a little tour in france-第22章

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avenue　of　acacias　leads　to　it　from　the　station；　…　leads　past；　rather；　and　conducts　you　to　a　little　high…backed　bridge　over　the　Aude；　beyond　which；　detached　and　erect；　a　distinct　mediaeval　silhouette；　the　Cite　presents　itself。　　Like　a　rival　shop；　on　the　in…　vidious　side　of　a　street；　it　has　〃no　connection〃　with　the　establishment　across　the　way；　although　the　two　places　are　united　（if　old　Carcassonne　may　be　said　to　be　united　to　anything）　by　a　vague　little　rustic　fau…　bourg。　　Perched　on　its　solid　pedestal；　the　perfect　de…　tachment　of　the　Cite　is　what　first　strikes　you。　　To　take　leave；　without　delay；　of　the　_ville…basse_；　I　may　say　that　the　splendid　acacias　I　have　mentioned　flung　a　sum…　merish　dusk　over　the　place；　in　which　a　few　scattered　remains　of　stout　walls　and　big　bastions　looked　vener…　able　and　picturesque。　　A　little　boulevard　winds　round　the　town；　planted　with　trees　and　garnished　with　more　benches　than　I　ever　saw　provided　by　a　soft…hearted　municipality。　　This　precinct　had　a　warm；　lazy；　dusty；　southern　look；　as　if　the　people　sat　out…of…doors　a　great　deal；　and　wandered　about　in　the　stillness　of　summer　nights。　　The　figure　of　the　elder　town；　at　these　hours；　must　be　ghostly　enough　on　its　neighboring　hill。　　Even　by　day　it　has　the　air　of　a　vignette　of　Gustave　Dore；　a　couplet　of　Victor　Hugo。　　It　is　almost　too　perfect；　…　as　if　it　were　an　enormous　model；　placed　on　a　big　green　table　at　a　museum。　　A　steep；　paved　way；　grass…grown　like　all　roads　where　vehicles　never　pass；　stretches　up　to　it　in　the　sun。　　It　has　a　double　enceinte；　complete　outer　walls　and　complete　inner　（these；　elaborately　forti…　fied；　are　the　more　curious）；　and　this　congregation　of　ramparts；　towers；　bastions；　battlements；　barbicans；　is　as　fantastic　and　romantic　as　you　please。　　The　approach　I　mention　here　leads　to　the　gate　that　looks　toward　Toulouse；　…　the　Porte　de　l'Aude。　　There　is　a　second；　on　the　other　side；　called；　I　believe；　the　Porte　Nar…　bonnaise；　a　magnificent　gate；　flanked　with　towers　thick　and　tall；　defended　by　elaborate　outworks；　and　these　two　apertures　alone　admit　you　to　the　place；　…　putting　aside　a　small　sally…port；　protected　by　a　great　bastion；　on　the　quarter　that　looks　toward　the　Pyrenees。

