a little tour in france-第13章

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rnaments　the　street　in　front　of　his　house。　　To　interpret　him　according　to　this　image　…　a　womanish　figure　in　a　long　robe　and　a　turban；　with　big　bare　arms　and　a　dramatic　pose　…　would　be　to　think　of　him　as　a　kind　of　truculent　sultana。　　He　wore　the　dress　of　his　period；　but　his　spirit　was　very　modern；　he　was　a　Van…　derbilt　or　a　Rothschild　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　He　supplied　the　ungrateful　Charles　VII。　with　money　to　pay　the　troops　who；　under　the　heroic　Maid；　drove　the　English　from　French　soil。　　His　house；　which　to…day　is　used　as　a　Palais　de　Justice；　appears　to　have　been　re…　garded　at　the　time　it　was　built　very　much　as　the　resi…　dence　of　Mr。　Vanderbilt　is　regarded　in　New　York　to…day。　It　stands　on　the　edge　of　the　hill　on　which　most　of　the　town　is　planted；　so　that；　behind；　it　plunges　down　to　a　lower　level；　and；　if　you　approach　it　on　that　side；　as　I　did；　to　come　round　to　the　front　of　it；　you　have　to　ascend　a　longish　flight　of　steps。　　The　back；　of　old；　must　have　formed　a　portion　of　the　city　wall；　at　any　rate；　it　offers　to　view　two　big　towers；　which　Joanne　says　were　formerly　part　of　the　defence　of　Bourges。　From　the　lower　level　of　which　I　speak　…　the　square　in　front　of　the　post…office　…　the　palace　of　Jacques　Coeur　looks　very　big　and　strong　and　feudal；　from　the　upper　street；　in　front　of　it；　it　looks　very　handsome　and　deli…　cate。　　To　this　street　it　presents　two　stories　and　a　con…　siderable　length　of　facade；　and　it　has；　both　within　and　without；　a　great　deal　of　curious　and　beautiful　detail。　Above　the　portal；　in　the　stonework；　are　two　false　win…　dows；　in　which　two　figures；　a　man　and　a　woman；　ap…　parently　household　servants；　are　represented；　in　sculp…　ture；　as　looking　down　into　the　street。　　The　effect　is　homely；　yet　grotesque；　and　the　figures　are　sufficiently　living　to　make　one　commiserate　them　for　having　been　condemned；　in　so　dull　a　town；　to　spend　several　cen…　turies　at　the　window。　　They　appear　to　be　watching　for　the　return　of　their　master；　who　left　his　beautiful　house　one　morning　and　never　came　back。

The　history　of　Jacques　Coeur；　which　has　been　written　by　M。　Pierre　Clement；　in　a　volume　crowned　by　the　French　Academy；　is　very　wonderful　and　in…　teresting；　but　I　have　no　space　to　go　into　it　here。　There　is　no　more　curious　example；　and　few　more　tragical；　of　a　great　fortune　crumbling　from　one　day　to　the　other；　or　of　the　antique　superstition　that　the　gods　grow　jealous　of　human　success。　　Merchant；　million…　naire；　banker；　ship…owner；　royal　favorite；　and　minister　of　finance；　explorer　of　the　East　and　monopolist　of　the　glittering　trade　between　that　quarter　of　the　globe　and　his　own；　great　capitalist　who　had　anticipated　the　brilliant　operations　of　the　present　time；　he　expiated　his　prosperity　by　poverty；　imprisonment；　and　torture。　The　obscure　points　in　his　career　have　been　elucidated　by　M。　Clement；　who　has　drawn；　moreover；　a　very　vivid　picture　of　the　corrupt　and　exhausted　state　of　France　during　the　middle　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　He　has　shown　that　the　spoliation　of　the　great　merchant　was　a　deliberately　calculated　act；　and　that　the　king　sacrificed　him　without　scruple　or　shame　to　the　avidity　of　a　sin…　gularly　villanous　set　of　courtiers。　　The　whole　story　is　an　extraordinary　picture　of　high…handed　rapacity；　…　the　crudest　possible　assertion　of　the　right　of　the　stronger。　The　victim　was　stripped　of　his　property；　but　escaped　with　his　life；　made　his　way　out　of　France；　and；　betak…　ing　himself　to　Italy；　offered　his　services　to　the　Pope。　It　is　proof　of　the　consideration　that　he　enjoyed　in　Europe；　and　of　the　variety　of　his　accomplishments；　that　Calixtus　III。　should　have　appointed　him　to　take　command　of　a　fleet　which　his　Holiness　was　fitting　out　against　the　Turks。　　Jacques　Coeur；　however；　was　not　destined　to　lead　it　to　victory。　　He　died　shortly　after　the　expedition　had　started；　in　the　island　of　Chios；　in　1456。　　The　house　of　Bourges；　his　native　place；　testifies　in　some　degree　to　his　wealth　and　splendor；　though　it　has　in　parts　that　want　of　space　which　is　striking　in　many　of　the　buildings　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　The　court；　indeed；　is　on　a　large　scale；　ornamented　with　turrets　and　arcades；　with　several　beautiful　windows；　and　with　sculptures　inserted　in　the　walls；　representing　the　various　sources　of　the　great　fortune　of　the　owner。　　M。　Pierre　Clement　describes　this　part　of　the　house　as　having　been　of　an　〃incomparable　richesse；〃　…　an　estimate　of　its　charms　which　seems　slightly　exaggerated　to…day。　　There　is；　however；　something　delicate　and　familiar　in　the　bas…reliefs　of　which　I　have　spoken；　little　scenes　of　agriculture　and　industry；　which　show；　that　the　pro…　prietor　was　not　ashamed　of　calling　attention　to　his　harvests　and　enterprises。　　To…day　we　should　question　the　taste　of　such　allusions；　even　in　plastic　form；　in　the　house　of　a　〃merchant　prince〃　（say　in　the　Fifth　Avenue）。　　Why　is　it；　therefore；　that　these　quaint　little　panels　at　Bourges　do　not　displease　us？　　It　is　perhaps　because　things　very　ancient　never；　for　some　mysterious　reason；　appear　vulgar。　　This　fifteenth…century　million…　naire；　with　his　palace；　his　egotistical　sculptures；　may　have　produced　that　impression　on　some　critical　spirits　of　his　own　day。

