a little tour in france-第2章

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　only　about　twenty　years　old。　　All　that　is　contradictory。　　If　the　tenement　selected　for　this　honour　could　not　be　ancient　and　em…　browned；　it　should　at　least　have　been　detached。

There　is　a　charming　description；　in　his　little　tale　of　〃La　Grenadiere；〃　of　the　view　of　the　opposite　side　of　the　Loire　as　you　have　it　from　the　square　at　the　end　of　the　Rue　Royale；　…　a　square　that　has　some　preten…　sions　to　grandeur；　overlooked　as　it　is　by　the　Hotel　de　Ville　and　the　Musee；　a　pair　of　edifices　which　directly　contemplate　the　river；　and　ornamented　with　marble　images　of　Francois　Rabelais　and　Rene　Descartes。　The　former；　erected　a　few　years　since；　is　a　very　honor…　able　production；　the　pedastal　of　the　latter　could；　as　a　matter　of　course；　only　be　inscribed　with　the　_Cogito　ergo　Sum。_　　The　two　statues　mark　the　two　opposite　poles　to　which　the　brilliant　French　mind　has　travelled；　and　if　there　were　an　effigy　of　Balzac　at　Tours；　it　ought　to　stand　midway　between　them。　　Not　that　he；　by　any　means　always　struck　the　happy　mean　between　the　sensible　and　the　metaphysical；　but　one　may　say　of　him　that　half　of　his　genius　looks　in　one　direction　and　half　in　the　other。　　The　side　that　turns　toward　Francois　Rabelais　would　be；　on　the　whole；　the　side　that　takes　the　sun。　　But　there　is　no　statue　of　Balzac　at　Tours；　there　is　only；　in　one　of　the　chambers　of　the　melancholy　museum；　a　rather　clever；　coarse　bust。　The　description　in　〃La　Grenadiere；〃　of　which　I　just　spoke；　is　too　long　to　quote；　neither　have　I　space　for　any　one　of　the　brilliant　attempts　at　landscape　paint…　ing　which　are　woven　into　the　shimmering　texture　of　〃Le　Lys　dans　la　Vallee。〃　　The　little　manor　of　Cloche…　gourde；　the　residence　of　Madame　de　Mortsauf；　the　heroine　of　that　extraordinary　work；　was　within　a　moderate　walk　of　Tours；　and　the　picture　in　the　novel　is　presumably　a　copy　from　an　original　which　it　would　be　possible　to…day　to　discover。　　I　did　not；　however；　even　make　the　attempt。　　There　are　so　many　chateaux　in　Touraine　commemorated　in　history；　that　it　would　take　one　too　far　to　look　up　those　which　have　been　com…　memorated　in　fiction。　　The　most　I　did　was　to　endeavor　to　identify　the　former　residence　of　　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　the　sinister　old　maid　of　〃Le　Cure　de　Tours。〃　This　terrible　woman　occupied　a　small　house　in　the　rear　of　the　cathedral；　where　I　spent　a　whole　morning　in　wondering　rather　stupidly　which　house　it　could　be。　To　reach　the　cathedral　from　the　little　_place_　where　we　stopped　just　now　to　look　across　at　the　Grenadiere；　without；　it　must　be　confessed；　very　vividly　seeing　it；　you　follow　the　quay　to　the　right；　and　pass　out　of　sight　of　the　charming　_coteau_　which；　from　beyond　the　river；　faces　the　town；　…　a　soft　agglomeration　of　gardens；　vine…　yards；　scattered　villas；　gables　and　turrets　of　slate…　roofed　chateaux；　terraces　with　gray　balustrades；　moss…　grown　walls　draped　in　scarlet　Virginia…creeper。　　You　turn　into　the　town　again　beside　a　great　military　barrack　which　is　ornamented　with　a　rugged　mediaeval　tower；　a　relic　of　the　ancient　fortifications；　known　to　the　Tourangeaux　of　to…day　as　the　Tour　de　Guise。　The　young　Prince　of　Joinville；　son　of　that　Duke　of　Guise　who　was　murdered　by　the　order　of　Henry　II。　at　Blois；　was；　after　the　death　of　his　father；　confined　here　for　more　than　two　years；　but　made　his　escape　one　summer　evening　in　1591；　under　the　nose　of　his　keepers；　with　a　gallant　audacity　which　has　attached　the　memory　of　the　exploit　to　his　sullen…looking　prison。　　Tours　has　a　garrison　of　five　regiments；　and　the　little　red…legged　soldiers　light　up　the　town。　　You　see　them　stroll　upon　the　clean；　uncommercial　quay；　where　there　are　no　signs　of　navigation；　not　even　by　oar；　no　barrels　nor　bales；　no　loading　nor　unloading；　no　masts　against　the　sky　nor　booming　of　steam　in　the　air。　　The　most　active　business　that　goes　on　there　is　that　patient　and　fruitless　angling　in；　which　the　French；　as　the　votaries　of　art　for　art；　excel　all　other　people。　　The　little　soldiers；　weighed　down　by　the　contents　of　their　enormous　pockets；　pass　with　respect　from　one　of　these　masters　of　the　rod　to　the　other；as　he　sits　soaking　an　indefinite　bait　in　the　large；　indifferent　stream。　　After　you　turn　your　back　to　the　quay　you　have　only　to　go　a　little　way　before　you　reach　the　cathedral。



