a little tour in france-第8部分

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iles；　through　the　forest　of　Russy；　which　belongs　to　the　State；　and　which；　though　con…　sisting　apparently　of　small　timber；　looked　under　the　stars　sufficiently　vast　and　primeval。　　There　was　a　damp　autumnal　smell　and　the　occasional　sound　of　a　stirring　thing；　and　as　I　moved　through　the　evening　air　I　thought　of　Francis　I。　and　Henry　IV。



VI。

You　may　go　to　Amboise　either　from　Blois　or　from　Tours；　it　is　about　half…way　between　these　towns。　　The　great　point　is　to　go；　especially　if　you　have　put　it　off　repeatedly；　and　to　go；　if　possible；　on　a　day　when　the　great　view　of　the　Loire；　which　you　enjoy　from　the　battlements　and　terraces；　presents　itself　under　a　friendly　sky。　　Three　persons；　of　whom　the　author　of　these　lines　was　one；　spent　the　greater　part　of　a　perfect　Sunday　morning　in　looking　at　it。　　It　was　astonishing；　in　the　course　of　the　rainiest　season　in　the　memory　of　the　oldest　Tourangeau；　how　many　perfect　days　we　found　to　our　hand。　　The　town　of　Amboise　lies；　like　Tours；　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river；　a　little　white…　faced　town；　staring　across　an　admirable　bridge；　and　leaning；　behind；　as　it　were；　against　the　pedestal　of　rock　on　which　the　dark　castle　masses　itself。　　The　town　is　so　small；　the　pedestal　so　big；　and　the　castle　so　high　and　striking；　that　the　clustered　houses　at　the　base　of　the　rock　are　like　the　crumbs　that　have　fallen　from　a　well…laden　table。　　You　pass　among　them；　however；　to　ascend　by　a　circuit　to　the　chateau；　which　you　attack；　obliquely；　from　behind。　　It　is　the　property　of　the　Comte　de　Paris；　another　pretender　to　the　French　throne；　having　come　to　him　remotely；　by　inheritance；　from　his　ancestor；　the　Duc　de　Penthievre；　who　toward　the　close　of　the　last　century　bought　it　from　the　crown；　which　had　recovered　it　after　a　lapse。　　Like　the　castle　of　Blois　it　has　been　injured　and　defaced　by　base　uses；　but；　unlike　the　castle　of　Blois；　it　has　not　been　com…　pletely　restored。　　〃It　is　very；　very　dirty；　but　very　curious；〃　…　it　is　in　these　terms　that　I　heard　it　described　by　an　English　lady；　who　was　generally　to　be　found　engaged　upon　a　tattered　Tauchnitz　in　the　little　_salon　de　lecture_　of　the　hotel　at　Tours。　　The　description　is　not　inaccurate；　but　it　should　be　said　that　if　part　of　the　dirtiness　of　Amboise　is　the　result　of　its　having　served　for　years　as　a　barrack　and　as　a　prison；　part　of　it　comes　from　the　presence　of　restoring　stone…masons；　who　have　woven　over　a　considerable　portion　of　it　a　mask　of　scaffolding。　　There　is　a　good　deal　of　neatness　as　well；　and　the　restoration　of　some　of　the　parts　seems　finished。　　This　process；　at　Amboise；　consists　for　the　most　part　of　simply　removing　the　vulgar　excrescences　of　the　last　two　centuries。

