a little tour in france-第27节
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dying where they have lived； and contribute much to the pictorial effect； … these are the principal inhabitants。 The process of con… verting the place from an irresponsible old town into a conscious 〃specimen〃 has of course been attended with eliminations； the population has； as a general thing； been restored away。 I should lose no time in saying that restoration is the great mark of the Cite。 M。 Viollet…le…Duc has worked his will upon it； put it into perfect order； revived the fortifications in every detail。 I do not pretend to judge the performance； carried out on a scale and in a spirit which really impose themselves on the imagination。 Few archi… tects have had such a chance； and M。 Viollet…le…Duc must have been the envy of the whole restoring fra… ternity。 The image of a more crumbling Carcassonne rises in the mind； and there is no doubt that forty years ago the place was more affecting。 On the other hand； as we see it to…day； it is a wonderful evocation； and if there is a great deal of new in the old； there is plenty of old in the new。 The repaired crenella… tions； the inserted patches； of the walls of the outer circle sufficiently express this commixture。 My walk brought me into full view of the Pyrenees； which； now that the sun had begun to sink and the shadows to grow long； had a wonderful violet glow。 The platform at the base of the walls has a greater width on this side； and it made the scene more complete。 Two or three old crones had crawled out of the Porte Nar… bonnaise； to examine the advancing visitor； and a very ancient peasant； lying there with his back against a tower； was tending half a dozen lean sheep。 A poor man in a very old blouse； crippled and with crutches lying beside him； had been brought out and placed on a stool； where he enjoyed the afternoon as best he might。 He looked so ill and so patient that I spoke to him； found that his legs were paralyzed and he was quite helpless。 He had formerly been seven years in the army； and had made the campaign of Mexico with Bazaine。 Born in the old Cite； he had come back there to end his days。 It seemed strange； as he sat there； with those romantic walls behind him and the great picture of the Pyrenees in front； to think that he had been across the seas to the far…away new world； had made part of a famous expedition； and was now a cripple at the gate of the mediaeval city where he had played as a child。 All this struck me as a great deal of history for so modest a figure； … a poor little figure that could only just unclose its palm for a small silver coin。
He was not the only acquaintance I made at Car… cassonne。 I had not pursued my circuit of the walls much further when I encountered a person of quite another type； of whom I asked some question which had just then presented； itself； and who proved to be the very genius of the spot。 He was a sociable son of the _ville…basse_； a gentleman； and； as I afterwards learned； an employe at the prefecture； … a person； in short； much esteemed at Carcassonne。 （I may say all this； as he will never read these pages。） He had been ill for a month； and in the company of his little dog was taking his first airing； in his own phrase he was _amoureux…fou de la Cite_； … he could lose no time in coming back to it。 He talked of it； indeed； as a lover； and； giving me for half an hour the advantage of his company； showed me all the points of the place。 （I speak here always of the outer enceinte； you penetrate to the inner … which is the specialty of Carcassonne； and the great curiosity … only by application at the lodge of the regular custodian； a remarkable func… tionary； who； half an hour later； when I had been in… troduced to him by my friend the amateur； marched me over the fortifications with a tremendous accompani… ment of dates and technical terms。） My companion pointed out to me in particular the traces of different periods in the structure of the walls。 There is a por… tentous amount of history embedded in them； begin… ning with Romans and Visigoths； here and there are marks of old breaches； hastily repaired。 We passed into the town； … into that part of it not included in the citadel。 It is the queerest and most fragmentary little place in the world； as everything save the fortifications is being suffered to crumble away； in order that the spirit of M。 Viollet…le…Duc alone may pervade it； and it may subsist simply as a magnificent shell。 As the leases of the wretched little houses fall in； the ground is cleared of them； and a mumbling old woman ap… proached me in the course of my circuit； inviting me to condole with her on the disappearance of so many of the hovels which in the last few hundred years （since the collapse of Carcassonne as a stronghold） had attached themselves to the base of the walls； in the space between the two circles。 These habitations； constructed of materials taken from the ruins； nestled there snugly enough。 This intermediate space had therefore become a kind of street； which has crumbled in turn； as the fortress has grown up again。 There are other streets； beside； very diminutive and vague； where you pick your way over heaps of rubbish and become conscious of unexpected faces looking at you out of windows as detached as the cherubic heads。 The most definite thing in the place was the little cafe； where。 the waiters； I think； must be the ghosts of the old Visigoths； the most definite； that is； after the little chateau and the little cathedral。 Everything in the Cite is little； you can walk round the walls in twenty minutes。 On the drawbridge of the chateau； which； with a picturesque old face； flanking towers； and a dry moat； is to…day simply a bare _caserne_； lounged half a dozen soldiers； unusually small。 No… thing could be more odd than to see these objects en… closed in a receptacle which has much of the appear… ance of an enormous toy。 The Cite and its population vaguely reminded me of an immense Noah's ark。
XXIII。
Carcassonne dates from the Roman occupation of Gaul。 The place commanded one of the great roads into Spain； and in the fourth century Romans and Franks ousted each other from such a point of vantage。 In the year 436； Theodoric； King of the Visigoths； superseded both these parties； and it is during his oc… cupation that the inner enceinte was raised upon the ruins of the Roman fortifications。 Most of the Visigoth towers that are still erect are seated upon Roman sub… structions which appear to have been formed hastily； probably at the moment of the Frankish invasion。 The authors of these solid defences； though occasionally disturbed； held Carcassonne and the neighboring coun… try； in which they had established their kingdom of Septimania； till the year 713； when they were expelled by the Moors of Spain； who ushered in an unillumined period of four centuries； of which no traces remain。 These facts I derived from a source no more recondite than a pamphlet by M。 Viollet…le…Duc； … a very luminous description of the fortifications； which you may buy from the accomplished custodian。 The writer makes a jump to the year 1209； when Carcassonne； then forming part of the realm of the viscounts of Beziers and infected by the Albigensian heresy； was besieged； in the name of the Pope； by the terrible Simon de Montfort and his army of crusaders。 Simon was ac… customed to success； and the town succumbed in the course of a fortnight。 Thirty…one years later； having passed into the hands of the King of France； it was again besieged by the young Raymond de Trincavel； the last of the viscounts of Beziers； and of this siege M。 Viollet…le…Duc gives a long and minute account； which the visitor who has a head for such things may follow； with the brochure in hand； on the fortifications themselves。 The young Raymond de Trincavel； baffled and repulsed； retired at the end of twenty…four days。 Saint Louis and Philip the Bold； in the thirteenth cen… tury； multiplied the defences of Carcassonne； which was one of the bulwarks of their kingdom on the Spanish quarter； and from this time forth； being re… garded as impregnable； the place had nothing to fear。 It was not even attacked； and when； in 1355； Edward the Black Prince marched into it； the inhabitants had opened the gates to the conqueror before whom all Languedoc was prostrate。 I am not one of those who； as I said just now； have a head for such things； and having extracted these few facts had made all the use of M。 Viollet…le…Duc's； pamphlet of which I was cap… able。
I have mentioned that my obliging friend the _amoureux…fou_ handed me over to the door…keeper of the citadel。 I should add that I was at first committed to the wife of this functionary； a stout peasant…woman； who took a key down from a nail； conducted me to a postern door； and ushered me into the presence of her husband。 Having just begun his rounds with a party of four persons； he was not many steps in advance。 I added myself perforce to this party； which was not brilliantly composed； except that two of its members were gendarmes in full toggery； who announced in the course of our tour that they had been stationed for a year at Carcassonne； and had never before had the curiosity to come up to the Cite。 There was something brilliant； certainly； in that。 T
