a little tour in france-第41章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
im columns； as we sat on the broken benches； stood there like a pair of silent actors。 What I called touching； just now； was the thought that here the human voice； the utterance of a great language； had been supreme。 The air was full of intonations and cadences； not of the echo of smashing blows； of riven armor； of howling victims and roaring beasts。 The spot is； in short； one of the sweetest legacies of the ancient world； and there seems no profanation in the fact that by day it is open to the good people of Arles； who use it to pass； by no means in great num… bers； from one part of the town to the other； treading the old marble floor； and brushing； if need be； the empty benches。 This familiarity does not kill the place again； it makes it； on the contrary； live a little； … makes the present and the past touch each other。
XXXI。
The third lion of Arles has nothing to do with the ancient world； but only with the old one。 The church of Saint Trophimus； whose wonderful Romanesque porch is the principal ornament of the principal _place_； … a _place_ otherwise distinguished by the presence of a slim and tapering obelisk in the middle； as well as by that of the Hotel de Ville and the museum … the interesting church of Saint Trophimus swears a little； as the French say； with the peculiar character of Arles。 It is very remarkable； but I would rather it were in another place。 Arles is delightfully pagan； and Saint Trophimus； with its apostolic sculptures； is rather a false note。 These sculptures are equally re… markable for their primitive vigor and for the perfect preservation in which they have come down to us。 The deep recess of a round…arched porch of the twelfth century is covered with quaint figures； which have not lost a nose or a finger。 An angular； Byzan… tine…looking Christ sits in a diamond…shaped frame at the summit of the arch； surrounded by little angels； by great apostles； by winged beasts； by a hundred sacred symbols and grotesque ornaments。 It is a dense embroidery of sculpture； black with time； but as uninjured as if it had been kept under glass。 One good mark for the French Revolution！ Of the in… terior of the church； which has a nave of the twelfth century； and a choir three hundred years more recent； I chiefly remember the odd feature that the Romanesque aisles are so narrow that you literally … or almost … squeeze through them。 You do so with some eager… ness； for your natural purpose is to pass out to the cloister。 This cloister； as distinguished and as per… fect as the porch； has a great deal of charm。 Its four sides； which are not of the same period （the earliest and best are of the twelfth century）； have an elaborate arcade； supported on delicate pairs of columns； the capitals of which show an extraordinary variety of device and ornament。 At the corners of the quadrangle these columns take the form of curious human figures。 The whole thing is a gem of lightness and preserva… tion； and is often cited for its beauty； but … if it doesn't sound too profane … I prefer； especially at Arles； the ruins of the Roman theatre。 The antique element is too precious to be mingled with anything less rare。 This truth was very present to my mind during a ramble of a couple of hours that I took just before leaving the place； and the glowing beauty of the morning gave the last touch of the impression。 I spent half an hour at the Museum； then I took an… other look at the Roman theatre； after which I walked a little out of the town to the Aliscamps； the old Elysian Fields； the meagre remnant of the old pagan place of sepulture； which was afterwards used by the Christians； but has been for ages deserted； and now consists only of a melancholy avenue of cypresses； lined with a succession of ancient sarcophagi； empty； mossy； and mutilated。 An iron…foundry； or some hor… rible establishment which is conditioned upon tall chimneys and a noise of hammering and banging； has been established near at hand； but the cypresses shut it out well enough； and this small patch of Elysium is a very romantic corner。
The door of the Museum stands ajar； and a vigilant custodian； with the usual batch of photographs on his mind； peeps out at you disapprovingly while you linger opposite； before the charming portal of Saint Trophimus； which you may look at for nothing。 When you succumb to the silent influence of his eye； and go over to visit his collection； you find yourself in a desecrated church； in which a variety of ancient objects； disinterred in Arlesian soil； have been ar… ranged without any pomp。 The best of these； I be… lieve； were found in the ruins of the theatre。 Some of the most curious of them are early Christian sar… cophagi； exactly on the pagan model； but covered with rude yet vigorously wrought images of the apostles； and with illustrations of scriptural history。 Beauty of the highest kind； either of conception or of execu… tion； is absent from most of the Roman fragments； which belong to the taste of a late period and a provincial civilization。 But a gulf divides them from the bristling little imagery of the Christian sarcophagi； in which； at the same time； one detects a vague emulation of the rich examples by which their authors were surrounded。 There is a certain element of style in all the pagan things； there is not a hint of it in the early Christian relics； among which； according to M。 Joanne； of the Guide； are to be found more fine sarcophagi than in any collection but that of St。 John Lateran。 In two or three of the Roman fragments there is a noticeable distinction； principally in a charming bust of a boy； quite perfect； with those salient eyes that one sees in certain antique busts； and to which the absence of vision in the marble mask gives a look； often very touching； as of a baffled effort to see； also in the head of a woman； found in the ruins of the theatre； who； alas！ has lost her nose； and whose noble； simple contour； barring this deficiency； recalls the great manner of the Venus of Milo。 There are various rich architectural fragments which in… dicate that that edifice was a very splendid affair。 This little Museum at Arles； in short； is the most Ro… man thing I know of； out of Rome。
XXXII。
I find that I declared one evening； in a little journal I was keeping at that time； that I was weary of writing （I was probably very sleepy）； but that it was essential I should make some note of my visit to Les Baux。 I must have gone to sleep as soon as I had recorded this necessity； for I search my small diary in vain for any account of that enchanting spot。 I have nothing but my memory to consult； … a memory which is fairly good in regard to a general impression； but is terribly infirm in the matter of details and items。 We knew in advance； my companion and I that Les Baus was a pearl of picturesqueness； for had we not read as much in the handbook of Murray； who has the testimony of an English nobleman as to its attractions？ We also knew that it lay some miles from Aries； on the crest of the Alpilles； the craggy little mountains which； as I stood on the breezy plat… form of Beaucaire； formed to my eye a charming； if somewhat remote； background to Tarascon； this as… surance having been given us by the landlady of the inn at Arles； of whom we hired a rather lumbering conveyance。 The weather was not promising； but it proved a good day for the mediaeval Pompeii； a gray； melancholy； moist； but rainless； or almost rainless day； with nothing in the sky to flout； as the poet says； the dejected and pulverized past。 The drive itself was charming； for there is an inexhaustible sweetness in the gray…green landscape of Provence。 It is never absolutely flat； and yet is never really ambitious； and is full both of entertainment and re… pose。 It is in constant undulation； and the bareness of the soil lends itself easily to outline and profile。 When I say the bareness； I mean the absence of woods and hedges。 It blooms with heath and scented shrubs and stunted olive； and the white rock shining through the scattered herbage has a brightness which answers to the brightness of the sky。 Of course it needs the sunshine； for all southern countries look a little false under the ground glass of incipient bad weat
