a little tour in france-第33章

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e　only　traces　of　former　splendor　now　visible　in　the　Papal　pile　are　the　walls　and　vaults　of　two　small　chapels；　painted　in　fresco；　so　battered　and　effaced　as　to　be　scarcely　distinguishable；　by　Simone　Memmi。　　It　offers；　of　course；　a　peculiarly　good　field　for　restoration；　and　I　believe　the　government　intend　to　take　it　in　hand。　　I　mention　this　fact　without　a　sigh；　for　they　cannot　well　make　it　less　interesting　than　it　is　at　present。



XXXIV。

Fortunately；　it　did　not　rain　every　day　（though　I　believe　it　was　raining　everywhere　else　in　the　depart…　ment）；　otherwise　I　should　not　have　been　able　to　go　to　Villeneuve　and　to　Vaucluse。　　The　afternoon；　indeed；　was　lovely　when　I　walked　over　the　interminable　bridge　that　spans　the　two　arms　of　the　Rhone；　divided　here　by　a　considerable　island；　and　directed　my　course；　like　a　solitary　horseman　…　on　foot；　to　the　lonely　tower　which　forms　one　of　the　outworks　of　Villeneuve…les…　Avignon。　　The　picturesque；　half…deserted　little　town　lies　a　couple　of　miles　further　up　the　river。　　The　im…　mense　round　towers　of　its　old　citadel　and　the　long　stretches　of　ruined　wall　covering　the　slope　on　which　it　lies；　are　the　most　striking　features　of　the　nearer　view；　as　you　look　from　Avignon　across　the　Rhone。　　I　spent　a　couple　of　hours　in　visiting　these　objects；　and　there　was　a　kind　of　pictorial　sweetness　in　the　episode；　but　I　have　not　many　details　to　relate。　　The　isolated　tower　I　just　mentioned　has　much　in　common　with　the　detached　donjon　of　Montmajour；　which　I　had　looked　at　in　going　to　Les　Baux；　and　to　which　I　paid　my　respects　in　speaking　of　that　excursion。　　Also　the　work　of　Philippe　le　Bel　（built　in　1307）；　it　is　amazingly　big　and　stubborn；　and　formed　the　opposite　limit　of　the　broken　bridge；　whose　first　arches　（on　the　side　of　Avignon）　alone　remain　to　give　a　measure　of　the　oc…　casional　volume　of　the　Rhone。　　Half　an　hour's　walk　brought　me　to　Villeneuve；　which　lies　away　from　the　river；　looking　like　a　big　village；　half　depopulated；　and　occupied　for　the　most　part　by　dogs　and　cats；　old　women　and　small　children；　these　last；　in　general；　re…　markably　pretty；　in　the　manner　of　the　children　of　Provence。　　You　pass　through　the　place；　which　seems　in　a　singular　degree　vague　and　unconscious；　and　come　to　the　rounded　hill　on　which　the　ruined　abbey　lifts　its　yellow　walls；　…　the　Benedictine　abbey　of　Saint…　Andre；　at　once　a　church；　a　monastery；　and　a　fortress。　A　large　part　of　the　crumbling　enceinte　disposes　itself　over　the　hill；　but　for　the　rest；　all　that　has　preserved　any　traceable　cohesion　is　a　considerable　portion；　of　the　citadel。　　The　defence　of　the　place　appears　to　have　been　intrusted　largely　to　the　huge　round　towers　that　flank　the　old　gate；　one　of　which；　the　more　complete；　the　ancient　warden　（having　first　inducted　me　into　his　own　dusky　little　apartment；　and　presented　me　with　a　great　bunch　of　lavender）　enabled　me　to　examine　in　detail。　　I　would　almost　have　dispensed　with　the　privi…　lege；　for　I　think　I　have　already　mentioned　that　an　ac…　quaintance　with　many　feudal　interiors　has　wrought　a　sad　confusion　in　my　mind。　　The　image　of　the　outside　always　remains　distinct；　I　keep　it　apart　from　other　images　of　the　same　sort；　it　makes　a　picture　sufficiently　ineffaceable。　　But　the　guard…rooms；　winding　staircases；　loop…holes；　prisons；　repeat　themselves　and　intermingle；　they　have　a　wearisome　family　likeness。　　There　are　always　black　passages　and　corners；　and　walls　twenty　feet　thick；　and　there　is　always　some　high　place　to　climb　up　to　for　the　sake　of　a　〃magnificent〃　view。　The　views；　too；　are　apt　to　get　muddled。　　These　dense　gate…towers　of　Philippe　le　Bel　struck　me；　however；　as　peculiarly　wicked　and　grim。　　Their　capacity　is　of　the　largest；　and　they　contain　over　so　many　devilish　little　dungeons；　lighted　by　the　narrowest　slit　in　the　pro…　digious　wall；　where　it　comes　over　one　with　a　good　deal　of　vividness　and　still　more　horror　that　wretched　human　beings　ever　lay　there　rotting　in　the　dark。　　The　dungeons　of　Villeneuve　made　a　particular　impression　on　me；　…　greater　than　any；　except　those　of　Loches；　which　must　surely　be　the　most　grewsome　in　Europe。　I　hasten　to　add　that　every　dark　hole　at　Villeneuve　is　called　a　dungeon；　and　I　believe　it　is　well　established　that　in　this　manner；　in　almost　all　old　castles　and　towers；　the　sensibilities　of　the　modern　tourist　are　un…　scrupulously　played　upon。　　There　were　plenty　of　black　holes　in　the　Middle　Ages　that　were　not　dungeons；　but　household　receptacles　of　various　kinds；　and　many　a　tear　dropped　in　pity　for　the　groaning　captive　has　really　been　addressed　to　the　spirits　of　the　larder　and　the　faggot…nook。　　For　all　this；　there　are　some　very　bad　corners　in　the　towers　of　Villeneuve；　so　that　I　was　not　wide　of　the　mark　when　I　began　to　think　again；　as　I　had　often　thought　before；　of　the　stoutness　of　the　human　composition　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　the　tranquillity　of　nerve　of　people　to　whom　the　groaning　captive　and　the　blackness　of　a　〃living　tomb〃　were　familiar　ideas；　which　did　not　at　all　interfere　with　their　happiness　or　their　sanity。　　Our　modern　nerves；　our　irritable　sym…　pathies；　our　easy　discomforts　and　fears；　make　one　think　（in　some　relations）　less　respectfully　of　human　nature。　Unless；　indeed；　it　be　true；　as　I　have　heard　it　main…　tained；　that　in　the　Middle　Ages　every　one　did　go　mad；　…　every　one　_was_　mad。　　The　theory　that　this　was　a　period　of　general　insanity　is　not　altogether　indefensible。

