a little tour in france-第3章

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situdes。　　Pillaged　by　the　Normans　in　the　ninth　century　and　by　the　Huguenots　in　the　sixteenth；　it　received　its　death…blow　from　the　Revolution；　which　must　have　brought　to　bear　upon　it　an　energy　of　destruction　proportionate　to　its　mighty　bulk。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　a　huge　group　of　ruins　alone　remained；　and　what　we　see　to…day　may　be　called　the　ruin　of　a　ruin。　　It　is　difficult　to　understand　how　so　vast　an　ediface　can　have　been　so　completely　obliterated。　　Its　site　is　given　up　to　several　ugly　streets；　and　a　pair　of　tall　towers；　separated　by　a　space　which　speaks　volumes　as　to　the　size　of　the　church；　and　looking　across　the　close…pressed　roofs　to　the　happier　spires　of　the　cathedral；　preserved　for　the　modern　world　the　memory　of　a　great　fortune；　a　great　abuse；　perhaps；　and　at　all　events　a　great　pen…　alty。　　One　may　believe　that　to　this　day　a　consider…　able　part　of　the　foundations　of　the　great　abbey　is　buried　in　the　soil　of　Tours。　　The　two　surviving　towers；　which　are　dissimilar　in　shape；　are　enormous；　with　those　of　the　cathedral　they　form　the　great　landmarks　of　the　town。　　One　of　them　bears　the　name　of　the　Tour　de　l'Horloge；　the　other；　the　so…called　Tour　Charle…　magne；　was　erected　（two　centuries　after　her　death）　over　the　tomb　of　Luitgarde；　wife　of　the　great　Em…　peror；　who　died　at　Tours　in　800。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　understand　in　what　relation　these　very　mighty　and　effectually　detached　masses　of　masonry　stood　to　each　other；　but　in　their　gray　elevation　and　loneliness　they　are　striking　and　suggestive　to…day；　holding　their　hoary　heads　far　above　the　modern　life　of　the　town；　and　looking　sad　and　conscious；　as　they　had　outlived　all　uses。　　I　know　not　what　is　supposed　to　have　become　of　the　bones　of　the　blessed　saint　during　the　various　scenes　of　confusion　in　which　they　may　have　got　mis…　laid；　but　a　mystic　connection　with　his　wonder…working　relics　may　be　perceived　in　a　strange　little　sanctuary　on　the　left　of　the　street；　which　opens　in　front　of　the　Tour　Charlemagne；　…　the　rugged　base　of　which；　by　the　way；　inhabited　like　a　cave；　with　a　diminutive　doorway；　in　which；　as　I　passed；　an　old　woman　stood　cleaning　a　pot；　and　a　little　dark　window　decorated　with　homely　flowers；　would　be　appreciated　by　a　painter　in　search　of　〃bits。〃　　The　present　shrine　of　Saint　Martin　is　enclosed　（provisionally；　I　suppose）　in　a　very　modem　structure　of　timber；　where　in　a　dusky　cellar；　to　which　you　descend　by　a　wooden　staircase　adorned　with　votive　tablets　and　paper　roses；　is　placed　a　tabernacle　surrounded　by　twinkling　tapers　and　pros…　trate　worshippers。　　Even　this　crepuscular　vault；　how…　ever；　fails；　I　think；　to　attain　solemnity；　for　the　whole　place　is　strangely　vulgar　and　garish。　　The　Catholic　church；　as　churches　go　to…day；　is　certainly　the　most　spectacular；　but　it　must　feel　that　it　has　a　great　fund　of　impressiveness　to　draw　upon　when　it　opens　such　sordid　little　shops　of　sanctity　as　this。　　It　is　impos…　sible　not　to　be　struck　with　the　grotesqueness　of　such　an　establishment；　as　the　last　link　in　the　chain　of　a　great　ecclesiastical　tradition。

In　the　same　street；　on　the　other　side；　a　little　below；　is　something　better　worth　your　visit　than　the　shrine　of　Saint　Martin。　　Knock　at　a　high　door　in　a　white　wall　（there　is　a　cross　above　it）；　and　a　fresh…faced　sister　of　the　convent　of　the　Petit　Saint　Martin　will　let　you　into　the　charming　little　cloister；　or　rather　fragment　of　a　cloister。　　Only　one　side　of　this　exqui…　site　structure　remains；　but　the　whole　place　is　effective。　In　front　of　the　beautiful　arcade；　which　is　terribly　bruised　and　obliterated；　is　one　of　those　walks　of　inter…　laced　_tilleuls_　which　are　so　frequent　in　Touraine；　and　into　which　the　green　light　filters　so　softly　through　a　lattice　of　clipped　twigs。　　Beyond　this　is　a　garden；　and　beyond　the　garden　are　the　other　buildings　of　the　Convent；　…　where　the　placid　sisters　keep　a　school；　…　a　test；　doubtless；　of　placidity。　　The　imperfect　arcade；　which　dates　from　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　cen…　tury　（I　know　nothing　of　it　but　what　is　related　in　Mrs。　Pattison's　〃Rennaissance　in　France〃）　is　a　truly　en…　chanting　piece　of　work；　the　cornice　and　the　angles　of　the　arches；　being　covered　with　the　daintiest　sculpture　of　arabesques；　flowers；　fruit；　medallions；　cherubs；　griffins；　all　in　the　finest　and　most　attenuated　relief。　　It　is　like　the　chasing　of　a　bracelet　in　stone。　　The　taste；　the　fancy；　the　elegance；　the　refinement；　are　of　those　things　which　revive　our　standard　of　　the　exquisite。　　Such　a　piece　of　work　is　the　purest　flower　of　the　French　Renaissance；　there　is　nothing　more　delicate　in　all　Touraine。

