a little tour in france-第4部分

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　stitious　king；　and　where　a　strong　odor　of　pigsties　and　other　unclean　things　so　prostrates　you　for　the　moment　that　you　have　no　energy　to　protest　against　the　obvious　fiction。　　You　enter　a　yard　encumbered　with　rubbish　and　a　defiant　dog；　and　an　old　woman　emerges　from　a　shabby　lodge　and　assures　you　that　you　are　indeed　in　an　historic　place。　　The　red　brick　building；　which　looks　like　a　small　factory；　rises　on　the　ruins　of　the　favorite　residence　of　the　dreadful　Louis。　　It　is　now　occupied　by　a　company　of　night…scavengers；　whose　huge　carts　are　drawn　up　in　a　row　before　it。　　I　know　not　whether　this　be　what　is　called　the　irony　of　fate；　at　any　rate；　the　effect　of　it　is　to　accentuate　strongly　the　fact　（and　through　the　most　susceptible　of　our　senses）　that　there　is　no　honor　for　the　authors　of　great　wrongs。　　The　dreadful　Louis　is　reduced　simply　to　an　offence　to　the　nostrils。　　The　old　woman　shows　you　a　few　fragments；　…　several　dark；　damp；　much…encumbered　vaults；　de…　nominated　dungeons；　and　an　old　tower　staircase；　in　good　condition。　　There　are　the　outlines　of　the　old　moat；　there　is　also　the　outline　of　the　old　guard…room；　which　is　now　a　stable；　and　there　are　other　vague　out…　lines　and　inconsequent　lumps；　which　I　have　forgotten。　You　need　all　your　imagination；　and　even　then　you　cannot　make　out　that　Plessis　was　a　castle　of　large　ex…　tent；　though　the　old　woman；　as　your　eye　wanders　over　the　neighboring　_potagers；_　talks　a　good　deal　about　the　gardens　and　the　park。　　The　place　looks　mean　and　flat；　and　as　you　drive　away　you　scarcely　know　whether　to　be　glad　or　sorry　that　all　those　bristling　horrors　have　been　reduced　to　the　commonplace。

A　certain　flatness　of　impression　awaits　you　also；　I　think；　at　Marmoutier；　which　is　the　other　indisuensable　excursion　in　the　near　neighborhood　of　Tours。　　The　remains　of　this　famous　abbey　lie　on　the　other　bank　of　the　stream；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　town。　You　follow　the　edge　of　the　big　brown　river；　of　a　fine　afternoon　you　will　be　glad　to　go　further　still。　　The　abbey　has　gone　the　way　of　most　abbeys；　but　the　place　is　a　restoration　as　well　as　a　ruin；　inasmuch　as　the　sisters　of　the　Sacred　Heart　have　erected　a　terribly　modern　convent　here。　　A　large　Gothic　doorway；　in　a　high　fragment　of　ancient　wall；　admits　you　to　a　garden…　like　enclosure；　of　great　extent；　from　which　you　are　further　introduced　into　an　extraordinarily　tidy　little　parlor；　where　two　good　nuns　sit　at　work。　　One　of　these　came　out　with　me；　and　showed　me　over　the　place；　…　a　very　definite　little　woman；　with　pointed　features；　an　intensely　distinct　enunciation；　and　those　pretty　man…　ners　which　（for　whatever　other　teachings　it　may　be　responsible）　the　Catholic　church　so　often　instils　into　its　functionaries。　　I　have　never　seen　a　woman　who　had　got　her　lesson　better　than　this　little　trotting；　murmur…　ing；　edifying　nun。　　The　interest；　of　Marmoutier　to…day　is　not　so　much　an　interest　of　vision；　so　to　speak；　as　an　interest　of　reflection；　…　that　is；　if　you　choose　to　reflect　（for　instance）　upon　the　wondrous　legend　of　the　seven　sleepers　（you　may　see　where　they　lie　in　a　row）；　who　lived　together　…　they　were　brothers　and　cousins　…　in　primitive　piety；　in　the　sanctuary　constructed　by　the　blessed　Saint　Martin　（emulous　of　his　precursor；　Saint　Gatianus）；　in　the　face　of　the　hillside　that　overhung　the　Loire；　and　who；　twenty…five　years　after　his　death；　yielded　up　their　seven　souls　at　the　same　moment；　and　enjoyed　the　curious　privilege　of　retaining　in　their　faces；　in　spite　of　this　process；　the　rosy　tints　of　life。　　The　abbey　of　Marmoutier；　which　sprung　from　the　grottos　in　the　cliff　to　which　Saint　Gatianus　and　Saint　Martin　re…　tired　to　pray；　was　therefore　the　creation　of　the　latter　worthy；　as　the　other　great　abbey；　in　the　town　proper；　was　the　monument　of　his　repose。　　The　cliff　is　still　there；　and　a　winding　staircase；　in　the　latest　taste；　en…　ables　you　conveniently　to　explore　its　recesses。　　These　sacred　niches　are　scooped　out　of　the　rock；　and　will　give　you　an　impression　if　you　cannot　do　without　one。　You　will　feel　them　to　be　sufficiently　venerable　when　you　learn　that　the　particular　pigeon…hole　of　Saint　Gatianus；　the　first　Christian　missionary　to　Gaul；　dates　from　the　third　century。　　They　have　been　dealt　with　as　the　Catholic　church　deals　with　most　of　such　places　to…　day；　polished　and　furnished　up；　labelled　and　ticketed；　…　_edited；_　with　notes；　in　short；　like　an　old　book。　　The　process　is　a　mistake；　…　the　early　editions　had　more　sanctity。　　The　modern　buildings　（of　the　Sacred　Heart）；　on　which　you　look　down　from　these　points　of　vantage；　are　in　the　vulgar　taste　which　seems　doomed　to　stamp　itself　on　all　new　Catholic　work；　but　there　was　never…　theless　a　great　sweetness　in　the　scene。　　The　afternoon　was　lovely；　and　it　was　flushing　to　a　close。　　The　large　garden　stretched　beneath　us；　blooming　with　fruit　and　wine　and　succulent　vegetables；　and　beyond　it　flowed　the　shining　river。　　The　air　was　still；　the　shadows　were　long；　and　the　place；　after　all；　was　full　of　memories；　most　of　which　might　pass　for　virtuous。　　It　certainly　was　better　than　Plessis…les…Tours。



