a little tour in france-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　an　inward　emotion；　and　if　there　was　a　chamber　of　degustation　on　the　premises；　I　failed　to　discover　it。　It　was　not　in　the　search　for　it；　indeed；　that　I　spent　half　an　hour　in　this　bewildering　bazaar。　　Like　all　〃expositions；〃　it　seemed　to　me　to　be　full　of　ugly　things；　and　gave　one　a　portentous　idea　of　the　quantity　of　rubbish　that　man　carries　with　him　on　his　course　through　the　ages。　　Such　an　amount　of　luggage　for　a　journey　after　all　so　short！　　There　were　no　individual　objects；　there　was　nothing　but　dozens　and　hundreds；　all　machine…made　and　expressionless；　in　spite　of　the　repeated　grimace；　the　conscious　smartness；　of　〃the　last　new　thing；〃　that　was　stamped　on　all　of　them。　　The　fatal　facility；　of　the　French　_article_　becomes　at　last　as　irritating　as　the　refrain　of　a　popular　song。　　The　poor　〃Indiens　Galibis〃　struck　me　as　really　more　interesting；　…　a　group　of　stunted　savages　who　formed　one　of　the　attractions　of　the　place；　and　were　confined　in　a　pen　in　the　open　air；　with　a　rabble　of　people　pushing　and　squeezing；　hanging　over　the　barrier；　to　look　at　them。　They　had　no　grimace；　no　pretension　to　be　new；　no　desire　to　catch　your　eye。　　They　looked　at　their　visitors　no　more　than　they　looked　at　each　other；　and　seemed　ancient；　indifferent；　terribly　bored。



XIX。

There　is　much　entertainment　in　the　journey　through　the　wide；　smiling　garden　of　Gascony；　I　speak　of　it　as　I　took　it　in　going　from　Bordeaux　to　Toulouse。　　It　is　the　south；　quite　the　south；　and　had　for　the　present　narrator　its　full　measure　of　the　charm　he　is　always　determined　to　find　in　countries　that　may　even　by　courtesy　be　said　to　appertain　to　the　sun。　　It　was；　moreover；　the　happy　and　genial　view　of　these　mild　latitudes；　which；　Heaven　knows；　often　have　a　dreari…　ness　of　their　own；　a　land　teeming　with　corn　and　wine；　and　speaking　everywhere　（that　is；　everywhere　the　phyl…　loxera　had　not　laid　it　waste）　of　wealth　and　plenty。　The　road　runs　constantly　near　the　Garonne；　touching　now　and　then　its　slow；　brown；　rather　sullen　stream；　a　sullenness　that　encloses　great　dangers　and　disasters。　The　traces　of　the　horrible　floods　of　1875　have　dis…　appeared；　and　the　land　smiles　placidly　enough　while　it　waits　for　another　immersion。　　Toulouse；　at　the　period　I　speak　of；　was　up　to　its　middle　（and　in　places　above　it）　in　water；　and　looks　still　as　if　it　had　been　thoroughly　soaked；　…　as　if　it　had　faded　and　shrivelled　with　a　long　steeping。　　The　fields　and　copses；　of　course；　are　more　forgiving。　　The　railway　line　follows　as　well　the　charm…　ing　Canal　du　Midi；　which　is　as　pretty　as　a　river；　bar…　ring　the　straightness；　and　here　and　there　occupies　the　foreground；　beneath　a　screen　of　dense；　tall　trees；　while　the　Garonne　takes　a　larger　and　more　irregular　course　a　little　way　beyond　it。　　People　who　are　fond　of　canals　…　and；　speaking　from　the　pictorial　standpoint；　I　hold　the　taste　to　be　most　legitimate　…　will　delight　in　this　admirable　specimen　of　the　class；　which　has　a　very　in…　teresting　history；　not　to　be　narrated　here。　　On　the　other　side　of　the　road　（the　left）；　all　the　way；　runs　a　long；　low　line　of　hills；　or　rather　one　continuous　hill；　or　perpetual　cliff；　with　a　straight　top；　in　the　shape　of　a　ledge　of　rock；　which　might　pass　for　a　ruined　wall。　I　am　afraid　the　reader　will　lose　patience　with　my　habit　of　constantly　referring　to　the　landscape　of　Italy；　as　if　that　were　the　measure　of　the　beauty　of　every　other。　Yet　I　am　still　more　afraid　that　I　cannot　apologize　for　it；　and　must　leave　it　in　its　culpable　nakedness。　　It　is　an　idle　habit；　but　the　reader　will　long　since　have　dis…　covered　that　this　was　an　idle　journey；　and　that　I　give　my　impressions　as　they　came　to　me。　　It　came　to　me；　then；　that　in　all　this　view　there　was　something　trans…　alpine　with　a　greater　smartness　and　freshness　and　much　less　elegance　and　languor。　　This　impression　was　occasionally　deepened　by　the　appearance；　on　the　long　eminence　of　which　I　speak；　of　a　village；　a　church；　or　a　chateau；　which　seemed　to　look　down　at　the　plain　from　over　the　ruined　wall。　　The　perpetual　vines；　the　bright…faced　flat…roofed　houses；　covered　with　tiles；　the　softness　and　sweetness　of　the　light　and　air；　recalled　the　prosier　portions　of　the　Lombard　plain。　　Toulouse　itself　has　a　little　of　this　Italian　expression；　but　not　enough　to　give　a　color　to　its　dark；　dirty；　crooked　streets；　which　are　irregular　without　being　eccentric；　and　which；　if　it　were　not　for　the；　superb　church　of　Saint…Sernin；　would　be　quite　destitute　of　monuments。

