a little tour in france-第3章

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e　of　a　quiet　afternoon；　when　the　densely　decorated　towers；　rising　above　the　little　Place　de　l'Archeveche；　lift　their　curious　lanterns　into　the　slanting　light；　and　offer　a　multitudinous　perch　to　troops　of　circling　pigeons。　　The　whole　front；　at　such　a　time；　has　an　appearance　of　great　richness；　although　the　niches　which　surround　the　three　high　doors　（with　recesses　deep　enough　for　several　circles　of　sculpture）　and　indent　the　four　great　buttresses　that　ascend　beside　the　huge　rose…window；　carry　no　figures　beneath　their　little　chiselled　canopies。　　The　blast　of　the　great　Revo…　lution　blew　down　most　of　the　statues　in　France；　and　the　wind　has　never　set　very　strongly　toward　putting　them　up　again。　　The　embossed　and　crocketed　cupolas　which　crown　the　towers　of　Saint　Gatien　are　not　very　pure　in　taste；　but；　like　a　good　many　impurities；　they　have　a　certain　character。　　The　interior　has　a　stately　slimness　with　which　no　fault　is　to　be　found；　and　which　in　the　choir；　rich　in　early　glass　and　surrounded　by　a　broad　passage；　becomes　very　bold　and　noble。　Its　principal　treasure；　perhaps；　is　the　charming　little　tomb　of　the　two　children　（who　died　young）　of　Charles　VIII。　and　Anne　of　Brittany；　in　white　marble；　embossed　with　sym…　bolic　dolphins　and　exquisite　arabesques。　　The　little　boy　and　girl　lie　side　by　side　on　a　slab　of　black　marble；　and　a　pair　of　small　kneeling　angels；　both　at　their　head　and　at　their　feet；　watch　over　them。　　Nothing　could　be　more　perfect　than　this　monument；　which　is　the　work　of　Michel　Colomb；　one　of　the　earlier　glories　of　the　French　Renaissance；　it　is　really　a　lesson　in　good　taste。　Originally　placed　in　the　great　abbey…church　of　Saint　Martin；　which　was　for　so　many　ages　the　holy　place　of　Tours；　it　happily　survived　the　devastation　to　which　that　edifice；　already　sadly　shattered　by　the　wars　of　religion　and　successive　profanations；　finally　succumbed　in　1797。　　In　1815　the　tomb　found　an　asylum　in　a　quiet　corner　of　the　cathedral。

I　ought；　perhaps；　to　be　ashamed　to　acknowledge；　that　I　found　the　profane　name　of　Balzac　capable　of　adding　an　interest　even　to　this　venerable　sanctuary。　Those　who　have　read　the　terrible　little　story　of　〃Le　Cure　de　Tours〃　will　perhaps　remember　that；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　the　simple　and　childlike　old　Abbe　Birotteau；　victim　of　the　infernal　machinations　of　the　Abbe　Troubert　and　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　had　his　quarters　in　the　house　of　that　lady　（she　had　a　speciality　of　letting　lodgings　to　priests）；　which　stood　on　the　north　side　of　the　cathedral；　so　close　under　its　walls　that　the　supporting　pillar　of　one　of　the　great　flying　buttresses　was　planted　in　the　spinster's　garden。　If　you　wander　round　behind　the　church；　in　search　of　this　more　than　historic　habitation；　you　will　have　oc…　casion　to　see　that　the　side　and　rear　of　Saint　Gatien　make　a　delectable　and　curious　figure。　　A　narrow　lane　passes　beside　the　high　wall　which　conceals　from　sight　the　palace　of　the　archbishop；　and　beneath　the　flying　buttresses；　the　far…projecting　gargoyles；　and　the　fine　south　porch　of　the　church。　　It　terminates　in　a　little；　dead；　grass…grown　square　entitled　the　Place　Gregoire　de　Tours。　　All　this　part　of　the　exterior　of　the　cathe…　dral　is　very　brown；　ancient；　Gothic；　grotesque；　Balzac　calls　the　whole　place　〃a　desert　of　stone。〃　　A　battered　and　gabled　wing；　or　out…house　（as　it　appears　to　be）　of　the　hidden　palace；　with　a　queer　old　stone　pulpit　jutting　out　from　it；　looks　down　on　this　melancholy　spot；　on　the　other　side　of　which　is　a　seminary　for　young　priests；　one　of　whom　issues　from　a　door　in　a　quiet　corner；　and；　holding　it　open　a　moment　behind　him；　shows　a　glimpse　of　a　sunny　garden；　where　you　may　fancy　other　black　young　figures　strolling　up　and　down。　　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house；　where　she　took　her　two　abbes　to　board；　and　basely　conspired　with　one　against　the　other；　is　still　further　round　the　cathe…　dral。　　You　cannot　quite　put　your　hand　upon　it　to…　day；　for　the　dwelling　which　you　say　to　yourself　that　it　_must_　have　been　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　does　not　fulfil　all　the　conditions　mentioned　in　BaIzac's　de…　scription。　　The　edifice　in　question；　however；　fulfils　con…　ditions　enough；　in　particular；　its　little　court　offers　hospitality　to　the　big　buttress　of　the　church。　　Another　buttress；　corresponding　with　this　（the　two；　between　them；　sustain　the　gable　of　the　north　transept）；　is　planted　in　the　small　cloister；　of　which　the　door　on　the　further　side　of　the　little　soundless　Rue　de　la　Psalette；　where　nothing　seems　ever　to　pass；　opens　opposite　to　that　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　　There　is　a　very　genial　old　sacristan；　who　introduced　me　to　this　cloister　from　the　church。　　It　is　very　small　and　solitary；　and　much　mutilated；　but　it　nestles　with　a　kind　of　wasted　friend…　liness　beneath　the　big　walls　of　the　cathedral。　　Its　lower　arcades　have　been　closed；　and　it　has　a　small　plot　of　garden　in　the　middle；　with　fruit…trees　which　I　should　imagine　to　be　too　much　overshadowed。　　In　one　corner　is　a　remarkably　picturesque　turret；　the　cage　of　a　winding　staircase　which　ascends　（no　great　distance）　to　an　upper　gallery；　where　an　old　priest；　the　_chanoine…gardien_　of　the　church；　was　walking　to　and　fro　with　his　breviary。　　The　turret；　the　gallery；　and　even　the　chanoine…gardien；　belonged；　that　sweet　September　morning；　to　the　class　of　objects　that　are　dear　to　paint…　ers　in　water…colors。



