a little tour in france-第2章
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volution remain in a hundred scars and bruises and mutilations； but the visible marks of the war of 1870 have passed away。 The country is so rich； so living； that she has been able to dress her wounds； to hold up her head； to smile again； so that the shadow of that darkness has ceased to rest upon her。 But what you do not see you still may hear； and one remembers with a certain shudder that only a few short years ago this province； so intimately French； was under the heel of a foreign foe。 To be intimately French was apparently not a safeguard； for so successful an invader it could only be a challenge。 Peace and plenty； however； have succeeded that episode； and among the gardens and vineyards of Touraine it seems； only a legend the more in a country of legends。
It was not； all the same； for the sake of this check… ered story that I mentioned the Palais de Justice and the Rue Royale。 The most interesting fact； to my mind； about the high…street of Tours was that as you walked toward the bridge on the right…hand _trottoir_ you can look up at the house； on the other side of the way； in which Honore de Balzac first saw the light。 That violent and complicated genius was a child of the good…humored and succulent Touraine。 There is something anomalous in the fact； though； if one thinks about it a little； one may discover certain correspondences between his character and that of his native province。 Strenuous； laborious； constantly in felicitous in spite of his great successes； he suggests at times a very different set of influences。 But he had his jovial； full…feeding side； … the side that comes out in the 〃Contes Drolatiques；〃 which are the romantic and epicurean chronicle of the old manors and abbeys of this region。 And he was； moreover； the product of a soil into which a great deal of history had been trodden。 Balzac was genuinely as well as affectedly monarchical； and he was saturated with； a sense of the past。 Number 39 Rue Royale … of which the base ment； like all the basements in the Rue Royale； is occupied by a shop … is not shown to the public； and I know not whether tradition designates the chamber in which the author of 〃Le Lys dans la Vallee〃 opened his eyes into a world in which he was to see and to imagine such extraordinary things。 If this were the case； I would willingly have crossed its threshold； not for the sake of any relic of the great novelist which it may possibly contain； nor even for that of any mystic virtue which may be supposed to reside within its walls； but simply because to look at those four modest walls can hardly fail to give one a strong impression of the force of human endeavour。 Balzac； in the maturity of his vision； took in more of human life than any one； since Shakspeare； who has attempted to tell us stories about it； and the very small scene on which his consciousness dawned is one end of the immense scale that he traversed。 I confess it shocked me a little to find that he was born in a house 〃in a row；〃 … a house； moreover； which at the date of his birth must have been only about twenty years old。 All that is contradictory。 If the tenement selected for this honour could not be ancient and em… browned； it should at least have been detached。
There is a charming description； in his little tale of 〃La Grenadiere；〃 of the view of the opposite side of the Loire as you have it from the square at the end of the Rue Royale； … a square that has some preten… sions to grandeur； overlooked as it is by the Hotel de Ville and the Musee； a pair of edifices which directly contemplate the river； and ornamented with marble images of Francois Rabelais and Rene Descartes。 The former； erected a few years since； is a very honor… able production； the pedastal of the latter could； as a matter of course； only be inscribed with the _Cogito ergo Sum。_ The two statues mark the two opposite poles to which the brilliant French mind has travelled； and if there were an effigy of Balzac at Tours； it ought to stand midway between them。 Not that he； by any means always struck the happy mean between the sensible and the metaphysical； but one may say of him that half of his genius looks in one direction and half in the other。 The side that turns toward Francois Rabelais would be； on the whole； the side that takes the sun。 But there is no statue of Balzac at Tours； there is only； in one of the chambers of the melancholy museum； a rather clever； coarse bust。 The description in 〃La Grenadiere；〃 of which I just spoke； is too long to quote； neither have I space for any one of the brilliant attempts at landscape paint… ing which are woven into the shimmering texture of 〃Le Lys dans la Vallee。〃 The little manor of Cloche… gourde； the residence of Madame de Mortsauf； the heroine of that extraordinary work； was within a moderate walk of Tours； and the picture in the novel is presumably a copy from an original which it would be possible to…day to discover。 I did not； however； even make the attempt。 There are so many chateaux in Touraine commemorated in history； that it would take one too far to look up those which have been com… memorated in fiction。 The most I did was to endeavor to identify the former residence of Mademoiselle Gamard； the sinister old maid of 〃Le Cure de Tours。〃 This terrible woman occupied a small house in the rear of the cathedral； where I spent a whole morning in wondering rather stupidly which house it could be。 To reach the cathedral from the little _place_ where we stopped just now to look across at the Grenadiere； without； it must be confessed； very vividly seeing it； you follow the quay to the right； and pass out of sight of the charming _coteau_ which； from beyond the river； faces the town； … a soft agglomeration of gardens； vine… yards； scattered villas； gables and turrets of slate… roofed chateaux； terraces with gray balustrades； moss… grown walls draped in scarlet Virginia…creeper。 You turn into the town again beside a great military barrack which is ornamented with a rugged mediaeval tower； a relic of the ancient fortifications； known to the Tourangeaux of to…day as the Tour de Guise。 The young Prince of Joinville； son of that Duke of Guise who was murdered by the order of Henry II。 at Blois； was； after the death of his father； confined here for more than two years； but made his escape one summer evening in 1591； under the nose of his keepers； with a gallant audacity which has attached the memory of the exploit to his sullen…looking prison。 Tours has a garrison of five regiments； and the little red…legged soldiers light up the town。 You see them stroll upon the clean； uncommercial quay； where there are no signs of navigation； not even by oar； no barrels nor bales； no loading nor unloading； no masts against the sky nor booming of steam in the air。 The most active business that goes on there is that patient and fruitless angling in； which the French； as the votaries of art for art； excel all other people。 The little soldiers； weighed down by the contents of their enormous pockets； pass with respect from one of these masters of the rod to the other；as he sits soaking an indefinite bait in the large； indifferent stream。 After you turn your back to the quay you have only to go a little way before you reach the cathedral。
II。
It is a very beautiful church of the second order of importance； with a charming mouse…colored com… plexion and a pair of fantastic towers。 There is a commodious little square in front of it； from which you may look up at its very ornamental face； but for purposes of frank admiration the sides and the rear are perhaps not sufficiently detached。 The cathedral of Tours； which is dedicated to Saint Gatianus； took a long time to build。 Begun in 1170； it was finished only in the first half of the sixteenth century； but the ages and the weather have interfused so well the tone of the different parts； that it presents； at first at least； no striking incongruities； and looks even exception… ally harmonious and complete。 There are many grander cathedrals； but there are probably few more pleasing； and this effect of delicacy and grace is at its best toward the close of a quiet afternoon； when the densely decorated towers； rising above the little Place de l'Archev
