a little tour in france-第11章

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of　bring…　ing　you　back　at　the　wrong；　they　either　allow　you　far　too　little　time　to　examine　the　castle　or　the　ruin；　or　they　leave　you　planted　in　front　of　it　for　periods　that　outlast　curiosity。　　They　are　perverse；　capricious；　ex…　asperating。　　It　was　a　question　of　our　having　but　an　hour　or　two　at　Loches；　and　we　could　ill　afford　to　sacri…　fice　to　accidents。　　One　of　the　accidents；　however；　was　that　the　rain　stopped　before　we　got　there；　leaving　be…　hind　it　a　moist　mildness　of　temperature　and　a　cool　and　lowering　sky；　which　were　in　perfect　agreement　with　the　gray　old　city。　　Loches　is　certainly　one　of　the　greatest　impressions　of　the　traveller　in　central　France；　…　the　largest　cluster　of　curious　things　that　presents　itself　to　his　sight。　　It　rises　above　the　valley　of　the　Indre；　the　charming　stream　set　in　meadows　and　sedges；　which　wanders　through　the　province　of　Berry　and　through　many　of　the　novels　of　Madame　George　Sand；　lifting　from　the　summit　of　a　hill；　which　it　covers　to　the　base；　a　confusion　of　terraces；　ramparts；　towers；　and　spires。　　Having　but　little　time；　as　I　say；　we　scaled　the　hill　amain；　and　wandered　briskly　through　this　labyrinth　of　antiquities。　　The　rain　had　decidedly　stopped；　and　save　that　we　had　our　train　on　our　minds；　we　saw　Loches　to　the　best　advantage。　　We　enjoyed　that　sensation　with　which　the　conscientious　tourist　is　…　or　ought　to　be　…　well　acquainted；　and　for　which；　at　any　rate；　he　has　a　formula　in　his　rough…and…ready　language。　　We　〃experienced；〃　as　they　say；　（most　odious　of　verbs！）　an　〃agreeable　disappointment。〃　　We　were　surprised　and　delighted；　we　had　not　suspected　that　Loches　was　so　good。

I　hardly　know　what　is　best　there：　the　strange　and　impressive　little　collegial　church；　with　its　romanesque　atrium　or　narthex；　its　doorways　covered　with　primitive　sculpture　of　the　richest　kind；　its　treasure　of　a　so…called　pagan　altar；　embossed　with　fighting　warriors；　its　three　pyramidal　domes；　so　unexpected；　so　sinister；　which　I　have　not　met　elsewhere；　in　church　architecture；　or　the　huge　square　keep；　of　the　eleventh　century；　…　the　most　cliff…like　tower　I　remember；　whose　immeasurable　thick…　ness　I　did　not　penetrate；　or　the　subterranean　mysteries　of　two　other　less　striking　but　not　less　historic　dungeons；　into　which　a　terribly　imperative　little　cicerone　intro…　duced　us；　with　the　aid　of　downward　ladders；　ropes；　torches；　warnings；　extended　hands；　and；　many；　fearful　anecdotes；　…　all　in　impervious　darkness。　　These　horrible　prisons　of　Loches；　at　an　incredible　distance　below　the　daylight；　were　a　favorite　resource　of　Louis　XI。；　and　were　for　the　most　part；　I　believe；　constructed　by　him。　One　of　the　towers　of　the　castle　is　garnished　with　the　hooks　or　supports　of　the　celebrated　iron　cage　in　which　he　confined　the　Cardinal　La　Balue；　who　survived　so　much　longer　than　might　have　been　expected　this　extra…　ordinary　mixture　of　seclusion　and　exposure。　　All　these　things　form　part　of　the　castle　of　Loches；　whose　enorm…　ous　_enceinte_　covers　the　whole　of　the　top　of　the　hill；　and　abounds　in　dismantled　gateways；　in　crooked　passages；　in　winding　lanes　that　lead　to　postern　doors；　in　long　facades　that　look　upon　terraces　interdicted　to　the　visitor；　who　perceives　with　irritation　that　they　com…　mand　magnificent　views。　　These　views　are　the　property　of　the　sub…prefect　of　the　department；　who　resides　at　the　Chateau　de　Loches；　and　who　has　also　the　enjoy…　ment　of　a　garden　…　a　garden　compressed　and　curtailed；　as　those　of　old　castles　that　perch　on　hill…tops　are　apt　to　be　…　containing　a　horse…chestnut　tree　of　fabulous　size；　a　tree　of　a　circumference　so　vast　and　so　perfect　that　the　whole　population　of　Loches　might　sit　in　con…　centric　rows　beneath　its　boughs。　　