a little tour in france-第21章

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in…　teresting　feature；　was　the　only　part　that　was　not　upside…down。　　The　pictures　are　mainly　of　the　mo…　dern　French　school；　and　I　remember　nothing　but　a　powerful；　though　disagreeable　specimen　of　Henner；　who　paints　the　human　body；　and　paints　it　so　well；　with　a　brush　dipped　in　blackness；　and；　placed　among　the　paintings；　a　bronze　replica　of　the　charming　young　David　of　Mercie。　　These　things　have　been　set　out　in　the　church　of　an　old　monastery；　long　since　suppressed；　and　the　rest　of　the　collection　occupies　the　cloisters。　These　are　two　in　number；　…　a　small　one；　which　you　enter　first　from　the　street；　and　a　very　vast　and　ele…　gant　one　beyond　it；　which　with　its　light　Gothic　arches　and　slim　columns　（of　the　fourteenth　century）；　its　broad　walk　its　little　garden；　with　old　tombs　and　statues　in　the　centre；　is　by　far　the　most　picturesque；　the　most　sketchable；　spot　in　Toulouse。　　It　must　be　doubly　so　when　the　Roman　busts；　inscriptions；　slabs　and　sarco…　phagi；　are　ranged　along　the　walls；　it　must　indeed　（to　compare　small　things　with　great；　and　as　the　judicious　Murray　remarks）　bear　a　certain　resemblance　to　the　Campo　Santo　at　Pisa。　　But　these　things　are　absent　now；　the　cloister　is　a　litter　of　confusion；　and　its　trea…　sures　have　been　stowed　away；　confusedly；　in　sundry　inaccessible　rooms。　　The　custodian　attempted　to　con…　sole　me　by　telling　me　that　when　they　are　exhibited　again　it　will　be　on　a　scientific　basis；　and　with　an　order　and　regularity　of　which　they　were　formerly　innocent。　　But　I　was　not　consoled。　　I　wanted　simply　the　spectacle；　the　picture；　and　I　didn't　care　in　the　least　for　the　classification。　　Old　Roman　fragments；　ex…　posed　to　light　in　the　open　air；　under　a　southern　sky；　in　a　quadrangle　round　a　garden；　have　an　immortal　charm　simply　in　their　general　effect；　and　the　charm　is　all　the　greater　when　the　soil　of　the　very　place　has　yielded　them　up。



