UC-NRLF. 
 
BY AUGUSTUS J. C. HARE. 
 
 Now ready, crown %vo, ioy. 6d. per velitme. 
 With Maps and 500 Illustrations. 
 
 NORTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 SOUTH-WESTERN FRANCE. 
 
 In preparation. 
 
 NORTH-WESTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Complete list of Works by same Author at end of 
 this Volume. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 GEORGE ALLEN, 8, BELL YARD, TEMPLE BARJ 
 AND SUNNYSIDE, ORPINGTON. 
 
/#?/ 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE 
 
 BY 
 
 AUGUSTUS J. C. HARE 
 
 AUTHOR OF 'PARIS,' 'WALKS IN ROME,' 'WALKS IN LONDON,' ETC. 
 
 GEORGE ALLEN 
 8, BELL YARD, TEMPLE BAR, LONDON 
 
 AND 
 
 SUNNYSIDE, ORPINGTON 
 
 [All rights reserved] 
 
LOAN STACK 
 
 Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 I. PARIS TO LYON BY THE CENTRAL RAILWAY TO THE 
 THE SOUTH FONTAINEBLEAU, SENS, JOIGNY, 
 TONNERRE, TANLAY, ANCY-LE-FRANC, MONTBARD, 
 DIJON (CITEAUX), BEAUNE (AUTUN), CHALONS- 
 SUR-SAONE, TOURNUS, MACON (CLUNY, PARAY-LE- 
 MONIAL, ARS), LYON I 
 
 II. PARIS TO LYON, BY THE CHEMIN DE FER DU BOUR- 
 BONNAIS NEMOURS, MONTARGIS, GIEN, LA 
 CHARITE, NEVERS, MOULINS (SOUVIGNY, BOUR- 
 BON, L'ARCHAMBAULT, VICHY, THIERS, S. ETIENNE) 
 
 AND ROANNE . . . . . . . . 12J 
 
 III. EXCURSION BETWEEN THE TWO LINES FROM PARIS 
 TO LYON, CHIEFLY IN YONNE AND NlEVRE 
 AUXERRE, CLAMECY, AVALLON (VE*ZELAY), SEMUR 
 (SAULIEU) 164 
 
 IV. PARIS TO NIMES, BY BOURGES, MONTLUCON, CLER- 
 
 MONT-FERRAND (MONT DORE AND THE CURIOSI- 
 TIES OF AUVERGNE AND CANTAL, S. FLOUR AND 
 LE PUY). IN CHER, ALLIER, PUY-DE-DOME, AND 
 CANTAL 191 
 
 V. IN THE JURA. DIJON TO DOLE, BESANCON (BELFORT), 
 
 SALINS, PONTARLIER, LONS-LE-SAUNIER, ST. 
 CLAUDE, ETC, . 268 
 
 703 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. PAGE 
 
 VI. MACON TO GENEVA BY BOURG, AND FROM BELLE- 
 GARDE TO LE BOUVARET BY THE SOUTH SlDE OF 
 
 THE LAKE OF GENEVA. IN AIN AND HAUTE- 
 SAVOIE ......... 290 
 
 VII. PARIS AND MACON TO THE MONT CENIS. THE LAC 
 DE BOURGET, AlX-LES-BAINS (ANNECY), CHAM- 
 BERY (THE GRANDE CHARTREUSE). IN AIN AND 
 HAUTE-SAVOIE . . . . . . . 305 
 
 VIII. LYON TO MARSEILLES. THE CENTRAL RAILWAY TO 
 THE SOUTH, BY VlENNE, VALENCE, MONTELIMAR 
 (GRIGNAN), ORANGE (VAISON), AVIGNON (CARPEN- 
 TRAS, VAUCLUSE, CAVAILLON, APT), ARLES (Lss 
 BAUX, S. GILLES, LES SAINTES MARIES), AND S. 
 CHAMAS. IN DROME AND VAUCLUSE . . .331 
 
 IX. LYON TO MIMES AND THE SOUTH BY THE LINES ON 
 THE WEST BANK OF THE RHONE. IN ARDECHE 
 AND GARD 433 
 
 X. LYON TO MARSEILLES BY GRENOBLE (GAP, LA SALETTE, 
 EMBRUN, BRIANCON), SISTERON (DIGNE), AND 
 Aix (S. MAXIMIN, AND LA-SAINTE-BAUME), IN 
 DAUPHINE AND PROVENCE; OR HAUTES-ALPES, 
 BASSES-ALPES, AND ALPES-MARITIMES . . . 454 
 
 XI. MARSEILLES TO THE ITALIAN FRONTIER, BY TOULON 
 (HYERES), CANNES, NICE, MONACO, MONTE- 
 CARLO, AND MENTONE. IN VAR AND LES ALPES- 
 MARITIMES 508 
 
 INDEX 583 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 PARIS TO LYONS BY THE CENTRAL RAILWAY TO 
 THE SOUTH FONTAINEBLEAU, SENS, JOIGNY, 
 TONNERRE, TANLAY, ANCY-LE-FRANC, MONTBARD, 
 DIJON (CITEAUX\ BEAUNE (AUTUN}, CHALONS- 
 SUR-SAONE, TOURNUS, MACON (CLUNY, PARAY-LE- 
 MONIAL, ARS), LYONS. 
 
 For a detailed description of the places near Paris, Fontainebleau 
 inclusive, see Days near Paris. 
 
 T 
 
 HE railway passes 
 
 6 k. Charenton^ with its famous lunatic asylum. 
 
 22k. Brunoy. The chateau, rebuilt 1722, belonged to 
 Monsieur, brother of Louis XVI. The title of Marquis de 
 Brunoy was conferred upon the Duke of Wellington by 
 Louis XVIII. after the Battle of Waterloo. 
 
 45 k. Melun (Hotel : du Grand-Monarque). The church 
 of 6*. Aspais is xv. c. ; that of Notre Dame x. c. A statue 
 commemorates the illustrious native Amyot. 6k. N.E. is 
 the noble chateau of Vaux-Praslin, built by Fouquet, the 
 ' surintendant de finances ' under Mazarin, famous for the 
 fete which he gave here to Louis XIV. Louis VII. was 
 buried, 1180, at the abbey of Barbeaux, near Melun, which 
 he had founded, 
 
2 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 59 k. Fontainebleau. 
 
 [The town is 3k. from the station. Omnibus, 300. Hotels: 
 de France ct d'Angleterreveiy good, but dear ; de Londres ; 
 de I Europe. Carriages : 2 horses ist h., 4 fr. ; 2nd h., 3 fr. ; 
 I horse 1st h., 3 fr. ; 2nd h., 2 fr. : by the day 2 horses, 20 fr. ; 
 I horse, 10 fr.] 
 
 The first king of France who made a residence here 
 
 CHATEAU DE VAUX-PKASLIN. 
 
 was Louis le Jeune, who dated his acts of 1137 and 1141, 
 'apud fontem Bleaudi.' But the golden age of Fontaine- 
 bleau began with the Renaissance, and with Francois I., 
 who wished to make its palace the most glorious in the 
 world. His buildings, decorated by the best Italian 
 workmen of the time, were magnificently continued under 
 Henri IV., and the succeeding kings. The facilities which 
 
FONTAINEBLEAU. 3 
 
 Fontainebleau afforded for hunting, made it a favourite 
 resort of royalty, and Louis XIII. was born in the chateau. 
 Early in the reign of Louis XIV., the palace was lent to 
 Christina, ex-Queen of Sweden, and became the scene 
 of the murder of her secretary, Monaldeschi. Napole'on I. 
 made Fontainebleau the residence of Pius VII., when 
 
 CHATEAU DE FONTAINEBLEAU. 
 
 he came for the emperor's coronation; and it was here 
 that, Jan. 25, 1810, the Pope was induced to sign the 
 famous Concordat, by which he abjured his temporal 
 sovereignty. Here also Napoleon I. made his false 
 abdication, and, in the courtyard in front of the palace, 
 took his touching farewell of the soldiers of the Vieille 
 Garde. 
 
4 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The interior of the chateau is shown daily from 1 1 to 4. 
 It is entered from the Cour du Cheval Blanc. The most 
 interesting portions are the Chapelle de la Sainte Trinite 
 (Francois I.), where Louis XV. was married to Marie 
 Leczinska; the Appartements de Napoleon /, including the 
 'Cabinet de 1' Abdication ;' the Boudoir de Marie Antoinette, 
 with metal-work wrought by Louis XVI. ; the Chambre a 
 Coucher de la Reine, inhabited in turn by five queens named 
 Marie ; the Galerie de Diane (Napoleon I.) ; the Salon de 
 Francois /., with a chimney-piece of his date ; the glorious 
 Galerie d' Henri //., built by Frangois I., but decorated by 
 Henri II. ; the Chapelle S. Saturnin (Frangois I.) ; and the 
 Galerie de Francois /., with paintings by II Rosso and 
 Primaticcio. 
 
 The Gardens, laid out by Le Notre, have much of stately 
 old-world magnificence. The Etang remains near which 
 Louis XIV. used to dance with ' Madame ' (Henrietta, 
 daughter of Charles I. of England), filled with carp of great 
 age. The drives in the Forest are full of beauty and variety, 
 especially where great moss-grown rocks are mingled with 
 the old oaks; perhaps the finest points are the Gorges 
 d'Apremont and the Gorge aux Loups. 
 
 67 k. Moret (Hotel : du Commerce), a very pretty and 
 curious old town, where the kings of France had a chateau, 
 of which the chief tower remains, dating from Louis le 
 Gros (1128). Henri IV. gave it to one of his mistresses, 
 Jacqueline de Bueil, with the title of Comtesse de Moret. 
 At either end of the principal street is a fine old 
 gothic gateway, relic of the fortifications of Charles VII. 
 (1420), and one of these rises most picturesquely at 
 the extremity of the bridge of fourteen arches over the 
 
MORET. 5 
 
 Loing. The Church, built by Louis le Jeune, and con- 
 secrated by Thomas a Becket in 1166, only retains a choir 
 of that date. The triple nave and the transepts, with 
 mullioned windows taking all the surface of the gabled 
 wall, are xm. c. : the graceful little tower, xv. c. ; the 
 principal portal, xvi. c. 
 
 ' Les parties paralleles du choeur de cette eglise possedaient 
 
 une galerie de premier etage ou triforium voute au-dessus des 
 ailes; mais 1'abside, semi-circulaire, sans collateraux, possede, 
 au-dessus d'un rang de fenetres basses, un triforium dont la 
 composition originale nous montre une suite de lunettes ou 
 roses sans meneaux, entre lesquelles est menage un passage- 
 Les details de cette partie de 1'eglise sont du meilleur style des 
 premieres annees du xiii. siecle.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 S. of the church is a timbered House of xv. c., and a 
 
6 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 little Hospice, where the nuns make excellent barley-sugar. 
 In the main street a renaissance House is inscribed 
 ' Concordia res parvae crescunt, 1618.' 
 
 [The Chemin de Fer du Bourbonnais branches off at Moret to 
 Nevers, etc. See ch. ii.] 
 
 79k. Montereau- Fault- Yonne (omnibus, 20 c. ; Hotel : du 
 Grand-Monarque). The old French name of this place marks 
 its position at the point where the Yonne falls (fault =finit} 
 into the Seine. On the site of the Roman Condatum, a 
 monastery was founded here in the first years of Christianity, 
 and a fortified town rose around it. In 1419 the old bridge 
 over the Yonne (rebuilt), which was fortified by gateways 
 and defended by a drawbridge, was the scene of the murder 
 of Jean sans Peur, Due de Bourgogne, by the advice of 
 Tannegui Duchatel and other followers of the Dauphin 
 (afterwards Charles VII.), who had a personal dread of the 
 results of a reconciliation between him and their master. 
 
 1 Vers les trois heures de I'apres-midi, le due descendit au 
 chateau de Montereau, et, laissant ses gens -d'armes a la porte 
 qui regardait la ville, il s'avan^a, suivi de neuf seigneurs et d'un 
 secretaire, sur le pont ou 1'attendait le dauphin. Le due et ses 
 compagnons, suivant les conventions arretees, ne portaient que 
 la cotte et Tepee. Jean sans Peur en fit 1'observation a Tannegui 
 Duchatel et a un autre Dauphinois, qui le vinrent recevoir aux 
 barrieres avec des baches a leur ceinture ; neanmoins il passa 
 outre, en frappant sur 1'epaule de Tannegui et disant a sa suite : 
 " Veez-ci en qui je me fie!" " Vous avez bien tarde!" repondirent 
 les Dauphinois ; et ils 1'introduisirent precipitamment dans la loge, 
 lui et le seigneur de Noailles, un des freres du comte de Foix. 
 Les autres seigneurs bourguignons etaient un peu en arriere. 
 
 'Les barrieres furent renfermees derriere eux. Ce qui se 
 passa ensuite a ete rapporte tres diversement par les deux partis. 
 
MONTE RE A U-FA UL T- YONNE. 7 
 
 Suivant les Bourguignons, le due aborda le dauphin en otant son 
 aumusse (chaperon a longues bandes) de velours noir et en 
 flechissant le genou : " Monseigneur," lui dit-il, " je suis venu a 
 votre mandement. Vous savez la desolation de ce royaume, 
 votre domaine a venir ; entendez a la reparation d'icelui. Quant 
 a moi, je suis pret d'y exposer le corps et les biens de moi et 
 de mes vassaux, sujets et allies." " Beau cousin," re"pliqua le 
 dauphin, " vous dites si bien que Ton ne pourrait mieux ; levez- 
 vous et vous couvrez." 
 
 ' Un signe fut alors, dit-on, echange" entre le dauphin et 
 Tannegui, qui s'e"cria : " II est temps ! " Et, a 1'instant ou le due 
 se releva, Tannegui " le ferit si roidement d'une hache parmi 
 le visage que le due chut a genoux." Le due mit la main a 
 son epee et fit im effort pour se relever ; mais le vicomte de 
 Narbonne et les autres chevaliers du dauphin, qui etaient tons 
 " armes a blanc " sous leurs robes, se ruerent sur Jean et 
 1'abattirent a terre comme mort. Un nomine Olivier Layet 
 1'acheva en lui " boutant une epee par-dessous son haubergeon 
 tout dedans le ventre." Le sire de Noailles tomba au meme 
 instant, la tete fendue par derriere d'un coup de hache. Les 
 autres Bourguignons accoururent trop tard: les soldats dauphinois, 
 embarques pres de 1'extremite du pont donnant sur la ville, 
 s'etaient elances en foule par la barriere demeuree ouverte de ce 
 cote, tandis que 1'autre barriere, du cote du chateau, avait ete 
 fermee, suivant les conventions, pour empecher les gens d'armes 
 bourguignons d'avancer. Un seul des dix compagnons du due 
 Jean s'echappa ; tous les autres furent tues ou pris. Quant au 
 dauphin, il avait ete emmene par le president Louvet des le 
 commencement du tumulte. 
 
 ' Ainsi finit Jean sans Peur, par une trahison aussi noire que 
 celle dont il avait lui-meme donne I'exemple, douze ans aupa- 
 ravant, envers le due d'Orleans. Les consequences en devaient 
 etre plus terribles encore; chacun des grands forfaits qui se 
 succedaient periodiquement depuis I'avenement de Charles VI. 
 enfon^ait la France plus avant dans 1'abime : la France venait 
 d'etre assassinee, pour ainsi dire, avec le due de Bourgogne ! ' 
 Martin, ' Hist, de France' 
 
 The Church, formerly collegiate, has five naves without 
 
8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 transepts, and a circular E. end with three radiating chapels : 
 the fagade and tower are renaissance. Between the XVIIL c. 
 bridges over the Seine and Yonne is an equestrian statue of 
 Napoleon I., with two reliefs on the pedestal represent- 
 ing the victory which he gained at Montereau over the 
 Wiirtemberg troops. 
 
 [There is an omnibus (i fr. 250.) to the old walled town of 
 Voulx, 1 2k. distant.] 
 
 [A branch line of 30 k. connects Montereau with Flamboin, on 
 the line from Paris to Troyes.] 
 
 90 k. Villeneuve-la-Guyard, has a xvi. c. church con- 
 taining good wood-carving. At 9 k. distant is Villethierry, 
 where the church, much altered, dates from xn. c. 
 
 95 k. Champigny, has a church of xn. c. and xvi. c. In 
 the neighbouring village of Chaumont are remains of a 
 priory of xn. c. 
 
 102 k. Pont-sur- Yonne (Hotel: de la Marine), has a 
 beautiful xm. c. church of three naves, with an admirable 
 xin. c. statue of the Virgin at the portal. It contains 
 pictures by Parocel, 0& 1715. A house in the Rue du 
 Chateau, flanked by tourelles, was once part of a fortress. 
 Near this, at a spot called Hauts-Bords, is a fine dolmen. 
 
 i k. distant are the remains of La Cour Notre Dame, a priory 
 of the order of Citeaux, xin. c., with a noble rose-window at the 
 chevet, and a beautiful xvi. c. portal : in the garden of the priory 
 is a tall menhir. 14 k. in this direction is Bray-sur-Seine. The 
 road thither passes the farm of Sixte, formed from an ancient 
 priory of xvi. c. ; and runs a little to the r. of Serbonnes, with 
 a xvi. c. church (whence, from a house on the 1. of the Place, 
 came Jacques Clement, the assassin of Henri III.), and by 
 (5 k.) Sergines, which has a xvi. c. church with fine xvm. c 
 
SENS. 9 
 
 screens and two be"nitiers of xu. c. Here, remains of a Roman 
 road Chemin Perre are to be seen. 
 
 1 1 3k. Sens (Hotel: de VEcu excellent, close to the 
 Cathedral ; de Paris], The ancient city of Sens was, before 
 the Roman dominion, the capital of the Senones, and was 
 called Agendicum. Its walls were rebuilt by the Romans, 
 who adorned it with many fine buildings. The inhabitants 
 were early converted to Christianity by SS. Savinien and 
 Potentien, who suffered martyrdom here. In 615 S. Loup 
 is said to have miraculously put to flight the troops of 
 Thierry, who were besieging the town. The remembrance 
 of these especial mercies is supposed to have made the 
 population ultra-Catholic in 1562, when they massacred 
 all the Protestants within the walls ; and Sens was one of 
 the first towns in France to espouse the cause of the Ligue. 
 Natives of Sens are called Senonais. 
 
 The archtepiscopal Cathedral of S. i.tienne is said to have 
 its origin in a little sanctuary which S. Savinien founded on 
 the ruins of a pagan temple in the in. c. The actual build- 
 ing is due to Archbishops Henri de France (1122-43) and 
 Hugues de Toucy (1143-68), and is consequently very 
 interesting from its date : the choir much resembles that 
 of Canterbury, rebuilt by William of Sens in 1175. The 
 most ancient part of the church is the little N. apse chapel. 
 The fagade and vaulting were much altered in the xm. c. ; 
 the chapels round the choir were built in xiv. c. ; and 
 transepts in xv. c. or xvi. c. In its main building, except 
 the Cathedral of S. Denis, that of Sens may be looked 
 upon as the earliest gothic monument in France. 1 
 
 1 Felix de Verneilh, Annales Archeologiques xxiii., 128. 
 
io SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The vast central portal of the fagade is richly adorned 
 with statues : on the central pillar is a striking figure of 
 S. Etienne, holding a book, and in the tympanum his story. 
 The three colossal statues near the summit of the facade 
 are modern ; a little above the smaller portal on r. are faint 
 remains of an equestrian statue of Philippe-Auguste. The 
 tower, which fell in 1267, was only rebuilt in xvi. c. : of 
 its once famous ancient bells, only two remain Savinienne 
 and Potentienne, of 1560. On the basement of the 1. 
 portal are much-injured reliefs of Liberality and Avarice ; 
 the latter represented as a woman, with disordered hair, 
 seated on a coffer. The cathedral is so hemmed in by 
 houses that very little of the exterior can be well seen. 
 A picturesque renaissance porch leads through the court of 
 the archiepiscopal palace to the beautiful portal of the 
 S. transept. The front of the N. transept is covered with 
 flamboyant tracery. The interior is magnificent, entirely 
 pointed, except the wall-arcading of the nave. The central 
 nave is of great width. The windows contain a great deal 
 of fine stained glass of xn. c. to xvi. c. That (in the choir 
 aisle) representing the Sibyl consulted by Augustus, is said 
 to have been designed by Luca Penni, brother of Francesco. 
 The legend of S. Eutrope is. by Jean Cousin. In the 
 windows of the S. transept the story of Thomas a Becket 
 is told, 1 and there is a picture of the murder opposite 
 the entrance to the sacristy. The high altar and its bal- 
 dacchino are by Servandoni, 1742. Between the nave and 
 its 1. aisle is a beautiful gothic altar, with statues of the 
 Virgin and S. Stephen. The chapel of the Virgin (r. of 
 choir, xv. c.) contains a good statue of the Virgin of 1334 ; 
 
 1 As at Chartres and S. Ouen. 
 
SENS. 1 1 
 
 the E. chapel has a representation of the martyrdom of 
 the first bishop, S. Savinien. In the adjoining chapel 
 of S. Colombe (late xvi. c.) is the tomb of the Dauphin, 
 son of Louis XV., and his wife the austere Marie Josephe 
 de Saxe, considered to be a masterpiece of Guillaume 
 Coustou. The same chapel contains two reliefs, which are 
 the only remains of the tomb of Cardinal Archbishop 
 Duprat, Chancellor of France, destroyed at the Revolution. 
 The kneeling figures on either side of this are those of 
 Cardinal Jacques Duperron and his brother Jean Duperron, 
 both Archbishops of Sens. 
 
 On the r. of the choir is a very picturesque staircase, 
 and a door with curious ironwork. This forms the 
 entrance to the Treasury, a vaulted hall with a barrel 
 roof, containing the interesting episcopal robes of Thomas 
 a Becket, and his very low mitre ; the episcopal robe of 
 S. Ebbon (vin. c.) ; the head of S. Savigny, first Bishop 
 of Sens ; the ring of S. Loup, Bishop of Sens (there 
 was another of Troyes), and the curious ivory comb which 
 he used in holding back the hair of candidates for ordina- 
 tion, when it was cut off; the ring of Gregory XL, pre- 
 viously Bishop of Sens ; the very curious reliquary with 
 the body of S. Colombe ; a splendid ivory reliquary of the 
 in. c., brought from the East in the Crusades ; magnificent 
 old tapestries which belonged to the Cardinal de Bourbon ; 
 a beautiful ivory Christ, by Girardon ; and the coronation 
 robe of Charles X., brought hither to be placed on the 
 tomb of his father the Dauphin, during his commemoration 
 service. 
 
 In this cathedral S. Louis was married to Marguerite 
 de Provence in 1234 ; and, five years later, the king and 
 
12 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 his brother, Robert d'Artois, brought hither the crown 
 of thorns, afterwards taken to the Sainte Chapelle at 
 Paris. 
 
 The Archiepiscopal Palace, built by Cardinal Louis de 
 Bourbon, in 1557, is a very striking building; all its details 
 are classical, but most harmonious. 
 
 ' The upper pilasters cannot be dispensed with, if the lower 
 range is to be employed, which seems an indispensable part of 
 the arcaded forms below ; and the way in which their lines are 
 carried through a console, gives them all the continuity of a 
 buttress, with more than its usual grace.' Fergusson. 
 
 To the r. of the Cathedral and Palace is the Salle 
 Synodale, called L'Offiaalttt, built 1240; much injured by 
 the fall of the cathedral tower in 1267, and recently restored 
 to its primitive state by Viollet le Due. 
 
 ' Le rez-de-chaussee, bati sur caves, est voute sur une epine 
 de colonnes et contient les salles de I'ofrlcialite et les prisons. 
 Une entree carrossable passe sous 1'extremite septentrionale de 
 cette salle, et un large escalier partant de ce passage conduit 
 a la salle du premier etage ou salle synodale, un magnificent 
 vaisseau ou Ton peut reunir facilement huit a neuf cents per- 
 sonnes. Du cote de la place, des contre-forts sont couronnes 
 par des pinnacles tres-riches, varies, surmontant des statues, 
 parmi lesquelles on distingue celle du roi Saint-Louis, la seule 
 peut-etre qu'il y ait encore en France de son temps. La sculp- 
 ture de la salle synodale de Sens peut etre comptee parmi les 
 meilleures de cette epoque. Les profiles, les details, sont traites 
 evidemment par un maitre, et aucun edifice ne presente un 
 fenestrage mieux concu et d'un aspect plus grandiose."' Viollet 
 le Due. 
 
 In the Hotel de Ville is a precious picture, one of the 
 only two authentic known works of Jean Cousin, repre- 
 senting ' Eve, la premiere Pandore.' 
 
SENS. 13 
 
 The Church of S. Pierre le Rond, in the centre of the 
 town, dates from xm. c., but has been altered xv. c. and 
 xvi. c. ; it has some good stained glass. The chapel of the 
 hospital, or Church of S.Jean, is xm. c., altered in xvn. c. : 
 the choir, of the earlier period, is surrounded by an open 
 gallery, passing behind the piers of the vaulting and in 
 front of the triple windows. The entrance to the Halle 
 is xm. c. S. Maurice^ a quaint half-timbered church, on 
 the island in the Yonne, dates from xii. c. to xvi. c., and 
 contains the relics of SS. Fort, Guinefort, and Aveline. 
 -S-S. Savinien and Potentien, at the end of the faubourg of 
 that name, is a fine church, said to have been founded by 
 the saints in in. c., rebuilt v. c., and restored XL c. : the 
 crypt is of 1001 : the altar is affirmed to be that upon 
 which S. Savinien was celebrating at the moment of his 
 martyrdom. Amid tufted trees, on a vine-covered hill, r. 
 of the railway station, is a chapel whither S. Bond is said to 
 have retired in the vii. c. ; it was formerly a great point of 
 pilgrimage. 
 
 On the r. bank of the Yonne, a little N. of the town, is 
 the abbey of S. Colombe (a Gaulish virgin martyred by 
 command of Aurelian), founded by Clotaire II. in 620, 
 and originally embracing a monastery, palace, and castle, 
 surrounded by walls and towers. Of the ancient buildings 
 only some outer walls, the xm. c. refectory, and a crypt 
 remain. A church has been rebuilt here for the Soeurs de la 
 Sainte Enfance. Thomas a Becket resided for several months 
 at S. Colombe, where a plain stone, inscribed ' Rodolphus 
 Rex,' used to mark the grave of King Raoul, 936. 
 
 The banks of the Yonne, near Sens, are very pretty, and 
 the landscape artist will find good subjects towards evening 
 
14 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 in the grey cathedral and old houses rising beyond the 
 trees on the still reaches of the river. 
 
 ' The Yonne, bending gracefully, link after link, through a 
 never-ending rustle of poplar trees, beneath lovely vine-clad hills, 
 with relics of delicate woodland here and there, sometimes close 
 at hand, sometimes leaving an interval of broad meadow, has all 
 the lightsome character of French riverside scenery on a smaller 
 scale than usual, and might pass for the child's fancy of a river, 
 
 like the rivers of the old miniature painters, blue, and full to a 
 fair green margin.' Walter Pater. 
 
 Sens may well be made headquarters for several excur- 
 sions by rail and road to Moret, Villeneuve-sur- Yonne, 
 Fleurigny, etc. The last is a pleasant afternoon drive. 
 
 [A road of 43 k. leads from Sens to Nogent-sur-Seine, 
 passing 
 
 2 k. 5. Clement. The church is xm. c. On 1. of road Popelin 
 has an ancient lazar house, restored xvi. c., and now a farm- 
 house. 
 
F LEU RIG NY. 15 
 
 7 k. Soucy^ has a church of xvi. c., with a massive fortified 
 tower of xv. c. Jean Cousin, famous both as a painter and 
 sculptor, was born at Soucy in 1530. 
 
 1 5k. Thorigny. The church is xv. c. 3k. W. is the very 
 beautiful moated renaissance Chateau de Fleurigny, of 1520, 
 occupying the site of an old castle destroyed by the English. It 
 belongs to the Marquis de Raigecourt, and is well kept up. The 
 
 CHATEAU DE FLEURIGNY. 
 
 windows and chimneys of the facade are of great beauty. In the 
 Salle des Gardes is a fine chimney-piece. The chapel is double. 
 In the lower chapel is an important window, representing the 
 Sibyl consulted by Augustus, which is usually attributed to Jean 
 Cousin. The village Church, of xn. c., has curious sculptured 
 "brackets in its choir. 
 
 24 k. Sognes. The church has a crypt of X. c. or xi. c. A little 
 menhir is called Le Pas-Dieu. 
 
 25 k. Le Plessis-Gdteble. The church is xn. c. and xvi. c. 
 
16 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 31 k. Trainel, on the Orvin, with picturesque ruins of a 
 chateau and walls : the church of . Gcrvais is renaissance : the 
 priory chapel of 6". Madeleine (xvi. c.) was a dependence of 
 the Paraclete. 
 
 35k. Gumery. The church is xn. c. The Chdteau de Motte- 
 Ttlly is xvin. c. 
 
 43 k. Nogenl-sur-Seine (see North-Eastern France).~\ 
 
 [A railway leads from Sens to Troyes by the valley of the 
 Vanne to 
 
 14 k. Theil Cerisiers. Theil 1(1 k. 1.) has remains of a Roman 
 aqueduct. Over the entrance to the church is a xn. c. relief of 
 S. Martin. The road which leads hence to S. Florentin passes a 
 little E. of the ruined Abbaye de Dtlo t founded 1132, and con- 
 secrated by Thomas a Becket. 
 
 1 6 k. Pont-sur- Vanne, has remains of a Roman aqueduct. The 
 church is xn. c. and xvi. c. 
 
 27 k. Villencuve-l Archeveque (Hotel : de la Tete-Noirc). 
 The church, of xn c. and xvi. c., has a fine xm. c. portal, richly 
 decorated with statues and statuettes. In the interior is a xvi. c. 
 S. Sepulcre brought from the abbey of Vauluisant, and some 
 good glass. 
 
 (An excursion may be made from Villeneuve by Molinons, 
 with a xm. c. church ; and (3 k.) Lailly, with xv. c. woodwork in 
 the chapel of S. Roch : to ( 5^ k.) the fortified Abbey of Vauluisant 
 in the valley of the Alain. The ruins, chiefly xm. c., are 
 approached by a xvi. c. gateway. (8 k.) is Courgenay, formerly 
 walled, with a church of xv. c. and xvi. c., which contains a 
 Crucifixion attributed to Jean Cousin, a processional cross of 
 xn. c., and other relics.) 
 
 The road passes 1. the Manor of Maulny-le-Repos, so called 
 because S. Louis once slept there. 
 
 33 k. Vulaines, occupies the site of the Roman Clanum : the 
 church (xn. c.) contains three tombs of xm. c. 3 k. S.E. is 
 Rigny-le-Ferron, where the church has a number of xvi. c. relics. 
 4k. S.E. of this is Berulle, with a very fine xvi. c. church, with 
 good glass and fine font. The place gave a name to the family 
 of which Cardinal Pierre de Berulle was a member, who intro- 
 duced the Carmelites and Oratorians into France. I3k. N. by 
 
CHATEAU DE VALLERY. 17 
 
 Mareilly is 6". Lupien, with the curious tomb of the saint, bearing 
 an axe. 
 
 36 k. ,5*. Benoit, has a well-preserved xvi. c. chateau. 
 
 40 k. Aix-en- Othe, Villemaur. 4k. S. is Aix-en-Othe, owing 
 its name to its springs, near which remains of Gallo-Roman 
 baths have been found. The church has tapestries and paintings 
 on wood and copper of xvi. c. I k. is Villemaur, originally 
 walled. The church (xin. c. and xvi. c.) contains a splendid 
 wooden renaissance rood-loft, and an ancient copper reliquary. 
 A diligence runs from the station to (22 k.) 6". Lupien or Som?ne 
 Fontaine, where the church (of xn. c. and xvi. c.) contains a 
 Gallo-Roman tomb, said to be that of S. Lupien. 
 
 51 k. Estissac, originally called S. Liebault. 
 
 69 k. Troyes (see North-Eastern. France). ~\ 
 
 [A carriage road leads from Sens to (48 k.) Nemours, by 
 
 8 k. Villeroy. The xv. c. church has a fine xvin. c. retable. 
 The road passes on 1. Foucheres, where the church (xin. c. and 
 xv. c.) has xv. c. glass and sculpture. 
 
 1 5k. 5. Valerien. The church (xn. c. to xvi. c.) contains a 
 striking XVIL c..tomb. 
 
 24 k. Cheroy. The church (xm. c. to xvi. c.) has a fine xvin. c. 
 altar, which comes from the Chateau de Nolon. On the Place 
 du Marche aux Pores is a tithe-barn of the xin. c. 5 k. on 
 the road to Villeneuve-la-Guyard, is the Chateau de Vallery, 
 replacing an earlier building of the xin. c. erected by a sire 
 de Vallery famous in the Crusades. This earlier chateau was 
 besieged, taken, and dismantled by the Earl of Warwick in 1425. 
 In the xvi. c. its reconstruction was begun, under Philibert 
 Delorme, by Jacques d'Albon, Marechal de S. Andre", the favourite 
 of Henri II. The widow of the marshal gave the chateau to 
 Henri I., Prince de Conde, who made it a centre of Protestantism. 
 The Grand Conde was brought up there. Only the gateway 
 between the round xiv. c. towers remains from the older chateau, 
 with the moat and some of the outer walls : and the buildings 
 of Delorme are much dilapidated. The church, built 1612 by 
 Henri II., father of le Grand Conde", contains the noble tomb 
 of the founder, by Claude Sarrasin, bearing the statue of the 
 prince, and with emblematic statues of Justice, Courage, 
 
 2 
 
1 8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. . 
 
 Prudence, and Temperance. A gravestone is inscribed with the 
 names of all the members of the house of Conde buried in the 
 sanctuary. In the sacristy is the tomb of Louis de Bourbon, 
 killed at Jarnac in 1569. A modern chapel contains the tomb, 
 with a statue, of General de la Ferriere, 1834, by Carle Elshoect] 
 
 [A railway leads from Sens to (64 k.) Montargis (see ch. ii.) 
 through the district called Gdtinais (a name meaning lands often 
 flooded), passing 
 
 7k. Subligny-Villeroy. The xv. c. church of Subligny has 
 a high altar with xvi. c. paintings. The (xm. c. and xvm. c.) 
 church of Paron has good xvi. c. glass ; in the cemetery is a 
 cross of 1532. 
 
 27 k. Courtenay, which gave a name to the family so famous 
 in the Crusades and which sent three emperors to Constanti- 
 nople. Only the base of a single tower remains of the ancient 
 fortress of the Sires de Courtenay. The church, re-built on the 
 1. bank of the Clairy in 1581, retains a romanesque tower. 
 
 40 k. Trigtieres, occupies the site of the Roman station of 
 Vellaunodunum, and has remains of a theatre, baths, and ceme- 
 tery, which existed in Roman times, but were perhaps of Gaulish 
 origin. The church is xi. c., xn. c., and xvi. c. 
 
 44 k. Chdteau-Renard (Hotel : du Sauvage), named from a 
 castle re-built in the x. c. by Rainard, Comte de Sens. This 
 fortress, again rebuilt by S. Louis, became a royal palace, and 
 then, from the time of Philippe de Valois to the xvi. c., an 
 appanage of the Dukes of Orleans. It was dismantled in 1627, 
 and only some ruined towers and a church of xi. c. and xm. c. 
 remain. In a tower of the chateau, now part of the presbytery, 
 Anquetil, prior and cure of Chateau Renard, 1766-92, wrote most 
 of his Histoire de France. The handsome Chateau de la Motte, 
 upon the Ouanne, was built by Louise de Coligny, daughter of 
 the great admiral and widow of the murdered Prince of Orange, 
 in 1609.] 
 
 127 k. Villeneuve-sur- Yonne, sometimes called Villeneuve- 
 le Roi (Hotel: du Dauphin which has a good renaissance 
 doorway) is a most picturesque old town, where an artist 
 
VILLENEUVE-SUR- YONNE. 19 
 
 will be delighted with the two principal streets, formed by 
 houses of most varied outline and colour. At each end of 
 the chief of these is a fine xm. c. Gateway, the tall tourelles 
 of which, combined with the winding street, where bright 
 green foliage emerges here and there from the grey courts, 
 make a striking picture. The older part of the Bridge, of 
 small narrow arches, is of the time of Louis VII. , the 
 founder of the town. The church of Notre Dame has 
 
 VILLENEUVE-SUR-YONNE. 
 
 portals (N. and S.) of xm. c., and a renaissance fagade. 
 The interior is strikingly beautiful, with very wide nave 
 and aisles : there is some good stained glass, and near the S. 
 door a polygonal benitier (xm. c.), surmounted by a curious 
 castellated canopy : the pulpit is early renaissance. The 
 Andenne Maison de Poste (xvin. c.) is adorned with medal- 
 lions of pagan gods. The Tour de Louis le Gros is a circular 
 keep which was isolated from the castle by a wide deep 
 ditch : a stair in the thickness of the wall gave access to 
 its different storeys, 
 
2o SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 135 k, S. Julien-du-Sault (i k. from station), famous for 
 its red wine, has an interesting church, for the most part 
 xin. c., with a porch of that time, and admirable stained 
 glass of xm. c., xiv. c., and xv. c. Several houses have 
 richly carved beams. On the neighbouring hill is a xin. c. 
 chapel which belonged to the castle, now in ruins. 
 
 [5k. W. is Verlin, where the gothic church has good xin. c. 
 glass, and (10 k.) 5. Martin d'Ordon, where the church has a tomb 
 of 1526, and a beautiful reversed capital as a benitier. A little 
 S. of Villeneuve is the xvn. c. Chateau du Fays, containing por- 
 traits of the Chancellor d'Aguesseau and Ninon de 1'Enclos.] 
 
 141 k. Cezy, a fortified town with remains of xin. c. 
 walls, and gates, and a church of the same date, containing 
 a xv. c. Pieta. 
 
 146 Y.Joigny (Hotels : du Due de Bourgogne; de la Poste\ 
 formerly Joviniacum, from Jovinian, is a small picturesque 
 town which astonished the Prussians by its heroic resist- 
 ance in 1870. Its bridge of seven arches over the Yonne is 
 xvii. c. and xvm. c. The church of S. Jean, rebuilt 1400 
 1596, is chiefly renaissance. The interior is very rich : two 
 pillars of the sanctuary are xn. c. In the Chapelle de la 
 Vierge are remains of the tomb of Guillaume I., Comte de 
 Joigny, 1219 : in the Baptistery is a marble S. Sepulcre 
 (xvi. c.) attributed to Cristoforo Cibo, and brought from 
 Italy in 1617 by Emmanuel de Gondi, with the two bnitiers 
 at the entrance of the nave. The church of S. Andre is 
 xi. c. and xn. c., altered in xv. c. and xvi. c., and has an 
 admirable renaissance portal, and the sepulchral statue of 
 Guillaume I. Near this church is a gate of xin. c., the only 
 remnant of the Priory of Notre Dame. The church of 
 
JOIGNY. 
 
 21 
 
 S. Thibaut, 1490 1529, has a xv. c. chapel of great beauty, 
 rebuilt in 1864 : over one of the doors is an equestrian 
 statue of the patron saint. The nave contains the kneeling 
 sepulchral figure of ^tienne Porcher, sergeant-at-arms to 
 the king (xiv. c.) : in the sacristy is a Crucifixion by 
 Albert Diirer. 
 
 The former cemetery, now a promenade, near S. Andre, 
 
 JOIGNY. 
 
 once contained the curious octagonal Chapelle des Ferrand, 
 built by Jean Ferrand, Archbishop of Sens, in the time 
 of Frangois L, as the mausoleum of his family : it is 
 now ruined by being built into the Palais de Justice. 
 Nothing remains of the ancient Chateau but some of the 
 outer walls and the (xn. c.) Port de S.Jean. The Chateau 
 Neuf (1550 1613) was built by Serlio, architect to 
 Frangois I. The Hopital de Tons les Saints, founded in 
 1330 by Jeanne de Valois, daughter of Jean II., Comte de 
 
22 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Joigny, was rebuilt in 1843 : the foundress is buried under 
 the altar of the chapel. S. Vincent de Paul, who lived here 
 for some time, did much for the charitable institutions of 
 Joigny. On the remains of the city walls, one of the 
 ancient gates la Porte du Bois still exists. Several 
 timber houses are xv. c. 
 
 To the r. of the railway is Champlay, where Louis XIV. 
 built a magnificent chateau for Bolle, Marquis de Champlay, 
 Marechal des Logis : nothing remains but the offices. 
 
 [A road leads W. from Joigny to (36k.) Trigueres (on the line 
 from Sens to Montargis) by 
 
 6 k. Beon, overlooked by a hill-set xvi. c. church. Beyond this, 
 on the 1. of the road, in a valley, is the Chartreuse de Valprofond, 
 founded in 1301, by Isabelle de Mello, Comtesse de Joigny. 
 
 25 k. Villefranche, to the S. of which is the (xv. c.) Chateau 
 de S. Phal } moated, and flanked by two great round towers, 
 i k. is the ruined Cistercian Abbey of Echarlis, founded 1120, 
 near a mineral spring of great repute, which was used by Louis 
 le Gros and Fran9ois I. Only the gateway, part of the .cloister, 
 and the pilgrimage chapel of Notre Dame de la Pitie remain of 
 the abbey, which was ruined at the Revolution. The road passes 
 on 1. the Chateau de Launay, partly xvi. c. 
 
 31 k. Douchy. The church, partly xn. c., has fine stallwork 
 from the abbey of Echarlis.] 
 
 [A road leads S.W. to (30 k.) Villers S. Benoit on the line 
 from Trigueres to Clamecy, by 
 
 9 k. Senan, with a xn. c. and xvi. c. church and xvni. c. 
 chateau. 
 
 20 k. 5. Aubin Chdteauneuf, with a xv. c. church. The moated 
 Chateau de Fourolles has two towers and a gateway.] 
 
 155 k. La Roche, where the Auxerre-Clamecy-Avallon 
 railway branches off. See ch. iii. 
 
5. FLORENTIN, PONTIGNY. 23 
 
 1 64 k. Brienon-F Archeveque, of which the seigneury 
 belonged to S. Loup, archbishop of Sens. The walking- 
 stick of S. Loup is preserved in the church, which is of 
 xv. c., xvi. c., and xvn. c. 
 
 173 k. S. Florentin (omnibus, 30 c. Hotel : de la Porte 
 Dilo}. The town, 2 k. E. of the station, is named from 
 a saint who suffered martyrdom here in HI. c. In the 
 vi. c. Brunehaut was attacked here by the Neustrian chief- 
 tain Landry, who was killed in battle at Chalandry (Champ- 
 Landry). The last of the Phelippeaux, Vicomtes de S. 
 Florentin, was created Due de la Vrilliere by Louis XV. 
 
 Only a single tower, used as a belfry, remains of the old 
 fortifications. The Grande Rue leads to a small square 
 with a fountain. A staircase ascends to the N. portal of 
 the Church, which is partly xv. c. gothic, partly xvi. c. 
 renaissance. Four windows, dated 1528, have rich glass 
 and sculptures. There is a very fine renaissance jube, 
 and behind the high-altar a remarkable S. Sepulcre, with 
 delicate bas-reliefs of the Passion, surrounding a relief of 
 the Resurrection. The stained glass window, to r. of this, 
 represents the life of S. Florentin. Opposite the staircase 
 leading to the church is the Hdtel-Dieu. 
 
 [It is a drive of 28k. from S. Florentin to Auxerre, by (8k.) 
 the famous Cistercian Abbey of Ponligny (carriages to Pontigny, 
 5 fr., opposite S. Florentin station), founded by Hugues de Macon 
 in 1 1 14, being one of the four daughters of Citeaux and itself the 
 mother of forty-five other abbeys of the order in France, Italy, 
 Poland, and England. Thomas a Becket took refuge here in 
 1164-66, and here, whilst kneeling in the church before one of 
 the altars, had a vision of the Saviour, Who said to him, ' Thomas, 
 Thomas, my Church shall be glorified by thy blood.' 
 
 The recollection of the hospitality shown at Pontigny to 
 
24 SO UTH-EASTERN . FRANCE. 
 
 S. Thomas made later archbishops of Canterbury turn to its 
 abbey as a refuge in time of trouble. Archbishop Stephen Langton 
 and several English bishops took refuge here in 1208, when 
 banished by John. Lastly S. Edme Flos Angliae, decus 
 Galliae came hither in 1240, and remained for two years ; and 
 though his death, in 1242, occurred at the Priory of Soisy-en-Brie, 
 near Provins, his body was brought back to Pontigny in 1247, 
 having been canonised (as one who had spent his life in a contest 
 for the spiritual against the temporal power) by Innocent IV. in 
 1245, only three years after his death. It would be difficult to 
 say why, but there has always been an especial veneration for 
 S. Edme amongst the people of Burgundy. After his exhumation 
 at Soisy-en-Brie, at which S. Louis assisted in person, his body 
 was enclosed in a shrine, which stood at Pontigny between the 
 pillars of the sanctuary, and drew a ceaseless concourse of 
 pilgrims to the abbey. Louis XL came here in 1477 to pray by 
 the shrine, and two years after, being unable to come himself, 
 made the pilgrimage again by deputy, and at the same time pre- 
 sented the abbey of Pontigny with a vineyard near Dijon ' Afin 
 que les religieux priassent Dieu, Notre Dame et S. Edme pour 
 lui le roi, le dauphin etla reine, etmeme pour la bonne disposition 
 de notre estomac, que ni vin ni viande ne nous puissent nuire, et 
 que nous 1'ayons totijours bien disposeV l The shrine of S. Edme 
 was renewed in the xvn. c., and the devotion of the people has 
 preserved it uninjured through many revolutions. 
 
 The drive from S. Florentin to Auxerre is for the most part 
 through forest, but Pontigny itself is in a bare, ugly situation. 
 The huge Church of S. Edme is surrounded by walls, except at 
 the W. end, and has no external beauty. It was entirely built 
 after 1150 by Thibaut le Grand, Comte de Champagne, Blois, et 
 Chartres. In 1568 and 1569 it was burnt, with the monastery, 
 by the Huguenots, but it was restored 1615 and 1630, and exists 
 almost entire. It is 108 met. long by 22 wide, and 21 high. 
 
 1 Get edifice est d'une homogeneit6 parfaite, et semble etre 
 d'un seul jet. Les transsepts sont tres-d6veloppe"s. La nef n'a 
 pas de chapelles laterales, comme toutes les eglises de 1'epoque, 
 mais on en trouve une serie complete bordant les bas cotes qui 
 font le tour du choeur.' De Canmont. 
 1 Leboeuf, 
 
PONTIGNY. 25 
 
 The porch (xn. c.) is of the kind characteristic of Cistercian 
 abbeys, three bays wide and two deep, occupying the width of 
 the principal nave, and with two side halls for the service of the 
 abbey. 
 
 ' Des voutes d'are"te sans nervures couvrent ce porche et 
 viennent reposer sur deux colonnes. Une porte exte"rieure 
 correspond a la porte principale de la nef, et des deux cotes 
 s'ouvrent, sur un large et haut bahut, deux arcades divis6es par 
 des colonnettes accouplees. Tout cet ensemble, y compris les 
 deux salles, est couvert par un comble en appentis avec demi- 
 croupes aux deux extremity's. Au-dessus du comble du porche 
 est perce~e une enorme fenetre dans le grand pignon ; elle e"claire 
 la nef. A 1'exterieur, la construction de ce porche est d'un 
 aspect froid et triste. A I'interieur, les chapiteaux des colonnes 
 sont erne's de sculptures d'une simplicity toute puritaine, et le 
 tympan de la porte de l'e"glise n'est decore que d'une croix en 
 relief.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 The choir has the peculiarity of the radiating chapels being 
 polygonal within and yet presenting a flat square face externally, 
 with only the base of the flying buttresses projecting beyond the 
 line of roof. The hundred stalls are xvn. c. The shrine of S. 
 Edme, sustained by angels, rises behind the choir. A simple table 
 tomb, with an abbatial cross engraved upon the lid, is that of the 
 founder Hugues de Macon, friend and disciple of S. Bernard. 
 
 Part of the cloisters exists on the N. of the church, and 
 was restored XVIIL c. A large vaulted building of two storeys 
 remains from the monastic buildings. In the garden is a fountain 
 with a great stone swan.] 
 
 [There is a diligence (2fr. 50 c.) from S. Florentin to (25k.) 
 Chablis, passing (13 k.) Ligny-le-Chdtel, which possesses a tran- 
 sition church, and (in the lower part of the Rue des Moulins) 
 La Maison de la Reine de Sicile } which belonged in xin. c. to 
 Marguerite de Bourgogne, Queen of Sicily. At 17 k. is Maligny, 
 with some remains of an ancient castle, and a later chateau, from 
 which (1655) Marie Casimir, daughter of its last titular Count, 
 the Marquis d'Arquien, was married to John Sobieski, king of 
 Poland.] 
 
26 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 [The road from S. Florentin to (47 k.) Troyes passes through 
 (20 k.) Auxon, where the church has a fine xvi. c. altar-piece; 
 (33 k.) Bouilly, where the church has a magnificent renaissance 
 altar-piece ; and (41 k.) 6". Germain, with statues, tabernacle, and 
 glass of xvi. c.] 
 
 The railway passes a number of good village churches, 
 and (r.) the Chateau of Junay, with four towers, before 
 reaching 
 
 197 k. Tonnerre (Hotels: Lion d'Or; des Courriers), 
 a very picturesque little town on a hill above the Arman^on, 
 crowned by the church of S. Pierre, which is chiefly 
 renaissance, with a choir of 1351, and surrounded by 
 delightful walks and lime-avenues. The church of Notre 
 Dame, now disused, has a renaissance fagade, three naves 
 of xv. c. and xvi. c., and an apse of xm. c. The Hospital, 
 founded by Marguerite de Bourgogne in 1293, has been 
 rebuilt, except the Salle des Malades, which has been con- 
 verted into a parish church, and contains the tomb of the 
 famous Louvois (Seigneur of Tonnerre during the last years 
 of his life) by Girardon and Desjardins, and that by Bridan, 
 erected in 1826 to Marguerite de Bourgogne, Queen of 
 Sicily, daughter of Duke Hugues, wife of Charles de Valois, 
 brother of Philippe le Bel, and mother of Philippe VI. A 
 the end of the nave, on the 1., a black marble slab covers 
 the grave of Anne, Comtesse de Tonnerre, 1636. The 
 vaulted timber roof is very curious, and its timbers of the 
 most extraordinary size : it has long been a subject of 
 dispute whether they are oak or chestnut. In the xiv. c. 
 vaulted hall, called La Revestiere, is a curious S. Sepulcre, 
 of eight stone statues. At the foot of the hill rises the 
 spring called La Fontaine de la Fosse Deonne. In the Hotel 
 
TONA?ERRE. 27 
 
 de Ville is a portrait of Marshal Davoust. The Hotel 
 d' Uzls (Rue des Fontenilles) is one of the best of many old 
 houses in Tonnerre. No. 21, Rue du Faubourg du Pont 
 was, in 1728, the birthplace of the celebrated Chevalier 
 d'Eon. It was at Tonnerre (in returning from Vichy) that 
 the Duchesse d'Angouleme first heard of the revolution 
 
 TONNERRE. 
 
 which dethroned Charles X., and from the bridge of 
 S. Nicolas she escaped in a carriage. 
 
 Two nights should certainly be spent either at Tonnerre or 
 Montbard to make the (exceedingly worth while) double excursion 
 by rail to Tanlay and Ancy-le-Franc, which may be seen on the 
 same day. 
 
 [A road of 49 k. leads from Tonnerre to Avallon (diligence, 2 fr.) 
 
28 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 by (20 k.) Noyers, a curious old walled town upon the Serein, 
 with a good xv. c. church, and some remains of a priory ; (34k.) 
 LIsle-sur-le-Serein, with remains of a xv. c. chateau, and other 
 good domestic architecture ; and (45 k.) Sauvigny-le-Bois, near 
 which is the priory of S.-Jcan-les-BonshommesJ\ 
 
 [The road from Tonnerre to (57 k.) Troyes passes (28 k.) 
 Chaource, near the source of the Armance, where in the ix. c. the 
 kings of France had a favourite residence. The church (xn. c. 
 and xvi. c.) has stained glass and a S. Sepulcre of xvi. c. Several 
 timber-houses of xv. c. and xvi. c. have admirable details. The 
 Haloirs are of xin. c. A College was founded by Amadis Jamin, 
 a poet of the time of Charles IX. and Henri III.] 
 
 [The road from Tonnerre to (52 k.) Bar-sur-Seine passes (at 
 37 k.) by the triple commune of Riccy-Haut, Piccy-Hauterive, 
 and Ricey-Bas. The churches of the two former are xv. c. and 
 xvi. c., the latter xvi. c. 
 
 On the road to Tanlay is Commissey, with a beautiful stone 
 cross of xvii. c., and 2 k. E. of this the ruins of the Cistercian 
 Abbey of Quincy, of 1133, consisting of the abbot's house (xii. c. 
 and xv. c.), the dormitory (xn. c. and xvii. c.), and the spring of 
 S. Gauthier.] 
 
 205 k. Tanlay ', on the Armangon, celebrated for its 
 magnificent Chateau (i|k. 1. from the station), bought in 
 1535 by the family of Coligny, and rebuilt in 1559 by 
 Frangois de Coligny d'Andelot. It was purchased under 
 Louis XIV. by Michele Particelli, Sieur d'Emeri, Ministre 
 des Finances, who partly rebuilt it, carefully preserving all 
 its ancient Burgundian characteristics, and it afterwards 
 came to his son-in-law, Louis Phelippeaux, Due de la 
 Vrilliere. In the latter part of the last century, it was 
 purchased by the family of Thenuen, whose representa- 
 tive at the time of the Great Revolution was saved from 
 the guillotine by his cook, then secretary to Robespierre. 
 
CHATEAU DE TAN LAV. 
 
 29 
 
 The present Marquis de Tanlay is his grandson. The 
 chateau is approached from the station by a noble lime 
 avenue, which leads directly to Le Petit Chateau, an 
 exquisite little building erected in 1610 by Jacques Chabot, 
 Comte de Charny, but never quite finished. Its admirable 
 design and rich frieze are amongst the best works of the 
 time, and the orange colour of the stone of which it is built 
 
 TANLAY. LE PETIT CHATEAU. 
 
 adds to its effect. The Petit Chateau serves as a gatehouse 
 to the green lawns in front of the great chateau, which 
 stands at right angles to it, and is approached by a bridge 
 across a moat, flanked by two obelisks, and leading to the 
 lofty Portail-Neuf, behind which is the Cour d'Honneur, 
 decorated with fine orange-trees, and surrounded on three 
 sides by the main buildings, of which the r. wing ends 
 in the tower of the chapel (1648), and the 1. wing in 
 the Tour des Archives. These towers rise directly from 
 
30 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the moat. The facade towards the gardens is of the time of 
 Francois de Coligny. The tower on the r. is called the 
 Tour de la Ligue, because there Coligny and the Prince de 
 Conde used to hold counsel during the wars of religion : 
 the curious circular upper room in which they met is 
 covered with mythological frescoes in the style of Pri- 
 maticcio. Beyond this, the interior does not contain 
 anything of special interest, but is one of the noblest 
 specimens in France of a well-kept country house, in the 
 
 TANLAY. LE GRAND CHATEAU. 
 
 most perfect taste, the delightful living-rooms opening by 
 wide windows on the park and gardens. The rooms contain 
 some old tapestry, and several of them have stately stone 
 chimney-pieces, the handsomest, adorned with statuettes 
 and caryatides, being in the Chambre de PArcheveque. 
 English visitors will always be struck with the small number 
 of servants considered quite sufficient, and found quite 
 efficient, in these grand French country-palaces. 
 
 211 k. Lezinnes, with a church of xin. c. and xv. c., and 
 houses of xv. c. 
 
ANCY-LE-FRANC. 31 
 
 2igk. Ancy-le-Franc (Hotel: de la Paste). i|k. 1., on 
 the opposite bank of the Armangon, is the magnificent 
 chateau of the Due de Clermont-Tonnerre. It was begun 
 by Primaticcio in 1546, and continued by Serlio, the two 
 great Italians imported for Fontainebleau by Frangois I., and 
 employed here by the Comte de Clermont, Grand Master of 
 the Woods and Forests of France and afterwards Constable 
 
 ANCY-LE-FRANC. 
 
 ofDauphine. The walls were not finished till 162 2. In 1683 
 the Comte Frangois-Joseph de Clermont sold the chateau 
 to the Marquis de Louvois ; but since the Revolution, in 
 which the precious contents of the building were greatly 
 injured, it has been re-purchased by the family of its ancient 
 possessors, and it is gradually being restored with the 
 utmost taste and care 
 
 The interior of Ancy-le-Franc is shown in the absence 
 of the family. The enormous square mass and regular 
 
32 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 forms of the building, enclosing a great courtyard, are those 
 of a palace. The Galerie des Sacrifices, and the Galerie des 
 Batailles de Cesar et Pompee, are covered with frescoes in 
 grisaille, the latter admirable. The chapel is surrounded by 
 frescoes representing the life of the Hermits in the Desert, 
 beneath which are apostles and prophets. The Salle des 
 Gardes, used as a theatre by the Louvois, retains its ancient 
 wall-paintings of fleurs-de-lis, and the broken chimney-piece, 
 whose heraldic decorations excited the fury of the Revolu- 
 tionists. The Chambre des Fleurs is covered with beautiful 
 paintings of flowers. The Chambre des Arts has repre- 
 sentative frescoes : under the Louvois this was called the 
 Chambre de Richelieu, but his portrait has been removed 
 to show the earlier allegorical picture beneath : ' Urit, 
 nequidem non consumit? The Galleries of Judith and Jason 
 are named from their frescoes. The duke's private room 
 has admirable early decorations. But perhaps the best 
 chamber of all is that covered with frescoes of the story of 
 Pyramis and Thisbe, attributed to Niccolo Abbate. The 
 Salon des Rois, used by Louis XIV., is in the style of 
 Fontainebleau. All these rooms are on the first floor. On 
 the ground floor are the Salle des Empereurs, and another 
 room with admirable mythological frescoes, by Primaticcio 
 or his pupils. 
 
 225 k. Nuits-sous-Ravieres, has an old gateway defended 
 by a barbican and drawbridge. The church of Ravieres 
 has a good xv. c. portal. 5 k. distant is the fine ruined 
 Chateau de Rochefort, dismantled in 1411 by Jean sans 
 Peur. 
 
 [There is a branch line from Nuits-sous-Ravieres to (36 k.) 
 Chatillon-sur-Seine (see North-Eastern France, ch. ix.), passing 
 
MONTREAL. 33 
 
 (i3k.) Sennevoy, with an old chateau turned into a farm: and 
 (20 k.) Laignes, with church of xn. c. and xvi. c.] 
 
 The railway passes (1.) Perrigny, with a stone cross of 
 1582 in its cemetery, before reaching 
 
 233 k. Aisy-sous-Rougemont. Rougemont, on 1., has a 
 church with a lofty tower, houses of xin. c., and, on a 
 height, the ruins of a castle of xn. c. 
 
 [The road from Aisy to (37k.) Avallon passes (14 k.) Vassy, 
 with a chateau of xvn. c., two towers of xvn. c. ; and (25 k.) 
 Montreal, on a hill which once bore a castle used as a residence 
 by Queen Brunehaut, who has left her name to a causeway 
 connecting the bridge of Montreal with the ruined castle of 
 Montelon (xvi. c.). Only some outer walls and two gates (xin. c.) 
 remain of the chateau of Montreal. The small but important 
 early gothic xn. c. and xin. c. church has a very peculiar rose 
 window, one of the two earliest in France, and a W. front which 
 is only decorated by a wide portal of very great beauty, with the 
 rich corbels which are a characteristic of Burgundian churches. 
 In the interior is the very rare incident of a stone tribune 
 above the entrance, with its altar still in place. It is reached 
 by two stone staircases from the side aisles, and rests on 
 a monolith column, and a bracket composed in four tiers of 
 great stones. It is supposed that this tribune was intended 
 for the lord of the manor, whose chateau is to be seen in ruins 
 close to the church. The tribune adds to the size of the 
 church, which is very small and ends in a square apse, with 
 a transept and two little chapels. Some of the windows are 
 decorated with rich designs in the lead work, figures in colour 
 or sculpture not being admitted in Cistercian churches. The 
 stalls and pulpit are good xvi. c. work. In the churchyard are 
 flat tombstones with a flat cross and a little benitier attached 
 to the gable at the foot. The village contains several xv. c. 
 houses. In the courtyard of one of them is an interesting 
 Well, circular internally, octagonal externally, with two pillars 
 supporting a stone bar, inscribed, 'Johan de Brie m'a fait 
 faire en 1'an 1526.' 
 
 3 
 
34 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 9 k. from Vassy, in the direction of Semur, is Chdtel-Gerard 
 with a fortified xvi. c. house. 2 k. hence is the menhir called 
 La Femme Blanche, and 3 k. the old priory of Val-dcs-Choux 
 (xv. c.) with tombs of the Anserics de Montreal.] 
 
 The country becomes very hilly before reaching 
 243 k. Montbard (Hotel : de FEcii good and clean, 
 though primitive), a pretty little town, below and on the 
 side of a wooded hill crowned by an old tower, which 
 is all that remains of the castle, pulled down by the 
 naturalist Buffon (Georges-Louis Leclerc), a native of 
 Montbard, when he purchased the property in 1742. 
 His study is to be seen in the later chateau ; in a chapel, 
 added (xvm. c.) to the church, is his tomb ; and in the 
 town his statue by Dumont, 1847. Louis XV. made the 
 lands of Buffon a countship, in honour of his* services to 
 natural history and science. 
 
 ' On ne peut plus soutenir dans leurs details ni le premier ni 
 le second systeme de Buffon sur la theoire de la terre. Mais 
 Buffon n'en a pas moins le merite d'avoir fait sentir generale- 
 ment que letat actuel du globe resulte d'une succession de 
 changements dont il est possible de saisir les traces ; et c'est 
 lui qui a rendu tons les observateurs attentifs aux phenomenes 
 d'ou Ton peut remonter a ces changements.' Cuvier, ' Biographic 
 Universelle.' 
 
 In the Rue de Buffon is a house of xni. c. Charming 
 public walks with fine trees and pretty views lead up to the 
 old tower and the church on the hill. 
 
 5^k. from Montbard is the famous Abbey of Fontenay, 
 founded in 1118 by Bernard and Milon de Montbard, two uncles 
 of S. Bernard. It is now converted into a paper manufactory 
 belonging to the family of Montgolfier of balloon celebrity, but 
 
FONTENAY. 
 
 35 
 
 is well worth a visit for the sake of its noble and picturesque 
 xii. c. cloister. 
 
 ' Ce cloitre n'est pas surmonte d'un premier etage, et se com- 
 pose d'une galerie de rez-de-chaussee couverte par des voutes 
 d'arete romaines, et dont les travees, composees d'archi voltes 
 plein cintre, sont divisees par une arcature jumelle portee sur 
 des colonnes accouplees. Sa galerie sud, s'ouvrant sur le refec- 
 
 CLOISTER OF FONTENAY. 
 
 toire, etait accompagnee d'une belle salle ouverte, an milieu de 
 laquelle etait le lavoir ou lavatoire. Cette salle est detruite 
 aujourd'hui, mais on en retrouve les amorces et de beaux frag- 
 ments. Au centre s'elevait une colonne portant le sommier des 
 quatre voutes d'arete et autour d^ laquelle regnait la vasque du 
 lavatoire.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 The church, built by Ebrard, Bishop of Norwich, was conse- 
 crated by Eugenius III., in 1147, and is a fine specimen of 
 
36 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 transition-romanesque. Above the remarkable rectangular 
 chapter-house is the dormitory. 
 
 [The road from Montbard to (31 k.) Chatillon-sur-Seine passes 
 by (i? k.) Coulmier-le-Sec, which has a xiv. c. church, and 8k. 
 from which is Villaine-en-Dtiesmois, where the dukes of Bur- 
 gundy had a summer palace, of which the ruins exist.] 
 
 257 k. Les Laumes. On the side of Mont-Auxois, about 
 half-an-hour's walk from the station, is the village of Alise- 
 Sainte-Reine, which owes its first name to the Gaulish 
 Alesia, and its second to a Roman girl martyred 252 by 
 the governor Olibrius, in his fury at her refusal to marry 
 him. A procession in her honour still annually ascends 
 the hill on her festival of Sept. 7. The village is divided 
 into two parts S. Reine, which contains a hospital, founded 
 xvn. c. at instigation of S. Vincent de Paul, and rich in 
 the right arm of the saint and in la Fontaine Miraculeuse, 
 said to have risen where she was beheaded. The second 
 half of the village is on the height once occupied by Alesia, 
 the fortress which the Gauls considered impregnable, and 
 where Vercingetorix, besieged by Caesar, made his last 
 resistance, and was forced to surrender. The plateau of 
 the hill is covered with cultivated fields, but surrounded 
 on all sides by rocky buttresses interspersed with natural 
 wood. 
 
 1 Le mont d' Alesia presente un immense bastion naturel 
 dominant un large horizon. La montagne est entouree de trois 
 cotes par des vallees profondes, qui la separent des hauteurs 
 voisines ; du quatrieme cote, une plaine d'une lieue de long 
 s'etend entre les racines du mont et la riviere de Brenne ; deux 
 autres petites rivieres, la Loye et 1'Ozerain, coulent a droite et 
 a gauche de la montagne et vont se Jeter a la Brenne. L'antique 
 cite des Gaels couvrait tout le plateau calcaire qui forme le 
 
ALESIA. 37 
 
 couronnement de la montagne. Le camp de Vercingetorix, 
 fortifie" d'un fosse et d'un mur en pierres seches de six pieds 
 de haut, occupait le versant oriental au-dessous de la ville et 
 au-dessus du vallon de la Loye. Cesar assit son camp du cote 
 oppose, sur une hauteur en pente douce, s6paree du mont 
 d'Alesia par le vallon d'ou sort 1'Ozerain. 
 
 4 Cesar se garda bien d'attaquer a force ouverte : il conut 
 le gigantesque projet d'enfermer a la fois la ville et 1'armee 
 gauloise dans une circonvallation de onze milles, protegee par 
 vingt-trois forts. Vercingetorix tente de rompre la chaine dont 
 son rival voulait 1'enserrer. II insinue au coeur de ses chevaliers 
 le desir de venger leur honneur, et les jeta dans la plaine. On 
 combattit, dit Cesar, "avec une souveraine vigueur." Les escadrons 
 remains ployerent comme de coutume : les Germains arriverent 
 a 1'aide, suivis des legions. Le fatal ascendant des barbares du 
 nord 1'emporta de nouveau ! . . .La cavalerie gauloise fut rejetee 
 en deroute jusqu'a son camp, avec une grande perte d'hommes 
 et de chevaux. 
 
 ' Vercingetorix ne vit plus d'esperance que dans un effort 
 immense, universel, qui arracherait la Gaule a ses fondements 
 pour la precipiter sur 1'envahisseur. " Partez," dit-il aux chefs 
 de sa cavalerie, " tandis que les passages ne sont pas encore 
 fermes ; retournez chacun dans votre nation ; levez tout ce qui 
 peut tenir une arme, et revenez nous delivrer, mes freres et moi. 
 J'ai des vivres pour trente jours, pour un peu plus, avec une 
 epargne rigoureuse. Nous vous attendons." 
 
 4 La cavalerie passa, de nuit, entre les lignes inachevees de 
 1'ennemi. Vercingetorix fit rentrer 1'infanterie dans la ville. 
 
 4 Ce cri de detresse, cette grande voix de la patrie expirante 
 fut entendue. L'assemblee generate de la Gaule, a la hate 
 reunie, recula devant 1'idee colossale d'une Iev6e en masse 
 universelle, qu'elle se sentit impuissante a diriger et a nourrir ; 
 mais elle fixa des contingents a tous les peuples gaulois. Tous 
 repondirent d'un seul elan, d'un seul coeur. . . . 
 
 4 La lutte supreme s'engagea par un combat de cavalerie 
 dans la plaine, arene ou plongeaient, comme des degrs d'un 
 prodigieux amphitheatre, les regards des deux camps et de la 
 ville. Les charges se succedent sans interruption et sans 
 avantage decisif, depuis midi jusqu'au coucher du soleil. . . . 
 
38 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Les Gaulois resterent immobiles toute la journee du lendemain. 
 Les generaux de la grande armee changerent leur plan de 1'at- 
 taque. II y 'avait, au nord-est, entre la Loye et la Brienne, une 
 colline que son vaste circuit n'avait pas permis d'enfermer dans 
 les lignes romaines. Cesar avait assis sur la pente douce de 
 cette hauteur un petit camp de deux legions. Les chefs gaulois 
 jugerent que, s'ils reussissaient a enlever cette position, les 
 Remains ne pourraient plus tenir dans 1'etroit vallon de la Loye, 
 entre cette colline et le mur d'Alesia. Vergasillaun, parent de 
 Vercingetorix, se mit a la tete de quarante-cinq mille hommes, 
 1'elite de 1'armee, tourna la hauteur par une longue marche de 
 nuit, s'embusqua sur le versant oppose, et tout a coup, vers 
 midi, debouche au dessus du petit camp remain. En meme 
 temps, la cavalerie gauloise reparut dans la plaine, et le gros de 
 1'infanterie se deploya en avant du camp gaulois. 
 
 ' Vercingetorix sort de la ville, et un double assaut, furieux, 
 desespere commence. Des deux cotes, on sent que c'est 1'heure 
 supreme. L'attaque a ete mieux combined cette fois. Cesar, 
 planant d'un poste eleve sur tout le champ de bataille, voit de 
 moment en moment ses formidables defenses entameesou eludees. 
 Les pieges et les fosses qui protegent les abords du petit camp 
 disparaissent sous les monceaux de terre que jettent devant eux 
 les bataillons de Vergasillaun. Les Gaulois touchent au rem- 
 part. Les deux legions s'epuisent ; un renfort envoye par Cesar 
 ne prolonge qu'a grand' peine la resistance. Pendant ce temps, 
 Vercingetorix, au lieu d'assaillir les gigantesques fortifications 
 de la plaine, se porte centre la partie des lignes ou la nature es- 
 carpee du terrain n'a pas permis de si grands ouvrages. Son 
 armee accable de traits les garrisons des tours romaines, se fraye 
 un chemin a force de terre et de fascines, entame avec d'enormes 
 faux le rempart et le revetement. Deux corps de troupes 
 fraiches, depeches a 1'aide, sont impuissants contre Telan des 
 assaillants. La journee semble aux Gaulois. 
 
 'Cesar accourt avec la reserve. Le combat se retablit : 
 Vercingetorix est repousse. Cesar sort des lignes avec quel- 
 que infanterie et toute sa cavalerie, et marche au secours du petit 
 camp. II arrive sur la hauteur au moment ou, le fosse etant 
 franchi et le rempart force, les deux legions du petit camp 
 viennent de se masser en un seul corps avec les garrisons des 
 
ALESIA. 39 
 
 forts voisins pour se frayer une retraite l'epe a la main. Les 
 Romains se reportent en avant. Les Gaulois chargent : on 
 s'aborde a I'arme blanche. Tout-a-coup, les Gaulois ape^oivent 
 derriere eux une partie de la cavalerie ennemie qui a tourn6 la 
 colline. La panique les saisit ; assaillis en tete et en queue, ils 
 se rompent. Vergasillaun est pris avec soixante-quatorze en- 
 seignes. Le combat n'est plus qu'un massacre. A 1'aspect des 
 fuyards echappes au carnage, la masse de 1'armee, deployee au 
 loin sur les hauteurs, se debande dans toutes les directions et 
 se dissout pour ne plus se reunir. Toute cette grande arm6e 
 s'vanouit comme un reve. 
 
 ' Les defenseurs d'Alesia, d^laisses sans retour, rentrerent, 
 aux approches de la nuit, dans 1'antique cit6 qui avait et6 le 
 berceau de la Gaule et qui allait en etre le tombeau. 
 
 ' Le heros, le patriote n'avait plus rien a faire ici-bas ; la patrie 
 etait perdue. L'homme pouvait encore quelque chose pour ses 
 freres. II pouvait peut-etre encore les sauver de la mort et de 
 la servitude personnelle. Cette pensee fut la derniere consola- 
 tion de cette grande ame. Le lendemain, Vercingetorix convoqua 
 ses compagnons, et s'offrit a eux pour qu'ils satisnssent aux 
 Romains par sa mort, ou qu'ils le livrassent vivant. II poussait 
 le denouement jusqu'a renoncer a mourir. On envoya savoir 
 la volonte de Cesar. Le proconsul ordonna qu'on livrat les 
 chefs et les armes, et vint sieger sur un tribunal eleve" entre 
 les retranchements. 
 
 ' Tout-a-coup, un cavalier de haute taille, convert d'armes splen- 
 dides.monte sur un cheval magnifiquement capara9onne, arrive 
 au galop droit au siege de Cesar. Vercingetorix s'etait par6 
 comme un victime pour le sacrifice. Sa brusque apparition, son 
 imposant aspect, excite un mouvement de surprise et presque 
 d'effroi. II fait tourner son cheval au cercle autour du tribunal 
 de Cesar, saute a terre, jette ses armes aux pieds du vainqueur, 
 " et se tait." 
 
 ' Devant la majeste d'une telle infortune, les durs soldats de 
 Rome se sentaient emus ; Cesar se montra au-dessous de sa 
 prosperite; il fut implacable envers rhomme qui lui avait fait 
 perdre un seul jour, le nom d'invincible. II eclata en reproches, 
 " sur son amitie trahie, sur ses bienfaits meprises," et livra le 
 heros de la Gaule aux liens des licteurs. Vercingetorix, reserve^ 
 
40 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 aux pompes outrageantes du triomphe, dut attendre six annees 
 entieres que la hache du boureau vint enfin affranchir son 
 ame et 1'envoyer rejoindre ses peres dans "le cercle celeste." '- 
 Martin , ' Hist, de France' 
 
 A gigantic statue by Millet (on a pedestal by Viollet le 
 Due] was erected to Vincingetorix on the Mont-Auxois 
 in 1865. 
 
 CHATEAU OF BUSSY-RABUTIN. 
 
 An excursion should be made, either from Les Laumes or 
 Darcey (about 6 k.) to the Chateau of Bussy-Rabutin. The road 
 follows the railway for some distance, and then turns up a pretty 
 wooded valley to the village of Bussy-le- Grand, the native place 
 of Junot, Due d'Abrantes. Beyond the village is a gateway on 
 r., which seems to lead to some farm buildings. It does, in 
 fact, form the entrance to a farm-yard, but is the only approach 
 to the famous chateau, which lies very low, surrounded by a 
 moat, and perfectly embosomed in verdure, especially grand old 
 lime trees, which form an avenue opposite the principal front. 
 So completely is it hidden, till you reach it, that it has the effect 
 of a fairy -palace in the midst of the woods. 
 
BUSSY-RABUTIN. 41 
 
 The original chateau was probably founded by Renaudin de 
 Bussy in xn. c. It was rebuilt in xvn. c. on the plan of a vast 
 parallelogram with towers at the angles. Those on the E. are 
 connected with the principal buildings by wings with open arcades, 
 of the time of Henri II. One of them contains the chapel. The 
 main building is covered with rich arabesques sculptured in the 
 yellow stone. The owner (Comte de Sarcus) seldom inhabits 
 Bussy except in the height of summer ; the damp of the moat 
 drives him away ; there is no sound but the song of the 
 nightingales. 
 
 A terrible sense of damp pervades the interior of the chateau ; 
 it is like Mariana's moated grange. The rooms shown are very 
 curious, and little altered from the time when they were built. 
 One of those on the ground floor is decorated with paintings of 
 famous chateaux the old Versailles, Sceaux, etc. 
 
 The Salle des Devises is an interesting chamber, covered with 
 paintings allegorical of the infidelity of Mme. de Monglat, the 
 treacherous mistress for whom Roger de Rabutin, the famous 
 Comte de Bussy, composed) the Histoire amoureuse des Gaules, 
 for which he was imprisoned for a year in the Bastile, and 
 banished to his own property for seventeen years. He employed 
 this period chiefly in the decoration of the chateau, in collecting 
 the sixty-five portraits of famous warriors in the Salon des 
 Hommes de Guerre, and in the adornment of La Tour Doree, 
 a room containing a number of portraits representing Louis XIV., 
 his family and court, many of them by Mignard and Lebrun. 
 The shutters of this tower are painted with cupids and the poetical 
 devices which served to amuse the solitude of Rabutin. 
 
 ' Des qu'il est arrive en Bourgogne, au sortir de la Bastille, 
 il a fait venir de Dijon, et meme de Paris, des artistes de tout 
 genre, surtout des architectes et des peintres, et il s'est mis a 
 embellir ses salons. Les salons, voila ce qu'on aimait le mieux 
 au xvu me siecle, ce qui rappellait ces moments les plus heureux 
 de la vie, ceux qu'on avait passes dans des reunions charmantes ; 
 au milieu de personnes aimables et de gens d'esprit ; en sorte 
 que Le Notre, pour plaire a cette societe mondaine, fit du pare de 
 Versailles comme une reproduction du chateau lui-mgme. La 
 maniere dont Bussy a d6core sa maison nous fait bien voir 
 
42 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 en quel etat d'esprit il tait alors et ce qui occupait toutes ses 
 pensees ; il se nourrissait de souvenirs et de regrets, il ne 
 songeait qu'a ce monde seduisant dont il etait banni, il voulait 
 a tout prix en avoir une image devant les yeux. Plusieurs 
 pieces sont ornees d'emblemes et d'allegories qui se rapportent 
 presque toutes a sa maitresse, la belle marquise de Montglas ; 
 Bussy, qui 1'accusait de 1'avoir abandonne dans son malheur, qui 
 la faisait representer plus legere que le vent, plus changeante que 
 la lime, plus fugitive que 1'hirondelle, montre bien, par 1'acharne- 
 ment meme qu'il met a la poursuivre, qu'il 1'aimait toujours. Dans 
 un de ses salons, il a r6uni les portraits des grands capitaines 
 de son temps et s'est mis sans faon en leur compagnie. Ailleurs 
 il a fait peindre toutes les femmes qu'il a frequenters, avec des 
 inscriptions qui sont souvent des epigrammes. II lui semblait 
 sans doute qu'il n'avait pas tout a fait quitte Paris et Versailles, 
 quand il retrouvait autour de lui toutes ces figures de connais- 
 sance qui lui rappelaient ses plus heureuses annees. II se 
 faisait illusion en les regardant, et il oubliait un moment son exil.' 
 Gaston Boissier, ' Mme. de Sew'gnt : .' 
 
 The charming chambers inhabited by Madame de Sevigne 
 during her visits to Rabutin, who was her cousin, and to whom 
 many of her published letters are addressed, are full of contem- 
 porary portraits, amongst them those of Mesdames de Sevigne 
 and de Grignan, and of the wife of Roger de Rabutin. Amongst 
 the pictures is that of 4 Isabelle Cecile, Marquise de Monglas, 
 qui par la conjoncture de son inconstance a remis en honneur la 
 matrone d'tfphese.' In the Chapel are two pictures by Poussin. 
 The gardens are attributed to Le Notre. 
 
 [For the branch line from Les Laumes to Avallon and Auxerre 
 see ch. iii. Only 20 k. from Laumes on this line is the beautiful 
 Semur, which all artists and antiquaries should visit.] 
 
 265 k. Darcey. 
 
 [An excursion should be made hence to Flaxrigny. The hours 
 of the omnibus are seldom likely to suit, but the farmer at Darcey 
 will usually lend his cart 6 fr. to Flavigny ; 10 fr. to Flavigny 
 
FLAVIGNY. 43 
 
 and Bussy-Rabutin. Flavigny (13 k.) is a town perched on a 
 rock almost precipitous on three sides, and which has stood 
 many sieges. It has two gates of xiv. c., one of them (close to 
 the Dominican convent) of considerable interest. 
 
 ' Cette porte est flanque"e de tours cylindriques perches de 
 meurtrieres a la base, a mi-hauteur et au sommet. Ces 
 meurtrieres, faites pour de tres-petites bouches a feu, sont 
 circulates. La porte elle-mfime, ainsi que sa potence, est sur- 
 monte"e d'un machicoulis avec parapet, perc6 e~galement de 
 meurtrieres circulates. Get ouvrage precede une porte de 
 xiv c siecle, en partie d6molie aujourd'hui, et qui e~tait ferm6e par 
 une herse et des vantaux.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 Many houses are of xm. c., xv. c., and xvi. c. On the first 
 floor of one of the former is an interesting example of a stone 
 window bench, separated into two stalls by an arm projecting 
 from the mullion. Others have curious examples of old corbelled 
 water pipes under their roofs. In the centre of the town stands 
 the parish church, portions of which date from the xm. c. At 
 the cross of the transept is a square tower of xvi. c., with a low 
 spire. Above the aisles is a stone gallery, forming almost a 
 second church, and continued across the first and last bays of 
 the nave. At the latter it forms a jube, with a lovely interlaced 
 parapet and projecting stone pulpit, used as an ambon for the 
 gospel. 1 From the gallery, fringed arches and pierced parapets 
 open above the chapels of the nave. There are some ruins 
 of another church of xm. c., and of an abbey of vm. c. The 
 inmates of the great Dominican convent have been expelled by 
 the Government, except those who were too infirm to move ; in 
 the courtyard is a statue of its most celebrated monk, the Pere 
 Lacordaire. A great Ursuline convent, being private property, 
 is untouched.] 
 
 The railway passes 1. the ruined castle of Salmaise before 
 reaching 
 
 ' The name jube conies from the fact that the deacon in demanding the 
 benediction of the officiating priest, before beginning to read the gospel from 
 hence, pronounced the word jube command. See De Caumont. 
 
44 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Verrey. 5k. is Villy-en-Auxois, with a very fine 
 church, containing stained glass representing the genealogy 
 of the Virgin. 
 
 288 k. Blaisy-BaS) with a castle ruined in the wars of 
 
 CHURCH OF KLAVIGNY. 
 
 religion. The tunnel of Blaisy, one of the most important 
 and expensive railway works of France, is passed, and the 
 ruined castle of Malain is seen crowning a rock on the r. : 
 then several ravines (' combes') are crossed before reaching 
 3i5k. Dijon (Omnibus, 30 c. Hotels: de la Cloche 
 quite first-rate ; de Bourgogne Goisset ; du Jura near the 
 
DIJON. 45 
 
 station), the old capital of Burgundy, now chief town of 
 the Departement de la Cote d'Or. 
 
 The town takes its name from the Castrum Divionense, 
 which Caesar established after the conquest of Gaul. 
 The inhabitants were converted to Christianity by S. 
 Benigne, who suffered martyrdom here in 178. Constan- 
 tine gave the city to S. Urbain, Bishop of Tours. In the 
 XL c. King Robert bought it, and made it the capital of 
 the Duchy of Burgundy, which passed to his second son, 
 Robert, first duke of the first royal race, of which there 
 were twelve dukes, under whom the city was in constant 
 peace and prosperity. On the death of the last of these, 
 Burgundy was reunited to the crown under King Jean. Then 
 it became the appanage of his fourth son, Philippe le Hardi, 
 first duke of the second royal race, which only numbered 
 four Philippe le Hardi, Jean sans Peur, Philippe le Bon, 
 and Charles le Te'meraire, who was killed, in 1476, before 
 the walls of Nancy. Louis XL, who now took possession 
 of Burgundy, transported to Dijon the parliament, which 
 had previously sat at Beaune and S. Laurent-les-Chalon. 
 He fortified the town, which was soon after besieged by a 
 Swiss and German army. Later, Frangois I., a prisoner 
 at Madrid, ceded Burgundy to Charles V. as his ransom, 
 but the States refused to accept a master who was not of 
 their own choice, and the convention was never executed. 
 
 The most prosperous time of Dijon was the xvm. c., 
 when, as capital of Burgundy, the States-General of the 
 province met there every three years, and it was the seat 
 of a parliament, of a bishopric created in 1731, and of a 
 military governor ; but the follies of the great Revolution 
 destroyed many of the towers and churches, and mutilated 
 
46 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the other monuments of Dijon ; it has never since been of 
 any importance; it also suffered severely during the German 
 invasion of 1870-71. 
 
 The following is the best course to be followed in a 
 cursory visit to Dijon. Passing the corner of the Public 
 Gardens, laid out by Le Notre, the Rue Docteur Maret 
 leads r. to the Cathedral (formerly the abbey church) of 
 S. Benigne, which, having its origin in a shrine over the 
 tomb of the martyred apostle of Burgundy, was rebuilt in 
 vi. c., in ix. c., in 1016, in 1280, and has been much altered 
 since. Of the church built in vi. c. by Gregoire, Bishop of 
 Langres, we may still discover in the lower stage of the 
 circular chapel, behind the apse, a building which was of 
 three storeys, including the crypt. 1 In the xi. c. a much 
 larger circular chapel was built by Abbot Guillaume for 
 the benefit of pilgrims, and surrounded by two stages of 
 galleries. It was united on the first floor to the church, 
 which itself terminated in a chapel flanked by massive round 
 towers, containing staircases leading up to the galleries 
 above the shrine and down to the crypt. This precious 
 architectural monument is now destroyed with the excep- 
 tion of the Crypt, which was the martyrium, or burial-place 
 of S. Benigne. In the crypt are preserved some fragments 
 of the earlier chapel of vi. c., including a capital of interlaced 
 monsters of Indian quaintness, and the crypt of xi. c. is 
 itself a monument unique in France. The tomb of the saint 
 was in a chapel at the entrance of the rotonda, and beyond 
 the rotonda was a chapel of S. John Baptist, dating from 
 the vi. c. All the crypt, the chapel, and rotonda were 
 vaulted in ashlar work, except the centre of the rotonda, 
 
 1 Don Plancher, Hist, dc Bourgognc. 
 

 DIJON. 47 
 
 which was open, so that the processions of pilgrims, wind- 
 ing round the two storeys of galleries above, might look 
 down into the shrine. 
 
 1 On peut considerer la crypte de S. Benigne comme la plus 
 vaste de cryptes connues. Ce monument si remarquable fut 
 vendu pour le prix des materiaux, a la fin du dernier siecle, par 
 la commune de Dijon. Les entrepreneurs jugerent que les 
 pierres de la crypte ne valaient pas les peines qu'il faudrait 
 prendre pour les enlever, et cette crypte nous est restee a pen 
 pres entiere.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 The only other relic of the church of xi. c. is the portal, 
 altered, and adorned with a martyrdom of S. Etienne 
 by Bouchardon : it is surmounted by an open gallery of 
 gothic arches, and flanked by octangular towers. The low 
 spire is of 1742. The balustrade of the transept chapels 
 has the peculiarity of being decorated upon the flat surface, 
 as is frequently the case in Burgundy, where the hardness 
 of the stone made open-work difficult. In the interior is 
 good stall work of xvm. c. from the abbey of La Ferte'- 
 sur-Grosne. Near the W. end are tombs, with kneeling 
 figures of the Sieur de la Benchere and his wife, 1631. 
 Black marble slabs mark the spot to which the bodies of 
 Philippe le Hardi and Jean sans Peur were removed from 
 the Chartreuse in 1841. Against the wall of the S. aisle is, 
 amongst others, the fine incised gravestone of Ladislas le 
 Blanc, who was long a monk here, but was released from 
 his vows by the anti-Pope Clement VII. of Avignon, that 
 he might become king of Poland. Before he could take 
 possession of the throne, however, Hedwige, daughter of 
 Louis of Hungary, was preferred as queen by the electors, 
 and Ladislas, dying miserably at Strasbourg in 1388, im- 
 
48 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 plored to be buried in his old abbey, where an anniversary, 
 called that of * Le roi Lancelot ' (corruption of Ladislas) 
 was long celebrated. The poet Tabourot des Accords, 
 1590, is also buried here. The Eveche, formerly the abbot's 
 palace, was rebuilt xvni. c. 
 
 Close to the S. side of the cathedral is the church of 
 S. Philibert, now used as a barn, but a remarkable building 
 of xn. c. It has a beautiful many-sided tower, with a 
 crocketed stone spire. 
 
 The Rue S. Etienne leads E. to the Place S. Jean. The 
 gothic church of 6". Jean, which was consecrated in 1468, 
 and where Bossuet was baptized, has a vaulted wooden roof. 
 It is spoilt internally by polychrome, but contains the 
 shrines of S. Urbain and S. Gregoire. At No. 10, Place 
 S. Jean, the great Jacques Benigne Bossuet was born, 1627. 
 No. 4 was the hotel of the President, Charles de Brosses. 
 
 To the S.E. is the classical domed church of S. Anne, 
 attached to an hospital of the name, built 1690 1708, and 
 containing sculptures by Dubois and (in a side chapel) 
 a good picture of the Communion of S. Catherine by 
 Quantin. 
 
 The Rue de la Liberte leads to the Hotel de Ville 
 (xvm. c.), in the centre of the town, occupying the 
 site of the palace of the dukes of Burgundy, of which 
 nothing remains except the Tour de la Terrasse, 1419; 
 the Tour de Brancion (called Tour de Bar, after Rene 
 d'Anjou, Due de Lorraine, was imprisoned there upon 
 his defeat at Bulgneville) ; the Salle des Gardes j and the 
 square kitchen of 1445, with a vault supported by eight 
 columns, and a great well of xv. c. with a lion issuing from 
 the wall as the support of its pulley. Fourteen halls of the 
 
DIJON. 49 
 
 hotel are now occupied by the Musee, open to the public 
 on Sundays and holidays from 12 to 4, and on Thursdays 
 from 12 to 3 ; daily to strangers. It contains a collection 
 of far more interest than is usually found in provincial 
 towns, arranged with great care and taste. 
 
 The Salle des Gardes, which was the banqueting hall 
 of the dukes, retains its magnificent chimney-piece. In 
 any other country but France, where it is necessary to 
 protect everything of national importance from the fickle 
 populace, one would regret to find here, and not over their 
 resting-places at S. Be'nigne, the splendid tombs of the 
 dukes of Burgundy, formerly in the Chartreuse, an abbey 
 founded by Philippe le Hardi, who employed all the best 
 artists of the day in its decoration, and intended it for 
 the burial-place of his family. He first made use of Jean 
 de Menneville, a French sculptor, and when he died his 
 work was continued under the Fleming Glaus Sluter, who 
 had hitherto worked under him. In 1393 Philippe gave 
 this sculptor the title and position of 'valet de chambre,' 
 and, in 1404, he received from the monastery, where a 
 room was awarded him, a large sum for a Crucifixion. In 
 the same year he obtained the contract for his greatest 
 work, the tomb of his deceased lord, in which he was 
 assisted by his nephew, Claux de Werne, who continued 
 the work after his death. 
 
 ' Raised above a socle and a base of black marble, is a 
 mighty sarcophagus, the four sides of which are ornamented with 
 delicate pointed arches, supported by slender columns. Executed 
 in white marble, the architecture stands out magnificently upon 
 the black marble background. A train of forty mourners, eccle- 
 siastics, and courtiers, in small statuettes of white alabaster, are 
 passing along the arcades. The clever artist has, with special 
 
 4 
 
50 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 pleasure, expended his masterly skill on these figures. For, with 
 the utmost variety of movement, he depicts the sorrow of each ; 
 some are covering themselves with their monkish cowls, which, 
 with intentional simplicity, are arranged in broad parallel folds ; 
 others, as if in passionate excitement, are throwing back their 
 drapery in rich folds ; others, again, are expressing their grief by 
 the wringing of their hands, or, as if overwhelmed by it, are 
 allowing their heads to fall low on their breasts. The master 
 seems to delight in solving the greatest difficulties, and is in- 
 exhaustible in ever new variations. The effect was originally 
 still more heightened by tasteful gilding. In grand repose on 
 the sarcophagus, with hands folded as if in prayer, lies the statue 
 of Philip the Bold, in full state robes, wrapped in the ducal 
 mantle, with its full folds. 1 The head and hands possess a 
 truthfulness to nature, an individual expression, and a delicacy 
 of workmanship, such as we meet with a decade later in the 
 pictures of Hubert van Eyck.' Lubke. 
 
 In 1442 the first preparations were made for the other 
 great tomb of Jean sans Peur and Marguerite de Bourgogne. 
 The contract was concluded in 1444, but the work was not 
 finished till 1461. The sculptor was a Spaniard Jehan 
 de la Verta d'Aroca (i.e. of Arragon). Here, also, we see 
 a train of mourners, angels kneeling at the heads with 
 helmet and shield, and the statues are most noble and 
 portrait-like, the hands almost painfully true to nature. 
 Between the tombs is placed a copy of the statue of 
 Anne de Bourgogne, Duchess of Bedford, 1452 (now 
 at the Louvre), daughter of Jean sans Peur. Amongst 
 the other works in the museum are several by Sluter's 
 scholars, including the monument of Jacques Germain 
 ' bourgoys de Clugny, jadiz pere du reverend pere en 
 
 1 The list of the garderobe of Philippe le Hardi includes ' sa chaine a porter 
 reliques, sa gibeciere pour donner a Dieu (aumoniere) et la bonne ceinture de 
 S. Louis, rachetee d'Erard de Roussillon.' 
 
DIJON. 51 
 
 dieu Jehan Germain, Eveque de Chalon,' who died 1424. 
 A beautiful and delicate xvi. c. tapestry, representing the 
 siege of Dijon by the Swiss in 1513, formerly hung in 
 S. Benigne. 
 
 NOTRE DAMEj^DIJON. 
 
 A little beyond the Hotel de Ville rises the great 
 renaissance front of S. Michel^ which was rebuilt xvi. c. 
 by Hugues Sambin, a native of Dijon and pupil of 
 Michelangelo. The interior is entirely gothic. In a 
 chapel at the end of the r. aisle is the tomb of M. de 
 la Marche, first president of the parliament of Burgundy. 
 
52 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Passing through the Rue Chaudronnerie, we may 
 notice No. 28 la Mai son des Cariatides, and at a corner 
 of the Place des Dues de Bourgogne a renaissance house 
 with a good overhanging tourelle. 
 
 The beautiful and graceful church of Notre Dame was 
 almost entirely built xm. c., though it was not consecrated 
 till 1334. Few churches are more deserving of study and 
 admiration. The fagade has two ranges of arches above 
 the portals, supported on slender columns, and surmounted 
 by broad friezes, being an evident imitation of the xi. c. 
 and xii. c. churches of Pisa and Lucca. The clock, which 
 surmounts these, is the work of the Fleming Jaquemart, 
 and was carried off from Courtrai by Philippe le Hardi 
 in 1383. The church is entered by a triple porch and 
 three doorways (the central romanesque) leading to the 
 three aisles of the nave. The triforium of the transepts 
 is interrupted at the gable wall to give place to the great 
 rose windows, which are very curious, having no stone 
 compartments, but the whole of the tracery made out in 
 lead. A second lower gallery runs between the columns 
 which support the upper passage and in front of the 
 windows on the first storey. The glass is xm. c., xiv. c., 
 and xv. c. : in the 1. transept are remains of frescoes. 
 A pretty detail of this church may be observed in the 
 crest of the buttresses of the nave, decorated with animals 
 and foliage. 
 
 In the Rue des Forges (close to Notre Dame) we 
 should notice No. 38 la Maison Mzlsand, with a rich 
 renaissance fagade, and No. 35, the beautiful gothic 
 Maison Richard. No one should fail to penetrate the 
 narrow passage through this house to a tiny inner court 
 
o see a renaissance front decorated by the most delicate 
 reliefs and columns and a tourelle with winding staircase. 
 The Chateau, begun in 1478 by Louis XL, finished 1512 
 by Louis XII., is now a barrack. 
 
 Glancing at a bronze statue of S. Bernard by Jouffroy, 
 1847, we should next go to visit the old Chartreuse, now 
 rAsile des alienes, ten minutes' walk beyond the railway 
 station. Begun by Philippe le Hardi, 1383, consecrated 
 1388, it was ravaged at the Revolution, and little now 
 remains. We may, however, find the entrance gate of 
 xiv. c., and the portal of the church where Philippe and 
 his wife, Marguerite de Flandre evidently portraits are 
 seen kneeling, commended by the patron saints behind 
 them to the Virgin on the central pillar. The octagonal 
 tower of xiv. c. contains the staircase by which the dukes 
 ascended to their oratory. But the most important relic 
 is the well-head, formerly in the centre of the great cloister, 
 called Putts de Mo'ise or Putts des Prophetes, the masterpiece 
 of Claux Sluter. 
 
 ( It is a work of large dimensions, formed of stone, and richly 
 ornamented with gold and colouring. Six life-size figures of the 
 prophets are introduced round it in strong relief, evidencing a 
 power of characterization far beyond anything that the art of the 
 time had yet attained. David turns energetically to Isaiah, and 
 points out a passage in his scroll ; the one addressed, old, and 
 perhaps rather deaf, laboriously endeavours to understand him. 
 In the aged Zacharias the feebleness of old age is admirably 
 expressed. Jeremiah has an especially portrait-like and wise 
 character of head. David appears regal, and with rich luxuriance 
 of hair ; Moses, grand and commanding, with his long beard, a 
 genuine commander of the Lord's host. The statues are all 
 rather short and confined, and their fulness is increased by the 
 drapery, which falls in thick folds; yet they have a peculiar 
 
54 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 power and majesty, producing all the more effect from their 
 significant characterization. The heads, on the whole, are 
 grandly treated, yet rendered true to nature by touches of 
 the smallest detail. The hands especially are executed with 
 most masterly power, their veins, muscles, and even the finest 
 wrinkles in the skin being visible. Though the quaint tendency 
 of the period has frequently led the artist into a genre style ; 
 though Jeremiah with his spectacles and cap, Isaiah with his 
 girdle and pockets, Zachariah with his ink-bottle, fur-trimmed 
 coat, and high cap, are thorough portrait-figures of the time, 
 we cannot be surprised. Most peculiar is the expression of the 
 angels, who, placed with outspread wings, in the wide upper 
 concave, express their joy and sorrow in the most varied manner. 
 One wipes the tears from his eyes ; another, full of resignation, 
 crosses his hands on his breast ; a third raises both his arms in 
 deprecation ; whilst the fourth wrings his hands in despair, 
 their expression of pain referring to the figure of Christ on 
 the cross, which formerly stood on the fountain.' Liibke. 
 
 On a vine-clad hill about 3 k. N. of Dijon is the picturesque 
 village of Fontaine-les-Dijon, with a venerable-looking xiv. c. 
 church. Close by are the remains of the chateau of Tesselin- 
 le-Roux, where his son, S. Bernard, was born, the chamber 
 where the event occurred having been turned into a chapel by 
 Louis XIII. and Anne of Austria. Fontaine is a lovely spot, 
 well worth visiting. 
 
 ' Tesselin, the father of Bernard, was a man of great bravery 
 and unimpeachable honour and justice; his mother, Alith, like- 
 wise of high birth, a model of devotion and charity. Bernard 
 was the third of six brothers ; he had one sister. The 
 mother, who had secretly vowed all her children to God, took 
 the chief part in their early education, especially in that of 
 Bernard, a simple and studious, a thoughtful and gentle youth, 
 yet even in childhood of strong will and visionary imagination. 
 The mother's death confirmed the influence of her life. Having 
 long practised secretly the severest monastic discipline, she 
 breathed out her spirit amid the psalms of the clergy around her 
 bed ; the last movement of her lips was praise to God. 
 
FONTAINE-L&S-DIJON. 
 
 55 
 
 'The world was open to the youth of high birth, beautiful 
 person, graceful manners, and irresistible influence. The Court 
 would at once have welcomed a young knight, so endowed, with 
 her highest honours ; the Church would have trained a noble 
 disciple so richly gifted for her most powerful bishoprics or her 
 wealthiest abbeys. He closed his eyes upon the world, on the 
 worldly Church, with stern determination. He became at once 
 
 FOX TAINE-LES-DIJON. 
 
 the master of his passions. His eyes had dwelt too long and too 
 curiously on a beautiful female ; he plunged to the neck in a pool 
 of cold water. His chastity underwent, but untainted, severe 
 trials. Yet he resolved to abandon this incorrigible world 
 altogether. He inquired for the poorest, the most austere of 
 monasteries. It was that of Citeaux. He arrived at the gates, 
 but not alone. Already his irresistible influence had drawn 
 around him thirty followers, all equally resolute in the renuncia- 
 tion of secular life, in submission to the most vigorous discipline. 
 
56 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 But this was not all ; his mother's vow must be fulfilled. One 
 after the other the strange and irresistible force of his character 
 enthralled his brothers, and at length his sister. Two of the 
 brothers with an uncle followed his steps at once ; the elder, 
 Guido, was married ; his wife refused to yield up her claims on 
 her husband's love. A seasonable illness enforced her sub- 
 mission ; she, too, retired to a convent. A wound in the side, 
 prophesied, it was said, by Bernard, brought another, a gallant 
 warrior, as a heart-stricken penitent into his company. When 
 they all left the castle of their father, where they had already 
 formed a complete monastic brotherhood, Guido, the elder, 
 addressed Nivard, the youngest son, " To you remains the whole 
 patrimony of our house." "Earth to me, and heaven to you, that 
 is no fair portion," said the boy. He lingered a short time with 
 his aged father, and then joined the rest. Even the father died 
 a monk of Clairvaux in the arms of Bernard.' Milman, ' Hist, 
 of Latin Christianity.' 
 
 The excellent Hotel de la Cloche at Dijon is a capital 
 centre for excursions. Antiquarians will visit Flavigny ; 
 historians, Bussy-Rabutin ; archeologists, Alesia ; architects, 
 Issomes ; but no one should fail to see Beaune, which 
 infinitely repays a visit, not only as a charming example 
 of a picturesque provincial town, but from the deep 
 architectural interest of its unique hospital, and the beauty 
 of its glorious Van Eyck. 
 
 Philip Thicknesse, who wrote his travels in France in 
 1775, saw a family of nine, who had lived by highway 
 plunder, hanging near Dijon a man, his wife, and seven 
 children. 
 
 [A post road (there is a railway) of 85 k. leads from Dijon 
 to Chatillon-sur-Seine, passing (28 k.) 5. Seine FAbbaye, named 
 from a famous Benedictine abbey, founded 531 by S. Seine, son 
 of the Comte de Memont. It was fortified against the English 
 in the xiv. c., and in the time of Louis XIV. the position of its 
 
1S-SUR-7ILLE. 57 
 
 abbot became one of the great sinecure offices most longed for 
 by courtiers. The abbots' palace, where Louis XIV. twice slept, 
 is now a hydropathic establishment. The church, rebuilt after 
 a fire in 1255, was finished in xv. c. There is a singularity in 
 the way in which the triforium is blended with the upper tier 
 of windows. The choir preserves its curious cloture of heavy 
 masonry and is covered, externally, with paintings of the beginning 
 of xvi. c. relating to the history of S. Seine. 
 
 ' Le grand-autel est sans retable. II y a seulement un gradin 
 et six chandeliers dessus. Au-dessus est un crucifix haut de 
 plus de huit pieds, au-dessous duquel est la suspension du saint 
 sacrement dans le ciboire : et aux deux cotes de 1'autel il y a quatre 
 colonnes de cuivre et quatre anges de cuivre avec des chandeliers 
 et des cierges et des grands rideaux.' ' Voyages liturgiques de 
 France' 
 
 There are beautiful remains of a gothic rood-loft and nine 
 gravestones of abbots of xin. c., xiv. c., and xv. c. 
 
 3^ k. before reaching Chanceaux (37 k. from Dijon) on the 1. 
 is the farm of Vergerots. Here, in a little wooded valley, is the 
 Source of the Seine, where the remains of a Gallo-Roman temple 
 were discovered in 1836. A grotto with the statue of a riymph 
 by Jouffroy was erected here by the city of Paris in 1867. 
 
 Another route to Chatillon goes by (iok.) Messigny, with 
 a xiv. c. church containing tombs of the family of Saulx de 
 Vantoux ; and (50 k.) S. Broingt-les-Roches, I2k. to the 1. of 
 which is Aignay-le-Duc, a favourite residence of the dukes of 
 Burgundy of the first race.] 
 
 [A railway leads from Dijon to (88 k.) Langres (see North- 
 Eastern France, ch. vii.), passing 
 
 33 k. Is-sur-Tille, which has a xiv. c. church and xvi. c. houses. 
 4k. E. is the village of Til-Chdtel, with a church of xi. c. and 
 xii. c., containing a great deal of good sculpture and the tomb of 
 S. Honore, supported by angels. Several houses are xiv. c., 
 xv. c., and xvi. c. 
 
 21 k. from Is-sur-Tille, in the direction of Chatillon, is 
 Grancy-le- Chateau, with a fine chateau of early xvm. c., decorated 
 
58 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 by xv. c. chimney-pieces from an earlier building, of which the 
 chapel (xm. c., xiv. c., and xv. c.) remains, and contains good 
 xiv. c. stallwork and xm. c. statues of the Virgin and S. John. 
 
 54 k. Vaux-sous-Aubigny. 2 k. S.E. is the beautiful little 
 church of Issomes, a very remarkable building of the end of xn. c. 
 
 CHURCH OF ISSOMES. 
 
 The principal faade has a portal of three romanesque arches, sup- 
 ported on low columns with sculptured capitals, and surrounded 
 by a triple window. There are no transepts. At the meeting 
 of nave and choir rises the very curious tower, crowned by an 
 octagonal spire, at the base of which rise four gables, and at 
 the angles four triangular erections, supported by little pillars, 
 
CHATEAU DURCY. 59 
 
 and forming platforms at the top intended for the reception of 
 four statuettes of angels, now lost. The neighbouring church of 
 Montsaugeon is of xi. c. with stall work and glass of xvi. c.] 
 
 [A road leads from Dijon to (70 k.) Semur by Vitteaux, passing 
 (20 k.) Pont-de-Pany, whence is an hour's ascent on foot to the 
 Chateau de Montculot or d" Urcy, described by Lamartine. 
 
 ' II etait situe dans ce labyrinthe de montagnes noires, de 
 gorges sombres et de monotones forets qui forment le plateau 
 le plus 6leve de la Bourgogne, entre Semur et Dijon, a quatre on 
 cinq lieues de toute ville ; pays apre, sauvage ; air de feu, ciel de 
 neiges ; Siberie francaise, triste comme le Nord ; region des 
 pasteurs et des bucherons, ou Ton marche des heures sans voir 
 autre chose qu'un chene pareil a un chene, et un troupeau pareil 
 a un troupeau. Les lignes de 1'horizon, arretees par la noirceur 
 des bois qui les couvrent, droites et roides comme des remparts 
 tires au cordeau, se dessinent toutes semblables aussi sur le 
 ciel pale et gris. 
 
 ( Sur un plateau etroit, au confluent de ces gorges, s'eleve le 
 chateau d'Urcy, veritable site d'abbaye. On n'apercevait qu'a 
 travers les branches des grands chenes sa faade immense, 
 dentelee d'elegantes balustrades, ses quinze fenetres a plain 
 cintre, et leurs balcons de fer aux armoiries dorees, qui attestent 
 la plus pure architecture italienne, depaysee au milieu de cette 
 contree des dru'ides. Ce chateau, disent les paysans des environs, 
 a ete bati pour les etoiles, car il n'y a qu'elles qui puissent le 
 voir. . . . Des vastes jardins, decoupes a coups de hache sur les 
 bois,' 1'environnent. Ces jardins ne sont pas et ne peuvent pas 
 etre niveles ; ils suivent les ondulations du plateau, ici ouverts, la 
 fermes par les montagnes, les plaines, les gorges profondement 
 encaisses sous les rochers ; defrichements partiels noyes dans les 
 feuillages des collines et des mamelons. Quatorze sources, rare 
 suintement de ces flancs de roc, y ont ete recueillies dans de 
 longs conduits souterrains, qui les repandent a et la en conques 
 murmurantes, en vasques de pierre, en dauphins a barbe de 
 mousse verte, en pieces d'eau rondes, ovales, carrees, de toutes 
 formes et de toutes grandeurs. L'une d'elles porte bateau. La 
 fontaine qui s'y verse a grosses bouillons eternels s'appelle la 
 fontaine de Foyard, du nom d'un hetre seculaire qui ombrage les 
 
60 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 sources et qui couvre un demi-arpent de ses branches et de sa 
 nuit.' ' Nouvelles Confidences.'' 
 
 For the rest of this route see ch. iii.] 
 
 [A road leads W. from Dijon to (80 k.) Saulieu, by 
 
 42^ k. Vandenesse-le-Chdteau, from which an excursion may be 
 made to the chateau of Chdteauneuf, built 1457-94 by Philippe 
 Pot, ambassador from Philippe le Bon to England. 
 
 50 k. Pouilly-en-Montagne, where the church has a fine xvi. c. 
 S. Sepulcre and stone pulpit. 
 
 56k. Chailly, with a xvi. c. chateau and xv. c. cross, and 
 church of xn. c., xiv. c., and xvi. c. 
 
 70 k. Thoisy-la-Berchere, overlooked by an ancient chateau 
 parts of which date from the XL c. The ' Chambre du Roi ' is 
 preserved, where Henri IV. frequently stayed. 
 
 64k. Melin, whence it is 2jk. to Mont-S.-Jean, which has a 
 ruined castle of xn. c. and xiv. c., a chapel of xn. c. and xv. c., 
 and houses of xv. c. and xvi. c.] 
 
 Leaving Dijon, the railway passes between chains of 
 low hills, the value of whose vineyards has given the name 
 of Cote dOr to the department. 
 
 326 k. Gcvrey -Chamber tin. In the Combe de la Bois- 
 siere is a ruined xiv. c. chateau and a church of the same 
 date, with a baptistery of xvi. c. The produce of the hill of 
 Chambertin (Champ Bertin) is well known. * In the neigh- 
 bouring village of Fixin is the statue of Napoleon I. by 
 Rude, erected by " Noisot, Grenadier de 1'Ile d'Elbe." 
 
 332k. Vougeot, celebrated for the produce of the Clos- 
 Vougeot, planted by the monks of Citeaux in xn. c. The 
 Chateau, 1531, has a beautiful renaissance staircase and 
 chimney-pieces. 
 
 337 k. Nuits (Hotel : de la Croix-Blanche), an old town, 
 the scene of a bloody combat with the Germans in 1870, 
 but the most southern point reached by the enemy. The 
 
C1TEAUX. 6 1 
 
 fine church of S. Symphorien is xm. c. The Hopital S. 
 Laurent was founded xiv. c. 
 
 It is 12 k. from Nuits to the remains of the famous Abbey 
 of Citeaux, founded by Robert de Molesme in 1098, in a 
 dismal situation which was attractive to the monastic spirit. 
 An Englishman, Stephen Harding, was one of its seven first 
 
 lonks, and was abbot in 1113, when S. Bernard assumed the 
 here. 
 
 ' Bernard montra des 1'adolescence un esprit exalt6 et con- 
 templatif, tendre et violent, en meme temps qu'une horreur des 
 voluptes charnelles, qui lui faisait employer, pour vaincre ses sens, 
 les moyens les plus acerbes et les plus etranges. Tourmente par 
 le probleme de la vie, il se demandait souvent : " Bernard, qu'as 
 tu venu faire ici-bas?" (Bernarde, ad quid venisti?}. II trouva 
 bientot la reponse. II se fit moine a vingt-deux ans dans le 
 severe couvent de Citeaux, entrainant avec lui dans le mona- 
 
62 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 chisme son oncle, ses six freres, son pere, sa soeur, ses amis. 
 La vie chretienne n'existait pas pour lui hors du celibat et de la 
 retraite monastique ; il eut change", s'il cut pu, la terre en un 
 couvent universel, et for^e, pour ainsi dire, Dieu a donner le 
 signal de la fin du monde. II exe^ait sur les ames une 
 attraction si terrible, il inspirait a ses auditeurs un tel degout 
 des choses temporelles, que ceux qui 1'entendaient quittaient 
 tout pour s'ensevelir dans les monasteres. Les meres cachaient 
 leurs enfants, les femmes retenaient leurs maris, les amis 
 ammenaient au loin leurs amis, de peur qu'il n'allassent oui'r 
 Bernard. Un melange de charme et de terreur indicible 
 environnait cet homme nerveux et pale, au regard profond, qui 
 ne mangeait ni ne dormait ; qui, absorbe dans une perpetuelle 
 extase, voyait sans voir, entendait sans entendre, goutait sans 
 savourer ; qui, dans son faible corps, semblait anim6 d'une 
 force surnaturelle, et qui, racontait-on, guerissait les malades 
 par 1'imposition des mains.' Henri Martin^ ' Hist, de France' 
 
 ' Notwithstanding its fame, the Cistercian monastery up to 
 this time had been content with a few unincreasing votaries. 
 Warlike and turbulent Burgundy furnished only here and there 
 some conscience-stricken disciple to its dreary cells. The 
 accession of the noble Bernard, of his kindred and followers, 
 raised at once the popularity and crowded the dormitories of 
 this solitude. But Bernard himself dwelt in subjection, in 
 solitude, in study. He was alone, except when on his knees 
 with the rest of the choir ; the forest oaks and beeches were 
 his beloved companions ; he diligently read the sacred scriptures ; 
 he strove to work out his own conception of perfect and angelic 
 religion. He attained a height of abstraction from earthly things 
 which might have been envied by an Indian Yogue. He had so 
 absolutely withdrawn his senses from communion with the world 
 that they seemed dead to all outward impressions : his eyes 
 did not tell him whether his chamber was ceiled or not, whether 
 it had one window or three. Of the scanty food which he took 
 rather to avert death than to sustain life, his unconscious taste 
 had lost all perception whether it was nauseous or wholesome. 
 Yet Bernard thought himself but in his novitiate ; others might 
 have attained, he had but begun, his sanctification. He laboured 
 
CITEAUX. 63 
 
 with the hardest labourers, discharged the most menial offices, 
 was everybody's slave ; the more degrading the .office the more 
 acceptable to Bernard.' Milman, 'History of Latin Christianity' 
 
 When the abbey of Citeaux became over-crowded, Bernard 
 was sent forth with twelve other monks, typifying the twelve 
 Apostles, to found another monastery, and he founded Clairvaux. 
 After this, in the space of twenty-five years, no less than 60,000 
 
 monks issued from Citeaux to be scattered over the world ; 
 i, 800 monasteries of men and 1,400 of women depended on 
 Citeaux, which gave four popes to the Church Eugenius III., 
 Gregory VIII. , Celestine IV., and Benedict XII. and whose 
 ruler was known as ' 1'Abbe des Abbe's.' 
 
 The plan of the abbey of Citeaux was of the same character 
 as that of Clairvaux, and was of gigantic size. Constantly 
 pillaged in xvi. c., it was suppressed in 1790, and almost entirely 
 destroyed. Formerly, when a stranger arrived and knocked at 
 
64 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the gate, the usage was for the porter to exclaim ' Deo gratias,' 
 as to render thanks for his arrival. On opening, he said, 
 ' Benedicite,' and knelt before the new comer, and then sum- 
 moned the abbot. Whatever his occupations, the abbot left them 
 to receive the guest whom Heaven had sent him, and after 
 having prostrated at his feet, conducted him first to the oratory 
 at the gate for a short prayer, after which he handed him over 
 to the brother hospitaller, who was charged to look after his 
 comfort, and provide for his entertainment, and that of his 
 horse if he arrived on horseback. Odo, Duke of Burgundy, 
 dying in Palestine, desired that his body should rest in the 
 church at Citeaux, which afterwards became a favourite burial 
 place with his successors. The monastic buildings were stately, 
 but of great simplicity : even stained windows were forbidden 
 (1134), lest the brilliant subjects they pourtrayed might distract 
 the attention of the monks. Nothing now remains except the 
 small building shown in the accompanying woodcut, and the 
 situation is so flat and featureless, that Citeaux is scarcely worth 
 a visit. There is now a Colonie agricole penitentiaire there. 
 
 1 7k. S. of Citeaux, in the direction of S. Amour, is Seurre, 
 6k. from which is Pagny-le-Chdteau, with a ruined chateau and 
 xv. c. chapel, built by one of the Chabot family, very rich in 
 renaissance decoration, and with a jube erected by Admiral 
 Chabot, in 1538, and a magnificent wooden retable given in 
 1450 by Jeanne de Vienne, who also caused the tomb of her 
 great uncle, Jean a la Longue Barbe (1435) ro he placed 
 here. The tomb of Jean de Longwy and Jeanne de Vienne was 
 erected by their children c. 1464, and bears their statues. I k. 
 N.W. is Pagny-la-Ville, with a beautiful xv. c. cross, and a 
 church of xin. c., xiv. c., and xv. c.] 
 
 352 k. Beanne (Omnibus, 40 c. Hotels : de France ; de la 
 Paste ; du Chevreuil\ a pleasant and pretty old town, once 
 of considerable importance, but ruined by the revocation of 
 the Edict of Nantes. Its arms, like those of Dijon, appro- 
 priately bear vine branches. The collegiate church of Notre 
 Dame was begun in xn. c., but is of many styles. Its great 
 
BEAUNE. 65 
 
 tower, which presents a primitive storey, possessing all the 
 features of Burgundian and romanesque, and which only 
 shows the gothic influence in its second storey ; its unfinished 
 W. towers, and its stately and picturesque porch, with three 
 arches in front and two at the sides, are xm. c. On the 
 S. of the nave is a doorway with the lintel, forming the cir- 
 
 HOSPITAL OF BEAUNE EXTERIOR. 
 
 cular tympanum, covered with sculpture. The W. doorways 
 themselves deserve study. In its vaulting and ornamenta- 
 tion the church is almost a copy of the Cathedral of Autun. 
 The upper part of the choir was rebuilt xiv. c. : the irre- 
 gular chapels opening from the aisles of the nave are xv. c., 
 except the first chapel S., which is renaissance. The Revo- 
 lution has destroyed much beautiful sculpture. Some good 
 
 5 
 
66 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 glass remains, and beautiful iron-work outside the windows 
 of the r. aisle. In the presbytery garden is a remarkable 
 doorway of xn. c. The picturesque gable of the chapter- 
 house is xin. c. 
 
 The Hospital^ which is the most interesting building of 
 
 HOSPITAL OF BEAUNE COURTYARD. 
 
 the kind in France, was founded, 1443, by Nicolas Rolin, 
 Chancellor of Burgundy, and continued, after his death, by 
 his wife, Guicone de Salins, which explains the motto seule, 
 often repeated in the ornamentation. It has been, from its 
 foundation, in the hands of the Soeurs du S. Esprit, whose 
 picturesque dress adds to the antique charm of the court. 
 
BEAUNE. 67 
 
 with its beautiful surrounding buildings, its marvellous 
 girandoles, its brilliant flowers and orange-trees, its cross 
 and well. 
 
 ' Get etablissement est a peu pres tel que le xv c siecle nous 
 1'a laisse, bien qu'il soit construit, en grande partie, en bois. II 
 se compose de trois corps de logis Sieve's autour d'une cour 
 quadrangulaire. Dans le batiment qui donne sur la rue est 
 plac<5e la grande salle, avec sa chapelle a I'extr6mite, la porterie 
 et quelques pieces voutees destinees aux provisions. Les deux 
 autres corps de logis, devant lesquels passe une galerie a deux 
 etages, contiennent le noviciat des soeurs, trois salles, la cuisine 
 et la pharmacie. De grands gables de charpente, vitres, donnant 
 du jour dans les salles par-dessus les galeries du dehors, tandis 
 que 1'aeration se fait par les galeries memes et par les faces 
 oppos6es. La cour de cet etablissement, d'un aspect riant, bien 
 proportionnee, contenant encore son puits du xv e siecle, son 
 lavoir et sa chaire, donnerait presque envie de tomber malade 
 a Beaune. La porte sur la rue est protegee par un auvent de 
 charpente couvert d'ardoise. Les anciennes girouettes des 
 combles, peintes aux armes de Nicolas Rollin, sont carrees, avec 
 un seul contre-pois, et deforces aux angles extremes de feuilles 
 d6coupees.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 The Salle S. Hugues is decorated with mural paintings 
 of 1682. The Salle des Malades is a noble hall, with a 
 stately roof, and is surrounded by ancient box beds, cheer- 
 fully draped with red and white. The end of the hall is 
 disposed as a chapel, so that the sick can be present at 
 a service, or receive teaching without leaving their beds ; 
 mass here is a very touching sight. The Musee has a 
 very curious collection of carved oak nun-chests (each nun 
 formerly having one). But the great curiosity of the place 
 is the large and splendid picture attributed to Van Eyck 
 (Jean de Bruges) representing the Last J udgment, presented 
 
68 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 to the hospital by the founder. The heads are marvellous 
 in character. The (very decent) nudity of some of the 
 figures was at one time either draped in brown breeches 
 or covered with the flames of hell by the nuns, but the 
 picture has now been well restored. On the back are por- 
 traits of the Chancellor Rolin and his son Jean, Bishop of 
 Autun, with their patron saints Anthony and Sebastian. 
 Eugenius IV. and Philippe le Bon are also represented. 
 
 The church of S. Nicolas is xiv. c., with a romanesque 
 portal. In the Faubourg S. Jacques is the ancient Chapelk 
 des Tempers, where Jacques de Molay was admitted to the 
 Order. The square Belfry of the Hotel de Ville, of xv. c. 
 (now destroyed), is of 1403. Near this is a statue of the 
 geometrician Gaspard Monge (born at Beaune, 1746) by 
 Rude. The pleasant promenade of the Rempart des Dames 
 owes its name to the Abbaye des Dames du Lieu-Dieu. 
 The avenues of pink chestnuts are lovely in spring. The 
 vineyards of Beaune are among the most important in 
 Burgundy. 
 
 [An excursion may be made to (5 k. N.W.) Savigny-sous- 
 Beaune, a pretty wooded valley, with a church-spire of xv. c. 
 and a chateau built xiv. c., and rebuilt 1672, in which the 
 Duchesse du Maine, daughter-in-law of Louis XIV., passed part 
 of her exile in Burgundy. 4 k. further is the beautiful fountain 
 called Fontaine-Froide, of which she said, ' Que ne l'ai-je a 
 Sceaux ! ' Further in the valley (8 k. from Savigny) are ruins 
 of the Abbaye de S. Marguerite, xn. c. and xv. c.] 
 
 367 k. Chagny. The church has a picturesque tower of 
 the xii. c. The nave, flanked by side-aisles, is higher than 
 the choir, which served as chapel to the castle. 
 
 [An excursion may be made W. to (n k.) La Rochepot, with 
 
CUSSY-LA-COLONNE, AUTUN. 69 
 
 the imposing ruins of a castle, built xm. c., by Alexandre de 
 Bourgogne, Prince de Mor6e, and ruined at the Revolution ; and 
 (21 k.) Cussy-la-Colonne where, in the hollow called Prefhcraine, 
 I k. from the village, a curious Roman column still stands, 
 octagonal, 10 met. high, on a pedestal adorned with eight figures 
 of gods and goddesses, rudely sculptured in relief.] 
 
 [E. of Chagny are (2k.) Creteuil, with a beautiful ancient 
 cross ; (3 k.) Chaudenay, with church of 1310, and (i4k.) 6". Loup- 
 de-la-Salle, with fine xiv. c. church.] 
 
 [A railway branches off W. from Chagny to Autun an excur- 
 sion which is well worth while. The line passes 
 
 9 k. Paris VHopital, named from a hospice founded xn. c. by 
 knights of S. John of Jerusalem. The village of Cr6ot (2 k. W.) 
 is situated between Mont de Rome-Chateau and Mont-de-Remc, 
 supposed to have been dedicated to Romulus and Remus under 
 the Romans. 
 
 14 k. Nolay. About one hour's walk from hence is the pretty 
 valley of Vatix Chignon or de la Tournce, watered by the little 
 river Cusanne. Alexandre Dumas 1 has given a picturesque 
 description of this spot. 
 
 27 k. Epinac, famous for its coal, of which it produces 
 150,000 tons annually, has a fine xiv. c. chateau, which belonged 
 to Cardinal Rollin. 
 
 34k. 6". Leger-Sully. The fine chateau of Sully is of the 
 end of xvi. c. It surrounds a court with its main buildings, at 
 the angles of which are four square towers ; in the middle of the 
 S. faade is a fifth tower, containing the chapel. The chateau, 
 which formerly belonged to the families of Rabutin and Montaigne, 
 is now the property of M. de Mac-Mahon. The Marechal de 
 Mac-Mahon was born here in 1808. 
 
 49 k. Autun (Hotels : S. Louis; de la Paste; de la Cloche), 
 occupies the site of Augustodunum, founded after the ruin of 
 the Gaulish Bibracte, and one of the most flourishing Roman 
 cities in Gaul. 
 
 ' Lorsqu'on voit ce qui reste d'Autun, et qu'on se rappelle les 
 catastrophes epouvantables que cette ville a eprouvees, 1'imagina- 
 
 1 Impressions de Voyage, i re serie, i. 
 
70 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 tion a peine a se figurer ce qu'elle devait etre au temps de sa 
 splendeur. A la fin du ui c siecle, et lors de la revolte des 
 Bagaudes, elle fut saccagee et brulee ; ses temples et ses edifices 
 publics furent renverses pour la plupart. Attila poursuivit 
 1'oeuvre de devastation, lorsqu'il s'en empara au milieu du v e 
 siecle ; puis les Bourguignons et les Huns se disputerent ses 
 ruines ; enfin Rollon et ses Normands trouverent encore quelque 
 
 PORT DARROUX, AUTUN. 
 
 chose a detruire, et leur passage fut le dernier et le plus terrible 
 coup porte a cette ville malheureuse.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 The magnificent Roman remains which still exist include 
 The Porte d'Arroux (Porta Senonica), composed of two great 
 arches for carriages, with two smaller arches for foot passengers 
 at the sides. The entablature above supported an arcade of ten 
 arches, of which seven still exist, separated by Corinthian pilasters 
 of delicate execution. 
 
 The Porte S. Andre (Porta Lingcnensis), supposed not to 
 
AUTUN. ft 
 
 be earlier than v. c., but much of the same character as the Porte 
 d'Arroux, with ionic pilasters instead of Corinthian. The ex- 
 ternal facade is flanked by towers, one of which has been 
 converted into a church of S. Andre. 
 
 'La porte S. Andre est une des plus completes de toutes 
 celles que nous possedons en France, et se rapproche de 1'epoque 
 du moyen age. Elle est ailleurs entierement tracee sur le modele 
 antique, et possede deux voies, deux issues pour les pietons, 
 deux tours, servant de postes militaires, avec leurs deux escaliers 
 montant aux etages superieurs.' Viollet le Due, 
 
 There is no reason in the name given to the building outside 
 the Porte d'Arroux, known as the Temple of Janus, and which 
 was only an external fortification to that gate. It consists of 
 thick low walls, pierced by two courses of openings, probably of 
 the Lower Empire. A few years ago some remains of a Temple 
 of Pluto were visible at a short distance from this, but nothing 
 now exists. In the museum of M. Jovet is a fine mosaic repre- 
 senting the combat of Bellerophon and the Chimaera. The Roman 
 Theatre (at the end of the Promenade des Marbres, and first turn 
 to 1.) retains little more than its outline in the turf. 
 
 The Amphitheatre, now destroyed and crossed by the Chalons 
 road, was the largest building of the kind after the Coliseum. 
 
 The square Tour de Minerve is united to the convent of S. 
 Andoche. The Tour d'Apollon is little more than a piece of 
 wall in the court of a private house facing the Promenade des 
 Marbres. Considerable remains of ancient Aqueducts have been 
 discovered. 
 
 The beautiful little Cathedral of S. Lazare, or 6*. Ladre, 
 originally a chapel to the castle of the dukes of Burgundy, was 
 founded 1060, and consecrated by Innocent II. in 1132. In 1465 
 Cardinal Rolin added its central tower. 
 
 'La cathedrale d'Autun etait a peine achev6e, vers 1140, qu'on 
 elevait un porche vaste devant sa facade principale. Ce porche 
 couvre un emmarchement comprenant la largeur de la nef et 
 des collat6raux. II est surmonte de deux tours et d'une salle au 
 premier etage, couverte jadis par une charpente apparente. Clos 
 lateralement, le porche de S. Lazare s'ouvre devant I'entr6e cen- 
 trale de 1'eglise par un enorme berceau qui enveloppe 1'archivolte 
 
^2 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 de la porte. Cette disposition est d'un effet grandiose, d'autant 
 plus que les linteaux et le tympan de cette porte sont converts 
 de figures sculptees d'un style etrange, energique, et d'une 
 execution remarquable.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 A flight of steps leads to the W. front flanked by two towers, 
 of which that on r. has a lofty stone spire. At the end of the 
 N. transept is a good romanesque doorway, but the chief portal 
 is important from its representation of the Last Judgment, in 
 which a colossal angel introduces the spirits of the blessed 
 through a window into a palace representing Paradise. 
 
 1 Foremost amongst Burgundian churches is the cathedral of 
 Autun, with its grand but wild compositions in the arched space 
 surmounting the principal portal (c. 1 1 50). The space is filled 
 with the representation of the Last Judgment, into which are 
 introduced several wild appalling colossal devils, who seize and 
 torment the figures of the condemned. S. Michael, also ex- 
 aggerated in size, is weighing a soul and protecting it against 
 the combined efforts of two demons who are endeavouring to 
 press down the other side of the beam of the scales. Art rises 
 in these scenes to a height of startling grandeur, which, after the 
 fashion of the age, appears in the introduction of fantastic demon 
 forms. The master who executed this work is Gislebertus.' 
 Lilbke. 
 
 In the interior, the nave, of seven bays, with side aisles, has a 
 beautiful triforium. The vaulting is gothic. The transepts are 
 very short, the choir without an ambulatory. The beautiful side 
 chapels of the nave are flamboyant-gothic of xv. c. ; in that which 
 serves as the baptistery is a striking relief of Christ and the 
 Magdalen. On the capitals on r. of the nave, near the entrance, 
 are sculptures of the wolf and stork, and Androcles and the lion. 
 
 ' La nef offre le melange de Fogive et du plain cintre ; mais ce 
 qui merite d'etre note, c'est 1'emploi qu'on a fait de 1'ogive, seule- 
 ment dans les parties qui avaient besoin d'une grande solidite. 
 Ainsi, les voutes et les arcades qui unissent les piliers, sont 
 ogivales, tandis que les fenetres de la nef sont cintrees. On a 
 reconnu, je crois, de bonne heure, la solidite de 1'ogive, et c'est 
 
AUTUN. 73 
 
 cette propriety qui d'abord 1'a fait adopter dans 1'architecture 
 religieuse.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 Behind the high-altar, a magnificent reliquary contains the 
 relics of S. Lazare. In the treasury is an eastern pall of great 
 magnificence. The r. transept contains the famous picture 
 by Ingres, representing the martyrdom of the local saint 
 Symphorien. 
 
 ' Symphorianus, fils d'un decurion, membre du senat muni- 
 cipal, a Autun, fut condamne a mort pour avoir refuse dSdaigneuse- 
 ment de saluer la statue de Cybele qu'on promenait par les rues 
 sur un char, le jour de la fete de cette "mere des dieux." Tandis 
 qu'on le menait hors de la ville pour 1'executer, sa mere lui criait 
 duhaut desmurailles: " Mon fils, monfils Symphorianus, souviens- 
 toi du Dieu vivant ; Sieve ton coeur en haut, et regarde celui qui 
 regne dans le ciel ! On ne t'ote pas aujourd'hui la vie ; on te la 
 change en une meilleure ! " Les meres chretiennes renouvelaient 
 les effrayantes vertus des meres de Laced6mone.' Henri 
 Martin, ' Hist, de France' 
 
 The Fontaine S. Lazare is a very graceful work of the 
 Renaissance. 
 
 The church of 6". Pantaleon (rebuilt) belonged to the Abbaye 
 de S. Martin, founded by Brunehaut, 602, on the spot where the 
 Bishop of Tours cuj; down a beech which had become an object 
 of pagan worship. Brunehaut was buried in the chapel of the 
 monastery, destroyed 1793. The church of 6". Pierre VKlrier 
 formerly contained the tombs of S. Amateur, first bishop of 
 Autun, and S. Cassien, also bishop, which were in existence in 
 1718. Only the ruins remain of the Priory of S. Symphorien, 
 built 421, to contain the remains of the missionary-martyr of 
 Autun. The Eveche is the old palace of the dukes of Burgundy. 
 Le Grand Seminaire has an important library. Le Petit Seminaire, 
 built by Louis XIV. in 1669, has gardens by Le Notre. In the 
 Musee Lapidaire de la Chapelle S. Nicolas is the antique sarco- 
 phagus which served as the tomb of Queen Brunehaut. 
 
 i k. S.E., at the village of Couhard, is a curious pyramid on a 
 square base, fifty feet high, known as the Pierre de Couhard, 
 
74 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 marking a Roman cemetery, in which a number of medals and 
 tombstones have been found. It is supposed by some to have 
 been itself a tomb, by others a signal station. 
 
 6 k. S. is the Chateau de Montjeu (Mons Jovis), dating from 
 xni. c., and still inhabited by the family of Talleyrand-Perigord. 
 
 17 k. S.E. is 5. Emiland, supposed to be the site of a battle 
 between the Romans and Julius Sacrovir, chief of the Eduens, 
 A.D. 21. It is named from a bishop of Nantes, who was killed 
 here, in battle against the Saracens. His sword was long pre- 
 served in the church (xm. c.), and a little chapel rises over his 
 tomb in the churchyard. 25k. from Autun in this direction is 
 Couches-les- Mines, with a fine early gothic church of S. Martin, 
 and some remains of the Abbaye de S. Georges, founded in 
 VIIL c. The ruined Chateau, famous in xn. c., is said to have 
 been the place where, in the xvi. c., the Catholics assembling 
 formed a ligue, of which the name was afterwards adopted by the 
 whole Catholic party in France. 
 