I　have　already　alluded　to　the　way　in　which　the　names　of　certain　places　impose　themselves　on　the　mind；　and　I　must　add　that　of　Toulouse　to　the　list　of　expressive　appellations。　　It　certainly　evokes　a　vision；　…　suggests　something　highly　_meridional_。　　But　the　city；　it　must　be　confessed；　is　less　pictorial　than　the　word；　in　spite　of　the　Place　du　Capitole；　in　spite　of　the　quay　of　the　Garonne；　in　spite　of　the　curious　cloister　of　the　old　museum。　　What　justifies　the　images　that　are　latent　in　the　word　is　not　the　aspect；　but　the　history；　of　the　town。　　The　hotel　to　which　the　well…advised　traveller　will　repair　stands　in　a　corner　of　the　Place　du　Capitole；　which　is　the　heart　and　centre　of　Toulouse；　and　which　bears　a　vague　and　inexpensive　resemblance　to　Piazza　Castello　at　Turin。　　The　Capitol；　with　a　wide　modern　face；　occupies　one　side；　and；　like　the　palace　at　Turin；　looks　across　at　a　high　arcade；　under　which　the　hotels；　the　principal　shops；　and　the　lounging　citizens　are　gathered。　　The　shops　are　probably　better　than　the　Turinese；　but　the　people　are　not　so　good。　　Stunted；　shabby；　rather　vitiated　looking；　they　have　none　of　the　personal　richness　of　the　sturdy　Piedmontese；　and　I　will　take　this　occasion　to　remark　that　in　the　course　of　a　journey　of　several　weeks　in　the　French　provinces　I　rarely　encountered　a　well…dressed　male。　　Can　it　be　possible　the　republics　are　unfavorable　to　a　certain　attention　to　one's　boots　and　one's　beard？　　I　risk　this　somewhat　futile　inquiry　because　the　proportion　of　mens　？？？　coats　and　trousers　seemed　to　be　about　the　same　in　France　and　in　my　native　land。　　It　was　notably　lower　than　in　England　and　in　Italy；　and　even　warranted　the　supposition　that　most　good　provincials　have　their　chin　shaven　and　their　boots　blacked　but　once　a　week。　I　hasten　to　add；　lest　my　observation　should　appear　to　be　of　a　sadly　superficial　character；　that　the　manners　and　conversation　of　these　gentlemen　bore　（whenever　I　had　occasion　to　appreciate　them）　no　relation　to　the　state　of　their　chin　and　their　boots。　　They　were　almost　always　marked　by　an　extreme　amenity。　　At　Toulouse　there　was　the　strongest　temptation　to　speak　to　people；　simply　for　the　entertainment　of　hearing　them　reply　with　that　curious；　that　fascinating　accent　of　the　Languedoc；　which　appears　to　abound　in　final　con…　sonants；　and　leads　the　Toulousains　to　say　_bien…g_　and　_maison…g_；　like　Englishmen　learning　French。　　It　is　as　if　they　talked　with　their　teeth　rather　than　with　their　tongue。　　I　find　in　my　note…book　a　phrase　in　regard　to　Toulouse　which　is　perhaps　a　little　ill…natured；　but　which　I　will　transcribe　as　it　stands：　〃The　oddity　is　that　the　place　should　be　both　animated　and　dull。　　A　big；　brown…skinned　population；　clattering　about　in　a　flat；　tortuous　town；　which　produces　nothing　whatever　that　I　can　discover。　　Except　the　church　of　Saint…　Sernin　and　the　fine　old　court　of　the　Hotel　d'Assezat；　Toulouse　has　no　architecture；　the　houses　are　for　the　most　part　of　brick；　of　a　grayish…red　color；　and　have　no　particular　style。　　The　brick…work　of　the　place　is　in　fact　very　poor；　…　inferior　to　that　of　the　north　Italian　towns；　and　quite　wanting　in　the　richness　of　tone　which　this　homely　material　takes　on　in　the　damp　climates　of　the　north。〃　　And　then　my　note…book　goes　on　to　narrate　a　little　visit　to　the　Capitol；　which　was　soon　made；　as　the　building　was　in　course　of　repair　and　half　the　rooms　were　closed。



