a little tour in france-第31章

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down　the　year　before。　　The　monastery　was　demolished　during　the　Revolution；　and　it　injures　a　little　the　effect　of　the　very　much　more　ancient　fragments　that　are　connected　with　it。　　The　whole　place　is　on　a　great　scale；　it　was　a　rich　and　splendid　abbey。　　The　church；　a　vast　basilica　of　the　eleventh　century；　and　of　the　noblest　proportions；　is　virtually　intact；　I　mean　as　regards　its　essentials；　for　the　details　have　completely　vanished。　The　huge　solid　shell　is　full　of　expression；　it　looks　as　if　it　had　been　hollowed　out　by　the　sincerity　of　early　faith；　and　it　opens　into　a　cloister　as　impressive　as　itself。　　Wherever　one　goes；　in　France；　one　meets；　looking　backward　a　little；　the　spectre　of　the　great　Revolution；　and　one　meets　it　always　in　the　shape　of　the　destruction　of　something　beautiful　and　precious。　To　make　us　forgive　it　at　all；　how　much　it　must　also　have　destroyed　that　was　more　hateful　than　itself！　Beneath　the　church　of　Montmajour　is　a　most　extra…　ordinary　crypt；　almost　as　big　as　the　edifice　above　it；　and　making　a　complete　subterranean　temple；　sur…　rounded　with　a　circular　gallery；　or　deambulatory；　which　expands　it　intervals　into　five　square　chapels。　There　are　other　things；　of　which　I　have　but　a　con…　fused　memory：　a　great　fortified　keep；　a　queer　little　primitive　chapel；　hollowed　out　of　the　rock；　beneath　these　later　structures；　and　recommended　to　the　visitor's　attention　as　the　confessional　of　Saint　Tro…　phimus；　who　shares　with　so　many　worthies　the　glory　of　being　the　first　apostle　of　the　Gauls。　　Then　there　is　a　strange；　small　church；　of　the　dimmest　antiquity；　standing　at　a　distance　from　the　other　buildings。　　I　remember　that　after　we　had　let　ourselves　down　a　good　many　steepish　places　to　visit　crypts　and　con…　fessionals；　we　walked　across　a　field　to　this　archaic　cruciform　edifice；　and　went　thence　to　a　point　further　down　the　road；　where　our　carriage　was　awaiting　us。　　The　chapel　of　the　Holy　Cross；　as　it　is　called；　is　classed　among　the　historic　monuments　of　France；　and　I　read　in　a　queer；　rambling；　ill…written　book　which　I　picked　up　at　Avignon；　and　in　which　the　author；　M。　Louis　de　Lainbel；　has　buried　a　great　deal　of　curious　information　on　the　subject　of　Provence；　under　a　style　inspiring　little　confidence；　that　the　〃delicieuse　chapelle　de　Sainte…Croix〃　is　a　〃veritable　bijou　artistique。〃　　He　speaks　of　〃a　piece　of　lace　in　stone；〃　which　runs　from　one　end　of　the　building　to　the　other；　but　of　which　I　am　obliged　to　confess　that　I　have　no　recollection。　　I　retain；　however；　a　suf…　ficiently　clear　impression　of　the　little　superannuated　temple；　with　its　four　apses　and　its　perceptible　odor　of　antiquity；　…　the　odor　of　the　eleventh　century。

The　ruins　of　Les　Baux　remain　quite　indistinguish…　able；　even　when　you　are　directly　beneath　them；　at　the　foot　of　the　charming　little　Alpilles；　which　mass　themselves　with　a　kind　of　delicate　ruggedness。　　Rock　and　ruin　have　been　so　welded　together　by　the　con…　fusions　of　time；　that　as　you　approach　it　from　behind　…　that　is；　from　the　direction　of　Arles　…　the　place　presents　simply　a　general　air　of　cragginess。　　Nothing　can　be　prettier　than　the　crags　of　Provence；　they　are　beautifully　modelled；　as　painters　say；　and　they　have　a　delightful　silvery　color。　　The　road　winds　round　the　foot　of　the　hills　on　the　top　of　which　Lea　Baux　is　planted；　and　passes　into　another　valley；　from　which　the　approach　to　the　town　is　many　degrees　less　pre…　cipitous；　and　may　be　comfortably　made　in　a　carriage。　Of　course　the　deeply　inquiring　traveller　will　alight　as　promptly　as　possible；　for　the　pleasure　of　climbing　into　this　queerest　of　cities　on　foot　is　not　the　least　part　of　the　entertainment　of　going　there。　　Then　you　appreciate　its　extraordinary　position；　its　picturesque…　ness；　its　steepness；　its　desolation　and　decay。　　It　hangs　…　that　is；　what　remains　of　it　…　to　the　slanting　summit　of　the　mountain。　　Nothing　would　be　more　natural　than　for　the　whole　place　to　roll　down　into　the　valley。　　A　part　of　it　has　done　so　…　for　it　is　not　unjust　to　suppose　that　in　the　process　of　decay　the　crumbled　particles　have　sought　the　lower　level；　while　the　remainder　still　clings　to　its　magnificent　perch。

