a little tour in france-第8章

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pended。　　There　was　room　on　the　stout　balustrade　…　an　admirable　piece　of　work　…　for　a　ghastly　array。　　The　same　rumor　represents　Catherine　de'　Medici　and　the　young　queen　as　watching　from　this　balcony　the　_noyades_　of　the　captured　Huguenots　in　the　Loire。　　The　facts　of　history　are　bad　enough；　the　fictions　are；　if　possible；　worse；　but　there　is　little　doubt　that　the　future　Queen　of　Scots　learnt　the　first　lessons　of　life　at　a　horrible　school。　　If　in　subsequent　years　she　was　a　prodigy　of　innocence　and　virtue；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　her　whilom　？？？　mother…in…law；　of　her　uncles　of　the　house　of　Guise；　or　of　the　examples　presented　to　her　either　at　the　windows　of　the　castle　of　Amboise　or　in　its　more　pri…　vate　recesses。

It　was　difficult　to　believe　in　these　dark　deeds；　how…　ever；　as　we　looked　through　the　golden　morning　at　the　placidity　of　the　far…shining　Loire。　　The　ultimate　con…　sequence　of　this　spectacle　was　a　desire　to　follow　the　river　as　far　as　the　castle　of　Chaumont。　　It　is　true　that　the　cruelties　practised　of　old　at　Amboise　might　have　seemed　less　phantasmal　to　persons　destined　to　suffer　from　a　modern　form　of　inhumanity。　　The　mis…　tress　of　the　little　inn　at　the　base　of　the　castle…rock　…　it　stands　very　pleasantly　beside　the　river；　and　we　had　breakfasted　there　…　declared　to　us　that　the　Chateau　de　Chaumont；　which　is　often　during　the　autumn　closed　to　visitors；　was　at　that　particular　moment　standing　so　wide　open　to　receive　us　that　it　was　our　duty　to　hire　one　of　her　carriages　and　drive　thither　with　speed。　This　assurance　was　so　satisfactory　that　we　presently　found　ourselves　seated　in　this　wily　woman's　most　com…　modious　vehicle；　and　rolling；　neither　too　fast　nor　too　slow；　along　the　margin　of　the　Loire。　　The　drive　of　about　an　hour；　beneath　constant　clumps　of　chestnuts；　was　charming　enough　to　have　been　taken　for　itself；　and　indeed；　when　we　reached　Chaumont；　we　saw　that　our　reward　was　to　be　simply　the　usual　reward　of　virtue；　…　the　consciousness　of　having　attempted　the　right。　　The　Chateau　de　Chaumont　was　inexorably　closed；　so　we　learned　from　a　talkative　lodge…keeper；　who　gave　what　grace　she　could　to　her　refusal。　　This　good　woman's　dilemma　was　almost　touching；　she　wished　to　reconcile　two　impossibles。　　The　castle　was　not　to　be　visited；　for　the　family　of　its　master　was　staying　there；　and　yet　she　was　loath　to　turn　away　a　party　of　which　she　was　good　enough　to　say　that　it　had　a　_grand　genre；_　for；　as　she　also　remarked；　she　had　her　living　to　earn。　　She　tried　to　arrange　a　compromise；　one　of　the　elements　of　which　was　that　we　should　descend　from　our　carriage　and　trudge　up　a　hill　which　would　bring　us　to　a　designated　point；　where；　over　the　paling　of　the　garden；　we　might　obtain　an　oblique　and　surreptitious　view　of　a　small　portion　of　the　castle　walls。　This　suggestion　led　us　to　inquire　（of　each　other）　to　what　degree　of　baseness　it　is　allowed　to　an　enlightened　lover　of　the　picturesque　to　resort；　in　order　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　a　feudal　chateau。　　One　of　our　trio　decided；　characteristically；　against　any　form　of　derogation；　so　she　sat　in　the　carriage　and　sketched　some　object　that　was　public　property；　while　her　two　companions；　who　were　not　so　proud；　trudged　up　a　muddy　ascent　which　formed　a　kind　of　back…stairs。　　It　is　perhaps　no　more　than　they　deserved　that　they　were　disappointed。　　Chau…　mont　is　feudal；　if　you　please；　but　the　modern　spirit　is　in　possession。　　It　forms　a　vast　clean…scraped　mass；　with　big　round　towers；　ungarnished　with　a　leaf　of　ivy　or　a　patch　of　moss；　surrounded　by　gardens　of　moderate　extent　（save　where　the　muddy　lane　of　which　I　speak　passes　near　it）；　and　looking　rather　like　an　enormously　magnified　villa。　　The　great　merit　of　Chaumont　is　its　position；　which　almost　exactly　resembles　that　of　Am…　boise；　it　sweeps　the　river　up　and　down；　and　seems　to　look　over　half　the　province。　　This；　however；　was　better　appreciated　as；　after　coming　down　the　hill　and　re…　entering　the　carriage；　we　drove　across　the　long　sus…　pension…bridge　which　crosses　the　Loire　just　beyond　the　village；　and　over　which　we　made　our　way　to　the　small　station　of　Onzain；　at　the　farther　end；　to　take　the　train　back　to　Tours。　　Look　back　from　the　middle　of　this　bridge；　the　whole　picture　composes；　as　the　painters　say。　　The　towers；　the　pinnacles；　the　fair　front　of　the　chateau；　perched　above　its　fringe　of　garden　and　the　rusty　roofs　of　the　village；　and　facing　the　afternoon　sky；　which　is　reflected　also　in　the　great　stream　that　sweeps　below；　…　all　this　makes　a　contribution　to　your　happiest　memories　of　Touraine。