IV。

Your　business　at　Tours　is　to　make　excursions；　and　if　you　make　them　all；　you　will　be　very　well　occupied。　Touraine　is　rich　in　antiquities；　and　an　hour's　drive　from　the　town　in　almost　any　direction　will　bring　you　to　the　knowledge　of　some　curious　fragment　of　domestic　or　ecclesiastical　architecture；　some　turreted　manor；　some　lonely　tower；　some　gabled　village；　or　historic　site。　　Even；　however；　if　you　do　everything；　…　which　was　not　my　case；　…　you　cannot　hope　to　relate　everything；　and；　fortunately　for　you；　the　excursions　divide　them…　selves　into　the　greater　and　the　less。　　You　may　achieve　most　of　the　greater　in　a　week　or　two；　but　a　summer　in　Touraine　（which；　by　the　way　must　be　a　charming　thing）　would　contain　none　too　many　days　for　the　others。　If　you　come　down　to　Tours　from　Paris；　your　best　economy　is　to　spend　a　few　days　at　Blois；　where　a　clumsy；　but　rather　attractive　little　inn；　on　the　edge　of　the　river；　will　offer　you　a　certain　amount　of　that　familiar　and　intermittent　hospitality　which　a　few　weeks　spent　in　the　French　provinces　teaches　you　to　regard　as　the　highest　attainable　form　of　accommodation。　　Such　an　economy　I　was　unable　to　practise。　　I　could　only　go　to　Blois　（from　Tours）　to　spend　the　day；　but　this　feat　I　accomplished　twice　over。　　It　is　a　very　sympathetic　little　town；　as　we　say　nowadays；　and　one　might　easily　resign　one's　self　to　a　week　there。　　Seated　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Loire；　it　presents　a　bright；　clean　face　to　the　sun；　and　has　that　aspect　of　cheerful　leisure　which　belongs　to　all　white　towns　that　reflect；　themselves　in　shining　waters。　　It　is　the　water…front　only　of　Blois；　however；　that　exhibits；　this　fresh　complexion；　the　in…　terior　is　of　a　proper　brownness；　as　befits　a　signally　historic　city。　　The　only　disappointment　I　had　there　was　the　discovery　that　the　castle；　which　is　the　special　object　of　one's　pilgrimage；　does　not　overhang　the　river；　as　I　had　always　allowed　myself　to　understand。　　It　overhangs　the　town；　but　it　is　scarcely　visible　from　the　stream。　　That　peculiar　good　fortune　is　reserved　for　Amboise　and　Chaurnont。

