a little tour in france-第12章

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sting；　as　it　did；　of　a　hall　of　reception　in　which；　amid　old　boots　that　had　been　brought　to　be　cleaned；　old　linen　that　was　being　sorted　for　the　wash；　and　lamps　of　evil　odor　that　were　awaiting　replenish…　ment；　a　strange；　familiar；　promiscuous　household　life　went　forward。　　Small　scullions　in　white　caps　and　aprons　slept　upon　greasy　benches；　the　Boots　sat　staring　at　you　while　you　fumbled；　helpless；　in　a　row　of　pigeon…　holes；　for　your　candlestick　or　your　key；　and；　amid　the　coming　and　going　of　the　_commis…voyageurs_；　a　little　sempstress　bent　over　the　under…garments　of　the　hostess；　…　the　latter　being　a　heavy；　stem；　silent　woman；　who　looked　at　people　very　hard。

It　was　not　to　be　looked　at　in　that　manner　that　one　had　come　all　the　way　from　Tours；　so　that　within　ten　minutes　after　my　arrival　I　sallied　out　into　the　dark…　ness　to　get　somehow　and　somewhere　a　happier　im…　pression。　　However　late　in　the　evening　I　may　arrive　at　a　place；　I　cannot　go　to　bed　without　an　impression。　The　natural　place；　at　Bourges；　to　look　for　one　seemed　to　be　the　cathedral；　which；　moreover；　was　the　only　thing　that　could　account　for　my　presence　_dans　cette　galere_。　　I　turned　out　of　a　small　square；　in　front　of　the　hotel；　and　walked　up　a　narrow；　sloping　street；　paved　with　big；　rough　stones　and　guiltless　of　a　foot…way。　It　was　a　splendid　starlight　night；　the　stillness　of　a　sleeping　_ville　de　province_　was　over　everything；　I　had　the　whole　place　to　myself。　　I　turned　to　my　right；　at　the　top　of　the　street；　where　presently　a　short；　vague　lane　brought　me　into　sight　of　the　cathedral。　　I　ap…　proached　it　obliquely；　from　behind；　it　loomed　up　in　the　darkness　above　me；　enormous　and　sublime。　　It　stands　on　the　top　of　the　large　but　not　lofty　eminence　over　which　Bourges　is　scattered；　…　a　very　good　position；　as　French　cathedrals　go；　for　they　are　not　all　so　nobly　situated　as　Chartres　and　Laon。　　On　the　side　on　which　I　approached　it　（the　south）　it　is　tolerably　well　ex…　posed；　though　the　precinct　is　shabby；　in　front；　it　is　rather　too　much　shut　in。　　These　defects；　however；　it　makes　up　for　on　the　north　side　and　behind；　where　it　presents　itself　in　the　most　admirable　manner　to　the　garden　of　the　Archeveche；　which　has　been　arranged　as　a　public　walk；　with　the　usual　formal　alleys　of　the　_jardin　francais_。　　I　must　add　that　I　appreciated　these　points　only　on　the　following　day。　　As　I　stood　there　in　the　light　of　the　stars；　many　of　which　had　an　autumnal　sharpness；　while　others　were　shooting　over　the　heavens；　the　huge；　rugged　vessel　of　the　church　overhung　me　in　very　much　the　same　way　as　the　black　hull　of　a　ship　at　sea　would　overhang　a　solitary　swimmer。　　It　seemed　colossal；　stupendous；　a　dark　leviathan。