VII。

We　never　went　to　Chinon；　it　was　a　fatality。　　We　planned　it　a　dozen　times；　but　the　weather　interfered；　or　the　trains　didn't　suit；　or　one　of　the　party　was　fatigued　with　the　adventures　of'the　day　before。　　This　excursion　was　so　much　postponed　that　it　was　finally　postponed　to　everything。　　Besides；　we　had　to　go　to　Chenonceaux；　to　Azay…le…Rideau；　to　Langeais；　to　Loches。　So　I　have　not　the　memory　of　Chinon；　I　have　only　the　regret。　　But　regret；　as　well　as　memory；　has　its　visions；　especially　when；　like　memory；　it　is　assisted　by　photo…　graphs。　　The　castle　of　Chinon　in　this　form　appears　to　me　as　an　enormous　ruin；　a　mediaeval　fortress；　of　the　extent　almost　of　a　city。　　It　covers　a　hill　above　the　Vienne；　and　after　being　impregnable　in　its　time　is　in…　destructible　to…day。　　（I　risk　this　phrase　in　the　face　of　the　prosaic　truth。　　Chinon；　in　the　days　when　it　was　a　prize；　more　than　once　suflered　capture；　and　at　present　it　is　crumbling　inch　by　inch。　　It　is　apparent；　however；　I　believe；　that　these　inches　encroach　little　upon　acres　of　masonry。）　　It　was　in　the　castle　that　Jeanne　Darc　　？？？？？　had　her　first　interview　with　Charles　VII。；　and　it　is　in　the　town　that　Francois　Rabelais　is　supposed　to　have　been　born。　　To　the　castle；　moreover；　the　lover　of　the　picturesque　is　earnestly　recommended　to　direct　his　steps。　　But　one　cannot　do　everything；　and　I　would　rather　have　missed　Chinon　than　Chenonceaux。　　For…　tunate　exceedingly　were　the　few　hours　that　we　passed　at　this　exquisite　residence。

〃In　1747；〃　says　Jean…Jacques　Rousseau；　in　his　〃Confessions；〃　〃we　went　to　spend　the　autumn　in　Tou…　raine；　at　the　Chateau；　of　Chenonceaux；　a　royal　resi…　dence　upon　the　Cher；　built　by　Henry　II。　for　Diana　of　Poitiers；　whose　initials　are　still　to　be　seen　there；　and　now　in　possession　of　M。　Dupin；　the　farmer…general。　We　amused　ourselves　greatly　in　this　fine　spot；　the　liv…　ing　was　of　the　best；　and　I　became　as　fat　as　a　monk。　We　made　a　great　deal　of　music；　and　acted　comedies。〃

