a little tour in france-第15章

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such　an　hour！）　to　keep　me　com…　pany。　　I　remember　that　in　this　situation　there　came　over　me　an　impression　which　both　included　and　ex…　cluded　all　possible　disappointments。　　The　afternoon　was　warm　and　still；　the　air　was　admirably　soft。　　The　good　Manceaux；　in　little　groups　and　pairs；　were　seated　near　me；　my　ear　was　soothed　by　the　fine　shades　of　French　enunciation；　by　the　detached　syllables　of　that　perfect　tongue。　　There　was　nothing　in　particular　in　the　prospect　to　charm；　it　was　an　average　French　view。　Yet　I　felt　a　charm；　a　kind　of　sympathy；　a　sense　of　the　completeness　of　French　life　and　of　the　lightness　and　brightness　of　the　social　air；　together　with　a　desire　to　arrive　at　friendly　judgments；　to　express　a　positive　interest。　　I　know　not　why　this　transcendental　mood　should　have　descended　upon　me　then　and　there；　but　that　idle　half…hour　in　front　of　the　cafe；　in　the　mild　October　afternoon；　suffused　with　human　sounds；　is　perhaps　the　most　definite　thing　I　brought　away　from　Le　Mans。



XIV。

I　am　shocked　at　finding；　just　after　this　noble　de…　claration　of　principles　that　in　a　little　note…book　which　at　that　time　I　carried　about　with　me；　the　celebrated　city　of　Angers　is　denominated　a　〃sell。〃　　I　reproduce　this　vulgar　term　with　the　greatest　hesitation；　and　only　because　it　brings　me　more　quickly　to　my　point。　　This　point　is　that　Angers　belongs　to　the　disagreeable　class　of　old　towns　that　have　been；　as　the　English　say；　〃done　up。〃　　Not　the　oldness；　but　the　newness；　of　the　place　is　what　strikes　the　sentimental　tourist　to…day；　as　he　wanders　with　irritation　along　second…rate　boulevards；　looking　vaguely　about　him　for　absent　gables。　　〃Black　Angers；〃　in　short；　is　a　victim　of　modern　improvements；　and　quite　unworthy　of　its　admirable　name；　…　a　name　which；　like　that　of　Le　Mans；　had　always　had；　to　my　eyes；　a　highly　picturesque　value。　　It　looks　particularly　well　on　the　Shakspearean　page　（in　〃King　John〃）；　where　we　imagine　it　uttered　（though　such　would　not　have　been　the　utterance　of　the　period）　with　a　fine　old　in…　sular　accent。　　Angers　figures　with　importance　in　early　English　history：　it　was　the　capital　city　of　the　Plantagenet　race；　home　of　that　Geoffrey　of　Anjou　who　married；　as　second　husband；　the　Empress　Maud；　daughter　of　Henry　I。　and　competitor　of　Stephen；　and　became　father　of　Henry　II。；　first　of　the　Plantagenet　kings；　born；　as　we　have　seen；　at　Le　Mans。　　The　facts　create　a　natural　presumption　that　Angers　will　look　historic；　I　turned　them　over　in　my　mind　as　I　travelled　in　the　train　from　Le　Mans；　through　a　country　that　was　really　pretty；　and　looked　more　like　the　usual　English　than　like　the　usual　French　scenery；　with　its　fields　cut　up　by　hedges　and　a　considerable　rotundity　in　its　trees。　　On　my　way　from　the　station　to　the　hotel；　however；　it　became　plain　that　I　should　lack　a　good　pretext　for　passing　that　night　at　the　Cheval　Blanc；　I　foresaw　that　I　should　have　con…　tented　myself　before　th　e　end　of　the　day。　　I　remained　at　the　White　Horse　only　long　enough　to　discover　that　it　was　an　exceptionally　good　provincial　inn；　one　of　the　best　that　I　encountered　during　six　weeks　spent　in　these　establishments。

