a little tour in france-第5章

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the　windows；　from　the　balconies；　from　the　thick　foliage　of　the　sculpture。　　The　portion　of　the　wing　of　Louis　XII。　that　looks　toward　the　court　is　supported　on　a　deep　arcade。　　On　your　right　is　the　wing　erected　by　Francis　I。；　the　reverse　of　the　mass　of　building　which　you　see　on　approaching　the　castle。　　This　exquisite；　this　extravagant；　this　trans…　cendent　piece　of　architecture　is　the　most　joyous　ut…　terance　of　the　French　Renaissance。　　It　is　covered　with　an　embroidery　of　sculpture；　in　which　every　detail　is　worthy　of　the　hand　of　a　goldsmith。　　In　the　middle　of　it；　or　rather　a　little　to　the　left；　rises　the　famous　wind…　ing　staircase　（plausibly；　but　I　believe　not　religiously；　restored）；　which　even　the　ages　which　most　misused　it　must　vaguely　have　admired。　　It　forms　a　kind　of　chiselled　cylinder；　with　wide　interstices；　so　that　the　stairs　are　open　to　the　air。　　Every　inch　of　this　structure；　of　its　balconies；　its　pillars；　its　great　central　columns；　is　wrought　over　with　lovely　images；　strange　and　ingenious　devices；　prime　among　which　is　the　great　heraldic　sala…　mander　of　Francis　I。　　The　salamander　is　everywhere　at　Blois；　…　over　the　chimneys；　over　the　doors；　on　the　walls。　　This　whole　quarter　；　of　the　castle　bears　the　stamp　of　that　eminently　pictorial　prince。　　The　run…　ning　cornice　along　the　top　of　the　front　is　like　all　un…　folded；　an　elongated；　bracelet。　　The　windows　of　the　attic　are　like　shrines　for　saints。　　The　gargoyles；　the　medallions；　the　statuettes；　the　festoons；　are　like　the　elaboration　of　some　precious　cabinet　rather　than　the　details　of　a　building　exposed　to　the　weather　and　to　the　ages。　　In　the　interior　there　is　a　profusion　of　res…　toration；　and　it　is　all　restoration　in　color。　　This　has　been；　evidently；　a　work　of　great　energy　and　cost；　but　it　will　easily　strike　you　as　overdone。　　The　universal　freshness　is　a　discord；　a　false　note；　it　seems　to　light　up　the　dusky　past　with　an　unnatural　glare。　　Begun　in　the　reign　of　Louis　Philippe；　this　terrible　process　…　the　more　terrible　always　the　more　you　admit　that　it　has　been　necessary　…　has　been　carried　so　far　that　there　is　now　scarcely　a　square　inch　of　the　interior　that　has　the　color　of　the　past　upon　it。　　It　is　true　that　the　place　had　been　so　coated　over　with　modern　abuse　that　something　was　needed　to　keep　it　alive；　it　is　only；　per…　haps；　a　pity　that　the　restorers；　not　content　with　saving　its　life；　should　have　undertaken　to　restore　its　youth。　The　love　of　consistency；　in　such　a　business；　is　a　dangerous　lure。　　All　the　old　apartments　have　been　rechristened；　as　it　were；　the　geography　of　the　castle　has　been　re…established。　　The　guardrooms；　the　bed…　rooms；　the　closets；　the　oratories；　have　recovered　their　identity。　　Every　spot　connected　with　the　murder　of　the　Duke　of　Guise　is　pointed　out　by　a　small；　shrill　boy；　who　takes　you　from　room　to　room；　and　who　has　learned　his　lesson　in　perfection。　　The　place　is　full　of　Catherine　de'　Medici；　of　Henry　III。；　of　memories；　of　ghosts；　of　echoes；　of　possible　evocations　and　revivals。　It　is　covered　with　crimson　and　gold。　　The　fireplaces　and　the　ceilings　are　magnificent；　they　look　like　ex…　pensive　〃sets〃　at　the　grand　opera。