XX。

The　history　of　Toulouse　is　detestable；　saturated　with　blood　and　perfidy；　and　the　ancient　custom　of　the　Floral　Games；　grafted　upon　all　sorts　of　internecine　traditions；　seems；　with　its　false　pastoralism；　its　mock　chivalry；　its　display　of　fine　feelings；　to　set　off　rather　than　to　mitigate　these　horrors。　　The　society　was　founded　in　the　fourteenth　century；　and　it　has　held　annual　meetings　ever　since；　…　meetings　at　which　poems　in　the　fine　old　_langue　d'oc_　are　declaimed　and　a　blushing　laureate　is　chosen。　　This　business　takes　place　in　the　Capitol；　before　the　chief　magistrate　of　the　town；　who　is　known　as　the　_capitoul_；　and　of　all　the　pretty　women　as　well；　…　a　class　very　numerous　at　Toulouse。　It　was　impossible　to　have　a　finer　person　than　that　of　the　portress　who　pretended　to　show　me　the　apart…　ments　in　which　the　Floral　Games　are　held；　a　big；　brown；　expansive　woman；　still　in　the　prime　of　life；　with　a　speaking　eye；　an　extraordinary　assurance；　and　a　pair　of　magenta　stockings；　which　were　inserted　into　the　neatest　and　most　polished　little　black　sabots；　and　which；　as　she　clattered　up　the　stairs　before　me；　lavishly　displaying　them；　made　her　look　like　the　heroine　of　an　_opera…bouffe_。　　Her　talk　was　all　in　_n_'s；　_g_'s；　and　_d_'s；　and　in　mute　_e_'s　strongly　accented；　as　_autre_；　_theatre_；　_splendide_；　…　the　last　being　an　epithet　she　applied　to　everything　the　Capitol　contained；　and　especially　to　a　horrible　picture　representing　the　famous　Clemence　Isaure；　the　reputed　foundress　of　the　poetical　contest；　presiding　on　one　of　these　occasions。　　I　won…　dered　whether　Clemence　Isaure　had　been　anything　like　this　terrible　Toulousaine　of　to…day；　who　would　have　been　a　capital　figure…head　for　a　floral　game。　The　lady　in　whose　honor　the　picture　I　have　just　men…　tioned　was　painted　is　a　somewhat　mythical　personage；　and　she　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　〃Biographie　Uni…　verselle。〃　　She　is；　however；　a　very　graceful　myth；　and　if　she　never　existed；　her　statue　does；　at　least；　…　a　shapeless　effigy；　transferred　to　the　Capitol　from　the　so…called　tomb　of　Clemence　in　the　old　church　of　La　Daurade。　　The　great　hall　in　which　the　Floral　Games　are　held　was　encumbered　with　scaffoldings；　and　I　was　unable　to　admire　the　long　series　of　busts　of　the　bards　who　have　won　prizes　and　the　portraits　of　all　the　capitouls　of　Toulouse。　　As　a　compensation　I　was　introduced　to　a　big　bookcase；　filled　with　the　poems　that　have　been　crowned　since　the　days　of　the　trou…　badours　（a　portentous　collection）；　and　the　big　butcher's　knife　with　which；　according　to　the　legend；　Henry；　Duke　of　Montmorency；　who　had　conspired　against　the　great　cardinal　with　Gaston　of　Orleans　and　Mary　de　？？？？？？　Medici；　was；　in　1632；　beheaded　on　this　spot　by　the　order　of　Richelieu。　　With　these　objects　the　interest　of　the　Capitol　was　exhausted。　　The　building；　indeed；　has　not　the　grandeur　of　its　name；　which　is　a　sort　of　promise　that　the　visitor　will　find　some　sensible　embodiment　of　the　old　Roman　tradition　that　once　flourished　in　this　part　of　France。　　It　is　inferior　in　impressiveness　to　the　other　three　famous　Capitols　of　the　modern　world；　…　that　of　Rome　（if　I　may　call　the　present　structure　modern）　and　those　of　Washington　and　Albany！

The　only　Roman　remains　at　Toulouse　are　to　be　found　in　the　museum；　…　a　very　interesting　establish…　ment；　which　I　was　condemned　to　see　as　imperfectly　as　I　had　seen　the　Capitol。　　It　was　being　rearranged；　and　the　gallery　of　paintings；　which　is　the　least　in…　teresting　feature；　was　the　only　part　that　was　not　upside…down。　　The　pictures　are　mainly　of　the　m