 16 k. N. on the road to Saulieu is Lucenay-l'Eveque, with 
 some small remains of the castle built in 1295 by Hugues d'Arcy, 
 Bishop of Autun. The xn. c. parish church contains the tomb 
 of Guillaume de Brazey, 1302. 
 
 [Several roads lead from Autun to Chateau Chinon (see 
 ch. iii.), through the wild district of Morvan (Montagne noire), 
 which has a Celtic population, wearing the ancient saga,and speak- 
 ing a patois incomprehensible to the inhabitants of the plain. 1 
 (i) By (48 k.) Moulins Engilbert, where the xvi.c. church has a fine 
 xv. c. crypt, and the xni. c. castle occupies the site of a Roman 
 camp. (2) By (6 k.) Monthelon, where the xv. c. chateau (now a 
 paper-mill) was the residence of S. Jeanne Chantal, from 1602-9, 
 and where S. Francois de Sales married his brother Bernard, Baron 
 de Thorens, to the eldest daughter of the holy chatelaine, who 
 announced, on the following day, her intention of abandoning her 
 family and the world, to found the first convent of the Visitation. 
 At 1 8k. is 6*. Leger-sous-Beuvray, with an old tower. Then the 
 road passes near Le Mont Betivray, one of the highest points of 
 the Morvan, bearing the remains of a city of military and religious 
 importance, which antiquaries recognise as Bibracte, that town 
 
 1 Paul Bert, Bulletin de la Socie'te' d'Anthropologie, 1861, p. 409. 
 
LE CREUSOT. 75 
 
 of the Eduens to which Caesar attached great importance on 
 account of its position between the basin of the Saone and 
 that of the Loire. The whole summit of the hill is encircled 
 with huge entrenchments, and many menhirs and dolmens 
 remain on the hill, to which endless local traditions are attached. 
 The Chapelle de S. Martin occupies the cella of the Temple of 
 Dea Bibracte. A fair, called Lite de Bewray, is held on the 
 summit of the hill in the beginning of May. (3) By (13 k.) La 
 Cellede Morvan, with an xi. c. church on the site of the hermitage 
 occupied by S. Mery in the vn. c., a good centre for the wildest 
 parts of Morvan, including the Roches de Glaine, the Pic du Bois 
 die Roi, and Anost, where the (xiv. c. ) church has the tombs of 
 Comte Gerard de Rousillon and his wife.] 
 
 [A railway leads S.E. from Chagny to Autun, or to Luzy and 
 Nevers, passing 
 
 1 3k. 5. Leger-sur-Dheune, with a church xvi. c. to xix. c. 
 This is 6 k. from Couches-les-Mines. See p. 74. 
 
 29 k. Montchanin, whence a line runs S. to Paray-le-Monial 
 by Monceau-les-Mines. 
 
 37 k. Le Creusot (Hotel : de Commerce], famous for its iron 
 foundries. 
 
 1 Le Creusot est le groupe d'etablissements industriels le plus 
 considerable et le plus savamment dispose" qui existe en France. 
 II y a un siecle, le pauvre hameau de la Charbonniere occup^it 
 1'emplacement ou s'eleve aujourd'hui la ville. Une fonderie de 
 canons, une verrerie, des ateliers metallurgiques y furent fondes 
 avant la Revolution; mais encore en 1857 le Creusot n'etait 
 qu'un village ; depuis cette epoque, il a rapidement grandi, et 
 maintenant il depasse en population Autun, Macon, Chalon et 
 met en oeuvre beaucoup plus de matieres premieres, que ces 
 trois villes. Ses mineurs exploitent les couches de houille a 200 
 et 400 metres profondeur ; ils ont meme force un trou de sonde 
 jusqu'a 920 metres pour retrouver les couches de charbon au- 
 dessous d'une faille. L'enorme quantity de combustible retiree 
 des puits de mine trouve aussitot son emploi ; elle est re"partie 
 entre les hauts fourneaux, la forge, les ateliers de construction. 
 Les mines voisines fournissent le mineral de fer, mais ni la 
 houille ni le fer de la contre"e ne suffisent a I'immense consom- 
 
76 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 mation des mines ; le Creusot doit importer encore de combustible 
 des autres bassins du centre de la France et demander son mineral 
 jusqu'a I'ile d'Elbe et a 1'Algerie. Entre" a l'<tat brut, le metal 
 en sort en fers ouvre~s de toute espece, en plaques de blindage, 
 en ponts, en machines diverses ; d'ordinaire deux locomotives 
 par semaine sortent des ateliers.' Elisee R edits. 
 
 53 k. Masvres has the ruins of a monastery which existed in 
 iv. c. 
 
 58 k. Etang, whence the line to Autun turns N. 
 ^8ok. Luzy, surrounded by walls in xiv. c. II k. S. is Issy 
 VEveque, with remains of an old castle. 1 1 k. N. is La Roche 
 Millay, with a great chateau re-built by the Marechal de Villars. 
 
 103 k. Fours, near which are the xiv. c. Chateau de la Boue 
 and the remains of the Chartreuse cfApponay, founded xn. c. 
 by Thibaud, Bishop of Nevers. 
 
 iiok. Cercy-la-Tour. The church is xn. c., the buildings of 
 the priory of Coulonges end of xv. c. For the line from hence to 
 Clamecy and Auxerre see ch. iii. 
 
 1 1 5 k. Verneuil. The church is xn. c. and xv. c. ; the remains 
 of the chateau xm. c., xvi. c., and xvm. c. 
 
 1 25 k. Decize (Hotels : d Angleterre ; de la Poste). The church 
 of 6\ Are has a crypt of vn. c., and choir XL c. In the crypt is 
 the tomb of S. Are. On a rock overlooking the town are the ruins of 
 a castle.of the Counts of Nevers of XL c. Above the town on N.E. 
 are the (xvm. c.) ruins of a convent of Minimes. 
 
 163 k. Nevers. See ch. ii.] 
 
 [A railway runs N.E. from Chagny to (84k.) Dole by 
 
 48k. Pierre, with a handsome chateau of 1680. 
 
 74k. Tavaux, where the church has a good spire. The 
 
 neighbouring castle of Molay was the birthplace of Jacques de 
 
 Molay, last Grand-Master of the Templars.] 
 
 Through hills and tunnels the main line now reaches 
 
 383 k. Chalons- sur-Saone (Hotels : Grand; du Chevreuil ; 
 
 du Commerce], a dull town of Roman origin. The Cathedral 
 
 of S. Vincent is xn. c. and xv. c., with a xix. c. facade. On 
 
CHALON-SUR-SAdNE, S. MARCEL. 77 
 
 the Ik S. Laurent in the Saone is the Hopital, of 1528, 
 where some curious stained glass of xvi. c., formerly in the 
 infirmary, now decorates the chapel. In the square is a 
 handsome granite column. On a fragment of Roman wall 
 near the river is the Tour de Coco-Louvrier. 
 
 [A railway runs E. from Chalons to 
 
 6k. 6*. Marcel, which had a famous abbey founded c. 177 on 
 the spot where S. Marcel suffered martyrdom by being buried 
 up to his middle, and which was richly endowed by many royal 
 pilgrims. The church, rebuilt at the end of xn. c., has a gothic 
 reliquary containing the remains of SS. Marcel and Agricole, and 
 an inscription to Abelard, who died in the priory April 21, 1142, 
 aged 63. He was buried in the chapel of the infirmary in which 
 he expired, and where his cenotaph monument, with his figure in 
 monastic habit, might have been seen till the last century, though 
 in the November following his death, Peter the Venerable removed 
 his remains to the Paraclete, where Heloi'se was prioress. 
 
 ' II avait cesse" de parler, mais, jusqu'a son dernier jour, il 
 n'avait pas cesse" d'e"crire, et il avait garde" intacte sa foi dans la 
 raison et dans la liberte" de 1'intelligence. L'esprit qui 1'avait 
 anime ne fut point enseveli dans son sepulcre, et sa forte trace 
 ne s'efface jamais.' Martin, ' Hist, de France' 
 
 38 k. Louhans. The brick church is composed of two gothic 
 buildings, side by side, and communicating by a gothic arch. 
 The open parapet of the tower expresses the words ' Ave Maria, 
 gratia plena, Dominus tecum.' The Hospital (xv. c.) has good 
 wood-carving. 
 
 68 k. Lons-le-Saulnier. See ch. v.] 
 
 [A railway is in progress from Chalon-sur-Saone 'to (68 k.) 
 Charolles, by 
 
 8 k. Givry. 2% k. distant is the Chateau de Germolles, dating 
 from 1383, inhabited by Charles VI., and by many illustrious 
 members of the Burgundian house. 
 
 1 2k. 6*. Desert, with a fortified church of xiv. c.] 
 
78 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 In former times the Saone afforded the chief means of com- 
 munication between Chalons and the South. Travellers here 
 took the boat called the coche d'eau, supplanted by the steamer, 
 but the latter is seldom used now ; nor has the Saone any scenery 
 which repays a leisurely traveller. 
 
 ' Des plaines fertiles s'6tendent au loin sur les deux bords de 
 la riviere ; on voit 93. et la des collines et des monticules ; partout 
 de jolis hameaux, des vergers, des maisons de campagne, des 
 chateaux avec leurs tours et tourelles ; une culture tres-avance"e, 
 1'industrie et ses bienfaisants resultats.' Karamsine. 
 
 39 1 k. Varennes-le- Grand. Tor. is S. Ambreuil^ retain- 
 ing the (xvn. c. and xvm. c.) palace of the abbot of La Ferte, 
 the only remnant of the famous abbey which was called the 
 eldest daughter of Citeaux. 
 
 408 k. Tournus (Hotel : du Sauvage), a town of Roman 
 date, where S. Valerien suffered martyrdom in 177, being 
 hung, torn by iron hooks, and finally beheaded on the 
 site afterwards occupied by the chateau. A basilica rose 
 upon the grave of the saint, and then a Cistercian abbey. 
 The parish church of S. Philibert, formerly that of the 
 abbey, is a magnificent specimen of Burgundian architec- 
 ture. Built 1009 to 1019 and finished in the next century, 
 slightly altered in xiv. c. and xv. c., it has the great W. 
 porch which is characteristic of Cluniac abbeys. 
 
 ' Un des porches ferme~s les plus anciens est celui de Tournus : 
 il se compose a rez-de-chaussee d'une nef centrale a trois trave"es 
 avec bas-c6te"s. Cette nef centrale est formee par des voutes 
 d'arete avec arcs-doubleaux ; les nefs late~rales sont couvertes par 
 des berceaux perpendiculaires aux murs late~raux, reposant sur 
 les arcs-doubleaux. On entrait dans ce narthex par une porte 
 donnant sur une cour pre~ce"dee d'une enceinte fortifie~e. La 
 facade elle-meme du porche e"tait defendue. Deux tours s'elevent 
 sur les deux premieres trave~es. Au premier etage, ce vaste 
 narthex forme une eglise avec nef elevee, voutee en berceau, et 
 
TOURNUS. 
 
 79 
 
 col!at6raux voutes en demi-berceaux. Des meurtrieres s'ouvrent 
 a la partie inferieure de cette salle, 6clair6e par des fenetres 
 perches dans les murs de la haute nef et dans le pignon anterieur. 
 Du cote de 1'eglise, un arcade est perce"e dans le mur pignon, au 
 niveau du sol du premier etage, et permet de voir ce qui se passe 
 dans la nef.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 IN S. PHILIBERT, TOURNUS. 
 
 1 L'absence d'ornements, le caractere de lourdeur et de rudesse 
 de la nef et du vestibule me font croire que ces parties de 1'eglise 
 sont les plus anciennes. Je n'hesite pas a penser qu'elles datent 
 du x e siecle. L'incendie qui devasta le monastere a du etre impuis- 
 sant contre ses masses enormes. La restoration, de Bernier, en 
 1019, se borna probablement a substituer, dans la nef des voutes 
 
8o SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 aux plafonds. Le choeur me parait egalement de la meme 
 epoque.' Prosper Merimec. 
 
 The choir has a pretty external decoration of coloured 
 bricks. In the interior, the nave, like the narthex, is low ; 
 the cylindrical pillars have no capitals. The vaulting of 
 the central tower ' La Pyramide ' is very remarkable. 
 An ambulatory and five square chapels surround the choir. 
 Between the choir windows are exquisite pillars sculptured 
 with grapes and vine leaves in relief. At the end of the N. 
 aisle is the gravestone of Simone de Baze, wife of Miles 
 de Frolais, 1327. A chapel, adorned with simple arcades, 
 extends by the side of the S. aisle : against the walls of 
 this aisle is an altar-piece containing a precious Byzantine 
 Madonna. The four arches of the cross, of early gothic, 
 support an octagonal cupola, and a beautiful square tower 
 of two storeys. At the end of the N. transept is a grand 
 rose window. Fourteen steps lead under the choir to the 
 crypt, which ends in three apses. In the central of these 
 rests S. Vale'rien ; on the 1. is the Abbot Geilon ; on the r. 
 is S. Philibert, who, born of noble parentage, and brought 
 up at the court of Dagobert, was led to a religious life by 
 the teaching of S. Audoenus (S. Ouen). He founded the 
 abbeys of Jumieges and Noirmonstier, and died in the latter. 
 In 87 1, .thirty-five years after his death, his remains were 
 brought here, having wandered meanwhile to La Vende'e, 
 Anjou, Poitou, and S. Pou^ain in the Bourbonnais. The 
 monastic buildings, of xn. c. and xvn. c., are occupied by 
 working men. They were formerly surrounded by walls 
 continuing the N. wall of the town. The Hospice de la 
 Charite was built, 1718, by Cardinal Fleury, then abbot of 
 Tournus. There are remains of convents of the Madeleine 
 
MA CON. 
 
 81 
 
 and of the Soeurs du Voile Noir. An inscription marks 
 the very humble house in which the painter Greuze was 
 born in 1725. A stone column in the square was found in 
 the Saone. Near the town are two peulvans nearly fifteen 
 feet high. 
 
 [7 k. E. of Tournus is Cuisery, an old walled town, where the 
 church (xin. c. to xvi. c.) has a handsome tower.] 
 
 441 k. Mdcon (Hotels : de f Europe good, but dear ; 
 du Sauvage both on the quai of the Saone ; de France 
 near the station), on a site occupied by an important 
 city of the Eduens before the Roman conquest. 
 
 ' Sur les bords de la Saone, en remontant son cours, a quelques 
 lieues de Lyon, s'eleve, au penchant d'un coteau a peine renfle 
 au-dessus des plaines, la ville petite mais gracieuse de Macon : 
 deux clochers gothiques, decapites et ruines par le temps, attirent 
 1'oeil et la pensee du voyageur qui descend, vers la Provence ou 
 vers 1'Italie, sur les bateaux a vapeur dont la riviere est tout le 
 jour sillonnee. Au-dessous de ces ruines de la cathedrale antique 
 s'etendent, sur une longueur de pres d'une demi-lieue, de longues 
 piles de maisons blanches et des quais, ou Ton debarque et ou 
 Ton embarque les merchandises du midi de la France et les pro- 
 duits du vignobles maconnais. Le haut de la ville, que Ton 
 n'aper9oit pas de la riviere, est abandonne au silence etau repos ; 
 on dirait une ville espagnole ; 1'herbe y croit l'ete~ entre les paves : 
 les hauts murailles des anciens couvents en assombrissent les 
 rues etroites : un college, un hopital, des eglises, les unes 
 restaurees, les autres delabrees et servant de magazins aux 
 tonneliers du pays ; une grande place plantee de tilleuls a ses 
 deux extremites, ou les enfantsjouentet ou les viellards s'assoient 
 au soleil dans les beaux jours ; de longs faubourgs a maisons basses 
 qui montent au serpentant jusqu'au sommetde la colline; et, aux 
 alentours de la place cinq ou six hotels ou grandes maisons, 
 presque toujours fermees, qui resolvent 1'hiver, les anciennes 
 families de la province; voila le coup d'oeil de la haute ville. 
 
 6 
 
82 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 C'est le quartier de ce qu'on appelait autrefois la noblesse et le 
 clerge. 
 
 ' A Tun des angles de cette place, qui etait avant la Revo- 
 lution un rempart, et qui en conserve le nom, on voit une grande 
 et haute maison, percee de fenetres rares, et dont les murs eleves, 
 massifs, noircis par la pluie, erailles par le soleil, sont relies 
 depuis plus d'un siecle par de grosses clefs de fer. Une porte 
 haute et large, pr6c6dee d'un perron de deux marches, donne 
 entree dans un long vestibule, au fond duquel un lourd escalier 
 en pierre brille an soleil par une fenetre colossale et monte 
 d'etage en etage pour desservir de nombretix et profonds ap- 
 partements. C'est la maison ou je suis ne.' Lamartine, ' Les 
 Confidences' 
 
 The city of Macon, situated on a great bend of the 
 Saone, is remarkable for its healthiness, and in spite of the 
 flat country, and featureless town, has a certain charm from 
 the great reaches of the glistening river. The old Cathedral 
 of S. Vincent^ rebuilt xm. c., was destroyed at the Revo- 
 lution, and nothing remains but part of the W. porch and 
 towers. These are of two periods, the lower romanesque, 
 the upper xin. c. and xiv. c. : one of the towers had a stone 
 spire, now partially destroyed. In the Rue Dombey, near 
 the quay, is a good timber house. 
 
 4 It is the boast of the village of S. Laurent, opposite Macon, 
 that every male can swim. Ask one of the villagers if he is a 
 swimmer, and he does not answer "Yes," but smiles significantly 
 and says, " Je suis de S. Laurent." ' Hamerton, ' French and 
 English! 
 
 [A railway runs from Macon to 
 
 6k. Charnay-Condemine. 4^k. is Solutre, formerly famous 
 for its wine, and now much visited by geologists, owing to the 
 fossil remains discovered there, and the extraordinary geological 
 ossuary, where 100,000 skeletons of horses have been found. 
 
MILLY. 83 
 
 8 k. Prisse. The farm of Chevignes was an ancient priory 
 given to the monks of Cluny by Rudolphe II. Abelard spent 
 two years there for the benefit of his health. 2 k. N., amid vine- 
 yards, is the Chateau de Montceaux, which came to Lamartine 
 from his father's elder brother ; its contents were dispersed by 
 a sale in 1870, and the property is now sold. 
 
 2 k. from the station the Route de Roanne turns S.W. by 
 (12 k.) the ancient fortified town oiPierredos, and (25 k.)Tramayes 
 with a chateau of 1589. 
 
 ii k. S. Sorlin-Milly. I k. is Milly little more than a farm- 
 house, the home of Lamartine's childhood, which had belonged 
 to his grand-parents. 
 
 ' A droite et a gauche blanchissent des hameaux au milieu 
 des vignes. Au-dessus de ces hameaux, des montagnes nues 
 et sans culture etendent en pentes rapides et rocailleuses des 
 pelouses grises ou Ton distingue comme des points blancs de 
 rares troupeaux. Toutes ces montagnes sont couronnees de 
 quelques masses de rochers qui sortent de terre, et dont les 
 dents usees par le temps et par les vents presentent a 1'oeil les 
 formes et les d6chirures de vieux chateaux demanteles. En 
 suivant la route qui circule autour de la base de ces collines, 
 environ deux heures de marche de la ville, on trouve a gauche 
 un petit chemin 6troit voile de saules, qui descend dans les pres 
 vers un ruisseau ou 1'on entend perpetuellement battre la roue 
 du moulin. 
 
 ' Ce chemin serpente un moment sous les arbres, a cote du 
 ruisseau, qui le prend aussi pour lit quand les eaux courantes 
 sont un peu grossies par les pluies ; puis on traverse 1'eau sur 
 un petit pout, et on s'eleve par une pente tournoyante, mais 
 rapide, vers les masures couvertes de tuiles rouges, qu'on voit 
 groupees au-dessus de soi, sur un petit plateau. C'est notre 
 village. Un clocher de pierres grises, en forme de pyramide, y 
 surmonte sept a huit maisons de paysans. Le chemin pierreux 
 s'y glisse de porte en porte entre les chaumieres. Au bout de 
 ce chemin, on arrive a une porte un peu plus haute et un peu 
 plus large que les autres : c'est celle de la cour au fond de 
 laquelle se cache la maison de mon pere. 
 
 ' La maison s'y cache en effet, car on ne la voit d'aucun cote", 
 
84 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ni du village ni de la grand' route. Batie dans le creux d'un large 
 pli de vallon, dominee de toutes parts par le clocher, par les 
 batiments rustiques ou par des arbres, adossee a une assez haute 
 montagne, ce n'est qu'en gravissant cette montagne et en se 
 retournant qu'on voit en bas cette maison basse, mais massive, 
 qui surgit, comme une grosse borne de pierre noiratre, a 1'ex- 
 tremite d'un etroit jardin. Elle est carree, elle n'a qu'un etage 
 et trois larges fenetres sur chaque face. Les murs n'en sont 
 point crepis ; la pluie et la mousse ont donne aux pierres la 
 teinte sombre et seculaire des vieux cloitres d'abbaye. Du cote 
 de la cour, on entre dans la maison par une haute porte en bois 
 sculpte. Cette porte est assise sur un large perron de cinq 
 marches de pierres de taille. Mais les pierres, quoique de 
 dimension colossale, ont etc tellement ecornees, usees, mor- 
 celees par le temps et par les fardeaux qu'on y depose, qu'elles 
 sont entierement disjointes, qu'elles vacillent en murmurant 
 sourdement sous les pas, que les orties, les parietaires humides 
 y croissent 9a et la dans les interstices, et que les petites 
 grenouilles d'ete, a la voix si douce et si melancolique, y chan- 
 tent le soir comme dans un marais.' 
 
 ' Voici le nid qui nous abrita tant d'annees de la pluie, du 
 froid, de la faim, du souffle du monde ; le nid ou la mort est 
 venue prendre tour a tour le pere et la mere, et dont les en- 
 fants se sont successivement envoles, ceux-ci pour un lieu, ceux- 
 la pour un autre, quelques-uns pour I'eternite.' Lamartine, 
 1 Les Confidences' 
 
 So wrote Lamartine, but he was afterwards obliged to sell 
 Milly to pay the debts of his extravagance, and it is now in the 
 hands of strangers. 
 
 1 5 k. La Croix Blanche, near which is the fine ruined castle 
 of Berze-le-Chdtel, with machicolated gateway, passages in the 
 thickness of the wall, and chapel. 
 
 23 k. Cluny (Hotel : de Bourgogne), on the Grosne. On this 
 spot, then called ' La Valle~e noire,' stood, in the x. c., a little 
 hamlet, which came by will to Guillaume le Pieux, Due d'Aqui- 
 taine. He, towards the close of his life, wished to found a 
 new monastery. Summoning Bernon, Abbot of Baume, he went 
 forth with him to search for a spot propitious for his intentions. 
 At last they arrived, says the chronicle, at a spot from which 
 

 CLUNY. 85 
 
 all human life seemed banished, so deserted, that it seemed 
 to them ' the image of celestial solitude.' This was Cluny. 
 But as the duke objected that it would never be possible to 
 inhabit such a place, on account of the huntsmen and dogs 
 which infested the forests by which the country was covered, 
 Bernon answered smiling, ' Chassez les chiens et faites venir 
 des moines ; car ne savez-vous pas quel profit meilleur vous 
 demeurera des chiens de chasse ou des prieres monastiques ? ' 
 'This answer decided Guillaume, and the abbey was founded 
 c. 909. Pope John XX. set it free (932) from 'all dependence 
 upon any king, bishop, or count whatsoever.' 
 
 S. Odon and S. Mai'eul, second and third abbots of Cluny, 
 reformed the Benedictine rule for their abbey, and set an ex- 
 ample which was followed by a vast number of other monasteries 
 in Europe, and even, after the Crusades, in the East, all hastened to 
 adopt the Benedictine rule as reformed at Cluny, and as adorned 
 by the virtues of Odon, MaTeul, Odilon, Hugues, and Peter the 
 Venerable, honoured as saints or blessed by the Church. Cluny 
 alone was called an abbey, the religious houses which sprang 
 from it were priories. At the end of XL c., and during a great 
 part of xn. c., the intellectual capital of Europe, the cradle of 
 modern civilisation, was at Cluny ; two thousand monastic insti- 
 tutions were subject to it. The building of its glorious church 
 of S. Pierre, 1089-1131, created the Romanesque-Burgundian 
 school of architecture. It was begun by a monk named Gauzon, 
 Cluniac abbot of Baume, and was finished by the Flemish monk 
 Hezelon, the kings of Spain and England paying the cost. 
 Guillaume le Grand, Comte de Poitiers, added a magnificent 
 cloister with marble pillars. ' I found an abbey of wood,' he 
 said, ' and I left it of marble.' 
 
 William the Conqueror begged the Abbot of Cluny to come 
 over to govern the religious affairs of England. At that time 
 Cluny was like a kingdom. Its dominion extended over three 
 hundred and fourteen monasteries and churches. The Abbot- 
 General was a temporal prince, who, as regards the spiritual, 
 owed no deference except to the Holy See. He coined his own 
 money at Cluny itself, just as the king of France coined it in 
 royal Paris. 1 Three eminent popes Gregory VII., Urban II., 
 
 ' Harding, Hist, de S. tienne. 
 
86 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 and Pascal II., were given by Cluny to the Church. Many 
 councils were held here, and the abbots of Cluny became the 
 most trusted counsellors of popes and kings. Several sovereigns 
 sought a refuge here for their last days. Hither also Abelard 
 retired to spend his last years with Peter the Venerable, one of 
 the most illustrious men of the age, and the friend and corre- 
 spondent of his beloved Heloise. By Peter the Venerable he 
 was reconciled to S. Bernard, long his rival and opponent, the 
 terrible reformer, who inveighed against the increasing luxury 
 and splendour of Cluny, and to whose severer monasteries of 
 Cistercian rule, the great popularity of Cluny became partially 
 transferred. 
 
 Towards the end of xn. c., the attacks of neighbouring lords 
 made it necessary to surround the abbey with fortifications, but 
 in 1245 it was so large that, when S. Louis had an interview 
 there with Innocent IV., besides its three or four hundred monks, 
 it was able to contain the pope, the king, twelve cardinals, the 
 patriarchs of Antioch and Constantinople, seventeen bishops and 
 archbishops, the queen-mother, the Comte d'Artois, the Prince 
 of Arragon, the Emperor of Constantinople, the .^rince of Castille, 
 the Duke of Burgundy, the Comte de Bourbon, and a crowd of 
 ecclesiastics and knights of all ranks, without obliging the monks 
 to leave their dormitory, refectory, or any of their accustomed 
 haunts. 
 
 At the end of xv. c. many abbeys having fallen in commendam, 
 Cluny fell to the house of Lorraine or Guise, which held it till 
 Richelieu, and afterwards Mazarin, obtained a grant of it The 
 religious wars of xvi. c. pillaged the treasury, but spared the 
 church. At the Revolution the library was, for the most part, 
 burnt ; the bells were sent to Macon to be melted down ; and 
 finally the church was sold in 1798 as national property, and 
 between 1801 and 1811 it was demolished by fragments. 
 
 After S. Peter's at Rome, this Abbey Church of Cluny was the 
 largest church in Western Christendom. Nothing now remains but 
 some fragments of the S. wall of the nave, the S. transept, with its 
 octagonal tower and a smaller square tower, which contained a 
 staircase, the sacristy of 1750, the Chapelle des Bourbons, the 
 Chapelle S. Martial, and the Chapelle de la Congregation, all 
 three of xv. c. In a sort of Musee in the Chapelle des Bourbons 
 
CLUNY. 87 
 
 are stone coffins and other memorials, especially a model in 
 relief of the ancient church. 
 
 'Ce modele est trop petit et evidemment trop grossierement 
 fait pour inspirer une grande confiance. On peut cependant s'y 
 rapporter pour le plan general, qui est remarquable, l'e~glise ayant 
 cinq nefs et des transepts doubles, qui forment ainsi une croix de 
 
 Lorraine. On dit qu'il n'existe actuellement en France qu'une 
 seule eglise a doubles transepts.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 The town is built on and from the abbey ruins. The xvi. c. 
 cloister has become a sort of public square surrounded by cafes 
 and shops. The remaining monastic buildings are of xm. c., 
 xiv. c., and xv. c. and are used for the Ecole normale pro- 
 fessionnelle, destined to train professors of science and industrial 
 arts. The site of the church is occupied by a haras. Of the 
 
88 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ancient abbatial ramparts, the square Tour du Moulin, the Tour 
 Ronde (xm. c.), and the Tour Fabri (xiv. c.) remain. The city 
 wall retains its three gates. 
 
 The parish church of Notre Dame has three naves preceded 
 by a richly-sculptured portal and a very fine tower. 
 
 ' Les fonts baptismaux, tailles dans nn bloc de pierre, aifectent 
 la forme d'une cuve hemispherique a I'int6rieur, et sont decores 
 a l'exte~rieur par quatre colonnettes supportant quatre tetes, entre 
 lesquelles regne une frise de feuillages de lierre d'une bonne 
 sculpture. Les quatre petits repos qui portent les tetes avaient 
 une utilit6 et servaient probablement a poser le sel, 1'huile, et 
 les flambeaux.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 The romanesque basilica of 6*. Marcel is of the xi. c. and 
 xii. c., and has an octagonal tower with a spire, and a font of the 
 beginning of the xi. c. 
 
 The town of Cluny is unusually rich in houses of the middle 
 ages. As many as twelve are of xi. c. and xn. c. In one of 
 these 
 
 1 On voit que la construction ne consiste qu'en un moellonnage 
 avec quelques pierres de taille pour les bandeaux, les arcs, les 
 fenetres, et leurs linteaux. Les arcs du bas s'ouvrent dans les 
 boutiques. A droite, est la porte de 1'allee qui conduit a 1'escalier. 
 Le premier etage presente une galerie a jour, compos6e de pieds 
 droits et de colonnettes, eclairant la grande salle. Les baies sont 
 carres pour pouvoir recevoir les chassis ouvrants. Dans les 
 linteaux, sous les arcs interieurs qui portent la tour du second 
 etage, sont perces du petits jours dormants. Le second etage 
 est eclaire par une claire-voie moms importante, et un comble 
 tres-saillant rejette les eaux loin des parements.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 Besides these very early houses, Cluny possesses four or five 
 of xm. c., and many others, equally built in stone of xv. c. and 
 xvi. c. An inscription marks the house where Pierre-Paul 
 Prud'hon was born. 
 
 28 k. 6*. Cecile-la- Valouse. 6 k. S. is 5. Point, with the 
 chateau of Lamartine, the only one of the Lamartine houses 
 which remains in the family. It contains a few family portraits. 
 
. POINT, 
 
 89 
 
 'Au milieu de la valtee, un monticule, de"tach6 des deux 
 chaines laterales, se renfle pour porter le chateau et l'6glise. Le 
 clocher, en fleche aigue de granit, bruni et moussu par les 
 siecles, porte sa date de 1300 dans ses ogives. Les grosses 
 tours decapitees du chateau, cre~nel6es seulement de nids 
 d'hirondelles, s'eUevent lourdement sous leur tuiles plates, aux 
 deux extre"mites d'un massif de murs surbaisses, perce de rares 
 ouvertures a croisillons, ingales d'etages. 
 
 1 Une galerie exte~rieure, en pierres de taille, bordee d'une 
 balustrade a trefles, unit les grosses tours entre elles et sert 
 de communication aux appartements. Les lierres, les sureaux, 
 les figuiers, les lilas croissent en fouillis au pied de cette 
 galerie, en cachent aux yeux les arcades, et debordent comme 
 une ecume de vegetation sur les parapets. 
 
 ' A 1'exception d'un vieux portique de colonnettes accouplees 
 en faisceaux, qui deborde le seuil de la galerie exterieure portee 
 par des arcades massives, et d'une tourelle a fleche aigu qui 
 fond le ciel a un angle occidental du vieux chateau, rien n'y 
 rappelle a 1'oeil une construction de luxe: c'est 1'aspect d'une 
 large ferme, creusee pour des usages rustiques, dans le bloc 
 epais d'un manoir abandonne. 
 
 ' Le seul charme de ce sejour, c'est son site : de quelque 
 cote qu'on porte des regards, aux quatre horizons de ce 
 monticule, on s'egare, depuis le fond de la vallee jusqu'au 
 ciel, sur les flancs de montagnes a pentes ardues, entrecoup6es 
 de forets, de clairieres, de genets dores, de ravines creuses, 
 de hameaux suspendus aux pentes, des chataigniers, d'eaux 
 ecumantes, d'ecluses, de moulins, de vignes jaunes, de pres 
 verts, de ma'is cuivres, de ble noir, d'epis ondoyants, de huttes 
 basses de bucherons et de chevriers, a peine discernables du 
 rocher au dernier sommet des montagnes, habitations qui ne se 
 revelent que par leur fumee.' Lamartine. 
 
 In the Chiirch are statues of S. Genevieve and S. Elisabeth, 
 sculptured by Mme. de Lamartine. It is in the crypt of this 
 church that the cries of a young Marquise de S. Point were 
 heard on the night after her burial, and that she was rescued 
 from the grave, living happily for many years afterwards. 
 
 A sepulchral chapel in the churchyard contains the remains 
 
9 o SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of Lamartine, his wife, daughter, mother, and mother-in-law. 
 Mme. A. de Lamartine is represented in a sleeping figure by 
 Salomon. Visitors will wish to read upon the spot the poet's 
 touching account of his mother's burial here. 
 
 1 Je veillai seul aupres du cercueil avec Philiberte, en 
 attendant (a Macon) 1'heure nocturne ou les paysans de Milly 
 devaient venir un a un, et sans bruit, emporter sur leurs epaules, 
 a travers quatre heures de marche, le corps de leur dame. A 
 minuit nous nous mimes en route a pied, dans une couche 
 profonde de neige glacee, a travers le long faubourg qui mene 
 de la ville aux premieres collines de notre horizon de montagnes. 
 Bien que le lugubre cortege cut et6 rigoureusement limite par 
 moi, a moi seul de tous les membres de la famille et aux seuls 
 metayers ou cultivateurs dependant de sa chere demeure de 
 Milly, les femmes et les enfants de ces braves gens, vetus 
 de leurs pauvres habits de deuil, avaient cru, par droit de 
 tendresse, pouvoir suivre le chef de famille et prolongeaient sur 
 la grand route la file noire des pleureuses dont on n'avait 
 pas eu besoin d'acheter les larmes. Aucune voix, aucun 
 chuchotement ne sortait pendant ce long trajet de la foule. 
 On n'entendait rien sur la neige durcie que les sabots de bois 
 des femmes tenant leurs petits enfants par la main, et, de temps 
 en temps, le bruit sec et caverneux du cercueil de chene, 
 recevant une le~gere secousse en changeant de place sur les 
 epaules des porteurs qui se relayaient a 1'envi sous le saint 
 fardeau. 
 
 ' A deux heures et demi de route de la ville, nous quittames le 
 grand chemin et nous gravimes, par un sentier de traverse pave 
 de glacons, la colline roide qui mene au hameau de Milly. 
 Toutes les maisons etaient eveillees, et Ton voyait, sur le seuil 
 de toutes les chaumieres, un vieillard ou un enfant tenant a la 
 main la petite lampe de cuivre allumee qui eclairait des visages 
 pales, des yeux pleurants, des mains grelottantes du froid 
 extreme de cette nuit de decembre. Arrives dans la cour de la 
 maison, les porteurs, suivis de tous les habitants du village, 
 gravirent les cinq marches du perron et deposerent le cercueil 
 dans le vestibule, la ou elle avait 1'habitude de recevoir, tous 
 les matins, les ncessiteux ou les malades, de faire ses dis- 
 
5. POINT. 91 
 
 tributions d'aliments, de bouillon, d'onguents, de hardes, et de 
 panser a genoux les plaies des blesses. Ces m6mes banes en 
 noyer, sur lesquels ils etendaient leurs jambes entourees de linge 
 et de charpie, servaient pr6cisment aujourd'hui a supporter 
 son cercueil. Elle etait etendue, couchee sur les instruments 
 de sa charite. Un grand sanglot sortit alors de la cour remplie 
 de tout ce peuple des chaumieres. Chacun s'approcha pour 
 tremper un rameau de buis dans le benitier de son lit et pour 
 jeter autantde larmes que d'eau sainte sur son cercueil. Pendant 
 cette halte sous le toit de sa jeunesse et de son amour, je m'etais 
 retire seul dans sa chambre, le visage colle contre les couvertures 
 de son lit vide, et j'entendais de la le long retentissement des 
 sabots des hommes et des femmes qui montaient et descendaient 
 sans cesse les degres du perron en dalles, pour venir a leur 
 tour s'agenouiller dans le vestibule. Nous attendimes ainsi les 
 premieres heurs de 1'aurore, avant de nous engager dans le 
 defile des hautes montagnes encombrees de neige en poudre, 
 labouree par le vent du nord, qui effa9ait les sentiers et com- 
 blait les ravines. Ces sentiers pouvaient etre perilleux dans les 
 tenebres au petit cortege qui devait porter le corps de sa maison 
 de Milly au cimetiere de S. Point. 
 
 ' Des que 1'aube rougit la cime lointaine des Alpes, qu'on 
 aper9oit de Mill)', nous repartimes escortes jusqu'au sommet 
 de la premiere colline qui domine le jardin et les vignes, par le 
 village en pleurs. Nous congediames, au tournant de la haute 
 vallee, cette foule a qui on semblait arracher sa providence, et 
 nous nous enfo^ames, avec un petit groupe de huit hommes 
 vigoureux, dans le defile etroit et apre qui monte au faite de ces 
 montagnes, et qu'on appella la Croix-des-Signaux. Ouatre de 
 ces hommes marchaient en avant du cercueil pour sonder la 
 neige et tracer le sentier, quatre autres portaient ma mere. Je 
 marchais seul derriere eux, mon pied dans leurs pas. La neige 
 dans quelques endroits s'elevait jusqu'a nos genoux; elle 
 assoupissait les bruits, excepte les sifflements aigus de la bise. 
 
 ' Notre route, qui n'est dans la belle saison que de deux 
 heures, fut de sept heures dans cet ocean de neige a grandes 
 vagues, pretes a chaque instant a tout engloutir. II y cut des 
 )as dans les ravins tres-creux en redescendant vers la vallee de 
 Point, ou nous ne fumes guides que par les grands cadavres 
 
92 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 noirs des chataigniers perches sur les abimes, et ou nous aurions 
 peri sans 1'adresse et la vigueur de ces robustes paysans de 
 Milly. Leur fardeau leur donnait force et confiance. Nous 
 arrivames au jour deja palissant. Nous deposames, comme nous 
 avions fait a Milly, le cercueil dans la chambre et sur le lit meme 
 de ma mere, devenu depuis quelques annees le mien. . . . 
 A 1'aurore, le cercueil transporte de son lit a 1'eglise, et suivi 
 de douze hameaux en deuil et en pleurs, traversa le jardin par 
 cette meme allee des noisetiers, ou j'avais vu si souvent la 
 pieuse femme revenir de 1'autel le visage tout noye de com- 
 ponction, de reverie, de bonheur, et de piete. Mes propres 
 mains aiderent a le descendre et a le coucher dans sa demeure 
 eternelle. Je revins seul a la maison, ou je m'enfermai a clef 
 dans ma tour. . . . 
 
 'C'est ainsi que nous perdimes notre mere, et que notre 
 petite contree perdit sa Providence, sa saintete et sa grace dans 
 une meme femme. Demandez au premier vieillard ou a la 
 premiere veuve que vous rencontrerez sur nos chemins ! ' ' Le 
 Manuscrit de ma Mere' 
 
 Visitors must not expect much from the chateau of S. Point. 
 Victor Hugo went to see Lamartine there, and looked in vain for 
 ' embattled summits,' ' bushy ivy,' and ' stones tinted by the 
 hand of time.' Lamartine confessed that he had destroyed it 
 all ; the ivy gave him rheumatism, the grey stones and battle- 
 ments made him melancholy, so he had painted it all yellow. 
 
 55k. .S. Bonnet-Beanbery. S. Bonnet-de-Joux owes its second 
 name to the mountain of Joux, supposed to have been con- 
 secrated to Jupiter (Mons Jovis). At the hamlet of Chaumont 
 is the handsome chateau of the Marquis de la Guiche, rebuilt 
 (xvi. c.) by Louis, Due d'Angouleme, husband of Henriette de 
 la Guiche. An equestrian statue upon the stables represents 
 her father, Philibert de Guiche. The great tower was built by 
 Jacques d'Amboise, Abbot of Cluny, in 1505. 8k. N., at La 
 Guiche^ are a ruined castle of the family de la Guiche, and, in 
 the church, remains of the tomb of the Due d'Angouleme, 1643. 
 
 62k. Charolles (Hotels: du Lion d'Or; de la Poste), capital 
 of the countship of Le Charolais, early rendered famous by 
 Charles le Temeraire, and given to the house of Conde in xvn. c. 
 
PARAY-LE-MONIAL. 93 
 
 The Hotel de Ville occupies the old chateau, which has two 
 round towers of xiv. c. 
 
 78k. Paray-le-Monial (Hotels: Drago; de la Poste ; des 
 trois Pigeons), said to have been originally peopled by Jews- 
 Polacres (Polaques or Polonais), a place which has become 
 well known in the present century through the increasing 
 devotion of Catholics to the Mere Marguerite Marie Alacoque, 
 who, in the time when Jansenism was gaining ground, stimulated 
 the flagging energies of Ultra-Roman-Catholicism, by founding 
 the ' Adoration of the Sacred Heart.' Marguerite Alacoque 
 belonged to the Order of the Visitation, founded by S. Francois 
 de Sales, and early established at Paray. Soon after taking the 
 veil, she fell into a visionary state, which increased till her 
 religious transports took a miraculous form. Even then, there 
 is something sincere and touching in her desire to shrink from 
 notoriety, and her simple dread lest her fancies should be 
 delusions. ' I constantly fear, lest being mistaken myself, I 
 should mislead others,' she wrote to her confessor. ' I pray 
 constantly to God that He will permit me to be unknown, lost, 
 and buried in lasting oblivion. My Divine Master has required 
 of me, by my obedience, that I should write to you, but I cannot 
 and do not believe that it can be His will that any recollection 
 should remain after death of so pitiful a creature.' 
 
 She appears to have forgotten all else in the longing after a 
 complete heart-union with her Saviour. ' I desire,' she wrote to 
 one who asked her advice, ' nothing more than to be blind and 
 ignorant as regards human affairs, in order perfectly to learn the 
 lesson I so much need, that a good nun must leave all to find 
 God, be ignorant of all else to know Him, forget all else to 
 possess Him, do and suffer all in order to learn to love Him.' 
 Many of her letters exist, of which a great portion were written 
 to a certain Father La Colombiere, who was then living in 
 S. James's Palace, as one of the chaplains of Catherine of 
 Braganza, Queen of Charles II. Those who read them will feel 
 that, however imaginative and ecstatic she was, she had at 
 least a firm faith in the facts and feelings she narrates, and a 
 simple anxiety that while she, the instrument, was forgotten, 
 the narration of them might redound to the glory of God. In 
 her early life in the convent, she seems also to have been really 
 
94 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 anxious to counteract, by honest practical work, the increase of 
 her visionary tendency, and we find her in turn fulfilling the 
 offices of ' infirmarian/ 'mistress of the children,' and 'mistress 
 of the novices.' ' As to her prayers for suffering,' quaintly says 
 one of her biographers, ' they were most abundantly answered. 
 Her life was one of constant and agonizing pain, and her only 
 comfort was in frequent communion which she called the 
 reception of " the Bread of Love." ' 
 
 Gradually, as her sickness and her self-inflicted penances 
 increased, her religious fervour began to border upon insanity. 
 She believed that she was constantly addressed by a personal 
 Saviour from the sacrament of the altar, beneath the walnut- 
 trees of the garden. He showed her His wounds, which He 
 said were still bleeding from the persecution of living unbelievers. 
 He told her that He sought ' a victim for His heart,' who would 
 ' offer herself for the accomplishment of His designs.' Then, 
 in her ' longing after the presence of Divine love/ she offered 
 her own heart to the Saviour, and He accepted it. Visibly and 
 actually, as she believed, and as is believed by the pilgrims to 
 Paray-le-Monial, the Saviour received her heart and placed it 
 within His own, which she ' saw through the wound in His 
 sacred side,' and that it was 'burning like the sun, or like a 
 fiery furnace.' When her own heart was entirely aflame, ' Our 
 Saviour placed it again in the side of His servant,' saying, 
 ' Receive, My beloved, the pledge of My love.' From this time 
 Marguerite-Marie was possessed by one idea alone the pro- 
 mulgation of the worship of ' the Sacred Heart of Jesus,' in its 
 actual and literal sense. Persecuted at first by her own sister- 
 hood, she gradually gained an ascendency over them, and through 
 the rest of her life, urged upon the world, in her letters and words, 
 the 'Adoration of the Sacred Heart,' announcing eleven benefits 
 .which her vivid imagination assured her that the Saviour had 
 verbally promised to those who would honour Him under this 
 peculiar form. Fortunately, perhaps, for herself and the world, 
 from the time of her ' revelation ' her health gave way. She 
 was never free from a burning pain in her side, which on 
 Fridays increased to agony, and she died Oct. 17, 1690. 
 
 One of the first disciples of Marguerite-Marie was Queen 
 Mary Beatrice, wife of James II. of England, then an exile in 
 
PARA Y-LE-MONIAL. 
 
 95 
 
 France, who was persuaded by the Jesuits to implore the papal 
 authority to institute a festival of 'the Sacred Heart of Jesus.' 
 This, however, was only obtained from Clement XL, in 1711. 
 Since then the ' devotion ' has been so increased by the in- 
 defatigable energy of the Jesuits, that there is now hardly a 
 cottage or a room in a humble inn in France or Italy, which is 
 not decorated with a common gaudy print of ' the Sacred Heart 
 of Jesus.' On Aug. 23, 1856, an apostolic decree of Pius IX. 
 
 PARAY-LE-MONIAL. 
 
 made the festival of the Sacred Heart obligatory upon the whole 
 Catholic Church. 
 
 For a time it seemed as if the wish of Marguerite Alacoque 
 is to be fulfilled, and that she herself was to remain forgotten, 
 
 /hile the doctrine for which she had laid down her life was 
 received everywhere. But her convent companions, seeing how 
 
 reat, though subtle, her influence had been, watched over the 
 
 rave where she was laid, and, in 1703, her tomb was opened and 
 ler body enclosed in an oak coffin. When the sisterhood were 
 
 cpelled from their convent at the Revolution of 1792, they took 
 
96 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 her bones with them, and for some time they were concealed in 
 the paternal home of one of the sisters at La Charite-sur-Loire. 
 After their return, bringing back the body, the Bishop of Autun 
 was induced to allow an enquiry to be instituted into the life 
 and miracles of ' the servant of God.' These alleged miracles 
 were considered satisfactory, and, in 1824, Leo XII. saluted 
 Marguerite-Marie by the title of Venerable; in 1863 Pius IX. 
 gave her Beatification. 
 
 Paray, in its present state, is one great shrine to Marguerite- 
 Marie Alacoque. It exists by the pilgrimages in her honour. 
 Half its houses are inns or lodgings for the pilgrims. Two- 
 thirds of its shops are for the sale of medals, prints, or biogra- 
 phies of La Bienheureuse. Its grand old parish church, of xn. c. 
 and xiii. c., which belonged to a Cluniac monastery, stands 
 close to the river Bourbince, with two towers upon the W. 
 narthex and a large octagonal tower at the cross. The great 
 apse of the E. end is surrounded by a series of chapels. A 
 peculiar feature in the simple and, beautiful interior is the 
 ancient font, now used as a benitier, and surmounted by a 
 crucifix. All around in groups, and, behind the high altar, in 
 masses, are the banners offered to ' the Sacred Heart of Jesus' 
 many of them from towns, some from congregations in Paris, 
 but by far the greater number from small country parishes, 
 painfully and laboriously contributed by peasants, chiefly 
 Bretons. 
 
 A rugged street winds up the hill to the picturesque Hotel 
 de Ville, of 1525-28. It is said that two brothers of the family 
 Jaillet, one Protestant, the other Catholic, ruined themselves here 
 in building; the first in erecting this handsome mansion, the 
 other in building a church opposite, to hide its view. The latter 
 was destroyed during the Revolution and only the tower 
 Tour de S. Nicolas remains. 
 
 An avenue of rosary and relic shops leads from La Paroisse 
 to the Church of the Visitation. This is he sanctum-sanctorum. 
 It is covered with colour and gilding. Day as well as night 
 numberless candles blaze ceaselessly around the shrine. The 
 walls are covered with gorgeous banners, that of Alsace, 
 adorned with a cross, and the motto, ' In hoc signo vinces,' is 
 hung with crape, Over the altar is a modern picture of the 
 
BOURBON-LANCY. 97 
 
 event which is supposed to have taken place on that very spot, 
 the appearance of our Saviour to Marguerite-Marie. Beneath 
 lies her body in a gilt enamelled shrine. It is dressed in the 
 habit she wore in life, and is formed from the still perfect 
 bones, enclosed in a waxen image. One portion of the actual 
 flesh is believed to remain intact ; it is that portion of the head 
 which is supposed to have rested upon the bosom of the 
 Saviour. The shrine of Marguerite, as it is now, almost forms 
 the altar, and thus, as one of her poor devotees said, ' the 
 grave of the Bienheureuse serves as a pedestal for the throne 
 of the Sacred Heart.' 
 
 SHRINE OF MARGUERITE-MARIE ALACOQUE. 
 
 8Qk. Digoin, on the Loire. At 2k. N.E. a station of the 
 stone age has been discovered. 
 
 io8k. Gilly-sur-Loire. 15 kAsEourfion-Lancy (Hotel: Grand), 
 with mineral baths. The church is partly xi. c. There is a fine 
 view from the ruined castle. 
 
 1 17 k. Dompierre-snr-Bebre. 3 k. N.E. is the Abbaye de Sept- 
 Fonts, founded 1132 for Cistercians, and occupied by Trappists 
 since 1845. 8 k. S.E. is Saligny, where a Templar church has a 
 curious romanesque portal and crypt. The chateau is xvi. c. 
 and xvn. c. 
 
 145 k. Moulins. See ch. ii.J 
 
 7 
 
98 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 [A line leads S.W. from Macon to (101 k.) Roanne by 
 
 24 k. Tramayes. 4 k. N. is S. Point. See above. 
 
 56 k. La Clayette, prettily situated on a lake. 5 k. S.W. is 
 the church of S. Laurent, partly romanesque. At lok. is the 
 XL c. church of Vauban, which belonged to the Marechal de 
 Vauban. 
 
 67 k. Chdteauneuf, with an old castle and a xvi. c. chateau. 
 The church is xn. c. with a xiv. c. spire. 
 
 77 k. Charlieu (Carus locus), with considerable remains of a 
 Benedictine monastery, founded in the ix. c. The romanesque 
 church porch is one of the most magnificent of its kind in 
 France, and rich in statues, reliefs, and sculpture of every kind. 
 In the narthex of the church a number of curious fragments 
 from the monastery are preserved. Above the porch is a hall 
 with columned windows. The parish church, of xm. c. and 
 xv. c., has xvi. c. stall work. The chapel of the Hospice has a 
 xvi. c. retable. Several houses are xm. c. and xiv. c.] 
 
 On leaving Macon, the main line passes through a 
 vine-country, studded with villages and chateaux. Of the 
 latter, the most important is (on r.) Corcelles, of 1550, 
 a very perfect building of the Renaissance, with moat, 
 drawbridge, dungeon, chapel, and a well with splendid 
 ironwork in its courtyard. 
 
 463 k. Belleville. The church, begun n 68, has a nave 
 with aisles, transept, choir (altered xiv. c.), and five apsides. 
 Two square towers rise at the ends of the transept. 
 
 [A branch line turns N.W. from Belleville (passing, near 
 the station of Durette-Quincie, the xiv. c. chateau of Pierre, 
 besieged by the Baron des Adrets in the wars of religion), to 
 
 13 k. Beaujeu Belli jocus (Hotel : de r Europe), chief town 
 of Beaujolais, the residence of a princely family illustrious in 
 army and church in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. In 
 1340, idouard II., Lord of Beaujeu, having carried off the 
 daughter of a merchant of Villefranche, was summoned to 
 
BEAUJEU. 99 
 
 give an account of his actions before the Parliament of Paris, 
 but made the messenger swallow the seals of the commission, 
 and flung him out of a window in his castle of Pouilly. Being 
 afterwards seized and taken prisoner to Paris, he purchased his 
 pardon by giving up all his lands to the Due de Bourbon, whose 
 descendant Pierre married the eldest daughter of Louis XI. la 
 grande da?ne de Beaujeu who governed France during the mino- 
 rity of Charles VIII. Re-united to the Crown, Beaujolais was 
 given back to the house of Bourbon by Francois II., and passed 
 successively to the Duchesse de Montpensier and the house of 
 Orleans, who held it till the Revolution. 
 
 ' Un Lion noci en champ d'ora, 
 Les ongles roges et la quoiia reverpa, 
 Un lambey roge sur le joiia, 
 Y sont les armes de Bejoiia.' 
 
 And its device : A tout venant beau jeu. 
 
 Very little except fragments of wall remains of the chateau, 
 destroyed by Richelieu. The Church of S. Nicolas was founded 
 in the beginning of xm. c. by Guichard II., on the filled-up site 
 of a pool in which his son, the young Prince de Beaujeu, had 
 been drowned. It is a mixture of romanesque and gothic, with, 
 romanesque columns supporting a tower with a spire. On r. 
 of the nave is the chapel of the lords of Beaujeu. The town 
 has many xm. c. houses, and an old bridge called Pont Paradis. 
 
 A road runs W. from Beaujeu to (54k.) Pouilly, through 
 (25 k.) Chauffailles, a considerable commercial town in pretty 
 country. 
 
 The wine of the Beaujolais has a European celebrity. 
 
 1 On a constate que tous les crus renommes de ces coteaux 
 sont obtenus par les vignerons sur un pilon de porphyre 
 granitoi'de ; ils ont une finesse et un bouquet particulier qui 
 n'existent pas dans les vins provenant des terrains carboniferes. 
 Les cultivateurs le savent si bien, qu'ils transportent frequem- 
 ment sur les terres voisines 1'arene de"composee du porphyre. 
 La difference des plantes entre aussi pour beaucoup dans celle 
 des crus. On distingue les deux grandes variet6s du " pineau " 
 qui donne les excellents vins et du "gamey" qui produit 
 
ioo SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 des vins ordinaires et remplace la qualite par 1'abondance.' 
 Elisee Reclus.'} 
 
 478 k. Villefranche (Hotels : de Provence ; de r Europe ; 
 du Faucon\ a town which had great privileges in early 
 times from its lords (de Beaujeu) : amongst others 
 'Tout habitant de Villefranche a le droit de battre sa 
 femme pourvu que la mort ne s'ensuive pas.' The 
 church of Notre Dame-des-Marais is said to have been 
 founded in a marsh because an image of the Virgin, 
 found there by some shepherds, miraculously returned to 
 its original position, after they had carried it away. It 
 was begun at the end of xiv. c., finished xvi. c. ; the 
 square tower is earlier. The Hotel Dieu is of 1666. 
 
 Villefranche is the station for (9 k.) Ars, which the wonderful 
 life of its late cure Jean-Baptiste-Marie-Vianney has rendered 
 a place of pilgrimage almost equally interesting to religious 
 Catholics and Protestants. Born at Dardilly, near Lyons, in 
 1786, ordained 1814, Vianney began his sacred duties as vicaire 
 at Ecully. In 1818 he was made Cure d'Ars. 
 
 1 Oh ! comme il aima d'abord ses paroissiens ! A peine 
 installe au milieu d'eux, il voulut tout voir avec ses yeux, tout 
 connaitre avec son coeur, tout rejouir par sa presence, se faire 
 tout a tous, pour les gagner tous a Je"sus-Christ. C'est le 
 sublime devoir du pasteur ; il ne croyait jamais 1'avoir assez 
 rempli. Sa charite, qui songeait a tout, savait se servir de 
 tout. II ne se contentait pas de ses rapports generaux ou le 
 pretre etant l'homme de tout le monde n'est pas assez I'homme 
 de chacun ; il saisissait la moindre occasion de donner indivi- 
 duellement a ses paroissiens les marques privies et directes 
 de son estime et de son devoument en sorte que chacun 
 pouvait se croire uniquement aime". Ouvert, complaisant, 
 affable envers tous, sans descendre de sa dignite et sans 
 cesser un instant d'etre pretre, il n'aurait pas rencontre" ^un 
 enfant dans la rue sans s'arreter pour le saluer et lui addresser, 
 
ARS. 101 
 
 a travers un sourire, quelques mots aimables. On salt combien 
 cette conduite est appreci6e a la compagne. 
 
 1 La visite des ses paroissiens 1'occupait aussi dans certaines 
 limites. II ne se contentait pas d'aller ou on 1'appelait, il se 
 presentait meme la ou on ne 1'appelait pas, mais toujours d'une 
 faon tres-discrete, attendant les occasions favorables ou les 
 faisant naitre. II choisissait volontiers 1'heure des repas, afin 
 de trouver toute la famille reunie, et pour ne causer ni 
 derangement ni surprise, il s'annon9ait de loin, en appelant par 
 son nom de bapteme, avec une douce familiarite, le maitre de 
 la maison ; puis il entrait, faisait signe a tout le monde de 
 continuer, d'un geste qui n'admettait pas de replique, s'appuyait 
 un instant contre un meuble, et apres avoir demande des 
 nouvelles de tout ce qui pouvait inte"resser la famille, par 
 une transition menagee avec autant d'adresse que de douceur, 
 il en venait a parler des choses divines auxquelles son ame 
 etait continuellement appliquee.' Abbe Monnin. 
 
 Gradually Ars became a veritable Christian oasis. Public- 
 houses were shut up, an oath was never heard, the cure laid 
 out the whole of his little patrimony in establishing his ' Provi- 
 dence ' a Female Orphan Asylum. With an almost infantine 
 joy he saw chapel after chapel added to his little old church. 
 Sunday at Ars became observed as it is in England. 
 
 ' Je me trouvais a Ars au temps de la fenaison. Sauf quelques 
 rares eclaircies, qui avaient permis aux habitants de faucher 
 leurs pres, la semaine avait et< pluvieuse ; le fourrage n'avait 
 pu etre rentre le samedi, qu'il n'etait pas sec. Le dimanche, 
 bien que la journee fut magnifique, et que la recolte cut 6te" 
 exposee aux mauvais temps toute la semaine, on ne vit pas 
 un faneur dans les champs. Le territoire d'Ars 6tait couvert 
 au loin de tas de foin qui ne furent pas meme remuees. Je 
 rencontrai un brave homme a qui je me permis de dire pour 
 Teprouver : " Mais, mon ami, votre recolte va se gater?" "Je ne 
 crains rien," repondit-il. " Dieu qui me 1'a donn6e, est assezbon 
 % et assez puissant pour me la conserver. Notre saint cure" ne 
 veut pas que nous travaillions le dimanche; nous devions lui 
 obeir? Dieu benit comme toujours cette obeissance. Les 
 habitants d'Ars, qui vivent du produit de leurs champs, voient 
 
102 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 augmenter assez rapidement leur aisance ; il n'y a que ceux 
 qui se cachent pour enfreindre la loi du dimanche qui se ruinent ; 
 car disait im brave homme, chez nous le respect humain est 
 retourne." ' LAbbe Renard. 
 
 To the establishment of the ' Providence ' were due the 
 ' catechismes/ which attracted multitudes to Ars for more than 
 thirty years. When the Angelus rang, after the dinner of the 
 establishment, as soon as the one large room was cleared, the 
 Cure seated himself at a table, his audience gathered round him, 
 and he spoke to them for an hour. 
 
 ' Chaque jour, un nombre croissant d'etrangers venait se 
 joindre a la portion stable de 1'assistance. Tous ecoutaient cette 
 parole avec une religieuse attention, un grand contentement et un 
 sensible profit pour leurs ames. C'etait un genre d'eloquence 
 tout a fait a part, qui saisissait fortement les esprits et s'emparait 
 immediatement des coeurs. C'etait l'vangile avec ses paraboles, 
 ses comparaisons et ce caractere unique et admirable de suffire 
 aux contemplations des plus hautes intelligences et d'etre, en 
 meme temps, accessible a 1'adoration des ames les plus simples. 
 II etait des lors tres-difficile de fixer par 1'ecriture les verites 
 que le Cure d'Ars prechait, tant elles etaient saintes et d'un ordre 
 eleve, tant elles s'eloignaient de la maniere ordinaire de penser 
 et de dire. On sortait de ces entretiens, le coeur plein, Tame 
 attendrie. On se promettait d'etre fidele a revenir le lendemain 
 gouter cette celeste nourriture.' Monnin. 
 
 Meantime the personal self-denial of the Cure was exaggerated, 
 though admirable. There was always a difficulty in persuading 
 him to take even the necessary food : when new clothes were 
 given to him, he was always hopeless in giving them to the poor ; 
 his pillow, mattress, bed, went in the same way, till at last he 
 renounced even his chamber and slept in an outhouse ; if good 
 food was given him, he would exchange it for the contents of 
 beggars' wallets ; often one or two boiled potatoes were his sole 
 nourishment. 
 
 1 "J'ai un bon cadavre; je suis dur,"he said. " Apres que j'ai 
 mange n'importe quoi, ou que j'ai dormi deux heures, je puis 
 recommencer. Quand on a donne quelque chose a un cheval, il 
 
ARS. 
 
 103 
 
 se remet a trotter comme si de rien n'etait ; et le cheval ne se 
 couche presque jamais." 
 
 ' Un jour, un pauvre arreta M. Vianney au moment ou il sortait 
 de la Providence. Ce pauvre avait les pieds a vif et tout en- 
 sanglantes. Le bon Cure ote ses souliers et ses has, les lui 
 donne, et regagne son presbytere comme il peut, ayant soin de 
 se baisser, afin de dissimuler sous les plis de sa soutane trainante 
 ses pieds et ses jambes nus.' 
 
 Still, the life which the Cure led could not but affect his health 
 as years went on, though his constitution had a power of rallying 
 from attacks of illness, no one knew how 
 
 ' " Je ne me trouble plus sursa sante," disait le medecin, " elle 
 releve d'un autre que moi, et quand je ne peux plus rien, cet autre 
 peut encore. Au moment ou il semble qu'il va nous echapper, 
 il reprend soudain et comme par enchantement de nouvelles 
 forces." ' 
 
 The pilgrimages to Ars, which have never since ceased, began 
 in 1825. Many were brought by curiosity, many by reports of 
 miraculous cures, most by the extraordinary power of M. Vianney 
 as a confessor to seek relief in trouble or despondency, from 
 one who was able to give it. 
 
 ' On commen9a a se dire dans le voisinage^ combien le Cure 
 d'Ars etait doux envers les coupables, patient envers les scrupu- 
 leux, indulgent envers les faibles, compatissant envers les 
 malheureux, secourable envers tous. Les pe"cheurs venaient 
 trouver ce bon prfitre, qui les accueillait en pleurant ; les pauvres 
 accouraient vers ses mains bienfaisantes, qui n'avaient rien a 
 donner et qui donnaient toujours ; les affliges savaient que ses 
 levres etaient une source abondante de lumiere et de consola- 
 tions; ceux qui etaient agites de doutes savaient qu'elles 
 donnaient une force victorieuse a la verite. Les justes venaient 
 aussi, car son coeur etait le foyer d'amour auquel se rechauffaient 
 tous les coeurs.' Monnin. 
 
 At that time there were no good roads to Ars, and no accom- 
 modation on arriving there (the group of houses round the church 
 dates from 1832, the road from 1835), but soon as many as 
 
io 4 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 80,000 pilgrims arrived annually, from every country of Europe 
 simply attracted by what they had heard from others, for no 
 newspaper had mentioned the Cure d'Ars. 
 
 1 Les grands affluent a Ars comme les petits, pour peu que la 
 main de Dieu ou celle des hommes les ait meurtris. Les veuves 
 et les orphelins, les heureux et les malheureux ; les jeunes gens 
 pleins d'illusions et les vieillards biases, les hommes degoutes du 
 monde.et lees femmes lasses de frivolites, les pecheurs surtout y 
 accourent en foule, attires par une vertu et une science egale- 
 ment surnaturelles a leurs yeux. On compte meme beaucoup de 
 curieux et quelques opposants. On y rencontre les complications 
 les plus bizarres et les contrastes les plus heurtes ; des vertus au 
 milieu des vices, sous les dehors qui font envie, des miseres qui 
 pitie, des situations sans issue si ce n'est par la voie du Calvaire, 
 des malheurs sans espoir si ce n'est du cote du ciel. 
 
 ' Le Cure d'Ars voyait, tous les jours et tout le long du jour, 
 defiler sous ses yeux ces interminables series d'embarras et d'in- 
 fortunes, ces varietes du monde, dont la tristesse est toujours le 
 fond. Son ame en etait douloureusement affectee, et le soir venu, 
 quand il se trouvait dans sa chambre, en compagne des mis- 
 sionaires, il se laissait aller a toute sa sensibilite ; il fondait en 
 larmes : " II faut venir a Ars," disait-il, " pour savoir ce que 
 c'est que le pe"che, pour juger du mal qu' Adam a fait de sa pauvre 
 famille. On ne sait qu'y faire ; on ne peut que pleurer et prier." ' 
 
 It was by the wonderful sympathy of the Cure, by his earnest 
 pleading, by the affectionate tones of his voice, that such mar- 
 vellous effects were produced at Ars. One day his tears flowed 
 abundantly over a sinner who remained unmoved at his feet: 
 
 ' Regardant son confesseur avec etonnement : " Mais, mon 
 pere," dit-il, " qu'avez-vous tant a pleurer?" "Ah! mon ami," 
 lui repondit le saint pretre, "jepleure de ce que vous ne pleurez 
 pas."' 
 
 Equally remarkable was his power of giving comfort 
 
 1 La puissance de consolation du bon saint etait immense. 
 II n'avait qu'a parler, et d'un mot il atteignait le mal dans sa 
 racine ; il cicatrisait la blessure ; il endormait la douleur ; il 
 
ARS. 
 
 105 
 
 adoucissait tout ce qu'il y avait de cuisant et d'enflamme dans 
 les regrets, d'apre et de rongeur dans les ressentiments et les 
 coleres, et cela sans faste et sans emphase, sans ces dehors qui 
 aident le discours, qui imposent, qui persuadent ou qui gagnent 
 les coeurs. II ne cherchait rien et ne disait rien de lui-meme ; 
 c'est Dieu qui parlait, pas lui, et qui rendait sa parole efficace.' 
 
 One case is remembered of a Cure of the diocese of Autun, 
 who, long perplexed about a certain matter, came to ask counsel 
 at Ars. A word from M. Vianney seemed to make all clear at 
 once. ' " Mais, M. le Cure, ou avez-vous done fait votre theologie ? " 
 M. Vianney lui montra silencieusement son prie-dieu.' Out of 
 the eighteen or twenty hours of his working-day, the Cure d'Ars 
 only took time for private prayer, for his missal and breviary, and 
 for a semblance of meal at noon. All the rest was spent in the 
 confessional. Sixteen hours daily were given to its exhausting 
 duties. 
 
 When the Cure had ended his day's work, at nine in summer 
 and seven in winter, a number of women who had not been able 
 to reach him, would wait in the vestibule, facing the parsonage, 
 till the gates re-opened, which was about midnight. Others 
 waited to catch him between the parsonage and the church, for a 
 single passing word of advice or comfort. To reach the church 
 was for M. Vianney a work of time and difficulty. Volunteer 
 police kept the way to the confessional ; the candidates were let 
 in, one by one, through a barrier. If the people became disorderly, 
 the Cure quickly left his place and knelt at the altar till all was 
 quiet again. 
 
 At 6 or 7 a.m. the Cure left the confessional and said mass, 
 penetrating the dense crowd with difficulty. Then he took his 
 breakfast only a little milk ; after which he confessed thirty or 
 forty men, who had been waiting. At 10, after reciting his hours 
 in the sacristy, he gave his attention to the sick, or to passing 
 
 ingers. At II he preached in his native rural idiom. At 
 such times he seemed utterly unconscious of himself. ' Quel 
 maitre avez-vous en the"ologie?' someone once ironically asked : 
 4 Le meme maitre que S. Pierre.' He always preached without 
 ;paration. 
 
 1 Ce qui caracterisait ces discours, c'e"tait un melange d'exalta- 
 
io6 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 tion et de sensibilite, de foi vive et ardente, de zele imp6tueux, 
 d'ou resultait, dans le predicateur, 1'onction a sa plus haute 
 puissance, et dans 1'auditeur, ] emotion a son plus haute degre. 
 
 1 Ce qui ajoutait a 1 eloquence de la voix, c'etait 1'eloquence 
 du corps ; ce front large, entoure d'une aureole de cheveux 
 blancs, ces traits fortement profiles, cette expression beatifique qui 
 faisait le fond de la physionomie du saint homme, et surtout 
 le feu incessamment mobile de son regard portait avec soi une 
 sorte de fascination surnaturelle, sous laquelle nous avons vu 
 souvent les plus fiers esprits se courber irresistiblement, et le 
 scepticisme se declarer vaincu. 
 
 ' Les predications du Cure d'Ars commen^aient par Notre- 
 Seigneur Jesus-Christ et finissaient par lui. II 1'avait toujours 
 devant les yeux ; il 1'avait toujours sur ses levres parce qu'il 
 1'avait toujours dans le coeur.' 
 
 The afternoon of the Cure was like the morning. A way had 
 to be made for him by two attendants through the increasing 
 crowds. His missionaries were visited and conferred with. 
 Then he said vespers in the church ; heard confessions till 
 5 p.m., and then, till night, gave audience to women unable to 
 come at other times. 
 
 ' On pourrait supposer que des travaux si absorbants et si 
 continuels detournaient forcement le Cure d'Ars de 1'attention 
 a donner a chaque ame en particulier ; on se tromperait. II 
 n'etait pas un seul de ses penitents qui ne put se croire 1'objet 
 d'une sollicitude speciale. Au milieu de cette presse toujours 
 pres degenerer en cohue, il entendait la personne qui etait a 
 ses pieds comme s'il n'avait rien eu d'autre a faire ; il donnait, 
 il est vrai, peu de temps a chacun de ses penitents, arm d'en 
 avoir pour tous ; il preferait les revoir plus souvent et les entendre 
 moins long temps. La grace accompagnait ses moindres paroles. 
 II savait 1'endroit du coeur ou il fallait frapper ; et le trait 
 manquait rarement son but.' 
 
 In his latter years the Cure was often astounded by the 
 crowds who came to visit him. He frequently longed to fly 
 and hide himself, especially if anything like flattery had been 
 addressed to him. Once he did fly, and took refuge in his native 
 
ARS. 
 
 107 
 
 village of Dardilly, but was brought back by the mandate of his 
 bishop. He never could be induced to understand his own 
 usefulness. 
 
 ' " Dieu m'a fait," disait-il, " cette grande misericorde de ne rien 
 mettre en moi sur quoi je puisse m'appuyer, ni talent, ni science, 
 ni sagesse, ni force, ni vertu. . . . Je ne decouvre en moi, quand 
 je me considere, que mes pauvres peches. Encore le bon Dieu 
 
 permet-il que je ne les voie pas tous, et que je ne me connaisse 
 pas tout entier. Cette vue me ferait tomber dans le desespoir. 
 Je n'ai d'autre ressource centre cette tentation du desespoir, que 
 de me jeter au pied du tabernacle, comme un petit chien aux pieds 
 de son maitre." " 
 
 In 1850, the Cure grew feebler and feebler. All his strength 
 seemed concentrated in his eyes, which sparkled with all their old 
 vigour. The heat of July made the chapel of the confessional 
 suffocating. He constantly fainted. On July 29, however, he 
 
io8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 went through his usual routine his sixteen hours of confessional, 
 and ended the day with prayer. On reaching home he was 
 terribly exhausted. As he sank into his chair he said 'Je 
 n'en peux plus ! ' But at I a.m. he tried to go to the church as 
 usual. His excessive weakness prevented him ' Vous etes 
 fatigue, M. le Cure?' ' Oui, je crois que c'est ma panvrc fin! 
 On the following evening he received the last sacraments, and at 
 i a.m. he passed away. 
 
 None but those who visit Ars can realize this holy and touching 
 life, which can only be judged by its fruits ; but at Ars the work 
 of M.Vianney is still carried on, and there is still a concourse thither 
 from all parts of the world, for ' retreat,' for counsel, and for con- 
 fession. The ancient church of the Cure still stands, with a 
 magnificent modern church Sanctuaire de S. Philumene erected 
 by the Empress Eugenie and the bishops, rising behind it. The 
 village itself is a succession of hotels, but picturesque, and 
 embosomed in vines. The little church is approached through 
 its courtyard, thronged, as of old, with beggars. As we enter, 
 the grave of the Cure is seen in the middle of the floor : it is 
 near the confessional where ' he consummated his martyrdom.' 
 At the side are the little chapels which he built to mark the 
 different crises of his life. That of S. Philumene is filled with 
 memorials of maimed and halt pilgrims. Throngs of pilgrims 
 still pass in and out ; and a missionary still addresses them on 
 the character of Christ as a loving Saviour. 
 
 Close by is the Presbytery. The room of the Cure is railed 
 off, because otherwise the pilgrims would have carried everything 
 away. As it is, they have almost undermined the old stone walls 
 by picking out fragments as relics. But the room can be well 
 seen from the barrier, with its lowly bed, its few books and 
 pictures. Below is the still poorer room, where his people saw 
 him in his death-slumber ; and the little court, shaded by old 
 elder trees, in which he administered his incessant charities. 
 
 482 k. Anse, the ancient Roman station of Antium. 
 Augustus built a palace here, and several Roman fragments 
 remain. The ordinary observer will have seen nothing in 
 this district to justify the proverb 
 
LlLE-BARBE. 
 
 109 
 
 ' De Villefranche a Anse 
 La plus belle lieue en France.' 
 
 487 k. Tr'evoux, on the site of a Gallo-Roman town. 
 It formed part of the principality of Dombes, given by La 
 Grande Mademoiselle to the Due du Maine. 
 
 492 k. S. Germain-au-Mont-cT Or. 5 k. is Chasselay, with 
 two gothic gateways and ruins of a castle. 
 
 495 k. Neuville, formerly the capital of Franc-Lyonnais, 
 a sort of republic which enjoyed various immunities. The 
 neighbouring castle of Albigny (r.) has a dungeon and 
 fortified chapel. 
 
 497 k. Couzori) with a handsome modern church of S. 
 Maurice. Beyond this, on the 1. bank of the Saone, is 
 Rochetaillee, where the rock is supposed to have been 
 cut by Agrippa, to render the river more navigable. 
 
 504 k. LIle-Barbe (Insula Barbara). A suspension 
 bridge crosses the Saone to the S. point of the picturesque 
 island. The oft-restored chapel of Notre Dame-de- Grace 
 is of the end of XH. c. The Castle is xv. c., with a gateway 
 of xiv. c. A pavilion of xv. c. is shown as that where 
 Charlemagne sate to see his army defile upon the r. bank 
 of the river. At S. Cyr-au-Mont-cT Or, a little E., are 
 some xni. c. remains of a palace of the bishops of Lyon. 
 
 507 k. Lyon Vaise the goods station. 
 
 512 k. Lyon. Lyon-Perrache (Hotels: Grand Rue de 
 la Republique; de VEurope i, Rue de Bellecour, the 
 only hotel with a fine view : table d'hote, luncheon, and 
 dinner at little private tables ; Collet 62, Rue de la 
 Republique ; de Bellecour Place de Bellecour ; du Globe 
 21, Rue Gasparin ; de Toulouse 23, Rue du Midi; de la 
 Poste 3, Rue de Barre ; des Negotiants [3 fr. 50 c. a day] 
 
no SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE 
 
 i, Rue des Quatre Chapeaux, good). Carriages, i fr. 
 25 c. and i fr. 50 c. the course ; i fr. 500. and 2 frs. the 
 first hour. 
 
 1 Lyon est situe, comme toutes gran des villes de manufacture, 
 a ce point precis des territoires ou le sol, les cultures, les com- 
 bustibles, le feu, les eaux, et les populations touffues fournissent 
 tous les elements et tous les bras necessaires a un grand 
 travail, et ou les vallees, les plaines, les routes, et les fleuves 
 s'ouvrent, se ramifient et coulent pour porter et distribuer les 
 produits aux provinces et aux mers. La geographic et 1'in- 
 dustrie se comprennent et semblent combiner 1'assiette de ces 
 vastes ateliers humains. 
 
 ' Le site militaire de Lyon est conforme a son site commercial. 
 Une haute presqu'ile, appelee la Dombe, s'etend de Trevoux d'un 
 cote et de Meximieux de 1'autre, entre deux grands cours d'eau, 
 la Rhone et la Saone. Cette langue de terre fertile court, en 
 se retrecissant toujours, jusqu'a un plateau eleve, appele la 
 Croix-Rousse, faubourg de Lyon. La, le plateau, rouge presque 
 a pic par les deux fleuves, s'affaise tout a coup, descend en 
 rampes rapides et s'e"tend ensuite en plaine basse et triangulaire 
 jusqu'au confluent des deux eaux. Cette plaine e"troite et longue 
 est le corps de la ville. 
 
 ' La ville, trop reserree par les deux rivieres, a franchi sa 
 premiere enceinte, et, pour ainsi dire, deborde de la presqu'ile du 
 cote de la Saone. Sa cathedrale, ses tribunaux et ses quartiers 
 les plus paisibles sont jetes et entasses entre la montagne et la 
 riviere. Des rues sont dressees comme des echelles contre les 
 pentes. Les maisons semblent grimper contre le roc et se 
 suspendre aux flancs des collines. Plusieurs ponts, les uns de 
 pierre, les autres de bois, font communiquer entre eux ces deux 
 quartiers de la ville. 
 
 ' Entre les quais du Rhone et les quais de la Saone s'etend la 
 ville proprement dite, avec ses quartiers populeux, ses places, 
 ses rues, ses etablissements publics, son hotel de ville, ses marches, 
 ses hopitaux, ses theatres. L'espace etroite a presse les rangs, 
 entasse et amoncele les edifices. On voit que partout la popula- 
 tion, les ateliers, 1'activite, la richesse, le travail ont dispute la 
 place a 1'air et a la lumiere, choses sans prix dans le commerce. 
 
LYON. 
 
 in 
 
 En entrant dans la ville, son aspect sombre, austere et monacal, 
 saisit le coeur. Les chambres e"troites, les maisons hautes, le 
 jour rare, les murs enfumes, les portes basses, les fenStres aux 
 chassis de papier huil6 pour 6pargner les vitres, les magazins 
 obstruct de caisses et de ballots, le mouvement affaire^ le visage 
 soucieux et preoccupe de citoyens qui ne perdent point le temps 
 en conversations oiseuses, mais qui s'abordent d'un geste et qui 
 se s6parent apres un mot bref echange en marchant, 1'absence des 
 voitures de luxe, de chevaux, de promeneurs dans les quartiers 
 riches, tout annonce une ville serieuse, occupe d'une seule pens6e, 
 ame de cette ville de travail : cette pensee visible, c'est le gain.' 
 Lamartine, ' Histoire des Girondins.' 
 
 1 Etrange ville ! Je me rappelle un ciel bas, couleur de 
 suie, une brume perpetuelle montaiit de deux rivieres. II ne 
 pleut pas, il brouillasse ; et dans 1'affadissement d'une atmosphere 
 molle, les murs pleurent, le pav6 suint, les rampes d'escalier 
 collent aux doigts. L'aspect de la population, son allure, son 
 langage se ressentent de 1'humidite de Fair. Ce sont des teints 
 blafards, des yeux endormis, des paresses de prononciation 
 s'etalant en accents circonflexes, sur des syllabes allongees, je 
 ne sais quoi de veule et de mou dans la voix, dans le geste ; les 
 locutions singulieres, mais sans couleur, des fa9ons de parler 
 qu'on ne trouve que la, une plate pour dire un 1 avoir, les beches 
 pour les bains froids, un gone pour un gamin. Les noms eux- 
 memes ont une physionomie particuliere ; Bouverd, Chipie, 
 Mouillard, sont des types de noms bien lyonnais. Polichinelle ne 
 s'appelle pas Polichinelle. Us 1'ont baptise Guafrou.' Alphonse 
 Daudet. 
 
 In size and importance Lyon, formerly capital of the 
 Lyonnais, now of the Departement du Rhone, is the second 
 city of France. Old and picturesque Lyon lies along the 
 banks of the Saone ; modern and featureless Lyon on that 
 of the Rhone. Far the finest approach to the city is by 
 ' steamer on the Saone, whence the old houses are seen rising 
 most picturesquely from the r. bank of the river, overtopped 
 by the hill, and crowned by the church of Fourviere. The 
 
H2 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 two rivers render the geography of Lyon unusually puzzling; 
 it serves as a guide to remember that the names of streets 
 on black plates are of those which run parallel with the 
 rivers ; on yellow plates, of those at right angles to them. 
 
 In 590 A.C., a colony was founded at the meeting of 
 the Saone and Rhone by Greeks, expelled from He'rault 
 by the Massiliens, and it received the name of Lugdunum. 
 It became an important city under the Romans, who 
 brought water to it by aqueducts from the mountains of 
 Forez a distance of 12 leagues. The population was 
 converted by S. Pothinus, and it is said that 18,000 Chris- 
 tians suffered martyrdom there under Septimus Severus. 
 In later times no city has changed its politics so often, 
 no city has been more ready to take a part in every 
 possible revolution. 
 
 The list of eminent persons born at Lyon includes : 
 Germanicus ; the Emperors Claudius, Marcus Aurelius, 
 Caracalla, and Geta; the Saints Sidonius, Apollinaris, and 
 Ambrose of Milan; in later times Barreme, Philibert 
 Delorme, Coustou, Coysevox, the minister Roland, and 
 Mme. Recamier. 
 
 The commercial importance of the town dates from 
 xiv. c., since which its manufactures, especially of silk 
 and velvet, have obtained universal celebrity. 
 
 Of late years Protestantism has been greatly on the 
 increase at Lyon. 
 
 ' Ce peuple de travailleurs n'est point entasse", comme dans 
 d'autres villes, dans d'immenses ateliers communs ou 1'homme, 
 traite comme un rouage mecanique, s'avilit dans la foule, se 
 pervertit par le contact, et s'use par le frottement continuel avec 
 d'autres hommes. Chaque atelier de Lyon est une famille com- 
 posee du mari, de la femme, des enfants. Cette famille va 
 
LYON. 113 
 
 chercher toutes les semaines 1'ouvrage, la soie, les modeles. 
 Les ouvriers emportent chez eux les matieres premieres, les 
 ourdissent a domicile, et recoivent, en les rendant aux fabricants, 
 le prix convenu pour chaque piece de soierie manufacture^.' 
 Lamartine, ' Hist, des Girondim! 
 
 In the centre of the modern town, near the principal 
 hotels, is the handsome Place Bellecour, adorned with a 
 
 LYON THE SAONE. 
 
 statue of Louis XIV. It has always been the fashionable 
 promenade and place of reunion. 
 
 1 La noblesse et tout le peuple s'y rendent par bandes ; car 
 c'est ou se tiennent des concerts, ou se pratiquent toutes sortes 
 d'honnestes galanteries, et ou se voyent mille beaux visages et 
 mille personnes lestement vestues.' Albert Jouvin, 1672. 
 
 Taking the Place Bellecour (near which the principal 
 hotels are situated) as a centre, we may cross the Saone, 
 by the Pont de Tilsit, to the Cathedral of S. Jean y which 
 
H4 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 rises very picturesquely above the surrounding buildings. 
 Begun in the end of xii. c., or early xin. c., it was only 
 finished under Louis XII. It is a very noble early gothic 
 church, of which the apse is the oldest part. The xiv. c. 
 fagade has three great portals, with a gallery above, then 
 a rose window, and a gable between two low towers. 
 The want of buttresses makes it too flat in effect. 
 
 ' The pedestals of the lacking statues are adorned with a 
 number of charming reliefs in medallions, full of life, and em- 
 bracing an inconceivable variety of different subjects. Here are 
 all kinds of symbolical scenes, such as the pelican feeding her 
 young with her own blood ; fantastic scenes of the most different 
 kinds ; Sirens playing on organs ; contests between dragons and 
 fabulous creatures; scenes also from animal life, such as the 
 stork drawing the bone from the fox's throat ; lastly, a number 
 of representations from the life of Christ, the martyrdom of 
 the apostles, and similar subjects. In the archivolts there 
 are numerous small, seated figures, similarly fine and pure in 
 style.' LUbke. 
 
 The nave, of eight bays, was finished c. 1240 : it is 
 much more lofty than the choir, which has two rectangular 
 bays, and a seven-sided apse, without side aisles. Round 
 arches are here seen in the lower part of the building, 
 but the upper is completely gothic. Above the tri- 
 forium, a passage runs round the apse at the level of 
 the upper windows. Two crosses are preserved from the 
 general council of 1274. Some splendid (restored) glass 
 remains from xm. c. and xiv. c. The Chapelle S. Louis or 
 des Bourbons, on r., was built by Cardinal de Bourbon 
 and his brother, Pierre de Beaujeu, son-in-law of Louis XI. 
 
 1 Les chardons (on ecrivait autrefois cherdons) qui se repro- 
 duisent dans tous les ornemens, sont un jeu de mots en sculpture. 
 
LYON. 115 
 
 On pretend que Pierre de Bourbon voulait exprimer ainsi que le 
 roi lui avait fait un cherdon en lui donnant sa fille. Le calem- 
 bourg est detestable, mais la ciselure est merveilleuse.' Prosper 
 Merimee. 
 
 The office was long sung in this cathedral without 
 organ, books, or instruments, as in the first age of 
 Christianity. 
 
 LYON, CATHEDRAL. 
 
 To the r. of the cathedral fagade are remains, with 
 beautifully sculptured romanesque arcades, of the curious 
 building of XL c. called La Manecanterie (singers'-house, 
 mane-cantare), mutilated, like the statues of the cathedral, 
 by the Protestants, and further ruined by restorations. 
 The Archeveche is of the end of xv. c. 
 
 The Rue S. fean has several interesting houses. No. 37 
 
n6 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 is a gothic building with a renaissance well in the court \ 
 No. 29 has quaint pine-cone brackets under the windows ; 
 No. 7 is a rich xv. c. house ; No. i has quaint reliefs. 
 The Rue S. Jean ends in the Place du Change, where 
 No. 2 has good xv. c. windows. The Loge du Change, 
 now a Protestant chapel, is of 1749. Behind it, No. 14, 
 Rue de Cadagne, is a very remarkable xv. c. house, with 
 a tourelle. No. 22, Rue Juiverie, is also a very curious 
 old house. On the r. of these is the church of S. Paul, 
 with a romanesque apse, an octagonal tower over the cross, 
 and xv. c. additions. Here begins the Montee S. Barthclemy, 
 where No. i has a renaissance staircase, with a bust of 
 Henri IV., recalling that he slept in that house. 
 
 Ascending the Montee between houses from which the 
 sound of the weaver's loom recalls the Vaudois, or ' poor 
 men of Lyons,' as they named themselves (followers of 
 Vaud, the weaver) to the Place de 1'Antiquaille, we must 
 turn r. by the Rue Cleburg, then again r. by La Montee 
 de Fourviere, and so reach the chapel and more recent 
 church of Notre Dame de Fourviere (de foro vetere), which 
 rises on the site of a Roman forum the ancient Lyon. 
 The interior is covered with ex-votos to the Madonna, 
 some of them very extraordinary. Close by a magnificent 
 basilica is arising, rich in marbles, and with a sumptuous 
 crypt, a church in itself, adorned with mosaics. 
 
 As in pagan times, the worship of the city itself is 
 maintained in its old sanctuary, in buildings ceaselessly 
 renewed. A confraternity, dating from immemorial times, 
 still exists at Fourviere, with the obligation of praying for 
 the city, 1 
 
 1 Kmile Montegut, En Lyonnais. 
 
LYON. 117 
 
 The view is magnificent over town and country, and 
 to the Alpine ranges, in the more distant of which Mont 
 Blanc is visible in clear weather. From the Maison 
 Caille, Pius VII. gave his benediction to the city of 
 Lyon. 
 
 ' Pour faire contre-poids au plateau de la Croix-Rousse. 
 Voici maintenant le plateau de Fourvieres, la montagne reli- 
 gieuse en face de la montagne industrielle. Tout en bas, au 
 pied du coteau, la metropole S. Jean, I'archeveche", les semi- 
 naires, un bruit continuel de cloches tombant dans les rues 
 tranquilles, des places desertes traversees aux heures des 
 offices par de longues files de seminaristes en surplis, et les 
 petits clergeons de la maitrise qui passaient graves, les bras 
 crois6s sous leurs camails founds d'hermines laissant trainer 
 sur les dalles les longues queues de leurs soutanes rejetees. Ce 
 coin de Lyon m'a laisse 1'impression d'un quartier remain. 
 Derriere commencaient des ruelles a pic montant a Fourvieres 
 entre des murs de couvents, des jardins de communaates, des 
 portails surmontes de croix ou d'emblemes, des clochers de 
 chapelles carillormant dans de la verdure. On rencontrait 
 des processions de paroisses, des confreries en pelerinages se 
 d6roulaient aux detours des rues comme un long ruban blanc 
 ou bleu, avec des gonflements de voiles, des ondulations de 
 bannieres et de pelerines, des eclairs des croix immobiles tra- 
 versees de lumieres ; d'autres fois des groupes solitaires, longeant 
 des murs d'un air recueilli, en train d'accomplir quelque voeu. 
 Je me souviens d'une femme en grand deuil, montant pieds nus 
 la cote dure, pavee de cailloux pointus. Visage ascetique, use 
 de larmes, elle tirait par la main un petit enfant tout en noir 
 aussi, haletant de la course et un peu gene par les pieds nus 
 de sa mere qu'il regardait avec stupeur. 
 
 ' A mesure qu'on approchait de 1'eglise, qui est en haut, des 
 petites boutiques d'objets de piete, d'imagerie religieuse tapis- 
 , saient les rues de leurs etalages. Des chapelets de corail, de 
 nacre, des coeurs en verroterie, des couronnes de jais, d'im- 
 mortelles. Puis des petits journaux etranges, le Rosier de 
 Marie, VEcho du purgatoire, des predictions sur papier de 
 
ii8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 cuisine, le portrait de soeur Rosalie avec ses decorations, du 
 Cure" d'Ars fortement colorie, entoure de ses nombreux miracles. 
 C'e"tait aussi derriere les vitres ternes un fouillis de petits bras, 
 de petites jambes en cire blanche, toutes sortes d'ex-voto, de 
 livres bizarres, mysterieux, monstreuses elucubrations de cer- 
 veaux malades, reves de Pascal sans genie, illustres d'images 
 grossieres representant les supplices de 1'enfer, des damnes 
 sur des roues, des squelettes calcines charges de chaines, tout 
 cela dans des brochures jaunies, couleur de cierge, a qui la 
 poussiere de l'6talage donnait vite la banalite d'objets forains. 
 
 ' Mais c'est surtout la-haut, dans la chapelle, qu'il fallait 
 voir les ex-voto et les images ! Quel encombrement de choses 
 touchantes ou comiques, de tableaux inoubliables pendus aux 
 piliers, expliqu6s par des I6gendes reconnaissantes, ou aban- 
 donnes tout entiers au vague du miracle. Des naufrage"s, 
 des aveugles, des amputes, des convertis, M. de Ratisbonne 
 illumine par la foi, a genoux, les bras en croix. ... En haut, 
 sur le dome de la chapelle, Notre Dame de Fourvieres toute 
 en or, dominant le Lyon catholique avec ses couvents, ses 
 congregations, ses communaute's, ses confreries et les innom- 
 brables societes religieuses sans regie ni costume re"pandues 
 par toute le ville et donnant aux relations du monde lyonnais 
 je ne sais quel ton demi-clerical, des habitudes de douceur 
 triste et d'yeux baisse"s.' Alphonse Daudet, ' Etudes etPaysages? 
 
 On the lower heights (r. in descending) is the church 
 of S. Bruno, begun 1590, and belonging to the Chartreuse. 
 
 Some distance behind the Fourviere, is S. Irenee, which 
 scarcely preserves a trace of antiquity. Only a very ancient 
 crypt remains, with a mosaic pavement much injured by the 
 Protestants of the Baron des Adrets, who upturned it in 
 1562, to search for treasures. In the midst is shown an 
 opening through which it is said the bones of 19,000 
 martyrs, put to death by order of Septimus Severus, were 
 thrown into a well. 
 
 ' Je restai immobile au milieu de 1'eglise, examinant tous ces 
 autels etincelants d'or et d'argent. La soiree etait venue. Tout 
 
LYON. 119 
 
 commencait a se brouiller autour de moi, tout 6tait silencieux; 
 soudain, les portes s'ouvrirent, et les fibres du silence parurent, 
 habillSes de blanc. Les yeux baiss6s a terre, ils s'avancerent a 
 la file, lentement, vers le maitre autel ; et en passant devant une 
 cloche suspendue dans l'e"glise, ils la frappaient d'une main d6bile. 
 Le son lugubre de la cloche, re"percute" par ces sombres voutes, 
 6veilla en moi Tid6e de la mort. Je sortis, je vis le soleil 
 couchant, et mon coeur fut console.' Karamsine, ' Lettres d'un 
 Voyageur Russe, 1789-90.' 
 
 Recrossing the Saone, and then turning 1., we reach, 
 opposite the Pont de Nemours, the Rue d'Albon, which 
 leads immediately to S. Nizier, the first cathedral of Lyon, 
 where S. Pothinus is said to have celebrated mass in a crypt 
 which still exists (restored xiv. c.). The church of xiv. c. 
 consists of a nave with side-aisles, a narrower transept, and 
 three apsides. The fagade has two low towers with gothic 
 spires, and between them an unworthy renaissance portal 
 by Philibert Delorme. A very rich dark triforium surrounds 
 the interior of the church. In the (r. transept) Chapelle de 
 la Vierge is a statue of the Virgin by A. Coysevox : that 
 of S. Pothinus, in a chapel in the 1. transept, is by the 
 Lyon sculptor Chinard. 
 
 The Rue S. Pierre leads hence to the Church of S. 
 Pierre, which formerly belonged to a Benedictine Abbey ; 
 it is xvii. c., with a very fine romanesque portal. 
 
 Close by is the Place des Terreaux, which contains 
 the Hotel de Ville, of 1646-55. On r. is the Palais des 
 Beaux-Arts, open to the public on Thursdays, Sundays, 
 and fete-days from 1 1 to 4, and always to strangers with 
 a passport. It is a fine building, surrounding a garden 
 court with cloisters full of Roman altars, sarcophagi, urns, 
 etc. The Galerie de Peinture (on the upper floor) is gene- 
 
120 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 rally superior to those of all other French provincial 
 towns, besides possessing one of the finest pictures in 
 France. We may notice 
 
 Ecole Francaise 
 
 53. Jouvenet. The Money Changers expelled from the 
 
 Temple. 
 Ecole Flamande 
 
 1 88. Albert Durer ? Maximilian I. and his wife Catherine 
 meeting before the Virgin and Child, who crown 
 them with roses. 
 
 233. Rubens. SS. Francis and Dominic protecting the 
 
 world from the anger of Jesus Christ ridiculous 
 in inspiration, but rich in tone and colour. 
 
 234. Riibens. The Coming of the Magi. 
 253. Terburg. The Message. 
 
 Ecole Espagnole 
 
 152. Zurbaran. S. Francois d'Assisi, as he was pre- 
 served after death. 
 Ecole Italienne 
 
 loo. Guercino. The Circumcision, painted for his native 
 Cento. 
 
 102. Palma Vecchio. Portrait of his Daughter. 
 
 130. Tintoret. Danae. 
 
 155. Perugino (Pietro Vannucci). SS. James and Gregory. 
 * 1 56. Perugino. The Ascension. A magnificent picture 
 painted in 1493 for the high-altar of S. Pietro at 
 Perugia, and given by Pius VII. to the city of 
 Lyon. The upper part of the picture is too 
 earthly, the Saviour, in a ' mandorla ' of cherub 
 heads, being occupied with those He leaves, and 
 the angels conventional in their attitudes. But 
 the figures below are marvellous in their indi- 
 viduality. In the centre is the Madonna, lost 
 in contemplation of the ascending Saviour. 
 S, Peter, on one side, also gazes half-dazzled 
 and upwards. S. Paul, with sword and book, is 
 absorbed, and sees nothing. He did not witness 
 the event, and his presence here shows that no 
 

 LYON. 121 
 
 historic representation is intended ; which is also 
 shown by the presence of Matthias, not chosen 
 an apostle at the time of the Ascension. What 
 we see is the ' glorious company of the Apostles ' 
 bearing witness to the article of faith. 
 
 Turning r. from the Hotel de Ville we reach S. 
 Bonaventura, in the Place des Cordeliers, a flamboyant 
 church, in great part rebuilt. We may proceed behind 
 this, by the Rhone quays to the Hotel Dieu (Quai de 
 PHopital), founded by Childebert, son of Clovis, in vi. c. 
 The buildings are of 1737 1842. An altar is placed 
 under a dome, from which all the wards radiate, so that 
 all the patients can see the officiating priest at the same 
 time. Hence, crossing the end of the Place Bellecour, we 
 find, in the Rue de la Charite*, the Hospice de la Charite, 
 1614-24. The Rue S. Michel leads 1. from the other 
 end of the Place Bellecour to 1. S Martin d'Ainay 
 (Athanacum), formerly belonging to the abbey of the name. 
 This church, lately restored, is the oldest in Lyon, having 
 been consecrated in 1107, after a considerable restoration 
 of an earlier church of the beginning of the x. c., of which 
 date are the crypt and the four granite columns of the 
 choir columns said to have belonged to the temple which 
 was raised to Augustus by the hundred tribes of Gaul. 
 
 The facade, which is decorated with a band of red 
 lozenges, has a tower in the centre. Another rises between 
 the nave and the choir. The interior is dark and impressjve. 
 The church has a basilica form now, but was probably a 
 Latin cross originally. A gothic xv. c. chapel is built upon 
 the 1. transept, and the sacristy occupies the r. Hence we 
 descend to the crypt, which is said to have been the prison 
 
122 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of Pothinus and Blandina, a cellar measuring 9 ft. by 4 ft. 
 The mosaic of Pascal II., which once existed here, has 
 disappeared, but there are some remains of the inscrip- 
 tion 
 
 ' Hue, hue, flecte genu, veniens quicunque precario. 
 Hie pax est, hie vita, salus, hie sanctificaris,' etc. 
 
 ' While we all feared, and while, among the rest, her mistress, 
 according to the flesh, who was herself one of the noble army of 
 martyrs, dreaded that she would not be able to witness a good 
 confession, because of the weakness of her body, Blandina was 
 endued with such fortitude, that those, who successively tortured 
 her from morning till night, were quite worn out with fatigue, 
 owning themselves conquered, and that they had exhausted their 
 whole apparatus of tortures, and amazed to see her still breathing, 
 whilst her body was torn and laid open. But the blessed woman 
 seemed to find it an evident refreshment, support, and an anni- 
 hilation of all her pains to affirm, " I am a Christian, and no evil 
 is committed among us." 
 
 ' The holy Pothinus, bishop of Lyon, upwards of ninety years 
 old, and very infirm and asthmatic, yet strong in spirit, and long- 
 ing for martyrdom, was dragged before the tribunal, his body 
 indeed being worn out by age and disease, but his soul one 
 through which the cause of Christ would triumph. Borne by 
 the soldiers to the tribunal, and accompanied by the magistrates 
 and all the multitude, shouting against him as if he were Christ 
 Himself, he made a good confession of faith. Being asked by 
 the governor, who was the God of the Christians, he answered, 
 " If ye be worthy, ye shall know." Then he was mercilessly 
 dragged about, and suffered variety of ill-treatment ; those who 
 were nearest insulted him with their hands and feet, without the 
 least respect to his age ; and those at a distance threw at him 
 whatever came to hand : everyone looked upon himself as deficient 
 in zeal, if he did not insult him in some way or other ; for thus 
 they imagined that they avenged the cause of their gods. He 
 was almost lifeless when he was thrown into prison, and after 
 two days he expired. 
 
 ' An extra day of the shows being given to the people on our 
 account, Maturis and Sanctus again underwent various tortures 
 
LYON. 
 
 123 
 
 in the amphitheatre, as if they had suffered nothing before. They 
 sustained again, as they were led to the amphitheatre, the blows 
 usually inflicted on those condemned to wild animals, they were 
 exposed to be dragged and torn by the beasts, and to all the 
 barbarities which the savage populace demanded, above all, to 
 the hot iron chair, in which their bodies were roasted. Nor was 
 
 LYON, S. MARTIN-D AINAY. 
 
 this all : the persecutors raged still more, if possible, to conquer 
 their endurance. But not a word could be extorted from Sanctus, 
 except that of confession, which he had at first uttered, and after 
 lingering a long time, they at length expired, having presented a 
 spectacle to the world, equal in variety to that which is usual in 
 gladiatorial fights. 
 
124 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ' Meantime Blandina, bound to a stake, was also exposed to 
 the wild beasts. She was bound in the form of a cross, and 
 employed in ardent prayer. None of the beasts at that time 
 touched her, so she was taken down from the stake, and thrown 
 again into prison, to be reserved for a future contest. . . . On the 
 last day of the show, she was brought in again with Ponticus, 
 a boy of fifteen, who had daily been brought with her to behold 
 the sufferings of the rest. They were commanded to swear by 
 the idols, and when the mob saw r that they remained firm, and 
 despised their threats, their fury was so excited, that no mercy 
 was shown either to the sex of the one, or the youth of the other. 
 Their sufferings were increased by every imaginable torture, the 
 whole chapter of agony was exhausted, but all was powerless to 
 move them. Ponticus, encouraged by his sister to the end, at 
 length gave up his spirit. 
 
 ' Then the blessed Blandina, the last of all, having like a 
 mother exhorted her children, arid sent them before her victorious 
 into the presence of the King, having watched over all their 
 sufferings, prepared for the pains of death herself, rejoicing as 
 one going to a marriage feast, not as one to be devoured by wild 
 beasts. Having endured scourging, the tearing of the beasts, 
 and the iron chair, she was inclosed in a net, and thrown to a 
 bull, when, after having been long tossed by the animal, raised 
 beyond pain through the power of hope and realization of her 
 fellowship with Christ, she at last expired. Even her enemies 
 confessed that no woman among them had ever before shown 
 such endurance.' ' Epistle of the Churches of Vienne and Lyon 
 to the brethren in Asia and Phrygia.' 
 
 4 Du sang f6cond des martyrs lyonnais et viennois e"taient nees 
 de nouvelles eglises : Benignus (saint Benigne), apres avoir fonde 
 les glises d'Autun et de Langres, mourut pour 1'^vangile a 
 Dijon (Divio) ; Marcellus (saint Marcel) fonda 1'eglise de Chalon : 
 Ferreolus (saint Ferreol) celle de Besan^on ; Felix celle de 
 Valence. L'eglise de Lyon resta la metropole de toutes ces 
 societes chrfitiennes, par la gloire de la science comme par la 
 gloire du martyre.' Henri Martin, 'Hist, de France' 
 
 The point of junction of the two rivers was always 
 sacred. 
 
ENVIRONS OF LYON. 
 
 125 
 
 ' Vidi duobus imminens fluvis jugum, 
 Quod Phoebus ortu semper obverso videt, 
 Ubi Rhodanus ingens amne praerapido finit, 
 Ararque dubitans quo suos cursus agat 
 Tacitus quietis alluit ripas vadis.' Seneca. 
 
 ' C'est au siecle dernier seulement que le confluent des deux 
 fleuves a e"te" reporte par l'ingnieur Perrache a pres de deux kilo- 
 metres et demi en aval de l'e~glise d'Ainay et que la longue 
 p6ninsule appel6e de nos jours du nom de celui qui 1'a conquise, 
 a etc attached a la terre ferme ; les iles basses et les fonds 
 marecageux qui se succedaient au-dessous de la pointe out ete 
 consolides, mais c'est toujours la, comme autrefois, que pesent 
 le plus lourdement les epais brouillards qui s'amassent frequem- 
 ment sur la ville. Separe du reste de Lyon par le chemin de fei 
 de la Mediterranee, le quartier de Perrache forme pour la ville 
 tout entiere une sorte de remise : c'est la que se trouvent 1'arsenal, 
 1'usine a gaz, la gare des merchandises, les bassins ou s'arretent 
 les bateaux de la Saone. Lors des grandes inondations, c'est le 
 quartier le plus expose a la fureur des deux fleuves qui se ren- 
 contrent en aval de la pointe.' Alisee Reclus. 
 
 [An excursion S. may be made, by (9 k.) 5. Gents-Laval, with 
 remains of ancient fortifications, to the remains of the Roman 
 aqueduct at Garon, Chaponost, and Izeron (les arcs de Bonnant). 
 At Chaponost are 76 arches, though the series is often interrupted. 
 Several views of the aqueduct have much picturesque beauty. ] 
 
 [An excursion may be made to the remains of the abbey of 
 Savigny by taking the railway to the station of (i8k.) Sain-Bel, 
 on the line to Montbrison. 2 k. is Savigny, a once famous Bene- 
 dictine abbey. The church of >$". Andre is romanesque. Only 
 the apse remains of 6". Martin, and some of the walls of the 
 nave and tower of Notre Dame. There are also remains of a 
 cloister, of the abbot's gateway, and of the Tour de VHorloge^\ 
 
 [5 k. E. on the line to S. tienneis the station of Oullins, near 
 which are the Chateau de la Bussiere, said to have been built by 
 Henri IV. for the wife of a draper of Lyon ; the xvm. c. Chateau 
 de VArcheveche, now a Dominican school ; and the Chateau de 
 Grand-Perron, built by Antoine Gondi in 1520, and now an 
 hospital. The priory church of Taluyers has a fine xn. c. tower.] 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 PARIS TO LYON, BY THE CHEMIN DE PER DU 
 BOURBONNAIS NEMOURS, MONTARGIS, GIEN, LA 
 CHARITE, NEPERS, MOULINS (SOUVIGNY, BOUR- 
 BON,LARCHAMBAULT, VICHY, THIERS, S. ETIENNE} 
 AND ROANNE. 
 
 THIS line which varies the oft-travelled road to the 
 south in an agreeable manner, though the country 
 for a great distance is flat and ugly branches off from the 
 line by Dijon and Macon (see ch. i.) at 
 
 67 k. Moret, and passing through part of the forest of 
 Fontainebleau, reaches 
 
 87 k. Nemours (Hotel : de rEcii], on the Loing, made 
 by Charles VIII. into a duchy, of which one of the Orleans 
 Princes now bears the title. The ancient collegiate Church 
 is xv. c. and xvi. c., with a xin. c. porch, and a tall slated 
 spire. The Chateau, which belonged to the Princes of 
 Savoie, Dues de Nemours, is xv. c., with an entrance of 
 xvi. c. The principal building is square, flanked by round 
 towers, and united by dwelling apartments to a small square 
 donjon. The suburb of S. Pierre has a xin. c. church. 
 
 ' Du cote du Gatinais, Nemours est domine par une colline le 
 long de laquelle s'etendent la route de Montargis et le Loing. 
 L'eglise, sur les pierres le laquelle le temps a jete son riche 
 
NEMOURS. 
 
 127 
 
 manteau noir, car elle a sans doute 6te rebatie au xiv e siecle par 
 les Guises, pour lesquels Nemours fut erige en duche-pairie, se 
 dresse au bout de la petite ville, au bas d'une grande arche qui 
 1'encadre. Pour les monuments comme pour les hommes, la 
 position fait tout. Ombragee par quelques arbres, et mise en 
 relief par une place proprette, cette eglise solitaire produit un 
 effet grandiose. . . . 
 
 ' En traversant la France, ou 1'oeil est si promptement lasse 
 par la monotonie des plaines, qui n'a pas eu la charmante sensation 
 d'apercevoir en haut d'une cote, a sa descente ou a sa tournant, 
 alors qu'elle promettait un paysage aride, une fraiche vallee arrosee 
 par une riviere et une petite ville abritee sous un rocher comme 
 une ruche dans le creux d'un vieux saule ? En entendant le 
 hue! du postilion qui marche le long de ses chevaux, on secoue 
 le sommeil, on admire comme un reve dans le reve quelque beau 
 paysage qui devient pour le voyageur ce qu'est pour le lecteur le 
 passage remarquable d'un livre, une brillante pensee de la nature . 
 Telle est la sensation qui cause la vue soudaine de Nemours en y 
 .venant de la Bourgogne. On la voit de la cerclee par des roches 
 pelees, grises, blanches, noires, de formes bizarres, comme il 
 s'en trouve tant dans la foret de Fontainebleau, et d'ou s'elancent 
 des arbres epars qui se detachent nettement sur le ciel et donnent 
 a cette espece de muraille ecroulee une physionomie agreste. 
 La se termine la longue colline forestiere qui rampe de Nemours 
 a Bouron en cotoyant la route. Au bas de ce cirque informe 
 s'etale une prairie ou court le Loing en formant des nappes a 
 cascades. Ce delicieux paysage, que longe la route de Montargis, 
 ressemble a une decoration d'opera, tant les effets y sont etudies.' 
 Balzac^ ' Ursula Mirouet.' 
 
 A road of 12 k. leads from Nemours to Chapelle-le-Reine 
 by (7 k.) Larchant, with a xm. c. church, having a very fine 
 tower resting upon the N. porch an unusual feature. Near 
 this are the curious rocks called Rocher du Diable and Chaudiere 
 du Diable. 
 
 [For the road from Nemours to (48 k.) Sens see ch. i.] 
 97 k Souppes. The church is of end of XH. c, 
 
128 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 [5 k. S.W. is Chateau- Landon, on the Fusain, the capital of 
 Gatinais before its union with the crown in 1062. The church of 
 Notre Dame has choir and transept of xn. c., nave of XL c. and 
 xiv. c., tower xm. c. Of the church of 6*. Ugalde, a romanesque 
 tower and some ruins remain. 6*. Andre has a ruined tower and 
 walls. The Augustin Abbey of 6*. Severin has a church of XL c. 
 and xv. c., and other buildings of xv. c. to xvn. c. : amongst 
 these is a curious well, arranged to serve different storeys. A 
 vast building here, withxin. c. buttresses, is known as le Chateau. 
 La Porche or La Monnaie has a picturesque xm. c. gable, with 
 two windows.] 
 
 io8k. Ferrtires (Hotel: Railliard}, on the Clery, cele- 
 brated for its Benedictine abbey, of which Alcuin was abbot, 
 where Pe'pin le Bref was crowned by Pope Etienne II., in 
 754, and where the brothers Louis III. and Carloman were 
 crowned in 879. Ruined by the English in 1426, and by 
 the Protestants in 1568-69, the abbey retains its gate of 
 xn. c. or xm. c., the Chapel of S. Marie de Bethleem (a very 
 early point of pilgrimage), and the Church of SS. Pierre 
 et Paul, dating from XL c. to xm. c. The W. fagade, of 
 xn. c. with rich ornamentation, was built just before the 
 consecration of the church by Alexander III., in 1163. 
 The arcades and windows of the nave are xi. c., the choir 
 xii. c. The tower, which is joined by one of its angles to 
 the N. transept, is romanesque below, with a xv. c. spire. 
 At the W. door is an elegant be'nitier of xm. c, 
 
 n8k. Montargis, a great junction station (Hotels : de la 
 Paste good ; de France], at the meeting of the Loing and 
 the Vernisson. Montargis Mons-Argisius was founded by 
 Clovis II., and after 1188 became a royal residence, having 
 been ceded to Philippe- Auguste by the Courtenays, who 
 had possessed it from the x, c, It is the native place of 
 
MONTARGIS. 
 
 129 
 
 Mme. Guyon, celebrated by her writings on quietism. 
 The Chateau, inhabited by Charles V., Charles VII., and 
 Charles VIII., was called le Berceau des Enfants de France, 
 because, before the building of Fontainebleau, the queens 
 
 GATE OF CHATEAU MONTARGIS. 
 
 came thither to recover from their confinements. In its 
 great hall, which had six chimney-pieces, Charles VIII. 
 caused to be sculptured the history of the dog of Montargis, 
 which is said to have singled out the murderer of his 
 master in the forest of Bondy, indicating also the place 
 where his master was buried. According to the spirit of the 
 
 9 
 
130 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 time, Charles V. required the dog to prove his accusation in 
 single combat (on the tilting ground on the island at Paris) 
 with the murderer, who was armed with a club ; and the 
 dog, being victorious, forced his enemy to confess. 
 
 The chateau, already half ruinous, was settled by Philippe 
 d'Orleans, brother of Louis XIV., as a dower house for 
 his second wife, the famous Charlotte Elisabeth, Princess 
 Palatine. In the Revolution, the greater part of the build- 
 ing was destroyed. Nothing remains but the buttressed 
 terrace, a rather picturesque gate of xn. c., and a xv. c. 
 building, with a tourelle, now a private house. The de- 
 struction of the great hall is especially to be regretted, as it 
 was a typical monument of the XH. c., with lower hall, a hall 
 on the first floor, and a grand perron, communicating with 
 the lord's dwelling, the donjon, etc. 
 
 The large and handsome church has a modern tower 
 in the style of xm. c. The triple nave is gothic of xn. c., 
 bordered by chapels of xv. c. or xvi. c. ; the transept and 
 choir are xvi. c. The latter was built by Renee de France, 
 Duchess of Ferrara, daughter of Louis XII., to whom 
 Montargis was granted by Frangois I., and it was designed 
 by the famous Ducerceau. The plan is very unusual and 
 effective, the side aisles and ambulatory rising to the height 
 of the central vaulting (from which they are separated by 
 very tall columns, without capitals), but flanked by chapels, 
 which are so arranged as to give a rectangular form to 
 the lower part of the E. end. Gothic within, inclined to 
 renaissance without, this choir, finished 1608, has been 
 recently well restored. There is a magnificent clef-de-vofite 
 over the sanctuary. 
 
 In the court of the Musee, between the town and its 
 
LORRIS. 131 
 
 suburb of Chausse'e, are some interesting fragments from the 
 chateau. Two round towers, with loopholes, between this 
 and the town, are the only remains of its xm. c. and xiv. c. 
 fortifications. In the Benedictine Convent of Montargis, 
 seven of the eight grand-daughters of the famous Colbert 
 took the veil, and there their father was buried. 
 
 [2 k. S. of Montargis is the xm. c. chateau of Villemandeur. 
 In the forest of Montargis, 4 k. N.E. of the station, is Paucourt, 
 with the ruins of the Chateau de la Salle, supposed to have been 
 built by S. Louis, and certainly inhabited by him ; also a fine 
 menhir.] 
 
 [23 k. S.W. of Montargis is Lorris, where the kings of France 
 had a residence in xi. c., xn. c., and xm. c. It has a fine xn. c. 
 church and a renaissance Hotel de Ville. This was the native 
 place of Guillaume de Lorris, one of the authors of the Roman 
 de la Rose.~\ 
 
 Montargis is a chief town of the district called the 
 GatinaiS) from its gatines, marshes, now drained and culti- 
 vated as cornfields and woods. 
 
 [It is 75k. from Montargis to Orleans, passing 
 
 II k. 6". Maurice-sur-Fessard. The church, of xv. c. and 
 xvi. c., is surrounded by walls, which are remains of a chateau, 
 and it contains an old wooden tabernacle. At Villemontiers (1. 
 of railway) are remains of a priory. 
 
 17 k. Ladon. On 1. we pass Ouzouer-sous-Bellegarde, which 
 has a xii. c. church, with a fine romanesque portal. 
 
 25 k. Bellegarde (formerly Choisy), which took its present 
 name from Roger de Tennes, Due de Bellegarde, 1646. The 
 chateau, which belonged to M. de Montespan, retains its ancient 
 donjon, but was rebuilt in xvn. c. The church, of xii. c., has 
 a beautiful portal. 
 
 33 k. Boiscommun-Nibelle. 3 k. Boiscommun has a church of 
 'xn.c., xiv. c., and xvi. c. The pulpit and tabernacle and some 
 painted xvi. c. figures are curious.] 
 
 [For the line from Montargis to Sens see ch. i.] 
 
132 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 i3ok. Solterres. The church is XHI. c. L. is Cortrat, 
 where the church has a romanesque portal with sculpture 
 representing the Creation. 
 
 5 k. E. is Montcresson, with a beautiful xn. c. and xm. c. 
 church. 
 
 136 k. Nogent-sur-Vernisson. 
 
 [A diligence runs to (lok. E.) Chdtillon-sur-Loing, made a 
 duchy in 1646 in favour of Gaspard de Coligny, grandson of the 
 famous Admiral. Only an octagonal donjon remains of the old 
 chateau. On a wall close by is an inscription recording that the 
 murdered Admiral is buried there. A pavilion and terraces re- 
 main of the later chateau of the Montmorency-Luxembourg. Two 
 houses of xvi. c. are especially curious, because one is named 
 Paradis, as having been the meeting-place of the Catholic contro- 
 versialists ; the other Enfer, as having been the meeting-place of 
 the Protestants. The Church, of xvi. c., has a picture of the 
 Transfiguration by Claude Vignon (1624) and of the Madeleine 
 by C. Vanloo. 
 
 5 k. from Chatillon and 7^ from Nogent is Montbouy, with a 
 xn. c. church. At the hamlet of Chennevieres, near a Roman 
 camp, are important remains of an Amphitheatre, capable of 
 holding from 3,000 to 7,000 spectators, known in the district as 
 Fosse an x Lions. At 6*. Maurice-sur-Avcyron, in the same direc- 
 tion, are a fine romanesque church-portal and ruins of a castle ; 
 also (2 k. E.) ruins of the Abbaye de Fontaine-Jean, of xn. c.] 
 
 155 k. Gien (Hotel : de FEcu\ on the Loire, supposed to 
 occupy the site of the Gaulish town Genabum, removed 
 by the Romans to Aurelianum (Orleans). The flat sandy 
 land falls around Gien, which stands well, crowned by its 
 grey church spire and picturesque chateau. The latter, 
 which overlooks the town, is supposed to occupy the site of 
 a castle of Charlemagne, and was built by Anne de Beaujeu, 
 to whom Gien was given as a dowry by her father Louis XI. 
 Its courtyard is picturesque. The church of S. Pierre-du- 
 
BRIARE, S. FAROE AU. 133 
 
 Chateau has nothing ancient but its xv. c. facade and 
 tower, but is very effective from a distance. S. Louis is 
 xvii. c. There are some remains of a Templar's Chapel of 
 xin. c. The Bridge, of twelve arches, was built by Anne de 
 Beaujeu. Gien is now chiefly famous for its Manufacture 
 de faience et de porcelaine artistiques, and (to commercial 
 travellers) for its Button Manufactory. 
 
 [7 k. E. of Gien is Arrabloy, with a Castle built 1285 by Jean 
 d'Arrabloy, the friend of Philippe le Bel. His tomb (1310) is to 
 be seen in the Cimetiere, and in the church, near the sacristy, is 
 the gravestone of his wife, Jeanne d'Anlezy. Their son, Pierre, 
 was Cardinal and Chancellor of France under Louis X.] 
 
 [For the road from Gien to Auxerre see ch. iii.] 
 
 165 k. Briare (Hotel : de la Paste), the Roman Brivo- 
 durum. The church and ruins of the Chapelle de Notre- 
 Dame-de-Grace are xin. c. At the spot called Bonaban, 
 between the Loire and the canal, the remains of the 
 romanesque chapel of S. J&tienne are supposed to occupy 
 the site of a Temple of Bacchus. The Canal de Briare, 
 which begins here, forms a communication between the 
 Loire and the Seine. 
 
 170 k. Chatillon-sur- Loire. The town (2k. from the 
 station) has a ruined donjon. Le Bailliage is a xvi. c. building. 
 
 177 k. Bonny. The church is xn. c. and xvi. c. 
 
 [A road of 72 k. leads from Bonny to Joigny by 
 12 k. Lavau. The church is xvii. c., with a handsome stone 
 pulpit. 
 
 20 k. 6*. Fargeau, on the Loing, famous for its Chdteau> originally 
 of ix. c., and rebuilt in brick xn. c. Though much altered, it is still 
 very interesting, and was once one of the most important mansions 
 in Central France. A great part of the chateau has been destroyed 
 by fire. That which remains consists of five masses of main 
 
134 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 building with six great towers, enclosing a court, surrounded 
 on all sides by arcaded galleries of xvn. c. and xvm. c. The 
 oval keep is attributed to Jacques Coeur. The fortified gateway 
 opens on the public Place. In the Tour des Archives the proces 
 de Jacques Coeur is preserved. 1 The later buildings are due to 
 Antoine de Chabannes, to Louise d'Orleans, Duchesse de Mont- 
 pensier, and to Lepelletier de S. Fargeau, member of the Conven- 
 tion, assassinated Jan. 20, 1793, by the Garde du Corps Paris. 
 The chateau was frequently used as a residence by ' La Grande 
 Mademoiselle.' The Church has a facade and stained-glass 
 of xiii. c., and stallwork of xv. c. The Tour de IHorloge is 
 xv. c., and so is the chapel of the cemetery. The Mairie in an 
 ancient convent is xvn. c. 
 
 32 k. Mezilles, has a church of xv. c. and xvi. c., and timber 
 houses of xvi. c. 
 
 42 k. Villiers-S.-Benoit, has a monastic manor of xvi. c., and 
 church of xv. c. 5 k. is the unfinished renaissance chateau of 
 Grandchamp. 
 
 52k. 5. Aubin-Chateauneuf. The church (xv. c.) has a double 
 nave and stained-glass of xvi. c. The moated Chateau de 
 Fourolles has a square gate-tower and two tourelles.] 
 
 [The road to (64 k.) Auxerre branches off at Mezilles, and 
 passes 
 
 41 k. Toucy, which has remains of a xn. chateau of the bishops 
 of Auxerre, and timber houses of xv. c. and xvi. c. 
 
 51 k. Pourrain. The church has a portal and tower of xn. c. ; 
 choir and chapels xv. c. The Chapelle de S. Batidel (xvi. c.) is 
 now a barn.] 
 
 183 k. Neuvy-sur-Loire (Noviodimum). The church is 
 xiii. c. and xv. c. ; the chateau partly xv. c. At the foot of 
 the hills on 1. is Celle-sur-Loire, an early royal residence : 
 the church is xn. c. and xvi. c. 
 
 191 k. Myennes, has a church xii. c. and xvi. c., a 
 chateau of xvn. c., and ruins of the abbey of Roches. The 
 line now skirts the Loire to 
 
 1 See the account of Bourges. 
 
COSNE, SANCERRE. 135 
 
 196 k. Cosne (Hotel: du Grand Cerf where Pius VII. 
 stayed), mentioned by Antoninus as Condate, has a~suspen- 
 sion bridge over the Loire. The church of S. Agnan has 
 nothing ancient but its apse of xn. c. and a richly sculptured 
 W. door. S, Jacques is early xv. c. Notre Dame de Galles 
 (of xii. c. and xv. c.) is a stable. 
 
 On the other side of the railway is the fine gothic 
 (xvi. c.) church of S. Pere, with remains of a chateau of the 
 time of Louis XII. At Villemoison (2 k. E.) are remains 
 of a (xn. c. and xvi. c.) Commanderie de Malte. 4 k. 
 S. is the Chapelle S. Brigitte, joining remains of a xin. c. 
 fortess. 
 
 [A road of 79 k. leads from Cosne to Joigny, passing 
 19 k. 6*. Amand-en-Puisaye, with church of xm. c. and xiv. c., 
 and a handsome chateau, built 1540 by Antoinede Rochechouart. 
 6 k. is 5. Verain, with a church of xn. c. and xm. c. The remark- 
 able xiv. c. castle at the extremity of the town (which is itself 
 surrounded by walls) consists of a great circular tower rising in the 
 midst of a court flanked by round towers and separated from 
 the town by two outer courts equally fortified. Close by is Bitry, 
 with a renaissance church, and the ruins of Chateau de la 
 Maison-Fort, xiv. c. 
 
 34 k. S. Sauveur-en-Puisaye, has a church with choir and apse 
 xii. c. ; portal xv. c. The xvn. c. chateau occupies the site of 
 an ancient castle, of which the donjon remains, gk. S.W. is 
 Treigny, with a very fine (xv. c. and xvi. c.) church, and the still 
 moated (xm. c.) castle of Ratilly, with xvn. c. donjon.] 
 
 205 k. Sancerre (Hotel : du Point du Jour omnibus, 
 90 c.). The town, the capital of the ancient Sancerrois, is 
 on a hill 5 k. from the station. The road passes (2 k.) the 
 important abbey-church of S. Satur, 1 with a choir, worthy 
 
 1 Visitors may take one omnibus to S. Satur and be picked up by the next 
 from the station to Sancerre. 
 
136 SOUTH-EASTERN PRANCE. 
 
 of a cathedral, the only part finished in 1420, when the 
 monks, to whom it belonged, were completely pillaged by 
 the English. The choir consists of three rectangular bays 
 and a seven-sided apse, the triforium, over the side aisles, 
 being a simple passage without arcades. 
 
 Sancerre had its own counts from the end of x. c. From 
 xii. c. it belonged to a branch of the house of Champagne, 
 which came to an end at the close of xiv. c. Louis du 
 Sancerre, the brother of the last count, succeeded Philippe 
 d'Artois as Constable, and was buried at S. Denis in 1402. 
 In 1628 the Seigneury was purchased by the Prince de 
 Conde. The town embraced Calvinism in the middle of 
 xvi. c. and became a great Huguenot centre, which cost it 
 terrible sufferings during a siege and blockade of eight 
 months, in 1573, when the inhabitants were forced to live 
 on rats, moles, and old leather ; and a little girl, who had 
 died of hunger, furnished a meal to her parents. The town 
 crowns the top of a high hill covered with vineyards, and 
 has a very wide view over the plain of the Loire. In itself 
 it is a very curious place. The ramparts are turned into 
 promenades. The grim grey houses, which line the very 
 steep streets, are chiefly of xv. c. and xvi. c., showing here 
 and there an arched window or a tourelle. The church 
 (xii. c. restored) has a heavy low xv. c. tower. Nobly 
 placed on the summit of the hill is the huge round xiv. c. 
 Tour des Fiefs, rising from a mass of castle ruins in the 
 grounds of a modern chateau ; it is the only remnant of the 
 ancient fortifications, destroyed after the siege. 
 
 A little S. of Sancerre is 5. Bouise, with the fine Chateau de 
 la Grange, built under Louis XIII. 
 
 8 k. E. is 5. Laurent, with a partly ruined but interesting xn. c 
 
LA CHARlTE. 13? 
 
 church, and remains of an Augustine abbey of xm. c., xiv. c., and 
 
 XV. C. 
 
 The railway skirts the Loire, passing 1. the chateau of 
 Tracy of xv. c., restored in 1641. 
 
 2 1 4k. Pouilly-sur-Loire, often devastated by the English 
 and the Protestants, has a church of xm. c., xvi. c., and 
 xix. c. The chateau was rebuilt xvn. c., except the N. 
 facade. 
 
 22ok. Meves, has a fine xn. c. barn. 2k. E. is Bulcy, 
 with a church of xn. c. and xm. c., and chateau of xm. c. 
 and xv. c. 
 
 227 k. La Charite (which may be visited as an excur- 
 sion from Nevers. Hotels : du Grand Monarque very dirty ; 
 du Dauphin), a very picturesque and interesting town, 
 which is said to derive its name, Caritas, from that virtue as 
 practised in its monastery, founded in vm. c. by Basilian 
 monks, destroyed by the Saracens, rebuilt for Benedictines, 
 and given up to the Order of Cluny in 1052, when it be- 
 came a priory under that great abbey. In 1184, the town, 
 which had arisen under the shadow of the monastery, was 
 surrounded by ramparts, which failed to preserve it from 
 constant sieges and sackings, the worst being that (in 1569) 
 by the Protestants, who exhibited even more than their 
 proverbial barbarity here, by the massacre of the whole of 
 the monks, and 800 innocent members of the Catholic 
 population. 
 
 The church of S. Croix dates from 1056, but was only 
 finished in 1107, when it was consecrated by Paschal II. 
 It was one of the most magnificent buildings of the roman- 
 esque Burgundian style, and was inferior to Cluny alone. 
 Only the choir, transept, the octagonal tower over the cross, 
 
138 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 and a W. tower remain of the original church ; the rest was 
 burnt in 1204, and restored by Philippe- Auguste in 1216. 
 The nave is now less than half its original length, but a 
 magnificent gothic W. portal remains in ruins by the side 
 of the great N.W. tower, and the N. wall also exists, its 
 rich arcades showing above the shops which are built into 
 it. The plan of the church is a Latin cross, ending in three 
 apses which encircle the choir, with four other apses on the 
 E. of the transepts. The gothic arches in the choir have a 
 horse-shoe form, which recalls Moorish architecture, and the 
 most splendid capitals. All the ornaments, which are of 
 extreme richness, are romanesque. 
 
 Against the end wall of the interior of the S. transept is 
 a portal from the W. facade very richly sculptured. As 
 at Cluny, the narthex, with its aisles, was a church in itself. 
 There were originally two great W. towers. The S. transept 
 is entered through a fragment of the cloisters. On N. of 
 the church are monastic buildings of xvn. c. and xvm. c., 
 with a fine hall of xiv. c. and an octangular tower with a 
 flamboyant entrance. 
 
 The church of S. Pierre, in the Grande Rue, converted 
 into dwellings, is xvi. c. Two square towers and a round 
 tower remain of the Chateau. There are considerable re- 
 mains of the fortifications re-established in 1364, in which 
 the immense number of towers served as lodging and refuge 
 to their defenders ; their importance is shown by Froissart 
 and in the Life of Du Guesclin. La Charite has a handsome 
 stone bridge over the Loire. 
 
 3k. S.E.is Champvoux, which has a romanesque church, with 
 beautiful xn. c. apse ; and Chaulgnes, with church of xn. c. and 
 xvi. c. A little further is Tronsanges, with a xn. c. church. 
 
NARCY, DOUZY. 
 
 139 
 
 [A road of 87 k. leads from La Charite to Auxerre by 
 
 8 k. Narcy, with a church of XH. c. and ruins of a Madadrerie 
 
 (leper-hospital). Soon after the road passes the picturesque 
 
 xv. c. feudal manor of Passy. 
 
 CHURCH OF S. CROIX, LA CHARITE. 
 
 ilk. Garchy. A little r. is the Chateau de Vieux Moulin, in- 
 habited in xvi. c. by Theodore de Beze, the successor of Calvin, 
 and preacher of the Protestant crusade. The buildings are xm. c., 
 xiv. c., and xvi. c. 
 
 24 k. Dotizy, at the confluence of the Talvanne and Nohain, a 
 walled town with a castle. The church is partly xn. c. and xm. c. 
 The ruins of the Prieure de Notre-Dame-du-Pre have a magnifi- 
 
140 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 cent rornanesque portal, those of the Prieure de I'Epau curious 
 gravestones. 8k. S.E. is the xvi. c. church of Cessy-les-Bois, of 
 beautiful flamboyant gothic. At 10 k., near 6". Colombe, is the half 
 ruined Chateau de Chailloy, with frescoes in its chapel. Near 
 this S. is the Chartreuse de Bellary, founded 1209, with a xm. c. 
 church. 6 k. W. is Stiilly -la-Tour, with a renaissance tower and 
 xvi. c. church, and the Chateau des Granges, built under Henri IV., 
 with xvi. c. tapestries. 
 
 Passing E. of Perroy (church xvi. c.) and the Chateau de la 
 Motte-Josserand (xiv. c. and xvn. c.) the road reaches 
 
 33k. Couloutre, of which the ancient name la Riviere was 
 borne by a family illustrious in the reigns of Charles V., 
 Charles VI., Charles VII., and Louis XL 
 
 40 k. Entrains (Inter amnes), at the source of the Nohain, 
 where many Celtic and Roman remains have been found. ( The 
 church of 5. Sulpice is xm. c. and xv. c. La Maison de VAmiral 
 is a graceful building of xvn. c. 
 
 48 k. Etais. A little W. is Sainpuits, with a good renaissance 
 church and the Chateau des Barres, 1777. 
 
 56 k. Druyes-les-Belles- Fontaines, at the source of the Andrie, 
 overhung by a rock crowned by ruins of a xn. c. castle. It was 
 here that Pierre de Courtenay, in 1216, received the ambassadors 
 who offered him the empire of Constantinople. Near the old 
 castle are remains of an xvm. c. chateau destroyed in the Revolu- 
 tion. A gate of xiv. c. remains. The church is xn. c. There 
 are several gothic houses of xv. c. 2 k. is the xvi. c. Chateau de 
 Boulay. 
 
 65 k. Courson. The old chateau, now Hotel de Ville, was 
 rebuilt xvn. c. ; the church is xvi. c. The road leaves to r. Mige, 
 with gothic houses and handsome xvi. c. church. 
 
 78 k. Gy-VEveque. The church is xm. c. and xvi. c.] 
 
 [A road of 83 k. leads from La Charite to Chateau Chinon, 
 passing 
 
 14 k. Murlin, with a church of xn. c., and ruined Chateau de 
 Montifaut. 
 
