a little tour in france-第28章

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　spite　of　having　been　put　to　all　sorts　of　incongruous　uses；　marvellously　preserved。　　Its　slender　columns；　its　delicate　proportions；　its　charming　com…　pactness；　seemed　to　bring　one　nearer　to　the　century　that　built　it　than　the　great　superpositions　of　arenas　and　bridges；　and　give　it　the　interest　that　vibrates　from　one　age　to　another　when　the　note　of　taste　is　struck。　If　anything　were　needed　to　make　this　little　toy…temple　a　happy　production；　the　service　would　be　rendered　by　the　second…rate　boulevard　that　conducts　to　it；　adorned　with　inferior　cafes　and　tobacco…shops。　　Here；　in　a　respectable　recess；　surrounded　by　vulgar　habitations；　and　with　the　theatre；　of　a　classic　pretension；　opposite；　stands　the　small　〃square　house；〃　so　called　because　it　is　much　longer　than　it　is　broad。　　I　saw　it　first　in　the　evening；　in　the　vague　moonlight；　which　made　it　look　as　if　it　were　cast　in　bronze。　　Stendhal　says；　justly；　that　it　has　the　shape　of　a　playing…card；　and　he　ex…　presses　his　admiration　for　it　by　the　singular　wish　that　an　〃exact　copy〃　of　it　should　be　erected　in　Paris。　He　even　goes　so　far　as　to　say　that　in　the　year　1880　this　tribute　will　have　been　rendered　to　its　charms；　nothing　would　be　more　simple；　to　his　mind；　than　to　〃have〃　in　that　city　〃le　Pantheon　de　Rome；　quelques　temples　de　Grece。〃　　Stendhal　found　it　amusing　to　write　in　the　character　of　a　_commis…voyageur_；　and　some…　times　it　occurs　to　his　reader　that　he　really　was　one。



XXIX。

On　my　way　from　Nimes　to　Arles；　I　spent　three　hours　at　Tarascon；　chiefly　for　the　love　of　Alphonse　Daudet；　who　has　written　nothing　more　genial　than　〃Les　Aventures　Prodigieuses　de　Taitarin；〃　and　the　story　of　the　〃siege〃　of　the　bright；　dead　little　town　（a　mythic　siege　by　the　Prussians）　in　the　〃Conies　du　Lundi。〃　　In　the　introduction　which；　for　the　new　edition　of　his　works；　he　has　lately　supplied　to　〃Tar…　tarin；〃　the　author　of　this　extravagant　but　kindly　satire　gives　some　account　of　the　displeasure　with　which　he　has　been　visited　by　the　ticklish　Tarascon…　nais。　　Daudet　relates　that　in　his　attempt　to　shed　a　humorous　light　upon　some　of　the　more　erratic　phases　of　the　Provencal　character；　he　selected　Tarascon　at　a　venture；　not　because　the　temperament　of　its　natives　is　more　vainglorious　than　that　of　their　neighbors；　or　their　rebellion　against　the　〃despotism　of　fact〃　more　marked；　but　simply　because　he　had　to　name　a　par…　ticular　Provencal　city。　　Tartarin　is　a　hunter　of　lions　and　charmer　of　women；　a　true　〃_produit　du　midi_；〃　as　Daudet　says；　who　has　the　most　fantastic　and　fabulous　adventures。　　He　is　a　minimized　Don　Quixote；　with　much　less　dignity；　but　with　equal　good　faith；　and　the　story　of　his　exploits　is　a　little　masterpiece　of　the　light　comical。　　The　Tarasconnais；　however；　declined　to　take　the　joke；　and　opened　the　vials　of　their　wrath　upon　the　mocking　child　of　Nimes；　who　would　have　been　better　employed；　they　doubtless　thought；　in　show…　ing　up　the　infirmities　of　his　own　family。　　I　am　bound　to　add　that　when　I　passed　through　Tarascon　they　did　not　appear　to　be　in　the　least　out　of　humor。　　Nothing　could　have　been　brighter；　softer；　more　suggestive　of　amiable　indifference；　than　the　picture　it　presented　to　my　mind。　　It　lies　quietly　beside　the　Rhone；　looking　across　at　Beaucaire；　which　seems　very　distant　and　in…　dependent；　and　tacitly　consenting　to　let　the　castle　of　the　good　King　Rene　of　Anjou；　which　projects　very　boldly　into　the　river；　pass　for　its　most　interesting　feature。　The　other　features　are；　primarily；　a　sort　of　vivid　sleepi…　ness　in　the　aspect　of　the　place；　as　if　the　September　noon　（it　had　lingered　on　into　October）　lasted　longer　there　than　elsewhere；　certain　low　arcades；　which　make　the　streets　look　gray　and　exhibit　empty　vistas；　and　a　very　curious　and　beautiful　walk　beside　the　Rhone；　denominated　the　Chaussee；　…　a　long　and　narrow　cause…　way；　densely　shaded　by　two　rows　of　magnificent　old　trees；　planted　in　its　embankment；　and　rendered　doubly　effective；　at　the　moment　I　passed　over　it；　by　a　little　train　of　collegians；　who　had　been　taken　out　for　mild　exercise　by　a　pair　of　young　priests。　　Lastly；　one　may　say　that　a　striking　element　of　Tarascon；　as　of　any　town　that　lies　on　the　Rhone；　is　simply　the　Rhone　itself：　the　big　brown　flood；　of　uncertain　temper；　which　has　never　taken　time　to　forget　that　it　is　a　child　of　the　mountain　and　the　glacier；　and　that　such　an　origin　carries　with　it　great　privileges。　　Later；　at　Avignon；　I　observed　it　in　the　exercise　of　these　privileges；　chief　among　which　was　that　of　frightening　the　good　people　of　the　old　papal　city　half　out　of　their　wits。

