a little tour in france-第35章

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e　condition　of　the　Durance　at　some　point　that　I　have　forgotten。　　At　Avignon；　an　hour　later；　I　found　the　water　in　some　of　the　streets。　　The　sky　cleared　in　the　evening；　the　moon　lighted　up　the　submerged　suburbs；　and　the　population　again　collected　in　the　high　places　to　enjoy　the　spectacle。　　It　exhibited　a　certain　sameness；　however；　and　by　nine　o'clock　there　was　considerable　animation　in　the　Place　Crillon；　where　there　is　nothing　to　be　seen　but　the　front　of　the　theatre　and　of　several　cafes　…　in　addition；　indeed；　to　a　statue　of　this　celebrated　brave；　whose　valor　redeemed　some　of　the　numerous　military　disasters　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。　　The　next　morning　the　lower　quarters　of　the　town　were　in　a　pitiful　state；　the　situation　seemed　to　me　odious。　　To　express　my　disapproval　of　it；　I　lost　no　time　in　taking　the　train　for　Orange；　which；　with　its　other　attractions；　had　the　merit　of　not　being　seated　on　the　Rhone。　　It　was　my　destiny　to　move　northward；　but　even　if　I　had　been　at　liberty　to　follow　a　less　un…　natural　course　I　should　not　then　have　undertaken　it；　inasmuch；　as　the　railway　between　Avignon　and　Mar…　seilles　was　credibly　reported　to　be　（in　places）　under　water。　　This　was　the　case　with　almost　everything　but　the　line　itself；　on　the　way　to　Orange。　　The　day　proved　splendid；　and　its　brilliancy　only　lighted　up　the　desola…　tion。　　Farmhouses　and　cottages　were　up　to　their　middle　in　the　yellow　liquidity；　haystacks　looked　like　dull　little　islands；　windows　and　doors　gaped　open；　without　faces；　and　interruption　and　flight　were　represented　in　the　scene。　　It　was　brought　home　to　me　that　the　_popula…　tions　rurales_　have　many　different　ways　of　suffering；　and　my　heart　glowed　with　a　grateful　sense　of　cockney…　ism。　　It　was　under　the　influence　of　this　emotion　that　I　alighted　at　Orange；　to　visit　a　collection　of　eminently　civil　monuments。

The　collection　consists　of　but　two　objects；　but　these　objects　are　so　fine　that　I　will　let　the　word　pass。　　One　of　them　is　a　triumphal　arch；　supposedly　of　the　period　of　Marcus　Aurelius；　the　other　is　a　fragment；　magnifi…　cent　in　its　ruin；　of　a　Roman　theatre。　　But　for　these　fine　Roman　remains　and　for　its　name；　Orange　is　a　perfectly　featureless　little　town；　without　the　Rhone　…　which；　as　I　have　mentioned；　is　several　miles　distant　…　to　help　it　to　a　physiognomy。　　It　seems　one　of　the　oddest　things　that　this　obscure　French　borough　…　obscure；　I　mean；　in　our　modern　era；　for　the　Gallo…　Roman　Arausio　must　have　been；　judging　it　by　its　arches　and　theatre；　a　place　of　some　importance　…　should　have　given　its　name　to　the　heirs　apparent　of　the　throne　of　Holland；and　been　borne　by　a　king　of　England　who　had　sovereign　rights　over　it。　　During　the　Middle　Ages　it　formed　part　of　an　independent　principality；　but　in　1531　it　fell；　by　the　marriage　of　one　of　its　princesses；　who　had　inherited　it；　into　the　family　of　Nassau。　　I　read　in　my　indispensable　Mur…　ray　that　it　was　made　over　to　France　by　the　treaty　of　Utrecht。　　The　arch　of　triumph；　which　stands　a　little　way　out　of　the　town；　is　rather　a　pretty　than　an　im…　posing　vestige　of　the　Romans。　　If　it　had　greater　purity　of　style；　one　might　say　of　it　that　it　belonged　to　the　same　family　of　monuments　as　the　Maison　Carree　at　Nimes。　　It　has　three　passages；　…　the　middle　much　higher　than　the　others；　…　and　a　very　elevated　attic。　The　vaults　of　the　passages　are　richly　sculptured；　and　the　whole　monument　is　covered　with　friezes　and　military　trophies。　　This　sculpture　is　rather　mixed；　much　of　it　is　broken　and　defaced；　and　the　rest　seemed　to　me　ugly；　though　its　workmanship　is　praised。　　The　arch　is　at　once　well　preserved　and　much　injured。　　Its　general　mass　is　there；　and　as　Roman　monuments　go　it　is　remarkably　perfect；　but　it　has　suffered；　in　patches；　from　the　extremity　of　restoration。　　It　is　not；　on　the　whole；　of　absorbing　interest。　　It　has　a　charm；　never…　theless；　which　comes　partly　from　its　soft；　bright　yellow　color；　partly　from　a　certain　elegance　of　shape；　of　ex…　pression；　and　on　that　well…washed　Sunday　morning；　with　its　brilliant　tone；　surrounded　by　its　circle　of　thin　poplars；　with　the　green　country　lying　beyond　it　and　a　low　blue　horizon　showing　through　its　empty　portals；　it　made；　very　sufficiently；　a　picture　that　hangs　itself　to　one　of　the　lateral　hooks　of　the　memory。　　I　can　take　down　the　modest　composition；　and　place　it　before　me　as　I　write。　　I　see　the　shallow；　shining　puddles　in　the　hard；　fair　French　road；　the　pale　blue　sky；　diluted　by　days　of　rain；　the　disgarnished　autumnal　fields；　the　mild　sparkle　of　the　low　horizon；　the　solitary　figure　in　sabots；　with　a　bundle　under　its　arm；　advancing　along　the　_chaussee_；　and　in　the　middle　I　see　the　little　ochre…　colored　monument；　which；　in　spite　of　its　antiquity；　looks　bright　and　gay；　as　everything　must　look　in　France　of　a　fresh　Sunday　morning。