 1 8 k. Beaiimont-la-Ferriere, with mines. The church is xvi. c., 
 with good iron work of xvn. c. 
 
 32 k. Lurcy-le-Bourg, on the Nievre. The church is xn. c., 
 le Vieux Chateau xv. c., le Chateau du Marais xv. c. 
 
NEVERS. 141 
 
 59k. Chdti!lon-cn-Bazois (Hotels: de la Poste ; de laNievre}. 
 The castle which gives the place its name was rebuilt xvn. c. 
 In the church are a tombstone of 1370 and a good picture by 
 Mignard. i\ k. is Alluy, where the church (xn. c., xin. c., and 
 xv. c.) has curious xin. c. paintings. 
 
 64k. Tamnay, with a station on the line from Clamecy to 
 Cercy-la-Tour.] 
 
 241 k. Pougues (Hotels : Grand ; du Pare ; du Prince de 
 Conti\ a popular bathing-place, brought into favour by 
 Catherine de Me'dicis and afterwards by the Prince de 
 Conti, and very efficacious in stomach ailments. The 
 church dates from XL c. The neighbouring church of 
 Garchizy is xii. c., with a curious portal. 
 
 247 k. Fourchambault, celebrated for its iron foundries. 
 
 254k. Nevers (Hotels: de France very good; de 
 r Europe ; du Commerce; de laPatx). Nothing remains now 
 of the city of Nevirnum, or Noviodunum (on a Celtic site), 
 except some medals and vases in the town Library, though 
 the Roman town was of such importance in the time of 
 Caesar that he kept his treasure there. From 987 Nevers 
 had its hereditary counts, one of whom, Pierre de Courtenay, 
 surrounded it with fresh walls. In 1565 it became the 
 property of the Gonzagas of Mantua, who sold it (1659) to 
 Cardinal Mazarin, by whom it was bequeathed to his nephew 
 Mancini, whose family held it till the Revolution. The 
 Gonzagas, in the xvi. c., founded here a school of artists 
 in china, whose works are much esteemed by connoisseurs. 
 
 Nevers is a pleasant and interesting resting-place ; but if 
 it be visited between two trains, the Rues de Vertpre and 
 du Midi lead r. from the station to the street named from 
 (r.) the Porte de Croux. This magnificent gateway was a 
 rebuilding of 1393-96 by Jean des Amoignes, mason. It 
 
142 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 is protected by an outer bastion and gate, and by moat and 
 drawbridge, and its effect is as picturesque as any artist 
 could desire. One may ascend direct from the gate to the 
 cathedral, or one may follow the Rue S. Genest (containing 
 
 PORTE DE CROUX, NEVERS. 
 
 a desecrated romanesque church with gothic portal of 
 xii. c.), a continuation of the Rue du Midi, which leads 
 to the Place Mosse, where some remains of the abbey 
 church of S. Sauveur may be seen, and near which is the 
 bridge (1832) over the Loire, with a curious romanesque 
 
NEVERS. 143 
 
 gateway opposite the entrance. Hence the Rue de 
 Loire and Rue de la CatheMrale lead to the centre of the 
 town. 
 
 The Cathedral had its dedication to SS. Gervasius and 
 Protasius changed to S. Cyr, when the relics of that saint 
 were bestowed upon it by Charles le Temeraire. Its aspect 
 shows a series of destructions and restorations, as it was 
 built xiii. c. and xiv. c. upon the site of a church rebuilt in 
 910, in 1028, and retouched in xn. c. In form it is a long 
 basilica, with an apse at either end. 1 The doorway on 
 the N. of the nave is of 1280. Nearly all the nave and 
 choir are xm. c., xiv. c., and xv. c., and have good pointed 
 work and effective mouldings. The flamboyant tower is 
 rather heavy, but the ornamentation exquisite. In the 
 interior, little caryatides support the columns, and angels 
 fill the tympanum of the triforium arcades ; little statuettes 
 are also attached to the mullions of the upper windows. 
 The apse is romanesque, and, with the two romanesque 
 arches, enclosed in a gothic arch on either side, and the 
 crypt beneath it, is a relic of the cathedral built by Bishop 
 Atton after the destruction of the church of 910. That the 
 nave and choir have not the same inclination is said, as in 
 many gothic churches, to have been intended to recall the 
 bent head of our Saviour on the cross. 
 
 'On y reconnait tous les feuillages de nos bois et de nos 
 champs, la feuille de chene, de peuplier, de roseau, de chardon 
 frise, etc. ; la perfection de 1'imitation, et la finesse de travail, sont 
 reellement admirables. Les archivoltes des portes attestent 
 egalement la patience et 1'adresse des ciseleurs du xv e siecle.' 
 Prosper Merimee. 
 
 1 This is the only French cathedral, except Besancon, having a double apse. 
 
144 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 In the chapels are altar-pieces of xv. c. and xvi. c., 
 and on the wall of the cloture are two paintings of xv. c. 
 The wooden bishop's throne is xv. c. A clock of the same 
 period, in the S. aisle of the choir, with two figures in armour 
 which strike the hour, is very curious. 
 
 On N. of the Place Ducale (now called Place de la 
 Re'publique) is the Palais de Justice, formerly the Ducal 
 Palace, of early renaissance. It was built in 1475 by Jean 
 de Clamecy, Comte de Nevers, on the site of a xn. c. castle, 
 and was finished in xvi. c. by the dukes of Nevers, of the 
 families of Cleves and Gonzaga. The central tower con- 
 tains the grand staircase, of which the windows are deco- 
 rated with reliefs relating to the history of the house of 
 Cleves ; at the angles are round towers, with tourelles for 
 staircases. On the second floor is a Muse'e. 
 
 ' La fa9ade est du plus ' bel effet, vue de 1'extremite de la 
 grande place qu'elle domine. Trois tourelles a pans, engagees 
 sur cette facade et servant de cages d'escalier, prouvent la repu- 
 gnance qu'on a cue pendant longtemps a percer les planchers et 
 les voutes pour etablir les escaliers de communication. A voir 
 les fenetres de ces tourelles disposees en spirale, comme les 
 marches des escaliers, on dirait de loin un large ruban brode a 
 jour.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 From the Place Ducale we may notice the Rue Adam 
 Billault, where the house of that poet is marked by an in- 
 scription, and, by the Rue de 1'Oratoire, which contains some 
 curious gothic fragments, we may reach the Rue du Com- 
 merce, which contains a fine Belfry of the end of xv. c. From 
 the Place Guy-Coquille (r.) the Rue S. Etienne leads to the 
 curious church of S. Etienne, which belonged to a Cluniac 
 priory. A pillar has an inscription saying that the church 
 was founded by the Abbot Columbanus, c. 600, but it really 
 
145 
 
 was founded in 1063, by Guillaume, Bishop of Nevers (who 
 was buried here noo), and was consecrated by S. Yves in 
 1097. 
 
 ' It is a large cross church, with aisles, long transepts, apsidal 
 choir, having an aisle and branching chapels, and eastern apses 
 to the transepts. The W. front has nearly a square elevation, 
 comprehending the aisles, and rising somewhat higher than the 
 roof of the nave ; in fact, it is a sort of western tower of very 
 oblong plan. The W. door is round-headed, of three orders, 
 with the torus ; all the orders are shafted, the outer one having 
 a very large shaft or column. In the upper part of the front is a 
 triplet of round-headed windows, each under a trefoil arch sup- 
 ported on massive shafts. In the outer line of the voussoirs is a 
 semi-circle, the inner one forming the trefoil head. The nave 
 has round pier arches, a triforium of a plain round arch in each 
 bay, including two smaller ones, now walled up, and a clere- 
 story of one round-headed window. The roof is cylindrical, and 
 between the bays has an arch of one square order, resting on a 
 tall shaft or column with a square abacus. The pier arch is of 
 two square orders, the inner one resting on a shaft or column 
 engaged in the side of the square pier, as is the vaulting shaft in 
 its front. Over the main crossing is an octagonal cupola on 
 romanesque squinches, not pierced for light, This is covered by 
 a low octagon on a square base, very similar to those in Lombardy.' 
 /. L. Petit. 
 
 The Rue d'Ardilliers, which continues the Rue du 
 Commerce, ends in an arch opposite the Hotel de France, 
 whence the walk we have described may be taken in 
 reversed order. 
 
 5 k. S. of Nevers is Marzy, with a romanesque church, sur- 
 mounted by a tower of xn. c. 
 
 [For the line to Auxerre by Clamecy see ch. iii. ; for the line to 
 Chagny see ch. i.] 
 
 The main line passes (r.) near the Chateau du Marais, 
 xv, c. and xvi. c., before reaching 
 
 10 
 
146 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 264k. Saincaize ; the Chateau de Meauce is xm. c. and 
 xvi. c., and the Chateau de Salle is xvi. c. 
 
 [A line branches off W. from Sancaize to (49 k.) Bourges, 
 
 by- 
 
 1 1 k. Le Guerche sur V Aubois. 6 k. is the church of Germigny 
 r Exempt, with a splendid xn. c. portal. 
 
 43k. Savigny-en-Septaine, with a xv. c. Maison de Justice .] 
 
 The railway passes 1. the Chateau d'Apremont, of xiv. c. 
 and xviii. c., before reaching 
 
 274 k. Mars, with a church (of xi. c. and XH. c.) which 
 belonged to a Cluniac priory. 
 
 5 k. E. is 6". Parize-le-Chdtel, where a curious crypt of the xi. c. 
 remains from a priory founded by S. Parize in vi. c. In the 
 restoration of the church, Merovingian sarcophagi have been 
 found. Near this are the chateaux de Villars, xiv. c. ; de Langes, 
 xiv. c. ; and de Tdches, xvi. c. 
 
 281 k. 6*. Pierre-le-Moutier (Hotel : du Dauphin), a town 
 named from a Benedictine monastery, taken from the 
 English by Jeanne Dare in 1429. The church of S. Pierre, 
 which belonged to a Cluniac priory, is XH. c. and xm. c., 
 altered in xv. c. and xvi. c. The W. portal is xm. c. In 
 the interior are curious capitals, tombstones of xv. c. and 
 xvi. c., and two bells of xv. c. Close to the church (r.) is 
 a xv. c. house. At the N. end of the town is the xv. c. 
 crypt, called Cave du Sabbat, about which there are many 
 traditions. 
 
 [A road of 38 k. leads from S. Pierre to Decize (see ch. i.), 
 by (lok.) Azy-le-Vif, with a xn. c. church containing a curious 
 xvi. c. altar piece, and (i7k.) Neuville-les-Decize, where the 
 church of xn. c. contains a statue of S. Genest of the same date.] 
 
MOULINS. 147 
 
 313 k. Moulins (.Hotels : de Paris; de France; du Dauphin), 
 founded on the Allier in the x. c., acquired importance (from 
 1368) as the residence of the Dues of Bourbonnais. After 
 the treason of the Constable de Bourbon under Frangois I., 
 Moulins was confiscated to the crown. There is not much 
 to see at Moulins itself, but it is worth while to stop there, 
 in order to visit Souvigny. 
 
 From the station, the Cours de Berulle, d'Aquin, 
 and Doujat lead to the Place de Paris. In the Rue de 
 Paris (r.) is the Lycee, occupying an ancient convent of the 
 Visitation, in which S. Jeanne Frangoise de Chantal died 
 on her way from Paris to Annecy, Dec. 13, 1641. The 
 xvii. c. chapel contains the tomb of Henri de Montmorency, 
 beheaded at Toulouse for treason against Louis XIII., 
 Oct. 30, 1632, erected by his widow, who was a Princesse 
 des Ursins, from designs by Frangois Auguier, carried out 
 by Regnaudin and Thibaut Poissant 
 
 ' La reine (Marie Therese) arriva de bonne heure a Moulins. 
 Elle alia voir Mme. de Montmorenci, qui est presentement 
 religieuse aux filles de S. Marie a Moulins. Le chateau de 
 Moulins avoit etc le lieu de son exil et de sa prison. Apres la 
 mort de son mari, dont rien ne pent la coasoler, des qu'elle fut 
 libre, elle se retira aux Filles de S. Marie, ou elle demandoit 
 a Dieu la grace de pardonner au cardinal de Richelieu qu'elle 
 croyait cause de la mort de son mari. Elle dit qu'elle a etc 
 longtemps sans pouvoir 1'obtenir. Elle fit batir le couvent ou 
 elle est, et un superbe tombeau a M. de Montmorenci, qui est 
 devant la grille ; ainsi elle pent le regarder sans cesse. 
 
 'J'alla la voir apres le diner. Elle me parla beaucoup de 
 feu M. de Montmorenci avec une tendresse qui n'est pas con- 
 venable, et me dit que jamais passion n'avoit etc egale a celle 
 qu'elle ressentoit pour lui, et que meme elle en avoit du 
 scrupule. C'est une femme de beaucoup d'esprit, et qui paroit 
 
148 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 avoir etc fort agitable, quoiqu'elle n'ait jamais 6te belle, a 
 ce que la reine me dit. Pendant la vie de son mari, elle avoit 
 pour lui le meme amour qui lui reste ; et une marque bien 
 extraordinaire qu'elle en donnoit, c'est qu'elle aimoit toutes les 
 personnes dont elle savoit qu'il etoit amoureux ; il a etc un des 
 hommes les plus galants de son temps. Elle prenoit soin de 
 lui faire faire des habits beaux et magnifiques, sans quil le sut, 
 pour aller au bal, afin qu'il fut mieux pare que les autres IOFS- 
 qu'il y alloit. Quand venoit 1'heure qu'il devoit en revenir, elle 
 alloit a la fenetre qui donnoit sur la rue, afin de le voir plutot. 
 Pendant que Ton fut a Moulins, Ton parla beaucoup d'elle.' 
 ' Memoires de Mile, de Montpensier! 
 
 The heart of the Princesse des Ursins, as well as that 
 of Mme. de Chantal, is preserved in a silver vase. 
 
 It is in this convent that the Duchesse de Longueville 
 (Anne Genevieve de Bourbon Conde), the licentious heroine 
 of the Fronde, reports herself as having received (in 1653) 
 the sudden conversion which influenced the remaining 
 thirty-four years of her life, and caused her to become the 
 protectress of Port-Royal. 
 
 ' Un jour, au milieu d'une lecture de piete, il se tira comme 
 un rideau de devant les yeux de mon esprit ; tous les charmes 
 de la verite, rassembles sous un seul objet, se presenterent 
 devant moi ; la foi, qui avait demeure comme morte et ensevelie 
 sous mes passions, se renouvela ; je me trouvai comme une 
 personne qui, apres un long sommeil, ou elle a songe qu'elle 
 etoit grande, heureuse, honoree et estimee de tout le monde, se 
 reveille tout d'un coup et se trouve chargee de chaines, percee 
 de plaies, abattue de langueur, et renfermee dans une prison 
 obscure.' 
 
 From the 1. of the Place de Paris the Rue du Cherche- 
 Midi leads to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Only the 
 choir, with its aisles, is finished, of the collegiate church 
 
SOUVIGNY. 149 
 
 begun by Agnes de Bourgogne in 1463 ; but a nave and 
 W. towers, with slender spires, have been effectively added 
 under Viollet le Due. The apse is square below, and 
 surrounded by low chapels. In the Chapelk S. Louis (r.) 
 is a tombstone of 1557, with a sculpture of a corpse eaten 
 by worms. The stair turret near the sacristy is worth 
 notice. The magnificent choir windows are xv. c. and 
 xvi. c. Many historic portraits of the family of Bourbon 
 are introduced. 
 
 Very little remains of the ancient Chateau of the Due de 
 Bourbon, except a tower of xiv. c., called la Mal-Coiffee, and 
 a renaissance pavilion. The Rue Notre Dame leads to the 
 Place de PHorloge, containing the Hotel de Ville and the 
 square Tour de I'Horloge of xv. c. 
 
 2 k. E. of Moulins is the romanesque church of Yzeure, 
 altered in xiv. c. and xv. c. At the end of its N. aisle is a 
 great chapel, founded, 1389, by Jean Saulnier, Chamberlain 
 of Charles V. 
 
 [A railway from Moulins to (81 k.) Montlu9on (ch. iv.), 
 passes 
 
 14 k. Souvigny, the original cradle of the house of Bourbon, 
 where a castle of defence was built and a Cluniac priory 
 founded in 916 by Adhemar, Sire de Bourbon, head of the 
 family which afterwards became so prosperous. S. Ma'ieul and 
 S. Odillon, famous abbots of Cluny, came to superintend this 
 house, and are buried here. The magnificent conventual church 
 of 5. Pierre (87 met. long, 28 wide, and 17 high) was built 
 1088 1114, and restored 1433 1445. The facade has two 
 towers. The nave has double side-aisles, lined by arcades, 
 between which the arches rest alternately on a cylindrical 
 column and a rectangular pilaster. The vaulting is all xv. c. 
 The choir originally had four semi-circular chapels and a square 
 chapel at the end. The Chapelle Vieille and Chapelle Neuve 
 were added, the first (on r.) in 1376, to contain the tomb of 
 
150 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Louis de Bourbon, and his wife, Anne d'Auvergne ; the second 
 (on 1.) in 1440, to contain the tomb of Charles I., and his wife 
 Agnes, daughter of Jean sans Peur. These tombs were terribly 
 mutilated at the Revolution. The chapels also contain the 
 remains of Pierre III., of Anne de France, daughter of Louis XL, 
 of Suzanne de Bourbon, and of the Princess Louise-Marie, 
 daughter of Louis XIV. and Mme. de Montespan. 
 
 'Le 15 juillet, 1830, Madame la Duchesse d'Angouleme 
 passant en Bourbonnais et visitant 1'abbaye de Souvigny, 
 sepulture des dues de Bourbon, se fit ouvrir leurs caveaux, et 
 voulut les voir dans leurs cercueils. Tout 6tait poussiere, 
 ossements disperses. Un de ces morts avait mieux re"siste, il 
 gardait ses cheveux, de longs cheveux chatains ; c'etait Anne de 
 Beaujeu.' Michelet, 'Hist, de France.' 
 
 In the r. transept is a curious stone armoire of xv. c., 
 exquisitely sculptured, with wooden shutters, formerly painted. 
 This is valuable as an example of a piece of church furniture 
 once common in France, but almost everywhere destroyed. In 
 the N. aisle are remains of a richly sculptured xn. c. tomb. The 
 buildings of the Priory are of the time of Louis XIV. The 
 romanesque parish church to the N. is now a granary. Several 
 houses have xiv. c. and xv. c. details. At 5 k. N.W. are remains 
 of the subservient Priory of A u try -Is sards, with an interesting 
 xn. c. church. 
 
 [Diligences run from Souvigny to Bourbon-rArchambault, 
 passing 
 
 7 k. 5. Menoux (Menulphus). The fine Benedictine abbey 
 church is of considerable architectural importance. It has 
 a narthex of XL c., and nave xv. c., both of three aisles, a 
 transept of xn. c. and xm. c., and a choir with five radiating 
 chapels, the central square, as at Souvigny. At the cross is a 
 noble, richly decorated square tower, of which the foundation 
 storey forms a lanthorn in the interior of the church. Behind the 
 altar is the stone coffin of S. Menoux (xi. c.), once enclosed in a 
 tomb, of which the fragments remain in the porch. 
 
 ' The apse of the chevet is surmounted by a series of pilasters 
 of rude classical design, which give it a peculiar local character. 
 
BOURBON-LARCHAMBA ULT. 151 
 
 Internally too, the chevet is remarkably elegant, though less 
 Burgimdian in style. It shows to what an extent the stilting 
 of round arches could be used to overcome the difficulty of 
 combining arches of different spans, but all requiring to be 
 carried to the same height.' Fergusson, 
 
 . N. is Agouges, where the curious romanesque church 
 has a single nave, transepts ending in apses, and a central apse. 
 The simple vaultings of the nave and transepts recall the domical 
 churches of Anjou. On the W. door is curious iron-work, and 
 in the sacristy xv. c. frescoes. On the neighbouring Place is an 
 ancient font.] 
 
 1 5 k. Bourbon-t Archambault (Hotels : Montespan; de France; 
 de VEcu; du Pare), a bathing-place, whose waters (Aquae 
 Borvonis), efficacious for paralysis, rheumatism, etc., were known 
 to the Romans. They were much brought into notice by Mme. 
 de Montespan, in the time of Louis XIV. Mme. de Sevigne 
 describes her journeys hither (1676) : 
 
 ' Elle est dans un carrosse a six chevaux ; elle a un carrosse 
 derriere, attele de meme, avec six femmes; elle a deux four- 
 gons, six mulcts et dix ou douze hommes a cheval, sans ses 
 officiers ; son train est de quarante-cinq personnes. Elle 
 trouve sa chambre et son lit tout prets ; elle se couche en 
 arrivant, et mange tres bien.' Madame de Sevigne^Lettre, 15 
 mai t 1676.' 
 
 And the death of Mme. de Montespan, at Bourbon, in 1707 
 when she said to the abbot of the Capuchins of Bourbon who 
 was with her: ' Mon pere, exhortez-moi en ignorante, le plus 
 simplement que vous pouvez ' : 
 
 ' 20 juin, 1678. Madame de Montespan est partie de ce 
 monde avec une contrition fort equivoque, et fort confondue avec 
 la douleur d'une cruelle maladie. Elle a etc defiguree avant de 
 mourir. Son dessechement a et6 jusqu'a outrager la nature 
 par le derangement de tous les traits de son visage.' 
 
 ' 27 juin. Madame de Montespan en mourant n'avoit aucun 
 trait ni ancun reste qui put faire souvenir d'elle : c'etoit une 
 tete de mort gatee par une peau noire et seche : c'etoit enfin 
 une humiliation si grande pour elle, que si Dieu a voulu qu'elle 
 
1 52 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 en ait fait son profit, il ne lui faut point d'autre penitence. 
 Elle a eu beaucoup de fermete. Le Pere Bourdaloue dit qu'il y 
 avoit beaucoup de christianisme.' ' Lettres de Mme. de Sevigne' 
 
 James II. of England came here for the baths a very short 
 time before his death. 
 
 The ruined Castle of the Sires de Bourbon, which still 
 belongs to the Due d'Aumale, has a curtain wall flanked by three 
 magnificent towers of xin. c. A fourth tower, called Qui qifen 
 grogne, which bears the arms of Pierre II. , who added it in 
 xv. c., overlooks the town. ' On la batira qui qu'en grogne,' 
 said the duke. The ramparts communicate, by a battlemented 
 bridge, with a fortified mill of xiv. c. The Church is xn. c., 
 with additions of xiv. c. The land occupied by the Capuchin 
 convent is now a promenade much frequented by the real 
 invalids who seek health here, for there are no gay crowds of 
 bathers at Bourbon, as at Vichy. 
 
 22 k.- Noyant. The church has an octagonal xv. c. tower 
 with a stone spire. Near it is a xv. c. chateau. 4k. N.E. is the 
 romanesque church of Mcillers. 
 
 30 k. Tronget. The church is romanesque of xin. c. At 
 2k. S.W. is Montet, with a romanesque church, to which 
 machicolations have been added in xv. c. 
 
 43 k. Chavenon. L. are the fine ruins of the Chateau de 
 Miirat, xin. c. and xiv. c., and a romanesque church containing 
 a curious enamelled reliquary. 2 k. S.W. is the romanesque 
 church of Chappes. 
 
 58k. Doyet-la-Presle (a branch line to [6k.] Bezenet^ rich in 
 coal). Opposite the station is a feudal pavilion of xv. c. 
 
 68 k. Commentry, important for coal mines. 
 
 8 1 k. Montlufon. See ch. iv.] 
 
 Continuing the main line, we pass 
 
 333 k. La Ferte-Hauterive. L., on a hill, is the Chateau 
 d'Hauterive, and further S. S. Gerand-de-Vaux, of which 
 the seigneury belonged successively to Jacques Coeur, to a 
 brother of Agnes Sorel, and to the family of La Guiche. 
 Parts of the chateau (xvi. c. and xvn. c.) still remain. 
 
VICHY. 153 
 
 342 k. Varennes-sur-Allier. 
 
 2k. N.E. is the Chateau de Gayette, an hospital since 1694. 
 10 k. W. is 6". Pourcain, on the Sioule, where S. Porcien founded 
 an abbey in vi. c. Its church is partly rornanesque, partly gothic. 
 There are four arcades of a xv. c. cloister. 
 
 348 k. Cr'echy. L. of the line is the ruined castle of 
 Billy, XIIL c. 
 
 355k. S. Germain-des- Fosses : the line to Clermont 
 branches off W. See ch. iv. 
 
 [The line to Montbrison and S. Etienne by Vichy and Thiers 
 passes 
 
 365 k. (from Paris) Vichy. (Hotels : du Pare; des Ambas- 
 sadeurs ; de laPaix; des Princes ; de Cherbourg; des Thermes, 
 Rue du Pare ; des Bains ; Giiillermen ; de V Amiraute ; Velay ; 
 Mombrun; Grand, Rue Cunin-Gridaine ; Britannique, |Rue 
 Lucas ; de Richelieu, Boulevard Victoria ; de Madrid ; de 
 Ballore, Rue de Ballore ; Moliere, Rue du Casino ; de 
 Boulogne ; d'ltalie ; de la Loire, Rue de Nismes ; du Louvre ; 
 S. Louis, Rue de Rome ; de Brest ; de la Suisse ; de la Cote 
 d'Or, Rue de Paris. Carriages : the course, I fr. 25 c. and 2 frs, ; 
 the hour, 2 frs. 25 c. and 3 frs.) 
 
 The Aquae Calidae of Vichy were known under the Romans, 
 and have constantly increased in popularity. The town, prettily 
 situated on the Allier, is visited by 2,500 invalids annually, 
 but has no attraction but health to offer. The house may be 
 visited whence Mme. de S6vigne wrote 
 
 ' i juin, 1676. Je vais etre seule, etj'en suis fortaise ; pourvu 
 qu'on ne m'ote pas le pays charmant, la riviere d'Allier, mille 
 petits bois, des ruisseaux, des prairies, des moutons, des chevres, 
 des paysannes qui dansent la bourre~e dans les champs, je 
 consens de dire adieu a tout le reste. Le pays seul me gueriroit. 
 
 '4 juin, 1676. J'ai enfin achieve aujourd'hui ma douche et 
 ma suerie, je crois qu'en huit jours il est sorti de mon pauvre 
 corps plus de vingt pintes d'eau. Je suis persuadee que rien 
 ne pouvoit me faire plus de bien ; et je me crois a couvert 
 
1 54 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 des rhumatismes pour le reste de ma vie. La douche et la 
 sueur sont assurement des etats penibles ; mais il y a une 
 certaine demi-heure ou Ton se trouve a sec et fraichement, 
 et ou Ton boit de 1'eau de poulet fraiche ; je ne mets point ce 
 terns au rang des plaisirs innocents ; c'est un endroit delicieux. 
 
 1 8 juin. Tout mon d6plaisir, c'est que vous ce voyiez point 
 danser les bounces de ce pays ; c'est la plus surprenante chose 
 du monde ; des paysans, des paysannes, une oreille aussi juste 
 que vous, une legerete, une disposition ; enfin, j'en suis folle. 
 Je donne tous les soirs un violon avec un tambour de basque, 
 a tres-petits frais ; et dans ces pr6s et ces jolis bocages, c'est 
 une joie que de voir danser les restes des bergers et des 
 bergeres de Lignon.' 
 
 Short walks may be taken to (3 k.) Cusset, which lias several 
 xv. c. houses, and (4^k.) La Montagne-Verte. Drives to (i?k.) 
 Le Gour Saillant and the restored Chateau de Bourbon-Bussct 
 (partly xm. c. and xiv. c.), and to (5 k.) Hauterive. A longer 
 excursion may be taken to (26 k.) Ferrieres, and the fine ruined 
 xv. c. castle of Montgilbert, upon one of the spurs of Forez. 
 
 381 k. Ris-Chdteldon. The church is XL c. and xn. c. 4k. 
 is the old town of Chdteldon, formerly walled, with a chateau 
 founded by Louis le Gros, and mineral springs. 
 
 402 k. Pont-de-Dore, whence a line is continued to (429 k.) 
 Olliergues, once a fortified, now a manufacturing town, with 
 a ruined castle and early gothic church ; and (453 k.) Ambert 
 (Hotel: de la Tete d'Or), a very ancient town, the capital of 
 the Livradois. The granite (xv. c.) church of .. Jean, finished 
 1518, is partly flamboyant and partly renaissance, remarkable 
 for the beauty of its vaulting, and for the peculiar arrangement 
 of its pillars, which diminish in size from the W. end to the 
 choir, giving a great appearance of length to the building. 
 Facing the S. entrance is a Graeco-Roman portal, a remnant 
 of the ancient church of the Penitents. An excursion may be 
 made (N.) on horseback, to the curious rock known as Pierre- 
 sur-Haute, said to have served for sacrifice, at one of the 
 highest points of the chain of Forez. 
 
 406 k. Thiers (Hotels: de lUnivers excellent; de Paris), 
 an exceedingly picturesque manufacturing town, on precipitous 
 
THIERS. 
 
 155 
 
 rocks above the Durolle, celebrated for its paper mills and 
 steel works. The knives of Thiers are famous. Everywhere 
 there are steep descents, one house seeming to begin just above 
 the roof of another, but the streets are of great length. 
 
 Near the centre of the town is the church of 6*. Genest, 
 
 RUE DE BOURG, THIERS. 
 
 rebuilt in xi. c. and again in xn. c., and much altered since. 
 In the N. porch is an arcaded tomb of xin.c. The interior 
 is very remarkable and striking, the tall pillars and narrow 
 romanesque arches of the nave leading up to the four wide 
 romanesque arches which support the low central cupola. The 
 vaulting of the nave is gothic. 
 
1 56 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The steep Rue du Bourg, with its most picturesque houses, 
 leads (turning 1.) to S. Jean, a xv. c. church, perched on the 
 edge of a cliff, with a crowded cemetery, filling a cleft below 
 with its throng of tombs. Hence, by a very steep path and 
 wooden bridges amongst the paper mills and cascades in the 
 gorge of the Durolle, we may reach the church of Moutier, 
 named from a Benedictine monastery. The church is chiefly 
 XL c., with a later tower, but the r. wall at the end of the 
 choir dates from vn. c. or vm. c. In the nave are splendid 
 capitals. The fortified gate of the monastery remains. The 
 neighbourhood of Thiers is picturesque ; there is a fine view 
 from the Puy de Montconfel. 
 
 [For the line from Thiers to Clermont Ferrand see ch. iv.] 
 
 419 k. Chabreloche. 17 k. hence, on the Roanne road, is 5. 
 Romain- d'Urfe, 6k. N. E. of which, by cross-roads, are the 
 interesting ruins of the Chateau d'Urfe, built in the xm. c., 
 on the top of a hill, by Wulphe le Vaillant. Till the begin- 
 ning of the xv. c., the chateau was the seat of the famous 
 family to which it gave a name. In 1418, Jean d'Urfe and 
 his whole family, except his eldest son Pierre, who was at 
 Paris with the king, were murdered by the servants of the 
 castle : the murderers were taken and condemned to be 
 broken on the wheel. Honore d'Urfe, author of the romance 
 of Astree, has placed many of its scenes in the neighbour- 
 hood of the castle. In 1724, the seigneurie of Urfe passed 
 to Louis-Christophe de la Rochefoucauld, who took its name. 
 There is a splendid view from the castle, whose ruined towers 
 are known as les Conies d'Urfe. 
 
 428 k. Noiretable. The gothic church is preceded by a curious 
 rude porch. \\ hours' drive to the S.W. is the Hermitage of 
 Perotine (Pierre-aux-Chevres), whither a Chevalier de Forez 
 retired in penance in xvi. c. The bishops of Clermont after- 
 wards built there a gothic church, of which the choir and 
 portal remain. There is a fine view from the Montague de 
 I 1 Ermitage. 
 
 By the picturesque gorge of the Auzon, and a country 
 abounding in mineral springs, the line reaches 
 
MONTBRISON. 157 
 
 450 k. Sail-sous-Couzan. The Chateau de Couzan, on a 
 lofty precipitous promontory, belonged, from xi. c. to xv. c., 
 to the family of Damas, afterwards to those of Levis and 
 Luzy de Pelissac. Its outer walls and towers are perfectly 
 preserved, and it has a romanesque chapel. The well is xvi. c. 
 An excursion may be made to the wild district known as La 
 Suisse Forezienne, and the Chateau de Chalmazel (xm. c. and 
 xvi. c.), now an hospital, which is most curious and picturesque. 
 
 454 k. Boen, very picturesquely situated. The railway leaves 
 the Mont d'Ozore to the 1. 
 
 [A road leads E. from Boe'n to (50 k.) Tarare (see later) by 
 2^ k. La Bouteresse, with Roman ruins. Near this, at the 
 
 hamlet of Bonlieu, was a great Benedictine abbey. Its church 
 
 contained the monuments of the house of Urfe. 
 
 The ruins of the castle of Urfe are seen to the 1. of the road, 
 
 and to the r. is the Chateau de Bdtie (see later).] 
 
 466k. Champdieu, so called from a Benedictine convent, ot 
 which the abbot's house and the church of xi. c. remain. 
 - 471 k. Montbrison (Hotels: de la Poste; du Commerce), on 
 the W. of the ancient lake of Forez, and on the side of a 
 volcanic mound. The fine church of Notre Dame d' Esperance 
 was built 1223 to 1466. The portal was erected by Charles I., 
 de Bourbon, 1443. The interior has three naves with chapels 
 on r. Only part of the tomb of Guy IV., founder of the church, 
 remains. Opposite this, is the tomb of the lawyer Pierre du 
 Vernet Behind the choir is the great Salle de la Diana, used 
 as a chapter house, which communicated with the church by a 
 cloister, now destroyed. The vaulting of the hall is completely 
 covered with nearly 1500 blazons of the noblesse of Forez, 
 forming a very curious heraldic monument. It is supposed that 
 the Diana was built 1300, and that its heraldic decorations 
 are due to Jeanne de Bourbon, Comtesse de Forez, widow of 
 Guy VIII. , in the xiv. c. 
 
 Montbrison suffered terribly from the brutalities of the 
 Protestants in 1562. 
 
 ' Des Adretz fit sauter 1'un apres 1'autre, du haut d'une tour, 
 tous les soldats de la garnison. L'un d'eux s'y etant repris a 
 deux fois sans se precipiter : " Tu es bien long a te didder," 
 
1 58 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 lui cria des Adretz. " Monseigneur," repliqua cet homme, " je 
 vous le donne en dix." II fut le seul qui obtint grace.' Henri 
 Martin, ' Hist, de France' 
 
 [A road leads S.W. from Montbrison to (75 k.) La Chaise- 
 Dieu (see ch. iv.) by 
 
 1 6k. S.Jean-Soleymieux, where the church has a fine gothic 
 portal, and romanesque crypt with a miraculous fountain. 
 
 21 k. Marols, which had a fortified Benedictine convent. The 
 church, destroyed by the Protestants in xvi. c., has been rebuilt. 
 
 30 k. 6\ Bonnet-le-Chdteau, with an ancient granite collegiate 
 church, of 1460, to which a number of chapels have been added 
 at different dates. 
 
 44 k. Usson-en-Forez, supposed to occupy the site of the 
 Roman station Icidmagus. There are remains of a castle and 
 fortifications. The choir of the church is of 1505. 
 
 56 k. Creponne. Only one gate remains of the fortifications, 
 which once made this one of the strongest towns in Velay.]. 
 
 478 k. 5*. Romain-le-Puy. The remains of the priory founded 
 in xi. c., have a gothic church, built upon a romanesque crypt; 
 on the W. wall are curious medallions. 
 
 483k. Sury-le-Comtal. The church is of 1317. The 
 renaissance chateau belonged to the Comtes de Forez. 
 
 486 k. Bonson. 4k. by a branch line to (i 5 k.) Nus is the walled 
 town of 6". Marcellin, with a church dating from x. c. or xi. c. 
 
 504 k. 6*. Etienne (Hotels : de France ; du Nord; de Pan's), 
 on the site of a town called Forum under the Romans and Furan 
 in the middle-ages. S. Etienne, owing to its coal, has become the 
 eighth town in France, having enormously increased in size and 
 importance in the present century, and it is now the Sheffield of 
 France ; there is also a manufactory of ribbons, established here 
 from the x. c. An excursion may be made (by the reservoir of 
 the Gouffre d'Enfer) to (6 k.) Rochetaillee, picturesquely situated, 
 with a ruined castle and xiv. c. church. A longer excursion may 
 be made by carriage to (16 k.) Bessat, and thence on foot or horse- 
 back into the wild scenery of the Mont Pilat, the highest part of 
 the Cevennes (see later). 
 
 [The line of 58 k., through the coal district from S. Etienne to 
 
MONISTROL-SUR-LOIRE. 1 59 
 
 Lyons, passes (at 41 k.) Grigny, with axiv. c. castle, and xvm. c. 
 chateau, but the line has no interest. At night it has almost a 
 continuous chain of lamps, so thickly is the district inhabited.] 
 
 [Aline leads N. from S. Etienne to (144 k.) Le Puy, through a 
 black manufacturing district, then to 
 
 77 k. Le Pertuiset, whence the fine scenery of the Loire, as it 
 passes through the Gorges de S. Victor, may be visited. The line 
 runs under the hill which bears the great ruined castle of Cornillon 
 (xn. c. to xvi. c.) to 
 
 83 k. Aurec, which has remains of xm. c. castle. 
 
 94 k. Bas-Monistrol. Bos (4 k. W. of the station), which has 
 a romanesque church and xv. c. houses, was the capital of Basset. 
 Leaving the village by a little square, . containing a xv. c. cross, 
 we may visit the fine ruined Chdteau-de-Rochebaron, built under 
 Charles VII., dismantled by Richelieu. 7 k. distant from Bas, 
 and 3^ E. of the station, is Monistrol-sur- Loire, on a peninsula 
 between two torrents which form the Folletier. The xn. c. 
 church has a triple nave, the side aisles being wider than that 
 in the centre. Two of its monolith pillars appear to have 
 belonged to a more ancient building. At the fifth bay is a 
 cupola. The castle, built in the xv. c. by Jean de Bourbon, 
 Bishop of Puy, and altered under the Renaissance, is still 
 inhabited. At 6 k. is the manufacturing village of Le Seauvc, 
 which owes its origin to a Cistercian abbey of 1228, of which 
 there are small remains. 5. Didier (9k.) has remains of 
 mediaeval architecture : its chateau existed in the x. c. 
 
 99k. Pont de Lignon, belonging to Bauzac, which has two 
 gateways and other remains of fortifications. 3 k. W., on a rock 
 above the Loire, is the ruined priory of Confolent, founded 995. 
 On the way to Yssingeaux is the ruined Chateau de Maubourg. 
 
 ink. Retournac, has a curious romanesque church. On a hill 
 above the 1. bank of the Loire is seen the ruined castle of Artias. 
 
 1 1 5 k. Chamalieres, at the foot of Mont Gerbizon, had a famous 
 priory, dependent on the abbey of S. Chaffre. The fine church has 
 a triple nave of three aisles, ending in a single apside, surrounded 
 by four radiating chapels. The doors have been sculptured. 
 The xi. c. benitier, adorned with four statues, is curious. Some 
 of the priory buildings are occupied by the Soeurs de S. Joseph. 
 
160 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 1 23k. Vorey. 6k. N.E. is the loftily situated ruined castle 
 of Roche en Regnier, which belonged to the Constable de 
 Bourbon. 
 
 1 32k. La Voute. After this, the Loire passes through a 
 picturesque gorge.] 
 
 Continuing the main line 
 
 The pale mountains of Auvergne are seen on r. before 
 reaching 
 
 372k. La Palisse, overlooked by a feudal chateau of 
 xv. c. and xvi. c., with a flamboyant chapel. The chateau 
 belonged to Jacques de Chabannes, who fought with Jeanne 
 Dare, and died of a wound received at the battle of Castillon, 
 1453. There is a fortified gothic gateway near the chateau. 
 The scenery has now become less monotonous. The rail- 
 way passes (r.) Crozet, with a castle of XH. c. and timber 
 houses of xvi. c., before reaching 
 
 389 k. S. Martin-d Estreaux. 5 k. N.E. (omnibus) is 
 the watering-place of Sail-les- Bains. 
 
 398 k. La Pacaudtire^ after which the fine xv. c. church 
 of Ambierle is seen on the lower heights of the hills on r. 
 It has good stained-glass and stallwork, and a triptych 
 attributed to Van Eyck. In the xiv. c. sacristy is the 
 tomb of Cardinal de la Grange, minister of Charles V. 
 Close by are ruins of the monastery to which the church 
 was attached. 
 
 408 k. S. Germain-d'Espinasse. 
 
 6 k. S.W. is 6*. Haon-le-Chdtel, with ruined walls and gate, 
 xv. c. chateau, and romanesque church. 6 k. S. of this is .S. Andre- 
 dApehon, with a tower of xv. c., where the Marechal S. Andre, 
 one of 'the Catholic triumvirate,' 1561, was born ; he was killed 
 in the battle of Dreux. 4^ k. E. from S. Haon is the restored 
 Chateau de Boisy } one of the most formidable of Forez in the 
 
BENISSONS-DIEU. 161 
 
 xiv. c. and xv. c. The existing buildings are mostly due to 
 Jacques Coeur, treasurer to Charles VII. 
 
 421 k. Roanne (Hotels : du Nord ; du Commerce), an ugly, 
 smoky manufacturing town on the Loire, much changed 
 from the time when we read 
 
 ' Roan seem'd to me one of the pleasantest and most agreeable 
 places imaginable for a retyred person.' -John Evelyn, 1644. 
 
 1 3k. distant are the mineral springs of S. Alban. 
 
 [A line runs r. to (60 k.) Paray-le-Monial, by 
 I Qk. Pouilly-sous-Charlieu, 6k. from which is the very inter- 
 esting Cistercian Abbey of Benedictio Dei, Benissons-Dieu, Its 
 church, built 1160, has a triple nave of seven bays. The porch, 
 one bay deep, has been partially ruined by the fall of the great 
 bell, and the choir is in ruins. Near the entrance of the S. aisle 
 is the (xiv. c.) tomb of Humbert d'Aspinelli and his wife. The 
 second bay forms the entrance to a chapel, built 1639 by 
 Cistercian nuns from M<gemont near Issoire, who changed 
 residence at that date with the monks who had lived here 
 before. 
 
 35k. Marcigny-sur-Loire, which owes its origin to a Bene- 
 dictine convent founded by S. Hugues, abbot of Cluny, in xi. c. 
 4k. E. is Semur-en-Brionnais, once the capital of Brionnais, 
 with an old castle, and a fine Burgundian xn. c. church.] 
 
 [A line runs S. from Roanne to (82 k.) S. tienne by 
 41 k. Feurs (Hotel : de la Poste). Le Forus (not Forum) was 
 a town in Gallo-Roman times. I3k. W. is the Chateau de la 
 Bdtie, where Honore d'Urfe wrote his famous romance of Astree. 
 The chateau is exceedingly curious and well-preserved. Its 
 chapel (1548) is approached by a grotto of shells. At the end 
 of the gardens a convent of Cordeliers was built at the end of 
 the xv. c. by Pierre d'Urfe and his wife, Catherine de Polignac, 
 and there they are buried. 
 
 62 k. ,5. Galmier, famous for its mineral waters.] 
 
 II 
 
1 62 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 [A road leads E. to (66 k.) Rive de Gier, by 
 
 1 1 k. 5. Martin-Lestra, very picturesquely situated. To the 
 r. of the road is seen the fortified town of Haute-Rivoire, with 
 a fortified church. 
 
 19 k. Les Halles, with the ruins of the Chateau de Fenoyl. 
 
 24 k. vS. Foy-V Ar gentler e. The Petit Seminaire d'Argentierc, 
 founded by Cardinal Fesch, occupies the buildings of the ancient 
 priory of Notre Dame de Coise, founded 1272. 
 
 30 k. Duerne, on the top of the chain of Chatelard. 
 
 40 k. 6". Symphorien-sur-Coise, a curious mediaeval town, on 
 the site of a precipitous rock above the Coise, with remains of 
 fortifications. On the summit of the rock is a fortified church 
 of the xv. c. on the site of an earlier building ; its crypt contains 
 the tomb of the founder, Cardinal Pierre Girard.] 
 
 430 k. LHdpital. 
 
 Diligence to (7 k. S.) 6 1 . Symphorien-en-Lay, where the gothic 
 nave of the church belonged to a Benedictine priory. 
 
 437 k. Regny, has a church of xm. c. and ruins of a 
 Cluniac priory. 
 443k. S. Victor. 
 
 A branch line of 7 k. leads to the picturesque little town 
 of Thizy, which has a church of xi. c. and is overlooked by a 
 ruined castle of the Seigneurs de Beaujeu. At Bourg-de-Thizy 
 is another xi. c. church, which belonged to a Benedictine abbey. 
 
 449 k- Ampleputs, after which the line enters a rocky 
 and wooded valley. 
 
 463 k. Tarare (Mons Taratri), a town which owes con- 
 siderable prosperity to one Simonnet, who introduced the 
 manufacture of muslins there in 1756. Tarare is also a great 
 industrial centre for the manufacture of plush and velvet. 
 
 [A diligence to (i4k.) Le Bois dOingt, which has an old 
 chateau. Oingt is a very ancient fortified village.] 
 
CHA TILLON-DAZERGUES. 163 
 
 The country becomes very picturesque before reaching 
 
 479 k. L'Arbresle (Arborella), at the confluence of the 
 Turdine and Brevenne, which owes its name to the vast 
 forests which covered the country when it was founded 
 (XL c.) by the monks of Savigny. The curious old town 
 is grouped around the ruins of the castle, built by the 
 monks, still flanked by five massive quadrangular towers. 
 The church is xm. c. and xv. c. At Savigny, near this, 
 are remains of a famous abbey (see ch. i.). 
 
 485 k. Lozanne. 4 k. N. is Chatillon-d 1 Azergues, pic- 
 turesquely situated at the foot of a rock crowned by a 
 ruined castle, of xii. c. and xv. c., with a donjon of xm. c. 
 The xii. c. chapel has been restored : it consists of two 
 storeys, to the upper of which is attached a chapel of xv. c. 
 containing the grave of Geoffroi de Balzac, 1510. In the 
 old cimetiere are the XL c. Chapelle de S. Roch and an 
 ancient gothic cross. 
 
 490 k. Chazay-Mareilly. i k. N.W. is Chazay-d'Azergues, 
 preserving part of its ramparts and two ancient gateways. 
 In the chateau is a beautiful sculptured chimney-piece and 
 graceful stair-turret. The old house of the Seigneurs de 
 Chatillon has a picturesque tourelle. 
 
 52ok. Lyon. See ch. i. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 EXCURSION BETWEEN THE TWO LINES FROM PARIS 
 TO LYON, CHIEFLY IN YONNE AND NIEVRE 
 AUXERRE, CLAMECY, A VALLON ( VEZELA Y), SEMUR 
 (SAULIEU}. 
 
 A week's tour from England may be well employed on the places 
 described in this chapter. 
 
 FROM (155 k.) La Roche, on the main line from Paris 
 to Lyon (see ch. i.) a line branches off to S.W. by 
 
 163 k. Chemilly. The church is xn. c. and xvi. c. 
 4 k. E. is Seignelay, which had an ancient chateau, restored 
 by Colbert, and destroyed at the Revolution. The church 
 is renaissance. 4 k. is Appoigny, which has a church partly 
 xiii. c., with a renaissance belfry and rood-loft. 
 
 1 74k. Auxerre (Hotels: de la Fontaine; de VEpee, in 
 the Haute Ville ; du Leopard, on the quay of the Yonne). 
 This very picturesque and interesting city, the capital of the 
 Departement de FYonne, occupies the site of the Gaulish 
 Autricum, and was early famous in ecclesiastical history as 
 the residence of the great missionary bishop S. Germain. 
 King Raoul died here, Jan. 15, 936. 
 
 From the station, the Faubourg S. Gervais leads to 
 the bridge over the Yonne, whence there is a noble view 
 of the cathedral, and of the grand abbey of S. Germain, 
 
AUXERRE. 
 
 165 
 
 rising beyond the bend of the river. Following the Rue 
 du Pont, the first turn on r. leads to the church of 
 S. Ptre (S. Pierre), itself worthy to be a cathedral. A 
 picturesque renaissance gateway La Porte de S, Plre 
 forms the entrance into the court in front of the church, 
 which has a renaissance fagade, but a stately and beautiful 
 gothic tower of 1530. The triple nave and the series of 
 
 ABBEY OF S. GERMAIN, AUXERRE. 
 
 chapels surrounding the choir have much modern and some 
 ancient stained glass. The Rue Joubert (with many old 
 houses) leads from S. Pere to 
 
 The noble Cathedral of S. Etienne, founded by S. 
 Amatre at the end of the iv. c., enlarged 610, rebuilt 
 1030, after a fire, and again rebuilt 1215-34, by Bishop 
 Guillaume de Seignelay and his successor, Henri de 
 Villeneuve. The W. front, which has three great portals 
 surmounted by a gable, and the tower, are perfectly veiled 
 
i66 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 in rich gothic tracery. The N. portal is equally rich, and 
 the windows above it very pleasing in design. 
 
 ' Towards the middle of the thirteenth century the cathedral 
 of Saint Etienne was complete in its main outlines ; what re- 
 mained was the building of the great tower, and all that various 
 labour of final decoration which it would take more than one 
 generation to accomplish. Certain circumstances, however, not 
 wholly explained, led to a somewhat rapid finishing, as it were 
 out of hand, yet with a marvellous fulness at once and grace. 
 Of the result much has perished, or been transferred elsewhere ; 
 a portion is still visible in sumptuous relics of stained windows, 
 and, above all, in the reliefs which adorn the W. portals, very 
 delicately carved in a fine, firm stone from Tonnerre, of which 
 time has only browned the surface, an d which, for early mastery 
 in art, may be compared to the contemporary work in Italy.' 
 Walter Pater. 
 
 The interior is exceedingly imposing in colour and effect ; 
 most of the light comes from the tall, graceful clerestory, 
 in which much of the ancient glass remains. The nave and 
 transept only date from xiv. c. and xv. c., and the tower 
 from early xvi. c. The choir, from being rebuilt upon the 
 romanesque crypt, has only a single square apsidal chapel, 
 divided from the ambulatory by tall, slender columns. 
 The crypt itself, with singularly graceful vaulting, restored 
 by Viollet le Due, has curious frescoes, including Christ 
 and the Evangelists on horseback, in reference to the 
 visions of the Apocalypse. There are other frescoes in 
 the chapels of the nave. The choir is an exceedingly 
 beautiful specimen of early gothic, and, like the tran- 
 sept, it retains its splendid xm. c. glass, most glorious 
 in colour. At the entrance of the sanctuary are the 
 tombs of Bishop Nicolas Colbert (r.), 1676, and Bishop 
 Jacques Amyot (1.), 1593, tutor to the sons of Henri II,, 
 
AUXERRE. 167 
 
 translator of Plutarch, and one of the greatest writers of 
 his time. 
 
 ' Quelle obligation ne lui a pas notre langue, n'ayant jamais 
 eu personne qui en ait mieux su le ge"nie et le caractere que lui, 
 ni qui ait use de mots et de phrases si naturellement fran9aises.' 
 Vaugelas. 
 
 Exquisitely beautiful is the sculptured foliage on the 
 capitals at the side of the choir by the entrance to the 
 sanctuary. In a chapel N. of the choir is the monument 
 of the Chastellux family, restored since the Revolution. 
 
 The Fete des Fous was celebrated here till 1407. The 
 canons played at ball (pelota) in the nave of the cathedral 
 till 1538, the last-appointed canon furnishing the ball and 
 giving it to the dean ; the game was followed by a dance 
 and banquet. 
 
 The Eveche has some portions of the xn. c., especially 
 a beautiful romanesque gallery built by S. Hugues de 
 Montaign, thirty-third bishop of Auxerre (1115-36). 
 
 From the N. of the cathedral, the Rue Cochon leads 
 to the Abbaye de S. Germain, founded by the saint. It 
 was surrounded by walls, of which a tower and a piece of 
 battlemented (xiv. c.) wall remain. The xvm. c. buildings 
 are occupied by the Hotel Dieu and public offices. Of 
 the church, built by S. Clotilde to receive the relics of 
 the saint, rebuilt 1270, finished xv. c., the remains are the 
 magnificent romanesque Tour de S.Jean, with a stone spire, 
 the transept with a xv. c. rose window, the xm. c. sanctuary, 
 part of the nave, and the crypt. In the S. gable is a statue 
 of S. Germain, whose story is represented on the N. portal. 
 The treasury had xv. c. tapestries. The crypt, which is in 
 
168 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 itself a church, with triple nave, choir, and apsidal chapel, 
 is one of the chief sanctuaries of France, from the number 
 of tombs of the saints which it contains. You look down 
 and see the stone coffins of S. Heribalde, the first abbot ; 
 of his brother and successor, S. Abbon ; of S. Fraterne, 
 who was killed on the day of his election (1475); f S- 
 Loup, Bishop of Auxerre ; of SS. Roman and Theodose ; 
 of S. Maxime, one of five sisters who brought back the 
 body of S. Germain from Ravenna; of SS. Alode and 
 Urse ; of S. Marian, who died at Cosne in the iv. c. and 
 was brought hither in the ix. c. : of S. Betto ; and of S. 
 Geran de Soissons. The chapel is shown where the body 
 of S. Martin of Tours rested in refuge for twenty years, 
 after which it was restored to its native place ; in another 
 chapel des Moines with beautiful vaulting, the monks 
 held their secret councils. In the centre of all is the 
 great stone coffin of St. Germain. 
 
 The Rue du College (observe No. 2) and Rue de Paris 
 lead (1.) to(r.) the Palais de Justice, built (1509 and 1620) on 
 the site of the chateau of the Comtes d' Auxerre : it contains 
 the usual Mus'ee. Continuing the Rue de Paris, the fourth 
 street on 1. leads to the Tour Gaillarde, a clock tower 
 of 1483, once one of the city gates, with a round tower 
 attached to it. In the neighbouring square is a Statue of 
 Jean Joseph Fourier, 1830. Hence we may reach (close 
 to the Hotel de la Fontaine) the Abbey of S. Eusebe, 
 founded by S. Pallade in vii. c. Only the church (xii. c. 
 to xvi. c.) remains, with a lofty choir, and a xii. c. tower. 
 In the treasury is preserved the shroud of S. Germain. 
 The 1. aisle contains a beautiful wooden lectern, supported 
 by angels. 
 
CHABLIS, S. BRIS. 169 
 
 There is a diligence to (21 k.) Chablis, famous for its wine, 
 which possesses two xm. c. churches and a number of gothic 
 timber houses. 
 
 [A road leads W. from Auxerre to (82 k.) Gien, by 
 
 1 3k. Pourrain. See ch. ii. 
 
 23 k. Toucy. See ch. ii. 
 
 33 k. Mezilles. See ch. ii. 
 
 42 k. 6*. Fargeau. See ch. ii. 
 
 48 k. Tannerre. The church is xn. c. and xvi. c., the chateau 
 
 XVIII. C. 
 
 50 k. Villeneuve-les-Genets. The church is xvi.c. At 3 k. is 
 the feudal mound of an old castle turned into a farm. 
 
 62 k. Bleneau on the Loing. The xn. c. church has a curious 
 (xv. c.) painting of a knight in armour. Near this Turenne defeated 
 the army of the Prince de Cond6, 1652. 
 
 74k. Ouzotier-snr-Treze, with old fortifications and a xn. c. 
 church. Many remains of Roman occupation have been found 
 in the neighbourhood.] 
 
 [For the road which leads S.W. to (87 k.) La Charit6, 
 see ch. ii.] 
 
 A railway leads from Auxerre to Nevers by 
 8 k. Champs-S.-Bris. 3! k. E. is S. Bris, where the 
 church has a triple nave of xn. c., and a choir and 
 sanctuary of renaissance. The xiv. c. glass is very rich, 
 and a fresco representing the tree of Jesse, and the (VH. c.) 
 tombs of S. Prix and S. Cot are curious. In the village 
 are several xv. c. houses, and a house of the Templars 
 of xn. c. 
 
 1 2k. Vincelles. The church is xv. c. The chateau 
 was once inhabited by Mme. de Stael. Vincellottes has 
 
i;o SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 a xui. c. crypt belonging to the abbey of Reigny. 
 3|k. W. is Coulange-la-Vineuse^ with an interesting xv. c. 
 house. 
 
 1 7k. Cravant (the junction station for Avallon), an 
 ancient fortified town. The church has a triple nave of 
 xv. c., and a renaissance choir with eleven radiating chapels. 
 On 1. is a square tower of xvi. c. Several timber houses 
 are xvi. c. The railway passes (r.) near S. Pallaye, which 
 has a church (xii. c. and xvi. c.) with a crypt containing 
 the tomb of the saint. 
 
 26 k. Mailly-la- Ville, the fortified manor of Le Cour de 
 Mailly, is xvi. c. 3 k. S. is Mailly-le-Chateau, an old fortified 
 town on precipitous rocks above the Yonne. The river is 
 crossed by a xvi. c. bridge, with a little chapel of the same 
 date. The castle, built in xii. c., retains nothing but forti- 
 fications of xv. c. The church, of early xui. c., has a 
 beautiful portal surmounted by an arcade of five columns ; 
 the chapel of the Virgin is xiv. c. ; that of S. Etienne 
 renaissance. The chapel of the cemetery (partly ruined) 
 is xii. c. The valley of the Yonne becomes very picturesque, 
 and the railway passes near (r.) the ruined Chateau de la 
 Tour, before reaching 
 
 36 k. Chatel-Censoir. The church has a crypt and 
 sanctuary, some say of ix. c., some of xi. c. ; the nave 
 and tower are xvi. c. On r. of the choir is a chapter- 
 house of xii. c. Near the church is a tower of the ancient 
 castle. In the environs is the menhir called Pierre-qui- 
 Tourne. It is 12 k. from Chatel-Censoir to Vezelay (see 
 later) by the nearest way. A route, longer by 7 k., passes 
 the xm. c. priory-church of Asnihes. 
 44 k. Coulange-sur- Yonne, has a church and bridge of 
 
CLAMECY. 171 
 
 xvi. c., and some remains of a xin. c. castle. The line 
 passes (1.) the xvi. c. church of Surgy, with a stone 
 spire. 
 
 52 k. Clamecy (Hotels : de la Boule d'Or ; de la Poste\ 
 The Faubourg de Bethle'em, on r. of the town, contained 
 a hospital, granted by Guillaume IV., Comte de Nevers, 
 who died in Palestine, 1168, to the Bishop of Bethlehem, 
 to replace his bishopric, in case of the Christians being 
 expelled from the Holy Land by the Mahommedans. 
 This prevision was actually fulfilled, and the bishopric of 
 Bethlehem in France, which was without jurisdiction or 
 clergy, was only suppressed in 1789. The Church, of xn. c., 
 remains in great part. Its form is a parallelogram, and its 
 choir ends in a straight wall. It now does duty as a Salle- 
 a-manger to the Hotel de la Boule d'Or. 
 
 The great church of S. Martin was begun xin. c. and 
 finished xv. c. Those who can admire flamboyant archi- 
 tecture will be struck with the magnificence of the xvi. c. 
 W. front. Its great square tower, flanked by tourelles, 
 is covered with tracery ; above the vast and rich gothic 
 portal is a rose window, and then a crocketed gable, filled 
 with tracery, and connected by flying buttresses of lace-like 
 sculpture, with two detached pinnacles. The interior has a 
 triple nave, with triforium and clerestory above the side 
 aisles. The gallery of the triforium is continued round the 
 last bay but one to the E., making a kind of division from 
 the sanctuary. The ambulatory is continued round the 
 square apse. There are curious lead benitiers, and amongst 
 the many beautiful details of this church, the foliage on the 
 brackets is very remarkable for execution. 
 
 Under the Hotel de Ville are the cellars of the old palace 
 
172 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of the Dues de Nevers. On one of the bridges is a bronze 
 bust of Jean Rouvet, ' Finventeur des flottages.' 
 
 A little S. of the town is Trucy-P Orgueilkux, with a 
 church of xin. c., xvi.c., and xix. c., and a chateau of 
 xiv. c., converted into a farmhouse. 
 
 It is 23 k. from Clamecy to Vezelay (see later). 
 
 [A railway runs S. from Clamecy to Cercy-la-Tour, on the 
 line from Chagny to Nevers, passing 
 
 1 1 k. Asnois. The church is xm. c. ; the chateau xvi. c. to 
 xvn. c. The railway passes (r.) Amazy, with a handsome xvi. c. 
 church. 
 
 i yk. Tannay, a hill-set city surrounded by walls of xv. c., 
 overlooking the valley of the Yonne. The church of 5. Leger is 
 xiv. c., xv. c., and xvi. c. ; in its baptistery is a curious relief of 
 the hunting of S. Hubert. In the Rue de Beze is a good xv. c. 
 house.] 
 
 [A road leads from Tannay to (70 k.) Decize, by 
 
 7k. Asnan ; on the 1. is Moraches with a good xvi. c. church 
 and ruined castle. 
 
 1 3k. Brinon-les-Allemands. The church is xn. c. , xm. c., 
 and xvi. c. ; the chateau xv. c. 
 
 1 8k. Neuilly. The church is xii. c. and xvi. c. On 1. is 
 Champallement, where the church is xn. c. and xvi. c. ; the 
 chateau xv. c. 
 
 21 k. >S. Reverien, has a priory (now parish) church chiefly of 
 the xii. c. : in the apse are xv. c. frescoes. At 7 k. is the ruined 
 (xm. c.) castle of Montenoison. 
 
 32 k. 6*. Saulgc, on a plateau which has remains of an 
 important Roman camp. The xvi. c. church has good stained 
 glass. 3 k. W. is the xii. c. church oijailly. 
 
 45 k. Rouy, with a romanesque church. The road passes 
 (to 1.) Fresnay-Rcugny, which has a curious xvi. c. chateau. 
 
 53 k. Anlezy. The church is xii. c., xm. c., and xvi. c. The 
 road passes on 1. Thianges, with a xii. c. and xvi. c., church con- 
 taining a fine xvi. c. statue of S. George.] 
 
S HONORE-LES-BAINS. 173 
 
 Leaving Tannay, the railway passes (1.) Monceaux-le-Comte, 
 with a church of xn. c., xiv. c., and xvi. c., and a ruined chateau 
 of the Comtes de Nevers. 2k. N.E. of this is the Abbaye de 
 Reconfort, founded by a Comtesse de Nevers in 1277. 
 
 31 k. Corbigny (Hotels : du Lion d'Or; du Commerce), an 
 ancient town on the Anguison. The parish church of 5. Seine 
 has a marble altar from the ancient abbey. 6". Jean dates from 
 XIL c. At 2 k. is Chitry-les-Mines, with a xvi. c. church, and a 
 chateau flanked by four towers and containing curious xvi. c. 
 paintings. 
 
 [There is a diligence from Corbigny to (16 k.) Lormes, by (7 k.) 
 Cervon, on a great height, where a convent was founded by S. 
 Eptade in vi. c. The ancient collegiate church of xn. c. has a rich 
 portal. In the wood of Coeuillon is a curious block of Stone, like 
 a sarcophagus, known as Belle-Pierre, which is a constant object 
 of pilgrimage with women wishing for either husband or children ! 
 It is always covered with votive offerings.] 
 
 43 k. Epiry. A great square tower remains of the chateau 
 which was inhabited by Vauban, and where Comte Roger de 
 Bussy-Rabutin was born. 
 
 49 k. Aunay, has a xvn. c. chateau, and the ruined castle of 
 Broin, xv. c. 
 
 57 k. Tamnay-Chdtillon. After this the railway passes r. of 
 the chateau of Brinay, xm. c. and xvi. c., then Limanton, with a 
 xvi. c. chateau and the Abbaye de Bellevaux of xm. c. 
 
 68 k. Moulins-Engilbert. Near this are two Roman camps, 
 one of which is occupied by xm. c. ruins of a castle of the Comtes 
 de Nevers. The priory-church of Commagny is xn. c. 
 
 74k. Vandenesse-S.-Honore-les- Bains. At Vandenesse is a 
 great xv. c. chateau, which belonged to the family of Chabannes- 
 la-Palisse. 6 k. distant is 6". Honore-les- Bains (Hotels : Grand ; 
 des Bains ; des Thermes), a bathing-place at the foot of the 
 mountains of Morvan, which was (as Arbandata) known under 
 the Roman dominion, as efficacious for leprosy. Caesar built 
 magnificent baths here, but from the fifth to the present century 
 the waters were forgotten. The old town is overlooked by the 
 ruined Chateau dc la Montague. 
 
174 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The railway passes the priory of Mazille (xv. c.) just before 
 reaching 
 
 83k. Cercy-la-Tour. See ch. ii.] 
 
 93 k. Varzy, a pretty old town, surrounded by boulevards. 
 The church of S. Pierre ', of xiv. c., has a triple nave, with 
 triforium and a large sanctuary. There are two square 
 towers at the cross. In the interior are thirteen reliquaries, 
 some of the xn. c. and xin. c. : there is some good stained 
 glass. 
 
 look. Corvol-d 1 E,mbernard. 3|k. W. is ChampUmy, 
 with a gothic church of 1590 ; a chateau with tourelles, 
 xiv. c., xv. c., and xvi. c., and in the park the source of the 
 Nievre. 
 
 io6k. Arzembouy, with a ruined church. At Giry are 
 a church of xn. c. and a chateau of xvi. c. 
 
 117 k. Premery (Hotel : de France}. The castle is xiv. c. 
 and xvi. c. The church, of xin. c., has a triple nave, and 
 contains an inscription in honour of S. Nicolas Appleine, 
 1466. Near the village of Sichamps is La Grotte des Fees, 
 where a clear spring has its rise, disappears again, and 
 reappears in the meadows at some distance off. 
 
 132 k. Guerigny, famous for its forges. 
 
 137 k. Urzy, has a church xn. c. and xv. c., and chateau 
 of xvii. c., and is overlooked by the Chateau des Bordes, 
 1480. 
 
 147 k. Never s. See ch. ii. 
 
 A railway runs from Auxerre to Les Laumes, on the 
 main line from Paris to Lyon, by 
 
AVALLON. 175 
 
 18 k. Cravant. Seep. 170. 
 
 24 k. Vermenton, on the Cure. The church has a rich 
 romanesque portal : the nave and the elegant tower are of 
 xiii. c. One tower of xiv. c. remains from the ancient walls. 
 After leaving the station, the abbey of Reigny, founded 
 [130, is seen on the r. 
 
 32 k. Arcy-sur-Cure. The chateau of 1767 possesses the 
 ancient outer walls of an older building. The Chateau de 
 Digogne (xn. c.) is in ruins. 2 k. are the curious caverns 
 called Grottes d'Arcy, rich in stalactites, etc. (entrance, 5fr.). 
 The keys are kept at the fortified manor of Chatenay, 1549. 
 The railway continues by the picturesque valley of the Cure 
 and the ruined castle of Voutenay, to 
 
 41 k. Sermizelles. The xn. c. church has a xvi. c. tower. 
 (There is an omnibus from here to [iQk.] Vezelay. See 
 later.) On the Montague de Montmarte (r.) some remains 
 of a temple of Mars have been discovered. 
 
 56k. Avallon (Hotels: de la Poste good; du Chapeau 
 Rouge), most picturesquely situated above deep gorges, 
 which must be explored to obtain an idea of the singular 
 position of the place. In one, the sides of the cliff are 
 cut away into terraced gardens ; but in the other, masses 
 of dark grey rocks rise almost to the buildings of the city. 
 In the modern town is a pretty promenade of clipped limes, 
 with a statue of Vauban by Bartholdi. Hence, a winding 
 street leads to the Tour de FHorloge, a lofty grey tower with 
 a single tourelle, built 1455, above an older gateway, and 
 containing a small Musee. 
 
 Just beyond the gate (on 1.) is the Collegiate Church of 
 S. Lazare, or S. Ladre, built on the site of an earlier church 
 dedicated to Notre Dame in the first years of xii. c. Of 
 
1 76 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 this date are the two great portals of the faade, which are 
 exceedingly rich and splendid. That on 1. is divided by a 
 pillar to which a statue of S. Ladre was originally attached. 
 That on r. is adorned with garlands of fruit and flowers. 
 
 ' Le portail de 1'eglise S. Lazare, qui est un des examples les 
 plus remarquables de 1'architecture fleurie du xn c siecle, possede 
 des colonnettes a pans, torses, taillees avec ime rare perfe9tion 
 dans un seul morceau de pierre. Sur les ebrasements de cette 
 meme porte, nous voyons un fut decolonnette torse qui presente 
 un reseau de cordelettes ' Viollet le Due. 
 
 A flight of steps is descended to the interior of the 
 church, which has several twisted columns. By the side 
 of S. Lazare rises the Chapelle S. Pierre, a single gothic 
 nave of xm. c. 
 
 From the Petit Cours is a delightful view over the valley 
 of the Cousin. The ancient church of 5. Martin, at the 
 end of the faubourg of that name, is transition romanesque. 
 In the choir are two ancient cipollino columns. The 
 modern church of S. Martin is xvm. c. There are many 
 timber houses in Avallon of xv. c. and xvi. c. 
 
 Several delightful excursions may be made from Avallon, 
 which is a capital centre. A favourite expedition is that (10 fr.) 
 to the Convent of la Pierre-qui-Vire. The road passes near 
 vS*. Leger- Vauban, with a church of xv. c. and a village where 
 Vauban was born in 1633, and where, till his seventeenth year, 
 he served as a shepherd. Near the hamlet of Trinquelin is 
 the great convent of 6 1 . Marie de la Pierre-qui-Vire^ which 
 takes its name from an isolated dolmen surmounted by a statue 
 of the Virgin, and which local tradition declares to have formerly 
 turned upon its own base of its own accord at midday. The 
 convent, which was only founded in the desolate Morvan in 1849, 
 formerly contained one hundred monks, but has now only six, 
 
CHASTELLUX. 17? 
 
 The church, in the romanesque style, is from designs of Frere 
 Frai^ois. 
 
 A more interesting excursion is that to (i2k.) Chastellux. 
 The road descends into the picturesque gorges below the 
 town, and then crosses a heathy country recalling Scotland, till 
 it enters a glen with an old bridge, clear river, and beautiful 
 woods. It is pleasantest to leave the carriage here, and walk up 
 past the ancient cottages to the Church, which contains the tomb 
 of Louis de Chastellux, 1580, and a bust of Comte Cesar-Pierre, 
 
 CHATEAU DE CHASTELLUX. 
 
 killed at Nordlingen, in 1646. A cippus commemorates Olivier 
 de Chastellux, and his wife Marguerite d'Amboise, 1617, 1625. 
 Close by, above beautiful lawns and gardens, avenues of 
 pink chestnuts, and terraces with brilliant flowers and clipped 
 orange trees, rise the old towers of the Chateau, which is perfectly 
 preserved and nobly kept up, though it dates from the middle of 
 xiu. c., and its donjon tower La Tour de S. Jean from XL c. 
 Its ramparts have been constantly adorned, never destroyed. 
 Visitors are admitted at the old portal by the sundial, but the 
 interior is nothing more than that of a thoroughly comfortable 
 
 12 
 
1 78 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 country-house. The pictures are only a good succession of 
 family portraits, except a fine portrait of Mme. Victoire, ' Tante 
 du Roi,' in a grey dress, given to her god-daughter and faithful 
 lady-in-waiting Mile, de Durfort, who married Henri Georges 
 Cesar de Chastellux, her chevalier d'honneur. The devotion of 
 these faithful friends to the princess in her exile led to the 
 seizure and sale of their chateau in 1793, but it was bought in 
 and preserved from destruction by the Countess-Dowager. 
 
 ' Les deux comtesses de Chastellux, jeunes, jolies, et mises 
 avec la simplicite de leur age, formaient un contraste frappant 
 avec la gothique attitude de toute la vieille cour de Mesdames de 
 France.' ' Memoires de la Duchesse d'Abrantes.' 
 
 The neighbouring village of Quarre-des-To?nbes takes its 
 name from one hundred and fifty stone coffins found here. In 
 the church is the tomb of Olivier de Chastellux, 1617. 
 
 A carriage for the day to (i5k.) Vezelay costs (one horse) 
 25 fr. There are two roads, but tourists should insist upon 
 their driver taking that which passes (3^ k.) Pontaubert, with a 
 Templar's church of the end of xji. c. with a narthex. The font 
 is xvi. c. (i k. hence is the xv. c. chateau of Vault de Lugny^} 
 
 By a very slight deviation (this should be mentioned before 
 setting out) the travellers may cross the exceedingly picturesque 
 ravine of Pierre-Perthuis, by a wide lofty arch above a gorge 
 where the Cure forces its way between precipitous rocks. There 
 is an older grey stone bridge in the hollow, and a church (XL c. 
 and xv. c.) is perched on the cliffs amid the ruins of an old 
 castle. 
 
 [7 k. from hence, passing the xv. c. chateau of Domecy-sur- 
 Cure, and the xn. c. ruins of the abbey of Chore, is Bazoches, 
 with a church of xn. c., modernised in xvi. c. Under its apsidal 
 chapels, re-built by Vauban in 1688, is the vault where his heart 
 reposed till it was moved to the Invalides by Napol6on I. in 1809. 
 The xv. c. Chateau de Bazoches (Comtesse de Vibraye) is a very 
 interesting building, finely situated on the steep edge of a hill. 
 It was bought by Vauban in 1675, an( ^ partly rebuilt by him. 
 The furniture of his room and his armour are preserved.] 
 
5. PKRE DE VEZELAY. 179 
 
 We have long seen V6zelay on its round hill, the outlines of 
 the huge church being more effective at a distance than close by. 
 At the foot of the hill, we find the village of 6*. Pere-sous-Vezelay, 
 with the remains of the original monastery, founded by Gerard 
 de Roussillon and his wife Bertha, daughter of Pepin, king of 
 Aquitaine. It was destroyed by the Normans, after which it was 
 moved for security to the height where the church of the Madeleine 
 now stands. Most beautiful is the later gothic Church of S. 
 Pierre of c. 1240, with its exquisite xin. c. tower, which was sur- 
 mounted in the xiv. c. by a wooden spire, covered with shingles. 
 
 ' Si la composition generate du clocher de Saint-Pere esf re- 
 marquable, facile a comprendre, les details, tels que les profils et 
 la sculpture, sont executes avec cette hardiesse et cette franchise 
 qui appartiennent au style bourguignon du xni e siecle. Les 
 angles, avec leurs colonnettes detachees de la masse et reliees aux 
 piles par des bagues et les tailloirs des chapiteaux, rompent la 
 secheresse de ces angles et conduisent 1'oeil aux silhouettes 
 ajourees des pinnacles.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 The narthex which precedes the church is one of the largest 
 specimens known of these peculiar closed porches. 
 
 ' Ce porche s'ouvre sur la face anterieure par trois baies qui 
 ne paraissent pas disposees pour recevoir des grilles ou des 
 vantaux de bois; lateralement il etait ajoure par des baies 
 vitrees posees sur un bahut, de maniere a garantir les fideles 
 centre le vent et la pluie.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 Above the porch is a great rose-window under an arch, over 
 which rises a gable, divided into nine compartments, filled with 
 niches containing figures of saints, whilst, above all, is the figure 
 of Christ in benediction and crowned by angels. At each side 
 are pinnacles. At the sides of the fa9ade are two towers, of 
 great size in proportion to the church, but only one of them 
 completed. 
 
 The interior of the porch of S. Pere is still untouched by 
 restoration, and an artist will delight in it as an exquisite subject 
 in colour, a beautiful tomb on one side breaking the lines of the 
 pillars and arches. Another fine tomb is in the N. aisle, backed 
 by a relief of S, Peter kneeling at the feet of the Saviour, and 
 
iSo SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 presenting the church (?), while the Madonna and angels with 
 censers stand by. The triforium is peculiar, and rises by steps 
 to a higher level on reaching the choir, which has two square and 
 three hexagonal chapels 
 
 A winding road leads up the hill from S. Pere to Vezelay 
 (Hotel : de la Paste pleasantly situated outside the gate). 
 
 Founded in ix. c. round the monastery of Gerard de Roussillon, 
 Vezelay was the place where S. Bernard preached the second 
 crusade, in the presence of Louis VII., who took the cross 
 there. 
 
 'La semaine sainte de Tan 1146 arriva : le roi, 1'abbe de 
 Clairvaux, " fortifie de 1'autorite apostolique et de sa propre 
 saintete," et la multitude des seigneurs convoques, se reunirent 
 au lieu convenu. " Comme il n'y avail point assez de place dans le 
 chateau ni dans la ville pour contenir le peuple immense accouru 
 de toutes parts, on avait construit au dehors, dans la plaine qui 
 domine la montagne de Vezelai, une machine de bois (une 
 sorte d'estrade ou de tribune), afin que 1'abbe de Clairvaux put 
 parler d'en haut a 1'assemblee. Bernard monta sur cette chaise, 
 avec le roi pare de sa croix, et, lorsque cet orateur du ciel cut, 
 comme a 1'ordinaire, repandu la rosee de la parole divine, un cri 
 g6nerale s'eleva : Des croix! des croix! Les croix que le 
 saint abbe" avait fait preparer d'avance furent bientot epuisees ; il 
 flit force alors de couper ses propres vetements pour en tailler 
 d'autres croix, et il ne cessa de vaquer a cette oeuvre tant qu'il 
 resta a Vezelai, confirmant sa prediction par de nombreux 
 miracles." 
 
 ' Les discours de Bernard, seconde par 1'appui du roi, eurent 
 a Vezelai un succes extraordinaire ; avec Louis le Jeune et la 
 reine FJeonore se croiserent les eveques de Noyon, de Langres, de 
 Lisieux ; Alphonse-Jourdain, Comte de Toulouse et Marquis de 
 Provence, qui s'etait reconcilie avec le roi, sans doute a 1'occasion 
 de la guerre sainte : Thierri d'Alsace, Comte de Flandre ; Henri, 
 fils de Thibaud, Comte Palatin de Champagne et de Chartres ; 
 le Comte Robert de Dreux et le Sire Pierre de Courtenai, freres 
 du roi ; beaucoup d'autres comtes et barons, plusieurs milliers de 
 cavaliers, et une multitude de gens du peuple. " Apres que 
 Ton fut convenu de partir au bout d'une annee, tons se retour- 
 nerent joyeusement chez eux," ' Martin, ' Hist, de France' 
 
VEZELAY. 181 
 
 At this same Vezelay, Philippe-Auguste and Richard Coeur 
 de Lion took the cross in 1187. 
 
 A steep street, with occasional old houses, leads from the 
 gate to the platform on the hill top once occupied by the great 
 monastery of La Madeleine, founded 868 for Benedictine nuns, 
 and, ten years afterwards, given to monks, of whom Eudon or 
 Odon was the first abbot. In the middle of the x. c. the abbey 
 was burnt, and it was never fully rebuilt till its restoration was 
 ordered by Due Henri de Bourgogne in 1008-11. 
 
 Little remains now except the magnificent church the 
 largest romanesque church in the world, and one of the finest 
 ecclesiastical buildings in France. It was greatly mutilated in 
 the wars of religion, and at the Revolution was turned into a 
 temple of Reason. Recently it has been restored under Viollet 
 le Due. 
 
 The faade is a very ancient gothic restoration ill adjusted to 
 a romanesque base. Of the two romanesque towers, that on 1. 
 was thrown down by the Protestants in 1569, and in xix. c. a 
 kind of observatory was erected on the other. The great un- 
 finished open gable replaced the romanesque gable in the xiv. c. 
 
 ' D'apres ce qui reste, il est facile de se faire une idee de cette 
 fa9ade, telle qu'elle etait lors de la construction primitive : trois. 
 portes principales cintrees, avec des archivoltes et des tympans 
 richement sculptes, etaient precedees d'une montee de quelque 
 gradins. Deux tours carries, mediocrement elevees, encadraient 
 la fa9ade, et se reunissaient par une galerie, dont quelques parties 
 subsistent encore dans la tour du droite. Au-dessus de cette 
 galerie, suivant toute apparence, s'elevait un fronton triangulaire.' 
 Prosper Merimee. 
 
 A great vestibule narthex of xn. c. precedes the nave, and is 
 still called le Porche des Catechumenes . This porch has now to 
 be opened by a sacristan, but was formerly scarcely regarded 
 by the people as part of the church : men wore their hats and 
 children played there. Nowhere, however, is any church interior 
 more magnificent than that which is to be seen, when the great 
 doors here are opened, of the immense vista of arches framed in 
 the glorious central portal, which is one of the most remarkable 
 and strange works of the middle-ages, and has served as a type 
 
1 82 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 to endless xn. c. churches, in Burgundy, Champagne, and part of 
 the Lyonnais. The tympanum of the central portal represents 
 Christ giving the Holy Spirit to the Apostles; that on the r. 
 has the Adoration of the Magi ; that on the 1. the Resurrection. 
 On the base of the statue of John Baptist, on the central portal 
 is inscribed, 'Agnoscant omnes quia dicitur iste Johannes . . . 
 et populum demonstrans indice Christum.' 
 
 'We find disproportioned figures in garments with formal 
 folds and fluttering ends in the important sculptures of the abbey 
 church at Vezelay. At the principal portal we see the solemn 
 figure of Christ enthroned among the apostles, accompanied by a 
 number of smaller scenes. We see here how the artists of these 
 provinces struggled to produce a new conception of sacred per- 
 sonages, and thus fell into a new kind of formalism strangely 
 combined with fantastic devices. In the capitals and in the 
 interior of this church, this exaggerated tendency gave way to 
 a far coarser and more naturalistic style.' Lubke. 
 
 1 Au milieu d'un immense tympan est represents le Sauveur 
 dans sa gloire. Cette figure, de dimension colossale, est evidem- 
 ment executee sous 1'inspiration d'artistes byzantins, si ce n'est 
 par eux-memes. En cette sculpture, etrange, mais imposante a la 
 fois, le Christ est vetu d'une longue robe flottante, plissee a petits 
 plis, suivant un usage oriental fort ancien et conserve jusqu'a 
 nos jours. La brise semble soulever les longs plis de sa robe.' 
 Viollet le Due. 
 
 The immense nave of 1011-50 is of two characters: the 
 first has simple romanesque cylindrical vaulting, strengthened by 
 double arches adorned with zig-zags and roses; the second is 
 higher and gothic, with crossed ribs. At the end of the nave 
 (on r.) is a good wall tomb of a sainted bishop of Auxerre, who 
 retired hither as a monk. The short rectangular transepts have 
 square chapels. Three steps lead to the choir, which is probably 
 early xm. c., and is surrounded by eight circular monolith pillars, 
 with pointed vaulting and arcades, and five radiating chapels. 
 Beneath is a crypt supported by twelve columns. The way in 
 which the Lady Chapel is united to the church is here (as at 
 Sens) especially graceful and remarkable. There is scarcely 
 
VEZELAY. 183 
 
 any church where greater delicacy and finish of sculpture is 
 found than at Vezelay. 
 
 1 C'est surtout la richesse et la variete de 1'ornementation qui 
 distinguent 1'eglise de Vezelay. Les chapiteaux, je ne parle que 
 des plus anciens, sont tons differents. Les uns representent des 
 sujets bibliques, d'autres les supplices des damnes, quelques-uns 
 des chasses, on bien des animaux inventes par la caprice du 
 sculpteur. On y voit des diables pourvus de comes et de queues, 
 tourmentant les damnes. D'autres chapiteaux, mais en plus 
 petit nombre, offrent des ornements bizarres, ou bien des feuillages 
 capricieusement agences. Plusieurs sont ornes de fleurs, entre 
 autres de roses, assez bien executes. La forme generale de tous 
 est une pyramide tronquee, dont les angles sont arrondis . Presque 
 toutes les bases sont garnies de moulures de perles ou de pal- 
 mettes. Pour rornementation, les piliers de la partie ogivale de 
 la nef ne different en rien de ceux de la partie la plus ancienne ; 
 quant a ceux du choeur, ils n'ont que de simples moulures 
 surmontes d'un tailloir.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 From the r. transept is the entrance to the Chapter House, 
 supported by two great pillars. It is said that it was in this hall 
 that the weeping monks assembled before being finally dispersed, 
 when driven out of their convent by an insurrection of their 
 vassals in xu. c. 1 Some romanesque arcades remain of the 
 cloister, which contains a xu. c. well. A gothic portal of the abbot's 
 house exists, but it is for the most part impossible to distinguish 
 the exact site of the buildings, which, as at Cluny, were so vast 
 that kings, with all their followers, could lodge in them without 
 disturbing any of the usual inhabitants. Part of the site of the 
 abbey is now occupied by a terrace, whence there is a striking 
 view. 
 
 The belfry of the church of 6*. Pere-le-Haut (xu. c.) is now a 
 clock tower : 61 Etitnne (xm. c.) is a market : the church of the 
 Cordeliers is in ruins. A little ruined xu. c. Chapel is said to 
 mark a spot where S. Bernard preached. Of the ancient walls, 
 the Porte Neuve (xv. c.) remains on the side towards Auxerre. 
 Several houses are of the xn. c. : one in the Grand' Rue of xv. c. : 
 one on the Place of xvi. c. A house is marked as the birthplace, 
 
 1 La Chronique de Hugues de Poitiers. 
 
1 84 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 in 1519, of the Calvinist leader, Theodore de Beze, who converted 
 the king of Navarre. After the death of Calvin, he was considered 
 the leader of the Reform, but employed great violence in the 
 promulgation of his doctrines. 
 
 The little town of Vezelay was remarkable in the xn. c. for its 
 rebellion against its lords, heirs of Gerard de Roussillon, who 
 refused to recognise its charter. Upon this it constituted itself a 
 commune, surrounding itself with walls and towers, which were 
 
 LES NOYERS DE S. BERNARD. 
 
 afterwards demolished by the abbot, who had to call in the 
 assistance of Louis le Jeune. 
 
 ' Vezelay n'est pas meme im chef-lieu de sous-prefecture, et 
 cette simple bourgade eut, il y a pres de sept cents ans, 1'audace 
 de faire une revolution pour son compte.' Thierry, ' Lcttres sur 
 I' Hist, de France.' 
 
 To 1. as you face the W. front of the churchn(or following the 
 avenues from Hotel de la Poste), a stony little path between 
 vineyards leads down the side of the hill towards the village of 
 
SAULIEb. 185 
 
 Asquin, to a turfy spot with a cross shaded by old walnut-trees 
 Les Noyers de S. Bernard, where S. Bernard is said to have 
 preached the second crusade. 
 
 The road from Avallon to Montbard passes at I2^k. the fine 
 ruined castle of Montfort (mons fortis), rebuilt by Frederic- 
 Casimir, Prince Palatine of Landsberg, who married the daughter 
 of Guillaume, Prince of Orange, to whom the domains of the 
 Barons de Montfort had come by marriage. The heirs of Frederic- 
 Casimir sold it to the family of Louvois. It was ruined at the 
 Revolution. 
 
 Leaving Avallon, the railway passes (1.) within 2 k. of 
 Sauvigny-le-Bois, with remains of the xn. c. priory (church 
 and cloister) of S. Jean-des-Bons-Hommes. 
 
 65 k. La Maison Dieu. 6 k. N. are the ruined castle 
 and XH. c. church of Montreal. 
 
 [A line runs S. to (79 k.) Autun (see ch. i.), by 
 
 76k. (from Auxerre) 6*. Andre en-Terre-P lame. R. is 
 5. Magnance, where the xvi. c. church contains the shrine of 
 S. Magnance, one of the holy women who brought back the 
 body of S. Germain from Ravenna to Auxerre in 548. The 
 manor of Chdtcau-Jacquot, defended by two great towers, is 
 xiv. c. ; the ruins of Chateau-Gail lard are xvi. c. 
 
 90 k. La-Roche -en-Brenil. The fine moated chateau is late 
 xvi. c. 
 
 io4k. Saulieu (Hotels: de la Poste ; du Chapeau Rouge}, 
 formerly the capital of Morvan, is supposed to have derived its 
 Roman name of Sidolocum (Solis locus or lucus ?) from its 
 worship of the sun, though others derive it from a military station 
 (sedis locus). 
 
 The abbey church of 6*. Andoche, at the highest point in the 
 town, was rebuilt at the beginning of xn. c., and consecrated in 
 1119. The original choir was destroyed by the English in 1359, 
 and of the ancient church only the nave remains. The two towers 
 of the facade are Burgundian romanesque. In the interior the 
 capitals of the pillars are taken from the New Testament. Over 
 the entrance is an admirable wooden tribune of the end of xv. c. 
 The stalls are good specimens of xin. c. At the end of the choir 
 
1 86 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 .is the precious tomb of S. Andoche, of the v. c., covered with 
 sculpture, of which the authenticity has been doubted. 
 
 The church of 6*. Saturnin, beyond the S. end of the town, is 
 surrounded by a graveyard, which contains three curious Gallo- 
 Roman grave stones, one lying against the side wall of the church, 
 the others erect. A little pyramid commemorates the last descen- 
 dant of the Minister Sully, who died in 1807. 
 
 [28 k. S.W. of Saulieu is Arnay-le-Duc (Hotels : de la Poste; du 
 Soleil), famous for the battle, in 1570, between Admiral Coligny 
 and the Marechal de Cosse-Brissac, in which Henri IV. at sixteen 
 made his first essay as a soldier. The place where his tent was 
 pitched is still called pdtis-au-roi. Ruins exist of an ancient 
 priory and a parish church, and one tower of the castle. Op- 
 posite the Hotel de la Poste is the house where Bonaventure des 
 Periers (an author of xvi. c.) was born. The old Chateau de la 
 Motte- Forte has a good doorway and dormer windows of the 
 Renaissance.] 
 
 113 k. Liernais. The church is XL c. Only a few fragments 
 remain of the castle. 
 
 149 k. Autun. See ch. i.] 
 
 [Anothe.- route from Avallon to (100 k.) Autun passes through 
 (6 1 k.) the exceedingly interesting and curious old town of 
 Chateau- Chinon (Hotels: du Commerce; du Lion d'Or), above 
 theYonne, in a most picturesque district of the Morvan. To the 
 E. is the dolmen called Maison du Loupj\ 
 
 [For the road to Aisy by Montreal see ch. i.] 
 
 Passing 1. Cisery^ with a castle of xv. c., the line to 
 Laumes reaches 
 
 70 k. Guillen^ where, in a castle now destroyed, peace 
 was concluded (March 10, 1360) between the Burgundians 
 and Edward III. of England. The church is xm. c. 2 k. 
 is Savigny- en-Terr e-Plaine, which has a xn. c. church with 
 xvi. c. tower, and tombs, with statues, of the Marquis de 
 
SEMUR. 
 
 187 
 
 Ragny, the friend of Henri IV. and his wife Catherine 
 de Cypierre. The chateau of Ragny was built under 
 Louis XIII. 
 
 yyk. Epoisses, which has an old castle, supposed to 
 have been built by Brunehaut, still belonging to the family 
 of Guitaut, and often mentioned, with them, in the letters 
 of Mme. de Se'vigne. It contains some interesting portraits, 
 
 WALLS OF SEMUR. 
 
 The 
 
 and has a xn. c. chapel, used as the parish church, 
 line passes (r.) the castle of Forleans. 
 
 90 k. Semur (Hotels: de la Cote d'Or good; du 
 Commerce], a most picturesque town, on a promontory sur- 
 rounded on three sides by the Armangon. It existed in v. c. 
 
 The splendid church of Notre Dame was built in xi. c., 
 by Robert I., Due de Bourgogne, as an expiatory offering 
 
i88 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 for the murder of his father-in-law Dalmace. It was rebuilt 
 xiii. c., repaired xiv. c., and is a noble specimen of Bur- 
 gundian gothic. The church is approached from the W. 
 by an open porch, within which are three portals, divided 
 by square pillars supporting figures of saints in pinnacled 
 niches. On the N. of the church is a curious portal, the 
 tympanum of which represents the crime and repentance of 
 Robert I. The effect of the interior is somewhat marred 
 by its narrowness in proportion to its great height. The 
 chapels on 1. have some good fragments of stained glass 
 and reliefs, much injured in the Revolution. In the 2nd 
 chapel is a curious S. Sepulcre, and, at the end of the 1. 
 aisle, a beautiful gothic tabernacle, used to contain the holy 
 oil. The triforium is decorated with projecting heads of 
 admirable sculpture. The space taken from the people by 
 the extreme narrowness of the nave, is given back to them 
 by the double side-aisles of the choir, which are the whole 
 width of the transept. The choir itself, 1220-30, has three 
 chapels. 
 
 ' Une des plus belles clefs (de voute) que nous connaissons, 
 se trouve sculptee au-dessus du sanctuaire. Cette clef represente 
 le couronriement de la Vierge au milieu de feuillages. Le Christ 
 s'appuie sur le livre saint et benit sa mere. Un ange pose la 
 couronne divine sur la tete de Marie. Deux autres anges sortant a 
 mi-corps des branchages, portent chacun un cierge. Toute la 
 sculpture qui couvre le plateau, de pres d'un metre de diametre, 
 est completement peinte, les feuillages en vert, les fonds en brun 
 rouge, et les vetements des deux personnages de diverses couleurs, 
 dans lesquelles le bleu et rouge dominent.' Viollet le Due. 
 
 There is a very curious double gateway opposite the 
 Hotel de la Cote d'Or. Several wells have fine specimens 
 of wrought-iron work in their canopies. Further down the 
 
SEMUR. 189 
 
 promontory of Se'mur is the Chateau, of xin. c. Only the 
 four enormous circular towers at the angles remain, of great 
 height towards the river. The space within them is occu- 
 pied by the houses of the town. Nearer the end of the 
 
 GATEWAY, SEMUR. 
 
 promontory is the Hospital, with a pleasant garden. On 
 the ramparts are several public walks. 
 
 [An excursion should be made (sk.) from S6mur to the 
 chateau of Bourbilly which belonged to the famous Mere Marie 
 Chantal, widow of the Baron de Rabutin-Chantal, the friend of 
 S, Vincent de Paul and grandmother of Mme. de S6vigne, 
 
190 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 beatified in 1751 and canonized in 1767. Her oratory and chapel 
 are preserved.] 
 
 [A road of 70 k. leads from Semur to Dijon by 
 
 1 5k. Pont-Royal. 4 k. r. is 5. Thibault, where the-xm. c. 
 church has a magnificent portal enriched with statuettes and 
 bas-reliefs. The choir and a chapel are xiv. c. 
 
 22 k. Vitteaux (Hotel : de la Poste) on the Brenne. The 
 demolition of its chateau, now ruined, was ordered by Henri IV. 
 for its resistance during the wars of Religion. 
 
 50 k. Pont-de-Pany, whence the Chateau de Montculot may 
 be visited. See p. 59.] 
 
 [The road from Semur to (28 k.) Saulieu (diligence) passes 
 
 1 4k. Maison-Neuve. L. 3k. is the very ancient Chateau de 
 
 Thil, rebuilt at the end of the xn. c. The church is xi. c. and 
 
 XII. C. 
 
 19 k. Montlay. 3 k. is La Cour d'Arccnay, with a fine xvn. c. 
 chateau.] 
 
 Continuing the railway, we reach 
 
 10 1 k. Marigny-le-Cahouet) with a great castle flanked 
 by four towers. On a be'nitier in the church is a figure 
 of Mercury. 
 
 1 04k. Pouillenay. An old chateau, with four towers. 
 
 1 08 k. Les Laumes, on the main line from Paris to 
 Lyon (see ch. i.) 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PARIS TO NIMES, BY SOURCES. MONTLUCON, CLER- 
 MONT-FERRAND (MONT DORE AND THE CURIOSI- 
 TIES OF AUVERGNE AND CANTAL, S. FLOUR AND 
 LE PUY). IN CHER, ALLIER, PUY-DE-DOME, AND 
 CANTAL. 
 
 The quickest route to Auvergne is that from the Gare de Lyon 
 at Paris by the Chemin de Fer du Bourbonnais (Fontainebleau, 
 Montargis, Nevers, Moulins, S. Germain des Fosses). But most 
 English travellers will take Bourges on their way, which is 
 reached, either by Vierzon (see South-Western France, ch. iv.), 
 from which it is 32 k. distant, or by Corbeil (as here described), 
 which is the shorter route by 12 k., and allows of a visit to Sully, 
 though the journey takes much more time. 
 
 The trains for Corbeil from the Gare de Lyon cross 
 an ugly plain, but approach the Seine on the r., and low 
 wooded hills on 1., where the main line is left at 
 
 1 5k. Villeneuve-S.- Georges. The line crosses the Seine 
 to Juvisy, which has a station on the Orleans line (see 
 South- Western France). 
 
 24k. Ris-Orangis. Just beyond the station the line 
 passes the Chateau de Froment, which once belonged to 
 the Templars, afterwards to the President de Thou, the 
 historian, who had alluded to the profligacy of an uncle 1 
 
 1 ' Moine apostat et coupable de toutes sortes de crimes.' 
 
192 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of Richelieu in his works, which caused the Minister of 
 Louis XIII. to exclaim : ' De Thou a mis mon nom dans 
 son histoire ; je mettrai son nom dans la mienne,' and De 
 Thou himself having died in 1617, Richelieu beheaded his 
 son in 1642. This is the station for the Forest of Senart, 
 which is traversed by the road from Paris to Melun, and is 
 celebrated by an incident which occurred to Louis XV. 
 
 ' Chassant un jour dans la foret de Senard, une annee ou le 
 pain avait ete extremement cher, il rencontra un homme a cheval 
 portant une biere. " Ou portez-vous cette biere?" dit le roi. 
 " Au village de . . . ," repond le paysan. " Est-ce pour un 
 homme ou pour une femme ?" " Pour un homme." " De quoi 
 est-il mort ? " " De faim," repond brusquement le villageois. Le 
 roi piqua son cheval, et ne fit plus de question.' Mme. Campan. 
 
 There are a number of fine chateaux near this, the most 
 important being that of Petit-Bourg, pleasantly situated 
 above the Seine, which belonged to the Due d'Antin, legiti- 
 mate eldest son of Mme. de Montespan, who received his 
 mother's former lover and Mme. de Maintenon here with 
 great honours. Louis XV. also often resorted hither with 
 his mistresses. At the beginning of the Revolution the 
 chateau was inhabited by the Duchesse de Bourbon. At 
 the invasion of the Allies, Schwarzenberg established him- 
 self here and treated with.Ney and Coulaincourt upon the 
 abdication of Napoleon I. After the Restoration the chateau 
 was restored by Aguado, Marquis de las Marismas. 
 
 30 k. Eury-sur- Seine , connected by a suspension bridge 
 with EtiolkS) which belonged to the husband of Mme. de 
 Pompadour. In later days the chateau was inhabited by 
 Count Walewski, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Napole'on III. 
 
 3 1 k. Corbeil (Hotels : Bellevue near the bridge ; de la 
 
CORBEIL. 
 
 193 
 
 Belle Image good and reasonable), a considerable town, at 
 the meeting of the Essonne and the Seine, which is crossed 
 by a handsome bridge of five arches. Of its five ancient 
 churches only one remains, the collegiate church of S. 
 
 PORTE DU CLOITRE, CORBEIL. 
 
 Exupere, or S. Spire, founded by Haymon, first Comte de 
 Corbeil, in 950, rebuilt 1144, and served till 1790 by a 
 chapter composed of a secular abbe, twelve canons, and six 
 chaplains. It is approached by a very picturesque gateway, 
 Porte du Cloitre, from the principal street. 
 
194 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The W. porch is under the tower. In a chapel r. of the 
 principal entrance is the tomb of Count Haymon, who is 
 said to have built the church in honour of a victory over a 
 two-headed dragon, and who died on his return from a pil- 
 grimage to Italy seven years after its foundation. In the 
 same chapel is the monument of Jacques de Bourgoin, who 
 founded the College of Corbeil in 1661. The curious shrine 
 of S. Spire was melted down at the Revolution. In the 
 collegiate buildings Abelard established his school, when he 
 fled from Melun. 
 
 Nothing remains of the church of S. Jean de TErmitage, 
 which contained the relics of SS. Quirin and Pience ; of 
 Notre Dame, which claimed to have those of S. Yon ; or 
 of S. Jean en ITsle, founded by Isemburge, the divorced 
 Danish wife of Philippe-Auguste, who was buried in its 
 S. transept (1256), under a fine tomb, bearing a metal 
 effigy. Near this church was the Palais de la Reine, 
 usually given as a residence to queens-dowager of France, 
 where the chamber of Isemburge was preserved till the 
 Revolution, when it perished like the tomb. Near the 
 bridge, on the left bank of the river, was the chateau where 
 Charles VIII. imprisoned the famous Georges d'Amboise 
 in 1487. 
 
 Twenty minutes' walk from Corbeil is the manufacturing 
 village of Essonnes, where Bernardin de S. Pierre had a 
 cottage, which still exists, though much altered. 
 
 41 k. Mennecy, with a xm. c. church, near which the 
 Dues de Villeroy had a fine chateau, which perished in the 
 Revolution. 
 
 53 k. La Ferte Alais (Firmitas Adelai'dis) has an interest- 
 ing xii. c. church, with a stone spire, 
 
MALESHERBES. 195 
 
 60 k. Boutigny, with an old gateway. The church is 
 
 XII. C. 
 
 65 k. Maisse (7 k. E. is Milly, with a xm. c. church* 
 containing a sculptured retable offered to S. Julienne. The 
 chateau dates from 1479, an< ^ tne curious halles are of the 
 same period. 
 
 yyk. Malesherbes. The church (xn. c. and xm. c.) has 
 an octagonal tower and contains a S. Sepulcre, sculptured, 
 in 1622, for the Convent of Cordeliers. A bust of M. de 
 Malesherbes was given by Louis XVIII. In the churchyard 
 is a curious xm. c. tomb. The chateau, originally xv. c., but 
 rebuilt, is still inhabited by the descendants of the brave 
 defender of Louis XVI. On the N. is the restored xv. c. 
 Chateau de Rouville. 
 
 [A line diverges W. to (64 k.) Orleans, by 
 
 9 k. Manchecourt. The church is xi. c. The neighbouring 
 church of Coudray is also xi. c. The line passes r. Ramoulu, 
 with church of xn. c. and cross of 1636. 
 
 19 k. Pithimers (Hotels : de la Paste ; de Paris). The church, 
 dedicated to S. Salomon, king of Brittany, murdered in 874, is 
 chiefly renaissance, but has a fine xiv. c. tower with a modern 
 spire. On the Place de la Mairie is the xu. c. tower of 6". 
 Georges. 6k. E. is Yevres-le-Chdtel, with a church of XL c. 
 and xm. c., once the chapel of the castle, which dates from 
 the xm. c., and is a very striking and picturesque ruin. 
 
 39k. Escrennes, has an xi. c. church. 
 
 32k. Montigny (2^ k.) has a fine xv. c. church. 
 
 38 k. Neuville-aux-Bois. 5 k. W. the church of Villereau is 
 xvi. c., with a beautiful tabernacle and good glass of the date.] 
 
 83 k. La Brosse. 2 k. W. is the Chateau d'Augerville, 
 which belonged to Berryer. 
 
 89 k. Puiseaux, which rose around a famous Augustinian 
 
196 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 priory, founded by Louis Le Gros, in 1112. The church, 
 of xii. c. and XIIL c., has a tall modern spire, a remark- 
 able xni. c. fagade, and a beautiful xv. c. chapel and S. 
 Spulcre. 
 
 102 k. Beaum-la-Rolande, has a fine church, built by 
 Charles VII., with a curious fortified porch, and a roman- 
 esque crypt containing the bones of S. Pipe, 1309. Here 
 the line to (i6k.) Montargis (see ch. ii.) diverges to 1. 
 
 116 k. Belkgarde. Here we cross the line from 
 Montargis to Orleans. 
 
 143 k. Les Bordes, which has a station (close by) on the 
 line from Gien to Orleans. 
 
 150 k. Sully (Hotel : de la Poste very good, but horrors), 
 which, from the ix. c., had a lord who was one of the four 
 'hauts barons' of France, and was of a house to which 
 Eudes and Maurice, Bishops of Paris, and Henri de Sully, 
 Archbishop of Bourges, belonged. From the family of Sully 
 the barony passed to that of La Tre'mouille. It was pur- 
 chased by the famous Minister of Henri IV., who erected it 
 into a duchy for his friend, whose descendants occupied the 
 chateau till 1807, when the last Due de Sully died. At one 
 end of the street stands the church, at the other the castle, 
 standing in a wide moat close to the Loire, which is crossed 
 by a suspension bridge. The buildings dated from the xiv. c., 
 but were much altered by the great Sully, who pulled down 
 the church of S. Ythier and built on its site the great Tour 
 de Bethune, in which his ' Oeconomies ' were afterwards 
 printed. After the murder of Henri IV. Sully occupied his 
 retirement here in dictating that work to four secretaries. 
 Sometimes he resided at Capdenac, and during one of these 
 absences his wife, Rachel de Cochefilet, opened the chateau 
 
SULLY. 
 
 197 
 
 to the Calvinists, but it was soon taken from them by the 
 royalist troops. Sully died (1641) at his property of Villebon, 
 near Chartres. Chapelle and Chaulieu were received at 
 Sully in 1661. Voltaire, who was twice there (1716 and 
 
 CHATEAU DE SULLY. 
 
 1719), wrote his Oedipe and Artemire, and sketched the plan 
 of his Henriade there. 
 
 The chateau (Comte de Bethune-Sully) is not shown to 
 strangers, but its tourelles, gateway, and old-fashioned garden 
 are well seen from the road. The rooms of Sully are in the S.E. 
 
198 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 wing. His bedroom (now a dining-room) contains his portrait 
 and that of the duchess, his grand-daughter The sculptures 
 of the panelling recall the office of Sully as Grand Master of 
 Artillery. Close by is the cabinet in which he worked with 
 his secretaries. In the great salon of the first floor, adorned 
 with a portrait of Henri IV., the Oedipe and Artemire of 
 Voltaire were represented for the first time. The statue 
 of Sully in the courtyard was executed for his wife by 
 an Italian sculptor : it belonged originally to Villebon, and 
 after the Revolution was preserved for some time in the 
 Musee des Monuments. 
 
 From Sully an excursion maybe made to S. Benoit-sur-Loire 
 (see Sotith-Western France, ch. i.). 
 
 1 75k. Argent. Here we cross the line from Gien to 
 Romorantin. 
 
 1 84k. Aubigny Ville, on the Nere. This town, which 
 existed in the xi. c., with strong walls and castle, was a fief 
 given by Charles VII. to the Scottish Constable, Sir John 
 Stuart, of Darnley, to whose assistance he owed his victory 
 in the battle of Beauge. Sir J. Stuart and his brother were 
 both afterwards killed at the siege of Orleans. Sir J. Stuart 
 was the direct ancestor of Henry Lord Darnley, and of the 
 present earl : his descendants possessed Aubigny till 1673. 
 Robert Stuart, Mare'chal d' Aubigny, who built two castles 
 here in the reigns of Louis XII. and Frangois I., is 
 represented in a window. The Stuart arms still remain 
 in several places. Louis XIV. bestowed Aubigny upon the 
 Duchess of Portsmouth, former mistress of Charles II. The 
 church, built or altered from xii. c. to xiv. c % ., has xvn. c. 
 stalls. The ancient chateau is used as a gendarmerie. 
 
SO URGES. 199 
 
 There are some good timber houses here of the xvi. c., the 
 best near the church. During the wars of the Ligue, the 
 Due de la Chatre besieged Aubigny, but the inhabitants, 
 encouraged by the example of Catherine de Balzac, widow 
 of Esme' Stuart, Duke of Lennox, made such resistance that 
 he was compelled to raise the siege. 1 
 
 199 k. La-Chapelle-d'' Angillon. Its Chateau de Bet hum, 
 of xv. c. and xvi. c., was restored by Sully, of whom one of 
 its towers bears the name. 
 
 209 k. Henrichemont, the si.ation for a town founded by 
 Sully, and named after his master. The line traverses 
 the Forest of S. Palais, passing on r. the remains of the 
 Cistercian abbey of Loroy, now a farm. 
 
 223 k. S. Martin-d'Auxigny. To the N.E., on the edge 
 of the Forest of Allogny, is the (xv. c.) Chateau des Dames, 
 which belonged to Agnes Sorel, and where some furniture 
 of her time is preserved. Long before reaching Bourges the 
 mighty cathedral is seen dwarfing all around it into the 
 utmost insignificance. 
 
 237 k. Bourges (Hotels : de la Boule d^Or ; de France], 
 once the capital of Berry ; now the capital of the De- 
 partement du Cher, 'surrounded by plains of bitter ugli- 
 ness,' 2 has some remains of its Roman walls, supposed to 
 be those of Avaricum, the principal town of the Bituriges. 
 It was here that the Council of 1225 was held, after which 
 Louis VIII. set out on his Albigensian crusade. Bourges 
 was the birthplace of Bourdaloue (Aug. 20, 1632), and of 
 Boucher. 
 
 On the highest point of the hill is the magnificent 
 
 1 See A. Buhot de Kersey, ' Statistique Monumentale du Departement du 
 Cher. Canton d'Aubigny.' z Stendal. 
 
$06 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 archiepiscopal Cathedral of S. Etienne, one of the most 
 beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in France, begun in the 
 first years of the xm. c. and consecrated in 1324. It is 
 144 met. in length and 37 met. in height below the vaulting. 
 The incomparable W. faade has five deeply recessed 
 portals, approached by steps, and ornamented with most 
 varied sculpture. There are no transepts, and though this 
 is one of the shortest cathedrals in France, owing to its 
 central aisle being wholly unbroken it appears one of the 
 longest, as it undoubtedly is one of the most majestic. 1 
 
 The central portal, which is double the size of the 
 others, represents the Last Judgment, and has a noble figure 
 of Christ throned between lovely angels and kneeling saints. 
 Below are S. Michael weighing souls, and devils in tumul- 
 tuous action. The canopies of the four side portals are 
 all different, and that on the extreme left most exquisite. 
 Their reliefs represent the lives of the Virgin, S. Ursus, 
 S. Etienne, and S. Guillaume. The difference in size 
 between the two W. towers adds much to the effect of the 
 building by the variety given to the outline. Both are 
 unfinished. They are divided by an immense and glorious 
 xiv. c. window. On the 1. tower is a metal canopy of 
 xvi. c., sheltering the bell of the clock. The r. tower is 
 called Tour Sourde. A great feature of the W. front is the 
 immense buttress of the xiv. c. on the S.W. The two side 
 portals are relics of the xn. c. cathedral, and have porches 
 of the xv. c., most beautiful in the delicacy of their open 
 tracery. 
 
 ' The cathedral has no transept, and consequently its internal 
 length is unbroken throughout. Two aisles run on each side, 
 
 1 See Fergusson. 
 
BOURSES. 
 
 201 
 
 and round the apsidal choir ; these, as at Milan, are different 
 in height, but (as is not the case at Milan) the most is made of 
 this difference. Above the enormously lofty pier arches of the 
 nave is a well-developed triforium and a large clerestory. The 
 adjacent aisle, corresponding in height to these pier arches, and 
 itself loftier than many of our English cathedrals, has its own pier 
 arches (which correspond with the outer aisle), triforium, and 
 clerestory. Its outer aisle has the usual range of windows. 
 Such of these as are original consist of single-pointed lights. 
 
 IN THE CATHEDRAL, BOURGES. 
 
 The clerestory of the intermediate aisle has a two-light geometrical 
 window, without foliation, but with complete tracery. The main 
 clerestory is a window of three imfoliated lights, with a foliated 
 circle in the head, and incomplete tracery that is, unpierced 
 spandrels. The apse is semi-circular, and its windows are smaller. 
 Most of the windows are rilled with the finest stained glass. 
 
 The lower apsidal aisle has small radiating chapels crowned 
 with spires, some of them being supported in a curious manner 
 by brackets, shafts, and masses of masonry.'/. L. Petit. 
 
202 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Nothing can exceed the beauty of the grey-brown 
 colouring of the interior, to which the magnificent stained 
 glass gives gleams of splendour, while the richly-wrought 
 iron grilles of the choir add greatly to the effect. Over a 
 side door on the N. is the quaint little figure of which a 
 woodcut is given, probably meant for S. Anne. Below the 
 choir is a xin. c. crypt, encircled by a romanesque crypt, 
 which is used as the burial-place of the archbishops. In the 
 central portion is the tomb of Jean le Magnifique, Due 
 de Berri, nephew of Charles V., and uncle of Charles VII., 
 by whom the monument was erected. It is a grand and 
 advanced specimen of the sculpture of the time. 
 
 ' The characteristic features of the face, and even the wrinkles, 
 are given, certainly, with a little harshness ; but the figure is full 
 of life, even the noble hands are treated in a masterly manner, 
 and the drapery is admirably arranged in dignified folds.' Lilbkc. 
 
 This statue is possibly a work of Andre Beaneveu, 
 of Hennegau, whom the Due de Berri had called into 
 his service. 
 
 On either side of the E. chapel kneel coloured effigies 
 commemorating Marechal de Montigny and his wife. A 
 coloured stone entombment is of 1545. 
 
 ' The figure of Christ, which is worthily conceived, but with 
 the most naturalistic expression of suffering, is supported by 
 Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Behind stand S. John, 
 who catches the fainting Mother, and Mary Magdalen with the 
 ointment, besides some other figures and the donor.' Liibke. 
 
 Columns applied externally to the lower church sus- 
 tain the apsidal chapels above. The chapel erected at 
 the expense of Jacques Coeur, by his son, Archbishop 
 
BOURGES. 203 
 
 Jean Coeur, is now used as a sacristy. Here, as well as in 
 the rest of the cathedral, is most exquisite xm. c. glass. 
 
 Jacques Coeur y parait transfigure dans les splendides vitraux 
 sous le costurhe de saint Jacques, patron des pelerins ; dans ses 
 armes, trois coquilles de pelerinage, triste pelerinage, les coquilles 
 sont noires ; mais entre sont postes fierement trois coeurs rouges, 
 le triple coeur du heros marchand. Le registre de 1'eglise ne lui 
 donne qu'un titre : " Capitaine de T^glise centre les Infideles." 
 Du roi, de 1'argentier du roi, pas un mot, rien qui rappelle ses 
 services si mal reconnus ; peut-etre, en son amour-propre de 
 banquier, a-t-il voulu qu'on oubliat cette mauvaise affaire qui 
 sauva la France, cette faute d'avoir pris un trop puissant debiteur, 
 d'avoir prete a qui pouvait le payer d'un gibet.' Michelet, ' Hist, 
 de France? 
 
 The glass of the W. window was given by the Due de 
 Berri. 
 
 On the S. of the cathedral, looking upon the very 
 pretty public garden, is the handsome Archeveche, where Don 
 Carlos of Spain resided as a state prisoner. The neighbour- 
 ing Grand Seminaire has a chapel designed by Mansart. 
 
 Of the other churches, Notre Dame, of xv. c. and xvi. c., 
 has a renaissance tower. S. Pierre-le-Guillard (xm. c.) has 
 an ambulatory with polygonal chapels. S. Bonnet (xv. c.) 
 has an ambulatory, with square chapels, and contains several 
 works of Frangois Boucher, 1703-70, who was buried here 
 with his mother. His epitaph, now destroyed, was 
 
 1 Ci-git qui, s'occupant du talent de bien peindre, 
 A pu quelque renom dans le monde acquerir ; 
 II aima les beaux-arts et ne sut jamais feindre, 
 Et mieux encore il apprit a mourir.' 
 
 His virgins and saints are only nymphs and shepherdesses : 
 his best picture was his portrait of Mme. de Pompadour. 
 
204 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The most remarkable specimen of domestic architecture 
 in Bourges is the Hotel de Jacques Coeur, begun in 1443, by 
 the famous silversmith and finance minister of Charles VII. 
 This is the building alluded to by Paul Hentzner, who, 
 travelling to Bourges in 1598, speaks of 'habitations si 
 vastes et si commodes qu'elles sembleraient convenir a 
 
 HOUSE OF JACQUES COEUR, BOURGES. 
 
 des heros plutot qu'a des hommes.' The fagade is a sur- 
 passingly rich specimen of the architecture of the period, 
 with splendid flamboyant friezes, tourelle, etc. The niche 
 over the entrance was originally occupied by an equestrian 
 figure of Charles VII. The figures which still look out so 
 quaintly from the side niches are supposed to represent 
 the master and mistress of the house in an attitude of 
 
BOURGES. , 205 
 
 welcome. Below the windows and in many other parts of 
 the building, are hearts, pilgrims' cockle-shells, with the 
 device of the sires de S. Fargeau (of whom Jacques Coeur 
 had bought the land) a vaillans cuers (coeurs) rien im- 
 possible. On the 1. of the portal inside, is the exquisite little 
 portico of the staircase leading to the chapel, decorated 
 with reliefs of priests preparing for different religious 
 ceremonies. 
 
 The beautiful courtyard is surrounded on three sides by 
 an open cloister. On the fourth, facing the entrance, rise 
 three tourelles ; that in the centre is of unusual richness. 
 Over its entrance are the palm, olive, and orange tree, 
 emblematic of the traffic of Jacques Coeur with the East. 
 On each storey are reliefs recalling the different phases of 
 male and female industry in which the household were 
 occupied threshing, spinning, sweeping, etc. : over a door 
 are vivid kitchen scenes. The Salle des Gardes and the 
 Passage de Service have curious saddle vaulting in oak. In 
 the former are two chimney-pieces. On one Jacques and 
 his wife are represented playing at chess and eating oranges 
 and pears ; the other quaintly represents a fortress and its 
 defenders. In an angle of the chimney-piece in the ante- 
 chamber, is a tiny figure of the buffoon. The chapel (too 
 much restored) has frescoed angels in the ceiling ; the seats 
 of Jacques and his wife have each their own little window 
 and fireplace. 
 
 ' Maison pleine de mysteres, comme fut sa vie. On voit, a 
 bien la regarder, qu'elle montre et qu'elle cache : partout on y 
 croit sentir deux choses opposees, la hardiesse et la defiance du 
 parvenu, 1'orgueil du commerce oriental, et en meme temps la 
 reserve de 1'argentier du roi. Toutefois la hardiesse 1'emporte ; 
 ce mystere affiche est comme un defi au passant.' Michelct, 
 
2o6 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Opposite the faQade is a statue (by Pre'ault, 1873), f 
 Jacques Coeur. This magnificent citizen, whose fortune 
 had been the prop of his king and country, and who, for a 
 whole year, had furnished funds for the maintenance of four 
 armies, did not bear his prosperity with sufficient modera- 
 tion, and aroused the envy of the courtiers ; others, who 
 
 COURTYARD, HOTEL ALEMANT. 
 
 had sold him lands, or owed him money, were equally 
 jealous of him. At length the wife of one of his principal 
 creditors (Jeanne de Vendome) accused him of having 
 poisoned Agnes Sorel, mistress of Charles VII. ; and though 
 her witness was triumphantly refuted, ^Jacques Coeur was 
 arrested and his property seized. Other accusations were 
 speedily invented he had embezzled the public money, he 
 
BO URGES. 207 
 
 had exported arms to the infidels, etc. and he was con- 
 demned the ungrateful Charles remitting his sentence of 
 death on account of ' certain services ' to the confiscation 
 of all his wealth, to banishment for life, and to public 
 penance. After eighteen months of imprisonment Jacques 
 Coeur escaped to Provence, and thence, by the help of his 
 nephew, Jean de Village, to Rome, where he was honourably 
 received by Nicolas V. Whilst commanding an expedition 
 against the Turks, he died in the Isle of Chios, in 1456, just 
 when the force of public opinion in France had led to his 
 justification and pardon. 
 
 The Maison de Jacques Coeur is now used as the 
 Palais de Justice. Near it is a Musee, open from n to 5. 
 The xv. c. Hotel de Ville^ flanked by a graceful stair-turret, 
 is at 15, Rue de Paradis. No. 5, Rue Hotel Alemant, is 
 the Hotel Alemant, a beautiful and venerable building, 
 where the courtyard has medallions with heads, and an 
 exquisite turret. 
 
 ' Je manque des termes pour exprimer la grace, la delicatesse 
 des arabesques et d'une foule d'ornements capricieux, prodigues 
 sur cette seule tourelle : toute la finesse, toute la fantaisie qu'on 
 aimerait a trouver dans un meuble a placer sur une table, le 
 sculpteur 1'a employee pour decorer les fenetres, les chambranles, 
 toutes les parties susceptibles de recevoir une ornementation. 
 
 ' On passerait des heures entieres a etudier tous les caprices 
 de cette charmante facade, et pourtant leur inconcevable variete 
 ne fait que vous preparer a 1'impression que va produire la chapelle 
 on plutot un oratoire fort petit, admirable miniature sculptee, ou 
 tout le luxe est reserve pour le plafond. Forme de trois grandes 
 dalles de pierre, il se devise en trente caissons ou compartiments 
 contenant des compositions differentes, de bas-relief, admirable- 
 ment travaillees, et d'un effet merveilleux.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 At 6, Rue des Arenes, is the Hotel Cujas, once inhabited 
 
208 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 by the famous lawyer of the name. It has two beautiful 
 tourelles, and an inner court with admirable dormers, a 
 girofle'e is of great beauty. No. 17, Rue des Toiles (at the 
 entrance of the street) is a very beautiful stone house of 
 xv. c. Many of the timber houses, of xv. c. and xvi. c., 
 
 HOTEL CUJAS. 
 
 deserve notice, and offer admirable details for the study of 
 architects, especially in the great variety of their carved 
 brackets and window-supports. 
 
 The convent of the Annonciades was founded by Jeanne, 
 daughter of Louis XI., the innocent repudiated wife of 
 Louis XII., who died here six years after her divorce. 
 
 [20 k. from Bourges, on the way to Sancerre (passing 1. the 
 
5. MARTIN DE PLAIMPIED. 
 
 209 
 
 xv. c. Chdteau de Turly, of the Archbishops of Bourges), is Les 
 Aix d'Angillon, where the church has a remarkable xn. c. choir, 
 chiefly romanesque of the xi. c. 3 k. further N.E. is the church 
 of Morogues, containing some magnificent wood carving which 
 formed the bane d'oeuvw in the Sainte Chapelle of Bourges.] 
 
 RUE DES TOILES, BOURGES. 
 
 [rok. S., near the road [to [S. Amand, is the fine abbey 
 church of 6*. Martin de Plaimpied, chiefly xn. c., but founded 
 in 1080 by Richard, Archbishop of Bourges, whose tomb is de- 
 stroyed, but whose statue is still to be seen in one of the aisles, i 
 
 ' It is a cross church, consisting of nave, aisles, transepts, 
 
 14 
 
210 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 apsidal chancel, with aisles which terminate in apses. A low 
 square tower crowns the intersection. The transepts and choir 
 have the pointed barrel roof; that of the nave is semi-domical. 
 The compartment of the intersection has an octagonal cupola, 
 not pierced for light. The choir is divided from the aisles by 
 two round arches on each side. They have two orders, the 
 outer one enriched with the torus. The south aisle of the nave 
 has a plain cross vault without ribs. The nave is not vaulted, 
 or at least does not show any vault at present. The pier arches 
 are pointed, and have two plain square orders.'/. L. Petit.'] 
 
 [For the railway from Bourges to Vierzon see South-Western 
 
 France.'} 
 
 The line follows the valley of the Cher to 
 255 k. (from Paris by the usual line) Chateauneuf-sur- 
 Cher, with a renaissance chateau and modern church. 
 
 14 k. W., near Choeurs, is the abbey of Chezal-Benoit, founded 
 1093, with a fine, partially ruined church of xn. c. and xm. c. 
 The road passes Mareuil-sur-Arnon, which has important ruins 
 of the Abbaye de la Free, founded 1128. In the church is a fine 
 S. Sepulcre. 
 
 269 k. La Celle Bruere. The church, which rather re- 
 sembles that of Plaimpied, is an interesting building of xi. c. 
 
 4k. is the Abbaye de Noirlac, of xn. c. and xm. c., used as a 
 china manufactory. The church is a fine transition building, 
 with splendid xm. c. cloisters. 
 
 27yk. S. Amand Montrond, has a ruined chateau and 
 transition xn. c. church, with a romanesque portal. At 
 Orval is an enamelled cross, given by S. Louis. 
 
 [An excursion may be made to (8 k. E.) the fine Chateau 
 de Meillant, built by Charles d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chau- 
 mont, who died in 1511. It bears the same device of the 
 
lit 
 
 flaming hill, as his other great construction of Chaumont (there 
 applicable to the name, but which had become his mark), and 
 is a very noble and picturesque specimen of the Renaissance.] 
 
 286 k. Ainay-le- Vieil, with a xiv. c. and xvi. c. chateau. 
 
 303 k. Vallon-en- Sully, has a romanesque church, with 
 a beautiful spire. i5k. is the ruined xiv. c. Chateau 
 d' Her is son. 
 
 326k. Montlu^on (Hotels : de France ; du Grand Cerf). 
 An ugly manufacturing town on the Cher. The church of 
 Notre Dame is xv. c. ; S. Pierre, xi. c., xin. c., and xvi. c. 
 The xv. c. Chateau, which rises high in the midst of the 
 town, is used as a barrack. 
 
 8 k. distant, on the road to Riom, is Neris-les-Bains (Hotels : 
 de Paris ; de la Promenade}, the Aquae Neri of the Romans, 
 from which many excursions may be made to the ruined castles 
 of Huriel, Marcillat, Murat, Herisson, etc. 
 
 [For the line from Montli^on to Moulins see ch. ii.] 
 
 [A line runs N.W. to La Chatre by 
 
 33 k. Culan, with a ruined xm. c. castle. 
 
 45 k. Chdteaumeillant. The romanesque church has a choir 
 with seven apsides. 
 
 52k. Champillet. 3 k. is the (xn. c. and xvi. c.) Chdteati-de- 
 la-Motte-Feuitty. In the xv. c. church is the tomb of Charlotte 
 d'Albret, the deserted wife of Cesar Borgia.] 
 
 [For the line from Montlu9on to S. Sulpice Lauriere see 
 South-Western France, ch. iv.] 
 
 [A line runs S. to (94 k.) Eygurande, on the line from Clermont 
 to Ussel, by 
 
 28k. Evaux, which has an abbey church of xn. c. and 
 xvi. c. and a bathing establishment known in Roman times. 
 At Ch.am.bon, 6k. from vaux, on the road from Chateauroux 
 
212 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 to Clermont, is a most beautiful romanesque church of xi. c. 
 and xii. c. 
 
 46 k. Auza/tces, with a church of xn. c. and xv. c.] 
 
 366 k. Bellenaves, has a curious early church, with an 
 octagonal xiv. c. tower. The portal has sculptures of the 
 Last Supper and Washing of the Feet. 
 
 9 k. N.E. is Chantelle, which had a magnificent castle of the 
 Dues d'Aquitaine, dismantled by Fran9ois I. Little remains but 
 a turret stair and the xv. c. building called Manoir de Madame 
 An7ie (de France). The (xii. c. and xv. c.) cloister and the 
 beautiful romanesque church belonged to a monastery which 
 the Dues de Bourbon united to the chateau. In the parish 
 church, a magnificent romanesque capital is employed as a 
 benitier. 
 
 The line passes on 1. the town of Charroux, with 
 a fortified belfry, and the Chateau de Lignat, before 
 reaching 
 
 384 k. S. Bonnet-Ebreuil. S. Bonnet-de-Rochefort has a 
 xii. c. church with a curious romanesque porch : the choir 
 is xiv. c. 5 k. S.W. is Ebreuil^ with the magnificent 
 romanesque church of a Benedictine monastery, chiefly 
 xii. c. The sacristy contains a xv. c. shrine of S. Leger. 
 The abbatial palace, of the xvn. c., has served as a hospice 
 since the reign of Louis XV. The parish church is late 
 xn. c. 
 
 2 J k. W. of S. Bonnet is the romanesque church of Vicq, with 
 an octagonal tower. 3^ k. further W. is the restored Chdteau-de- 
 Veauce, flanked by towers : the church is romanesque. 
 
 394 k. Gannat (Hotel : de la Paste very good, a 
 quiet halting-place), a pleasant little town embosomed in 
 verdure, dating from the x. c., but only retaining some 
 
GANNAT, AIGUEPERSE. 213 
 
 towers of its (xv. c.) fortifications and (xiv. c.) chateau. 
 The church of *S. Croix dates from the xi. c., though 
 nothing remains of the original construction except the 
 radiating chapels and some other parts of the choir. Some 
 of the windows are by Jacques du Paroy, a pupil of 
 Domenichino. A curious picture of the Adoration of the 
 Shepherds, signed 'Guido Franciscus aniciensis, 1630,' is 
 by a painter of Le Puy. i k. W. is the pilgrimage chapel 
 of S. Procule. 
 
 [A road leads E. to (19 k.) Vichy by (8 k.) Cognat, which has 
 an admirable little xn. c. church.] 
 
 The line now enters the rich district of La Limagne, 
 full of prosperous farms, thickly sprinkled with walnut trees. 
 We pass (r.) near the Butte de Montpensier, the site of the 
 old castle in which King Charles VIII. died, demolished by 
 Richelieu in 1634. The Seigneurie of Montpensier belonged 
 in turn to the houses of Auvergne, Beaujeu, Thouars, 
 Ventadour, and Bourbon. It was made a duchy in 1539, 
 in favour of Louis I. de Conde' ; then it passed by marriage 
 to the house of Orleans, and gave the title of Mile, de 
 Montpensier to 'La Grande Mademoiselle.' The (honorary) 
 title of Due de Montpensier was held by the fifth son of 
 Louis-Philippe. 
 
 408 k. Aigueperse (Hotel : S. Louis bad and dirty), 
 an ancient town in the plain. The church of Notre Dame, 
 consecrated in 1259, is over-restored, and preserves nothing 
 of its ancient construction but the transept, and the choir 
 with its radiating chapels. A triforium of trefoil arches in 
 triplets surrounds the whole building. Between the three 
 original chapels, two others have been added in the xiv. c r 
 
214 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 or xv. c. The Chapelle des Morts (built of lava of Volvic), 
 opening from the S. transept, is xiv. c. The N. transept 
 has a beautiful side portal. In the 2nd chapel, r. of choir, 
 is a S. Sebastian a good work of Andrea Mantegna. In 
 the Haute Ville is La Sainte-Chapelle, founded (1475) 
 by Louis I. de Bourbon, ending in an apse and flanked 
 by two side chapels. Two very quaint marble statues 
 represent the Virgin and Louis XII. 
 
 XIII. C. SHOPS AT AIGUEPERSE. 
 
 6k. N.E. is the Chateau d'Effiat (chiefly modern), cele- 
 brated for the illustrious family to whom it belonged in the 
 xvi. c. Antoine Coiffier Ruze, born 1581, successively page to 
 Henri IV., ambassador in England, marshal of France, and 
 governor of the Bourbonnais for Louis XIIL, inherited it from 
 his maternal grandfather, Gilbert Coiffier, for whom Effiat 
 was made a Marquisat. Of his three sons, the eldest, Cinq- 
 Mars, was beheaded with De Thou for conspiring against 
 Cardinal Richelieu ; the second was the Chevalier d'Effiat, 
 the friend of Philippe, Due d'Orleans, sometimes accused of 
 having assisted to poison his first wife, ' Madame ; ' the third 
 
RIOM. 21 5 
 
 was the Abb6 d'Effiat. Afterwards the property of Effiat 
 belonged to Law, the great speculator, who abandoned it to his 
 creditors. 
 
 1 3k. E. is Randan, capital of the district of Randannois. 
 Its seigneurie, made a count-ship under Louis XIII., became 
 the property of the Due de Choiseul-Praslin, who sold it, in 
 1821, to Mme. Adelaide, sister of Louis-Philippe, by whom it 
 was bequeathed to her nephew, the Due de Montpensier. In 
 the chapel the Duke placed copies of the tomb of his uncle 
 in Westminster Abbey, and of the Comte de Beaujolais. On 
 the bank of the Allier is the hunting lodge called Chateau de 
 Maumont. Randan has been entirely closed to the public since 
 the exile of the French princes. 
 
 425 k. Riom (Hotel : de la Poste\ the ancient Ricomum, 
 has wide streets, where all the frames of the doors and 
 windows are of black Volvic lava. Fountains of clear 
 water abound everywhere. In the lower part of the 
 principal street, we find the church of Notre Dame de 
 Marthuret, with a rich flamboyant portal between two 
 towers. On the dividing pillar of the door is a graceful 
 and much-revered statue, known as La Vierge a 1'Oiseau. 
 Higher up in the street, on the same side, is the xv. c. 
 Tour de I'Horloge, with a dome of 1738. The cross street 
 on the r. contains a most beautiful xvi. c. house. On 
 the 1. is the great church of S. Amable^ consecrated 1120, 
 partly romanesque, but much altered. The nave is 
 romanesque, but with pointed vaulting ; it has a tri- 
 forium, but no clerestory. The central tower, crowned 
 with an octagon, has a truncated spire of late gothic. 
 The choir is a good specimen of xiv. c. The interior 
 is spoilt by polychrome. The Sainte Chapelle, built by 
 Jean, Due de Berry, at the end of the xiv. c., and 
 restored in the xv. c., is surmounted by a beautiful 
 
2l6 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 gallery of open-work; its apse has fine restored (xv. c.) 
 glass. 
 
 At the end of the N. faubourg of the name is the 
 
 STREET AT RIOM. 
 
 church of Mozat, which belonged to a Benedictine 
 abbey, founded 68 1. It has a triple nave of xn. c. ; in 
 the sacristy are the enamelled shrine of S. Calmin, the 
 renaissance shrine of S. Austremoine, and a splendid 
 processional cross of the XH. c. In the garden, which 
 
ENNEZAT, CHATEAUGAY. 
 
