the two brothers-第27章

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coined　money）　above　the　basilica　of　the　fifth　century；the　third

monument　of　the　third　religion　of　this　ancient　town。　He　used　the

church　as　a　necessary　foundation；　or　stay；　for　the　raising　of　the

rampart；　and　he　preserved　it　by　covering　it　with　feudal　fortifications

as　with　a　mantle。　Issoudun　was　at　that　time　the　seat　of　the　ephemeral

power　of　the　Routiers　and　the　Cottereaux；　adventurers　and　free…

lancers；　whom　Henry　II。　sent　against　his　son　Richard；　at　the　time　of

his　rebellion　as　Comte　de　Poitou。



The　history　of　Aquitaine；　which　was　not　written　by　the　Benedictines；

will　probably　never　be　written；　because　there　are　no　longer

Benedictines：　thus　we　are　not　able　to　light　up　these　archaeological

tenebrae　in　the　history　of　our　manners　and　customs　on　every　occasion

of　their　appearance。　There　is　another　testimony　to　the　ancient

importance　of　Issoudun　in　the　conversion　into　a　canal　of　the

Tournemine；　a　little　stream　raised　several　feet　above　the　level　of　the

Theols　which　surrounds　the　town。　This　is　undoubtedly　the　work　of　Roman

genius。　Moreover；　the　suburb　which　extends　from　the　castle　in　a

northerly　direction　is　intersected　by　a　street　which　for　more　than　two

thousand　years　has　borne　the　name　of　the　rue　de　Rome；　and　the

inhabitants　of　this　suburb；　whose　racial　characteristics；　blood；　and

physiognomy　have　a　special　stamp　of　their　own；　call　themselves

descendants　of　the　Romans。　They　are　nearly　all　vine…growers；　and

display　a　remarkable　inflexibility　of　manners　and　customs；　due；

undoubtedly；　to　their　origin；perhaps　also　to　their　victory　over　the

Cottereaux　and　the　Routiers；　whom　they　exterminated　on　the　plain　of

Charost　in　the　twelfth　century。



After　the　insurrection　of　1830；　France　was　too　agitated　to　pay　much

attention　to　the　rising　of　the　vine…growers　of　Issoudun；　a　terrible

affair；　the　facts　of　which　have　never　been　made　public；for　good

reasons。　In　the　first　place；　the　bourgeois　of　Issoudun　refused　to

allow　the　military　to　enter　the　town。　They　followed　the　use　and　wont

of　the　bourgeoisie　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　declared　themselves

responsible　for　their　own　city。　The　government　was　obliged　to　yield　to

a　sturdy　people　backed　up　by　seven　or　eight　thousand　vine…growers；　who

had　burned　all　the　archives；　also　the　offices　of　〃indirect　taxation；〃

and　had　dragged　through　the　streets　a　customs　officer；　crying　out　at

every　street　lantern；　〃Let　us　hang　him　here！〃　The　poor　man's　life　was

saved　by　the　national　guard；　who　took　him　to　prison　on　pretext　of

drawing　up　his　indictment。　The　general　in　command　only　entered　the

town　by　virtue　of　a　compromise　made　with　the　vine…growers；　and　it

needed　some　courage　to　go　among　them。　At　the　moment　when　he　showed

himself　at　the　hotel…de…ville；　a　man　from　the　faubourg　de　Rome　slung　a

〃volant〃　round　his　neck　（the　〃volant〃　is　a　huge　pruning…hook　fastened

to　a　pole；　with　which　they　trim　trees）　crying　out；　〃No　more　clerks；　or

there's　an　end　to　compromise！〃　The　fellow　would　have　taken　off　that

honored　head；　left　untouched　by　sixteen　years　of　war；　had　it　not　been

for　the　hasty　intervention　of　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　revolt；　to

whom　a　promise　had　been　made　that　THE　CHAMBERS　SHOULD　BE　ASKED　TO

SUPPRESS　THE　EXCISEMEN。



In　the　fourteenth　century；　Issoudun　still　had　sixteen　or　seventeen

thousand　inhabitants；　remains　of　a　population　double　that　number　in

the　time　of　Rigord。　Charles　VII。　possessed　a　mansion　which　still

exists；　and　was　known；　as　late　as　the　eighteenth　century；　as　the

Maison　du　Roi。　This　town；　then　a　centre　of　the　woollen　trade；　supplied

that　commodity　to　the　greater　part　of　Europe；　and　manufactured　on　a

large　scale　blankets；　hats；　and　the　excellent　Chevreautin　gloves。

Under　Louis　XIV。；　Issoudun；　the　birthplace　of　Baron　and　Bourdaloue；

was　always　cited　as　a　city　of　elegance　and　good　society；　where　the

language　was　correctly　spoken。　The　curate　Poupard；　in　his　History　of

Sancerre；　mentions　the　inhabitants　of　Issoudun　as　remarkable　among　the

other　Berrichons　for　subtlety　and　natural　wit。　To…day；　the　wit　and　the

splendor　have　alike　disappeared。　Issoudun；　whose　great　extent　of

ground　bears　witness　to　its　ancient　importance；　has　now　barely　twelve

thousand　inhabitants；　including　the　vine…dressers　of　four　enormous

suburbs；those　of　Saint…Paterne；　Vilatte；　Rome；　and　Alouette；　which

are　really　small　towns。　The　bourgeoisie；　like　that　of　Versailles；　are

spread　over　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　streets。　Issoudun　still