It　is　true　that　this　was　not　exactly　the　appearance　of　the　Roman　theatre；　which　lies　on　the　other　side　of　the　town；　a　fact　that　did　not　prevent　me　from　making　my　way　to　it　in　less　than　five　minutes；　through　a　suc…　cession　of　little　streets　concerning　which　I　have　no　observations　to　record。　　None　of　the　Roman　remains　in　the　south　of　France　are　more　impressive　than　this　stupendous　fragment。　　An　enormous　mound　rises　above　the　place；　which　was　formerly　occupied　…　I　quote　from　Murray　…　first　by　a　citadel　of　the　Romans；　then　by　a　castle　of　the　princes　of　Nassau；　razed　by　Louis　XIV。　Facing　this　hill　a　mighty　wall　erects　itself；　thirty…six　metres　high；　and　composed　of　massive　blocks　of　dark　brown　stone；　simply　laid　one　on　the　other；　the　whole　naked；　rugged　surface　of　which　suggests　a　natural　cliff　（say　of　the　Vaucluse　order）　rather　than　an　effort　of　human；　or　even　of　Roman　labor。　　It　is　the　biggest　thing　at　Orange；　…　it　is　bigger　than　all　Orange　put　to…　gether；　…　and　its　permanent　massiveness　makes　light　of　the　shrunken　city。　　The　face　it　presents　to　the　town　…　the　top　of　it　garnished　with　two　rows　of　brackets；　perforated　with　holes　to　receive　the　staves　of　the　_vela…　rium_　…　bears　the　traces　of　more　than　one　tier　of　orna…　mental　arches；　though　how　these　flat　arches　were　applied；　or　incrusted；　upon　the　wall；　I　do　not　profess　to　explain。　　You　pass　through　a　diminutive　postern　…　which　seems　in　proportion　about　as　high　as　the　en…　trance　of　a　rabbit…hutch　…　into　the　lodge　of　the　custo…　dian；　who　introduces　you　to　the　interior　of　the　theatre。　Here　the　mass　of　the　hill　affronts　you；　which　the　in…　genious　Romans　treated　simply　as　the　material　of　their　auditorium。　　They　inserted　their　stone　seats；　in　a　semicircle；　in　the　slope　of　the　lull；　and　planted　their　colossal　wall　opposite　to　it。　　This　wall；　from　the　inside；　is；　if　possible；　even　more　imposing。　　It　formed　the　back　of　the　stage；　the　permanent　scene；　and　its　enormous　face　was　coated　with　marble。　　It　contains　three　doors；　the　middle　one　being　the　highest；　and　having　above　it；　far　aloft；　a　deep　niche；　apparently　intended　for　an　imperial　statue。　　A　few　of　the　benches　remain　on　the　hillside　which；　however；　is　mainly　a　confusion　of　fragments。　　There　is　part　of　a　corridor　built　into　the　hill；　high　up；　and　on　the　crest　are　the　remnants　of　the　demolished　castle。　　The　whole　place　is　a　kind　of　wilderness　of　ruin；　there　are　scarcely　any　details；　the　great　feature　is　the　overtopping　wall。　　This　wall　being　the　back　of　the　scene；　the　space　left　be…　tween　it　and　the　chord　of　the　semicircle　（of　the　audi…　torium）　which　formed　the　proscenium　is　rather　less　than　one　would　have　supposed。　　In　other　words；　the　stage　was　very　shallow；　and　appears　to　have　been　ar…　ranged　for　a　number　of　performers　standing　in　a　line；　like　a　company　of　soldiers。　　There　stands　the　silent　skeleton；　however；　as　impressive　by　what　it　leaves　you　to　guess　and　wonder　about　as　by　what　it　tells　you。　It　has　not　the　sweetness；　the　softness　of　melancholy；　of　the　theatre　at　Arles；　but　it　is　more　extraordinary；　and　one　can　imagine　only　tremendous　tragedies　being　enacted　there；　…