 217 
 
 replaces the cloister, are a xvi. c. portal and curious 
 bas-relief. 
 
 5 k. N.W. is the little bathing-place of Chdtelguyon-les- 
 Bains (Hotel : Splendid). 
 
 The excursion to (7 k.) Volvic and the Chateau de Tournoel 
 (see later) is most conveniently made by carriage from Riom. 
 
 CHURCH OF MOZAT. 
 
 [A road leads E. from Riom to (41 k.) Thiers (see chap, ii.) 
 by (lok.) Ennezat, with a church founded 1060. The nave is 
 of xi. c. ; the transept and tower, xn. c. ; the choir, xm. c. and 
 xiv. c.] 
 
 The line passes (r.) the ruined Chateau de Chateaugay, 
 on a basaltic hill, built in 1381 by the Sire de Giac, 
 Mare'chal de France; on the 1. is the plain of La 
 Limagne, 
 
218 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE 
 
 43 1 k. Gerzat, with a romanesque (XH. c.) church. 
 
 438k. Clermont-Ferrand (Buffet. Hotels: deT Europe 
 very good, in a former convent ; de la Poste / dfc /' Univers. 
 All the hotels are more than 2 k. from the station), the 
 capital of the Departement du Puy de Dome, is beautifully 
 situated in a rich vine-clad district, beyond which rise the 
 volcanic heights of Auvergne, the peculiar form of the 
 Puy de Dome being especially conspicuous. 
 
 The town had its origin in the Celtic Nemetum, to 
 which Augustus transported the inhabitants of Gergovia, 
 which Vercingetorix had defended against Caesar. The 
 favours accorded to the place by the first Roman emperor 
 gave it the name of Augustonemetum, which it kept till 
 the end of the iv. c. S. Austremoine preached Christi- 
 anity here in 250. In 1096, Pope Urban II. held the 
 famous council here, which led to the first crusade. 
 
 The streets of Clermont are mostly narrow, steep, and 
 tortuous, and the houses, built of black Volvic lava, have 
 a very gloomy aspect. 
 
 The principal hotels are in the Place dejaude, decorated 
 with a statue of Desaix, by Nanteuil (1848). Hence the 
 Rue de I'Ecu and the Rue des Gras (r.) lead to the 
 Cathedral, a striking but gloomy building, of Volvic lava. 
 Begun in 1248, by the architect Jean Deschamps, it was 
 consecrated in 1346, but has never been finished, and still 
 wants its steps (1889). Its fagade, in the style of the 
 xin. c., with two lofty spires, is an indifferent work of 
 Viollet le Due. The extreme grace and beauty of the 
 gothic choir recalls that of Beauvais. The clerestory 
 windows occupy the whole wall space. The apsidal 
 windows have admirable xm. c. glass. In the second 
 
CLERMONT-FERRAND. 
 
 219 
 
 chapel on the S. of the choir is a curious xvi. c. ratable 
 of the lives of SS. Cre'pin and Cre'pinian, given by the 
 corporation of shoemakers. A quaint clock was a trophy 
 carried off from Issoire during the wars of Religion. The 
 
 NOTRE DAME DU PORT, CLERMONT. 
 
 statue of the Virgin at the summit of the cathedral is 
 due to a vow of the ladies of Clermont, if Auvergne was 
 preserved from invasion in the war of 1870. This was the 
 cathedral of Massillon, who did not hesitate to preach here 
 against the local superstitions, such as 'la messe a 1'ane.' 
 
220 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 By the Rue Pascal and Rue du Port we reach the 
 curious church of Notre Dame du Port, which owes its 
 name to an ancient market which occupied the site. It 
 was built by S. Sigon in 870, rebuilt, after Norman in- 
 vasions, in the x. c., and is a most remarkable specimen 
 of the peculiar romanesque of Auvergne. A portal of 
 the xiv. c. is inserted in the perfectly plain fagade. An 
 inner porch, surmounted by a tribune, occupies the first 
 bay of the nave. The other five bays of the long, narrow 
 interior have side aisles with ribbed vaults, surmounted 
 by cradle-vaulted tribunes. The arcades of the triforium, 
 disposed in triplets, are three-lobed on the r. of the nave, 
 semi-circular on the 1. The primitive and principal entrance 
 of the basilica is on the S. of the nave, bearing on its lintel 
 rude reliefs of the Baptism of Christ and Adoration of the 
 Magi ; in the tympanum the Saviour between seraphim; 
 and against the pillars statues of two apostles. 
 
 From the ambulatory of the choir open four radiating 
 chapels ; that usually found at the E. end is wanting, 
 probably because the whole church is dedicated to the 
 Virgin. 1 Most of the sculptures on the capitals represent 
 the Virtues and Vices, as exemplified by knights. The 
 semicircular crypt under the sanctuary contains a much 
 revered black image of the Virgin, which was stolen in 
 1864, missing for several years, and then restored to its 
 place. It is honoured by enormous pilgrimages, especially 
 on May 15. 
 
 Notre Dame du Port is the especial church of the 
 first crusade. It was here that Adhemar de Montreuil 
 knelt after receiving the cross, and in -the square near 
 
 Merimee. 
 
CLERMONT- F ERR AMD. & i 
 
 the church 1 Urban II. delivered the famous speech 
 to which the hearers responded by the cry of ' Dieu le 
 veut.' 
 
 By the Cours Sablon, at the central point of which is 
 the beautiful Fountain of Bishop Jacques cFAmboise, 1515, 
 we reach the Jar din des Plantes, or Lecoq. Here are 
 the Musee and Bibliottieque? 
 
 In the little Carmelite church near the cemetery is 
 an ancient sarcophagus, sculptured with reliefs of the 
 stories of the Woman of Samaria, Zaccheus, and the 
 Resurrection of Lazarus. In the chapel of the nuns of 
 the Visitation are the tombs of Cardinal Hugues Aycelin 
 and Cardinal Nicholas d'Arfeuille. At No. 4, Rue des 
 Chats, on the N. of the town, is the entrance to the 
 Fontaine de S. Allyre, of famous petrifying powers, of 
 which the incrustations have formed a natural bridge 
 over the Tiretaine. 
 
 2 k. N. E. of Clermont (omnibus from the Place Delille, 150.) 
 is the small ancient town of Montferrand, recalling many Italian 
 towns by its red roofs and brown buildings. Many of its houses 
 are xm. c. and xv. c. The church (xiv. c. and xv. c.) was made 
 collegiate in 1501 by Louis XII. 
 
 Omnibuses and street cars (25 c.) run every few minutes 
 between the Place de Jaude and (2k.) Royat, passing (i k.) 
 Chamalieres, which has a church of the XL c., much altered in 
 xvi. c. and xvn. c. Two pillars of green marble in the inner 
 porch belong to an earlier edifice of the vn. c. 
 
 Royat (Hotels: Grand ; Chabassiere ; Angleterre ; Bristol ; 
 des Bains; de Lyon ; Central ; Victoria; de la Paix, etc.) 
 is a mineral bathing-place which has sprung into sudden 
 
 1 Which nothing but the most inconceivable folly can call Place Delille 
 instead of Place de la Croisade. 
 
 2 The chief object of interest is the deed of gift of lands in Auvergne by 
 Marguerite de Valois to her favourite, Canillac. 
 
222 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 fame of recent years, before which it was a quiet village buried 
 amongst walnut groves and vineyards. Overbuilding has done 
 much to ruin the beauty of the place ; new roads are opened and 
 the hillsides are spoilt by hideous hotels ; but the upper part of 
 the gorge of the Tiretaine continues to be picturesque, where, 
 
 
 amongst the rocks and walnut trees, rises a fortified church, 
 founded in the vn. c. and rebuilt in xi. c., with a crypt of that 
 date. The presbytery has remains of an old monastery. Opposite 
 the church is a lava cross of 1486. From the Place de 1'^glise, a 
 steep path leads to the torrent by the Grotte des Sources. Behind 
 Roy at, on the S., rises the lava-producing Puy de Gravenoire, 
 which takes its name from the colour of its cinders or graves. 
 
LE PUY DE DdME. 223 
 
 Pleasant short walks may be taken to Fontanat, where there 
 are some remains of a Roman aqueduct, and to the Gorge de 
 Vaucluse. Longer excursions (4 or 5 hours on foot) by (3 k.) 
 Beaumont, with two romanesque churches, one of them in ruins, 
 may be made to (6k.) Mont-Rognon and (3k. further) the 
 Plateau de Gergovie, the site of the ancient city of the Gauls, 
 and still retaining its ancient name. 
 
 An excursion of 7 hours (going and returning) may be made 
 from Clermont to the Puy de Dome, In summer, public carriages 
 leave the Place de Jaude for (2 fr. 50 c.) the Colde Ceyssat, whence 
 it is less than an hour's walk to the summit. The hill (1,465 met.) 
 is entirely covered with turf. 
 
 ' Sa masse est formee d'une variete de trachyte qu'on ne 
 trouve que la et qui, pour cette raison, a ete appele domite. 
 Cette rocher est poreuse, rude au toucher, blanche, et quelquefois 
 fortement coloree, en jaune et en rouge. Dans les fissures de la 
 montagne on trouve de beaux cristaux de fer oligiste. La porosite 
 de cette pierre donne lieu a un phenomene assez remarquable ; 
 lorsque Ton frappe le sol avec force au sommet de la montagne, 
 il resonne et fremit, comme s'il etait compose d'une voute etendue 
 sur des vastes cavites.' Joanne, ' Geog. de Puy de Dome' 
 
 At the top of the mountain is an observatory in the con- 
 struction of which the platform and foundations of an important 
 Temple of Mercury have been discovered, and are quite worth 
 visiting. A number of local proverbs celebrate the Puy de 
 Dome as if it were alive. It is the most distinctive of seventy 
 or eighty volcanic cones which rise from the high upland. 
 Its round grey mass overtops everything else. According to the 
 local saying 
 
 ' Si Dome etait sur Dome, 
 On verrait les portes de Rome.' 
 
 Immediately N. is the crater of the little Puy, a deep cup of 
 regular form, called by the peasants Nid de la Pottle. The Puy 
 de Come is remarkable for the streams of lava which flow from it 
 towards the valley of the Sioule. Two hours further is Puy de 
 Paiiou (which may be visited on the same day as the Puy de 
 Dome). Its crater, an amphitheatre of verdure around which 
 
224 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 circle hundreds of parallel steps, not formed by the hand of man, 
 but by generations of cows. A little N. is the cupola of the Grand 
 Sarcouy, which the shepherds compare to a boiler reversed. The 
 most curious volcano of the district is the Pity Chopinc, a dome 
 rising from a crater of scoria composed of granite rocks enclosed, 
 like a slice of ham sandwich, 1 between a layer of basalt and a 
 layer of trachyte. Lastly, at the r. extremity of the chain are the 
 Puy de Louchadiere (in Auvergnat patois Le Chadeiro the foot- 
 stool), an enormous crater, 148 met. deep, and the Puy de la 
 Nugere. 
 
 [A pleasant road leads to (43 k.) Mont Dore (see later) by 
 1 5k. Fontfrede, whence a road diverges to (2k.) the Lac 
 d'Aydat, on the N. side of which is the little island of 5. Sidoine. 
 At the village of Aydat are some remains of a house of the 
 Templars, and in the xn. c. church, which occupies the site of 
 Avitatum, the villa of Sidonius Apollinaris, is a monument 
 inscribed ' Hie sunt duo innocentes et *J S. Sidonius.' Returning 
 to the lake and following its bank and then the course of the 
 Veyre, we reach the village of Ponteix under the Puy de 
 Montredon (875 met.). Hence it is 3 k. to Cournol, which had 
 a curious covered avenue of druidical stones, now partly 
 destroyed.] 
 
 [Another road (of 53 k.) to Mont Dore passes 
 
 1 9k. Pont des Eau.r, near the pretty Cascade des Saliens, on 
 the Gigeole. 
 
 21 k. Villejacques, whence a road of 3 k. diverges S. to Orcival, 
 with a very interesting church (of Notre Dame) of XL c., of which 
 the W. end touches the rock, and the apse overlooks the Sioulot. 
 The octagonal xm. c. tower has a stone spire. In the choir is a 
 statue of the Virgin, attributed to S. Luke. To the W. of Orcival 
 is a dolmen called by the natives Le Tombeau de la Vierge. 
 
 29 k. Rochefort (Hotel : de la Couronne), at the foot of the 
 Puy d'Ebert (1,052 met.), and another volcanic height bearing the 
 ruins of a chateau of the Dauphins d'Auvergne. 
 
 3 k. S. is La Roche de Deveix, or Roche Branladoire, a curious 
 rocking-stone.] 
 
 1 Poulett-Scrope, Extinct Volcanoes of the Centre of France. 
 
SILLOM. 22$ 
 
 [A line leads W. from Clermont to (46k.) Thiers on the line 
 from Moulins to S. Iitienne (see ch. ii.), by 
 
 6 k. Aulnat, with a church of XL c. 
 
 13 k. Pontdu Chateau, on the 1. bank of the Allier, i k. N. of 
 the station. One of the strongholds of the xn. c., it contains the 
 (late xn. c.) church of 6*. Marline and the ruins of the Chateau 
 de Canillac, which belonged to Jean de Beaufort, Marquis de 
 Canillac, the lover of Marguerite de Valois. 
 
 16 k. Vertaizon. The church, of xm. c., on a hill to the r., is 
 surrounded by the remains of a xn. c. castle. 2 k. S. is Chauriat, 
 with a curious xn. c. church, spoilt by alterations. 3 k. N. is 
 Beauregard VEveque, with the remains of a chateau of the 
 Bishops of Clermont, in which Massillon died in 1742, at the age 
 of eighty, leaving all his fortune to the Hotel-Dieu at Clermont. 
 
 ' Massillon, que sa vertu, son savoir, ses grands talents pour 
 la chaire, avaient fait eveque de Clermont, parce qu'il en passait 
 quelquefois, quoique rarement, quelque bon parmi le grand 
 nombre des autres qu'on faisait eveques/ 5. Simon, ' Memoires.' 
 
 1 Dans 1'une de nos promenades a Beauregard, maison de 
 plaisance de 1'eveche, nous eumes le bonheur de voir le venerable 
 Massillon. L'accueil plein de bonte que nous fit ce vieillard 
 illustre, la vive et tendre impression que firent sur moi sa vue et 
 1'accent de sa voix, est un des plus doux souvenirs qui me restent 
 de mon jeune age.' Marmontel, ' Memoires.' 
 
 [A branch line of 9 k. leads S. to Billom (Hotel : des 
 Voyageurs), a curious old place amongst the hills, which deserved 
 the name of town in the middle-ages, when it coined money 
 and had a famous school, frequented by 2,000 scholars in the 
 xm. c. The church of 5. Cerneuf (x. c. and xi. c., but almost 
 rebuilt in xm. c.) has an xi. c. crypt, the fine xiv. c. tomb 
 of Gilles Aycelin, Archbishop of Narbonne and afterwards of 
 Rouen, a romanesque grille, and a benitier on engaged columns. 
 The church of 6*. Loup is restored xv. c. The Jesuit College, 
 founded 1535 by Cardinal Duprat, is now the Petit Stminaire ; 
 its xv. c. chapel contains a xm. c. reliquary. The Beffroi, on a 
 fortified tower, is xvi. c. and xvn. c. A number of ancient castles 
 crown the surrounding hills ; that of Roche (5 k. S.) has a roman- 
 
226 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 esque chapel. A road leads from Billom to (5ik.) Ambert, by 
 (3 k. 1.) Ffegtise Neuve pres Billom, of xi. c. and xiv. c., and, on 
 a basaltic peak, the ruins of the Chateau de Mauzun, which be- 
 longed to the bishops of Clermont and was demolished by 
 Massillon ; (17 k.) 5. Dier, with a fortified church of xi. c., which 
 belonged to the abbey of La Chaise Dieu ; (22 k.) Ceilloux, where 
 the xvi. c. church belonged to a priory of the Chaise Dieu ; (38 k.) 
 5. Amant-Roche-Savine, with a fine gothic cross in its cemetery, 
 and the great Dolmen de Besseyre.~\ 
 
 25k. Lezoux. 6k. N.W. is Culhat, with a curious roman- 
 esque church, and a remarkably fine (xn. c.) Janterne des morts 
 in its cemetery. 
 
 [A hilly road leads by a number of chateaux, especially (r.) 
 the Chateau de Ravel on an isolated hill, to (16 k.) Courpiere, an 
 ancient fortress with a romanesque church (2^ k. S.W. the ruined 
 Chateau de Courte-Serre ; 3^ k. N.E. the ruined Chateau de la 
 Barge]; (22k.) Sauviat, with a gothic church and ruined castle ; 
 (31 k.) Le Moulin Giroux(N. of which, on the Couzon, buried 
 in woods, is Vollore- Ville, with a transition church and gothic 
 cross of 1535). Hence the road ascends by the r. bank of the 
 Dore (1. the Chateau de Meymont) to (37 k.) Ottiergues (see 
 ch. ii.) and (61 k.) Ambert, the old capital of the Livradois (see 
 ch. ii.).] 
 
 [A line leads W. from Clermont through a volcanic district to 
 Ussel, by 
 
 6 k. Royat (see above). Leaving Royat, the line runs along a 
 terrace in the hills, with a magnificent view over Clermont and 
 its cathedral, with the delicate lines of the plain beyond melting 
 into vaporous blue hills ; then it crosses rocky gorges full of 
 ancient chestnut and walnut trees, to 
 
 21 k. Volvic. The station (no carriage) is 5^k. distant from 
 the town, which is situated in the depth of the valley, and reached 
 by a walk across a rocky moor and then through beautiful walnut 
 woods. We pass an immense bed of lava which has been 
 quarried from the xm. c. Volvic (Hotel : des Carrieres a clean 
 country inn) has a very curious romanesque church, formerly 
 fortified, and with very narrow aisles. The choir is coated 
 externally with rude mosaics. S. Priest, bishop of Clermont, 
 
CHATEAU DE TOURNOEL. 
 
 227 
 
 was murdered here in 670. Ascending by the Chemin de la 
 Croix to a calvaire and great statue of the Virgin, on the side of 
 the Puy de la Banniere, a beautiful terrace walk through woods 
 brings us (2 k.) to the Chateau de Tournoel (Comte de Chabrol) 
 in a very striking position, with a splendid view over the plain 
 of Riom. Several of the apartments the salle d'honneur, the 
 kitchen, the ladies' chamber, and the chapel, with its beautiful stair- 
 case of approach, are still very perfect, and many fine chimney- 
 
 CHATEAU DE TOURNOEL. 
 
 pieces remain, and portions of frescoed ceilings. A very curious 
 vaulted chemin de ronde runs between the ramparts and the keep, 
 defended by a drawbridge, and in which the garrison held out long 
 after the rest of the castle was taken. Portions of the building 
 date from the xn. c., but the decorated parts are mostly xvi. c. 
 
 A little N. of Volvic is the very pretty ravine of Enval or the 
 Bout du Monde. 
 
 39 k. Pontgibaud (Hotel : de la Poste), a picturesque town on 
 the side of the Puy de Come, above the charming river Sioule, 
 overlooked by a xm. c. chateau, which belonged to the family of 
 
228 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 La Fayette, 2 k. E. are the barbaric remains called La Cite des 
 Chazaloux. An excursion may be made to (12 k,) the roman- 
 esque remains of the Chartreuse de Port S. Marie. 
 
 57k. Bourgeade. About I2k. N. is Tortebesse, with an old 
 chapel of the knights of Malta turned into a church and a beauti- 
 ful gothic cross, and 7 k. further Herment, with a romanesque 
 xn. c. church on a basaltic rock, overlooked by a ruined castle. 
 
 65 k. 5. Sauves-Laqueuille. A road (railway in progress) 
 leads from Laqueuille by (8k.) Murat-le-Quaire, with a ruined 
 castle, to (i$k.)Mont-Dore-les-Bains (Hotels : Bardet-Channonet 
 best and most comfortable, with a pleasant villa annex in 
 a garden with lovely views ; des Bains ; de la Poste ; de la 
 Paix; Beausite, and many others). The little town (1046 met. 
 above the sea) of white and grey houses with slated roofs, is 
 situated amongst rich pastures, covered with flowers in spring. 
 The infant Dordogne flows through the village. As it is almost 
 entirely composed of hotels, it is nearly deserted during nine 
 months of the year ; in summer the population is increased by 
 2,000. There is a miniature promenade, where a band plays 
 on fine afternoons, and near its casino are some Roman columns 
 and altars. The wide valley seems to be enclosed on all sides 
 by mountains. On the E. it is overlooked by the Angle, on the 
 W. by the Cliergne ; on the S. it is closed by the Pics de Sancy 
 (1884 met.), which have more of a mountainous character, and are 
 partially covered with snow till late in the season. The pretty 
 little waterfall called La Grande Cascade is seen falling over a 
 circle of black rocks high on the hill side to the 1. The excursions 
 are unimportant, but summer visitors may make short expeditions 
 to (5k.) La Grande Scierie, whence (3omin.)the Cascade du 
 Plat-d-Barbe, whence (15 min.) the Cascade de la Verniere, whence 
 (30 min.) the Salon de Mirabeaii, a lawn surrounded by trees. 
 Another excursion is that by (25 min.) La Grande Cascade and 
 (4 k.) the Cascade du Serpent, to (7^ k.) the Puy de Sancy 
 (1886 met.), the highest point in central France, from which there 
 is a wide view over this singular and desolate region. 
 
 ' Figurez-vous un cone renverse, mais un cone de granit 
 largement evase, espece de cuvette dont les bords etaient 
 morceles par des anfractuosites bizarres ; ici des tables droites 
 sans vegetation, unies, bleuatres, et sur lesquelles les rayons 
 
MONT-DORE-LES-BAINS. 
 
 229 
 
 solaires glissaient comme sur un miroir ; la des rochers entamgs 
 par des cassures, rid6s par des ravins, d'ou pendaient des 
 quartiers de lave dont la chute etait lentement pr6par6e par 
 les eaux pluviales, et souvent couronn6s de quelques arbres 
 rabougris que torturaient les vents ; puis, ca et la, des redans 
 obscures et frais d'ou s'elevait un bouquet de chataigniers 
 hauts comme des cedres, ou des grottes jaunatres qui ouvraient 
 une bouche noire et profonde, palissee de ronces, de fleurs, et 
 garnie d'une langue de verdure. Au fond de cette coupe, peut- 
 etre 1'ancien cratere d'un volcan, se trouvait un etang dont 1'eau 
 
 AT MONT-DORE-LES-BAINS. 
 
 pure avait 1'eclat du diamant. Autour de ce bassin profond 
 borde de granit, de saules, de glaieuls, de frenes, et de mille 
 plantes aromatiques alors en fleur, r6gnait une prairie verte 
 comme un boulingrin anglais ; son herbe fine et jolie 6tait arros6e 
 par les infiltrations qui ruisselaient entre les fentes des rochers, 
 et engrais6e par les depouilles veg6tales que les orages entrai- 
 naient sans cesse des hautes cimes vers le fond. Irregulierement 
 taille en dents de loup comme le bas d'une robe, 1'etang pouvait 
 avoir trois arpents d'etendue ; selon les rapprochements des 
 rochers et de 1'eau, la prairie avait un arpent ou deux de 
 largeur ; en quelques endroits, a peine restait-il assez de place 
 
230 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
 pour le passage des vaches. A une certaine hauteur, la v6g6ta- 
 
 tion cessait. Le granit affectait dans les airs les formes les 
 
 plus bizarres, et contractait ces teintes vaporeuses qui donnen, 
 
 aux montagnes elevees de vagues ressemblances avec les nuages 
 
 du ciel. Au doux aspect du vallon, ces rochers nus et peles 
 
 opposaient les sauvages et steriles images de la desolation, 
 
 des eboulements a craindre, des formes si capricieuses que 
 
 1'une de ces roches est nommee le Capucin, tant elle ressemble 
 
 a un moine. Parfois ces aiguilles pointues, ces piles audacieuses, 
 
 ces cavernes aeriennes s'illuminaient tour a tour, suivant le 
 
 cours du soleil on les fantaisies de I'atmosphere, et prenaient 
 
 les nuances de Tor, se teignaient de pourpre, devenaient d'un 
 
 rose vif, ou ternes ou grises. Les hauteurs offraient un spectacle 
 
 continuel et changeant comme les reflets irises de la gorge des 
 
 pigeons. Souvent, entre deux lames de lave que vous eussiez 
 
 dit s6parees par un coup de hache, un beau rayon de lumiere 
 
 penetrait, & 1'aurore ou au coucher du soleil, jusqu'au fond de 
 
 cette riante corbeille ou se jouait dans les eaux du bassin, 
 
 semblable a la raie d'or qui perce la fente d'un volet et traverse 
 
 une chambre espagnole, soigneusement close pour la sieste. 
 
 Quand le soleil planait au-dessus du vieux cratere, rempli d'eau 
 
 par quelque revolution antediluvienne, les flancs rocailleux 
 
 s'echauffaient, 1'ancien volcan s'allumait, et sa rapide chaleur 
 
 reveillait les germes, fecondait la vegetation, colorait les fleurs, 
 
 et murissait les fruits de ce petit coin de terre ignore.' Balzac, 
 
 ' La Peau de Chagrin! 
 
 Three different routes lead from Mont Dore to (7 k.) La 
 Bourboule (Hotels : des Ambassadeurs ; des Bains ; Beaitsejour ; 
 Bellevue, etc.). A bathing place, lok. from the station of 
 Laqueuille (omnibus, 3 fr. 50 c. ; 2 fr. 50 c. ; and 2 fr.). 2 k. distant 
 is the curious isolated basaltic rock of La Roche-Vendeix. 
 
 A road of 25 k. connects Mont Dore with S. Nectaire, crossing 
 a high pass in the hills. The ascent, through woods, is very 
 pretty, then the scenery is bare, with a view, in the depth, of 
 the Lac Chambon. At 20 k., the village of Murols is reached, 
 at the foot of the hill which is crowned by its great ruined 
 castle (see later). 
 
 [Beyond Laqueuille the carriage road from Clermont to (i 56 k.) 
 
MAURI AC. 231 
 
 Aurillac, by which some of the most interesting parts of Cantal 
 maybe explored, is continued through a wild district by (55k. 
 from Clermont) Tauves, with a romanesque church ; (74k.) La 
 Nobre, with four little lakes; (80 k.) Bort, on the Dordogne, at 
 the foot of basaltic hills, the native place of Marmontel, with 
 the fine waterfall called Saut de la Saule in its neighbourhood ; 
 (S/k. lik. r.) Madic, with a xv. c. church and an old chateau 
 of the family of Chabannes ; (86 k.) Saignes, with remnants of 
 an old castle (3k. S.E. the fine ruined castle of Chastel-Marlhac) ; 
 (91 k.) Largnac (3^k. 1. Ydes, with a curious xn. c. church of 
 the Templars). At 109 k. the road reaches Mauriac (Hotel : 
 de l'cu de France), which has a noble parish church of Notre 
 Dame des Miracles, built xn. c. on the site of a chapel founded 
 by Theodechilde, granddaughter of Clovis, and containing a 
 statue of the Virgin, reputed miraculous, and venerated by 
 immense pilgrimages every May 9. The magnificent Byzantine 
 portal is very rich in sculpture and is flanked by heavy square 
 towers ; a third octagonal romanesque tower surmounts the 
 cross. Some of the sculptured capitals of the interior are 
 unusually quaint : the font is romanesque. Near the church 
 are some remains of a cloister and other buildings of a Bene- 
 dictine priory. At the entrance of the cemetery is a lantern* 
 des morts of the xn. c. The College, where Marmontel began 
 his studies, has a handsome corinthian portal. An xvm. c. 
 Obelisk bears an inscription by him. At the hamlet of Albos 
 are three menhirs, and at Brageac (4k. S.W.) the ruins of a 
 fortified abbey, founded by S. Till in the vii. c. The church, 
 of xi. c. and xn. c., contains a curious Byzantine reliquary. 
 
 (A road leads E. through a very wild country from Mauriac to 
 (8 1 k.) Besse (see p. 237) by (14 k.) Moussages, where the church 
 has an xi. c. portal ; in the neighbourhood are the ruined castles 
 of Grossaldet and (xv. c.) Valens ; (21 k.) Trizac, with five ruined 
 castles in its neighbourhood ; (41 k.) Riom-es-Montagnes, with a 
 remarkable romanesque church and the ruined castle of Rignac 
 (whence an excursion of 5 k. may be made to the picturesquely- 
 situated Chateau d'Apchon and its church, with a xn. c. tomb) ; 
 and (57k.) Condat-en-Feniers (Hotel : dc la Poste\ r*ear which is 
 the ruined Cistercian Abbaye de Feniers, founded xn. c., and only 
 destroyed by fire in 1872.) 
 
232 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Soon after leaving Mauriac, the Aurillac road passes within 
 I k. of the beautiful falls of the Auze called Cascade de Satins, 
 and the xvi. c. Chateau de Mazerolles, and then (i 18 k.) Drugeac, 
 with a ruined castle, gothic church, and fine cemetery cross ; 
 (123 k.) a road leading to (7 k.) the very curious fortified me- 
 diaeval village of Salers, surrounded by several distinct lines 
 of walls, with a ruined castle, gothic church, hospital of 1552, 
 many houses of xv. c. and xvi. c., and wild and savage surround- 
 ings, amongst which the Chateau de la Gourdanie and Chateau de 
 la Jarrige, and the fine falls of the Maronne, near 6*. Paul de 
 Salers, should be visited; (12/k.) 6". Martin Valmeroux, with 
 an old castle and a curious church of 1362 (excursion to the 
 Chateau de Nozieres and the (xv. c.) Chateau de Branzac]; (132 k.) 
 6". Chamant, after which the road passes the basaltic rocks called 
 Les Orgues de Lottbejeac, and leaves r. the road leading to 6". 
 Cirgues de Malbert, a most picturesque place with a romanesque 
 church and an old bridge between rocks; (i37k.) 6*. Cernin 
 with a xin. c. church with beautiful xv. c. stalls (excursions to 
 the well-preserved xiv. c. Chateau d'Anjony, in a striking situa- 
 tion on a rock above the Doire, retaining rooms with xv. c. 
 furniture and a chapel with frescoes : and to ruined castles at 
 Bournazel, Cambon, Reghaud, Monteil, Marze, and Ourzeaux) ; 
 and (149 k.) Naucelles, with a xv. c. church containing a xn. c. 
 reliquary, and a xn. c. signal-tower.] 
 
 87 k. Eygurande, where a branch line leads by (21 k.) LePort 
 Dieu, with ruins of a priory, to (48 k.) Largnac. 
 
 [For the line hence to Montlucon see p. 211.] 
 
 105 k. Ussel (Hotel : du Dauphin; duLion d'Or\ the ancient 
 Uxellodunum. The church is xn. c. and xv. c. The site of the 
 chateau, long inhabited by Marguerite de Valois, wife of Henri IV., 
 is now occupied by the Halles. For the beautiful line hence to 
 Brive see South-Western France, ch. iv.] 
 
 Leaving Clermont for the south, the line passes 
 448 k. (from Paris) Le Cendre. 
 
 [A road leads hence to (14 k. E.) Billom (see p. 225) by 
 Cournon, with a fine xi. c. church, and (4k.) Perignat-es-Allier, 
 
VIC-LE-COMTE, 233 
 
 with a church of xi. c. and xv. c., and passes 2 k. to r. of 
 6". Georges-es-Allier, with a church of xm. c. and xiv. c., possess- 
 ing a remarkably beautiful xm. c. portal.] 
 
 453 k. Les Martres-de- Veyre. 
 
 [Hence a road leads down the valley of the Veyre by (2-| k.) 
 Veyre and the Puy de Monton, crowned by a colossal image of the 
 Virgin ; (8 k.) >S. Amant-Tallende, with an old chateau restored ; 
 (lok.) 5. Saturnin, where the church has a central tower with 
 its original spire, and a sacristy formed from part of the cloister 
 of a Benedictine convent : at the corner of the cemetery is a 
 romanesque chapel used as a dwelling. To the S. of Veyre are 
 (5 k.) La Sauvetat, with a castle of xiv. c. and (7 k.) Plauzat, 
 with a church of XL c. (the crypt and square choir), xiv. c., and 
 xv. c., and a restored chateau of xvn. c.J 
 
 456 k. Vic-le-Comte^ has very small remains of the forti- 
 fications which made it one of the principal strongholds of 
 Auvergne. The Sainte Ckapelle built in the beginning of 
 the xvi. c. by John Stuart, Duke of Albany and Comte 
 d' Auvergne, and Anne de la Tour his wife is a very 
 beautiful specimen of the transition from gothic to renais- 
 sance : its windows represent on r. scenes from the Passion ; 
 on L, from the Old Testament. The Chapdle S. Jean is 
 xm. c. or xiv. c. 
 
 3 k. S. is the picturesquely placed Chateau de Buron, built in 
 the crater of an ancient volcano. Near this are some remains of 
 .the Cistercian abbey of Bouchet, founded xn. c. and destroyed at 
 the Revolution. 
 
 [A road leads W. through a basaltic district by (39 k.) Besse- 
 en-Chandesse (see p. 237), and (68k.) La Totir d' Auvergne, 
 cradle of that ancient family, with some small remains of its 
 castle, to (76 k.) Tauves.] 
 
 463k. Coudes. 
 
 i k. N. is the fine xm. c. tower of Montpeyroux. 
 
234 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 [A road leads W. to (21 k.) S. Nectaire (carriage 25 fr.), a 
 beautiful drive by Perrier, with the Tour de Maurifolet, reached 
 by a staircase cut in the rock ; and (zok.) Champeix (Hotel : du 
 Lion d Or), very picturesquely built along the banks of the little 
 river Couze de Chaudefour. Here are a romanesque church, 
 ruined castle, and the dolmen called La Pierre Fichade. After 
 
 S. NECTAIRE. 
 
 leaving Champeix the road enters a succession of exquisite 
 wooded gorges, which continue nearly as far as (19 k.) the 
 bathing-place of 6*. Nectaire-le-Bas (Hotels : Grand ; Madettf\ 
 which has no attraction to offer beyond its mineral waters, which 
 resemble those of Ems in their qualities. 2 k. further, most 
 beautifully situated in a wooded rocky gorge, is 6*. Nectaire- 
 le-Haut (Hotel : Mont Cornadorc most comfortable, clean, and 
 
5. NECTAIRR. 
 
 235 
 
 well managed ; a delightful summer retreat. Pension 13 fr.). The 
 place was formerly called Mont Cornadore. The plateau of the 
 wooded hill above the hotel is occupied by the magnificent 
 church of xi. c. and Xiu. c., which has two W. towers and an 
 octagonal central tower. The interior is exceedingly majestic and 
 beautiful in colour. Here, the nave has very narrow lofty side- 
 aisles, and no clerestory. The columns round the apse have 
 magnificent capitals, which retain their delicate ancient colouring. 
 
 CHURCH OF S. NECTAIRE. 
 
 The hill round the church is strewn with stone coffins, and has 
 a xv. c. cross. 
 
 Many excursions may be pleasantly made from S. Nectaire. 
 Ascending the rocky forest-clad gorge to the r., on reaching the 
 top of the hill we come in sight of (5k.) the great castle of 
 Murols, grandly placed on a basaltic hill, high above the village 
 of the name, and dating chiefly from xiv. c. and xv. c. ; a roman- 
 esque chapel is xui. c. 
 
 1 Le chateau de Murols, ruine magnifique plante sur un dyke 
 
236 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 formidable, au pied d'un pic qui, de temps immemorial, porte le 
 nom significatif de Tartaret, le chateau de Murols, labyrinthe 
 colossal, est une des plus hautaines forteresses de la feodalit6. 
 Vue du dehors, c'est une masse prismatique qui se soude au 
 rocher par une base homogene, c'est a dire herissee de blocs bruts 
 que des mains de geants semblaient avoir jetes au hasard dans 
 la ma9onnerie. Tout le reste est bati en laves taillees, et ce qui 
 reste des voutes est en scories legeres et solides. Ces belles 
 ruines de 1'Auvergne et du Velay sont les plus imposantes qu'il y 
 ait au monde. Sombres et rougeatres comme le dyke dont leurs 
 materiaux sont sortis, elles ne font qu'un avec ces redoutables 
 supports, et cette unite de couleur, jointe quelquefois a une 
 similitude de formes, leur donne 1'aspect d'une dimension invrai- 
 semblable. Jet6es dans des paysages grandioses que herissent 
 en mille endroits des accidents analogues, et qui dominent des 
 montagnes elevees, elles y tiennent une place qui etonne la vue 
 et y dessinent des silhouettes terribles qui rendent plus frappantes 
 les teintes fraiches et vaporeuses des herbages et des bouquets 
 environnants. 
 
 'A 1'interieur, le chateau de Murols est d'une etendue et 
 d'une complication fantastiques. Ce ne sont que passages hardis, 
 franchissant des breches de rochers a donner le vertige, petites 
 et grandes salles, les unes gisant en parties sur les herbes des 
 preaux, les autres, s'elevant dans les airs sans escaliers qui s'y 
 rattachent ; tourelles et poternes echelonnes en zigzag j usque sur 
 la declivite du monticule qui porte le dyke ; portes richement 
 fleuronneesd'armoiries et a moitiesensevelies dans les decombres ; 
 logis elegants de la renaissance caches, avec leurs petites cours 
 mysterieuses, dans les vastes flancs de 1'edifice feodal ; et tout 
 cela brise, disloque, mais luxuriant de plantes sauvages aux 
 aromes penetrants, et dominant un pays qui trouve encore moyen 
 d'etre adorable de vegetation, tout en restant bizarre de forme et 
 apre de caractere/ George Sand, ' Le Marquis de Villemer? 
 
 Murols is built with lava from the neighbouring extinct volcano 
 of Tartaret (962 met.), near which is the Lac Chambon (880 met.), 
 with wooded islets. The lake is formed by the Couze, which has 
 pretty waterfalls in its earlier course. 
 
 Beyond Murols (carriage 20 fr.), passing the large village of 
 
LAC PAVIN, ISSOIRE. 
 
 237 
 
 Bessc-en-Chandesse, about i6k. from Mont Cornadore (which 
 has a church with an octagonal tower, and an ancient gate with 
 a belfry) is (2ok.) the Lac Pavin (2,500 met. in circuit, 1,197 
 above the sea), of which absurdly exaggerated accounts are 
 given in French guide-books. The carriage stops where a little 
 stream foams down a miniature green valley on 1., and on 
 ascending the bank, we find ourselves on the edge of an extinct 
 crater, filled by a still, clear oval, green lake, surrounded by 
 luxuriant beechwoods, above which, on one side, appears the 
 
 
 CHATEAU DE MUROLS. 
 
 turfy eminence called Puy de MontchaL It is a pretty sylvan 
 scene, but nothing more. In May and June the meadows are 
 white with narcissus. 
 
 It is 25 k. from S. Nectaire to Mont Dore (see above) passing 
 Murols.] 
 
 473 k. Issoire (Hotels : de la Poste ; de France), a town 
 well known as Icctodurum in Roman times, which received 
 Christianity in the HI. c. from S. Austremoine, who was 
 
238 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 martyred near this. Most of the town was destroyed by 
 the Due d'Alengon in 1577, but it retains its magnificent 
 church of S. Paul, which resembles that of Notre Dame du 
 Port at Clermont, except in having a square chapel at the 
 chevet. This is a typical Auvergnat church, though much 
 of the W. front, with its tower and octagonal lanthorn, is 
 due to modern restorations, well carried out. 
 
 ' The apsidal aisle has four apses, each springing from a gabled 
 face; this, with a peculiar mosaic ornament of dark stone on lighter 
 building stone, gives great finish to the building. The patterns 
 are geometrical, not architectural. From the central space at the 
 east end, and between the two apsidal chapels, projects a square 
 one. There is a crypt beneath the chancel, which comprehends 
 the apsidal aisle and its radiating chapels, but gives the western- 
 most chapels a square plan.' -J. L. Petit. 
 
 There is a romanesque house at Issoire. 
 
 [A road leads E. from Issoire to (57 k.) Ambert (see ch. ii.), 
 passing (12 k.) I k. S. of Manglieu (Magnuslocus), which has a 
 fine church, with an XL c. porch and choir and xv. c. nave, which 
 belonged to a Benedictine abbey. A second road (of 52k.) leads 
 to Ambert by (5 k.) Varennes, at the foot of a volcanic hill oc- 
 cupied by the village of Usson, with a romanesque church, and 
 remains of a castle once inhabited by Marguerite de Valois, first 
 wife of Henri IV. ; and (12 k.) Sauxillanges, with remains of a 
 priory.] 
 
 [A road leads S.E. by (28 k.) 6*. Germain THerm, which has a 
 xni. c. church (6 k. N.W. are the picturesque ruins of the Chateau 
 de la Fayette'] to (51 k.) La Chaise Dieu. See later.] 
 
 [A road leads W. to (53 k.) Mont Dore, by (28k.) S. Nectaire 
 le Haut. See p. 234.] 
 
 The line passes near (r.) the basaltic heights of Broc, 
 with a xin. c. Chateau of the Dauphins d'Auvergne, to 
 482 k. Le BreuiL 
 
CLERMONT TO AURILLAC. 239 
 
 There is an omnibus from Le Breuil to (2% k.) 6*. Germain- 
 Lembron (3 k. N.W. of which is Chains, with a romanesque church 
 and ruined castle, and 3k. further Villeneuve, with a fine re- 
 naissance chateau), then by the basaltic rock of Montcelet, 
 with some remains of a castle of the Dauphins d'Auvergne, 
 to (14 k.) Ardes-snr-Cotize, with a xiv. c. church. This was 
 the ancient capital of the duchy of Mercoeur. At 2 k., on a 
 lofty peak (945 met.), is the Chateau de Mercoeur. 
 
 498k. Arvant. 
 
 [Here the railway from Clermont to Aurillac turns W. ; a 
 most beautiful (single) line through rocky forest gorges, fol- 
 lowing for some distance the windings of the rushing, sparkling 
 Alagnon. The mountainous scenery resembles that of the finest 
 parts of the Meuse. 
 
 ' A un certain point de vue, le Cantal, qu'habitent les plus 
 Celtes des Celtes, a en juger par leur physionomie, leur taille et 
 la forme de leur tete, peut etre considere comme le centre de la 
 contree que les geologues lie de Beaumont et Dufrenoy y ont 
 qualifiee de " pole de repulsion," car c'est la que les etrangers sont 
 le moins nombreux. Par contre, le mouvement d'emigration y 
 est tres-considerable ; en moyenne, 10,000 hommes quittent les 
 villages du Cantal vers la fin de 1'automne, pour aller gagner 
 leur vie, soit dans les grandes villes par une profession sedentaire, 
 soit dans les campagnes comme merchands nomades de bestiaux, 
 de mules, de parapluies.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 5 k. (from Arvant) Lempdes, with a romanesque xi. c. church. 
 The ruined castle of Lestoing is seen on the 1., crowning an abrupt 
 rock. 
 
 1 6k. Blesle. 2k. N.W. are the curious basaltic rocks called 
 Orgues de Blesle. A quaint hermitage chapel crowns a lofty rock 
 on the 1., before reaching 
 
 20 k. Massiac, an old fortified place at the meeting of the 
 Agnolon and Alagnon. The line continues to follow the Alagnon, 
 passing (r.) the fine ruined castle of Aurouse. 
 
 30 k. Molompize, has a church partly romanesque, and a ruined 
 castle. Then a height on r. is crowned by the ruined castle of 
 
240 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Charmensac. L. is the castle of Volclair, then the church of 6". 
 Mary le Cros, where a curious reliquary formerly contained the 
 relics of the patron saint. A natural stone seat near the village 
 called Chaise de S. Mary is a point of pilgrimage to those ill 
 of internal disorders. 
 
 39 k. Ferriere-S. Mary. The castle of Peyrusse is seen, then 
 the great castle of Merdogne crowns a precipitous rock on r. 
 
 49 k. Neussarg2tes. On the road to S. Flour is Pierrepont, 
 with a transition church and xiv. c. castle. 
 
 S. FLOUR FROM THE NORTH. 
 
 [Here a line diverges S., ascending into a wild plateau of open 
 country to 
 
 1 8 k. 6". Flour (Hotel: de la Poste a good country inn, 
 which has one good room with a splendid view ; horrors). 
 S. Flour rose in the xi. c., on the basaltic plateau of La 
 Planeze (885 met.), around a monastery founded on the site of 
 the burial-place of the missionary S. Florus, who died in 370. It 
 is said to be due to an order of the pope to two barons de Brezon, 
 that they should thus expiate the crime of fratricide. The position 
 is magnificent, the finest of any town in France. On three sides 
 
5. FLOUR. 
 
 241 
 
 the city is girt by high volcanic precipices, along the very edge 
 of which the houses are ranged, following the windings of the 
 rock. Behind rises the cathedral, which, poor in reality, is ex- 
 ceedingly imposing from a distance. A curious old bridge, with 
 a chapel at the end of it, crosses the little river Andes in the 
 ravine below. The finest view is to be obtained by turning a 
 little away from the town on leaving the station, along the road 
 to Garabit and the south. Seen from hence, S. Flour will recall 
 Orvieto to Italian travellers. 
 
 Foot passengers may ascend through steep old winding 
 
 ifel 
 
 S. FLOUR FROM THE SOUTH. 
 
 streets (Chemin de 1'Abattoir) to one of the old gates of the town. 
 Carriages make a much longer ascent by a road which is skirted 
 near the top by a range of pillared basaltic cliffs. The streets 
 are not picturesque, but have a singularly old-world look. The 
 hotel has been in the hands of the same family for four hundred 
 years, and the landlady shows with pride the passage where her 
 ancestor (Rongier) surprised the Protestants under Merle, as they 
 were making a secret entrance from the cliffs behind, and thus 
 saved the town ; also the spot where the Protestants were beheaded 
 and the drain by which their blood flowed away. The rugged 
 Place d'Armes in front, has an old fountain and xvi. c. houses 
 
 16 
 
242 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 with porticoes beneath. Beyond a grove of trees, like those of an 
 English close, stands the Cathedral, built 1375 1466, on the site 
 of the oratory of S. Floras, a heavy massive edifice, with two 
 square towers at the W. end. The fa$ade bears the device of 
 the triple A, in reference to Arabia, the supposed country of 
 S. Florus. The interior has five aisles, without triforium or tran- 
 sept. Here, till the Revolution, hung against a pillar the trumpet 
 which was to have sounded the capture of the town (when the 
 
 BASALTIC CLIFFS, S. FLOUR. 
 
 Camisard trumpeter was hurled from the rocks), inscribed ' Tuba 
 proditorum.' The Capitaine de Brisson, who threw him down, 
 received from the town, as a reward, the "right of occupying, with 
 his wife, the two first stalls in the cathedral, when a commemora- 
 tive service, called Voeu de.la Ville, was annually held there. A 
 neighbouring street Rite Sorel commemorates the visit of 
 Charles VII. and the beautiful Agnes, when the unwelcome 
 attentions of the king to the beautiful Marguerite Begon, daughter 
 of one of the principal citizens, obliged the latter to take refuge 
 in a convent. The parish church of S. Vincent is xiv. c. 
 
ESPALION. 243 
 
 The great height of S. Flour makes its air most reviving in 
 the summer, but the climate is terribly severe in winter, when 
 snow lies for months undisturbed. The surrounding country 
 has a wild beauty of its own, and is exceedingly interesting to 
 botanists. 
 
 2k. S.E. is the xvi. c. Chateau de la Chaumette. An excur- 
 sion may be made (6 k. N.W.) to the finely situated ruins of the 
 Chateau du Rochain with the falls of the Saillans. A carriage 
 (10 fr.) should be taken to the extraordinary Pontde Garabit, the 
 masterpiece of the famous Eiffel, and one of the most remarkable 
 engineering feats of modern times a cast-iron bridge 448 met. 
 30 c. in length, with a height of 122 met. 20 c. : a huge iron arch 
 at an immense height connects the central piers. Seen from 
 below, crossing the wild gorge of the Truyere, the supports and 
 the aerial bridge itself look most alarming, but have been 
 thoroughly tested. Terrible accidents occurred during the con- 
 struction. In one case a young man slipped through a hole in 
 the bridge, and fell with such violence that he cut through the 
 plank bridge over the river beneath like a saw ; only his leg was 
 left hanging. A woman, washing on the river bank, was so 
 terrified by his fall close to her, that she fell into the water, and 
 was with difficulty rescued from drowning. 
 
 Further down the Truyere is a fine ruined castle near Alleuze.] 
 
 (A road leads to (121 k.) Rodez (see South-Western France, 
 ch. iv.), by (11 k.) Les Ternes, with an ancient church and xv. c. 
 chateau ; (33 k.) Chaudesaigues (Hotels : du Midi; de Paris) 
 with very curious hot mineral springs in which visitors cook 
 eggs, etc. The hot springs, used for the sick in summer, are 
 employed effectually in winter by canals of masonry under the 
 ground floors to heat the houses. The Chateau du Couffour 
 is picturesque, the Chateau de Montvallat is of 1627 ; (65 k.) 
 Laguiole, beyond which the road passes to the 1. of the striking 
 and picturesque ruins of the Cistercian abbey of Bonneval, 
 founded 1147; (89 k.) Espalion (Hotel: de France], with a 
 xin. c. bridge and ruined castle. The church of 5. Eloi is re- 
 markable for its belfry on a single wall over the chancel arch 
 (l k. S.E. the curious romanesque chapel of 6*. Hilariori) ; and 
 (look.) La Rotonde, I k. W. of which is the most picturesque and 
 extraordinary gorge of the Dourdon, called Gour d'Enfer, with 
 
244 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the convent and ancient church of S. Catherine a wonderful 
 scene for an artist. See South-Western France.) 
 
 Passengers must look out after leaving S. Flour for the pass- 
 age of the extraordinary Pont de Garabit (see above). 
 
 The line now enters upon dreary upland plains which it 
 crosses by S. Ch6ly d'Apcher to the curious old town of Mar- 
 jevols, which retains its three ancient gates, and so to the south. 
 See South-Western France^ 
 
 [A road leads N. from Neussargues to (67 k.) Besse (see 
 p. 237), through a wild basaltic country by (16 k.) the old 
 fortified town of Allanche ; (30 k.) Marcenat, \\'\\.\\ the ruined 
 Chateau d'Aubijoux, and (36 k.) the ruined Abbaye de Feniers 
 or de la Vallee-honnete, founded in 1173.] 
 
 58 k. Murat (Hotel : Boitchy tolerable), at the base of the 
 basaltic rock of Bonnevie, which bore a fortress, demolished in 
 1633. The church of Notre Dame des Oliviers is xvi. c. ; the 
 church of 6*. Martin is used as a corn exchange. In the 
 neighbourhood is the ruined Chateau de Cleylannes, with a 
 waterfall, and the Chateau de Beccoire, built by S. Louis, in 
 1258. 1 4k. on the road from Murat to Besse is 5. Anastasie, 
 where, near the hamlet of Bousquet, is the exceedingly striking 
 and picturesque Roc de Cuze, with a ruined hermitage and 
 beautiful waterfall. 
 
 [A road leads S.E. to (24 k.) S. Flour, by (r.) the foot of a 
 volcanic hill crowned by Bredons, with an interesting (restored) 
 romanesque church, built in 1074; (8k.) Ussel , with a xn. c. 
 church, and the basaltic colonnades called Paves des Geants ; 
 and (18 k.) Roffiac, with a gothic cross, and romanesque (xn. c.) 
 church, once the chapel of the ruined chateau, of which a fine 
 octagonal tower remains. A short distance N.E. of this is 
 Andelat, with a chateau and the waterfall of Basbarie. At 
 Violard is a chapel cut out of the rock.] 
 
 The line increases in forest and mountainous beauty to 
 69 k. Le Lioran, a place with lovely scenery, and the best 
 station for the ascent of (i hr. 40 miri.) Plomb du Cantal, 
 
LE LI OR AN, THlAzAC. 24$ 
 
 1,858 met. : 6 hrs. going and returning, Le Puy Mary, 1,787 
 met. : 3 hrs. going and returning, Le Puy Griou none of them 
 excursions of special interest. 
 
 ' D'apres le temoignage des geologues, que la vue des assises 
 terrestres et de leurs fossiles fait assister par la pensee a tous 
 ces phenomenes de la planete, c'est pendant 1'age miocene 
 qu'eut lieu la premiere eruption du Cantal, et le dernier 
 paroxysme du volcan, le plus terrible, date du commencement 
 de la periode quaternaire. Alors la masse de basalte fluide 
 qui s'epancha de la cheminee centrale sortit en telle abondance 
 qu'elle recouvrit comme un manteau toutes les pentes du cone, 
 s'amassa dans le creux jusqu'a 120 metres depaisseur et 
 s'etendit a 15 et 20 kilometres de la base du volcan, sur les 
 assises tertiaires, sur le terrain houiller et les roches cristallines : 
 les anciennes forets qui croissaient sur la montagne furent 
 converties en une mince couche de charbon, que Ton etudie de 
 nos jours avec soin pour y retrouver la flore de ces temps 
 antiques. Le cone d'eruption dont la hauteur etait probable- 
 ment d'environ 2,500 metres, se dressait a 1'ouest du point 
 culminant actuel, Le Plomb du- Cantal, et tout autour, formant 
 un amphitheatre de plus de 30, kilometres, s'elevait un rebord 
 circulaire dont les ruines existent encore. Le Puy Mary, Le 
 Puy Chavanoche, sont des temoins de cette enceinte demolie.' 
 Elisee Reclus. 
 
 The line continues through a mountain district to 
 
 82k. Thiezac, which has a fine gothic church, a cross of 1584 
 in the cemetery, and the ruined Chateau de Murch. 
 
 Above Thiezac the Cere forms the grand gorges of Pas-de- 
 Compaing ; and, below it, the magnificent gorge called Pas- 
 de-la-Cere, where the torrent, descending from the wooded 
 heights of Cantal, washes through a gulf with walls of basaltic 
 rock, 140 met. high. The names of these chasms record the 
 difficulty which travellers formerly experienced in passing these 
 defiles. 
 
 86 k. Vic-sur-Cere (Hotels : Vialette; Lamartre), a bathing-place 
 with a curious old fortified Ville haute. An excursion may be 
 made to (S.E.) Raulhac, with a renaissance tower of 1577, and 
 the still inhabited Chateau de Cropieres, where the Duchess de 
 
^46 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Fontanges, mistress of Louis XIV., was born ; her portrait by 
 Mignard is preserved here. In this neighbourhood are the old 
 castles of Mas, Messillac, Puech-Mourier, and Valduces. 
 
 io6k. Aurillac (Hotels: du Commerce; de Bordeatix}, on 
 the Jordanne, the capital of the Departement de Cantal, the 
 ancient Aureliacum, where S. Geraud founded in 898 the 
 famous abbey to which the first French pope S. Gerbier 
 belonged. The monks of Aurillac had a priory and church at 
 Compostella. A confraternity of S. James existed in the town, 
 and all those who accomplished ' voyages d'adoration ' took 
 care, like the hadjis of Mecca, to carry their packet of exchange. 
 The church of 6". Geraud^ formerly abbatial, is xvn. c., except 
 the chapel of S. Geraud (1.), which is xvi. c. The church of 
 Notre-Dame-aux-Neiges is xm. c. and xiv. c. The Chapelle 
 d" Aureinques, in the Rue de Lacoste, was built at the end of 
 the xvi. c., on the spot where a noble of Aurillac, Guinot de 
 Veyre, was killed in defending the town against the Huguenots 
 in 1581 ; it is like a square vaulted gothic hall, with a central 
 pillar. The Chapelle du College has a sculptured xvn. c. 
 portal. 
 
 Overlooking the town, on the Roc Castanet, is the Chateau 
 de S, Eiienne, where S. Geraud was born, which was forcibly 
 taken from the sovereign abbot of Aurillac by the citizens in 
 1233, when they pulled down the upper storey. The castle was 
 burnt in 1868. The square keep is xi. c. ; the adjoining building 
 (used as a school) is xvi. c. In the Rue Mercenague is the old 
 Hotel des Consuls of xvi. c. The buildings of the College con- 
 tain the Musee, with a small picture gallery. On the Place 
 Montyon is a statue of Pope Silvester II. (Gerbert d'Aurillac) 
 by David d' Angers, 
 
 1 Les paysans d'Ytrac et de Crandelles, a 1'ouest d'Aurillac, 
 sont ceux qui se rendent en plus grand nombre de 1'autre cote 
 des Pyrenees ; on dit qu'ils se distinguent des autres habitants 
 de la haute Auvergne, non-seulement par leur costume presque 
 Catalan, mais aussi par la vivacite de la physionomie, 1'eclat du 
 langage et la richesse de 1'imagination ; leurs femmes et leurs 
 filles ont quelque chose d'espagnol dans les traits, le vetement 
 et la parure.' Elisee Reclus.~] 
 
BRIOUDE. 247 
 
 [For the line from Aurillac to Figeac and Brive see South- 
 western France, .] 
 
 [For the interesting road from Aurillac to Clermont see p. 231.] 
 
 Leaving Arvant, the ruined castle of Bournoncle^ on a 
 strange basaltic rock, and the castle of la Roche, are seen 
 on 1. ; then, on r., Beaumont^ with a feudal tower, and 
 Paulhac, with a very fine xv. c. chateau, admirably situated. 
 508 k. Brioude (from Briva, a bridge), a very ancient town, 
 which has been celebrated from the vi. c., on account of 
 the famous sanctuary of S. Julien. In 303 the proconsul 
 Crispinus had ordered the arrest of Julien, a Christian 
 soldier. He escaped for a time by the aid of his captain 
 Ferre'ol, who was also a Christian, but he was taken in the 
 spot called Vincella and beheaded. Ferre'ol embraced the 
 martyr's bleeding head, for which he was afterwards himself 
 put to death at Vienne. It is said that the rocks by the 
 side of the spring where the soldiers washed the head of 
 the saint, were ever after tinged with blood. The body 
 of Julien was carried to Briva by the shepherds Ilpisc 
 and Arcons, who, becoming Christians themselves, were 
 eventually buried by his side, but his head was taken to 
 rest with Ferreol at Vienne. A noble Spanish lady having 
 prayed by the grave of Julien that her husband, imprisoned 
 at Treves, might be proved innocent of the crimes of which 
 he was accused, believed that his acquittal was due to the 
 prayers of the saint, and, in gratitude, erected the first 
 oratory here, and a shrine, which soon became so im- 
 portant that the Emperor Avitus, flying from Ricimer in 
 457, sought it as a refuge, though he was murdered and 
 buried there. After this every century renewed its bene- 
 
248 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 factions, till the xn. c. and xm. c., when the whole Church 
 of S. Julien was magnificently rebuilt. It has recently been 
 much restored. The principal portal has ancient columns 
 and capitals, supporting a sculptured cornice. The ancient 
 wooden doors are covered with leather. In the external 
 walls a mosaic decoration of coloured stones is largely used. 
 The E. end was defended, like a fortress, by strong but- 
 tresses, battlements, and machicolations. The seal of the 
 chapter represents four knights, armed and mounted on the 
 same horse, which is said to commemorate a special guild 
 formed for the protection of the sanctuary. 
 
 ' The central tower does not comprehend the aisles, but is 
 square, surmounted by an octagon. The apse is circular, and 
 has an aisle garnished with five apsidal chapels, each springing 
 from a gabled front. The round arch prevails in this part. The 
 main apse is beautifully ornamented with patterns in black and 
 light-coloured stone. The chevron is used in some of the arches 
 of the choir, and the shaft and torus prevail. The piers are lofty, 
 of a square plan, with engaged columns. The triforium seems 
 to have consisted originally of three plain round arches with a 
 circle above. The vaulting of the nave is of early pointed 
 character and ribbed. The aisles have the cross-vaulting, without 
 ribs. The tower-arches are pointed. The main apse has a plain 
 semi-domical vault, but the eastern apsidal chapel has a ribbed 
 roof; the others are plain, and the arches opening into them are 
 pointed. There is a fine south portal with massive engaged 
 columns.' -J. L. Petit. 
 
 The interior is a parallelogram, consisting of a central 
 nave, very lofty, with lower, but wide, side aisles. Before 
 the grille of the tower is a xm. c. tomb. There are many 
 remains of ancient fresco-painting. 
 
 1 Dans aucune eglise byzantine on ne verra des sculptures 
 

 BRIOUDE. 249 
 
 plus fines, un travail plus soigne, une plus grande variet6 de motifs. 
 Par leur composition, quelque fois meme par leur execution, 
 plusieurs de ces chapiteaux se rapprochent tellement de 1'antique, 
 qu'ils justifient, jusq'a un certain point, 1'opinion de quelques 
 antiquaires qui, dans I'edifice actuel, voudraient voir un monument 
 du iv siecle. Sur un des chapiteaux de la nef, par exemple, 
 un genie aile tenant un thyrse, et mont sur un tigre, parait une 
 copie de quelque bas-relief enleve a un temple de Bacchus. 
 Plus loin, des griffons, buvant dans une coupe, rappellent un 
 grand nombre de sculptures romaines. Toute fois, lorsqu'on 
 examine attentivement ces imitations, la fantaisie byzantine, son 
 caprice bizarre se revelent bientot dans les additions qui sur- 
 chargent le type original. C'est ainsi que les tigres antiques, qui 
 ont inspire le sculpteur de Brioude, n'avaient pas certainement 
 une langue qui, apres bien des contorsions, forme la tige d'une 
 palmette.' Merimee, ' Notes d'un Voyage en Auvergne.' 
 
 Brioude had formerly seven other churches, and the 
 fame of its sanctuary attracted the foundation of numerous 
 convents, as well as of the hermitages which have left a 
 name to Le Territoire des Reclus. 
 
 ' Le chapitre de S. Julien presidait, par son depute, toutes 
 les assemblies urbaines, passait la revue des troupes et des 
 armes, faisait battre monnaie, exe^ait les droits de grande et 
 de petite voirie, de main-morte, de prelation, d'appau, de fiac, 
 de committimus, d'assistance aux etats generaux du royaume, et 
 ne relevait que du roi, malgre les divers apanages concedes aux 
 dues et aux princes de sang eux-memes.' Mandet, 'Hist, du 
 Velay: 
 
 [At 4 k. S. is Vieille Brioude, with a xn. c. church and a bridge 
 between two rocks at the end of an ancient lake.] 
 
 [Brioude is the nearest point from which to visit (39 k. by an 
 uninteresting road) the curious and important monastery of La 
 Chaise Dieu (Hotel : du Nord very humble) in a bleak and 
 
250 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 dreary situation, with a dirty village where much black and white 
 lace is manufactured. 
 
 On a plateau rise, like a fortress, the battlemented and 
 crenelated buildings of the vast abbey of Casa Dei, founded by 
 S. Robert, treasurer of S. Julien de Brioude, in 1036, and which, 
 early in the xiv. c., had as its abbot Roger du Beaufort, who, 
 successively bishop of Arras, archbishop of Rouen, and cardinal 
 archbishop of Sens, reigned as Pope Clement VI. from 1342-52, 
 and from the first year of his election began the rebuilding of 
 the church of the Chaise Dieu on a magnificent scale. 
 
 The abbey, which had three hundred monks in the middle-ages, 
 continued to be the most important monastery of Auvergne and 
 the richest in France till the Revolution. Cardinals Mazarin, 
 Richelieu, d'Armagnac, and de Rohan were amongst its abbots. 
 The last, being Grand Almoner of France, was banished here 
 after his trial for the affaire du Collier. 
 
 Near the E. end of the church, the enormous machicolated 
 Tour de Clement VI. bears the name of its founder, and is the 
 fortress in which the monks and all the inhabitants of the town 
 escaped slaughter by the lieutenant of the Baron des Adrets, 
 when the abbey was sacked by the Protestants in 1564. Only 
 two galleries remain of the ruined cloister of xiv. c. and xv. c. ; that 
 on the N. is due to the Abbe Andre de Chanac, whose arms are 
 carved upon a pendentive, and who finished the fortifications of 
 the monastery. 
 
 The abbey church, now the parish church of the town, was 
 rebuilt in xiv. c. and xv. c. at the expense of Pope Clement VI. 
 and his nephew Gregory XI. (Pierre-Roger de Beaufort). A wide 
 staircase, 1 at the foot of which is the pierre des expositions, on 
 which the monks were laid for twenty-four hours after death, 
 leads to a central portal, flanked by massive towers, which once 
 had spires, destroyed in the Revolution. The interior is a triple 
 nave ending in five five-sided apsides. The nave is divided by a 
 heavy roodloft of xvn. c., and the effect of the inner portion, which 
 forms the choir, with its wide-spreading roof, magnificently 
 sculptured stalls, and the seventeen splendid tapestries (1501-18) 
 
 1 In a chapel near the foot of the staircase was buried Jean Soanen, bishop 
 of Senez, exiled hither by the Council of Embrun for resisting the bull 
 Unigenitus. 
 
LA CHAISE DIEU. 251 
 
 which give it richness, and colour, is majestic, imposing, and 
 picturesque in the extreme. In the centre is the tomb of 
 Clement VI. (Pierre-Roger de Beaufort, of the noble house of 
 Maumont in the Limousin), the voluptuous pope under whom the 
 court of Avignon became one of the gayest in Christendom, whose 
 life was a constant succession of ecclesiastical pomps, gorgeous 
 receptions, and luxurious banquets, who loved too well the 
 society of beautiful women, and allowed the Comtesse de Turenne 
 the sale of preferments and benefices, who was lashed by the 
 verses of Petrarch, and who showered such benefits upon his 
 family, that of the five cardinals who accompanied his corpse 
 
 TOMB OF CLEMENT VI., LA CHAISE DIEU. 
 
 hither from Avignon, one was his brother, three his nephews, and 
 the fifth his cousin. 
 
 1 Es meritus post vincla crucem, post verbera ferrum, 
 Supplicium breve ! quin potius sine fine dolores 
 Carceris aeterni, vel si quid tristius usquam est. 
 Serve infide, fugax, Dominoque ingrate benigno.' 
 
 Petrarch, < Eel. VI : 
 
 The whole tomb, except the statue and sarcophagus, was 
 destroyed by the Calvinists, who used the skull of the pope 
 as a wine cup. The tombs of Abbot Guillaume, nephew of 
 Clement VI., of the Comtes de Beaufort, descendants of his 
 
252 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 brothers, of his uncle Nicolas, Archbishop of Rouen, and of the 
 abbot Andre de Chanac and many other abbots and bishops, are 
 destroyed. The tomb of Abbot Reginald de Montclar, adorned 
 with statuettes, is used as an armoire. Against the choir wall are 
 two other much mutilated tombs one of which, surrounded by 
 weeping figures, Le Tombeati d j Edith, is shown as that of a 
 queen of England. In the 1. aisle of the choir is a curious 
 Danse Macabre ! (or Dance of Death) in fresco.] 
 
 5i9k. Frugtires-le-Pin. 
 
 2^ k. W. is the xn. c. church of Lavaudieu, which has a 
 xn. c. cloister, with an upper storey in wood, the remnant of 
 a Benedictine nunnery. The line leaves on r. the xm. c. ruined 
 Chateau de Domeyrat. 
 
 533 k. S. Georges-d" Aurac. The town is 4 k. S.E. 
 
 3 k. E. is the Chateau de Chavagnac, in which Lafayette was 
 born. 9 k. W. of the station is la Voute-Chilhac, with a xv. c 
 church, built by Jean de Bourbon, bishop of Puy, for a Cluniac 
 priory. 
 
 [A branch-line leads E. to S. tienne and Lyon. There is 
 no beauty until we reach the gorges of the Borne, before arriving 
 at 
 
 52k. Le Puy (Hotels: des Ambassadeurs tolerable; de 
 V Europe indifferent), the capital of the Departement de la 
 Haute-Loire, the hill of hills, the holy town of the middle-ages, 
 and the most picturesque and curious city in France, equally 
 surprising in its situation, its buildings, and its surroundings. 
 
 ' Rien ne peut donner 1'idee de la beaute" pittoresque de ce 
 bassin de Puy, et je ne connais point de site dont le caractere 
 soit plus difficile a de~crire. Ce n'est pas la Suisse, c'est moins 
 terrible ; ce n'est pas 1'Italie, c'est plus beau ; c'est la France 
 centrale avec tous ses Vesuves eteints et revetus d'une splendide 
 vegetation ; ce n'est pourtant ni Auvergne, ni le Limousin. . . . 
 Non, tout est cime et ravin, et la culture ne peut s'emparer que 
 de profondeurs reservees et de versants rapides. Elle s'en 
 
 1 The name is a corruption of the Arabic word magbarah, cemetery. 
 
LE PUY. 
 
 253 
 
 empare, elle se glisse partout, jetant ses frais tapis de verdure, 
 de crales et de tegumineuses avides de la cendre fertilised des 
 volcans, j usque dans les interstices des coulees de lave qui la 
 rayent dans tous les sens. 
 
 ' L'horizon est grandiose. Ce sont d'abord les Ce"vennes. 
 Dans un lointain brumeux on distingue le Mzenc avec ses 
 longues pentes et ses brusques coupures derriere lesquelles 
 se dresse le Gerbier des Jones, cone volcanique qui rappelle 
 
 AT LE PUY' LE TEMPLE DE DIANE. , 
 
 le Soracte, mais qui, partant d'une base imposante, fait un 
 plus grand effet. D'autres montagnes de formes variees, les 
 unes imitant dans leurs formes hemispheriques les ballons 
 Vosgiens, les autres plantees en murailles droites, ca et la 
 vigoureusement ebreches, circonscrivent un espace de ciel 
 aussi vaste que celui de la campagne de Rome, mais pro- 
 fondement creus6 en coupe, comme si tous les volcans qui ont 
 laboure cette region eussent etc" contenus dans un cratere commun, 
 d'une dimension fabuleuse. 
 
 ' Au-dessous de cette magnetique ceinture, les details du 
 
254 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 tableau se dessinent parfois avec une prodigieuse nettete. On 
 distingue une seconde, une troisieme, et par endroits, une 
 quatrieme enceinte de montagnes egalement varies de formes, 
 s'abaissant par degres vers le niveau central des trois rivieres 
 qui sillonnent ce que Ton peut appeler la plaine ; mais cette 
 plaine n'a qu'une apparence relative : il n'est pas un point de sol 
 qui n'ait etc souleve, tordu ou crevasse par les convulsions geo- 
 logiques.' George Sand, ' Le Marquis de Villemer? 
 
 Legend tells that Le Puy had its origin in a chapel of the 
 Virgin founded upon Mount Aris in the earliest ages of Chris- 
 tianity. But historians consider that Adidon, as the town was 
 formerly called, originated in a Gaulish oppidum. In the x. c. 
 it was called Anicium or Podium Anicii, whence Le Puy. The 
 town is overlooked by the strange volcanic Rocher de Corndlle^ 
 crowned by a colossal and frightful statue of Notre Dame de 
 France, formed by the melting of 213 cannon taken at Sebas- 
 topol, though it looks from a distance as if made of terra cotta. 
 Visitors can ascend into its head and walk in the gallery round 
 its crown. Near this, on the same rocky platform, is a bronze 
 statue (by Bonnassieux) of Mgr. de Morlhon (1862), the bishop 
 of Puy under whom the figure of the Virgin was erected. 
 
 The Rue dcs Tables (so called from the tables which the 
 brothers of the hospital let out to salesmen that they might 
 display their wares to the pilgrims), leads from the lower town 
 la cite consulaire to the upper town la cite" du seigneur 
 eveque. We pass a beautiful old gothic fountain, with a very 
 richly sculptured xvi. c. house behind it. Then a long and 
 imposing staircase leads to and enters the wonderful Cathedral 
 of Notre Dame by a porch pierced under the triple nave by three 
 arches, above which are the windows lighting the W. end of 
 the nave, and three gables the central corresponding with the 
 principal roof, the others with open arcades. The alternations 
 of yellow and white stone add to the effect of the dark arches, 
 as also the vast staircase, with the figures ascending and descend- 
 ing, the relic vendors with their booths against the pillars, and 
 the venerable lace-making beggars who abound at Le Puy. On 
 the 1. is the beautiful chapel of the Hotel Dieu. 
 
 ' La cathedrale est d'un admirable style roman, de la meme 
 
LE PUY. 255 
 
 couleur que le rocher, un pen e"gaye seulement par des 
 mosaiques blanches et bleues au fronton. Elle est placed en 
 maniere a paraitre colossale, car on arrive par une montagne 
 de degr6s a donner le vertige. L'int6rieur est sublime de force 
 e~l6gante et d'obscurit6 religieuse. Jamais je n'ai compris et 
 pour ainsi dire senti la terreur du moyen-age comme sous ces 
 piliers noirs et nus, sous ces coupoles chargees d'orage.' George 
 Sand, ' Le Marquis de Villemer: 
 
 On the threshold of the central arch, the steps bear the 
 distich 
 
 ' Ni caveas crimen, caveas contingere limen, 
 Nam regina poli vult sine sorde coli.' 
 
 And, in effect, this famous shrine was successfully defended 
 against the Protestants under the Baron des Adrets, by the 
 people of Auvergne rising en masse. The great staircase is 
 continued under two bays of the principal nave, and then, instead 
 of proceeding, as formerly, towards the very foot of the altar, 
 after passing through a beautiful arch supported by porphyry 
 pillars, where a miraculous stone beneath an image of the 
 Virgin is much resorted to by the faithful, it diverges to the 
 r. and 1., the stairs on the 1. leading to the cloister, whilst by 
 those on the r. we attain the level of the church. Two lateral 
 portals open directly on the church by the transept. That near 
 the E. wall of the N. transept has a wide slightly pointed gothic 
 arch, over a relief the Last Supper and saints : the iron work 
 of the door is magnificent. The S. entrance, or Porte du fort, 
 has a splendid gothic porch, with very peculiar arches supporting 
 an upper chamber. Close by is the pretty renaissance entrance 
 to the Eveche. Externally, the walls of the nave are decorated 
 by bands of black volcanic breccia and white sandstone. Behind 
 the choir rises the noble xi. c. romanesque belfry, in seven storeys, 
 gabled at the top, and surmounted by a small four-sided stone 
 spire. 
 
 The interior has a nave of six bays, a square choir, and 
 transepts ending in apsides. The central nave has octagonal 
 cupolas over each bay, those of the first four bays being more 
 ornamental than the others, and the arches more pointed. The 
 central cupola forms the lanthorn. There is, of course, no visible 
 
2 5 6 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 W. entrance. The choir and transepts have cradle vaulting. 
 The transepts are divided equally into two storeys, the pillars 
 of the lower having capitals of indescribable richness. 
 
 At the W. end is some vile polychrome and modern glass, 
 
 ASCENT TO CATHEDRAL, LE PUY. 
 
 but the effects of light and colour in most of the building 
 are splendid, the deepest shadows gathering under the lower 
 romanesque arches beneath the cupola. The numerous hanging 
 lamps and the splendid wrought-iron grilles add to the colour. 
 There are considerable remains of xn. c. and xin. c. frescoes. 
 Near the S. door an ancient jitomb is used to support the modern 
 
LE PUY. 257 
 
 effigy of Bishop Brecon. At the entrance of the choir are inscribed 
 the names of those priests who died for their faith near Le Puy 
 during the Revolution ' Noluerunt infringere legem Dei sanctam, 
 et trucidati sunt.' In the treasury is a MS. (ix. c.) Bible of 
 Theodulfe. 
 
 On the N. is the Cloister, most picturesque from its glorious 
 capitals and its external walls inlaid with colour. Viollet le Due 
 says that one of its galleries is the earliest type (vm. c. or ix. c.) 
 known of a cathedral cloister. Adjoining the cloister is a heavy 
 machicolated fortress-like building of the xm. c., containing the 
 chapter-library, now transformed into a chapel, containing mural 
 paintings of the xv. c. illustrative of the liberal arts. 
 
 To the N.E. of the cathedral, opposite the tower, is the 
 Baptistery of S. Jean, of the iv. c., built from remains of a 
 Roman building. 
 
 The Place du Breuil has a handsome fountain La Fontaine 
 Crozatier of 1864. In the adjoining Jardin Public is the Miisee, 
 which, besides the usual collections, contains the famous pre- 
 historic skulls of the Denise, and a wonderful collection of the 
 lace manufactured at different dates by the Ponots or Podots, 
 as the inhabitants of Puy are named. 
 
 ' Aussitot que 1'enfant commence a babiller, on lui met une 
 grosse pelote de corne sur les genoux et des paquets de bobines 
 entre les doigts. A 1'age de quinze on seize ans, elle sait faire les 
 plus merveilleux ouvrages, ou elle est reputee idiote et indigne 
 du pain qu'elle mange.' George Sand, { Le Marquis de Villemer! 
 
 On the N.W. of the town (passing a statue of Lafayette, and 
 a fine tower of bold machicolations) is the old xiv. c. Dominican 
 church of 6*. Laurent, near the river Borne, containing (chapel 1. 
 of high altar), under a gothic canopy, the tomb (erected over the 
 entrails) of Du Guesclin, with his statue, and the inscription : 
 ' Ci gist tresnoble home et vaillant messire Bertrand Claikin, 
 conte de Longueville, jadis connestable de France, qui trespassa 
 Tan mil ccclxxx, le xviii jour de jul.' 
 
 Du Guesclin died beneath the walls of Chateauneuf- 
 Randon. By his will he had desired to be buried with his 
 ancestors in the Dominican church at Dinan, and thither his 
 
258 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 funeral procession set out, his body lying in state, and funeral 
 services being performed as for a king in all the principal 
 towns he passed through. At Puy he was embalmed, and 
 his entrails buried in the Dominican church. Then a message 
 came from Charles VI., which ordered his body to be brought 
 to S. Denis, for burial with the kings. The head of the knight 
 here is full of quaint character. He is shown as his con- 
 temporaries describe him ' II etait petit, avait les epaules 
 longues, le corps trapu, la tete enorme, le visage assez laid, 
 les bras longs, et les mains courtes.' 
 
 The inner porch and a gothic tabernacle of stone are very 
 richly decorated. The fine tomb of Bishop Bernard de Montaign, 
 1245, was destroyed by the Protestants. 
 
 Close to the town, on the N., rises the wonderful volcanic 
 peak 'flamme refroidie et petrifiee dans sa chemin6e volcanique' ' 
 which is crowned by the church of 6". Michel d Aiguille. 
 This is truly ' le roc etonnant de S. Michel,' as the author of 
 De Mundi Mirabilibus calls it. A romanesque portal (opened 
 by the people of the house close by, 50 c.) gives access to the 
 249 steps, which lead to the outer platform of the church ; 
 whence 22 more steps lead into the building itself. They were 
 formerly ascended on knees. The church at the top was built 
 962-84, by Bishop Godescalk. The entrance is of great beauty 
 and richness, encircled by a band of colour, with two mermaids 
 on the lintel. Internally, the chapel is almost an oval, cut square 
 at the E. end, and with a point at right angles for the portal. 
 The sanctuary is surmounted by a four-sided cupola. The 
 rest forms a circular side aisle with low cradle vaulting, sur- 
 rounding a kind of central nave. The rich capitals of the pillars 
 show the Carlovingian period, but the sanctuary is earlier. The 
 tower is a simplified copy of that of the cathedral, the lower 
 part contemporary with the church, the upper perhaps added in 
 the xii. c. 
 
 Near the base of the rock is an octagonal chapel of the xu. c., 
 known as the Temple de Diane. 
 
 I k. W. of Puy is the village of Espaly, grouped around two 
 very curious basaltic rocks above the Borne. The larger is 
 crowned by ruins of a xm. c. chateau of the bishops of Puy. 
 
 ' Mandet, Monuments Hist, de Velay. 
 
/./: PUY. 
 
 259 
 
 It was here that Charles VII. (called at first ' le Roi de Bourges') 
 heard of his father's death, and that the xv. c. historians describe 
 him as living chichement, surrounded by a few faithful retainers. 
 Considerable Roman remains have been found. At the foot of 
 the lava rocks flows Le Riou Pezoulliou, in which many of the 
 commoner precious stones may be found in stormy weather. 
 
 ' Dans cette montagne, 1'une des plus fameuses pour les 
 paleontologistes, M. Aymard a decouvert en abondance, sous 
 
 LE PUY, FROM ESPALY. 
 
 les scories et les cendres, les ossements d'animaux vivant a 
 1'epoque ou flambaient les volcans de la contree : mammouths 
 paleotheriums, rhinoceros, tapirs et autres grands mammiferes 
 habitaient alors le pays. Les hommes etaient deja nes a cette 
 epoque, car les breches de la montagne contenaient les restes 
 non douteux d'au moins deux squelettes humains, et quoiqu'on 
 ait longtemps conteste la valeur de ce fait comme temoignage 
 en faveur de 1'anciennete des hommes, il a bien fallu finir par 
 se rendre a 1'evidence. Quant a la flore, elle semble avoir a 
 peine change; les memes plantes croisaient sur.les pentes et 
 
260 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 dans les vallees, mais elles etaient broutees par des animaux 
 differents de ceux qui vivent actuellement dans la contree. 
 Les basaltes d'Espaly renferment en quantit6s considerables 
 des zircons, des grenats, et des saphirs.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 On the opposite side of the Borne are the basaltic rocks 
 
 CROSS OF ESPALY. 
 
 called La Croix de la Faille. One of the best views of Le Puy 
 is that from the castellated rock of Espaly, and there is a 
 picturesque cross in the village. 
 
 No one should fail to make an excursion to (5 k. N.W.) 
 Polignac. The road passes close to the curious basaltic rocks 
 with three stages of columns called Les Orgnes d'Espaly. 
 The village and romanesque church of Polignac are built at the 
 
CHATEAU DE POLIGNAC. 
 
 261 
 
 foot of a precipitous rock which bears the Chateau de Polignac, 
 one of the finest feudal ruins in France, composed of a mass of 
 buildings of different periods, surmounted by a machicolated 
 xiv. c. keep, and a round tower of the xin. c. Before the fortress 
 of the middle-ages, a Gallo-Roman building occupied the site ; to 
 the Gauls also is attributed the excavation of " L'Abime " a 
 well, 83 feet deep, fed by a fountain of running water. 
 
 . 
 
 CHURCH OF POLIGNAC. 
 
 In former days the lords ot Polignac were constantly at war 
 with the citizens of Puy, and the country people, influenced by 
 old traditions, regarded them with terror. The castle was the 
 cradle of the long-famous family of Polignac, twice fatal to the 
 house of Bourbon, of whom the most remarkable members have 
 been the learned Melchior, Cardinal Archbishop of Auch (pb. 
 1741) ; his great nephew Jules, Due de Polignac, husband of the 
 great friend of Marie Antoinette, under whose prodigality the 
 family derived a million from the state; and Jules, Prince de 
 
262 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Polignac, son of the last-named, the friend and prime minister of 
 Charles X., and the cause of the Revolution which precipitated 
 his fall. 
 
 'Ce manoir de Polignac se presente de loin comme une ville 
 de geant, sur une roche d'enfer. C'est la plus forte citadelle du 
 moyen age dans ce pays ; c'etait le nid de cette terrible race de 
 vantours sous les ravages desquels tremblaient le Velay, le Forez 
 et 1'Auvergne. Les anciens seigneurs de Polignac ont laisse 
 partout, dans ces provinces, des souvenirs et des traditions 
 dignes des legendes de 1'ogre et de Barbe-Bleue. Ces tyrans 
 feodaux detroussaient les passants, pillaient les eglises, massa- 
 craient les moines, enlevaient les femmes, mettaient le feu aux vil- 
 lages, et cela de pere en fils pendant des siecles. . . . Leur village 
 etait inexpugnable. Le rocher est taille a pic a tous les cotes. 
 Le village est groupe au-dessous, porte par la colline qui soutient 
 le bloc de lave. . . . Les Polignac ont la prevention de descendre 
 d'Apollon ou de ses pretres en droite ligne, et la tradition 
 consacre ici 1'existence d'un temple de ce dieu.' George Sand, 
 i Le Marquis de VillemerJ 
 
 At Estreys, in this neighbourhood, are the gorge of the Borne 
 and a pretty waterfall. 
 
 [20 k. from Le Puy, on the road to Aubenas, is Lc Monastier 
 (omnibus, I fr. 60 c. Hotel : IssarteV), an ancient town once fortified, 
 which takes its name from a Benedictine abbey founded in the v. c. 
 The abbey church, now parochial (rebuilt 961, repaired xi. c.) 
 has an ancient romanesque faade. The tower is octagonal, with 
 a spire. In the bare and gloomy interior, the nave has very 
 narrow side-aisles : the heavy choir is xv. c. One of the choir 
 chapels (S. Veronica) is rich renaissance of 1 543, and was built by 
 Antoine de Senectaire as a burial-place for his family. At the 
 end of the S. aisle is a very ancient tomb, supposed to be that of 
 S. Fortunat, patron of Monastier. A curious wooden bust of 
 S. Theofred, coated with silver, is x. c. 
 
 The ascent of Le Mezenc, ' La cime argentee de Mezenc,' 
 as George Sand calls it, occupying about four hours, may be 
 made from Monastier. One may descend to (3 hrs.) Fay le 
 Froid, or by (2 hrs.) the ruins of the Chartreuse de Bonnefoy 
 
CHATEAU DE LA ROCHE LAMBERT. 263 
 
 to (3 hrs.) Le Beage, where the humble Auberge Bourdelin 
 may be used as a centre for excursions in this mountain 
 district. At I hr. 20 min. from B6age is the Lac d'lssarles, 
 whence it is 4 hrs. to Monastier. The ascent of the Gerbier 
 des Jones from Le Beage (3^ hrs., descent 3 hrs.) will give a 
 much finer view than that from Le Mezenc. At the Ferme 
 dc la Loire, where the final ascent begins, is the true Source 
 of the Loire (Latin Liger), which falls into the sea after a course 
 of 220 leagues, in which it swallows up 112 rivers, and gives 
 its name to six departments of France Haute-Loire, Saone 
 et Loire, Loire, Indre-et-Loire, Maine-et-Loire, and Loire- 
 Inferieure. It first becomes navigable for boats at Roanne, in 
 the department of Loire.] 
 
 [It is 50 k. from Le Puy to La Chaise Dieu by (21 k.) S. 
 Paulien^ which occupies the site of Revession, the capital of the 
 Vellaves, and possesses a number of caves, formerly inhabited, 
 and an interesting church of the xi. c., with a spire of xiv. c., and 
 fortified towers and chapels. Those who visit the Chaise Dieu 
 may rejoin the railway at Brioude. 
 
 2 k. S.W. of S. Paulien is the Chateau de la Roche Lambert 
 curiously placed in a niche cut out of a basaltic precipice, where 
 a castle has existed since 1164, when a deed was signed by the 
 knight Pierre de Rupe Lamberta. The chateau (which is never 
 shown) is much dilapidated, but contains some curious painted 
 chambers. George Sand makes it the residence of her hero 
 Jean de la Roche. 
 
 ' C'est un nid que le chateau de la Roche, un vrai nid de 
 troglodytes, d'autant plus que tout le flanc du rocher dont nous 
 occupons le plus grand enfoncement est grossierament creuse de 
 grottes et de chambres irregulieres, que la tradition attribue aux 
 anciens hommes sauvages (c'est le mot tres juste dont se servent 
 nos paysans), et que les antiquaires n'hesitent pas a classer parmi 
 ces demeures des peuples primitifs que Ton rencontre a chaque 
 pas sur certaines parties du sol de la France. 
 
 ' Le petit manoir est, quant a 1'exterieur, unvrai bijou d'archi- 
 tecture, assez large, mais si peu profond que la distribution en 
 est fort incommode. Tout bad en laves fauves du pays, il ne 
 ressemble pas mal, vu de 1'autre cote du ravin, a un ouvrage 
 
264 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 decoupe en liege, surtout a cause de son peu d'epaisseur, qui le 
 rend invraisemblable. A droit et a gauche le rocher revient le 
 saisir de si pres, qu'il n'y a, faut d'espace aplani, ni cour, ni 
 jardin, ni dependances adjacentes. Les caves et les celliers 
 sont installes dans les grottes celtiques dont j'ai parle. Les 
 ecuries, les remises et la ferme sont une serie de maisonnettes 
 echelonnees sur les etages naturels du ravin, a quelque distance 
 du manoir.' George SandJ] 
 
 [A road leads E. from Le Puy to Yssingeaux, by (i6k.) 
 5. Hostien, then passes I k. from the ruined castle of 6*. JtLtienne- 
 Lardeyrol. At 19 k. it reaches the plateau of Le Pertnis, whence 
 there is a wide view to Le Puy and of the basaltic peaks of Velay. 
 Then the road passes 1. of Bessamorel, which has a ruined com- 
 manderie of the knights of Malta. Yssingeaux (27 k. Hotel: des 
 Voyagcurs), dating from Roman times, has a ruined xv. c. castle. 
 Close to the S. entrance of the town are the fortified house of 
 Choumouroux (xiv. c.) and the Chateau de Treslemont, The 
 gorges near this are too shallow for much beauty or picturesque- 
 ness. The inhabitants Velaves have only recently become 
 civilised ; but they are now rapidly losing their ancient charac- 
 teristics. Till lately a man of the plateaux never entered a 
 cabaret without having his ' couteliere ' in his hand, which he 
 struck into the table with the defiance ' Qui en veut ? ' 
 
 5 k. S.W. of Yssingeaux, near the double volcanic peak to 
 which the peasants give the quaint name of Tetons de I'Abbesse, 
 is the Abbey of Bellecombe, ruined at the Revolution. Not far 
 from this is the castle of Bonos of the XH. c. To the N.E., 2 k. 
 from Grazac, are the striking ruins of the castle of Vertamise, 
 and near this, in the direction of Retournac, the castle of 
 ( Mercuret, inhabited early in xi. c. More to the S. (7 k. from 
 Yssingeaux) is the castle of Glavenas. i8k. from Yssingeaux, 
 on the Vienne road, is Montfaucon, where the castle was 
 destroyed by the Calvinists in 1585. To the N. of this are the 
 castles of Dunieres la Roue and Duniere s Joycuse, the latter very 
 picturesque and striking in its rocky position. Some parts of 
 the church of Dunieres date from the XL c. The church of 
 Riotord (30 k. from Yssingeaux) has a romanesque cupola at 
 the cross, supporting a tower. In a wild gorge 6 k. S. of Riotord 
 
LANGEAC, CHANTEUGES. 265 
 
 is the ruined Abbey of Notre Dame de Clavas, founded 1230. On 
 the way from Yssingeaux to (15 k.) Tcnce (Hotel : des Trots Rois} 
 is the Chateau de Pelissac. Near Tence are the Chateau de 
 Besset and Chateau de la Brosse. 
 
 1 C'est mi pays dur et riant a la fois, mais ou 1'aprete domine 
 et on le sourire se fait prier. Le climat est rude, tres-froid en 
 hiver, tres-chaud en ete. ' La vigne murit mal et donne un vin 
 tres-acre, dont, comme dans tons les pays de mauvais vin, les 
 habitants font exces. Les sommets des Cevennes sont souvent 
 charges des vapeurs glaciales, et quand le vent les balaye, la 
 pluie se rabat sur les bassins.' George Sand, ' Le Marquis de 
 Villemer.'] 
 
 [For the line from Puy to S. tftienne see chap, ii.] 
 
 539k. Langeac (Hotel: Lombardin}, picturesquely situ- 
 ated at the foot of a hill crowned by a cross. The church 
 is xv. c., with a hexagonal tower. 
 
 It is 48 k. to S. Flour (see p. 240) by the wolf-infested Forest 
 of Le Margcride. 
 
 The line follows the 1. bank of the Allier to 
 545 k. Chanteuges, which retains a fortified tower of the 
 famous abbey founded in the x. c. by Claude, Seigneur de 
 Chanteuges, whose monks, descending hence as from a 
 castle, became some of the most formidable brigands of 
 the xii. c., obliging the abbot Raymond, who lost all power 
 over them, to fly to the Chaise Dieu and give up there 
 his abbatial cross, after which Chanteuges became a priory 
 dependent upon Chaise Dieu. The church was remodelled 
 xvi. c. The Chapelle de FAbbe was built in the beginning 
 of the xvi. c. by Jean de Senectaire, last abbot-regular 
 of the Chaise Dieu. 
 
 At Pebrac (6k. S.) are remains of a priory and a church 
 with an xi. c. chapel. 
 
266 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The line follows the wild gorges of the Allier, between 
 strange basaltic mountains, to 
 563^ Monistrol & Allier. 
 
 On the road from hence to (/4k.) S. Flour, near (lok.) 
 Saugues, is the curious uninscribed monument (a canopy sup- 
 ported by columns) called Le Tombeau du general anglais. 
 
 The line passes through a constant succession of tunnels 
 to 
 
 594k. Joncheres, overlooked by a ruined castle of the 
 xv. c. A mediaeval bridge crosses the Allier. 
 
 606 k. Langogm. 
 
 [A road leads S.W. to (65 k.) Mende (see South-Western 
 France, ch. viii.) over the dismal desolate plateau called Le 
 Palais du Roi, where at 20 k. is Chdteauneuf-Randon, surrendered 
 by the English in 1380 after the siege in which the famous 
 Du Guesclin was killed. A monument was erected to him in 
 1820.] 
 
 The line between Langogne and Villefort is a succession 
 of bridges, tunnels, cuttings, and embankments : nature has 
 been conquered, but by the utmost effort. The gorge of 
 the Allier becomes deep and imposing before reaching 
 
 525 k. La Bastide. 
 
 8k. W., in the Forest of Mercoire, is the source of the Allier. 
 The Abbey of Mercoire, founded 1200, and rebuilt in 1592, is 
 now a farm. 
 
 635 k. Prevencheres. The romanesque church, with the 
 magnificent lime-tree beside it, and the xn. c. chateau, are 
 situated on the Chassezac, a feeder of the Ardeche. 5 k. 
 N.W. is the curious romanesque church of Puylaurent. 
 
VILLEFORT. 267 
 
 646 k. Villefort. Near the church is a xiv. c. house : 
 on a rock is the venerated chapel of S. Loup. 
 
 The ascent of the Mont Lozere may be made from Villefort. 
 An interesting excursion may be taken to (S^hrs.) Les Vans 
 (Hotel: du Cheval Blanc) by the wild and rocky, but richly- 
 cultivated, district of La Borne , and (i hr. 30 min.) the ruined 
 castle of La-Garde-Guerin. 
 
 [A road leads N.W. from Villefort to (59 k.) Mende by (31 k.) 
 the fine ruins of the Chateau du Tournel ; and (38 k.) Bagnols- 
 Ics-Bains (Hotels : des Bains ; du Midi), near the N. base of the 
 Pervenche.] 
 
 The line passes through the rich coal district of La 
 Grand* Combe before reaching 
 693 k. Alais. See ch. ix. 
 742 k. Nimes. See ch. ix. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 77V THE JURA. DIJON TO DOLE, BESANCON (BELFORT), 
 SALINS, PONTARLIER, LONS-LE-SAUNIER, ST. 
 CLAUDE, ETC. 
 
 r I ^HOSE who expect any grandeur of scenery will not 
 -L find it in the Jura. The mountain district is lime- 
 stone, which never produces striking outlines. Now and 
 then we come across fine views of the Alps. The towns 
 are not very picturesque, but the archaeologist will find a 
 few objects of interest at Besan^on, Baume, S. Claude, etc. 
 The line from Paris to Belfort, via Dijon, passes 
 
 347 k. (from Paris) Auxonne (Hotel : Grand Cerf very 
 tolerable). The population of this strongly-fortified town 
 is half military. Its clean little streets are surrounded by 
 grassy ramparts mounted with cannon, and washed on one 
 side by the Saone, which gave the place its ancient name 
 of Assonium. In the centre of the town is the Cathedral 
 of Notre Dame, begun 1309 by Jeanne de France, wife of 
 Eudes de Bourgogne, and finished, c. 1516, by the Duchess 
 Marguerite de Flandre. In the centre is an octangular 
 tower, with round tourelles at the angles, and a slender 
 spire. 
 
 The magnificent W. porch has three deep arches, with 
 figures of the prophets on detached columns, beneath 
 
AUXONNE. 
 
 269 
 
 canopies of great delicacy. Of the two W. towers, one is 
 unfinished. The interior consists of a triple nave, short 
 transepts (which do not project beyond the aisles of the 
 nave), and a choir with a hexagonal apse, and hexagonal 
 
 CATHEDRAL TOWER, AUXONNE. 
 
 chapels on either side. There is a fine brass lectern. The 
 square on S. of the cathedral is adorned by a bronze statue 
 (by Jouffroy) of Napoleon I., who passed a year in garrison 
 at Auxonne and was nearly drowned here whilst bathing in 
 the Saone. The renaissance chateau has five towers. 
 
270 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The railway passes 1. the Mont Roland, with remains of 
 a convent, said to have been founded by Roland. A statue 
 of the paladin, which once stood in one of the chapels, is 
 still to be seen amongst the ruins. A cottage is called Loge 
 de S. Martin, because the saint is believed to have slept 
 there when he came to consecrate an altar in 380. 
 
 In the neighbouring church of Jouhe is a statue of the 
 Virgin, two feet high, shown as having been sculptured by 
 the canonised pope S. Linus. Close by also is Gujans, 
 with a fountain Gurgites Janae said to have been conse- 
 crated to Diana. 
 
 1 N'oubliez pas de visiter Gujans. 
 Ses arbres verds et ses jardins rians, 
 Le lit de jonc de sa nymphe heureuse, 
 Sa roche antique et son onde amoureuse, 
 Onde inquiete, image de nos jours, 
 Qui, foible et vaine, a pris trop tot sa course 
 Devers le fleuve, ou perit pour toujours 
 Sa gloire errante a vingt pas de sa source.' 
 
 Yseult de Dole, ii. 2. 
 
 362 k. Dole (Hotels : de Geneve ; Ville de Lyon) called, 
 under the happy rule of the House of Burgundy, La 
 Joyeuse, but after two sieges by Louis XIV., La Dolente 
 was the capital of Franche Comte, and the seat of its 
 parliament. Before the time of Louis XIV. the moun- 
 taineers of Franche Comte enjoyed a degree of liberty 
 unknown in France, for its humblest peasant might become 
 president of the parliament of Dole. | k. from the station 
 the tableland we have been traversing makes a sudden dip 
 towards the Saone, and on the steep sides of the hill are 
 the old grey streets of the town. The tower of Notre Dame 
 is the most conspicuous feature. This church, begun 1508, 
 
DOLE. 271 
 
 is entered by a porch under the W. tower, and is a very 
 lofty cruciform building, the nave having lower side aisles : 
 the pillars are without capitals. Near the N. door is a 
 statue of S. John Baptist, under a very beautiful canopy : 
 a pedestal outside the N. wall, once occupied by a statue 
 of Louis XVI. , now bears that of Peace. 
 
 Close to the N. of the church, in the Rue Besangon, is 
 the Cave d^Enfer, celebrated for the defence of the Dolois 
 against the French in 1479, under Charles d'Amboise, who 
 spared the lives of the little band which had taken refuge 
 here, saying, ' Qu'on les laisse pour graine.' In the same 
 street is the house of Jean Vurry, one of the only three 
 buildings left standing after the siege. There are several 
 other interesting * bits ' in Dole. In the Rue des Arenes 
 are the portal of the Palais de Justice (formerly a convent 
 of Cordeliers), and a pretty fountain, a little below which is 
 a house with a renaissance tower. At the end of the Rue 
 Besan^on are pretty public walks and groves of chestnuts 
 above the Saone. 
 
 [There is a road from Dole to Arbois, passing 
 
 19 k. Vaudrey, where the church contains monuments of the 
 
 illustrious family of Vaudrey, extinct in xvm. c., which bore as 
 
 device, ' J'ai Valu, Vaulx et Vaudray.' 
 
 25 k. Mathenay. 2 k. 1. of which is the modern chateau 
 
 and the old tower of Vadans, which belonged to the family of 
 
 Poitiers, of which the famous Diane was a member. The Church, 
 
 partly xm. c., is interesting.] 
 
 [For the line from Dole to Chagny see ch. i.] 
 
 [The line from Dole to Salins, by Mouchard, passes 
 1 8 k. Arc-et-Senans. The church of Arc is enriched with 
 glass and modern pictures given by Queen Christina of Spain.] 
 
272 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 369 k. Rochefort, at the foot of a rock called Le Saut de 
 la Pucelle ; whence a girl pursued by soldiers, recommend- 
 ing herself to the Virgin, is said to have thrown herself into 
 the Doubs and to have been washed ashore unhurt. Of 
 the castle a chateau of the Dues de Bourgogne destroyed 
 1595, nothing remains but the entrance, approached by a 
 drawbridge, and some vaults. The church of Audelange 
 partly xn. c., is passed on r. ; then, on 1., Lavans, with 
 remains of a xin. c. castle, and a xiv. c. church. 
 
 377 k. Orchamps, the Roman station of Crusinie. Near 
 the church (xv. c. and xvi. c.) is a castle of xi. c. 
 
 380 k. La Barre. 
 
 There is a road hence to Gray, passing near (r.) the ruined 
 abbey of Accy, founded 1136, and by (i8k.) Montagncy, with a 
 xv. c. feudal tower. 
 
 382 k. Ranchot, united by a suspension bridge to 
 which has remains of an old chateau of the seneschals of 
 Burgundy. 
 
 407 k. Besan$on (Hotels : du Nord best ; de Paris ; de 
 r Europe commercial, most filthy). As Vesontio, this was 
 the capital of the ancient tribe of the Sequani, of which 
 Caesar speaks enthusiastically in his Commentaries. Under 
 the Roman rule, it became a place of great importance. In 
 the ii. c. it was converted to Christianity by S. Ferreol 
 and S. Ferjeux, martyred here in 212. After the fall of 
 the Roman empire, Besangon was alternately Burgundian, 
 Arlesian, Anglo-French, and Spanish. In xn. c. it became 
 a free city, and it was not incorporated with France till the 
 time of Louis XIV. 
 
 ' Des les temps les plus anciens, les habitants de Besan9on 
 
BESANCON. 
 
 273 
 
 conservaient le titre et le rang de citoyens, et les femmes ellss- 
 memes, dans les actes publics, etaient qualifiees de citoyennes. 
 La cite, vraiment autonome, ne cessa de lutter avec energie centre 
 1'Empire, puis centre les rois d'Espagne pour le maintien de ses 
 libertes, et lorsqu'elle fut annexee a la France, apres avoir battu 
 deux fois les armees de Louis XIV., ce fut a la condition de garder 
 toute son autonomie locale.' lisee Reclus. 
 
 The long winding Rue Ballant, lined by old grey stone 
 houses, leads to the Place du Jauffroy, with a statue of the 
 Marquis de Jauffroy, who is said to have first applied 
 steam to navigation in 1776. Close by is the large classical 
 church of La Madeleine. Hence a bridge crosses the 
 Doubs to the Grande Rue, but immediately on 1. is the 
 Place de VAbondance, with its Musee, containing the Library 
 and Picture Gallery. In the latter are two portraits by 
 Antonio Moro ; a picture of Galileo by Velasquez, and a 
 Descent from the Cross by Bronzino, painted for the 
 Medici chapel at Florence and given by the Grand Duke 
 to Cardinal de Granvelle. 
 
 Hence the Rue des Granges and its continuation Rue du 
 Chateur lead to the Place de FEtat Majeur, with a hand- 
 some hotel. Here the street divides. Following the turn 
 to the r. we ascend to the Place S. Jean, where considerable 
 remains of a Roman Theatre have been found, and where 
 several columns have been set up from the fragments dis- 
 covered. A little ascent leads to the Porte Noire (Porta 
 Nigra), a Roman triumphal gateway (partially restored) con- 
 sisting of two tiers of columns, with an arch in the centre, 
 ornamented with rude sculptures, and apparently of the 
 time of the Antonines. 
 
 Behind, rises the xvm. c. porch of the Cathedral of S. 
 Jean, which, for the most part, is hidden by houses. 
 
 18 
 
274 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Originally built by S. Hilaire and S. A.ignan in iv. c., it was 
 rebuilt in the ix. c., and again in XL c. Of the latter period 
 some fragments of the lower storey remain, but the greater 
 part of the present building is xv. c. There is a double 
 choir. The triforium and clerestory have triple lancets. 
 Near the W. end is a picture by Fra Bartolommeo, repre- 
 senting the Madonna and Child, with saints and Carondelet, 
 archbishop of Palermo, who erected the monument here 
 to his brother, Ferri Carondelet, archdeacon of Besangon. 
 The canons of this cathedral used to be robed in violet and 
 officiate in mitres. Behind the cathedral is the xvn. c. 
 Archbishop's Palace, handsomely furnished (xix. c.) by 
 Cardinal de Rohan. In the conical crypt of a house depen- 
 dent upon the palace, a chained skeleton has been found, 
 supposed to be that of Gilbert Cousin, the friend of 
 Erasmus, who died here in prison in 1567, aged 65. 
 
 Turning N. from the back of the cathedral, we may 
 descend the narrow Rue du Chambrier to the Porte Rivotte, 
 flanked by two round towers. Beyond this a road leads 
 under the rocks crowned by the Citadel of Vauban to the 
 curious Porte Taillee, partly cut out of the rock, partly built 
 by the Romans, as an aqueduct for the waters of the 
 Arcier. 
 
 Returning by the Rue Rivotte and the Rue de la Lue 
 to the Place d'etat Major, we may cross by the next side- 
 street on 1. and enter the Grande Place, close to the Church 
 of S. Maurice, adorned with wood carvings from the abbey 
 of La Charite. Opposite, is the very handsome Palais 
 Granvelle, built by the famous Chancellor of Charles V., 
 1534-40, whose family was founded by the son of a 
 Besanyon locksmith. Beyond its cloistered court is the 
 
EXCURSIONS FROM BESANCON. 275 
 
 little Promenade Granvelle. Continuing the Grande Rue, 
 we reach the Place S. Pierre, containing the xvm. c. church 
 of that name, and the heavy xvi. c. Hotel de Ville, with the 
 renaissance Palais de Justice, built by Hugues Sambin of 
 Dijon, 1582-85. Further down the Grande Rue is (1., 
 No. 13) a good gothic house. 
 
 Victor Hugo, Charles Nodier, Fourier, Prud'hon, and 
 the sculptors "Clesinger and Petit, have been Bisontines, as 
 the natives of Besanc,on are called. 
 
 Excursions may be made to (5^ k.) Notre Dame de Buis on 
 the hill behind the citadel ; and to (5 k.) the valley and waterfall 
 of B out- du- Monde. There is a diligence to (23 k.) Ornans, where 
 the house which belonged to the painter Courbet has a fine 
 renaissance chimney-piece in its kitchen. Courbet gave a statue 
 to the village fountain, which was thrown down after his disgrace- 
 ful exploits during the Commune at Paris, and now adorns a 
 fountain at Morteau. The xvi. c. church contains the tombs of the 
 grandparents of Cardinal Granvelle, who was a native of Ornans. 
 A house, of Spanish character, is a memorial of the Spanish 
 occupation. An excursion of 23 k. may be made from Ornans to 
 the very picturesque source of the Lison, near the road to Salins. 
 On the road to Pontarlier is (37 k.) Mouthier, which has a xvi. c. 
 church, and remains of a Cluniac priory. An excursion may be 
 made hence, by the Combes de Nouaille, to the picturesque 
 source of the Loue, an abundant rush of water from a shallow 
 cave under a rock overhung with trees. 
 
 [The branch line from Besancon to (75 k.) Locle in Switzer- 
 land passes 
 
 67 k. Morteau (Hotel : de la Guimbarde), a town which rose 
 round a Benedictine priory in the xn. c. The Maison Pertiisier 
 is of 1 576. From the hill of Tantillon is a fine view. 
 
 70 k. Villers-le-Lac. 2^k. is the hamlet of Pargots on the 
 beautiful Lac de Chaillexon or Lac des Brenets, which separates 
 France from Switzerland. A little steamer enables the tourist to 
 reach the further extremity of the lake (Hotel : du Saut}, whence 
 
276 SO UTH-EASTERN FRA NCE. 
 
 a path leads to the best view of the really fine waterfall called 
 Lc Saut du Doubs. 
 
 ' Quelquefois nn volume d'eau ecumeuse tombe d'aplomb 
 avec mi epouvantable bruit ; d'autres fois moins grossi des pluies, 
 des glaces on des neiges, il laisse glisser saus colere de longues 
 nappes de cristal qui, au moindre obstacle, se brisent en mille 
 eclats, finissent par se reduire presque en vapeur dans leur chute, 
 et alors les rayons du soleil, per9ant cette pluie de paillettes 
 brillantes et diaprees, forment des iris d'une beaute eblouissante.' 
 { LAncienne France ',' Nodier, Taylor, et De Caillcu.v.~\ 
 
 The railway from Besan^on to Belfort runs along the 
 valley of the Doubs, the Aldua Dubis of Caesar, : which, 
 in some places, is exceedingly pretty and varied, recalling 
 the best scenery of the Wye on a much larger scale, before 
 reaching 
 
 439 k. (from Paris) Baume-les-Dames (Hotels : du Com- 
 merce ; de France], which derives its name from a Bene- 
 dictine abbey to which nuns were not admitted unless they 
 could show sixteen noble quarterings. The monastic 
 church serves as a Halle. Hence the line follows the 
 winding rocky valley of Clerual for some distance. 
 
 485 k. Montbeliard Mons Beliardus (Hotel : du Lion 
 Rouge), formerly the capital of a countship, which passed 
 by marriage to the house of Wurtemberg in xiv. c., and 
 was amalgamated with the kingdom of France in 1792. 
 The town was half ruined in the German war, when it had 
 to support the presence of the enemy for nine months. As 
 the population is chiefly Protestant, the shops are open all 
 day long on Sundays, on which day more business is done 
 than on any other. The old Chdteau of the counts, raised 
 high on a platform, was partially rebuilt in 1751, but has 
 
NO TRE-DAME-DE-REMONO T. 277 
 
 two massive round towers : the Halles are xvi. c. In a 
 square is a statue, by David d' Angers, of Georges Cuvier, a 
 native of the town, whose house is preserved. The Mus'ee 
 is full of relics from the neighbouring Mandeure. The 
 town offers much pleasant society. 
 
 [The road from Montbeliard to Pontarlier passes 
 
 10 k. Mandeure, the Epomanduodurum of the Romans, where 
 there are some traces of the ancient buildings bridges, a theatre, 
 aqueduct, baths, an arch of triumph, etc. There are also ruins of 
 a xv. c. fortress of the Archbishops of Besan^on. 
 
 \jk.Pont-dc-Roide, in a picturesque position opposite the 
 gorge of La Crocker e. 
 
 30 k. 5 .Hippolyte (Hotel : Merrier), at the junction of several 
 mountain gorges and the meeting of the Doubs and Dessoubre. 
 A well-engineered road leads through pine forests to 
 
 41 k. Maiche, with a ruined castle and two xvi. c. hotels. 
 
 53k. Le Russey, with a cavern which served as a refuge to the 
 inhabitants in the xvn. c. wars. 
 
 70 k. Morteau (see p. 275), whence the falls of the Doubs 
 should be visited. 
 
 78^ k. Colombierc. On r. is the quaint Grotte-de-Notre-Dame- 
 de-Remonot, which served as a church to the inhabitants of the 
 village of Remonot, on the r. bank of the Doubs, and is still a 
 place of pilgrimage. It has a campanile on the rock above. 
 2 k. further is the Grotte du Tresor, where a band of coiners 
 long worked with impunity, protected through the fear inspired 
 by the legend of a dragon, which guarded a hidden treasure there. 
 On the opposite bank of the Doubs is the Grotte de la Grande- 
 Cheminee, the refuge of the inhabitants during the invasion of 
 the Duke of Saxe- Weimar. 
 
 87 k. Montbenoit,w'\i}\ a church dating from xin. c. r but of which 
 the nave is xiv. c., the choir xvi. c. ; it contains admirable stall- 
 work of 1520 and a monument of the Sires de Jouy. Joining the 
 church is a xv. c. cloister. The road passes (r.) the great modern 
 church of Doubs, before reaching 
 loi k. Pontarlier, 
 
278 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 1 Desolate sweeps of rocky plain, shelving mountain-side, 
 bits of scant herbage alternating with vine}'ards, their gold-green 
 foliage lending wondrous lustre to the otherwise arid landscape, 
 the rocks rising higher and higher as we go such are the 
 features that announce the Jura.' ' Holidays in Eastern France.^ 
 
 493 k. Hericourt, where the French army, under Bour- 
 baki, was defeated by the Germans, Jan. 1871. 
 
 503 k. Belfort (see North-Eastern France, ch. vii.). 
 
 The line from Besangon to Lyon passes through a 
 great part of the Jura district. The trains are very slow, 
 by- 
 
 13 k. Montf errand. 2 k. distant, in the woods, is a large 
 ruined castle. 
 
 22k. Byans. 
 
 4k. distant are Les Grottes d'Osselle, of the usual character 
 of limestone caverns, with the stalactyte halls, to which guides 
 give fantastic names. These caves are especially cold and damp. 
 To see them properly takes i^hrs. 
 
 41 k. Mouchard (see p. 271). 
 
 Here a line branches off 1. to (8 k.) Salins (Hotels : des Bains ; 
 des Messageries), a dull town, well situated on the Furieuse, 
 with a view of four mountain peaks ; ancient salt-works, now a 
 hydropathic establishment ; old walls and a gate ; the church of 
 6". Anatole, with curious wood carving ; a town hall with tapes- 
 tries ; and the church of 6*. Maurice, with a good renaissance 
 statue. A two hours' drive may be taken to the source of the Lison, 
 which leaps down to the green pastures from a dark cavern. 
 
 [A road of 121 k. leads from Salins by Mores to Geneva a 
 route by which some of the most beautiful views in the Jura are 
 seen, with the Alps in the distance. 
 
 ' Embossed upon a plain of verdure, of woodland, and of vine- 
 yard, there lay, or rather hovered before the sight, so delicate and 
 
FERNE Y- VOL TAIRE. 279 
 
 shaded and ideal was the vision, the apparition, as it might seem, 
 of a celestial lake. Of a colour deeper than that of the most 
 fathomless sky, its margin indistinct with snow-white reflection, 
 like the hovering of shadowy wings, it seemed, from where they 
 stood, to rise above the earth as a pathway and pavement of that 
 city whose foundations are sapphire ; and above this marvellous 
 and glorious sight there rose another more glorious and wonderful 
 still, for above the pavement of this mystic sea rose into the sky, 
 pure in a whiteness hitherto unconceived, distinct against the 
 delicate morning light, piled in stupendous fashion, etched in 
 lines of marvellous witchery and glamour, in pointed peak and 
 giant strength, the stainless region of the snow.'/. H. Short- 
 house, ' The Countess Eve! 
 
 The road enters Geneva just after passing Ferney- Voltaire, 
 where the chateau of Voltaire retains many relics of him. 
 
 'Le lieu, ennuyeux de lui-meme, n'est nullement egaye du 
 chateau mesquin qu'il y fit.' Michelet. 
 
 Here Voltaire used to take all strangers round the village to 
 show the improvements he had made, the good he had done, and 
 the church he had built, and then to the house to give them the 
 opportunity of hearing his latest compositions. 
 
 ' Voltaire se fit une solitude eclatante ; les Delices et Ferney 
 lui firent comme un petit royaume ; toute 1'Europe le voyait de 
 loin, assis, comme le dieu des tempetes, entre les Alpes et le 
 Jura, et la philosophic cut son lieu de pelerinage, ou les adeptes 
 des idees nouvelles devaient, durant vingt ans et plus, venir saluer 
 leur patriarche, et ou affluerent jusqu'aux souverains.' Henri 
 Martin, ' Hist, de France.''} 
 
 [Another line leads from Mouchard to Pontarlier, by 
 41 8k. (from Paris) Andelot-en-Montagne. Hence there is a 
 branch of 14 k. to Champagnole (Hotel : de Geneve], picturesquely 
 placed on the Ain, which rises near this. Mont Rivel may be 
 ascended from hence, for the sake of its panorama of the Jura : 
 Mont Blanc is seen in extreme distance. A little E. is Nozeroy, 
 with a xv. c. church, a fine machicolated gateway, and a striking 
 
280 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ruined castle, where Charles le Temeraire rested after the battle 
 of Morat. The church of Mieges (i k.) has a good gothic portal. 
 The Ain rises near this, at the foot of a rock. In the forest of La 
 Fraisse is the curious stone called Pierre Lite. 
 
 456 k. Pontarlier (Hotels : de la Poste ; Zum Bahnhof), 
 situated on the Doubs at the entrance of the gorge of La Cluse, 
 opposite which, on an isolated rock, splendidly picturesque upon 
 its precipices, is the Chateau de Joux, which was the prison 
 of Mirabeau, who wrote his Lxtlres d Sophie here ; and of 
 Toussaint L'Ouverture, who died in the fortress, and whose 
 gravestone, without an inscription, stands against the external 
 wall of the church. Facing the chateau is the Fort de Larmont, 
 on the site of the ancient Chateau de la Cluse.] 
 
 49k. Arbois (Arbosium fertile land), near the entrance 
 of the valley or cluse of the Cuisance, founded in iv. c. It 
 has a chateau which was the residence of the Comtes de 
 Bourgogne till xv. c. ; a parish church of S. Just, founded 
 x. c., with some fragments of a priory attached to it ; a 
 collegiate church of Notre Dame, now a corn exchange ; an 
 old Ursuline convent, now the Hotel de Ville, and many 
 other convents converted to secular uses. The towers 
 Gloriette and Vellefaux are remains of the old fortifications. 
 Arbois is still as celebrated for its wine as in the time of 
 Henri IV., who, when reconciled to the Due de Mayenne, 
 said : ' J'ai du vin d' Arbois en mes benefices, dont je vous 
 enverrai deux bouteilles, car je sais bien que vous ne le 
 hai'ssez pas.' In making this wine the grapes, by a delicate 
 and elaborate process, are dried in straw. 
 
 62 k. Poligny (Hotel: Central good and clean). 
 
 ' There is a friendliness, a bonhomie, and a disinterestedness 
 about these hotel-keepers. At the table d'hote dinners the master 
 of the house always presides and looks after his guests ; waiters 
 there are none ; sometimes the plates are changed by the landlady, 
 
POLIGNY. 
 
 281 
 
 who also superintends the kitchen, sometimes by the landlord, 
 sometimes by a guest, and shortcomings are made up for by 
 general geniality and good-nature; everyone knows everyone, 
 and the dinner is a meeting of old friends.' ' Holidays in Eastern 
 France' 
 
 Poligny is a pretty, sleepy little town, under Le Dent, a 
 limestone cliff crowned by a cross, upon which imagination 
 sees the figure of a man with a basket in the Pierre-qui-vire. 
 Well-paved streets lead to a little square, with an avenue of 
 pink chestnuts beyond it. The hunchbacked parish church 
 of S. Hippolyte is of 1422, and contains, in its porch, a 
 remarkable crucifix between figures of SS. Mary and John. 
 Behind the church is a Convent of Poor Clares, with a well, 
 shown as due to the prayers of S. Colette, its foundress in 
 xv. c. The mutilated church of Montivillard has a fine 
 alabaster altar-piece. The Corn Exchange was the church 
 of the Jacobins, who were the inquisitors of the district, 
 and shut up their victims in dungeons which still exist 
 under the sous-prefecture. 
 
 ' The village, or rural town, of Poligny, clustered out of well- 
 built old stone houses, with gardens and orchards ; and gathering 
 at the midst of it into some pretence or manner of a street, 
 straggles along the roots of Jura at the opening of a little valley, 
 which in Yorkshire or Derbyshire limestone would have been a 
 gorge between nodding cliffs, with a pretty pattering stream at 
 the bottom ; but in Jura is a far-retiring theatre of rising terraces, 
 with bits of field and garden getting foot on them on various 
 heights ; a spiry convent in its hollow, and well-built little nests 
 of husbandry-building set in corners of meadow, and on juts of 
 rock ; no stream, to speak of, nor springs in it, nor the smallest 
 conceivable reason for its being there, but that God made it.' 
 Ruskin, ' Praeterita." 
 
 Within a short drive to the E. of Poligny is the xiv, c, 
 
282 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Chateau de Bersaillin (Marquis de Froissard). The chapel 
 contains the tomb of Adrien de Vaudrey and Anne de Vuillefans 
 his wife. 
 
 [The road from Poligny to Geneva passes (3 k.) Vaux, with a 
 Cluniac abbey, now a college ; and (67 k.) Montrond, with the 
 Chateau de la Roche, founded xm. c.] 
 
 77k. Domblans, with a picturesque old manor, where 
 Charles le Teme'raire and Henri IV. have both stayed. 
 
 Tourists should take the omnibus (25 c.) to Voiteur (Hotel : 
 Central a tolerable country inn, with very civil people), a pretty 
 village with a remarkable chapel amongst chestnut groves, under 
 the height which bears the village of Chdteau-Chdlon, celebrated 
 for the wine called inn jaune de garde, which resembles tokay. 
 At Voiteur a carriage (5 fr. to go and return, with two hours 
 there) should be taken to Balme-les- Messieurs, beautifully situated 
 in a wooded gorge crowned by limestone rocks. An avenue of 
 limes leads to a gateway, which forms an entrance to the en- 
 closure of the ruined cloister, now surrounded by farm-buildings, 
 but retaining its abundant fountain in the centre. On one side 
 rises the church, now parochial, with a fine crocketed spire, 
 approached on the W. by a porch divided by a central pillar 
 supporting a statue of the Saviour. The nave has ten pillars 
 on either side, alternately square, octangular and round, 
 supporting round arches. The vaulting is later, and the choir 
 is entirely pointed. At the entrance of the nave is a peculiar 
 font, with a tall cross rising out of it. The aisles contain a 
 number of incised monuments of abbots, some of them very fine. 
 In the choir is a magnificently sculptured and painted retable, 
 with wings. On either side of the choir are chapels : that on 
 1. is full of interesting but much mutilated monuments. 'Under 
 the beautiful arch which divides it from the choir is the tomb 
 of the Abbot Amedee de Chalon. Behind, in full armour, with 
 angels at his head, lies Renaud de Bourgogne, Comte de Mont- 
 beliard (xiv. c.). In an inner chapel, low on a marble bed, lies 
 the Princesse Mahaut, first abbess of Sauvemont, daughter of 
 Jean de Chalon 1' Antique, and, against the wall, on a tomb 
 
BALME-LES-MESSIEURS. 
 
 283 
 
 surrounded by quaint figures, rests the headless effigy of the 
 Dame de Villars, wife of Hugues de Vienne (xv. c.). 
 
 Baume is especially interesting as the cradle of the order ol 
 Cluny. Pilgrimages have been frequently made hither to the 
 relics of S. Lothair of Autun and of the hermit S. Aldegrin. But 
 the most celebrated abbot of Baume was Jean de Watteville, 
 
 AT BALME-LES-MESSIEURS. 
 
 who, serving as colonel under Philippe IV., became weary of arms 
 and turned Carthusian. Monastic life, however, soon proved 
 too monotonous, and he escaped from his convent dressed as 
 a knight. He killed his prior who pursued him, and, arriving 
 late at an inn and finding a traveller who had come before in 
 possession of all the supper in the house, murdered him also, 
 and forced the host and his servants to serve him as guides. 
 Escaping to Turkey, he turned Mahommedan, and after fighting 
 
284 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 bravely for the Porte against the Venetians, was created Pacha 
 of the Morea. Bored, however, again with a military life, he 
 made a secret treaty with the Venetians, and betrayed to them 
 the strongholds entrusted to his keeping. The pope rewarded 
 his treason by plenary absolution for his crimes, and by 
 investing him with the abbey of Baume. Even here he betrayed 
 Spain and Tranche Comte by a secret treaty with the envoys 
 of Louis XIV. His character is indicated by the country legend, 
 which says that his remains have never grown cold, and that on 
 one day in every year his bones reunite. 
 
 91 k. Lons-le- Saunter (Hotels : de I' Europe very in- 
 different ; de Genfoe), the capital of the Jura, a most dreary 
 little town. The principal street, of Spanish character, has 
 arcades under the houses, like Berne : in the square is a 
 statue of General Lecourbe. It was on the promenade of 
 La Chevalerie that (May 31, 1815) Marshal Ney determined 
 on going over to Napoleon, and proclaimed to his troops : 
 ' La cause des Bourbons est a jamais perdue.' 
 
 The village of Montaigu, half an hour distant amongst the 
 vineyards, was the residence of Rouget de Lisle, the soldier-poet, 
 who electrified France by the Marseillaise ; his house is marked by 
 a solid iron gateway. The neighbourhood of Lons-le-Saunier 
 supplies the clear and golden vin de paille. An excursion may 
 be made to (7 k.) the ruined church of U Etoile, and the castle of 
 Le Pin (xm. c. and xv. c.), where Henri IV. slept, 1595, during 
 the siege of Lons-le-Saunier. At 1 1 k., in the same direction, is 
 Arlay, with a ruined chateau built by Gerard de Roussillon in 
 x. c., which now belongs to Prince d'Aremberg, who has a modern 
 chateau in the plain below. Arlay contains several curious houses, 
 and a cross opposite the hospital of S. Esprit. 
 
 [A road runs S. from Lons-le-Saunier to (77 k.) Nantua, 
 passing 
 
 40 k. Arinthod, which has a xn. c. church. Near the town 
 are the megalithic monuments of La Pierre Enon and La Chaise 
 a Dieu, On the edge of the Valouze is the rock called VHomme 
 
VAL DANTRE. 
 
 285 
 
 de pierre. After passing (44 k.) 5. Hymetiere, the castle of 
 Oliferne is seen upon the hills on 1. The three rocks called 
 Aiguilles des trois dames are supposed to represent three ladies 
 whom the lord of the castle drowned in the river in a cask ; 
 nightly their spirits descend from hence to visit their former 
 abode, and when they return at dawn, their former oppressor is 
 obliged to issue forth from the castle as a wild huntsman, who 
 can have no rest. 
 
 67 k. Izernore, the ancient Izarnodurum, of which many re- 
 mains, especially those of a temple, have been discovered.] 
 
 [A diligence leaves Lons-le-Saunier at 6.30 a.m. for S. Claude, 
 performing the journey in six hours. The road taken leaves on 
 the r. the ruined Chdteau-de-Presilly (xvi. c.) of the Marnesia 
 family, and passes through (22 k.) Orgelet, where the princes of 
 Chalons-Auxerre had a castle, but is exceedingly bleak and 
 uninteresting till within 3 k. of S. Claude. 
 
 ' Les plateaux calcaires du Jura, tres-salubres pour leurs 
 propres habitants, mais trop froids pour les etrangers, sont 
 peuples des hommes de France les plus hauts de stature : le 
 Doubs, le Jura, et Saone et Loire sont les trois departements 
 ou 1'exemption pour defaut de taille atteignait la moindre pro- 
 portion de jeunes gens.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 Near (40 k.) Les Villards d'Heria (not visible from the road) 
 is the Lacd'Antre, a dismal mountain tarn. Some remains of an 
 aqueduct, in the savage Val d'Antre, are attributed to a Roman 
 town built by the Egyptian legion sent by Augustus to destroy a 
 college of the Druids. Some distance further a road (r.) turns 
 aside to 6". Romain-la-RoChe, where S. Remain died (460) in an 
 abbey which he had founded for Zola, wife of S. Lupicin. The 
 monastery was destroyed at an early period, but the church was 
 rebuilt xiv. c., and contains a fine xm. c. reliquary. 
 
 (A more interesting road from Lons-le-Saunier to S. Claude 
 is that by (23 k.) Clairuaux Clara-vallis, which passes (47 k.) 
 6". Lupicin^ where that saint, in v. c., founded an abbey, of which 
 the prior's house remains. In the XL c. church is a reliquary of 
 S. Lupicin. (A road leads from Clairvaux to Geneva by S. Laurent.) 
 Our road passes close to the pretty Lac-de-Bonlieu, surrounded 
 
286 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 by rocks and trees. At the N. end of its sombre waters are the 
 ruins of a Chartreuse. Beyond, at a short distance from the road 
 on the 1., is the Saut Girard, the cascade of the Herisson, which, 
 under the name of Riviere-du-Lac, emerges from the lake. It 
 falls from a height of 1 5 metres to the depth of a valley where 
 there are some mills and cottages. 2 k. further on its course, the 
 Herisson passes through a narrow gorge in which it forms two 
 other cascades, the Saut-de-la-Montagne (40 met.) and iheSaut- 
 des- Vaux (60 met.), after which it forms the little lakes of Chambly 
 before falling into the Ain. Menetru-en-Joux, between the lakes 
 of Chalins and Chambly, takes its name from the menestrels or 
 minstrels of former times. Near the Saut Girard is the Lac-dc- 
 la-Motte, said to have swallowed up a village whose inhabitants 
 had refused to give alms to a beggar-woman, with the exception 
 of one person, whose house was saved.) 
 
 5. Claude (Hotel : de I'Acu de France close to the cathedral ; 
 du Nord}. This little bishopric in the heart of the mountains 
 hangs picturesquely, in lines of old houses and balconies, 
 against the steep edge of a hill beneath Mont Bayard, and 
 above the meeting of the Bienne and the Tacon. Immediately 
 after crossing the suspension-bridge over a deep ravine, we 
 reach the Cathedral of S. Pierre, recently restored a heavy 
 gothic building, with a low tower. The interior has a wide 
 nave ending in an apse, separated from its narrow side-aisles 
 by very lofty pillars without capitals. At the end of the r. 
 aisle is the shrine of S. Claude. On the stalls (by Pierre de 
 Vitry of Geneva, 1449-60), the friend of Holbein, is a charming 
 little figure of S. Jerome reading to his lion. The famous abbey 
 of S. Claude was founded by S. Lupicin. Its fourth abbot was 
 S. Cyan, from whom the town, originally called Condat, became 
 Condat-S.-Oyan. In honour of the twelfth abbot the name was 
 changed to S. Claude. In the time of the thirty-sixth abbot, 
 Pierre Morel, the abbey was visited by Louis XL, in fulfilment 
 of a vow. 
 
 ' L'etat de servitude ou ce peuple a vecujusqu 'a la revolution, 
 sous la domination du chapitre de Saint-Claude, en le separant 
 de la societe dans 1'ordre politique, avait chez lui cimente 
 
CLAUDE. 
 
 287 
 
 davantage le sentiment de la parente. II y avait etroitement 
 serre les liens de famille ; il y avait enfin etabli le regime 
 patriarchal qui n'existe peut-etre nulle autre part en France.' 
 /. M. Lequinio, ' Voyage pittorcsque et physico-economique dans le 
 Jura' 
 
 ^////7*N N<; 
 
 s- 
 
 . v:. 
 
 ,," ^ 
 
 C ' 
 
 S. CLAUDE. 
 
 There is a great manufactory of pipes in the town, and 
 other small objects 'articles de S. Claude,' made from the 
 boxwood which grows abundantly upon the hills. The immediate 
 environs to the S. are very pretty and attractive. 
 
 ' The Jura rock, balanced in the make of it between chalk 
 and marble, weathers indeed into curious rifts and furrows, 
 
2$8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 but rarely breaks loose, and has long ago clothed itself either 
 with forest flowers, or with sweet short grass, and all blossoms 
 that love sunshine. The pure air, even on this lower ledge, 
 cherishes their sweetest scents and liveliest colours, and the 
 winter gives them rest under thawless serenity of snow.' 
 Ruskin, ' Praeterita! 
 
 A pleasant excursion of about 6 k. may be made (behind the 
 cathedral) to the Falls of the Flumen, a walk which shows to 
 perfection the peculiar situation of S. Claude, which Lamartine 
 compared to Zarele in the Lebanon. 
 
 1 Every turn we take of the upward-curling road gives us a 
 new and more beautiful picture; the valley grows deeper and 
 deeper, the mountains on either side higher and higher, little 
 chalets peeping amidst the grey and the green, here perched on 
 an apparently unapproachable mountain top, there in the midst 
 of some rocky dell. As we get near the falls we are reaching 
 one of the most romantic points of view in all the Jura, so 
 imposingly do the mountains close around us as we enter the 
 gorge, so lovely the scene shut in by the impenetrable natural 
 wall ; for within this framework of rock, peak, and precipice 
 are little farms, gardens, and orchards, gems of dazzling green, 
 pine-forests frowning close above these islets of luxuriance and 
 cultivation, dells, glades, and lawny open spaces between a 
 rampart of fantastically formed crags and solitary peaks, a scene 
 unlike anything but itself.' ' Holidays in Eastern France' 
 
 S. Claude is most easily reached from Oyonnax (see ch. vi.). 
 During 1890 the railway will probably reach the town itself.] 
 
 [A road of 77 k. leads from Lons-le-Saunier to Pontarlier, 
 passing at (23 k.) Pont-du-Navoy, within 6 k. of the Lac de 
 Chdlin, near which is the interesting and picturesque Chateau 
 de Chdlin, rebuilt xv. c. and xvi. c. 
 
 After leaving Lons-le-Saunier, the railway passes 
 96k. Gevingey, which has a chateau of 1657, with a portal 
 flanked by two great towers.] 
 
 look. S. Agnes. 
 
. AMOUR. 
 
 289 
 
 3 k. E., in a gorge of the Jura, are the (xin. c. and xiv. c.) 
 church and castle of 6". Laurent-la-Roche. 
 
 ink. Cousance, has a church of xin. c. 
 
 iik. E. is the interesting xv. c. feudal chateau of Cressia, to 
 which, being the residence of his daughter, Bussy-Rabutin was 
 exiled under Louis XIV. 
 
 ii3k. Cuiseaux, picturesquely situated at the foot of 
 the first chain of the Jura. The church has good xv. c. 
 stallwork. 
 
