sons of the soil-第3章

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gardens　around　the　chateau。　The　name　of　the　place；　Les　Aigues；　comes

from　these　charming　streams　of　water；　the　estate　was　originally　called

in　the　old　title…deeds　〃Les　Aigues…Vives〃　to　distinguish　it　from

〃Aigues…Mortes〃；　but　the　word　〃Vives〃　has　now　been　dropped。　The　pond

empties　into　the　stream；　which　follows　the　course　of　the　avenue；

through　a　wide　and　straight　canal　bordered　on　both　sides　and　along　its

whole　length　by　weeping　willows。　This　canal；　thus　arched；　produces　a

delightful　effect。　Gliding　through　it；　seated　on　a　thwart　of　the

little　boat；　one　could　fancy　one's　self　in　the　nave　of　some　great

cathedral；　the　choir　being　formed　of　the　main　building　of　the　house

seen　at　the　end　of　it。　When　the　setting　sun　casts　its　orange　tones

mingled　with　amber　upon　the　casements　of　the　chateau；　the　effect　is

that　of　painted　windows。　At　the　other　end　of　the　canal　we　see　Blangy；

the　county…town；　containing　about　sixty　houses；　and　the　village

church；　which　is　nothing　more　than　a　tumble…down　building　with　a

wooden　clock…tower　which　appears　to　hold　up　a　roof　of　broken　tiles。

One　comfortable　house　and　the　parsonage　are　distinguishable；　but　the


township　is　a　large　one；about　two　hundred　scattered　houses　in　all；

those　of　the　village　forming　as　it　were　the　capital。　The　roads　are

lined　with　fruit…trees；　and　numerous　little　gardens　are　strewn　here

and　there；true　country　gardens　with　everything　in　them；　flowers；

onions；　cabbages　and　grapevines；　currants；　and　a　great　deal　of　manure。

The　village　has　a　primitive　air；　it　is　rustic；　and　has　that　decorative

simplicity　which　we　artists　are　forever　seeking。　In　the　far　distance

is　the　little　town　of　Soulanges　overhanging　a　vast　sheet　of　water；

like　the　buildings　on　the　lake　of　Thune。



When　you　stroll　in　the　park；　which　has　four　gates；　each　superb　in

style；　you　feel　that　our　mythological　Arcadias　are　flat　and　stale。

Arcadia　is　in　Burgundy；　not　in　Greece；　Arcadia　is　at　Les　Aigues　and

nowhere　else。　A　river；　made　by　scores　of　brooklets；　crosses　the　park

at　its　lower　level　with　a　serpentine　movement；　giving　a　dewy　freshness

and　tranquillity　to　the　scene；an　air　of　solitude；　which　reminds　one

of　a　convent　of　Carthusians；　and　all　the　more　because；　on　an

artificial　island　in　the　river；　is　a　hermitage　in　ruins；　the　interior

elegance　of　which　is　worthy　of　the　luxurious　financier　who　constructed

it。　Les　Aigues；　my　dear　Nathan；　once　belonged　to　that　Bouret　who　spent

two　millions　to　receive　Louis　XV。　on　a　single　occasion　under　his　roof。

How　many　ardent　passions；　how　many　distinguished　minds；　how　many

fortunate　circumstances　have　contributed　to　make　this　beautiful　place

what　it　is！　A　mistress　of　Henri　IV。　rebuilt　the　chateau　where　it　now

stands。　The　favorite　of　the　Great　Dauphin；　Mademoiselle　Choin　（to　whom

Les　Aigues　was　given）；　added　a　number　of　farms　to　it。　Bouret　furnished

the　house　with　all　the　elegancies　of　Parisian　homes　for　an　Opera

celebrity；　and　to　him　Les　Aigues　owes　the　restoration　of　its　ground

floor　in　the　style　Louis　XV。



I　have　often　stood　rapt　in　admiration　at　the　beauty　of　the　dining…

room。　The　eye　is　first　attracted　to　the　ceiling；　painted　in　fresco　in

the　Italian　manner；　where　lightsome　arabesques　are　frolicking。　Female

forms；　in　stucco　ending　in　foliage；　support　at　regular　distances

corbeils　of　fruit；　from　which　spring　the　garlands　of　the　ceiling。

Charming　paintings；　the　work　of　unknown　artists；　fill　the　panels

between　the　female　figures；　representing　the　luxuries　of　the　table；

boar's…heads；　salmon；　rare　shell…fish；　and　all　edible　things；which

fantastically　suggest　men　and　women　and　children；　and　rival　the

whimsical　imagination　of　the　Chinese；the　people　who　best　understand；

to　my　thinking　at　least；　the　art　of　decoration。　The　mistress　of　the

house　finds　a　bell…wire　beneath　her　feet　to　summon　servants；　who　enter

only　when　required；　disturbing　no　interviews　and　overhearing　no

secrets。　The　panels　above　the　doorways　represent　gay　scenes；　all　the

