a little tour in france-第10章

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be　ranked　according　to　charm。　　For　beauty　of　detail　it　comes　after　Blois　and　Chenon…　ceaux；　but　it　comes　before　Amboise　and　Chambord。　On　the　other　hand；　of　course；　it　is　inferior　in　majesty　to　either　of　these　vast　structures。　　Like　Chenonceaux；　it　is　a　watery　place；　though　it　is　more　meagrely　moated　than　the　little　chateau　on　the　Cher。　　It　consists　of　a　large　square　_corps　de　logis_；　with　a　round　tower　at　each　angle；　rising　out　of　a　somewhat　too　slumberous　pond。　　The　water　…　the　water　of　the　Indre　…　sur…　rounds　it；　but　it　is　only　on　one　side　that　it　bathes　its　feet　in　the　moat。　　On　one　of　the　others　there　is　a　little　terrace；　treated　as　a　garden；　and　in　front　there　is　a　wide　court；　formed　by　a　wing　which；　on　the　right；　comes　forward。　　This　front；　covered　with　sculptures；　is　of　the　richest；　stateliest　effect。　　The　court　is　ap…　proachcd　by　a　bridge　over　the　pond；　and　the　house　would　reflect　itself　in　this　wealth　of　water　if　the　water　were　a　trifle　less　opaque。　　But　there　is　a　certain　stagnation　…　it　affects　more　senses　than　one　…　about　the　picturesque　pools　of　Azay。　　On　the　hither　side　of　the　bridge　is　a　garden；　overshadowed　by　fine　old　sycamores；　…　a　garden　shut　in　by　greenhouses　and　by　a　fine　last…century　gateway；　flanked　with　twin　lodges。　Beyond　the　chateau　and　the　standing　waters　behind　it　is　a　so…called　_parc_；　which；　however；　it　must　be　con…　fessed；　has　little　of　park…like　beauty。　　The　old　houses　（many　of　them；　that　is）　remain　in　France；　but　the　old　timber　does　not　remain；　and　the　denuded　aspect　of　the　few　acres　that　surround　the　chateaux　of　Touraine　is　pitiful　to　the　traveller　who　has　learned　to　take　the　measure　of　such　things　from　the　manors　and　castles　of　England。　　The　domain　of　the　lordly　Chaumont　is　that　of　an　English　suburban　villa；　and　in　that　and　in　other　places　there　is　little　suggestion；　in　the　untended　aspect　of　walk　and　lawns；　of　the　vigilant　British　gardener。　　The　manor　of　Azay；　as　seen　to…day；　dates　from　the　early　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　and　the　industrious　Abbe　Chevalier；　in　his　very　entertaining　though　slightly　rose…colored　book　on　Touraine；*　（*　Promenades　pittoresque　en　Touraine。　Tours：　1869。）　speaks　of　it　as；　〃perhaps　the　purest　expres…　sion　of　the　_belle　Renaissance　francaise_。〃　　〃Its　height；〃　he　goes　on；　〃is　divided　between　two　stories；　terminat…　ing　under　the　roof　in　a　projecting　entablature　which　imitates　a　row　of　machicolations。　　Carven　chimneys　and　tall　dormer　windows；　covered　with　imagery；　rise　from　the　roofs；　turrets　on　brackets；　of　elegant　shape；　hang　with　the　greatest　lightness　from　the　angles　of　the　building。　　The　soberness　of　the　main　lines；　the　harmony　of　the　empty　spaces　and　those　that　are　filled　out；　the　prominence　of　the　crowning　parts；　the　delicacy　of　all　the　details；　constitute　an　enchanting　whole。〃　　And　then　the　Abbe　speaks　of　the　admirable　staircase　which　adorns　the　north　front；　and　which；　with　its　extention；　inside；　constitutes　the　principal　treasure　of　Azay。　　The　staircase　passes　beneath　one　of　the　richest　of　porticos；　…　a　portico　over　which　a　monumental　salamander　indulges　in　the　most　deco…　rative　contortions。　　The　sculptured　vaults　of　stone　which　cover　the　windings　of　the　staircase　within；　the　fruits；　flowers；　ciphers；　heraldic　signs；　are　of　the　noblest　effect。　　The　interior　of　the　chateau　is　rich；　comfortable；　extremely　modern；　but　it　makes　no　picture　that　compares　with　its　external　face；　about　which；　with　its　charming　proportions；　its　profuse　yet　not　extravagant　sculpture；　there　is　something　very　tranquil　and　pure。　　I　took　particular　fancy　to　the　roof；　high；　steep；　old；　with　its　slope　of　bluish　slate；　and　the　way　the　weather…worn　chimneys　seemed　to　grow　out　of　it；　like　living　things　out　of　a　deep　soil。　The　only　defect　of　the　house　is　the　blankness　and　bareness　of　its　walls；　which　have　none　of　those　delicate　parasites　attached　to　them　that　one　likes　to　see　on　the　surface　of　old　dwellings。　　It　is　true　that　this　bareness　results　in　a　kind　of　silvery　whiteness　of　complexion；　which　carries　out　the　tone　of　the　quiet　pools　and　even　that　of　the　scanty　and　shadeless　park。