〃Presenting　Thebes'　or　Pelops'　line。〃

At　either　end　of　the　stage；　coming　forward；　is　an　immense　wing；　…　immense　in　height；　I　mean；　as　it　reaches　to　the　top　of　the　scenic　wall；　the　other　dimen…　sions　are　not　remarkable。　　The　division　to　the　right；　as　you　face　the　stage；　is　pointed　out　as　the　green…　room；　its　portentous　attitude　and　the　open　arches　at　the　top　give　it　the　air　of　a　well。　　The　compartment　on　the　left　is　exactly　similar；　save　that　it　opens　into　the　traces　of　other　chambers；　said　to　be　those　of　a　hippodrome　adjacent　to　the　theatre。　　Various　fragments　are　visible　which　refer　themselves　plausibly　to　such　an　establishment；　the　greater　axis　of　the　hippodrome　would　appear　to　have　been　on　a　line　with　the　triumphal　arch。　　This　is　all　I　saw；　and　all　there　was　to　see；　of　Orange；　which　had　a　very　rustic；　bucolic　aspect；　and　where　I　was　not　even　called　upon　to　demand　break…　fast　at　the　hotel。　　The　entrance　of　this　resort　might　have　been　that　of　a　stable　of　the　Roman　days。



XXXVII。

I　have　been　trying　to　remember　whether　I　fasted　all　the　way　to　Macon；　which　I　reached　at　an　advanced　hour　of　the　evening；　and　think　I　must　have　done　so　except　for　the　purchase　of　a　box　of　nougat　at　Monte…　limart　（the　place　is　famous　for　the　manufacture　of　this　confection；　which；　at　the　station；　is　hawked　at　the　windows　of　the　train）　and　for　a　bouillon；　very　much　later；　at　Lyons。　　The　journey　beside　the　Rhone　…　past　Valence；　past　Tournon；　past　Vienne　…　would　have　been　charming；　on　that　luminous　Sunday；　but　for　two　disagreeable　accidents。　　The　express　from　Marseilles；　which　I　took　at　Orange；　was　full　to　over…　flowing；　and　the　only　refuge　I　could　find　was　an　inside　angle　in　a　carriage　laden　with　Germans；　who　had　command　of　the　windows；　which　they　occupied　as　strongly　as　they　have　been　known　to　occupy　other　strategical　positions。　　I　scarcely　know；　however；　why　I　linger　on　this　particular　discomfort；　for　it　was　but　a　single　item　in　a　considerable　list　of　grievances；　…　grievances　dispersed　through　six　weeks　of　constant　railway　travel　in　France。　　I　have　not　touched　upon　them　at　an　earlier　stage　of　this　chronicle；　but　my　re…　serve　is　not　owing　to　any　sweetness　of　association。　This　form　of　locomotion；　in　the　country　of　the　ameni…　ties；　is　attended　with　a　dozen　discomforts；　almost　all　the　conditions　of　the　business　are　detestable。　　They　force　the　sentimental　tourist　again　and　again　to　ask　himself　whether；　in　consideration　of　such　mortal　an…　noyances；　the　game　is　worth　the　candle。　　Fortunately；　a　railway　journey　is　a　good　deal　like　a　sea　voyage；　its　miseries　fade　from　the　mind　as　soon　as　you　arrive。　That　is　why　I　completed；　to　my　great　satisfaction；　my　little　tour　in　France。　　Let　this　small　effusion　of　ill…nature　be　my　first　and　last　tribute　to　the　whole　despotic　_gare_：　the　deadly　_salle　d'attente_；　the　insuffer…　able　delays　over　one's　luggage；　the　porterless　platform；　the　overcrowded　and　illiberal　train。　　How　many　a　time　did　I　permit　myself　the　secret　reflection　that　it　is　in　perfidious　Albion　that　they　order　this　matter　best！　　How　many　a　time　did　the　eager　British　mer…　cenary；　clad　in　velveteen　and　clinging　to　the　door　of　the　carriage　as　it　glides　into　the　station；　revisit　my　invidious　dreams！　　The　paternal　porter　and　the　re…　sponsive　hansom　are　among　the　best　gifts　of　the　Eng…　lish　genius　to　the　world。　　I　hasten　to　add；　faithful　to　my　habit　（so　insufferable　to　some　of　my　friends）　of　ever　and　again　readjusting　the　balanc