 1 24k. S. Amour (Hotel: du Commerce)^ the ancient 
 Vinciacum, renamed after a soldier of the Theban legion. 
 The Church is mostly xvn. c. In the chapel of the College 
 is a statue of the native theologian, Guillaume de S. Amour. 
 
 130 k. Coligny, capital of a lordship, belonging to the 
 family (dating from x. c.) of which Admiral Gaspard de 
 Coligny was a member. 
 
 154 k. Bourg. See ch. vi. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MA CON TO GENEVA BY BOURG, AND FROM BELLE- 
 GARDE TO LE BO UV 'A RET BY THE SOUTH SIDE OF 
 THE LAKE OF GENEVA. IN AIN AND HAUTE- 
 SAVOIE. 
 
 440 k. (from Paris) Macon. See ch. i. 
 
 478k. Bourg-en-Bresse (Hotels: de France excellent; 
 de PEurope}. The stately church of Notre Dame, formerly 
 a cathedral, dates from 1505-45, except the W. front, with 
 its massive tower, which is renaissance. One of the chapels 
 has good stained glass. The handsome stallwork is xvi. c. 
 The astronomer Lalande was born in the street which bears 
 his name, and the anatomist Bichat, born at Thoirette, a 
 little village on the Ain, is commemorated here by a statue 
 by David d'Angers. 
 
 At the end of the E. suburb, of S. Nicolas, stands the 
 magnificent Church of Brou. It originated in a vow of 
 Marguerite de Bourgogne, Duchesse de Savoie, that she 
 would build a church and Benedictine monastery, if her 
 husband, Duke Philippe II., recovered from injuries he had 
 received whilst hunting (in 1480). The Duchess died three 
 years after, before she could carry out her intentions, but 
 the work she had planned was begun by her daughter-in* 
 
CHURCH OF BROU. 291 
 
 law Marguerite d'Autriche (in 1506) in her widowhood, 
 under the architect Loys van Boghem, to whose aid all the 
 most celebrated sculptors in Europe were summoned. The 
 whole was finished in 1532, after the death of Marguerite, 
 who had entrusted its completion to the Augustinian monks 
 of the adjoining convent. The cost was 2,200,000 fr., a 
 sum enormous for the time. 
 
 ' Cette eglise, miracle de sculpture, fut vingt ans durant le 
 joujou laborieux de la Flamande Marguerite. Elle en a fait 
 1'eglise de Dieu ? non, mais de Philibert de Savoie, son jeune 
 epoux, et son temple aussi a elle-meme. Toute figure, toute 
 histoire, y rappelle la preeminence de la femme, mais ses 
 defauts y sont aussi ; 1'amour du joli, du petit. Sous cette 
 voute sans elevation, vous voyez un enchantement de gui- 
 pures et de broderies de blanche pierre ou d'albatre; partout 
 uniformement se croisent la marguerite et la plume des lais 
 d'amour et du traite de Cambrai. Rebus, enigmes et iogo- 
 gryphes temoignent de 1'esprit du temps. Brodeuse et fileuse 
 excellente, cette princesse semble avoir, en revant ces devises, 
 file son eglise au fuseau des fees, file indefatigablement : 
 mais le spectateur se fatigue dans son admiration monotone. 
 Francois I., entrant dans 1'eglise de Brou, en remarqua tout 
 d'abord la fragilite ; cette pierre d'un blaric virginal, peu solide 
 aux fortes gel6es, demanda des reparations meme avant 1'acheve- 
 ment. L'habile Flamand qui la batit avait justement oublie la 
 conduite des eaux, la question capitale de conservation.' 
 Michelet, ' Hist, de France.' 
 
 At the Revolution, the church of Brou was one of the 
 monuments ordained to be kept up at the expense of the 
 State ; nevertheless, it was stripped of its leaden roof, used 
 as a barn for hay (the convent being turned into a barrack), 
 and not given back to worship till 1814. The main build- 
 ing has recently been entirely restored, but the monuments 
 have not been injured or interfered with. 
 
292 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The exterior of the church is usually condemned by 
 architects as too complicated, but the W. front is exceedingly 
 rich, and its sculpture of delicate beauty. 
 
 ' At Brou, all majesty of form and constructive propriety are 
 lost sight of, though we wonder that stone could be cut into 
 such a variety of lace-like forms, and are dazzled by the 
 splendour of the whole.' Fergusson. 
 
 The central pillar of the W. door supports a beautiful 
 figure of S. Nicolas of Tolentino : that of S. Andrew is said 
 to be a portrait of its sculptor, Andre Columban. Opposite 
 the portal, on the ground, is a singular xvi. c. dial. 
 
 4 Devant le portail est un cadran solaire singulier, ou 1'obser- 
 vateur se sert de stele a lui-meme. Sur une longue dalle est 
 tracee une ligne meridienne, de chaque cote de laquelle on lit 
 les noms des mois de 1'annee. Autour de cette pierre, vingt- 
 quatre bornes, portant le nom d'une heure du jour, sont 
 disposees en ellipse et inegalement espacees. Pour savoir 
 1'heure, il suffit de connaitre dans quel mois de 1'annee on 
 se trouve, et se placer sur le nom de ce mois. L'ombre que 
 projette le corps de 1'observateur se porte alors sur une des 
 heures, et lui fait connaitre ainsi 1'heure, un peu approximative- 
 ment il est vrai.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 The majestic and simple interior consists of a triple 
 nave, with side-chapels. A beautiful roodloft screens off 
 the sanctuary, to which much splendour of colouring is 
 given by the stained glass and elaborately carved stallwork. 
 In the great E. window, Philibert de Savoie is seen kneeling, 
 attended by his patron, the bishop S. Philibert ; and his 
 wife Marguerite, by her patroness S. Margaret, with her 
 
 1 See an essay of the astronomer Lalande upon this dial. 
 
CHURCH OF BROU. 
 
 293 
 
 dragon. Beneath are the glorious tombs, the main part of 
 which was carried out by Michel Colombe, in the fashion 
 he had seen in the ' sepultures de feuz messeigneurs les 
 dues de Bourgoigne,' when, as a boy, he worked under 
 those 'souverains tailleurs d'ymaiges, Maistre Claux et 
 Maistre Anthoniet' (Antoine le Monturier), 1 but in the 
 minor details he introduced the already popular arabesques 
 of the Renaissance. The sculptures are by a variety of 
 hands. 
 
 ' Qu'il me suffice de dire que tout ce qui semblerait difficile 
 a executer en metal a 6t6 execute -en marbre ; qu'on y voit des 
 rinceaux, des flews, des feuilles de vigne d'une delicatesse 
 inouie, saillant de trois pouces du bloc dans lequel elles ont 
 6t6 taillees, soutenues par des tiges, en marbre aussi, tellement 
 fines, tellement fragiles qu'on ne peut comprendre comment 
 leur poids seul n'a pas suffi pour les rompre. Comptez les 
 petales des marguerites, tous detaches les uns des autres, tous 
 tallies dans le meme bloc; mesurez leur epaisseur, et vous 
 conviendrez qu'un bon fabricant de fleurs artificielles ne 
 pouvait faire mieux avec ses fils de fer et sa batiste. Les 
 materiaux de Brou sont le marbre. Qu'on se figure encore que 
 tout ce choeur long de quatre-vingt-dix-sept pieds, ses chapelles, 
 son jube, ses fenetres, etc., sont decores de la sorte, et Ton aura 
 une idee de la patience, de 1'adresse, et de la resignation des 
 artistes du xvi e siecle.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 On the r., under a magnificent canopy, adorned with 
 five exquisite little statues of saints, lies Marguerite de 
 Bourgogne, in her ducal mantle and crown, with her feet 
 upon a greyhound and her face turned towards the tomb 
 of her son. Indescribably beautiful are the marguerites, 
 detached in web-like sculpture from the architectural lines. 
 
 1 Claux and Anthoniet, the last sculptors of the Burgundian school. 
 
294 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The columns and the border of Marguerite's dress as well 
 as the pillow of the duchess have an interweaving of renais- 
 sance ornament. Around the base are the marvellous 
 figures of the pkureuses, their tiny faces depicted with 
 infinite expression beneath their low-falling cowls. 
 
 ' On admirera la grace, la naivete des poses de ces figures 
 de pleurjuses, la tete voilee, sur le soubassement du tombeau 
 
 PLEUREUSE, CHURCH OF BROU. 
 
 de Marguerite de Bourbon : puis, si 1'on se couche a terre et 
 qu'on porte une bougie vers leurs voiles, on verra des tetes 
 charmantes refouillees a une assez grande profondeur pour ne 
 pouvoir etre aper^ues que de la maniere incommode que je 
 viens de dire.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 In the centre is the tomb of Philibert le Beau, a table 
 supported by pillars, with marvellously beautiful statues of 
 the Sibyls. The Antinous of his time is seen within, in 
 
CHURCH OF BROU. 
 
 295 
 
 death a demi-god asleep, not unlike the Antinous of the 
 Vatican. Above, he is represented again in ducal mag- 
 nificence, surrounded by mourning cherubs, with his face 
 turned towards his wife, but his hands towards his mother. 
 His motto * Fert ' appears oft-repeated in intricate sculpture. 
 Michel Colombe was already eighty when he designed this 
 monument. 
 
 On the 1. lies Marguerite d'Autriche, daughter of the 
 Emperor Maximilian I., aunt of Charles V., and grand- 
 
 MARGUERITE D AUTRICHE. 
 
 daughter of Charles le Temeraire, married for a few months 
 to Jean de Castille, and afterwards for three years to Phili- 
 bert. She also is represented twice once in life under a 
 canopy, and beneath in the supreme loveliness of death, 
 with her long hair flowing over her shoulders. On the 
 cornice of her tomb is her motto, ' Fortune, infortune, forte 
 une.' On the ornaments of this monument, and that of 
 Philibert, Vambelli and Oropio Campitoglio, Italians; 
 Conrad and Thomas Meyr, Swiss ; Benoit Serins, a French- 
 man, and many others, all worked together, the Italians 
 probably designing what the others carried out. 
 
296 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Above the figures of Philibert and Marguerite, in the 
 window behind their tombs, is a procession, representing 
 the Triumph of Christ. He is carried on a car, in a 
 throng headed by Adam and Eve, who are followed by the 
 patriarchs and an immense variety of figures, including 
 the mother of the Maccabees, with her seven children. 
 The magnificent altar of the Virgin close by, is full of 
 delicate little figures, telling the story of her life, with the 
 Assumption in the centre. On a bracket of marvellous 
 sculpture is a noble figure of S. Andrew. Scarcely less 
 beautiful is the oratory of Marguerite d'Autriche, where 
 she attended to hear mass, seated by a fire, being able 
 to see the priest at the altar through a slanting arch in 
 the wall. 
 
 ' Cette arcade de biais, dont on trouve un autre example 
 dans 1'eglise de S. Pierre, a Saumur, est un probleme de 
 stereotomie habilement resolu.' Merimee. 
 
 In the nave is a fine modern statue of S. Vincent de 
 Paul, by Cabuchet. 1 
 
 The direct line to Geneva runs due E. from Bourg. 
 After passing (5 2 1 k. from Paris) Simandre, the railway 
 crosses the deep bed of the Ain by the handsome viaduct 
 of Ceze, and soon after runs for some distance along 
 precipices at a fearful height above the valley. 
 
 535 k. La Cluze. Here is the branch E. by (13 k.) 
 Oyonnax : to (43k.) S. Claude (see ch. v.). The latter 
 
 1 Wearisome difficulties are thrown by the authorities in the way of artists 
 or architects wishing to draw or make notes at Brou. They must toil back to 
 the prefecture for an order, and even when obtained, it must be countersigned 
 by the Superior of the neighbouring institution. 
 
NANTUA. 297 
 
 part of the road from Oyonnax to S. Claude follows the 
 pretty mountain valley of the Brienne. 
 
 539 k. Nantua, near the lake of the name, has a tran- 
 sition romanesque church, the only remnant of a monastery 
 founded here in vn. c. Charles le Chauve, who died at 
 Brioude in 807, is buried here. The portal has curious 
 sculptures from the Apocalypse. 
 
 [A very picturesque road leads from La Cluze to Pont d'Ain 
 by (20 k.) Cerdon, a most picturesque place with deeply over- 
 hanging roofs, and a fine ruined castle.] 
 
 [For the road N. to (77 k.) Lons-le-Saunier see ch. v.] 
 
 [Three roads lead from Nantua to Belley (see ch. vii.). The 
 shortest (61 k.) passes, at i6k. from Nantua, the remains of the 
 Chartreuse of Meyriat, founded, 1116, by Ponce de Balmey, 
 Bishop of Belley. 
 
 ' Par mille angles du sender qui serpente au sein des noires 
 forets, nous penetrons dans une region vraiment sublime de 
 tristesse. Pas une figure humaine, pas un toit de chalet. 
 Deux remparts a pic, couverts d'arbres vivaces qui semblent 
 croitre sur la tete les uns des autres, nous pressent, nous 
 etreignent, et semblent, par leurs detours multiplies, nous 
 pousser et nous enfermer dans d'inextricables solitudes. J'ai 
 vu beaucoup de sites plus grandioses, je n'en ai guere vu de 
 plus austeres. Les plus belles cimes des Alpes, des Pyrenees, 
 et des Apennins ne produisent pas une vegetation plus robuste 
 et plus imposante. 
 
 1 A Meyriat, les restes de la chartreuse consistent en quelques 
 belles arcades chargees de plusieurs barietaires et a demi 
 easevelies dans les eboulements de la montagne, que le gazon 
 a recouverte. Le portail est encore debout, et conserve son 
 air monastique. Le torrent se precipite avec fracas derriere la 
 chartreuse, roule a cote et se laisse tomber sur Tangle d'un 
 
298 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 batiment detache qu'il acheve de degrader, et qu'il semble pret 
 a emporter tout a fait dans un jour d'orage. Ce site m'a paru, 
 au milieu de la pluie, melancholique, froid, et admirablement 
 choisi pour une vie 6ternellement uniforme et pour des hommes 
 voues au culte de 1'idee unique et absolue. Point de per- 
 spectives, point de contrastes ; des pentes de gazon d'un vert 
 egal et magnifique ; des profondeurs de forets sans issues, 
 sans la moindre echappee pour le regard et pour la pensee ; 
 partout des sapins, des prairies etroites et des forets coupees 
 par 1'invincible rempart de la montagne.' Sand, ' Lettres d'un 
 Voyageur! 
 
 At 44 k. is Vieu, with considerable remains of a Roman aque- 
 duct and a xni. c. church constructed with fragments of Roman 
 buildings. 
 
 The second route from Nantua to Belley, by Hauteville and 
 Tenay, passes (at 31^ k.) by Nantuy, 10 minutes' walk from which 
 is the beautiful cascade called Chute dAlbarine. 
 
 The third route (of 71 k.) is by Izenave and S. Rambert.] 
 
 563 k. Bellegarde, the frontier station (Hotel: de la Paste). 
 Formerly travellers stopped here and crossed the bridge 
 over the Valserine, afterwards turning r. to reach (10 min.) 
 La Perte du Rhone, where the river disappeared suddenly 
 under the limestone rocks ; but the whole is now destroyed 
 by the works of an American Company, and there is nothing 
 worth seeing. 
 
 1 Nulle part la force motrice de 1'eau n'est utilisee d'une 
 maniere plus complete et plus ingenieuse que dans 1'apre defile 
 de Bellegarde. En amont du gouffre, la puissance du Rhone, 
 evaluee en travail, represente six ou huit mille chevaux-vapeur ; 
 c'est la force qu'on a commence de disciplineren 1751. Un large 
 tunnel de six metres de hauteur et de plus qu'un demi-kilometre 
 de longueur, creuse en droite ligne dans le rocher, au nord du 
 defile de la " perte,'' emporte les eaux motrices sous les turbines 
 d'un edifice construit dans le lit meme de la Valserine, pres du 
 
LA PERTE DU RHONE. 299 
 
 confluent. Des cables de fer, soutenus de distance en distance 
 par des piliers, transmettent le mouvement, du fond de la gorge 
 aux usines situe"es a plusieurs centaines de metres de la sur le 
 plateau de Bellegarde. Un village industriel, qui pourrait etre 
 le commencement d'une grande ville, recoit ainsi la force d'un 
 fleuve qui coule a 130 metres plus bas. Des galeries creusees 
 jusqu'a un kilometre de distance dans les couches de gres vert 
 qui bordent le fleuve fournissent, par milliers et milliers de tonnes, 
 des amas de fossiles curieux qui sont tritures par les moulins et 
 transformes en amendements agricoles.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 The railway now passes through the tunnel of Credo 
 and the defile of Fort de VEduse to 
 597 k. Geneva, in Switzerland. 
 
 The line is continued from Bellegarde, through the 
 French province of Haute-Savoie to the E. end of the Lake 
 of Geneva by 
 
 602 k. (from Paris) Annemasse, only 7 k. from Geneva 
 at the junction with the line from Annecy. See ch. vii. 
 
 Annemasse is near the foot of the limestone range of Le 
 Saleve, conspicuous in all views from Geneva. It is an ascent 
 of ij hrs. to the summit of the Petit-Saleve by Mornex, and 
 rather further to that of Le Grand-Saleve by Mornex and 
 Monnetier. 
 
 It is 64 k. from Geneva by Annemasse to the beautiful valley 
 of Sixt (Hotel and pension), a delightful centre for excursions. 
 
 [The road to Chamonix passes (19 k. from Geneva) 
 Contamines-sur-Arve, where the xiv. c. church belonged to 
 a priory and was founded by Gui de Faucigny, Bishop of 
 Geneva, in 1083. At 27 k. the road reaches the pretty little 
 town of 
 
300 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Bonneville (Hotel : de la Couronne), whence the Mole and the 
 Brezon may be ascended. A column bears a statue of Charles 
 Felix, King of Sardinia. The old chateau is used as a prison. 
 A picturesque gorge of the Arve is passed at (42^ k.) Cluses 
 (Hotel: National}. At 53k., near Oex, the Cascade de Nant or 
 d'Arpenaz is seen on the 1. Sallenches (59 k. Hotel : Bellevue) 
 has beautiful mountain views, especially of Mont Blanc in the 
 sunset ; a rude footpath leads hence in 9 hrs. to Sixt. At 67 k. 
 is Port-sur-le-Bon-Nant (Hotel : des Alpes where a table d'hote 
 awaits the arrival of the diligence), only 10 min. from the Baths 
 ofS. Gervais, in a deep gorge (Hotel : del'Etablissemenf). From 
 Pont Pelissier (76k.) there is one of the finest views of Mont 
 Blanc. Hence the new road ascends to (86 k.) Chamonix by easier 
 gradations than the old road, which diverges at S. Martin, near 
 Sallenches, and passes through (71 k.) Servos (Hotel : des Gorges 
 de la Diosaz). The gorges of La Diosaz are worth visiting. 
 
 Chamonix or Le Prieure (Hotels : < Grand ; Saussure ; 
 Royal; de V Union; de Londres ; du Mont- Blanc; des Alpes, 
 etc.), a large village, chiefly inhabited by guides and sellers of 
 objects in horn and crystal, is crowded in the summer and almost 
 deserted in the winter months. A monument has been erected 
 by the Alpine Club to Jacques Balmat, who first scaled Mont 
 Blanc. Chamonix is by no means a picturesque place, and is 
 chiefly resorted to as a centre for mountain excursions. The 
 guides so completely possess the village, that it is difficult to get 
 away from them, even for a short walk in the valley, or to the 
 Source of the Arveyron at the foot of the Mer de Glace. The 
 most ordinary tourists will visit Le Montenvers (2-^ hrs. ascent, 
 2 hrs. descent), an Alpine pasture with a very striking view over 
 the Mer de Glace. 
 
 ' Le plus beau glacier, le plus vaste et en meme temps le plus 
 e"tudie est la fameuse Mer de Glace, qui se meut avec une rapidite" 
 moyenne de 100 metres par an, et dont les molecules mettentpar 
 consequent un siecle et demi pour descendre des nves supe"rieurs 
 a 1'arche terminale qui donne naissance a 1'Arveiron. Les noms 
 de Saussure, de Rendu, de Forbes, de Tyndall restent a jamais 
 associes a celui de ce glacier ; c'est une des localites classiques 
 dans 1'histoire de la geographic.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
CHAMONIX. 301 
 
 1 La surface du glacier, vue de Montenvers, ressemble a celle 
 d'une mer qui aurait ete subitement gelee, non pas dans le 
 moment de la tempete, mais a 1'instant ou le vent s'est calme, et 
 od les vagues, quoique tres-hautes, sont emoussees et arrondies. 
 Ces grandes ondes sont a peu pres paralleles a la longueur du 
 glacier, et elles sont coupees par des crevasses transversales, qui 
 paraissent bleues dans leur interieur, tandis que la glace semble 
 blanche a sa surface ext6rieur. . . . Quand on est au milieu du 
 glacier, les ondes paraissent des montagnes et leurs intervalles 
 semblentetre des vallees entre ces montagnes. II faut d'ailleurs 
 parcourir un peu le glacier pour voir ses beaux accidents, ses 
 larges et profondes crevasses, ses grandes cavernes, ses lacs 
 remplis de la plus belle eau renfermee dans les murs trans- 
 parents de couleur d'aigue-marine, ses ruisseaux d'une eau vive 
 et claire qui coulent dans des canaux de glace et qui viennent 
 se precipiter et former des cascades dans des abimes de glace.' 
 De Saussure. 
 
 The other principal excursions from Chamonix are : (i) Lc 
 Jardin (7^ hrs. to go, 6| to return; guide, 12 fr.), reached from 
 Montenvers, where it is possible to sleep. The path across the 
 glacier is narrow, but only dangerous in wet weather. The 
 Jardin is a rock in the glacier, covered in the late summer with 
 turf and flowers, and walled in by moraine. It is possible to 
 return by Le Chapeau (guide, if the excursion is thus prolonged, 
 15 fr.), a flower-covered height at the foot of the Aiguille de 
 Bochard. (2) La Flegere (2% hrs. ascent, 5 hrs. altogether ; 
 guide, 6 fr. ; mule, 6 fr.), a height on the opposite side of the 
 valley of Chamonix, facing the Mer de Glace, with a magnificent 
 view of the chain of Mont Blanc. (3) The Glacier des JBossons, 
 descending the valley of Chamonix (3 hrs. altogether ; guide, 
 3fr.) (4) Le Prevent (4% hrs. ascent, 2^ descent; guide, 8fr. 
 to 10 fr.), a fatiguing walk, which has a splendid view of the 
 valley of Chamonix and the chain of Mont Blanc. (5) Le Glacier 
 d'Argentiere (7^ hrs. altogether; guide, 8 fr. to I2fr.), in the 
 direction of Martigny. 1 
 
 1 The excursions from Chamonix, though lying within the limits of 
 France, are so usually looked upon as part of a Swiss tour, that they are 
 given here as briefly as possible, and without illustrations. 
 
302 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The Ascent of Mont Blanc (17 hrs. in the ascent, 8 hrs. 
 descent; guide, loofr.), 4,810 met. in height, is usually made 
 from Chamonix. The mountain was first ascended in 1786, by 
 Jacques Balmat and Dr. Paccard. The ascent usually occupies 
 two days, the night being spent at the little cabins (one for 
 travellers, the other for guides) under the isolated rocks called 
 the Grands- Mtdets. 
 
 A rude carriage-road leads from Chamonix to Martigny 
 (8^ hrs., guide useless) by the pass of the Tete Noire, passing 
 halfway the Hotel de la Barberine, with a waterfall near it. 
 Near the gallery called La Roche Percee is the Hotel de la Tete 
 Noire, whence it is 3 hrs. to Martigny in Switzerland. Pedes- 
 trians may prefer the route from Chamonix to Martigny by the 
 Col de Balme (mule, 12 fr. ; guide, unnecessary, I2fr.), on 
 account of its beautiful views. 
 
 Courmayeur may be reached from Chamonix by the fatiguing 
 and sometimes dangerous pass of the Col du Geant (16 hrs.; 
 guide to Courmayeur, 50 fr., or to the Col only, returning 
 to Chamonix, 40 fr.) An easier and more usual way is that by 
 the Col de Voza; Contamines ; and the Chalets de Nant-Borrant 
 (8^ hrs. from Chamonix), where travellers usually sleep. 
 Thence it is a steep ascent of 3^ hrs. to the Col de Bonhomme, 
 after which the traveller passes the Col des Fours, the Chalet 
 des Mottets (a miserable sleeping-place), and the Col de la 
 Seigne on the Italian frontier. The view is fine of the desolate 
 Attic-Blanche^ bordered by glaciers. It is 7 hours from Mottets 
 to Courmayeur. This excursion is not worth while except in 
 very fine weather, or to those who admire savage and somewhat 
 dreary mountain scenery ; but the view of Mont Blanc from 
 Courmayeur itself is one of the finest in Europe, and the Val 
 d'Aosta beyond is unspeakably lovely.] 
 
 632 k. Thonon (Hotels: Grand; de V Europe), beautifully 
 situated above the Lake of Geneva, with a fine view from 
 its upper terrace. In the direction of Geneva are the ruins 
 of the two (x. c,) chateaux of Les Allinges. An XL c. 
 chapel has been restored, in which S. Frangois de Sales 
 
EVIAN-LES-BAINS. 33 
 
 celebrated mass when he undertook the conversion of the 
 Protestants of Chablais. 
 
 [A mule path leads from Thonon to Martigny by the Col de 
 rAbondance (12^ hrs.) and (30 k.) the church of Notre Dame 
 de VAbondance, which belonged to an Augustinian abbey (xn. c. 
 and xin. c.), of which there are some remains. In the church 
 are xv. c. torch-holders, xv. c. reliquaries, and an abbot's 
 seat of xvi. c. A post-road connects Thonon with (42 k.) 
 Bonneville. See p. 300.] 
 
 Just beyond Thonon, near the hamlet of Concise, are 
 the remains of the Chartreuse de Ripaille; founded, after his 
 abdication in 1434, by Amedee VIII., Due de Savoie, who 
 lived here till 1439, when he was elected Pope as Felix V. 
 by the Council of Basle. But, as the Emperor refused to 
 recognise him, he abdicated in 1449 in favour of Nicolas V., 
 and returned to reside at Ripaille, as cardinal bishop of 
 Geneva, till his death in 1451. 
 
 1 Au bord de cette mer ou s'egarent mes yeux, 
 Ripaille, je te vois, O bizarre Amedee ! 
 
 Est-il vrai que, dans ces beaux lieux 
 Des soins et des grandeurs ecartant toute idee 
 Tu vecus en vrai sage, en vrai voluptueux, 
 Et que, lasse bientot de ton doyx ermitage, 
 Tu voulus etre pape, et cessas d'etre sage.' Voltaire. 
 
 641 k. Evian-les- Bains (Hotels: des Bains; Grand; 
 Fonbonne ; de la Paix, etc.), famous for its sulphuric 
 mineral waters, which are much frequented ; though, to 
 protect them from the bise, which blows furiously on this 
 side of the water, the houses are mostly built without any 
 view of the lake. At Neuvecelle, an enormous chestnut 
 may be visited. 
 
304 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 65 2 k. Meillerie> where the boat of Byron and Shelley 
 was driven on the rocks by a storm in 1816. Clarens and 
 Chillon are seen on the opposite shore. 
 
 658 k. S. Gingolph (Hotels : du Lion d'Or ; de la Paste), 
 a pretty spot on the Swiss frontier. 
 
 664k. Le Bouvaret, on the main line from Geneva to 
 Martigny and Sion, etc. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PARIS AND MjCON TO THE MONT CEiVIS. THE LAC 
 DE BOURGET, AIX-LES-BAINS (ANNECY), CHAM- 
 EERY (THE GRANDE CHARTREUSE}. IN AIN AND 
 HAUTE-SAVOIE. 
 
 440 k. (from Paris) Macon. See ch. i. 
 
 478k. Bourg-en-Bresse. See ch. vi. 
 
 497 k. Pont cFAin. The chateau is used as a hospice 
 for aged priests of the diocese of Belley. 
 
 502 k. Ambronay, 2 k. from the station, has the ruins of 
 a Benedictine abbey, founded ix. c. The church, which 
 has a triple nave and a tower, contains the marble tomb of 
 an abbot. The cloisters remain, and a staircase of temp. 
 Louis XIII. 
 
 509 k. Amberieu-en-Bugey (a junction and buffet). 
 
 [A line from Amberieu to (52 k.) Lyon passes (13 k.) Mexi- 
 mieux, where the chateau, often rebuilt, dates from xi. c., and 
 (26k.) Montluel, with a ruined castle of 1096 (chapel of 1289).] 
 
 52ok. S. Rambert, has some obscure remains of the 
 chateau of Cornillon, destroyed by order of Henri IV. 
 Beyond S. Rambert the valley of the Albarine narrows to a 
 gorge, and the line is often picturesque. 
 
 547 k. Virieu-le- Grand, has some small remains of a 
 
 20 
 
306 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 chateau, which claims to be the place where Honore* d'Urfe 
 wrote his Astr'ee. 
 
 [A branch line runs S. to (57 k ) -5". Andre d-Gaz, on the lim 
 from Lyon to Chambery, by 
 
 1 5 k. Belley (Hotel : Rey\ which has a Cathedral of S. Jeai. 
 Baptiste, founded in the fifth century, and often rebuilt since. 
 The choir is of 1413, but the rest of the church was rebuilt 
 in 1864, and has all the feebleness of modern architecture. 
 Lamartine was educated at the College Q{ Belley. In the vche, 
 Bishop Camus, appointed in his twenty-fourth year at the 
 solicitation of Henri IV., received the frequent visits of S. 
 Fran9ois de Sales, who was his intimate friend.] 
 
 559k. Culoz (junction and buffet). A line leads hence 
 N.W. to join the line from Paris to Geneva at Bellegarde 
 (see ch. vi.) There is a carriage road from Culoz to 
 Annecy by the picturesque Val de Fier. After passing the 
 station of Chatillon, the line to Chambery runs along the 
 E. shore of the beautiful Lac de Bourget. On the opposite 
 shore is seen the abbey of Hautecombe, and, above it, the 
 mountain peak of the Dent-du-Chat. 
 
 1 Le lac du Bourget est une vaste coupe de montagnes tout 
 ebr6chee, ou brille, a sept ou huit cents pieds au-dessus de la 
 Mediterranee, une goutte d'eau bleue comme ne Test aucune eau 
 dans le monde. Vu du haut de la Dent-du-Chat, ce lac est la 
 comme une turquoise egaree. Cette jolie goutte d'eau a neuf 
 lieues de contour, et dans certains endroits pres de cinq cents 
 pieds de profondeur. tre la dans une barque au milieu de 
 cette nappe par un beau ciel, n'entendre que le bruit des rames, 
 ne voir a 1'horizon que des montagnes nuageuses, admirer les 
 neiges etincelantes de la Maurienne francaise, passer tour a tour 
 a des blocs de granit vetus de velours par des fougeres ou par des 
 arbustes nains, a de riantes collines; d'un cote le desert, de 
 1'autre une riche nature : un pauvre assistant au diner d'un riche ; 
 ces harmonies et ces discordances composent un spectacle ou tout 
 
AIX-LES-BAINS. 307 
 
 est grand, ou tout est petit. L'aspect des montagnes change les 
 conditions de 1'optique et de la perspective ; un sapin de cent pieds 
 vons semble un roseau, de larges vall6es vous apparaissent 6troites 
 autant que des senders. Ce lac est le seul ou Ton puisse faire 
 une confidence de coeur a coeur. On y pense et on y aime. En 
 aucun endroit vous ne rencontreriez une plus belle entente entre 
 1'eau, le ciel, les montagnes et la terre. II s'y trouve des baumes 
 pour toutes les crises de la vie. Ce lieu garde le secret des dou- 
 leurs, il les console, les amoindrit, et jette dans 1'amour je ne sais 
 quoi de grave, de recueilli, qui rend la passion plus profonde, 
 plus pure. Un baiser s'y agrandit. Mais c'est surtout le lac des 
 souvenirs ; il les favorise en leur donnant la teinte de ses ondes, 
 miroir ou toutvient se reflechir.' Balzac, ' LaPeau de Chagrin.' 
 
 583 k. Aix-les-Bains (Hotels: de P Europe excellent; 
 Venat ; de PUnivers ; Grand. Minor hotels and pen- 
 sions innumerable. Carriages by tariff expensive). Aix, 
 greatly frequented for its sulphuric waters, especially effi- 
 cacious for rheumatism, is exceedingly pretty during the 
 summer months and dreary in the extreme during winter. 
 Near the baths is a small Roman Arch, erected by Lucius 
 Pompeius Campanus in iv. c., and supposed to have been 
 intended for a family tomb, with eight niches to contain 
 the funeral urns. In the garden of the presbytery close by 
 are some small remains of a Temple of Diana. Under the 
 Pension Chabert is an octagonal Roman bath. The xvi. c. 
 Chateau is now used as Hotel de Ville and Post-office. 
 
 10 min. by omnibus from Aix are the sulphuric baths of 
 Marlioz. 10 min. on foot will lead to the hill of Tresserve, rich 
 in vegetation ; and 40 min. to the Chateau de Bonport, close to 
 the lake. 
 
 ' Ce donjon est tellement enfoui, du cote de la terre, sous les 
 chataigners de Tresserve, du cote du lac, dans les replis pro- 
 fonds d'une anse abrit6e des flots, qu'on a peine a 1'apercevoir, 
 
3o8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 soit en marchant sur la colline, soit en naviguant sur la petite 
 mer du Bourget. Une terrace couverte de quelques figuiers 
 separe le chateau de la plage de sable finouviennentcontinuelle- 
 ment mourir, caresser, lecher et balbutier les petites langues 
 bleues des vagues.' Lamartine. 
 
 [Visitors can either embark at the Port de Piter or the Port 
 de Cornin for Hiutecombe. The former is the shorter voyage. 
 The excursion occupies about 4 hrs. : boat, 9 fr. 
 
 'A gauche, le Mont-du-Chat dresse pendant deux lieues, 
 contre le ciel, une ligne haute, sombre, uniforme, sans ondulations 
 a son sommet. On dirait un rempart immense nivele par le 
 cordeau. A peine, a son extremite orientale, deux ou trois dents 
 aigues de rochers gris interrompent la monotonie geometrique de 
 sa forme et rappellent au regard que ce n'est pas une main 
 d'homme, mais la main de Dieu, qui a pu jouer avec ces masses. 
 Vers Chamb6ry, les pieds du Mont du Chat s'etendent avec une 
 certaine mollesse dans la plaine. Us forment, en descendant, 
 quelques marches et quelques coteaux, revetus de sapins, de 
 noyers, de chataigniers enlaces de vignes grimpantes. A travers 
 cette vegetation touffue et presque sauvage, on voit blanchir de 
 loin en loin des maisons de campagne, surgir les hauts clochers 
 de pauvres villages ou noircir les vieilles tours des chateaux 
 creneles d'un autre age. Plus bas, la plaine, qui fut autrefois un 
 vaste lac, conserve les creux, les rives dentelees, les caps avances 
 de son ancienne forme. Seulement on y voit ondoyer, au lieu des 
 eaux, les vagues vertes ou jaunes des peupliers, des prairies, des 
 moissons. Quelques plateaux un peu plus eleves, et qui furent 
 autrefois des iles, se renflent au milieu de cette vallee mareca- 
 geuse. Us portent des maisons couvertes de chaume et noyees 
 sous les branches. Au dela de ce bassin desseche, le Mont du 
 Chat, plus mi, plus roide et plus apre, plonge a pic ses pieds de 
 roche dans un lac plus beau que le firmament ou il plonge sa tete. 
 Ce lac est profondement encaisse du cote de la France. Du cote 
 de la Savoie, au contraire, il s'insinue sans obstacle dans les 
 anses et dans de petits golfes entre les coteaux converts de bois, 
 de treillisde vignes hautes, de figuiers qui trempent leurs feuilles 
 dans ses eaux. II va mourir a perte de vue au pied des rochers 
 
HAUTECOMBE. 309 
 
 de Chatillon ; ses rochers s'ouvrent pour laisser s'ecouler le trop 
 plein du lac dans le Rhone. L'abbaye de Hautecombe, tombeau 
 des princes de la maison de Savoie, s'eleVe sur un contrefort de 
 granit au N. et jette 1'ombre de ses vastes cloitres sur les eaux du 
 lac. Abrit6 tout le jour du soleil par la muraille du Mont du 
 Chat, cet edifice rappelle, par I'obscurit6 qui 1'environne, la nuit 
 eternelle dont il est le seuil pour ces princes descendus du trone 
 dans ses caveaux. Seulement, le soir, un rayon de soleil couchant 
 le frappe et se reverbere un moment sur ses murs, comme pour 
 montrer le port de la vie aux homines a la fin du jour. Quelques 
 barques de pecheurs sans voiles glissent silencieusement sur les 
 eaux profondes, sous les falaises de la montagne. La vetuste de 
 leurs bordages les fait confondre par leur couleur avec la teinte 
 sombre des rochers. Des aigles aux plumes grisatres planent 
 sans cesse au-dessus des rochers et des barques comme pour 
 disputer leur proie aux filets, ou pour fondre sur les oiseaux 
 pecheurs qui suivent le sillage de ces bateaux le long du bord.' 
 Lamartine. 
 
 The Cistercian Abbey of Hautecombe was founded by S. 
 Bernard under Count Amedee III. in 1125 or 1135, and from 
 that time became the burial-place of the House of Savoie. It 
 was secularised in 1792, when the French entered Savoie, and 
 sold as national property to private individuals, who established 
 a china-factory there. In 1824 King Charles Felix repurchased 
 Hautecombe, and both church and monastery have been since 
 restored. The flamboyant Church is entered by a kind of 
 vestibule called Chapelle Royale or Chapelle de Belley, contain- 
 ing the tomb of Claude d'Estavaye, bishop of Belley, abbot com- 
 mendatory of Hautecombe, and founder of this chapel. The 
 other tombs are for the most part only reproductions of those 
 destroyed at the Revolution. Making the round of the church 
 we may notice 
 
 R. of Nave. Cenotaph of Louis IL, Baron de Vaud, and that 
 of Amedee VII., the Red Count. 
 
 R. Side Aisle. Statue of Charles-Felix by Benoit Cacciatore. 
 Cenotaphs of Am6dee V. and his daughter Agnes. Cenotaphs of 
 the princesses Beatrix and Yolande. Cenotaph of Humbert III. 
 near the door to the cloister. 
 
310 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 R. Transept. Statue of the Bienheureux Humbert, by 
 Albertoni. Mausoleum of Count Pierre. Cenotaph of Louis I., 
 baron de Vaud. 
 
 Sanctuary. Tomb of Boniface de Savoie, Archbishop of 
 Canterbury, son of Count Thomas, ob. 1270. Under the organ 
 the tomb of Count Aimon and Yolande de Montferrat. 
 
 L. Transept. Chapel of S. Joseph over the sepulchral vault 
 of the princes of Savoie. Ce' otaph of Amedee IV. 
 
 L. Aisle. Cenotaph of Anne Germaine de Zaehringen. Chapel 
 of S. Felix, over the vault of Humbert, Comte de Romont. 
 Cenotaphs of Thomas II. and Sibylle de Beauge, first wife of 
 Amedee V. Cenotaphs of Marguerite de Savoie and Amedee VI., 
 and a marble group of Queen Marie Christine protecting the arts 
 and succouring the poor. 
 
 L. of Nave. Cenotaph of Philippe II. and Thomas I. 
 
 Chapelle de Belley. Tombs of Charles Felix ( 1 83 1 ) and Marie 
 Christine (1849). 
 
 The Cloister is partly xvi. c. 
 
 About I k. from the monastery is the intermittent spring called 
 Fontaine des Merveilles. 
 
 Other short water-excursions from Aix may be made to the 
 Chateau de Bordcau (i hr.), to the chateau arid village of Bourget 
 (40 min. by water, 2 hrs. by carriage). The church belonged 
 to a Cluniac priory, of which a gallery of the cloister remains, 
 dating from the middle of xv. c., when it was rebuilt by Prior 
 Odon de Luyrieux, who has sprinkled it with his arms. It is an 
 excursion of 6 hrs. in a carriage to the curious cavern of the 
 Grottc de Bange, containing a lake. It takes 40 min. in a carriage 
 to reach the beautifully situated church of Mouxy, from which it 
 is an ascent of I hr. to the top of the Rocher S. Victor, whence 
 there is a fine view.] 
 
 [The descent of the Rhone from Aix to (142 k.) Lyon occupies 
 8 hrs. (the ascent 13 hrs.) and is not worth while as regards 
 scenery. The steamer may be left at (99k.) the Chateau de la 
 Salctte, to visit (i^k.) the curious cavern called La Grotte de 
 la Balme (entrance 2 fr.), which has a church of xn. c. at its 
 entrance.] 
 
 [A line leads N.E. from Aix to Annecy, passing 
 
ANNECY. 311 
 
 6 k. Gresy, with a pretty little waterfall, the frequent object of 
 a drive from Aix. A monument near the fall commemorates the 
 sister of Marshal Ney, Mme. le Broc, who perished here, by a 
 false step, under the eyes of Queen Hortense (upon whom she 
 was in attendance), June 10, 1813. 
 
 21 k. Rumilly (Rumilia), where many Roman antiquities have 
 been found. 
 
 34 k. Lovagny. Tickets (i fr.) must be taken at the Chalet 
 des Gorges by those who wish to visit the curious bridge-galleries 
 which enable them to see the extraordinary gorge called Les 
 Abimes de Fier, marvellous in its effects of light and shadow. 
 Beyond, is an ascent to the Chateau de Montrottier, dating from 
 xiv. c., though for the most part rebuilt xvi. c. 
 
 40 k. Annecy (Hotels: d Angleterre good; de Verdun facing 
 the lake ; de I Aigle ; de Saz'oie), once a very interesting old town, 
 now greatly modernised, though its high-roofed grey buildings, 
 intersected by canals, and its castle on a height, are still very 
 picturesque. 
 
 ( Rousseau dit se rappeler tout cela avec volupte. L'etroite 
 rue sous 1'eglise (fermee alors en impasse) ou logeait Mme. de 
 Warens, entre 1'eveque, les cordeliers et la maitrise ou il apprend 
 la musique, c'est au vrai 1'ancienne Savoie. Derriere la maison, 
 le canal lourd et d'une eau pen limpide. Mais par-dessus il 
 voyait la campagne " un peu de vert." Tons les germes de 
 Rousseau sont la. II y resta longtemps ; mais surtout pendant 
 six mois, it ne fit que les vingt pas qui separaient les deux 
 maisons, celle de ?naman et la Maitrise. Tout lui est reste, dit- 
 il, dans la meme vivacite, la temperature de 1'air, les beaux 
 costumes des pretres, le son des cloches, 1'odeur, odeur bien 
 melee sans donte et des fleurs et des canaux, des drogues 
 pharmaceutiques qui faisait la charmante fernme, et qu'elle le 
 for9ait de gouter. La ce cantique entendu la nuit qui le fit taut 
 songer. La la reveuse promenade qu'il fit un jour de dimanche, 
 pendant qu'elle etait a vepres, pensant a elle, avec elle esperant 
 vivre et mourir.' Michelet. 
 
 It was at Annecy that the Catholic Bishop of Geneva took 
 refuge in 1535, when driven out by the Protestants, though 
 Annecy was not itself raised to an episcopal see till 1822. 
 
312 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 In the Rue Royale (near the Hotel d'Angleterre) is the 
 modern Church of the Visitation, which contains the skeleton of 
 S. Fran9ois de Sales over the high-altar, and that of S. Jeanne 
 Chantal over an altar on the r. S. Franois is said to have made 
 seventy-two thousand converts. His devotional writings are 
 childlike and poetical, yet with the observation and knowledge 
 which a man so skilled in the direction des dmes must attain ; 
 they are also brimming with tenderness. But his sermons are 
 dry dissertations, full of far-fetched allusions. Nevertheless, with 
 S. Vincent de Paul, S. Fra^ois, in a dreary age, used all his 
 energies to give vitality to a withered church, insisting upon 
 mental cultivation and moral reformation as indispensable for the 
 priesthood. With S. Vincent, he founded schools, sent out 
 missionaries, and, above all, gave to the world one of the greatest 
 glories of Catholicism the Sisters of Charity. He died 1622 
 and was canonised in 1665. The Mere Chantal survived till 1641, 
 and was canonised by Clement XIV. in 1769. 
 
 The Cathedral has a romanesque tower, but the interior is 
 
 XVIII. C. 
 
 Opposite the little port is a large round arch with a staircase 
 leading to the church of S. Joseph, and close by, on 1., is the very 
 interesting Mother-Convent of the Visitandines, founded in 1610 
 by S. Jeanne Fran9oise de Chantal (daughter of the President 
 Benigne Fremiot, widow of Christophe de Rabutin, Baron de 
 Chantal, grandmother of Mine, de Sevigne), commonly known 
 as ' La Mere Chantal.' She abandoned her home and family 
 having been left a widow in her twenty-ninth year, and having 
 spent the next ten years in the education of her children 
 in 1610 (stepping over the body of her only son, who had 
 fallen at her feet) to follow the bidding of S. Francois de Sales 
 as to a religious life. Holy and simple in character, the especial 
 object of her writings and teaching v\as ever to inculcate 
 tolerance, and to repress the sin of bearing false witness 
 against a neighbour as prevalent amongst so-called ' religious 
 persons.' At her death she left seventy- five houses of her 
 Order in France and Savoy. 
 
 Visitors are admitted to a charming little succession of 
 gardens, bright with flowers, in one of which a vine, of the 
 time of Mere Chantal, remains embedded in a wall ; and to 
 
LAC UANNECY. 3' 3 
 
 the little chapel with its original door, and its rock-pavement, 
 joining the buildings of the first monastery, to which she 
 was brought by S. Francois. There are still above 100 sisters 
 in this Maison Mere of an educational order, and their school 
 here has a great local celebrity. 
 
 By the Canal de Thioux, on the border of the lake, is the 
 pretty little public garden. 
 
 'En 1865, par un beau mois de septembre, je me trouvai a 
 Annecy, travaillant comme toujours. Mais vers les dix heures, 
 la matinee etait si douce, plus moyen de travailler. Nous 
 allames nous asseoir au lac, sous un fort beau saule, vieux, 
 qui rappelle que le jardin public etait un marecage, en face de 
 1'agreable et marecageux Albigny. Dans une brume legere 
 qui gazait a demi I'horizon, nous regardions la petite ile des 
 cygnes, leurs plumes fugitives qui volaient, nageaient sur 1'eau. 
 Les coteaux simulaient un peu, tout autour, ceux de la Saone. 
 A droite le petit palais qui fut de saint Francois de Sales ; 
 derriere, la ville, les eglises, les convents, la Visitation (ou reva 
 Mme. Guyon). 11 y avait eu des orages, et quelques gouttes de 
 pluie tombaient encore par moments. Un habitant d'Annecy, 
 assis sur le nieme bane nous expliqua que le lac s'infiltre assez 
 loin sous la plaine. II se verse lentement dans un affluent du 
 Rhone. Jadis il etait bien plus lent. Ses eaux paresseuses (tout 
 au contraire de celles des lacs Suisses, qui montent 1'ete) baissent 
 alors sensiblement, laissent ici et la des lagunes, des flaques 
 mortes. II y a, dit-on, peu de fievre, mais quelque chose de 
 doux, de mou qui vous ralentit. Et Tame aussi ne se sent 
 que trop de ces molles douceurs.' Michelet. 
 
 Close to the public garden steamers leave twice daily (at 
 6 a.m. and 3 p.m.), to make the circuit of the Lac d 'Annecy, 
 in three hours. On Sundays there are extra boats at 1 1 a.m. 
 and 2.15 p.m. (ist, 2 frs. 80 c. ; 2nd, I fr. 80 c.) The steamer 
 makes at once for the E. shore. On the hillside is La Tour, 
 the house of Eugene Sue, where he died, August, 1857. At 
 21 min. we reach Veyrier, under the rocky mountain of the 
 same name. Above its last houses, is the mouth of La Grotte 
 des Sarrasins, containing the square stone called La Table 
 aux Fees. 
 
314 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 32 min. Menthon. On a height (i^ k. from the lake), 
 backed by rocky mountains, is the castle built by the seigneurs 
 de Menthon, a Genevese family, dating from the ix. c., who 
 bore the device 'Ante natum Christum, jam baronatus eram ' 
 but the seigneury was really only made a barony in 1486, and 
 a countship early in the xvi. c. The donjon is xin. c. This 
 was the birthplace of S. Bernard de Menthon, founder of the 
 hospices of the Great and Little S. Bernard. His room is now 
 an oratory. The window is shown by which he is said to have 
 escaped being forced into matrimony, and a rock which bears 
 his footprints. Some remains of Roman baths have been found, 
 in a vineyard below the village. The lake is crossed to (46 
 min.) 6*. Jorioz and recrossed to the Roc de Chere, a promontory 
 which conceals half the lake from Annecy. 
 
 At i hr. is Talloires (Hotels: de VAbbayc; Belleviie). 
 
 ' Cette terre promise jouit presque en toute saison d'une 
 temperature aussi douce que celle de Nice ou d'Hyeres. La 
 fraicheur des ombrages, le bleu fonce des eaux, 1'epanouisse- 
 ment precoce des floraisons rappellent les contrees meridionales 
 les plus fortunees.' Eugene Sue. 
 
 Close to the landing-place is the Benedictine Priory of 
 Talloires, founded in ix. c. A single pillar remains of the church 
 built by Ermengarde, wife of Rodolphe III., king of Burgundy, 
 in xi. c. The buildings of the mediaeval priory are defended by 
 xin. c. towers, and were partly restored in xvii. c. Here S. 
 Franfois de Sales is believed to have announced his own death 
 in a vision to the then prior, M. de Coex, who was his intimate 
 friend. The later priory buildings are now used as the Hotel 
 de I'Abbaye, which is very highly commended, and is a delight- 
 ful spot in which to spend a few summer days. In the village 
 is the house in which the famous chemist, Claude Louis, Comte 
 de Berthollet (charged with the selection of the works of art to 
 be transported to France after the Italian campaigns) was born ) 
 Nov. 9, 1798. On a rock above is the little pilgrimage church of 
 the hermit S. Germain. A narrow strait of the lake is crossed 
 to (i hr. II min. from Annecy) Duingt, a modern chateau on a 
 peninsula connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus, 
 occupying the site of a fortified manor-house, of which a circular 
 
LAC & ANNECY. 315 
 
 tower exists. Considerable remains of lake-habitations are visible 
 near this, on the former islet of Roselet, now under water. 
 Behind the chateau, on an eminence, are some small remains 
 of a Carlovingian donjon. This is a pretty, pleasant point for 
 excursions. I k. W. is the Chateau a" Here, of xv. c., restored. 
 On the W. bank is La Maladiere, a small country-house where 
 Custine wrote his Memoires sur la Russie ; then the hamlet 
 of Bredonnaz, for the capture of which by the Spanish troops 
 in 1742, the court of Madrid amused Europe by celebrating a 
 ' Te Deum.' 
 
 i hr. 34 min. Bout du Lac, whence there is an omnibus to 
 (2 k.) Doussard, at the entrance of the Combe Noire, famous 
 for its bears. There are fine views of the mountain of La 
 Tournctte (2,357 met.), which is sometimes ascended from 
 hence. 
 
 The Mont Parmelan (4 hrs. ascent, guide necessary) may 
 be explored from Annecy. 
 
 [A post-road of 34 k. leads from Annecy to Eonneville, passing 
 La Bornalla, a defile of the Fier, and (14 k.) Le Plot, whence a 
 road diverges E. to Thorens, the birthplace of S. Francois de 
 Sales. A chapel marks the site of the room where the saint was 
 born in 1567, in the old castle of the Sales family to the E. of 
 the town, destroyed in 1630. The other chateau (de Thorens), 
 which formerly belonged to the families of Compey and Sacconay, 
 is still inhabited, and has the cross, mitre, breviary, and other 
 relics of the saint. In the church of Thorens, S. Francois was 
 consecrated bishop, Dec. 8, 1602. 
 
 ' Pour lui, il fit voeu de se consacrer tout entier sans aucune 
 reserve au service des ames et de mourir pour elles, s'il etait 
 expedient. " Alors," dit-il, " Dieu m'ota a moi-meme pour me 
 prendre a lui et me donner aux peuples, afin que je ne ve"cusse 
 plus que pour lui et pour eux." ' Vie de S. Francois dc Sales. 
 
 Bernard, Baron de Thorens, youngest brother of S. Francois, 
 was married to the eldest daughter of S. Jeanne Chantal, 
 foundress of the Order of the Visitation, who was a frequent 
 guest here. 
 
316 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 At 26 k., the road to Bonneville passes La Roche, on the 1. bank 
 of the Foron, which retains a xn. c. tower of the earlier castle 
 where the Countess Beatrix sustained a siege in 1 179. La Benite 
 Fontaine, near the town, is a place of pilgrimage. S. Fran 9013 
 de Sales was sent as a student in his sixth year to the college of 
 La Roche, which was only 7 k. from the Chateau de Sales, the 
 residence of his father, M. de Boisy. He was removed two years 
 later (1575) to the college of Annecy.] 
 
 [A line of 54 k. leads from Annecy to Annemasse, where 
 tram-carriages for (7k.) Geneva await the arrival of every train. 
 Annemasse is a station on the line from Bellegarde to Le 
 Bouvaret (see ch. vi.)] 
 
 After leaving Aix, the Chateau de la Serraz (i| hours' 
 drive from Aix), with an old gateway, may be seen on 1. 
 
 597k. Chambery (Hotels: cT Angleterre ; Imperial; 
 Royal ; du Mont Blanc ; de /' Union ; des Alpes ; de la 
 Couronne), the ancient capital of Savoie, is worth lingering 
 an hour or two to visit in summer weather ; in winter it 
 often suffers from the floods of the furious Leysse. The 
 principal feature of the place is the old Chateau, now the 
 governor's residence, which was founded in 1232, but often 
 restored. One great machicolated tower remains of the 
 ancient building. Close by is La Sainte-Chapelle, a gothic 
 building with a renaissance porch. 
 
 The (archiepiscopal) Cathedral, begun in xiv. c. and 
 finished 1430, is in the centre of the town. Its gothic 
 porch is of 1506. R. of the nave is the tomb of the 
 President Favre ; in the r. aisle of choir that of Archbishop 
 Billiet, 1873. The crypt dates at least from XL c. During 
 the Revolution the church was used for the national 
 assembly of the Allobroges. The large fountain in the 
 boulevards bears a statue of General de Boigne (1830), a 
 
CHAMBERY. 
 
 317 
 
 native benefactor. Joseph and Xavier le Maistre, and the 
 historian Lanfrey, were natives of Chambe'ry. 
 
 ' L'trange ville de Chambery, avec ses toits d'ardoise sombre 
 sans reflets, encadres de fer-blanc brillant, comme une exhibition 
 de linceuls noirs sems de larmes d'argent. Les montagnes a 
 forme fantastique qui la dominant, le bruit des torrents qui le 
 
 AT CHAMBERY. 
 
 traversent, ses vieux Edifices, ses ceintures d'arbres seculaires, 
 tout cela s'agitait sur moi comme dans un reve.' George Sand, 
 1 Mademoiselle de Qiiintinie' 
 
 Pretty points for walks in the environs are the Cascades de 
 Jacob (30 min.), following the Lyon road as far as a pyramid 
 
3i8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 in honour of a visit from the king of Sardinia, and then 
 turning 1. The Chapelk S. Saturnin (i hr. 15 min.), by 
 the Aix road to the quarries of Lemene ; then turning r., 
 Le Bout du Monde (i hr.), leaving the Turin road to r. 
 
 ROUTE TO THE GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 
 
 passing the village of Leysse and following the gorge of 
 the Doria. At i hr. 20 min., by carriage, are the mineral 
 springs of Chalks (Hotels : Chateau de Chalks ; de France, 
 etc.). 30 min. from Chambery is Les Charmettes, where 
 Rousseau resided with Mme. de Warens, 
 
LES CHARMETTES. 
 
 319 
 
 ' Entre deux coteaux 6lev6s est un petit vallon N. et S., au 
 fond duquel coule une rigole entre des cailloux et des arbres. Le 
 long de ce vallon, a mi-cote, sont quelques maisons ^parses, fort 
 agreables pour quiconque aime un asile un peu sauvage et 
 retire". ... La maison (des Charmettes) 6tait tres-logeable : au- 
 devant, un jardin en terrasse, une vigne au-dessus, un verger 
 au-dessous ; vis-a-vis, un petit bois de chataigners, une fontaine 
 a portee ; plus haut, dans la montagne, des pres pour 1'entretien 
 du be~tail : enfin tout ce qu'il fallait pour le petit menage 
 champetre que nous voulions y e~tablir. Autant que je puis me 
 rappeler les temps et les dates, nous en primes possession vers 
 la fin de 1'ete de 1736. J'etais transporte le premier jour que 
 nous y couchames.' Rousseau, ' Confessions' 
 
 1 Pour celui qui s'est figure les Charmettes comme un rustique 
 manoir tirant tout son charme des simples et puissants attraits de 
 la nature qui 1'entoure, et tout son lustre de 1'homme qui 1'habita, 
 il n'a point a dedompter, et nulle part mieux que sous ces 
 ombrages il ne rencontrera 1'ombre de Rousseau. Tout y est 
 en accord avec cette simplicite champetre, avec cette heureurse 
 vie des champs que lui-meme a tant aimee et qu'il a su faire 
 aimer aux autres. Toutefois, si le chateau de Ferney, avec ses 
 terrasses, ses vastes allees, ses bassins de marbre, ses riches 
 tentures, ses portraits de reines et de princes, rappelle a merveille 
 le vieillard philosophe, epicurien, courtisan, et gentilhomme, la 
 masure des Charmettes, si solitaire, si agreste, si retiree, rappelle 
 Rousseau, celebre ddja et persecute, qui rebroussait avec un si 
 sincere amour vers 1'obscurite tranquille de ses premiers ans, 
 plutot qu'elle ne reporte au temps meme ou, jeune et inconnu, 
 1'enfant de Geneve y coulait en paix d'oisives journees.' Toepffer. 
 
 [It is from Chamb6ry that most travellers will make the 
 exceedingly interesting excursion to the Grande Chartreuse, 
 which on the S. side is approached from Voiron (see ch. x.) 
 There is a diligence from Chamb6ry to S. Laurent du Pont, 
 within a walk of the monastery. The road passes 
 
 6k. 1. the Cascade de Couz, rather spoilt by a recent fall 
 of rock. 
 
 ' Rien de plus frais et de plus suave que 1'arrangement naturel 
 
320 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 de cette cascatelle. La brisure de rochers d'ou elle s'elance est 
 proportionee a son 6le"vation, et les blocs ou elle disparait un 
 instant, pour s'en echapper en plusieurs courants agites sont jetes 
 la dans un desordre en meme temps hardi et gracieux. II y a 
 des entassements qui forment des arches moussues ou 1'eau 
 tournoie et bouillonne avec des bruits charmants et un mouvement 
 dont la fougue est plutot joie que colere. Partout sur ces beaux 
 rochers mouille"s fleurit cette petite plante rose, Ferine alpestre, 
 qui se tasse et se presse a la pierre, en lutte contre 1'eau, avec la 
 coquetterie des etres delicats d'aspect qui ont 1'organisation 
 forte.' George Sand, ' Mademoiselle de Quintinie! 
 
 From (16 k.) S. Jean de Couz^ the road winds down between 
 rocks and woods to a gallery, whence we descend to 
 
 23 k. Les Echelles. The Grande Chartreuse is visible on the 
 1. in descending to 
 
 29 k. 6*. Laurent du Pont (Hotels: des Princes ; du Nord ; 
 de V Europe). Carriages for the day to (i2k.) the Grande 
 Chartreuse for a family, 5 fr. each person ; for one or two 
 persons, lofr. Mules, 8fr. and 2 fr. pourboire. Guides (quite 
 uncalled-for), 2 fr. and 2 fr. 50 c. All these prices are doubled 
 for those who stay at the monastery above 2 hrs. 
 
 S. Laurent was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1854, but 
 rebuilt, with its church, by the generosity of the Carthusians. 
 To reach the Grande Chartreuse (less than 3 hrs. on foot) one 
 must follow the 1. bank of the torrent Guiers-Mort, which is said 
 to have ceased to flow for a whole year in the xn. c., and to have 
 reappeared after a solemn procession of the monks. Near the 
 liqueur manufactory of Foiirvoirie (forata via), the Guiers falls in 
 a little cascade, and the rock is pierced by the monks to allow 
 the road to pass through the narrow gorge. Formerly there was a 
 gate here, which protected the approach, and was opened by 
 a porter. 
 
 ' Through Alpine meadows soft-suffused 
 
 With rain, where thick the crocus blows. 
 Past the dark forges long disused, 
 
 The mule-track from S. Laurent goes. 
 The bridge is cross'd, and slow we ride, 
 Through forest, up the mountain-side.' 
 
 Matthew Arnold. 
 
ASCENT TO LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 321 
 
 A steep and beautiful ascent leads up the 1. bank of the Guiers, 
 till the stream is crossed by the Pont dc S. Bruno, above which 
 the ruined Pont Per ant is seen. A short distance beyond the 
 bridge we pass the ruins of the Fort cTOeillette, built to defend 
 the defile against the Huguenots. 
 
 ASCENT TO THE GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 
 
 ' Je ne m'attendais pas au majestueux spectacle offert par cette 
 route, ou je ne sais quel pouvoir surhumain se montre a chaque 
 pas. Ces rochers suspend us, ces precipices, ces torrents qui 
 font entendre une voix dans le silence, cette solitude bornee par 
 de hautes montagnes et ne"anmoins sans bornes, cet asile ou de 
 1'homme il ne parvient que sa curiosite sterile, cette sauvage 
 
 21 
 
322 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 horreur temperee par les plus pittoresques creations de la nature, 
 ces sapins mill6naires et ces plantes d'un jour, tout cela rend 
 grave.' Balzac, ' Le Medecin de Campagne? 
 
 Still ascending, and leaving the new Pont de S. Pierre to 
 the r., the road emerges from the forest within view of the 
 Convent. 
 
 LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 
 
 Male visitors are received in the convent and given a sleeping 
 cell for two nights ; a longer visit requires the express permission 
 of the Superior. The convent is shown four times daily, at 8 and 
 10 a.m., and at I and 4 p.m. The dejeuner is at 8.30 ; there are 
 two dinners at 11.30 and at 2 ; and two suppers at 6 and at 8. 
 The price asked for food and rooms is most moderate ; visitors 
 usually purchase some of the medals, photographs, onthe liqueur 
 
LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 323 
 
 of the monks. Ladies are not allowed to enter the monastery 
 and are received in a separate building called the Injirmerie, 
 where two sisters attend to their wants. 
 
 The Grande Chartreuse was the most important of the many 
 institutions of the famous S. Bruno. Born at Cologne, c. 1035, 
 he had taken orders at an early age, and soon became famous as 
 a religious teacher. To avoid the temptations which threatened 
 him with his proposed elevation to the archbishopric of Reims, 
 he embraced monastic life, and fled from the world with six 
 companions Landuin, L*tienne de Bourg, ^tienne de Die, 
 Hugues, Andre, and Guerin to the solitude of the Alps of 
 Dauphine". Here they built their first hermitage of timber, on 
 the site now occupied by the chapel of S. Bruno. A little 
 later, the intercession of S. Hugues, bishop of Grenoble, 
 obtained for them a concession of the surrounding lands, and 
 they erected a church dedicated to the Virgin and S. John 
 Baptist, on the site now occupied by Notre Dame de Casalibus, 
 near which S. Hugues soon afterwards built a monastery for 
 them. S. Bruno, summoned to Italy to assist Pope Urban II. by 
 his councils in 1088, was detained there till his death in 1101, 
 but left rules for the guidance of the Chartreuse with the prior 
 Landuin, who became his successor. In 1133 the monastery of 
 S. Hugues was destroyed by a landslip, and the then abbot, 
 Guignes le Venerable, transferred the convent to its present site. 
 The buildings were reconstructed in the xm. c., and of this time 
 a great part of the cloister remains. The present convent only 
 dates from a rebuilding after a fire in 1676. The monks now 
 possess nothing but the use of the buildings and the surrounding 
 pasturage, but derive from the sale of the liqueurs which they 
 manufacture a large revenue, which they expend on widespread 
 charities to the surrounding district, being the first to help in all 
 times of need. 
 
 Queen Victoria entered the Grande Chartreuse by the ancient 
 rule of the Church, which is still in force, that a bishop 1 or a 
 reigning sovereign may visit any house of cloistered monks and 
 
 1 Pius IX. erased the ancient English sees from the bishoprics of 
 Christendom, 
 
324 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The vast buildings of La Grande Chartreuse are approached 
 by a gateway, which the traveller Abraham Goelnitz, who 
 came here early in the xvn. c., describes as loaded with heads 
 of bears, killed in the neighbouring forests. Crossing a square 
 court, steps lead to a corridor communicating with all the 
 different galleries of the building. On the r. and 1. are the 
 refectory, and the halls (now used for strangers), called de 
 France, d'ltalie, de Bourgogne, d'Allemagne, because they were 
 formerly appropriated to the Carthusian priors of those coun- 
 tries when they came hither to conferences. At the end of the 
 corridor are the library and residence of the Superior of the 
 Order. There are four chapels in the convent. The principal 
 one, in which the services are performed, is lofty, but rigidly 
 plain in its decorations. Visitors are only admitted to a gallery ; 
 many feel a curiosity to attend the midnight service, when there 
 is nothing to see, as the church is almost dark, and nothing to 
 hear but a continuous monotonous chaunt. The service at 7 
 a.m. is more impressive. In the chapter-house, the Superiors 
 of every Carthusian convent in Europe, except England (which 
 appointed a deputy) were obliged to meet every three years 
 and discuss the affairs of the Order. The Superiors of the 
 Grande Chartreuse, though chosen by its monks from their 
 own number, are always Generals of the Order, and many of 
 these are represented on its walls; the chapter-house also 
 contains a statue of S. Bruno and a series of pictures (after 
 Lesueur) of the events of his life. An adjoining room has a 
 curious picture, representing all the cardinals, bishops, and 
 dignitaries, who have sprung from the Order, seated in rows. 
 In one of the minor chapels des Morts with a Death's-head, 
 by Canova, over the entrance, are the bones of the monks 
 overwhelmed in the original convent by an avalanche in 1133. 
 The Chapelle S. Louis, built by Louis XIII., after a three days' 
 visit at the convent, is rich in marbles and silver. The monks 
 are of two kinds. The peres have each a separate set of 
 apartments, almost a little house (cell), and a garden of their 
 own. Their food is passed to them through a wicket, and they 
 never leave their own abodes, except for service. On Sundays 
 and saints' days they dine together without speech (for which 
 especial permission from the Superior is required), a reader 
 
LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 325 
 
 reading all the while from a stone pulpit. On Thursdays they 
 are allowed two hours' conversation, whilst taking a walk 
 (spaciement) within the precincts of the desert. The freres are 
 employed in the work of the house, external and internal. 
 They are divided into freres donnes, who are as yet bound by 
 no vows, and freres convers, who have taken vows. The first 
 wear a brown robe on ordinary days, a white robe on festas ; 
 the second are always dressed like the peres, in white woollen 
 robes, with long beards and shaven heads. Meat is interdicted 
 at the convent (and is not given to strangers). In Lent and 
 every Friday the monks live upon vegetables and oil. The 
 monks rise at 5.30 a.m., and meet in church at 5.45 for prime; 
 at 8 for tierce ; at 10 for sexte ; at 1 1 for the grace following a 
 repast; at 12.15 for none; at 2.45 for vespers; at 6 they say 
 complines in their cells. At 6.30 they go to bed, to get up at 
 ii for matins of the office de la Sainte Vierge in their cells, 
 after which they meet in the church at 11.45 for matins de 
 Voffice and laudes. 
 
 ' Cette retraite ne profite qu'a l'homme et n'est qu'un long 
 suicide ; je ne la condamne pas. Si I'^glise a ouvert ces 
 tombes, elles sont sans doute necessaires a quelques Chretiens 
 tout a fait inutiles au monde.' Balzac, ' Le Medecin de 
 Campagne! 
 
 The monks distil two kinds of liqueur from the aromatic 
 plants of their mountains : one is Elixir, rather of medicinal 
 intention ; the other Chartreuse, of which there are three kinds 
 green, yellow, and white ; the green being the strongest, the 
 white the weakest. Boules d'Acier are a mineral paste, useful 
 for cuts and bruises. 
 
 A mountain path leads N. from the convent to (20 min.) 
 the chapel of Notre Dame de Casalibus (Our Lady of Huts), mark- 
 ing the spot where the Bishop of Grenoble built the first (wooden) 
 monastery of S. Bruno, destroyed fifty years after by an ava- 
 lanche, in which seven monks perished. A little higher is the 
 Chapel of S. Bruno, perched on a huge fragment of rock, where 
 S. Bruno established his first hermitage. The spring, from which 
 
326 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 he drank, still bursts forth below the rock, and supplies the 
 convent. The existing chapel was built by Jacques de Marly in 
 1640. The end wall is that of the primitive oratory, and the 
 
 CHAPEL OF/S. BRUNO, LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 
 
 original altar of grey marble, consecrated by S. Hugues, has been 
 discovered. 
 
 'There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into 
 belief without the help of other argument. I am well persuaded 
 
MONTMELIAN, ALBER?VILL. 327 
 
 S. Bruno was a man of no common genius to choose such a place 
 for his retirement.' Gray's 'Letters.' 
 
 Continuing from the chapel, mountaineers may ascend Le 
 Grand Som (6,740 ft.). 
 
 It is 1 8 k. from S. Laurent to Voiron (see ch. X.). It is seven 
 hours' walk from the convent to the station of 6. Robert (ch. x.) 
 by the Cols-de-la-Cochette and de-la-Charmette. A carriage road 
 (7^- hrs.) leads from the convent to Grenoble by the hamlet of 
 Le Sappey.~] 
 
 After leaving Chambery, the views of the snowy moun- 
 tain peaks are often striking in winter. The principal 
 mountains on r. are Blanchenet, Joigny, the Col de 
 Frene, le Granier, and the chain above the 1. bank of 
 the Isere. 
 
 607 k. Les Marches, on the road from Chambery to 
 Grenoble, which passes (9 k.) fort Barraux^ the principal 
 fortress of France against Piedmont before the annexation 
 of Savoie. 
 
 6 1 1 k. Montmelian, at the foot of a rocky eminence, 
 which once bore a fortress, destroyed by the French in the 
 xviii. c. In the neighbouring village of Arbin are some 
 small Roman remains. 
 
 [For the line from Montmelian to (63k.) Grenoble see 
 ch. x.] 
 
 62 1 k. S. Pierre d*Albigny. The ruined castle of 
 Miolans is seen on the r. of the Isere. 
 
 [A line turns N.E. to (24k.) Albertville (Hotels: Million; 
 des Balances). The town on the r. bank of the Isere was 
 formerly called 1'Hopital ; that on the 1. bank, still known as 
 Conflans, was formerly walled and preserves two of its ancient 
 gates. The Chateau Rouge (xn. c.) was a residence of the 
 
328 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Princes of Savoie. A great number of mountain roads converge 
 at Albertville. 27 k. S.E. is Moiitiers-en-Tarentaisc (Hotel : de 
 la Cotironne), which takes its name from a monastery founded in 
 the v. c. It is the seat of a bishopric, but the cathedral is of 
 little interest. Near Moutiers are the bathing-places of Salins 
 and (6k.) Brides-les-Bains (Hotel: des Thermes), the latter very 
 prettily situated.* Easily visited from hence is the fine scenery 
 of the gorge of the Doron, near Champagny. There are dili- 
 gences from Moutiers to (27k.) Bourg S. Maurice and the Petit 
 S. Bernard by (i5k.) Aime^ the ancient Axuma, where con- 
 siderable Roman remains have been found. A building shown 
 as a temple is, however, an XL c. romanesque church of 6". Martin, 
 constructed with Roman materials. It contains a crypt of the 
 ix. c. and frescoes of xm. c. A subterranean passage connects it 
 with the tower of 5. Sigismond. In the parish church is a 
 curious equestrian statue of S. Martin. The female costume 
 here is very picturesque.] 
 
 625 k. Chamousset. The railway now turns from the 
 valley of the Isere into the wilder and narrower valley of 
 the Arc, by which it enters the Maurienne. 
 
 633 k. Aiguebelle, where is a triumphal arch in honour of 
 Charles Felix. The scenery now becomes wilder. 
 
 ' Les monts de deux cotes se dressent ; leurs flancs deviennent 
 perpendiculaires ; leurs sommets steriles commencent a presenter 
 quelques glaciers : des torrents se precipitent et font grossir 
 1'Arche qui court follement. Au milieu de ce tumulte des eaux, 
 on remarque une cascade legere qui tombe avec une grace infinie 
 sous un rideau de saules.' Chateaubriand, ' Memoires d' Outre 
 Tombe.' 
 
 The rock of Le Chdtel, bearing the ruined tower of 
 Berold-de-Saxe, first Comte de Maurienne, is passed (1.) just 
 before reaching 
 
 666 k. S. Jean-de- Maurienne (Hotels : de r Europe ; des 
 Voyageurs], the ancient capital of the Maurienne, the largest 
 
5. JEAN-DE-MAURIENNE. 329 
 
 and most sterile province of the duchy of Savoie, which 
 retains some towers from its ancient fortifications. Here 
 Montaigne was enraptured with the trout and the ex- 
 cellent wine. The Cathedral of S. Jean is partly xv. c. 
 In the portico are a model and a relief for the intended 
 tomb of Count Humbert, founder of the House of Savoie. 
 The nave is XH. c., with side aisles and chapels added xv. c. 
 In the r. aisle is a remarkable fresco, on the tomb of 
 S. Ayrald de Bourgogne, bishop of Maurienne. In the 1. 
 aisle is the tomb of Oger de Conflans, 1441. The chapel 
 of S. Thecla contains the tombs of the bishops Amede'e de 
 Montmayeur and Savin de Florano. The choir has fine 
 xv. c. stallwork, by Mochet of Geneva. The reliquary of 
 S. Jean Baptiste is said to contain three fingers of the 
 saint, brought hither by S. Thecla, in the beginning of vi. c. 
 The tomb of Bishop de Lambert, of 1591, the carved 
 wooden pulpit, and a rich alabaster ciborium, deserve 
 attention. The crypt is of great antiquity. The cloister, 
 of 1452, has gothic arcades in alabaster. The Chapelle 
 Notre Dame has a porch of xm. c., and apsides attributed 
 to vi. c. 
 
 678 k. S. Michel (Hotels: de la Poste ; de ? Union), a 
 most dreary village at the foot of the first ascent to the 
 Mont Cenis. 
 
 693 k. Modane (custom house, buffet, change of 
 carnages). The old road from hence over the mountains 
 passes (26 k.) Lans-le-Bourg, and (38 k.) the Hospice du 
 Mont Cenis, founded by Louis le Debonnaire. The exist- 
 ing buildings, in which Pius VII. was lodged, : j'are due to 
 Napoleon I. Near the hospice is a little lake, frozen for 
 more than six months of the year, but abounding in 
 
330 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 salmon-trout. The descent into Italy is by the interesting 
 town of Susa. 
 
 Soon after leaving Modane, the railway line passes 
 through the Tunnel des Alpes, which is 12,234 met. in 
 length, though travellers often fail to distinguish it from 
 any other tunnel. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 LYON TO MARSEILLES. THE CENTRAL RAILWAY TO 
 THE SOUTH, BY VIENNE, VALENCE, MONTELIMAR 
 (GRIGNAN), ORANGE (VAISON), AVIGNON (CARPEN- 
 TRAS, VAUCLUSE, CAVAILLON, APT), ARLES (LES 
 BAUX, S. GILLES, LES SAINTES MARIES) AND S. 
 CHAM AS. IN DROME AND VAUCLUSE. 
 
 THE blueness of the shadows, the crumbling brown 
 hills, the dusty plains, the long flat lines of the 
 buildings, the round-tiled and overhanging roofs, and the 
 many-pronged mulberry trees raised for the Lyon silk, 
 now remind us that we are approaching the south. The 
 railway follows the course of the Rhone, which Michelet 
 describes as ' un taureau furieux descendu des Alpes et 
 qui court a la mer.' 
 
 ( Cette vallee du Rhone est de beaucoup la principale voie 
 historique de la France. . . . S'il est vrai, d'une maniere gene- 
 rale, que la civilisation a marche de Test a 1'ouest, en suivant de 
 rivage en rivage le bassin de la M6ditterrane"e, il n'est pas 
 moins vrai que la ligne presque droite formee par le cours du 
 Rhone et de son grand tributaire, la Saone, a forc6 1'histoire, 
 pour ainsi dire, a faire en cet endroit un brusque detour vers 
 le nord afin de gagner par le chemin le plus facile le versant 
 oceanique du continent. Dans la stricte acceptation du mot 
 1'etroite vallee du Rhone est devenue un grand chemin des 
 nations ; Aries, Vienne, Lyon, Chalon, Dijon en sont les etapes. 
 Rlisee Reclus. 
 
332 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 543k. (from Paris) Vienne (Hotels: du Nord ; de la 
 Poste\ on the 1. bank of the Rhone, at the mouth of the 
 Gers, and backed by Mont Salomon, which is crowned by 
 
 GATEWAY LEADING TO THE THEATRE, V1ENKE. 
 
 a ruined castle. It is only from its lovely position that 
 the place still merits the name of Pulchra given to it 
 in ancient times. Turning r. from the station, we soon 
 reach, in the centre of the town, the principal relic of 
 Roman occupation the beautiful corinthian Temple of 
 
VIENNE. 
 
 333 
 
 Augustus and Livia. In the facade there are six fluted 
 columns, and five on each side ; the cella is only adorned 
 with pilasters. Around are some fragments of the ancient 
 forum. From the neighbouring Place de I'Hotel de Ville 
 
 CATHEDRAL OF S. MAURICE, VIENNE. 
 
 (adorned with a statue, 1870, of Ponsard, the dramatic 
 poet born 1814 who was a native of Vienne) the Rue 
 de la Vieille Halle leads to the remains of the Theatre, 
 with a very fine arched gateway. 
 
 The Cathedral of S. Maurice is of XL c. to xvi. c. The 
 rugged, weather-beaten facade is impressive from being 
 
334 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 approached by a broad staircase, and is of rich flam- 
 boyant, flanked by two square towers. The balustrade 
 of the enclosure at the head of the steps is very beautiful. 
 The interior was much injured by the Protestants (1562), 
 and is ruined by modern painting. The first eight pillars 
 and the crypt date from the beginning of the xn. c. On 
 r. of the altar is the tomb of Archbishop de Montmorin. 
 This, the tomb of Oswald de la Tour d'Auvergne, and 
 an altar, are by Michelangelo Slodtz. By the W. door 
 are white marble sarcophagi of S. Leonien of the v. c. 
 and S. Aymard of the xin. c. The cloister has been 
 destroyed. 
 
 S. Andre-le-Bas, once the chapel of the Duke of 
 Burgundy, at the N. end of the town, is of xn. c., with 
 a noble romanesque tower. Its mutilated cloister serves 
 as a courtyard. S. Pierre, at the S. of the town, has a 
 curious xii. c. tower, the arches of the second storey 
 being enclosed in trefoils. The side walls are in reticu- 
 lated work, and many beautiful Roman fragments are built 
 into the material. The lions from the portal are in a 
 neighbouring street. Near S. Andre-le-Haut is a good 
 renaissance portal. Beyond the station is the Boulevard 
 Pyramide, containing the Roman obelisk called L? Aiguille, 
 being the spina of a circus, of which some remains have 
 been found. 
 
 It was to Vienne that Pontius Pilate was banished 
 after his return to Rome from Judaea. The town was 
 the cradle of Western Christianity, and in the v. c. it 
 became the capital of the first kingdom of Burgundy : 
 afterwards it was a residence of the Dauphins. 
 
 On the other side of the river (where a suspension- 
 
GRAND-SERRE. 
 
 335 
 
 bridge connects Vienne with S. Colombe) is the Tour de 
 Mauconseil, built by Philippe de Valois. 
 
 [A road of 67k. leads from Vienne to Romans by (39k.) 
 I /aitterives, on the Galaure. After mounting the course of the 
 stream for 7 k., we reach the mediaeval town of Grand-Serre, 
 
 L AIGUILLE, VIENNE. 
 
 which retains its ancient walls, with their five gates, and a 
 church of xiu. c., with a beautiful side-chapel of xv. c.] 
 
 564k. Le P'eage-de-Roussillon. 2omin. walk distant is 
 the fine renaissance chateau of Roussillon> whence, in 
 1564, Charles IX. issued the decree which made the year 
 begin on Jan. i. 
 
336 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 572k. S. Rambert, whence the line to Grenoble 
 branches off on 1. See ch. x. 
 
 585 k. S. Vallier, at the confluence of the Galaure 
 and Rhone. The restored Chateau de Chabrillan belonged 
 to Diane de Poitiers, and has gardens designed by 
 Le Notre. 
 
 TOURNON FROM TAIN. 
 
 319 k. Tain, opposite Tournon (see ch. ix.), of which 
 there is a picturesque view. Near this are the hills of 
 L?Ermitage> famous for their vineyards, where a single 
 hectare sells for 60,000 fr. The vines of L'Ermitage 
 are said to have been brought from Chiraz by a hermit. 
 
 [There is a road of :8k. from Tain to Romans. At the 
 hamlet of Curson a road diverges from this to 1., and reaches at 
 1 2k. S.Donat, which took its ancient name of Jovinziacum from 
 a temple of Jupiter. So it was called, till Corbus, 2oth bishop 
 
VALENCE. 337 
 
 of Grenoble, flying with his clergy from the Saracens, brought 
 hither the relics of S. Donat, in whose honour he built a church 
 on the site of the pagan temple. The collegiate church is of 
 XI. c., and there are remains of a romanesque chapel and 
 cloister. The chateau of the kings of Burgundy, built x. c. and 
 xi. c., is now the mairie. Guillaume Auguier, the troubadour of 
 the xii. c., was a native of S. Donat. 
 
 A road which turns off r. from Curson descends the valley of 
 the Veaunne and crosses the Isere in front of (5 k.) Chdteauneuf 
 d'lsere, overhung by a hill which bears the ruins of a castle. 
 This was the birthplace of S. Hugues, bishop of Grenoble, who 
 founded the Grande Chartreuse in 1086. Below the castle, near 
 the river, is the Fontaine de S. Hugues, said to be efficacious for 
 weak eyes.] 
 
 6i8k. Valence (Hotels: du Louvre et de la Poste 
 good; de la Croix d'Or ; Armand ; de France), the capital 
 of the Departement de la Drome, situated within 6 k. of the 
 meeting of the Isere and the Rhone, and once the capital 
 of the Comte de Valentinois, which Louis XII. gave to 
 Caesar Borgia in 1498, and of which Diane de Poitiers 
 became duchess in 1518. The romanesque Cathedral of 
 S. Apollinaire dates from 1095, when it was consecrated 
 by Urban II. on his way to preach the crusade at Cler- 
 mont. The porch and tower were rebuilt in 1861 ; the 
 vaulting was renewed in xvn. c. The long narrow 
 romanesque arches round the apse have the effect of 
 Moorish architecture. In the choir are a bust and relief 
 by Canova, in memory of Pius VI., who died at Valence, 
 in the Hotel du Gouvernement, as the prisoner of the 
 French, in 1799. He was buried at Rome, but his heart 
 is here. To the N. of the church stands the curious 
 detached classical sepulchral chapel of the Mistral family, 
 erected in 1548, and called Le Pendentif. It is square 
 
 22 
 
338 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 in form, consisting of four piers, with pillars at the angles 
 and arches between them. 
 
 In La Grande Rue, near the Place des Clercs, 
 behind the cathedral, is a beautiful gothic house La 
 Maison des Tetes, built 1531. It takes its name from 
 the medallion busts in the exquisitely vaulted corridor 
 leading to its inner court. In the Rue de la Peyrollerie, 
 near Le Pendentif, is a fine renaissance portal, with 
 sculptures representing the Judgment of Paris. On 
 the promenade is a statue of General Championnet. 
 Hence, and in all views from Valence, the great feature 
 is the castellated crag of Crussol, on the opposite side of 
 the Rhone. The castle, the finest on the Rhone, is best 
 seen from S. Peray (2k.). It is reached by a suspension 
 bridge, ornamented with an arch in honour of Pius VI. 
 The Church of S. Pierre du Bourg, N. of the town, where 
 S. Apollinaris was buried, has a fine wooden altar-piece. 
 The rocks here begin to have the burnt aspect familiar in 
 Sicily and Greece. 
 
 ' A Valence 
 Le midi commence,' 
 
 is a popular saying. 
 
 Valence, having a tolerable hotel, is a good centre 
 for the excursion to Cruas, Rochemaure and Viviers, and 
 for that to Die. 
 
 [For the line from Valence to Grenoble see ch. x.] 
 The line crosses the river Drome, which gives a 
 name to the department. It was at the Pont de la 
 Drome that the Due d'Angouleme vainly tried to oppose 
 the advance of Napoleon, after his escape from Elba. 
 
CREST. 
 
 339 
 
 635 k. Livron (Buffet), with a ruined castle. Hence 
 the lines to Nismes and Privas diverge r. See ch. ix. 
 
 [A line leads E. from Livron to Die, up the dreary valley of 
 the Drome, a mountain torrent with a vast stony bed, and only 
 
 CATHEDRAL PORCH, DIE. 
 
 a reminiscence of water in summer. When the vines are in leaf 
 they give character to this district, which is hideous during the 
 winter months. The line passes 
 
 1 8k. Crest, with a very fine square mediaeval tower, which 
 has often served as a State prison for Protestants and political 
 offenders. 
 
340 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
 34k. Saillans, a brown village amid dreary brown hills, at the 
 entrance of the colourless gorge of the Drome. 
 
 The ruined castle ofS. Croix is passed on 1. before reaching 
 
 47 k. Pontaix. 
 
 58k. Die (Hotels : 61 Dominique ; des Alpes), an ancient town 
 of the Voconces, which, under the Roman dominion, received 
 the name of Dea Augusta Vocontorum, from being especially 
 dedicated to Cybele. From the in. c. it was the seat of a 
 bishopric : now, ravaged in turn by Protestants and Catholics, it 
 is only a relic of its former self, and standing forlorn on its 
 dismal wind-stricken plateau, would have no interest but for its 
 Roman remains. A Roman arch, embedded in later buildings, 
 forms the gate Porte S. Pierre by which the town is entered 
 from the station. Hence the Rue Ville Neuve leads r. to the 
 former Cathedral, which has a magnificent W. porch, supported 
 by four granite columns, which evidently belonged to a temple, 
 probably of Cybele. A number of other fragments are scattered 
 through the town ; there is a fine capital in the little square near 
 the church. On S. of the cathedral is a good xv. c. house. 
 The E. gate of the town the Porte S. Marcel at the end of 
 the principal street on 1., is a Roman triumphal arch, to which 
 towers have been added in the middle-ages. 
 
 ' La clairette de Die est la piquette de S. Peray mousseux.' 
 Brainel\ 
 
 651 k. Lachamp-Condillac. There is an omnibus to 
 (4k.) Condillac, a mineral bathing-place, with a chateau 
 of xii. c. and xv. c. On the 1. of the line we pass Savasse, 
 with a ruined castle and romanesque church. 
 
 662 k. Montelimar (Hotels : de la Poste best, with a 
 pleasant garden ; des Princes] on the Roubion, the Roman 
 Acusio. In this pleasant neighbourhood Rousseau took 
 walks ' dans le plus beau pays, et sous le plus beau ciel 
 dumonde.' 1 The town takes its present name from the 
 powerful family of Adhemar Montilium Aymari. The 
 
 1 Confessions. 
 
MONTRLIMAR, 341 
 
 ancient walls are gone, but their four gates remain. The 
 Chateau, now a prison, has good romanesque windows in 
 the upper storey, and remains of a romanesque chapel 
 of S. Agatha. On the N. is the xix. c. Tour de 
 Narbonm 
 
 At Montlimar we enter Provence, the dry, sun-burnt 
 
 PORTE S. MARCEL, DIE. 
 
 land of the troubadours. Here the peasants still dance the 
 farandola. The branch which we now constantly see hang- 
 ing out of a house where wine is for sale, recalls the proverb, 
 ' Good wine needs no bush.' On Christmas Day the 
 cottagers will always light three candles, and place, in three 
 little pots, seeds of wheat to sprout, to the growth of which 
 a mysterious interest attaches. On that day also they carry 
 
342 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the branch of a fruit-tree three times round their rooms, 
 and then burn it. 
 
 [There is a diligence from Montelimar to (28 k.) the manufac- 
 turing town of Dieulefit (Hotel : Chauvef), at the foot of a moun- 
 tain called the Dio-Graz, where the torrent Jabron has its source. 
 Excursions may be made to the pilgrimage chapel on the top 
 of Mont S. Maurice \ and to (4 k.) the cave called Baume de S. 
 Jaumes. At Comps, 6k. from Dieulefit, in the gorge of the 
 Jabron, is a curious church (like those at Montmajour and 
 Venasque) its square form supporting a cupola, and having an 
 apse en cul de four on each side.] 
 
 [There is a diligence from Montelimar to Nyons by (27 k.) 
 Taulignan^ a curious old town, with a fortified gateway. An- 
 other road to Nyoris passes Grignan. (At Mayse, i8k. from 
 Montelimar, one may diverge into the forest of Aignebellc, to the 
 valley of Valhonnete, where Othon de Frisigne, Abbot of Mori- 
 mond, built a Cistercian monastery in 1137. It had formerly 400 
 monks, but was almost ruined in the wars of religion, and at the 
 Revolution only two monks remained. In 1846 the ruins were 
 purchased and restored by the Trappists, and the church arid 
 cloister are good specimens of xn. c.)] 
 
 [But the chief excursion to be made from Montelimar, and one 
 which is well worth while, is that to Grignan (24 k., carriage 12 fr.) 
 The place is always picturesque, and will delight an artist ; but its 
 present owner, Mme. Faure, only allows the chateau to be visited 
 on Thursdays, from I to 5, also never on fete and market days. 
 
 The drive is uninteresting till the mountain range has been 
 crossed by a long series of zig-zags. Then the noble pile of 
 Grignan rises grandly against a range of pink and grey hills, with 
 a fainter blue distance of striking outline, beyond a foreground 
 of cork woods, in which the masses of green are embossed upon 
 the pale landscape, as in the pictures of Titian and Poussin. The 
 lavender, thyme, and sweet basil with which the ground is covered 
 will recall the letters of Mme. de Sevigne : 
 
 ' Les perdreaux sont nourris de thyme, de marjolaine, et de 
 tout ce qui fait le parfum de nos sachets ; j'en dis autant de nos 
 cailles grasses, et des tourterelles, toutes parfaites aussi. 
 
GRIGNAN. 
 
 343 
 
 ' H6las ! nous avons cent fois plus froid ici qu'a Paris. Nous 
 sommes exposes a tons les vents. C'est le vent du midi, c'est la 
 bise, c'est le diable. Nous ne respirons que de la neige. Nos 
 montagnes sont charmantes dans leur exces d'horreur. Je souhaite 
 tous les jours un peintre pour bien representer 1'etendue de toutes 
 ces 6pouvantables beaut6s.' Mme. de Semgne. 
 
 There is a clean, humble little inn (Hotel : des Bans Enfants) 
 at Grignan, quite possible for an artist who does not mind rough- 
 ing it considerably. The rugged street of the little town leads 
 
 up to the (restored) gate \ of the castle. Its associations chiefly 
 centre around the time when, in 1669, the Comte de Grignan, of 
 the family of Adhemar de Monteuil, married the only and idolised 
 daughter of Mme. de Sevign6. He had two wives before : ' II 
 en change comme de carrosse,' said Bussy Rabutin. Mme. 
 de Sevigne was frequently with her daughter at Grignan, and 
 died here of the small-pox, April 17, 1676, aged 71, neither son 
 nor daughter being with her at the time. The family of Adhemar 
 having become extinct, the chateau was sold in the middle of the 
 xviii. c. to that of De Muy, whence it was resold to that of Faure. 
 When the castle gates are opened, we are admitted to a 
 delightful little terraced garden, in front of the grand renaissance 
 
344 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 facade of the ' chateau vraiment royale,' as Mme. de Sevigne 
 calls it, entirely gutted and the inside burnt at the Revolution, 
 but, as far as it remains, retaining all its ornaments in their first 
 freshness. The magnificent vases are also uninjured. A tiny 
 garden niched into a lower terrace of the rock, was that especially 
 
 GATE OF GRIGNAN. 
 
 appropriated to Mme. de Sevigne. The terrace, an immense 
 balustraded stone platform, beneath which (as in the Chateau de 
 Biron) is the parish church, is the grandest in France, and can be 
 reached by carriages. The Castle of Chassenay is the chief 
 feature in the wide view : Valreas is concealed by the hills. 
 Nothing but the walls remains of the chapel. A beautiful Tuscan 
 portal at the foot of one of the E. towers leads to the E. fa9ade, 
 
GRIGNAN. 345 
 
 called fa fade des Prelats, built by Mansart. Here, in the great 
 hall called Salle du Rot, we still see a splendid chimney-piece 
 decorated with the arms and motto of Adhemar. Hence we 
 reach the chamber of Mme. de Sevigne, in which she died; a very 
 large room, of which the richly wrought chimney-piece, by Puget, 
 remains in the ruins. On the N. were the kitchen and offices. A 
 xvi. c. gallery, in the W. faade, was formerly filled with full-length 
 portraits of the house of Adhemar. 
 
 ' Tout, dans cette splendide demeure etait fait pour nourrir 
 1'orgueil du maitre et lui donner une grande idee de lui-meme. 
 Tout semblait lui faire un devoir de soutenir son rang et de n'etre 
 pas au-dessous de la magnificence de ses a'ieux. II fallait, pour 
 peupler ses grandes salles et animer cet immense chateau, que la 
 compagnie y fut toujours nombreuse et brillante. Les maitres 
 et leur famille, avec leurs parents et leurs amis les plus intimes, 
 les officiers, les gentilhommes, les pages attache's a la personne 
 du gouverneur formaient deja une societe considerable, c'etaient 
 quatre-vingts ou cent personnes etablies a demeure, et qui ne 
 quittaient le chateau. Joignez-y les invites qui viennent de toute 
 la province ou des provinces voisines, et qui re9oivent une 
 hospitalite fastueuse. Les amis ou les simples connaissances sont 
 logis dans le chateau avec leurs gens ou leurs equipages. C'est 
 une auberge qui nedesemplitjamais. II faut dresser trois tables 
 dans la grande galerie, et elles sont toujours pleines : voila ce 
 que Mme. de Sevigne appelle la cruelle et continuelle chere de 
 Grignan, a laquelle aucune fortune ne pourrait resister. Apres 
 avoir nourri cette foule, il faut 1'amuser ; on lui offre toute sorte 
 de distractions, meme 1'opera, et Ton met un certain orgueil de faire 
 entendre les airs les plus recents de Lulli. Surtout on leur 
 donne a jouer ; le jeu fut un des fleaux de cette societe de grands 
 seigneurs desoeuvre"s.' Gaston Boissier, ' Mme. de Sevigne' 
 
 This royal abode was well suited to the haughty character of 
 Mme. de Grignan, whom Bussy described as ' cette femme de 
 1'esprit, mais d'un esprit aigre, d'une gloire insupportable.' 
 ' Madame, elle ne daignera pas regarder les pauvres femmes de 
 Provence/ said her husband in confidence to Mme. de Sevigne, 
 when taking her home. Unfortunately, the letters which she is 
 
346 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 known to have written twice a week from hence to her mother, 
 when absent from her, have been destroyed. 
 
 Along one side of the garden, at the entrance, are the only 
 rooms which are still habitable. Here is a small library, in which 
 some of the old books of the Adhemars have been collected, and 
 where portraits are shown of five illustrious generations Mme. 
 de Chantal, Mme. de Coulanges, Mme. de Sevigne (attributed to 
 Mignard), Mme. de Grignan, and Mme. de Simiane (Pauline, 
 second daughter of Mme. de Grignan) 1 , by Largillieres. Here 
 are also preserved the hangings of the bed of Mme. de Sevigne, 
 said to have been presented to her by Louis XIV. 
 
 We must descend the stony path at the back of the chateau 
 to visit the collegiate xvi. c. Chiirch of S. Sauveur, which is be- 
 neath the great terrace. Its W. front has a beautiful rose-window. 
 The Adhemar, Comtes de Grignan, repose beneath the altar. A 
 small stone in the pavement of the chancel is inscribed, ' Cy git 
 Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Marquise de Sevigne, decedee le 18 
 Avril, 1696.' The grave was violated in 1793. 
 
 The Chapel of the Hospice de S. Rock, in the town, has a good 
 picture of the Angels at the Sepulchre, by Ann. Caracci, taken 
 from the chapel of the chateau. In the Hotel de Ville may be 
 seen the marriage register of the Marquis de Simiane with Pauline 
 de Grignan, signed by her grandmother, Mme. de Sevigne, of 
 whom there is a statue in the little square. An old gateway 
 remains, surmounted by the Tour de VHorloge. 
 
 A most attractive spot, I k. S.W. of the town, is the Grottc dc 
 Roche courbiere caverned in the yellow rock and overhung by old 
 cork-trees whence Mme. de Sevigne dated several of her letters. 
 The water of its little fountain has the happy reputation of 
 rendering lovers faithful.] 
 
 [The road from Grignan to Nyons passes 
 
 35k. (from Montelimar) Valreas, a place dating from ix. c., 
 with walls and towers of xv. c. In the centre of the town are 
 the Toitr de IHorloge, the ruined Chateau Robert, and the parish 
 church, of which the nave and apse are xn. c., the fa$ade of the 
 end of XIIL c. The S. portal has very curious sculptures, which 
 apparently belonged to a more ancient building. The rich vest- 
 1 The eldest daughter, Marie Blanche, took the veil at Aubenas, at fifteen. 
 
NYONS. 347 
 
 ments and plate of the church were given by Cardinal Maury, 
 Archbishop of Paris, whose father is buried near the W. door. 
 The Hdtel de Ville was the old palace of Louis, Marquis de 
 Simiane, who married Pauline de Grignan. 
 
 49k. Nyons (Hotels: du Louvre ; des Voyageurs), on the r. 
 bank of the Aygues, is mentioned by Ptolemy as Ne"omagus. It 
 is situated at the entrance of a defile, whence the cold wind, 
 known as Pontias, always blows at night. Before the terrible 
 winter of 1829, the place was enriched by its olives : the vine- 
 yards, which have replaced them, have been partially destroyed 
 by the phylloxera. The outer walls are mostly destroyed, but 
 there are still some traces of those which once separated the 
 three divisions of the town, called Forts, Halles, and Bourgs. 
 The bridge, of a single arch, is of xiv. c. ; it rests, on S.E., 
 upon the Rocher de Guard, which is crowned by the ruins of 
 a citadel, demolished by order of Louis XIII. Its great tower, 
 Tour de Randanne, was turned into a gothic chapel in 1863, 
 and a statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours erected on its 
 summit, with very odd effect. The repulse of the troops of the 
 Due de Savoie, in 1692, by Philis de la Tour du Pin, the heroine 
 of Nyons, is celebrated in local story. 
 
 The road from Nyons to (43 k.) Carpentras (diligence) passes 
 (at 26 k.) Malaucene, picturesquely situated at the foot of Mont 
 Ventoux. Near this is the curious Chapelle du Groseau, remnant 
 of a monastery founded 684, ruined by the Saracens, and rebuilt 
 xi. c., from the ruins of a palace which Clement V. had erected 
 beside it. Close by are the picturesque Source du Groseau, and 
 remains of an aqueduct.] 
 
 Leaving Montelimar, the railway crosses the Roubion. 
 Allan, on 1., is said to be the place where the first mulberry 
 trees were planted in France. The old cathedral of Viviers 
 (ch. ix.) is seen crowning a rock on the further bank of 
 the Rhone. 
 
 67 1 k. Chateauneuf-du-Rhdne, on the site of a town 
 destroyed by the Saracens. Its ruins are still visible 
 between the river and the village, which has a fortified gate 
 
348 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
 called de Donzere, and a house with curious sculptures. In 
 the rocks on 1. of the line is seen the cave called Baume 
 des Anges. 
 
 676 k. Donztre, said to be the Ae'ria of Strabo, a town 
 of the middle-ages, surrounding the ruins of a castle. 
 S. Lambert, Abbot of Fontenelle, founded an abbey here in 
 678, which was destroyed by the Saracens and rebuilt by 
 Louis le Debonnaire in 736. Only its church remains, 
 with a xii. c. nave, a cupola at the cross, and a romanesque 
 tower, which is crowned by a hexagonal spire. 2gk. 
 distant is the Chateau de Belle-Eau, at one time the resi- 
 dence of Archbishop Sibour. 
 
 683 k. Pierrelatte, named from a strange rock (petra- 
 lata) which here rises abruptly from the plain, and which is 
 supposed to have been brought hither by a giant, and once 
 crowned by a castle. 
 
 5 k. N.E. is the village La Garde-Adhemar, which has a very 
 curious romanesque church. It has apses both on E. and W., 
 which is very unusual in France, aisles vaulted in a quarter of 
 a circle,' and a tower surrounded by two tiers of arches, and 
 crowned by a stone spire. 2 k. E. of La Garde is the ruined 
 chapel of Le Val des Nymphes of xti. c. 
 
 ' Divisee au trois travees a une seule nef et une seule abside, 
 elle presente un choeur dont la voute en coquille est effondree 
 aux deux tiers, mais orne d'un double rang d'arcatures ou 
 arcades-fenetres soutenues en bas par des pilastres rudentes, et 
 en haut par des colonnes corinthiennes.' Lacroix. 
 
 Between La Garde and the Val des Nymphes are some 
 remains of the Roman Tour Magne. 
 
 [Omnibuses meet every train at Pierrelatte and (for 20 c.) take 
 travellers across the plain to 6". Paul Trois Chateaux, an excursion 
 chiefly worth while to ecclesiologists. 
 
5. PAUL TROIS CHATEAUX. 349 
 
 S. Paul, the Roman colony of Augusta Tricastinorum, long 
 continued to retain some importance from its bishopric, supposed 
 to have been founded by the man born blind who was healed by 
 the Saviour, and to have then taken the name of Restitutus. He is 
 said to have arrived in Provence as a missionary, with Lazarus, 
 Martha, and Mary Magdalen. The town derived its name of 
 S. Paul from one of his successors, its bishop in iv. c. Devas- 
 tated by Vandals and Saracens in ancient, and Protestants and 
 Catholics in later times, S. Paul is now only a nest of narrow 
 rugged streets, retaining their old walls and gates. The Roman 
 remains are limited to some vestiges supposed to belong to an 
 amphitheatre, and some columns against a wall. The former 
 Cathedral, of XL c. and xn. c., has a beautiful romanesque W. 
 portal. Its apse is adorned by eight fluted columns. The nave, 
 with a barrel roof, and its aisles, are of immense height. Under 
 the last bays of the dark triforium, is a frieze of great magnificence. 
 The pilasters which support the arches of the second and third 
 bays are surmounted by twisted columns. There are some remains 
 of frescoes on the walls, and of rude carvings behind the pulpit. 
 
 Following the straight road from the further gate of the town, 
 and then turning r., we reach, 2^k., the rock-built village of 
 6*. Restitut. The xn. c. church is exceedingly curious. Its porch 
 recalls that of the cathedral of Avignon, but is richer and shallower. 
 The interior is much like that of S. Paul, with the same twisted 
 columns on the pilasters. Its W. bay, which has the appearance 
 of a tower externally, is surmounted by a cupola, and is of two 
 storeys. In the lower storey is the much venerated tomb of 
 S. Restitut. 
 
 Behind the church is a good renaissance house, and there are 
 several xv. c. houses in the village.] 
 
 691 k. Lapalud, has a xm. c. church. 
 
 695 k. Bollene-la-Croisiere. 4 k. E. (omnibus diligence to 
 Nyons) is Bollene, on the site of a station on the Roman 
 way of Agrippa, of which a remaining fragment is known as 
 lou camin ferra (the iron way), or la levado. The xv. c. 
 chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Aventure is passed before 
 
350 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 reaching Bollene, which is a well-preserved town of the 
 middle-ages, retaining part of its xiv. c. walls and its wind- 
 ing streets. It formerly contained the Priory of S. Martin, 
 of which the church only preserves its original companile 
 and part of the apse. La Tour, which has a xv. c. tourelle, 
 is partly Roman, as well as the Mai son Cardinale. On an 
 isolated hillock are the Chapelle S. Blaize de Bauzon (xi. c.) 
 and some fragments of the Chateaii de Bauzon. At Barri 
 (5 k. N.) was one of the three towers which defended the 
 country of the Tircastins, and a Gallo-Roman castellum. 
 
 [The road from Bollene to (7k.) Suze-la-Rousse leaves to 1. 
 Bouchet, with an ancient abbey. In the church is a statue of 
 Bertrand de Garrigues, recently beatified. Suze-la-Roussc is a 
 curious mediaeval town, on the r. bank of the Lez. The chateau, 
 built xvi. c. by the Comte de la Baume, and blown up in xvn. c., 
 has been restored by M. des Isnards, and has a very stately 
 aspect. On the terrace in front of it, Comte Frai^ois de la 
 Baume-Suze is said to have engaged in single combat with the 
 terrible Baron des Adrets, and to have disarmed him. The four 
 sides of the court are richly sculptured, and the staircase is 
 magnificent. The famous Catholic commander, Comte de Suze, 
 was born in the castle, whither Charles IX. and Catherine de 
 Medicis came, to act in person as sponsors to one of his 
 daughters. 
 
 We may also observe at Suze the renaissance Presbytcre 
 and the old church of 5. Torquat. In the neighbourhood are the 
 Chapelle de S. Michel and the ruined Chateau de I'Estagnol, 
 attributed to the Templars. From its ruins, says local tradition, 
 a golden goat emerges every night to drink at the Lez. If any- 
 one makes their fortune in the country side, people say of him 
 ' a trouva la cabri ' he has met the goat. 
 
 7k. N.N.E. is a hill crowned by Baume- de-Transit (omnibus 
 from Bollene station), with a remarkable romanesque church of 
 four apses, like those of Montmajour and Comps, but here one 
 of the apses was destroyed in xvn. c. to make way for a little 
 nave. The central vault is only xv. c. There are the ruins here 
 
MORNAS, ORANGE. 351 
 
 of a chateau which belonged in turn to the Sire de Bernes, be- 
 headed for treason under Louis XL, to the Sire de Pierrelatte, 
 and to the father of Diane de Poitiers. The bridge over the Lez 
 is said to have been built by Diane.] 
 
 704k. Mornas: the castle, founded x. c., was dismantled 
 in the Wars of Religion. Amongst the ruins is a roman- 
 esque chapel, with a crypt. The village church is partly 
 xn. c. This is the native place of Albert de Luynes, who 
 excited the young Louis XIII. to throw off the yoke of Marie 
 de Medicis and Concini, and afterwards himself governed 
 despotically in the king's name. At Mornas was one of 
 the toll-barriers of the Rhone, of bloody reputation during 
 the religious wars, when the papal toll-gatherers at Avignon 
 used to see two Protestant corpses pass, lashed on the same 
 plank, with the inscription : ' O voi d'Avignone, lasciate 
 passare questi mercanti, perche han pagato il dazio a Mornas.' 
 
 707 k. Piolenc, an ancient town, of which the Cluniac 
 prieure chateau is still inhabited by a religious Order. 
 
 7i4k. Orange (Hotels: de la Paste: du Commerce), the 
 ancient capital of the Cavares, which probably owed its 
 name of Arausio to its position on the Arais. The town 
 was much injured by the Visigoths, and afterwards by the 
 Saracens, from whom it was retaken by Charlemagne and 
 made a countship. In the xm. c. it became the capital of 
 a principality, and a university was established here. In 
 1622, Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, completed the 
 destruction of most of the antiquities to use their materials 
 in rendering Orange one of the strongest fortresses in 
 Europe; but Louis XIV., who had no patience with the 
 existence of a little independent principality in the middle 
 of his dominions, besieged and took it and ordered the 
 
352 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 destruction of its fortifications in 1660, and in 1673 of its 
 chateau. Orange, however, was only definitely incorporated 
 with France by the treaty of Utrecht, 1713. 
 
 On the Lyon road, to the N. of the town, is the Arc de 
 Triomphe, Its entire inscription is no longer legible, but 
 
 enough remains to make some imagine that it was erected 
 in honour of Tiberius, after his victory over the Gaulish 
 chieftain Sacrovir, A.D. 21. Merimee, however, considers 
 that, like other Provencal arches, it was in honour of the 
 victories gained by Marcus Aurelius in Germany. In the 
 middle-ages, Raymond de Baux made the arch into a 
 fortress, and it became incorporated into the residence of 
 
ORANGE. 
 
 353 
 
 the Princes of Orange, many of whose deeds are dated 
 ' du Chateau de I' Arc.' 
 
 ' Les trophees maritimes (ou plutot fluviatiles, car ils rap- 
 pellent probablement des combats sur le Danube), sont un chef- 
 d'oeuvre de composition. Les eperons de navire, les mats, les 
 antennas, les cordages sont entasses, avec une apparence de 
 desordre, mais en realite de maniere a produire I'effet le plus 
 pittoresque.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 ARCH OF AUGUSTUS, ORANGE. 
 
 At the other end of the town the remains of the Roman 
 Theatre rise like a fortress above the houses, its orange 
 colour contrasting well with the blue sky. What we see is 
 the fagade forming the outer wall of the scena. It was 
 spared by the Visigoths, and even by the Princes of 
 Orange, who used it as a sort of advanced bastion to their 
 castle on the height, to which it is attached. One may still 
 see a sort of sentry-box built on the summit of the scena 
 wall. Internally, the theatre was decorated with three ranges 
 
 23 
 
354 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of columns of marble or granite, one above the other. The 
 fagade is most simple. Three doors symmetrically disposed 
 were used for the service of the building, and perhaps to 
 admit part of the spectators. Above is an arcade surmounted 
 by a cornice and a line of corbels. A second line of 
 corbels nearer the summit is separated from the first by a 
 gutter for carrying off the rain from the top, and the wall is 
 crowned by a bold cornice. The six last corbels at each 
 end of the upper line are pierced with holes, destined doubt- 
 less to receive the poles to which the canvas coverings of the 
 scena were attached, but they were not used to the end, as 
 it is apparent that the stage was covered by a sloping roof; 
 the holes made to receive its supporting beams still remain. 
 The whole building, but especially the upper part of the 
 scena, bears evidence of its destruction by fire, for which 
 this roof furnished admirable material. The steps on the 
 side of the hill are, in a great measure, destroyed. A 
 portico, which still partially exists, connected the theatre 
 with a hippodrome, which may still be traced. As Addison 
 says, the remains of this Roman theatre are worth the whole 
 principality of Orange. 
 
 The former cathedral of Notre Daine was originally built 
 by Liberius, prefect of the Gauls. It was ruined by the 
 Barbarians, and rebuilt early in xn. c., but it was much 
 injured by the Protestants, who demolished the vaulting and 
 cloister. On the Place de 1'Hotel de Ville is a statue by 
 Dulocle, 1846, of Raimbaud II., Comte d'Orange. On the 
 Cours S. Martin is a statue of Comte de Gasparin, 1864. 
 
 [An excursion of 6 k. may be made to Caderoussc, where there 
 is a chateau of the Dues de Grammont, visited by Francois I., 
 Charles IX., and Henri III.] 
 
VAISON.. 355 
 
 [There is a diligence to Valr6as. (The road leaves 1. a bye- 
 road to Suze-la-Rousse, which passes near the ruined castle and 
 xn. c. church oiCastelas, and [12 k.] a ruined tower and the xvm.c. 
 chateau of Rochegude.} The main road passes (8 k.) Serignan, 
 where, in 1563, the Huguenots brutally massacred the population 
 in the church, and afterwards the garrison of the chateau, which 
 had belonged to Diane de Poitiers, and of which only a single 
 tower remains. At i k. is the XL c. Chapelle S. Marcel. Passing 
 (24k.) Tulette, where there was a Cluniac priory, and (29k.) 
 Visan, where there is a fine work of Mignard in the church, we 
 reach (37 k.) Valreas. See p. 346.] 
 
 [Artists and archeologists will find it well worth while to 
 make the excursion from Orange to Vaison. Carriage, for the 
 day, 1 5 fr. A railway under discussion. 
 
 The road passes under the walls of (7 k.) Camaret, then 
 crosses the wide plain called Plan-de-Dieu, with the picturesque 
 jagged mountains of the Pont de Vcnise (so called from the 
 curious chasm to the W. of the chain), and Mont Ventoux on 
 r., till it reaches the pretty valley of the Ouveze. 
 
 26 k. Vaison (Hotel : de Commerce a tolerable country inn), 
 the ancient Vasio, is said to have been founded by the Greeks. 
 It was one of the two capitals of the Voconces at the time 
 of the invasion of the Romans, under whom it became one 
 of the richest cities of the Narbonnaise. From the in. c. it 
 was a bishopric, but its bishops were obliged to abandon it in 
 the xn. c., when Raymond VI. (1195) built the fortress, and the 
 Gallo-Roman town gave place to a new city, protected on one 
 side by precipices, on the other by the Ouveze. S. Rusticus 
 was born at Vaison in 555. The only monument of Belus which 
 exists in France was discovered at Vaison : it is now in the 
 museum of S. Germain. 
 
 As we reach the site of the Gallo-Roman city on the 
 r. bank of the Ouveze, we pass on the 1. the ancient 
 Cathedral. It is a three-aisled basilica, ending in three apses, 
 of which the central is enclosed in a square mass of masonry. 
 It probably dates from the beginnning of the x. c. On the r. 
 of the choir is the square tower, with round-headed windows. 
 The W. fa9ade is merely a plain wall with romanesque 
 
356 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 windows. The altar, brought from S. Quirin, is a white 
 marble table, adorned with Byzantine foliage, and sustained by 
 two composite columns. The font is an ancient altar. In the 
 central apse is the former throne of the bishop, of marble, 
 approached by three steps, the back exceedingly low. On r. 
 of the church is the exceedingly beautiful restored Cloister, 
 partly xi. c., used as a lapidary museum. On the N. wall is 
 an inscription translated as urging the canons to bear with 
 
 patience the N. aspect of their cells. 1 The bishopric was sup- 
 pressed in 1790. 
 
 Behind the cathedral, crossing a road and some fields, is the 
 Chapel of S. Quirin (Sanctus Quirinus), a nave, with scarcely 
 perceptible transepts, and an apse triangular externally and 
 circular within. The history of the church written by Anselme 
 Boyer assigns its date to vi. c., or beginning of vn. c. Lenormant 
 attributes at least the exterior of the apse to vm. c., but 
 all authorities agree that the exterior at least must be earlier 
 than the XL c., though the interior may be a restoration of 
 xii. c., when bishop Suares engraved the distich 
 
 1 See Prosper Merimee. 
 
VAISON. 357 
 
 ' Sancto Quiridio reparo venerabile templum, 
 Ut mihi coelestem praeparet ipse thronum.' 
 
 Further, in the same direction, reached by a bye-road between 
 gardens, against the N. side of the little hill Puymin, are the 
 remains of a small Roman Theatre, where the statue of an 
 athlete, now in the British Museum, was found. Beyond are 
 two arches, of huge masonry. To the 1. are some remains 
 
 BRIDGE OF VAISON. 
 
 of a Roman road, and the whole plain is littered with bricks, 
 marble, and pottery. The modem town also is built with 
 ancient materials. 
 
 Passing through the town on the r. bank, we find the ravine 
 of the Ouveze crossed at its narrowest point by a Roman Bridge 
 of a single arch, connecting the original with the later city. An 
 artist may find many admirable subjects at Vaison, where the 
 castle on its overhanging rock recalls the backgrounds of many 
 early Italian pictures. 
 
358 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 A road leads from Vaison to (83k.) Serres (see ch. x.) by 
 (36 k.) Mollans, which retains its old walls and is built on a 
 precipitous rock in the picturesque gorge of the Ouveze. Its 
 two chateaux were ruined under Louis XIII.] 
 
 722 k 
 
 XIV. C 
 
 :. Courthhon, with ramparts, towers, and gates of 
 
 RAVINE OF VAISON. 
 
 728 k. Bedarrides. 6 k. W. is the ruined chateau of 
 Chateauneuf-Cakernier, a residence of the Avignon popes. 
 
 732 k. Sorgues, where Urban V. built a palace, burnt 
 by the Baron des Adrets. Here the line to Carpentras 
 (see later) branches off. 
 
 742 k. Avignon (Hotels : de r Europe very good, but 
 beware of damp beds; de Louvre; S. Yves). Avignon, 
 now the capital of the Departement de Vaucluse, was one 
 of, the principal cities of the Cavares at the time of the 
 
AVIGNON. 359 
 
 Roman invasion. After the fall of the empire, Avenio 
 belonged successively to Burgundians, Franks, and Visi- 
 goths. Twice taken by the Saracens, and twice delivered 
 by Charles Martel, it submitted to the Carlovingians and 
 became part of the kingdom of Aries and one of the 
 principal towns of the marquisate of Provence. In the 
 xn. c. it set up an independent commune, electing its 
 own consuls, and surrounded itself with new walls and 
 gates. Declaring for the Albigenses, it was taken by 
 
 Louis VIII. in 1226, though, in 1251, it fell again under 
 the counts of Provence. 
 
 In 1305 Clement V. (Bertrand de Got) transferred the 
 seat of the Holy See from Rome to Avignon, which Joanna, 
 Queen of Naples and Provence, sold to Clement VI., nomin- 
 ally for 80,000 florins of gold (which were never paid), as 
 the price of a dispensation enabling her to marry Louis de 
 Taranto. Seven popes and two anti-popes succeeded at 
 Avignon during ' the second captivity of Babylon,' when, 
 in the words of Petrarch, s the popes kept the Church of Jesus 
 Christ in a shameful exile,' viz., Clement V. (1305-14); 
 
360 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 John XXII. (1316-34) ; Benedict XII. (1334-42) ; Clement 
 VI. (1342-52); Innocent VI. (1352-62); Urban V. (1362-70); 
 Gregory XI. (1371-78); and the anti-popes, Clement VII. 
 (Robert of Geneva, 1378-94), and Benedict XIII. (Peter 
 de Luna, 1394 1411). After the return of the popes to 
 Rome, they continued to rule by a legate, then a vice- 
 legate, at Avignon, till it was reunited to France, Sept. 14, 
 1791. 
 
 ' Qui n'a pas vu Avignon du temps des papes n'a rien vu. 
 Pour la gaiete, la vie, 1'animation, le train des fetes, jamais une 
 ville pareille. C'etait du matin au soir des processions, des 
 pelerinages, des rues jonche"es de fleurs, tapissees de hautes 
 lisses, des arrivages de cardinaux par le Rhone, bannieres au 
 vent, galeres pavoisees, les soldats du pape qui chantaient du 
 Latin sur les places, les crecelles des freres queteurs; puis, 
 du haut en bas, des maisons qui se pressaient en bourdonnant 
 autour du grand palais papal comme des abeilles autour de 
 leur ruche ; c'etait encore le tic-tac des metiers a dentelles, 
 le va-et-vient des navettes tissant d'or des chasubles, les petits 
 marteaux des ciseleurs de burettes, les tables d'harmonie qu'on 
 ajustait chez les luthiers, les cantiques des ourdisseuses ; par 
 la-dessus le bruit des cloches, et toujours quelques tambourins 
 qu'on entendait ronfler la-bas, du cote du pont. Car chez nous, 
 quand le peuple est content, il faut qu'il danse, il faut qu'il danse, 
 et domme en ce temps-la les rues de la ville etaient trop-etroites 
 pour la farandole, fifres et tambourins se portaient sur le pont 
 d' Avignon, au vent frais du Rhone, et jour et nuit Ton y 
 dansait, Ton y dansait. ... Ah 1'heureux temps ! 1'heureuse 
 ville ! Des hallebardes qui ne coupaie.nt pas ; des prisons ou 
 Ton mettait le vin a refralchir ! Jamais de disette ; jamais de 
 guerre ! ' Alpkonse Datidet, ( Lettres de mon moulin.' 
 
 On Feb. 19, 1797, by the treaty of Tolentino, the pope 
 renounced all rights over Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin 
 in favour of the French Republic. Jourdan, who was then 
 
AVIGNON. 361 
 
 at the head of the revolutionary party at Avignon, made 
 short work of those who opposed the reunion, arresting 
 them, allowing the whole of them to be massacred in 
 prison, throwing them dead or half-dead into the tower 
 called La Glaciere, and pouring quick-lime upon them 
 to stifle the cries of the survivors. 
 
 Scarcely anything remains of the ancient Avenio, 
 except a few stones built into the walls and some 
 mosaics in the Museum. The remains of the rule of 
 the popes are magnificent. At Avignon the traveller will 
 first feel himself in the south : its crenellated walls and 
 machicolated towers rise from a country covered with 
 olives, though laden with white dust and swept by a 
 bitter mistral. This wind, the scourge of the country, 
 is supposed to keep the town healthy. An old distich 
 says : 
 
 ' Avenio ventosa, 
 Cum vento fastidiosa, 
 Sine vento venenosa.' 
 
 As in Spain, the shops are closed by a curtain, on which 
 floats the name of the proprietor. Men, brown and 
 tanned, walk with their jackets slung over their shoulders. 
 In summer, numbers of the people sleep in the streets, 
 the dwelling open to all the world. 
 
 The Hotel de 1'Europe is situated in the Place Crillon, 
 close to the Port, which was of great importance before 
 the construction of the railway, and in front of what 
 was the Hotel du Palais Royal, where the unfortunate 
 Marshal Brune was murdered by the royalists (Aug. 2, 
 1815) and afterwards thrown into the river. 
 
362 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The exterior of the magnificent walls, begun by Inno- 
 cent VI. (whose arms are seen near the Porte S. Michel), 
 and finished by Urban V., is well worth examination. 
 
 In the xiv. c. there were seven gates : to these two 
 others have been added. Dickens says : 
 
 ' All the city lies baking in the sun, yet with an under-done- 
 pie-crust, battlemented wall, that will never be brown, though 
 it bake for centuries.' k Pictures from Italy' 
 
 'Les machicoulis sont supportes par un rang de petites 
 consoles d'un profil ravissant ; les creneaux sont d'une regularite 
 parfaite. . . . Le temps a donne a des pierres si egales, si bien 
 pointes, d'un si beau poli, une teinte de feuille seche, qui en 
 augmente encore la beaute. C'est 1'art de 1'Italie avec ses 
 charmes transporte tout a coup au milieu des Gaules.' 
 Stendhal. 
 
 Turning 1. from the Hotel de 1'Europe, we soon reach 
 the Place du Palais, overhung by the huge gothic Palace 
 of the Popes, ' la plus belle et la plus forte maison du 
 monde,' as Froissart calls it ; which is rather the citadel 
 of an Asiatic tyrant than the residence of a representative 
 of the God of peace : nothing is constructed with a view to 
 artistic effect, all is for security. The palace is one of the 
 most perfect specimens in existence of xiv. c. military archi- 
 tecture. The N. part is the work of Benedict XII. (1336), 
 who, since no pope liked inhabiting the palace of his pre- 
 decessor, pulled down all that John XXII. had previously 
 constructed ; his architect is believed to have been 
 Pierre Poisson de Mirepoix. Clement VI. (1349) built 
 the principal fagade and the lower buildings on S., 
 and made the gardens on E. In 1364 Urban V. 
 
AVIGNON, 
 
 363 
 
 cut the court of the palace out of the rock, built the E. 
 wing, and added the Tour des Anges to the six towers 
 already existing. In all these buildings, no regularity is 
 observed ; the accidents of the ground have been the 
 chief influence to guide their architects. 
 
 4 L'interieur du palais est aussi bien fortifie" que 1'exterieur. La 
 
 PAPAL PALACE, 'AVIGNON. 
 
 grande cour est dominee de tous cotes par des tours et de hautes 
 courtmes. Maitre de la porte et de cette cour, 1'assaillant n'a rien 
 fait encore, c'est au nouveau siege qu'il lui faut entreprendre ; 
 enfin toutes ces defenses emportees, reste une tour d. forcer. La 
 porte se brise, 1'ennemi se precipite dans 1'escalier, il va pen6trer 
 dans 1'appartement que le pape a choisi pour sa retraite. Tout 
 d'un coup 1'escalier se perd dans une muraille. Au-dessus une 
 espece de palier, ou Ton ne peut monter que par une e"chelle, est 
 garni de soldats, qui peuvent assommer un a un ceux qui deja se 
 croyaient vainqueurs,' Prosper Merimee, 
 
364 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The palace is now a barrack. The old halls are cut up 
 and all their character destroyed ; so are the two chapels, 
 one above the other. In the Salle du Consistoire some 
 frescoed figures of prophets still exist, and in the chapels 
 in the Tour S. Jean once hung with the Moorish standards 
 taken in the battle of Tarifa, and sent by the king of 
 Castille some frescoes of the life of S. Martial, S. John 
 Baptist, and S. John the Evangelist, by Matteo da Viterbo. 
 The xiv. c. kitchen remains, shown as the place where the 
 Inquisition (which had its seat, not here, but in the 
 Dominican convent) roasted heretics ! 
 
 ' Rotir les gens sur une place publique ou dans une tour pour 
 la plus grande gloire de Dieu est certes un triste moyen de les 
 ramener dans la voie du salut ; mais prendre une cuisine pour 
 une rotissure d'humains est une meprise bien ridicule.' Viollet 
 le Due. 
 
 The palace is, however, really connected with some of 
 the worst atrocities of the Revolution, when (1790) sixty-one 
 innocent citizens were thrown down the tower of the 
 Glaciere, and quicklime heaped upon their bodies. 1 
 
 Below the palace wall the Escalier du Pater (because it 
 had as many steps as there are words in the Oraison 
 dominicale] leads to the cathedral of Notre Dame des Doms, 
 a transition between Roman and mediaeval architecture, 
 supposed to have been founded by S. Martha in honour of 
 the still living Virgin, and which legend declares to have 
 been visibly consecrated by Christ Himself on Oct. 8, 799. 
 It was certainly built in the first centuries of Christianity on 
 the ruins of a pagan temple, and rebuilt xii. c. The portal 
 is most curious, but only a reminiscence of the antique; 
 
 1 See Taine, La Conquete Jacob ine. 
 
AVIGNON. 365 
 
 its porch has a round arch between corinthian columns, 
 supporting a triangular gable. Of the frescoes in this 
 porch, by Simone Memmi, only some fragments remain. 
 In front of the porch, a crucifix marks the platform where 
 the popes used to stand to give their Easter benediction, as 
 from the balcony of S. Peter's. The tower, surmounted 
 by a modern image of the Virgin, was partially rebuilt in 
 1431. The interior is a basilica, restored at various times, 
 the side chapel and apse being xiv. c. In the choir are a 
 simple marble throne used by the popes, and the tomb of 
 ' Le brave Crillon,' 1610, with an epitaph ending in 
 * Passenger, history will tell you the rest.' A hundred 
 and fifty-seven cardinals and bishops were buried in the 
 cathedral, but nothing remains of their monuments. 
 Against the N. wall of a chapel on the 1., which is the 
 burial-place of the archbishops, is the canopied gothic tomb 
 (with a comparatively modern statue) of Benedict XII. 
 (Jacques Fournier, 1334-42), a judicious and wise reformer, 
 rather too fond of wine. The splendid flamboyant 
 tomb of John XXII. (Jacques d'Euse, 1316-34), which 
 formerly stood in the centre of the nave, was the great 
 ornament of the church, but ' il genait les chanoines,' 
 and it is now exiled to the antechamber of the sacristy. 
 This was the worldly and avaricious pope, son of a shoe- 
 maker at Cahors, who kept his rival, the anti-pope Peter of 
 Corbario, a prisoner for three years and a half in the papal 
 palace, and who the representative of apostolic poverty- 
 left a treasure of eighteen millions of gold florins in specie, 
 seven millions in plate and jewels. 
 
 ' Yet this Pope though besides his rapacity he was harsh, 
 
366 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 relentless, a cruel persecutor, and betrayed his joy, not only at 
 the discomfiture, but at the slaughter of his enemies had great 
 fame for piety as well as learning, arose every night to pray and 
 to study, and every morning attended mass.' Milman, ' Hist, of 
 La tin Christianity. ' 
 
 Near the tomb is a very ancient marble altar, in form a 
 table, supported by five columns. 
 
 When the terrible mistral is not blowing, the little 
 garden on the Rocher des Doms (or des Seigneurs), behind 
 the cathedral, is very attractive with its striking views, 
 on one side over the plain covered with olives and mul- 
 berries to the blue heights of Mont Ventoux and the 
 mountain barriers beyond : on the other, over the river, and 
 the ruined bridge ' bad par le diable et S. Benizet,' to the 
 castle of Villeneuve. A statue commemorates Jean Althen, 
 a Persian, who risked the penalty of death in bringing the 
 seeds of the madder-plant to Marseilles, and who thus 
 founded le commerce de la garance, which has long brought 
 in fifteen million francs annually to the province of 
 Vaucluse alone, but which is now threatened by the 
 chemical discovery of an artificial alizarine, which, at a 
 much lower cost, can be extracted from coal. 
 
 The churches of Avignon are all xv. c. or xvi. c. The 
 most remarkable is S. Pierre, behind the papal palace. It 
 is reached by a curious rock-hewn street beneath one of the 
 enormous palace buttresses. Founded in 433, it was re- 
 built by Cardinal Pierre du Pre. The W. fagade is very 
 rich xvi. c. gothic (1520), with a beautiful statue of the 
 Virgin, by the famous Bernus, on the central pillar of the 
 portal : the doors are also very handsome. In the interior 
 are an organ loft and a beautiful xv. c. pulpit, signed by 
 
AVIGNON. 367 
 
 its sculptor, Jacques Malhe. Its original statues have 
 been replaced by others taken from the tomb of Pope 
 John XXII. The beheaded Perrinet Parpaille was buried 
 near the sacristy. 
 
 S. Didier, in the same direction, to the 1. of the wide 
 Cours de la Republique, was founded by S. Agricole, and 
 rebuilt by Cardinal Bertrand de Dencio. It contains the 
 tomb of the engraver Bale'chou, and the retable brought 
 from the Celestins, and called les Images du roi Rene, 
 because made for that prince by one Francesco, an Italian, 
 in 1481. The relics of S. Benezet have been preserved at 
 S. Didier since the chapel on the bridge was ruined. 
 Here also the blessed Pierre de Luxembourg, canon of 
 Notre Dame at ten years old, bishop of Metz at fifteen, 
 cardinal at seventeen, and who died in his eighteenth year, 
 is especially honoured : a bonfire celebrates his fete on 
 the Place du Corps-Saint. Near this is the handsome 
 Hotel Crillon. Further down the Cours, on the 1., is S. 
 Martial, originally Benedictine, afterwards Cluniac. A rich 
 flamboyant window on its N. front is supposed to represent 
 a huge fleur-de-lis. This church formerly contained the 
 splendid tombs of Urban V., Cardinal Legrange, Raymond 
 de Beaufort, and Gaspard de Simiane : it is now partly a 
 Protestant temple, partly a Museum of Natural History. 
 To the r. of the Place de 1'Hotel de Ville is S. Agricole, 
 founded by its patron saint in 680, destroyed by the 
 Saracens, and rebuilt 1321 1420. It contains a picture 
 by Mignard, and the tomb of his nephew Pierre. Over 
 the tribune is a fresco by Pietro da Cortona. 
 
 Only the 1. aisle of the nave remains from the church 
 of the Cordeliers (at the E. end of the Rue des Lices) 
 
368 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 where Laura, beloved of Petrarch, was buried in the 
 Chapelle de la Croix. She was the daughter of Audibert 
 de Noves, and had been married for two years to Hugues 
 de Sade, when Petrarch saw her for the first time in the 
 church of the nuns of S. Claire, at 6 a.m. on the Monday in 
 Holy Week of 1327. For twenty years she was hopelessly 
 loved, and extolled in innumerable sonnets. Then she 
 died of the black plague, of which 1,400 persons perished 
 in Avignon in three days. Her tomb was opened in 1533, 
 and again upon the visit of Francois I., when the king, 
 having read a sonnet, then supposed to be by Petrarch, 
 which had been buried with the ashes, added some lines 
 either of his own or by Clement Marot. 
 
 ' En petit lieu comprins vous pouvez voir 
 Ce qui comprend beaucoup par renommee ; 
 Plume, labeur, la langue et le s^avoir 
 Furent vaiucus par 1'aymant de 1'aymee. 
 
 ' O gentille ame, estant tant estimee, 
 Qui te pourra loiier qu'en se taisant ? 
 Car la parole est toujours reprimee 
 Quand le sujet surmonte le disant.' 
 
