a little tour in france-第23节
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。 Here the river makes a shining twist； which a painter might have invented； and the side of the hill is terraced into several ledges； … a sort of tangle of small blooming patches and little pavillions with peaked roofs and green shutters。 It is idle to attempt to reproduce all this in words； it should be reproduced only in water…colors。 The reader； how… ever； will already have remarked that disparity in these ineffectual pages； which are pervaded by the attempt to sketch without a palette or brushes。 He will doubtless； also； be struck with the grovelling vision which； on such a spot as the ramparts of Poitiers； peoples itself with carrots and cabbages rather than with images of the Black Prince and the captive king。 I am not sure that in looking out from the Promenade de Blossac you command the old battle…field； it is enough that it was not far off； and that the great rout of Frenchmen poured into the walls of Poitiers； leav… ing on the ground a number of the fallen equal to the little army （eight thousand） of the invader。 I did think of the battle。 I wondered； rather helplessly； where it had taken place； and I came away （as the reader will see from the preceding sentence） without finding out。 This indifference； however； was a result rather of a general dread of military topography than of a want of admiration of this particular victory； which I have always supposed to be one of the most brilliant on record。 Indeed； I should be almost ashamed； and very much at a loss； to say what light it was that this glorious day seemed to me to have left forever on the horizon； and why the very name of the place had always caused my blood gently to tingle。 It is carrying the feeling of race to quite inscrutable lengths when a vague American permits himself an emotion because more than five centuries ago； on French soil； one rapacious Frenchman got the better of another。 Edward was a Frenchman as well as John； and French were the cries that urged each of the hosts to the fight。 French is the beautiful motto graven round the image of the Black Prince； as he lies forever at rest in the choir of Canterbury： _a la mort ne pensai…je mye_。 Nevertheless； the victory of Poitiers declines to lose itself in these considerations； the sense of it is a part of our heritage； the joy of it a part of our imagination； and it filters down through centuries and migrations till it titillates a New Yorker who forgets in his elation that he happens at that moment to be enjoying the hospitality of France。 It was something done； I know not how justly； for Eng… land； and what was done in the fourteenth century for England was done also for New York。
XVIII。
If it was really for the sake of the Black Prince that I had stopped at Poitiers （for my prevision of Notre Dame la Grande and of the little temple of St。 John was of the dimmest）； I ought to have stopped at Angouleme for the sake of David and Eve Sechard； of Lucien de Rubempre and of Madame de Bargeton； who when she wore a _toilette etudiee_ sported a Jewish turban ornamented with an Eastern brooch； a scarf of gauze； a necklace of cameos； and a robe of 〃painted muslin；〃 whatever that may be； treating herself to these luxuries out of an income of twelve thousand francs。 The persons I have mentioned have not that vagueness of identity which is the misfortune of his… torical characters； they are real； supremely real； thanks to their affiliation to the great Balzac； who had invented an artificial reality which was as much better than the vulgar article as mock…turtle soup is than the liquid it emulates。 The first time I read 〃Les Illusions Perdues〃 I should have refused to believe that I was capable of passing the old capital of Anjou without alighting to visit the Houmeau。 But we never know what we are capable of till we are tested； as I reflected when I found myself looking back at Angouleme from the window of the train； just after we had emerged from the long tunnel that passes under the town。 This tunnel perforates the hill on which； like Poitiers； Angouleme rears itself； and which gives it an eleva… tion still greater than that of Poitiers。 You may have a tolerable look at the cathedral without leaving the railway…carriage； for it stands just above the tunnel； and is exposed； much foreshortened； to the spectator below。 There is evidently a charming walk round the plateau of the town； commanding those pretty views of which Balzac gives an account。 But the train whirled me away； and these are my only impressions。 The truth is that I had no need； just at that moment； of putting myself into communication with Balzac； for opposite to me in the compartment were a couple of figures almost as vivid as the actors in the 〃Comedie Humaine。〃 One of these was a very genial and dirty old priest； and the other was a reserved and concen… trated young monk； … the latter （by which I mean a monk of any kind） being a rare sight to…day in France。 This young man； indeed； was mitigatedly monastic。 He had a big brown frock and cowl； but he had also a shirt and a pair of shoes； he had； instead of a hempen scourge round his waist； a stout leather thong； and he carried with him a very profane little valise。 He also read； from beginning to end； the 〃Figaro〃 which the old priest； who had done the same； presented to him； and he looked altogether as if； had he not been a monk； he would have made a distinguished officer of engineers。 When he was not reading the 〃Figaro〃 he was conning his breviary or answering； with rapid precision and with a deferential but dis… couraging dryness； the frequent questions of his com… panion； who was of quite another type。 This worthy had a bored； good…natured； unbuttoned； expansive look； was talkative； restless； almost disreputably human。 He was surrounded by a great deal of small luggage； and had scattered over the carriage his books； his papers； the fragments of his lunch； and the contents of an extraordinary bag； which he kept beside him … a kind of secular reliquary … and which appeared to contain the odds and ends of a lifetime； as he took from it successively a pair of slippers； an old padlock （which evidently didn't belong to it）； an opera…glass； a collection of almanacs； and a large sea…shell； which he very carefully examined。 I think that if he had not been afraid of the young monk； who was so much more serious than he； he would have held the shell to his ear； like a child。 Indeed； he was a very childish and delightful old priest； and his companion evidently thought him most frivolous。 But I liked him the better of the two。 He was not a country cure； but an eccle… siastic of some rank； who had seen a good deal both of the church and of the world； and if I too had not been afraid of his colleague； who read the 〃Figaro〃 as seriously as if it had been an encyclical； I should have entered into conversation with him。
All this while I was getting on to Bordeaux； where I permitted myself to spend three days。 I am afraid I have next to nothing to show for them； and that there would be little profit in lingering on this episode； which is the less to be justified as I had in former years examined Bordeaux attentively enough。 It con… tains a very good hotel； … an hotel not good enough； however； to keep you there for its own sake。 For the rest； Bordeaux is a big； rich； handsome； imposing com… mercial town； with long rows of fine old eighteenth… century houses； which overlook the yellow Garonne。 I have spoken of the quays of Nantes as fine； but those of Bordeaux have a wider sweep and a still more architectural air。 The appearance of such a port as this makes the Anglo…Saxon tourist blush for the sor… did water…fronts of Liverpool and New York； which； with their larger activity； have so much more reason to be stately。 Bordeaux gives a great impression of prosperous industries； and suggests delightful ideas； images of prune…boxes and bottled claret。 As the focus of distribution of the best wine in the world； it is in… deed a sacred city； … dedicated to the worship of Bacchus in the most discreet form。 The country all about it is covered with precious vineyards； sources of fortune to their owners and of satisfaction to distant consumers； and as you look over to the hills beyond the Garonne you see them in the autumn sunshine； fretted with the rusty richness of this or that immortal _clos_。 But the principal picture； within the town； is that of the vast curving quays； bordered with houses that look like the _hotels_ of farmers…general of the last cen… tury； and of the wide； tawny river； crowded with ship… ping and spanned by the largest of bridges。 Some of the types on the water…side are of the sort that arrest a sketcher； … figures of stalwart； brown…faced Basques； such as I had seen of old in great numbers at Biarritz； with their loose circular caps； their white sandals； their air of walking for a wager。 Never was a tougher； a harder race。 They are not mariners； nor watermen； but； putting questions of temper aside； they are the best possible dock…porters。 〃Il s'y fait un commerce terrible；〃 a _douanier_ said to me； as he looked up and down the interminable docks； and such a place has indeed much to say of the wealth； the capacity for production； of France； … the bright； cheer