The　portress　who　showed　me　into　the　building　was　a　dear　litte　old　woman；　with　the　gentlest；　sweetest；　saddest　face　…　a　little　white；　aged　face；　with　dark；　pretty　eyes　…　and　the　most　considerate　manner。　　She　took　me　up　into　an　upper　hall；　where　there　were　a　couple　of　curious　chimney…pieces　and　a　fine　old　oaken　roof；　the　latter　representing　the　hollow　of　a　long　boat。　There　is　a　certain　oddity　in　a　native　of　Bourges　…　an　inland　town　if　there　ever　was　one；　without　even　a　river　（to　call　a　river）　to　encourage　nautical　ambitions　…　hav…　ing　found　his　end　as　admiral　of　a　fleet；　but　this　boat…　shaped　roof；　which　is　extremely　graceful　and　is　re…　peated　in　another　apartment；　would　suggest　that　the　imagination　of　　Jacques　Coeur　was　fond　of　riding　the　waves。　　Indeed；　as　he　trafficked　in　Oriental　products　and　owned　many　galleons；　it　is　probable　that　he　was　personally　as　much　at　home　in　certain　Mediterranean　ports　as　in　the　capital　of　the　pastoral　Berry。　　If；　when　he　looked　at　the　ceilings　of　his　mansion；　he　saw　his　boats　upside　down；　this　was　only　a　suggestion　of　the　shortest　way　of　emptying　them　of　their　treasures。　　He　is　presented　in　person　above　one　of　the　great　stone　chimney…pieces；　in　company　with　his　wife；　Macee　de　Leodepart；　…　I　like　to　write　such　an　extraordinary　name。　Carved　in　white　stone；　the　two　sit　playing　at　chess　at　an　open　window；　through　which　they　appear　to　give　their　attention　much　more　to　the　passers…by　than　to　the　game。　　They　are　also　exhibited　in　other　attitudes；　though　I　do　not　recognize　them　in　the　composition　on　top　of　one　of　the　fireplaces　which　represents　the　battle…　ments　of　a　castle；　with　the　defenders　（little　figures　be…　tween　the　crenellations）　hurling　down　missiles　with　a　great　deal　of　fury　and　expression。　　It　would　have　been　hard　to　believe　that　the　man　who　surrounded　himself　with　these　friendly　and　humorous　devices　had　been　guilty　of　such　wrong…doing　as　to　call　down　the　heavy　hand　of　justice。