I　should　have　mentioned　that　below；　in　the　court；　the　front　of　the　wing　of　Gaston　d'Orleans　faces　you　as　you　enter；　so　that　the　place　is　a　course　of　French　history。　　Inferior　in　beauty　and　grace　to　the　other　portions　of　the　castle；　the　wing　is　yet　a　nobler　monu…　ment　than　the　memory　of　Gaston　deserves。　　The　second　of　the　sons　of　Henry　IV。；　…　who　was　no　more　fortunate　as　a　father　than　as　a　husband；　…　younger　brother　of　Louis　XIII。；　and　father　of　the　great　Mademoiselle；　the　most　celebrated；　most　ambitious；　most　self…complacent；　and　most　unsuccessful　_fille　a　marier_　in　French　history；　passed　in　enforced　retirement　at　the　castle　of　Blois　the　close　of　a　life　of　clumsy　intrigues　against　Cardinal　Richelieu；　in　which　his　rashness　was　only　equalled　by　his　pusillanimity　and　his　ill…luck　by　his　inaccessibility　to　correction；　and　which；　after　so　many　follies　and　shames；　was　properly　summed　up　in　the　project　…　be…　gun；　but　not　completed　…　of　demolishing　the　beautiful　habitation　of　his　exile　in　order　to　erect　a　better　one。　With　Gaston　d'Orleans；　however；　who　lived　there　with…　out　dignity；　the　history　of　the　Chateau　de　Blois　de…　clines。　　Its　interesting　period　is　that　of　the　wars　of　religion。　　It　was　the　chief　residence　of　Henry　III。；　and　the　scene　of　the　principal　events　of　his　depraved　and　dramatic　reign。　　It　has　been　restored　more　than　enough；　as　I　have　said；　by　architects　and　decorators；　the　visitor；　as　he　moves　through　its　empty　rooms；　which　are　at　once　brilliant　and　ill…lighted　（they　have　not　been　re…　furnished）；　undertakes　a　little　restoration　of　his　own。　His　imagination　helps　itself　from　the　things　that　re…　main；　he　tries　to　see　the　life　of　the　sixteenth　century　in　its　form　and　dress；　…　its　turbulence；　its　passions；　its　loves　and　hates；　its　treacheries；　falsities；　touches　of　faith；　its　latitude　of　personal　development；　its　presen…　tation　of　the　whole　nature；　its　nobleness　of　costume；　charm　of　speech；　splendor　of　taste；　unequalled　pic…　turesqueness。　　The　picture　is　full　of　movement；　of　contrasted　light　and　darkness；　full　altogether　of　abomi…　nations。　　Mixed　up　with　them　all　is　the　great　name　of　religion；　so　that　the　drama　wants　nothing　to　make　it　complete。　　What　episode　was　ever　more　perfect　…　looked　at　as　a　dramatic　occurrence　…　than　the　murder　of　the　Duke　of　Guise？　　The　insolent　prosperity　of　the　victim；　the　weakness；　the　vices；　the　terrors；　of　the　author　of　the　deed；　the　perfect　execution　of　the　plot；　the　accu…　mulation　of　horror　in　what　followed　it；　…　give　it；　as　a　crime；　a　kind　of　immortal　solidity。

But　we　must　not　take　the　Chateau　de　Blois　too　hard：　I　went　there；　after　all；　by　way　of　entertainment。　If　among　these　sinister　memories　your　visit　should　threaten　to　prove　a　tragedy；　there　is　an　excellent　way　of　removing　the　impression。　　You　may　treat　yourself　at　Blois　to　a　very　cheerful　afterpiece。　　There　is　a　charming　industry　practised　there；　and　practised　in　charming　conditions。　　Follow　the　bright　little　quay　down　the　river　till　you　get　quite　out　of　the　town；　and　reach　the　point　where　the　road　beside　the　Loire　be…　comes　sinuous　and　attractive；　turns　the　corner　of　dimi…　nutive　headlands；　and　makes　you　wonder　what　is　be…　yond。　　Let　not　your　curiosity　induce　you；　however；　to　pass　by　a　modest　white　villa　which　overlooks　the　stream；　enclosed　in　a　fresh　little　court；　for　here　dwells　an　artist；　…　an　artist　in　faience。　　There　is　no　sort　of　sign；　and　the　place　looks　peculiarly　private。　　But　if　you　ring　at　the　gate；　you　will　not　be　turned　away。　You　will；　on　the　contrary；　be　ushered　upstairs　into　a　parlor　…　there　is　nothing　resembling　a　shop…　encum…　bered　with　specimens　…　of　remarkably　handsome　pottery。　The　work　is　of　the　best；　…　a　careful　reproduction　of　old　forms；　colors；　devices；　and　the　master　of　the　establishment　is　one　of　those　completely　artistic　types　that　are　often　found　in　France。　　His　reception　is　as　friendly　as　his　work　is　ingenious；　and　I　think　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　you　like　the　work　the　better　be…　cause　he　has　produced　it。　　His　vases；　cups　and　jars；　lamps；　platters；　_plaques；_　with　their　brilliant　glaze；　their　innumerable　figures；　their　family　likeness；　and　wide　variations；　are　scattered；　through　his　occupied　rooms；　they　serve　at　once　as　his　stock…in…trade　and　as　house…　hold　ornament。　　As　we　all　know；　this　is　an　age　of　prose；　of　machinery；　of　wholesale　production；　of　coarse　and　hasty　processes。　　But　one　brings　away　from　the　establishment　of　the　very　intelligent　M。　Ulysse　the　sense　of　a　less　eager　activity　and　a　greater　search　for　perfection。　　He　has　but　a　few　workmen；　and　he　gives　them　plenty　of　time。　　The　place　makes　a　little　vignette；　leaves　an　impression；　…　the　quiet　white　house　in　its　garden　on　the　road　by　the　wide；　clear　river；　without　the　smoke；　the　bustle；　the　ugliness；　of　so　much　of　our　modern　industry。　　It　ought　to　gratify　Mr。　Ruskin。



