a little tour in france-第30章

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the　bottom　of　the　stage；　in　the　shape　of　an　arc　of　which　the　chord　is　formed　by　the　line　of　the　orchestra；　is　covered　by　slabs　of　colored　marble　…　red；　yellow；　and　green　…　which；　though　terribly　battered　and　cracked　to…day；　give　one　an　idea　of　the　elegance　of　the　interior。　　Every…　thing　shows　that　it　was　on　a　great　scale：　the　large　sweep　of　its　enclosing　walls；　the　massive　corridors　that　passed　behind　the　auditorium；　and　of　which　we　can　still　perfectly　take　the　measure。　　The　way　in　which　every　seat　commanded　the　stage　is　a　lesson　to　the　architects　of　our　epoch；　as　also　the　immense　size　of　the　place　is　a　proof　of　extraordinary　power　of　voice　on　the　part　of　the　Roman　actors。　　It　was　after　we　had　spent　half　an　hour　in　the　moonshine　at　the　arena　that　we　came　on　to　this　more　ghostly　and　more　exquisite　ruin。　　The　principal　entrance　was　locked；　but　we　effected　an　easy　_escalade_；　scaled　a　low　parapet；　and　descended　into　the　place　behind　file　scenes。　　It　was　as　light　as　day；　and　the　solitude　was　complete。　　The　two　slim　columns；　as　we　sat　on　the　broken　benches；　stood　there　like　a　pair　of　silent　actors。　　What　I　called　touching；　just　now；　was　the　thought　that　here　the　human　voice；　the　utterance　of　a　great　language；　had　been　supreme。　　The　air　was　full　of　intonations　and　cadences；　not　of　the　echo　of　smashing　blows；　of　riven　armor；　of　howling　victims　and　roaring　beasts。　　The　spot　is；　in　short；　one　of　the　sweetest　legacies　of　the　ancient　world；　and　there　seems　no　profanation　in　the　fact　that　by　day　it　is　open　to　the　good　people　of　Arles；　who　use　it　to　pass；　by　no　means　in　great　num…　bers；　from　one　part　of　the　town　to　the　other；　treading　the　old　marble　floor；　and　brushing；　if　need　be；　the　empty　benches。　　This　familiarity　does　not　kill　the　place　again；　it　makes　it；　on　the　contrary；　live　a　little；　…　makes　the　present　and　the　past　touch　each　other。



XXXI。

The　third　lion　of　Arles　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　ancient　world；　but　only　with　the　old　one。　　The　church　of　Saint　Trophimus；　whose　wonderful　Romanesque　porch　is　the　principal　ornament　of　the　principal　_place_；　…　a　_place_　otherwise　distinguished　by　the　presence　of　a　slim　and　tapering　obelisk　in　the　middle；　as　well　as　by　that　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville　and　the　museum　…　the　interesting　church　of　Saint　Trophimus　swears　a　little；　as　the　French　say；　with　the　peculiar　character　of　Arles。　　It　is　very　remarkable；　but　I　would　rather　it　were　in　another　place。　　Arles　is　delightfully　pagan；　and　Saint　Trophimus；　with　its　apostolic　sculptures；　is　rather　a　false　note。　　These　sculptures　are　equally　re…　markable　for　their　primitive　vigor　and　for　the　perfect　preservation　in　which　they　have　come　down　to　us。　The　deep　recess　of　a　round…arched　porch　of　the　twelfth　century　is　covered　with　quaint　figures；　which　have　not　lost　a　nose　or　a　finger。　　An　angular；　Byzan…　tine…looking　Christ　sits　in　a　diamond…shaped　frame　at　the　summit　of　the　arch；　surrounded　by　little　angels；　by　great　apostles；　by　winged　beasts；　by　a　hundred　sacred　symbols　and　grotesque　ornaments。　　It　is　a　dense　embroidery　of　sculpture；　black　with　time；　but　as　uninjured　as　if　it　had　been　kept　under　glass。　　One　good　mark　for　the　French　Revolution！　　Of　the　in…　terior　of　the　church；　which　has　a　nave　of　the　twelfth　century；　and　a　choir　three　hundred　years　more　recent；　I　chiefly　remember　the　odd　feature　that　the　Romanesque　aisles　are　so　narrow　that　you　literally　…　or　almost　…　squeeze　through　them。　　You　do　so　with　some　eager…　ness；　for　your　natural　purpose　is　to　pass　out　to　the　cloister。　　This　cloister；　as　distinguished　and　as　per…　fect　as　the　porch；　has　a　great　deal　of　charm。　　Its　four　sides；　which　are　not　of　the　same　period　（the　earliest　and　best　are　of　the　twelfth　century）；　have　an　elaborate　arcade；　supported　on　delicate　pairs　of　columns；　the　capitals　of　which　show　an　extraordinary　variety　of　device　and　ornament。　　At　the　corners　of　the　quadrangle　these　columns　take　the　form　of　curious　human　figures。　The　whole　thing　is　a　gem　of　lightness　and　preserva…　tion；　and　is　often　cited　for　its　beauty；　but　…　if　it　doesn't　sound　too　profane　…　I　prefer；　especially　at　Arles；　the　ruins　of　the　Roman　theatre。　　The　antique　element　is　too　precious　to　be　mingled　with　anything　less　rare。　　This　truth　was　very　present　to　my　mind　during　a　ramble　of　a　couple　of　hours　that　I　took　just　before　leaving　the　place；　and　the　glowing　beauty　of　the　morning　gave　the　last　touch　of　the　impression。　　I　spent　half　an　hour　at　the　Museum；　then　I　took　an…　other　look　at　the　Roman　theatre；　after　which　I　walked　a　little　out　of　the　town　to　the　Aliscamps；　the　old　Elysian　Fields；　the　meagre　remnant　of　the　old　pagan　place　of　sepulture；　which　was　afterwards　used　by　the　Christians；　but　has　been　for　ages　deserted；　and　now　consists　only　of　a　melancholy　avenue　of　cypresses；　lined　with　a　succession　of　ancient　sarcophagi；　empty；　mossy；　and　mutilated。　　An　iron…foundry；　or　some　hor…　rible　establishment　which　is　conditioned　upon　tall　chimneys　and　a　noise　of　hammering　and　banging；　has　been　established　near　at　hand；　but　the　cypresses　shut　it　out　well　enough；　and　this　small　patch　of　Elysium　is　a　very　romantic　corner。