The　gem　of　the　place；　however；　is　neither　the　big　_marronier_；　nor　the　collegial　church；　nor　the　mighty　dungeon；　nor　the　hideous　prisons　of　Louis　XI。；　it　is　simply　the　tomb　of　Agnes　Sorel；　_la　belle　des　belles_；　so　many　years　the　mistress　of　Charles　VII。　She　was　buried；　in　1450；　in　the　collegial　church；　whence；　in　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　her　remains；　with　the　monument　that　marks　them；　were　transferred　to　one　of　the　towers　of　the　castle。　　She　has　always；　I　know　not　with　what　justice；　enjoyed　a　fairer　fame　than　most　ladies　who　have　occupied　her　position；　and　this　fairness　is　expressed　in　the　delicate　statue　that　surmounts　her　tomb。　　It　represents　her　lying　there　in　lovely　demureness；　her　hands　folded　with　the　best　modesty；　a　little　kneeling　angel　at　either　side　of　her　head；　and　her　feet；　hidden　in　the　folds　of　her　decent　robe；　resting　upon　a　pair　of　couchant　lambs；　innocent　reminders　of　her　name。　　Agnes；　however；　was　not　lamb…like；　inasmuch　as；　according　to　popular　tradition　at　least；　she　exerted　herself　sharply　in　favor　of　the　ex…　pulsion　of　the　English　from　France。　　It　is　one　of　the　suggestions　of　Loches　that　the　young　Charles　VII。；　hard　put　to　it　as　he　was　for　a　treasury　and　a　capital；　…　〃le　roi　de　Bourges；〃　he　was　called　at　Paris；　…　was　yet　a　rather　privileged　mortal；　to　stand　up　as　he　does　before　posterity　between　the　noble　Joan　and　the　_gentille　Agnes_；　deriving；　however　much　more　honor　from　one　of　these　companions　than　from　the　other。　　Almost　as　delicate　a　relic　of　antiquity　as　this　fascinating　tomb　is　the　exquisite　oratory　of　Anne　of　Brittany；　among　the　apartments　of　the　castle　the　only　chamber　worthy　of　note。　　This　small　room；　hardly　larger　than　a　closet；　and　forming　part　of　the　addition　made　to　the　edifice　by　Charles　VIII。；　is　embroidered　over　with　the　curious　and　remarkably　decorative　device　of　the　ermine　and　festooned　cord。　　The　objects　in　themselves　are　not　especially　graceful；　but　the　constant　repetition　of　the　figure　on　the　walls　and　ceiling　produces　an　effect　of　richness；　in　spite　of　the　modern　whitewash　with　which；　if　I　remember　rightly；　they　have　been　endued。　　The　little　streets　of　Loches　wander　crookedly　down　the　hill；　and　are　full　of　charming　pictorial　　〃bits：〃　an　old　town…　gate；　passing　under　a　mediaeval　tower；　which　is　orna…　mented　by　Gothic　windows　and　the　empty　niches　of　statues；　a　meagre　but　delicate　_hotel　de　ville_；　of　the　Renaissance；　nestling　close　beside　it；　a　curious　_chancel…　lerie_　of　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century；　with　mythological　figures　and　a　Latin　inscription　on　the　front；　…　both　of　these　latter　buildings　being　rather　un…　expected　features　of　the　huddled　and　precipitous　little　town。　　Loches　has　a　suburb　on　the　other　side　of　the　Indre；　which　we　had　contented　ourselves　with　looking　down　at　from　the　heights；　while　we　wondered　whether；　even　if　it　had　not　been　getting　late　and　our　train　were　more　accommodating；　we　should　care　to　take　our　way　across　the　bridge　and　look　up　that　bust；　in　terra…cotta；　of　Francis　I。；　which　is　the　principal　ornament　of　the　Chateau　de　Sansac　and　the　faubourg　of　Beaulieu。　　I　think　we　decided　that　we　should　not；　that　we　were　already　quite　well　enough　acquainted　with　the　nasal　profile　of　that　monarch。



XI。

I　know　not　whether　the　exact　limits　of　an　excur…　sion；　as　distinguished　from　a　journey；　have　ever　been　fixed；　at　any　rate；　it　seemed　none　of　my　business；　at　Tours；　to　settle　the　question。　　Therefore；　though　the　making　of　excursions　had　been　the　purpose　of　my　stay；　I　thought　it　vain；　while　I　started　for　Bourges；　to　determine　to　which　category　that　little　expedition　might　belong。　　It　was　not　till　the　third　day　that　I　re…　turned　to　Tours；　and　the　distance；　traversed　for　the　most　part　after　dark；　was　even　greater　than　I　had　sup…　posed。　　