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roii

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HANDBOOK FOR TRAVELLERS

FRANCE:

BEING A GUIDE TO

NORMANDY, BRITTANY; THE RIVERS SEINE, LOIRE, RHONE,
AND GARONNE ; THE FRENCH ALPS, DAUPHINE,
PROVENCE, AND THE PYRENEES.

Mitt) UHaps.

FOURTH EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED.

LONDON:

JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
PARIS: A. & W. GALIGNANI AND CO. ; STASSIN AND XAVIER.

1853.

THE ENGLISH EDITIONS OF THE HAND-BOOKS FOR TRAVELLERS ARE

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PREFACE.

The Iland-book for France is the result of four or five journeys
undertaken at different times between 1830 and 1841 ; and the
Editor has covered the ground with a network of routes, de¬
scribed from personal observation, extending from Dunkirk
to St. Jean de Luz ; from Toulon and Hyeres to Brest; from
Grenoble and the Grande Chartreuse through Aubenas and
Aurillac to trie Port de Venasque ; and from Cherbourg and
Mont St. Michel to Brianyon and Embrun, and including the
almost entire circuit of France. But in so vast a field many
interstices have been left to be filled up by the best printed
information ; and that so meagre in some respects, so abundant
and scattered in others, that the collecting and arranging of the
materials has been a work of very serious labour. The materials,
indeed, for describing a large part of France are far more scanty
than those which present themselves for Germany and Switzer¬
land ; and the writer may fairly say, that he has, in the follow¬
ing pages, laid down routes of which no account is to be found
in French Guides. It would be unjust to omit to mention the
admirable Guides of Yaysse de Yilliers, from which he has
derived essential information; but though they extend to nearly
twenty volumes, they comprise only a small part of France, and
only portions of their contents are calculated to interest English
travellers. For their use this volume is compiled ; and if any
French readers think fit to take it up, they must not be surprised
to find many details well known to them, and doubtless many
errors, not a few of which will be equally discernible by the
Editor’s own countrymen. He trusts that in the statement of

PREFACE.

facts he has avoided invidious comparisons—that he has set down
nought in such a light as to cause prejudice against the French,
or to encourage or perpetuate estrangement between the two
nations.

The chapters into which the book is divided are arranged
according to the ancient Provinces, as being less minute, more
historical, and better understood by English than the more
intricate subdivisions of Departments. Though the latter are
universally used by the French themselves, some centuries must
elapse before Champagne and Burgundy cease to be remem¬
bered for their wines, Perigord for its pies, and Provence for
its oil ; nor will it be easy to obliterate the recollection of Wil¬
liam of Normandy , Margaret of Anjou , and Henri of Navarre.

This volume contains no description of Paris, because to have
included the capital would have extended this book to nearly
double its present size, and because the “ Paris Guide of Ga~
lignani’s” is a very good one, and renders the preparation of
another, for the present at least, unnecessary.

CONTENTS,

Page

Introductory Information . . . . . . ix

Section I.

PICARDY.—FRENCH FLANDERS. — ILE DE FRANCE.—

Introductory Information

NORMANDY.

* • •

•

Routes

• • •

•

Introductory Information

Sect. II.

BRITTANY.

• • •

•

. 103

Routes

• •

•

. 109

Sect. III.

ORLEANOIS.—TOURAINE.— RIVER LOIRE_LA VENDEE.

—POITOU.—SAINTONGE.

Introductory Sketch of the Country . . . . .166

Routes . . . . . . . .168

Sect. IV.

LIMOUSIN.—GASCONY.— GUIENNE.—THE PYRENEES.—
NAVARRE. — BEARN. — LANGUEDOC. — ROUSSILLON.
Preliminary Information ...... 224

Routes ........ 235

Sect. V.

CENTRAL FRANCE.— BERRI.— AUVERGNE. - VIVARAIS.—
ARDECHE.— CANTAL.— BOURBONNAIS.— LYONNAIS. —
THE CEVENNES.

General View of the Country ..... 335

Routes ....... 339

A 4

VI11

CONTENTS.

Section VI.

PROVENCE AND LANGUEDOC.

Preliminary Information ....

Routes ......

Sect. VII.

DA UP MINE.

Introduction. — Sketch of the Country
Routes ......

Sect. VIII.

BURGUNDY. _ FRANCIIE COMTE.

Routes •*...... 503

Sect. IX.

CHAMPAGNE— LORRAINE.— ALSACE.— THE VOSGES

MOUNTAINS.

Routes . . . . . . . .515

Sect. X.

ILE DE FRANCE. — FLANDRES. — ARTOIS.

Routes 551

421

424

482

483

Index

. 563

HAND-BOOK

FOR

TRAVELLERS IjST FRANCE,

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION.

CONTENTS.

Money

— Table of French Francs reduced to £. s,

Tables of Weights and Measures

•

xii

French Feet reduced to English Feet

•

xiii

Metres —

Do.

xiv

Kilometres 1

f English Miles \

Myriametres J

1 and Furlongs j

•

Lieues de Poste —

Do.

•

Kilogrammes —

English Pounds .

xvi

Pounds —

Do.

•

xvi

Hectares —

English Acres

•

xvi

Aunes de Paris —

English Yards

•

xvi

Passports and Police

• • •

•

xvi

Routes

across France—London to Paris — Strasburg

— Marseilles, &c.

• • •

•

xix

Modes

of Travelling —

Posting and Travelling Carriage .

•

Malles postes .

• • •

•

xxiv

Diligences

• • •

•

XXV

Railroads

• • «

•

xxvii

Steam-boats

• • •

•

xxix

fc.

Inns—Tables-d’Hote, etc.

• • •

•

xxix

1 .

Cafes

• • •

4 • •

•

xxxi

A Traveller’s General View

of France—Points

Interest — Scenery — Architecture

•

xxxii

List of the 86 Departments

into which France

divided, and of the 33 Ancient Provinces com-

POSING THEM ..... XXXvi

o. The English abroad ..... xxxvii

p . Skeleton Tour through France . . . xxxix

a 5

a. MONEY TABLES.

a. MONEY.

In France, accounts are kept in francs and centimes (or hundred
parts), the coinage being arranged on the decimal system. 1 franc
contains 10 declines (or double sous), and each decime 10 centimes .

FRENCH MONET.

Silver Coins; — £ s. d.

1 franc = 100 centimes = 20 sous = 0 0 9| to 10 d. English.

A ditto = 25 ditto - = 0 0 2\ 1

A ditto = 50 ditto - = 0 0 4=|

5 ditto = 500 ditto -- 100 sous =040

Worn pieces of money, like our old shillings, but composed of silver
and copper, are also current, and bear the value of 75 centimes (15
sous), and 1 franc 50 centimes (30 sous), but they will soon be called in.

Gold Coins : —

Louis d’or = 24 fr.

Napoleon, or 20-franc piece
Half Napoleon, or 10-franc piece
Double Napoleon, or 40-franc piece
Copper Coins : —

Decime, or 2-sous piece .

5 centimes = 1 sous
1 centime

£ s. d.

= 0 19 0 English.

= 0 15 101
= 0 9 6*

= 111 9

= 001
= 0 0 01
= 0 0

F.B. To find the value of centimes, remember that the Tens are all
pennies, and the Fives halfpennies: thus 75c.=7±d. : 2 5c.=2^d. — 15c.
= l^t/. within a fraction, but near enough for all practical purposes.

To reduce French francs to English money for common purposes,
where minute exactness is not required, it is only necessary to divide
the amount of francs by 25, or to substitute 4 for 100, thus : —

Francs.

100

1,000

10,000

400

100,000

4,000

1,000,000

40,000

The Bank of France issues notes for 1000, 500, 200, and 100 francs,
but they are difficult to change out of Paris, not being received in the
provinces without paying an agio.

FOREIGN COINS REDUCED TO THEIR VALUE IN FRENCH CURRENCY.

English sovereign .
crown
shilling

Dutch Willem =10 guilders
guilder
Prussian dollar

Frederick d’or

Bavarian florin = 20 pence English.
Kron thaler

Austrian florin = 2 shillings English

fr. c.

= 25 50 to 25 fr. 20 c. at par.

RBC

NcU

a. MOXEY "ABLE

nrycH ziAMs

A>‘D

rrvmrrs

z.zzrr 2 A- :o thais

ix zyniy

ronfii. s mi:

usr,^^yp ?zy cz.

i‘.

5 c ents.

, 0

<H T5

10 frauds 0

—

-t

n ti

n x

4 _ f

C 3
"4

Ql 9

-4 TS

1 A.

« ~r

1 1

Oi 4

“4

lOf

H Ti

8 ^

SI ft

1 4

<£l 1

*4 n

- -•

J- -=rS-

lo*

ci -i_

g. JL

. :

i :■

gl ^

—’ _

-i V

*2 if

" :

C. J_

R1 _E_

•O

9- i!

100

1 frare

200

2 5

SCO

2 s

400

500

3 I

' -*-5>

750

1,000

<kJ_

— -■

5. 000

1 ir* —

10,000

S95

—

zy gaisa yaysv iidzco ry ns a.:ti ;y iaes'Ch ixiyr-i am cz:5Tr>rr.>

Fr.

pen: 0

Lii.

101

1 ^

_ —

Fr.

AiZin's 15

CLf-
1 a

15 i

Fr.

__ _ --

Ca.

jn> ■*

o 5

403

«-/ i ^

1 *

1 ~T

i t

i. 4

* 42S

-40

*±

A —

455

— 1

— — a

4~S

" “

J7)

504

756

S~r

1-005

911

■»

= ^ 15

1260

1512

* T
x %J

1 ""5-4

saillin^ 1

100

2016

-o

—

126

151

100

2520

176

200

5 040

201

300

7 55-0

225

400

iaoso

p “a

500

12.500

5'-~ —

1003

25.200

1 o

302

5000

125.000

327

10,000

252,000

S52

A 6

Xll

b. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

b. WEIGHTS AND 31EASURES.

A uniform decimal system of coins, weights, and measures was intro¬
duced into France in 1790, and since 1840 takes the place of all others.

In this new system all the measures of length, superficies, and solidity,
the unit of weight, and the unit of money, are connected together, and
are derived from one fundamental unit, deduced from the size of the
earth, by means of geometrical and physical data, and each is capable
of being verified at all times and in all places. This fundamental unit
is called Metre, and is equal to the ten-millionth part (O'OOOOOOl) of
the distance from the pole to the equator.

The prefixes which express multiples are Greek : —

Myria

Kilo Hecto Deca,

represented by the capital letters

K H

expressing the numbers

10,000

1,000 100

The prefixes which express

sub-multiples are Latin : —

Deci

Centi Milli

Deci-milli

Cent-milli

represented by d

c m

d-m

c-in,

expressing the fractions 0-1

o-oi o-ooi

0-0001

o-ooooi

By means of this system, with a small number of words, the division
can be carried almost ad infinitum.

The measures of length are all either decimal multiples, or sub-mul¬
tiples to the metre, thus :—

Myria- — M.-m. = 10,000 Metres.

Kilo-

—

K.-m. =

1,000

Hecto-

II.-m. =

100

Deca-

S— < ■

-4->

D.-m. =

m. —

Metre.

Deci-

r^<

d.-m. =

o-i

Centi-

—

c.-m. =

o-oi

Milli-

—

m.-m. —

o-ooi

One great advantage of the decimal system of subdivision is, that, by
the simple movement of a point, any one number of units is transformed
into an equivalent number of superior and inferior units, thus:—•
m 489*365 — Dm 48-9365 = Mm 0*489365 = cm48936*5.

Linear Measure.

French.

English.

The Metre is

• 0

about 3 feet 3

inches.

Toise .

. = 2 metres,

or „

6 „ 6

Pied (or foot) .

_ i

• — 3 ”

1 „ 1

Inch

_ 1

• — 35 ”

0 „ 1

8 ”

Aune .

• = »

3 „ 11

Weights.

The Gramme

# #

15-1340 grains

Decagramme ,

5-64

drams,

avoird.

Hectogramme .

. 100

3-527

ounces

, avoird.

Kilogramme

1,000

2 lbs, 3 oz. 41 drams, avoird

Myriagramme .

1 0,000

22*0485 lbs. avoird.

Capacity.

A Litre is .

1000 grammes

15406 312 grains.

or 2*1135 wine pints.

b. TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS. Xlii

TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS.
Table A. — French Feet reduced to English Feet.*

French

Feet.

English Feet and
Decimal Parts.

French

Feet.

English Feet and
Decimal Parts.

French

Feet.

English Feet and
Decimal Parts.

1*066

42*631

84*195

2*132

43*696

85*261

3*197

44*762

86*327

4*263

45*828

87*393

5*329

46*894

88*459

6*395

47*959

89*524

7*460

49*025

90*590

8*526

50 091

91*656

9*592

51*157

92*722

10*658

52*222

93*787

11 *723

53*288

94*853

12*789

54*354

95*919

13*855

55*420

96*985

14*921

56*486

98*050

15*986

57*551

99*116

17*052

58*617

100*182

18*118

59*683

101 *248

19*184

60*749

102*313

20*250

61*814

103*379

21*315

62*880

104*445

22*381

63*946

105 *511

23*447

65*012

100

106 *577

24*513

66*077

150

159*865

25*578

67*143

200

213*153

26*644

68*209

250

266*441

27*710

69*275

300

319*730

28*776

70*341

350

373*018

29*841

71*406

400

426*306

30*907

72*472

450

479*594

31 *973

73*538

500

532*883

33*039

74*604

550

586*171

34*104

75*669

600

639*460

35*170

76*735

650

692*747

36*236

77*801

700

746*036

37*302

78*867

750

799*324

38*368

79*932

800

852*612

39*433

80*998

850

905*901

40*499

82*064

900

959*189

41*565

83*130

1000

1065*765

1 French Foot = 1 *06576543 English Foot.

1 English Foot = 0*93829277 French Foot.

* Tables A, and B are abridged from Lieut. Becher’s accurate work on Foreign Linear
Measures.

XIV

b. TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS

Table B. — French Metres reduced to English Feet.

Metres.

English Feet and
Decimal Parts.

]

3-281

6-562

9-843

13-123

16-404

19-685

22-966

26-247

29-528

32-809

36 -090

39-371

42-652

45-932

49-213

52-494

55 -775

59-056

62-337

65 618

68-899

72-180

75-461

78-741

82-022

85-303

88-584

91-865

95-146

98-427

101 -708

104-989

108-270

111 -550

114-831

118-112

121-393

Metres.

English Feet and
Decimal Parts.

124-674

127-955

131 -236

134-517

137-798

141 079

144-359

147-640

150-921

154-202

157-483

160-764

164 045

167-326

170-607

173-888

177-168

180-449

1 83-730

187-011

190-292

193 -573

196-854

200-135

203 -416

206-697

209-977

213-258

216-539

219-820

223-101

226-382

229 663

232-944

236-225

239 -506

242-786

Metres.

English Feet and
Decimal Parts.

246 067

249-348

252-629

255*910

259-191

262-472

265-753

269 034

272*315

275-595

278-876

282*157

285-438

288-719

292-000

295-281

298-562

301 -843

305-124

308-404

311-685

314-966

318-247

321-528

324-809

100

328*090

200

656-180

300

984-270

400

1312-360

500

1640-450

600

1968-539

700

2296-629

800

2624-719

900

2952 -809

1000

3280-899

1 French metre — 3"2808992 English feet.

b. TABLES OF FRENCH MEASURES AND WEIGHTS

Table C. — French Kilometres and Myriametres into English

Miles, etc.

Kilom.

Eng.

Miles.

Fur¬

longs.

Yds.

Ft.

In.

Kilom.

Eng. Fur-
Miles. longs.

Yds.

Ft.

In.

213

169

207

162

200

1 myria,

156

194

188

181

185

175

121

1 Kilometre = 0 621 English mile.

1 Lieue de Poste = 2'422 English miles.

Table D-French Lieues de Posts into English Miles and Yards.

Mis.

Yds.

Mis.

Yds.

Mis.

Yds.

Mis.

Yds.

743-061

1,133-671

1.171-832

400

968

1,544-428

1,486-122

116-732

1,562-443

500

1,211

170-535

469-183

859-794

121

193-053

600

1,453

556-642

1,212-244

1,602-855

145

583-664

700

1,695

942-749

195-305

585-916

169

974-275

800

1,937

1,328-856

938-366

1,328 977

193

1,364-886

900

2,179

1,714-963

1,681-427

312-038

217

1,755-496

1,000

2,422

341070

664-488

1,055-099

100

242

386-107

2,000

4,844

682 140

1,407-549

38-160

200

484

772-214

3,000

7,266

1,023-210

390-610

781-221

300

726

1,158-321

5,000

12,110

1,705-350

Table E.—French Kilogrammes into English Pounds (Avoirdupois).

Kil.

E. Pds.

Kil.

E. Pds.

Kil.

E. Pds.

Kil.

E. Pds.

Kil.

E. Pds.

2-206

30-880

59-554

88-228

300

761-714

4-411

33-086

61-760

90-434

400

882 286

6-617

35-291

63-996

92-640

500

1,102-857

8-823

37-497

66-171

94-846

1,000

2,205-714

11-028

39-703

68-377 '

97-051

2,000

4,411-429

13-234

41-908

70-583

99-257

3,000

6,617-143

15-440

44-114

72-788

101-463

4,000

8,«22-857

17-646

46-320

74-994

103-668

5,000

11,028-471

19-851

48-526

77-200

105-874

10,000

22,057-143

22-057

50-731

79-405

108-080

20,000

44,114-286

24-263

52-937

81-611

110-286

30,000

66,171-429

26-468

55-143

83-817

100

220-571

40,000

88,228-572

28-674

57-348

86-023

200

441-143

50,000

110,285-715

XVI

C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE.

Table F. — French Pounds into English Pounds (Avoirdupois).

Fr.

Eng.

Fr.

Eng.

Fr.

Eng.

Fr.

Eng.

Fr.

Eng.

Pds.

1-080

15-116

29-152

43-188

300

323-913

2-159

16-196

30-232

44-268

400

431-884

3-239

17-275

31-312

45-348

500

539-855

4-319

18-355

32-391

46-427

1,000

1,079-710

5-393

19-435

33-471

47-507

2,000

2,159-420

G-478

20-514

34-551

48-587

3,000

3,239-130

7-558

21 -594

35-630

49-666

4,000

4,318-840

8-638

22 674

36-710

50-746

5,000

5,398-550

9-717

23-754

37-790

51-826

10,000

10,797-100

10-797

24-833

38-869

52-906

20,000

21,594-200

11-877

25-913

39-949

53-985

30,000

32,391-300

12-956

26-993

41-029

100

107-971

40,000

43.188-400

14-036

28-072

42-109

200

215-942

50,000

53,985-500

ble G. — French

Hectares into English Acres

Meet.

Acres.

Hect

. Acres.

Hect

Acres.

Hect.

Acres.

Hect.

Acres.

2-471

19-769

37-067

98-846

200

494-229

4-942

22-210

39-538

123-557

300

741-343

7-413

24-711

42-009

148-268

400

988-457

9-884

27-182

44-480

172-980

500

1,235-571

12-356

29-654

46-952

197 691

1,000

2,471-143

14-827

32-125

49-423

222-403

2,000

4,942-286

17-298

34-5S6

74-134

100

247-114

5,000

12,355-751

Table H. — French “Aunes de Paris” into English Yards.

Aun.

Yds.

Aun.

Yds.

Aun.

Yds.

Aun.

Yds.

Aun.

Yds.

1-300

9-098

16-896

24-695

90-981

2-599

10 398

18-196

25-994

103-978

3-899

11-697

19-496

38-992

116-975

5-199

12-997

20-795

51-989

100

129-972

6-499

14-297

22-095

64-986

200

259-945

7-799

15-597

23-395

77-983

500

649-862

C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE.

A passport is indispensable to enable a stranger to travel in France.
A French passport may be procured in London, at the French Con¬
sul’s Office, 47, King William Street, London Bridge (price 5s.), open
from 11 to 4 daily. The passport is at once made out, and, after a des¬
cription of the person of the bearer has been inserted in it, and his own
signature (which should be written legibly) has been attached to it,
will be delivered to him. The description of his person, or signalement,
should on no account be omitted in any passport for France: the want
of it may, in remote parts of the country, lead to the bearer’s detention
or arrest; and it is the more necessary to dwell on this point, because
the officials of English ministers abroad, in making out passports for
their countrymen, are apt to slur it over to save trouble. Rentier , or
independent man, is a convenient designation for those who travel for
recreation. An Englishman landing at any French port, and not in¬
tending to proceed inland, is not required to have a passport.

An English passport may now be obtained at the Foreign Office,
Downing Street, from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, by

C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE.

XVU

British subjects properly recommended by a Banker, an M.P., or Peer,
on payment of Is. 6cl , and is the best certificate of nationality which
an Englishman can carry abroad. Passports may be also obtained on
payment of 4?. 6d. from British consuls in France, or from French
consuls residing at British sea-ports, for 10-s. Mr. Lee, bookseller, of
West Strand, will procure passports and vises, and mount them in a
case, at a fair price.

Continental tourists are recommended to procure a Foreign Office
passport, and have it countersigned, before leaving London, by the
authorities of the various countries they intend to visit. (The vise of
the French Consul costs 4s. 3d.) They will thus save much time and
avoid inconvenience, the Foreign Secretary’s passport being readily
admitted all over the Continent.

The following are the regulations issued by the Foreign Office with
regard to passports : —

“ 1. Application for Foreign Office passports must be made in writing;
and addressed to Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
with tile word “passport” written upon the corner.

“ 2. The fee on the issue of a passport is 7s, 6d.

“ 3. Foreign Office passports are granted only to British subjects,
including in that description foreigners who have been naturalized by
Act of Parliament, or by certificates of naturalization granted before the
24th day of August, i850: in this latter case, the party is described in
the passport as a £ naturalized British subject.’

“ 4. Passports are granted between the hours of twelve and four, on
the day following that on which the application for the passport has
been received at the Foreign Office.

“5. Passports are granted to persons who are either known to the
Secretary of State, or recommended to him by some person who is
known to him ; or upon the written application of any banking firm
established in London or in any other part of the United Kingdom.

“6. Passports cannot be sent by the Foreign Office to persons already
abroad. Such persons should apply to the nearest British mission or
consulate.

“ 7. Foreign Office passports must be countersigned at the mission,
or at some consulate in England, of the Government of the country
which the bearer of the passport intends to visit.

“ 8. A Foreign Office Passport granted for one journey may be used
for any subsequent journey if countersigned afresh by the ministers or
consuls of the countries which the bearer intends to visit.”

In cases of hasty departure from England, when a traveller has not
time to apply one day in advance, he may obtain a passport in anyplace
in France where an English consul resides. A British consular pass¬
port is preferable to a foreign consul's.

To secure personally the necessary visas of French and foreign
ministers to a passport, to enable the bearer to enter Austria or Italy,
is not to be done under two days. The stranger who undertakes to do
this for himself will find it a very disagreeable and tiresome business,
the passport offices being open only at fixed hours, being situated in

C. PASSPORTS AND POLICE.

xviii

distant parts of the town, and being beset by crowds of applicants. In
all the respectable Paris hotels (Meurice, Bristol, &c.), a commis¬
sionaire is appointed to attend to the passports, for which a fixed
charge (4 to 5 francs) is made, and this saves the traveller a couple of
days’ running about from office to office. The signature of the Papal
nuncio is essential for travellers going to Rome, and can be obtained
only at Paris.

If the stranger is not going to Paris, but only to cross a part of
France, on his way to another country, for instance, from Calais to
Lille, on his way to Belgium, the passport which he brings with him is
vise at the frontier and returned to him. If he wishes merely to make
a short stay at the place where he has landed (Boulogne for instance),
or in a contiguous department, and the period of his stay do not exceed
one month, the local authorities deliver to him a limited passport, re¬
taining the original in their hands.

Since the introduction of railways (184G) the passport system in
France seems to have been relaxed in strictness, and a peaceably dis¬
posed traveller may sojourn months in the country and traverse it in
many directions without its being even asked for. Still he is never safe
without it. The Republic is as stern in requiring a passport as the
monarchy, and it should always be carried about the person. The gens-
darmes are authorised to call for it not only in frontier and fortified
towns, but in remote villages : they may stop you on the highway, or way¬
lay you as you descend from the diligence — may force themselves into
the salle-a-manger, or enter your bed-room, to demand a sight of this
precious document. It is needless to expatiate on this restraint, so in¬
consistent with the freedom which an Englishman enjoys at home, or
to show that the police are a pest to the harmless and well-conducted,
without being a terror to evil doers; it is the custom of the country,
and the stranger must conform, or has no business to set his foot in it.
It must be allowed that the police perform their duty with civility, so
as to render it as little vexatious as possible. They cannot enter a
private house without a warrant.

Those who lose their passports, leave them behind, or do not take
care to have them “en regie,” are liable to be marched off to the juge
de paix or prefet, often a distance of 10, 15, or 20 miles, on foot, unless
they choose to pay for a carriage for their escort as well as themselves;
and if no satisfactory explanation can be given, may at last be deposited
in prison.

Before leaving France the passport must be viseed by the British
Minister and the police authorities : it must, also be stamped (vise)
before embarking at a French port.

The duties of rural police are performed by

Gensdarmes, a fine body of men, chosen from the line, handsomely
dressed, better mounted than any other French cavalry corps. Being
settled in their native country, and not moved from place to place, they
know every body and all the localities. Their salary amounts to 80/.
a-year, out of which they have to provide their horse and uniform.

d. ROUTES.

XIX

d. ROUTES.-ACROSS FRANCE-LONDON TO PARIS — STRASBURG-

MARSEILLES, &C.

London to Paris by Rail and Steamer.

a. By Folkestone , (express 2\ hours), Boulogne (2 hours, steam).

By crossing from Dover or Folkestone to Boulogne, instead of

Calais, 22 m. of land journey between Calais and Boulogne are saved.

b. By Dover , Calais, Lille, 14 hours.

c. By Brighton , Shoreham, Dieppe, and Rouen, 16 hours.

d. By Southampton arid Havre , 18 to 22 hours.

Steamers in connexion with the S. W. Railway (trains from London,
7.30 p.m., daily) leave the Open Dock, Southampton, every night but
Sunday.

London to Bale, in Switzerland by (Paris, 12 hours), Stras-
burg (break in rail from Bar-le-Duc to Strasburg), 56 hours, or 48
hours when the railway is opened throughout.

London to Geneva by Paris, Tonnerre, Dijon (28 hours by rail¬
way and mail), (or from Chalons to Lons-le-Saulnier).

London to Marseilles in 56 hours, by Paris (railway and steamer)
12 hours; Chalons-sur-Soane, 10 hours (railway express); Lyons, 5
hours; Avignon, 12 to 18 hours (steamers); Marseilles, 4 hours (rail¬
way). *

The traveller bound for Marseilles should have his passport vise for
that place direct on landing in France, which will enable him to retain
his passport as far as Marseilles, and will save delay at Paris.

An English Government steamer plies twice a-month direct between
Marseilles and Malta, where it meets the steamer coming direct from
England. The fare is 9/., including board, for a 1st class passenger;
that of the 2nd class being 51. It leaves Marseilles on the 11th of
every month, arriving at Malta early on the third day, or the 14th ;
and brings with it the London mail for India, which is made up on the
8th, unless it should happen to fall on a Sunday, when it is deferred
till the following day. By this junction steamer letters can be dis¬
patched from London three or four days later than by the packet that
goes round by Gibraltar to Malta.

The arrangements of the Mediterranean steamers are frequently
changing; and it is therefore advisable to refer to the tariffs issued
annually by the different companies.

You ought to reach Marseilles on the 10th or very early on the 11th
of the month, in order to embark comfortably.

At Marseilles it is necessary to get the passport vise by the British
consul and the local police ; also a bill of health, and a permis d’em-
barquement.

French Government steamers ply from Marseilles to Alexandria,
Constantinople, and Beyrout, touching at Malta, twice a month, 10th,
and 25th. Other French Government steamers run from Marseilles
to Malta, touching on the way at Leghorn, Civita Yecchia, and Naples,
on the 9th, 19th, and 29th.

e. POSTING.

London to Bordeaux by Orleans, Tours, and Poitiers (railway thus
far in 10 hours). The railway is being continued to Libourne, and is
open thence to Bordeaux.

London to Dunkerque (screw steamer, 3 times a week) in 12 hours.

London to Boulogne (steamer, 9 to 12 hours, 5 hours of open sea).
This is an economical route, and not fatiguing for those who can stand
the sea.

Owing to the prevalence of certain winds and currents, the shortest
passages are from Dover to Calais (1 h. 40 m.), and from Boulogne to
Folkestone (2 hours).

e. POSTING.-PRIVATE CARRIAGE.

The French Post Book (Livre de Poste), published under the au¬
thority of the Government, is indispensable for persons travelling post,
as it contains the exact distances from post to post, and the extra dues
on entering and quitting towns (postes de faveur), which are constantly
changing, likewise the legal distances from the chief statiojis of the
chemins de fer to places in their vicinity. It may be had in all towns,
and even at the post-houses.

By a law enforced throughout France since the 1st Jan., 1840, dis¬
tances are no longer calculated by “postes hut by kilometres and my-
riametres. 1 kilometre (i.e. 1000 metres) == nearly 5 furlongs, or |lhs
of an English mile; 1 myriametre = 10 kilom. = nearly 6J Eng. m.
(or G m. 1 fur. 156 yds.). See table, page xv.

The postmaster’s authorised charge is,

For each horse , 2 francs or 40 sous per myriametre, or 20 centimes
per kilom.

The Postilion is entitled by the law to demand only 1 franc per my¬
riametre or 10 centimes per kilom. ; but it is customary to pay him 2
francs per myriam., or at the rate of a horse, unless he has misconducted
himself, when he may be punished by limiting his pay to the tariff He
is bound by the law to drive the myriametre within 46 and 58 minutes.
The English, who generally want to go faster, are too often in the habit
of giving him 50 sous per myriam., or 5 per kilom., which is at the rate
of more than 4 d. an English mile; i.e. more than a postboy in England
gets. In fact, French postboys are not satisfied with 4 sous, but well
contented with 5.

This extravagant remuneration is contrary to the express injunction of
the French “ Livre de Poste,” which says, p. 42, “ Les voyageurs con¬
served done la faculte de restreindre le prix des guides a 1 franc, a titre
de punition ; et ils seront invites par les maitres de poste, et dans l’interet
du service, a ne jamais depasser la retribution de 2 fr. par myriametre.”

The cost of posting with 3 persons in a caleche, through France, may
be calculated at 8 francs par myriametre, or 80 centimes par kilometre.
For 2 persons, with 2 horses and postboy, the rate is about 6 francs,
or nearly 9 d. per English mile.

* The old poste=8 kilometres.

e. POSTING.

XXI

The average speed of posting does not much exceed a myriametre
per hour, including stoppages.

In fixing the number of horses to be attached, the postmaster takes
into account the nature, size, and weight of the carriage, and the quan¬
tity of luggage : a landau or berlin always requires 3 horses at least,
generally 4 ; a chariot will require 3; while a britzka, holding the same
number of persons, will need only 2.

To facilitate this, carriages are divided into 3 classes : —

1. Cabriolets and light caleches without a front seat, or having one
narrower than the back seat, must have 2 horses.

2. Limonieres, heavier carriages, chariots (coupees) ; to these the
postmaster may attach 3 horses, even when they contain only 2 persons.

3. The heaviest kind of carriages, berlines, landaus, barouches, whe¬
ther closed or not, but having a front seat as wide as the back, 4 horses.

The posting regulations allot one horse to each person in a carriage;
but allow the traveller, at his option, and provided the ppstmaster agrees,
either to take the full complement of horses, at the rate of 40 sous each,
or to take 2 or 3 at 40 sous, and to pay for the rest at 30 sous, without
taking them. Thus a party of 4 persons in a light britzka may be
drawn by 2 horses, paying 30 sous each for a third and fourth horse,
which they are liable to take, or 3 francs extra for the 2 persons above
the number of horses, thus compounding with the postmasters along
the whole line of road. Where the carriage is so light as not to require
as many horses as there are passengers, it is, of course, a saving of 10
sous a myriam. for each horse to dispense wfith them. Postmasters in
France are too apt to withhold the third horse, even in cases where the
weight of the carriage and the state of the roads require it to be put to.
No one ought to submit to this when first attempted; it will cause much
loss of time on hilly roads.

The limitation of the number of horses on first setting out on a
journey is of importance, because you are obliged to take on from every
post station (except in the case of supplemental horses) the same
number of horses that brought you to the relay.

One postilion may drive 4 horses, “aux grandes guides;” where 3
horses are required, they may be harnessed one in front of the others, or
“ a l’arbalete.” Formerly, in France, 3 horses required to be yoked
abreast ; and for this purpose shafts must be put to the carriage; but
this rule is not now enforced, and there is no difficulty in travelling with
3 horses and a pole, as in Belgium and Germanj'.

On certain hilly stages one or more extra horses (chevaux de supple¬
ment) are required to be attached to carriages, and at the entry into and
departure from certain large towns the postmaster is allowed to charge
for a number of kilometres exceeding the real distance of the stage,
called “ distances supplementaires,” de faveur or formerly “ postes
royales.” For example, 8 kilometres beyond the real distance are
charged on entering and quitting Paris. These privileges are defined
by the “ Livre de Poste.” Those who merely pass through towns,
changing horses but not stopping, are exempted from this extra charge.

The furnishing of post-horses does not, as in England, include a post -

xxu

e. POSTING — CARRIAGES.

chaise, and those who mean to post in France must have a carriage of
their own. It is true the French postmasters are obliged to keep a
cabriolet or small caleche for hire, but it is usually a rickety vehicle
holding only 2 persons, with no room for baggage beyond a sac de nuit,
and is therefore seldom resorted to. The charge for it is the same as
for a single horse, i. e. 40 sous per myriam.

Postilions are not allowed to pass another carriage on the road, unless
the one in advance be drawn by fewer horses, or has been stopped by
some accident. Travellers are supplied with horses in the order in
which they and their couriers arrive ; the malles postes and Government
estafettes alone having a right of precedence.

A register is kept at every posthouse, in which the traveller may
enter complaints against the postmaster or his servants in that or the
neighbouring relays. These registers are inspected at stated times by
proper authorities, and the charges are investigated.

Tariff charge of post-horses for conveying a carriage from the railway
termini in Paris — for 2 horses and I postilion, 6 francs ; 3 horses and
1 postilion, 8 francs 30 centimes ; 4 horses and 2 postilions, 12 francs.

Table of Posting Charges in France.

Kilometres.

Three Horses, and Two
“ Petits Chevals ”
paid for but not used.

One Post-Boy.

Total.

fr-

f r -

Carriages.

Duty on English Carriages .— English travellers, on entering France
with a carriage not of French make, are called upon to deposit one-third

e. POSTING — HIRED CARRIAGES. Xxiii

of an ad valorem duty for it; a barouche or chariot is usually rated at
1000 frs. (sometimes you can get off for 600), and a landau or coach at
1500 frs. Travellers should be aware of this, in order that they may
take with them ready money to meet this charge. A receipt, with an
order upon the Bureau des Douanes, is given to the owner, entitling
him to receive back fth of this one-third, if the same carriage be taken
out of France within 3 years. This order describes very particularly
the carriage, and, on presenting it at the frontier, the money deposited
is repaid, except ith (i . e. T -L-th of the value of the carriage), which is
all the duty paid.

Carriages landed in France, and taken out of the country within six
days, are exempted from the duty of a third of their value, formerly
levied on all carriages without exception.* This remission of duty, how¬
ever, can only be obtained on condition that some respectable French
householder will guarantee that the carriage shall quit France within
the six days specified. The landlord of the inn at which the traveller
puts up in Calais will effect this arrangement: but as he subjects him¬
self to a penalty of a very large amount in case the above condition is
not complied with, he requires the traveller to sign an undertaking to
indemnify and hold him harmless in case of failure. An order to pro¬
cure this remission of duty, issued by the French custom-house, and
called “ acquit d caution,” costs 5 francs, and must be delivered up on
passing the French frontier.

Owing to the inferiority of the post-chaises in France (alluded to
above), those who intend to travel post, and are not furnished with a
carriage of their own, must buy or hire one.

A travelling carriage, strong and tolerably good-looking, may be hired
at Calais, or Paris, or Boulogne, from one of the innkeepers, for 350 or
400 fr. (16/.) for two months, and 8 fr. a-day after the expiration of that
time ; the owner to pay for all necessary repairs. Thus the expense
of crossing and recrossing the Channel, of shipping and unshipping, is
spared.

Hired Carriages — Voitures d volonte.

It is difficult to fix a fair scale of prices to pay for the hire of a car¬
riage and horses in different parts of France ; the best guide is to calcu¬
late it at one-half or two-thirds of posting price for the same distance,
exclusive of the carriage.

The carriage usually to be met with for hire is the cabriolet — a
heavy, lumbering, and jolting vehicle : the charge for it is commonly 8
or 9 fr. a-day, exclusive of a pourboire of 2 or 3 fr. to the driver. It
has neither the neatness nor the lightness of the gigs furnished at a
country inn in England, but is necessarily clumsily built to stand the
terrible cross-roads of France.

In out-of-the-way places often no other vehicle is to be found than
a patache — a rustic cab, verging towards the covered cart, wfithout its
easy motion. He who rides in a patache must prepare to be jolted
to pieces.

* It is said that no duty is levied on carriages entering by land.

XXIV

f, MALLES TOSTES.

f MALLES POSTES,

equivalent to the English mail-coaches, and kept up at the expense of
Government, travel along the following great roads of France to carry
the mail, and are allowed to take 2 or 3 passengers.

The various railways ramifying from Paris have superseded the 12
malles which used previously to start from the capital. The following
malles postes keep up the communication between the railway termini
and the stations most conveniently situated and the extreme limits of
the territory of France : also between those provincial towns not as yet
united by railways : —

1. Tonnere to Bale.

2. Chartres to Brest, 36 to 37 hours.

3. St. Pierre de Vauvray to Cherbourg, 15^ to 17 hours.

4. Chalons sur Marne to Metz, 10 hours.

5. Dijon to Geneva, 15 hours.

6. - to Besancon, 6 hours 194 kilom.

7. Lyons to Miihlhausen, 24 hours.

8. ISevers to Avignon, by Moulins, Lyons, Vienne and Valence (1
place), 35 to 37 hours.

9. Nevers to Montpellier, by Clermont, St. Flour, Lodeve, 36J to
42 hours.

10. Epernay to Sedan, by Fheims, 84 hours.

11. Bar le Due to Sarrebourg (until the railway is finished), 12 hours.

12. Chateauroux to Toulouse, by Limoges, Cahors, and Montauban,
30 to 33 hours.

13. Limoges to Pau, by Chalus, Perigueux, Agen, Auch, and Tarbes,

14. Toulouse to Bayonne, by Auch, Tarbes, and Pau,

15. -to Montpellier, by Narbonne, 16 hours.

16. -to Perpignan, by Limoux, 14 hours.

17. Bordeaux to Bayonne, 14^ hours.

18. -to Toulouse, 15^ hours.

The French mails are on the whole very comfortable, though the in¬
side passengers have not very much room, and he that sits by the side
of the conductor in the cabriolet is liable to be annoyed at every post
town by his companion’s horn in his efforts to rouse the postmasters,
and by his bustle in the delivery and receipt of the letter-bags.

The mails consist of a stoutly-built barouche which holds comfort¬
ably inside 2 or 3 passengers ; painted of a light red colour, drawn by
4 horses with tolerable harness, with a seat in front for the postilion,
and one behind for the conductor. Their rate of travelling exceeds that
of the diligence on almost all the roads, equalling at least 9 or 10 Eng.
m. an hour.

The price of places is nearly double that of the diligence, being 1 fr,
75 cent, per myriam. — to nearly 3d. a mile, the outside fare on an
English mail.

As the malles postes take few passengers, it is generally necessary to
secure a place some days beforehand. Places are taken at the post-
offices in the towns whence or through which the malle poste passes.

XXV

g. DILIGENCES.

The passport must be shown if required before the name can be en¬
tered, and half the fare must be paid at once, the remainder before
starting.

Baggage of passengers is restricted in weight to 25 kilogram, or
55 lbs. ; all above that weight must be paid for. No portmanteau, or
sac de nuit, of dimensions exceeding the following measurement can be
admitted into a malle poste : —

In length . . 0 m , 70 decim. = 2 6 pouces = 27 English inches,

breadth . . 0 m , 40 =14 =15

height . . 0 m , 35 =13 =13

These regulations are strictly enforced, so that it is vain for those
who travel with much baggage to think of availing themselves of the
malle poste. There is room, however, for a writing-case or hat-box
inside.

The fare includes all charges ; nothing is to be given to the posti¬
lions ; the conductor generally receives a small douceur, varying from
5 to 10 fr. according to the length of the journey, at the good will of
the passenger.

Places cannot be secured except for three-fourths of the entire dis¬
tance which the mail travels; nor are passengers taken for short dis¬
tances unless they are without baggage.

g. DILIGENCES.

The French stage coach or diligence is a huge, heavy, lofty, lumber¬
ing machine, something between an English stage and a broad-wheeled
waggon. It is composed of three parts or bodies joined together: 1. the
front division, called Coupe, shaped like a chariot or post-chaise, holding
3 persons, quite distinct from the rest of the passengers, so that ladies
may resort to it without inconvenience, and, by securing all 3 places to
themselves, travel nearly as comfortably as in a private carriage. The
fare is more expensive than in the other part of the vehicle.

2. Next to it comes the Interieur , or inside, holding 6 persons, and
oppressively warm in summer.

3. Behind this is attached the Rotonde , “the receptacle of dust, dirt,
and bad company,” the least desirable part of the diligence, and the
cheapest except

The Banquette, or Jmperiale, an outside seat on the roof of the coupe,
tolerably well protected from rain and cold by a hood or head, and lea¬
ther apron, but somew'hat difficult of access until you are accustomed to
climb up into it. It affords a comfortable and roomy seat by the side of
the conductor, with the advantages of fresh air and the best view of the
country from its great elevation, and greater freedom from the dust than
those enjoy who sit below. It is true you may sometimes meet rough
and low-bred companions, for the French do not like to travel outside;
and few persons of the better class resort to it, except English, and they
for the most part prefer it to all others. It is not suited to females,
owing to the difficulty of clambering up to it. The diligence is more
roomy and easy, and therefore less fatiguing than an English stage ;

XXVI

g. DILIGENCES.

but the pace is slow, rarely exceeding 6 or 7 m. an hour, and in bad
weather, when roads are heavy, falling below that. Nevertheless, the
diligences have undergone considerable improvement within the last 15
or 20 years; the horses are changed more rapidly ; strips of hide have
taken the place of rope harness ; and, on one or two lines of road, the
rate of travelling is accelerated to 8, or even 10 m. an hour.

The coach and its contents are placed in charge of the Conducteur, a
sort of guard, who takes care of the passengers, the luggage, the way¬
bill, and the mecanique, that is, the break or leverage, by which the
wheel is locked. He is paid by the administration, and expects nothing
from the passengers, unless he obliges them by some extra service. He
is generally an intelligent person, often an old soldier, and the traveller
may pick up some imformation from him.

The large 1st class, three-bodied diligences carry 15 passengers in¬
side, and 4 out, including the conductor, and weigh when loaded
11,000 lbs., or about 5 tons. They are drawn by 5 or 6 horses, driven
by a post-boy from the box, instead of the saddle, as was formerly the
case. Besides passengers, the diligence carries a great deal of heavy
merchandise, such as in England would be sent by the waggon or
canal-boat.

The places in the diligence are all numbered, and are given out to pas¬
sengers in the order in which they book themselves, the corner seats
first; and it comports very much with the traveller’s comfort to secure
one of them, especially in long journeys. Before starting, the passen¬
gers’ names are called over, and to each is assigned his proper place.
The average rate of th e fares may be calculated at 45 or 50 centimes for
2 leagues, equivalent to l^d. a mile English, except for the coupe, which
is somewhat higher. Never omit to ask for the receipt or bulletin for
the fare paid, which constitutes your legal title to the place.

Two great companies, whose head-quarters are at Paris, the Messa-
geries (Royales), Nationales and Messageries Generates (Laffitte, Cail-
lard, et Comp ie .), furnish diligences on the great roads of France, and
correspond with provincial companies who “ coach” the more distant
and cross roads, so that there is no want of means of conveyance in any
part of France between places of moderate consequence. In many
cases, however, the “turn-out” from provincial towns is of the worst
kind, and the organisation is throughout inferior to the stage-coaching
of England.

The two chief Messageries are equally good, and, generally speaking,
superior to any of the minor companies ; indeed, they manage to keep
down their rivals, by a mutual understanding with each other.

N.B. On those routes upon which railways have been begun, the
diligence pursues the line of the rail; the body of the vehicle being
taken off from its wheels by a crane, and deposited, luggage, passengers
and all, upon a truck attached to the train. On arriving at its desti¬
nation it is taken off’ and placed upon a different set of wheels, and is
instantly driven off.

N.B. During the month of August the diligences on all the great roads
are thronged with school-boys and collegians, with their parents and
masters, in consequence of the breaking up of the establishments of

g. DILIGENCES- Jl. RAILROADS. XXvii

education in Paris, all hurrying home at once into the provinces. It
not unfrequently happens, that for a fortnight together every place in
every coach is taken. The vacations at the public offices occur about
the same time, and contribute largely to swell the crowd of travellers in
August.

h. RAILROADS.

France having allowed herself to be outstripped by her neighbours,
not only by England, but also by Belgium, Prussia, and Austria, in
these means of extending national resources and civilisation, is now
making up for lost time.

“By a law passed in 1842, a system of railways was laid down for
France, which, with slight modifications, is now being carried into effect.
By this plan seven great arteries of railway communication were pro¬
jected.

J. “ The Great Northern of France issues from Paris to Amiens, fol¬
lowing the valleys of the Oise, Breche, Arc and Somme. From Amiens it
is carried to Douay, where it forks, one branch running by Valenciennes
to the Belgian frontier, the other by Lille to Calais and Dunkerque.
Connected with this line are 2 great branches from Amiens to Bou¬
logne, and from Creil to St. Quentin.

2. “ A line from Paris to the W. coast of the Bay of Biscay has been
completed as far as Chartres only, but is in progress to Rennes.

3. “ A line from Paris by Orleans to Tours, and from Paris to the
Pyrenees at Bayonne, by Bordeaux, is in operation as far as Poitiers.
This line throws off an important branch from Tours to Angers and
Nantes, which is open to traffic.

4. “ The artery intended to proceed S. to the Pyrenees at Perpignan
is open as far as Chateauroux, branching from No. 3 line at Orleans.

5. “ The Great Southern Railway, intended to connect Paris with
Marseilles, is open by Tonnerre and Dijon as far as Chalons-sur-Saone ;
the last section, between Marseilles and Avignon, being also completed
and under traffic. From Lyons to Avignon is begun.

6. “ The eastern line, proceeding from Paris to the Rhine at Stras-
burg, is open as far as Bar le Due, and also between Strasburg and
Nancy. The intervening part will be completed in 1852.

“ In 1851 there were in France 1813 m. of railway open to traffic,
and 1178 m. in progress : 577 m. were projected, but not begun.”—
Times , Sept. 1851.

The Livret or Guide of Paul Chaix , published monthly, contains the
time-tables, fares, &c., of all the French railways: it is the “ Bradshaw ”
of France, and will be a useful companion to travellers in that country.

Railway passengers are compelled to deliver up their luggage blindly
into the hands of the officials, by whom it is booked ( enregistre ), for which
a fee of 2 sous must be paid, and a ticket is given, on delivery of which
at the journey’s end the baggage is restored to the holder. This gives
rise to frequent inconvenience and serious mistakes and inevitable
delay. The best way to obviate the nuisance is to take as little as

a 2

XXviii h. RAILROADS.

possible, and to place it in one or more carpet bags, which will lie under
the seat in the carriage.*

RAILWAY STATIONS IN PARIS.

Paris to

( Boulogne, Calais.

I Amiens. Dunkirk.
Dieppe.

Rouen.

( Orleans, Tours, and
| Nantes.

Clos. St. Lazare, Faub. St. Denis.

15 Rue d’Amsterdam.

Place Roubaix, at the extremity
of the Rue du Havre.

Boulevard de l’Hbpital.

* Travellers arriving in Paris are
exposed to a very annoying delay at
the railway stations, arising out of
the examination and slow delivery of
their luggage — a delay which is
seldom less than half an hour, and
when the quantity of luggage to be
examined is large, often exceeding
that time.

The traveller is obliged to wait in
a cold anteroom, often without
seats, until the whole of the luggage
arriving by the train is laid out
along tables, where it is examined
by the Octroi and Custom House
authorities.

Families can avoid this annoying
ordeal, by leaving it to be performed
by their servants. ■

Another annoyance to which the
traveller is subjected on arriving by
railway — The servants employed by
the Company will endeavour to per¬
suade him that the only mode of
conveyance to his hotel is by om¬
nibus, as these vehicles either belong
to the Railway Company, or their
owners pay an annual rent for the
privilege of plying from their sta¬
tions, and standing in the court of
the terminus.

The traveller who adopts this
mode of conveyance must wait until
the last person arriving by the train
has left the station, i. e. until a
chance remains of their picking up a
new fare ; and when the omnibus does
start, do not let him suppose he is to
be carried direct to his destination, as

in London, since the omnibus follows
a most circuitous course, dropping
its passengers on the way at the dif¬
ferent hotels. Thus the traveller
going to the Rue de Rivoli from
the Northern Railway Station, may
be carried to half a dozen of hotels,
in every street in the same quarter
of the town, a journey of less than a
quarter of an hour, which is seldom
performed in less than double, and
generally requires triple that time.
To avoid this inconvenience, we would
advise the traveller to insist on his
luggage being taken to a carriage, of
which there are always plenty in
attendance, at the gate of every
railway station, which will convey
him immediately to his hotel, and at
a charge of a few sols more than he
would have to pay to the omnibus,
since the seat in the latter costs
12 sols, and each parcel of luggage
an additional 6 sols; whereas a cabri¬
olet, including the coachman’s pour
boire, is only 30 sols.

Families arriving in Paris should
desire beforehand the owners of the
hotels they intend stopping at to
send a carriage with a laquais de
place to meet them. The latter can
remain with their servants to see their
luggage examined, and to take it to
the hotel. By doing this, a delay
very annoying to ladies, especially
when arriving in Paris, as is gene¬
rally the case, by the night trains,
may be avoided.

J. B. P,

11. RAILROADS — L STEAM-BOATS — k. INNS.

XXIX

Paris to Lyons.
- Strasburg.

Versailles, right bank, and
St. Germain.

Versailles, left bank, and
Chartres.

Boulevard Mazas.

Rue Neuve de Chabral, Faubourg
St. Martin.

Same as Rouen and Havre.
Barriere du Maine.

i. STEAM-BOATS.

The use of steam is now very general in France, all the great rivers
being traversed by steamers.

Inland Steam Navigation.

The Seine, from Havre to Rouen, from Paris to Montereau.

The Oise , to Compiegne.

The Loire, from Nantes to Tours ; — Orleans, to Gien, Nevers, and
Digoin.

The Allier, to Moulins.

The Aiilne , Brest to Chateaulin.

The Charente, Rochefort to Saintes and Angouleme.

The Garonne, Bordeaux to Agen.

The Gironde, Bordeaux to the sea.

The Rhone, from Arles to Lyons and Seyssel, and between Arles and
Marseilles by merchant steamers.

The Saone, from Lyons to Chalons.

The Moselle, from Treves to Thionville.

The rivers of France are more liable than those of Britain to rise and
fall, and a sudden elevation caused by rains, or a want of water owing
to drought, has equally the effect of arresting the navigation ; the last
by withdrawing the necessary depth of water, the first by filling the
arches of the bridges so as to leave no room for the steamers to pass
under them.

There are also a great number of coasting steamers; but the traveller
should be cautious in trusting himself to them, unless the character of
the captains and engineers be well ascertained to be of tried experience,
as accidents not unfrequently happen, and even the French themselves
do not place unlimited confidence in coasting steamers.

h. INNS—TABLES-d’hoTE, ETC.

On the whole, the inns of France are very inferior to those of Ger¬
many and Switzerland, in the want of general comfort, and above all of
cleanliness — their greaitest drawback. There is an exception to this
however, in the bed and table linen. Even the filthy cabaret, whose
kitchen and salon are scarcely endurable to look at, commonly affords
napkins and table-coths clean, though coarse and rough, and beds with
unsullied sheets and white draperies, together with well-stuffed mat¬
tresses and pillows, which put German cribs and feather-beds to shame.
Many of the most important essentials, on the other hand, are utterly
disregarded, and evince a state of grossness and barbarism hardly to be

XXX

k. INNS — TABLES-D’hOTE, ETC.

expected in a civilised country ; the provisions for personal ablution are
very defective ; the washing of floors, whether of timber or tile, seems
unknown. In the better hotels, indeed, the floors are polished as tables
are in England, with brushes attached to the feet instead of hands ; but
in most cases they are black with the accumulated filth of years, a little
water being sprinkled on them from time to time to lay the dust and in¬
crease the dark crust of dirt.

French Inns may be divided into two classes :— a. Those which make
some pretensions to study English tastes and habits (and a few of them
have some claim to be considered comfortable), and, being frequented by
Englishmen, are very exorbitant in their charges. Such are met with
along the great roads to Paris, and thence to Geneva, Lyons, and Mar¬
seilles. b. Those in remote situations, not yet corrupted to exorbitance
by the English and their couriers ; where the traveller who can conform
with the customs of the country is treated fairly, and charged no higher
than a Frenchman. The expense of living in these country inns is mo¬
derate, 0 francs a-day board and lodging, and 10 sous to the servants.

In one respect the inns of France are more accommodating than those
of Germany, that they will furnish at almost any hour of the day, at 10
minutes or a hour’s notice, a well-dressed dinner of 8 or 10 dishes, at a
cost not greatly exceeding that of the table-d’hote. When ordering
dinner in private, the traveller should specify the price at which he
chooses to be served, fixing the sum at 3, 5, or more francs, as he may
please. In remote places and small inns, never order dinner at a higher
price than 3 francs : the people have only the same food to present, even
if they charged 10 francs. A capital dinner is usually furnished at 4 fr.
a-head ; but the traveller who goes post in his own carriage will pro¬
bably be charged 6, unless he specifies the price beforehand. Travellers
not dining at the table-d’hote should bargain beforehand for their meals
at so much per head (combien par tete), otherwise they will be charged
for each dish d la carle, a recent innovation, and a method of fleecing
the stranger which ought to be resisted. The usual charge for a table-
d’hote dinner is 3 fr. (including wine in a wine country, but not in the
north), and ought never to exceed that except in large towns and first-
rate inns.

Bargaining for rooms before you enter an inn, though usual, some¬
times leads the landlord to suppose that you are going to beat him
down (marchander), and he may therefore name a higher price than he
is willing to take, and thus you may cause the exorbitance which you
intend to prevent.

Tables-d’hole, though very general throughout France, are not so
much resorted to by the most respectable townspeople, or by ladies, as
in Germany. The majority of the company frequently consists of
“ commis voyageurs,” Anglice, bagmen, but of a stamp very inferior to
those of the same class in England, who swarm in all the inns, and are
consequently the most important personages. English ladies will be
cautious of presenting themselves at a French table-d’hote, except in
first-rate hotels, where English guests form a considerable part of the
company, and at the well-frequented watering-places. Even at Bag-

XXXI

k. INNS — TABLES-d’hoTE, ETC.- l. CAFES.

neres de Bigorre, Lady Chatterton relates, “ We laughed a good deal
at a scene we witnessed at the table-d’hote yesterday, where a French¬
man, after helping himself to all the best pieces of the roast fowl, turned
to the lady next him, and said, with a most insinuating smile, ‘ Madame
ne mange pas de volaille.’ ”

There are no establishedfor the servants at inns ; 4 a franc a-day
“ pour le service,” and something extra (5 or 6 sous) for boots, “ le de-
crotteur,” is enough. At Meurice’s Hotel, in Paris, the house charge
for servants is only 1 franc a-day, and that sum is ample in any part
of France.

Average Charges at French Provincial Hotels.

Bedroom, 1 fr. 50 c. to 2 fr. 5 c.

Salon, 3 fr. and upwards.

Breakfast , tea and coffee, with bread and butter, 1 fr. 50 c. ; with
meat, 2 fr.

Dinner , table-d’hote, 3 fr. — Apart, 4 fr. to 5 fr. or upwards.

Bottle of vin ordinaire , 1 fr. — N.B. Included in the charge for dinner
in wine-growing countries.

The better wines are sold in demi-bouteilles. When only a part of
the bottle is consumed, the waiter puts it aside for the owner until an¬
other time.

Coffee , 1 fr. It is better to take it at a cafe, where it is always better,
and costs only 8 or 10 sous.

Bougies (wax lights), 1 fr. Where this charge is made, that for the
bedroom ought not to exceed 1 fr. 50 c.

1. CAFES.

We have no equivalent in England for the Cafes in France, and the
number and splendour of some of these establishments, everywhere
seemingly out of proportion to the population and to other shops, not
only in Paris, but in every provincial town, may well excite surprise.
They are adapted to all classes of society, from the magnificent salon ,
resplendent with looking-glass, and glittering with gilding, the deco¬
rations of which have perhaps cost 4000/. or 5000/., down to the low
and confined estaminets , resorted to by carters, porters, and common
labourers, which abound in the back streets of every town, and in every
village, however small and remote. The latter sort occupy the place
of the beer-shops of England, furnish beer and brandy, as well as coffee,
and, though not so injurious to health and morals as the gin-palaces of
London, are even more destructive of time : indeed, the dissipation of
precious hours by almost all classes in France produces as bad an effect
on the habits of the people.

It is only to the superior class of cafes that an English traveller is
likely to resort, and they furnish some agreeable resources to a stranger
in a strange place. In the morning he may there obtain a breakfast of
coffee or tea, better and cheaper than in an hotel, and far better than he
can procure it in England ; in the afternoon, a demi-tasse of coffee well
prepared, and a petit verre of liqueur ; and in the evening, in summer,

xxxii m. a traveller’s GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE.

excellent ices, sorbettes, orgeats, limonade, and other cool drinks ; and
in winter a very tolerable potation called “ punch,” but differing from
its English prototype. They are always supplied with the journals of
Paris and the provinces, including, in the principal cities, “ Galignani’s
Messenger,” and have usually billiard-tables attached to them.

In the evening they are most crowded, and even in the most respect¬
able (except the first-rate Parisian cafes) the company is very mixed.
Clerks, tradesmen, commis voyageurs, soldiers — officers as well as pri¬
vates, and men in blouzes, crowded about a multitude of little marble
tables, wrangle over provincial or national politics, or over games of
cards or dominoes, while others perspiring in their shirt-sleeves sur¬
round the billiard-table. The rattling of balls, the cries of waiters hurry¬
ing to and fro, the gingling of dominoes, and tinkling bell of the mistress
who presides at the bar, alone prevail over the harsh din of many voices,
while the splendour of mirrored walls and velvet seats is eclipsed
behind a cloud of unfragrant tobacco-smoke. Such is the picture of
a French cafe !

A large cup of coffee (cafe au lait), with bread and butter, and an egg
for breakfast, costs about 20 or 24 sous. A demi-tasse, or small cup, in
the afternoon, 8 or ten sous ; a petit verre de cognac, 5 sous. The
waiter usually receives 2 sous.

VI. A traveller’s GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE.

It has been the custom of the English, who traverse France on their
way to Italy or Switzerland, to complain of the tiresome and mono¬
tonous features of the country, and to ridicule the epithet “La Belle
France,” which the French, who, it must be confessed, have in general
no true feeling for the beauties of nature, are wont to apply to it. By
a “beautiful” country, a Frenchman generally understands one richly
fertile and fully cultivated ; and in this point of view the epithet is
justly applied to France. It is also most fortunate in its climate. Many
of its vineyards, the most valuable spots in the country, occupy tracts of •
poor, barren, and waste land, which in our climate would be absolutely
unprofitable. But in truth our countrymen are unjust in forming their
opinion from the routes between Calais and Paris, and thence to Lyons,
Strasburg, and Dijon, perhaps the least varied part of the kingdom, and
at least no fair sample of its beauties. To this district, and to a large
part of the province of Champagne, the descriptions of “ wearisome
expanse of tillage, unvaried by hill or dale, and extent of corn-land or
pasture, without enclosures, supremely tiresome,” are almost exclu¬
sively applicable. Throughout nearly one half of France, especially in
Lower Normandy, Brittany, a great part of the country S. of the Loire,
the vicinity of the Pyrenees, Limousin, Auvergne, and Dauphine, en¬
closures and hedge-rows are almost as common as in England, and the
variety of surface in some of these districts is far greater. Our own
island, indeed, presents as it were a miniature of other lands — a con¬
centration, within a small area, of scenery, varying from flat fen and
rolling down to mountains and precipices. In France, the features of
nature are broad and expanded, and you must often traverse 50 or 100
miles to encounter those pleasing changes which, in Britain, succeed

771. GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE ; SCENERY. XXXiii

one another almost every 10 miles. If the English had confined them¬
selves less to the beaten track in their way from the Channel to the
Mediterranean, they would have verified the truth of this assertion.

More than 50 years ago, Arthur Young advised those “who know no
more of France than just once passing through it to Italy, that, if they
would see some of the finest parts of the kingdom, they should land at
Havre, follow the Seine up to Paris, then take the great road to Mou-
lins, and there quit it for Auvergne, and so to the Phone at Valence or
Viviers: such a variation from the common road, though it demand more
time, would repay them by the sight of a much finer and more singular
country than the road by Dijon.” The traveller may at present farther
vary his route by going from Paris by railway to Orleans, and thence by
Bourges either to Clermont in Auvergne, or to Nevers and Moulins on
the high road from Paris to Lyons.

The districts of France which chiefly recommend themselves by their
beauty and variety of scenery are, in the north, Normandy, the banks
of the Seine (the finest of the great rivers of France), the valleys round
Vire, Mortain, and Avranches, the wild coast scenery of Brittany, and
the course of the Ranee, and of other streams near Quimper ; in the
centre, the Loire below Tours, and parts of Limousin ; Auvergne, the
Cantal and Ardeche, the Rhone — by some preferred to the Rhine, on
account of its more extended prospects; in the east, the hills of the
Jura, the mountains and valleys of Dauphine, especially the vale of the
Gresivaudan, the gorge of the Grande Chartreuse, and the savage mag¬
nificence of peak and glacier around Mont Pelvoux, a region which
may be styled the Chamouny or Grindelwald of France. Among the
Vosges and Ardennes are many soberly romantic scenes which have as
yet attracted but little notice from travellers ; in the south, Provence,
with its sunny sky, is too arid to deserve general praise, excepting that
favoured terrace at the foot of the Alps along the shore of the Medi¬
terranean, intervening between Toulon and Nice. The Pyrenees, how¬
ever, without doubt, include the finest scenery in France, and, except
in the want of lakes, are scarcely inferior to the Alps of Switzerland
and Savoy.

This slight enumeration of the chief points of interest is filled up in
ampler details in the introductions to the different sections into which
this Hand-book is divided, with the view of enabling the traveller to lay
down for himself the plan of a tour, embracing as many of these points
as his time or inclination will permit.

“ Bretagne, Maine, and Anjou have the appearance of deserts. The
fertile territories of Flanders, Artois, and Alsace are distinguished by
their utility. Picardy is uninteresting. Champagne, in general, where
I saw it, ugly, almost as much so as Poitou. Lorraine, Franche Comte,
and Bourgogne are sombre in the wooded districts, and want cheerful¬
ness in the open ones. Bern and La Manche may be ranked in the same
class.” — Arthur Young.

On the other hand, these districts, which are not interesting in point
of scenery, have a compensating recommendation in their architectural
remains, and relics of antiquity. The heaths of Brittany are studded
with extraordinary Celtic remains, and abound in most beautiful

XXXiv m. GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE ; TOWNS.

churches. Out of the midst of the monotonous plain of La Beauce
rises the wondrous fabric of Chartres cathedral; that of Bourges (co¬
lossal pile) overlooks the dull plain of Berri, as the spire of Strasburg
surmounts the flat valley of the Rhine. Rheims, Troyes, Laon, &c.,
give an interest to the otherwise tiresome journey through Champagne;
the sight of Amiens, Beauvais, and Abbeville, makes one forget the
length of the way through Picardy and Artois; and the Roman remains
of Nismes, Arles, St. Remy, Orange, and Antibes, equal to almost any
in Italy, would alone compensate for a journey to Provence, even had
it no other claims to interest. France, however, is particularly rich in
architectural remains, especially in Gothic architecture, of which it pos¬
sesses some of the noblest specimens existing, viz. the cathedrals above
enumerated; to which must be added those of Metz, and 3 churches at
Rouen.

These glorious monuments of architectural skill and lavish devotion
are far more stupendous in their proportions than the cathedrals of
England, but have this peculiarity, that scarcely one of them is finished:
thus, Beauvais has no nave, Amiens is incomplete in its towers, Abbe¬
ville has no choir, St. Ouen no front. It has been said that a perfect
cathedral might be made of the portal of Rheims, the Nave of Amiens,
the choir of Beauvais, and the tower of Chartres.

The rose or wheel windows are both more frequent and of larger di¬
mensions than in English cathedrals, and contribute greatly to the
beauty of those of France, where it is not uncommon to find three in
one church. The quantity, variety, and richness of the painted glass
which the ecclesiastical edifices still retain, in spite of Huguenot icono¬
clasts and revolutionary destructives, is quite marvellous : we have
nothing to compare with it in England.

The churches in the N. of France are closed from 12 to 6, except
the cathedrals, which re-open at 4. In the S. they remain open all
day. The choir, its aisles and side chapels, are usually closed by an
iron grating, and to obtain admittance one must apply to the suisse , or
beadle, who struts about in cocked hat, sword, and laced livery.

The finest provincial cities are Lyons, Rouen, Bordeaux, Marseilles,
and Nantes, all more or less distinguished for commerce, manufactures,
and fine edifices. The minor provincial towns have a certain number
of features in common which will not fail to draw the traveller’s obser¬
vation : such are the formal walk near the entrance or on the outskirts,
often a mere platform, planted with rows of stunted trees, and the re¬
sort of nursery-maids, washerwomen, and recruits undergoing drill,
except on Sundays or fete-days, when the dusty and gritty platform is
crowded with a gay throng, to whom the sight of bright ribbons, shawls,
and new bonnets, compensates for the want of other prospect. A
walk into the country and across the fields is never thought of by the
French artisan or shopkeeper, nor indeed are there any field paths,
green shady lanes, or pretty villas, or neat cottages with gardens, on
the outskirts of the towns, to invite him to sally forth. The high roads
in France have been greatly improved within the last 10 years; many
are now macadamized—indeed the whole country shows unequivocal
signs of great and increasing prosperity.

XXXV

m. GENERAL VIEW OF FRANCE ; TOWNS.

Every town of a certain size is surrounded with a wall or barrier for
the purpose of levying the octroi or town duties on all articles for eating
and drinking brought into it, and which go to the municipal caisse or
corporation funds. All carts and carriages, public and private, are
stopped at the gates in consequence, by douaniers, who search them,
and the baggage contained in them, to ascertain that no “comestibles”
are concealed in order to evade this tax. The space outside the gates
usually swarms with low cabarets, guinguettes, &c., where the poor
man may eat and drink at a cheaper rate than within the w'alls.

Arrived within the town, the traveller will commonly find narrow
streets, with no pavement at the sides, but a huge gutter in the centre,
neither clean nor sweet, lighted at night by lamps (reverberes), swinging
from ropes attached to the houses on either side. After passing one
or more barracks, the number of which and of soldiers is striking
everywhere, the barrack being often a sequestrated convent or church,
he will reach the grande Place or square. On one side of it, or in
some other conspicuous situation, appears a large white-washed
building, graced probably with a portico in front, guarded by a sentinel,
surmounted by a tri-color flag, and fenced round by a tall iron railing
tipped with gilt spearheads. This is the prefecture or sous-prefecture.

There are many institutions and establishments in French towns de¬
serving high commendation and general imitation in England : such are
the Abbattoirs, or slaughter-houses, always in the outskirts ; the public
Cemetries, always removed beye d the walls; even the Public Walks to
be found in every French town, though not suited altogether to English
ideas of recreation, yet show an attention to the health and enjoyment
of the people which is worthy of imitation north of the Channel.

In all the larger towns there is a museum of natural history, and
generally of paintings, which, although for the most part of inferior
merit, are commendable as institutions for public recreation.

Still more commendable are the public libraries and reading-rooms,
arranged in convenient apartments with salaried librarians, common in
all French provincial towns. An amiable traveller observes, “ I could
not visit these libraries without wishing that similar institutions could
be introduced into England, where the easy access to books in every
part of the kingdom could not but prove at once agreeable and bene¬
ficial. The encouragement of such an object would be a wise appli¬
cation of the public money.”— Mr. Gaily Knight's Tour in Normandy.

There are three authors whose works should be perused before
entering France: Caesar for its ancient history; Froissart for its feudal
history; and Arthur Young, for the picture of France before the
Revolution : his vivid local descriptions hold good to the present day.

To those who would attain some insight into the French character ,
previously to any personal intercourse with the people, no more
agreeable or useful work can be recommended than “ A Comparative
View of the Social Condition of England and France,” by the Editor
of Madame du Defland’s Letters, the author of which has studied the
national character through the double medium of long personal inter¬
course with the highest classes of society, and of an intimate acquaint¬
ance with the history of the country.

XXXVI

n. PROVINCES AND DEPARTMENTS OF FRANCE

n. LIST OF THE 86 DEPARTMENTS INTO WHICH FRANCE IS DIVIDED, AND
OF THE 33 ANCIENT PROVINCES COMPOSING THEM.

Provinces. Departemens.

f Seine.

t t-. T I Seine-et-Oise.

JLE DE FRANCE, WITH LA I „ . , ,,

,, o ■< Seine-et-Marne.

Brie, &c.

PlCARDIE.

Artois and Boulonnais.

Oise.

(_ Aisne.

Somme.

Pas-de- Calais.

Flandre and Hainault 1 , T .

Y Nord.

Fran^ais.

Normandie.

Bretagne.

Orleanais.

Beauce and Pays Char-
train.

f Seine-Inferieure.
I Eure.

-< Calvados.

Orne.

Manche.
r Ule-et-Vilaine.
Cotes-du-Nord.
Finisterre.
Morbihan.

Loire-Inferieure.
f Loiret.
Loir-et-Cher.

}

Eure-et-Loire.

Mai

ne.

Anjou.

Touraine.

Poitou.

Berri,

Marche.

Limousin.

Angoumois.

Saintonge and Aunis.
Pi; RIGORD,

Guyenne.

Armagnac (part of Gas¬
cogne).

Bigorre (part of Gas¬
cogne).

J Sartbe,

Mayenne.
Maine-et-Loire.
Indre-et-Loire.
Vendee.
Deux-Sevres.

_ Vienne.

{ Indre.

Cher.

Creuze.

f Haute-Vienne.

\ Correze.

Charente.

Cbarente-Inferieure.

Dordogne.

( Gironde.

Lot-et- Garonne.

Lot.

Tarn-et-Garonne.
Aveyron.

Gers.

Hautes-Pyrenees.

Chefs- Lieux.

Paris.

Versailles.

Melun.

Beauvais..

Laon.

Amiens.

Arras.

Lille.

Rouen.

Evreux.

Caen.

Alen^on.

Saint-Lo.

Rennes.

Saint-Brieux.
Quimper.

Vannes.

Nantes.

Orleans.

Blois.

Chartres.

Le Mans.

Laval.

Angers.

Tours.

Bourbon-Vendee.
Niort.

Poitiers.

Chateauroux.

Bourges.

Gueret.

Limoges.

Tulle.

Angouleme.

La Rochelle.

Perigueux.

Bordeaux.

Agen.

Cahors.

Montauban.

Rhodez.

Auch.

Tarbes.

O. THE ENGLISH AKR0A1L

xxxvii

Provinces.

Gascogne,

Bearn and French Na¬
varre.

Comte de Foix.
Roussillon.

Languedoc.

VlVARAIS.

Gevaudan.

Velay.

CoMTAT VeNAISSIN,
Orange, Sec.

Provence.

Dauphine.

Lyonnais and Beaujolais.
Forez.

Auvergne.

Bourbonnais.

Nivernais.

Bresse, Bugey, &c.

Bourgogne (buche).

Comte de Bourgogne, or
Franche-Comte.

Champagne.

Lorraine.

Alsace.

Corsica.

Depcirtemens.

Landes.

J- Basses-Pyrenees.
Arriege.

Pyrenees- Orientales.
f Haute- Garonne.

I Tarn.

J Aude.
j Herault.

Gard.

Ardeche.

Lozere.

Haute-Loire.

Vaucluse.

Bouches-du- Rhone.
Var.

Basses-Alpes.

Isere.

Drome.
Hautes-Alpes,
Rhone.

Loire.

f Puy-de- Dome.

\ Cantal.

Allier.

Nievre.

Ain.

{ Saone-et-Loire.

Cote d’Or.

Yonne.
f Doubs.

< Jura.

{_ Haute-Sabne.
f Aube.

J Marne.

1 Haute-Marne.
Ardennes.

Meurthe.

Meuse.

Moselle.

Vosges.

' Bas-Rhiti.

\ Haut-Rhin.

Corse.

Chefs-Lieux.
Mont-de-Marsan,

Pau.

Foix.

Perpignan,

Toulouse.

Alby.

Carcassonne.

Montpellier.

Nismes.

Privas.

Mende.

Le Puy.

Avignon.

Marseille.

Draguignan,

Digne.

Grenoble.

Valence.

Gap.

Lyon.

Montbrison.

Clermont.

Aurillac.

Moulins.

Nevers.

Bourg.

Macon.

Dijon,

Auxerre.

Besan^on.

Lons-le-Saulnier.

Vesoul.

Troyes.

Chalons-sur-Marne.
Chaumont.

Mbzieres.

Nancy.

Bar-le-Duc.

Metz.

Epinal.

Strasbourg,

Colmar.

Ajaccio.

0. THE ENGLISH ABROAD.

It may not be amiss here briefly to consider the causes which render
the English so unpopular on the Continent; as to the fact of their
being so, it is to be feared there can be no doubt. In the first place, it
arises from the number of ill-conditioned persons (mauvais sujets) who,

xxxvm

O. THE ENGLISH ABROAD.

not being in a condition to face the world at home, scatter themselves
over foreign lands, and bring no little discredit upon their country.
But in addition to these, there are many respectable and wealthy per¬
sons, who, through inattention, unguardedness, wanton expenditure in
some cases, niggardly parsimony in others, but, above all, from an un¬
willingness to accommodate themselves to the feelings of the people
they are among, contribute not a little to bring their own nation into
disrepute. The Englishman abroad too often forgets that he is the
representative of his country, and that his countrymen will be judged
by his own conduct; that by affability, moderation, and being easily
pleased, he will conciliate ; whereas by caprice, extravagant squandering,
or ill-timed niggardliness, he affects the reception of the next comer.

There are many points, however, in which our character is misunder¬
stood by foreigners. The morose sullenness attributed by them to the
Englishman is, in perhaps nine cases out of ten, nothing more than in¬
voluntary silence, arising from his ignorance of foreign languages, or at
least from his want of sufficient fluency to make himself readily under¬
stood, which thus prevents his enjoying society. If an Englishman
were fully aware how much it increases the pleasure and profit of
travelling to have made some progress in foreign languages before he
sets foot on the Continent, no one would think of quitting home until
he had devoted at least some months to hard labour with grammars
and dictionaries.

Englishmen and Protestants, admitted into Roman Catholic churches,
at times are often inconsiderate in talking loud, laughing, and stamping
with their feet while the service is going on : a moment’s reflection
should point out to them that they should regard the feelings of those
around them who are engaged in their devotions. Above all, they
should avoid as much as possible turning their backs upon the altar.
In a church ladies and gentlemen should not walk arm in arm—as that
is contrary to the usual practice of the people and to their idea of good
manners : they should avoid talking together during service.

Our countrymen have a reputation for pugnacity in France : let them
therefore be especially cautious not to make use of their fists, however
great the provocation, otherwise they will rue it. No French magistrate
or judge will listen to any plea of provocation ; fine and imprisonment
are the offender’s inevitable portion.

By the official returns it appears that there are at present in France
06,000 English residents. Supposing the average expenditure of each
to be 5 francs a-day, the sum total will amount to about 4,820,000/. per
annum. In not fewer than 25 towns of France places of worship for
the performance of the English Church Service have been established,
and at most of these there are resident English ministers, many of
them having the licence of the Bishop of London. With few exceptions
the stipends are very small, and English travellers availing themselves
of the privilege and benefit afforded by these places of worship should
remember that they are in duty bound to contribute, according to their
means, to the support of the establishments and their ministers. For
more detailed information consult “ Dr. Eiber’s English Churches on the
Continent a very interesting and useful little work.

p. SKELETON TOUR THROUGH FRANCE.

xxxix

p . SKELETON TOUR THROUGH FRANCE, TO EMBRACE THE PRINCIPAL
OBJECTS OF CURIOSITY, AND TO OCCUPY FIVE OR SIX MONTHS.

Havre —By land up the N. bank of
the Seine, halting to explore its
beauties and curiosities.

Rouen (to Paris by railway).
Andelys.

Descend the Seine by steamer to
Honfleur, or by railway to Havre.
Caen.

Bayeux (Cherbourg).

Vi re.

Avranches and Mont St. Michel.

St. Malo.

Dinant (Brest and Quimper).
Vannes and Carnac.

Nantes — Clisson.

Ascent of the Loire to Angers.
Saumur.

Chinon.

Tours.

Loches — Chenonceaux.

Amboise.

Bloix — Chambord.

Orleans.

Bourges.

Clermont — Puy de Dome.

Mont Dore.

Cantal.

Le Puy.

St. Etienne.

Lyons.

Descent of Rhone — Valence.
Montelimart — Aubenas — Ardeche.
Viviers on the Rhone.

Orange.

Avignon — Pont du Gard.

Nismes.

Montpellier.

Narbonne.

Toulouse.

Descent of the Garonne.

Bordeaux.

Bayonne.

Pau.

Tour of the W. Pyrenees.

St. Gaudens.

Tour of the E. Pyrenees.
Perpignan.

Narbonne.

Montpellier.

Arles — Aix.

Marseilles.

Toulon.

Cannes.

Digne.

Sisteron.

Gap.

Embrun — Val Queiras.

Brianyon.

Pass of Lauteret — Mont Pelvoux.
Bourg d’Oysans.

Grenoble— Vale of Gresivaudan.
Grande Chartreuse.

Bourg.

Chalons-sur-Sadne.

Dijon.

Besanyon.

Colmar.

Strasburg.

Nancy.

Troyes.

Chalons-sur-Marne.

Rheims.

Soissons.

Amiens.

Boulogne.

( *1 )

ABBREVIATIONS, &c„ USED IN THE HAND-BOOK.

The points of the Compass are often marked simply by the letters N. S.
E. W.

( rt .) right, (Z.) left, — applied to the banks of a river. The right bank is
that which lies on the right hand of a person whose back is turned towards
the source, or the quarter from which the current descends.

kilom. for kilometre,
m. for English mile.
Dept, for Department.
Inliab. for Inhabitants.

Cent, for Century.

R. Rte. for Route,
p. for page.

Sta. Stat. for Railway Station.

The names of Inns precede the description of every place (often in a
parenthesis), because the first information needed by a traveller is where to
lodge. The best Inns, as far as they can be determined, are placed first.

Instead of designating a town by the vague words “large” or “small,”
the amount of the population, according to the latest census, is almost inva¬
riably stated, as presenting a more exact scale of the importance and size of
the place.

Every Route has a number, corresponding with the figures attached to the
Route on the General Map of France, which thus serves as an index to the
Book, at the same time that it presents a tolerably exact view of the great
high roads of France, and of the course of public conveyances.

The length of the Routes and the distances from place to place are
measured in kilometres.

LIST OF MAPS.

Course of the Seine and Railways

-Loire and Railways

The Pyrenees ....
Course of the Rhone and Railways
General Map of France

To face page 31.

. 177.

. . . 269.

. . . 425.

. . . At the end.

HAND-BOOK

FOR

TRAVELLERS IN FRANCE.

SECTION I.

PICARDY—FRENCH FLANDERS—ILE DE FRANCE—NORMANDY.

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION.

Objects of Interest—Country of Normandy—Architectural Remains —

Skeleton Tour.

ROUTES.

[The names of places are printed in italics only in those Routes where the places are

described.]

ROUTE PAGE

1 Calais to Paris, by St. Omer,

Hazebrouck, Lille, Douai, Ar¬
ras, &c., Amiens— Railway . 3

2 Calais to Paris, by Doullens,

Amiens, and. Chantilly ... 9

3 Boulogne to Paris, by Abbeville,

Amiens, Pontoise,andSt.Denis

—Railroad.11

4 Calais to Paris by Boulogne.—
Beauvais .22

5 Dieppe to Paris, by Gisors . . 26

6 Dieppe to Rouen (Railroad) . 30

8 Paris to Rouen (Railroad) . 30

9 Paris to Rouen.— Lower Road,

by St. Germain and Louviers . 43

10 Paris to Rouen.— Upper Road,

by Gisors or by Magny , . 47

11 The Seine, a. —St. Germain to

Rouen.— Roche Guyon. — Cha¬
teau Gaillard .48

12 The Seine, b. —Rouen to Havre 52

13 Rouen to Havre.— Lower Road,

by St. George Boscherville,

ROUTE PAGE

Jumieges, Caudebec, and Lille-

bonne .55

14 Rouen to Havre — Railroad, by

Yvetot and Bolbec . . . . 59

18 Havre to Dieppe and Abbeville,

by Fecamp and Eu . . . . 64

21 Rouen to Alen^on, by Bernay,

Broglie, and Seez . 68

23 Rouen to Caen, by Brionne or

* by Honjleur .69

24 Havre to Caen.70

25 Paris to Caen, by Evreux and

Lisieux .71

26 Caen to Cherbourg, by Bayeux 78

27 Cherbourg to St. Malo, by

Coutances, Granville, Av-
ranches, Mont St. Michel,

and Dol .87

29 Caen to Tours, by Falaise .—

Alen§on.98

31 Caen to Rennes, by Vire, Mor-

tain, and Fougeres .... 99

32 Bayeux to St. Lo and Avranches 101

Picardy and lie de France, through which lie the routes to Paris from Calais
and Boulogne, present no attractions of picturesqueness, but some interesting
historical associations to Englishmen, and a few fine examples of Gothic archi¬
tecture, the chief of which are the Cathedrals of Amiens, Beauvais, Abbeville.

France. b

Picardy — Normandy.

Sect. I.

Normandy, on the other hand, is full of interest in many respects:—it is
remarkable for varied outline of swelling hills waving with corn; for beautiful
valleys abounding in orchards, and in rich pasturages, on which large herds of
cattle are reared, and traversed by winding rivers; for richness and careful
cultivation; and above all, for remains of antiquity; venerable cities, the
delight of the painter; noble cathedrals, abbeys, and churches, not confined
merely to the larger towns, but scattered over the country, so that every little
village, in some parts, possesses a fine specimen of Gothic architecture. Nor¬
mandy is decidedly among the most attractive portions of France. Parts of
the upper country are certainly flat, bare, monotonous table-land; but in its
joyous sunny slopes and winding dales, in its hedgerows, orchards, thatched
cottages with gardens, in the general character of the landscape of La Basse
Normandie, especially in its verdure, frequent village spires, and white chalk
cliffs, an Englishman recognises with pleasure the features of his own Father-
land, which no other part of the Continent affords. He may also take pleasure
in remembering that this was the cradle whence came the wise and hardy bands
of conquerors from whose possession of England that country dates her rising
prosperity and greatness.

To those who are fond of Gothic architecture, especially to the architect and
antiquary, Normandy will afford a rich treat. Rouen, a city possessing much
of the old Teutonic character in its edifices, and containing not only a magnifi¬
cent cathedral, but, if possible, a still finer church, that of St. Ouen, is certainly
one of the most interesting places in France, and will alone furnish occupation
for many days.

Caen is also interesting, though in a less degree ; but in its vicinity are a
great number of curious village churches. The ruined abbeys, Boscherviile,
Jumieges, &c., on the N. bank of the Seine, are remarkable examples of genuine
Norman architecture ; and the scenery of the river on whose banks and penin¬
sulas they lie—the great water highway connecting Paris with its port of Havre
—is so very pleasing, that it deserves to be seen both from land and water. The
cathedrals of Bayeux (famed for its tapestry) and of Coutances also are noble
edifices.

Normandy r abounds in old castles; of which the most interesting, both in an
historical and picturesque point of view, are Chateau Gaillard, the favourite
stronghold of Richard Coeur de Lion; Falaise, the birth-place of William the
Conqueror; and many others, the cradles of our English noblesse, whence they
derive their titles; and above all, M^nt St. Michel, which possesses a triple
interest as an historical fortress, a remarkable ecclesiastical edifice, and a most
grand and striking object.

The Roman theatre at Lillebonne deserves mention as an interesting example
of an edifice of the kind, and almost the only one existing in Northern Europe.

The most picturesque parts of Normandy are the banks of the Seine from St.
Germain to Havre, and especially from Rouen to Havre, though its innumerable
islands, planted with rows of poplars and willows, are often monotonous; the
vicinity of Vire and of Avranches charmingly posted on a hill top, whence
the view extends to the Mont St. Michel, rising out of the sea, is peculiarly
attractive.

The Marine Arsenal, Dockyard, and Breakwater of Cherbourg, at the ex¬
tremity of the promontory called the Cotentin, which deserves to be explored
for its geological peculiarities, must not be omitted among the curiosities of
Normandy.

PlCARDT.

Route 1 .— Calais.

Skeleton Tour of 3 Weeks through Normandy .

Southampton to
1 Havre.

Tancarville.

3 Lillebonne.

Caudebec.

Jumieges.

4 St. George Boscherville.

7 Rouen.

Chateau Gaillard.

Descent of the Seine to Honfleur
(or to Havre, and by another
steamer to)

8 Caen.

10 Falaise and back.

11 Bayeux.

12 Valonges.

13 Cherbourg.

14 Coutances.

St. Lo.

15 Vire.

Mortain.

16 Avranches.

Mont St. Michel.

17 Dol.

18 Dinant.

19 St. Malo, and by steamer to

21 Jersey and Southampton.—Or from
Dol to Dinant, Rennes, and An¬
gers, on the Rly. from Nantes to
Orleans, and so to Paris.

The best account of the architectural remains of Normandy will be found in
Mr. Gaily Knight’s ‘ Tour in Normandy;’ WhewelVs ‘ Notes on German and
French Churches;’ Turner’s ‘Tour in Normandy,’ one of the earliest descrip¬
tions of the country published in England or France; Cotman and Pugin’s
‘ Illustrative Plates;’ and Caumont’s ‘ Histoire Sommaire de 1’Architecture du
Moyen Age.’ E. Frere’s ‘ Guide de Voyageur en Normandie, 1845/ which
is, for the most part, a translation from this Handbook.

x ROUTE 1.

CALAIS TO PARIS, BY ST. OMER, HAZE-
BROUCK, LILLE, DOUAI, ARRAS.—RAIL.

377 kilom. = 233J Eng. m.

4 trains daily—7 to 9 hrs.

This Rly., a branch of the Chemin
de Fer du Nord, was completed 1848.

Terminus at Calais is on the Quay,
close to the landing-place. It includes
the Custom-house, Passport-office, and
Refreshment-room (Buffet—hotel) all
under its roof.

Calais. — Inns : H. Dessin ; very
good. The bed-room in which the
author of ‘ The Sentimental Journey’
slept is still marked Sterne’s Room;
and that occupied by Sir Walter Scott
is also ticketed with his respected name.
Quillac’s Hotel; good, and an obliging
landlord. H. Meurice; no connection
with the house of the same name at
Paris, but tolerable. The preference
generally given to Boulogne has dimi¬
nished the custom of the hotel-keepers
here; and this circumstance leads them
to seek to indemnify themselves by an

increase of prices. 10 francs is the
common charge for landing or ship¬
ping a 4-wheeled carriage; but M.
Dessin has of late charged for landing
a britzka and placing it on the railway
truck 25 frs., with commission and
other charges in addition, amounting
to 44 frs. 14 c.— a most extortionate
charge, which ought not to be sub¬
mitted to.

For useful information on landing in
France, see Introduction.

Calais has 12,508 Inhab.; it is a
fortress of the second class, situated in
a very barren and unpicturesque dis¬
trict, with sandhills raised by the wind
and sea on the one side, and morasses
on the other, contributing considerably
to its military strength, but by no
means to the beauty of its position.
Within a few years it has been re-
fortified, and the strength of its works
greatly increased, especially to sea¬
ward. An English traveller of the
time of James I. described it as “a
beggarly, extorting town; monstrous
dear and sluttish.” In the opinion of

B 2

Route 1.— Calais .

Sect. I.

many, this description holds good down
to the present time.

The harbour, improved and length¬
ened by 282 yards since 1830, is not so
deep as that of Boulogne. When the
tide is low passengers must land in
boats, and wait for their baggage until
the steamer can enter.

Except to an Englishman setting his
foot for the first time on the Continent,
to whom everything is novel, Calais
has little that is remarkable to show.
After an hour or two it becomes tire¬
some, and a traveller will do well to
quit it as soon as he has cleared his
baggage from the custom-house, and
procured the signature of the police to
liis passport, which, if he be pressed
for time, will be done almost at any
hour of the day or night, so as not to
delay his departure. It is necessary to
be aware of this, as thecommissionnaires
of the hotels will sometimes endeavour
to detain a stranger, under pretence of
not being able to get his passport
signed. The owner of the passport
must repair to the police-office himself
to have it vise. Travellers not intend¬
ing to go to Paris, but merely passing
through the country on the way to
Ostend, Brussels, or Marseilles, are not
compelled to exchange their passport
for a passe provisoire. (See Passports:
Introduction .) Persons unprovided with
a passport may procure one from the
British Consul for 4s. 6d.

Calais has since 1830 become a ma¬
nufacturing town; the bobbin-net (tulle)
trade flourishes in rivalry of that of
England; numerous mills have sprung
up; steam-engines are multiplying;
and the inner ramparts have been re¬
moved, to make way for factories. The
gates remain open all night. Water is
scarce here, and throughout Artois.
55 millions of eggs are exported hence
to England annually.

The Pier of Calais is an agreeable
promenade, nearly f m. long. It is
decorated with a pillar, raised to com¬
memorate the return of Louis XVIII.
to France, which originally bore this
inscription:—

“ Le 24 Avril, 1814, S. M. Louis
XVIII. de'barqua vis-a-vis de cette co-
lonne, et fut enfin rendu a l’amour des

Frangais; pour en perpetuer le souve¬
nir, la ville de Calais a eleve ce monu¬
ment.” “ As an additional means of
perpetuating this remembrance, a bra¬
zen plate had been let into the pave¬
ment, upon the precise spot where his
foot first touched the soil. It was the
left; and an English traveller noticed
it in his journal as a sinistrous omen,
that, when Louis le Desire, after his
exile, stepped on France, he did not
put the right foot foremost.”— Quar¬
terly Review. At the Revolution of
July, 1830, both inscription and foot¬
mark were at once obliterated by the
mob ; and the pillar now stands a mo¬
nument merely of the mutability of
French opinions and dynasties.

The principal gate leading from the
sea-side into the town is that intro¬
duced by Hogarth into his well-known
picture. It was built by Cardinal
Richelieu 1635.

No one needs to be reminded of the
interesting incidents of the Siege of
Calais by Edward III., w r hich lasted
11 months, and of the heroic devotion
of Eustace de St. Pierre and his 5 com¬
panions. Few, perhaps, are aware that
the heroes of Calais not only went un¬
rewarded by their own king and coun¬
trymen, but w r ere compelled to beg
their bread in misery through France.
Calais remained in the hands of the
English more than 200 years, from
1347 to 1558, when it was taken by
the Due de Guise. It was the last
relic of the Gallic dominions of the
Plantagenets, which, at one time, com¬
prehended the half of France. Calais
was dear to the English as the prize of
the valour of their forefathers, rather
than from any real value which it pos¬
sessed.

The English traveller should look at
the Hotel de Guise, originally the
guildhall of the mayor and aldermen
of the “ staple of wool,” established
here by Edward III. 1363. It has
some vestiges of English Tudor archi¬
tecture. Henry VIII. used to lodge in it.

In the Great Market Place stands
the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall). In it
are situated the police-offices. In front
of it are placed busts of St. Pierre ; of
the Due de Guise, named le Balafre,

Picardy.

Route 1 .— Calais to Paris — St. Omer.

who conquered the town from the
English; and of the Cardinal de Riche¬
lieu, who built the citadel on the W.
of the town: above it rises a belfry,
containing the chimes. In the same
square is a tower, which serves as a
landmark by day and a lighthouse by
night, to point out to sailors the en¬
trance of the harbour.

The principal Church was built at
the time when the English were mas¬
ters of Calais. It is handsome, and
surmounted by a stately tower and
short steeple, which merit notice.

Lady Hamilton (Nelson’s Emma)
died here, a pauper, in great misery,
Jan. 1815. Her body, enclosed in a
deal box, was interred in the public
cemetery, which w r as converted, in
1816, into a timber-yard, about 20
yards beyond the Porte de Calais, on
the 1. of the road to Boulogne. A pil¬
lar, set up by Mr. R. Barton, marks the
spot.

The walls round the town, and the
pier jutting out nearly f m. from the
shore, are admirable promenades, and
command a distinct view of the white
clitfs of England,—a tantalizing sight
to the English exiles, fugitives from
creditors, or compelled from other causes
to leave their homes—a numerous class
both here and at Boulogne. There are
many of our countrymen besides, who
reside merely for the purpose of econo¬
mising ; so that the place is half Angli¬
cised, and our language is generally
spoken. The number amounts at pre¬
sent to 4800 English residents in and
around Calais. There is an English
Chapel, Rue des Pretres: service on
Sundays, 11 a.m., 3 p.m.

There is a small theatre here.

Calais is one of those places where
the fraternity of Couriers have a sta¬
tion. Travellers should be cautioned
not to engage one, unless the landlord
of an hotel, or some other respectable
and responsible person, give him a
character derived from personal know¬
ledge ; as many of these couriers re¬
main at Calais only because some pre¬
vious act of misconduct prevents them
showing their faces on the opposite
side of the Channel. The inn-yards
are generally well stocked with car¬

riages to be let or sold; they are mostly
old and rickety vehicles, and the hire
demanded for them nearly equals that
for which an excellent carriage may be
obtained in London.

Steamboats, 2 every day to Dovor.
The new English steamers usually
make the voyage in 1^ to 2 hours. The
French steamers are inferior. Fare,
10 s. 6d. Carriages, 2l. 2s. Steamers
go direct to London several times a-
week, in 10^ or 12 hours.

Diligence daily to Boulogne and to
Dunkerque.

Railways to Lille and Paris — to
Lille and Brussels—to Mons and Na¬
mur—to Bruges, Ghent, and Antwerp.
Railways are projected from Calais to
Boulogne, and direct to Arras.

On leaving the Quai the line skirts
the N.E. angle of the Citadel.

St. Pierre-les-Calais Stat. This is a
sort of suburb of Calais, containing a
population of 11,000.

The Rly. runs by the side of the
river Aa: it crosses the Canal d’Ardres,
near the Pont Sans Pareil.

Ardres Stat.

The plain between this place and
Guisnes, a little to the W. of the road,
is the Field of the Cloth cf Gold, the
scene of the meeting between Henry
VIII. and Francis I., 1520, with their
suites of 5696 persons and 4325 horses,
called Le Champ du Drap d’Or, from
the cloth of gold with which the tents
and pavilions of the monarclis were
covered.

Audruicq Stat.

Watten Stat.

St. Omer Stat. Inns : L’Ancienne
Poste ; Grande Ste. Catherine.

This is a third-rate fortress, whose
means of defence lie less in its actual
fortifications than in the marshes which
surround it, and the facility afforded
by the river Aa, on which it stands, of
flooding the land round about, so as to
leave only J of its circuit unprotected
by the waters. Although it contains a
population of 19,344 souls, it is a very
dull place. There are, however, two
ecclesiastical edifices worthy of notice.

The Cathedral, at the upper end of
the Rue St. Bertin, is a fine building,
showing the transition from the round

Route 1.— Calais to Paris — Pailway — Lille. Sect. I.

to the pointed style. The E. end is a
good example of the polygonal termina¬
tion of churches, with projecting cha¬
pels, so common on the Continent. The
interior is good ; — the small Lady
Chapel has modern decorations.

At the opposite extremity of the
same street stand the scanty remains
of the famous Abbey Church of St.
Berlin, at one time the noblest Gothic
monument of French Flanders—in its
present state a disgrace to the town,
and a reproach to the government;
for be it known that its destruction
has been perpetrated since 1830 ! At
the outbreak of the great Revolution
the monastery was suppressed ; the
Convention spared it ; and though
under the Directory it was sold for
the materials, unroofed, and stripped
of its woodwork and metal, yet its
walls remained comparatively unin¬
jured until the magistrates barbar¬
ously pulled it down to afford employ¬
ment to some labourers out of work!
The fragment remaining consists of a
stately tower built in the 15th century
(1431-1461), displaying the ornaments
of the florid Gothic in the mutilated
panelling on its walls, and bits of tra¬
cery in its windows ; a small portion of
the nave remains attached to it. The
tower, threatening to fall, has been
propped by an ugly, ill-contrived but¬
tress of masonry; there is some talk
of converting it into a museum. The
town is well seen from its top, but
there is nothing else of interest in the
view. Within the walls of the Abbey
of St. Bertin the feeble Childeric III.,
the last king of the first race, ended
his days; here also Becket sought re¬
fuge when a fugitive from England.

A Seminary for the education of Eng¬
lish and Irish Catholics exists here : it
has succeeded the celebrated Jesuits’
College founded by Father Parsons for
the education of young Englishmen.
Daniel O’Connell was brought up here
for the priesthood; and several of the
conspirators engaged in the Gunpowder
Plot were pupils of the same school.
There are not more than 15 or 20
students at present. About 400 Eng¬
lish reside here. English Chapel, Rue
du Bon Pasteur, Sunday, 11 and 3.

Eblinghem Stat.

Hazebrouck Stat. is the point of junc¬
tion of the lines from Calais and Dun¬
kerque (by Cassel, Rte. 188).

This is a flourishing town of 7346
Inhab., whose Ch. is surmounted by a
spire 240 ft. high, of open work, built
1493-1520.

Strazeele Stat.

Bailleul Stat. {Inn, Faucon), a town
of 10,000 Inhab., nearly 3 m. distant.

Steenwerck Stat.

Armentiere Stat., a town of 7500
Inhab., mostly weavers.

Parenchies Stat.

The Rly. skirts the fortifications of
Lille, and is joined by the Belgian sec¬
tion near the Porte de Fives.

Lille Stat.

Lille. (Flem. Ryssel.)— Inns: H.
de l’Europe; good, but very dear—
D.C. ;—de Bellevuede Commerce.

This city of 63,693 Inhab. is import¬
ant both as a fortress of the first order
for its strength, forming the central
point of the defence of France on her
N. frontier, and as a populous and in¬
dustrious seat of manufacture, ranking
seventh among the cities of France. It
is chef-lieu of the Dept, du Nord, and
was formerly capital of French Flan¬
ders. The streams of the Haute and
Basse Deule traverse the town, filling
its moats and turning the wheels of its
mills, and they are connected by a
canal, by means of which the country
for 1^ m. around the walls can be laid
under water.

There are no fine public buildings
proportioned to the size and wealth of
the city, its monuments have been
levelled by bomb-shells, and its objects
of interest for the passing traveller, un¬
less he be a military man, are few, as
may be judged of by the following
enumeration :—

Its Citadel is considered a master¬
piece of the skill of Vauban, who was
governor of it for many years. It is
a regular pentagon, furnished with all
the accessories which engineering skill
can suggest, especially since the siege
of 1792, and so strong, because com¬
manded by no point, and capable of
isolation by breaking the canal dykes,
and filling its wide moats, that it is

Picardy.

Route 1 .— Calais to Paris — Lille.

deemed impregnable. A great deal of
misery, however, and enormous de¬
struction of property, and injury to
agriculture, would follow an inunda¬
tion. The citadel is separated from the
town by the Esplanade, a wide drilling
ground, which serves also as a public
walk, being planted with trees and
traversed by the canal. Lille was cap¬
tured from the Spaniards by Louis XIV.
in 1667. At different pei’iods, and un¬
der different masters, it has stood 7
distinct sieges ; the one most memorable
for an Englishman was that by the
allied armies of Marlborough and Eu¬
gene in 1708, of 3 months’ duration,
during which the war was not merely
waged above ground, but the most
bloody combats were fought below the
surface between the miners of the op¬
posite armies, each endeavouring to sap
and undermine the galleries of his op¬
ponent. Boufflers, the French com¬
mander, after a masterly defence, was
compelled to capitulate, but upon the
most honourable terms.

The Hotel de Ville was anciently
the palace of the Dukes of Burgundy.
It was built by Jean-sans-Peur, 1430,
and inhabited by the Emp. Charles Y.
It is a quaint rather than a handsome
edifice, in the late Gothic style, but it
has a prettily groined staircase in one
of its tourelles, and a chapel built by
Philippe le Bel and painted by Arnold
de Vuez. One division of the building,
appropriated to a school of art, contains
a most interesting and valuable collec¬
tion of 1200 Drawings by old masters,
formed by the late M. Wicar, including
86 by Raphael ! (sketches for the School
of Athens, various Madonnas, La Perla,
&c.), 197 by Michael Angelo (chiefly ar¬
chitectural—the Cupola of St. Peter’s,
Prometheus, Last Judgment), 10 Fra
Bartolomeo, 15 Francia, 5 L. da Vinci ,
&c. &c., well worthy the inspection of
all who take an interest in art.

The town also possesses a Muse'e,
where, among a number of bad pictures,
is one by Rubens, St. Catherine rescued
from the Wheel of Martyrdom, painted
for a ch. in the town. St. Cecilia and
St. Francis are by Arnold de Vuez (a
native artist of considerable merit, b.
1642) ; and there is a series of curious

old portraits of the Dukes of Burgundy
and Counts of Flanders.

The principal Ch. (St. Maurice) is in
the Gothic style of the 16th cent., rest¬
ing on slender piers, but is not very
remarkable.

The huge storehouses for corn at the
extremity of the Rue Royale, a street
nearly a mile long, deserve notice.
There are some very handsome shops
in the Rue Esquirmoise.

The tall chimneys of numerous mills,
even within the walls, announce the
active industry which is working here,
and show the unusual combination of a
fortress and manufacturing town, while
the country around, and indeed a large
part of the Dept, du Nord, is like a
hive in population and activity, not
unworthy of being compared with parts
of Lancashire and the West Riding.
The chief manufacture is that of f ax,
which is cultivated in the vicinity,
and is spun into ordinary thread, and
twisted to form the kind called Lille
thread, by old - fashioned machines
moved by the hand ; besides which
much linen is woven here. In the
spinning of cotton, Lille is a formidable
rival of the English. The making of
tulles and cotton lace has fallen off.
The extraction of oils from colza and
the seeds of rape, poppies, linseed, &c.,
and the manufacture of sugar from beet¬
root, are very important, having given
a great impulse to agriculture, as well
as employing many hands and hundreds
of windmills.

About 200 windmills are grouped
around the walls of Lille in the vicinity
of the road to Paris : they are used for
grinding rape-seed and other oleaginous
grains for oil. There are, however,
not less than 600 windmills in this
commune, which has taken the name
of Moulins in consequence.

Porte de Paris.-— This entrance to the
city is by a sort of triumphal arch, sur¬
mounted by a frontispiece in the fashion
of a screen propped up behind, filled
with the trophies of the glory of Louis
XIV. Erected 1682,

Brussels may be reached in 5 or 6 hrs.
from Lille, by Rail—Rte. 186. The ter¬
minus at Lille is in the Faubourg de
Fives. (See Handbook N. Germany.)

Route 1.— Calais to Paris — Arras.

Sect. I.

Hallways to Paris — to Tournay ;
Courtrai, Ghent: —(in 3 hrs.) Brussels
and Ostende—to Dunkerque—to Calais.

Seclin Stat.

Carvin Stat.

Leforest Stat.

Douai Stat.—Here the Lille section
of the Railway is joined by that from
Valenciennes (Route 184).

Douai (Inns: H. de Flandres;—du
Commerce) is a town of 17,501 Inhab.,
surrounded by old fortifications, seated
on the Scarpe, defended by a detached
fort, about 1-^ m. distant, on the 1.
bank. It is the least thriving place in
the Dept, du Nord, and appears to be
falling off in population; and though
it covers more ground than Lille, does
not contain half as many inhabitants.
Like the Flemish towns, it has a pic¬
turesque Beffroi, in its market-place,
rising above the Gothic H. de Ville,
built at the end of the 15th cent., and
many picturesque and other houses. It
possesses a library of 30,000 vols., a
collection of pictures, and contains one
of the 3 Natio-Royal cannon foundries
in France.

From the 15th cent, the college or
seminary of Douai, founded by an
Englishman, Cardinal Allen, has edu¬
cated Homan Catholic priests for Eng¬
land and Ireland. O’Connell studied
here. There is a considerable trade in
flax here.

The sculptor called John of Bologna
is supposed to have been born here.

Every July a procession parades the
streets of Douai, consisting of a giant
of osier, called Geant Gayant, dressed
in armour, 30 ft. high, attended by his
wife and family, of proportionate size;
the giant doll is moved by 8 men en¬
closed within it.

Diligence to Cambrai. A railway is
projected by Cambrai to Rheims.

Vi try Stat.

Roeux Stat.

Arras Stat.

Arras. (Inns: H. de l’Europe; dear;
—Petit St. Paul; well recommended;

■—the Post-house is at a considerable
distance from both.) Arras is a large
and fine city, formerly the capital of the
Pays d’Artois, and now of the Dept,
du Pas de Calais; Pop. 23,485. It is a

fortress of third class, seated on the
Scarpe, and the passport regulations
are strictly enforced. The entrance,
between and amongst the lofty ram¬
parts, shaded by loftier trees, is grand
and imposing. In the interior it has
quite the character of a Flemish town,
especially in its Grande Place, sur¬
rounded by gable-faced houses, termi¬
nating in scallops and scroll-work sup¬
ported on open arcades. On one side
of it stands the Hotel de Ville, a rather
pleasing structure in the latest Gothic,
resembling our Elizabethan, built 1510,
surmounted by a Beffroi.

The Revolution raged here with ex¬
ceeding violence — a matter of little
surprise when it is remembered that
Arras was the birthplace of the mon¬
sters Maxn. Robespierre and his bro¬
ther. They were the sons of an advo¬
cate, who abandoned them in their
childhood and went to America, and
they were educated at the College
here, and maintained by the charity
of some of the clergy of St. Waast.
It is said that in one street all the
inhabitants were guillotined, whence
it was called the “ Rue sans Tetes.”
One effect of this fury was the desecra¬
tion of the greater portion of the reli¬
gious edifices. The Cathedral fell like
the rest, and only a fragment of it re¬
mains near the Place.

The present Cathedral, though in
the form of a Latin cross, with flying
buttresses, is a pure Italian edifice. Its
interior, supported on classic columns,
with side aisles and transepts, is plain
hut handsome. By a decree of the
town council the external architecture
of the old Gothic houses must not be
altered.

Damiens, who attempted to assassin¬
ate Louis XV., was a native of Arras.

The cotton manufacture is carried on
to a considerable extent here.

Diligences to Cambrai.—The Rail¬
way descends the valley of the Scarpe.

Boileux Stat.

Achiet Stat.

Albert Stat.

Corbie Stat.

Amiens (Stat.) and the Railway
thence to Paris are described in Rte. 3

(p. 16).

Picardy.

Route 2.— Calais to Paris — Chantilly.

ROUTE 2.

CALAIS TO PARIS BY DOULLENS, AMIENS,
AND CHANTILLY.

281 kilom. = 174 Eng. m.

At pi’esent the quickest way from
Calais to Paris is (Rte. 1) the Raily.

Calais is described in Rte. 1, p. 3.

The country about Calais, and for
some distance inland, is low and wet,
intersected by scummy ditches, and
traversed by rows of pollard willows.
It is drained by the canal de St. Omer,
which falls into the sea at Calais : the
tides are kept out by embankments.
The villages are composed chiefly of
mud cottages. The peasants, men as
well as women, are frequently seen
mounted on very high pattens to avoid
the dirt. The road crosses the Pont
Sans Pareil, thrown over the two canals
from St. Omer to Calais, and from Ar-
dres to Gravelines, at the point where
they cut each other at right angles, 3 m.
before reaching

16 Ardres, a small fortress.

8 La Recousse.

16 St. Omer (in Rte. 1).

18 Aire, another small fortress of the
third class, contains a Gothic Church,
St. Paul’s, and a belfry built in the
18th century, rising above the public
square. Mallebranche was born here.
W. of Aire is Therouenne, and a little
S. of it Guinegate.

13 Lillers.

11 Pernes.

13 St, Pol.

[15 m. N.W. of St. Pol, and 2 m. S.
of the post station, Fruges, is Azincour
(1415), a village of dirty farms and
poor cottages, uninteresting but for its
battle-field. Only the foundations re¬
main of the castle mentioned by Shak-
speare “that stands hard by.” Azincour
lies on the 1. of the high road from St.
Omer to Abbeville, which passes through
the village of Ruisseauville, mentioned
in all the accounts of the battle. The
hottest of the fight raged between Azin¬
cour and the commune of Tramecour,
where a wood still exists corresponding
with that in which Henry posted his
archers, who contributed so much to
the victory, each armed with an iron-

Dointed stake, to fix in the ground be¬
fore him and to serve the purpose of
the modern bayonet.

Henry, like his great-grandfather
Edward III., previous to Crecy, had
marched, with a force of only 9000
men at the utmost, through a hostile
country, from Harfleur on his way to
Calais. On reaching the Somme below
Abbeville he found the ford, by which
Edward had crossed, staked, and was
obliged to continue up the 1. bank, find¬
ing every passage fortified and every
bridge broken, until he arrived above
Amiens, where he gained the rt. bank
by a ford which had been left open.
The French army, though more than
six times the number of the English,
retreated before him beyond St. Pol,
and there drew up across the road to
Calais to dispute his passage. There
is thus a considerable similarity in the
events attending the victories of Crecy
and Azincour, and these two famous
battle-fields are not more than 20 m.
apart (see p. 15).]

13 Frevent.

15 Doullens, chef-lieu of an arron
dissement in the D(ipt. of the Somme,
has a Citadel built by Vauban, now a
state prison. St. Martin’s Church is
said to be remarkable for the lightness
of the pillars which support it,

14 Talmas.

16 Amiens, on the Railway (Rte. 3).

19 Flers.

13 Breteuil.— Inn: H. d’Ange et
d’Angleterre, not good. The Abbey of
Ste. Marie is an ancient Gothic build¬
ing. Here is a station on the Railway,
Rte. 3.

Diligence hence through Noiremont,
12 k., ito Beauvais (p. 23), (16 k).

18 St. Just.

The park and chateau, formerly the
property of the Due de Fitzjames, are
passed on the rt., shortly before reaching

16 Clermont-sur-Oise—Rte. 3.

10 Laigneville.

The river is crossed at Creil (Rte. 3).

A monotonously straight road,
through an avenue of trees, partly
skirting the forest, leads to

12 Chantilly {Inns: II. de la Pe-
louze, tolerably comfortable ; II. d’An¬
gleterre), a town of 2524 Inhab. The

B 3

Route 2,— Chantilly.

Sect. I.

splendid chateau, built by the grandson
of the Grand Conde, in the reign of
Louis XV., was levelled by the mob at
the Revolution. The Great Conde
here spent his latter years, after, re¬
tiring from military life, in the society
of Racine, Boileau, Bossuet, and the
other literary men of his age. The
Stables remain—a splendid pile, capable
of lodging 180 horses, but unfinished.

Conde took great pride in this beau¬
tiful retreat, and pleasure in embel¬
lishing it; and when Louis XIV., who
had a claim on it, indicated a desire to
obtain possession, he said, “ Vous etes
le maitre: mais j’ai une grace h de-
mander h V. M., c’est de me laisser h
Chantilly comme votre concierge
and the king had the moderation not
to interfere. Conde’s affairs were
never in a more desperate condition
than at the moment when he was ho¬
noured by a visit from his cousin and
sovereign, 1671 ; nevertheless, nothing
could exceed the magnificence of the
entertainment, rendered memorable by
the suicide of Vatel the cook, who ran
himself through with his sword in de¬
spair because the fish did not arrive in
time for dinner.*

Chantilly, one of the most beautiful
spots in the vicinity of Paris, abounds
in interest and in souvenirs of its most
distinguished owner. A noble author,f
who visited it in 1841, has touchingly
described its vast natural forest, its
limpid and purling streams, its green
Arbele poplars, which have taken root
in the ruins of the Grand Chateau, and
now quite overshadow them, its green
turf drives, and its hedges of haw¬
thorn. Le Petit Chateau, built by the
Montmorencys, is one of the most
charming monuments of the style of
the Renaissance in France. It is sur¬
rounded by water, and consequently
the lower story is scarce habitable ; but
in the state rooms and gallery are the
Battles of the Grand Conde, painted
by Van der Meulen.

The Jardin Anglais, laid out before
the Revolution, is very curious; the
French garden is in bad taste.

The Chapel contains a rich altar-

* See Mad. de Sevigne’s Letters.

t Lord Mahon Life of Conde.

screen in the style of the Renaissance,
brought from Ecouen: here also is
some fine painted glass, representing
the story of Psyche. After the mys¬
terious death of its late owner, the
Due de Bourbon, the last of the line
of Conde, Chantilly became the pro¬
perty of the Due d’Aumale. Ze Petit
Chateau is allowed to be shown during
the absence of the princes, and ought
to be visited. An Hospital, built and
endowed by the deceased Prince de
Conde, remains a monument of his
munificence to the town.

The park and grounds are very beau¬
tiful, and are readily shown to strangers.
The forest adjoining them has an ex¬
tent of 6700 acres. Paces are held
here in May and October.

The body of the aged Admiral Co-
ligny, the noblest victim of the mas¬
sacre of St. Bartholomew, after having
been hung up by the heels on the
gallows of Montfaucon, was secretly
brought hither by Montmorency, and
buried in the parish church without the
head, which was conveyed to Catherine
de Medicis.

Chantilly is famed for its silk lace
(blonde , so called from the light colour),
made here to a less extent in the town
itself than in the 20 or 30 neighbouring
communes, the artificers being women
and children. The manufacture was
originally established 1710, by M. Mo¬
reau. There are now 7 large esta¬
blishments ; but they only give out the
patterns and materials: the work is
executed at the homes of the lace-
makers. Coaches to the Creil Rly. Stat.

In the midst of the forest of Chan¬
tilly, on the dam at the margin of the
Etangs de Comelle, is a pretty little
Gothic building, flanked by 4 towers
at the corners, called Chateau de la
Loge de Viarmes, said to be built by
Queen Blanche of Castille, mother of
St. Louis. Its carved ornaments of
snakes, frogs, lizards, snails, intermixed
with foliage composed of water-plants,
are appropriate to the aquatic site.
From the style of Gothic it appears to
date from the 15th cent., and was
probably erected by the Montmorencys
for a hunting or fishing house. It was
restored carefully in 1326. Three ave-

Picardy.

Houte 3.— Boulogne.

nues traverse the ponds; and here
grand stag-hunts were held by the
royal princes.

Not far from this is the ruined Cis¬
tercian Abbey of Royaumont, founded
by St. Louis, 1230, who often retired
hither from the world, tending the sick
and eating with the monks. A wall and
turret of the church, with bits of the
refectory and cloister, alone remain,
and are now converted into a cotton-
mill. The valley of the Oise in this
vicinity is very rich and fine.

10 Luzarches has an interesting
Church of the end of the 12th or begin¬
ning of the 13th cent.: its portal is
ornamented with curious sculptures of
martyred saints; and remains of an
ancient castle of the French kings exist
here on the top of the hill: they con¬
sist of a fragment of a square donjon
and a chapel.

11 Ecouen. The chief building is
the Chateau of the Montmorency fa¬
mily, built in the reign of Francis I.,
now the property of the Due d’Aumale.
It was converted by Napoleon into a
seminary for the education of the
daughters of members of the Legion of
Honour, grid placed under the direction
of Madame Campan. It is now subor¬
dinate to the chief establishment of the
order of St. Denis. The principal front
was destroyed at the Revolution, the
other 3 are well preserved. Within are
traces of frescoes, of the 16th cent.,
which were whitewashed by Madame
Campan. The elegant chapel, orna¬
mented with carvings in wood and a
richly-decorated chimney-piece, is a
chef -d'oeuvre of the style of the Renais¬
sance.

Soon after leaving Ecouen a fine
view of Paris presents itself. Charn-
platreux, the seat of M. Mole, is visible.

10 St. Denis (Stat. on the Railroad),
in Rte. 3.

9 Paris. See Galignani’s Guide to
Paris, and Rte. 4.

ROUTE 3.

BOULOGNE TO PARIS. — RAILWAY, BY

ABBEVILLE, AMIENS, CLERMONT, AND

PONTOISE.—CHEMIN DE FER DU NORD.

272 kilom. = 170 Eng. nr.

5 trains daily; in 5^ to 8 hours.

Boulogne.— Inns : H. des Bains, si¬
tuated close to the port, comfortable;
a good cuisine and table d’hote at 4 fr.’
good but dear. H. du Nord, also good.
Barry’s Marine Hotel, opposite the
baths and steamers. Id. d’Angleterre ;
moderate. Id. de Londres; good, and
great civility.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is a seaport in
the Channel, or Pas de Calais, on the
estuary of a small stream, the Liane,
which forms a tide harbour, flanked on
either side by wooden piers stretching-
out as far as low-water mark. It was
the Roman Gessoriacum. The old
town occupies the summit of a hill, on
which it was built for security in an¬
cient times, and it is still encircled by
its feudal ramparts, and entered by ca¬
vernous gateways. The new or Basse
Ville, stretching down the slopes of
the hills which border the harbour,
and under the brown cliffs which partly
line it, is the chief seat of commerce,
and contains the best hotels, streets,
and shops.

The number of inhabitants is 29,145,
among whom are at least 7000 perma¬
nent English residents; indeed, Bou¬
logne, having the advantage of being
within 5 hours of London, has become,
since the peace, one of the chief British
colonies abroad; and, by a singular
reciprocity, on the very spot whence
Napoleon proposed the invasion of our
shores, his intended victims have
quietly taken possession and settled
themselves down. The town is en¬
riched by English money; warmed,
lighted, and smoked by English coal;
English signs and advertisements de¬
corate every other shop - door, inn,
tavern, and lodging-house; and almost
every third person you meet is either
a countryman or speaking our lan¬
guage ; while the outskirts of the town
are enlivened by villas and country-
houses, somewhat in the style and taste
of those on the opposite side of the
Channel. There are at least 120
boarding - schools (pensionnats) for
youth of both sexes, many of them
under English managers.

Le Port. The margin of the har¬
bour concentrates the chief bustle and

Route 3.— Boulogne.

Sect. I.

business; here is the landing-place of
the packets, and the Donane, whither
passengers are first conveyed on their
arrival to deliver their passports, and
to be visited by the custom-house offi¬
cers. New Quays have been built; a
backwater with sluices for scouring
the harbour mouth is planned. The
tide rises from 18 to 27 ft. here.

The present entrance to the harbour
was formed 1829, somewhat to the W.
of the old, and allows the packets to
enter 1^ hour earlier and later than in
the old. It is flanked on either side
by wooden piers, that which projects
from the end of the quay forming a
pleasant walk when the tide is in. The
number of persons who disembai'k here
annually amounts to 100,000 or 150,000,
and hence the chief source of the pros¬
perity of Boulogne.

On one side of the harbour, on the
margin of a fine sandy beach, is the
Etablissement des Bains, a showy build¬
ing, fronted with colonnades, contain¬
ing subscription, ball, and reading
rooms. In front is drawn up in long
array a number of genuine bathing-
machines (voitures baignoires), the only
ones of the sort to be found in France.
Boulogne is much resorted to in sum¬
mer as a watering-place, both by the
Parisians and English, on account of
sea-bathing, for which it is well adapted,
having a fine sandy beach.

On the opposite (1.) side of the har¬
bour is a semicircular basin, dug out
of the sand by Napoleon, to contain
the celebrated flotilla of flat-bottomed
boats intended by him to transport an
invading French army to the coasts of
England, but happily not destined to
reach our shores.

Almost all the 1300 vessels belong¬
ing to Boulogne are engaged in fishery,
and the arrival and departure of the
boats collects a crowd of fishermen and
fisherwives in their singular and pic¬
turesque costume, such as the pencils
of Prout and Stanfield are wont to por¬
tray. These people occupy a distinct
quarter of the town on the N. side of
the harbour, the streets of which are
draped with nets hung out from the
fronts of the houses to dry, and in
dress and manners they are distinct from

the rest of the inhabitants, speaking a
peculiar patois, and rarely intermarry¬
ing with the other townsfolk. They
are an industrious and very hard-work¬
ing race, especially the women, and
very religious: the perils and vicissi¬
tudes of their hard life reminding
them more nearly than other classes
of their dependence on Providence.
The Boulogne fishing-boats are the
largest and best worked in the Chan¬
nel. A great number repair annually
to the coast of Scotland for the herring
fishery, and some go as far as Shetland
and Iceland.

The Rue de l’Ecu, running parallel
with the Liane, and the Grande Rue,
ascending the hill towards the upper
town, contain some of the best shops.
About half-way up the Grande Rue is
the Museum (in what was the Grande
S^minaire). A sum has been voted for
a new building expressly designed for
it. It deservedly ranks amongst the
best provincial collections in France, is
highly creditable to the town, and owes
a large part of its contents to private
donations. The series of arms, dresses,
implements, weapons, &c., of various
nations, including the full dress of a
Lapland lady given by Admiral Rosa-
mel, is very extensive. Here is an
imaginary model of the Tower of
Caligula, which stood on the heights
above the town: also engravings of
the siege of Boulogne under Henry
VIII.; a curfew of earthenware ; some
curious fragments of sculpture of the
15th and 16th cent, from churches, &c. ;
a Last Judgment, a bas-relief carved
in wood very elaborately ; an extensive
series of medals,— among them that
celebrated one, which took too much
for granted, struck by Napoleon 1804,
and bearing the inscription “ Descente
en Angleterre,” “ Frappe a Londres,”
of which 3 or 4 impressions alone are
said to exist, the die having been de¬
stroyed. The quantity of Roman an¬
tiquities, of pottery, glass, bronzes,
coins, utensils of various kinds, found
in and about the town by excavations,
is very remarkable, as well as their
good preservation. In digging the
foundations of the Abattoir on the
road to Paris, a multitude of vases and

Picardy.

Route 3.— Boulogne.

other objects, with more than 1300
medals, relics of the Roman Bononia
or Gessoriacum, came to light, and
have been deposited here. A collec¬
tion of siege pieces, or coins struck in
haste in besieged towns, is curious, as
well as a series of French Assignats, or
paper money issued at the Revolution.
The museum possesses a mummy pro¬
nounced by Champollion one of the
finest in Europe, for the number and
brillancy of its paintings, &c.; it was
brought from Biban el Molouk by
Denon.

Persons interested in natural history
will find collections in all departments,
by no means contemptible in extent or
preservation. The geology of the dis¬
trict is illustrated by a large series of
specimens, including the ironstone of
the Boulonnois, the marble of Marquise
(lower oolite), and the coal. Of the
Picture Gallery much cannot be said,
but there are 1 or 2 tolerable modern
paintings ; a good sea-piece by Dela¬
croix.

The Museum is opened to the public
Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, from
10 to 4; strangers may obtain admis¬
sion on other days by giving a small
fee to the concierge. Under the same
roof is the Public Library , containing
22,000 volumes and 3000 MSS., many
of them rare and richly illuminated,
including the oldest copy extant of
Bede’s ‘ Homilies,’ from St. Bertin.

The Old Town of Boulogne, on the
summit of the hill, retains its three
arched gateways, and the ancient ram¬
parts which defended it in the 15th
cent., but offered a vain resistance
to the assaults and cannonading of the
army of Henry VIII. The town was
restored, however, to Henri II. of
France by the English (1550), in the
reign of Edward VI., by treaty, upon
payment of 40,000 livres. In con¬
sideration of this a bronze bust of
Henri (by David d’Angers) decorates
the esplanade outside the gate des
Dunes. The Bemparts form an airy
and agreeable walk, running uninter¬
ruptedly round the town, and com¬
manding views in all directions, over
the sea and port, and over the high
ground to the E. occupied in turn by the

camps of Caligula, Henry VIII., and
Napoleon, and along the roads to Calais
and Paris. In one corner of the walls
is the old Citadelle , flanked by high
round towers, and divided from the
town by a fosse, but now much mo¬
dernised externally, and converted into
a barrack. In the midst of the old
town, behind the Hotel de Ville, rises
the antique tower of the Beffroi.

The Cathedral, a large modern
Grecian building, has been in progress
since 1827, being built by subscription,
on the site of a Gothic one pulled down
at the Revolution. Two ranges of cu¬
rious stunted pillars, dating probably
from the 11th cent., which belonged to
a crypt under the old church, exist be¬
neath the new one.

There are several Nunneries in the
old town; that of the Ursulines is at
No. 2, Rue de la Paille. The sisters,
40 or 50 in number, instruct a pen¬
sion for . young ladies. The Soeurs
de Bon Secours (Rue St. Martin,
No. 20) devote themselves to attend
on the sick, and their services are
much esteemed by the poor. The con¬
vent of the “Dames de la Visitation,”
about f m. out of the town, near the
St. Omer road, is the largest, and
has a fine chapel, open on Sundays.

At Boulogne, in 1840, a landing and
an ineffectual attempt at insurrection
was made by Louis Napoleon.

Le Sage, the author of Gil Bias,
who repaired to Boulogne in the latter
years of his life to stay with his son,
a canon of the cathedral, died 1747, in
a house, No. 3, Rue du Chateau, as
an inscription over the door points out
The existing building, however, is
of much more recent date, and only
occupies the site of the original house.
Churchill the poet also died at Bou¬
logne, whither he had come on a visit
to John Wilkes, then a voluntary exile
from England. Attempts made by
the priests to obtain access to the
dying man, in order to convert him
to popery, were stoutly repelled by
Wilkes.

There are 2 English Chapels here:
one in the Rue du Temple, built by
subscription of the English (1828),
is capable of containing 1000 persons

Route 3.— Boulogne.

Sect. I.

—service at 11 and 3 on Sundays: the
other in the Rue St. Martin in the
Haute Ville.

The Poste aux Lettres is at No. 28,
Rue des Vieillards; it is open from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. The British Consul
resides in the Rue des Vieillards.

In the Cemetery of the upper town
is the grave of 82 female convicts
from England, drowned in the wreck
of the “ Amphitrite,” 1833, and others
who perished in the Indiaman “ Con¬
queror,” 1843.

At Capecure a large flax-mill has
been built, with 2 steam-engines, 6000
spindles, employing 1000 people.

Merridew, Rue de l’Ecu, has an
English reading-room and circulating
library. Stubbs has another.

The Office for Passports is open from
9 to 2; but passports are countersigned
at later hours in case of urgency.
See Introduction, c.

On the very edge of the cliff, just
above the sea-baths, a little to the E.
of the port, are the scanty remains of
solid brick walls known as Pa Tour
d’ Ordre (Turris Ardens, i.e. light-
tower), supposed to be the founda¬
tions of a tower built by Caligula the
Roman emperor, a.d. 40, when he
marched to the shore of the Channel
with an army of 100,000 men, boast¬
ing that he intended to invade the
opposite coast of Britain, but con¬
tenting himself with gathering a few
shells, which he called the spoils of
the ocean. The tower is supposed
to have been intended for a lighthouse,
but the remains are very scanty, and
from the falling of the cliff even these
are likely soon to disappear.

On the same heights 18 centuries
later another emperor—Napoleon—en¬
camped an army of more than 180,000
men, designed to invade England, and
placed under the command of Soult,
Ney, Davoust, and Victor. Buonaparte
himself, during his visits to the camp,
occupied a temporary baraque, which
was raised within a few yards of the
Roman tower. Thence he could sur¬
vey his flotilla of 2400 transports and
flat-bottomed boats, and the shore on
either side of the town, both under the
cliff and upon the heights, bristling

with batteries of cannon and mortars ;
while in the distance the vigilant fleets
of England hovered iucessantly. In
one instance Nelson approached near
enough to bombard the town and sink
two of the floating batteries. “ Bou¬
logne,” he writes, “ was certainly not
a pleasant place that morning; but it
is not my wish to injure the poor
inhabitants, and the town is spared as
much as the service will admit.” It is
stated, however, that most of the
bombs fell short, and that in exca¬
vating the new harbour many tons of
them were dug out. He afterwards
made an unsuccessful attempt with the
boats of his squadron to cut out the
flotilla in the teeth of the batteries,
and burn it. Another attempt, in
1804, to burn the flotilla with fire¬
ships, made by Lord Keith, was at¬
tended with no better result.

The flotilla of Boulogne formed
only part of the deeply laid scheme
of Napoleon for the destruction of
England. He designed to collect to¬
gether the combined fleets of France,
Spain, and Holland, which for years
previously he had been constructing
in the harbours of Antwerp, Brest,
Cadiz, and the Mediterranean, and
with a squadron of 70 ships of the
line to sweep the Channel of the
British. Under cover of this vast ar¬
mament, he intended to have crossed
over with the army of Boulogne, ex¬
pecting to reach London in 5 days,
where he designed to have proclaimed
parliamentary reform, abolishing the
monarchy and the House of Peers,
and substituting a republic!! The
troops of the Boulogne expedition
were so nicely drilled, and every man
so accurately informed of the boat
which was to transport him, that at
a preliminary review, in 104 minutes
25,000 were embarked; and relanded
and drawn up on the shore again in 13
minutes more. The whole of these
projects and combinations, however,
were scattered to the winds; the fleet
of England, under Sir Robert Calder,
prevented the junction of those of the
enemy, and Nelson finally annihilated
them at Trafalgar.

A conspicuous memorial of this pro-

Picardy. Route 3. —Boulogne

jected but unaccomplished invasion
exists at the distance of nearly a mile
from the town in the Colonne Napoleon ,
which surmounts the heights traversed
by the road to Calais. It was begun
by the grand army assembled for the
invasion of England, as a monument to
their leader and emperor. The first
stone was laid by Marshal Soult, 1804;
but its construction was discontinued
after the departure of the troops, and
the withdrawal of the subscriptions
which they contributed out of their
pay. Under Louis XVIII. it was re¬
sumed, with the ostensible design of
commemorating the restoration of the
Bourbons. In consequence, however,
of the revolution of July it has resumed
its original destination; and having
been purged of carved fleurs-de-lis and
royalist inscriptions, was dedicated,
1841, as a monument to Buonaparte,
and surmounted by a bronze statue of
him in his coronation robes by Bosio,
and one of that sculptor’s best works,
while bronze bas-reliefs decorate the
base. The pillar is of the Doric order,
and 50 metres =164 ft. high, exclusive
of the statue, 16 ft., and is constructed
of marble from the quarries of Mar¬
quise. A winding stair leads up to the
top, whence a view may be had of the
white cliffs of England.

f m. farther, on the coast, a monu¬
ment of marble commemorates the dis¬
tribution of the Order of the Legion of
Honour by Buonaparte to his troops,
during one of his visits to the camp.
Nearer at hand, attached to a small
group of houses down in the hollow,
1^ m. from Boulogne, is the humble
chapel of J(fsus Flagella ; curious, be¬
cause it exhibits an instance of the
practice so common in the Romish
Church of making votive offerings. It
is resorted to by the fishermen of Bou¬
logne and their families before they go
out to sea; and they have lined its
walls with votive pictures, even with
lithographs, and hung its roof with
models of their barks, each to comme¬
morate some rescue from the perils of
the great deep.

Bailway to Paris (Rte. 3).

Steamers. To Dovor daily in 2 hours.
The passage is very little longer than

to Paris — Raihvag.

from Calais to Dovor, and 24 m. of
tedious land journey are saved.—To
Folkestone every tide in 2 hours.—To
London: in summer almost daily, in
winter 2 or 3 times a-week, in 10 or 12
hours.

Diligences. To Beauvais; to St.
Omer; to Calais ; to Samer ; to Lille
and Arras.

Landing and embarking at Boulogne
(see Introduction). The porter’s ta¬
riff for conveying luggage from the
steamboat to the custom-house, and
thence to the hotel, or to the owner’s
residence, is fixed according to weight.
Fr. Cents.

0 70 for 15 kilos ( = 33 lbs.) or under.

1 0 for 15 to 100 kilos (=220 lbs.).

1 50 for 100 kilos and upwards.

For excursions in the neighbourhood
jackasses (baudets) are much in vogue.

Bailway to Paris.

Between Boulogne and the mouth of
the Somme (36 m.) the rly. is car¬
ried within a short distance of the sea.
There is a tunnel of 200 yards, through
the forest of Hardelot.

6 Pont de Brique Stat.

14 Neuchatel Stat., a small village
in a wooded hollow.

28 Etaples Stat. A town of 2500
Inhab. There is a viaduct over the
Cauche, more than 900 ft. long.

39 Montreuil Stat. (Rte. 4, p. 22.)

55 Rue Stat., a poor and hitherto
“out-of-the-way” town,with a curious
old Ch.

65 Noyelle Stat. The railway runs
near the N. bank of the Somme. A
branch line is projected (1852) from
Noyelle to St. Valery.

St. Valery, at the mouth of the
Somme, 12 m. below Abbeville, was the
port whence the fleet of William the
Conqueror set sail to invade England.
It is partially resorted to as a watering-
place.

At Blanchetaque Edward III. crossed
the Somme with his army before the
battle of Crecy, by a ford passable only
at low water. The tide, rising immedi¬
ately after, arrested the pursuit of the
French forces, and compelled them to
ascend the 1. bank, while the English
pursued their way up the rt.

Sect. I.

Route 3 .—Boulogne to Paris — Amiens.

The Somme is crossed by a bridge
of 2 arches before reaching

79 Abbeville Stat. — Inns: H. de
l’Europe; Tete de Bceuf. This is an
industrious manufacturing town of
17,582 Inhab., which, from its situation
on the Somme, here a wide river, is
accessible for vessels of 150 tons. Those
who will penetrate into its narrow and
filthy streets will find some quaint
specimens of ancient domestic archi¬
tecture, timber houses, &c., but the
chief object of interest, which really
ought to be seen, is

The Cli. of St. Wolfram. The W.
front, and 5 first arches of the nave,
are a portion of a magnificent design,
never carried out, commenced in the
reign of Louis XII., under the Cardinal
George d’Amboise. The facade is a
splendid example of the flamboyant
style, consisting of three gorgeous
portals, surmounted by a pediment,
and flanked by two towers; the whole
covered with the richest flowing tracery,
or panelling; the niches being filled
with statues. The central door is
curiously carved. The remainder of
the church is a mean continuation of
the first plan. The prison is a fragment
of the old Castle of the Counts of
Ponthieu.

Diligences to Eu and Dieppe (Rte.
18); to Rouen; to Beauvais; to St.
Valery. Railway to Paris. From Abbe¬
ville to Amiens the line is carried up the
valley of the Somme along its 1. bank.

87 Pont-Remy Stat. The village is
on the rt. bank of the Somme. 6| m.
off lies Ailly le Haut Clocher, so called
from the lofty steeple of its fine Ch.,
in a style resembling Early English
Gothic.

95 Longpre Stat.

102 Hangest Stat.

109 Picquigny Stat. The ruined
castle, close to the Ch., with its ter¬
races, mentioned in Mad. de S^vigne’s
‘ Letters,’ was built at the end of the
15th cent. This place gives its name
to a Treaty, signed 1475, between
Edward IV. and Louis XI., who met
on the bridge; but so distrustful of
each other, that a barrier of stout pali¬
sades and wooden bars, “ such as the
cages of lions are made of,” says De

Comines, was raised to divide them,
eaving space between the bars only
wide enough to allow them to shake
hands.

Ailly Stat.

124 Amiens Stat. — Inns: H. de
France et d’Angleterre ; H. de Paris;
H. des Postes, good—S'.A. H. du Rhin,
near the rly., belongs to the landlord
of the Poste.

Amiens is an industrious manufac¬
turing town of 46,129 Inhab., formerly
capital of Picardy, now chef-lieu of the
Dept, de la Somme, and situated on
that river, which passes through the
town split into 11 branches, and ren¬
ders essential service in turning the
water-wheels of many of the numerous
manufactories, whose tall chimneys are
seen rising above the other buildings,
and are clustered around the outskirts.
The weaving of cotton velvets, chiefly
for Spanish consumption, and the spin¬
ning of cotton and woollen yarn, are
the principal branches of industry,
Amiens is the cradle of the cotton
manufacture of France, which dates no
farther back than 1773.

The object which deservedly con¬
centrates the attention of travellers at
Amiens is the Cathedral, one of the
noblest Gothic edifices in Europe. It
was begun 1220, only two years later
than Salisbury, though in a much more
mature style than that edifice. It was
designed and begun by the architect
Robert de Luzarches, but continued
and completed, 1269, by Thomas and
Regnault de Cormont, except the W.
front, not finished until the end of
the 14th cent. Three vast and deeply
recessed portals lead into it, the arches
supported by a long array of statues
in niches instead of pillars, while rows
of statuettes supply the place of mould¬
ings, so that the whole forms one
mass of sculpture ; an arrangement of
constant occurrence in French Gothic,
though rare in English. The sculpture
of these porches merits attention; over
the centre door the bas-relief represents
the Last Judgment; the statues are
those of the 12 Apostles. Over the rt.-
hand porch are the Death and Assump¬
tion of the Virgin; over that on the 1.
is the legend of St. Firmin, the apostle

Picardy.

Route 3.— Amiens .

of Picardy. Above the portals runs a
colossal line of French kings, behind
which appears a noble wheel-window;
and the whole is flanked by two stately
but unfinished towers.

“ The interior is one of the most
magnificent spectacles that architec¬
tural skill can ever have produced. The
mind is filled and elevated by its enor¬
mous height (140 ft.), its lofty and
many - coloured clerestory, its grand
proportions, its noble simplicity. The
proportion of height to breadth is
almost double that to which we are
accustomed in English cathedrals; the
lofty, solid piers, which bear up this
height, are far more massive in their
plan than the light and graceful clusters
of our English churches, each of them
being a cylinder with 4 engaged co¬
lumns. The polygonal E. apse is a
feature which we seldom see, and no¬
where so exhibited, and on such a scale;
and the peculiar French arrangement
which puts the walls at the outside
edge of the buttresses, and thus forms
interior chapels all round, in addition
to the aisles, gives a vast multiplicity
of perspective below, which fills out the
idea produced by the gigantic height
of the centre. Such terms will not be
considered extravagant when it is re¬
collected that the vault is half as high
ae;ain as the roof of Westminster
Abbey.”— Whewell.

The entire length is 442 ft. The
general character of the architecture is
that of the early English, except the
geometric tracery of the windows. The
triforium is glazed, rvhich gives great
lightness to the interior. Just within
the central porch are 2 fine brass
effigies of bishops; that on the 1. as
you enter is Evrard de Fouilly, who
laid the first stone of the church; that
on the rt. Geoffroy d’Eu, “ learned,”
as his epitaph tells us, “ in medicine as
w ell as theology.” The splendid pulpit,
the work of an artist of Amiens,
Dupuis, is supported by statues of
Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Placed at the crossing of the tran¬
sept, the spectator may admire the 3
magnificent rose windows, all of ela-
borate tracery and varied patterns,
filled with rich stained glass, each

nearly 100 ft. in circumference, which
form a great ornament to this church,
and surpass everything of the sort
which England can show. The font
in the N. transept is an oblong trough
of stone, probably of the 10th or 11th
cent.

Found the wall which separates the
choir from its aisles runs a low screen
of stone, enclosing a series of curious
sculptures, in high relief, representing
on the S. side the legend of St. Firmin,
and on the N. the acts and death of
John the Baptist. They date from the
end of the 15th cent.

The head of St. John the Baptist,
brought from Constantinople at the
time of the Crusades, has always been
considered, and still remains, the most
valuable relic possessed by this church.
It is deposited in the side chapel dedi¬
cated to St. John. Several other heads
of St. John existed before the Revolu¬
tion in other churches of France, and
one, indeed, in the neighbouring abbey
of St. Acheul; but this, it was main¬
tained, was the genuine one. Since
the Revolution, the skull has been re¬
duced to the frontal bone and upper
jaw.

Attached to a monument of Canon
Lucas, at the back of the high altar,
and facing the Lady Chapel, is a weep¬
ing angel, which has received more
praise than it seems to deserve on the
score of art; it is known as “ l’enfant
pleureur.” Blasset is the sculptor’s
name.

The choir , terminating in a semi¬
circular E. end, the elegantly groined
roof resting on compressed lancet-
pointed arches, yields in beaut} r to no
part of the church. It is also especially
distinguished for the elaborately carved
woodwork of its 116 stalls: in variety
of invention and delicacy of execution
there is nothing finer of the kind in
Europe. The intricate details of the
tabernacles and lace-like parapets, the
bold drawing, and effective though
coarse expression in the bas-reliefs, re¬
presenting subjects from Holy Writ,
the Life of the Virgin, &c., and the
close imitation of nature in the twin¬
ing tendrils and playful foliage of the
vine and other plants, deserve minute

Route 3. —Boulogne to Paris — Amiens.

Sect. T.

attention. The carvers were Arnonlt
Boullin and Alex. Huet, menuisiers of
Amiens: the work was finished in
1520. The diapering of fleurs-de-lis at
the back of the seats was effaced by
order of the government in 1830. To
appreciate the vast proportions and ex¬
amine the details of this cathedral, the
visitor ought to ascend to the triforium
gallery; thence he may mount the
tower and enjoy the view over the vale
of the Somme, remarking in his ascent
the turret with the stone table, where
Henri IV. posted himself to watch the
retreat of the Spaniards in 1597. The
roof is a wonderful piece of carpentry,
46 ft. high ; a forest of oak and chest¬
nut must be contained in it.

Within the cathedral of Amiens
Edward III. did homage for Guienne
to Philippe of Valois, 1329; and here,
in 1385, Isabel of Bavaria was married
to the idiot king Charles VI. The
best description of Amiens Cathedral is
that of M. Gilbert.

The other buildings in the town
possess comparatively slight interest.
The deserted Ch. of St. Bend, now a
stable, was a rich specimen of the latest
florid Gothic, the beauty of which is
destroyed by mutilations. Within it is
a sculptured monument to the family
Lannay. In the Hotel de Ville, a
building of 1600, the treaty of “ the
Peace of Amiens” was signed, 1802,
by the plenipotentiaries, Joseph Buona¬
parte for France, Lord Cornwallis for
England, Chevalier Azara for Spain,
and M. Schimmelpenninck for Holland.
The hall is hung with pictures of the
modern French school, of slight merit.
There is a Museum, containing some
antiquities, paintings, &c.

A Boulevard surrounds the town,
occupying the site of the ancient ram¬
parts, and, being planted with trees,
forms an agreeable promenade. A
Citadel, however, remains, built on the
rt. bank of the Somme by Henri IV.,
and strengthened by modern works.
The Spaniards, in 1597, gained the city,
which had claimed the privilege of
exemption from a military garrison,
through the stratagem of Hernando
Tello de Porto Carrero, Spanish gover¬
nor of Doullens, who, disguising him¬

self and a band of companions as pea¬
sants, entered the town at early dawn,
along with the market folk, driving
a waggon laden with fruit, which he
halted under the gateway. In passing
the gate it was contrived that a sack of
walnuts should burst; and while the
unsuspecting guards were occupied on
all fours scrambling for its scattered
contents, the Spaniards fell on them
and put them to the sword. In vain
the portcullis was hastily lowered: the
waggon had been drawn up so as to
catch it as it fell, leaving a passage by
which a party of armed Spaniards, in
ambush outside, gained easy admit¬
tance.

Henri IV., not yet firmly fixed in
his throne, felt the loss of Amiens as
a severe blow, and hastened to recover
it. He was aided in the siege and
capture of the town, 1598, by a body
of 4000 Englishmen, under Sir Arthur
Savage, furnished by Queen Elizabeth.

Amiens was the Samarobriva of the
Romans; and the Ambiani, the Gallic
inhabitants of the district (whence the
name Amiens), are mentioned by
Ceesar. Here Merovee was proclaimed
king by being raised on the shield of
his victorious soldiers.

The following eminent persons were
born in the town or its vicinity:—
Peter the Hermit, preacher of the first
crusade; Gabrielle d’Estrees, the che¬
rished mistress of Henri IV.; Ducange,
author of the ‘ Glossarium ad Scrip-
tores mediaj et infimai Latinilatis;’ a
statue of him (Du Fresne, Seigneur du
Cange) has been set up in the square
near the Stat.; Gresset the poet, author
of ‘Vertvert;’ Delambre the astrono¬
mer.

The Abbey of St. Acheul, on the
outskirts of the town, was converted
into a Jesuits’ college under the Re¬
storation. The crypt under the church
contains some ancient tombs and bas-
reliefs.

Amiens is celebrated among gour¬
mands for its pate's de canard.

Railways from Amiens—to Paris, to
Lille (Rte. 1), and to Abbeville.

Diligences daily to Beauvais (Rte. 4).

At Amiens our route enters upon the
Great Trunk Railway from Paris to

Picardy.

Route 3 .—Boulogne to Paris — Railway.

Lille and Brussels, called Chemin de
Fer du Nord (Rte. 1 and 184).

9 Boves Stat.

10 Ailly-sur-Noye Stat.

17 Breteuil Stat. — The town lies
about 4 m. on the W.

Diligence to Beauvais, 17 m. (Rte.
4), and to Rouen.

15 St. Just Stat.

14 Clermont Stat.

Clermont-sur-Oise {Inn: Croissant,
tolerable), a prettily situated town on
the slopes of a hill, surmounted by the
Castle, which is now a Penitentiary for
women, and modernized. It w^as, how¬
ever, an important fortress from the
10th to the 16th cent.; taken by the
English 1359 and 1434, and by Henri
IV. from the troops of the League
1595. The elder Conde, disgusted
with the Court, retired hither, 1615,
and fortified himself against attacks.

From the agreeable promenade du
Chatellier, which surrounds its walls,
jutting out over the valley, a beautiful
view of its winding stream is obtained.
Cassini, the astronomer and geographer,
was a native of Clermont.

8 Liancourt Stat.

7 Creil Stat., a town of 1500 Inhab.,
on the 1. bank of the Oise. Only the
foundations of a tower remain of the
old Castle in which Charles VI. was
shut up during his madness. It stood
on the island below the bridge, but
was destroyed at the Revolution.

There is a large delft manufactory
at Creil.

A branch railway diverges from
Creil to St. Quentin, by Compiegne
(Rte. 183), Noyon, and Chauny.

The railroad, hitherto carried along
the high land of Picardy (chalk in
part), here enters the valley of the
Oise.

7 St. Leu Stat.

Diligence hence to Chantilly (Rte.
2, p. 9), and to Senlis.

8 Boran Stat.

6 Beaumont-sur-Oise Stat., a town
of 2000 Inhab., surmounted by a ruined
tower, part of its old castle.

From Beaumont the distance by rail
is double the direct road to Paris.

7 Ile-Adam Stat.

6 Auvers Stat.

5 Pontoise Slat. {Inns: GrandCerf;
H. des Messageries), a town of 5400
Inhab., occupies a steep slope on the
river Oise, here traversed by a bridge,
whence its name. It is famous for
calves and flour, and supplies Paris
with these two articles. The Vionne,
wdiich here joins the Oise, turns 30
corn-mills.

The Ch. of St. Maclose is an in¬
teresting edifice presenting various
styles; there is some painted glass in
a chapel near the principal entrance.
The Palais de Justice is a Gothic
building.

Pontoise is a place of some historical
notoriety. St. Louis, attacked by a
violent illness, was here warned by a
voice from heaven to assume the cross
—1244. During the hard winter of
1437, when the ground was covered
with snow, the English took the town
by surprise, through the ingenious ruse
of Talbot, who clothed his soldiers in
white, under cover of which, in the
obscurity of the night, they reached
the foot of the walls unobserved by the
garrison.

Coaches to Gisors and Chaumont.

8 Herblay Stat.

3 Franconville Stat. The rly. crosses
the vale of Montmorency.

3 Ermont Stat.

3 Enghien Stat. Enghien les Bains
(H. des Quatre Pavilions) is a very
pretty village on the borders of the
Etang de Montmorency, with a Bath¬
ing Establishment supplied with medi¬
cinal waters from a sulphureous spring.
Not only on this account, but for the
extreme beauty of its situation and en¬
virons, it is much frequented by the
Parisians as a sort of French Rich¬
mond. The walks in the Parc de St.
Gratian are pleasant.

Enghien is about \{ m. from Mont¬
morency, whose beauties are much ex¬
aggerated by the Parisians. A road
strikes off through Epinay-sur-Seine to
St. Leu, celebrated for its chateau and
park, which, before the first Revolu¬
tion, belonged to the Due d’Orleans,
and was the favourite residence of
Madame de Genlis. In the time of
Napoleon it was given to Hortense, the
Queen of Holland, and after the Re-

Sect. I.

Route 3 .—Boulogne

storation became the property of the
Due de Bourbon, who ended his days
there miserably and mysteriously, being
found hanging to the window-bolt
(espagnolette) of his bed-room. Not a
trace remains of the chateau of the last
Cond4, and even the grounds are all
altered. It was purchased by the
Bande Noire, sold for its materials,
and streets built on the site, one appro¬
priately called Rue des Vandeles. The
Orleans family have erected on the
spot an octagonal monument to the
family of Cond4.

The Comte de St. Leu, father of
Louis Napoleon, is buried in the village
church.

Montmorency is a dirty little town
14 m. distant from Paris. Its fine
Gothic Ch., of the 15th cent., contains
some good painted glass.

The house called L' Ermitage, about
| m. off, has attained celebrity be¬
cause Rousseau resided in it, 1756-58,
and wrote there his ‘Nouvelle Heloise.’
It was then the property of Madame
d’Epinay, and really a peasant’s cot¬
tage. It was afterwards occupied by
Gr4try the composer, who died here
1813. It still exists, but incorporated
into a large and more modern mansion,
in which are preserved Rousseau’s bed,
table, &c.

The line is carried past one of the
detached forts which surround Paris,
and skirts (rt.) the margin of the Seine
shortly before reaching

5 St. Denis Stat.

The Abbey of St. Denis was one of
the most important and wealthy reli¬
gious foundations in France : its abbots
were powerful potentates; Turpin was
chancellor to Charlemagne, and Suger
prime minister to St. Louis.

The Abbey Church has been the
burial-place of the kings of France
from the time of Dagobert (580), and
is a building of great interest, in spite
of the wanton dilapidations of revolu¬
tionary violence, which the restorations
carried on under Napoleon, the Bour¬
bons, and Louis-Philippe have not yet
entirely repaired, and can never atone
for. The W. front, flanked and sur¬
mounted by 2 towers, is in the Roman¬
esque style, having been raised by

to Paris — St. Denis.

Abbot Suger, 1134. It was in the
porch of St. Denis that Henri IV. ab¬
jured the Protestant faith. Over the
central portal, which is semicircular, is
a bas-relief of the Last Judgment. A
vestibule, crowded with piers to sup¬
port the towers, leads into the nave,
which was built 1281, and is of re¬
markable width, considering that the
roof is of stone. The choir, dating
from the earlier period of Abbot Suger,
is, like that of Canterbury, narrower
than the nave.

On the 1., as you enter the nave, is
the monument of Dagobert, a singular
Gothic structure, raised to his memory
by St. Louis. The bas-reliefs on it re¬
present the pretended vision of a her¬
mit, who reported that he had seen Da¬
gobert in a boat pursued and scourged
by devils, but defended by St. Denis,
St. Martin, and St. Maurice. On the
same side are the splendid monuments,
in the style of the Renaissance, of
Louis XII. and Anne of Brittany,
whose recumbent effigies in marble are
surrounded by 12 small statues, in
niches, of the Apostles, admirable for
design, attitude, and execution. The
bas-reliefs round the base represent the
battle of Agnadel and the entry of
Louis into Milan. This monument is
the work of Paulo Poncio. That be¬
side it, of Henri II. and Catherine of
Medicis his queen, is said to have been
designed by Philip Delorme and exe¬
cuted by Germain Pilon. The royal
effigies are repeated twice; below re¬
cumbent as dead, above kneeling: at
the 4 corners are the Cardinal Virtues
in bronze!

On the S. side of the nave is the
cenotaph of Francis I. and Claude his
queen, erected 1550, from designs of
Primaticcio. The recumbent effigies
are by the skilful hand of Jean Goujon ,
as well as the elegant arabesques which
decorate the canopy. The frieze run¬
ning round the base of the monument
represents, in a series of marble bas-
reliefs of good execution, the battles of
Cerisol and of Marignano. The canopy
is surmounted by duplicate statues of
Francis and his queen, with their 3
children.

In the N. transept are placed monu-

Picardy. Route 3. —Boulogne to Paris — St. Denis.

mental columns to Henri III., assas¬
sinated by Jacques Clement 1589, and
to Francis II., husband of Mary Queen
of Scots, its base surrounded by weep¬
ing angels. In the S. transept is a
pillar in memory of Henri IV. The
effigy of the Breton knight Du Gues-
clin, whose valour and renown pro¬
cured him burial in the company of
kings, but availed not to save his
ashes from sacrilegious dispersion by
the republicans, is remarkable for its
diminutive size. The choir and its side
chapels, elevated considerably above
the nave, glow with modern decoration
in painting and gilding, which rival
heraldic blazonry in gaudy colours,
laid on much too indiscriminately, and
not in good taste. There is no lack of
modern painted glass, a very small
portion of the old having escaped the
fury of the Revolution. Some frag¬
ments of that with which Abbot Suger
decorated the building in 1140, still
preserved in the apsidal chapels be¬
hind the choir, are regarded as the
oldest in France. A red flag suspended
behind the altar supplies the place of
the once - venerated OriJJamme, the
standard of the realm of France, but
not used in battle since the time of
Charles VII. It was originally the
church flag of the Abbey of St. Denis,
which was delivered by the abbot to
the military guardian of the church
whenever he went forth to fight its
battles, and was supposed to secure
victory to those who bore it. It sup¬
planted St. Martin’s cloak, which had
previously served as the royal standard
of France.

A flight of steps on either side of
the choir leads down into the crypt
beneath it. Here, along the aisle, are
arranged chronologically the monu¬
ments of the kings of Fi’ance from the
time of Clovis. The statues called
Clovis King of the Franks, and his
Queen Clothilda, were brought from
the portal of the church at Corbeil on
the Seine at the Revolution. They
are supposed to be works of the 11th
or 12th cent., and are curious speci¬
mens of royal costume: the filleting of
the queen’s long hair is worth notice.
Those of kings preceding the 13th

cent, consist of rudely-sculptured effi¬
gies executed by order of St. Louis.
His own bust and that of his queen,
with statues of his two sons, painted
and gilt, follow next in a separate
chapel. The more modern statues of
the sovereigns of the house of Valois
and Bourbon are of white marble. The
series is closed with those of Louis
XVI., Marie Antoinette, the Due de
Berri, &c., executed for the Monument
Expiatoire destined for the spot where
the Due de Berri was assassinated, but
removed to the darkest corner of the
crypt after the July revolution: in
conception and execution they appear
nearly the worst of the whole.

This long range of Royal tombs is
now quite empty, in consequence of a
decree of the Convention of 1793 order¬
ing the destruction of the tombs of the
ci-devant kings at St. Denis. In the
course of 3 days 51 tombs were opened,
rifled, and demolished; and the bodies
of kings, queens, and princes, in every
stage of decay, cast out in one indis¬
criminate heap into 2 trenches, hastily
dug without the walls of the church,
after being subjected to every species
of brutal indignity. A soldier with
his sabre cut the beard from the nearly
perfect corpse of Henri IV. to wear it
as a moustache on his own lip; and the
valiant Turenne’s body, so little in¬
jured by time that the likeness to his
portrait was still recognised, was stuck
into a glass case, and made a show to
gratify idle curiosity. The broken
monuments were conveyed, along with
relics of saints and church - plate, to
Paris, and owe their preservation and
restoration to the praiseworthy zeal
and care of M. le Noir, founder of the
Mus^e des Petits Augustins. For 12
years after this sacrilege the Abbey
Ch. of St. Denis, stripped of its lead to
furnish bullets, remained roofless ; hav¬
ing first been offered for sale for the
value of the building-materials, and
next used as a market-house. Napoleon,
however, undertook its restoration, and
caused the desecrated sepulchral vaults
of the Bourbons to be fitted up as a
mausoleum for his own family! His
design, however, was frustrated by the
Restoration. At present the central

Route 4.— Calais to Paris.

Sect. I.

vaults below the high altar contain the
confused mass of royal bones, with¬
drawn by order of Louis XVIII. from
the ditch into which they had been
cast, together with the burnt remains
of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette,
the coffins of Louis XVIII. and others
of his family. In an obscure corner lies
the last Conde, father of the Due
d’Enghien, who died so miserably at
St. Leu.

The Ely. crosses the line of Fortifi¬
cations of Paris, and passes (rt.) the
hill of Montmartre.

Paris. — Terminus, Clos St. Lazare,
24 Place Koubaix (see pp. 25-26 and e.
Charge for posthorses).

ROUTE 4.

CALAIS TO PARIS BY BOULOGNE, ABBE¬
VILLE, BEAUVAIS, AND ST. DENIS.

272 kilom. = 168 Eng. m.

Diligences daily from Calais to Bou¬
logne. Railway thence to Paris in 9
hours.

To the flat land immediately about
Calais succeeds a hilly tract, unen¬
closed and uninteresting, which con¬
tinues as far as Boulogne.

13 Haut Buisson.

The poor village Ouessant, or Wit-
sand, on the sea-shore, about 4 m. N.
of this, is supposed to be the Portus
Itius of the Romans, the spot where
Julius Csesar embarked for the con¬
quest of Great Britain. Roman re¬
mains are found in the neighbourhood.
The harbour has long since been
blocked up with sand; yet it was for
centuries the landing-place for passen¬
gers from England.

9 Marquise, a town of 2000 Inhab.,
having in its neighbourhood mines of
coal and iron of no great importance,
and quarries of a coarse grey marble.

Ambleteuse, another poor village on
the coast, deserves mention only as the
spot where James II. disembarked,
Jan. 5, 1689.

In the churchyard of Wimille, at
the road side, 3 m. from Boulogne,
the two unfortunate aeronauts, Pilatre
de Rosier and Romain, are buried; the
balloon in which they had ascended
from Boulogne (1785), intending to

cross the Channel, caught fire at an
elevation of 3600 ft., and they were
miserably dashed to pieces. An obelisk
has been erected to their memory.

The road, previous to descending
from the open high ground, passes
close to a fort thrown up by Napoleon
in 1804; beyond which, about 200
yards on the rt., rises the Napoleon
Column. (See p. 15.)

A rapid descent leads under the walls
of the old town into the lower or new
town of

13 Boulogne, in Rte. 3.

The high road to Paris is nearly
deserted by travellers now -that the
Railway is open to Paris. It is desti¬
tute of interest, if we except the
churches at Abbeville and Beauvais.
These two towns are the best resting-
places.

On quitting Boulogne the road com¬
mands, from an eminence which it
ascends, a view into the valley of the
Liane—thenceforth it is monotonous
and dull. The Railway to Abbeville
(Rte. 3) is carried a little to the W.
of the post-road, nearer to the sea.

15 Samer (ruins of an abbey near
this). Inn : Tete de Beeuf.

9 Cormont.

13 Montreuil-sur-Mer. Inns: H.
de la Cour de France, et de l’Europe;
—H. de France, et de l’Angleterre.
An ugly town and 2nd-rate fortress, on
a hill rising out of the marshy valley
of the Cache. It has a tall flamboyant
church, with a fine W. doorway under
the towers.

14 Nampont is situated within the
Dept, de la Somme, which anciently
formed the province of Picardy.

9 Bernay.—La Poste, comfortable.
The little seaport St. Valery is visible
from the heights traversed by the
road.

The wood seen on the 1., at a little
distance from the road, is a part of
the forest of Crecy, the name of a
village 12 m. from Abbeville; obscure
in itself, but renowned for a victory
gained in its precincts, Aug. 26th,
1346, by Edward III. and his 40,000
men over the French army of Philip of
Valois 100,000 strong, commanded by
the Count d’Alen^on, which still, after

Picardy.

Route 4.— Calais to Paris — Beauvais.

the lapse of ages, remains one of the
most brilliant in English annals. Here,
upon that memorable day, to the win¬
ning of which the cannon, used, accord¬
ing to some, for the first time, con¬
tributed less than the clotliyard shafts
of the English yeomen, there fell, on
the side of the French, the Kings of
Bohemia and Majorca, the Duke of
Lorraine, the Count d’Alen£on (the
king’s brother), with 1200 knights,
1500 gentlemen, 5000 men at arms,
and 30,000 infantry. Here it was that
the Black Prince gained his spurs, and
the feathers which the princes of Wales
bear to this day.

7 Nouvion. An extensive manu¬
factory of beet-root sugar is seen on the
1., 2 m. before reaching Abbeville.

The most pleasing view on the whole
road is that of Abbeville, and of the
fertile vale of the Somme, in which it
is situated, from the summit of the
long and steep descent which leads
down to it,

13 Abbeville. See Ete. 3. A Stat.
on the Ely. to Paris.

[About 6 m. E. of Abbeville (bad
road) is the Abbei/ Ch. of St. Riquier,
a very splendid and interesting Gothic
edifice, well preserved, having a beauti¬
ful flamboyant W. front, in the centre
of which rises an elegant tower; while
beneath it opens the main portal, hav¬
ing statues in its top and sides. “ The
details of the front are exquisite, well
arranged, and well executed.” The
interior is also very fine; the nave
flamboyant, the choir apparently earlier.
On the walls of the treasury are curious
and ancient frescoes; one in the style
of the “ Dance of Death.” It is well
worth a visit.]

The post-road crosses the Somme
by two bridges on quitting Abbeville.

19 Airaines.

10 Camps.

13 Poix(Amiennois), which gives the
title to the chief of the Noailles family.
The road from Amiens to Eouen
passes through this place.

14 Grandvilliers. H. d’Angleterre.

10 Marseille (Oise). During this

stage the scenery is rather more in¬
teresting. Vineyards first appear a
little to the N. of

19 Beauvais. — Inns; Hotel du
Cygne ;—d’Angleterre.

This is the chief town of the Dept,
de l’Oise: it has 13,082 Inhab. The
central portion (la Cit4) is very an¬
cient, still in part enclosed by its old
walls, which on the E. side have given
place to airy boulevards planted with
trees ; many of the houses are of
wood. The most conspicuous edifice,
and the principal object of curiosity
hei*e, is the Cathedral. At a distance
it appears a heavy and uncouth mass,
overtopping the rest of the town with
its prominent roof, which is sup¬
ported by 3 rows of flying buttresses,
surmounted by double ranges of
pinnacles rising from broad buttress
walls. It w'as commenced 1225, and
the design of its founders and archi¬
tects, excited to emulation by the
splendour of Amiens, which had been
begun 5 years earlier, seems to have
been to surpass in vastness and mag¬
nificence all other Gothic edifices.
They miscalculated, however, the re¬
sources both of their art and their
treasury, and the result was repeated
failure and final defeat; for the pro¬
gress of the edifice was arrested when
it was only half finished, and it re¬
mains a mere gigantic choir with
transepts. As it is, however, this choir
is the loftiest in the world, the eleva¬
tion of the roof above the pavement
being 153 ft.—13 ft. higher than that
of Amiens ; but though more extraor¬
dinary, it is less pleasing than it.
“The extension of its dimensions up¬
ward is carried to a degree which strikes
the spectator as exaggeration. Amiens
is a giant in repose; Beauvais a colos¬
sus on tiptoe.”— W. To increase the
wonder of the building, the architect
designed to support it on half the num¬
ber of piers employed at present; but
in spite of the iron braces used to hold
the piers in their places, the walls
bulged out, and the roof fell twice.
The only means, then, of maintaining
it was by inserting intermediate piers
in the wide spaces left between the
original ones. The transepts, begun
1500, under the Bishop Villiers de
l’lle Adam (who, as well as his brother
the Grand Master of St. John of Jeru-

Route 4.— Beauvais.

Sect. I.

salem, was a Beauvoisin), by the archi¬
tects Jean Waast and Martin Cam-
biches, and finished 1555, are a fine
example of the flamboyant style.