IX。

I　hardly　know　what　to　say　about　the　tone　of　Langeais；　which；　though　I　have　left　it　to　the　end　of　my　sketch；　formed　the　objective　point　of　the　first　ex…　cursion　I　made　from　Tours。　　Langeais　is　rather　dark　and　gray；　it　is　perhaps　the　simplest　and　most　severe　of　all　the　castles　of　the　Loire。　　I　don't　know　why　I　should　have　gone　to　see　it　before　any　other；　unless　it　be　because　I　remembered　the　Duchesse　de　Langeais；　who　figures　in　several　of　Balzac's　novels；　and　found　this　association　very　potent。　　The　Duchesse　de　Lan…　geais　is　a　somewhat　transparent　fiction；　but　the　castle　from　which　Balzac　borrowed　the　title　of　his　heroine　is　an　extremely　solid　fact。　　My　doubt　just　above　as　to　whether　I　should　pronounce　it　excep…　tionally　grey　came　from　my　having　seen　it　under　a　sky　which　made　most　things　look　dark。　　I　have；　how…　ever；　a　very　kindly　memory　of　that　moist　and　melan…　choly　afternoon；　which　was　much　more　autumnal　than　many　of　the　days　that　followed　it。　　Langeais　lies　down　the　Loire；　near　the　river；　on　the　opposite　side　from　Tours；　and　to　go　to　it　you　will　spend　half　an　hour　in　the　train。　　You　pass　on　the　way　the　Chateau　de　Luynes；　which；　with　its　round　towers　catching　the　afternoon　light；　looks　uncommonly　well　on　a　hill　at　a　distance；　you　pass　also　the　ruins　of　the　castle　of　Cinq…Mars；　the　ancestral　dwelling　of　the　young　favorite　of　Louis　XIII。；　the　victim；　of　Richelieu；　the　hero　of　Alfred　de　Vigny's　novel；　which　is　usually　re…　commended　to　young　ladies　engaged　in　the　study　of　French。　　Langeais　is　very　imposing　and　decidedly　sombre；　it　marks　the　transition　from　the　architecture　of　defence　to　that　of　elegance。　　It　rises；　massive　and　perpendicular；　out　of　the　centre　of　the　village　to　which　it　gives　its　name；　and　which　it　entirely　domi…　nates；　so　that；　as　you　stand　before　it；　in　the　crooked　and　empty　street；　there　is　no　resource　for　you　but　to　stare　up　at　its　heavy　overhanging　cornice　and　at　the　huge　towers　surmounted　with　extinguishers　of　slate。　If　you　follow　this　street　to　the　end；　however；　you　encounter　in　abundance　the　usual　embellishments　of　a　French　village：　little　ponds　or　tanks；　with　women　on　their　knees　on　the　brink；　pounding　and　thumping　a　lump　of　saturated　linen；　brown　old　crones；　the　tone　of　whose　facial　hide　makes　their　nightcaps　（worn　by　day）　look　dazzling；　little　alleys　perforating　the　thick…　ness　of　a　row　of　cottages；　and　showing　you　behind；　as　a　glimpse；　the　vividness　of　a　green　garden。　　In　the　rear　of　the　castle　rises　a　hill　which　must　formerly　have　been　occupied　by　some　of　its　appurtenances；　and　which　indeed　is　still　partly　enclosed　within　its　court。　　You　may　walk　round　this　eminence；　which；　with　the　small　houses　of　the　village　at　its　base；　shuts　in　the　castle　from　behind。　　The　enclosure　is　not　defiantly　guarded；　however；　for　a　small；　rough　path；　which　you　presently　reach；　leads　up　to　an　open　gate。　This　gate　admits　you　to　a　vague　and　rather　limited　_parc_；　which　covers　the　crest　of　the　hill；　and　through　which　you　may　walk　into　the　gardens　of　castle。　These　gardens；　of　small　extent；　confront　the　dark　walls　with　their　brilliant　parterres；　and；　covering　the　gradual　slope　of　the　hill；　form；　as　it　were；　the　fourth　side　of　the　court。　　This　is　the　stateliest　view　of　the　chateau；　which　looks　to　you　sufficiently　grim　and　gray　as；　after　asking　leave　of　a　neat　young　woman　who　sallies　out　to　learn　your　errand；　you　sit　there　on　a　garden　bench　and　take　the　measure　of　the　three　tall　towers　attached　to　this　inner　front　and　forming　sever…　ally　the　cage　of　a　staircase。　　The　huge　bracketed　cor…　nice　（one　of　the　features　of　Langeais）　which　is　merely　ornamental；　as　it　is　not　machicolated；　though　it　looks　so；　is　continued　on　the　inner　face　as　well。　　The　whole　thing　has　a　fine　feudal　air；　though　it　was　erected　on　the　rains　of　feudalism。