III。

I　have　mentioned　the　church　of　Saint　Martin；　which　was　for　many　years　the　sacred　spot；　the　shrine　of　pilgrimage；　of　Tours。　　Originally　the　simple　burial…　place　of　the　great　apostle　who　in　the　fourth　century　Christianized　Gaul；　and　who；　in　his　day　a　brilliant　missionary　and　worker　of　miracles；　is　chiefly　known　to　modem　fame　as　the　worthy　that　cut　his　cloak　in　two　at　the　gate　of　Amiens　to　share　it　with　a　beggar　（tradition　fails　to　say；　I　believe；　what　he　did　with　the　other　half）；　the　abbey　of　Saint　Martin；　through　the　Middle　Ages；　waxed　rich　and　powerful；　till　it　was　known　at　last　as　one　of　the　most　luxurious　religious　houses　in　Christendom；　with　kings　for　its　titular　ab…　bots　（who；　like　Francis　I。；　sometimes　turned　and　despoiled　it）　and　a　great　treasure　of　precious　things。　It　passed；　however；　through　many　vicissitudes。　　Pillaged　by　the　Normans　in　the　ninth　century　and　by　the　Huguenots　in　the　sixteenth；　it　received　its　death…blow　from　the　Revolution；　which　must　have　brought　to　bear　upon　it　an　energy　of　destruction　proportionate　to　its　mighty　bulk。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　a　huge　group　of　ruins　alone　remained；　and　what　we　see　to…day　may　be　called　the　ruin　of　a　ruin。　　It　is　difficult　to　understand　how　so　vast　an　ediface　can　have　been　so　completely　obliterated。　　Its　site　is　given　up　to　several　ugly　streets；　and　a　pair　of　tall　towers；　separated　by　a　space　which　speaks　volumes　as　to　the　size　of　the　church；　and　looking　across　the　close…pressed　roofs　to　the　happier　spires　of　the　cathedral；　preserved　for　the　modern　world　the　memory　of　a　great　fortune；　a　great　abuse；　perhaps；　and　at　all　events　a　great　pen…　alty。　　One　may　believe　that　to　this　day　a　consider…　able　part　of　the　foundations　of　the　great　abbey　is　buried　in　the　soil　of　Tours。　　The　two　surviving　towers；　which　are　dissimilar　in　shape；　are　enormous；　with　those　of　the　cathedral　they　form　the　great　landmarks　of　the　town。　　One　of　them　bears　the　name　of　the　Tour　de　l'Horloge；　the　other；　the　so…called　Tour　Charle…　magne；　was　erected　（two　centuries　after　her　death）　over　the　tomb　of　Luitgarde；　wife　of　the　great　Em…　peror；　who　died　at　Tours　in　800。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　understand　in　what　relation　these　very　mighty　and　effectually　detached　masses　of　masonry　stood　to　each　other；　but　in　their　gray　elevation　and　loneliness　they　are　striking　and　suggestive　to…day；　holding　their　hoary　heads　far　above　the　modern　life　of　the　town；　and　looking　sad　and　conscious；　as　they　had　outlived　all　uses。　　I　know　not　what　is　supposed　to　have　become　of　the　bones　of　the　blessed　saint　during　the　various　scenes　of　confusion　in　which　they　may　have　got　mis…　laid；　but　a　mystic　connection　with　his　wonder…working　relics　may　be　perceived　in　a　strange　little　sanctuary　on　the　left　of　the　street；　which　opens　in　front　of　the　Tour　Charlemagne；　…　the　rugged　base　of　which；　by　the　way；　inhabited　like　a　cave；　with　a　diminutive　doorway；　in　which；　as　I　passed；　an　old　woman　stood　cleaning　a　pot；　and　a　little　dark