The　chateau　of　King　Rene　serves　to…day　as　the　prison　of　a　district；　and　the　traveller　who　wishes　to　look　into　it　must　obtain　his　permission　at　the　_Mairie　of　Tarascon_。　　If　he　have　had　a　certain　experience　of　French　manners；　his　application　will　be　accompanied　with　the　forms　of　a　considerable　obsequiosity；　and　in　this　case　his　request　will　be　granted　as　civilly　as　it　has　been　made。　　The　castle　has　more　of　the　air　of　a　severely　feudal　fortress　than　I　should　suppose　the　period　of　its　construction　（the　first　half　of　the　fifteenth　century）　would　have　warranted；　being　tremendously　bare　and　perpendicular；　and　constructed　for　comfort　only　in　the　sense　that　it　was　arranged　for　defence。　　It　is　a　square　and　simple　mass；　composed　of　small　yellow　stones；　and　perched　on　a　pedestal　of　rock　which　easily　commands　the　river。　　The　building　has　the　usual　cir…　cular　towers　at　the　corners；　and　a　heavy　cornice　at　the　top；　and　immense　stretches　of　sun…scorched　wall；　relieved　at　wide　intervals　by　small　windows；　heavily　cross…barred。　　It　has；　above　all；　an　extreme　steepness　of　aspect；　I　cannot　express　it　otherwise。　　The　walls　are　as　sheer　and　inhospitable　as　precipices。　　The　castle　has　kept　its　large　moat；　which　is　now　a　hollow　filled　with　wild　plants。　　To　this　tall　fortress　the　good　Rene　retired　in　the　middle　of　the　fifteenth　century；　finding　it　apparently　the　most　substantial　thing　left　him　in　a　dominion　which　had　included　Naples　and　Sicily；　Lorraine　and　Anjou。　　He　had　been　a　much…tried　monarch　and　the　sport　of　a　various　fortune；　fighting　half　his　life　for　thrones　he　didn't　care　for；　and　exalted　only　to　be　quickly　cast　down。　　Provence　was　the　country　of　his　affection；　and　the　memory　of　his　troubles　did　not　prevent　him　from　holding　a　joyous　court　at　Tarascon　and　at　Aix。　　He　finished　the　castle　at　Tarascon；　which　had　been　begun　earlier　in　the　century；　…　finished　it；　I　suppose；　for　consistency's　sake；　in　the　manner　in　which　it　had　originally　been　designed　rather　than　in　accordance　with　the　artistic　tastes　that　formed　the　consolation　of　his　old　age。　　He　was　a　painter；　a　writer；　a　dramatist；　a　modern　dilettante；　addicted　to　private　theatricals。　　There　is　something　very　attractive　in　the　image　that　he　has　imprinted　on　the　page　of　history。　　He　was　both　clever　and　kind；　and　many　reverses　and　much　suffering　had　not　imbittered　him　nor　quenched　his　faculty　of　enjoyment。　　He　was　fond　of　his　sweet　Provence；　and　his　sweet　Provence　has　been　grateful；　it　has　woven　a　light　tissue　of　legend　around　the　memory　of　the　good　King　Rene。