As　a　votary；　always；　in　the　first　instance；　of　a　general　impression；　I　walked　all　round　the　outer　en…　ceinte；　…　a　process　on　the　very　face　of　it　entertaining。　I　took　to　the　right　of　the　Porte　de　l'Aude；　without　entering　it；　where　the　old　moat　has　been　filled　in。　The　filling…in　of　the　moat　has　created　a　grassy　level　at　the　foot　of　the　big　gray　towers；　which；　rising　at　frequent　intervals；　stretch　their　stiff　curtain　of　stone　from　point　to　point。　　The　curtain　drops　without　a　fold　upon　the　quiet　grass；　which　was　dotted　here　and　there　with　a　humble　native；　dozing　away　the　golden　afternoon。　　The　natives　of　the　elder　Carcassonne　are　all　humble；　for　the　core　of　the　Cite　has　shrunken　and　decayed；　and　there　is　little　life　among　the　ruins。　　A　few　tenacious　laborers；　who　work　in　the　neighboring　fields　or　in　the　_ville…basse_；　and　sundry　octogenarians　of　both　sexes；　who　are　dying　where　they　have　lived；　and　contribute　much　to　the　pictorial　effect；　…　these　are　the　principal　inhabitants。　　The　process　of　con…　verting　the　place　from　an　irresponsible　old　town　into　a　conscious　〃specimen〃　has　of　course　been　attended　with　eliminations；　the　population　has；　as　a　general　thing；　been　restored　away。　　I　should　lose　no　time　in　saying　that　restoration　is　the　great　mark　of　the　Cite。　M。　Viollet…le…Duc　has　worked　his　will　upon　it；　put　it　into　perfect　order；　revived　the　fortifications　in　every　detail。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　judge　the　performance；　carried　out　on　a　scale　and　in　a　spirit　which　really　impose　themselves　on　the　imagination。　　Few　archi…　tects　have　had　such　a　chance；　and　M。　Viollet…le…Duc　must　have　been　the　envy　of　the　whole　restoring　fra…　ternity。　　The　image　of　a　more　crumbling　Carcassonne　rises　in　the　mind；　and　there　is　no　doubt　that　forty　years　ago　the　place　was　more　affecting。　　On　the　other　hand；　as　we　see　it　to…day；　it　is　a　wonderful　evocation；　and　if　there　is　a　great　deal　of　new　in　the　old；　there　is　plenty　of　old　in　the　new。　　The　repaired　crenella…　tions；　the　inserted　patches；　of　the　walls　of　the　outer　circle　sufficiently　express　this　commixture。　　My　walk　brought　me　into　full　view　of　the　Pyrenees；　which；　now　that　the　sun　had　begun　to　sink　and　the　shadows　to　grow　long；　had　a　wonderful　violet　glow。　　The　platform　at　the　base　of　the　walls　has　a　greater　width　on　this　side；　and　it　made　the　scene　more　complete。　　Two　or　three　old　crones　had　crawled　out　of　the　Porte　Nar…　bonnaise；　to　examine　the　advancing　visitor；　and　a　very　ancient　peasant；　lying　there　with　his　back　against　a　tower；　was　tending　half　a　dozen　lean　sheep。　　A　poor　man　in　a　very　old　blouse；　crippled　and　with　crutches　lying　beside　him；　had　been　brought　out　and　placed　on　a　stool；　where　he　enjoyed　the　afternoon　as　best　he　might。　　He　looked　so　ill　and　so　patient　that　I　spoke　to　him；　found　that　his　legs　were　paralyzed　and　he　was　quite　helpless。　　He　had　formerly　been　seven　years　in　the　army；　and　had　made　the　campaign　of　Mexico　with　Bazaine。　　Born　in　the　old　Cite；　he　had　come　back　there　to　end　his　days。　　It　seemed　strange；　as　he　sat　there；　with　those　romantic　walls　behind　him　and　the　great　picture　of　the　Pyrenees　in　front；　to　think　that　he　had　been　across　the　seas　to　the　far…away　new　world；　had　made　part　of　a　famous　expedition；　and　was　now　a　cripple　at　the　gate　of　the　mediaeval　city　where　he　had　played　as　a　child。　　All　this　struck　me　as　a　great　deal　of　history　for　so　modest　a　figure；　…　a　poor　little　figure　that　could　only　just　unclose　its　palm　for　a　small　silver　coin。

He　was　not　the　only　acquaintance　I　made　at　Car…　cassonne。　　I　had　not　pursued　my　circuit　of　the　walls　much　further　when　I　encountered　a　person　of　quite　another　type；　of　whom　I　asked　some　question　which　had　just　then　presented；　itself；　and　who　proved　to　be　the　very　genius　of　the　spot。　　He　was　a　sociable　son　of　the　_ville…basse_；　a　gentleman；　and；　as　I　afterwards　learned；　an　employe　at　the　prefecture；　…　a　person；　in　short；　much　esteemed　at　Carcassonne。　　（I　may　say　all　this；　as　he　will　never　read　these　pages。）　　He　had　been　ill　for　a　month；　and　in　the　company　of　his　little　dog　was　taking　his　first　airing；　in　his　own　phrase　he　was　_amoureux…fou　de　la　Cite_；　…　he　could　lose　no　time　in　coming　back　to　it。　　He　talked　of　it；　indeed；　as　a　lover；　and；　giving　me　for　half　an　hour　the　advantage　of　his　company；　showed　me　all　the　points　of　the　place。　　（I　speak　here　always　of　the　outer　enceinte；　you　penetrate　to　the　inner　…　which　is　the　specialty　of　Carcassonne；　and　the　great　curiosity　…　only　by　application　at　the　lodge　of　the　regular　custodian；　a　remarkable　func…　tionary；　who；　half　an　hour　later；　when　I　had　been　in…　troduced　to　him　by　my　friend　the　amateur；　marched　me　over　the　fortifications　with　a　tremendous　accompani…　ment　of　dates　and　technical　terms。）　　My　companion　pointed　out　to　me　in　particular　the　traces　of　different　periods　in　the　structure　of　the　walls。　　There　is　a　por…　tentous　amount　of　history　embedded　in　them；　begin…　ning　with　Romans　and　Visigoths；　here　and　there　are　marks　of　old　breaches；　hastily　repaired。　　We　passed　into　the　town；　…　into　that　part　of　it　not　included　in　the　citadel。　　It　is　the　queerest　and　most　fragmentary　little　place　in　the　world；　as　everything　save　the　fortifications　is　being　suffered　to　crumble　away；　in　order　that　the　spirit　of　M。　Viollet…le…Duc　alone　may　pervade　it；　and　it　may　subsist　simply　as　a　magnificent　shell。　　As　the　leases　of　the　wretched　little　houses　fall　in；　the　ground　is　cleared　of　them；　and　a　mumbling　old　woman　ap…　proached　me　in　the　course　of　my　circuit；　inviting　me　to　condole　with　her　on　the　disappearance　of　so　many　of　the　hovels　which　in　the　last　few　hundred　years　（since　the　collapse　of　Carcassonne　as　a　stronghold）　had　attached　themselves　to　the　base　of　the　walls；　in　the　space　between　the　two　circles。　　These　habitations；　constructed　of　materials　taken　from　the　ruins；　nestled　there　snugly　enough。　　This　intermediate　space　had　therefore　become　a　kind　of　street；　which　has　crumbled　in　turn；　as　the　fortress　has　grown　up　again。　　There　are　other　streets；　beside；　very　diminutive　and　vague；　where　you　pick　your　way　over　heaps　of　rubbish　and　become　conscious　of　unexpected　faces　looking　at　you　out　of　windows　as　detached　as　the　cherubic　heads。　The　most　definite　thing　in　the　place　was　the　little　cafe；　where。　the　waiters；　I　think；　must　be　the　ghosts　of　the　old　Visigoths；　the　most　definite；　that　is；　after　the　little　chateau　and　the　little　cathedral。　　Everything　in　the　Cite　is　little；　you　can　walk　round　the　walls　in　twenty　minutes。　　On　the　drawbridge　of　the　chateau；　which；　with　a　picturesque　old　face；　flanking　towers；　and　a　dry　moat；　is　to…day　simply　a　bare　_caserne_；　lounged　half　a　dozen　soldiers；　unusually　small。　　No…　thing　could　be　more　odd　than　to　see　these　objects　en…　closed　in　a　receptacle　which　has　much　of　the　appear…　ance　of　an　enormous　toy。　　The　Cite　and　its　population　vaguely　reminded　me　of　an　immense　Noah's　ark。