The　interior　is　virtually　a　blank；　the　old　apart…　ments　having　been　chopped　up　into　small　modern　rooms；　it　will　have　to　be　completely　reconstructed。　　A　worthy　woman；　with　a　military　profile　and　that　sharp；　positive　manner　which　the　goodwives　who　show　you　through　the　chateaux　of　Touraine　are　rather　apt　to　have；　and　in　whose　high　respectability；　to　say　nothing　of　the　frill　of　her　cap　and　the　cut　of　her　thick　brown　dress；　my　companions　and　I　thought　we　discovered　the　particular　note；　or　_nuance_；　of　Orleanism；　…　a　com…　petent；　appreciative；　peremptory　person；　I　say；　…　at…　tended　us　through　the　particularly　delightful　hour　we　spent　upon　the　ramparts　of　Amboise。　　Denuded　and　disfeatured　within；　and　bristling　without　with　brick…　layers'　ladders；　the　place　was　yet　extraordinarily　im…　pressive　and　interesting。　　I　should　confess　that　we　spent　a　great　deal　of　time　in　looking　at　the　view。　Sweet　was　the　view；　and　magnificent；　we　preferred　it　so　much　to　certain　portions　of　the　interior；　and　to　oc…　casional　effusions　of　historical　information；　that　the　old　lady　with　the　prove　sometimes　lost　patience　with　us。　　We　laid　ourselves　open　to　the　charge　of　pre…　ferring　it　even　to　the　little　chapel　of　Saint　Hubert；　which　stands　on　the　edge　of　the　great　terrace；　and　has；　over　the　portal；　a　wonderful　sculpture　of　the　mi…　raculous　hunt　of　that　holy　man。　　In　the　way　of　plastic　art　this　elaborate　scene　is　the　gem　of　Amboise。　　It　seemed　to　us　that　we　had　never　been　in　a　place　where　there　are　so　many　points　of　vantage　to　look　down　from。　　In　the　matter　of　position　Amboise　is　certainly　supreme　among　the　old　houses　of　the　Loire；　and　I　say　this　with　a　due　recollection　of　the　claims　of　Chau…　mont　and　of　Loches；　…　which　latter；　by　the　way　（ex…　cuse　the　afterthought）；　is　not　on　the　Loire。　　The　plat…　forms；　the　bastions；　the　terraces；　the　high…perched　windows　and　balconies；　the　hanging　gardens　and　dizzy　crenellations；　of　this　complicated　structure；　keep　you　in　perpetual　intercourse　with　an　immense　horizon。　The　great　feature　of　the…place　is　the　obligatory　round　tower　which　occupies　the　northern　end　of　it；　and　which　has　now　been；　completely　restored。　　It　is　of　astounding　size；　a　fortress　in　itself；　and　contains；　instead　of　a　staircase；　a　wonderful　inclined　plane；　so　wide　and　gradual　that　a　coach　and　four　may　be　driven　to　the　top。　　This　colossal　cylinder　has　to…day　no　visible　use；　but　it　corresponds；　happily　enough；　with　the　great　circle　of　the　prospect。　　The　gardens　of　Am…　boise；　perched　in　the　air；　covering　the　irregular　rem…　nants　of　the　platform　on　which　the　castle　stands；　and　making　up　in　picturesqueness　what　they　lack　in　ex…　tent；　constitute　of　come　but　a　scanty　domain。　　But　bathed；　as　we　found　them；　in　the　autumn　sunshine；　and　doubly　private　from　their　aerial　site；　they　offered　irresistible　opportunities　for　a　stroll；　interrupted；　as　one　leaned　against　their　low　parapets；　by　long；　con…　templative　pauses。　　I　remember；　in　particular；　a　certain　terrace；　planted　with　clipped　limes；　upon　which　we　looked　down　from　the　summit　of　the　big　tower。　　It　seemed　from　that　point　to　be　absolutely　necessary　to　one's　happiness　to　go　down　and　spend　the　rest　of　the　morning　there；　it　was　an　ideal　place　to　walk　to　and　fro　and　talk。　　Our　venerable　conductress；　to　whom　our　relation　had　gradually　become　more　filial；　per…　mitted　us　to　gratify　this　innocent　wish；　…　to　the　extent；　that　is；　of　taking　a　turn　or　two　under　the　mossy　_tilleuls。_　At　the　end　of　this　terrace　is　the　low　door；　in　a　wall；　against　the　top　of　which；　in　1498；　Charles　VIII。；　ac…　cording　to　an　accepted　tradition；　knocked　his　head　to　such　good　purpose　that　he　died。　　It　was　within　the　walls　of　Amboise　that　his　widow；　Anne　of　Brittany；　already　in　mourning　for　three　children；　two　of　whom　we　have　seen　commemorated　in　sepulchral　marble　at　Tours；　spent　the　first　violence　of　that　grief　which　was　presently　dispelled　by　a　union　with　her　husband's　cousin　and　successor；　Louis　XII。　　Amboise　was　a　fre…　quent　resort　of　the　French　Court　during　the　sixteenth　century；　it　was　here　that　the　young　Mary　Stuart　spent　sundry　hours　of　her　first　marriage。　　The　wars　of　re…　ligion　have　left　here　the　ineffaceable　stain　which　they　left　wherever　they　passed。　　An　imaginative　visitor　at　Amboise　to…day　may　fancy　that　the　traces　of　blood　are　mixed　with　the　red　rust　on　the　crossed　iron　bars　of　the　grim…looking　balcony；　to　which　the　heads　of　the　Huguenots　executed　on　the　discovery　of　the　con…　spiracy　of　La　Renaudie　are　rumored　to　have　been　suspended。　　There　was　room　on　the　stout　balustrade　…　an　admirable　piece　of　work　…　for　a　ghastly　array。　　The　same　rumor　represents　Catherine　de'　Medici　and　the　young　queen　as　watching　from　this　balcony　the　_noyades_　of　the　captured　Huguenots　in　the　Loire。　　The　facts　of　history　are　bad　enough；　the　fictions　are；　if　possible；　worse；　but　there　is　little　doubt　that　the　future　Queen　of　Scots　learnt　the　first　lessons　of　life　at　a　horrible　school。　　If　in　subsequent　years　she　was　a　prodigy　of　innocence　and　virtue；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　her　whilom　？？？　mother…in…law；　of　her　uncles　of　the　house　of　Guise；　or　of　the　examples　presented　to　her　either　at　the　windows　of　the　castle　of　Amboise　or　in　its　more　pri…　vate　recesses。