II。

It　is　a　very　beautiful　church　of　the　second　order　of　importance；　with　a　charming　mouse…colored　com…　plexion　and　a　pair　of　fantastic　towers。　　There　is　a　commodious　little　square　in　front　of　it；　from　which　you　may　look　up　at　its　very　ornamental　face；　but　for　purposes　of　frank　admiration　the　sides　and　the　rear　are　perhaps　not　sufficiently　detached。　　The　cathedral　of　Tours；　which　is　dedicated　to　Saint　Gatianus；　took　a　long　time　to　build。　　Begun　in　1170；　it　was　finished　only　in　the　first　half　of　the　sixteenth　century；　but　the　ages　and　the　weather　have　interfused　so　well　the　tone　of　the　different　parts；　that　it　presents；　at　first　at　least；　no　striking　incongruities；　and　looks　even　exception…　ally　harmonious　and　complete。　　There　are　many　grander　cathedrals；　but　there　are　probably　few　more　pleasing；　and　this　effect　of　delicacy　and　grace　is　at　its　best　toward　the　close　of　a　quiet　afternoon；　when　the　densely　decorated　towers；　rising　above　the　little　Place　de　l'Archeveche；　lift　their　curious　lanterns　into　the　slanting　light；　and　offer　a　multitudinous　perch　to　troops　of　circling　pigeons。　　The　whole　front；　at　such　a　time；　has　an　appearance　of　great　richness；　although　the　niches　which　surround　the　three　high　doors　（with　recesses　deep　enough　for　several　circles　of　sculpture）　and　indent　the　four　great　buttresses　that　ascend　beside　the　huge　rose…window；　carry　no　figures　beneath　their　little　chiselled　canopies。　　The　blast　of　the　great　Revo…　lution　blew　down　most　of　the　statues　in　France；　and　the　wind　has　never　set　very　strongly　toward　putting　them　up　again。　　The　embossed　and　crocketed　cupolas　which　crown　the　towers　of　Saint　Gatien　are　not　very　pure　in　taste；　but；　like　a　good　many　impurities；　they　have　a　certain　character。　　The　interior　has　a　stately　slimness　with　which　no　fault　is　to　be　found；　and　which　in　the　choir；　rich　in　early　glass　and　surrounded　by　a　broad　passage；　becomes　very　bold　and　noble。　Its　principal　treasure；　perhaps；　is　the　charming　little　tomb　of　the　two　children　（who　died　young）　of　Charles　VIII。　and　Anne　of　Brittany；　in　white　marble；　embossed　with　sym…　bolic　dolphins　and　exquisite　arabesques。　　The　little　boy　and　girl　lie　side　by　side　on　a　slab　of　black　marble；　and　a　pair　of　small　kneeling　angels；　both　at　their　head　and　at　their　feet；　watch　over　them。　　Nothing　could　be　more　perfect　than　this　monument；　which　is　the　work　of　Michel　Colomb；　one　of　the　earlier　glories　of　the　French　Renaissance；　it　is　really　a　lesson　in　good　taste。　Originally　placed　in　the　great　abbey…church　of　Saint　Martin；　which　was　for　so　many　ages　the　holy　place　of　Tours；　it　happily　survived　the　devastation　to　which　that　edifice；　already　sadly　shattered　by　the　wars　of　religion　and　successive　profanations；　finally　succumbed　in　1797。　　In　1815　the　tomb　found　an　asylum　in　a　quiet　corner　of　the　cathedral。