XXI。

My　real　consolation　was　an　hour　I　spent　in　Saint…　Sernin；　one　of　the　noblest　churches　in　southern　France；　and　easily　the　first　among　those　of　Toulouse。　　This　great　structure；　a　masterpiece　of　twelfth…century　ro…　manesque；　and　dedicated　to　Saint　Saturninus；　…　the　Toulousains　have　abbreviated；　…　is；　I　think；　alone　worth　a　journey　to　Toulouse。　　What　makes　it　so　is　the　extraordinary　seriousness　of　its　interior；　no　other　term　occurs　to　me　as　expressing　so　well　the　character　of　its　clear　gray　nave。　　As　a　general　thing；　I　do　not　favor　the　fashion　of　attributing　moral　qualities　to　buildings；　I　shrink　from　talking　about　tender　porticos　and　sincere　campanili；　but　I　find　I　cannot　get　on　at　all　without　imputing　some　sort　of　morality　to　Saint…　Sernin。　　As　it　stands　to…day；　the　church　has　been　completely　restored　by　Viollet…le…Duc。　　The　exterior　is　of　brick；　and　has　little　charm　save　that　of　a　tower　of　four　rows　of　arches；　narrowing　together　as　they　ascend。　The　nave　is　of　great　length　and　height；　the　barrel…roof　of　stone；　the　effect　of　the　round　arches　and　pillars　in　the　triforium　especially　fine。　　There　are　two　low　aisles　on　either　side。　　The　choir　is　very　deep　and　narrow；　it　seems　to　close　together；　and　looks　as　if　it　were　meant　for　intensely　earnest　rites。　　The　transepts　are　most　noble；　especially　the　arches　of　the　second　tier。　The　whole　church　is　narrow　for　its　length；　and　is　singularly　complete　and　homogeneous。　　As　I　say　all　this；　I　feel　that　I　quite　fail　to　give　an　impression　of　its　manly　gravity；　its　strong　proportions　or　of　the　lone…　some　look　of　its　renovated　stones　as　I　sat　there　while　the　October　twilight　gathered。　　It　is　a　real　work　of　art；　a　high　conception。　　The　crypt；　into　which　I　was　eventually　led　captive　by　an　importunate　sacristan；　is　quite　another　affair；　though　indeed　I　suppose　it　may　also　be　spoken　of　as　a　work　of　art。　　It　is　a　rich　museum　of　relics；　and　contains　the　head　of　Saint　Thomas　Aquinas；　wrapped　up　in　a　napkin　and　exhibited　in　a　glass　case。　　The　sacristan　took　a　lamp　and　guided　me　about；　presenting　me　to　one　saintly　remnant　after　an…　other。　　The　impression　was　grotesque；　but　sorne　of　the　objects　were　contained　in　curious　old　cases　of　beaten　silver　and　brass；　these　things；　at　least；　which　looked　as　if　they　had　been　transmitted　from　the　early　church；　were　venerable。　　There　was；　however；　a　kind　of　wholesale　sanctity　about　the　place　which　overshot　the　mark；　it　pretends　to　be　one　of　the　holiest　spots　in　the　world。　　The　effect　is　spoiled　by　the　way　the　sacristans　hang　about　and　offer　to　take　you　into　it　for　ten　sous；　…　I　was　accosted　by　two　and　escaped　from　another；　…　and　by　the　familiar　manner　in　which　you　pop　in　and　out。　　This　episode　rather　broke　the　charm　of　Saint…Sernin；　so　that　I　took　my　departure　and　went　in　search　of　the　cathedral。　　It　was　scarcely　worth　find…　ing；　and　struck　me　as　an　odd；　dislocated　fragment。　The　front　consists　only　of　a　portal；　beside　which　a　tall　brick　tower；　of　a　later　period；　has　been　erected。　　The　nave　was　wrapped　in　dimness；　with　a　few　scattered　lamps。　　I　could　only　distinguish　an　immense　vault；　like　a　high　cavern；　without　aisles。　　Here　and　there　in　the　gloom　was　a　kneeling　figure；　the　whole　place　was　mysterious　and　lop…sided。　　The　choir　was　curtained　off；　it　appeared　not　to　correspond　with　the　nave；　…　that　is；　not　to　have　the　same　axis。　　The　only　other　ec…　clesiastical　impression　I　gathered　at　Toulouse　came　to　me　in　the　church　of　La　Daurade；　of　which　the　front；　on　the　quay　by　the　Garonne；　was　closed　with　scaffold…　ings；　so　that　one　entered　it　from　behind；　where　it　is　completely　masked　by　houses；　through　a　door　which　has　at　first　no　traceable　connection　with　it。　　It　is　a　vast；　high；　modernised；　heavily　decorated　church；　dimly　lighted　at　all　times；　I　should　suppose；　and　enriched　by　the　shades　of　evening　at　the　time　I　looked　into　it。　I　perceived　that　it　consisted　mainly　of　a　large　square；　beneath　a　dome；　in　the　centre　of　which　a　single　person　…　a　lady　…　was　praying　with　the　utmost　absorption。　The　manner　of　access　to　the　church　interposed　such　an　obstacle　to　the　outer　profanities　that　I　had　a　sense　of　intruding；　and　presently　withdrew；　carrying　with　me　a　picture　of　the；　vast；　still　interior；　the　gilded　roof　gleaming　in　the　twilight；　and　the　solitary　worshipper。　What　was　she　praying　for；　and　was　she　not　almost　afraid　to　remain　there　alone？

For　the　rest；　the　picturesque　at　Toulouse　consists　principally　of　the　walk　beside　the　Garonne；　which　is　spanned；　to　the　faubourg　of　Saint…Cyprien；　by　a　stout　brick　bridge。　　This　hapless　suburb；　the　baseness　of　whose　site　is　noticeable；　lay　for　days　under　the　water　at　the　time　of　the　last　inundations。　　The　Garonne　had　almost　mounted　to　the　roofs　of　the　houses；　and　the　place　continues　to　present　a　blighted；　frightened　look。　　Two　or　three　persons；　with　whom　I　had　some　conversation；　spoke　of　that　time　as　a　memory　of　horror。　I　have　not　done　with　my　Italian　comparisons；　I　shall　never　have　done　with　them。　　I　am　therefore　free　to　say　that　in　the　way　in　which　Toulouse　looks　out　on　the　Garonne　there　was　something　that　reminded　me　vaguely　of　the　way　in　which　Pisa　looks　out　on　the　Arno。　　The　red…faced　houses　…　all　of　brick　…　along　the　quay　have　a　mixture　of　brightness　and　shabbiness；　as　well　as　the　fashion　of　the　open　_loggia_　in　the　top…　story。　　The　river；　with　another　bridge　or　two；　might　be　the　Arno；　and　the　buildings　on　the　other　side　of　it　…　a　hospital；　a　suppressed　convent　…　dip　their　feet　into　it　with　real　southern　cynicism。　　I　have　spoken　of　the　old　Hotel　d'Assezat　as　the　best　house　at　Toulouse；　with　the　exception　of　the　cloister　of　the　museum；　it　is　the　only　〃bit〃　I　remember。　　It　has　fallen　from　the　state　of　a　noble　residence　of　the　sixteenth　century　to　that　of　a　warehouse　and　a　set　of　offices；　but　a　certain　dignity　lingers　in　its　melancholy　court；　which　is　divided　from　the　street　by　a　gateway　that　is　still　imposing；　and　in　which　a　clambering　vine　and　a　red　Virginia…　creeper　were　suspended　to　the　rusty　walls　of　brick　stone。