XXIII。

Carcassonne　dates　from　the　Roman　occupation　of　Gaul。　　The　place　commanded　one　of　the　great　roads　into　Spain；　and　in　the　fourth　century　Romans　and　Franks　ousted　each　other　from　such　a　point　of　vantage。　In　the　year　436；　Theodoric；　King　of　the　Visigoths；　superseded　both　these　parties；　and　it　is　during　his　oc…　cupation　that　the　inner　enceinte　was　raised　upon　the　ruins　of　the　Roman　fortifications。　　Most　of　the　Visigoth　towers　that　are　still　erect　are　seated　upon　Roman　sub…　structions　which　appear　to　have　been　formed　hastily；　probably　at　the　moment　of　the　Frankish　invasion。　The　authors　of　these　solid　defences；　though　occasionally　disturbed；　held　Carcassonne　and　the　neighboring　coun…　try；　in　which　they　had　established　their　kingdom　of　Septimania；　till　the　year　713；　when　they　were　expelled　by　the　Moors　of　Spain；　who　ushered　in　an　unillumined　period　of　four　centuries；　of　which　no　traces　remain。　These　facts　I　derived　from　a　source　no　more　recondite　than　a　pamphlet　by　M。　Viollet…le…Duc；　…　a　very　luminous　description　of　the　fortifications；　which　you　may　buy　from　the　accomplished　custodian。　　The　writer　makes　a　jump　to　the　year　1209；　when　Carcassonne；　then　forming　part　of　the　realm　of　the　viscounts　of　Beziers　and　infected　by　the　Albigensian　heresy；　was　besieged；　in　the　name　of　the　Pope；　by　the　terrible　Simon　de　Montfort　and　his　army　of　crusaders。　　Simon　was　ac…　customed　to　success；　and　the　town　succumbed　in　the　course　of　a　fortnight。　　Thirty…one　years　later；　having　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　King　of　France；　it　was　again　besieged　by　the　young　Raymond　de　Trincavel；　the　last　of　the　viscounts　of　Beziers；　and　of　this　siege　M。　Viollet…le…Duc　gives　a　long　and　minute　account；　which　the　visitor　who　has　a　head　for　such　things　may　follow；　with　the　brochure　in　hand；　on　the　fortifications　themselves。　　The　young　Raymond　de　Trincavel；　baffled　and　repulsed；　retired　at　the　end　of　twenty…four　days。　Saint　Louis　and　Philip　the　Bold；　in　the　thirteenth　cen…　tury；　multiplied　the　defences　of　Carcassonne；　which　was　one　of　the　bulwarks　of　their　kingdom　on　the　Spanish　quarter；　and　from　this　time　forth；　being　re…　garded　as　impregnable；　the　place　had　nothing　to　fear。　It　was　not　even　attacked；　and　when；　in　1355；　Edward　the　Black　Prince　marched　into　it；　the　inhabitants　had　opened　the　gates　t