holds　the　market　for　the　fleeces　of　Berry；　a　commerce　now　threatened

by　improvements　in　the　stock　which　are　being　introduced　everywhere

except　in　Berry。



The　vineyards　of　Issoudun　produce　a　wine　which　is　drunk　throughout　the

two　departments；　and　which；　if　manufactured　as　Burgundy　and　Gascony

manufacture　theirs；　would　be　one　of　the　best　wines　in　France。　Alas；

〃to　do　as　our　fathers　did；〃　with　no　innovations；　is　the　law　of　the

land。　Accordingly；　the　vine…growers　continue　to　leave　the　refuse　of

the　grape　in　the　juice　during　its　fermentation；　which　makes　the　wine

detestable；　when　it　might　be　a　source　of　ever…springing　wealth；　and　an

industry　for　the　community。　Thanks　to　the　bitterness　which　the　refuse

infuses　into　the　wine；　and　which；　they　say；　lessens　with　age；　a

vintage　will　keep　a　century。　This　reason；　given　by　the　vine…grower　in

excuse　for　his　obstinacy；　is　of　sufficient　importance　to　oenology　to

be　made　public　here；　Guillaume　le　Breton　has　also　proclaimed　it　in

some　lines　of　his　〃Phillippide。〃



The　decline　of　Issoudun　is　explained　by　this　spirit　of　sluggishness；

sunken　to　actual　torpor；　which　a　single　fact　will　illustrate。　When　the

authorities　were　talking　of　a　highroad　between　Paris　and　Toulouse；　it

was　natural　to　think　of　taking　it　from　Vierzon　to　Chateauroux　by　way

of　Issoudun。　The　distance　was　shorter　than　to　make　it；　as　the　road　now

is；　through　Vatan；　but　the　leading　people　of　the　neighborhood　and　the

city　council　of　Issoudun　（whose　discussion　of　the　matter　is　said　to　be

recorded）；　demanded　that　it　should　go　by　Vatan；　on　the　ground　that　if

the　highroad　went　through　their　town；　provisions　would　rise　in　price

and　they　might　be　forced　to　pay　thirty　sous　for　a　chicken。　The　only

analogy　to　be　found　for　this　proceeding　is　in　the　wilder　parts　of

Sardinia；　a　land　once　so　rich　and　populous；　now　so　deserted。　When

Charles　Albert；　with　a　praiseworthy　intention　of　civilization；　wished

to　unite　Sassari；　the　second　capital　of　the　island；　with　Cagliari　by　a

magnificent　highway　（the　only　one　ever　made　in　that　wild　waste　by　name

Sardinia）；　the　direct　line　lay　through　Bornova；　a　district　inhabited

by　lawless　people；　all　the　more　like　our　Arab　tribes　because　they　are

descended　from　the　Moors。　Seeing　that　they　were　about　to　fall　into　the

clutches　of　civilization；　the　savages　of　Bornova；　without　taking　the

trouble　to　discuss　the　matter；　declared　their　opposition　to　the　road。

The　government　took　no　notice　of　it。　The　first　engineer　who　came　to

survey　it；　got　a　ball　through　his　head；　and　died　on　his　level。　No

action　was　taken　on　this　murder；　but　the　road　made　a　circuit　which

lengthened　it　by　eight　miles！



The　continual　lowering　of　the　price　of　wines　drunk　in　the

neighborhood；　though　it　may　satisfy　the　desire　of　the　bourgeoisie　of

Issoudun　for　cheap　provisions；　is　leading　the　way　to　the　ruin　of　the

vine…growers；　who　are　more　and　more　burdened　with　the　costs　of

cultivation　and　the　taxes；　just　as　the　ruin　of　the　woollen　trade　is

the　result　of　the　non…improvement　in　the　breeding　of　sheep。　Country…

folk　have　the　deepest　horror　of　change；　even　that　which　is　most

conducive　to　their　interests。　In　the　country；　a　Parisian　meets　a

laborer　who　eats　an　enormous　quantity　of　bread；　cheese；　and

vegetables；　he　proves　to　him　that　if　he　would　substitute　for　that　diet

a　certain　portion　of　meat；　he　would　be　better　fed；　at　less　cost；　that

he　could　work　more；　and　would　not　use　up　his　capital　of　health　and

strength　so　quickly。　The　Berrichon　sees　the　correctness　of　the

calculation；　but