a little tour in france-第7章

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On　the　whole；　Chambord　makes　a　great　impression；　and　the　hour　I　was；　there；　while　the　yellow　afternoon　light　slanted　upon　the　September　woods；　there　was　a　dignity　in　its　desolation。　　It　spoke；　with　a　muffled　but　audible　voice；　of　the　vanished　monarchy；　which　had　been　so　strong；　so　splendid；　but　to…day　has　be…　come　a　sort　of　fantastic　vision；　like　the　cupolas　and　chimneys　that　rose　before　me。　　I　thought；　while　I　lingered　there；　of　all　the　fine　things　it　takes　to　make　up　such　a　monarchy；　and　how　one　of　them　is　a　su…　perfluity　of　mouldering；　empty；　palaces。　　Chambord　is　touching；　…　that　is　the　best　word　for　it；　and　if　the　hopes　of　another　restoration　are　in　the　follies　of　the　Republic；　a　little　reflection　on　that　eloquence　of　ruin　ought　to　put　the　Republic　on　its　guard。　　A　sentimental　tourist　may　venture　to　remark　that　in　the　presence　of　several　chateaux　which　appeal　in　this　mystical　manner　to　the　retrospective　imagination；　it　cannot　afford　to　be　foolish。　　I　thought　of　all　this　as　I　drove　back　to　Blois　by　the　way　of　the　Chateau　de　Cheverny。　　The　road　took　us　out　of　the　park　of　Chambord；　but　through　a　region　of　flat　woodland；　where　the　trees　were　not　mighty；　and　again　into　the　prosy　plain　of　the　Sologne；　…　a　thankless　soil；　all　of　it；　I　believe；　but　lately　much　amended　by　the　magic　of　cheerful　French　industry　and　thrift。　　The　light　had　already　begun　to　fade；　and　my　drive　reminded　me　of　a　passage　in　some　rural　novel　of　Madame　Sand。　　I　passed　a　couple　of　timber　and　plaster　churches；　which　looked　very　old；　black；　and　crooked；　and　had　lumpish　wooden　porches　and　galleries　encircling　the　base。　　By　the　time　I　reached　Cheverny；　the　clear　twilight　had　approached。　　It　was　late　to　ask　to　be　allowed　to　visit　an　inhabited　house；　but　it　was　the　hour　at　which　I　like　best　to　visit　almost　anything。　　My　coachman　drew　up　before　a　gateway；　in　a　high　wall；　which　opened　upon　a　short　avenue；　along　which　I　took　my　way　on　foot；　the　coachmen　in　those　parts　being；　for　reasons　best　known　to　them…　selves；　mortally　averse　to　driving　up　to　a　house。　　I　answered　the　challenge　of　a　very　tidy　little　portress；　who　sat；　in　company　with　a　couple　of　children；　en…　joying　the　evening　air　in；　front　of　her　lodge；　and　who　told　me　to　walk　a　little　further　and　turn　to　the　right。　I　obeyed　her　to　the　letter；　and　my　turn　brought　me　into　sight　of　a　house　as　charming　as　an　old　manor　in　a　fairy　tale。　　I　had　but　a　rapid　and　partial　view　of　Cheverny；　but　that　view　was　a　glimpse　of　perfection。　A　light；　sweet　mansion　stood　looking　over　a　wide　green　lawn；　over　banks　of　flowers　and　groups　of　trees。　　It　had　a　striking　character　of　elegance；　produced　partly　by　a　series　of　Renaissance　busts　let　into　circular　niches　in　the　facade。　　The　place　looked　so　private；　so　reserved；　that　it　seemed　an　act　of　violence　to　ring；　a　stranger　and　foreigner；　at　the　graceful　door。　　But　if　I　had　not　rung　I　should　be　unable　to　express　…　as　it　is　such　a　pleasure　to　do　…　my　sense　of　the　exceeding　courtesy　with　which　this　admirable　house　is　shown。　　It　was　near　the　dinner…hour；　…　the　most　sacred　hour　of　the　day；　but　I　was　freely　conducted　into　the　inhabited　apartments。　　They　are　extremely　beautiful。　　What　I　chiefly　remember　is　the　charming　staircase　of　white　embroidered　stone；　and　the　great　_salle　des　gardes_　and　_chambre　a　coucher　du　roi_　on　the　second　floor。　　Che…　verny；　built　in　1634；　is　of　a　much　later　date　than　the　other　royal　residences　of　this　part　of　France；　it　be…　longs　to　the　end　of　the　Renaissance；　and　has　a　touch　of　the　rococo。　　The　guard…room　is　a　superb　apartment；　and　as　it　contains　little　save　its　magnificent　ceiling　and　fireplace　and　certain　dim　tapestries　on　its　walls；　you　the　more　easily　take　the　measure　of　its　noble　proportions。　　