 The last remains of Laura were taken to the Bibliotheque 
 Nationale in 1793, and have since been lost; even a 
 little cippus placed by one Charles Kelsall on the site 
 of her grave in 1823 has been carried to the Museum. 
 The Dominican Convent, in which S. Thomas Aquinas 
 and S. Yves (the patron saint of lawyers) were canon- 
 ized, is totally destroyed. A gothic cloister built by 
 Martin V., with a refectory and church, remain from the 
 Couvent des Celestins, founded by Clement VII. in honour 
 of Pierre de Luxembourg, who is buried here. A machico- 
 
AVIGNON. 369 
 
 lated gothic tower, surmounted by a pyramid and a minaret 
 (Rue Carratterie), remains of the Convent des Augustins. 
 The old Palace of the Archbishops (Petit Se"minaire) was 
 built 1314 by Jacques de Via, nephew of John XXII. 
 Opposite the papal palace is the ancient Hotel des 
 Monnaies, built early in xvn. c. In the Place de 1'Hotel 
 de Ville is a Statue of Crillon (1858). 
 
 ' Brave Crillon, vous savez comme estant roy de Navarre je 
 vous aymois, estimois et fesois cas de vous ; depuis que je suis 
 roy je n'en fais pas moins et vous honore autantque gentiJhomme 
 de mon royaume, ce que je vous prie de croire et en faire estat. 
 Sur ce, brave Crillon, Dieu vous ait en sa sainte garde. Henry.' 
 'Letters of Henri IV: 
 
 In the Protestant cemetery are the tombs of John Stuart 
 Mill and Bishop Colenso. 
 
 'On rapporte qu'entendant un jour la Passion a Avignon, 
 Crillon se leva, transports de fureur, au recit des outrages dont 
 Christ a ete le sujet, et s'ecria, en brandissant son epee OH 
 elois-tu, Crillon ? ' Lebas. 
 
 The Mus'ee Calvet, in the former hotel of the Marquis 
 de Villeneuve in the Rue Joseph- Vernet, originates in the 
 bequest of an Avignon doctor in 1810. The remains of 
 the fine tombs of Urban V. and others have been removed 
 hither, with extreme bad taste, from S. Martial. There are 
 a few tolerable bits of sculpture and many indifferent 
 pictures, besides the ' Mazeppa ' of Horace Vernet, and the 
 * Death of the Drummer Jean Barrad ' in the Vendean war, 
 a remarkable work of David. 
 
 Avignon, which continued to belong to the pope till 
 the Revolution, was formerly filled with convents of every 
 description, of which the bells were incessantly ringing; 
 
 24 
 
370 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 hence the name of ' Isle sonnante ' which Rabelais gave to 
 the town. Most of the convents have disappeared since the 
 town became French, and the town is now become a centre 
 of the silk and madder industries. In the streets many of 
 the bourgets, or little towers, which the bourgeois erected 
 by hundreds on their houses in the time of their freedom, 
 may still be seen. 
 
 BRIDGE OF S. BENEZET, AVIGNON. 
 
 In the Rhone are the remains of the famous bridge 
 which united Provence with Languedoc, built by S. Benezet, 
 a child-shepherd of Vivarais, in consequence of a dream, 
 1177-88, with the alms of the faithful which he is believed 
 to have been urged to collect by the voice of Christ Him- 
 self. Only four of its twenty-two arches remain, with the 
 chapel of S. Nicolas, which once contained the relics of 
 S. Benezet. Hence the body of Marshal Brune was 
 thrown into the Rhone. The bridge, due to the inspiration 
 
VILLENEUVE-LES-A VIGNON. 37 1 
 
 of a child, who thus founded the association of Freres 
 Pontifes for good works of the kind carried on in a fraternal 
 spirit, became the highway of the world, and is that formerly 
 celebrated in the popular ronde : 
 
 ' Sur le pont d'Avignon 
 Tout le monde y passe.' 
 
 I k. S. of Avignon are the ruins of the Abbey of S. Ruf, of 
 which one of the abbots became Pope Adrian VI. The chapel 
 is xi. c., with an apse polygonal externally and circular within. 
 
 FROM. THE TOMB OF INNOCENT VI. 
 
 2k. N.E. are the ruins of the Priory of S. Veran, founded 
 1140. 
 
 An omnibus (from the Hotel de Ville, 15 c.) constantly runs 
 from the town across the great lie de la Berthelasse, fringed with 
 willows and poplars, to Villeneuve-les-Amgnon, on the other side 
 of the river, where the most striking feature is the enormous 
 square tower, built in 1307 by Philippe le Bel, which defended 
 the bridge of Avignon on the French side. Like all the buildings 
 here, of hard yellow stone, it retains all its sharpness of outline 
 and is unstained by the weather. The church of La Paroissc 
 was founded in xiv. c. by Cardinal Arnauld de Via, who is buried 
 under a gothic tomb in the 2nd chapel 1. In the 2nd chapel r. is the 
 tomb of a Prince de Conti. N. of the church is a cloister, with 
 
372 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 very simple gothic arcades. On the 1. of the street, opposite the 
 S. door, is the Hospital, to the chapel of which the tomb of Pope 
 Innocent VI. has been removed from the ' Chartreuse du Val de 
 Benediction,' which he founded in 1356. It is a most beautiful 
 and delicate work, and bears the statue of the Pope, tienne 
 d'Albret of Limousin, formerly bishop of Clermont, a peaceful 
 and dignified pontiff, who did his utmost to redress the abuses 
 of his predecessor, Clement VI. 
 
 The tomb ' bears witness to the wealth and splendour of the 
 most powerful and most prudent of the Avignonese pontiffs.' 
 Milman. 
 
 The Gallery of the Musee (open from 12 to 4) contains two 
 pictures of interest : (36) La Sainte Trinite, much injured by 
 ' restoration,' but attributed to King Rene, who is said to have 
 given the features .of his friends to the good and his enemies 
 to the bad ; and (64) Pierre Mignard, who has represented the 
 unhappy Marquise de Ganges, ' La belle Proven 9ale,' as the 
 penitent S. Roseline de Villeneuve. 
 
 In the Grande Rue is the Hotel de Conti ; in the Rue Mont- 
 Andaon, the Palace of Cardinal de Giffon, with a massive tower. 
 La Porte du Bout-de-Ville (xvni. c.) is the only remnant of the 
 ancient walls. 
 
 On the hill above the town are the xiv. c. remains of the Fort 
 S. Andre, enclosing those of a Benedictine abbey, and the xi c. 
 chapel of Notre Dame de Belvezet. 
 
 [A pleasant day's excursion may be made from Avignon to 
 Vaucluse (32 k.) by carriage ; it may also be seen by taking the 
 railway to 1'Isle, on the line to Pertuis. See p. 378.] 
 
 [Mont Ventoux (48k. N.E.) may be ascended from Avignon. 
 Though only 1,912 met. high, this isolated mountain, recalling 
 Soracte in the Roman Campagna, is full of majesty and beauty. 
 It is well named Ventoux, from the winds which descend from 
 it to sweep the neighbouring plains. Petrarch, who ascended the 
 mountain April 26, 1336, described its sides as woody : now the 
 upper part is quite bare, the lower slopes have been recently 
 planted with chestnut. At the summit is the little Chapelle de S. 
 Croix, a place of pilgrimage on Sept. 14. Hence there is a 
 glorious mountain view. 
 
LE PONT DU GARD. 
 
 373 
 
 'Cette cime avanc6e, a I'enorme base toute ruisselanto de 
 sources et ceinte de verdure, est 1'une des plus fameuses des Alpes, 
 grace a son isolement, a la majest6 de son aspect, a I'immensite 
 de 1'espace qu'elle domine. Comme le Canigou et l'tna, on la 
 voit dessiner son profil r6gulier sur tout un cot6 de 1'horizon, et 
 quoique beaucoup moins haute que ces deux mortagnes, elle est 
 d'une apparence a peine moins grandiose. II est facile d'etudier 
 sur ses pentes uniformes 1'etagement normal des flores et nombre 
 
 PONT DU CARD. 
 
 de botanistes se sont livres a cette etude. Les feuillets geologiques 
 de cette partie de la France sont aussi plus interessants pour la 
 connaissance de la flore et de la faune antiques. Les terres 
 miocenes du Ventoux, et plus encore ceux du Leberon, sont d'une 
 richesse extraordinaire en debris de vert6bres, grands lions, 
 sangliers, gazelles, hipparions.' Elisee Redus.~\ 
 
 [No traveller should miss making an excursion from Avignon 
 to the glorious Pont du Gard (29k.), the noblest aqueduct in 
 the world, which may be reached either by carriage or by rail, 
 
374 SO UTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 taking the line to Uzes. It may also be visited by turning aside 
 a little on the way to Nismes. Trains are changed for Pont du 
 Card at Remoulins, and those who do not care to wait there for 
 another train, may take the omnibus from Remoulins (3^ k.) to 
 the Pont du Card. 
 
 Ten minutes' walk from the station of Pont du Card, crossing 
 a solitary and stony defile which will recall the gorges of Palestine 
 and Syria, are the remains of the great aqueduct-bridge over the 
 Garden, built by Agrippa to carry the waters of the Eure and 
 Airan to Nismes. It has three tiers of arches ; three below, 
 eleven of equal span in the second tier, and thirty-five smaller 
 ones in the third. In gigantic proportions, it exactly gives the 
 side of a romanesque cathedral its pier-arches, triforium, and 
 clerestory. 1 The highest range of arches supports a canal, five 
 feet high and two wide. The height of the bridge is iSoft. 
 and its length at the top 873 ft. Nothing can exceed the pictur- 
 esque effect of the ruins in which the original orange colour of 
 the stone is reddened with the sunshine of two thousand years 
 especially when they are reflected in the river. 
 
 1 Montibus impositos cantavit Graecia montes ; 
 
 Pyramidum ostentat barbara Memphis opus. 
 Plus est quod cernis, triplicis conjungere pontis 
 
 Fornicibus montes sic potuisse duos. 
 
 Et plus est, victam quo se natura fatetur, 
 
 Imposuisse ipsis flumina fluminibus.' 
 
 Theodore dc Beze. 
 
 ' Le retentissement de mes pas dans ces immenses voutes me 
 faisait croire entendre la forte voix de ceux qui les avaient baties. 
 Je me perdais comme un insecte dans cette immensite. Je 
 sentais, tout en me faisant petit, je ne sais quoi qui m'elevait 
 Tame ; et je me disais en soupirant : Que ne suis-je ne Romain 1 ' 
 Rousseau!\ 
 
 [Avignon is connected with Carpentras by a branch line 
 through the dull but fruitful plain, from 
 lok. Sorgues. See p. 358. 
 
 1 Petit, Church Architecture. 
 
CARPENTRAS. 375 
 
 14 k. Entraigues. The Presbytere occupies the ruins of the 
 chateau ; a battlemented tower serves as a belfry. 
 
 1 7k. Althen-les-Paluds, named from Persian Althen, who 
 introduced the culture of madder for dye. 
 
 21 k. Monteux, where Clement V. had a favourite castle, of 
 which the ruins remain. 
 
 27 k. Carpentras (Hotels : de V Orient; de VUnivers], the ancient 
 Carpentoracte, a very dull town on the Auzon, which was sur- 
 rounded with walls by Innocent VI. A straight road leads from 
 the station to the Hotel Dieu, of 1750, in front of which is a statue 
 (by Daumas) of its founder, the Trappist Malachie d'Inguimbert, 
 bishop of Cavaillon. Hence the Rue de la Republique takes us 
 into the town. On the r. is the former Cathedral of S. Suffrein 
 (Sanctus Suffredus), founded XL c. and rebuilt 1505-19. The 
 two side portals of the renaissance front have red jasper columns, 
 brought from the baptistery of Venasque. Over the principal 
 portal on the S. is la boule aux rats a globe with rats crawling 
 over it. In the interior are two good xvi. c. monuments on either 
 side of the W. door, and, at the entrance to the choir, the tomb 
 of Bishop Lorenzo Buti, 1710. 
 
 The veche is now the Palais de Justice. In a dark hole 
 between it and the cathedral is the only existing remnant of the 
 Gallo-Roman Carpentoracte Julia an Arc de Triomphe, which 
 once served as a gate to the city. 
 
 'II n'en reste qu'une voute assez elevee, dont 1'archivolte 
 exterieure est soutenue par des pilastres canneles, et des impostes 
 d'ordre composite, plus riches qu'elegans. Aux quatre angles 
 exterieurs des massifs, on remarque des tron9ons de colonnes 
 cannelees, dont la base s'eleve a peu pres a moitie des pilastres 
 et repose sur un soubassement lisse. Les deux faces laterales 
 de 1'arc offrent chacune un bas-relief representant deux captifs 
 attaches les mains derriere le dos a un trophee. Tout 1'amortisse- 
 ment de 1'arc, a partir du sommet de Tarchivolte, est detruit, et 
 pour preserver la voute, on 1'a recouverte d'une espece de toit 
 en pierredont I'effet est loin d'etre agreable/ Prosper Merimee. 
 
 The street ends in the handsome Porte d' Orange, the only 
 one spared of the four gates of hard Proven9al stone of which 
 three have recently been destroyed with the walls. Opposite, on 
 
37 6 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 will provide (6fr.) a 
 
 the outside, is a loueur des voitures, who 
 good open carriage for the afternoon to 
 
 10 k. S.E. Venasque, the ancient Venasca, the seat of a bishopric 
 from the in. c. to the vi. c., and afterwards the capital of Comtat 
 Venaisin. It is a mountain town situated on picturesque cavernous 
 grey rocks, thickly overhung with green. Pedestrians will leave 
 their carriage at the foot of the hill and ascend the steep stony 
 way on foot. The church has a truncated gothic spire and a 
 rich romanesque W. door. At the cross is a very curious cupola 
 
 VENASQUE. 
 
 vaulted with eight ribs, and with pendentifs upon which the 
 symbols of the Evangelists are sculptured. The crypt is XL c. 
 
 Behind the E. end of the church, entirely concealed by houses 
 (the Cure has the key) and showing nothing externally but two 
 romanesque windows on the wall, is the very curious and 
 impressive four-apsed Baptistery of the ix. c., long supposed to 
 have been a temple of Venus. 
 
 ' Le pretendu temple est d'une forme singuliere ; c'est une 
 coupole peu elevee inscrite dans un carre, sur les faces duquel 
 sont places quatre apsides ou culs de four, correspondant aux 
 points cardinaux. L'appareil est petit, irregulier et tres grossier ; 
 
VENASQUE. 377 
 
 les voutes des culs de four sont en blocage, et celles de la 
 coupole en moellons. Nulle part je n r ai vu de vestiges d'un 
 enduit quelconque applique sur les murs. A I'ext6rieur, la 
 decoration de l'(5difice est nulle. A 1'interieur, cinq grandes 
 colonnes corinthiennes, dont le fut est de marbre rose et blanc, 
 et les chapiteaux de marbre blanc, soutiennent un reste de 
 corniche informe ; on voit qu'elles devaient tre autrefois au 
 nombre de douze, trois pour chaque angle rentrant, forme par 
 1'intersection de chacun des demi-cercles des apsides avec les 
 faces du carre\ Six colonnes beaucoup plus petites en cipolin, 
 granite ou pierre, sont disposees autour de chacune des apsides 
 supportant une arcature cintree, a claveaux mal tailles, annonant 
 le travail le plus barbare.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 At the end of the village are the ruins of the old castle. The 
 sanctuary of Notre Dame de Vie, on the other side of the Nesque, 
 has great fame in the country. A little higher up is the ruined 
 Priory of S. Maurice, now a farm. The Tour de Pinet, upon a hill 
 to S.E., is attributed to the Templars. 
 
 The return to Carpentras may be varied by passing the 
 Ecclesiastical College and pretty little town of 6*. Didier^ 
 
 [The road from Carpentras to Cavaillon passes through (7 k.) 
 Pernes, which retains four of its gates. The chateau, which was 
 given by Raymond VII. of Toulouse to his divorced wife, Sancia 
 of Arragon, is now a barrack. The church (outside the walls), 
 partly of the ix. c., has a curious sculptured frieze above the 
 cornice of the nave, of which the aisles are now divided as 
 chapels. Tradition says that the S. portal is Roman ; it is possibly 
 of vu. c. or vin. c.] 
 
 [The road from Carpentras to Sisteron passes (7 k.) Mazan, 
 which retains four of its gates, and a curious church of xi. c., 
 xni. c., and xv. c. ; (12 k.) Mormoiron, which has remains of a 
 commanderie of the Templars ; (38 k.) Sault, with remains of xi. c. 
 castle and xn. c. church ; (42 k.) 6*. Trinit, with church partly xi. c. 
 and xii c., and, in the neighbourhood, the Benedictine convent of 
 6*. Christol; and (73k.) 6". Etienne-des-Orgnes, near which is 
 the Abbaye de Notre-Dame-de-Lune, founded 522, destroyed by 
 Saracens, and rebuilt early in xin. c. From Sault an excursion 
 
378 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 may be made to (i2k.) Montbrun, which has a very striking 
 castle, the head-quarters of the Huguenots in xvi. c.] 
 
 [Several excursions may be made from Avignon by the railway 
 to Gap, but none of these are of general interest, except that to 
 Vaucluse, which may be more comfortably visited in a carriage 
 from Avignon. The line passes 
 
 6 k. Montfavet. The fortified xiv. c. Church is a remnant of a 
 monastery founded by Cardinal Bertrand de Montfavet, in which 
 he was buried in 1343. Here is the tomb of Pierre de Cohorn, 
 chamberlain and general of Christian I. of Denmark. I k. N.W. 
 is the Tour d'Espagne, a remnant of a Dominican convent, 
 founded by Cardinal Gomez de Barosso in 1348. 2k. S. of the 
 station are the ruins of the abbey and chateau of Monl-de- 
 Vergues, founded 1060. 
 
 i6k. Gadagne. 4k. S. is Caumont, where the church contains 
 the tomb of Cardinal de Cabassole, the friend of Petrarch. W. is 
 the romanesque x. c. chapel of 6*. Symphorien. 
 
 igk.Le Thor (Taurus), on the 1. bank of the Sorgue. The 
 xn. c. church derives its name of 6". Marie au Lac from an image 
 of the Virgin, supposed to have been discovered in a lake by a 
 bull. The building is a mixture of romanesque and early gothic. 
 At the fourth bay of the single nave is a ribbed cupola, formerly 
 surmounted by a belfry : the apse is vaulted in the same 
 manner. A cradle vault supports the roof above the ribbed 
 vaulting of the nave. 2 k. N. are the ruins of the Chateau de 
 T/iouzon and a x. c. chapel : the church has a single Carlovingian 
 nave and a Merovingian apse. 4 k. is Velleron, on the Sorgue, 
 which has several curious old maisons seigneuriales, especially 
 that des Cambis, and that des Trillans (now a presbytery school), 
 with machicolated entrance, battlemented parapet, and tower. 
 
 L'Isle( Hotels: dePetrarque; Laure). An omnibus to Vaucluse 
 meets all the trains. 8k. N.E. (leaving Saumare, with its xn. c. 
 and xvi. c. church, and its xn. c., xvi. c., and xvn. c. ruined 
 chateau, on 1.) is the valley most intensely hot in summer with 
 the famous village of Vaucluse (Vallis Clausa). Its little monastic 
 church of x. c. contains, in an apsidal chapel, the tomb of S. Veran. 
 
 4 Un monument rappelle le souvenir de Petrarque et ses vers, 
 bien manieres pour cette forte et franche nature.' Elisce Rcclus. 
 
VAUCLUSE. 
 
 379 
 
 A path leads in 10 min. to the celebrated Fountain, the source 
 of the Sorgue, which gushes forth in an abundant volume at the 
 foot of the precipitous limestone cliff which closes the gorge, 
 forming at first a silent pellucid pool, and then tumbling noisily 
 towards the valley. The life-giving waters of the Sorgues are 
 afterwards divided into sorgues and sorgettes, to supply the 
 different towns and villages of the plain. 
 
 VAUCLUSE. 
 
 The great yellow rocks are crowned to the r. by a ruin called 
 the Chateau de Petrarque : it was, however, to a villa in the 
 valley that the poet retired in 1337, having been greatly impressed 
 by the spot when he visited it in his childhood in 1313. Here he 
 says that all his works were either executed, begun, or conceived, 
 and he narrates that he would never have left this spot unless on 
 the same day, by a strange chance, he had received two letters, 
 one from the Senate of Rome, the other from the chancellor of 
 the town of Paris, both summoning him one to Rome, the other 
 
380 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 to Paris to receive the crown of a poet laureate ; this being the 
 reward of his Latin epic, Africa, on the Punic wars. He then 
 decided upon accepting the honours as offered by Rome, where, 
 on April 8, 1741, he was crowned upon the Capitol. 
 
 The fountain gives a name to the Departement de Vaucluse, 
 famous for its truffles, which it produces annually to the value of 
 four million francs. 
 
 Crossing a rich district, watered by canals taken from the 
 Calavon and the Durance, we reach 
 
 33 k. Cavaillon (Hotel : Parrocel tolerable), a Roman colony 
 
 ARCH OF CAVAILLON. 
 
 Cabellio colonia in Cavaribus whicli became an episcopal 
 city in the v. c. It is a pretty little town, its principal streets com- 
 pletely shaded by avenues of old plane trees between the houses. 
 The largest of these ends in a little ' place,' to which the remains 
 of a small Roman Arch of Triumph have been removed from the 
 episcopal palace ; it is supposed to have been originally built 
 from materials which had been used in another edifice. A winged 
 Victory appears on either side of the archivolt. The little gate- 
 way behind the arch is the entrance to a rock staircase up the 
 precipices of Mont S. Jacques at the back of trie town, which are 
 crowned by a hermitage of very early date. 
 
CAVAILLON. 381 
 
 The Cathedral of S. Veran was consecrated by Innocent VI. 
 in 1251, but probably dates from ix. c. It is a basilica, ter- 
 minating in an apse, which is hexagonal outside and circular 
 within. The side aisles are now divided into chapels. Externally, 
 a beautiful frieze runs along the top of the S. and N. walls. The 
 tomb of Bishop de Sade is of 1707. 
 
 ay. 
 
 AT CAVAILLON. 
 
 'La partie inferieure des piliers, depuis le sol jusqu'au- 
 dessus des arcades, est decoree de pilastres ; le haut, de colonnes 
 torses ou cannelees, fuselees, engagees dans les angles rentrans 
 formes par 1'intersection des piliers et du mur de la nef. Sur le 
 fut de quelques unes de ces colonnes, on voit des animaux 
 sculptes en relief: tantot c'est un serpent qui se roule autour 
 cju fut et semble s'elancer vers le chapiteau ; tantot un aigle 
 
382 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 enlevant un motiton ; quelquefois des animaux fantastiques. Les 
 chapiteaux sont a feuillages.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 A chapel on 1. of the nave was built by Cardinal de Cabassole, 
 the friend of Petrarch ; it contains a good work of Mignard, by 
 whom there are seven other pictures in the church. The cathedral 
 is usually entered by the S. through a beautiful miniature cloister 
 of the xi. c., with a garden in the centre.] 
 
 CLOISTER OF CAVAILLON. 
 
 [A line diverges N.E. from Cavaillon to Apt. To the 1. of the 
 line, on the last buttresses of the Vaucluse chain, is Taillades, 
 where a romanesque hall remains from the old chateau, on a rock 
 which bears a rudely sculptured figure known as Le Mourvelous. 
 A chapel is xm. c. 
 
 nk. Maubec. 3k. S.E. is the ruined castle of Oppede, built 
 1209, by Count Raymond VI. of Toulouse, and which he was 
 obliged to resign to the popes. 3 k. N. is Cabrieres, celebrated 
 fiom the cruel massacre of the Vaudoisby the President d'Oppede 
 in 1345. 7k. from Maubec is Gordes^ \\ii\\ a renaissance Hotel 
 
APT. 383 
 
 de Ville, once the chateau of Guillaume de Simiane, who refused 
 to participate in the massacre of S. Bartholomew. 4k. N. of 
 Gordes are the romanesque remains of the Abbaye de Senanque, 
 founded by Alphant, bishop of Cavaillon, in 1148. The church 
 has a triple nave, a transept with four E. chapels, and a tower 
 over the central cupola, and is an admirable specimen of the 
 Cistercian architecture of Provence. The cloister has arcades of 
 romanesque arches, enclosed in larger convex arches. 
 
 The line to Apt passes r. the fortress of Menerbes, with a 
 xiv. c. church, then 6*. Pantaleon, possessing a very early church 
 with rock-hewn graves, before reaching 
 
 1 8 k. Goult-Lumieres. Near the station on 1. is the sanctuary 
 of Notre Dame des Lumieres, of xiv. c., with an older crypt. In 
 the garden of the Oblates is the xn. c. chapel of 5. Michel. 
 
 21 k. Bonnieux. The town, 6k. r. on the mountain-side (no 
 omnibus or carriage), is surrounded by walls of xin. c. The 
 church, approached by a long staircase, is xn. c., and has a wide 
 view of the valley of Valmasque and Mont Ventoux. 3 k. beyond 
 the station, close to the line on the 1., is the Pontjulien, a very 
 well preserved Roman bridge of three arches over the Calavon, a 
 turbulent mountain stream reduced to almost a thread in summer 
 but which often causes terrible inundations in autumn and spring. 
 
 32 k. Apt (Hotel : du Louvre good and clean), a town of 
 the Gaulish Vulgientes, called Apta Julia Vulgientium by Julius 
 Caesar. It is said that Hadrian lost his horse Borysthenes here, 
 and that the inscription on the monument which the inhabitants 
 raised to it was found in 1604. 
 
 Apt contains nothing of special interest, but in summer, when 
 awnings are stretched across the streets, and especially when the 
 roses are in bloom, it is a pretty little place. The principal street 
 is crossed by a gate, under the Tour de I 'Horloge, and joining 
 the former is the Cathedral of S. Anne, which is said to have 
 been founded by S. Castor in v. c., with materials from a Roman 
 amphitheatre. It was rebuilt by Bishop Eliphantus in 1056, and 
 has been so modernised and added to in xvi. c. that little ancient 
 remains. The Chapelle Roy ale (1.), built by Mansart for Anne 
 of Austria, has a cupola, and is effective : it contains a pretty 
 sculptured group of S. Anne teaching the Virgin, and a picture 
 by Mignard. There is a crypt of x. c., with an ancient altar, 
 
384 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 and below this a second crypt, perhaps part of the original church 
 of S. Castor, where a niche, defended by a lattice, is said to have 
 contained the veil of S. Anne. A Gailo-Roman marble sarcophagus 
 near the W. door is of v. c. S. Castor (pb. 419) was Bishop of 
 Apt. The sous-prefecture occupies the ground floor of the former 
 vech6. The Chapelle de Notre Dame de Clermont, said to have 
 been consecrated by Urban II. in 1096, is now a stable. The 
 Chapelle de S. Vincent (x. c. or XL c.) on a rock, overlooks the 
 valley of Rocsaliere. 
 
 The Amphitheatre of Apt, so vividly described in the well- 
 known Numa Roumestan of Daudet, has never existed since 
 the iv. c., except in the novelist's imagination. 
 
 A little S.E. of Apt is Saignon, with a ruined castle and a 
 church, which is XL c., except the xiu. c. portal. 
 
 A railway is in. construction from Apt to Volx on the line 
 between Sisteron and Aix by (19 k.) Cereste (Catuica), which 
 has remains of a Roman military way and camp, and (43k.) 
 Forcalquier (see ch. x.)] 
 
 [The diligence from Apt to Manosque (ch. x.) passes by 
 Rcillanne, the Roman Alannia, which has a castle and gateway 
 (Porte des Forges). The church is partly of 1200, and has a 
 curious ancient altar.] 
 
 [About 1 1 k. from Apt, near the road to Aix, rises the rock of 
 Buoux, crowned by the ruins of a xn. c. chateau, defended by the 
 Protestants in the civil wars and dismantled in xvn. c. Near 
 this, close to the Aix road, is a square romanesque tower, part of 
 a priory of 6". Symphorien^ founded 1064, with a little pilgrimage 
 chapel attached to it] 
 
 [There is a line from Cavaillon to Miramas on the main line 
 to Marseilles (see later) through (39 k.) Orgon, on the Durance, 
 occupying the site of a Gallic oppidum, and with ruins (well and 
 walls) of a fortress of the late Roman Empire; and (59k.) Salon, 
 with the xii. c. church of 5. Michel and a xv. c. gateway in la 
 vieille ville, and the collegiate church of 5. Laurent of 1344 in 
 la ville 
 
 Continuing to follow the line from Avignon to Gap we reach 
 
ABB AYE DE SILVACANE. 385 
 
 65 k. Cadenet, where the marble font of the church (xiv. c. and 
 xvi. c.) is an ancient Roman work. 8 k. N.W. is Cucuron, where 
 the romanesque and gothic church has a great retable by Paget. 
 
 6k. from the station is the Cistercian Abbey of Silvacane, 
 founded by Bertrand-des-Baux in 1147. The church, which has 
 three W. doors, consists of a large nave, of which the aisles are 
 contrived to give additional strength to the principal vaulting, a 
 transept flanked by four rectangular chapels, and a square choir. 
 A square tower rises at the cross. The cloisters are greatly 
 mutilated. The chapter house is now a stable. The refectory 
 and kitchen, etc., are gothic. Above the gardens a stream bursts 
 forth at the foot of a rock. 
 
 77 k. Pertuis (Hotel : du Cours) } a manufacturing town. 5 k. 
 N.E. is La Tour d'Aigues, with the striking ruins of a castle of 
 the Barons de Cental. The xvn. c. church is entered by a portal 
 in what was the apse of the primitive church. 6k. further is 
 Grambois, with a romanesque church, and 5 k. further still Notre 
 Dame de I'Ermitage, a monastery founded in the xvm. c. on 
 the site of a convent of Templars, of which the fine romanesque 
 chapel exists. 
 
 4 k. beyond Pertuis the line joins that from Gap to Marseilles.] 
 
 [A road leads S.E. from Avignon to (74 k.) Aix, by 
 1 1 k. Bonpas. At the entrance of the bridge a road diverges 
 1. to the abbey of Bonpas, now a silk factory. The place was 
 called Maupas from its brigands, till the hermit Silbert, in 1076, 
 built a chapel there, which became the nucleus of a monastery 
 of knights hospitallers, ceded to Carthusians in 1320. Simon 
 Langham, archbishop of Canterbury, erected the magnificent 
 church. The polygonal apse is of late xn. c. Crossing the bridge, a 
 road on r. leads (i k.) to Noves, a curious fortified village retaining 
 its walls and four gateways, and a church which dates from the 
 end of the ix. c., when it was dedicated to S. Baudile. The hill 
 on the N. bears the chapel of Notre Dame de Pitie, that on the 
 S. the chapel of Notre Dame des Fonts, named from a fountain, 
 with waters reputed to have the power of curing malaria. 
 
 The road passes to the 1. of Notre Dame du Rosaire, a chapel 
 attributed to the Templars ; then on r. Verquieres, with the xn. c. 
 fortified church of 5. Veredeme, 
 
386 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 1 8k. 6". Andiol. The church, once fortified, has a beautiful 
 pulpit from the abbey of S. Catherine d'Avignon. 
 
 24 k., where we cross the road from S. Remy to Cavaillon, is a 
 Roman military column. 
 
 28 k. Orgon, on the line from Avignon to Cavaillon. 
 
 47 k. r. i k. is the Temple de la Maison Basse, a curious corin- 
 thian building, with the little chapel of S. Ce"saire built against its 
 N. fa$ade in the x. c. On the hill of Puy-de-Valori (3k.) many 
 Roman relics and tombs have been found. 
 
 54 k. Lambesc, a considerable place. 
 
 58 k. 5. Cannat, with remains of a House of the Templars and 
 a castle of the Bishops of Marseilles.] 
 
 748 k. Barbentane, retains its ancient ramparts (and a 
 gateway, Porte de la Cathedrale, xv. c.) in a great measure 
 cut in the rock. The tower which overlooks the town was 
 built 1365 by Anglicus Grimoald, brother of Urban V. 
 There is an omnibus to (2 k.) Rognonas, which has a 
 baptistery of iv. c., and (7 k.) Chateau-Renard, with remains 
 of an old castle, once of importance. 
 
 755 k. Graveson. The village (2 k. N.E.) has a curious 
 church, built 1198 by the brothers Pontifes de Bonpas. 
 2^k. S. is Maillanne, which has fine xvn. c. retable, and 
 of which the poet Frederic Mistral was a native. On the 
 r. of the line the rocks conceal the abbey of Frigolet, 
 which has a xii. c. cloister, and the romanesque church 
 of Boulbon. The ancient priory of S. Marcellin contains 
 a portrait of John XXII. 
 
 764k. Tarascon (Hotels : des Empereurs ; du Luxembourg), 
 the site of a Gallic and Roman city, which became important 
 in the middle-ages under the counts of Provence. 
 
 Legend narrates that when S. Martha, sister of Mary 
 Magdalen, landed in Provence, she found the country 
 
TARASCON. 3 7 
 
 near this ravaged by a terrible dragon called Tarasque, 
 which she exorcised and subdued. In memory of this 
 deliverance the Fete-de-la-Tarasque was annually held 
 here on the second Sunday after Pentecost, when the 
 dragon is represented furious and terrible, and on the 
 feast of S. Martha, when it is subdued and led by a 
 cord by a young girl. 
 
 ' Une immense machine en osier recouverte de toile ciree, et 
 tenue par de grands et forts cerceaux, avait la forme d'un dragon 
 ou de telle autre bete fantastique. Cette machine, ayant a peu 
 pres vingt a vingt-cinq pieds de longueur, etait remplie d'une 
 troupe de jeunes gens designes par la ville lorsque la fete de 
 la tarasque e"tait decidee. C'e"tait un honneur d'y etre admis. 
 Lorsqu'ils etaient tons dans cette bizarre voiture, ils partaient, 
 et se Iaii9ant de toute la rapidite de leurs jambes, ils couraient 
 dans la ville, renversant tout ce qui se trouvait devant eux, sans 
 avoir egard a rien. Tant pis pour les aveugles on les paresseux ; 
 ils etaient culbutes.' ' Memoires de la Duchesse d'Abrantes' 
 
 The interesting Church of S. Marthe, built on the 
 site of a Roman temple 1187-97, was rebuilt 1379 X 449- 
 Only the sumptuous S. portal (with a sculptured ivy-wreath 
 unique in xn. c. work) and a porch leading to the crypt 
 remain from the earlier building ; the gothic interior, crypt, 
 vaulting, and spire are of the later. A number of pictures 
 by Vien and Parrocel represent the history of S. Marthe. At 
 the foot of the staircase leading to the crypt, and close to 
 the picturesque grille, is the tomb of Jean de Cossa, governor 
 of Provence for King Rene. In the crypt (sometimes flooded 
 in winter) are an early font, the supposed tomb of S. Marthe, 
 and (1.) the tomb of King Louis II. 
 
 The Chateau, begun in xiv. c. by Louis II. of Provence, 
 and finished by King Rene in xv. c., stands perfectly pre- 
 
3 88 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 served on a rocky base above the river. It is now used as 
 a prison. It encloses a graceful xv. c. chapel, and is a capital 
 artistic subject. In the interior are the carvings and reliefs 
 placed by^King Rene. During the Cent Jours, Tarascon 
 took a bloody part in the royalist reaction. 
 
 ( Du haut des tours du chateau de Tarascon on avait precipite 
 des femmes, des vieillards, des enfants ! Dans une excavation 
 
 CASTLE OF TARASCON. 
 
 formee par les rochers, un peu au-dessous de la ville de Beaucaire, 
 nous vimes deux cadavres de femmes auxquelles on avait coupe 
 les mamelles, et que la violence des flots avait pousses dans ces 
 cavernes, ils ne pouvaient en sortir ; et parfois, le vent apportait 
 une odeur fetide qui faisait de"faillir.' ' Memoires de la Duchesse 
 d'Abrantes' 
 
 Immediately opposite and across the suspension bridge, 
 rises the noble castle of Beaucaire. 
 
 5 k. S.S.E. is the curious XL c. Chapelle de S. Gabriel a. 
 basilica ending in a hexagonal apse, with a face which shows a 
 
BEAUCAIRE. 
 
 389 
 
 mixture of classical details and byzantine fancies. On the hill 
 behind is a tower, said to be Roman, but probably of the same 
 date as the church. This is the site of the Roman station of 
 Ernaginum, and many tombs have been found here of the same 
 kind as those of Aliscamps, but without ornament. 
 
 [Aline (105 k.) connects Tarascon with Mimes (seech, ix.), 
 Montpellier, and Cette (see South-Western France), passing 
 
 BEAUCAIRE. 
 
 I k. Beaucaire, the ancient Roman station of Ugernum, of 
 which the castrum was used as the site of a square castle, called 
 from its form Bellum quadrum Beau-carre, Bel-caire, Beaucaire. 
 In the oldest part of the castle is a little romanesque chapel. In the 
 adjoining building the young Comte de Toulouse, Raymond VII., 
 besieged the crusaders, whilst he was himself besieged in his 
 camp by Simon de Montfort. Forty-five Templars were burnt 
 here ' qui eurent moult a souffrir, et furent ars.' 
 
 A little S.W. of Beaucaire is a xv. c. canopied Cross, said 
 
390 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 to mark a spot where the body of S. Louis rested after being 
 landed from Africa.] 
 
 [A line of 15 k. (with a separate station, close to but below the 
 other) leads from Tarascon to 
 
 6*. Remy : a place well worth seeing. It takes its name from the 
 bishop of Reims, who is supposed to have wrought a miraculous 
 cure here in 500 on his way to Avignon with Clovis. The church 
 tower was built in 1330 by John XXII. 
 
 To reach the magnificent ruins of Glanum (about 2 k. from the 
 station) we must turn r. from the railway and go straight on by the 
 high road to Mausanne, through the boulevard of the little town, 
 till, beyond its last houses, we find the Plateau des Antiquitds. 
 Here, close together, with the picturesque peaks of the Alpines 
 rising behind them, stand the principal remains of the Gallo-Roman 
 town of Glanum Livii, consisting of an Arch of Triumph and a 
 Tomb. The upper part of the arch is destroyed, and its bas-reliefs 
 and sculptures are much injured ; the principal of the former 
 represent chained captives. There is no reason to suppose that 
 the arch has any reference to the person to whom the tomb is 
 erected. 
 
 ' L'archivolte est une espece de guirlande de fruits et de 
 feuilles sculptee avec la meme perfection d'imitation, avec le 
 meme gout de la variete des details qu'on observe dans la periode 
 gothique. ' Merimee. 
 
 The Tomb, which is probably not earlier than the time of 
 Constantine, is composed of two storeys, adorned with delicate 
 pilasters and friezes, crowned by ten corinthian columns with 
 rich capitals, supporting a cupola. Above the pedestal is a garland 
 supported by three genii. The first storey is decorated by four 
 bas-reliefs, the subjects of which are much disputed. Under the 
 cupola are two draped statues, with modern heads. On the 
 architrave on the N. side is the inscription, ' Sextus, Lucius, 
 Marcus, Julii, curaverunt fieri parentibus sin's.' The rich orange 
 colour of the stone in these buildings renders them indescribably 
 picturesque. 
 
S. R&MY, ARLES. 391 
 
 'Jean Goujon 1'avait vu et s'en e"tait certainement inspire dans 
 ses oeuvres. C'est l'6difice le mieux conserve qu'il y ait dans le 
 monde, ne"anmoins il est pen connu ; la faible distance qui 1'eloigne 
 de la vallee du Rhone suffit pour en 6carter les voyageurs qui 
 passent chaque jour par centaines dans la ville voisine.' jfrlisee 
 Reclus. 
 
 Not far from the ruins is the former Priory of 6*. Paul de 
 
 S. REMY. 
 
 Mausole (now a unatic asylum), with an xi. c. church and a 
 romanesque cloister. 
 
 Joseph Roumanville, son of a gardener at S. Remy, has pub- 
 lished verses in the present century in the Langue d'Oc, which 
 are well known throughout the South, and have made Provencal 
 once more fashionable. Theodore Aubanel and Frederic Mistral 
 have been the best followers of the school he founded.] 
 
 777k. Aries (Hotels : du Nord best, and very good and 
 clean, with obliging landlady ; du Foruni), one of the most 
 
392 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 interesting and ancient towns in France, and by far the most 
 picturesque city in Provence. As the ancient Arclas or 
 Arclate, it was already an important town in the time of 
 Caesar, and the rival of Marseilles. Its population was 
 100,000, and it was called the Rome of Gaul. In the 
 n. c. S. Trophime preached Christianity here and founded a 
 bishopric, raised to an archbishopric in iv. c. Constantine, 
 son of Maxentius and Fausta, was born here, and he con- 
 ferred such benefits upon the town as induced it for a time 
 to take the name of Constantine. In the middle-ages Aries 
 was ravaged by the Visigoths, but in 879 became the capital 
 of a kingdom which lasted 255 years, and was governed by 
 eleven kings ; then the rule passed to consuls. Eighty-nine 
 years succeeded, in alternations of royalty and republic, and 
 eventually, in [220, a podestat was established. 
 
 ' Aries est la Mecque des archeologues frar^ais ; c'est la cite 
 antique par excellence. Des monuments remains forment le sol, 
 et autour d'eux, a leur pied, a leur ombre, dans leurs crevasses, a 
 pousse, Ton ne sait comment, par la force vegetative de la civili- 
 sation religieuse de Saint Louis, une seconde ville gothique, qui 
 a son tour a donne naissance a des maisons qui, tant bien que 
 mal, ont forme la ville moderne.' Alexandre Dumas. 
 
 The importance of the original bridge at Aries is 
 described by Ausonius : 
 
 ' Gallula Roma Arclas, quam Narbo Martius, et quam 
 Accolit Alpinis opulenta Vienna colonis, 
 Praecipitis Rhodani sic intercisa fluentis, 
 Et mediam facias navali ponte plateam, 
 Per quern romani commercia suscipis orbis.' 
 
 ' Ordo nobil. urbium^ vii. 
 
 The women of Aries are perhaps the most beautiful of 
 any European city. With dark eyes and raven locks, they 
 
ARLES. 
 
 393 
 
 are generally majestic in carriage and figure. They are 
 greatly adorned by the becoming costume of Aries which 
 is still, happily, almost universal a black dress and shawl, 
 with full white muslin stomacher, and a very small lace cap 
 
 AN ARLESIENNE. 
 
 at the back of the hair, bound round with broad black velvet 
 or ribbon, fastened with gold or jewelled pins. 
 
 ' Leur reputation de beaute est tout a fait meritee, et elles 
 sont non seulement belles, mais encore gracieuses et distinguees. 
 Lews traits sont d'une delicatesse extreme, et appartiennent sur- 
 
394 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 tout au type grec ; elles ont generalement les cheveux brims, et 
 des yeux noirs veloutes, comme je n'en ai vu qu'aux Indiens et 
 aux Arabes. De temps en temps, au milieu d'un groupe ionien, 
 passe rapidement une jeune fille, marqu6e au type sarrasin, avec 
 ses yeux longs et releves aux coins, son teint olivatre, son corsage 
 flexible et son pied d'enfant ; ou une grande femme, au sang 
 gaulois, aux cheveux blonds et aux yeux bleus, a la demarche 
 grave et tranquille.' A. Dumas. 
 
 At the back of the Place du Forum (containing both the 
 hotels, and where two granite columns of the old forum will 
 be seen built into the wall of the Hotel du Nord) is the 
 Place de la Cour, containing the handsome Hotel de Ville 
 of 1673, which encloses in its buildings the Tour de FHorloge 
 of 1547, supporting a bronze statue of Mars (by Laurent Vin- 
 cent, 1555) 'Phomme de bronze ' under a cupola. On the 
 other side of the Hotel de Ville is the Place de la R^publique, 
 formerly the Place Royale, in the centre of which is a small 
 granite Obelisk^ once an ornament of the ancient circus, and 
 the only obelisk of Egyptian granite to be found in France ; 
 it is supposed to have been a gift of Constantine to the town. 
 Here, on r., is the old gothic church of S, Anne, now the 
 Afusee, containing a number of ancient fragments and several 
 pagan sarcophagi (of Hydria Tertulia and her daughter Axia 
 Aeliana, of Messanius, Chrysogonus, Cornelia Jacaea, etc.) 
 of great interest and beauty. The collection of early 
 Christian tombs is the most important in the world except 
 that of the Lateran. That of the priest Commodus, with 
 sculptures of Christ throned and the twelve Apostles, is 
 especially remarkable. Only the cover remains of the tomb 
 of S. Hilarion, bishop of Aries from 429 to 449. Many sarco- 
 phagi are decorated with scriptural subjects. An admirable 
 head of Diana was found in the theatre. 
 
ARLES. 395 
 
 On the opposite side of the Place rises the unfinished 
 front of the famous Church of S. Trophime, consecrated 
 by S. Virgile in 606, and dedicated to S. Stephen, and 
 reconsecrated to S. Trophime in 1152, when his body was 
 brought hither from S. Honorat. It has a noble roman- 
 esque tower. The great portal, one of the finest works of 
 
 CLOISTER OF S. TROPHIME, ARLES. 
 
 the xii. c., in transition from romanesque to early gothic, 
 is a copy in small of that of S. Gilles : the ornamentation 
 of the facade is quite byzantine in character. The (re- 
 stored) interior is a long basilica, with a nave of transition, 
 and a choir and apse of late gothic, built by Cardinal 
 Louis d'Allemand in 1430. Several of the altars are 
 formed from ancient tombs, and have much beauty : that in 
 
396 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the Chapelle du S. Sdpulcre is the tomb of Geminus Paulus. 
 We may also notice, in the chapel r. of nave, the much 
 injured tomb of Archbishop Gaspard du Laurens, 1630; and 
 the epitaph of the Chevalier de Guise, killed at Baux in 1614 ; 
 and in the chapel of 1. transept, the tombs of Cardinal 
 d'Alleman, and of Adhe'mar de Grignan, Archbishop of 
 Aries in xvn. c. There is a fine gothic tomb against the r. 
 wall of the nave. 
 
 A door beyond the r. transept, and a staircase, lead to 
 the noble Cloitre de S. Trophime, one of the most beautiful 
 cloisters in France, of which the two romanesque galleries 
 are xn. c., and of incomparable beauty and interest ; the 
 two others are gothic, and date from 1221 and 1389. At 
 the angle of the earlier arcades is a well. Leaving the 
 cloister by a gothic portal opening on a court, and then 
 passing a romanesque portal to the Rue du Cloitre, and 
 turning 1. we find ourselves above 
 
 The Roman Theatre, said to have been begun by 
 Augustus, but not finished till in. c. It was destroyed 
 in the v. c. by S. Hilaire and Cyrille the priest, who 
 stripped off its marbles to adorn the churches. The ruins 
 cover a vast space, and are most picturesquely beautiful, 
 nature being allowed to give them colour, as is no longer 
 the case at Rome. The principal portals and two noble 
 columns, one white, the other of breccio africano re- 
 main. In this theatre the famous Venus d' Aries, now in 
 the Louvre, was found in 1683. Behind the theatre is the 
 pleasant public garden. 
 
 The Rue de la Misericorde, and a turn (Rue des 
 Arenes) to r. leads to the Amphitheatre -Les Arenes, 
 the largest in France, and exceedingly picturesque, owing 
 
ARLES. 
 
 397 
 
 to the three fortress towers erected on its walls against 
 the Saracens, in the middle-ages. In the exterior, where 
 the columns remain, those of the lower storey are doric, 
 of the upper Corinthian : the attic is wanting, and many 
 antiquaries think that it was never completed. The in- 
 terior, built in enormous blocks, is exceedingly imposing. 
 In the first part of the present century, no less than two 
 
 THE ROMAN THEATRE, ARLES. 
 
 hundred and twelve houses were existing amongst the ruins. 
 It is well worth while to ascend to the higher tiers of arches 
 to'jlook down. Though -carefully kept from further decay, the 
 ruins are tufted with grass and wall-flowers, so are far more 
 beautiful than the Coliseum in its present devastated con- 
 dition. Since 1830, the arena has been frequently used 
 for Courses des Taureaux, which, in Provence, are rather 
 bull-baiting than bull-fights, and usually quite harmless. 
 
398 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Then the yellow-grey arcades have a magnificent effect, 
 filled with a vast multitude, including thousands of 
 beautiful Arlesiennes in their picturesque costume. The 
 bulls are ushered in with music and beating of drums. 
 Numbers of young men in the area play with them, 
 excite them with cries, entice them with handkerchiefs, 
 and, when the bulls make a rush, vault over the barriers 
 into safety with marvellous agility. Any very hair-breadth 
 escape is vehemently applauded by the spectators. 
 
 The church of Notre Dame la Major or S. Marie 
 Majeure, on a rising ground opposite Les Arenes, occu- 
 pies the site of a temple of Vesta. It was rebuilt in xi. c., 
 and has been so much restored since that it has little 
 of early construction except the walls, into which many 
 Roman fragments are built. It was here that the Council 
 of Aries was held in 314, in which the Donatists were 
 condemned. Amongst the relics of the church are the 
 curious pontificalia of S. Cesaire. The Rue de la Made- 
 leine leads from S. Marie Majeure to the romanesque 
 chapel of La Madeleine (now a granary), of which S. Cesaire 
 was the founder. The ancient Abbaye de S. Cesaire (now a 
 private house) was founded by Cesaria, sister of the Bishop 
 S. Cdsaire, in 5I3. 1 Two chapels, dedicated to S. Jean and 
 S. Blaise, remain from the xi. c. Near the abbey, in the 
 street of the name, is a low house, with a statue of the 
 Virgin on its fagade, called La Maison des Saints, where S. 
 Trophime is supposed to have received SS. Paul and James. 
 The Rue des Penitents Gris now takes us to the Porte 
 d'Aure opening upon the public garden. Close by, cross- 
 ing the Boulevard Victor Hugo, on the E. of the town 
 
 1 See Thierry, Re'cits des Merovingiens. 
 
ALISCAMPS. 
 
 399 
 
 we reach the Champs Elyse'es, now known as the Cemetery 
 of Aliscamps, fortunately remaining almost intact from 
 pagan times, from a belief that when the first bishop of 
 Aries was about to consecrate the old cemetery for Chris- 
 tian burial, Christ Himself appeared and blessed the pagan 
 burial-place. Crossing a little line of railway, we soon 
 
 CEMETERY OF ALISCAMPS. 
 
 find ourselves amid hundreds of empty sarcophagi, for, on 
 the spot where Christ left the marks of His knees, S. 
 Trophime placed a stone altar, now enclosed in the little 
 chapel of La Genouillade (built 1529), and from that time 
 Aliscamps became the coveted burial-place of all Christians. 
 A second chapel, built here by S. Trophime, was dedicated 
 to the still-living Virgin, and bore the inscription ' Sacellum 
 
400 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 dedicatum deiparae adhuc viventi.' Upon the ruins of this 
 chapel, another, dedicated to S. Honorat, was raised in 
 the vi. c., and rebuilt xi. c. A third church, dedicated to 
 SS. Peter and Paul, had been founded at Aliscamps, 
 c. 500, by Asclepius. Thus protected, the corpses buried 
 in the holy cemetery were supposed to be preserved from 
 all attacks of the devil, and, in the XHI. c., interment here 
 became so much sought that it was sufficient to embark a 
 coffin on the Rhone for Aliscamps, with money for the 
 burial, and it arrived at its destination. During the xn. c. the 
 necropolis contained no less than nineteen churches or 
 chapels, served by the monks of S. Victor at Marseilles ; 
 though after the body of S. Trophime was removed to the 
 town in 1152, the glory of Aliscamps began to wane, and 
 its ancient sarcophagi were frequently carried off to distant 
 museums, even to those of Rome. In 1848 the railway 
 destroyed a great part of the cemetery. The finest of the 
 sculptured sarcophagi have been removed to the museum ; 
 of the others, those which remain entire have been ranged 
 along the further part of the avenue which leads to the 
 unfinished church of S. Honorat. 
 
 1 Piena di sepolture e la campagna.' 
 
 Ariosto, ' Orlando Furioso.' 
 
 Near the entrance of this street of tombs is a beautiful 
 arch Arc de S. Cesaire one of the original gates of the 
 cemetery, attached to the chapel of S. Accurse. On the r., 
 beyond the house of the concierge, is a monument to the 
 consuls who died of the plague in 1720. Nearer the 
 church, on 1., is a funeral oratory (xv. c.) of the historic 
 family of the Porcelets, and a little further, part of the walls 
 
ALISCAMPS. 
 
 401 
 
 of the chapel of Notre Dame des Guerres, dating from x. c. 
 A little to N.E., beyond the canal of Craponne, was the 
 Chapelle de la Genouillade, and further N. S. Pierre-des- 
 Mouleyrh, of x. c. or XL c. 1 
 
 At the church, the avenue opens into a green lawn, 
 shaded by;, trees and littered with hundreds of sarcophagi 
 
 ARC DE S. CESAIRE, ALISCAMPS. 
 
 a spot infinitely quiet, touching, and impressive. In the 
 unfinished open nave of the church are also a number 
 of sarcophagi and some gothic tombs against the wall. 
 
 ' Si come ad Arli ove'l Rodano stagna, 
 Fanno i sepolcri tutto '1 loco varo.' 
 
 Dante, ' Inf.,' ix. 112. 
 
 The erection of a factory has recently been permitted here. 
 
 26 
 
402 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The church of S. Honorat has been restored at different 
 times, and in the earliest restoration the nave appears to 
 have been reduced. The principal portal is xn. c. Here 
 Philip Thicknesse (1775) saw the sarcophagi of five saints 
 Genet ; Roland, archbishop of Aries ; Concord ; Dorothy, 
 virgin and martyr; Virgil and Hilaire, archbishops of 
 Aries. 
 
 We have now visited the important sights of Aries, and 
 all that are of general interest. Those who wish to explore 
 the town more thoroughly, may follow the Boulevard Victor 
 Hugo as far as the Rue Plan du Bourg, and there re-enter the 
 town and turn 1. by the Rue des Penitents Blancs, and then 
 r. to visit the oldest church in Aries, that of S. Cesaire (often 
 called Tombeau de S. Cesaire), which has a wide gothic 
 nave and a hexagonal apse. 
 
 The Rue de la Roquette leads hence to the dese- 
 crated church of S. Croix, with a gothic tower. Now 
 the Rue de la Poissonnerie and Rue du Pont lead to the 
 quay, by which we may turn r. to visit the fragments 
 of the Palace of Constantine, which was in turn inhabited 
 by Visigoth, Ostrogoth, and Frankish kings, by the kings 
 of Aries, the emperors of Germany when they came to 
 crown the kings of Aries, and the Comtes de Provence. 
 What we see is a massy apse of stone, with Roman brick 
 insertion. Hence the Rue de la Trouille and Rue Neuve 
 take us back in two minutes to the Place du Forum. 
 
 ' Aries est une tombe, mais la tombe d'un peuple et d'une 
 civilisation, une tombe pareille a celle de ces guerriers barbares 
 avec lesquels on enterrait leur or, leurs armes et leurs dieux; 
 la ville moderne est campee sur un sepulcre, et la terre sur 
 laquelle est dressee sa tente renferme autant de richesses dans 
 
MONTMAJOUR. 
 
 403 
 
 son sein qu'elle offre de pauvrete" et de misere a la surface.' 
 A. Dumas. 
 
 The Musee Reattu, in the Rue du Grand-Prieui d, is 
 a little gallery of unimportant pictures, bequeathed to 
 the town by the daughter of the native artist R&ittu. 
 
 MONTMAJOUR. 
 
 There are many good specimens of renaissance houses 
 in Aries. On the opposite bank of the Rhone, is the 
 suburb of Trinquetaille, the Colonia Paterna of Caesar. 
 
 4k. N.E., the most important of the rocks, which rise from 
 the marshy plain of Trebon, is crowned by the famous abbey of 
 Montmajour (which may be reached by a station on the little 
 
404 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 line of railway to Fontvielle], said to have been founded in the 
 vi. c. and rebuilt in the xi. c. and xn. c. It is one of the most 
 romantically beautiful spots in the south of France, and a 
 paradise for artists. A hill, wooded on one side and precipitous 
 on the other, rises abruptly from the plain, overgrown in part by 
 the curious laburnum, which flowers in the winter, and is said to 
 have been introduced by the Saracens. A concierge will be 
 found in a cottage to the 1. of the high road. The immense 
 romanesque church, entered by a beautiful W. portal, was 
 evidently planned on a still larger scale. The edifice is perfect, 
 and intensely simple, but little of the internal fittings remain, 
 except some of the ancient altars. On the 1. of the nave is a 
 large chamber, and from the 1. transept opens a gothic xiv. c. 
 chapel, founded by one Bertrand, and containing his beautiful 
 tomb. Beneath the church is a vast crypt, of the xi. c., with 
 altars under the different chapels of the apse, a great portion of 
 the walls being hewn out of the solid rock. The xn. c. cloister 
 is one of the most beautiful in the country. At the entrance 
 from the church are two fine gothic tombs, and opening from the 
 cloister is a vast chapter house. 
 
 Near the church rises a noble fortress tower, erected by Pons 
 de 1'Orme in 1369, a grand feature in all distant views of Mont- 
 majour. It was built to defend the S.W., the only point on 
 which the rock was open to attack, at the time when Montmajour 
 was an island, only communicating with Aries by a chaussee. 
 The magnificent buildings of the palatial monastery are now 
 completely ruined, but are grand in their decay. 
 
 Near the further gate, by a relief of S. Peter in the wall, a 
 staircase winds down through rocks and flowering shrubs to the 
 very curious caverned Chapelle de S. Pierre, which is perhaps as 
 early as the vi. c. It is of rude masonry, sustained by arches, 
 with low pillars and very richly wrought capitals, and ends in a 
 miniature apse. On the 1. is a ruder and probably earlier aisle, 
 with remains of an altar. A door by the apse leads to four little 
 chambers, which are supposed to have formed the hermitage of 
 S. Trophime. In the outer, the penitents are supposed to have 
 waited on a bench along the caverned wall. A second tiny room, 
 communicating with the adjoining cell by a window, is believed 
 to have been the confessional of S. Trophime, and the room 
 
MONTMAJOUR. 
 
 405 
 
 within, overhung low by the rock, to have contained his bed : 
 from the little outer gallery the penitents descended, by a way 
 now blocked up. 
 
 On the E. of the abbey is the curious xi. c. Chapelle de 
 S. Croix, a Greek cross, with three apses, built in XL c. by the 
 abbot Rambert. 
 
 ' Une rotonde au centre communique avec trois culs de four 
 dont 1'un est 1'apside et les deux autres tiennent lieu de transept. 
 
 CHAPELLE DE S. CROIX, MONTMAJOUR. 
 
 Une espece de narthex ou de vestibule precede la coupole dont 
 il est s6pare par une porte interieure ; il occupe ainsi la place de 
 la nef. Les voutes et toutes les ouvertures sont cintrees, mais 
 il n'ya aucun ornement a 1'interieur de cette chapelle, si ce n'est 
 quelques moulures legeres.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 In the rock near the chapel, a number of tombs are hewn 
 out, sometimes with a separate hole to fit the head, sometimes 
 for two persons, but all of small dimensions, and with a usual 
 depth of three feet. Local tradition says that these were made 
 for Saracens killed in battle here, but it is more probable that 
 
406 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 they have never been used at all. Inside the chapel, an inscrip- 
 tion in uncial letters describes it as built by Charlemagne in 
 thanksgiving for a victory which he gained over the Saracens 
 near this a very early fraud, as Charlemagne never had any 
 Saracens to fight in this country, notwithstanding which he is 
 chosen as the popular hero, instead of Charles Martel. 
 
 Opposite Montmajour, about I k. distant, rises the rock of 
 Cordes, another of the islets in the marsh, with some remains of 
 an encircling rampart and towers. On the summit, towards 
 the N., is an artificial cavern, entered by an inclined plane, which 
 leads to chambers cut in the rock, supposed to have been used 
 as a treasure- store by Saracens : in the country it is called La 
 Grotte des Fees. 
 
 [At Barbegal, 2 leagues from Aries, are remains of the aque- 
 duct by which the Roman town was supplied.] 
 
 Pleasant little carriages at 12 fr. or 15 fr. a day may be 
 engaged at Aries for a series of excursions of great interest. 
 
 Pedestrians may take the little line of rail from Aries to 
 Fontvieille, famous for its quarries, and walk from thence 
 to (lok.) Les Baux, the Petra of France ; but it is pleasanter to 
 drive thither, passing under Montmajour, which those pressed 
 for time may visit on the way. 
 
 Turning up a gorge in the melancholy limestone hills to the 
 N. (at 1 9k. from Aries), the rock-hewn remains of Les Baux 
 come in sight, hanging, like an eagle's nest, to the rugged 
 mountain side, and so one with it that it is difficult to dis- 
 tinguish which of the strange towers are building and which 
 are natural rock. It is still more difficult to believe now that 
 there was ever a very flourishing city at Les Baux now one 
 of the most utterly deserted as well as one of the most 
 curious places in the S. of France. ' Vieux comme les rochers 
 de Baux ' is a proverb. Founded on the site of a Gaulish town, 
 Les Baux became a refuge from the Saracens, and as early 
 as the x. c. it was one of the most important strongholds in the 
 country. In the xn. c., the lords of Baux possessed seventy- 
 nine towns and castles. They held here one of the famous 
 
LES BAUX. 
 
 407 
 
 1 Courts of Love ' for which Provence was celebrated, and 
 simultaneously or consecutively bore the titles of Princes of 
 Orange, Counts of Provence, Kings of Aries and of Vienne, 
 and Emperors of Constantinople. But from the time when 
 Barral des Baux treacherously sold the republic of Aries, 
 of which he was chief magistrate, to Charles d'Anjou, the 
 fortunes of Baux began to fail, and the town, which once 
 possessed 4,000 inhabitants, to become unpeopled. Now there 
 are? whole streets and nobody to live in them ; churches and 
 
 nobody to pray in them ; hospitals and nobody to be sick 
 in them; cemeteries and nobody to be buried in them. The 
 picturesqueness has been recently a little destroyed by the 
 formation of a new road and the destruction of the curious 
 Aries gate ; still, the spot is indescribably beautiful as well as 
 curious. 
 
 ' Le rocher des Baux est enferme lui-meme dans une espece de 
 cirque, que T se rappelait Dante en derivant les cercles de 1'enfer.' 
 Elisee Reclus. 
 
408 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ' La roche, sur laquelle la ville est construite, est un calcaire 
 tres tendre qui se taille avec facilite, mais se decompose et tombe 
 en efflorescence a 1'air, d'une maniere bizarre, formant ainsi des 
 cavit6s plus ou moins profondes et de 1'aspect le plus varie. Sa 
 mollesse et sa compacit6 ont donne sans doute aux premiers 
 habitans du bourg 1'idee de se tailler une ville dans le roc vif, 
 au lieu d'6lever des maisons et des murailles en entassant pierres 
 sur pierres. L'ancien chateau, dont les restes occupent une 
 partie considerable dans remplacement de la ville, est en grande 
 partie construit, ou plutot travaille de cette maniere. Des tours 
 ont t faites en e~vidant de grands carrs de roc ; les murailles 
 sont des tranches de pierre d'un seul morceau, couples a meme 
 sol qu'on a deblaye" a I'interieur. Un grand nombre de chambres 
 et meme de maisons ont etc pratique"es de la m6me maniere. II 
 est impossible de decrire les ruines 6tranges que forment ces 
 masses enormes en s'eboulant. En general, c'est par la base que 
 manquent d'abord ces tours, ces maisons monolithes ; la couche 
 inferieure de la roche se decomposant plus vite que les superieures, 
 elles tombent tout d'une masse presque sans changer de forme. 
 Une grande tour, dont le soubassement est brise, et qui s'appuie, 
 comme un grand arbre coupe au pied, sur une autre masse de 
 rocher, prsente 1'aspect le plus pittoresque. Dans quelques 
 parties, on reconnait des reparations anciennes, un travail de 
 ma9onnerie par lequel on a consolid6 des tranches de roche qui 
 menafaient mine. 
 
 ' Rien de plus extraordinaire que cette ville qui pourrait 
 contenir au moins six mille ames, et dans laquelle on a peine 
 a trouver un habitant. Beaucoup de maisons ont des faades 
 elegantes dans le style de la renaissance ou du xv. c. siecle ; 
 mais les fenetres sont brisees, les toits a moitie detruits, les 
 portes sans semire. Une demi-douzaine de mendicants com- 
 posent toute la population. J'ai remarque sur un mur cette 
 inscription : Poste aux Lettres. Mais qui peut ecrire aux Baux ? 
 II n'y a pas meme un cabaret. On m'a dit que la plus belle 
 maison de la ville se louerait pour dix francs 1'annee, si on 
 pouvait en decouvrir le proprietaire.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 1 La pauvre ville 1'ancienne cour d'amour de Provence, qui 
 donna des podestats a Aries, des princes a Orange, des stat- 
 
LES BAUX. 409 
 
 bonders a la Haye, et des rois a Amsterdam et a Londres est 
 morte, entierement morte : morte d'abandon, morte d'6puisement, 
 morte de faim, parce qu'une route qui conduisait d'Orgon a 
 Aries, et qui etait 1'artere qui menait le sang a son coeur, s'est 
 e"loigne"e d'elle ou perdue elle-meme quand a commence de 
 s'eteindre la splendeur de la Provence ; et qu'alors tout lui a 
 manque pour vivre, comme a une jeune fille qui vivait par 
 1'amour et dont 1'amour s'est retire. 
 
 1 Alors, peu a peu une partie des habitants, lasse"e de sa 
 solitude, s'est e"loigne"e pour aller habiter Orgon, Tarascon ou 
 Aries ; 1'autre, fidele et religieuse au toit paternel, s'y est eteint 
 dans 1'isolement. Nul n'est venu ni remplacer les exiles ni 
 succeder aux morts, et la cite sans habitants a fini par rester seule 
 debout, ouverte, abandonnee, triste et toute en deuil sur sa route, 
 et pareille a une mendicante qui pleure et demande 1'aumone au 
 bord du chemin. 
 
 ' Nous entrames dans les rues ; portes et fenetres etaient 
 ouvertes. Nous vimes des maisons dont le portail, soutenu 
 par des colonnes de la renaissance, etait de~core d'un ecusson 
 baronial ; nous vimes des hopitaux ou il n'y avait plus ni 
 gardiens ni malades, ni gemissements ni derniers soupirs. Nous 
 vimes un ancien chateau taille dans le roc, sans doute en 
 memoire de ces paroles e~vangeliques ; " Heureux 1'homme 
 qui a bati sa maison sur un rocher ! " Mais le rocher, arrondi 
 en tours, taille en appartements, creuse en poternes, avait 
 manque" sur sa base, et le chateau monolithe etait tombe 
 tout d'une piece, comme si la main d'un geant 1'eut renverse". 
 La seule chose qui se fut conservee a peu pres intacte, c'etait 
 le cimetiere.' Alexandra Dumas. 
 
 On entering the town (Hotel : Monte Carlo tolerable for those 
 who can rough it, and itself very curious with its vaulted salle 
 and old fireplace), we find nothing older than the xn. c., but 
 whole streets of half-ruined renaissance houses. As we ascend, 
 the chief of them, a beautiful sculptured fragment on 1., with the 
 inscription ' Post tenebras lux,' belongs to a Protestant temple 
 of xv. c. Here and there an exquisite vaulted hall appears, open 
 to the air on one side. In front of the xn. c. church is a terrace 
 with a splendid view. The old palace of the Porcelet family 
 
4io 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 close by, is occupied by the Soeurs de S. Joseph. At the end of 
 the street on r. is a vast vaulted rectangular building of great 
 beauty. Hence we reach the open downs, and may turn through 
 masses of ruin, sometimes of rich architecture, sometimes mere 
 massy fragments, to the chateau, the lower halls of which are cut 
 out of the rock. The little vaulted chapel of S. Catherine 
 remains. The view from the summit of the rocky honeycomb is 
 indescribably grand. The Mediterranean glimmers, a long line 
 of silver, beyond thirty miles of billowy purple mountains, in the 
 hollows of which lakes and rivers are shining, and in the fore- 
 
 LES BAUX. 
 
 ground rise masses of the most imposing ruin imaginable turrets, 
 pinnacles, arches, battlements, either hewn out of the rock or built 
 against it ; roofless cellars with fragments of sculptured columns, 
 staircases leading to nothing, open chambers yawning in mid 
 air all weird and fantastic beyond description. 
 
 On a rock below the castle is a curious relief known as Les 
 Trots Maries, supposed to commemorate the visit of the three 
 Marys, who, being repulsed from the town, punished it with a 
 pestilence, during which this relief was carved to propitiate them. 
 It is annually visited by all the inhabitants in procession. A male 
 figure may be discovered amongst the females of the relief, and 
 
LES BAUX. 411 
 
 it is probably a Roman work. On a neighbouring rock is an ille- 
 gible inscription. Amongst the hills on the W. of the town is the 
 Grotte des Fees, described by Mistral in his poem of Mireille. 
 
 ' The Les Baux in their heyday were patterns of feudal nobles. 
 They warred incessantly with the Counts of Provence, archbishops 
 and burghers of Aries, queens of Naples, kings of Arragon ; 
 crusading, pillaging, betraying, spending their substance on the 
 sword and buying it again by deeds of valour or imperial acts of 
 favour, tuning troubadour harps, presiding at courts of love they 
 filled a large page in the history of Southern France. The Les 
 Baux were very superstitious. In the fulness of their prosperity 
 they restricted the number of their dependent towns, or places 
 baussenques, to seventy-nine, because these numbers in com- 
 bination were thought to be of good omen to their house. Berral 
 les Baux, Seigneur of Marseilles, was one day starting on a 
 journey with his whole force to Avignon. He met an old woman 
 herb-gathering at daybreak and said, "Mother, hast thou seen a 
 crow or other bird?" "Yea," answered the crone, "on the 
 trunk of a dead willow." Berral ! counted upon his fingers the 
 day of the year, and turned bridle. With troubadours of name 
 and note they had dealings, but not always to their own advantage, 
 as the following story testifies. When the Baux and Berengers 
 were struggling for the countship of Provence, Raymond Berenger, 
 by his wife's counsel, went, attended by troubadours, to meet the 
 Emperor Frederick at Milan. There he sued for the investiture 
 and ratification of Provence. His troubadours sang and charmed 
 Frederick ; and then the Emperor, for the joy he had in them, 
 wrote his celebrated lines beginning 
 
 " Plas mi cavalier Francez." 
 
 And when Berenger made his request he met with no refusal. 
 Hearing thereof, the lords of Baux came down in wrath with a 
 clangour of armed men. But music had already gained the day ; 
 and where the Phoebus of Provence had shone, the Aeolus of 
 storm-shaken Les Baux was powerless. Again, when Blacas, a 
 knight of Provence, died, the great Sordello chaunted one of his 
 most fiery hymns, bidding the princes of Christendom flock round 
 and eat the heart of their dead lord. " Let Raba.ude des Baux," 
 
412 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 cries the bard, with a sarcasm that is clearly meant, but at this 
 distance unintelligible, " take also a good piece, for she is fair and 
 good and truly virtuous ; let her keep it well who knows so well 
 to husband her own weal." But the poets were not always 
 adverse to the house of Baux. Fouquet, the beautiful and gentle 
 melodist whom Dante placed in paradise, served Adelaisie, wife 
 of Berald, with long service of unhappy love, and wrote upon her 
 death, " The Complaint of Berald des Baux for Adelaisie." 
 Guillaume de Cabestan loved Berangere des Baux, and was so 
 loved by her that she gave him a philtre to drink, whereof he 
 sickened and grew mad. Many more troubadours are cited as 
 having frequented the castle of Les Baux, and among the members 
 of the princely house are several poets. 
 
 ' Some of them were renowned for beauty. We hear of a Cecile, 
 called Passe Rose, because of her exceeding loveliness; also of 
 an unhappy Frai^ois who, after passing eighteen years in prison, 
 yet won the grace and love of Joan of Naples by his charms. 
 But the real temper of this fierce tribe was not shown among 
 troubadours, or in the courts of love and beauty. The stern and 
 barren rock from which they sprang, and the comet of their 
 scutcheon, are the true symbols of their nature. History records 
 no end of their ravages and slaughters. It is a tedious catalogue 
 of blood how one prince put to fire and sword the whole town 
 of Courthezon ; how another was stabbed in prison by his wife ; 
 how a third besieged the castle of his niece, and sought to under- 
 mine her chamber, knowing her the while to be in child-bed ; 
 how a fourth was flayed alive outside the walls of Avignon. 
 There is nothing terrible, splendid, and savage, belonging to 
 feudal history, of which an example may not be found in the 
 annals of Les Baux, as narrated by their chronicler, Jules 
 Canouge.' J. A. Symonds. 
 
 The excursion to Les Baux may be continued to (25 k. from 
 Aries) S. Remy. See p. 390.] 
 
 [On the line from Aries to Nimes is 
 
 1 8k. vS. Gilles, of which the ancient name was Rhoda, whence 
 it has been assumed that the place was a Greek colony, founded 
 by Rhodians. Only a few fragments remain to attest the Roman 
 origin of the place. In the middle-ages it took a name from 
 
5. GILLES. 413 
 
 S. Egidius, who founded its abbey in the vi. c. The town rose to 
 such importance that the Counts of Toulouse called themselves 
 also Comtes de S. Gilles, and the head priory of the Hospitallers 
 of S. John of Jerusalem was here. Raymond VI., Comte de 
 Toulouse, did public penance at S. Gilles in 1 209 for the murder 
 of the legate Pierre de Castelnau, which was imputed to him, and 
 for his leniency to the Albigenses. Here also Guy Foulques 
 was born, who became pope, as Clement IV., from 1265 to 1268. 
 
 The sea has long receded from S. Gilles, which was a seaport 
 in constant use from Phocean times, and, in the xn. c., before the 
 creation of the port of Aigues-Mortes, was the place whence most 
 of the pilgrims for Palestine embarked. 
 
 The Church of S. Gilles is the ne plus ultra of Byzantine art. 
 Planned on a gigantic scale, it was abandoned before it was 
 finished, in consequence probably of the evils of war, of want of 
 funds, and decline of religious fervour. The small existing church 
 stands in the midst of a mass of work begun in the romanesque 
 style. An inscription on the S. wall has the date 1116. Belong- 
 ing to the original structure are the portal ; a portion of the 
 principal nave and the r. aisle of the gothic church ; part of the 
 wall of the 1. aisle and transept ; and some of the substructions 
 of the choir and r. transept. Perhaps to these we may add the 
 base of the great walls and the pillars of the existing church. 
 
 The facade is like a great bas-relief in marble and stone, so 
 entirely is it covered with sculptured friezes, columns, and statues, 
 and imitations of all things vegetable and animal. 
 
 ' This building exhibits the most lavish introduction of antique 
 fragments in its marble columns, with their delicately executed 
 corinthian capitals, connected after the antique fashion by 
 architraves, the latter produced by a broad horizontal band, 
 extending along the whole facade, and forming the headpiece of 
 the door at the three portals. This band in its full extent is 
 treated as an uninterrupted relief frieze, which, in the spirit of 
 antique sarcophagus reliefs, is covered with scenes from the 
 Passion of Christ from the Entry into Jerusalem, which forms 
 the headpiece of the northern portal, to the Resurrection, at the 
 southern portal ; the Last Supper and the Washing of S. Peter's 
 Feet being ingeniously contrived to occupy the broad space above 
 
4H SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the main portal. As the artist required a higher space for the 
 Crucifixion, he introduced this scene in the pediment of the 
 southern portal ; and, corresponding with it, above the northern 
 portal he placed the enthroned Virgin and Child receiving the 
 adoration of the three kings ; while above the main portal appears 
 the representation of the Judge of the World in the midst of the 
 symbols of the Evangelists. Lastly, in the lower compartments 
 of the facade, he introduced the almost life-size statues of the 
 Twelve Apostles in niches, framed by fluted pilasters. While in 
 these the typical and severe element prevails, the small relief 
 representations on the architraves show all the freshness and life 
 of the period ; not, it is true, in the still conventional heads, but 
 in the gestures and attitudes of the figures. Scenes such as the 
 Expulsion of the Buyers and Sellers from the Temple, the 
 Washing of Peter's Feet, the Scourging, and the Bearing of the 
 Cross, are full of dramatic expression.' Liibke. 
 
 ' Ce luxe de la sculpture romano-byzantine excite les plaintes 
 du spiritualisme ascetique. S. Bernard reclame vivement contre 
 ces simulacres bizarres, ces " singes grima^ants, ces centaures 
 furieux," tous ces reves de 1'imagination des artistes qui alterent 
 la severite et troublent en quelque sorte la paix des lieux regu- 
 liers.' Henri Martin, ' Hist, de France' 
 
 The figures on the facade are rude, but very vigorous. Over 
 that of S. Jude is inscribed, ' Brunus me fecit.' The abbot used 
 to administer justice seated between the lions of the portal, 
 whence many charters begin with the formula, ' Domino N. N. 
 sedente inter leones? 
 
 The upper church has lost its beauty by the shortening of the 
 pillars, the erection of feeble segmental arches, and a vaulting of 
 1655 ; the ancient capitals of the pillars have been used a second 
 time. The crypt, which underlies the whole of the nave, is vast 
 and well lighted, its arches, of great span, being supported by 
 massive square fluted pillars. The tomb of S. Gilles, and the 
 Roman cippus which he used as an altar, are preserved here. 
 
 ' Les voutes sont en anse de panier avec de fortes nervures 
 carrees qui se croisent de deux en deux piliers, et dont les 
 angles saillants sont tailles en dents de scie. On remarque le 
 
5. MARIES-DE-LA-CAMARGUE. 415 
 
 meme ornement a 1'autre extremity de l'6glise, dans ce qui reste 
 des arcades du transept gauche. La courbe des voutes en arc 
 tres surbaisse, prouve que cette forme n'e"tait point inconnue dans 
 la pe~riode romane. C'est, avec les arcades du cloitre de Mont- 
 majour, le seul exemple bien authentique que j'ai rencontre".' 
 Prosper Merimee. 
 
 Behind the church, at the intersection of the 1. wall and transept, 
 is the famous Vis de S. Gilles, a newel-staircase, of admirable 
 construction, which gave access to the triforium, its peculiarity 
 consisting in its being covered by a circular vault which curves 
 with the curve of the steps, forming a kind of corkscrew or 
 annular vault S. Giles's screw. 1 Such was the celebrity of 
 the masonry of this staircase, that it was formerly a point of 
 pilgrimage for all workers in stone, and it has given a name to 
 the most elegant type of spiral stair vaulting. 
 
 ' A gauche de la vis, on observe la moitie d'un oeil de boeuf, 
 dont 1'ouverture represente en profil deux cones tronques opposes 
 a leur sommet. Je pense qu'au lieu de fenetres, c'etaient de 
 semblables baies qui devaient eclairer les collateraux. Les 
 claveaux qui entourent cet oeil de boeuf sont composes de pierre 
 de teintes differentes alternant ensemble ; c'est un genre d'orne- 
 mentation tout oriental. Son ouverture est tres petite par rapport 
 a la grandeur des claveaux, qui portent deux moulures concen- 
 triques, 1'une de perles, 1'autre de palmettes, toutes les deux re- 
 marquables comme fidelement imitees de 1'antique. A cote, on 
 voit un chapiteau orne de quatre aigles, une corniche, des 
 retombees d'arceaux d'un style capricieux, mais d'une egale 
 elegance.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 There is a romanesque house at S. Gilles of the same date 
 as the church.] 
 
 [A singular excursion only worth while to ecclesiologists 
 may be made from Aries to (36 k.; carriage, 35fr.) Saintes- Maries - 
 de-la-Mer, the capital of the strange district of La Camargue, a 
 triangular delta, dusty in summer and half submerged in winter. 
 It is situated between the Grand Rhone on the E. and Petit Rhone 
 
 1 Guardian, March 25, 1855. 
 
416 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 on the W., ' les Rhones >morts,' the two branches into which the 
 river divides at Aries. In the northern part it is peopled by great 
 herds of half wild cattle, by manades of the buffaloes intended for 
 the bull-fights of the southern villages,and above 3,000 of the white 
 horses which are said to descend from those left by the Saracens ; 
 but in the southern part it is only occupied by immense plains of 
 rushes extending around La Pichoto mar or Petite mer, the vast 
 Etang de Vaccars or Valcarles, once a bay of the Mediterranean, 
 deriving its present name from the vast herds of cattle which feed 
 on the salt vegetation on its banks. 
 
 'II est tres probable que la re"gion n'etait point jadis aussi 
 malsaine qu'aujourd'hui, car on a trouve" des mines romaines sur 
 les deux rives de l'e~tang de Vaccares, a I'd)., au N., et au S.E., en 
 des regions mare"cageuses presque completement inhabitables de 
 nos jours. Lorsque le Rhone pouvait s'e"pancher librement sur 
 les terres riveraines et les recouvrie d'une mer temporaire, tous les 
 debris corrompus e~taient emporte"s vers la Mediterranee ; et quand 
 les eaux laissaient emerger le sol, elles s'ecoulaient par des canaux 
 qu'elles creusaient elles-memes en renouvelant les terres. Les 
 hautes digues qui defendent actuellement la Camargue centre 
 les invasions du fleuve retiennent 93. et la les eaux en funestes 
 marecages et nuisent en outre beaucoup a 1'agriculture en em- 
 pechant le fleuve d'apporter de nouvelles alluvions. Quand les 
 digues sont rompues, la valeur des pecheries de Tinterieur est 
 decuplee par le soudain assainissement des eaux.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 An excellent road leads to Les Saintes- Maries, between dykes 
 overgrown with white ranunculus, across a plain covered with 
 corn and vines. Here and there we pass a large mas, or farm, 
 often defended by a tower, and with its attendant chapel, grove 
 of trees, and hamlet, often terribly devastated by fever and ague 
 in the hot season. As we near the sea, a long grove of Umbrella 
 pines, salt marshes with their grey, blighted vegetation, and the 
 great church stranded like the castle of the Chigi near the shore, 
 recall the approach to Ostia and Castel-Fusano. Musquitoes 
 hang in clouds above the low tamarisks of the marsh. 
 
 6". Maries (miserable inn, dear ; swarms of musquitoes 
 
MARIES-DE-LA-CAMARGUE. 
 
 417 
 
 very early in the year), formerly situated on an island, was 
 occupied by the Romans. It enjoyed great prosperity in the 
 xv. c. under King Rene", who gave important privileges to the 
 place where Mary, wife of Cleopas, sister of the Virgin ; Mary 
 Salome, mother of James and John ; their servant Sara ; Lazarus, 
 Martha, and Mary Magdalen, are said to have landed in France 
 on their flight from the persecution in Judea. The family of 
 Bethany went further inland, but the two elder Marys are 
 supposed to have remained, and to be buried there. 
 
 LES-SAINTES-MARIES. 
 
 ' Baties sur le bord de la mer les Saintes-Maries ressemble- 
 raient de loin a de simples dunes de sables blanchissant pres des 
 vagues, si 1'antique eglise, qui les domine n'arretait les regards sur 
 ses tours cre~nelees. A la fois phare, temple et citadelle, cette 
 immense eglise semble parler a la terre la grande voix du passe". 
 
 ' Amoureux, comme tous les peuples de 1'Orient, des couleurs 
 vives et crues, les Saintins recouvrent chaque anne"e leurs 
 maisons d'un e"pais badigeon de chaux ; frappee par un soleil 
 ardent, cette 6clatante blancheur se dessine nettement sur le ciel. 
 Les mines branlantes qui entrecoupent de leurs pierres noiratres 
 les demeures modernes ; les rejetons de figuiers et les touffes de 
 salicors qui croissent librement entre les murailles ; les draps de 
 
 27 
 
418 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
 toile qui sont etendus d'une fenetre a 1'autre, au-dessus de chaque 
 rue, pour temperer la chaleur, et qui se balancent dans 1'espace 
 comme de grands eventails ; la somnolence de la ville, dont les 
 maisons silencieuses ressemblent a des tombeaux groupes autour 
 de l'6glise ; les grandes jarres qui, pareilles aux amphores 
 antiques, conservent dans un coin du logis la provision d'eau 
 de la famille ; enfin le morne et severe paysage qui se deroule 
 jusqu'a la mer, donnent a la ville des saintes tout 1'aspect d'une 
 cite africaine. 
 
 1 Assoupie dans la vieille I6gende, muette et decrepite an milieu 
 d'une plaine melancholique et deserte, la capitale de la Camargne 
 
 LES-SAINTES-MARIES FROM THE SOUTH. 
 
 a tout 1'air d'une necropole. Son eglise delabree, dont les murs 
 jaunis semblent planer sur la contree entiere, est bien celle qui 
 convient a la population triste et have de ce pays desole.' 
 Figuier, ' Le Gardien de la Camargue? 
 
 The exceedingly curious church which contains the shrine of 
 the Marys was built in xn. c. on the site of a church destroyed by 
 the Saracens. Its long, vast, single nave is machicolated and 
 battlemented externally. In the apse it contains three sanc- 
 tuaries, one above the other. In the crypt is the tomb of Sara : 
 the apse itself serves as the choir of the church, and above it, in 
 the triforium, are the relics of the Marys. In the centre of the 
 nave is a well, made to supply the defenders of the church with 
 water in case of its being attacked by pirates, to whose ravages 
 
LA CRAU. 419 
 
 the place was especially exposed by its position ; the water of 
 the well is supposed to cure madness. 
 
 The village of S. Maries is most primitive, many of the houses 
 being built of reeds from the marsh. There are delightful sands 
 behind it on the flat shore of the Mediterranean, but the plague 
 of musquitoes is terrific except quite in the winter. 
 
 ( Dans le voisinage de la mer s'etendent les sansottires, anciens 
 fonds marins d'ou 1'eau s'est evapore, ne laissant que des couches 
 salines d6pourvues de toute vegetation ; c'est de~ja le desert. Les 
 hommes, patres, pecheurs, ou douaniers, sont rares dans ces soli- 
 tudes fievreuses ; par contre, nulle contree de la France n'est plus 
 riche en oiseaux d'especes diverses, precisement parce que rhomme 
 ne vient pas les troubler ; nombre d'oiseaux qui e"migrent en 
 Afrique ou qui en reviennent se plaisent dans ces espaces, loin 
 des villes bruyantes ; on y voit meme flamants. Le castor, cet 
 animal que rhomme a fait disparaitre de presque tous les autres 
 pays de 1'Europe, se rencontre aussi dans les digues du petit 
 Rhone, ou Ton n'ose trop la poursuivre, de peur de ruiner la 
 levee. "De macon qu'il etait jadis, le castor s'est fait mineur.'" 
 Elisee Reclus. 
 
 [Artists should make a point of visiting the Pont Flavien, near 
 S. Chamas, between the two trains from Aries to Marseilles.] 
 
 Soon after leaving Aries, the railway enters the vast 
 weird, wind-tormented plain of La Crau, the Campus 
 Lapideus of the Romans, covered with stones. Here 
 Hercules, returning from Iberia, is supposed to have been 
 stopped by the two giants, Albion and Bergion, sons of 
 Neptune, and Jupiter came to his rescue by crushing them 
 with a shower of stones. 
 
 1 Ge"ologiquement parlant, la dispersion de ces cailloux alpins 
 dans le bassin du Rhone est un e"venement recent, consequence 
 de la fusion des glaciers qui comblaient les vallees alpines. A 
 une Spoque chronologiquement tres reculee, mais geologiquement 
 tres moderne, rembouchure du Rhone etait a Aries, et a la place 
 
420 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 occupee par le delta de la Camargue, un golfe penetrait dans 
 1'interieur des terres : il etait limite a 1'E. par la Crau, a TO. par 
 les collines qui s'etendent de Beaucaire a S. Gilles. Depuis cette 
 epoque, le fleuve, changeant de cours et se promenant pour ainsi 
 dire dans le delta qu'il avail cr6e, a comble le golfe, et maintenant 
 ce delta s'avance dans la mer, gagnant continuellement sur elle et 
 depassant les contours du rivage forme par les terrains plus 
 anciens.' C. Martins. 
 
 The phenomena of mirage are often seen in the desert 
 of the Crau. Recently it has been brought under partial 
 cultivation, and the effect of the curious stony plain upon 
 travellers is neutralised by a belt of cypresses planted for 
 many miles along the line. 
 
 7y8k. Salon. The church of S. Laurent contains the 
 tomb of the famous astrologer, Michel de Notredame, 
 called Nostradamus, ob. 1566. The favourite of Catherine 
 de Medicis, he was visited here by Charles IX. His poet- 
 son Cesar erected the bust upon his tomb, inscribed 
 ' Clarissimi ossa Michaelis Nostrodami unius omnium 
 mortalium judicio digni, cujus pene divino calamo, totius 
 orbis, ex astronum inflexu futuri eventus conscriberentur.' 
 Salon formerly stood on the edge of the Crau, now separated 
 from it by richly-cultivated land fertilized by the waters of 
 the Durance, supplied through the Canal de Crapponne, 
 named after its creator, Adam de Crapponne. 
 
 8iok. Miramas. The village, 3k. distant, is built on 
 a rock pierced with caverns and crowned by a ruined 
 castle. 
 
 [For the line from Miramas to Cavaillon see p. 384.] 
 
 [A line diverges from Miramas on the W. side of the vast 
 Etang de Berre, through a saline and marshy district, to 
 
 21 k. Fos, which has a xiv. c. castle on Roman foundations, 
 
CHAMAS 
 
 421 
 
 and a xm. c. church. It is situated on the canal from Aries to 
 Bouc, which almost follows the line of a canal formed by the 
 legions of Marius, 104 A.C., called Fossae Marianae, whence the 
 name of the village. 
 
 26 k. Port-de-Bouc, consisting of the two villages of Bouc or 
 Le Canal, and Le Legue. At the entrance of the port are ramparts 
 by Vauban, and a lighthouse in a tower of xn. c. 
 
 33 k. Martigues (Hotel : du Cours), which originally occupied 
 
 PONT FLAVIEN, S. CHAMAS. 
 
 a little island called BXaovc<H/. Joanna I. of Naples made it into a 
 vicomte, and Henri IV. into a principality. The existing town 
 occupies a number of islets connected by iron bridges, and is con- 
 sidered to be ' la Venise Proven9ale.' The line of the marshes 
 rejoins the main line at Pas-les-Lanciers.] 
 
 81 5k. S. Chamas (Hotel: Artne a clean country inn). 
 The little town is prettily situated under a rocky hill 
 crowned by the chapel of Notre Dame de Misericorde, 
 built after the pestilence of 1720. Passing through the 
 
422 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 town, by the road to Aix, about 2 k. from the station, we 
 find a rocky platform, where the steep bed of the little river 
 Touloubre is crossed by the Pont Flavien, a bridge with a 
 triumphal corinthian arch at either extremity, built with a 
 bequest of one Donnius Flavus by his executors, Donnius 
 Vena and Attius Rufus. The yellow buildings are as fresh 
 as in their first years, and contrast most picturesquely with 
 the grey rocks, partially overhung with ivy. The bridge 
 is seen (on r.) from the railway, after leaving S. Chamas, 
 but such a view gives us no idea of its great beauty and 
 grace. 
 
 829 k. Berre, the most important place on the vast inland 
 lake' r A tang de Berre? 
 
 836 k. Rognac. 
 
 [Hence there is a branch of 26 k. to Aix (see ch. x.), passing 
 7 k. Velaux. To the 1. is Ventabren, with ruins of a palace 
 
 of Queen Joanna. 
 
 1 2 k. Roquefavour^ celebrated for its aqueduct, constructed 
 
 1842-76 by the town of Marseilles, to bring thither the waters 
 
 of the Durance. It crosses the valley upon three ranges of 
 
 round-headed arches separated by buttresses.] 
 
 840 k. Vitrolks, overlooking the Etang de Lion. It 
 occupies the site of Villa Leonis, the town of Lion, which 
 gave a name to the Gulf of Lyons. A fragment of the old 
 castle remains, approached by stairs cut in the rock. 
 
 845 k. Pas-des-Lanciers, whence the line to Martigues 
 diverges E. (see p. 421). On emerging from the Tunnel de 
 la Nerte, the Mediterranean appears on r., and Marseilles, 
 overlooked by its Chapelle de la Garde, and its islands of 
 the Chateau dTf, the rocky Pomegue and Ratonneau, are 
 seen in the distance. 
 
MARSEILLES. 423 
 
 1 En parvenant aux derrieres hauteurs qui dominent Marseille, 
 on est saisi subitement d'un spectacle magnifique, qui, enflammant 
 Joseph Vernet, lui re~vela son ge~nie et sa vocation. Deux grandes 
 chaines de rochers s'entr'ouvrent, embrassent un vaste espace, 
 et, se prolongeant dans la mer, viennent expirer tres-avant dans 
 les flots. Marseille est enferme"e dans cette enceinte. Lorsque, 
 arrivant du Nord, on parvient sur la premiere chaine, on 
 apperoit tout a coup ce bassin immense ; son etendue, son 
 eblouissante -clarte vous saisissent d'abord. Bientot apres on 
 est frappe de la forme du sol et de sa singuliere vegetation. II 
 faut renoncer ici aux croupes arrondies, a la parure si riche et 
 si verdoyante des bords de la Saone et de la Garonne. Une 
 masse immense de calcaire gris et azure forme la premiere 
 enceinte ; sur chaque hauteur s'elevent des bouquets de pins 
 d'ltalie qui forment d'elegants parasols d'un vert sombre et 
 presque noir. Des oliviers au vert pale, a la taille moyenne, 
 descendent le long des coteaux et contrastent, par leur petite 
 masse arrondie, avec la stature elancee et le superbe dome des 
 pins. A leurs pieds croit une vegetation basse, epaisse et 
 grisatre. C'est la sauge piquante et le thym odorant, qui, 
 foules sous les pieds, repandent un parfum si doux et si fort. 
 
 1 Au centre du bassin, Marseille, presque cachee par un coteau 
 long et fuyant, se montre de profil, et sa silhouette, tantot cachee 
 dans la vapeur, tantot apparaissant entre les ondulations du sol, 
 vient se terminer dans 1'azur des mers par la belle tour de Saint 
 Jean. Au couchant, enfin, s'etend la Mediterranee, qui pousse 
 dans les terres des lames argentees. La Mediterranee, avec les 
 iles de Pomegue et de Ratonneau, avec ses flots calmes ou agites, 
 eclatants ou sombres, et son horizon immense ou 1'oeil revient et 
 erre sans cesse en decrivant des arcs de cercle eternels.' Thiirs, 
 1 Le Midi de la France! 
 
 The hill sides are all sprinkled with cottage-villas, called 
 bastideS) before reaching 
 863 k. Marseilles. 
 
 (Omnibus : those of Hotels du Louvre, de Noailles, de 
 Marseille, and des Colonies, I fr. 50 c. ; the others, I fr. 
 
 Carriages with two places, I fr. 25 c. by day, and I fr. 50 c. 
 
424 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 by night for the course ; 2 fr. 50 c. the hour. With four places, 
 i fr. 75 c. by day, and 2 fr. by night the course ; 2 fr. 75 c. by 
 day, and 3 fr. 50 c. by night, the hour. Each package, 25 c. 
 
 Hotels : de Noailles, 24 Rue de Noailles : de Marseille, 28 Rue 
 de Noailles ; du Louvre et de la Paix, Cannebiere prolongee these 
 are the three leading hotels in Marseilles, all sumptuous and 
 expensive; des Colonies, 15 Rue Vacon (close to the Cannebiere), 
 is old-fashioned, and very clean and comfortable ; du Petit-Louvre, 
 1 6 Rue Cannebiere ; de VUnivers, i Rue du Jeune Anacharsis. 
 
 Post Office, 53 Rue Grignan.] 
 
 A drive of two or three hours will usually be considered 
 quite enough to give an impression of Marseilles the 
 metropolis of the Mediterranean shore. The town has few 
 objects of interest. No one would linger here for pleasure. 
 The air is clear and the climate dry ; but Marseilles is unen- 
 durable wben the mistral blows the terrible wind, to which 
 the ancient inhabitants erected altars, as to a savage divinity. 
 Marseille a livre au mistral le dernier grain de sa poussiere,' 
 says Mery. It is not, however, entirely unwelcome, as it 
 purifies the air, and drives away the fevers engendered 
 by the dirtiness of the streets in this and in many other 
 southern towns. 
 
 The city is divided by two great arteries under varying 
 names, and its most central point may be said to be the 
 Rue Cannebiere, which, with its continuation of the Rue 
 de Noailles, is the handsomest street in Marseilles, and the 
 principal street leading to the old port. To the N. of this 
 is the old town, in which the principal artery is the modern 
 Rue de la Re"publique, whilst to many of its narrow tortuous 
 older streets a description of the last century may still be 
 applied. 
 
 'On risque d'etre convert d'ordures dans les rues etroites, 
 
MARSEILLES. 425 
 
 mal pavees et fort sales. Faute de commodite's, on jette tout 
 par les fenetres, sans autre avertissement que le mot : Passeres, 
 qui arrive souvent trop tard.' ' Voyage du Pere Labat } 1709.' 
 
 The Latin name of the town was Massilia ; the Proven9als 
 of the middle-ages called it Marsillo. It is believed to have 
 been of Phocean origin. 
 
 ' L'an 600 avant J. C., im vaisseau, parti de la ville ionienne 
 de Phoce"e, jeta 1'ancre dans un golfe de la cote gallo-ligurienne, 
 a Test des bouches du Rhone. Ces rivages appartenaient aux 
 Segobriges, un des clans gaulois qui s'e"taient maintenus dans le 
 pays depuis l'e~tablissement des Ligures. Nann, chef ou roi des 
 Segobriges, mariait ce jour-la sa fille ; il fit aux Strangers un 
 accueil hospitalier, et les invita au festin. Suivant le coutume 
 de ces peuples, la jeune vierge choisissait librement un 6poux 
 entre ses pre"tendants reunis autour de la table de son pere. 
 Sur la fin du repas, d'apres 1'usage, la fille de Nann parait, une 
 coupe a la main ; elle promene ses regards sur I'assembl6e, 
 s'arrete en face du chef des Grecs et lui tend la coupe. 
 
 ' Nann crut reconnaitre, dans le choix de sa fille, 1'ordre des 
 puissances celestes ; il salua son hote comme son gendre, et lui 
 donna pour dot la plage ou les Grecs avaient pris terre. L'heureux 
 voyageur construisit sur une petite presqu'ile du golfe une ville 
 qu'il appela Massalie.' Henri Martin, ( Hist, de France' 
 
 The early Marseilles was a republic governed by a council 
 of fifteen. Having risen to great power and importance, 
 it assisted the Romans to destroy Carthage and conquer 
 Liguria. But, having taken part with Pompey, it underwent 
 a terrible siege from Caesar, who destroyed its fortifications, 
 deprived it of its colonies, and occupied it by a Roman 
 garrison. The town early received Christianity, some say 
 from Lazarus of Bethany, others from S. Victor, martyred 
 c. 288. Ravaged by Visigoths, Burgundians, Saracens, and 
 pirates, the x. c. found it almost in ruins; but in 1112 it re- 
 
426 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 constituted itself a republic, with the exception of the ' ville 
 haute,' which was ruled by the bishop, and the faubourg 
 governed by the abbot of S. Victor. Thus, in the middle- 
 ages, there were three separate towns. In 1256 they were 
 taken by Charles d'Anjou, in 1423 by Alphonso of Arragon; 
 but in 1524 the courage and devotion of its women saved 
 it when it was besieged by the Connetable de Bourbon. 
 Under Louis XIV. it was united to France. 
 
 The custom prevailed here till recently of parading an 
 ox with a little John Baptist through the streets three days 
 before the Fete Dieu. Nurses used to make their children 
 kiss the muzzle of the ox to preserve them from toothache. 
 
 The Cannebiere takes its name from rope-walks, 
 (Latin, cannabis ; Proven9al, cannebe). At its entrance 
 is the Bourse, built 1852-60, from designs of Costa. 'Si 
 Paris avait la Cannebiere,' say the natives, ' Paris serait un 
 petit Marseille.' 
 
 Those who spend a single day at Marseilles may (in the 
 morning) take a carriage or the tramway cars (10 c.), marked 
 ' Longchamp,' from the Bourse or Cannebiere, by the hand- 
 some Rue de Noailles, and the Alice de Meilhan, planted 
 with plane trees. On the 1. we see the Cours Belsunce, com- 
 memorating Monsignor de Belsunce, a bishop who nobly 
 devoted himself to the people during the plague of Oct. 
 1721. His statue, by Ramus, stands on the sjx>t where, 
 with bare feet, and a cord round his neck, he celebrated 
 mass when the danger was at its height. The Cours ends 
 in the Arc .de Triomphe, built 1825-32, in honour of the 
 conquerors of Trocadero. 
 
 The modern Church of S. Vincent de Paul is from 
 designs of the Abbe Pouguet. It is a noble Latin cross, 
 
MARSEILLES. 427 
 
 with lofty aisles and chapels beyond them. The windows 
 of the clerestory are filled with stained glass. 
 
 Here the Longchamp tramway may be taken again by 
 the Cours du Chapitre and the Boulevard de Longchamp 
 to the splendid Palais des Arts, built since 1860, from 
 designs of the native architect, Henri Esperandieu. The 
 waters of the Durance are made to fall between great bulls 
 below a group of statuary in the central pavilion, which is 
 connected by open semi-circular porticoes with two vast 
 wings containing the museums. The parapet is feeble 
 and the details are insignificant, but the rush of water over 
 artificial rocks between masses of evergreens is magnificent, 
 almost as fine as the fountain of Trevi before the change 
 of government of Rome, and far finer than it is now. The 
 Palais du Trocadero, at Paris, is a very feeble imitation of 
 this building. The Musee des Beaux Arts, open daily from 
 8 to 12, and 2 to 6, except Mondays and Fridays, con- 
 tains one of the best provincial collections in France, 
 though it has such noble halls as are worthy of still better 
 contents. The pictures are named, but not arranged in the 
 order of their numbers. The lower halls are devoted to the 
 French school. The central hall on the first floor contains 
 works of the old masters, and some by native artists ; 
 we may notice, when we meet with them : 
 
 52. Fran$oise Duparc. La Vieille. 
 
 54. F, Duparc. La Tricoteuse a very charming picture. 
 
 133. Nattier. Mme. de Pompadou^as Aurora. 
 
 166-171. Pictures of merit by the native artist, Pierre Puget. 
 
 237. Tocque. Le Comte de S. Florentin. 
 
 238. Domenico Feti. The Guardian Angel. 
 
 *33i. Perugino. La Famille de la Vierge the best picture 
 in the collection. The Virgin and Child are throned 
 
428 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 with S. Anne behind them. At the sides are SS. 
 Mary Cleopas, Mary Salome, Joachim and Joseph, 
 with six lovely children. 
 336. Zurbaran. A Franciscan Monk. 
 *39/. Rubens. Boar Hunt. 
 
 In the opposite wing are the Collections of Natural 
 History (open on Sundays and Thursdays to the public, 
 daily to strangers). They are admirably arranged. Perhaps 
 owing to the position of Marseilles, the collection of 
 conchology is unusually perfect. From the colonnades 
 of the Palace is a fine view, Notre Dame de la Garde 
 on its rugged hill rising above the houses. Behind, is a 
 public garden, opening on the r. to the charming Zoological 
 Gardens (i fr.) with pleasant mountain views. 
 
 It will be best to take the tram back to the Cannebiere, 
 and one of the open omnibuses to La Joliette. Here, close 
 to the docks, we see a huge mosque rising, which seems 
 to have been imported direct from Constantinople. This 
 is the modern Cathedral, nobly placed on a platform 
 overlooking the port with its piers. It is built of alternate 
 courses of white and pale green stone. The vast interior 
 is even more like a mosque, with its yellow and red marble 
 walls, its grey, black, and dark-red pillars, and its white 
 marble cornices, balustrades, and capitals. The original 
 architect of the cathedral was Leon Vaudoyer, upon whose 
 death, in 1872, the work was entrusted to his pupil, 
 Esperandieu, and when he died, two years after, to M. 
 Revoil. The first stone was laid by the Prince President 
 in 1852, though the work was not actually begun till 1858. 
 Since then it has progressed very slowly. The cost has 
 already amounted to twelve million francs, and two million 
 
MARSEILLES. 429 
 
 more will be required to complete the work, without 
 counting the cost of furnishing, and an additional four 
 hundred thousand for the sacristies. A fragment of the 
 old cathedral of La Major (S. Marie Majeure) still exists 
 (1890) on the N., but will be destroyed whenever the 
 new edifice is finished. Here, and in other old churches 
 of Marseilles, the Passion was played with marionnettes 
 till 1760. 
 
 The Rue de la Cathe'drale leads to Place de Lenche, 
 containing a mansion which belonged to the family of 
 MirabeaU, and where Louis XIV. and Anne of Austria 
 stayed. Those who wish to see something of the old town 
 may return towards the Cannebiere by the Rue Caisserie 
 and Grande Rue, which will take them under the Hotel 
 Dieu, or they may take an airier way by the W. side 
 of the Vieux Port. 
 
 ( Le port est une de ces choses qu'on ne trouve que la.' 
 Charles de Brasses^ 1739. 
 
 The bodies of the Mameluks, pensioners of Napoleon I., 
 so cruelly murdered by the Marseillais, after the second 
 fall of the Emperor, for having presumed to rejoice over 
 his return from Elba, were thrown into this port. 
 
 In the afternoon 1 we may turn by the Quai du Rive 
 Neuve along the E. side of the Port, to where, opposite 
 the Bassin de Carenage, a long staircase leads up to a 
 terrace, on which rise, like a fortress, the black, massive, 
 castellated towers of the curious old Church of S. Victor, 
 remnant of the famous abbey, founded by S. Cassien, 
 in 410, destroyed by the Saracens, rebuilt 1040, again 
 
 1 An omnibus runs from the Bourse to Notre Dame de la Garde, passing 
 very near S, Victor, 
 
430 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 destroyed, and finally rebuilt 1200-79, an d fortified by 
 Urban V., in 1350, of which date is the existing tower. 
 In the catacombs of S. Victor it is said that S. Lazarus 
 lived, and that S. Victor is buried with his companions in 
 martyrdom. The crypt, belonging to the earliest church 
 on the site, communicates with a number of galleries and 
 
 S. VICTOR, MARSEILLES. 
 
 chapels cut in the rock, and once contained many early 
 Christian tombs, now absurdly removed to the Museum. 
 Urban V. was abbot of S. Victor before he was pope. 
 
 The Rue d'Andoune and Boulevard Tellene lead up 
 from S. Victor to the bare rocky hill a noble position 
 ill occupied by the ugly pilgrimage church of Notre Dame 
 de la Garde, rebuilt 1864, on the site of an old chapel 
 
MARSEILLES. 43' 
 
 of 1214, and filled with ex-votos. The view is exquisite 
 over the town and sea. 
 
 ' Notre Dame de la Garde est a la fois un fort et une eglise. 
 Le fort est en grand mepris parmi les inge"nieurs. L'eglise est en 
 grande veneration parmi les marins. 
 
 ' II resulte de cette veneration dans laquelle est demeuree 
 1'eglise, et de ce discredit ou est tombe" le fort, que celui-ci n'a 
 plus aujourd'hui que des madones pour ouvrages avances, et des 
 penitents pour garnison. II est vrai que, si Ton s'en rapporte a 
 la quantite Sex-voto suspendus dans sa chapelle, il y a pen de 
 vierges aussi miraculeuses que Notre-Dame de la Garde : aussi 
 est-ce a elle que tous les mariniers proven9aux ont recours dans 
 1'orage ; et, le beau temps arrive, selon que la tempete a ete 
 plus ou moins terrible, ou que le votant a eu plus ou moins peur, 
 le pelerin lui apporte, pieds nus, en marchant sur ses genoux, 
 \ex-voto qn'il lui a promis. Une fois le voeu fait, il est au reste 
 religieusement accompli ; il n'y a peut-etre pas d'exemple qu'un 
 marin, si pauvre qu'il soit, ait manque a sa promesse. La seule 
 chose qu'il se permette peut-etre, c'est, quand il n'a pas designe 
 positivement la matiere, de donner de 1'etain pour de 1'argent et 
 du cuivre pour de Tor.' Alexandre Dumas. 
 
 The handsome promenade of Le Prado may be visited 
 after the descent. Here, in the Chateau Bore'ly, is the 
 Musee des Antiques, containing a vast number of Roman 
 and other antiquities, including the iv. c. high-altar of 
 S. Victor, which had a much greater interest whilst left 
 in the church. 
 
 The Promenade de la Corniche, following the shore for 
 a distance of 7 k., abounds in beautiful views. 
 
 An excursion may be made by boat to the Chateau d'lf, 
 the state-prison built by Frangois I. The chamber is 
 shown where Mirabeau was imprisoned by order of his 
 father. At 3 k. are the dreary isles of Pomergue and 
 
432 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Ratonneau. The Ik de Planter, with its lighthouse, is 
 seen in the far distance. 
 
 Omnibuses (50 c.) leave the Cours Belsunce for the 
 suburb of Les Aygalades. The road passes the xvm. c. 
 Chateau de S. Joseph, once inhabited by Charles IV. of 
 Spain, now a Pensionnat of the Sacre-Coeur. The Chateau 
 des Aygalades, built by the Mare"chal de Villars, was for 
 some years the residence of Barras. Near the village is 
 a hermitage once inhabited by monks of Mount Carmel, 
 who came from Palestine in the xin. c. At the entrance 
 of the village is a (restored) bastide which belonged to 
 King Rend 
 
 Artists will go to paint the beautiful view of Marseilles 
 and its islands near the station of S. Antoine, lok. on the 
 way to Aix. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LYON TO NIMES AND THE SOUTH BY THE LINES ON 
 THE WEST BANK OF THE RHONE. IN ARDECHE 
 AND GARD. 
 
 AFTER leaving Lyon and emerging from the tunnel 
 of Givors the line runs between the river and the 
 hills, passing through S. Romain-en-Gal, with a church 
 founded by S. Barnard, archbishop of Vienne in ix. c., a 
 house of the knights of S. John of Jerusalem, and the 
 substructions of the Roman palace where the Emperor 
 Valentinian II. was strangled in 392. 
 
 575 k. (from Paris) S. Colombe, which takes its name 
 from a Benedictine abbey founded c. vm. c. The town 
 communicates by a suspension bridge with Vienne (ch. 
 viii.). Philippe de Valois surrounded it with walls and built 
 the square tower which still remains. The Convent of 
 Cordeliers, upon which the existing church depended, was 
 inhabited by Philippe le Bel and his court during the 
 council of Vienne in 1312, which abolished the order of 
 the Templars. 
 
 23 k. W. is Pelussin, with two romanesque churches and a 
 XV. c. house. Hence the road leads by the base of Mont Pilat to 
 (93 k.) Yssingeaux (see p. 264). 
 
 28 
 
434 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 551 k. Ampuis, where numerous Roman fragments have 
 been found. 
 
 556k. Condrieu, with a ruined castle and restored church 
 of xni. c. Opposite the latter is a xv. c. Maison de la 
 Gabelle. 
 
 562 k. Chavanay, with an old castle. There is a dili- 
 gence hence to (6 k.) PSJusstn, whence the Mont ^Y/atf (1,434 
 met.), the highest point of the Cevennes at their northern 
 extremity may be ascended. It is about 2^ hrs. to the 
 summit of the Pic des Trot's Dents , on the S. side of which 
 is the Pilgrimage Chapel of S. Sabin. As Northumbrian 
 peasants look to Cheviot, so those of the Loire and Rhone 
 look to Pilat, to see if he wears his cap of rain and mist. 
 From the highest point, whence the Furens flows to the 
 Loire, and the Gier to the Rhone, is one of the grandest 
 views from Mont Blanc to Cantal which is to be found 
 in France. 
 
 [A road of 29 k. leads from Chavanay by Pelussin to Bourg- 
 Argental, where the (restored) church retains a magnificent and 
 richly sculptured portal of xi. c.] 
 
 573 k. Serrieres. 
 
 A mountain road leads hence by (6 k.) Peaugres, with an 
 abbey of Celestins, founded 1538, to(i4k.) Annonay. 
 
 575 k. Peyraud. 
 
 A station common to the branch line from S. Rambert to 
 Annonay, one of the most prosperous manufacturing towns of 
 the Ardeche. The principal church, of Notre Dame, is of xvm. c. 
 A pyramid, in the Place des Cordeliers, marks the spot where the 
 brothers Montgolfier, sons of a paper manufacturer of Annonay, 
 sent up the first balloon, June 5, 1783. 
 
TOURNON. 435 
 
 The line passes to 1. the romanesque church of Cham- 
 pagne^ which belonged to a Benedictine abbey, and is 
 partly constructed from remains of a temple of Bacchus, 
 as is evident from numerous sculptures encrusted in the 
 walls. 
 
 590 k. (between Sarras and Vion), the line crosses the 
 torrent d? Yzerand, A path on the r. leads to the ancient 
 Chateau d* Yzerand, ruined by the Huguenots. 
 
 603 k. Tournon (Hotel : Monnef), communicating with 
 Tain by a suspension bridge. The Chateau (with fortified 
 mills upon the Rhone) is now occupied by an hotel de ville 
 and prison : it belonged in turn to the families of Tour- 
 non (extinct 1644), Montmorency, Ventadour, and Rohan 
 Soubise, which possessed the lordship of the town till the 
 Revolution. The collegiate church of S. Julien is xm. c. 
 and xiv. c. The Lycee, founded by Cardinal de Tournon, a 
 native of the town, in 1542, is one of the most celebrated 
 colleges in France : the portal bears the arms of the 
 founder. The buildings are mostly renaissance ; the chapel 
 is of 1721. One of the two suspension bridges is the earliest 
 of the kind constructed in France. 
 
 [A road leads across the Ardeche from Tournon to Le Puy by 
 (28 k.) Lamastre ; (36 k.) Desaignes, which has two old gateways 
 and a Protestant temple, built (1822) on the ruins of a Roman 
 temple, of which the part of the walls remains ; and (44 k.) 6*. 
 Agreve, founded on the side of Mont-Chiniac upon the spot where 
 S. Agreve, bishop of Puy, was martyred in vn. c.] 
 
 607 k. Mauves, near which Bituit, king of the Arvernes, 
 .crossed the Rhone on a bridge of piles, to meet the Roman 
 army under Fabius, by whom he was totally defeated, with 
 a loss of 120,000 men. The line passes under the castle 
 
43 6 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of Chateaubourg, then leaves the river far to the 1. before 
 reaching 
 
 617 k. ,S. Peray, at the meeting of the Mialan and 
 Merdary ; opposite Valence, which is seen across the river 
 and plain thoroughly Italian in character. On the r., on 
 a tremendous precipice, rise the grand remains of the 
 Castle of Crussol) of vast size, and now utterly deserted 
 
 CRUSSOL, FROM S. PERAY. 
 
 and ruined. As the chief place of a barony, it belonged 
 to the family of Crussol (originally Bastet) which (though 
 their chief, Antoine, was created Due d'Uzes by Catherine 
 de Medicis) were strong upholders in the south of the 
 Protestant cause, for which Galiot de Crussol perished in 
 the massacre of S. Bartholomew. Its donjon tower, with 
 two broken gables, is known as les Comes de Crussol, and 
 is a great feature in the view from Valence. 
 
PRIVAS. 437 
 
 623 k. Soyons, overlooked by the ruin called La Tour 
 Maudite. Several caves near this, containing fossil bones, 
 were opened in 1872. Soft delicate mountain distances are 
 seen beyond the river. 
 
 627 k. Charmes, has a ruined castle, with low, crumbling 
 towers. 
 
 632 k. BeauchasteL 3 k. S.W. is S. Laurent-du-Pape, 
 so called because Pascal II. slept there in 1107. Beyond 
 this, on a rock, with a wide view, is the striking ruined 
 castle of Pierre-Gourde. After crossing the Eyrieu, the line 
 crosses a plain known as the Camp d'Annibal, from a tradi- 
 tion that a Carthaginian army was stopped there before 
 crossing the Rhone. 
 
 636 k. Lavoulte (Hotel : Marcellin\ a rugged mass of 
 brown and red buildings and grey rocks, standing out 
 against the most delicate of mountain distances. The 
 castle belonged first to the family of Levis, then to that 
 of Rohan : the chapel is rich in renaissance ornament. 
 3 k. S.W. are the baths of Celles-les-Bains. 
 
 [A road leads W. across the Ardeche to Retournac by (31 k.) 
 Jonac, 4 k. E. of which is Chalen^on, a mediaeval town, with an 
 old 'gateway, on Roman constructions.] 
 
 [A line, beginning at Livron (see p. 339), on the E. bank of 
 the Rhone, leads hence to (27 k.) Privas (Hotel : du Louvre)^ the 
 capital of Ardeche, situated at the meeting of the Ouveze, Chaza- 
 lon, and Mezayon. Once the capital of the Boutieres, Privas was 
 a fief of the houses of Valentinois and S. Vallier. In the xvi. c. it 
 was one of the strongest places in the Vivarais, and was one of 
 the great strongholds of the Protestants. The Protestant chief 
 Montbrun courageously defended Privas in May 1629 against 
 the army of Louis XIII. and Richelieu, but the town was even- 
 tually taken and burnt, and the garrison massacred. The king 
 
438 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 forbade any one henceforth to inhabit the accursed site, but an act 
 of treachery shown by the inhabitants to their own lord induced 
 him to retract the prohibition. The town contains several old 
 houses, but has no buildings of real interest.] 
 
 642 k. Le Pouzin^ on the site of a Roman town, of which 
 many traces have been found. The place suffered much in 
 the Protestant wars. It has now a great iron foundry. 
 
 653 k. Cruas, a picturesque place, overlooked by the 
 ruins of an Abbey, founded in ix. c., and appearing -like a 
 miniature walled town hanging on the mountain slope. Near 
 the entrance of the fine romanesque church is the XL c. 
 tomb of Adhe'mar de Poitiers-Valentinois. In the apse is 
 a mosaic of XL c., representing Enoch and Elijah. Part of 
 the abbey-cloister of xm. c. remains, and a romanesque 
 crypt. In the principal street is a milliary column. Here a 
 few olives appear ; box clothes the higher hills. 
 
 An excursion may be made from Cruas to the picturesque 
 Chateau de Pampelonne, on the summit of a volcanic rock. 
 
 662 k. Rochemaure, under striking basaltic rocks, 
 columnar and black, stained with golden lichen, which 
 bear the ruins of a castle of the house of Adhemar, 
 demolished by Louis XIII. 
 
 2 k. W. is the partly-ruined chapel of S. Laurent, which bears 
 over the door a curious Latin inscription of x. c., which may be 
 read in different ways. Near this is the curious volcanic moun- 
 tain of Chenavari, of which the colossal basaltic summit is known 
 as Le Pave des Geants. 
 
 666 k. Le Teil (opposite Montelimar : Buffet), famous 
 for its limestone quarries. 
 
AUBENAS. 439 
 
 A second line to Nfmes diverges at Le Teil so as to 
 serve the S.E. of Ardeche and the centre of Gard, passing 
 (on 1.) the curious romanesque church of Melas, before 
 reaching 
 
 675k. Aubignas. i| k. 1. is Aps, on the site of Alba 
 Augusta, the capital of the Helvii. It was once the 
 site of a bishopric, transferred to Viviers. Little now 
 remains but its ruined xv. c. castle. 
 
 682 k. S. Jean-le-Centenier, in the neighbourhood of 
 which are the curious basaltic Rampes de Montbrul, five 
 terraces of lava on the side of the volcanic mountain 
 called Les Balmes de Montbrul. 
 
 688 k. Villeneuve-le-Berg. The town, 4 k. S.W. (Hotel : 
 d* Olivier de Serres) has a street, a statue, and the house 
 where he was born to commemorate Olivier de Serres, 
 who introduced the cultivation of the mulberry into France 
 in the time of Henri IV. 
 
 694 k. Vogue- Vats, with a suspension bridge over the 
 Ardeche, and a ruined castle with four dwarfed towers. 
 
 [A branch line from Vogue" leads N. to 
 
 10 k. Aubenas. The town, on a hill above the railway, owes 
 its foundation to the destruction of Alba Augusta by the 
 Vandals. It was the first city of the Vivarais to declare for the 
 Reform, and is now a flourishing manufacturing town. The 
 Chateau Neuf, begun xni. c. by the Montlaur and finished xvi. c. 
 by the Ornano, then bought by the Comte de Vogue", who 
 possessed it till the Revolution, contains the public offices. The 
 church has a xv. c. tower. In the sacristy is the tomb of the 
 Marchal d'Ornano, imprisoned at Vincennes by Richelieu, and 
 put to death in his cell : the white marble statues of the 
 marshal and his wife were mutilated at the Revolution. The 
 Petit Seminaire, of xvn. c., has a remarkable chapel. On the 
 promenade of Plan de 1'Airette is a statue of Olivier de Serres 
 
440 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 by Bailly On the neighbouring Rocher de Justre are remains of 
 a Gaulish oppidum and Roman camp. 
 
 15 k. Vals - les -Bains- la -Begude. jk. is Vals-les- Bains 
 (Hotels: Grand des Bains ; deT Europe; du Louvre ; de Paris, 
 etc.), a mineral place of great repute, in a charming situation 
 overlooked by a castle, ruined by Due de Montmorency in 1627. 
 Pleasant drives may be taken to (7 k. ; carriage, 8 fr.) Antraigues- 
 sur- Volans, a very striking and picturesque place, on a basaltic 
 rock, whither there is a great pilgrimage every i6th August, in 
 honour of S. Roch ; to (14 k. ; carriage, 25 fr.) Neyrac-les-Bains, 
 in an interesting volcanic district; and (i6k.) Thueyts, to visit 
 the extraordinary basaltic Pave des Geants. 
 
 ' Le village de Thueyts est bad, comme celui de Jaujac, sur 
 un fleuve de lave solidifiee, dont la falaise terminale, erodee par 
 les eaux, forme aussi une majesteuse colonnade basaltique de 
 50 metres de hauteur et d'environ 2,500 metres de longueur, 
 faisant face aux escarpements de granit de la rive opposee. 
 Attenant au volcan de Thueyts est celui que les paysans 
 designent sous le nom de Gravenne de Montpezat, et dont le 
 cone, d'une grande regularite, a verse dans la vallee une nappe 
 qui depuis a ete decoupee par les eaux en falaises et en pro- 
 montoires colonnaires d'un aspect superbe ; en maints endroits, 
 les coupures faites par 1'Ardeche et ses affluents ont entame, 
 au-dessous du basalte, des lits de cailloux roules et le granit 
 sous-jacent. Au nord-est, pres du village de Burzet, le torrent 
 du me'me nom ne s'est point ouvert une avenue de colonnes 
 dans les coulees de basalte, mais il a nivele la surface de la 
 roche, de maniere a en former un " Pave des Grants ; " non 
 moins beau que celui de 1'Irlande.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 1 9k. Prades, in a curious bason of the volcanic hills.] 
 
 700 k. Balazuc, of which the lords long ruled the Bas 
 Vivarais. The castle is on a limestone rock ; there is an- 
 other castle, of xvi. c., on a lower hill. 
 
 707 k. Ruoms- Vallon. Ruoms retains its ancient forti- 
 fications and many mansions of xm. c. and xiv. c. 
 
PONT DE LARC. 
 
 441 
 
 There is an omnibus from the station to (9 k.) Vallon, where 
 a boat may be taken for the descent of the Ardeche. It is 
 7 hrs. to S. Martin de 1'Ardeche. The rocks are often very 
 picturesque and curious. At I hr. is the famous Pont de VArc, 
 a natural tunnel, where the river passes through the Roche dc 
 Moine under a natural arch of great width and loftiness. 
 
 'L' Ardeche, qui s'e"le"ve dans ses grandes crues de 21 et 22 
 
 PONT DE LARC. 
 
 metres au-dessus de 1'etiage, a fait merveille. A cote d'un ancien 
 lit circulaire, qu'elle emplit encore partiellement pendant ses 
 inondations, elle a fore" une muraille de roches par un portail 
 gigantesque de 54 metres d'ouverture. Ce pont, qui surmontait 
 jadis une tour de defense, est la curiosite la plus remarquable 
 de cette valle~e de 1'Ardeche, peu visite~e d'ailleurs, quoique si 
 Strange et si pittoresque, du cote des sources par ses colonnades 
 basaltiques, dans sa partie infe'rieure par les avenues solennelles 
 de ses cluses, ou 1'eau verte serpente a la base des rochers.' 
 Elisee Reclus. 
 
442 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 14 k. N. of Vallon, reached by the precipitous Defile de Ruoms, 
 is Largentiere, pleasantly situated in the gorge of the Ligne. The 
 transition church has a xv. c. stone pulpit. The ruined castle of 
 Fanjau is supposed to occupy the site of a temple of Jupiter 
 (fanum Jovis). Opposite, is the well-preserved chateau, flanked 
 by machicolated towers, of the barons de Largentiere, now an 
 hospital. A little E. of the town is Chassiers, with two good 
 churches and two ruined chateaux. A road which turns off from 
 that to Largentiere to the 1. leads to Joyeuse, an ancient walled 
 town, where the chateau now serves as hotel de ville. 
 
 72 1 k. Beaulieu-Berrias. To the r. is the Chateau 
 de Jales, an ancient residence of the Templars, then of 
 the Knights of Malta. 
 
 73ok. S. Paul-le-Jeune. 
 
 There is an omnibus from S. Paul to (u k.) Les Vans, a 
 walled town with an ancient gateway and many curious houses. 
 At 6 k. on the road hither, is passed the solitary house called Lc 
 Mas de Riviere, whence a guide may be taken to visit the most 
 remarkable points in Le Bois de Pa'iolive, a paradise of painters 
 an immemorial forest, with a labyrinth of picturesque rocks of 
 the most fantastic and extraordinary forms. Few places, utterly 
 unknown to English travellers, are more curious. A guide is 
 indispensable. 
 
 The department of Gard is entered before reaching 
 738 k. Robiac, opposite its ruined chateau. 
 
 [A branch line leads to (3 k.) Besseges (Hotel : du Commerce), 
 a considerable place, the centre of the coal district of La Ceze.] 
 
 747 k. S. Ambroix, at the foot of a rock bearing a ruined 
 castle. 
 
 752 k. S.Julien-de-Cassagnas, whence there is an omnibus 
 in summer to Les Fumades, a bathing-place, one hour's 
 walk distant. 
 
UZ&S. 
 
 443 
 
 [A line diverges S. E. from S. Julien to join the line from 
 Avignon to Nimes at (58 k.) Remoulins, passing 
 
 20 k. Euzet, with mineral baths 2k. from station. 
 
 38 k. Uzes (Hotel : Ferdinand Bechard good). The town is 
 l^k. from the station ; omnibus, 20 c. 
 
 Uzes is surrounded by modern boulevards, but consists of a 
 labyrinth of dirty streets circling round the magnificent palace- 
 chateau of La Duche, which is shown in the absence of the 
 
 duchess, who is the granddaughter of Mme. Veuve Cliquot, and 
 celebrated for her charities. The donjon dates from the xi. c. 
 The fa$ade towards the pleasant courtyard planted with shrubs 
 is of xvi. c., from designs of Philibert Delorme. A beautiful 
 staircase, with a coved ceiling in diamond pattern, leads to 
 the upper apartments, full of old family portraits. The chapel, 
 spoilt by modern painting, is XIIL c., with vaults beneath it 
 full of tombs of dukes and duchesses. 
 
 ' Les d'Uzes s'intitulent les premiers dues de France : cette 
 prevention, assez peu fondee en re"alite, repose sur une Equivoque. 
 
444 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
 Douze duches-pairies furent riges avant celle d'Uzes ; le chef 
 de cette maison 6tait done le treizieme en rang ail Parlement. 
 Mais quand Louis XIII. ordonna que les dues et paires eussent 
 desormais a faire verifier leurs titres en la chambre des enquetes, 
 il decida qu'ils siegeraient dans 1'ordre ou cette formalite aurait 
 6te accomplie. Le due d'Uzes se hata d'obtemperer le jour 
 meme a 1'edit royal. Son carosse se rencontrant dans la rue 
 Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre avec celui du due de Luynes, il se 
 pencha hors de la portiere pour crier a son cocher qu'il lui 
 fallait arriver au Palais devant son rival. Les deux lourdes 
 machines se heurterent dans l'e"troite rue : il fallait verser ou 
 passer. Tres pen civilement, Uzes versa Luynes dans la boue, 
 et le cocher fouettant ses chevaux arriva triomphalement le 
 premier.' Paul Vassili, ' La Societe de Paris' 
 
 The street behind the castle leads to the former Cathedral, 
 which has a splendid circular romanesque tower of xn. c. of 
 many storeys, known as Tour Fcnestrelle. The former Eveche 
 is the sous -prefecture. Close by is the Hotel du Baron de 
 Castille. There is a view over the stony mountain wilderness 
 which surrounds Uzes from the little promenade near the 
 cathedral. Under the convent of the Dames de S. Maur is 
 a curious rock-hewn crypt. The Pavilion Rapine was in- 
 habited by the poet for some months. In the environs are 
 the ruined Tour de VEveque, the ruined xn. c. church of 
 6*. Genies, and a number of curious caverns. 
 
 52k. Pont du Gard. The glorious Roman bridge crosses 
 a ravine on the r. (see ch. viii.).] 
 
 757 k. Salindres, overlooked by a square tower. 
 
 766k. Alais (Hotels: du Luxembourg; du Commerce], 
 on the 1. bank of the Garden, at the foot of the Cevennes ; 
 is one of the principal towns of the colliery district. The 
 Cathedral, dating partly from xn. c., is chiefly in the style of 
 Louis XV. At the end of the Promenade de la Marechale 
 is the old Chateau, now a barrack and prison. 
 
 [A line leads W. to join that from Nimes and Montpellier 
 
V1VIERS. 445 
 
 to Vigan at (31 k.) Quissac (see later), passing (17 k.) Lezan, 
 whence there is a branch of 6k. to Anduze (Andusia), an old 
 town with a chateau built by Vauban. The Tour de VHorloge 
 is ancient. Hence a road leads to (106 k.) Mende, passing (13 k.) 
 .S! Jean du Gard, an old town with a picturesque bridge over 
 the Garden, and then crossing especially wild upland plateaux 
 of the Cevennes.] 
 
 781 k. Ners. Here the line joins that from Clermont- 
 Ferrand to Nimes. See ch. iv. 
 
 787 k. Nozieres, whence there is a branch line of 19 k. 
 to Uzes. See p. 443. 
 
 796k. Fons-outre-Gardon. 
 
 8 k. S.E. is the old fortified town of Dions, on the Gardon, 
 and, near it, the curious natural excavation with perpendicular 
 sides called les Espelugues (spelunae), recalling the latomiae 
 of Syracuse. 
 
 8i6k. Nimes. 
 
 Continuing the line on the W. bank of the Rhone from 
 Le Teil, we reach 
 
 675 k. (from Paris) Viviers (Hotel : du Louvre), which 
 gives a name to the district of Vivarais. The older part 
 of the town, with narrow rugged streets and many ancient 
 mansions and sculptured windows, surrounds a rock, 
 crowned by the Cathedral, a very picturesque building, 
 with a XIH. c. nave, romanesque tower, and xiv. c. choir. 
 The W. portal and the vaulting of the apse deserve 
 especial notice. The Eveche is XVH. c. Amongst the 
 old houses we may notice the Hotel de la Recette Generate, 
 
446 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the sculptured fagade of the renaissance Hotel d' Albert 
 de Noe, and the Maison des Chevaliers. The best view 
 of Viviers is the distant one, as it is approached from 
 the N. 
 
 688 k. Bourg-S. Andeol, which communicates by a sus- 
 pension-bridge with Pierrelatte (see p. 348), and owes its 
 
 name to a missionary of Christianity martyred, n. c., in 
 the neighbourhood. The church (of XL c.), has a roman- 
 esque tower with a polygonal spire, and contains a sculp- 
 tured Gallo-Roman sarcophagus. The town, overlooked 
 by a square tower, contains many old houses. Near it, 
 is the Fontaine de Tournes, rising at the foot of a rock, 
 which has some remains of rude sculpture in honour of 
 the god Mithras. 
 
PONT-S. ESPRIT. 447 
 
 Crossing the Ardeche just before it falls into the 
 Rhone, we reach 
 
 703 k. Pont-S. Esprit (Hotel: de r Europe), first called 
 Ville-Claire, and then after its missionary, S. Saturnin ; re- 
 ceived its present name from the bridge and oratory built, 
 1265 1309, in honour of the Holy Ghost. The Citadel was 
 begun by Henri IV. in 1595, and finished by Louis XIII. 
 Its chapel is of 1365. The Church of S. Esprit (1319 
 1450) has a portal of 1474. S. Saturnin has a xv. c. 
 portal. Amongst the old houses, the Maison du Rot, 
 the Logis du S. Esprit, and the Maison des Chevaliers 
 of xi. c. deserve notice. 
 
 The old, irregular stone bridge over the Rhone was 
 erected by the fraternal goodwill and exertions of the 
 association of the Freres Pontifes, a little later than the 
 famous Pont d'Avignon. It has nineteen large and three 
 small arches. 3 k. N. W. is the pilgrimage-chapel of S. 
 Pancrace. 
 
 [A road leads N.W. from Pont-S. Esprit to Villefort (see 
 ch. iv.) by Les Vans (see p. 442). At 5 k. a road turns S. to (6 k.) 
 La Chartreuse de Valbonne, founded xm. c., rebuilt 1780, and 
 ruined under the Restauration. Since 1836 it has been again 
 inhabited by Carthusians. An ancient gothic cloister remains. 
 
 9 k. W. is 5. Martin, on the 1. bank of the Ardeche, 7 k. W. of 
 which (2 hrs. by boat) are the huge Grottes de S. Marcel, which 
 it takes at least 6 hrs. to visit.] 
 
 715 k. Bagnols-sur-Ceze, on the 1. bank of. the Ceze, at 
 the foot of the Dent de Signac and the Camp de Cesar. 
 At about 9 k. distant, in a highly romantic situation, is the 
 Cascade du Sautadet. 
 
