　in　the　evening；　the　moon　lighted　up　the　submerged　suburbs；　and　the　population　again　collected　in　the　high　places　to　enjoy　the　spectacle。　　It　exhibited　a　certain　sameness；　however；　and　by　nine　o'clock　there　was　considerable　animation　in　the　Place　Crillon；　where　there　is　nothing　to　be　seen　but　the　front　of　the　theatre　and　of　several　cafes　…　in　addition；　indeed；　to　a　statue　of　this　celebrated　brave；　whose　valor　redeemed　some　of　the　numerous　military　disasters　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。　　The　next　morning　the　lower　quarters　of　the　town　were　in　a　pitiful　state；　the　situation　seemed　to　me　odious。　　To　express　my　disapproval　of　it；　I　lost　no　time　in　taking　the　train　for　Orange；　which；　with　its　other　attractions；　had　the　merit　of　not　being　seated　on　the　Rhone。　　It　was　my　destiny　to　move　northward；　but　even　if　I　had　been　at　liberty　to　follow　a　less　un…　natural　course　I　should　not　then　have　undertaken　it；　inasmuch；　as　the　railway　between　Avignon　and　Mar…　seilles　was　credibly　reported　to　be　（in　places）　under　water。　　This　was　the　case　with　almost　everything　but　the　line　itself；　on　the　way　to　Orange。　　The　day　proved　splendid；　and　its　brilliancy　only　lighted　up　the　desola…　tion。　　Farmhouses　and　cottages　were　up　to　their　middle　in　the　yellow　liquidity；　haystacks　looked　like　dull　little　islands；　windows　and　doors　gaped　open；　without　faces；　and　interruption　and　flight　were　represented　in　the　scene。　　It　was　brought　home　to　me　that　the　_popula…　tions　rurales_　have　many　different　ways　of　suffering；　and　my　heart　glowed　with　a　grateful　sense　of　cockney…　ism。　　It　was　under　the　influence　of　this　emotion　that　I　alighted　at　Orange；　to　visit　a　collection　of　eminently　civil　monuments。

The　collection　consists　of　but　two　objects；　but　these　objects　are　so　fine　that　I　will　let　the　word　pass。　　One　of　them　is　a　triumphal　arch；　supposedly　of　the　period　of　Marcus　Aurelius；　the　other　is　a　fragment；　magnifi…　cent　in　its　ruin；　of　a　Roman　theatre。　　But　for　these　fine　Roman　remains　and　for　its　name；　Orange　is　a　perfectly　featureless　little　town；　without　the　Rhone　…　which；　as　I　have　mentioned；　is　several　miles　distant　…　to　help　it　to　a　physiognomy。　　It　seems　one　of　the　oddest　things　that　this　obscure　French　borough　…　obscure；　I　mean；　in　our　modern　era；　for　the　Gallo…　Roman　Arausio　must　have　been；　judging　it　by　its　arches　and　theatre；　a　place　of　some　importance　…　should　have　given　its　name　to　the　heirs　apparent　of　the　throne　of　Holland；and　been　borne　by　a　king　of　England　who　had　sovereign　rights　over　it。　　During　the　Middle　Ages　it　formed　part　of　an　independent　principality；　but　in　1531　it　fell；　by　the　marriage　of　one　of　its　princesses；　who　had　inherited　it；　into　the　family　of　Nassau。　　I　read　in　my　indispensable　Mur…　ray　that　it　was　made　over　to　France　by　the　treaty　of　Utrecht。　　The　arch　of　triumph；　which　stands　a　little　way　out　of　the　town；　is　rather　a　pretty　than　an　im…　posing　vestige　of　the　Romans。　　If　it　had　greater　purity　of　style；　one　might　say　of　it　that　it　belonged　to　the　same　family　of　monuments　as　the　Maison　Carree　at　Nimes。　　It　has　three　passages；　…　the　middle　much　higher　than　the　others；　…　and　a　very　elevated　attic。　The　vaults　of　the　passages　are　richly　sculptured；　and　the　whole　monument　is　covered　with　friezes　and　military　trophies。　　This　sculpture　is　rather　mixed；　much　of　it　is　broken　and　defaced；　and　the　rest　seemed　to　me　ugly；　though　its　workmanship　is　praised。　　The　arch　is　at　once　well　preserved　and　much　injured。　　Its　general　mass　is　there；　and　as　Roman　monuments　go　it　is　remarkably　perfect；　but　it　has　suffered；　in　patches；　from　the　extremity　of　restoration。　　It　is　not；　on　the　whole；　of　absorbing　interest。　　It　has　a　charm；　never…　theless；　which　comes　partly　from　its　soft；　bright　yellow　color；　partly　from　a　certain　elegance　of　shape；　of　ex…　pression；　and　on　that　well…washed　Sunday　morning；　with　its　brilliant　tone；　surrounded　by　its　circle　of　thin　poplars；　with　the　green　country　lying　beyond　it　and　a　low　blue　horizon　showing　through　its　empty　portals；　it　made；　very　sufficiently；　a　picture　that　hangs　itself　to　one　of　the　lateral　hooks　of　the　memory。　　I　can　take　down　the　modest　composition；　and　place　it　before　me　as　I　write。　　I　see　the　shallow；　shining　puddles　in　the　hard；　fair　French　road；　the　pale　blue　sky；　diluted　by　days　of　rain；　the　disgarnished　autumnal　fields；　the　mild　sparkle　of　the　low　horizon；　the　solitary　figure　in　sabots；　with　a　bundle　under　its　arm；　advancing　along　the　_chaussee_；　and　in　the　middle　I　see　the　little　ochre…　colored　monument；　which；　in　spite　of　its　antiquity；　looks　bright　and　gay；　as　everything　must　look　in　France　of　a　fresh　Sunday　morning。

It　is　true　that　this　was　not　exactly　the　appearance　of　the　Roman　theatre；　which　lies　on　the　other　side　of　the　town；　a　fact　that　did　not　prevent　me　from　making　my　way　to　it　in　less　than　five　minutes；　through　a　suc…　cession　of　little　streets　concerning　which　I　have　no　observations　to　record。　　None　of　the　Roman　remains　in　the　south　of　France　are　more　impressive　than　this　stupendous　fragment。　　An　enormous　mound　rises　above　the　place；　which　was　formerly　occupied　…　I　quote　from　Murray　…　first　by　a　citadel　of　the　Romans；　then　by　a　castle　of　the　princes　of　Nassau；　razed　by　Louis　XIV。　Facing　this　hill　a　mighty　wall　erects　itself；　thirty…six　metres　high；　and　composed　of　massive　blocks　of　dark　brown　stone；　simply　laid　one　on　the　other；　the　whole　naked；　rugged　surface　of　which　suggests　a　natural　cliff　（say　of　the　Vaucluse　order）　rather　than　an　effort　of　human；　or　even　of　Roman　labor。　　It　is　the　biggest　thing　at　Orange；　…　it　is　bigger　than　all　Orange　put　to…　gether；　…　and　its　permanent　massiveness　makes　light　of　the　shrunken　city。　　The　face　it　presents　to　the　town　…　the　top　of　it　garnished　with　two　rows　of　brackets；　perforated　with　holes　to　receive　the　staves　of　the　_vela…　rium_　…　bears　the　traces　of　more　than　one　tier　of　orna…　mental　arches；　though　how　these　flat　arches　were　applied；　or　incrusted；　upon　the　wall；　I　do　not　profess　to　explain。　　You　pass　through　a　diminutive　postern　…　which　seems　in　proportion　about　as　high　as　the　en…　trance　of　a　rabbit…hutch