One compartment of the nave was
actually begun when the architects
(moved, it is said, by a vain ambition
to rival the height of St. Peter's dome,
and M. Angelo’s masterpiece) aban¬
doned it to raise a tower 455 ft. high,
which lasted only 5 years, having
tumbled down 1573. The choir,
“ though raised to a loftiness that
strikes the beholder with awe and
astonishment, displays the space be¬
tween the tall and slender pillars
so entirely filled with glass that the
whole range of windows only appears
like a single zone of light supported
and separated by nothing but narrow
mullions situated at wide intervals.”
— Hope.

In the interior the effect of the
admirable painted glass, executed in
the best period of the art, is very rich.
That in the N. and S. rose windows
is attributed to Nicholas Lepot, and
that in some of the side chapels to
Augrand Leprince, both celebrated as
artists in this line in the 16th cent.
In the choir are hung 8 of the tapes¬
tries for the manufacture of which
Beauvais was celebrated, and which
preceded by 3 years that of Gobelins.
The monument in the N. aisle of the
choir of Cardinal Forbin de Janson,
surmounted by his kneeling effigy, is
by Nicholas Coustou, and of good
workmanship.

The entrances to the Cathedral are
by the transepts: the portal at the
extremity of the S. transept is loaded
with flamboyant decorations, though,
from the fury of iconoclasts, it has lost
the statues which filled the niches.
It is surmounted by a noble rose win¬
dow, of very rich tracery. The fagade
of the N. transept has very much the
character of English perpendicular
Gothic; its portal, deeply recessed,
with feathered mouldings to the arches,
retains its original carved doors, which
are surmounted by a bas-relief, in the
tympanum, of a genealogical tree;
the escutcheons suspended from the
branches.

A ruinous building called the Basse
CEuvre, on the W. of the cathedral,
occupying part of the space which the
nave, if carried out, would have
covered, is curious as one of the most
ancient buildings in France (8th or 9th
cent.). The lower part of the outer
walls displays masonry with bonds of
tiles, and tiled arches in the manner of
Roman edifices. The superstructure
served as a church in the 10th cent.;
in its interior square piers support
plain round arches. It seems never to
have had a stone roof.

St. Stephen’s Church. The nave ex¬
hibits the transition from Romanesque
to Gothic; it is very plain, with round
pier arches, and round-headed cleres¬
tory windows. The W. front resembles
a plain early English front of our own
country. The painted glass is very
excellent. The Bishop’s Palace, re¬
built in the 15th cent., has externally
the aspect of a castle surrounded by
walls, and its entrance flanked by 2
large round towers.

Caesar thus mentions the Bellovaci,
the ancient inhabitants of the Beau-
vaisis: “ Plurimum inter Belgas Bel-
lovacos et virtute et auctoritate, et
hominum numero valere.”

The most remarkable event in the
annals of Beauvais is its Siege by
Charles the Bold in 1472, when, being
destitute of garrison, it might have
fallen by a coup de main, had not
its citizens boldly closed their gates
in the face of an army of 80,000 Bur¬
gundians, and maintained an obstinate
resistance until succour arrived from
Paris. The peculiar feature in this
defence was the part which the wives
and daughters of the townsfolk took
in it, guarding the walls, and sharing
in all the perils of the men. The
chief heroine, Jeanne Hachette, ap¬
peared upon the breach at the moment
of the fiercest assaults, seized a Bur¬
gundian standard which a soldier was
endeavouring to plant on the walls,
and, hurling the bearer to the bottom,
bore it off in triumph into the town.
Louis XI. rewarded the valour of the
citizens by releasing them from taxes,
and complimented the ladies bj r an
ordonnance authorising them to take

Picardy.

Route 4.— Calais to Paris.

precedence of the men in the procession
of St. Angadreme, instituted to com-
morate the raising of the siege. This
procession is still kept up, on the Sun¬
day nearest the 14th Oct.; the females
lead the way, carrying the banner so
valorously acquired by Jeanne Ha-
chette, which is preserved in the H.
de Ville. A statue of her, erected
1850, adorns the “Place.”

At an earlier period (1357) Beau¬
vais was the centre of the revolt of
the serfs against their tyrannic lords,
called Jacquerie , from Jacques Bon-
homme (Goodman James), the familiar
sobriquet of the peasantry. It ex¬
tended over several provinces before
it was put down by the armed force
of the seigneurs banded together, and
with fearful cruelty. Froissart thus
describes an instance of wholesale ven¬
geance performed upon the rebellious
peasants by the Duke of Orleans, the
Count of Foix, and the Captal de Buch:
“ They set fire to the town and burned
it clean, and all the villagers of the town
that they could close therein.”

Diligence to Breteuil Stat. (Rte. 3.)

15 Noailles.

13 Puiseux.

10 Beaumont -sur- Oise (Hotel du
Paon), prettily situated on the 1. bank
of the Oise. Here vineyards first
appear. Ely. Stat.

Before reaching Moisselles, a paved
road, bordered with trees, strikes off to
Viarmes, the Abbey of Royaumont,
and Chantilly. (See p. 9.)

12 Moisselles. Rt. lie the forest of
Montmorency, and that of Ecouen,
with its immense chateau. (See p. 10.)

The road is carried through one of
the Forts forming part of the out¬
works of the new Fortifications of
Paris, before entering

13 St. Denis. (See Rte. 3.)

Travellers bound for the W. end

of Paris turn to the rt. on quitting
St. Denis, pass one of the new barracks
for the garrison attached to the fortifi¬
cations, and, leaving Montmartre on
the 1., traverse the Faubourg desBatig-
nolles, up to the Barriere de Clichy.
The post-road is drawn in a perfectly
straight line from St. Denis to the
Barriere St. Denis, keeping the heights

France.

of Montmartre on the rt. It crosses
the canal which unites the Seine at
St. Denis with the Canal de l’Ourcq,
and cuts off a bend of the Seine. Fur¬
ther to the rt., and near the Seine, is
the villa of the Prince de Craon, where
Louis XVIII. signed the Charter in
1814.

9 PARIS. Galignani’s Paris Guide
appears so good as to relieve the Edi¬
tor of this work from the necessity
of entering into any description at
present of the French Capital. The
following information, however, may
not be unacceptable to strangers.

Inns: —Hotel Bristol, Place Ven-
dome, is the Mivart’s or Clarendon of
Paris; excellent, perfectly comfortable,
capital cuisine. H. Wagram, Rue Ri-
voli, excellent. H. du Rliin, Place
Vendome. N.B. In first-rate hotels
dinners are now charged as in London,
a la carte, each dish separately, which
renders the charge per head very high.
H. Brighton, Rue Rivoli, extremely
clean, most civil landlord, charges
moderate—a fine view over the Tuile-
ries garden: the hotels in the Rue de
Rivoli have the great advantage of sun
in winter, and a covered walk under its
arcades in wet weather ; quiet and good.
H. Mirabeau, Rue de la Paix; a good
suite of 4 apartments 7 to 10 fr. and
higher a-night. H. des Princes, Rue
de Richelieu; a capital table-d’hote,
very well served, at 6 fr.; expensive.
Hotel Meurice, Rue Rivoli; a comfort¬
able and well-managed house, almost
exclusively frequented by English and
Americans: bed 3 fr. per day ; break¬
fast, tea and coffee, with eggs, 2 fr.;
dinner at table-d’hote, without wine, 4^-
fr.; lacquais-de-place 5 fr.; carriage 25
fr.; servants all round 1 fr. a-day, but
less in proportion for family. H. Wind¬
sor, Rue de Rivoli; on the same plan
as the H. Meurice, moderate in charges.
Hdtel de Lisle and Albion, formerly
Lawson’s, in the Rue St. Honore.

Boarding House. Madame Guil-
hom’s Pension, 5, Rue des Champs
Elysdes; a very respectable establish¬
ment. The best Festaurants are Cafe
de Paris, on the Boulevard; Veron’s,
Very’s, and the Trois Freres Proven-
I <;eaux, Palais Royal; Philippe, Rue

Route 5.— Dieppe .

Sect. I.

Montorgeuil, is good and very mode¬
rate in prices.— F.

Galignani's Reading Room , 18, Rue
Vivienne, in a court, is a great resource
to the Englishman in Paris: here he
will find all the best newspapers of all
the world; here he will meet with his
friends, a list of his countrymen visit¬
ing or residing in Paris being kept here,
and may supply himself with books, or
subscribe to the circulating library.
Galignani’s Messenger is a capital
paper, condensing all the news of the
English papers without reference to
politics. It is a comfort to have it
sent after the traveller from place to
place as he moves about France, which
MM. G. will undertake to do.

Messrs. Stassin and Xavier keep a
good assortment of English and foreign
books, Rue de Cocq.

Public and private carriages are
stopped at the outer gate or barrier
of Paris by the officers of the Octroi ,
whose duty it is to levy a tax upon
all provisions, wines, &c. Baggage is
liable to be searched by them.

ROUTE 5.

DIEPPE TO PARIS BY GISORS.

168 kilom. = 104 Eng. m.

Steamboats in summer from Brigh¬
ton or Shoreham, Mon., Wed., Thurs.,
and Sat., and from Dieppe 4 days a
week, making the passage in 8 hours.

See “ Hints on Landing in France/’
(§ c. Introduction.')

Dieppe.—Inns: H. Royal near the
Quai—very good; H. Victoria, for¬
merly Roi d’Angleterre ; Grand Hotel
des Bains (Morgan’s), facing the sea,
near the Baths; H. des Bains, next the
Custom-house, on the Quai; de Londres;
Taylor’s Hotel.

The seaport town of Dieppe (17,000
Inhab.) is situated in a depression be¬
tween two high ranges of the chalk
cliff's which here line the coast, as
white and nearly as tall as those of
England. Through this gap the small
river Arques flows into the sea, making
an abrupt bend round the tongue of
fiat land upon which a part of the town
is built, and forming a tolerable tide
harbour fit for vessels of 500 tons,

which is lined with quays, and cleared
from mud by sluices. Dieppe is one
of the chief fishing-ports in France,
equipping annually 60 vessels of 9000
tons for the cod fishery, and many
more for that of the herring. It is
much frequented as a sea-bathing place
in summer.

The streets of Dieppe are regular,
and display few specimens of antiquity,
in consequence of the bombardment of
the town by the English, who, return¬
ing from an unsuccessful attack on
Brest, 1694, revenged themselves by
laying this town in ruins,—a reckless
and inglorious exploit. The principal
street runs parallel with the sea from
the harbour to the castle, and contains
some tolerable shops. The market¬
place, especially on market-day, will
display samples of the picturesque
dresses and strange high caps of Nor¬
mandy ; perhaps one of those towering,
helmet-like head-dresses, once the com¬
mon head-gear of the women of the
Pays de Caux (eauchoise), may present
itself. The Faubourg de Pollet, how¬
ever, on the W., inhabited almost ex¬
clusively by fishermen, is that in which
the most character and peculiarity of
costume is observable; and it includes
a few old houses. This quarter can be
reached now only by making the ‘cir¬
cuit of the harbour, the old bridge
across it having been pulled down in
order not to check the force of the
waters discharged from the bassin de
retenue behind.

In the town itself there is little to
merit the stranger’s attention.

The Ch. of St. Jacques, in the square
a little to the W. of the harbour, is
worth a visit. The body of the build¬
ing is much hidden behind the flying
buttresses, some of them consisting of
open screen-work tracery with 8 mul-
lions. The anti-Gothic slated cupola,
however, above the cross, does not add
to its beauty. The interior also is dis¬
figured by yellow wash and wooden
screens. The transepts are the oldest
part, built in the 13th cent., as well as
perhaps the arches of the choir: the
nave is a little later, and the roof and
many of the side chapels are not older
than the 15th. The screens and curi-

Picardy.

Route 5.-

ous carvings in the side aisles, especi¬
ally that before the sacristy or tr^sor—
a confusion of the Gothic and Italian
styles—and that in the chapel of St.
Yves, deserve notice as examples of
French florid Gothic of the 15th and
16th cents. “ The Lady Chapel is a
late specimen of Gothic art. The
bosses of the groined roof are of deli¬
cate filagree work, and the vaulting is
ornamented with knots pendent from
the ribs.” Here is one of those strange
representations of the Holy Sepulchre
surrounded by figures of the 3 Maries
and other holy personages, so common
in Romish churches abroad, executed
in a very inferior style.

The Castle, rising on the tall cliff at
the W. end of the town, built in the
15th cent., is now a barrack, and much
modernised, so that it contains nothing
remarkable. It is, however, a pictu¬
resque object, with its group of quaint
cone-headed towers, its high bridge
and drawbridge spanning a chasm
which runs down to the sea; it com¬
mands a fine view, and it possesses his¬
torical associations of great interest.
Within these walls Henri IV., retreat¬
ing before the army of the League,
found shelter among his “bons Diep-
pois,” as he called them, who had been
the first to acknowledge his right to
the throne, before the battle of Arques.
He made choice of Dieppe from the
attachment of its inhabitants, the fide¬
lity of its governor, and the advantage
of an open communication by sea with
England. While here he received from
Queen Elizabeth a reinforcement of
1000 Scotch and 4500 English soldiers.

In 1650 the famous Duchesse de
Longueville, so prominent among the
leaders of the party of the Fronde, de¬
fying the royal authority, was com¬
pelled to take refuge in the castle; but
being pursued even hither by the ven¬
geance of Mazarin and Anne of Austria,
she with difficulty at length escaped
hence by night, and, making her way
amidst storm and tempest, after innu¬
merable escapes and adventures, em¬
barked alone from the coast in an Eng¬
lish vessel, dressed as a man, and at
length succeeded in reaching Rotterdam.

Dieppe at present gives little token

- Dieppe .

of its former celebrity and prosperity;
yet 3 centuries ago it was the most
flourishing seaport of France, and one
of the first in Europe. The fleets
of its adventurous merchants tra¬
versed every sea: one of them, indeed
(Ango), riding in the Tagus with his
merchant squadron, bearded the King
of Portugal in his own capital; another
captured the Canaries. Its skilful and
hardy sailors distinguished themselves
by their geographical discoveries and
early settlements in the 15th and 16th
cents. Claims are put forth for their
having found out the passage round
the Cape of Good Hope before the Por¬
tuguese. If it were so, they certainly
kept the secret so close that they have
lost the credit of it. They were among
the first visitors of the New World, ex¬
plored Florida, opening the fur trade
in Canada, and establishing the earliest
European colony in Senegal; whence,
as well as from the East Indies, they
drew the costliest gums, gems, precious
stones, metals, and tissues, with which
they for a long time exclusively sup¬
plied their luxurious countrymen. The
importation of elephants’ teeth from
Africa is said to have given rise to the
pretty manufacture of carved ivory,
which still exists here, and is almost
peculiar to Dieppe. The rivalry of
the Port of Havre, and its superior
advantages in internal communication
up the Seine, were the ruin of Dieppe.
The revocation of the Edict of Nantes,
and the English bombardment, in¬
flicted severe blows in addition; and
although the extensive equipment of
vessels for the fisheries of cod in New¬
foundland, and of the herring, has
long contributed largely to the support
of the town, yet they are much fallen
off at present.

Dieppe, however, is much frequented
as a watering-place in summer. The
Etablissement des Bains is situated on
the beach, nearly under the castle.
There are no proper bathing-machines:
and the bottom is a mass of flint shingle,
without sand. A series of little huts
are erected at the sea-side, from which
ladies issue in robes resembling those
of nuns, and gentlemen in wide trou¬
sers, and thus bathe in public. Ladies

Route 5.'— Dieppe — Arques.

Sect. I.

are assisted by male dippers appointed
for this service, if they require their aid.
There are also hot baths near the beach.

English Ch. service, Sunday at 1 p.m.,
in the old Carmelite convent chapel.

Diligences to Havre and to Abbe¬
ville (Rte. 18).

Railway to Rouen and Paris (Rte. 6).

The Environs of Dieppe present se¬
veral interesting excursions. About
2 m. to the E., on the cliffs above the
sea, is a camp capable of holding many
thousand men, once attributed to Caesar,
but now supposed to be Gallic, and
called la Cite' des Limes. It is trian¬
gular in form, defended on the land-
side by a rampart in places more than
50 ft. high. It is near the road to Ext
(Rte. 18), 18f m. distant, where the
Chateau of Louis - Philippe and the
Church deserve a visit.

The most delightful walk, however,
in the neighbourhood of Dieppe is to
the ruins of the Castle of Arques, irhich
are far more interesting than the Cite
des Limes. They are situated in the
valley of the Bethune, at its junction
with the Arques, less than 4 m. S.E. of
Dieppe, and are celebrated for the mo¬
mentous victory gained beneath the
walls by Henri IV. and his devoted
band of 4000 Protestants over the army
of the League, 30,000 strong, under the
Due de Mayenne, which decided the
fate of the Bearnais prince. The ar¬
tillery from its walls contributed not a
little to the result of that day. “ II en
fut tiree,” says Sully in his Memoirs,
“ une volee de quatre pieces, qui fit
quatre belles rues dans leurs escadrons
et bataillons.” Three or four more
discharges not only checked their ad¬
vance, but drove them behind a bend
of the valley to shelter themselves from
the cannonade, and from this check
they never recovered. The king, ex¬
pecting the Leaguers to debouche down
the valley to attack him, had disposed
and intrenched his little band accord¬
ingly, when he suddenly found the ad¬
vanced guard of the Due de Mayenne
in his rear, pushing forward to cut him
off from his stronghold, Dieppe. Henri,
with great quickness and dexterity,
changed his front, threw up fresh ram¬
parts to protect his flanks, and managed

still to keep up his communication with
Dieppe. Among the heroic traits of
Henri on that anxious and hard-fought
day, are his words to M. de Belin, an
officer of the League, who scornfully
inquired where Henri’s forces were, to
oppose so large an army : “ Vousne les
voyez pas toutes, car vous ne comptez
pas Dieu et le bon droit, qui m’as-
sistent.” A rude obelisk, raised on the
brow of the hill, marks the spot where
the deadliest struggle occurred.

The Castle, a fine object at a dis¬
tance, occupies a commanding position
on a tongue of high land between two
valleys, and covers a large area with
its ruins; but its shattered condition,
arising less from the hazards of war
and the effects of time than the dilapi¬
dations of man, has robbed it of much
of its picturesqueness. For a series of
years, down to the end of the last cent.,
the government allowed it to be pulled
to pieces as a mere quarry of building
materials. It is difficult to fix the age
of its shapeless walls, deprived of their
casing of masonry; but it is probable
that the oldest parts, viz. the Donjoxi
and its enclosure, date from the time
of our Henry II., who rebuilt the castle
at the end of the 12th cent.; other por¬
tions are not older than the 16th cent.
The English, under Talbot and War¬
wick, again obtained possession of it in
1419, and kept it for 30 years, down to
the capitulation of Rouen, by which it
was yielded to Charles VII.

The main entrance remains flanked
by 2 massive towers of immense size;
and portions of the piers of the draw¬
bridge which led to it are still stand¬
ing, but “ the 3 successive arches of
the gateway are torn into nearly shape¬
less rents.”— D. T.

Within a pleasant walk from Dieppe,
at the pretty but scattered village of
Varengeville, stands le Manoir d’Axigo,
the chateau of the celebrated Dieppois
merchant Ango,—the host and friend
of Francis I. Though now converted
into a farm-house, so little of its exter¬
nal form is defaced that the eye can
readily trace all the richness of decora¬
tion which distinguished the style of
the Renaissance when it was built.

“ The walls are principally con-

Picardy.

Route 5.— Dieppe to Paris — Gisors.

structecl of black hewn flint, which,
alternating with a white stone, produce
a very beautiful mosaic. They retain
all the sharpness of their original con¬
struction ; and the sculptures with
which they are enriched are of the
most classical and graceful form. A
number of large medallions above the
grand entrance, and along the fa 9 ade
of the principal corps de batiment, are
remarkable: among them the portraits
of Francis I. and Diane de Poitiers.
In the interior are some finely sculp¬
tured fireplaces and the remains of a
large fresco; but they are only to be
discovered by groping amongst the
greniers, into which the apartments
once so splendid have been changed.”
—Miss Costello.

The following direct road from
Dieppe to Paris by Gisors leaves Rouen
altogether on one side, and is shorter by
8 or 10 miles, but few would omit visit¬
ing that highly interesting city. (Rtes. 6
and 9.) Besides, the raily. now renders
the route by Rouen the quicker of the
two. Diligences have in consequence
ceased to run this way. The Gisors road
strikes off to the 1., 3 m. beyond Dieppe.

12 Bois Robert.

17 Pommereval.

4 or 5 m. on the 1. of our road lies
NeufcMtel, famed for its excellent cy¬
lindrical cream-cheeses, called Bondes.

24 Forges les Eaux. A village and
watering-place, possessing chalybeate
springs once of some repute, but ne¬
glected at present. They are three in
number— La Reinette, La Royale, and
Cardinale; the two last named from
Louis XIII. and Cardinal Richelieu,
who visited Forges to drink the waters
in 1632, the period of their highest
celebrity, in consequence of Anne of
Austria, after living childless for 18
years, here becoming enceinte with
Louis XIV.an event which was at¬
tributed to a course of these waters.

21 Gournay, famed for its butter, is
situated in the district anciently called
Pays de Bray.

The Church of St. Hildehert was
begun in the 11th cent., but not finished
until the 13th, and its W. front, with
pointed arches, is perhaps of the latter
date. In the interior, very massive

round piers support semicircular arches
inclining to the horseshoe form. The
sculptured ornaments of the capitals are
very remarkable for variety of pattern.
Herring-bone masonry occurs in the E.
end. About 5 m. from Gournay is the
Abbey Church of St. Germes, as grand and
large as a cathedral, of the 13th cent.

12 Talmoutiers.

14 Gisors.— Inn: H. de l’Ecu. An
ancient town of 3500 Inhab., prettily
situated on the Epte. Its venerable
ramparts are converted into agreeable
promenades, whose plantations encircle
the ruins of its commanding Castle,
once the bulwark of Normandy on the
side of France, and still retaining many
interesting characteristics of a feudal
fortress of the middle ages. The octa¬
gonal Donjon especially, and its enclo¬
sure, crowning the top of a high arti¬
ficial conical mound, are of the most
solid construction, and are works of the
12th cent., built by our Henry II. The
walls of a dungeon under one of the
towers have been curiously carved with
a nail by some unfortunate prisoner.
At an interview which took place here
between Henry and Louis VII., the
two monarchs agreed to assume the
cross for the recovery of Jerusalem.

The Ch. of SS. Gervais and Protais
presents a singular combination of
styles, and an abundance of uncouth
sculptures: it has a choir built in the
13th cent, by Blanche of Castille (it is
said); the nave and remainder of the
ch. are of a later period. The sculpture
of the portal, richly carved, is of the
latest style of French florid Gothic,
and much overladen with ornament.
The organ-loft, and an emaciated monu¬
mental effigy, both attributed to Jean
Goujon, merit notice, and there is some
fine painted glass in the windows. In
the S. aisle is a singular twisted column,
surrounded by spiral bands of tracery.

Gisors is on the high road from Paris
to Rouen (Rte. 10).

19 Chars.

18 Pontoise (in Rte. 3).

10 Herblay. Here the read divides :
the l.-hand branch leads to Paris by
St. Denis (see Rte. 3); that on the rt.
proceeds by Besons, where it crosses
the Seine, and by

R. 6.—Dieppe to Rouen.

12 Courbevoie, to the Barriere de
Neuilly, entering

9 Paris by the Arc de l’Etoile. See
Galignani’s Guide, and p. 22.

ROUTE 6.

DIEPPE TO ROUEN—RAILWAY.

61 kilom. = 37^ Eng. m.

This Railway was opened 1848.

6 trains daily : time 1^ to 2 hrs.

Terminus near the wet-dock (bassin-
h-flot) at Dieppe.

A tunnel at AppeYille, rather more
than 1 m. long, carries the rly. into the
valley of the Scie, up which it runs for
more than 18 m., crossing it 22 times.
It is enlivened by several mills.

In the outskirts of Dieppe we cross
the road to Havre. The high road to
Rouen is passed on a level. 1. Beyond
Sanqueville are the ruins of the Castle
of Charlesmesnil. The way is varied
here and there at long intervals by
villas or chateaux, without any claim
to beauty. The numerous orchards
are one of the characteristic features of
Normandy, which is a cider, not wine¬
drinking, province.

17 Longueville Stat. stands on the
domain of an abbey, the chief conven¬
tual building of w r hich is now a cotton-
mill. 1. may be perceived the scanty
ruins of the Castle of Longueville.

26 Auffay Stat. A considerable vil¬
lage, with several cotton-mills and tan¬
neries, and a pretty church.

30 St. Victor Stat. William the Con¬
queror was the founder of the abbey,
and his statue occupies a niche outside
of the ch. The Scie rises about 100
yards to the 1.

rt. About 2^- m. is Totes. (Cygne,
a small but clean country Inn.) The
spinning and weaving of cotton furnish
employment to the inhabitants. Mills
and factories increase in number as we
approach Rouen, the great centre of the
cotton manufacture in France.

The summit level of the line is at¬
tained through the long and deep cut¬
ting of Frithemesnil, leading into the
Valley de Cleres. Here is an old castle
in Avhich is shown the bed of Henri IV.

Monville Stat.

The line of houses, factories, and

R. 8 .—Paris to Rouen. Sect. I.

chimneys, interspersed with villas, or¬
chards, and gardens, almost uninter¬
rupted, from Malaunay to Rouen, may
remind an Englishman of the clothing
district of the W. of England. In 1S45
(Aug. 19) a terrific whirlwind swept
down part of this valley, and in the
course of 1^ minute demolished 3 fac¬
tories, crumbling them like houses of
cards, and all within them, people and
machinery. 60 lives were lost, 100 were
wounded, many were buried in the ruins.

The Dieppe Rly. falls into the line
from Rouen to Havre near

Malaunay Stat. and the Viaduct of
8 arches. (Rte. 14.)

Before entering Rouen a pretty view
is obtained of the blue hills which bor¬
der the Seine; nor is the atmosphere
thickened with so dense an envelope of
smoke as hovers over the great manu¬
facturing centres of England. A great
part of the coal here used comes from
England; the Dept, du Nord furnishes
also its supplies.

17 Rouen Stat. (in Rte. 8).

ROUTE 8.

PARIS TO ROUEN—RAILROAD.

137 kilom. = 84 Eng. m. Trains 6
times a day, in about 5 hrs.; Express
in 2| hrs. Terminus in Paris, Rue
d’Amsterdam. Fares, 16,13, and 10 frs.

This railroad was commenced in 1841,
and opened May 1843. Its engineer is
Mr. Locke, who executed the London
and Southampton Railway; many of the
shareholders are English capitalists of
Lancashire; and even most of the work¬
men were English. A considerable
number of experienced “ navigators,”
having been transported across the
Channel, worked on it harmoniously
with their French brethren, showing
them the mode of operation. The rails
are of French iron, which is much
dearer than English; but the locomo¬
tives, though made in France (at Rouen),
are executed by an English company,
established there expressly to supply
this railroad. The minute subdivision
of property in France, and the great
number of landholders with whom the
company had to deal, occasioned some
difficulty in obtaining the land over

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Normandy. Route 8. —Paris to Rouen by Railway.

which the rly. passes, and caused the
number of contracts to be multiplied
enormously; but the demands of the
proprietors were by no means so exor¬
bitant as in England.

,Tlie first part of the line is the same
as that to St. Germain (Rte. 9). The
rly., after passing on a bridge over the
Rue de Stockholm, and through 2 tun¬
nels under the Place d’Europe and other
streets, quits Paris by Les Batignolles.
The village of Clichyys passed on the
rt. hand, and the Seine is crossed by a
bridge of 5 arches before reaching the
village.

4^ Asnieres Stat., on the 1. bank of
the Seine, here crossed by another
bridge, below that of the Chemin de
Fer. The rly. bridge was ruthlessly
burned by the Republican mob of 1848
and has since been rebuilt at great ex¬
pense. The Versailles Railroad (rive
droite) and the St. Germain Railroad
here branch off to the 1.

rt. Branch Railway to Argenteuil.

At Colombes, a small village, Hen¬
rietta Maria, widow of Charles I. and
daughter of Henri IV., died in great
poverty, 1669. The chateau which she
inhabited no longer exists.

At Bezons the railway crosses the
Seine by a bridge of 9 flat timber
arches, each 100 ft. span, supported on
stone piers. From this an embankment
extends nearly a mile to a cutting at
Houille which is also about a mile.
Beyond this the embankment con¬
tinues to the Seine, which is traversed
for the second time by a bridge like
the former, conducting to

17 Maisons Stat., at the end of the
avenue leading to M. Lafitte’s villa.
(Inns : Hotel Talma, so called because
once the residence of the actor; good.
Le Petit Havre.) The Chateau was the
property of the late M. Jacques Lafitte,
was built by Frangois Mansard, 1658,
for the Surintendant des Finances Rene'
de Longeuil, and is a handsome edifice
of Italian architecture. Voltaire wrote
‘ Zaire ’ here ; and he was here at¬
tacked with small-pox, which nearly
carried him off. Before the Revolution
it belonged to the Comte d’Artois, and
was afterwards given by Napoleon to
Marshal Lannes. The park has been

cut into building lots, sold piecemeal,
and studded over with villas, in the
manner of the Regent’s Park. Access
is given to the new colony by the bridge
of wood resting on stone piers. The
distance hence to Paris is only 12 m.
by land.

The rly. proceeds hence in a cutting
across the forest of St. Germain, and
follows the 1. bank of the Seine by

9 Poissy Stat. (H. de Rouen), a
small town on the 1. bank of the Seine,
the birthplace of St. Louis (1215), who
was wont to sign himself by the modest
style of Louis of Poissy. The font at
which he was baptized is still shown in
the Parish Ch., a Gothic building of
the 13th cent.

The Conference of Poissy was held
1561, with the hope of adjusting dif¬
ferences between the Popish and Cal-
vinistic churches; Beza, with a train
of doctors, appearing for the one party,
and the papal legate, Cardinal Ippolito
d’Este, for the other; and Charles IX.
attended the first meeting with his
mother, Catherine de Medicis. But the
controversialists soon separated, with¬
out having approached to a reconcilia¬
tion, each side believing it had the best
of the argument.

A dirty and inconveniently narrow
street leads to the long bridge of Poissy
over the Seine, of 37 arches of different
sizes, including the approaches, built,
it is said, by St. Louis. The 3 central
arches, now supplied by timber, were
blown up in 1815 to prevent the pas¬
sage of the allies; or, as some say, so
long ago as in 1589, by Mayenne, the
general of the League, to secure a safe
retreat for his army from the pursuit
of Marechal de Biron, who had sacked
Poissy because it refused to deliver its
keys to the kings Henri III. and IV.

The greatest cattle-market in France
is held here every Thursday for the
supply of Paris with meat.

8 Triel Stat. In the ch. is an Adora¬
tion of the Shepherds, said to be an
original, by Poussin, and some good
painted glass. Here and at Vaux are
extensive plaster quarries.

6 Meulan Stat. This town, on the
rt. bank of the Seine, is partly built on
the slope of the hill, partly on an island

32 Route 8 .—Paris to Rouen , Rail — Mantes — Rosny. Sect. I.

in the middle of the river joined to the
banks by an old stone bridge in two
divisions.

8 Epone Stat. Here is a fine Ch., 12th
century.

The scenery of the valley is very
pleasing, though the chalky white of
the rocks is an eyesore. The banks
of the river are enlivened with country
houses. The post-road runs at some
distance from the river until it reaches
Limay, the faubourg of Mantes, where
it crosses from the rt. to the 1. bank by
the bridge. The rly. runs in a cutting
to the W. of the town of

7 Mantes Stat. Inn : Grand Cerf—
tolerable. This town is prettily situated
on the margin of the Seine, whence it
has gained the epithet La Jolie.

The chief building is the Church of
Notre Dame, standing a little way above
the bridge, and conspicuous by reason
of its 2 towers from a long distance.
It is a fine Gothic building; the body
supported by flying buttresses, the roof
covered with coloured tiles. The poi-
tals are pointed; the sculpture which
adorns them is sadly mutilated. The
interior, in the early pointed style, is
very pleasing ; its most remarkable
feature being the height of the trifo-
riurn gallery formed of triple arches,
which, being carried quite round the E.
end, and lighted by windows behind,
gives a cheerful character to the ch.
The towers at the W. end open into
the nave. It was built for Blanche of
Castille and her son St. Louis by the
architect Eudes de Montreuil.

The solitary Tower of St. Maclou is
the sole remnant of another ch., built
in 1344 with the toll dues exacted for
leave to tow barges through the bridge
on Sundays and holydays. It is de¬
servedly preserved as a fine light Gothic
structure.

It was among the glowing embers of
the houses and monasteries of Mantes,
which he had remorselessly caused to
be burnt, that William the Conqueror
received the injury in his corpulent
person, caused by his horse starting,
which proved mortal a few days after
at Rouen. The castle of the French
kings, where Henri IV. held the con¬
ferences with the Romish clergy which

preceded his abjurance of the Protestant
faith, was destroyed by the Regent
Duke of Orleans.

Coach daily to St. Germain by the
1. bank of the Seine.

rt. About half way between Mantes
and Bonnieres we pass Bosny, a dirty
little tillage, contiguous to which, be¬
tween it and the Seine, stands the Cha¬
teau, the birthplace of Sully, where he
was frequently visited by his friend
and master Henri IV., who slept here
the night after his victory at Ivry. The
king, having overtaken Sully on the
road desperately wounded, carried on
a litter, accompanied by his squires
in a like plight, fell on his neck and
affectionately embraced him. The
cMteau is a plain solid building of red
brick, with stone quoins and a high
tent roof, surrounded by a deep ditch;
it was rebuilt by Sully at the beginning
of the 17th cent. It is destitute of
architectural beauty externally, and
within has been modernised, although
one room is still called Chambre de
Sully. From 1818 down to the Revo¬
lution of 1830, Rosny was the favourite
residence of the Duchesse de Berri,
who erected here a chapel to contain
the heart of her husband. The chateau
has since changed hands repeatedly,
and its present proprietor has pulled
down the wings, which were modern,
and added by the duchess. The grounds
extend for some distance along the
margin of the river, to which they owe
their sole charm, the ground being per¬
fectly flat, and traversed by long formal
avenues.

In skirting the forest of Rosny, con¬
tiguous to the village, we are reminded
of the sacrifice made by Sully, in fell¬
ing in it at one time timber to the
amount of 100,000 francs to pay his
master’s debts.

A great projecting buttress of chalk
now intervenes, over which the high
road is carried by a steep ascent and
descent, and round which the Seine
winds in a widely circuitous curve.
The rly. pierces this by a Tunnel about
2480 yards long—driven through the
chalk and a flinty conglomerate very
hard to penetrate, commencing at Rolle-
boise, about 5 miles from Mantes, and

Normandy. Route 8. —Paris to Rouen—Pont de VArche. 33

terminating on the W. at a short dis¬
tance from

13 Bonnieres Stat., the rly. having
been previously carried over the high¬
road by a bridge. Bonnieres is the
stat. nearest to Evreux (Rte. 25), on
the road to Caen and Cherbourg.
Hence the railroad runs under the
high ground close to the river as far as

10 Vernon Stat. Inn : Grand .Cerf.
This town (pop. 5300), which, like
many others in Normandy, gives a
name to a noble English family, is
prettily situated, and its interior re¬
tains a venerable air of antiquity in its
timber-framed ^houses; but its narrow
streets, however picturesque, are by no
means convenient on a great highway
of traffic. There is preserved an an¬
cient tower, tall and massive; and a
Gothic Ch., the choir of the 13th, the
nave of the 16th cent., in which one
monument only among many escaped
the Revolution,—that of a lady of the
family Maignard, — consisting of a
kneeling effigy in marble (date 1610).
At the foot of the bridge is a curious
antique building, now a mill. Vernon
possesses a hospital founded by St. Louis,
an artillery barrack , and vast quarries
of building-stone on the opposite side
of the Seine.

The Chateau de Bizy, one of the
finest seats in Normandy, the property
of the Counts of Eu, and afterwards of
the Due de Penthievre, was destroyed
at the Revolution, and is now replaced
by a plain country house belonging to
the Orleans family. It is small and
mean, but the grounds are beautiful
and the walks through them agreeable.
They are approached by a fine avenue
on the outskirts of the town.

Coaches to Evreux, Dreux, and
Chartres.

13 GaillonStat. A huge penitentiary
occupies the place, and in part the re¬
mains, of the Chateau of the arch¬
bishops of Rouen. It was built 1515
for the Cardinal d’Amboise, out of the
tribute levied on the Genoese, conceded
to him by Louis XII., by the architects
Jean Joconde and Androuet du Cerceau,
and was adorned by the sculptor Jean-
Juste de Tours. It w as demolished at
the Revolution, except the entrance

portal flanked by 4 turrets, and covered
with inscriptions and bas-reliefs, the
clock tower, and the chapel tower. The
gateway between the 1st and 2nd courts,
a splendid example of the style of the
Renaissance, was rescued by M. Lenoir
and transported to Paris, where it has
been reconstructed in front of the Ecole
des Beaux Arts. Its architect was
Pierre Fain, date 1509.

In the distance is seen the imposing
ruin of Chateau Gaillard, the pet castle
of Richard Coeur de Lion (Rte. 11),
rising on a lofty rock washed by the
Seine, but 5 or 6 miles N. of our road;
so great is the circuit which the river
here again makes.

Gaillon is the station nearest to Au-
teuil and the town of Andelys (omnibus
runs thither), and hence an excursion
may be made to the interesting castle
of Chateau Gaillard (p. 50). Near le
Grand Villers, two Tunnels are driven
through the mass of a projecting pro¬
montory of chalk hill. The first or
easternmost, of Le Rule, is a mile long,
and the second, of Venables, 470 yards
long.

13 St. Pierre de Vauvray Stat. The
manufacturing town of Louviers is
about 5 miles or 8 kilom. W. of this
stat. (p. 46). Malleposte daily to Cher¬
bourg, by Louviers, Lisieux, and Caen,
15j to 17 hrs. A Rly. is projected.
Post-horses are kept here.

The Seine is traversed obliquely for
the 3rd time by a bridge at Le Manoir
just above the confluence of the Eure,
and the rly. proceeds along the rt. bank
of the Seine for a short distance to

12^ Pont de 1’Arche Stat. at the ex¬
tremity of the bridge leading to that
town. Pont de 1’Arche is a small towrn
whose main street is a narrow and in¬
convenient lane leading to the bridge
of 22 arches, by which the Seine is
crossed by the post-road, a little below
the junction of the Eure. The view
from it is pretty ; on the rt. is seen the
Cote des Deux Amants (see Rte. 11).
The tide ascends to this point.

The Gothic Ch. contains some curi¬
ous painted windows: in one of them
the inhabitants of the town, male and
female, in the costume of the 16th
cent., are seen towing barges through

c 3

Route 8 .—Paris to Rouen — Rouen.

Sect. I.

the central arch of the bridge. Coaches
to Elbceuf (Rte. 12).

The rly. next passes through the
hill of Tourville by a short Tunnel of
about 500 yards, and crosses the Seine,
here divided into two arms, for the 4th
time, by a bridge resting on the He des
Bceufs, to

5 Tourville, Station for the populous
and industrious town of Elbceuf (Rte.
12). Hence it proceeds onwards along
the 1. bank of the Seine through St. Eti¬
enne de Louvray and Sotteville (where
the line to Havre diverges rt. and crosses
the Seine) to its termination in the
Faubourg St. Sever of the great city of

12 Rouen: Terminus,Cours la Reine.
Postmaster s charge 1 fr. 50 c. for each
horse and each postilion in conveying a
carriage from the rly. to any part of
Rouen.

Rouen.— Inns: H. d’Albion, on the
Quai, clean and good—H. d’Angleterre,
good; excellent table d’hote, dearer of
late ;—H. de Normandie, reasonable;
—Hotel Vatel, Rue des Cannes.

Rouen, anciently jRotomagus, the capi¬
tal of ancient Normandy, and the chief
town at present of the department of
the Seine Inferieure, is agreeably seated
on the Seine, and yields to no provin¬
cial city of France in its majestic and
venerable aspect, in historic associa¬
tions, and in magnificent buildings, the
triumph of the ecclesiastical and civil
architecture of the middle ages. It has
this advantage also over most other
ancient towns, that it is not a mere
heap of dry bones, destitute of life and
abandoned by commerce; its narrow
streets of gable-faced, timber-fronted
mansions, swarm like an ant-hill with
busy crowds passing to and fro: it is a
focus of trade, and. the chief seat of
the cotton manufacture in France. It
may be called, indeed, the French Man¬
chester. It contains 92,083 Inhab.,
and is surpassed in population by only
4 other cities in France.

The situation of Rouen on a river
which affords ready access on the one
hand to the sea at Havre (103 m. dis¬
tant by the windings of the stream),
and with the capital on the other, tends
highly to promote its industry and
commerce. The Seine, here more than

1000 ft. broad, forms a convenient port,
accessible for vessels of 250 tons; and
though the number of vessels is small,
they add both to the picturesqueness
and animation of the scene. Its banks
are formed into fine broad Quais, and
these are lined with handsome modern
buildings, which have sprung up within
the last 10 or 15 years, and serve as a
screen to hide a rear rank of tottering
timber houses, such as form the bulk
of the city, and which previously ex¬
tended down to the river-side. Modern
improvements and additions, indeed,
have of late greatly detracted from the
venerable and picturesque appearance
of Rouen; but the changes are skin-
deep, confined to its exterior, and the
stranger has only to plunge into its
almost inextricable labyrinth of streets
to find enough of antiquity to satiate
the artist or the most ardent lover of
bygone times; although, a law having
been passed prohibiting the rebuilding
of houses in wood, their number must
diminish every year.

A Boulevard, occupying the place of
the old fortifications which resisted
Henry V. of England and Henri IV. of
France, runs round the old town nearly
in a semicircle, touching the Seine at
its two extremities. This line includes
within it all the most interesting pub¬
lic monuments and objects worth
notice; outside of it spreads a supple¬
ment of populous fauxbourgs, occu¬
pied chiefly by the weavers and work¬
ing classes, who also form the bulk of
the population in the suburb St. Sever,
on the 1. bank of the Seine, having
wider but not cleaner streets than the
inner town, interspersed at intervals by
tall smoking chimneys and lavishly
glazed spinning-mills.

A walk through the town in the fol¬
lowing order will carry the pedestrian
to the things best worth observation;
but if he wishes to see them thoroughly,
he will find one or even two days not
enough. The distances from one quarter
of the town to another are considerable,
to say nothing of the want of pavement,
the dirt, and the bad smells which he
will have to encounter. The Rue
Grand Port, which runs up from the
quai opposite the suspension-bridge, and

Normandy.

Route S.— Rouen — Cathedral .

which is at once the chief thoroughfare
and includes the best shops, will bring
you to the Cathedral; a little in the
rear of it, to the E., is the ch. of St.
Maclou, from the door of which the
Rue Damiette, running due N., will
bring you to St. Ouen, the noblest ch.
in Rouen. A new street opened from
the stone Bridge to the Place del’Hotel
de Ville passes near St. Maclou and in
front of St. Ouen. Close beside it, in
the H. de Ville, is the gallery of pic¬
tures ; but more worthy of attention is
the Museum of Antiquities, Rue de
Beauvoisin, near the Boulevard. Hence
you must thread your way back to the
river, visiting in turn the Palais de
Justice, Tour de la Grosse Horloge,
Place de la Pucelle (where Joan of
Arc was burnt), and Hotel de Bourg-
theroude. As the churches are closed
from 12 to 3, except on Saturday and
Sunday, they should be visited in the
early part of the day.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame occu¬
pies with its W. front one side of the
fruit and flower market. The vast pro¬
portions of this grand Gothic facade,
its elaborate and profuse decorations,
and its stone screens of open tracery,
impress one, at first glance, with won¬
der and admiration; diminished, how¬
ever, though not destroyed, by a closer
examination, which shows a confusion
of ornament and a certain corruption of
taste. “ It is viciously florid, and looks
like a piece of rock-work, rough and
encrusted with images and tabernacles,
and ornamented from top to bottom.”
— G. Knight. The projecting central
porch and the whole of the upper part
were the work of Cardinal d’Amboise
(1509-1530); the lateral ones are of
an earlier period (loth cent.) and chaster
style; and the sculpture adorning them
deserves attention. Above the central
door is carved the genealogy of Jesse.
Over the l.-hand (N.W.) door is
the Death of St. John Baptist,—in
it may be seen Herodias’s daughter
dancing, or rather tumbling, before
Herod: over this on the rt., much
mutilated, the Virgin with Saints. Of
the two stately flanking towers, that of
St. Romain, on the N., rests on walls
older than any other part of the build¬

ing (12th cent.): it maybe profitably
ascended on account of the view. The
rt.-hand, or S.W. tower, called Tour
de Beurre, because built (between 1485
and 1507) with the money paid for
indulgences to eat butter in Lent, is a
far more beautiful structure, sur¬
mounted with an elegant circlet of
stone filagree. It contained the famous
bell, named George d’Amboise, melted
at the Revolution; it is now gutted.
Of the central spire the less that is said
the better; it is a cage of cast-iron
bars intended to replace a spire of
wood burnt by lighting 1822; and
judging from its shape and size, seen
at a distance, might be taken for the
parent of all the factory chimneys in
and about the town. When finished,
it will reach to a height of 436 ft. It
is quite out of character with the rest
of the building, and is intended to be
gilt. A corkscrew or geometrical stair¬
case of iron worms itself up the centre
to a dizzy height.

The N. and S. fronts are in a style
resembling the decorated of England,
with geometric tracery. The very
beautiful N. door, called Portail des
Lihraires, from the book-stalls which
once occupied the court before it, was
not finished until 1478. The opposite
one leading to the S. transept, called
Portail de la Calende, and nearly of the
same age and style, is ornamented with
bas-reliefs from the history of Joseph.
The figure hanging, vulgarly supposed
to represent a corn-merchant who suf¬
fer for using false measures, while his
property was confiscated to build this en¬
trance, is otherwise, and more accurately,
explained to be Pharaoh’s chief butler.
The N. transept is flanked on either
side by open towers of great beauty,
and of such proportions as would fit
them for the W. front of an English
cathedral.

The interior measures 435 ft. in
length, and the height of the nave is
89^ ft. It is in the early pointed style.
Above the main arches of the nave runs
a second tier, smaller, but opening also
into the aisles ; an arrangement not un¬
common in Normandy, but rare in Eng¬
land. The three rose windows, in the
nave and transepts, are very fine in size

Route 8.— Rouen — Cathedral.

Sect. I.

and decoration. In the end chapel, on
the S. side of the nave, is the tomb and
effigy of Rollo, first Duke of Normandy,
and opposite to it that of his son Wil¬
liam Long Epee: but the figures are
not older probably than the 13th cent.

The choir, separated from the nave
by a modern Grecian screen, was built
between 1280 and 1300. The carving
of the stalls, executed 1467, is ex¬
tremely curious. The finest and oldest
painted glass is to be found in the
chapels of the choir aisles; it is of the
13th cent. Small lozenge-shaped tablets
of marble, let into the pavement of the
choir, mark the spots where the heart
of Richard Coeur de Lion, and the
bodies of his brother Henry (died 1183),
of William son of Geoffroy Plantagenet
their uncle, and of John Duke of Bed¬
ford, regent (prorex Normannise) under
Henry VI. (1435), were interred. Their
monuments, much injured by the out¬
rage of the Huguenots in 1663, when
all parts of the church suffered more or
less, were removed, and lost until 1838,
when the effigy of Richard a rude
statue 6^ ft. long, was dug up from under
the pavement on the 1. of the high altar.
His “ lion heart ” was also found still
perfect, but shrunk in size, enveloped
in a sort of greenish taffeta enclosed in
a case of lead, and is now deposited in
the Museum. His body was interred
at Fontevrault; but he bequeathed his
heart to Rouen, on account of the great
affection which he bore to the Normans.
The effigy of limestone, much muti¬
lated, represents him crowned, and in
the royal robes, and is now placed in
the Lady Chapel behind the high altar,
which contains two other splendid and
highly interesting monuments. On the
rt. hand is that of Cardinal George
d’Amboise, Archbishop of Rouen and
minister of Louis XII., and his brother,
a magnificent structure of black and
white marble, in the style of the Renais¬
sance, executed in 1525. The marble
statues of the two cardinals, uncle and
nephew, kneel below a covered canopy
richly ornamented and gilt; behind is
a bas-relief of St. George and the
Dragon; above, in niches arranged
two by two, are statues of the 12
Apostles ; below' are the Cardinal Vir¬

tues. The pilasters and intervening
spaces are adorned with rich and fanci¬
ful arabesques. The bodies of the
Cardinals d’Amboise were torn from
the grave by the Revolutionists of 1793,
the lead of the coffins melted, and the
contents scattered.

On the 1. side of the chapel is the
monument of the Due de Br6z6, grand
seneschal of Normandy; but more re¬
markable as husband of Diana of Poi¬
tiers, mistress of Henry II., by whom
it was erected. The effigy of the dis¬
tressed widow kneels at the head of an
emaciated corpse representing her hus¬
band after death, stretched on a sarco¬
phagus of black marble. She is in a
mourning attitude corresponding with
the words of the epitaph which she
caused to be engraved on the tomb :—

“ Indivulsa tibi quondam, et fidissima conjux,

Ut fuit in thalamo sic erit in tumulo.”

A sentiment, howeA r er, which must be
taken in an ironical sense; it is quite
certain that she was not buried with
him, but at her chateau of Anet, and it
is probable that she was as true to her
word in one respect as in the other.
Above, in an arched recess, is the
statue of the duke in full armour on
horseback. This tomb is a splendid
work of the age of Francis I.; and is
attributed to Jean Goujon, or Jean
Cousin.

A rich florid Gothic niche at the
side, surmounted by a stone canopy
of open work and intervening stems,
was erected at an earlier period (1465)
to Pierre de Bv6z6, grandfather of the
preceding. Neither statue nor inscrip¬
tion remains.

The elaborately carved screen in
front of the sacristy, executed in the
latter part of the 15th cent., and its
wrought-iron door, must not be passed
without notice.

Passing the Archeveche, contiguous
to the cathedral on its N. and E. side,
we come to the

Church of St. Maclou, which ranks
third among the churches of Rouen in
beauty. Its grandest feature is its
triple porch ; it is a fine specimen of
the florid architecture of the 15th cent.,
and the sculpture adorning it is of

Normandy.

Route 8.— Rouen — St. Ouen.

exquisite taste and beauty of execution.
The traveller should pay attention to
the wooden doors (including that on
the N. side), beautifully carved with
Scripture subjects, in bas-relief, by
Jean Goujon, it is said, and to the
elaborate winding stair of stone near the
W. entrance, leading to the organ-loft.
There is much painted glass in the
windows. The Cemetery of St. Maclou
is said to be very curious.

The Church of St. Ouen surpasses the
cathedral in size, purity of style,
masterly execution, and splendid but
judicious decoration, and is inferior
only as regards historic monuments.
It is beyond doubt one of the noblest
and most perfect Gothic edifices in
the world. Although it suffered con¬
siderably from the Huguenots (1562),
who made 3 bonfires within the build¬
ing to burn the stalls, pulpit, organ,
and priests’ robes; and from the re¬
publicans, who turned it into an ar¬
mourer’s shop, and raised a smith’s
forge in its interior, by the smoke
of which the windows were blackened
until they ceased to be transparent,
it has escaped in a remarkable degree;
and recent judicious restorations leave
little to desire touching its state of
repair.

The first stone of the existing edifice
(for 4 other churches had preceded it)
was laid 1318 by Abbot Jean Roussel;
the choir, the chapels, and nearly all
the transept were completed in 21
years, and the nave and tower finished
by the end of the 15th cent. Thus,
one plan being followed to the termina¬
tion, the most perfect harmony of style
prevails throughout. The W. front
unfinished has recently been completed
by the addition of 2 flanking steeples,
which formed part of the original plan.
They seem light and beautiful, though
from the contrast of the fresh stone
they do not yet quite harmonize with
the other portions. The portals are
still unfinished. The architect is M.
Gregoire.

Above the cross rises the central
tower, 260 ft. high, which, whether
examined close at hand (as it ought
to be) or seen at a distance rising
above the town, is a model of grace

and delicacy. “ It is wholly composed
of open arches and tracery, and termi¬
nates with an octangular crown of fleurs-
de-lis ”—(j D. T.), which ancient royal
symbol is also discovered in the pat¬
tern of the tracery of the windows, and
in the painted glass.

The S. portal, called des Marmouzets
from figures of the animals carved
on it, deserves attentive examination,
as a gem of Gothic work scarcely to
be surpassed. It is surrounded by a
fringe of open trefoil arches; while 2
groined pendants, 6 ft. long, drop from
its vault. The bas-relief over the door
represents the Death and Assumption
of the Virgin: the whole has been
restored.

The interior (443 ft. long, and 106^
ft. high), notwithstanding its size, is
peculiarly light and graceful; the front
pillars of its richly moulded piers run up
uninterruptedly to the roof as ribs, the
side ones bend under the arches. The
clerestory being very large increases
the effect of lightness; “ the windows
seem to have absorbed all the solid
wall,” and the roof is maintained in
its place by the support of pillars and
buttresses alone. All the glass is painted,
and there are 3 noble rose windows
filled with it. The stranger should
look into the holy-water basin (btmitier)
close to the W. door; he will find the
beauties of the interior all mirrored on
the surface of the water. The master
mason under and by whom this noble
ch. was reared is buried in St. Agnes’
chapel, the 2nd on the 1. in the N.
choir aisle. His name was Alexander
Berneval; and, according to tradition,
he murdered his apprentice through
envy, because the youth had surpassed,
in the execution of the rose window in
the N. transept, into the tracery of
which the pentalpha is introduced,
that which his master had constructed
in the S. transept. Though the mason
paid the penalty of his crime, the
monks, out of gratitude for his skill,
interred his body within the church
which he had contributed so much to
ornament.

The whole of the transept, choir, and
lower part of the tower, are decorated
in character, passing into the ftam-

Route 8.— Rouen—Musee des Antiquites. Sect. I.

boy ant in the upper story of the tower
and in the nave.

The material used in the structure
of St. Ouen is a limestone approaching
to chalk, and containing flints, which
have been often patiently cut through
in the delicate carving and tracery.
But the details of the building should
be studied on the roof, upon the tower,
and in the internal galleries. It will
well repay the trouble of the ascent.

A very pretty Garden, whose great
ornament, however, is the adjacent
church, extends along the N. side of
St. Ouen, behind the Hotel de Ville;
it was originally the convent garden.
Within it, attached to the church,
stands a very perfect Norman tower,
with round-headed windows, in the
style of the 11th cent.; it probably
formed part of a previously existing
church. It is called “ La Chambre
aux Clercs.”

St. Ouen was archbishop of Rouen,
and died 678.

The Hotel de Ville, a handsome
building .of Italian architecture, at¬
tached to the N. transept of the church,
formed part of the monastery of St.
Ouen, to which a modern front, with
Corinthian colonnade, has been added,
so as to give the building an official,
civic air. Besides the public offices, it
contains the Public Library, and Le
Musee des Tableaux, a collection in
which the good paintings bear a very
small proportion to the bad. There is
an ancient and curious picture, attri¬
buted to Van Eyck, of the Virgin and
Child amidst Angels and Saints, “ a
delicious painting, and pronounced on
good authority to be original ” —
( E. o. S .); the predella of an altar-
piece, by Perugino, brought from Pe¬
rugia; a copy of Raphael’s Madonna
di San Sisto; St. Francis in ecstasy,
by Ann. Caracci; the Plague at Mi¬
lan, by Lemonniere of Rouen ; and an
Ecce Homo, by Mignard.

The Bibliotheque Publique is a valu¬
able collection of 33,000 vols., very
accessible, being open every day from
11 to 4, and from 6 to 9, except Sun¬
day and Thursday. Among the 1200
MSS., many richly ornamented with
paintings, are the History of the Nor¬

mans, by William of Jumieges, 11th
cent. ; a Benedictionary, which be¬
longed to an archbishop of Canter¬
bury; and a missal book of the 12 th
cent. The Gradual of Daniel d’Au-
bonne, 17th cent., containing about
200 vignettes and initials, is very beau¬
tiful.

Le M\isee des Antiquites, in the sup¬
pressed convent de Ste. Marie, Rue
Beauvoisin, from the number and
rarity of the curiosities deposited in
it, consisting for the most part of vo¬
luntary donations, is one of the most
interesting sights in the town, and
highly creditable to the administration
of the department, by whom it was
founded, 1833-4; no stranger should
omit to visit it. The following enu¬
meration will give an idea of the na¬
ture of the objects preserved here:—
The door of the house in which Cor¬
neille was born; many Roman and
Gallic tombstones, coffins, See., dug up
at Rouen and other places in the Dept,
de la Seine Inferieure; many fragments
of Roman sculpture; specimens of pot¬
tery, glass, mosaics; inscriptions; toge¬
ther with a draped female statue of
good work, but wanting the head, from
the Roman theatre, Lillebonne.

It is chiefly, however, for works of
art and antiquities of the Middle Ages,
and the following period down to the
17th cent., that this museum is entitled
to attention.

The windows, 15 in number, by
which the gallery is lighted, are all
filled with painted glass derived from
suppressed convents, churches, &c.,
forming a chronological series from
the 13th to the 17th cent.; very valu¬
able and interesting, as showing the
progress of the art. The most remark¬
able are those from the Church of St.
Eloi, Rouen, 16th cent.; the miracle
of St. Nicholas, from St. Godard (first
half of 16th cent..), very fine. There
is no collection of glass painting equal
to this in France or England.

In glazed frames against the wall
are hung charters and other ancient
MSS., containing autographs of re¬
markable persons—among them, Wm.
the Conqueror’s mark, a cross (he
could not write); and the signatures

Normandy. Route 8. — Rouen

of our other Norman dukes and kings,
among which those of Henry I. and
Richard Cceur de Lion may be ob¬
served. Here also is now deposited
the heart of the Lion-hearted King
(see p. 36).

The shrine of St. Sever, which once
contained the relics of that saint, for¬
merly placed in the cathedral, is in the
shape of a Gothic chapel, with silver
statues of saints in niches round its
sides. It is of oak, covered with copper
plates gilt and silvered, and is an ele¬
gant piece of workmanship of the end
of the 12th cent.: it has been restored.
A crucifix, carved in stone, 16th cent.:
at the foot of the cross the holy
women; on the opposite side the Vir¬
gin and Child. Many other specimens
of sculpture, of the 15th, 16th, and
17th cent., in stone and wood, from
religious edifices: 5 bas-reliefs of the
Last Judgment, in marble, from the
Church of St. Denis-sur-Scie; in one,
Christ is rescuing souls from the jaws
(literally) of hell. Many capitals of
Gothic columns richly sculptured.

An extensive collection of coins and
medals; Roman, Gallo-Roman, French
Norman, &c.

Casts from the bas-reliefs of the
Hotel de Bourgtheroude (p. 41), repre¬
senting the interview of the Field of
the Cloth of Gold between Henry VIII.
and Francis I. A small collection of
arms and armour; among them will be
found the coat of mail of Enguerrand
de Marigny, from the Church of Ecouis:
also several early cannon and wall pieces,
ancient furniture, cabinets.

A fragment of the famous bell
George d’Amboise (see p. 34), which
was melted into cannons and sous-
pieces at the Revolution.

This Museum is open Sunday and
fete-days from 11 to 4, and Tuesday
and Thursday from 12 to 3; but it is
always accessible to strangers.

In an adjoining building is a very
respectable Museum of Natural History.

The amateur of stained glass should
not omit to visit the churches of St.
Godard, containing two windows 32 ft.
high and 12 wide, and St. Patrice,
where there are many more of still
greater beauty, executed in the 16th

— Church of St. Vincent.

cent. The architecture of these two
churches is not remarkable; they are
very late in the Gothic style.

The Church of St. Vincent has an
exquisite Gothic porch, and very fine
painted glass likewise.

Another church, St. Gervais, situ¬
ated in the very remote faubourg
Cauchois, near the Havre Railway ter¬
minus, is reputed the oldest structure
m Rouen, and one of the earliest Chris¬
tian monuments in France. The
church itself is low, humble, and not
remarkable; but below it is a crypt
even more simple and unadorned, but
exhibiting to the ey r e of the antiquary
marks of construction as old probably
as the 4th cent., in the courses of Ro¬
man tiles between the layers of rough
masonry. It has an apsidal termina¬
tion: in the side walls are holes for
the cancelli or rails, to which the cur¬
tain was hung to separate the chancel
from the rest of the church : the altar-
slab is marked with 5 -f +. The two
low arched recesses in the walls are
said to have been the graves of St.
Mello and St. Avitien, the first arch¬
bishop of Rouen.

The circular E. end of the church
itself, which rests upon this crypt, is
in the earliest Norman style: and. some
of the pillars let into the wall, but too
short to support the roof, have classic
capitals. The Roman road to Lille-
bonne passed close to St. Gervais.
William the Conqueror, tortured by
the wound he had received at the cruel
sack and burning of Mantes (p. 31),
repaired to the retired monastery of
St. Gervais to die. His death-bed ex¬
hibited a melancholy example of the
vanity of earthly grandeur. Deserted
by his own sons when the breath was
scarce out of his body, forsaken by
friends and courtiers, and plundered
by his servants, his body remained
stripped and deserted, until the pity
and charity of an unknown knight in
the neighbourhood provided the funds
necessary for the funeral; and he him¬
self escorted the body to its last resting-
place at Caen. There are perhaps a
dozen suppressed churches in Rouen,
most of them converted into warehouses.

The Palais de Justice is a very in-

Route 8.— Rouen—Palais de Justice.

Sect. I.

teresting specimen of civic Gothic ar¬
chitecture, which may vie with some
of the town-halls of the Low Countries.
Reared at a time when the style had
become fantastic in its forms and exu¬
berant in its adornments, it yet dis¬
plays so much originality of invention,
beauty, and gorgeous magnificence,
that it is hard to condemn it for a
want of taste and purity.

It lines 3 sides of a square; the
wing on the 1. is the Salle des Procu-
reurs, built 1493, as a sort of exchange
for merchants, native and foreign, to
meet in. It is a large and handsome
hall, with an open roof, like a ship’s
hull reversed, 1G0 ft. long and 50 ft.
high—a sort of Westminster Hall in
miniature, and now serving the same
purposes. The body of the building in
the centre was raised 6 years later by
Louis XII. for the Cour d’Echiquier of
Normandy, the ancient supreme tri¬
bunal of the duchy, at least as old as
the time of William the Conqueror,
for which the name of parliament was
substituted in 1515 by Francis I. This
fac^ade is decorated with all the orna¬
ment which the fertile resources of the
architect afforded; the square-headed
windows are set within the most deli¬
cate garlands of stone; the buttresses
are studded with niches and crowned
by pinnacles; and the lofty dormer
windows, rising against the high-
pitched roof, are surmounted by cano¬
pies of the most delicate open work,
with pinnacles and statues, many of
them executed by first-rate artists at
Paris, and are connected by a pierced
battlement of arches and tracery. For
many years past this front has been
undergoing a careful restoration; it
is only a pity that it makes so slow a
progress.

The chamber in which the parlia¬
ment of Normandy met is now the
Salle d'Assises. It has a fine roof of
black oak, set off with gold; but the
elegant pendants which hung from it
have been removed, and the wainscot¬
ing, painted over with arabesques and
old mottoes reminding judges of their
duties, has been taken down or effaced
by whitewash.

The large building behind the Palais,

once the residence of the president of
the parliament, is now the Cour Royale.

La Rue de la Grosse Horloge, not
far from the Palais, one of the nar¬
rowest and most picturesque in Rouen,
is so called from the antique clock
gate-house, built 1527, by which it is
spanned, adjoining the tower of the
Beffroi, whence the curfew is still
tolled every evening. In this street
are several ancient houses. Nos. 115
and 129 deserve notice.

The Place de la Pucelle, known also
by the vulgar name Marche aux Veaux,
serves to record the fate of the heroic
and unfortunate Jeanne d’Arc, the de¬
liverer of her country, and the terror
of the English, who was burned alive
here as a sorceress 1431, on the spot
marked by the contemptible modem
statue placed upon a pump, which
bears her name, but the outward
aspect of Bellona! Her ashes were
collected by the hangman, and cast
into the Seine, by order of the Cardinal
of Winchester. He and other prelates
were spectators of her execution; and
some of them, unmoved by her suffer¬
ings, even interrupted the priest who
was confessing her, by their impatience,
exclaiming, “ Now, priest, do you
mean to make us dine here ? ” After
she was bound to the stake, and while
the flames were rising around her, she
begged her confessor to hold aloft the
cross, that she might still behold the
sacred emblem above the smoke; and
she died expressing her conviction of
the truth of her mission, and calling
on the name of Jesus. The cruelty
exercised upon this simple and gentle
maiden (for in all her battles she never
killed an enemy, and was always intent
on preventing the effusion of blood) is
a disgrace to the annals of England.
In prison she was subjected to insult,
insidious treachery, and even outrage;
at her trial, in the chapel of the castle,
she stood alone without counsel or ad¬
viser, browbeaten by her inhuman and
bloodthirsty judges, yet baffling their
cunning and sophistry by her plain
straightforward answers.

But one of the saddest circumstances
connected with the death of the forlorn
maiden of Domrdmy was, that her

Normandy. Route 8. —Roicen —Place tie la Pucelle.

most active enemies and eventual be¬
trayers were her own countrymen: the
Bishop of Beauvais, her unjust judge,
her accuser, and the false priest who
was introduced into her cell on the
pretence of friendship as a spy to be¬
tray her secrets, w T ere all Frenchmen.
Her own countrymen allowed her to
be made prisoner at Compiegne with¬
out an attempt to defend or rescue
her; it was they who sold her to the
English; and Charles VII., her king,
who owed his country and throne to
her enthusiasm, appears neither to
have cared for nor remembered the
heroine of Orleans, from the hour
when she fell into the hands of the
English. He certainly neither at¬
tempted to ransom her, nor did he pro¬
test against her trial.*

It was not until 24 years from her
death that a papal bull proclaimed her
innocence; and a cross was raised by
her own countrymen, once more be¬
come masters of Rouen, on the spot
where she had been bound to the stake.

The great tower of the old castle in
wdiich she was imprisoned was demo¬
lished 1780. She was shut up in a
cage of iron, and her feet were fettered,
yet her spirit remained unbroken; and
when some English nobles came to in¬
sult her, she answered, “ Je sais bien
que les Anglais me feront mourir,
croyant apres ma mort gagner le roy-
aume de France; mais fussent-ils cent
mille Goddams de plus qu’h present, ils
n’auront pas ce royaume.”

On one side of the market-place,
within a short distance of the statue, is
an ancient mansion, which the common
people call Maison de la Pucelle, but
properly VHotel de Bourgtheroude , con¬
structed at the end of the 15th and
beginning of the 16th cent., by Wil¬
liam le Roux, seigneur of Bourgthe¬
roude, nearly at the same period as the
Palais de Justice. It is built round a
courtyard, and its inner wall is orna¬
mented with a series of bas-reliefs on
tablets of marble, representing the in¬
terview of the Cloth of Gold, and the
procession of the two kings Henry

* From a masterly and most interesting me¬
moir of Jeanne d’Arc in the Quarterly Review,
vol. 79.

VIII. and Francis I., attended by their
suite, among whom Cardinal Wolsey
is conspicuous. Above these are other
sculptures of allegorical figures, and
the elegant hexagonal tower is deco¬
rated with pastoral subjects.

The Convent of St. Amand, recently
pulled down, was a building of the
same age: a few curious fragments
alone remain in the Rue St. Amand.

There are several Gothic fountains
in various parts of the city; the most
curious are those of La Croix de
Pierre, resembling in form Waltham
Cross, but erected, 1500, by the Car¬
dinal d’Amboise; it stands in the Carre-
four St. Vivien. La Fontaine de la
Crosse is a low Gothic structure of the
15th cent., elegantly adorned with
tracery.

The house in which “ Le grand Cor¬
neille” (Pierre) was born, the most illus¬
trious of the natives of Rouen, exists
in Rue de la Pie, No. 4; a statue of
him has been erected by his fellow-
citizens on the stone bridge. Fonte-
nelle, his nephew, author of the ‘ Plu¬
rality of Worlds/ resided in the Rue
des Bons Enfans, No. 132-134. The
composer Boieldieu was also born here,
and the town has raised a statue to
him on the quay facing the Bourse.

The great Lord Chancellor Clarendon
died here, in banishment, 1674.

The Creches - an asylum for infant
children while their parents are at
work—may be seen here in full opera¬
tion, and deserves a visit.

The edifice called Les Halles, situ¬
ated between the cathedral and the
stone bridge, appropriated to the pur¬
pose of a cloth-hall for the sale of the
manufactures of Rouen, occupies the
site of the ancient palace and Vieille
Tour, in which King John Lackland
is said to have imprisoned and finally
murdered his nephew Prince Arthur.

The structure called Monument de
St. Romain, opposite the cloth-hall
(date 1542), w r as the spot where, by
virtue of an ancient privilege conceded
by King Dagobert, the chapter of the
cathedral were entitled to claim, on
Ascension-day, the release of a con¬
demned criminal, how great soever his
crime. This custom was intended to

Route 8=— Rouen — Bridges — Excursions.

Sect. I.

commemorate the circumstance of a
sentenced malefactor having been the
only person willing to accompany St.
Romain in his dangerous encounter
with the dragon (gargouille) which in¬
fested the neighbourhood of Rouen.
The monster, as it turned out, did not
give much trouble; it was rendered
powerless by the simple act of the
saint making the sign of the cross over
it, and, with his stole tied round its
neck, allowed itself to be led quietly
into the town. The privilege was
maintained down to the time of the
Revolution, though latterly under con¬
siderable modifications. In the front
of the house at the corner of the Rue
St. Romain and Rue la Croix de Fer, a
curious bas-relief of the 16th cent., re¬
presenting a school, is inserted.

Bridges .—The first bridge over the
Seine here was built (1167) by Queen
Matilda, daughter of Henry I.; it
lasted till the middle of the 15th cent.,
when it was destroyed, and a bridge of
boats substituted for it. In 1829 the
upper bridge of stone was completed,
and in 1836 the boats were finally re¬
placed by the existing suspension bridge.
An opening is left in the centre of this,
between the supporting piers, under
a lofty cast-iron arch rising 82 ft.
above the river, to allow masted ves¬
sels to pass.

The cotton manufactures of Rouen
are of such extent and importance as
to render it the Manchester of France;
they are greatly promoted by 3 small
streams—the Robec, the Aubitte, and
the Reuelle. A particular kind of
striped and chequed stuff is called
Rouennerie (toiles peintes, rayees, et &
carreaux), because originally and more
especially fabricated here. Spinning
and weaving mills, dye-works, espe¬
cially of Turkey red, printing and
bleaching works, are most plentifully
distributed, not only through town and
suburbs, but over the adjacent country
in a circuit of many miles, employing,
on a moderate computation, 50,000
persons.

The English Church service was given
up 1849. There are 800 English resi¬
dents here.

At the shop of Lebrument, bookseller,

Quai de Paris, the traveller may pro¬
vide himself with many interesting
works relating to the antiquities of
Normandy, with views and maps.

The Poste aux Lettres is on the Quai
du Havre, near the Custom - house;
open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

British Vice-Consul’s address, Rue
d’Orleans, 34.

The Messageries Royales in the Rue
de Bee, 10. Messag. Lafitte and Co.,
Rue Thouret, 15.

Railroads. —To Paris —Terminus in
the Faubourg St. Sever. (Rte. 8.)—
To Havre — Terminus in the Rue
Verte, on the rt. bank of the Seine,
but some distance from the river.
(Rte. 14.)—To Dieppe.

Diligences to Caen daily, morning
and evening; to Gournay and Beau¬
vais daily; to Elboeuf and Lisieux; to
Evreux and Orleans; to Pont Audemer
and Honfleur.

Steamboats daily; to Havre in 8
hrs.; and to Elboeuf: start from the
Quai du Havre (Rte. 12).

Walks and Excursions.

The Mont St. Catherine, the es¬
carped chalk hill on the E. of the city,
rising above the Seine and the road to
Paris, affords the best distant and pa¬
noramic view of Rouen, and will well
repay the labour to those who are not
afraid to face a steep ascent, 380 ft.
high, which may be mastered in half
an hour, starting from the extremity
of the Cours Dauphin. The entire
mass of the town is spread out below
you, surmounted by engine chimneys
mixed with spires, sending out its long
lines of houses and factories up the
hill sides and into the neighbouring
industrious valleys, uniting it with dis¬
tant villages; the noble spires of the
cathedral and of St. Ouen rising out of
the midst, the winding and sparkling
river Seine, spanned by its 2 bridges
and crowded with shipping, the Rail¬
way also crossing the river, and then
pursuing its mole-like course, half
above, half under ground, give a pleas¬
ing variety to the landscape. The
marks of active industry are every¬
where apparent, the bleach-fields strewn
with white webs, the stream - courses

Normandy. Route 9. —Paris to Rouen (Lower Road).

marked by rows of factories and tall
chimneys, the nooks in the hill sides
choked with villages.

All along the top of the mount are
traces of ditches and brick foundations
of bastions, part of the strong Fort oc¬
cupied by the Marquis Villars and the
soldiers of the League during the siege
of 1591, which were captured by
Henri IV., and dismantled by him in
compliance with the request of the
citizens, with the memorable words,
that “ he desired no fortress but the
hearts of his subjects.” This post was
taken by assault, chiefly through the
bravery of Henri’s English allies under
the Earl of Essex, who challenged Vil¬
lars to maintain, in single combat, on
horse or foot, in armour or doublet,
that his cause was the better and his
mistress the fairer.

Not far from St. Catherine’s is
Blosseville Bonsecours, whose modern
Gothic C^.,with painted windows, was
built 1846, to contain a figure of the
Virgin, much resorted to by pilgrims.
It has 3 portals in the W. front: it is
stone vaulted, and it cost 40,OOOZ .!

It is worth while to drive out to
the chateau of Canteleu, on the road to
Caudebec (Rte. 13), on account of
its beautiful view, even if you go no
farther.

A more distant excursion, which
will occupy 1 day very agreeably, is to
Chateau Gaillard, near Andelys (Rte.
11). The Paris Rly. passes within 3
m. of Andelys, and is the quickest
way.

There are many interesting monu¬
ments of architecture in the vicinity of
Rouen, among them the Chapelle cle
St. Julien , 3 or 4 m. S.W. of Rouen,
on the 1. bank of the Seine (Rte. 12) ;
St. George Boscherville, 9 m. off, on
the road to Havre (Rte. 13).

ROUTE 9.

PARIS TO ROUEN (LOWER ROAD), BY ST.

GERMAIN AND LOUVIERS.

137 kilom. = 85 Eng. m.

Only one Diligence , in 10 or 12
hrs.; the rest are superseded by the
rly. (Rte. 8).

This road to Rouen is far more gene¬

rally interesting and more picturesque
in scenery than the upper one, through
Gisors, but is nearly 7 m. longer than
it. It is carried down the valley of the
Seine, quitting the bank of the river
only to avoid its excessive windings.
The high road from Paris to St. Ger¬
main commences at the “star,” or ra¬
diation of routes which gives a name
to the Arc de Triomphe de VEtoile, the
largest triumphal arch in the world,
and the finest entrance into the French
capital. Yet the eye scarcely appre¬
ciates its vastness : few would suspect
that it is nearly as wide and lofty as
the facade of Notre Dame, or that the
aperture of the arch equalled that of
its nave. The road skirts on the 1. the
Bois de Boulogne, famous for pro¬
menades, duels, and suicides — now
shorn of its proportions to form a glacis
for the new fortifications.

A cross road, called Chemin de la
Revolte, leading from Neuilly to St.
Denis, branches off on the rt.: near
the entrance of it occurred the melan¬
choly death of the Due d’Orleans, who
was killed in jumping out of his car¬
riage, of which the horses had run
away. An elegant Byzantine Chapel
has been built on the site of the house
in which he breathed his last: it is
dedicated to St. Ferdinand, and is in
the form of a Greek cross. It contains
a monumental cenotaph, the effigy of
the prince in his uniform reclining on
a bed, by M. Triquety. On a pedestal
to the rt. is an angel kneeling in prayer,
one of the last works of his sister the
Princess Marie. The painted windows
w-ere executed at Sevres, from Ingre’s
designs.

The road next passes on the rt. the
ruins of the Chateau de Neuilly , the
most frequented residence of King
Louis-Philippe, and beyond that vil¬
lage crosses the Seine by the celebrated
bridge of 5 arches, each of 120 ft. span,
the masterpiece of the architect Per-
ronet, built 1772. Henri IV. and his
queen were dragged into the water
here in their cumbrous state coach,
and narrowly escaped drowning: an
accident which caused the ferry to be
superseded by a bridge of wood. The
park of Neuilly extends for some dis-

Route 9 .—Paris to Rouen (Lower Road). Sect. I.

tance down the rt. bank of the Seine, I
and into the islands which here divide
its stream. On the 1. bank is seen the
village and large barrack of

9 Courbevoie. A little beyond the
posthouse, our road, a perfectly straight
line hitherto, separating from the Route
d’en haut (Rte. 10), bends to the 1. and
passes the Versailles Railroad (rive
droite).

Mont Valerien, on the 1., converted
into the citadel of the fortifications of
Paris, is not more than m. distant
from the chateau of Neuilly. The
Church on this height, founded on
the debris of one destroyed by Napo¬
leon, contains numerous relics : among
them a fragment of the true Cross (!)
and the Calvary attached to it has
attracted pious pilgrims for several
centuries. Madame de Genlis, the
preceptress of Louis Philippe, was
buried in the cemetery. The aqueduct
of Marly and chateau of St. Germain
are now seen in the distance.

At Ruel the Cardinal Richelieu had
a magnificent residence. The large
barrack on the 1. of the road was occu¬
pied in the time of the elder Bourbons
by the Swiss guard. In the little church
of the village, built 1584, and decorated
with a portico at the cost of Cardinal
Richelieu, from the designs of Lemer-
cier, is buried the Empress Josephine.
A simple monument bearing her statue
kneeling, by Cartallier, has been erected
by her children, Prince Eugene (Due
of Leuchtenberg), and Hortense Beau-
harnois (ex-Queen of Holland), mother
of Louis Napoleon, who has since been
buried here herself. Josephine died,
May 1814, at her favourite villa, hard
by Ruel, Malmaison. Her pleasure-
grounds have been cut up to be sold in
lots; her conservatory and menageries,
in which she took much delight, and
the Swiss dairy and Merino farm, are
swept away. The spot seems to have
owed its charms chiefly to art; the soil
is very sterile. Buonaparte spent 5
days here in June 1815, between his
second abdication and his final depar¬
ture for Rochefort, having been sent
out of Paris by Fouche and the provi¬
sional government.

The road skirts the enclosing w T all of

Malmaison for some distance, and, soon
after reaching the 1. bank of the Seine,
passes La Chaussde, where La Belle
Gabrielle had a house, and Marly la
Machine, so called from the cumbrous
pile of wooden scaffolding and wheels
constructed to raise the water of the
Seine 300 ft. to supply Versailles, but
now partly replaced by a steam engine.
The Aqueduct of 36 arches, the loftiest
70 ft. high, by which the water is con¬
veyed, is a conspicuous and fine object
rising against the hill. The Chateau
de Marly, built by Mansard for Louis
XIV., was destroyed at the Revolution,
having been purchased by speculators
who pulled it down to sell the materials,
and nothing now remains to mark that
scene of a monarch’s extravagance and
magnificence. St. Simon, describing its
construction, relates that whole forests
*of full-grown trees were brought from
Compiegne, fths of which died and
were replaced by others; large tracts
of w T ood were suddenly converted into
sheets of water, and back again to shady
groves; and all to adorn a small villa
in a contracted valley without view,
in which Louis might pass 3 or 4 nights
in the course of the year.

The pavilion of Luciennes, on the
brow of the hill above Marly, was the
last residence of the notorious Madame
du Barry, mistress of Louis XV.

Le Pecq is a suburb of St. Germain,
stretching down the hill, on whose sum¬
mit that town is built, to the margin of
the Seine.

14 St. Germain-en-Laye (see below).

Railroad — Paris to St. Germain, 19
kilom. = 12 Eng. m. The distance is
performed in less than 30 min. Trains
(convois) go every hour: but see the
printed bills. The Terminus (Embar-
cadere) in Paris is in Rue St. Lazare,
No. 120. This rly. received injuries
from the Republican mob of Feb. 1848,
to the extent of 1,700,000 frs. The
Pont d’Asnieres and many of the sta¬
tions were burned by them.

The first part of this line as far as
4| Asnieres Stat. is the same as the
Rouen Rly. (Rte. 8).

Colombes Stat. (Rte. 8).

Normandy. Route 9. —Paris to Rouen — St. Germain.

The high road from Paris to Rouen
is crossed within a short distance of

7 Nanterre Stat., a village celebrated
as the birthplace of St. Genevieve, the
patron saint of Paris, who preserved it
by her prayers, according to the legend,
from the invasion of Attila. The chapel
of the saint, at which Anne of Austria
came to pray for an heir, 1636, who
was born 2 years after, no longer exists.
Nanterre is famed for cakes.

Ruel Stat. (p. 44).

The Seine is crossed for the second
time shortly before arriving at

3.| Chatou Stat., by 2 bridges resting
on an island which here divides the
river. The village of Chatou lies on
the rt. hand of the rly. and rt. bank of
the Seine. An atmospheric branch rly.
has been constructed hence to St. Ger¬
main.

3£ Le Pecq Stat., opposite the vil¬
lage of Le Pecq, which is a suburb of
St. Germain, and is connected with it
by a bridge of stone, erected 1835, in
the place of one of w ood, by which, in
1815, the Prussian army under Bliicher
crossed the river on its march upon
Paris.

The Rly. is carried (on the atmos¬
pheric principle) across the Seine and
up the slope to the centre of the Ter¬
race de St. Germain, ^ m. The steep
ascent, from the bridge up to the town,
is surmounted also by a broad road in
zigzag, while a flight of stone steps
affords access for the pedestrian to the
Terrace which runs along the brow of
the hill.

St. Germain-en-Laye Stat. — Inns: H.
d’xingleterre — de Toulouse — de la
Chasse Royale. There is a Restaurant
on the slope of the hill, au Pavilion de
Henri IV.; the best, but all dear. This
deserted residence of kings is interest¬
ing from historical recollections, and
pleasing from the grandeur of its
site; but although it contains 12,000
Inliab., it has a melancholy air of aban¬
donment in its grass-grown streets and
straggling edifices. The huge gloomy
pile of the Royal Chateau itself, the
favourite residence of Marguerite de
Valois, Henri II., Henri IV., Francis I.,
and the birthplace of Charles IX. and
of Louis XIV., having been gutted at

the Revolution, has nothing but its
souvenirs to recommend it. It looks
like a prison, and is actually converted
into a military penitentiary, and sur¬
rounded by a wall for security. Those
who will take the trouble to seek an
order of admission from the command¬
ant (which is not readily granted) may
see the chapel, the eldest part and the
least impaired, the hall of Fi’ancis I.,
the bed-chamber of Madame de la Val-
liere, and the trap-door by which the
youthful Louis gained entrance into it
after his mother had caused the door
of the backstair to be walled up; also
the Oratory of James II., and the
chamber in which he died, 1701. This
palace was assigned to him as a re¬
sidence by his host Louis XIV., who
was tired of the place himself, having
taken an aversion to it because it com¬
manded a view of his destined resting-
place St. Denis. James resided here
12 years, holding the semblance of a
court. Part of his body, “ une portion
de la chair et des parties nobles du
corps,” was buried in the parish church,
recently rebuilt and faced with a Doric
portico, where a monument was erected
to his memory by George IV.

The only real attraction in St. Ger¬
main at present is its beautiful Terrace,
stretching along the brow of the hill
for 2400 metres = 1^ m., and com¬
manding a delightful prospect over the
valley of the Seine and its windings,
with the aqueduct of Marly on the rt.,
Chateau of Maisons on the 1., the rlys.
and the Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile,
with the spires of St. Denis rising
against the horizon, in front.

The Forest of St. Germain, one of
the largest in France, having a circuit
of 21 m., occupies a promontory formed
by a sweeping bend of the river Seine.
It is intersected by roads offering
agreeable rides and walks in all direc¬
tions. In the midst of it is the Pavil¬
ion de la Meute (Dog-kennel), begun
by Francis I. Deer and roes are found
in the remote parts.

The name of St. Germain-en-Laye
comes from a chapel and monastery of
St. Germanus, built in the reign of
King Robert, in the midst of the forest
then called Silva Ledia.

Route 9 .—Paris to Rouen — Louviers.

Sect. I.

Many English reside here, on ac¬
count of the cheapness of living and
the pure air. The Church service is
performed on Sundays in a private
room.

There are 2 roads from St. Germain
to Mantes; the one called Chemin de
Quarante Sous, keeping on the S. side
of the Seine, is the shorter by about 5
m., but more hilly; the other, the post¬
road, cuts across the S. extremity of the
forest to Poissy. (See Rte. 8.)

The road descends the rt. bank of
the river henceforth as far as Mantes,
through

11 Triel (Rte. 8).

8 Meulan (Rte. 8).

The railroad is carried along the 1.
bank of the Seine, and passes in the
rear of Mantes, where is a station.

15 Mantes.

About half-way between Mantes and
Bonnieres we pass Rosny.

The rly. is carried on a lofty terrace
side by side with the high road as far
as Rolleboise, where it penetrates in a
tunnel through a hill which the road
surmounts by a steep ascent. An
abrupt curve of the river, here sweep¬
ing round by the chateau La Roche
Guyon (Rte. 11), is thus avoided. The
farther extremity of the tunnel opens
out close to

13 Bonnieres (Rte. 8).

About 1^ m. beyond this the road to
Caen and Cherbourg by Evreux (Rte.
25). separates on the 1. from that to
Rouen, which skirts the margin of the
Seine under a shady avenue of walnut
and ash trees. A small rivulet flowing
into it from the S., crossed by our road,
was the boundary of the ancient pro¬
vince of Normandy, as it now is of the
department of the Eure; and 2 m.
farther on we reach

11 Vernon (Rte. 8).

There is another post-road from Ver¬
non along the rt. bank of the Seine,
by Andelys (22 kilom.), and Chateau
Gaillard (Rte. 11), Pont St. Pierre (19
kilom.), Le Forge Feret (10 kilom.), to
Rouen (11 kilom.), but it is longer by
31 m. than the following :

14 Gaillon.

The isthmus of the peninsula formed

by this curve is traversed by the rly.
in a tunnel (Rte. 8).

The post-road quits the borders of
the Seine before reaching Gaillon, and
does not rejoin it until Pont de FArche
is reached.

At the village Heudebouville the road
to Andelys and Chateau Gaillard (6 m.
distant) strikes off to the rt. Here also
the road to Rouen divides into 2
branches; the rt.-hand one, by Vau-
dreuil, though shorter, is more hilly,
and takes the same time to travel, so
that by Louviers is preferable. Tall
chimneys and numerous huge red-brick
buildings with many windows proclaim
the manufacturing town of

14 Louviers ( Inns : H. de Rouen,
dear; du Mouton, good), advantage¬
ously situated on the numerous branches
of the Eure ; it is one of the 3 prin¬
cipal clothing towns of France, the
other 2 being Elbceuf and Sedan. It
contains 30 cloth manufactories, and
19 spinning-mills of woollen yarn,
which employ from 7000 to 8000 per¬
sons in and around the town, though
the number of Inhab. does not exceed
9927. The cloth of Louviers is re¬
markable for its fine quality; yet the
town is not prosperous, being out¬
stripped by its rival Elbouf. Its ancient
features are fast being swept away.
The Ch. of Notre Dame , shrouded be¬
hind the number of its flying buttresses,
presents a mass of incongruities and
sad mutilations, yet is well worth ex¬
amination. Its S. portal, projecting
forwards on fringed arches, with a
pendant hanging from the centre, is
decked out with an exuberance of florid
ornament. It was built in 1496. The
W. end has 3 portals, the centre sup¬
ported by a Corinthian pillar. In the
inside the nave and choir date from
1218, and exhibit the transition from
the round to the pointed style; low and
thick columnar piers support pointed
arches, on which rests a glazed tri-
forium of round-headed trefoil arches,
with lancet windows under trefoil
arches in the clerestory; the aisles are
more modern. The bas-reliefs, carved
in wood, of sacred subjects from the life
of our Saviour, and the painted glass,
merit notice, as well as the open gallery

Normandy. Route 10. —Paris

of filagree stone-work under the central
tower, S. side.

The Gothic house with pointed win¬
dows, called Matson des Templiers , is
probably as old as the 13th or beginning
of the 14th cent.

Coaches —to St. Pierre de Vauvray
station of the Rouen and Paris Rly.

A road branches off hence to Elboeuf
(Rte. 11); coaches thither daily.

At Vaudreuil, 3 or 4 m. to the rt. of
the road to Rouen, is a modern chateau,
surrounded by the waters of the Eure,
and a fine church (12th cent.), with a
beautiful W. window.

A considerable tract of forest is
passed between Louviers and Pont de
PArche (Rte. 8).

To avoid a long bend of the river the
road is carried over a high hill, whose
top commands a charming view, but on
the opposite descent regains the margin
of the river before

17 Port St. Ouen, and thence runs
beside it, skirting the foot of the chalk
hills through a series of villages and
hamlets to the extensive suburb of
Eauplet, which extends up to the gate
of Rouen. The entrance into the town
on this side is by the Cours Dauphin, a
raised causeway planted with an avenue
of trees, having the Seine on the 1. and
the Champ de Mars on the rt. hand.

11 Rouen (see Rte. 8).

ROUTE 10.

PARIS TO ROUEN (THE UPPER ROAD), BY
GISORS OR BY MAGNY.

By Magny, 119 kilom. — 73 Eng. m.
i.e. 6f m. shorter than the lower rd.
(Rte. 9), but much less interesting. By
Gisors, 126 kilom. = 77^ Eng. m.

9 Courbevoie, 1

14 Herblay, I

9 Pontoise, > in Rte. 5.

18 Chars,

18 Gisors, )

From Paris to Pontoise by St. Denis
(Rte. 2) is 3 kilom. = 1-f Eng. m. longer,
but there is a Rly. to Pontoise.

At Herblay the road by St. Denis
joins that by Courbevoie. It is a tire¬
some road from Pontoise to

14 Bord’haut, a hamlet dependent
on the village of de Vigny, whose fine

to Rouen ( Upper Road).

old Castle, flanked by round towers,
topped with extinguisher roofs, and
surrounded by a moat, stands on the
1. of the road. It was built by the
Cardinal d’Amboise, minister of Louis
XII., and is a picturesque and interest¬
ing specimen of domestic architecture
in the beginning of the 16th cent.

13 Magny.— Inn: Grand Cerf. In
the pretty Church, in the latest Gothic,
passing into the Italian style, is a
monument, consisting of 3 marble
statues kneeling, to the memory of the
family of Villerond(date 1617); another
in bas-relief recording the virtues of
M. Dubuisson, pastor of the parish, and
a richly ornamented canopy, carved,
and bearing statues, which covers the
baptismal font.

We now enter the district anciently
called le Vexin. The little river Epte
divided the French from the Norman
Vexin, and formed the boundary of
Normandy. It is crossed at St. Clair-
sur-Epte, whose ruined Castle, a mix¬
ture of late Norman and early pointed,
is reputed the scene of the interview
between Charles the Simple and the
pirate Rollo; when the barbarian con¬
queror, called upon to do homage for
the fertile province of Normandy,
which he had in fact wrung from the
weakness of the Frankish king, instead
of kneeling to kiss the king’s foot,
seized the royal leg, and without bend¬
ing carried it to his mouth, so as to
upset the monarch from his seat,
amidst the laughter of the rude warriors
of the north.

The Epte is crossed on quitting St.
Clair.

17 Thilliers-en-Vexin, in the midst
of a monotonous plain of rich corn-lancl.
Near the middle of this stage the road
passes, at some distance on the rt., a vil¬
lage called Hacqueville, insignificant in
itself, but deserving mention as the birth¬
place of the late Mark Isambart Brunei,
the engineer of the Thames Tunnel,
whom England is proud to own as her
son by adoption, although France claims
him by birth. He was educated in the
college of Gisors, and when the vacations
called him home his favourite resort was
the shop of the village carpenter, whose
tools and instruments had greater at-

48 Route 11.— The Seine , A. — St. Germain to Rouen. Sect. I.

tractions for the youthful engineer than
Latin and Greek, and his allotted holi¬
day task (devoirs). The writer of this
has frequently heard him describe the
wonder and delight with which he for
the first time beheld (1784), on the
quay of Rouen, the component parts of
a huge steam-engine, just landed from
England: “ When I am a man,” he
said to himself, “ I will repair to the
country where such machinery is
made.”

15 Ecouis contains a fine Gothic
Church, on the unusual plan of a
Greek cross, founded by Enguerrand
de Marigny, the unfortunate minister
and high treasurer of Philippe le Bel,
unjustly condemned to death without
trial at the instigation of the succeed¬
ing king’s uncle, Charles of Valois,
and hung on the robbers’ gibbet of
Montfaucon. His monument, set up
in this church at a time when his in¬
nocence and worth were acknowledged,
was destroyed at the Revolution. That
of his brother, Archbishop of Rouen, is
still surmounted by his effigy in white
marble. He went as ambassador to
Edward III.in 1342, “and appeared at
court in the guise of a warrior, not of a
minister of peace.” There are several
other tombstones in the choir.

A rapid ascent and descent carries
the road across the industrious and pic¬
turesque vale of the Andelle, in the
midst of which is

9 Fleury-sur-Andelle. About 10 m.
N.E. of this, and 2 from Lions la
Foret, are the ruins of the Abbey of
Mortemer, begun 1154 by Henry II.
of England. The church is pulled
down; but some of the conventual
buildings in the style of transition from
round to pointed — including a fine
chapter-house (date 1174)—remain. It
was at Bourg-boudouin that Roland,
the ex-minister and Girondist, com¬
mitted suicide, 1793. As soon as he
heard of his wife’s death by the guillo¬
tine, he resolved not to survive her ;
but unwilling to endanger the generous
friends who had sheltered him in their
house at Rouen, he took leave of them,
and, carrying a sword-stick in his hand,
set out on the road to Paris. When he
had got thus far, he sat down under a

tree and stabbed himself, leaving about
his person a note, written by his own
hand, to this effect: “ Whoever you
may be who find me lying here, treat
my remains with respect. They are
those of one who devoted his whole life
to be useful, and who died as he lived,
virtuous and unsullied. May my fel¬
low-citizens embrace more humane sen¬
timents ! When I heard of the death
of my wife, I loathed a world stained
with so many crimes.” He perished
an instance of the miserable fate which
unerringly awaits those who, either
from good or evil motives, are the first
to plunge a country into revolution.

12 La Forge Fe'ret.

From the brow of the steep hill lead¬
ing down through deep cuttings into
Rouen, a fine view is obtained of that
city and the Seine. The upper and
lower roads from Paris unite in the
suburb Eauplet.

11 Rouen (Rte. 8).

ROUTE 11.

THE SEINE, A.—ST. GERMAIN TO ROUEN.

The figures mark distances from
place to place in French lieues = 2|
Eng. m. From St. Germain to Rouen
is 56 leagues, about 140 Eng. m.

The steam navigation has been aban¬
doned in consequence of the comple¬
tion of the Railway (Rte. 8).

The scenery of the Seine ( Sequana,
—from the Celtic seach, devious, and
an, water) is very pleasing, almost
meriting the epithet “beautiful;” its
banks are abundantly studded with
towns, villages, and chateaux, and are
alternately wooded, or rise in round
bare hills, sometimes presenting escarp¬
ments to the river, which, from the
white colour of the chalk, are not alto¬
gether picturesque. There are not
many old castles — Ch&teau Gaillard,
however, is an imposing and interesting
ruin, and perhaps, taken as a whole,
the finest feature in the voyage. The
number of islands in the river between
Paris and Rouen is said to be 300. The
circuitous windings of the river prolong
the distance from Pecq to Rouen to
141 m., while by land it is only 71 m.

Normandy.

Route 11 .—La Roclie Guyon.

Between St. Germain (or Pecq) and
Poissy the river makes abend of 21 m.,
enclosing as it were in a loop the forest
of St. Germain (p. 45); by land the
distance is 4^ m.

1. The river skirts the forest of St.
Germain, passing Mesnil at the extre¬
mity of the terrace of St. Germain and
the village. The Seine has been bridged
to allow the rly. to pass at

1. Maisons (1). Rte. 8.

rt. Conflans (2£), a village having a
suspension-bridge over the Seine, by
which the road from Pontoise to Ver¬
sailles crosses the river, is situated a
little below the confluence of the Oise
with the Seine, whence comes its name.

rt. Andresis is situated below the
mouth of the Oise; it has a fine Gothic
church.

1. Poissy (If); see Rte. 8. Poissy is
not more than 5 m. by land from St.
Germain, whereas by the windings of
the river the voyage takes 1^ or 2 hrs.
The most interesting objects on the
river as far as Rosny and Rolleboise
are described Rte. 8.

rt. Triel (2j).

1. Verneuil.

rt. Meulan (2).

The island lie Belle, opposite Meulan,
is reputed the prettiest in the whole
course of the river; but it is feared its
shrubberies, and thickets, and planta¬
tions have been cut down.

1. Mantes (41), and rt. Limay, united
by a bridge.

1. The Chateau of Rosny (J), a red
brick building, with terraces on which
Sully may have walked, clipped ave¬
nues, &c.

1. Rolleboise (£); between this place
and Bonnieres the curve made by the
Seine measures 12 m., the direct dis¬
tance is 3 m.

rt. La Roche Guyon (3^), one of
the largest chateaux on the Seine, and
one of the most striking objects, is a
structure of different ages, part modern,
part Gothic, situated at the base of a
rock of chalk, which has been escarped
artificially to make room for it. The
kitchen, vaults, cellars, &c., are exca¬
vated in the rock, with merely fronts
of brick. The oldest part is the tower
on the eminence above, commanding

France.

the country far and near, and communi¬
cating with the chateau by steps cut in
the hill side. On the summit of the
hill is a large reservoir for water, ex¬
cavated out of the rock. The chateau,
long the property of the La Roche-
foucaulds, now belongs to the family of
Rohan. Framjois de Bourbon, Comte
' d’Enghien, who gained the battle of
Cerisoles, was killed here by a box
thrown out of the castle window upon
his head. The chamber and bed occu¬
pied by Henri IV. on his frequent visits
to the castle are kept in their original
condition. The attraction which drew
him hither was the charms of the lady
of the castle, the Marquise de Guerche-
ville, whose high-minded reply to his
assiduities deserves recording: “Jene
suis pas d’assez bonne maison pour etre
votre femme, mais je suis de trop bonne
maison pour etre votre maitresse.” The
bourg adjoining the castle has a hand¬
some Gothic church. “ The houses of
the poor people here, as on the Loire in
Touraine, are burrowed into the chalk,
and have a singular appearance ; here
are 2 streets of them, one above another.”
— A. Young. A Suspension Bridge , of
656 ft. opening between the piers, has
been thrown across the Seine here.

1. Bonnieres

rt. Limetz, a village at a little dis¬
tance from the river, nearly marks the
situation of the embouchure of the Epte,
a small stream, which once formed the
boundary or limit of Normandy. Charles
the Simple, in 911, was fain to offer to
the Norman Rollo all the territory ex¬
tending from this streamlet to the sea,
and with it his fair daughter Gisela, to
arrest the exterminating inroads of the
warriors of the North. The offer was
accepted; and Neustria, receiving the
name of its conquerors, became Nor¬
mandy.

1. Vernon (2-^), Rte. 8.

rt. The hills which border the river,
with nearly precipitous cliffs, have a
singularly wavy outline, their curved
tops being saddled, as it were, with
green turf, while between them dry
valleys or coombes open out. They
rise in the form of an amphitheatre,
encircling an extensive plain. Nearly
at the centre of the curve which the

lioute 11.— The Seine , A .— Chateau Gaillard . Sect. I.

Seine here describes, on the summit of
a commanding chalk cliff*, rises

rt. Chateau Gaillard (6), the most
picturesque ruin and interesting object,
both from its situation and associations,
in the lower course of the Seine. Im¬
mediately below its frowning antique
towers and crumbling crags, a light
and convenient w r ire suspension bridge
has been thrown over the river.

The castle was begun and finished
in one year by King Richard Cceur de
Lion, in defiance of his rival Philippe
Augustus, and in the face of the treaty
of Louviers, by which he had bound
himself not to fortify Andelys, the little
town on the strand at the river side.
He thus broke it in substance, while he
kept to the letter. Exulting in his
stronghold, as he first looked down
from its commanding battlements on
the defenceless town and exposed river
below him, he named it, in the pride of
his heart, his “ Saucy Castle.” Even
now that it is reduced to a mouldering
ruin, one cannot look up to its tower¬
ing battlements, or gaze down from
them upon the sunny landscape below
—the glassy Seine flowing close at the
foot of the castle rocks, then girdling
the peninsula in front, and reflecting
vine and corn clad slopes, trees, spires,
and cottages in its surface—without
sharing in this feeling of exultation of
the fierce soldier king, in the possession
of a stronghold which enabled him to
defy his enemies, and overawe the
country around, with the terror of his
armed bands and unerring archers.

The eminence on which it stands
projects forward, isolated from the
neighbouring hills on all sides but one,
where it is connected by a narrow
tongue. This was cut through by a
deep fosse skirting the outer line of
wall. On all the other sides steep
escarpments rendered the height in¬
accessible ; towards the river, indeed,
it presents a vertical precipice. Yet
even along the edge of the cliff tall
flanking towers were raised, some of
which have long since toppled over,
while others are tottering to their fall.
But these were only the outworks ;
within them rose a citadel of singular
form and strength,—a huge circular

drum tower, having a wavy surface
alternately projecting and receding, like
a frustum of a fluted column. The
circle is broken by the insertion of a
round tower shaped externally like a
dice-box on the side overhanging the
Seine. This was the Donjon, and con¬
tained the royal apartments; its walls
are 14 or 15 ft. thick. A second deep
fosse surrounds this citadel, cut in the
chalk rock, here interspersed with flints
which were used in the building, and
thus it served at once as quarry and
defence. Extensive caverns, supported
by piers of the rock left standing,
branch off from one side of this fosse;
they probably were used as stables.
The original gateway into the citadel
is no longer accessible, but entrance
may be gained by clambering through
a small sallyport in the corner. It is
to be feared that only a small part of
the existing ruins belonged to the castle
of King Richard. At his death Philippe
Augustus, waging w r ar as the champion
of Prince Arthur with John, laid siege
to this castle. It was bravely defended
by Roger de Lacy for 6 months, when
he was finally starved into surrender.
He had previously expelled from its
walls the useless mouths, the old men,
women, and children, to the number of
400 or 500; but the French king, wish¬
ing to distress the garrison, drove them
back and refused them passage, so that
the poor wretches, denied admittance
into the castle, perished of famine in
the ditches between the two armies.
Chateau Gaillard continued to be the
chief bulwark of Normandy down to
1606, when Henri IV. demolished it
along with other castles as dangerous
to the Royal authority. In 1314 two
frail queens were immured within its
walls, and one of them, Marguerite,
wife of Louis X., was strangled here
by order of her husband. David Bruce
found an asylum here 1334, when an
exile from Scotland, the castle having
been ceded to him by Philippe of Valois.
With a small garrison of 120 men it
resisted for 16 months the forces of
Henry V., and yielded at length because
cut off from a supply of water by the
wearing out of the ropes by which the
buckets were let down into the well!

Normandy. Monte 11. — The Seine, A, — Andelys.

Against the face of the cliff above
the Seine rises a curious pigeon-house
tower, lined with cells for the pigeons,
a common appendage to ancient for¬
tresses, being a sort of natural larder.
A chapel of recent date has been ex¬
cavated in the rock near it.

The suspension bridge over the Seine
beneath the castle opens a communica¬
tion with Louviers (12 m.), rt. Below
the castle rock crouches the town of
Petit Andelys (no Inn); the large and
conspicuous red building, surmounted
by a dome at the lower end of it, is an
Hospital founded by the Due de Pen-
thievre.

Grand Andelys {Inn, Cerf, dear; the
house is a curious and picturesque spe¬
cimen of domestic Gothic architecture
within and without; it was the resi¬
dence of the Archbishop of Rouen,
Pierre Harley, temp. Henri IV.). This
town of 5000 Inhab. lies about 1 m.
inland away from the Seine. The
Gothic ch., somewhat in decay, curiously
Italianized on its N. side, contains some
painted glass, and a rude representation
of the neighbouring Chateau Gaillard
carved in stone. It has many rich de¬
tails, including a fine oriel. Turnebus,
the Greek commentator, was a native
of Andelys. The hamlet Villers, 3^ m.
from this, was the birth-place (1594)
of Nicolas Poussin, the painter; but
the humble cottage of his parents is
pulled down. A monument was set up
to his memory (1851) in the market¬
place of Great Andelys. In the Mairie
is a picture by him—Coriolanus among
the Volsci, receiving his mother and
wife.

La Fontaine de Ste. Clothilde alone
recalls to mind the monastery founded
here by the first Christian queen of
France. It is sw'ept away, but the
water of the well is believed by the
peasantry still to retain the virtues im¬
parted to it by the royal saint, and to
cure their children of stomachaches.

Andelys is about 4 m. distant from
the railroad (Rte. 8). There is a direct
post-road to Rouen by Pont St. Pierre;
it is traversed daily by a diligence.

The Seine, leaving behind the white
crags and towering ruins of CMteau
Gaillard, makes a wide sweep along the

base of a series of semicircular chalk
cliffs. This curve of the river is 18 m.
long, while the direct distance from
(rt.) Thuit to the mouth of the Andelle
is only 8 m. There is no place worth
notice on the Seine between these two
points. The railway emerges from a
tunnel near (rt.) Venables, and skirts
the river.

- rt. (5j). The pretty and industrious
valley of the Andelle opens out into the
Seine at the foot of a green hill, “ the
last of a long promontory,” bearing the
name of Cote des Deux Arnans. It is
the scene of the old romantic Lai of
Mai’y of France—of the young lover
who was to marry the mistress of his
heart, a king’s daughter, provided he
could carry her to the top of the hill
without stopping to rest. He fell dead
under his precious burthen, exhausted
with the exeition, just as he reached
the summit ; at which the king’s
daughter died of a broken heart, and
was buried in the same grave with him.
The hardhearted father, who had caused
this catastrophe by imposing such cruel
conditions, struck with remorse, founded
on the spot where it occurred a convent
whose existence is traced to an early
period, but the building now standing
on the top of the hill is not older than
1685.

At Romilly, 8 m. up the valley of the
Andelle, are the most extensive copper-
works in France, consisting of a foundry
with rolling-mills. The banks of the
Andelle are studded with fulling-mills.
A bridge has been thrown across for
the rly. a little above the influx of

1. The Eure, from which the Dept,
is named, a considerable and useful
river, on which stands Louviers, famed
for its cloth manufacture (Rte. 9). The
Eure falls into the Seine 2^ m. above

1. Pont de 1’Arche (Rte. 8). This
town is only 12 m. from Rouen ; whilst,
in consequence of several serpentine
bends, the distance by water is 33.
The Seine abounds in islands in this
part of its course, which increase the
intricacies of the navigation.

1. A little below the bridge stand the
remains of the Abbey of Bon Port,
consisting of the refectory, and another
monastic edifice, the ch. being quite

D 2

Route 12.— The Seine, B.—Rouen to Havre. Sect. I.

destroyed. It was founded 1119 by
Richard Coeur de Lion, in gratitude
for his escape from drowning in the
waters of the Seine, into which he had
plunged in the heat of the chace while
pursuing a stag. On reaching the bank,
after a severe struggle with the current,
he called the spot “bon port,” and
vowed to build a ch. The approach to
the town of Elboeuf is marked by the
number of tall chimneys, and the many
floating arks moored in the midst of
the river, used for washing wool.

1. Elbceuf, 3.

Elbceuf is exclusively a manufactur¬
ing town, and, if Rouen has any claim
to be compared to Manchester, it may
be called a French Leeds, as one of the
principal seats of the manufacture of
cloth; more than half of its 15,000 In-
hab. and about 20,000 persons in the
adjoining communes being weavers, or
occupied in other departments of this
branch of industry. Its situation on
the 1. bank of the Seine is advantageous
to its prosperity. The wise enactments
of the sage Colbert (1669) promoted
greatly its already thriving commerce ;
but the revocation of the Edict of
Nantes annulled their good effect, dis¬
persing its industrious artisans, who
settled in Leyden, Norwich, and Lei¬
cester. The manufactures of Elbceuf
did not recover from this check until
the events of 1815, relieving France
from the competition of Belgium, gave
them so decided an impulse that their
produce is now threefold greater than
it was then. The value of the cloth
made here in one year is estimated at
more than a million sterling.

The two Gothic churches of St. Etienne
and St. Jean contain curious painted
glass; in the latter is a window pre¬
sented by the clothworkers’ guild some¬
where about 1466, in which various
implements of the craft, such as shears
and teasels, are introduced.

The working classes are generally
industrious and economical, and are
consequently far better off than those
of Rouen.

Steamers 3 times a-day to Rouen.

1. The Rocks of Orival, a range of
chalk cliffs beginning at Elbceuf, con¬
sisting uf detached pinnacles and pro¬

jecting shelves, formed by the hard
flint layers enclosed in the rock, pre¬
sent a singular outline of fantastic
forms. On a platform half way up
their face a small chapel has found a
niche; it is partly excavated in the
rock, so are likewise many small
dwellings around it. One of these
needles of chalk, called Roche de
Pignon, rises 200 ft. above the river.
The Rouen Rly. crosses the river and
an island in the midst of it at an oblique
angle near Oissel.

rt. From Oissel (2^), marked by its
spire, to Rouen the river is thickly
set with islands bearing long rows of
tall poplars. Beyond (rt.) Authieux
the rt. bank rises in tall chalk cliffs,
at the base of which, between them
and the Seine, runs the road to Paris
(Rte. 9), passing a series of villages and
manufactories.

1. St. Etienne de Rouvray, 1^. Wm,
the Conqueror was hunting in the
forest of Rouvray, which still exists
behind this village, when the news
was brought him of the death of
Edward the Confessor, and of the
usurpation of his throne by Harold,
his brother-in-law.

rt. The high hill of St. Catherine
(p. 42) and the spire of the Cathedral
are conspicuous long before reaching

2 rt. Rouen (Rte. 8).

ROUTE 12.

THE SEINE, B.—ROUEN TO HAVRE AND
HONFLEUR.

34 leagues = 85^- Eng. m. The dis¬
tance to Havre by land is 53 m.

Steamers daily in summer, making
the voyage in about 8 hours, i. e. a
little longer time than the diligence.

The opening of the Rly. to Havre
(Rte. 14) will probably put a stop to the
steamers.

The scenery is so pleasing, that, not¬
withstanding the windings of the river,
the voyage in fine weather is very
agreeable.

The places where the steamers stop
for passengers are marked by Italics.

The hour of starting varies so as
to enable the vessels to meet the flood
tide off Quillebceuf, and by the aid of

Normandy. Route 12. — The Seine, B, — Moulineaux,

it to pass the shifting sands there.
The boats start from the Quai du
Havre close to the Hotel de Rouen.
Fare 10 fr., carriages 30 fr.

For some distance below Rouen the
river is intersected by numerous islands,
long narrow strips of earth planted
with willows and poplars: a scene* of
rich verdure, but somewhat monotonous.
The hills near Rouen are dotted with
white country houses of its citizens and
manufacturers.

rt. The vale of Bapaume, beset with
cotton factories, opens out.

1. Petit Quevilly (3 m. from Rouen).
Here is an ancient little chapel of St.
Julien in the Romanesque style, ter¬
minating in an apse having the windows
and doors roundheaded, built soon
after 1162 by our Henry II., who had
a hunting-seat in the adjoining forest.
Though now degraded into a barn, it
is an edifice possessing an interest for
the antiquary.

rt. Canteleu, a chateau of the time
of Louis XIV.; its terraces and gar¬
dens were laid out by Le Notre, but
have been modernised.

rt. Dieppedale, a long row of houses
bordering the river.

1. Grand Quevilly once contained a
Protestant ch. (temple) capable of hold¬
ing 10,500 persons; but in 1685,
through the machinations of the Jesuits,
it was closed, and a few months after
razed to the ground. This act of
intolerance was committed shortly
before the revocation of the Edict of
Nantes entailed persecution and exile
on the large and industrious Reformed
community which then occupied this
district.

1. Moulineaux (4), a prettily situated
but poor village, on the high road
to Honfleur (Rte. 23), has a ruinous
but interesting ch. in the earliest
pointed style ; date the beginning of
the 13th cent. On the hill above it
are some heaps of stone, the very
scanty traces of the walls of a castle
destroyed by King John, which, ac¬
cording to the tradition, once belonged
to Robert the Devil, a fabulous per¬
sonage, a sort of Norman Blue Beard,
who murdered his friends and mis¬
tresses, and in the end sold himself to

the evil one. Some suppose him to
have been Duke Robert, the father of
William the Conqueror.

1. Near La Bouille and Caumont are
extensive quarries of building-stone.
Bare yellow cliffs line the river for
some distance.

rt. St. George de Boscherville. This
famous abbey stands at some distance
from the Seine, near the Havre road
(Rte. 13), and is only just visible from
the river.

The Seine makes a bend 18 m. long
between Rouen and this point; in a
direct line they are not more than 10
m. apart.

rt. Duclair (5^), a pretty village
traversed by the road to Havre (Rte.
13), squeezed in between the river and
the rocks, one of which, an elevated
crag, goes by the name of la Chaire
de Garyant.ua. The rt. bank again
sweeps round to the S., its elevated
slopes covered with hanging woods.

rt. It is recorded that at the little
hamlet of Mesnil, Agnes Sorel, mis¬
tress of Charles VII., breathed her
last, in the arms of the king. An old
building is still pointed out as her
abode ; it retains its chimneys of the
15th cent. It was called Mesnil la
Belle; it is noAv a labourer’s cottage.
The 1. bank below Mesnil has risen
into round hills of considerable height,
part bare, part wooded; houses few,
and scenery solitary. To this succeeds
on the rt. a plain, verdant and bosky,
formed into a peninsula by the winding
river, out of the midst of which rise
the now spireless twin towers of Ju-
mieges Abbey (p. 56).

1. The Chateau de Mailleraye (7-^),
situated at the water’s edge, below the
village of Guerbaville, where there
is a large shipbuilder’s yard, belongs
to the Due de Mortemart. It is an
edifice of the 17th cent., in a park
surrounded by green walls of straight
clipped trees, and is a conspicuous
object from the river, but not other¬
wise worth notice.

Below Mailleraye the river expands
considerably, anditschannel beginstobe
beset with the sand-banks which render
its navigation so difficult, leaving only
a narrow passage in the middle free.

Route 12.— The Seine, B .— Quillebceuf. Sect. I.

rt. Caudebec (2j), the most consi¬
derable and prettily situated town on
the banks of the Lower Seine; its
long terrace of houses, screened by an
avenue of green trees, and surmounted
by its elegant church spire, was a
favourite subject of the landscape pain¬
ter Vernet. It is described at p. 58.

rt. An humble structure at the foot
of the steep wooded heights below
Caudebec is the chapel of Notre Dame
de Barre-y-va, much resorted to by
sailors, who have covered its walls with
ex-votos, paintings, models of ships, &c.
The name probably comes from the
circumstance of the much-dreaded
Barre, or Bore, at the mouth of the
Seine, ascending at times thus far.

rt. Villiquier, prettily placed, and
forming an agreeable intermixture of
trees and houses surmounted by a
Gothic spire, is a fishing village and
station of the pilots whose duty it is
to carry vessels between this point and
Mailleraye.

1. Vatteville la Rue.

The Seine, which has run nearly
due S. from Caudebec, resumes its
pi'oper direction from E. to W. below
Vieux Port, and preserves the same
as far as its mouth. Its banks, retir¬
ing to a considerable distance from each
other, allow it to expand into a wide
but shallow estuary, frequently en¬
livened by large shipping, tug steamers
(remorqueurs), &c.

1. Quilleboevf, an important town
and small seaport which Henri IV.
wanted to convert into a fortress, but
which his widow Marie de Medicis
dismantled, is built on a projecting
promontory, at the extremity of which
stands its massive church tower and
lighthouse. It is the station of the
pilots to the number of 110, with 28
apprentices (aspirants), whose duty it
is to carry vessels through the in¬
tricate navigation of the mouth of the
Seine, from Havre and Honfieur up to
Villiquier.

This is the most difficult and dan¬
gerous portion of the whole river for
vessels, on account of the sunk rocks
and shifting sands, only to be passed
during high tide. Shipwrecks oc¬
curred here almost every year before

the introduction of steam towage,
which, by enabling vessels to pass up,
even when the wind is unfavourable,
has diminished the delay and risk.
So variable are the sand-banks off
Quillebceuf that they have been known
to change their position more than a
league in the course of twelve months:
this indeed occurred in 1840. The
cause of this must be looked for in the
sudden contraction of the river at this
point to about f m., while a little below
it is 3 m. wide. The consequence is that
the vast mass of water poured into the
Seine by the rising tide forms capricious
and powerful cux’rents, and very com¬
monly enters the river in the form of a
lofty wave or wall of water, 3 to 6 ft.
high, here called the Barre, and similar
to the Bore&i the mouth of the Severn.
It stretches across from one bank to
the other, marked by a line of white
foam, sweeping all before it with a roar
like thunder, heard forty minutes before
it arrives. It seems to acquire the
greatest force abreast of Quilleboeuf,
where it dashes over the quays, hurling
vessels against them, and sometimes
injuring the buildings, but it is per¬
ceived as high as Caudebec.

The still water produced at the
point where the rising tide encounters
the descending current allows the
sand and mud, carried along by the
river when in rapid motion, to fall to
the bottom, and accumulate into shift¬
ing deposits of sand. Among these
sand-banks the “Telemaque,” a vessel
said to have been laden with property
belonging to emigres, and with jewels
of the Bourbon princes, was lost at the
time of the Revolution. A recent
attempt to raise the hull failed.

rt. Through the vista of the valley
of the Bolbec, w hich opens out opposite
Quilleboeuf, a glimpse is obtained of
the castle towers of Lillebonne, cele¬
brated for its remains of a Roman
theatre (p. 58).

rt. The opening of another small
valley is marked on one side by a
conspicuous conical white rock called
Pierre Gante (? Geante), overhanging
the Seine at a height of 200 ft., and
on the other by the Castle of Tancar-
ville, the venerable stronghold of the

Normandy. Route 13. —Rouen to Havre—Lower Road.

chamberlains of the Dukes of Nor¬
mandy, planted on a pedestal of high
cliff forming part of the headland
called Nez de Tancarville. To the
water-side it presents an open terrace,
on which stands a modern mansion,
with sash windows, and a tall watch-
tower, round on one side, and . an¬
gular like a bastion on the other.
Behind stretch two long lines of
varied and stately towers connected
by curtains forming a large triangu¬
lar enclosure, once the castle courts,
now grass-grown and encumbered with
ruins. The country behind it is one
dense forest, over which these ancient
battlements peer majestically. The
best-preserved portions are the gate¬
house with caged windows, and grooves
for double portcullis, and the contiguous
tower dating from the latter half of
the 15th cent. Here, within walls 9 ft.
thick, may be seen the “ cachots ”—
and the “ chambre de question ” which
is frequently mentioned in the old
archives. In the corner tower (l’Aigle),
on the brow of the cliff overhang¬
ing the Seine, one or two old wall-
pieces, so constructed as to be loaded
from the breech, are preserved. In
this part only of the old castle do roofs
and floors remain. All the rest is
mere shattered walls, gutted towers,
enclosures dark and overgrown with
nettles and hemlock, which now luxu¬
riate on the hearths of the Tancarville,
Montmorencys, Harcourts, and La
Tours d’Auvergne, its ancient owners.
The chapel and the Salle des Cheva¬
liers, with 3 fireplaces, are pointed out
to strangers. The loftiness of some
of the towers, and their singular form,
deserve notice: the Tour de Lion is
the segment of a circle; the Tour
Coquisart, 60 ft. high, of 5 stories
piled one over the other, and still sur¬
mounted by the stone-groined ribs of
its roof, while all the rest is fallen, is
in the shape of a triangle with curved
sides. It communicates behind with
the Donjon , which was detached from
the body of the place and entered only
by a drawbridge. It contains a well
300 ft. deep. The date of its con¬
struction is the early part of the 15th
cent., and scarcely any portion of

the castle seems older. The English
under Henry V. burned down" the
preceding one 1437. The modern
mansion is tumbling to pieces as fast
as possible. From the noble owners
whose names are mentioned above,
Tancarville fell into the hands of
Law of Lauriston, the South Sea
schemer. It was plundered and de¬
molished at the Revolution as the
property of aristocrats and dmigrtis
(the Montmorencys) ; but after having
been for 20 years attached to a hos¬
pital at Havre, it has once more re¬
verted to that family. The poor small
hamlet of fishers’ huts beneath the
castle affords no tolerable accommo¬
dation for travellers. The distance
from Lillebonne is 6 m., and from St.
Romain on the road to Havre (Rte. 14)
about 12 m.

Below this the banks of the Seine
are too distant and destitute of objects
of interest to need further notice,
excepting the towns and ports of
rt. Harfleur, in Rte. 14.

1. Honjleur , described in Rte. 23.
Passengers can be put ashore here,
where they can take the diligence to
Caen. It is about 7 m. across to
rt. Havre, in Rte. 14.

ROUTE 13.

ROUEN TO HAVRE—LOW r ER ROAD, BV ST.
GEORGE BOSCHERVILLE, JUMIEGES,
CAUDEBEC, AND LILLEBONNE.

86 kilom= 53 J Eng. m.

Diligences have ceased to run.
Although the Railroad from Rouen
to Havre (Rte. 14) is the quickest
way, yet the following rte. is one
of the most agreeable in Normandy,
both for the pleasing view of the Seine
which it commands, and for the suc¬
cession of ancient ecclesiastical re¬
mains in the vicinity of which it passes.
It is, however, hilly. A little way
beyond the industrious cotton-spinning
village of Bapaume, it surmounts the
long and steep hill of Canteleu, from
whose top Rouen is seen to very great
advantage, and the Seine winding away
S. to double the ridge of which the
hill of Canteleu forms a part. On the

Sect. I.

Route 13 .—Rouen to

1. is the Chateau of Canteleu, belonging
to M. Elie Lefebure, which commands
the view in perfection, and about 2 m.
beyond it a road turning off to the
1. leads to the Abbey of St. George de
Boscherville , whose Church is one of the
most ancient and unaltered monuments
in Normandy. It was founded by
Raoul de Tancarville, chamberlain of
the Conqueror, previous to the Con¬
quest, and consecrated in the founder’s
presence. From the precision with
which its age is fixed, it has been
termed “ a landmark of Norman archi¬
tecture as usual, it was destroyed at
the Revolution, but the church was
preserved for the use of the parish. It
has the usual characteristics—vast pro¬
portions, simplicity, and austere grand¬
eur. Its W. end has a round door
ornamented with 5 mouldings, and 2
side towers, in whose upper story the
pointed arch of a very early date ap¬
pears. This may have been the part
of the church last finished. The vault¬
ing of the nave and transepts is also
pointed, all the rest is Norman; the
arches are carried round the ends of
the transepts, forming 2 lofts or tri¬
bunes supported on a column, and
there is an apse at the E. end of each,
as in Winchester Cathedral, the older
part of which is very like this church.
The Chapter-house adjoining is of later
date, 1157, and of mixed architecture,
both round and pointed arches occurring
in it. The capitals of its columns,
sculptured with subjects in relief, such
as the Passage of the Jordan and the
Sacrifice of Isaac, merit notice.

Returning to the high road, you de¬
scend to the borders of the Seine, on
which is situated the village and post-
station.

20 Duclair (6 m. from St. George’s),
a row of houses between the river and
the cliffs, one of which, from a sup¬
posed resemblance to a pulpit, is called
Chaire de Gargantua.

The Seine once more takes a widely
curving sweep, while the high road
cuts across the neck of the peninsula.
In the midst of this the twin towers of
the Abbey of Jumieges are conspicuous.
A cross road turns off to it near Yain-
ville, whence it is about 2 m. distant.

Havre — Jumieges.

It was the most important monastic
institution on the banks of the Lower
Seine for its extent, the number of its
inmates, and its share in promoting
learning during the dark ages, and it
now towers venerable and majestic
above the humble timber-framed and
chalk-walled cottages of the village.
It has been compared with some of the
Romanesque churches of the Rhine in
its plain but stately W. fa§ade, sur¬
mounted by octagonal towers which
have only recently lost their spires,
but between them the porch projects
in an unusual manner. This and the
entire nave as far as the cross, sur¬
mounted by a more massive central
tower, one side of which only remains
standing, is of unchanged early Nor¬
man (date 1067). The round arches
are supported alternately on square
piers and circular columns; their capi¬
tals, destitute of any sculpture, were
ornamented with painted foliage, some
traces of which still remain. The in¬
terior is in a state of ruin, entirely
roofless, save a small fragment of
vaulting in the aisles, and open to the
rains of heaven; greensward supplies
the place of pavement ; the E. end,
which was in the pointed style of the
13th cent., has been razed to its found¬
ations. For the origin of this dilapi¬
dation the Revolution has to answer,
but its consummation is of very recent
date, this ancient and interesting fabric
having been absolutely quarried and
carted away to build barns with its
masonry. The stone employed is a
hard chalk enclosing flints, which are
frequently exposed in the courses of
the piers. The present owner fortu¬
nately has respect for the ruins, and
watches over their preservation, having
fitted up the old gatehouse for his resi¬
dence. A number of curiously and
rudely sculptured fragments, keystones,
bas-reliefs, &c., have been discovered
by him, and merit notice. Beneath a
plain black marble slab, fractured into
several pieces, and lying in a corner,
was once deposited the heart of “ Agnes
Seurelle (Sorel), Dame de Breaute.”
She died near this, at Mesnil, and
Charles VII., her royal lover, had
apartments fitted up in the abbey in

Normandy. Route 13.— St. Wandrille — Caudebec.

order to be near her. She was a bene¬
factress to Jumieges, and the monks
retained her heart, though her body
was interred at Loches in Touraine.
Breaute was the name of one of her
domains; some have read the inscrip¬
tion erroneously “ Dame de Beaute.”
Here also another mutilated monument
has been brought to light. It consists
of mutilated effigies of youths in royal
garbs, with circlets on their heads,
known by the name of “ les Enerves ”
(i. e. the hamstrung), from a tradition
that they represent the two sons of
Clovis II., who, having rebelled and
waged war against their father, suf¬
fered the cruel punishment of having
the sinews of their arms and legs cut.
They were then bound and set adrift
in an open boat on the Seine, whose
current wafted them down as far as
Jumieges, where they were kindly
received by the monks, and ended their
days. On the S. side of the ch. are
remains of the chapel of St. Pierre , a
pointed work of the 14th cent.; and of
a large vaulted apartment called “ Salle
des Gardes de Charles VII.,” parallel
with which runs a very extensive
range of subterranean vaults, probably
cellars, and the gatehouse.

The high road beyond Yainville and
Le Trait is carried on a lofty terrace
along the shoulders of the hills, com¬
manding a most pleasing view of the
windings of the Seine both upwards
and down. Nearly in front the inter¬
vening slopes are covered with orchards
and gardens, and on the opposite bank
stands the Chateau of Mailleraye, a
conspicuous and large edifice (Rte.
12). At the little village Caudebec-
quet, about 3 m. before reaching Cau¬
debec, a road turning to the rt. leads
in 1^ m. to another monastic ruin,
of inferior interest to the other two,
but of great antiquity, St. Wandrille,
founded by the saint of that name in
the 7th cent., and at first called Fon-
tanelle. Here may be seen some ele¬
gant pointed arches, sole relics of a
church sold and pulled down at the
Revolution for building-materials. The
conventual buildings, a palace in ex¬
tent, are in the modern Italian archi¬

tecture of the 16th or 17th cent., and
have been converted partly into a ma¬
nufactory of Jacquerie, partly into a
bark warehouse and mill. The Cloisters
behind them contain several arches,
rich morceaux of flamboyant Gothic,
and a Lavatory, with a few relics of
sculpture, becoming fewer every day
through wanton mutilation. Part of
the Refectory is Norman, and lined
with a circular arcade.

The good judgment of the monks is
very conspicuous in the choice of the
site for this convent, a nook shut out
from the world in a side valley of
the Seine, fertile, well watered, and
wooded. St. Wandrille now stands
a monument of the fall of ecclesiastic
pomp and wealth. The hill side to
the N. was terraced to form gardens
and shady walks, now grown wild.
On the top of the height above them
is a little chapel of St. Saturnin, an
early Norman structure, with 3 apses
and windows like loopholes and walls
of herring-bone masonry, many centu¬
ries older than any part of the convent
below. St. Wandrille is about 4 m.
from

16 Caudebec.— Inns: Poste,—H. du
Commerce, not very clean, but to¬
lerable. This is one of the prettiest
little antiquated towns on the Seine,
with its quay and terrace along the
waterside, shaded by trimmed elms,
forming a screen before the row of
houses which face the river. The old
wooden buildings in the heart of it
have been scarcely at all modernized,
and are highly picturesque. In its
outskirts the hills are dotted with
neat villas and country seats. Its only
remarkable edifice is its Church, a
beautiful Gothic building in the florid
style of the 15th cent., in the form of
a parallelogram without transepts. It
is surmounted by a tower having a
short steeple of open stonework, the
flamboyant tracery in it taking the
form of fleurs-de-lis. Its flying but¬
tresses and variously patterned para¬
pets are very elegant. It was begun
1426, and stands at the side of the
church. In the W. end, the gorgeous
triple portal, with side porches bent
back, all exuberantly ornamented with

d 3

Houle 13. —Rouen to Havre — Lillebonne.

Sect. I.

carved foliage, statues, and niches, and
the rose window above, merit notice.
Also the N. porch.

Within, there is much fine painted
glass of the 16th cent., and a wooden
cover to the font, well carved in relief
with subjects from the life of Christ.
The spaces between the buttresses are
occupied by small chapels ; those at
the E. end expand, and the central
one, the Lady Chapel, behind the high
altar, is distinguished by a finely
groined roof, the ribs of which de¬
scend in the centre to form a pendant
of stone, 14 ft. long, ending in a carved
boss, or cul de lampe. In the next
chapel of St. Sepulchre is a group of 8
figures, as large as life, representing
the holy personages at the tomb of
our Lord, under a florid Gothic ca¬
nopy. The master mason of the
church, William le Tellier, is buried
in the Lady Chapel : he was employed
on it 30 years, down to his death,
1484, and in that time completed the
upper part of the nave, the choir and
chapels around it, including the Lady
Chapel and its pendant.

The artist will find, in penetrating
the dirty streets of the town, some
picturesque bits among its timber¬
framed houses.

Caudebec was anciently a strong
fortress ; it was taken 1419 by the
English, under Talbot and Warwick ;
and, during the wars of religion, Alex¬
ander Farnese, Duke of Parma, com¬
mander of a Spanish force sent in aid
of the League, lost his arm in recon¬
noitring the ramparts, 1592. They
have been long since swept away.

About 1^ m. up the valley, near the
road which goes to Yvetot (Rte. 14),
stands the Church of St. Gertrude, re¬
paired 1841 : it merits notice for its
architecture, Gothic of the 16th cent.,
its stone tabernacle, and painted glass.

The Havre road beyond Caudebec
quits the borders of the Seine, not to
rejoin it until Harfleur is passed. It
mounts a steep ascent and traverses a
part of the table-land of the Pays de
Caux. There is nothing of interest
until you descend into the valley
■where lies the town of

16 Lillebonne {Inn: H. du Com¬

merce), numbering 3500 Inhab., pret¬
tily situated on the stream of the Bol-
bec, and interesting on account of its
Roman theatre—a relic of the ancient
Julia Bona of the itineraries of Anto-
nine and Ptolemy, capital of the Ca-
letes (inhabitants of the Pays de Caux),
of which the present town occupies
the site, and retains (with a slight
change) the name. The road, on en¬
tering the town, passes under the old
Castle on the rt., and nearly over the
space which must have anciently been
the stage of the Theatre. On the 1.
hand is seen the semicircular portion
allotted to the spectators, for the most
part cut out of the hill, which, form¬
ing a gradual slope for the rows of
seats to rest on, saved the cost of vast
substructions—an advantage of which
the Romans and Greeks usually availed
themselves in their theatres. The re¬
mains consist chiefly of foundations,
and have been laid open since 1812,
The fragments of walls in the centre
belonged probably to the orchestra,
those on the slope of the side to the
dressing-rooms. On the hill, among
fragments of masonry, are several
semicircular terraces, one above the
other, with traces of the vomitories,
or entrances ; and round the whole
runs a corridor or vaulted passage,
gradually rising from the side to the
centre, by which entrance was ob¬
tained to the highest seats. The walls
and part of the vaults here remain
tolerably pei’fect ; they are supported
by many spurs or buttresses. The
walls are faced with ashlar masonry,
or with small stones about the size of
bricks neatly jointed, the centre filled
in with rubble of flint strongly ce¬
mented with grouting, the whole
banded together at irregular intervals
by horizontal courses of red tiles.
The stone employed is a porous but
coherent calcareous tufa, or travertine,
which is to this day deposited by the
water of a neighbouring brook.

This is the best preserved, and in¬
deed almost the only example of an
ancient theatre in the N. of France, or
of Europe. It measured across the
chord of the arc 300 ft., and the di¬
mensions of the circular corridor were

Normandy. Route 14. — Rough to Havre by Railroad.

625 ft. The ground in and about the
town can scarcely be turned up with¬
out disclosing ancient remains of one
sort or another. In 1823 a fine bronze
male statue (now in the British Mu¬
seum) was discovered ; and the Mu¬
seum at Rouen has been greatly en¬
riched from this mine of antiquities.

On the opposite side of the high
road, looking down upon the theatre,
is the Castle, a picturesque ruin, histo¬
rically interesting as the residence of
Wm. the Conqueror, who here called
together his barons to unfold the mo¬
mentous scheme of the invasion of
England. The massive outer walls
now serve to enclose a garden and
modern house ; close beside it is a tall
round tower of beautifully even ma¬
sonry, having walls 13 ft. thick, and
some finely ribbed vaults ; isolated by
a deep fosse, crossed by a drawbridge.
It is a construction of the 15th cent.,
built probably by the Harcourts, who
owned the castle down to the Revolu¬
tion. Not far off is a mutilated an¬
gular tower of the 13th or 14th cent.
The great Norman hall, in which, ac¬
cording to the tradition, William met
his barons in council, has been entirely
swept away by the present proprietor,
a cotton-spinner. The commanding
elevation of these ruins gives them a
magnificent view over the adjacent
valley, with a peep, through a gap at
its extremity, of the broad estuary of
the Seine 3 m. below the town.

The Parish Church has a fine tower
and spire, similar to that of Harfieur,
but inferior, and a rich portal.

Owing to the abundant supply of
water from the neighbouring hills,
Lillebonne has become a manufactur¬
ing town, and cotton-mills have multi¬
plied considerably about it, especially
up the valley towards Bolbec : calicos
and indiennes are principally made
here.

The Castle of- Tancarville (Rte. 12)
is 6 m. distant from Lillebonne, by
cross-roads, the latter part so narrow
and steep as to be practicable only for
a light carriage. A cabriolet may be
hired for 12 fr. to go thither, and on
to St. Remain on the Havre road (p.
55), waiting to allow the traveller to

see the castle. The direct road from
Lillebonne to Havre passes within 3
m. of the castle : the diligences go
round by Bolbec. (Rte. 14.) Both
roads meet at

18 La Botte.

In descending from the Plain de
Caux towards

Harfieur, a fine view is obtained of
that town, its noble spire, and the
Seine beyond. The road hence to

17 Havre is described in Rte. 14.

ROUTE 14.

ROUEN TO HAVRE—RAILROAD.

95 kilom. = 59 Eng. m.

4 or 5 trains daily, in 24 and 3 hrs.

This line was opened 1847. Its en¬
gineer is Mr. Jos. Locke, and its con¬
struction is almost entirely due to
English skill, enterprise, and capital.

It is carried, for the most part of
the way, over the high and fertile
table-land of the Pays de Caux.

It quits the line from Paris to Rouen
(Rte. 8) at Sotteville, and, a little
above the town of Rouen, crosses the
Seine by a timber bridge of 8 arches,
each 131 ft. span, its centre resting on
an island ; rebuilt since its destruction
by fire by the mob of 1848. (N.B.

Beautiful view of Rouen from the
Bridge.) This leads direct into the
first tunnel, carried under part of St.
Catherine’s Hill (p. 42), 1133 yds.
long. It describes a radius of about
half a mile ; the works were very
difficult, owing to the rush of waters
from springs in the chalk. The rail¬
way issues from it into the valley of
Darnelat, filled with dye-works and
cotton-mills, and crossed together with
the 2 small streams which traverse it,
the Robee and Aubette, by a raily.
viaduct. The line speedily re-enters
the chalk hills, and in 2 succeeding
tunnels (one of them 1530 yds. long)
sweeps round the town of Rouen,
penetrating beneath the Boulevards,
St. Hilaire, and Beauvoisine, in a series
of cuttings and tunnels, works of ardu¬
ous execution and great engineering-
merit, made at great cost. It emerges
at the

Rouen Stat., in the Rue Yerte (built

Route 14 .—Rouen to Havre —Rays de Caux. Sect. I.

by Tite, architect of the Royal Ex¬
change), situated in a hole cut in the
chalk, shut in by escarpment, exclud¬
ing all view, and between 2 tunnels,
and a long way from the heart of
Rouen and the quays. On quitting
the station you pass through the tun¬
nel Cauchois, under the suburb of
Bouvreuil and the cemetery of St.
Gervais. A fifth tunnel succeeds,
which ends near the village of Deville.

6 Maromme Stat.

Even after Rouen is a long way left
behind, the country traversed by the
road exhibits the vivifying effects of
the cotton industry, in mills or fac¬
tories, country-houses, villages, &c.
The chief of these is Ddville, situated
in a pretty valley which bears its name.

3 Malaunay Stat.

Here is a Viaduct of 8 arches, and an
embankment over the Dieppe road.
Nearthis the branch Railway to Dieppe
(Rte. 6) diverges.

A 6th tunnel, nearly 1 m. and 3 fur.
long, pierces the heights of Piccy-
Poville, and the railroad crossing the
high grounds is carried across the val¬
ley of

8 Barentin —Stat.

The curved Viaduct of Barentin, of
27 arches, each 60 ft. span, the central
arch 108 ft. high, 765 yds. long, was
constructed by Messrs. Mackenzie and
Brassey. It gave way in the early part
of 1846, covering the valley with rub¬
bish. It was reconstructed in the short
space of 6 months, at great cost, with
the utmost care and solidity.

Barentin is a town of 2500 Inhab.,
in a small valley on the stream of the
Austreberthe, which sets in movement
many cotton-mills; the railway leaves
it on the 1. The railway has now
emerged by gradual ascents out of the
basin in which Rouen lies, to the table¬
land of the Pays de Caux, an elevation
of about 400 feet.

2 Pavilly Stat.

11 Motteville Stat.

8 Yvetot Stat. (Inn, a cabaret) is an
industrious little town of 9032 Inhab.,
with houses of timber, containing some
manufactures of cotton, but destitute
of objects of interest. The title of
(l Roi d’Yvetot” has given a wide cele¬

brity to its name, and has greatly
puzzled antiquaries and local historians,
who have failed in proving the exist¬
ence of any sovereign authority, or in
discovering the origin of the title.

There is a tradition that one Gaul-
thier, Lord of Yvetot, having offended
King Glothair, son of Clovis, and having
been banished his presence, ventured
to throw himself at the feet of the
king while he was kneeling in prayer
before the high altar at Soissons on
Good Friday, thinking that the holi¬
ness of the place, and of the day of
pardon for the sins of mankind, might
obtain forgiveness for him also. Clo-
thair, however, no sooner saw him
than he drew his sword and slew him,
but, repenting afterwards of his crime,
and desiring to make atonement to
Gaulthier, created his heirs kings of
Yvetot. But this story has no good
foundation. Bdranger describes the
king of Yvetot:—

“ II etait. un roi d’Yvetot,

Pen connu dans l’hi.stoire,

Se levant, tard, se coueliant tot,
Dormant fort iben sans gloire,

Et couronne par Jeanneton
D’un simple bonnet de coton.”

Diligence to Caudebec. Rte. 13.

Here, in the very heart of the Pays
de Caux, the traveller will now in vain
look for the Cauchoise head-dress, once
commonly worn by the women. It
was a huge structure of cambric and
lace, something between a cap and a
helmet, and appears to have been the
fashion even in England during the
15th and 16th centuries. The modern
modes of Paris have driven it out of
the field, even in remote Norman vil¬
lages, and it is now rarely seen.

The Pays de Caux, through the centre
of which the railroad runs, retains the
name, slightly altered, of its ancient
inhabitants in Ctesar’s time, the Ca-
letes (? Celts). It is a high table-land,
only here and there intersected by river-
courses, exceedingly fertile, though
somewhat arid. Trees are rare on the
high ground, except the usual avenues
of fruit-trees on the road-side, and
around villages and farm-houses, whose
existence and position are invariably
denoted by a sort of verdant rampart

Normandy. R. 14. — Hallway — Rouen to Havre — Harjleur . 61

of stiff elms, planted in straight lines
and double rows, on or near a high
bank of earth ; you may be sure that
a farm or chateau is hid behind such
an enclosure.

11 Alvimare Stat. Coach to Lille-
bonne.

8 Nointot Stat. [4 m. S. is Bol-
bec, a fresh-looking town of staring
brick houses, which replace those of
wood destroyed by a great fire in
the last century : situated in one of
the pleasant little valleys which in¬
tersect the Pays de Caux. It con¬
tains a vast number of cotton-mills,
manufactories of calicos, printed stuffs,
and handkerchiefs; print works, bleach¬
ing-grounds, &c.; in short, it is one of
the most industrious places in the
Ddpt. of the Seine Infdrieure, 9030
Inliab. The abundant stream which
runs through it, and is a main cause
of this activity, turns no less than 113
usines before it joins the Seine below
Lillebonne. That ancient town (see
Rte. 13) is only 5 m. distant; its
Roman Theatre merits notice.]

Bolbec lying in a depression of the
table-land, high embankments and a
viaduct were required to carry the
railway across it.

At Mirville is a brick viaduct of 48
brick arches, the highest 106 ft. above
the ground. Hence there is a steep
incline (requiring an extra engine to
surmount in coming from Havre) by
which the railway descends nearly to
a level with the Seine at

6 Beuzeville Stat. Coach to Fdcainp.

8 St. Romain Stat.

Harfleur Stat. is situated on the
Ldzarde, a small stream now barely
navigable for barges, and 2 in. distant
from the Seine, yet Monstrelet calls it
“ le souverain port de la Normandie.”
The deposits brought down by the
Ldzarde have contracted its bed, and
formed a fringe of land along the shore
of the Seine, which has greatly in¬
creased the distance between the town
and the estuary. Before the rise of
Havre, Harfleur was the chief port of
the mouth of the Seine, at which the
wool of Spain and Portugal was im¬
ported and sent up to Montevilliers to
be wrought, while by reason of its for¬

tifications it was the key to the entrance
of the Seine. In 1415 it resisted for
40 days the besieging army of Henry
V., who, as soon as it had yielded,
uncovered his feet and legs and walked
barefoot to church to say his prayers,
after which he collected the inhabit¬
ants to the number of 8000, and, turn¬
ing them out of their houses with
only the clothes on their backs, ba¬
nished them and confiscated their
property, substituting English colo¬
nists in their place. In 20 years, how¬
ever, the town was surprised by a
band of peasants, aided by a number
of the former inhabitants, and the
English were expelled. The tower,
spire, and N. aisle of its Church, built in
the 15th cent., it is said, by Henry V.,
and its fringed S. portal, are deserv¬
edly praised as masterpieces of Gothic.
The E. end dates from the 13th centy.
There is a fine timber-house (15th
centy.) near the Cli.

The Terrace of the Chateau of Or-
cher , running along the heights above
the town, commands a remarkably fine
view of the river.

From Harfleur to Havre the rail¬
road is carried along the side of a
hill, sloping gently down to the Seine,
whose embouchure is seen at intervals
between the trees and houses. On
the rt. a little above the road stands
Gravillc. Its small church, prettily
situated on a wooded bank, is Norman
of the end of the lltli century. Its
transepts are decorated externally with
round intersecting arches, surmounted
by figures of animals. The capitals of
the pillars in the nave are sculptured
with monsters. In the courtyard be¬
hind the Hotel de Ville are caves in
the rock, once the monks’ cellars.
The church was built in honour of St.
Honoria. Her relics were removed
for safety, at the Norman invasion, to
Conflans, and confided to the custody
of the monks, who, when the danger
was overpast, refused to restore them.
Notwithstanding this loss, the place
where they had been retained its sanc¬
tity, so that more pilgrims and wor¬
shippers repaired hither than to the
church at Conflans which actually
held them! Remains of the masonry

Jio ute 14 .—Rouen to Havre — Ila vre.

Sect. I.

of a quay, with rings to attach vessels,
are said to have been found under Gra-
ville. (?)

Passing numerous gardens and coun¬
try houses, intermixed with inns, ta¬
verns, and guinguettes, composing the
towns of Graville and Ingouville, so
numerous as to form an uninterrupted
street, we reach

7 Havre Terminus , close to the Cours
Napoleon, and not far from Bassin
Vauban. It covers 36 acres.

Havre. — Inns: H. Frascati, excel¬
lent, outside the walls, on the seashore,
with a good table-d’liote, reading-room,
and neat and cheap warm-baths. H.
de 1’ Europe, Rue de Paris, good.
Wheeler’s, on the Quai Notre Dame,
near the steamers.

Havre, originally Havre de Grace,
from a small chapel of Notre Dame de
Grace which stood on its site, the port
of the Seine and of Paris, one of the
most thriving maritime towns of France,
is situated on the N. side of the estuary
of the Seine, and contains 28,000 Inhab.
It is quite a modern town, owing its
foundation to Francis I. (1516), and its
prosperity to the judicious enactments
of Louis XVI., though it has received
its great impulse since the war, and
has been rapidly gaining upon its elder
rivals, Bordeaux and Nantes. It has
no fine buildings nor ^historical monu¬
ments ; its streets are laid down chiefly
in straight lines, and at right angles
with one another, and they are grouped
round the basins, or docks, which com¬
municate from one to the other by
lock-gates, and are placed so as to form
a triangle entered from the outer
(avant) port. The quays bordering
on the basins, lined with vessels, and
choked up with cotton-bales, sugar-
casks, &c., are the chief scenes of life.
The strange cries and glittering plum¬
age of parrots and macaws will remind
the stranger of the connexion of the
port with tropical countries. Its prin¬
cipal street (and it is a handsome one)
is the Rue de Paris, extending through
the Place du Spectacle from the Port
d’lngouville to the round tower of Fran¬
cois Premier, at the entrance of the
port, the only relic of the fortifications
constructed by that monarch.

Improvements are to be made here.
The old ramparts are to be removed,
and Havre, Ingouville, and Graville,
containing a population of near 70,000,
are to be united into one, and to be
surrounded by new and more extensive
fortifications. The Citadel, built by
Richelieu, in which Cardinal Mazarin
shut up, in 1650, the leaders of the
Fronde, the Princes of Cond6, Conti,
and Longueville, “the lion, the ape,
and the fox, caught in one trap,” to
use the expression of Gaston of Orleans,
has been dismantled. The release of
these distinguished captives was at
length effected (Feb. 1651) by one of
those sudden popular risings so common
in the history of the Fronde. Mazarin,
prostrated from the height of power by
this revolution, bethought himself how
he might make friends of his former
victims, and, disguised as a courier,
posted off instantly from Paris, in
order to be the first to tell the joyous
news, and unlock the prison gates.
Assuming an air of the most obsequious
servility, he assured them he had no
hand in their imprisonment, and
stooped to kiss the boot of Cond£, as
the hero mounted his carriage, amidst
salvos of artillery, on his way to Paris.

It is only by aid of a reservoir of
water (Jletenue de la Floride'), regulated
by sluices, that the mouth of the
harbour, formed in the flat alluvium
of the Seine, can be kept clear from
the deposits of the river still in pro¬
gress. The port is accessible for ves¬
sels during only four hours each tide;
at low-water the port and avant-port
are left dry. The three old docks are
capable of containing 250 or 300 vessels,
or more with inconvenience; the fourth
dock, the Bassin de Vauban, the largest
of all, situated outside the walls, and
finished 18-42, is a magnificent work,
with a fine masting-machine and ware¬
houses.

A 5th dock, destined for steamers,
has been constructed at the extremity
of the Retenue de la Floride.

The saying of Napoleon, that “Paris,
Rouen, and Havre formed only one
city, of which the Seine was the high¬
way,” explains the cause of the pros¬
perity of Havre. It is the place of

Normandy.

Route 14.— Havre*

import of all the foreign articles needed
for the supply of the French metro¬
polis: like Liverpool with us, it is the
chief cotton port of France, furnishing
this commodity to the manufacturer of
Rouen, Lille, St. Quentin, and even as
far as Alsace, and from these cities it
again receives the manufactured goods
for exportation.

It is also the point of communication
between the Continent of Europe and
America ; a great trade is carried on
with the United States. The Decla¬
ration of Independence formed the
groundwork of the present good for¬
tunes of Havre. A line of American
steamers runs twice a month to New
York. Here also a great number of
emigrants, many from Germany, an¬
nually embark for the New World.

The imports of Havre, though only
one-half in quantity and weight of
those of Marseilles (the chief seaport
in France), are said nearly to equal
them in value. The number of vessels
belonging to the port is considerable.
More than a million tons of shipping
enter in and out yearly. Some of the
principal mercantile houses here are
English and American.

The shipbuilders of Havre enjoy a
high reputation for the skill and science
which they display in the construction
of their vessels, which are capital sea-
boats, yet their ship-yards are nothing
more than an open space on the sea-
beach, outside the fortifications, fenced
in with a wooden paling.

The annals of Havre are connected
with the history of England at several
points. Heury of Richmond embarked
here, 1485, for Milford Haven and
Bosworth Field, backed by 4000 men,
furnished by Charles VIII. to aid his
enterprise. The town was delivered
over to the keeping of Queen Elizabeth
by the Prince cle Conde, leader of the
Huguenots, 1562, and the command of
it was intrusted to Ambrose Dudley,
Earl of Warwick; but the English
were ejected within a year, after a
most obstinate siege, wdiose progress
was pressed forward by Charles IX.,
and his mother, Catherine de Medicis,
in person, sensible that the possession
of Havre by the English would be a

thorn in the side of France. Hatred
of the English, indeed, had united all
parties in France against them. The
Protestant Conde served in the besieg¬
ing army, which was commanded by
the Constable Montmorency, previously
the ally of the English. Warwick
held out against vastly superior num¬
bers, until his force was reduced by
slaughter and the plague from nearly
6000 to 1500; he was himself shot in
defending a breach, after which the
place surrendered.

The fleet of William III., which had
failed before Brest, made an ineffectual
attempt in 1694 to bombard the town,
as it had before done in the case of
Dieppe with success. In 1796 Sir
Sidney Smith, while cruising in the
Channel, endeavoured to cut out a
French ship of war from under the
batteries, but became entangled in the
currents and sandbanks of the Seine,
and his vessel, having been perceived
next morning lying high and dry, was
captured by some gunboats, and he
was sent a prisoner to the Temple in
Paris.

Bernardin de St. Pierre, author of
'Paul and Virginia,’ was born here in
a house No. 47, Rue de la Corclerie.
Havre is also the birthplace of Made¬
moiselle Scudery, 1697, and of Casimir
Delavigne.

There is an English Chapel in the
Rue d’Orleans; service at 12 and
on Sundays. A handsome Grecian
edifice, destined to contain a Museum
and Public Library, has been raised on
the site of the Old H. de Ville.

The Cercle du Commerce is a large
commercial club-house, furnished with
almost all the European newspapers
and many American: strangers can be
introduced to it by members.

The Theatre in the Place Louis XVI.,
or du Spectacle, at the extremity of
the Bassin du Commerce, is one of the
most striking buildings in the town.

Baths.— Frascati, on the sea-shore,
not far from the pier, contains good
hot and cold sea-water baths. In sum¬
mer, bathing is carried on in the open
sea. Cabinets are provided for dress¬
ing and undressing, and men and
women bathe together, but covered up

Route 18 .—Havre to Dieppe.

Sect. I.

in battling dresses. There are no bath¬
ing-machines ; ladies are led out to a
sufficient depth of water by the guide,
who then seizes them by the shoulders,
lays them on the surface of the water,
and dips them by sousing their heads
under water.

JSf.B. The draught of the tide is so
strong as sometimes to overpower even
skilful swimmers. The bathers lay
hold of ropes attached to posts, to pre¬
vent their being swept away in stormy
weather.

British travellers to Havre need not
procure Passports in England, as they
are permitted to land without them.
They are to be obtained immediately
on landing from Her Majesty’s Consul
[5 frs.], who has made arrangements
for their delivery in time for the first
train after the arrival of the steamers.
These passports are countersigned at the

Bureau de Police, Hotel de Ville, at
the corner of the Place Francois I., not
far from the old round tower. The
office is open at 8 o’clock a.m.

Passengers going to England require
to have their passports vised—the police
office is open for that purpose an hour
before the sailing of the steamer.

The Custom - house, corner of Quai
Notre Dame and Grand Quai (entrance
in Rue de la Gaffe), opens at 8—12,
and 2 p.m.—5. After the baggage has
been examined (see Introduction),
the dues for the harbour on the land¬
ing, and for porterage, are fixed by and
paid to an Englishwoman, v 7 ho manages
this department of the establishment.

Poste aux Lett res, Place Louis Seize.

Consuls reside here from Great Britain
and from other maritime states of Eu¬
rope, and from the U. S. and other
Governments of America.

Railway to Paris (pp. 63, 60).

Diligences (offices, Rue de Paris, 49
and 101).—To Dieppe by Fecamp daily,
in 9 hours (Rte. 18); to Caen (starting
from Honfleur on the opposite side of
the Seine) daily (Rte. 23).

Steamers to Rouen daily in 8 or 9
hours; to Caen daily in 4 hours (see
Rte. 24); to Honfleur twice a day in f
of an hour (Rte. 23); to Cherbourg
twice a week; to Morlaix in Brittany
in 18 hours, every Saturday; to London

4 times a-week; to Southampton daily,
except Sunday (in summer), twice a
week in winter; to Dunkirk, Rotter¬
dam, and Hamburg twice a week; to
Amsterdam ; to St. Petersburg and
Copenhagen twdce a month. More than
40 steam-vessels, including tug-boats,
belong to the Port du Havre.

The antiquarian and architect may
visit the Norman Church of Graville,

2 m. on the Rouen road (p. 61).

Those who have an hour or two to
spare at Havre cannot better employ
it than in ascending the hill of Ingou-
ville, a town of 12,000 Inhab., sepa¬
rated from Havre only by the gate,
consisting chiefly of neat country-
houses with gardens. The view from
the top over the town of Havre—its
forest of masts rising from amidst its
buildings over the embouchure of the
Seine, the distant hills of Calvados ap¬
pearing on the horizon like an island,
and over the heights of La Heve to the
rt. (N.), crownedby its twin lighthouses
—is very striking and pleasing.

The chalk cliffs under the lofty head¬
land of Cap la Heve, on which the
lighthouses are erected at a height of
300 ft., offer some fine rock scenery ;
but, except when the tide is low, the
shingly beach is not favourable for
walking. These rocks were the fa¬
vourite haunt of the author of ‘ Paul
and Virginia.’

ROUTE 18.

HAVRE TO DIEPPE AND ABBEVILLE BY
FECAMP AND EU.

171 kilom. = 106 Eng. m.

Diligence daily from the Beuzeville
Stat. of the Paris Railway.

At Harfleur (p. 61) we turn out of
the Rouen road, and ascend the pretty
green valley of the Lezarde to Monti-
villiers, agreeably situated, with many
trees about it, and containing some
picturesque v 7 ooden houses. Its Church
belonged to a once famous abbey of
Benedictine nuns founded in the 7th
cent. It is in the Romanesque style of
the 11th centy., except the N. aisle,
which is florid, and the Lady Chapel,
earlypointed. Noticeshould betaken of

Normandy. Route 18 .—Havre

its elegant Norman tower, surmounted
by a light spire, with a florid portal on
one side of it, and a round doorway,
ornamented with the embattled fret,
on the other, and within, of the carved
capitals of the columns, and a gallery
of stone fret-work near the W. end.

16 Epouville. We now reach the
high ground of the Pays de Caux (p.
61), but traverse a number of valleys
or gullies intersecting it, running down
to the sea, in every one of which a
village or small town nestles; this
renders the road a succession of ups
and downs. When the harvest is
cleared from the ground and sheep
are feeding among the stubble, a long
narrow cart, covered either with a
coved wooden roof or thatched with
straw—a sort of horizontal sentry-box
on wheels—may be seen drawn up by
the road-side or in the fields; it is the
moveable bed of the shepherd, in
which he shelters himself at night or
in bad weather.

14 Goderville.

13 Fecamp (Inns: Poste, extor¬
tionate; H. du Commerce), a town of
10,000 Inhab., nearly fills the bottom
and sides of a narrow valley opening
out towards the sea between 2 high
falaises or cliffs, on one of which stands
a lighthouse. It has the advantage
of being at once a seaport and a ma¬
nufacturing town, owing to the abund¬
ant stream which, as it descends the
valley, turns numerous cotton and
other mills, besides which there are 3
steam saw-mills. The harbour is small
and much sanded up, but is resorted to
by colliers from Newcastle and Sunder¬
land, and Baltic timber ships, besides
fishing vessels.

In the centre of the town stands the
Ch. of the Abbey of Notre Dame , a large
and fine edifice in the early pointed
style, with some Norman features,
built in the beginning of the 13th cent.,
except the 2 round arched apsidal
chapels, behind the E. end, which are
older, and the S. side of the choir,
which is more modern and florid. The
Lady Chapel, with its carved wood¬
work of the 16th cent., and the monu¬
ments in the side chapels of abbots
Richard (1223), William (1297), and

to Dieppe — Fecamp — Eu.

Robert (1326), consisting of altar tombs
enriched with crocketed niches, bear¬
ing then’ effigies reclining under florid
canopies, merit notice. Also some
curious carvings of Scriptural subjects
in the N. transept.

Fecamp was the retreat of Cuvier
du*ring the storm of the Revolution.
He commenced his studies in natural
history here on the sea-beach. On the
top of the cliff behind the town, near
the new lighthouse, 328 ft. above the
sea-level, is the Gothic Chapelle de N.
Dame de Salut, built by Henry I. of
England, much resorted to as a place
of pilgrimage by sailors and fishers.
The fishwives sometimes mount up to
it on their knees as a penance!

About 10 m. S.W. of Fe'camp, on the
coast, is the fishing village of Etretat ,
situated amidst rocks which have been
excavated by the sea into arches,
aiguilles, and other fantastic shapes.
It is resorted to by French artists, and
there is a tolerable and cheap little
inn (Au Rendezvous des Artistes). The
road thither is bad.

A hill, steeper than that which leads
into Fecamp from the W., carries the
road out of it on the side of Dieppe.

19 Cany, in its pretty green and
wooded valley, is an agreeable contrast
to the bare open land which precedes
and follows. The Chateau belongs to
the Due de Luxembourg.

The road again approaches the sea at

12 St. Vallerv en Caux, a fishing
town of 5328 Inhab., with a port
formed by locking the stream, which
here descends to the sea.

14 Bourg Dun.

18 Dieppe, in Rte. 5.

A rudely jolting, one-horse patache
runs daily between Dieppe and Eu.
A cabriolet costs 10 frs. to go and re¬
turn. The road, as before, is carried
over the high ground at some distance
from the sea, and traverses in succes¬
sion several valleys.

19 Tocqueville, a small hamlet. Be¬
yond it a considerably larger village,
Creil, with a massive church, is passed.

11 Eu. — Inns: Poste or Cygne; H.
de TUnion, neither good nor cheap.
Eu is a somewhat lifeless town of 3730
Inhab., on the Bresle, a small stream

Route 18 .—Havre to Dieppe. — Hu.

Sect. I.

which formed the boundary of Nor¬
mandy, and which falls into the Channel
2 m. lower down, at Treport. In the
centre of the town is an irregular mar¬
ket-place, no two sides of which are
parallel, overlooked by the E. end of
the Parish Church, a heavy building and
injured by modern reparations, exter¬
nally propped up by huge flying but¬
tresses. It is in the early pointed
style; the triforium arches open into
the aisles ; the E. end is angular, but
several of the side chapels are of late
florid Gothic. Attention should be
directed to the screen before that of St.
Laurent, an Irish archbishop; to the
Entombment in another chapel com¬
posed of statues as large as life; and to
the fantastic, spirally banded column
in the S. transept. The church was
restored by Louis Philippe, who gave
several painted windows from the ma¬
nufactory at Sevres.

In the crypt (caveau) below the
church are deposited a series of monu¬
mental effigies which were mutilated
by the revolutionists 1793, and thrown
into a vault filled with rubbish, lout
have been restored by the late king.
The oldest is of St. Laurent, Archbishop
of Dublin, who died at Eu (1181),
whither he had repaired on a mission
of peace, to reconcile Henry II. and
the King of Ireland. The rest are of the
counts of Eu, of the family of Artois;
viz. Charles d’Artois, 1471—the head
and hands are of marble; of his father,
Philip d’Artois, made prisoner at Nico-
polis by the Turks, d. 1397 in Anatolia;
Jean d’Artois, 1386, his surcoat studded
with fleurs-de-lis of copper—he was
taken prisoner at Cressy along with the
French king; Isabella de Melun, liis
wife, in an elaborately carved dress,
with dogs at her feet ; Jeanne de Sa-
veuse, wife of Charles d’Artois, a pleas ¬
ing countenance and curious costume;
Hffiene de Melun, his 2nd wife; Isabelle
d’Artois, who died unmarried, 1397.

Eu is chiefly remarkable, however, on
account of its Chateau, which belonged
to King Louis-Philippe, who inherited
it, with the Comt4 d’Eu, from his
mother, daughter and heiress of the
Due de Pentliievre. His Majesty here
received H. M. Queen Victoria in 1843.

The chateau is a low building of red
brick surmounted by high tent-shaped
roofs of slate, like the pavilions of the
Tuileries, and is without architectural
beauty. It was built 1578 by Henry
of Lorraine, le Balafre Due de Guise,
on the site of a castle which had be¬
longed in turn to the Lusignans, the
Briennes, the Artois, the Cleves, and
the Saint Pols, and which was burnt
down by Louis XI. (1475), to punish
the treachery of the Comte de St.
Pol. It was much augmented by the
late king, and splendidly fitted up,
the walls being clothed with a collec¬
tion of historical and family portraits,
including those of the royal family and
the various lines of the counts of Eu
to the number of 1100. Many of them
are copies, others are mere furniture
pictures; yet the collection is highly
interesting, and the formation of it
seems to have given rise to the grander
gallery of Versailles, which this re¬
sembles on a miniature scale. There
appears to be no other arrangement
than that of making a certain number
of pictures fit into certain spaces;
names, dates, nations, and families are
intermixed, and the walls are covered
with them from the top to the bottom
of the house.

It is feared that the collection may
shortly be dispersed in consequence
of the Confiscation Decree of the Pre¬
sident, 1852. A few pictures are
here noted down, as possessing some
peculiar interest :—the Regent Duke
of Orleans by Mignard. Napoleon
and his father, Charles Bonaparte !
There are several portraits of the
frivolous and ambitious Anne Marie
Louise de Montpensier, called some¬
times la Grande Mademoiselle, who,
after having aspired to the hands of
her cousin Louis XIV., of the Grand
Cond£, of Charles II., and of the Em¬
peror of Germany, was content at last
to be married to Lauzun, a simple
gentleman. She often resided in this
chateau; and one of these likenesses,
at the age of 43, in which she is drawn
holding her father’s (Gaston Due d’Or¬
leans) portrait, is mentioned by her in
her f Memoires.’ Her bedroom is still
preserved. Some of the drawings in

Normandy.