If　I　called　Les　Baux　a　city；　just；　above；　it　was　not　that　I　was　stretching　a　point　in　favor　of　the　small　spot　which　to…day　contains　but　a　few　dozen　inhabi…　tants。　　The　history　of　the　plate　is　as　extraordinary　as　its　situation。　　It　was　not　only　a　city；　but　a　state；　not　only　a　state；　but　an　empire；　and　on　the　crest　of　its　little　mountain　called　itself　sovereign　of　a　territory；　or　at　least　of　scattered　towns　and　counties；　with　which　its　present　aspect　is　grotesquely　out　of　relation。　　The　lords　of　Les　Baux；　in　a　word；　were　great　feudal　pro…　prietors；　and　there…was　a　time　during　which　the　island　of　Sardinia；　to　say　nothing　of　places　nearer　home；　such　as　Arles　and　Marseilles；　paid　them　homage。　　The　chronicle　of　this　old　Provencal　house　has　been　written；　in　a　style　somewhat　unctuous　and　flowery；　by　M。　Jules　Canonge。　　I　purchased　the　little　book　…　a　modest　pamphlet　…　at　the　establishment　of　the　good　sisters；　just　beside　the　church；　in　one　of　the　highest　parts　of　Les　Baux。　　The　sisters　have　a　school　for　the　hardy　little　Baussenques；　whom　I　heard　piping　their　lessons；　while　I　waited　in　the　cold　_parloir_　for　one　of　the　ladies　to　come　and　speak　to　me。　　Nothing　could　have　been　more　perfect　than　the　manner　of　this　excellent　woman　when　she　arrived；　yet　her　small　religious　house　seemed　a　very　out…of…the…way　corner　of　the　world。　　It　was　spotlessly　neat；　and　the　rooms　looked　as　if　they　had　lately　been　papered　and　painted：　in　this　respect；　at　the　mediaeval　Pompeii；　they　were　rather　a　discord。　They　were；　at　any　rate；　the　newest；　freshest　thing　at　Les　Baux。　　I　remember　going　round　to　the　church；　after　I　had　left　the　good　sisters；　and　to　a　little　quiet　terrace；　which　stands　in　front　of　it；　ornamented　with　a　few　small　trees　and　bordered　with　a　wall；　breast…　high；　over　which　you　look　down　steep　hillsides；　off　into　the　air　and　all　about　the　neighbouring　country。　I　remember　saying　to　myself　that　this　little　terrace　was　one　of　those　felicitous　nooks　which　the　tourist　of　taste　keeps　in　his　mind　as　a　picture。　　The　church　was　small　and　brown　and　dark；　with　a　certain　rustic　richness。　　All　this；　however；　is　no　general　description　of　Les　Baux。

I　am　unable　to　give　any　coherent　account　of　the　place；　for　the　simple　reason　that　it　is　a　mere　con…　fusion　of　ruin。　　It　has　not　been　preserved　in　lava　like　Pompeii；　and　its　streets　and　houses；　its　ramparts　and　castle；　have　become　fragmentary；　not　through　the　sudden　destruction；　but　through　the　gradual　with…　drawal；　of　a　population。　　It　is　not　an　extinguished；　but　a　deserted　city；　more　deserted　far　than　even　Carcassonne　and　Aigues…Mortes；　where　I　found　so　much　entertainment　in　the　grass…grown　element。　　It　is　of　very　small　extent；　and　even　in　the　days　of　its　greatness；　when　its　lords　entitled　themselves　counts　of　Cephalonia　and　Neophantis；　kings　of　Arles　and　Vienne；　princes　of　Achaia；　and　emperors　of　Constan…　tinople；　…　even　at　this　flourishing　period；　when；　as　M。　Jules　Canonge　remarks；　〃they　were　able　to　depress　the　balance　in　which　the　fate　of　peoples　and　kings　is　weighed；〃　the　plucky　little　city　contained　at　the　most　no　more　than　thirty…six　hundred　souls。　　Yet　its　lords　（who；　however；　as　I　have　said；　were　able　to　present　a　long　list　of　subject　towns；　most　of　them；　though　a　few　are　renowned；　unknown　to　fame）　were　seneschals　and　captains…general　of　Piedmont　and　Lombardy；　grand　admirals　of　the　kingdom　of　Naples；　and　its　ladies　were　sought　in　marriage　by　half　the　first　princes　in　Europe。　　