The　Chateau　de　Blois　is　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　elaborate　of　all　the　old　royal　residences　of　this　part　of　France；　and　I　suppose　it　should　have　all　the　honors　of　my　description。　　As　you　cross　its　threshold；　you　step　straight　into　the　brilliant　movement　of　the　French　Renaissance。　　But　it　is　too　rich　to　describe；　…　I　can　only　touch　it　here　and　there。　　It　must　be　pre…　mised　that　in　speaking　of　it　as　one　sees　it　to…day；　one　speaks　of　a　monument　unsparingly　restored。　　The　work　of　restoration　has　been　as　ingenious　as　it　is　pro…　fuse；　but　it　rather　chills　the　imagination。　　This　is　perhaps　almost　the　first　thing　you　feel　as　you　ap…　proach　the　castle　from　the　streets　of　the　town。　　These　little　streets；　as　they；　leave　the　river；　have　pretensions　to　romantic　steepness；　one　of　them；　indeed；　which　resolves　itself　into　a　high　staircase　with　divergent　wings　（the　_escalier　monumental_）；　achieved　this　result　so　successfully　as　to　remind　me　vaguely　…　I　hardly　know　why　…　of　the　great　slope　of　the　Capitol；　beside　the　Ara　Coeli；　at　Rome。　　The　view　of　that　part　of　the　castle　which　figures　to…day　as　the　back　（it　is　the　only　aspect　I　had　seen　reproduced）　exhibits　the　marks　of　restoration　with　the　greatest　assurance。　　The　long　facade；　consisting　only　of　balconied　windows　deeply　recessed；　erects　itself　on　the　summit　of　a　considerable　hill；　which　gives　a　fine；　plunging　movement　to　its　foundations。　　The　deep　niches　of　the　windows　are　all　aglow　with　color。　　They　have　been　repainted　with　red　and　blue；　relieved　with　gold　figures；　and　each　of　them　looks　more　like　the　royal　box　at　a　theatre　than　like　the　aperture　of　a　palace　dark　with　memories。　　For　all　this；　however；　and　in　spite　of　the　fact　that；　as　in　some　others　of　the　chateaux　of　Touraine；　（always　excepting　the　colossal　Chambord；　which　is　not　in　Touraine！）　there　is　less　vastness　than　one　had　expected；　the　least　hospitable　aspect　of　Blois　is　abundantly　impressive。　Here；　as　elsewhere；　lightness　and　grace　are　the　key…　note；　and　the　recesses　of　the　windows；　with　their　happy　proportions；　their　sculpture；　and　their　color；　are　the　empty　frames　of　brilliant　pictures。　　They　need　the　figure　of　a　Francis　I。　to　complete　them；　or　of　a　Diane　de　Poitiers；　or　even　of　a　Henry　III。　　The　base　of　this　exquisite　structure　emerges　from　a　bed　of　light　verdure；　which　has　been　allowed　to　mass　itself　there；　and　which　contributes　to　the　springing　look　of　the　walls；　while　on　the　right　it　joins　the　most　modern　portion　of　the　castle；　…　the　building　erected；　on　founda…　tions　of　enormous　height　and　solidity；　in　1635；　by　Gaston　d'Orleans。　　This　fine；　frigid　mansion　…　the　proper　view　of　it　is　from　the　court　within　…　is　one　of　the　masterpieces　of　Francois　Mansard；　whom。　a　kind　pro…　vidence　did　not　allow　to　make　over　the　whole　palace　in　the　superior　manner　of　his　superior　age。　　This　had　been　a　part　of　Gaston's　plan；　…　he　was　a　blunderer　born；　and　this　precious　project　was　worthy　of　him。　This　execution　of　it　would　surely　have　been　one　of　the　great　misdeeds　of　history。　　Partially　performed；　the　misdeed　is　not　altogether　to　be　regretted；　for　as　one　stands　in　the　court　of　the　castle；　and　lets　one's　eye　wander　from　the　splendid　wing　of　Francis　I。　…　which