a little tour in france-第18章

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；　by　the　way）；　through；　also；　a　diminutive　public　garden　or　straggling　shrubbery；　which　edges　the　water　and　carries　its　stunted　verdure　as　far　as　a　big　Etablissernent　des　Bains。　　It　was　too　late　in　the　year　to　bathe；　and　the　Etablissement　had　the　bank…　rupt　aspect　which　belongs　to　such　places　out　of　the　season；　so　I　turned　my　back　upon　it；　and　gained；　by　a　circuit　in　the　course　of　which　there　were　sundry　water…side　items　to　observe；　the　other　side　of　the　cheery　little　port；　where　there　is　a　long　breakwater　and　a　still　longer　sea…wall；　on　which　I　walked　awhile；　to　inhale　the　strong；　salt　breath　of　the　Bay　of　Biscay。　La　Rochelle　serves；　in　the　months　of　July　and　August；　as　a　_station　de　bains_　for　a　modest　provincial　society；　and；　putting　aside　the　question　of　inns；　it　must　be　charming　on　summer　afternoons。



XVII。

It　is　an　injustice　to　Poitiers　to　approach　her　by　night；　as　I　did　some　three　hours　after　leaving　La　Rochelle；　for　what　Poitiers　has　of　best；　as　they　would　say　at　Poitiers；　is　the　appearance　she　presents　to　the　arriving　stranger　who　puts　his　head　out　of　the　window　of　the　train。　　I　gazed　into　the　gloom　from　such　an　aperture　before　we　got　into　the　station；　for　I　re…　membered　the　impression　received　on　another　occa…　sion；　but　I　saw　nothing　save　the　universal　night；　spotted　here　and　there　with　an　ugly　railway　lamp。　It　was　only　as　I　departed；　the　following　day；　that　I　assured　myself　that　Poitiers　still　makes　something　of　the　figure　she　ought　on　the　summit　of　her　consider…　able　bill。　　I　have　a　kindness　for　any　little　group　of　towers；　any　cluster　of　roofs　and　chimneys；　that　lift　themselves　from　an　eminence　over　which　a　long　road　ascends　in　zigzags；　such　a　picture　creates　for　the　mo…　ment　a　presumption　that　you　are　in　Italy；　and　even　leads　you　to　believe　that　if　you　mount　the　winding　road　you　will　come　to　an　old　town…wall；　an　expanse　of　creviced　brownness；　and　pass　under　a　gateway　sur…　mounted　by　the　arms　of　a　mediaeval　despot。　　Why　I　should　find　it　a　pleasure；　in　France；　to　imagine　my…　self　in　Italy；　is　more　than　I　can　say；　the　illusion　has　never　lasted　long　enough　to　be　analyzed。　　From　the　bottom　of　its　perch　Poitiers　looks　large　and　high；　and　indeed；　the　evening　I　reached　it；　the　interminiable　climb　of　the　omnibus　of　the　hotel　I　had　selected；　which　I　found　at　the　station；　gave　me　the　measure　of　its　commanding　position。　　This　hotel；　〃magnifique　construction　ornee　de　statues；〃　as　the　Guide…Joanne；　usually　so　reticent；　takes　the　trouble　to　announce；　has　an　omnibus；　and；　I　suppose；　has　statues；　though　I　didn't　perceive　them；　but　it　has　very　little　else　save　immemorial　accumulations　of　dirt。　　It　is　magnificent；　if　you　will；　but　it　is　not　even　relatively　proper；　and　a　dirty　inn　has　always　seemed　to　me　the　dirtiest　of　human　things；　…　it　has　so　many　opportunities　to　betray　itself。