The　next　morning；　which　was　lovely；　I　lost　no　time　in　going　back　to　it；　and　found；　with　satisfaction；　that　the　daylight　did　it　no　injury。　　The　cathedral　of　Bourges　is　indeed　magnificently　huge；　and　if　it　is　a　good　deal　wanting　in　lightness　and　grace　it　is　perhaps　only　the　more　imposing。　　I　read　in　the　excellent　hand…　book　of　M。　Joanne　that　it　was　projected　〃_des_　1172；〃　but　commenced　only　in　the　first　years　of　the　thirteenth　century。　　〃The　nave〃　the　writer　adds；　〃was　finished　_tant　bien　que　mal；　faute　de　ressources；_　the　facade　is　of　the　thirteenth　and　fourteenth　centuries　in　its　lower　part；　and　of　the　fourteenth　in　its　upper。〃　　The　allusion　to　the　nave　means　the　omission　of　the　transepts。　　The　west　front　consists　of　two　vast　but　imperfect　towers；　one　of　which　（the　south）　is　immensely　buttressed；　so　that　its　outline　slopes　forward；　like　that　of　a　pyramid；　being　the　taller　of　the　two。　　If　they　had　spires；　these　towers　would　be　prodigious；　as　it　is；　given　the　rest　of　the　church；　they　are　wanting　in　elevation。　　There　are　five　deeply　recessed　portals；　all　in　a　row；　each　surmounted　with　a　gable；　the　gable　over　the　central　door　being　exceptionally　high。　　Above　the　porches；　which　give　the　measure　of　its　width；　the　front　rears　itself；　piles　itself；　on　a　great　scale；　carried　up　by　gal…　leries；　arches；　windows；　sculptures；　and　supported　by　the　extraordinarily　thick　buttresses　of　which　I　have　spoken；　and　which；　though　they　embellish　it　with　deep　shadows　thrown　sidewise；　do　not　improve　its　style。　The　portals；　especially　the　middle　one；　are　extremely　interesting；　they　are　covered　with　curious　early　sculp…　tures。　　The　middle　one；　however；　I　must　describe　alone。　　It　has　no　less　than　six　rows　of　figures；　…　the　others　have　four；　…　some　of　which；　notably　the　upper　one；　are　still　in　their　places。　　The　arch　at　the　top　has　three　tiers　of　elaborate　imagery。　　The　upper　of　these　is　divided　by　the　figure　of　Christ　in　judgment；　of　great　size；　stiff　and　terrible；　with　outstretched　arms。　　On　either　side　of　him　are　ranged　three　or　four　angels；　with　the　instruments　of　the　Passion。　　Beneath　him；　in　the　second　frieze；　stands　the　angel　of　justice；　with　his　scales；　and　on　either　side　of　him　is　the　vision　of　the　last　judgment。　　The　good　prepare；　with　infinite　titilla…　tion　and　complacency；　to　ascend　to　the　skies；　while　the　bad　are　dragged；　pushed；　hurled；　stuffed；　crammed；　into　pits　and　caldrons　of　fire。　　There　is　a　charming　detail　in　this　section。　　Beside　the　angel；　on；　the　right；　where　the　wicked　are　the　prey　of　demons；　stands　a　little　female　figure；　that　of　a　child；　who；　with　hands　meekly　folded　and　head　gently　raised；　waits　for　the　stern　angel　to　decide　upon　her　fate。　　In　this　fate；　how…　ever；　a　dreadful；　big　devil　also　takes　a　keen　interest；　he　seems　on　the　point　of　appropriating　the　tender　creature；　he　has　a　face　like　a　goat　and　an　enormous　hooked　nose。　　But　the　angel　gently　lays　a　hand　upon　the　shoulder　of　the　little　girl　…　the　movement　is　full　of　dignity　…　as　if　to　say；　〃No；　she　belongs　to　the　other　side。〃　　The　frieze　below　represents　the　general　re…　surrection；　with　the　good　and　the　wicked　emerging　from　their　sepulchres。　　Nothing　can　be　more　quaint　and　charming　than　the　difference　shown　in　their　way　of　responding　to　the　final　trump。　　The　good　get　out　of　their　tombs　with　a　certain　modest　gayety；　an　alacrity　tempered　by　respect；　one　of　them　kneels　to　pray　as　soon　as　he　has　disinterred　himself。　　You　may　know　the　wicked；　on　the　other　hand；　by　their　extreme　shy…　ness；　they　crawl　out　slowly　and　fearfully；　they　hang　back；　and　seem　to　say；　〃Oh；　dear！〃　　These　elaborate　sculptures；　full　of　ingenuous　intention　and　of　the　reality　of　early　faith；　are　in　a　remarkable　state　of　pre…　servation；　they　bear　no　superficial　signs　of　restoration；　and　appear　scarcely　to　have　suffered　from　the　centu…　ries。　　They　are　delightfully　expressive；　the　artist　had　the　advantage　of　knowing　exactly　the　effect　he　wished　to　produce。

The　interior　of　the　cathedral　has　a　great　simplicity　and　majesty；　and；　above　all；　a　tremendous　height。　　The　nave　is　extraordinary　in　this　respect；　it　dwarfs　every…　thing　else　I　know。　　I　should　add；　however；　that　I　am；　in　architecture；　always　of　the　opinion　of　the　last　speaker。　　Any　great　building　seems　to　me；　while　I　look　at　it；　the　ultimate　expression。　　At　any　rate；　during　the　hour　that　I　sat　gazing　along　the　high　vista　of　Bourges；　the　interior　of　the　great　vessel　corresponded　to　my　vision　of　the　evening　before。　　There　is　a　tranquil　largeness；　a　kind　of　infinitude；　about　such　an　edifice：　it　soothes　and　purifies　the　spirit；　it　illuminates　the　mind。　　There　are　two　aisles；　on　either　side；　in　addi…　tion　to　the　nave；　…　five　in　all；　…　and；　as　I　have　said；　there　are　no　transepts；　an　omission　which　lengthens　the　vista；　so　that　from　my　place　near　the　door　the　central　jewelled　window　in　the　depths　of　the　perpen…　dicular　choir　seemed　a　mile　or　two　away。　　The　second；　or　outward；　of　each　pair　of　aisles　is　too　low；　and　the　first　too　high；　without　this　inequality　the　nave　would　appear　to　take　an　even　more　prodigious　flight。　　The　double　aisles　pass　all　the　way　round　the　choir；　the　windows　of　which　are　inordinately　rich　in　magnificent　old　glass。　　I　have　seen　glass　as　fine　in　other　churches；　but　I　think　I　have　never　seen　so　much　of　it　at　once。