Route 18 .—Palace of Eu.

the Cabinet cle la Coquille, on the first
floor, are by her. She became pos¬
sessor of Eu by purchase from Made¬
moiselle de Guise, the last descendant
of that family in a direct line, 16G1.
She bequeathed Dombes and Eu to the
Due clu Maine, natural son of Louis
XIV. by Mad. de Montespan, and
father of the Due de Penthievre, in the
vain hope of ransoming Lauzun her
husband from the prison of Pignerol.
She first commenced the historic gal¬
lery of portraits at Eu, and her col¬
lection forms the groundwork of that
still existing. At the back of one of
the portraits of herself there is written
by her own hand, “Bergere alant a la
faite du Yilage voisin.” Portraits con¬
tinued —of Louis XVI., Marie Antoi¬
nette his queen, the Dauphin their
son, w T ho died in the Temple, and all
the other members of their family;
those of Louis Philippe and his family
occupy the Salon de Famille :—the most
pleasing and interesting is the Princess
Marie of Wirtemburg, the sculptor of
the admirable statue of Jeanne d’Arc.
There are 2 portraits of Louis-Philippe
Egalite (d. 1793), one as a young man
in civic dress, the other in uniform, by
Sir J. Reynolds.

One of the most superb and inter¬
esting apartments is the Galerie des
Guises, filled with portraits of that re¬
markable family, who once owned this
chateau; among them, Claude de Lor¬
raine, with the armour and sword with
which he fought at Marignan; Francois
de Lorraine, Due de Guise, who was
wounded in the face before Boulogne
by an English lance, and who endured
the pain of having the lance head ex¬
tracted from his cheek with a pair of
pincers, while the surgeon rested his
foot on the duke’s head to obtain a
purchase. He was the successful de¬
fender of Metz against Charles V., and
the capturer of Calais from the Eng¬
lish; he was killed by the poisoned
bullet of Poltot, 1563. His son, Due
Henri le Balafre', was so called also from
a wound in his cheek received from an
arquebuse at the battle of Dormans.
He began to build the chateau d’Eu
1578; he was the chief of the Ligue,
the hero of the Journee des Barricades,

and the murderer of Coligny on St.
Bartholomew’s night. He was assas¬
sinated by Henri III. at Blois (Rte.
53), 1588, together with his brother,
the Carcll. de Lorraine.

Marie de Lorraine, daughter of Duke
Claude, queen of James V. of Scotland,
and mother of Mary Queen of Scots;—
Queen Mary herself in her widow’s
weeds of white (royal mourning);—
Catherine Ducliesse de Montpensier,
sister of Le Balafre, who revenged his
death by instigating Jacques Clement
to assassinate Henri III^;—the Due de
Mayenne, brother of Le Balafre, com¬
mander of the armies of the Ligue
against Henri IV. ;—Henri II. de Lor¬
raine, Due de Guise, conqueror and
viceroy of Naples after Masaniello’s re¬
bellion.

“ Le recit de cette salle a fait une
longue digression sur les portraits qui
y sont,” are the words of Mademoiselle
herself, in describing these very pic¬
tures in her own gallery; yet how
momentous a tale does every counte¬
nance tell! Where shall we find such
an accumulation of ambition, of crime,
and of romance, as in that one family?

Of Louis XIV. there are several
likenesses, also of his family, his mis¬
tresses, his generals, his court; and
even more of Louis XV. In the
billiard-room are Charles I. and II.,
Oliver Cromwell, Queen Elizabeth, Joan
of Arc, and Agnes Sorel.

The superb Salle des Rois is so called
because filled with portraits of kings
and queens only: here are Marie de
Medicis by Van Dyk, given by herself
to Mademoiselle de Montpensier, and
Henri IV. Here is a cast of the eques¬
trian group of Jeanne d’Arc striking
down for the first time an enemy, by
the Princess Marie.

In the Cabinet da Roi, among por¬
traits of H.M.’s own family, including
his father, are Madame de Genlis, his
preceptress; Pamela, afterwards Lady
Fitzgerald; and Madame de Lamballe,
who was murdered 1793.

The Hall of Victoria is decorated
with pictures representing the visit of
the Queen of England to Eu, painted
by French artists.

The small Chapelle, a mixture of

Route 21 .—Rouen to Alengon.

Sect. I.

Gothic and Italian in its decorations,
has some modern painted glass win¬
dows from Sevres; one is a portrait of
St. Amalie, after the picture by Paul
Delaroche.

The Parc or grounds are less at¬
tractive than the palace; being a wil¬
derness of trees, mostly weedy elms,
planted in rows with angular terraces;
a gloomy canal, and muddy circular
ponds beset with willows. No ad¬
vantage has been taken of the slopes
of the ground, — no taste shown in
laying out the brotherhood of alleys
and formal parterres. Only on the 1.
of the castle a few ancient beeches
survive, beneath whose branches the
Balafrd Due de Guise heard the suits
of his vassals, and concerted plots
against his sovereign. Here a small
space was railed in by Louis Philippe,
who affixed this inscription :—“ Ici
les Guises tenaient conseil au XVIe
siecle.” At the extremity of the
grounds is a terrace overlooking the
gap through which the Bresle, quitting
the bare and dull valley, enters the sea,
and the little village Treport is per¬
ceived at its mouth. On this terrace
is a brick Pavilion, fitted up by poor
Mademoiselle, during the time she was
banished to her estate at Eu by Louis
XIV. for refusing to marry the para¬
lytic and imbecile King of Portugal.
Louis-Philippe restored it, and orna¬
mented it with pictures of the events
of her life.

The effigies of the Due Henri de
Guise (le Balafrd), murdered at Blois,
and of his wife Catherine de Cffives,
are in the Eglise du, College, originally
of the Jesuits, who were established
at Eu by le BalafrA The church,
built out of the ruins of the old castle,
as well as the monuments, were raised
at her expense; they are rich in marble,
but of no value as works of art. He
is represented in armour, she in ruff
and farthingale; there are duplicate
effigies of both, attended by figures of
Prudence, Strength, Faith, and Cha¬
rity ; Gillot was the sculptor. From the
pulpit of this ch. Bourdaloue preached
his first sermon.

On the Bresle, close to the palace, is
a mill for making sea biscuits, sawing

timber, &c., established by an Eng¬
lishman.

Treport, the port of Eu, 3 m. dis¬
tant, is a fishing village of 2265 In-
hab., having an old Church seated on
a height, approached by a flight of
steps, remarkable for its elaborate W.
porch, and for the roof of its nave dis¬
tinguished by pendants of stone hang¬
ing from it, of the 14th century. Tre¬
port is supposed to be the Ulterior
Portus of Julius Caesar.

16 Valines.

18 Abbeville (Rte. 3).

ROUTE 21.

ROUEN TO ALEN9ON BY BERNAY, BROG¬
LIE, AND SEEZ.

143 kilom.=89 Eng. m.

42 Brionne (Rte. 23).

15 Bernay-^/nn: La Poste, Lion
d’Or), a manufacturing town of 7244
Inhab. It once possessed an import¬
ant abbey, founded by Judith, wife
of Richard II. Duke of Normandy ; the
Ch. of which, now converted into ware¬
houses, is one of the oldest Norman
(Romanesque) buildings existing in
Normandy, having been begun in the
early part of the 11th century. It is
large in its dimensions and perfectly
simple in its style: plain square piers
support equally plain circular arches.
The columns attached to the piers are
carved, and one is inscribed “ Isam-
bardus me fecit.” The choir ends in
an apse, and there is one in each tran¬
sept. “The dome vaulting in circular
courses over the aisles is exceedingly
curious.” In St. Croix are some
painted windows, and the high altar
was brought from Bee. iV. Dame de la
Couture is a Gothic ch. of the 15th cent.
The houses in the Grande Rue retain
curious porches and bits of Gothic.

10 Broglie, a town of 1052 Inhab.

The Church is an ancient and singular
building: along its W. front runs a
row of interlacing circular arches; one
side of the nave rests on very massive
piers; the other is modernised, the
piers pared down, and pointed arches
substituted for round ones. The large
and plain Chateau on a height sur-

Normandy.

Route 23 .—Rouen to Caen.

rounded by wood near this is the
family residence of the Due de Broglie,
ex-minister, and one of the most vir¬
tuous, enlightened, and eminent states¬
men in France.

16 Monnai.

14 Gac4 has a ruined castle.

12 Nonant.

12 Sdez {Tan: La Corne), a poor
little city with a population of only
5500, owing that title to the possession
of a Cathedral, a fine edifice, the re¬
markable features of which are, the
porch, 47 ft. deep, under the W. front,
flanked by 2 spires; the nave, 80 ft.
high, of pure early pointed Gothic of
the 13th cent.; the windows are double
lancet and very elegant. The choir
and transepts are in the decorated style
of the end of the 14th cent.

A cathedral was built here in 1055,
but no part of it exists in the present
one, judging from the style. The town
was burnt down in 1150 and 1353, and
probably the cathedral also.

21 Alengon (Rte. 35).

ROUTE 23.

ROUEN TO CAEN BY BRIONNE, OR BY
HONFLEUR.

a. By Brionne 128 kilom. = 795 m -

The road after issuing out of Rouen
crosses the Seine, and runs within a
short distance of the 1. bank, here bor¬
dered by chalk cliffs (Rte. 12), skirt¬
ing on the 1. the forest of Rouvray, to

12 Grande Couronne; thence by Mou-
lineaux (Rte. 12) and near the castle of
Robert le Diable to Bouille, where it
quits the Seine, separating from the
branch to Honfleur, wdiich turns to the
rt. (see below).

13 Bourgtheroude.

About 2 m. N. of the road, and the
same from Brionne, are the ruins of
the Abbey of Bee Hellouin, now of little
importance or interest, but famous
for having given two successive arch¬
bishops to the See of Canterbury, Lan-
franc and Anselm. It has been de¬
molished, except a tower of the 15th
cent., and the vast conventual building
erected in the 17th cent, is converted
into a military stud-house.

17 Brionne.— Inn: La Poste, once

the chateau of the seigneur of the
place. Brionne is a small town on the
Risle. The religious council which con¬
demned the doctrines of Berengarius
was held in the presence of William
the Conqueror in the Ch. of St. Denis.
There are some fragments of the walls
of the keep of the castle in the middle
of the Risle.

11 Marche Neuf.

14 L’Hotellerie.

13 Lisieux, in Rte. 25.

17 Estr^es.

13 Moult.

17 Caen (Rte. 25).

Before reaching this the road falls
into the great Route 25, from Paris
to Cherbourg, and is fully described
under that head.

b. By Honfleur 136 kilom. = 845 m.

To Caen by Pont Audemer and Hon¬
fleur, a diligence runs daily.

12 Grand Couronne.

13 Bourgachard.

At 5 min. past 1 on Sat. 19th Sept.
1829, the tower of the parish ch.
sank down in a heap, crushing the
nave and covering part of the church¬
yard. Had the accident occurred the
following day, it being the hour of
mass, the whole congregation must
have been annihilated. There was a
curious leaden font in this ch. A
dreary district extends from this place
as far as the pleasant valley of the
Risle, one of the loveliest streams in
Normandy, in which lies

23 Pont Audemer.— Inn: Pot d’E-
tain: the samlets (saumoneaux of the
Risle) are excellent. This is a prettily
situated town of 5400 Inhab., famed
for its tanneries, of which it contains
40; besides which some cotton is w r oven
here, its industry being greatly pro¬
moted by the Risle, which passes
through it in small streams. It once
had a castle, in besieging which, in the
early part of the 14th cent., cannon
were first used in France: it was razed
by Du Guesclin. The Churches of Notre
Dame des Prds, now a tanhouse, and
of St. Germain, in the suburb, may
furnish some points of interest to the
antiquarian architect. The Churches of
St. Ouen and of St. Sepulchre are said
to be worth notice.

24 .—Havre to Caen. Sect. I.

Route 23.— Honfleur.

Tlie Terrace of the chateau de Bon-
liebon presents a pleasant view. Eng¬
lish Ch. service on Sundays, 45, Rue de
Bernay. It is a pleasant walk to ascend
the lovely banks of the Risle as far as
the Castle of Montfort.

A direct road from Pont Audemer
to Pont l’Eveque, avoiding the detour
by Honfleur, is completed—-by Beuze-
ville 14 kilom., to Pont l’Eveque 13
kilom.

At Fiquefleur we obtain a fine view
over the embouchure of the Seine.

23 Honfleur. (Inn: Les Armes de
France, a mere auberge.—Honfleur is
famed for melons.) It is a seaport
town of 10,000 Inhab. at the mouth
of the Seine, here 7 m. broad, on its
S. bank, opposite to Havre, and com¬
municating with that port daily by
steamboats. The town is dull and
utterly without interest to the tra¬
veller, and moreover very dirty, but
its situation, backed by wooded heights,
is very pleasing. Its commerce, once
considerable, has been absorbed by
Havre. Its harbour, protected by a
stone pier not yet finished, is acces¬
sible only at high water, and is prin¬
cipally resorted to by fishing vessels,
though some timber ships unload here.
7000 dozens of eggs are exported
weekly to England, besides butter and
fruit. The chapel of Notre Dame de
Grace, on the hill above the town to
the W., much resorted to by sailors
and filled with their ex-votos, is in a
charming situation for the view over
the Seine. It was formerly not un¬
common for the crews of vessels which
had escaped imminent danger at sea
to make a pilgrimage hither in their
shirts, barefooted and bareheaded.

The English Church service was per¬
formed twice every Sunday (?) in 1844,
in a building on the Route de Rouen.

The Steamer from Havre to Rouen
calls off the port in going and return¬
ing. (Rte. 12.)

Steamers, twice a-day to Havre, 7 m.
and back, start according to the tide:
the passage takes up f of an hour.

Diligences daily to Caen and Rouen.

After the long and stately avenue
of trees leading out of Honfleur, the
way to Caen possesses no great in¬

terest : yet orchards and hedges give
an English cast to the scenery. The
head-dress of the women, a nightcap
twisted like a Phrygian bonnet, is by
no means elegant.

17 Pont l’Eveque, a town on the
Touques. [Trouville on the sea, at
the mouth of the Touques {Inns: H. de
la Plage ;—de Paris ;—de Bellevue),
is a rapidly increasing bathing-place,
much frequented from July to Sept,
for sea-bathing : the sea is not so rough
as at Havre, and the water is more
salt. Steamers several times a-day to
Havre.]

Here the road to Lisieux (Rte. 25)
and Falaise branches S. ^ m. 1ST. of
our road, and 2^ m. from P. l’E.; in
the midst of the Pays d’Auze is Beau¬
mont, a small bourg with an abbey,
in which Laplace, the mathematician
and author of the ‘ M^canique Celeste,’
was born.

18 Dozulle. We here cross the
Dives, from whose mouth the Con¬
queror set sail for England.

12 Troarn.

14 Caen, in Rte. 25.

ROUTE 24.

HAVRE TO CAEN.

Steamboats pass daily to and fro,
starting as soon as the height of the
tide allows them.

The voyage, which takes up about
4 hrs., 2J of them on the open sea, is
pleasant in fine weather. The steamer
skirts the coast of the d£pt. Calvados,
in sight of the bathing-place Trouville
(see above), and of the mouth of the
Dives, where William the Conqueror
tarried for a month to collect his fleet
of 3000 ships and his army of 50,000
men. The mouth of the Orne is en¬
tered with difficulty on account of the
sands and rocks, and we then thread
its sinuous channel between low banks,
but the landscape is enlivened by
several ancient churches. A canal is
in progress, by which some of the
windings of the Orne will be avoided,
and the distance from the sea to Caen,
10 m., abridged. If the vessel, owing
to tempestuous weather, should miss

Normandy. Route 25.—Paris to Cae?i — Evreux. 71

the tide to cross the bar, it must wait
outside, and lie off the mouth for 10
or 12 hrs. for the nest tide; but this
rarely happens.

“ At length the city of Caen ex¬
tends itself, terminated at each ex¬
tremity by the venerable abbeys of
William the Conqueror, and Mathilda
his queen; the latter, surmounted by
3 towers, is nearest at hand. There
are no traces of workshops and manu¬
factories, or of their pollution ; but
the churches, with their towers and
spires, rise above the houses in bold
architectural masses, and the city as¬
sumes a character of quiet monastic
opulence, comforting the eye and the
mind.”— Pa Igrave.

Abreast of the town the river is
lined with sumptuous quays of solid
masonry, alongside of which the vessel
is moored.

Caen. Rte. 25.

ROUTE 25.

PARIS TO CAEN AND CHERBOURG, BY
EVREUX AND LISIEUX.

To Caen 223 kilom. = 138 Eng. m.
Caen to Cherbourg 118 kilom. = 74
Eng. m.

This journey is best made by taking
the Rouen Railway as far as St. Pierre
de Yauvray Stat. (3 hrs.—see Rte. 8)
—whence a Malleposte runs daily in
15J hrs. to Cherbourg, by Louviers
and Lisieux, 251 kilom. = 125 m.

The Railway is to be continued to
Cherbourg.

Diligences daily.

From Paris to St. Pierre de Yauvray
is described in Rte 8. A little beyond
this we quit the route to Rouen, turn¬
ing to the 1. out of the valley of the
Seine, up a wooded combe to an ele¬
vated and fertile but monotonous
counti’y.

15 Pacy-sur-Eure. 10 m. S. of this
is Ivry, where Henri IY. gained a
momentous victory over the Due de
Mayenne and the army of the League
1590.

At Cocherel, on the rt. bank of the
Eure, 4 m. below (N. of) Pacy, Du
Guesclin, in 1364, defeated the forces

of the King of Navarre, Charles le
Mauvais.

18 Evreux — (Inns: H. du Grand Cerf,
tolerable — de France, opposite the
Cathedral), chef-lieu of the D6pt. de
l’Eure, has 10,287 Inhab., and is pret¬
tily situated in a bowl-shaped valley
shut in on N. and S. by hills, and
watered by the Iton, an affluent of the
Eure, divided into several branches.
It has a considerable share in the cot¬
ton manufacture (ticking and stock¬
ings), here carried on by the hand-
loom more than by the steam-engine.
Its chief edifice is

La Cathedrale , presenting to the W.
an incongruous front of Italian archi¬
tecture, flanked by two towers, and
surmounted in the centre of the cross
by a loftier tower and florid spire,
erected by the Cardinal de la Balue,
favourite of Louis XL The nave is in
the Norman style, probably of our
Henry I.’s time, since he burnt the
town, with the permission of the bishop,
on condition of rebuilding the churches.
The upper part of the nave, and the
rest of the ch., are pointed, and for the
most part more modern than the reign
of Philippe-Auguste, who again burnt
the town to revenge himself on the
treachery of Jean Sans Terre, in making
it over to him during King Richard’s
captivity, but on Richard’s unexpected
return not only withholding it, but
murdering the French garrison placed
in the castle. The choir , supported on
clustered columns with glazed trifo-
rium (1330-60), is very lofty and light.
The Lady Chapel and the N. transept
are still more recent (1465-75), and
the Portal leading into it, in the flam¬
boyant Gothic, elaborately ornamented,
is deservedly admired, in spite of the
injuries and loss of its statues inflicted
by the Revolutionists. It dates from
the beginning of the 17th centy. The
beautiful rose window in the S. tran¬
sept, and the wooden screens to the
side chapels round the choir, showing
the flamboyant Gothic style modified
by the reviving Italian, also merit
notice. “The Lady Chapel, of elegant
architecture (temp. Louis XI.), con¬
tains painted glass equally remarkable
for its fine execution and perfect pre-

Route 25 .—Paris to Caen — Lisieux.

Sect. I.

servation.”— E. o. S. The woodwork
enclosing the chapels round the choir,
of mixed Gothic and Renaissance, merits
notice.

The Bishop’s Palace, built 1484, pre¬
sents some curious details.

At the opposite end of the town is
the Ch. of St. Taurin, attached to the
seminaire ; it is small, and resembles
the cathedral in the various styles it
displays, having shared like it the for¬
tune of war and conflagration. The
outer wall of the S. transept is orna¬
mented with an arcade of semicircular
arches, the panels of which are prettily
diapered with a pattern formed of red
tiles let into the masonry. This is
supposed to be a relic of the ch. built
1026 by Richard II. Duke of Nor¬
mandy.

The greatest curiosity of this ch. is
the Chasse or Shrine of St. Taurin , which
once contained his relics, preserved in
the sacristy. It is a wooden box,
shaped like a Gothic chapel, covered
with plates of copper or silver gilt,
enchased with a diapered pattern, and
set round with bas-reliefs and small
statuettes of bishops and saints ; it is
a work of the 13th cent. The archi¬
tectural decorations are rich and in
good taste : such shrines are now very
rare. The precious stones which once
ornamented it have been stolen or
lost.

The streets of Evreux preserve many
antique timber-framed houses, and on
the Boulevards are traces of the walls
which once defended it. It possesses
a Beffroi called Tour de I’Horloge, built
in the 15th cent.

Excavations made at Yieil Evreux
(Mediolanum Aulercanun) have led to
the discovery of a theatre, baths, &c.,
and of various relics now deposited in
the Musde d’Antiquites.

The name of the premier English
Viscount, Devereux Visct. Hereford,
is derived from this town : the family
traces its descent from Normandy.

Coaches go hence to Chartres and to
St. Pierre and Vernon Stats, on the
Paris and Rouen Railway (Rte. 50)
daily.

The next post-station to Evreux is
called

18 La Commanderie, from a castle
and ch. of the Knights Templars, of
which the ruins and some tombs of
members of the order remain. It lies
very high.

17 La Riviere Thibouville. A little
to the N. is Harcourt, cradle of one of
the noble houses of England, who trace
their descent from a baron of the name
who fell beside William the Norman at
Hastings. There are scanty remains of
a castle.

10 Marche Neuf.

14 L’Hotellerie. The upland dis¬
trict traversed by the road forms part
of the Pays de Lieuvin, celebrated for
its fertility and excellent cultivation.

13 Lisieux. {Inns: H. de France ;
La Belle Fontaine.) A thriving manu¬
facturing town (11,473 Inhab.), prettily
situated at the confluence of the Touques
with the Orbec. About 3500 persons
are employed in and around the town
in weaving coarse woollens, flannels,
horse-cloths, &c. Its main street ex¬
hibits specimens of ancient domestic
architecture, timber-framed houses and
pointed gables, well suited to the artist’s
pencil.

The Church of St. Pierre (formerly
cathedral) faces an open square, with
its W. front surmounted by a spire ;
one of its towers is rebuilding. It is
in the early pointed style of the 13th
cent., with lancet windows, holding a
place between the Norman and the
lancet Gothic of England. A preceding
edifice, built 1143-82 (when the pointed
style had scarcely begun to appear in
this part of France), was burnt down
1226. Norman arches occur in the
S. W. tower only ; the outside of the
S. transept is a fine example of the
pointed style. The Lady Chapel was
founded, in the 15th cent., by Pierre
Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, and pre¬
sident of the unjust tribunal which
condemned Joan of Arc, in expiation of
“his false judgment of an innocent
woman,” as he expressly states in the
deed of endowment.

Henry II. was married to Eleanor of
Guienne, the divorced wife of Louis le
Jeune, 1152, in this cathedral.

There is a very singular old wooden
house in the Rue aux Fdes.

Normandy. Route 25.— Caen—Abbaije aux Hommes.

Lisieux was the capital of the Lexovii,
a Gallic tribe mentioned by Caesar, and
ruins of the ancient town ( Noviomagus,
1.) have been discovered at a short dis¬
tance from the present one. Thomas
& Becket retired hither 1169, during
his exile from England. Le Val Etcher,
a small country house near Lisieux, is
the summer-retreat of M. Guizot.

17 Estrees. The road from Lisieux
to Caen is almost destitute of interest.

13 Moult.

17 Caen. Inns: H. d’Angleterre ;
good ; bed, 2 fr.; servants, 1 fr. 10 sous
per diem;—H. de la Place Royale ; not
very clean, but moderate.

Caen, chief town of the Dept, du
Calv&dds (so named from a long reef
of rocks on its coast, on which a Spanish
vessel, the Calvados, was wrecked in
the reign of Philippe II.), is situated
on the Orne, 10 m. from its mouth,
and has 43,079 Inhab. A smaller
stream, the Odon, passes through the
town and around the line of its old
ramparts, to which it served as a fosse,
before it joins the Orne, turning on its
way several mills. Notwithstanding
the antiquity of Caen, its wider streets,
its large central square, in which stands
the statue of Louis XIV., and its
houses of white stone, give it a more
cheerful air than Rouen, though less
enlivened by passing crowds. The tall
white Norman head-dress of the women,
ornamented with lappets behind and
sometimes with lace, is striking and
quaint to a stranger’s eye.

To the traveller Caen recommends
itself by its numerous specimens of
ancient architecture, to the permanent
resident by the salubrity of its site
and the cheapness of house-rent and
provisions, which had caused our coun¬
trymen to settle themselves down here
in a colony, until the troubles of
1848 put them to flight, and reduced
their number from 4000 to less than
200 .

Near the centre of the town, on one
side of a small market-place full of
bustle and quaint costumes in the early
part of the day, rises the Church of St.
Pierre, surmounted by one of the most
graceful towers and spires, in the com¬
plete Gothic style, which Normandy
France.

can produce ; the middle story, formed
of tall lancet windows framed within
reeded mouldings, is a model of strength
and lightness. Its spire of stone,
partly pierced k jour, was built 1308,
and is 242 ft. high. The nave was
constructed probably about the same
time, the choir, more richly orna¬
mented, rather later, while its roof
and the chapels round the choir were
added in 1521. The-rich groining of
the roof of the choir is surpassed in
the chapels, where it assumes the form
of pendent fringes, giving the roof a
cellular character. The side walls of
these chapels are pierced with arches
and set with statues. Some of the
capitals of the columns in the nave
exhibit ludicrous carvings, such as
Aristotle bridled and ridden by the
mistress of Alexander, and Lancelot
crossing the sea on his sword, from the
old romances. The exterior of the E.
end, well seen from the banks of the
river, is as much Italian as Gothic, so
entirely are forms and styles jumbled
together.

Caen possesses two very remarkable
monuments of the piety of William
the Conqueror and his queen, in the
churches of the Abbayes, Aux Hommes
and Aux Dames: both founded 1066,
and valuable in an architectural point
of view, because their date is un¬
doubted.

The Church of St. Etienne, or of the
Abbaije aux Hommes, destined by the
Conqueror as a resting-place for his
own remains, was finished and dedi¬
cated by him in his lifetime, 1077, un¬
der Archbishop Lanfranc, who was the
first abbot. The W. front is so per¬
fectly and severely plain that it will
probably disappoint expectations ; it is
surmounted by 2 stately towers and
spires of later date (1200), which, with
the choir, were rebuilt, or added to the
original edifice, long after the time of
William. The interior of the nave,
however, exhibits the rigid severity
and massy strength, with the grandeur
of proportion, of the Norman Roman¬
esque style. The ch. is 371 ft. long
and 98 ft. high. The lower row of
arches supports a gallery,having arches
of nearly equal span and § of the height

Route 25.— Caen—Abbaye aux Dames.

Sect. I.

of those below, an arrangement resem¬
bling the arcades of the Roman Coli¬
seum. These upper arches originally
opened into the aisles, the vaulting
below them being of posterior date.
The clerestory windows consist of a
tall and short arch placed alternately
on one side or the other to meet the
curve of the vault. The choir ending
in an apse, and surrounded by apsidal
chapels, is in the pointed Gothic style,
answering to the early English of the
12tli cent, (some say 1316-44). A
plain grey marble slab in the pavement
before the high altar marks the grave
of William the Conqueror , the founder
of the ch., but it has been long since
empty : it was broken open, the costly
monument erected over it by William
Rufus destroyed, and the bones scat¬
tered, by the Huguenots, 1562, and lost,
without record, except one thigh-bone,
which was re-interred. The Revolu¬
tionists of 1793 again violated the grave,
and this also disappeared.

The funeral of the Conqueror, un¬
dertaken by the charity of a simple
knight, as already detailed (p. 39), was
singularly interrupted, even within the
precincts of the ch., and before the
service for the dead was concluded, by
a cry from one of the bystanders, a
man of low degree, who claimed the
site of the grave, saying, that it occu¬
pied the place of his father’s house,
that he had been illegally ejected from
it in order to build the ch., and he de¬
manded the restitution of his property.
This claim, thus boldly made, in the
presence of the dead monarch’s son
Henry, the chief mourner, being backed
by the assent of the townspeople, who
stood by, was not to be denied or re¬
jected, and the bishop was obliged to
pay down on the spot 60 sous for a
place of sepulchre for the royal corpse.
Even then it is related that, as the
coffin was being lowered into the grave,
it struck against some obstacle, fell,
and was broken into pieces, so that the
corpse, ejected from its tenement, dif¬
fused so horrid a stench through the
ch., that the rites were hurried to a
close, and the assembled priests and
laity dispersed.

The exterior of this ch., surmounted

by its 2 W. towers, its central octagonal
tower, and 4 tun’ets on the E., has a
peculiarly striking effect from a dis¬
tance, and reminds one of the arrange¬
ments of some of those on the Rhine.

The adjoining conventual buildings
(date 1726) have been converted, since
1800, into a College, numbering not
quite 300 students. On the W. side
of the court adjoining is a handsome
Gothic building (14th cent.), lately
restored as a school, which occupies
the site of the old Norman Palace,
called Grand Palais. The ancient hall
called Salle des Gardes, of the 13th or
14th century, still exists and is well
worth a visit.

At the opposite end of the town, on
the heights of St. Gilles, is the Abbaye
aux Dames, or ch. of la Ste. Trinite,
founded 1066, and consecrated the
same year, though probably unfinished,
by Queen Mathilda, the Conqueror’s
wife, and destined by her for a nun¬
nery of noble ladies. The conventual
buildings attached to the ch. are quite
modern (1726), and are converted into
an Hospital (Hotel Dieu), in which 40
sisters of the order of St. Augustine
perform the duties of nurses of the
sick : the choir of the ch. is railed off
for their use. The ch., in the lighter
and more ornate character of its archi¬
tecture, displays so broad a contrast to
the masculine plainness of St. Etienne,
that it would scarcely be supposed that
they had been both in progress at the
same time. With the exception of the
upper part of the W. towers, however,
this edifice is a perfect and unaltered
specimen of pure Norman Romanesque;
the choir ending in an apsis, being of
the same age and style as the nave.
“ The piers are lighter, the engaged
pillars project more, than in St. Etienne,
the embattled fret here runs round the
main arches, and instead of a lofty
triforium the walls above them are
threaded by a gallery supported by
misproportioned pillars, exhibiting gro¬
tesque figures among the foliage of
their capitals. The arches under the
central tower are remarkably bold, and
their archivolts are chased with the
Norman lozenge.” — Sir F. P. The
one opening into the nave is obtusely

Normandy. Route 25. — Caen—Hotel de Ville.

pointed, but apparently of the same
date. The choir, ending in a semi¬
circle of double arches, one tier over
the other, encloses in the centre the
fragments of the black marble grave¬
stone of the foundress, broken in pieces
by the Calvinists, who dispersed her
remains, which, however, were collected
some years after. Underneath is a
crypt resting on 34 closely set pillars.

For the student of ancient architec¬
ture the following churches remain also
to be visited. Not far from St. Etienne
is St. Nicholas, another Norman ch.,
coeval with the two abbeys, having
been built, except the tower and the
pointed vaulting of the nave, between
1066 and 1083 ; it is now a hay-store,
belonging to the Remonte de Cavalerie.
It is unaltered, very plain in style, and
ends in an apse.

St. Etiennele Vieux, though desecrated
and in ruins, is a fine specimen of pointed
Gothic: on the wall of the choir is a
mutilated equestrian statue, said to be
William I.

St. Jean has two unequal and un¬
finished towers, in the style of that of
St. Pierre, but inferior to it in late
pointed style.

St. Michel, in the suburb of Vaucelles,
displays some curious architectural
features; in the Norman tower the
very long but narrow and round-headed
windows deserve notice. The fringed
portal is surmounted by a gable filled
with elegant flamboyant tracery, in the
style of the 15th or 16th cent.

There are many old houses, with
curiously ornamented fronts of the
15th and 16th centies., in the Rue St.
Pierre (Nos. 52, 3 8, 20, 54, 24, See.),
but they are fast disappearing.

The Hotel de Valois, Place St.
Pierre, now the Bourse, is of Italian
architecture.

The Castle, surmounting the height
to the W. of St. Pierre, built by Wil¬
liam the Conqueror and his son Henry
—held for a long period by the Eng¬
lish, but finally taken from them by
the brave Dunois, who compelled the
Duke of Somerset with a garrison of
4000 men to surrender, 1459—has now
the aspect of a modern fortress bastioned
and counterscarped ; but having been

dismantled by a decree of the Conven¬
tion, it is at present reduced to a bar¬
rack. The only Norman portions sub¬
sisting are the small Chapel of St. George,
whose nave is probably of the 11th
centy., though the earliest mention of it
is in 1181; while the chancel, separated
from it by a bold arch, is of the 15th
centy.: another very interesting Nor¬
man hall has been ascertained to have
been the original Ilall of the Exchequer
of Normandy of the time of William
the Conqueror. Both these buildings
are now used as storehouses. From the
ramparts there is a good view of the
town.

In the Hotel de Ville, which occupies
with its Grecian portico one side of the
Place Royale, is a Collection of Paintings.
The only ones worth notice are a
genuine Perugino, Marriage of the
Virgin, imitated by Raphael in the
famous Sposalizio at Milan ;—the Pas¬
sage of the Rhine, by Van der Meulen ;
—Melchizedec offering bread and wine
to Abraham, Rubens ;—the Virgin with
3 Saints, by some old master, called
Albert Durer.

In the Cabinet d'Histoire Naturelle is
a collection of the fossils of Normandy,
including Ichthyosaurus, Plesiosaurus,
and a very perfect crocodile from the
neighbouring quarries of rAllemagne.
The collections made in the South Sea
by Admiral Dumont d’Urville have
been deposited here.

The English Church Service is per¬
formed on Sundays at 1, in the French
Protestant Temple, Rue de la Geole.

The Poste aux Lettres is in the Rue
de I’Hotel de Ville.

Caen is well provided with prome¬
nades, formal avenues of trees ;—the
chief are called Grand Cours, and Cours
Cafarelli, by the side of the Orne. The
handsome quais bordering the Orne
and the Odon near their junction form
pleasant walks.

The women of the lower and middle
classes in Caen, and throughout a large
part of La Basse Normandie, are finely
formed, fully grown, and handsomer
than in most other parts of France.

The principal street, in which are the
best shops, is the Rue St. Jean.

Froissart narrates the story of the

E 2

Sect. I.

Houle 25.— Caen — Environs,

capture of Caen in 13 ±6, a sliort wliile
before the battle of Crecy, by Edward
III. and the Black Prince, who, being
irritated by the resistance of the citi¬
zens, gave it up to plunder. It was
then “large, strong, and full of dra¬
pery and all sorts of merchandise, rich
citizens, noble dames, damsels, and fine
churches.” The English fleet returned
home laden with its spoils.

Several of the leaders of the party of
the Girondins, proscribed by the Jaco¬
bins of the revolutionary tribunal, and
driven from Paris by the insurrection
of May 31, 1793, retired to Caen to
organise a revolt against the tyranny
of the Mountain, but were entirely
defeated and put down in a battle at
Vernon. It was shortly after this event
that Charlotte Corday (a native of St.
Saturnin, near S4ez), actuated by the
spirit of resistance against the bloody
tyranny of the Terrorists, which pre¬
vailed strongly at Caen, set out hence
to Paris to assassinate Marat.

Among the illustrious natives of
Caen, the learned Huet Bishop of
Avranches, born 1613, may be singled
out ; also the poets Clement Marot,
Malherbe, Malfilatre, and Segrais; and
the Oriental traveller and scholar Bo-
chart.

Brummel, the Beau par excellence of
the court of George IV. when regent,
lived many years at Caen, and ended
his days miserably in a madhouse here.

Malleposte daily to Paris (St. Pierre
de Vauvray) and Cherbourg.

Diligences; to Lisieux and Evreux
(p. 72), and to the Stat. St. Pierre de
Vauvray on the Paris and Rouen Rail¬
way (Rte. 8), in 14 hrs.; daily to Cher¬
bourg (Rte. 26); to Vire, Dol, and
St. Malo (Rte. 27) ; to St. Lo, Cou-
tances, and Granville (Rtes. 27 and
32) ; to Rennes and Nantes (Rte. 34) ;
to Havre by Harfleur and Rouen (Rte.
23); to Tours by Falaise and Alen^on.

Steamer to Havre.

The making of lace is said to occupy
20,000 women and children in and
about Caen. The streets of the suburbs
are lined with family parties seated
round their cottage doors, merrily
twirling their bobbins. They make
tulles, broddes, and blondes.

With this exception Caen has no
claim to be a manufacturing town ;
though it was so, in an eminent degree
until the revocation of the Edict of
Nantes banished all its most indus¬
trious artisans.

Environs. A cabriolet or other one-
horse carriage may be hired for 8 or
10 francs the day.

The student of ancient ai'diitecture
might spend many days profitably and
agreeably in visiting the ecclesiastical
and civil monuments which abound in
the neighbourhood of Caen. The Dept,
du Calvados is particularly rich in
monuments of architecture ; the dis¬
tinguished archaeologist of Caen, M. de
Caumont, enumerates nearly 70 speci¬
mens of the Norman architecture of
the 11th and 12tli centuries existing
in it.

a. On the outskirts of Caen, to the
E., at the extremity of the Rue Basse St.
Gilles, is a singular castellated mansion
called Les Gens d’Armes f from 2 stone
figures of armed men on the top.
Though surrounded by battlemented
walls and furnished with towers, it was
not built as a place of defence, but as
a maison de plaisance, for one Gerard
de Nollent, in the beginning of the
16th cent. Its walls are fantastically
ornamented externally with medallion
heads of emperors, &c.

b. There is a very beautiful and re¬
markable ruin near Caen, first described
by Prof. Whew ell, the Abbage d’Arclcnne,
now a farm-yard. It has a fine gate-
tower with a roundheaded gate and
pointed wicket, large stables, “a but¬
tressed barn which puts to utter shame
the largest of our edifices of this kind,”
and a beautiful Ch., closely resembling
in style the early English of our ab¬
beys of Bolton and Newstead, now a
barn or hay-magazine. Its W. front is
especially noticeable ; it has a rose
within a pointed window, and a rich
porch supported “ on detached shafts.”

c. Thann , Fontaine-Henri, La Deliv-
rande, Luc .

A capital macadamised road, tra¬
versed by a diligence, leads, N. of
Caen, to Luc, a bathing-place on the
sea, about 12 m. It passes several
objects of architectural and autiqua-

Normandy.

Houle 25.— Caen — Thann — Luc.

rian interest, to which. ^ a day may be
devoted with advantage, as follows.
(N.B. This excursion may be made in
a gig, costing 12 frs., in 5 or 6 hrs,,
including stoppages.)

From Caen a range of high table¬
land is ascended, on the summit of
which is a calvoire, or crucifix. “ The
traveller will not fail to linger on the
little hill just beyond the first crucifix.
Here he enjoys a lovely prospect. The
horizon is bounded by long lines of
grey and purple hills : nearer are fields
and pastures, whilst the river glitters
and winds amidst their vivid tints ;
nearer still the city of Caen extends
itself.” It is worth while to walk thus
far (2 m. from Caen), for the sake of
the view.

m. Thann. Here is a true Nor¬
man church, scarcely altered since the
days of Henry I,, when it was built,
excepting the loss of its S. aisle. It is
a good deal ornamented. The tower
is capped with a hollow pyramid of
stone, the oldest example of the nas¬
cent spire known.

lj m. farther to the N. is the in¬
teresting Chateau of Fontaine-Henri, a
seat of the family d’Harcourt, built in
the first 30 years of the 16th cent.,
partly in the bastard Gothic, corre¬
sponding more with the late Eliza¬
bethan of England, partly in the Ita¬
lian style, resembling the revived
classic architecture of Audley End and
Longleat. It is a mansion of no great
size, but is distinguished by a prepos¬
terously lofty and steeply pitched
roof, surmounting one wing, flanked
by an equally lofty chimney. The
most profuse decoration of sculpture
is lavished on its singularly irregular
facade. The ornaments of the win¬
dows, the panelling, balustrades, See.,
are not inferior to those of the Palais
de Justice at Rouen, which they much
resemble. The Church of the village is
Norman.

A second steep ascent, surmounted
by another calvaire, commands a
pleasing view over the sea, including
6 or 8 village spires, all having a
strong family likeness to that of St.
Pierre at Caen. A steep descent of
about a mile brings you to the pil¬

grimage chapel of La De'livrande, to
which the Norman sailors and peasants
have resorted for the last 800 years.
It is a small Norman edifice. The
statue of the Virgin, which now com¬
mands the veneration of the faithful,
was resuscitated in the reign of Plenry
I. from the ruins of a previous chapel
destroyed by the Northmen, through
the agency of a lamb constantly grub¬
bing up the earth over the spot where
it lay. Such is the tenor of the legend.
The reputation of the image for per¬
forming miracles, especially in behalf
of sailors, has been maintained from
that time to the present, although it
suffered much at the Revolution, when
pilgrimages were forbidden. It was
visited by Louis XI. in 1471.

It is a drive of 3 m. from this chapel
along the low coast to Luc, another
small watering-place, with an hotel (de
la Belle Plage), said to be good.

12 m. from Caen, on the sea, is Cor-
seulles, a small bathing-place and fish¬
ing port facing the terrible rocks of
Calvstdos. It is famed for its oysters.
Paris receives from the “pares aux
huitres ” here of all that it con¬
sumes, amounting to 5^ million dozen
annually, They are transported by
light and fast carriages.

The Church of Lfs, about 3 m. S, of
Caen, has a curious early - pointed
steeple ; but a still more remarkable
tower and spire exist at Norrey, on
the way to Bayeux (Rte. 26).

It is worth while to descend one of
the quarries of Caen stone, so abund¬
antly used in England during the
middle ages, and of which the White
Tower, old London Bridge, Henry
VII.’s Chapel, Winchester and Can¬
terbury cathedrals, besides many of
our country churches, were built: they
are situated within the circuit of li m.
to the W. and S. of Caen, near Mala-
drerie, on the road to Bayeux, and at
Haute Allemagne. The rock is an
oolite, equivalent to our Stonesfield
slate, but without its slaty structure ;
it is extracted from subterraneous
quarries through vertical shafts, in
blocks 8 or 9 ft. long and 2 ft. thick.
It is still employed in England ;
the new tower at the W. end of

Route 26.— Caen to Cherbourg — Bayeux. Sect. I.

Canterbury Cathedral is built of this
stone.

A visit to Falaise Castle, the birth¬
place of the Conqueror, will occupy a
day ; a diligence runs thither and back
daily (see Rte. 29).

Another antiquarian and architec¬
tural excursion may be made on the
way to Bayeux, to Fresne Camilly,
Creuilly, and St. Gabriel (Rte. 26).

ROUTE 26.

CAEN TO CHERBOURG BY BAYEUX.

121 kilom. = 74 Eng. m.

Malleposte daily in 8-|- hrs.

Diligences daily, meeting the Gran¬
ville diligence at Carentan (Rte. 32).

A Railway is to be made by 1855.

2 m. beyond Caen is la Maladrerie,
so called from a lazar-house founded
by our Henry II. for lepers of the
town of Caen, now replaced by a huge
penitentiary (Maison Centrale de De¬
tention). Near this may be perceived
the whims or wheels by which the
Caen stone (see above) is raised out of
the quarries. At St. Germain le
Blancherbe the direct but not post
road to St. Lo (Rte. 32) branches off
to the 1.

The first relay on the way to Bayeux,

12 Bretteville, is called l’Orgueil-
leuse, though of what it has to be
proud is not evident, except its hand¬
some steeple. This, however, is en¬
tirely eclipsed by the very fine open
belfry and spire of Norrey, seen on the
1. about 1 m. off the road.

This beautiful Church, which has
been termed a miniature cathedral, is
in the pure and simple Gothic style of
our early English, and of the most
elegant proportions, with an enriched
choir, circular apse, and N. porch.
“ All the mouldings are deep, free,
and repeated so as to give the greatest
strength of line to all its parts.” The
tower owes its character of unequalled
beauty to the 4 narrow and tall lancet
arches which occupy the N. face of its
belfry-story ; the two central ones
open so as to let daylight through.

In going from Caen to Bayeux a
detour may be made to visit Fresne

Camilly, a church in the transition
style, round arches prevailing in the
body of the building, with indications
of pointed arches in a panelled arcade
on the exterior of the N. wall. At
Creuilly, the Castle, a construction of
different ages, retains, among more
modern additions, 2 round towers. It
belonged to Robert of Gloucester,
natural son of Henry I., and is now
converted into a dwelling-house. The
church is genuine Norman. A little
farther is St. Gabriel, a ruined priory,
founded by Robert of Gloucester,
1128: the choir of the church alone
remains, and is a very remarkable ex¬
ample of florid Norman. This is a
detour which will repay those of anti¬
quarian taste.

There is another road from Brette¬
ville to Creuilly, passing by Sacque-
ville en Bessin, whose church is curious,
partly pointed, partly round.

On the direct road from Caen to
Bayeux the country is not very in¬
teresting ; orchards abound, or rather
the corn-fields are planted with rows
of apple-trees, iinder which the grain-
crop ripens.

16 Bayeux (Inns: H. clu Luxem¬
bourg. Grand Hotel ; small, but
clean— B.), a quiet and dull ecclesias¬
tical city, with much the air of some
cathedral towns in England, was an¬
ciently capital of the Bessin, and con¬
tains 10,303 Inhab. It is washed by a
small stream, the Aure, which enters
the sea at 5 m. distance. It consists
of two main streets, including some
ancient specimens of domestic archi¬
tecture, running up a hill to a large
open Place, lined with trees. Its only
curiosities are its Tapestry and its

Cathedral, its chief ornament, though
disfigured by a central cupola in a
semi-Grecian style. The W. front is
a fine elevation, in the pointed Gothic,
surmounted by two steeples of the
12th cent., in the towers of which
pointed arches alternate with round.
The 3 porches, which, as well as that
on the S. side, deserve attention for
their bas-reliefs and ornamental foliage,
are later in date and florid in style.
The interior is 315 ft. long and 81
high. The W. end of the nave consists

Normandy.

Route 26 .— Bayeux — Tapisserie.

of florid Norman arches and piers,
whose natural heaviness is relieved
by the beautifully-diapered patterns
wrought upon the wall, probably built
by Henry I., who destroyed the pre¬
viously-existing church by fire, 1106.
Above this runs a blank trefoiled
arcade in the place of a triforium, sur¬
mounted by a clerestory of early-
pointed windows very lofty and narrow.

The arches of the nave, nearest the
cross and the choir, ending in a semi¬
circle, exhibit a more advanced state
of the pointed style, and are distin¬
guished by the remarkable elegance of
their graceful clustered pillars. They
were built by Bishop Henry de Beau¬
mont, an Englishman, 1205. The cir¬
cular ornaments in the spandrils of
the arches are very pleasing and of
fanciful variety.

The stalls are of oak, well carved ;
the modern screen is totally at vari¬
ance with every part of the church,
except the cupola.

The chapels in the side-aisles, and
the exterior of the E. end, should not
pass unnoticed. Under the choir is a
crypt, probably the only part remain¬
ing of the original church, built, in
1077, by Odo, half-brother of the Con¬
queror, and 50 years Bishop of Bayeux.
It is supported on 12 pillars with rude
capitals, and contains some episcopal
tombs. In the Tresor is preserved the
chasuble of St. Regnobert, in a casket
of ivory, with enamelled ornaments,
both apparently of Arab workmanship,
said to be gifts of St. Louis.

The student of architecture may
visit with profit the Chapel of the Se'rni-
naire, adjoining the Hotel Dieu, a simple
oblong plain gi’oined hall, lighted by
double lancet windows, and not unlike
the E. end of the Temple Church in
London : its date is 1206. Behind the
altar is a singular recess, beautifully
groined. The little Norman Church of
St. Loup, in the outskirts of the town, on
the way to St. Lo, also deserves notice.

The Tapisserie de Bayeux has been
removed from the Hotel de Ville—
where it used to be unwound by the
yard from a roller like a piece of
haberdashery, and subjected to the
fingers as well as eyes of the curious—

to a new room in the Public Library
(open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), where it is
more carefully preserved, and quite as
convenientiy exhibited, under a glass-
case. Many persons will look upon it
merely as a long strip of coarse linen
cloth, 20 inches wide and 214 ft. long,
rudely worked with figures worthy of
a girl’s sampler. It is, however, a
curious historical record of peculiar
interest to an Englishman ; and, al¬
though it presents such anomalies as
horses coloured alternately blue and
red, there is much spirit in the draw¬
ing. It is ascribed, with much pro¬
bability, to the needle of Matilda,
Queen of the Conqueror, and repre¬
sents the Conquest of England, and
the events which led to it. It was
preserved in the cathedral until the
Revolution, being hung round the
nave on certain days. The earliest
record of it is in an inventory of the
effects of the church, taken 1476. Its
series of rude worsted pictures repre¬
sents such events as Edward the Con¬
fessor designating William as his heir ;
the treachery of Harold ; the shipment
and landing of the Norman army and
battle of Hastings : in many of these
scenes, Odo Bishop of Bayeux, the
Conqueror’s half-brother, is a promi¬
nent figure. The design has evidently
been to represent Harold as a usurper,
and William as the rightful heir to the
crown, having other claims besides
that of conquest. The Normans are
drawn with shaven heads and chins, in
armour of scales, helmets protected
by nose-pieces in front, and shields
shaped like boys’ kites, sometimes
bearing devices of crests (supposed to
be of later invention) suspended by a
belt round the neck. All the build¬
ings have round arches. At the bottom
runs a curious border of animals, in¬
cluding camels and elephants, said to
represent fables from ri£sop (?).

The tapestry has been excellently
engraved for the London Society of
Antiquaries by the late Charles Sto-
thard. When Napoleon was medi¬
tating the invasion of England, he
caused this tapestry to be transported
from town to town, and exhibited on
the stage of the playhouses between

Route 26.— Formigvy — Carentan.

Sect. I.

tlie acts, to stimulate the spectators to
a second conquest !

Wace, the author of the Roman de
Rou, was a canon of the cathedral.
According to it Harold actually did
homage to William of Normandy, as
heir of Edward' the Confessor, for the
throne of England. Many of the
women about Bayeux still wear the
Bourgogne or Bavolette, a rich and
high head-dress, resembling that worn
at the courts of the Dukes of Bur¬
gundy.

There are good Baths at the side of
the river, and near them a pretty Nur¬
sery Garden.

Diligences daily to Caen (4), to Cher¬
bourg and St. Lo, Granville and St.
Malo.

In going from Bayeux to Cherbourg
the diligences make a detour of 9
leagues ; by passing through St. Lo
(Rte. 32), the malleposte takes the
direct line, as follows, passing La Tour
en Bessin, whose little church has a
chancel in a style resembling the best
English decorated ; the nave is Nor¬
man, the tower and spire earlier than
the chancel.

16 Formigny. Here the English
were defeated (1450) in an engagement
so decisive, that it occasioned them
the loss of Normandy, which has never
since been separated from the French
crown. A monument on the rt. of
the road marks the battle-field, and
commemorates the victory. It must
foe borne in mind that Sir Thomas
Kyriel, who commanded the English,
an old soldier of Agincourt, who took
little account of superior numbers on
the side of the French, attacked, with
a vastly inferior force, the army of the
Comte de Clermont, and while thus
engaged was assaulted in the rear by a
second army, under the Constable de
Richemont.

16 Isigny-on-the-Aure is accessible
for vessels of considerable size, with
the tide. Much butter is exported
hence to England and elsewhere.

The river Vire, forming the boundary
between the departments of Calvados
and La Manche, is crossed about one-
third of the distance.

11 Carentan (Inn; H. de la Place,

good), a town of 3193 Inliab., in a low
marshy situation, surrounded by forti¬
fications no longer kept up, possessing
an old Castle, which belonged to the
Kings of France, and was besieged by
Edward III., 1346, and a handsome
Church, surmounted by a spire ; it is
Norman, with pointed additions, the
E. end in the style of the 14th cent.
There is some painted glass, but de¬
fective.

At Carentan we enter the peninsula
of the Cotentin, so called from the
“ cotes”—coasts, which border it on
3 sides. It is a fertile and pleasing
district, celebrated for its pastures, on
which large herds are fed, everywhere
enclosed within hedges, and abounding
in old ruined castles and ancient
churches. It is particularly interest¬
ing to Englishmen, as the cradle of
some of the oldest and most noble
English families. At every step the
traveller will encounter obscure vil¬
lages and hamlets, whose names are
familiar to him as household words, as
patronymics of great houses distin¬
guished in French and English annals,
most of whose founders left their
country in the train of William the
Norman. Such are Beaumont, Gre-
ville, Carteret, Bruce, Neville, Bohon,
Perci, Pierpont ; but these are only a
few examples among many.

13 Sainte Mere l’Eglise has a similar
church to that of Carentan.

The ruins of the Abbey of Monte-
burg have been swept away to the
foundation since 1817, having been
sold in lots, and pulled down for the
materials.

At Quineville, 6 m. N.E. of this, on
the coast, is an ancient monument of
masonry, 27 ft. high, and 30 in cir¬
cumference at the base, which is
square, and surmounted by a hollow
cylinder garnished round with 2 rows
of pillars. It is called la Grande Che-
mine'e ; and though some writers have
made it a Roman monument, it may
be more safely pronounced a structure
of the end of the 12tli cent., and no¬
thing more nor less than a chimney.

From the heights of Quineville King
James II. beheld the sea-fight of La
Ilougue, which destroyed all his hopes

Normandy. -Route 26 .— Valognes—La Hougue.

of regaining liis throne. It is said
that, in the heat of the battle, on see¬
ing the French ships boarded and
carried in succession, his English feel¬
ings so far prevailed, that he exult-
ingly exclaimed to the French officers
about him, “ Look at my brave Eng¬
lish sailors.” (See p. 82.)

Through a pleasing country, to which
the hedges and woodlands give a per¬
fectly English character, not unlike
parts of Sussex, to

17 Valognes (Inns: H. du Louvre,
kept by M. Guette, one of the best
cooks in France; “ the andouillettes
and liomards a la broclie renowned”
— R. F.; Grand Turc, tolerable), a
pleasant town of 6940 Inhab., contain¬
ing some large and handsome man¬
sions, the residence of numerous gen¬
teel families. The castle of William
the Conqueror is demolished; it was
here that he was warned by his fool,
in the middle of the night, of the con¬
spiracy of the Seigneurs of the Bessin
and Cotentin to surprise and assassin¬
ate him. He instantly mounted his
horse, and escaped with difficulty to
Falaise.

M. de Gerville, a distinguished anti¬
quary and geologist, resides here.

Although Valognes possesses nothing
in itself to detain the traveller, in its
vicinity are several objects of high in¬
terest. St. Sauveur le Vicomte (10 m.
S.) has a picturesque ruined castle
and abbey (Rte. 27). At Bricquebec
(9 m. S.4V.) is a convent of Trappists.
The geology of the Cotentin is very
interesting; its tertiary beds, in which
more than 300 species of fossil shells,
identical with those of the Paris Basin,
have been found, and its Baculite lime¬
stone, may be well studied in the quar¬
ries near Valognes.

At Alleaume, the Roman Alauna, a
village contiguous to Valognes, are
very scanty remains of a bath. A
Roman theatre, described by Mont-
faucon, has been totally demolished.

An excursion may be made hence to
La Hougue and Barfleur by Tamarville
(2J m.), where the Norman Church has
an elegant octagonal tower (a rare
form) composed of 3 stories of narrow
round-headed arcades and windows.

St. Vaast la Hougue, 10 m. from Va¬
lognes, is a seaport town of 3500
Inhab., situated in a fine bay, with
the fortified island and lazaret of
Tatihou in front, provided with a
pier 984 ft. long. Previous to the rise
of Cherbourg it was the chief port of
the Cotentin. Vauban proposed to
make it what Cherbourg is, the chief
arsenal of France in the Channel, but
the project was stopped, owing to the
difficulty of quitting its port with a
N. wind. The English frequently
effected hostile landings here, to lay
desolate the fair fields of France,
King Stephen, in 1137, landed here,
and the army which conquered at
Crecy under Edward III. in 1346.
Other armaments disembarked here in
the reigns of Henry IV. and V. ; and
in 1574 a force of 5000 French and
English Protestants, despatched by
Queen Elizabeth under the Comte de
Montgomery, to aid the cause of the
Huguenots, made a descent upon Nor¬
mandy at this point. La Hougue is
chiefly known in English history,
however, on account of the sea-fight of
Cap la Hougue in 1692, when the united
English and Dutch fleets, under Ad¬
mirals Russel and Rooke, annihilated
the expedition prepared by Louis XIV.
for a descent upon England, with the
design of restoring James II. to the
throne. The action commenced at
some distance from the coast between
Cape Barfleur and the Isle of Wight,
The French admiral, Tourville, a man
of great bravery, having orders from
his master to engage at all odds, ven¬
tured to measure his strength with a
fleet of 80 vessels, the largest which
had entered the Channel since the
Armada, while his own force did not
exceed 44. It is supposed that he
was ignorant of the junction of the
Dutch, and that he counted on the
desertion of Admiral Russel, who, it
is well known, was in secret corre¬
spondence with James. However,
nothing of this sort occurred ; and,
after a running fight, the French, in
3 divisions, retired to their own coast,
pursued by the English. 3 of the
largest ships, including the admiral’s,
le Soleil Royal, sought refuge in Cher-

E 3

Sect. I.

JRonte 26.-

bourg, where they were blown up by
the English admiral Delaval. Tour-
ville, hoisting his flag on board an¬
other vessel, conducted 12 into the
bay of La Hougue, where he had time,
before the arrival of Russel the day
after, to prepare means for a stout de¬
fence, running them aground on the
shallows with their broadside to the
enemy. The French army, united
with a body of Irish and English re¬
fugees, was drawn up on the heights
above ; while the artillery was em¬
barked on floating batteries, a fleur
d’eau, to assist in repelling any attack
on the ships. James II., attended by
Marshals Berwick and Bellefonde, who
commanded his forces, was a spectator
of the action which ensued. The only
really brilliant part of the battle was
the attack and capture of this arma¬
ment by the boats of the English
squadron, under Sir George Rooke ;
these, and a few light frigates, only
being able to approach near enough to
take a part in the action on account of
the shallows. In the teeth of a tre¬
mendous fire of musketry and artillery
from shore and ships, the English
sailors pulled up to the stranded ves¬
sels, boarded them all, one after the
other, with loud huzzas, and pointed
their guns against the French on the
shore. All the 12 ships of war were
burnt, together with a number of
transports, 300 of which had been col¬
lected in this and the neighbouring
ports to convey the army across to
England.

A magnificent view of the coast may
be obtained from the churchyard of la
Pernelle.

About 7 m. N. of St. Yaast is Bar-
fleur, an ancient and now nearly de¬
serted town, built of granite.

Down to the end of the 12th centy.
it was the most frequented port by
which the communication between Nor¬
mandy and England was maintained,
in spite of the dangerous rocks around.
Upon them perished the “ Blanche
Nef,”—the ship which conveyed Wil¬
liam the only son of Henry I., with
140 young noblemen—through the fault
of the intoxicated pilot and crew. The
prince himself might have escaped had

-Barfleur.

not an affectionate desire to save his
natural sister, the Countess of Mor-
tagne, caused him to turn back towards
the foundering'vessel. The boat which
was bearing him to the shore was in¬
stantly filled by a crowd of despairing
wretches, and all sank to the bottom
together.

On the extreme point of the Cap de
Gatteville, the W. horn of the great
bay into which the Seine discharges
itself, the E. headland being near
Fecamp, about 1 m. N. of Barfleur, a
magnificent Lighthouse was completed
in 1835. It is 271 ft. high above the
sea, and is constructed entirely of
granite. The light is seen at a dis¬
tance of 27 m. out at sea. There is a
fine view from the top. Barfleur is 15
m. E. of Cherbourg: a good road leads
thither. Near to it, about 2 m. E. of
St. Pierre l’Eglise, lies the Chateau de
Tocqueville, seat of the family “of that
ilk,” now belonging to the eminent
writer on America, M. Alexis de T.;
and on the other side of the village,
the Chateau St. Pierre, a building of
the 18th cent., seat of the Countess de
Blangy.

At the distance of about 7 m. from
Yalognes the direct post-road from
Valognes to Cherbourg passes, 2^ m.
on the 1., the small town of Brix, a
memorable name, since it is the same
as Bruis or Bruce in its primitive
spelling. The noble family of that
name was allied to the Dukes of Nor¬
mandy, and from it sprang Robert
Bruce the King of Scotland. The
castle of the Seigneur de Brix, built
in the 12th centy., is now reduced to
a few ruined vaults and foundation
walls. It was called Chateau d’Adam.

About 2 m. S.E. of Cherbourg, not
far oft’ the road, is the castle of Tourla-
ville, the magnificent seat of the family
of Ravalez, now a farmhouse, belong-
to the de Tocquevilles. Its position is
beautiful and its architecture of high
interest; part of it dates from the 15th
centy., part was added in the reign of
Henry II., and the Tour des 4 Yents
(fine view from its top) has the charac¬
ter of Heidelberg Castle. “ The bleed¬
ing heart, and motto of the Ravalez
family, ‘Un seul me suffit,’ are every-

Normandy.

Route 26.—

where visible among the faded frescoes
and gilding of its walls and ceilings ”
— II. R. There is nothing more to notice
on the road, until from the top of the
last hill a fine view of the sea is pre¬
sented through the gap of the valley,
with Cherbourg at its mouth. A wind¬
ing descent through a picturesque gully,
displaying here and there bare cliffs,
terminates in a long avenue of trees,
which forms the approach to Cher¬
bourg. On the 1. rises the eminence
La Fauconniere, crowned by the tele¬
graph; on the rt. the cliff of Roule
exposes a precipitous escarpment, 350
ft. above the sea.

20 Cherbourg. — Inns: H. de l’Eu-
rope, on the Quai Ouest du Bassin; H.
de Londres, good restaurant— R. F .;
H. de Commerce.

Cherbourg, one of the principal naval
ports and dockyards of France, is situ¬
ated at the 1ST. extremity of the penin¬
sula of the Cotentin in the Dept, de
la Manche, in the centre of a bay, the
extremities of which are formed by
Cap Levy on the E. and Pointe
Omanville on the W. Its docks have
been gained out of the rock, and its
harbour won from the winds; for no
pains nor cost have been spared to
secure for France on this point, so
advantageously projecting into the
Channel, a naval arsenal and port,
whence she may be ready to watch or
annoy her rival on the opposite coast.
The town lies in the hollow of the
valley of the Divette, which opens out
to the sea under the lofty falaise of the
quartz hill of Roule, crowned by a
fort. Apart from its consideration as
a naval station Cherbourg is insignifi¬
cant; with dirty streets, reminding
one of Portsmouth Point. Its com¬
mercial relations are very limited; but
its extensive naval works employ about
10,000 out of its 25,000 Inhab., and
upon them depends its prosperity.
Among its few articles of export are
eggs to the value of one million francs
yearly sent to England. Cherbourg
has a Bassin de Commerce, a commercial
harbour, formed at the mouth of the
Divette, never very full of shipping,
but often visited by vessels of the Eng¬
lish Yacht Club, who come over to loj’

- Cherbourg .

in provisions and champagne. It is
lined with quays, and the entrance to
it is protected by stone piers, with a
lighthouse at its extremity. The com¬
mercial port is quite distinct from

The Dockyard (Grand Port), situated
on the N.W. of the town. English
travellers desirous of seeing the dock¬
yard must provide themselves with
a note of recommendation from the
British Vice-Consul, 1 from M. Le Mag-
nen, or any resident householder, to
the Major de la Marine, at the Vieux
Port, on the E. of the commercial
harbour, in order to procure a ticket < f
admission. He will appoint a gendarme
to accompany them, to whom a couple
of francs may be given for his trouble.
The Grand Port occupies a nearly tri¬
angular space of ground', one side rest¬
ing on the sea, and is surrounded by
fortifications, which have recently been
replaced by more lofty ramparts, taking
in a larger extent of ground, sur¬
rounded by fosses cut in the rock,
faced with granite masonry, and
adding greatly to the strength of the
place.

The Port Militaire, and Arsenal de la
Marine, designed, as well as the Digue,
by Marshal Vauban, whose plan,
drawn by his own hand and signed, is
preserved in the H. de Ville, were only
partly begun by Louis XVI. They
have been more than 50 years in pro¬
gress; and the new works commenced
since 1831 will take as many more,
probably, to complete. The docks,
floating basins (bassins k Hot), &c., have
been created by excavation by the aid of
gunpowder out of the solid slate rock,
which forms the foundation of the
entire yard. From the stairs on the
W. quai of the avant port, Charles X.
and his family embarked in 1830,
The 4 slips (Cales de Construction)
are of very solid masonry; the lofty
roofs rest on arches supported by piers
of granite and slate; the arches are
partly closed by wooden blinds. Ad¬
joining them is a dry dock (Forme de
Radoub)j and beyond them are the
Ateliers des Forges (smithy), des Ma¬
chines (workshops filled with ma¬
chinery for planing, turning, scoop-
aag, and cutting rods, beams, screws.

lloute 26.— Cherbourg—La Digue.

Sect. I.

See., of iron); the Atelier de la Fon-
derie, roofed with zinc, furnished with
2 large and 6 smaller furnaces, and
with iron cranes, &c. On the W. of
the docks the Magasins Gdne'raux, the
Parc et Caserne d’Artilleric, and the
Caserne de Marine, magnificent build¬
ings, are nearly completed.

The Timber Shed (Hangar au Bois)
is 958 ft. long, and supported on 130
stone pillars. The yard is supplied
with water from the Divette by a long
and expensive conduit.

Convicts are not employed at Cher¬
bourg.

La Digue. The roads of Cherbourg,
though protected on three sides by the
land, are naturally open and exposed
to the N. wind. To remedy this de¬
fect, the project of throwing a Break¬
water across the bay’s mouth, in the
deep sea, has been favoured by every
French government since that of Louis
XVI. The old Bourbons, the Republic,
the Empire, the Restoration, and Louis
Philippe, have all desired to advance
a scheme which should contribute to
secure for France a safe and strong
harbour on this part of her coast,
exactly opposite Portsmouth, which
would be an eye to watch and an arm
to strike the English on the opposite
side of the Channel. Hitherto the
French have possessed no port for ships
of war from Dunkirk (and that is fit
only for frigates) to Brest. How that
the works have been carried on nearly
50 years, and more than 28,000,000 of
francs, together with about 4,000,000
cubic metres of stone, sunk in the
operation, the Digue at length ap¬
proaches to completion, since |ths of
it are now terminated, and its perma¬
nent duration seems probable, since
for several years past no perceptible
alteration has been produced by the
action of the w T aves in the structure or
profile of the base. For a long time
the undertaking could be regarded only
as a series of experiments and failures.
The plan first adopted under Louis
XVI. (1784) was that of forming trun¬
cated cones of timber, or huge broad-
bottomed tubs, floating them on empty
casks to the proper place, sinking them,
and filling them with stones, and heap¬

ing up others round about them. But
a very brief exposure to a few storms
overset some of the caissons, shattered
the framework of others to pieces, and
spread the stone and wood over the
anchorage, so as to injure it. After a
considerable interruption from the Re¬
volution, another scheme was resorted
to of forming a bank of small stones,
and covering these with large solid
blocks: this was continued down to
the time of Napoleon, who, as was his
custom, looked at the project in a
military point of view, and at once
directed the formation of a fort in the
centre of the Digue. All exertions
were thenceforth concentrated on this
object; a mole was formed, a battery
raised on it mounting 20 guns, a
garrison of 90 men was established
on it, and lodged in barracks erected
for the purpose. In 1808, however, a
storm of extraordinary violence burst
upon the roads; the waves, carried
to an unusual height, soon submerged
all the buildings raised upon the Digue,
and, by the impetuosity of their shocks,
swept them all off, save the cabin of
the commandant of the prison, arid,
forming a wide breach in the masonry,
poured over and through it with tre¬
mendous violence. There were at the
time upon the dyke 263 soldiers and
workmen, of whom 194 were drowned,
69 were saved by finding shelter in
hollows among the stones, and 38 got
off in a boat which they managed to
reach during a short lull, with great
difficulty, since the vessels in the
roads within the Digue were all driven
from their moorings. By this fatal
disaster the operations of 16 years in
sinking large blocks were nearly annihi¬
lated, and the whole mass of stone re¬
duced to the condition of a rubble bed,
rendering it doubtful whether the plan
of even protecting the roads at all was
practicable. Nevertheless, Napoleon
did not abandon it, nor did his suc¬
cessors lose sight of it. A survey made
by order of the government in 1828
showed, however, that the foundations
had shifted in the course of 40 years
from the position in which they had
been first placed to a considerable dis-
-tanc$. Under the vigorous superin-

Normandy. Route 26. — Cherbourg—La Digue.

tendence of Louis Philippe a new mode
of proceeding was adopted in 1832.
As the result of the schemes previously-
pursued had shown that the mere weight
and volume of the stones thrown into
the sea was insufficient to secure their
fixity, a layer of beton, a species of
concrete, composed of 1 part of small
stones and pounded brick and 2 of
lime, is now deposited on the loose
stone heap, sloping on either side, and
upon it a vertical wall of well-jointed
and solid masonry, faced with granite,
is raised. Even this, however, was
destined to be the sport of the waves
during a storm which occurred in
1836, the most terrible since that of
1808: the coat of concrete was broken
and turned over in places; blocks of
stone, weighing 3 tons, were raised 22
ft. high in the air, and carried over the
wall to the inside of the Digue. At
the end of 3 days 300 of them had
found their way across, hurled with
appalling violence, and a noise like
thunder, against the granite masonry,
and acting upon it like battering rams,
so that serious breaches and wide gaps
were formed in the body of the break¬
water. This is more or less the effect
of every serious tempest.

More than 500 workmen are con¬
stantly employed upon the Digue,
being lodged in barracks on the break¬
water, and protected during their opera¬
tions by a movable shed. The colossal
structure now raises its head above
the surface of the sea. At the present
rate of progress it may be finished in
3 or 4 years.

The Digue de Cherbourg extends be¬
tween the He Pelee and the Pointe de
Querqueville, in length 4111 yards, or
more than 2 m., leaving openings for
the entrance and exit of vessels on the
E. of 1257 yards and at the W. of
about 1^ m. The width at the base is
310 ft. The depth of the sea about
the Digue varies, from 36 to 45 ft. at
low water. There are to be at each
end lighthouses and forts, crossing their
fire with those on shore, and guns
will be mounted at intervals all along
the Digue. The stone employed is
partly from the quarries at the base of
the Montagne de Houle, conveyed to

the harbour along a tramway 7 ; the
slate comes from the excavations made
in forming the docks, and the granite
from Fermanville and Flamanville.

Persons desirous of seeing the Digue
have only to hire a boat in the harbour
and row off to it, the distance being
about 2 m.

The following statement of compara¬
tive measurements in yards will show
how much more serious an under¬
taking the Cherbourg Digue is than
the Plymiouth Breakwater:—

Length. Breadth. Height.

Digue, 4111 103-310 22) M -

Break-) 17 C 0 / 1^0 base, \ '"H

water, j 1J ( 16 at top, 14J >>

The lapse of years however will alone
decide whether the Digue will be com¬
pleted successfully.

The following d escription was written
by Commodore Sir Charles Napier, who
visited Cherbourg during the Naval
Review, Oct. 1850:—“We have seen,
almost within sight of our own shores,
a splendid Breakwater of nearly 3 m.
long rise from the bottom of the sea,
60 ft. deep, under which can lie at
moorings 50 sail of the line with per’
feet safety, almost frowning on Eng¬
land. That breakwater, ere long, will
be defended by 3 tremendous fortifica¬
tions, independent of movable guns
without number, to protect either
entrance that may be attacked. On
the Isle of Peffie opposite the break¬
water, on the E. entrance, is Fort
Royal (or National), mounting 90
guns casemated, and guns pointing out
of ports like a ship. Opposite this,
on the main land, is Fort des Fla-
mands, mounting many heavy guns;
in its rear is the redoubt of Tourla->
ville.

‘ ‘ Opposite the breakwater, to the
W., are the Forts of Querqueville, St.
Anne, and Hornet, and one intended to
be built on a rock between the W.
end ofthe breakwater and Querqueville.
These forts will mount upwards of
150 guns. There are also strong bat¬
teries to the left of the basin, bearing
on the roads. Within the breakwater,
excavated out of rock and faced with

Route 26.— Cherbourg—Notre Dame de Vau. Sect. I.

stone, is the avant port, capable of con¬
taining 10 sail of the line alongside the
quay, 30 ft. deep at low-water spring-
tides. In this port is a dock and 4
slips; in a line with this, and com¬
municating with it, is an inner basin,
in which 10 sail of the line can also lie
alongside the quay. On two sides of
this basin are magazines; and here
also lies the sheer hulk. In the rear
of Fort Hornet there is another small
basin, and 2 building slips. This
serves as a ditch to the fort, which is
cut off from the mainland and island
by a drawbridge; from the lower tier
of guns another bridge conducts you
over a ditch to a large barrack-yard,
casemated; and two small stairs lead
up to a second tier of guns.

“ In the rear of the avant port and
the inner basin inland, there is another
basin in construction, which commu¬
nicates with both. This basin when
finished can accommodate 20 sail of
the line alongside the quay. Here are
4 docks and 5 slips. To the 1. of the
great avant port there is another avant
port, which leads to the steam basin,
where there are 3 slips. The store¬
houses are large, well arranged, and
close to the basins. There is also a
port of refuge, leading to another steam
basin, where, as in the other basins,
the steamers can coal alongside the
wharf.

“ The splendid dockyard is sur¬
rounded by a high wall, and the wall
is again surrounded by regular fortifi¬
cations, with a wet ditch: and to pro¬
tect the works, the heights in the rear,
and, indeed, all round fromTourlaville,
there is a double chain of strong re¬
doubts. Independent of all these there
is a commercial basin, with gates, in
which merchant vessels lie afloat. Two
piers project a considerable distance
beyond the gates. Both the town and
basin are outside the fortification.”

These works would render Cher¬
bourg, if not impregnable, from the
sea, at least very difficult to attack.
On the land side it has hitherto been
almost open, but the fortifications now
in progress are intended to strengthen
it there. The expenditure of money
on the works here, including the Digue,

considerably exceeds 400 millions of
francs.

In 1758 the English, under General
Bligh, effected a descent on the coast,
to the number of 7000, in the face of
16,000 French troops, who offered no
effective opposition. The English forces
kept possession of Cherbourg for three
days, in which time they destroyed all
the naval and military works, docks,
arsenals, &c. , blowing them up with the
powder which the French had left be-
liind, burning the lock gates of the
harbour and all the vessels of war
and commerce. They levied a contri¬
bution of 44,000 livres on the town,
but no injuries nor pillage of the in¬
habitants or their dwellings were per¬
mitted. To this the French themselves
bear honourable testimony, acknow¬
ledging that the protection of the
British officers prevented any outrage.
All the cannon were carried off, but
the bells of the ch. were conceded to
the entreaties of the cure, and allowed
to remain.

Cherbourg has no antiquities to
show, except the Vieille Tour, which
formed part of the ancient fortifica¬
tions, washed by the sea, and the
Ch., not far from it ; both built about
1450, and neither possessing any in¬
terest.

The Chapelle de Notre Dame du Vara,
outside the town near the dockyard,
owes its existence and its name to a
vow made by the Empress Maude
when caught in a fierce tempest, which
threatened to overwhelm the vessel in
which she was attempting to gain the
port of Cherbourg, on her flight from
the usurper Stephen, by whom she had
been driven out of England. While
still at her prayers, and in the agony
of anticipated death, among the waves,
“Chante, Reine,” exclaimed a sailor;
“behold the land; your prayers are
heard:” and from this circumstance,
it is said, the spot where the queen
landed, and near to which she built
the chapel, now enclosed within the
dockyard, was called Clianiereine ,—a
name which it still retains. T\xq pre¬
sent Chapel of the Yow is however
modern, and stands on a different spot.
Mathilda is not the only refugee sove-

Noumandy. Route 27.— Cherbourg to St. Mcdo.

reign whom Cherbourg has seen within
its walls at various periods ; besides
Charles X., who here took a last fare¬
well of his country, after abdicating
the throne at Rambouillet 1830, Don
Pedro, ex-Emperor of Brazil, arrived
here, 1831, when driven from his states,
and James II. repaired hither after the
battle of La Hougue.

The Hotel de Ville contains a Collec¬
tion of 164 Pictures, formed and be¬
queathed to the town by a native,
Thomas Henry, himself an artist.
“ The best are (33) David, by Herrera
el Viejo ; (34), Christ bearing the Cross,
by Alonso Cano (called Murillo);—the
majority are of the French school.”—
E. F. In the courtyard is a very
curious chimney-piece, of the age of
Louis XI., rescued from a demolished
convent.

Consuls reside here from Great Britain
and the maritime states of Europe and
America.

There is a Bathing Establishment on
the sands, to the E. of the old Arsenal
and Jetee, but it is not well appointed.

“ M. le Magnen et Fils, agents to
the Royal Yacht Club of England,
are very obliging, and their wines,
especially their clarets, are excellent.”
— R. F.

The Paste aux Lettres is on the Quai
du Port.

Malleposte daily to the Paris and
Rouen Rly.

Diligences daily to Caen; to St. Lo,
Coutances, and St. Malo. Inferior
coaches daily to Valognes; to Barfleur;
to St. Vaast; to Bricquebec.

Steamers to Havre twice a week; to
Weymouth once or twice in the sum¬
mer.

Excursions may be made to the Phare
de Gatteville; Barfleur, and La Hougue;
to the interesting CMteaux of Martin-
vaast (p. 87), belonging to the Comte
Dumoncel; of Flamanville, a splendid
mansion; of Tourlaville; of Blangy

(p. 82).

Querqueville, 5 m. W. of Cherbourg,
is a hamlet, whose name is variously
derived from the oak, quercus, which
once surrounded it, or, with more pro¬
bability, from its small Church (kerk)
of St. Germain standing by the side of

the parish ch. This is one of the
oldest monuments of Christianity in
Normandy. It is in the form of a
cross; its chancel and transepts, lighted
by loophole windows, all end in apses,
and all this part is of herring-bone
masonry: the nave and tower were
added at a subsequent period. The
ornaments of the towers, stripes of
stone projecting from the wall, sur¬
mounted by the round arcb, resemble
those of Barton on the Humber, Bar-
nack, and others in England.

The fort of Querqueville is one of
the defences of the roads of Cherbourg,
and its lighthouse points out the en¬
trance to them.

13 m. farther to the W., beyond
Beaumont, the Cap la Hague (often
confounded on the maps with La
Hougue) stretches out towards Al¬
derney (called by the French Aurigny),
from which island it is only 9 m. dis¬
tant. Both the cape and the island
as well as the Cape Flaminville are of
granite, the fundamental rock of the
Cotentin, supporting the grauwacke
and clay slates, which for the most
part appear on the surface of that dis¬
trict. Opposite Cap la Hague, on a
rock called le Gros du Raz, about a
mile out at sea, stands a lighthouse.

The Trappist Convent at Bricquebec,
and the Castle and Abbey of St. Sau-
veur le Vicomte, are described in
Rte. 27.

ROUTE 27.

CHERBOURG TO ST. MALO, BY ST.

SAUVEUR, COUTANCES, GRANVILLE,

AVRANCHES, MONT ST. MICHEL, AND

DOL.

205 kilom=127 Eng. m.

Diligences daily from Cherbourg by
Carentan and Coutances to St. Malo.

Persons travelling in their own car¬
riage may vary the road back to

20 Valognes, the first post-station
(p. 81), by going round by Octeville
(l m.), where is a Norman church with
an octagonal tower and curious carv¬
ings (a Last Supper, &c., in bas-relief)
older than the reign of Henry II.; and
Martinvaast (2^ m.), where is a still

Route 27.— Cherbourg to St. Mcilo — St. Sauveur. Sect. I.

older ch. in the same style, and un¬
altered, with slender half-pillars, sup¬
porting Ionic capitals outside its semi¬
circular E. end, and a cornice of gro¬
tesque heads under its eaves: its lofty
stone vaulted roof is supported on
horse-shoe arches. It stands in a se¬
questered spot, with a fine old yew
beside it. There is a fine Castle, still
inhabited, hard by. Bricquebec (8 m.
from Yalognes), a village, including
an ancient Castle, whose lofty donjon
keep, 100 ft. high, in shape a decagon
seated on a high mound, remains
tolerably perfect (date 14th cent.), as
well as the walls of the outer enclosure.
Other portions are as late as the 16th,
and some as early as the llth cent.
It belonged in turn to the families of
Bertram, Paisnel (Pagan el), and Estoute-
ville. It was taken from the last by
Henry V. after the battle of Agincourt,
and bestowed on his favourite William
de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who parted
with it to ransom himself from the
hands of the French.

In the adjoining forest, on the hill
des Grosses Eoches, are three Druidical
monuments of the kind called “ Gale-
ries Couvertes.” A little more than a
m. N. E. of Bricquebec is the Trappist
Convent, founded 1823 by M. Onfray,
on a spot of ground just cleared from
the forest. Its inmates, 32 in number,
of whom 12 are priests, are bound by
strict vows to silence, communicating
by established signs on indispensable
matters, living on coarse dry bread,
a few vegetables, a salad with a spoon¬
ful of oil, a little milk, and a bit of
cheese, and one plateful of a meagre
potage, which on fast-days is reduced
to 6 oz. of bread in the morning and
2 or 3 at night, with a fixed allowance
of herbs and roots. They are pro¬
hibited from wearing linen even when
ill, and sleep with their clothes on,
upon a straw mattress piquee, 2 inches
thick. They are allowed one sort of
meat when sick, but fish is forbidden.
They rise daily at 2 A. M., and on fete-
days at 12 or 1, and spend their time
in prayer, reading, and work.

There is a cross road from Bricque¬
bec to St. Sauveur. On quitting Va-
lognes our route separates from Rte. 26,

and turning to the 1. passes by Columby
(a church with pointed lancet win¬
dows) to

15 St. Sauveur le Yicomte, where
there is a picturesque and imposing
Castle of the Tessons and Harcourts,
but given by Edward III. after the
treaty of Bretigny to John Chandos,
one of the most famous captains of the
wars of Edward III. and the Black
Prince. He built the square and lofty
keep tower, one of the gateways, and
other portions. In the 17th century
it became a hospital, and continued
such down to the Revolution. Al¬
though falling to ruin at present, it is
the best preserved feudal fortress on
the Cotentin.

Here are also ruins of an Abbey,
which in 1831 were being pulled down
for the sake of the materials. The
church was beautiful, the groundwork
Norman (1067-1160), with additions,
in the pointed style, of the 13th cen ¬
tury.

Between St. Sauveur and Bdriers
the post-road passes near the Abbey of
Blanchelande, founded by Richard de
la Haye, a favourite of Henry II. (Ill 5—
85) who had been captured by cor¬
sairs, and passed many years in slavery.
It is beautifully situated, and consists
of the abbot’s house, still perfect and
inhabited by a farmer, and part of the
Church, in which late insertions have
been added to an original Norman
structure.

10 La Haye du Puits. The castle,
dating from the llth cent., the only
thing of interest in this obscure little
town, has been pulled down within
the last 15 years to mend the roads!
The last remains, a fine old machi-
colated tower, have probably by this
time disappeared.

At Lessay is another abbey and
church, in the Norman style, begun
in the llth cent., but not consecrated
till 1178. “ It is of one character,

plain, but grand throughout; and pos¬
sesses a noble central tower. The W.
portal is more ornamented than the
other parts, and exhibits the dog-tooth
moulding, which does not appear in
England till nearly the end of the 12th
century.”— Knight.

Normandy. Route 27.— Coutances — Cathedral.

18 Periers.

16 Coutances. (Inns: H. de France
dear, 1846— G. ; H. d’Angleterre ;
tolerable.) Coutances, at present a
somewhat lifeless town of 8957 Inhab.,
is built upon a nearly conical hill, the
summit of which is occupied by the
Cathedral, proudly predominating over
other buildings, with its 3 towers.
The high road, carried in a broad wind¬
ing terrace along the flank of the hill,
round the outskirts of the town, forms
an agreeable walk, while on the oppo¬
site or E. side are more formal and
gloomy promenades closely planted
with avenues of trees.

The Cathedral is one of the finest
churches of Normandy, in the early
pointed style, free from exuberant
ornament, but captivating the eye by
the elegance of proportion and arrange¬
ment. “ The whole is of a piece, com¬
plete in conception and execution.
The lofty towers terminating in spires,
both finished and alike, flank its W.
front.” “Its interior is very lofty,
more than 100 ft. from thejloor to the
keystone of the vault. Cluster piers
divide the nave from the aisles: cou¬
pled pillars surround the choir (which
ends in an hexagon.) Most of the
windows are of later date than the
body of the building.”— Knight. The
peculiarities of this cathedral are, the
side porches close behind the towers;
the open screens of mullioned tracery,
corresponding with the windows, which
divide the side chapels; and the exces¬
sive height of the choir, which has no
triforium, only a balustrade just before
the clerestory windows. The central
tower is wonderfully fine in the exte¬
rior; it is apparently an expansion of
the plain Norman lantern as at Caen.
Some of the painted glass is in the
oldest style; diapered patterns in a
black outline, on a grey ground.”—
Palgrave.

A magnificent cathedral was built
at Coutances in the 1 ltli century with
contributions partly furnished by Tan-
cred de Hauteville and his 6 sons,
the conquerors of Sicily and Apulia,
who were natives of the diocese of
Coutances; “it was consecrated 1056
in the presence of William Duke of

Normandy, 9 years before he con¬
quered England.”

Some of the antiquaries of Normandy
have maintained that the existing edi¬
fice is the one completed at that time,
and have claimed in consequence for
their country the invention of the
pointed style in the 11th centy.; but
as no buildings either in W. France or
in England were constructed in that
style until 130 years after, and as, on
the contrary, all the buildings erected
during that period are in the round
style—for instance, the church of
Lessay, only 9 m. off, consecrated
1178—there is no reason to concede
their claim. The evidence upon which
they found it is, that the Livre Noir
(a mere account of the advowsons of
the diocese, compiled 1250) makes
no mention of the rebuilding of the
church after the 11th centy. There
exists, however, proof, from inscrip¬
tions on the walls of the side chapels,
that several of them were dedicated,
and therefore probably built, in the
latter half of the 13th centy. (1274),
and it is also known that the church
was nearly ruined in 1356 by the army
of Geoffrey d’Harcourt, so that it must
have needed serious repairs, though
the record of them is lost, executed
probably about the end of the 14th
centy. ( See Knight’s Normandy.)

From the top of the fine lantern
tower a view may be obtained of the
sea, with the distant island of Jersey
on the W., and of the rock of Gran¬
ville.

The Ch. of St. Pierre is in the florid
Gothic sytle of the 15th centy.

The steep and narrow valley which
bounds the town on the W. and is
traversed by the terraced road leading
to Granville, before mentioned, is
crossed by the remains of an ancient
Aqueduct, consisting of 5 perfect arches,
and 15 piers supported by buttresses,
called Les Piliers, which is also the
name given to the village or suburb
in which it is situated, ^ m. out of
Coutances. In most guide-books and
descriptions of the town it is called a
Roman aqueduct, but its pointed arches,
its buttresses with offsets, and coarse
irregular masonry, prove clearly that

Route 27.— Hambye — Granville,

Sect. I.

it is not so, but a work of the middle
ages, probably monkish. It is Sup¬
posed to have been erected in the 13th
centy. by one of the noble family
De Paisnel (Paganel).

Coaches to St. Lo (Rte. 32) daily.

Those who love old Gothic ruins,
either for their picturesqueness or
architecture, will be repaid by an
excursion hence to the Abbey of Hambye,
about 13 m. to the S.E. It may be
taken on the way to Granville, making
a ddtour of 6 or 7 m. A good road
leads through a pleasing but hilly
country by Mesnil l’Aubert and St.
Denis le Guest, leaving Hambye l’ Eg Use
j m. to the rt., to Bourg d’Hambye, a
scattered village, with a small but
clean cabaret furnishing only homely
fare,—coffee, milk, cheese, and cider.
The old Castle of Hambye, whose keep,
100 ft. high, stood on an eminence
over the Bourg, is swept away to mend
the roads. Happily a better spirit is
now abroad in France, and the govern¬
ment at present holds out an example
to England of zeal for the preservation
of the many noble or curious edifices
dispersed over the country.

It is a pleasant walk of 1^ m. from
the Bourg to the Abbey, but the road
thither, through narrow lanes, is prac¬
ticable only for light cars.

The little Abbey of Hambye nestles
in a retired valley, sheltered under
picturesque cliffs by the side of a
trout-stream (the Sienne), the beau
ideal of a monastic site. The roof
and W. end are gone, the ivy begins
to creep up the mouldering walls, and
destruction is advancing apace, yet
there is much beauty in the narrow
arches which enclosed the choir, rest¬
ing on columnar piers, in the style of
the 15th centy. Behind them are side
chapels much older, having round and
pointed arches in combination, which
marks the period of transition. The
tower in the centre of the cross rests
on square piers which become octa¬
gonal below by chamfering. The con¬
vent buildings are now occupied by a
farmer. The Chapterhouse, a double
pointed vault elegantly groined, rest¬
ing on angular pillars and entered by
a fine doorway deep sunk in its early

English mouldings, is now turned into
a woodhouse: it should be seen. This
abbey was founded by William de
Pagnel 1145, but renovated, or pro¬
bably rebuilt, in the 15th century, by
Joanne de Pagnel, the last of her
family, who was buried in the church
with her husband Louis d’Estouteville,
the defender of Mont St. Michel against
the English (p. 93). Their tombs were
destroyed at the Revolution.

About 5 m. from Hambye is Perci,
cradle of the Earls of Northumberland.
The high road to Granville may be
regained at Brehal.

The direct road from Coutances to
Granville has no interest.

19 Brehal. Trees diminish in size
and number on approaching the sea,
glimpses of which and the island of
Chaussey are seen at intervals. The
entrance to Gran wile is by a steep
descent, excavated partly through a
deep hollow way; on the rt. a natural
wall of rock separates the road from
the sea-shore, and through a gap cut
in it access is afforded to the baths
and sea-beach. In front rises a high
hill, its slope cut away evenly and
levelled, until it is as steep and smooth
as the roof of a house, in order to
form a glacis for the fort on its top.
A bend in the road presently discloses
to view the lower town and harbour.

10 Granville. — Inns : Trois Cou-
ronnes; H. du Nord, abominably dirty.
Neither good. This is a small but
tolerably prosperous seaport (7600
Inhab.), chiefly resorted to by fishing
vessels, but driving some commerce
along the coast and with Jersey (33 m.
distant) and Guernsey.

Its situation is singular, built in
steps or terraces under a rocky pro¬
montory projecting into the sea, sur¬
mounted by the fort, whose presence
restricts many of the buildings from
rising above one story in height.
Under the shelter of this eminence
lies the little port, screened by it from
the N. winds. A new town is gra¬
dually spreading itself along the low
margin of this harbour, and up the
banks of a stream so small that it is
generally swallowed up in soapsuds,
and contributes, with the filthy abomi-

Normandy.

Route 27.— Granville — Avranehes.

nations of the town itself, especially
at low water, when the harboxir is
drained to the lees of mud, to produce
a state of atmosphere barely tolerable.
The sombre hue of the buildings,
whose walls are dark granite and their
roofs black slate, renders Granville on
a near examination as unattractive to
the sight as to the smell, and more¬
over it contains no objects of interest.

The stranger desirous to rescue
himself from ennui must repair to the
noble Pier, begun 1828 and still un¬
finished, enclosing an older one in its
much wider circuit. It is very strongly
built, so that guns can be mounted on
it. The tide rises and falls here at
times from 40 to 44 feet.

Steamers go hence to Jersey (in 3
hours) and to St. Malo once a week.

The Church at the W. end of the
town is a low, gloomy building, chiefly
in the late flamboyant style, though it
has some round arches. It is of grey
granite, even the capitals of its columns
being worked in that hard stone.

In order to ascend the hill above
the old town it is advisable not to
thread the labyrinth of filthy alleys,
steep slopes, and stone steps which
compose it, but to issue out by the
road to Coutances, and then scale the
steep slope no farther than the walls
of the fort, a point which commands
a good sea-view. Close under the
cliffs lie the baths (Salon des Bains)
and reacling-room, which can be ap¬
proached only through the breach in
the rock before alluded to, leading
also down to the sands, a fine smooth
and broad expanse, quite shut out
from the town. There are no ma¬
chines ; instead of them bathers are
enclosed in cases of canvas carried in
the fashion of sedan-chairs, and they
must walk into the water thick-clad:
the ladies led by the women: the men
are banished to the distance of ^ m.
to the N .—British Consul here.

Though Granville is not a particu¬
larly strong place, it resisted effect¬
ually the attack of the peasant army
of Vendeans, 30,000 strong, on their
ill-fated march, N. from the Loire, in
1793, led on by the gallant Laroche-
jacquelin. The inducements of the

royalists to make this attempt were
the hope of opening a communication
by the sea with England, whose go¬
vernment had promised to send them
succour; and to secure a fortified place
where they could deposit in safety the
women and children, the sick and the
priests, who embarrassed the opera¬
tions of the army. The Vendeans,
being destitute of artillery to breach
the ramparts, were unable to resort to
a regular siege. The attempt to storm
the place, though conducted with the
most dashing courage, was foiled.
More than once these brave soldiers
gained the ramparts, sometimes sup¬
plying the want of scaling ladders
by sticking their bayonets into the
chinks of the masonry, but as often
they were swept off by grape and mus¬
ketry from the walls and gunboats in
the harbour, until at length they were
forced to retire with a loss of 1800
killed. Their army never advanced
farther N.; this was the culminating
point of their success, and from hence¬
forth they were compelled to retreat.
During this attack the suburbs of the
town were set on fire by the repub¬
lican commander of the fortress and
burnt down.

It is a very pretty ride from Gran¬
ville to Avranehes; the view obtained
from the height, after crossing the
wooded dell of Sartilly, of the peaked
rock of Mont St. Michel, is especially
striking.

[About 4 m. N.E. of Sartilly is the
ruined abbey of Luzerne. The church,
in the transition style, is tolerably
perfect: it was completed 1178, except
the nave, which is later. The conven¬
tual buildings, turned into a cotton-
mill at the Revolution, are fast going
to decay. The road from Sartilly is
wretchedly bad.]

26 Avranehes. — (Inns): H. cle Lon-
dres; clean and moderate : table-d’hote
1^ or 2 fr., breakfast 14 fr.; garden be¬
hind. This house would prove a cheap
and pleasant residence for a few weeks
if managed as in 1851. H. de France;
H. de Bretagne ; both tolerable. H.
cl’Angleterre.) Avranehes (Abrancae),
a town of 7269 Inhab., is now chiefly
remarkable for its very beautiful situa-

Route 27.— Avranches.

Sect. I.

tion on the sides and summit of a
high hill, the last of a widely extending
ridge, rendered accessible for the high
road by broad terraces carried up its
steep slope in zigzags. The view which
you obtain in ascending, and especially
that from the little mound on the 1. of
the road before you enter the town, in
front of the Sous-Pr^fecture, is one of
the most beautiful in the N. of France.
The landscape abounds in wood, with
partial clearances of well-cultivated
corn-land, through the midst of which
winds the river, flashing in glittering
pools until expanding into a broad
estuary it meets the sea, which borders
the horizon. But the prominent fea¬
ture of the view is the peaked rock of
Mont St. Michel, and the twin islet of
Tomblaine rising grandly from the hem
of the waters.

Under this mound is a Public Walk
planted with trees, formerly the garden
of the Archevechb, in the midst of
which a statue of General Valhubert,
a native of Avranches, who fell at
Austerlitz, is set up.

The cathedral of Avranches, one of
the noblest in Normandy, and the
chief ornament of the town, was de¬
stroyed by the mob at the Revolution:
its site remains an open platform, com¬
manding an extensive view, and now
named Place Huet, from the celebrated
Bishop of Avranches. All traces of
the church are swept away, save one
or two flagstones and a broken column,
said to be the stone upon which Henry
II. kneeled, a humble penitent, before
the Papal Legates, to make atonement
for the murder of Becket, “ which had
affected him more than the death of
his own father or mother.” After
swearing on the Gospels that he had
neither ordered nor desired it, he here
received the Papal absolution, 1172.
The stone stands at what formed part
of the door of the N. transept, and is
surrounded by a chain.

There are some portions remaining
of the old ramparts of the town.

Another point of view, preferable
perhaps, in some respects, even to that
above described, is obtained from the
Jardin des Plantes.

There is an extensive Public Library

here, containing 10,000 volumes and
some old MSS., among which was dis¬
covered a copy of Abelard’s treatise
called ‘ Sic et Non,’ published 1836
by M. Cousin. A Museum of Antiquities
and a Picture Gallery have been added.

The beauty of the situation, the
salubrity of the air, and the cheapness
of living, have rendered Avranches a
favourite residence of the English,
who form a considerable colony here.
The English Ch. Service is performed
in a room once a barrack, in the Bou¬
levard de l’Ouest, where it joins the
Rue Sanguiere.

The Post Office is in Rue St. Gervais.

There is a way practicable for a
light carriage, with a guide, from
Avranches to Mont St. Michel, across
the sands when the tide is out; but as
there are two watercourses to wade
through or cross in a boat, it is prefer¬
able to go round by Pont Orson. As
is the case on Lancaster sands, the
rise of the tide here is so excessively
rapid at times, that a fleet horse, it is
said, could not outrun it.

In going to Pont Orson and Dol
you quit Avranches by another series
of zigzags overlooking the bay of Can-
cale with Mont St. Michel in the midst,
rising above a beautiful foreground of
trees, and at Pont au Baud, at the
bottom of the hill, you cross the little
river Selune.

At Louis, 3 m. short of Pont Orson,
a cross road turns off on the rt. to the
Mont St. Michel by Ardevon.

22 Pont Orson. Inn : Croix Verte;
tolerable; it will furnish a horse and
car for 5 or 6 fr. to go to Mont St.
Michel, and this is the best point to
start from.

The Castle, now entirely swept
away, was intrusted by Charles the
Wise, 1361, to Du Guesclin, to hold
as a frontier post against the English.
During his absence on a foraging expe¬
dition, however, it was very nearly
lost, through an understanding be¬
tween an English prisoner, Felton, and
the waiting-maids of Du Guesclin’s
lady. The attempt was discovered,
as the enemy were scaling the walls,
by his sister, a stout Amazon, who
overthrew the ladders into the ditch,

Normandy.

Route 27 .—Mont St. Michel.

and the treacherous waiting-maids
were sewed up in sacks and drowned
in the river!

The granite Church, partly Norman,
with a transition W. end and pointed
choir, contains, in the N. aisle, a sin¬
gular series of carvings in stone, repre¬
senting the Passion—but so mutilated
as to lose much of their value; also a
very old stone altar-table, with sculp¬
ture mutilated in the N. aisle.

A good macadamised road, leading
from Pont Orson to Mont St. Michel,
5 m., renders this by far the best
approach to the Mount. It passes
near Beauvoir and Ardevon, where
are the remains of conventual farm-
buildings, anciently belonging to the
monks of the mount. The road ter¬
minates on the margin of “la Greve,”
i.e. the sands, extending for many
square leagues all around the mount,
and left bare for 4 or 5 hours by the
sea, which interrupts the passage to
it between 1 and 2 hours near high
water. “ At neap-tides (aux eaux
mortes) the rock is not surrounded
by water at all at any part of the day.
At spring-tides (aux eaux vives) it is
surrounded twice each day, and then
the sea sometimes breaks into the sol¬
diers’ mess-room.”— G. B. A.

The distance across the Greve to
the mount is about a mile; the driest
track is firm and perfectly safe for
horses or carriages, but on either side
are quicksands, which render it dan¬
gerous to diverge. There always
remain behind a few pools which
would reach above the ankles of a
pedestrian. There is something mys¬
terious and almost awful in the aspect
of this solitary cone of granite, rising
alone out of the wide, level expanse of
sand. One might imagine it the peak
of some colossal mountain just piercing
through the crust of the earth, but
deprived, at the moment of its appear¬
ance, of the geological force necessary
to rear it aloft. Slight as is its eleva¬
tion, its isolated position in the midst
of the sea, and its heaven-pointed top,
render it the prominent object of every
view from the surrounding coast,
and from a long distance give it the
appearance of being much nearer at

hand than it really is. On approach¬
ing it, it is found to be girt round
at its base by a circlet of feudal walls
and towers, washed by the sea; above
these rise the quaint irregular houses
of the little town, plastered as it were
against the rock, and piled one over
another. Above them project the bare
beds of rock, serving as a pedestal
from which the lofty walls, high tur¬
rets, and prolonged buttresses of the
conventual buildings are reared aloft,
surmounted in their turn by the pin¬
nacles and tower of the church (now
bearing a telegraph), which crowns the
whole, and forms the apex of the pyra¬
mid.

Not inferior in interest to its out¬
ward aspect are the historical asso¬
ciations connected with this shrine of
the Archangel Michael—the successor
of Bel and the Dragon—the saint of
high places. Holy hermits suc¬
ceeded to Pagan priests in the posses¬
sion of this natural temple, which
Norman dukes and kings further ho¬
noured by building a church, and con¬
verted into a fortress almost im¬
pregnable in ancient times. Henry I.
here effectually resisted his two elder
brothers. Here Henry II., in 1166,
kept his court and received the homage
of the turbulent Bretons, whom he
had subdued with a strong arm. This
was the only fortress which held out
for the French king when all Nor¬
mandy was overrun by the armies of
the conqueror of Azincour; success¬
fully withstanding 2 sieges, in 1417
and 1423, under the brave Louis
d’Estouteville. The shrine of St.
Michel was for ages visited yearly by
thousands of devotees from far and
near, and the records of the convent
preserve the names of more than a
dozen royal pilgrims who have re¬
paired hither to prostrate themselves
as penitents before it, and to load it
with their bounty. The Revolution
dispersed the monks, interrupted the
pilgrimage, and changed the desti¬
nation of the building to a Prison, in
which 300 aged priests were immured
until death should release them. Its
prisons and oubliettes, however, are
of far greater antiquity. Who has not

Route 27.— Mont . St. Michel.

Sect. T.

heard of the iron cage of St. Michel,
which, though originally of metal bars,
was afterwards changed to one of
thick beams of wood placed 3 inches
apart ? Its last occupant was an un¬
fortunate Dutch journalist, who was
seized most unjustifiably, beyond the
territory of France, for having abused
the unscrupulous tyrant Louis XIY.,
who treated the Dutchman as he did
the Italian prisoner of the iron mask.
St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, which
bears so remarkable a resemblance to
this, though on a smaller scale, was
one of the foreign dependencies of the
abbey.

The entrance to Mont St. Michel is
by 3 gates, one within the other, the
second flanked by two of the cannon
with which the English forces of Henry
Y. ineffectually bombarded the mount
in 1424, firing from them stone balls,
1 ft. in diameter. Near this the arms
of the knights of St. Michel, with a
lion for supporter, are seen carved in
the wall: the third gate is provided
with a portcullis, and within it is the
little inn (not very inviting; crabs,
shrimps, and other fish may be got
here). The town (so to call it) consists
of one narrow, steep, and very foul¬
smelling lane. The best way of as¬
cending is by the ramparts, turning to
the rt. after passing the gate, up a
succession of grass-grown flights of
stairs “ hanging to the side of the
rock,” provided with machicoulis at
the side to annoy an enemy below.
The uppermost gateway, leading into
the castle convent, stands midway
across a flight of steps, and is flanked
by 2 bartizans or turrets; it “ is very
scenic and baronial,” built probably
1257; but the chamber of knights and
princes now re-echoes to the clank of
chains and the rattle of the shuttle
and beam. The present destination of
the building is a prison for ordinary
criminals and political offenders. For
this reason only parts of it are acces¬
sible for the minute examination of
strangers; and others are concealed by
screen-partitions. The formality of
delivering the passport, and requesting
admission of the governor, having been
gone through at this gate, the stranger

is conducted by dark mysterious vaults
and passages, up and down gloomy
stairs. The convent-building, called
“the Marvel,” consists of 3 stories,
the lower one a series of vaulted crypts,
once used for stables ; above this 2
noble halls, probably erected by Philip
Augustus, who was a great benefactor;
and above all the cloister and dormi¬
tory. The Cloisters, the most beautiful
part of the building, and a gem of Gothic
architecture, unique of its kind, were
built between 1220 and 1228. Towards
the court they are supported by a double
row of pointed arches resting on thin
granite pillars, leaving an exquisitely
groined narrow vault between the
rows. The pillar of one arch alter¬
nates with the point of the next, so as
to allow a most graceful carved volute
or sprig, issuing from the capital of
every alternte pillar, to be seen. The
spandrils of the arches are filled up
with a vegetative creation of foliage,
sprigs, flowers, garlands, such as is
scarcely to be equalled anywhere for
fanciful variety, and sharpness and
excellence of execution; the whole is
surmounted by a cornice of flowers,
and is in good preservation. It highly
merits to be drawn in detail. The
arches and carvings are of soft lime¬
stone brought from a distance; all the
rest of the buildings are of granite,
and the rock of St. Michel itself is of
that stone.

The Chambre des Chevaliers, below
the cloisters, is a noble hall or nave, of
4 finely-vaulted aisles, supported on 3
rows of pillars, and measures 98 ft. by
68. The chapters of the knights of
the order of St. Michel, foimded 1496
by the bigot Louis XI., who twice re¬
paired hither as a pilgrim, were held
in it. This is now filled with the
looms at which the prisoners are com¬
pelled to work, and is not shown to
strangers. La Salle de Montgomery,
or monks’ Refectory, is also a fine
Gothic apartment.

The Church of the convent consists
of 2 parts, of different ages and styles.
The Romanesque nave, in the massive
style of the 12tli cent, (about 1140),
with slightly ornamented capitals and
a wooden roof, is now used as a chapel

Normandy. Route 27 .—Mont St. Michel — JDol.

for the convicts. The pointed Gothic
choir is of the 15th cent. (1452-1521):
—the mouldings of the arches are car¬
ried down into the reeding of the piers
without any interruption of capitals.
The arches are closed up with walls,
into which curious Scriptural bas-re¬
liefs, such as Adam and Eve driven
from Paradise, Noah’s ark, &c., St.
Michael killing the dragon, very gro¬
tesquely treated, are let in. The piers
supporting the central towers having
given way, owing to the injury they
received from a fire, the last of the 8
or 10 conflagrations, several of them
caused by lightning, which at different
times have consumed the abbey, the
arches of the transept are staved up by
a complicated framework of timber to
prevent the roof falling.

Beneath the choir of the church a
circle of drum-like pillars, set very close
together, with one in the centre, sup¬
ports the superincumbent weight, and
forms a curious crypt.

The view from the top of the church,
elevated 400 ft. above the sands, from
amidst its florid buttresses and pin¬
nacles, now much mutilated, is curious.
The Rochers du Cancale, on the coast
of Brittany, the town of Avranches, and
the neighbouring rock of Tombeleine,
are the most conspicuous objects; all
around is, as the tide ebbs or flows,
either a waste of sand, interspersed
with pools and channels of rivers, or a
wild expanse of tossipg waves.

“ The sea has receded from this coast
of late years, so that it barely reaches
the Mount except at spring-tides, and
it then rises with such rapidity as to
be extremely dangerous, especially as
it renders the sand quick for some dis¬
tance in advance of it.”— J. II. P. For¬
merly, owing to the short stay the sea
made round the walls at every tide, the
castle was hardly accessible by a boat,
and from this circumstance, and its
amphibious position, changing twice a-
day from land to water, its strength as
a fortress arose.

The river Couesnon, crossed by a
bridge on quitting Pont Orson for Dol,
forms the boundary between Normandy
and Brittany. A fertile and very pictu¬

resque country succeeds, well wooded;
in fact, one entire orchard, the corn¬
fields being invariably planted with
rows of fruit-trees. A last view is ob¬
tained of Mt. St. Michel from a lofty
hill over which the road is carried.

The caps worn by the women here¬
abouts consist of a piece of white linen,
bent like a roof, laid on the top of the
head, the front, or gable, turned up in
a sort of scroll, exactly corresponding
with that seen on monumental effigies
in English churches, of ladies of the
15th and 16th cent.

19 Dol. — Inns: La Grande Maison,
not very good; homely, but not dear;
Hotel de Notre Dame.

Dol is a remarkable town, as bearing
thoroughly the aspect of ancient days:
the black hue of the granite of which
its houses are built, contrasting some¬
times with splashes of whitewash dashed
over them, the heavy projecting gables,
the arcades of various heights and pat¬
terns running under the houses, the
quaintly carved granite pillars on which
they rest, all give a peculiar character
to the place, and offer some good bits
for the artist’s pencil, while he may
fill a sketch-book with costumes in its
market-place. It has 3990 Inhab. and
a considerable corn-market held in a
desecrated church (des Cannes) distin¬
guished by a fine flamboyant W. win¬
dow and a Norman nave.

The chief building is the Cathedral
(before the Revolution an ejfiscopal see),
built of sombre grey granite, uniformly
in the early pointed style, except the
porches; that on the S. leading into the
nave being florid, and having carvings
in white stone like those in the cloister
of Mont St. Michel. The arches of the
nave have deep mouldings, and rest on
circular piers, composed of a group of
4 columns, the inner one towards the
nave being detached half-way up to the
roof, where it becomes engaged like
the rest. The choir, more ornamented
than the nave, but in the same style,
has a square E. end, like the English
churches, but behind the high altar is
an open arch of two divisions separated
by a slender pillar admitting a view
into a small Lady Chapel behind. The
space above this arch is occupied by a

Route 27.— Dol — Cancale — St. Male.

Sect. I.

large E. window filled with old and
good painted glass. These are the most
striking points in this fine edifice,
which is worthy of attention for its
similarity to the Gothic of England;
indeed many of the churches of Brit¬
tany are said to be the work of English
architects.

There is an antique building called
le Palais or Maison des Plaids , appa¬
rently Romanesque.

The old walls of Dol remain tolerably
perfect, wanting the gates; many of
their flanking towers and bastions are
surmounted with deep machicoulis,
and the whole is surrounded by a
fosse. A high Terrace walk has been
formed on the outside of this, and
planted with trees. On the side of
the town next the cathedral a view is
obtained from this walk of the solitary
eminence of Mont Dol, a granite rock
something like Mont St. Michel, only
rising out of the dry land. (See below.)

These antiquated fortifications of the
15th and 16th cent, were defended by
the Vendeans after their retreat from
Granville against the Republican army,
which was beat off after a bloody com¬
bat of 15 hours’ duration, and com¬
pelled to retreat.

The tract of land between Dol and
the sea, a distance of 3 m., is chiefly
marsh gained from the waters by em¬
bankments; very fertile, but teeming
with miasma, which, however, has di¬
minished of late from improved drain¬
age. A tremendous irruption of the sea,
reclaiming its own, in the beginning of
the 17th cent., overwhelmed this dis¬
trict.

About a mile outside of Dol, and j
m. to the 1. of the Rennes road, is one
of those Druidical stones, so common
in Brittany, called Menhirs (see p. 105).
It is known as la Pierre da Champ
Uolent, a name which probably marks
it as a funereal monument, perhaps on
some field of blood or battle. It is a
rude, skittle-shaped obelisk of granite,
asingle block, 30 ft. high above ground,
and 8 or 10, it is said, below, rising in
the midst of a cornfield, and sur¬
mounted by a wooden cross.

On the way to St. Malo you pass on
the rt. the Mont Dol, a granite rock

surmounted by a telegraph, rising out
of the flat land, and most probably
once an island in the bay of Mont St.
Michel, for the sea no doubt once
extended thus far. Where the road
reaches the present margin of the bay
the shore is lined by a long scattered
village, composed of nearly as many
windmills as cottages. Not a boat can
approach them, owing to the shallow¬
ness of the water, although the tide
comes up to their doors twice a day.
On the W. shore of the bay, however,
is the small port of Cancale —4880 In-
liab.—visible on the rt., backed by
high cliffs, famed for the oyster-beds
on the Rochers de Cancale below them,
whence Paris and a large part of France
are supplied.

In 1758 an army of 14,000 English,
under the Duke of Marlborough, landed
here, but after fruitlessly summoning
St. Malo, which was found too strong to
be taken by assault, they re-embarked,
having burned a few small vessels ; and,
as H. Walpole said, “TheFrench learned
that they were not to be conquered by
every Duke of Marlborough.”

28 St. Malo. — Inns: H. de France,
kept by M. Gogue, once cook to Lord
Melville; good, and not dear, but hor¬
ribly and inexcusably dirty, considering
that the mistress is English; rooms at 1,
2, and 3frs. per bed; table-d’liote at 5,
3 frs.; dfijeuner a la fourchette, 2 frs. 50
c. No W. C.’s! The house is the one in
which Chateaubriand was born;—H. de
laPaix, equally good. This fortified sea¬
port town (pop. 10,100) may be styled
a little French Cadiz from its position
on a rocky island (l*Ile d’Aron) com¬
municating with the mainland by a long
causeway called Le Sillon: the mouth of
the river Ranee, which forms the port,
being separated from the open sea by
the island and this causeway. The town
fills the island completely, so that its
picturesque walls and flanking towers,
surmounted by a deep cornice of ma¬
chicoulis, rise at once from the water’s
edge, washed by the waves; and the
houses and buildings squeezed closely
together, having no room for lateral
extension, rise to the height of 5 or 6
stories above its narrow and filthy lanes.

The tides rise here higher than at

Normandy.

Route 27.— St. Malo.

any other point in the Channel, viz. to
an elevation of 45 to 50 ft. above low-
water mark, and the harbour, which is
protected by a stout pier, is drained
perfectly dry at ebb, so that carriages
and foot passengers cross it to go to
the populous suburb St. Servan (9984
Inhab.), in places covered an hour or
two before with 4 fathoms of water.
But a solid wall of granite, designed
to be carried across from St. Servan,
with lock - gates in the centre wide
enough to admit steamers and frigates,
so as to retain the tide, and form a
floating dock (bassin a flot) of very
large dimensions, has been begun.
This if finished would open a second
approach from the Rennes road to
St. Malo, across a bridge to be thrown
over the lock-gates. These works,
unfortunately, are making very little
progress (1851). After an expenditure
of more than 6 millions of francs
symptoms of failure have shown them¬
selves in the pier and quays, and it
seems likely that this vast undertaking
will be abandoned.

The harbour is lined with a broad
quay running just under the town
walls, and here the steamers moor
when the tide permits them to enter.
The Town walls afford an almost unin¬
terrupted walk around the island, and
the circuit may be made in § of an
hour. The view out to sea is varied
by the little archipelago of islands;—
white, angular, bare rocks which raise
their bristling heads around the roads:
the larger ones crowned with forts and
batteries. That called La Conchee is
occupied by a strong citadel built by
Vauban; and Cisambre, 6 m. off, is
also strongly fortified. The smaller
isles and the sunken rocks attached to
them render the access to the port
difficult.

The public buildings are of no in¬
terest : on the side of the town nearest
the Sillon, and separated from it by a
bridge, is the old Gastle, which, together
with a large part of the fortifications,
may have been constructed in the 16th
cent, by Anne of Brittany, who placed
over one of the towers this inscription
—“ Qui qu’en grogne, ainsi sera, c’est
mon plaisir.” The Cathedral, very ca-

Franee.

pacious and much modernised, has a
choir something like that of Dol, and
a new gaudy Gothic altar from Paris,
with several marble statues worth
notice.

The sabbath is more strictly ob¬
served by the Malouins, and indeed in
Brittany generally, than in most other
parts of France.

English service is performed in a small
old chapel, in the suburb of St. Servan,
on Sunday.

The statue opposite the Hotel de
Ville is that of Duguy Trouin, a native
of St. Malo (born 1673), and a naval
hero of whom the French are very
proud, “ parcequ’il a chasse les Anglais
sur toutes les mers.”

The illustrious Chateaubriand first
drew breath in the Rue des Juifs, No.

15, in the house which is now the' H.
de France, in the room marked No. 5,
from the window of which the sea and
his tomb are visible. The Abbe de
la Mennais, author of Paroles d’un
Croyant, and Malffi de la Bourdonnais,
governor of the French East Indies,
who took Madras from the English,
1746, were also Malouins.

On the sea-shore, by the side of the
Sillon, just beyond the castle, on the
rt. of the road from Dol, are Sea-baths
and a Subscription Reading-room. There
is a large expanse of sand extending at
low water as far as a little rocky island
in front, well adapted for bathing, but
unprovided with machines.

St. Malo was bombarded by an Eng¬
lish fleet in 1692, and by another
under Admiral Berkeley, 1695—both
times with slight result. In June,
1758, an army under the 2nd Duke of
Marlborough, having landed in the Bay
of Cancale, burned 80 vessels lying in
the harbour of St. Malo.

St. Malo flourished during the last
war, when it was styled the “ Ville
de Corsaires,” fitting out privateers
to prey on the commercial ships of
England; many large fortimes were
then made.

The best view to be obtained of St.
Malo is from the half-ruined Fort de la
Cite', situated on the promontory a
little to the W. of St. Servan, reached
by the first turning on the rt. after you

Route 29.— Caen to Tours — Falaise.

Sect. I.

enter that suburb from St. Malo.
Hence from a considerable elevation
you look down upon the town, upon
the singular inlets of the sea branching
out into the land which form the har¬
bour, and on the archipelago of little
islands grouped around its entrance.
Among them the islet of Grand Bay,
situated to the S. W. of the town, chosen
by Chateaubriand for his last resting-
place, and bestowed upon him by the
municipality of his native town, is con¬
spicuous. His fellow-citizens erected
a tomb on it to contain his remains.
Immediately beneath the spectator on
his 1. rises the triangular tower of the
Solidor, a feudal fort 60 ft. high,
with flanking towers at its angles, ap¬
proached by a drawbridge. It is now a
prison.

At St. Servan the Union Boarding¬
house is recommended; charges 5 fr.
a day, or 100 fr. a month, exclusive of
wine.

Diligences daily to Rennes (Rte. 41)
and Paris (Rte. 35), to Brest (Rte. 36),
to Dinan (Rte. 41), to Dol and Caen
(Rtes. 27 and 31).

Steamers. It is a pleasant excursion
up the river Ranee from St. Malo to
Dinant. A small steamer ascends and
returns with the ebb, when the state
of the tide permits. (Rte. 41.)

Steamers twice a week to and from
Jersey, where they correspond with the
boats to Southampton.

ROUTE 29.

CAEN TO TOURS BY FALAISE, ALENgON,
AND LE MANS.

232 kilom. = 143^ Eng. m.

A daily communication is kept up
by diligences, but with interruptions,
and the traveller is compelled to wait
3 or 4 hours at a time for the coach
which is to carry him on. A separate
conveyance runs from Caen to Falaise
and back daily.

About 7 m. from Caen, and 2 or 3
to the rt. of the road, lies Fontenay
le Marmion, cradle of the family of
Marmion.

20 Langannerie. The country for
the first 2 stages is bare, open, and

monotonous, until the castle of Falaise
is perceived on the rt. rising out of a
picturesque valley.

6 m. short of Falaise, and nearly 2
to the 1. of the road, lie the rocks of
St. Quentin, sometimes called Breche du
Diable, a rocky gorge bounded by pre¬
cipices, pinnacles, &e. It has been
compared with Cheddar Cliffs, only
on a much smaller scale.

15 Falaise. Inns: H. du Grand
Cerf; H. de France, good. This an¬
cient and not very prospering town of
9580 Inhab. occupies the summit of a
lofty platform, bordering on a rocky
precipice, or Falaise, whence its name.
One very populous suburb has ex¬
tended into the narrow ravine below
this precipice; and another, situated
at the distance of 1 m. to the E., called
Guibray, now rivals the town itself in
size and population, and is distin¬
guished for its Flairs established by
William the Conqueror, held in August,
celebrated for the horses then brought
to market. Falaise is a dull lifeless
town at present, having only one ob¬
ject of interest to the passing traveller
—the Castle, one of the few real Nor¬
man fortresses remaining in France,
the ancient seat of the Dukes of Nor¬
mandy, and the birthplace of William
the Conqueror. It is a grand and pic¬
turesque ruin, occupying a command¬
ing position at the extremity of the
town, where the platform is cut into a
narrow promontory by gullies which
isolate it on 3 sides, rendering it a
place of great strength, until the in¬
vention of gunpowder. To this it was
indebted for the 9 sieges which it had
to endure. The approach to it is be¬
hind the modern Hotel de Ville. A
college or grammar school has been
planted within the exterior court. A
grassy terrace walk along the ramparts,
shaded with trees, leads to the Norman
Donjon Keep, an oblong square, whose
walls, supported by high and massy
buttresses, rise abruptly from the edge
of the precipitous rocks de Norrou. It
is now a mere shale, partly filled with
rubbish ; its walls show traces of
herringbone masonry, and retain se¬
veral round-headed windows, of 2
lights supported on short pillars, and

Normandy. B. 29.— Falaise. 31.— Caen to Rennes,

having capitals carved with Runic
knots. In one corner a cell is shown
in which, according to the tradition,
the Conqueror was born. From those
windows and ruined walls you look
down into the Val d’Ante, so called
from the small stream which runs
through it, crowded with mills and
tanneries. It was while gazing upon
this scene, according to the tradition,
that Duke Robert, the father of the
Conqueror (like David of old), first
espied Arlotte, the tanner’s fair daugh¬
ter, and became at once so smitten
with her charms, that he made her his
mistress, and continued faithful to her
until death.

The keep is surpassed in elevation
by Talbot’s tower , a cylinder of beau¬
tifully smooth and perfect masonry,
rising beside it to a height of more
than 100 ft., crowned with a rim of
broken machicoulis. Its walls, 15 ft.
thick, enclose a winding stair leading
to the top, and a well opening into
each of the 5 vaulted stories. The
chapel is converted into a powder
magazine. This tower is supposed to
have been built by "Valiant Talbot,”
who was lord warden of the "Marche
Normande,” after the capture of Falaise
by Henry V., between 1418 and 1450.
Henry assaulted the castle from the
top of the still loftier cliff Mont Mirat,
on the opposite side of the ravine,
where traces of his intrenchments still
remain: the siege lasted more than 4
months. On the other side of the
castle is a relic of another siege, viz. the
breach in the wall by which Henri IV.
carried the fortress by assault, after 7
days of cannonade, in 1589.

A bronze equestrian statue of Wm. the
Conqueror was set up by his fellow
townsmen in 1851, in Trinity-square,
at the foot of the Castle. He is repre¬
sented in the attitude of leading on his
followers to invade England!

The churches are not remarkable.
A considerable portion of the old town
walls remain, running round the edge
of the ravines, through which the
stranger may ramble agreeably, either
upwards into the suburb of Val d’Ante,
the birthplace of the Conqueror’s mo¬
ther, below the castle keep, or, issuing

out of the picturesque " Porte des Cor¬
deliers,” the only gate remaining per¬
fect, he may follow the direction of the
Ante downwards through shady lanes,
and re-enter the town by the dismantled
Porte St. Laurent.

The Saturday market exhibits a larger
collection and greater variety of quaint
old Norman female headdresses than
any other in Normandy perhaps.

There are several cotton-mills in the
vicinity, and the weaving of nightcaps
occupies a considerable number of
hands.

22 Argenfcan.— Inn: Trois Maures (?).
A town of 6147 Inhab., on the Orne,
surrounded by ramparts.

23 Seez (in Rte. 21).

21 Alen§on (in Rte. 35).

14 La Hutte.

9 Beaumont-sur-Sarthe.

15 La Bazoge.

11 Le Mans (in Rte. 46).

21 Ecommoy.— Inn: Poste.

20 Chateau du Loir.— Inn: Poste.
The Castle, after which this village is
named, is gone; it w r as built 1080 by
Robert JEveille-chien, Due d’Anjou. The
cliffs near this are hollowed into caves,
serving partly for houses to more than
100 poor families, partly as cellars for
the richer.

20 La Roue in Touraine.

20 Tours (in Rte. 53).

ROUTE 31.

CAEN TO RENNES BY VIRE, MORTAIN,
AND FOUGERES.

171 kilom. = 106 Eng. m.

2 Diligences daily.

The road conducts through some
of the most pleasing scenery in Nor¬
mandy; at first it ascends the valley
of the Odon, in which lies

13 Mondrainville. We now enter
the Bocage of Normandy, a pretty
wooded district, situated about the
soiirce of the Orne, Odon, and Vire.

12 Villars Bocage; here is an hos¬
pice, founded 1366 by Jeanne Bacon,
of Mollay.

15 Menil au Zouf.

19 V ire (Inns: H. St. Pierre, clean
and moderate, fine view ; Cheval

f 2

100

Route 31.— Caen to Rennes — Vire — Mortain . Sect. I.

Blanc, not good), a picturesque an¬
tique town (pop. 8000), the capital of
the Bocage, situated on a lofty emi¬
nence, bordered by ravines. A Norman
Castle occupies the extreme point of
the promontory, naturally inaccessible
on 3 sides, owing to the precipices
which surround it; and on the 4tli
originally separated from the town by
a deep ditch. It is now reduced to
the fragment of the tall keep , a con¬
struction of the 11th cent., having
been dismantled 1630, by order of
Richelieu, but its ruins are preserved,
and surrounded by a sort of dusty
pleasure-ground or plantation belong¬
ing to a private individual. It com¬
mands a view of the country around,
streaked with long lines of “tenters”
upon which cloth is hung, and especi¬
ally of the 2 valleys beneath it, called,
par excellence, Les Vaux de Vire, whence
comes the word Vaudeville, originally
applied to the merry and humorous
drinking songs composed among these
valleys by one Oliver Basselin. He
w r as a native of Vire, and owner of a
fulling-?m7/, which still remains at no
great distance from the town. He
flourished in the 15th centy., and is
reported to have been present at the
battle of Formigny. His chansons,
chiefly in praise of good wine and
his native province, soon became
so popular over France, that their
name was transferred to those truly
national dramas peculiar to the French
stage, in which the plot or story is
carried through chiefly by songs.

In the narrow and steep streets of
Vire may be found many specimens of
ancient domestic architecture, well
adapted for the artist’s sketch-book.
The Ch. of Notre Dame is a fine build¬
ing; but the chief boast of Vire are the
walks in and about it. Terraced paths
are carried up the hill side amidst
thickets and plantations, commanding
at intervals very pleasing views.

The valleys in the neighbourhood,
generally shut in by craggy heights
and copse-covered slopes, abound in
mills of paper and cloth, in which the
clothing for the French army is made.
This gives employment to half the
inhabitants of Vire. On the 10th of

August the “Fete des Drapiers” is
celebrated here, and more than 10,000
persons assemble under the apple-trees,
which are illuminated at night for the
occasion.

Vire has a gastronomic celebrity for
chitterlings (andouilles) and for pastry.

Diligences, several daily, to Av-
ranclies through a beautiful country,
“rich swelling hills, green meadows,
and vast seas of waving wood, The
first view of Avranclies, about 8 m.
before you get there, with the rich
foreground, the spire of the town
crowning the height, and the sea be¬
yond, with Mt. St. Michel rising out
of it, is truly striking.”— W. J.

[10 m. S.E. of Vire is Tinchebray,
where Robert of Normandy succumbed
in battle to his younger brother Henry,
1106. This victory secured a throne
to the one prince, and a prison for life
to the other.]

13 Sourdeval.

10 Mortain. ( Inn: La Poste, opposite
the Ch.; not bad, but not clean.) Mor¬
tain, a decayed and lifeless town, occu¬
pies a position nearly resembling that
of Vire, and at least equally romantic.
“The valleys are narrower, the steeps
more rocky and better wooded; the
river at the bottom is more consider¬
able, and a wide extent of distant Cam-
pagna is seen through the jaws of the
ravine. The whole scene put me in
mind of Italy and of Tivoli, and the
cascades which we heard from above
and visited afterwards helped to keep
up the resemblance.”— G. Knight.

“ You descend to the side of the old
Castle, but when you arrive there you
find it a most suitable spot for an
eagle’s nest. A jutting cliff, only con¬
nected to the height by a narrow ledge
of rock, afforded just space enough for
a feudal fortress. The strength of this
fortress made it once a place of im¬
portance. Here dwelt the brothers
and the sons of kings of England.”
The whole of this venerable structure
has been levelled with the dust, and
in its place now rises the staring
modern Sous-Prefecture.

The Collegiate Ch. has been ground¬
lessly pronounced to be a work of the
year 1082, when a church is known to

Normandy. Route 32 .—Bayeux to Avrcinches — St. Lo.

101

have been founded here. But the only
fragment remaining of that epoch is a
circular doorway leading into the nave
on the S. side, ornamented with zigzags
and saw-tooth ornaments ; the rest
is of the pure and unmixed early
pointed style of the 13th cent., and
the clumsy junction of the new wall
around the old circular portal is very
apparent. The arches of the nave rest
on thick short pillars; those of the
choir are narrower.

About a mile out of the town, seated
in a secluded valley, is the Abbaye
Blanche, founded 1105. The Church ,
restored with care 1850, is in the
Transition style, round-headed win¬
dows alternating with pointed. An
early pointed cloister also remains
tolerably perfect. The abbey is now a
Seminaire for the education of priests.

The Cascades of Mortain are the
finest, and indeed almost the only
ones, in Normandy.

About 8 m. from Mortain are the
ruins of the Abbey of Savigny, b. 1173,
in the Transition style, but partaking
more of the round than pointed cha¬
racter.

15 St. Hilaire du Harcouet is the
entrepot for the agricultural and ma¬
nufacturing produce of a large part of
Brittany:—its markets are greatly fre¬
quented. The frontier of Brittany is
crossed about 4 m. to the N. of

11 Souvigne. Just before reaching
Fougeres M. cle Lescure, the Venddan
chief, died of his wounds, and was
buried at the road-side—site unknown.

16 Fougeres. — Inns: Poste, good,
but bad attendance; — St. Jacques.
This town (4635 Inhab.), once a fron¬
tier fortress, the key of Brittany on the
side of Normandy, “is full of pictu¬
resque interest. The old town, built
on a steep acclivity, shows traces of
the Middle Ages; the ancient arcades
still obtrude in places upon the streets.
It is still surrounded by antique ram¬
parts. There is a Church of some archi¬
tectural interest, and a charming
promenade, on a high eminence com¬
manding romantic prospects.”— G.

Attached to the town walls, at the
lower end, is the huge and picturesque
ruined ‘ Castle , of which the Donjon

(Melusine) and Tour du Gobelin are
probably of the 12th centy.; the rest
of the 14th and 16th; and the outer
towers and curtains are still later. Its
approaches and defences are very
curious.

20 St. Aubin du Cormier. Near this
La Tr^mouille gained a decisive vic¬
tory, in 1488, over Francis II. Duke of
Brittany, the Duke ©f Orleans, after¬
wards Louis XII., and others, who had
leagued against the Crown.

10 LiffrA

18 Rennes (in Rte. 35).

ROUTE 32.

BAYEUX TO ST. LO AND AVRANCHES.

90 kilom. = 551 Eng, m.

Diligences daily.

13 Vaubaclon.

The road traverses a portion of the
extensive forest of Cerisy. The Abbey
of Cerisy, one of the most considerable
in Normandy in olden time, lies on the
rt. of the road. The church still exists,
an early Norman building of the same
plain character as St. Stephen’s at Caen
(p. 73), It was founded 1030, by
Robert Duke of Normandy, and com¬
pleted by his son William the Con¬
queror,

21 St. Lo,— Inns: Clieval Blanc;
Soleil Levant; far from good, and very
dirty.

This town, named from St. Lo, or
Laudus, who lived in the 6th centy.,
and came from this part of Normandy,
is picturesquely situated, and its Ca¬
thedral, standing prominently oil the
brow of the hill, has an imposing ap¬
pearance, with its double towers and
spires, but as a building it is inferior to
those of Bayeux or Coutances. The
W. end is florid, of the 15tli centy.; it
has three fine porches, but the upper
part is defective and irregular; and, as
well as the choir, exhibits marks of
slovenliness in its builder. The nave
is earlier and better, in the pointed
style of the 12tli centy. Outside the
Church, in the S.W. angle, is a fine
stone pulpit, with a pyramidal canopy
over it. Charlemagne founded here,
in the 9th centy., the once celebrated

102

Route 32 .—Bayeux to Avranches.

Sect. I.

Abbey of St. Croix • but this building
was swept away at the invasion of the
Northmen, and the present Eglise de
St. Croix, a very curious edifice in the
early Norman style, does not appear
older than the 11th centy. The nave
arches rest on pillars, and the S. side
is plainer, and apparently older than
the N. Over the round-headed door¬
way at the W. end is a bas-relief repre¬
senting St. Lo restoring sight to a blind
woman. The adjoining conventual
buildings are of late dates ; they are
now converted into a Stud (haras) for
improving the breed of horses.

St. Lo is chef-lieu of the D£pt. de
la Manclie, and numbers 8941 Inhab.;
it has a manufacture of fine cloth, but
possesses no great attraction to the
stranger. There is a small terraced
platform to the W. of the cathedral,
called Petite Place, which commands a
view of the vale of the Vire.

Diligences twice a day to Coutances
(Rte. 27), passing within a short dis¬
tance of Hauteville, the humble village
which sent forth the bold Baron Tail¬
ored and his sis sons to conquer Sicily
and Apulia. On the way from St. Lo
to Vire (Rte. 31) lies the town of

Torigni. The building now used as an .
Hotel de Ville is one wing of the Cha¬
teau of the family of Matignon, Counts
of Torigni, one of whom, by marriage
with Louisa Grimaldi, became Prince
of Monaco. In 1793 the building was
turned into a prison, and the park, ter¬
races, and gardens sold piecemeal.

The Ch. of St. Laurent is early Nor¬
man, and that of Notre Dame retains
traces of the same style.

The road from St. Lo to Avranches
lies through

19 Villebaudon. The little humble
village Perci was the cradle of the
ancestors of the house of Northum¬
berland.

15 Villedieu les Poeles derives the
adjunct to its name from the number
of coppersmiths, who drive a thriving
trade in pots, pans, and other articles,
which the French call dinanderies and
quincailleries. These artificers were
originally settled here by the Knights
Templars, who employed them in
making decorations for churches. Here
are many furnaces for melting the
copper, and mills for rolling it into
sheets.

22 Avranches (Rte. 27).

( 103 )

SECTION II.

BRITTANY.

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION.

1. Character of the Country. 2. People. 3. Language. 4. Celtic Remains
classified. 5. Superstition. 6. Churches, Carvings, Flamboyant Gothic , Bone-houses,
Kersanton Stone. 7. Connection with England. 8. Chouannerie. 9. Books to con¬
sult. 10. Tour of Brittany. 11, Accommodation for Travellers,

ROUTE PAGE

34 Paris to Rennes, by Versailles,

Rambouillet, Chartres, Le Mans
(Railway), and Tjaval . . , 109

35 Paris to Rennes, by Versailles,

Dreux, Verneuil, Alenpon, and
Laval (Railroads to Ver¬
sailles) .120

36 Rennes to Brest by St. Brieuc

and Morlaix.124

38 St. Brieuc to Brest, by Paim-
pol, Lannion, Morlaix, St. Pol
de L£on ....... 132

41 St. Malo to Nantes by Binan,

Rennes, and Chateaubriand . 137

ROUTE PAGE

42 Morlaix to Nantes, by Huel-
goat, Carhaix, Pont ivy, and

Josselin .141

44 Brest to Nantes, by Quimper,

Lorient, Auray, the Druidical
remains of Carnac, Vannes, and
Roche Bernard .144

45 Rennes to Vannes, by Ploer-

mel .—Excursion to Carnac . 153

46 Le Alans to Nantes, by

Angers .153

47 Dreux to Argentan, by

l’Aigle ........ 165

1. There can scarcely be a more abrupt contrast to the smiling land of
Normandy than that presented by the neighbouring province of sombre,
poverty-stricken Brittany. Here we find an atmosphere of mist and moisture ;
and a soil based on hard granite, best fitted for heath, furze, and broom, the
very broom ( genet) which supplied our first Plantagenet with his crest and
name. In many points the country bears a strong resemblance to Scotland;
the same wide, barren moors, the same deep and picturesque wooded dells
and storm-beaten coasts. Here, however, are no grand lofty mountain chains
like the Grampians: the highest ridges of the Menez-Arrds hills, the back-bone
of the peninsula of Brittany, rarely surpass 1200 ft. above the sea-level.

2. In civilization it is behind almost every other part of France: its inhabitants
are of Celtic origin, speaking a language of their own, allied to, and, indeed,
essentially the same as, the Welsh and Cornish, so that Breton sailors landing
on our coasts can make themselves understood by the Welsh there. It is
exclusively spoken to the W. of a line drawn from the point of Finisterre
through Chatelaudran and Pontivy; the “ Vrai Bretagne Brettonnante,” as
Froissart calls it, to distinguish it from “La Bretagne Douce,” where French
is spoken. One of the principal objects of interest and study for the stranger
in Brittany is its inhabitants, who have been kept distinct from the rest of
France by position as well as difference of language.

The peasantry are almost as wild as their country, excessively quaint in their
costume, wearing broad-brimmed hats and flowing hair, and in some districts
trunk hose (bragous bras = breeks) of the 16th cent.; in others wrapped up in
goat-skins, like Robinson Crusoe, a costume which they retain as it was handed

104 JBrittany—Character of the Country and People. Sect. II.

down from their ancestors. They are usually mean and small in their persons;
coarse-featured in face; squalidly filthy in their habitations; rude and unskilful
in their agriculture. They are almost unchanged in their manners, customs,
and habits: modern innovation has not entirely rubbed off the rust of long-
continued habit; old legends and superstitions still retain their hold on the
popular mind. They present a curious picture of a primitive state of society;
and if a century behind their neighbours in what is called improvements, they
are at least not corrupted by revolutions and commotions. In no part of
France are the people, both of upper and lower orders, more observant of their
religious duties, of festivals, fasts, &c.; nowhere are the churches so thronged.

“ There is much picturesque beauty in Brittany, though of a character not so
imposing at first sight as that of countries moulded on a grander scale. Scenery
of great and winning loveliness is to be found on the banks of the Trieux, the
Lannion, the Chateaulin, and the Ranee, and in many other secluded and
scarcely accessible valleys, where the £ broomie know T e,’ the wooded dell, and
the rocky cliff alternately border the brawling mountain torrent, as it flashes
along its stony bed, or is pent up in the still pool of an old water-mill, which
looks as if it had stood untouched (as it has perhaps) from the time of the
£ good Duchess Anne.’ The quaint and antique aspect of the buildings adds
much to the picturesque character of the country. Some, as in Dinan, Morlaix,
Quimper, &c., are framed of timber, with projecting stories resting on gro¬
tesquely carved brackets ; but generally the houses both in the towns and vil¬
lages are of grey granite, with massive round or ogee arched imposts to the
doors and windows, often enriched with Gothic mouldings; and presenting,
from the peculiar colour and grain of the stone, an appearance of antiquity even
in buildings recently erected. The churches again are features of great interest
and beauty scattered profusely over the country, and many a ruined castle or
tower, or dilapidated £ manoir ’ with its old avenue, huge granite portals, round
turrets, and £ extinguisher ’ roofs, recalls the days of the Breton chivalry.
Add to these characteristic features, that the country is usually very intricate
and thickly wooded, the enclosures being small and surrounded by high earthen
banks, upon which, from six to ten feet above the level of the road or field,
grows a close phalanx of timber-trees, oak, elm, or ash, gnarled and pollarded
into grotesque forms, and intercepting all view, so as to give rise to constant
excitement, as the scene changes almost at every step that the traveller
advances.”— G. P. S.

‘‘The Bretons are impetuous and violent in their temper, and give way to
furious bursts of passion when angry. Their way of living is homely and frugal
to a degree, even when in circumstances to afford better fare. Of drink they
unquestionably are fond, but it is not a regular habit with them to indulge in
strong potations—w 7 ater is usually drunk at meals, and cider in small quan¬
tities on Sundays and feasts. Wine is hardly ever tasted in the province, but
brandy is cheap and good, as in other parts of France. They live much upon
buckwheat, made into cakes, and mix rye with their wheat into a coarse meal,
which forms a dark-coloured bread; these, wflth savoury esculents, and at times
salt-fish and meat, constitute the staple of their subsistence. With a climate
unfavourable to production, or rather to the maturity of their produce (for the
sun is even more coy in Brittany than in the British Isles), and a soil generally
of a cold wet character, the Bretons labour under far greater difficulties than
their Norman neighbours as to tillage. Yet if they would be guided by wise
advice, much progress might be imparted to their well-doing. Even now some
improvements have obtained, especially since 1834, and capital is finding its w T ay
to the land, although most commonly in the shape of a loan to the occupant,
w r ho pledges his land for the amount. When a Breton saves a little money, he
buys more land, if he can; he never seeks to apply more money to the land he
has already under culture. The most perceptible feature of difference, perhaps.

Brittany.

§ 4 .— Brittany—Celtic Remains.

105

between Normandy and Brittany, is that, in the former, large and commodious
farm-buildings are observed around the farmer’s dwelling, whilst in Brittany it
is rare to see a barn, or granary, or any roomy out-house—in short, the Bretons
pursue the wasteful habit of threshing out their corn in August, and housing it
in the grain; paying enormously for such labour (to an ambulant class called
“les batteurs ”), and losing the otherwise valuable season of warmth and day¬
light for cleaning and working the soil against seed-time. But having no barns,
they must do this. Stacking is unknown, and besides, there is no sheltered
floor for threshing on in winter; the threshing grounds, as in Italy (here termed
“aires”), are in the open space adjoining the cultivator’s .dwelling, and are
composed of bare earth, swept clean. It is a pretty incident in rural life when
you behold all the family at this work, in fine weather, singing as the flail twirls
to enliven their toil; but the inconceivable drawback which it forms to profit¬
able farming obtrudes itself upon the mind of the traveller and impairs his
pleasure at this primitive pastoral picture.”

“The indescribable forms of many of the caps worn by the Bretonnes are
worth remarking. Both Norman and Breton caps are pleasing auxiliaries to
the scenery, which they enliven by their snowy whiteness. Old point lace is
not unfrequently discerned on peasant heads, and these curious and costly
‘ coiffures ’ sometimes adorn the brows of more than one generation in turn.
When caught in the rain the women instantly cover their fine caps over with a
coloured handkerchief. It is the Bretons who chiefly man the navy of France:
their qualities are eminently suited to the seafaring life, and the perseverance
and patient courage they display stand out in contrast with the natives of other
provinces of France, and denote a totally different origin.”— G.

4. Of Ancient Monuments of different ages there is no lack in Brittany, and,
above all, of Celtic Remains; those extraordinary masses of rude unhewn stones
whose objects, age, and uses have never been satisfactorily accounted for, but
which are supposed to have been in some way connected with the religion of the
Druids, and their number would prove this country to have been the chief seat
of that mysterious worship. In Great Britain we possess a few, and, above all,
we have in Stonehenge a more stupendous monument than any elsewhere; but
in Brittany the number is enormous; almost every wild heath possesses one or
more. They are most numerous, however, on the storm-beaten promontories
and islands of the W. coast; especially in the Morbihan, which includes the
wondrous stony array of Carnac and the monstrous granitic obelisks of Lok-
mariaker , larger than any single blocks at Stonehenge, but now fractured.

These rude Remains are of several different kinds, distinguished by the fol¬
lowing names:—

a. Menhir (literally long stone: Ir-min-Sul; long stone of the sun) is a mono¬
lith in the form of a rude obelisk set upright on one end, whose height much
exceeds its breadth. There is a menhir near Dol which rises 30 ft. above the
ground, but the largest specimen of this class known is at Plouarzel, near Brest;
it exceeds 42 ft. in height. Those at Lokmariaker, now laid prostrate and
broken by violence, were more than GO ft. high, and were thick in proportion.

b. Peulven (pillar of stone), an upright stone of inferior height to the menhir;
the single stones at Carnac are generally of this class.

c. Dolmen (from “taal,” table, and “maen,” or men, stone), in England
commonly called. Cromlech, is an arrangement of rude blocks, by which one or
more upright stones are made to support a horizontal block or slab. Some¬
times they nearly resemble a table; the upright stones serving merely as props
or legs, and are called in French pierres levies, or pierres couvertes; at others
the supporting stones are wide slabs, so arranged as to fit close to one another,
and so lofty as to allow a man to walk upright beneath the horizontal roof-stone
which they support. Kits Coity House in Kent is an instance of this kind, and
there are others in Cornwall, but they are far inferior in size to those of Brittany,

F 3

Secf. II.

106 § 5.— Brittany—Celtic Remains.

which are often 60 or 80 ft. long. The French sometimes call them “ allies
couvertes.”

d. Kistvaen is similar to the Dolmen, inasmuch as it consists of two rows of
upright stones supporting flat blocks; but the stones are smaller, and the whole
structure lower and longer; it appears to correspond with the “ Hunnengraber ”
of North Germany. The most remarkable example is on the island Gavre Innis
near Lokmariaker.

e. Galgal is a tumulus, barrow, or cairn; the largest known is the Butte de
Tumiac on the shore of the Sea of Morbihan.

The Celtic remains are not confined to Brittany, though most numerous
there ; they occur almost invariably on some flat open plain at a distance from
the hills, in situations corresponding with Salisbury Plain and Dartmoor in
England. Brittany appears, like our Mona, to have been the sacred land of the
Gauls, the centre of their worship, to which probably the various nations and
tribes repaired on pilgrimage at stated times to pay their devotions.

Of the particular destination or object of these rude elevations in general, or
of the individual uses of the different classes enumerated above, no satisfactory
explanation has been offered. The accumulated ranges, the long avenues of
stones of Carnac and Erdevan, amounting to thousands in number, may have
stood in the place of temples where rites of initiation and purification similar
to the Grecian mysteries may have been performed. The upright solitary
menhir may have been a symbol of some individual deity, as the sun ; the dol¬
men may have served as an altar or shrine, and the galgal and kistvaen were
probably monumental. Equally unexplained are the mechanical means by
which a rude people contrived to transport, and to elevate one above another,
such huge masses.

5. Their mysterious influence is not yet, by any means, effaced from the mind
of the lower orders in Brittany. The first teachers of Christianity in this
region found this attachment to superstition so strong, that, after in vain
attempting to eradicate it by overthrowing and destroying these rude stones,
they altered their plan to that of engrafting, to a certain extent, their own
faith upon the old idolatrous worship of stones and fountains, converting the
dolmen into a chapel, and making the menhir serve as a pedestal to a crucifix,
which it commonly does even to the present day.

The influence of paganism lingered long in these remote wilds, attached as it
was to visible objects : indeed, the inhabitants of Ouessant are said to have
been idolaters until within 150 years.

Hence has arisen a strange jumble of Paganism and Romanism; thus pilgrim¬
ages are made to fountains by those who desire to be relieved from some malady,
by pouring its holy water over the affected part: and visits are paid in the
depth of night to some solitary menhir by the barren woman, who hopes to
become fruitful by rubbing her bosom against the hard stone. Some of these
inanimate objects also are supposed to possess virtue to cure the diseases of
cattle. Heathen divinities were replaced by saints, of which the number in
Brittany exceeds that of any other part of Romanist Europe; most of them are
peculiar to the country, their names being unknown elsewhere, and their
canonization conferred rather by the popular voice than with the authority of
the Pope. Almost every church has its own strange legend, and on its saint’s
day a pilgrimage or Pardon is celebrated, when indulgence for past sins is
obtained, and the penitent pilgrims are no sooner shrived than they begin to
run up a fresh score at the riotous festivities which follow these assemblies.
These pardons, or village festivals, which are nearly equivalent to the German
kirchweih, the Flemish kermes, and the English wake 1 deserve the attention
of strangers, from the illustrations they afford of Breton life, manners, and
costume.

6. In Ecclesiastical Monuments Brittany is not so well furnished as Normandy,

Brittany.

107

§ 6.— Brittany—Gothic Architecture.

but the architecture is of a different style, chiefly the florid or flamboyant
Gothic, and of a much later period : indeed, even in architecture, Brittany
seems to have been behind the rest of the world, and the fashions of building
only reached it when superseded in other parts. The following excellent
remarks apply generally to all parts of France, yet will not be out of place
here. “ The most obvious characteristics of the Flamboyant style are the flat
3-centred arches of doorways, the entire independence of different pilasters
upon the same pier as regards the vertical height of their base mouldings, the
scrupulous interpenetration of different mouldings, and the absence of capitals
if the arch mouldings are continued on the pier, or their dying gradually into
the pier by penetration if they are not continued on it.” — G. B. A. There are
some peculiarities in “the Breton style,” which render it well worthy the
attention of architects. In elaborateness and profuseness of ornament, in the
minuteness and delicacy of carving, especially of the foliage (for the figures are
inferior), there are some churches in Brittany which yield to few in any part of
Europe. As instances may be mentioned those of Folgoat near Brest, St. Pol de
Leon, which is remarkable for its exquisite spire, The'ogonec near Morlaix, St.
Herbot near Poulahouan, and the cathedral of Nantes.

The Department of Finisterre is the quarter in which churches more espe¬
cially abound, and it is quite as profusely supplied as Lincolnshire, and many
of the village churches are of unusual size and richness. “ In the churches
near Brest, instead of building a tower with 4 walls, containing windows or
panel work, the practice seems to have been to raise stages or floors, one upon
another on open arches, so as to make a kind of square pagoda, not contracting
in dimensions, through which in certain directions the light is seen and the
arch piers look comparatively small. This peculiarity deserves attention from
architects.”— G. B. A.

Several of the churches, even in remote situations, as at St. Herbot, are
decorated internally with carvings in wood and stone ; roodlofts still exist at
Folgoat, St. Fiarre le Fahouet (of oak painted and sculptured), Lambader, &c.,
though scarcely found elsewhere on the continent: painted glass is also by no
means uncommon. These very gorgeous churches of Brittany were erected
principally from the end of the 14th to the beginning of the 16th cent.

Formerly the churchyards and even roadsides were adorned with Crucifixes
of most elaborate execution, and comprising a multitude of figures ; “most of
them suffered by the Revolution, but many exquisite examples remain almost
as perfect as those of Plougastel near Brest, St. Tli^ogonec, &c., and hardly a
single point of intersection of two roads can be passed which is not marked by
a more or less mutilated cross, oftentimes restored by the piety of the present
generation.” — G. P. S.

The Bone-house or Reliquaire will be constantly found in the Breton church¬
yards, and illustrates a curious custom. To allow “the rude forefathers of
the hamlet ” to repose quietly in the grave is opposed to the ideas of piety and
affection in these rude people : after a certain number of years the survivors
are required to show their remembrance and respect for their parents and
relations by removing the skulls and bones from the coffin and placing them in
the Ossuary,—where the former are arranged on shelves, open to the view of
all, each with the name or initials in black paint written across the fleshless
brow. There is -a curious Reliquaire in St. Herbot.

One cause of the profuse decoration of these churches, and of their excellent
preservation, may be referred to the materials employed—a greenstone, peculiar
to Brittany, called Kersanton (St. Anthony’s house), remarkable for the facility
with which it is worked, and its tenacity in withstanding the weather. Its
composition is not exactly understood, but it is supposed by mineralogists to
consist of mica and amphibole, in particles minutely disseminated. It is found
only in two localities, on the W. of the harbour of Brest, near the escarped

108

§ 10 .—Skeleton Tour of Brittany.

Sect. II.

rocks of Quelern, between the river of Fa'ou and that of Landerneau. It is
regarded as volcanic, both from its composition and because the rocks adjacent
to it show marks of dislocation, caused apparently by its intrusion. The
w r eather has scarce any destructive effect on it, even after the lapse of ages; and
its peculiarly bright green colour gives to a portal carved out of it the appear¬
ance of being cast in bronze.

Of churches in the Romanesque or Norman style the examples are few; among
them are the church of Dinan and the chapel of Lanleff, which, after all the dis¬
putes of learned antiquaries respecting its origin and great age, is probably
merely an equivalent to the round churches of England.

The cathedral of Dol nearly corresponds in style to the Early English ; and
the tradition of the country attributes it and some of the later churches to
English architects. This is not surprising, considering the long and early
connection between Great Britain and Little Britain to the S. of the Channel—
Armorica, as it was styled, which the careful researches of historians and philo¬
logists have proved to have been colonised by natives of Britain after the 6th
century, partly during the Roman dominion, partly after the invasion of the
Saxons. From Brittany, if we believe the native traditions, we derive our
most popular romances, our nursery and fairy tales. Arthur here held his
court with the Knights of the Round Table; and the cradle of Merlin was on
the He de Sein, a low sand-bank in that stormy sea La Baie de Trepass^s.

7. Many of the names of places closely resemble those of Wales and Cornwall.
Brittany also has its Cournouaille, equally celebrated with our own for wrestling
matches, still held annually, at which the true Cornish hug is said to be given;
and for wreckers, whose infamous trade is promoted by the ever-raging sea and
iron-bound coast. The Droit de Bris, right of “jetsam and flotsam,” is, how¬
ever, nearly abolished in France as in England : and the time is past when a
race or whirlpool was as productive to a landlord as a mine or fishery.

English armies have fought and bled on this soil of Brittany; and the cliivalric
heroes of our history, Edward III., Chandos, Sir Walter Manny, were opposed
to no unworthy antagonists in the Du Guesclins and Clissons. In the castle of
Elven, Henry of Richmond passed 15 years of his youth, though a prisoner, yet
protected from the vengeance of the Yorkists.

A perusal of Froissart will be a good preparation for a visit to Brittany.

8. Brittany, old-fashioned iu all things, is still the stronghold of that old-
fashioned virtue, loyalty to its sovereign; and, besides sharing in the horrors
and glory of the war in support of the legitimate monarch, which had its rise
in La Vendee, was the seat of a hard-fought contest of its own, called La
Chouannerie, from the cry, “ chou, chou,” in imitation of the night-owl, the
signal for onset among the Breton peasantry, originally employed as a sign by
smugglers in their nocturnal expeditions. Memorials or recollections of these
struggles will be encountered by the traveller at every step.

9. Those who desire full information respecting the antiquities, customs,
legends, and poetry of the Bretons should read Souvestre’s excellent work, ‘ Les
Derniers Bretons,’ and Freminville’s ‘ Finisterre and Morbihan.’ For its churches
and Druidic remains consult Merimee, ‘ Sur les Monumens de l’Ouest de la
France;’ for its history, Daru:—Miss Costello's ‘ Bocages and Vines,’ Mr. Trol¬
lope’s ‘Brittany,’ are interesting English works ; and Mrs. Stothard's ‘Tour in
Brittany,’ and Villemarqutf’s ‘ Chansons Populaires de la Bretagne,’ will repay
the perusal.

10. Skeleton Tour of Brittany.

Brittany is accessible to travellers from England, by steamers either direct
from Southampton to St. Malo, a very good starting-point, or from South¬
ampton to Havre, and thence by land through Normandy, or by steamer to
Morlaix.

Brittany. Route 34 .—Paris to Rennes by Versailles .

109

The traveller coming from Paris may commence his tour at Rennes, hut the
capital of la Bretagne does not possess any of the characteristic features of the
province.

Dol.

St. Malo.

Dinan.

St. Brieuc.

Lanleff.

Paimpol.

Treguier.

Morlaix.

St. Pol de Leon.

Folgoat.

Brest—dockyard.

Pointe St. Matthieu.

Chateaulin (by water).

11. Accommodation for travellers, even in the large towns, is inferior to that
of the rest of France ; while in spots at all remote from the high road the filth
is most disgusting, the fare miserable.

The following excellent description of the chief inn of the chief town of the
province is from the private diary of a tourist:—

“ The Hotel de France, if it be not good, is at all events highly amusing as
a curiosity. It is something akin to what the ‘ Swan with Two Necks’ in Lad
Lane, or the ‘ Four Swans ’ in Bishopsgate Street, probably were 40 years since.
You get a good dinner for 2 francs at the table-d’hote, exclusive of a fair table
wine ; and, by dint of importunity at the kitchen, some coffee and bread and
butter for breakfast. You also get your bed made in time to get into it again
at night ; but you never see a servant except one who flits round at the table*
d’hote. The yard is crowded with diligences and baggage, and strewn with
straw and ordures, and the proprietors are incognoscible beings. Everything
seems to move on by unseen agency ; yet you really want for nothing material
if you will but give up getting the bell answered. This inn is in fact a sample
of the ‘Tom Jones’ inn of the 18th cent., and the landlady at Rennes (whom
* we succeeded in finding out before we left) was a French counterpart of the
English one of that day : slaving daily at her stews and stoves, like any neces¬
sitous hireling, in a dress indicating the most rigorous economy. But the
virtue of prudence and the desire of accumulation occupy the foreground in
the mind of a French ‘ bourgeoise.’ The landlord we learned had a delightful
country house out of Rennes, whence he daily visited his gainful but ill-appointed
‘ auberge.’ No trade so profitable as an aubergiste, it would seem, in a fre¬
quented town of France.”— G.

(Carhaix.

J Folgoat.

| St. Herbot.
vChJteaulin.

Quimper.

QuimperlA

Auray.

Carnac and Lokmariaker.
[Peninsula of Rhuys.]
Vannes.

Roche Bernard.

Nantes.

ROUTE 34.

PARIS TO RENNES BY VERSAILLES,
IIAMBOUILLET, CHARTRES, LE MANS
(RAILWAY TO LE MANS), AND LAVAL.

kilom = 230 Eng. m. Trains
daily to Chartres. Terminus in Paris,
Barriere du Maine.

From Paris to Versailles there are
2 railroads, one on the L, the other on
the rt. bank of the Seine. The 1. bank

railway is continued from Versailles to
Chartres and Le Mans.

a. Che min de Fer, Rive Gauche, 16'|
kilom. = llj Eng. m. Terminus out¬
side the Barriere du Maine at Paris.
Trains go every ^ hr. Those starting
at the hour are stopping trains, those
at the -y hour quick or direct. Time
employed 20 to 25 minutes, with stop¬
ping train 35 minutes.

Before issuing beyond the line of the

110

Route 34 .—Railways to Versailles.

Sect. II.

new fortifications you see on the rt.
Grenelle and Vaugirard, now forming
a town of about 6000 Inhab., most of
the houses being cabarets, the resort
of the working classes on Sundays and
fete-days ; and on the 1. Montrouge,
where are numerous quarries of build¬
ing stone.

Beyond the Lines the railway passes
between the detached forts of Vanvres
and Issy, a village whose name is fanci¬
fully derived from a temple of Isis !
In the Seminaire, which still exists as
a sort of country-seat dependent on
that of St. Sulpice, FenMon was in¬
terrogated by a conclave of bishops,
styled the Conference of Issy, on cer¬
tain points of doctrine, and here the
Cardinal Fleury died, 1745.

rt. Vanvres. The Chateau, formerly
the property of the Condes, built here
by Mansard for the Due cle Bourbon,
now belongs to the College Louis le
Grand.

5 Clamart Stat. The village, half
hid among the trees, on the 1., was the
retreat of La Fontaine, of the Abbe
Delille, who wrote here his poem
‘ L’Imagination,’ and of Condorcet.

Emerging from a deep cutting we
traverse on a lofty viaduct (Pont du
Val) of 2 rows of arches, one above the
other, 108 ft. high and 145 ft. long,
the bosky dell of Val Fleury, com¬
manding a pretty view of the chateau
of Meudon on the 1., while the Seine is
perceived on the rt.

2 Meudon Stat. A little on the 1.
lies the bourg of 3000 Inhab. Rabelais
was cure of Meudon, 1550.

The Chateau, now belonging to the
nation, approached by a fine avenue of
4 rows of lime-trees, was built by the
Grand Dauphin, son of Louis XIV.,
who died in it, from designs of Man¬
sard, 1699, by the side of an older
cMteau now destroyed, the work of
Philibert Delorme, which the widow of
the minister Louvois sold to Louis XIV.
During the Revolution the Comitfi du
Salut Public converted it into a factory
for inventing and perfecting warlike
engines, and surrounded it with a per¬
manent camp to keep out spies. The
existing chateau was fitted up for Marie
Louise by Napoleon, 1812. The best

things about it are its situation, its
gardens laid out by Le Notre, but
lately re-arranged on a more modern
plan, and its terrace. The view from
the terrace is very fine. There is a
breeding-stud for race-horses here be¬
longing to the Due de Nemours.

The Foret de Meudon is a favourite
holiday resort of the Parisians. Near
this the fatal accident occurred on this
railway, May 1842, when, by the frac¬
ture of the axle of a locomotive, several '
of the foremost carriages of a long train
were crushed, thrown upon the engine-
furnace, and set on fire, and more than
100 persons were burnt alive, together
with the railway-carriages in which
they were locked up, in the space of
about 4 hour. An expiatory chapel,
dedicated to Notre Dame des Flammes,
has been erected on the spot where this
catastrophe occurred. Another cutting
succeeds, and the railway passes under
the Meudon avenue.

1 Bellevue Stat. was named from a
villa built in a few months to please
Madame de Pompadour, but pulled to
pieces during the Revolution.

rt. Sevres Stat., contiguous to Belle¬
vue, is described farther on (p. 120).
The high road, and the chemin de fer,
rive droite, now run parallel and with¬
in a musket-shot of our line.

A deep cutting through part of the
crown forests leads to

4 Chaville Stat., so called from a
village on the 1.

1 Viroflay Stat. 1. Railway to Char¬
tres diverges.

4 Versailles Station (in the Avenue
de la Mairie). See Galignani’s Paris
Guide.

b. Chemin de Fer, Rive Droite. Ter¬
minus in Paris, Rue St. Lazare, 120, the
same as the St. Germain and Rouen
railways, and the 3 railways use the
same line of rails as far as Clichy.
Trains every 4 hour (stopping), and
every hour direct, from 7^ a.m. to
10 p.m., 22 - | kilom = 14 Eng. m. ; time
in going 30 to 35 minutes.

After crossing the Seine by the Pont
d’Asnieres Stat. beyond Clichy, this
railway turns to the 1. out of the St.
Germain line (see Rte. 8) to

Brittany.

Route 34.— St. Cloud—Les Hcimeux.

Ill

Courbevoie Stat., whose large bar¬
rack, built by Louis XV., is seen on
the L, and beyond it the Arc de l’Etoile.
The avenue leading from it, after pass¬
ing the Seine by the Pont de Neuilly,
branches out into two roads leading to
Rouen, the upper and the lower, both
of which are crossed by the railway
before reaching

Puteaux Stat. A fine view is ob¬
tained of Paris and the Seine from this
part of the line, while skirting on the
rt. the flanks of Mont Valerien, now con¬
verted into one of the citadels of Paris.

Suresnes Stat.

St. Cloud Stat.

The Royal Ch&teau, built or altered
by Mansard for the Due d’Orleans,
brother of Louis XIV., has been the
scene of great events. Here the fatal
Ordonnances of July 1830 were signed,
which lost Charles X. the throne ; here
Napoleon, like Cromwell before him,
laid the foundation of his power on the
memorable 19 Brumaire (Nov. 11,1799),
by expelling with his armed grenadiers
the Council of Five Hundred from the
Orangerie, in which they held their
sittings ;—two of the most momentous
of the Revolutions of France. It was
a favourite residence of Marie Antoi¬
nette and of Bonaparte, and is now
occupied by the President.

The interior is handsomely furnished,
and contains some paintings chiefly of
the modern French school, Gobelin
tapestry, Sevres vases, &c. The finest
apartment is the Salon de Mars ; the
most interesting for its associations,
the Orangerie already mentioned. Even
more remarkable than the Chateau is
the Parc de St. Cloud, laid out by Le
Notre, always open to the public, and
well wortliv of a visit on account of the
beautiful view which it commands over
the winding Seine and the country
around Paris, for its artificial cascades,
and its waterworks, which play the 1st
and 3rd Sunday of every month. The
Grand Jet d’JCau rises from the centre
of a circular basin, at the extremity of
a long avenue, to a height of 137 feet,
and discharges 5000 gallons per minute.
The copy of the beautiful circular temple
at Athens, called the L ante me de Demos-
thene, should not be passed unobserved.

In this part a fair is held on the 7th
September, and lasts 3 weeks, one of
the most celebrated and frequented of
all the fetes near Paris.

The name of St. Cloud is a contrac¬
tion of St. Clodoald, grandson of
Clovis, who escaped alive when his
brothers were murdered by their uncle
Clothaire, by hiding himself in a wood
here, and living as a hermit. Here, in
the Maison de Gondi, Henri III. was
assassinated by Jacques Clement, 1589,
while his army, united with that of
Henri of Navarre, was encamped on
these heights preparing to attack Paris.
The father of Louis-Philippe was born
here.

The rail way is carried under a part of
the park of St. Cloud in a Tunnel more
than 1650 ft. long.