A　considerable　part　of　the　little　narrative　of　M。　Canonge　is　taken　up　with　the　great　alliances　of　the　House　of　Baux；　whose　fortunes；　ma…　trimonial　and　other；　he　traces　from　the　eleventh　cen…　tury　down　to　the　sixteenth。　　The　empty　shells　of　a　considerable　number　of　old　houses；　many　of　which　must　have　been　superb；　the　lines　of　certain　steep　little　streets；　the　foundations　of　a　castle；　and　ever　so　many　splendid　views；　are　all　that　remains　to…day　of　these　great　titles。　　To　such　a　list　I　may　add　a　dozen　very　polite　and　sympathetic　people；　who　emerged　from　the　interstices　of　the　desultory　little　town　to　gaze　at　the　two　foreigners　who　had　driven　over　from　Arles；　and　whose　horses　were　being　baited　at　the　modest　inn。　　The　resources　of　this　establishment　we　did　not　venture　otherwise　to　test；　in　spite　of　the　seductive　fact　that　the　sign　over　the　door　was　in　the　Provencal　tongue。　　This　little　group　included　the　baker；　a　rather　melancholy　young　man；　in　high　boots　and　a　cloak；　with　whom　and　his　companions　we　had　a　good　deal　of　conversation。　　The　Baussenques　of　to…day　struck　me　as　a　very　mild　and　agreeable　race；　with　a　good　deal　of　the　natural　amenity　which；　on　occasions　like　this　one；　the　traveller；　who　is；　waiting　for　his　horses　to　be　put　in　or　his　dinner　to　be　prepared；　observes　in　the　charming　people　who　lend　themselves　to　con…　versation　in　the　hill…towns　of　Tuscany。　　The　spot　where　our　entertainers　at　Les　Baux　congregated　was　naturally　the　most　inhabited　portion　of　the　town；　as　I　say；　there　were　at　least　a　dozen　human　figures　within　sight。　　Presently　we　wandered　away　from　them；　scaled　the　higher　places；　seated　ourselves　among　the　ruins　of　the　castle；　and　looked　down　from　the　cliff　overhanging　that　portion　of　the　road　which　I　have　mentioned　as　approaching　Les　Baux　from　behind。　　I　was　unable　to　trace　the　configuration　of　the　castle　as　plainly　as　the　writers　who　have　described　it　in　the　guide…books；　and　I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　I　did　not　even　perceive　the　three　great　figures　of　stone　（the　three　Marys；　as　they　are　called；　the　two　Marys　of　Scripture；　with　Martha）；　which　constitute　one　of　the　curiosities　of　the　place；　and　of　which　M。　Jules　Canonge　speaks　with　almost　hyperbolical　admiration。　　A　brisk　shower；　lasting　some　ten　minutes；　led　us　to　take　refuge　in　a　cavity；　of　mysterious　origin；　where　the　melancholy　baker　presently　discovered　us；　having　had　the　_bonne　pensee_　of　coming　up　for　us　with　an　umbrella　which　certainly　belonged；　in　former　ages；　to　one　of　the　Ste…　phanettes　or　Berangeres　commemorated　by　M。　Canonge。　His　oven；　I　am　afraid；　was　cold　so　long　as　our　visit　lasted。　　When　the　rain　was　over　we　wandered　down　to　the　little　disencumbered　space　before　the　inn；　through　a　small　labyrinth　of　obliterated　things。　　They　took　the　form　of　narrow；　precipitous　streets；　bordered　by　empty　houses；　with　gaping　windows　and　absent　doors；　through　which　we　had　glimpses　of　sculptured　chimney…pieces　and　fragments　of　stately　arch　and　vault。　Some　of　the　houses　are　still　inhabited；　but　most　of　them　are　open　to　the　air　and　weather。　　Some　of　them　have　completely　collapsed；　others　present　to　the　street　a　front　which　enables　one　to　judge　of　the　physiognomy　of　Les　Baux　in　the　days　of　its　importance。　　This　im…　portance　had　pretty　well　passed　away　in　the　early　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　when　the　place　ceased　to　be　an　independent　principality。　　It　became　…　by　bequest　of　one　of　its　lords；　Bernardin　des　Baux；　a　great　cap…　tain　of　his　time　…　part　of　the　appanage　of　the　kings　of　France；　by　whom　it　was　placed　under　the　protection　of　Arles；　which　had　formerly　occupied　with　regard　to　it　a　different　position。　　I　know　not　whether　the　Arle…　sians　neglected　their　trust；　but　the　extinction　of　the　sturdy　little　stronghold　is　too　complete　not　to　have　begun　lo