a little tour in france-第15节

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is　section。　　Beside　the　angel；　on；　the　right；　where　the　wicked　are　the　prey　of　demons；　stands　a　little　female　figure；　that　of　a　child；　who；　with　hands　meekly　folded　and　head　gently　raised；　waits　for　the　stern　angel　to　decide　upon　her　fate。　　In　this　fate；　how…　ever；　a　dreadful；　big　devil　also　takes　a　keen　interest；　he　seems　on　the　point　of　appropriating　the　tender　creature；　he　has　a　face　like　a　goat　and　an　enormous　hooked　nose。　　But　the　angel　gently　lays　a　hand　upon　the　shoulder　of　the　little　girl　…　the　movement　is　full　of　dignity　…　as　if　to　say；　〃No；　she　belongs　to　the　other　side。〃　　The　frieze　below　represents　the　general　re…　surrection；　with　the　good　and　the　wicked　emerging　from　their　sepulchres。　　Nothing　can　be　more　quaint　and　charming　than　the　difference　shown　in　their　way　of　responding　to　the　final　trump。　　The　good　get　out　of　their　tombs　with　a　certain　modest　gayety；　an　alacrity　tempered　by　respect；　one　of　them　kneels　to　pray　as　soon　as　he　has　disinterred　himself。　　You　may　know　the　wicked；　on　the　other　hand；　by　their　extreme　shy…　ness；　they　crawl　out　slowly　and　fearfully；　they　hang　back；　and　seem　to　say；　〃Oh；　dear！〃　　These　elaborate　sculptures；　full　of　ingenuous　intention　and　of　the　reality　of　early　faith；　are　in　a　remarkable　state　of　pre…　servation；　they　bear　no　superficial　signs　of　restoration；　and　appear　scarcely　to　have　suffered　from　the　centu…　ries。　　They　are　delightfully　expressive；　the　artist　had　the　advantage　of　knowing　exactly　the　effect　he　wished　to　produce。

The　interior　of　the　cathedral　has　a　great　simplicity　and　majesty；　and；　above　all；　a　tremendous　height。　　The　nave　is　extraordinary　in　this　respect；　it　dwarfs　every…　thing　else　I　know。　　I　should　add；　however；　that　I　am；　in　architecture；　always　of　the　opinion　of　the　last　speaker。　　Any　great　building　seems　to　me；　while　I　look　at　it；　the　ultimate　expression。　　At　any　rate；　during　the　hour　that　I　sat　gazing　along　the　high　vista　of　Bourges；　the　interior　of　the　great　vessel　corresponded　to　my　vision　of　the　evening　before。　　There　is　a　tranquil　largeness；　a　kind　of　infinitude；　about　such　an　edifice：　it　soothes　and　purifies　the　spirit；　it　illuminates　the　mind。　　There　are　two　aisles；　on　either　side；　in　addi…　tion　to　the　nave；　…　five　in　all；　…　and；　as　I　have　said；　there　are　no　transepts；　an　omission　which　lengthens　the　vista；　so　that　from　my　place　near　the　door　the　central　jewelled　window　in　the　depths　of　the　perpen…　dicular　choir　seemed　a　mile　or　two　away。　　The　second；　or　outward；　of　each　pair　of　aisles　is　too　low；　and　the　first　too　high；　without　this　inequality　the　nave　would　appear　to　take　an　even　more　prodigious　flight。　　The　double　aisles　pass　all　the　way　round　the　choir；　the　windows　of　which　are　inordinately　rich　in　magnificent　old　glass。　　I　have　seen　glass　as　fine　in　other　churches；　but　I　think　I　have　never　seen　so　much　of　it　at　once。