The　main　event　in　the　history　of　the　castle　is　the　marriage　of　Anne　of　Brittany　to　her　first　husband；　Charles　VIII。；　which　took　place　in　its　great　hall　in　1491。　　Into　this　great　hall　we　were　introduced　by　the　neat　young　woman；　…　into　this　great　hall　and　into　sundry　other　halls；　winding　staircases；　galleries；　chambers。　　The　cicerone　of　Langeais　is　in　too　great　a　hurry；　the　fact　is　pointed　out　in　the　excellent　Guide…　Joanne。　　This　ill…dissimulated　vice；　however；　is　to　be　observed；　in　the　country　of　the　Loire；　in　every　one　who　carries　a　key。　　It　is　true　that　at　Langeais　there　is　no　great　occasion　to　indulge　in　the　tourist's　weak…　ness　of　dawdling；　for　the　apartments；　though　they　contain　many　curious　odds　and　ends　of；　antiquity；　are　not　of　first…rate　interest。　　They　are　cold　and　musty；　indeed；　with　that　touching　smell　of　old　furniture；　as　all　apartments　should　be　through　which　the　insatiate　American　wanders　in　the　rear　of　a　bored　domestic；　pausing　to　stare　at　a　faded　tapestry　or　to　read　the　name　on　the　frame　of　some　simpering　portrait。

To　return　to　Tours　my　companion　and　I　had　counted　on　a　train　which　（as　is　not　uncommon　in　France）　existed　only　in　the　〃Indicateur　des　Chemins　de　Fer；〃　and　instead　of　waiting　for　another　we　engaged　a　vehicle　to　take　us　home。　　A　sorry　_carriole_　or　_patache_　it　proved　to　be；　with　the　accessories　of　a　lumbering　white　mare　and　a　little　wizened；　ancient　peasant；　who　had　put　on；　in　honor　of　the　occasion；　a　new　blouse　of　extraordinary　stiffness　and　blueness。　　We　hired　the　trap　of　an　energetic　woman　who　put　it　〃to〃　with　her　own　hands；　women　in　Touraine　and　the　B1esois　appearing　to　have　the　best　of　it　in　the　business　of　letting　vehicles；　as　well　as　in　many　other　industries。　　There　is；　in　fact；　no　branch　of　human　activity　in　which　one　is　not　liable；　in　France；　to　find　a　woman　engaged。　　Women；　indeed；　are　not　priests；　but　priests　are；　more　or　less；　women。　　They　are　not　in　the　army；　it　may　be　said；　but　then　they　_are_　the　army。　　They　are　very　formidable。　　In　France　one　must　count　with　the　women。　　The　drive　back　from　Langeais　to　Tours　was　long；　slow；　cold；　we　had　an　occasional　spatter　of　rain。　　But　the　road　passes　most　of　the　way　close　to　the　Loire；　and　there　was　some…　thing　in　our　jog…trot　through　the　darkening　land；　beside　the　flowing；　river；　which　it　was　very　possible　to　enjoy。



X。

The　consequence　of　my　leaving　to　the　last　my　little　mention　of　Loches　is　that　space　and　opportunity　fail　me；　and　yet　a　brief　and　hurried　account　of　that　extra…　ordinary　spot　would　after　all　be　in　best　agreement　with　my　visit。　　We　snatched　a　fearful　joy；　my　companion　and　I；　the　afternoon　we　took　the　train　for　Loches。　The　weather　this　time　had　been　terribly　against　us：　again　and　again　a　day　that　promised　fair　became　hope…　lessly　foul　after　lunch。　　At　last　we　determined　that　if　we　could　not　make　this　excursion　in　the　sunshine；　we　would　make　it　with　the　aid　of　our　umbrellas。　　We　grasped　them　firmly　and　started　for　the　station；　where　we　were　detained　an　unconscionable　time　by　the　evolu…　tions；　outside；　of　certain　trains　laden　with　liberated　（and　exhilarated）　conscripts；　who；　their　term　of　service　ended；　were　about　to　be　restored　to　civil　life。　　The　trains　in　Touraine　are　provoking；　they　serve　as　little　as　possible　for　excursions。　　If　they　convey　you　one　way　at　the　right　hour；　it　is　on　the　condition　of　bring…　ing　you　back　at　the　wrong；　they　either　allow　you　far　too　little　time　to　examine　the　castle