Beside　the　cathedral；　on　the　north；　is　a　curious　structure　of　the　fourteenth　or　fifteenth　century；　which　looks　like　an　enormous　flying　buttress；　with　its　sup…　port；　sustaining　the　north　tower。　　It　makes　a　massive　arch；　high　in　the　air；　and　produces　a　romantic　effect　as　people　pass　under　it　to　the　open　gardens　of　the　Archeveche；　which　extend　to　a　considerable　distance　in　the　rear　of　the　church。　　The　structure　supporting　the　arch　has　the　girth　of　a　largeish　house；　and　con…　tains　chambers　with　whose　uses　I　am　unacquainted；　but　to　which　the　deep　pulsations　of　the　cathedral；　the　vibration　of　its　mighty　bells；　and　the　roll　of　its　organ…　tones　must　be　transmitted　even　through　the　great　arm　of　stone。

The　archiepiscopal　palace；　not　walled　in　as　at　Tours；　is　visible　as　a　stately　habitation　of　the　last　century；　now　in　course　of　reparation　in　consequence　of　a　fire。　From　this　side；　and　from　the　gardens　of　the　palace；　the　nave　of　the　cathedral　is　visible　in　all　its　great　length　and　height；　with　its　extraordinary　multitude　of　supports。　　The　gardens　aforesaid；　accessible　through　tall　iron　gates；　are　the　promenade　…　the　Tuileries　…　of　the　town；　and；　very　pretty　in　themselves；　are　immensely　set　off　by　the　overhanging　church。　　It　was　warm　and　sunny；　the　benches　were　empty；　I　sat　there　a　long　time；　in　that　pleasant　state　of　mind　which　visits　the　traveller　in　foreign　towns；　when　he　is　not　too　hurried；　while　he　wonders　where　he　had　better　go　next。　　The　straight；　unbroken　line　of　the　roof　of　the　cathedral　was　very　noble；　but　I　could　see　from　this　point　how　much　finer　the　effect　would　have　been　if　the　towers；　which　had　dropped　almost　out　of　sight；　might　have　been　carried　still　higher。　　The　archiepiscopal　gardens　look　down　at　one　end　over　a　sort　of　esplanade　or　suburban　avenue　lying　on　a　lower　level；　on　which　they　open；　and　where　several　detachments　of　soldiers　（Bourges　is　full　of　soldiers）　had　just　been　drawn　up。　The　civil　population　was　also　collecting；　and　I　saw　that　something　was　going　to　happen。　　I　learned　that　a　private　of　the　Chasseurs　was　to　be　〃broken〃　for　stealing；　and　every　one　was　eager　to　behold　the　cere…　mony。　　Sundry　other　detachments　arrived　on　the　ground；　besides　many　of　the　military　who　had　come　as　a　matter　of　taste。　　One　of　them　described　to　me　the　process　of　degradation　from　the　ranks；　and　I　felt　for　a　moment　a　hideous　curiosity　to　see　it；　under　the　influence　of　which　I　lingered　a　little。　　But　only　a　little；　the　hateful　nature　of　the　spectacle　hurried　me　away；　at　the　same　time　that　others　were　hurrying　for…　ward。　　As　I　turned　my　back　upon　it　I　reflected　that　human　beings　are　cruel　brutes；　though　I　could　not　flatter　myself　that　the　ferocity　of　the　thing　was　ex…　clusively　French。　　In　another　country　the　concourse　would　have　been　equally　great；　and　the　moral　of　it　all　seemed　to　be　that　military　penalties　are　as　terrible　as　military　honors　are　gratifying。



XII。

The　cathedral　is　not　the　only　lion　of　Bourges；　the　house　of　Jacques　Coeur　is　an　object　of　interest　scarcely　less　positive。　　This　remarkable　man　had　a　very　strange　history；　and　he　too　was　〃broken；〃　like　the　wretched　soldier　whom　I　did　not　stay　to　see。　　He　has　been　re…　habilitated；　however；　by　an　age　which　does　not　fear　the　imputation　of　paradox；　and　a　marble　statue　of　him　ornaments　the　street　in　front　of　his　house。　　To　interpret　him　according　to　this　image　…　a　womanish　fi