The　servant　opened　the　shutters　of　a　single　window；　and　the　last　rays　of　the　twilight　slanted　into　the　rich　brown　gloom。　　It　was　in　the　same　pic…　turesque　fashion　that　I　saw　the　bedroom　（adjoining）　of　Henry　IV。；　where　a　legendary…looking　bed；　draped　in　folds　long　unaltered；　defined　itself　in　the　haunted　dusk。　　Cheverny　remains　to　me　a　very　charming；　a　partly　mysterious　vision。　　I　drove　back　to　Blois　in　the　dark；　some　nine　miles；　through　the　forest　of　Russy；　which　belongs　to　the　State；　and　which；　though　con…　sisting　apparently　of　small　timber；　looked　under　the　stars　sufficiently　vast　and　primeval。　　There　was　a　damp　autumnal　smell　and　the　occasional　sound　of　a　stirring　thing；　and　as　I　moved　through　the　evening　air　I　thought　of　Francis　I。　and　Henry　IV。



VI。

You　may　go　to　Amboise　either　from　Blois　or　from　Tours；　it　is　about　half…way　between　these　towns。　　The　great　point　is　to　go；　especially　if　you　have　put　it　off　repeatedly；　and　to　go；　if　possible；　on　a　day　when　the　great　view　of　the　Loire；　which　you　enjoy　from　the　battlements　and　terraces；　presents　itself　under　a　friendly　sky。　　Three　persons；　of　whom　the　author　of　these　lines　was　one；　spent　the　greater　part　of　a　perfect　Sunday　morning　in　looking　at　it。　　It　was　astonishing；　in　the　course　of　the　rainiest　season　in　the　memory　of　the　oldest　Tourangeau；　how　many　perfect　days　we　found　to　our　hand。　　The　town　of　Amboise　lies；　like　Tours；　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river；　a　little　white…　faced　town；　staring　across　an　admirable　bridge；　and　leaning；　behind；　as　it　were；　against　the　pedestal　of　rock　on　which　the　dark　castle　masses　itself。　　The　town　is　so　small；　the　pedestal　so　big；　and　the　castle　so　high　and　striking；　that　the　clustered　houses　at　the　base　of　the　rock　are　like　the　crumbs　that　have　fallen　from　a　well…laden　table。　　You　pass　among　them；　however；　to　ascend　by　a　circuit　to　the　chateau；　which　you　attack；　obliquely；　from　behind。　　It　is　the　property　of　the　Comte　de　Paris；　another　pretender　to　the　French　throne；　having　come　to　him　remotely；　by　inheritance；　from　his　ancestor；　the　Duc　de　Penthievre；　who　toward　the　close　of　the　last　century　bought　it　from　the　crown；　which　had　recovered　it　after　a　lapse。　　Like　the　castle　of　Blois　it　has　been　injured　and　defaced　by　base　uses；　but；　unlike　the　castle　of　Blois；　it　has　not　been　com…　pletely　restored。　　〃It　is　very；　very　dirty；　but　very　curious；〃　…　it　is　in　these　terms　that　I　heard　it　described　by　an　English　lady；　who　was　generally　to　be　found　engaged　upon　a　tattered　Tauchnitz　in　the　little　_salon　de　lecture_　of　the　hotel　at　Tours。　　The　description　is　not　inaccurate；　but　it　should　be　said　that　if　part　of　the　dirtiness　of　Amboise　is　the　result　of　its　having　served　for　years　as　a　barrack　and　as　a　prison；　part　of　it　comes　from　the　presence　of　restoring　stone…masons；　who　have　woven　over　a　considerable　portion　of　it　a　mask　of　scaffolding。　　There　is　a　good　deal　of　neatness　as　well；　and　the　restoration　of　some　of　the　parts　seems　finished。　　This　process；　at　Amboise；　consists　for　the　most　part　of　simply　removing　the　vulgar　excrescences　of　the　last　two　centuries。

The　interior　is　virtually　a　blank；　the　old　apart…　ments　having　been　chopped　up　into　small　modern　rooms；　it　will　have　to　be　completely　reconstructed。　　A　worthy　woman；　with　a　military　profile　and　that　sharp；　positive　manner　which　the　goodwives　who　show　you　through　the　chateaux　of　Touraine　are　rather　apt　to　have；　and　in　whose　high　respectability；　to　say　nothing　of　the　frill　of　her　cap　and　the　cut　of　her　thick　brown　dress；　my　companions　and　I　thought　we　discovered　the　particular　note；　or　_nuance_；　of　Orleanism；　…　a　com…　petent；　appreciative；　peremptory　person；　I　say；　…　at…　tended　us　through　the　particularly　delightful　hour　we　spent　upon　the　ramparts　of　Amboise。　　