Sevres Stat. Both railways have
stations here, but at some distance
from the village, as well as at

Viroflay Stat. 1. The railway to
Chartres diverges about 1 m. beyond
Viroflay.

rt. The small village of Montreuil,
famed for peaches, is the birthplace of
General Hoche, who commenced life
as an under groom in the royal stables,
and rose to be commander of the army
of the Moselle.

Versailles Station, Rue Duplessis,
Boulevard de la Reine.

[Near Magny—Les Hameux are the
scanty remains of the once celebrated
abbey of Port Royal des Champs, de¬
stroyed by royal decree 1709, at the
instigation of the Jesuits, as the head¬
quarters of Jansenism, after the nuns,
its tenants, had been subjected to the
most cruel persecutions in order to
compel them to subscribe to the bull
of Alexander VII. against the doctrines
of Jansen. In 1644 a number of
learned men and profound divines,
professing the same doctrines, settled
in a farmhouse near the convent, called
La Grange, repairing hither for study;
and here composed those works w T hich,
as “they were published anony¬
mously, are known by the name of
their place of residence. Arnauld,
Nicole, are among the Messieurs de
Port-Royal,—an appellation so glorious
in the 17th cent.”— Hallam. Boileau

112

Route 34 .—Port Royal — Rambouillet.

Sect. II.

and Pascal were their friends, and
Racine, who wrote their history, their
pupil.

“He whose journey lies from Ver¬
sailles to Chevreuse will soon find him¬
self at the brow of a steep cleft or
hollow, intersecting the monotonous
plain across which he has been passing.
The brook which winds through the
verdant meadows beneath him stag¬
nates into a lage pool, reflecting the
solitary Gothic arch, the water-mill,
and the dovecot, which rise from its
banks, with the farmhouse, the decayed
towers, the forest-trees, and innumer¬
able shrubs and creepers which clothe
the slopes of the valley. France has
many a lovelier prospect, though this
is not without its beauty, and many a
field of more heart-stirring interest,
though this, too, has been ennobled
by heroic daring; but through the
length and breadth of that land of
chivalry and of song, the traveller will
in vain seek a spot so sacred to genius,
to piety, and to virtue. That arch is
all which remains of the once crowded
monastery of Port-Royal. In those
woods Racine first learned the lan¬
guage— the universal language—of
poetry. Under the roof of that
humble farmhouse, Pascal, Arnauld,
Nicole, De Sace, and Tillemont me¬
ditated those works which, as long
as civilization and Christianity sur¬
vive, will retain their hold on the
gratitude and reverence of mankind.
There were given innumerable proofs
of the graceful good humour of Henri
IV. To this seclusion retired the
heroine of the Fronde, Ann Gene¬
vieve, Duchess of Longueville, to seek
the peace the world could not give.
Madame de Sevignd discovered here a
place ‘tout propre a inspirer le desir
de faire son salut.’ From Versailles
there came hither to worship God
many a courtier and many a beauty,
heartbroken or jaded with the very
vanity of vanities—the idolatry of their
fellow-mortals. Survey French society
in the 17th cent, from what aspect you
will, it matters not, at Port-Royal will
be found the most illustrious examples
of whatever imparted to that motley
assemblage any real dignity or per¬

manent regard. Even to the mere
antiquarian it was not without a lively
interest.”— Stephen.

The magnificent ChdteaudeDampierre,
in the vale of Chevreuse, has lately
been restored by its owner, the Due
de Luynes, one of the richest nobles
in France. It has been adorned with
paintings by Ingres, and with sculp¬
tures by Si/nart. The park has an
area of 2000 acres. The valley is one
of the prettiest and least visited spots
in the vicinity of Paris. The Chateau
is curious.

32 La Verriere Stat.

39 Lartoire Stat.

48 Rambouillet Stat., a dull town of
3000 Inhab., remarkable only for its
Chateau, long the residence of the
kings of France, down to the time
of Charles X., who, after the July
revolution, here signed, in conjunc¬
tion with the Due d’Angouleme, his
abdication of the French throne, Aug. 2,
1830, under pressure of the news that
the mob of Paris, armed, was on its
march hither, seeming to threaten
results not unlike those which befel
Louis XVI. at Versailles, Oct. 1789.
It is a gloomy and ugly pile of red
brick, with 5 flanking towers of stone,
destitute of interest beyond what it
may derive from its history. A cham¬
ber is shown in the great round tower
where Francis I. died, 1547, aged 52.
The dreary park and extensive forest
adjoining, the favourite sporting-ground
of Charles X., are now hired to private
clubs of sportsmen. The chateau was
converted by Louis Napoleon into a
Seminary for officers’ daughters, 1852.

Beyond this the road becomes more
hilly and varied. The rly. descends
the valley of the Guesle, following its
sinuosities, as far as

61 Epernon Stat., no tolerable Inn.

The name of this town of 1600
Inhab. was changed from Autrist to
Epernon by Henry III., who created
it and the district around a duchy for
his favourite Nogaret. It retains por¬
tions of its old walls and towers, and
is prettily situated on the banks of the
Guesle, under a commanding rock of
limestone.

Maintenon Stat. is situated between

Brittany.

Route 34.— Maintenon — Chartres.

113

the ruined aqueduct of Louis XIY.
(see below) and the imposing modern
rly. viaduct of 3*2 arches, 65 ft. high,
raised on light piers. The Chateau
attached to this little town was given
by Louis XIY., with the estate and
title of Marquise de Maintenon, to
Franchise d’Aubigne, widow of Scarron,
at the time when the king made her
his wife. Their marriage is said to
have been celebrated in the chapel of
the castle by the Pere la Chaise in the
presence of Harlay and Louvois, 1685,
she being 50 years old and Louis 47.
The Castle stands on the margin of the
Eure, and now belongs to the Due
de Noailles; parts of it are said to
appertain to the original structure
raised by Cocquereau, treasurer of
.finance to Louis XI. and Charles VIII.
The bedroom of Mad. de Maintenon,
and her portrait in robes trimmed
with ermine and fleurs - de - lis, are
shown.

The valley of the Eure is here
crossed by the imposing ruins of the
Aqueduct, constructed 1684, at the
mandate of Louis XIV., to convey the
waters of the Eure from Pont Gouin
to Versailles, but afterwards abandoned
for the machine at Marly.

“ As Louis had committed the blun¬
der of building in a place without
water, he proposed to remedy his
mistake by conveying the river eight
leagues, by a new channel, to adorn
his park. To accomplish this it was
necessary to join two mountains at
Maintenon, and form an aqueduct:
40,000 troops wei’e employed in this
great work, and a camp formed ex¬
pressly for the purpose. From the
unhealthiness of the work or of the
air, a great mortality ensued; the
dead were carried away in the night¬
time, that their companions might
not be discouraged; but the loss of
many thousand lives to please the
wanton caprice of a despot excited no
sympathy and created no surprise.
The war of 1688, however, interrupted
the labour, and it was never afterwards
resumed.”— Lord John Russell. It was
partly pulled down, after a lapse of
65 years, to build the villa of Cr^cy for
Mad. de Pompadour. The remains

consist of 47 arches, 42 ft. wide and 83
high. The total length of the canal, of
which this was to form a part, would
have exceeded 33 m. if completed.

On leaving Maintenon behind we
enter the fertile plain called La Beauce,
comprising some of the finest corn-
land in France. In the early summer
it is an uninterrupted ocean of waving
corn as far as the eye can reach—with¬
out hedges, little varied by trees or
houses. “ In crossing this monoto¬
nous plain I was much struck with the
number of churches. I counted at one
time about 13, yet the villages are
neither numerous nor large.”— P. LI.

78 Jouy Stat.

Rather mox*e than 1 m. from Chartres
the river Eure is crossed. The twin
steeples of Chartres are conspicuous a
long way off.

88 Chartres Station. — Inns: Post, or
Grand Monarque, best; Hotel Due de
Chartres; H. de France, indifferent.

Chartres, a city of 14,439 Inhab.,
once capital of the fertile Beauce, and
now of the Dept. d’Eure et Loire, is
situated on a slope, at the bottom of
which runs the Eure, washing the
only remaining portion of the old forti¬
fications and two of the city gates.
The Porte Guillaume, one of these, is
picturesque; the rest have been pulled
down, the ramparts levelled into walks,
and the town thrown open. Chartres
is remarkable in a commercial point of
view for one of the largest corn-markets
in France, held every Saturday, where
the produce of the Beauce is disposed
of; and in point of architecture ,.for its

Cathedral, one of the most magni¬
ficent in Europe, conspicuous far and
near, with its two tall but unequal
spires surmounting the hill on which
the city stands. Its most striking and
interesting features, after its vast
dimensions and elegant proportions,
are its two rich and singular lateral
portals, its painted glass, scarcely
equalled in France, and its three rose
windows.

There is much perplexity in the
dates assigned to different parts of the
building, but, with the evidence of
style, we may pronounce the Crypt,
running under the whole extent of the

114

Route 34.— Chartres — Cathedral.

Sect. II.

choir aisles, to be the only part remain¬
ing which was bnilt by Bishop Fulbert,
1029. He was aided in his pious foun¬
dation by gifts from the kings of Eng¬
land, France, and Denmark, and a
great body of people came over from
Rouen to work at it, encamping in tents
around while it was in progress. The
ch., as it exists, was not dedicated until
1260, and the greater portion of it may
safely be referred to the 13th centy. ;
but the W. front was completed in
1145, except the elegant crocketed N.
spire raised in 1514, partly at the charge
of Louis XII., by Jean Texier, an archi¬
tect of the Beauce : it is 304 ft. high,
and the upper part of beautifully light
and delicately executed work. It is
well worth ascending for the view, not
only of the surrounding country, but of
the Cathedral itself. In the W. front,
which is simple in its style, we have to
remark the triple portal of pointed
arches ; that in the centre, called Porte
Roy ale , supported and flanked by statues
of royal saints. These are attenuated
figures with formal plaited drapery,
characteristic of the Byzantine sculp¬
ture of the 12th centy. Above the
door is the image of Christ in an oval,
with the symbols of the 4 Evangelists,
as designated in the vision of Ezekiel,
around him. Below these are the 14
Prophets in a row, and in the arches
above the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse,
playing on musical instruments of the
middle ages. The sculpture of the
right-hand portal relates to the life of
the Virgin, and in that of the 1. is seen
Christ, again surrounded by angels,
with the signs of the zodiac, and the agri¬
cultural labours of the twelve months.

Far finer are the two entrances on
the N. and S. sides, consisting of triple
projecting Gothic porticoes (something
like the W. end of Peterborough),
resting on piers, or bundles of pillars,
with side openings between them. The
stately statues which line the sides and
vaults are of a superior style of art,
and of a later date (14th cent.) than
those of the W. front.

The interior is of such consistent
vastness in all its parts, that its dimen¬
sions do not perhaps strike the specta¬
tor, at first sight, to their fullest extent,

but its length is 422 ft., and the height
to the apex of its roof 112 ft. The
style throughout nave and choir is the
vigorous early Gothic. In the centre
of the nave a maze or labyrinth, of in¬
tricate circles, is marked out on the
pavement in coloured stone : to follow
it through its windings (1320 ft. long),
saying prayers at certain stations, was
probably at one time a penitential exer¬
cise. The ch. possesses a perfect trea¬
sure of Painted Glass, more than 130
windows being completely filled, and
few being quite destitute of this splen¬
did ornament. They date, for the most
part, from the 13th centy. Some of
the glass is ^ inch thick. The 3 rose
windows at the end of the nave and
transepts are remarkable for their size,
30 or 40 ft. diameter, and their com¬
plicated tracery, but it is somewhat
clumsy. The windows, both in nave
and choir, illustrate subjects from the
Bible, or legends of saints; in the lower
compartments are frequently seen re¬
presentations of various trades—shoe¬
makers, basket-makers, &c.—showing
that their guilds or corporations were
the donors.

Attached to the E. end is a chapel
dedicated to St. Piat, in the form of an
oblong; it was founded in 1349, and
is flanked by two round towers ex¬
ternally.

The choir has double aisles and a
semicircular E. end; in the inside 8
marble bas-reliefs, of Scriptural sub¬
jects, mediocre in design and execution,
are inserted, and behind the high altar
is a huge marble piece of sculpture, in
the taste of the time of Louis XIII.,
not consistent with the character of
the building. The outside of the
screen, which separates the choir from
its aisles, is ornamented with a series
of very remarkable Gothic sculptures,
each representing an event in the life
of Christ or the Virgin Mary, in 45
compartments surrounded with the
most elaborate tracery and tabernacle
work ; they were begun 1514, and con¬
tinued down to the middle of the 17th
century, and are interesting as some of
the final efforts of Gothic art. The
execution has been compared to “ point
lace in stone, and some of the sculp-

Brittany.

115

Route 34.— Chartres — Rretigny.

tured threads are not thicker than the
blade of a penknife.”

In the choir of Chartres cathedral
Henri IV. was crowned, 1594; Rheims,
the ancient scene of the royal corona¬
tion, being at the time in the hands
of the Leaguers. The ceremony was
performed by the bishop of the dio¬
cese, and, as the “Sainte Ampoulle ”
was not to be got at, a vial of holy oil,
said to have been given by an angel to
St. Martin of Tours, to cure a bruise,
was brought in procession from the
Abbey of Marmoutiers, and with this
the king was anointed. This cathedral
narrowly escaped destruction by fire in
1836 : fortunately the roof and interior
of the towers were alone consumed.

“ The origin and splendour of this
cathedral are owing to the circum¬
stance that it was the earliest and chief
church in France dedicated to the
Virgin, and thus the object of vast
pilgrimages. The sacred image, sup¬
posed to date from the time when this
place was the centre of the Druidic
worship, as described by Csesar, stood
in the crypt. It was burned and the
crypt sacked in 1793. The church still
contains the relic of the Sacra Camisia,
given by Charles le Chauve; and there
is a black image of the 12tli centy. in
the N. aisle, which attracts much de¬
votion. It is worth while to ascend
the tower—not for the panorama, which
is only over a vast plain, but in order to
have a near view of the painted glass
inside the cathedral. A full account
of every window will be found in the
elaborate History of the Cathedral by
the Abbe Baltran, price 4^ francs.”—
A. P. S.

After exploring this noble and sur¬
passing edifice, the traveller will pro¬
bably have little desire to look at
inferior churches, yet the only other
curiosities here are

The Church of St. Pierre (St. Pere),
contiguous to a huge caserne, once a
convent, and not far from the river;

-—although very inferior to the cathe¬
dral, it presents a remakable lantern¬
like E. end, filled with rich painted
glass. The lantern character is in¬
creased by the triforium, running all
round the choir, being open and glazed.

The choir, though pointed, must be
very early in the style, the piers
having a Romanesque character, the
nave slightly different, and apparently
later, yet retains the transition appear¬
ance in its columns. Its triforium is
a row of trefoil-headed arches, sup¬
ported on pilasters.

St. Andre, also near the river, and
now a magasin de foiirrage, filled with
straw and hay, is yet interesting to the
student of architecture as an early,
plain, and severe example of the
pointed style. In the W. fa§ade a cir¬
cular-headed doorway is surmounted
by a triplet of lancet windows, and
these by a bold rose window. The
piers supporting the nave arches are
cylindrical, marking the transition
from Romanesque to Gothic. The
choir, which was carried across the
Eure, is destroyed. A curious crypt
extends from the south aisle down
to the river, and below its level.
St. Andre is supposed to have been
founded 1108.

An Obelisk has been set up in the
Marche aux Herbes, to record the fact
that Marceau was a native of Chartres,
—“Soldat a 16 ans, General a 23 ; il
mourut a 27.” The original inscription
mentioned his exploits in destroying
the rebel Vendeans at Le Mans and
Laval. The revolutionary hero Petion
was born here.

The Corn Market is exceedingly well
regulated ; business is transacted for
ready money, and is usually over in f
hour. The measuring and selling of
the grain, and receiving payment for
it, are managed by a corporation of
women, of long standing, remarkable
for their integrity, and implicitly
trusted by the owners.

There are a public Library of 30,000
volumes and a Museum in the town.

Malleposte to Brest.

Diligences daily to Orleans and Rouen
by Evreux (Rte. 50). To Tours by
Vendome (Rte. 54). To Nantes.

Railway to Paris by Versailles—to
Le Mans and Rennes in progress.

The little village Bretiyny, 6 m.
from Chartres, gives its name to the
celebrated treaty of peace, signed 1360,
between France and England, by which

116

Route 34 .—Paris to Rennes—Le Mans.

Sect. II.

Edward III. renounced his claim to
the throne of France, and released the
French king, John, taken prisoner at
Poitiers, upon payment of a vast ran¬
som, and delivery of numerous host¬
ages. A violent storm which fell upon
Edward and his army near Chartres,
and “ reminded him of the day of
judgment,” caused him to make a vow
(looking towards the towers of the
cathedral) that he would give peace to
France, and led to this important treaty.

The journey from Chartres is con¬
tinued through the monotonous but
fertile and well-cultivated corn-plain
of La Beauce.

La Loupe Stat.

[Courville, 3 m. S. of this is the
Chateau de Villebon, where the illus¬
trious Sully died. It is a square build¬
ing of brick, with towers at the angles,
and not many years ago retained its
ancient furniture, even to the bed on
which the great minister expired. The
Eure rises about 15 m. to the N. of
Courville. At Montlandon the fertile
Beauce terminates, and the country
becomes hilly.

Nogent-le-Rotrou Stat., a town of
7070 Inhab., contains a ruined Castle,
the residence of Sully, and his Monu¬
ment in the chapel of the Hotel Dieu
founded by him. It bears the marble
statues of himself and his wife by
Boudin, 1642, and a long inscription
at the back ; it escaped the fury of
the Revolution, but the grave itself
was violated, and the bones disinterred
and scattered. The word Nogent is
an abbreviation of the Latin Novigen-
tium ; Rotrou was the name of a count
of Perclie, in which district it is situ¬
ated. The river produces crawfish in
great abundance, ( Inn ; St. Jacques.)
The road follows the direction of the
Huisne river from Nogent nearly to
Le Mans.

Ferte-Bernard is a prettily situated
town in the Dept, de la Sartlie, skirted
by the road. Within it the Parish
Church is an interesting Gothic build¬
ing, having a richly-sculptured ex¬
ternal gallery, with the words “Salve
Regina” cut in stone, and 3 chapels,
fron the vaulted roofs of which hang
stone pendants.

Near Connerre is a large Dolmen or
Druidic monument of rude stone slabs,
like Kits Coity House in Kent. (§ 4.)

St. Mars-la-Bruyere indicates by its
name the desolate sandy heaths in the
midst of which it is situated.

Le Mans Stat. (Inn: Le Dauphin),
once capital of the province of Le
Haut Maine, now chef-lieu of the Dept,
de la Sartlie, is situated on the 1. bank
of the river Sarthe, a little above the
junction of the Huisne, and has 20,000
Inhab.

The principal edifice is the Cathe¬
dral of St. Julien, which is well de¬
serving of attention. It is in two
styles ; the nave, Romanesque, though
with pointed arches, dates probably
from the 12 cent., but its side aisles
and walls, and the plain W. front, are
not later than the 11th, perhaps much
earlier. Indeed, the external masonry
of the .side walls, resembling Roman
construction, is probably part of the
original church, founded in the 8th or
9th cent. Above the W. door are
portions of reticulated masonry, and
an ancient bust of a king or bishop ;
on each side are figures supposed to
represent the 2 signs of the zodiac,
Capricorn and Sagittarius.

On the S. side is a very richly-
carved Romanesque doorway —a round
arch preceded by a pointed porch,
flanked by statues of kings and saints,
resembling the W. door at Chartres,
and with angels in the vault. It is
much mutilated, unfortunately.

The Choir is a beautiful production
of the 13th centy., the period of per¬
fection in pointed Gothic architecture.
It is surrounded by 11 chapels, and
its windows are filled with beautiful
painted glass, little inferior to that of
Chartres, except in preservation. In
the transept is a fine rose window,
together with much stained glass of
the 14tli or 15tli cent., a date rather
more modern than that of the choir.

This church contains the monu¬
ments of Berengaria of Sicily, queen
of Richard Coeur de Lion, brought
from the abbey of Epau, and much
defaced ; of Charles of Anjou ; and
of Langey du Bellay, distinguished as
a soldier and as a writer in the reigns

Brittany.

117

Route 34.-

of Francis I. and Henri II. The last is
attributed to Germain Pilon ; its ara¬
besques and bas-reliefs in.marble are
well worthy attention.

An undressed block of silicious sand¬
stone, standing on one end, has been
incorporated into the wall of the
church on the outside ; it is supposed
to be a Druidic stone.

The Church of Notre Dame chi; Pre'
is probably of the 11 th cent.

Notre Dame de la Couture (de cultura
Dei) has a very old choir, supposed to
have been begun 990 ; both arches
and vaulting are round and of rude
construction ; it has a very elegant
portal, adorned with sculpture of con¬
siderable merit (Last Judgment). The
conventual buildings to which it was
originally attached are now the Pre¬
fecture , but contain besides the Library
and a Museum, partly devoted to na¬
tural history, partly to paintings of a
very inferior order, but possessing one
curiosity at least, viz. a portrait of
Geoffroi Plantagenet, enamelled on
copper, a very early specimen of that
class of art : it was anciently placed in
the cathedral where he was buried.
There are also many objects of Roman
antiquity found in Le Mans and the
neighbourhood, at Alonnes pottery, &c.

St. Pierre is supposed to be the
oldest church here, that is to say, the
lower part of its walls.

The Seminaire , originally the Ab-
baye de St. Vincent, has a noble fa-
9 ade and a fine staircase. There is a
handsome theatre.

Many specimens of ancient domes¬
tic architecture remained here until
lately, but are fast disappearing, and
the town is becoming modern and
commonplace. There used to be some
old houses in the Grande Rue. Nos.
7 , 10 , and 12 deserve attention ; the
last is known as the house of Queen
Berengaria, but appears not to be older
than the 15th century. It contains a
chimney-piece adorned with bas-reliefs.
The house of Scarron (husband of
Madame de Maintenon) is pointed out
near the cathedral. The vestiges of
the Roman rule at Le Mans are not
considerable : the chief are the re¬
mains of 3 subterranean aqueducts, by

-Le ManSi

which the city was supplied with water
from a distance. A portion of them
may be seen in a cellar of the Rue
Gourdaine. Fragments of the Roman
town walls still exist ; but all traces
of an amphitheatre, discovered in the
last century, have been swept away.

Le Mans was the birthplace of Henry
(II.) Fitz-Empress, the first of the
Plantagenet kings of England: a name
derived from the plant or sprig of
broom (genet), the abundant produc¬
tion of his native province Anjou and
Maine, which his father, Geoffroi, used
to wear in his cap.

A great trade is carried on here in
clover-seed, which is sent over in large
quantities to England. The chief ar¬
ticle of manufacture is wax candles.
Le Mans is also famed for poultry ;
its poulards and chapons supply the
markets of Paris.

Le Mans witnessed the ruin and
final dispersion of the Vendean army
in 1793. Worn out by the disastrous
fatigues of a six months’ campaign,
they were here assaulted by the Re¬
publican forces under Marceau’s com¬
mand. Very obstinate was the resist¬
ance made by the Royalists in the
streets and great square of the town
before they were finally expelled, with
their leader, Larochejacquelin, who
was wounded in the action. Then en¬
sued the most fearful carnage, not
only of the Vende'an soldiery, but of
their miserable wives and children,
who accompanied them. By the joint
exercise of cannonades of grape and
platoons of musketry, discharged upon
the defenceless crowd, under the
order of the commissioners of the
Convention, upwards of 10,000 persons
were slaughtered on that occasion.

Conveyances daily to Caen by Aien-
9011 and to Tours (Rte. 29).

The Railway to Rennes (230 m. from
Paris) is in progress through Laval
and Vitre.

From Le Mans to Laval the post¬
relays are

14 Coulans.

19 La Lune Brulon.

18 La Metairie de Beauvais.

10 Soulge-le-Bruant.

16 Laval. (Inns: Tete Noire;—

118

Route 34 .—Paris to Ren?ies — Laval.

Sect. II.

Cour Royale), a curious ancient town,
chef-lieu of the Dept, de la May-
enne, on the river Mayenne, has
16,500 Inhab. The oldest part con¬
sists of black timber houses, each
story projecting beyond that below it,
until the gable overhangs the street;
but a new quarter has risen on the
W., where the streets are wide and
regular. On the rt. bank of the river,
close to the old bridge, the Castle of
the seigneurs of La Tremouille rises
from a basement of rock, on which
its lofty wall is raised, flanked at one
end by a machicolated round tower.
It was built in the 12th centy., and its
Chapel on round arches is perhaps of
that date, but there are many later
additions, and the jambs of some of
the windows facing the inner court
retain some rich ornaments in the style
of the Renaissance (15th or 16th
centy.). It is now a prison.

The Cathedral presents a singularity
of ground plan, taking the form of a
right angle, occasioned by the sloping
ground on which it stands. It is a
curious Gothic edifice. The nave and
choir (except the aisles and side
chapels, additions of the 15th and 16tli
centuries, in the flamboyant style) are
not older than the 12th centy. The E.
end is square; the porch is a wretched
addition of recent times. Under the
cli. are very extensive substructions
and crypts, thrown up in consequence
of the slope of the ground to form a
platform or pedestal for the building.

St. Venerand, a cli. of the 15th or
16th centy., has a little painted glass.

The church in the village of Avenieres,
adjoining the town, built 1040, deserves
the notice of the architect. Its choir,
in the early pointed style, is sur¬
rounded by 5 apsidal chapels, and 2
others open into the transepts. Above
the cross rises an elegant stone spire of
decorated Gothic. The church contains
a miracle-working image of the Virgin.

The architect and antiquary ought
not to leave unseen the little ruined
eh., of Grenoux, 2 m. from Laval.
It is destitute of all ornament. The
structure of its masonry, small square
stones with intervening bonds of
tiles, marks the style of a period

not later than the 9th cent. Within
it is a monument of a knight and his
lady.

Laval is essentially a manufacturing
town, occupied in the production of
linens and cottons (toiles, coutils, sia-
moises), and of linen thread, large
quantities of which are spun here. A
market for the sale of these produc¬
tions is held every week in the Halle
aux Toiles.

Laval was the centre from which
arose the Royalist insurrection of 1792,
called Chouannerie, either from 4 bro¬
thers named Chouan, its first leaders,
of the village St. Ouen des Toits, or
from the cry of the owl, imitated by
the salt-smugglers of this district as a
signal to their confederates, and after¬
wards adopted during the struggle, by
the peasant guerrillas, to announce the
enemy’s approach.

One of the most glorious victories
of the Vendeans was gained in Oct.
1793, a little to the S. of the town.
Defeated in several previous combats,
and driven across the Loire, with a
large Republican army in pursuit of
them, their enemies believed the war
extinguished. Barrere announced this
intelligence to the Convention in Paris :
“La Vendee is no more, the brigands
are exterminated, a profound solitude
reigns in the Bocage, covered with
cinders and watered with tears:”—but
at the very time that these words
were being uttered, Larochejacquelin
had carried Laval at the point of the
bayonet; then, turning round on his
pursuers, he exhorted his brave bands
to efface the memory of their former
defeats, and to fight for the preserva¬
tion of their wives and children who
accompanied them, now far from their
homes. Lescure insisted on being car¬
ried through the ranks on his death-
litter, mortally wounded as he was, to
encourage the Royalists by his pre¬
sence, and to share their peril and
toil. The Vendeans, obeying the ap¬
peal, on this occasion rushed upon the
enemy in close column, routed them
entirely, and pursued them beyond
Chateau Gonthier, with a loss to the
Republicans of 12,000 men, among
whom were the redoubted garrison of

Brittany.

Route 34.—- Vitre -— Rennes.

119

Mayence, who were mostly cut to
pieces, and of 19 cannon. The conflict
began at les Croix de Bataille, 2 m. S.
of Laval. So precipitate and com¬
plete was the rout, that the remains
of the Republican army, reduced to
12,000 men, were not collected and
reorganised until 12 days had elapsed,
and not before they had left the town
of Angers in their rear.

21 La Gravelle. “ There are large
coal-works at St. Pierre la Cour, near
this.”— L.

16 Vitrfi (Bin: La Poste) is in ap¬
pearance a town of the middle ages,
Gothic and irregular, retaining the
greater portion of its feudal fortifi¬
cations, high and thick waits flanked
by tow’ers, surmounted by machicola¬
tions, and surrounded by a deep ditch.
They appear not later in date than the
15th cent. On one side of them, but
detached from them by a ditch, stands
a venerable and picturesque Castle of
the Seigneurs de la Tremouille, now
converted into a prison and/ailing to
decay. In the court is an elegantly
ornamented structure, half Gothic, half
Italian, supposed to have been a pulpit.
At the time of its construction the
lords of the castle were adherents of
the reformed faith, and the inscription,
which may still be read around the
console, “ post tenebras spero lucem,”
probably alludes to the persecutions
they suffered.

The Ch. of Notre Dame is in a style
indicating the decline of Gothic art;
attached to it, on the outside, is a
stone pulpit, and within one of the
chapels hangs a frame containing 32
small enamels, probably from Limoges.

The peasants of this part of Brittany
wear a dress of goatskins with the hair
turned outwards, which gives them a
somewhat savage aspect, and reminds
one of Robinson Crusoe.

About 3 m. S. of Vitre is the
Chateau des Rochers, long time the re¬
sidence of Madame de Sdvigne; her
bedroom and the cabinet where she
wrote many of her charming letters
are pointed out, and there is a fine
portrait of her by Mignard, but the
furniture, &c., of the interior has been
altered.

[Near Essd, 7 lieues S.W. of Vitre, is
aDruidical monument called “laRoche
aux Fees,” consisting of 43 large rough
blocks of stone—34 upright, support¬
ing 8 others which form a roof.]

The Vilaine river, after which the
department is named, rises near Vitre;
our road runs parallel with its course
as far as Rennes, crossing it by a stone
bridge at

15 CMteaubourg.

2 m. beyond this the road passes
close to a large slate-quarry excavated
to a depth of more than 100 ft.

9 Noyal. The country possesses
little interest.

12 Rennes. — Inns: H. de France,
rebuilt 1851 ; table-d’hote 4 frs. ;—-
H. de la Corne de Cerf, well situated
and moderate charges; — H. Jullien
(formerly H. de TEurope). This town,
once capital of Brittany, now chef-
lieu of the Ddpt. Ille et Vilaine, is
situated at the confluence of these tw T o
streams, and contains 37,900 Inhab.
Here are few antiquities; the town has
an entirely modern aspect, arising from
a dreadful fire which in 1720 reduced
nearly the whole to ashes. It lasted
7 days, and consumed 850 houses, be¬
sides nearly all the public buildings ;
the ancient and solidly built clock
tower crumbled to pieces on the third
day, calcined by the flames. The pub¬
lic buildings, of a date subsequent to
this catastrophe, display for the most
part the bad taste of the 18th centy.

The streets are uniform ; and, £ £ not¬
withstanding the sober and gloomy hue
of which the houses are chiefly built,
Rennes is rather a handsome city,”
but dull. Considerable improvements
have taken- place, many narrow streets
have been removed, and a new bridge
has been thrown over the Vilaine.

The stately Palais de Justice, in the
handsome Place du Palais, was the
parliament house of the States of Brit¬
tany, and is the most remarkable
building here. It contains one fine
large Salle, des Pas Perdus, and several
apartments rich in gilded ceilings and
stucco ornaments, Cupids bearing fes¬
toons, &c., with roofs and panels
painted by Jouvenet. Its date is
1670.

120

Route 35 .—Paris to Rennes — Sevres.

Sect. II.

The interior of the modern Cathedral
“is a very spacious, lofty, and im¬
posing Hall of Grecian architecture;
the principal aisle having a richly de¬
corated vaulted roof, supported by
massive and well-proportioned fluted
Corinthian columns. On the whole
the effect is striking, but not all eccle¬
siastical.” M. A. S. — St. Melaine retains
a Romanesque porch supported on
engaged pillars with curiously carved
capitals, probably of the 12th century.
The telegraph on the top of the cathe¬
dral is one of the chain communicating
between Paris and Brest.

There is a very handsome modern
Theatre, situated in another respectable
square, with covered arcades around it,
lined with shops.

In the modern Hotel de Ville facing
the theatre is a collection of pictures
removed from the damp Musde in
wdiich they were before deposited : the
greater part are of little worth. As a
curiosity may be cited a Judgment of
Solomon painted by King Rene' of Anjou,
but much injured, faded and dingy in
hue. There is a Lion Hunt, said to
be by Rubens (?)

Here is also the Public Library, con¬
taining 30,000 volumes, and many rare
MSS., among them a charter of Don
Henry of Trastamare, granting lands
in Spain to Du Guesclin.

The chief attraction of Rennes, how¬
ever, is its Public Walks, especially that
called le Mont Thabor, planted with fine
trees and commanding a pleasing view
over the town, and valley of the
Vilaine. A miserable statue of Du
Guesclin has been set up in it. The
other walks are le Mail, extending
down to the junction of the Ille and
Vilaine, le Mont de Madame, and le
Champ de Mars.

One of the old town gates, la Porte
Mordelaise, is preserved opposite the
new cathedral; the entrance is by a
pointed arch, and the masonry includes
a stone bearing a Roman inscription,
dedicated by the town of Rennes ( Re-
donis) to the Emperor Gordian; it is
no longer legible. Through this gate
the ancient Dukes of Brittany made
their solemn entry into Rennes on
their accession, but before passing it

they swore to preserve the Catholic
faith and the ch. of Brittany, to
govern wisely, and to execute justice ;
they were then conducted into the ch.,
where, after 2 days spent in prayer,
they were crowned with the golden
circlet, and girt with the ducal sword.

The manufactures of Rennes are
sail-cloth, which it supplies to the
French navy, and some table linen.
The butter (beurre said) is excellent,
especially that of Prdvalaye, large quan¬
tities of which are sent to other parts
of France.

Rennes has a communication by
Canal with St. Malo and the Channel
on the one hand, and with Nantes and
Brest on the other.

Diligences daily to Le Mans Rly. Stat.
for Paris, and to Brest (Rte. 36) ; to
Dinan and St. Malo (Rte. 41) ; to Caen
(Rte. 31); to Nantes (Rte 41).

ROUTE 35.

PARIS TO RENNES BY VERNEUIL,
DRElfX, ALEN$ON, AND LAVAL.

355 kilom. — 220 Eng. m.

c. The High Road, Route Roy ale,
now deserted for the railway (Rte. 34),
quits Paris by the Barriere de Passy.
The village of Passy was the residence
of Benjamin Franklin, 1788. He occu¬
pied the house No. 40, Rue Basse,
previously Hotel de Valentinois. The
Abbe Raynal died here, 1796, and
Bellini, the composer, 1834. Beranger
has long lived in a very modest house
here. The road runs along the rt.
bank of the Seine through Auteuil, 2 m.
farther on, which was alsS the resi¬
dence of many eminent men. The wise
and good Chancellor d’Aguesseau lived
and died here; an obelisk in the church¬
yard marks his grave. Boileau’s house
is still pointed out, Rue de Boileau 18,
and Moli&re composed here a great
part of his works. Condorcet and
Madame Helvetius had also houses
here. The park and chateau de St.
Cloud are conspicuous on the hill to
the rt. The river Seine is crossed by
the Pont de Sevres, a short way before
entering le Bourg de

12 Sevres fPop. 4000), situated on
the 1. bank of the river, 6 m. distant

Brittany.

Route 35 .—Paris to Rennes — Dreux.

121

from Paris, between 2 hills, the hill of
Meudon on the 1. and that of St. Cloud
on the rt., along whose slopes the
2 railways to Versailles are carried.
Sevres, like Faenza and Delft, gives its
name to the china made in it, and for
w T hich it is principally known. The
manufactory is in the large building on
the 1. of the road, erected 1755, when
the works were transferred from Vin¬
cennes, and purchased by Louis XV.
It is now the property of the nation,
and employs 150 persons. Admission
to see it is given by the directeur, M.
Brongniart, a distinguished mineralo¬
gist and geologist, to whose scientific
researches the manufacture owes much
of its present perfection. Besides the
show-rooms filled with objects for sale,
there is a very complete and curious
Porcelain Museum here, consisting of
clay, earthenware, and china of all
countries and periods, from the oldest
Greek and Etruscan vases down to the
most recent productions of the nations
of Europe and Asia, China, Japan, and
the East Indies, and of many of the
rude tribes of America. Here is a
series of all the objects made in the
establishment since its commencement,
markiug the change of fashion and
forms : also the various materials,
earths, calces, colouring matters used
in the manufacture. The Kaolin, or
white clay, comes from St. Yreix near
Limoges. The paintings are very re¬
markable from the talents of the art¬
ists employed, (among whom Madame
Jacotot and M. Constantin rank high¬
est,) and the skill displayed in the
burning of the colours gives an equal
pre-eminence to Sevres w r are. Several
pictures by ancient and modern masters
have been copied in the size of the
originals; some were painted on the
china tablet in Italy and sent over to
Sevres to be burnt, and again sent
abroad to be retouched. The Sevres
manufacture is celebrated for its white
unglazed ware, biscuit de Sevres, the
white glazed ware, the elegance of
the shape, and the beauty of the
painting.

The manufacture of painted glass,
erroneously supposed to be lost, has
been revived and brought to consider-

France.

able perfection within a few years ;
also the imitation of precious stones.

The park of St. Cloud (p. 114)
reaches as far as Sevres ; there are 2
entrances to it from the town.

The road continues betwnen the 2
railways as far as Versailles, and enters
that town by the Grande Avenue de
Paris.

7 Versailles. — Inns: H. du Re¬
servoir and H. de France. (See Galig-
nani’s ‘ Paris Guide.’)

A Railroad is open from Versailles to
Chartres. (Rte. 34.)

The road to Rennes and Brest, in
quitting Versailles, passes between the
park wall and a large sheet of water
called Piece des Suisses.

A little w T ay on the rt. lies St. Cyr,
converted by Napoleon into an Ecole
Militaire, 1806, for 300 pupils—a des¬
tination which it still preserves ; but it
was originally founded by Louis XIV.,
at the suggestion of Madame de Main-
tenon, as a school for 250 young ladies
of noble birth, and Mansard furnished
the designs for it, 1686. Racine’s tra¬
gedies of Esther and Athalie, written
for the pupils of the establishment,
were here first brought out, in the
presence of the King and Madame de
Maintenon. She retired hither after
Louis’s death, and dying here, 1719,
was buried in the church. At the
village of Trappes the road, leaving on
the 1. the route to Nantes (Rte. 46),
passes through a dull country to

19 Pontehartrain.

11 La Queue.

13 Houdan.— Tnns: l’Ecu; le Cygne.
There is a handsome Gothic Church
and an old Tower, part of the ancient
fortifications, in this town of 2000
Inhab.

7 Maroles.

The river Eure is crossed at Cherisy.

12 Dreux — {Inn: H. du Paradis)
(Durocassis), a town of 6400 Inhab.,
on the Blaise, a tributary of the Eure.
It was on the plain between the two
rivers that the battle, known as la
Journee de Dreux, one of the bloodiest
in the French religious wars, was fought
between the Roman Catholics, under
the Due de Guise, w T ho was victorious,
and the Huguenots, under the Prince

122

Route 35 .—Paris to Rennes — Ivry.

Sect. II.

de Conde, who was made prisoner,
1583. The Due de Guise shared his
couch the night after with his mortal
enemy, and slept soundly by his
side.

The hill which rises above the town
is crowned by the ruins of the Castle of
the Comtes de Dreux, which was cap¬
tured with the town from the Due de
Guise by Henri IV.: the remains of the
very old Donjon or keep tower of brick,
of a handsome Norman gateway, and
of a Gothic chapel, built 1142, still
exist. The space enclosed by the walls
is planted and converted into a garden,
in the midst of which rises a modern
Chapel, in the form of a Greek temple
surmounted by a cupola, ei’ected by
the late Louis Philippe, when Due
d’Orleans, to replace one destroyed at
the Revolution, which was the burial-
place of his maternal ancestors. Be¬
neath it are interred the Ducliesse de
Penthievre, the remains of the Prin-
cesse de Lamballe, who was massacred
at the Revolution, the Princesse Marie
of Wurtemberg, the accomplished
daughter of the King, and the Duke of
Orleans. Louis Philippe expended vast
sums in adorning the edifice with the
best productions of modern French Art.
The entrances to the Chapel are Gothic:
the dome is painted in fresco with the
12 Apostles. Some of the painted
glass is very fine, and the sculpture on
some of the tombs is exquisite, the
finest of all being an Angel, in a bend¬
ing attitude, the chef d’oeuvre of the
late King’s daughter—finer even than
her well-known Jeanne d’Arc. The
Chapel of the Virgin is enriched with
carving, with pendants from the roof,
and with painted windows of modern
glass, representing religious subjects.
The King built a long low range of
apartments for the residence of him¬
self and his family when he visited the
spot—and they are left just in the state
in which he quitted them. The sum laid
out here by Louis Philippe exceeded
4,000,000 francs. Around the hill are
carried agreeable walks. Its top is sur¬
mounted by a telegraph-tower, and the
view from it is very extensive.

The Gothic Parish Church, its lower
portions in the style of the 13th cent.,

the upper part and tower in that of the
16th, contains the graves of Rotrou, a
dramatist of the 13th cent., and of
Philidor the chess-player, both natives
of Dreux.

The Hotel de Ville, part Gothic, part
the revival style of the 16th cent., now
turned into a museum, contains a
curious chimney-piece, and a bell, cast
in the reign of Charles IX., bearing a
representation, in relief, of the pro¬
cession of the Flambards.

There are numerous manufactures of
coarse cloths, serges, &c., in the arron-
dissement of Dreux.

Diligences to Paris by Versailles:—to
Chartres and Rouen daily.

[11 m. N.E. of Dreux are the scanty
remains of the Chateau cl’Anet, built
by the architect Philibert Delorme for
Diana of Poitiers out of the funds
furnished by the liberality of her royal
lover Henri II., 1552, on the site of a
castle which belonged to her husband
Louis de Brdz£, to w T hich she retired
to pass her widowhood. When she
first became acquainted with the king
she was 31, and he a youth of 13, yet
she maintained her influence over him
to the day of her death, in spite of the
Queen, Catherine de Medicis, and he
wore her colours—the widow’s weeds,
black and white—to the last, and her
symbol, the crescent of Diana, is con¬
spicuous in all his palaces. She was
buried in the Chapel, which still re¬
mains, surmounted by a cupola, but
her monument was removed to Paris,
1793, when her body was torn from
the grave and lost. The chateau was
almost entirely pulled down at the
Revolution; part of the fagade was
transported to Paris, where it has been
re-erected at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
The ruins are pleasantly situated on
the banks of the Eure. That stream
traverses, a little lower down, the Plain
of Ivry, the scene of one of the most
decisive victories gained by Henry IV.
over the armies of the Ligue, 1590,
composed of French and Spaniards
under Mayenne. Henri’s words to his
soldiers before the battle were—“Je
veux vaincre ou mourir avec vous.
Gardez bien vos rangs, ne perdez point
de vue mon panache blanc, vous le

Brittany. Route 35 .—Paris to Rennes — Alengon .

123

trouverez toujours au chemin de
l’honneur.” The monumental obelisk
erected on the spot to commemorate
the battle was thrown down 1793, but
restored by Napoleon.] The Ch. of St.
Beane near Dreux is a fine example of
the flamboyant style.

On the Avre, a tributary of the Eure,
are several manufactories: the paper-
mills of the very eminent stationer and
publisher Didot, 2 or 3 cotton - mills
belonging to Mr. Waddington, and the
woollen yarn mill of Mr. Vulliamy—
the 2 last Englishmen, who employ a
great number of persons. The me¬
chanical power is water only.

14 Nonancourt.

The site of the house in the market¬
place, near the church, in which Henri
IV. slept the night before the battle
of Ivry, is pointed out.

11 Tillieres sur-Avre.

10 Verneuil.— lams : Poste ; Cheval
Blanc. This interesting old town, of
4000 Inhab., contains several remark¬
able specimens of Gothic architecture
—the finest being the Tour de la Made¬
leine, a magnificent work in the most
gorgeous late Gothic style, surmounted
by a stunted spire. Verneuil was once
a place of strength:—under its walls,
which partly remain, a fine specimen
of fortification of the 12th cent., was
fought a bloody battle, August 17,1424,
between the French and English, which,
after two days of hard and uncertain
contest, terminated in favour of the
Regent Duke of Bedford, and was the
last great victory obtained by him.
The bravest leaders and most efficient
troops who fought on the side of the
French were the Scotch. Their com¬
manders, the Earl of Douglas, who had
been created Duke of Touraine, his son,
the Earl of Buchan, and many other
knights were slain. The English army
was inferior in numbers to the enemy,
yet it left 1600 dead on the field,
while on the side of the French there
fell 4000, including Scotch and Italian
allies. As usual, the English archers
contributed mainly to the victory.
Attached to the portion of the fortifica¬
tions not yet removed, is a tall tower,
60 ft. high, on the margin of the Avre,
called la Tour Grise.

The road by Argentan and Falaise
branches off here (Rte. 29).

16 St. Maurice.

22 Mortagne.— Inn: H. de France.
An old town (5158 Inhab.) which
claimed to be capital of la Perclie. It
is situated in a commanding position
on a hill, surmounted by the high road
in a series of zigzags, in order to reach
the principal square/ It was a place
of strength, often besieged, and suf¬
fered much from the horrors of war.
During the contests of the League it
was taken and pillaged by the two par¬
ties 22 times in 3^ years. Parts of its
ramparts remain. Its only supply of
water is obtained by means of a steam-
engine pump, from springs at the bot¬
tom of the hill. The Church is remark¬
able for the pendants in the roof of its
nave.

The canvas used for pictures is made
at Mortagne, besides other coarse
cloths, and some porcelain.

[7 m. N. of Mortagne, at Soligny, is
the convent of La Trappe, founded in
the 12tli cent., but owing its celebrity
to the severe rule of the order enforced,
1666, by the Abbe la Ranee, who, so
far from leading a dissipated life in his
youth, as is commonly reported, is
proved, by documents and letters pub¬
lished by M. Gonod, to have always
lived u strictly and ascetically. The
well-known story of his conversion is
a pure fable.”— G. The convent was
suppressed 1790, by a decree of the
Assemblee Nationale, and its church
destroyed with the tomb of La Ranee,
but the monks were restored in 1814
by the exertions of M. Lestrange. They
are interdicted from all intellectual
labour, and only allowed to work in
the fields.]

16 Mesle-sur-Sarthe. The Sarthe, a
tributary of the Loire, is crossed here.

10 Menil Broust.

13 Alen^oai (Tams: none good; Poste;—
Grand Cerf;—H. d’Angleterre), chief
town of the Ddpt. de l’Orne, has a
population .of 14,500, and is a thriving
place, situated on the Sarthe, near the
junction of the Briante, in an open
plain. Its manufactures consist chiefly
of cotton and woollen, hempen and
linen cloths, called l( Toiles d'Alen$on.”

g 2

124

Route 36.— Rennes to Brest — Lamballe.

Sect. IT.

The making of point lace, “Point
cTAlen§on,” established here by Col¬
bert, for which the town was long cele¬
brated, has now nearly disappeared.
Cider and perry (poire), the common
drink of the country, are sold to a con¬
siderable extent, in casks called pipes.

The public buildings are not very
remarkable. The Cathedral consists of
a Gothic nave, built in the 16th cent.,
having some painted glass, injured by
a storm, 1821, and a pulpit approached
by a staircase cut in the pier, attached
to a plain modern choir. The crypt be¬
neath the church contains the remains
of the Dues d’Alen§on—lately opened.

Three battlemented towers of the
old Castle, built by Wm. de Bellesme
1026, are converted into a prison, and
the Prefecture is a brick building, which
once belonged to the Duchesse de
Guise.

One of the most atrocious of the
Revolutionary leaders, Hebert the
anarchist, editor of the infamous
journal Pere Duchesne, was a native
of Alenqon. He was led trembling and
weeping to the scaffold, to which he
had condemned so many thousand
innocent persons, in 1793, exhibiting
in his last moments the most abject
cowardice.

The name Diamants d’Alemjon is
given to the crystals of smoky quartz
(rock crystal), found in the neighbour¬
ing granite quarries ; where the beryl
also occurs. Alen§on is built of gra¬
nite, which becomes the predominant
rock of the country further W. The
cultivation of wheat becomes rarer,
buckwheat takes its place; broom and
rushes abound.

Diligences to Tours and Caen. (Rte.
29.)

11 St. Denis. The river Mayenne
rises near this, and is crossed about
half way to

13 Prez en Pail, in the Dept, de la
Mayenne ; the portion of it traversed
by the road is a dreary country, un¬
enclosed and covered with heath.

18 Le Ribay.

The high road to Brest merely
skirts a suburb of Mayenne, leaving
the town itself on the rt.

18 Mayenne.— Inns: Belle Etoile ;

Tete Noire. A town of 10,000 Tn-
iab., situated § on the rt. bank and j
on the 1. of the Mayenne. Its manu-
hetures of calicoes, linen cloth, and
tokens employ 8000 persons in and
around the town. The Castle, now in
ruins, is a picturesque object, on the
rt. bank of the river, near the bridge.
It belonged to the seigneurs of May¬
enne, and was taken after a 3 months’
siege, by the English, under the Earl
of Salisbury, 1424. Many of the
streets are very narrow, and so steep
hat it requires 8 or 10 oxen to draw
a cart up them.

The road descends the valley of the
Mayenne, having the river on the rt.
mt out of sight, to
13 Martigne.

} <*• Rte ' “•)

ROUTE 36.

RENNES TO BREST.

240 kilom. = 149 Eng. m. Malleposte
daily in 18 hours. Diligences daily.

10 Pace.

13 Dedee.

14 La Barette.

16 Broons is remarkable only as the
birthplace of Bertrand Du Guesclin,
the great captain of France in the 15th
century. He was 10th child of Robert
Du Guesclin, and remarkably ill-fa¬
voured to look upon. He first saw
the light in the castle of La Motte
Broons, of which no vestiges remain,
but the place where it stood is marked
by an avenue of trees, and a Monument,
erected at the cost of the department,
by the side of the road to Brest, about
1 m. out of the town.

12 Langouedre.

15 Lamballe (4400 Inhab.) was the
chief place of the Comte of Penthievre;
the castle of the counts was reduced
and dismantled by Cardinal Richelieu,
1626, to punish a rebellious seigneur.
The Ch. of Notre Dame, on the top of
the hill whose slope is», occupied by
the town, was originally the castle
chapel, and is a fine Gothic building.
Thick cylindrical piers, surmounted by
capitals in bands, support the lancet

Brittany. Route 36 .—Rennes to Brest — Morlaix.

125

arches of the nave, whilst the choir
rests on clustered pillars, the arches
being surmounted by a double tri-
forium gallery. It has a wooden roof.
In a side aisle is some good carved
woodwork, with decorated and flam¬
boyant tracery, perhaps the remains
of a roodloft. Part of the church was
built 1545.

The road to St. Malo (Rte. 41)
diverges from this.

Glimpses of the sea are obtained on
the rt. before reaching

20 St. Brieuc. — Inns: Croix Blanche,
clean and good: dinner, wine, bed,
and tea for breakfast, 4 fr. 50 c. ;—•
H. Tassin.

There is nothing worth notice in this
town of 12,500 Inhab.; it is situated
on the Gouet, and has a port called
Legud, 2 m. lower down the stream,
provided with a long quai, accessible
for vessels of 400 or 500 tons to un¬
load at. On the top of a hilly pro¬
montory, commanding the bouchure of
the river, stands the ruined Tour de
Cesson, built 1395, to defend its en¬
trance, but blown up 1598, after the
war of the League, by order of Henri IY.
Such, however, was the thickness of
the wall, and the coherence of the
mortar, that one half of the cylinder re¬
mains standing, braving the tempests,
while the other lies shattered into a
few large masses at its base, as it fell.
There is a pretty walk from St. Brieuc
to Legue, through a narrow ravine,
traversed by a small tributary of the
Gouet.

St. Brieuc was taken by the Chouans
in the Vendean war, 1799.

An interesting antiquarian and archi¬
tectural excursion to Lanleff, Paimpol,
&c., may be made from this (Rte. 38).

17 Chatelaudren, a small town on
the Leff.

14 Guingamp (Hotel des Voyageurs)
is a very picturesque town, situated in
the vale of the Trieux, which abounds
in pleasing scenery (7200 Inhab.). It
formed part of the vast possessions
of the Dues de Penthievre, and de¬
scended from them to Louis-Philippe.
The site of their castle, razed to the
earth, is occupied by a grove of trees,
and serves as a promenade ; but frag¬

ments of the town walls remain. Its
Church, surmounting the other build¬
ings, part Gothic, part in the style of
the revival, has some peculiarities,
viz. grotesque heads projecting from
the shafts of its piers.

The Fontaine de Plornb, in the middle
of the Place, is rather an elegant work
of Italian artists in the 15th cent., it
is supposed.

The Chapel of Notre Dame de Grace,
3 m. out of the town, is well deserving
a visit, although its rich decorations in
sculptured tracery and figures have
been much mutilated. “ Its elegant
spire, finely proportioned pillars, and
light arches, are still worthy of ad¬
miration ; and much of the grotesque
carving which formed the cornices of
the nave and aisles may still be seen.”
— Trollope. It was erected in the 14th
cent, by Charles of Blois.

19 Belle-Ile-en-Terre.

The D4pt. of Finisterre, in la Basse
Bretagne, the ancient Armorica, is en¬
tered before reaching.

19 Ponthou.

15 Morlaix (Inns: H. de Provence ;
good and moderate;—H. de Paris) is a
flourishing little port and town of
10,500 Inhab., picturesquely seated in
a valley wide enough only for the
tidal river or creek which runs up it,
lined with 2 quays and 2 rows of
houses, “behind which the hills rise
steep and woody on one side, on the
other gardens and rocks and wood ;
the effect romantic and beautiful.”—
A. Young. The rock rises so close
behind the houses as to give rise to
a proverb, “ From the garret to the
garden, as they say at Morlaix.” It
is only 6^ m. from the sea, and is
reached by vessels of considerable ton¬
nage. To the stranger its chief attrac¬
tion is the unaltered air of antiquity
which it retains in its older quarters,
such as the Rues des Nobles and du
Pave, and the thoroughly Bi’eton cha¬
racter of its street architecture and
houses overhanging the footway, each
story, fronted with an apron of slates,
more nearly approaching its neighbour
on the opposite side of the way, until
the inmates of the garrets may shake
hands. The grotesquely carved corner

126

Route 36 .—Rennes to Brest — Landivisiau. Sect. II.

posts, ornamented with figures of
kings, priests, saints, monsters, and
bagpipers, the Gothic doorways, the
sculptured cornices, would enrich an
artist’s sketch-book, and furnish em¬
ployment for many days. The cos¬
tume of the people also is thoroughly
in keeping with the buildings ; their
pent-house brimmed hats, their loose
trunk hose, their shaggy locks hang¬
ing like manes down their backs, are
all thoroughly characteristic of la Bre¬
tagne Bretonnante (§ 2).

Sad havoc, however, has been made
in this antique town by modern im¬
provements ; and the opening formed
for the new Rue Nation - Royale, by
which the road to Brest issues out on
the W., has swept away a crowd of
crazy but picturesque constructions,
whose loss would have made poor
Prout sigh.

Two small streams, descending from
separate ravines, but uniting above the
town, are arched over to furnish space
for the market-place and modern Hotel
de Ville ; below which, expanding na¬
turally, and partly by their bed being
artificially excavated, they form a port,
lined with quays and lofty picturesque
houses, resting on covered galleries or
arcades called Lances. One of the
houses on this quai is particularly re¬
markable for its carved staircase. Be¬
side these quays several merchant ves¬
sels may usually be seen lying, together
with a variety of small craft.

The churches are not remarkable :
St. Mathieu is Gothic ; in St. Melaine
is some good carved screen-work.

Many of the houses in the Rue du
Pavd and Rue des Nobles (especially
the staircase of one high up on the
right hand) deserve notice ; they are
richly ornamented in the flamboyant
style.

The Gothic fountain of the Carmel¬
ites, and the Chapel of the Convent of
St. Fran§ois, may be visited by those
who have time. The Manufacture
Naiionale de Tabac, a large building on
the W. quay, is said to produce the
worst tobacco in Europe.

In 1522 the fleet of Henry VIII.,
who was at that time incensed with
Francis I. for seizing the ships and

goods of English merchants in French
ports, on its return from escorting the
Empr. Charles V. to Spain, under the
command of Henry Earl of Surrey,
entered the river, in number 50 ves¬
sels, and, effecting a descent in the
neighbouring bay of Dourdu, surprised
Morlaix. The English set fire to it in
4 different places, pillaged it, mas¬
sacred the inhabitants, and burnt to
the ground great part of it, ‘ ‘ together
with some right fair castles, goodly
houses, and proper piles.” — State
Papers. They retired to their vessels
loaded with booty ; but 600 of the
hindmost were intercepted by the in¬
furiated inhabitants, and cut off with
great slaughter near a spring, still
called Fontaine des Anglais, or, as the
Bretons, like their Welsh kinsmen,
style them, the Saxons.

Near the said fountain begins a very
pleasant promenade, planted with
trees, called Cours Beaumont, which
extends nearly 1^ m. down the 1. bank
of the river. The views from it of the
river and the wooded valley are very
pleasing.

The site of the old castle, planted
with trees, also commands a fine view
of the town.

Morlaix is the native place of Gene¬
ral Moreau.

Diligences daily to Brest ; to St.
Malo ; to Rennes ; to Lorient.

A well-appointed Steamer runs from
Morlaix to Havre, 70 leagues, in 20
hrs., once a week, fare 30 fr.

The churches of Kreisker, at St. Pol
de Lfion, and of Folgoat, may be visited
by making a dfitour on the way to
Brest (Rte. 38). Another interesting
excursion is to the mining district of
Huelgoat and Poulahouen (Rte. 42).

Rather more than half way (9 m.)
between Morlaix and the next relay
the village of Thfiogonec is passed, re¬
markable for its fine Church, in the
style of the Renaissance ; a vast edi¬
fice, richly decorated with sculptures
in the dark Kersanton stone. Its deli¬
cately carved pulpit, its reliquary, and
its Calvary, deserve notice.

21 Landivisiau has a Church also,
with a very fine S. portal filled with
statues of the 12 Apostles ; and at the

Brittany.

Route 36.— Brest — Dockyard.

127

W. encl a most elegant tower and spire,
well worth studying.

[The Church of Lanbader, 5 m. N. of
this, on the road to St. Pol, sur¬
mounted by an elegant tower and
spire, was originally attached to a
commandery of Templars, ruins of
which exist near the tower. Within
is a beautifully pierced and carved
roodloft and screen of wood, composed
of exquisite flamboyant tracery; also a
staircase in the same style. The
chains of some knight, liberated from
slavery among the followers of Ma-
houn, still hang in the choir.]

3 m. short of Landerneau, on a hill
above the village La Roche Maurice,
stand the ruins of its castle, reduced
to 3 shattered towers, but very pic¬
turesque in its outline and position.

In the churchyard is an Ossuary,
filled with skulls and dry bones, orna¬
mented in front with a sculptured
frieze, representing the Dance of Death,
executed 1639. The Church is Gothic,
and built 1559, and contains some
good painted glass. The carved portal
in Kersanton stone, and the sculp¬
tured roodloft of wood within, are
worth notice.

16 Landerneau (Inn: Hotel de
1’Uni vers), a pretty town, seated in
the hollow of a valley on the Elorn,
whose mouth forms one branch of the
roadstead of Brest. There are some
picturesque Gothic bits among its old
houses. 4963 Inhab.

The roads to Brest from Morlaix,
from Carhaix (Rte. 42), and from
Quimper (Rte. 44), all converge at
this point.

A little beyond Landerneau, on the
1. of the road, between it and the river
Elorn, a ruined gateway, draped with
ivy, is the sole subsisting relic of the
Castle of the Joyeuse Garde, now known
as Chateau le Foret, the cradle of
chivalry, the seat of Arthur, Lancelot
du Lac, and the Knights of the Round
Table. Of course there is no preten¬
sion that the existing remains are of
their time. No satisfactory explana¬
tion is given of the origin of the name
Joyeuse Garde, but it is supposed to
be a perversion of a Breton term.

20 Brest. — Inns; H. du Grand Mo-

narque;—H. de Provence ; exorbitant
— V. S. 1851. N.B. The gates of
Brest are closed at 10 p.m. in sum¬
mer, and 9 in winter; no entrance
after.

Brest, the chief naval seaport of
France, an arsenal of war, and fortress
of first class, is very advantageously
situated near the W. extremity of the
Dept. Finisterre (the Land’s End of
France), on that portion of her territory
which projects most to the W. between
the Channel and the Gulf of Gascony.
It stands on the N. side of one of the
finest harbours in the world, nearly
land-locked, accessible only through a
narrow and well-fortified throat, Le
Goxdet, and extending far inland in 2
branches, one running up to Lander¬
neau, the other towards Chateaulin.
The town is built on the summit and
sides of a kind of projecting ridge, and
some of its streets are too steep to be
passable except on foot. A narrow
but deep creek, which is in fact formed
by the mouth of the small stream the
Penfeld, running up from the harbour
behind this ridge, serves as the basin
to the dockyard, and divides the town
on its 1. bank from the suburb La Re-
couvrance on its rt. The communica¬
tion between the town and suburb is
kept up by numerous ferry-boats.
Close above the mouth of this creek,
which is not more than a musket-shot
across, and is defended by several tiers
of batteries on either hand, rise the
feudal round towers and colossal cur¬
tains, not less than 100 ft. high, of
the picturesque old Castle, which be¬
longed to the Dues de Bretagne. It
was besieged in vain by Du Guesclin
and Clisson, was long held by the
English, having for governor, 1373,
the brave warrior Robert Knolles. It
was yielded up by Richard II. 1395,
in consideration of 12,000 crowns, and
was finally modernised by Vauban,
1688, who formed casemates in the
interior of its massive towers, and
platforms with embrasures for cannon
on their tops. From its walls there is
a good view of the port and dockyard,
but the Fort de l’Ecole, on the opposite
side of the water, commands one still
finer, including the roadstead also.

128

Route 36.— Brest — Dockyard.

Sect. II.

There are numerous dungeons beneath
the castle, and extensive vaults.

The inner port of Brest, or creek
above mentioned, is so narrow, that if
the town had any commerce it would
not be large enough to hold the mer¬
chant vessels ; but there is no defici¬
ency of depth (25 ft. at low water),
and 30 or 40 ships of war might lie
within it in single file. Above the
castle the shores of both sides of this
creek are enclosed by a high wall,
separating the dockyard within it from
the town. The mouth of the creek is
closed by a boom. The population of
Brest is said to exceed 32,000, though,
to avoid the additional contributions
on large towns, it is put down in the
census at 29,860. There is accommo¬
dation in the numerous barracks for a
garrison of nearly 10,000 men.

Although Brest is enclosed within
ramparts, there are several fine open
spaces within its walis ; such are the
square called Champ de Bat aide, inno¬
cent of any other combat than a sham
fight, and the Cours d’Ajot (so named
from an officer of engineers who laid it
out), a promenade agreeable on account
of the fine trees which shade it, and
the beautiful view of the roads, ap¬
pearing like a vast lake, which its ter¬
race commands, but infested all the
morning by parties of recruits under¬
going drill.

More rain, it is said, falls in Brest
than in any other town of France, and
the whole department of Finisterre is
peculiarly exposed to storms, winds,
mists, and fogs.

In 1548 Mary Queen of Scots, then
a child 5 years old, landed at Brest,
and a few days after was affianced to
the Dauphin Francis at St. Germain.

The Dockyard, or Port Militaire .—
The authorities connected with the
dockyard (major de la marine, &c.)
are very niggard in giving admission
to strangers, but an application to the
Port-admiral or Prefet Maritime, made
by the English consul, who is particu¬
larly obliging to persons recommended
to him, will procure it. Entrance to
the Bagnes and Hopital de la Marine,
the most interesting objects here,
should be expressly included in the

ticket of admission. The celebrated
dockyard of Brest is situated on the 2
sides of a narrow but deep creek or
arm of the sea, running up in a wind¬
ing direction between high and steep
rocks, which intrude so near upon the
water that it is only by paring them
down that space is formed for the
buildings, and for the quays and yards
required in front of them. The first
view, looking down from above into
this narrow ravine, lined with long
and massive ranges of buildings rising
tier over tier in the form of an amphi¬
theatre, is exceedingly striking. On
one side is the Voilerie (sail-house),
Magasin General (slop-shop), and Cord-
erie (ropery), of 3 stories, surmounted
by the Bagne, and above it rises the
New Hospital. On the opposite side
are various ateliers, forgeries, Atelier
d’Artillerie de Marine (burnt in 1833).
The Foundry (for casting cannon), and
the Quartier des Marins, or sailors’ bar¬
racks, where they are lodged when in
port in the same manner as soldiers—
an admirable establishment, which
might be advantageously copied by
the English Admiralty — fill up the
opposite side. The level space at the
water’s edge is occupied by slips (cales
de construction), only 2 of which are
covered, about 8 being uncovered, dry
docks (formes), at times converted to
the purpose of building ships. It is
surprising that the first dockyard of
France should possess so few covered
slips. There are, besides, timber-
yards, boat-sheds, water-cisterns sup¬
plied by a steam-engine where vessels
fill their tanks, sheds for containing
the new tanks, and government cellars,
while a very large space near the sea
entrance of the dockyard is covered
with dismounted cannon. Here also
is placed a trophy from Algiers, a
brass gun 20 ft. long, which forms an
excellent column reared on its breech.
The precautions against fire and theft
are very rigid ; a vigilant guardian
watches in every apartment, a door¬
keeper at every door ; cisterns are
placed at short distances, with tubs
full of water every 8 or 10 yards.

The ground occupied by most of
these buildings has been gained, as

Brittany.

Route 36 .— Brest — Bagnes.

129

before observed, by excavations out of
the hill-side. Greatly as the space
on either side of the water has been
widened by artificial means, the cliffs
even now approach too near the slips
and timber-sheds, preventing a free
circulation of air, causing dampness,
and consequently dry rot. Near the
timber-sheds is the Musee Maritime,
filled with models, ships’ heads, &c.,
but containing nothing very remark¬
able.

On both sides of the port, roads are
carried up the steep sides of the con¬
fining heights in zigzag terraces, so
that they may easily be surmounted
by heavy carriages.

The Victualling Office (Direction des
Subsistances et Parc aux Vivres) is near
the mouth of the port, on the rt. bank,
and includes the bakehouse, containing
24 ovens, the slaughterhouse, kitchens,
&c. In 1802-3, when the combined
Spanish and French fleets lay in the
roads, 50,000 rations were supplied
hence daily.

The Bagnes (from bagnio, Ital., bath;
the Christian slaves in Turkey and
Barbary were employed in heating the
baths of the sultans, pachas, deys, &c.)
contain about 3000 convicts (formats),
condemned to forced labour for a cer¬
tain term of years or for life. Their
dress is a jacket of dirty red serge,
fitting no better than a sack, yellow
trowsers, and a green, red, or yellow
cap : the green cap denotes one con¬
demned for life ; the yellow sleeve one
twice sentenced. The worst offenders
are heavily loaded with shackles fastened
to a ring riveted fast round the leg.
The chain and shackle together weigh
more than 7 lbs., and usually cause a
wound on the leg at first. It is not,
however, the hideous dress nor the
clanking chains which render the formats
repulsive; it is the countenance marked
with bad passions and villany, which
indicate the degradation of human na¬
ture. The worst offenders are coupled
two together to the same chain. They
work in gangs, each gang accompanied
by a plante or garde chourme, a fierce-
looking moustache, with a tranchant
sabre, accompanied by a soldier with a
loaded musket. The Prison of the Bagnes

has a long facade, with more of archi¬
tectural ornament and style in its
pediment than usually marks a prison
destined for doubly and trebly dyed
criminals. It contains 4 salles, lofty,
wide, and airy, filled with large wooden
platforms, having sloping tops like
desks; these are the bedsteads of the
formats, who recline on them upon a
small mattress provided with a coarse
quilt of sackcloth, the chain of each
being passed over a bar of iron running
along the foot of the bed, but allowing
tether enough to move a distance of 5
or 6 ft. Only the better class of con¬
victs are allowed a thin mattress.

As soon as their allotted task for the
day is done out of doors, they are
allowed to repair hither ; some have
writing - desks,, others employ them¬
selves in handicrafts, many in making-
toys out of cocoa-nuts, horsehair, &c.,
by which they may earn a little money.
At gunfire the names are called over,
and in an hour profound silence is re¬
quired ; the night, passed on a hard
board, is a time of suffering, especially
in winter, from the cold.

Their daily allowance of food includes
a pint of wine, a measure of biscuit, or
^ a loaf of brown bread.

The 4 salles are closed by strong
iron gates at night, but stand open
during the day ; there are, however,
plenty of guards at hand, and imme¬
diately behind the Bagnes rises the
Caserne cle la Marine Militciire , which
could pour in some hundred men in a
few minutes in case of revolt. The
format, degraded as he is, is not allowed
to be struck by his guards or keepers ;
his punishment, if he does wrong, is
either solitary confinement in the black
hole, a series of cells in the court be¬
hind the building, or deprivation of
his wine, &c., coupling to another
prisoner, or flogging with the rope’s
end. As a further preventive of tumult
or rebellion, the walls of each salle are
pierced with embrasures through which
2 cannon show their mouths ; they are
loaded with grape, and would enfilade
the chamber, and sweep it from end to
end.

Outside the dockyard, a little higher
up the hill than the prison, rises the

g 3

130

Sect. II.

Route 36 .—Roadstead of Brest.

Ilopital de la Marine, an edifice of great
extent, though of unpretending archi¬
tecture, of which Brest may well be
proud. It was begun 1824. It con¬
tains 26 salles, each with 53 beds ; and
is attended by between 30 and 40 Re-
ligieuses, Soeurs Fid kies de la Sagesse
as they call themselves, who are also
lodged within the building. So far
from being revolting, as is the case in
many hospitals, it is a pleasing sight to
enter one of the salles ; its cleanliness
puts to shame the confined frowsy
wards of Greenwich Hospital. Here
are wide, airy apartments, the roofs
without speck, the floors, though of
tile, sedulously polished and provided
with pieces of carpeting, each window
hung with white curtains, each bed of
metal, also with white curtains and
furniture. The salle des officiers is
superior to the common rooms, even
elegant. The kitchens, laboratories,
linen-closet, &c., are in the same style.
Even the convicts, when sick, are re¬
ceived and nursed in this establish¬
ment.

A British Consul resides here.

At Hebert’s library and reading-
room, Rue d’Aiguillon, the papers may
be seen, and many interesting works
on Brittany, especially those of MM.
Souvestre and Freminville, obtained.

Malleposte daily to Chartres in 36
hours: diligences daily to Rennes ; to
St. Malo; to Lorient and Nantes. A
railroad to Paris by Chartres is in
progress.

Steamer every other day traverses the
roads and ascends the river of Chateau-
lin, on the way to Nantes (Rte. 44), as
far as Port de Launay, a very pleasant
voyage.

The Roadstead of Brest lies between
the great promontory of Finisterre on
the N. and the smaller peninsula of
Quelern on the S., which approach so
near as to leave a passage only 1749
yards broad between them, called the
Goulet. The Mingan rocks, rising in
the midst of this channel, contract the
entrance still more, and compel vessels
to pass close under the guns of bat¬
teries which line it on either side, and
command it by a cross fire. The road
consists of numerous bays, into which

several rivers empty themselves, the
principal being the Elorn from Lander-
neau, and the CMteaulin, which is
navigated by a steamboat. In some
places the harbour is 3 m. broad, and
the area of its surface is estimated at
15 square leagues. All the fleets of
France might lie snugly within it, and
a hostile ship dare not venture within
its entrance without the risk of being
battered to pieces. Not only are the
jaws of the harbour bristling with for¬
tifications “k fleur d’eau,” but the
works are carried inwards so as to
command the anchorage, and the bat¬
teries spread outside to the rt. and 1.
of the entrance, while every eminence
is crowned with other forts command¬
ing those below. The number of can¬
non and large mortars which could be
brought to bear on an enemy from the
batteries of the Goulet, and of the
coast ouside of it, is not less than 400,
while 60 pieces sweep the anchorage
from the forts within the Goulet. On
the N. of the Goulet, in the midst of
the bay of Bertheaume, are 2 island
forts, united together by a rope bridge,
and by one of wood with the shore.
The extreme fort on this side is the
batterie de St. Mathieu, under the
ruined abbey (p. 131), and close to the
new lighthouse. On the S. of the
Goulet lies the Bay de Camaret, one of
whose numerous and formidable bat¬
teries goes by the name of Mort Anglaise,
commemorating the miserable defeat
of the expedition which landed here
1694 from a British fleet commanded
by Admiral Berkeley. On approaching
the shore, the English found it bristling
with armaments: batteries were thrown
up on all sides, gunners at their posts,
troops of horse and foot drawn up
behind the guns, and, as soon as
the English began to disembark, 3
masked batteries opened on the ships
a destructive fire. 900 men under the
command of General Tollemache, who
persisted in landing in the face even of
such formidable preparations, reached
the shore, and were almost immediately
cut to pieces, the ebbing of the tide
having left their boats dry, and cut off
their retreat. And thus the expedi¬
tion failed miserably. What wonder?

Brittany. Route 36 .—Roadstead of Brest — Excursions .

131

The news of the intended descent had
been betrayed to Louis XIY. and Jana.es
II. more than a month before by the
Duke of Marlborough, the hero of
Blenheim! These are the words in
which he communicated the intelli¬
gence to his old master James:—“The
capture of Brest would be a great ad¬
vantage to England, but no advantage
can prevent or ever shall prevent me
from informing you of all that I be¬
lieve to be for your service ; therefore
you may make your own use of this
intelligence.”— Macphersoris State Pa¬
pers. In the interval between the re¬
ceipt of this letter and the sailing of
the armament, the skill and activity of
Vauban had put the intended landing-
place in such a state of defence, by
throwing up batteries, disposing can¬
non, and collecting troops, as to render
success hopeless, defeat inevitable.

The Pointe cles Espagnols owes its
name to a body of Spaniards, about
600 strong, who occupied it for several
weeks, 1594, and threw up an earthen
redoubt, which was captured by assault.
The peninsula of Quelern is defended
by lines, drawn across the isthmus
which connects it with the mainland,
nearly a mile long, consisting of bas¬
tions faced with masonry, constructed
by Vauban, mounting 60 pieces of can¬
non. From a point near these lines,
just above the Bay of Camaret, the
finest view is obtained of the roads of
Brest and their defences, with the
point of St. Mathieu and the archi¬
pelago of Ouessant on the N., and on
the S. the Bay of Dournenez and the
Pointe du Raz.

The defences above enumerated do
not include those of Brest itself,
amounting altogether to 400 pieces of
cannon, nor of the intrenched camp
behind it, numbering 60 more cannon
and mortars.

Excursions. —The country about Brest
is far from picturesque, but it contains
many objects of interest.

The Menhir of Plouarzel (§ 4), about
10 m. N. W. of Brest and 3 beyond the
village of St. Renan, is the loftiest of
those singular Celtic monuments now
remaining in Finisterre. It measures
35 ft. in height, and stands on an

eminence in the midst of a wild heath.
Whatever its original destination, it is
still looked on with awe by the pea¬
santry, and singular superstitions are
associated with it. Often in the dead
of night the barren woman repairs
hither, hoping to procure the boon of
fruitfulness by rubbing her naked breast
against the hard granite.

Near the mouth of the pretty river
Aber Ildut, which flows past St. Renan,
are the quarries of granite which fur¬
nished the pedestal for the obelisk of
Luxor, erected in the Place Louis XV.,
at Paris.

3 m. N. of St. Renan, at Lanriouare,
is the graveyard of the 7777 saints, a
walled enclosure, never trod by the
peasants except with bare feet and
head uncovered ; it is paved with
slabs, and marked by a cross.

The ruined Abbey of St. Matthew ,
situated on the extreme W. cape of
Finisterre, N. of the Rade de Brest, is
about 15 m. W. from Brest and 10
from St. Renan. The roads from both
places converge at the little town of Le
Conquet, where La Grace de Dieu is a
decent cabaret. Conquet suffered from
an English fleet sent forth by Queen
Mary, 1558, to ravage the French coast,
and to surprise Brest, “because it was
known not to be well garrisoned, and
was thought the best mark to be shot
at for the time.” But the English
commander contented himself with a
far more inglorious enterprise. Land¬
ing at Conquet, “ he put it to the
saccage, with a great abbey, and many
pretty towns and villages, where our
men found good booties and great store
of pillage.”— Holinshed. Thence it is a
walk of 3 m. along the tops of the
cliffs, battered below by the waves, to
the storm-fretted ruins of St. Matthew's
Abbey, which stand on the bleak exposed
promontory above the sea—the most
W. spot of France, and, with the ex¬
ception of Cape Finisterre in Spain, of
the European continent. It occupies
a position similar to St. Mary’s Abbey,
Whitby, so as to be the first and the
last object seen by the mariner quitting
or entering the Bay of Brest. What¬
ever wind may blow, it is rare but it
rages a hurricane around these moulder-

132

Route 38.— St. Brieuc to Brest.

Sect. II.

ing arches and piers, which yet have
braved for 5 centuries the pelting storm
and whistling wind. The architecture
is pointed in the greater part of the
building, with some Romanesque por¬
tions and round arches. It is of solid
granite, simple in style, and without
ornament. Close beside the ruins a
Lighthouse has been erected. There is
much savage grandeur in the scene
around, viewed from this point, in¬
creased by the sullen roar of the mighty
Atlantic chafing in the eaves and fissures
of the rocks below. In clear weather
the eye ranges over the dangerous strait
called Passage du Four, beset with rocks,
between the mainland and the granitic
islands Molene, Beniguet, and Ouessant.
The last is supposed by some to be the
Ultima Thule of the ancients : its in¬
habitants remained idolaters down to
the 17th century. The indecisive naval
action of Ushant (as we call it) was
fought off this island, 1778, between
the French Fleet under D’Orvilliers,
and the English under Kepp.el and
Palliser. On the S. the roads of Brest
and the peninsula of QudLern lie open,
and on the horizon appears the Pointe
du Raz.

On the E. side of the roadstead,
and on the shore of the estuary of the
Landerneau river, opposite to Brest,
lies Plougastel, remarkable for a Calvary
attached to its cimetiere, one of the
most remarkable of the Gothic monu¬
ments of Finisterre. The 3 customary
crosses, carved in Kersanton stone (§ 6)
are surrounded by an army of stone
saints on foot, raised on a platform with
bas-reliefs running round it. A mul¬
titude of sculptures, rudely but forcibly
executed, representing scenes of the
Life and Passion of Christ. Some of
the subjects, such as the entry of our
Saviour into Jerusalem to the music of
the bigniou (bagpipe), the Temptation,
and Hell, are treated in a homely
manner, approaching the grotesque,
marking the hand of a rustic artist.
‘ ‘ Notwithstanding its Gothic character,
it appears by an inscription upon it to
have been executed in 1602 : but we
must remember that the middle ages
lasted longer in Brittany than else¬
where.”— Souvestre.

The costume of the women of Plou¬
gastel is remarkable for its elegance.

Ferry-boats ply between Brest and
the point of Plougastel.

The fine Gothic Ch.of Folgoat(Rte. 38)
would form an agreeable day’s excur¬
sion for any one who interests himself
in architecture. He might take the
patache which runs daily from Brest
to Lesneven and back.

ROUTE 38.

ST. BRIEUC TO BREST.—COAST ROAD BY

PAIMrOL, LANNION, MORLAIX, ST. POL

DE LEON, and FOLGOAT.

The distances are marked in lieues
communes of 3 Eng. m., measured from
place to place.

This rte. properly consists of two
excursions from the high road from
Rennes to Brest: it carries the traveller
to a succession of interesting churches
and ecclesiastical remains well worth
visiting, though much of it lies over
cross roads ; no posting.

St. Brieuc (Rte. 36). A wretched
patache runs between this place and
Paimpol, passing near the little port of
Binic, through Plouha.

Thus far there is nothing remarkable,
unless the traveller diverge about 1 m.
to the 1. of the road beyond Binic, to
visit the beautiful Gothic chapel of
Lantec, which has been compared with
the Ste. Chapelle at Paris, but is far
inferior to it.

From Plouha the antiquarian tra¬
veller should diverge to the 1., to visit
a ruined building, known as the

7i Temple de Lanlcf, about 8 m. from
Plouha. A carriage cannot easily get
within a mile of it, owing to the bad¬
ness of the roads. It has been the
subject of much controversy, some
writers calling it a Pagan Temple: but
in truth it is nothing more than an
early Christian church, probably of
the 10th or 11th cent., in the form of
a rotunda, like the English churches
of the Temple, St. Sepulchre, Cam¬
bridge, Little Maplestead, &c. But
the building which it perhaps most
nearly resembles is the round church
at Nymegen, in Holland, attributed to

133

Brittany. Route 38. — St. Brieuc to Brest — Paimpol.

Charlemagne, but now in ruins. It
consists of 2 concentric walls, the inner
one a cylinder, 30 ft. high, resting on
12 circular arches, supported on square
piers, with engaged columns on each
side, of granite, having rudely carved
capitals of monsters, human faces, rams’
heads. Outside of this runs a lower
concentric wall, destroyed for a con¬
siderable part of its circuit, but which
once extended quite round the inner
wall, and thus formed the aisles of
the church. It is pierced with narrow
loopholed windows, which widen in¬
wards, the early form common in
churches built before glass came into
use. The edges of the vaulted roof
which covered this aisle may still be
traced, and a small portion of the aisle
is included in the modern clmrch; but
whether the vaulting of it be as old as
the walls on which it rests cannot be
distinctly affirmed. This ruin now
forms a vestibule to a little village
church. As a ruin, it is too rude in
its architecture to be pleasing, but in
the midst of it rises a noble yew-tree,
tall and straight, surmounting the old
wall with its dark canopy of foliage.

The tradition of the country is,
that it was built by the Templars, the
“ Moines Rouges” as they are called.
It is just possible that Gothic archi¬
tecture in Brittany was not more ad¬
vanced in the 12th cent, than this
building indicates.

LanlefF is about 24 m. from St.
Brieuc and lh from

2g Paimpol (Inn: H. du Commerce,
formerly Pelican), a town of 2112
Inhab.

On the sea-shore, 2 m. to the E. of
Paimpol, are the ruins of the Abbey of
Beauport (in 1841 the keys were kept
at Paimpol, and should be obtained
before setting out). It is beautifully
situated on the shore of a retired bay.
The remains consist of a Church, now
roofless and deprived of the choir, in
the pointed style, built 1202, with a
W. front showing an early English
character, together with several con¬
ventual buildings at the E. end. An
elegant small chapterhouse, its vaulted
roof supported on a row of circular
pillars, is so perfect that it is now

used as a school. On the N. side are
an extensive vaulted cellar, and an
apartment of a superior character, also
vaulted, which was the grand refectory.
These serve the purpose of farm-build¬
ings at present, being divided between
2 tenants.

From Paimpol to Treguier is about
9 m., passing through Lezardrieux,
where the river Trieux, descending
from Guingamp, is crossed by a fine
wire suspension-bridge resting on lofty
piers.

The castle of La Roche Jagu, near
this, is an interesting specimen of
domestic architecture, now in ruins,
finely situated on the Trieux above
Lezardrieux. It is a semi-castellated
mansion, entered by a low doorway
closed by an oaken door and a heavy
iron gate of cross-bars. Although dis¬
mantled, it is inhabited by a peasant.
There is a fine view from its roof.

Another still larger and loftier sus¬
pension-bridge thrown over the Jaudy
leads into

3 Treguier (Inn: Hotel de France,
tolerable), a town of 3178 Inhab., oc¬
cupying the summit and slope of a
hill.

The Church in the market-place, for¬
merly the cathedral, has a fine S. porch,
the vaulted roof panelled, and the
divisions filled with quatrefoils, and a
doorway ornamented with statues in
niches, of good workmanship. The
piers of the nave are irregular in form,
and its arches vary in width. The FT.
transept is Romanesque, with circular
arches and well-wrought capitals to its
pillars. Contiguous to it is a tower in
the same style, and probably of the
11th cent., though named Tour de
Hastings, after the Danish pirate of a
much earlier period. This tower is
best seen from the cloisters, where
some mutilated effigies of ecclesiastics
and knights are deposited.

In a farmhouse a little way out of
the town, called Kermartin, is pre¬
served the bed of St. Yves, a favourite
Breton saint. It is a cupboard bed¬
stead, the front of dark wood finely
carved.

4 Lannion (Inn: H. de France), on
the Guier, possesses a market-place

134

Route 38.— Lannion — St. Pol de Leon.

Sect. II.

filled with, odd old houses, several of
a very peculiar style of architecture,
and nothing else worthy of remark but
narrow and dirty streets. A diligence
runs daily to Morlaix. There is a post¬
road hence to Guingamp, 32 kilom.,
and another by Plesten, 18 kilom., to
Morlaix, 19 kilom.

The district extending N. from Lan¬
nion to the sea, between the rivers
Guier and Jaudy, is the very cradle of
romance. King Arthur held his court
at Kerdluel, graced by the presence of
the Paladins, Lancelot, Tristan, and
Caradoc; and a short distance off the
coast is an islet called Agalon or
Avalon, which the Bretons maintain to
be King Arthur’s burial-place, thus
depriving Glastonbury of that honour.

About 6 m. S. of Lannion, on the E.
bank of the Guier, between it and the
road to Guingamp, is the Castle Ton-
quedec, one of the largest and best pre¬
served in Brittany. It was built in
the 13th cent., and dismantled by
order of Richelieu, after having served
during the wax’s of the Ligxxe as a royal
fortress. It consisted of 3 courts de¬
fended by moats, drawbridges, and
portcullises. In the inner court is the
keep, a tall round tower, “ accessible
only by an opening in its 2nd stoi’y,
approached by 2 di’awbridges, sup¬
ported midway upon an isolated square
pier.” The staii’case was formed in
the thickness of the wall. “ In many
respects these ruins are well woi'th
coming some distance to visit. To the
antiquary they are precious as a speci¬
men of the finest militai'y architecture
of the 13th cent. For the sketcher
they combine the requisites to form a
lovely landscape.”— Trollope.

The direct road from Lannion to
Morlaix (about 23 m.) passes St. Michel-
sur-Greve, a spot where the sea en¬
croaches on the shore, and a little
farther we enter the department Finis-
terre. On the sands near this, accord¬
ing to the legend, King Arthur fought
the dragon.

The crypt under the church of Lan-
meur is of great antiqxxity, and encloses
the holy fountain whicli caused its
foundation, and is still held in repute
by the common people. The piei’s

which support the ci'ypt have serpents
carved on them.

About 5 m. N. of Lanmeui’, close
upon the coast, lies the village of St.
Jean da Doigt, whose church, contain¬
ing the precious finger of St. John,
from which it is named, is a favourite
place of pilgrimage with the peasanti'y,
who repair hither to the number of
12,000 on the eve of St. John. The
church has a wooden roof elegantly
carved and painted, and sui’mounted
by a spii’e of lead; it also possesses a
ciborium bearing enamelled medallions
on the 12 Apostles, a beautiful crucifix
of the 16th cent., a chalice and a
patina presented by Anne of Bi'ittany,
who was a pati’oness of St. John’s
finger. She built the hospice by the
side of the church to receive pilgrims.

Souvestre mentions a singular little
chapel called the Oratoire, between
this and Plougasnon, in which the
young girls who are about to marry in
the course of the year hang up their
hair as an offering to the Vii’gin; this
ancient Gaulish custom, however, is
diminishing every year.

7^ Morlaix (Rte. 36).

Tliere is nothing very interesting
beyoixd Moi’laix until the towers and
spires appear of

5 St. Pol de Ldon.— Inn: Hotel du
Commerce, tolei’able.

This ancient and almost deserted
ecclesiastical city reminds one of St.
Andrew’s in Scotland, and St. David’s
in Wales, in its remote position near
the sea-shore, in its decayed state, and
in its ancient edifices. It possesses
6700 Inhab. and 2 vexy fine chui’ches.

The Cathedral, dedicated to St. Pol,
is flanked at the W. end with 2 fine
towers, whose centi’al stories, pierced
with long and elegant lancet windows
(like St. Pieri’e at Caen), ai’e sur¬
mounted by spires, also pierced through
to the sky. They open to the choir
beneath, so as to form a sort of vesti¬
bule as at Peterborough. The nave is
in the eai’ly pointed style, probably of
the 13th cent.; the transepts display
Romanesque features; in the S. tran¬
sept is a fine circular window, its tra-
cexy cut in granite. The trough-shaped
b^nitier near the AY. end was probably

Brittany. Route 38 .— St, Brieuc to Brest — Folgocit.

135

a tomb, and from its rude sculpture is
certainly very old. The choir, longer,
more ornamented, and of later date
than the nave, is surrounded by double
aisles, and ends in a Lady Chapel ; it
contains some good carved wood-work
of the 16th cent. The S. porch, a
rich florid work with foliage delicately
cut in Kersanton stone, merits exami¬
nation.

The boast of St. Pol is the spire of
the Church of Creizker (the word means
centre of the town), 393 ft. high; a
structure of open work of great light¬
ness and grace, though constructed
entirely of granite. The richly orna¬
mented square tower is surmounted by
a very boldly-projecting cornice, above
which rises the spire, its masonry cut
to imitate overlapping tiles. The whole
rests on 4 pillars, not particularly
thick, but the arches of the aisles act
as buttresses to support it. This spire
was built at the latter end of the 14th
cent, by John IV., Duke of Brittany;
according to tradition the architect was
English. The N. portal, florid and
fringed, is very rich and in good taste,
though much injured; the rest of the
church is not remarkable. These are
the curiosities of this dull town, and
after exploring them one is happy to
leave behind its grass-grown streets,
and the melancholy which they in¬
spire.

3 m. to the N. lies the little port of
Roscoff. Half-way, near Chapel Pol,
are some Celtic remains, several dol¬
mens, and a menhir (§ 4).

Roscoff is filled with sailors and
smugglers, and contains a vegetable
prodigy, a fig - tree, in the garden of
the Capucin convent, whose branches,
supported by scaffolding, would shelter
beneath them 200 persons. The church,
though of the time of Louis XIV., has
a Gothic character, while its details are
Italian; below it are 7 very curious
bas-reliefs in alabaster.

Opposite Roscoff lies the little island
of Batz, separated from the mainland
by a strait which may be crossed in 10
min. In the cemetery there is a monu¬
ment of granite to the memory of a
lady who succoured the proscribed and
fugitive priests during the Revolution.

The young Pretender landed here after
his hazardous escape from Scotland,
subsequent to the battle of Culloden.

The road from St. Pol to Brest lies
through

7 Lesneven.— Inn: Grande Maison;
tolerable. Some Roman remains, urns,
&c., found a few miles S.-E. of this
dull little town on the way to Lan-
divisiau, have been supposed to mark
the site of the long-lost Breton town
Occismor. *■

Pursuing the road to Brest, 1 m.
beyond Lesneven, on a dreary, bleak,
unsheltered spot, we reach the village
of Folgocit, marked in the distance by
its tall spire, little inferior to the
Creizker, of unusual splendour for a
village, attached to the Church of Notre
Dame, one of the most remarkable
Gothic buildings of Brittany. It owes
its origin to the following circumstance:
—This spot was once haunted by an
idiot-boy, who was in the habit of
begging alms of those who passed,
using at the same time this one un¬
varied exclamation, “Oh! Lady Virgin
Mary! ” so that the place became
known as “ ar fol coat,” the fool of the
wood. The fool died, and in a short
time there sprang up from his grave,
even out of his mouth, according to
the legend, a beautiful lily, whose
leaves bore inscribed upon them the
name of Mary. This miracle was
noised abroad, and, coming to the ears
of John de Montfort, then warring
with Charles de Blois for the dukedom
of Brittany, he vowed to build a church
on the spot if he triumphed over his
rival. In consequence, after the vic¬
tory of Auray, he laid the first stone
on the spot where the lily had sprouted
forth, but the church was not finished
until 1423, by his son John V., who,
in an inscription legible on the 1. of
the W. portal, claims to be its founder.

It is built of the very dark green¬
stone called Kersanton (§ 6), which
gives the edifice on the whole a gloomy
appearance, but it is well adapted for
delicate sculpture, and by the sharp¬
ness with which it has retained the
delicate touches of the artist’s chisel,
shows how great judgment he exer¬
cised in selecting it. Almost every

136

Route 38.— St. JBrieuc to Brest — Folgoat. Sect. II.

part of the church, inside and out,
deserves minute inspection; the fertile
invention, laborious pains, and dexter¬
ous skill of the sculptor are visible in
almost every part, though the edifice
has been sadly injured through neglect.
This is more especially conspicuous
externally in the W. portal, the canopy
of which fell down 1824; but round
the portal runs so delicate a wreath of
thistles and vine-leaves, perfect in their
prickly flowers and .stems, and even
in the very fibres of the leaves and
the curves of the stalks and tendrils,
as cannot be seen without wonder.
Birds also (chardonneret) and serpents
are interspersed among the leaves.
Above the door is a bas-relief of the
Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi on
one side (St. Joseph with wooden shoes
has all the character of a Breton pea¬
sant), and of the Shepherds on the
other. Below, the centre pier is formed
into an elegant niche enclosing the
benitier under a graceful canopy, and
supporting it on a bracket. Among
the foliage here and in other parts may
be seen the ermine, the armorial de¬
vice of the dukes of Brittany, bearing
their motto, “ Melius mori quam foe-
dari.” The thistle (chardon) and the
goldfinch (chardonneret) also recur re¬
peatedly in the ornaments of various
parts of the church.

A far more beautiful porch is at¬
tached to the S. transept. Here 12
very exquisite niches line the vault
leading to the door, in the mouldings
around which similar leaves and wreaths
are reproduced with far greater truth
and delicacy. The stone from its pecu¬
liar colour has all the effect of bronze.
This portal is believed to have been
built by Anne of Brittany, as the arms
of France united to those of Brittany
are visible on it.

The sloping, open parapets which
decorate the gables of the transept,
the tracery of the E. windows, espe¬
cially the central one sumiounted by
a rose, and the elegant arched niche
at the E. end below it, on the outside
of the church, constructed to receive
the waters of the miraculous fount,
which burst forth from beneath the
high altar itself, are not to be passed

unnoticed. The water of this spring
is held in great repute by pilgrims,
who, regardless of bystanders, strip
themselves to apply it to all parts of
their persons.

Within the church on the rt. as you
enter is the Fool’s Chapel, covered with
frescoes nearly destroyed by the damp.
Every capital, cornice, and border
merits attention for the minute carv¬
ing; but the chief object of interest is
the jube' or roodloft between the choir
and nave: it consists of 3 round arches
most elegantly fringed, surmounted by
canopies resting on panelled pillars,
and supporting a gallery, of rich open
work, pierced with quatrefoils. The
foliage composing the crockets is an
elaborate yet natural imitation of the
most complicated leaves, and the two
angels who occupy the place of finials
are well designed.

The E. window, seen from within,
surmounted by its rose, is admirable
for its tracery: the high altar below it
is a single slab of stone, 14 ft. long, sup¬
ported on a front of niche-work filled
with statuettes. The side screens and
side altars are all more or less worthy
of observation. There are numerous
statues of saints curious for their cos¬
tume. But the chief peculiarity of this
church is the manner in which the
sculptor who decorated it has rendered
into stone the productions of the vege¬
table creation.

The roof of the church does not
agree with the rest in splendour, and
is evidently not completed conformably
with the original plan.

The Gothic College on the N. side of

the church was built bv Anne of Brit-

tany; she, as well as Francis I., were
lodged in it when they came on a pil¬
grimage to Folgoat.

The country between St. Pol and
Brest is very dreary; much heath,
furze, and broom;—the cottages are
poor dingy peat-covered hovels, among
which a few starveling black sheep seek
a scanty mouthful: few trees appear
higher than brushwood. There are
many beggars, some of them rivalling
in their rags the mendicants of Ire¬
land .

We fall into the great high road

Brittany. Route 41.— St. Malo to Nantes—The Ranee.

137

from Paris about a mile before enter¬
ing

6j Brest, in Rte. 36.

ROUTE 41.

ST. MALO TO NANTES BY DINAN AND

RENNES. -ASCENT OF THE RIVER

RANCE TO DINAN.

To Rennes direct 71 kilom. = 441
Eng. m.; thence to Nantes 107 kilom.
= 66j Eng. m.

The detour by Dinan is 13 kilom. or
8 Eng. m. longer than the direct road.

St. Malo is described in Rte. 27.

A Steamer ascends the Ranee 3
or 4 times a week, when the tide
permits (N.B. not at neap tides). There
is little beauty in the scenery, and no
comfort in the voyage except when the
tide is up. It takes 3 hrs. There is a
lock (barrage ecluse) to be passed mid¬
way, at Chatelier, which is not plea¬
sant : by means of this a depth of more
than 6 ft. is alway maintained in the
Ranee at Dinan.

Owing to the variation of the tides
on this coast, amounting to 40 ft., the
current of the Ranee is desperately
rapid, and the river fills and empties
with remarkable celerity.

The places passed in succession upon
either bank are—

rt. St. Servan and the Castle of So-
lidor, p. 98.

1. St. Suliac, the prettiest village on
the Ranee.

1. Port St. Hubert, a little watering-
place in a charming situation.

1. Plouer.

rt. Pleadihen.

Chatelier.

1. Tadens.

The river is confined between lofty
precipices nearly all the way to Dinan,
and may vary in breadth from 4 to 4
m. Sometimes expanding into wide
reaches, it resembles a Scotch lake.

The high road from St. Malo to
Dinan runs on the E. side of the
Ranee, but only now and then in sight
of it, and is devoid of interest until it
comes in view of Dinan.

The postmaster charges 4 kilom.
extra on quitting St. Malo at high water,

on account of the circuit round the
port which his horses are obliged to
make, instead of crossing direct to St.
Servan, as is done when the tide is
out.

35 Chateauneuf, a strong fort cover¬
ing the high road to Rennes; here are
remains of an old castle.

We here quit the direct road to
Rennes by St. Pierre ,de Plesguin 13
kilom.; Hede 2D kilom. (in the chapel
of Montmureau, near Hed4, Du Gues-
clin was armed a knight: here also he
was married); Rennes 23 kilom. = 34-|
Eng. m.

Some of the prettiest scenery of the
Ranee may be seen by those who, tra¬
velling by land, choose to quit the high
road and their vehicle about 8 m. short
of Dinan, walk over to the river at
1’Ecluse, and ascend its rt. bank.

Pursuing the post-road, the pictu¬
resque towers and spires of Dinan are
seen crowning the summit of a rocky
steep. “ Dinan is a surprising place
for beauty of situation, but the great
wonder here is a modern one (though
a work worthy of the Romans) — a
viaduct —not yet finished, made to carry
the carriage-road across the valley of
the Ranee nearly on a level with the
town, so as to avoid the tedious and
toilsome descent and ascent formerly
incurred by travellers approaching
from St. Malo or Paris. The arches,
10 in number, are completed; the
principal piers, rising from the bed
of the Ranee, are 130 ft. high; the
whole of solid masonry. The work
was begun by Louis Philippe, but has
lingered since his fall for want of
funds.”— W. J.

18 Dinan.—Inns : H. de Bretagne,
outside the gate, on the road to Brest,
clean and cheap, best; H. du Com¬
merce; Poste; both in the Place Du
Guesclin.

The country in which Dinan is
placed is perhaps the most beautiful
in Brittany. The situation of the town
(8044 Inhab.) is very singular, on the
crown and slopes of a hill of granite,
overlooking the deep and narrow val¬
ley of the Ranee, flowing 250 ft. below
it. The sides of the hill are exces¬
sively steep ; but, notwithstanding,

138

Route 41.— St. Malo to Nantes — Dinan. Sect. II.

houses and streets have been built
along the face of it to the water’s edge.
The Rue de Jersuel, which stretches
down to the old bridge, is so preci¬
pitous as to be impracticable except on
foot, and it is even difficult for a pe¬
destrian to descend its slippery pave¬
ment; yet this originally formed the
only approach to the town on the side
of St. Malo, through a pointed and
ribbed Gothic gateway*

The modern road from St. Malo,
after making a wide sweep and many
turns under the old walls, in order to
master the hill, enters the town by the
Porte St. Louis close to the old and
picturesque Castle, built about 1300,
and often inhabited by Anne of Brit¬
tany, but now a prison. It was be¬
sieged by the Duke of Lancaster, 1389,
and successfully defended by Du Gues-
clin against the English. It stands on
the edge of the ravine on the out¬
skirts of the town, and isolated from
it by a deep fosse. The present en¬
trance has been forced through a wall
into the chapel, a finely vaulted cham¬
ber. A recess on one side, beside the
altar, in which the lord or lady of the
castle might hear mass without being
seen, is called the oratoire of Anne of
Brittany. The deep cornice of machi¬
colations which crown the Donjon
tower give it a very picturesque ap¬
pearance, and there is a pleasing view
from its top.

The Place Du Guesclin receives its
name from that Breton hero, whose
statue (in plaster!) is placed in the
midst of it ; and from the circum¬
stance of its having been the lists in
which he fought and vanquished an
English knight, “ Thomas of Cantor-
bie,” whom he challenged to single
combat for seizing treacherously, in
time of truce between the two nations,
his brother Oliver, 1359.

The Cathedral of St. Sauveur is an
interesting edifice to the antiquary,
in the Romanesque style, such as is
more commonly met with in the S.
of Europe than in the N. The crum¬
bling nature of the granite of which
it is composed gives it the appearance
of greater antiquity than it really pos¬
sesses. The lower part of the W.

front and the S. side are probably of
the 12th or even 11th centy.: the rest
is modernised. The central portal, a
round arch deeply recessed within
mouldings and pillars (the two outer
ones detached), is flanked on each
side by blank arches, containing
statues of the four Evangelists stand¬
ing on lions, &c., under curious Roman¬
esque canopies. From the wall above,
the winged lion and ox, attributes of
of St. Mark and St. Luke, project in
high relief. The buttresses against
the S. wall are in the form of round
attached pillars, or square pilasters
surmounted by capitals. Nothing
within the church merits notice except
a black tasteless slab in the N. tran¬
sept, bearing engraved on it and gilt
a double-headed eagle, whose outspread
wings are crossed by a bar, below
which a quaint inscription, in gold let¬
ters, informs us that the heart of Ber¬
trand Du Guesclin (spelt gueaqui)
reposes beneath it, while his body lies
among those of kings at St. Denis.
Now, at least, neither statement is any
longer true. The slab was found,
among the ruins of the church of the
Jacobins, now razed to the ground;
and all traces of the heart, and of the
tomb of the Lady Tiphaine, the wife
of Du Guesclin, by whose side the
heart was deposited, are gone: the
body shared the fate of the royal
ashes at the desecration of St. Denis
in the Revolution. The old town
wall and watch -towers still remain;
the streets in the older quarters
abound in picturesque bits of archi¬
tecture ; and no spot in Brittany is
better fitted to exercise the artist’s
pencil.

The admirer of ancient domestic
architecture should explore the narrow
streets, with overhanging houses, the
basements planted on pillars, each
story projecting on corbels, which
form the nucleus of the town. Ar¬
cades resting on carved granite pillars
or wooden posts are very prevalent.
Besides the steep Rue de Jersuel
already mentioned, the Carrefour
d’Horlage, so called from its lofty
granite clock-tower, the Rue de la
Vieille Poissonnerie (where is a house

Brittany.

Route 41.— Dinan — Excursions.

139

bearing the date 1366), and the Rue
de la Croix (where the house of Du
Guesclin and his lady Tiphaine is
shown near the Hotel de Ville), are
the most remarkable in this respect.
The Canal d’Tile et Ranee begins at
Dinan.

The English settled in Dinan are
reduced from 400 to 100 since 1848:
they have a Chapel here, in the Ancient
Tribunal, Rue cle la Lainerie, in which
the English Church Service is per¬
formed on Sunday at 11^.

Mademoiselle Costa keeps a tolerable
circulating library.

Mrs. Barr’s Boarding-house, Rue de
St. Malo, is recommended. Families
can be received for one or more days.
It is kept by the widow of a captain of
the 33rd.

The Steamer from St. Malo ascends
the Ranee as far as the bridge of
Dinan. (See p. 137).

Diligences daily to Rennes and Le
Mans, to Brest, to St. Malo, and Dol.

On the outside of the town, under
the old walls, now overgrown with
ivy, while the ditches are converted
into gardens, run agreeable Terraces ,
commanding beautiful views over the
vale of the Ranee. The Mont Dol
and Mont St. Michel are visible, it
is said, from some points. There are
manufactories of fine linen and of
sailcloth in and about the town.

Excursions almost without end, each
varying from the other, may be made
on horse and foot in this delightful
neighbourhood.

At the distance of less than a mile
from the Porte St. Louis, prettily
situated in the bottom of a dell,
through which a streamlet falls into
the Ranee, lies the village of Lehon,
where are the ruins of a once cele¬
brated abbey and a castle. The abbey
is entered by a fine circular archway
within deep mouldings : the church,
now roofless, is in the early pointed
style : it is called La Chapelle des
Beaumanoir, from being the burial-
place of the family of that name, whose
tombs were broken open at the Revo¬
lution, and the remains dispersed,
while their monumental effigies, ori¬
ginally placed in the niches on either

side of the church, have been removed
to the Mairie. There are 4 figures of
warriors armed, and an ecclesiastic,
all in high relief; the drapery well
executed, the hands folded in prayer.
One of them is said to have been the
leader of the Bretons in the famous
“ Combat des Trente.” (See Route
42.)

The steep wooded height above the
village is crowned by the Castle, now
reduced to a square enclosure of walls
levelled down to the surface of the
potato-field which they enclose, having
round towers in the angles and centre
of each face. It was taken by Henry
II. of England, 1168. From this
castle-crowned height a beautiful view
opens out of the village and abbey
at its feet, of the course of the
Ranee and the romantic valley through
which it flows. The navigation above
this is continued by means of a canal
which unites the Ranee with the
Vilaine.

The walk may be very pleasantly
extended from this along the slopes of
the hills, by paths across the fields
behind the Hospice des Ali^nes, towards
the Village of St. Esprit, where there
is a curious Gothic crucifix of granite,
with figures of the first and second
persons of the Trinity, now much mu¬
tilated. The charm of this walk, how¬
ever, is the fine view it presents of
the antique towers and spires of Dinan,
on the opposite side of the valley to
the rt., and the insight it affords into
the curious system of labyrinthine
lanes by which a great part of Brit¬
tany is traversed. The country is well
wooded, abounding especially in oaks,
and each field is surrounded by hedges.
The lanes by which it is intersected in
all directions, owing to the soft unci
crumbling nature of the soil, differ
little from ditches worn down 8 or 10
ft. below the surface of the fields, and
vary in character between a pool or
slough of mud and a mound of hard
bare rock. A stranger is almost sure to
lose his way among them, so intricate
and numerous are their crossings. The
country, seamed and grooved by these
hollow ways, is like a rabbit warren,
and this thoroughly explains how the

140

Route 41 .—Dinan to Rennes — Chateaubriant. Sect. II.

Chouans and Vend^ans were able,
among such fastnesses, to put to de¬
fiance so long the armies of the Repub¬
lican Government.

On the opposite side of Dinan, about
1 m. distant, at the bottom of a really
romantic little valley, is the spa or
Eaux Minerales, a source of saline sul¬
phureous water, good for liver com¬
plaints, much resorted to in summer.
Alleys have been planted and a sort
of pump-room built, which contribute
little to the beauty of the spot, though
they cannot spoil it. A walk along
the paths, cut through the trees along
the steep sides of the dell, is highly to
be recommended.

The Chateau dc la Garaye is a ruined
mansion of the time of Francis I.,
exhibiting in its falling walls and
towers some picturesque bits of archi¬
tecture, in the style of la Renaissance,
intermixed with Gothic ornaments.
The last owner, M. de la Garaye,
quitting the gay world, converted this
house into an hospital, while, with his
wife, he devoted all his time and for¬
tune to the care of the sick. To fit
themselves for this duty they both
studied medicine and surgery, and the
lady became an excellent oculist. The
hospital was destroyed at the Revo¬
lution, which the benevolent founders
fortunately did not live to see, having
died 1755-7; but the monument over
the graves even of these benefactors of
the district, in the churchyard of
Faden, did not escape destruction
from the ruthless hands of the Repub¬
lican spoilers.

About 10 m. 1ST. W. of Dinan is the
Chateau of La Hunandaye, an inter¬
esting old castle surrounded by ram¬
part and ditch, and tolerably perfect,
in the form of a pentagon. It is sup¬
posed to have been built in the 13th
century, by Olivier de Tournemine.
It is to be reached only by a cross
road, intricate to find without a guide,
passing through Corseul, where Roman
remains have been discovered.

About 10 m. beyond the castle, on
the coast, is St. Cast, where an ill-con¬
trived expedition of the English was
ignominiously defeated in attempting
an inroad on Brittany in 1758, with a

loss of 822 men, including 42 officers,
killed and taken prisoners.

On the road from Dinan to Rennes
the small town of Evrau is passed; it
is situated on the Canal which joins
the Ranee to the Ille. The castle of
the Beaumanoir here is now modern¬
ised. The country beyond is very
tame; fields and hedgerows, and few
villages. Country-houses, where they
occur, lie at a distance from the road,
without lodges or dressed grounds.

29 La Chapelle Chaussee.

24 Rennes, in Rte. 34.

There are 2 roads from Rennes to
Nantes:

—a. By Derval 107 kilom. = 66^
Eng. m.

16 Bout de Lande.

11 Roudun.

A high hill is crossed before reaching

17 La Breheraye.

9 Derval.

12 Nozay.

14 Bout de Bois.

14 Gesvres.

14 Nantes, in Rte. 46.

—b. By Chateaubriant 119 kilom.
= 73 Eng. m.

18 Corps Nuds.

17 Thourie.

18 Chateaubriant {Inn: H. des
Voyageurs, small, but clean), a town
of 3673 Inhab., at the intersection
of several roads. Its ancient walls
remain nearly intact. The Castle was
dismantled by Henri IV. and Louis
XIII., but part of it, including a
spiral stair leading to the chamber in
which, according to tradition, Fran-
§oise de Foix was bled to death by
her husband Jean de Laval (1525 or
37), are incorporated in the public
offices. The Ch. of St. Jean de Re re
is an interesting Romanesque struc¬
ture.

18 La Meilleraye.

About 1 m. on the 1. of the road
lies a Monastery of the Order of La
Trappe. It was sold as national pro¬
perty 1793, and was repurchased 1816
by a Romanist Society of Trappists,
who had been settled at Lulworth in
Dorsetshire, but their number has
been greatly diminished (to 25) since

Brittany. Route 42. —Morlaix to Nantes — Huelgoat,

141

1830, in consequence of their having
mixed themselves up with the Chouan
insurrection of that period.

19 Nort is a small town on the 1.
bank of the Erdre, which becomes
navigable here for steamers. One plies
daily between Nantes and Nort, to
and fro. Below this the Erdre swells
out into the form of a lake; on its rt.
bank are Chapelle-sur-Erdre, and the
castle of la Gacherie, residence of the
Princess Marguerite de Navarre, sister
of Francis I., and authoress of the
romances known by the title Hep-
tameron.

A little farther is the castle of Blue
Bleard (Gilles de Retz), whose story
is told in Rte. 58.

18 Carquefou.

11 Nantes, in Rte. 46.

ROUTE 42.

MORLAIX TO NANTES, BY THE MINES OF
HUELGOAT AND POULAHOUAN, CAR-
HAIX, PONTIVY, JOSSELIN, AND PLO-
ERMEL.

This is a cross-country road, not a
post-road, but traversed by a Dili¬
gence. It is described because it
includes several places of interest.

There is a good view of the pic¬
turesque town of Morlaix (Rte. 36)
from the heights crossed on quitting
it. The road gradually approaches
and surmounts the chain of the Menez
Arrds hills, through a desolate country
chiefly moorland. The summit level
is reached at Croix Court, which is
also the boundary of the arrondisse-
ments of Morlaix and Chateaulin.
About l;j m. beyond Le Mendi, a
hamlet 12 m. from Morlaix, a road
turns off on the rt. to

Huelgoat (4 m. farther). Here is only
a poor Inn (Lion d’Or), which, however,
can furnish a clean bed and something
to eat. Huelgoat is a town of 1200
Inhab., in a remote and thinly-peopled
district celebrated for its Mines of lead
containing silver mixed with it. They
are situated about 1^ m. from the
town, in the midst of a picturesque
valley, through which runs a rushing
stream, concealed from view at one

particular spot by an eboulement of co¬
lossal fragments of rocks.

The path to the mines is carried
through thick woods by the side of a
narrow canal or aqueduct, conveying
water to move the machinery and the
hydraulic pump by which the mine is
kept dry. This machine is a master¬
piece of mechanical skill, constructed
by M. Juncker, an engineer of Alsace,
and related to Cuvier. It well deserves
the minute attention of all who take
an interest in mining or machinery,
and has been thought worthy of an
eulogistic report, read to the Academy
of Science by M. Arago. It has the
force of 280 horses, and raises 3 cubic
metres 53 centiemes per minute, a
height of 754 ft., effected by a column
of water equal to 21 cubic inches
falling from a height of 196 ft. It
has been at work for many years night
and day; its movements are free from
the least irregularity or the slightest
noise. It is entirely under ground, at
a considerable depth below the sur¬
face. The process of separating the
silver from the ores by amalgamation
with mercury is also very curious.
M. Juncker, who for many years di¬
rected these works, introduced con¬
siderable ameliorations on the Saxon
method, by means of which large
masses of very poor ores have been
worked, which were formerly rejected;
by this means the prosperity of the
Huelgoat mines has increased much of
late years. Permission to enter the
mines is readily given by the director.
The best time for visiting them is at
six o’clock, when the gangs of miners
are shifted, and the nightworking set
relieve those who have toiled through
the day. The descent is made by a
bucket and rope. The vein of lead
has been traced for more than a mile
in a clay slate of the upper Silurian
formation. The lead ore (galena) is
sent to Poulahouan to be smelted.

In the Church of Huelgoat is a cu¬
rious reading-desk (lutrin) resting on
a pedestal resembling the classic tripod,
but of wood, each of the 3 sides orna¬
mented with a figure in bas-relief of a
classic character. On one is a man
with long hair and a mace over his

142

Route 42 .—Morlaix to Nantes — Pontivy.

Sect. II.

shoulder, with no other clothing than
a short cloak ; on another a young
man in classic garb, bearing a torch in
one hand and a dart in the other; on
the third a female bearing a cup and
vase, in the guise of a Bacchante. It
has been well described by M. Fre-
minville; but nothing is known of
its origin or the meaning of its carv¬
ings.

The Menage de la Vierge is a species
of cave formed by fallen masses of
granite rock, through which a small
stream of black water and of unknown
origin flows, in places out of sight. It
is possible with a sure foot and steady
head to descend into the gulf. Near
this is a Booking Stone.

The Cascades of St. Herbot are worth
the walk to them, less on account of
the waterfalls themselves than for the
scenery of the little valley in which
they lie, varied with dense woods and
bare jutting rocks. The village Church ,
surmounted by a fine square tower on
a height above, contains the tomb and
effigy of the anchorite St. Herbot, some
carved screen-work in the choir, and a
roodloft of elaborate and beautiful
workmanship in the style of the Re¬
naissance. There are 2 painted win¬
dows of rich colour with the date 1556.
It has a fine W. portal in the decorated
style, but bearing the date 1516, an
ogee arch ornamented with frizzled
foliage, and a still more beautiful S.
porch, but the statues are poor. Herbot
is a veterinary saint, who cures the
diseases of animals, provided a lock of
the beast’s hair be laid on his altar.

At Branilis in the parish of Locque-
fret, about 6 m. from Huelgoat, at a
distance from any village, surrounded
by 3 or 4 hovels, is a fine large Church
in the best style of Gothic art, sur¬
mounted by a spire, and internally
adorned with carving in stone and
wood, and with painted glass, now all
going to decay.

Poulahouan, on the direct road from
Morlaix to Carhaix, contains other lead-
mines, but inferior in extent and pro¬
ductiveness to those of Huelgoat.
Here, however, are the smelting-houses
in which the ore from both mines is
reduced. The galleries of the mine

have been driven horizontally f of a
mile and vertically more than 600 ft.
in the grauwacke.

There is a direct road (15 m.) from
Huelgoat to

Carhaix (La Tour d’Auvergne is a
good little Inn: game very cheap ;
partridges 3d. a brace), a primitive
town (2000 Inhab.) among the hills,
in the midst of that most unsophisti¬
cated district of ancient Brittany,
Cornouailles. It abounds in old houses,
with projecting cornices and carved
timber-work, and is inhabited by
people as old - fashioned as their
dwellings.

Here is shown the house in which
La Tour d’Auvergne (Th^ophile-Malo
Corret) was born, in 1743; who, stern
republican as well as brave warrior,
steadily refused rank, but died the
“premier grenadier de France,” in the
battle-field on the banks of the Danube.
A statue of him by the sculptor
Marochetti is erected in the Place. In
the Chateau de la Huge are preserved
his heart, an early portrait, his sword,
and his boots. The canal from Nantes
to Brest will send a branch to Carhaix.

A little way out of the town on the
road to Callac is an ancient structure,
said to be a Roman aqueduct. There
is also a Roman road which can be
traced for more than a mile on the
way to St. Gildas. Richard Coeur de
Lion was defeated at Carhaix, 1197, by
his rebellious vassals, the nobles of
Brittany. Six high roads—to Brest,
Morlaix, St. Brieuc, Vannes, Chateau-
lin, and Quimper—unite here.

A direct road leads from Carhaix to
Lorient, by Le Faouet, and over the
high range of the Montague Noire.
Not far from Le Faouet is a very hand¬
some Gothic chapel.

The road to Pontivy and Vannes
quits the Dept, of Finisterre soon after
leaving Carhaix, passes Rostrenen
(Dept. Cotes du Nord), beyond which
it crosses the Brest and Nantes Canal,
and reaches

Pontivy {Inn: H. des Voyageurs),
an ancient town with old walls and
gates, to which a new quarter was
tacked on by Napoleon, who changed
the name of the place to Napoleonville.

Brittany. Route 42 .—Morlaix to Nantes — Josselin.

143

At tlie restoration of tlie Bourbons,
however, his name and his public
works were dropped; and many of the
buildings remain half finished. The
river Blavet, now rendered navigable
to the sea at Lorient, and the canal
from Brest to hiantes, afford openings
for some commerce. The Castle of
the Dukes of Brittany is of ancient
foundation, but the actual edifice was
rebuilt 1485. It is very picturesque,
but rapidly falling to ruin. The fine
church tower and spire of St. Nico-
deme is 2^ lieues from Pontivy.

About 6 m. N. of the road to Jos¬
selin is Rohan, cradle of the noble
family of that name, now a poor and
insignificant village, but prettily situ¬
ated. Of the Castle, now neglected by
the princes its owners, scarcely a
morsel of wall remains above the sur¬
face; the last fragments having been
pulled down to build cottages with the
stones.

Posting is established on the road
between Pontivy and

34 Josselin.— Inns: Poste ; Ci’oix
d’Or. The Castle of Josselin, an ancient
feudal fortress, founded on a rock
above the river Oest, was the residence
of the famous Constable de Clisson,
who added a donjon, now destroyed,
to the building, and died here, 1407,
in a chamber facing the river, still
pointed out. The oldest parts are the
round towers, on the outside, built of
slate. The most remarkable portion
of the building is the inner front, in the
irregular but picturesque style of
Gothic in its latest form, equivalent to
our Elizabethan, and dating probably
from the lGthcenty. It is surmounted
by pointed gables, and no two divisions
correspond; the windows, surmounted
by Gothic canopies, are interspersed
with parapets of interlacing tracery, in
the midst of which the words “a plus,”
the motto of the Rohans, to whom the
castle still belongs, cut in letters of
stone, are constantly recurring. From
the initials A. V. with a coronet, it is
supposed to have been built by Alain
VIII. Vicomte de Josselin.

The Tomb of Olivier de Clisson, in the
Ch. of Notre Dame, was violated at the
Revolution, and the effigies of himself,

and his wife Marguerite de Rohan,
through whom he inherited the castle,
were broken to pieces. The mutilated
fragments were to be seen lately in the
sacristy. A modern mausoleum has
been erected, in execrable taste.

In the midst of a wild open heath,
half way between Josselin and Ploer-
mel, a modern obelisk marks the spot
where the Combat des Trente took place.
Here, if we may believe Breton poets
and writers of modern date (for ancient
authority is wanting for the event, and
many have doubted whether it ever
occurred), close to an oak, which has
long since disappeared, called “chene
de mie voi,” a battle is said to have
been fought 1351, between 30 Bretons
on the side of Charles de Blois, and 30
partisans of Jean de Montfort, consist¬
ing of 20 English, 4 Flemings, and
6 Bretons, there not being enough
English on the spot to form the full
complement of combatants. The chal¬
lenge was given by Du Beaumanoir,
the Breton leader of the garrison of
Josselin, to his opponents, who com¬
posed part of the garrison of Ploermel,
in consequence of an alleged infraction
of a treaty by the latter. The English
were led on by a knight whom the
French call Brembro (? Pembroke),
and after a very stout resistance -were
vanquished, chiefly owing to the death
of their leader. The combat of the
30 is not mentioned in the oldest copies
of Froissart, the contemporary chro¬
nicle of the wars of Brittany, and is
doubted by Daru in his History; not¬
withstanding which the monumental
obelisk erected since the Restoration,
in the place of one destroyed at the
Revolution, headed “ Vive le Roi !
Les Bourbons toujours!” gives a list of
the names of the 30 Bretons engaged
in it.

12 Ploermel, in Rte. 45.

15 Malestroit.—There is no posting
from this place to

Redon, a towm of 4500 Inhab., on
the Vilaine, a tidal river up to this
point, and navigable for vessels of
considerable size, while the navigation
is continued by locks above this to
Rennes.

The Church, originally belonging to

144

Route 44 .—Brest to Nantes.

Sect. II.

the Abbey, is a fine Gothic building
with a semicircular E. end. The con¬
ventual buildings are turned into a
college.

The Chateau de Beaumont, in the
vicinity of the town, retains 3 towers
of considerable antiquity attached to
its modern constructions. There are
extensive slate-quarries near this.

19 Rozay.

24 Bout de Bois. We here enter
Rte. 41 a, p. 140.

14 Gesvres.

14 Nantes. (Route 46.)

ROUTE 44.

BREST TO NANTES, BY QUIMPER, AURAY,

VANNES, AND LA ROCHE BERNARD.

-EXCURSIONS TO LORIENT AND TO

CARNAC AND LOKMARIAKER.

307 kilom. = 191 Eng. m.

Diligence (mail) daily, in 36 hours,
including 3 or 4 hours stoppages. It
is a finely constructed road, though
hilly from Brest to Le Faou.

Between Brest and Chateaulin the
steamer (see below) is preferable to the
diligence.

The high road from Brest to Cha¬
teaulin makes a great circuit in order
to avoid the creeks jutting out of the
Bay of Brest: it follows the Paris road
to

20 Landerneau (Rte. 36), then turns
abruptly S. to

19 Faou, seated on a river which
becomes all slime at low water. The
costume of the people in this part of
Brittany is such as was worn in England
in the time of Charles I. and II.—
slouched hats, trunk hose (bragou bras,
i. e. brogues or breeks), very wide,
and with many folds, the hair hanging
down the men’s backs, reminding one
of the pictures in Isaac Walton. The
black charcoal-burners thus attired
have a very singular appearance. The
women here wear a sort of cravat round
their necks. The Pardon (§ 5), cele¬
brated four times a year at Rumengol
near Faou, is attended with very curious
ceremonies.

From the high ground beyond Faou
a pretty view is obtained on the rt.;

the road, which is very hilly, next dips
into a wooded and picturesque dell, at
the bottom of which is a royal manu¬
factory of gunpowder, called Pont de
Puis. Another hill surmounted, and
we reach the banks of the Chateaulin
river at Port de Launay, the point of
arrival and departure of the steamer
from Brest.

The steamer runs only three times a
week, making the voyage from Brest
to Port Launay, 2 m. short of Cha¬
teaulin, in 4 hours. It traverses the
Rade de Brest through its entire length,
and thus enables the stranger fully to
enjoy the beauties of that fine salt¬
water lake. For a general description
of it, and of the vast range of batteries
which defend it, see Rte. 36. On
setting out, the opening of the Goulet
is seen on the rt., and on the 1.
the wide creek or inlet which extends
up to Landerneau. The steamer passes
between

rt. The Pointe des Espagnols, the
extreme projection of the peninsula of
Qu^lern, and 1. the Pointe de l’Ar-
morique, both strongly defended by
forts. During the wars of the Ligue,
a Spanish force sent over to aid the
Due de Mercoeur in his resistance to
Henri IV. took possession of the point,
and, intrenching themselves on it, com¬
pletely commanded the entry of the
roads. Their fort was at length cap¬
tured by assault by Mar4chal d’Au-
mont, assisted by 1800 English, com¬
manded by Col. Norris, sent over by
Queen Elizabeth, after an obstinate
defence, and all within it were put to
the sword — the French say, chiefly
through the savageness of the English.
The English formed the forlorn hope
in scaling the breach ; and here the
veteran mariner Frobisher, the tamer
of the Spanish Armada, got his death-
wound.

The peninsula of Quelern, consumed
on both sides by the ever-restless waves,
exhibits a fringe of notched and jagged
rocks, which, as they become under¬
mined by the ocean, are constantly
giving way. Immense fissures are
formed every year in the ground above,
and are followed by numerous land¬
slips. These bare and exposed pro-

145

Brittany. Route 44. —Brest to Nantes — Quimper .

montories, covered with heath and out
up and corroded by the waves, were
the chosen site of the worship of the
Druids, and abound in those curious
Celtic remains called Druidic stones.

($ 4 .)

1. The Bay of Daoulas, or “ Double
Murder,” is so called from the slaugh¬
ter of two saints by a pagan chief,
which gave rise to an Abbey whose ruins
still remain. They are chiefly of the
15th centy., with earlier portions in
the round style. Near this are the
quarries of the Kersanton stone, so
much used for the chui’ches of Brit¬
tany. (§ 5.)

rt. The steamer next enters the
inlet of Chateaulin, bending round the
projecting promontory Landevennec,
on which are ruins of a church attached
to a once celebrated Abbey, the Breton
Chartreuse, which was destroyed at
the Revolution, and its valuable char¬
ters and MSS. sent to Brest to be made
into cartridges by the artillery.

The banks of the inlet, now contract¬
ing into a river, are picturesque, but
the course of the stream is very wind¬
ing.

At Port de Launay the voyage for
steamers ends ; the river Aulne being
crossed by a weir and lock a short way
above this, to render it navigable for
barges as far as Chateauneuf, where
the canal to Nantes commences.

There are many slate-quarries on the
banks of the river near to

19 Chateaulin. — Inn: none toler¬
able. A small, but not remarkable
town, in a pretty, park-like valley, hav¬
ing a bridge over the Aulne, and an old
castle in ruins on a rock behind it.
At Pleyben, 7 m. E. of this, is a fine
Gothic Church, with a lofty tower and
well-preserved sculptured portal, bear¬
ing inside of it statues of the 12
Apostles; the windows are adorned
with painted glass. In the churchyai'd
is a very curious Calvaire resting on 4
arches, on the sides and the top of
which our Saviour’s passion is repre¬
sented in bas-reliefs and statues, more
than 120 in number, not ill drawn, the
drapery especially. The costume is
France.

that of the 16th centy., yet the date
affixed to the monument is 1650.

Quimper may be reached from Cha¬
teaulin in about 2^ hours. The road
here quits the valley of the Aulne by a
steep ascent 3 m. long; from the very
top of which, an open moorland tract,
you still look down upon Chateaulin
and its valley. This ridge is called
the Black Mountain. It was near this
part of the road that a party of in¬
trusive clergy and bishops, appointed
by the Revolutionist government, pro¬
ceeding to a confirmation at Brest, were
stopped, dragged out of the coach by
a party of Cliouans, and murdered on
the highway.

28 Quimper (Corentin), — Inn : H.
de l’Epe£, the only good one.

Quimper is capital of the Dept.
Finisterre, though it has only 9860
Inhab., while Brest has 30,000. It
bears the stamp of antiquity as much
as any town in Brittany, and is still
partly surrounded by the walls and
watch-towers erected for its defence
by Pierre de Dreux, who, though a
bishop, was also a great captain in his
time. The Cathedral rears its stately
W. front, with a deep sculptured portal,
rich in foliage, but much fractured,
between two massive towers, on one
side of the market-place. It is a large
and fine edifice, begun 1424, and has
this peculiarity, that its nave is not on
a line with the choir, which inclines
considerably to the N.E., although the
irregularity is not so perceptible as to
be a defect. The interior is of a
stately height; in the S. aisle is a
curious grated niche. The pulpit is
carved and gilt. The sculpture of the
porch is like that of Folgoat in the
beautiful treatment of the foliage. The
towers though massive are not heavy,
being set off by the slit windows 30 ft.
high which pierce them, and by the
light open parapet with which they
terminate.

The ruined Ch. of the Cordeliers,
begun 1224, with its elegant though
mutilated cloister, and a large window
looking over the Rue St. Frangois, and
the chapel of Locmaria, on the out¬
skirts of the town to the S., appa¬
rently older than any in Quimper, and

146

Route 44 .—Brest to Nantes — Lorient.

Sect. II.

a work of the middle of the 12th
centy., will be appreciated by the anti¬
quary.

The best and most modern houses
line a quay on the rt. bank of the
Odel, which flows through Quimper in
the form of a canal. On its 1. bank
stands the Prefecture, fronting a sort
of Champ de Mars, behind which a
tall and steep hill rises, covered with
a hanging wood, cut into terraces and
zigzag paths, forming an agreeable
public walk, leading to the top, whence
there is a fine view of the river, which
expands greatly below the town.

Quimper is said to be an agreeable
residence ; its situation is very pretty,
and some trout-fishing might be had
in the neighboui'ing streams : the cli¬
mate is bad, however.

For those who have time and in¬
clination, there remain to be visited
near Quimper the picturesque rnanoir
of Coat Bily, a little to the rt. of the
road to Chateaulin (date 1517) ; the
elegant and well-preserved chapel of
La Mere de Lieu, 16th cent. ; the
Moustoir, an ancient fortified mansion
on the way to Concarneau.

A new high road has been made
from this to the Pointe, or Bee da
Raz, a storm-beaten promontory, sur¬
mounted by a lighthouse, which,
though nearly 270 ft. above the sea, is
constantly covered by the spray during
tempests. The spot has little gran¬
deur, but a savage wildness ; the sea
around is always tempest-tossed, and
the shore of the Baie des Ti’epasses, so
called from the number of dead bodies
washed upon it, is perpetually covered
with wrecks. The flat, bare, rocky
peninsula of Penmarch abounds in
Celtic remains. Near Soc’h is a Dru¬
idic parallelogram of upright stones,
and the finest dolmen in Finisterre,
consisting of 16 vertical slabs support¬
ing two horizontal or tabular stones.

(§ 4 -)

The road out of Quimper to Quim-
perle has been carried round the flanks
of the hills, instead of over their tops.

21 Rosporden stands on the borders
of a large pond.

25 Quimperld (no good Inn ) is
seated amidst hills, on a brawlimr

river, the File, and is a pretty town.
5300 Inhab.

The large mass of building on one
side of the Place, now serving as
Mairie, &c., was originally a convent
of Benedictines, attached to which,
behind, is the Ch. of Ste. Croix, a build¬
ing calculated to interest the anti¬
quary and architect, from its age (10th
or 11th cent. ?), and its form, a ro¬
tunda surmounted by a dome with 4
projecting apses, one of which has
been modernised. The arrangement
of the central piers, concave inwardly,
convex outwardly, the pilasters at¬
tached to them, the narrow, loop-
holed, roundheaded windows high up
in the wall, all mark its antiquity.

3 flights of steps lead up to the altar,
beneath which is a curious and still
more ancient crypt, entered from the
outside. It contains the grave of St.
Gurlot : the Bretons thrust their arms
through a hole in his tombstone, in
order to be cured of rheumatism.
Above the main entrance to the church
is a bas-relief of good execution, of
the age of Francis I., representing the

4 Evangelists and the Theological
Virtues.

There is another church (St. Michel )
on the top of the hill, its groundwork
Romanesque, with additions of the
12th and 15th cents.

Travellers bound for Lorient (where
the H. de France is a good Inn) take
a route to the rt. of our line on quit¬
ting QuimperlA There is nothing re¬
markable in that dull modern town of
straight streets and 19,095 Inhab.,
save its Dockyard, which is not readily
shown to an Englishman, and which
he need not care to see, as it is much
inferior to those of his own country.
The town is strongly fortified, and
stands in the angle between two creeks,
one of which, the estuary of the ScorfF,
forms the port militaire, the other the
port marchand. They unite below
the town, where they are met by the
estuary of the Blavet from the E., and
expand into the Roads ; but as the
dockyard occupies nearly the entire
margin, and is surrounded on all sides
by a high wall, all view of the water
is excluded from the town, and contri-

Brittany. Route 44 .—Brest to Nantes — Hennebon.

147

butes nothing to remove the mono¬
tonous dulness of its dirty streets,
whose meagre houses look as though
they were built merely to be knocked
down. An excellent bird’s-eye view
of the dockyard may be obtained from
the top of the tower of the parish
church.

At the entrance of the Dockyard is
the house of the Prefet Maritime. The
adjacent buildings are part of those
erected by the “ Compagnie des Indes
Orientales,” whose establishment here,
1666, converted into a town a previ¬
ously obscure village. The company
was dissolved 1770. Law of Lauris-
ton, the South Sea schemer, occupied
the house which is now the Prefecture.
Near to it stands a narrow look-out
tower 180 ft. high, overtopping all
other buildings, affording a view of
the whole roadstead and of the coast
far and wide ; near this is a small
astronomical observatory. Lorient is
exclusively a building dock ; there are
no bagnes nor convicts here. There
are 15 or 16 building-slips (cales) here
and on the opposite side of the creek,
but only one has a permanent roof, fit
for first-rates ; the rest are mostly for
frigates and steam - vessels. A new
Fonderie near to the shed for masting
vessels, 2 large mast-houses, and very
extensive workshops, provided with a
steam-engine, have been finished.

The roads open out at the lower ex¬
tremity of the creek which forms the
port : they are partly dry at low
water. Some way down is the lie St.
Michel, covered with the yellow build¬
ings of the Lazaret, and beyond it, on
a projecting point, the fortress of Port
Louis, commanding the entrance of the
harbour, mounting 500 cannon (?)

A steamer goes from Lorient to
Nantes, and vice versa, every week,
touching at Belle Isle, a barren rock,
which was captured by the English,
under General Hodson and Admiral
Keppel, in 1761.

The estuary of the Scorff is crossed
by a wooden bridge in going to Auray
from Lorient.]

A coach runs between Quimperle
and Nantes daily in about 24 hrs.,

through Lorient and Hennebon. The
direct road to Hennebon passes out of
the Dept. Finisterre into the Morbihan
about 6 m. from Quimperle.

The river Blavet is crossed by an
iron suspension bridge to reach

24 Hennebon (H. du Commerce ;
tolerable), an antique town, 4477
Inhab., prettily situated on its 1.
bank, once the chief port of Morbihan.
Its name must be familiar to all who
have read Froissart, through the noble
defence w’hich it made in the succes¬
sion war of Brittany 1342, during two
sieges sustained by Jeanne de Mont-
fort against the armies of Philippe de
Valois and Charles of Blois. The cap¬
ture and imprisonment in Paris of
Jean de Montfort would have ruined
his cause in Brittany but for his heroic
countess, who, possessing the courage
of a man and the heart of a lion, threw
herself into Hennebon, strengthened
its works, filled it with provisions, and
animated the courage of the garrison
and inhabitants to resist to the last
extremity. To marshal troops, to
lead them to the onset, to fight hand
to hand armed cap-k-pied with sword
and casque, to manage a war-horse
with the skill of the most adept cava¬
lier, to preside in council, or dictate
treaties ; such were the accomplish¬
ments of this noble dame. Several
times did she boldly sally forth at the
head of her troops to assail the enemy,
and on one occasion set fire to his
camp ; and when the besiegers turned
round to defend it in such numbers as
to cut off her retreat into the town,
she forced her way through them and
effected her escape to Auray, whence,
after beating up the country around
for 5 days, she returned in triumph to
Hennebon with a force augmented
from 300 to 600 men, and entered the
gates in safety. At length the last
extremity arrived ; provisions were
nearly exhausted, her counsellors ad¬
vised surrender, and articles of capitu¬
lation were drawn up. She was forced
unwillingly to consent to yield, pro¬
vided at the end of 3 days succour did
not arrive from England. On the eve
of the 2nd day, as she was gazing from
her watch-tower, she perceived the

H 2

148

Route 44.— Brest to Nantes — Auray . Sect. II

English fleet, whicli had been detained
by contrary winds, entering the month
of the Blavet full sail, bringing the
brave knight Sir Walter de Manny,
with a strong force of English knights
and archers, and plenty of provisions.

. All thoughts of surrender were now
abandoned ; and, after one or two suc¬
cessful sorties, the siege was raised.
Two years after this, Edward III. in
person landed here with an army of
3 2,000, which laid siege to Yannes.
In 1375, however, the town was taken
by Du Guesclin, and the English gar¬
rison all put to the sword, except the
commanders Wisk and Prior, who were
reserved for ransom. The only relics
now remaining in the town from that
period of bloodshed are a portion of
the town-wall on the side of the river,
and an ancient gate which led to the
castle ; it is a pointed gateway be¬
tween 2 very massive round towers,
and is now a prison. The Church is
said to have been built by the Eng¬
lish ; it is unfinished, and only re-
mai’kable for a lofty and elegant portal,
recessed and fringed, not unlike that
at Harfleur, surmounted by a crock-
eted steeple. There are some pic¬
turesque old houses here.

[Near Baud (a poor town, destitute
of a tolerable inn), 15 m. N. of Henne-
bon, is the statue called Venus of Qui-
nipily, from a castle of that name now
razed to the ground, on whose site it
is placed. It is of granite, coarsely
worked and badly designed ; the arms
are crossed in front over a piece of
drapery like a stole, descending half¬
way down the thighs ; in other re¬
spects it is naked. Nothing is known
concerning its origin, and the conjec¬
tures are very vague. One writer
supposes, from its Egyptian character,
that it was a Gallic Isis, and it is
called Yenus only in the inscriptions
on the pedestal set up 1689. This
much is certain, that down to the
17th centy. it was worshipped with
foul rites, and is even now looked on
with superstitious veneration by the
peasantry.]

A dreary and monotonous country
of moor and heathland is crossed on
quitting Hennebon to reach

13 Landevan.

15 Auray {Inn: Pavilion d’en Bas ;
tolerable), a town of 3734 Inhab., on
the Auray ; in nowise remarkable, but
from its position it is the best start¬
ing-point for a visit to the Celtic anti¬
quities of Carnac and Locmariaker.
Jolting gigs may be hired here for 10
fr. to go and return.

The Castle of Auray, no part of
which is now standing, is said to have
been founded by King Arthur. A
battle fought under its walls, 1364,
settled the succession to the dukedom
of Brittany in favour of young De
Montfort, son-in-law to King Edward
III., who owed the victory to his Eng¬
lish allies, led on by the brave John
Chandos. In the opposite ranks fought
Du Guesclin, who was made prisoner
by Chandos, and Olivier de Clisson,
who lost an eye in the battle. Charles
de Blois was slain in the thickest of
the fight, and there fell on his side
not less than 5000 men, while the
English lost a very small number.

St. Anne d’ Auray is a celebrated pil¬
grimage church 6 m. from the town,
frequented usually by 6000 devotees
from all parts of Brittany in the month
of July, but not otherwise remark¬
able. It is a modern and not hand¬
some building.

In another direction, about a mile
from Auray, is the nunnery of the
Chartreuse, occupied by the Soeurs de
la Sagesse, who instruct a school for
the deaf and dumb. Attached to their
church is the Expiatory Monument,
erected by the Bourbons to the me¬
mory of the 950 unfortunate Emigres
and Royalists who composed the ill-
advised expedition to Quiberon, 1795,
and who either fell there, or were shot
by the Republicans on the banks of
the Auray, at the spot marked by a
Grecian temple not far distant from
the Chartreuse. Another monument,
which has been placed in the church
to record their unhappy fate, is not a
work of merit, either in genei’al design
or in the execution of the bas-relief
intended to adorn it. It bears the
names of those who fell.

The village of Breech was the birth¬
place of George Cadoudal, a leader of

Brittany. Route 44.' — Morbihan — Locmariciker.

149

the Chouans. Morbihan was the
centre of then’ insurrection.

The Excursion to Carnac and Loc¬
mariaker may be made in one day by
pursuing the following plan, and pro¬
vided the traveller can walk 8 m., the
only mode of passing between these
two places being on foot. If the wind
be favourable he may take a boat and
descend the Auray to Locmariaker, a
pleasant voyage of a little more than
an hour ; if he visit Gavr Innis (N.B.
in this case take candles and matches),
1 or hr. more is required : from
Locmariaker on foot to Carnac will
take 2 hrs. He must, however, be¬
forehand, hire a gig at Auray, and
send it on to Carnac to wait for him.
He may return to Auray in the gig in
2^ hrs.

In sailing down the estuary of the
Auray he will pass

rt. The Chateau de Plessis Kaer, a
Gothic castle, with additions of the
time of Francis I., and the ruins of
another, called Rosnareu. Ne'ar this
the boatmen assert that ruins of the
piles of a bridge, which they attribute
to Caesar, may be discovered at low-
water in the bed of the river.

rt. A perfect Chateau, called Ker-
entrec. The river now widens out,
and a little farther on we enter

The Morbihan (Little Sea), an inland
sea or archipelago from which the de¬
partment is named, so thickly beset
with islands that the common belief
assigns them a number equal to the
days of the year. The shores on all
sides have a most jagged outline,
fringed with capes, creeks, and inlets ;
they are of granite, barely covered
with the scantiest vegetable soil, sup¬
porting a growth of barren heath ;
very often the surface is mere bare
rock. 2 narrow peninsulas or arms,
projecting from the E. and W., sepa¬
rate this gulf from the sea, allowing
only a narrow passage between them.
This archipelago is very difficult to na¬
vigate—a perfect labyrinth of islands,
separated by intricate passages which
only the experienced navigator can
thread. The land rises but little
above the sea ; it is sterile in the ex¬
treme ; the peasantry are miserably

poor, and barely win a scanty crop
from a soil whose proper pi'oductions
seem heath and furze. Yet this me¬
lancholy and mysterious but unin¬
viting district seems to have been the
head - quarters of the religion of the
Druids — the number of barrows,
cairns, dolmens, menhirs, &c., is ex¬
traordinary (§4).

The island of Gavr Innis, or Gaffr’
nd, nearly opposite Locmariaker, may
be visited on the way thither, diverg¬
ing a mile or 2 to the E. It is “an
island of granite about i m. long, of
granite covered with turf, in which
rises a tumulus 30 ft. high and 300 in
circumference. It is traversed by a
subterranean passage or cromlech, con¬
sisting of 13 and 14 vertical props at
the sides and 10 cap-stones. Some of
them are covered with engraved lines
forming patterns somewhat resembling
the tattooing of a New Zealander.—
Lukis. The only way to get to these
islands is to take a boat from Loc¬
mariaker. The Auray boatmen either
cannot or will not go over.

Locmariaker is a poor village, not
possessing accommodation of the com¬
monest kind for a traveller, nor even
affording provisions. It stands on a
heathy promontory projecting between
the ocean and the Gulf of Morbihan,
but is deserted by the tide at low
water, so that one must land at a sort
of pier a little to the N. of the village,
near the Mont Hellu, a mound of stones
or galgal, about f m. N. W. of the vil¬
lage. There is another similar mound
to the S. E. called butte de Caesar. The
most interesting of the Celtic monu¬
ments lie to the N. of the village,
between it and the Mont Hellu. Con¬
tiguous to the last house is a menhir
20 ft. long, overthrown like every
other in this district; a little to the 1.
on an eminence is a dolmen, the top
stone of which is 12 to 15 ft. square,
and in parts 3 ft. thick. Still farther
to the N. lies prostrate and broken
into 4 fragments the largest Menhir
known; it measures nearly 60 ft. in
length, and 5 or 6 ft. in height as it
lies. It is difficult to imagine by what
force so huge a mass can have been
snapped short across, with such clean

150

Route 44.— Locmariaker — Carnac.

Sect. II.

fractures. Some have attributed its
fall to lightning. Near to it is another
dolmen called Dot ar Marchant, the
Merchant’s Table, which seems larger
than any other in the neighbourhood;
it consists of 2 table-stones, one of
them 16 ft. by 12, supported on 3
vertical ones; it is possible to creep
under it, and remark the singular
figures cut on its under surface. Be¬
tween it and the Mont Hellu, a vast
heap of cinders is said to have been
found (?)

There are many other similar monu¬
ments near Locmariaker, but these are
the principal ones.

Locmariaker (i. e. place of the Virgin
Mary) is supposed to occupy the site
of the ancient Dariorigum, the capital
of the Venetes: its position agrees with
Caesar’s description of their “oppida
in extremis linguis, promontoriisque
posita,” and some substructures of
houses laid bare near the village are
attributed to the Romans.

[The peninsula of Rhuys , which, with
that of Locmariaker, form, as it were,
the natural piers separating the Sea of
Morbihan from the Atlantic, contains
the following objects of curiosity. 1.
Le Grand Mont, called also la Butte de
Tamiac, situated about 4 m. from Sar-
zeau, an obscure little town, but me¬
morable as the birthplace of the author
of Gil Bias. It is the largest tumulus
existing in France, 100 ft. high and
300 in circumference, and is planted
near the extremity of the promontory.
2. The ruined ch. of the Abbey of St.
Gildas de Rhuys, remarkable because it
was the retreat of Abelard in 1125,
who narrowly escaped poisoning at the
hands of the refractory and ill-con¬
ditioned monks, whose dissolute man¬
ners he wished to repress. The re¬
mains consist of a modern nave, and a
very ancient choir in the Romanesque
style, terminating at the E. end in 3
semicircular chapels. The walls of the
transept are partly of herring-bone
masonry. The date of the oldest part
of the building is probably 1038. The
tomb of the saint is pointed out;
an ancient font deserves notice. St.
Gildas is about 21 m. from Vannes.
On the way to St. Gildas from Vannes,

3, the Castle of Succinio may be visited.
It is a fine and perfect feudal fortress,
built 1260 by John the Red, Duke of
Brittany. It has nearly the form of a
pentagon flanked by 6 round towers.
It was the birthplace of the Constable
de Richemont, who defeated the Eng¬
lish at Formigny.]

Between Carnac and Locmariaker
a deep frith of the sea penetrates far
inland, and is crossed half way by a
ferry; the way is very intricate, from
the number of paths, so as scarcely to
be found without a guide, and the
road is very bad. The distance, 8 m.,
is practicable only on foot.

The Ferry of Cherispere over this
inlet is prettily situated, and com¬
mands a view of the little port of La
Trinity in the bay of Crach.

A little to the W. of the ferry, near
some salt-works, at the bottom of a
shallow dell, is a rude monument to
mark the grave of a royalist, shot on
the spot, 1801.

The approach to Carnac is marked
by the prominent Cairn, or Tombelle
de St. Michel, so called from the chapel
surmounting it. It is a cone of loose
stones artificially heaped together,
standing at the E. extremity of the
great army of rocks of Carnac, of
which it commands a view, as well
as of the sea and promontory of Qui-
beron.

Carnac. Inn: LI. des Voyageurs, an
humble auberge.

The great Celtic Monument of Carnac,
the most extensive in France, is situated
about £ m. from this remote village,
and is traversed by the road from
Auray. In the midst of a wide heath,
as dreary and blasted in aspect as that
“ near Forres,” extends this brother¬
hood of grey stones,—rude blocks set
on end, angular, showing no marks of
polish, and hirsute with the long moss
which has covered the hard surface of
the granite, and marks the length of
time they must have stood in their
present position. At first sight it is
difficult to distinguish any order, so
many are overthrown, and the gaps
left in the lines by depredations are
so numerous and wide; indeed, every
house and every wall in the vicinity

Brittany.

Route 44.— Carnac — Quiberon.

151

seems to have been built out of this
ready quarry. The great mass of the
stones extends between 2 windmills.
They are arranged in 11 lines, forming
10 avenues, with a curved row of 18
stones at one end, touching at its
extremities the two outside rows.

The ranks are best preserved, and
the stones are highest, near the farm
called Menec. There are, it is said,
not less than 12,000 stones, blocks
of the granite which forms the basis
of the country, and which is barely
covered with soil, and in many places
projects naked above it. None ex¬
ceed 18 ft. in height, and a very large
proportion are cubical masses not
more than 3 ft. high. They give one
the idea of a regiment of soldiers, and
the tradition of the country respect¬
ing their origin is, that St. Comely
(Cornelius), hard pressed by an army
of Pagans, fled to the sea-shore, but,
finding no boat to further his escape,
uttered a prayer, which converted his
pursuers into stones. Of the numerous
theories invented by learned antiqua¬
ries to account for the origin and object
of these stones, several are not less
absurd nor more probable than the
legend just mentioned; none are satis¬
factory. The opinions perhaps least
unworthy of consideration would sup¬
pose either that it was a burial-place
on the site of some great battle-field,
and that each stone marked a grave,

or that it was a great temple dedicated
to serpent worship. It was probably
connected with some of those rites of
initiation which formed part of the
Druidical religion, and were derived
from the same source as the Greek
Mysteries.

At Erdevan, about 8 m. W: of Car¬
nac, and again at St. Barbe, between
Carnac and Erdevan, there are similar
assemblages of stones, but not so nu¬
merous. Some have maintained that
these three systems of rude pillars
were once united, but there is no evi¬
dence of this. The piles of stones
invariably follow the same direction
from E. to W. One can scarcely see
Carnac without comparing it with
Stonehenge; and it must be admitted
that, in spite of the vast multitude of
stones, the few and gigantic masses
of Salisbury Plain are far more im¬
pressive than the long array of the
petrified army on the heath of Mor-
bihan. At Carnac there are no cross¬
stones raised on the top of the upright
slabs, as at Stonehenge.

The Peninsula of Quiberon stretches
10 m. S. into the sea, a little to the
W. of the village of Carnac. Its name
is associated with melancholy recollec¬
tions of the ill-contrived and ill-exe¬
cuted expedition, consisting of 6000
French emigrants in the pay of Eng¬
land, who were landed there from a
British fleet 1795, and, after a futile
attempt to break through the Repub¬
lican armies opposed to them, were
for the most part driven into the sea
by General Hoche. The surprise, by
Hoche, of Fort Penthievre, which
guards the neck of the peninsula, and
of which the emigres had made them¬
selves masters on first landing, decided
the fate of the expedition. Sombreuil,
their brave leader, when expelled from
it, drew up his little band on the
farthest extremity of the sand, where
they made the most determined resist¬
ance, so as to call down the admira¬
tion of their antagonists and fellow
countrymen. Humbert, the repub¬
lican general, advanced with a flag of
truce, and promised that their lives
should be spared if they laid down
their arms. A storm prevented the

152

Route 44.— Vannes—Roche Bernard .

Sect. II.

British fleet rendering them any assist¬
ance; one corvette alone for a time
checked the Republicans by its de¬
structive fire, and a few of the fugi¬
tives were brought off in the boats of
the squadron; but many, including
women and children, perished in the
waves. 950 unfortunate men, most
of them persons of rank or station,
who capitulated on promise of am¬
nesty, with their commander, Som-
breuil, were, in spite of that, con¬
veyed to Auray as prisoners of war,
and shot there (see p. 148). The
descent on Quiberon was an example
of the danger of disgrace and failure
which England runs by ‘ ‘ waging a
little war.”

The road from Auray to Carnac is
not good; the latter part is very bad.

There is nothing to note between
Auray and

18 Vannes. — Inn: Hotel du Com¬
merce, tolerable. This town, capital
of the Dept, of Morbihan (population
12,000), is built at the extremity of
a narrow inlet, branching out from
the Gulf of Morbihan, and about 15 m.
from the open sea. It possesses in an
eminent degree the character of anti¬
quity which distinguishes most Breton
towns, in its narrow streets, overhang¬
ing houses, massive town walls and
gates, but has no curiosities to detain
the stranger. The portal of carved
Kersanton stone, the towers of the
Cathedral, and a tower in the centre of
the town, erroneously called Tourdu Con-
netahle, because Olivier de Clisson was
said to have been confined in it 1387,
are the only buildings worth mention¬
ing. 3 or 4 old convents, suppressed at
the Revolution, now serve for barracks
and similar purposes.

The castle into which the Constable
de Clisson was entrapped, under pre¬
tence of asking his opinion of the
new fortifications, by John (IV.) de
Montfort, who then locked the door
upon him, and loaded him with chains,
was the Chateau de V Hermine, which
was razed to the ground in the 16tli
centy. Clisson owed his life to the
forbearance of the governor, Bazvalan,

who (like King John’s Hubert) pre¬
tended compliance with De Montfort’s
order to murder his prisoner, but,
when his master’s anger cooled, in¬
formed him of his captive’s safety.
Clisson was not released, however,
without paying a heavy ransom.

A sailing-boat with a favourable
wind will cross the Sea of Morbihan
to Locmariaker, on the way to Carnac
(p. 149), in about 2^ hours; but as
no conveyances are to be obtained at
either of these places, most persons
will prefer the land journey via Auray.

Excursion through the Promontory of
Rhuys.

The pedestrian may walk by the
Castle of Succinio (p. 150) to Sarzeau
(where is an humble Inn), St. Gildas
Abbey, and back to Sarzeau for the
night; next day by Butte de Tumiac
to Port Navalo, whence cross in a boat
to Gavr Innis and Locmariaker (see
p. 149).

Diligences daily to Rennes (Rte. 45);
to Brest; to Nantes.

Through a country abounding in
heath and broom, we pass through
9 Theix, and

15 Muzillac, to

16 Roche Bernard, on the 1. bank
of the Vilaine, which is here crossed
by a remarkably fine Suspension Bridge
of iron wire, supported on 2 piers of
granite masonry, each approached by 3
lofty arches of granite. The opening
between the two points of suspension
measures 626 ft., the elevation of the
rqadway above high-water mark 108 ft.
In its general appearance it resembles
the Menai bridge; it was constnicted
under the superintendence of M. Le¬
blanc, the engineer des Ponts et Chaus-
s£es. It was completed 1839, and
subjected to the trial of its strength
which the French law requires, by
placing 2 rows of 115 carts and car¬
riages heavily laden on the carriage¬
way, and of 117 barrows filled with
stones on the footpath, which it stood
without the least sympton of weak¬
ness.

The road leading to and from the
bridge is well engineered, and leaves
the town of Roche Bernard on one
side. Inn : Hotel Silvestre, tolerable,

Brit. R. 45 .—Rennes to Vannes. 46 .—Le Mans to Nantes. 153

on the new road, f m. S. of the bridge.
Those who remember the tedious and
dangerous ferry which this bridge re¬
places, and all the trouble and in¬
conveniences of embarking and disem¬
barking, will rejoice in the improve¬
ment.

There is nothing of interest beyond
this; the country is very dreary, with
few hills; the road in the Dept, of the
Loire Inferieure is only beginning to be
macadamized.

19 Pont Chateau.

15 Le Moere. At Savenay, on the
rt. of our road, in December, 1793,
the last relics of that daring army
of Vendean peasants, which had
crossed the Loire 6 weeks before
80,000 strong, now reduced to 8000
or 10,000, made a last stand against
the Republicans, but their obstinate
bravery was of little avail against over¬
powering numbers. They fought long
after their ammunition was exhausted,
even women taking part in the combat,
but were at length cut to pieces or
made prisoners, 3000 only escaping
back into La Vendee.

11 Le Temple. Glimpses of the
estuary of the Loire, running parallel
with our road, are seen on the rt.
Near Santron, through which the road
passes, is the Chateau de Buron, one
of the residences of Madame de Se-
vignd. The approach to Nantes is
marked by the number of neat country
houses.

23 Nantes (in Rte. 46).

ROUTE 45.

RENNES TO VANNES BY PLOERMEL, AND
TO CARNAC.

92 kilom. = 57 Eng. m.

A diligence daily.

15 Mordelles.

20 Plelan.

24 Ploermel ( Inn: H. du Com¬
merce), a town of 5207 Inhab.

In the Parish Ch., a low and heavy
structure of the 12th centy., are the
monumental effigies in armour of
Dukes John II. (1305) and III. (1341)

of Brittany. They were brought from
the church of the Carmelites, founded
by John II., who had fought in Syria
against the Infidels, and had visited
Mount Carmel; the sculpture is good,
and they are tolerably perfect: the
church was destroyed at the Revolu¬
tion. These statues are interesting
examples of the costume and armour
of the time. There is some painted
glass in the church.

About 7 m. W. of Ploermel is the
Castle of Josselin (Rte. 42).

10 Roc St. AndrA

16 Pont Guillemet.

Beyond this, about 1 m. to the rt.
of the road, is the ruined Castle of Elven,
one of the best preserved fortresses of
the middle ages in Brittany, built on
the model, it is said, of some castle in
Syria. It stands on a flat, surmounted
by a lofty octagonal keep-tower. Elven
is interesting to an Englishman, be¬
cause young Henry of Richmond (after¬
wards Henry VII.) was shut up in it
for many years, along with his uncle
the Earl of Pembroke, by Francis II.,
Duke of Brittany. The two English
fugitives, escaping from their own
country after the battle of Tewkes¬
bury, were driven by a storm on the
coast of Brittany, and Henry remained
a prisoner nearly 15 years, until 1484.
when, escaping into France, he accepted
the invitation of friends in England to
supplant the tyrant Richard III.

18 V ' annes . (Rte. 44: where the
excursion to the Druidical Monuments o
Carnac is also described.)

ROUTE 46.

LE MANS TO NANTES, BY ANGERS.

kilom. = Eng. m.

Diligence daily.

Le Mans is described in Rte. 34.

The road, on quitting Le Mans,
crosses the Huisne just before it falls
into the Sarthe, and then runs along
the 1. bank of that river as far as

16 Guecelard. On the outskirts of
Le Mans, not far from the bridge over
the Huisne, the buffoon Scarron threw

H 3

154

Route 46 .—Le Mans to Nantes — Angers .

Sect. II.

himself into the river, to conceal him¬
self from the pursuit and. taunts of
the mob, whose derision he had ex¬
cited by parading the streets during
the Carnival tarred and feathered, by
way of masquerading. The result of
this frolic, so little becoming his posi¬
tion as canon of the cathedral, was,
that he caught a rheumatism in his
limbs which rendered him a cripple
for life.

Maize begins to grow to the S. of
Le Mans, but nowhere to the N. of
that place.

7 Fouletourte.

The road descends into the pretty
valley of the Loir ( N.B. , not to be
confounded with the Loire), a little be¬
fore it reaches

19 La Fleche (Inn: La Poste), a
town of 6500 Inhab., prettily situated
in a country where vineyards begin to
be cultivated with advantage. The
large edifice, now the Ecole Militaire,
was built by Henri IV. as a Jesuits’
College, 1603, but turned into its
present destination by Napoleon. The
heart of Henri is still preserved in the
church. The Church of St. Thomas is
a heavy Romanesque edifice.

[20 m. N. W. of La Fleche is Sable
[Tan; Croix Verte, comfortable and
moderate), u a beautiful little town on
the Sarthe, with a chateau built by
M. de Torcy, foreign minister in the
reign of Louis XIV. (1696-1715), and
nephew of Colbert, still in the Torcy
family. Near Sable are immense marble
quarries. Anthracite coal is worked at
La Ragotene.”— L. About 2 m. be¬
yond Sable, ^ an hour’s walk by the
river side, is the Abbey of Solesmes, pur¬
chased since 1830 and re-occupied by
a society of Benedictine monks, who
devote themselves to study in this
picturesque retreat. The church is
remarkable for 4 groups of statues,
called Les Saintes de Solesmes, enclosed
in niches, each surrounded by a rich
framework of architecture and sculp¬
ture, in a style of Gothic approaching
to the Renaissance. The groups of
statuary represent, 1. The Entomb¬
ment of our Saviour ; the head of
Christ and the figure of the Magdalen
are particularly well executed. Above

the recess rises an ogee arch decorated
with the richest foliage of thistles and
mallows. It bears the date 1496. 2,

Christ disputing with the Doctors ;
the figures, in the dress of the 15th
centy., are somewhat coarse, remind¬
ing one of a Dutch painting. 3. On
the 1. of the choir, the Communion of
the Virgin. 4. Death of the Virgin,
in the N. transept. These sculptures
have been variously attributed to
Italian artists, and to the Frenchman
Germain Pilon, but without authority.
An altar in the S. transept has been
lately fitted up with fragments of other
statuary found among the ruins of the
abbey. The stalls in the choir, carved
with the genealogy of Christ, are worth
notice.]

The road to Angers follows the
valley of the Loir downwards, running
at the foot of gentle hills covered with
vineyards.

13 Duretal is a town of 1500 Inhab.,
overlooked by two picturesque em¬
battled towers, part of a Castle built
by Foulques Nera, Comte d’Anjou.

14 Suette.

The Loir now bends away from the
road to the W., and 6 m. below this
falls into the Sarthe.

On approaceing Angers the road
passes near some of the vast quarries
of slate, which forms a principal pro¬
duction of the district.

19. Angers. — Inns: no good inn.
Cheval Blanc, in the heart of the town,
least objectionable, 1851;—H. le Roy;
—H. de Londres, dirty and ill-con¬
ditioned.

Angers, chef-lieu of the Dept. Maine
et Loire, is situated on the Maine,
called Mayenne in the upper part of
its course, a little below the junction
of the Sarthe with it, and about 5 m.
above the influx of the Maine into the
Loire. It has 33,000 Inhab. Modern
improvements, the formation of a
broad quay along the 1. bank of the
river, the substitution of tall, regular
white stone houses, like those of the
Rue Rivoli, for the old gable-faced
cottage-built structures, have greatly
innovated upon the thoroughly antique
character which Angers previously
bore. A broad formal boulevard,

Brittany.

Route 46 .— Angers — The Castle.

155

planted with young trees, replaces the
old fortifications,—

“ The flinty ribs of this contemptuous town
. . . “ those sleeping stones,

That as a waist did girdle it about,

By this time from their fixed beds of lime
Have been dishabited.” King John.

The “ strong barred gates” are all
down, and only one tower remains
near the upper bridge of those “ saucy
walls.” Black Angers, as it was called
from the sombre hue of its buildings
of slate, is now like an old coat with
a modern trimming: but plunge into
the midst of its labyrinth of buildings,
scale its steep and narrow streets,
many of them inaccessible to wheel
carriages, and you will find traces
enough of the Angers of olden time,
the capital of Anjou, and residence of
its dukes. In few towns of France
will the antiquary, artist, or architect
find a greater number of interesting
antique churches and houses than here.

Most of the old houses are timber¬
framed, their fronts gable-faced, the
roofs, and often fronts, covered with
scales of slate, which abounds in the
neighbourhood and forms the common
building-stone, and many of the door
and corner posts, the joists and cor¬
nices, bear rich Gothic carvings. The
most venerable relic of antiquity is the
old Castle, at the water-side, close to
the suspension bridge. Its walls were
originally washed by the waters of the
Maine, until its moat was partly filled
to give place to the new quay. If its
size and preservation be jointly con¬
sidered, it is perhaps the finest feudal
castle in France. 17 colossal towers
surround it; they are 70 to 80 ft. high,
close set along the walls, shaped like
dice-boxes, thick below, narrow waisted,
and having bands of white stone let
into the black rough slate of which
they are built, so as to give them the
appearance of being hooped. A broad
and deep ditch isolates the castle from
the rest of the town; it is entered by
a massive gateway under a perfect
portcullis, and within its portal is the
furnace where lead and pitch were
melted for the benefit of invaders.
This castle was begun by Philippe-

Auguste, and completed by Louis IX.
It serves at present for a prison, bar¬
rack, and ddpot of powder. The part
which served as a palace of the Dukes
of Anjou, overlooking the river, is now
in ruins, but shows the architecture of
the Renaissance. It stood between the
high tower called Da Moulin, because
it once supported a windmill, and that
called Da Diable, because close to it
was the fearful Oubliette, down which
criminals were cast alive. From this
tower there is a capital view of the
town, its spires and other buildings, of
the river and its bridges; while a slight
glimpse of the Loire also, deep set in
its distant valley, may be gained.
There is a neat chapel, now 7 filled with
fire-arms, showing, in the delicate
tracery of its windows, a good example
of Gothic. Beside it is a small build¬
ing flanked with turrets, in which, it
is said, King Rene of Provence and
Anjou was born. The view from the
terrace outside the castle-gate is less
extensive, but nearly as good, as that
from within the walls, and on the
whole the castle is more imposing
from without than interesting within.