Poiters　covers　a　large　space；　and　is　as　crooked　and　straggling　as　you　please；　but　these　advantages　are　not　accompanied　with　any　very　salient　features　or　any　great　wealth　of　architecture。　　Although　there　are　few　picturesque　houses；　however；　there　are　two　or　three　curious　old　churches。　　Notre　Dame　la　Grande；　in　the　market…place；　a　small　romanesque　structure　of　the　twelfth　century；　has　a　most　interesting　and　venerable　exterior。　　Composed；　like　all　the　churches　of　Poitiers；　of　a　light　brown　stone　with　a　yellowish　tinge；　it　is　covered　with　primitive　but　ingenious　sculptures；　and　is　really　an　impressive　monument。　　Within；　it　has　lately　been　daubed　over　with　the　most　hideous　decorative　painting　that　was　ever　inflicted　upon　passive　pillars　and　indifferent　vaults。　　This　battered　yet　coherent　little　edifice　has　the　touching　look　that　resides　in　everything　supremely　old：　it　has　arrived　at　the　age　at　which　such　things　cease　to　feel　the　years；　the　waves　of　time　have　worn　its　edges　to　a　kind　of　patient　dul…　ness；　there　is　something　mild　and　smooth；　like　the　stillness；　the　deafness；　of　an　octogenarian；　even　in　its　rudeness　of　ornament；　and　it　has　become　insensible　to　differences　of　a　century　or　two。　　The　cathedral　interested　me　much　less　than　Our　Lady　the　Great；　and　I　have　not　the　spirit　to　go　into　statistics　about　it。　It　is　not　statistical　to　say　that　the　cathedral　stands　half…way　down　the　hill　of　Poitiers；　in　a　quiet　and　grass…grown　_place_；　with　an　approach　of　crooked　lanes　and　blank　garden…walls；　and　that　its　most　striking　dimension　is　the　width　of　its　facade。　　This　width　is　extraordinary；　but　it　fails；　somehow；　to　give　nobleness　to　the　edifice；　which　looks　within　（Murray　makes　the　remark）　like　a　large　public　hall。　　There　are　a　nave　and　two　aisles；　the　latter　about　as　high　as　the　nave；　and　there　are　some　very　fearful　modern　pictures；　which　you　may　see　much　better　than　you　usually　see　those　specimens　of　the　old　masters　that　lurk　in　glow…　ing　side…chapels；　there　being　no　fine　old　glass　to　dif…　fuse　a　kindly　gloom。　　The　sacristan　of　the　cathedral　showed　me　something　much　better　than　all　this　bright　bareness；　he　led　me　a　short　distance　out　of　it　to　the　small　Temple　de　Saint…Jean；　which　is　the　most　curious　object　at　Poitiers。　　It　is　an　early　Christian　chapel；　one　of　the　earliest　in　France；　originally；　it　would　seem；　…　that　is；　in　the　sixth　or　seventh　century；　…　a　bap…　tistery；　but　converted　into　a　church　while　the　Christian　era　was　still　comparatively　young。　　The　Temple　de　Saint…Jean　is　therefore　a　monument　even　more　vener…　able　than　Notre　Dame　la　Grande；　and　that　numbness　of　age　which　I　imputed　to　Notre　Dame　ought　to　reside　in　still　larger　measure　in　its　crude　and　colorless　little　walls。　　I　call　them　crude；　in　spite　of　their　having　been　baked　through　by　the　centuries；　only　because；　although　certain　rude　arches　and　carvings　are　let　into　them；　and　they　are　surmounted　at　either　end　with　a　small　gable；　they　have　（so　far　as　I　can　remember）　little　fascination　of　surface。　　Notre　Dame　is　still　ex…　pressive；　still　pretends　to　be　alive；　but　the　Temple　has　delivered　its　message；　and　is　completely　at　rest。　It　retains　a　kind　of　atrium；　on　the　level　of　the　street；　from　which　you　descend　to　the　original　floor；　now　un…　covered；　but　buried　for　years　under　a　false　bottom。　A　semicircular　apse　was；　apparently　at　the　time　of　its　conversion　into　a　church；　thrown　out　from　the　east　wall。　　In　the　middle　is　the　cavity　of　the　old　baptismal　font。　　The　walls　and　vaults　are　covered　with　traces　of　extremely　archaic　frescos；　attributed；　I　believe；　to　the　twelfth　century。　　These　vague；　gaunt；　staring　fragments　of　figures　are；　to　a　certain　extent；　a　reminder　of　some　of　the　early　Christian　churches　in　Rome；　they　even　faintly　recalled　to　me　the　great　mosaics　of　Ravenna。　　The　Temple　de　Saint…Jean　has　neither　the　antiquity　nor　the　completeness　of　those　extraordinary　monuments；　nearly　the　most　impressive　in　Europe；　but；　as　one　may　say；　it　is　very　well　for　Poitiers。

Not　far　from　it；　in　a　lonely　corner　which　was　ani…　mated　for　the　moment　by　the　vociferations　of　several　old；　women　who　were　selling　tapers；　presumably　for　the　occasion　of　a　particular　devotion；　is　the　graceful　romanesque　church　erected　in　the　twelfth　century　to　Saint　Radegonde；　…　a　lady　who　found　means　to　be　a　saint　even　in　the　capacity　of　a　Merovingian　queen。　It　bears　a　general　resemblance　to　Notre　Dame　la　Grande；　and；　as　I　remember　it；　is　corrugated　in　some…　what　the　same　manner　with　porous…looking　carvings；　but　I　confess　that　what　I　chiefly　recollect　is　the　row　of　old　women　sitting　in　front　of　it；　each　with　a　tray　of　waxen　tapers　in　her　lap；　and　upbraiding　me　for　my　neglect　of　the　opportunity　to　offer　such　a　tribute　to　the　saint。　　I　know　not　whether　this　privilege　is　oc…　casional　or　constant；　within　the　church　there　was　no　appearance　of　a　festival；　and　I　see　that　the　name…　day　of　Saint　Radegonde　occurs　in　August；　so　that　the　importunate　old　women　sit　there　always；　perhaps；　and　deprive　of　its　propriety　the　epithet　I　just　applied　to　this　provincial　corner。　　In　spite　of　the　old　women；　however；　I　suspect　that　the　place　is　lonely；　and　in…　deed　it　is　perhaps　the　old　women　that　have　made　the　desolation。