Denuded　and　disfeatured　within；　and　bristling　without　with　brick…　layers'　ladders；　the　place　was　yet　extraordinarily　im…　pressive　and　interesting。　　I　should　confess　that　we　spent　a　great　deal　of　time　in　looking　at　the　view。　Sweet　was　the　view；　and　magnificent；　we　preferred　it　so　much　to　certain　portions　of　the　interior；　and　to　oc…　casional　effusions　of　historical　information；　that　the　old　lady　with　the　prove　sometimes　lost　patience　with　us。　　We　laid　ourselves　open　to　the　charge　of　pre…　ferring　it　even　to　the　little　chapel　of　Saint　Hubert；　which　stands　on　the　edge　of　the　great　terrace；　and　has；　over　the　portal；　a　wonderful　sculpture　of　the　mi…　raculous　hunt　of　that　holy　man。　　In　the　way　of　plastic　art　this　elaborate　scene　is　the　gem　of　Amboise。　　It　seemed　to　us　that　we　had　never　been　in　a　place　where　there　are　so　many　points　of　vantage　to　look　down　from。　　In　the　matter　of　position　Amboise　is　certainly　supreme　among　the　old　houses　of　the　Loire；　and　I　say　this　with　a　due　recollection　of　the　claims　of　Chau…　mont　and　of　Loches；　…　which　latter；　by　the　way　（ex…　cuse　the　afterthought）；　is　not　on　the　Loire。　　The　plat…　forms；　the　bastions；　the　terraces；　the　high…perched　windows　and　balconies；　the　hanging　gardens　and　dizzy　crenellations；　of　this　complicated　structure；　keep　you　in　perpetual　intercourse　with　an　immense　horizon。　The　great　feature　of　the…place　is　the　obligatory　round　tower　which　occupies　the　northern　end　of　it；　and　which　has　now　been；　completely　restored。　　It　is　of　astounding　size；　a　fortress　in　itself；　and　contains；　instead　of　a　staircase；　a　wonderful　inclined　plane；　so　wide　and　gradual　that　a　coach　and　four　may　be　driven　to　the　top。　　This　colossal　cylinder　has　to…day　no　visible　use；　but　it　corresponds；　happily　enough；　with　the　great　circle　of　the　prospect。　　The　gardens　of　Am…　boise；　perched　in　the　air；　covering　the　irregular　rem…　nants　of　the　platform　on　which　the　castle　stands；　and　making　up　in　picturesqueness　what　they　lack　in　ex…　tent；　constitute　of　come　but　a　scanty　domain。　　But　bathed；　as　we　found　them；　in　the　autumn　sunshine；　and　doubly　private　from　their　aerial　site；　they　offered　irresistible　opportunities　for　a　stroll；　interrupted；　as　one　leaned　against　their　low　parapets；　by　long；　con…　templative　pauses。　　I　remember；　in　particular；　a　certain　terrace；　planted　with　clipped　limes；　upon　which　we　looked　down　from　the　summit　of　the　big　tower。　　It　seemed　from　that　point　to　be　absolutely　necessary　to　one's　happiness　to　go　down　and　spend　the　rest　of　the　morning　there；　it　was　an　ideal　place　to　walk　to　and　fro　and　talk。　　Our　venerable　conductress；　to　whom　our　relation　had　gradually　become　more　filial；　per…　mitted　us　to　gratify　this　innocent　wish；　…　to　the　extent；　that　is；　of　taking　a　turn　or　two　under　the　mossy　_tilleuls。_　At　the　end　of　this　terrace　is　the　low　door；　in　a　wall；　against　the　top　of　which；　in　1498；　Charles　VIII。；　ac…　cording　to　an　accepted　tradition；　knocked　his　head　to　such　good　purpose　that　he　died。　　It　was　within　the　walls　of　Amboise　that　his　widow；　Anne　of　Brittany；　already　in　mourning　for　three　children；　two　of　whom　we　have　seen　commemorated　in　sepulchral　marble　at　Tours；　spent　the　first　violence　of　that　grief　which　was　presently　dispelled　by　a　union　with　her　husband's　cousin　and　successor；　Louis　XII。　　Amboise　was　a　fre…　quent　resort　of　the　French　Court　during　the　sixteenth　century；　it　was　here　that　the　young　Mary　Stuart　spent　sundry　hours　of　her　first　marriage。　　The　wars　of　re…　ligion　have　left　here　the　ineffaceable　stain　which　they　left　wherever　they　passed。　　An　imaginative　visitor　at　Amboise　to…day　may　fancy　that　the　traces　of　blood　are　mixed　with　the　red　rust　on　the　crossed　iron　bars　of　the　grim…looking　balcony；　to　which　the　heads　of　the　Huguenots　executed　on　the　discovery　of　the　con…　spiracy　of　La　Renaudie　are　rumored　to　have　been　suspended。　　There　was　room　on　the　stout　ba