The　door　of　the　Museum　stands　ajar；　and　a　vigilant　custodian；　with　the　usual　batch　of　photographs　on　his　mind；　peeps　out　at　you　disapprovingly　while　you　linger　opposite；　before　the　charming　portal　of　Saint　Trophimus；　which　you　may　look　at　for　nothing。　When　you　succumb　to　the　silent　influence　of　his　eye；　and　go　over　to　visit　his　collection；　you　find　yourself　in　a　desecrated　church；　in　which　a　variety　of　ancient　objects；　disinterred　in　Arlesian　soil；　have　been　ar…　ranged　without　any　pomp。　　The　best　of　these；　I　be…　lieve；　were　found　in　the　ruins　of　the　theatre。　　Some　of　the　most　curious　of　them　are　early　Christian　sar…　cophagi；　exactly　on　the　pagan　model；　but　covered　with　rude　yet　vigorously　wrought　images　of　the　apostles；　and　with　illustrations　of　scriptural　history。　　Beauty　of　the　highest　kind；　either　of　conception　or　of　execu…　tion；　is　absent　from　most　of　the　Roman　fragments；　which　belong　to　the　taste　of　a　late　period　and　a　provincial　civilization。　　But　a　gulf　divides　them　from　the　bristling　little　imagery　of　the　Christian　sarcophagi；　in　which；　at　the　same　time；　one　detects　a　vague　emulation　of　the　rich　examples　by　which　their　authors　were　surrounded。　　There　is　a　certain　element　of　style　in　all　the　pagan　things；　there　is　not　a　hint　of　it　in　the　early　Christian　relics；　among　which；　according　to　M。　Joanne；　of　the　Guide；　are　to　be　found　more　fine　sarcophagi　than　in　any　collection　but　that　of　St。　John　Lateran。　　In　two　or　three　of　the　Roman　fragments　there　is　a　noticeable　distinction；　principally　in　a　charming　bust　of　a　boy；　quite　perfect；　with　those　salient　eyes　that　one　sees　in　certain　antique　busts；　and　to　which　the　absence　of　vision　in　the　marble　mask　gives　a　look；　often　very　touching；　as　of　a　baffled　effort　to　see；　also　in　the　head　of　a　woman；　found　in　the　ruins　of　the　theatre；　who；　alas！　has　lost　her　nose；　and　whose　noble；　simple　contour；　barring　this　deficiency；　recalls　the　great　manner　of　the　Venus　of　Milo。　　There　are　various　rich　architectural　fragments　which　in…　dicate　that　that　edifice　was　a　very　splendid　affair。　This　little　Museum　at　Arles；　in　short；　is　the　most　Ro…　man　thing　I　know　of；　out　of　Rome。