I　ought；　perhaps；　to　be　ashamed　to　acknowledge；　that　I　found　the　profane　name　of　Balzac　capable　of　adding　an　interest　even　to　this　venerable　sanctuary。　Those　who　have　read　the　terrible　little　story　of　〃Le　Cure　de　Tours〃　will　perhaps　remember　that；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　the　simple　and　childlike　old　Abbe　Birotteau；　victim　of　the　infernal　machinations　of　the　Abbe　Troubert　and　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　had　his　quarters　in　the　house　of　that　lady　（she　had　a　speciality　of　letting　lodgings　to　priests）；　which　stood　on　the　north　side　of　the　cathedral；　so　close　under　its　walls　that　the　supporting　pillar　of　one　of　the　great　flying　buttresses　was　planted　in　the　spinster's　garden。　If　you　wander　round　behind　the　church；　in　search　of　this　more　than　historic　habitation；　you　will　have　oc…　casion　to　see　that　the　side　and　rear　of　Saint　Gatien　make　a　delectable　and　curious　figure。　　A　narrow　lane　passes　beside　the　high　wall　which　conceals　from　sight　the　palace　of　the　archbishop；　and　beneath　the　flying　buttresses；　the　far…projecting　gargoyles；　and　the　fine　south　porch　of　the　church。　　It　terminates　in　a　little；　dead；　grass…grown　square　entitled　the　Place　Gregoire　de　Tours。　　All　this　part　of　the　exterior　of　the　cathe…　dral　is　very　brown；　ancient；　Gothic；　grotesque；　Balzac　calls　the　whole　place　〃a　desert　of　stone。〃　　A　battered　and　gabled　wing；　or　out…house　（as　it　appears　to　be）　of　the　hidden　palace；　with　a　queer　old　stone　pulpit　jutting　out　from　it；　looks　down　on　this　melancholy　spot；　on　the　other　side　of　which　is　a　seminary　for　young　priests；　one　of　whom　issues　from　a　door　in　a　quiet　corner；　and；　holding　it　open　a　moment　behind　him；　shows　a　glimpse　of　a　sunny　garden；　where　you　may　fancy　other　black　young　figures　strolling　up　and　down。　　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house；　where　she　took　her　two　abbes　to　board；　and　basely　conspired　with　one　against　the　other；　is　still　further　round　the　cathe…　dral。　　You　cannot　quite　put　your　hand　upon　it　to…　day；　for　the　dwelling　which　you　say　to　yourself　that　it　_must_　have　been　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　does　not　fulfil　all　the　conditions　mentioned　in　BaIzac's　de…　scription。　　The　edifice　in　question；　however；　fulfils　con…　ditions　enough；　in　particular；　its　little　court　offers　hospitality　to　the　big　buttress　of　the　church。　　Another　buttress；　corresponding　with　this　（the　two；　between　them；　sustain　the　gable　of　the　north　transept）；　is　planted　in　the　small　cloister；　of　which　the　door　on　the　further　side　of　the　little　soundless　Rue　de　la　Psalette；　where　nothing　seems　ever　to　pass；　opens　opposite　to　that　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　　There　is　a　very　genial　old　sacristan；　who　introduced　me　to　this　cloister　from　the　church。　　It　is　very　small　and　solitary；　and　much　mutilated；　but　it　nestles　with　a　kind　of　wasted　friend…　liness　beneath　the　big　walls　of　the　cathedral。　　Its　lower　arcades　have　been　closed；　and　it　has　a　small　plot　of　garden　in　the　middle；　with　fruit…trees　which　I　should　imagine　to　be　too　much　overshadowed。　　In　one　corner　is　a　remarkably　picturesque　turret；　the　cage　of　a　winding　staircase　which　ascends　（no　great　distance）　to　an　upper　gallery；　where　an　old　priest；　the　_chanoine…gardien_　of　the　church；　was　walking　to　and　fro　with　his　breviary。　　The　turret；　the　gallery；　and　even　the　chanoine…gardien；　belonged；　that　sweet　September　morning；　to　the　class　of　objects　that　are　dear　to　paint…　ers　in　water…colors。



III。

I　have　mentioned　the　church　of　Saint　Martin；　which　was　for　many　years　the　sacred　spot；　the　shrine　of　pilgrimage；　of　Tours。　　Originally　the　simple　burial…　place　of　the　great　apostle　who　in　the　fourth　century　Christianized　Gaul；　and　who；　in　his　day　a　brilliant　missionary　and　worker　of　miracles；　is　chiefly　known　to　modem　fame　as　the　worthy　that　cut　his　cloak　in　two　at　the　gate　of　Amiens　to　share　it　with　a　beggar　（tradition　fails　to　say；　I　believe；　what　he　did　with　the　other　half）；　the　abbey　of　Saint　Martin；　through　the　Middle　Ages；　waxed　rich　and　powerful；　till　it　was　known　at　last　as　one　of　the　most　luxurious　religious　houses　in　Christendom；　with　kings　for　its　titular　ab…　bots　（who；　like　Francis　I。；　sometimes　turned　and　despoiled　it）　and　a　great　treasure　of　precious　things。　It　passed；　however；　through　many　vicissitudes。　　Pillaged　by　the　Normans　in　the　ninth　century　and　by　the　Huguenots　in　the　sixteenth；　it　rec