There　is　another　fine　thing　at　Tours　which　is　not　particularly　delicate；　but　which　makes　a　great　impres…　sion；　…　the…　very　interesting　old　church　of　Saint　Julian；　lurking　in　a　crooked　corner　at　the　right　of　the　Rue　Royale；　near　the　point　at　which　this　indifferent　thorough…　fare　emerges；　with　its　little　cry　of　admiration；　on　the　bank　of　the　Loire。　　Saint　Julian　stands　to…day　in　a　kind　of　neglected　hollow；　where　it　is　much　shut　in　by　houses；　but　in　the　year　1225；　when　the　edifice　was　begun；　the　site　was　doubtless；　as　the　architects　say；　more　eligible。　　At　present；　indeed；　when　once　you　have　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　stout；　serious　Romanesque　tower；　…　which　is　not　high；　but　strong；　…　you　feel　that　the　building　has　something　to　say；　and　that　you　must　stop　to　listen　to　it。　　Within；　it　has　a　vast　and　splendid　nave；　of　immense　height；　…　the　nave　of　a　cathedral；　…　with　a　shallow　choir　and　transepts；　and　some　admir…　able　old　glass。　　I　spent　half　an　hour　there　one　morn…　ing；　listening　to　what　the　church　had　to　say；　in　perfect　solitude。　　Not　a　worshipper　entered；　…　not　even　an　old　man　with　a　broom。　　I　have　always　thought　there　is　a　sex　in　fine　buildings；　and　Saint　Julian；　with　its　noble　nave；　is　of　the　gender　of　the　name　of　its　patron。

It　was　that　same　morning；　I　think；　that　I　went　in　search　of　the　old　houses　of　Tours；　for　the　town　con…　tains　several　goodly　specimens　of　the　domestic　archi…　tecture　of　the　past。　　The　dwelling　to　which　the　average　Anglo…Saxon　will　most　promptly　direct　his　steps；　and　the　only　one　I　have　space　to　mention；　is　the　so…called　Maison　de　Tristan　l'Hermite；　…　a　gentleman　whom　the　readers　of　〃Quentin　Durward〃　will　not　have　forgotten；　…　the　hangman…in…ordinary　to　the　great　King　Louis　XI。　Unfortunately　the　house　of　Tristan　is　not　the　house　of　Tristan　at　all；　this　illusion　has　been　cruelly　dispelled。　There　are　no　illusions　left；　at　all；　in　the　good　city　of　Tours；　with　regard　to　Louis　XI。　　His　terrible　castle　of　Plessis；　the　picture　of　which　sends　a　shiver　through　the　youthful　reader　of　Scott；　has　been　reduced　to　sub…　urban　insignificance；　and　the　residence　of　his　_triste　compere；_　on　the　front　of　which　a　festooned　rope　figures　as　a　motive　for　decoration；　is　observed　to　have　been　erected　in　the　succeeding　century。　　The　Maison　de　Tristan　may　be　visited　for　itself；　however；　if　not　for　Walter　Scott；　it　is　an　exceedingly　picturesque　old　facade；　to　which　you　pick　your　way　through　a　narrow　and　tortuous　street；　…　a　street　terminating；　a　little　be…　yond　it；　in　the　walk　beside　the　river。　　An　elegant　Gothic　doorway　is　let　into　the　rusty…red　brick…work；　and　strange　little　beasts　crouch　at　the　angles　of　the　windows；　which　are　surmounted　by　a　tall　graduated　gable；　pierced　with　a　small　orifice；　where　the　large　surface　of　brick；　lifted　out　of　the　shadow　of　the　street；　looks　yellow　and　faded。　　The　whole　thing　is　disfigured　and　decayed；　but　it　is　a　capital　subject　for　a　sketch　in　colors。　　Only　I　must　wish　the　sketcher　better　luck　…　or　a　better　temper　…　than　my　own。　　If　he　ring　the　bell　to　be　admitted　to　see　the　court；　which　I　believe　is　more　sketchable　still；　let　him　have　patience　to　wait　till　the　bell　is　answered。　　He　can　do　the　outside　while　they　are　coming。