This　is　the　only　description　that　Rousseau　gives　of　one　of　the　most　romantic　houses　in　France；　and　of　an　episode　that　must　have　counted　as　one　of　the　most　agreeable　in　his　uncomfortable　career。　　The　eighteenth　century　contented　itself　with　general　epithets；　and　when　Jean…Jacques　has　said　that　Chenonceaux　was　a　〃beau　lieu；〃　he　thinks　himself　absolved　from　further　characterization。　　We　later　sons　of　time　have；　both　for　our　pleasure　and　our　pain；　invented　the　fashion　of　special　terms；　and　I　am　afraid　that　even　common　decency　obliges　me　to　pay　some　larger　tribute　than　this　to　the　architectural　gem　of　Touraine。　　Fortunately　I　can　discharge　my　debt　with　gratitude。　　In　going　from　Tours　you　leave　the　valley　of　the　Loire　and　enter　that　of　the　Cher；　and　at　the　end　of　about　an　hour　you　see　the　turrets　of　the　castle　on　your　right；　among　the　trees；　down　in　the　meadows；　beside　the　quiet　little　river。　　The　station　and　the　village　are　about　ten　minutes'　walk　from　the　chateau；　and　the　village　con…　tains　a　very　tidy　inn；　where；　if　you　are　not　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　commune　with　the　shades　of　the　royal　favorite　and　the　jealous　queen；　you　will　perhaps　stop　and　order　a　dinner　to　be　ready　for　you　in　the　evening。　A　straight；　tall　avenue　leads　to　the　grounds　of　the　castle；　what　I　owe　to　exactitude　compels　me　to　add　that　it　is　crossed　by　the　railway…line。　　The　place　is　so　arranged；　however；　that　the　chateau　need　know　nothing　of　passing　trains；　…　which　pass；　indeed；　though　the　grounds　are　not　large；　at　a　very　sufficient　distance。　I　may　add　that　the　trains　throughout　this　part　of　France　have　a　noiseless；　desultory；　dawdling；　almost　stationary　quality；　which　makes　them　less　of　an　offence　than　usual。　　It　was　a　Sunday　afternoon；　and　the　light　was　yellow；　save　under　the　trees　of　the　avenue；　where；　in　spite　of　the　waning　of　September；　it　was　duskily　green。　　Three　or　four　peasants；　in　festal　attire；　were　strolling　about。　　On　a　bench　at　the　beginning　of　the　avenue；　sat　a　man　with　two　women。　　As　I　advanced　with　my　companions　he　rose；　after　a　sudden　stare；　and　approached　me　with　a　smile；　in　which　（to　be　Johnsonian　for　a　moment）　certitude　was　mitigated　by　modesty　and　eagerness　was　embellished　with　respect。　He　came　toward　me　with　a　salutation　that　I　had　seen　before；　and　I　am　happy　to　say　that　after　an　instant　I　ceased　to　be　guilty　of　the　brutality　of　not　knowing　where。　　There　was　only　one　place　in　the　world　where　people　smile　like　that；　…　only　one　place　where　the　art　of　salutation　has　that　perfect　grace。　　This　excellent　creature　used　to　crook　his　arm；　in　Venice；　when　I　stepped　into　my　gondola；　and　I　now　laid　my　hand　on　that　member　with　the　familiarity　of　glad　recognition；　for　it　was　only　surprise　that　had　kept　me　even　for　a　moment　from　accepting　the　genial　Francesco　as　an　ornament　of　the　landscape　of　Touraine。　　What　on　earth　…　the　phrase　is　the　right　one　…　was　a　Venetian　gondolier　doing　at　Chenonceaux？　　He　had　been　brought　from　Venice；　gondola　and　all；　by　the　mistress　of　the　charming　house；　to　paddle　about　on　the　Cher。　Our　meeting　was　affectionate；　though　there　was　a　kind　of　violence　in　seeing　him　so　far　from　home。　　He　was　too　well　dressed；　too　well　fed；　he　had　grown　stout；　and　his　nose　had　the　tinge　of　good　claret。　　He　re…　marked　that　the　life　of　the　household　to　which　he　had　the　honor　to　belong　was　that　of　a　_casa　regia；_　which　must　have　been　a　great　change　for　poor　Checco；　whose　habits　in　Venice　were　not　regal。　　However；　he　was　the　sympathetic　Checco　still；　and　for　five　minutes　after　I　left　him　I　thought　less　about　the　little　plea…　sure…house　by　the　Cher　than　about　the　palaces　of　the　Adriatic。

But　attention　was　not　long　in　coming　round　to　the　charming　structure　that　presently　rose　before　us。　　The　pale　yellow　front　of　the　chateau；　the　small　scale　of　which　is　at　first　a　surprise；　rises　beyond　a　consider…　able　court；　at　the　entrance　of　which　a　massive　and　detached　round　tower；　with　a　turret　on　its　brow　（a　relic　of　the　building　that　preceded　the　actual　villa）；　appears　to　keep　guard。　　This　court　is　not　enclosed　…　or　is　enclosed；　at　least；　only　by　the　gardens；　portions　of　which　are　at　present　in　a　state　of　violent　reforma…　tion。　　Therefore；　though　Chenonceaux　has　no　great　height；　its　delicate　facade　stands　up　boldly　enough。　This　facade；　one　of　the　most　finished　things　in　Tou…　raine；　consists　of　two　stories；　surmounted　by　an　attic　which；　as　so　often　in　the　buildings　of　the　French　Renaissance；　is　the　richest　part　of　the　house。　　The　high…pitched　roof　contains　three　windows　of　beautiful　design；　covered　with　embroidered　caps　and　flowering　into　crocketed　spires。　　The　window　above　the　door　is　deeply　niched；　it　opens　upon　a　balcony　made　in　the　form　of　a　double　pulpit；　…　one　of　the　most　charm…　ing　features　of　the　front。　　Chenonceaux　is　not　large；　as　I　say；　but　into　its　delicate　compass　is　packed　a　great　deal　of　history；　…　history　whi