Beside　the　cathedral；　on　the　north；　is　a　curious　structure　of　the　fourteenth　or　fifteenth　century；　which　looks　like　an　enormous　flying　buttress；　with　its　sup…　port；　sustaining　the　north　tower。　　It　makes　a　massive　arch；　high　in　the　air；　and　produces　a　romantic　effect　as　people　pass　under　it　to　the　open　gardens　of　the　Archeveche；　which　extend　to　a　considerable　distance　in　the　rear　of　the　church。　　The　structure　supporting　the　arch　has　the　girth　of　a　largeish　house；　and　con…　tains　chambers　with　whose　uses　I　am　unacquainted；　but　to　which　the　deep　pulsations　of　the　cathedral；　the　vibration　of　its　mighty　bells；　and　the　roll　of　its　organ…　tones　must　be　transmitted　even　through　the　great　arm　of　stone。

The　archiepiscopal　palace；　not　walled　in　as　at　Tours；　is　visible　as　a　stately　habitation　of　the　last　century；　now　in　course　of　reparation　in　consequence　of　a　fire。　From　this　side；　and　from　the　gardens　of　the　palace；　the　nave　of　the　cathedral　is　visible　in　all　its　great　length　and　height；　with　its　extraordinary　multitude　of　supports。　　The　gardens　aforesaid；　accessible　through　tall　iron　gates；　are　the　promenade　…　the　Tuileries　…　of　the　town；　and；　very　pretty　in　themselves；　are　immensely　set　off　by　the　overhanging　church。　　It　was　warm　and　sunny；　the　benches　were　empty；　I　sat　there　a　long　time；　in　that　pleasant　state　of　mind　which　visits　the　traveller　in　foreign　towns；　when　he　is　not　too　hurried；　while　he　wonders　where　he　had　better　go　next。　　The　straight；　unbroken　line　of　the　roof　of　the　cathedral　was　very　noble；　but　I　could　see　from　this　point　how　much　finer　the　effect　would　have　been　if　the　towers；　which　had　dropped　almost　out　of　sight；　might　have　been　carried　still　higher。　　The　archiepiscopal　gardens　look　down　at　one　end　over　a　sort　of　esplanade　or　suburban　avenue　lying　on　a　lower　level；　on　which　they　open；　and　where　several　detachments　of　soldiers　（Bourges　is　full　of　soldiers）　had　just　been　drawn　up。　The　civil　population　was　also　collecting；　and　I　saw　that　something　was　going　to　happen。　　I　learned　that　a　private　of　the　Chasseurs　was　to　be　〃broken〃　for　stealing；　and　every　one　was　eager　to　behold　the　cere…　mony。　　Sundry　other　detachments　arrived　on　the　ground；　besides　many　of　the　military　who　had　come　as　a　matter　of　taste。　　One　of　them　described　to　me　the　process　of　degradation　from　the　ranks；　and　I　felt　for　a　moment　a　hideous　curiosity　to　see　it；　under　the　influence　of　which　I　lingered　a　little。　　But　only　a　little；　the　hateful　nature　of　the　spectacle　hurried　me　away；　at　the　same　time　that　others　were　hurrying　for…　ward。　　As　I　turned　my　back　upon　it　I　reflected　that　human　beings　are　cruel　brutes；　though　I　could　not　flatter　myself　that　the　ferocity　of　the　thing　was　ex…　clusively　French。　　In　another　country　the　concourse　would　have　been　equally　great；　and　the　moral　of　it　all　seemed　to　be　that　military　penalties　are　as　terrible　as　military　honors　are　gratifying。