embrasures；　both　of　doors　and　windows；　are　in　marble　mosaics。　The　room

is　heated　from　below。　Every　window　looks　forth　on　some　delightful

view。



This　room　communicates　with　a　bath…room　on　one　side　and　on　the　other

with　a　boudoir　which　opens　into　the　salon。　The　bath…room　is　lined　with

Sevres　tiles；　painted　in　monochrome；　the　floor　is　mosaic；　and　the　bath

marble。　An　alcove；　hidden　by　a　picture　painted　on　copper；　which　turns

on　a　pivot；　contains　a　couch　in　gilt　wood　of　the　truest　Pompadour。　The

ceiling　is　lapis…lazuli　starred　with　gold。　The　tiles　are　painted　from

designs　by　Boucher。　Bath；　table　and　love　are　therefore　closely　united。



After　the　salon；　which；　I　should　tell　you；　my　dear　fellow；　exhibits

the　magnificence　of　the　Louis　XIV。　manner；　you　enter　a　fine　billiard…

room　unrivalled　so　far　as　I　know　in　Paris　itself。　The　entrance　to　this

suite　of　ground…floor　apartments　is　through　a　semi…circular

antechamber；　at　the　lower　end　of　which　is　a　fairy…like　staircase；

lighted　from　above；　which　leads　to　other　parts　of　the　house；　all　built

at　various　epochsand　to　think　that　they　chopped　off　the　heads　of　the

wealthy　in　1793！　Good　heavens！　why　can't　people　understand　that　the

marvels　of　art　are　impossible　in　a　land　where　there　are　no　great

fortunes；　no　secure；　luxurious　lives？　If　the　Left　insists　on　killing

kings　why　not　leave　us　a　few　little　princelings　with　money　in　their

pockets？



At　the　present　moment　these　accumulated　treasures　belong　to　a　charming

woman　with　an　artistic　soul；　who　is　not　content　with　merely　restoring

them　magnificently；　but　who　keeps　the　place　up　with　loving　care。　Sham

philosophers；　studying　themselves　while　they　profess　to　be　studying

humanity；　call　these　glorious　things　extravagance。　They　grovel　before

cotton　prints　and　the　tasteless　designs　of　modern　industry；　as　if　we

were　greater　and　happier　in　these　days　than　in　those　of　Henri　IV。；

Louis　XIV。；　and　Louis　XVI。；　monarchs　who　have　all　left　the　stamp　of

their　reigns　upon　Les　Aigues。　What　palace；　what　royal　castle；　what

mansions；　what　noble　works　of　art；　what　gold　brocaded　stuffs　are

sacred　now？　The　petticoats　of　our　grandmothers　go　to　cover　the　chairs

in　these　degenerate　days。　Selfish　and　thieving　interlopers　that　we

are；　we　pull　down　everything　and　plant　cabbages　where　marvels　once

were　rife。　Only　yesterday　the　plough　levelled　Persan；　that　magnificent

domain　which　gave　a　title　to　one　of　the　most　opulent　families　of　the

old　parliament；　hammers　have　demolished　Montmorency；　which　cost　an

Italian　follower　of　Napoleon　untold　sums；　Val；　the　creation　of

Regnault　de　Saint…Jean　d'Angely；　Cassan；　built　by　a　mistress　of　the

Prince　de　Conti；　in　all；　four　royal　houses　have　disappeared　in　the

valley　of　the　Oise　alone。　We　are　getting　a　Roman　campagna　around　Paris

in　advance　of　the　days　when　a　tempest　shall　blow　from　the　north　and

overturn　our　plaster　palaces　and　our　pasteboard　decorations。



Now　see；　my　dear　fellow；　to　what　the　habit　of　bombasticising　in

newspapers　brings　you　to。　Here　am　I　writing　a　downright　article。　Does

the　mind　have　its　ruts；　like　a　road？　I　stop；　for　I　rob　the　mail；　and　I

rob　myself；　and　you　may　be　yawningto　be　continued　in　our　next；　I

hear　the　second　bell；　which　summons　me　to　one　of　those　abundant

breakfasts　the　fashion　of　which　has　long　passed　away；　in　the　dining…

rooms　of　Paris；　be　it　understood。



Here's　the　history　of　my　Arcadia。　In　1815；　there　died　at　Les　Aigues

one　of　the　famous　wantons　of　the　last　century；a　singer；　forgotten　of

the　guillotine　and　the　nobility；　after　preying　upon　exchequers；　upon

literature；　upon　aristocracy；　and　all　but　reaching　the　scaffold；

forgotten；　like　so　many　fascinating　old　women　who　expiate　their　golden

youth　in　country　solitudes；　and　replace　their　lost　loves　by　another；

man　by　Nature。　Such　women　live　with　the　flowers；　with　the　woodland

scents；　with　the　sky；　with　the　sunshine；　with　all　that　sings　and　skips

and　shines　and　sprouts；the　birds；　the　squirrels；　the　flowers；　the

grass；　they　know　nothing　abo