Within　the　old　walls　of　its　immense　abbey　the　town　of　Villeneuve　has　built　itself　a　rough　faubourg；　the　fragments　with　which　the　soil　was　covered　having　been；　I　suppose；　a　quarry　of　material。　　There　are　no　streets；　the　small；　shabby　houses；　almost　hovels；　straggle　at　random　over　the　uneven　ground。　　The　only　im…　portant　feature　is　a　convent　of　cloistered　nuns；　who　have　a　large　garden　（always　within　the　walls）　behind　their　house；　and　whose　doleful　establishment　you　look　down　into；　or　down　at　simply；　from　the　battlements　of　the　citadel。　　One　or　two　of　the　nuns　were　passing　in　and　out　of　the　house；　they　wore　gray　robes；　with　a　bright　red　cape。　　I　thought　their　situation　most　pro…　vincial。　　I　came　away；　and　wandered　a　little　over　the　base　of　the　hill；　outside　the　walls。　　Small　white　stones　cropped　through　the　grass；　over　which　low　olive…trees　were　scattered。　　The　afternoon　had　a　yellow　bright…　ness。　　I　sat　down　under　one　of　the　little　trees；　on　the　grass；　…　the　delicate　gray　branches　were　not　much　above　my　head；　…　and　rested；　and　looked　at　Avignon　across　the　Rhone。　　It　was　very　soft；　very　still　and　pleasant；　though　I　am　not　sure　it　was　all　I　once　should　have　expected　of　that　combination　of　elements：　an　old　city　wall　for　a　background；　a　canopy　of　olives；　and；　for　a　couch；　the　soil　of　Provence。