〃Stupidly　and　vulgarly　rnodernized；〃　…　that　is　an…　other　phrase　from　my　note…book；　and　note…books　are　not　obliged　to　be　reasonable。　　〃There　are　some　narrow　and　tortuous…streets；　with　a　few　curious　old　houses；〃　…　I　continue　to　quote；　〃there　is　a　castle；　of　which　the　ex…　terior　is　most　extraordinary；　and　there　is　a　cathedral　of　moderate　interest。　　It　is　fair　to　say　that　the　Chateau　d'Angers　is　by　itself　worth　a　pilgrimage；　the　only　drawback　is　that　you　have　seen　it　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　You　cannot　do　more　than　look　at　it；　and　one　good　look　does　your　business。　　It　has　no　beauty；　no　grace；　no　detail；　nothing　that　charms　or　detains　you；　it　is　simply　very　old　and　very　big；　…　so　big　and　so　old　that　this　simple　impression　is　enough；　and　it　takes　its　place　in　your　recollections　as　a　perfect　specimen　of　a　superannuated　stronghold。　　It　stands　at　one　end　of　the　town；　surrounded　by　a　huge；　deep　moat；　which　originally　contained　the　waters　of　the　Maine；　now　divided　from　it　by　a　quay。　　The　water…front　of　Angers　is　poor；　…　wanting　in　color　and　in　movement；　and　there　is　always　an　effect　of　perversity　in　a　town　lying　near　a　great　river　and；　yet　not　upon　it。　　The　Loire　is　a　few　miles　off；　but　Angers　contents　itself　with　a　meagre　affluent　of　that　stream。　　The　effect　was　naturally　much　better　when　the　huge；　dark　mass　of　the　castle；　with　its　seventeen　prodigious　towers；　rose　out　of　the　protecting　flood。　　These　towers　are　of　tremendous　girth　and　soli…　dity；　they　are　encircled　with　great　bands；　or　hoops；　of　white　stone；　and　are　much　enlarged　at　the　base。　Between　them　hang　vast　curtains　of　infinitely　old…look…　ing　masonry；　apparently　a　dense　conglomeration　of　slate；　the　material　of　which　the　town　was　originally　built　（thanks　to　rich　quarries　in　the　neighborhood）；　and　to　which　it　owed　its　appellation　of　the　Black。　There　are　no　windows；　no　apertures；　and　to…day　no　battlements　nor　roofs。　　These　accessories　were　removed　by　Henry　III。；　so　that；　in　spite　of　its　grimness　and　blackness；　the　place　has　not　even　the　interest　of　look…　ing　like　a　prison；　it　being；　as　I　supposed；　the　essence　of　a　prison　not　to　be　open　to　the　sky。　　The　only　features　of　the　enormous　structure　are　the　black；　sombre　stretches　and　protrusions　of　wall；　the　effect　of　which；　on　so　large　a　scale；　is　strange　and　striking。　　Begun　by　Philip　Augustus；　and　terminated　by　St。　Louis；　the　Chateau　d'Angers　has　of　course　a　great　deal　of　history。　The　luckless　Fouquet；　the　extravagant　minister　of　finance　of　Louis　XIV。；　whose　fall　from　the　heights　of　grandeur　was　so　sudden　and　complete；　was　confined　here　in　1661；　just　after　his　arrest；　which　had　taken　place　at　Nantes。　　Here；　also；　Huguenots　and　Vendeans　have　suffered　effective　captivity。

I　walked　round　the　parapet　which　protects　the　outer　edge　of　the　moat　（it　is　all　up　hill；　and　the　moat　deepens　and　deepens）；　till　I　came　to　the　entrance　which　faces　the　town；　and　which　is　as　bare　and　strong　as　the　rest。　　The　concierge　took　me　into　the　court；　but　there　was　nothing　to　see。　　The　place　is　used　as　a　magazine　of　ammunition；　and　the　yard　con…　tains　a　multitude　of　ugly　buildings。　　The　only　thing　to　do　is　to　walk　round　the　bastions　for　the　view；　but　at　the　moment　of　my　visit　the　weather　was　thick；　and　the　bastions　began　and　ended　with　themselves。　　So　I　came　out　and　took　another　look　at　the　big；　black　ex…　terior；　buttressed　with　white…ribbed　towers；　and　per…　ceived　that　a　desperate　sketcher　might　extract　a　picture　from　it；　especially　if　he　were　to　bring　in；　as　they　say；　the　little　black　bronze　statue　of　the　good　King　Rene　（a　weak　production　of　David　d'Angers）；　which；　standing　within　sight；　ornaments　the　melancholy　faubourg。　　He　would　do　much　better；　however；　with　the　very　striking　old　timbered　house　（I　suppose　of　the　fifteenth　century）　which　is　called　the　Maison　d'Adam；　and　is　easily　the　first　specimen　at　Angers　of　the　domestic　architecture　of　the　past。　　This　admirable　house；　in　the　centre　of　the　town；　gabled；　elaborately　timbered；　and　much　restored；　is　a　really　imposing　monument。　　The　basement　is　occupied　by　a　linen…　draper；　who　flourishes　under　the　auspicious　sign　of　the　Mere　de　Famille；　and　above　his　shop　the　tall　front　rises　in　five　overhanging　stories。　　As　the　house　occupies　the　angle　of　a　little　_place_；　this　front　is　double；　and　the　black　beams　and　wooden　supports；　displayed　over　a　large　surface　and　carved　and　interlaced；　have　a　high　picturesqueness。　　The　Maison　d'Adam　is　quite　in　the　grand　style；　and　I　am　sorry　to　say　I　failed　to　learn　what　history　attaches　to　its　name。　　If　I　spoke　just　above　of　the　cathedral　as　〃moderate；〃　I　suppose　I　should　beg　its　pardon；　for　this　serious　charge　was　probably　prompted　by　the　fact　that　it　consists　only　of　a　nave；　without　side　aisles。　　A　little　reflection　now　convinces　me　that　such　a　form　is　a　distinction；　and；　indeed；　I　find　it　mentioned；　rather　inconsistently；　in　my　note…book；　a　little　further　on；　as　〃extremely　simple　and　grand。〃　　The　nave　is　spoken　of　in　the　same　volume　as　〃big；　serious；　and　Gothic；〃　though　the　choir　and　transepts　are　noted　as　very　shallow。　　But　it　is　not　denied　that　the　air　of　the　whole　thing　is　original　and　striking；　and　it　would　therefore　appear；　after　all；　that　the　cathedral　of　Angers；　built　during　the　twelfth　and　thirteenth　centuries；　is　a　sufficiently　honorable　church；　the　more　that　its　high　west　front；　adorned　with　a　very　primitive　Gothic　portal；　supports　two　elegant　tapering　spires；　between　which；　unfortunately；　an　ugly　modern　pavilion　has　been　inserted。