The　Maison　de　Tristan；　I　say；　may　be　visited　for　itself；　but　I　hardly　know　what　the　remnants　of　Plessis…　les…Tours　may　be　visited　for。　　To　reach　them　you　wander　through　crooked　suburban　lanes；　down　the　course　of　the　Loire；　to　a　rough；　undesirable；　incon…　gruous　spot；　where　a　small；　crude　building　of　red　brick　is　pointed　out　to　you　by　your　cabman　（if　you　happen　to　drive）　as　the　romantic　abode　of　a　super…　stitious　king；　and　where　a　strong　odor　of　pigsties　and　other　unclean　things　so　prostrates　you　for　the　moment　that　you　have　no　energy　to　protest　against　the　obvious　fiction。　　You　enter　a　yard　encumbered　with　rubbish　and　a　defiant　dog；　and　an　old　woman　emerges　from　a　shabby　lodge　and　assures　you　that　you　are　indeed　in　an　historic　place。　　The　red　brick　building；　which　looks　like　a　small　factory；　rises　on　the　ruins　of　the　favorite　residence　of　the　dreadful　Louis。　　It　is　now　occupied　by　a　company　of　night…scavengers；　whose　huge　carts　are　drawn　up　in　a　row　before　it。　　I　know　not　whether　this　be　what　is　called　the　irony　of　fate；　at　any　rate；　the　effect　of　it　is　to　accentuate　strongly　the　fact　（and　through　the　most　susceptible　of　our　senses）　that　there　is　no　honor　for　the　authors　of　great　wrongs。　　The　dreadful　Louis　is　reduced　simply　to　an　offence　to　the　nostrils。　　The　old　woman　shows　you　a　few　fragments；　…　several　dark；　damp；　much…encumbered　vaults；　de…　nominated　dungeons；　and　an　old　tower　staircase；　in　good　condition。　　There　are　the　outlines　of　the　old　moat；　there　is　also　the　outline　of　the　old　guard…room；　which　is　now　a　stable；　and　there　are　other　vague　out…　lines　and　inconsequent　lumps；　which　I　have　forgotten。　You　need　all　your　imagination；　and　even　then　you　cannot　make　out　that　Plessis　was　a　castle　of　large　ex…　tent；　though　the　old　woman；　as　your　eye　wanders　over　the　neighboring　_potagers；_　talks　a　good　deal　about　the　gardens　and　the　park。　　The　place　looks　mean　and　flat；　and　as　you　drive　away　you　scarcely　know　whether　to　be　glad　or　sorry　that　all　those　bristling　horrors　have　been　reduced　to　the　commonplace。

A　certain　flatness　of　impression　awaits　you　also；　I　think；　at　Marmoutier；　which　is　the　other　indisuensable　excursion　in　the　near　neighborhood　of　Tours。　　The　remains　of　this　famous　abbey　lie　on　the　other　bank　of　the　stream；　about　a　mile　and　a　half　from　the　town。　You　follow　the　edge　of　the　big　brown　river；　of　a　fine　afternoon　you　will　be　glad　to　go　further　still。　　The　abbey　has　gone　the　way　of　most　abbeys；　but　the　place　is　a　restoration　as　well　as　a　ruin；　inasmuch　as　the　sisters　of　the　Sacred　Heart　have　erected　a　terribly　modern　convent　here。　　A　large　Gothic　doorway；　in　a　high　fragment　of　ancient　wall；　admits　you　to　a　garden…　like　enclosure；　of　great　extent；　from　which　you　are　further　introduced　into　an　extraordinarily　tidy　little　parlor；　where　two　good　nuns　sit　at　work。　　One　of　these　came　out　with　me；　and　showed　me　over　the　place；　…　a　very　definite　little　woman；　with　pointed　features；　an　intensely　distinct　enunciation；　and　those　pretty　man…　ners　which　（for　whatever　other　teachings　it　may　be　responsible）　the　Catholic　church　so　often　instils　into　its　functionaries。　　I　have　never　seen　a　woman　who　had　got　her　lesson　better　than　this　little　trotting；　murmur…　ing；　edifying　nun。　　The　interest；　of　Marmoutier　to…day　is　not　so　much　an　interest　of　vision；　so　to　speak；　as　an　interest　of　reflection；　…　that　is；　if　you　choose　to　reflect　（for　instance）　upon　the　wondrous　legend　of　the　seven　sleepers　（you　may　see　where　they　lie　in　a　row）；　who　lived　together　…　they　were　brothers　and　cousins　…　in　primitive　piety；　in　the　sanctuary　c