On one side of the open space sur¬
rounding the castle stands a handsome
modern building, originally L’ Academic
d’Equitation. Mr. Pitt (afterwards Lord
Chatham) and the Duke of Wellington
received part of their education at the
military college here, now 7 removed to
Saumur, which occupied this edifice,
still called L'Academic. It has been
converted since the Revolution into a
caserne de cavalerie and depot de re¬
monte. No trace or tradition is pre¬
served of either of these great men, of
whose education it maybe said “fas
est et ab lioste doceri.”

The Cathedral of St. Maurice is every¬
where conspicuous from its elevated
position and its twin towers, placed so
close together as to seem throwrn into
one. The very delicate spire on one
side is injured by the contiguous ugly
pavilion, an addition of the Renais¬
sance (1540). The W. portal, a work
of the 12th centy., is remarkable for
the richness and good preservation of
the sculptures surrounding its elegant
early-pointed arch; they retain indeed

156

Route 46.— Angers — Cathedral — Musee.

Sect. II.

even their colouring. On either side
are 4 saints, male and female; above,
the curved niches are filled with smaller
statues, angels, &c., while the tym¬
panum is occupied by the Saviour,
surrounded by the attributes of the 12
Apostles. The woi'kmanship is good,
the faces expressive, the draperies ela¬
borate, but the whole displays the
stiff style of Byzantine art of the pe¬
riod. Higher up, in a row of niches,
are 8 statues of Dukes of Anjou, later
in date (15th centy.) and inferior in ex¬
ecution. On the 1. hand as you enter,
passing from below the carved organ-
loft, is an antique benitier of oblong
form, in verde antique, supported on
lions, a Byzantine work of the Lower
Empire; it was brought from the East,
and presented to the church by King
Rene. The church consists of a very
long nave without aisles, each division
of the side wall being a wide pointed
arch resting on the ground without
pillars, and an upper arch rising from
engaged groups of pillars having Ro¬
manesque capitals, enclosing a pair of
narrow circular-headed windows. The
greater part of these windows, as well
as those of the nave and choir, are
filled with painted glass of the richest
colour and very old (13th centy.), form¬
ing one of the chief ornaments of the
church. This and other churches in
the Angevine style are destitute of tri-
forium or clerestory. The choir and
transepts are short, the E. end is mul¬
tangular. In the choir, on the 1. as
you look towards the apse, is a splen¬
did Flamboyant doorway. Both tran¬
septs (1225) terminate with fine wheel
windows, the other windows are
pointed, and below these along the
wall runs a rich pointed ai’cade. The
nave is about 80 ft. high, and nearly
54 ft. wide, stone vaulted. Local his¬
torians lay great stress on its roof
being supported without flying but¬
tresses, but their place is supplied by
huge clumsy square piers at least 8 ft.
by 10 square, and retaining the same
thickness up to the roof, raised outside
between each pair of windows and at
the angles of the transepts, and thus
the wonder is removed. Margaret of
Anjou was buried in St. Maurice, but

her tomb was destroyed at the Revo¬
lution.

Not far from the cathedral is the
Musee, placed in a building erected by
an intendant of the province, after¬
wards converted into the Seminaire,
and added to in the time of Louis XIV.
Its cloister and winding staircase are
curious examples of the latest Gothic
style.

It contains a large collection of me¬
diocre paintings, mostly of the modern
French school. Among them is placed
a Vase of antique Egyptian porphyry,
obtained by King Rene from the East,
which for a long time passed for one of
the water-pots used at the marriage
feast of Cana. It bears 2 bearded
masks carved on it, and is broken,
which is not surprising considering its
thinness. Here is a fine bust of Napo¬
leon by Canova, in marble, condemned
to be broken at the Restoration, but
saved by being hid in a garret. One
room is filled with casts from the
works of the living French sculptor
David, given by him to his native
town. His statues of Guttemberg, in¬
ventor of printing, for Strasburg, of
General Foy in a Roman dress, of
Armand Carrel in loose pantaloons
plaited round the waist, of the Greek
girl at the tomb of Marco Botzaris; his
busts of Gothe, Hahnemann the ho-
moeopathist, and Jeremy Bentham,
appear best worth notice. He has also
executed a series of medallion heads
of celebrated persons of the 19th
century.

The Museum of Natural History,
situated in the upper story of the
building, is reached by a corkscrew
stair remarkable for its lightness and
its singular groined roof. The collec¬
tion is exceedingly well arranged and
named. The geology of the depart¬
ment is illustrated in a series of speci¬
mens by themselves. Among a few
antiquities is the crosier of Robert
d’Arbrissal, founder of Fontevrault,
found in that Abbey; it bears a semi-
pagan representation of St. Michael
and the dragon, of gold (?) partly ena¬
melled. The shoes of Joanne de Laval,
2nd wife of King Rene, high-heeled
and ornamented with open work; also

Brittany.

Houle 46.— Angers.

157

an aerolite, which fell in one of the
fauxbourgs of Angers 1822, deserve
attention. The Library possesses some
curious old MSS.

Not far from the Musee is the ruined
church of Toussaints, attached to a con¬
vent now converted into a Depot des
Subsistances Militaires. It is an elegant
pointed building, and almost identical
in style with the early English. It is
a cross church without aisles, with
lancet windows, richly cut capitals,
and corbels, from which springs the
roof destroyed at the Revolution. The
E. window is a wheel, apparently of
later date.

The massive and stately tower of St.
Aubin, in the early pointed style, un¬
finished and surmounted w T ith a conical
roof of slate, is now converted into a
shot-tower. Not far from it is the
Prefecture, on the site of the ancient
convent of St. Aubin; along the cor¬
ridor on the 1. hand, now released from
a coating of plaster, runs a colonnade
of florid Norman architecture, of very
early date, and of curious and elaborate
workmanship. The small roirnd arches
rest alternately on piers faced with
pilasters, and on detached pillars
arranged in 2 rows, each 5 deep. All
the pillars, cornices, and mouldings of
the arches are elaborately and sharply
carved, very perfect, and no two alike.
The mouldings running round the
arches consist of bearded heads, mon¬
sters, animals, fish, &c. In the midst
is a circular portal, the lower part of
which is sunk rather below the surface
of the ground, supported on cut co¬
lumns of varied patterns, and sur¬
mounted by a series of Runic bands,
cords, and foliage, each confined to one
stone, and radiating from a common
centre. Next to this is a double arch
ornamented with fresco paintings in¬
stead of sculpture, the subjects being
Herod on his Throne, the Massacre of
the Innocents, the Temple of Jerusa¬
lem, and the Nativity and Adoration
of the Magi, who are seen on horseback
approaching Bethlehem. The style of
drawing bears a near resemblance to
the tapestry of Bayeux; the colours are
very perfect. These arches formed part
of the Refectory of the convent.

The old Eglise de St. Martin, now
converted into a magazine of fagots,
and piled up to the roof with them,
so as to be scarcely visible, will yet
interest the antiquary from its age
and style of structure. It is in the
early Romanesque style, consists of an
inordinately long nave, of a transept—
having thick round pillars set in the 4
inner angles of the walls which sup¬
ported the tower, and of an apsidal E.
end. Its windows are round-headed
and long. It is the oldest church in
Angers, and one of the few churches
in France whose origin can with pro¬
bability be referred to the period of
the Carlovingian kings. The nave and
transept, exclusive of certain repairs,
appear to be part of the church founded
in the 9th centy. by Hermengarde,
Queen of Louis-le-Debonnaire, who
died 819. The choir is later, probably
of the 12th centy.

At the extremity of the town to the
N. is the Church of St. Serge, remarkable
for a choir built 1050 by the monk
Vulgrin, who became abbot, supported
on 6 columns of peculiar lightness and
height, from whose freely cut capitals
rises an elegant pointed roof; behind
it is a square Lady Chapel. The style
indicates the transition from Roman¬
esque to early pointed. The windows
are without tracery, for the most part
round-headed, enclosed within pointed
arches. The transepts seem of a much
older date than the choir; the nave is
in the late Gothic of the 15th centy.
St. Serge is entei’ed by a vestibule or
atrium.

Here is a finely-carved spii'al stair¬
case of wood; every panel contains a
different sculpture and composition.

In the same quarter of the town is
the Jardin des Plantes, an agreeable
walk in hot weather under shady trees,
near to the Seminaire, a vast edifice.

Among the more interesting speci¬
mens of ancient domestic architecture,
with which the streets of Angers
abound, may be mentioned a corner
house, in the Place behind the cathe¬
dral, adorned with curious carvings in
wood; that called Hotel des Marchands
in the Rue Baudriere; and another in
the Rue du Figuier, known as the Hotel

158

Route 46.— Angers.

Sect. II.

des Dues d' Anjou, for wliat reason is not
evident, since Reiffi, the last Duke of
Anjou, died 1480, and this building
cannot be older than the 16th centy.,
and is in the style of Francis I.’s time,
with more of Italian than of Gothic in
the composition of its architecture.
The square turrets, or projecting oriels,
at its angles are singular. In the Rue
St. Sang is a house called Abraham, and
another called Adam in the little Place
St. Maurice, end of Rue St. Aubin, de¬
serving notice.

The wire Suspension Bridge close to
the castle over the Maine fell in 1849,
during the march of a regiment of in¬
fantry across it; the greater part were
precipitated into the river and nearly
250 men were drowned.

In the suburb of la Doutre (beyond,
or on the further (or rt.) bank of the
Maine) are several buildings deserving
notice for their antiquity. The Eglise
de la Trinite is a Romanesque building
probably of the 11 th and 12 th centu¬
ries. It consists of a long nave with¬
out aisles, having in the side walls a
series of apsidal recesses under pointed
arches. The choir, very shallow, and
formed of a central and 2 side apses,
is separated from the nave by a wall
pierced with a pointed arch, which
contracts the view of the high altar,
but serves as a support to the Tower,
which is square below, octagonal above,
and very elegant.

Close to this church, indeed touch¬
ing it, is a second equally ancient and
in a nearly similar style, VEglise de
Ronceray, once attached to a famous
nunnery founded in the 10 th century
by Fulk Count of Anjou, who placed
under the rule of its abbess the whole
suburb. It is now included in the ex¬
tensive range of buildings forming the
Ecole des Arts et Metiers. The church
serves as a chapel for the students; it
is plain excepting some rich Roman¬
esque arches and pillars.

On the same side of the river, a little
higher up, is the TIospice St. Jean,
founded by Henry II. King of England
and Duke of Anjou, 1153. The great
hall, said to be of that date, is a fine
apartment, lofty and airy, its groined
and pointed roof supported on 2 rows

of light pillars. Here the beds of the
patients are ranged in rows, the males
separated from the females by a low
partition. The office of nurses is per¬
formed by nuns; the whole is kept
very orderly, the linen-closet particu¬
larly neat. The cloisters between the
great hall and the church are partly in
the Romanesque style; double pillars
support the arches; a round portal
with deep mouldings leads into the
Chapel.

A decayed Barn near the hospital is
still older than it. It is Norman, with
3 aisles, like old Westminster Hall,
and deserves to be drawn.— F. P.

At the opposite extremity of the
Suburb Doutre, below the suspension
bridge, near the Nantes road, is the
vast Nunnery du Bon Pasteur, sur¬
rounded by high walls. The sisters
keep a school for females.

Very extensive Boulevards, planted
with trees and lined with some very
handsome houses, the Mairie, &c., oc¬
cupy the site of the old walls, and
communicate with a wide open space
for the exercise of troops, called Champ
de Mars, traversed by the road to Sau-
mur. Some of the houses about it
bore until lately the marks of bullets
fired in the attack of Angers by the
Vend&in army, 90,000 strong, 1793.

The forces of King John laid waste
Brittany in 1199, and to that period
we must refer the scene in Shakspeare
“ Before the walls of Angiers,” where
the citizens are summoned by both the
rival kings— “ Ye men of Angiers, open
wide your gates.”

Angers occupies a fortunate position
near the mouth of 3 navigable rivers, in
a country producinglime, coal, and slate.

Angers is famed for its nursery gar¬
dens; there are not less than 30.

The neighbourhood abounds in Slate
Quarries, which employ between 2000
and 3000 men, and supply a large part
of France. They furnish 80 millions of
slates yearly, which are exported to the
value of 15 million of francs per annum.

The most considerable, Le Grand
Carreau, is about 4 m. off, a little to
the 1. of the road to Saumur. It is
nearly 400 ft. (105 metres) deep, and
occupies an area of 4000 metres. Be-

Brittany.

Route 46.— Nantes •

159

sides the yawning open excavation, a
considerable cavern, approached by a
horizontal gallery on one side of the
quarry, has been driven under ground.
It is a grand sight, like an under¬
ground cathedral, and well worth a
visit. It is approached by vertical
ladders, and frail extracting machinery
overhangs the precipice. At times
serious slips, or eboulements, produce
very dangerous avalanches of rock.

10 m. from Angers, beyond the
Loire at Pont de Ce, is the interesting
Chateau de Brissac.

2 Steamers daily to Nantes. (See
Rte. 58.)

Diligences daily to Le Mans (Rte. 46);
to Alenin, Rennes, Brest, L’Orient,
Vannes, Laval, Choles.

Railways to Paris by Tours; to
Nantes; to Saumur.

The post-road to Nantes quits Angers
by the Suburb Doutre, and, leaving the
Mayenne on the 1. hand, reaches the
Loire at

17 St. George-sur-Loire.

8 Champtoce.

13 Varades.

13 Ancenis.

9 Oudon.

15 La Seilleraye.

14 Nantes Station. — Inns: H. de
France, in the Place Graslin, close to
the theatre, clean and good; H. des
Colonies and du Commerce, 2 hotels
united into one, and very good, com¬
fortable, and cheap; H. des Voyageurs,
Rue Moliere; H. de L’Europe, reason¬
able.— A. B. R.

Nantes, the ancient residence of the
Dukes of Brittany, when that province
was independent—which disputed with
Rennes the title of capital of the
duchy, now chef-lieu of the Dept, de
la Loire Inferieure—is situated on the
1. bank of the Loire, at the influx into
it from the N. of the Erdre; the junc¬
tion of the two rivers being in the
middle of the town. The Sevre (Nan-
taise) from the S. flows into the Loire
a little below Nantes. There are at
least 16 bridges in the town over these
various streams. It is distant about
40 m. from the ocean, and is a flourish¬
ing seaport, the fourth in rank and
population in France, numbering

77,992 Inhab. Though less prosper¬
ous since the loss of St. Domingo to
France, and of late outstripped by
Havre as a port, it has remained nearly
stationary in population and commer¬
cial prosperity for the last 50 years: it
is still the seat of much respectable
opulence and active industry. As a
town it is one of the handsomest and
most pleasing in France. Its fine Quais,
extending about 2 m. along the Loire,
and on both sides of the Erdre, and
the wide open space left by these two
rivers, enlivened with small craft,
remind the traveller somewhat of the
busy aquatic towns of Holland—Am¬
sterdam and Rotterdam, and give a
very cheerful character to Nantes,
which is, besides, far less dirty than
most French towns. In the new quar¬
ters it has streets lined with houses
not unworthy of Paris. The Place
Royale and Rue d’Orleans contain the
chief shops, while the old quarters,
belonging to the capital of the ancient
duchy, abound in picturesque houses,
gable-faced and overhanging the narrow
streets. Those who admire and would
seek out picturesque bits of street
architecture, now fast disappearing even
from the old town under modern im¬
provements, must penetrate the Rues
de la Poissonnerie, where the house
"aux Enfans Nantais,” so called from
the carved figures of the martyrs St.
Donatien and St. Rogatien, at the
corner of the Place du Change, deserves
particular notice: it dates from the
15th centy. There are other old
houses in the Rues du Calvaire and de
la Juiverie. In the Rue de la Bouche-
rie is a house said to have been inha¬
bited by Anne of Brittany.

The most prominent and remarkable
edifice is the Cathedral of St. Pierre,
externally an unsightly pile, from the
unfinished towers not rising much
higher than the roof. The three lofty
portals of its W. front, however, are
striking for size and the great number
of small bas-reliefs and other sculptures
adorning them. It was begun 1434,
and finished about the end of the centy.
The nave, of the same age, “a remark¬
ably fine structure of admirable pro¬
portions and great effect, in pure

Railway de¬
scribed in
Rte. 58.

160

Route 46.— Nantes — Cathedral.

Sect. II.

Flamboyant style,” is very imposing '
on account of the great elevation of its
roof, 120 ft. above the pavement, and
the elegance of its arches; but its win¬
dows are destitute of tracery. The
modem wood-carving in some of the
side chapels, and the stone-work of the
organ-loft decorated with pendants, a
delicate work of the 16th centy., de¬
serve notice. Attached to this noble
nave is a plain Romanesque choir, infe¬
rior in height and plain in style, pro¬
bably of the 11th centy.: it was already
enclosed in new walls, corresponding
with the nave, preparatory to pulling
down the old structure, when the
works were stopped for want of funds
near the latter end of the 15th centy.
The solitary transept on the S. side,
which had been alone completed, is
now partitioned off, and serves to con¬
tain the splendid Monument (removed
from the suppressed Carmelite con¬
vent) of Francis II., last Due de Bre¬
tagne, and his wife. Marguerite de
Foix, raised to their memory by his
daughter, Anne of Brittany. It is a
splendid work of art in the style of the
Renaissance, executed by a Bas Breton
artist, Michel Colomb, a native of St.
Pol de Leon, who preceded Jean Gou¬
jon. It was fortunately secreted at
the Revolution, and thus preserved
from destruction. It is a large altar
tomb of marble, black, white, and red,
raised to a height of 5 ft. Upon it
repose the recumbent figures of Francis
and his wife; three angels support
their heads, and their feet rest on a
lion and greyhound. In the four cor¬
ners stand statues as large as life in
white marble: of Justice, with sword
and scales, said to be a portrait of the
Duchess Anne; of Power, strangling a
dragon (heresy), which she draws out
of a tower; she is attired with helmet
and breastplate, and has a scarf wound
round her arm: Wisdom or Prudence,
double-faced, bears a mirror and a
compass; and Temperance holds a lan¬
tern in one hand and a bit in the
other, as attributes. These statues
are well designed, and executed with
great delicacy, which is particularly
conspicuous in the draperies. Along
the sides of the tomb small statues of

the 12 Apostles are ranged in niches,
and below them are figures of mourn¬
ers in coloured marble. The patron
saints of the Duke and Duchess, St.
Francis d’Assisi and St. Margaret,
stand at their head, St. Louis and
Charlemagne at their feet. The re¬
mains of the illustrious dead, for whom
this splendid tomb was raised, having
been torn up and scattered in 1793,
the body of the Constable de Riche¬
mont, one of the generals who contri¬
buted to drive the English out of
France in the reign of Charles VII.,
was deposited within it in 1815. The
N. transept and the choir of this ch.
are in progress of completion, to cor¬
respond with the nave, and it is pro¬
posed to pull down the old choir.

Beyond the cathedral a broad and
much-frequented promenade, occupy¬
ing the site of the old fortifications,
and forming a sort of boulevard, ex¬
tends from the Loire to the Erdre,
under the names Cours St. Pierre and
Cours St. Andre'. The former is ap¬
proached by a broad and stately flight
of steps from the Loire, and is orna¬
mented with statues of the Duchess
Anne and the three Breton heroes,—
the constables Du Guesclin, Clisson,
and De Richemont. Between the two
walks stands a Column raised to the
memory of Louis XVI., and sur¬
mounted by his statue; but since
1830 made to commemorate a combat
between some young men of the town
with the troops of the line, in which
10 of the former were killed, during
the July Revolution. The brass plate
which records this states that “ Des
ouvriers Anglais ont fait graver cette
inscription.” ’Tis a pity English work¬
men cannot mind their own business,
without meddling with the politics of
a foreign country.

The Castle, a massive and venerable
edifice of the 14th centy., partly mo¬
dernized in the 16th by the Due de
Mercoeur during the wars of the
League, flanked with bastions, still
bearing on them the cross of Lorraine,
stands at the extremity of the Cours
St. Pierre, on the margin of the Loire,
surrounded on the land side by a deep
fosse. Its massive round towers are

Brittany.

Route 46.— Nantes — Chateau.

161

built of slate and granite: a portcullis
still defends its entrance, and the inte¬
rior contains several constructions of
the 16th centy., in the latest Gothic,
the windows surmounted with cano¬
pies. In one is a curious spiral stair¬
case. Most of the Kings of France,
from Charles VIII. downwards, resided
for a time within its walls. The
powder magazine is said to have been
the Chapel in which Anne of Brittany
was married to Louis XII. (?), thus
becoming for the second time Queen of
France. She certainly was born here,
and made the castle her residence. In
this castle Henri IV. signed the Edit
de Nantes for the protection of the Pro¬
testants in 1598, revoked, to the injury
and stain of France, by Louis XIV.

In 1654 it was the prison of the
Cardinal de Retz, who escaped by
letting himself down by a rope from
the bastion de Mercoeur into a boat
moored in the Loire, which at that
time, and until the present quai was
formed, washed the castle walls. The
attention of the sentinel meanwhile
■was taken off by a bottle of wine given
him to drink, and his eye was deceived
by the cardinal’s red cloak and hat
slipped off and hung over the battle¬
ments. De Retz, reaching the shore
by means of the boat, instantly
mounted a horse provided for him by
his friends, which, however, quickly
threw him and dislocated his shoulder.
In spite of this accident and the pain
it caused, he rode to a place of safety,
the Chateau de Beaupreau, whence he
effected his escape through Spain to
Rome. Madame de Sevigne describes
her visit to the castle in 1648, shortly
after, and the Duchess de Berri was
shut up in it previous to her removal
to Blaye. That adventurous Princess,
after having long encouraged disaffec¬
tion and fermentation in Brittany and
La Vendee, was finally detected, after
a concealment of 5 months within the
city, which had eluded the vigilance
of the Police, Nov. 1832, in the house
No. 3, Rue Haute du Chateau, facing the
castle, which belonged to two ladies,
named Du Guigny, zealous partisans
of the Bourbon cause. Her presence
in this house had been betrayed to the

government by a Jew, named Deutz,
previously a confidant of the duchess
and her friends, and a party of soldiers
and police were despatched thither
instantly. They searched the whole
building from top to bottom, hut
found her not. Confiding, however,
in their information, a party of gen¬
darmes was left behind to keep watch.
Some of them, posted in a garret,
remained a whole day beside a fire
which they had lighted, when on a
sudden they were startled by voices
and the sound of kicks, proceeding
from an iron door which formed the
back of the chimney, and, to the sur¬
prise of the soldiers, out scrambled
four persons—the duchess, a lady, and
MM. de Menars and Guibourg, who
had passed 16 hours in a secret hole
or hiding-place, entered by a door 20
inches wfide, and too low for a man
to stand upright in. Not only this
oppressive confinement, but even the
heat of the fire, was endured patiently,
and without the slightest noise, until
they were nearly suffocated, and the
duchess’s dress, entirely scorched by
the iron door being heated red hot,
was on the point of catching fire.

Nantes possesses a Museum of Paint¬
ings, rather above the average of pro¬
vincial collections, though a large
portion are copies; situated in the
upper part of the Cloth Hall, Rue de
l’Arche-Seche. The greater part were
collected by one M. Cacault, of this
town. Among the curiosities may be
specified a head of a Crusader painted
by Canova ; an old church painting of
a Holy Family, on two shutters; a
head of Christ, brought from the
cathedral; portrait of Queen Elizabeth
(? artist unknown); portraits of the
children of Henri II., by Janet; a
Bull, by Brascassat, a modern artist,
good. Here is a copy of Napoleon’s
bust by Canova.

Travellers who have leisure to de¬
vote any time to a Library will find
that of Nantes, above the Halle aux
Grains, Quai Braneas, an especially
rich collection of 30,000 volumes. A
MS. copy of the Cite de Dieu of St.
Augustin, of the year 1375, is remark¬
able for its beautiful miniatures.

162

Route 46.— Nantes—The Noyades.

Sect. II.

The Archives, deposited in the Pre¬
fecture, contain a mass of curious
documents relating to the history of
Brittany; many ancient charters of
Abbeys, &c., and the trial of that most
infamous of criminals, Gilles de Retz,
Mardchal de France, who was burnt on
the Chauss^e de la Madeleine (Rte.
58). It is in Latin, and will not bear
translation.

In the Musde d' Histoire Naturelle,
Rue du Port Communeau, may be seen
a collection illustrating the geology of
the department, formed by the late M.
Dubuisson; besides several fragments
of antiquity found in the neighbour¬
hood, and a mummy, presented by the
Egyptian traveller Caillaud, who is a
native of Nantes.

A handsome new Palais de Justice
was finished 1852.

An Arcade called Passage Pomme-
raye leads by a flight of iron steps from
the Rue Crebillon to the Rue de la
Fosse.

The Quais, lined on the one side by
handsome houses, and on the other
fringed with shipping, present a lively
scene, and form an agreeable walk
about 2 m. long (at least in the lower
part, where they are gravelled). An
Englishman, in traversing them, may
remember with some interest that it
was at this port that the young Pre¬
tender embarked on the expedition of
1745, in a fast-sailing brig, the Dou-
telle, provided by one Walsh, a French
subject settled at Nantes, who accom¬
panied him. He was disguised as a
student of the Scotch college at Paris,
and for better concealment had allowed
his beard to grow. On the quais are
situated the Halle aux Grains and the
Bourse, which is not remarkable for
excellence of architecture. The Quai
de la Fosse is lined by a fine row of
trees, reminding one a little of the
Boompjes of Rotterdam. Near its
lower end, where the shipbuilders’
yards commence, in which the steamers
for the Loire are constructed, is a
building, insignificant in itself, but
remarkable for its associations, and
they are melancholy, called Salorges .
built as an entrepot for colonial mer¬
chandise, and still serving as a ware¬

house. Who has not heard of the
Noyades and republican marriages; the
invention of Carrier, the most detest¬
able, perhaps, of the monsters of the
revolution, when sated with single
murders by the guillotine, and thirst¬
ing for more blood, and the excitement
of executions on a large scale? It w T as
in front of the Salorges that they took
place, and that building served as a
temporary place of confinement for the
miserable victims, who were dragged
hence and put on board barges (ga-
barres) furnished with a sliding valve
(soupape) or trap-door in their bottom.
These boats, when towed into the
middle of the river, and deserted by
the crews, were sunk with their load
of 20 or 30 human beings, by pulling
from the shore a cord attached to the
valve. To prevent the possibility of
escape for the strong swimmer, or poor
wretch who might be cast ashore alive
by the current, armed men of the
bloody band called Compagnie de
Marat, composed of the most aban¬
doned wretches whom the lowest dens
in Nantes could pour forth, were sta¬
tioned on the banks to fire on those
who rose to the surface, while others,
armed with swords, cut off the hands
and fingers of such as struggled to
reach the boats. As many as 600
human beings perished on one day;
the total number of persons thus
destroyed has never been correctly
ascertained, but 25 of these Noyades
or executions by water are known to
have taken place, and the number who
perished has been variously estimated
at 6000 or 9000! At first the whole¬
sale butchery was perpetrated at night,
but, emboldened by impunity, and
supported by a portion of the citizens,
almost exclusively of the class of little
tradesmen, the tyrants did not hesitate
to immolate their victims in broad
day. The most atrocious feature in
these massacres is the number of
women and of young children who
were thus consigned to eternity, with¬
out the possibility of having committed
any offence, by the exulting savages
who then ruled the people’s destinies.
When a remonstrance was made against
the murder of the children, “Ce sont

Brittany.

JRoute 46.— Nantes—The Noyades .

163

des louvetaux, il faux les ddtruire,—
Ce sont des viperes, il faut les 4touf-
fer,” were Carrier’s answers. The
experiment of the Noyades was first
tried on 24 priests condemned to
transportation (deportation). “ Le
decret de deportation a ete execute
verticalement,” was Carrier’s boast.
The Manages Republicans, as another
refinement of cruelty was called in
mockery, consisted in binding together
a man and woman, back to back,
stripped naked, keeping them exposed
for an hour, and then hurling them
into the current of “ la baignoire
nationale,” as the bloodhounds termed
the Loire. That river, as it were
indignant at crimes scarcely paralleled
in the history of the world, threw
back upon its banks, at each returning
tide, the corpses with which it was
choked, until the air became pestilen¬
tial, and its very water and fish poison¬
ous. When Carrier was at length
called to account for his crimes, which,
however, had been connived at, if not
approved, by the Convention a short
while before, and asked for proofs of
the accusations against him, he was
answered, ‘ ‘ Yous me demandez des
preuves? faites done refluer la Loire.”
But these are only a part of the revolu¬
tionary atrocities committed at Nantes:
to the victims of the Noyades must be
added those who perished by the guil¬
lotine, by disease, famine, and terror
in the prisons, and, above all, by the
fusillades, which took place day after
day on the Plaine de Sainte Mauve,
where, at one time, 500 children, the
eldest not more than 14, were mowed
down by musketry, and where deep
ditches, dug for the purpose, were
filled with corpses heaped confusedly
one over the other. The population of
Nantes, which amounted in 1790 to
81,000, was reduced to 75,000 in 1800,
and the number who were slaughtered
in 1793 belonging to the town and
surrounding country is estimated at
30,000. It is painful to describe these
horrors, but they form an integral part
of the history of Nantes, and that
which is here detailed is only a sample;
they might be greatly expanded.

The Venddan war has also left some

sad souvenirs at Nantes. In the at¬
tack of the town by the Vendean forces
on the 29th June, 1793, their leader,
the gentle Catlielineau (the carter), was
mortally wounded in penetrating into
the Place Viarme, now the cattle-mar¬
ket, and his fall was the cause of their
retreat. Not far from this spot another
of their generals, Charette, was shot, at
the corner of the Rue de la Miseri-
corde, April, 1796.

Fouche, the police minister, Due
d’Oti'ante, Marshal of France, regicide,
and minister of Louis XVIII. in 1814,
was born at Nantes.

The New Quarter of the town, the
West End of Nantes, was commenced
1784, by M. Graslin, ancien fermier-
general, after whom the Place con¬
taining the theatre is called. He seems
to have exhausted the Biographie Uni-
verselle for names to the adjoining
streets; among them appear the Rue
Jean-Jacques, Rue Racine, Rue Frank¬
lin, Rue Crebillon, &c. The houses
are built of white stone from the neigh¬
bourhood of Saumur.

The commerce of Nantes, though
no longer what it wa3, is still of great
value; in 1836 it was carried on by
458 vessels, but more than ~ of them
were of less than 100 tons. Owing
to the want of water in the Loire
abreast of the town, vessels of more
than 200 tons burthen are obliged to
unload at Paimboeuf (p. 164), 24 m.
lower down, near its mouth.

A Canal is in progress to connect
Nantes with Brest by the Erdre; it will
be about 230 m. long when finished.

The importations consist of sugar,
coffee, cotton, and other colonial pro¬
duce. Much corn and flour is exported
to England since 1849.

Nantes is gradually changing from
a commercial to a manufacturing town.
The most .considerable manufacture is
that of cotton-yarn ; in 1837 there
were 16 mills in the vicinity of the
town.

There is a singular manufacture here
of preserved dinners ready cooked
(Conserves Alimentaires), prepared by
the firm Colin et Comp ie , Rue de Sa-
lox'ges, No. 9, which sends forth, her¬
metically sealed, all kinds of provisions,

164

Route 46.— Nantes — The Environs.

Sect. II.

so as to be capable of perfect preserva¬
tion in all climates, and for any length
of time. 150,000 boxes of young peas
and 800,000 boxes of sardines (pil¬
chards) are embalmed in one season,
and 8 oxen can be cooked at once in a
single boiler. Roasting is carried on
by heated air, and boiling by steam,
in a kitchen roofed with glass, after
the manner of the Passage d’Orleans
in the Palais Royal. The proprietor
of the establishment employs in the
autumn 800 persons in curing and
packing sardines alone, and monopo¬
lizes all the green peas which come to
market in early spring to supply his
wants.

The suburb of Nantes on the S. side
of the Loire is spread over a series of
islands, formed by the branches of that
river and the Sevre, connected together
by no less than 6 bridges in one line,
over all of which the roads to Boi'deaux
and Clisson pass.

The Protestant Ch. is in the Rue des
Carmelites, in the chapel of the former
convent.

The Poste aux Lettres is in the Rue
Boileau.

Prosper Sebire, bookseller, Rue Cre-
billon. No. 17, has a number of views,
plans, guides, &c., relating to Nantes,
as well as maps.

Fiacres are found for hire in the prin¬
cipal squares.

Omnibuses (said to be a Nantais in¬
vention, transferred from this to Paris)
run along the Ligne des Ponts from
the Place du Commerce to the Pont
de Perrnil, and along the quays from
the Bourse to the Chantiers de Con¬
struction.

Diligences daily to Le Mans; to Brest,
2 hrs.—Rennes, 3—Bordeaux, 4—Poi¬
tiers—to Bourbon Vendee, 2.

Railways to Angers and Tours.

Steamers daily ascend the Loire to
Angers in 7 or 8 hrs., starting from
the Quai du Port Maillard. Steamers
down the Loire to Paimboeuf daily;
and to St. Nazaire when the high tides
permit; to Bordeaux 3 times a month;
to Lorient and Quimper once a week.

Steamer on the Erdre to Nort starts
from the Quai Ceneray, behind the
Prefecture. (Rte. 41.)

Environs of Nantes. —The immediate
vicinity of the town displays great
marks of opulence and prosperitjq in
its numerous and neat white villas,
many of them quite in the English
style, and in the great number of fac¬
tory chimneys, many of them new.

The excursion most commonly re¬
commended to a stranger is that to
Clisson, the Richmond of Nantes, 18 m.
S. of the town, on the borders of La
Vendee, described in Rte. 60. It is a
pretty spot, though its beauties have
been considerably exaggerated by local
enthusiasts. You may go thither by
the omnibus in the morning, visit the
castle and all its curiosities, and return
by the same conveyance at 7 p.m. But
as this may leave the traveller a prey to
ennui for several hours after exhausting
the sights of Clisson, it is even possible
to hire a cabriolet, and see Tiffauges,
returning to Clisson in time for the
omnibus.

The Loire below Nantes

Is navigated by steam-vessels, but
with caution, on account of the nu¬
merous sand-banks.

1. A little below Nantes the Sevre
Nantaise enters the Loire.

On the island of Indret, 7 m. below
Nantes, the French government have
an establishment for the construction
of steam-engines. More than 800
workmen are employed here. The
steam-engines turned out here are very
bad, far inferior to those made by pri¬
vate establishments. Indret is well
situated at the mouth of the Loire, so
as to have a speedy communication,
safe from cruisers in time of war, with
the great dockyards of Brest, Lorient,
and Rochefort.

The estuary of the Loire is 3 m.
broad abreast of

1. Paimboeuf (30 m. below Nantes).
This place may be regarded as the out-
port of Nantes, since large vessels
above 200 tons burthen stop here and
discharge their cargoes into lighters
(gabarres). The loss of St. Domingo,
and the long-continued wars under Na¬
poleon, reduced the population of this
town from 9000 to 4000, which it does
not exceed at present.

2 Steamers ply daily to Nantes in 4

Brittany.

Route 47 .—Dreux to Argentan.

165

lirs. Coaches go hence to the water¬
ing-place of Pomic, 12 m. S. of Paim-
boeuf, situated on the shore of the
hay of Bourgneuf, opposite the island
of Noirmoutiers, the last retreat of
the Venddan bands. Comfortable ac¬
commodation is to be had in the
Etablissement des Bains. The town
was burnt in the Vend&in war, An
old castle overlooks its little fishing-
port.

ROUTE 47.

DREUX TO ARGENTAN, BY L AIGLE.

Verneuil. (See p. 117.)

14 Chaudfi.

8 L’Aigle—the scene of the frolic
between the Conqueror’s sons, when
William and Henry threw the water
over Robert, Here are 2 rather curious
Churches ,

16 St. Lanburge.

The road passes by a great govern¬
ment stud (Haras) and through a forest.

16 Nonan.

22 Argentan (in Rte. 29),

( 166 )

SECTION III.

ORLEANOIS. — TOURAINE. — RIVER LOIRE. — LA VENDEE.—

POITOU. — SAINTONGE.

ROUTE PAGE

48 Paris to Orleans . . .168

49 Paris to Orleans (Railway) . 169

50 Rouen to Orleans by Chartres. 175

51 Paris to Sceaux— Railway . 175

52 The Loire (a). — Gien to Or¬

leans .... 176

53 The Loire (b).—O rleans to

Tours, by Blois and Amboise.

— Railway. [Chateaux of
Chamhord and Che'nonceaux~\ . 177

54 Chartres to Tours, by Vendome 191

56 Tours to Loches and Chateau-

roux .... 191

57 Tours to Saumur, by Chinon

and Fontevrault . .193

ROUTE PAGE

58 The Loire (c).—T ours to
Nantes, by Saumur and An¬
gers (Railway) . . .195

60 Nantes to Poitiers, by Clisson 204

61 Saumur to Saintes and Bor¬

deaux .... 207

62 Nantes to Bordeaux, by Bourbon

Vendee, Rochelle , Rochefort,
and Saintes . . . 208

64 Tours to Bordeaux, by Poitiers

and Angouleme — Railway . 213

65 Poitiers to Chateauroux, by St.

Savin. \_Excursion to Mont-
morillori] . . . .222

66 Poitiers to Rochefort by Niort. 223

INTRODUCTORY SKETCH OF THE COUNTRY.

Arrived on the borders of the Loire, which divides France nearly in the centre,
the traveller already finds himself amidst sunny landscapes, under the influence
of the more genial climate of the south. The provinces bordering on that great
river—Touraine, Orleanois, Anjou, Poitou—have been styled “ the garden of
Franceand the golden vineyards, the blooming orchards, the yellow corn¬
fields (especially those of La Beauce, the granary of France), and the acacia
hedges bear testimony to the facile bounty of Nature. But little pains have
been taken to improve her gifts; an ornamental garden or pleasure-ground is
rarely seen: the earth seems to bring forth abundantly with less than the ave¬
rage amount of painstaking: “c’est le pays de rire et de ne rien faire.” The
Loire, which forms its chief feature, is decidedly inferior in beauty to the
Seine. In Touraine its banks are flat and monotonous, and it is only after
passing Tours that it becomes really picturesque. Near Saumur it is a roman¬
tic stream; and from thence, with slight interruptions, nearly all ihe way to
Nantes, the “ considerable boldness of its banks, the richness of the culture, the
wooded islands, and the animation derived from the swelling canvass of active
commerce, conspire to render it eminently beautiful: but for the rest of its
immense course it exhibits a stream of sand, and rolls shingles through the val¬
ley instead of water.”— A. Young. “Quel torrent revolutionnaire que cette
Loire!” was the expression of Barrere the democrat: and the unbridled im¬
petuosity of its course, its sudden inundations and changes of bed, justify the
epithet, and are as detrimental to the utility as to the beauty of this main
artery of France. The inundation of the Loire in October (18th and 19th),
1846, was the most extensive and disastrous of that river on record. It burst
through the Lev4e or dyke in several places above and below Orleans, spreading
over the plain round Orleans to an extent of 39 kilometres; while in the streets

Sect. III.

The Loire — Touraine—La Vendee .

167

of Orleans the water rose 5 metres. 100 barges, with bargemen, were sent
from Paris to assist the inhabitants of the city and neighbourhood, isolated by
the flood. In winter the Loire rages, and swells, and has too much water,
just as in summer it has too little. Its broad shoals greatly disfigure the land¬
scape; its shallows and sandbanks render the passage of steamers intricate. Na¬
vigation is limited to very small vessels, and is frequently arrested in the dry
months. The cave dwellings excavated in the cliffs of soft chalk (craie tufeau)
along the river banks, and the long Levee or dyke raised to protect the right
bank between Blois and Angers, a distance of 96 m., from inundations, will be
remarked as peculiar features in the borders of the Loire. The descent of the
Loire from Orleans to Nantes is productive of much interest, partly derived
from its venerable cities, gloomy castles, and the great events in French history
which have passed upon its banks.

These provinces of France, especially Touraine, were the chosen residence of
her kings (les Yalois) down to Louis XIY., and they afford a hundred sites
preferable to the sands and morasses of Yersailles. The vast and castellated
Chambord, bristling with turrets and pinnacles, studded with Diana’s crescent,
where the Emp. Charles V. was entertained by his good-natured enemy Fran¬
cis I.; the gloomy Blois, haunt of bigotry and scene of the deep-plotted assas¬
sination of the Guises; Amboise, the favourite abode of the warrior Charles YIII.,
and also witness to conspiracy and wholesale massacre; Chenonceaux, the
retreat of Diana of Poitiers; Plessis, the den of the timorous bigot Louis XI.;
Chinon, where passed the careless revelry of the indolent Charles VII., and the
opening scene of the wondrous career of “the shepherd girl of Domremy;” Fon-
tevrault, the last resting-place of the lion-hearted Richard; Loches, with its
dungeon of sighs and tears, a provincial Bastille, contrasting with more agreeable
recollections of the beauteous and gentle Agnes Sorel; Dampierre, where Margaret
of Anjou’s life and sorrow ceased; and Nantes, which saw Henri IV. put his
hand to the edict of toleration, and in later times witnessed the heroism and
frailty of a daughter of Bourbon, his descendant:—all these are national
monuments—integral portions, as it were, of French history. It is a region of
interesting associations and recollections: here Joan of Arc first unfurled her
victorious banner; here the chief events of the contests of religion in the 16th
century occurred; this soil is watered with the blood of Guise and Condfi;
the fields of La Vendee are fattened with the unburied bones of the thou¬
sands who fell in the cause of loyalty, and in opposition to revolution and
irreligion.

All the places above-named or alluded to well deserve to be visited by the tra¬
veller. Orleans, though retaining few traces or relics of the Maid; Blois and
Amboise; Tours, a fine city, though seated on a flat, amidst dust and glare;
Saumur, once the stronghold of Protestantism; Loches, for its architectural
remains and historical souvenirs, and pleasing situation in the charming valley
of the Indre; black Angers, cradle of our early Plantagenet monarchs—all
abound in specimens of ancient architecture, all possess more or less claims
to attention. Chenonceaux is a charming specimen of the old French chateau,
with turrets and extinguisher towers; without, all crinkum crankum—and
within, lined with tapestry and armour; preserved unimpaired, and well kept
up. Aizy-le-Rideau is neaidy as perfect and beautiful, but with less interesting
associations.

S. of Nantes, between the Loire, the sea, and the Sevre Niortaise, lies La
Vendee, celebrated in the history of the wars of the Revolution for its adhesion
to royalty and opposition to innovation. The framework or foundation of that
country is composed of the elevated plateau of the Gatine, whose crest is in no
wise distinguishable, and which presents a series of hills, furrowed by narrow
glens or valleys, through which run a few muddy streams. “It is an inex¬
tricable complication of heaths, brooks, heights, hollows, and little plains

168

Route 48. —Paris to Orleans,

Sect. III.

having no connection with one another, and apparently no general water-shed.
It is covered with trees, yet has no forests; every field, every dwelling is sur¬
rounded by quick hedges, abounding with close-set trees, and surrounded by
ditches, forming complete natural redoubts. The lines of communication from
place to place are hollow ways, cut so deep below the surface of the ground
that a man’s head in walking along them will not appear above it, and their
vertical sides are surmounted by hedges. They are narrow, shady, and muddy
or rutty, according to the season, and intersect one another so as to form a
multitude of crossways, looking all like one another. There are few high
roads, no large towns; the villages are scattered and thinly inhabited, estates
very much subdivided, houses concealed by trees and bushes, and a peasantry
of primitive and rude manners; these are the combination of circumstances
which have made this distinct a complete labyrinth, perfectly adapted as the
theatre of the civil war which so long and so fearfully desolated it. It is divided
into three parts: the Marais, comprising the sands, salt marshes, and ponds
bordering the sea-shore, intersected by dykes and canals, abounding in pastures,
destitute of drinking-water; the Bocage, covered with thickets and heaths, rough
and bristling, much cut up and well cultivated; and the Plaine, very rich and
highly cultivated, abounding with corn and vines.”

The traveller disposed to visit the theatre of the Vendean war may do so from
Nantes by way of Clisson; but the character of the country and its inhabitants
is fast changing under the system pursued by Napoleon and Louis-Philippe;
and intersected, as it has been by them, with a network of high roads, it has
lost much of its primitive character.

The Ely, to Orleans and Tours brings this interesting country in a manner to
the gates of Paris, and opens the readiest line of communication between Paris,
Lyons, Tours, Bordeaux, and the South of France.

ROUTE 48.

PARIS TO ORLEANS.

119 kilom. = 74 Eng. m.

The high road is now superseded by
the Railroad. Mallepostes and dili¬
gences are transferred to it. See Rte. 49.

The high road to Orleans quits Paris
by the Barriere d’Enfer; it passes
through Bourg-la-Reine, where Con-
dorcet, proscribed by the Convention,
arrested and placed in jail, put an end
to himself by poison concealed in a
ring, 1794. It leaves about 1 m. to
the rt. the town of Sceaux. (Rte. 51.)

12 Berny. Chatenay, about a mile
to the rt. of Berny, was the birthplace
of Voltaire, 1694. He was born in a
house which belonged to the Comtesse
de Boignes.

8 . Longjumeau, a small town on the
Yvette.

Beyond this the road skirts the hill
of Montlhery (Rte. 49).

12 Arpajon. The Marolles Stat. of

the Rly. is about 1 m. to the 1. of this
town (Rte. 49).

12 Etrdcy, a walled town.

Morigny, on the 1. of the road, be¬
yond the river Juine, has a fine Ch.

8 Etampes, a Stat. on the Rly. (Rte.
49.)

Beyond this the road enters the mo¬
notonous plain of La Beauce, famed
for growing corn.

9 Montdesir.

At M^reville, on the 1., about mid¬
way in this stage, is the Chateau of
Comte de Laborde.

10 Angerville.

14 Toury.

14 Artenay. Here the road from
Chartres falls in. (Rte. 50.)

6 Chevilly.

We here enter the Forest of Orleans ;
Cercolles is a small hamlet in the heart
of it, inhabited by woodcutters. The
suburb Bannier, more than 1^ m. long,
precedes the town of

14 Orleans (in Rte. 49).

Sect. III. Route 49.— Railway.—Paris to Orleans.

169

ROUTE 49.

RAILWAY.—PARIS TO ORLEANS, AND
BRANCH TO CORBEIL.

121 kilom. = 75 Eng. m.

Trains go to Corbeil (30 kilom. = 19
Eng. m.) in 1 hour, or 55 min., 8 times
a day on week-days ; every hour on
Sundays and fete-days.

The Trains to Corbeil stop at inter¬
mediate stations, which are distin¬
guished by the letter C.

Trains to Orleans 7 times a day, in 3
and 4 hours. Fares: 12 fr. 60 c., 9 f.
50 c., and 3rd class uncovered 6 fr.
35 c.; a place in the coupd 15 fr. Car¬
riages 62 to 82 fr.

The railway was completed to Or¬
leans in 1843.

Terminus in the Boulevard de l’Ho-
pital, close to the Jardin des Plantes.
The line, at first skirting the walls of
the Hospital of the Salpetriere, is
carried through a pretty country, at
the foot of the slopes which border the
1. bank of the Seine. It approaches
the river closely at each curve which
the Seine makes, and commands plea¬
sant views of it. There are many
pretty villas and country-houses on
the river banks, and villages are nu¬
merous.

It skirts the walls of Ivry, and of
Vitry, famed for its nursery-gardens,
on the rt.

10 Choisy Stat. is close to a viaduct
of 8 arches, which also support the
towing-path along the Seine; 4 of the
arches are left open to allow a passage
between the Seine and the town.
Choisy is a very thriving manufacturing
town, whose population has increased
within a few years to more than 3000.
It was called Clioisy-le-Roi, because
Louis XV. made it one of his resi¬
dences ; the Chateau which he built for
himself and Madame de Pompadour is
demolished, except a fragment, now
turned into a china manufactory.
There are also manufactories of mo¬
rocco leather (the largest in France),
of glass, and of beetroot sugar, and a
chemical work. Close to the station
the Seine is crossed by a bridge of 5
arches, built 1802. The chateau and

j France.

village of Orly are seen on the height
to the rt. The rly. skirts the pare of

Villeneuve-le-Roi. A new bridge
over the Seine gives access to it. We
approach the vine-clad slopes bounding
the valley of the Seine.

6 Ablon (C. Stat.). Ablon is com¬
posed almost entirely of neat villas.
One of the 3 Protestant churches which
the reformers of Paris were allowed by
the Edict of Nantes to possess stood
here.

2 A this Mont (C. Stat.).

9 Juvisy Stat., situated at the foot
of a hill on the rt., is re-markable for
its antiquity. Its bridge over the Orge
anciently formed the boundary be¬
tween the kingdoms of Paris and of
Orleans. Isabella of Bavaria was ar¬
rested here as she was carrying off the
Dauphin.

[At Juvisy the Branch Rly. to Cor¬
beil separates from the main line to
Orleans, turning off to the L, but con¬
tinuing along the margin of the Seine,
and running near the high road to
Lyons (Rte. 105). It passes through
Chatillon, a little port on the Seine.
At Viry is the fine garden of the Du-
chesse de Raguse.

3 Ris (C. Stat.), close to Laborde.

Here is a suspension bridge built

over the Seine by the late M. Aguado,
the Spanish banker.

The rly. cuts through a part of the
park of Petit Bourg, broken up and
parcelled out by its owner, the late M.
Aguado. The Chateau, when it be¬
longed to the Due d’Antin, was often
the residence of Madame de Montes-
pan, who was visited here by Louis
XIV.

4 Evry (C. Stat.).

3 Corbeil (C. Stat.) is a considerable
manufacturing town of 3900 Inhab., on
the Seine, here crossed by a bridge, at
the influx of the Essonne. Here are
very extensive Flour Mills and a corn
warehouse (Magasin), belonging to
Government, for the supply of Paris.
The Ch. of Ft. Spire (Exupere), rebuilt
1437, after a fire, contains the tomb of
Jaques de Bourgoin, founder of the
college of Corbeil, 1661, and the casket
or reliquaire containing relics of St.
Leu and St. Rembert. The little church

170

Route 49.— Railway—Paris to Orleans.

Sect. III.

of St. Jean en Vile was built by the
Templars in the 13th centy.

Omnibus from Corbeil to Fontaine¬
bleau (Ete. 105). A continued street
connects Corbeil with the village of
Essonne.

At Juvisy (19 kilom. from Paris) the
Orleans Line, curving a little to the
S.W., enters the valley of a small
stream, the Orge, the railway crossing
previously the high road to Antibes.
It traverses the gardens of

3 Savigny Stat., a village with a
castle, fortified 1486 by Etienne de
Yesi, chamberlain to Charles VIII.
The handsome Chateau occupying its
place is now the property of the Prin¬
cess Dowager of Eckmiihl. A great
hemp market is held here. A viaduct
of 3 arches over the Yvette leads to

2 (rt.) Epinay Stat., which is 2^ m.
distant from Longjumeau on the post¬
road (Rte. 48). The quarries near this
furnish paving-stones for the streets of
Paris. Another viaduct of 5 arches
carries you from Epinay Stat. You
next skirt on the 1. the foret de St.
Genevieve: on the rt., beyond the Orge,
you see the chateau of Yaucluse; Yil-
liers, and its villas of Paris citizens;
and Longpont, whose church of the
14th centy. is the sole relic of its an¬
cient abbey. A portion of the pare of
the handsome chateau d’Ormay is tra¬
versed before reaching

4 St. Michel-sur-Orge Stat. Mont-
Ihery is about 1^ m. on the rt. Its
ancient castle, of which a tower re¬
mains, built (1012) by Tliibaut-File-
Etoupe, forester of King Robert, was
the terror of the kings of France in
feudal times, and has been made fa¬
mous by Boileau in the poem of the
Lutrin:—

“ Se s murs dont le sommet se derobe a la vue,

Sur le cime d’un roc s’allongeant dans la nue,

Et presentant de loin leur objet ennuyeux,

Du passant qui les fuit semblent suivre les
yeux.”

A bloody but indecisive battle was
fought between Montlhery and Long¬
pont, 1465, between Louis XI. and
the troops of the so-called “ Ligue du
Bien Public,” commanded by the
Comte de Charolais, afterwards Charles

the Bold, of Burgundy. The spot still
goes by the name of Cimetiere des
Bourguinons.

The line passes through the midst of
the collection of hamlets called

3 Br^tigny Stat., beyond which the
rly. attains a summit level, and de¬
scends into the valley of the Juine
shortly before.

5 Marolles Stat. The village and
chateau lie a little on the 1.; Arpajon
(2400 Inhab.) is about 1 m. off on the
rt. Beyond Cheptainville we pass
through the park appertaining to the
chateau of Mesnil Voisin, the property
of the Due de Choiseul Praslin, a build¬
ing of brick and stone on the borders
of the Juine.

4 Lardy Stat. Farther on to the 1.
is another chateau, Chamarande. The
rly. skirts the walls of

5 Etrecy Stat. It here approaches
the post-road, which passes through
Etrecy, a walled town, and the two run
parallel for some distance.

7 Etampes Stat. Here refreshments
may be had. Close to the Stat. rises
a ruined tower called Guinette, the only
remains of the royal castle and palace,
built in the 11th centy. by King Ro¬
bert, and dismantled by Henri IY.
It is formed externally of 4 segments
of circles.

Inn: H. du Bois de Yincennes.

This interesting ancient town, of
8000 Inhab., carries on a considerable
trade in flour, the produce of its 40
water-mills, and in wool. The main
street is about 4 m. long from octroi to
octroi. Notre Dame is a curious forti¬
fied Ch. of the period of transition
from the Romanesque to Early French
style, with an elegant tower and spire.
St. Giles is another fine transition Ch.
The tower has 4 gables with early
crockets, of the end of the 12th centy.
St. Martin has a detached W. tower
built at the time of the Renaissance in
imitation of St. Giles : “ it leans con¬
siderably, from its foundations having
given way.” — J. H. P. The royal
castle was given as an apanage to va¬
rious remarkable personages, among
others to the mistresses of the three
French kings, Francis I. (Anne de Pis-
seleu), Henri II. (Diana of Poitiers),

Sect. III.

Route 49.— Artenay — Orleans.

171

and Hemi IV. (Gabrielle d’Estrdes).
The town consists of one long street,
and retains several picturesque old
houses of the age of the Renaissance:
one of them is attributed to Diana of
Poitiers. The H. de Ville is an antique
building with turrets.

Omnibus twice a day to Pithiviers.

A high embankment, a bridge over
the Louette, and a steep incline carry
the Rly. from Etampes.

4 Monnerville Stat. The Rly.
crosses the stream of the Chalonette
on a viaduct, and ascending the valley
of l’Hemery reaches the upland plain
of La Beauce and a second summit
level. It crosses the post-road on a
bridge shortly before reaching

5 Angerville Stat. Coaches run
hence once a day to Chartres. 14 m.
from this is Pithiviers, famed for path
cValouettes, for almond cakes, and for its
trade in saffron. From this point the
post and railroad run side by side,
within a short distance of each other,
so that the description of the one will
serve for both.

13 Toury Stat.

14 Artenay Stat. Here the road
from Chartres falls in (Rte. 50). A
little to the W. of the road, near
Rouvray, an English detachment of
about 2000 men, under Sir John Fas-
tolf, escorting a convoy of provisions
to the army besieging Orleans, de¬
feated a force 4000 strong, consisting
of French and Scotch, commanded by
Dunois and the Count of Clermont,
who endeavoured to intercept them.
The French left 500 dead on the field,
among them Sir John Stewart, con¬
stable of Scotland. This engagement,
fought February 10, 1409, was called
“ The Battle of Heri'ings,” from the
salt fish for Lent, which formed the
bulk of the provisions intended for the
English.

A few months later, June 18, and
nearly on the same ground, at Patay,
the English forces under the same com¬
mander, retreating dispirited from Or¬
leans, were put to flight at the first
onset by the French, led on by Jeanne
d’Arc. Fastolf ran away, and the brave
Talbot, who never turned back on an
enemy, being left to fight almost alone,

was made prisoner together with Lord
Scales.

6 Chevilly Stat. Fossil remains of
gigantic quadrupeds (Deinotherium)
have been discovered near Chevilly.

14 Orleans Terminus a little .to
the E. of the Porte Bannier.

Orleans. — Inns: H. d’Orleans, close
to the railway, good ; H. du Loiret,
very clean and comfortable; H. du
Boule d’Or, good.

Orleans (the Roman Genabnm, named
afterwards Aurelianum, from M. Au¬
relius, who rebuilt it in the Srdcenty.)
occupies an extensive level area on the
1. bank of the Loire; it contains 45,000
Inhab., and is chef-lieu of the Dept, of
the Loiret. In a town so important
for its situation, nearly in the centre of
France, midway on the course of the
sunny but shallow Loire, of conse¬
quence in a military point of view as
commanding the passage over that
river from the FT. to the S. provinces
of the kingdom, and conspicuous in
history from a very early period—the
traveller will probably expect more of
interest than he will find. Orleans is
not conspicuous for trade or manu¬
factures, and is deficient in tangible
historical memorials, chiefly owing to
the cacoethes of pulling down for the
sake of what is called improvement,
which has prevailed to a most de¬
structive extent during the last 50
years in the town council. The town
gates and walls have been destroyed,
several of the latter since 1830, and
above all, nearly every memorial of the
heroine of Orleans, Joan of Arc, has
been swept away.

A tolerably handsome street leads
from the bridge over the Loire to the
irregular Place du Martroy, which occu¬
pies nearly the centre of the town, and
is prolonged from it under another
name ( Rue de Banier') to the Barriere de
Paris and the rly.

A wide and handsome new street
(Rue Jeanne d’Arc) has been driven
through a dense mass of old houses
from the Rue Royale to the W. front
of the Cathedral (St. Croix), the chief
building of the town, which this open¬
ing now for the first time allows to be
seen to advantage. The remarkable

I 2

172

Routed .— Orleans — Cathedral — Museum . Sect. III.

circumstance connected with this church,
is, that it was built as it now stands,
in the 17th centy., at a period when
Gothic architecture was not only on
the decline, hut had fallen into disuse.
Notwithstanding this, it is a beautiful
edifice, in a pure style, and reflects
credit on its architects, and on Henri
IV., who furnished the funds, to atone
for the destruction by the Calvinists of
the former church, to ingratiate him¬
self (vain hope!) with the Jesuits, and
to liberate himself from the pope’s
excommunication. He laid the first
stone 1601, and the building, unfinish¬
ed at his death, was continued under
Louis XIII., XIV., and XV. The
design of the W. front was made, 1764,
by the architect Gabriel, and modified
by his successor, M. Paris. It consists
of 3 somewhat plain pointed portals,
surmounted by 3 rose windows flanked
by 2 towers of equal height (280 ft.)
and of great elegance: the circular top
is capped by a circlet of cut stone;
below this runs a light arcade with
fringed arches; in each tower are 3
circular windows. Over the W. portal
are some incongruous coats of arms,
supported by cherubs, including the
shield of the old Bourbons, now lily¬
less. The S. porch is a Grecian abomi¬
nation ; indeed the exterior is in many
respects faulty. The nave is flanked by
double aisles. The magnificent effect
of the interior depends in a great de¬
gree on the large size of the clerestory
wfindows (double that of the side aisle
windows).

A portion of the former cathedral,
blown up 1567 by the Huguenots, who
had previously turned it into a stable
for their cavalry, in spite of the remon¬
strances of the Prince cle Conde, still
remains in the 1ST. choir aisle: the choir
ends in an apse. There is nothing else
to notice in the interior. The other
churches are either modern or so muti¬
lated as scarcely to deserve notice. St.
Aignan is the finest; its much injured
portal and nave are in the florid style.
Under it is a Romanesque crypt; its
towers are surmounted by a pyramid.
The houses Nos. 2 and 4 in the Place
adjoining this church, formerly the
Convent of St. Aignan, were built and

inhabited by Louis XI. They are of
plain red brick, with high pitched slate
roofs, having dormer windows, and
resemble closely the remaining frag¬
ment of the chateau of Plessis les Tours
(Rte. 53). St. Pierre-le-Puellier (Petrus
Puellarum) has a Norman N. porch and
an ancient apse.

Next to the cathedral, the stranger
will find the most to interest him in
the Muse'e, in the ancient Hotel de Ville,
a picturesque edifice of the time of
Charles VIII. and Louis XII., situated
Rue des Hotelleries, not far from the
Rue Jeanne d’Arc. Here is placed a
cast of the statue of the heroine by Louis
Philippe’s daughter. Besides a consi¬
derable number of ordinary pictures it
contains a curious collection of local
antiquities, carvings in ivory, wood,
and stone, which once ornamented the
houses and churches of Orleans, chiefly
of the 15th and 16th centy. Amidst
old furniture, cabinets, chimney-pieces,
bas-reliefs and statues, is an elaborately
carved chest, bearing the history of
Solomon and David in relief; another,
which came from St. Aignan, is orna¬
mented with a representation of the
coronation of Louis XI. A Massacre
of the Innocents in stone, an enamelled
triptic, and some elaborate iron-work,
locks, &c., with Gothic patterns, chefs-
d'oeuvre of the hammer and anvil, also
deserve notice.

Not far from the Musde, in the Rue
des Albanais, and Rue Neuve No. 22,
is the house of Diane de Poitiers, so
called because she is supposed to have
been laid up in it with a broken leg;
but it appears to have belonged to the
Bishop of Orleans, and was built 1552.
The inner front facing the court is a
good specimen of Italian architecture,
such as we see in the works of Inigo
Jones.

Owing to the excessive filth and bad
pavement of the older streets of Orleans,
the stranger will do well not to trust
himself to thread their labyrinths, but
should rather keep to the great tho¬
roughfares and the quays, and should
only dive into the side streets to visit
some particular object and return. The
Rue du Tabourg contains some interest¬
ing specimens of domestic architecture,

Sect. III.

Route 49. — Orleans—Maid of Orleans .

173

as the house of Jeanne d’Arc (No. 35),
described below, and that of Agnes
Sorel (No. 15), which is well worthy of
examination, on account of its carved
wood and stone work, its doors, the
reliefs round the galleries facing the
court, their roofs, and the staircases.
The style of architecture and ornament,
and the coats of arms, fleurs-de-lis, &c.,
render it probable that it was erected
by Charles VII. for his mistress pre¬
vious to 1470.

No. 28, Rue de la Recouvrance, called
Maison de Francois Premier, is supposed
to have been built for the Duchesse
d’Etampes 1540, and in its general ar¬
rangement and sculptures (including
the Salamander of Francis) is a good
specimen of the Renaissance.

At one extremity of the Place du
Martroy is a bronze statue of Jeanne
d’Arc, erected 1804, affected in attitude,
incorrect in costume, and entirely in
bad taste: around the pedestal are bas-
reliefs, representing her exploits and
death. An ancient statue, erected on
the bridge soon after her death, was
broken to pieces by the Revolutionists
of 1792, to melt into cannon! We have
reserved to the last the enumeration of
the few remaining memorials, souvenirs,
and relics of the heroic Maid of Orleans.
A careful inquiry has discovered only
the following:—

In the Salle du Conseil of the Hotel
de la Mairie is a portrait of her, painted
1581, from an older picture, it is said;
it represents her in a theatrical atti¬
tude, and in a female costume of the
time of Francis I., and apparently de¬
serves little confidence as a likeness.
A view of the town, hung up here,
shows its ancient configuration about
the time of the siege. King Louis-
Philippe has presented to the town a
bronze cast of the statue by his gifted
daughter, by far the worthiest repre¬
sentation of the inspired Maid.

The Maid entered the city on Friday,
April 29th, 1429, in the teeth of the
English army, which was vastly supe¬
rior to the French force. She had
convoyed a supply of provisions from
Blois to the famished townsmen, who,
as she rode in triumph through their
streets on her charger, in full armour,

bearing her sacred banner, looked on
her as their guardian angel sent from
heaven. She was lodged in the house
of Jacques Bouchier, treasurer of the
Due d’Orleans, which she had selected,
with that sense of modesty which al¬
ways actuated her, because she wodld
there be under the protection of a
matron of good repute, his wife. It
stood close to the Porte Renard (long
since removed), and only in part exists
in the house No. 35, liue du Tabourg.
The chamber which she occupied is re¬
moved, and a sort of pavilion of Italian
architecture, erected in the latter part
of the 16th centy., occupies its place.

The scene of the chief exploits of the
Maid was the old bridge, which stood
considerably higher up the river than
the present one (b. 1761), and rested
in the centre on an island. It was
defended at its extremity, on the S.
bank of the Loire, by a fort, or Tete
du Pont, called Res Tourelles, which
had fallen into the hands of the English
before Jeanne’s arrival, and, together
with another tower in the centre of the
bridge, formed a strong post, whence
the English greatly annoyed the be¬
sieged by a battery of cannon planted
on it. It was while reconnoitring the
town from this battery that the Eng¬
lish commander, the Earl of Salisbury,
was mortally wounded by a shot from
the walls, which drove a splinter into
his head.

The Maid in her enthusiasm decided
that this post should be first attacked ;
and though her design was opposed by the
most skilful of the French commanders,
they were obliged to yield, because she
carried the people and soldiery with
her. As the bridge had been broken
between the Tourelles and the town,
when that fort fell into the hands of
the besiegers, a chosen band of troops
with the Maiden at their head was
pushed across the Loire in boats, and
began the attack upon the Tete du
Pont on the 1. bank, which formed part
of the Bastille des Tourelles. It was
defended by a picked body of 500 Eng¬
lish soldiers, under Sir Wm. Gladsdale,
who for many hours kept their assail¬
ants at bay by their unerring flights of
arrows and fire of cannon. At length

174

JRoute 49 .—Maid of Orleans — The Siege. Sect. III.

the Maid, seeing her countrymen falter,
snatched up a ladder, and planting it
against the walls began to mount to
the escalade, but an arrow pierced her
corslet, and she fell as one dead into
the ditch. She was with difficulty
rescued by her own people from being
made prisoner, and was borne to the
rear. Here, however, after a few wo¬
man’s tears called forth by the anguish
of the wound, she received, as she said,
the consolation of “ her voices,” and,
encouraged by St. Michael, St. Cathe¬
rine, and St. Margaret, &c., hurried
back once more to the contest. Great
was the dismay of the English when
they beheld her, whom a few minutes
before they had supposed mortally
wounded, again leading the assault,
and waving on high her magic banner.
To the feeling of supernatural agency
being exerted against them, was now
added the failure of arrows and ammu¬
nition, and the hopelessness of aid
from their army on the opposite bank.
The spirits of the French proportion¬
ately increased, and they now began
to assault the Tourelles from the side
of the town, throwing beams over the
broken arch to render it accessible.
300 men had fallen on the side of the
English, but the surrender of the fort
was at length decided by the death
of their leader, whom a cannon-shot
hurled into the river as he was cross¬
ing the drawbridge. That same even¬
ing the courageous Jeanne, whom but
the day before the English had taunt¬
ingly desired to “go home and mind
her cows,” entered Orleans in triumph
by the bridge which had remained
many months closed; as she had her¬
self foretold before she began the attack.
Next day the English broke up the
siege, burning the remaining bastilles
which they had erected around the
town to hem it in, and retreating
from before the walls. Thus in seven
days from her arrival in the town
had the Maid accomplished its deli¬
verance.

Opposite to the spot where the old
bridge terminated, on the 1. bank of the
river, stands a small cross called Croix
de la Pucelle ■ and the cellars, under¬
neath the neighbouring cabaret called

Le Boeuf, are part of the celebrated
Tete du Pont included in the English
bastille called Les Tourelles. They are
now below the surface of the ground,
but receive partial light from the old
loopholes, which seem designed for the
firing of cannon, and are furnished with
rings above, from which it is probable
that the guns were suspended by
chains, as carriages were not then in
use. The fort has two branches, and
there is a vaulted passage from it,
which the people say led to the river.
In its present state the fort is nothing
more than a damp, dirty, low cellar,
possessing this interest alone, that it is
perhaps the sole remaining contempo¬
rary relic of the siege.

The life of the Maid of Orleans has
been admirably told in the Quarterly
Review, No. 138, by one who has used
the discrimination of the practised his¬
torian in sifting the true from the
false, and has unravelled, for the first
time, the mystery of her story, with¬
out depriving it of any of the charms
of romance.

During the Wars of Religion, at
another siege of Orleans, 1563, the Due
de Guise, the conqueror of Calais and
defender of Metz, who commanded the
Catholic army which invested the town,
was assassinated before its walls by a
fanatical young Huguenot, Poltrot de
Mere. He was shot near the village
Olivet (Rte. 70), and died a few days
after in the Chateau de Caubrai. Or¬
leans was then justly regarded as the
stronghold of the Protestant party,
and continued so until the revocation
of the Edict of Nantes banished those
who followed the Reformed faith. Pre¬
vious to that event its population
amounted to 54,000.

Francis II., husband of Mary Queen
of Scots, ended his insignificant life at
Orleans, whither he had repaired to
assist at the meeting of the Estates, in
the building now the Mairie. In his
last illness, at the instigation of his
mother, Cath. de Medicis, he sent a
deputation of pilgrims to Notre Dame
de Cl dry, promising to purge the king¬
dom of heretics if he ever recovered.
The vow was accomplished not by him,
but by Charles IX., at the instigation

Sect. III. R. 50 .—Rouen to Orleans. 51 .—Paris to Sceaux. 175

of the same wicked mother, in the St.
Bartholomew’s night.

Caesar mentions Orleans in the fol¬
lowing passage: “ Carnutes Genabum
concur runt, civesque Romanos, qui ne-
gotiandi causa ibi consisterant, inter-
ficiunt.”

Promenades are formed round the
town upon the line of the former ram¬
parts.

The Post-Office is in the Rue cl’Il-
liers.

Railways to Paris, 7 trains daily;
to Vierzon; to Tours (Rte. 53) and
Nantes.

Diligences :—to Gien, to Montargis
and Briare, to Roanne.

Steamboats on the Loire, (?) in sum¬
mer, 3 times a week, to Gien, Nevers,
and Moulins, up the river (Rte. 52).

Environs. The objects of interest in
the vicinity of Orleans are—

Notre Dame cle Clery, the burial-
place of Louis XI. (Rte. 53.)

The Chateau de la Source , the resi¬
dence of Lord Bolingbroke (Rte. 70),
is about 5 m. off; a cab costs 4 or 5 fr.
The way thither leads across the bridge
over the Loire to the village of Olivet,
whither omnibuses run every hour
from Orleans, where the road turns to
the 1. The cMteau is named from the
little river Loiret, which here rises at
once out of the ground in full flood,
from a natural basin, but injured by
art, close under the walls of the cha¬
teau, in the midst of the pare. After
a course of only 10 m. it falls into the
Loire, giving, however, its name to the
department. With this exception, the
grounds, laid out in the formal French
style, have little interest; nor has the
chateau itself any other than what it
derives from having been the residence
of Bolingbroke, who rented it from the
proprietor during the latter years of
his life when exiled from England. He
was visited here by Voltaire. He wrote
here his Reflections on Exile. There
is a second and more copious source,
produced, at the beginning of the last
century, by the artificial means re¬
sorted to to confine the waters of the
old source, which, in consequence,
broke a new passage for themselves.

Not far from La Source, near the

road, is another handsome Chateau—de
la Fontaine.

ROUTE 50.

ROUEN TO ORLEANS BY CHARTRES.

201 kilom. =124 Eng. m.

11 Port St. Ouen, ] /r ,, AN

17 Louviers, } < Kte '

23 Evreux (Rte. 25).

13 Thomer. Our route traverses the
fertile but monotonous district of La
Beauce (Belsia), one of the granaries of
France, on a table-land extending
nearly from the Seine to the Loire; of
which Chartres is considered the capi¬
tal.

15 Nonancourt.

14 Dreux (Rte. 35).

16 Peage.

16 Chartres (Rte. 46). Diligence to
Angerville Stat. (Rte. 49). It takes
about 10 hrs. to travel hence to Or¬
leans. At the village of Bercheres are
stone-quarries from which Chartres
cathedral was built. The road tra¬
verses the fertile corn-lands of La
Beauce.

26 Allonne.

19 Allaines.

15 Artenay, on the Paris Railroad
(Rte. 49), and in the Dept, du Loiret.

6 Chevilly.

14 Orleans (Rte. 49).

ROUTE 51.

PARIS TO SCEAUX—RAILWAY.

Terminus in Paris, Barriere d’Enfer.

The peculiarity of the line is, that,
for the sake of economizing outlay, it
is constructed upon steep slopes and
curves of narrow radius, which are tra¬
versed in safety by railway trains called
trains articules, owing to the carriages
being made to turn on their wheels
like road carriages, the invention of M.
Arnoux.

Arcueil Stat.

Cachan Stat.

Bourg-la-Reine Stat. (see Rte. 48) is
situated in the valley, at the foot of
the ascent on whose summit is situated
the town of Sceaux. The intervening
space is traversed by means of curves

176

Route 52 .— Gien to Orleans.

Sect. III.

carried along the face of the slope in
zigzags (lacets) of small radius.

The town of Sceaux was once famed
for its splendid Chateau, built by the
Minister Colbert (1760), afterwards
enlarged by the Due de Maine, whose
duchess assembled around her here a
literary circle the most eminent in
France. It was destroyed, except some
of the offices and the menagerie, at the
Revolution, and its park, laid out by
Le Notre, ploughed up. A part of it
has been made a public garden, and
part belongs to the Due de Trevise
(Mortier). The Terrace is a favourite
walk of the Parisians. Sceaux is now
celebrated for its large cattle-market,
and has a considerable glass-manufac¬
tory. Florian, the novelist, who re¬
sided in the chateau and died here, is
buried in its Cimetiere.

ROUTE 52.

THE LOIRE (a)—GIEN TO ORLEANS.

62 kilom. = 38j Eng. m.

2 Diligences daily.

Steamers 3 times a week.

The scenery of this part of the course
of the Loire is not particularly inter¬
esting. When the height of water
permits, the steamers ascend as high
as Nevers, and sometimes even mount
the Allier by Moulins to Digoin (Rte.
105). From Gien to Nevers the course
of the Loire is described in Rte. 105.

Gien is a town of 5530 Inhab., on
the rt. bank of the Loire, here crossed
by a bridge, on the road from Orleans
to Lyons. Its old church, St, Etienne,
has been injured by repairs. Near it
is a portion of the ancient Castle, now
turned into the prefecture. It was at
Gien that the Maid of Orleans crossed
the Loire on her way from her native
village, to announce her divine mission
to “ Charles the Dauphin” at Chinon.

1. A mound of earth, called Motte
du Leon, is supposed to be a Celtic
tumulus.

About 12 m, below Gien lies

1. Sully, a town of 2145 Inhab.,
possessing a wire suspension bridge, and
an old Castle , resting its front upon the
Loire, and separated from the town by

a deep ditch. It is remarkable as the
residence of the minister of Henri IY.,
Maximilian de Bethune, first Due de
Sully, who purchased it from its for¬
mer possessors, the family de la Tr£-
mouille; and in the alterations which
he made in the building everywhere
effaced their arms to substitute his
own, along with cannons, grenades,
bullets, and similar ornaments. He
passed here the latter years of his life,
after his disgrace under Louis XIII.,
maintaining considerable state with his
regiment of lancers, and occupying
himself with the preparation of his
work ‘ Sur les Economies Royales,’
which he printed at a press established
in one of the towers. It remained in the
possession of his descendants down to
1807, when the last Due de Sully died.
One of them fitted up a little theatre
in the chateau, and was visited by the
literary men of his times, among them
by Voltaire, who here commenced his
Henriade. The building is now going
to decay, and is no longer inhabited:
in one corner a few bits of tapestry,
old portraits, &c., have been brought
together; also a statue of Sully.

rt. The Ch. of St. Benoit, one of the
oldest and finest in the Dept., was
originally attached to a monastery, de¬
stroyed 1792. Its tower was lowered
in consequence of a revolt of the monks
against the royal authority under Fran¬
cis I. It has a curious N. portal, some
carved stalls, and one or two curiosities
in the sacristy.

rt. Chateauneuf. Here are remains
of a fine chateau.

The river is crossed by another sus¬
pension-bridge at

1. Jargeau, a town of 2358 Inhab.,
12 m. from Orleans. It still retains a
portion of its old walls, within which
a few hundred English soldiers, with
their commander, the Earl of Suffolk,
shut themselves up, after the raising
of the siege of Orleans, to resist the
attacks of the French led on by Dunois
and the Maid. She was struck down
into the ditch by a stone while mount¬
ing a ladder to scale a breach made in
the walls by the besiegers’ cannon; but,
recovering herself, instantly rose, and
encouraged her followers by her voice

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Sect. III. JR. 53 .— The Loire ( B)—Notre Dame de Clery. 177

and waving banner. The town was
taken, and almost all the garrison put
to the sword, in spite of the endeavours
of the Maid to prevent the shedding of
blood. Suffolk was made prisoner.

The Gh. of St. Etienne and St. Vrain,
though injured by the Huguenots 1562,
is still a fine building.

rt. A little below Checy, at Com-
bleaux, is the opening of the Canal
d’Orleans, which unites the Loire with
the Seine.

rt. Orleans, Rte. 49.

ROUTE 53.

THE LOIRE (b).—ORLEANS TO TOURS

—RAILWAY BY BLOIS AND AMBOISE.

— EXCURSIONS TO CHAMBORD AND

CHENONCEAUX.

Railroad along the rt. bank of the
Loire, 115 kilom. = 73 Eng. m.

4 or 5 trains run daily in 3j hrs.

Steamers have been superseded by
the railway.

The course of the Loire from Orleans
to Tours lies for the most part through
a wide valley, slightly varied by hills
of very moderate height: its scenery,
therefore, consisting chiefly of slopes
covered over with vineyards, of low
banks and islands, fringed with willows
and poplars, is somewhat monotonous,
though of a sunny character, and re¬
lieved now and then by a frowning old
town such as Blois or Amboise, or by
a formal chateau. Lower down a yel¬
low streak of cliffs hollowed out into
caves and subterranean dwellings fre¬
quently forms the bank. The river
itself winds very much : its shallow
waters occupy a bed too large for them
to fill in summer, and it is obstructed
by shifting sandbanks.

The first thing worth noticing after
quitting Orleans is,

1. The outlet into the Loire of the
Loiret, a stream not 30 feet broad,
which yet gives the name to a depart¬
ment. On the peninsula between the
rivers once stood the abbey St. Mesmin,
whose fertile territory was the gift of
Clovis to the monks. A part of the
church and traces of the gardens re¬

main. The road to Cl£ry crosses the
Loiret by a bridge at St. Mesmin.

7 La Chapelle Stat.

7 St. Ay Stat.

1. Opposite to St. Ay,* whose vine¬
yards produce the best wine in the
Orleanois, the spire of Notre Dame de
Cle'ry may be perceived about 3 m.
from the Loire, on its 1. bank. This
little town, 9 m. from Orleans, con¬
tains a very fine Ch., remarkable for
the veneration in which its image of
the Virgin was held by Louis XI., who
was buried within its walls. Its name
must be familiar to every reader of
‘ Quentin Durward.’ Louis, passing
this way in his frequent journeys into
Touraine, always performed his devo¬
tions to our Lady of C14ry, whose
leaden figure he carried in his cap.
The existing church was almost entirely
built by him, in the place of an older
one ruined by the English under Salis¬
bury, 1428. He selected it as his
burial-place in preference to St. Denis,
because he believed he had recovered
from a severe illness by the inter¬
cession of the Virgin. A grave was
made for him in his lifetime, in which
he used to lay himself at full length
to ascertain whether it fitted him: but
this, as well as the statue in bronze
which adorned the tomb, was destroyed
by the Huguenots 1563. The existing
monument is said to resemble the pre¬
ceding one, except that the statue is in
marble: it was executed by Michel
Bourdin, an artist of Orleans, for Louis
XIII. It went to Paris 1794, but re¬
turned 1818, and has a fresh and mo¬
dern air from the restoration it has
undergone. Louis is represented bare¬
headed, on his knees in an attitude of
prayer, upon a black altar-tomb with
four angels in the corners. The image
of the Virgin is said to be the identical
one before which Louis spent so many
hours in prayer: it is black. Inde¬
pendently of its fine architectural pro¬
portions, the church possesses several
objects of interest,—as the sculpture
of the Sacristy, much mutilated, the
carded wood-work of its stalls, and the
Chapel of the family of the Counts of
Dunois, in which Tanneguy du Chatel
* Post-road .—13 St. Ay.

I 3

178 B. 53.— The Loire (B')-~

was buried, 1477. A wretclied road
leads from this to Meung on the Loire.

The Loire is crossed by a wire sus¬
pension-bridge at

6 Meung, or Mehun Stat., a town
whose name occurs in the annals of the
English campaigns. It has a Roman¬
esque church, and a red ruined Castle
close beside it, partly concealed by
trees, and backed by a hill.

1. In the churchyard of Lailly, Con
dillac was buried without a line to
mark the spot. An irregular bridge
of some 30 arches, the oldest parts of
which date from the 15th or 16th cent.,
is thrown over the Loire at

7 Beaugencij* Stat. {Inn: l’Ecu de
Bretagne, good), an antique town of
4849 Inhab., prettily situated between
two hills. Conspicuous above its old
houses rises the square Donjon tower, of
great antiquity (10th or 11th centy.)
and solid construction, 115 feet high,
adjoining the Castle built by le beau
Dunois. The H. de Ville, designed by
the architect Viart of Orleans 1526, has
an elegant front ornamented with the
arms of the Card, de Longue ville and
of the Comte de Dunois. The clocher
de St. Firmin is the only remains of
the eh. of that saint, and is now
attached to the Hotel Dieu. Beau-
gency gives its name to one of the best
wines of the Orleanois.

Some miles off, beyond the Loire, is
Eugene Sue’s Sybarite chateau, the
effeminate and selfish splendour of
which was thought so inconsistent
with his Republican professions.

The high road runs at the back of
the town, skirting without entering it,
and for the next 3 stages separates
itself from the Loire, to avoid its wind¬
ings, and passes the little town of

12 Mer Stat. and Suevres, f and the
village of

11 Menars le Chateau* Stat., so
called from the well-built but ill-kept
chateau, which belonged to Madame de
Pompadour, and under Louis XVIII.
to the Due de Bellune. It is now the
property of the Prince de Chimay, who
has established a college here.

1. St. Die, nearly opposite Suevres,

* Post-road .—13 k. Beaugency.
f 13 Mer. t 10 Menars.

Beaugency — Blois. Sect. III.

is about If m. distant from the Palace
of Chambord. (See p. 180.)

9 Blois * Stat. —Inns : H. de Nou-
velle Angleterre, and Tete Noire, close
to the bridge, comfortable. H. de
Blois, in the centre of the town, said
to be best.— I. F. 1851.

This ancient and picturesque town,
chef-lieu of the Ddpt. Loire et Cher,
containing 14,000 Inhab., is built upon
a steep slope, crowned by its historic
and gloomy castle at one end of the
ridge, and by the cathedral at the other.

The quarter which reaches down to
the river consists of modern houses,
forming a handsome quay lined with
rows of trees, and along it, between
the town and the river, the high road
passes. A bridge of 11 arches, sur¬
mounted by an obelisk in the centre,
unites Blois with its suburb Vienne on
the 1. bank.

Numerous streets of stairs running
up the hill, and winding narrow lanes
lined with picturesque old houses,
form the bulk of the town, and must
be threaded to reach

The Castle, for ages the residence of
kings and princes, and the scene of
momentous events, crimes, and mur¬
ders. It has been degraded to a bar¬
rack, and for many years was neglected
and allowed to go to ruin, until 1845,
when the government, with laudable
zeal, began to restore it to its pristine
splendour; and the work has been
executed with excellent taste. TheE.
front, of red brick, facing the square,
is of the time of Louis XII., who re¬
built this edifice, in which he was born.

The fine Gothic portal, surmounted
by a niche or oriel, is not in the centre
of the facade: it leads into a court, the
E. side of which is lined with a cloister,
resting on pillars carved with a net-
like panelling. On the rt. hand (N.
side) is the pile raised by Francis I.,
corresponding in style (Renaissance)
with part of Chambord. That on the
W. was commenced under Gaston Due
d’Orleans from the designs of Mansard,
but never finished; that on the 1. (S.)
is the most ancient and least like a
palace, the work of the early Dukes of
Orleans. An elegant winding staircase
* 8 Blois.

Sect. III. Route 53.— The Loire (R) — Blots — Castle. 179

of stone, on whose rich roof the Sa¬
lamanders of Francis I. have been
lately replaced, leads into the suite of
rooms in which the tragedy of the
Guises was consummated. Tradition,
as it seems, gloating over this deed of
blood and deception, has preserved the
memory of the minutest particulars
connected with it; and, though the
interior was stripped of almost all its
decorations at the Revolution, and the
walls whitewashed like those of a pri¬
son, points out the chamber and ora-
toire of Catherine de Medicis, the
contriver of the plot,—the cabinet of
Henri I IT., where he distributed with
his own hand the daggers to his 45
gentlemen in waiting, who were to rid
him of his rival, the hero of the barri¬
cades,—the Vieux Cabinet, at the en¬
trance of which the victim, sent for by
the king, was set upon by his assassins
as he was turning aside the tapestry
hung over the door, and fell pierced
with more than 40 wounds,—the outer
chamber where the body lay for 2 hours
with a cloak and a cross of straw
thrown over it, until the royal mur¬
derer, issuing from his den to look at
the corse of the once mighty Henri le
Balafrd, spurned it in the face with his
foot, saying, “Je ne le croyais pas
aussi grand,” and then ordered it to
be burnt, and the ashes thrown into
the river. During the progress of the
murder, prayers were being offered up
for its success in the adjoining chapel,
distinguished by the pendants which
still ornament its roof. This happened
on the 23rcl December, 1588:—on the
following day the Cardinal de Lor¬
raine, brother of the Balafre, was mur¬
dered in cold blood in another part of
the castle. The ground floor at the
N. E. angle of the building is occupied
by the Salle des Etats de Blois, to attend
the meeting of which the Guises had
been enticed hither from Paris, their
stronghold. It was while seated at the
council board in this hall, eating prunes
de Brignolles, that the duke was sum¬
moned by the royal page to attend the
king. This hall is supposed to be as
old as the 13tli centy.: a row of pointed
arches supports its double, barn-like
roof of wood. The king’s throne

was placed against the wall on one
side.

One other memorial of that age of
crime and superstition remains to be
noticed,—it is a sort of pavilion raised
upon an old tower, detached from the
S. side of the castle, projecting over
the Ch. of St. Nicholas towards the
river: this was the Observatory of Ca¬
therine de Medicis, to which she used to
retire, with her astrologer, to consult
the stars. It bears the inscription
“ Ur anise Sacrum.” A stone slab, like
a tombstone, in front of the pavilion,
served as a support for the astrolabe.
The beautiful porcelain floorings in the
rooms of Catherine de Medicis deserve
notice.

A good general view of the gloomy
chateau is gained by turning to the 1.,
as you issue out of the great gate,
through a vaulted passage into the
Place du College, above which it rears
aloft its sombre mass from a basement
of grass-grown buttresses. Here we
may remark the window from which
Catherine de Medicis let herself down,
to escape from the Calvinists engaged
in the Conjuration d’Amboise. (See
p. 183.)

In the Eglise St. Vincent, now belong¬
ing to. a sisterhood, facing this Place,
is the tomb of Gaston d’Orleans, who
passed here, in a sort of exile, the last
8 years of his insignificant life.

The Ch. of St. Nicholas is a fine
Gothic edifice, chiefly belonging to the
12th centy., except the lower part of
the side chapel, said to be of the 11th,
and the three first arches of the nave,
which probably date from the 13th.
The manner in which the capitals are
executed, and the regularity of the
arches, deserve notice. This ch. has
been restored lately.

The terraced Gardens attached to the
former Evechd form a very agreeable
walk, commanding a fine view of the
town and river, extending to the dis¬
tant towers of Cliambord and Chau-
mont. The Cathedral, or Ch. of the
Jesuits, said to have been built by
Mansard, has been repaired. Not far
from it a Maison des Fous, a handsome
edifice, has been built. A vaulted
sewer, partly cut in the solid rock, by

180 Route 53.— The Loire (B) — Blois — Chambord. Sect. III.

some attributed to the Romans and
called an aqueduct , runs under a con¬
siderable part of the town. It is known
to the common people as the Pont de
Cesar.

A new square has been erected,
having on one side the Prefecture, on
another the Palais de Justice, and on a
third the Halle au Ble.

In the old streets of Blois may still
be found some interesting specimens
of domestic architecture of the 16th
centy. The H. d’Alluye retains an
elegant portico in its inner court, and
some rooms on the ground floor, but
little altered. Miss Costello mentions
a curiously-carved house in the Rue
Pierre de Blois, leading to the E veche;
and there is an elaborately-sculptured
staircase of wood representing St.
George and the Dragon, with a central
balustrade corded to the top, and com¬
partments filled with various composi¬
tions.

Among the illustrious natives of Blois
may be named the learned divine and
chronicler, Peter of Blois, who died in
England a.d. 1200; Louis XII.; and
Denys Papin, for whom the French
have claimed the invention of the
steam-engine.

In 1814 the Empress Marie Louise,
with the King of Rome, and the rem¬
nant of the Imperial court, govern¬
ment, and army, were despatched
hither by Napoleon, who made his
wife regent; and the last Imperial de¬
crees were dated from hence.

[The interesting excursion to the Cha¬
teau de Chambord may be conveniently
made from Blois, whence it is about
12 m. distant, a 2 hrs.’ drive. Omnibus
daily to and fro; a carriage with 1 horse
8 fr., with 2 horses 15 fir. The road
thither runs up the 1. bank of the
Loire in sight of the Chateau of Me-
nars on the opposite bank, on an em¬
bankment or Lev£e, nearly as far as St.
Die, a village with a small Inn (au
Grand Chambord), 1^ m. distant from
the ch&teau. A cross road, in very bad
condition, leads thence to

Chambord , the Versailles of Touraine,
until Louis XIV. deserted that beau¬
tiful province to fix the royal residence
in a swamp close to the metropolis. It

has no beauty of site to recommend it,
being placed in the midst of a sandy
flat, surrounded by a park 21 m. in
circumference, where the roe and deer
cross the traveller’s path. The chateau
itself, though somewhat fantastic, is
on the whole a grand edifice, sur¬
mounted by a vast group of turrets,
minarets, and cones, which rise con¬
spicuous at a distance from a solid
basement, the chief features of which
are 6 round towers of prodigious size,
60 ft. in diameter, which seem the
types of all those which characterise
French chateaux. Its architecture
marks the transition between the for¬
tified castle and the Italian palace, and
is a fine specimen of the age and taste
of Francis I., who built it, after his
return from captivity in Spain, on the
site of a favourite hunting lodge of the
Counts of Blois, engaging Primaticcio
to furnish designs for it. He laid the
foundation of it 1526, and employed
1800 men constantly on its construc¬
tion until his death. It was afterwards
continued, though with less zeal, by
Henri II. and Charles IX.; and even
Louis XV. added the low screen at the
back, which, though from Mansard’s
designs, is ugly, and of course inappro¬
priate to the style of the original. It
is at present the property of the Due de
Bordeaux, having been purchased for
him and presented to him by public
subscription. He has been confirmed
in his possession, though the Bourbons
have forfeited other estates in France,
by the decision of the French law
courts. Its 440 chambers, though un¬
inhabited, are undergoing judicious re¬
pairs in capital style and in good taste,
the rental of the estate, amounting to
about 3000/. a year, being entirely
spent by its present possessor on its
restoration. The sum already expended
amounts to about 40,000/.

Enclosed wuthin the building a cen¬
tral tower rises above all the rest,
called Donjon , or Tour de la Fleur
de Lis, from the lily of France, in
stone, 6 ft. high, which surmounted
it. After having escaped the hammer
which defaced all its minor brethren
so profusely scattered over the build¬
ing, at the first Revolution, this mon-

Sect. III. B. 53.— The Loire — Chamhord — Valeyi^ay.

181

ster lily was destined to fall at the
second.

This tower is filled with a very beau¬
tiful double spiral staircase, an archi¬
tectural curiosity, so contrived that 2
parties may pass up or down at the
same time without meeting, scarcely
even seeing each other. It opens on
each floor upon 4 corridors, branching
from it like the arms of a cross, vaulted.
The compartments of their roof were
once filled with the Salamander and F.
of Francis I. One of these corridors
was converted under Louis XIV. into
a theatre, for the first performance of
Moliere’s Bourgeois Gentilhomme, in
which Moliere and his troop performed
before the King, for the first time,
1670. The device of Henri II. and
Diana of Poitiers, the H. and D. en¬
twined with the crescent, are distri¬
buted over the parts which he built,
but left unfinished.

It is worth while to mount to the
terrace and top of the tower to examine
the details of the building, its solid
masonry inlaid with morsels of black
slate cut into the shape of lozenges,
crescents, &c. Its rich niches, its
classic chimneys converted into orna¬
ments instead of being eye-sores, its
balustrades and flying buttresses, are
all curious specimens of the style of
the Renaissance, resembling somewhat
the Elizabethan architecture of Bur¬
leigh. The roof is like the hull of a
ship, and must contain a forest of tim¬
ber. From the top of the tower you
look down upon the wide forest and
wilderness of a park with its avenues.

Since the commencement of the libe¬
ral repairs and restorations now in pro¬
gress, it is once more a pleasure to
traverse the labyrinth of rooms, though
showing no traces of the frescoes with
which they were decorated by Jean
Cousin. The well-read traveller, in
imagination, can repeople their halls
and corridors with the brilliancy and
beauty of the courts of Francis I. and
Henri II., recalling the time wdien
Charles Y. was entertained here on his
passage through France, 1539, by his
generous rival, or that when poor Ma¬
demoiselle de Montpensier here lost her
heart to the fickle Lauzun.

Among the occupants of Chambord
since it was deserted by its royal own¬
ers, was Marshal Saxe,—that veteran
of a hundred fights, to whom it was
given by Louis XV. He brought with
him 6 cannon taken from the enemy,
and a regiment of lancers, whom he
reviewed daily from the terrace, al¬
though with one foot already in the
grave. He died here 1750. It after¬
wards became the asylum of Stanislas
King of Poland, and his queen Maria
Leczinska. It was plundered and dis¬
mantled by the mob of 1792, and sold
as national property. Napoleon be¬
stowed it in 1809 upon Marshal Ber-
thier, from whose widow it was pur¬
chased by a body of Loyalists, and
presented to the Due de Bordeaux, as
already mentioned.]

[Another excursion may be made
from Blois to Yalengay by Selles, an
old town on the Cher. The Chateau of
Valengay, built by Philibert Delorme
in the reign of Francis I., is interesting
architecturally as a specimen of the
style of the Renaissance, and historic¬
ally as the prison-house allotted by
Napoleon to Ferdinand YII. of Spain
from 1808 to 1814, and still more as
the residence of M. de Talleyrand
during the latter part of his life. The
larger rooms contain portraits of mo-
narchs (Napoleon and Louis-Philippe
presented by themselves) and of states¬
men, his contemporaries. His study
and bedchamber remained in 1843
exactly as he left them: his shoes, one
furnished with steel spring and ban¬
dages for a club foot, his walking
sticks, his desk, writing materials, to¬
gether with his robes, stars, and orders,
in a glass case, may still be seen.

Talleyrand’s last resting-place is in
a vault beneath the chapel of a small
nunnery, in a narrow street off the
Place at Yalengay. It is entered
through an iron trap-door in the floor,
and in one corner a dark stone sar¬
cophagus contains all that remains of
the wily minister of so many sove¬
reigns. By the marriage of a niece of
the Duchesse de Dino, it now belongs
to the family Montmorency.

Returning to Selles, the traveller
may proceed down the valley of the

182

Sect. III.

Route 53.— Ihe Loire (-5*)— Amboise.

Cher to Chenonceaux, and thence to
Amboise or Loches, passing through
St. Aignan, where there is a magnificent
Chateau of various ages, formerly be¬
longing to the Dues de St. A. It is
inhabited and kept up with beautiful
gardens and terraces, fine trees, and
profusion of flowers; the gardens open
to the townspeople.]— L.

Bidding adieu to Blois, its frowning
castle, whose W. front looking down
the Loire is imposing and more cheer¬
ful than the rest, with the astrological
tower of Catherine de Medicis in front
of it, and the pepper-box dome of the
cathedral in the distance, we resume
our journey between vine hills and wil¬
low beds.

rt. Hereabouts begins the colossal
dyke called La Levee, commenced in
very ancient times under the Carlovin-
gian monarchs, and augmented and
improved by different kings of France,
to restrain the furious Loire within its
bed, and check its destructive inunda¬
tions. It runs along the rt. bank as
far as the mouth of the Mayenne, below
Angers, a distance of about 100 m. It
is faced with masonry kept in constant
repair, and the high road is carried
along its top. It is a considerable
work, though vastly inferior to the
dykes of Holland, and was burst
through by the inundation of 1846.
There are other very extensive dykes
on the 1. bank in different portions of
the river’s course.

This high embankment conceals from
the view of those who travel by water
the wide and fertile plain beyond it;
only now and then the tops of houses
are seen xising above it.

9 Chousy St at.*

6 Ouzain Stat. The first object to
be noticed below Blois is,

1. The Chateau de Chaumont, a con¬
spicuous building, on a height, w r ith
machicolated towers, forming 3 sides
of a square. It was the residence of
Catli. de Medicis, who here spent her
time in plotting and in reading the
stars until the death of her husband,
Henri II., when she obliged his mis¬
tress, Diana of Poitiers, to exchange
* Post-road .—10 Chousy.

her bijou chateau of Chenonceaux
(p. 184) for this, which, however, Diana
does not apjiear to have inhabited. It
was the birthplace of the Cardinal
George d’Amboise, 1460, the wfise and
popular minister of France under Louis
XII. The arms, still visible, cut in the
masonry, are a blazing hill,—chaud-
mont.

Limeray Stat.

rt.* Veuves: a little beyond this
the Loire enters the province of Tou~
raine, and the Dept. Indre et Loire.

The high road does not pass through
Amboise, but through a suburb on
the opposite bank of the river.

1. Amboise Stat. f— Lnns: Lion d’Or;
La Boule d’Or (?) shut up. At the
Cygne, on the rt. bank of the river,
close to the Poste aux Chevaux, the
landlord keeps a good horse and cab,
and charges to Chenonceaux 8 fr., or
thither and to Loches 15 fr.

Amboise, an old and languid town of
4600 Inhab., stands on the 1. bank of
the Loire, here divided by an island,
upon which the 2 bridges which cross
the river rest.

The principal and most conspicuous
object is the Castle, long the residence
of the Kings of France, and late the pro¬
perty of the King of the French, Louis
Philippe. Its buildings, flanked by
round towers roofed with cones, re¬
duced to a very small portion of their
original extent, occupy the platform of
a lofty rock, escarped in front and rear.
The late king, who inherited the castle as
the descendant oftheDucdePenthievre,
caused the old houses to be swept away
from the base of the rock, so as to form
an opening from the bridge to a tunnel
which he bored through the rock and
under the castle. It is vaulted with
masonry. Two enormous towers, 90 ft.
high and 42 in diameter, spring from
the ground at the base of the rock,
and rise to the level of the other towers.
They contain 2 -winding, inclined planes
of so gradual a slope that horses and
even carriages can ascend them to the
summit of the rock. The one in front
has been lately closed to form a saloon,
but that behind, on the 1. as you
emerge from the tunnel, still gives

* Post-road .—11 Veuves. -j-12 Amboise.

Sect. III.

183

Route 53.— The Loire (i?)— Amboise,

access to the castle, and is remarkable
for its elegant florid Gothic doorway
and groined roof. This and most of
the other existing buildings date from
the time of Charles VIII., who was
much attached to Amboise, having been
born here, 1470; he also died here, 1498.

The castle has been closed since 1847,
and converted into a prison, in which
the brave Arab chief Abd-el-Ivader
and his family are immured. All ac¬
cess to him and entrance into the castle
is closed.

In the interior of the chateau there
is nothing worth seeing. The improv¬
ing hand of the late possessor had
pierced holes as big as the embrasures
of a battery in its old and massive
walls, to admit broad day into vaults
once perhaps cachots or oubliettes,
but now, by the aid of whitewash,
ventilation, and stoves, converted into
comfortable kitchens, larders, pantries,
and cellars ; wdrile the upper rooms,
papered, polished, and filled with cast¬
off furniture from the Palais Royal,
preserve no traces of antiquity. Yet
in them perhaps was decided the bloody
doom of those 1200 miserable and mis¬
led Huguenot prisoners concerned in
the well-known “ Conjuration d’Am¬
hoise” which had for its object to ex¬
tricate the young and simple king
Francis II. from the clutches and in¬
fluence of the Guises, 1560. The secret
of the plot was betrayed to the Due de
Guise by one of the conspirators, and
its leader, La Renaudie, seized and
hung on a gibbet in the centre of the
bridge. The remainder of the con¬
spirators were dispersed and every¬
where seized; the castle walls were de¬
corated with the hanging bodies of the
criminals, and the courts and streets
of the town streamed with blood, until
the wearied headsman, resigning his
axe, consigned the remainder to other
executioners, who drowned them in
the Loire. Such was the extent of the
carnage that the court was driven from
Amboise by the stench of the dead
bodies. This butchery formed the
prelude to the still more horrible tra¬
gedy of St. Bartholomew. In 1470 the
exiled Queen Margaret of Anjou and
her son, through the intervention of

the cunning Louis XI., were reconciled
in this castle to her quondam foe, by
whom her own husband had been de¬
throned, the Earl of Warwick, the king¬
maker. Hatred to Edward IV. became
the bond of union, and they agreed in
vowing vengeance on him.

The gardens are well kept up, and
the view from their terraces is as good
as that from the chateau itself, which
is not worth entering, as it contains no
paintings or architectural decorations,
and is simply fui’nishecl as a country
gentleman’s house. Within the gar¬
den, however, stands the little Chapel ,
one of the most exquisite morsels of
profusely florid Gothic in France, re¬
stored by Louis Philippe in a manner
creditable to French taste. It is in
the form of a cross, was built for
Anne of Brittany, and is dedicated to
St. Plubert, whose miraculous meeting
with the stag, having a cross growing
between its horns, is curiously carved
over the rich doorway. This and the
interior are panelled throughout, or
decorated with foliage of the most de¬
licate sculpture. The leaves, showing
all their fibres, crisped and curled
round the edges like kail, are cut be¬
hind in a style more common in ivory
than stone. Interspersed among the
foliage are singular and grotesque
figures; along the wall runs a sort of
frieze of stone-work; the roof is elabo¬
rately groined, and the pendants hang¬
ing from it carved with grotesques, the
whole reminding one of the richness
of Henry VII.’s chapel, without its ar¬
rangement. Underneath is a crypt in
which was originally placed the Holy
Sepulchre, now removed to the chapel
of St. Florentin in the town below. It
consists of a group of figures as large
as life, well executed in baked clay and
coloured, representing the entombment
of our Lord. The figures are said to
be portraits of the family of an in-
tendant of the palace named Babou,
the three Marys being likenesses of his
daughters, who were in turn mistresses
of Francis I., as the story goes. Marie
de Beauvilliers and Gabrielle d’Estrees,
mistresses of Henri IV., were daughters
of 2 of these ladies. TheC/i. of St. Denis
has lately been restored.

184

Route 53.— The Loire ( J5)— Chenonceaux. Sect. III.

In the cliff a little above the castle,
and entered from the garden behind a
private house, are very singular ca¬
verns called Les Greniers de Cesar. They
consist of a lofty, narrow excavation
running in a direct line into the rock,
evidently once divided into three sto¬
ries, as the broken edges of the chalk
vaulting which formed the roofs and
floors still remain ; and by their re¬
moval the three are thrown into one.
The walls are covered with cement.
At the extremity is a round, vaulted
chamber lined with masonry; at one
side runs a staircase cut in the rock,
descending towards the river and as¬
cending to a level with the roof of the
high excavation, where it leads to three
other similar vaulted chambers, con¬
structed, it is supposed, to hold corn.
There is a tradition that Caesar, after
conquering the Gallic confederation,
reached the Loire at this spot, and
formed a camp, traces of which still
exist on the cliff above, together with
these caves below it, to serve as store¬
houses.

It seems likely that these caves had
a much later origin, though their desti¬
nation was probably for granaries or
cellars.

Amboise is said to derive its name
from its position between the two
streams, “ ab ambabus aquis,” the
Loire and the Amasse, which here falls
into the Loire.

[A very pleasant excursion may be
made from Amboise to Chenonceaux,
10 m. S. The road lies through the
forest of Amboise (till 1852 a domain
of the Orleans family), passing on the
rt. the pagoda of the park of Chant eloup,
whose magnificent chateau, the retreat
of the Due de Choiseul, discarded mi¬
nister of Louis XV., when banished
from the court to his estate by way of
punishment, has disappeared. After
the Revolution it belonged to le Comte
Chaptal, the distinguished chemist
and minister of Buonaparte, who estab¬
lished here a refinery of sugar from
beetroot, which he first brought to per¬
fection. The chateau was pulled down
and sold about 1830 by the “bande
noir.”]

At Bl£r4 (Inn: Boule d’Or) we reach

the valley of the Cher; and a road
turning to the 1. up the rt. bank of the
river, covered hereabouts with black
vines (gros noir), leads to the village
of Chenonceaux (possessing a poor
auberge), which is connected by an
avenue with the

Chateau de Chenonceaux .

In front of the building extends a
stately terrace lined with stone balus¬
trades set with orange-trees, approached
by a flight of steps; and adjoining is a
pleasure garden.

Chateau Chenonceaux has nearly as
many souvenirs about it as Amboise,
but not of so disagreeable a kind. It
was built in the more joyous days of
Francis I. Its picturesque round
towers, bartizans, and bridged moat,
though still preserving the shape of a
castle, were not meant for defence; and
its front is covered over with graceful
and delicate Italian ornaments, such as
are seen at Longleat, at Audley End,
and in works of Inigo Jones. It stands
on the river Cher: literally on, for it
is built partly upon a bridge, and the
river passes under it. At a distance, it
is most picturesque, with its green
court, its single advanced round tower,
occupied by the Concierge, and pretty
formal gardens around. Its interior
is almost unaltered since the . day it
was built, besides, what is so rare in
France, being well and carefully kept
up, retaining all its old furniture, old
cabinets, old china, enamels, and glass.
Its vaulted hall is hung with armour,
its walls are covered with stamped
cloth, its doors are screened by tapestry
curtains which draw aside, and the
rich ceilings are of blue ground studded
with stars. You are shown the very
glass out of which Francis I. drank;
Mary Queen of Scots’ mirror, &c. But
its chief interest depends on the per¬
sons who have lived in it. It was given
by Henri II. to his mistress, Diana de
Poitiers, who enlarged it by extending
the bridge, previously constructed over
only part of the river, quite to the
other side, and raising upon it a hand¬
some, but less quaint and interest¬
ing building, of two stories. Hither
her royal lover used to repair after
hunting in the neighbouring forest of

Sect. III.

Route 53.— The Loire (B) — Tours.

185

Loches. Her initial D is plentifully
introduced combined with his H, thus
m. She was, however, dispossessed
of her fair mansion, on the death of
Henri, by the wicked and unscrupu¬
lous Catherine de Medicis, whose bed¬
room, with the original furniture, is
still shown. It was afterwards for
some time occupied by Louise de Lor¬
raine, widow of Henri III.: her chamber
is still hung with black. Nor does the
list of distinguished inmates cease here,
for near the end of the last century all
the wits of the time used to assemble
here, drawn together by the owner of
the mansion, Madame Dupin, a beau¬
tiful, amiable, and accomplished lady,
who died so recently as 1799, at the
age of 93. In her time, Voltaire, the
exiled Bolingbroke, Rousseau, and
many others, were her constant visit¬
ors; and in the little, dusty, faded
theatre, which occupies the end of
Diana’s gallery, Rousseau’s opera, 'Le
Devin du Village,’ was performed for
the first time. The collection of his¬
torical portraits, including all the
persons who have lived here, is very
curious ; among them a whole-length
portrait of Diana, said to be by Pri-
maticcio, in the costume of her name¬
sake, the goddess, with a dog in a
leash, a bow at her back, and wearing
a taffeta petticoat, embroidered with
golden fleurs-de-lis. Here are also
portraits of Henri IV., of Sully, of
Rabelais, and a cast of the sweet face
of Agnes Sorel from her monument at
Loches. The most remarkable thing
about Ch^nonceaux, perhaps, is that it
escaped the ravages of the Revolution,
owing solely to the respect which the
character of Madame Dupin, its mis¬
tress, commanded. Strangers are
obligingly admitted by the present
proprietor, le Comte de Villeneuve,
to see the interior.

Loches (Rte. 56) is about 18 m. S. of
Chenonceaux; the road runs partly
through the forest of Loches. It is a
dreary ride.

rt. The road to Tours, below Am-
boise, is carried along the Lev^e, at no
great distance from the Loire.

Noisay Stat.

Vernau Stat.

13 Vouvray Stat. Here the Rly. is
carried across the Loire to its 1. bank
on a bridge.

1. Mont Louis Stat. This village, com¬
posed partly of caves cut in the rocks,
was the place of meeting of an eccle¬
siastical assembly, convened to witness
the reconciliation of Henry II. with
Thomas Becket only 3 months before
his assassination.

rt. Frilliere.* Near this the banks
of the river rise into considerable
heights; and on the top of a projecting
promontory stands, conspicuous from
afar, rt., the feudal beacon-tower, called
Lanterne de la Roche Corbon, not unlike
a great factory-chimney of modern
times. It anciently communicated by
telegraphic signals with the Castle of
Amboise. It is about 50 ft. high, and
stands on the very verge of the cliff,
above the smalJ village of Roche Cor-
bon, remarkable because most of its
habitations are cut out of the lime¬
stone (craie tuffeau). They are some¬
times faced with walls, at others with
partitions of the living rock, and are
prettily festooned with vines. One
mass of rock which must have slipped
from above, and now lies in a nook, is
turned into 2 cottages of 2 stories.
These habitations seem comfortable,
and are mostly provided with little
gardens in front. Some large excava¬
tions which belonged to the castle of
Roche Corbon, with fragments of ma¬
sonry, remain. It is worth while to
climb up to the top of the rock, beside
the Lanterne, to look down upon the
Loire from thence—a pleasing pros¬
pect. It is possible to scramble through
the vineyards along the top of the cliff
nearly to St. Radegonde, and so to
reach Tours (4^ m.), but there is no
path.

rt. A row of villas with formal gar¬
dens, interspersed with villages, line
the bank nearly all the way to Tours,
whose cathedral towers form a fine
object in the distance.

rt. The round tower, rising at the
water-side, close to the road, together
with a gate-house and a few crumbling
foundations of pillars and walls, are
the sole remains of the once magnifi-
* Fust-road .—12 La Frilliere.

186

R. 53.— The Loire (L>) — Tours — Cathedral. Sect. III.

cent Abbey of Marmoutiers (Majus Mo-
nasterium), one of the richest in
France, founded by St. Martin, in
which the sainte ampoulle, or vessel of
holy oil, given by an angel to St. Mar¬
tin to rub a bruise which he had re¬
ceived, was preserved, an object of
veneration with pilgrims. It was sent
to Chartres to anoint Henri IY. at his
coronation.

1. Just above the city of Tours is
the mouth of the canal or cut which
joins the Loire to the Cher, whose
course is nearly parallel with the Loire,
and only 13^ m. S. of it.

rt. Opposite to it are remains of the
Gothic bridge built by Eudes Count of
Touraine, in the 11th centy.

10 1. Tours Terminus on the S. side
of the town. It is also terminus of
the lines to Bordeaux (Rte. 64) and
Nantes (Rte. 58).

Tours. *— Inns: H. de l’Univers, a
large and handsome building, one of
the best in France, fitted up with every
English convenience ; H. de Bordeaux;
both these are near to the railway ter¬
minus; Faisan, good; H. de Londres,
comfortable ; La Boule d’Or, in the
Rue Nationale; H. St. Julien, adjoin¬
ing the church of that name.

Tours, chief town of the Ddpt. Indre
et Loire, and once capital of Touraine,
is situated in the midst of the fertile
but flat valley of the Loire, on its 1.
bank, and between it and the Cher, and
has 28,000 Inhab. The highway from
Paris to Bordeaux and Bayonne here
crosses the river by its bridye of 15
arches, 1423 ft. long, and traverses the
whole extent of the town through its
principal street, the Rue Natio-Royale,
a fine avenue running in a direct line
from the bridge, and containing the
principal hotels, cafds, shops, and offices
of the diligences. At its entrance from
the bridge stands on the rt. the II. de
Ville, and on the 1. the Musee, while in
front run quays and planted platforms,
serving as promenades. The town is
no longer remarkable for the many
objects of curiosity which it possessed
before the sweeping convulsion of the
Revolution ; and the charms of its
situation, in an unvaried plain, have
* Fost-road .—12 Tours.

been greatly overrated by the French.
The Loire, though a fine river at cer¬
tain seasons, contributes less to its
beauty than might be expected, owing
to a great part of its channel being left
bare in summer, so that only three or
four of the arches of the bridge be¬
stride the shrunken stream, while the
rest traverse wide, ugly beds of bare
gravel. Owing to the flatness of the
surface and the dust there are few in¬
teresting walks or rides in its imme¬
diate vicinity. However, our descrip¬
tion of the town shall assume the form
of a walk which may occupy a long
morning or a short day.

Starting from any of the hotels in
the Rue Nationale, a turning on the
1. (Rue de la Scellerie) leads you past
the Poste aux Lettres to the Arch-
eveche, approached by a handsome
Italian portal, at the side of which
rises the stately Cathedral of St. Gatien.
The W. front, consisting of 3 lofty
portals enriched with florid ornaments,
niches, and foliage, surmounted by a
window having a 4-pointed head, as¬
tonishes by its vastness: it dates from
about 1510. The 2 towers which flank
it are 205 ft. high; their domed tops,
carved as with scales, are somewhat
later than the rest, and of a debased
Italian style, not conformable with the
lower part.

The interior, 256 ft. long and 85 ft.
high, is in a mature and noble style of
Gothic resembling early English, with
varied capitals to the columns. The
choir was begun 1170, and the nave
carried on to completion in the reign
of St. Louis; but the W. end is still
later, of the 15th century. In the
beautiful old painted glass surround¬
ing the choir, and shedding a venerable
gloom about the altur, may be seen
the arms of St. Louis, of his mother,
Blanche of Castile, and those of the
town, a group of towers. The fine
rose-window in the N. transept is in¬
jured in effect by a thick stone prop
carried through the middle to support
the roof. At the angle of the S. tran¬
sept and aisle is the marble monument
of the 2 only children of Charles VIII.
and Anne de Bretagne, in consequence
of whose early deaths the succession

Sect. III.

Route 53.— The Loire (J5)— Tours.

187

passed to the branch of Valois Orleans.
Figures of the 2 princes, watched by
angels, recline on a sarcophagus of
white marble decorated with the arms
of France, with dolphins, bas-reliefs,
and ornaments in the style of the Re¬
naissance : it is the work of 2 Tourain-
geaux artists named Juste, contempo¬
raries of Jean Goujon.

It is worth while to ascend the
towers on account of the view, which
includes Amboise, Plessis les Tours,
and the course of the Loire and Cher.
The woodwork of the roof, a master¬
piece of carpentry, covering the stone
roof, and the elegant, light, spiral
staircase ( Renaissance ), resting on a
crown of open groins or ribs, in the
N. tower, should be seen at the same
time.

Passing from the cathedral towards
the quay, a circular and machicolated
tower is seen on the rt., enclosed with¬
in the Cavalry Barracks: it is the only
remaining part of the Castle built by
Henry II. of England in the 12th
centy. From this tower Charles de
Lorraine, the son of the Due de Guise
le Balafre, imprisoned by Henri III.
after his father’s murder at Blois,
escaped by letting himself down by a
rope. Turning to the 1. and following
the line of the quay, you reach the
iron wire Bridge (Pont Suspendu)
erected by M. Seguin 1847, and lower
down the stone Bridge (b. 1762) al¬
ready mentioned: several of its arches
have given way at different times,
owing to the river undermining its
foundations.

The Musee contains a collection of
nearly 200 bad pictures, chiefly copies,
and some casts; it is open to the public
only on Sundays, 12-4. A Last Judg¬
ment, brought from the chapel of the
castle of Plessis, may be mentioned as
curious.

A little way up the Rue Nationale,
on the 1. in going from the bridge, is
the Ch. of St. Julien, until 1847 dese¬
crated and turned into a remise and
coach-house for diligences, but now
happily rescued by a subscription
raised among a few private persons
amounting to 80,000 frs. It is a fine
pointed edifice, date 1224, except the

lower part of the W. tower, which is
founded upon circular arches, with
Romanesque capitals belonging to an
older church. The building is under¬
going repairs in order that it may
be rendered fit for divine service.
There are 3 or 4 desecrated churches
here.

The first street on the rt. is the Rue
de Commerce; and No. 30, said to have
been the Chancellerie de Louis XI.
(now Hotel Gouin), is the handsomest
old mansion in the town, and a per¬
fectly preserved specimen of the style
of the Renaissance (16th centv.) adapted
to domestic architecture: its front is
richly decorated with coats of arms,
scroll-work, &c.; its dormer windows
are terminated by crocketecl gables; a
turret projects in front, below which
is the entrance, and round the bottom
runs a light trefoil balustrade.

Continuing our walk along the Rue
de Commerce we come to the Rue des
Trois Pucelles, where the house No.
18 passes for that of Tristan Vllermite,
the ill-omened executioner of Louis XI.
(see ( Quentin Durward’), though
there is no authority for the designa¬
tion. It is a brick mansion, evidently
of the 16th centy.: its front termi¬
nates in a gable, and is flanked by a
stair turret, 70 ft. high, overtopping
the neighbouring houses and com¬
manding a view of Plessis. Its door
and windows are enriched with florid
canopies, that over the door supported
on twisted columns; but the remark¬
able feature, to which alone the house
owes its name, is that the string courses
dividing the 3 stories are formed by
ropes in relief, ending in fantastic knots
so as to resemble the noose of a halter.
The same ornament occurs on the tomb
of Anne of Brittany, to whom or to
some of her retainers this house may
have belonged. On the wall may be
read the motto, “ Assez aurons, et peu
vivrons,” and “ Priez pour —.” The
court-yard walls are similarly deco¬
rated, and on the ground floor is an
elegant vaulted recess for a lavatory.
In the same street, on the opposite
side, is a house of evidently much
greater antiquity (14th centy.), having
a vaulted ground floor, and an arcade

188 JR. 53.— Tours — St. Martin—Plessis les Tours. Sect. Ill,

of pointed arches running along its
first floor.

In going hence to the Vieux Marche,
a corner house, now a shop, is remark¬
able for the carvings on the front, re¬
presenting the Holy Family.

In the centre of the market-place
itself is a white marble fountain, La
Fontaine de Baune, of considerable
elegance, in the Renaissance style, ex¬
ecuted by the brothers Juste. Among
its ornaments are the porcupine, the
crest of Louis XII., and the ermine of
Anne of Brittany.

Two Towers, rising on either side of
the Rue St. Martin, are conspicuous
objects in all views of the town: one,
containing the clock, having a domed
top, is called the Tour de St. Martin,
or d’Horloge; the other, La Tour de
Charlemagne, was so named, it is said,
because his wife Luitgarde was buried
below it. They deserve notice and
mention as the only remaining relics
of the vast Cathedral of St. Martin of
Tours. The palladium of this cele¬
brated building was the shrine of St.
Martin, the first metropolitan of Tours
(a.d. 340), which became to the bar¬
barians of the dark ages what Delphi
was to the Greeks—the oracle which
kings and chiefs came to consult in the
beginning of the 7th centy. The con¬
course of pilgrims to this shrine occa¬
sioned the old Roman town Ccesarodu-
num of the Turones to swell to ten times
its original extent. The great eccle¬
siastical establishment, of which this
church was the centre, spread civiliza¬
tion and religion through the country,
and its archbishop became the patriarch
of France and one of the most influ¬
ential persons in the state. At the
head of the chapter even the kings
of France were proud to enrol them¬
selves.

Its treasures in precious metals,
jewels, &c., amounted to 575 marcs of
gold and 2200 marcs of silver in 1562,
when it was pillaged by the Huguenots,
who broke the images, melted the
lamps, and burnt the relics deposited
here. After flourishing for 12 centu¬
ries, the church, an enormous edifice,
was utterly destroyed at the Revolu¬
tion, excepting two towers out of the

five which adorned it. On viewing the
space which now intervenes between
them, some idea may be formed of its
extent. One of these stood at the W.
end, the other at the N.W.; both
seem from their style to date from the
12th centy. Attached to that of St.
Martin may be seen Romanesque pil¬
lars and capitals of an earlier edifice.
Louis XI., through gratitude for sup¬
posed benefits derived from the Saint’s
intercession, surrounded St. Martin’s
shrine with a railing of solid silver
which weighed nearly 6776 marcs.
His needy follower, Francis I., had it
taken down and converted into good
crown-pieces, which were called “tes-
tons au gros bonnet.”

Bishop Gregory of Tours, a native
of the city, was buried within the
walls of this church.

A florid Gothic portal, forming the
front of a house in the street running
from the market to the Rue St. Mar¬
tin, was one of the residences of the
chapter.

The Halle au Ble' is another secu¬
larised church, dedicated to St. Cle¬
ment, gutted to a mere shell. It is a
building of the 16tli centy.; its florid
X. porch, though mutilated, still re¬
tains portions of foliage cut with much
delicacy. There is nothing to be seen
within.

The new Palais de Justice is a splen¬
did building. There are extensive
Barracks at the river-side near to the
suspension bridge.

Plessis les Tours, the castellated den
of the tyrant and bigot Louis XI., with
which all the world is acquainted
through the admirable descriptions of
‘ Quentin Durward,’ is situated in the
commune of La Riche, adjoining a
humble hamlet of scattered cottages,
on a perfectly flat plain, about a mile
distant from the Halle au Ble, on the
W. of Tours, passing the Barriere des
Oiseaux, and beyond the Hospice G£-
n^rale. Visitors to Plessis must not
expect anything in the shape of a
feudal castle, for it was built at a time
when the fortress was giving place to
the fortified mansion. When complete,
it must have been somewhat like the
older parts of Hampton Court and St.

Sect. III.

Route 53 .—Plessis les Tours.

189

James’s Palaces, wliicli were built not
many years after Plessis, with this dif¬
ference, that the niggardliness of Louis,
and his apprehension of danger, caused
it to be built in so plain a style, and
with so many defensive precautions,
walls of enclosure, drawbridges, bat¬
tlements, and wet and dry ditches,
that its external appearance must have
corresponded with that of a gaol much
more than of a palace. The small
fragment now remaining, so far from
having about it the least trace or cha¬
racter of a castle, looks like a mean
ordinary dwelling: indeed it formed
part of the inner constructions, but
was surrounded by three ramparts and
fosses. It is of plain red brick, with
quoins of stone and sash windows,
surmounted by a high pitched roof,
and almost all traces of the scanty
ornaments have been destroyed. Be¬
side it is a stair turret, recently raised
16 or 20 ft., with a wooden addition at
the side, to convert it into a shot-tower!
Originally a cloister ran along the
front. The interior is modern, except
the stair, and contains nothing worth
notice. All traces are gone of the pit-
falls, fosses, &c., which originally sur¬
rounded the castle; but on the 1., as
you approach the house, are seen the
foundations of walls of masonry; and
a door, below ground, leads into a
range of vaulted chambers barely
lighted by small windows, which may
once have served for prisons, as they
now do for cellars. It is evident that
the palace was well supplied with dun¬
geons. At the end of the small ter¬
race walk in the garden is another
vault, called the prison of Cardinal de
la Balue, who was shut up for betray¬
ing his master’s secrets to Charles of
Burgundy: it has been repaired, but
the lower steps of a stair, the lower
part of the fireplace, the grated bars
and shutters are old. At the back of
a cottage, nearly facing the garden
gates, is a small vaulted chapel, now
filled with casks, said to be the Oratory
of Louis XI., where he passed hours in
abject prayer to the Virgin and Saints
for cure of his complicated maladies.
The present doorway has been broken
through the wall where the altar stood;

the two small windows are nearly
stopped up. Louis ended his miserable
life here, 1483. Plessis was converted
into a Depot de Mendicity about 1778;
it was sold and pulled down at the
Revolution. Plessis lies on the tongue
of land between the Loire and Cher,
about 1 m. from the Cher, and 9 m.
above their junction.

Between Plessis and the Hospice is
an old house, called La Rabaterie,
having a square turret at the back
which passes for the residence of Olivier
le Daim, the barber and minister of
Louis.

There remains little else to describe
at Tours. Under the mutilated and
uninteresting church of Notre Dame la
Riche (originally called La Pauvre) is
a cave, vaulted, and having pillars in
the corners, where it is said St. Gatien,
the predecessor of St. Martin, first
preached Christianity to the Gauls,
a.d. 251, but it is now shut up.

At the Prefecture is placed the Public
Library of 40,000 volumes, including
some curious MSS.; for example, a
copy of the Gospels in gold letters on
vellum, which belonged to the church
of St. Martin, upon which the King of
France took the oaths as premier cha-
noine of that church; Les Heures of
Charles V. of France and of Anne de
Bretagne; and numerous Missals, be¬
sides early printed books. The library
is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurs¬
day, and Friday, 12-4.

The most respectable Cafe' is that
de la Ville de Paris, Rue Nationale.

The Poste aux Lettres is in the Rue
de la Scellerie, and the Theatre in the
same.

The number of English established
in and around Tours is considerable,
but has diminished since 1848: they
have a subscription club.

The English Church service is per¬
formed every Sunday at 11^ and 6^ in
the chapel, Rue de la Prefecture.
There is a second chapel, 5, Levde St.
Symphorien.

Railways: —To Nantes and to Poi¬
tiers; to Paris, by Orleans; Malleposte
to Bordeaux; and 3 great Diligences
daily, besides others to Poitiers, An-
gouleme, &c.; to Loches, Bourges, and

190

Route 53.— The Loire ( B )— Tours — Mettray. Sect. III.

Chinon daily. Daily to Le Mans, Yen-
dome, to Chartres and Laval.

Steamers (?) to Nantes (in 11 hrs.)
and Angers start very early—4 or 5 a.m.

Tours was long famed for its manu¬
facture of silk, established 1480 by
Louis XI., who brought over and set¬
tled here Italian weavers. This branch
of industry, however, was ruined by
the revocation of the Edict of Nantes,
by which the population Avas reduced
from 80,000 to less than one half.
This tyrannical act transferred 3000
families, with their wealth and in¬
dustry, from France to Holland, and
the manufacture dwindled away at
Tours to take root at Lyons. Tours
has noAV no manufacture of great im¬
portance, but receives some life from
being a place of much passage, planted
on one of the great high roads of
France. The pruneaux de Tours , once
so celebrated, are now far less esteemed
in commerce than the dried plums of
Gascony and Provence.

Tours is a city of some importance
in history. The Turones, its ancient
inhabitants, joined the league of the
64 Gallic towns under Vercingetorix
against Julius Caesar, and are mentioned
by Lucan, “Instabiles Turones circum-
sita castra coerunt.” The Lande de
Mire, about 9 m. to the SAV. on the
road to Azay-le-Rideau, is supposed to
be the place where the Saracens under
Abderahmen were defeated by Charles
Martel, and Europe saved from the
Mahomedan yoke, a.d. 732.

One of the chief mints of France
was established in the middle ages at
Tours, Avhence come the livres Tournois ,
silver pieces (libra or as of the Romans),
the equivalent of francs at present,
which were coined here.

The Porte Hugon, which stood at the
end of a street running down to the
Loire, is said to have given the name
of Huguenots to the Protestant party
in France, who, being very numerous
in the town, but checked and watched
by their enemies, used to meet beyond
the walls, issuing out stealthily through
this gate at nightfall. A more pro¬
bable derivation of Huguenot is from
the Swiss Eidgenossen, i. e. Confede¬
rate. Another memorial of the days

of persecution of the Protestants is re¬
tained in the name Hue Eenard, persons
suspected of heresy being pursued in
the streets by the Romanists about
1562, hunted down with the cry “ au
Reynard,” and often massacred.

Touraine was bestowed as an apanage
on Mary Queen of Scots and her short¬
lived husband Francis, and she is said
to have drawn revenue from it, as
Duchess of Touraine, even Avhile in
captivity in England, but it was after¬
wards given in her lifetime to the Due
d’Alengon, brother of Henri III.

It is a pleasant walk of about 4 m.
along the road to Orleans up the rt.
bank of the Loire to the singular vil¬
lage La Iioche Corhon, excavated out of
the rock (p. 185). It would be better
to ride thither, and thus avoid the
long dusty road.

The Colony of Mettray , about 4^ m.
from Tours, established by two philan¬
thropic French gentlemen, the Yicomte
Bretigneres de Courteilles and le con-
seiller Dernetz, deserves very high
praise, and will be visited by all who
take an interest in the improvement of
their fellow-creatures. The objects
which its founders and directors have
in view are, the education, reward, and
restoration to society of juvenile offend¬
ers who while in the public prisons
have distinguished themselves by good
conduct and by signs of penitence.
This is sought to be effected by teach¬
ing them the mode of gaining an honest
livelihood, chiefly by agricultural la¬
bour. The ground on which the esta¬
blishment stands was given by the
Vicomte; it is conducted by him and
his friend in person, and is supported
by \ T oluntary donations and annual
subscriptions.

More distant and highly interesting
excursions may be made to Amboise
(p. 182), Chdnonceaux, 24 m. off (p„
184; 4 hrs.’ drive), Loches (p. 191),
and to that curious and unexplained
monument of antiquity La Pile de St.
Mars (p. 198).

M. Souill4 furnishes good horses and
carriages.

Sect. III. it. 54.— Chartres to Tours. 56.— Tours to Loches. 191

ROUTE 54.

CHARTRES TO TOURS, BY VENDOME.

139 kilom. = 88 Eng. m.

Diligences daily.

15 La Bourdiniere.

16 Bonneval.

An ancient Benedictine convent here
is converted into a cotton-mill.

14 Chateaudun, a town of 6500
Inhab., standing on the banks of the
Loire. Its most conspicuous building
is the ancient Castle of the Counts of
Dunois, surmounted by a prodigious
tower, 90 ft. high, built by Thibaut le
Tricheur in the lOthcentv. The an¬
cient name of the town, whence comes
the modern, was Castellodunum.

During the next stage the road de¬
scends by the side of the Loire, passing
the Gothic castle of Montigny on a
height beyond the river.

12 Cloyes.

17 Pezou.

11 Vendome.— Inns: H. Gaillarde,
good; Lion d’Or, not bad. A town of
9470 Inhab., on the Loire, at the foot
of vine-clad slopes. Above it rise the
picturesque ruins of the Castle of the
Dues de Vendome, demolished at the
Revolution, when the graves of Jeanne
d’Albret, mother of Henri IV., and of
several Bourbon princes, were rifled,
and their tombs destroyed. “ Near
the Lion d’Or is a fine flamboyant Ck .,
containing good painted glass, with
elaborate and beautiful wood carvings
in the stalls of the choir. It has an
early Gothic tower and spire. Nearly
opposite to it are very curious remains
of a Norman Domestic edifice of un¬
usually early date.”— E. o. S. Several
smaller churches will repay the notice
of a lover of church architecture. There
is a College here.

We now cross the Loire for the 4th
time, and quit its valley to traverse a
monotonous plain to

14 Heuve St. Amand.

12 Chateau Regnault, a town of 2500
Inhab.

15 Monnaye (Indre et Loire).

15 Tours, in Rte. 53.

ROUTE 56.

TOURS TO LOCHES AMD CHATEAUROUX.

108 kilom. = 67 Eng. m.

Diligences , daily, to Loches, in about
hrs.

You continue along the road to Bor¬
deaux (Rte. 64) for about 2 m. after
crossing the Cher; then turn to the 1.
There is little to notice until, after
passing the prettily situated village of
19 Cormery, we reach the borders of
the Indre, which flows through one of
the richest and most fertile valleys of
Touraine ; in the midst of which stands
21 Loches. Inns: H. de la Tour;
cheap, and obliging landlord : H.
Grand Monarque. This is one of the
most picturesque towns of Touraine,
far more striking than Chinon or Am-
boise; its buildings are huddled to¬
gether round the base of a lofty rock,
from whose commanding top the ro¬
mantic ruins of its historic and ill-
omened Castle still frown over the land¬
scape, forming the grand and striking
feature in every view. In and around
the town the number of religious
houses, which clustered around the
castle, is remarkable. Many of the
buildings remain. The town still re¬
tains several of its old gates, grooved
for the portcullis, and garnished with
holes for stockade beams, and in its
streets are some old houses. Pop. 4753.

On the opposite bank of the Indre lies
the suburb of Beaulieu, connected with
the town by a row of bridges. The
river winding through the vale over¬
spreads its bottom with a carpet of the
richest verdure, fringed with willows
and poplars, and turns the machinery
of one or two mills.

The Castle of Loches, though long a
royal palace, in which James V. of
Scotland was married to Magdalen of
France, and where Francis I. held his
splendid court and received the Em¬
peror Charles V. on his way from Spain
to Ghent, is better known and has a
more terrible reputation as a prison of
state, especially during the reign of
Louis XI., when ,f the sound of the
name of Loches was yet more dreaded
than Plessis itself, as a place destined
to the workings of those secret acts of

192

Route 56.— Castle of Lockes.

Sect. III.

cruelty with which even Louis shamed
to pollute the interior of his own re¬
sidence at Plessis. There were in this
place of terror dungeons under dun¬
geons, some of them unknown even to
the keepers themselves; living graves,
to which men were consigned with
little hope of further employment dur¬
ing the rest of their life than to breathe
impure air, and feed on bread and
water. At this formidable castle were
also those dreadful places of confine¬
ment called cages, in which the
wretched prisoner could neither stand
upright nor stretch himself at length;
an invention, it is said, of Cardinal
Balue.”— Scott. Louis appointed Oli¬
vier le Daim, the barber, who was also
his prime minister, governor of the
castle and gaoler. It is composed of a
pile of buildings of various ages, partly
in ruins. The most conspicuous of
all is the tall white Donjon tower,
rising at the extremity of the platform
of rock to a height of 120 ft., and over¬
hanging the verge of the precipice.
Its walls of even and perfect masonry,
supported by buttresses in the form
of circular pillars, pierced by scanty
round headed windows above, and by
mere slits below, mark it as a work of
the Norman style, probably of the 12th
centy., though some attribute its con¬
struction to Foulques Nerra, Comte
d’Anjou, in the 11th. In its size, form,
and arrangement of the entrance stair,
within a projecting lower tower, it is not
unlike the White Tower of London,
and the castles of Newcastle and Nor¬
wich. Its walls, 8 ft. thick, are now
empty, gutted of the four stories into
which they were divided. It stands
within the enclosure of the town gaol,
a part of the castle having been con¬
verted into that ignoble purpose. Be¬
side it rises a picturesque group of less
ancient towers, in one of which, cir¬
cular in form, are the terrible Cachets
of Louis XI., extending downwards in
four stories below one another. Two
of them contained the iron cages in¬
vented by Cardinal Balue, who himself
expiated his treasonable betrayal of his
master’s secrets to the Duke of Bur¬
gundy by a confinement of 8 years in
one of them. In another, Ludovico

Sforza, il Moro Duke of Milan, the pri¬
soner of Louis XII., was confined from
1500 until 1510, when death released
him. Here Philip de Comines, the
historian, was also shut up in 1486;
the Due d’Alen^on, 1456; Charles de
Melun, who was beheaded, 1468; and
many more victims of tyranny. These
dungeons are vaulted, and dimly lighted
by small windows, whose deep recesses,
in walls 10 or 12 ft. thick, are crossed
by double iron gratings. The cages
existed down to 1789.

At the other end of the castle plat¬
form, on the 1. as you ascend from the
town through the arched gateway, is a
more modern pile of building, now
serving as the Sous-Prcfecture. At one
end of the terrace behind it, within a
small tower, is placed the monument
of Agnes Sorel, mistress of Charles VII.,
who was born, 1400, in the neighbour¬
ing chateau of Fromonteau. Upon a
base of black marble reclines the effigy
of La Belle des Belles, well sculptured
in white limestone, her hands uplifted
in prayer, with two angels bending
over her head and shielding her with
their wings, and two lambs reclining
at her feet. She is gracefully attired
in long robes, and a simple circlet sur¬
rounds her brow; her countenance ex¬
hibits a refined character of beauty,
modesty, sweetness, and gentleness,
not unworthy of the Madonna of Ra¬
phael, and befitting one whose influence
over a king was never exercised but for
good. It has been proved, however,
by an acute historian, that she could
in no wise have contributed to stimu¬
late Charles to the assumption of his
dominions and the expulsion of the
English, not having been seen by him
until 1431, after the death of Jeanne
d’Arc. When Charles died, the ungrate¬
ful monks of Loches, whom the bounty
of Agnes had cherished and her bequests
had enriched, were desirous of eject¬
ing her remains and tomb from their
church, on the score of some scruples
as to the purity of her life; but even
Louis XI., much as he hated Agnes, re¬
proved such ingratitude, telling them
that if they abandoned her body they
must also resign her legacies : so the
bones remained in their place until the

Sect. III.

Route 57.— Tours to Saumur.

193

Revolution, when the grave was vio¬
lated. and the monument was preserved
from destruction only by the inter¬
ference of the prefet.

Between the Sous-Prefecture and the
Norman keep stands the Ch. of St.
Ours, a very interesting monument of
the ecclesiastical architecture of the
11th centy., founded by Foulques
Nerra, Comte d’Anjou, or his father;
but said to have been in great part re¬
built at the end of the 12th centy. It
is surmounted by an octagonal cupola
and by two spires, in the manner of the
churches on the Rhine. A large W.
doorway, enriched with very singular
mouldings and carvings of monstrous
heads, has been preserved in a very
perfect state, owing to its being co¬
vered by a porch or vestibule. An¬
other doorway on the N. has harpy-like
figures on the capitals of its pillars.
The choir and short transepts have
apsidal terminations. The nave is sin¬
gularly roofed in compartments, form¬
ing two cupolas which rise externally
in the form of conical pyramids. The
crypt chapel, beneath the choir, recently
discovered, was the place of devotion
chosen by the bigot Louis XI. In the
suburb Beaulieu are extensive eccle¬
siastical remains of fine architecture.

The rest of the road lies up the pretty
vale of the Indre to

21 Chatillon-sur-Indi'e, a town of
2700 Inhab., in the Dept. 1’Indre, and
the ancient province of Berry.

23 Buzan^ais, a town of 3800 Inhab.,
on the rt. bank of the river, whose
branches are here crossed by several
bridges.

23 Chateauroux, in Rte. 65.

ROUTE 57.

TOURS TO SAUMUR, BY CHINON AND
FONTEVRAULT.

76 kilom. =47 Eng. m.

Diligences daily.

This route issues out of Tours lined
by avenues of poplars, and crosses at
the distance of if m. the river Cher, a
little to the E. of Plessis les Tours
(p. 189). The Cher runs for about 15
m. below this nearly parallel with the
Loire, before uniting itself to that river.

France .

Along its N. bank runs a considerable
lev^e or dyke constructed by Madame
de Vermandois, abbess of Beaumont
les Tours, to protect the land between
it and the Loire from inundations.
After crossing the flat land, passing
numerous white hamlets and villas,
the road ascends and traverses an ex¬
tensive table-land before entering the
valley of the Indre, on whose banks
stands

24 Azay-le-Rideau, a small town
prettily situated, 15 m. from Tours.
On the 1. of the road, nearly concealed
by trees and surrounded by branches
of the Indre, is the Chateau, one of the
best preserved specimens in France of
the semi-castellated manor-house, in
the style of the Renaissance. It was
built by Gilles Berthelot in the reign
of Francis I., and over the chief portal,
enriched with sculpture and combina¬
tions of three classic orders, may be
discerned the emblem of that king, the
Salamander, with the motto “ Nutrio
et extinguo,” and the initials of Diana
of Poitiers. The carving has been
thought worthy of Jean Goujon; the
entire facade and the staircase are very
elegant, the wall partly panelled, and
the compartments filled with diversi¬
fied patterns. The interior has been
preserved nearly unaltered, and con¬
tains old furniture and a collection
of portraits. A bed, supported in
the 4 corners by carved figures, is of
very elaborate Gothic workmanship.
A neatly kept garden surrounds the
house. The present owner is M. de
Biancourt.

A considerable tract of forest is tra¬
versed on the direct road from Azay,
before it descends by the hollow way
behind the castle of

22 Chinon. — Inns: H.de France, best,
tolerable, though small;—Chene Vert,
dirty. A deserted and dull town
(6700 Inhab.), which yet deserves a
visit, owing to its pleasing position
on the rt. bank of the Yienne, and on
account of the numerous and interest¬
ing historical associations attached to
its utterly ruined Castle, the French
Windsor of our Plantagenet kings, as
it has been termed, where Henry II.
breathed his last, uttering curses on

194

Route 57.— Chinon—The Castle .

Sect. III.

his own sons, whose disobedience had
hastened his death. It was the fa¬
vourite residence, also, of the French
monarchs, from Philippe-Augustus to
Henri IV., and the scene of Joan of
Arc’s first public appearance. The re¬
mains are of vast extent, but too much
demolished, and too white in colour,
to be very picturesque. They occupy
the summit of a lofty platform of rock,
rising nearly 300 ft. above the town
and river. A natural escarpment sur¬
rounds it on 3 aides; where the cliff
was not naturally vertical, it has been
cut away, and huge walls of smooth
masonry have been built rip from be¬
low to a level with the top of the cliff,
so as to render it hopeless, before the
days of gunpowder, to scale or batter
such a fortress. Between the river
and the rock crouch the buildings of
the town. Behind the castle, in a deep
hollow, runs the road to Tours, ori¬
ginally commanded by the castle em¬
brasures; and a deep gully or fosse is
cut through the rock on the 4th side,
to isolate the promontory from the
ridge of which it forms the termina¬
tion.

Several of the tall flanking towers
remain tolerably perfect; the rest is all
crumbling wall. The 3 divisions into
which the castle was separated by deep
dry ditches may still be discovered.
In the central division, above the en¬
trance to which rises the tall Donjon,
the only part now inhabited, are shown
the royal apartments; and among them
the very one in which Joan the Maid,
the simple shepherdess of Do rare my,*
recognised Charles the Dauphin, though
disguised in plain attire, and, singling
him out from among the crowd of
courtiers, led him apart to the recess
of the window, where she unfolded to
him “ secrets known only to himself
and to God.” The scene of that inter¬
view, and of the splendours of the
court of the careless and luxurious
Charles, whom even the loss of a king¬
dom could not recall from indolence
and pleasure, is now a broken ruin
open to the sky, with one or two tran¬
soms remaining in the windows, and
a few traces of paint upon the walls.

* See Lord Mahon’s Life of Jeanne d’Arc.

Close beside it is a very deep square
tower, adjoining one of the ditches,
and without openings, said to have been
the Oubliettes down which prisoners
were cast.

Crossing a bridge into the 3rd court,
we find around it the towers of la
Glaciere, in which Jacques cle Molay,
Grand Master of the Templars, is said
to have been confined ; the Tour du
Moulin, so called because it was sur¬
mounted by a windmill, standing at
the farthest extremity, and of very
solid structure; and the Tour d’Ar-
gentau , from which, as the story goes,
a secret passage led beyond the wall
to the Maison Robardeau, the retreat
of Agnes Sorel, Charles’s mistress.
Among all these fragments, the only
trace of the original Norman castle is
to be found in the round tower du
Moulin; the rest seems not older than
the 15th centy.

The view from the walls is very
pleasing, extending for a long distance
up and down the fertile valley ,—“ a
glowing and glorious prospect; a green
expanse of groves and vineyards all
blending into one,”—with the winding
Vienne sparkling and flashing among
the green meadows, or foliage of pop¬
lars, walnut-trees, and vines, nearly as
far as its junction with the Loire,
which, however, is not visible. Fon-
tevrault, the last resting-place of Henry
II. and his undutiful son the Lion-
hearted Richard, is concealed from
view by intervening heights.

There is nothing worth notice in
the town of Chinon itself. No tra¬
dition is preserved of the hostelry in
which the Pucelle was lodged on her
arrival from her native village, and
where she was kept two days before she
could obtain admission to the king,
until his councillors had ascertained
whether she was a sorceress. Nor can
the ch. be pointed out in which she
spent the greater part of each day in
prayer while she resided here. It w r as
at Chinon that she first received from
the king her suit of knight’s armour,
and an escort of a squire, a confessor,
and 2 pages. Here she first girt on the
mysterious sword found in the ch. of
St. Catherine of Fierbois, and here un*

Sect. III. Route 58.— The Loire ( C)—Tours to Nantes. 195

furled her white banner sprinkled with
fleurs-de-lis, made expressly for her
under the direction of her mysterious
“ voices.”

The rocks behind the town, under¬
neath the castle, have been quarried
for ages to supply building materials,
and these subterraneous excavations,
called Les Caves Peintes, have attained
a great extent. There is nothing worth
seeing in them, nor is it a task of
pleasure to explore them.

Chinon is the countiy of Rabelais,
who was born 1483, in the farm-house
called la Deviniere, in the commune of
Seuilly, a little way on the 1. of the
road to Saumur, on the opposite side
of the Vienne. He commenced his
education in the school of the neigh¬
bouring abbey, whose monks he after¬
wards ridiculed in his writings.

At Champigny, about 9 m. S. of
Chinon, is a chapel containing very re¬
markable painted glass, representing
the life of St. Louis.

It is a very delightful drive from
Chinon to Saumur, through a country
teeming with fertility, amongst or¬
chards, and walnut groves, and acacia
hedges, wdiile beneath the fruit-trees
springs up a crop of corn, without ex¬
hausting the soil. The valley of the
Vienne terminates at Candes, remark¬
able for its fine ch. (p. 205), where
that river falls into the Loire; and our
road, emerging upon its 1. bank, is
carried along it, through most pleasing
scenery, to

30 Saumur, described, with the rest
of the road, in p. 206.

At Montsoreau, close to Candes, our
road passes within 3 m. of the Abbey of
Fontevrault. The excursion thither is
described in p. 196.

ROUTE 58.

THE LOIRE (c): TOURS TO NANTES, BY

SAUMUR AND ANGERS—RAILWAY.

Ply. —196 kilom. == 122^ Eng. m. 3
Trains daily, in 6^ (fast) to 8 hours.

From Tours this rly. follows the 1.
bank of the Loire as far as Cinq Mars.

The prettiest part of the course of
the Loire lies below Tours, in the
neighbourhood of Saumur, and thence

to Nantes. For some distance below
Tours, however, its banks continue
low, and its bed, everywhere too large
for its stream, is left bare and un¬
sightly in summer. In winter the
river sometimes rises 20 ft. above its
ordinary level; and from these irregu¬
larities it is unfit for the permanent
establishment of water-mills or manu¬
factories on its banks. It is confined
on both sides by levies as far down as
Angers.

The high road continues, as before
(p. 182), along the Lev£e, or river
dyke, often on a level with the tops of
the houses and cottages, which, to¬
gether with the fertile fields, orchards,
gardens, and vineyards, it protects
from the inundations of the Loire,
commanding, both on the river and
land side, an extensive view.

rt. St. Symphorien, nearly opposite
Tours, forms a sort of suburb to that
city ; and not far from it is the pretty
hamlet of St. Cyr, where a cottage,
called La Grenadiere, is at present the
retreat of the veteran poet Beranger.

14 Savonnieres Stat.

rt. Luynes* is a small town at the
opening of a valley into the Loire,
backed by a limestone cliff, pierced
with numerous cave dwellings, on the
top of which stands the old Castle,
commanding the country around. It
was the residence of the seigneurs of
Luynes, and among them of the first
duke, the favourite of Louis XIII. and
Constable of France, who gave his own
name to the castle and town, previously
called de Maille, 1619. Not far off are
the ruins of an aqueduct, said to be
Roman, of which nearly 50 square
pillars and 8 arches remain. Luynes
is the birthplace of Paul Louis Cour-
rier, the celebrated political ivriter;
he w r as found shot dead near his own
residence, Veretz, on the banks of the
Cher, not far from this, 1825.

The Rly. crosses the Loire on a
bridge of 19 arches at

rt. 21 Cinq Mars Stat., or more cor¬
rectly St. Mars, since the name is sup¬
posed to be a contraction of St. Me-
dard. Near this village, whose ruined
castle gave a title to another favourite
* Post-road .—10 Luynes.

K 2

196 Route 58.'— Tours to Nantes—Railway—Loire. Sect. III.

of Louis XIII., who fell by the execu¬
tioner’s axe, under the relentless rule
of Cardinal Richelieu, is the curious
ancient monument called La Pile de
Cinq Mars, a square tower of brick, 92
ft. high and 13 ft. wide on each face,
surmounted -originally by 5 pinnacles
10 ft. high, one of which was thrown
down by a-"Storm 1751. The origin,
use, and age of the pile are equally
unknown. Some attribute it to the
Romans, others to the Celts. It is des¬
titute of door, window, or other open¬
ing, and is perfectly solid. On the S.
face the bricks are arranged so as to
form 12 compartments. It was probably
a funereal monument.

The traveller continues to pass en¬
tire villages, cut in the yellow chalk
rock, or tuffeau, whenever it rises into
cliffs favourable for human habita¬
tions.

1. The Cher, after running parallel
with the Loire for about 15 in., enters
it a little above Cinq Mars, but sends
off a branch which continues to run
parallel with it until it joins the Indre,
9 m. lower-down.

rt. 26 Langeais* Stat., another little
town, has also a Castle, in tolerable pre¬
servation, which is remarkable because
the marriage of Charles VIII. with
Anne of Brittany was celebrated within
its walls—an event which united that
important province to France. It is
well preserved and furnished in antique
style. The gate-house serves as a gaol.
This castle was built, in the 13th centy.,
by Pierre de Brosses, minister of Phi¬
lippe le Hardi, after having been bar¬
ber to his predecessor, St. Louis. He
ended his career on the gibbet of Mont-
faucon, being hung for high treason in
poisoning his master’s son, and accus¬
ing the queen of the crime.

rt. St. Patrice Stat. Hear this is
the Chateau of Rocheeotte, where the
Chouan leader of that name was born ;
it belongs to the Duehesse de Dino,
now Princesse de Talleyrand, who was
often visited here by her uncle, M. de
Talleyrand.

rt. Trois Volets.ff

1. Nearly opposite this, backed by a
Wooded hill, is the Chateau d’Usse,
* 14 L,angeajs. f Trois Volets.

belonging to one of the family of La-
rochejacquelin, but partly built by
Vauban, its original owner.

rt. Chouze,* on the confines of Tou-
raine. Near this, if anywhere, the val¬
ley of the Loire exhibits its garden¬
like character, an exuberant vegetation,
with trees of large growth, capable of
furnishing some shade to the road,—
among them the graceful feathery aca¬
cia, which also forms the hedges,—
vines, Indian corn, and mulberry-trees,
prevail.

47 Port Boulet Stat. Omnibus to
Chinon, about 10 m. up the valley of
the Vienne (Rte. 57).

At Port Boulet the Loire is crossed
by a wire suspension-bridge of 5 spans,
leading to

1. Cancles, opposite to which place
we pass out of Touraine into Anjou.

1. The river Vienne here pours itself
into the Loire; and immediately below
it-stands the pretty white town of Can-
des, where St. Martin of Tours breathed
his last. It has an interesting cli., of
which the apsidal choir seems to be of
the 12tli centy., and the nave of the
13th (1215). Its S. porch is remark¬
able, though much mutilated ; 14 sta¬
tues in trefoil-headed niches adorn the
fa§ade, with smaller niches below them
filled with heads. The porch itself is a
vestibule supported by a light central
column, in the manner of the chapter-
houses of English cathedrals. The W.
end is flanked on either side by a ma-
chicolated buttress, and includes a cir¬
cular window, now stopped up. The
tomb of St. Martin is shown in this ch.
The possession of his remains was
warmly contested between the Poite-
vins and Touraingeaux.

A small brook alone separates Candes
from Montsoreau, whose castle, now par¬
celled out among poor people, was the
seat of that cruel Comte de Montsoreau
who became the executioner of the Pro¬
testants of Anjou by carrying out the
infamous St. Bartholomew decrees of
Charles IX.

[3 m. up the little retired and
wooded valley behind Montsoreau lies
the Abbey of Fontevrault, one of the
richest in France in ancient times,
* 12 Chouze.

Sect. III.

Route 58.— Abbey of Fontewault.

197

where 150 nuns and 70 monks sub¬
mitted to the rule of an abbess, who
was always a lady of high degree. This
singular establishment, which thus
combined members of both sexes, was
founded by a Breton monk, Robert
d’Arbrissel, 1099 ; who by his power¬
ful preaching converted and led after
him a multitude of followers of both
sexes and all ages, amounting to 3000,
whom he at length settled here, in a
sequestered forest, on the borders of
Touraine and Anjou. In spite of the
scope for scandal, the convent main¬
tained its existence for 9 centuries,
down to the Revolution. It has an in¬
terest to Englishmen, from having been
the burial-place of several of our Plan-
tagenet kings. A tolerably good road
leads to the poor village of Fontevrault,
where the inn (Croix Blanche) does not
look promising.

The Abbey is now converted into a
prison (Maison Centrale de Detention);
one of the largest in France, covering
30 or 40 acres with its courts and ranges
of building, occupied by 500 women,
1200 men, and 300 boys; the entrance
is in the little place close to the inn.
The prison is not shown without an
order from the prefet; but no objection
is made to admit strangers into the ch.
to see the tombs, which they can do
without coming in contact with the pri¬
soners. Above the abbey building rises
a singular octagon, which was in fact the
Kitchen of the monastery, * called Tour
d’Evrault- it dates from the 12th centy.

The ch., approached by a covered
way, from which you look through
loopholes into the prison-yards, is a
very ancient building, supposed to have
been begun by Foulques, 5th Comte
d’Anjou, 1125. Its nave is now par¬
titioned off, and, by the introduction
of 2 floors, is converted into dormi¬
tories for the prisoners. The Royal
monuments are transferred to the S.
transept, enclosed by bolts and bars and
grilles, in a dark corner, mutilated and
broken by the Vandals of the Revolu¬
tion, who rifled the gravesof their con¬
tents, and scattered the royal dust.
The effigies, in spite of the injuries

* It is described in Turner’s Domestic Archi¬
tecture.

they received, are interesting from the
evident marks they exhibit of being
portraits ; ; they retain still a little of
the colouring with which they w T ere or¬
namented. They are recumbent statues
of Henry II. and Richard Cosur de
Lion, represented in their royal robes
without armour; the drapery of com¬
plicated execution. Richard is remark¬
able for his lofty stature (6-i ft.) and
broad forehead; he wears moustache
and a beard; his hair is cut short.
The two female effigies are in better
preservation; they represent Eleanor
of Guienne, queen of Henry II., and
Isabelle d’Angouleme, widow of King
John; the last a statue of considerable
beauty. It is much to be desired that
these neglected effigies of our kings
should be transferred from their dark
prison-house to Westminster Abbey,
where they would form an interesting
link in the series of British historical
sculpture. There can be no longer any
harm in separating them from graves
rifled and empty, and from an abbey
now become a prison. The French go¬
vernment owes us some return for our
ready compliance with its wishes to
possess the bones of Napoleon.

The body of Henry II. was brought
hither from the neighbouring royal re¬
sidence of Chinon, and laid in the sanc¬
tuary previously to interment. When
Richard, his undutiful son, approached,
the dead body is said to have shuddered
convulsively, and to have sweated drops
of blood while he remained in its pre¬
sence ; “ the very corpse, as it were,
abhorring and accusing him of his un¬
natural conduct.” At a short distance
from the abbey is a curious cemetery
chapel, or Lanterne des Morts.']

1. Souzd, a little below Montsoreau,
contains a castellated mansion, behind
which are vast excavations in the rock,
which is pierced through and through
like a rabbit warren to furnish dwellings
for people of the poorer sort.

1. Still lower down is Dampierre,
where Margaret of Anjou ended a life
of ambition and sorrow, in misery and
poverty, in a house granted to her by
Louis XI., who had ransomed her at
the price of 50,000 crowns from the

198

Route 58.— The Loire ( C) — Saumur.

Sect. III.

hands of Edward IV., after 5 years of
imprisonment, dating from the battle
of Tewkesbury.

55 Varennes Stat.

1. The approach to Saumur is marked
by the number of windmills on the
heights, below which stands the domed
church of Notre Dame des Ardilliers.
Beneath its cupola runs an inscription
celebrating the suppression of heresy
throughout his dominions, and the ex¬
pulsion of its followers, by Louis XIV.;
a subject rather of shame than of boast,
on a spot which suffered in turn the
massacre of St. Bartholomew, the atro¬
cities of the Dragonnades, and finally
ruin from the revocation of the Edict
of Nantes.

The convent attached to this ch. is
now the Hospice de la Providence, at¬
tended by charitable sisters: a portion
of the patients, including the insane,
are lodged in cells and vast dormito¬
ries cut in the cliff behind.

rt. La Croix Verte,* a suburb of
Saumur, at the extremity of the bridge
opposite to the town, contains the post-
house.

1. 64 Saumur Stat. — Inns: Hotel Bu-
dan best; beautifully situated, fitted
up with English comforts ;—one of the
best in France. A very pleasant light
effervescing wine grown in the vicinity
may be had here. Belvedere, on the
quay, fine.

This cheerful white town is one of
tl^e most picturesque on the Loire.
Seen from the river or the bridge, its
quaint Hotel de Ville, near the water¬
side, surmounted by a tent-like roof
and pinnacled turrets, its church spires
and towers, overhung by the castle
behind, have a very pleasing effect.
The town itself, however, is torpid,
though its population amounts to 15,000
souls, and it does not possess many
curiosities.

On the handsome quay which lines
the river stand a modern edifice which
combines theatre and market-house,
and the above-mentioned antique Hotel
de Ville, a square building of black and
white stone, with a peaked roof as high

* Post-road .— 16 "Croix Verte. 4 kilom.
extra are paid by those who take the horses
into or from Saumur, crossing the bridge.

as its walls, a cornice of trefoiled
machicolations running under it, and
turrets or bartizans in its corners. It
was anciently included in the fortifica¬
tions, and joined the town walls, and,
therefore, has few openings in the
lower part. The front towards the
court-yard has not the same castellated
character, but is enriched with florid
Gothic ornaments, very elegant, and
recently restored. The date of the
building is probably the 15th eenty.,
about the time of Louis XI. The
upper story is converted into a Museum.
The best part of its limited collection
are the antiquities found in the depart¬
ment; such as Roman vases, statues,
spear-heads, axes, &c., of bronze; a
complete set of Roman carpenter’s
tools, Roman weights, glass, cinerary
urns (30 of them dug up in one spot),
pottery, &c. But its chief curiosity is
a Roman trumpet of bronze, 5 ft. long.
Among the Celtic remains are several
stone axes, dug up under one of the
Dolmens in the neighbourhood, and a
Druid knife of flint, from that of Bois
Berard.

St. Pierre, the principal Ch., in the
centre of the town, is disfigured by a
modern Italian facade, and its massy
tower is surmounted by a recent spire.
Its interior, originally built without
aisles, in the Angevine fashion, has
had side chapels added. It is in the
pointed style.

More curious for its age and archi¬
tecture is the Ch. Notre Dame de
Nantilly, on the outskirts of the town.
The oldest parts, the N. side, the
nave, and E. apse, in the Romanesque
style, have been supposed to date from
the 5th or 6th, but cannot be older
than the 11th centy. The S. aisle is
an addition of the 15th centy., nearly
as wide as the nave itself, and the pil¬
lars between are nothing more than
the old buttresses. The roof of the
nave is slightly pointed, with plate-
bands running across from pier to pier.
In the S. aisle is the oratory of Louis
XI. Against one of the piers is a bas-
relief of John the Baptist preaching in
the wilderness, renewed 1830. The
Ch. is hung with curious antique
tapestries, probably of the 16th centy.,

Sect. III.

Route 58.— The Loire ( C) — Saumur.

199

production^ of the looms of Flanders,
if we may judge by the style of art.
In one, representing the siege of Jeru¬
salem, one soldier appears to be dis¬
charging an instrument like a match¬
lock, (?) but all the others are armed
with bows and arrows. In this Ch.
are buried Gilles Archbishop of Tyre,
keeper of the seals of St. Louis, whose
crozier is preserved here, and the nurse
of King Rene of Anjou.

The Castle, standing conspicuously
on the top of the ridge which rises
like a wall above the town (Sous-le-
mur is a fanciful derivation of its
name), is only worth entering for the
view, from its terraced bastions, over
the Loire and the rich flat land on
either side of it, not forgetting the
pretty gardens at the base of the
walls. The tall Donjon, circular below
and octagonal above, and flanked by
four turrets, is a magazine for powder
and fire-arms, and is shut to strangers.

The wise Protestant leader, Du-
plessis Mornay, was appointed go¬
vernor by Henri IV., and under his
prudent and fostering care Saumur
was a stronghold of the Protestants,
and a flourishing town of 25,000 inha¬
bitants. The revocation of the Edict
of Nantes annihilated its prosperity,
by expelling the industrious Hugue¬
nots, and reduced its population to one
fourth.

One of the greatest exploits of the
Vendian army was the capture of
Saumur, June 10, 1793, by storming
the heights, on which the Republican
army, 15,000 strong, had formed an
intrenched camp, defended by 100
pieces of artillery. Henri de La-
rochejacquelin forced the intrench-
ments of the town from the side of
the meadows of Varen, exciting his
followers to the capture of a redoute
by throwing his hat, conspicuous for
its white plume, into the midst of the
enemy, crying “ Qui va me le cher-
cher?”—an appeal not lost upon his
followers, especially when enforced by
his own example in taking the lead.
Foremost of his band, with only 60
of his men to back him, he burst his
way into the town, clearing the streets
before him as far as the bridge. Here,

seizing two cannon, he turned them
against the enemy, drove them quite
across the river, and on the road
towards Tours, thus separating them
from the garrison of the castle, which
surrendered the day following. The
Vendeans obtained this victory with a
loss of only 60 killed and 100 wounded,
and with a gain of 60 pieces of cannon,
10,000 muskets, and 11,000 prisoners,
who were released after having one
side of their head shaved, and pro¬
mising not to serve against La Ven¬
dee—humane conditions, contrasting
strongly with the atrocious system of
massacring their prisoners, already
adopted by the Republicans at the
command of the Convention.

Detached from the town, to the
S.W., on the rt. hand as you issue
out of the main street, is the Ecole de
Cavalerie, for the instruction, in all
branches of information suited to their
profession, of between 3000 and 4000
sous-ofliciers, who are drafted hence
into different legiments to instruct
their corps. There are large riding-
schools, covered and open, in which
the various exercises of the manege are
performed with much precision. This
establishment was transferred from
Angers hither at the latter end of the
last century.

Some remains of the old fortifica¬
tions may be seen in the Rue du Petit
Mail ; they consist of two feudal
towers and a prison-house. In the
quartier des Fonts, the suburb which
fills the island on which the bridge
rests, is a house built by King Ren4
of Anjou, and called Maison de la Feme
Cicile (de Sicile). Its once highly
ornamented front, in the latest Gothic,
not unlike that of the H. de Ville in
style, has been so deplorably defaced
that it retains little interest, but it
may still be worthy to employ the
artist’s pencil.

Within about 1^ m. of Saumur, on
the S., stands one of the largest, most
perfect, and best preserved Druidical
monuments in France, the Dolmen of
Pontign€ (§ 4). It is a chamber com¬
posed of huge blocks of unhewn stone
set upright to form the walls, Avith
others laid across them for a roof, in

200

Route 58.— The Loire (C)^St. Maur.

Sect. III.

the manner of a house of cards. This
rude cot measures more than 50 ft. in
length, yet consists of only 14 stones,

4 on each of the sides and on the roof,
one at the W. end, which is closed,
another at the E., now thrown down,
serving as a threshold over which you
step to the present doorway, formed
by bricking up the mouth. The
largest stone measures 24 ft. by 21 ft.,
and 2-f ft. thick. The stones are set
so close, that originally a man could
not force his body between them.
The blocks composing it are of the
sandstone found in this district, but
not near at hand, nor near the sur¬
face. Among the adjoining vineyards
stands an upright stone, also of Celtic
origin. Near Riou, \ m. distant, on
the top of an eminence, is another
pierre-couverte, formed of only 6 stones,
in the manner of Kits Coity House in
Kent.