When　I　came　back　to　Avignon　the　twilight　was　already　thick；　but　I　walked　up　to　the　Rocher　des　Doms。　　Here　I　again　had　the　benefit　of　that　amiable　moon　which　had　already　lighted　up　for　me　so　many　romantic　scenes。　　She　was　full；　and　she　rose　over　the　Rhone；　and　made　it　look　in　the　distance　like　a　silver　serpent。　　I　remember　saying　to　myself　at　this　mo…　ment；　that　it　would　be　a　beautiful　evening　to　walk　round　the　walls　of　Avignon；　…　the　remarkable　walls；　which　challenge　comparison　with　those　of　Carcassonne　and　Aigues…Mortes；　and　which　it　was　my　duty；　as　an　observer　of　the　picturesque；　to　examine　with　some　at…　tention。　　Presenting　themselves　to　that　silver　sheen；　they　could　not　fail　to　be　impressive。　　So；　at　least；　I　said　to　myself；　but；　unfortunately；　I　did　not　believe　what　I　said。　　It　is　a　melancholy　fact　that　the　walls　of　Avignon　had　never　impressed　me　at　all；　and　I　had　never　taken　the　trouble　to　make　the　circuit。　　They　are　continuous　and　complete；　but　for　some　mysterious　reason　they　fail　of　their　effect。　　This　is　partly　because　they　are　very　low；　in　some　places　almost　absurdly　so；　being　buried　in　new　accumulations　of　soil；　and　by　the　filling　in　of　the　moat　up　to　their　middle。　　Then　they　have　been　too　well　tended；　they　not　only　look　at　present　very　new；　but　look　as　if　they　had　never　been　old。　　The　fact　that　their　extent　is　very　much　greater　makes　them　more　of　a　curiosity　than　those　of　Carcas…　sonne；　but　this　is　exactly；　as　the　same　time；　what　is　fatal　to　their　pictorial　unity。　　With　their　thirty…seven　towers　and　seven　gates　they　lose　themselves　too　much　to　make　a　picture　that　will　compare　with　the　ad…　mirable　little　vignette　of　Carcassonne。　　I　may　mention；　now　that　I　am　speaking　of　the　general　mass　of　Avignon；　that　nothing　is　more　curious　than　the　way　in　which；　viewed　from　a　distance；　it　is　all　reduced　to　nought　by　the　vast　bulk　of　the　palace　of　the　Popes。　　From　across　the　Rhone；　or　from　the　train；　as　you　leave　the　place；　this　great　gray　block　is　all　Avignon；　it　seems　to　occupy　the　whole　city；　extensive；　with　its　shrunken　population；　as　the　city　is。



XXXV。

It　was　the　morning　after　this；　I　think　（a　certain　Saturday）；　that　when　I　came　out　of　the　Hotel　de　l'Europe；　which　lies　in　a　shallow　concavity　just　within　the　city　gate　that　opens　on　the　Rhone；　…　came　out　to　look　at　the　sky　from　the　little　_place_　before　the　inn；　and　see　how　the　weather　promised　for　the　obligatory　excursion　to　Vaucluse；　…　I　found　the　whole　town　in　a　terrible　taking。　　I　say　the　whole　town　advisedly；　for　every　inhabitant　appeared　to　have　taken　up　a　position　on　the　bank　of　the　river；　or　on　the　uppermost　parts　of　the　promenade　of　the　Doms；　where　a　view　of　its　course　was　to　be　obtained。　　It　had　risen　surprisingly　in　the　night；　and　the　good　people　of　Avignon　had　reason　to　know　what　a　rise　of　the　Rhone　might　signify。　The　town；　in　its　lower　portions；　is　quite　at　the　mercy　of　the　swollen　waters；　and　it　was　mentioned　to　me　that　in　1856　the　Hotel　de　l'Europe；　in　its　convenient　hollow；　was　flooded　up　to　within　a　few　feet　of　the　ceiling　of　the　dining…room；　where　the　long　board　which　had　served　for　so　many　a　table　d'hote　floated　dis…　reputably；　with　its　legs　in　the　air。　　On　the　present　occasion　the　mountains　of　the　Ardeche；　where　it　had　been　raining　for　a　month；　had　sent　down　torrents　which；　all　that　fine　Friday　night；　by　the　light　of　the　innocent…looking　moon；　poured　themselves　into　the　Rhone　and　its　tributary；　the　Durance。　　The　river　was　enormous；　and　continued　to　rise；　and　the　sight　was　beautiful　and　horrible。　　The　water　in　many　places　was　already　at　the　base　of　the　city　walls；　the　quay；　with　its　parapet　just　emerging；　being　already　covered。　The　country；　seen　from　the　Plateau　des　Doms；　re…　sembled　a　vast　lake；　with　protrusions　of　trees；　houses；　bridges；　gates。　　The　people　looked　at　it　in　silence；　as　I　had　seen　people　before　…　on　the　occasion　of　a　rise　of　the　Arno；　at　Pisa　…　appear　to　consider　the　prospects　of　an　inundation。　　〃Il　monte；　il　monte　toujours；〃　…　there　was　not　much　said　but　that。　　It　was　a　general　holiday；　and　there　was　an　air　of　wishing　to　profit；　for　sociability's　sake；　by　any　interruption　of　the　common…　place　（the　popular　mind　likes　〃a　change；〃　and　the　element　of　change　mitigates　the　sense　of　disaster）；　but　the　affair　was　not　otherwise　a　holiday。　　Suspense　and　anxiety　were　in　the　air；　and　it　never　is　pleasant　to　be　reminded　of　the　helplessness　of　man。　　In　the　presence　of　a　loosened　river；　with　its　ravaging；　unconquerable　volume；　this　impression　is　as　strong　as　possible；　and　as　I　looked　at　the　deluge　which　threatened　to　make　an　island　of　the　Papal　palace；　I　perceived　that　the　scourge　of　water　is　greater　than