I　strolled　over　his　dusky　habitation　…　it　must　have　taken　all　his　good…humor　to　light　it　up　…　at　the　heels　of　the　custodian；　who　showed　me　the　usual　number　of　castle…properties：　a　deep；　well…like　court；　a　collection　of　winding　staircases　and　vaulted　chambers；　the　embra…　sures　of　whose　windows　and　the　recesses　of　whose　doorways　reveal　a　tremendous　thickness　of　wall。　　These　things　constitute　the　general　identity　of　old　castles；　and　when　one　has　wandered　through　a　good　many；　with　due　discretion　of　step　and　protrusion　of　head；　one　ceases　very　much　to　distinguish　and　remember；　and　contents　one's　self　with　consigning　them　to　the　honorable　limbo　of　the　romantic。　　I　must　add　that　this　reflection　did　not　the　least　deter　me　from　crossing　the　bridge　which　connects　Tarascon　with　Beaucaire；　in　order　to　examine　the　old　fortress　whose　ruins　adorn　the　latter　city。　　It　stands　on　a　foundation　of　rock　much　higher　than　that　of　Tarascon；　and　looks　over　with　a　melancholy　expression　at　its　better…conditioned　brother。　Its　position　is　magnificent；　and　its　outline　very　gallant。　I　was　well　rewarded　for　my　pilgrimage；　for　if　the　castle　of　Beaucaire　is　only　a　fragment；　the　whole　place；　with　its　position　and　its　views；　is　an　ineffaceable　picture。　　It　was　the　stronghold　of　the　Montmorencys；　and　its　last　tenant　was　that　rash　Duke　Francois；　whom　Richelieu；　seizing　every　occasion　to　trample　on　a　great　noble；　caused　to　be　beheaded　at　Toulouse；　where　we　saw；　in　the　Capitol；　the　butcher's　knife　with　which　the　cardinal　pruned　the　crown　of　France　of　its　thorns。　　The　castle；　after　the　death　of　this　victim；　was　virtually　demolished。　Its　site；　which　Nature　to…day　has　taken　again　to　herself；　has　an　extraordinary　charm。　　The　mass　of　rock　that　it　formerly　covered　rises　high　above　the　town；　and　is　as　precipitous　as　the　side　of　the　Rhone。　　A　tall　rusty　iron　gate　admits　you　from　a　quiet　corner　of　Beaucaire　to　a　wild　tangled　garden；　covering　the　side　of　the　hill；　…　for　the　whole　place　forms　the　public　promenade　of　the　townsfolk；　…　a　garden　without　flowers；　with　little　steep；　rough　paths　that　wind　under　a　plantation　of　small；　scrubby　stone…pines。　　Above　this　is　the　grassy　platform　of　the　castle；　enclosed　on　one　side　only　（toward　the　river）　by　a　large　fragment　of　wall　and　a　very　massive　dungeon。　　There　are　benches　placed　in　the　lee　of　the　wall；　and　others　on　the　edge　of　the　platform；　where　one　may　enjoy　a　view；　beyond　the　river；　of　certain　peeled　and　scorched　undulations。　　A　sweet　desolation；　an　everlasting　peace；　seemed　to　hang　in　the　air。　　A　very　old　man　（a　fragment；　like　the　castle　itself）　emerged　from　some　crumbling　corner　to　do　me　the　honors；　…　a　very　gentle；　obsequious；　tottering；　toothless；　grateful　old　man。　　He　beguiled　me　into　an　ascent　of　the　solitary　tower；　from　which　you　may　look　down　on　the　big　sallow　river　and　glance　at　diminished　Tarascon；　and　the　barefaced；　bald…headed　hills　behind　it。　　It　may　appear　that　I　insist　too　much　upon　the　nudity　of　the　Provencal　horiion；　…　too　much；　considering　that　I　have　spoken　of　the　prospect　from　the　heights　of　Beaucaire　as　lovely。　　But　it　is　an　exquisite　bareness；　it　seems　to　exist　for　the　purpose　of　allowing　one　to　follow　the　de…　licate　lines　of　the　hills；　and　touch　with　the　eyes；　as　it　were；　the　smallest　inflections　of　the　landscape。　　It　makes　the　whole　thing　seem　wonderfully　bright　and　pure。

Beaucaire　used　to　be　the　scene　of　a　famous　fair；　the　great　fair　of　the　south　of　France。　　It　has　gone　the　way　of　most　fairs；　even　in　France；　where　these　delight…　ful　exhibitions　hold　their　own　much　better　than　might　be　supposed。　　It　is　still　held　in　the　month　of　July；　but　the　bourgeoises　of　Tarascon　send　to　the　Magasin　du　Louvre　for　their　smart　dresses；　and　the　principal　glory　of　the　scene　is　its　long　tradition。　　Even　now；　however；　it　ought　to　be　the　prettiest　of　all　fairs；　for　it　takes　place　in　a　charming　wood　which　lies　just　beneath　the　castle；　beside　the　Rhone。　　The　booths；　the　barracks；　the　platforms　of　the　mountebanks；　the　bright…colored　crowd；　diffused　through　this　midsummer　shade；　and　spotted　here　and　there　with　the　rich　Provencal　sun…　shine　must　be　of　the　most　pictorial　effect。　　It　is　highly　probable；　too；　that　it　offers　a　large　collection　of　pretty　faces；　for　even　in　the　few　hours　that　I　spent　at