That；　however；　was　partly　the　fault　of　a　tire…　some　wait　at　Vierzon；　where　I　had　more　than　enough　time　to　dine；　very　badly；　at　the　_buffet_；　and　to　observe　the　proceedings　of　a　family　who　had　entered　my　rail…　way　carriage　at　Tours　and　had　conversed　unreservedly；　for　my　benefit；　all　the　way　from　that　station；　…　a　family　whom　it　entertained　me　to　assign　to　the　class　of　_petite　noblesse　de　province_。　　Their　noble　origin　was　confirmed　by　the　way　they　all　made　_maigre_　in　the　refreshment　oom　（it　happened　to　be　a　Friday）；　as　if　it　had　been　possible　to　do　anything　else。　　They　ate　two　or　three　omelets　apiece；　and　ever　so　many　little　cakes；　while　the　positive；　talkative　mother　watched　her　children　as　the　waiter　handed　about　the　roast　fowl。　　I　was　destined　to　share　the　secrets　of　this　family　to　the　end；　for　when　I　had　taken　place　in　the　empty　train　that　was　in　waiting　to　convey　us　to　Bourges；　the　same　vigilant　woman　pushed　them　all　on　top　of　me　into　my　com…　partment；　though　the　carriages　on　either　side　con…　tained　no　travellers　at　all。　　It　was　better；　I　found；　to　have　dined　（even　on　omelets　and　little　cakes）　at　the　station　at　Vierzon　than　at　the　hotel　at　Bourges；　which；　when　I　reached　it　at　nine　o'clock　at　night；　did　not　strike　me　as　the　prince　of　hotels。　　The　inns　in　the　smaller　provincial　towns　in　France　are　all；　as　the　term　is；　commercial；　and　the　_commis…voyageur_　is　in　triumphant　possession。　　I　saw　a　great　deal　of　him　for　several　weeks　after　this；　for　he　was　apparently　the　only　traveller　in　the　southern　provinces；　and　it　was　my　daily　fate　to　sit　opposite　to　him　at　tables　d'hote　and　in　railway　trains。　　He　may　be　known　by　two　infallible　signs；　…　his　hands　are　fat；　and　he　tucks　his　napkin　into　his　shirt…collar。　　In　spite　of　these　idiosyncrasies；　he　seemed　to　me　a　reserved　and　inoffensive　person；　with　singularly　little　of　the　demonstrative　good…humor　that　he　has　been　described　as　possessing。　　I　saw　no　one　who　re…　minded　me　of　Balzac's　〃illustre　Gaudissart；〃　and　in…　deed；　in　the　course　of　a　month's　journey　through　a　large　part　of　France；　I　heard　so　little　desultory　con…　versation　that　I　wondered　whether　a　change　had　not　come　over　the　spirit　of　the　people。　　They　seemed　to　me　as　silent　as　Americans　when　Americans　have　not　been　〃introduced；〃　and　infinitely　less　addicted　to　ex…　changing　remarks　in　railway　trains　and　at　tables　d'hote　the　colloquial　and　cursory　English；　a　fact　per…　haps　not　worth　mentioning　were　it　not　at　variance　with　that　reputation　which　the　French　have　long　en…　joyed　of　being　a　pre…eminently　sociable　nation。　　The　common　report　of　the　character　of　a　people　is；　how…　ever；　an　indefinable　product；　and　it　is；　apt　to　strike　the　traveller　who　observes　for　himself　as　very　wide　of　the　mark。　　The　English；　who　have　for　ages　been　de…　scribed　（mainly　by　the　French）　as　the　dumb；　stiff；　unapproachable　race；　present　to…day　a　remarkable　ap…　pearance　of　good…humor　and　garrulity；　and　are　dis…　tinguished　by　their　facility　of　intercourse。　　On　the　other　hand；　any　one　who　has　seen　half　a　dozen　Frenchmen　pass　a　whole　day　together　in　a　railway…　carriage　without　breaking　silence　is　forced　to　believe　that　the　traditional　reputation　of　these　gentlemen　is　simply　the　survival　of　some　primitive　formula。　　It　was　true；　doubtless；　before　the　Revolution；　but　there　have　been　great　changes　since　then。　　The　question　of　which　is　the　better　taste；　to　talk　to　strangers　or　to　hold　your　tongue；　is　a　matter　apart；　I　incline　to　believe　that　the　French　reserve　is　the　result　of　a　more　definite　con…　ception　of　social　behavior。　　I　allude　to　it　only　be…　came　it　is　at　variance　with　the　national　fame；　and　at　the　same　time　is　compatible　with　a　very　easy　view　of　life　in　certain　other　directions。　　On　some　of　these　latter　points　the　Boule　d'Or　at　Bourges　was　full　of　instruction；　boasting；　as　it　did；　of　a　hall　of　reception　in　which；　amid　old　boots　that　had　been　brought　to　be　cleane