448 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 725 k. L'Ardotse, whence there is a branch line of 57k. 
 to Alais. See p. 444. 
 
 730 k. S. Genih-Montfaucon. 4 k. S.W.~ is the very 
 curious church of Notre Dame de Lirac, entirely cut out 
 of the rock. 
 
 TOUR DE PHILIPPE LE BEL, PONT D'AVIGNON. 
 
 733 k. Roquemaure, an old town with a ruined castle, 
 where Pope Clement V. died in 1314. 
 
 744k. Villeneuve-Pujaut, the station for Villeneuve-les- 
 Avignon (see chap, viii.), which contains the tomb of 
 Innocent VI. Near the bank of the Rhone is the noble 
 tower of Philippe le Bel (intended to guard the end of the 
 Pont S. Benezet), which combines so well with its green 
 willow foregrounds and blue mountain distances. 
 
NIMES. 449 
 
 745 k. Pont-d 1 Avignon. Omnibuses cross the bridge to 
 Avignon, loc. (see chap. viii.). 
 
 769 k. RemoulinS) the junction with the line to the Pont 
 du Gard and Uzes (see p. 443). Beyond the little station of 
 Lafoux, the line passes r. S. Bonnet, with a xn. c. church. 
 
 783 k. Marguerites. In the cemetery is the ruined 
 xn. c. church of S. Gilles. 
 
 790 k. Nimes. (Omnibus, 50 c. Hotels : du Luxembourg 
 best; du Cheval Blanc; de I'Univers, opposite Les 
 Arenes ; Durand. Carriages, 60 c. and 80 c. the course ; 
 i fr. 5oc. and 2 fr. the hour.) The steep draughty stair- 
 cases of the station are most fatiguing for invalids. There 
 is no beauty in Nimes, and, after seeing its Roman anti- 
 quities, no one will wish to linger there. 
 
 The Roman Nemausus, founded by Augustus, was richly 
 adorned with public buildings by Agrippa, and afterwards 
 by Hadrian, and in a short time it became one of the 
 handsomest towns of the empire. S. Baudile preached 
 Christianity at Nimes, and was martyred there in the in. c. 
 The town was successively ravaged by the Vandals, Visigoths, 
 and the Saracens. After the expulsion of the latter by 
 Charles Martel, it became part of the kingdom of Aquitaine ; 
 in 1185 it passed to the Counts of Toulouse; in 1227 to 
 the kings of France. Three parts of its population having 
 become Protestant, it suffered greatly in the Wars of Religion, 
 and the revocation of the Edict of Nantes deprived it of 
 its richest and most industrious citizens. In 1815 it was 
 again stained by a cruel massacre of Protestants as well as 
 of Bonapartists. Nimes is the capital of the De'partement du 
 Gard. 
 
 Those who pay a rapid visit to Nimes will, on leaving 
 
 29 
 
450 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the station, follow the Avenue Feucheres to the Place de 
 1'Esplanade, decorated (1848) by a fountain adorned with 
 five beautiful statues (representing rivers) by Pradier. 
 Turning 1. on entering the Place, we find Les Arenes, 
 built by the emperor Hadrian, 1 a magnificent Roman am- 
 phitheatre, which is much more perfect externally than that 
 of Aries ; even most of the corbels for the poles sustaining 
 the covering remain. The interior is less perfect, and was 
 only disengaged in 1809 from a number of buildings which 
 encumbered it. Two romanesque windows, pierced in the 
 massive walls on the N., are left as a relic of the chapel 
 of S. Martin-des- Arenes. The Cyclopean stones are said to 
 indicate the work of a Gaulish architect. Where time has 
 destroyed the seats, they have been restored, and the central 
 space is now used as a bull-ring. 
 
 ' C'est un grand amphitheatre, un pen en ovale, tout bad de 
 prodigieuses pierres, longues de deux toises, qui se tiennent la, 
 depuis plus de seize cents ans, sans mortier et par leur seule 
 pesanteur. II est tout ouvert en dehors par de grandes arcades, 
 et en dedans ce ne sont tout autour que de grands sieges de 
 pierre, ou tout le peuple s'asseyoit pour voir les combats des 
 betes et des gladiateurs.' Racine, 'A VAbbc de Vasseurj 1661. 
 
 From the entrance of Les Arenes, the Boulevard Victor 
 Hugo leads to the Place de la Comedie, containing the 
 Maison Carree, the most beautiful and perfect Roman 
 temple in the world, which Cardinal Alberoni said only 
 needed a box of gold to defend it from the injuries of 
 the weather. It is a noble rectangular building of unknown 
 intention, surrounded by thirty fluted corinthian columns. 
 
 1 Aelius Spartianus says that Hadrian also erected a splendid basilica at 
 Nimes in honour of his adopted mother Plautina, wife of his predecessor 
 Trajan. 
 
NlMES. 
 
 451 
 
 The portico, though the roof is a restoration, is magnificent : 
 the engaged columns at the sides of the building have a 
 less satisfactory effect. 
 
 The interior is a Musee of altars, urns, mosaic 
 pavements, and inscriptions ; the most important object it 
 contains being the small and beautiful but much restored 
 statue called the Venus of Nimes. 
 
 MAISON CARREE, NIMES. 
 
 If we follow (1.) the Quai de la Fontaine from the end 
 of the boulevard, we reach (r.) the Promenade de la 
 Fontaine, a pleasant little public garden, where a magnificent 
 spring has its source and rushes through deep beds of 
 masonry, crossed by many balustraded bridges. At the 
 back of the garden is the ruin called the Temple of Diana, 
 which was probably a nymphaeum belonging to the neigh- 
 bouring baths. 
 
 The handsome staircase at the back of the fountain and 
 
452 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the wooded walk called Allee de Mont-Cavalier, will lead 
 us up the hill to La lour Magne, probably a tomb, circular 
 at the base, and angular with pilasters above : it may be 
 ascended, and there is a fine view from the summit. 
 
 Descending the hill on the other side, we may see, at 
 the foot of a bastion, in the Rue de Lampeze, behind the 
 fortress, the remains of the Castellum divisorium, where 
 the waters of the Eure and Airan, brought to Nimes by 
 the Pont du Card, were distributed to the different quarters 
 of the town. 
 
 Crossing the Place de la Bouqueterie, we may follow the 
 Boulevard Gambetta, which has the post-office and church 
 of S. Charles on the 1. It ends at the large modern gothic 
 Church of S. Baudile, opposite which, at the entrance of the 
 Boulevard Amiral Courbet, is the Porte d'Auguste, a Roman 
 arch, with cornice and frieze, flanked by little towers, which 
 served as signal-posts, and as staircases to the gallery on the 
 summit. 
 
 In the centre of a labyrinth of dirty streets, skirted by 
 the two boulevards already mentioned, is the Cathedral of 
 S. Castor, built on the ruins of a temple of Augustus, but 
 renewed internally in xvn. c. after a destruction by the 
 Protestants, and so often restored externally as to be of no 
 interest, except the fagade, with its rich cornice and frieze of 
 the xi. c. telling the history of the world from the Creation 
 to the death of Abel, and the tower, of which a portion of 
 the base may have belonged to the temple. 
 
 A little W, of Nimes are Les Trots Piliers, remains of a 
 chapel of the Virgin, used as a gallows in xvi. c. Excur- 
 sions may be made to the Pont du Card and S. Gilles, 
 Vigan, and Aigues Mortes. 
 
LE VIGAN. 453 
 
 [The line from Nimes to Vigan follows the line to Montpellier 
 (passing the ruined chateau of Aubais) as far as (31 k.) Sommieres, 
 and then turns up the dreary mountain valley of the Cevennes 
 to the N.W., passing 
 
 5 1 k. Quissac. 4 k. N. is the Chateau de Florian, the birth- 
 place of the famous fabulist. 
 
 [For the line from Quissac to Alais and Anduze see p. 444.] 
 
 57k. Sauve, with a ruined castle and curious mediaeval bridge 
 over the Vidourle. The line proceeds through arid rocks, in 
 whose caverns many relics of the prehistoric age of man have 
 been discovered, to 
 
 65 k. 6". Hippolyte-du-Fort, with the rock-built ruins called 
 le Castelas. There is a road hence to Alais by La Salle, a 
 manufacturing town on the Salindrinque. 
 
 79 k. Ganges, a Protestant town at the meeting of the peaceful 
 Herault and the furious torrent Sumene. 6k., at the picturesque 
 village of 5 1 . Laurent-le-Minier, is the stalactite Grotte d'Anjeau. 
 
 94k. Le Vigan (Hotel : du Cheval-Verf), the ancient Avicantum, 
 which has an old gothic Bridge over the Arre, a Halle au Ble, 
 occupying the site of a Roman temple, and, in the principal 
 square, a statue of the Chevalier d'Assas, born in the environs, 
 who died bravely in battle with the English at Clostercamp, 
 Oct. 1 6, 1760.] 
 
 [A line of 40 k. leads S. from Nimes to the curious and interest- 
 ing mediaeval town of Aigues Mortes (see South-Western France, 
 ch. vii.). The line passes (i6k.) Beauvoisin, where there are 
 remains of a xm. c. castle, and 2 k. r. of which is the Chateau de 
 Candiac, of 1630, the birthplace of the Marquis de Montcalm, 
 killed before Quebec, Sept. 14, 1712.] 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 LYON TO MARSEILLES BY GRENOBLE (GAP, LA 
 SALETTE, EMBRUN, BRIANCON}, SISTERON (DIGNE}, 
 AND AIX (S. MAXIMIN, AND LA-SAINTE-BAUME). 
 IN DA UPHINE AND PROVENCE; OR HA UTES-ALPES, 
 BASSES-ALPES, AND ALPES-MARITIMES. 
 
 Besides the sites which are only interesting to mountaineers, the 
 places described in this chapter which are most worth seeing are Gre- 
 noble, Embrun (cathedral), Sisteron (gorge and cathedral), S. Maximin 
 (church), and La-Sainte-Baume. The only good inns (except at the 
 bathing-places) are those of Grenoble, Gap, Digne (?), and Aix. 
 
 THERE are two routes from Lyon to Grenoble. The 
 first (of 121 k.) passes 
 
 27 k. S. Quentin, a prettily situated manufacturing town. 
 
 42 k. Bourgoin (Bergusium), with small remains of a 
 
 castle of the early Dauphins. Rousseau lived in 1769 in 
 
 the castellated farm of Montquin. 2 k. S. is the castle 
 
 of Maubec, ruined in xvi. c. 
 
 57k. La Tour du Pin, on the Bourbre. 
 Diligence to (i5k.) Aoste (Augusta), where there are some 
 obscure Roman remains. 
 
 64 k. S. Andre-le-Gua. 
 
 Diligence to (i2k.) Pont de Beauvoisin, which has a fine 
 bridge of single arch over the Guiers, built by Fra^ois I. 
 
 72k. Virieu (sur Bourbre), which has a fine feudal chateau. 
 
VOIRON, VOREPPE. 455 
 
 built by the Clermont-Tonnerre in xiv. c., now the property 
 of M. de Virieu. It has a stately chapel, ' la chambre du 
 roi ' (where Louis XIII. slept), and magnificent tapestry. 
 
 6k. S.E., in the midst of woods, are the ruins of La Chartreuse 
 de Silve-Benitc, built originally in 1160 by the abbot Thierry, 
 natural son of Frederick Barbarossa. Of the early building there 
 are small remains. A later chartreuse, of xvn. c., was never 
 finished. The hill of Silve-Benite looks down upon the blue waters 
 of the Lac de Paladru, famous for its traces of villages on piles. 
 
 85 k. Rives, a manufacturing town. In the Bas-Rives is 
 La Tour de Louts XL 
 
 96 k. Voiron (Hotels : du Louvre ; du Cours ; de la Poste), 
 the Roman Voronum, a prosperous manufacturing town, 
 with a large modern church of S. Bruno (1864). 
 
 Diligences run from Voiron to (18 k.) S. Laurent-du-Pont for 
 the Grande Chartreuse (see ch. vii.). The road passes through the 
 defile of Grand-Crossey \ 
 
 . from Voiron is the old town of 6*. Geoire, overhung by 
 a rock with a ruined castle. Its church was founded xvi. c. by 
 the family of Clermont-Tonnerre.] 
 
 102 k. Moirans (Morginnum). Here the line to Valence 
 branches off. See later. 
 
 1 08 k. Voreppe (Hotel : du Petit Paris]. 
 
 A pleasant excursion may be made from Voreppe (two hours' 
 walk on mule-path) to the Convent of Chalais, founded at the N. 
 base of Grande Aiguille in 1 108 by Guignes, Comte d'Albon, on 
 the petition of S. Hugues of Grenoble. Rebuilt in 1640, the 
 convent now belongs to the Dominicans of Lyon. An ascent of 
 an hour by a Via Crucis leads hence to the summit of the 
 Grande- Aiguille (1,095 met.). 
 
 115 k. S. Egrlve. It is a walk of 8 hrs. from hence to 
 
456 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the Grande Chartreuse over the Col de la Charmette and 
 Col de la Crochette (guide desirable). 
 121 k. Grenoble. 
 
 If we follow the other line (15 7 k.) from Lyon to 
 Grenoble. 
 
 See ch. viii. for the line from Lyon to 
 
 60 k. S. Rambert, whence the line to Grenoble diverges 
 E. by the valley of La Valloire. 
 
 70 k. Epinouze. 5 k. distant is Moras, a curious old 
 walled town. After passing Beaurepaire, the line skirts the 
 1. bank of the Auron. 
 
 8 1 k. Marcilloles. 
 
 7 k. distant is Marnaus, with a curious romanesque church 
 of xi. c., possessing a very lofty nave ; it belonged to an Augus- 
 tinian priory. 
 
 97 k. La-Cote-S. Andre. The town (5 k. N.) retains part 
 of one tower of a castle of the counts of Savoie, where 
 Louis XI. was married to Charlotte de Savoie ; the later 
 chateau is of 1600. The church is partly romanesque, 
 partly xin. c. and xiv. c., the chapel xv. c. 
 
 Penol (5 k. W.), has a portal and choir of XL c. 
 
 io4k. S. Etienne-de-S. Geoirs. The village, i k. r., has 
 remains of walls, a xv. c. chateau and xiv. c. chapel. An 
 excursion may be made to Plan, which has a church with 
 a xu. c. portal and a curious old farm of the bishops of 
 Grenoble, retaining its xvn. c. furniture. 
 
 1 10 k. Izeaux (Hotel : Grollier) stands at the entrance of 
 a gorge, up which an hour's walk leads to the still inhabited 
 Benedictine priory of Notre Dame de Parmenie. This is 
 
GRENOBLE. 457 
 
 said to have been founded and fortified by the bishops of 
 Grenoble when flying from an invasion of the Saracens in 
 ix. c. It was burnt in xv. c., and remained in ruins till the 
 end of xvii. c., when it was restored by the offerings collected 
 by a shepherdess of the place. In the present century the 
 priory became the head-quarters of a party who protested 
 against the concordat between Pius VII. and Napoleon I. 
 
 116 k. Rives. See p. 455. 
 
 152 k. Grenoble (Hotels : Monnet, Place Grenette first- 
 rate ; de I } Europe ', Place Grenette; des Trois Dauphins , Rue 
 Montorge ; des Ambassadeurs^ Rue Montorge. Carriages 
 by tariff for all drives and excursions). Grenoble is the 
 strongly-fortified capital of the Departement de 1'Isere, and 
 formerly of the province of Dauphine, and is one of the 
 most attractive and beautifully-situated towns in France. It 
 originated in Ciilaro, a village of the Allobroges, which the 
 Emperor Gratian fortified and called Gratianopolis. Its 
 first bishop was S. Domnin, c. 380. The views of the 
 mountains from the quays along the Isere are full of variety 
 and beauty. 
 
 The Grande Rue leads from the Place Grenette to the 
 Place S. Andre, decorated with a Statue of Bayard (Joy Raggi, 
 1823), and containing the Palais de Justice, begun by 
 Louis XII. on the site of the old palace of the Dauphins. 
 The portal and the windows above, and the apse of what 
 was formerly the chapel, are of this time ; the renaissance 
 fagade is of 1561 1603. The part of the palace devoted to 
 the cour d'appel^ contains handsome rooms of the time of 
 Louis XIV. ; that appropriated to the tribunal civil contains 
 the ancient Salle des Comtes, with wood carvings of time of 
 Charles VIII 
 
45 8 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 The Church of S. Andre, founded c. 1220 by the Dauphin 
 Guignes-Andre', was long the private chapel of the Dauphins. 
 It has a square brick tower with a steeple. In the 1. aisle is 
 the renaissance tomb of Bayard, the ' Chevalier sans peur 
 et sans reproche,' who was originally buried in the ruined 
 church of the Minimes de la Plaine, 2 k. from the town, 
 but brought here in 1822. The interesting tombs of the 
 
 QUAYS OF GRENOBLE. 
 
 Dauphins were destroyed, and their bodies exhumed by 
 the Protestants under the Baron des Adrets, by whom 
 great atrocities were perpetrated at Grenoble during the 
 Wars of Religion. 
 
 The Hotel de Ville (Rue du Quai) shows some admirable 
 remains of the palace of the Dauphins. Turning r. we reach 
 the Place Notre Dame, with the Cathedral of Notre Dame, 
 completely modernised, though the older parts the tower 
 
GRENOBLE, 
 
 459 
 
 and pillars of the nave date from xi.c. or xn. c. The 
 building is of brick, except the portal and lower part of 
 the tower, which some archaeologists believe to belong to 
 the church founded by Bishop Isarn in x. c. On 1. of the 
 choir is the tomb of Bishop Aimon de Chissay of xv. c., on 
 the r. is a beautiful ciborium of 1455-57, supposed to be the 
 
 PALACE OF THE DAUPHINS, GRENOBLE. 
 
 work of Nicolas Girard, ' Fimagier de Grenoble,' who con- 
 structed the monuments of the Dauphins for Humbert II. 
 in 1353- 
 
 ' Les huit niches, placees sur deux rangs, sont aujourd'hui 
 vides de leurs statuettes, de~truites pendant les guerres de religion. 
 Les dais qui en font le couronnement servent en meme temps de 
 base pour soutenir d'autres statuettes superpose~es, qui ont 6gale- 
 ment disparu. Les feuillages, les rinceaux, les fleurons, ces mille 
 creations ravissantes de 1'art gothique, se dessinent au-dessus de 
 
46o SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ce second rang et font une veritable corbeille de feuilles et de 
 fleurs. Le sommet est triangulaire et d6tache de la muraille ; il 
 offre encore trois niches et se termine de la maniere la plus 
 heureuse et la plus pittoresque.' Bourasse, ' Cathedrales de 
 France? 
 
 The Chapelle of S. Hugues, adjoining the r. aisle, and 
 dating from xn. c. or xm. c., was once the principal church. 
 
 Crossing the Isere to its 1. bank, we find, in the Rue 
 S. Laurent, the Church of S. Laurent, on the site of the 
 church which was the cathedral of Grenoble till the time 
 of Charlemagne: in 1012 it became a priory belonging to 
 the abbey S. Chaffre (Haute-Loire). The existing choir 
 is of xi. c. The apse is decorated externally with curious 
 sculptures above the windows. The interior is completely 
 modernised, but beneath is a crypt, supposed to date from 
 vi. c. ; it is in the form of a Latin cross, with a vault 
 supported by fifteen pillars of white, and thirteen of red 
 marble. 
 
 In the handsome Place de la Constitution are the 
 buildings of the Musee-Bibliotheque, open daily from 8 to 5, 
 except Mondays, Fridays, festas, the months of September 
 and October and the quinzaine de Paques. The library 
 contains some valuable illuminated MSS. The picture 
 gallery is a very good one for a provincial collection, and 
 remarkably well hung. We may notice 
 
 67. Perugino. S. Sebastian and S. Apollonia. 
 
 77. Ribera. Martyrdom of S. Bartholomew a powerful and 
 
 terrible picture. 
 87. Philippe de Champaigne. Louis XIV. decorating his 
 
 brother, the Due d'Orleans, with the order of S. 
 
 Esprit. 
 
PONT DE CLAIX, SASSENAGE. 
 
 461 
 
 116. Van der Meukn. Louis XIV. and his Court passing the 
 Pont Neuf a very curious picture. 
 
 124. Rubens. S. Gregory the Great under an archway sur- 
 rounded by saints a very grand work from S. Michel 
 at Antwerp. 
 
 132. Terburg. Female portrait. 
 
 In a lofty situation, near the road to Chambery, is the 
 
 old Chateau of Bonqeron, now a hydropathic establishment. 
 
 7 k. from Grenoble, on the road to Sisteron, is the Pont de 
 
 PONT DE CLAIX. 
 
 Claix, a wonderful and picturesque bridge of a single arch over 
 the Drac, built by Lesdiguieres 1608-11. To save carriages the 
 steep incline to the old bridge, a modern one has been built 
 near it. 
 
 [Amongst the other drives from Grenoble are (6 k. ; carriage, 
 4 fr. 50 c.) Sassenage (Hotel : des Cuves), known from La fee 
 de Sassenage of the popular songs. 
 
 The church has an xi. c. tower. In a chapel on r. of the 
 portal a black marble stone marks the grave of the brave 
 Lesdiguieres, whose remains were brought hither in 1822 from 
 
462 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the chapel of his castle of Diguieres, near Corps, ruined in the 
 Revolution. The handsome chateau of the Marquis de Beranger 
 dates from Louis XIII. ; the original chateau, of xi. c., was in 
 a higher situation. Behind the village opens the picturesque 
 ravine, called the Gorge du Furon, with a waterfall. Some 
 labyrinthine caverns are shown by a guide with torches. In that 
 called Le Four des Fees are the famous cuves, natural excavations 
 in the form of a reversed cone, which, according to popular 
 tradition, indicate the fertility of the approaching season in pro- 
 portion to the water they contain in spring. ' Noblesse de 
 Sassenage ' used to be as proverbial in the district as ' Loyaute 
 de Salvaing ' and ' Prouesse de Terrail ' (i.e. Bayard). Beyond 
 Sassenage is the narrow defile called Les Fortes d'Engins, where 
 the Furon rushes between perpendicular precipices of rock. 
 Beyond this the valley widens. Continuing to ascend the 1. bank 
 of the stream, we reach an iron cross, below which the Furon 
 falls into a chasm between two rocks. The church of Engins 
 has a tower of xi. c. or xn. c. Some distance further (19 k. from 
 Grenoble) is the entrance of the wild and picturesque Gorges 
 d' Engins, 2 k. in length, i k. from the road is the hamlet of 
 Lans, with a church partly xi. c. and xn. c. Hence pedestrians 
 may make an excursion (i hrs. ascent) to la Chaise de Ranz du 
 Buis. 
 
 'La chaise est une entaille faite par la nature dans la 
 corniche du Ranz du Buis. Par cette ouverture, percee a 1,700 
 met. au-dessus de la plaine, 1'oeil plonge sur la vallee, qui s'ouvre 
 semblable a un abime. De cette hauteur, Grenoble apparait 
 comme une carriere de moellons tailles ; 1'Isere et le Drac, comme 
 deux fillets d'eau ; le cours Saint Andre est une allee de pare ; 
 les collines se confondent avec la plaine. Tous les details 
 s'amalgament pour former le plus rare et le plus bel ensemble. 
 De chaque cote du Graisivaudan se dressent une legion formidable 
 de pics, de dents, de cretes, de domes, d'aiguilles.' Leo Ferry, 
 1 Journal de Dauphine! 
 
 This route may be continued to 
 
 27 k. Le Villard de Lans, in a delightful neighbourhood, 
 whence the road, often cut in the rock, leads through the valley 
 of the Bourne, to 
 
BEAUREGARD, 3. VENIN. 
 
 463 
 
 5 1 k. Pont-en-Royans (Hotel : Dubouchet), an exceedingly 
 picturesque place. See later.] 
 
 [Another favourite (whole day) excursion from Grenoble is 
 to drive to Beauregard, a chateau of the last century, and walk 
 to the ruined Tour de S. Venin, really S. Veran, though local 
 tradition says that it was named because the Paladin Roland 
 surrounded it with an earth from Paris which had the power of 
 
 BATHS OF URIAGE. 
 
 killing every venomous creature that approached it. There is a 
 fine view of the Alps from hence. One may descend to the W. 
 into the picturesque ravine called Le Desert, whence a wooded 
 path leads back to Beauregard.] 
 
 [The Grande Chartreuse (see ch. vii.) may be visited from 
 Grenoble by taking the railway to Voreppe or to Voiron, whence 
 there are diligences to S. Laurent du Pont, and, in summer, often 
 public carriages to the Chartreuse.] 
 
 [A road (omnibus in summer) leads S. to (i6k.) Vif in the 
 
464 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 valley of the Gresse, where the church, chiefly xii. c. and xiv. c., 
 has some remains of the vm. c. ; (23 k.) Notre Dame de 
 Commiers, with a church and other remains of a priory of 1 545 ; 
 (33k.) La-Motte-les-Bains (Hotel: du Bois ; Dechaux), in the 
 valley of the Vaux, which has a pretty cascade.] 
 
 [The line from Grenoble to Chambery, through the beautiful 
 Vallee de Graisivaudan, one of the most fertile in France, 
 passes 
 
 PONT DE CROLLES, VALLEE DE GRA 
 
 ISIVAUDAN. 
 
 6k. Gieres. Diligences to (6k.; i fr.) the baths of Uriagc 
 (Hotels : Grand ; du Cercle ; Ancieii), a very pretty place 
 in a green hollow with striking mountain views. The basin 
 was formerly occupied by a lake, but its sulphuric hot baths, 
 useful in skin diseases, were known to the Romans. The 
 chateau, fortress of the Seigneurs d'Allemann, dates from xm. c. 
 to xvi. c. Its present owner, M. de S. Ferriol, has collected 
 a museum of local antiquities there, and some tolerable pictures. 
 Amongst the many excursions from Uriage, are La Chartreiise 
 de Premol (2 hrs.) : the fine Cascade de VOtirsiere (8 hrs. to go 
 and return), and the ascent of the Chanrousse (5 hrs. ascent, 
 3^ descent). 
 
CHATEAU DES AD RETS. 
 
 465 
 
 1 1 k. Domene. The station used by mountain excursionists 
 from Grenoble for the ascent of La Croix de Belledonne, for which 
 two days are necessary. The summit is 6 or 7 hrs. distant. 
 The view is one of the finest in Dauphin6. Tourists usually 
 sleep on the hay in the Granges de Freydieres, about 2^ hours 
 from Domene. The town of Domene has risen around a Cltmiac 
 Priory, founded 1027, of whose church picturesque ruins remain. 
 The scenery of the Vall6e de Graisivaudan is exceedingly pretty, 
 especially near Crolles (1.). 
 
 BATHS OF ALLEVARD. 
 
 20 k. Brignoud. Some distance further, on r., is the old 
 castle of Adrets, which gave a name to the terrible baron 
 whose very name was the symbol of murder and destruction the 
 leader of the Protestant fanatics, who preached 
 
 ' Une doctrine arme"e, 
 Un Christ empistole, tout noirci de fumee, 
 Qui, comme un Mehemet, va portant en la main 
 Un large coutelas rouge de sang humain.' 
 
 Ronsard* 
 
 3 
 
466 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 26k. Tencin. The large chateau (r.) built by the Marquis de 
 Monteynard, Minister of Louis XV., replaces an earlier chateau 
 which belonged to Mme. de Tencin, the unnatural mother of 
 d'Alembert. 
 
 30 k. Goncelin (Buffet), whence there is an omnibus to (lok. ; 
 i fr. 50 c.) Allevard, passing (7 k.) .S. Pierre d' Allevard, where 
 the romanesque church belonged to a Cluniac priory, founded 
 XL c. Allevard (Hotels : des Bains; du Louvre; du Pare), 
 situated in the beautiful mountain valley of the Breda, is a 
 pleasant little watering-place with famous bains d' inhalation, 
 efficacious in affections of the throat. The pare of the xvm. c. 
 chateau affords pleasant walks. Excursions may be made to the 
 Chartreuse de S. Hugon and the Pont du Diable. Allevard is 
 also a great centre for Alpine excursions. 
 
 The high mountain Vallee des Sept Laux is visited from 
 hence, a twelve hours' excursion on foot. 
 
 35k. Le Cheylas. Between this and the next station 
 Chateau Bayard is well seen on a little hill on r. 
 
 41 k. Pontcharra, on the Breda. 3 k. distant are the small 
 remains of Chateau Bayard, approached by an avenue and 
 entered by a gate between two round towers. The remaining 
 fragments of the building (that in which the famous Pierre de 
 Terrail, Seigneur de Bayard, 1 was born, in 1476) retains its xv. c. 
 windows. The assassination of the Due de Berri prevented his 
 intention of purchasing and restoring the ruins of the chateau. 
 
 There is an omnibus (40 c.) from Pontcharra to Barraux, of 
 which the fortress was of considerable importance before the 
 annexation of Savoie to France. 
 
 46 k. 6*. Helene d^l Lac. The lake (3 k. r. of the station) is 
 hidden by the hill. 
 
 49k. Montmelian, where the line joins that from Turin to 
 Paris. 
 
 63 k. Chambery.] 
 
 [A diligence road leads from Grenoble to Brian9on, through 
 fine scenery, passing 
 
 1 Distinguished at the sieges of Brescia and Tournay, he was made lieu- 
 tenant-general of Dauphine by Fran9ois I. He received his death-wound in 
 Italy in 1524. 
 
LE MASSIF UOISANS. 
 
 467 
 
 1 7k. Vizille. See later. 
 
 24 k. Sechilienne (Hotel : du Petit Versailles}, where guides 
 may be obtained, for the ascent of Taillifer (ascent 7 hrs., descent 
 3 hrs.), which is surrounded by high peaks and deep valleys. 
 
 36 k. Livet, whence, by the Col des Grandes-Escombailles, 
 Uriage may be reached in 10 hrs. 
 
 40 k. Le-Bourg-d'Oisans (Hotels: de Milan; de France), a 
 dreary town, capital of the mountain district called 1'Oisans (from 
 the Uceni, its ancient inhabitants), often used as a centre for ex- 
 cursions in the mountains of Les Grandes Rousses, which separate 
 
 CHATEAU BAYARD. 
 
 Isere from Savoie and the bason of the Drac from that of the Arc, 
 and which derive their name from the red colour of their granite 
 precipices. 
 
 The Massif d'Oisans is the only great detached mass of 
 mountains which stands entirely on French soil. With its 
 southern prolongation known as Champsaur, this huge mass of 
 granite is completely isolated on the north by the deep valley 
 of the Romanche and the low pass of Lautaret, on the east and 
 south by the tributaries of the Durance, on the west by the Drac. 
 The mass is usually known as the Massif du Pelvoux, on account 
 of its quaint peak, which is seen so well from the valley of the 
 
468 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Durance, and which has such a striking effect, from its two horns 
 of rock separated by a mass of snow ; though this height only 
 conceals a more lofty point, known as Des Arsines, or Barre 
 des Ecrins. Another peak, the Aiguille de Meijc (see later), 
 rises above the ice-fields on the south of the valley of the 
 Romanche. 
 
 [i. One of the best of the short day's excursions from Bourg- 
 d'Oisans is that to Venose. Crossing the Romanche, we must 
 follow the road to Lautaret to beyond the second tunnel, whence 
 a path leads (in 1 5 min.) to the Porte Romaine, also called Porte 
 d'Annibal, of which it is unknown whether it was an entrance to 
 a Roman way or a triumphal arch. Beyond the Porte the path 
 rises to Mont-de-Lans. Leaving the village to 1. and turn- 
 ing S., we pass the hamlet of Bons, and reach the Chalets de 
 TAlpc de Mont-de-Lans, whence a gentle ascent leads through 
 pastures to (3^hrs.) the Col de lAlpe, famous for its rare plants. 
 Passing the chalet of the Alpe de Venose, we can descend by a 
 zigzag path to Venose, whence there is a road practicable for 
 carriages to Bourg-d'Oisans. 
 
 2. To the Lac Blanc. Horses may be taken as far as 
 the meadows of Brandes. Follow the Brian9on road as far as 
 the bridge over the Romanche, then turn 1. by a path along 
 fields to the Cascade de la Sarenne. Crossing the stream, turn 
 N. to (3 k.) La Garde. Hence the path becomes steep, passing 
 the chapel and bell tower of 5. Ferreol on 1., to Huez. Thence 
 the path ascends to the plateau of Brandes, with ruins of an 
 ancient village and of deserted silver mines, above which rises 
 the Tour du Prince Ladre (supposed to have been a brigand- 
 chieftain), with the chapel of 5. Nicolas near it, to which those 
 women who wish to marry within the year go on pilgrimage, and 
 leave a stone at the feet of the saint. By a path to the N., 
 leaving a quarry of anthracite to the r., and crossing a line of 
 rocks which are relics of an ancient moraine, we find ourselves on 
 the shore of the Lac Blanc (700 by 100 met.), so called from the 
 colour of its sulphurous waters. Hence it is very easy to make 
 the ascent of Herpie, whence there is a wide view. 
 
CHR1STOPHE. 
 
 469 
 
 3. A more striking expedition is that which may be made with 
 mules to S. Christophe (5 hrs.) Carriages may be taken as far 
 as Venose, where the beautiful mountain pastures are a paradise 
 of botanists. Descending the hill of Ve~nosc by a winding path, 
 and passing the hamlet of Bourgdaru, we cross the Ven6on, and 
 in 10 min. reach the chaos called Le Clapier de S. Ghristophe. 
 The gorge is filled with fragments fallen from the Soreillier, which 
 
 S. CHRISTOPHE-EN-OISANS. 
 
 rises on the S. A winding path leads between the rocks and 
 crosses a natural bridge over the stream, whence we ascend the 
 r. bank of the Veneon, and see on the r. the Cascade de VEnchdtra. 
 At the upper end of the Plan du Lac the path ascends by the 
 Fontaines Benites, and crosses the Pont du Diable, whence a steep 
 and stony way ascends to (19 k. from Bourg-d'Oisans) 5. Chris- 
 tophe-en-Oisans (Auberge : Turc. Guides), with vast mountain 
 pastures intersected by glaciers and torrent beds. Hence the glacier 
 
470 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of Mont de Lans may be visited. Hence, also, in less than 3 hrs., 
 we may reach the hamlet of La Berarde, at the convergence of 
 several valleys. A fatiguing walk of 7 hrs. from S. Christophe 
 will take the mountaineer to the wild Col des Cavales (i^hrs. 
 from La B6rarde), on the crest of the mountains which divide the 
 department of Isere from that of the Hautes-Alpes. Here snow- 
 clad peaks and fields of ice are seen on every side.] 
 
 VALLEE DE LA BERARDE. 1 
 
 Leaving Bourg-d'Oisans by a mountain-road, passing several 
 galleries, and then following the gorge of the Romanche, we 
 reach 
 
 61 k. La Fresney, beyond which the defile of the Romanche 
 becomes very narrow and striking. After crossing the stream, 
 the road enters the narrow Combe de Malaval. At 67 k. (on 1.) 
 is the Cascade de la Pisse. 
 
 1 This, and several other of the woodcuts of Alpine peaks, are from 
 photographs. 
 
LE MEIJE, COL DE LAUTARET. 471 
 
 74 k. La Grave (Hotel : Juge. Guides by tariff), whence there 
 is a view of the Glaciers de I'Homme et de Tabuchet, overlooked 
 on the S. by the huge mass of the Meije, or Aiguille du Midi 
 (3,987 met). It is from hence that the dangerous ascent of the 
 Meije is usually attempted. 
 
 Two galleries, and meadows famous for their plants, are 
 
 COL DE CAVALES. 
 
 passed before arriving at (82 k.) the Col de Lautaret (2,057 met), a 
 wild and dismal spot, where a still-existing hospice commemorates 
 one founded in the middle-ages for travellers. The road now 
 reaches the upper valley of the Guisanne, and follows the course 
 of that river to 
 
 96 k. Le Monetier de Briangon, with mineral springs, and a 
 church with a stone spire. 
 
 ink. Brian9on. See later.] 
 
472 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 [A line runs S.W. from Grenoble to Valence, by 
 
 19k. Moirans. See p. 455. 
 
 27 k. Tullins (Hotel : Boullier), a small bathing-place which 
 has remains of ancient fortifications, and of a castle of the 
 Dauphin Guignes VIII. 
 
 41 k. Vinay, whence an excursion may be made (5 k.) to the 
 modern pilgrimage chapel of Notre Dame de I' Osier on the site 
 
 THE MEIJE. 
 
 of a chapel built, in 1657, by Marguerite de Montagny, where 
 the Virgin appeared to remonstrate with a Huguenot for cutting 
 willows on her fete of the Annunciation, and blood gushed forth 
 from the severed boughs. 20,000 pilgrims still come hither 
 annually. 
 
 5 1 k. 5. Marcellin (Hotel : de la Poste). An excursion of 
 1 1 k. may be made to the remains of the Abbey of 5. Antoine, 
 now occupied by a convent and a silk factory. It was founded 
 
ABB AYE DE S. ANTOINE. 
 
 473 
 
 in the xi. c. by one Jocelin, who had brought back some of the 
 bones of S. Anthony from Constantinople. In 1080, a little 
 hospital was built here for the use of sick pilgrims, to the care 
 of whom a number of gentlemen of Dauphine devoted them- 
 selves, thus founding the order of Antonins (1095), which soon 
 had houses all over Europe. The mother abbey, enriched by 
 endless royal visitors, was pillaged by the Protestants in the 
 xvi. c., when its tombs were outraged, and the order was finally 
 abolished in 1768, being incorporated with the Knights of Malta, 
 
 LE COL DE LAUTARET. 
 
 and replaced here by canonesses, who were driven out by the 
 Revolution. The noble Church, of the xin. c., has a beautiful 
 portal, much mutilated by the Huguenots. The choir is earlier 
 than the nave, which has a double triforium and sixteen side 
 chapels. The high altar of 1667 supports a shrine with the 
 relics of S. Antoine. 
 
 [A road leads through picturesque scenery from S. Marcellin 
 to (70 k.) Die (ch. viii.), passingi(at 15 k.) Pont-en-Royans (Hotel : 
 Dubouchcf), the ancient capital of the Royannais, a most curious 
 and striking place. The nouses, perched on the edge of walls 
 
474 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of perpendicular cliff, or projecting over them on supports of 
 timber, overhang the torrent Vernaison at a great height, and a 
 narrow bridge of a single arch over the abyss unites the two 
 parts of the town. Soon after leaving Pont-en-Royans, the road, 
 following the defile of the Vernaison, passes through several 
 
 9 I 
 
 PONT-EN-ROYANS. 
 
 tunnels, where the river bores a hole through the rock known 
 as Les Petits Goulets, and beyond the Vallee dc lEchevis 
 pierces the rock again by Les Grands Goulets, thus uniting the 
 districts of Royannais and Vercors.] 
 
 62k. 5. Hilaire du Rosier. 2k. is 5. Nazaire-en-Royans 
 
ROCHECHINARD, ROMANS. 
 
 475 
 
 with a ruined castle, 5 k. W. of which is the fine ruined castle of 
 Rochechinard, which belonged to the family of Allemann, and 
 where Zisim, brother of the Emperor Bajazet, was imprisoned 
 in 1485. It is a very picturesque spot. 
 
 79k. Romans (Hotel: de V Europe). The church of 5. 
 
 LES GRANDS GOULETS. 
 
 Barnard has a romanesque xi. c. portal. The choir and tran- 
 sept are xm. c. In one of the buttresses of the choir is part of 
 the inscription belonging to the tomb of S. Barnard, founder 
 of the church and abbey. The Grand Seminaire was once a 
 Franciscan monastery. 
 99 k. Valence.] 
 
476 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Except to those who use it as a means of seeing the 
 country, no railway can be more annoying than the single 
 line from Grenoble to the S., with its crawling trains 
 and endless stoppages at unimportant stations. At the 
 same time, there is no other line which passes through 
 such fine mountain scenery, and which has such a variety 
 of beautiful views. 
 
 14 k. Vizille (Hotel : Terr at}. The town, 3 k. W., up 
 the gorge of the Romanche (omnibus, 30 c.), was the 
 ancient Vigilia Castra Vigiliae, a station on the military 
 way from Italy to Vienne. The chateau (Mme. Casimir 
 Perier) was formerly a hunting seat of the Dauphins. 
 Guignes V. died there in 1162; Catherine, daughter of 
 Guignes VII., was married there to a brother of the Comte 
 de Savoie ; and Guignes VIII. lived there with the beau- 
 tiful Jeanne, whom he had carried off from her father, 
 Frangois de Bardonneche. The chateau was afterwards 
 rebuilt and inhabited (1611-20) by Lesdiguieres 'le vieux 
 renard de Dauphine.' Madeleine de Bonne, his daughter 
 by his first wife, married the Marechal de Cre'qui, Her 
 son married his aunt, Catherine de Bonne (daughter of 
 Lesdiguieres and his second wife, Marie Vignon). 
 Eventually the Marechal de Crequi married the third 
 sister, Frangoise de Bonne, daughter of Marie Vignon. 
 From this family the chateau passed to that of Villeroy. 
 The last Due de Villeroy sold it in 1775 to Claude 
 Perier, a tradesman of Grenoble. 
 
 From the meetings held within the walls of the chateau 
 by the representatives of the municipalities of Dauphine, 
 it became one of the cradles of the great French Revo- 
 lution. 
 
VIZILLE. 
 
 477 
 
 ' M. Pe"rier, fort noblement, avait prepare" des tables pour 
 servir quatre cents personnes. La salle d'armes du vieux 
 conne~table Lesdiguieres 6tait pre~pare pour faire sie~ger digne- 
 ment cette premiere de nos assemblies. 
 
 ' Le secretaire etait Mourner, juge royal de Grenoble, homme 
 capable, fort mesure, qui avait tenu la plume avec adresse et 
 courage dans les reunions de la ville. L'assemble"e s'ouvrit a 
 huit heures, s'organisa jusqu'a onze, examina les memoires 
 proposes jusqu'a 'minuit, signa jusqu'a quatre heures du matin. 
 
 CHATEAU DE VIZILLE. 
 
 Tout ainsi fut consomme dans un long jour de juillet. On 
 arreta que voulant montrer a la France un exemple d'union, 
 d'attachement a la monarchic, on n'octroyerait les impots 
 qu'apres deliberation dans les 6tats-generaux, que le Tiers- 
 Etat aurait autant de deputes que les deux autres ordres 
 reunis ' Michelet. 
 
 Recently, the chateau has been restored by M. Casimir 
 Pdrier, whose family have a factory! here. The gate which 
 
478 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 opens upon the cour d'honneur, is surmounted by an 
 equestrian statue, in relief, of the great Constable, by 
 Jacques Richer. The principal and very stately faade 
 looks upon a sheet of water, in which the beautiful Marie 
 Vignon, mistress, and afterwards wife, of Lesdiguieres, fed 
 her trout, for catching one of which and offering it to the 
 lady, a peasant was hung by the Constable, who caused the 
 event to be commemorated in a bas-relief, still existing. 
 A double staircase leads up to the chateau from the water. 
 Legend asserts the unfinished wall of the beautiful park, 
 which runs up into the hollows of the mountains, to be the 
 work of the devil, who undertook to build it before Les- 
 diguieres could ride round it, but was vanquished by the 
 speed of the Constable. 
 
 [A mountain road leads from Grenoble by Vizille to Gap by 
 (50 k. from Vizille) Corps (see p. 481), whence the pilgrimage to 
 La Salette is made.] 
 
 Leaving Vizille, the line passes 1. Champ, where the 
 church has a romanesque portal and some obscure ruins of 
 the Priory of S. Michel de Conex, which had an xi. c. church. 
 In the interior is a vaulted dome. A crypt extends under 
 the whole church, and has a heavy pillar under the dome. 
 
 1 9k. S. George-de-Commiers. 
 
 [Diligence (3 frs. ; 2 frs. 50 c.) to (15 k.) La Motte-les-Bains 
 (Hotel in the bathing establishment of the chateau), on the Vaux 
 rivulet, a point for ascents of Mont-Eynard (7 hrs.), and the 
 Senappe (6 hrs.). 
 
 2ik. Vif (Hotel: de r Union). The church (2k. from 
 railway) is supposed to date from vm. c. The nave, aisles, 
 and tribunes are of late xn. c., the tower rebuilt in 
 xvn. c. The mairie is in an ancient priory of xi. c. The 
 
5. MARTIN-DE-LA-CLUZE. 
 
 479 
 
 line now makes a very sharp turn, and zigzags up the 
 mountain side. 
 
 33 k. S. Martin-de-la-Cluze. i k. N. is the ancient Cha- 
 teau de P&quier. 30 minutes' walk from the station is 
 La Fontaine ardente, where gas escapes and gives a blue 
 flame. We see (1.) the fine rocky chain overlooking the 
 valley of the Gresse. The line descends and ascends, 
 
 LE MONT AIGUILLE. 
 
 following the windings of the hill, and with increasingly 
 fine views, to 
 
 57k. Clelles-Mens, whence the Mont-Aiguille (2,097 met.) 
 is ascended with difficulty and danger. Formerly known 
 as Mont Inaccessible, the rock was first scaled in the year of 
 the discovery of America. 
 
 The line skirts a precipice, with fine views of moun- 
 
43o SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 tains, amongst which the Obiou, the Mont Aiguille, and 
 the Farraud are conspicuous, to 
 
 67 k. S. Maurice-en-Trieves. 
 
 82 k. Lus-la-Croix-Haute. The village (on 1.) is strikingly 
 situated, backed by bare jagged peaks and perpendicular 
 rocks, and mountains covered with snow till late in the 
 summer. The line now descends into the valley of the 
 Buech, between mountains upon which bears are frequently 
 seen, to 
 
 SQk. S.Julien-en-Beauchene (Hotel : Dousseliri}. One hour 
 distant, in a lonely valley, is the ruined Chartreuse-de-Durbon> 
 built 1116-28. On a narrow promontory of rock, 1. of the 
 line, is a tower, said to be Saracenic. 
 
 nok. Veynes, the Roman Vedetum. 
 
 [A line branches off E., through a wooded valley with pretty 
 scenery, to 
 
 27 k. Gap (Hotel : de Provence very good and clean, the 
 best inn between Grenoble and Aix), the ancient Vapincum, 
 capital of the De"partement des Hautes-Alpes. There is nothing 
 whatever, except the rarity of a good hotel, to detain the traveller 
 at Gap, a small town, surrounded by dreary mountains covered 
 with snow till late in the year. The earlier cathedral and the 
 ancient church of S. Jean le Rond were destroyed by the Protest- 
 ants under Furmeyer in 1 562. One clean street fringes the town, a 
 labyrinth of dirty alleys, in the centre of which is the Cathedral 
 of Notre Dame, demolished in 1866, and rebuilt in the romanesque 
 style, with alternate courses of red and white stone. Close by 
 stands the pleasant little Eveche, less miserable than most French 
 episcopal residences. The tomb of the famous Lesdiguieres 
 (Fran9ois de Bonne, 1543 1626), the savage general in Pied- 
 mont for Henri IV., a Protestant soldier, converted late in 
 life to Catholicism by his mistress, Marie Vignon has been 
 taken to the Prefecture, where the porter will show it, when 
 the council is not sitting. It is a sarcophagus in black marble, 
 
LA S ALETTE. 481 
 
 with reliefs in alabaster, bearing an armed figure by Jacob 
 Richier. 
 
 ' Elisabeth d'Angleterre faisait grand cas de ce ge'ne'ral. S'il 
 y avait en France deux Lesdiguieres, disait-elle un jour, j'en 
 demanderais un au roi.' Hoefer. 
 
 The natives of Gap are known as Gavots. 
 
 15 k. from Gap is the much-frequented pilgrimage church of 
 Notre Dame de Laus. Those who do not care to go to Brian9on 
 may visit Embrun in the day from Gap. 
 
 [The pilgrimage to the famous sanctuary of La Salette is 
 usually and most conveniently made from Gap. Carriages may 
 be obtained at the hotel at very reasonable prices, varying according 
 to the time employed. Merely on account of scenery, the excursion 
 is not worth while. 
 
 It is a drive of about five hours from Gap to Corps. A long 
 and wearisome ascent leads out of Gap ; then the road descends, 
 leaving the large village of 6 1 . Bonnet to the r. At 31 k. the small 
 ruins of the Chateau de Diguieres, which belonged to the great 
 Constable, are seen on the 1. At 48k. is Corps (Hotel: de la 
 Poste very humble, but clean), a rather picturesque village 
 grouped around the church, which has a low spire. 
 
 Horses for La Salette, 3 fr. 50 c. ; carriages (ascent 5 fr., 
 descent 3 fr. 50 c.) can only be taken for a short distance. 
 
 Having once been shown by the innkeeper the point where 
 the path to La Salette turns aside (r.) from the dirty street of 
 Corps, it cannot again be mistaken (guide absurd). The ascent 
 on foot takes 3 hrs., the descent 2hrs. In the mists of early 
 morning the first part of the valley is rather pretty, but there 
 is no fine scenery. Artists will probably sketch Corps from the 
 first turn in the path to La Salette. 
 
 The road runs along a ridge in a narrow valley, then, crossing 
 a brook at the end of a gorge, it becomes much steeper and the 
 valley narrower. Soon after passing two chapels, the stream is 
 crossed again. Near a white house the road turns 1. and passes 
 through a hamlet and in front of its church. Then the path (no 
 longer available for carriages) turning 1. along the exposed side 
 
 31 
 
482 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of the hill becomes very steep and tedious, scorching in summer, 
 and bleak and snow-drifted in winter. Only after many weari- 
 some zigzags does it come in sight of La Salette, looking like a 
 great factory with a church attached to it, on a dismal ridge, 
 
 LA SALETTE. 
 
 overhung to the S. by-Mont Planeau, to the W. by Mont Chamoux, 
 and to the N. by Mont Gargas. 
 
 The story of La Salette is the most remarkable known instance 
 of modern superstition. It tells how two children, Melanie Mathieu, 
 aged fourteen, and Maximin Giraud, aged twelve, were guarding 
 cows upon the mountains on Sept. 19, 1846, when they saw a lady 
 
LA S ALETTE. 483 
 
 sitting on a stone, ' weeping bitterly, with tears which seemed 
 like sparks of fire,' whilst the figure of the lady itself was so 
 radiant that ' the sun seemed dark by comparison.' Having en- 
 couraged the children to come near, the lady told them that she 
 1 was weeping over the ingratitude of mankind and their future 
 punishment ; that if men refused to repent she should be com- 
 pelled to let the arm of her Son fall upon them, it was becoming 
 too heavy for her to support ; it was the breaking of the Sabbath 
 and taking her Son's name in vain, which, more than all other 
 sins, would draw down the coming punishment. These it was 
 which had caused the failure of the potato crop, and on account 
 of these, it would be useless to plant corn, for that would perish 
 also. A great famine was approaching, but before that time all 
 children under seven years old would tremble and die in the 
 arms which held them : the grapes would moulder and the nuts 
 decay.' As soon as the lady had uttered these curses, the children 
 recognised the blessed Virgin in the speaker, but afterwards she 
 spoke to each of them separately, and she then confided to them 
 a secret which they were never to reveal to anyone but the Pope 
 himself. Then the lady glided, rather than walked, along the 
 grass, rose in the air, remained suspended for a moment, and 
 gradually vanished into the clouds. 
 
 This story, when first told by the children, gave rise to 
 great controversy. Some of the French bishops accepted it, and 
 some contested it. Two priests dared to assert that a certain 
 Mademoiselle de Lamerliere was the contriver and author of 
 the supposed miracle. But the Bishop of Valence advocated 
 the truth of the whole story, and upon May 25, 1852, laid the 
 foundation stone of the church, which was finished in 1861, and 
 has since been enriched by a pulpit from Belgium, and ex- 
 votos from all parts of the world. Over the high-altar is a group 
 in stucco representing the appearance to the two children. In 
 the sacristy are the stone on which they saw the Virgin sitting, 
 and a crown of jewels offered to the Virgin (by the Empress 
 Eugenie ?). There is a vast Hotellerie for pilgrims, women being 
 received and most kindly cared for by the Soeurs de la Providence, 
 - and men by the missionary fathers, who have a large school here. 
 The cold is so great on this icy platform that large fires are re- 
 quired in summer as well as winter. The concourse, especially 
 
484 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 on the date of the Apparition (Sept. 19), is enormous, hundreds 
 are obliged to sleep in the open air ; but the Abbe Lemonnier 
 (Pelerinage a la Salette) affirms that ' out of 60,000 persons who, 
 in one year, passed the night thus in prayer, their knees in the 
 snow, their heads in the icy mist, not one caught cold.' In 'good 
 years ' the number of pilgrims is now 15,000. 
 
 Opposite the church is the point of 'the Assumption/ 
 marked by a group of the Virgin and the children, given 
 
 by a rich Spaniard. Below this rises La Fontaine de la 
 Vierge, the waters of which are sent to all parts of the 
 world. The path by which the Virgin ascended, before finally 
 disappearing, is marked by fourteen wooden crosses, by which 
 the pilgrims often follow ' le chemin de la croix ' upon their 
 knees. Higher up is a little chapel, near the cemetery for 
 those who die at La Salette. A brisk trade is carried on by 
 the Sisters in ' objets de piete : ' they also beg from strangers 
 for the lighting of the church. 
 
 The snow is very deep at La Salette till the end of April- 
 
E MB RUN. 
 
 485 
 
 The missionaries stay from the beginning of May till the end 
 of October, inhabiting Grenoble in the winter. One alone 
 remains, with the nuns, upon the mountain, to receive the few 
 pilgrims who brave the winter snows. Of the two favoured 
 children, Maximin died in 1875 at Corps as a ' fabricant de 
 
 CATHEDRAL PORCH, EMBRUN. 
 
 liqueurs,' and Me~lanie still lives (1890), as a Carmelite nun, 
 at Marseilles.] 
 
 The line continues up the valley of the Durance to 
 65 k. (from Veynes) Embrun (Hotel : de la Poste miserable), 
 the ancient Ebrodunum, occupying a rocky plateau below Mont 
 S. Guillaume. The little town, deprived of its walls, has the 
 aspect of a Swiss village, from its white houses and high slated 
 roofs. The Cathedral, of XL c., has a romanesque tower, and 
 
486 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 stone spire. The arches of the xm. c. facade are striped in 
 yellow and grey stone. On the N. is a beautiful romanesque 
 portal with lions and twisted red marble pillars. On the r. of 
 the W. entrance is a font, probably Roman, resting on a lion ; on 
 the 1. side is a curious hanging gallery, ending in a tourelle, 
 between two pillars, and the organ given by Louis XL, whose 
 last words were : ' Notre Dame d'Embrun, ma bonne maitresse, 
 ayez pitie de moi.' 
 
 
 CHATEAU QUEYRAS. 
 
 Opposite the N. porch is the interesting xiv. c. Maison du 
 Prevot, decorated with monsters. Behind the cathedral is the 
 square Tour Brune, of xi. c. 
 
 [There is a road from Embrun to (84k.) Sisteron by the 
 valley of the Durance, passing (42 k.) Tallard, where there are 
 fine ruins of an xi. c. chateau, with a renaissance chapel.] 
 
 82 k. Mont Dauphin, fortified by Vauban. The brown walls 
 of the town crown the brown surface of a sterile rocky hill, 
 surrounded by a distant mountain landscape. 
 
CHATEAU QUEYRAS. 4$7 
 
 [5k. S. is the dismal mountain town of Guillestre, with a red 
 marble church of 1507-32, which has a portal with columns 
 resting on lions. A road passes hence through the savage gorge 
 called La Combe de Queyras to (24 k.) Chateau Queyras (Hotel : 
 de Monte Viso very humble), an exceedingly picturesque place, 
 with a fortress on a pyramidal rock, and (36k.) Abries (Hotel: 
 Richard}, famous for its cattle fairs. 
 
 A great number of mountain excursions may be made from 
 
 LES MAMELLES. 
 
 Chateau Queyras, which would be an admirable centre for artists 
 if there were a better hotel. Endless fine subjects may be found 
 between Chateau Queyras and Ceillat, by the Col dc Fromage 
 (3 hrs.), where the twin rocks called Les Mamelles are a con- 
 spicuous feature.] 
 
 The line follows the valley of the Durance. 
 
 96 k. LArgentiere La Bessee. Hence a mountain road leads 
 to the Alpine village of (27 k.) Ville Vallouisc. It passes through 
 a district celebrated in the wars of the Vaudois against their 
 
488 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Catholic persecutors. On r., far above the road, are remains 
 of fortifications, called le mur des Vaudois. From Vallouise the 
 savage Mont Pelvoux: (12 hrs.) may be ascended. 
 
 'De meme que les Alpes du Viso, celles du Pelvoux 
 abritaient autrefois des populations libres, et la presence de 
 quelques groupes de protestants e"pars dans les hautes vallees 
 
 LE MONT PELVOUX. 
 
 rappelle encore les temps de 1'ancienne independance. Mais le 
 gros des Vaudois qui habitaient la Vallouise, la plus belle vallee 
 du massif, a completement peri. On montre, a la base orientale 
 du Pelvoux, la profonde ' balme ' Chapelu, qui servit longtemps 
 d'asile aux Vaudois persecutes, et ou, pendant une nuit d'orage, 
 on les egorgea tous. De nos jours, la population de la Vallouise 
 est une des plus arriere'es de la France, une de celles qui vivent 
 dans la rnisere la plus sordide ; les huttes sont sales, la nourriture 
 est insuffisante et malsaine, aucune regie de hygiene n'est 
 
BRIANCON. 
 
 489 
 
 observe~e, et dans maint village le tiers des enfants qui naissent 
 deviennent de malheureux cretins.' Elisce Rechis. 
 
 The Durance is now seen passing a narrow defile of rock. 
 
 1 03k. 5. Martin -de-Queyrieres, near which, at Sachas, are an 
 extraordinary succession of natural columns, relics of an ancient 
 moraine. 
 
 AT BRIANCON. 
 
 The line continues upon the slopes of arid mountains, along 
 precipices, through tunnels, and following the Durance till it 
 becomes a small mountain torrent, to 
 
 109 k. Brianfon (Hotels : Terminus, in the station very good ; 
 delaPaix, in the town bad), the Roman Brigantium. A fortress 
 of the first class, 2 k. from the station, on a plateau above the 
 confluence of the Durance and the Guisanne, backed by the 
 mountain of La Croix-de-Toulouse (j,973 met.), above which 
 rises the S. Chaffrey (2,570 met.). The device of the town is 
 
490 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ' Petite ville et grand renom.' It is a curious, but not at all a 
 picturesque place. Its houses, massed in a lofty nook of the 
 hills, end in a large hunchbacked, twin-towered church. It is 
 surrounded by a triple line of walls and protected by seven 
 forts, watching the Italian frontier. The scenery is savage and 
 bare, without being grand. A very- steep ascent" leads from the 
 station to the town, which is entered by three gates and draw- 
 
 LE LAC DE L'ECHAUDA. 
 
 bridges, and there is no town in France which has so steep a 
 street as La Grande Rue de Brian9on, paved with pebbles, and 
 with a stone channel for a rushing streamlet down the middle. 
 There is nothing in the place older than a Protestant temple 
 (opposite the church, at the angle of the Rues de la Mairie and 
 du Temple), dating from 1575, now a private house. 
 
 There is a road from Briancon to Turin or Pignerol by the 
 Col dn Mont-Genevre (Mons Janus). At 49 k. from Brian9on, is 
 passed the fort of Fenestrelles (Finis terrae), where Saintine places 
 
SISTERON. 491 
 
 the scene of his Picciola, and where Xavier de Maistre, as a 
 
 prisoner, wrote his Voyage autour de ma chambrc.~\ 
 
 
 
 [An interesting excursion may be made from Brian9on by 
 hiring a carriage to (i5k.) Monetier, whence a guide should be 
 taken to the beautiful and desolate Lac de VEchauda (or de 
 Montagnose), at the N.E. extremity of the glacier of Seguret- 
 Foran, which plunges into the lake, and of which the open 
 crevasses of ice may be seen through the still waters partially 
 unfrozen. 
 
 4 hrs. from Mone~tier is the mountain hamlet of Les Claux 
 (Auberge : Borneoud}, a miserable group of chalets, whence the 
 ascent of Mont Pelvoux (4,103 met.) is often made. The excur- 
 sion occupies two days, the ascent requiring at least 12 hrs., the 
 descent 7 hrs. The mountain can only be ascended during the 
 few weeks of summer (in August) when its highest steeps 
 are free from snow. A guide charges 35 fr. The ascent is 
 monotonous and devoid of character, but the view from the 
 summit is the finest in the Western Alps.] 
 
 1 25k. Serres (Hotel: Moulin}. The mairie, in the 
 middle of the town, was once the house of Lesdiguieres. 
 The church is XH. c. 
 
 159 k. Sisteron (Hotel: Negre best, but rough and dirty; 
 Pardigori), the Roman Segestero, which became the seat of 
 a bishopric in iv. c. The first appearance of this striking 
 place will take the traveller by surprise. The town lies at 
 the foot of a great rock crowned and covered by fortifica- 
 tions, in arches, walls, and terraces of great picturesqueness, 
 and the Durance, here a rushing mountain torrent, alone 
 separates it from a tremendous precipice of jagged moun- 
 tain. On this side the town walls have been destroyed, but 
 their towers remain. At the entrance of the city stands the 
 former cathedral of Notre Dame, of xi. c. and xu. c. The 
 W. front has the peculiarity of the arcades and their 
 gables at the side of the W. portal being cut by buttresses 
 
492 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 apparently constructed at the same time. Over the cross 
 is an octagon surrounded by . little columns, which once 
 supported a cupola. The interior is magnificent in its 
 simple, stately forms, and deep brown unrestored masonry, 
 the stained glass and pictures lending brilliant points of 
 colour to the dark surface. It is a cathedral to paint. 
 
 It is only after passing through the dirty street of Sisteron, 
 emerging from its farther gate, and crossing the ravine by 
 
 its bridge of a single arch, that an idea can be formed of its 
 splendid position. The castle and fortifications are then 
 seen crowning a rugged mountain pierced with casements, 
 whilst the gate and the tall old houses rising abruptly from 
 the river, with the ruined campanile of S. Dominique, built 
 of courses of red and white stone, occupying the rocks in 
 the foreground, combine into a picture never to be forgotten. 
 An artist will also find grand subjects under the old gothic 
 archways and lofty buildings of the town. Casimir of 
 
DIGNE. 
 
 493 
 
 Poland, brother of Ladislaus VII., was imprisoned in the 
 citadel. The old Hotel Lesdiguieres contains some good 
 tapestries. 
 
 1 76k. Auban. 
 
 [Hence there is a branch of 42 k. to 
 
 21 8 k. Digne (Hotels: Boyer good, and really clean; du 
 Commerce; du Nord}, the Roman Dinia, the capital of the 
 
 THE GORGE OF SISTERON. 
 
 department of Basses- Alpes. The town, situated in a niche, by 
 the usually dry bed of the Bleone, is divided into three parts la 
 tete, le mitau (milieu\ et le pied. The principal promenade (Pre 
 du Foire) near Hotel Boyer, is rather picturesque, planted with 
 plane-trees, and adorned with a statue (by Ramus of Marseilles) 
 of Gassendi, the astronomer and demi-sceptic philosopher, born at 
 Champtercier, near this, in 1 592. Behind rises the tower of the 
 cathedral, crowned with open ironwork. The building has been 
 so often restored as to have little interest ; the fa9ade has a rose- 
 window and a gothic portal with Christ and the symbolical beasts 
 
494 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of the Apocalypse on the tympanum. In a chapel r. of the nave 
 is the tomb of a bishop, of 1615. A statue of S. Vincent de Paul 
 is by Dalmas, 1869. A prison occupies the site of the episcopal 
 palace. Beyond the avenue of planes which opens from the 
 Pre du Foire, at the end of the town, is the earlier cathedral of 
 Notre Dame } of xn. c. and xm. c. (keys at the bureau de 1'octroi, 
 near the E. end of the church). Over the portal is a splendid 
 rose-window, and the lions of the porch remain. The grandiose, 
 semi-desecrated interior is very striking and simple. It contains 
 some remains of frescoes, and a number of mummied bodies are 
 preserved in one of the transepts. 
 
 1 Lorsqu'on penetre a l'intrieur on est frappe de la noblesse 
 et de la majeste qui y regnent. Le plan est de forme de croix 
 latine. La nef est formee de quatre travees, dont les arcs, ainsi 
 que ceux des voutes, sont rompus au sommet. Les colonnes 
 sont generalement bien dessinees et couronnees de chapiteaux 
 elegants. Quelques fenetres sont ornees de trilobes.' Bonrasse. 
 
 [A road runs N.W. from Digne by (43 k.) Seyne des Alpes, 
 which has an early gothic church, to (86 k.) Barcelonnette (Hotel : 
 du Nord\ situated on a mountain plateau, and dating from 1231. 
 Its Tour de THorloge formerly belonged to a Dominican convent. 
 A fountain commemorates Antoine Manuel, the orator of the 
 Restauration, and is inscribed with the words of Be~ranger, ' Bras, 
 tete, et coeur, tout e"tait peuple en lui.' The natives of Barcelon- 
 nette and its neighbourhood have almost monopolized the muslin 
 and calico trade in Mexico. 1 A short distance from Barcelonnette 
 to 1. of the road on arriving from Digne, is .5. Pons, with a church 
 of very early foundation (vi. c. ?), possessing a richly sculptured 
 S. portal and a gothic spire. A wild mountain road leads from 
 Barcelonnette to Coni, by (8 k.) Jausiers, famous in the history of 
 the Vaudois, and (29 k.) the Col de Larche, celebrated for the 
 sudden passage of the French army into Italy, under Bayard, in 
 
 [The road, which runs S.E. from Digne to (125 k.) Grasse, 
 passes 
 
 1 See Lewis Green, A Peep at Mexico, 1874. 
 
CASTELLANE, FORCALQUIER. 493 
 
 1 6 k. The gorge called La Clus de Chabrieres. 
 
 23 k. Norante. On the r. is a ruined castle, on the 1. the ruin 
 called Chdtcau-plus-Haul. 
 
 36 k. Scnez, the Roman Senetium, long a bishopric. The 
 former cathedral is romanesque of xn. c. and xin. c. 3 k. further 
 the road enters a very narrow gorge. 
 
 55k. Castellane (Hotel: du Levant; du Commerce), a very 
 curious old walled town, once the capital of the Suetri, with a 
 college occupying an Augustinian convent, and a lofty bridge of a 
 single arch, overhung by the precipitous Roc de Castellane.} 
 
 181 k. Peyruis, which also serves the little town of (2 k.) 
 Les Mees, on the opposite bank of the Durance, at the foot 
 of an extraordinary chain of rocks, like ninepins, sugar- 
 loaves, etc. the Dolomites in miniature. 
 
 189 k. Lurs, has a ruined castle of the bishops of Sisteron. 
 
 3^k. N. is Ganagobie, which has interesting remains of a 
 Cluniac priory, founded ix. c. a chapter house, romanesque 
 cloister, and church with a curious xn. c. portal. 
 
 [For the road from Lurs to Apt by Reillanne see ch. viii.] 
 1 94k. La Brillanne. 
 
 3 J k. N. W. is the pilgrimage chapel of Notre Dame des Anges, 
 marking the site of the military station of Alaunium. 
 
 202 k. Volx. 
 
 [i6k. W. is Forcalquier (Hotel: Lardeyret] Forum calca- 
 rium. The church of Notre Dame-de-la-Merci (formerly cathe- 
 dral) has an xi. c. nave, xm. c. transept and apse, and xvn. c. 
 aisles: the portal is surmounted by a rose-window. The 
 picturesque Fontaine Gothique is xv. c. Beyond the Porte des 
 Cordeliers is a ruined castle demolished by Henri IV. From the 
 terrace of a modern chapel built amongst the ruins, is a good 
 view. 
 
 209^ Manosque (Hotel: Pascal good country inn, 
 
496 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 with most obliging landlord). The hotel is just outside 
 the town, which is entered by a very curious gate, Porte 
 de Soubeiran, with romanesque arcades. The church of S. 
 Sauveur has a campanile of open ironwork. In Notre Dame 
 is a statue of the Virgin, dating from v. c. or vi. c., and 
 
 IORTE DE SOUBEIRAN, MANOSQUE. 
 
 an altar formed from a sarcophagus of the same period. 
 At the further end of the narrow street is the tall Porte 
 de la Saunerie. 
 
 [Roman archaeologists will sleep at Manosque and drive thence 
 (36 k.) to Riez (Colonia Augusta Reiorum). A carriage with two 
 horses for the day from Hotel Pascal costs 15 fr. 
 
 After crossing the wide bed of the Durance by a suspension 
 
RIEZ. 
 
 497 
 
 bridge, the road leads up the arid sides, and across the dreary 
 plateau of the hills, to where a huge ruined xm. c. castle, founded 
 by the Templars, looks down upon Greoulx (Hotel : du Grand 
 Jardin\ a dull village, with mineral baths much frequented for 
 rheumatism and scrofula. 2k. distant is the little Chateau de 
 Laval, which belonged to the Princess Pauline Borghese, and 
 was sometimes inhabited by her. 
 
 Hence our route winds along the valley of the Verdon, then 
 of the Colostre to 6*. Martin de Bromes, overlooked by a tall 
 square tower. 
 
 COLUMNS OF RIEZ. 
 
 Before entering Riez (Hotel : des Alpes) the Alebece Reiorum 
 Apollinarium of the Romans, we see on 1., prettily situated 
 near a ford of the limpid brook Colostre, Four Corinthian 
 Columns of grey Esterel granite, with capitals and bases of 
 marble, and still supporting their marble architrave. 
 
 On the other side of the brook, near the dusty space (Champ 
 de Foire) regarded as the ancient forum, is the curious little 
 monument known in the country as Le Temple or Le Pantheon 
 (the key is at the Hotel de Ville). It is square externally, but 
 octagonal within. 
 
 32 
 
498 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ' Chacun des quatre cotes correspondant aux angles du carre 
 exterieur est muni d'une abside semi-circulaire, prise dans 
 1'epaisseur meme de la construction. Les huit colonnes disposees 
 en rond au milieu de 1'edifice le divisent en basse nef circulaire 
 et en rotonde centrale, et portent huit arcs cintres qui soutiennent 
 un tambour octagonal, au-dessus duquel s'eleve un dome bande 
 sur arcs meplats.' Jules de Lauriere, ' Bulletin Monumental' 
 
 The eight columns are the only part of the edifice dating from 
 Roman times ; they unequal in size have evidently been brought 
 
 LE-TEMPLE, RIEZ. 
 
 from different buildings. The discovery of remains of an early 
 font proves that the building was a very early baptistery. 
 
 Near the modern chapel of 6*. Maxime (1857) on the top of 
 the hill of Riez, is a square tower with a stone spire, which 
 contains six Roman columns disposed in a hemicycle. The xiv. c. 
 cathedral was ruined under the Ligue ; it has been recently 
 rebuilt. The old episcopal palace exists, but is greatly dilapidated. 
 The Rue Droite has curious houses of xiv. c. and xv. c., and a 
 very tall fortified gateway. Small Roman fragments are to be 
 seen everywhere. 
 
 The return from Riez to Manosque may be varied by taking 
 the road through Valensole, a little town of striking outline, like 
 an Italian city.] 
 
AIX. 499 
 
 244 k. Pertuis, has xin. c. towers. On the Lez are the 
 ruins of the chateau (xvi. c.) of the barons of Cental, with a 
 romanesque donjon. 
 
 [For the line from hence to Avignon by Cavaillon see 
 ch. viii.] 
 
 276 k. Aix (Hotels : Ntgre-Coste very good indeed ; du 
 Louvre ; de la Mule Noire], the ancient capital of Provence, 
 now the capital of the Departement des Bouches-du-Rhone, 
 and the seat of an archbishopric. The city which Charles 
 de Brosses (1739) found Ma plus jolie ville de France, apres 
 Paris,' no longer calls forth much admiration from travellers. 
 The town has changed its site three times. The Gaulish 
 Entremont was on a height 3 k. from the existing town ; the 
 Roman Aquae Sextiae, supposed to be the earliest station 
 of the Romans in Gaul, of which nothing remains, stood to 
 the W. of the present town, and was utterly destroyed by 
 the Saracens. It was at Aix that the Counts of Provence 
 held their court in XH. c., and King Rene' instituted here the 
 celebrated procession of the Fete Dieu, last seen in 1851. 
 
 Aix is a very clean, well-built, and exceedingly dull 
 city, continually ravaged by the Mistral in its full violence. 
 Formerly the small noblesse of Provence met here for a 
 winter season, and there are many handsome mansions with 
 heavy portals divided by caryatides. An avenue of planes, 
 called the Cours Mirabeau, divides the town. To the r. of 
 the Cours is the church of 5. Jean de Matte, of 1231, with 
 a xiv. c. spire, containing (in the chapel 1. of altar) the fine 
 restored tomb of Alphonso II. of Provence, his wife, and 
 his son Raymond Beranger IV., under whom Aix enjo* 
 its golden age. The Musee, in the ancient Com*-"* 
 
500 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 de Malte, has some Roman remains, and a very fine early 
 sarcophagus showing the destruction of Pharaoh in the 
 Red Sea, and at the sides, Joseph before Pharaoh, and 
 the Gathering of Manna. Otherwise, there is the usual 
 archeological collection and picture-gallery. A statue of 
 King Rene in the former is by David d'Angers, 
 
 In the centre of the streets on 1. of the Cours is the 
 Hotel de Ville of 1640-68, joining the quaint old Tour de 
 FHorloge. Hence the Rue de 1'Horloge leads to the 
 Cathedral of S. Sauveur, the successor of a basilica which 
 occupied the site of a temple of Apollo. The W. front and 
 octagonal tower are rich xiv. c. gothic. The panels of the 
 principal door (1476) are curiously carved with prophets and 
 sibyls in walnut wood. The central aisle of the triple nave 
 is of 1285 ; the r. aisle has an octagonal cupola. On the r. 
 of the S. aisle is a baptistery of the vi. c., restored in vm. c., 
 and supported by eight columns of antique marble and 
 granite from the temple of the Sun. Against the r. wall 
 of the nave are two curious pictures the first is a triptych, 
 in which the central panel represents the Burning Bush. 
 The shutters have the Annunciation on the outside, and on 
 the inside King Ren and his second wife, Jeanne de Laval; 
 he with his patrons the Magdalen, Anthony, and Maurice ; 
 she with hers John, Nicolas, and Catherine. The work 
 has been attributed to Rene himself, but is really by Van 
 der Metre, a pupil of Van Eyck. The other picture, repre- 
 senting the incredulity of S. Thomas, is by Louis Finsonius 
 of Bruges, 1613. The choir is hung with curious tapestries 
 made at Arras, representing the life of Christ. In the N. 
 aisle is a remarkable xv. c. altar-piece, representing the 
 origin of the Chevaliers du Croissant instituted by King 
 
S. MAXIMIN. 501 
 
 Rend. In the chapel near it is a fine gothic tomb. On the 
 S. is a beautiful little romanesque Cloister, with columns of 
 great variety and arcades which are a lapidary museum, and 
 contain a iv. c. sarcophagus and some quaint statues. 
 
 The ancient baths of Sextius are commemorated by a 
 modern bathing-establishment. 
 
 [The important excursion to the Sainte-Baume may be made 
 in a very long and fatiguing day from Aix, but it is better to 
 sleep at S. Maximin.] 
 
 [An excursion may be made by carriage to (i$k.) Vauven- 
 argues (Vallis Veranica), on the S. of Mont Labaou, where there 
 is a curious xiv. c. chateau, retaining its xvi. c. chimney-pieces, 
 and a good deal of fine old furniture. The seigneury belonged to 
 the Comtes de Provence till 1257 ; now the chateau belongs to 
 the family of Isoard. In one of the towers is an oratory containing 
 the body of S. Severin, given by Pius VII. to Cardinal d'Isoard.] 
 
 Continuing the line to Marseilles, we reach 
 289 k. Gardanne. 
 
 [Hence there is a line to Brignolles by 
 
 20 k. Trets, at the foot of the Ouripo or Olympe, which bears 
 at its summit the tower, hermitage, and the chapel of S. Jean 
 Baptiste, a great object of pilgrimage. The town, which was one 
 of the first cities of Provence in x. c., retains its xiv. c. walls and 
 dilapidated chateau. The church of xi. c. and xiv. c. has a high- 
 altar and ratable by Veyrier, pupil of Puget. 
 
 37 k. 5". Maocimin (Hotels : du Var a good country inn ; 
 du Cheval Blanc ; de France). The huge church was founded 
 by Charles II., Comte de Provence and King of Sicily, above an 
 earlier crypt which was believed to contain the relics of several 
 of the early Christian fugitives from Jerusalem SS. Maximin, 
 Isidore, Marcella, and of the Magdalen herself. The latter 
 attracted immense pilgrimages through the middle-ages. Exter- 
 nally the church, begun at the end of the xm. c. and only finished 
 at the end of the xv. c., is bare and without character an im- 
 
502 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 mense rectangular building with an insignificant tower ; but 
 internally it is far the finest gothic building in Provence. It is 
 a basilica of three lofty aisles ending in three apses. A poetical 
 inscription gives the date of the vaulting (tecta) at 1279, finished 
 in 1480: the stained glass was destroyed in 1510. The columns 
 have no capitals, but a simple moulding. The pulpit (1756) and 
 stalls (1622) are very richly carved. A ratable on 1., of 1520, is 
 by Antoni Rozen. The high-altar, of jasper with bronze orna- 
 ments, was executed, 1683, by Joseph Le"otaud, a pupil of 
 Bernini. Above it a modern shrine of gilt bronze contains the 
 famous relic of the church, the head of S. Mary Magdalen, beneath 
 which, preserved in crystal tubes, are other relics of the Mag- 
 dalen, of Lazarus and Martha, the whole surmounted by a 
 baldacchino decorated with the arms of Charles II. and Ren 
 d'Anjou. The treasury contains the vestments of S. Louis of 
 Toulouse ; in the crypt are a number of early Christian sarco- 
 phagi, one of which is shown as that of the Magdalen. 
 
 The main street, leading to the church, contains a remarkable 
 xv. c. house, with a corbelled tourelle. In the Revolution the 
 name of S. Maximin was changed to that of Marathon. Lucien 
 Bonaparte, who was a ' garde magazin ' at Marathon, married his 
 first wife here. 
 
 'Le village de S. Marathon-Maximin n'est pas une magnifique 
 residence. Lucien-Brutus le sentit bientot, et 1'ennui 1'aurait gagne 
 si 1'amour ne 1'eut console". Lucien-Brutus devint amoureux, mais 
 amoureux-fou, de mademoiselle Christine Boyer, dont le pere 
 etait a la tete de la petite auberge de S. Marathon. Lucien etait 
 jeune alors, il avait a peine vingt-trois ans. II aimait pour la 
 premiere fois, et il aimait un ange de bonte", de vertu, et de 
 candeur.' ' Memoires de la Duchesse d'Abrantes! 
 
 (It is necessary to sleep at S. Maximin to make with comfort 
 the important excursion to La-Sainte-Baume, though it is possible 
 to accomplish it in the day either from Marseilles or from Aix. 
 The best time for this expedition is the late spring, when the 
 flowers are in beauty. There are two ways of reaching S. Baume 
 from S. Maximin. By the first, a carriage (from Hotel du 
 Var, 10 fr.) is taken to the nearer foot of the mountain, 3k. 
 
LA-SAINTE-BA UME. 503 
 
 beyond the village of Nans, about \\ hours' drive ; by the other the 
 carriage (20 fr.) is taken via 6*. Zacharie (where the church dates 
 from 1033) to the hotellerie (very rough road), nearly 4 hours' 
 drive. The latter route only involves an ascent on foot of about 
 hr., and the former involves a rough ascent on foot of i 
 hrs. ; yet good walkers will find the former route the best, and 
 a saving of time. 
 
 At 2 k. on the road, we pass (1.) the 6*. Pilou (lou san pie"roun), 
 a xv. c. octagonal pillar, supporting a weather-beaten piece of 
 sculpture representing the Magdalen being carried (according to 
 the tradition) over the mountain by four angels. 
 
 A very early tradition of the Church narrates that a number 
 of the immediate followers of Christ fled from Judea from the 
 persecution which followed the Ascension, and landed on the 
 coast of Provence to become the first missionaries of Gaul. Of 
 these, Mary Salome and Mary Cleopas remained at Les Saintes- 
 Maries in the Camargue, where they had landed (see ch. viii.) ; 
 Lazarus went to carry the gospel to Marseilles, Restitutus to 
 S. Restitut, Maximin to S. Maximin, Martha to Tarascon, but 
 Mary Magdalen (whom ecclesiastical tradition identifies with 
 Mary of Bethany) pushed on further, into the wild recesses of 
 the Maritime Alps, where she spent many years in a desolate 
 cavern, from which angels bore her through the air seven times a 
 day to pray on the top of the neighbouring Mont Pilon. Dying 
 in her cave, the Magdalen was taken for burial to S. Maximin, 
 but meantime a number of hermits had gathered around the 
 place which she had consecrated by her presence, and in the v. c. 
 S. Cassien established a monastery there. The monks, however, 
 were soon driven out by barbarian invaders, and, till the end of 
 the xui. c., the place was neglected and almost forgotten. 
 
 On April 6, 1295, Boniface VIII. granted to Count Charles II. 
 of Provence the right to establish preaching friars at S. Maximin 
 and La-Sainte-Baume, and exempted them from all jurisdiction 
 except that of the Holy See. Since that time the pilgrims who 
 have visited La-Sainte-Baume have included eight popes, eleven 
 kings and four queens of France, kings of Spain and Bohemia, 
 the emperor Charles IV., S. Louis of Toulouse, S. Bridget, 
 S. Giovanni de Matha, and Petrarch ! Louis XIV. was amongst 
 the royal pilgrims, but afterwards found it highly inconvenient 
 
504 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 and expensive when his granddaughters (via Mme. de Montespan) 
 insisted upon following his example, before leaving the country 
 for the marriages which had been arranged for them. The great 
 seasons of pilgrimage at the present time are Pentecost, the Fete 
 
 LA-SAINTE-BAUME. 
 
 Dieu, and the feast of the Magdalen : at the latter as many as ten 
 thousand persons frequently ascend to the cavern. 
 
 The road is a good one as far as Nans. Thence a rough 
 country road allows us to drive 3 k. further, to the foot of the 
 mountain. Hence, a very rough stony way must be ascended on 
 foot (or donkeys may be ordered at Nans), through forest kept 
 
LA-SAINTE-BA UME. 505 
 
 down to brushwood by charcoal burners, who are the only 
 persons to be met, except at a time of pilgrimage. By the 
 way, at intervals, we pass ruined gothic shrines, erected under 
 Francois I. by Jean Ferrier, archbishop of Aries. At the top of 
 the first ascent we cross a comparative level, at the end of which, 
 on r. f is the Hotellerie. Hence we ascend through real forest of 
 great beauty, where an artist will find grand studies of old oaks 
 embracing the rocks with their roots. Yews and hollies (rare in 
 France) are abundant here, and in spring the ground is covered 
 with violets, hepaticas, anemones, Solomon's-seal, lilies, narcissus, 
 and a great variety of orchis. Most beautiful, at this time, is the 
 effect of the dark purple precipices towering behind the fresh 
 green. 
 
 'La tristesse ineffable et sublime de la Sainte-Baume.' 
 Michelet. 
 
 Close under the mountain wall, reached by a staircase, is the 
 convent, now only inhabited by four monks, who are compelled 
 to wear secular dress. Opposite, on the same little platform, is 
 a small hospice for the pilgrims, where medals and photographs 
 may be purchased (by way of payment to the guide). A monk, 
 full of burning faith in the legends of the place, and smelling 
 terribly of garlic, will probably show the holy cavern, which is of 
 vast size, containing several altars. Water drips perpetually 
 from the roof, and the cave is very wet, except in one spot, said 
 to have been that le rocher de la Penitence where the saint 
 remained for years in penitence and prayer. A statue of the 
 Magdalen here was given by Mgr. Dupanloup. Before they are 
 allowed to enter the holiest spot of all, pilgrims are slill obliged 
 to leave their shoes behind them. 
 
 1 Antro, in cui visse incognito il rigore 
 Di lei, che tanto erro, pianse poi tanto, 
 Di lei, cui letto il suol, bevanda il pianto, 
 
 Cibo il cordoglio fu, gioja il dolore. 
 
 Antro dall'onda di quel sacro umore 
 Piu, che da gli anni logorato e infranto ; 
 E voi silenzi alpestri, che d'un santo 
 
 Orror m'empiete, e mi parlate al core ; 
 
506 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 In col guardo v'ascolto, e udir mi sembra 
 Ch'ella qui giunse, e qui ritenne il passo, 
 
 E qui poso le affiticate membra ; 
 
 E risponder vorria, ma'l pianto, ahi lasso ! 
 
 M'abbonda si, che'l volto mio rassembra 
 Per doglia un fiume, e per stupore un sasso.' 
 
 Filicaia. 
 
 Louis XL of France made a large chapel within the cave, 
 and Fran9ois I. placed his own statue and that of his mother at 
 the entrance. Cave and convent were alike devastated by the 
 Revolution, but they have since been restored through the energy 
 of the Dominicans, especially of the Pere Lacordaire. 
 
 From the little terrace in front of the cave there is a glorious 
 view over the lower mountain heights beyond the Alpine forest. 
 It is even finer from the summit of 6*. Pilon, the mountain above 
 the convent, where it is only bounded on the N. by the mountains 
 of S. Victor, and on the S. by the sea. The ruined chapel here 
 was splendidly decorated with marble sculpture by Eleanore de 
 Bergues, Princesse de Sedan, and her son Cardinal de Bouillon.) 
 
 43 k. Tourves. On the hill above is the ruined Chateau de 
 Valbelle. 
 
 56k. Brignoles (Hotel : de la Cloche a" Or), the second town 
 of the Comtes de Provence, who had a winter palace here, now 
 used as the sous-prefecture. In the church are preserved 
 the mitre, dalmatic, and gloves of S. Louis d'Anjou, bishop of 
 Toulouse, who was a native of Brignoles. A good house of the 
 xn. c., with windows divided by columns, remains. The dried 
 plums of Brignoles are celebrated. At La Celle are remains of 
 a xii. c. priory. 
 
 The line joins the main line from Marseilles to Nice at 
 
 79k. Carnoules, see ch. ix.] 
 
 302 k. S. Antoine. The Mediterranean now comes in 
 sight, and the railway proceeds along a high terrace with a 
 most exquisite view of Marseilles, overlooked by the sane- 
 
5. MARTHE TOUR SAINTE. 507 
 
 tuary of Notre Dame de la Garde, with the Chateau d'lf, 
 and the islands of Pomegue and Ratonneau in the distance. 
 
 305 k. S. Marthe Tour Sainte. The hills are covered 
 with suburban villas. The Tour Sainte (of 1856) stands (1.), 
 surmounted by a statue of the Virgin, on a hill near a stone 
 on which S. Martha is said to have rested on her way to visit 
 her sister Mary Magdalen, at the Sainte-Baume. 
 
 3iok. Marseilles. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 MARSEILLES TO THE ITALIAN FRONTIER, BY TOULON, 
 (HYERES), CANNES, NICE, MONACO, MONTE-CARLO, 
 AND MENTONE. IN VAR AND LES ALPES-MARI- 
 TIMES. 
 
 ON this route it will be seen how all the life of 
 Provence is on the seashore : the inland towns 
 are asleep. The hillsides, after leaving Marseilles, seem 
 powdered with bastides. 
 
 ' Les Proveii9aux sont fiers de leurs bastides ; il n'y a 
 vraiment pas de quoi : ' prevention et misere, c'est le caractere 
 de toutes ces maisons. La bastide a de plus un agre"ment re- 
 marquable, c'est que, sous un ciel ge"ne~ralement pur et sur un sol 
 desastreusement sec, elle est une 6ponge salpetre"e qui trouve 
 moyen de ne jamais se"cher.' George Sand. 
 
 7 k. La Pomme. Close to this, at S. Dominique, is 
 the bastide of Casau/x, which belonged to the family of 
 Clary, of which one daughter married Bernadotte, the 
 other Joseph Bonaparte. 
 
 T 2 k. S. Menet, the station for the sulphuric baths of 
 Camoins. To the N.E. is seen Mont Garlaban, which 
 serves as a thermometer to the district : when its top is 
 lost in mist, it will rain, according to the distich : 
 
 1 Garlaban a son capeou 
 Pren ton sa, saouve ti leou,' 
 
LA CIO TAT. 509 
 
 1 7 k. Aubagne. A fountain opposite the Hotel de 
 Ville commemorates the Abb Barthelemy, author of the 
 Voyage du Jeune Anacharsis en Grice. The outline of 
 the mountain background is very striking. 
 
 8k. E. is the Cistercian Abbey of S. Pons, founded 1205, and 
 ruined xv. c. 5 k. E. is the rich valley of Gemenos. 
 
 1 O riant Gemenos, 6 vallon fortune, 
 J'ai revu ton coteau de pampres couronne, 
 Que la figue cherit, que 1'olive idolatre, 
 tendre en verts gradins son riche amphitheatre.' 
 
 Delille, ' LHomme des Champs' 
 
 [Hence there is a branch line to Aix. See ch. x.] 
 
 2;k. Cassis, the ancient Carsicis Portus. The town is 
 3 k. S.S.W. of the station, which is on a bare rocky height. 
 As the train descends there is a view of the bay of 
 
 37k. La Ciotat. The town, 4 k. S.W. of the line (at 
 the foot of the Bee de I'Aigle), which possesses the work- 
 shops of the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes, was 
 founded 1851. A little N. of the station is Ceyreste, the 
 ancient Cezerista. The ramparts of the Roman settlement 
 remain. Outside the village is a covered fountain, supposed 
 to be of Greek origin. 
 
 44k. S. Cyr. 
 
 4 k. N.E. of the town is the rock-built Cadiere, with a double 
 line of fortifications surrounding its ruined castle of xi. c. The 
 church is xvi. c. 
 
 The line makes a great curve to the S. and passes a 
 tunnel before descending into the bay of Bandol. 
 
 58k. Ollioules-S.-Nazaire. Ollioules, 3|k. N.E., is situ- 
 ated amid orange-groves at the foot of precipitous rocks. 
 The views to the 1. of the line are very striking. 
 
5io SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 62 k. La Seyne (Hotel : de la Mediterranee). A ship- 
 building town. 
 
 From La Seyne a pleasant excursion may be made to the 
 promontory of Cap Side. 
 
 ' Ce coin de terre est la pointe la plus meridionale que la 
 France pousse dans la Mediterrane~e, car la presqu'ile de 
 Giens, aupres des iles d'Hyeres, est un doigt presque de"tache 
 tandis que ceci est une main dont le large et solide poignet 
 est bien soude au corps de la Provence. Cette main s'est 
 en partie fermee, abandonnant au flot qui la ronge deux de 
 ses' doigts mutiles, la presqu'ile du cap Cepet, qui formait 
 son index, et les ilots des Ambiers. qui sont les phalanges 
 rompues de son petit doigt. Son pouce ecourte ou rentre est la 
 pointe de Balaguier, qui protege la petite rade de Toulon d'un 
 cote, et del'autre le golfe du Lazaret.' George Sand, 'Tamaris.' 
 
 The ancient town of Six-Fours is connected with the sea by 
 a Roman paved way called le chemin romain de S. Madeleine. 
 The church is xvn. c., over a crypt of x. c., which contains a 
 font for baptism by immersion, and an early Christian altar. On 
 the plateau called Courtine, above the town, is a fortress near a 
 ruined xv. c. chapel. Hence we may visit the port of Brusq, 
 where Gregory XL, going from Avignon to Rome, was kept three 
 days by a tempest in 1376. From the port a path leads to Cap 
 Motiret, and the furthest point of the promontory, which has a 
 chapel of Notre Damede la Garde. Then the Plage des Sablettes, 
 the Cap Cepet, Tamaris, and Fort Napoleon may be visited. 
 
 67 k. Toulon (Hotels : Grand ; Victoria ; du Louvre ; du 
 Nord}. This fortress town, of little interest to travellers, 
 and terribly unhealthy as a residence, is supposed to have 
 been founded by Phenicians in ix. c. or x. c. A.C. It only 
 began to have any maritime and military importance after the 
 building of its great towers by Louis XII. and Francois I., 
 and its real fortune only dates from the erection of its forti- 
 fications by Vauban under Louis XIV. The dockyard of 
 
TOULON. 511 
 
 Toulon was destroyed in Nov. 1793, by Sir Sidney Smith, 
 before the evacuation of the town by the British troops, 
 vainly urged to protect the royalist inhabitants and refugees 
 in the town from the republicans, who, when they entered 
 the town, massacred more than 6,000 of those who were 
 left to their mercy, 1 and decreed that the very name of 
 Toulon should be blotted out, and the commune called in 
 future Port-la-Montagne. 
 
 There are no buildings of interest in Toulon. The 
 Cathedral dates from 1096, but has been completely 
 modernised. There is a pleasant walk along the quay 
 of the port, where, till 1873, numbers of galley-slaves used 
 to be seen at work, as described by Victor Hugo. 
 
 On the S. of the great harbour, on the N. side of the 
 ' presqu'ile ' of Cap Cepet, is the Hospital of S. Mandrier 
 (steamer 35 c.), situated in pleasant gardens, on the site 
 of a hermitage, where the bones of S. Mandrier, a Roman 
 pro-consul, and of S. Flavien, bishop of Tauroentum, with 
 those of other martyrs, have been discovered. 
 
 An omnibus starts every hour from the Place dTtalie 
 for the Fort Lamalgue (built from plans of Vauban in 1674) 
 and the Cap Brun, at the E. side of the little harbour. 
 
 'Les deux rades et le port qui ont fait la prosp^rite de 
 Toulon sont parfaitement garantis des vents du large par le 
 massif presque insulaire du cap Sicie et par le puissant mole 
 qui forme au devant du golfe la peninsule du cap Sepet : jamais 
 tempete n'y causa de naufrage ; la mer y est un lac. Aussi 1'etat 
 s'est-il empare de cette magnifique nappe d'eau pour en faire 
 sa grande station navale de la Me"diterran6e. L'arsenal maritime, 
 bati a la fin du dix-septieme siecle sur les plans de Vauban, et 
 
 1 For terrible details of these horrors see Taine, La Revolution, 
 
512 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 agrandi depuis cette 6poque par la plupart des gouvernements 
 qui se sont succed6s, est un prodigieux ensemble d'usines, de 
 fabriques, de magasins de toute espece, d'tablissements divers, 
 occupant une surface totale de 270 hectares et se developpant le 
 long des rivages de la baie sur une 6tendue de 8 kilometres : la 
 construction de tons ces edifices, jointe au creusement des 
 bassins, des cales et des darses qui s'y ramifient, n'a pas coute 
 moins de 160 millions.' Elisce Reclus. 
 
 The limestone mountain which overlooks Toulon on 
 the N. is Le Faron or Pharon. 
 
 'Vu de face, c'est-a-dire, de la mer, le Pharon n'est qu'une 
 masse grise absolument nue et aride, qui, par ses formes molles, 
 ressemble a un gigantesque amas de cendres moutonnees par le 
 vent; mais les lignes du profile expose a 1'E. sont splendides. Le 
 Coudon est beau de toutes les faces.' George Sand, 'Tamaris.' 
 
 28 k. N. of Toulon, in a forest, is the ruined Chartreuse de 
 Montr ieux. 
 
 75 k. La Garde, a basaltic rock, is crowned by a ruined 
 castle and church. 
 78 k. La Pauline. 
 
 [A branch line of 21 k. turns off r. to Hyeres. 
 
 (Omnibus, 50 c. each person ; 25 c. each box. 
 
 Hotels: Continental ; des Palmiers ; des Ambassadeurs ; du 
 Pare; des Etrangers ; des Hesperides; des lies d Hyeres. Pleasanter 
 and more popular with English residents is the Grand Hotel 
 d Albion, in the pine wood of Costabelle, about i k. from Hyeres. 
 
 Carriages. In the town, the course, I fr. 50 c. ; the hour, 2 fr. ; 
 a tariff (very dear) for the immediate drives. 
 
 Tramway to the sea, 40 c. Five departures daily. 
 
 Post-office. Rue Nationale.) 
 
 Hyeres, situated on the S. slope of a hill, crowned by remains 
 of a castle and 5 k. from the sea, from which it is separated by a 
 marshy plain, is a sheltered winter residence, though it is not 
 entirely protected from the mistral. The great preacher Jean 
 
HYERES. 
 
 513 
 
 Baptiste Massillon was born here in 1663. A terrace called 
 Place des Palmiers has a pleasant view and some indifferent 
 palm-trees. The old town on the hilltop retains ramparts and 
 towers of x. c. and xi. c. The xn. c. church of S. Paul has been 
 much altered. 
 
 ' Hyeres est une assez jolie ville, grace a des beaux hotels et aux 
 innombrables villas qui la peuplent et 1'entourent. Sa situation 
 
 HYERES. 
 
 n'a rien de remarquable. La colline, trop petite, est trop pres, la 
 cote est trop plate et la mer trop loin.' George Sand, ' Tamaris! 
 
 The most frequented walk is that to the Hermitage, a modern 
 chapel on the hill to the S. Some of the drives are pleasant, 
 but have no special interest. An excursion may be made by 
 boat to the lies d' Hyeres; the Stoechades of the Greeks, 
 now called de Porquerolles (the ancient Prote) ; de Portcros 
 (Port creux, the ancient Messe) ; and du Levant or du Titan (the 
 ancient Hypea), which is of interest to the mineralogist. The 
 convents, by which these islands, as well as those of the Lerins, 
 were once occupied, were all destroyed by the Saracens, 
 
 33 
 
5 H SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 succeeded here by the Turks, who celebrated their feast of 
 Ramazan on the islands in 1558.' 
 
 La Chartreuse de la Verne (40 k.), of which there are small 
 xn. c. remains, may be visited between Hyeres and (70 k.) 
 S. Tropez.] 
 
 The picturesque rock-built town of Sollies- Ville is seen 
 on the 1. before reaching 
 
 84 k. Sollies-Pont. 
 
 90 k. Cuers. A chapel of the Virgin occupies the site of 
 the old castle on the hill above the town. 
 
 102 k. Carnoules, whence the line to (25k.) Brignoles 
 (see ch. x.) branches off on 1. 
 
 121 k. Le Luc, the ancient Forum Voconii. The village, 
 2|k. W. of the station, has a ruined church, partly xm. c., 
 and an octagonal tower of 1517. 
 
 The neighbouring village of Cannetretams its mediaeval walls, 
 and beyond this, in a valley, is the interesting Cistercian monastery 
 of Thoronel, founded xn. c. by Raymond Beranger, Comte de 
 Provence. The church, cloister, and chapter house are well 
 preserved. The hexagonal lavoir, lighted by five windows and 
 with two double portals, will attract the attention of architects. 
 
 [A diligence runs from Le Luc by (i8k.) La- Garde- Freinet 
 (formerly Chateau-Fraxinet), the name of which commemorates 
 Fraxinet, the great stronghold of the Moors in Provence, from 
 which they were driven out in 973. Nothing, except a cistern, 
 remains of the fortress. At 40 k. the road reaches 6*. Tropez 
 (Hotel : Continental}, occupying the site of the ancient Heraclea 
 Caccabaria, in a very beautiful position, likely in time to become 
 a favourite winter resort. The neighbouring hilly district of Les 
 Maures, which Elie de Beaumont calls ' La Provence de la Pro- 
 vence,' recalls its Saracenic occupation. The ruined castle of 
 Grimaud was built in the xv. c. for the Grimaldi.] 
 
 1 Nostrodamus, Histoire de Provence. 
 
FREJUS. 515 
 
 i3ok. Vidanban. The neighbouring Vallee de FArgens is 
 pretty. 
 
 1 36k. Les Arcs, 
 
 [From Les Arcs there is branch on 1. to (13 k.) Draguignan 
 (Hotels : Bertin ; de France), the capital of the D6partement du 
 Var, a town founded in v. c., but wholly without interest.] 
 
 . frS/us (Hotels: du Midi; de la Plage]. This 
 very ancient town, on the site of the capital of the Oxybiens, 
 received the name of Forum Julii from Julius Caesar, who 
 finished a port and built a lighthouse, aqueduct, and amphi- 
 theatre here. He also installed here a colony of soldiers of 
 the 8th legion, calling the place Colonia Octavanorum, and 
 he sent hither, after the battle of Actium, the 200 galleys 
 taken from Anthony. The surname of Classica, which Pliny 
 applies to Frdjus, proves that it was regarded as a mari- 
 time arsenal. Often pillaged and burnt, it had still maritime 
 importance under Henri II., but since that time the sea has 
 retired from the town, and the port is destroyed- 
 
 The station is close to the remains of the Porte des 
 Gaules. The chief remnant of antiquity is the amphitheatre, 
 Les Arenes, passed just before reaching the station, 
 outside the town on the W. : only the lower walls exist. 
 The building was eliptic, with four principal entrances. 
 The ancient ramparts, enclosing a space five times the size 
 of the present town, can still be traced. To the S.E. a 
 projecting wall, which enclosed the ancient port, has an 
 octagonal tower with a stone pyramid, known as La 
 Lanterne d'Auguste. Near the S.E. angle of the xvi. c. 
 ramparts, passed to the 1. of the railway, is the Porte Doree, 
 a much restored narrow arch, built of small stones inter- 
 
 
516 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 sected by lines of brick. Near this are remains of Baths. 
 On the N. are some vestiges of the Porte de Rome, near which 
 the remains of the aqueduct join the ramparts. On the N. 
 also of the ancient town are the remains of the Theatre: 
 the foundation walls of the scena and some seats are visible. 
 The canal of the Aqueduct was carried on 87 arches, of 
 which a considerable number exist, and are seen to the 1. of 
 the line after leaving the town. None of the ruins of Frejus 
 are picturesque, and they are therefore more interesting to 
 an archeologist than an artist. 
 
 The Cathedral of S. fctienne is of xi. c. or xn. c., but 
 much restored. Its tower, as well as the episcopal palace, 
 contains fragments from Roman buildings : it is square at 
 the base and octagonal above, with a heavy spire. The 
 octagonal Baptistery, separated from the church by a porch, 
 is adorned with eight granite columns, bearing corinthian 
 capitals of white marble. There is good xvi. c. woodwork 
 in the choir. On the N. is a mutilated xm. c. cloister 
 with a curious and unique wooden roof. 
 
 1 Cette ville devient plus deserte chaque jour, et les communes 
 voisines ont perdu, depuis un demi-siecle, neuf dixiemes de leur 
 population. ' Fauchet. 
 
 1 62k. S. Raphael (Hotels: des Bains ; Beau Rivage ; 
 Grand ; de France. In woods, 5 k. distant, is the Hotel 
 Valescure very good). This is a beautiless little place, 
 but is rising in repute as a winter residence. There are 
 pleasant walks into the woods of the Esterel. From the 
 top of Mont Vinaigre there is a wide view. It was at 
 S. Raphael that Napoleon I. embarked for Elba. 
 
 . Agay^ whence (2 hours' walk) the Grotte de la 
 
CANNES. 517 
 
 S. Baume may be visited (on the Cap Roux, near an orange 
 garden), where S. Honorat lived as a hermit before founding 
 the abbey of the Le'rins. On the S. side of the cape is another 
 cave, which was inhabited by S. Eucher, afterwards Arch- 
 bishop of Lyons. The line now skirts the Esterel by tunnels 
 and gorges, emerging above The'oule and the Chateau de la 
 Napoule, and crossing the plain of the Siagne to 
 1 94 k. Cannes. 
 
 Hotels : Centre, Splendide ; Eastern Bay, Grand dear ; 
 Central good and reasonable ; Gonnet; Gray et d" Albion ; 
 Suissc pension; Victoria; Mont-Fleuri; Windsor; BeauSejour ; 
 California; des Anglais; de Provence ; du Prince de Gallcs 
 dear ; Richmont ; Paradis ; de la Grande Bretagne ; Pension de 
 la Madeleine ; Western Bay, Continental lively; Beau Site 
 good situation ; Le Pavilion ; Bellevue ; des Princes. 
 
 Carriages (i horse), the course, I fr. 50 c. and 2 fr. ; the hour, 
 
 2 fr. 50 c. and 3 fr. ; 2 horses, the course, 2 fr. and 3 fr. ; the hour, 
 
 3 fr. 50 c. and 4 fr. The charge for excursions is very dear. To 
 Esterel, Theoule, Auribeau, Grasse, the Cap d'Antibes, with I 
 horse, 18 fr. ; with 2 horses and 4 persons, 22 fr., each extra person 
 2 fr. To Cannet, 5 fr. and 7 fr. To Vallauris, Napoule, Pegomas, 
 Mouans, La Roquette, Mougins, Antibes, 12 fr. and 16 fr., with 
 power of staying one hour only. 
 
 Omnibus runs from one end of Cannes to the other ; also to 
 Grasse (i fr. 50 c.), bureau, Rue d'Antibes: to Vallauris (i fr.), 
 Pegomas (75 c.), Golfe Juan and Antibes (50 c.), La Napoule 
 (80 c.). 
 
 Till 1860, Cannes was little more than an old-world 
 fishing village, with one or two small hotels and villas for 
 winter visitors in its neighbourhood. Since then, it has 
 annually increased to such a degree, that its buildings now 
 face the sea for a distance of more than 7 k., and its suburbs 
 stretch inland so as to embrace the neighbouring village 
 of (3 k.) Cannet. With the growth of the place its charm 
 
5 i8 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of beauty has naturally become less, and Cannes has turned 
 into a fashionable place, chiefly dependent upon society 
 for its recommendations. It is also very expensive, but the 
 beautiful view of the Esterel range, which has one of the 
 most picturesque outlines in Europe, is an attraction which 
 cannot be destroyed. The best views are from the Croix des 
 Gardes on'the^W. or from the Promenade de la Californie 
 
 FROM MAISON S. FRANCOIS, CANNES. 
 
 on the E. of Cannes. --The old town itself occupies a little 
 promontory between the two bays, its houses rising up the 
 side of a low hill called Mont Chevalier ^ crowned by a tower 
 built by an abbot of LeVins in 1070, and which, for safety, 
 could only be entered on the first floor by a movable ladder. 
 On the hill are also some ruined walls on the site of the 
 Roman Castrum Massilinum and near the church of S. Anne, 
 formerly the castle chapel, and the xvn. c. church of Notre 
 
CANNES. 519 
 
 Dame de PEsperance. In the western bay are the principal 
 English Church and the Villa Eleanore, built in 1834 by the 
 first Lord Brougham (who is buried in the cemetery), and 
 named from his daughter, who died young. The Villa 
 Nevada recalls the death of Leopold, Duke of Albany, 
 March 28, 1884. At Cannet is the Villa Sardou, where 
 Mile. Rachel died in 1858. Bertold Auerbach also 
 died at Cannes, Feb. 8, 1882. 
 
 The greatest injury which has been done to Cannes of 
 
 BOCCA WOOD, CANNES. 
 
 late years has been the destruction of the greater part of 
 its magnificent Bocca Wood, a glorious grove of gigantic 
 umbrella pines extending for some distance along the shore 
 towards the W., a paradise of artists, and the admiration of 
 Europe. The prettiest spot now remaining in the immediate 
 neighbourhood is the hillock of S. Cassien in the plain of 
 the Siagne, where an abbot of Levins built a monastery in 
 the vii. c., on the site of a temple and in a grove dedicated 
 to Venus, called Ara Luci, which has left a name to the 
 village of Arluc. A xiv. c. hermitage now stands amid the 
 noble old pine trees. Another picturesque spot (to be 
 
520 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 reached on foot) is the Rockers des Bilheres, in the pine- 
 forest behind the Croix des Gardes, which surmounts a hill 
 to the W. of the town (above the Hotel Bellevue), the lower 
 slopes of which are covered with the precious cassia plant, 
 bearing flowers which sell for from 6 fr. to 20 fr. a kilo. 
 
 The pleasantest excursion by carriage from Cannes is that 
 to (9 k.) Napoule^ on the site of the ancient Epulia, with remains 
 of a xiv. c. castle of the Comtes de Villeneuve (spoilt by a 
 modern villa). Above is the hill of 6*. Peyre, with a ruined castle 
 and chapel. Beyond (ilk. from Cannes), is Thdoule, a pictu- 
 resque little harbour, to which steamers (3 fr. with return) ply 
 daily from Cannes. 
 
 Another drive on the W. of Cannes is that to (12 k.) Auribeau. 
 Its church contains a xv. c. reliquary of S. Honorat, and it is 
 prettily situated above the gorge of the Siagne, but a Provencal 
 distich says 
 
 ' Auribeau sur Siagne 
 Bourdol dans les bois, 
 Gourdon sur le Loup, 
 Sont trois mauvais endroits.' 
 
 Before reaching Auribeau, pedestrians may follow a path along 
 the bank of the Siagne to the foot of the hill which is crowned 
 by the village. There is a pleasant route to Grasse from Auribeau 
 by the chapel of Notre Dame de Valclusc. 
 
 Beyond the northern suburb of Cannet, where a machicolated 
 tower is known as La Tour du Brigand, an excursion of 14 k. 
 may be made to the hill of Mougins, a once fortified village, re- 
 taining one of its gateways, and to the Chapel of Notre Dame de 
 Vie, approached by an avenue of cypresses. The pleasant villa 
 of Castellaras occupies the site of an ancient oppidum, and 2 k. 
 beyond it is the pretty village of Valbonne. 4 k. further we may 
 find the sanctuary of Notre Dame de Villebrun. 
 
 On the E. side of the town, a pleasant, walk or drive by the 
 Promenade de la Californie and the Chapelle S. Antoine (whence 
 there is a beautiful mountain view), or a drive from the road to the 
 Golfe Juan, leads to (8 k.) Vallaiiris (Vallis Aurea), where the 
 
LES iLES DES L&RINS. 5 21 
 
 admirable pottery-works of M. Clement Massier are worth visiting. 
 The place has been famous for its pottery even from Roman 
 times. In the xi. c., Vallauris became the property, of the monas- 
 tery of the Le~rins, and its abbots built a palace here, to which 
 they retired in the great heat ; the chapel remains, now used as an 
 oil-mill. Vallauris may also be reached by omnibus (i fr.) either 
 from Cannes or from the station of the Golfe-Juan. 
 
 But the excursion most worth making (in calm weather) is 
 that to the lies des Lerins, to which steamers run several times 
 daily from Cannes (i fr. to S. Marguerite, with return : I fr. 50 c. 
 to S. Honorat, with return). 
 
 It is a passage of 20 min. to the fie S. Marguerite , the 
 ancient Lero, which once contained a temple to the demi-god 
 Lero, demolished by S. Honorat. The monks of S. Honorat gave 
 up the island in 1617 to the Due de Chevreuse, who ceded it in 
 the following year to the Due de Guise, by whom it was given to 
 Jean de Bellon, one of his followers. Afterwards Richelieu took 
 possession of it in the name of the king, and built a fortress, 
 which was scarcely finished before it was taken by the Spaniards, 
 who were only expelled after a two years' siege. This fortress 
 became (Dec. 20, 1873) tne prison of Marshal Bazaine, sentenced 
 for twenty years, though he contrived to escape Aug. 10, 1874. 
 The castle is shown with an order, but contains nothing of 
 interest except the prison occupied by the ' man with the iron 
 mask ' under Louis XIV. 
 
 ' Le mur est d'une solidite" extraordinaire, ayant pres de douze 
 pieds d'epaisseur ; en outre trois fortes grilles de fer garnissent 
 la fenetre et rendent impossible toute communication avec 1'ex- 
 terieur. Deux portes couvertes de clous et d'enormes barres dc 
 fer ne s'ouvraient que devant le gouverneur du chateau, et ce 
 n'etait que par les appartemens de cet officier que Ton pouvait 
 parvenir a la chambre du prisonnier. Un corridor etroit, mure a 
 chaque extre"mite, servait de promenade : au fond on avait ac- 
 comode un petit autel ou quelquefois un pretre lui disait la 
 messe. A cote de sa cellule, une autre renfermait son domestique 
 qui, plus heureux que lui, mourut dans Tile apres quelques 
 annees de detention.' Prosper Merimee. 
 
 Local legend describes S. Marguerite as having been the sister 
 
522 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 of S. Honorat. She lived in the same island in a separate 
 monastic house, but every month she visited her brother. This 
 was contrary to his severe monastic ideal, and he prayed that the 
 sea might divide them. That night the islands were separated 
 by a gulf ; but to console his sister S. Honorat promised that he 
 would visit her whenever the cherry-trees blossomed. Then S. 
 Marguerite prayed in her turn, and in answer to her prayer the 
 cherry-trees blossomed every month, and, twelve times a year, 
 the short-sighted S. Honorat was compelled, by his own act, to 
 cross the sea to visit her. In local shrines, S. Marguerite is seen 
 trampling upon the serpents with which the Lerins abounded. 
 
 The tie S. Honorat (40 min.) originally known as Lerina or 
 Planasia, is as picturesquely beautiful as it is curious. Its un- 
 failing spring attracted the Greek colony which gave the name 
 of their pirate chief, Leros, to the group. In spite of its having 
 been captured so often by Saracens, Genoese, Spaniards, and 
 Austrians, it was the centre of monastic life in the south of France 
 through the middle-ages, and was at one time inhabited by 3,700 
 monks. It continues to be a very touching and interesting spot. 
 Amongst its remains are those of a church dedicated to 6*. 
 Honorat, and a small Arch raised to his honour ; and of the Con- 
 vent of S. Honorat and its simple cloister, with circular vaulting. 
 The Castle is said to have been founded by Abbot Aldebert II. in 
 1073 : it contains a very curious and interesting cloistered court, 
 with two storeys of arches, and, on the first floor, the Chapelle 
 S. Croix. Remains may be seen of several of the seven other 
 chapels which existed on the island. The Chapelle de la S. 
 Trinite, at the E. point, has a rude nave of two bays, and a 
 triapsal choir with a small dome. The Chapelle S. Sauveur, on 
 the N. (modernised), is octagonal in plan, with a niche on each 
 side internally. On the S. are small remains of the Chapelle S. 
 Porchaire. 
 
 1 The sea took the place of the desert, but the type of monastic 
 life which the solitaries had found in Egypt was faithfully pre- 
 served. The Abbot of Lerins was simply the chief of some 
 thousands of religious devotees, scattered over the island in 
 solitary cells, and linked together by the common ties of obedience 
 and prayer. By a curious concurrence of events, the coenobitic 
 
LES fLES DES L&RINS. 523 
 
 life of L6rins, so utterly unlike the later monasticism of the 
 Benedictines, was long preserved in a remote corner of 
 Christendom. Patrick, the most famous of its scholars, trans- 
 mitted its type of monasticism to the Celtic Church which he 
 founded in Ireland, and the vast numbers, the asceticism, the 
 loose organisation of such abbeys as those of Bangor or Armagh, 
 preserved to the twelfth century the essential characteristics of 
 Levins. Nor is this all its historical importance. What lona is 
 to the ecclesiastical history of Northern England, what Fulda and 
 Monte Cassino are to the ecclesiastical history of Germany and 
 Southern Italy, that this abbey of S. Honorat became to the 
 Church of Southern Gaul. For nearly two centuries, and those 
 centuries of momentous change, when the wreck of the Roman 
 Empire threatened civilisation and Christianity with ruin like its 
 own, the civilisation and Christianity of the great district between 
 the Loire, the Alps, and the Pyrenees rested mainly on the abbey 
 of Lerins. Sheltered by its insular position from the ravages of 
 the barbaric invaders who poured down on the Rhone and the 
 Garonne, it exercised over Provence and Aquitaine a supremacy 
 such as lona, till the Synod of Whitby, exercised over North- 
 umbria. All the more illustrious sees of Southern Gaul were 
 filled by prelates who had been reared at Lerins : to Aries, for 
 instance, it gave in succession Hilary, Caesarius, and Virgilius. 
 The voice^of the Church was found in that of its doctors ; the 
 famous rule of Faith, ' quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab 
 omnibus,' is the rule of Vincent of Le"rins ; its monk Salvian 
 painted the agony of the dying Empire in his book on the govern- 
 ment of God; the long fight of semi-Pelagianism against the 
 sterner doctrines of Augustin was chiefly waged within its 
 bounds. . . . 
 
 ' Little remains to illustrate the earlier and more famous 
 period of the monastic history of Lerins, which extends to the 
 massacre of its monks by Saracen pirates at the opening of the 
 eighth century. A well in the centre of the island and a palm- 
 tree beside the church are linked to the traditional history of the 
 founders of the abbey. Worked into the later buildings we find 
 marbles and sculptures which may have been brought from the 
 mainland, as at Torcello, by fugitives who had escaped the bar- 
 baric storm. A bas-relief of Christ and the apostles, which is 
 
524 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 now inserted over the west gate of the church, and a column of 
 red marble which stands beside it, belong probably to the earliest 
 days of the settlement at Lerins. In the little chapels scattered 
 over the island fragments of early sarcophagi, inscriptions, and 
 sculpture have been industriously collected and preserved. But 
 the chapels themselves are far more interesting than their con- 
 tents. Of the seven which originally lined the shore, two or three 
 only now remain uninjured ; in these the building itself is either 
 square or octagonal, pierced with a single rough romanesque 
 window, and of diminutive size. The walls and vaulting are alike 
 of rough stonework. The chapels served till the Revolution as 
 seven stations which were visited by the pilgrims to the island, 
 but we can hardly doubt that in these, as in the seven chapels at 
 Glendalough, we see relics of the earlier coenobitic establishment. 
 
 1 The cloister of the abbey is certainly of a date later than the 
 massacre of the monks, which took place, according to tradition, 
 in the little square of wild greensward which lies within it ; but 
 the roughness of its masonry, the plain barrel roof, and the rude 
 manner in which the low, gloomy vaulting is carried round its 
 angles, are of the same character as in the usual tenth-century 
 buildings of Southern Gaul. With the exception of the masonry 
 of the side walls there is nothing in the existing remains of the 
 abbey church itself earlier than its reconstruction at the close of 
 the eleventh century. The building has been so utterly wrecked 
 that little architectural detail is left ; but the broad nave, with its 
 narrow side aisles, the absence, as in the Aquitanian churches, of 
 triforium and clerestory, and the shortness of the choir space, 
 give their own individual mark to S. Honorat. Of the monastic 
 buildings connected with the church only a few rooms remain, 
 and these are destitute of any features of interest. They are at 
 present used as an orphanage by the Franciscans, whom the 
 Bishop of Frejus, by whom the island was purchased, has settled 
 there as an agricultural colony. 
 
 ' The appearance of the Moslem pirates at once robbed S. 
 Honorat of its old security, and the cessation of their attacks was 
 followed by a new danger from the Genoese and Calabrians who 
 infested the coast in the fourteenth century. The isle was alter- 
 nately occupied by French and Spaniards in the war between 
 Francis and Charles V. ; it passed under the rule of commendatory 
 
LES iLES DES LERINS. 525 
 
 abbots, and in 1789, when it was finally secularised, the four 
 thousand monks of its earlier history had shrunk to four. 
 Perhaps the most curious of all the buildings of Lerins is 
 that which took its rise in the insecurity of its mediaeval 
 existence. The castle of Lrins, which lies on the shore to the 
 S. of the church, is at once a castle and an abbey. Like many 
 of the great monasteries of the East, its first object was to give 
 security to its inmates against the marauders who surrounded 
 them. Externally its appearance is purely military; the great 
 tower rises from its trench deep cut in the rock, a portcullis pro- 
 
 S. HONORAT, fl.ES DES LERINS. 
 
 tects the gate, the walls are pierced with loopholes and crowned 
 with battlements. But within, the arrangements, so far as it is 
 possible to trace them in the present ruinous state of the building, 
 seem to have been purely monastic. The interior of the tower is 
 occupied by a double-arched cloister, with arcades of exquisite 
 first-pointed work, through which one looks down into the little 
 court below. The visitor passes from this into the ruins of the 
 abbot's chapel, to which the relics were transferred for security 
 from the church of S. Honorat, and which was surrounded by the 
 cells, the refectory, and the domestic buildings of the monks. 
 The erection of the castle is dated in the twelfth century, and 
 
526 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 from this time we may consider the older abbey buildings around 
 the church to have been deserted and left to ruin ; but we can 
 hardly grumble at a transfer which has given us so curious a 
 combination of military and monastic architecture! in the castle 
 itself.'/. R. Green, ' Stray Studies: 
 
 'Who that enjoyed any spark of imagination, and any per- 
 ception of beauty, but must love the remembrance of such men 
 as that monk of the golden Isles, who lived towards the end of 
 the fourteenth century in the monastery of S. Honorat, whence 
 in the spring and autumn he used to go alone into one of the 
 delicious islands off Hyeres, where was a little hermitage amidst 
 the leafy houses of birds, where he used to observe their beautiful 
 plumage, and the different little animals which resorted there, 
 that he might paint them in the margins of illuminated missals ? 
 Rene of Anjou possessed his book of hours. Yoland of Arragon 
 loved his company. " Tarit sage, beau, et prudens il estoit," 
 says C. Nostradamus.' KenelmDigby, ' Broadstone of Honour \ 
 Tancredus. 
 
 Those who stay long at Cannes will find much to 
 interest them in the patois and its characteristics and 
 circumvolutions. As an ordinary instance of the latter, 
 if you ask an olive grower whether his crop is good, he 
 will usually say, ' Dire qu'il n'y en a pas, il y a ; mais 
 dire qu'il y en a, il n'y en a pas.' A number of Arabic 
 words are still in use, such as aujubis (algibiz), sweet 
 grape ; jasmin (yasmyn), limoun (leymoun), endibo (endib), 
 salata (salatha), serfouil (serfoull), and trescalan or S. 
 John's Wort. Many of the names of the mountains are 
 still Arabic. 
 
 ' Among the peasantry figures of speech are in great request. 
 " Farewell " is not said : you only bow and say " A 1'avantage," 
 meaning the pleasure of meeting again. The devil is called 
 
GKASS. 527 
 
 " Janicot ; " the pig is " lou noble veste de sedo" the gentleman in 
 black silk ! Here, as in Italian, diminutives abound. Bastide 
 is a house; but a cottage is a bastidoun; and the Alpe turns to 
 Amphiho and Apmhihoun. A little square is a pati ; a young 
 child is a pincheneto ; while a word like "valley," lou vau, or 
 lou iialado, can be modified into valengo, valergo (pi. valergues), 
 valeto, valoun, and valat. There is a curious habit of beginning 
 or ending the sentences with a word that is irrelevant, or is at 
 least as irrelevant as a word must be allowed to be that has a 
 dozen different meanings or none. " Te " (tiens !) probably 
 opens the phrase ; Ve (voyez-vous) occurs somewhere in the 
 argument, and allons ! possibly brings the whole to a close.' 
 Author of ' Vera," ' The Maritime Alps: 
 
 [A branch line leads in 20 min. from Cannes, by (12 k.) 
 Mouans-Sartoux, with its fine umbrella pines, to the base of 
 the hill occupied by (20 k.) Grasse (Hotel : Grand good. 1 ) But 
 most visitors will drive. The distance by road is 17 k. 
 
 Grasse, in the xn. c., was a little republic, and formed an 
 alliance offensive and defensive with Pisa, but it suffered from 
 the quarrels of Guelfs and Gibellins as represented by the families 
 of Esclapon and Sicard, and on the triumph of the Guelf-faction 
 in 1198, abandoned the alliance of Pisa for that of Genoa. The 
 republic came to an end in 1226. 
 
 The town contains few antiquities. A tower, which some 
 consider to be of Roman origin, joins the hotel de ville formerly 
 the bishop's palace. Near it is the Cathedral, a simple building 
 of xii. c. and xin. c., containing a picture (the Washing of the 
 Feet) by Fragonard, who was a native of Grasse. The xi. c. 
 polygonal domed chapel of 6*. Hilaire is used as a powder 
 magazine. In the chapel of the Hospital are three pictures by 
 Rubens. Visitors are chiefly attracted by the perfumeries, to 
 supply which the country round the town is laid out in gardens. 
 On an average the district yields annually : 
 
 1 English children were seized with scarlet fever whilst here in the winter 
 of 1888-89, an d a bill of i,soofr. was brought to the parents for injury done to 
 the hotel, though all communication had been cut off by walling-up the approach 
 to the rooms where the illness was. 
 
528 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Orange blossoms i, 475,000 Ibs. 
 
 Rose ....... 530,000 
 
 Jasmine ....... 100,000 
 
 Violet 75,000 
 
 Cassia 45,ooo 
 
 Geranium leaves 30,000 
 
 Tuberose blossoms 24,000 
 
 Jonquil 5,000 
 
 Not to mention lavender, which yields a produce of ^30 an acre. 
 It requires 10,000 rose plants or 80,000 jasmine plants to 
 cover an acre. The violets are incapable of bearing the terrible 
 sun, so are planted in the shade of walls, or close under the lemon 
 or orange trees. 
 
 ' Les pentes qui s'inclinent vers la mer de Nice de maniere a 
 recevoir en plein les rayons bienfaisants du midi sont beaucoup 
 plus semblables aux versants septentrionaux de la Mauretanie 
 qu'elles ne le sont aux contrees situees immediatement au nord 
 et separees seulement par 1'epaisseur d'une chaine de montagnes. 
 Aussi des geologues et des naturalistes, frappes par la grande 
 analogie des climats, des roches, de la faune et de la flore, ont-ils 
 pu dire avec raison que le littoral du sud de la Provence et celui 
 du nord de 1' Atlas constituent, avec les cotes meridionales de 
 1'Espagne, une partie du monde distincte, intermediate entre 
 1'Europe et 1'Afrique.' Elisee Reclus. 
 
 Those who spend a winter at Cannes often in the spring make 
 a three days' excursion in the mountain villages behind Grasse, 
 and may sleep either at (15 k.) S. Cesaire or (I2k. from Grasse) 
 6*. Vallier de Thyeis (the ancient Castrum Valerii), a bleak village 
 drearily situated near the source of the Siagne. If we follow the 
 gorge of the river from hence, at about 5 k. from S. Vallier, we 
 shall reach the spot where it flows beneath the very curious 
 natural arch called Pont-d-Dieu. 
 
 S. Cesaire is a curious old town, with a simple church of 
 xin. c., above a ravine of great picturesqueness, which contains 
 the caverned fountain called La Foux, whence the water issues 
 which supplies Cannes and Vallauris. 5 k. distant to the W. is 
 the well-preserved tunnel de Roquetaillade, formed by the Romans 
 for the canal of Frejus. 
 
LE SAUT DE LOUP. 
 
 529 
 
 Another excursion from Grasse, which may also be made in 
 the day from Cannes, is that to the Satit de Loup, a waterfall in the 
 fine rift of the mountains, which is so great a feature in the views 
 from Cannes, and which is known as the Gorge de Conrmes or 
 
 LE PONT A DIEU. 
 
 de S. Arnoux. The rocks here rise abruptly to 400 met. above 
 the torrent. In the upper part of the gorge are the village of 
 Gourdon, with the Fontaine Sainte, rising in a cave, and the rock- 
 built Hermitage of S. Arnoux. The scenery is very wild and 
 striking. 
 
 One of the most striking gorges in the hills, which may be 
 
 34 
 
530 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 reached from Grasse, is the Cluse de S. Auban, $2k. N. in the 
 direction of Puget-Theniers. 
 
 For the interesting road from Grasse to (121 k.) Digne see 
 ch. x.] 
 
 200 k. Golfe-Juan. The station for Vallauris (omnibus, 
 i fr.), see p. 521. Here Napoleon I. landed from Elba. 
 
 'Un trait remarquable de mobilite", c'est le royalisme d6- 
 croissant, puis Timp^rialisme croissant des journaux serviles, 
 dans les vingt jours que 1'aigle impe"riale emploie a voler du 
 golfe Juan aux tours de Notre Dame. En mettant le pied sur 
 
 la plage proven9ale, Napoleon est le Corse aventurier; le lende- 
 main, ce n'est plus que r usurpateur ; a Grenoble, 1'illustre 
 voyageur.redevient Bonaparte; parvenu a Lyon, il a reconquis 
 le titre de General Bonaparte ; a Chalons, reparait le prenom 
 glorieux de Napoleon ; a Auxerre VEmpereur est reintegre dans 
 toute sa dignite souveraine ; a Fontainebleau, Ton refoit avec 
 enthousiasme, le grand homme, le sauveur, Tetoile de la France ; 
 enfin, le 21 Mars au matin, la feuille officielle annonce que, la 
 veille, sa majeste imperiale et royale a fait son entree dans sa 
 capitale au bruit des acclamations unanimes.' Touchard Lefosse, 
 'Hist, de Paris: 
 
 [An excursion may be taken to (3 k.) Biot, where a peculiar 
 kind of pottery is made. The village was founded in the xin. c. 
 
ANTIBES. 531 
 
 by the Genoese, who called it Buzoto, and it belonged to the 
 Templars, and afterwards to the Knights of Malta. The church, 
 re-consecrated in 1472, is of Templar origin.] 
 
 205 k. Antibes (Hotel : des Aigles d'Or), the ancient 
 Antipolis, the sentinel which protected the Phocean colonies 
 against the incursions of the Ligurians. Its bishopric was 
 transferred to Grasse in 1243. Some very small remains have 
 been discovered of a Roman theatre, aqueduct, and of the 
 cemetery, where, amongst other relics, was found a stone 
 with the touching inscription, ' D. M. pueri Septentrionis. 
 An. xii. qui Antipoli in theatro biduo saltavit, et placuit.' 
 The town, with its bastions and lofty orange-coloured towers, 
 juts out most picturesquely into the sea, and has a back- 
 ground of marvellous beauty in the long range of peaks of 
 the Maritime Alps, always white with snow in winter. 
 
 The delightful promontory of the Cap d 'Antibes (Hotel : 
 Belkvue a pleasant winter residence and pension), with its 
 lighthouse and Chapelle de la Garde, has enchanting views 
 towards the snow mountains and Nice on E., and, across 
 the bay of Cannes with its islands, to the purple chain of 
 1'Esterel on W. Near the rocky point called Plan de 
 rislette is the singular insulated tomb of Mr. Close. 
 
 213 k. Fence-Cannes. The village of Cagnes (2 k. 1.) occu- 
 pies a hill crowned by a picturesque castle of the Grimaldi, 
 occupying the site of a temple of Venus, and containing 
 curious old rooms with frescoed ceilings, one of them repre- 
 senting the Fall of Phaeton, and attributed to Carlone. 
 
 [Far the best excursions in the neighbourhood of Cannes are 
 those which are usually made from the station of Cagnes. Vence 
 (iok.), occupying the site of Ventium, the capital of the Nerusii, 
 is a hill-set town, which belonged in the middle-ages to the great 
 
532 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 family of Villeneuve. It had a bishopric, founded c. 374 (after- 
 wards united to Frejus), frequently illustrious from its prelates, 
 including S. Andin, S. Eusebe, S. Ve"ran, S. Lambert, Pope 
 Paul III., the learned Guillaume le Blanc, Pierre de Vair, 
 Godeau, and Surian. The former Cathedral, founded in iv. c., 
 on the site of a temple, and much enlarged in x. c., xn. c., and 
 xv. c., has a number of ancient inscriptions built into the walls. 
 The lectern, stalls, and organ are late xv. c. In the chapel of 
 
 S. V6ran the altar is said to be the tomb of the saint. The 
 tomb of S. Lambert, with a xn.c. inscription, is in the chapel 
 dedicated to him. The epitaph of Bishop Godeau (1672) com- 
 memorates the favourite of Richelieu, who obtained his good 
 graces by dedicating to him a paraphrase of the Psalms, which 
 begins with the words, ' Benedicite omnia opera domini] on 
 receiving which the powerful cardinal said, ' Monsieur 1'abbe, 
 vous me donnez Benedicite, et moi je vous donne Grasse? 
 The Pope afterwards allowed Godeau to hold the bishopric of 
 
5. JEANNET, CARROS. 
 
 533 
 
 Vence with that of Grasse. ' II etait fort enclin a I'amour,' says 
 Tallemant des Reaux, ' et comme it tait naturellement volage, 
 il a aime en plusieurs lieux.' 
 
 On the Terrasse de S. Martin (i k.) are ruins of a house of 
 the Templars. 
 
 It is most well worth while to proceed 6 k. beyond Vence by 
 a mountain road to the village of 6*. Jeannet, most picturesquely 
 situated at the foot of a huge precipice of red and grey rock ' le 
 
 baou rouge ' which is a principal feature in views from the drives 
 near Nice. The women here have a great reputation for sorcery, 
 and high on the mountain is a huge old nut-tree, where the witches 
 are believed to hold their sabbat. Hence, a terraced road, high 
 above the ravine occupied by the usually dry bed of the Var, 
 with views perfectly sublime in their beauty, leads along the 
 edge of the hills to (14 k.) Garros (Carrozza), a most striking 
 little fortified mountain town, with a castle ; and to (16 k.) Le Broc, 
 with a church of 1563 and xv. c. hospital, overlooking the con- 
 fluence of the Var and Esteron. There are few finer scenes than 
 
534 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 those near the two last-named villages, but the snow on the 
 mountains contrasting with the deep purple ravines, makes them 
 far more striking in spring than summer. Taking another 
 direction from Vence, we may visit (5 k.) 6". Pol, an old fortified 
 village, containing many ancient houses of architectural interest, 
 and possessing a glorious view over mountains and sea. In the 
 Maison Suraire are a splendid chimney-piece and curious stair- 
 case. This excursion, also, is well worth while to an artist. 
 