XXXII。

I　find　that　I　declared　one　evening；　in　a　little　journal　I　was　keeping　at　that　time；　that　I　was　weary　of　writing　（I　was　probably　very　sleepy）；　but　that　it　was　essential　I　should　make　some　note　of　my　visit　to　Les　Baux。　　I　must　have　gone　to　sleep　as　soon　as　I　had　recorded　this　necessity；　for　I　search　my　small　diary　in　vain　for　any　account　of　that　enchanting　spot。　　I　have　nothing　but　my　memory　to　consult；　…　a　memory　which　is　fairly　good　in　regard　to　a　general　impression；　but　is　terribly　infirm　in　the　matter　of　details　and　items。　　We　knew　in　advance；　my　companion　and　　I　that　Les　Baus　was　a　pearl　of　picturesqueness；　for　had　we　not　read　as　much　in　the　handbook　of　Murray；　who　has　the　testimony　of　an　English　nobleman　as　to　its　attractions？　　We　also　knew　that　it　lay　some　miles　from　Aries；　on　the　crest　of　the　Alpilles；　the　craggy　little　mountains　which；　as　I　stood　on　the　breezy　plat…　form　of　Beaucaire；　formed　to　my　eye　a　charming；　if　somewhat　remote；　background　to　Tarascon；　this　as…　surance　having　been　given　us　by　the　landlady　of　the　inn　at　Arles；　of　whom　we　hired　a　rather　lumbering　conveyance。　　The　weather　was　not　promising；　but　it　proved　a　good　day　for　the　mediaeval　Pompeii；　a　gray；　melancholy；　moist；　but　rainless；　or　almost　rainless　day；　with　nothing　in　the　sky　to　flout；　as　the　poet　says；　the　dejected　and　pulverized　past。　　The　drive　itself　was　charming；　for　there　is　an　inexhaustible　sweetness　in　the　gray…green　landscape　of　Provence。　It　is　never　absolutely　flat；　and　yet　is　never　really　ambitious；　and　is　full　both　of　entertainment　and　re…　pose。　　It　is　in　constant　undulation；　and　the　bareness　of　the　soil　lends　itself　easily　to　outline　and　profile。　When　I　say　the　bareness；　I　mean　the　absence　of　woods　and　hedges。　　It　blooms　with　heath　and　scented　shrubs　and　stunted　olive；　and　the　white　rock　shining　through　the　scattered　herbage　has　a　brightness　which　answers　to　the　brightness　of　the　sky。　　Of　course　it　needs　the　sunshine；　for　all　southern　countries　look　a　little　false　under　the　ground　glass　of　incipient　bad　weather。　　This　was　the　case　on　the　day　of　my　pil…　grimage　to　Les　Baux。　　Nevertheless；　I　was　as　glad　to　keep　going　as　I　was　to　arrive；　and　as　I　went　it　seemed　to　me　that　true　happiness　would　consist　in　wandering　through　such　a　land　on　foot；　on　September　afternoons；　when　one　might　stretch　one's　self　on　the　warm　ground　in　some　shady　hollow；　and　listen　to　the　hum　of　bees　and　the　whistle　of　melancholy　shepherds；　for　in　Provence　the　shepherds　whistle　to　their　flocks。　I　saw　two　or　three　of　them；　in　the　course　of　this　drive　to　Les　Baux；　meandering　about；　looking　behind；　and　calling　upon　the　sheep　in　this　way　to　follow；　which　the　sheep　always　did；　very　promptly；　with　ovine　unanimity。　　Nothing　is　more　picturesque　than　to　see　a　slow　shepherd　threading　his　way　down　one　of　the　winding　paths　on　a　hillside；　with　his　flock　close　be…　hind　him；　necessarily　expanded；　yet　keeping　just　at　his　heels；　bending　and　twisting　as　it　goes；　and　looking　rather　like　the　tail　of　a　dingy　comet。

About　four　miles　from　Arles；　as　you　drive　north…　ward　toward　the　Alpilles；　of　which　Alphonse　Daudet　has　spoken　so　often；　and；　as　he　might　say；　so　in…　timately；　stand　on　a　hill　that　overlooks　the　road　the　very　considerable　ruins　of　the　abbey　of　Mont…　majour；　one　of　the　innumerable　remnants　of　a　feudal　and　ecclesiastical　（as　well　as　an　architectural）　past　that　one　encounters　in　the　South　of　France；　remnants　which；　it　must　be　confessed；　tend　to　introduce　a　cer…　tain　confusion　and　satiety　into　the　passive　mind　of　the　tourist。　　Montmajour；　however；　is　very　impressive　and　interesting；　the　only　trouble　with　it　is　that；　unless　you　have　stopped　and　retumed　to　Arles；　you　see　it　in　memory　over　the　head　of　Les　Baux；　which　is　a　much　more　absorbing　picture。　　A　part　of　the　mass　of　buildings　（the　monastery）　dates　only　from　the　last　century；　and　the　stiff　architecture　of　that　period　does　not　lend　itself　very　gracefully　to　desolation：　it　looks　too　much　as　if　it　had　been　burnt　down　the　year　before。　　The　monastery　was　demolished　during　the　Revolution；　and　it　injures　a　little　t