V。

The　second　time　I　went　to　Blois　I　took　a　carriage　for　Chambord；　and　came　back　by　the　Chateau　de　Cheverny　and　the　forest　of　Russy；　…　a　charming　little　expedition；　to　which　the　beauty　of　the　afternoon　（the　finest　in　a　rainy　season　that　was　spotted　with　bright　days）　contributed　not　a　little。　　To　go　to　Chambord；　you　cross　the　Loire；　leave　it　on　one　side；　and　strike　away　through　a　country　in　which　salient　features　be…　come　less　and　less　numerous；　and　which　at　last　has　no　other　quality　than　a　look　of　intense；　and　peculiar　rurality；　…　the　characteristic；　even　when　it　is　not　the　charm；　of　so　much　of　the　landscape　of　France。　　This　is　not　the　appearance　of　wildness；　for　it　goes　with　great　cultivation；　it　is　simply　the　presence　of　the　delving；　drudging；　economizing　peasant。　　But　it　is　a　deep；　unrelieved　rusticity。　　It　is　a　peasant's　landscape；　not；　as　in　England；　a　landlord's。　　On　the　way　to　Cham…　bord　you　enter　the　flat　and　sandy　Sologne。　　The　wide　horizon　opens　out　like　a　great　_potager；_　without　inter…　ruptions；　without　an　eminence；　with　here　and　there　a　long；　low　stretch　of　wood。　　There　is　an　absence　of　hedges；　fences；　signs　of　property；　everything　is　ab…　sorbed　in　the　general　flatness；　…　the　patches　of　vine…　yard；　the　scattered　cottages；　the　villages；　the　children　（planted　and　staring　and　almost　always　pretty）；　the　women　in　the　fields；　the　white　caps；　the　faded　blouses；　the　big　sabots。　　At　the　end　of　an　hour's　drive　（they　assure　you　at　Blois　that　even　with　two　horses　you　will　spend　double　that　time）；　I　passed　through　a　sort　of　gap　in　a　wall；　which　does　duty　as　the　gateway　of　the　domain　of　an　exiled　pretender。　　I　drove　along　a　straight　avenue；　through　a　disfeatured　park；　…　the　park　of　Chambord　has　twenty…one　miles　of　circumference；　…　a　very　sandy；　scrubby；　melancholy　plantation；　in　which　the　timber　must　have　been　cut　many　times　over　and　is　to…day　a　mere　tangle　of　brushwood。　　Here；　as　in　so　many　spots　in　France；　the　traveller　perceives　that　he　is　in　a　land　of　revolutoins。　　Nevertheless；　its　great　ex…　tent　and　the　long　perspective　of　its　avenues　give　this　desolate　boskage　a　certain　majesty；　just　as　its　shabbi…　ness　places　it　in　agreement　with　one　of　the　strongest　impressions　of　the　chateau。　　You　follow　one　of　these　long　perspectives　a　proportionate　time；　and　at　last　you　see　the　chimneys　and　pinnacles　of　Chambord　rise　ap…　parently　out　of　the　ground。　　The　filling…in　of　the　wide　moats　that　formerly　surrounded　it　has；　in　vulgar　par…　lance；　let　it　down；　bud　given　it　an　appearance　of　top…　heaviness　that　is　at　the　same　time　a　magnificent　Orien…　talism。　　The　towers；　the　turrets；　the　cupolas；　the　gables；　the　lanterns；　the　chimneys；　look　more　like　the　spires　of　a　city　than　the　salient　points　of　a　single　building。　You　emerge　from　the　avenue　and　find　yourself　at　the　foot　of　an　enormous　fantastic　mass。　　Chambord　has　a　strange　mixture　of　society　and　solitude。　　A　little　village　clusters　within　view　of　its　stately　windows；　and　a　couple　of　inns　near　by　offer　entertainment　to　pilgrims。　　These　things；　of　course；　are　incidents　of　the　political　pro…　scription　which　hangs　its　thick　veil　over　the　place。　Chambord　is　truly　royal；　…　royal　in　its　great　scale；　its　grand　air；　its　indifference　to　common　considerations。　If　a　cat　may　look　at　a　king；　a　palace　may　lock　at　a　tavern。　　I　enjoyed　my　visit　to　this　extraordinary　struc…　ture　as　much　as　if　I　h