The　most　interesting　house　at　Toulouse　is　far　from　being　the　most　striking。　　At　the　door　of　No。　50　Rue　des　Filatiers；　a　featureless；　solid　structure；　was　found　hanging；　one　autumn　evening；　the　body　of　the　young　Marc…Antoine　Calas；　whose　ill…inspired　suicide　was　to　be　the　first　act　of　a　tragedy　so　horrible。　　The　fana…　ticism　aroused　in　the　townsfolk　by　this　incident；　the　execution　by　torture　of　Jean　Calas；　accused　as　a　Protestant　of　having　hanged　his　son；　who　had　gone　over　to　the　Church　of　Rome；　the　ruin　of　the　family；　the　claustration　of　the　daughters；　the　flight　of　the　widow　to　Switzerland；　her　introduction　to　Voltaire；　the　excited　zeal　of　that　incomparable　partisan；　and　the　passionate　persistence　with　which；　from　year　to　year；　he　pursued　a　reversal　of　judgment；　till　at　last　he　obtained　it；　and　devoted　the　tribunal　of　Toulouse　to　execration　and　the　name　of　the　victims　to　lasting　wonder　and　pity；　…　these　things　form　part　of　one　of　the　most　interesting　and　touching　episodes　of　the　social　history　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　The　story　has　the　fatal　progression；　the　dark　rigidity；　of　one　of　the　tragic　dramas　of　the　Greeks。　　Jean　Calas；　advanced　in　life；　blameless；　bewildered；　protesting。　his　innocence；　had　been　broken　on　the　wheel；　and　the　sight　of　his　decent　dwelling；　which　brought　home　to　me　all　that　had　been　suflered　there；　spoiled　for　me；　for　half　an　hour；　the　impression　of　Toulouse。



XXII。

I　spent　but　a　few　hours　at　Carcassonne；　but　those　hours　had　a　rounded　felicity；　and　I　cannot　do　better　than　transcribe　from　my　note…book　the　little　record　made　at　the　moment。　　Vitiated　as　it　may　be　by　crudity　and　incoherency；　it　has　at　any　rate　the　fresh…　ness　of　a　great　emotion。　　This　is　the　best　quality　that　a　reader　may　hope　to　extract　from　a　narrative　in　which　〃useful　information〃　and　technical　lore　even　of　the　most　general　sort　are　completely　absent。　　For　Carcassonne　is　moving；　beyond　a　doubt；　and　the　traveller　who；　in　the　course　of　a　little　tour　in　France；　may　have　felt　himself　urged；　in　melancholy　moments；　to　say　that　on　the　whole　the　disappointments　are　as　numerous　as　the　satisfactions；　must　admit　that　there　can　be　nothing　better　than　this。

The　country；　after　you　leave　Toulouse；　continues　to　be　charming；　the　more　so　that　it　merges　its　flatness　in　the　distant　Cevennes　on　one　side；　and　on　the　other；　far　away　on　your　right；　in　the　richer　range　of　the　Pyrenees。　　Olives　and　cypresses；　pergolas　and　vines；　terraces　on　the　roofs　of　houses；　soft；　iridescent　moun…　tains；　a　warm　yellow　light；　…　what　more　could　the　dif…　ficult　tourist　want？　　He　left　his　luggage　at　the　station；　warily　determined　to　look　at　the　inn　before　committing　himself　to　it。　　It　was　so　evident　（even　to　a　cursory　glance）　that　it　might　easily　have　been　much　better　that　he　simply　took　his　way　to　the　town；　with　the　whole　of　a　superb　afternoon　before　him。　　When　I　say　the　town；　I　mean　the　towns；　there　being　two　at　Car…　cassonne；　perfectly　distinct；　and　each　with　excellent　claims　to　the　title。　　They　have　settled　the　matter　be…　tween　them；　however；　and　the　elder；　the　shrine　of　pilgrimage；　to　which　the　other　is　but　a　stepping…stone；　or　even；　as　I　may　say；　a　humble　door…mat；　takes　the　name　of　the　Cite。　　You　see　nothing　of　the　Cite　from　the　station；　it　is　masked　by　the　agglomeration　of　the　_ville…basse_；　which　is　relatively　（but　only　relatively）　new。　A　wonderful　avenue　of　acacias　leads　to　it　from　the　station；　…　leads　past；　rather；　and　conducts　you　to　a　little　h