a little tour in france-第27章

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ee　cafes　decorated　by　wide　awnings；　…　a　little　_place_　of　which　the　principal　feature　is　a　very　bad　bronze　statue　of　Saint　Louis　by　Pradier。　　It　is　almost　as　bad　as　the　breakfast　I　had　at　the　inn　that　bears　the　name　of　that　pious　monarch。　　You　may　walk　round　the　enceinte　of　Aigues…Mortes；　both　outside　and　in；　but　you　may　not；　as　at　Carcassonne；　make　a　por…　tion　of　this　circuit　on　the　_chemin　de　ronde_；　the　little　projecting　footway　attached　to　the　inner　face　of　the　battlements。　　This　footway；　wide　enough　only　for　a　single　pedestrian；　is　in　the　best　order；　and　near　each　of　the　gates　a　flight　of　steps　leads　up　to　it；　but　a　locked　gate；　at　the　top　of　the　steps；　makes　access　im…　possible；　or　at　least　unlawful。　　Aigues…Mortes；　however；　has　its　citadel；　an　immense　tower；　larger　than　any　of　the　others；　a　little　detached；　and　standing　at　the　north…　west　angle　of　the　town。　　I　called　upon　the　_casernier_；　the　custodian　of　the　walls；　…　and　in　his　absence　I　was　conducted　through　this　big　Tour　de　Constance　by　his　wife；　a　very　mild；　meek　woman；　yellow　with　the　traces　of　fever　and　ague；　…　a　scourge　which；　as　might　be　ex…　pected　in　a　town　whose　name　denotes　〃dead　waters；〃　enters　freely　at　the　nine　gates。　　The　Tour　de　Con…　stance　is　of　extraordinary　girth　and　solidity；　divided　into　three　superposed　circular　chambers；　with　very　fine　vaults；　which　are　lighted　by　embrasures　of　prodigious　depth；　converging　to　windows　little　larger　than　loop…　holes。　　The　place　served　for　years　as　a　prison　to　many　of　the　Protestants　of　the　south　whom　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes　had　exposed　to　atrocious　penalties；　and　the　annals　of　these　dreadful　chambers　during　the　first　half　of　the　last　century　were　written　in　tears　and　blood。　　Some　of　the　recorded　cases　of　long　confinement　there　make　one　marvel　afresh　at　what　man　has　inflicted　and　endured。　　In　a　country　in　which　a　policy　of　extermination　was　to　be　put　into　practice　this　horrible　tower　was　an　obvious　resource。　From　the　battlements　at　the　top；　which　is　surmounted　by　an　old　disused　light…house；　you　see　the　little　com…　pact　rectangular　town；　which　looks　hardly　bigger　than　a　garden…patch；　mapped　out　beneath　you；　and　follow　the　plain　configuration　of　its　defences。　　You　take　possession　of　it；　and　you　feel　that　you　will　remember　it　always。



XXVIII。

After　this　I　was　free　to　look　about　me　at　Nimes；　and　I　did　so　with　such　attention　as　the　place　appeared　to　require。　　At　the　risk　of　seeming　too　easily　and　too　frequently　disappointed；　I　will　say　that　it　required　rather　less　than　I　had　been　prepared　to　give。　　It　is　a　town　of　three　or　four　fine　features；　rather　than　a　town　with；　as　I　may　say；　a　general　figure。　　In　general；　Nimes　is　poor；　its　only　treasures　are　its　Roman　re…　mains；　which　are　of　the　first　order。　　The　new　French　fashions　prevail　in　many　of　its　streets；　the　old　houses　are　paltry；　and　the　good　houses　are　new；　while　beside　my　hotel　rose　a　big　spick…and…span　church；　which　had　the　oddest　air　of　having　been　intended　for　Brooklyn　or　Cleveland。　　It　is　true　that　this　church　looked　out　on　a　square　completely　French；　…　a　square　of　a　fine　modern　disposition；　flanked　on　one　side　by　a　classical　_palais　de　justice_　embellished　with　trees　and　parapets；　and　occupied　in　the　centre　with　a　group　of　allegorical　statues；　such　as　one　encounters　only　in　the　cities　of　France；　the　chief　of　these　being　a　colossal　figure　by　Pradier；　representing　Nimes。　　An　English；　an　American；　town　which　should　have　such　a　monu…　ment；　such　a　square；　as　this；　would　be　a　place　of　great　pretensions；　but　like　so　many　little　_villes　de　province_　in　the　country　of　which　I　write；　Nimes　is　easily　ornamental。　　What　nobler　ornament　can　there　be　than　the　Roman　baths　at　the　foot　of　Mont　Cavalier；　and　the　delightful　old　garden　that　surrounds　them？　