 A very interesting mountain road leads from Vence to (23 k.) 
 Grasse, by (6 k.) Tourctte, which retains its old walls and the 
 
 three towers whence it derived its name, and (i3k.) Le Bat 
 (near the Gorge de S. Amoux), with an old castle, and a church 
 with a Roman inscription built into its tower and, in its sacristy, a 
 x. c. tabernacle with a representation of the Dance of Death. At 
 1 2k. from Vence pedestrians may turn aside 1. by the hamlet of 
 Courmette- Vieille, and (leaving on 1. the village of Courmes, which 
 has a tomb of one of the famous Cormis family in its church) 
 ascend to (14 k. from the main road) the singular mountain town 
 of Courscgoules, which has its little square and hotel de ville. 
 Hence the Cheiron(i,7j% met.) may be ascended in 3 hrs. There 
 is a magnificent view from the summit.] 
 
NICE. 535 
 
 2i9k. Le Var, a station near the long bridge over the 
 wide, usually dry bed of the Var, which formerly was the 
 boundary between France and Italy. The river, which 
 gives its name to a Department, rushing and rapid in 
 its upper course, becomes, as it nears the sea, either an 
 impetuous flood, which numerous dykes can scarcely keep 
 in check, or a mere thread of water winding through an 
 immense bed of stones. Hence, passing the fishing suburbs 
 of S. Helene, Magnan, and S. Philippe, we soon reach 
 
 225 k. Nice (Nizza). 
 
 Hotels : des Anglais at the corner of the Jardin Public ; 
 du Luxembourg ; de la Mediterranee ; Westminster; Continental 
 on the Promenade des Anglais; d'Jzfysee; des Palmiers; du 
 Louvre; Paradis ; des ties Britanniques on the West; des 
 Empereurs ; Millet; de Nice on the East ; Grand; de Cimies. 
 
 Pensions : Royale, 4 Avenue Delphine ; Internationale, 2 
 Petite Rue S. Etienne ; des Palmiers, 30 Boulevard Long- 
 champ ; Millet, 2 Rue S. Etienne. 
 
 ' Dans les hotels, on distingue deux categories : le client et le 
 passant. Pour le premier, on a tons les egards possibles, mais il 
 s'en faut de tout que le second jouisse de lameme consideration. 
 On regarde les voyageurs qui ne sejournent pas, comme un 
 passage de cailles qu'il s'agit de plumer, et les hoteliers ne s'en 
 font pas faute.' C. Brainne. 
 
 Carriages : with one horse and two places, the course, 75 c. 
 by day, I fr. 25 c. by night ; the hour, 2 fr. and 2 fr. 50 c. With 
 one horse and four places, the course, I fr. by day, I fr. 80 c. by 
 night ; the hour, 2 fr. 50 c. and 3 fr. With two horses and four 
 places, the course, I fr. 50 c. by day, 2 fr. by night ; the hour, 
 3 fr. and 3 fr. 50 c. The limits of a course are those of the town 
 itself. 
 
 Post Office, 20 Rue S. Fran9ois-de-Paule. 
 
 Telegraph, 14 Rue du Pont Neuf. 
 
536 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Nice, the capital of the Departement des Alpes-Mari- 
 times, is much frequented as a sunny winter residence, but 
 is ravaged in spring by violent mistral, which fills the air 
 with a whirlwind of dust. It consists of the union of several 
 towns the ' ville modernej or foreign quarter, stretching 
 along the shore as far as the bed of the Paillon torrent, and 
 the ' ville centrale] containing the principal shops and native 
 residences, which is separated from the ' ville du port ' by 
 the rock of the chateau : besides these, the great suburbs 
 of Carabacel and S. Etienne are ever increasing inland. 
 
 Nice still preserves its old Greek name of NLKYJ victory, 
 which the Phocean colonists gave it after a great victory 
 over the native Ligurians. Its first bishop, S. Bassus, 
 was martyred in 250. The town suffered much from the 
 Saracens who occupied all the neighbouring mountain 
 strongholds in the x. c. till their expulsion in 975. After- 
 wards, it fell successively into the hands of the Comtes de 
 Provence, of the house of Anjou, and of the Comtes de 
 Savoie, undergoing numerous and terrible ^sieges. In 1859 
 it was ceded with Savoy by Victor Emmanuel II. to 
 Napoleon III. The painters Carle Vanloo and Ludoyico 
 Bra (founder of the Genoese school), were natives of 
 Nice. Massena was born, the son of a small woollen- 
 draper, in a narrow street near S. Reparata ; Garibaldi was 
 born in a house near the Boulevard de ITmperatrice, where 
 his brother was murdered. 
 
 There is little worth notice at Nice except the scenery. 
 The hill of the Chateau (reached by the Avenue Eberle') has 
 pleasant walks and views, but its buildings were blown up 
 by the Duke of Berwick in 1706. The Croix de Marbre, 
 standing under a picturesque little canopy, opposite to the 
 
NICE, 
 
 537 
 
 English church, commemorates a so-called conference, in 
 1538, between Paul III., Charles V., and Fransois I. The 
 Promenade des Anglais extends for 2 k. along the shore from 
 the Paillon to the Magnan, and ends towards the E. at the 
 
 NICE, FROM CHATAIGNIER. 
 
 Jardin Public, which has a good palm-tree. The Villa 
 Oscar-Bermond and its memorial chapel recall the death of 
 the Czarevitch Nicolas-Alexandrovitch, April 1865. Here, 
 the dying grand-duke placed the hand of his affianced 
 bride, Princess Dagmar of Denmark, in that of his brother 
 
538 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Alexander, saying, * Marry my brother ; he is true as crystal, 
 and I wish it,' and, as ' Marie Feodorowna ' she became 
 Empress of Russia. 
 
 Of the excursions round Nice 
 
 i. Villcfranche (Villafranca), with a station on the railway, is 
 reached most pleasantly by the road which, passing the port, 
 skirts the promontory of Monlboron, by the sea. The old fishing 
 
 VILLAFRANCA. 
 
 town, with its martello tower, its brown roofs, interspersed by 
 domes of churches and convents, and here and there a palm-tree, 
 waving above the crumbling houses, has a very eastern aspect. 
 In the narrow streets, heaps of oranges, dates, figs, and plums, 
 are piled up for sale on either side of the broad sunny pavement. 
 Below is the quay, where the deep blue sea washes up among 
 yellow rocks under the gaily-painted houses, while a number of 
 boats ply to and fro to carry visitors to the large men-of-war 
 which frequently lie at anchor in the harbour. 
 
VILLAFRANCA, CIMIES. 539 
 
 To the E. of Villafranca, by the new road to Monaco, or by 
 sea (4 k.), or rail from Nice, is the peninsula of Beaulieic, with a 
 number of pleasantly situated houses in a very warm situation 
 sheltered by the rocks of the Petite- Affrique. A pleasant road 
 along the sea leads to 6*. Jean, whence it is a short distance 
 further to the Presqu'ile S. Hospice, on whose eastern point is a 
 ruined fort, built by Victor Amadeus I., and destroyed in 1706 by 
 Marshal Berwick. Near this is the ruined castle of S. Hospice, 
 an anchorite of the vi. c., who prophesied the victories of the 
 Lombards (' Venient in Galliam Longobardi et vastabunt civitates 
 septem.') 
 
 2. Cimies (Hotel : Grand. Omnibus, 50 c. from 34 Boulevard 
 du Pont Neuf), reached either by turning r. from Carabacel at the 
 end of the Rue Gioffredo, or turning 1. near the end of the old 
 town from the road along the Paillon. The former route traverses 
 the small remains of the Roman Amphitheatre, called by the 
 natives ' II tino delle fade,' or the fairies' bath. A short distance 
 beyond this is a Franciscan Convent, in front of which some 
 noble cork-trees overshadow a crucifix bearing the six-winged 
 seraphin which appeared to S. Francis of Assisi. In the church 
 are pictures by Ludovico Brea. The grounds of the Villa Garin 
 contain some small Roman remains. A subterranean passage is 
 said to extend under the Paillon from hence to the little chapel 
 of S. Roch on Mont Vinaigrier. In this passage the natives say 
 that the devil sits at a table, with a golden horn upon it, whilst a 
 golden goat and a golden kid stand by his side ; for one half-hour 
 in the day the devil sleeps, and if, during that half-hour, anyone 
 had the courage to go down, they might carry off the golden goat 
 and the golden kid in safety, and would be enriched for life. 
 
 Near the foot of the Cimies hill, on the Paillon side, a little 
 Chapel on a rock marks the spot where S. Pons, bishop of Cimies, 
 is said to have been beheaded in 261. The buildings of the 
 Abbey of S. Pons, founded 775, are modern. 
 
 3. N. of Nice. Close to S. ^tienne, beyond the railway station, 
 on the 1. is the picturesque villa of Peol, which belonged to the 
 great Lascaris family, of whom Paul Lascaris de Castellane, Bailli de 
 Manosque, was Grand Master of the Order of Malta from 1636-57, 
 and of which family the Order numbered thirteen members. 
 
540 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE, 
 
 Taking the road to the N. from the circular cross-ways beyond 
 the railway and then turning 1., we find the Convent of S. Bar- 
 thelemy, behind which there is one of the best views (artistically 
 speaking) near Nice. 
 
 A walk of 45 min. behind S. Barthelemy will take us (beyond 
 the Villa Arson, whence there is an admirable view) to the little 
 gorge known as Vallon Obscur. 
 
 THE CRUCIFIX OF CIMIES. 
 
 The Ray Mill, with its old olive trees, named from an aqueduct 
 which bore water to Cemenelum, is a favourite subject with artists. 
 
 The Vallon des Fleurs or Vallon des Hepatiques (Valloun des 
 Flous) is about an hour's walk, following the road to S. Andre as 
 far as the iron cross of Gairaut, and then turning r. 
 
 4. 5. Andre (6k.), reached by the road along the W. bank of 
 the Paillon (passing S. Pons) is a beautiful spot crowned by an 
 old chateau, with pines and ilexes overhanging a ravine. Here, 
 
FALICON, MONT CHAUVE. 
 
 541 
 
 over the torrent of La Garbe, is one of the natural tunnels 
 Grotte de S. Andre not uncommon in this district. 
 
 The hill to the W. is crowned by the village of Falicon, 
 whence one may return to Nice by descending to the valleys on 
 the other side, towards S. Barthelemy. Beyond S. Andre the 
 high-road (to Coni by Valdieri) enters a gorge, like some of 
 the passages in the Val Moutiers, where the perpendicular rocks 
 
 . BARTHELEMY, NEAR NICE. 
 
 are fringed with pines, above the tossing .and struggling torrent. 
 A ruined wall on the rock, which looks like a hermitage, marks 
 the spot where the French, during their occupation of Nice, 
 successfully defended this ravine against the Piedmontese, who 
 tried to make a descent through it upon the town. On 1. is a turn 
 which leads to the three-storied Grotte de Falicon, called by the 
 natives ' Grotta di Ratapignata,' from the number of bats which 
 inhabit it. Beyond this, Mont Chauve is seen above the lower 
 hills. On the r., on the site of a Roman oppidum, is Tourette, 
 
542 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 with a highly-painted church, a xiv. c. chateau, and a curious reef 
 of pointed rocks stretching towards the valley. Passing Tourette- 
 en-Bas, the ruined walls of the large village of Chdteanneuf, now 
 utterly deserted, are conspicuous, cresting a barren hill on the r. 
 There is no interest in the further drive to (22 k. from Nice) the 
 large village of Levens (Levenzo), where there was a fortress in 
 Roman times, and where the people put up a monument called 
 
 S. ANDRE, NEAR NICE. 
 
 Boutaou to commemorate their deliverance from the Grimaldi de 
 Beuil (who had tyrannized over them from 1400 to 1621), after the 
 Baron de Beuil had been strangled by order of the Due de Savoie, 
 for having conspired to deliver Nice to Spain. Small ruins exist 
 of the Grimaldi castle, demolished by popular fury. 
 
 Good walkers may leave their carriages at Levens and cross 
 the mountain ridge to (2hrs. from Levens) 6*. Martin du Var 
 (26 k. from Nice), by a path which has grand views of the ' Seven 
 
 
ASPREMONTE. 
 
 543 
 
 Villages of the Var,' especially S. Jeannet and Garros (see p. 533). 
 On the course of the Var, above S. Martin (30 k. from Nice), is the 
 curious defile of cho*dan, but the greater part of the Var scenery 
 is spoilt by the river being usually only a vast dry, stony bed. 
 
 A more interesting way is to return from Levens along the 
 ridges of the hills, through very wild scenery by the fortified 
 village of Aspremonte, an exceedingly picturesque place, with 
 most grand views over sea and land, and thence to reach Nice 
 either by Cimies (see p. 539), or by 5. Romain, a lovely spot, with 
 old houses and a gaily-painted campanile amongst groves of 
 ancient olive trees. Hence one may descend upon Les Stires and 
 
 ASPREMONTE. 
 
 drive home by the lanes of 5. Augustin, or one may follow the 
 ridges of the hills above the Magnan, which have glorious views 
 of snowy peaks above the nearer purple hills, and where the Pin 
 de Bellet marks the summit of a hill covered with vineyards pro- 
 ducing the famous wine of the name. This walk, which brings 
 the excursionist down at the extreme W. end of Nice, may recall 
 the lines of Delille 
 
 1 Oh, Nice, heureux sejour, montagnes renommees, 
 De lavende, de thyme, de citron parfumees, 
 Que de fois sous tes plants d'oliviers toujours verts, 
 Dont la paleur s'unit au sombre azur des mers, 
 J'egarai mes regards sur ce theatre immense.' 
 
 'Jardins.' 
 
544 
 
 SOUTH EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 5. The ascent of Mont Chauve (869 met.) or Mont Cau 
 (Monte Calvo) is usually made by way of Cimies, following 
 thence the road to Falicon for some distance, and then turning 1. 
 
 6. But far the most interesting excursion is that to Peglione. 
 
 THE ASCENT TO PEGLIONE. 
 
 Carriages may be taken or the diligence to Turin by Tenda 
 passing Drap, the possession of which gave the title of Count to 
 the bishops of Nice, as far as a stone bridge over the Peille at its 
 junction with the Paillon, near (20 k.) VEscarene, /k. N. of which 
 is the village of Luceram (Luci ara), under the Gros-Braus.\ Near 
 
FONTAINE DE GIALLIER. 545 
 
 this also is the Fontaine de Giallier, where Lady Bute, travelling 
 in the time of the First Empire, was waylaid by a notorious band 
 of brigands, who had long baffled pursuit, and was robbed of all her 
 diamonds and other valuables. Lady Bute had with her a bottle 
 
 PEGLIONE FROM THE EAST. 
 
 of opium, which she used medicinally, and the robbers, mistaking 
 it for a liqueur, drank some of it. Soon, overwhelmed by sleep, 
 they lay down in a corn-field, where they were taken by gendarmes. 
 It was then found that many members of the best families in Nice 
 belonged to the band, and lived handsomely upon their plunder, 
 
 35 
 
546 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 even inviting the unsuspecting authorities of the town to their 
 banquets. 
 
 Donkeys may be sent on to the bridge of the Paillon. Hence 
 a path winds for about two hours through a valley, and then 
 ascends by zigzags to Peglione, which has long been visible 
 at the top of a conical rock, rising high above the forests of 
 olives, against the wild extraordinary peaks of the surrounding 
 
 mountains. The town itself is exceedingly picturesque and has 
 a broad terrazone, with curious old houses on one side and a 
 little chapel painted with quaint frescoes on the other. But far 
 the most important view is to be found beyond the village, from 
 a little platform backed by rocks. Hence Peglione is seen in 
 the foreground, on the top of a gigantic precipice, around the 
 foot of which sparkles the winding river, whilst beyond, billow 
 upon billow of hill in every delicate hue of rose-colour, purple 
 and blue, fall back to melt into the distant snow mountains. 
 
THE CORNICHE. 547 
 
 In the whole of the rest of France there is no single view more 
 striking than this ; and though many scenes of the Pyrenees and 
 Alps are far grander, nothing is so perfect in composition or 
 artistic detail. 
 
 It is about an hour's walk or ride by a wild mountain path 
 from Peglione to Peglia (see later).] 
 
 [An excursion may be made from Nice to Turbia (see later), 
 returning by Roccabruna and Monaco, and following the new 
 road thence by Beaulieu and Villafranca. A very beautiful view 
 of Nice may be obtained by taking a little path to the r. amongst 
 the olives, after passing a chapel, on the ascent. At a short 
 distance further is a grand view of Eza, rising on a precipitous 
 rock between the mountains and the sea, backed by a glorious 
 succession of bays and peninsulas. The precipices which the 
 excellent high-road traverses are sufficient to give some ideas of 
 a journey along the old mule path from Nice to Genoa before it 
 was made. 
 
 4 Ayant appris qu'on pouvait aller a Genes par terre, en chaise 
 a porteurs, nous primes la resolution de faire ce perilleux voyage. 
 J'envoyai chercher rhomme qui nous louait des mulcts. Je 
 voulus le questionner sur les dangers de la route. Get homme, 
 apres m'avoir attentivement ecoutee, me re"pondit en propres 
 termes : 4< Je ne suis point inquiet pour vous, mesdames ; mais, 
 a la ve"rite", je crains un peu pour mes mulcts, parceque 1'an 
 passe j'en perdis deux, qui furent ecrases par de gros morceaux 
 de roche qui tomberent sur eux, car il s'en de"tache souvent de la 
 montagne." Cette maniere de nous tranquilliser ne nous rassura 
 pas beaucoup, mais cependant elle nous fit rire et nous partimes.' 
 Mme. de Genlis.~\ 
 
 [A road practicable for carriages (45 fr. ; time, 9 hrs.), as 
 far as S. Sauveur (or S. Salvadour), where there is a poor inn, 
 then a mule path for 8 hrs. (mule, 3 fr. 50 c. a day ; guide, 
 5 fr.), then a road of 8 k. forms the communication between 
 Nice and Barcelonnette (see ch. x.). The first part of the road 
 follows the gorges of the Var (see p. 543), then (28 k.) of the 
 Tine"e. 
 
548 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE 
 
 From S. Sauveur a mule path leads W. to (8 hrs.) Guillaumes, 
 through a very wild district, passing the curious village of Peone, 
 surrounded by pointed rocks of the strangest forms. Another 
 point well worth visiting from S. Sauveur is (ijk. E. by the 
 mule path which leads in 5 hrs. to S. Martin Lantosque) the 
 village of Rimplas, with a xn. c. castle, in a marvellous mountain 
 position of extreme picturesqueness, and with a magnificent 
 view.] 
 
 [A carriage road leads from Nice to (65 k.) the dismal town 
 of Puget Themers, following that to S. Sauveur for 28 k., then 
 passing through (30 k.) the gorge of Echatidan, and by (54 k.) 
 the picturesque village of Touet de Beuil, near which is the 
 curious ravine called Clus des Champs.} 
 
 [The road which leads N. from Nice to 6". Martin Lantosque 
 (carriages, including pourboire, 44 fr.) is the same as that by 
 S. Andre to (22 k.) Levens (see p. 542). After passing Levens the 
 road skirts the base of the Mont Dragon. The village of Cros is 
 seen beautifully situated above the olives on the other side of 
 the river Vesubie. The road now ascends to (29k.) Duranus, 
 formerly Rouquespaviere, then passes through a tunnel in the 
 rock. The fortified village of Utelle is seen opposite, on the 
 side of a bare hill crowned by the chapel of Notre Dame 
 des Miracles. After descending to .S. Jean de la Riviere, the 
 road passes through a gorge of the Vesubie to (40 k.) Le 
 Suchet, and by a second gorge to (45 k.) the picturesque village 
 of Lantosque (Lantosca), on a rocky promontory which seems 
 to close the valley of the V6subie. On a hill on r. are now 
 seen the ruined castle and fortified village of La Bollene. At 
 51 k. is Roquebilliere, on the site of a Roman station, whence the 
 road ascends to (59 k.) 6". Martin Lantosque (Hotels : des Alpes ; 
 deBellevue ; dela Grande Bretagne. Pensions : Ayraudi; Anglo- 
 Americaine ; S. Etienne ; Miiller), a prosperous little mountain 
 town, close to the Italian frontier, with a beautiful neighbourhood, 
 much frequented during the summer months, as well for its 
 mineral waters as its fine air. An excursion may be made to the 
 delightfully situated baths of Berthemont (Hotel : des Bains), 
 with the little falls of the Spaillard. A walk or ride of 8 hrs. leads 
 
SOSPELLO. 549 
 
 from S. Martin to Valdieri (in Italy) by the Col de la Fenetre, 
 with its pilgrimage chapel and little lake ; or in 5 hrs. by the 
 Col de Cereze to the baths of Valdieri. By the mule path to S. 
 Sauveur (5 hrs.) Rimplas (see above) may be visited. There is a 
 fine view from the Cime du Sirol (2,015 met.)] 
 
 [The road from Nice into Italy by the Col di Tenda is the same 
 as that followed in the excursion to Peglione, as far as the Pont 
 du Peille. After leaving (20 k.) Escarene, the route is very pic- 
 turesque. From (22 k.) Touet de VEscarene, which belonged to 
 the noble family of Caravadossi, begins the ascent, by a series of 
 zigzags, to the top of the Col de JBraus, whence the road descends 
 in the same manner, to (41 k.) Sospello, the Hospitellum of the 
 Romans, said to have been originally founded by Braus, a com- 
 panion of Hercules. The town suffered cruelly in the middle- 
 ages from Lombards, Saracens, Guelfs, and Ghibellines (the latter 
 being represented by the powerful families of Lascaris and 
 Grimaldi), but it had the distinction of giving a refuge to many 
 of the Vaudois expelled from their valleys in the xm. c., and this 
 in spite of its being the summer residence of the Bishop of 
 Ventimiglia. Sospello is a very interesting place. The old 
 bridge of two romanesque arches over the Bevera has a tower in 
 the middle, and the ruined walls exist, as well as the ruins of 
 the Castel d'Appi and a convent. The nave of the xvn. c. 
 church of S. Michel is supported by two ranges of monolith 
 columns. 
 
 Beyond Sospello, the road follows the Bevera for a short 
 distance, and then ascends, crossing the Colde Brouis, whence, as 
 well as on the top of the Authion, remains may be seen of fortifica- 
 tions raised by the Piedmontese against the French, and which 
 General Brunet vainly tried to take, June 12, 1793. A military 
 road, now used by shepherds and their flocks, leads from the Col 
 de Brouis to the platform of Mille Fourches and to the Authion. 
 The road now descends into the valley of the Roya (the Roman 
 Rutuba), passing (r.) the large village of Breil (a name said to 
 come from Proelium, a battle fought here between Otho and 
 Vitellius), overlooked by the old tower of Crivella. To the E. 
 is seen the singular mountain called Testa dAlpe or Testa di 
 Giove. 
 
550 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Giandola (52 k. Hotel: des Etrangers good) is beautifully 
 situated at the confluence of the Roya and the Maille. Then the 
 road passes a defile beyond which it reaches its most picturesque 
 point, where blackened houses of the wonderfully situated town 
 of Saorgio, an ancient Ligurian stronghold, rise along the edge of 
 lofty rocks above the Roya. One of the rocky promontories 
 which stretch out beyond the houses is occupied by a ruined 
 chateau of the house of Sales (lou Castel del Sal) and a church, 
 on the site of a temple of Mars and Cybele. The chapel of 
 Notre Dame de Morin, with a romanesque tower, which rises 
 high above the road on the r., is a place of pilgrimage. A walk 
 of 5^ hrs. will take a traveller from Saorgio to Roquebilliere by 
 the Col de Raus. 
 
 At 69 k. the road reaches the French custom house at Fontan, 
 and then enters trie striking defile called at first la Gorge de 
 Berghc, and further on le Defile de Gaudarena. After crossing 
 the torrent Miniera, we see below the road on the 1. (77 k.) the 
 hydropathic establishment of S. Dalmazzo di Tenda, occupying 
 an ancient chartreuse. It is a beautiful spot, deservedly frequented 
 in summer, especially by English who are obliged to pass the 
 winter at Nice. 25 minutes' walk distant is the interesting village 
 of Briga, celebrated for the honesty and industry of the maid- 
 servants whom it furnishes in large numbers to Nice. Pleasant 
 excursions may be made in the valley of the Miniera, to the Col 
 di Sabbione, and the lakes (tarns) of Valmasca. 
 
 Beyond S. Dalmazzo, the road enters another savage defile, 
 by which it reaches (82 k.) Tenda (Italian custom-house. Hotel : 
 National}, which has a fine Lombard church of 1476 1518, 
 and the ruins of an ancient castle of the Lascaris. It is 56 k. from 
 Tenda to Coni.] 
 
 Continuing the railway from Nice to Genoa, we pass 
 229 k. (from Marseilles) Vilkfranche (Villafranca). See 
 
 P- 538. 
 
 231 k. Beaulieu (Hotels : Beaulieu very good ; des 
 Anglais]. Owing to a monoply, this otherwise attractive 
 place is exceedingly expensive as a residence. The railway 
 
EZA, MONACO. 551 
 
 runs along the base of the rocks of the Petite Affrique and 
 enters a tunnel, on emerging from which travellers have 
 a glimpse of Eza on its rock. 
 
 234 k. Eza. The station is in the little bay of the Anse 
 d'Eza. The path to the mountain town turns r. from the 
 station, ascends through a little wood, redescends, crosses 
 a torrent, and then mounts rapidly, afterwards turning 
 round the hill side, till it joins the old stony road. The 
 ascent occupies 1 1 hrs. Eza, the ancient Avisium, is a good 
 specimen of the ' castelli ' of the Riviera, but is more pictur- 
 esque at a distance than in itself. It became a great strong- 
 hold of the Saracens, who took possession of it, with Turbia 
 and S. Agndse, in 814, and ravaged the country from thence. 
 The castle, reached by a natural staircase, was almost 
 entirely destroyed by the Turks of Barbarossa in 1543. 
 
 237 k. La Turbia. A steep path ascends to the village 
 (see p. 560). 
 
 240 k. Monaco (Hotels : Beausite ; Beausejour ; Bristol ; 
 des Etrangers). The town, which is the smallest capital in 
 Europe except S. Marino, occupies an enchanting position 
 on a rocky promontory overhanging the little Porte d'Hercule, 
 and itself overlooked and sheltered by the grand rock of the 
 Tete du Chien (Testa del Can). A popular distich is typical 
 of the far niente of existence here 
 
 1 Son Monaco, sopra un scoglio 
 Non semino, e non raccoglio, 
 E pur mangiar voglio.' 
 
 It is pleasantest, in ascending from the station, to turn 
 to the 1. and enter the gate which leads by the Promenade 
 
552 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 S. Martin or // Boschetto to the palace. The rocky terraces 
 are lined with many kinds of aloes, some of which raise their 
 golden stems crowned by masses of flower, as high as the 
 tops of the cypresses, which are. mingled with them. The 
 wild luxuriance of euphorbia, cactus, and prickly pear, not 
 content with covering the heights, overruns the walls and 
 fills every crevice of the precipitous cliffs down to the very 
 edge of the sea. Splendid geraniums and a hundred other 
 flowers fringe the walks, while here and there a palm-tree 
 raises its umbrella of delicate foliage into the blue sky. 
 Joining the promenade is the Convent of the Visitation, 
 founded 1663, by Prince Louis and his wife Charlotte de 
 Gramont. 
 
 Until the beginning of xin. c. Monaco was only a desolate 
 rock, at the foot of which, ships, coasting along the shores of 
 Liguria and Provence, were wont to seek a refuge in the Portus 
 Herculis. 
 
 According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and other writers, 
 Hercules built a temple here to his own honour after a victory 
 over the ancient Ligurian inhabitants of the territory (' Monoeci 
 similiter arcum et portum ad perennem suam memoriam conse- 
 cravit '), which temple was served by a single priest or monk 
 (monachus), whence some derive the name of Monaco. Others 
 believe that the name was due to the Phocians, who gave their 
 temple the distinctive title of p.6vos O!KOS. Long, however, 
 before the city of Monaco existed, the ancient Portus Herculis 
 at its foot was known and valued. Here Augustus Caesar 
 embarked for Genoa, on his way to Rome, after having set up 
 his victorious trophies at La Turbia 'Aggeribus socer Alpinis 
 atque arce Monoeci descendens.' The neighbourhood of the port 
 became the scene of combats between Otho and Vitellius, and 
 there Fabius Valens, a general of Vitellius, landed the troops 
 intended for the support of Marius Maturius, against a Gallic 
 rebellion. In 286 the emperor Maximin returned by this way 
 from his expedition against the Bogandes, a fact recorded by 
 
MONACO. 
 
 553 
 
 Claudius in the words ' In modo Galliae oppida illustraveras ; 
 jam summas arces Monoeci Herculis praeteribas.' 
 
 The scattered Ligurian villages, which occupied these shores, 
 were constantly pillaged and destroyed by the Saracens, who 
 in 814 took possession of the heights of Eza, Turbia, and S. 
 Agne"se, whence they descended from their mountain castles 
 to ravage the neighbourhood, the Portus Monoeci itself falling 
 
 entirely into their hands, and lying utterly waste during the iv. c., 
 v. c., and vi. c. At length, amongst the Christian champions who 
 appeared to do battle in their behalf was a noble knight of 
 Genoa, called Gibellino Grimaldi, who, after a great victory over 
 the Saracens, was welcomed as a deliverer by the inhabitants, 
 and received the district fringing this beautiful gulf, as the reward 
 of his valour. This was the beginning of the Grimaldi rule, and 
 the first cause of the Genoese power in Monaco. Afterwards, 
 all the land of the Ligurian Riviera, from Monaco to Porto 
 
554 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Venere, was granted in fief to the Genoese by the emperor 
 Frederick I. ; a grant which was recognized by their neighbour 
 Count Raymond of Provence, in a charter which gave them 
 'podium et montem Monaci, cum suis pertinenciis ad incas- 
 tellandum.' This cession was renewed by the emperor Henry IV., 
 on condition that the Genoese would build a castle at Monaco, 
 for the better defence of the Christians against the Saracens. 
 
 Hitherto no building had occupied the heights of Monaco, 
 except a chapel, which had been built on the site of the ancient 
 temple in 1078, by two inhabitants of La Turbia. But in conse- 
 quence of the grant to Genoa, three galleys from thence, containing 
 a number of noble Genoese citizens, with one Fulco di Castello 
 at their head, and followed by galleys laden with timber, iron, and 
 other materials for building, disembarked at Monaco on June 6, 
 1191, when, having defined their rights in the presence of the 
 imperial commissioners by making the circuit of the desolate rock 
 with olive boughs, they erected a fortress, with four towers and 
 circular walls, around which a new town soon began to spring up. 
 
 From 1270 1340 the citadel of Monaco served as a refuge al- 
 ternately to Guelfs represented by the Grimaldi, and to Ghibellines 
 under the guidance of the Spinola. Each party twice besieged 
 the other within its walls, and each was twice supplanted by its 
 opponents. On the Christmas Eve, however, of 1306, while all 
 the inhabitants (Monegasques) were celebrating their solemn mid- 
 night mass, Charles Grimaldi contrived to enter Monaco disguised 
 as a monk, and, having cut the throats of the sentinels, to let 
 in his accomplices ; and from this period, with the exception of 
 eleven years (1327-38) the place remained in the hands of the 
 Grimaldi, of whom Rubella Grimaldi bought a formal invest- 
 ment of his rights from Genoa, for twelve hundred gold florins. 
 In 1346, Charles Grimaldi I. purchased part of Mentone from 
 Emmanuele Vento of Genoa, and Roccabruna from Guglielmo 
 Lascaris, Conte di Ventimiglia, for 161,000 florins ; the rest of 
 Mentone being bought by another branch of the Grimaldi family. 
 
 Many are the romantic incidents in the history of the Grimaldi 
 princes of Regnier Grimaldi (1363 1407), the brave partizan 
 in turn of popes and antipopes ; of Jean I. (1424-54), who was 
 covered with glory in a great naval victory over the Venetians and 
 married to the daughter of the Genoese doge Tommaso Fregosa 
 
MONACO. 555 
 
 as a reward, but who afterwards was the first Prince of Monaco 
 who did homage for his dominions to the Duke of Savoy ; of 
 Jean II. (1493 1505), murdered by his brother Lucien ; of Lucien 
 (1505-23), who successfully withstood a siege by the Genoese, and 
 was murdered in his palace by his nephew Bartolommeo Doria 
 of Dolceaqua ; of Hercules (1589 1604), who sought the Spanish 
 protectorate which has left so many traces in the patois of the 
 neighbouring mountain villages, and who was summarily drowned 
 in front of Monaco by citizens whose daughters he had insulted I 
 of Honorius I. (1604-62), who exchanged the protectorate of 
 Spain for that of France; of Honorius III. (1731), who married 
 the beautiful Catarina Brignole, niece of the doge of Genoa, and 
 who died at the beginning of the great Revolution, in which his 
 family lost their sovereignty for twenty-one years. 
 
 1 When the empire of Napoleon I. was being re-divided by the 
 European powers, the principality of Monaco was given back to 
 the Matignon-Grimaldi. They restored their fortunes in the 
 person of Honorius V., through his cruel extortions from the 
 people whom he treated as his serfs, by confiscating to his own 
 use the property of the communes, hospitals, and churches, and 
 by seizing the monopoly of commerce of every description, 
 constituting himself at once the only farmer, miller, butcher, and 
 baker of the principality. 
 
 4 Whenever the municipal police of Genoa prohibited the sale 
 of some damaged corn, the prince's contractor immediately 
 bought it up, declaring that it was only too good for the people 
 of Monaco. If any good corn was by chance found in the ware- 
 houses at Monaco, it was immediately exported to be resold, and 
 worse grain bought in its place. The price of this horrible bread 
 rose till it became double that in any other place ; then the 
 people addressed a petition to their prince. His only answer 
 was a threat of severe punishment, and the declaration that he 
 would rule them with a rod of iron, " quit fer ait peser sur etix un 
 bras defer" 
 
 ' Any attempts of the unhappy inhabitants to obtain bread 
 from Nice, were frustrated by the cordon of surveillance drawn 
 around the principality, and all such signs of rebellion were 
 immediately punished. Even travellers, passing through Monaco, 
 
556 SOUTH EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 were forced to give up any provisions they might have, on 
 arriving at the frontier, and the Sardinian workman on crossing 
 the boundary was not allowed to bring with him his dinner of the 
 day. If the owner of any boat from a strange port, on entering 
 the port of Monaco, had left uneaten any part of the loaves of 
 bread with which his vessel was furnished on leaving home, he 
 was taught by the confiscation of his vessel and a fine of 500 fr. 
 to calculate better another time. 
 
 ' In order still further to fill up the deficiencies in his treasury, 
 caused by the Revolution, the Prince forced those who had 
 acquired any of the lands which had belonged to his ancestors, 
 to give them up without any indemnity. No one in the princi- 
 pality was allowed to export wood, except the Prince himself, 
 and no one was even allowed to cut down a bough from one of 
 his own olive trees, unless the stroke were authorized by the 
 government, and given in the presence of officials. No one was 
 allowed to sell his own crops, except at a price fixed by the 
 police, and then the purchaser, instead of paying the sum to the 
 proprietor, was obliged to bring his money to a receiver-general 
 established by the Prince, who exacted one per cent, on the sale. 
 In a short time no one was allowed to till his own land or water 
 it, or to prune his own trees, without the permission of the police ; 
 and at last no one was allowed to leave his house after ten o'clock 
 at night, without being furnished with a lanthorn, which was 
 also a pretext for a fine. The taxes became at length too absurd 
 for belief. The birth or death of an animal had to be entered in 
 the public register on the same day, on payment of a fine, and 
 was of course taxed. The tax on the birth of a lamb was 
 twenty-five centimes.' ' A Winter at Mentone' 
 
 After thirty-three years of the most cruel oppression, Mentone 
 and Roccabruna rebelled (March 2, 1848), and placed themselves 
 under the protection of Italy, enjoying nine years of liberty, 
 till they were induced, in 1860, to vote for annexation to France, 
 at the time of the cession of Nice. The claims of the Prince of 
 Monaco to that part of his former dominions were at the same 
 time purchased by France for ^160,000. Even Monaco itself is 
 now subject to French conscription and taxation, so that the 
 real authority of the Prince is reduced to little more than that of 
 
MONACO. 557 
 
 a syndic. The late Prince (1890) was a man of letters, and took 
 great interest in arranging and bringing to light the historic 
 archives of his family. 
 
 The only building of importance on the rock of Monaco 
 is the Palace, ' restored ' out of all appearance of antiquity. 
 It is shown, but is in no way remarkable. There is a 
 handsome marble staircase, and the Sala Grimaldi is an old 
 hall decorated in fresco by Orazio da Ferrara, and possess- 
 ing a fine renaissance chimney-piece inscribed ' Qui dicit 
 se nosse Deum et mandata ejus non observat mendax 
 est.' The Princes formerly always gave a ball here on the 
 festival of S Devota, to which the inhabitants of Monaco, 
 rich and poor, were invited en masse, the rich dancing all the 
 evening on one side of the hall, and the peasants on the 
 other, but neither ever passing an imaginary boundary, while 
 the Prince and the grandees looked down from a gallery. 
 Antonio I. also gave grand ballets here in imitation of those 
 of Versailles, and, being a good musician, would lead the 
 orchestra himself with a baton bequeathed to him by Lulli. 
 The chapel has a Baptism of Christ by Jourdain. A 
 room, decorated with frescoes, attributed to Annibale 
 Caracci, is shown as that in which Edward Augustus, Duke 
 of York, brother of George III., died (Sept. 7, 1767). 
 Whilst Vice-Admiral of the Blue, he had been ill with a 
 fever off Monaco, and was brought on shore to receive the 
 hospitality of the Prince. His room has since been used 
 as a mortuary chapel for the princes of Monaco. Most of 
 the historic apartments of the palace, including the chamber 
 where Prince Lucien was assassinated in 1523, have been 
 long since destroyed, but the palace, as it remains, was 
 well restored by the late Prince (Charles III.), who 
 
558 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 collected here his precious MSS. from his chateau of 
 Marchais near Laon, from his mother's hotel in the Rue S. 
 Dominique at Paris, and from his own Parisian residence, 
 1 6 Rue Guillaume. The MSS. include the papers of the 
 Marechal de Matignon referring to the Wars of Religion, 
 from the time of Frangois I. to the death of Louis XIV. ; 
 letters by Frangois I., Frangois II., Henri III., Henri IV., 
 Catherine de Me'dicis, Conde, Anne of Austria, Louvois, 
 Colbert, etc. Amongst other relics, the great seal of the 
 Sire de Joinville is preserved here. A passage between 
 the N. and E. wings of the palace leads to the private 
 gardens, delightful terraces of aloes and geraniums, 
 bordered with myrtle and thyme, overlooking a lovely view 
 of the bay. Behind, are the old bastions and fortifications, 
 among which is the famous ' Saraval,' which withstood 
 many a siege in the time of the earlier princes. The rocks 
 below the gardens are covered with prickly pears, first 
 introduced from Africa by Battista, a Franciscan monk of 
 Savona, in 1537 ; the fruit is gathered by a man let down 
 from the wall in a basket. The aloes generally flower 
 when they attain their fifteenth year, and then die, leaving 
 a numerous progeny behind them. 
 
 In the principal church of S. Barbara, rebuilt 1888-90, 
 in the romanesque style, Pope Pius VI. lay in state, after a 
 storm had obliged the ship bearing his body to take refuge 
 in the Port d'Hercule, only a few months after he had 
 been burnt in effigy by the people of Monaco. 
 
 In the port, the suburb Condamine formerly Gau- 
 mates has baths much frequented in summer. Where a 
 little mountain torrent issues from the rocks to fall into 
 the sea, a chapel nestles in the ravine with a lofty arch 
 
MONTE CARLO. 559 
 
 behind. This completely modernised, and its grand 
 cypresses recently cut down is all that remains of a once 
 famous shrine dedicated to S. Devota, a virgin of Corsica, 
 martyred under Diocletian. 
 
 ' According to the Levins Chronicles, " In order that Devota 
 might not be buried by the Christians, the Roman governor 
 ordered her body to be reduced to ashes, but the priest Ben- 
 venuto and the deacon Apollinaris, being warned in a vision to 
 remove the body of the saint from the island, came by night, 
 embarked it, and set sail with a sailor named Gratien, intending 
 to land on the coast of Africa. Their efforts were in vain, and 
 all night long they were driven back by a south wind, which 
 carried them towards the shore of Liguria. The following morn- 
 ing, while the sailor was asleep, the saint appeared to him in a 
 dream, and told him joyfully to continue his course, and observe 
 that which should come out of her mouth, which would show him 
 where she wished to be buried. And from the mouth of the 
 saint the pilot and his two companions saw a white dove issue, 
 which took the direction of Monaco. They watched it till it 
 settled in the valley called Gaumates, on the east of the city. 
 There Devota was buried, and there an oratory was afterwards 
 built to her, with a monastery attached to it, dependent upon 
 that of S. Pons." Another legend describes that the vessel bear- 
 ing the remains of the saint was wrecked off Monaco, and that 
 only one fragment of it drifted into the Port of Hercules, with the 
 dead body of a beautiful maiden lashed upon it, and an inscrip- 
 tion telling that it was that of Devota, Corsican virgin and 
 martyr.' ' A Winter at Mentone! 
 
 242 k. Monte Carlo (Hotels : Grand de Pans, close to the 
 Casino ; de Russie ; Continental best, and dear ; du Prince 
 de Galles ; des Princes ; de Londres ; Beaurivage ; du Pare, 
 all frequented by the gambling world ; Victoria and Windsor 
 are quieter, and more adapted to invalids). On the E. of 
 the port of Monaco rises the hill of Spelugues (caves), till 
 the last twenty years a wild spot covered with heath and 
 
560 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 rosemary, now the site of the Casino, a splendid gambling- 
 house, with concert-room and ball-room attached to it. 
 The gardens, though somewhat meretricious in taste, have 
 beautiful shrubs and flowers, and a noble group of palm- 
 trees near the steps which lead down from the terrace to 
 the station. 
 
 ' The present lord of Monaco is but the ruler of a few streets 
 and some two thousand subjects. His army reminds one of the 
 famous war establishment of the older German princelings ; one 
 year, indeed, to the amazement of beholders, it rose to the gigantic 
 force of four and twenty men, but then, as we were gravely told 
 by an official, " it had been doubled in consequence of the war." 
 Idler and absentee as he is, the Prince is faithful to the traditions 
 of his house ; the merchant indeed sails without dread beneath 
 the once dreaded rocks of the pirate haunt ; but a new pirate 
 town has risen on the shores of its bay. It is the pillage of a 
 host of gamblers that maintains the heroic army of Monaco, that 
 cleanses its street, and fills the exchequer of its lord.'/. R. 
 Green, ' Stray Studies' 
 
 A delightful road leads to Roccabruna by Vieille, the 
 Roman Vigiliae, and the Chapelle du Bon Voyage, which 
 marks the limits of the principality. 
 
 [Two mountain ways, one almost a staircase, lead in \\ hrs. 
 from S. Devota to La Turbia (Trophaea-Turbia), which in ancient 
 times marked the boundary between Gaul and Italy (by a boun- 
 dary stone inscribed, ' Hucusque Italia, dehinc Gallia '), and, 
 till the middle of the middle-ages, that between Provence and 
 Liguria. The tower of Augustus, a trophy of his victories over 
 the Alpine tribes, was erected by him on the most conspicuous 
 point of the Maritime Alps, on the spot which is indicated in the 
 itinerary of Antoninus as ' Alpis Summa.' In the middle-ages 
 it was used as a fortress, and in the xvn. c. was ruined by the 
 Marechal de Villars. 
 
 Poet-lovers always like to read on the spot, even the feeblest 
 lines of Tennyson, who says 
 
LAGHETTO. 561 
 
 ' What Roman strength Turbia showed 
 In ruin, by the mountain road ; 
 
 How like a gem, beneath, the city 
 Of little Monaco basking glowed.' 
 
 1 The Daisy: 
 
 About 2k. inland from Turbia is the convent of Laghetto 
 (Notre Dame de Laguet). We turn r. at S. Catarina, a little 
 W. of Turbia, near the Colonna del Re t commemorating a pil- 
 
 - 
 
 CONVENT OF LAGHETTO. 
 
 grimage of King Charles Felix, for which the present road was 
 constructed in 1826. The convent stands on a rugged rock at 
 the foot of Mont Sembola, isolated in wet weather by mountain 
 torrents, which surround it on every side, to fall far below into 
 the Paillon. It is a very picturesque building ; a few grey aloes 
 and some very old olive-trees vary the uniformity of the rock, 
 while two or three large umbrella pines, on the edge of the rift 
 above the little village of Laghetto, form a good foreground to 
 the mountain range which closes the three sides of the valley. 
 In the church, an image of the xvi. c., commemorating a far older 
 
 36 
 
562 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 image (said still to exist in the neighbourhood), has been solemnly 
 chosen by the town of Nice as its special patroness and protectress, 
 and attracts vast pilgrimages, especially on Trinity Sunday, when 
 numbers of crippled persons are brought hither in the hope of a 
 miracle. 
 
 1 The original image is said to have been discovered by a 
 young man of Ventimiglia, who went to visit his sister at Turbia. 
 While staying with her, he went out shooting in the neighbour- 
 hood. When he reached the hill of Laghetto, not far from an 
 old wall, upon which a figure of the Virgin was painted in a 
 niche, he saw a bird resting amongst the bramble leaves, and 
 shot it dead. But on coming nearer he was horrified to see that 
 the ball had struck the painted Virgin on the breast, whence 
 blood was issuing. Hurrying back to his family, he narrated his 
 adventure, and they decided to build a chapel on the spot in 
 expiation of his unintentional sacrilege. 
 
 ' In 1652, when nothing remained of this chapel, except its 
 worm-eaten image, Hyacinthe Casanova, a native of Monaco, 
 who believed that his recovery from dangerous illness was due 
 to the intercession of the Virgin, urged the erection of the present 
 chapel, to which the image, which is now shown, was presented 
 by Antonio Fighiera, a lawyer of Nice, in whose family it had 
 long been venerated. From this time the reputed miracles of 
 Laghetto increased to such a degree that, in 1683, even the 
 bishop of Nice refused to believe in them, and caused the 
 church to be shut up; but after a public examination he was 
 induced to re-open it, when the image underwent a solemn 
 coronation. . . . The princes and princesses of Savoy have 
 always been indefatigable in their pilgrimages to Laghetto, 
 especially King Charles Emmanuel II., who, having placed his 
 sick child under the protection of this particular image, pre- 
 sented it, when the child recovered, with a golden baby of the 
 size and weight of his own. This, with all the other treasures 
 of the shrine, was carried off in 1792 by the French, who 
 plundered and destroyed everything except the image itself, 
 which had been smuggled away before their arrival to La Turbia. 
 It remained there till 1802, when it was brought back with a 
 procession in great pomp.' ' A Winter at Mentone? 
 
MENTONE. 563 
 
 In front of the convent are two inscriptions ; the first upon 
 the pedestal of the fountain, which may be translated 
 
 ' Pilgrim, you find here two streams ; one descends from 
 heaven, the other from the top of the mountains. The first is a 
 treasure which the Virgin distributes to the piety of the faithful, 
 the second has been brought here by the people of Nice ; drink 
 of both, if you thirst for both. A.D. 1654.' 
 
 The other inscription commemorates a grand scene of Italian 
 history, when in this lonely valley, amid these desolate moun- 
 tains Charles Albert, the beloved of his people, for the preserva- 
 tion of his honour and his faith, took leave of his court, his crown, 
 and the world. 
 
 'Here, on the morning of the 26th of March, 1849, Charles 
 Albert, after leaving the fatal field of Novara, rested, an unknown 
 exile. Here, having devoutly confessed, and at the table of Jesus 
 refreshed his weary spirit, he renewed the sacrifice of his affec- 
 tions and sorrows. Here, he forgave his injuries, grieved for the 
 common misfortunes, and, abandoning Italy in person, commended 
 its destinies to the patronage of the Virgin Mother.' 
 
 The name of Laghetto is derived from the fact that once when 
 the torrent was unusually swollen by the melting of the mountain 
 snows, the fall of a large rock so effectually checked its progress 
 to the sea, that the whole valley became a lake. 
 
 From Mont-Agel (1,149 met.) on the N.E. of Turbia there is 
 a very fine view. Turbia is the nearest point on any high-road 
 from which to reach Peglia (see later), and Peglione (see p. 544). 
 
 245 k. Roquebrune (Roccabruna), see p. 57 1. The railway 
 skirts the olive-wood of the Cap S. Martin, and crosses the 
 torrents of Gorbio and Borrigo to 
 
 249 k. Menton (Mentone). 
 
 English doctors seldom acquainted with the place are apt to 
 recommend the Western Bay as more bracing, but it is exposed 
 to mistral and dust, and its shabby suburbs have none of the 
 beauty of the Eastern Bay. 
 
564 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 Hotels : Eastern Bay, Italic and Bellevuebo\\\ beautifully 
 situated in high, sunny, terraced gardens, arid with lovely views ; 
 des Anglais ; Grande Bretagne ; Grand ; Beauriv age ; Pension 
 Santa Maria ; Pension Beausite, on the shore. Western Bay, or 
 western side of the town, des lies Britanniques ; d^t Louvre ; 
 des Ambassadeurs ; Continental; Alexandra; Spkndid; Cosmo- 
 politan, and many others. The hotels in the town itself are 
 especially subject to bad odours. 
 
 Carriages. By a tariff most exorbitantly dear for the 
 excursions. 
 
 Mentone, sheltered by its Alpine background from the 
 N. and E. winds, and surrounded by groves of lemons, 
 oranges, and olives, is much frequented by invalids as a 
 winter residence. Up to 1860 it was a picturesque fishing 
 town, with a few scattered villas let to strangers in the 
 neighbouring olive groves, and all its surroundings were 
 most beautiful and attractive ; now much of its two lovely 
 bays is filled with hideous and stuccoed villas in the worst 
 taste. The curious old walls are destroyed, and pretentious 
 paved promenades have taken the place of the beautiful walks 
 under tamarisk groves by the sea shore. Artistically, 
 Mentone is vulgarised and ruined, but its dry, sunny climate 
 is delicious, its flowers exquisite, and its excursions for 
 good walkers are inexhaustible and full of interest. 
 
 The history of Mentone is chiefly that of its petty 
 tyrants of the families of Vento, Grimaldi, and Lascaris. 
 Early in the xvi. c. it was united by Lucien Grimaldi to 
 Monaco, of whose princes it continued to suffer the exac- 
 tions till 1848, when it proclaimed itself a free town under the 
 protection of Sardinia. Then, for thirteen years, it enjoyed 
 absolute liberty, and only paid taxes to itself. In 1860 it 
 threw away its freedom, language, and traditions to become 
 
MENTONE. 
 
 565 
 
 French. The evil-smelling town has been much modern- 
 ised of late years, especially by the ugly promenade, which 
 has destroyed the character of the western bay, and much of 
 that of the eastern. On the crest of the hill above Mentone, 
 joining the cemetery, are some fragments of the mediaeval 
 castle of Poggio Pino, a stronghold of the Counts of 
 
 MENTONE, FROM HOTEL D'lTALIE. 
 
 Ventimiglia, and at the end of the little promontory occupied 
 by the town is the Fort, a small yellow wave-beaten castle, 
 whose picturesqueness has been recently destroyed by a 
 modern pier. 
 
 ' From the upper terrace, on the E. of the town, beneath the 
 Hotels Bellevue and Italic, the much-modernised gateway of 
 
566 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 S. Julien still leads into the Strada Lunga, the narrowest of 
 carriageable streets, which, till quite modern days, was the great 
 street of the town, where, before the great Revolution, the 
 ladies of Mentone used to sit out and work in the open air, just 
 as the peasants do now, before the doors of the houses or (one 
 is expected to say) "palaces." A letter of the last century 
 describes " the animated appearance " which this gave to the 
 place in those days, the gentlemen stopping to chat with each 
 group as they passed. " Towards evening, all the society walked 
 out to the Cap S. Martin to drink coffee and play at games, under 
 the Aristocrats' Tree," and the nights were enlivened by frequent 
 serenades, which were given under the windows of pretty girls 
 by their admirers. ... A house near the entrance of the street, 
 marked with the date 1543, is the abode of the Martini family, 
 who have inhabited it ever since its foundation. A neighbour- 
 ing building on the left, distinguished by its heavy projecting 
 cornices, was a residence of that branch of the Grimaldi which 
 maintained a separate government in Mentone, and afterwards 
 of the Grimaldi Princes of Monaco, when the rest of the family 
 ceded their rights : its chambers are now used as schools. . . . 
 Lower down the street, near the arch called " II Portico, " is 
 the ascent, by a handsome flight of broad steps, to the principal 
 churches of the town. At the top is a platform, overlooking 
 the bay and the red rocks, with the promontories of Ventimiglia 
 and Bordighera. On one side is the large and handsome parish 
 church of S. Michele, the interior of which was entirely 
 destroyed by the earthquake of 1887. The other church, 
 prettily covered with stucco work, is dedicated to La Santissima 
 Conceptione. Opposite S. Michele is the Hospital, attended 
 by sisters of charity. The gateway by the side of it, with a 
 flight of steps beneath, leads up to the cemetery on the hill 
 top, where amongst other graves we may find that of young 
 J. R. Green, the historian of the English people. On the 
 church steps, in the narrow street, "Sotto II Portico," and every- 
 where else in Mentone, you are saluted by the characteristic 
 cries of the donkey-drivers, and jostled by the donkeys them- 
 selves, which are the regular household servants of the place, 
 and are used to bring down the olives from the mountains, to 
 carry manure back instead, to tread in the wine-press, to work in 
 
MENTONE. 
 
 567 
 
 the mills, to bring fuel, to rock the little children in their gently- 
 swaying paniers, to supply milk for the babies, and so on, ad 
 infinitum, till at last they die of over-work, or old age, and are 
 eaten up in sausages. 
 
 STRADA LUNGA, MENTONE. 
 
 ' At the end ot the Rue Longue is the entrance to the Rue 
 Neuve, where, from a terraced garden on the right, Pope 
 Pius VII. blessed the people as he was returning to Rome, after 
 his long exile in France. An inscription opposite marks the 
 house of General Br6a, born here in 1720. On a house in 
 
568 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 the Rue S. Michel, an inscription marks the house of Carlo 
 Trenca, the wise and just president of the tiny Mentonese 
 republic during its first happy years of freedom.' ' A Winter at 
 Mentone.' 
 
 The high road, which runs along the shore of the eastern 
 bay, now fringed by villas, but with lovely glimpses of the 
 Berceau and Gran'Mondo on the N., soon reaches the 
 fine rocky promontory of the Rochers Rouges, near which, 
 at the hamlet of La Cuze, the royalist inhabitants of 
 Mentone formed a colony at the Revolution. Here they 
 were safe within the republic of Genoa, and yet within sight 
 of their old homes, after France had taken possession of 
 Mentone, and a brother of Robespierre had been sent there 
 ' to represent the people and guillotine the aristocrats.' 
 
 Up to this time the only road from Nice to Genoa 
 (still to be seen in places) was that which Mme. de Genlis 
 describes : 
 
 ' En sortant de Nice, cette route est parfaitement bien 
 nominee la Corniche ; c'est en effet presque toujours une vraie 
 Corniche ; en beaucoup d'endroits si etroite qu'une personne y 
 pent a peine passer.' 
 
 But, soon after his coronation, Napoleon I. ordered the 
 construction of a great military road from Nice to Genoa, 
 though it was only finished as far as Ventimiglia before his 
 fall cut short its completion. The finest point on this road 
 is where, 2 k. from Mentone, the Pont S. Louis crosses an 
 abyss between two rocks by a single arch of 22 metres 
 span, and 80 metres height. The situation, surrounded 
 by stupendous precipices, is very striking, with an old 
 aqueduct winding to the orange gardens below. The 
 
MENTONE. 
 
 569 
 
 Villa S. Louis, close to the bridge, has a garden of great 
 beauty. Below it, a rugged path winds round the Rochers 
 Rouges (Balzi Rossi) to a platform, whence there is a 
 
 PONT S. LOUIS, MENTONE. 
 
 splendid view of the town, and of the mountains, em- 
 bracing the distant coast of France, the Esterel and 
 Antibes, with Monaco, Mont Agel, Turbia, Mont Garillon, 
 Mont Baudon, S. Agnese, and the Berceau. In the 
 caverns of the rocks, much blasted away in making the 
 
570 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 railway, a number of flint weapons and bones of wild 
 animals have been discovered. 
 
 At the angle of the road, beyond the Pont S. Louis, 
 is the villa of Dr. Bennet, with a delightful garden, kindly 
 and frequently thrown open to the public. At the end of 
 the next promontory, on the r., is the entrance to the villa 
 of La Murtola (Mr. Hanbury), formerly called Palazzo 
 Orenga, from the noble Genoese family by whom it was 
 built. Its gardens, to which visitors are admitted by 
 order, 1 are more beautiful than anything out of the 
 Arabian Nights, exquisite alike in situation, in their 
 glorious sea and mountain views, and in the unrivalled 
 collection of plants which makes La Murtola the most 
 important private garden in Europe. 
 
 On the opposite side of the road is the village of 
 San Maura, or Murtola^ with a gaily-painted church tower, 
 which forms an attractive foreground to the sea view with 
 its rocky promontories. 
 
 Amongst the many excursions round Mentone, we may 
 mention, beginning from the W. : 
 
 i. The Cap S. Martin, 4^ k. Leaving Mentone by the Nice 
 road, and crossing the torrents Carrei and Borrigo, on the r. are 
 the chapel of La Madone, and the gardens which once belonged 
 to the Prince of Monaco, and which contain magnificent umbrella 
 pines. Just beyond was Carnoles, a villa of the Grimaldi 
 princes. A number of fragments of Roman masonry have been 
 found near this and built into a modern arch. Crossing the Ponte 
 del Unione, we turn to the 1. and reach, near the sea, a path 
 which was part of the old Cornice highway. A circular space in 
 the wood marks the site of ' the Aristocrats' Tree ' where the 
 old royalist society of Mentone used to meet, hewn down by 
 the republicans. The cape itself is a reef of jagged black rocks, 
 
 * On days certified in the Mentone hotels. 
 
CAP S. MARTIN, ROCCABRUNA. 571 
 
 overgrown with samphire, and washed from either side of the bay 
 by grand waves, which break upon their sharp edges, in mountains 
 of foam, with a roar like that of cannon. 
 
 ' The Cape S. Martin is the centre of the old principality, and 
 the whole of the tiny kingdom of the Grimaldi may be seen from 
 it, guarded in front by the sea and behind by the mountains. 
 But the view extends on either side, far beyond the limits of the 
 State : on the 1., Mentone is seen through the tall pines, its houses 
 rising terrace-like to the fine tower of its church ; beyond this is 
 Ventimiglia with its frontier castle on a projecting rock, while 
 the same mountain chain ends in the houses and church of 
 Bordighera, white against the deep blue sky. On the r. is 
 Turbia, with its Trophaea Augusti, throned high above the moun- 
 tains, and, beyond a succession of little sandy coves and coruba- 
 clad promontories, Monte Carlo, and the rock-built town of 
 Monaco, with its fine palace and hanging gardens nestling at the 
 foot of the great purple rock of the Tete du Chien. Behind, 
 above the cape itself, covered with pines or with olives, some of 
 which are declared to date from Roman times, rise the peaks of 
 Mont Carillon and Mont Baudon, and the castle of S. Agnese.' 
 ' A Winter at Mcntonc? 
 
 The greater part of the promontory is now enclosed. In the 
 centre of its beautiful woods is the ruined Content of S. Martin, 
 which gave it a name. When the Saracens were attacking 
 the Ligurian coast, the abbess of this convent made the people 
 of Roccabruna promise to come to the rescue of her nuns at first 
 sound of the convent bell. But on the next night, she could 
 not resist ringing the bell, and did so on three occasions, to test 
 their fidelity. The people of Roccabruna obeyed the summons, and 
 returned very much insulted, and ill-compensated by the blessing 
 of the abbess for the loss of their night's rest. On the fourth 
 time the bell rang, no one took any notice. At dawn the convent 
 was a smoking ruin, and the nuns all carried off by the Saracens. 
 
 2. Roccabruna, 5 k. Two ways lead hither. It is best to 
 follow the Nice road to the little town, the third city of the old 
 principality, originally a stronghold of the Lascaris, by whom it 
 was sold to Charles Grimaldi in 1353. The old town, with its 
 
572 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 palm-tree, castle, and huge yellow rocks, nestles in the purple 
 shadow of Mont Agel. Tradition tells that the whole slid down 
 from a much loftier position in the night, without the sleep of a 
 single inhabitant being disturbed. On the festival of Notre Dame 
 de la Neige, a very curious procession, dating from the middle- 
 ages, still takes place here, in which the Passion is represented 
 peasants gravely taking the parts of Pilate, Herod, SS. Veronica 
 and Mary Magdalene, etc. The return to Mentone should be 
 varied by taking the Vieille route, which branches off near the 
 church, a narrow mountain-path through olive-woods, which 
 re-enters the high-road near the Prince's gardens. 
 
 3. Turbia, 13 k. (see p. 560) and Peglione (see p. 544). Dante 
 alludes to the paths ' tra Lerici e Turbia ' as the ideals of 
 roughness and steepness on earth ; but, though the ascent becomes 
 steep beyond Roccabruna, the most excellent of high-roads now 
 follows the line by which the Via Aurelia passed through Liguria. 
 
 4. Gorbio, c. 6 k. The path turns off r. near the Prince's 
 gardens. The valley presents a series of pictures, in its little 
 chapels, with old chestnut trees overhanging them, and in its ruined 
 oil-mills and broken bridges. The village has the usual archways 
 and a half-ruined castle of the Lascaris, which still belongs to a 
 representative of the family, formerly sovereign counts of Ven- 
 timiglia. At the annual festa here the peasants have the custom 
 of presenting cockades to all visitors, expecting some trifling 
 gratuity in return. It is only at a festa of this kind that the 
 characteristics of the natives can be studied. 
 
 1 Voila le genie de la basse Provence, violent, Lruyant, barbare, 
 mais non sans grace. II faut voir ces danseurs infatigables 
 danser la moresque, les sonnettes aux genoux, ou executer a neuf, 
 a onze, a treize, la danse des e"pees, le bacchuber, comme disent 
 leurs voisins de Gap ; ou bien a Riez, jouer tous les ans la 
 bravade des Sarrasins. Pays de militaires des Agricola, des 
 Baux, des Crillon ; pays des marins intrepides ; c'est une rude 
 ecole que ce golfe de Lion. Citons le bailli de Saffren, et ce 
 enegat qui mourut capitan-pacha en 1706; nommous le mousse 
 Paul (il ne s'est jamais connu d'autre nom) ; ne sur mer d'une 
 
5. AGN&SE. 573 
 
 blanchisseuse, dans une barque battue par la tempete, il de- 
 vient amiral et donna sur son bord une fete a Louis XIV. ; mais 
 il ne me"connaisait pas pour cela ses vieux camarades, et voulut 
 etre enterre avec les pauvres auxquels il laissa tout son bien.' 
 Michelet. 
 
 A path connects Gorbio with Roccabruna, and another with 
 S. Agn6se. 
 
 5. 6". Agnese, 7 k. There are three paths hither. That 
 generally taken crosses the Borrigo torrent near the entrance of 
 the Cabruare valley, whence it begins an abrupt ascent, and, 
 fringed with cistus and myrtle, runs along a high ridge of hill, 
 directly towards the great mountain barrier jagged precipices of 
 grey rock, rising above the pine-clad slopes. Finally, the path 
 steepens into a staircase, beyond which the village of S. Agnese 
 comes suddenly in sight, behind great rocks. The village itself is 
 a single street of low brown ruinous houses, above which rises 
 a solitary campanile, whose spire, covered with bright red and 
 yellow tiles, is the only patch of colour in the landscape. Scarcely 
 a vestige of verdure enlivens the dead brown hills, while, behind, 
 rises a second range of mountains, still more dreary, lurid, and 
 barren. Wolves are occasionally seen here in winter. To those 
 who have come from the orange-groves of Mentone, it may seem 
 incredible that the temperature of S. Agnese is exactly the same 
 as that of Clarens and Montreux, the Italy of Switzerland, yet so 
 it is ; though even the church, in its dedication to ' Notre Dame 
 de la Neige,' bears witness to the character of the place as com- 
 pared with the surrounding villages. The ruined castle on the 
 rock was inhabited by the Saracenic chieftain Haroun, who, after 
 having been long the terror of the district, became a convert to 
 the Christian maiden Agnese, whom he had carried off. At the 
 little chapel of S. Agn6se, on the village festa, a golden apple is 
 offered to the clergy by the lord of the manor, who always appears 
 heading the procession in court dress. Till the Revolution, the 
 apple was stuffed with gold pieces, which were presented to the 
 charities of the place ; now it is a mere matter of form. The 
 procession consists chiefly of women, who kneel along the whole 
 length of the terrace, and chaunt the hymn of S. Agnes in the 
 
574 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 open air, with white handkerchiefs or veils upon their heads and 
 lighted candles in their hands. Visitors should return to Mentone 
 by the ridge and forest-chapel of 6*. Lucia, one of the most 
 beautiful spots in the district. 
 
 6. Peglia. This is a long excursion, and Mentone should be 
 left at 7 a.m. The path is available for donkeys the whole way. 
 
 If Peglione be visited on the same day, the excursion should be 
 deferred till spring. The path is the same as that of the last 
 excursion as far as S. Agnese, beyond this it turns to the 1. and 
 continues to wind in the same direction. 
 
 ' The scenery is wild and arid in the extreme, the desolate 
 hills covered with loose stones, and with scarcely a vestige of 
 vegetation to vary their dead brown, which melts into deep 
 purple in the more distant ranges, while above and beyond 
 snowy Alps rise ghost-like against the sky. '"-All is bleakest 
 
PEGLIA, CASTIGLIONE. 575 
 
 solitude till, after about two hours' walk, on turning a corner, 
 a magnificent view rewards us. In the distance is the sea, with 
 the further islands of Hyeres and the nearer of Cannes. Beyond 
 the jagged range* of Esterel, other capes and promontories, un- 
 seen from below, extend their pale forms across the distance ; 
 beneath, the mountains are broken into a hifndred deep chasms 
 and purple ravines, while the path to Peglia winds serpent-like 
 at the foot of gigantic precipices. A short distance beyond this, 
 on turning a corner by a ruined chapel, the town of Peglia itself 
 is seen, closed in by rugged rocks, its grim grey church standing 
 like a sentinel before the groups of brown houses sleeping in a 
 purple haze, backed by the sunlit sea. 
 
 1 The curious church is paved by the solid rock, and many of 
 its pillars are masses of rock cut in their own place into huge 
 square blocks. The gigantic font, formed from a single piece 
 of porphyry, and the primitive granite holy-water basons, are 
 curious. Part of the old palace of the Lascaris is now an Hotel 
 de Ville. One may return to Mentone by a steeper but much 
 shorter path, which descends upon Gorbio.' 
 
 7. The Annunziata, 3k. The path turns to the 1. from the 
 Sospello road, a little way out of the town. Seven station-chapels 
 rise in rich moulding colour amongst the wormwood and lavender 
 on the tufa rocks. The deserted monastery crowns the top of the 
 hill, haunted, say the natives, by its seven last monks, whose 
 lean faces are seen at night pressed against the grated windows. 
 Like all the other wayside chapels in the district, it is the burial- 
 place of some of the old families. 
 
 8. The Gourg dell' Ora and Castiglione. The new road to 
 Sospello admits of driving in this direction. The road follows 
 the pleasant valley between the hills of the Annunziata and 
 Castellare. On the 1. a mill of three storeys is that where the 
 hated Honorius V. of Monaco ground the bad flour, with which, 
 under pain of enormous fines, he forced his subjects to nourish 
 themselves. The road ascends, from oranges and lemons, to olives, 
 then to pines. Soon after passing (6 k.) the church of Monti, a 
 path diverges on the r. to Castellare, passing, at no great distance 
 from the road, the rocky ravine of Gourg delV Ora, where the 
 
576 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 torrent Aygue glides over the edge of the mountains in a long 
 feathery fall, and shivers down into a little emerald-green basin 
 of still water. 
 
 The mountain above the waterfall is pierced near its summit 
 by a natural tunnel, through which daylight appears. Near this 
 is the so-called Grotta del Eremito, a hermitage very difficult of 
 approach. The front is whitewashed, with a door, window, and 
 half-effaced inscription in red letters, bearing the date 1528. The 
 
 CASTIGLIONE. 
 
 cell, of irregular form, is about 20 ft. high and 30 ft. deep ; in the 
 rocky wall is cut ' Christo lo fece, Bernardo 1'abita.' 
 
 At 1 5 k. the road passes within twenty minutes' walk of the 
 hillock, between the Cima d'Ours and El Rasel (1,260 met.), upon 
 which rises the dismally curious town of Castiglione, much 
 destroyed by the earthquake of 1887. 
 
 ' Behind, all is a radiant Eden ; before us spreads for miles 
 a wilderness of bleak, arid, desolate precipices, without a tree 
 or a patch of verdure to cheer the eye, which wanders on to the 
 distant snows, over billow upon billow of stony acclivity, on which 
 
CASTIGLIONE. 577 
 
 not a human habitation is to be seen, except where Castiglione 
 rises grey and ghost-like from the mountain side. Even the town 
 itself is as unlike a town as possible no doors, no windows, no 
 gates, apparently no inhabitants, and no visible approach to it up 
 the precipitous rocks on which it is seated, so that we should 
 scarcely believe it to be a town at all, save for the pointed 
 campanile of its church, which overtops the other buildings. 
 The barren shadowless slopes of rock are exposed to the full 
 beams of the burning sun throughout the summer, while, all the 
 winter long, the frost-laden wind beats furiously upon them and 
 upon the unprotected town. It is not till you reach the foot of 
 the Castiglione rock that tiny windows show themselves like loop- 
 holes on the external walls for the better fortification of the place, 
 whilst all the larger windows look towards the street. Some of 
 the latter are mediaeval gothic, with a central pillar and sculptured 
 capital dividing them. A rock-hewn staircase, winding round the 
 steep, brings you to the narrow gateway, whence, when you stand 
 upon the little platform in front, you discover a little world of 
 mountain valleys beneath, each with a torrent curling and twisting 
 through its windings. 
 
 ' Most quaint of all the quaint towns in this wonderful distric 
 is Castiglione. Its steep streets twist so much that you can 
 never see more than three doors before you ; the approaches 
 to its dwellings are mere footings cut in the rock ; its storm- 
 beaten campanile rises from yellow and orange houses, each 
 with a painted image or ornamented roof-coping. And then the 
 inhabitants ! One would think all the old women in the Riviera 
 must have been collected and exiled hither, such multitudes 
 of ancient crones do you see, while not another living creature 
 is visible, except the cocks and hens which make the streets 
 one great poultry-yard, and which would seem to be the sole 
 nutriment of the crones, for what else, animal or vegetable, is 
 there for them to eat ? ' 'A Winter at Mentone? 
 
 The road, from the tunnel of the Col di Guardia, has no 
 further interest as far as (22 k.) Sospello. See p. 549. 
 
 9. Castellare, is accessible by carriage, taking the Rue de 
 Castellare, from the Avenue Victor Emmanuel, and following 
 
 37 
 
5?8 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 a winding road of great beauty ; but the rugged, stony footpath 
 which turns aside from the centre of the Mentone street has 
 even more picturesqueness. 
 
 ' As we enter the pine woods, the mountains develope new 
 beauties at every step, and most lovely is the view towards 
 evening, when the blue peaks of S. Agne~se, with its Saracenic 
 castle on their highest summit, are seen relieved by the red 
 stems of the old pine-trees, and the rich undergrowth of heath 
 and myrtle. The trees are full of linnets, which the natives 
 call " trenta-cinques," from the constant sound of their note, being 
 " trenta-cinque, trenta-cinque," and as the path is a highway to 
 the mountain olive-gardens, the air resounds with the cries of 
 the donkey drivers, " Ulla " (Allez) and "Isa" (for shame), re- 
 monstrances which the donkeys constantly require to induce 
 them to amble on with their heavy burdens of oil-casks or 
 loads of olives and wood, and, in addition to these, one or 
 two children often clinging on behind. All the peasants turn 
 round to salute those they meet, with a pleasant "bon jour," 
 and a kindly feeling towards strangers, contrasting favourably 
 with their reputation at the end of the last century, when the 
 inhabitants of Castellare were celebrated for their cruelty, and 
 the cupidity which led them to murder numbers of emigrants, 
 escaping into Sardinia during the French Revolution, by the 
 unfrequented paths of these desolate mountains. 
 
 ' Castellare is 1,350 ft. above the sea, and a conspicuous 
 object long before you reach it. The steep path ends near the 
 entrance to the central of its three dirty little streets. A coloured 
 campanile is perched upon a housetop near the entrance, and 
 several dingy chapels belonging to different confraternities, 
 remain with closed doors and grated windows, through which 
 you may descry decaying pictures, and the collection of tinselled 
 lanthorns and ragged banners, which are left to rust and moth 
 till the next annual festa of their patron saint, when they are 
 carried out in grand procession. The miniature piazza contained 
 an abode of the once famous family of Lascaris, which ruled 
 this, with almost every other mountain village in the neighbour- 
 hood. On one side is the principal church with its tall red 
 tower, and in the little valley below, are two old chapels 
 
GRIMALDL 579 
 
 dedicated to S. Antonio and S. Sebastiano, the latter a very 
 old romanesque building, with a circular apse. Turning off 
 by this chapel, another path may be taken in returning to 
 Mentone, which comes out above the cemetery. . . Castellare 
 has still many traces of the Spanish government, and " Usted " 
 your worship still takes here the place of " Signor " or 
 " Monsieur." ' 'A Winter at Mentone' 
 
 The mountain peaks of the Berceau and Gran' Mondo are 
 easily visited from Mentone in the day by way of Castellare, 
 to which point, and as far as the Saracenic fortress of Old 
 Castellare, donkeys may be taken. The ascent of the Gran' 
 Mondo is fatiguing. 
 
 'The view from the summit is magnificent; on the N., 
 across a gulf of green pines, is the glorious line of snowy peaks, 
 with their purple children beneath ; on the E., a ruin, probably 
 of a Saracenic stronghold, crowns a neighbouring crag, and below 
 is the stony bed of the Roya, winding away to Ventimiglia ; on 
 the W. are swelling blue mountains, amongst which rises the 
 castellated rock of S. Agnese ; and on the S., amid rolling clouds, 
 stands the Berceau, black in the afternoon shadow, and, above it, 
 the vast expanse of the Mediterranean, beyond the horizon of 
 which, if you stand watching towards sunset, one after another 
 of the snowy peaks of Corsica will slowly reveal themselves.' 
 'A Winter at Mentone' 
 
 10. Grimaldi and Ciotti. 
 
 ' Beyond the brown tower, which stands on the point above 
 the Rochers Rouges (and is now enclosed in the beautiful garden 
 of Dr. Bennet) a steep little path ascends to the village of Grimaldi, 
 whose broad, sunny terrace is as Italian a scene as any on the 
 Riviera, for it is crossed by a dark archway, and lined on one 
 side by bright houses, upon whose walls yellow gourds hang in 
 the sun, with a little church, painted pink and yellow, while the 
 other is overshadowed by old olive-trees, beneath which busy 
 peasants are always grouped around an old moss-grown bake- 
 house, and below which is seen the broad expanse of sea, here 
 deep blue, there gleaming silver-white in the hot sunshine, 
 
580 
 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 
 1 Above Grimaldi the path is much steeper, winding to Ciotti 
 Inferiore, then to Ciotti Superiore, a cluster of houses, whose 
 church stands further off, on the highest ridge of the mountain. 
 From behind the rock, at the back of the church, the sea-view is 
 splendid, embracing the whole coast, with its numerous bays, as 
 
 far as the Estrelles, the grand mountain barriers, with all the 
 orange-clad valleys running up into them ; and S. Agnese, rising 
 out of the mists, on its perpendicular cliff.' ' A Winter at 
 Mentone? 
 
 ii. Ventimiglia, Dolce acqua, and Bordighera, in Italy. 
 Beyond S. Mauro, is the gaily painted church of 5. Agostino. 
 
VENTIMIGLIA. 581 
 
 The village near this is called Latte, the land of milk, from the 
 richness of its soil. Hence we ascend to Ventimiglia once 
 Albium Intermelium, the capital of the Intermelii, and still the 
 chief fortress between Nice and Genoa, and the place where rail- 
 way travellers pass the Italian custom-house which crowns the 
 steep brown precipice with its white walls. It is entered by gates 
 and a drawbridge, closing the narrow pass of the rock. Within, 
 the town runs along a ledge in a picturesque outline of brightly 
 coloured towers, old houses, and deserted convents, while deep 
 down below lies a little port with fishing vessels and some curious 
 isolated rocks. The Cathedral, of which S. Barnabas is said 
 to have been the first bishop, stands on a terrace with a back- 
 ground of snowy mountains, and beside it is the palace of the 
 Lascaris who ruled Ventimiglia as counts in the middle-ages 
 with an open loggia and staircase. On a further crest of 
 the hill is the yellow-brown romanesque Church of S. Michele, 
 occupying the site of a temple of Castor and Pollux. From the 
 half dry bed of the river Roy a the Rituba of Pliny and Lucan 
 is a very striking view of the old town and mountains. 
 
 Passing through the Borgo di Ventimiglia, a road turns off 1. 
 at the bridge over the Nervia, by the very curious old town of 
 Campo Rosso and its romanesque church, to (12 k. from Mentone) 
 Dolce acqua, a most picturesque place, with a tall bridge of a 
 single arch over the Nervia, and a ruined palace-castle where the 
 Doria reigned as sovereign princes. 
 
 Bordighera (5 k. beyond Ventimiglia) is chiefly remarkable 
 for its palm-groves. For this and all further places along the 
 coast, see Cities of Northern Italy. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abries, 487 
 Acey, abbaye d', 272 
 Adrets, chateau des, 465 
 Agay, 516 
 Agouges, 151 
 Aignay-le-Duc, 57 
 Aiguebelle, 328 
 Aime, 328 
 
 Aisy-sous-Rougemont, 33 
 Aix (Bouches-du-Rhone), 499 
 
 -les-Bains, 307 
 
 -en-Othe, 17 
 Alais, 444 
 
 Albarine, chute d', 298 
 Albertville, 327 
 Albigny, chateau d', 109 
 Alesia, 36 
 Alise-S.-Reine, 36 
 Allanche, 244 
 Allevard, bains d', 466 
 Alluy, 141 
 
 Althen-les-Paluds, 375 
 Amberieu-en-Bugey, 305 
 Ambert, 154 
 Ambierle, 160 
 Ambronay, 305 
 Amplepuis, 162 
 Ampuls, 434 
 Ancy-le-Franc, 31 
 Andelat, 244 
 
 Andelot-en-Montagne, 279 
 Anduze, 445 
 Anjony, chateau d', 232 
 
 Anlezy, 172 
 Annecy, 311 
 
 lac d', 313 
 Annemasse, 299 
 Annonay, 434 
 Anost, 75 
 Anse, 1 08 
 Antibes, 531 
 
 Antraiques-sur-Volans, 440 
 Antre, lac d', 285 
 Aoste, 454 
 Appoigny, 164 
 Apponay, chartreuse d', 76 
 Aps, 439 
 Apt, 383 
 Arbois, 280 
 Arbresle, L', 163 
 Arc-et-Senans, 271 
 Arcs, Les, 515 
 Arcy-sur-Cure, 175 
 Ardes-sur-Couze, 239 
 Ardoise, L', 448 
 Argentiere, glacier d', 301 
 Arinthod, 284 
 Arlay, 284 
 Aries, 391 
 Arnay-le-Duc, 186 
 Arpenaz, cascade d', 300 
 Arrabloy, 133 
 Ars, 100 
 Arzembouy, 174 
 Asnan, 172 
 Asnois, 172 
 Aspremonte, 543 
 Aubagne, 509 
 
584 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Aubais, chateau d', 453 
 Aubenas, 439 
 Aubignas, 439 
 Aubijoux, chateau d', 244 
 Audelange, 272 
 Aulnat, 225 
 Aunay, 173 
 Aurec, 159 
 Auribeau, 5 2 
 Aurillac, 246 
 Aurouse, chateau d', 239 
 Autry-Issards, 150 
 Autun, 69 
 Auxerre, 164 
 Auxon, 26 
 Auxonne, 268 
 Avallon, 175 
 Avignon, 358 
 Azy-le-Vif, 146 
 
 B. 
 
 Bagnols-les-Bains, 267 
 -sur-Ceze, 447 
 
 Balazuc, 440 
 
 Balme, grotte de la, 310 
 -les-Messieurs, 282 
 
 Bandol, 509 
 
 Bar, Le, 534 
 
 Barbeaux, I 
 
 Barbegal, 406 
 
 Barbentane, 386 
 
 Barcelonnette, 494 
 
 Barre, La, 272 
 
 Barres, chateau des, 140 
 
 Bas, 159 
 
 Batie, chateau de la, 161 
 
 Baume, La-Sainte, 502 
 -les-Dames, 276 
 -de-Transit, 350 
 
 Baux, Les, 406 
 
 Bauzac, 159 
 
 Bayard, chateau de, 466 
 
 Bazoches, chateau de, 178 
 
 Beage, Le, 263 
 
 Beaucaire, 389 
 
 Beauchastel, 437 
 
 Beaujeu, 98 
 
 Beaulieu, 539, 550 
 Beaumont-la-Ferriere, 140 
 Beaune, 64 
 Beauregard, chateau de, 463 
 
 -1'Eveque, 225 
 Beauvoisin, 453 
 Beccoire, chateau de, 244 
 Bedarrides, 358 
 Bellecombe, abbaye de, 264 
 Bellegarde (Ain), 298 
 
 (Loiret), 131 
 
 Bellevaux, abbaye de, 173 
 Belleville, 98 
 Belley, 306 
 
 Benissons-Dieu, abbaye de, 161 
 Beon, 22 
 Berarde, La, 470 
 Berre, 422 
 
 etang de, 420 
 Bersaillin, chateau de, 282 
 Berulle, 16 
 Berze-le-Chatel, 84 
 Besan9on, 272 
 Bessamorel, 264 
 Bessat, 158 
 
 Besse-en-Chandesse, 237 
 Besseges, 442 
 Bezenet, 152 
 Billom, 225 
 Billy, chateau de, 153 
 Biot, 530 
 Bitry, 135 
 Blaisy-Bas, 44 
 Blanc, Le-Lac, 468 
 Bleneau, 169 
 Blesle, Orgues de, 239 
 Boen, 157 
 Boiscommun, 131 
 Bois-d'Oingt, 162 
 Boisy, chateau de, 160 
 Bollene-la-Croisiere, 349 
 Bonlieu, abbaye de, 157 
 
 lac de, 285 
 
 Bonneval, abbaye de, 243 
 Bonneville, 300 
 Bonnieux, 383 
 Bonny, 133 
 Bonpas, 385 
 Bonport, chateau de, 307 
 
INDEX. 
 
 585 
 
 Bonson, 158 
 
 Bordighera, 581 
 
 Bornalla, La, 315 
 
 Bort, 231 
 
 Bossons, glacier des, 301 
 
 Bouchet, abbaye de (Puy de 
 
 Dome), 233 
 Bouchet, abbaye de (Vaucluse), 
 
 350 
 
 Bouilly, 26 
 Boulbon, 386 
 Bourbilly, chateau de, 189 
 Bourbon-l'Archambault, 151 
 
 -Lancy, 97 
 Bourboule, La, 230 
 Bourg-Argental, 434 
 
 -en-Bresse, 290 
 
 -d'Oisans, 467 
 
 -S.-Andeol, 446 
 Bourget, lac de, 306, 308 
 Bourgoin, 454 
 
 Bournoncle, chateau de, 247 
 Bouvaret, Le, 304 
 Brageac, abbaye de, 231 
 Brand es, 468 
 Bredonnaz, 315 
 Bredons, 244 
 Brenets, lac des, 275 
 B re vent, Le, 301 
 Brezon, Le, 300 
 Briancon, 489 
 Briare, 133 
 Brides-les-Bains, 328 
 Brienon-l'Archeveque, 23 
 Briga, 550 
 Brignoles, 506 
 Brignoud, 465 
 Brillanne, La, 495 
 Brinay, chateau de, 173 
 Brinon-les-Allemands, 172 
 Brioude, 247 
 Broc, chateau de, 238 
 
 Le, 533 
 
 Brou, church of, 290 
 Brunoy, I 
 Bulcy, 137 
 Buoux, 384 
 
 Buron, chateau de, 233 
 Bussiere, chateau de la, 125 
 
 Bussy-Rabutin, chateau de, 40 
 Byans, 278 
 
 Cadenet, 385 
 Cadiere, 509 
 Cagnes, 531 
 Camaret, 355 
 Camargue, La, 415 
 Campo Rosso, 581 
 Candiac, chateau de, 453 
 Canillac, chateau de, 225 
 Cannes, 517 
 Cap Brun, 511 
 
 S. Martin, 570 
 
 Side, 510 
 
 Carnoules, 506, 514 
 Carpentras, 375 
 Carros, 533 
 Cassis, 509 
 Castelas, 355 
 Castellane, 495 
 Castellare, 577 
 Castiglione, 576 
 Cavaillon, 380 
 Ceilloux, 226 
 Celles-les-Bains, 437 
 Cendre, Le, 232 
 Cercy-la-Tour, 76 
 Cerdon, 297 
 Cere, pas de la, 245 
 Cervon, 173 
 Cessy-les-Bois, 140 
 Cezy, 20 
 
 Chabreloche, 156 
 Chabrillan, chateau de, 336 
 Chagn}', 68 
 Chaillexon, lac de, 275 
 Chailloy, chateau de, 140 
 Chailly, 60 
 Chaise-Dieu, La, 249 
 Chalais, couvent de, 455 
 Chalencon, 437 
 Chalin, lac de, 288 
 Challes, 318 
 
 Chalmazel, chateau de, 157 
 Chalons-sur-Sa6ne, 76 
 
5 86 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Chamalieres, 159 
 Chambertin, 60 
 Chambery, 316 
 Chambly, lacs de, 286 
 Chambon, lac, 230, 236 
 Chamonix, 300 
 Chamousset, 328 
 Champ, 478 
 Champagne, 435 
 Champagnole, 279 
 Champallement, 172 
 Champdieu, 157 
 Champeix, 234 
 Champigny, 8 
 Champlemy, 174 
 Champs-S.-Bris, 169 
 Champvoux, 138 
 Chanceaux, 57 
 Chanrousse, La, 464 
 Chanteuges, 265 
 Chaource, 28 
 Chapeau, Le, 301 
 Chaponost, 125 
 Chappes, 152 
 Charenton, I 
 Charite, La, 137 
 Charlieu, 98 
 Charmes, 437 
 Charmettes, Les, 318 
 Charnay-Condemine, 82 
 Charolles, 92 
 
 Chartreuse, la Grande, 323 
 Chasselay, 109 
 Chassiers, 442 
 Chastellux, 177 
 Chateau-d'Apchon, 231 
 
 -Chinon, 186 
 
 -Gaillard, chateau de, 
 185 
 
 -d'lf, 431 
 
 -Landon, 128 
 
 -Queyras, 487 
 
 -Renard, 1 8 
 Chateaubourg, 436 
 Chateauneuf (Loire), 98 
 (Var), 542 
 chateau de, 60 
 -Calcernier, 358 
 -Randon, 266 
 
 Chateauneuf-du-Rhone, 347 
 Chatel-Censoir, 170 
 
 -Gerard, 34 
 
 Chatillon-d'Azergues, 163 
 -en-Bazois, 141 
 -sur-Loing, 132 
 -sur-Loire, 133 
 Chaudenay, 69 
 Chaudesaigues, 243 
 Chauffailles, 99 
 Chaulgnes, 138 
 Chaumette, chateau de la, 243 
 Chaumont, chateau de, 92 
 Chavanay, 434 
 Chavenon, 152 
 Chazay-d'Azergues, 163 
 
 -Mareilly, 163 
 Cheiron, Le, 534 
 Chemilly, 164 
 Chenavari, 438 
 Chennevrieres, 132 
 Cheroy, 17 
 Chevignes, 83 
 Cheylas, Le, 466 
 Cimies, 539 
 Ciotat, La, 509 
 Ciotti, 580 
 
 Cisery, chateau de, 1 86 
 Citeaux, 61 
 Clairvaux, 285 
 Clamecy, 171 
 Claux, Les, 491 
 Clayette, La, 98 
 Clos-Vougeot, 60 
 Cluny, 84 
 
 Clus de Chabrieres, 495 
 Cluse de S. Auban, 530 
 Cluses, 300 
 Cluze, La, 296 
 Col de 1'Abondance, 303 
 
 Balme, 302 
 
 Bonhomme, 302 
 
 Brouis, 549 
 
 Fromage, 487 
 
 Larche, 494 
 
 Lautaret, 471 
 
 la Seigne, 302 
 des Cavales, 470 
 Fours, 302 
 
INDEX. 
 
 587 
 
 Col des Grandes - Escombailles, 
 467 
 
 du Mont-Genevre, 490 
 Coligny, 289 
 Colombiere, 277 
 Commentry, 152 
 Commissey, 28 
 Compaing, pas de, 245 
 Comps, 342 
 
 Condat-en-Feniers, 231 
 Con d iliac, 340 
 Condrieu, 434 
 Contamines, 302 
 
 -sur-Arve, 299 
 Corbeil, 192 
 Corbigny, 173 
 Cordes, rock of, 406 
 Cornillon, chateau de, 305 
 Corps, 481 
 Cortrat, 132 
 
 Corvol-d'Embernard, 174 
 Cosne, 135 
 Cote d'Or, 60 
 
 -S. -Andre, La, 456 
 Couches-les-Mines, 74 
 Coudes, 233 
 Couhard, 73 
 
 Coulange-sur-Yonne, 170 
 -la-Vineuse, 170 
 Coulmier-le-Sec, 36 
 Couloutre, 140 
 Cour d'Arcenay, La, 190 
 Notre Dame, La, 8 
 Courgenay, 1 6 
 Courmes, 534 
 Cournon, 232 
 Courpiere, 226 
 Coursegoules, 534 
 Courson, 140 
 Courtenay, 18 
 Courthezon, 358 
 Cousance, 289 
 Couz, cascade de, 319 
 Couzan, chateau de, 157 
 Couzon, 109 
 Crau, La, 419 
 Cravant, 170 
 Crechy, 153 
 Creponne, 158 
 
 Cressia, 289 
 
 Crest, 339 
 
 Creteuil, 69 
 
 Creusot, Le, 75 
 
 Crolles, 465 
 
 Cropieres, chateau de, 245 
 
 Crozet, 1 60 
 
 Cruas, 438 
 
 Crussol, chateau de, 436 
 
 Cuers, 514 
 
 Cuiseaux, 289 
 
 Cuisery, 81 
 
 Culhat, 226 
 
 Culoz, 306 
 
 Cussy-la-Colonne, 69 
 
 D. 
 
 Darcey, 42 
 
 Decize, 76 
 
 Desaignes, 435 
 
 Die, 340 
 
 Dieulefit, 342 
 
 Digne, 493 
 
 Digogne, chateau de, 175 
 
 Digoin, 97 
 
 Diguieres,. chateau de, 481 
 
 Dijon, 44 
 
 Dilo, abbaye de, 16 
 
 Dions, 445 
 
 Dolce acqua, 581 
 
 Dole, 270 
 
 Domene, 465 
 
 Dompierre-sur-Bebre, 97 
 
 Donzere, 348 
 
 Doubs, le saut du, 276 
 
 Douchy, 22 
 
 Douzy, 139 
 
 Doyet-la-Presle, 152 
 
 Draguignan, 515 
 
 Drugeac, 232 
 
 Druyes-les-Belles-Fontaines, 140 
 
 Dunieres, chateaux de, 264 
 
 Durbon, chartreuse de, 480 
 
 Echarlis, abbaye d', 22 
 
588 INDEX. 
 
 Echauda, lac de 1', 419 
 Embrun, 485 
 Enfer, gour d', 243 
 Engins, les Fortes d', 462 
 Entraigues, 375 
 Entrains, 140 
 pinac, 69 
 Epinouze, 456 
 
 piry, 173 
 Espalion, 243 
 Espaly, 258 
 Estissac, 17 
 
 Etiolles, chateau d', 192 
 Eury-sur-Seine, 192 
 Euzet, 443 
 Evian-les-Bains, 303 
 Eygurande, 232 
 Eza, 551 
 
 F. 
 
 Falicon, 541 
 
 Fanjau. chateau de, 442 
 
 Faron, Le, 512 
 
 Fays, chateau du, 20 
 
 Fenestrelles, 490 
 
 Feniers, abbaye de, 231, 244 
 
 Fenoyl, chateau de, 162 
 
 Ferney-Voltaire, 279 
 
 Ferrieres (Loiret), 128 
 
 Ferte-Hauterive, La, 152 
 
 Feurs, 161 
 
 Fier, abimes de, 311 
 
 Flavigny, 42 
 
 Flegere, La, 301 
 
 Fleurigny, 15 
 
 Florian, chateau de, 453 
 
 Flumen, cascade du, 288 
 
 Fontainebleau, 2 
 
 Fontaine-les-Dijon, 54 
 
 -Jean, abbaye de, 132 
 Fontenay, abbaye de, 34 
 Fontvieille, 406 
 Forcalquier, 495 
 Fort Barraux, 327 
 Fos, 420 
 Foucheres, 17 
 
 Fourchambault, 141 
 
 Fourolles, chateau de, 22 
 
 Fours, 76 
 
 Freinet, la Garde, 514 
 
 Frejus, 515 
 
 Fresnay-Reugny, chateau de, 172 
 
 Fresney, La, 470 
 
 Fngolet, abbaye de, 386 
 
 Froment, chateau de, 191 
 
 Frugieres-le-Pin, 252 
 
 Fumades, Les, 442 
 
 Furon, gorge du, 462 
 
 G. 
 
 Gadagne, 378 
 Ganagobie, 495 
 Ganges, 453 
 Gap, 480 
 Garchizy, 141 
 Garchy, 139 
 Gardanne, 501 
 Garde, La, 512 
 
 -Adhemar, 348 
 
 -Guerin, chateau de, 267 
 Garabit, pont de, 243 
 Gatinais, Le, 131 
 Gayette, chateau de, 153 
 Gemenos, 509 
 Geoire, 455 
 
 Gerbier des Jones, Le, 263 
 Germigny 1'Exempt, 146 
 Germolles, chateau de, 77 
 Gevingey, 288 
 Gevrey-Chambertin, 60 
 Giandola, 550 
 Gien, 132 
 Gieres, 464 
 Gilly-sur-Loire, 97 
 Giry, 174 
 Glanum, 390 
 Golfe-Juan, 530 
 Goncelin, 466 
 Gorbio, 572 
 Gordes, 382 
 
 Goulets, Grands et Petits, 474 
 Gourg dell' Ora, 575 
 Grambois, 385 
 
INDEX. 
 
 589 
 
 Grancy-le-Chateau, 57 
 Grand'Combe, 267 
 
 -Perron, chateau de, 125 
 
 -Serre, 335 
 
 Grange, chateau de la, 136 
 Granges, chateau des, 140 
 Gran' Mondo, ascent, 579 
 Grasse, 527 
 Grave, La, 471 
 Gravcson, 386 
 Grenoble, 457 
 Gresy, 311 
 Grignan, 342 
 Grigny, chateau de, 159 
 Grimaldi, 579 
 Grimaud, chateau de, 514 
 Guerche-sur-rAubois, 146 
 Guerigny, 174 
 Guillestre, 487 
 Guillon, 1 86 
 Gujans, 270 
 Gumery, 16 
 Gy-l'-Eveque, 140 
 
 H. 
 
 Hautecombe, abbaye de, 309 
 
 Hericourt, 278 
 
 Herisson, cascade de 1', 286 
 
 Herment, 228 
 
 Hyeres, 512 
 
 I. 
 
 fie Barbe, 109 
 Is-sur-Tille, 57 
 Isle, L', 378 
 
 -sur-le-Serein, 28 
 Issarles, lac d', 263 
 Issoire, 237 
 Issomes, 58 
 Izeaux, 456 
 Izernore, 285 
 
 Jailly, 172 
 
 Jales, chateau dc, 442 
 
 Jardin, Le, 301 
 
 Jausiers, 494 
 
 Joigny, 20 
 
 Jonac, 437 
 
 Joncheres, 266 
 
 Jouhe, 270 
 
 Joux, chateau de, 280 
 
 Joyeuse, 442 
 
 Junay, chateau de, 26 
 
 Ladon, 131 
 Laghetto, 561 
 Laignes, 33 
 Lailly, 1 6 
 Lambesc, 386 
 Langeac, 265 
 Lans, 462 
 Lapalud, 349 
 Larchant, 127 
 Largentiere, 442 
 Laumes, Les, 36 
 Launay, chateau de, 22 
 Laval, chateau de, 497 
 Lavans, 272 
 Lavau, 133 
 Lavaudieu, 252 
 Lavoulte, 437 
 Lempdes, 239 
 Lerins, lies des, 521 
 Lestoing, chateau de, 239 
 Levens, 542 
 Lezan, 445 
 Liernais, 1 86 
 Ligny-le-Chatel, 25 
 Lion, etang de, 422 
 Lioran, Le, 244 
 Li vet, 467 
 Livron, 339 
 Lons-le-Saunier, 284 
 Lorris, 131 
 Louhans, 77 
 Lovagny, 311 
 Lozanne, 163 
 Luc, Le, 514 
 Lucenay-l'Eveque, 74 
 
590 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Luceram, 544 
 Lurcy-le-Bourg, 140 
 Lurs, 495 
 
 Lus-de-la-Croix-Haute, 480 
 Luzy, 76 
 Lyon, 109 
 
 M. 
 
 Macon, 81 
 Maiche, 277 
 Maillanne, 386 
 Mailly-le-Chateau, 170 
 
 -la-Ville, 170 
 Maison-Dieu, La, 185 
 
 -Fort, chateau de la, 135 
 Malain, chateau de, 44 
 Malaucene, 347 
 Maligny, 25 
 Mandeure, 277 
 Manglieu, 238 
 Manosque, 495 
 Marais, chateau du, 145 
 Marcigny-sur-Loire, 161 
 Marcilloles, 456 
 Margeride, foret du, 265 
 Marguerittes, 449 
 Marigny-le-Cahouet, 190 
 Marlioz, 307 
 Marnans, 456 
 Marols, 158 
 Mars, 146 
 Marseilles, 423 
 Martigues, 421 
 Martres-de-Veyre, Les, 233 
 Marzy, 145 
 
 Mas de Riviere, Le, 442 
 Massiac, 239 
 Masvres, 76 
 Mathenay, 271 
 Maubec, 382 
 
 chateau de, 454 
 Maubourg, chateau de, 159 
 Maulny-le-Repos, 16 
 Maures, Les, 514 
 Mauriac, 231 
 Mauves, 435 
 Mauzun, chateau de, 226 
 
 Mazan, 377 
 
 Meauce, chateau de, 146 
 
 Mees, Les, 495 
 
 Meije, Le, 468, 471 
 
 Meillerie, 304 
 
 Meillers, 152 
 
 Melas, 439 
 
 Melin, 60 
 
 Melun, I 
 
 Menetru-en-Joux, 286 
 
 Menthon, 314 
 
 Mentone, 563 
 
 Mercoeur, chateau de, 239 
 
 Mercoire, abbaye de, 266 
 
 Messigny, 57 
 
 Meximieux, 305 
 
 Meyriat, chartreuse de, 297 
 
 Mezenc, Le, 262 
 
 Mezilles, 134 
 
 Mieges, 280 
 
 Milly, 83 
 
 Miramas, 420 
 
 Modane, 329 
 
 Moirans, 455 
 
 Molay, chateau de, 76 
 
 M6le ; Le, 300 
 
 Mollans, 358 
 
 Molompize, 239 
 
 Monaco, 551 
 
 Monastier, Le, 262 
 
 Monceaux-le-Comte, 173 
 
 Monetier, 491 
 
 Monetier-de-Briancon, 471 
 
 Monistrol-d'Allier, 266 
 
 -sur-Loire, 159 
 Mont-Aiguille, 479 
 
 -Auxois, 36, 40 
 
 -Bayard, 286 
 
 -Beuvray, 74 
 
 -Blanc, 302 
 
 -Cenis, 329 
 
 -Chauve, 541, 544 
 
 -Chiniac, 435 
 
 -Cornadore, 235 
 
 -Dauphin, 486 
 
 -Dore-les-Bains, 228 
 
 -Eynard, 478 
 
 -Garlaban, 508 
 
 -Gerbizon, 159 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Mont-Lozere, 267 
 
 -Parmelan, 315 
 
 -Pelvoux, 488, 491 
 
 -Pilat, 158, 434 
 
 -Rivel, 279 
 
 -Roland, 270 
 
 -S.-Jean, 60 
 
 -Ventoux, 372 
 Montagney, 272 
 Montaigu, 284 
 Montargis, 128 
 Montbard, 34 
 Montbeliard, 276 
 Montbenoit, 277 
 Montbouy, 132 
 Montbrison, 157 
 Montbrun, 378 
 Montceaux, chateau de, 83 
 Montcelet, chateau de, 239 
 Montchanin, 75 
 Montcresson, 132 
 Montculot, chateau de, 59 
 Monte-Carlo, 559 
 Montelimar, 340 
 Montelon, 33 
 Montenvers, Le, 300 
 Montereau-Fault-Yonne, 6 
 Montet, 152 
 Monteux, 375 
 Montfaucon, 264 
 Montfavet, 378 
 Montfort, chateau de, 185 
 Montgilbert, chateau de, 154 
 Monthelon, 74 
 Montjeu, chateau de, 74 
 Montluel, chateau de, 305 
 Montmajour, 403 
 Montmelian, 327, 466 
 Montpeyroux, tour de, 233 
 Montreal, 33 
 
 Montrieux, chartreuse de, 512 
 Montrond, 282 
 Montsaugeon, 59 
 Montvallat, chateau de, 243 
 Moras, 456 
 Moret, 4 
 Mormoiron, 377 
 Mornas, 351 
 Morteau, 275, 277 
 
 Morvan, Le, 74 
 
 Motte, chateau de la, 18 
 lac de la, 286 
 -les-Bains, La, 464, 478 
 -Josserand, chateau de, 140 
 -Tilly, chateau de, 16 
 
 Mouans, 527 
 
 Mouchard, 278 
 
 Moulins, 147 
 
 -Engilbert, 74, 173 
 
 Moussages, 231 
 
 Mouthier, 275 
 
 Murat, 244 
 
 chateau de, 152 
 
 Murch, chateau de, 245 
 
 Murlin, 140 
 
 Murols, chateau de, 235 
 
 Murtola, 570 
 
 Myennes, 134 
 
 N. 
 
 Nantua, 297 
 
 Napoule, 520 
 
 Narcy, 139 
 
 Nemours, 126 
 
 Ners, 445 
 
 Neuilly, 172 
 
 Neuville, 109 
 
 -les-Decize, 146 
 
 Neuvy-sur-Loire, 134 
 
 Nevers, 141 
 
 Neyrac-les-Bains, 440 
 
 Nice, 535 
 
 Nimes, 449 
 
 Nogent-sur-Vernisson, 132 
 
 Noiretable, 156 
 
 Nolay, 69 
 
 Norante, 495 
 
 Notre Dame des Anges, 495 
 de Clavas, 265 
 Laus, 481 
 Remonot, 277 
 
 Noves, 385 
 
 Noyant, 152 
 
 Noyers, 28 
 
 Nozeroy, 279 
 
 Nozieres, 445 
 
592 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Nuits, 60 
 
 -sous-Ravieres, 32 
 Nyons, 347 
 
 O. 
 
 Oisans, massif d', 467 
 Olliergues, 154 
 Ollioules, 509 
 Oppede, chateau de, 382 
 Orange, 351 
 Orchamps, 272 
 Orgelet, 285 
 Orgon, 384 
 Ornans, 275 
 
 Osselle, les grottes d', 278 
 Oullins, 125 
 
 Ouzouer-sous-Bellegarde, 131 
 -sur-Treze, 169 
 
 P. 
 
 Pacaudiere, La, 1 60 
 Pagny-le-Chateau, 64 
 
 -la-Ville, 64 
 
 PaTolive, le Bois de, 442 
 Paladru, lac de, 455 
 Palisse, La, 160 
 Pampelonne, chateau de, 438 
 Paray-le-Monial, 93 
 Paris-l'Hopital, 69 
 Paron, 1 8 
 
 Pas-des-Lanciers, 422 
 Paulhac, chateau de, 247 
 Pauline, La, 512 
 Pavin, lac, 237 
 Peage-de-Roussillon, 335 
 Peaugres, 434 
 Pebrac, 265 
 Peglia, 574 
 Peglione, 546 
 Pelussin, 433, 434 
 Pelvoux, massif du, 467 
 Penol, 456 
 Peone, 548 
 
 Perignat-es-Allier, 232 
 Pernes, 377 
 
 Perroy, 140 
 
 Pertuis, 385, 499 
 
 Pertuiset, Le, 159 
 
 Petit-Bourg, chateau de, 192 
 
 Peyruis, 495 
 
 Peyrusse, chateau de, 240 
 
 Pierre, 76 
 
 chateau de, 98 
 
 -Gourde, chateau de, 437 
 
 -Perthuis, 178 
 Pierreclos, 83 
 Pierrelatte, 348 
 Pierrepont, 240 
 Pin, chateau du, 284 
 Piolenc, 351 
 Plan, 456 
 Plauzat, 233 
 Plessis-Gateble, 15 
 Plomb du Cantal, 244 
 Polignac, 260 
 Poligny, 280 
 Pomergue, He de, 431 
 Pomme, La, 508 
 Pont d'Ain, 305 
 
 de 1'Arc, Le, 441 
 
 d' Avignon, 449 
 
 de Beauvoisin, 454 
 
 de Claix, 461 
 
 du Chateau, 225 
 -a-Dieu, Le. 528 
 
 de Dore, 154 
 
 du Card, 374, 444 
 
 de Lignon, 159 
 
 du Navoy, 288 
 
 de Pany, 190 
 
 Pelissier, 300 
 
 de Roide, 277 
 -en-Royans, 463, 473 
 -S.-Esprit, 447 
 -sur-Vanne, 1 6 
 -sur-Yonne, 8 
 Pontarlier, 280 
 Pontaubert, 178 
 Pontcharra, 466 
 Pontgibaud, 227 
 Pontigny, abbaye de, 23 
 Porquerolles, iles de, 513 
 Port-de-Bouc, 421 
 -Dieu, Le, 232 
 
INDEX. 
 
 593 
 
 Port-S.-Marie, chartreuse de, 228 
 Pougues, 141 
 Pouillenay, 190 
 Pouilly-sous-Charlieu, 161 
 -sur-Loire, 137 
 -en-Montagne, 60 
 Pourrain, 134 
 Pouzin, Le, 438 
 Prades, 440 
 Premery, 174 
 Presilly, chateau de, 285 
 Prevencheres, 266 
 Prisse, 83 
 Privas, 437 
 Puget-Theniers, 548 
 Puy, Le, 252 
 
 de la Banniere, 227 
 
 Griou, 245 
 
 Mary, 245 
 
 de Montchal, 237 
 
 de Montconcel, 156 
 
 de Monton, 233 
 
 de Sancy, 228 
 
 de Valori, 386 
 Puylaurent, 266 
 
 Quarre-les-Tombes, 1 78 
 Quincy, abbaye de, 28 
 Quissac, 453 
 
 R. 
 
 Ragny, chateau de, 187 
 Ranchot, 272 
 Ranz-du-Buis, chaise de, 
 Ratilly, chateau de, 135 
 Ratonneau, ile de, 432 
 Raulhac, 245 
 
 Reconfort, abbaye de, 173 
 Regny, 162 
 Reillanne, 384 
 Remoulins, 449 
 Rhone, perte du, 298 
 Ricey, 28 
 
 Riez, 496 
 
 Rigny-le-Ferron, 16 
 
 Rimplas, 548 
 
 Riom-es-Montagnes, 231 
 
 Riotord, 264 
 
 Ripaille, chartreuse de, 303 
 
 Ris-Chateldon, 154 
 -Orangis, 191 
 
 Rives, 455 
 
 Roanne, 161 
 
 Robiac, 442 
 
 Roccabruna, 563, 571 
 
 Roche, La (Haute-Savoie), 316 
 
 (Yonne), 22 
 -en-Brenil, La, 185 
 -Lambert, chateau de la,263 
 -Millay, chateau de la, 76 
 -en-Regnier,chateaude, 160 
 
 Rochebaron, chateau de, 159 
 
 Rochechinard, chateau de, 475 
 
 Rochefort, 272 
 
 Rochemaure, 438 
 
 Rochepot, chateau de la, 68 
 
 Rochetaillee (Loire), 158 
 (Rhone), 109 
 
 Roffiac, 244 
 
 Rognac, 422 
 
 Romans, 475 
 
 Roquefavour, 422 
 
 Roquemaure, 448 
 
 Rougemont, 33 
 
 Rousses, les Grandes, 467 
 
 Roussillon, chateau de, 335 
 
 Rouy, 172 
 
 Royat. 226 
 
 Rumilly, 311 
 
 Ruoms, 440 
 
 S. 
 
 Saignon, 384 
 Saillans, 340 
 Sail-les-Bains, 160 
 
 -sous-Couzan, 157 
 Saincaize, 146 
 Sainpuits, 140 
 S. Agnes, 288 
 S. Agnese, 573 
 
594 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 S. Agreve, 435 
 
 S. Amand-en-Puisaye, 135 
 
 S. Amant-Tallende, 233 
 
 S. Ambreuil, 78 
 
 S. Ambroix, 442 
 
 S. Amour, 289 
 
 S. Anastasie, 244 
 
 S. Andiol, 386 
 
 S. Andre (Alpes-Maritimes), 540 
 
 -d'Apehon, 160 
 
 -a-Gaz, 306 
 
 -le-Gua, 454 
 
 -en-Terre-Plaine, 185 
 S. Antoine, 506 
 
 abbaye de, 472 
 S. Arnoux, 529 
 S. Auban, 493 
 
 S. Aubin-Chateauneuf, 22, 134 
 S. Barthelemy, 540 
 S. Baume, grotte de la, 517 
 S. Benoit, 17 
 S. Bonnet (Card), 449 
 -Beaubery, 92 
 -le-Chateau, 158 
 -de-Jeux, 92 
 S. Bris, 169 
 
 S. Broingt-les-Roches, 57 
 S. Cannat, 386 
 S. Cassien, 519 
 S. Cecile-la-Valouse, 88 
 S. Cernin, 232 
 S. Cesaire, 528 
 S. Chamas, 421 
 S. Christophe-en-Oisans, 469 
 S. Claude, 286 
 S. Clement, 14 
 S. Colombe (Vaucluse), 433 
 
 abbaye de, 13 
 S. Cyr, 509 
 
 -au-Mont-d'Or, 109 
 S. Dalmazzo-di-Tenda, 550 
 S. Desert, 77 
 S. Didier, 159 
 S. Donat, 336 
 
 S. Egreve, 455 
 S. Emiland, 74 
 S. Etienne (Loire), 158 
 
 chateau de, 246 
 
 S. Etienne-de-S.-Geoirs, 456 
 -des-Orgues, 377 
 S. Fargeau, chateau de, 133 
 S. Florentin, 23 
 S. Flour, 240 
 S. Foy-1'Argentiere, 162 
 S. Galmier, 161 
 S. Genies-Montfaucon, 448 
 S. Genis-Laval, 125 
 S. George-de-Commiers, 478 
 S. Georges-es-Allier, 233 
 -d'Aurac, 252 
 S. Gerand-de-Vaux, 152 
 S. Germain-l'Espinasse, 160 
 -d'Herm, 238 
 -Lembron, 239 
 S. Gervais, bains de, 300 
 S. Gilles, 412 
 S. Gingolph, 304 
 S. Haon-le-Chatel, 160 
 S. Helene-du-Lac, 466 
 S. Hilaire-du-Rosier, 474 
 S. Hippolyte, 277 
 
 -du-Fort, 453 
 S. Honorat, ile de, 522 
 S. Honore-les-Bains, 173 
 S. Hospice, 539 
 S. Hostien, 264 
 
 S. Jean-des-Bons-Hommes, 185 
 -le-Centenier, 439 
 -du-Gard, 445 
 -de-Maurienne, 328 
 -Soleymieux, 158 
 S. Jeannet, 533 
 S. Julien-en-Beauchene, 480 
 -de-Cassagnas, 442 
 -du-Sault, 20 
 S. Laurent (Nievre), 136 
 -le-Minier, 453 
 -du-Pape, 437 
 -du-Pont, 320 
 S. Leger-sous-Beuvray, 74 
 -sur-Dheune, 75 
 -Sully, 69 
 
 S. Loup-de-la-Salle, 69 
 S. Lupicin, 285 
 S. Lupien, 17 
 S. Magnance, 185 
 S. Marcellin, 472 
 
INDEX. 
 
 595 
 
 S. Marguerite, ile de, 521 
 
 abbaye de, 68 
 
 S. Maries-de-la-Camargue, 415 
 
 S. Marthe-Tour-Sainte, 507 
 
 S. Martin (1'Ardeche), 447 
 -de-Br6mes, 497 
 -de-la-Cluze, 479 
 -d'Estreaux, 1 60 
 -Lantosque, 548 
 -Lestra, 162 
 -d'Ordon, 20 
 -de-Queyrieres, 489 
 -Valmeroux, 232 
 
 S. Mary-le-Cros, 240 
 
 S. Maurice-sur-Aveyron, 132 
 -sur-Fessard, 131 
 -en-Trieves, 480 
 
 S. Maximin, 501 
 
 S. Menet, 508 
 
 S. Menoux, 150 
 
 S. Michel, 329 
 
 -de-Conex, 478 
 
 S. Nazaire-en-Royans, 474 
 
 S. Nectaire, 234 
 
 S. Pallaye, 170 
 
 S. Parize-le-Chatel, 146 
 
 S. Paul-le-Jeune, 442 
 
 -Trois-Chateaux, 348 
 
 S. Paulien, 263 
 
 S. Peray, 436 
 
 S. Pere-de-Vezelay, 179 
 
 S. Pierre-d'Albigny, 327 
 -d'Allevard, 466 
 -le-Moutier, 146 
 
 S. Phal, chateau de, 22 
 
 S. Point, 88, 98 
 
 S. Pol, 534 
 
 S. Pons, abbaye de, 539 
 
 S. Pourcain, 153 
 
 S. Quentin, 454 
 
 S. Rambert, 305, 456 
 
 S. Raphael, 516 
 
 S. Remy, 390 
 
 S. Restitut, 349 
 
 S. Remain (Alpes-Maritimes), 543 
 -le-Puy, 158 
 -la-Roche, 285 
 
 S. Saturnin, 233 
 
 S. Saulge, 172 
 
 S. Sauves-Laqueuille, 228 
 
 S. Sauveur-en-Puisaye, 135 
 
 S. Seine-1' Abbaye, 56 
 
 S. Symphorien-sur-Coise, 162 
 -en-Lay, 162 
 
 S. Thibault, 190 
 
 S. Tropez, 514 
 
 S. Vaterien, 17 
 
 S. Vallier, 336 
 
 -de-Thyeis, 528 
 
 S. Venin, tour de, 463 
 
 S. Verain, 135 
 
 S. Victor, 162 
 
 Sainte-Baume, La, 502 
 
 Salers, 232 
 
 Salette, La, 482 
 
 chateau de la, 310 
 
 Saleve, La, 299 
 
 Salindres, 444 
 
 Salins, 278 
 
 Salic, La, 453 
 
 chateau de la, 131 
 
 Salmaise, chateau de, 43 
 
 Salon, 420 
 
 Sancerre, 135 
 
 Sassenage, 461 
 
 Saugues, 266 
 
 Saulieu, 185 
 
 Sault, 377 
 
 Saumare, 378 
 
 Saut de Loup, 529 
 de la Saule, 231 
 
 Sautadet, cascade du, 447 
 
 Sauve, 453 
 
 Sauvetat, La, 233 
 
 Sauviat, 226 
 
 Sauvigny-le-Bois, 28, 185 
 
 Sauxillanges, 238 
 
 Savigny, abbaye de, 125 
 -sous-Beaune, 68 
 -en-Septaine, 146 
 -en-Ter re-Pi aine, 1 86 
 
 Seauve, Le, 159 
 
 Sechilienne, 467 
 
 Seignelay, 164 
 
 Seine, source of the, 57 
 
 Semur, 187 
 
 -en-Brionnais, 161 
 
 Senan, 22 
 
596 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Senanque, abbaye de, 383 
 
 Senez, 495 
 
 Sennevoy, 33 
 
 Sens, 9 
 
 Sept-Fonts, abbaye de, 97 
 
 Serbonnes, 8 
 
 Sergines, 8 
 
 Serignan, 355 
 
 Sermizelles, 175 
 
 Serraz, chateau de la, 316 
 
 Serres, 491 
 
 Serrieres, 434 
 
 Seurre, 64 
 
 Seyne, La, 510 
 
 -des-Alpes, 494 
 Silvacane, abbaye de, 385 
 Silve-Benite, chartreuse de, 455 
 Sisteron, 491 
 Six-Fours, 510 
 Sixt, 299 
 Sognes, 15 
 Sollies- Ville, 514 
 Solterres, 132 
 Solutre, 82 
 Som, Le Grand, 327 
 Sorgues, 358 
 Sospello, 549 
 Soucy, 15 
 Souppes, 127 
 Souvigny, 149 
 Soyons, 437 
 Subligny, 18 
 Suilly-la-Tour, 140 
 Sully, chateau de, 69 
 Surgy, 171 
 Sury-le-Comtal, 158 
 Suze-la-Rousse, 350 
 
 T. 
 
 Taillades, 382 
 Tain, 336 
 
 Tallard, chateau de, 486 
 Talloires, 314 
 Tamnay, 141 
 Tanlay, 28 
 Tannay, 172 
 Tannerre, 169 
 
 Tarare, 162 
 
 Tarascon, 386 
 
 Taulignan, 342 
 
 Tauves, 231 
 
 Tavaux, 76 
 
 Teil, Le, 438 
 
 Tencin, 466 
 
 Tenda, 550 
 
 Ternes, Les, 243 
 
 Tete-Noire, La, 302 
 
 Theil, 1 6 
 
 Theoule, 520 
 
 Thianges, 172 
 
 Thiers, 154 
 
 Thiezac, 245 
 
 Thil, chateau de, 190 
 
 Thizy, 162 
 
 Thoisy-la-Berchere, 60 
 
 Thonon, 302 
 
 Thor, Le, 378 
 
 Thorens, 315 
 
 Thorigny, 15 
 
 Thoronet, abbaye de, 514 
 
 Thueyts, 440 
 
 Til-Chatel, 57 
 
 Tonnerre, 26 
 
 Tortebesse, 228 
 
 Toucy, 134 
 
 Toulon, 510 
 
 Tour-d'Auvergne, La, 233 
 
 -du-Pin, La, 454 
 Tourette, 541 
 Tournel, chateau du, 267 
 Tournoel, chateau de, 227 
 Tournon, 435 
 Tournus, 78 
 Tourves, 506 
 Tracy, chateau de, 137 
 Trainel, 1 6 
 Tramayes, 83, 98 
 Treigny, 135 
 Trets, 501 
 Trevoux, 109 
 Trigueres, 1 8 
 Tronget, 152 
 Tronsanges, 138 
 Trucy-l'Orgueilleux, 172 
 Tulette, 355 
 Tullins, 472 
 
INDEX. 
 
 597 
 
 Turbia, 547, 551, 560 
 
 U. 
 
 Urcy, chateau d', 59 
 Urfe, chateau d', 156 
 Uriage, bains d', 464 
 Urzy, 174 
 Ussel, 232, 244 
 Usson, 238 
 
 -en-Forez, 158 
 Uzes, 443 
 
 V. 
 
 Vaison, 355 
 
 Valbonne, chartreuse de, 447 
 
 Valcluse, Notre Dame de, 520 
 
 Val-des-Choux, 34 
 
 Valence, 337 
 
 Valensole, 498 
 
 Valhonnete, abbaye de, 342 
 
 Vallauris, 520 
 
 Vallery, chateau de, 17 
 
 Vallon, 441 
 
 Valprofond, chartreuse de, 22 
 
 Valreas, 346 
 
 Vals-les-Bains, 440 
 
 Vandenesse, 173 
 
 -le-Chateau, 60 
 Vans, Les, 442 
 Var, Le, 535 
 Varennes-sur-Allier, 153 
 
 -le-Grand, 78 
 Varzy, 174 
 Vauban, 98 
 Vaucluse, 378 
 Vaudrey, 271 
 
 Vault-de-Lugny, chateau de, 178 
 Vauluisant, abbaye de, 16 
 Vauvenargues, 50! 
 Vaux (Jura), 282 
 
 -sous-Aubigny, 58 
 
 -Chignon, 69 
 Velaux, 422 
 Venasque, 376 
 Vence, 531 
 
 Venose, 468 
 
 Ventimiglia, 581 
 
 Verlin, 2O 
 
 Vermenton, 175 
 
 Verne, chartreuse de la, 514 
 
 Verneuil, 76 
 
 Verquieres, 385 
 
 Vertaizon, 225 
 
 Veynes, 480 
 
 Veyre, 233 
 
 Vezelay, 180 
 
 Vic-sur-Cere, 245 
 -le-Comte, 233 
 
 Vichy, 153 
 
 Vidauban, 515 
 
 Vienne, 332 
 
 Vieu, 298 
 
 Vieux-Moulin, chateau de, 139 
 
 Vif, 463, 478 
 
 Vigan, Le, 453 
 
 Villaine-en-Duesmois, 36 
 
 Villard-de-Lans, Le, 462 
 
 Villards-d'Heria, Les, 285 
 
 Villefort, 267 
 
 Villefranche (Alpes - Maritimes), 
 
 538 
 
 (Rhone), 100 
 (Yonne), 22 
 
 Villemandeur, chateau de, 131 
 
 Villemaur, 17 
 
 Villeneuve (Puy de Dome), 239 
 -les-Avignon, 371 
 -1'Archevdque, 16 
 -le-Berg, 439 
 -les-Genets, 169 
 -la-Guyard, 8 
 -Pujaut, 448 
 -S.- Georges, 191 
 -sur- Yonne, 18 
 
 Villeroy, 17 
 
 Villers-le-Lac, 275 
 
 Ville-Vallouise, 487 
 
 Villiers-S.-Benoit, 134 
 
 Villy-en-Auxois, 44 
 
 Vinay, 472 
 
 Vincelles, 169 
 
 Violard, chapelle de, 244 
 
 Virieu, 454 
 
 -le-Grand, 305 
 
598 INDEX. 
 
 Vitrolles, 422 Vorey, 1 60 
 
 Vitteaux, 190 Vougeot, 60 
 
 Viviers, 445 Voulx, 8 
 
 Vizille, 476 Voute, La, 160 
 
 Vogue- Vals, 439 -Chilhac, La, 252 
 
 Voiron, 455 Vulaines, 1 6 
 
 Voiteur, 282 
 
 Volclair, chateau de, 240 Y. 
 
 Volvic, 226 
 
 Volx, 495 Yssingeaux, 264 
 
 Voreppe, 455 Yzerand, chateau d', 435 
 
 Printed by Hazell, Watson, & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury. 
 
WORKS BY AUGUSTUS J. C. HARE. 
 
 SKETCHES IN HOLLAND AND SCANDINAVIA. 
 
 Crown 8vo, with Illustrations, 5^. 
 
 " This little work is the best companion a visitor to these countries can have, while 
 those who stay at home can also read it with pleasure and profit." 
 
 GLASGOW HERALD. 
 
 " Will be popular for its handy size and light manner. Without being strikingly 
 amusing it is yet never wearisome. . . . His notes of travel in Norway are very 
 tempting to tourists attracted to the north." ART JOURNAL. 
 
 STUDIES IN RUSSIA. Crown 8vo, with numerous 
 
 Illustrations, los. 6d. 
 " Mr. Hare's book may be recommended as at once entertaining and instructive." 
 
 ATHENAEUM. 
 
 " A delightful and instructive guide to the places visited. It is, in fact, a sort of 
 glorified guide-book, with all the charm of a pleasant and cultivated literary com- 
 panion." SCOTSMAN. 
 
 CITIES OF SOUTHERN ITALY AND SICILY. 
 
 With Illustrations. Crown Svo, 12s. 6d. 
 
 " Mr. Hare's name will be a sufficient passport for the popularity of his new work. 
 His books on the Cities of Italy are fast becoming as indispensable to the traveller 
 in that part of the country as the guide-books of Murray or of Baedeker. . . . His 
 book is one which I should advise all future travellers in Southern Italy and Sicily 
 to find room for in their portmanteaus." ACADEMY. 
 
 "We regard the volume as a necessary part of the equipment of a traveller in 
 Southern Italy ; if he goes without it he will miss the most thorough and most help- 
 ful book that has treated it. The part devoted to Sicily is especially full of interest ; 
 and we should not omit to make mention of the exquisite little woodcuts done from 
 Mr. Hare's water-colours executed on the spot." BRITISH QUARTERLY REVIKW. 
 
 CITIES OF CENTRAL ITALY. Second Edition. With 
 Illustrations. 2 vols., crown Svo, 2is. 
 
 CITIES OF NORTHERN ITALY. Second Edition. 
 
 With Illustrations. 2 vols., crown Svo, 21 s. 
 
 "We can imagine no better way of spending a wet day in Florence or Venice 
 than in reading all that Mr. Hare has to say and quote about the history, arts, and 
 famous people of those cities. These volumes come under the class of volumes not 
 to borrow, but to buy." MORNING POST. 
 
 WALKS IN ROME. Twelfth Edition. With Map. 
 2 vols., crown Svo, iSs. 
 
 "The best handbook of the city and environs of Rome ever published. . . . 
 Cannot be too much commended." PALL MALL GAZETTE. 
 
 "This book is sure to be very useful. It is thoroughly practical, and is the best 
 guide that yet has been offered." DAILY NEWS. 
 
 " Mr. Hare's book fills a real void, and gives to the tourist all the latest dis- 
 coveries and the fullest information bearing on that most inexhaustible of subjects, 
 the city of Rome. ... It is much fuller than ' Murray,' and anyone who chooses 
 may now know how Rome really looks in sun or shade.' SPECTATOR. 
 
 WALKS IN LONDON. Fifth Edition. With numerous 
 
 Illustrations. 2 vols., crown Svo, 2is. 
 
 " One of the really valuable as well as pleasant companions to the peripatetic 
 philosopher's rambling studies of the town." DAI LY TELEGRAPH. 
 
 London : GEORGE ALLEN, 8, Bell Yard, Temple Bar ; and 
 Sunnyside, Orpington. 
 
Works by Augustus J. C. Hare. 
 
 WANDERINGS IN SPAIN. With 17 full-page Illus- 
 trations. Fifth Edition. Crown 8vo, *]s. 6d. 
 
 "Mr. Hare's book is admirable. We are sure no one will regret making it the 
 companion of a Spanish journey. It will bear reading repeatedly when one is 
 moving among the scenes it describes no small advantage when the travelling 
 library is scanty." SATURDAY REVIEW. 
 
 "Here is the ideal book of travel in Spain; the book which exactly anticipates 
 the requirements of everybody who is fortunate enough to be going to that enchanted 
 land ; the book which ably consoles those who are not so happy by supplying the 
 imagination from the daintiest and most delicious of its stories." SPECTATOR. 
 
 "Since the publication of ' Castilian Days,' by the American diplomat, Mr. John 
 Hay, no pleasanter or more readable sketches have fallen under our notice." 
 
 ATHENAEUM. 
 
 DAYS NEAR ROME. With more than 100 Illustrations 
 by the Author. Third Edition. 2 vols., crown 8vo, iSs. 
 
 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FRANCES BARONESS 
 BUNSEN. Third Edition. With Portraits. 2 vols., crown 
 8vo, 21 s. 
 
 MEMORIALS OF A QUIET LIFE. 3 vols., crown 8vo. 
 Vols. I. and II. zis. (Nineteenth Edition) ; Vol. III., with 
 numerous Photographs, los. 6d. 
 
 " The name of Hare is one deservedly to be honoured ; and in these ' Memorials,' 
 which are as true and satisfactory a biography as it i> possible to write, the author 
 places his readers in the heart of the family, and allows them to see the hidden 
 sources of life and love by which it is nourished and sustained." ATHENAEUM. 
 
 " One of those books which it is impossible to read without pleasure. It conveys 
 a sense of repose not unlike that which everybody must have felt out of service time 
 in quiet little village churches. Its editor will receive the hearty thanks of every 
 cultivated reader for these profoundly interesting ' Memorials,' of two brothers, 
 whose names and labours their universities and Church have alike reason to cherish 
 with affection and remember with pride, who have smoothed the path of faith to so 
 many troubled wayfarers, strengthening the weary and confirming the weak." 
 
 STANDARD. 
 
 "The book is rich in insight and in contrast of character. It is varied and full of 
 episodes, which few can fail to read with interest ; and as exhibiting the sentiments 
 and thoughts of a very influential circle of minds during a quarter of a century, it 
 may be said to have a distinct historical value." NONCONFORMIST. 
 
 "A charming book, simply and gracefully recording the events of simple and 
 gracious life. Its connection with the beginning of a great movement in the English 
 Church will make it to the thoughtful reader more profoundly suggestive than many 
 biographies crowded and bustling with incident. It is almost the first of a class of 
 books the Christian world just now greatly needs, as showing how the spiritual life 
 was maintained amid the shaking of religious ' opinions ' ; how the life of the soul 
 deepened as the thoughts of the mind broadened ; and how, in their union, the two 
 formed a volume of larger and more thoroughly vitalised Christian idea than the 
 English people had witnessed for many days." GLASGOW HERALD. 
 
 FLORENCE. Second Edit. I VENICE. Second Edition. 
 Fcap. 8vo, cloth limp, 2s. 6d. \ Fcap. 8vo, cloth limp, 2s. 6d. 
 
 " The plan of these little volumes is excellent. . . . Anything more perfectly 
 fulfilling the idea of a guide-book we have never seen." SCOTTISH REVIEW. 
 
 London: GEORGE ALLEN, 8, Bell Yard, Temple' Bar; and 
 Sunnyside, Orpington. 
 
Works by Augustus J. C. Hare. 
 
 PARIS. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo, cloth, IQJ. 
 
 DAYS NEAR PARIS. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo, 
 cloth, loj. 
 
 A NEW WORK ON FRANCE 
 
 WITH MAPS, AND 500 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Crown 8vo, 10s. 6d. per Volume. 
 
 NORTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 SOUTH-EASTERN FRANCE. 
 SOUTH-WESTERN FRANCE. 
 
 ALSO IN PREPARATION, 
 
 NORTH-WESTERN FRANCE. 
 
 London : GEORGE ALLEN, 8, Bell Yard, Temple Bar ; and 
 Sunny srde, Orpington. 
 
 39 
 
Fifth Edition, crown 8vo, "js. 6d. 
 
 THE ALTON SERMONS 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 AUGUSTUS WILLIAM HARE, 
 
 RECTOR OF ALTON, BARNES. 
 
 "They are, in truth, as appears to us, compositions of very rare 
 merit, and realise a notion we have always entertained, that a style of 
 sermon for our rural congregations there somewhere was, if it could be 
 hit off, which in language should be familiar without being plebeian, 
 and in matter solid, without being abstruse." QUARTERLY REVIEW. 
 
 "Sermons which a former generation highly prized, and which this 
 should welcome. They were preached to simple country folk, and 
 heard by them with loving attention and appreciation, but they are 
 such as no man need disdain to listen to." SPECTATOR. 
 
 " Sermons which have taken their place with English classics, 
 which were understood and liked by rustics when delivered in the 
 tiny village church, and when printed were read and admired by the 
 most learned and fastidious." NONCONFORMIST. 
 
 "All may read these sermons with profit, but to clergymen, if 
 studied with discretion, they may prove serviceable in no common 
 degree, in regard especially to the lucid clearness of their style, their 
 striking illustration, their tone of earnestness, and above all the 
 admirable skill with which abundant intellectual resources are adapted 
 to the capacities of an unlearned audience." CHRISTIAN OBSERVER. 
 
 " These sermons present us with the working of a pious and highly 
 gifted mind in its endeavours to impress the truths of Christianity 
 upon the understanding of a rural population. There are few placed 
 in circumstances similar to those of the accomplished author who will 
 not find valuable hints suggested in them for parochial instruction." 
 
 BRITISH MAGAZINE. 
 
 SERMONS ON THE LORD'S PRAYER. 
 
 By the late AUGUSTUS WILLIAM HARE. Crown 8vo, is. 6d. 
 
 London : GEORGE ALLEN, 8, Bell Yard, Temple Bar ; and 
 Sunnyside, Orpington. & 
 
14 DAY TTQ77 
 RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED 
 
 LOAN DEPT. 
 
 This book is 
 
 Renewed book, are subject to immediate recall. 
 TT^ 
 
 i C 
 
 NOV~T 
 
 LD 21A-50m-8 '61 
 (Cl795slO)476B 
 
 General Library 
 
 University of California 
 
 Berkeley 
 
U.C.BERKELEY LIBRARIES 
 
 
 >rt ^ s