a little tour in france-第24节
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ce has indeed much to say of the wealth； the capacity for production； of France； … the bright； cheerful； smokeless industry of the wonderful country which produces； above all； the agreeable things of life； and turns even its defeats and revolutions into gold。 The whole town has an air of almost depressing opulence； an appear… ance which culminates in the great _place_ which sur… rounds the Grand…Theatre； … an establishment in the highest style； encircled with columns； arcades； lamps； gilded cafes。 One feels it to be a monument to the virtue of the well…selected bottle。 If I had not for… bidden myself to linger； I should venture to insist on this； and； at the risk of being considered fantastic； trace an analogy between good claret and the best qualities of the French mind； pretend that there is a taste of sound Bordeaux in all the happiest manifes… tations of that fine organ； and that； correspondingly； there is a touch of French reason； French complete… ness； in a glass of Pontet…Canet。 The danger of such an excursion would lie mainly in its being so open to the reader to take the ground from under my feet by saying that good claret doesn't exist。 To this I should have no reply whatever。 I should be unable to tell him where to find it。 I certainly didn't find it at Bordeaux； where I drank a most vulgar fluid； and it is of course notorious that a large part of mankind is occupied in vainly looking for it。 There was a great pretence of putting it forward at the Exhibition which was going on at Bordeaux at the time of my visit； an 〃exposition philomathique；〃 lodged in a collection of big temporary buildings in the Allees d'Or1eans； and regarded by the Bordelais for the moment as the most brilliant feature of their city。 Here were pyramids of bottles； mountains of bottles； to say nothing of cases and cabinets of bottles。 The contemplation of these glittering tiers was of course not very convincing； and indeed the whole arrangement struck me as a high impertinence。 Good wine is not an optical pleasure； it is an inward emotion； and if there was a chamber of degustation on the premises； I failed to discover it。 It was not in the search for it； indeed； that I spent half an hour in this bewildering bazaar。 Like all 〃expositions；〃 it seemed to me to be full of ugly things； and gave one a portentous idea of the quantity of rubbish that man carries with him on his course through the ages。 Such an amount of luggage for a journey after all so short！ There were no individual objects； there was nothing but dozens and hundreds； all machine…made and expressionless； in spite of the repeated grimace； the conscious smartness； of 〃the last new thing；〃 that was stamped on all of them。 The fatal facility； of the French _article_ becomes at last as irritating as the refrain of a popular song。 The poor 〃Indiens Galibis〃 struck me as really more interesting； … a group of stunted savages who formed one of the attractions of the place； and were confined in a pen in the open air； with a rabble of people pushing and squeezing； hanging over the barrier； to look at them。 They had no grimace； no pretension to be new； no desire to catch your eye。 They looked at their visitors no more than they looked at each other； and seemed ancient； indifferent； terribly bored。
XIX。
There is much entertainment in the journey through the wide； smiling garden of Gascony； I speak of it as I took it in going from Bordeaux to Toulouse。 It is the south； quite the south； and had for the present narrator its full measure of the charm he is always determined to find in countries that may even by courtesy be said to appertain to the sun。 It was； moreover； the happy and genial view of these mild latitudes； which； Heaven knows； often have a dreari… ness of their own； a land teeming with corn and wine； and speaking everywhere （that is； everywhere the phyl… loxera had not laid it waste） of wealth and plenty。 The road runs constantly near the Garonne； touching now and then its slow； brown； rather sullen stream； a sullenness that encloses great dangers and disasters。 The traces of the horrible floods of 1875 have dis… appeared； and the land smiles placidly enough while it waits for another immersion。 Toulouse； at the period I speak of； was up to its middle （and in places above it） in water； and looks still as if it had been thoroughly soaked； … as if it had faded and shrivelled with a long steeping。 The fields and copses； of course； are more forgiving。 The railway line follows as well the charm… ing Canal du Midi； which is as pretty as a river； bar… ring the straightness； and here and there occupies the foreground； beneath a screen of dense； tall trees； while the Garonne takes a larger and more irregular course a little way beyond it。 People who are fond of canals … and； speaking from the pictorial standpoint； I hold the taste to be most legitimate … will delight in this admirable specimen of the class； which has a very in… teresting history； not to be narrated here。 On the other side of the road （the left）； all the way； runs a long； low line of hills； or rather one continuous hill； or perpetual cliff； with a straight top； in the shape of a ledge of rock； which might pass for a ruined wall。 I am afraid the reader will lose patience with my habit of constantly referring to the landscape of Italy； as if that were the measure of the beauty of every other。 Yet I am still more afraid that I cannot apologize for it； and must leave it in its culpable nakedness。 It is an idle habit； but the reader will long since have dis… covered that this was an idle journey； and that I give my impressions as they came to me。 It came to me； then； that in all this view there was something trans… alpine with a greater smartness and freshness and much less elegance and languor。 This impression was occasionally deepened by the appearance； on the long eminence of which I speak； of a village； a church； or a chateau； which seemed to look down at the plain from over the ruined wall。 The perpetual vines； the bright…faced flat…roofed houses； covered with tiles； the softness and sweetness of the light and air； recalled the prosier portions of the Lombard plain。 Toulouse itself has a little of this Italian expression； but not enough to give a color to its dark； dirty； crooked streets； which are irregular without being eccentric； and which； if it were not for the； superb church of Saint…Sernin； would be quite destitute of monuments。
I have already alluded to the way in which the names of certain places impose themselves on the mind； and I must add that of Toulouse to the list of expressive appellations。 It certainly evokes a vision； … suggests something highly _meridional_。 But the city； it must be confessed； is less pictorial than the word； in spite of the Place du Capitole； in spite of the quay of the Garonne； in spite of the curious cloister of the old museum。 What justifies the images that are latent in the word is not the aspect； but the history； of the town。 The hotel to which the well…advised traveller will repair stands in a corner of the Place du Capitole； which is the heart and centre of Toulouse； and which bears a vague and inexpensive resemblance to Piazza Castello at Turin。 The Capitol； with a wide modern face； occupies one side； and； like the palace at Turin； looks across at a high arcade； under which the hotels； the principal shops； and the lounging citizens are gathered。 The shops are probably better than the Turinese； but the people are not so good。 Stunted； shabby； rather vitiated looking； they have none of the personal richness of the sturdy Piedmontese； and I will take this occasion to remark that in the course of a journey of several weeks in the French provinces I rarely encountered a well…dressed male。 Can it be possible the republics are unfavorable to a certain attention to one's boots and one's beard？ I risk this somewhat futile inquiry because the proportion of mens ？？？ coats and trousers seemed to be about the same in France and in my native land。 It was notably lower than in England and in Italy； and even warranted the supposition that most good provincials have their chin shaven and their boots blacked but once a week。 I hasten to add； lest my observation should appear to be of a sadly superficial character； that the manners and conversation of these gentlemen bore （whenever I had occasion to appreciate them） no relation to the state of their chin and their boots。 They were almost always marked by an extreme amenity。 At Toulouse there was the strongest temptation to speak to people； simply for the entertainment of hearing them reply with that curious； that fascinating accent of the Languedoc； which appears to abound in final con… sonants； and leads the Toulousains to say _bien…g_ and _maison…g_； like Englishmen learning French。 It is as if they talked with their teeth rather than with their tongue。 I find in my note…book a phrase in regard to Toulouse which is perhaps a little ill…natured； but which I will transcribe as it stands： 〃The oddity is that the place should be both animated and dull。 A big； brown…skinned population； clattering about in a flat； tortuous town； which produces nothing whatever that I can discover。 Except the church of Saint… Serni