The road to these Druidic stones,
on issuing out of Saumur, crosses the
small river Thoue by a handsome new
bridge of 3 segmental arches, called
Pont Fouchard, thence by cross roads
proceeds to the village of Bagneux,
beyond which they are situated.

Anne Lefebre, who became Madame
Dacier, the learned translator of Homer,
was born at Saumur.

Diligences daily to Le Mans; Chinon,
Cholet; Poitiers and Bordeaux; to
Niort and Saintes; Rochefort.

Steamboats. The ascending boat
from Angers and Nantes arrives here
about 10 A.M.; the descending boat
from Tours about 12. They bring to,
for a few minutes, opposite the Bel¬
vedere.

1. The Ecole de Cavalerie is seen
as you quit Saumur. The whiteness
of the houses about Saumur is remark¬
able, and arises from the pure colour
of the stone, which, being readily cut,
is formed into smooth, nicely jointed
masonry, and gives even to humble
cottages the aspect of villas. They
add much to the pleasing character of
the country, peering from amidst the
luxuriant foliage. Acacia hedges, vines,
and walnut-trees, with orchards and
rich crops of corn, cover this really
beautiful district, upon which all the

bounties of nature seem to have been
lavished.

1. The village of Tuffeau receives
its name from its quarries of tufa,
worked into vast subterranean cata¬
combs, which have furnished building
materials for the surrounding district.

1. Treves is conspicuous owing to
its pretty Gothic tower, 100 ft. high.
It was built by Foulques d’Anjou,
1010, and given by Charles VII. to
his Chancellor, Robert-] e-Magon, for
saving his life at the capture of Paris
by the Burgundians: it is carefully
kept up by its present owner. Not
far off is the Ch. of Cunault, attributed
to King Dagobert, and, though not of
his time, at least of great antiquity:
11th to 13th century.

rt. 80 Les Rosiers Stat. 1. Nearly
opposite, the very ancient Ch. of
Gennes rises on the top of a hill: it
is dedicated to St. Eusebe, and is said
to have been used by the early Chris¬
tians. The ruined nave is built of
small stones, alternating with bands of
tiles in the fashion of Roman masonry.
The N. door is arched with bricks
intermingled with stones, and in the
wall above is a row of small semicir¬
cular arches. Gennes lies in a remark¬
ably pretty situation, on a streamlet
called Avort.

1. The vast conventual buildings of
St. Maur, with 16 windows on a row
in front, deserve to be looked upon
with respect as the retreat of those
learned and laborious Benedictines who,
in the 17th centy., under the patron¬
age of Richelieu, 1621, compiled those
ponderous folios—stores of learning
and erudition,—‘ L’Art de verifier les
Dates,’ ‘ Gallia Christiana,’—the Col¬
lection of French Historians—the Mo¬
numental Antiquities,'&c. “ Works

of general and permanent advantage to
the world at large; showing that the
revenues of the Benedictines were not
always spent in self-indulgence, and
that the members of that order did
not uniformly slumber in sloth and
indolence .”—Sir W. Scott. Among the
most eminent names which distin¬
guished this society of learned monks
are those of Felibien, Montfaucon,
Vaissette, Lobineau, and Mabillon.

Sect. III. R. 58 .—Angers to jYantes, Railway—The Loire ( C ). 201

A wire bridge of 5 spans has been
constructed at

rt. 89 St. Mathurin* Stat., nearly
opposite St. Maur. At Dagueniere, a
little lower, the Levees de la Loire
terminate, after running by the river¬
side from Blois hither, a distance of
nearly 100 m.

Near this the railroad to Angersb
and Nantes turns away from the Loire,
to rejoin it about 20 m. lower down.

96 La Bolialle Stat.

102 Trelaz5 Stat.

105 La Paperie Stat.

Below this the Loire is split into a
number of channels by considerable
islands, which are connected together
by a series of 4 bridges of more than
100 antiquated arches of wood and
stone, equally inconvenient for boats
which pass under, and for vehicles
wdiich go over them, measuring alto¬
gether about 4600 ft.

rt. Ponts de Ce. A town of 3520
Inhab., on the rt. bank of the Loire,
which is here nearly 2 m. distant from
the 1. bank. It is about 4 m. from
Angers (Rte. 46). Some antiquaries
have attributed its origin to Ce- sar,
who, according to them, also be¬
queathed to it the first syllable of his
name—a theory which is considerably
thwarted by the fact that the name
was anciently written Ponts de Scez.
The bridges form an important passage
over the Loire. A bloody engagement
was fought here in the Venetian war,
1793.

109 Angers Stat. (in Rte. 46.)

[1. About 7 m. S.E, of Ponts de Ce
is the Chateau de Brissae, seat of the
noble and ancient family of that
name, consisting of a handsome Italian
palazzo, between two older castellated
round towers, of such solid construc¬
tion that it was found impossible to
remove them when the centre was
built, and they were in consequence
amalgamated with it. It is conspi¬
cuous for the red colour of the stone.
The general effect of its fagade, though

* Post-road from Saumur.

15 Les Rosiers.

11 St. Mathurin.

+ 21 Angers, on the Mavenne, is described
in Rte. 46.

of a mixed character, is stately and
good, but the details of carving have
been destroyed by mutilations. The
chateau, was ransacked, stripped, and
dismantled during the Vendean war,
and returned to the Due de Brissae at
the Restoration a mere shell. It is
still uninhabited, but contains only a
few articles of antique furniture.]

115 Bouchemaine Stat.

rt. The Loire is joined by the Maine
(called Mayenne above Angers) about
6 m. below Ponts de Ce. On the point
of land between them stands the vil¬
lage of

La Pointe Stat., where are numerous
white villas and walled gardens of the
citizens of Angers.

The Rly. crosses the Maine near La
Pointe.

Below the junction of the Maine the
Loire is sensibly augmented in expanse
and depth, and its banks attain a more
considerable elevation than above, rising
into hills, often in abrupt precipices
from the water’s edge.

rt. One of these heights., called
Coulee de Serrant, is clothed with
vines, the growth of which is much
esteemed. The Chateau de Serrant,
the stately mansion of Count Walsh,
is one of the finest on the Loire, and
is situated 3 m. from the river, be¬
tween it and the high road to Nantes.
Its gardens, park, and orangery are
said to be fine and well kept up. In
the chapel is a marble monument by
Coysevoix to the Marquis de Vaubrun,
killed at the passage of the Rhine.
The family is of Irish origin, having
emigrated with James II. A portrait
of the Pretender, still in their posses¬
sion, was a gift from him to their
ancestor, who fitted out the vessel
which conveyed Charles Edward from
Nantes to Scotland in 1745.

The pretty wooded He de Behuard
contains a chapel of Our Lady, founded
on a rock, whose uneven surface forms
its floor, and projects upwards in a
point 4 or 5 ft. high. It was for ages
a place of pilgrimage, and was visited
with superstitious veneration by Louis
XI., whose faded portrait, a contem¬
porary work in fresco, remains on the
wall. Both he and his son lavished on

202

Route 58.— The Loire ( C) — Chalonnes.

Sect. III.

it considerable gifts. By accident it
was forgotten at the Revolution, and
remains undespoiled, retaining many
ex-votos, some church plate, &c. Its
walls, still displaying the fleurs-de-lis
and other coats of arms with which
they were painted, are hung with the
chains of Christian captives rescued
from Algiers.

rt. The Ch. of the small town of
Savenieres (Pop. 2500), opposite the
lie Beliuard, has parts of extreme an¬
tiquity. The front and part of the S.
wall of the nave, of singularly con¬
structed masonry, consisting of black
slate alternating with bands or layers
of red tiles, arranged in fern-leaf pat¬
tern, intermixed with white tufa stones,
are probably as old as the 6th or 7th
centy. The doorway is more modern.
The choir and E. apse, added in the
11th or 12th centy., display on their
external walls and around the windows
rich Byzantine ornaments and mould¬
ings.

1. The triple rock of Rochefort was
anciently crowned by a fortress of which
nothing now remains but a few frag¬
ments of wall. It was destroyed by
Henri IY. 1598.

120 Les Forges Stat.

123 La Poissonniere Stat.

129 Chalonnes Stat.

Between (1.) this picturesque town,
surmounted by the square tow T er of its
castle, and (rt.) St. George (at some
distance from the Loire, on the high
road), the river traverses a small coal¬
field , which has been worked to a con¬
siderable extent of late, though it
produces only an inferior quality of
coal. This bed, extensively developed
throughout the Depts. Maine and Loire,
occurs at the bottom of the true coal
formation, and is fit only for burning
lime; but that lime, being employed
as manure, has converted much barren
ground into corn-land, and converted
this part of France, since 1849, into a
granary for supplying Great Britain with
wheat. The quantity of flour exported
from Nantes is enormous.

At Chalonnes another suspension-
bridge has been thrown over the
Loire.

1. The eminence crowned with a mo¬

dern-looking ruin, through whose nu¬
merous windows and roofless walls the
sky appears, is Mont Jan; whose name,
according to etymologists, has some¬
thing to do with Janus—though they
cannot exactly agree what the con¬
nection is. The ruins are those of a
convent of Cordeliers: it had been con¬
verted into a sort of state prison, of
which the monks were the gaolers,
when it was burnt during the Vendean
war.

rt. 137 Champtoce Stat.,* a little vil¬
lage opposite Mont Jan, and situated
on the post-road, which here again
joins the Loire, is surmounted by the
imposing ruins of a feudal castle, cele¬
brated from the crimes of its owner in
the reign of Charles VII., the infamous
Gilles de Retz, Sieur de Laval, a mon¬
ster in human shape, the bugbear of
the surrounding country, called Barbe
Bleu, and the original of our well-
known Blue Beard; who, although
clothed by tis in a turban, in reality
comes from the banks of the Loire,
His history affords a remarkable in¬
stance of the superstitions of the 15th
centy., and of the impunity for his
atrocities which a feudal seigneur en¬
joyed in that dark age. Having run
through an enormous fortune by ex¬
travagance, and impaired by excesses
his constitution in early youth, the
Sieur de Retz sought to renovate both
by magic. He kept in his pay an
Italian alchemist and magician, who
induced him to believe that a charm
could be produced from the blood of
infants, which would restore him to
health and fortune by using it as a
bath. For this end children and young
persons were spirited away and mur¬
dered in the deep dungeons of his
castles or in the solitude of his forests,
to the number, it is said, of more than
100; he himself, in most cases, plung¬
ing the poignard in their breasts. At
length the whole country rose up
against the tyrant; and his suzerain,
Duke Jean V. of Brittany, having
heard the charges against him, caused
him to be seized and tried : he was

* Post-road from Angers.

17 St. George-sur-Loire.

8 Champtoce.

Sect. III.

Route 58.— The Loire (C)— St. Flcrent.

203

found guilty, condemned, and burnt
at the stake in Nantes in 1440, after
making full confession of his misdeeds.
The peasant still regards with horror
the ill-omened walls and vaults in which
the monster raised the devil, and sold
himself to Satan, according to the po¬
pular belief.

rt. 142 Ingrande Stat., a long-line
of houses raised upon a terraced wall
stretching along the strand, is placed
exactly on the boundary of ancient
Brittany and Anjou, and between the
modern Departements of Loire Infe-
rieure and Maine et Loire. The name
was originally “Ingressus Andium,”the
entrance of the country of the Andes,
i.e. the Angevine.

rt. At Montrelais are extensive coal¬
mines, some of the pits extending un¬
der the river. The coal is not good
enough for the steamers, which burn
English coals.

1. The heights of St. Florent are
marked by two piles of building; the
vast but not picturesque ruins of the
Abbey of Montglonne, whose founda¬
tion is traced to Charlemagne, burnt
down and destroyed by the Republic¬
ans in the Vendean war; and a little
below it, the church of St. Florent,
surmounted by a modern-looking tower,
by the side of which rises a Pillar to
the memory of the brave Vendean
general, Bonchamps, but now sur¬
mounted, as if in insult and mockery,
by the symbol of revolution, which he
died in combating, the drapeau tricolor.
Wounded mortally in the fatal fray of
Chollet, he was brought hither by the
routed Vendeans to die. He closed
his career with an act of mercy in res¬
cuing the lives of 4000 Republican
prisoners, who had been taken and shut
up in the church, and against whom
the irritated Vendeans were already
pointing their cannon, worked up to
madness by defeat, by the mortal
wound of their general, and by terror
for their wives and families. The com¬
mands and entreaties of the dying
hero, and nearly the last words he
uttered —“ Grace aux prisonniers ”—
had the effect of saving them from
military execution, when nothing else
could have rescued them. Bonchamps

expired in a miserable hovel, in the
village of Meilleraye, on the opposite
side of the Loire, but is interred within
the ch. of St. Florent, and a monu¬
ment of marble by David is erected
to his memory. St. Florent was the
scene of the most memorable event in
the war of La Vendee, which all who
have read Madame Larochejacquelin’s
touching Memoirs will remember—the
passage of the Loire by the Vendean
army after their rout at Chollet, 1793.
They reached the narrow strip of level
ground at the base of the semicircle of
heights on the 1. bank, in number
nearly 100,000, half of them unarmed,
old men, women, and children; the
enemy pressing on in the rear, the
country behind smoking with the con¬
flagration of their homes by the Re¬
publicans, who, to use their own words,

left behind nothing but asbes and
piles of dead.” The tumult of such a
multitude crowding down to the 25
small barks which alone could be mus¬
tered to ferry them ovei*, the cries
of children seeking parents or rela¬
tions, the groans of the wounded, the
alarm caused by the enemy, formed a
scene of pain, confusion, and despair,
which Madame de Larochejacquelin
compares with the awful spectacle that
the world must behold at the Day
of Judgment. The whole multitude,
however, were transported across in
safety before the arrival of the enemy,
whose advanced posts reached the river
the day after.

The broad expanse of the river is di¬
vided by an island, between St. Florent
and

rt. 151 Varades Stat.,* the spot
where the fugitives, when landed,
waited the junction of their companions.
It is a town of 4000 Inhab.

Passing many monotonous clumps
and rows of willows, we reach the
suspension-bridge of wire, supported by
wire shrouds or stays, erected 1839, of
five arches, more than 1300 ft. long,
which leads from La Vendee to the
little town of

rt. 163 Ancenis Stat.f {Tan: H. de
France; small, but clean and comfort¬
able— II. M.), a town of nearly 4000

* Post-road .—13 Varades. f 13 Ancenis.

204

Route 60 .—Nantiers to Poitiers — Clisson.

Sect. III.

Inhab., having remains of an old castle
of the Dues de B^thune at the water¬
side, above the bridge, now reduced to
a few strong walls and towers. The
large barracks are formed out of a ci-
devant convent of Ursuline nuns.

Here a broken remnant of the Ven-
dean host, which had crossed at Ya-
rades, endeavoured to recross a few
weeks after, shattered by the recent
defeat of Le Mans. Larochejacquelin,
on this occasion, volunteered to cross
the river in the only boat which could
be found on the 1. bank, to bring
over some hay-barges attached to the
opposite shore; but while so engaged
he was attacked by the enemy and
driven into the woods. A gunboat of
the enemy sunk the barges destined to
transport his followers, and thus cut off
all communication between them and
their general.

1. On the top of a hill covered with
brushwood stand the ruins of the castle
of Champtoceaux, in which Jean de
Montfort was kept a prisoner by Mar¬
guerite de Clisson; and at the foot of
the hill a bridge or pier of 2 arches
projects into the river, designed by the
owner of the fort above to facilitate the
levying of toll on the vessels which
passed, in feudal times.

rt. The tall black octagonal tower
of Oudon,* 5 stories high, surmounted
by machicolations, overlooks the flat
land and a series of islands which here
intersect the river. It was built pro¬
bably in the 13th centy.

rt. After passing a group of pseudo-
castellated modern constructions,
worthy of a tea-garden, and called
after their founder, a citizen of Nantes,
Les Folies Siffait, we approach the
rt. 176 Castle of Clermont, Stat., on
the top of an abrupt and lofty escarp¬
ment, yet not destitute of foliage,
forming one of the most picturesque
scenes on the Loire, but unendowed
with any historical interest.

rt. La Seilleraie,f at a little distance
from the river, was several times visited
by Madame de S6vign4, who dates some
of her letters hence, and its gardens
were laid out by Le Notre. The apart¬
ment and portrait of the Sevigne are
* 9 Oudon. -j- La Seilleraie.

preserved, and the mansion contains
other portraits by Mignard, Le Brun, &c.

rt. The precipitous heights gra¬
dually give place to gentle undula¬
tions, which, below the rocks of (184)
Mauves Stat., subside into a flat mo¬
notonous plain, out of the midst of
which, in the distance, the towers of
the cathedral of Nantes are seen to
rise. Islands and sandbanks greatly
multiply in this part of the river, in¬
terspersed with dykes of stone heaps
to regulate the river, and a few insigni¬
ficant villages occur at intervals.

196 Nantes Station.* (Rte. 46.)

ROUTE 60.

NANTES TO POITIERS, BY CLISSON.

178 kilom. = 110L Eng. m.

Diligence daily in about 19 hrs., and
several from Nantes to Clisson.

Our road, before it gets clear of the
suburb of Nantes (St. Jacques), is car¬
ried over the different branches of the
Loire on a series of 7 bridges, united
by causeways, about 2 m. long, lined
with houses. Beyond the last bridge
the road to Bordeaux (Rte. 62) branches
off to the rt. About 2 m. S. of Nantes
we find the country, though nearly
level in surface, covered with vineyards.

13 Tournebride.

The little village Le Pallet is cele¬
brated as the birthplace of Abelard;
the crumbling brier-grown foundations
of a square tower behind the church
on the 1. of the road are called the
remains of the house of his father
Beranger.

The stream of the Sevre Nantaise
runs nearly parallel with our road, a
little on the rt., as far as Clisson.

A small bridge carrying the road
over a valley is stated in an inscription
to have been built “l’An 2 du Regne
de Napoldon le Grand.”

15 Clisson. — Inns: Poste, beyond the
bridge, fine view; H. de France.

This small town (21 m. from Nantes)
is celebrated for its very romantic situ¬
ation in the deep, narrow, bosky valley
of the Sevre, on one side of which
towers the stately old castle. The
scene has a somewhat Italian character.
f 14 Nantes.

Sect. III.

Route 60.— Castle of Clisson.

205

As the town was destroyed in the Ven-
de'an war, its houses are mostly mo¬
dern, and contribute little to the
beauty of it. A handsome new Bridge
of 12 arches, 54 ft. high in the centre,
rising on very lofty double piers, now
spans the valley, carrying the road to
Poitiers across, without descending the
very steep slope which leads to and
from the river. The perspective of the
interior of the bridge from below,
through its arched piers, forms a vista
like that of a cathedral.

The Castle of Clisson, the cradle of
that illustrious family from which
sprang the famous Olivier de Clisson,
the fierce and successful antagonist of
the English in the wars of the 14th
centy., who was thought worthy to
succeed Du Guesclin as constable of
France, stands on the 1. bank of the
Sevre. It is based on the rock, or,
where that was wanting to furnish a
foundation, huge sustaining walls have
been raised from the bottom of the
valley, on a line with the escarpment
of the rock, to support its towers and
bastions. Where not protected by an
escarpment, it is surrounded by a fosse.
On the 1. of the grass-grown court¬
yard, after entering by the gateway of
the Tour des Pelerins, so called from
the crusader Clisson, who built it after
his return from Palestine, is a vast pile
separated by ditches from the rest, en¬
tered by several gates in succession,
containing the great hail, the tall don¬
jon, of which one side only remains,
and the kitchen, with its wide fire¬
place. From some of the windows a
fine view is obtained over the two val¬
leys of the Maine and Sevre. All this
part of the building is in a state of
complete ruin, occasioned by the civil
war of La Vendee. Before that broke
out the castle belonged to the family
of Rohan-Soubise, and had fallen into
neglect, but its destruction was com¬
pleted by the Republican army in 1793.
When the town was set on fire and
destroyed by them, a number of its
unfortunate inhabitants, chiefly old
men, women, and children, sought re¬
fuge within the castle walls, and re¬
mained in its gloomy vaults and dun¬
geons, whither they had conveyed

some of their cattle also, for a little
time unnoticed. But no sooner was
their retreat discovered by the army
of Kleber, than they were dragged
forth from their hiding-place, and
hurled alive down a deep well in the
second court of the castle, now stopped
up, and marked by a cypress planted
near it. For many hours the feeble
and half-stifled cries of these unfortu¬
nate creatures were heard issuing from
its depths, before they utterly perished.
The number thus destro 3 ^ed is variously
stated at 100 and 405; the latter, it is
to be feared, is nearest the truth. The
story of the well of Clisson is one of
the blackest spots on that page of atro¬
cities.

The pretty grounds of La Garenne,
once highly extolled, perhaps too
highly, as “ a show-place,” but now
no longer kept up, are indebted for
the considerable beauty which they
possess to the full stream of the Sevre,
which flows past them, to the fantastic
rocks piled one above another rising
near its margin, and to the fine trees
dipping their branches in its waters,
alternating with rich flat meadow land,
which here gives variety to the valley,
and to the glimpses of the old castle
seen at certain points. Winding walks
are carried through the park, decorated
at intervals with monuments and sta¬
tues, a temple of Vesta, a grotto called
after Heloise, and a Roman milestone
of the age of Antonine found on the
road to Poitiers. The Garenne owes
its artificial embellishment to the
brothers Cacault, who deposited their
collection of paintings here, and to M.
Lemot, a sculptor; successively its
owners, who built the house on the
height now deserted.

The Villa Valentin is a would-be
Italian cascina on a height above the
Maine.

On leaving Clisson you pass on the
top of the hill the little Chapelle de
toute Joie, so called by a lord of Clisson
who received on this spot the joyful
news of the birth of a son, and built it
in consequence.

The road from Clisson to Poitiers
has been made about 15 years, and is
part of a network of lines of communi-

206

Route 60 .—Nantes to Poitiers.

Sect. III.

cation formed to facilitate not only
commercial intercourse, but the passage
of large bodies of troops ; they will
contribute more than anything else to
alter the primitive state of society in
this part of France. Clisson is on the
very verge of La Vendee (p. 168), which
begins on the 1. bank of the Sevre ; but
our road, running parallel with the
river, skirts, but does not enter it.

14 Torfou, a village almost exclu¬
sively composed of new houses, the old
having been destroyed in the civil war.
One of the greatest victories of the
Vendean peasantry was gained near
this over a Republican army superior
in numbers by 10,000 men, including
the terrible garrison of Mayence,—
veterans and reputed the best soldiers
in France, and commanded by Kleber.
A pillar set up on the post-road, about
a mile beyond Torfou, at the junction
of four highways, marks the scene of
the battle, which occurred Sept. 19,
1793. Its four sides bear the names
of Charette, D’Elb^e, Lescure, and Bon-
champs, the four Vendean leaders who
took part in it. The day would have
been lost for the cause of the Roy¬
alists, soon after the action began, had
not Lescure rallied around him 1700
peasants of the village of Echanbrognes,
who stood the brunt of the assault for
two hours, until the division of Bon-
champs came up.

About 3 m. from Torfou in a direct
line, and more than 4 by the post-road,
passing the column (where turn to rt.),
is the Castle of Tiffauges , an extensive
ruin on a high table-land between the
1. bank of the Sevre and a small rivulet
(laCrume) falling into it. The donjon
stood on the rocky height overlooking
and commanding the gap through
which the high road to Les Herbiers is
carried. The inner courts, now sepa¬
rated merely by a few foundations of
wall, are converted into productive
corn-fields; but behind two cottages,
built in the midst of them, runs a pile
of building skirting the brow of the
cliff, originally occupied by the seigneur,
and more perfect than any other part.
The most picturesque bit is a round
tower projecting over the rivulet, con¬
taining a fine vaulted apartment and a

spiral stair, probably of the 16th centy.
Round the top runs a covered gallery,
resting on the corbels of the machico¬
lations. These chambers now serve as
store-rooms for hay, corn, and other
farm produce, and the inner wall is
prettily draped with vines. By a little
postern you may descend into the val¬
ley of the Crume. This castle is said
to have been one of the residences of
the wicked Gilles de Retz, the Blue¬
beard of the Loire (p. 202) ; it was
dismantled by Card. Richelieu.

The part of the valley on which the
village Tiffauges stands is rocky and
somewhat bare of grass. A cotton-mill
has been built under the castle. There
is no good inn.

Those who take the direct line be¬
tween Torfou and Tiffauges will have
an opportunity of learning what sort of
a country La Vendee was before Napo¬
leon and Louis-Philippe intersected it
in all directions by broad, open, mac¬
adamized high roads. At the distance
of a few hundred yards from either
village you find yourself in a labyrinth
of lanes branching in all directions,
worn down by cart-wheels or winter
torrents considerably below the sur¬
face, lined on either side with trees or
hedges, which close above your head
and form a covered way like a subter¬
ranean passage. So numerous are these
deep paths, and so intricate their cross--
ings, that even the inhabitant is apt to
be misled by them, while the frequent
stagnant pools and sloughs of mud,
alternating with deep ruts or project¬
ing bosses of bare granite rock, render
the passage through them harassing
and fatiguing. At the same time, the
country is so thickly wooded by thick¬
ets and hedgerow trees, which sur¬
round every small field, that it is diffi¬
cult to see your way far before you. It
can easily be understood what a com¬
plete stronghold such a district would
become when defended by a brave pea¬
santry, fighting close to their own
homes, and thoroughly acquainted with
all its intricacies. 20 years ago, it must
be remembered, only two high roads,
properly so called, existed in La Ven¬
dee—that from Nantes to Bordeaux,
and from Tours to Poitiers; and these

Sect. III.

207

Houle 61 .—Saumur to Bordeaux.

were 70 m. apart. The peasantry were
all accustomed to the use of the gun;
many were old poachers and capital
marksmen. The tactics which they
adopted was a species of skirmishing,
never attacking the enemy but to ad¬
vantage, themselves choosing time and
place, when and where they found him
entangled in the toils. At the word
of command from their chief, these
rude bands assembled at the place of
rendezvous, scattered themselves on
the enemy’s approach, lining every
hedge and copse, from which a mur¬
derous fire opened on all sides, the
Venddan marksmen picking out their
men, while they themselves were invi¬
sible or unassailable.

15 Mortagne (Vendee) on the Sevre
was burnt down, like Torfou, in the
Vendean war, and has been since re¬
built. It was long the headquarters of
the Royalist army. At Ghollet, 8 m.
N.E. of this, a manufacturing town of
8897 Inhab., entirely rebuilt since its
destruction in the civil war, two actions
were fought in 1793 ; in the first of
which the Vendeans lost one of their
bravest leaders, M. Lescure, who was
shot through the head, and in the
second suffered a more fatal defeat,
which, in fact, decided the war, and
drove them across the Loire (see p.
203). Before this battle began, on the
13th of October, 1793, the whole Ven-
d£an army heard mass by torchlight,
performed by the cur4 of this parish.
On the first attack, the peasants, who
here, for the first time, marched in
close column, succeeded in driving
back the enemy, and a party, headed
by Larochejacquelin and Stofflet, even
captured a park of artillery ; but a
charge of the Republican cavalry, and
an attack from the garrison of Mayence,
the so-called “ invincibles,” turned the
scale; the Vendeans were utterly
routed, and their best general, the
brave and generous Bonchamps, was
carried off the field mortally wounded.

At a short distance from Nouaille,
on the road from Chollet to Saumur,
a third leader of the Vendeans, Henri
Larochejacquelin, fell, March 4, 1793.
For a long time after the wreck of the
Royalist cause, he had carried on a

successful partisan warfare, issuing out
from the fastnesses of the Forest of
Vezins at the head of a few determined
followers, and spreading dismay among
the Republican outposts. He was shet
by a grenadier, while in the act of
offering him quarter. At his death,
the Convention could, for the first
time, with safety and truth, proclaim
that La Vendee had ceased to exist.
An apple-tree is pointed out as marking
the spot where he fell.

18 Chatillon-sur-Sevre, destroyed
also, except three houses, in the civil
war, is now rebuilt. It was called
Mauleon down to 1737.

22 Bressuire (Inn: H. de France), a
new town built on the ashes of one
ruined by the same disastrous war.
Here are grand remains of a Castle built
by the English.

31 Parthenay (Inn: H. des Trois
Piliers), a poor town of 4024 Inhab.,
though carried by storm by the Re¬
publican forces under Westermann,
escaped annihilation, and retains some
fragments of antiquity, in the ruins of
its castle, the gate of St. Jacques, and
the Ch. of St. John, said to be a struc¬
ture of the 9th centy. The town
stands on the rt. bank of the Thoue, a
tributary of the Loire, in a hilly dis¬
trict.

25 Ayron.

25 Poitiers. (Rte. 64.)

ROUTE 61.

SAUMUR TO SAINTES AND BORDEAUX,

THROUGH PARTHENAY, NIORT, AND

ST. JEAN D’ANGELY.

Montreuil. Here is rather a fine
church and conventual establishment.

Thouars. Road rather hilly, but
good. Thouars is beautifully situated
on a hill, with the river Thoue running
round it at a very considerable depth,
so as to give it the appearance of an
island. Here is a very fine old cha¬
teau, which originally belonged to the
ancient family of Tremouille. It was
sold at the Revolution, and was to
have been broken up, but the town
authorities purchased it, and it is now
the Mairie. Here is also an old and
curious Romanesque church. The front

208 B. 62 .—Nantes to Bordeaux—Bourbon Vendee. Sect. III.

lias been handsomely decorated with
images of saints,, but they are all mu¬
tilated or badly preserved. To

Parthenay (Rte. 60), a poor town,
the country hilly.

St. Maixent. Here is a very fine
church of the early Gothic, and a
curious old chapel under the principal
altar, where are deposited the remains
of St. Maixent and St. Leger ; the
former founded the church, &c. To
it is attached a fine originally Bene¬
dictine monastery, which is now a
seminary for priests. There is a very
fine staircase in the convent. There
are in the church some very beautiful
wood carvings.

Niort. Inns ; H. de Raison de Bur-
gogne, good and clean; the best ;—H.
de France, fair (Rte. 66). The country
in the immediate neighbourhood of
Niort is very picturesque and very
rich, growing vines which produce a
very fine vin ordinaire.

St. Jeand’Angely (Inn: H. de France,
very good and reasonable). There is
nothing remarkable here ; the prison
has an ugly Italian fa§ade. It was the
commencement of an immense cathe¬
dral, but want of funds prevented its
completion.

Saintes, \

Blaye, l See Rte. 62.

Bordeaux, I

ROUTE 62.

NANTES TO BORDEAUX, BY BOURBON

VENDEE, ROCHELLE, ROCHEFORT, AND

SAINTES.

345 kilom.=214 Eng. m.

Diligences daily. It is an uninter¬
esting drive.

Steamers thrice a week between
Nantes and Bordeaux. N. B. Some
trustworthy person should be con¬
sulted as to the efficiency and safety
of the boats before embarking.

On quitting Nantes by the six
bridges at the extremity of the Fau¬
bourg St. Jacques, our route turns to
the rt. out of that to Clisson (p. 204),
and crosses, on a handsome new bridge,
the Sevre Nantaise, just above its
junction with the Loire.

21 Aigrefeuille.

A little beyond this the road enters
the department of la Vendee, and
thenceforth traverses the centre of the
district which was the theatre of the
terrible civil war of 1792-93.

13 Montaigu, prettily situated on a
height above -a small stream called the
Maine, in the midst of the Bocage of
la Vendee, has fallen from the con¬
dition of a town to a village since the
war, when two-thirds of its houses
were burned, and a large part of its
inhabitants massacred. The terrace of
the chateau / not now inhabited, com¬
mands a good view.

After crossing the Maine, a wild,
open, heathy country succeeds, pro¬
ducing furze, broom, and a little
barley or buckwheat, as far as

24 Belleville.

13 Bourbon Vendee ( Inns ; H. cles
Voyageurs; H. de l’Europe—both slo¬
venly and comfortless), a new town of
right-angled streets and ugly fresh¬
looking houses, founded by Napoleon
in the very centre of the rebellious
province la Vendde, and destined by
him to be called Napoleon-Vendee, is
now the chef-lieu of the Dept. La
Roclie-sur-Yonne, an ancient appanage
of the Bourbons, occupied nearly the
same site, and now, united with it,
forms a suburb. It has not quite 5060
Inhab. Destitute of commerce or
manufactures, in a situation deficient
in any advantages required to render
a town flourishing, in the midst of a
district of barren open heath, it stands
about the dullest town in France, and
a melancholy example of the folly of
establishing a town by word of com¬
mand. “ It is exactly what one might
expect it would be from the hasty and
arbitrary manner of its creation. A
huge oblong ‘ Place ’ forms the centre
and principal part of it. From the
sides and corners of this 8 or 10 streets
branch off at right angles. The build¬
ings which compose this square are
almost all public edifices, each looking
more mesquin and meagre than the
other, and all having the appearance of
being stretched out at the least pos¬
sible expense to the greatest possible
extent of front, for the purpose of

Sect. III. Route 62 .—Natites to Bordeaux—La Rochelle. 209

making them go as far as possible to¬
wards the composition of the proposed
town. A theatre, on the steps of whose
portico the grass was growing, forms
part of one side. A huge Hotel de
Ville, which seems deserted and shut
up, stands opposite to a great barn of
a church. A prefecture, a court-house,
a mairie, and enormous barracks, sur¬
rounding a court in which a dozen
regiments might manoeuvre at once,
occupy the most of the remaining
space. The barracks have been con¬
structed so much in haste and with so
little solidity that they are already
beginning to fall to ruins—new ruins,
the most unsightly spectacle. They
are deserted, and apparently aban¬
doned to their fate.”— Trollope, W.,
France.

Conveyances go from this to Nantes,
Bordeaux, Saumur, and Les Sables.

About 4 m. to the W. (2 of them
not fit for carriages, but only for the
pedestrian) are the ruins of the Abbey
of Fontanclles; a Gothic chapel remains
in excellent preservation.

Les Sables, 20 m. W. of Bourbon
Vendee, on the sea, is a town of some
interest, curiously placed on a narrow
sand-ledge, at the margin of a bay
forming a large and beautiful crescent.
The sands are smooth and extensive.
A fleet of 70 fishing-vessels may be
seen at times entering the roads in one
hour, sweeping from the wide sea into
a deep narrow channel between two
piers, and so entering the large har¬
bour at the back of the town. There
are two ; peculiarities in the female
costume here,—a small bell-shaped
laced cap, and an enormous blue hood
of cloth-shreds or wool, giving to their
upper figures the shape of a huge bee¬
hive.— Inn: H. de France, fair, and
civil people.

The same dreary, unenclosed, and
heath-clad land extends to

22 Mareuil, beyond which a fine
corn country commences.

Between Les Sables and Lu§on (25
m.) is the Castle of Talmont, a lofty
picturesque feudal ruin.

10 Lu§on, a dull and dirty small
town, in a situation which is unhealthv
on account of its vicinity to the

marshes, connected with the sea by a
canal, and having a population of about
3000. Lu§on was the episcopal see of
Cardinal Richelieu, having been a sort
of family living, into which he, though
bred up for a soldier, was inducted at
the age of 22. Its Gothic cathedral,
surmounted by a tall spire of open¬
work, is the principal building.

10 Moreilles. Our route now lies
across a district which may be called
the Fens of France, a series of marshy
flats, traversed by numerous rivers,
the chief of which are the Vendee and
Sevre Niortaise ; it is intersected also
in all directions by canals, and, not¬
withstanding the drainage effected by
them, is unhealthy from malaria. A
solitary conical mound rising out of
the flat on the 1. of the road is crowned
by the village of Chaillc. The limits
of la Vendee and the stream of the
Sevre Niortaise are crossed shortly
before reaching

17 Marans, a town of 4000 Inhab.,
9 m. from the sea, which exports corn
from la Vendee and flour from Niort.

Before half the next stage is tra¬
versed the road crosses the canal from
la Rochelle to Niort. Near this the
marshes of la Vende'e terminate, and
the marly lands of the Aunis begin.
At

15 Grolaud the canal is crossed.

A picturesque group of towers and
spires, visible from a considerable dis¬
tance, announces the approach to

9 La Rochelle. — Inns: Poste, very
good ; H. de France. This third-rate
fortress, and commercial town of se¬
condary importance, is situated on the
sea, on the shore of a bay in front of
which rise the lies de Re and d’Oleron.
It was capital of the district of
Aunis, and is now chef-lieu of the
Dept, de la Charente. Before its me¬
morable siege of 1G28, it had a popula¬
tion of 27,000 ; at present it contains
no more than 14,857.

Its little port is entirely enclosed by
the buildings of the town, and consists
of an outer tidal basin, and an inner
wet dock, protected by a pier, and
flanked at its entrance on either side
by the round towers of la Cliaine and
St. Nicholas, built 1418 out of the

210

Route 62 .—La Rochelle — The Siege.

Sect. III.

remains of the castle. A quay, planted
with trees, runs round the harbour,
and forms an agreeable promenade.

Its chief commerce consists in the
exportation of the brandy made in the
adjoining province of l’Aunis, the finest
in France, of wine, corn, and flour.

At low water, the remains of the
famous dyke, thrown out into the sea
by order of Richelieu during the siege
of 1628-29, and which contributed
mainly to the surrender of the town,
by interrupting all supplies and suc¬
cour from England, are distinctly
visible. This long pile of stones,
stretching for a distance of 1640 yds.
from the point of Coreille to that of
Fort Louis, was built by the engineer
Metezeau.

In the Hotel de Ville, a handsome
building in the style of the Renais¬
sance, of the time of Francis I., is
shown the chamber in which the
heroic Guiton accepted the office of
mayor on the very eve of the siege,
“on condition,” said he, “that I be
allowed to plunge into the heart of
any one who speaks of surrender the
dagger which I hold in my hand,
which I insist shall be placed on the
table of the council-chamber where we
meet, to be used against myself first,
should I be weak enough to propose-a
capitulation.” Influenced by so ob¬
stinate a spirit of resistance, the citi¬
zens held out for 14 long months
against the vast force brought against
them, commanded by Cardinal Riche¬
lieu in person, and supported by the
presence of Louis XIII. At length,
when famine, which followed the vigi¬
lant blockade established on the land
side, by throwing up lines 3 miles
long, - and by the dyke before-men¬
tioned drawn across the harbour, had
reduced the numbers of the besieged
from 27,000 to 5000, la Rochelle, the
bulwark of the Protestant cause in
France, which had remained in the
hands of the Huguenots since the first
unsuccessful siege of 1573, was yielded
up to the king, and its fortifications
levelled, except the two towers at the
mouth of the harbour. The ill success
of the two expeditions fitted out by
Charles I., whose favourite, Bucking¬

ham, contributed to the failure of the
first by his incompetence, and who
was assassinated by Felton while about
to assume the command of the second,
prepared the way for its fall. The
town never regained its previous pros¬
perity, though Protestants are still
numerous here. By its capture, Riche¬
lieu destroyed the political influence
of the Calvinists in France. The chair
of Guiton, and the council-table of
marble, are still preserved in the H.
de Ville. His house, at the Rue
Guiton, is also pointed out—a build¬
ing in the style of the Renaissance,
flanked with tourelles. Six or eight
of the old town gates remain, and the
Tour de la Lanterne, a conspicuous
structure, surmounted by a spire,
dates from 1445.

The Gothic Porte de V Horloge, whose
architecture announces it to be a work
of the 16th centy., is another relic of
the time of the siege, and there are
some old houses still standing which
must also have existed at that me¬
morable event, when streets and
houses were rendered infected by the
dead bodies too numerous for the
living to bury. Such was the extreme
misery to which the inhabitants were
reduced, that one of them declared
that for a whole week he had kept his
child alive solely by blood drawn from
his own body. One of the articles of
capitulation was, that the invincible
Guiton should continue in the office of
mayor, retaining all his dignities : lie
is lost sight of, how r ever, after the
siege.

The town was again fortified by
Vauban in the reign of Louis XIV.
The tower of the church of St. Sau-
veur, the loftiest in the place, now
used as a shot-tower, commands from
its top a view embracing the lies de
Re, whose town, St. Martin, resisted
all the efforts of the English under
Buckingham to capture it, 1628 ; and
of Oldron, a long, low bank of land,
separated from Re by a strait called
Pertuis d’Antioche. Still nearer, not
2 m. off the shore, is the lie d’Aix,
opposite the mouth of the Charente:
the fort and batteries upon it, defend¬
ing the entrance of the roads, were

211

Sect. III. Route 62.—Nantes to

captured by the English 1757, but
have been greatly strengthened since
that time. An attempt was also made,
1809, by the English, to destroy the
French fleet here by fireships, and was
partly successful, as, out of 14 vessels,
4 ran ashore and were burnt, and 2
were captured.

Some years ago a singular plague of
white ants (Termites), originally im¬
ported from India, infested the wooden
buildings of La Rochelle.

There is an Etablissement des Bains
here, situated on a fine Promenade or
Mall, a grove of trees stretching along
the shore ; nice gardens are attached.
Much salt is made near the town, by
evaporating the sea-water.

A steamer plies daily between La
Rochelle and Tile de Re.

Rochelle is the birthplace of Reau¬
mur, inventor of the thermometric
scale named after him, and of Billaud
Yarennes, member of the National
Convention.

Coaches to Paris by Poitiers daily ;

-—5 times a day to Rochefort.

An uninteresting tract of flat marshy
land intervenes between Rochelle and
Rochefort. Near the village of Pass¬
age stood an ancient town, Chatelaillon,
which preceded La Rochelle, and has
long since disappeared, owing to en¬
croachments of the sea.

14 Trois Canons.

17 Rochefort {Inns: H. des Etran-
gers ; H. Grand Bacha), a fortress of
4th rank, but standing third in im¬
portance among the naval arsenals of
France, is built on the rt. bank of the
Charente, about 10 m. from its junc¬
tion with the sea, and contains 15,911
Inhab. The river is deep enough to
float vessels of the lai’gest size abreast
of the town, having 20 ft. water at
ebb, and 40 ft. at the highest tides,
and five forts at its mouth protect the
dockyard from hostile approach. Its
position is well chosen, owing to its
vicinity to the roadstead formed at the
embouchure of the Charente, by the
protection of the islands of Re, Oleron,
and Aix. In order further to defend
the roadstead, a fort is being con¬
structed at their mouth, on a sand¬
bank called the Boyard, between the

Bordeaux — Rochefort.

He d’Aix and lie d’Oleron ; and a
million of francs was voted for the
purpose 1840. Rochefort is quite a
modern town, founded in 1644 for the
establishment of a dockyard by Louis
XIV., or rather by his wise minister
Colbert, who saw the necessity for a
second port and arsenal on the ocean
besides Brest. Its streets are built at
right angles, and the only buildings of
consequence are those connected with
the Port Militaire or Dockyard. Ad¬
mission is given by the Major de la
Marine, on application of the British
consul, and on exhibition of the pass¬
port. Among the vessels on the stocks
are several large war-steamers ; the
model-room contains some curiosities.
To describe the sailmakers’ shops,
the cable-twisting loft, the workshops
whose machinery is set in motion by
a steam-engine, would be nearly to
repeat what has been said of Brest and
Cherbourg. The only novelty to an
Englishman, acquainted with the Bri¬
tish dockyards, will be the Bagne, or
convict prison, capable of containing
2200 formats, but occupied by only half
that number.

The largest and most remarkable
edifice here is the Hopital de la Ma¬
rine , outside the town, consisting of
nine separate masses of building, con¬
taining 1200 beds. It is excellently
arranged, and well kept up, cleanly in
the extreme. There is a tolerable
anatomical museum attached to it.

The town was originally very un¬
healthy, owing to its low situation
among the marshes ; but these have
been drained, and fevers are become
rare. In the Grande Place is a foun¬
tain adorned with figures representing
Old Ocean shaking hands with the
Charente !

In 1809 Lord Cochrane penetrated
into the Basque Roads, between the
lie de R£ and the He d’Oleron, with
a small squadron, and burnt 5 vessels
of the French fleet destined for the
W. Indies, he himself steering the
leading fire-ship, charged with 1500
barrels of powder and 400 shells,
through the concentrated fire of 1000
guns !

On the 3rd July, 1815, Napoleon

212

Route 62 .—Nantes to Bordeaux — Saintes. Sect. Ill

arrived at Rochefort, seeking to escape
to America, and lodged at the Prefec¬
ture ; but finding that the Bellerophon,
an English line-of-battle ship, was at
anchor in the Rade des Basques, and
that there were no possible means of
evading it, he went on board on the
15th, and sailed for England, after in
vain attempting to obtain a pledge
from Captain Maitland for safe-conduct.

A Steamer runs 4 or 5 times a-week
from Roy an, a small port on the N.
bank of the Gironde, 29 m. from
Rochefort to Bordeaux : the voyage
takes 7 hours. Coaches convey pas¬
sengers between Rochefort and Royan,
fare 4 fr. 25 c., and total to Bordeaux
8 fr. In going to Royan (a small
watering-place opposite the lighthouse
of the Tour de Cordouan [Rte. 69]),
the Charente is crossed by a ferry.
The road traverses an uninteresting
flat, only redeemed by drainage from
the state of a pestilential marsh, called
Les Marennes.

A Steamer ascends the Charente to
Saintes (35 m.) every morning, return¬
ing in the afternoon: the passage takes
4 hours.

The voyage up the Charente is agree¬
able, though somewhat monotonous,
from the windings of the river and
the unvaried nature of the green flat
pasture-lands on its banks. Near to
Saintes it passes the ruined Castle of
Taillebourg, on an isolated rock, near
which St. Louis defeated the English
in 1242.

Those who travel by land from
Rochefort to Bordeaux cross the Cha¬
rente by a magnificent new suspension
bridge, in the place of the old ferry,
close under the town of Tonnay-
Charente, which Louis XIV. had fixed
upon for the site of his dockyard, a
design which was defeated by the
enormous demands of its owners for
the purchase of the ground. The
Gothic Castle, having a park and gar¬
dens attached to it, is the ancient seat
of the family of Mortemart. A great
quantity of brandy is exported from
hence, almost all the vineyards on the
banks of the Charente being cultivated
for the manufacture of eau-de-vie (see
p. 213) : 6000 casks, a large part

of the produce of Cognac, is annually
shipped here for England.

11 St. Hypolite.

13 St. Porchaire.

On the 1. bank of the Charente
stands

14 Saintes (Inns: H. du Bateau h,
Vapeur ; best and very good), for¬
merly capital of the province Saint-
onge: it betrays in its name the anti¬
quity of its origin, as chief city of the
Santones, and has many traces to prove
its importance under Roman rule.

The principal and best preserved
ancient monument is the Soman Arch
of Triumph, upon the bridge over the
Charente, serving for a principal en¬
trance into the town, constructed of
a coarse limestone, originally very
plain, and now, after the lapse of
ages, much injured by the weather,
which has rounded the angles of the
stone, and converted the joints of the
masonry into gaps. It is a heavy pile
of masonry, pierced by two arches,
and destitute of all architectural
beauty, 38 ft. high. Five inscriptions
upon it, now half effaced, record that
it was raised (in the reign of Nero)
to the memory of Germanicus, of
Tiberius his uncle, and of Drusus his
father, by Caius Julius Rufus, priest
of Roma and Augustus. It was saved
from destruction in 1665 by Blondel
the architect, who at that time rebuilt
the bridge; and it was repaired in
1844, when the arch was pulled down,
but the separate stones were marked
for re-erection. It is said to have
been built originally on dry land, and
that the river has since altered its
bed, and isolated the arch; but this
seems doubtful.

There are also considerable remains
of a Roman Amphitheatre, near the
church of St. Eutrope, in the fau¬
bourg. Though nearly equal in size
to the grand circus of Nismes, it is
very inferior in an architectural point
of view, being built of small stones
squared, and destitute of ornament,
and it is now reduced to a few frac¬
tured vaults and arches. The oval of
the arena measures 70 ft. in its great¬
est length, and 57 ft. in width. The
dens destined for the wild beasts still

Sect. III.

Route 64.— Tours to Libourne.

213

remain, and there are fragments of an
aqueduct, contrived, it is supposed,
to convert the arena into a naumachia
for aquatic spectacles. (?) Many an¬
tique fragments, capitals, inscriptions,
sarcophagi, &c., are preserved in the
garden of the sous-pr^fecture. Such
are the few traces of the former mag¬
nificence of the ancient Mediolanum
Santonum , one of the most important
cities of Aquitaine.

The Ch. of St. Eutrope is a structure
of the 11th centy. : its huge crypt is
the most curious part of it; some of
the capitals of columns have quaint
carvings. The spire was built in the
15tli centy.

The detached tower of the Cathedral,
a fine Flamboyant structure, conspi¬
cuous from the pinnacles which sur¬
mount it, occupies the site of the
church built by Charlemagne in fulfil¬
ment of the vow of his father Pepin,
after defeating on this spot Gaiffre Due
of Aquitaine. The portal is ancient.

The public Library contains FenA
lon’s Bible, with notes in his own hand.

The population of Saintes amounts
to 11,000. The Charente is here a
tidal river, but navigable only for
barges. Much eau-de-vie is sent down
to the sea for exportation.

[About 18 m. to the E. higher up
the river, on the road to Angouleme, is
the town of Cognac {Inn: H. d’Orleans,
poor outside, very comfortable, but
dear), which gives its name to the best
brandy in France, produced from vine¬
yards in its vicinity, and along the
banks of the river near Jarnac and
Angouleme (Rte. 64), in the department
of La Charente. The quantity pro¬
duced annually does not exceed 6000
butts (tiergons), but the number sold
under the name “les fines Cham¬
pagnes,” by which the best quality is
distinguished, exceeds 15,000 butts.
Cognac contains numerous distilleries,
and is the staple place for the brandy
produced in the surrounding districts.
The vines cultivated for its manu¬
facture are allowed to grow to greater
luxuriance than those used for wine¬
making, and run along the ground,
whence they acquire strength, while
the earthy flavour which is inseparable

from wine produced from creeping
vines is dissipated in the process of
distillation.

Francis I. was born at Cognac, while
his mother Louise de Savoie, Duchesge
d’Angouleme, was residing in the
castle; but, according to tradition, he
first saw the light under an elm-tree,
where his mother was unexpectedly
brought to bed. A stone now marks
the spot.]

A Diligence runs from Saintes to
Mortagne on the Garonne, to meet the
steamer to Bordeaux.

The road frorq Saintes to Bordeaux
is carried through

12 La Jard.

9 Pons, a town of 4000 Inhab., pic¬
turesquely seated on the 1. bank of
the Seugne. Its castle, distinguished
by a keep-tower, 100 ft. high, built in
the 11th century, is now a prison.
Theodore Agrippa d’Aubigne, grand¬
father of Madame de Maintenon, and
a favourite of Henri IV., was a native
of Pons.

11 St. Genis.

12 Mirambeau.

17 Etauliers, Dept, de la Gironde.

The road reaches the banks of the
Gironde at

13 Blaye, described in Rte. 69.

Steamers ply daily between Blaye

and Bordeaux.

15 Graviers. There is a direct road
from Etauliers to Graviers, avoiding
the detour by Blaye round two sides
of a triangle; but not long since this
road was impracticable for carriages
for want of repair.

14 Cubsac is on the high road from
Paris to Bordeaux. (Rte. 64.)

11 Bordeaux. } ( Rte *

ROUTE 64.

TOURS TO LIBOURNE AND BORDEAUX,
BY POITIERS AND ANGOULEME RAIL¬
WAY.

kilom. = Eng. m.

Railway. Tours to Poitiers—101
kilom. = 60 Eng. m. —was opened
July 1851.

Angouleme to Bordeaux—183 kilom.
= 83 Eng. m.—will be finished 1852.

214 Route 64.— Tours to Lxbourne — Chdtellerault, Sect. III.

Meanwhile the Malleposte and Dili¬
gences run daily.

This railway in the first part of its
course crosses 4 or 5 rivers, tributaries
of the Loire, in succession, on via¬
ducts, and the ridges separating their
respective valleys in deep cuttings.
Soon after quitting Tours it passes the
Cher on a bridge of 6 arches, 590 ft.
long; next it is carried over the valley
of the Indre on a long viaduct of 59
arches, 30 ft. span, 65 ft. high, 2624
ft. long.

A monotonous avenue, 2£ m. long,
leads out of Tours .across the Cher,
and the rich green pastures bordering
on it. At the end of the vista stands
the Chateau de Grammont, once belong¬
ing to the Archbp. of Tours.

Villeperdue Stat.

13 Montbazon Stat., a small town,
with a castle on a rock. A little
beyond

7 Sorigny you pass on the 1. the
Chapel of St. Catherine de Fierhois,
whither Joan of Arc sent from Chinon
to fetch the sacred sword, “ marked
with 5 crosses, lying in a vault,” which
she afterwards bore in all her battles.
She had previously passed through the
village, however, on her journey from
Lorraine to Chinon, and had doubtless
then remarked the weapon ; but the
vulgar belief attributed its discovery
to divine inspiration. Near this a
handsome modern Gothic chateau has
been built, 1850, by the Marquis de
Lussac.

14 Ste. Maure Stat: here a road to
Chinon branches off. (See p. 193.)

The river Creuse is crossed at

Port-de-Piles Stat., about ^ m. above
its junction with the Vienne. Higher
up, on the rt. bank of the Creuse, and
3 m. to the 1. of our road, is the
village of La Haye, the birthplace of
the philosopher Descartes. The
house in which he was born (1596)
is preserved.

[About 7 m. S. of La Haye, also
on the Creuse, is the Chateau de
Guerche, built by Charles VII. for
Agnes Sorel, his mistress, where she
resided when the king was at Loches,
and where he used to visit her on his
way to and from the chace in the

neighbouring forest. It is a massy
pile, rising 100 ft. above the water¬
side, flanked by 4 towers at the angles.
It retains in its interior some traces
of fresco painting, and the punning
initials of his mistress’s name, an A
over L ( A-Sur-Elle ). In the chapel is
placed a statue of Agnes.]

16 Les Ormes Stat., on the Vienne.
—The chateau belongs to the family
d’Argenson.

The railroad runs parallel with the
Vienne, through

Dang6, and

12 Ingrande Stat.

7 Chdtellerault Stat. ( Inns: H. de
l’Esp^rance, good; Tete Noire, fair
dining-place), a smoky town of mean
houses, on the rt. bank of the Vienne,
is one of the chief seats of the Manu¬
facture of Cutlery in France, which
gives employment to about 600 fami¬
lies, out of its 9437'Inhab., who work
for large houses. There is also a royal
manufactory of swords and bayonets
(armes blanches), established 1820.
No sooner does the traveller’s carriage
stop here than he is assailed by a
host of women plaguing him to pur¬
chase knives, scissors, &c., mounting
upon chairs to force them in at the
window.

The Duchy of Chdtellerault was
bestowed by Henri II. upon James
Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, Regent
of Scotland, 1548, to induce him to
consent to the projected match between
his ward, the infant Queen Mary, and
the Dauphin Francis. The duchy was
forfeited to the crown, and has never
been restored.

On quitting the town, the Vienne
(which is navigable for a short distance
higher up) is crossed; and a portion of
a gateway flanked by turrets, erected
by the Due de Sully, is passed at its
extremity.

8 Barres de Nintiri Stat.

5 La Tricherie Stat.

8 Clain Stat. For the last 3 stages
the road has continued to ascend the
valley of the Clain. That stream
traverses a rocky and wooded ravine,
of much picturesque beauty, before
arriving at

12 Poitiers Station. — Inns: H. de

Sect. III.

Route 64.— Poitiers — Cathedral .

215

France; bed 2 fr., dinner^fr., tea 1 fr.,
coffee 15 sous;—Trois Piliers.

Poitiers, the capital of ancient
Poitou, an early possession of the
kings of England, who were its dukes
down to the time of Charles V. (1371),
stands on a rounded eminence of con¬
siderable height, the summit of which
is occupied by the Prefecture and
Palais de Justice. From this its
streets sweep down in steep slopes, or
curve, in winding mazes, to the small
river Clain, which encompasses nearly
f of its circuit, while the smaller
river Boivre encircles another part, so
that they formed, in ancient times, a
sort of natural fosse round its ramparts,
now almost entirely swept away by
town - council improvements. The
number of inhabitants is 23,128, but
it has neither commerce nor manu¬
facture of any great importance, as
might indeed be surmised from its
dull and empty streets, excepting the
market-place, which is a scene of much
bustle and densely crowded.

It has an Ecole de Droit, numbering
between 200 and 300 students, but of
greater celebrity in former times than
at present. Lord Bacon in his youth
studied here. The town still contains
more than a dozen nunneries, chiefly
serving as boarding-schools for the
education of young females.

The curiosities of Poitiers are chiefly
of an antiquarian nature. It possesses
a remarkably large number of churches,
all more or less interesting to the lover
of architecture and antiquity,—and, as
some of them date from a very early
period, and others were commenced
later, and continued down to compa¬
ratively modern times, they form a
very instructive series by which to
study the progress and change of style
in building.

Notre Dame de Poitiers, in the
market-place, nearly opposite the Ecole
de Droit, presents, a remarkable ex¬
ample of the florid Romanesque style
in its W. fa§ade, which is nearly
covered with sculpture from top to
bottom. It rests on a triple arcade;
the central arch forming the entrance
being circular, the two side arches
pointed, but all decorated with mould¬

ings and capitals of the same character
of richness and singularity. The rest
of the fa§ade, on each side of a tall
window, is occupied by arcades filled
with statues and bas-reliefs; and the
usual pointed oval frame (vescica
piscis) within the gable contains 2
statues. The whole is flanked by
2 round turrets. The probable date
of this facade is the middle of the 12th
centy.

The interior is of a more severe
style: it has an apsidal E. end, with
circular arches and hooped vaulting,
except the side chapels, one of which,
in the S. aisle, an addition in the florid
style of the 15th centy., contains a
rich recess to include a somewhat
grotesque group of sculpture meant
to represent the Entombment.

The Salle des Pas Perdus, attached
to the Palais de Justice, which origin¬
ally formed part of the palace of the
Comtes de Poitou, is a vast hall, with
an open wooden roof; its walls are
decorated with arcades, circular on
one side and pointed on the other,
yet both perhaps nearly of the same
date, the 12th centy. The front, re¬
cently thrown open, is said to have
been built by Comte Jean de Berry.

The Cathedral, dedicated to St.
Peter, is said to have been founded
by Henry II. of England. The 2
towers, similar in style, but unequal
in size,—the semicircular 1ST. doorway,
in which the capitals of the pillars
are human figures, stiff, but good in
style,—and a large part of the body
of the building, whose round and
pointed arches are intermixed, as in
the Salle de Justice,—may possibly
be of Henry’s time.

The building is divided into 3 aisles,
the central one being much the widest.
The piers, composed of 4 engaged
shafts, surmounted by sharply-cut
capitals, are very elegant. There are
several painted windows, and a fine
rose at the W. end, hid, internally, by
the organ. Very solid buttresses sup¬
port the walls and roof.

A little way behind the E. end of
the cathedral stands the Ch. of St. Rade-
qonde; the lower part of whose elegant
Byzantine tower, though masked by a

216

Route 64.— Poitiers -

florid porch, is probably of tlie 11th
centy., as well as the white marble
benitier, shaped like a horse-trough,
within it. Above it is a curious niche,
containing the statue of a saint. The
Romanesque choir is raised upon a very
old crypt, perhaps older than any part
of the upper structure, partly cut out
of the rock. In this is deposited the
black marble Coffln of St. Raclegonde,
resorted to, in the month of August,
by thousands of pilgrims, chiefly of the
lower orders, who throng the low
vault to kiss the worn marble Sar¬
cophagus (on which some curious orna¬
ments of an early age may be dis¬
cerned), and to bring their sick children
to be cured. The saint’s empty coffin,
it appears, still retains the virtue of
healing possessed by her body, before
it was burnt by the ruthless Hugue¬
nots in 1562. In the S. wall of the
nave is a small chapel, fenced with
iron bars, called “ Le Pas de Dieu ,”
because it contains the stone impressed
by the footmark of our Saviour, who
here appeared to St. Radegonde, ac¬
cording to the legend! It is covered
over by an iron case to protect it.
Part of the internal decorations of this
ch. are, like the porch, of the 15th
centy., and some of the sculpture
is by no means appropriate to a
church.

The building called the Temple de
St. Jean, now converted into a Musee,
and previously a church, is, next to
the Roman Circus, the oldest edifice
in Poitiers, and one of the oldest
Christian monuments in France; on
which account, as well as from the
style of its architecture, it deserves
particwiar attention from those who
take an interest in antiquities.

It is an oblong building, measuring
about 40 ft. by 25, its greatest length
being from E. to W., and its walls on
these sides terminating in obtuse
gables. The masonry is very neat;
and on 3 of the walls, inside as well
as out, a sort of arcade is introduced,
consisting of a circular arch, flanked
and surmounted by small triangles re¬
sembling pediments. This debased
style of building, arising from want of
skill in the architects, and of funds in

-Temple de St. Jean. Sect. III.

the founders, ^followed the Roman, at
the fall of the Empire, and preceded
the Romanesque, and it is probable,
therefore, that the Temple de St. Jean
dates from the 6th or 7th centy. It
appears to have been a Baptistery,
judging from the well in the centre of
its floor, about 8 ft. deep, having a
pipe running obliquely into it. The
style of construction is decidedly post-
Roman.

To convert it into a ch., a semi¬
circular apse was thrown out from the
E. wall, and a sort of porch was raised
before the W. The style of building
in these alterations denotes a date
probably not later than the 10th
centy. ; and the curious frescoes, still
visible on the inner walls, are perhaps
nearly as old. The bull’s-eye windows
by which it is lighted were originally
round-headed windows, the lower part
of which has been bricked up. This
edifice was condemned, a few years
ago, by the municipal authorities, to
be pulled down, because it stood in the
way of the road to Limoges. Luckily
there were found in Poitiers some ad¬
mirers of ancient art to save it from
destruction.

The antiquities deposited within con¬
sist chiefly of broken fragments of
Roman sculpture and architecture ; a
mile-stone of the age of Alexander
Severus, and some inscriptions; also a
curious Byzantine bas-relief represent¬
ing St. Hilarius.

The following churches deserve the
notice of the antiquary and architect,
in addition to those already mentioned.
St. Hilaire, finished 1049, has lost a
portion of its nave. The apsidal choir
rests on 7 lofty columnar piers. The
Ch. of Moutiersneuf is also Roman¬
esque, but has been much restored
since the Revolution. St. For chair e has
a curious portal with bas-reliefs.

In the Public Library are some fine
illuminated MSS.

The Romans have left traces of their
settlement here, on the site of Gaulic
Limonum, a city of the Pictavi, in
the remains of an Amphitheatre, which
is best approached through the Inn
called Hotel d’Evreux. At the back
of the stable-yard is a tolerably per-

Sect. III.

Route 64.— Poitiers — Battle .

217

feet wedge-shaped vault, now filled with
hay; and leading to it, a part of the
vaulted corridor which ran round the
building on the ground-floor. The
oval interior of the Circus is now con¬
verted into the inn garden, and some
houses have been built upon the sloping
constructions around it which formerly
supported the rows of benches. There
is no doubt that other vaults and corri¬
dors remain under them. The hard¬
ness and regularity of the masonry,
in the portions of the wall exposed to
view, are such as characterise all
Roman constructions.

The town of Poitiers is surrounded
by narrow valleys or ravines on all
sides but the S.W., where a neck of
land connects it with the high ridge
whose extremity it occupies. In
ancient times the town was defended
on this side by strong walls and a
deep ditch dug across the isthmus.
The space immediately within these
walls is now converted into a Prome¬
nade, called de Blossac, from an
intendant of the province in the last
centy. It would be a very agreeable
walk were it only kept clean, for the
terraces, resting on the foundations
of the old walls, command a pleasing
view into the deep valley of the Clain
below.

The Bains du Belvedere, not far from
this walk, are comfortable, and the
charge moderate.

From the heights on the rt. bank
of the Clain there is a very good view
of the picturesque town of Poitiers,
but no path runs along them. The
writer of this took an agreeable but
scrambling walk, issuing out of Poi¬
tiers by the Paris gate, crossing the
bridge over the Clain, then ascending
through vineyards behind the Fau¬
bourg, and keeping along the edge
of the cliff as far as the road to Li¬
moges, where he recrossed tbe Clain
by another bridge, at the back of St.
Radegonde.

About 1^ m. out of the town, a
little to the 1. of the road to Limoges,
on a height, is a Dolmen, or Druidic
monument, called Pierre Levde. It
is a block of calcareous sandstone,
about 13 ft. long and 3 thick, resting

France .

at one end upon upright stones, but
at the other deprived of its support.
Rabelais attributes its erection to Pan-
tagruel, “pour le divertissement des
escholiers de 1’University.”

At about an equal distance from the
town, in another direction, a little to
the 1. of the road to Angouleme, are
remains of a Roman Aqueduct, which
supplied water to the town^mcl circus.
4 or 5 of its arches are still tolerably
perfect, but they are neither imposing
nor very ornamental.

Poitiers is historically very cele¬
brated. The invading tide of the
Saracenic hordes penetrated in the
8th centy. thus far into W. Europe,
at a moment when the fate of Christi¬
anity seemed trembling in the scale.
At that epoch, having already con¬
quered Spain, they poured through
the defiles of the Pyrenees, overspread
Aquitaine, advanced up to the walls
of Poitiers under their famed chief
Abdelrahmen, and burned the Ch.
of St. Hilaire to the ground. They
were even threatening to pass the
Loire, when they were met, some¬
where between Poitiers and Tours,
by Charles Martel, in 732. This con¬
test between the E. and the W., be¬
tween the Gospel and the Koran,
ended in the defeat of the Saracens,
300,000 of whom, it is said, but on
the doubtful authority of a single
chronicler, were left dead on the field;
and the remnant retired, never more
to trouble Christendom in the W.
The site of the battle-field has never
been exactly ascertained, and no dis¬
covery of bones has been made, which
would surely mark the scene of so
enormous a slaughter. At an earlier
period (507) the plains of Poitiers had
been the scene of the defeat of Alaric
King of the Visigoths, by Clovis.

Poitiers is distinguished in English
history by the signal victory gained
under its walls, in 1356, by the army
of the Black Prince, consisting of
English and Gascons, who early in
that year had invaded the S. of France,
and spread desolation through Langue¬
doc, Limousin, and Auvergne, as far
as the gates of Bourges in Berry. The
prince’s whole force did not exceed

218

Route 64.— Poitiers — Rattle — Civray.

Sect. III.

12,000 or 14,000 men, ancl the expedi¬
tion had no other design than that of
a foray to “harry” the fair fields of
France. On his way back to Bordeaux,
however, suddenly and unexpectedly,
on 9th September, he encountered the
army of John King of France, amount¬
ing to 60,000 men, of whose vicinity,
and even of their march to meet him,
he had bean entirely ignorant.

“God help us,” said the prince,
“we must now consider how we can
best fight them.” The Pope’s Legate,
Cardinal Talleyrand, assuming the
office of peacemaker, in vain endea¬
voured to prevent the impending strife
and bloodshed; even Edwai’d himself
offered to acquiesce in any reasonable
terms, consistent with his honour, to
be permitted to go free. He offered
to give up all the towns and castles he
had taken, together with the prisoners,
and not to bear arms against the French
king for the space of 7 years. The
French, however, confident in num¬
bers, would listen to no conditions but
the surrender of the Black Prince and
100 of his principal knights. The
result is well known. The English
owed the success of the day, under
Providence, to their well-chosen posi-
tion, to the deadly and skilfully aimed
arrows of their yeomen, which availed
more than the lances of their knights,
and to the stout hearts of their
leaders, the Black Prince and Lord
Chandos, and of all the English under
them.

On that fatal day France beheld
the flower of her chivalry laid low,
while her king, John, was led into
captivity. The noble dead were buried
by the townsfolk in the churches of
the Cordeliers and Jacobins within the
town. The field of battle, fixed by
Froissart on a spot which he calls
Maupertuis, a name now lost in the
country, is proved, by old records, in
which it is frequently mentioned, to
have been situated between the com-
mandery of Beauvoir and the Abbey of
Nouaille, near the road to La Rochelle.

Diligences .—Daily to Bordeaux; to
Limoges; to Rochefort (Rte. 62); to
Nantes (Rte. 60); Niort, Les Sables,
Chateauroux, Civray.

The Railway from Poitiers to Angou-
leme is begun at several points, but
will not be completed for some time
(1852).

The road from Poitiers to Angou-
leme possesses little interest. Shortly
after quitting Poitiers, by the neck
of land bounded by the Clain valley
on the 1., it passes on the 1. the road
leading to the Roman Aqueduct (p.
217), and at a short distance on the
rt. that to Saintes and Rochefort (Rte.
62).

7 Croutelle.

12 Yivonne.

8 Minieres.

8 Couhe.

11 Chaunai.

8 Maisons Blanches.

[ Civray, 2 leagues E. of this, contains
a Romanesque Ch. whose fa§ade is
curiously ornamented with sculptures,
including signs of the zodiac, some¬
what like Notre Dame at Poitiers,
but dating probably from the early
part of the 12th centy. At Charroux,
8 m. farther off, are remains of an
Abbey, now reduced to a tower about
80 ft. high, rising from 2 circular
arcades, one above the other, supported
by piers formed of bundles of shafts.
This was originally the central tower
of a very curious ch., consisting of a
circular choir, preceded by a rectangu¬
lar nave: but all the rest is destroyed.
The abbey was founded by Charle¬
magne, but these ruins are not older
than the 11th or 12th centy.

A few m. N. E. of Civray is Geu§ay
(H. du Lion d’Or) where there is a
very fine and picturesque Castle of the
12th or 13tli centy., finely situated,
and the walls in good preservation.
And near it is the Ch. of St. Maurice,
a fine Romanesque structure, central
tower, apsidal chapels, and the other
usual features of a fine ch. of the 12th
centy.]

12 Ruffec .—Inns : H. des Ambas-
sadeurs; the pates de perdrix aux
truffes unrivalled.— Ld. B. Poste,
very good.

"6 Les Negres. At

11 Mansle the river Chai’ente is
crossed.

14 Churet.

Sect. III.

Route 64.— Angouleme — Castle,

219

The towers of the cathedral and
castle of Angouleme are espied 10 m.
off. The cultivation of the vine now
becomes general. The wines produced
about Angouleme and along the bor¬
ders of the Charente are of inferior
quality, but fit for converting into
brandy. The picturesque and broad
valley of the Touvres is entered, and
that stream is crossed at Pontoux.

[A few miles up this stream is the
Royal cannon-foundry of Ruelle; char¬
coal is exclusively employed as the
fuel for the smelting furnaces, and is
abundantly supplied by the neighbour¬
ing forests.

Farther on, in the same direction,
is La Rochefoucauld, whose castle was
the ancient residence of the family
of that name, its most noted scion
being Fran§ois, author of the cele¬
brated ‘Maximes.’ It escaped destruc¬
tion at the Revolution, and still be¬
longs to the same family, though no
longer inhabited by them. It is a
huge pile, flanked by round, cone-
roofed towers at the angles, forming
3 sides of a square, and, with the
exception of the antique donjon, was
erected, 1527, by Antoine Fontan, in
the style of the Renaissance. A
range of arcades serves as a passage
along the inner fa§ade, and a curious
and richly ornamented spiral stone
staircase leads to the upper stories.
Below the castle are very extensive
Caves, not now entered, which served
as a refuge to the Huguenots in the
wars of Religion. There are similar
natural caverns all along the valley of
the Tardonere, the largest of which,
les Grottes de Rancogne, are about
3 m. above La Rochefoucauld. They
are traversed by a streamlet, and con¬
tain some stalactites.]

The approach to Angouleme lies
through the long suburb de l’Hou-
meau (in which is the Poste aux
Chevaux), and it is not necessary to
enter the town at all, in proceeding
to Bordeaux, unless you intend to
stop here, but the inns are in the
upper tow r n. A very steep ascent leads
from l’Houmeau into

11 Angouleme.—Inns: La Poste,

good; the landlord’s pdt^s of foies de

canards, famous; the cuisine excellent;
—H. des Etrangers, diligence-house ;
—Croix d’Or, on the road, at the foot
of the hill, good but dear.— J. H. P.

Angouleme, the ancient capital of
the Angoumois, now of the Dept, -de
la Charente, occupies a situation, not
unlike that of Poitiers, on the top of a
high hill, terraced round with remains
of the ancient ramparts above, wdiile
below it is nearly encircled by the
course of the Charente, and by another
small stream falling into it. The town
is distinguished by far more life, in¬
dustry, and trade, than Poitiers, and
possesses, with its suburbs, a popula¬
tion of 17,000 Inhab. Though planted
on the top of an isolated hill, more
than 200 ft. above the Charente, it is
most abundantly supplied with foun¬
tains of fresh water, pumped up by
machinery recently established. Its
houses, being of a very white stone,
easily cut, have a cheerful appearance:
it has many new streets and a few old
buildings. Its most pleasing features,
however, are the series of Terrace-walks
running round it, in the place of the
old ramparts, and commanding a charm¬
ing view of the industrious valley deep
below, of the winding Charente fringed
with verdure, of the suburbs, and the
paper-mills on the river banks, which
furnish the staple article of manufac¬
ture here. By far the finest portion of
these terraces is the Promenade Beaulieu •
and a series of walks and shrubberies
extend down the slopes below it to¬
wards the bottom of the valley. In
the midst of them stands a column de¬
dicated, by pi'ecipitate loyalty, to the
Duchesse d’Angouleme in 1815, re¬
dedicated, since 1830, “ h la Liberte.”

In the irregular Place, serving for
the market, in the centre of the town,
stands the old Castle, distinguished by
its 3 picturesque feudal towers and
tall donjon, now converted into a pri¬
son, and surmounted by the telegraph.
It contains a number of vaulted apart¬
ments, but possesses nothing of in¬
terest, save the recollection that it was
the residence of the ancient Counts of
Angouleme; that Marguerite de Valois,
Queen of Navarre, was born in it,—the
most accomplished princess of her day,

I. 2

220

Route 64.— Angoidenie —■ Cathedral.

Sect. Ill

“ La Marguerite des Marguerites/’ as
lier brother Francois I. called her; and
that its walls gave shelter to Marie de
Medicis. She retired hither, after her
husband’s assassination, under the pro¬
tection of the Due cl’Epernon, governor
of the Angoumois, who has been sus¬
pected of being the accomplice of Ra-
vaillac; while the queen-mother herself
is not free from suspicion—“ The death
of Henry did not sufficiently surprise
her.”

The Cathedral is rather a curious
than a beautiful edifice, in the Roman¬
esque style, rebuilt from its founda¬
tions in 1120. It suffered at the Revo¬
lution; and till very lately bore over
its frontispiece the ill-effaced inscrip¬
tion, “ Temple de la Raison,” set over
it at that period. It is surmounted
by a fine tall tower, of 6 rows of semi¬
circular arcades, rising on the N. side.
The W. front is in the style of the
churches of Italy; almost the whole
space being divided by circular arcades,
resting on elegant columns, enclosing
statues much mutilated, surmounted
in the pediment by a statue of the
Saviour (once supposed to be Jupiter),
surrounded by the attributes of the 4
Evangelists. The nave has no side
aisles, and its roof is formed of 3
vaulted cupolas, a style of construction
not known to the N. of the Loire. At
the cross rises an octagonal tower. The
choir ends in an apse. Numerous ad¬
ditions and repairs were made to the
interior, after the barbarous devasta¬
tions committed by the Huguenots in
1562 and 1568.

Among modern buildings, the Palais
de Justice is by no means contemptible.
In the attic has been placed the public
Library, containing 14,000 vols., and a
small collection of Natural History.

Outside the town, to the N., in the
escarped rock below the ramparts, is
the Grotte de St. Cybard, a holy hermit,
whose real name was Eparchus, who
occupied it as his cell, and died here
in the 6th century. By the sanctity
of his life he caused the foundation of
a ch. and monastery, which extended
from the cave to the Charente, and was
once much frequented by devout pil¬
grims, but both are now swept away.

In the grotto, which Charlemagne him¬
self approached on bended knees in
order to perform his devotions, mass
was said daily down to the time of the
Revolution. This oldest Christian
monument in Angouleme is respected
by its present owner, but no longer
serves as a church.

Ausonius makes mention of this
town under the name Iculisma , fanci¬
fully derived from “In collis summa,”
and gradually softened down, as some
conjecture, into the modern Angou¬
leme.

Angouleme and the surrounding pro¬
vince were governed, from the 8th cent,
down to 1303, when they were united
to France, by a long line of indepen¬
dent counts, 19 in number; first of
the race of Taillefer, and, after 1180,
of the house of Lusignan. It also be¬
longed to the English, and was some
time the residence of the Black Prince
after the battle of Poitiers, 1360. One
of the town gates, not pulled down
until 1808, was named Porte de Chandos,
from the brave English knight who
built it, while Constable of Aquitaine
for Edward III. A house in the Rue
de Geneve is pointed out as that in¬
habited by Calvin, who sought refuge
here 1533, and taught Greek to main¬
tain himself. The Place de Murier
receives its name from a mulbei’ry-tree
which stood in the midst of it while it
was the convent garden of the Jacobins.
During the outrages committed by
the Calvinist soldiery 1562, when they
captured and sacked the town, the
monk Michel Grillet was hung to its
boughs, in the presence of the Ad¬
miral Coligny, whose death he is said
to have foretold with his dying words,
saying, “You shall be thrown out of
the window, like Jezebel, and shall
be ignominiously dragged through the
streets.”

Among the remarkable persons na¬
tives of this place are Ravaillac, the
assassin of Henri IY. ; Poltrot, who
shot the Due de Guise le BalaftA, be¬
fore the walls of Orleans ; and Monta-
lembert, the inventor of a system of
fortification.

The Naval School, established here
at the suggestion of the Due d’Angou-

Sect. III. Route 64 .—-Tours to Bordeaux — Cubsac .

221

leme 1816, was suppressed 1830, and
transferred to Brest, and the building
in the Faubourg l’Houmeau still re¬
mains closed.

The manufactures of Angouleme con¬
sist of paper, made in numerous (36 ?)
mills in the neighbouring valleys, and
brandy.

Capital pates de perdrix aux truffes
are made here.

The Cliarente is navigable up to the
quay below the town. A Steamer runs
to Saintes (Rte. 62) 3 times a week.

[18f m. W. of Angouleme, on the way
to Cognac (Rte. 62), is Jarnac, where
a handful of Protestants, commanded
by the Prince de Conde, engaged the
royal army commanded by the Due
d’Anjou, doubling their force in num¬
ber, and were defeated. Conde fell,
after giving the signal for a third charge,
which he led, with one arm in a sling,
and his leg shattered. Young Henri,
Prince of Bciarn, his nephew, was a
spectator of the bloody affray, but was
not permitted to take part in it.]

The road to Bordeaux descends from
Angouleme into the valley by a series
of zigzags, under the Promenade de
Beaulieu. About the middle of the
stage the ruins of the Abbey of la Cou-
ronne are seen on the 1., in the midst
of a green valley abounding in paper-
mills. After escaping destruction at
the Revolution, it lias been demolished
for the sake of the material since 1808,
and is now reduced to a mere fragment,
including the W. front with a fine door¬
way, and part of a rose-window over it.

13 Roullet.

8 Petignac. A steep ascent.

13 Barbezieu.— Inn: Poste (Boule
d’Or) ; the only good inn between An¬
gouleme and Bordeaux : dinner in pri¬
vate, 4 francs, with wine. The high
road traverses the boulevard, or pro¬
menade, on the outskirts of this little
town of about 2500 Inhab. : it once
belonged to the Seigneurs of La Roche¬
foucauld.

7 Reignac.

7 La Graulle, in a monotonous sandy
district of heath and common.

At Clievanceau a road branches off
to Libourne. (Rte. 71.)

The Railway from Angouleme to

Bordeaux will be carried round by
Libourne (Rte. 71), in order to cross
the rivers Dordogne and Garonne.

14 La Garcle-Montlieu.

6 Cliierzac. More common and fir
plantations. In this district, and else¬
where in the S., during very tot
weather, the oxen wear coats, and the
asses are breeched, to protect them
from the flies.

13 Cavignac (Dept. Gironde).

About 1£ m. beyond the village St.
Andre the road reaches the post-
station

16 Cubsac, on the rt. bank of the
Dordogne, here a broad estuary, for¬
merly crossed in ferry-boats, in which
passengers and carriages were embarked.
The transit occupied from 4 to ^ an
hr., and was sometimes attended with
danger, and always formed a serious
interruption to the communication be¬
tween Bordeaux and the French metro¬
polis. For this disagreeable ferry an
iron-wire Suspension-bridge is now sub¬
stituted, divided into 5 curves, sup¬
ported on 6 pair of piers, consisting of
hollow open columnar shafts or towers
of cast iron. The roadway of the
bridge is raised 93 ft. above the water,
so as to allow vessels of large size to
pass under it ; and the approaches to
it, from either bank, are by a series of
lofty stilted arches, 29 in number, on
either bank, which have a striking
effect. The bridge itself has much
the appearance of the Brighton chain-
pier, and is of slight construction,
being warranted to stand no more than
40 years, it is understood. Besides
the suspending wire cables, others are
attached to the summits of the piers,
in the manner of stays or braces, to
steady them. The length of the cen¬
tral, or suspension-bridge, is 1640 ft.,
and the 29 arches, on either side,
measure 656 ft., making a total length
of 2952 ft., or more than 4 a mile : it
is 20 ft. wide. The wire bridge of
Cubsac, the longest in France, and in¬
deed in Europe, was begun 1835, and
finished 1839, at a cost of 3,000,000 fr.,
by the engineer Fortune de Vergez.

The Dordogne joins the Garonne
10 m. below this bridge, and their
united waters form the estuary called

222

Route 65.—Poitiers to Chdteauroux.

Sect. III.

the Gironde, after which the depart¬
ment is named.

The tongue of land which separates
the Dordogne from the Garonne, across
which our road lies, is a fertile district,
chiefly laid out in vineyards and corn¬
fields, and scattered over with country
seats. It is called the “ Entre Deux
Mers.”

10 Carbon Blanc.

The approach to Bordeaux is very
striking; the road is carried down from
a considerable height in gently terraced
slopes, winding round the shoulder of
the hill, overlooking the broad Garonne,
and the city of Bordeaux lining its op¬
posite concave bank. From the foot of
the hill a straight avenue, 2 m. long,
leads to the magnificent bridge, one of
the finest in Europe, consisting of 17
arches of stone, the walls and spandrels
being brick, with stone quoins, 1534 ft.
long, traversing the Garonne, from the
little suburb la Bastide to the city of
Bordeaux.

Until 1821 the Garonne was passed,
in the same manner as the Dordogne
was down to more recent times, by a
ferry; and the want of a bridge has
confined the city exclusively to the 1.
bank of the river.

A bridge of wood was begun in the
time of Napoleon, but was abandoned
soon after for one of stone, which was
completed, 1821, by a company of
shareholders, who are repaid by the
tolls during 99 years for their outlay,
which amounted to 260,000k (6^ mil¬
lions of francs). The architect was
M. Deschamps.

A vaulted passage runs under the
roadway, between it and the arches,
for the whole length of the bridge :
this gives a great height of wall be¬
tween the crown of the arches and the
parapet.

As the French are fond of comparing
this bridge with that of Waterloo, the
dimensions of both are here given in
English feet.

No. of Width

Length. W r idth. Arches, of Arch.

Bordeaux 1534 47 17 85*

Waterloo 1326 40 9 118

* Only the 7 central arches have this width,
the rest are smaller.

The view of Bordeaux from the
bridge is very striking. Opposite the
bridge stands the Porte de Bourgogne,
erected to commemorate the birth of
the Due de B., grandson of Louis XIY.

11 Bordeaux, in Rte. 73.

ROUTE 65.

POITIERS TO CHATEAUROUX, BY ST. SA¬
VIN ;—EXCURSION TO MONTMORILLON.

119 kilom. = 73^ Eng. m.

This cross-road, not much travelled,
leads to some interesting antiquities.

23 Chauvigny, a town of 1000 Inhab.,
occupies a commanding height on the
rt. bank of the Vienne. It was, in
feudal times, a strong fortress, and
still possesses the ruins of 3 distinct
Castles built on the same plan, a square
flanked by turrets. The Donjon, on the
top of the hill, shows on one side a
breach in its wall, made by a battery
of cannon in the 16th century, during
the wars of Religion, and now filled
up with bricks arranged herring-bone
fashion. One of the castles, the most
modern, probably of the 13th or 14th
century, with pointed windows, now
serves as a prison. There are many
old houses in the upper town dating
from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Church, also in the upper town,
is a very interesting Romanesque build¬
ing, decorated with all the ornaments
of Byzantine art externally, and also
within; the capitals of its columns
being carved with mermaids, monsters,
&c., as well as with Scriptural sub¬
jects.

19 St. Savin has a Church decorated
in its porch, nave, and crypt, under
the choir, with fresco paintings, repre¬
senting Scriptural subjects from the
Creation, the figures as large as life,
and tolerably well preserved. Those
in the crypt describe the legend of
St. Savin and St. Cyprien, and are of
smaller proportions. They are probably
the work of Greek or Italian artists in
the 11th, or at earliest of the 10th cen¬
tury, and are certainly very valuable as
monuments of early art. It has been
remarked, as a proof of the antiquity
or the Eastern origin of these frescoes,

Sect. III.

223

Route 66 .—Poitiers to Rochefort.

that the horsemen are represented
riding without stirrups. The whole
ch. was originally covered with paint¬
ings ; those in the choir have been
effaced by whitewash. The ch. itself
is a very ancient specimen of Roman¬
esque architecture ; it is entered by
steps leading down into it, and the W.
end seems to have been separated from
the rest, so as to form a Narthex, like
the Galilee of some English churches.
The choir and shallow transepts end in
apses.

[At Montmorillon, 12 m. S. of St.
Savin, “ in the courtyard of what was
the baronial castle, and is now a col¬
lege, there is an ancient and very
curious chapel. Originally it must
have been the domestic chapel of the
lords of the adjacent castle, doubtless
erected by them, and for their private
use. It consists of a subterraneous
crypt, which probably was the family
vault, and an octagonal chapel above
it, with a conical roof. Part of this
building is in the round style, and part
in the pointed. That part which is in
the round style may belong to the
11th cent. The pointed part cannot
be older than the 13th. But the most
remarkable feature in this building,
and that to which it owes its celebrity,
is a group of rudely sculptured figures
which occupy a recess above the door¬
way. Various explanations of this sin¬
gular group have been offered by the
learned, but none of them are satis¬
factory, and the problem is more diffi¬
cult to solve, as some of the figures
are taken from ordinary life, and some
are allegorical.”— H. G. K. The most
singular and inexplicable, perhaps, are
two female figures, the one corpulent,
having toads or scarabs hanging from
her breasts ; the other meagre, en¬
twined by serpents, and suckling them.
This Church has been repaired by the
Government. Under an arch on the
rt. is the tomb of Etienne de la Hire.
“A few miles W. of Montmorillon is
LussaclesChateaux {Inn: TroisPigeons),
where there are a small Romanesque
church, and the ruins of 2 castles, and
of a bridge which connected them, the
towers of which remain in the water,

but the arches, probably of wood, have
been destroyed. The scenery is very
picturesque; there is a cavern in the
rock.”—,/. II. P.

18 Le Blanc. The abbey of Fron-
quambant is again taken possessiorqof
by the Trappists. The fine ruined Ch.
of the 12th and 13th centuries is being
restored by them.

18 Scoury.

11 St. Gaultliier.

15 Lothiers.

15 Chateauroux. (R. 70.)

ROUTE 66.

POITIERS TO ROCHEFORT BY NIORT.

132 kilom. = 80 Eng; m.

Poitiers (in Rte. 64) to

6 Croutelle, on the road to Bor¬
deaux.

17 Lusignan on the Vonne {Inns: H.
Ste. Catherine ;—Lion d’Or) gave its
name to the noble family which rescued
Jerusalem from the Infidels and for
some time occupied its throne. The
castle was surprised and razed by the
Catholics 1574, and a public walk occu¬
pies its site. The Church, a dilapidated
building, has a curious portal, orna¬
mented with the signs of the zodiac.

14 Villedieu du Perron.

15 St. Maixent {Inn: L’Ecu de France
—extortionate), an old walled town,
5500 Inhab., on a height above the
Sevre.

10 La Creche.

13 Niort {Inns: H. du Raisin de
Bourgogne ; H. de France—good), a
modern town, chef-lieu of the Dept, of
the Deux Sevres, on the Sevre Niortaise,
22,000 Inhab.

The old Castle, surmounted by 2 keep-
towers, each flanked by 8 turrets, re¬
markable as the birthplace, or at least
the cradle, of Madame de Maintenon,
whose profligate father, Constant d’Au-
bign£, was confined in it, is now the
Maison d’Arret.

10 Frontenay.

13 Mauze.

12 Surgeres.

10 Muron.

16 Rochefort, in Rte. 62.

( 224 )

SECTION IV.

LIMOUSIN—GASCONY—GUIENNE—THE PYRENEES—NAVARRE—
BEARN—LANGUEDOC—ROUSSILLON.

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION.

§ 1. Scenery of Limousin and of the Pyrenees. § 2. Objects of interest in the
Pyrenees. § 3. Comparison with the Alps ; Forests, Gaves, Lakes, Ports or Passes,
Valleys, Cirques or Oules. § 5. A Dash into Spain. § 6. Inhabitants. §7. Cagots,
Sporting. § 9. History, the English in the Pyrenees, Froissart, the Black Prince,
Wellington. § 10. Characteristics of the chief Watering-places, the Baths.
§11. Works on the Pyrenees. § 12. Directions for Travellers, Approaches and
nearest Routes, Starting-points. § 13. Skeleton Tours. § 14. Passports, Accom¬
modations, Lnns, Conveyances, Guides, Horses, Chaises a Porteurs.

ROUTE PAGE

70 Orleans to Toulouse, by Vier-

z6n, Chateauroux, Limoges, and
Montauban (Railway) . . . 235

71 Limoges to Bordeaux, by Pe-

rigueux and Libourne . . . 249

73 The Garonne. —Toulouse to

Bordeaux, by Moissac, Agen,
Marmande .252

74 The Gironde from Bordeaux
to La Tour de Cordouan.—

Wine District of Me'doc. —•

Chateau Margaux, Lafitte, and

Latour .2G1

76 Bordeaux to Bayonne, St.

Jean de Luz, and the Spanish
Frontier.266

77 Bordeaux to Bajmnne, across

Les Grandes Landes . . . . 274

78 Bayonne to Pau, by Orthez . 276

79 Bordeaux to Audi, by Castel

Jaloux and Nercic .... 277

80 Bordeaux to Paw .... 278

82 Pau to the Spanish Frontier,

by Oloron and the Val d y Aspe. 282

83 Pau to Eaux-Bonnes and Eaux-

Chaudes.—Pic du Midi d’Os-
sau, and Spanish Baths of Pan-
ticosa .283

84 The Col de Torte. — Eaux-

Bonnes to Cauterets or Luz . 289

85 Pau to Lourdes, Cauterets,

Luz, St. Sauveur, Bareges, and
Bagneres de Bigorre. — The
Mountain Road, with Excur¬
sions to the Lac de Gaube,

ROUTE PAGE

Gavarnie, Breche de Roland,

Mont Perdu, Pic du Midi, fyc. 290

86 Bagneres de Bigorre to Bag¬
neres de Luchon. —Mountain
Road, by the Hourquette
d’Aspin, Arreau, Col de Pey-
resourde, and Vcd de V Arboust.

— Excursion to the Lac de •
Seculejo .305

87 Pau to Bagneres de Bigorre
and Bagneres de Luchon, by
Tarbes. — Post Road. —Excur¬
sions to the Val de Lys, Port

de Venasque, and Val d’ Aran . 308

90 Toulouse to Pau, by Auch and

Tarbes. 321

91 Toulouse to Bagneres de

Luchon and Bagneres de

Bigorre, by St. Gaudens . . 322

93 Toulouse to Narbonne, by

Ccircasso7ine. — Canal du Midi . 323

94 Narbonne to Perpignan, Port

Vendres, and the Spanish Fron¬
tier .326

95 St. Gaudens to Foix and Car¬
cassonne, by St. Girons . . 328

97 The E. Pyrenees. —Toulouse

to Foix and Puycerda. — The
Valley of the Ariege .— Vic-

dessos. — Andorre .329

98 The E. Pyrenees. —Perpignan
to Mont Louis and Puycerda,
by the Valleys of the Tet and
Tech .—Ascent of the Canigou 332

Pyrenees.

225

The Pyrenees —- Gavcs.

§ 1. The scenery of Limousin, through which province the following Routes
conduct the traveller to the Pyrenees, is thus described in the excellent work
of Arthur Young:—

“ In regard to the general beauty of a country, I prefer Limousin to every
other province in France. It does not depend on any particular feature, bu$ is
the result of many. Hill, dale, wood, enclosures, streams, lakes, and scattered
farms are mingled into a thousand delicious landscapes, which set off every¬
where this province.”

The length of the portion of the chain of the Pyrenees running between the
Mediterranean and the Bay of Biscay, and forming the boundary line between
France and Spain, is estimated at about 270 m. The highest parts of the chain
are near the centre, and it descends considerably towards the Mediterranean
and the Gulf of Gascony. The highest summits do not occur on the central
ridge or main chain, but on the buttresses running out from it to the S., and
therefore belong to Spain. Only one summit within the French frontier, the
Vignemale, attains an elevation of 11,000 ft., while 3 in the Spanish portion of
the chain exceed that measure. The average length of the valleys running up
from the plain to the crest of the mountains is about 36 m.

§ 2. Without doubt some of the finest scenery in France is to be found among
the Pyrenees, which, though inferior in height, and on the whole in grandeur
of scenery, number of snowy peaks, and area of crystal glaciers, to the Alps,
yet possess beauties peculiar to themselves, of which the Alps cannot boast.
The sunny atmosphere, which they owe to their more southern latitude, gives
a warmth or glow to the landscape which will in vain be sought farther to the
N. ; and this genial climate, while it banishes perpetual snow to a height of
about 9000 ft. ( i . e. 1300 ft. above the Alpine snow-line), also spreads a richness
of sylvan decorations over these mountains unparalleled in Swiss scenery.
Heights which in a more northern region would either be condemned to naked¬
ness, or to a scanty growth of lichens, are here clothed in verdure to the very
top; and precipitous rocks, elsewhere rejecting all vegetation, are tufted in
every cranny and fissure with brushwood, especially with box, which thrives
and spreads wonderfully.

But the pride and boast and chief charm of the Pyrenees are their vast
forests, the seas of undulating foliage which clothe their sides and tops, not
merely of dark monotonous fir, but oak and beech: examples of these are pre¬
sented in the upper part of the Yal d’Ossau, near Gabas, in parts of the Val
d’Argelez and Yal d’Aure. .

The meadows which carpet the lower slopes and bottom of the valleys equal
if they do not surpass those of Switzerland in intense verdure produced by irri¬
gation and sunshine, and approximate to the even surface of an English lawn;
and while the plains of Languedoc and Provence are parched into a yellow desert,
here the hues of spring are prolonged into summer and autumn, and the tra¬
veller is constantly refreshed by vernal gales.

§ 3. The brawling rivers (Gaves is the local name, derived from the same
Celtic root as our Avon) are remarkable, beyond those of almost any other
country, for their excessive purity, and for tints resembling beryl and cliryso-
prase. The waterfalls are second rate, quite inferior to those of Switzerland;
those above Cauterets are pretty, and perhaps the finest. That of Gavarnie,
the loftiest in Europe but one (in Norway), though 1300 ft. high, is a mere
thread of water. Lakes are almost entirely wanting, and here the inferiority
of the Pyrenean mountains to those of Switzerland is most decided. The Lacs
de Gaube, of Seculeijo (or Lac d’Oo), and the Lac Bleu, though very interesting
from the adjuncts of scenery, precipices, and streamlets dashing into them, are
mere mountain tarns, yet they are the finest and almost the only sheets of
water.

The chain of the Pyrenees has in a considerable degree the character of a

l 3

226

Sect. IV.

The Pyrenees—A Dash into Spain.

vast wall drawn from sea to sea, inasmuch as it preserves an almost unvarying
ridge, notched by frequent passes or cols, rarely more than 1000 ft. lower than
the summit of the crest which surmounts them. The consequence is, that the
passes leading across the chain are generally higher than among the Alps, far
higher in proportion to the comparative elevation of the Pyrenees, and that they
are much less accessible for high roads ; indeed only two are practicable for
carriages—the Pass of the Bidassoa, at the W. extremity, close to the Bay of
Biscay, and that of the Col de Pertus, at the E., along the shore of the Mediter¬
ranean. There are however at least 50 passes known to, and used by, the
shepherds and mountaineers, and most of them practicable on horseback.
They are here called “ Ports ,” a very expressive name, for in many instances
they are literally doors cut in the crest of the mountains leading from France
into Spain. The most striking of these, and well worth the traveller’s attention,
are the “Breche de Roland,” and the Port de Yenasque, the passage of which
reveals the grandest, and almost the only, view of the Maladetta, the monarch
of the Pyrenees.

The valleys of the Pyrenees run nearly at rt. angles with the great dorsal
ridge, descending from the central spine into the plain in a series of basins
and gorges: the most considerable are the valleys of the Garonne and Ariege.

The most beautiful on the French side of the chain are the Yal d’Argelez
(which no one should omit seeing), Yal d’Ossau, and valleys of the Garonne,
Adour, and Lys, Yal d’Aure, and Yal d’Aran.

The most grand gorges are those leading from Pierrefitte to Cauterets and
Luz, and that of Mahourat leading to Pont d’Espagne, and the approach to
Eaux-Chaudes.

§ 4. Several Pyrenean valleys have a termination quite peculiar to themselves
—in a Cirque or Oule (a local word, meaning pot, Latin olla), a vast circle or
semicircle, excavated in the mass of the mountain, walled round by precipices
of great height, surrounding two-thirds or three-fourths of the basin, and leav¬
ing no opening but that by which the waters escape. The finest of these Cirques
is that of Gavarnie, at the commencement of the Val de Lavedan: its walls are
loftiest and most perfect; that of Troumouse at the head of the Yal d’H^as is
larger, but not so deep: another occurs at the bottom of the Yal Estaube. The
nearest approach to this peculiar formation of the vale head in the Alps is at
Leuk; but the precipices of the Gemmi, which wall it round, want the semi¬
circular arrangement, as well as the waterfalls, the towers, and cylinders of
rock, which give the grand character to the scenery, of Gavarnie.

The valleys of the Pyrenees are separated from one another by lateral ridges
descending like ribs or buttresses from the great chain, over which the com¬
munication is maintained by numerous minor cols, called Portillons, or in some
parts Hourquettes. Such are the interesting passes of the Tourmalet and of the
Hourquettes d’Arreau and d’Aspin.

Most visitors to the Pyrenees make a point of ascending one of the high peaks
in the vicinity of the baths, either for the sake of the view, or to say they have
been on such or such a peak: hence, “Avez-vous fait quelques ascensions?” is a
common inquiry. The mountain which may be ascended wfith least trouble,
and which repays well by its prospect, is the Pic de Bergons, above Luz. The
Pic du Midi de Bigorre, conveniently reached from either Bareges or Bagneres de
Bigorre, is loftier and more difficult. Less easy still are the Pic du Midi
d’Ossau, the Canigou in the E. Pyrenees, and the Breche de Roland ; while the
still more lofty Vignemale is no easy task to surmount, and the Mont Perdu is
both difficult and dangerous—an exploit for a practised mountaineer; and the
Maladetta wears snow on its crest never trodden by human foot until 1842.

§ 5. A dash into Spain , of three or four days’ duration, will add much to the
variety and interest of a journey among the Pyrenees. The points whence it
may be made with most advantage are either from Bayonne to St. Sebastian,

Pyrenees. A Dash into Spain—Cagots — Sj/orts.

227

from Eaux-Bonnes or Cauterets to tlie Baths of Panticosa, from Gavarnie to
Busaruelo and Fanlo, or from Luchon to Yenasque and the Val d’Aran. The
scenery on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees is far grander and wilder than on
the French. Those who attempt to explore it must be prepared to “ rough it
they will encounter a wild people, rude villages, accommodations of the very
worst kind, yet very expensive, paths scarcely passable, and cookery nauseous
to those unused to it, owing to oil and garlic. The sudden transition from
France to Spain, the total difference of people, language, manners, habitations,
food, combined with the grander features of the mountain scenery, yield the
chief zest to such a journey. An invitation to one of the Spanish Bullfights,
which are held every year in all the large towns of the N. of Spain, may tempt
some to penetrate farther into the country. (See for details the Handbook
for Travellers in Spain.)

§ 6. The inhabitants of the Pyrenees, composed of various races, interesting
for their antiquity, customs, costumes, &c., are worthy of the attention of the
traveller. At the W. extremity of the chain, S. of Bayonne, you have the
Basques, the aborigines of W. Europe, w T ho have seen Carthaginians, Celts,
Romans, Goths, Saracens, pass before them, and still remain in possession of
their mountain home, part in France, part in Spain, speaking a language which
has nothing in common with any other of Europe. (See Rte. 76.)

The peasantry of B4arn, who occupy the beautiful Yal d’Ossau and its tribu¬
taries, the land of Henri IV., in the midst of which he spent the years of child¬
hood, are a fine race, retaining much of their primitive simplicity of manners,
along with their ancient costumes ; the men wearing the berret or cap, like the
Lowdand bonnet of the Scotch, and a red sash round the waist ; the women
covering their heads with the red hood or capulet. In the E. Pyrenees the
people of Foix and Roussillon have a considerable resemblance, in character,
dress, and language, to the Catalans of Spain.

§ 7. The proscribed and outcast race called Cagots exist more in tradition
than in reality at present among the Pyrenees. In these mountains there may
be families who have intermarried with them, or are descended from them, but
the ban of caste no longer hangs over them. They are said to have been weak
in body and mind, low in stature, sallow in countenance, and to have lived only
in the remotest valleys, shunning their fellow-men. There are various theories
to account for their origin and name, none of them satisfactory-—for example,
that they are the descendants of the Goths, dispossessed of Aquitaine by
Clovis—“chiens de Goths,” whence Cagots, by a somewhat forced derivation.
2nd. That they sprang from the Saracens who stayed behind in France after
their defeat by Charles Martel. 3rd. That they were lepers, banished from
human haunts for fear of infection ; or, what seems probable, fugitives tainted
with heresy and driven apart from the community by the prejudices and aver¬
sion of the Romish priesthood. They are now nearly lost through intermixture
with the mass of the population.*

§ 8. The Sportsman may still find some occupation among the Pyrenees in the
pursuit of the bear, the ibex or bouquetin, and the chamois or izard, though
these animals are growing rare. The bouquetin, especially, is almost extinct ;
if anywhere, he may be found on the Maladetta. The izard is not uncommon,
and the best localities for enjoying this chace are Eaux-Bonnes, where are some
capital guides (see Rte. 83), the snow-fields of the Vignemale, the Mont Perdu,
and the Maladetta, or in the Spanish Val de Broto.

The izard is hunted either by stalking, in the manner in which the red deer
is stalked, though with much more difficulty and danger, amidst precipices,
glaciers, and snow-fields, until, after a tedious pursuit, the huntsman may have
the chance of a steady shot, or by driving the animals by guides and mountain

* The best account of the Cagots is contained m tne ‘ Histoire des Races maudites de la France
et de l’Espagne, par N. Fr. Michel,’ Paris, 1847 ; an excellent work, and reliable authority.

228

Sect. IV.

The Pyrenees — History.

shepherds towards the spot where the chasseur is posted. Success in this case
entirely depends on the perfect knowledge possessed by the guides of the habits
and haunts of the izard.

The rivers are so much netted as greatly to interfere with the sport of
angling ; a scientific fisherman, however, would doubtless find full scope for
the exercise of his rod among its innumerable Gaves and mountain streams.

§ 9. History and Antiquities .—The passage of the Pyrenees by Hannibal, and
afterwards by Caesar, with large armies, are the earliest events of importance
connected with these mountains. The pass by which they crossed was that of
Pertus, at the E. end of the chain. Charlemagne’s advance into Spain, in 778,
was through that of Roncesvaux, where he received the memorable check so
celebrated in history and romance, chiefly at the hands of the hardy moun¬
taineers, the Basques, who fell upon his rear guard while entangled in the
defiles, and killed many of his “ paladins and peers,” amongst them the
renowned Roland, who has left his name upon the highest mountain ridge of
the chain in the so-called Breche, cleft through the rock, according to the
tradition, by a swashing blow of his celebrated sword Durandal. The valleys and
passes of the Pyrenees, like those of all other border countries, abound in castles
and watch-towers, relics of feudal times, when war and rapine was the business
of a great portion of the inhabitants, especially of all who claimed to be noble
or gentle. Those who would know something of the history of these ruined
hill forts, and of the mode of life of those who occupied them in the 14th
century, of the marauding expeditions which went out from them on border
forays, to harry the cattle or fair fields of some neighbouring chief, of ambus¬
cades to rob the burgess of the neighbouring towns of his merchandise, or
capture some wealthy ecclesiastic or seigneur of eminence, and clap him into
the deep dungeon until a ransom was paid, must refer to the delightful pages
of Sir John Froissart’s Chronicles, the oldest and best handbook for the Pyrenees,
which he traversed and threaded in various directions, picking up anecdotes for
his history.

In his time many of these strongholds were held by English garrisons for
the Black Prince, the province of Gascony, with Bigorre, having been ceded to
the English as part of the ransom of the French king, John, captured at Azin-
cour. The tradition of the country, indeed, attributes the building of some of
the castles to the Black Prince. He led an English * army into Navarre, to

* The name of Bastides (applied to the citizens’ boxes in the neighbourhood of Marseilles)
was the name of the Free Towns founded in the 13th and 14th centuries, which are very
numerous in many parts of France. They are often called the English Towns, and many of
them were undoubtedly founded by the kings of England, especially that wise and politic
monarch Edward I.; but many were also founded by the French kings and by the counts of
Toulouse, and it is doubtful which had the priority. They are all readily distinguished by the
regularity of their plan, the streets being in straight parallel lines, with narrow lanes at the
back serving for mews, and usually a narrow passage between each house, so that each plot of
ground was complete in itself, and each house independent of its neighbours. The cross streets
are at right angles with the others. There is usually a central market-place with a covered way
or piazza round it, the covered way being often high enough and wide enough for two carts to
pass; and it is usually vaulted over, the vaults often retaining their original character where all
the superstructure is modern. The church generally stands in one corner of the market-place.
These towns were always fortified, and in many cases the old walls with their turrets and gate¬
ways remain perfect. From this circumstance, and from their regular military plan, they are
commonly considered as military towns only, built during the wars between the French and
English. But this is only a part of the truth ; they often were so, but they also played an im¬
portant part in the history of civilization. They were pre-eminently Free Towns; all their
inhabitants were freeman, and they were endowed with liberal privileges against the oppressions
of the nobles or lords of the neighbouring castles; especially they had the important privilege
of Free Tkade. They often served as places of refuge for the serfs, when driven to despera¬
tion by the exactions of their masters. It was in defence of their privileges, much more than
for the sake of either party, that they were always ready to fight and defend their city from the
attacks of the barons. They may often be recognized at once on the map by the names of
^ ille-Franche or Ville-Neuve, of which there are some scores in all parts of France. Others had
more specific names, as Libourne, Saint Fov, Montpazier, &c. &c. Perhaps one of the most

Pyrenees.

The Pyre?iees — History.

229

reinstate Pedro the Cruel on the throne of Spain, through the pass of Ronceval,
the scene of the “ dolorous rout” of Charlemagne.

Four centuries and a half later the Pyrenees once more became connected
with English history, and in a more glorious cause.

“Many of these romantic heights are endeared to an Englishman by the
recollection of gallant deeds of British valour performed at the close of the
Peninsular war.”— S. To visit the scenes of the masterly passage of the Bidas-
soa, and of the Adour below Bayonne, the spot where the fatal sortie took
place under the walls of that fortress, the heights of Orthez, and those where
the hard-contested but decisive and final battle of Toulouse was fought, cannot
but add to the interest of the journey. It will augment the satisfaction of an
Englishman, on visiting the theatre of the war, to know that the British com¬
mander, so far from displaying the insolence of a conqueror on entering the
French territory, took measures to repress rigidly all acts of plunder on the
part of his troops, by careful discipline. No inconsiderable difficulty was at
first experienced in restraining the Spaniards, smarting under the oppression
and wrongs inflicted on their own fatherland by the soldiery of the country
which they then entered in triumph, and expecting to avenge upon its inhabit¬
ants the injuries they themselves had suffered. The firmness of the British
commander, however, succeeded in alleviating, as far as possible, the horrors
of war to the French ; and the two following extracts, one from a general order
of the Duke issued after the passage of the Bidassoa, the other from a letter
written by him to a Spanish officer, will show how great care he took to
effect this.

General Order .—“ The Commander of the Forces is particularly desirous that
the inhabitants should be well treated, and private property must be respected,
as it has been hitherto.

“ The officers and soldiers of the army must recollect that their nations are
at war with France, solely because the ruler of the French nation will not
allow them to be at peace, and is desirous of forcing them to submit to his
yoke ; and they must not forget that the worst of the evils suffered by the
enemy in his profligate invasion of Spain and Portugal have been occasioned
by the irregularities of the soldiers, and their cruelties authorized and encou¬
raged by their chiefs towards the unfortunate and peaceful inhabitants of the
country.

“ To revenge this conduct on the peaceable inhabitants of France would be
unmanly and unworthy of the nations to whom the Commander of the Forces
now addresses himself ; and, at all events, would be the occasion of similar
and worse evils to the army at large than those which the enemy’s army have
suffered in the Peninsula ; and would, eventually, prove highly injurious to
the public interests.” * * *

To General -, a Spanish Officer .—“I did not lose thousands of men to

bring the army under my command into the French territory, in order that

important was Libourne, founded by Edward I., at the highest point to which the River Gironde
was navigable for the wine-vessels. In consequence of this favourable situation it grew rapidly
in wealth and population, and in the fourteenth century it bid fair to rival Bordeaux, the jea¬
lousy of whose citizens led them to petition for the curtailment of the privileges of the inha¬
bitants of Libourne, in which they ultimately succeeded; but it long continued a place of
importance, both in a. military and a commercial point of view. A similar history would apply
to many of the others, and the success of these new towns often caused the decay of the more
ancient ones in the same neighbourhood, which had clustered round the walls of some castle or
abbey for protection. Such was the case with St. Emilion, near Libourne, which now has a
most desolate appearance ; scarcely a house seems to have been built since the fifteenth century,
and it is quite a storehouse for the antiquary. It may be observed that the English bastides
are generally more regular and perfect in plan than’the French ones, which some attribute to
their being the earliest, and the French ones bad copies of them—others to their being the
latest, and built when the system was brought to greater perfection. The original charters of
nearly all the English bastides are still preserved among the national archives in the Tower of
London.— J. H. 1.

230

The Pyrenees — Watering-Places.

Sect. IV.

the soldiers might plunder and ill-treat the French peasantry, in positive dis¬
obedience to my orders ; and I beg that you and your officers will understand,
that I prefer to have a small army that will obey my orders, and preserve dis¬
cipline, to a large one that is disobedient and undisciplined ; and that, if the
measures which I am obliged to adopt to enforce obedience and good order
occasion the loss of men and the reduction of my force, it is totally indifferent
to me ; and the fault rests with those who, by the neglect of their duty, suffer
their soldiers to commit disorders which must be prejudicial to their country.”
— Wellington Dispatches.

§ 10. Hot Springs—Character of the Watering-Places—Baths in the Pyrenees.
—The bounty with which Nature has poured forth, throughout the whole
range of the Pyrenean mountains, mineral sources of healing quality, of various
kinds, adapted to the various ills to which flesh is heir, is truly surprising,
and an interesting natural phenomenon. It has been calculated that in the
whole chain there are not less than 200 springs, many of them of a high
temperature.

It has been observed, that they usually issue forth to light near the junction
of the primitive rocks, as granite, gneiss, or slate, with some other formation,
chiefly limestone.

The value of these natural medicines was not unknown to the Romans,
traces of whose constructions have been discovered near more than one of the
hot sources.

Here follows a list and a brief character of a few of the principal watering-
places, beginning from the W., with a notice of the nature of the mineral
waters attached.

Faux-Bonnes. —A fashionable resort, consisting of a row of eighteen or twenty
fine tall houses, chiefly modern, and Parisian in their style, and rather expen¬
sive, in a wild mountain nook. The water is sulphureous. It is recommended
for those afflicted with complaints in the lungs.

Eaux-Chaudes. —Water sulphureous, nearly like Eaux-Bonnes, from which it
is only 3 m. distant ; more homely accommodation, and visitors less stylish.

Cauterets. — Sulphureous water. A neat little mountain town, in an upland
valley surrounded by colossal peaks. Plenty of accommodation, and good ;
also a place of fashionable resort. In autumn frequented by many Spaniards.
Climate bracing, if not cold, from the elevation of its site. Excursions nu¬
merous. Its waters and site are considered efficacious in bronchial complaints
and rheumatism.

St. Sauveur. —Feebly sulphureous. A mere watering-place of 1^ dozen
lodging-houses.

Bareges. —A complete hospital, thronged with miserable invalids ; inferior
accommodation ; a poor village in a dreary gorge, which nothing but the hope
of recovering health would render endurable beyond an hour or two ; yet the
efficacy of its waters is astonishing, and in a medical sense it deserves its cele¬
brity, more extended over Europe than that of any other Pyrenean bath. It
is often quite full in the season, and lodgings dear. A sharp atmosphere,
owing to its great elevation.

Bagneres de Bigorre. —Saline springs ; "weak ; one ferruginous spring. A
considerable town, something more than a mere watering-place, seated just
within the roots of the Pyrenees on the verge of the plain, and not much raised
above it ; warm climate. Various amusements ; pleasant excursions. The
tepid baths are efficacious only for slight complaints ; the waters are not
powerful remedies.

Bagneres de Luchon. —Seated in the bottom of a basin surrounded by moun¬
tains ; resorted to for pleasure as well as cure. Its waters are sulphureous and
hot—efficacious in rheumatic complaints or cutaneous affections. There are
charming excursions in its vicinity.

Pyrenees. The Pyrenees—Directions for Travellers.

231

At every French watering-place is a medical inspector appointed by the
government, and invalids intending to take a course of the waters had better
put themselves in communication with him. He will assist them respecting
lodgings, and assign to them a fixed hour for bathing, which they will retain
during the whole time of their stay—a measure often indispensable during
the season, owing to the number of bathers, in order to obtain access to the
bath at all.

The Bath Houses (Etablissements Thermals) of the Pyrenees are very far behind
those of Germany in orderly and medical arrangement ; the waters, in many
cases, losing some of their properties in their passage from the source to the
baths. But their chief inferiority is in want of cleanliness. The cabinets des
bains are dark hot cells ; the baths themselves, though of marble, mere troughs,
calculated to inspire disgust in those who either do not need, or are not tho¬
roughly convinced of their sanative power.

Works relating to the Pyrenees. —The best of all the descriptions of the Pyre¬
nees are the works of Ramond (the Saussure of these mountains), ‘ Observa¬
tions dans les Pyrenees,’ and f Voyages au Mont Perdu.’ To these maybe
added, Vayse de Villiers, 2 vols. of Itine'raire ; and Charpentier’s Geological
Essai, &c., now superseded by the more recent geological papers by Elie de
Beaumont and Dufresnoy, in the Transactions of the French Geological Society.
In English, we have Mrs. Ellis’s very pleasant little volume, Lady Chatterton’s
charming work, more recent and more comprehensive, and the Hon. Erskine
Murray’s ‘ Summer in the Pyrenees,’ which relates especially to the little-
visited valleys in the E. part of the chain.

The very amusing ‘ Letters from the Pyrenees, 1843,’ of Mr. Paris, a hardy
and intrepid pedestrian, have shown the way into some of the most remote
valleys rarely visited and never yet described by any English writers.

§ 12. DIRECTIONS FOR TRAVELLERS IN THE PYRENEES.—APPROACHES AND

MOST DIRECT ROUTES.

1. The extension of railways through France since 1845 has greatly facilitated
access to the Pyrenees. The best and quickest route is by Paris ; Orleans ;
Tours ; Poitiers, by railway in about 42 hours, to Bordeaux, which may be
reduced to 36 hours when the Rly. is finished from Poitiers to Bordeaux.
Thence to Pau, a land journey of about 125 m., 2 or 3 days’ posting, 18 hours’
diligence ; or up the Garonne to Langon, and thence by land to Pau.

2. From Paris to Orleans, Vierzon (railway), Limoges, Toulouse, Bagneres,
is a long and uninteresting land journey.

3. Paris to Ch&lons-sur-Saone, by rail ; thence to Lyons and Avignon, by
steamer ; to Beaucaire, JSTism.es, and Montpellier, by railway ; by land or
canal to Toulouse ; a land journey thence of nearly 90 m. to Bagneres.

The best starting points for making the tour of the Pyrenees are Pau for
those coming from the W., and Toulouse for travellers approaching from the
E. Those who do not intend to make a permanent stay at any of the watering-
places should dismiss their heavy baggage before they plunge into the moun¬
tains, sending it on by roulage, from the one extreme point of their intended
tour to the other,, from Pau to Toulouse, or vice versa.

The Brunnen of the Pyrenees, ensconced each in its own beautiful valley,
form good halting-places for the passing traveller who visits these mountains
merely from curiosity to explore their beauties, and he may thus terminate
almost every day’s journey in a comfortable hotel, or at least in tolerable
quarters. Almost every valley is accessible by a good carriage road, but it
stops at a certain distance, without surmounting the mountain ridge, or pene¬
trating into Spain, except the two extreme passes at the E. and W. ends of the
chain. As there are few carriage roads over even the lateral ridges from one

232

The Pyrenees—Directions for Travellers. Sect. IY.

valley into another, those who travel only in carriages must retrace their steps
clown the valleys. Pedestrians and equestrians (and the. only way to see the
Pyrenees to advantage is on foot or horseback) may pass, in most instances, by
foot or bridle paths, out of one valley into another across the minor ridges which
separate them, and thus enjoy some of the finest scenery without going twice
over the same ground. The great chain can only be crossed in the same way,
by bridle or foot paths, over some of the many Ports or Cols, more than 50 of
which are enumerated between the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean.

§ 13. SKELETON TOUR OF THREE OR FOUR WEEKS, TO INCLUDE THE MOST
INTERESTING OBJECTS IN THE W. PYRENEES.

Pau. Starting-point to—

Eaux Bonnes et Chaudes.

* Pic clu Midi d’Ossau.

* Col cle Torte.

* Yal d’Azun.

Argelez.

Cauterets.

* Pont d’Espagne, Lac cle Gaube
[or from * Eaux-Chaudes to Panticosa
in Spain, by Pont d’Espagne to Cau¬
terets].

Gorge of Pierrefitte.

Luz, or St. Sauveur.

Gavarnie.

* Breclie cle Roland, back to Luz
[or to Busaruelo and Fanlo in Spain,
and back].

* Yal d’H^as.

* Vignemale,

Bareges.

* Tourmalet.

* Pic du Midi de Bigorre.

Bagneres de Bigorre.

* Lac Bleu.

Hourcjuette d’Aspin.

* Arreau.

* Tramesaigues and the Yal d’Aure.

* Port cle Peyresourdes.

* Lac de Seculejo.

Bagneres de Luchon.

Val de Lys.

* Port de Yenasque, Yenasque,

Viella.

* St. Beat, in Yal d’Aran.

* Toulouse.

N.B. This mark * denotes places
which cannot be reached in carriages,
but only on horseback or foot.

CARRIAGE TOUR BY POST-ROADS.

Pau, Eaux Bonnes et Chaudes.
Louvie, Lestelle, Lourdes, Argelez,
Cauterets.

Pierrefitte, Luz, Bareges.

Lourdes, Bagneres cle Bigorre, Yalley
of Grip, Arreau (? no posting).

Lannemezan, Cierp, Bagneres de
Luchon.

Cierp, St. Beat.
St. Gaudens.
Toulouse.

N.B. Ladies may be carried up to
most of the points of interest in a
chaise a porteur.

COMPLETE ITINERARY OF THE FRENCH PYRENEES FROM BORDEAUX TO

PERPIGNAN.*

Days. Night Quarters.
1 Mont de Marsan.

41 St. Sebastian and back,
5j by Diligence.

Objects of Interest.

Citadel (Sortie). Embankments to turn the course
of the Aclour.—St. Pierre d’Arruby.—Biarritz.
Interesting ride, through scene of the war in Spain.
—Irun and Hernani, curious Spanish towns.—
See Citadel of St. S. and walk to Passages.

* Compiled from the notes of J. J., a most experienced traveller in the Pyrenees, obligingly
communicated to the Editor.

Pyrenees.

Information for Travellers ,

233

Objects of Interest.

( Inn; Soleil) on tlie slope of a hill, crowned by

Days. Night Quarters.

6 St. Jean Pied de Port. { the citadeL

Arrange about passport and procure a guide and
horse at St. Jean. It will take a day to go, and
the same to return.—A poor village.—The Abbey
is tenantless; but there is an Inn.—A stone cross
on the plain marks the spot where .Roland fell.
(By Mauleon (Hotel Vefour good), a Basque town,

71Roncesvalles, 15 m.
8 / from St. Jean.

9 Oloron.

10 Val cl’Aspe.

, (Eaux-Chaudes: Yal
( d’Ossau.

| ojEaux-Bonnes.

14 Pau.

15 Cauterets.

1G Cauterets.

17 Panticosa.

18 Eaux-Bonnes.

19 Ar*gelez.

20 Luz.

21 Luz.

(Grip or Bagneres de
\ Bigorre.

j-Bagne

eres de Bigorre.

| and Tardetz.
jBedous, best sleeping-place, but bad.—Take pro-
| visions—at least white bread.

.Cross from Escot by the Col de Marie Blanche,
J and Plan de Benou (the bed of a former lake), to
| Bielle in Val d’Ossau.

Ascent of Pic du Midi d’Ossau.

) By Diligence. Or, if you do not wish to visit Pau,
cross Col de Torte and descend Yal d’Azun to
Argelez.

I By Lourdes (Argelez, ascend Val d’Azun, as far as
| Pouy le Hun).—St. Savin.

Ascend Monne; 10 hrs. up and down,
j-Visit, on the way, the Pont d’Espagne and Lac de
| Gaube.

By the Case de Broussettes.

(By Col de Torte and the beautiful Val d’Azun, 12
j hours’ walk.

Pic de Bergons.—St. Sauveur.

{ Gavarnie and Breche de Roland. If Val d’LIeas
also, you must sleep at Gavarnie and scale the
Breche next day.

j By Bareges, which may be seen en passant. Turn
off at foot of Tourmalet, and ride up by the Lac
d’Oncet to the top of the Pic du Midi. Sleep
at Grip, if unable to reach Bagneres. Start
early.

/See marble-works.—Baths,.—Walks.—Visit Lac
•{ Bleu.

j Ascend Penne de l’Hyeris. Cross Hourquette
i d’Arreau.

'‘Ascend Val d’Aure by Vielle, beyond which it
splits into several branches. That called Val
d’Aragnouet and Gorge de Couplan contains
magnificent mountain scenery, forests, cascades.
—Return to Arreau.

By Val de Louron, Port de Peyresordes, and Lac
cl’Oo. If time admits, ascend by Scala to upper
Lake.

29 Bagneres de Luchon. v Val de Lys.—Go or return by Sopra Bagneres.

{ Port de Venasque—Trou du Taureau—returning
by Port de Picade, to Luchon. N. B. This ex¬
cursion may be extended to Venasque, and
round the Maladetta to Vitallez and Viella.
j By Port de Portillon to Ghl de Garonne.—Castel
{ Leon.—Bososte.—Sleep at Baths of Lez.

25 Arreau.

2 g f Aragnouet or Hospice
9 rjl de Coubise; miser-
[ able quarters.

28 Bagneres de Luchon

30 Luchon or Venasque.

31 Val d’Aran: Lez.

234

Information for Lravellers.

Sect. IV,

Days. Night Quarters.
32 Cierp or Luchon.

! St. Bertrand de Com-
minges; Inn in Haute
Ville.

34 St. Gaudens.

34 St. Girons; poor Inn.

35 Foix.

36 Tarascon.

37)

og>Ax or Mt. Louis.

39 Prades.

40 Prades.

Objects of Interest.

Below Lez the finest part of Yal d’Aran.—St. Beat.
/See the church and remains of Lugdunum Con-
j venarum below the town.— Ride up Yal de
'i Barouse to Maul eon. The mountains are pierced
{ with caverns.

( Visit la Basse Grotte de Gargas, 5 m. from St.
Bertrand, near Tyberan.—Cross the Neste to
St. Gaudens.

! By Diligence to St. Martory, where hire a horse
to St. Girons, on the Sallat, a bad cross road,
but practicable for vehicles.

By Remont and La Bastide de Seron.

Yisit Iron Mines of Yic de Sos.

Cross to Puycerda and Bourg Madame by Port de

I Morens. Arrange with the Douane to take a
horse across the frontier. Sleep at Bourg Madame
or at Cabannes under the walls of Mt. Louis.
Ride by Olette down Yale of Tet.

Ascend Canigou: must start early.

Next day to Perpignan and Narbonne.

§14. PASSPORTS —CONVEYANCES—ACCOMMODATION FOR TRAVELLERS.

Passports. —Those who mean to enter Spain should obtain a Spanish Consul’s
vise at Bordeaux or Bayonne, to prevent their being mistaken for refugees or
smugglers;—they should also provide themselves with the Spanish Handbook.

Mallepostes from Toulouse to Bayonne and from Limoges to Pau. Diligences
run regularly from Bordeaux and Bayonne to Pau and Tarbes, from Toulouse
to Bagneres and Tarbes, which is the point of concentration for conveyances
from all directions; and in summer a constant communication is kept up
between all the watering-places. The diligences, however, are ill appointed
and very slow, and the routes they follow exceedingly circuitous. They are
of use to the pedestrian in conveying his luggage from place to place.

Inns are far inferior to those in the German watering-places: the best are at
Pau, Eaux-Bonnes, Cauterets, Luz, and Bagneres de Bigorre (by far the best),
but they have all the fault of filth. Those at Bareges are inferior.

The charges vary much, especially for rooms, according to the season, rising
exorbitantly when the places are full. Provisions are cheap.—Bed, 1 f. 50 c.
to 2 f.; dinner (table-d’hote), 3 f.; breakfast h la fourchette, 2 f.; tea or coffee,
1 f. 50 c. On ordinary occasions the traveller’s expenses ought not to exceed
8 f. per diem; and if he stop a week or longer in an hotel, he may easily bar¬
gain for 6 f. The chance-traveller is often asked 3, 4, or 5 f. for the worst bed¬
room for a single night during the season.

Expenses
at Bagneres
de Bigorre.

Board and lodging at an hotel for a
month or 6 weeks, per diem
Caleche and 2 horses

A horse, exclusive of feed

. 3— 4

,, , , for a

month .

60—80

A room in the town

• •

. 1 f. 50 c. to 2 f.

Bath at a fixed hour

• •

. 1

Warm linen

• •

. 0

Chairmen (porteurs)

• •

game, ortolans, truffles,

mountain-trout, green figs,

and straw-

Fr.

5— 6
16—18

cent.

berries, are among the delicacies which await the traveller in the Pyrenees.

Pyrenees.

Route 70.— Orleans to Toulouse ,

235

“ The remote valleys—Val d’Aran, Yal d’Aure, and all those on the Spanish
side—are miserably off for inns ; travellers should always take provisions
thither, or at least white bread, as the rye-bread, which can alone be procured,
is apt to disagree with strangers.”— J. J.

Riding horses, or rather ponies, very unprepossessing to look at for the most
part, yet hardy and capable of work, and well used to the mountains, are kept
at all the watering-places. The charges for them are moderate, viz. 5 f. a day,
including the feed, or 3 f. paying the forage, which it is not advisable to do.
It is the custom of the French visitors at the baths to unite in large parties,
and invade some quiet valley, or interesting point of view, in troops of cavalry
50 or 60 strong, and to establish there a pic-nic. Very little regard is paid by
these riotous assemblages to the beauties of nature. Awakening the echoes
with the loud cracks of the whip with which they urge on their jaded hacks,
they scour along the rough roads, up hill and down dale, attired in the most
fantastic costume—men and women wearing the red sashes of the peasantry,
and broad-brimmed felt hats; while even the ladies assume neat white pan¬
taloons, sometimes set off with boots and spurs.

Guides .—There are very excellent and trustworthy professional guides, well
acquainted with the mountains, and many of them capital mountaineers and
skilful sportsmen; though not, perhaps, so good as the guides of Switzerland
or Savoy. The best are met with at Eaux-Bonnes, Cauterets, Luz, Bagneres de
Bigorre and Luchon. A guide receives 5 f. a day, feeding and lodging himself.
A horse must be provided for him, unless the traveller is willing to be retarded
by his following on foot.

For return-money, 4 f. a day each for horse and man, until the guide can
reach his home from the place where he is dismissed, is the fair allowance; but
5 f. are generally asked.

Chaises a Porteur. —There is scarcely an excursion off the high-road, however
distant, or a mountain-top, or other spot, however difficult of access, which
ladies may not reach by the aid of a chair on poles. Each lady will require
from 4 to 6 chairmen; the cost is 15 f. a day, and 3 or 4 f. pour boire. This
conveyance has been pronounced by a lady traveller “ at once the gentlest,
safest, and most agreeable mode of conveyance imaginable. The chairmen
will go anywhere and everywhere; and instead of being rocked and jolted in a
dislocating machine, those who cannot walk, and fear to ride, are carried about
like petted children, without the risk of fatigue or the probability of danger.”—
Mrs. Boddington.

ROUTE 70.*

ORLEANS TO TOULOUSE BY CHATEAU-

ROUX [CHEMIN DE FER DU CENTRE],

LIMOGES, AND MONTAUBAN.

570 kilom. = 353 Eng. m.

Railway — Orleans to Chateauroux
143 kilom. A Malleposte —CbAteau-
roux by Limoges to Toulouse in 33
hrs. Diligences daily. A bridge carries
the line across the Loire. It nearly
follows the line of the post-road.

The tunnel of l’Allouet is 1236

* The Editor has not travelled this route
beyond Vierzon, and will be glad of corrections
or additional information from those who have.

metres long, and is lighted by 18
openings.

An avenue of trees leads from the
bridge of Orleans to the suburb St. Mar-
ceaux, abounding in country houses ;
and a little farther on is the indus¬
trious village of Olivet (3250 Inhab.).
Here the river Loiret is crossed by a
bridge, about 2 m. below its source,
and 5 or 6 above its termination in the
Loire. The Chateau of La Source, the
residence of the banished Lord Boling-
broke, near this, is described in Rte.
48. Below the bridge, between it and
the Chateau de Ponty, on the 1. bank,
it is pretended that the assassination

236

Route 70.— Vierzon — Chateauroux.

Sect. III.

of the Due de Guise by Poltrot took
place : he was conveyed to Caubray,
where he breathed his last.

The Railroad, as far as Vierzon, tra¬
verses the district of la triste Sologne,
noted for its barrenness; a large part of
it being waste land, heath, and com¬
mon ; a dead flat of hungry sandy
gravel, the surface slightly varied, and
the scenery monotonous. The name
Sologne ( Segalonia ) has been derived
from “segale,” seigle, barley, the crop
chiefly produced on its unprofitable
soil. (?)

23 La Ferte St. Aubin Stat. At the
entrance of this village, on the 1.,
stands the Chateau of Lowendahl,
named after a Danish general who
served in the armies of France along
with his friend Marshal Saxe, and was
made Marechal de France for his share
in the capture of Bergen-op-Zoom. It
now belongs to the Prince d’Essling,
son of Marshal Massdna. It is a low
building, surrounded by water. The
name Ferte, an old form of fortifie,
denotes the existence, in ancient times,
of a castle, embattled and fortified by
royal permission, granted to the seig¬
neur.

39 Lamotte Stat., Dept. Loire
Cher.

46 Nouan le Fuzelier Stat.

58 Salbris Stat.

70 Theillay Stat.

80 Vierzon Stat. — The railway
Bourges and Re vers (Rte. 103) here
branches 1. from the line to Chateauroux.
(Am; H. des Messageries.) Vierzon,
a town of the Dept. Cher, and of the
ancient province of Berry, enlivened
by the Canal de Berry, which passes
through it, running side by side with
the river Cher. By means of it the
iron of Berry, manufactured in furnaces
not far distant from the town, is ex¬
ported; and coal is brought hither to
smelt it. Pop. 4700. At Vierzon the
tiresome Sologne has terminated; the
valley of the Cher is rather cheerful,
and on its borders are some vineyards.
The Evre and the Cher are crossed on
quitting Vierzon.

96 Chery Stat.

100 Reuilly Stat.

109 St. Lizaigne Stat.

117 Issoudun Stat.

128 Neuvy Pailloux Stat.

144 Chateauroux Stat. — Inns: La
Poste (Ste. Catherine), clean, and
people attentive ; H. de Finance. This
town, chef-lieu of the Dept. Indre
(Pop. 13,847), is of little interest to
the traveller, but of considerable in¬
dustrial importance, owing to its ex¬
tensive cloth manufactures, the sale of
which is estimated at 4 millions of
francs yearly. The wools of Berry
are almost exclusively used in their
fabrication. Some trade is also carried
on in iron, there being more than 40
iron furnaces in the department. The
Castle, on an eminence above the Indre,
close beside the modern Prefecture, is
a gloomy building, flanked by turrets,
probably of the 16th centy. It was
the prison, for 23 years, of the un¬
fortunate Clemence de Maille, Prin-
cesse de Conde and niece of Richelieu,
who here ended a life of suffering,
1694. The Grand Conde, her husband,
repaid her devotion to him, and ill-
requited affection, by procuring from
Louis XIV. an order for her imprison¬
ment ; and his last dying request to
the king was, that she should never be
set free. Her grave in the ch. of St.
Martin was violated 1793. The town
owes its name to an older chateau,
built in the 10th century by one Raoul
de Deols. One of the old town gates, a
venerable structure, still remains.

General Bertrand, who accompanied
Napoleon to St. Helena, was a native
of Chateauroux.

At Bourg Dieu, or Deols, situated
within 1^- m. of Chateauroux, are the
ruins of an ancient monastery, and a
ch. containing, in a crypt under the
altar, a curiously carved marble sar¬
cophagus.

Malleposte to Toulouse by Limoges
in .33 hours. Diligences to Bourges,
and to Tours by Loches. (Rte. 56.)

15 Lothiers, a dreary country of
heath, to

14 Argenton, a town of 4000 Inhab.,
on the Creuse: it had once a large
castle flanked by 10 high towers, dis¬
mantled by Louis XIV., and farther
reduced to ruin in recent times.

15 Le Fay.

Pyrenees. Route 70 .— Limoges — St. Michel-aux-Lions.

237

25 La Souterraine.

16 Morterolles.

17 Yille au Brun.

17 Morterol.

12 Clianteloube.

15 Maison Rouge.

14 Limoges {Inns: Bouled’Or, dirty;
H. Richelieu, not much better; H. cle
Perigord), the capital of the ancient
province of Limousin, at present chef-
lieu of the Dept. Haute Vienne, is a
commercial and manufacturing town,
situated on the rt. bank of the Vienne.
Pop. 27,611.

It is very picturesque in its ancient
street architecture, but has few curi¬
osities to show to the passing stranger.
The Revolution swept away the greater
number of its churches, many of which
were curious from their antiquity. Of
those which remain the most interest¬
ing are

The Cathedral of St. Etienne, begun
in the 13th centy., and slowly con¬
tinued down to the 16th, when the
work came to a stand; and the build¬
ing has since remained a mere frag¬
ment, consisting of the Choir, the N.
transept, and two compartments of
the nave, now blocked up by a common
partition wall, while at the spot to
which it ought to have extended rises
an isolated belfry, now in a very in¬
secure condition, separated by a wide
gap from the rest of the edifice. Under
this tower is a Romanesque porch be¬
longing to an older cathedral. The
ch. is built of granite, and terminates
in an apse. The interior is not re¬
markable in itself, but contains a Jube,
or roodloft, removed without reason,
1789, from its proper place between
the choir and nave, to one side of the
nave. It is a curious jumble of flam¬
boyant Gothic ornaments and tracery,
with sculpture in the style of the Re¬
naissance (date 1543). It has been
seriously mutilated, and its niches
robbed of their statues, but contains
curious bas-reliefs, among which are
represented the Labours of Hercules.
Its construction is attributed to Bishop
Langeac, whose Tomb is remarkable for
the richness and elegance of its decora¬
tions, far superior to those of the
Jube. It was prepared for him before

his death, 1541, and includes some
admirable bas-reliefs, well worth ex¬
amination in spite of their mutilations ;
among them one, representing “ Death
on the White Horse,” is much praised*.
Two other monuments, that of Bishop
Regnault cle la Porte, of the 14tli cent.,
and of Bernard Brun his nephew, de¬
serve notice.

St. Michel-aux-Lions is the most con¬
spicuous object in the town, owing to
its tall and graceful tower and spire,
planted on the highest ground, sur¬
mounting the other buildings. This
cli., erected 1364, is named from the
rudely sculptured figures of lions which
ornament its porch; the lightness and
height of the 8 lofty pillars supporting
the roof are alone remarkable in the
interior.

An old Cross of granite, in front of
the ch. of St. Aurelian, deserves men¬
tion for the elaborate workmanship
bestowed on it, which has recently
been concealed under a coat of oil
paint.

The Episcopal Palace is a handsome
building of granite, with a fine Garden
attached to it.

Although Limoges was an important
place in Roman times, under the names
Lemovices and Augusioritum, there are
no remains of Roman buildings. The
only trace of the amphitheatre, to
which Moliere alludes in M. de Pour -
ceaugnac, Act I., Scene 6, is the name
Les Armies given to a burial-ground.
Its site is nearly covered by the Place
d’Orsay, on one side of which runs a
terrace, whence there is a view over
the valley of the Vienne. A Latin
name, “Aqua lenis,” is said to be re¬
tained in the Fontaine Aigoulene, and
its water is supplied through a Roman
conduit.

The ancient fortifications of Limoges
have been thrown clown, planted, and
converted into boulevards and public
walks; nothing therefore remains as a
relic of that terrible siege (1370) and
capture by assault of the place by the
Black Prince, who, irritated at its re¬
volting from him, through the treachery
of its bishop, swore by the soul of his
father that he would have it back
again. Too ill to ride on horseback, he

238

Route 70 .—Limoges to Toulouse.

Sect. IV.

directed the operations from a litter,
and, having forced a breach by blowing
up a tower, entered through it, and,
denying quarter to its wretched inha¬
bitants, allowed 3000 men, women,
and children, to be massacred—a blot
on the fair fame of his heroic career,
the verge of which he had already
reached, for the hand of death was
upon him, and he breathed his last six
years after.

Limoges is distinguished by having
been the birthplace of the upright
chancellor d’Aguesseau, born 1688.
Vergniaud, the Republican orator, the
leader of the Girondins, beheaded by
Robespierre 1793, Marshal Jour dan,
the conqueror at Fleurus, Marshal
Bugeaud, and Dupuytren the surgeon,
were also natives. Limoges likewise
produced in the 15th and 16th cen¬
turies a series of artists, among whom
the names of Laudin, Noel, Leonard,
Courtois, Rexmore, are conspicuous,
eminent for the beautiful paintings in
enamel which they produced, still so
highly esteemed all over Europe.
Nayllier, the last master in this genre
of art, died 1765, and the art died with
him. It appears to have originated as
early as the 12th centy., and was brought
hither by Greeks from Byzantium, but
was at its acme in the time of Francis I.
The private cabinets of M. Germeau
and M. Maurice Ardent, of Limoges,
contain some very remarkable speci¬
mens of enamels.

The Manufacture at present most
prevalent here is that of porcelain, due
to the discovery in this neighbourhood
(at St. Yrieix) of the kaolin, or pure
white porcelain earth, consisting of the
decomposed felspar, arising from gneiss,
which alone furnishes a fit material
for the manufacture. The substance
appears to owe its origin not to a mere
disintegration of the gneiss, but to an
electro - chemical decomposition, and
combination with neighbouring rocks,
especially such as are ferruginous. Se¬
vres is supplied hence with the kaolin,
and nearly 2000 persons are employed
in and about Limoges in making china.
There are also some cotton and woollen
mills.

The Limousin horses are a celebrated

breed, in much request for the French
cavalry; they are reared in the prairies
bordering on the Vienne.

Mallepostes to Toulouse;—to Peri-
gueux, Auch, and Pau.

Diligences to Toulouse, Bordeaux,
Poitiers, Angouleme, Clermont, Mou-
lins, Blois, Valengay.

The road from Limoges to Bordeaux,
by Perigueux, is described in Rte. 71.

[At the town St. Junien, 18 m. from
Limoges on the way to Angouleme,
is a very curious ch. of the 11th centy.,
containing at the back of the high
altar a curious sarcophagus of white
marble, adorned with reliefs in the
Byzantine style of art. It contains
the relics of the saint, much visited
by devout pilgrims. In the lower
part of the town near the bridge is a
chapel of the 15th centy., of Notre
Dame ; and 1 m. out of the town, on
the borders of the Vienne, are the
ruins of St. Amand. M. Merim^e ob¬
served in its transept a basin hollowed
out of the rock, supplied by a spring
of running watex-, into which little
pieces of bread had been cast by the
peasants, as offei'ings to St. Amand,
who is believed still to woi’k miracles,
though his shi'ine has been destroyed
for ages.]

At Boisseuil, 7 m. from Limoges,
we leave about 1 m. to the rt. the
ruined Castle of Chalusset, a cui’ious
example of the art of fortification in
the middle ages, situated on an iso¬
lated rock at the junction of two
streams. It must have been very
strong both by its natural position
and its outwoi'ks. It has been re¬
ferred to the 12th centy.

20 Pieire Bufhei'e. Arthur Young
pi’aises much the beauty and variety
of the country to Bi'ives, hill and val¬
ley, a quick succession of landscapes.

21 Beausoleil.

18 Uzerche, a picturesque little town
on a conical hill, convei-ted into a penin¬
sula by the bend which the Vezei’e
makes round it. It has a curious ch.
on the ci’est of the hill, sui'rounded at
the E. end by 5 apsidal chapels.
Under it is a crypt, containing the
tomb of St. Coronat, in a niche, closed
in front by a wooden railing. Iixsane

Pyrenees. Route 70.— Orleans to Toulouse — Turenne.

239

persons are shut up within it for a
night, in the belief that they will
thereby recover their reason!

The road to Tulle here turns off to
the 1.

[Tulle (Inn: H. de Lyon), a town
of 8000 Inliab., singularly placed in
the fork of a deep narrow valley of
the Corr&ze, a fresh bubbling stream,
which runs through it, bordered for
a considerable distance with houses,
many of them ancient and picturesque.
The Cathedral had a slice cut from it,
in Revolutionary times, to make way
for a public walk. The nave only
remains, of granite, in a severe and
early style of Gothic.

The town has an important manu¬
factory of fire-arms.

Diligence to Clermont by Ussel, and
to Mont Dore les Bains.

About 10 m. W. of Uzerche is the
Chateau de Pompadour, anciently the
residence of a noble family, several of
whom were governors of the province
of Limousin, whose name was never
sullied, until, after the extinction of
their line (1722), it was bestowed upon
the mistress of Louis XV., tlie daughter
of the bankrupt butcher Poisson.

25 Donzenac. Picturesque varied
country; groves and forests of chestnut.

10 Brives (Inn: H. de Bordeaux,
clean, comfortable, and a good cook,
who makes capital pat(is) enjoys a fine
situation in the valley of the Correze;
but its favourable appearance at a dis¬
tance is not realised in its interior,
which contains nothing remarkable but
an ancient Gothic house attributed to
the English: it is said to have been
the residence of the governor. Brives
is the birthplace of the Cardinal Du¬
bois, son of an apothecary, who be¬
came tutor and afterwards minister to
the Regent Duke of Orleans; and of
Marshal Brune, one of the generals of
the Republic, assassinated at Avignon
1815.

The culture of the vine and of maize
flourishes near this.

The road has now reached a hilly
country: it passes within a short dis¬
tance of the castle de Noailles, cradle
of the noble family who derive their
ducal title from it, now in ruins; a

modern chateau has been built not
far off. The old feudal Castle of
Turenne, situated about 2 m. to the
E. of the road, on the Tourmente, a
tributary of the Dordogne, gave a
name to another great family, illus¬
trious by deeds as well as by descent:
the Dues de Bouillon obtained the
domain and viscounty of Turenne by
alliance. Within its walls the wife
of the Great Conde, a fugitive with
her son from the pursuit of Mazarin,
was received amidst a crowd of en¬
thusiastic partisans of the Fronde, in
1650, and sumptuously entertained for
8 days; during which, taking counsel
with the Dues de Bouillon and de La
Rochefoucauld, she planned the me¬
morable rising in the South which was
called the civil war of Guienne. She
here summoned her vassals and re¬
tainers to mount the fawn-coloured
scarf, and to rally round her for the
rescue of her husband from prison.
At the order of the Due de Bouillon
the tocsin was sounded in the 400
villages of his vicomte of Turenne,
and the peasants at once flew to arms
and flocked round his standard.

20 Cressensac (Dept. Lot).

Truffles flourish in the uncultivated
ground around this village.

16 Souillac, a miserable little town
in the deep valley of the Dordogne,
on its rt. bank.

After crossing the river, a steep
hill, nearly 3 m. long, requires to be
surmounted, in effecting which the
postmaster is authorised to attach a
pair of oxen to all four-wheeled car¬
riages. 2 m. on the 1. is the village
and chateau of La Mothe F^ndLon, not
the birthplace, as some have stated,
of the author of Telemaque, but a
property belonging to his family. A
hilly country, arid, barren, and un¬
interesting, all the way to Cahors.

16 Peyrac.

18 Pont de Rodes.

17 Pelacoy. Near this is Murat,
and a little beyond it La Bastide, the
birthplace of Joachim Murat, general
of cavalry, and King of Naples. He
was the son of an aubergiste who was
steward in the family of the Talley-
rands.

240

Route 70.— Orleans to Toulouse — Cahors, Sect. IV.

A long but gradual descent of nearly
5 m. leads down into the valley of
the Lot.

The very distant outline of the
Py renees, 150 m. off, may be distin¬
guished in clear weather near

16 Cahors. (Inns: H. des Ambas-
sadeurs, not very clean, but excellent
cook; Trois Rois; de 1’Europe, good.)
Cahors, the chef-lien of the Dept, le
Lot (Pop. 12,050), is situated on the
top and round the base of an escarped
rock, on a wide sweeping bend of the
river Lot. It is a very ancient town
of narrow streets, full of antique edi¬
fices, to which a new quai'ter has been
added. The name comes from its
ancient appellation, Divona Cadurcorum,
and there still exist the scanty remains
of a Roman amphitheatre, and of a
conduit, which conveyed water to it
from the village St. Martin de Vern,
through La Roque, where are vestiges
of the arches of an aqueduct.

The Cathedral, a truly fine edifice,
consists of a large nave, surmounted
by two hemispherical cupolas, in the
Byzantine style ; a portal and the
choir are Gothic. The Bishop’s Palace
is now the Prefecture. The bishop
originally bore the title of count, and
enjoyed the privilege of wearing a
sword and gauntlets, which he depo¬
sited on the altar when he said mass.
"YVhen he took possession of his diocese,
he was received at the gate of the
town by his vassal, le Yicomte de
Sessac, bareheaded, without cloak,
with one leg bare, and the foot in a
slipper, and was conducted by the
count in that guise to his palace, and
waited on by him there at table. This
curious tenure had fallen out of use
before the Revolution.

The surprise and capture of Cahors
in 1580 was one of the most brilliant
exploits of Henri IV. (when King of
Navarre). He reached the town by a
forced march of 30 m. under a burning
sun, and, posting his men in ambus¬
cade among the walnut-trees, awaited
the nightfall; when, silently approach¬
ing the gate, he blew it up with a
petard, and entered himself the
seventh, followed by 700 men, and
leaving 700 outside to check the

arrival of reinforcements to the gar¬
rison. The bursting of the gate had
alarmed the town, which was strongly
guarded, and a shower of stones and
tiles from every housetop assailed the
Navarrese troops and their general.
The combat was carried on throughout
the night, and yet, when dawn ap¬
peared, the assailants had gained but
a very small footing. Henri was
strongly advised to retire, especially
when intelligence was brought of the
arrival of succour to the town ; but
the king, setting his back against a
shop, persisted in fighting on, ex¬
claiming, “ Ma retr&ite hors de cette
ville sera celle de mon ame hors de
mon corps.” The reinforcements were
driven back, but Henri still had to
struggle step by step, to lay siege to
every street, and almost to every
house. It was not until the fifth night
that Cahors submitted. Henri’s sol¬
diers, irritated by the resistance made
by the garrison, put a great many to
the sword.

On the open promenade de Foss6, in
front of the college, is placed a statue
of F^nelon, who was a student here.
One of the bridges over the Lot, built
in the 14th and 15th cents., is curious,
being surmounted by 3 gate-towers, to
defend the approach to the town.
Cahors is the native place of Pope
Jean XXII., whose name was Jacques
d’Euze ; his Castle is pointed out near
the entrance to the town, on the side
of Paris ; also of Clement Marot, the
poet, author of sonnets, ballads, &c.
(1495), and page to Marguerite, sister
of Francis I.

The country around produces a
good deal of wine, which is not much
known, but is not bad, and truffles in
abundance.

21 La Magdeleine.

17 Caussade stands on the fertile
plain watered by the Loire ; it is a
town of 5000 Inhab., famed for turkeys
stuffed with truffles.

In the next stage the river Aveyron
is crossed, and we enter the wide and
fertile plain of Languedoc, which ex¬
tends to the foot of the Pyrenees with
little interruption.

23 Montauban ( Inns ; H. de France ;

Pyrenees. Route TO.— Orleans to Toulouse — Toulouse.

241

de 1’Europe ; good, clean, and com¬
fortable— J. II. PI), chef-lieu of the
D^pt. Tarn et Garonne, is a good-
looking little town, with clean and
wide streets, on the rt. bank of the
Tarn, here lined by a fine quay, and
crossed by a brick bridge of the 13th
cent., but modernized, at the end of
which stands the Prefecture, a square
building with 4 turrets at its angles.
There is not much to be seen in the
town. The Cathedral is a large modern
building of Italian architecture, with a
frontispiece at the W. end.

“ The Promenade of Les Terrasses
on the borders of the Trescon, and on
the highest part of the ramparts, com¬
mands that noble plain, one of the
richest in Europe, which extends on
one side to the sea, and in front to the
Pyrenees, whose towering masses,
heaped one upon another in a stu¬
pendous manner, and covered with
snow, offer a variety of lights and
shades from their indented forms and
the immensity of their projections.
This prospect has a sort of oceanic
vastness, in which the eye loses itself;
an almost boundless scene of cultiva¬
tion ; an animated but confused mass
of infinitely varied parts, melting gra¬
dually into the distant obscure, from
which arises the amazing frame of the
Pyrenees, rearing their silvered heads
far above the clouds.”— A. Young.

Montauban is a flourishing manu¬
facturing town, producing various
kinds of woollen cloths, hair stuffs
(cadis, molletons), which are exported
to the colonies. It has 24,660 Inhab.,
nearly one-half of them being Protest¬
ants, and there is a Protestant College
here for the instruction of pastors.

In the 16th and 17th cents. Mont¬
auban was a stronghold of Protest¬
antism, its inhabitants having early
embraced the Reformed doctrines, and
being prepared to defend them. It
endured in consequence a very me¬
morable siege in 1621, from the royal
army led on by the favourite Luynes,
who brought hither his master Louis
XIII. ; but, instead of witnessing its
fall, after nearly 3 months of fruitless
assault, Louis and his minister w r ere
forced to withdraw, such w T as the ob-
France.

stinate bravery of the inhabitants and
the skill of their governors. Under
the reign of Louis XIY., and the influ¬
ence of Madame de Maintenon, the
Protestants of Montauban w r ere singled
out to suffer the direst persecutions,
inflicted by the so-called Dragonnades,
or quartering of regiments of soldiers
on them, who exercised every species
of licence, inquisitorial tyranny, and
cruelty, with the design of forcing
them to become Roman Catholics.

At the farther extremity of the
bridge over the Tarn we pass under
ah arch of brick into the extensive
suburb of Ville Bourdon, founded by
the Protestants expelled from Tou¬
louse in 1562.

We enter the grand route from
Bordeaux to Toulouse (Rte. 73) a
little short of

22 Grisolles. The Garonne runs
parallel with our road, at a little dis¬
tance on the rt., through a plain of
unequalled fertility. The British army,
under the Duke of Wellington, passed
the river, before the battle of Tou¬
louse, by 2 pontoon bridges above the
small towm of Grenade on the 1. bank
nearly opposite Castelnau, 15 m. below
Toulouse. The road crosses the river
Lers a little farther on. The capture
of the bridge over it at Croix Daurade,
by a gallant charge of the 18th hussars,
on the day before the battle, secured
a communication between the columns
of the allied army, part of which
marched up the rt. and part up the 1.
bank of the Lers, to attack the strong
position of Marshal Soult.

12 St. Jory.

The approach to Toulouse lies over
a bridge, flanked by 2 columns, thrown
across the Canal du Midi, which, half
encircling the town on the N. and E.,
joins the Garonne about a mile to the
rt. of this bridge in the Faubourg
d’Arnaud Bernard.

The Obelisk on the height to the 1.
marks the centre of Marshal Soult’s
position at the battle of Toulouse,
which, though strongly fortified by
redoubts and cannon, was carried by
the Allies (see p. 248).

17 Toulouse. — {Inns: H. Bibent;
very good. H. de 1’Europe, Place

242

Route 70.— Toulouse—Copit ole.

Sect. IY.

Lafayette ; good situation; comfort¬
able ; good cuisine. H. Souville ;
very good— C. P. B. H. du Midi—
L. Y. H. Casset.)

In the midst of the great plain of
Gascony and Languedoc, beginning at
the very foot of the Pyrenees, and
stretching from them nearly 100 m.
X., stands Toulouse, the ancient capi¬
tal of Languedoc, and now of the
Dept, of Haute Garonne. It is built
on both banks of the Garonne, just
above the point where the Canal du
Midi, connecting the Atlantic with
the Mediterranean, falls into it, after
winding round the X. and E. sides of
the town. The river is crossed by a
brick bridge connecting the city with
the suburb St. Cyprien on the 1. bank
of the river.

It is far from being a handsome
city ; its streets are irregular and
dirty, its houses and even churches of
brick ; and neither public nor private
buildings are distinguished by special
architectural beauty : but it ranks as
the seventh city in France, from the
number of its inhabitants (77,400),
and the extensive trade and commerce
of a provincial capital which it enjoys.
It is interesting from its historical
souvenirs, as the capital of the king¬
dom of the Visigoths from 413 to 507,
when it was destroyed by Clovis on
the battle-field of Vouille near Poi¬
tiers ; as the place where the art of
the Troubadours was encouraged at
the gay court of its counts ; as the
scene of the papal crusade against the
Albigenses, headed by an English
leader, and as the seat of the ancient
Parliament of Toulouse. But the Re¬
volution has, as usual, done its worst
to extirpate all tangible relics of by¬
gone days.

The Place du Capitole (once Place
Royale), a handsome though unfinished
square, consisting of three sides of
regular modern buildings and one of
old and irregular structures, is the
centre of bustle and traffic ; the chief
market-place, and the point of de¬
parture of the main thoroughfares. It
is named from le Capitole , or Hotel de
Ville, so called either from the tradi¬
tion that in the time of the Romans

the Capitol of the Tolosates may have
stood here, or from the meetings of
the civic chapter (capitolium), whose
members were also called capitouls,
on this spot. The building presents
externally a modern front, finished
1769, with eight columns of red Pyre¬
nean marble in the centre, and in¬
cludes, besides the municipal build¬
ings and the archives, the Theatre in
the 1. wing. The principal apartment,
running along nearly the whole length
of the first floor, is the Salle des 11lus¬
tres, or hall of the worthies of Tou¬
louse, so called from 38 terra-cotta
busts of men of note, born in and near
Toulouse, or connected with it, each
with a pompous Latin inscription
below it, filling as many gilt niches in
the walls. In real truth, a great many
—as Riquet, engineer of the Canal du
Midi, Pope Benedict XII., &c., have
no connection of birth with the town ;
and many more, though really citizens,
have no claim to renown beyond its
walls. Among those of most general
celebrity may be mentioned Raymond
St. Gilles, Count of Toulouse, one of
the leaders of the first crusade ; Cujas,
the lawyer (“ cujus merum nomen
plus laudis amplectitur quam quadibet
oratio potest ”), who was rejected by
the university here when a candidate
for the professorship of law ; and P.
Fermat, the mathematician, inventor
of the integral calculus, b. 1608.

In this hall are held every year the
meetings of the Societe des Jeux Flo-
raux, deriving its origin from the an¬
cient troubadours, but founded, it is
said, by one Clemence Isaure, a Tou-
lousan lady, who revived the science
of the “ gai Scavoir ” in the 14th
centy. (1333). Her very existence,
however, is not a little doubtful, as
there is no mention of her in the
archives of the town, though her
statue is preserved in the Capitole.
In spite of these doubts, the society
has adopted her as its patroness and
founder, and every year at the begin¬
ning (3rd) of May, after making a pil¬
grimage to the church of the Daurade
in which feer tomb once was, it distri¬
butes, to various competitors, prizes
consisting of golden and silver flowers,

Pyrenees. Route 70. — Toulouse — Capitole — St. Semin .

243

the violette, amaranthe, eglantine,
souci, ancl lis, for the best original
compositions in verse, and essays in
prose, "for which the directors give the
subject. The society maintains about
equal importance, and the prize com¬
positions have nearly the same literary
value, as those of the bardic meetings
held in Wales. Although the exist¬
ence of Clemence is uncertain, there is
no doubt of the antiquity of the
society, and it claims for itself to be
the oldest literary institution in Eu¬
rope, dating from 1333. Indeed, it
appears that in that year a number of
Troubadours, or Mainteneurs du Gai
Scavoir, citizens of Toulouse, met in
a field near the town to distribute
prizes to the composers of the best
verses.

In the same room with the statue of
Clemence Isaure is preserved the axe
with which Henri Due de Montmo¬
rency, the victim of the implacable
Cardinal Richelieu, and one of the
last of the great vassals of the crown
of France, was decapitated. It is a
sort of huge carving-knife, and was
made in the town. The execution
took place 1632, in the first court of
the Capitole, at the feet of the statue
of Henri IV., in whose reign that part
of the building was erected. In the
2nd court on the rt., two barred win¬
dows mark the dungeon in which the
duke w r as confined, and belong to the
oldest portion of the building. Here
also is the old Salle de Consistoire, with
ornamented roof and chimney (? if
still existing). The council chamber
of the senators of the town, or capi-
touls, equivalent to the eclievins else¬
where, no longer exists.

The antiquity of the municipal pri¬
vileges of Toulouse, and of the meet¬
ings of the magistrates, who were
elected by the people themselves, and
who were recognised by Raymond V.
as far back as 1152, deserves notice.
These rights, of 5 centuries’ duration,
were infringed, in spite of the remon¬
strances of the citizens, by Louis
XIV., who caused the capitouls to
be appointed at Paris by royal ordon-
nance.

The Place du Capitole is a good

starting-place from which to visit the
chief curiosities of the town.

L'Eglise St. Semin, the largest,
oldest, and most perfect ecclesiastical
edifice here, is a plain building of
brick and stone in the Romanesque
style, finished and consecrated 1090,
by Pope Urban II. It is conspicuous
for its lofty octagonal Tower , formed
by 5 tiers of arches, each story less in
size than that below it. The upper
part is of the 14th cent., the lower
corresponds in style with the church
below. Of its 2 S. porches , one is distin¬
guished by a curious early Byzantine
bas-relief over the door, and by the
capitals of its columns representing
the murder of the Innocents, expul¬
sion of Adam, &c. ; the other, a double
portal leading into the S. transept,
bears carved capitals of the 7 deadly
sins. By the side of it, within a mo¬
dernised chapel, open to the air, are
several tombs of early counts of Tou¬
louse. The interior is remarkable for
its very long Nave (not unlike that of
St. Albans, but flanked by double
aisles). The E. end is semicircular
and its arches round; close-set columns
support the vault above the high altar,
painted with the colossal figure of
Christ and the symbols of the 4 evan¬
gelists. From the aisle behind it pro¬
ject 5 apsidal chapels, decorated with
curious carvings of saints and legends
in w T ood. Here also is a model of the
church as it stood before the Revolu¬
tion, showing that it formed an iso¬
lated fortress, apart from the town,
walled in by towers and battlements.
Some curious Byzantine bas-reliefs in
white marble, said to have belonged
to the old church of St. Sernin, built
by Charlemagne in the 8th centy. (?),
are let into the wall of the aisle behind
the choir ; they represent o\ir Saviour,
angels, and saints. The Crypt under
the choir, modernised in the 15th
centy., was the place of deposit of
relics in great number and esteemed
of immense value. Before the Revo¬
lution this church indeed boasted of
possessing the bodies of no less than 7
of the apostles ; that of St. James was,
it is true, a duplicate, another of his
bodies being preserved at Compos-

31 2

244

Route TO.— Toulouse — Cathedral — Musee . Sect. IV.

tella ! This motto was blazoned over
the entry —“Non est in toto sanction
orbe locus.”

The wooden stalls of the choir are
well carved in the style of the 16th
centy.

The Church of St. Taur, situated in
the street leading from the Capitole
to St. Sernin, derives its name from
the wild bull to whose horns the
body of the martyr St. Saturnin was
bound by his heathen persecutors.
The struggles of the furious animal
having detached it from the cords on
this spot, a church was in consequence
erected. That at present existing has
nothing remarkable but its flattened
fronton belfry, surmounted by an¬
gular arches.

The Church of the Cordeliers , a brick
building of great loftiness, erected in
the 14th centy., is now turned into a
magasin de four rage, and filled with
hay ; that of the Jacobins, surmounted
by a conspicuous brick tower, rising
in arches having straight-angled heads,
is of vast size, and of brick, like the
other churches. It has become a
barrack, and is divided by floors, the
lower story serving as a stable for
artillery horses.

Issuing out of the Place du Capitole
by the Rue de la Pomme, we come to
the Cathedral, or Eglise St. Etienne,
remarkable for the irregularity and
want of concord in all its parts. The
large and beautiful rose window is out
of the line of the centre of the main
portal immediately below it ; the cen¬
tre of the nave is parallel with the
side aisle of the choir, and its two
walls do not correspond. The nave
was built by Raymond VI., Comte de
Toulouse, in the 13th centy., at a time
when he was favouring the heretical
Albigeois, and was excommunicated in
consequence by the Pope. Raymond
was besieged within the walls of Tou¬
louse by Simon de Montfort, Earl of
Leicester, appointed by Innocent III.
head of the crusade against the he¬
retics. He met his death in one of
the suburbs of the town, from a stone
discharged by a mangonel, whilst he
was endeavouring to repel a sally of
the citizens, in the 9tli month of the

fruitless siege, on St. John Baptist’s
day, 1218. Count Raymond’s con¬
struction is the oldest part of the
church, and was doubtless intended to
be removed by those who raised the
very elegant Flamboyant Choir. It
was begun 1272, but not roofed until
1502, by the Cardinal d’Orleans, son
of the brave bastard Dunois, who
built also the cloclier and the singular
isolated column called Pilier d’ Orleans,
which fronts you as you enter the
nave. There is some good painted
glass in the choir. The tower is sin¬
gular from its form, having two broad
sides and two narrow.

In the Rue des Arts is the Musee,
deposited in the desecrated church of
the Augustins, and comprising a large
collection of bad paintings, copies,
&c., filling two rooms, one of them
being the old church itself, which has
been re-roofed and re-floored. The
best pictures are a Perugino, St. John
Evangelist and St. Austin ; a Vander
Meulen, Siege of Cambray ; and a cu¬
rious painting of the eight capitouls
forming the town council of Toulouse
in 1645. A good collection of casts
from the antique is placed in the
chapterhouse, an elegantly vaulted
and groined apartment of the 14th
centy., supported on light pillars.
The Collection of Antiquities in this
museum is the most interesting sight
in Toulouse ; it is placed under
the admirable direction of M. du
Mege, who may be considered its
founder. The locale which it partly
occupies is the elegant Gothic Cloister
of the old church, the traceried arches
of which are supported on pillars of
marble in pairs, producing an effect
not unlike the Campo Santo at Pisa.