I　remember　nothing　else　at　Angers　but　the　curious　old　Cafe　Serin；　where；　after　I　had　had　my　dinner　at　the　inn；　I　went　and　waited　for　the　train　which；　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　was　to　convey　me；　in　a　couple　of　hours；　to　Nantes；　…　an　establishment　remarkable　for　its　great　size　and　its　air　of　tarnished　splendor；　its　brown　gilding　and　smoky　frescos；　as　also　for　the　fact　that　it　was　hidden　away　on　the　second　floor　of　an　un…　assuming　house　in　an　unilluminated　street。　　It　hardly　seemed　a　place　where　you　would　drop　in；　but　when　once　you　had　found　it；　it　presented　itself；　with　the　cathedral；　the　castle；　and　the　Maison　d'Adam；　as　one　of　the　historical　monuments　of　Angers。



XV。

If　I　spent　two　nights　at　Nantes；　it　was　for　reasons　of　convenience　rather　than　of　sentiment；　though；　in…　deed；　I　spent　them　in　a　big　circular　room　which　had　a　stately；　lofty；　last…century　look；　…　a　look　that　con…　soled　me　a　little　for　the　whole　place　being　dirty。　　The　high；　old…fashioned；　inn　（it　had　a　huge；　windy　_porte…　cochere_；　and　you　climbed　a　vast　black　stone　staircase　to　get　to　your　room）　looked　out　on　a　dull　square；　sur…　rounded　with　other　tall　houses；　and　occupied　on　one　side　by　the　theatre；　a　pompous　building；　decorated　with　columns　and　statues　of　the　muses。　　Nantes　be…　longs　to　the　class　of　towns　which　are　always　spoken　of　as　〃fine；〃　and　its　position　near　the　mouth　of　the　Loire　gives　it；　I　believe；　much　commercial　movement。　It　is　a　spacious；　rather　regular　city；　looking；　in　the　parts　that　I　traversed；　neither　very　fresh　nor　very　venerable。　　It　derives　its　principal　character　from　the　handsome　quays　on　the　Loire；　which　are　overhung　with　tall　eighteenth…century　houses　（very　numerous；　too；　in　the　other　streets）；　…　houses；　with　big　_entresols_　marked　by　arched　windows；　classic　pediments；　balcony…　rails　of　fine　old　iron…work。　　These　features　exist　in　still　better　form　at　Bordeaux；　but；　putting　Bordeaux　aside；　Nantes　is　quite　architectural。　　The　view　up　and　down　the　quays　has　the　cool；　neutral　tone　of　color　that　one　finds　so　often　in　French　water…side　places；　…　the　bright　grayness　which　is　the　tone　of　French　land…　scape　art。　　The　whole　city　has　rather　a　grand；　or　at　least　an　eminently　well…established　air。　　During　a　day　passed　in　it　of　course　I　had　time　to　go　to　the　Musee；　the　more　so　that　I　have　a　weakness　for　provincial　museums；　…　a　sentiment　that　depends　but　little　on　the　quality　of　the　collection。　　The　pictures　may　be　bad；　but　the　place　is　often　curious；　and；　indeed；　from　bad　pictures；　in　certain　moods　of　the　mind；　there　is　a　degree　of　entertainment　to　be　derived。　　If　they　are　tolerably　old　they　are　often　touching；　but　they　must　have　a　relative　antiquity；　for　I　confess　I　can　do　no…　thing　with　works　of　art　of