All　that　quarter　of　Nimes　has　every　reason　to　be　proud　of　itself；　it　has　been　revealed　to　the　world　at　large　by　copious　photography。　　A　clear；　abundant　stream　gushes　from　the　foot　of　a　high　hill　（covered　with　trees　and　laid　out　in　paths）；　and　is　distributed　into　basins　which　sufficiently　refer　themselves　to　the　period　that　gave　them　birth；　…　the　period　that　has　left　its　stamp　on　that　pompous　Peyrou　which　we　ad…　mired　at　Montpellier。　　Here　are　the　same　terraces　and　steps　and　balustrades；　and　a　system　of　water…works　less　impressive；　perhaps；　but　very　ingenious　and　charm…　ing。　　The　whole　place　is　a　mixture　of　old　Rome　and　of　the　French　eighteenth　century；　for　the　remains　of　the　antique　baths　are　in　a　measure　incorporated　in　the　modern　fountains。　　In　a　corner　of　this　umbrageous　precinct　stands　a　small　Roman　ruin；　which　is　known　as　a　temple　of　Diana；　but　was　more　apparently　a　_nymphaeum_；　and　appears　to　have　had　a　graceful　con…　nection　with　the　adjacent　baths。　　I　learn　from　Murray　that　this　little　temple；　of　the　period　of　Augustus；　〃was　reduced　to　its　present　state　of　ruin　in　1577；〃　the　moment　at　which　the　townspeople；　threatened　with　a　siege　by　the　troops　of　the　crown；　partly　demolished　it；　lest　it　should　serve　as　a　cover　to　the　enemy。　　The　remains　are　very　fragmentary；　but　they　serve　to　show　that　the　place　was　lovely。　　I　spent　half　an　hour　in　it　on　a　perfect　Sunday　morning　（it　is　en…　closed　by　a　high　_grille_；　carefully　tended；　and　has　a　warden　of　its　own）；　and　with　the　help　of　my　imagina…　tion　tried　to　reconstruct　a　little　the　aspect　of　things　in　the　Gallo…Roman　days。　　I　do　wrong；　perhaps；　to　say　that　1　_tried_；　from　a　flight　so　deliberate　I　should　have　shrunk。　　But　there　was　a　certain　contagion　of　antiquity　in　the　air；　and　among　the　ruins　of　baths　and　temples；　in　the　very　spot　where　the　aqueduct　that　crosses　the　Gardon　in　the　wondrous　manner　I　had　seen　discharged　itself；　the　picture　of　a　splendid　paganism　seemed　vaguely　to　glow。　　Roman　baths；　…　Roman　baths；　those　words　alone　were　a　scene。　　Every…　thing　was　changed：　I　was　strolling　in　a　_jardin　francais_；　the　bosky　slope　of　the　Mont　Cavalier　（a　very　modest　mountain）；　hanging　over　the　place；　is　crowned　with　a　shapeless　tower；　which　is　as　likely　to　be　of　mediaeval　as　of　antique　origin；　and　yet；　as　I　leaned　on　the　parapet　of　one　of　the　fountains；　where　a　flight　of　curved　steps　（a　hemicycle；　as　the　French　say）　descended　into　a　basin　full　of　dark；　cool　recesses；　where　the　slabs　of　the　Roman　foundations　gleam　through　the　clear　green　water；　…　as　in　this　attitude　I　surrendered　myself　to　contemplation　and　reverie；　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　touched　for　a　moment　the　ancient　world。　　Such　mo…　ments　are　illuminating；　and　the　light　of　this　one　mingles；　in　my　memory；　with　the　dusky　greenness　of　the　Jardin　de　la　Fontaine。

The　fountain　proper　…　the　source　of　all　these　dis…　tributed　waters　…　is　the　prettiest　thing　in　the　world；　a　reduced　copy　of　Vaucluse。　　It　gushes　up　at　the　foot　of　the　Mont　Cavalier；　at　a　point　where　that　eminence　rises　with　a　certain　cliff…like　effect；　and；　like　other　springs　in　the　same　circumstances；　appears　to　issue　from　the　rock　with　a　sort　of　quivering　stillness。　　I　trudged　up　the　Mont　Cavalier；　…　it　is　a　matter　of　five　minutes；　…　and　having　committed　this　cockneyism　en…　hanced　it　presently　by　another。　　I　ascended　the　stupid　Tour　Magne；　the　mysterious　structure　I　mentioned　a　moment　ago。　　The　only　feature　of　this　dateless　tube；　except　the　inevitable　collection　of　photographs　to　which　you　are　introduced　by　the　door…keeper；　is　the　view　you　enjoy　from　its　summit。　　This　view　is；　of　course；　remarkably　fine；　but　I　am　ashamed　to　say　I　have　not　the　smallest　recollection　of　it；　for　while　I　looked　into　the　brilliant　spaces　of　the　air　I　seemed　still　to　see　only　what　I　saw　in　the　depths　of　the　Roman　baths；　…　the　image；　disastrously　confused　and　vague；　of　a　vanished　world。　　