In addition to a small series of
Egyptian sculptures, there are nu¬
merous inscriptions, Roman and Gallic,
votive altars, &c., with fragments of
statues and of marbles, from various
places in Languedoc and the Pyrenees,
showing that the quarries of the
Py renees were worked by the Romans.
The most remarkable part of the col¬
lection, however, is the three following
series, forming an almost uninterrupted
chain in the history of art, from the

Pyrenees.

Route 70.— Toulouse — Museum.

245

Gallo-Roman period to the Renais¬
sance or cinque-cento through the
Gothic period.

1st. A very large collection of an¬
tiquities dug up near the small town
of Martres, on the 1. bank of the Ga¬
ronne, a little below St. Gaudens, and
proved by M. du Mege to be the an¬
cient Calagorris. In consequence of
the excavations undertaken at his sug¬
gestion, it has become a Gallic Pom¬
peii. The discoveries consist of a
series of about 40 busts and medal¬
lions of Roman emperors, and of
members of their families, from Au¬
gustus and Claudius down to Gal-
lienus, forming a tolerably complete
portrait gallery ; of a number of small
statues of gods and goddesses, of good
execution, especially in the draperjq
including Isis, Venus, Diana, Jupiter,
Serapis, Esculapius, Harpocrates ; a
series of bas-reliefs, much mutilated,
representing the Labours of Hercules ;
a mosaic of the head of a river
god ; a number of Corinthian capitals,
friezes, and other architectural orna¬
ments. Among the bronzes are a pair
of wheels and the pole of a Roman
chariot, very rare and interesting ob¬
jects, dug up at Fa, near the Bains de
Rennes. Two bas-reliefs, with in¬
scriptions relating to the two Em¬
perors Tetricus, have given rise to
much discussion among antiquaries.
They were found at Nerac.

2nd. A collection of works of art
of the middle ages, consisting of bas-
reliefs, statues, monuments, portals,
and a long series of curiously carved
capitals of columns obtained from
ecclesiastic edifices and Christian
monuments destroyed or desecrated
at or since the Revolution, beginning
with early Christian tombs, sarco¬
phagi, and coffins, covered with sculp¬
ture rude and debased in point of art,
but showing Roman influence, bearing
Christian symbols combined with
heathen subjects, the cross, X, P, the
vine-branch, &c. One of these, brought
from the outer wall of the church of
La Daurade, where it went by the
name of Tornheau de la Reine Pedauque
(pes aucse, queen goose-leg), bears six
bas-reliefs of the multiplication of

loaves and fishes, tlie raising of La¬
zarus, and other Scriptural events,
which were adopted as types sym¬
bolical of the goodness of God, and
of the resurrection, by the early
Christians. Another sarcophagus from
St. Orens, at Auch, displays, with
similar symbolical allusion, the sacri¬
fice of Isaac, and Lazarus deplored by
Martha, with Adam and Eve. Others
of these tombs come from the very
ancient cemetery of St. Saturnin in
Toulouse. Several bas-reliefs which
ornamented a portal of that church
are preserved here ; one represents 2
females seated, their legs crossed; one
holds a ram, the other a lion : the
names of these two signs of the zodiac
being written at the side, and below
one of them, ^Hoc factum est in tem¬
pore Julii Ca3saris.” They are sup¬
posed to have formed part of a Zodiac,
or Julian Calendar, attached to that
church. It is not improbable that
they were executed in the time of
Charlemagne. From St. Sernin also
comes a carving of a hawk, with a
human head, treading under foot a
monster, inscribed “ Crocodilus the
allegory seems derived from Egypt.
A pedestal in white marble, bearing 4
figures in relief, 2 of them saints with
palms (St. Justus and Rusticus), the
Virgin, and a crowned king, supposed
to be Charlemagne, holding a lotus¬
headed (?) sceptre, and wearing a
cross on his breast, was brought from
the Cathedral of Narbonne, of which
he was the founder. The curious
Portal of the old Church of La Daurade,
pulled down in 1812 when the monas¬
tery attached to it was converted into
a tobacco manufactory, has been re¬
erected here, as nearly as possible in
its original condition. Its circular
arch is supported by statues, instead
of pillars : attached to it are 4 figures
in bas-relief,—David playing on the
Harp, and the Virgin and our Saviour,
with a king and queen, founders or
benefactors of the church.

In like manner, the Portal of the
Cathedral Chapterhouse at Toulouse,
decorated with figures of the Apos¬
tles in bas-relief, has been removed
hither.

246

Route 70.— Toulouse — Museum — Inquisition. Sect. IY.

Here are numerous statues, partly
coloured and gilt, of Christ, the Vir¬
gin, Apostles, and Saints. A series
of more than 60 capitals of columns,
almost all differing in form and deco¬
ration, the greater part ornamented
with subjects minutely carved from
the Bible or Legends of Saints. The
casts of sculptures from the church of
St. Victor at Marseille, and from that
of Moissac, merit attention, as well as
many monumental effigies of noble
knights and high-born dames, and holy
ecclesiastics, mitred abbots, bishops,
and several archbishops of Toulouse,
here deposited.

The museum also boasts of possess¬
ing the ivory horn of the renowned
Roland, richly carved—formerly pre¬
served in the treasury of the church of
S. Sernin.

A third division of the museum
contains Monuments of the Renaissance,
including casts from a portion of the
carved wood screen-work in the Ca¬
thedral of Auch, and church of St.
Bertrand de Comminges. A Pieta,
in white marble, from the Eglise des
Carmes at Carcassonne, several frag¬
ments of statues, bas-reliefs, &c., by
Bachelier, a sculptor of Toulouse, and
pupil of Michael Angelo, 1485-1567.
A relief, in white marble, of boys
dancing, by Pierre Paul Puget, is very
clever.

The plastered and stuccoed church
of La Daurade derives its name from
the gilt mosaics of a former church,
of which no traces are now left : the
monastery attached to it, on the quay,
a little below the bridge, is now the
Manufacture Royale de Tabac.

There are numerous specimens in
the streets of the grand but exagger¬
ated architecture of the Renaissance ;
one, perhaps the best, is attributed to
Primaticcio’s design, and is situated
near the bridge over the Garonne.

If the stranger w r ill continue past
the bridge, up the street, on the rt.
bank of the Garonne, called Rue du
Couteliers, he may view the Hotel
St. Jean, of Italian architecture, that
called Hotel Haguin, or more com¬
monly Maison de Pierre, a gaudy spe¬
cimen of the style of the Renaissance,

and nearly opposite an ornamental
portal, in much better taste, designed
by Bachelier, already mentioned.

Still farther on is the cannon
foundry, occupying the ancient nun¬
nery of Sainte Claire ; and a little be¬
yond it IjC Convent de l’ Inquisition, an
obscure edifice retaining its old ill-
omened name, but now belonging to a
religious brotherhood engaged in edu¬
cation. It is memorable for crimes
which stain the annals of Toulouse.
Here alone, in France, was that ac¬
cursed tribunal allowed to take root.
Here, as in Spain, it brought with it
its usual train of tyrannous atrocities,
torturing, imprisoning, roasting at the
stake the living, tearing up the dead
from their graves, or refusing Christ¬
ian burial to persons deceased. It was
first established here, in the time of
Count Raymond VII. (1221), by the
ecclesiastical council assembled to ex¬
terminate the heresy of the Albigenses,
which, at the beginning of the 13th
centy., had overspread the entire S. of
France, under the connivance or en¬
couragement of Raymond VI., of
Toulouse, one of the wealthiest, and
most powerful princes of his time.
St. Dominic himself, the founder of
the Inquisition, visited Toulouse to
water the thriving offset from his own
terrible foundation ; the cell which
he occupied was shown until 1772.

The Place de Salin was the scene
upon which the French Autos da Fe'
were enacted.

The house No. 50, Rue des Fila-
tiers, was in 1762 occupied by a re¬
spectable Protestant family, named
Calas. The father, Jean Calas, car¬
ried on the trade of a draper, and
prospered, in good repute with his
neighbours, and in contentment at
home. The only exception to his
domestic happiness was the conver¬
sion, by a priest named Durand, of
his third son, Jean Louis, to the
Roman Catholic faith. The youth
had, in consequence, been sent from
home, receiving a small allowance
from his father.

On the night of the 13th-14th Oc¬
tober, 1761, cries were heard issuing
from the house of Calas, and the chief

247

Pyrenees. Route 70.— Toulouse—Tice Inquisition.

of police, with an escort of soldiers,
on entering it, found near the door
the dead body of the eldest son of
Calas, Marc Antoine by name.

A proces verbal was prepared, de¬
claring that he died, hung by himself;
which there can be no doubt is the
truth, for he was of a melancholy tem¬
perament ; but a malicious cry was
raised in the crowd by a voice un¬
known, that he had been strangled by
his father, to prevent his abjuring
Calvinism as his brother had done,
and the report spread, and was partly
believed by the fanatic Toulousans.
The elder Calas was in consequence
accused of the murder of his own son,
before the Parliament of Toulouse ;
and that ancient and venerable as¬
sembly, without listening to one-tentli
of the evidence which had been pre¬
pared, and without any proof of his
guilt, sullied its reputation for justice
by condemning him, at the age of 63,
to be tortured and broken on the
wheel, and his remains burnt and scat¬
tered to the wind.

The act of condemnation, in virtue
of which this atrocious judicial murder
was committed, runs as follows :—
“ La Cour le condamne a etre livre
aux mains de l’executeur de la haute
justice, qui, tete, pieds mis, et en
chemise, la hart au col, le montera
sur le chariot a ce destine', et le con-
duira devant la porte principale de
l’Eglise de Toulouse ; oh, etant a
genoux, tenant entre ses mains une
torche de cire jaune allume'e, du poids
de deux livres, il fera amende honor¬
able, et demandera pardon a Dieu,
au Roi, et h la justice, de ses crimes
et mefaits ; ce fait, le remontera sur
le chariot, et le conduira a la Place
St. George de cette ville, ou, sur
un echaufaud, qui y sera h, cet effet
dresse, il lui rompra et brisera les bras,
jambes, cuisses, et reins ; ensuite l’ex-
posera sur une roue qui sera dressee
tout aupres du dit echafaud, la face
tournee vers le ciel, pour y vivre en
peine et repentance de ses dits mefaits,
servir d’exemple, et donner de la ter-
reur aux mechants, tout autant qu’il
plaise h Dieu de lui donner la vie ; et
son corps sera jete dans un bucher

prepare h cet effet sur la dite Place,
pour y etre consume par les flammes,
et ensuite (ses cendres) j etebs au vent.
Prealablement le dit Calas sera appli¬
que h la question ordinaire et extraor¬
dinaire, sera le dit Calas pere etrangle,
apres avoir reste deux heures sur 'la
roue. Juge le 9 Mai, 1762.—Cassan,
Clairac, rapporteurs.” He bore the
torture inflicted on him in the Hotel
de Ville with the greatest firmness,
answering all questions with the ut¬
most clearness, and giving no advan¬
tage to his interrogators, but persisting
in maintaining his innocence. On the
scaffold, after suffering with the most
patient resignation the agonies of his
punishment for 2 whole hours, during
which he was subjected to the mental
rackings of a Romish priest, being still
fully alive, the signal was given to the
executioner to inflict the “ coup de
grace.”

“ De faux temoins ont egares mes
juges,” exclaimed he, before breathing
his last breath; “je meurs innocent:
Jesus Christ, qui £tait 1’innocence
meme, voulut mourir par une supplice
plus cruel encore.” The very Domi¬
nicans who attended Calas exclaimed
as he expired, “ Il est mort un juste!”
With his murder an end was put to
the martyrdoms and cruel persecutions
of the Protestants which had disgraced
the South of France for almost a cen¬
tury, and chiefly owing to the praise¬
worthy exertions of Voltaire in defend¬
ing Jean Calas and exposing his perse¬
cutors. His sentence was reversed
and his innocence proclaimed by the
Conseil Royal at Paris.

The Palais de Justice, totally mo¬
dernised externally, and for the most
part a new building, was the seat of
the Parliament of Toulouse, where its
sittings were held. The fine ceilings
ornamenting its interior have been
retained in two apartments : one,
carved with reliefs in compartments,
representing the Labours of Hercules,
is by no means contemptible; the other
is richly gilt.

At a short distance below the bridge
the navigation of the Garonne is inter¬
rupted by a weir thrown across it to
supply water to the large corn-mill

248 Route 70.— Canal du Midi—Rattle of Toulouse. Sect. IV.

of the town, called le Basacle, rebuilt
1814.

Between this mill and the church of
La Daurade is the mouth of the Canal
de Brienne, constructed by the arch¬
bishop whose name it bears, to remedy
the interruption in the navigation
caused by the mill-weir. It runs
nearly parallel with the Garonne for
about f mile below the Basacle, and
then falls into the Canal du Midi. A
fine avenue of trees leads to this junc¬
tion. Here the 2 canals are crossed
by small bridges, between which, on
a level with the w T ater, is stuck a large
piece of sculpture, in high relief, of
white marble, representing some un¬
meaning allegory, without allusion to
the founder of the great work, Riquet,
and contemptible in execution.

A few hundred yards below this,
the Canal du Midi, after sweeping
round the E. and N. sides of the city of
Toulouse, enters the Garonne through
a basin provided with double locks,
and guarded against ice by a sort of
pier. The Garonne is at this point
144 metres, or 473 feet, above the
level of the Atlantic.

The navigation of the Garonne,
though carried on by barges, is very
difficult, owing to rocks and stems of
trees in its bed, from Toulouse to the
junction of the Tarn. A lateral canal
has been projected from Toulouse to
Castels in Dept, de la Gironde. For a
description of the Canal du Midi see
Rte. 93.

At the battle of Toulouse the inner
bank of the canal, towards the town,
was lined with French troops, and
every bridge over it strongly defended
by tetes de pont and intrenchments.
In an attack made by the British Light
Division upon the bridge nearest the
embouchure of the canal, designed by
Wellington merely as a feint, but
converted by Picton, in disobedience
to orders, into a hopeless assault, the
British were repulsed with a loss of
400 men.

A monument has been erected, in
the grounds of the Chateau Gragnague,
on the N. side of the canal, to a
British officer of great merit, Colonel
Forbes, of the 45th regiment. Several

other English monumental tablets are
also placed in the Protestant Church
of Toulouse.

The best point of view for surveying
the fold of the Battle of Toulouse (April
10, 1814), as well as for viewing the
town, is the Obelisk of brick, erected
by the city, “ Aux Braves morts pour
la Patrie,” occupying the site of one
of Marshal Soult’s redoubts, taken by
the English, on the height of Calvinet.
It is reached by traversing the fine
oval place, and the broad Avenue Lafay¬
ette (originally d’Angouleme), crossing
the canal at the flying bridge, or Pont
Matabiau, and ascending at the back
of the Ecole Vffiffiinaire. The view
owes its chief interest to the distant
chain of the Pyrenees, occupying the
horizon, whose peaks may be discerned,
in fine weather, from the Canigou on
the E. to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre
on the W., with the Maladetta, Cra-
bioules, and Mt. Perdu in the centre.
The city itself is not striking; the
country around is very flat and mono¬
tonous, and the Garonne runs in too
deep a bed to form a feature in the
landscape.

The most important part of Marshal
Soult’s position, at the time of the
battle, was along the heights called
Mont Rave, composed of two plat¬
forms, Calvinet (on which stands the
obelisk) and Sypierre, both of which
had been fortified, several weeks
beforehand, with 5 redoubts, and in¬
trenchments between them, mounted
with a great many guns. The position
was supported by the canal, and by
the ramparts by which the town was
then surrounded in the rear of the
canal; and in front the position was
covered by the Ers. That stream was
at the time unfordable, and all the
bridges over it were blown up, or
strongly guarded, except that of Croix
Daurade, taken by the British Hussars
the day before the battle. General
Beresford’s division, which achieved
the victory, had to make a flank move¬
ment, marching for 2 m. up the rt.
bank of the Ers, under the fire from
the heights, over ground naturally
very difficult, marshy, and intersected
by watercourses, but rendered almost

Pyrenees.

Route 71 .—Limoges to Bordeaux .

249

impassable by artificial inundations.
After passing Calvinet, the British
troops formed, and, charging up the
height, took first the redoubt on Sy-
pierre, and afterwards those on Cal-
vinet. Here, however, a terrible
struggle took place : the British,
“ clinging to the brow of the hill,”
in spite of the masses opposed to them,
stood fast on the ground they had
gained; and though the French made
desperate efforts from the canal, they
never retook Calvinet. A previous
attack on Calvinet, made in the early
part of the day by the Spaniards, had
been very different in its result ; so
quickly, indeed, did they retire, that
the Duke of Wellington said of them,
“he never before saw 10,000 men
running a race1500 of them were
slaughtered on the slope of this hill,
chiefly in a hollow road upon its flank,
raked by a battery from the Pont de
Matabiau on the canal, which “ sent
its bullets from flank to flank, hissing
through, the quivering mass of flesh
and bones,” to use the words of Colonel
Napier.

At 5 o’clock p. m. Soult withdrew
his whole army behind the canal.
The next day he remained inactive,
and on the night of the 11th was
“forced to abandon” Toulouse, leaving
behind 1600 wounded and 3 generals,
to fall prisoners into the hands of the
allies. They lost in this battle 4659
men and 4 generals; the French nearly
3000, and 5 generals killed or wounded;
a useless waste of human life, since
Napoleon had abdicated on the 4th
April, some days previously, though
that event was unknown to either of
the commanders. There can be no
doubt that the charge brought against
Marshal Soult of fighting this battle
though aware of what had happened
at Paris is unfounded, and the Duke
of Wellington himself has nobly vin¬
dicated him from it. The forces of
the allies amounted to 52,000 men;
but of these only 24,000, and 52 guns,
were actually engaged in the battle;
the French had 38,000 men, with from
80 to 90 guns. This is the estimate
drawn out with the utmost fairness by
Colonel Napier.

The country immediately about
Toulouse is generally flat and unin¬
teresting, and, being besides arid, and
burnt up in summer, the want of
shade and verdure, and the excessive
dust, offer no inducements to explore.
Its fertility, however, is very conspi¬
cuous.

Toulouse is joined by a bridge of
brick, pierced with round holes be¬
tween the spandrels of the arches,
and terminating in an archway, with
the suburb of St. Cyprien, which was
invested by General Hill and one
division of the British army at the
time of the battle.

The principal Cafes are in the Place
du Capitole. The market held here
is very abundantly supplied : fruit,
vegetables, poultry, and wine are very
cheap; butter and milk dear; ortolans,
truffles, figs, pates de foies de canards,
are the delicacies which await the
gourmand here.

Mallepostes daily to Chateauroux
by Montauban and Limoges; to Nar-
bonne and Montpellier; to Bordeaux
by Agen; to Bayonne by Audi and
Pau.

Diligences —daily, to Paris (Cha¬
teauroux Stat.) ; to Bordeaux; to
Tarbes, Pau, and Bayonne; to Auch
and Bagneres de Bigorre; to St. Gau-
dens and Bagneres de Luchon; to Foix,
Ussat, and Ax; to Villefranclie (Avey-
ron) ; to Narbonne and Montpellier;
to Perpignan by Limoux; to Alby.

ROUTE 71.

LIMOGES TO BORDEAUX, BY PERIGUEUX
AND L1BOURNE.

215 kilom. = 133^ Eng. m.

Mallcposte as far as Perigueux.

Diligences daily.

Through a hilly country we reach
the first relay at

12 Aixe, on the Vienne, a small
town skirted by the road.

23 Chalus. The post-house and
inn is situated at some distance from
this little town, which is only remark¬
able for its Castle of Chabrol, rising
above it in picturesque ruins. Be¬
neath its walls Richard Coeur de Lion

M 3

250 Route 71 .—Limoges to Bordeaux — Perigueux. Sect. IV.

received Iris death-wound from the
arrow of a youth named Bertrand de
Guerdon. The tamer of the infidel,
and hero of the Crusades, thus ended
a chivalrous life of nearly constant
warfare, before the petty fortress of a
vassal, the Viscount of Limoges, which
he had besieged in consequence of a
quarrel about the division of a trea¬
sure found in the viscount’s domain,
of which Richard claimed the whole,
or a larger share than had been con¬
ceded to him. The castle was soon
taken, and the garrison of only 38
men were hung by the king’s order,
except the bold archer who had sped
the shaft so fatal to him. The youth
avowed, when brought before the
dying monarch, that revenge for the
death of his father and two brothers,
slain by Richard, had prompted him
to free the country of its oppressor.
His life, though magnanimously spared
by Richard, was taken after his death;
and he is said to have been flayed
alive by order of Richard’s minister.
The most conspicuous part of the
castle yet remaining is a circular
donjon, entered by a doorway high up
in the wall, and no longer accessible
without a ladder. The tower is en¬
tirely gutted. Around it are grouped
some shattered fragments of buildings,
including a portion of a chapel. A
little conical stone, rising out of the
meadows in the front of the castle, in
the valley below it, is pointed out as
the spot where Richard had placed
himself to reconnoitre the fort, when
the arrow struck him in the 1. shoulder.
The stone is called Maumont.

The bridge of Firbeix, 3 m. from
Chalus, crosses the boundary line of
the ancient provinces of Limousin and
Perigord.

13 La Coquille.

15 Thiviers.

13 Palissou.

19 Perigueux (Inns: H. de France;
good ;—H. de Perigord, famed for its
Pies, turkeys stuffed with truffles, &c.;
—du Chene Vert), the chef-lieu of the
D^pt. Dordogne, contains 12,157 In-
hab., and is situated on the rt. bank
pf the river L’lsle, which was canalised
in 1837. The town, composed of

streets narrow, tortuous, and dirty
within, is fringed by green alleys ex¬
ternally.

Its Cathedral of St. Front is supposed
to be of the 10th centy,, except the
lofty tower, 197 ft. high, which is
rather later. The arrangement of the
ground-plan and the construction of
this ch. display some remarkable pecu¬
liarities. It is in the form of a Greek
cross, with 4 equal arms, formed by
squares, set round a 5th square in the
centre. Each square is surmounted
by a stone-vaulted cupola, concealed
from without by a wooden roof, but
visible to those who choose to mount
up to the roof. Its resemblance to
St. Mark’s at Venice, in style and size,
is very singular. In a chapel within
it, is a remarkable bas-relief in wood,
representing the Assumption of the
Virgin, of elaborate execution.

The Prefecture is a handsome modern
building.

The first ancient name of this city
was Vesuna, retained in the tower de
Vesune, a circular edifice of Roman
construction, 100 ft. high, its walls
6 ft. thick, without doors or windows.
It is supposed to have been a tomb,
and is situated in a suburb called La
Cit5, which contains other ancient
remains of a Roman amphitheatre (very
picturesque) and arch. At a later
period the name Vesuna was changed
to Petrocorii, mentioned by Caesar,
whence Perigueux. The Chateau de
la Barriere is a most curious building,
raised on Roman foundations, which
themselves show evidence of hasty
construction. Other portions date
from the 10th to the 17th centy. Part
is inhabited by the Comte de Beaufort,
being his paternal inheritance reco¬
vered after the Revolution.— P.

The streets of Perigueux contain
some curiously ornamented houses of
the 16th century: one at the corner
of Rue l’Aiguillerie bearing the date
1518; 2 others in Rue Taillefer, Nos.
31 and 37; and a 4th at the end of the
Rue de la Sagesse, ornamented with
arabesques and carvings, merit notice.
There are some buildings and vaults
which are as old as the 12th and 13th
centuries.

Pyrenees. Route 71. —Limoges to Bordeaux — Libourne. 251

The celebrated pates de Perigueux,
well known to all gourmands, are
made of partridges combined with
truffles, and form an article of con¬
siderable export.

The road descends the valley of the
L’lsle nearly all the way to Libourne,
crossing the stream opposite Castel
Fadaise.

Passing under the castle of Montan-
cey, we reach

18 Massoulie.

17 Mussidan.

17 Montpont.

18 St. Medard (Ddpt. Gironde).
A few m. to the rt. lies Coutras,
where Henri IV., while still only King
of Navarre, gained a bloody victory
over the forces of the League under
the Due de Joyeuse, who lost his life
on the field, along with many other
great lords, 1587. Coutras is visible
from a hill overlooking the valley
of the LCsle, surmounted before
reaching

20 Libourne (Inns: H. de France;
des Princes), a town of nearly 10,000
Inhab., situated on the rt. bank of
the Dordogne, here a tidal river, ca¬
pable of receiving vessels of 300 tons
burthen, and crossed by a bridge of
brick, like that of Bordeaux, at the
confluence of the LCsle, which is tra¬
versed by an iron bridge. It is neat
and regularly built, and is one of
the “ Bastides” or free towns founded
by Edward I.* It is said to occupy
the site of the “ Condatis portus” men¬
tioned by Ausonius.

Railroad, Libourne to Angouleme and
Bordeaux, in progress.

[An interesting excursion may be
made from Libourne up the valley of
the Dordogne to St. Emilion, a town of
3100 Inhab. (3 m. distant), celebrated
for its wines, and one of the most
remarkable in France for the antiquity
of its buildings. It is, as it were,
a town of the middle ages preserved
to our times ; with its crenellated
ramparts, watch-towers, and 6 gates
still perfect. There is not a house in
it less than 3 centuries old. It is
seated in a sort of ravine or quarry,
and many of the dwellings are caves
* See p. 228 .

hewn in the rocks. It has a ruined
Castle, le Chateau du Roi, built by
Louis VIII., surmounted by a square
keep-tower, in a style resembling the
Norman, most singular ; in fijet
unique. “ At the top of the ridge is
an immense Gothic steeple that would
suit a cathedral, but has under it only
a church (now abandoned) cut in the
sandstone rock, very large and lofty.”
— S. A round Gothic church, called
the Rotonde; the Parish or Collegiate
Church, a fine building, reduced to the
nave and W. portal, of the 12th centy.
On the S. side is a curious Cloister,
and not far off rises a graceful tower,
octagonal above, square below, com¬
manding from its top a very fine view;
the ruins of several other churches
and convents; and a handsome build¬
ing, the Palais du Cardinal de Cantarac.
The Girondins Guadet, Petion, and
Barbaroux sought refuge for a time in
the cave dwellings here, but were cap¬
tured and slain here, 1794.]

[About 12 m. S.E. of this is Castillon,
under whose walls was fought, in 1453,
the battle in which valiant Lord Talbot,
Earl of Shrewsbury,

“ The Frenchman’s only scourge,

Their kingdom’s terror, and black Nemesis,”

hemmed in by a French force greatly
superior to his own, was slain, at the
age of nearly 80 years, gallantly fight¬
ing, along with his son, the Lord Lisle,
whom his father in vain counselled to
depart out of the field, seeing that all
was lost,—a real incident, which has
furnished Shakespeare with a fine scene.
The result of Talbot’s defeat and death
was the capture of Bordeaux from the
English, and their final expulsion from
Guienne. Near Montraval, on the rt.
bank of the Dordogne, a tomb was
formerly pointed out under the name
of Talbot’s ; but it is known that his
body was transported by his friends to
England. 3 m. from Castillon, on the
1. of the road, but accessible only by
rough cross-roads, is the Chateau of St.
Michel de Montaigne, the birthplace of
Montaigne, the philosopher essayist,
Shakespeare’s favourite author. It is
a considerable building, never fortified,
and remains nearly as described by

252

Route 73.— Toulouse to Bordeaux — Agen. Sect. IV.

him in his Essai des Trois Commerces.
The room which was his library is pre¬
served in the gate tower, over the en¬
trance, and its roof is inscribed with
Greek and Latin sentences ; among
them some from Ecclesiastes also—
“ Homo sum : humani h, me nihil alie-
num puto.” There is a pleasing view
from the terrace. The ch. is near the
house.]

The great line of railway from Paris
to Bordeaux passes through Libourne,
and is nearly finished from that place
S. The road to Bordeaux, after cross¬
ing the bridge over the Dordogne,
passes through
16 Beychac.

A few miles S. of Carbon Blanc our
road falls into that from Angouleme to
Bordeaux, described in Rte. 64, while
15 Bordeaux itself will be found in
Rte. 73.

ROUTE 73.

TOULOUSE TO BORDEAUX BY MOISSAC,

AGEN, MARMANDE J -DESCENT OF

THE GARONNE.

256 kilom. = 158^ Eng. m.

Malleposte daily in 16 hours.

Diligences daily.

Steamers ply on the Garonne from
Agen or Marmande to Bordeaux : a
good restaurant on board.

The first 2 stages from Toulouse by

17 St. Jory, and

12 Grisolles, are the same as Rte. 70;
but we turn to the 1. out of the road to
Paris by Montauban, before reaching

16 La Yitarelle.

The Garonne runs nearly parallel
with the road, but so far off (lj to
2 m.) as scarcely to be seen.

After skirting the little town of St.
Porquier, and crossing the road from
Montauban to Auch, we reach

13 Castel Sarrazin, a town of 7000
Inhab., carrying on some trade in the
corn grown on the fertile plain around.
Opinions differ as to the origin of the
name ; some deriving it from the Sara¬
cens, who may have built the castle, of
which scanty remains exist, to secure
themselves in this part of France;

others, from Castel-sur-Azin, the name
of the small stream running through
it.

The river Tarn, flowing down from
Montauban to join the Garonne, is
crossed before entering

7 Moissac ( Inn : Grand Soleil), a
town of 10,165 Inhab., on the rt. bank
of the Tarn.

Its Ch. of St. Pierre and St. Paul,
once attached to a celebrated abbey
founded by Clovis, or more probably
by St. Amand of Maestricht in the 7th
centy., has a very remarkable portal,
which was added in the early part of the
12th centy. to the still older church.
It is a deeply recessed porch, preceding
a pointed arch, the mouldings and tym¬
panum of which, over the door, are
enriched with the most fantastic sculp¬
tures, designed with the utmost bold¬
ness and fancy. Figures of apostles,
saints, angels, bas-reliefs, fanciful pat¬
terns and mouldings, have been dashed
off with wonderful freedom. The cen¬
tral pier, supporting the doorway, and
the side walls, under the porch, are
similarly adorned. In the interior are
some very early mosaics.

The cloisters, a range of pointed
arches, resting on twin pillars with,
singular capitals, were constructed in
1110, as is recorded on one of the pillars.

An ancient fountain in the town
merits notice.

A hilly stage intervenes between
Moissac and

10 Malause, a prettily situated town,
whose ancient castle has been destroyed
since the first Revolution. The flat
land ceases here, and the country
around is very pleasing : the Garonne,
which the road now approaches more
closely, is a charming feature in the
landscape.

The little town of Valence is passed,
and a few miles further the road runs
along a sort of terrace or quay by the
side of the Garonne, through

12 LaMagistere.

10 Croquelardit.

About half way between Toulouse
and Bordeaux lies

10 Agen.—Inns : H. du Petit St.
Jean, beds not clean, but good cuisine,
famed for its Terrines de Rerac and

Pyrenees. Route 73.— Toulouse to Bordeaux — St. Come. 253

pates aux truffes ; pretty garden ;—
H. de France, good and cheap.

Agen, chef-lieu of the Dept. Lot et
Garonne, is a very old town, chiefly of
narrow streets, with 12,500 Inhab.,
agreeably situated on the 1. bank of
the Garonne, between it and the gently
sloping height, covered with trees, vine¬
yards, and country-houses, called Cote
de l’Ermitage. The Garonne is here
crossed by a bridge of stone, and also
by a Suspension-bridge, between which
and the town runs a beautiful avenue
of trees, forming an agreeable pro¬
menade called Les Graviers. The old
Ch. of St. Caprais is a fine Romanesque
building with numerous apses, and has
been well restored. There are a few
scanty remains of the cathedral of St.
Etienne, destroyed at the Revolution,
and its site is now become a beast-
market.

The Prefecture was originally the
episcopal palace, and is a handsome
edifice.

The Canal is carried over the Garonne
here, on a 3rd Bridge or ponderous
stone Aqueduct of 23 arches, of good
architecture.

The town was known to the Romans
under the name Aginum. The early
Christians suffered severe persecution
here from the Roman preetor ; and St.
Vincent, the 2nd bishop, and many
followers, underwent martyrdom, being
torn to pieces on the spot now occupied
by the Fontaine St. Vincent. Agen
suffered much from the fortunes of
war, especially in the 14th century,
when, by sieges and assaults, it passed
repeatedly from the hands of the French
to the English, and vice versa. Dur¬
ing the wars of the League it was
taken by the Marechal de Matignon,
with the aid of an engineer, who blew
in one of the gates with a petard, 1591.
Marguerite de Valois, who was in the
town at the time, had great difficulty
in securing a horse, with a pillion, for
herself to escape, and post-horses for a
portion of her maids of honour, many
of whom were compelled to decamp
“on foot without masks, others with¬
out riding-habits.”

Those who have time should walk to
the top of the rocky height of L’Ermi¬

tage, on the way to Villeneuve, for the
sake of the view over the beautiful
valley of the Garonne and the distant
Pyrenees. In a pretty gorge or recess
in the slope of the hill is the curious
house of the erudite Julius Scaliger,
whither he retired, in the reign of
Francis I., after migrating from his
native city, Verona. He died here
1558, and here his no less learned son,
Joseph Julius Scaliger, was born Agen
is also the birthplace of Bernard Palissy,
inventor of a beautiful species of
earthenware, the Wedge wood of the
16th century, and not less scientific for
his age; also of LacepMe, the naturalist.
Here was born, and still dwells and
sings, a rustic poet named Jasmin, a
perruquier by trade, the last represen¬
tative of the Troubadours. His songs
are very popular throughout the S. of
France, in the country of the Langue
d’Oc.

A great number of plum orchards
clothe the neighbouring slopes and
fields, and produce the celebratedpmncs
d'Agen, which form an article of con¬
siderable export.

Steamers navigate the Garonne as
far up as Agen, when the river is of
proper height: the descent hence to
Bordeaux requires 8 hours, the ascent
11 or 12. You reach Agen from Bor¬
deaux about 6 or 7 p.m. The vessels
are clean but small, so that they do
not take carriages, which must be sent
by land by voiturier.

Mallepostes to Auch and Pau ; to
Limoges and Orleans ; to Bordeaux and
Toulouse. The traveller bound to the
Pyrenees may turn off here to Pau, by
Lectoure.

10 Pont St. Hilaire.

11 Port St. Marie. Here is a sus¬
pension-bridge over the Garonne.

Near the village of St. Come, on the
rt. of the road, the remains of a tower,
called Tour de St. Come, constructed of
small square stones, and supposed to
be of Roman origin, are worthy of
notice. It stands at a short distance
from

10 Aiguillon, a town of nearly 2000
Inhab., on the 1. bank of the Lot, about
a mile above its influx into the Garonne.
Its principal building is the large chateau

254

Route 73.— Toulouse to Bordeaux — Cardillac. Sect. IV.

on an eminence, left unfinished by the
Due d’Aiguillon, minister of Louis XV.
by favour of Mad. du Barry. But it is
said to include portions of older con¬
struction. The duchy was created by
Henri IV. 1599, to bestow it upon the
Due de Mayenne. The old castle, so
stoutly defended by the English in
1346, when besieged for 5 months by
Jean Due de Normandie, son of Phi¬
lippe de Valois, with an army of 60,000
men, no longer exists. Although the
prince directed against it 20 assaults
in 7 days, and though he had sworn
not to move until it was taken, he was
compelled to retire from before its
walls without having succeeded, being
called off by intelligence of his father’s
defeat at Crecy.

The Lot is crossed here by a bridge
of 8 arches, built by Napoleon.

11 Tonneins (Inn: H. d’Angleterre),
a cheerful - looking town, chiefly of
modern buildings, remarkable for the
beauty of its situation, on the rt. bank
of the Garonne, containing 6500Inhab.,
half of whom are Protestants. There
are extensive manufactures of rope
here, and a royal manufactory of to¬
bacco, large quantities of which are cul¬
tivated around Tonneins, and through¬
out the departments of Lot and Lot
et Garonne, under the inspection of the
excise.

There is a suspension-bridge over the
Garonne here.

17 Marmande (Inns: H. de France;
—H. de la Providence ;—Tete Noire ;
good, clean, and reasonable— M. L.),
a town of venerable aspect, many of
its houses being timber-framed, but
possessing no objects of interest to the
traveller. Pop. 9900.

Below Marmande the navigation of
the river is more sure, and steamers
ply more regularly, than above. One
or two vessels run daily to Bordeaux,
corresponding with the diligences to
Toulouse.

The road avoids the windings made
by the river below Marmande, being
carried in nearly a straight line to

11 La Mothe Landeron, which lies
within the D£pt. of the Gironde.

1. The lofty old ruined tower of
Meilhau remains long in sight of those

who travel by water, owing to its posi¬
tion at the extremity of an acute angle
or elbow made by the river.

A fine suspension-bridge of a single
curve, 558 ft. wide in the opening,
spans the river at

9 La Bfiole (Cerf Volant: a mere
public-house, but clean beds and good
food)—a town of 4000 Inhab., retaining
the ruins of an ancient castle, which
Froissart says was built by the Sara¬
cens. The vast Benedictine convent,
rebuilt in the 17th century and sup¬
pressed at the Revolution, has been
converted into a nunnery. The Gothic
church attached to it has been allowed
to go to decay.

9 Candrot.

The ancient town of St. Macaire, re¬
taining its feudal walls and possessing
a fine Romanesque church, is passed
shortly before reaching the suspension-
bridge, 656 ft. long, which carries the
road over the Garonne into

9 Langon (Inn .- H. de France;
homely but clean), a miserable town of
3745 Inhab., partly surrounded by old
walls, on the 1. bank of the Garonne,
which could be crossed only by a ferry¬
boat down to 1831, though Langon
lies on the great line of traffic between
Bordeaux and Toulouse.

The high roads from Bayonne and
Pau to Bordeaux (Rtes. 76 and 80)
unite with that from Toulouse at
Langon. The tide runs up as far as
Langon.

The post-road hence to Bordeaux is
described in Rte. 76.

The banks of the river are here
clothed with vineyards, whose produce,
chiefly white wines, enjoys some repu¬
tation and fetches a considerable price,
being known by the name of Vins de
Grave. Sauterne and Barsac are both
grown in the commune of

1. Preignac, not far from Langon.
Bertrand de Gout, who became pope
under the name of Clement V., was
born in the very picturesque castle of
Villandraut, about 8 m. S. of Preignac.

1. Barsac, whence comes the white
wine named after it, is a town of 2896
Inhab.

rt. Cardillac was the seat of the Due
d’Epernon, governor of the province of

Pyrenees.

Route 73 .— Bordeaux — Cathedral.

255

Guienne in the 17th Q^ntury; the first
duke, who was the favourite of Henri
III., but died in the prison of Loches,
built the Chateau (1598), which is now
converted into a female Penitentiary.
His splendid monument, attributed to
Girardon, erected by his son in the
parish church, was destroyed at the
Revolution, except one statue now in
the Louvre. There is a great manu¬
facture of wine-casks here.

12 (1.) Cerons, an old castle.

1. Podensac, 15 m. from Bordeaux.

rt. At Langoiron, at the foot of
the slope, are ruins of a castle built
apparently in the 14th century : near
this l’Ami cles Enfans, Berquin, was
born.

1. Portets is the place where the in¬
habitants of the Landes embark their
rosin and timber, the produce of that
sandy district, which stretches S. from
the Garonne near this to the Adour.

11 (1.) Castres.

13 (1.) Bouscaut, at some distance
from the river. Among the numerous
villages which crowd the banks of the
Garonne none appear to deserve parti¬
cular mention. On approaching Bor¬
deaux the wooded and vineclad (rt.)
heights of Floirac form a pleasing
feature in the view. The bridge is
described in Rte. 64.

11 (1.) Bordeaux. — Inns: H. de
France ;—France et Rouen, very good
— G. G. B. ;—H. de la Paix (Sansot’s) ;
beds, 2 frs. ; sitting-room, 3 frs. ;
very comfortable ;—H. de Paris, fre¬
quented by English, good;—H. de
Richelieu, good situation; no table-
d’hote.

Bordeaux, the second seaport-town
of France, containing 110,000 Inhab., is
placed on the 1. bank of the Garonne,
on a spot where its voluminous stream,
deep enough for vessels of 1200 tons
burthen, makes a very regular curve,
which, being lined with handsome
buildings of varied architecture, chiefly
Italian, forms a noble crescent, lined
wflth quays not less than 3 m. long,
surmounted by several Gothic towers
and antique spires in the background.
No city in Europe, except perhaps St.
Petersburg, can display a more splendid
quay than this. The river abreast of

the town, 2000 ft. wide, and 18 to 30 ft.
deep, is filled with shipping up to the
magnificent Bridge, the handsomest in
France. (See Rte. 64.) This noble ex¬
terior, equally striking to the stranger
whether lie approaches by water or by
land from the side of Paris, is borne
out by the aspect of a large part of its
interior, which has a courtly rather
than a commercial air. The Rues du
Chapeau Rouge and de 1’Intendance,
running E. and W. through the heart
of the town, nearly separate the old
town, of narrow and insignificant though
very populous streets, from the N. or
more modern quarter, consisting of
wide openings, broad streets, extensive
places, and avenues, and gardens run¬
ning into one another, which render
Bordeaux a sprawling city, difficult to
get over on foot, but omnibuses and
neat fiacres are fortunately very abun¬
dant.

The Place and Allies de Tournay
are so named from an ancient intendant
of the province, who in 1750 led the
way in improving the city.

Some of the finest streets and rows
of houses, and the open Place Louis -
Philippe terminating at the river side
with 2 lofty rostral columns, occupy
the site of a citadel called Chateau
Trompette, built by Yauban for Louis
XIY. to overawe the Bordelais, dis¬
mantled under Louis XVI., and re¬
moved since the Restoration. The con¬
struction of this new quarter has united
with the town of Bordeaux the vast
Quartier des Cliartrons (so called from
a convent of Cliartreux), stretching
down by the river side, and once a dis¬
tinct faubourg.

One of the most conspicuous, and at
the same time handsomest buildings,
is the Theatre, of good Grecian archi¬
tecture, faced with a Corinthian portico
of 12 arches and isolated on all sides;
it is situated in a very central part of
the town. It was erected 1780, under
the direction of the Due de Richelieu,
by the architect Louis.

The Cathedral of St. Andre is dis¬
tinguished by its 2 elegant spires, 150
ft. high, at the end of the N. transept,
said to have been erected by the Eng¬
lish, who held possession of Bordeaux

256

Route 73.— Bordeaux — St. Michael.

Sect. IY.

for nearly 300 years, and flanking a
pointed portal, enriched with statues
and bas-reliefs, above which is a fine
rose-window surmounted by a gable.
The nave, partly in the round Roman¬
esque style, partly, towards the W.
end, repaired in a bungling manner in
the 15th centy., after the destruction
of a part of the church by an earth¬
quake, is destitute of aisles, and re¬
markable only for its breadth—56 ft.,
which, being out of all proportion
with its height, deprives it of the chief
merit and characteristic of Gothic archi¬
tecture—elevation. The choir is more
elevated, and in a more truly Gothic
style, with a triforium gallery and lofty
clerestory windows; it is probably of
the same age as the spires, and is also
said to be by English architects. Our
Richard II. was christened, and the
marriage of Louis XIII. with the In¬
fanta of Spain, Anne of Austria, was
solemnized in this church, 1615.

Opposite the W. end of the cathedral
are the Palais and Hotel cle Ville.

Near the E. end of the cathedral,
but quite detached from it, is the Tour
de Peyberland, a noble structure 200 ft.
high, square below, and supported by
buttresses, but gradually diminishing
from its base until it terminates in a
circular top. It was originally sur¬
mounted by a spire, which rose to a
height of 300 ft. It is named from
Pierre Berland, who rose from being
the son of a poor labourer in Medoc
to be bishop of Bordeaux; he caused it
to be erected in 1430. During the
Reign of Terror it was condemned to
destruction; but the spire alone suf¬
fered, the rest resisting all attacks,
owing to its solidity. Its handsome
windows, however, were stopped, and
it was converted into a shot-tower, in
which capacity it still continues to bear
the words, “ Fabrique de plomb de
chasse,”

L’Eglise Ste. Croix, situated quite at
the S. extremity of the town, near the
quay, considerably above the bridge,
is supposed to be the oldest church
here, though a much earlier age has
been assigned to it by some than it can
claim, as its oldest parts cannot date
farther back than the 10th or 11th

centy. Its W. front, quite without
uniformity, owing to its partial de¬
struction and subsequent repairs, is a
specimen of richly decorated Roman¬
esque architecture, and from its age
and quaint ornaments deserves some
notice. Its semicircular portal and 2
lateral closed arcades are surrounded
by mouldings elaborately carved, some
with singular and unexplained naked
groups of figures, intermixed with cable
mouldings. In the tympanum above
the door are 3 rows of bas-reliefs, in a
style curiously resemblingthe Egyptian.
The rest of the fagade, and the wall of
the tower rising on the one side, are
occupied by arcades; groups of twisted
or grooved pillars flank the portal, and
3 tiers of 4 small pillars, placed side
by side one above the other, serve in¬
stead of buttresses to the tower.

The interior is of later date and in¬
ferior interest; its clustered roof rests
on clumsy drum-like piers, partlyplain,
partly surrounded by shafts, some of
them surmounted by curious stiffiy-
carved capitals. It contains a handsome
canopied tomb of an abbot, in decorated
Gothic. In a chapel on the 1. as you
enter, the panelled walls of which are
decorated with tolerable paintings from
the life of the Virgin by an old Italian
artist, Vasetti, is an oblong baptismal
font, bearing on 2 sides well-executed
bas-reliefs of the Last Supper, with de¬
corated ornaments.

In descending the quay from Ste.
Croix, you pass, a little above the
bridge, near the church of

St. Michael, situated nearly on a line
with the bridge, and distinguished by
its lofty detached tower, deprived of
much of its effect by being hemmed in
with mean houses. Its N. front is a
superb Gothic elevation in the florid
style (15th centy.). It has an elegant
rose window framed within a richly
decorated arch, whose mouldings are
curved back below it. Under it is a
florid porch. Over the door are placed
a pair of bas-reliefs representing the
Sacrifice of Isaac and the Paschal Lamb,
dating from the 16th centy.; they are
separated by a charming group of
wonderful expression, representing
Judas’s kiss. Within the church, at

Pyrenees. Route 73.— Bordeaux—Palais Gallien.

257

the back of this portal, over the door,
is another group, an “EcceHomo,” of
the same period, and a century earlier
than the bas-reliefs on each side of it,
which represent St. Michael destroying
the Dragon, and Adam and Eve. The
nave and choir are nearly uniform,
and of noble pointed Gothic; the choir
(about the 13th centy.) has a triforium
and clerestory running behind the high
altar, so that the E. end is like any
compartment at the side, except that
the space below, behind the altar, is
filled with a shallow apse.

There are afewgood painted windows,
and in the N. side of the nave a chapel
furnished with an altar in the richest
and most overladen Renaissance style.
Within its niches are 3 graceful statues
—the Virgin and Child, St. Catherine,
and St. Barbara.

Near the W. end stands the elegant
detached belfry , 178 ft. high, which
now bears the telegraph, but was ori¬
ginally surmounted by a steeple, and
rose to a height of 300 ft. It is of oc¬
tagonal form, supported by elegant
buttresses, and was built between 1472
and 1480. In the vault beneath it are
shown from 40 to 50 human bodies, in¬
terred in the vault below before the
Revolution, and preserved by its dry
and antiseptic qualities, until they
are now like leather, or salt fish,—a
disgusting sight.

St. Seurin (St. Severin), situated be¬
yond the Place Dauphine, in the Allees
d’Amour, is remarkable for a finely
carved triple S. porch, consisting of a
trefoil - headed door, enriched with
statues of good workmanship, well-
executed draperies, and dating from
1267. They represent the 12 Apostles
and 2 more sacred personages.

The W. front is modern, but is a
tolerable attempt to follow the Roman¬
esque style. The W. porch consists
of 3 detached low vaults, one within
the other, supported on pillars with
curiously carved capitals.

Within this church, on the rt.-hand
or S. wall, is a curious bas-relief within
a pointed arch above a doorway, now
walled up, representing a pope saying
mass (supposed to be Clement V.,
Archbishop of Bordeaux), assisted by

a cardinal. On the opposite wall is
another bas-relief of 7 figures in niches.
The Gothic woodwork of the choir is
curious, but sadly bedaubed with paint.
Under the seats are numerous grotesque
groups. The high altar is decorated
with 14 curiously carved bas-reliefs of
marble, framed, representing the legend
of St. Severin, Bishop of Bordeaux in
the 5th centy. On the one side of the
chancel stands the Bishop's Throne, a
curiously carved seat, under a canopy,
all of marble, richly sculptured. This
church was the cathedral before St.
AndrA Under the choir is an early
crypt with 3 aisles and semicircular
arches. At the W. end rises a tower
surrounded by a double row of circular
arcades.

In the Chapelle of the College, a bold
Gothic structure, is the monument of
Montaigne, the essayist, a native of
Montaigne St. Michel in Perigord, who
was mayor of Bordeaux in 1553. He
is represented in full armour, accord¬
ing to the custom of the period, laid
on his back, with his hands joined in
prayer. The statue is a well-executed
work of the 16th centy. At No. 17,
in the Rue des Minimes, stood his
modest mansion, in which he lived and
died, 1592, now pulled down.

These are the most remarkable ec¬
clesiastical edifices of Bordeaux, but it
retains still a monument of the Roman
city Burdigala, in the fragment of an
amphitheatre, now called Palais Gal-
lien, not quite accurately, because,
though possibly built in the reign of
the Emp. Gallienus, it was not a palace,
but a circus, capable of containing 1500
persons. It is supposed to have been
built by Tetricus, one of the so-called
30 tyrants, who assumed the purple
here. It was condemned to destruc¬
tion 1792, and has been since gradually
pulled down to build houses, so that it
is now reduced to mere fragments, in¬
teresting to the antiquary alone, of an
oval wall formed of small stones with
layers of tiles between them, inter¬
rupted by the broken archways which
lead into it. The interior is occupied
by houses and workshops, and 2 streets
cross in the centre of it: so that you
may stand in the midst of its area and

258

Houle 73.— Bordeaux—The Bourse.

Sect. IV.

scarcely recognise these ancient re¬
mains.

Bordeaux has preserved 2 of its
feudal town gates: one, now called
Tour de V Horloge, built 1246 by Henry
III. of England, surmounted by 3
pointed turrets, formed part of the old
Hdtel de Ville ; the other, Porte de
Caillou, at the end of the Rue du Palais,
was built 1492, to commemorate the
victory of Charles VIII. at Fornova.
The old Bourse, in the Place d’Aqui¬
taine, now an office of roulage, but
built as a palace for Charles IX., and
the old Eveche in a narrow street near
it, are picturesque examples of the
architecture of the 16th centy.

Bordeaux, like almost every other
chef-lieu de Ddpartement in France,
has a Gallery of Paintings. They are
placed in the numerous saloons of the
Hotel de Ville; but, except for their
number, they are in no wise remark¬
able, and the less said of their merits
the more true the description. There
are, however, some tolerable works of
the French school.

The Muse'e, situated in Rue St. Do¬
minique, a street leading out of the
Cliauss^e de Tourny, contains a col¬
lection of antique fragments, inscrip¬
tions, altars, &c., chiefly Roman, found
in the vicinity of Bordeaux; 2 sarco¬
phagi, with bas-reliefs, of inferior merit
and late date; also fragments of the
marble bas - reliefs, representing the
battle of Fontenoy, and the capture of
Port Mahon from the English by the
Due de Richelieu, which ornamented
the pedestal of the statue of Louis XV.
in the Place Royale, destroyed at the
Revolution. Here are some relics of Na¬
poleon, including his tooth-brush! and
the star of the Legion of Honour
which he wore. In the Muse'e d’His-
toire Naturelle are tolerable collections
of shells, of the fossils of the neigh¬
bourhood of Bordeaux, marked by
blue tickets, and of the marbles of the
Pyrenees. A specimen of a sea-eagle
was shot at La Teste. These museums
are open daily to strangers.

In the same locality, Riie St. Do¬
minique, is the library of more than
100,000 volumes, partly the bequest
of a member of the old Parliament of

Bordeaux, partly the remains of con¬
ventual libraries forfeited at the Re¬
volution. A copy of Montaigne’s
Essays with marginal notes in his own
hand, and the first French translation
of Livy illuminated, are among its
curiosities.

The Bourse, the centre of the com¬
merce and trade of the city, is situated
on the quay at the extremity of the
Rue Chapeau Rouge, between it and
the Place Royale. The merchants
meet here daily, under a glass dome
which covers the inner court of the
building, 98 ft. long by 65 broad.

The commercial importance of Bor¬
deaux is due to its situation on a fine
navigable river, where the rise and fall
of tides amounts to 20 ft., in which
vessels of more than 1000 tons may
ride at anchor, at a distance of about
70 m. from the sea. It is connected
by the same river, through the Canal
du Midi, with the Mediterranean. The
commerce of Bordeaux is carried on
chiefly with South America and Mexico,
the United States, French colonies, and
Great Britain. Its principal articles
of trade and exports consist in wines,
known in France as vins de Bordeaux,
and in England as claret, a name of
doubtful origin. From 50,000 to 60,000
tuns of wine are exported annually.
Nearly half of the best quality and
highest price is sent to Great Britain;
very little is consumed in France. The
Quartier des Chartrons is the focus of
this trade; here the principal wane-
merchants have their counting-houses
and cellars.

The Cellars of MM. Barton and Gues-
tier, leading bankers and wane-mer¬
chants, 35, Cours des Chartrons, are
among “ the lions ” of Bordeaux.
They are 2 stories in height, and com¬
monly contain from 8000 to 9000 casks
(barriques) of wine, never less than
4000 or 5000. The duty paid by this
house in one year alone to the British
government has amounted to 300,000^.

For an account of the wines of Bor¬
deaux see Route 74.

Among the delicacies furnished by
, the Bordeaux markets to the table are
Royans, a species of sardines (pilchards),
caught in autumn ; Ceps, a sort of

Pyrenees. Route 73.— Bordeaux — Environs—La Teste. 259

mushroom cooked in oil; Muriers, small
birds something like beccaficas ; and
Ortolans, caught in August, near Agen
and the Pyrenees.

The Cafd de Paris is a tolerable
Restaurant.

Consuls reside here from the chief
powers of Europe and America; Great
Britain is most respectably represented
by Mr. Scott, No. 7, Place du Champ
de Mars.

The English Ch. service is performed
on Sundays at the English Protestant
Ch., 8, Corns des Chartrons, at 11
a.m. and 3 p.m.

The Poste aux Lettres is at No. 5,
Rue Porte Dijeaux: a letter reaches
London in 4 days from this.

Public baths on a very extensive scale,
in two fine buildings on each side of
the Place Louis-Philippe.

Newspapers of all countries, Eng¬
lish, French, German, Spanish, &c.,
may be found in great abundance at
the Cercle, 7, Place de la Comddie, op¬
posite the theatre.

The only resident English physician
is Dr. Coppinger, Place Dauphine, 43.

Paul Chaumas Gayet, the bookseller,
34, Rue fosse du Chapeau Rouge,
keeps a number of topographical works,
maps, &c., besides the newest French
publications.

Besides the Grand Theatre, men¬
tioned already, open commonly three
times a week, there is a smaller The¬
atre Francois or des Varie'tes, near the
extremity of the Rue de 1’Intendance,
adjoining the Place Dauphine.

Omnibuses run along the quay from
one end to the other, and in a direc¬
tion across the town, from the river to
its outskirts.

Fiacres stand for hire in the prin¬
cipal places : they are better but rather
more expensive than those of Paris,
charging 2 f. for the course, or, by
time, 2 fr, for the first hour, and 1 f.
80 c. for every hour after.

Conveyances. — Mallepostes daily to
Tours in 34 hours; to Bayonne in 17
hours; to Nantes in 22 hours; to Tou¬
louse in 16 hours.

Diligences daily to Tours (3 or 4);
to Toulouse several; to Bayonne in 17
hours; to Pau, Bagneres, Cauterets,

and the Pyrentean baths; to Libourne
and Perigueux; to Nantes, by Niort,
Rochefort, and la Rochelle.

Pailway to Libourne, the first limb
of the great line to Paris via Angouleme
and Tours, to be finished 1853.

Steamers to Nantes twice a week.

Steamers on the Garonne.—Down the
river, to Blaye and Pauillac daily, start¬
ing from the quay abreast of the ros¬
tral columns; toRoyan. Coachesthence
to Rochefort 29 m. several times a
week in 7 hours.

Up the river, daily to Langon, Mar-
man de, and Agen (Rte. 73), on the way
to Pau or Toulouse (one of the most
agreeable and least fatiguing approaches
to the Pyrenees), starting from the
quay just above the bridge.

Environs of Bordeaux.

A railroad has been formed from
Bordeaux to La Teste, an inconsider¬
able place 31 m. distant—a journey
of about 2 hours, near the sea, on the
borders of a great salt lake in the flat
district of the Landes, whose sole pro¬
ductions are salt and pitch from the
large fir forests.

This railroad has been most unac¬
countably made through a line of
country where no previous traffic ex¬
isted, to a spot possessing no commer¬
cial or manufacturing importance, in
the vain hopes of generating these
advantages in the midst of a desert.
The speculators should have known
that a railway is rather the conse¬
quence than the cause of traffic and
commerce.

An excursion to La Teste ( Inn: La
Providence ?) will give the traveller
some notion of the nature of the sandy
district called Les Landes, and will
probably afford him an opportunity of
seeing some of its inhabitants mounted
on stilts. Here are several bathing
establishments, and an Agricultural
Association for redeeming the barren
Landes.

The banks of the Garonne below Bor¬
deaux, and the wine district of Medoc,
which produces the claret, are des¬
cribed in Rte. 74.

26 0

Sect. IV.

IZoute 73.— Bordeaux — History .

Garonne above Bordeaux, inBte.
73, p. 254.

The excursions to the Chateau de
la Brede, the birthplace of Montes¬
quieu, 2 hours’ drive (Rte. 76), or to
Blanquefort, the castle of the Black
Prince, p. 261.

Passages in the History of Bordeaux.

The earliest mention of Bordeaux is
in the geography of Strabo, who calls
it B ovp^iyaXa, under which it was
known to the Romans, and described
in some pretty verses by Ausonius the
poet, who was born here in the 4th
centy.:—

“ Impia jamdudum condemno silentia quod te,

O patria, insignem I3accho, fluviisque, vi-
risque,

Non inter primas memorem. * * * *

Burdigala est natale solum, dementia cceli

Mitis ubi, et riguse larga indulgentiaterrse ;

Ver longum, brumaeque breves, juga frondea
subsunt,

Fervent sequoreos imitata fluenta meatus.”

Auson. Clares Urhes.

Hadrian created it the capital of 2nd
Aquitania.

Bordeaux belonged for nearly 300
years to the kings of England, who
obtained it along with the duchy of
Aquitaine by the marriage of Eleanor
of Guienne, sole heiress of the last
native duke, with Henry II., in 1152,
and her inheritance became the fruit¬
ful cause of strife between England and
France.

The Black Prince, having been in¬
vested by his father with the govern¬
ment of Guienne, resided many years
at Bordeaux. Hence he set forth on
that adventurous foray into the centre
of France which led to the battle of
Poitiers. Here he held a brilliant
court, to which Don Pedro the Cruel
repaired, when driven out of Spain,
with his two fair daughters, who were
here married to the English Princes
John of Gaunt and the Earl of Cam¬
bridge.

Here the Black Prince’s son, Rich¬
ard II., was born, and surnamed
from his birthplace Richard of Bor¬
deaux.

The Bordelais retained their affec¬
tion for the English long after the

downfall of our sway in the rest of
France, in the reign of Henry VI.;
revolting from the rule of Charles
VII. to receive within their walls the
valiant Talbot (1453), but his speedy
defeat and death forced them again to
submit to the French monarch.

Eordeaux was the seat of one of the
provincial Parliaments of France, or
high court of justice, composed of lay¬
men and ecclesiastics, who registered
the royal decrees and transmitted them
to the lower courts.

One of the most momentous events
of the civil war of the Fronde was
the siege of Bordeaux, undertaken by
the royal army, with Mazarin, young
Louis XIV., and his mother, at its
head, while the city held for the
Princess de Condd, the Dukes of la
Rochefoucauld and Bouillon, at the
head of their vassals, assisted by the
townspeople and backed by the Parlia¬
ment of Bordeaux. The heroic wife
of the Great Conde, having escaped
the clutches of the Cardinal, who
already held her husband in prison,
and wished to transfer her and her son
to like durance, traversed the country
from Chantilly, and after a series of
adventures and escapes threw herself
into this city, where the interest of
the Cond&s was strong. Her beauty,
eloquence, and forlorn position en¬
listed in her favour the enthusiasm of
the magistrates and townspeople, and
upon her persuasion they agreed to
admit her allies and resist the force of
Mazarin. She captivated all hearts,
and became as it were queen of Bor¬
deaux, then the second city of the
empire; and Conde, while shut up in
Vincennes and employed in watering
his pot of violets, learned with surprise
that his feeble princess was acting the
part of a general, conducting the de¬
fence of a town, and exposing her life
on the walls. The defence was con¬
ducted with such obstinacy, that, at
the end of several weeks, Mazarin,
having made little progress, was happy
to offer fair terms to the Frondeurs.
The citizens of Bordeaux were right
glad to be released from the blockade
just at the approach of the vintage,
for their warlike enthusiasm had begun

Pyrenees, i?. 73. — Girondins . 7?. 74. — The Gironde.

261

to cool at tlie prospect of being shut
out from their vineyards.

A great impulse was given to the
French Revolution by the inhabitants
of Bordeaux. At the beginning of
the reign of Louis XVI. the Parlia¬
ment of Bordeaux, having refused to
acknowledge the edict of the king,
was banished to Libourne, and in con¬
sequence contributed largely to the
clamour for the assembling together
of the States-general. Many of the
persons of greatest eloquence and talent
sent as members to the Legislative
Assembly, including Vergniaud, Gau-
det, Gensonne, Ducos, &c., were re¬
turned by the department of the
Gironde, whence the party which they
composed was called the Girondins ;
but having themselves brought on all
the evils of the Revolution, they
were swallowed up by the monster
they had created, and guillotined for
the most part by the stronger party
of the Montague, which succeeded
them in the Convention. Bordeaux
had a Reign of Terror of its own ; the
guillotine was erected in the square
near the centre of the town, called
Place Dauphine (in honour of the
Dauphin, afterwards Louis XIII.), but
then named Place de Justice, and
some of its best citizens were sacri¬
ficed. Xo less than 500 persons
suffered death here, whom either envy
of their merits, or cupidity for their
wealth, caused to be condemned under
the false charge of conspiracy against
the sovereignty of the people.

The names of some of the streets
afford a curious commentary on the
history of the town, and a proof
among many of the mutability of the
French nation. The Place Louis-Phi-
lippe was Place Louis XVI. down to
1830, and a statue of that king had
been prepared, and its pedestal
actually erected, when the July Revo¬
lution broke out. The Cours de
Douze Mars was the name given to
the row of houses now called Trente
Juillet, because on the former day, in
1814, the Due d’Angouleme made his
triumphant entry into Bordeaux, at
the invitation of the Mayor Lynch
(whose name has also been erased

from a street which bore it), and
amidst the acclamations of a part of
the inhabitants.

On the 8th March in that year 2
divisions of the British army, under
Marshal Beresford, marched upon
Bordeaux; where the presence of the
dauntless Duchesse d’Angouleme, who
had thrown herself into the town to
revive the dormant spirit of loyalty
towards her family, and the intrigues
of the Due d’Angouleme, contrary to
the advice and wishes of the Duke of
Wellington, caused the premature pro¬
clamation of the Bourbons by the
royalist mayor. The Duke had ex¬
pressly declared that “he could not
interfere to produce any declaration in
favour of the Bourbons, nor to sup¬
port their measures by military force.”

ROUTE 74.

THE GARONNE AND GIRONDE FROM BOR¬
DEAUX TO LA TOUR DE CORDOUAN;

THE WINE DISTRICT OF MEDOC.

100 kilom. =62 Eng. m.

Steamers daily to Blaye and Pauil-
lac—4 or 5 times a week to Royan;
fare, 15 and 8 frs.

Diligences daily along the S. W. side
of the river to Chateau Margaux and
Lesparre, through the midst of Medoc,
and along the rt. bank to Blaye. The
road on the W. side of the Garonne
passes Bouscat and Bruges, so named
by Flemish settlers established here
by Henri IV. to drain the marshes,
and Bkmquefort, whose castle, a favourite
residence of the Black Prince, still pre¬
serves part of its outer circuit walls
and fosse, and some of its apartments
entire. The leopards of England are
only half effaced from the walls. It is
a picturesque object. Thence the road
runs to Margaux.

Bordeaux Wines.

The long tongue of land stretching
N. from Bordeaux, between the sea
on the one hand and the Garonne
and Gironde on the other, is called
Medoc (quasi medio aquae), because
nearly surrounded by water. It is
the X. termination of the extensive

262

Route 74.— Wines of Bordeaux.

Sect. IV.

district of sand bills and sand plains,
called Les Landes, extending from
Bayonne north, which changes to a
bank of gravel on approaching the 1.
bank of the Garonne, and forms a
narrow strip of land nowhere more
than 1 or 2 m. broad, raised from 50
to 80 ft. above the river, which is
planted with vines, and contains some
of the most precious vineyards in the
world. The transition is abrupt from
this gravel bank near the river to the
mere Landes or sandy waste running
to the W. and S. of it, producing no¬
thing but firs, furze, and heath. The
soil of Medoc is a light gravel, and
indeed, on the spots where some of
the best wine is produced, it appears
a mere heap of white quartz pebbles
rolled, and about the size of an egg,
mixed with sand. The best wine is
not produced where the vine-bush is
most luxuriant, but on the thinner
soils, where it is actually stunted—in
ground fit for nothing else ; in fact,
where even weeds disdain often to
grow. Yet this stony soil is congenial
to the vine, retaining the sun’s heat
about its roots after sunset, so that, in
the language of the country, it works
(travaille) in maturing its precious
juices as much by night as by day.
The accumulation of sand and peb¬
bles, of wdiich this soil is composed,
is apparently the spoils of the Py¬
renean rocks, brought down by the
torrents tributary to the Garonne and
other great rivers, and deposited in
former ages on the borders of the sea.
At the depth of 2 or 3 feet from the
surface occurs a bed of indurated
conglomerate, called alios, which re¬
quires to be broken up before the
vine w T ill grow, as it would stop the
progress of the roots, being impene¬
trable to their fibres. The vine is
trained exclusively in the fashion of
espaliers, fastened to horizontal laths,
attached to upright posts at a height
not exceeding 1^ or 2 feet from the
ground, running in an uninterrupted
line from one end of the vineyard to
the other. Manure is scarcely used
in the culture, only a little fresh
mould is laid over the roots from
time to time ; but the plough is

driven between the vines four times
every season, alternately laying open
and covering its roots: this is per¬
formed by oxen, who, with steady
and unvarying pace, thread the ranks
without treading on the plants. Ma¬
nure destroys the fine quality of the
wine, and moisture or standing water
is most injurious to the plant. The
vine begins to produce at 5 years of
age, and continues productive some¬
times when 200 years old, provided
its roots have found a congenial soil
to insinuate (pivoter) their fibres,
which they sometimes do to a dis¬
tance of 40 or 50 ft., when the soil is
dry and deep enough to protect them
from the sun. The wines are classed
into growths (crus), according to their
excellence, and only a very small part
of the strip of land before mentioned
is capable of producing the “pre¬
miers crus;” indeed so capricious is
the vine, that within a few yards of
the finest vineyards it degenerates at
once. The following list will show
the classification of Bordeaux wines,
or clarets as we call them in England
(though whence the name, or what
its meaning, are unknown in Medoc),
together with the average quantity
of each produced in one season. The
tun, or tonneau, contains 4 hogsheads.

called barriques.

f Chateau Margaux .

. 140—160'

First
• owt /

' Chateau Lafitte .

. 120

| Chateau Latour .

. 120

’ Ilaut Brion . . •

. go— 80

The last is properly a vin de Grave,
grown on the Garonne above Bor¬
deaux, yet is classed with M<kloc
wines; it is less in repute now than
formerly.

^ ^ |Mouton (Lafitte) . . . 120—146 j

§ « ! Leoville, the best of the wines I §

g j of St. Julien . . . 145—1S6|^

rji <5 l Rauzan (Margaux) . . 75— 95/

La Rose Gruau, Pichon Longue-
ville, Durfort, Degorse, Lascombe,
Cos-Destournelle, in all about 800
tuns.

It is needless to enumerate those of
3rd, 4tli, and 5th rate growths, many
of which are produced in the vicinity
of the first-rate vineyards, at the vil¬
lages or in the communes of Margaux,

Pyrenees. Route 74. —-Medoc Wines—The Gironde.

263

Lafitte, Latour, without partaking in
their excellences. The goodness of a
season will sometimes give an excel¬
lence to second-class wines, while in
bad years those of first-class sink to
mediocrity, and are not fit for export¬
ing to England (such is the importance
of maintaining the character of these
wines there), but go to Holland, or
are retained in France. This is so
well understood, that some years ago
the proprietor of the vineyard of La
Rose used to hoist, on a flagstaff above
his house, the English flag in good
years, the Dutch in middling, and the
French in bad years. England con¬
sumes more than one-half of the pre¬
miers crus, and very little of inferior
sorts ; Kussia takes a good deal, Paris
little of the best ; Holland is the great
mart for wines of second quality ; and
the third-rate sorts, or vins ordinaires,
are chiefly used in France. An eiTO-
neous notion prevails in England that
clarets are prepared for the English
market by a certain mixture of brandy.
This is not the case ; brandy would
destroy the wine. A mixture does
take place to adapt the wines to the
English palate ; but they are doctored
with strong - bodied (corses) Rhone
wines, and chiefly with Hermitage,
the principal consumption of which is
for this purpose. The practice of
mixing is very general. The charac¬
teristic of the good wines of Bordeaux
is their aroma or bouquet ; spirit they
have none, and will distil away into
nothing, yet the aroma will be re¬
tained and penetrate even through the
Rhone wine, when it is judiciously
added. The average price of a hogs¬
head (barrique) of genuine wine of
first growth, in the cellar of the first
houses at Bordeaux, is 50^., which,
with carriage, duty, bottling, &c.,
amounts to 80 L, rather more than 70s.
a dozen. A first-growth wine of a fine
vintage is scarcely, to be had at a less
price ; indeed, the whole produce of
Chateau Margaux has been sold on the
spot for 1000 francs the hogshead, in
the case of a very first-rate vintage.
Very great skill is shown, and much
experience required, in the making of
the wine, in the compounding of vari¬

ous growths and qualities, and in the
preservation of it : a promising vintage
often disappoints expectations, while
a bad one sometimes turns out excel¬
lent ; indeed, all that can be said of
the premiers crus is, that they are the
wines which most often succeed. The
total produce of Medoc, in average
years, is from 150,000 to 170,000 hogs¬
heads, of which about 6000 go to
England.

Travellers desiring to visit the prin¬
cipal vineyards of Medoc may take the
steamer to Pauillac (which may be
reached in 4 hrs., or 6 against tide),
which is not far from Lafitte and La-
tour, or the coaches which run daily
will convey them to Margaux. The
high road thither, and thence to Pauil¬
lac, traverses the centre of the narrow
strip of land forming the wine district.
For some distance out of Bordeaux it
passes a series of country houses.

The Garonne below Bordeaux is a
fine broad tidal river, but very much
charged with mud, having few features
of interest, its banks being chiefly low,
while an intervening fringe of marsh
and meadow land, grown over with
willows, separates the river from the
vineyards, little of which can be seen
from the deck of the steamer.

Nothing can be finer than the view
of the long crescent quay of Bordeaux,
and the broad river crowded with ship¬
ping, many of them 3-masted vessels,
as the steamer casts off from the quay,
opposite the rostral columns, and skirts
the long Faubourg des Chartrons.

rt. Lormont is a picturesque emi¬
nence, covered with wood and vine¬
yards, interspersed with some neat
country-houses on its top and below
its steep side. In a recess under the
hill stands the village, with a domed
church, surmounted by a chateau.

rt. Below Montferrand, a small vil¬
lage hid by poplars, is a large Chateau,
the residence of M. de Peyronnet, one
of the ministers of Charles X. who
signed the ordonnances.

rt. The tongue of land between the
Garonne and Dordogne, called Entre
Deux Mers, which produces a vast
quantity of wines of inferior quality,

264

Route 74.— The Gironde — Margaux — Blctye. Sect. IV.

draws to a termination at the low
point called Bee d’Ambes. The union
of the two rivers forms the broad
estuary of the Gironde, whence the de¬
partment is named. The monsters of
the revolutionary Mountain, after over¬
whelming in 1793 their antagonists
the Girondins (so called because the
leaders came from this part of the
country), swamped even the name of
the department, which for several
months bore that of “ Ambes.” A
long line of low hills, faced towards
the water with cliffs, lines the 1. bank
of the Gironde and Dordogne. Look¬
ing up the Dordogne, you perceive,
on an eminence, Bourg, a small town
of 3855 Inhab., where Louis XIV.,
when a child, resided with his mother,
Anne of Austria, for nearly a year
(1649-50), during the continuance of
the siege of Bordeaux. Mazarin, in
order to superintend the operations
and watch the leaders of the Fronde
within the city, had repaired in person
to the S., dragging with him the King,
the Regent, and the Court. The ladies
in waiting complained bitterly of the
want of a theatre to enliven the ennui
of their residence, and the cardinal
got angry with the mayor because the
whole place could not furnish a sedan-
chair to carry him through the steep
and dirty streets. The extensive vine¬
yards around Bourg produced the
wines (claret) esteemed the best in the
district 200 years ago, before the culti¬
vation of the vine in Medoc had com¬
menced, which does not date farther
back than 250 years.

rt. The steamer stops to set dowm
or take up passengers at the Pain de
Sucre, a landing-place at the mouth
of the Dordogne, close under the Bee
d’Ambes, and about 1^- m. below
Bourg. Two large islands are here
formed in the middle of the Gironde.

1. Nearly abreast of the Pain de
Sucre a glimpse may be obtained of
the mansion of Chateau Margaux, situ¬
ated some distance inland : it is an
Italian villa, the handsomest in Medoc,
and belongs to the heirs of the Spanish
banker, the Marquis d’Aguado, though
rarely inhabited, owing to the malaria
which prevails around it. It stands in

the midst of the vineyards producing
the celebrated wine of Chateau Mar¬
gaux, the most esteemed growth of
Medoc. The grape which yields it is
small and poor to the taste, with a
flavour slightly resembling that of
black currants. The Chateau is about
£ m. from the village of Margaux,
which abounds in neat whitewashed
villas, seated in little gardens, amidst
acacia hedges and trellised vines. It
is about 20 m. distant from Bor¬
deaux.

rt. The yellow cliffs along the river¬
side are pierced to form cellars, in
which is deposited the wine grown
above them : and for a considerable
extent near Gauriac they are exca¬
vated in quarries of building-stone.
At the base of the cliffs are several
small villages.

rt. Blaye. The dead walls and
gloomy - looking modern bastions of
the citadel of Blaye are seen project¬
ing over the river at a height consider¬
ably above it. In the midst of them
stands a fragment of the old feudal
fortress, whose tow r ers may be seen
surmounting the turfed ramparts.
This citadel was chosen as the prison
of the Duchesse de Berri, who was
confined here in a double sense after
her capture in La Vendee (see Nantes),
having been brought to bed of a
daughter in 1833. After a deten¬
tion of 7 months she was sent back to
Naples. The body of Roland the
Brave was, according to tradition,
transported hither from Roncesvaux
by Charlemagne, and interred in the
Church of St. Romain, with his sword
.Durandal at his head, and his famous
horn of ivory (Oliphant), with which
he had awakened the echoes of Fuent-
arabia, at his feet. The body was
afterwards transported to St. Sernin,
at Bordeaux.

Opposite Blaye several islands have
been formed in the middle of the river
by the deposits brought down by the
Dordogne and Garonne, and are con¬
stantly increasing. On one of them
is planted the little fort du Bate', so
called from its round shape. It crosses
its fire with that of the fortress of
Blaye on the rt. bank, and of Fort

Pyrenees.

Route 74.— Vineyards of Medoc.

265

Medoc on tlie 1., and thus commands
the passage of the Gironde.

To the N. of Margaux the vines de¬
cline in quality; and it is not until
after an interval of several miles of in¬
ferior vineyards that we reach others,
producing wine of reputation, in the
vicinity of

1. Beycheville, lying within the
commune of St. Julierij a name of
note on account of the wine grown in
it. The Chateau de Beijckeville, situ¬
ated on the height in the midst of
valuable vineyards, is the seat of M.
Guestier, Pair de France, ancien De¬
pute, and one of the first wine-mer¬
chants of Bordeaux.

Here begin some of the most re¬
nowned vineyards of Medoc, which lie
crowded together in almost uninter¬
rupted succession, within a narrow
space, stretching about 6 m. N. of
Beyeheville.

About 1^- m. off is Chateau Leoville,
which produces one of the best seeond
growths, nearly equalling the first
growths. The estate is divided be¬
tween Mr. Barton and M. de Las Cases.
In the same commune is the vineyard
of La Rose, a prime second growth ;
and in the adjoining one of St. Lam¬
bert is the vineyard of Chateau Latour,
yielding a well-known wine, premier
era. The estate, which does not ex¬
ceed 330 acres, was sold a few years
ago for 60,000/. The second growths,
Pichon-Longueville and Mouton, come
from the same quarter.

1. Pauillae {Inn: H. de France),
a small seaport, behind which, at
the distance of about 1| m., is the
vineyard of Chateau Laftte , producing
one of the three best wanes of Bor¬
deaux ; it is the property of Sir
Samuel Scott, and does not yield more
than 400 hogsheads yearly. The re¬
gion of good wines extends N. as far
as Lesparre, but the wines are far
inferior to those of the commune of
Pauillae.

The aspeet of the vine district of Me¬
doc is that of an undulating country,
slightly raised above the Garonne,
affording here and there peeps of the
river between the gentle hills and
shallow gullies whieh intersect it. It

France.

abounds in marshes and stagnant pools,
which render it unhealthy, so that the
chateaux w T hich occur in it are inha¬
bited only for a small part of the year
by their proprietors. Yet the district
is populous, a group of cottages being
attached to almost every vineyard,
and inhabited by the peasants who
cultivate it. The vineyards are open
fields ; even those of greatest value
being for the most part unprovided
with walls, or even hedges, in order to
avoid the loss of any space of ground
which must be left round the margin
to allow the plough to turn. When
the grapes begin to ripen, a temporary
fence is formed round the vines, of
twisted boughs interwoven with furze,
to keep out the dogs, which are most
destructive consumers of grapes. Fur¬
ther to deter both bipeds and quadru¬
peds from committing depredations,
guards armed with guns are posted on
the watch, day and night, while
streaks of paint, and bits of wdiite
paper stuck upon poles, announce that
the vineyard is strewn with poisoned
sausages, and that the grapes them¬
selves are smeared with some delete¬
rious mixture. The vines are planted
in quincunx order on ridges (about 3
ft. apart) : they are trained to espa¬
liers, and not allowed to rise more
than 2 ft. above the ground. In the
best vineyards they barely cover the
soil, but allow the singular mass of
pebbles, of which it almost exclusively
consists, to appear between the rows.
The growth of the vine is confined
within a narrow line of demarcation,
and the transition is most abrupt from
the most precious land to an unculti¬
vated. sandy desert. The distance of a
few feet makes all the difference. The
vintage takes place in t he month of
September, and it is then that Medoc
presents a scene of bustle, activity,
and rejoicing. The proprietors then
repair hither with their friends and
families to superintend the proceed¬
ings and make merry : vignerons pour
in from the 1. bank of the Gironde, to
assist in the gathering. Busy crowds
of men, women, and children sweep
the vineyard from end to end, clear¬
ing all before them like bands of

266

Route 76 .—Bordeaux to Bayonne.

Sect. IV.

locusts, while the air resounds with
their songs and laughter. The utmost
care is employed by the pickers to re¬
move from the bunches all defective,
dried, mouldy, or unripe grapes.
Every road is thronged with carts
filled with high-heaped tubs, which
the labouring oxen are dragging slowly
to the Cuvier de pressoir (pressing-
trough). This is placed usually in a
lofty outhouse, resembling a barn,
whence issue sounds of still louder
merriment, and a scene presents itself
sufficiently singular to the stranger.
Upon a square wooden trough (pres¬
soir) stand 3 or 4 men with bare legs
all stained with purple juice, dancing
and treading down the grapes as fast
as they are thrown in, to the tunes of
a violin. The labour of constantly
stamping down the fruit is desperately
fatiguing, and without music would
get on very slowly ; a fiddler, there¬
fore, forms part of every wine-grower’s
establishment ; and as long as the in¬
strument pours forth its merry strains,
the treaders continue their dance in
the gore of the grape, and the work
proceeds diligently. The next process
is to strip (egrapper) the broken grapes
and. skins from the stalks, with an in¬
strument called derapoir, and to pour
the juice and skins into vats to fer¬
ment. The skin rises to the top, and
the wine is drawn off into hogsheads
as soon as fermentation is carried to
the proper extent, in judging of which
the utmost experience is required, as
on it depends much of the quality of
the vintage. _

At Trompe-Loup is the Lazareth,
where vessels from the Levant per¬
form quarantine.

1. The cultivation of the vine ceases
to the N. of Castillon, and the ex¬
treme point of Medoc, towards the
mouth of the Gironde, consists of rich
pasture - land, famed for its breed of
cattle, and some corn-fields. It lies
on a level with the surface of the sea,
and was redeemed from the condition
of marsh by a colony of Flemings, in¬
vited over to France by Henri IV.,
who surrounded it with sea-dikes like
their own country.

rt. Mortagne. A diligence runs
hence to Saintes in communication
with the steamer.

rt. Roy an (runs: H. de Bordeaux,
best : d’Orleans) is a neat small sea¬
port town in the Dept, of the Charente,
about 25 m. from Rochefort, whither
a Diligence runs. (Rte. 62.) It is a
station of pilots, and is resorted to for
sea-bathing. Steamer to Bordeaux in
summer, in about 8 hrs.

On an isolated rock outside the
mouth of the Gironde, which is beset
with dangerous sandbanks, rises the
lighthouse called La Tour de Cordman ,
whose beacon guides mariners entering
or quitting the river. It is a circular
structure of three stories, the central
one being domed like a church, from
the midst of which rises a sort of
pepper-box turret. It was designed
in the reign of Henri II. by Louis de
Foix, one of the architects of the Es-
curial, 1611, who is said to have died
here, and to have been buried within
it. It replaced a lighthouse founded
by the English 1362-71, while the
Black Prince was governor of Guienne.
(See Rymer.)

ROUTE 76.

BORDEAUX TO BAYONNE, ST. JEAN DE

LUZ, AND THE SPANISH FRONTIER.

227 kilom. == 141 Eng. m.

Malleposte daily in 14 hours, dili¬
gences daily in 19 hours, to Bayonne.

For a mile or two out of Bordeaux
a succession of neat villas lines the
road, and the ground is mostly laid
out in vineyards. Here, however, the
vines grow upright, and are not framed
along the ground as in the more fa¬
mous district of Medoc (p. 262). Their
produce is a wine as black as ink, full
of spirit, from which brandy is dis¬
tilled. Before the end of the stage the
country becomes open and heathy ; it
is, in fact, the border of that extensive
region of flat sand called the Landes,
to avoid which the high road to Spain
makes a considerable circuit. (See
Route 77.)

11 Bouscaut. Between 2 and 3 m.
to the rt. of La Prade, a hamlet which
is passed about the middle of this

Pyrenees.

Route 76 .—Bordeaux to Bayonne.

267

•stage, lies the Chateau de la Brede, the
birthplace and family seat of Montes¬
quieu. It is a low many-sided castle,
probably of the 15th centy., sur¬
mounted by a circular donjon entirely
surrounded by the waters of the Gue-
mort, which forms a broad fosse around
it, and served anciently to defend it
from foes, since it can only be entered
by three bridges (once drawbridges).
It is far from imposing, either without
or within ; but retains its primitive
condition nearly unaltered, together
with some old portraits of the family
Secondat, and, above all, the chamber
of Montesquieu, with his simple bed,
arm-chair, &c., nearly as he left it.
The wainscoting on one side of the
fireplace is rubbed by the motion of
his foot resting against it, a habit at¬
tributed to him when seated in his
easy chair, lost in thought, meditating
on his works. It was here that he
composed his work ‘ Sur la Grandeur
et la Decadence des Remains,’ while it
is reported that the dark feudal cachot
beneath the castle, which is entered
by a stair from his room, was his resort
while he was preparing his reflections
* On the Liberty of the Subject.’

12 Castres.— Inn: H. la Providence,
good, but small. The road ascends the
valley of the Garonne, but at the dis¬
tance of 3 or 4 m. from the river,
whose banks are described in Rte. 73.

12 Cerans. Barsac, passed in this
stage, produces one of the best white
wines grown on the Garonne; and 4 or 5
m. S. of Preignac liesthe chateau of Sau-
terne, which gives its name to the best
of all the white wines of this district.

12 Langon, on the 1. bank of the
Garonne, is described in Rte. 73. {Inns:
Cheval Blanc ; H. de France). Here
the road to Toulouse (Rte.73) branches
off, and our road quits the Garonne and
turns nearly due S. penetrating through
a portion of the Petites Landes. Few
houses and no villages occur before

15 Bazas, an ancient town of 4300
Inhab., which existed in the time of
the Romans, and is mentioned under
the name Yesates by Ausonius, whose
father was born here. It has a Gothic
Church , once a cathedral, without
transepts. The sculpture on the 3

portals of its fagade is much defaced.
Bazas retains on its outskirts frag:-
ments of the old town walls.

“ About 6 m. W. of Bazas is Uzeste,
a small village, with a church of the
13th centy., chiefly built by Pope
Clement V., who died there in 1314.
His tomb of black marble is pre¬
served. His Castle, about 2 m. distant,
is a fine ruin. See Villandraut, p.
254.”— P. {Inn: Lion d’Or; small,
but clean beds.)

17 Captieux lies in the midst of
sand wastes and pine forests ; the
country presents all the characters of
the Landes, and the road enters the
Dept, so called shortly before reaching

15 Les Traverses.

15-Roquefort {Inn: H. de France;
civil, and good fare), an insignificant
town of 1600 Inhab., named from the
rocks of tufa which border the bank
of the Douze, a tributary of the Adour.
This place must not be confounded
with Roquefort, famed for cheese, in
the Dept. Aveyron, near Rodez.

[About 20 m. W. of this, in the
midst of the sandy Landes, is an ob¬
scure and wretched hamlet, called
Labrit or Alhret. It was the cradle of
the Sires d’Albret, one of the oldest
families of France, from whom sprang
the illustrious Henri IV., the son of
Jeanne d’Albret.]

Here the road from Bordeaux to
Pau branches off to the 1. (Rte. 80.)

12 Caloy. The chain of the Pyre¬
nees, 30 leagues distant, may already
be discovered in clear weather.

10 Mont de Marsan. {Inn: Id. des
Ambassadeurs ; capital sleeping-place,
civil people, good cuisine, and moderate
charges.— Gr. S. Ortolans may be had in
August.) This is the chef-lieu of the
Dept, des Landes (3774 Inhab.), and
enjoys some commerce by virtue of its
position at the junction of two streams,
the Douze and Medou, which, becoming
navigable here, take the name of Me-
clouze. It is united with the Garonne
by the Canal des Landes, nearly 60 m.
long, designed to open a communication
between Bayonne and Bordeaux when
the sea is closed in time of war.

Roads branch off hence to Pau (Rte.
80), and to Orthez.

268

Route 76 .—Bordeaux to Bayonne — Bayonne. Sect. IV.

The road hence is somewhat less
dull: it lies through extensive forests
of spindly pines, whose sides are
rasped or grooved to extract the resin
which exudes from the wound, and is
collected in a hollow at their foot.

13 Campagne. Beyond

14 Tartas, where the Medouze is
crossed by a new bridge, are some fine
oak woods.

11 Pontons. As before, the same
alternation of pine Woods and bare
sand, not a pebble to be seen. Py¬
renees well seen beyond Pontons.

Pouy, a village on the 1. of the road
shortly before reaching Dax, was the
birthplace of the philanthropic founder
of the order of Sceurs de la Charity,
and of foundling hospitals, St. Vin¬
cent de Paul, When a boy he tended
his father’s flock in the sandy heaths
near the Lazarist convent of Buglose.
The road passes through the village of

12 St. Paul de Dax, about a mile
distant from the town of Dax ( Inns:
H. St. Etienne ; de St. Esprit), which
lies on the 1. bank'"of the Adour, and
is reached by a bridge of wood. Its
name probably comes from its hot
springs (de aquis), which are one of
the curiosities of Guienne, and doubt¬
less induced that bath-loving people
the Romans to found here their set¬
tlement Aquoe Augustse Tarbellicse.
They rise nearly in the centre of the
town, and are received in a large
square basin enclosed with porticoes,
whence rise such clouds of steam as
in a frosty morning to envelop all
the town. The temperature at the
source is 212° Fahrenheit, a scalding
heat. The water is nearly tasteless,
and, though only partially used me¬
dicinally, is much employed by the
washerwomen. There are several other
sources in and about the town. Near
the bridge are portions of the old
fortifications ; and Roman masonry
may, it is said, be discovered in their
substructions.

The tertiary strata near Dax
abound in fossil shells.

The postmaster is entitled to charge
2 kilom. extra on carriages which cross
the Adour into Dax from St. Paul.

The road beyond Dax traverses nu¬

merous forests of cork-trees, which,
being stripped of their flaky bark to
stop the claret bottles of the merchants
of Bordeaux, have a singular effect,
from the dark brown colour of their
naked trunks. A new skin speedily
repairs the loss of the old.

15 St. Geours.

The P}^renean range now forms a
grand feature in the landscape. They
are not unlike some views of the
Grampians, in which sharp peaks
here and there surmount intervening
round-backed hills : the most con¬
spicuous and picturesque peaks seen
from this are the Arrhune in France,
and the Quatre Couronnes in Spain.
Near

13 Cantons, a large pond or etang
is passed, and a peep is obtained
over the Bay of Biscay on the rt.

The direct road from Bordeaux
across the Grandes Landes (Rte. 77)
falls into ours at St. Vincent, and the
Landes cease altogether at Oudres.

The descent upon Bayonne presents
that town under a striking aspect,
seated on the Adour, surrounded by
fortifications. A short way before you
reach the Octroi, a lane on the rt. leads
down to the Cimetiere Anglais, a sim¬
ple enclosure between 4 walls, planted
with poplars ; it contains the remains
of many brave British soldiers, and
several officers of the Coldstream
Guards, who fell in the sortie from
Bayonne, April 14, 1814. Bayonne is
entered by the Faubourg of St. Esprit,
in which is situated the Citadel, the
strongest of the military works. The
town itself is reached by a narrow
bridge of boats Over the Adour, about
to be replaced by a stone bridge, and,
after crossing the triangular strip of
land between the rivers, by a perma¬
nent stone and iron bridge -over the
Nive.

19 Bayonne. — Inns: H. St. Eti¬
enne ; H. du Commerce ; H. de
1’ Europe.

Bayonne, a strong fortress of the
first class, commanding the Passes of
the W. Pyrenees, and one of the two
carriage-roads leading from Spain into
France, has an agreeable situation at
the junction of the Nive with the

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) Taiuj'irehaji

the Handbook

Tost Roads
Car ])T
Horse Hr foot Paths
Points of lie*-
Castles in Ruins
Waterfalls

Kxi^-lish Miles

S. SebastiaJi

^ 5 >

S. Sel>astia3i

Pyrenees.

Route 76.— Bayonne — Cathedral.

269

Ad our, and is divided into three parts
by these fine broad rivers, which are
lined with quays, and always include
a small quantity of shipping. The
suburb St. Esprit, on the rt. bank of
the Adour, lies within the Dept, des
Landes, and alone includes 5897
Inhab. (more than the chief town of
the dept.), among whom are 2000
Jews, descendants of those expelled at
different times from Spain. On an
eminence rising above this suburb,
just at the lower end of it and com¬
manding with its formidable batteries
the town, both the rivers, and the
plain to the N., rises the Citadel, the
most formidable of the works laid out
by Vauban, and greatly strengthened,
especially since 1814, when it formed
the key to an intrenched camp of Mar¬
shal Soult, and was invested by a de¬
tachment of the army of the Duke of
Wellington, but not taken, the peace
having put a stop to the siege after
some bloody encounters. The last of
these, a dreadful and useless expendi¬
ture of human life, took place after
peace was declared, and the British
forces put off their guard in conse¬
quence. They were thus entirely
taken by surprise by a sally of the
garrison, made early on the morning
of April 14th ; which, though re¬
pulsed, was attended with the loss of
830 men to the British, and by the
capture of their commander, Sir John
Hope, whose horse was shot under
him, and himself wounded. The
French attack was supported by the
fire of their gunboats on the river,
which opened indiscriminately on
friend and foe. 910 of the French
were killed. Admission to the citadel
is obtained by a ticket from the com¬
mandant ; but, except to a military
man, it possesses nothing of interest.
Steep approaches, resembling inclined
planes, lead up to it, deep fosses sur¬
round it, neaifly vertical walls, 40 feet
high, and numerous bastions flank and
enfilade every access to it ; visitors
are n?>t allowed to mount the ram¬
parts.

Bayonne Proper occupies the trian¬
gular space between the two rivers,
and stretches for a considerable dis¬

tance up the bank of the Nive, which
is crossed by 3 bridges. Its total
population, excluding St. Esprit, is
15,912 souls. Many of the streets
have a half Spanish character from the
piazzas running under the houses^.
The handsomest quarter of the town
is that adjoining the theatre, newly
built, consisting of fine tall houses.

The only building of consequence is
the Cathedral, ugly externally, but
within a fine lofty church in the
pointed Gothic of the 13th centy.,
with choir and transepts very short.
The arms of England are still visible
on its roof. The cloisters behind, in
the florid style, nearly the largest in
France, deserve notice. From the top
of its tower there is a good view of the
distant Pyrenees, of the town, rivers,
and citadel, ancl of the spot a little
below it, at the extremity of the long
avenue of trees, where a part of the
British army under Sir John Hope
crossed by a bridge of boats furnished
from the fleet of Admiral Penrose, and
transported with much difficulty over
the bar, Feb. 23-27, 1814, in order to
invest the citadel.

As very malignant calumnies have
been spread by some French writers
respecting the conduct of the Duke
of Wellington’s army in France, it
may not be amiss to refute them by
the unexceptionable testimony of one
of their own writers, and an eye-wit¬
ness, the late M. Vayse de Yilliers,
author of the Itinera,ire de Id France ,
the best guide-book for that country.
He traversed the theatre of the war
only a few months after the occupa¬
tion by the Duke of Wellington, and
states that, so far from laying waste
the country to a distance of a league
aroyncl Bayonne, as a French writer
had asserted, * £ II avait etabli une telle
discipline qu’il 4tait accueilli partout
comme liberateur.” —Route de Paris en
Espagne, p. 91.

The Duke’s own immortal Dis¬
patches show with what severe disci¬
pline he prevented the troops, Spanish
and English, under his command,
imitating the cruel injuries which the
French army had inflicted on Spain
and other countries invaded by them.

270

Route 76.— Bayonne—Passage of the Adour . Sect. IV.

The construction of the bridge over
the Adour below Bayonne, and the
passage of the Allies across it, dis¬
play the genius of Wellington in con¬
ceiving, combining, and executing a
measure deemed impossible by his
ojDponents ; and is styled by Colonel
Napier “a stupendous undertaking,
which will always rank among the
prodigies of war.” The impediments
consisted in the breadth of the river,
the rapidity of its current, the height
to which the tide rises (14 feet), the
difficulty of procuring and transport¬
ing the materials of the bridge : since,
if sent by land, through bad and
difficult roads, they must have alarmed
the enemy ; if by water, the bar,
passable only at high water, and surf
at the river’s mouth, rendered the
entrance of boats next to impossible.
The latter measure, however, had
been decided on by the Duke ; and to
effect this purpose a little flotilla of
chassemarees had been prepared in the
Spanish harbour of Passages. But the
long prevalence of storms and con¬
trary winds had rendered its approach
impracticable ; and the gallant Sir
John Hope, to whom the execution of
this measure had been intrusted by
the Duke of Wellington, at last on
the 23rd of February, 1814, began to
push his troops across upon a raft at¬
tached to a hawser ; and thus, in the
teeth of a strong fortress and garrison
of nearly 15,000 men, 600 men of the
Guards gained the opposite bank ; the
French gunboats which guarded the
river being silenced by rockets, three
of them burnt, and a sloop of war
driven up the river under the guns
of Bayonne, while the same effective
weapons kept the garrison at bay.
Next morning, in spite of the tem¬
pestuous weather and the raging surf
on the bar, which was so furious as to
leave no strip of black water to point
out the passage;—without pilots, with
no landmarks on the shore, the little
fleet made for the mouth of the Adour.
Each vessel had an engineer on board,
and a supply of timber, cables, &c.,
and, aided by men of war’s boats from
the fleet, they boldly dashed into the
midst of the breakers, blindly seeking

the entrance. Several of the foremost,
mastered by the wind and the waves,
ran aground or were dashed ashore,
and their crews perished. This did
not deter the others, however ; one
more fortunate boat discovered the
only safe channel, and the rest, follow¬
ing in its wake, gained smooth water
within the bar—a glorious and gal¬
lant exploit. The 26 chassemarees
thus introduced were moored head
and stern by ropes stretched over the
dykes which line the river at a spot
where it is 800 ft. broad, at a dis¬
tance of about 3 m. below Bayonne.
Platforms of loose planks were laid
between the boats, and the ropes were
left slack, so as to allow the bridge to
rise and fall with the tide ; yet this
seemingly frail structure was strong
enough to bear the heaviest artillery,
and it was finished by the 26th. This
deep-laid scheme entirely foiled Mar¬
shal Soult, whose attention had been
drawn off by the British general to an
attack among the Gaves, the tributaries
of the Adour high up the country, at
the very moment when the passage of
that river was effected close to the
sea.

Bayonne is a town of commerce as
well as of war, though its port is of
comparatively small use, on account
of the shifting bar at the mouth of the
Adour, which can only be passed at
high water, and not without danger
at some seasons, though the employ¬
ment of tug-steamers now diminishes
the risk. In the 14th or 15th centy.
the Adour changed its bed, owing to
its mouth becoming obstructed by shift¬
ing sands or dunes blown up by the
winds, and running N. parallel with
the coast within this sand-wall, until
it found an outlet either at Cape Breton
or at Vieux Boucaut. This lasted down
to 1579, when the engineer, Louis de
Foix, restored it to its old channel,
called Boucaut Neuf, In 1684, how¬
ever, it broke a fresh channel for itself
to the 1., in the direction of the Cham-
bre d’Amour, but was brolight back
again shortly after to the bed by which
it still finds a passage to the ocean
through a waste of sand-hills.

The commerce of Bayonne consists

PYRENEES.

Route 76.— Bayonne.

271

chiefly in Spanish wool, which is
largely imported, and in an extensive
smuggling trade carried on with that
country.

Excellent chocolate and eau de vie are
made here; but the Bayonne hams, so
called because largely exported hence,
are reared and cured among the Pyre¬
nees, near Orthez and Pau. Some ships
are built here.

From what has been said, it will be
perceived that Bayonne has few sights
to amuse the passing stranger. The
well-supplied markets , abounding in
fruit and vegetables, sold at the cheap¬
est rates, are worth a visit; and these,
or the promenades, will afford an oppor¬
tunity of seeing the Bayonnaise ladies,
who are remarkably pretty, as well as
the Basquaise peasants, who are also
distinguished by pretty faces and good
figures, and contrast with the inha¬
bitants of the Landes to the N. of
Bayonne.

Those who desire a pleasant shady
walk and fresh air should repair to
the Alices Marines, an avenue of trees
more than a in. long, on the 1. bank of
the Adour, below the town and oppo¬
site the citadel, reaching down almost
to the bend of the river, near which
the Duxe threw his army across.

A little way outside the town is the
dilapidated Chateau d/e Marrac, de¬
stroyed by fire in 1825 and gutted. It
belonged to Napoleon, who here re¬
ceived the degraded sovereigns of
Spain, Charles IV. and his queen, and
her minion G-odoy likewise. The Em¬
peror also brought hither to meet them
Ferdinand Prince of Asturias, whom,
by false pretences, he had entrapped
from Madrid in 1808 : and in this
chateau, under threat of death or
imprisonment, they resigned to him
their hereditary rights to the crown of
Spain.

Bayonne was the capital of the
ancient district,, enclosed within the
Adour and Bidassoa, called Pays de
Labourd (from Lapurdum), by which
it was known down to the 10th centy.
The name Bayonne is merely the
Basque Baia una, a port. Hence comes
the word Bayonnette, said to have been
invented in this neighbourhood (see p.

274), and first made here. The gloomy
old Castle opposite the Sous-Prefecture,
now a barrack, was probably the resi¬
dence of Catherine de Medicis when
she dragged hither her weak son,
Charles IX., to that secret conference
with the Duke of Alva, in 1563, at
which, it is now known, the massacre
of the St. Bartholomew’s night was
suggested and decided on. Yet Bay¬
onne has the rare credit of refusing to
execute the bloody orders of Charles
IX. to slay all the Protestants in the
town, owing to the firmness of the
governor, Dapremont, Vicomte d’Or¬
thez, who told the king that the town
of Bayonne included only good citizens
and brave soldiers, but not a single
executioner.

The chief place of resort for the in¬
habitants of Bayonne out of the town
is the little watering-place of Biaritz,
described farther on (p. 272.)

Cambo, in the vale of Nive, is also
a pretty watering-place, with mineral
baths,

A short but interesting excursion into
Spain may be made by taking the dili¬
gence to St, Sebastian, which starts
every morning. You pass through a
portion of the country which was the
theatre of the Carlist war, visit the
citadel of St. Sebastian and the sin¬
gular land-locked harbour of Passages,
eat an olla, and smoke a cigarillo, and
may return to Bayonne the following
afternoon. See Handbook fok Spain,

The British Consul, residing at Bay¬
onne (Captain Graham), will sign his
countrymen’s passports for the journey.

In the coach-offices and inns at Bay¬
onne will be found hung up advertise¬
ments of approaching Bull Fights, to
be held at Vittoria, Tolosa, Saragossa,
and other places in the N. of Spain, in
the vicinity of the French frontier.

Conveyances : — Mallepostes daily to
Bordeaux in 14 hours; to Toulouse in
21 hours.

Diligences daily to Bordeaux (2 or 3);
to Toulouse; to Pau, by Orthez.

Conveyances into Spain; to Madrid—
Malleposte travels by night, and is three
nights on the journey.

Diligences belonging to different com¬
panies to Madrid.

272

Route 76.— Biaritz — The Basques .

Sect. IT.

Diligences every other day to Tolosa
and St. Sebastian in 10 hours.

The Southern Road quits Bayonne
by the Porte d’Espagne, through
which Napoleon poured so many gal¬
lant armies in succession into the
Peninsula. The road is hilly the
whole way to the frontier, and from
time to time affords glimpses of the
sea on the rt. After passing a number
of country-houses, amongst which, at
a little distance on the 1., stands the
Chateau de Marrae (p. 271), a finger¬
post at the end of 2 m. points the sandy
way to Biaritz {Inn: H. de Monhau;
rooms small, but clean and comfort¬
able), a little secluded watering-place,
3 m. on the rt. and about 5 m. from
Bayonne. It consists of a group of
whitewashed lodging-houses, cafes,
inns, traiteurs, cottages, &c., generally
of an humble character, scattered over
roiling eminences and hollows bare of
trees, on the sea-shore, here fenced
with cliffs 40 or 50 feet high, excavated
by the waves into numberless quiet
coves and curious caverns. In these
the sea at times roars and chafes, per¬
forating the rock with holes, and un¬
dermining huge masses, which are
detached from time to time; and some
of them, left like islands at some dis¬
tance from the shore, still project
above the waves. From the tops of
these cliffs, especially that which bears
the ruins of an old fort or lighthouse,
you look over the wide expanse of the
Bay of Biscay, bounded on the rt. by
the French coast, on which rises the
new Phare, showing the way into the
mouth of the Adour; and on the 1. by
the shore of Spain beyond St. Sebastian,
with peaks of distant Sierras rising
behind it. The limpid purity of the
sea and the smoothness of the sand
render bathing in the sheltered bays
most agreeable. French ladies and
gentlemen " en costume cles bains"
consume hours in aquatic promenades.
The ladies may be seen floating about
like mermaids, being supported on
bladders, corks, or gourds, attired in
woollen trousers covering the feet, and
overshadowed by broad-brimmed hats.
The geologist will be interested to re-.

cognise in the rocks of Biaritz the fos¬
sils of the lower chalk and greensand,
though the rock here assumes an ex¬
ternal character very different from
that we are accustomed to in England.
Beyond its sea-bathing, its rocks, and
its view, Biaritz must be the dullest
place upon earth, except to those who
have other resources of friends, &c., on
the spot. Omnibuses and coueous are
constantly plying between the baths
and the Porte d’Espagne of Bayonne.
The ancient mode of conveyance hither,
which is peculiar to the spot, but is
now becoming obsolete, w r as to ride
££ en cacolet.” In this mode of convey¬
ance, the rider, seated on one side of
a hack, in a wooden frame fitting to a
horse’s back, as a pair of spectacles
does to a human nose, occupies the
place of a pannier on one side of an
ass’s back, while his conductor, usually
a stout and buxom lass, fills the oppo¬
site division, and by her weight the
balance is preserved. Some little skill
is required in mounting, for, unless
both parties jump into their seats at
the same moment, he who reaches it
prematurely runs the risk of destroy¬
ing the equipoise and of being capsized
into the dust, and the same in dis¬
mounting. It is chiefly peasants and
market-women, now-a-days, who ride
en cacolet; though, under the ancien
regime of the Bourbons, the frolicsome
Duchesse de Berri, when on a visit to
this part of France, was wont to resort
to this primitive conveyance.

There are 3 lines of custom-houses
on the road from Bayonne to the
Spanish frontier. The 3rd, or inner¬
most, is not more than 5 m. from Bay¬
onne. A large fresh-water pond within
a funnel-shaped basin is passed shortly
before reaching.

11 Bidart. We now enter the Pays
Basques, inhabited by that peculiar
race who speak a language having no
relation with any other in Europe.
They occupy in France only a small
part of the S.W. corner of the Dept,
des Basses Pyrenees, but are much
more widely disseminated in Spain,
where they form the mass of the popu¬
lation of 5 provinces. The French and
Spanish Basques are distinguished by

Pi r ren. H. 76.— St. Jean de Luz — The Bidassoa — Behobia. 273

their speech, and also by their costume,
consisting of the red beret, a cap
resembling that of the lowland shep¬
herd in Scotland, a red sash round
the waist, and sandals made of hemp,
called Espai’tillas, on the feet, and a
stout stick in the hand. They are
supposed to be the descendants of
the ‘ ‘ Cantabrum indoctum ferre juga
nostra,” who sided with Hannibal in
opposing the Romans, who contributed
mainly to the defeat of Charlemagne
and Roland in the pass of Roncesvaux,
and whose boast is that they were
never conquered. In France they are
confined to portions of the arrondisse-
ments of Bayonne and Mauleon, which
formed part of the ancient kingdom of
Navarre.

9 St. Jean de Luz.— Inns: H. de
France, very good; Poste; St. Etienne.
A frontier town of France, at the
mouth of the Nivelle, where it falls
into a small creek or bay, over which
a new bridge has been thrown. The
inroads of the sea for some time past
have washed away parts of the town,
breaking through the dykes thrown up
to protect it, and the shifting sands at
the mouth of the Nivelle have almost
entirely blocked up its port. The
town is distinguished by its narrow
street and whitewashed houses, some
of considerable antiquity. Here is the
2nd Douane. The suburb on the 1.
bank of the river is called Sibourre.
The marriage of Louis XIY. with
Maria Theresa, Infanta of Spain, was
celebrated here 1660.

In Nov. 1813, the British army,
under the Duke of Wellington, crossed
the Nivelle close to this town, after
attacking and carrying the very strong
intrenched position occupied by the
French army upon the heights on the
1. bank of the river.

In the midst of barren, heathy, high
ground stands

5 Urugne, last post-station in France.
The forms of the mountains are pic¬
turesque, especially of that called Mon-
tag ne d’ Arrhune, rising above Urugne,
which is visible even on the other side
of Bayonne. Before reaching this point
the traveller finds, contrary probably
to what he could have expected from

books, that the mountain chain of the
Pyrenees by no means terminate in
France, but stretches W. in lofty
ridges and bare peaks tossed about in
wild confusion, traversing Spain to its*
farther corner, and ending in Cape
Ortegal in the Asturias.

Beyond Urugne, the antique Chateau
of Urtubi is passed. Louis XI. came
hither, 1462, to meet the King of
Aragon, John II.

The French frontier custom-house is
placed at Behobia, a small village (with
a poor inn, Poste) on the rt. bank of
the Bidassoa, which here separates
France from Spain. The baggage of
travellers entering France is strictly
searched; and after it has undergone
the pi’ocess, they will do well to have
it plombed, to saye themselves from a
repetition of the same twice between
this and Bayonne. 10 sous is the charge
for plombing each package.

The wild and lofty mountains around
and behind Behobia, called Montagne
Yerte and Mendele, now so solitary,
were strongly fortified by Marshal
Soult in 1813, to defend the Passage of
the Bidassoa , which the Duke of Wel¬
lington effected nevertheless, in the
face and in spite of them. In the
course o? several months preceding,
intrenchment behind intrenchment had
been thrown up by the French; every
weak poipt had been strengthened, and
the whole line of slopes and precipices,
from the sea to the Arrhune mountain,
bristled with ramparts and batteries,
defending the fords of the river; the
bridge of Behobia being then broken
down.

From the middle of the existing
wooden bridge, which unites France
to Spain, the stranger looking up the
stream will perceive the green knoll
or mamelon of St. Marcial; on this a
strong battery was planted by the
Allies, which covered the passage, by
the ford higher up, of one division,
consisting of Spaniards, under Gen.
Freire, who won from the French the
heights of Mendele. The most formid¬
able part of the French position was
the Montagne d’Arrhune, not only
from its elevation, steepness, and tre¬
mendous precipices, but from the re-

n 3

274 IL 76.— -Bidassoa. It. 77 .—Bordeaux to Bayonne. Sect. IT

doubts, intrenchments, abattis, See,,
thrown up on it, wherever there ap¬
peared the least facility of approach,
and from the strong body of troops
who held every commanding point,
sweeping the slopes and ravines with
their cannon and musketry. The Duke
of Wellington employed nearly 20,000
men in the attack of this mountain,
which was gained, as it were, inch by
inch, the enemy being driven from one
work after another up to the very
summit, where they occupied a rocky
height called the Hermitage. This
was nearly impregnable, and they de¬
fended it for some time merely by
rolling down stones upon their assail¬
ants. The bones of many a brave man
are probably even now whitening among
the dells and clefts of that rugged
mountain: many who w r ere wounded
•were left to perish where they fell,
from the difficulty of discovering them
among these vast solitudes.

A lower ridge, or projecting but¬
tress, of the Montagne d’Arrhune, is
called La Bayormette, from that weapon
of war, invented extemporaneously, it
is said, on this spot, by a Basque
regiment, w T ho, having run short of
ammunition, assaulted the Spaniards
opposed to them by sticking the long
knives which the Basques commonly
carry into the barrels of their muskets,
and thus chaining the enemy. This
must have occurred some time in the
16th or early in the 17 th century. The
ridge of the Bayonnette was stormed
and carried by the Allies 1813, before
they gained the Arrhune.

Behind St. Marcial opens out the
Valley of the Bastan, the cradle of the
Bidassoa. Close below the bridge of
Behobia is a little island, reduced by
the washing of the current to a narrow
strip of earth, tufted with grass and
willows. This is the historically cele¬
brated lie des Faiscms, on which the con¬
ferences were held between the French
Minister Mazarin and the Spanish Don
Louis de Haro, which led to the famous
treaty of the Pyrenees, 1659, and the
marriage of Louis XIV. with the
daughter of Philip IV. Each party ad¬
vanced from its own territory, by a tem¬
porary bridge, to this little bit of neu¬

tral ground, which then reached nearly
up to the bridge. The piles which sup¬
ported the Cardinal’s pavilion were
visible not many years ago. The death
of Velasquez, the painter, was caused
by his exertions in superintending these
constructions; duties more fitting to an
upholsterer than an artist.

The Bidassoa forms the line of de¬
marcation between the two kingdoms
only for about 12 m.: it enters the sea
about 5 m. below Behobia, between
Andaye on the French side, and the
ancient Availed town of Fuentarabia (ac¬
cent on the i) on the Spanish, after
passing near the town of

9 Irun, first Spanish post-station.
(See Handbook tor Spain.)

Between Irun and Fuentarabia are
the 3 fords discovered by the Duke of
Wellington, on the information of
Spanish fishermen, by which he car¬
ried one division of his army across,
and, gaining the first permanent footing
in the French territory, turned the rt.
of the French position, and the strongly
defended heights near Andaye (once
famed for distilling brandy). These
fords were practicable only at certain
states of the tide, and for 3 or 4 hours,
being covered by the sea, to a depth of
14 ft., at high water. Soult was there¬
fore perfectly unprepared for an attempt
to cross at this point, and his troops
were deceived by the tents of the Bri¬
tish camp being left standing as though
still occupied. At the close of a fierce
thunder-storm, early on the morning
of Oct. 17, the allied army formed into
7 columns behind banks and ridges,
issued forth at a given signal, and wind¬
ing slowly, like snakes, across the broad
sands, effected the passage.

ROUTE 77.

BORDEAUX TO BAYONNE, THROUGH LES
GRANDES LANDES.

About 116 Eng. m.

This was once the only road into
Spain; but since the construction of
tiie route through the Petites Landes
(Rte. 76), and the removal of post-horses
from this line, it has been almost en¬
tirety abandoned, although it is 25 m.

Pr renees. Route 77 .—Bordeaux to Bayonne—The Landes. 2 75

shorter than the other. In fact, it tra¬
verses a country scarcely practicable
for carriages, owing to the want of pro¬
per materials for the roads ; a small
portion only, near Bordeaux and Muret,
being paved. The accommodation for
travellers is, of course, very scanty.
Many of the old post-stations enume¬
rated below, with the distances from
one to another, are mere single houses
or stables, established solely as relays,
and perhaps now abandoned.

3 Gradignan. Beyond this village
fields give place to heaths and pine-
woods, interspersed with a few patches
of barley and a little maize ; for these
crops will grow wherever manure and
industry can be employed upon the
soil. The surface of the ground is of a
dull grey or asli-coloured sand. A few
flocks of lean, tattered, ill-conditioned
sheep wander over this waste, tended
by shepherds renowned for walking on
stilts (^chasses). By the aid of these
they are not only enabled to stalk over
the prickly bushes, and avoid the in¬
convenience of filling their shoes with
sand, but they gain an elevation not
afforded by the even surface of the
ground, from which they can overlook
their flock, and prevent their sheep
straying. They carry a long pole,
which, when stuck into the ground,
forms a support, and against it they
can rest and knit stockings all the day
through. A stranger, unprepared for
the sight, would have some difficulty in
explaining the nature of the extraordi¬
nary tripod thus formed; and the sheep¬
skins worn by the peasant would not
diminish the mystery. The peasants
of the Landes are all accustomed to the
use of stilts, and with a very slight ex¬
ertion, and not a very quick movement,
will clear the country at a pace which
would keep a horse at a hard trot, by
the aid of these wooden legs. “ The in¬
habitants are rather diminutive in size,
and not a very long-lived race. They
endure severe privations—among them,
the want of water. Even the lower ani¬
mals must here change their nature to
accommodate themselves to the soil. I
saw large flocks of ducks which, I was
assured, had never seen a pond!”— F.

There is at least one thing which

appears peculiarly at home among the
Landes, which seems to rejoice in this
dry sand, and to flourish in the most
robust vigour—the pine (Pinus mari-
tima). Nearly j of the Ddpt. des
Landes is covered with dark forests of
this tree, and the distribution of it is
greatly increasing, since, from the value
of the timber and of the rosin which it
produces, and the facility with which
it is grown, large districts have been
planted by order of the government.
The Landes, it must be remembered,
are not confined to the dept, so called,
for we have hitherto been traversing
that of the Gironde, and it is only
between Belin and the next station,

3 Muret, that the boundary-line of
the Dept, des Landes is passed. Here
the small river Leyre is crossed, which
falls into the sea at La Teste. Like all
the streams of the district, its waters
are brackish; and one of the chief evils
to which the inhabitants are subject is
the want of good water.

2 Bellevue.

2 Puch.

3 Barps.

2 Hospitalet.

2 Belin, a small town.

3 Lipostey.

4 Bonhere. Here used to be the best
inn on the line.

3 Belloe, a single cottage.

4 La Harie.

3 Esperon.

4 Castels.

The Pignadas, or pine-forests of the
Landes, furnish a large quantity of ro¬
sin, which is obtained by grooving the
trunk, or scarifying the bark, 3 or 4 ft.
above the root, and allowing the pitch
to flow into a hollow below.

4 Majese. An inn here formerly.

3 Les Monts.

2 St. Vincent. Here our road falls
into the post-road from Bordeaux to

9 Bayonne (Rte. 76, p. 26S).

The wild district of the Landes
stretches uninterruptedly from the Ga¬
ronne at Bordeaux to the Adour at
Bayonne, and from the sea to Mont St.
Marsan and Dax.

The inhabitants of the Landes oc¬
cupy a low position, physically and
morally, in the scale of civilisation.

276

Route 78 ,—Bayonne to Pan — Orthez .

Sect. IV

N.B. Any more accurate and recent
information than what is contained in
the above route will be welcome to the
Editor.

ROUTE 78.

BAYONNE TO PAU, BY ORTHEZ.

105 kilom.= 65^ Eng. m.

Malleposte to Pau and Toulouse daily.
Diligences daily by Orthez and by Oloron.

The road turns to the rt., out of
that to Bordeaux (Rte, 76), on the top of
the hill above St. Esprit, the suburb
of Bayonne. It runs in a direction
nearly parallel with the Pyrenees,
through a country abounding in heath,
having the Adour at some distance on
the rt., until, a few miles beyond

17 Biaudos, that river is crossed:
the descent upon it is fine. The Gave
de Pau falls into the Adour a little
below the bridge ; henceforth we as¬
cend the rt. bank of that stream all the
way to Pau. Hereabouts the Gave
divides the district called Chalosse from
the Pays Basque (see p. 272).

20 Peyrehorade ( Inn: H. de Voya-
geurs; second rate), a prettily situated
town, on the Gave de Pau, just below
its junction with the Gave cVOloron,
under a height crowned by a ruined
Castle mentioned by Froissart, About
a mile out of the town a turning on
the rt. carries the new road to Pau by
Oloron (unfinished 1841) across the
Gave de Pau, by a new wire suspension
bridge. It passes through Sorde, a
walled town, Sallies, so called from its
strong brine spring, which furnishes
the salt used in curing Bayonne hams,
and Sauveterre.

The road from Peyrehorade to Or¬
thez crosses, shortly before entering

16 Puyoo, a rivulet which anciently
formed the boundary-line between the
kingdoms of France and Navarre.

The fertility of the plain, the abun¬
dant watercourses, the luxuriant fes¬
toons of the vines, and the magnificent
views of the Pyrenean range, give great
interest to this portion of the route.
At Berenz, Sir Stapylton Cotton’s divi¬
sion of cavalry, and Picton’s 3rd bri¬
gade, crossed the Gave before the
Battle of Orthez. That victory was

achieved, Feb. 27, 1814, by driving the
French from a very strong position on
the heights above Orthez, extending
from the town to the high road to Dax
and the village of Bo&s. The retreat of
the enemy ended in a flight, and they
were pursued by the British, the same
night, as far as Sault de Navailles. A
wound received by the Duke of Wel¬
lington in the critical moment of pur¬
suit contributed to save the French
from greater loss. They attribute their
defeat to a superiority of force on the
side of the Allies, but the impartial
estimate of Col. Napier sets down the
numbers of Soult’s army at 40,000 (in¬
cluding 4000 or 5000 raw conscripts),
and that of the Duke at 37,000. The
British cavalry outnumbered that of
the enemy by 1000. The French lost
nearly 4000 men killed, wounded, and
prisoners; the Allies, 2300.

12 Orthez (Inns: H. Jennes ;—H,
Bergerot) is a somewhat dull town of
7857 Inhab., though situated at the
junction of 6 roads,—to Spain, by St.
Jean Pied de Port, to Dax, to Bordeaux,
to Oloron, to Pau, and to Bayonne. It
has an old Gothic bridge, which resisted
the attempts of the French to mine it
and blow it up, consisting of 4 arches,
surmounted in the centre by a tower
from which, according to tradition, the
Calvinist soldiers of the army of the
Comte de Montgomery, after taking
the town by assault, 1569, and putting
to the sword most of its defenders, pre¬
cipitated into the river the Roman Ca¬
tholic priests who were found with
arms in their hands, and who refused
to abjure their religion. Jeanne d’Al-
bret. Queen of Navarre, mother of
Henri IV., established here a Protestant
College. The little Inn La Belle Ho-
tesse was Froissart’s “ La Lune.”

Orthez was once a place of greater
importance, as residence of the Princes
of Bearn down to the end of the 15th
centy., when they removed to Pau.
The Castle de Moncada, built by Gas¬
ton de Foix, IV., 1240, after the pat¬
tern of a Spanish castle of that name,
is reduced to a few ruined walls, over¬
topped by one stately tower, left to
attest its former splendour, on a height
above the town. It is mentioned by

Pyrenees. B. 78.— Artix. B. 79 .—Bordeaux to Auch. 277

Froissart, who paid a visit to Gaston
Phoebus Comte de Foix, 1388, and was
received into the household, in order
to obtain, from the Count’s own mouth,
information for his history respecting
the wars in Gascony and Spain, He
describes the death of Gaston de Foix,
at the neighbouring village of Riou, on
his return from hunting the bear, and
the celebration of his funeral in the
Church of the Cordeliers at Orthez,
where he was buried in front of the
grand altar. The Castle of Orthez was
the scene of unparalleled crimes during
the life of the brutal Gaston Phoebus,
who filled its dungeons with the vic¬
tims of his unbridled passion ; among
them his own kinsman, the Viscomte
de CMteaubon, Pierre Arnaut, the
faithful governor of Lourdes, who, be¬
cause he refused to betray his trust,
and surrender the fortress, was stabbed
by Gaston’s own hand, and thrust into
a dungeon to perish; and, finally, his
own son and only child, whom he
killed with his knife, in the dark cell
into which he had caused him to be
thrust. The churches of La Trinite
(1107) and of St. Pierre deserve notice.

The very picturesque peak called Pic
du Midi d’Ossau is visible near this.

20 Artix. About 4 m. before enter¬
ing Pau, the road passes, at a short
distance on the 1., the curious old and
decayed town Lescar, supposed by some
to be the ancient Benehamum , whence
the district of which it was originally
the capital was called Bearn. The town
was sacked and ruined during the wars
of Religion, 1569, by the troops of the
Comte de Montgomery. On a detached
eminence, rising above the town, stand
the Castle and the Ch. of Notre Dame,
a decayed edifice, 10th centy,, partly
in the Romanesque style, containing
carved oak stalls in the choir, and a
curious mosaic pavement under the
flooring. The early princes of Bearn,
including Henri d’Albret, grandfather
of Henri IV., and his wife, the Mar¬
guerite des Marguerites, were buried
in it; but their tombs were destroyed
either by the Huguenots or the Revo¬
lutionists. There is a fine view of the
mountains from the cathedral terrace.

The Jesuits’ College, founded here by

Henri IY. after his conversion, has
been turned into a manufactory.

Still nearer to Pau, on the 1. of the
road, is Bilhere, where Henri was
nursed by a peasant, whose humble
dwelling is still preserved and pointed
out with some pride to strangers. The
eminence rising on the opposite bank of
the Gave, its slopes covered with ver¬
dure and vineyards, is the Cote de Ju-
ranqon, which produces the best of all
the Pyrenean wines.

The road, before entering Pau, skirts
the woody ridge which forms its beau¬
tiful Parc; and which, intervening be¬
tween the river and the road, conceals
the view of the mountains.

20 Pau (Rte. 80).

ROUTE 79.

BORDEAUX TO AUCH, BY CASTEL JALOUX
AND NERAC.

186 kilom. = 115 Eng. m.

The road is the same as Rte. 76 as far as

61 Bazas.

14 Grignols.

15 Castel Jaloux, a town of nearly
2000 Inhab., owing its name and origin
to a Castle built by the Seigneurs d’Al¬
bret, on the 1. bank of the Avance, now
in ruins.

At Barbaste corks are made. Henri
IY. had a flour-mill here, whence he
was sometimes called ‘ ‘ le Meunier de
Barbaste:” it still exists.

17 Pompiey. The road passes a little
to the S. of the castle of Xaintrailles,
the birthplace of Pothon de Xaintrailles,
a knight celebrated in the wars against
the English in the reign of Charles VII.,
who took the valiant Talbot prisoner
at the battle of Patay.

13 Ne'rac {Inn: Tertres; famous for
its pate's, or terrines de perdrix), a town
of 6327 Inhab., pleasingly situated on
the Ba'ise, once capital of the duchy d’Al¬
bret. It was an ancient possession of the
family d’Albret, who built and resided
in the venerable Castle, which remained
nearly entire down to the Revolution,
but is now demolished, excepting one
wing, and its fosses turned into gardens.
Yet even this fragment is interesting,
because within its walls Marguerite

278

lioute 80 .—Bordeaux io Pau.

Sect IV.

d’Angouleme, Queen of Navarre, held
her court, assembling around her the
men most distinguished by learning and
literary genius of the time; among
others, Calvin, Beza, Clement Marot,
here found an asylum from persecution
down to 1534. At a later period, the
“Bon Roi Henri,’’whose mother resided
in the castle to within four months of
his birth, passed here a portion of his
youth. His chamber is pointed out at
the W. end of the building. Here, in
1579, Catherine de Medicis held a con¬
ference. The tomb of Pothon de Xain-
trailles was destroyed along with the
ch. of Cordeliers, at the instigation of
the Calvinists.

The promenade called La Garenne
was once the park of the kings of
Navarre, planted by Marguerite de
Valois. A bronze statue of Henri IV.
has been erected to his memory by a
private individual, inscribed “Alumno,
rnox Patri Nostro Ho. IV.”

The Fontaine de St. Jean is over¬
shadowed by 2 elms, planted by Henri
IV. and Marguerite de Valois.

Corks are manufactured here for the
wine-merchants of Bordeaux.

We enter the Dept, de Gers before
reaching

22 Condom ( Inns: Cheval Blanc ;
Lion d’Or), a town of 7144 Inhab.,
and of considerable trade. It has a
handsome Gothic Ch.

19 Cast<ira Verduzan.

Near this village are mineral springs,
one sulphureous, the other chalybeate,
which are received into a Batli-house.

24 Auch, in Rte. 90.

ROUTE 80.

BORDEAUX TO PAU.

195 kilom. = 120 Eng. m.

Diligences daily in summer.

Roquefort is a tolerable sleeping-
place; so is Mont de Marsan (p. 267),
but it is 12 m. out of the waju

The Bayonne road (Rte. 76) is fol¬
lowed as far as

108 Roquefort (Inn: H. de France),
and by the diligence as far as Mont de
Marsan (22 kilom.).

The mountains of the Pyrenean chain

are visible even to the N. of this, rising
ridge over ridge abruptly, from the
low plain of Gascony, so as to give the
greatest effect to their elevation, with
a grandeur worthy of the barrier wall
between two great kingdoms.

No villages of consequence, and few
habitations, occur on the sandy tract
between Roquefort and

16 Villeneuve de Marsan, on the
Medou.

The district of sandy and heath-clad
common, stretching from the sea-coast
E. through the Landes (Rte. 77), gives
place to cultivated and enclosed ground
near

22 Aire (Poste, a mere auberge), a
poor, old town, of 4028 Inhab., on
the 1. bank of the Adour, near which
a detachment of the French army,
retreating from Orthez, were defeated,
a few days after that battle, by Lord
Hill, who also gained possession of the
French magazines here, and at St.
Sever, lower down the Adour.

A steep ascent leads out of the
valley of the Adour, and a table dand
separates it from

17 Garlin.

12 Auriac.

From the top of each eminence, as
you surmount it, a splendid view of
the Pyrenees expands before the eye.

21 Pau. — (Inns: H. de France, at
the corner of the Place Royale; very
good and excellent cuisine; table-
d’hote, 3 fr.;—H. de l’Europe, Rue de
la Prefecture, improved;—La Poste,
Place de Henri IV.; beds, 3 fr. to 1 fr.
50 c.; cafe au lait and eggs, 2 fr.;
table-d’hote, 3 fr.;—H. de Daurade,
ditto.) Good lodgings may be had at
the Bains de la Place Royale. Try
here the white wine of Juran§on,
which, when good, deserves commen¬
dation, but it is very strong.

Pau, ancient capital of the little
kingdom of French Navarre and Bearn,
now clief-lieu of the D6pt. des Basses
Pyrenees, stands on a lofty ridge, form¬
ing the rt. bank of the river, or Gave
de Pau, and has nearly 13,000 Inhab.
Its situation is perhaps scarcely sur¬
passed by that of any town in France,
if we consider the magnificent view
over the chain of the W. Pyrenees,

Pyrenees. Route SO.—Pau — View from the Parc — Castle. 279

which expands in front of it. The
English have shown their good taste in
having chosen it for their residence,
especially in winter. The View, remind¬
ing one somewhat of that from the
platform at Berne, though far inferior
to it, is well seen either from the
Castle and its terrace, or from the
extremity of the oblong, formal, gra¬
velly promenade near the centre of the
town, called the Place Royale, or from
the Parc. This Parc is a fine natural
terrace, running along the rt. bank of
the Gave, thickly covered, on its toj)
and sides, with noble trees, affording
a grateful shade in the heat of the day,
and provided with seats wherever,
through gaps in the foliage, the differ¬
ent parts of the view appear to advan¬
tage. This spot formed part of the
domain anciently attached to the old
castle, and a communication between
the castle and the Parc, through a
formal square planted with rows of
trees, called Plante, has been esta¬
blished by a handsome bridge of two
arches, thrown over the high road.

The range of the^ Pyrenees, as seen
from Pau, presents a strikingly beau¬
tiful and varied outline of peaks,
cones, and ridges, often cut like a saw,
rising against the S. horizon. Among
the mass of summits, and precipices,
and bold forms, are two pre-eminent
from their elevation and shape—the
Pic du Midi de Pau to the W., a peak
with sides nearly vertical and cloven
crest, rising at the extremity of the
beautiful Yal d’Ossau; and to the E.,
the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. These
members of the great central range are
disclosed to view through the gaps of
a subordinate chain of round-backed
and wooded hills forming the middle
distance; while in the foreground ap¬
pear the venerable Castle of Pau, the
torrent, or Gave, its banks beautifully
fringed with trees, the picturesque
bridge, and the ruins of another bridge
destroyed by its inundations. Within
the scope of this view appear Juraiujon,
a village famed for its wines, and Bil-
here, where Henri IV. was nursed. It
is a glorious prospect, to be dwelt upon
and seen over and over again.

Pau owes its chief renown to its

having been the birthplace of the
“Bon Roi” Henri IV., who drew his
first breath (Dec. 13, 1553) in its
ancient, time-honoured, historic Castle,
the most conspicuous and interest¬
ing building in the town. It stands
statelily upon the ridge above men¬
tioned, overlooking the river and
bridge, at the point of a sort of pro¬
montory formed by a small rivulet
which cuts its way through the town,
and behind the castle walls at the
bottom of a deep ravine, to throw
itself into the Gave, just below it.
The five towers of the Castle, and the
outer wall which unites them, and
serves to support the upper stories,
are the oldest part, and supposed to
date from the time of Gaston Phoebus
Comte de Foix, who founded the
castle about 1363. The tallest tower,
or Donjon, named after Gaston, rising
at the E. end to a height of 115 ft.,
is of brick, furnished with loopholes.
The windows have been stopped up in
modern times. A copy of the contract
for erecting it (dated 1375) still exists,
and in it the Count himself engages to
furnish the bricks from the Tuileries
de Pau. In the gutted and half-ruined
Tour de la Monnoye, rising on the side
of the castle next the river, from the
bottom of the eminence on which it
stands, to a level with the terrace,
Margaret de Valois, it is said, gave an
asylum to Calvin and other persecuted
Reformers, and took great delight in
listening to their discourse, although
she never actually abandoned the
Roman Catholic faith. This tradition,
however, requires confirmation. The
tower was used as a gaol until the
Restoration (1814). The little oblong
court-yard of the castle is destitute of
architectural beauty; but the Tour de
Montauzet, on one side of it, contained,
according to popular belief, the oubli¬
ettes. It is about 80 ft. high, and its
walls, to a height of 40 ft., were ori¬
ginally destitute of any opening, the
gate at the bottom having been broken
through in 17 93, when the castle was
sacked and despoiled by the Revolu¬
tionists. It stands within, and de¬
tached from, the outer wall of the
castle, from which a small drawbridge,

280 Route 80. — Pau — Castle — Cradle of Henri IV. Sect. IV.

thrown over the gap, gave access to
it through a little door. Within the
thickness of its walls 7 or 8 confined
dungeons exist, lighted by very small
apertures, barred. The upper story
only is provided with a window, look¬
ing into the court, and with a fire¬
place. Its wall, on the side of the
court, is spotted with the marks of the
shot fired by the Biscayans when they
assaulted the castle during the troubles
or civil wars in Bearn (1569), in the
absence of Jeanne de Navarre.

Opposite the tower of Montauzet is
the grand staircase, the vaulting of
which, divided into squares, contains
rich carvings, among which may be
observed the letters H. M., the initials
of Henri II. of Navarre and Margaret,
the grand-parents of Henri IV., by
whom it was built. The entire resto¬
ration of the interior was undertaken
by Louis-Philippe, with very good
taste and splendour. The King re¬
vived, as far as possible, the ancient
decorations, injured by the Revolu¬
tionists, who first stripped and ruined
this ancient palace, and then degraded
it to a barrack, and he replaced those
which they destroyed by others as far
as possible in accordance with the age
and style of the edifice. The walls of
the chief apartments have been covered
with tapestry, and the rooms filled
with ancient furniture of the period,
collected at vast expense.

In an apartment on the first floor is
preserved a very interesting relic—the
cradle in which Henri IV. was rocked,
consisting of a large tortoise-shell,
inverted and suspended by cords, like
the scale of a balance. It is at present
surmounted by a trophy of flags, em¬
broidered by the Duchesse d’Angou-
leme, the staves of which serve to
support it. When the castle w’as
sacked in 1793 by the Republicans,
bent on destroying all traces of roy¬
alty, they would certainly not have
spared this; but, luckily, another tor¬
toise-shell was substituted in its place,
which was broken and burnt with
every insult. The parties who pre¬
served the original shell were M.
d’Espalunge d’Arros, commandant of
the castle, who devised the pious

fraud; M. Beauregard, the possessor
of a collection of natural history, who
exchanged a tortoise-shell of the same
size for the cradle, which he after¬
wards concealed for many years in the
roof of his house; and M. Lamaignere,
concierge of the castle, who, at great
risk, conveyed away the true cradle,
and substituted the false in its place.
A contemporary statue of Henri IV.,
preserved here, represents him leaning
on his truncheon, after the battle of
Ivry; it has little merit as a work of
ai’t. In front of the state apartments
projects a balcony, commanding a view
of the chain of the Pyrenees unsur¬
passed for its beauty. In the second
story of the castle, in the room adjoin¬
ing the Tour de Mazeres in the S.W.
corner, Henri IV. was born. Here his
venerable grandfather, Henri d’Albret,
taking in his arms the new-born infant,
after his lips had been rubbed with
garlic, according to the custom of
Bearn, poured down his throat some
drops of Jurantjon wine, the best which
the country affords, to give him a
strong constitution! On the clay of
Henri’s death, in 1610, there is a tra¬
dition that the castle was struck by
lightning, which broke in pieces the
royal escutcheon! Jeanne d’Albret
was also born in the castle, 1528. It
was alternately the prison of Reformers
and Romanists during the religious
wars and troubles of Bearn; and was
the refuge of Theodore Beza and other
Protestant teachers whom Jeanne de
Navarre protected from persecution.

Among the costly and curious arti¬
cles of old-fashioned furniture collected
by Louis-Philippe to decorate the castle,
and restore it to its ancient splendour,
may be mentioned the bed in the
chambre-a-coucher du Roi, said to be
that of Henri IV. ; it is curiously
carved with medallion heads of the
kings of France: in an adjoining room
is the bed of Jeanne d’Albret, and a
state chair, richly carved, bearing her
arms, purchased in England by Mar¬
shal Soult, and presented to Louis-
Philippe. The chapel has been newly
fitted up, and has a painted window of
Sevres glass. The apartment leading
to it contains some magnificent pre-

Pyrenees.

281

Route 80.— Pau — Bernadotte — Buildings.

sents made by the late King of Sweden
to the town of Pau, his birthplace.
They consist of vases of poi-phyry of
large size, superb tables of various
kinds of porphyry, conglomerate, &c.,
and a chimney-piece of serpentine, all
the produce of Sweden, and of great
value and beauty.

Bernadotte, King of Sweden, son of
a poor saddler in Pau, was born in a
house Rue de Tran, No. 6. He quitted
his native town, 1780, as a drummer
boy in the Regiment Royal de la
Marine. Some of his relations still
remain in very humble situations in
the neighbourhood.

It is a somewhat remarkable coin¬
cidence, that of the two most eminent
men and sovereigns who first drew
breath at Pau, the one abandoned the
Protestant faith, the other the Roman
Catholic, in order to secure a throne.

The low ugly Ch. of St. Martin is
only remarkable because in it Jeanne
d’Albret, the most sagacious and
accomplished princess of her age, after
our Elizabeth, first received the com¬
munion according to the form of the
Reformed church, on Easter-day, 1560.
Viret, the Reformer, preached from
its pulpit.

A Statue of Henri l V. has been set up
in the Place Royale; the bas-reliefs on
the pedestal represent events of his life.

The College, at the E. end of the
town, was originally a convent of Bar-
nabites, founded by Henri IV., after
he had abandoned the faith of his
mother, in order to conciliate the
Roman Catholics.

In the Mairie there is a collection of
marbles of the Pyrenees, and a picture,
by Deveria , of the birth of Henri IV.

The Poste aux Lettres adjoins the
Prefecture, where is deposited a very
curious collection of old records, deeds,
&c., relating to the ancient state and
history of Bearn, including the Fors
(fueros, privileges) of B6arn; auto¬
graphs of its most illustrious Bearnois
sovereigns, and a list of the contribu¬
tions collected in Bearn towards the
ransom of Francis I. from captivity.

There are Hot Baths (for 75 c.) at
the extremity of the Place Royale
adjoining the Basse Plante.

There is a Musee devoted chiefly to
the natural history of the Pyrenees,
above the new Halle, where the mar¬
kets are held.

The town of Pau in itself is not very
handsome or remarkable. Its chief
street is the Rue de la Prefecture,
which on market-days presents a
bustling scene; here are the chief
shops, such as they are.

Many English, as before observed,
make Pau their residence, chiefly for
the winter months, when its mild and
dry climate, and the stillness of atmos¬
phere peculiar to it, are a great recom¬
mendation—See Sir James Clark’s ex¬
cellent work on Climate.

Pau has been greatly resorted to
of late by the wealthy Parisians also ;
good houses are consequently difficult
to procure, and though provisions are
cheap, house-rent is enormously high;
a moderately good suite of apartments
costs more than a similar set at Paris.
A number of new houses have been
built.

A Protestant Church has been built
in the Rue des Cordeliers, mainly by
the handsome contributions of the
Duchess of Gordon. It is unfortunate
that it should be so very ugly a build¬
ing. The English Church service is
performed in it every Sunday by a
resident clergyman at 11 a.m.

A Circulating Library of English and
French books is keptbyLafon. Bassy’s
shop, Rue du College, is the best for
prints, views, &c.

A pack of hounds is kept by an Ame¬
rican gentleman, who hunts twice a
week in the season.

Conveyances .— Malleposte to Toulouse
and Bayonne. Diligences daily: to
Bordeaux in 22 lirs. ; to Bayonne, 9
hrs.; to Bareges, Luz, and Cauterets,
12 hrs.; to Bagneres de Bigorre, 36 m.;
to Toulouse, to Oloron in 3 hrs.; to
Eaux-Bonnes in 6 hrs.

Commerce. —From the swine, reared
near this and at Orthez, are derived
the so-called Jambons de Bayonne ; they
are said to owe their excellent flavour
to the abundance of acorns in the
woods where the swine are herded,
and to the salt of Sallies with which
they are cured. There is a consider-

282

Route 82 .—Pau to Campfranc — Oloron. Sect. IV.

able manufacture of chequered hand¬
kerchiefs here.

Baggage may be transmitted from
this to Toulouse, or vice versa, by the
house of Turettes et Comp., connnis-
sionnaires, or at a somewhat higher
cost by the diligence.

Pau, situated at the termination of
the plain, and at the roots of the
Pyrenees, is excellent head-quarters for
travellers intending to explore those
mountains and the valleys which pene¬
trate into their recesses. Of these, no
one surpasses in beauty of scenery the
Val d’ Ossau, which opens out to the S.
immediately in front of Pau, and ter¬
minates in the magnificent Pic du Midi
d’Ossau.

The excursions to Eaux-Chaudes and
Eaux-Bonnes, about 26 m. distant,
situated at the head of the valley of
Ossau, near the base of the Pic, are
described in Pte. 83; that to the Yal
d’Aspe in Rte. 82.

The Ch. of Pte. Foi, at Morlaas, 6 m.
N.E., in the Romanesque style of the
11th centy., is interesting, but much
dilapidated. It has a splendid portal
with much carving, and a rich chapel
containing an altar-piece of the 16th
centy. Morlaas was capital of Bearn
down to the loth centy.; it is now a
village of hovels.

Lescar, the antiquated town, 4 m.,
and Bilhere, 1 m., where Henri IV.
was nursed, are mentioned in Rte. 78.

Cauterets is about 45 m., and Bag-
neres de Bigorre 36 m., from Pau (Rte.
85).

ROUTE 82.

PAU TO CAMPFRANC IN SPAIN, BY
OLORON AND THE VAL D’ASPE.

113 kilom. = 70 Eng. m.

A post-road as far as Urdos.

Diligences daily to Oloron in 3 hrs.
The road has been greatly improved on
the side of France, with the design of
making it a highway to Madrid.

The road as far as Gan is the same
as Rte. 83; beyond that place it crosses
the hills to

17 Maison la Coste Belair.

16 Oloron. — (Inns: H. Condesse,
good; dinner 3 fr.;—Poste;—H. des

Voyageurs, cliez Lustalot.) This is a
large and prosperous manufacturing
town of 6500 Inhab., on the Gave
d’Oloron, a river formed by the junc¬
tion at this spot of the Gaves d’Ossau
and d’Aspe. The oldest part of the
town occupies the summit of the hill,
and includes the Ch. of Ste. Croix. A
lofty stone bridge thrown across the
stream unites Oloron with the suburb
St. Marie, containing 3400 Inhab. Its
Ch. of St. Marie shows the transition
from Romanesque to Gothic: it has a
fine Roman portal, and its sacristy
contains some costly priests’ vest¬
ments. At the side of the Gave is the
new Seminaire.

The objects manufactured here are
the chequered handkerchiefs so much
in vogue as a head-dress among the
peasantry of Aragon and Gascony, and
also the berrets worn by the Bearn ais.
There is some trade in Spanish wool.

Diligences go in summer to Eaux
Chaudes and Bonnes (Rte. 83), and to
Urdos.

The Val d’Aspe, at the mouth of
which Oloron stands, contains scenery
of great beauty, though it wants ■ the
boldness of many other valleys in the
Py renees. A gradual ascent along a
good road leads up it, following the
course of the stream. At Asaspe the
traveller has entered the Basque coun¬
try, and is already in the heart of the
mountains. The Gave is crossed at
Escot, near which a Latin inscription,
cut in the rock by the wayside, com¬
memorates the first making of this
road by the Romans, under one Va¬
lerius, and twice more before reaching

24 Bedous, last post-town in France,
1200 Inhab. ; it has a tolerable but
dirty Inn. Here the vale swells out
into a basin shape. In the neighbour¬
ing village of Osse there is a Protestant
community of 30 families, who have
preserved their faith in the midst of
Roman Catholics.

An Obelisk of marble has been reared
near the village of Accous (Aspa Luca)
to the memory of Desporins, the poet
of the Pyrenees—their Burns, who was
born here.

Grand defiles succeed to this basin;
and in the midst the Pont d’Esquil, a

Pyrenees. P. 83 .—Pau to Eaux-Bonnes and Eaux- Chaudes. 283

bold antique arch, forms a fine object.
Above Accous the new road has been
blasted out of the rock. After passing
the villages of Aigun and Etsaut we
reach a grand rocky defile at the ruined
fort Portalet, which once entirely
barred the passage up and down the
valley: it was destroyed by the Spa¬
niards. Near this Buonaparte caused
a road to be formed at vast expense,
partly by excavating a shelf out of the
face of the vertical precipice, partly
by building up terraces of masonry for
the conveyance of timber for ship¬
building from the neighbouring forests.

17 Urdos, a poor village of 300
Inliab., at w r hich the carriage-road
ends.

11 Paillette (no post-horses) is the
last place in France. The journey
into Spain as far as Jaca is a distance
of 30 m., and must be performed on
mules. On the way, 10 m. short of
Jaca, lies

23 Campfranc, a village about equal
in population to Urdos.

ROUTE 83.

PAU TO EAUX - BONNES AND EAUX -

CHAUDES.—EXCURSION TO THE PIC

DU MIDI D’OSSAU, AND THE SPANISH

BATHS OF PANTICOSA.

42 kilom. = 26 Eng. m. to Les Eaux.
Several diligences go daily from June to
middle of Sept, in 6 hrs., returning in
about 4 hrs.; very slow.

A voiture may be hired at Pau for
the journey at the rate of about 25 fr.

The road is very good, but up hill
most of the way. For those who
travel only in carriages it leads into
a cul-de-sac; and to prosecute their
journey to other parts of the Pyrenees
they must retrace their steps nearly to
Pau.

After crossing the bridge over the
Gave du Pau, the village of Jurangon,
distinguished by its groves of fine oaks,
is passed on the rt.; it is famed for its
wine, perhaps the best grown in the
Py renees. The vineyards producing it
extend along the slopes from this to
Gan. One of the houses near the road
was occupied for many years by the

late Lord Elgin, when released from
the dungeons of Lourdes by Napoleon,
as prisoner on his parole. The well-
wooded, verdant, shady valley, up
which the road runs, is watered by the
Neez, or Neiss, a clear stream rushing
over the limestone rocks, whose slaty
foliations, crossing the direction of its
current, resemble a flight of steps. In
this country the vines are either trained
over trellises upon cross bars of wood,
or are allowed to climb up the trees,
whence their long tendrils sweep down
over the hedges: the box-tree flourishes,
and would attain great size were it not
constantly cropped. At the village of
Gan, on the 1., also locally famous for
its wines, is seen an old castellated
house, in which Pierre Marca, the his¬
torian of Bearn and Archbishop of
Paris, was born 1594. The front to¬
wards the court is said to possess some
architectural interest. Interesting re¬
mains of a Roman Villa , with elaborate
mosaics, were found here in 1850 by ah
English gentleman. Here the road to
Oloron (Rte. 82) turns to the rt.
Above Rebenac rises its chateau on a
hillock; and a little bej'ond, on the 1.,
the copious source of the Neiss bursts
out of the rock. A long and toilsome
ascent leads up to the village of S(i-
vignac, situated on the top of the ridge
separating the Neiss and other streams
flowing into the Gave cle Pau from the
tributaries of the Gave d’Oloron, flow¬
ing out of the Yal d’Ossau, which we
now enter. It here expands into the
form of a basin, round which the Gave
takes a wide turn, passing by the vil¬
lage of Arudy. In descending the
wooded slope from Sevignac, several
glimpses are afforded of the Pic du
Midi d’Ossau, a grand object; but near
the bottom of the hill, and as far as
the Pont de Louvie, his cleft crest and
precipitous cone appear in full ma¬
jesty, filling up the vista at the ex¬
tremity of the Yal d’Ossau. This is a
magnificent view on a clear day, and
in advancing up the valley it is soon
lost. Rocks and precipices of lime¬
stone now line the road, which is
partly cut out of them. On their
smooth surface, or in their narrow
chinks, the box delights to fix itself.

284 Route 83 .—Pau to Eaux-Bonnes .— Veil eT Ossciu. Sect. IV.

They furnish the slabs of blaek and
grey marble with which the door-posts
and lintels of even the humblest cot¬
tage are here adorned. The Gave
d’Ossau is ci’ossed at the end of the
village of

27 Louvie Juzon; and here also the
road from Oloron (Rte. 82) to Les
Eaux falls in, at the H. des Pyrenees
(indifferent accommodation), at the
end of the bridge.

The great transverse Val d’Ossau,
which we are now about to ascend, and
in which the Eaux are situated, is one
of the most interesting among the Pyre¬
nees, for its picturesque beauties, and
for the people who inhabit it. They still
retain much of their ancient customs
and costumes. The women are distin¬
guished by the scarlet cctpulet, a sort of
monk’s hood, serving at once for bon¬
net and shawl, descending as far as
the shoulders. Whether sitting or
walking, and even when carrying bur¬
thens on the head, the spindle and
distaff are never out of their hands.
They are inferior in stature and fea¬
tures to the men, which may perhaps
be owing to the hard and unfeminine
labours which devolve upon them; it
is common to see them holding the
plough, and carrying sacks of manure
on their heads, or spreading it over the
land. The men, however, are not idle;
they are absent on the high mountain
pastures tending their flocks and herds,
or following the hardy trade of wood¬
cutters and charcoal-burners a great
part of the year.

The men are chiefly distinguished
by the wide cloth cap or berret, pro¬
perly and most commonly of brown
colour, which, overhanging the brow
and assuming very picturesque folds,
sits very becomingly on a head of hair
allowed to grow thick and of even
length all round the neck, but cut
short in front. They wear short
jackets and knee-breeches, also brown,
the colour of the undyed wool of the
sheep, and round the waist a brilliant
red sash of silk or woollen is tied. To
defend them from rain or cold they
carry the white or brown capa, which
resembles a sack, unseamed, on one
side, pulled over the head. An artist

would find many good subjects among
them, very pictui'esque countenances,
such as are seen in pictures of Van
Eyck and Albert Diirer.

The mountains around the valley
abound in Izards (chamois), which are
sometimes met with in troops of 40 or
50. The chasse aux izards is a com¬
mon amusement of visitors at the baths,
under the guidance of experienced
huntsmen, of whom there is no lack.
The haunts most frequented by the
izard, in this district, are the Pics
d’Arcizet, de Gazie, and de Sesque.
Bears, though less common, are some¬
times killed.

Flocks of sheep form the chief wealth
of this valley; but as they are led up
to the mountains in April, and do not
return till the end of summer, they are
seldom seen, except by those who tra¬
verse the high mountains. They are
guarded by a remarkable breed of dogs
of large size, very courageous, whose
duty is less to drive the flock, as the
shepherd’s dog of England and Scot¬
land, than to protect it from the wolf
and bear.

The rustic fetes, dances, &c., still
kept up in some parts of the Val
d’Ossau, especially at Laruns (Aug. 15),
are well worth seeing, as they collect
some of the finest specimens of the
men of the valley, and of its primitive
costumes. They have a peculiar mu¬
sical instrument called tambour-in, a
lyre or zithern of 6 strings, struck
with a stick by one hand, while the
other holds the rustic mountain flageo¬
let; it thus corresponds in simplicity
and mode of playing to the old English
tabour and pipe.

The part of the valley which we first
enter is shut in by lofty mountains of
bold forms and steep sides, separated
by a plain of considerable breadth,
through which winds the torrent, and
it is scattered over with numerous vil¬
lages. It is cultivated in patches to a
considerable height, and covered below
with large fields of maize, or with
meadows deriving their bright verdure
from well-managed irrigation, and pro¬
ducing, by means of it, three crops of
hay in a year.

Within a mile of Louvie you pass,

Pyrenees.

Route 83.— Val d’ Ossau.

28 5

on the opposite bank of the Gave, the
ruins of Gastel Jaloux, or Geloz, occu¬
pying the top of one of two little
hillocks; the other, also anciently en¬
closed within its ramparts, is now
crowned by a small chapel. This
stronghold was the key of the Val
d’Ossau, and residence of its viscounts
in early times, while the valley formed
a separate state, independent of Bearn.

In the Ch. of the village of Bielle,
the finest in the valley in the pointed
style, are 4 columns of marble, which,
it is said, were so much admired by
Henri IV., that he begged them of
the inhabitants, but was met with this
ingenious reply in the negative ; “Nos
coeurs et nos biens sont h vous, dis-
posez en a votre volont6 ; quant aux
colonnes, elles appartiennent h, Dieu,
entendez-vous en avec lui.” The pil¬
lars themselves seem too poor to have
excited the admiration of the king, but
it was probably in the days of his
boyhood, when wandering among his
native mountains, that they struck his
fancy.

A little before reaching the village
of Laruns, one of the most consider¬
able in the valley, a snow-white gash
or scar, high up on the mountain side
to the L, marks the situation of the
white marble quarry of Louvie Soubiron,
producing a stone well adapted for the
sculptor’s purpose. It has been em¬
ployed at Paris for the statues in the
Place de la Concorde, and for the bas-
reliefs on the outside of the Madeleine;
It is harder than that of Carrara, but
is sometimes traversed by grey veins.

The situation of Laruns, encircled
by high peaks and ridges, which im¬
pend on all sides above it, is very
striking: among them the distant Pic
de Gers raises his conspicuous head.
The Church appears originally to have
had no windows much larger than loop¬
holes, though wide ones have been
broken through in modern times: its
font or bfinitier, of the white marble
mentioned above, is carved outside in
the fashion of a basket, and within
bears the inappropriate figures of mer¬
maids.

On issuing out of Laruns you might
suppose that you had arrived at the

termination of the valley, so com¬
pletely is it blocked up by the mass of
the mountain Hour at ; but after cross¬
ing the furious and injurious winter
torrent, the Larienze, and reaching
the mountain foot, two roads are found
to diverge; that on the 1. to Eaux-
Bonnes (p. 288), that on the rt. to
Eaux-Chaudes, both places being
equally distant (4 kilom. — 2^ Eng.
m.) from this spot.

The shoulder of the mountain, which,
as it were, laps over, and conceals from
the view of those below the upper part
of the Val d’Ossau, has been cut down,
and scooped out, by the aid of the
auger and of gunpowder. The new
road, completed 1847, a very wonder¬
ful and laborious work, is carried to
Eaux-Chaudes directly through this
gorge into the valley, and thus avoids
the steep and awkward ascent and de¬
scent of the Hourat. After passing
this gloomy portal of the valley, a
sudden change of scene takes place.
Before you opens out a lofty ravine of
mountains, almost precipitous, rising
from 1000 to 1500 ft. above your head,
and approaching so close to one another
at their base as to leave no room for
culture or meadow, only space for the
torrent below, here called Gave de
Gabas, which chafes and tumbles from
rock to rock, boring the limestone, by
its whirlpools, into cauldrons and pits.
The deep fissure, at the bottom of
which it takes its course, is well seen
near the bridge, which transfers the
road from its 1. to its rt. bank. From
this point the river forces its way out
into the lower Val d’Ossau, through
the remarkable gorge just described,
which long bade defiance to the pas¬
sage of any road, and, before the con¬
struction of the old steep path over
the Hourat, was inaccessible for man
or beast.

The approach to the Eaux-Chaudes
is grand; the height and steepness of
the mountains, now robed from top to
bottom in box-bushes, now starting
out in lofty precipices of bare lime¬
stone, scarred by the course of torrents,
which at times descend in long falls
like white ribbons, and the variety im¬
parted to the road by the projecting

286

Route 83.— Eaux-Chaudes — Val d' Ossav.

Sect. IV.

shoulders round which it winds, give
interest to this part of the journey.
At length the last projection is doubled,
and a view opens of the group of houses
called

17 Eaux-Chaudes. — Inns: H. de
France, on the 1. of the road, best,
and very good;—H. des Pyrenees is
entered by the upper story; the rest
of the building lies below the level of
the road, and is traversed by long dark
corridors; while in a vault below it
are set up the booths of itinerant
vendors of goods, as well as the Baths.
Dinner at 5; table-d’liote 3 fr.; break¬
fast, or tea, 1 fr. 50 cents.; beds 2 fr.
There are 6 or 7 other lodging-houses,
which form the bulk of the place. It
lies wedged in, as it were, in the midst
of the long trough of the valley, be¬
tween lofty precipices, towering over¬
head, and often draped with clouds.
The houses are founded upon granite,
which here first makes^ its appearance,
jutting up in a round boss behind the
village. In its rise it has considerably
elevated the limestone above it, as may
be perceived by the remarkable curve
in the strata, visible on the face of the
precipices on the 1. bank, opposite the
baths. The hot springs burst forth
out of the granite, close to the junc¬
tion of the limestone. This pheno¬
menon of the outbreak of hot sources
near the points of contact of granitic
or trappean rocks is of frequent occur¬
rence among the Alps and Pyrenees.

In spite of the name, Eaux-Chaudes,
the temperature of the waters is not so
high as at many other Pyrenean springs,
the hottest not exceeding 95° Fahr,;
and one of them is cold. The prin¬
cipal sources are Lou Rey (le Roi),
named from Henri IV., a frequent
visitor, 93°, and L’Esquirette, 95°, the
most sought after, and most highly
mineralised. The waters are sulphur¬
eous, and are supplied from 6 springs,
3 of which, used for bathing, are con¬
veyed into the bath-houses; the others,
used for drinking, partly burst out
from the rock into rude little basins,
whither invalids resort to fill their
glasses. A handsome Etablissement des
Bains, including pump-room, prome¬
nade, and baths, chambers for the

resident physician, and some sets of
rooms for guests, has been constructed
at the expense of the Government,
which gave 80,000 fr., and of the town
of Laruns, which gave 30,000 fr., on
the platform of rock below the hotel.
Into it the waters of 3 of the springs
are conducted. This new building is
furnished with 5 baths, besides douches,
and contains billiard-room, cafe', and
reading-room. The Eaux-Chaudes baths
are resorted to, either by the real in¬
valid in search of health, or the pass¬
ing traveller attracted by the beauties
of nature. The village, with its low
houses, and its little narrow platforms
intended for promenades, has a triste
air.

There is, however, at least one very
interesting excursion to be made from
this, viz. to Gabas and the Pic dij, Midi
d’Ossau. Horses may be hired at 3 fr.
to 4 fr. for the day; guides 4 fr. The
valley of Ossau is a frequented passage
between France and Spain, along which
15,000 mules pass annually. Its
scenery, above Eaux-Chaudes, is far
grander and more varied in its moun¬
tain outlines and vegetation than be¬
low; and the whole range of the Pyre¬
nees presents few more interesting
rides than that to Gabas (6 m.). The
fine near view obtained, in proceeding
thither, of the Pic du Midi, which is
out of sight at Eaux-Chaudes, would
alone well repay the trouble. About
^ m. beyond Eaux-Chaudes the Gave
is crossed by a bridge of wood, called
Pont d’Enfer, above which, on the rt.,
a small cascade, named from the neigh¬
bouring but elevated hamlet of Goust,
descends the mountain. In this por¬
tion of the valley the limestone has
entirely given place to granite, which
forms the substance of the mountains,
and the vegetation which covers them
is of a beauty and variety unrivalled.
It is at this point that we pass into the
zone of fir-trees, whose dark files, co¬
vering the mountain tops, descend half¬
way, mixing like mourners in the crowd
of trees of lighter foliage—birch, beech,
hazel, alder, and oaks, which rise from
amidst an undergrowth of box, mixed
with a wonderful profusion of wild
flowers. At times the road mounts to

Pyrenees. Route 83. — Pic du Midi — Gabas — Panticosa. 287

a great height above the torrent; and
there is a fearful pleasure in looking
down, over the tree-tops, upon its
waters, writhing, struggling, and ser¬
pentining in the dark depths below.
The firs in the forests around were
formerly sent to Bayonne, to supply
timber for the French navy, being
hurled down the steep mountain sides,
and floated down into the Gave
d’01 or on.

Gabas is a poor hamlet, the last in
France, having a small cabaret, which
will furnish a very tolerable dinner to
a sharp appetite, and where Malaga
wine may be had good. At the ex¬
tremity of the hamlet is the French
Douane. Hence a fine view of the
forked summit of the Pic du Midi is
obtained. It is well worth while to
take a walk (2 hrs. to and fro) beyond
the Douane, crossing the bridge, and
following the path to the rt. of the
road and 1. of the Gave. The pines
here are magnificent. From Gabas
also the ascent of the Pic du Midi is
made, following the rt.-liand branch
of the valley above Gabas. It takes
3 hrs., passing the Cabanes de Magne-
Baigne, to reach the Crete de Pombie,
at the base of the peak itself, which is
of granite, very steep, and takes If to
2 hrs. to surmount.

Should the traveller be disposed to
take a peep at Spain, he may go from
Les Eaux-Chaudes to Panticosa, an Arra-
gonese watering-place, a long day’s
journey of about 14 hours, including a
rest of 2 hrs. Start by 6 a.m. at the
latest. The charge for a guide is 5 fr.,
and 5 fr. for each horse per diem
(nourriture comprise): the guide find¬
ing himself in food and bed. Each
lady ought to have a guide to attend
to her horse on the Spanish side of the
road.— G. M. S.

The route is quite easy, neither very
steep in any part nor difficult to find,
as there is a br.oadly-marked horse-
track the whole way. The col is
rather swampy ill spring, after the
melting of the snow.

The carriage-road up the valley ter¬
minates at

2 hrs. Gabas. A steep mule path
turning to the rt. leads to the Plateau

of Bioux Artiques, which commands so
grand a view of the Pic du Midi that
Lady Chatterton says it is worth while
to come all the way from England to
enjoy it alone. It is only 1± hr. from
Gabas. The mule-patli turning to the
1. from that place, on the E. side of
the mountain, leads into Spain, past
the solitary house called

2 hrs. Case de Brousette, the last in
France, which will furnish good homely
fare. It has been built as a sort of
refuge, half-way between Gabas and
Salients.

1 hr. The passage or col called Le
Port d’Aneou is an hour’s walk above
this; a mule-path of gradual descent
leads from it, by the side of the stream
of the Gallego.

2 hrs. Salients, the first Spanish
village, is reached by a steep descent,
a little beyond the Custom-house.
While the horses are resting here you
may take a cup of excellent chocolate
at the Posada, and visit the little Ch.
and its tresor. The village of Panti¬
cosa is 21 hours’ ride hence; and 2 ^ hrs.
more of difficult ascent, by a winding
path, through a narrow and savage
gorge, called El Escular, are required to
reach The Baths. They consist of 4 or
5 large buildings, in a wild, romantic
situation, at a height of more than
8300 ft. above the sea level, in a con¬
fined hollow basin or valley, half of
which is occupied by a lake surrounded
by wild mountains of granite. The
inn here is provided with a capital
cuisine Frangaise, and there is a daily
table-d’liote during the season. Accom¬
modation, i. e. a clean room, may be had
at the house of Don Jose Juan Torla.
3 or even 4 frs. a night are asked for
abed sometimes, in June, July, and
August; but living is more moderate;
for chocolate at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
dinner at 1, and supper at 9, only 4
frs. 15 sous. The season lasts only for
3 months.

The Spanish Yalle de Broto is one of
the few remaining haunts of the ibex
or bouquetin. T^e return to Eaux-
Chaudes may be varied by going round
the AV. side of the Pic du Midi d’Ossau,
traversing the Plateau of Bioux Ar¬
tiques to Gabas.

288

Route 83.— Eaux-Bon?ies.

Sect. IV.

From Panticosa village you may
reach Gavarnie, or Proto, or Torla,
in one long clay, by climbing the Pass
of Bendeneta. A guide is necessary,
however. The scenery is very grand.
See Handbook for Travellers in
Spain.

From Panticosa to Cauterets is a
journey of 8 hrs. on foot, and a little
more with mules, over the Col de
Marcadaou, one of the most desolate
passes in the range, traversed by a
very rough mule-track, but at times,
when the snow is deep, it is impassable
for mules. “For the greater part of
the way there is no marked track.
From Panticosa the ascent, for 2 hrs.
of hard climbing, is up the face of a
rock covered with debris. Another
hour over swampy ground, bearing
patches of melting snow, brings you to
the foot of the col. The ascent from
this to the frontier is as steep as a
staircase, for about lg hr. The descent
on the French side, passing some grand
pines, equally steep, ^ hr. Another
hr. brings you to a hut at the foot of
the col. Hence to the Pont d’Espagne
another hr., and from the Pont to
Cauterets ^ hr., though 2 hrs. are
required to ascend.”— E. P. (Rte. 85,
p. 295.)

