a little tour in france-第25节
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rtuous town； which produces nothing whatever that I can discover。 Except the church of Saint… Sernin and the fine old court of the Hotel d'Assezat； Toulouse has no architecture； the houses are for the most part of brick； of a grayish…red color； and have no particular style。 The brick…work of the place is in fact very poor； … inferior to that of the north Italian towns； and quite wanting in the richness of tone which this homely material takes on in the damp climates of the north。〃 And then my note…book goes on to narrate a little visit to the Capitol； which was soon made； as the building was in course of repair and half the rooms were closed。
XX。
The history of Toulouse is detestable； saturated with blood and perfidy； and the ancient custom of the Floral Games； grafted upon all sorts of internecine traditions； seems； with its false pastoralism； its mock chivalry； its display of fine feelings； to set off rather than to mitigate these horrors。 The society was founded in the fourteenth century； and it has held annual meetings ever since； … meetings at which poems in the fine old _langue d'oc_ are declaimed and a blushing laureate is chosen。 This business takes place in the Capitol； before the chief magistrate of the town； who is known as the _capitoul_； and of all the pretty women as well； … a class very numerous at Toulouse。 It was impossible to have a finer person than that of the portress who pretended to show me the apart… ments in which the Floral Games are held； a big； brown； expansive woman； still in the prime of life； with a speaking eye； an extraordinary assurance； and a pair of magenta stockings； which were inserted into the neatest and most polished little black sabots； and which； as she clattered up the stairs before me； lavishly displaying them； made her look like the heroine of an _opera…bouffe_。 Her talk was all in _n_'s； _g_'s； and _d_'s； and in mute _e_'s strongly accented； as _autre_； _theatre_； _splendide_； … the last being an epithet she applied to everything the Capitol contained； and especially to a horrible picture representing the famous Clemence Isaure； the reputed foundress of the poetical contest； presiding on one of these occasions。 I won… dered whether Clemence Isaure had been anything like this terrible Toulousaine of to…day； who would have been a capital figure…head for a floral game。 The lady in whose honor the picture I have just men… tioned was painted is a somewhat mythical personage； and she is not to be found in the 〃Biographie Uni… verselle。〃 She is； however； a very graceful myth； and if she never existed； her statue does； at least； … a shapeless effigy； transferred to the Capitol from the so…called tomb of Clemence in the old church of La Daurade。 The great hall in which the Floral Games are held was encumbered with scaffoldings； and I was unable to admire the long series of busts of the bards who have won prizes and the portraits of all the capitouls of Toulouse。 As a compensation I was introduced to a big bookcase； filled with the poems that have been crowned since the days of the trou… badours （a portentous collection）； and the big butcher's knife with which； according to the legend； Henry； Duke of Montmorency； who had conspired against the great cardinal with Gaston of Orleans and Mary de ？？？？？？ Medici； was； in 1632； beheaded on this spot by the order of Richelieu。 With these objects the interest of the Capitol was exhausted。 The building； indeed； has not the grandeur of its name； which is a sort of promise that the visitor will find some sensible embodiment of the old Roman tradition that once flourished in this part of France。 It is inferior in impressiveness to the other three famous Capitols of the modern world； … that of Rome （if I may call the present structure modern） and those of Washington and Albany！
The only Roman remains at Toulouse are to be found in the museum； … a very interesting establish… ment； which I was condemned to see as imperfectly as I had seen the Capitol。 It was being rearranged； and the gallery of paintings； which is the least in… teresting feature； was the only part that was not upside…down。 The pictures are mainly of the mo… dern French school； and I remember nothing but a powerful； though disagreeable specimen of Henner； who paints the human body； and paints it so well； with a brush dipped in blackness； and； placed among the paintings； a bronze replica of the charming young David of Mercie。 These things have been set out in the church of an old monastery； long since suppressed； and the rest of the collection occupies the cloisters。 These are two in number； … a small one； which you enter first from the street； and a very vast and ele… gant one beyond it； which with its light Gothic arches and slim columns （of the fourteenth century）； its broad walk its little garden； with old tombs and statues in the centre； is by far the most picturesque； the most sketchable； spot in Toulouse。 It must be doubly so when the Roman busts； inscriptions； slabs and sarco… phagi； are ranged along the walls； it must indeed （to compare small things with great； and as the judicious Murray remarks） bear a certain resemblance to the Campo Santo at Pisa。 But these things are absent now； the cloister is a litter of confusion； and its trea… sures have been stowed away； confusedly； in sundry inaccessible rooms。 The custodian attempted to con… sole me by telling me that when they are exhibited again it will be on a scientific basis； and with an order and regularity of which they were formerly innocent。 But I was not consoled。 I wanted simply the spectacle； the picture； and I didn't care in the least for the classification。 Old Roman fragments； ex… posed to light in the open air； under a southern sky； in a quadrangle round a garden； have an immortal charm simply in their general effect； and the charm is all the greater when the soil of the very place has yielded them up。
XXI。
My real consolation was an hour I spent in Saint… Sernin； one of the noblest churches in southern France； and easily the first among those of Toulouse。 This great structure； a masterpiece of twelfth…century ro… manesque； and dedicated to Saint Saturninus； … the Toulousains have abbreviated； … is； I think； alone worth a journey to Toulouse。 What makes it so is the extraordinary seriousness of its interior； no other term occurs to me as expressing so well the character of its clear gray nave。 As a general thing； I do not favor the fashion of attributing moral qualities to buildings； I shrink from talking about tender porticos and sincere campanili； but I find I cannot get on at all without imputing some sort of morality to Saint… Sernin。 As it stands to…day； the church has been completely restored by Viollet…le…Duc。 The exterior is of brick； and has little charm save that of a tower of four rows of arches； narrowing together as they ascend。 The nave is of great length and height； the barrel…roof of stone； the effect of the round arches and pillars in the triforium especially fine。 There are two low aisles on either side。 The choir is very deep and narrow； it seems to close together； and looks as if it were meant for intensely earnest rites。 The transepts are most noble； especially the arches of the second tier。 The whole church is narrow for its length； and is singularly complete and homogeneous。 As I say all this； I feel that I quite fail to give an impression of its manly gravity； its strong proportions or of the lone… some look of its renovated stones as I sat there while the October twilight gathered。 It is a real work of art； a high conception。 The crypt； into which I was eventually led captive by an importunate sacristan； is quite another affair； though indeed I suppose it may also be spoken of as a work of art。 It is a rich museum of relics； and contains the head of Saint Thomas Aquinas； wrapped up in a napkin and exhibited in a glass case。 The sacristan took a lamp and guided me about； presenting me to one saintly remnant after an… other。 The impression was grotesque； but sorne of the objects were contained in curious old cases of beaten silver and brass； these things； at least； which looked as if they had been transmitted from the early church； were venerable。 There was； however； a kind of wholesale sanctity about the place which overshot the mark； it pretends to be one of the holiest spots in the world。 The effect is spoiled by the way the sacristans hang about and offer to take you into it for ten sous； … I was accosted by two and escaped from another； … and by the familiar manner in which you pop in and out。 This episode rather broke the charm of Saint…Sernin； so that I took my departure and went in search of the cathedral。 It was scarcely worth find… ing； and struck me as an odd； dislocated fragment。 The front consists only of a portal； beside which a tall brick tower； of a later period； has been erected。 The nave was wrapped in dimness； with a few scattered lamps。 I could only distinguish an immense vault； like a high cavern； without aisles。 Here and there in the gloom was a kneeling figure； the whole place was mysterious and lop…sided。 The choir was curtained off； it appeared not to correspond with the nave； … that is； not to have the same axis。 The on
