a little tour in france-第43节
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low blue horizon showing through its empty portals； it made； very sufficiently； a picture that hangs itself to one of the lateral hooks of the memory。 I can take down the modest composition； and place it before me as I write。 I see the shallow； shining puddles in the hard； fair French road； the pale blue sky； diluted by days of rain； the disgarnished autumnal fields； the mild sparkle of the low horizon； the solitary figure in sabots； with a bundle under its arm； advancing along the _chaussee_； and in the middle I see the little ochre… colored monument； which； in spite of its antiquity； looks bright and gay； as everything must look in France of a fresh Sunday morning。
It is true that this was not exactly the appearance of the Roman theatre； which lies on the other side of the town； a fact that did not prevent me from making my way to it in less than five minutes； through a suc… cession of little streets concerning which I have no observations to record。 None of the Roman remains in the south of France are more impressive than this stupendous fragment。 An enormous mound rises above the place； which was formerly occupied … I quote from Murray … first by a citadel of the Romans； then by a castle of the princes of Nassau； razed by Louis XIV。 Facing this hill a mighty wall erects itself； thirty…six metres high； and composed of massive blocks of dark brown stone； simply laid one on the other； the whole naked； rugged surface of which suggests a natural cliff （say of the Vaucluse order） rather than an effort of human； or even of Roman labor。 It is the biggest thing at Orange； … it is bigger than all Orange put to… gether； … and its permanent massiveness makes light of the shrunken city。 The face it presents to the town … the top of it garnished with two rows of brackets； perforated with holes to receive the staves of the _vela… rium_ … bears the traces of more than one tier of orna… mental arches； though how these flat arches were applied； or incrusted； upon the wall； I do not profess to explain。 You pass through a diminutive postern … which seems in proportion about as high as the en… trance of a rabbit…hutch … into the lodge of the custo… dian； who introduces you to the interior of the theatre。 Here the mass of the hill affronts you； which the in… genious Romans treated simply as the material of their auditorium。 They inserted their stone seats； in a semicircle； in the slope of the lull； and planted their colossal wall opposite to it。 This wall； from the inside； is； if possible； even more imposing。 It formed the back of the stage； the permanent scene； and its enormous face was coated with marble。 It contains three doors； the middle one being the highest； and having above it； far aloft； a deep niche； apparently intended for an imperial statue。 A few of the benches remain on the hillside which； however； is mainly a confusion of fragments。 There is part of a corridor built into the hill； high up； and on the crest are the remnants of the demolished castle。 The whole place is a kind of wilderness of ruin； there are scarcely any details； the great feature is the overtopping wall。 This wall being the back of the scene； the space left be… tween it and the chord of the semicircle （of the audi… torium） which formed the proscenium is rather less than one would have supposed。 In other words； the stage was very shallow； and appears to have been ar… ranged for a number of performers standing in a line； like a company of soldiers。 There stands the silent skeleton； however； as impressive by what it leaves you to guess and wonder about as by what it tells you。 It has not the sweetness； the softness of melancholy； of the theatre at Arles； but it is more extraordinary； and one can imagine only tremendous tragedies being enacted there； …
〃Presenting Thebes' or Pelops' line。〃
At either end of the stage； coming forward； is an immense wing； … immense in height； I mean； as it reaches to the top of the scenic wall； the other dimen… sions are not remarkable。 The division to the right； as you face the stage； is pointed out as the green… room； its portentous attitude and the open arches at the top give it the air of a well。 The compartment on the left is exactly similar； save that it opens into the traces of other chambers； said to be those of a hippodrome adjacent to the theatre。 Various fragments are visible which refer themselves plausibly to such an establishment； the greater axis of the hippodrome would appear to have been on a line with the triumphal arch。 This is all I saw； and all there was to see； of Orange； which had a very rustic； bucolic aspect； and where I was not even called upon to demand break… fast at the hotel。 The entrance of this resort might have been that of a stable of the Roman days。
XXXVII。
I have been trying to remember whether I fasted all the way to Macon； which I reached at an advanced hour of the evening； and think I must have done so except for the purchase of a box of nougat at Monte… limart （the place is famous for the manufacture of this confection； which； at the station； is hawked at the windows of the train） and for a bouillon； very much later； at Lyons。 The journey beside the Rhone … past Valence； past Tournon； past Vienne … would have been charming； on that luminous Sunday； but for two disagreeable accidents。 The express from Marseilles； which I took at Orange； was full to over… flowing； and the only refuge I could find was an inside angle in a carriage laden with Germans； who had command of the windows； which they occupied as strongly as they have been known to occupy other strategical positions。 I scarcely know； however； why I linger on this particular discomfort； for it was but a single item in a considerable list of grievances； … grievances dispersed through six weeks of constant railway travel in France。 I have not touched upon them at an earlier stage of this chronicle； but my re… serve is not owing to any sweetness of association。 This form of locomotion； in the country of the ameni… ties； is attended with a dozen discomforts； almost all the conditions of the business are detestable。 They force the sentimental tourist again and again to ask himself whether； in consideration of such mortal an… noyances； the game is worth the candle。 Fortunately； a railway journey is a good deal like a sea voyage； its miseries fade from the mind as soon as you arrive。 That is why I completed； to my great satisfaction； my little tour in France。 Let this small effusion of ill…nature be my first and last tribute to the whole despotic _gare_： the deadly _salle d'attente_； the insuffer… able delays over one's luggage； the porterless platform； the overcrowded and illiberal train。 How many a time did I permit myself the secret reflection that it is in perfidious Albion that they order this matter best！ How many a time did the eager British mer… cenary； clad in velveteen and clinging to the door of the carriage as it glides into the station； revisit my invidious dreams！ The paternal porter and the re… sponsive hansom are among the best gifts of the Eng… lish genius to the world。 I hasten to add； faithful to my habit （so insufferable to some of my friends） of ever and again readjusting the balance after I have given it an honest tip； that the bouillon at Lyons； which I spoke of above； was； though by no means an ideal bouillon； much better than any I could have obtained at an English railway station。 After I had imbibed it； I sat in the train （which waited a long time at Lyons） and； by the light of one of the big lamps on the platform； read all sorts of disagreeable things in certain radical newspapers which I had bought at the book…stall。 I gathered from these sheets that Lyons was in extreme commotion。 The Rhone and the Saone； which form a girdle for the splendid town； were almost in the streets； as I could easily be… lieve from what I had seen of the country after leav… ing Orange。 The Rhone； all the way to Lyons； had been in all sorts of places where it had no business to be； and matters were naturally not improved by its confluence with the charming and copious stream which； at Macon； is said once to have given such a happy opportunity to the egotism of the capital。 A visitor from Paris （the anecdote is very old）； being asked on the quay of that city whether he didn't ad… mire the Saone； replied good…naturedly that it was very pretty； but that in Paris they spelled it with the _ei_。 This moment of general alarm at Lyons had been chosen by certain ingenious persons （I credit them； perhaps； with too sure a prevision of the rise of the rivers） for practising further upon the appre… hensions of the public。 A bombshell filled with dynamite had been thrown into a cafe； and various votaries of the comparatively innocuous _petit verre_ had been wounded （I am not sure whether any one had been killed） by the irruption。 Of course there had been arrests and incarcerations； and the 〃Intransi… geant〃 and the 〃Rappel〃 were filled with the echoes of the explosion。 The tone of these organs is rarely edifying； and it had never been less so than on this occasion。 I wondered； as I looked through them； whether I was losing all my radicalism； and then I wondered whether； after all； I had any to lose。 Even in so