This　world；　however；　has　left　at　Nimes　a　far　more　considerable　memento　than　a　few　old　stones　covered　with　water…moss。　　The　Roman　arena　is　the　rival　of　those　of　Verona　and　of　Arles；　at　a　respectful　distance　it　emulates　the　Colosseum。　　It　is　a　small　Colosseum；　if　I　may　be　allowed　the　expression；　and　is　in　a　much　better　preservation　than　the　great　circus　at　Rome。　　This　is　especially　true　of　the　external　walls；　with　their　arches；　pillars；　cornices。　　I　must　add　that　one　should　not　speak　of　preservation；　in　regard　to　the　arena　at　Nimes；　without　speaking　also　of　repair。　After　the　great　ruin　ceased　to　be　despoiled；　it　began　to　be　protected；　and　most　of　its　wounds　have　been　dressed　with　new　material。　　These　matters　concern　the　archaeologist；　and　I　felt　here；　as　I　felt　afterwards　at　Arles；　that　one　of　the　profane；　in　the　presence　of　such　a　monument；　can　only　admire　and　hold　his　tongue。　　The　great　impression；　on　the　whole；　is　an　impression　of　wonder　that　so　much　should　have　sur…　vived。　　What　remains　at　Nimes；　after　all　dilapidation　is　estimated；　is　astounding。　　I　spent　an　hour　in　the　Arenes　on　that　same　sweet　Sunday　morning；　as　I　came　back　from　the　Roman　baths；　and　saw　that　the　corridors；　the　vaults；　the　staircases；　the　external　casing；　are　still　virtually　there。　　Many　of　these　parts　are　wanting　in　the　Colosseum；　whose　sublimity　of　size；　however；　can　afford　to　dispense　with　detail。　　The　seats　at　Nimes；　like　those　at　Verona；　have　been　largely　renewed；　not　that　this　mattered　much；　as　I　lounged　on　the　cool　surface　of　one　of　them；　and　admired　the　mighty　concavity　of　the　place　and　the　elliptical　sky…　line；　broken　by　uneven　blocks　and　forming　the　rim　of　the　monstrous　cup；　…　a　cup　that　had　been　filled　with　horrors。　　And　yet　I　made　my　reflections；　I　said　to　myself　that　though　a　Roman　arena　is　one　of　the　most　impressive　of　the　works　of　man；　it　has　a　touch　of　that　same　stupidity　which　I　ventured　to　discover　in　the　Pont　du　Gard。　　It　is　brutal；　it　is　monotonous；　it　is　not　at　all　exquisite。　　The　Arenes　at　Nimes　were　ar…　ranged　for　a　bull…fight；　…　a　form　of　recreation　that；　as　I　was　informed；　is　much　_dans　les　habitudes　Nimoises_；　and　very　common　throughout　Provence；　where　（still　according　to　my　information）　it　is　the　usual　pastime　of　a　Sunday　afternoon。　　At　Arles　and　Nimes　it　has　a　characteristic　setting；　but　in　the　villages　the　patrons　of　the　game　make　a　circle　of　carts　and　barrels；　on　which　the　spectators　perch　themselves。　　I　was　sur…　prised　at　the　prevalence；　in　mild　Provence；　of　the　Iberian　vice；　and　hardly　know　whether　it　makes　the　custom　more　respectable　that　at　Nimes　and　Arles　the　thing　is　shabbily　and　imperfectly　done。　　The　bulls　are　rarely　killed；　and　indeed　often　are　bulls　only　in　the　Irish　sense　of　the　term；　…　being　domestic　and　motherly　cows。　　Such　an　entertainment　of　course　does　not　supply　to　the　arena　that　element　of　the　exquisite　which　I　spoke　of　as　wanting。　　The　exquisite　at　Nimes　is　mainly　represented　by　the　famous　Maison　Carree。　The　first　impression　you　receive　from　this　delicate　little　building；　as　you　stand　before　it；　is　that　you　have　already　seen　it　many　times。　　Photographs；　engravings；　models；　medals；　have　placed　it　definitely　in　your　eye；　so　that　from　the　sentiment　with　which　you　regard　it　curiosity　and　surprise　are　almost　completely；　and　per…　haps　deplorably；　absent。　　Admiration　remains；　how…　ever；　…　admiration　of　a　familiar　and　even　slightly　patronizing　kind。　　The　Maison　Carree　does　not　over…　whelm　you；　you　can　conceive　it。　　It　is　not　one　of　the　great　sensations　of　the　antique　art；　but　it　is　perfectly　felicitous；　and；　in　spite　of　having　been　put　to　all　sorts　of　incongruous　uses；　marvellously　preserved。　　Its　slender　col