XII。

The　cathedral　is　not　the　only　lion　of　Bourges；　the　house　of　Jacques　Coeur　is　an　object　of　interest　scarcely　less　positive。　　This　remarkable　man　had　a　very　strange　history；　and　he　too　was　〃broken；〃　like　the　wretched　soldier　whom　I　did　not　stay　to　see。　　He　has　been　re…　habilitated；　however；　by　an　age　which　does　not　fear　the　imputation　of　paradox；　and　a　marble　statue　of　him　ornaments　the　street　in　front　of　his　house。　　To　interpret　him　according　to　this　image　…　a　womanish　figure　in　a　long　robe　and　a　turban；　with　big　bare　arms　and　a　dramatic　pose　…　would　be　to　think　of　him　as　a　kind　of　truculent　sultana。　　He　wore　the　dress　of　his　period；　but　his　spirit　was　very　modern；　he　was　a　Van…　derbilt　or　a　Rothschild　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　He　supplied　the　ungrateful　Charles　VII。　with　money　to　pay　the　troops　who；　under　the　heroic　Maid；　drove　the　English　from　French　soil。　　His　house；　which　to…day　is　used　as　a　Palais　de　Justice；　appears　to　have　been　re…　garded　at　the　time　it　was　built　very　much　as　the　resi…　dence　of　Mr。　Vanderbilt　is　regarded　in　New　York　to…day。　It　stands　on　the　edge　of　the　hill　on　which　most　of　the　town　is　planted；　so　that；　behind；　it　plunges　down　to　a　lower　level；　and；　if　you　approach　it　on　that　side；　as　I　did；　to　come　round　to　the　front　of　it；　you　have　to　ascend　a　longish　flight　of　steps。　　The　back；　of　old；　must　have　formed　a　portion　of　the　city　wall；　at　any　rate；　it　offers　to　view　two　big　towers；　which　Joanne　says　were　formerly　part　of　the　defence　of　Bourges。　From　the　lower　level　of　which　I　speak　…　the　square　in　front　of　the　post…office　…　the　palace　of　Jacques　Coeur　looks　very　big　and　strong　and　feudal；　from　the　upper　street；　in　front　of　it；　it　looks　very　handsome　and　deli…　cate。　　To　this　street　it　presents　two　stories　and　a　con…　siderable　length　of　facade；　and　it　has；　both　within　and　without；　a　great　deal　of　curious　and　beautiful　detail。　Above　the　portal；　in　the　stonework；　are　two　false　win…　dows；　in　which　two　figures；　a　man　and　a　woman；　ap…　parently　household　servants；　are　represented；　in　sculp…　ture；　as　looking　down　into　the　street。　　The　effect　is　homely；　yet　grotesque；　and　the　figures　are　sufficiently　living　to　make　one　commiserate　them　for　having　been　condemned；　in　so　dull　a　town；　to　spend　several　cen…　turies　at　the　window。　　They　appear　to　be　watching　for　the　return　of　their　master；　who　left　his　beautiful　house　one　morning　and　never　came　back。

The　history　of　Jacques　Coeur；　which　has　been　written　by　M。　Pierre　Clement；　in　a　volume　crowned　by　the　French　Academy；　is　very　wonderful　and　in…　teresting；　but　I　have　no　space　to　go　into　it　here。　There　is　no　more　curious　example；　and　few　more　tragical；　of　a　great　fortune　crumbling　from　one　day　to　the　other；　or　of　the　antique　superstition　that　the　gods　grow　jealous　of　human　success。　　Merchant；　million…　naire；　banker；　ship…owner；　royal　favorite；　and　minister　of　finance；　explorer　of　the　East　and　monopolist　of　the　glittering　trade　between　that　quarter　of　the　globe　and　his　own；　great　capitalist　who　had　anticipated　the　brilliant　operations　of　the　present　time；　he　expiated　his　prosperity　by　poverty；　imprisonment；　and　torture。　The　obscure　points　in　his　career　have　been　elucidated　by　M。　Clement；　who　has　drawn；　moreover；　a　very　vivid　picture　of　the　corrupt　and　exhausted　state　of　France　during　the　middle　of　the　fifteenth　century。　　He　has　shown　that　the　spoliation　of　the　great　merchant　was　a　deliberately　calculated　act；　and　that　the　king　sacrificed　him　without　scruple　or　shame　to　the　avidity　of　a　sin…　gularly　villanous　set　of　courtiers。　　The