It　is　a　curious　fact；　however；　that　Bourges　contains　legal　associations　of　a　purer　kind　than　the　prosecution　of　Jacques　Coeur；　which；　in　spite　of　the　rehabilitations　of　history；　can　hardly　be　said　yet　to　have　terminated；　inasmuch　as　the　law…courts　of　the　city　are　installed　in　his　quondam　residence。　　At　a　short　distance　from　it　stands　the　Hotel　Cujas；　one　of　the　curiosities　of　Bourges　and　the　habitation　for　many　years　of　the　great　juris…　consult　who　revived　in　the　sixteenth　century　the　study　of　the　Roman　law；　and　professed　it　during　the　close　of　his　life　in　the　university　of　the　capital　of　Berry。　The　learned　Cujas　had；　in　spite　of　his　sedentary　pur…　suits；　led　a　very　wandering　life；　he　died　at　Bourges　in　the　year　1590。　　Sedentary　pursuits　is　perhaps　not　exactly　what　I　should　call　them；　having　read　in　the　〃Biographie　Universelle〃　（sole　source　of　my　knowledge　of　the　renowned　Cujacius）　that　his　usual　manner　of　study　was　to　spread　himself　on　his　belly　on　the　floor。　He　did　not　sit　down；　he　lay　down；　and　the　〃Biographie　Universelle〃　has　（for　so　grave　a　work）　an　amusing　pic…　ture　of　the　short；　fat；　untidy　scholar　dragging　himself　_a　plat　ventre_　across　his　room；　from　one　pile　of　books　to　the　other。　　The　house　in　which　these　singular　gym…　nastics　took　place；　and　which　is　now　the　headquarters　of　the　gendarmerie；　is　one　of　the　most　picturesque　at　Bourges。　　Dilapidated　and　discolored；　it　has　a　charm…　ing　Renaissance　front。　　A　high　wall　separates　it　from　the　street；　and　on　this　wall；　which　is　divided　by　a　large　open　gateway；　are　perched　two　overhanging　turrets。　　The　open　gateway　admits　you　to　the　court；　beyond　which　the　melancholy　mansion　erects　itself；　decorated　also　with　turrets；　with　fine　old　windows；　and　with　a　beautiful　tone　of　faded　red　brick　and　rusty　stone。　　It　is　a　charming　encounter　for　a　provincial　by…　street；　one　of　those　accidents　in　the　hope　of　which　the　traveller　with　a　propensity　for　sketching　（whether　on　a　little　paper　block　or　on　the　tablets　of　his　brain）　decides　to　turn　a　corner　at　a　venture。　　A　brawny　gen…　darme；　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　was　polishing　his　boots　in　the　court；　an　ancient；　knotted　vine；　forlorn　of　its　clusters；　hung　itself　over　a　doorway；　and　dropped　its　shadow　on　the　rough　grain　of　the　wall。　　The　place　was　very　sketchable。　　I　am　sorry　to　say；　however；　that　it　was　almost　the　only　〃bit。〃　　Various　other　curious　old　houses　are　supposed　to　exist　at　Bourges；　and　I　wandered　vaguely　about　in　search　of　them。　　But　I　had　little　success；　and　I　ended　by　becoming　sceptical。　Bourges　is　a　_ville　de　province_　in　the　full　force　of　the　term；　especially　as　applied　invidiously。　　The　streets；　narrow；　tortuous；　and　dirty；　have　very　wide　cobble…　stones；　the　houses　for　the　most　part　are　shabby；　with…　out　local　color。　　The　look　of　things　is　neither　modern　nor　antique；　…　a　kind　of　mediocrity　of　middle　age。　There　is　an　enormous　number　of　blank　walls；　…　walls　of　gardens；　of　courts；　of　private　houses　…　that　avert　themselves　from　the　street；　as　if　in　natural　chagrin　at　there　being　so　little　to　see。　　Round　about　is　a　dull；　flat；　featureless　country；　on　which　the　magnificent　cathedral　looks　down。　　There　is　a　peculiar　dulness　and　ugliness　in　a　French　town　of　this　type；　which；　I　must　immediately　add；　is　not　the　most　frequent　one。　In　Italy；　everything　has　a　charm；　a　color；　a　grace；　even　desolation　and　_ennui_。　　In　England　a　cathedral　city　may　be　sleepy；　but　it　is　pretty　sure　to　be　mellow。　　In　the　course　of　six　weeks　spent　_en　province_；　however；　I　saw　few　places　that　had　not　more　expression　than　Bourges。

I　went　back　to　the　cathedral；　that；　after　all；　was　a　feature。　　Then　I　returned　to　my　hotel；　where　it　was　time　to　dine；　and　sat　down；　as　usual；　with　the　_commis…　voyageurs_；　who　cut　their　bread　on　their　thumb　and　partook　of　every　course；　and　after　this　repast　I　re…　paired　for　a　while　to　the　cafe；　which　occupied　a　part　of　the　basement　of　the　inn　and　opened　into　its　court。　This　cafe　was　a　friendly；　homely；　sociable　spot；　where　it　seemed　the　habit　of　the　master　of　the　establishment　to　_tutoyer_　his　customers；　and　the　practice　of　the　cus…　tomers　to　_tutoyer_　the　waiter。　　Under　these　circum…　stances　the　waiter　of　course　felt　justified　in　sitting　down　at　the　same　table　with　a　gentleman　who　had　come　in　a