It　was　difficult　to　believe　in　these　dark　deeds；　how…　ever；　as　we　looked　through　the　golden　morning　at　the　placidity　of　the　far…shining　Loire。　　The　ultimate　con…　sequence　of　this　spectacle　was　a　desire　to　follow　the　river　as　far　as　the　castle　of　Chaumont。　　It　is　true　that　the　cruelties　practised　of　old　at　Amboise　might　have　seemed　less　phantasmal　to　persons　destined　to　suffer　from　a　modern　form　of　inhumanity。　　The　mis…　tress　of　the　little　inn　at　the　base　of　the　castle…rock　…　it　stands　very　pleasantly　beside　the　river；　and　we　had　breakfasted　there　…　declared　to　us　that　the　Chateau　de　Chaumont；　which　is　often　during　the　autumn　closed　to　visitors；　was　at　that　particular　moment　standing　so　wide　open　to　receive　us　that　it　was　our　duty　to　hire　one　of　her　carriages　and　drive　thither　with　speed。　This　assurance　was　so　satisfactory　that　we　presently　found　ourselves　seated　in　this　wily　woman's　most　com…　modious　vehicle；　and　rolling；　neither　too　fast　nor　too　slow；　along　the　margin　of　the　Loire。　　The　drive　of　about　an　hour；　beneath　constant　clumps　of　chestnuts；　was　charming　enough　to　have　been　taken　for　itself；　and　indeed；　when　we　reached　Chaumont；　we　saw　that　our　reward　was　to　be　simply　the　usual　reward　of　virtue；　…　the　consciousness　of　having　attempted　the　right。　　The　Chateau　de　Chaumont　was　inexorably　closed；　so　we　learned　from　a　talkative　lodge…keeper；　who　gave　what　grace　she　could　to　her　refusal。　　This　good　woman's　dilemma　was　almost　touching；　she　wished　to　reconcile　two　impossibles。　　The　castle　was　not　to　be　visited；　for　the　family　of　its　master　was　staying　there；　and　yet　she　was　loath　to　turn　away　a　party　of　which　she　was　good　enough　to　say　that　it　had　a　_grand　genre；_　for；　as　she　also　remarked；　she　had　her　living　to　earn。　　She　tried　to　arrange　a　compromise；　one　of　the　elements　of　which　was　that　we　should　descend　from　our　carriage　and　trudge　up　a　hill　which　would　bring　us　to　a　designated　point；　where；　over　the　paling　of　the　garden；　we　might　obtain　an　oblique　and　surreptitious　view　of　a　small　portion　of　the　castle　walls。　This　suggestion　led　us　to　inquire　（of　each　other）　to　what　degree　of　baseness　it　is　allowed　to　an　enlightened　lover　of　the　picturesque　to　resort；　in　order　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　a　feudal　chateau。　　One　of　our　trio　decided；　characteristically；　against　any　form　of　derogation；　so　she　sat　in　the　carriage　and　sketched　some　object　that　was　public　property；　while　her　two　companions；　who　were　not　so　proud；　trud