The　lion　of　Poitiers；　in　the　eyes　of　the　natives；　is　doubtless　the　Palais　de　Justice；　in　the　shadow　of　which　the　statue…guarded　hotel；　just　mentioned；　erects　itself；　and　the　gem　of　the　court…house；　which　has　a　prosy　modern　front；　with　pillars　and　a　high　flight　of　steps；　is　the　curious　_salle　des　pas　perdus_；　or　central　hall；　out　of　which　the　different　tribunals　open。　　This　is　a　feature　of　every　French　court…house；　and　seems　the　result　of　a　conviction　that　a　palace　of　justice　…　the　French　deal　in　much　finer　names　than　we　…　should　be　in　some　degree　palatial。　　The　great　hall　at　Poitiers　has　a　long　pedigree；　as　its　walls　date　back　to　the　twelfth　century；　and　its　open　wooden　roof；　as　well　as　the　remarkable　trio　of　chimney…pieces　at　the　right　end　of　the　room　as　you　enter；　to　the　fifteenth。　　The　three　tall　fireplaces；　side　by　side；　with　a　delicate　gallery　running　along　the　top　of　them；　constitute　the　originality　of　this　ancient　chamber；　and　make　one　think　of　the　groups　that　must　formerly　have　gathered　there；　…　of　all　the　wet　boot…soles；　the　trickling　doublets；　the　stiffened　fingers；　the　rheumatic　shanks；　that　must　have　been　presented　to　such　an　incomparable　focus　of　heat。　　To…day；　I　am　afraid；　these　mighty　hearts　are　forever　cold；　justice　it　probably　administered　with　the　aid　of　a　modern　_calorifere_；　and　the　walls　of　the　palace　are　perforated　with　regurgitating　tubes。　　Behind　and　above　the　gallery　that　surmounts　the　three　fireplaces　are　high　Gothic　windows；　the　tracery　of　which　masks；　in　some　sort；　the　chimneys；　and　in　each　angle　of　this　and　of　the　room　to　the　right　and　left　of　the　trio　of　chimneys；　is　all　open…work　spiral　staircase；　ascending　to　…　I　forget　where；　perhaps　to　the　roof　of　the　edifice。　This　whole　side　of　the　_salle_　is　very　lordly；　and　seems　to　express　an　unstinted　hospitality；　to　extend　the　friendliest　of　all　invitations；　to　bid　the　whole　world　come　and　get　warm。　　It　was　the　invention　of　John；　Duke　of　Berry　and　Count　of　Poitou；　about　1395。　　I　give　this　information　on　the　authority　of　the　Guide…　Joanne；　from　which　source　I　gather　much　other　curious　learning；　for　instance；　that　it　was　in　this　building；　when　it　had　surely　a　very　different　front；　that　Charles　VII。　was　proclaimed　king；　in　1422；　and　that　here　Jeanne　Darc　was　subjected；　in　1429；　to　the　inquisition　of　certain　doctors　and　matrons。

The　most　charming　thing　at　Poitiers　is　simply　the　Promenade　de　Blossac；　…　a　small　public　garden　at　one　end　of　the　flat　top　of　the　hill。　　It　has　a　happy　look　of　the　last　century　（having　been　arranged　at　that　period）；　and　a　beautiful　sweep　of　view　over　the　sur…　rounding　country；　and　especially　of　the　course　of　the　little　river　Clain；　which　winds　about　a　part　of　the　base　of　the　big　mound　of　Poitiers。　　The　limit　of　this　dear　little　garden　is　formed；　on　the　side　that　turns　away　from　the　town；　by　the　rampart　erected　in　the　fourteenth　century；　and　by　its　big　semicircular　bastions。　　This　rampart；　of　great　length；　has　a　low　parapet；　you　look　over　it　at　the　charming　little　vegetable…gardens　with　which　the　base　of　the　hill　appears　exclusively　to　be　garnished。　　The　whole　prospect　is　delightful；　especially　the　details　of　the　part　just　under　the　walls；　at　the　end　of　the　walk。　　Here　the　river　makes　a　shining　twist；　which　a　painter　might　have　invented；　and　the　side　of　the　hi