One of the first sights which travel¬
lers are invited to see at Eaux-Chaudes
is the Grotte, situated in the rock on
the 1. side of the valley, 2 hours’ walk
above the baths. ’Tis scarce worth the
trouble.

The road to Eaux-Bonnes, branching
off to the 1. at the bifurcation beyond
Laruns, crosses the Gave de Gabas by
a bridge, whence there is a good view
of the dark and narrow gorge through
which that stream issues out of the
upper valley (see p. 285). A steep
ascent, carried up in a terrace along
the mountain side, succeeds, and does
not terminate till the road reaches
Eaux-Bonnes. On the 1., low down,
lies the castle of Espalunge ; and
higher up, on the shoulder of a moun¬
tain, the village d’Aas looks down
upon our road. The stream flowing
at the bottom of the valley is a tri¬

butary of the Gave d’Ossau, called the
Valentin. At the very entrance of
Eaux-Bonnes a narrow, rocky gully,
with a torrent at its bottom, is crossed
by a wooden bridge. This stream is
the contribution sent forth by the con¬
fined nook in which Eaux-Bonnes
stands, partitioned off, as it were,
from the vale of the Valentin by a
ridge of rock of no great height, and
concealed from view until you are
about to enter it. Beyond the bridge
above alluded to is the fashionable
and much-frequented watering-place

17 Les Eaux-Bonnes, consisting of a
street of rather more than 20 hotels
and lodging-houses, of large dimen¬
sions and many stories, which would
not disgrace a German watering-place.
O 11 one side of the street is an open
space, laid out as a shrubbery, and
planted with trees, named Jardin An¬
glais. The village is cradled in the
lap of the mountains, niched in a com¬
plete cul-de-sac, with precipices rising
all around close to the houses, so that
the rock has been blasted in order to
make room for some of them.

Above these cliffs, to the S.E.,
towers the majestic Pic de Gers, the
grand feature in all the views of this
neighbourhood, while nearly due E.
rises the serrated ridge of the Col de
Torte.

Inns: II. de France et de l’Europe,
cliez Taverne Ain4 (good, and civil
landlord) ;—H, de Petit Paris, chez
Cazeres;—La Poste;—Quatre Nations;
—H. des Etrangers. The charges are
high, but vary according to the season
and the throng of visitors. I 11 the
height of the season, in spite of the
number of lodgings, rooms are fre¬
quently not to be had, unless ordered
beforehand. The apartments are not
well furnished. Meals are supplied,
even in the hotels, by traiteurs, at the
rate of 4 fr. per diem, including break¬
fast and dinner at table - d’hote ; or
5 fr. if sent into the visitor’s private
apartments; children 2 fr. 50 cents.,
and servants 3 fr. The season opens
in June and lasts till October, being
at its height in July and August. Ta¬
verne Aine keeps a circulating Library.

There are 4 or 5 springs here of

Pyrenees. Route 84.— Eaux-Bonnes to Cauterets or Luz. 289

warm sulphurous water, stronger than
those of Eaux-Chaudes, but of lower
temperature, the hottest not exceeding
9L° Fahrenheit. The principal ones
rise at the foot of the craig called
Butte du Tresor, and are conducted
into the Bath-home at the extremity of
the village. The water of one source
is subjected to artificial heating to fit
it for baths. The cold spring alone is
used for drinking. Caution is neces¬
sary in using the waters: bad conse¬
quences have arisen from a stranger
taking even a glassful to taste. It is
usual to begin with a table spoonful
and a half. Dr. Dauralde, the resident
physician, has a high reputation for
his treatment of consumption and spine
complaints. The waters are considered
good for complaints of the lungs and
chest, and very efficacious in the early
stages of consumption. Their repu¬
tation is of long standing, for the
Bearnais soldiers of Henri d’Albret,
wounded in the battle of Pavia, re¬
paired hither for the cure of their
injuries, and first gave the water the
name of Eau d’Arquebusade.

The walks around Eaux- Bonnes can¬
not be too much praised: 'they have
chiefly been made by M. Eynard of
Geneva ; except the Promenade Horizon¬
tal (so called to distinguish it from the
others, chiefly steep ascents), this being
admirably conducted on a level, and
therefore suited for invalids. It com¬
mands noble views of the Valleys d’Aas
and d’Ossau : it is already completed
for 3 m., and it is to be carried on to
les Eaux-Chaudes.

The well-wooded cliffs around have
been rendered accessible for invalids by
zigzag paths and terraces. The summer¬
house on the top of the Butte du Tresor
commands a view of Laruns and the
Val d’Ossau. Other paths lead down to
the pretty but trifling waterfalls of the
Valentin. The finest fall is that named
Du Gros IIetre, from a beech-tree, now
cut down, about 3 m. distant. Another
very delightful walk of 1^ hr., at first
under the shade of the beech-trees, leads
to the Promenade Jacqueminot, so called
from a general who caused it to be cut.

Salanave is a guide to be recom¬
mended, and has good horses.

France .

Persons residing at Eaux-Bonnes
should not omit to explore the Val de
Gabas above Eaux-Chaudes, with its
luxuriant forests and its noble Pic du
Midi, the grandest mountain in this
district (see p. 286). It is a drive of
an hour, or a walk of 2, to Eaux-
Chaudes by the road.

The mountain-path over the Col de
Torte from Eaux-Bonnes to Argelez
forms Rte. 84.

ROUTE 84.

THE COL DE TORTE.—EAUX-BONNES TO
CAUTERETS OR LUZ.

It takes 11 or 12 hrs. walking to
Argelez. Send round the baggage.

“On leaving Eaux-Bonnes, by the
road near the source, you traverse part
of the mountain called Le Tresor.
Keep the upper path, and, leaving the
first bridge and cascade on your 1., you
come to a second bridge ; pass it, keep¬
ing the torrent on your rt. The road
is as yet well marked by horses, &c.,
and sufficiently steep to make a person
unaccustomed to mountain-paths feel
not particularly comfortable. In 2 hrs.
thence, on horseback, you can make
the Col de Torte ; and, although the
path is not always very distinct, you
may know the Col by a remarkable
rock which elevates itself on the 1.,
and is like the root of an eye tooth.
The descent on both sides is remark¬
ably steep, and would induce most
persons to descend from their horses.
Leaving the valley of Assun and the
river Assun on your 1., keep under the
Pic de Gabisos till you come to some
chalets. The next Col is then right
before you—a green and heathy mount,
on which I passed within shot of 4 vul¬
tures. The descent from Col de Torte
and ascent of this Col took me If hr.
on foot, with knapsack on back, as I
sent back my horses from Col de Torte.
In descending this Col, the route,
which, in the valley between the two
Cols, is not well marked, is soon found;
and the view from Arruns of the Her¬
mitage and mountains which fill up the

290

Route 85 .—Pau to Lourdes.

Sect. IV.

end of tlie valley, i. e. d’Arrui and La
Rivelle, is one of the finest in the
Pyrenees in my opinion. The descent
from Col to Arrans occupies a good
hour of walking. From hence there
is good road to Argelez, about 1£ hr.,
or Pierrefitte, at least £ more. Argelez-
(See Route 85.)

“ It would be making a toil of a
pleasure to attempt to reach Cauterets
in 1 day from Eaux-Bonnes, at least
on foot; especially as the road from
Argelez to Cauterets is so magnificent,
so pleasing, and so varied, that it alone
deserves a clav.”

ROUTE 85.

THE PYRENEES. — PAU TO LOURDES,
CAUTERETS, LUZ, ST. SAUVEUR.—GA-
VARNIE, BAREGES, AND BAGNERES DE
BIGORRE, MOUNTAIN-ROAD.-EXCUR¬

SIONS TO THE LAC DE GAUBE.—-
BRECHE DE ROLAND AND MONT PER¬
DU.—THE PIC DU MIDI, &C. &C.

A daily communication of diligences
is kept up in summer between all
the principal watering-places of the
Pyrenees.

Distances from Pau — to Cauterets,
68 kilom. = 42 Eng. m.; to Luz and
St. Sauveur, 71 kilom. = 43f Eng. m.;
to Bareges, 76 kilom. = 46£ Eng. m.;
to B. de Bigorre.

This route includes some of the most
interesting objects and places in the
Pyrenees; and the drive from Lourdes
to Luz and Cauterets in particular is
a continued succession of the most
beautiful scenery.

The road ascends the rt. bank of the
Gave du Pau, through a plain of consider¬
able width, nearly covered with maize
and flax, and passes between festooned
vines slinging their tendrils between
the apple and cherry trees. One vil¬
lage rapidly succeeds another, but they
contribute little to the cheerfulness of
the drive, as the houses turn their
backs on the traveller, whose gaze is
met by dead walls. He has, however,
something more interesting to occupy
his attention in the varying forms of

the mountains which he is gradually
approaching. But there is one excep¬
tion in the village of Coarrase, where
the Gave is crossed by a bridge ; for
its old tower, crowning a mound on
the rt. bank, is part of the castle in
which the Bon Henri IV. was confided
from his early years to the care of
Susanne de Bourbon, Baronne de Mis-
sans, and by the wisdom of his mother
brought up in the rough fashion of the
peasants of his native country, dressed
like them, fed like them, sharing in
their sports, and traversing the rugged
rocks with bare feet; thus acquiring
the vigour of body and strength of
mind which enabled him to surmount
in after-life so many hardships, dan¬
gers, and difficulties. Beside the ruin
a modern chateau has been built.

The feet of the mountains are fairly
gained at

24 Lestelle.— Inns: H. de France ;
an excellent country inn : Poste. The
Gave, running in a contracted rocky
bed, is here spanned by a bold arch
most picturesquely draped with ivy.
Just outside of this village, at a spot
where the road is hemmed in between
a fine wooded hill, spotted with chapels
or stations, and the river, stands the
Pilgrimage Ch. of Betharram, an ugly
modern building, containing a statue
of the Virgin reported to have miracu¬
lous powers, which attracts a multi¬
tude of devotees from a distance in
the month of September. Here also
is a Seminaire for the education of
priests.

Traversing a narrow defile again on
the rt. bank of the Gave, which is
hemmed in between barren bracken-
covered hills, we pass into the Dept,
des Hautes Pyrenees, and from ancient
Bearn into Bigorre, shortly before
entering the little manufacturing town
of St. Pe. It is chiefly inhabited by
nailers, who obtain iron from the
forges of Asson, ' and by comb-makers
who supply the Spanish ladies with
combs of box-wood for their hair. It
has a curious Romanesque church with
apsidal terminations, and sculpture
over the door. Much roofing slate is
exported hence.

16 Lourdes (Inns: La Poste and H.

Pyrenees. Route 85. — Val Lavedan—Castle of Lourdes . 291

Lafitte) consists of a picturesque but
somewhat gloomy-looking hill fort,
seated on a rock, around which the
town of narrow dirty streets and shabby
houses group themselves. This Castle
was once the key of the valley of Lave-
dan, or of the Gave de Pau, command¬
ing the 4 roads w T hich unite here from
Tarbes, Bagneres, Argelez, and Pau.
It is reached by flights of stairs, and
entered by a small drawbridge, and a
door 4 feet higli and only wide enough
for one person to squeeze through ;
but, not being strong according to mo¬
dern rules of art, is rather of use as a
barrack than a fortress. It was long a
state prison, and in 1804 Lord Elgin
was incarcerated within it by Napoleon,
who caused him to be seized in his
passage through France from Con¬
stantinople. Far different was its im¬
portance in ancient times; it was held
for the English monarchs, and the
Black Prince, as part of the country
of Bigorre, which was yielded up to
the English by the French king John
as part of his ransom, in conformity
with the treaty of Bretigny. Froissart
gives a very long account of its varied
fortunes, which render this feudal fort¬
ress interesting for all who are ac¬
quainted with its history. He tells us
that when the Black Prince came over
to take possession of Aquitaine, which
his father had given him to hold in
fief, he and his princess, while on a
visit to the Comte d’Armagnac at
Tarbes, rode over to Lourdes, which
he had a great desire to see. He was
much pleased, “ as well with the
strength of the place as with its situ¬
ation on the frontiers of several coun¬
tries, for those of Lourdes can overrun
the country of Arragon to a great ex¬
tent, and as far as Barcelona in Cata¬
lonia.” The Prince intrusted the com¬
mand of it to a knight of Bearn, one of
his household, in whom he had great
confidence, Sir Peter Arnaut, to guard
it well. When the war broke out with
France, he held it fast, and, assisted
by many bold adventurers, made re¬
peated incursions through Bigorre and
all Languedoc, sometimes to a distance
of 30 leagues. “ In their march out
they touched nothing, but on their

return all things were seized, and some¬
times they brought with them so many
prisoners and such quantities of cattle
that they knew not how to dispose of
or lodge them. They laid under con¬
tributions the whole country except
the territory of the Comte of Foix,
where they dared touch nothing with¬
out paying for it. Tarbes was kept in
great fear, and was obliged to enter
into a composition with them.” In
1369, not very long after the visit of
the Black Prince, Lourdes was actually
attacked by the French army com¬
manded by the Due d’Anjou, and at
the end of 16 days the town, defended
only by a palisade, and much injured
by the machines which the duke
brought to bear against it, was won ;
but the enemy made no impression on
the citadel above, which bade defiance
for six weeks longer to all efforts to
take it. The governor remained true
to his oath sworn to the Prince of
Wales to guard his stronghold, and re¬
sisted the offer of a large sum from the
Due d’Anjou to deliver it up. Another
attempt was made to induce this faith¬
ful chatelain to betray his trust, by
Gaston Phoebus, who invited him to
his castle of Orthez. Before setting
out, however, Pierre Arnaut confided
his stronghold to his brother Jean, who
took the same oaths of fidelity. Gas¬
ton, irritated at the stedfast honesty of
Arnaut in refusing his proposal to yield
up the castle, in a brutal fit of rage
stabbed him in 5 places with his
poignard, and thrust him into a dun¬
geon, where he perished. The atro¬
cious crime availed him not; for Jean,
the brother of his victim, proved as
trusty a governor and skilful a captain
as the murdered Pierre.

There is nothing to be seen here,
but the artist-traveller may probably
get a sketch of the castle and its pic¬
turesque donjon. The sides of the
valley are very bare and uninviting
near this.

The direct post-road from Pau to
Bagneres branches off from Lourdes,
whence it is distant 21 kilom. (Rte.
87.)

When Lourdes is left behind we are
in the heart of the mountains, but the

o 2

292

Route 85.— Argelez — Pierrefitte.

Sect. IV.

valley continues for some time stern,
rocky, bare ; showing marks in its
gashed sides and rock-strewn bottom
of the fury of the torrents.

Here and there a feudal hill fort
rises upon its rocky perch, a relic of
the days when nearly every valley of
the Pyrenees was the scene of almost
constant border warfare.

This unpromising vestibule, however,
leads into what has not unjustly been
called the Paradise of Argelez, where
the valley of Lavedan (for so this part
of the watercourse of the Gave de Pau
above Lourdes is called) expands into
a wide basin renowned for its pic¬
turesque beauty, fertility, and culti¬
vation, and ranking among the finest
in the Pyrenees. This altered scene
opens out to view after passing the
widely conspicuous dismantled tower
of Vidalos, which, rising in the midst
of the valley upon a monticule, con¬
ceals the village behind it.

Rich maize crops or verdant pastures
occupy the bottom, interspersed with
orchards alternately powdered with
blossom or laden with fruit, walnut,
fig-trees, and vines; but the tilled land
extends far up the slopes, and the
grand mountains around are clothed
with forests of noble growth, the whole
scattered over with houses and villages,
which add to the whole the charm of
much cheerfulness. In the midst of
this lies the pretty village or small
towm of Argelez. (Inn: H. de France.)
Argelez stands 1575 ft. above the sea
level, but, from its sheltered situation,
enjoys a climate where winter tarries
so short a while that its presence is
scarcely perceived; where the snow¬
flake melts as soon as it falls, and
spring begins when the valley above
and below is buried in snow. In
summer, how T ever, it is intensely hot.
It is precisely in the midst of these
beauties of nature that man appears
most miserable: the maladies of goitre
and cretinism are very prevalent about
Argelez.

[The Val d’Azun, opening out on the
W. opposite Argelez, and extending up
nto the central chain between the
mountains called Pic du Midi d’Azun
and Pic de Gabisos, includes some very

fine scenery, and is well worth ex¬
ploring. A path leads up by Anzizans,
a beautiful spot, to Arrens, the highest
village (8 in.) ; but beyond it stands
the pilgrimage chapel of N. D. de
Pouey la Hun, a picturesque building
on a pedestal of rock overlooking the
valley. From Arrens a mountain-path
runs to Eaux-Bonnes (Rte. 84), cross¬
ing two ridges, the second being the
Col de Torte.]

Beyond Argelez the scanty remains
of the ancient abbey of St. Savin, long
ago sequestrated, are passed high up
on the hill to our right. The view
from the convent-garden is beautiful,
and the church, said to be as old as
Charlemagne, is very curious. The
valley of Argelez terminates at

19 Pierrefitte.—No good Inn. This
village, whose population seems to live
by begging, much to the traveller’s
annoyance, is the centre from w 7 hich
the road to Cauterets and to Bareges
separate: it is seated at the foot of a
lofty and conspicuous mountain, which
seems to block up the passage, and
which, in fact, gives rise to 2 minor
valleys. The road to Luz, Bareges,
and St. Sauveur runs up that on
the 1., and the way to Cauterets is
on the rt. of this mountain. The
highest point of the ridge dividing the
valley of Cauterets from that of Luz is
named the Pic du Midi de Yiscos: it
is 7030 ft. above the sea-level. The
whole way to Cauterets lies through
a narrow gorge, where the cheerful
beauty of the lower valley gives place
to savage grandeur. A good carriage-
road, which took 4 years to complete,
is carried through it, rising immedi¬
ately behind Pierrefitte, before it pene¬
trates into the defile, in well-contrived
zigzags, either elevated on terraces of
masonry or cut out of the hard rock:
it is a fine work of engineering, not
inferior, as far as it extends, to some
of the celebrated roads through and
over the Alps. The ascent by the old
road was both difficult and dangerous ;
4 horses and 3 pair of oxen being at¬
tached to a carriage to drag it up. A
portion of the old way remains, and
serves as a short cut for the pedestrian,
whence he may survey to advantage

Pyrenees.

Route 85.— Cauterets.

293

the mouth of the narrow gorge, in the
depths of which the torrent struggles
along. It is a rent burst through ver¬
tical strata of slate, yet, except where
its sides are absolutely perpendicular,
they are either carpeted with bright
patches of green meadow or covered
with trees and brushwood, among
which the hazel thrives. At a short
distance from the mouth of the gorge,
the view, looking back upon the vale
of Argelez, is peculiarly beautiful, from
the contrast of rugged, gloomy wild¬
ness in the foreground, with the sunny
richness beyond of groves, pastures,
and corn-fields. Near the middle of
the pass, which, loncjo mtermllo , may re¬
call to the Swiss traveller some features
of the Via Mala, the road surmounts in
a series of graceful curves a bed of
limestone or marble, called Butte da
Limagon, which stretches across the
valley like a dam. Over this the Gave
tumbles in a long rapid,, which frets
its waters into foam as white as snow.
To this succeeds a slight opening in
the valley, and a tall pointed mountain
appears at its extremity, clad in fir : at
its foot lies Cauterets; though inter¬
vening hills conceal it from view until
you are close upon it.

11 Cauterets. — Inns: Lion d’Or, com¬
fortable ; H. du Parc ; H. de France.

There are tables d’hote twice a day
at the chief inns, and families may be
supplied with meals in their rooms by
a traiteur. Cauterets, though in a
spot so remote and elevated (3254- ft.
above the sea), with savage mountains
encircling it in an amphitheatre, and
overhanging its roofs with their peaks
and pine forests, has a perfectly town-
ish air, with an octroi at its entrance,
paved streets of inns and lodging-
houses, and in the centre an irregular
market-place. It is one of the chief
Brunnen of the Pyrenees, containing
nearly 1000 permanent Inhab., —
abounding in agents, guides, horse-
jobbers, and itinerant marcliands, who
beset the traveller the moment he sets
foot within it. The number of houses
is about 200; most of them have the
door-posts, window-sills, and thresh¬
olds of grey marble, and over every
other door is emblazoned “Chevaux

ou voitures h louer.” Invalids repair¬
ing to Cauterets to take the waters
must address themselves to the in¬
spector (Dr. Buron), who will inscribe
their names in a book, and allot to them
an hour for taking the bath, to re¬
main fixed during the whole of their
stay, with a chaise a porteur to convey
them if required.

The chief building is the modern
pump-room or Etablissement des Bains
built near the foot of the hill, to re¬
ceive the waters of the source called
les Espagnols, one of the most power¬
ful and hottest in the Pyrenees. It is
so named from its having at an early
period, according to tradition, cured
the ailments of a king of Arragon, or
from being much frequented by Spa¬
niards, who cross the mountains in
great numbers to repair hither. The
new building is supplied with water in
pipes carried down the slope of the hill
de Perraute, from the source, situated
at a considerable elevation, where the
old bath-house stands.. The bathing
apparatus and accessories are con¬
structed on the most approved plan
dictated by the experience of modern
science. The older bath-houses in the
same direction are little better than
wretched sheds, approached by paths
so steep and stony as to require much
exertion on the part of the robust to
surmount; yet up them the invalid was
formerly compelled either to toil on foot
or be carried in a chaise k porteur.

The Mineral Springs here are sul¬
phurous and hot, varying only in the
quantity of the same ingredients, and
in warmth from 102° to 122° Fahr.
There are about 16 distinct sources,
six of which rise on the hill of Per¬
raute, above the town to the E., and
the remainder are situated higher up
the valley, on the banks of the Marca-
claou, from 1 to 1^ m. distant. They
are said to present, in their strength,
warmth, and qualities an epitome of
almost all the sulphurous sources scat¬
tered over the Pyrenees; some of them
being even more powerful than those
of Bareges, others as mild as St. Sau-
veur. The chief of the springs on the
banks of the Marcadaou, and the one
most resorted to ; is the It ail (ere, whose

294

Route 85.— Cauterets—La Raillere — Laths . Sect. IV.

waters are received in a building of
some pretensions, faced with a portico,
on a raised terrace, at the foot of a
granitic mountain, destitute of trees or
verdure, but covered over with fallen
blocks of stone, which descend its
slopes in dreary ruin. From 6 to 8 in
the morning all the world of Cauterets
repairs to this desolate spot, and dur¬
ing the dense season bathers assemble
here at a much earlier hour, even at 4
in the morning. The road is thronged
with sour-faced invalids; open sedan-
chairs upon poles, covered with a can¬
vas hood, of which 50 or 60 are kept
in the town, hurry to and fro, occupied
by muffled females; peasant women in
red capulets mingle with Paris dandies
in white berrets and red Bearnais
sashes (la mode des Bains): black eccle¬
siastics in broad-brimmed hats, Ca¬
puchin monks in brown sackcloth and
hoods, and Spaniards of swarthy olive-
coloured visage and stately gate, their
heads swathed in mottled handker¬
chiefs, their persons muffled up in the
embozo of their cloaks, which are often
no better than horsecloths, offering a
singular combination of dignity and
poverty, — such are the component
parts of the motley and picturesque
crowd which repairs daily to La Rail¬
lere. There are 23 Cabinets des Bains
at La Raillere, with 2 douches and a
fountain for drinking.

Above the Raillere is a group of
other springs and a cluster of little
bath-houses, built one above another
against the hill-sides: the principal are
the Bain du Pre, beneath a stream of
fallen rocks, grown over with lichens,
Petit St. Sauveur, Mahourat, B. des
CEufs, and des Yeux. The Source de
Montmorency is a sort of grotto, whose
waters, too hot for the hand to bear,
deposit a white, greasy slime; and the
Bain du Bois, the highest in this di¬
rection, contains 4 cabinet baths, with
a douche in each, and beds for the in¬
valid who may desire to encourage the
perspiration produced by the bath,
and 2 piscines or large baths: the charge
for one is 20 sous.

July and August are the season when
Cauterets is most visited: lodgings are
then very dear; poorly furnished apart¬

ments sometimes costing as much as 4
or 5 fr. each per diem.

There is a subscription reading-room
or club here, called Gercle.

Several formal avenues and alleys
on the outskirts of the town, by the
side of the road to Pierrefitte, and the
Parc on the margin of the Gave, satisfy
the wants of French visitors as prome¬
nades, but must appear wearisome to
English: indeed, except in the society
of friends, or with the inducement of
illness to make one tarry, the attrac¬
tions at Cauterets are few.

The Grange de la Peine, an humble
farm, so called from Queen Hortense
having once been belated in crossing
the mountains, and having passed the
night there, is a good point of view for
the basin of Cauterets, about 600 ft.
above it. The mountain called Peak of
Monne commands a far more extensive
and very striking view, but is a serious
mountain to climb ; 10 hrs. up and
down.

The sportsman may be thankful to
know, that the rivers abound in trout,
and that the chace of the izard and. the
bear may be pursued on the neigh¬
bouring mountains between the Vig-
nemale and the Pic du Midi d’Ossau,
with some prospect of success at the
latter end of spring. These wild
animals are, however, becoming rare
even in these their last retreats. Jean
Destapins is a capital guide and chas¬
seur.

Chaises a porteur cost 15 fr. a day,
and 3 fr. pourboire to the porteurs, who
are very agile and sure-footed; ladies
are often carried by them as far as the
Lac de Gaube. Good ponies may be
hired here.

Nobody thinks of quitting Cauterets
without making the customary excur¬
sion (one of the most interesting in
the Pyrenees) to the Pont d’Espagne and
Lac de Gaube. There is a bridle-road
all the way, well marked but steep at
its farther extremity, and the excursion
may be performed by men without a
guide. It requires about 2 hrs’. good
walking to reach the Pont d’Espagne,
and 45 min. more thence to the Lac de
Gaube: the return may be effected in
less time.

Pyrenees. Route 85 .—Pont tVEspagne—Lac de Gaube. 295

The road ascends the desolate valley
of the Gave de Marcadaou, passing the
source de la Raillere, between the
mountains Perraute and Peyrenere,
whose sides, strewn with rocks fallen
from above, and in headlong ruin
hurled, effectually prevent the growth
of trees or shrubs. [The Gave is
crossed by a wooden bridge beyond
the Raillere, close to the junction of
a tributary Gave descending from the
Val de Lutour, up which runs a path
leading to the pretty Lac d’Estom,
3^ hrs. ; 2^ to return by the Col
d’Arayd, a steep boulder-paved footway
—a “maiivais pas”—to be taken by
those only who have a mind for a rough
scramble.]

It is not until after a steep and toil¬
some ascent has left behind the Bains
du Bois that a change comes over the
features of the valley, and dark forests
of fir relieve the bare and wrinkled
face of the granite precipices. The
torrent leaps down from the upper to
the lower slopes of the valley in several
fine falls, the best of which is the cas¬
cade de Gerizet. The precipices rising
on either side of the gorge are sur¬
mounted by serrated peaks and pointed
aiguilles of granite, which assume most
picturesque forms, while their base is
clothed with fir forests.

About 6 m. from Cauterets is the
Pont d'Espagne (5150 feet above the
sea), in itself a simple structure of
pine trunks thrown across the tor¬
rent, here confined in a narrow chasm
between rocks, just below the junc¬
ture of the Gave descending from the
Lac de Gaube with that from the
Marcadaou. The streams unite by
leaping together into the chasm under
the bridge, in picturesque Falls, but
of no great magnitude. They are
best seen about 20 or 30 yards on
the path leading into Spain. These
are but accessories to the sublime
scene around) which, from the pre¬
dominance of black fir forests, sur¬
rounded by granite cliffs shooting up¬
wards in spires and pinnacles, our
friend and fellow-traveller (7'.) assures
us, reminded him somewhat of Norway.

[The valley above the Pont d’Es-
pagne, called Yal de Jarret, continues

of great grandeur, and is traversed by
a path on the 1. bank of the stream by
the Marcadaou pass to the baths of
Panticosa in Spain. (See Rte. 83.)
The road is good as far as “ some
saw-mills, f hr. above the Pont. The
road then becomes stony and steep, ill
fitted for horses, and you go faster on
foot. From the saw-mills to the sum¬
mit is about 1 hour’s walk. From the
top (4 hrs. from Cauterets) you descend
in ^ hr. to some small lakes, by a ra¬
ther difficult path. Thence to Panti¬
cosa, 3 hrs., a fatiguing descent, but
not dangerous, down a staircase, as it
were, of granite. At several points
the grandeur and loneliness of the
scene equal that of the finest Swiss
passes.”— II. A. The journey occupies
8 hrs. good from Cauterets. It is well
worth while to ascend the Marcadaou
Pass, even if you do not cross into
Spain, as far as the frontier, as the view
towards Spain is magnificent—far finer
than that from the Breche de Roland.
It comprises 4 chains of snow-clad
mountains.]

To reach the Lac de Gaube you must
turn to the 1. close to the Pont d’ Es¬
pagne, immediately below it, where a
very steep path strikes up the moun¬
tain side through the pine wood, and
at first by the side of a torrent. After
about f hour’s walk (2 m.) over trunks
and roots and shattered stones, you
reach this lonely basin of green water.
It is not more than 2^ m. in circum¬
ference, yet is the largest lake among
the Pyrenees, and lies at an elevation
of 1788 metres = 5866 ft. above the
sea level, and is 300 or 400 (?) ft. deep.
The steep precipices on either side are
bare, except where seamed with lines
of straggling black firs, alternating with
streams of fallen rocks; but the entire
centre of the picture is filled with the
noble mass of the Vignemale, one of
the highest mountains in France, white
with eternal snow, crowned by crags
and by glaciers which feed the lake
through a small fall. The only habi¬
tation is the fisherman’s hut, which
now serves as a restaurant (furnishing
lake trout for the hungry traveller’s
breakfast at a high rate), planted upon
a ridge of granite, stretching across the

296

Route 85.— The Vignemale .

Sect. IV.

valley, and damming up the waters of
the lake. On a projecting rock a little
monument of white marble, railed in, is
the record of the melancholy fate of a
young Englishman, named Pattison,
and his wife, who, within one month
of their marriage, were drowned in the
lake. They had trusted themselves to
the frail skiff of the fisherman to row
across the lake; and it is supposed to
have been accidentally overset, for no
human eye beheld the accident. Their
bodies were conveyed to Witham in
Essex. A detestable, lying romance,
grafted on their sad story, destitute of
all truth, is sold on the spot—let no one
buy it.

The ascent of the Vignemale is some¬
times made from the lake, which is
either crossed in the boat, or skirted
by the path on the 1. The clue to the
ascent is the Gave, which forms the
waterfall at the extremity. Following
its bank, you ascend in succession, in
the course of 1~ hour’s walk, 5 different
stages or steps of the mountain, each
of which the torrent clears by a leap.
The mass of the mountain is alpine
limestone, which here overlies the
granite prevailing from La Raillere to
the Lac de Gaube. The Gave has its
origin in the foot of a glacier stretching
nearty up to the top of the mountain.
Its crest is topped by 3 peaks detached
from one another; the lowest of the
3, called Petit Pic, is alone accessible.
The highest is 11,001 ft. above the sea-
level, surpassing every other in the
French Pyrenees. The view is said
to extend into Spain and over a large
part of the French chain. This ex¬
cursion cannot be performed without
the aid of approved and experienced
guides.

[There is a difficult mountain path
among broken rocks and the debris of
glaciers, from the Lac de Gaube over
the shoulder of the Vignemale, keeping
that mountain on the rt., through the
Col or Port d’ Ossoue and down the Val
d’ Ossoue to Gavarnie. It requires 8 or
10 hrs., and should not be undertaken
without good guides, being one of the
most difficult expeditions in the Py¬
renees.]

The course usually taken by persons

proceeding to Bagneres, Bareges, and
Gavarnie, from Cauterets, is to retrace
their steps down the valley as far as
Pierrefitte (see p. 292), and thence as¬
cend the gorge leading up to Luz, which
is so interesting in its scenery that no
one should omit to explore it.

It is a truly magnificent defile, dif¬
fering from that to Cauterets, being
rather less gloomy, but scarcely su¬
perior. It abounds in rich foliage
throughout. Near the 3rd bridge over
the Gave a new road has been made
with much engineering skill, running
200 or 300 ft. lower down than the old,
which mounts a very steep ascent,
only to descend immediately after. It
is alternately a shelf cut with vast la¬
bour out of the rock, or a terrace built
up with masonry; with an abyss under
foot, and towering masses over head.
The chasm through which the Gave
flows is very striking: it is a rent so
narrow that its sides seem to overlap
each other, and never to have been
completely parted. The green torrent
chafing along, and worming its way
through the depths between the rocks,
is a beautiful object. Where the new
road, in one even gradual ascent, meets
the old, the gorge opens into a basin¬
shaped vale, remarkable for its rich
carpet of verdure, cultivated in patches,
having little villages planted a consi¬
derable way up its sides, until fields
give place to forests. The mountains
by the separation leave space for a
small plain nearly in the form of a tri¬
angle, entered by a narrow defile at
each of its angles. On the S.W. opens
that of Gavarnie, at the mouth of
which lies St. Sauveur, on the S.E.
that of the Bastan leading to Bareges,
guarded at its mouth by the Castle of
St. Marie. From both of these issue
Gaves which, meeting in the midst of
the plain, escape by its third or N.
angle through the defile leading to
Pierrefitte, and traversed by the car¬
riage-road. [rt. A road branches off
direct to St. Sauveur.] At the upper
end of the plain between the defiles of
Gavarnie and Bareges, at the foot of a
lofty mountain called Pic de Bergons,
lies the little village of Luz. An ave¬
nue of formal poplars traverses the ver-

Pyrenees.

Roitte 85.— Luz — St. Sauveur.

297

dant flat meadows, gushing with rills
of water, to which they owe their eme¬
rald tints and rich crops of grass, and
leads into

Luz (Inn: H. des Pyrenees or Poste,
fallen off). Luz or St. Sauveur are
the best head-quarters for an expe¬
dition to Gavarnie and Bareges. Gran-
det’s lodging-house is also recom¬
mended.

Luz is a cleanly village, situated on
a crystal Gave of rapid How: to the re¬
freshing stream of one of its tributary
brooks, under the inn windows, horses
and pigs repair to bathe all day long.
The pigs in particular seem to have
acquired unwonted habits of cleanli¬
ness in this country, and to enjoy ex¬
cessively the ablutions of their sides
administered by the swineherd, who
bastes them with a wooden ladle.

The Church of Luz, enclosed within a
castle furnished with battlements and
loop-holed walls, is a great curiosity,
bearing as it does the mixed character
of the order of the Templars,—half
monks, half soldiers,—by whom it was
founded. They were planted here to
guard the frontier in troublous times,
forming an outpost of Christians against
the Saracens at first, and Spaniards
afterwards. The church, entered by a
machicolated gate under a projecting
turret, is a Romanesque building pro¬
bably of the 11th centy. The carved
doorway, and the arcade of straight¬
sided arches, running round the E. end
on the outside, deserve notice; also a
small doorway now walled up on the S.
side, through which alone, according
to a tradition which wants confirma¬
tion, the proscribed race of Cagots were
allowed to enter the church, where
they occupied a chapel apart from the
rest of the congregation. Crepe de
Bareges is made at Luz.

The knoll behind Luz crowned with
the ruins of a hermitage commands a
very pleasing view, looking down into
a valley on either hand, and is easily
accessible. A path may be found to
descend on the opposite side to St.
Sauveur, crossing the road to Gavarnie,
and the small wooden bridge over the
Gave.

It is not more than \ a m. by the

level road from Luz to the Baths of St.
Sauveur, a narrow street of white Inns
(H. de la Paix: de France, a very clean
and good cuisine; charges 6 fr. a-day,
bed and board) and lodging-houses
planted on a narrow terrace or ledge,
on the top of a rocky cliff, about 200
ft. above the Gave on its 1. bank, and
just within the jaws of the romantic
and beautifully wooded defile loading
to Gavarnie. Its most conspicuous
edifice is a modern church in the form
of a Rotunda, so badly built that its
walls are cracked from top to bottom.
Near it rises a ‘pillar, which, by the
erasure in 1830 of its inscription, has
ceased to commemorate the event to
which it owes its existence, viz. the
presence of the Ducliesse d’Angouleme
at these baths. It stands in the so-
called Jardin Anglais, a name given in
France to a little spot where trees and
weeds are allowed to grow promis¬
cuously, without having any attention
paid to it.

In the middle of the village are the
Baths (Etablissement Thermal), one
of the handsomest in the Pyrenees,
containing 14 or 16 baignoires, sup¬
plied from springs of sulphurous water,
resembling those of Cauterets, but less
warm, and less rich in gas. They are
considered efficacious in female com¬
plaints, for nervous affections, &c.
Thus the greater number of invalids
here are ladies, while at Bareges the
male sex abounds. Being weaker than
those of Bareges, a course of them is
recommended as a good preparation for
the stronger waters of Bareges.

The name St. Sauveur is said to be
derived from an inscription set over
the healing source by a bishop of
Tarbes, at what period is unknown:
—“Vos haurietis aquas de fontibus
Salvatoris.”

The carriage-road up the valley stops
at St. Sauveur : a wooden bridge oppo¬
site the baths leads over to the other
side, where a bridle-road is carried.

At Luz horses and guides may be
had at the usual charges. Jacques St.
Laur, who may be heard of at Madame
Cazaux’s, is an excellent guide. Ber¬
nard and Martin are also recommended.
Another guide, Pierre Sanio of Luz,

o 3

298 Route So.—Pic de 3ergons — Gavarnie — Gedre. Sect. IV.

made the ascent of the Maladetta in
1842.

The summit of the Pic de Bergons,
the hill behind Luz and opposite St.
Sauveur, 6117 ft. above the sea, is one
of the best points of view among the
Py renees, and one of the most acces¬
sible, since even ladies may ride up
without difficulty, or be carried in a
chaise a porteur. About 2 hrs. are
required to reach the summit, and lj
to descend. From the top may be
seen the Cirque of Gavarnie, the Breche
de Boland, and Tours de Marbore, and
the more distant and loftier Mont
Perdu to the S.; to the W. the Vig-
nemale; to the E. the sterile valley
of Bareges, and the Pic du Midi; to
the 1ST. the Vale of Lavedan and the
plains beyond it.

There is a path, not easy to find with¬
out a guide, over the mountains from
St. Sauveur to Cauterets: the journey
takes 5 hrs. on foot; but the high road
(already described) is much grander in
scenery, and as smooth as a bowling-
green all the way, though it makes a
wide dfifcour.

Cirque de Gavarnie—Breche de Roland —
Mont Perdu.

The valley of the Gave de Gavarnie,
at whose mouth stands St. Sauveur,
contains some of the most striking
scenery in the Pyrenees, and termi¬
nates in the most remarkable of those
Oules or Cirques peculiar to the Pyre¬
nees, and already described, § 4. The
distance from Luz or St. Sauveur to
the Cirque de Gavarnie is about 15
m. A good but narrow horse-road
runs thither, and the time employed,
riding as fast as stones, gutters, and
steep and frequent ascents and descents
will permit, is rather less than 3 hrs.;
but ladies riding at a gentler pace will
take 4 or 5. It takes 4 hrs. to walk;
no guide is needed to Gavarnie, only
thence up to the Breche one is indispen¬
sable. On reaching the foot of the
bridge leading to St. Sauveur, you
turn short to the 1., without crossing,
and ascend by the road along the rt.
bank of the Gave, passing the baths on
the opposite side. The grand scenery

of the defile begins at once:—um¬
brageous woods alternating with preci¬
pitous rocks—mountain peaks of pic¬
turesque form rear their heads aloft;
below gapes a confined chasm. The
road is a narrow shelf, cut in the face
of a rocky precipice, down which the
eye gazes 300 or 400 ft., sheer into the
green and frothy river, within the
half-opened fissure below. One diffi¬
cult pass around an angular shoulder
of the mountain is called Pas de
VEchelle, because, before the present
road was cut, it could only be traversed
by a hazardous stair, descending on
one side and ascending on the other.
Here the peasants of Bigorre defeated
a force of Miquelites (Spanish troops),
who invaded the frontier for the last
time in the wars of Louis XIV., 1708.
There are ruins, down in the hollow,
of an old fort called Escalette, the ves¬
tiges of which are nearly gone. Many
small falls are passed and torrents
crossed by high and narrow bridges,
suspended over deep gulfs: many of
the water-courses are bestridden by
mills, not much larger than boxes; a
row of such, close together, seen on
the hill-side, near the romantic double
bridge of Sia, look like beads on a white
string.

Twice the valley expands, into the
basins of Pragneres and Gedre, and it
is more often throttled (Strangle) by
narrow defiles. On approaching the
village of Gedre, from the hill above
it, you have a fine view, for a short
space, of the snowy mountains called
Tours de Marbor^, and of the Breche
de Boland, a gap in the wall of rock
which crests the mountain, looking
like a notch made in a jaw by the loss
of a single tooth. It was cut through,
according to the legend, by Boland,
the brave Paladin, with his trusty
blade Durandal, to open a passage in
pursuit of the Moors. To the rt. of it
the false Breche, a similar gap, is seen.
They both lie immediately above the
Cirque of Gavarnie, and are soon lost
to view behind intervening mountains,
as the valley curves, and they are invi¬
sible from the Cirque itself. At Gedre
there is a small Inn (N.B. fleas), and
a sight scarcely worth notice, but to

Pyrenees. M. 85.— Vald'Heas — Troumouse — Gavarnie. 299

which travellers are invited, called
Grotte de Gedre. It is an imperfect
arch, formed by the torrent scooping
out the rock, partly grown over with
creeping shrubs. There is a pleasant
excursion from Gedre across the shoul¬
der of the Vignemale to the Lac de
Gaube, 4 hrs’. walk.

[The opening on the 1., behind
Gedre, through which the torrent
issues, is the mouth of the Val d'Ideas,
one of the largest and deepest valleys
which penetrate the granitic region of
the Pyrenees, containing fine wild
scenery, and terminating in the Cirque
de Troumouse, situated a little to the
E. of that of Gavarnie. In coming
from Luz the valley is entered by a
road turning to the 1., on the height
which precedes the village of Gedre.
It keeps up on the slope for some dis¬
tance, then ascends along the rt. bank
of the Gave, under the shade of fine
trees, ashes and sycamores. The tor¬
rent descending on the 1. from the
Cambiel is next crossed on a bridge; a
sombre gorge succeeds, leading to the
village of Heas, remarkable for its
chaos of granite blocks, about 4 m.
from Gedre, which have fallen from
the mountain above, across the valley,
and resemble that of Peyrada, de¬
scribed farther on. This enormous
land-slip took place in 1650, blocked
up the torrent, and formed a lake
behind it, which lasted until 1788,
when its waters, sweeping away the
dam, broke out, inundating the valley
below, and thus the lake was tapped
and emptied.

Here is the Chapelle de la Vierge
d’Ideas, 4910 ft. above the sea-level,
resorted to yearly between the 15tli
of August and the 18th of September,
by hosts of pilgrims from afar, who
come to worship and kiss her mi¬
raculous image, which is dressed in
gold-embroidered stuffs, and hooded
with the red capulet of the country.
Before the rude chapel was built by
the shepherds of the valley, to shelter
it, the image sought refuge upon an
enormous block of granite, the largest
and most elevated of the group of
fallen fragments, called Le Caillou de
VAraye, which is much reverenced in

consequence. It is a wild and naked
spot, with little cultivation. Beyond
it the gorge d’Aguila opens out to the
E. About 6 m. farther on the valley
ends in the Cirque de Troumouse, a semi¬
circular wall of precipitous mountains,
enclosing a verdant plain. “It is
larger than Gavarnie, but not so im¬
posing, yet deserves to be seen. You
may walk hence over the Coumelie
mountain to Gavarnie. No provisions
to be had at H6as.”— G. M. S.

The road to Gavarnie from the pret¬
tily situated village of Gedre skirts
the flanks of the mountain Coumdlie,
between hedges of box, and reaches in
a little space the Chaos or Peyrada, an
^boulement or slip of masses of gneiss
fallen from above, so extensive that it
looks as though a mountain had tum¬
bled to pieces. It is a grand and
savage scene. The path winds, in zig¬
zags, through a perfect labyrinth of
blocks, many of them as big as a
house, and far larger than the Cum-:
berland Bowder stone, piled one above,
another in extreme confusion, forming
mysterious cavities and sheds between,
them. These fragments sweep down
to the Gave, and partly conceal it;
their fall must have occurred long ago,
from the lichens which cover their,
surface, and was probably produced
by the action of the atmosphere, espe¬
cially of frost, so powerful an agent in
fracturing and disintegrating the slaty
structure of the gneiss. Beyond the
Chaos the road passes under the base
of the Pimene, a picturesque moun¬
tain, rising on the 1. to a height of
9384 ft.

In passing the Pont de Barregui the
peaks and glaciers of the Vignemale are
disclosed to view for a short time, at
the extremity of the Yal d’Ossoue
(p. 296), up which runs the mountain
path to Cauterets by the Lac de Gaube.

Gavarnie is a poor small village,
4623 ft. above the sea-level, with a
small Inn, furnishing fresh trout and
cutlets.

The modernized and uninteresting
Ch. contains the skulls of 12 Tem¬
plars (?) beheaded in the reign of

300

Route 85.— Gavarnie—Breche de Roland. Sect. IV.

Philip le Bel; such is the tradition,
and the Order certainly had a com-
mandery in this desolate spot. One
of the heads is said to be that of a
female.

Behind Gavarnie rise the black walls
of the Cirque, surmounted by eternal
snow shutting in the valley. It ap¬
pears close to the village, and the
stranger will scarcely believe that he
has 3 weary m. to trudge or ride,
which will take nearly an hour, before
he can reach its farther extremity.
Three shallow, basin-shaped valleys,
partly strewn with stones, partly car¬
peted with grass, seemingly at one
time lake basins, are passed, before
you surmount the small projecting
wall of rock which masks the entry
to the Cirque, and once, doubtless,
dammed up the waters of the Gave.
Here, shut out from the world, and,
as it were, arrived at its end, you gaze
up to the vast semicircle of rocks
around, the tall rampire of a kingdom,
at the base of which France terminates.
The precipices forming its sides, vary¬
ing in height from 1000 to 1400 ft.,
are divided into 3 or 4 steps or stages,
upon each of which a glacier, covered
with white snow, is heaped: not a
scrap of vegetation relieves their bare
sides. Down the vertical faces of the
rocks stream 12 or 15 thin cascades,
like white threads; but there is one on
the 1. hand, where the precipice is
least interrupted, which falls in one
white cord, only twice broken by
ledges, nearly 1266 ft. high: it is
reputed the highest fall in Europe,
and is the head water of the Gave de
Pau; but so small is it in volume that
it dissipates into spray before reaching
the bottom. These streamlets are the
drainage of the glaciers above, and all,
joining the Gave, escape from the
•Cirque by the only opening, that by
which the traveller enters. The floor
of the Cirque is an uninterrupted and
irregular heap of rubbish and blocks
of rock, the ruins of the neighbouring
mountains, which have fallen from
above, very toilsome to walk over;
and in the midst are one or two
patches of dirty snow, nearly consoli¬
dated into ice, under which the Gave

flows in a hollow vault. It takes
nearly ^ an hr. from the entrance to
reach the foot of the high waterfall,
where the geologist may find specimens
of the fossils contained in the rocks of
the Cirque, which have been ascer¬
tained by M. Dufresnoy to be identical
with those Of the chalk. An English
traveller would certainly not recognize,
otherwise, that formation, in the dark
cliffs around, so unlike in colour and
texture to the white chalk of England.

The mountains rising above the
Cirque, but not visible from within
its enclosure, are to the E. the Cy-
lindre, 10,050 ft., so called from its
shape, whose base is embedded in the
great glacier, whence springs the high
fall; the Tours de Marbore, 9964 ft.,
forming part of the Mont Perdu; and
on the W. the Breche de Roland, and
farther on the Fausse Breche.

The ascent of the Breche de Roland
is made from the Cirque of Gavarnie:
it is fatiguing and difficult, but not
dangerous, provided the head be
steady. Some provisions, and a wine
or brandy flask, should be taken. It
occupies 4 hrs., and 2 to descend;
slow walkers take 3^ to 4 hrs. to
ascend, 3 to descend. The ascent
commences from the corner of the
Cirque on the rt. hand, opposite to
the high fall. A stranger would
scarcely find the spot; no path leads
to it, and there is no apparent break
or interruption in the perpendiciilar
wall of the Cirque. The strata of the
limestone are here vertical, and a but¬
tress of it slightly projecting from the
mass furnishes the means of scaling
the precipice along the abrupt and
shattered edges of the slaty rock, here
divided like the leaves of a book, set
on end, but shivery on the surface.
The broken angles and splinters serve
as steps, in which one may insei’t the
toes and fingers, but it is as abrupt
as the ascent of a ladder. The path
winds round some smooth projecting
shoulders of rock, and round the edges
of 1 or 2 cliffs, which alternate, higher
up, with steep slopes, covered less
with grass than with fallen stones.
These steep grassy banks form a pas¬
turage, called Las Serrades, for the

PVRENEES.

Route 85 .— Breche de Roland.

801

flocks of some Spanish shepherds, who
rent them from the commune of Ga-
varnie. There is no intermission to
the steepness of the ascent, no flat
interval between the slopes; it takes
more than 1 hr. of “treadmill work”
to rise above the high cascade. It is a
glorious sight to look down from this
upon the precipices and waterfalls,
and the great glacier which feeds them,
at which, shortly before, you gazed up
with aching neck. Hence the Tours
de Marbore are well seen; and at this
height, about noon, the roar of ava¬
lanches succeeds to the monotonous
dash of waterfalls, which before alone
interrupted the solitude. The Cirque
is soon after lost sight of: above your
head rises an expanse of snow and
glacier covering a steep slope, inclined
like the roof of a house, surmounted
by the wall of rock, in the midst of
which is Roland's Breach , and another
similar embrasure on the rt. of it,
called Fausse Breche. As the glacier
is too abrupt to ascend, you leave it
on the 1. hand, and begin to climb a
less steeply inclined snow-clad slope,
which at some seasons is denuded
down to the slaty rubbish below the
snow. It is a work of some fatigue to
surmount this, and crampons and a
pole are generally furnished by the
guide. When two-thirds of the ac¬
clivity are surmounted the guide turns
to the 1. across the glacier, whose sur¬
face is so highly inclined that it is not
possible to scale it from below. Even
to cross it when the snowy surface is
hard or slippery requires great caution.
The mountaineer sets his foot down
firmly with a stamp, to secure a firm
hold, and drives in his pole well at
every step he takes: a false move
would send you at once to the bottom.
A few paces beyond the glacier brings
you to the Breche. That insignificant
notch in the mountain brow seen
from Gedre has. now expanded into
a colossal portal 300 ft. wide, 350 ft.
high, and 50 ft. thick—9337 ft. above
the sea-level. The ridge or crest in

which it is formed is literallv, not

«/ '

metaphorically, a wall of rock, varying
in height from 300 to 600 ft., which
here divides France from Spain, es¬

carped on both sides, and not more
than 50 or 80 ft. thick. Through this
singular opening—as it were a window
in the mountain, nearly square in its
angles, and not much wider above than
below—Spain is seen; a most unin¬
viting prospect of rugged and bare
mountains and valleys, filled with
stones and snow in the foreground,
while the distance is formed by the
hazy plain of Arragon rising high up
against the horizon. On the French
side there is more of interest in the
striking forms of the Vignemale, the
Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the Bergons,
and a hundred other peaks.

The Breche is said by Raymond to
be visible from Saragossa and Huesca;
and a practised eye, knowing where to
search for these cities, might, with the
aid of a telescope, in a clear state of
the atmosphere, be enabled to discern
them from hence.

The threshold of the Breche is an¬
gular, like the roof of a house, and
the frontier line runs directly along
it, so that one may sit astride of it,
with one leg in France and the other
in Spain.

All along the front of the Breche,
on the French side, the glacier is
scooped out into a deep fosse or cavity,
by the action of the sun’s rays pouring
from the south, through the opening,
as Raymond has well explained, so
that it cannot be approached directly,
but only by skirting the edge of the
cavity. The ascent was accomplished
by the Duchesse de Berri in 1828, but
it is not fit for ladies in general.

The Breche de Roland is used by the
inhabitants of several villages on the
Spanish side as a pass into France, and
especially by smugglers. Through it
lies the way to ascend the Mont Perdu,
whose top may be reached in 6 hrs.
from the Breche, descending at first
some hundred ft., and skirting the
crumbling slopes of the Marbore on
the 1. Travellers usually pass the
night in a poor hut near its base on
the high table-land called Millaris,
scattered over with slaty debris, and
traversed by rents and deep fissures.
Mont Perdu is composed of 4 stages or
terraces, faced by abrupt escarpments,

302

Route 85 .—'Mont Perdu—Luz to Bareges. Sect. IV.

each receding farther back than the
one below. The 2 lower steps are
easily ascended by means of a talus of
marly debris fallen from above. The
3rd and 4th are very difficult to scale,
especially the 4th, which can only be
reached through a sort of chimney,
serving as an outlet for the melting
snow. The summit of the Mont Perdu
is 11,168 ft. above the sea-level, second
in height to the Maladetta alone among
the Pyrenees; and it was first sur¬
mounted in 1802 by Raymond after
two dangerous and fruitless attempts.
It is not to be tried without the aid of
a skilful guide. One may ascend from
the hut of the Millaris and return from
the summit to Gedre on the same day.

Very interesting excursions may be
made from Gavarnie into Spain to
Busaruelo (3| hours), and one hour
beyond towards Torla, through the
grandest scenery, returning the same
day; and, 2ndly, over the Breche de
Roland to Fanlo, Nerin, and the rivulet
Bellos. See PIandbook for Spain.

Bareges and Pass of the Tourmalet to
Bagneres de Bigorre.

From Luz to Bareges is a continuous
ascent of about 4j m. A much im¬
proved and well-constructed road now
shortens what was once a very tedious
drive; the old road being constantly
washed away by the torrent.

The accommodation at Bareges is so
very inferior that the traveller bound
for Bagneres by the Tourmalet had
better lengthen his clay’s journey by
starting from Luz than put up at
Bareges.

On quitting Luz you pass on the 1.
the ruined castle of Ste. Marie, one of
the last possessions retained by the
English in the S. of France, since it
held out for the Black Prince nearly
as long as Lourdes. It stands on a
mount, at the point where the valley
of Bareges, or of the Bastan, opens
into the plain of Luz. This is one of
the least attractive valleys of the Pyre¬
nees; the mountains around it are not
picturesque in their forms, and the
fissile and easily disintegi'ated shale
composing them, crumbling down and
filling up the bottom and sides of the

valley, has been cut through by the
Bastan and other furious torrents which
seam the mountain’s sides. From time
to time vast masses of debris are washed
down, and eboulements ensue, which
stop up the watercourses until a debacle
occurs, and spreads desolation below
it. Such catastrophes are of frequent
occurrence; and the main torrent, the
Bastan, is a very scourge. The great
elevation of the valley above the sea
contributes to its cheerless and forbid¬
ding character; and it is in such a
situation, at a height 4180 ft. above
the sea-level, confined by gloomy
mountains which almost seem to over¬
hang it, that

7 Bareges stands, a watering-place
better known by name, perhaps, in
distant countries, than any other among
the Pyrenees, and in deserved repute
with those who are really ill and in
earnest to get well, on account of the
cures effected by its waters, but void
of all other attractions, destitute even
of a tolerable inn (H. de France; best,
but very uncomfortable: cuisine dirty
and bad;—H. de la Paix; worse still).
There is nothing to see here, so that
our advice to travellers for amusement
is, pass through, and tarry not. Being
the loftiest of the Pyrenean baths, its
atmosphere is chilly and variable even
in the height of summer. It contains
about 70 houses, chiefly lodgings, with
two miserable cafe's, arranged in a long
dull street, running by the side of the
Gave. The buildings next the stream,
which are meant to last, are based on
huge buttresses of masonry, without
which precaution they would long ago
have been swept away by the inunda¬
tions of the torrent. A wide gap, how¬
ever, is left in the midst, upon which
only a few temporary booths and huts
of wood are raised, for the winter ava¬
lanches sweep down from the mountains
Ayre on the S. and Midaii on the N.,
through the wide gaping gashes in their
sides, which open out opposite the vacant
space, and bury this part of the town
under the snow for several months of
the year. In consequence Barbges is
inhabited only during summer and
autumn, and is abandoned for the rest
of the year, except by a few persons,

Pyrenees.

Route 85 .— Bareges—The Tourmalet.

303

who take care of the houses, to the
wolves and bears, which often come
down and prowl about the streets.
An Englishman, who came hither in
the midst of winter, found the entire
population reduced to 30 men and
women, collected around the great
public bath for the sake of the heat of
the water, all busily employed knitting.
At the beginning of summer the owners
return and dig out their houses from
the snow, which covers them up to the
first floor. The triste air of the place
is greatly increased by the number of
cripples, sick, and invalids you en¬
counter at every step. This may be
called the Hospital Brunnen of the
Pyrenees, being visited yearly by 1000
or 1200 genuine invalids, to whom the
prospect of regaining health is a suffi¬
cient attraction. The French govern¬
ment have established here a military
hospital, capable of receiving 300 men
and 100 officers (perhaps more) for 50
days. The cures effected by the waters
are wonderful: their efficacy is very
great in gunshot and other wounds, in
curing sores, in relieving rheumatism,
stiffness of the joints, and scrofulous
complaints. They cause old wounds,
or ill-cured ulcers, to open afresh at
first, then relieve them by discharges,
drawing to the surface extraneous
bodies long imbedded in the flesh, and
promoting the exfoliation of carious
portions of bone, and finally close the
wound in a healthy manner.

The mineral water is very strong, its
principal ingredient being sulphuret of
sodium, with portions of carbonate,
muriate, and sulphate of soda, azote,
sulphuretted hydrogen, and animal
matter. It is derived from 6 to 7
different springs, the most potent being
that called Le Tambour, but the supply
is scarcely adequate to the demand.
They are conducted into a miserably-
arranged, dirty, and ill-smelling bath¬
house, where they fill 16 baths, for
the use of which 1 fr. is charged, and
into 3 piscines or public baths capable
of holding from 12 to 20 persons each.
One of these is appropriated to the
soldiers, another to the civil service,
the 3rd to the poor. Admission to
them is settled by order of precedence,

and they are in use all day and all
night. Indeed so precious is the fluid,
that the water from the bath-house is
said to be turned into the piscines.
The piscines are horrid vaulted dens
below ground, their roof serving as .a
promenade, filled with vapour; and the
water has a greenish-yellow tint. The
waters have a strong smell of rotten
eggs, and a nauseous oily taste; after
standing they are covered on the
surface with a film of glairy unctuous
substance, which they also deposit on
the sides and bottom of the bath, called
Baregine by French chemists. These
valuable medicinal springs rise (as
usual in the Pyrenees) near a junction
of the slate rock with the granite, and
force their way to the surface through
a mass of debris composed of the
neighbouring rocks. They were first
brought into notice by a visit which
Madame de Maintenon paid to them
1676, by advice of the royal physician
Fagon, for the sake of the young Due
du Maine, natural son of Louis XIV.,
and her pupil. The “ gouvernante ”
dates several of her letters from hence;
and after a protracted residence she
had the satisfaction of bringing back
the little cripple so much better that
he could enter the room to meet the
king walking. She reached this place
by crossing the Tourmalet, the road
by Lourdes not being then made, and
lodged in the Maison Maraquette.
Bareges was once nearly swept away by
the bursting of the Lac d’Oncet.

A scanty and stunted wood of firs
and alders is planted on the hill above
Bareges on the S. It serves as a par¬
tial protection from avalanches, and
below is converted into a promenade by
walks cut along the slopes.

The fine tissue called crepe de Bareges
is not made here, but at Bagneres de
Bigorre and at Luz.

Diligences go daily in the season to
Lourdes, where they correspond with
those to Pau, 'Toulouse, and Bagneres.
The direct road to Bagneres, and by
far the most interesting, is over the
Tourmalet, but it is not practicable for
carriages. Horses and guides may be
obtained at Bareges.

Besides the excursions described

304 7i. 85 .—Pic du Midi de Pigorre .— Vale of the Adour. Sect. IV.

under the head of Luz, which may be
made from Bareges nearly as well as
from that place, is the ascent of the
Pic du Midi de Bigorre, which lies but
a short way off the road to Bagnferes
by the Tourmalet, and will now be
described.

The distance from Bareges to Bag-
neres de Bigorre across the Tourmalet
is about 18 m. Including a halt to
rest the horses, it takes up from 7 to 8
hours. A good bridle road, which
might be made passable for chai’S,
leads up the Bastan valley on the 1.
bank of the torrent. The valley looks
very dreary from the barrenness of the
mountain tops, and the deep gashes
cut in their crumbling sides by the
avalanches which rush down them in
spring. Yet the course of the falling
snow is so regular, that on the very
margin of these gashes cottages are
built, each protected by a tuft of trees,
and along their slopes a few cultivated
patches of corn stretch upwards. Two
torrents descend from the rt., out of
the vales of Lienz and Escabous, at
whose head lie nearly a dozen small
tarns, or lakes. After passing these,
the Bastan is crossed, and the main
ascent begins.

[About If lir’s. walk from Bareges
you pass on the 1. a path striking N. up
a small valley towards the Pic du Midi
de Bigorre. That majestic mountain,
which, though 9553 ft. above the sea
level, is free from snow in summer,
rises on the 1. of the pass of the Tour¬
malet, and is accessible, even on horse¬
back, in 4^ lirs. from Bareges. The
path is steep, and in many places dan¬
gerous, there being scarcely room for a
horse to step. It is possible to ride to
within 100 yards of the summit. The
way lies by the margin of the Lac
d’Oncet, a picturesque tarn at the foot
of the peak, nearly closed in by preci¬
pices, about 2000 ft. below the sum¬
mit. The view from the top is magni¬
ficent. It wants the numerous lakes
of the Rigid, but in other respects is
superior. The Pic stands at the outer
verge of the Pyrenean range : it de¬
scends with only one break to the plain,
and affords a view towards Bordeaux
and Toulouse, bounded only by the

limit of vision. It comprises on the
N. the plains watered by the Adour
and Garonne; on the S. the great chain,
including the step-like mass of the
Mont Perdu, the Cylindre, Tours de
Mar bore, Breche de Roland, and Vig-
nemale, covered with glaciers; while
among a multitude of peaks to the E.
rises the Maladetta, the loftiest of the
Pyrenees, forming a conspicuous point
in this immense semicircle of mountains.
There is another way down through
the Hourquette de Cinq Ours and the
ravine leading from the Lac d’Oncet
to Trames Aigues in the valley of Grip.
See below.]

The Tourmalet is a low curved ridge,
such as would be called a col in the
Alps—an isthmus uniting the Pic du
Midi with the main chain of the Pyre¬
nees, over which lies the passage from
the valley of the Gave de Pau into that
of the Adour. The old and shorter
road is carried up to the col in a series
of sharp zigzags, over heaps of shivered
shale: the pedestrian will save time by
taking it. The new path is longer, and
runs more on a level, round the shoul¬
ders of the hills. Those bound for the
Pic dii Midi take this path. On the rt.
rise three bristling mountains of fine
form, the Caubere, the Campana, and
the Pic d’Espade. The summit of the
Pass is 7141 ft. above the sea-level:
the view from it is not very striking;
but as you look back the Monne and
mountains above Cauterets are visible
beyond it. The vale of Grip opens
out far more pleasingly than that of
Bareges, carpeted with beautiful pas¬
tures; it is the cradle of the infant
Adour, which rises near the base of the
Pic d’Espade. After a mile or two of
gradual descent, the valley makes an
abrupt dip, down which the path is
carried, by a series of very steep zig¬
zags called Escalette, to a hamlet oc¬
cupied by shepherds, called Trames
Aigues (3s hours from Bareges), at the
mouth of a gorge through which the
pyramidal mass of the Pic du Midi ap¬
pears in full majesty. This is the
finest object on the pass : its bare
precipice, when lighted up by the sun,
exhibits the most singularly contorted
strata, imitating the lines on an agate.

Pyrenees. Route 86.' —Bagneres de Bigorre to Luclion.

305

It remains in sight only for a short
distance, bnt from no point does this
mountain appear to greater advantage.
The summit of the Pic is reached from
Bagneres by ascending this valley.

Near Artigues, a hamlet on the rt.
beyond the river, is a cascade formed
by one of the tributaries of the Adour,
and a little lower down is another, the
Garret, in the course of the Adour itself,
beneath a black fir forest, which covers
the shoulder of the mountain like a
bear skin, above the village of Grip.
Grip is a prettily situated group of
scattered cottages, including a very
tolerable country Inn, famed for its
trout (H. des Voyageurs, chez Cazeres):
it is the one nearest Bagneres—4 hours’
walk or ride from Bareges, and 3 from
Bagneres de Bigorre. Grip is much
frequented by visitors from both baths,
on account of its waterfalls and its
pleasing position, precisely in the part
of the valley where trees flourish, corn
begins to grow, and pastures become
most verdant. The Pic du Midi may
be reached in 5 li. from this, descend¬
ing in 3 h. A mule path all the way;
but up to the Lac d’Oncet, where it
joins the path from Bareges, it is steep
and rough.

From Grip to Bagneres de Bigorre
there is a good carriage road, which,
at Ste. Marie, falls into the valley of
Campan, and the route to Luchon by
Arreau (Rte. 86). The aspect of the
Val de Campan from this point, and in
descending to Bigorre, is less attractive
than in ascending, owing to the arid,
bare, and stained escarpments of the
limestone cliffs (Jura limestone) on the
rt. bank of the Adour ; but there are
some fine views on the 1., looking up
the tributary valleys towards the Pic
du Midi.

Ste. Marie, 7^ m. from Bagneres, lies
near the point of junction of two valleys,
up one of which runs the road to Grip
and the Tourmalet, and up the other,
that to Luchon by Arreau. The village
of Campan, lower down, which gives
its name to the valley, is not remark¬
able, but every traveller is pestered as
he passes to visit the grotto, which is
not worth seeing.

16 The Pics du Midi and de Mon-

taigu are well seen below this through
the fine opening of the vale of Lesponne
to the 1.: near its entrance stands the
mansion of St. Paul.

At Baud^an, a small village a little
lower down, Baron Larrey, the army*
surgeon and favourite of Buonaparte,
who accompanied him on his various
campaigns, was born 1766, in a humble
house marked by a marble tablet. The
valley of Campan is fertile, well cul¬
tivated, and populous, with a consi¬
derable show of picturesque beauty.
The precipitous mountain rising on the
rt. is the Penne de l’ Hyeris, often as¬
cended on account of its view. The
Pont de Gerde, over the Adour, leads
to it.

2 m. short of Bagneres, close to the
road, is Medous, a sequestrated and
abandoned Capuchin convent, reduced
to uninteresting ruins. A copious source
of clear water rising here serves to turn
a marble mill. On the outskirts of
Bagneres, the road passes close under
the promenade called Allees Mainte-
non.

Bagneres de Bigorre (Route 87).

ROUTE 86.

THE PYRENEES—BAGNERES DE BIGORRE

TO BAGNERES DE LUCHON-MOUNTAIN

ROAD, BY THE HOURQUETTE D’ASPIN,
ARREAU, COL DE PEYRESOURDE, AND
VAL DE L’ARBOUST—EXCURSION TO
THE LAC DE SECULEJO, OR LAC DDO.

This route may be divided into 2
days’ journey by halting for the night
at Arreau, situated about half way.
The road to that place is practicable
for light cars ; beyond it there is only
a bridle road. The total distance may
be about 40 m., exclusive of the excur¬
sion to Seculejo, which is about 12 m.
more, to and fro, off the direct road.
The route abounds in picturesque beau¬
ties; it ascends the Val Campan (de¬
scribed in Rte. 85) as far as the village
of 7± m. Ste. Marie, 4 hours’ walk from
Arreau. We here leave, on the rt., the
road to Grip and the Tourmalet, and,
crossing the Adour, ascend gradually
along the bank of its E. tributary, up

306

Houle 86 .—Hourquette cVAspin — Arreau. Sect. IV.

the Yal cle Seoube, and, passing through
a scattered and picturesque village,
reach, in 2 hours, Paillole, a group of
cottages, with a small Inn (Ferme St.
Jean) where an omelette and trout may
be had, in the midst of green pastures,
encircled by noble forests, which seem
to have suffered little diminution from
the woodman’s axe. In the mountain
on the E. side of the valley, composed
of transition limestone, are the quarries
of Espiadet, yielding the marble called
of Campan, a great deal of which was
employed in the decoration of the royal
villa of Trianon. After being long
abandoned, they are now again worked
by M. Geruzet of Bagneres. At Cam-
pan itself, where the rocks are of the
Jura limestone, no marble is obtained.

The ascent to the Col, or Hourquette
d' Aspin, is carried up from the farm
cottages of Paillole, at first in zigzags,
entirely through forests of fir, com¬
posed of fine trees of ancient growth,
covering the hill sides far and wide..
Through gaps among the trees, the
bare Pic d’Arbizon (?) is seen, from
time to time, on the rt., at the head of
the valley. The trees thin out before
reaching the top of the pass, whose
open curved slopes are covered with
turf. The Hourquette d’Aspin (l^hour
from Paillole) commands one of the
finest views in the Pyrenees. Look back,
and the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and the
Pic d’Arbizon rise majestically above
the pine forests; forward, and the bil¬
lowy forms of many mountains, and
the junction of many valleys, peaks,
ridges, and hollows, one behind another,
are presented to view, and the horizon
is closed by the snowy top of the Mala-
detta, or at least of the Monts Maudits..
The slope of the hills, on the side of
Arreau, is so steep that the descent
upon that town, which appears lying in
a hole, as it were, no more than a rifle
shot off, is only effected by most com¬
plicated tourniquets,. or winding ter¬
races, the vagaries of which are most
extraordinary and tantalising: 4 or 5
times, when you think you are close to
Arreau, the road turns away to pene¬
trate nearly to the head of the valley,
on the rt. or 1., and it takes a good
hour from the top of the pass to reach

the town, which is about hrs.’ ride
or walk from Bagneres. There is another
pass from the Yal de Campan into the
Val d’Aure, and to Arreau, crossing the
mountains more to the S. than the
above, but the path is not so well
marked, and is much steeper, though
shorter. It is called Hourquette d’Ar¬
reau.

Arreau (Inn: H. de France, im¬
proved) is a small town, nowise remark¬
able except for its situation, nearly in
the midst of the picturesque Yal d’Aure,
which runs up into the Pyrenees, be¬
tween the Val de Campan and the Val
de Luclion, at the junction of the Nestes
(or torrents) de Louron and d’Aure,
which turn several saw-mills: the num¬
ber of inhabitants is about 1600. Here
is a curious castellated Church of the
Templars.

Lower down the valley, near Sarrin-
colin, are the marble quarries of Bey-
ride and Camous.

[The upper part of the Yal d’Aure
unfolds scenery whose extreme beauty
and magnificence will well recompense
the pedestrian disposed to explore it,
and prepared for the wretched accom¬
modation which is to be found. Indeed
it is advisable to take provisions of some
kind, or at least white bread. A path
along the 1. bank of the Neste leads
through the villages of Cadeac hr.),
Ancisan, Guichen, all ancient settle¬
ments of the Templars, to Vielle (Aure),
5 m., a village with a wretched inn (H.
d’Espagne). Over this part of the valley
the Pics d’Arbizon and d’Azet rise in
great grandeur. Continue along the 1.
bank from Vielle, l\ hr., to Tramesai-
gues (not to be confounded with the
place of the same name mentioned fur¬
ther on), a village having sulphureous
springs, a very picturesque ruined
castle on a height, and a curious Ch.
of the Templars, with a wooden clock
tower, and a singularly ornamented
door. It is one of the most romantic
spots in the Pyrenees. “From the 1.
bank you have the best view of the
Templar ch. and castle opposite. Cross
here by a bridge and return to Vielle
by the rt. bank (1 hr.). The only place
where you have a chance of getting any¬
thing to eat at Tramesaigues is chez le

Pyrenees. Route 86. — Val de Louron.—Lac d 5 Oo.

307

Douanier. The upper part of the valley
is well worth exploring by any one who
can rough it.”— G.M.S. Before reach¬
ing the village the valley divides, and
2 paths strike off into Spain, one due
S. by the Port de Plan, the other in¬
clining to S.W. by the Port de Bielsa,
passing Aragnouet, whence a path
mounts over the Port de Cambiel to
Gedre, at the mouth of the Yal d’Heas.
(Bte. 85.) The Port de Cambiel is a
depression between the mountains of
Cambiel and the Pic Long, nearly 8000
ft. high, whence the Vignemale and
M. Perdu are well seen.]

Two mule paths conduct from Arreau
to B. de Luchon: one by the Port de
Pierrefitte (7 hours’ walk), which is the
loftier and the finer in point of scenery,
but a bad road ; a guide is required at
least up to the Col, as it is difficult to
find; the other, more commonly taken,
by the Port de Peyresourde. It runs up
the Valiev of the Neste de Louron,
which, at first narrow, widens out, and
becomes populous higher up, and is
studded with a great number of old
feudal castles, now in ruins, but which
once defended the passage into Spain,
perched on conical rocks. That of Bor-
deres, oil the 1. bank, was the strong¬
hold of the Counts of Armagnac,
owners of the valley, the last of whom,
John V., in the reign of Louis XI.,
1475, on account of his infamous union
with his sister, was excommunicated
by the pope, and deprived of his princely
domains by Louis. Below this, looking
back, there is a good view of the wind¬
ings of the road to the Col d’Aspin and
of the town of Arreau, which looks
well only at a distance. At Avejan,
above Borderes, the road crosses to the
rt. bank, and, gradually ascending by
narrow lanes flanked by trees and
hedges, through the villages Estravielle
and several others, reaches Louder -
vielle, distinguished by its square feu¬
dal watch-tower projecting over the
valley, and confronted, on the opposite
side, by a rival fort, based upon a rocky
pedestal now quarried for slates. Above
this, the vale of the Louron divides into
2 branches, terminating in the Ports de
la Pez and de Clarbide, leading into
Spain, but difficult, if not dangerous,

and little used ; and between them
rises the grand Pic de Genos. Near
the Port de la Pez are remains of a
tunnel 200 ft. long, commenced by some
speculators, who designed to bore
through the mountain in order to reach *
the Spanish pine forests, and make use
of their timber. The scheme was aban¬
doned. The ruined gallery is situated
high above all habitations, and to visit
it would take up a day. AVe pursue
our course up the valley no farther,
but at Loudervielle (2f hrs’. ride from
Arreau) turn to the 1. up a very steep
stony ascent leading to the Col de Peyre¬
sourde, 4452 ft. above the sea, which
separates the Yal de Louron from that
of L’Arboust, covered with coarse pas¬
turage dotted over with a few fir trees.
Cultivation is carried up very high. in
the opposite valley ; but the woods
(arbusta), from which, doubtless, it de¬
rives its name, are greatly diminished.
Before descending, a narrow path, diffi¬
cult, and not practicable for horses,
strikes off on the rt. direct to the Lac
d’Oo, or de Seculejo. Horsemen must
make a considerable detour, descending
the valley as far as an ancient, half-
ruined, solitary ch. planted on a singu¬
lar mound, by the side of which rises
the brand or split fir tree set in readi¬
ness to be lighted on “The Eve of St.
John” (If hr. from Loudervielle).

[In order to reach the beautiful Lac
d’Oo you turn to the rt. at this ch.,
and by a very narrow and stony bridle
path, through the fields and along the
slopes of a hill which drops down upon
the village d’Oo and its picturesque
castle, you enter the Yal d’Asto, as this
branch of the Val de l’Arboust, at
whose upper end lies the Lac de Secu-
lejo, is called. It is very narrow and
deep, closed in by impending moun¬
tains, and at its head by glaciers. The
liorse-path up it crosses the clear stream
of the Oo or Go, just outside of the
village, and following the rt. bank of
the stream, threads stony lanes between
pastures of vivid green under the shade
of ash-trees. Next, it emerges upon
open meadows, beyond which it begins
to mount in earnest, by a long series of
zigzags, a high step stretching across
the vallev, which from below or above

308

Route 86 .—Lac cT Oo.

Sect. IV.

appears a precipice, yet is made accessi¬
ble for horses, but is very toilsome to
surmount. We now enter the fir-
woods; the mountains, sternly grand,
rise beetling over the path, which is at
one spot a mere shelf cut in the face of
the rock. At length the valley is tra¬
versed from side to side by a natural
dam of slate rocks, whose strata are
vertical. Behind this the little oval
basin, called Lac d’ Oo, or de Seculejo, *
lies snugly cradled, shut in all round,
save on the side of the dam, by pre¬
cipices of great height, which, though
vertical, are tinged green by partial ve¬
getation. In front, a very fine cascade
forms the centre of the picture, and is
reflected in a white streak upon the
dark mirror of the lake below. The
waters of the lake escape in a fall over
a gap in the slate-dam already men¬
tioned, upon which also stands a hut
where horses may be put up, and com¬
mon refreshments obtained. The lake
abounds with trout. Here a small toll
is paid for keeping up the path, which
here ceases to be practicable for horses.

The waterfall of the Lac cTOo is fed
from a still higher reservoir, the Lac
d’Lspingo, drawing its supplies from
the contiguous glaciers. It may be
reached either by a narrow path along
the 1. or E. margin of the Lac d’Oo, or
by crossing it in a boat kept to convey
people to the foot of the fall, and then
by clambering up at the side of it
through a rent in the slate rock, whose
broken laminations serve as steps (scala);
next, passing above the cascade, it
reaches the upper lake D’Espingo, la¬
bour's walk from Lac d’Oo. The savage
wildness and awful stillness of this
scene render it very impressive. There
is a third lake close beside it, called
Saounsat, in which fish cannot live,
though trout are found in its neigh¬
bour, lying at the foot of the Mount
Espingo, amidst scenery far more savage
than that of the lake d’Oo. The rest
of the way is pathless, and for some
distance over beds of snow, and not to
be explored without the aid of expe¬
rienced guides. The course usually
taken is to leave on the 1. the 3rd lake

* The situation of the Lac d’Oo is very like
that of the Upper Gosau lake in Salzburg.

and also a 4th, and making a detour
push upwards through a natural breach
in the rocks, by which the precipice
may be surmounted—a fatiguing scram¬
ble. Some rounded summits of rock
and snowy banks are next crossed,
until the summit is reached, the rocky
edge of a basin filled with snow, in
whose depths lies another lake which
remains ice-bound nearly throughout
the year, fed by an extensive glacier.
A walk of 1^ m. across this snowy basin
leads to the col called Port d’ Oo, 9850 ft.
above the sea-level, the loftiest col or
pass in the Pyrenees, and exceeded by
very few among the Alps, leading to
the Spanish town of Venasque {R. 87).
There is here no gap or opening in the
rocky wall, only a narrow ridge, 20 ft.
wide, commanding a scene of wildness
not to be described. On the 1. of this
pass lies the vast glacier of the Port
d’Oo, the second in extent, next to that
of the Maladetta, among the Pyrenees.
It is 5 hrs. walk from the Port d’Oo to
the Spanish town of Venasque, and
about 10 hrs. from Luchon. (Rte. 87.)

It takes about 1^ hr. to ascend from
the village d’Oo to the Lac d’Oo, and 3
hrs. to descend from the lake to Luchon.

In going from Luchon to the Lac
d’Oo you turn to the 1. out of the Val
de l’Arboust at the village of Cazeau:
beggars and goitres abound here. Lower
down is St. Aventin, a large village
named from a chapel of that saint.]

As far as St. Aventin the road is
in very bad order ; hence to Luchon,
though steep, it is practicable for chars.
After crossing the minor stream of the
L’Oueil, the fine avenue called Allee
des Soupirs leads into

Bagneres de Luchon (R. 87).

ROUTE 87.

THE PYRENEES.—rAU TO BAGNERES DE
BIGORRE, AND TO BAGNERES DE LU-
CHON, BY TARBES.—POST ROAD.—EX¬
CURSIONS TO THE VAL DE LYS, PORT
DE VENASQUE, AND VAL D’ARAN.

To B. de Bigorre, 60 kilom. = 37
Eng. m.; thence to Luchon, 78 kilom. =
48 Eng. m.

Diligences daily, but very slow.

Pyrenees. Route 87 .—Pau to Bagneres de Bigorre.

309

The following is the direct post-road
between the two Bagneres : it runs
through the plain to the N. of the Py¬
renees, affording only distant views of
them. To explore their beauties, the
traveller must pursue Rtes. 85 and 86
—practicable partly only on horseback.

A high table-land, in part unculti¬
vated, is traversed both before and after
reaching

16 Bordes d’Expouy.

The village passed on the rt., shortly
before entering Tarbes, distinguished
by its lofty ch., is Ibos.

23 Tarbes.— Inns: H. de la Paix
(try coquille aux champignons) ;—H.
de l’Europe ;—H. de France. Sir John
Froissart put up at the Star, and
commended his hostel. Tarbes, chef-
lieu of the Dept, des Hautes Pyrenees,
is pleasantly situated on the clear
Adour, in the midst of a fertile plain,
in full view of the Pyrenees. It has
12,630 Inhab. and some manufactures,
but contains few objects of interest.
Several public walks contribute to the
public health and recreation, the prin¬
cipal and most striking of which is the
Place Maubourguet, where are the prin¬
cipal inns and cafes. There is also a
pleasant walk by the side of the river.
The buildings are not remarkable. On
the Place Marcadieu the markets and
extensive yearly fairs are held. The
market-people, in their various cos¬
tumes, are worth seeing. There is a
fine bridge over the Adour, and a por¬
tion of its water is distributed in canals
through the town. The French go¬
vernment has a stud (Haras) here for
improving the breed of horses. The
officials are very civil. The chief build¬
ing is a modern Cathedral, said to oc¬
cupy the site of the Castle of the Counts
of Bigorre, of which Tarbes (the city of
the Tarbelli was the capital. The Eng¬
lish monarclis retained possession of
Bigorre, which, with Guienne, formed
the dowry of Queen Eleanor, for 300
years, down to the reign of Charles
VII. The Black Prince kept his court
at Tarbes; Froissart describes his visit
to the Count d’Armagnac.

The distant view of the Pyrenees is
scarcely equal to that from Pau, but
the Pic du Midi de Bigorre here forms

the prominent object, and the moun¬
tains about Luchon are also visible.
Tarbes was the birthplace (1755) of the
infamous Bertrand Barr ere de Vieusac,
member of the National Convention,
the meanest and most dastardly as welQ
as the most cruel of the monsters of
the Revolution. (See Edin. Rev. 1844.)

A smart action was fought at Tai’bes,
in the interval between the battle of
Orthez and that of Toulouse, in which
the British army drove the French
from their position, and compelled
them to retreat. One French brigade
was attacked by the 3 rifle battalions :
—“ The fight was short, yet wonder¬
fully fierce and violent; for the French,
probably thinking their opponents to
be Portuguese, on account of their
green dress, charged with great hardi¬
ness, and being encountered by men
not accustomed to yield, they fought
muzzle to muzzle, and it was difficult
to judge at first who would win. At
last the French gave way.” But out
of the 120 men who fell on the side of
the British, there were 12 officers and
80 men of the Rifles.— Napier.

The road from Tarbes to Cauterets
and Bareges, by Lourdes (19 Idiom.),
is described in Rte. 85. Tarbes is the
key to the communication with all
parts of the Pyrenees.

Mallepostes go daily to Pau and
Bayonne; to Auch and Toulouse; to
Auch, Agen, and Limoges.

Diligences go to Lourdes and Ba¬
reges ; also to Bagneres ; to Toulouse
and Bordeaux ; to Bayonne, Auch,
Agen ; to Bagneres de Luchon, by
Lannemezan, a long stage of 20 Eng. m.

From Tarbes our road ascends the
1. bank of the Adour ; gradually ad¬
vancing within the embrace of the
mountains, which rise in height in
proportion as we advance. The coun¬
try is richly cultivated, copiously irri¬
gated, and thickly peopled; no less than
8 villages being passed on this stage.
A little off the road lies the Ch&teau
d’Odos, where Marguerite Queen of
Navarre, sister of Francis I,, died,
1549. Near Montgaillard, the road
from Lourdes, Bareges, and Cauterets,
to Bagneres, falls in on the rt. At
Trebons, the Val d’Ossouet opens out

310

Route 87 .—Bagneres de Bigorre.

Sect. IY.

on the rt., and runs up towards the
Pic de Montaigu.

A little below Pouzac occurs a
church, walled round like that of the
Templars at Luz. About 2 m. below
Bagneres, on the rt. bank of the Adour,
near the farther extremity of a wooden
bridge over that river, the geologist
will discover a knob of hornblende or
trap rock (ophite), which appears to
have affected the rocks about it, since
a little lower down, the granite is
found decomposed, intermixed with a
limestone which has assumed a large
granular structure.

The knoll passed on the rt., a little
behind the village of Pouzac, before
reaching the town, is the Camp de
Cdsar, so called from an intrenchment
upon it.

21 Bagneres de Bigorre. — {Inns:
H. de France, very good ; comfortable
apartments, and excellent table-d’hote;
Galignani is regularly taken in; persons
making some stay may board and
lodge for 6 fr. per diem ;—Frascati, a
large establishment, including mineral
baths and springs, a concert room,
billiard and coffee rooms;—H. de Paris,
good;—H. du Grand Soleil ; du Bon
Pasteur, good; de la Paix.)

Bagneres is the most town dike of the
Pyrenean watering-places in extent,
amusements, shops, &c., having a per¬
manent population of 8000, often aug¬
mented by 6000 or 8000 strangers in¬
tent upon pleasure as well as health,
during the season, which lasts from
the end of June to the end of Sep¬
tember. It is a cheerful town of white¬
washed houses, set off with blue marble
window-sills and door-jambs, delight¬
fully situated, just where the plain of
Tarbes begins to contract into the vale
of Campan, and the slopes which bound
it to change from hills into mountains,
whose noble peaks and masses rising to
the S. form the background of all the
beautiful views in and about the town,
while undulating slopes, trees, fields
of maize, vines, and villas fill up the
foreground. It stands at a height of
only 1852 ft. above the sea-level; and
its fault is the [fervid heat, dust, and
glare during part of the summer, un¬
fanned by the mountain breezes. The

Adorn*, on whose 1. bank it is built, is
here greatly reduced in breadth and
volume by the numerous artificial cuts
and canals, which borrow its waters
for the purpose of irrigation, and to
turn marble, paper, and other mills.
A large paid of these streams also is
made to circulate through the streets;
and thus they contribute to clean them,
while they freshen the air. Every
street and lane has its own clear gutter,
at which the housewives wash their
linen and domestic vessels before their
own doors; while to the deeper canals,
horses, asses, and pigs repair twice a
day, and after wading knee deep, are
ladled over with water thrown from
their backs by a wooden scoop.

Montaigne preferred Bagneres above
all the Eaux-Thermales which he had
visited, ‘ ‘ comme celles ou il y avait
plus d’amenity de lieu, commodity de
logis, de vivre, et de bonne compagnie;”
and on almost all these heads it still
continues to deserve praise. The cli¬
mate is warmer and less variable than
that of the mountain baths; the cost
of living and price of provisions are
moderate, lodgings being very nume¬
rous, since almost every householder
in the town lets either part or the
whole of his domicile.

To the passing traveller its chief
attractions are the picturesque beau¬
ties of the vallevs and mountains

«/

around, which afford endless resources:
in the town itself are scarcely any cu¬
riosities or sights.

The tall, octagonal, Gothic tower,
rising near the H. de France, belonged
to a church of Jacobins, suppressed at
the Revolution. The church of St.
John, which belonged to the Templars,
but is now converted into a playhouse,
retains a fine pointed doorway, en¬
riched with mouldings. One or two
feudal towers remain of the ancient
fortifications, relics of the days when
Froissart describes Bagneres as “ une
bonne, grosse ville, fermee,” whose
peaceful citizens suffered sorely from
a neighbouring den of thieves, or
castle, or, to borrow Froissart’s words,
“Ceux d’icelle ville avoyent trop fort
temps, car ils estoyent guerroyes et
harries de ceux de Malvoisin qui sied

Pyrenees. Route 87 .—Bagnere de Bigorre — Marbles.

311

sur une montagne.” (See p. 313.)
Bagneres was given up to the English
by the Treaty of Bretigny; and, as a
border fortress on a line of passage
into Spain, it was taken by Henry of
Trastamare by storm, after the death
of his brother, Don Pedro the Cruel.
One of the towers, called de Malfourat,
still stands opposite the Tliermes.

Bagneres de Bigorre owes its repu¬
tation as a watering-place to its warm
saline springs, varying in temperature
from 87° to 123° Fahrenheit. They
are good for disorders of the digestive
organs, and resemble those of Baden-
Baden, but contain a smaller quantity
of saline substances. They were known
to the Romans, as inscriptions found
in and near the town prove; indeed
the name Bagneres is not improbably
traced to the Latin “ Balnearia.” The
sources rise, to the number of about
40, wdthin the space of 3 or 4 hectares,
out of a shaly, calcareous rock, sup¬
posed to be the equivalent of the Jura
limestone.

The Public Bathing Establishment, or
Thermes, situated at the extremity of
the town, under Mount Olivet, is the
largest building in it, and the hand¬
somest and most cleanly in the Pyre¬
nees, though the arrangements for con¬
ducting the mineral waters to it are
said to be defective, and to deprive
them of a part of their medicinal pro¬
perties. The six springs, La Reine
(named from Jeanne de Navarre, mo¬
ther of Henri IV., who used it 1567),
Le Dauphin, Roi de Lannes, St. Roch,
Foulon, and Des Yeux, are conducted
into the building and distributed
among its 29 baths and 4 douches.
The water is previously received and
cooled down in open tanks; and it is
in this situation that the substance
called by French chemists Baregine,
but whose nature, whether animal or
vegetable, conferva or oscillatoria, has
not yet been ascertained, collects on
the surface.

There are about 20 other private
establishments in and around the town;
indeed it is only necessary to bore into
the ground to a certain depth to obtain
with certainty a warm saline spring.
The most fashionable and frequented

bath, and the water apparently most
efficacious, is that of Le Salut , rather
less than a mile out of the town, in a
great recess in the flank of the Monne
hill. The bath-house is a solitary
building, approached by a long avenue
of poplars, winding through the pretty
green valley, crowded at all hours, but
chiefly in the morning, by bathers on
horseback or foot, or in sedan chairs.
It contains only 10 baths, so that,
during the season, they are in request
at all hours. The water of the Salut
is saline, with a sulphureous smell ;
and it has the property of blackening
silver. It has scarcely any perceptible
taste, only a sort of milky feel in the
mouth.

Bagneres also possesses a chalybeate
spring, Fontaine Ferruginense (or d’An-
gouleme), almost the only one in the
Pyrenees, situated on the E. flank of
the Mount Olivet, in the direction of
the village of Pouzac (p. 310). Granite
is stated to have been found by digging,
within a few feet of the spring, which
doubtless originates in that rock.

The vale of Campan above Bagneres
abounds in the beautiful marbles for
which the Pyrenees are famed: they
are much used in Paris, and the work¬
ing of them gives employment to many
persons here. The Marbrerie of M.
Geruzet is on a very extensive scale,
and the modes of -cutting, turn¬
ing in the lathe, and polishing large
blocks, by machinery moved by the
river, are well worth seeing. Tables,
chimney-pieces, buffets, pillars, slabs,
as well as vases and other articles, are
made here ; and no less than 20 vari¬
eties of marble are employed. The
prices are not extravagant : a list of
the different varieties is printed with
the cost. The most beautiful are the
green and flesh-coloured marbles of
Campan, the blood-red or Griotte,
filled with fossilized shells of the nau¬
tilus, whose spirals are disclosed in
cutting. The quarries whence they
are derived occur in the transition
limestone formation. M. Geruzet is
also banker and agent of Coutts.

The knitting of the fine wool of the
Pyrenees, derived from Spain, gives
employment to the greater part of the

312

Route 87 .—Bagneres de Bigorre.

Sect. IV.

females, young and old, in and about
the town, who may be seen sitting at
their cottage-doors, in the roads and
streets, hard at work. The articles
made here are counterpanes, mittens,
aprons, caps, work-bags, besides shawls
and scarfs of woollen gauze, rivalling
in thinness fine lace. The so-called
crepe de Bareges is not made at that
place, but in Bagneres and Luz. The
principal d^pot for this kind of articles
seems to be chez Mademoiselle Laf-
fourque.

The English service is performed on
Sunday at 11^, in a room in the Mairie
(1846). There is a permanent Pro¬
testant French service throughout the
year. The Rev. Mr. Frossard is esta¬
blished as Pastor here and Protestant
Missionary.

There is a Theatre here in a dese¬
crated church.

Concerts and balls, during the sea¬
son, are given at Frascati’s, a superb
establishment, which was formerly a
gambling-house. There is good fly¬
fishing in the Adour between B. and
Tarbes.

Diligences —4 or 5 daily to Tarbes;
thence to Pau, Auch, Bordeaux, Li¬
moges; daily to Toulouse, to Bagneres
de Luchon, to Cauterets, Luz, Bareges
(nearly 40 m. distant by the post and
coach road, 20 by the Tourmalet).
(See Rte. 85.)

Guides and ponies for excursions in
the mountains are very numerous.
The landlords of the H. de France or
other inns will recommend the most
trustworthy.

Chaises a porteurs, or sedan-chairs,
are much used by invalids to go to the
bath. To be carried to the Bain de
Salut and back costs 1 fr.

The Promenades most frequented in
and near the town (besides the Avenues
de Salut already mentioned) are the
Coustous (? Coteau), a long platform in
the midst of the town, lined with
houses and cafes; shaded with trees,
under which a sort of fair is kept up
throughout the season, in temporary
booths occupied by itinerant mar-
chan ds. It is crowded in the cool of
the evening.

The Alices de Maintenon , a row of

trees planted along a bank above the
road leading to Campan, are named
from the lady who became the wife
of Louis XIV., but who visited these
baths in the capacity of gouvernante
to his deformed child, the Due du
Maine, for the benefit of the waters, in
1675, 1677, and 1681.

The pleasantest wa,lk in the morning
is along the slopes of the Mont Olivet,
the wooded hill rising behind the
Thermes. Numerous shady paths are
cut through the trees, whence you
may survey the vale of the Adour.
One path skirting the flanks of the hill
leads to the chalybeate spring.

In the rear of Mont Olivet and of
the Bains de Salut rises the loftier
cone-topped mountain Be'dat, which
takes more than half an hour to ascend,
but is accessible on horseback.

By crossing the two bridges over
the two main arms of the Adour, by
which the road to Toulouse quits the
town, and turning to the rt., after
passing the second, up a steep road in
zigzags, the Palombiere is reached ; a
row of trees on the top of the hill, be¬
tween which the fowlers stretch their
nets in September and October, to
catch the migratory flocks of wild
pigeons, aided by boys hoisted aloft in
a sort of cradle at the top of a pair of
poles 130 to 150 ft. high above the
ground—a position which seems ter¬
rific, owing to the bending of the poles
beneath their weight. On the ap¬
proach of the birds the boy throws
down a piece of wood somewhat in the
shape of a pigeon, which making a
whizzing noise causes the birds to stoop
in their flight, so as to come within
the reach of the net, which the fowler
allows to fall on them by loosening
the cords. There is scarcely a better
point than this to look up the valley
of Campan and survey the magnificent
mountains at its head, bounding it on
the S.W.; the Pic du Midi and the
Pic de Montaigu, with the Penne (Pen
or Ben, Celtic, head) de l’Hyeris rising
on the 1. In the midst, the white
buildings of Bagneres are spread out,
backed by the dark masses of the Mont
Olivet, the Bedat, &c. The Adour
makes little figure in the view, so

Pyrenees. Route 87 .—Bagneres de Bigorre — Loc Bleu.

313

much are its streams frittered away;
but below the town to the N. its wide,
cultivated plain expands to view for
miles and miles, until it unites with
that of the Garonne.

More distant excursions, of great
beauty and interest, are to the Valley
of Grip and its cascades; to Trames
Aigues, on account of the fine view
thence of the Pic du Midi, described
at p. 304 ; the ascent of that Pic
also, p. 305.

The most beautiful scenery of the
Vale of Campan is to be found within
the branch of it called Val Lesponne,
opening out near the CMteau de St.
Paul, between Baudean and Campan,
and running up between the Pic du
Midi on the S. and the Pic de Montaigu
on the N. Its lower portion has
chiefly the pastoral character of rich
verdure, alternating with cultivated
fields. Beyond the village Lesponne it
contracts in width, its aspect alters
and becomes wilder; bare rocks and
rugged crags succeed to dark forests of
beech and pine : the forms of the
mountains are very striking. About 2
m. above Lesponne a gorge, opening on
the rt., displays the entire mass of the
Montaigu, a noble sjjectacle; and the
streamlet traversing it descends the
steep rocks in a pretty fall. Half an
hour’s walk farther, and the valley
divides: the branch on the rt. leads,
in 3 h., over the pass called Hour-
quette de Baran by Villelongue, to
Pierrefitte in the Val d’Argelez; that
on the L, disclosing the noble form of
the Pic du Midi, leads up to the Lac
Bleu, in which the stream of the Val
Lesponne takes its rise. The ascent to
it is very steep and fatiguing, though
achieved by ladies: it is cut through the
mica slate rock, covered at first by a
wood, beyond which are extensive pas¬
turages. The lake itself * ‘ is an oval basin,
or tarn, about 2 m. long, at the top of a
mountain, surrounded by bare craggy
peaks of the most curious formation,
within whose declivities the snow always
remains. It is a solitary spot, with no
house, or tree, or living tiling to be
seen in its vicinity, a stillness almost
death-like reigning around. It might
be dreary, but for the rich warm

v J *

France.

colouring of the rocks, the depth and
stillness of the water, and its intense
blue, whence it takes its name.”—
Ellis. It takes 6 or 7 hours, on foot,
to reach Lac Bleu from B. de Bigorre.
Higher up is another smaller tarn, dif ;
ficult to approach, distinguished as the
Lac Vert, another of the head-waters
of the Adour.

The shortest and most romantic way
to Bagneres de Luchon from B. de
Bigorre is the bridle-road by Arreau
over the Hourquette d’Aspin, at the
head of the Val de Campan, and
through the Val de Louron, described
in Rte. 86. Those who cannot endure
the fatigue of riding must pursue the
circuitous post-road, which doubles
the mountains, and skirts their roots
between the valley of the Adour and
that of the Garonne, as follows. It
quits Bagneres by crossing the Adour,
and for the two first stages is identical
with that to Toulouse. A steep hill
precedes

12 Escaladieu, where the post-house
occupies part of the buildings of the
ancient Abbey, now in ruins, charmingly
placed on the borders of the Arros.
It now belongs to a gentleman of
Bordeaux, who has fitted up a portion
of the building as a dwelling. The
chapel remains, with some fragments
of Gothic sculpture. A little beyond it
the ruins of the Castle Mauvezin (i. e.
Mauvais Voisin, a name given by the
inhabitants of the neighbouring towns,
who suffered from the depredations of
the bands of marauders sheltered in
this stronghold) crown a detached hill.
It witnessed many exploits during the
occupation of this country by the
English. It was besieged 1374, by
the Due d’Anjou, with an army of
8000 men; and the strength of the
castle was so great that it would have
held out for a very long time, but, the
well which supplied it being without
the walls, the besiegers cut off the
communication, and as the weather
was hot and the cisterns dry, not a
drop of rain having fallen for six weeks,
the garrison were obliged to come to
tei’ms. The Due d’Anjou allowed
them to depart, saying, “ Get about
your business, each of you to your

314

Route 87.—j Bagneres de Rigor re to Luchon. Sect. IV.

own countries, without entering any
fort that holds out against us; for if
you do so, and I get hold of you, I
will deliver you up to Jocelin (his
headsman), who will shave you with¬
out a razor.” He also allowed them
to carry off as much of their booty as
they could convey in trunks on sumpter
horses .—See Froissart.

Capbern, a little farther on the road,
is a small village, on one side of which,
J m. off, in a retired nook, are the
Sulphureous Springs of Capbern, having
a bathing establishment, 3 hotels, and
several lodging-houses attached to it.
It is a place of increasing resort, owing
to the virtue of its waters.

14 Lannemezan (Inn not good).
On quitting this small bourg, a road
branches off, S., into the Val d’Aure,
to Arreau (Rte. 86). There is a short
cut for the pedestrian, or equestrian,
to St. Bernard by La Barthe, where is
a good little country inn, opposite the
ancient square tower, at the E. end of
the village.

16 Montrejeau (Inn tolerable), a
town of 3034 Inliab., in front of the
opening of the Yale of the Garonne,
whose vista is terminated by the grand
peaks and ridges attached to the Monts
Maudits, ranking among the highest of
the Pyrenees; at whose foot, on the S.,
rises the Ebro, and on the N. the
Garonne. It is a truly magnificent
view. The stream of the Neste d’Aure
falls into the Garonne a little above this.
Here the road to Toulouse (Rte. 91)
turns off to the 1.; and that to Luchon,
crossing the Garonne, begins to ascend
its valley. On its rt. bank lies the
ancient and curiorfs walled town of

St. Bertrand de Comminges (Lug-
dunum Convenarum), situated at the
opening of the Val de Barousse, upon
and around a solitary rock, rising pic¬
turesquely out of the plain. Its sum¬
mit is crowned by a Gothic church, the
finest among the Pyrenees, in the Point¬
ed style, whose choir and organ are orna¬
mented with wood carvings, of very
remarkable excellence, executed appa¬
rently in the 16th or 17th century.
The painted glass, and a monument of
a bishop (date 1351) in white marble,
deserve notice, Upon the walls are a

series of rude and ancient (? fresco)
paintings of the Miracles of St. Ber¬
trand; and some relics of the saint
are preserved in the sacristy. Here is
hung up the skin of a crocodile, which
is said to have infested the neighbour¬
hood and to have been destroyed by the
saint! In a fragment of the cloisters,
which have only recently been pulled
down, are some curious old tombs.
This church was once a cathedral, and
the town itself, now deserted (847
Inhab.), was the capital of a comte,
and a bishop’s see. Many of the houses
belonged to the canons and chapter.
The inn is in the upper town.

The Grotto of Gargas, 5 m. S. of
Montrejeau, in the wooded hill extend¬
ing between the Garonne and Neste, is
the finest in the Pyrenees for extent
and the beauty of its stalactites: the
entrance is a hole so small that it is
necessary to crawl through on one’s
hands and knees.

The high road, leaving St. Bertrand
on one side, again crosses the Garonne,
by the Pont de Labroquere, and pur¬
sues its 1. bank, through scenery of
great interest, in which well-cultivated
fields, enclosed by festoons of vines,
hanging from tree to tree, form the
foreground, and grand mountains the
distance, by

16 EstSnos—to Cierp, where we quit
the Garonne, and enter the Yale of the
Pique, which becomes its affluent at
Cierp, a picturesque village both on
account of its antique cottages, and
from its position, under cliffs which
nearly overhang it, at a point where
the vistas of 2 valleys, meeting, disclose
noble views. There are quarries of a
beautiful marble near this.

A road runs from Cierp up the
Valley of the Garonne (Vallee d’Aran),
one of the most beautiful in the Py¬
renees, to St. Beat, the last town of
France, situated in a narrow gorge
between high mountains. (See p. 321.)

St. Beat is not more than 5 m. from
the Spanish frontier.

The Valley of the Pique, which, is
very picturesquely varied with wood,
rock, human habitations, and culti¬
vated fields, presents a succession of
savage contractions, and smiling basin-

Pyrenees.

Route 87 .—Bagneres de Luchon.

315

shaped expansions, covered with ver¬
dure, the river alternately winding
over the plain and dashing through
the gorge; its upper end terminated
by the grand snowy peaks contiguous
to the Port de Venasque. The road,
which now makes several awkward
ascents and steep descents, is about to
be carried on a regular terrace. When
the iron furnaces of Guron are passed,
we traverse, near Pont de Casaux, the
defile, before the geological rupture of
which, the basin of Luchon must,
doubtless, have been a vast lake.
Some have considered this “ rupture ”
a work of art, and have attributed it
to the Homans.

21 Bagneres de Luchon. — Inns: H. du
Parc, best, 1851; H. Bonnemaison;
Gypsy Villa, an English family house;
H. de Londres, a cafe and reading-
room attached ; H. du Commerce ;
H. de France, good and moderate— F.
The accommodation and cuisine at the
inns are inferior to that afforded at
Bagneres de Bigorre. Strangers about
to stop some days here had better hire
lodgings, of which there are enough to
accommodate from 1500 to 2000
persons.

The situation of Bagneres de Luchon
is somewhat like that of Bigorre, ex¬
cept that the mountains are loftier,
and entirely surround the flat, fertile
plain on the edge of wfliich it stands,
forming a sort of oval basin in the
very heart of the Pyrenees. On the
W., close to the town, the Val de
l’Arboust (Rte. 86) opens out; on the
S., high among the clouds, rise bare,
serrated ridges, destitute of vegetation,
but contrasting grandly with the luxu¬
riantly cropped plain near at hand.

Luchon is a town of 2000 Inliab., of
narrow streets and mean houses, less
neat and civilised than B. de Bigorre,
with the exception of the Allee de
Pique, leading to the river, and the
Allee cles Bains, a triple avenue of limes,
lined with buildings, inchiding the
chief inns and best lodging-houses.
Another avenue stretches up the hill
to the entrance of the Val de l’Ar-
boust; and a third, of poplars, crosses
the valley from the church towards
the river Pique. These Allees enable

the pedestrian to move to a consider¬
able distance under shade, protected
from the sun, and enjoying the view
of the mountains which close the
upper end of the valley. This range
of peaks and precipices, among which
the Pic de la Pique is conspicuous,
screens from view the Malacletta, the
Monarch of the Pyrenees. In the
middle distance rises the tower of
Castle Vieilh, which stops the mouth
of the gorge to the S.

At the end of the Great Allee are
the Baths. A splendid new Thermal
Establishment is being built on the plan
of those at some of the German Spas,
to which the architects were purposely
sent to obtain the best plan. It will
cost more than 600,000 fr. Many of
the Bath-rooms already finished com¬
bine every comfort. The price of the
bath depends on the hour at which
you take it. During the morning and
middle of the day it is 20 to 22 sous.
At 4 a.m. and 5 p.m. it diminishes to
12 or 14 sous.— F. The Baths stand
at the foot of a precipitous wooded hill
of slate, called Super Bagneres: the
waters issue forth at the junction of
the slate with the granite; they are
sulphureous (except two, one saline,
the other ferruginous?), and vary in
temperature from 77° to 152° Fahr.
The waters are good for rheumatic
complaints, paralysis, and cutaneous
disorders, but are injurious in nervous
diseases, and to persons of sanguine
temperament. They are taken inter¬
nally as well as in baths.

By driving horizontal galleries into
the rock of the mountain behind, near
the old sources, an experiment which
w T as 2 years in progress, hotter water,
and a more copious supply, have been
obtained, but some of the old springs
are dried up in consequence.

The Romans were well acquainted
with the hot springs of Luchon; many
altars and inscriptions, now in the
museum of Toulouse, have been dug
up here, some of them dedicated Deo
Lixoni, from whom the place would
appear to be named.

Protestant service is performed in a
chapel built by an Irish gentleman, Mr.
Corneille, at his own expense.

p 2

316

B. 87 .—Bagneres cle Luchon — Excursions. Sect. IV.

Zigzag paths run up the hill behind
the baths, through the wood, and along
the face of the hill; and have been ex¬
tended to the English gardens lately
laid out.

The chief season of these baths is
June and July to the middle of Sep¬
tember.

About 200 horses and ponies are kept
here for hire, at the usual charges, and
are in constant request in fine weather.
Guides are proportionably numerous;
among them Laffont, called Prince, is
hardy, experienced, and trustworthy,
and has very good horses; he knows
every step of the country around,
and every mountain peak. Bertrand
Estrujo is a capital guide, especially
for ladies. He speaks Spanish and
knows the region of the High Pyrenees.
His horses are also good. At Luchon
the quality of the horse is often of
more importance than that of the
guide, except on very severe mountain
excursions.

Diligences —daily, 3 to Toulouse;
1 to Auch; 1 or 2 to Bagneres de
Bigorre.

The inhabitants of the valley of
Luchon and its tributaries appear an
inferior race to those of the valleys in
the W.; not so well off, nor so well
clothed. In their dress the berret
gives place to an ugly night-cap, and
the capulet, if retained, is black, in¬
stead of red; Beggars are very nume¬
rous, and goitres not uncommon; yet
the lower parts of the valleys are fertile,
producing two crops of corn in the
year; the first of wheat or maize, the
second, late in September, when the
fields are literally white, for the harvest
of buck-wheat. Many goats are kept,
which find sufficient food in the luxu¬
riant herbage of the rocks ; and the
tinkling bells of the scampering flock,
as they enter the town at sunset, pro¬
duce a merry sound.

The Cascade of Montavhan, on the E.
side of the valley, is a very romantic
spot, and, though the fall is inconsider¬
able, forms an agreeable walk. It is
approached through a garden made by
the cure of the village, who devotes to
his parish the douceurs left by visitors.

A farther scramble up the course of

the stream will repay the hardy pedes¬
trian by bringing him to another Fall,
and still further on, after about f
hour’s good walking, he will come to
an Oule or vast circular excavation in
the rock. Fine views into the valley
beneath. The summit of the high hill
called Super Bagneres, rising close above
the houses of the town, and made
accessible for some distance by paths,
commands a nobly magnificent pano¬
rama of the flat land on the N., and of
the mountains E.,jW.,and S., including
the Maladetta, whose glaciers appear
through a gap in the chain.

The Excursions to be made from B.
de Luchon are superior to those from
B. de Bigorre; and are indeed the finest
in the Pyrenees, a. That to the beau¬
tiful Lac de Seculejo or Lac d' Oo will be
found in Rte; 86, p. 307; 4 h. are re¬
quired to go thither, and 3 to return.
No one should quit Luchon without
seeing the

b; Val d'Aran (p. 320). An excur¬
sion of 1 day, on horseback, may be
made thus: over the Port de PortHlon
to Bosost 2^ to 3 h., bad road—to St.
Beat 3 h.—rest the horses.—St. Beat
to Luchon 2| to 3 h, It may be
lengthened to 2 days by ascending the
valley from Bosost to the Hermitage of
Artigues Tellina 2^ li. : while the
horses are baiting, go and see the (Eil
de Garonne. From the Hermitage to
Viella 3 h. by a path in the wood diffi¬
cult to find without a guide. You
cross the stream by a bridge about 1
m; below the Hermitage, and enter
the wood, from which you do not
emerge until in sight of Viella: sleep
there. This excursion may be com¬
bined with that to the Port de Venasque.
(See below.)

c. The Val de Lys, so called, not from
its lilies, but from an old or provincial
form of the word eau, water, from the
number of streams and waterfalls, is
a ride of 2 h. or a walk of 3, the
distance being 7 or 8 m. The road
to it ascends the valley from the baths,
having the Pique at some distance on
the 1. It passes, also on the L, the
pictufeque border tower of Castcl
Vieilh, perched on a projecting crag,
before the mouth of the Gorge de

Pyrenees. Route 87 .—Excursion to Port de Venasque.

317

St. Mamet, watered by the Bourbe,
leading, by the pass of the Portillon,
into the Spanish Val d’Aran. This
tower was designed to defend the
entrance into the Val de Luchon by
the ports of Portillon and of Ve¬
nasque. Soon after passing it the
road crosses the Pique to its rt. bank,
and ^ a m. farther, leaving on the 1.
the road to Venasque, it recrosses the
Pique, to enter the fine wooded gorge
out of which the Lys issues to unite
with it. After a mile and a half’s
pleasant ride through the wood, under
the shade of beech and hazels, the
gorge expands into a green basin-shaped
valley, of a truly pastoral character;
the pastures covered with herds occu¬
pying its bottom being overlooked by
very lofty mountains, girt with fir
woods, especially at its upper end. It
is there shut in by the snowy peaks
and glaciers of the Crabioules, rising
above the fir-clad precipices, which
look like a festooned curtain of black
drapery drawn across the valley head.
The centre of this curtain of foliage
is streaked by the white lines of the
foaming cascades which form the lions
of this valley. 'jThe principal one leaps
down into the valley, about 200 yards
above the little cabin, half chalet, half
pot-house, where visitors put up their
horses, and may obtain some common
refreshments. The slate rock is cleft
by a very narrow fissure or groove,
called Trou d’Enfer, down which the
fall, really a picturesque one, dashes.
The other fall, on the 1., called Cascade
de Coeur, is less striking in character
and less accessible; it is fed by the
glaciers of the Tuque de Maupas. The
glacier of Crabioules, which feeds the
other, is very difficult of access, owing
to its steep inclination and its crevices.
It joins, on the W., the glacier of the
Portillon d’Oo and the Port d’Oo.
The pedestrian should go to the Val
de Lys or return from it by the hill of
Super Bagneres, the height behind
Luchon, whence he will enjoy a magnir
ficent view.

d. None of the excursions from Lu¬
chon, nor indeed in the whole range
of the Pyrenees, surpass that to the
Fort de Venasque. It is somewhat dif¬

ficult, yet is achieved by ladies in
chaises h porteur. The expense for
taking up one lady is 60 frs. It is
practicable on horseback, and no one
should omit it who has strength and
love of fine scenery. It may be ac¬
complished in 9 lirs., allowing 1^ hr.
halt at the Port. A guide is neces¬
sary. The road is the same as that
just described as far as the 2nd bridge
over the Pique above Castel Vieilh.
Leaving the opening of the Val de Lys
on the rt., without crossing this bridge,
you continue up the valley of the
Pique, through park-like scenery,
under the grateful shade of beech fo¬
rests interspersed with firs and yews,
between whose branches appear the
rugged .crags of the Pic de la Pique on
the opposite side of the torrent. The
ascent is gradual up to the Hospice de
Bagneres (1^ hr. ride), the last habi¬
tation in France, where the horses are
commonly allowed half-an-hour’s rest
to prepare them for the fatigue in
store for them. It is a large, massive,
dirty stone house, like a Refuge on a
Swiss mountain pass, belonging to the
Commune of Luchon, intrusted to an
inn-keeper who resides here till the
20th December, and on his departure
leaves behind a store of bread and
wine, wood and straw, for the enter¬
tainment of wayfarers, who cross the
pass even in the depth of winter. No
one avails himself of this provision
without leaving behind money in pay¬
ment for it. The house is on a par
with a common cabaret, affording only
the commonest necessaries, and ap¬
pears a miserable hovel to those who
need neither food nor shelter. It
stands in a grassy hollow at the foot
of high hills, some way below the head
of the valley where the Pique takes its
rise at the foot of the mountain called
La Picade, over whose shoulder lies
the pass of the Port de Picade. The
path to it scales the hill behind the
house, and it is a good 2 hrs. ascent,
chiefly over grass, to reach the Port.

Opposite the house, at rt. angles to
the vale of the Pique, a colossal semi¬
circular recess, or natural cirque cut
out of the mountains, which surround
it with bare precipices, opens out; jt

318

Route 87 .—Excursion to Port de Venctsqice. Sect. IV.

is a scene of dreary solitude, disturbed
only by the hoarse raven or the howl¬
ing blast. It is approached by a little
wooden bridge crossing the Pique in
front of the hospice, under the singular
Pic de Pi cade, rising on the 1. hand.

“We w T ere all puzzled, as our horses*
heads were turned towards the glen
and we commenced the ascent, to ' ell
how men on foot, much more laden
beasts, were to pass up and over this
wall in any part of its circumference.
Up, however, we went, toiling for 2
hrs. incessantly along a slightly traced
path, always winding in zigzags, over
large stones or rough beds of debris
fallen from the mountains, alternating
with smooth solid rock. Our little
jaded horses did the work wonderfully
well, taking to the steep staircase road
most willingly, and clambering among
the cliffs like kids, never making a
false step. As we mounted higher,
however, * the rushing mighty wind,*
which sweeps down the gully with a
hideous howl and a force perfectly tre¬
mendous, rendered it difficult to keep
one’s seat. There is a proverb, that, in
ascending the Port de Venasque, ‘a
father will not look back at his son,
nor a son wait for his father.’ About
3-4ths of the way up is a small ledge
or recess in the face of the mountain,
in which lie 4 small, deep-sunken tarns
or ponds, frozen over a great part of
the year. The steepness of the moun¬
tain and the shortness of the zigzags
constantly increase till, near the top,
the angle of the slope is so highly in¬
clined that the path turns abruptly at
every 6 or 8 ft.; and as the ground is
covered with loose splintery shale, the
horses have no secure footing. The
rocks in front hide all view until the
moment when you enter the Port, a
wedge-shaped fissure cut into the crest
of the mountain;—a mere gate, not
more than 6 ft. wide. On passing this
doorway, you step from France at once
into Spain. To tarry in the singular
portal or port-hole was impossible on
account of the wind, which threatened
to blow us back again more quickly
than we had entered; so we descended
a few steps, driving our horses before
us, and seated ourselves on the smooth

slate rock, which here dips downward
as abruptly as the roof of a house.
But what a scene opened before us—
not a glimpse of which had been per¬
ceived before l We beheld an enor¬
mous mountain, the highest of the
Pyrenees, called the Maladetta , or Ac¬
cursed —I suppose from the utterly
barren and dreary air of It and every¬
thing about it. Its huge round top
and ridges are covered with everlasting
snow, except where one or two bristling
black peaks break through it; its lower
part is shrouded with scanty fir-trees:
a great gulf or deep ravine separates it
from the bare slope on which we stood;
not a sign of human habitation or cul¬
tivation ; all around a desert, as though
a corner of the world forgotten and
left unfinished.”— MS. Journal .*

This road has lately been improved,
so that not only ladies, but even the
fat and infirm, may easily surmount it
in a chaise h porteurs, or even on horse¬
back.

The pass called Port de Venasque
(reached in 2 hrs. from the Hospice of
Bagneres) is cut through the mountain
wall called Penna Blanca, at an eleva¬
tion of 7917 ft. above the sea-level,
but at a considerable depth below the
crest of that mountain. The frontier

* In Blackwood’s Magazine, No. CLXV.,
will be found a most vivid and true <)eseription
of the Port de Venasque. The final ascent is
thus related by its observant author :—

“ Our position became at every step more
interesting and extraordinary ; for to all powers
of observation this cul-de-sac was so perfect,
and all means of exit so inscrutable, that not
one of the party, after the most mature in¬
spection, could form a conjecture as to the con¬
tinuation even of the very pathway, much less
of the pass itself, which appeared to elude our
grasp as we drew near, and yet must, if it really
existed, be now close at hand. At length, on
rounding a sharp corner, the pass started into
view, about 50 ft. above our head. . . . The
poor animals, as if conscious that the severest
portion of their task was drawing to a close,
exerted themselves witli redoubled efforts to
accomplish the remaining—I may say —steps
in the ladder. . . .

“ Another march brought me to the breach,
when I drew up, and in motionless and speech¬
less admiration sat with my eyes riveted on the
stupendous scene so singularly, so suddenly
revealed . . . The Maladetta was immediately
in front, without a single intervening object,
standing in all its dreary nakedness, like the
ghost of some mountain belonging to a departed
world.’*—S.

Pyrenees. Route 87 .—Port de Venasque—The Maladetta. 319

line, near its top, is marked by an iron
cross. In the depths of the hollow
below the Port, within the Spanish
territory, the Essera takes its rise, and
a low ridge stretching across at its
head unites the Maladetta with the
main chain and the mountains of the
Port de Yenasque. To the E. of this
ridge, on the 1., lies the mysterious
Trou da Taureau, an oval basin or gulf
without visible outlet, excavated in the
limestone rock to a depth of 80 ft.,
which, swallowing up the waters de¬
scending from the N.E. slope of the
Maladetta, is believed to convey them
under the intervening mountains into
the French Valley of Artigues Tellina,
where, rising again to light, they form
the

Source of the Garonne. This pheno¬
menon merits the personal investiga¬
tion of travellers.

The Maladetta, erroneously included
in some maps in the central chain, and
even placed within the French fron¬
tier, is an outlier or buttress, lying to
the S. of the dorsal spine of the Pyre¬
nees, and entirely shut out by it from
France, as it were by a screen of peaks
and ridges. Though the highest of
the Pyrenees, 11,426 ft. above the sea-
level, it loses much of the effect of
elevation when seen from the Port de
Venasque, on account of the great
height of the Val d’Essera, out of
which it rises. The highest of its
summits, the Pic de Nethou, had
never been reached until 1842, when
it was surmounted by a Russian officer
named Tchitchacheff, with one French
companion and 3 guides. The glacier
upon its N. flank is the largest in the
Pyrenees, and is dangerous to cross on
account of the crevasses. In 1824 a
guide, named Barran, perished mise¬
rably in one of them, owing to the
covering of snow giving way beneath
him, before the eyes of two French
gentlemen, pupils of the Ecole des
Mines, who heard his agonising cries as
he gradually sank down, without being
able to render any assistance. The crags
and snows of the Maladetta are the fa¬
vourite haunt of the izard; and many
a bold chasseur dares all the perils of
the mountain in pursuit of them.

The Spanish town of Venasque is about
as far from the Port to the S.W. as
Luchon is to the N., i. e. a walk of 4
hrs.; but the way is very rough and
difficult, following at first the wind¬
ings of the Essera, wading the torrents
which fall into it, and threading the
mass of rocks and rubbish fallen from
the gigantic wall of Penna Blanca on
the rt.; no danger, however. The
scenery far more magnificent than on
the French side, the Val d’Essera
being esteemed by some travellers as
fine as any scene in the Pyrenees.
Some way down is the Spanish Hos¬
pice, <f a vile posada,” serving as a
guard and custom-house, occupied by
carabineers, and supplying the place
of a hospice swept away by an ava¬
lanche in 1838, which resembled that
on the French side of the pass. From
this to Venasque, about 10 m., the
path runs by the side of the Essera,
and is very difficult. The scenery of
the gorge is grand but savage, its strik¬
ing feature being the number of its
waterfalls, and rapidity of the torrents
descending into it. A bath has been
built on the opposite slope of the valley.

The path from the Port d’Oo (see p.
308) descends the Val d’Astos. The
sides of the mountains are stripped of
wood near

Venasque, which is suddenly dis¬
closed to view by a bend in the valley.
It is a wretched dirty and foul place.
Its most conspicuous feature is the
gloomy Castle by wdiicli it is sur¬
mounted, originally a stronghold of
the middle ages, converted by modern
works into a fortress, which was be¬
sieged and taken by the French in
1809, and possesses no great strength.
It is surrounded on three sides by deep
ravines.

In the principal street, Calle Mayor,
are several picturesque old houses
ornamented with sculptured figures,
coats of arms, &c., and some of these
retain the towers which originally
served for defence. The Church, at the
end of the town farthest from the
castle, is a curious Romanesque build¬
ing, fitted up in the Spanish style,
with carving, gilding, &c. Another
church was destroyed by the French,

320

lioute 87.— Venasque to Luchon.

Sect. IV.

who did much mischief here. “ The
Inns are ventas of the most miserable
class, unfit to shelter an English dog.
Strangers are received, as a great favour
and at a high price, in 2 bouses be¬
longing to rich, proud Arragonese. It
is necessary to make a bargain before
you discharge an article of baggage,
and I an hour is spent in haggling.
They demand 10 frs. for a miserable
supper, bed, and small cup of choco¬
late in the morning. You may get off
with 7 frs.” — G. M. S. There is
nothing tolerable but the beds, which
are clean, and the chocolate.

You may return from Venasque to
the Spanish Hospice and over the Pom-
mereau into the gorge of Artigues Tel-
lina, visiting on the way the CEil de
Garonne, sleep at Viella, and reach
Luchon by St. B^at the 3rd night.

The excursion may be prolonged
round the base of the Maladetta, from
Venasque, through wild and magnifi¬
cent scenery, by the Port de Castaneze,
3 lirs.; village of C., 4 hrs,; Vitalles,
2 hrs.; Hospice de Viella, 4 hrs., situ¬
ated amidst stupendous scenery; Port
de Viella, 2 hrs., 8322 ft. above the
sea, and very grand; town of Viella,
2^ hrs., in the Val d’Aran.

Venasque to Luchon —

a. by the Port de Picade .

b. by the Port de Pammereau .

The ridge of the Penna Blanca,
through which the Port de Venasque
opens, is traversed, about 1^- m. to the
E. of it, by another pass, called Port de
Picade, reached by turning to the L
across the meadows at the base of
the mountains, whence the Port de
Venasque looks as though it had been
formed by chipping a bit out of the
Sierra, and then scaling a steep ascent
encumbered with rubbish, and not
marked by any path. On the top you
pass out of Arragon into a corner of
Catalonia, and look down upon a chaos
of wild peaks and ridges. Here you
have the choice of two passes, the
shortest the Picade; on the. 1. is a very
narrow path carried along the shattered
edges of the slaty stone, barely traced
among shivers and splinters of rock
upon the very ridge or crest of the
Sierra, along the brink of the precipice.

It is a grand wild spot, and is named
Picade from the gigantic obelisk of
rock which rears itself aloft. It leads
back to the Hospice de Bagneres by a
path marked with tolerable distinct¬
ness on the grassy slopes, and, though
steep, much easier than that up to the
Port de Venasque. Thus the traveller
has passed from France into Spain
through one door or gap in the great
separation-wall between them, and re¬
turned through another.

b. The pass on the rt. hand, after
reaching the crest of the Port de Picade,
is called Port de Pommereau , and leads
into the vale of the Garonne, the upper
part of which is called the Val d’Aran ,
and, though lying on the French side
of the Pyrenees, belongs to Spain.
The descent runs through the grand
gorge of Artigues Tellina, covered, as
you proceed down it, with dense intact
forests of primaeval growth, in the
midst of which, in a deep hollow at
the foot of precipices, 10 minutes dis¬
tant from the path, one of the chief
sources of the Garonne issues forth from
a series of cavities encumbered with
broken rocks called GEil de Djoueou,
and by the Spaniards Ojos de Garonna,
“ the Garonne’s eye.” It is said that
the copious stream which here bursts
forth to-day is the torrent whose cradle
is the snows of the Maladetta, and
which, after being lost in the Trou de
Taureau (p. 319), pursues its way
under ground, through the caverns of
the limestone mountains, as far as this
spot, where it rises a ready-made river.
This is one of the most important
sources of the Garonne. A little far¬
ther down lies the Hospice of Artigues
Tellina. The part of the lovely valley
below this is covered with pastures.
Much timber is cut in the forests, and
floated down the Garonne to Bordeaux,
Hear the junction of the valley of
Artigues Tellina with that of the main
stream of the Garonne of Viella, the
river is crossed by a bridge near the
ruined Castel Leon , destroyed by the
French in the war of the Succession.
The Val d’Aran contains 32 towns and
villages, 69 churches, and 20,000 In-
hab.; it runs up towards the great
chain, 14 m» above Castel Leon; 5 m.

Pyrenees, i?. 87.

J al d' Aran. It. 90.— Toulouse to Pau. 321

up it lies Viella, the chief place of the
valley, containing 900 Inhab., 8 m.
below the Port de Viella. Below
Castel Leon, at Las Bordas, the path
to Luchon by the Portillon and the
Val Burbe stretches off to the W.
Good sleeping quarters may be found
in a farm-house at Viella, hrs.
Lower down is Bosost, the second place
in the valley, a miserable village, but
in a charming situation. On the out¬
skirts of the village of Les are Baths
supplied by sulphureous springs, and
a boarding-house or Inn, belonging to
the proprietor, affords the best accom¬
modation in the valley. Below i;his a
fine view is obtained of the Maladetta.
Here the Val d’Aran puts on its great¬
est beauty and grandeur, which cause
it to rank high among the Pyrenean
valleys. The river is jammed in be¬
tween the rocks near a bridge over a
tributary stream, called Pont du Roi,
which marks the frontier of France;
it is the custom-house post, See. The
Val d’Aran belonged to France down
to 1192, when it was transferred as
the dowry of Beatrix de Comminges
to her husband, a prince of Aragon.
It was ravaged by the Carlists in the
late war. Fos is the first place within
the French territory. The valley con¬
tracts lower down to a grand defile, in
the midst of which lies St. Beat (3 hrs.
below Bosost), a very picturesque and
interesting old town, consisting of a
narrow street overhung by beetling
cliffs; a ruined castle stands on a rock
in the midst of the defile. The scenery
around is most lovely. The Inn (For-
tan’s) is not good, but it is one of the
best in the valley. There is an excel¬
lent carriage-road from this to Cierp
and Luchon.

There are quarries of marble here.

At Cierp, 6 m. below St. Bfi it, the
Garonne is joined by the Pique coming
from Luchon, and our road falls into
the high road from Bigorre and Tou¬
louse (p. 314), leading thither.

*** More detailed and accurate in¬
formation respecting the Val d’Aran,
the scenery S. of the Maladetta, and
Venasque, would be acceptable to the
Editor.

ROUTE 90.

TOULOUSE TO PAU, BY AUCH AND
TARBES.

188 kilom. =116 Eng. m.

Malleposte, daily in 15 hrs.

Diligence, daily.

Toulouse is in Rte. 70.

At the radiation of roads outside
the Faubourg St. Cyprien, called Patte
d’Oie, the branch on the rt. is that
which leads to Auch; it crosses, at the
distance of 2 m., the stream of the
Touch.

18 Leguevin.

15 L’lle Jourdain (H. de France), a
town of 2000 Inhab., on the rt. bank of
the Save.

18 Gimont,

9 Aubiet. The road runs through a
highly cultivated and very productive
country, in a direction nearly due W.,
not inclining in the least to S., all the
way from Toulouse to

17 Auch (Inns: H. de France; best,
and very good— E. o. 8 .), the chef-lieu
of the Dept, du Gers, a town of 10,461
Inhab., and see of an archbishop,
situated on the top and slopes of an
eminence washed by the Gers at its
base, and crowned by the Cathedral ,
begun in the reign of Charles VIII.,
and completed, by the tasteless addi¬
tion of its inappropriate Grecian por¬
tico, in that of Louis XIV. The
church is 347 ft. long, and 74 ft. high.
The painted glass is of rare richness of
colour, but is coarse in design; it was
executed (1513) by Arnaud de Moles.
The carved woodwork of the choir is
equally remarkable, and is scarcely
surpassed in France. At the back of
the stalls are well-executed figures of
Virtues, &c., in bas-relief, enclosed in
niches and canopies of elaborate work¬
manship (date 1525-7). The choir is
separated from the nave by a gallery
(jubd), or rood-loft.

Long flights of stairs lead from the
lower town to the upper: many old
houses are preserved here. The Place
Boyale, in the higher and better quar¬
ter of the town, is a handsome square;
adjoining it is the Cours d'Etigny, so
named from a magistrate by whom it

P 3

3 22

Route 91.— Toulouse to Bagneres de Luchon. Sect. IV.

was laid out, commanding a glorious
view of the chain of the Pyrenees.

Auch was anciently capital of the
Ausci (whence Auch), afterwards of the
Comte d’Armagnac, and seat of the
primate of Aquitaine.

A malleposte runs hence daily by Agen
to Limoges (Rte. 73, 70).

15 Vicnau, Dept. Gers.

9 Mirande. Inns: H. Dupuy; very
comfortable; there is a large establish¬
ment of baths attached to it— L. Y.
Soleil; good.

13 Mielan. Soon after crossing the
Arras we descend a slope, commanding
the view of the Pyrenees, among which
the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, rising di¬
rectly in front, is grandly conspicuous,
into the plain of the Adour, which
stretches hence to the foot of those
mountains, and enter

16 Eabastens, an old town mentioned
by Froissart. A perfectly straight road
connects this place with

19 Tarbes, in Rte. 87.

23 Bordes d’Expouy.

16 Pau (Route 80). There is a se¬
cond and more direct road from Tou¬
louse to Tarbes, which, though unpro¬
vided with post-horses, is taken by the
diligence daily in 22 hrs., passing
through Lombez, Boulogne, and Trie.

ROUTE 91.

TOULOUSE TO BAGNERES DE LUCHON

AND BAGNERES DE BIGORRE, BY ST.

G AUDENS.

To B. de Bigorre, 144 kilom. = 90
Eng. m.; to B. de Luchon, 135 kilom.
= 84 Eng. m.

Diligences daily.

The first pari of the road, across
the great plain of Languedoc, and
along the 1. bank of the Garonne,
though seldom in sight of the river, is
very monotonous. The Pyrenees are
yet too distant to form an important
feature, but the richness of the soil
and abundance of the crops are very
remarkable. The Duke of Wellington
attempted the passage of the Garonne
at Portet, a village on the 1. of the
high road, 6 m. above Toulouse, but
the width of the river proved too
great for the pontoons provided, and

the army consequently crossed lower
down, below Toulouse. The confluence
of the Ariege with the Garonne takes
place opposite Portet.

20 Muret.

The army of the Comte de Toulouse,
aided by Pedro II., king of Arragon,
amounting to 40,000 men, was de¬
feated under the walls of Muret by
Simon de Montfort, who made a sortie
with 14,000 men, and cut the besiegers
to pieces, leaving Pedro dead on the field.

13 NoC, on the 1. bank of the Ga¬
ronne. At Carbonne, above this, some
way to the 1. of the road, Lord Hill
crossqcl the Garonne with 18,000 men;
but, finding the roads impassable,
speedily returned to march along the 1.
bank, against St. Cyprien, the faubourg
of Toulouse.

27 Martres. In a field near this,
interesting Roman antiquities have
been discovered, consisting of an im¬
mense number of busts, statues, re¬
liefs, inscriptions, &c., now deposited
in the museum of Toulouse, marking
this as the site of the ancient town
Calagorris Convenarum .

There is a bridge over the Garonne
at St. Mariory. A new road has been
made to skirt the town, and avoid the
narrow streets of

28 St. Gaudens (Inn: H. de France;
good), an old and gloomy town of 6020
Inhab., at a little distance from the
Garonne: it has a church of considerable
antiquity, in the Romanesque style,
with 3 apses at the E. end, and small
round-headed windows. The road to
Bagneres de Bigorre diverges on the rt.
at St. Gaudens, up the 1. bank of the
Garonne to Montrejeau, where it falls
into Rte. 87.

From St. Gaudens, by St, Girons, to
Foix and Carcassonne, is Rte. 95.

The Garonne is crossed by the road
to Luchon, a short way out of the town;
and from the slope leading down to it
there is a fine view of its windings and
of the distant Pyrenees.

At the distance of 6 or 8 m. farther
the road passes abruptly from the plain
into the midst of the mountains, by
ascending an eminence, the extreme
root or spur of the Pyrenees, to avoid
a wide curve of the Garonne, but de-

Pyrenees.

Route 93.— Toulouse to Narbonne .

323

scends upon the river at the foot of the
opposite slope. An uncommon view
is here presented of the interesting
town of St. Bertrand (Rte. 87), which
our road leaves on the rt. “ You
break at once upon a vale, sunk deep
enough beneath the point of view to
command every hedge and tree, with
St. Bertrand clustered round its large
cathedral on a rising ground. If it
had been built purposely to add a fea¬
ture to a singular prospect, it could not
have been better placed. The moun¬
tains rise proudly around, and give
their rough frame to this exquisite little
picture.”— A. Young. The Garonne is
crossed at the Pont Labrequere to

27 Estenos, described, with the rest
of the road, to

21 Bagneres de Luchon, in Rte. 87.
ROUTE 93.

TOULOUSE TO NARBONNE, BY CARCAS¬
SONNE.-CANAL DU MIDI.

156 kilom. =97 Eng. m.

Malleposte daily in 16 hrs. to Mont¬
pellier.

Diligences daily. With post-horses
in 6 hrs. to Carcassonne.

Bateaux de Poste daily, along the
Canal du Midi from Toulouse to Agde:
a very tedious conveyance (35 lirs.), to
which, for the most part, the lower
classes only resort: the boats very un¬
comfortable, no restaurant, the delays
from locks excessive: boats are changed
at Beziers.

The road, on quitting Toulouse,
passes on the 1. the hill of Pech David
—a good point of view to see the Py¬
renees from; and skirting, at a short
distance on the 1., the Canal du Midi,
continues to run nearly parallel with
it for several stages. This great and
useful public work, sometimes called
Canal des Deux Mers, because it unites
the Mediterranean with the Atlantic,
was executed under Louis XIV., by
the enterprising Paul Riquet, though
the design is clearly sketched out in
the M^moires de Sully. It was com¬
menced 1666 (100 years save 6 before
Brindley, in England, began the Bridge-
water Canal), and finished 1681, the
year before Riquet’s death. It mea¬

sures, from the basin where it joins
the Garonne at Toulouse, to the Etang
du Thau, near Agde, w'here it falls
into the Mediterranean, 244 kilom.
= 151 Eng. m.; it is 20 met. (65 ft.
7 in.) wide at the surface, and 10 met.
(32 ft.) at the bottom. It cost more
than 16 million livres = 33 million fr.

It has 64 locks, and many other con¬
siderable works, reservoirs, &c., which
will be enumerated as we approach
them. These, though wonderful for
the time when they were constructed,
have been surpassed by many in Eng¬
land, and even in France. The articles
transported along the canal consist
chiefly of corn, ojl, soap, wine, brandy,
&.c.; it is navigated by barges of 100
tons, but the traffic is not very exten¬
sive, judging from the number of voy¬
ages yearly to and fro, which is only
960. It is closed for a month or 6
weeks once in 3 years for the “cliomaee”
(stand-still), in order to be cleaned.

Our road lies across a rich corn coun¬
try, but monotonously flat, which before
the end of summer becomes parched,
dusty, and arid.

12 Castanet. The canal, and the
river Lers, running parallel with it, are
crossed at

12 Baziege.

11 Villefranche, a town of 2400 In-
hab,, consisting of a long street tra¬
versed by the road.

Beyond Avignonet we pass from the
Dept. Haute Garonne into that of
l’Aude, and a little farther skirt on the
rt. the Bassin de Naurouze, an artificial
reservoir formed for the supply of the
canal, which here attains its summit
level (point de partage). The water is
derived from a still higher and larger
reservoir, le Bassin de St. Fereol, mea¬
suring 5249 ft. by 2558 ft., situated on
the flanks of the Montagne Noire,
whence it is conducted hither in an
artificial channel to be discharged into
the two seas. The descent of 208^ ft.
between this and Toulouse is effected
by 18 locks, and that of 719 ft., down
to the level of the Mediterranean at
Agde, by 46 locks. Riquet intended
to have founded a town upon the basin
of Naurouze—a design not yet accom¬
plished; but an obelisk , by way of mo-

324

Route 93.— Castelnaudary — Carcassonne. Sect. IV.

nument, was erected to him by his de¬
scendants, on this spot, 1825. A little
island has been formed in the basin
opposite the month of the Canal by the
deposits brought down by it. After
crossing this main feeder of the canal,
there is nothing to notice until reaching

22 Castelnaudary [Inns: La Fl&che;
Notre Dame), a town of nearly 10,000
Inhab., on an eminence, skirted at its
base by the Canal du Midi, which here
expands into a bassin, much larger than
that at Naurouze, the only thing re¬
markable here. There are stone-quar¬
ries and lime-kilns near.

The name has been traced to “ Cas-
trum Novum Arianorum,” the name
given by the Visigoths to the town,
wdiich they refounded. It suffered se¬
verely in the crusade against the Albi-
genses, having been taken both by
Simon de Montfort and the Comte de
Toulouse: and in 1237 the inquisitors
enacted an auto-da-fe here; in which,
in their desire to root out heresy,
they not only burnt many persons
alive, but many dead bodies, dragged
ignominiously from the grave for this
purpose. The most memorable event
in the annals of Castelnaudary is the
battle fought here on the banks of the
Fresquel, 1632, between the forces of
Louis XIII. and of Gaston Due d’Or-
leans, at which the unfortunate Due de
Montmorency was wounded and made
prisoner, and soon after conveyed hence
to 'Toulouse to be beheaded.

12 Villepinte. The rounded outline
of the Black Mountain bounds the view
on the N.

8 Alzonne, a town of 2000 Inhab.

16 Carcassonne. — Inns: H. Bonnet,
good ;—St. Jean Baptiste, tolerable ;
on the airy Boulevard. This chef-lieu
of the Dept, de l’Aude, a city of 17,394
Inhab., is traversed by the river Aude,
and by the Canal du Midi, which, at
first carried at a distance from its walls
at the request of the inhabitants, has,
in recent times, received at vast expense
another direction, in order to bring it
up to the town, where it now forms a
large bassin.

Carcassonne itself is composed of two
parts, the modern town on the plain
and the old town on an eminence above

it, forming a picturesque background
with its venerable towers and command¬
ing battlements. The lower and newer
town, cheerful, flourishing, and indus¬
trious, consists chiefly of modern-built
houses, in streets ranging at right an¬
gles with one another, surrounded by
boulevards, occupying the site of its
ramparts, including squares planted
with trees and furnished with marble
fountains, and running with freshening
rivulets. It contains several large
woollen factories, and not less than
7000 persons of the town and its vicinity
are employed in the manufacture of cloth,
chiefly exported to the Levant, Bar¬
bary, and S. America, where it is es¬
teemed for its brilliant dyes. From
this and other sources of commercial
prosperity it has increased, in the course
of 4 or 5 centuries, from a suburb to
be the town itself, while the original
city on the height has dwindled down
into an insignificant faubourg. Beyond
this, however, it has no claim to detain
the passing traveller. Its modern ca¬
thedral, and eh. of St. Vincent, whose
tall tower stands on the line of the
meridian of Paris, are not remarkable.

The avenue of trees planted along the
margin of the canal, and embellished
with a column of the red marble of the
country to the memory of Riquet, its
founder, leads to the aqueduct bridge
by which the canal has been carried
over the stream of the Fresnel in recent
times.

The old town, on the height beyond
the Aude, deserves the notice of all
who have artists’ taste for paintable
bits or take an interest in antiqui¬
ties, as retaining unchanged, to a
greater extent perhaps than any other
in France, the aspect of a fortress of
the middle ages. A traveller with such
tastes must not be deterred from enter¬
ing by odious smells, steep, narrow,
and desolate streets, with the grass
growing in many of them, and the
houses falling to ruin, for it has been
abandoned entirely to persons of the
poorer class and to artisans, composing
a population of paupers pent up within
its narrow enclosure. It is enclosed by
double ramparts and towers: a portion
of the inner line is attributed to the

Languedoc.

Route 93 .— Carcassonne.

325

Visigoths with much probability ; and |
the rest, including the castle, with its
curious postern, seems to be of the
11th or 12th centy., while the outer
circuit has been referred to the latter ,
end of the 13th centy. The former
are therefore the same defences which
withstood for a time the assault of the
army of Crusaders under the fierce
Simon de Montfort and the Abbot of
Citeaux, who, reeking with the blood
spilt at Beziers, laid siege to Carcas¬
sonne, where a vast number of fugi¬
tives, together with the Viscomte de
Beziers, had taken refuge. At the in¬
tercession of the King of Arragon, his
uncle, the papal legate promised to
spare his life and those of 12 others,
with him; but the brave young warrior
rejected these terms, declaring that he
would sooner be flayed alive than be¬
tray one of those who had endangered
themselves for his sake. Finding, how¬
ever, that, owing to the number of men,
women, and children who had poured
in from the surrounding country, it
was impossible to hold out, he managed
to let them escape by a secret passage,
and surrendered under a promise of
safe-conduct for himself. He was never¬
theless seized treacherously, and soon
after died in prison, while of those who
remained in the town 50 were hung
and 400 burnt alive. In 1356 this fort¬
ress effectually resisted the Black
Prince, who burnt the suburb below,
and ravaged with fire and sword the
whole of Languedoc. A curious sally¬
port, or barbacane, projects from the
walls on the side nearest the modern
town; and one of the towers has been
split into two, but the one half, though
fallen down, has not broken to pieces
—such is the thickness and solidity of
the masonry. The legend respecting it
is, that Charlemagne, after in vain be¬
sieging for several years the town,
which held out, though defended only
by one Saracen woman named Carcas,
was about to raise the siege in despair,
when this tower gave way of its own
accord, and opened a breach by which
his army entered. The figure of this
Saracen Amazon is still to be seen rudely
carved over the Porte Narbonnaise, on
the E. side of the town.

The Ch. of St. Nazaire, formerly ca¬
thedral, in the middle of the old town,
consists of a Romanesque nave, part of
the ch. dedicated by Pope Urban II.
in 1096, supported by massive piers
round and square, and of a Gothic
choir and transepts added at the begin¬
ning of the 13th centy. In this part of
the ch. are two fine circular windows,
and some painted glass of great bril¬
liancy of colour, though inferior in
drawing. On one side of the high-altar
a slab of red marble is said to mark
the grave of Simon de Montfort, Earl
of Leicester, that cruel and ambitious
warrior, who, steeled in the holy wars,
in the school of the Templars and As¬
sassins, turned at the bidding of the
Pope the sword whetted against the in¬
fidels upon the heretical Christians, the
unfortunate Albigenses. The marble
monument of a bishop, date 1264, is
placed in a side-chapel. In one of the
side-chapels of the nave is a curious
bas-relief, representing an assault of a
besieged town, probably of the 13th
centy. This ch. has been restored.

Near the centre of the town is a very
wide and deep well, into which, ac¬
cording to tradition, the Visigoth kings
threw their treasures.

Carcassonne was the birth-place of
the Revolutionist Fabre, who called
himself d’Eglantine because he had
gained the prize of the golden sweet-
brier in the floral games at Toulouse :
he began his career as an actor, and
ended it on the guillotine in 1793.

Diligences daily to Narbonne, Mont¬
pellier, Nismes, and Marseilles; to Per¬
pignan by Limoux; to Toulouse.

At Cauiies, 12 m. N.E. of Carcas¬
sonne, are the quarries of marble com¬
monly used in churches and other
public buildings in the S. of France.
They are associated with slates of the
transition series, and furnish 4 sorts:
1, flesh-coloured, much employed by
Louis XIV. and XV.; 2, marbre cerve-
las ; 3, grey marble containing encri-
nites ; 4, Griotte, including nautili.
One variety is called “ ceil de perdrix.”

On quitting Carcassonne, the road
crosses and runs for some distance by
the side of the Aude. The canal makes
a bend to the N., its new channel being

326

Route 94 .—Narbonne to Perpignan.

Sect. IV.

cut through deep excavations. The
cultivation of the olive begins near this,
though the tree can scarcely be said to
flourish hereabouts.

14 Barbeira.

Near this, a little to the N. of the
canal, is the drained lake of Marseil-
lette, converted from a useless pool or
morass into 2900 hectares of excellent
arable land by the enterprise and capi¬
tal of Madame Lawless, an Irish lady
domiciled in France. The drainage was
completed 1850, by the construction of
a tunnel near a mile long, and the
ground is now portioned out into 24
farms. The country between this and
Narbonne is very dreary: large part of
it white naked rock. Trees very scarce.

13 Moux.

15 Villedaigne.

13 Narbonne , in Rte. 126.

ROUTE 94.

NARBONNE TO PERPIGNAN, PORT VEN-

DRES, AND THE SPANISH FRONTIER.

To Perpignan is 62 kilom.= 40 Eng.
m. Diligences twice a day.

The road is very uninteresting, skirt¬
ing on the rt. the low chains of the
Corbieres, consisting of bare rocks with¬
out trees or herbage; only a few bristly
plants, and tufts of the heath which
produces the Narbonne honey; and on
the 1., the salt lagoons, or shallow
lakes, called Etangs de Bages, de Si-
gean, de la Palme, and de Leucate,
which here line the shore of the Medi¬
terranean, bordered with mud and
sand. The district is unhealthy, owing
to the miasma from this marshy tract.
At intervals, when the road surmounts
a slight eminence, a glimpse may be
obtained of the open sea beyond the
etangs.

21 Sigean, situated on the margin of
the lagoon of the same name, was the
scene of a victory gained by Charles
Martel over the Saracens, 737.

The few trees near the road are all
bent in one direction, to the S.E., by
the violent winds from the N.W., which
prevail here for 8 months out of the 12.

16 Fitou stands on the edge of the
large etang, called de Leucate, from a

half-deserted town on the tongue of
land between it and the sea: a place of
strength and importance during the
period when Roussillon belonged to
Spain, and Leucate stood on the fron¬
tier of France. The extremity of the
chain of the Pyrenees, stretching into
the sea, may be discerned near this.

10 Salces. The fort on the rt., before
entering this village, was built by the
Emperor Charles Y.; it is now a powder-
magazine.

The little town of Rivesaltes, famed
for its wine, lies about m. on the rt.,
upon a small stream often dried up,
the Agly, which is crossed by the road
half way between Salces and Perpignan.

The two branches of the torrent-river
Tet are crossed in order to reach Per¬
pignan ; between them stands the sub¬
urb Notre Dame; and on the rt. bank
the lofty and singular castle of Castellet,
a double tower of brick, surmounted
by machicolations erected by Charles
V., now a military prison.

15 Perpignan. — Inns: H. des Am-
bassadeurs ;—du Commerce ;—de l’Eu-
rope ;—Petit Paris, good ;—du Midi.

Perpignan, chef-lieu of the Dept, des
Pyrenees Orientales, also a first-class
fortress of great strength, defending
the passage by the E. Pyrenees from
Spain into France, is placed on the rt.
bank of the Tet, about 6 m. above its
termination in the sea, in the midst of
the level plain of Roussillon, and con¬
tains 18,500 Inhab., exclusive of its
garrison. As Roussillon, of which pro¬
vince it was the capital, was not perma¬
nently united to France until the Treaty
of the Pyrenees, in 1659, it is not sur¬
prising that both the town, in its narrow
dirty streets covered with awnings, its
semi-Moresque buildings, its houses
furnished with wooden balconies and
courts (patios), and its inhabitants, es¬
pecially the lower orders, should re¬
semble those of Catalonia, on the S.
side of the Pyrenees, in their physio¬
gnomy, language, dress, dances. Those
to whom Spain is unknown will be
struck with this novel character ; but
beyond this there is not much to in¬
terest the stranger here. Almost all
the public buildings date from the Spa¬
nish period, and are of brick or rolled

Languedoc. Route 94 .— Perpignan — St. Elne.

327

pebbles. The Cathedral, begun 1324,
and continued by Louis XI., during
the time he held Roussillon in pawn
from the king of Arragon, consists of a
very broad and lofty nave. The altar-
screen, of beautiful carved work, partly
wood, partly stone, in the style of the
Renaissance, deserves notice ; and the
massy frame-work, gilding, tapestries,
&c., which decorate this part of the
ch., are thoroughly Spanish in style.
The font, of marble, in the form of a
tub, is very old ; some attribute it to
the time of the Visigoth kings. Ad¬
joining* this ch. are remains of a still
older ch., now in ruins, called St. Jean
le Vieux. Of the ch. and convent of the
Dominicans, now a military store, a
portion, in the Romanesque style, be¬
longs to the edifice which St. Dominic,
the Inquisitor, inhabited when he en¬
tered Roussillon. The building called
La Loge (from the Spanish Lonja, ex¬
change or bazaar) is a curious example
of the mixed Moresque and Gothic
styles of the end of the 15th centy. Its
fa 9 ade, exhibiting flamboyant orna¬
ments, foliage and tracery, though
much mutilated and injured by altera¬
tions, and the covered galleries round
the court behind, merit notice. The
ancient University contains the public
library of 20,000 vols., and the com¬
mencement of a museum.

The Citadel, separated from the town
by a wide glacis, and surrounded by a
double line of works, is considered very
strong, and commands the town. The
inner ramparts were raised by Charles
V., the outer by Vauban ; and in the
midst rises a tall square castle, or Don¬
jon, built by the kings of Majorca, and
the remains of a ch., whose facade is
remarkable, and is said to resemble
that on Mount Sinai. The portal is a
pointed arch, breed with slabs of mar¬
ble, red and white alternately, resting
on columns whose capitals represent
fighting dragons. On one of the ram¬
parts, an arm carved in stone (dextro-
chere), projecting from the parapet,
was formerly pointed out as marking
the spot where the Emperor Charles
V., going the rounds at night, found a
sentinel fast asleep at his post, and,
pushing him into the fosse, himself

took the musket, and did duty until
relieved by the guard. This has been
recently destroyed. From the citadel
a view may be obtained over the plain
of Roussillon, extending 15 m. on all
sides, save that towards the sea .not
more than 6 m., and surrounded by a
semicircle of mountains, the most ele¬
vated being the Pyrenees on the S.,
though they are still distant. The only
mountain which makes a conspicuous
figure is the Canigou, the highest of this
portion of the chain.

Perpignan is more remarkable as a
fortress than a place of commerce, but
some trade is carried on. in wines of
Roussillon, also in Cork, from the
mountains.

For information regarding passports
on entering France from Spain, see In¬
troduction, d.

Diligences twice a day to Xarbonne ;
daily to Toulouse, by Limoux ; and to
Barcelona in 2 days.

M. Arago, the mathematician and as¬
tronomer, is a native of Estagel, a poor
village near Perpignan.

About 17 5 m. S.E. of Perpignan is
the seaport of Port Vendres ; the road
to it passes

12 St. Elne, the ancient Tlliberis,
mentioned by Pliny as “ingentis quon¬
dam urbis tenue vestigium,” and by
Livy as the place where Hannibal first
encamped, after crossing the Pyrenees
on his march to Rome, “ Pyraeneum
transgreditur, et ad oppidum Illiberis
castra locat.” It was rebuilt by Con¬
stantine, who gave it the name of his
mother Elena. It has a very ancient
Ch. of St. Eulalie, once the cathedral,
and episcopal see of Roussillon before
Perpignan. It dates from 1019, and is
in the Romanesque style, but with a
pointed roof; it is quite plain inter¬
nally, but the cloister adjoining is very
richly ornamented with carvings, bas-
reliefs, &c., and is worth notice. It is
entered from the ch. by a pointed door¬
way resembling that in the citadel of
Perpignan. Many inscriptions and bas-
reliefs are let into the outer walls of
the ch. ; one of them is called the
Tomb of Constans, who was assassinated
at Elne by order of Maxeutius. Elne
is now reduced to a poor village. On

328 Route 95.— St. Gaudens to Foix and Carcassonne. Sect. IV.

quitting it the river Tech is crossed,
and Argelez is passed. Beyond this
the E. extremity of the Pyrenean chain,
dropping down into the sea, forms, by its
projecting buttresses and roots, a num¬
ber of headlands and retreating coves or
bays. On the shore of one of these lies

14 Collioui'e (Cauroliberis), de¬
fended by numerous forts, the whole
commanded by the citadel of St. Elne,
between this and Port Vendres. At
the entrance of the harbour rises a
little rocky island bearing a Church of
Pilgrimage, dedicated to the Virgin.
The town contains about 2000 Inhab.,
and is surrounded by vineyards: the
rocks, bare as they are, suffice to
maintain the vine, and even the aloe,
and produce some of the best wines in
the department.

About 2 m. beyond Collioure is

3 Port Vendres (Inn: H. du Com¬
merce), a town of 1305 Inhab., and a
harbour of some consequence, as it is
the only port of refuge between Mar¬
seilles and the Spanish frontier, and
is accessible for frigates. It is de¬
fended by 4 forts and 4 batteries, but
is entirely commanded by the heights
behind. It has gained of late in pros¬
perity, from its increased communi¬
cation with Africa, most of the troops
destined for Algiers being embarked
here. 3 or 4 steamers, plying between
Marseilles, Barcelona, Gibraltar, and
Cadiz, touch here (?) every week. The
marble obelisk, 100 ft. high, in the
square was raised to Louis XVI., who
caused the harbour to be cleared, ex¬
cavated, and made useful, 1780. The
ancient name of this place was Portus
Veneris, from a temple of Venus, built
here by the Romans. There is a mule-
path hence into Spain, by the village
and Col of Banyuls to Lanza, the first
place in Catalonia.

The interesting road up the valley of
the Tech, from Boulou, is described in
Rte. 98.

The high road into Spain from Per¬
pignan continues to cross the monoto¬
nous plain of Roussillon, but, as it
gradually approaches the Pyrenees,
commands a fine view of the Canigou
on the rt.

22 Boulou lies at the foot of the
mountains on the Tech, whose valley
is described in Rte. 98. The stream is
crossed as you quit Boulou, and about
a mile farther the ascent begins, the
road making considerable curves, up to
the pass or Col de Perthus, which may
be reached in 1^ hr. Half way, upon
the 1. of the road, is the ruined castle
of L’Ecluse. At the summit on the
rt. of the col, on a height above the
little village of Perthus, stands the
fort of Bellegarde, constructed by
Louis XIV., in 1679, to command the
passage into Spain. It is a tegular
pentagon with 5 bastions, in one of
which, facing Spain, General Dugom-
mier, killed in the battle of the Mon-
tagne Noire, on the road to Figueiras,
1794, is buried.

This pass was crossed by the con¬
quering army of Pompey, who erected
upon it a trophy of his successes, in¬
scribed with the names of 876 places
which he had subdued. Caesar followed
not long after, and raised an altar by
the side of the monument of Pompey,
over whose lieutenants he had, in turn,
been victorious. No traces of either
now remain.

Junquiera, the first Spanish town,
15 m. from Boulou, and the road to
Barcelona, are described in the Hand¬
book for Spain.

ROUTE 95.

ST. GAUDENS TO CARCASSONNE BY ST.

GIRONS AND FOIX.

“ 189 kilom. = 117 Eng. m. ; road
good, and very pretty, but hilly. St.
Gaudens is in Rte. 91.

At St. Martory the road quits that
to Toulouse, and crosses the Garonne
by a picturesque stone bridge. The
fine old Evcclie of St. Elize, perched on
a steep rock, now a lunatic asylum, is
passed about 1 m. before reaching

47 St. Girons (Inns: H. de Biros;—-
H. de France, not good), a ‘ dull and
crumbling’ town situated close to the
junction of the Salut with the Gau.
The walk along the river is delightful.
Good road, but against the collar, to
La Bastide. A new, well-made road,
avoiding hills, to

Roussillon. Route 97.— The Eastern Pyrenees — Foix.

329

44 Foix, in Rte. 97. Road hilly, but
good, to

27 Lavelanet (H. chez Elanet).—
Good road, chiefly descent, to

21 Chalabre (Inn: H. d’Espagne,
not good). Very mountainous, but
good road to

25 Limoux (Inn: H. Lion d’Or, good;
H. du Parc), ' a small town of 8000
Inhab., pleasantly situated in a valley
on the River Aude. The rich soil of
the neighbouring vineyards produces
the famous wines of Limoux and Blan-
quette. Diligences to Toulouse, and
twice a day to Carcassonne, and once a
day to Foix.’— R. M.

25 Carcassonne. H. Bonnet, good.
(Rte. 93).”— A. S.

ROUTE 97.*

THE EASTERN PYRENEES. — TOULOUSE

TO FOIX AND PUYCERDA.—THE VAL¬
LEY OF THE ARIEGE.— VICDESSOS.—

ANDORRE.

81 kilom. = 50 Eng. m. to Foix, 18
lieues thence to Puycerda= 50 Eng. m.

A post-road as far as Foix. Dili¬
gences run daily to Foix, Ussat, and Ax.

At Portet the road turns to the 1.,
away from that to Bagneres de Luchon
(Rte. 91), and crosses the Garonne by
a brick bridge, nearly opposite the in¬
flux of the Ariege, and afterwards runs
along the 1. bank of that river.

26 Yiviers.

A little above Beccarest is Cinte-
gabelle, where Lord Hill passed the
Ariege in 1814.

22 Saverdun, a town of 3000 Inhab.,
was the birth-place of Pope Benedict
XII. ; he was the son of a baker or
miller. At Mazeres, a little to the E.
of our road, Gaston de Foix, Due de
Nemours, the hero of the battle of
Ravenna, was born 1489. Crossing
the Ariege, by a bridge at Saverdun,
the road ascends its rt, bank to

15 Pamiers, a cheerful and pretty
town, which has a population of 6000
souls, a Cathedral, surmounted by an

* Routes 97 and 98, not being described from
personal knowledge, may perhaps be somewhat
inaccurate, and the Editor would feel much
obliged to any traveller who has travelled on
these lines for notes to correct them.

' octagonal Gothic tower of brick, spared
by Mansard when he rebuilt the nave in
the style of the 17th centy., and se¬
veral promenades ; one, near the church,
looks out upon the distant Pyrenees.
About 12 m. W. of this the philosopher
Bayle, author of the Dictionary, was
born, 1647, in the obscure village of
| Carla le Comte.

The road still runs along the rt. bank
of the river; the valley contracts in
width, and increases in beauty.

19 Foix (Inns: Rocher de Foix;—
H, la Coste, indifferent and dear), the
ancient capital of the Comte de Foix,
is now the chef-lieu of the Dept.
1 ’Ariege, which is nearly coequal with
the Comte de Foix, It is one of the
smallest clief-lieux in France, as its
population does not exceed 4857. It
lias a very picturesque site, at the
junction of a stream called the Larget
with the Aridge. “ It fills up the
mouth of the valley, here narrow and
bounded by precipitous hills, and lines
either bank of the rapid river, whilst
an isolated rock, rising from amidst
the houses, sustains the ancient castle
of the Counts of Foix, who resisted
with such invincible courage the at¬
tacks of the kings of France and Ar-
ragon, and whose line terminated with
the chivalrous Gaston, It is known
by the name of Les Tours, an appro¬
priate one, as its lofty towers, built of
a coarse whitish marble, and preserved
unstained by the dryness of the cli¬
mate, stand prominent. Part, also, of
the ancient ramparts have resisted
time’s decay; and the antique character
of many of the houses, together with
‘ the magic of a name,’ have thrown
a colouring over it that makes it,
although now unimportant and remote,
a spot interesting to the tourist.”— J.

The Castle, now converted into a
gaol, and much injured by modern
erections, is approached by a very
narrow, steep path, bending, with
very abrupt turns, along the edge of
the precipice. Of its 3 fine towers,
all of different ages and all anterior to
the 15tli centy., the tallest, or donjon,
136 ft. high, is also the oldest, having
been built 1362 by Gaston Phoebus,
Count of Foix : it commands a fine

330

Route 97.— Tarascon—Valley of Vicdessos. Sect. IV.

view from its top. Simon de Montfort
in vain besieged this stronghold, in
1210, during the wars of the Albi-
genses; and at a later period, 1272,
Philippe le Hardi, unable to take it by
other means, began to undermine the
rocky pedestal, with the intention of
toppling it over, together with the for¬
tress on the top of it! Such, at least,
is the popular tale; and though there
seems little possibility that such a
threat could have been accomplished
in days when gunpowder was unknown,
it had the effect of inducing the garri¬
son to surrender.

Excepting the castle, there is little in
the town to attract notice,—but the
country around is lovely.

The Prefecture was originally part of
the abbey of St. Volusien, suppressed
at the Revolution. The church of St.
Volusien, rebuilt by Roger II., Comte
de Foix, is a heavy Gothic building.

A considerable trade in iron, the
staple of the Dept. l’Ariege, derived
from the mines of La Rancie, in the
Vicdessos, is carried on here. The
metal is embarked on the Ari^ge at
Autrerive, below St. Foix, for expor¬
tation.

Diligence to Toulouse.

The valley above this is bare of
trees, but productive in corn and wine;
the vine itself being frequently planted
on the heaps of boulder-stones cleared
away from the fields, wdiere they are
otherwise so numerous as to hinder
cultivation. Tarascon, a smaller town
than Foix (1555 Inhab.), having also
its ancient castle on a rock above it,
stands at the point of convergence of
several valleys,—that of Vicdessos, in
which the iron-mines of La Rancie are
situated, traversed by a carriage-road
as far as Sens, that of Saurat (near the
entrance of which is the fine cave of
Bedeillac), up which runs a carriage-
road to St. Girons, by the Col de
Portet and town of Massat (1000 In¬
hab.), and that of the ArMge.

[The valley of Vicdessos is rendered
one of the most industrious in the
Pyrenees by its iron mines and works.
It is further embellished by the neat
houses and gardens of the iron-masters
and miners, and by several picturesque

old castles, among which that of M£-
glos is very conspicuous. The mines of
Remote, situated 460 ft. above the vil¬
lage of Sem, reached by a difficult path
in zigzags which takes an hour to sur¬
mount, have been worked for many
ages, but without a proper system;
and it is supposed that the supply of
ore will be exhausted in 20 years. The
ore is chiefly the. hydrate and car¬
bonate of iron, and is very rich, often
yielding 60 percent.; but as it requires
to be brought down from the mine on
mule-back, and to be transported often
40 or 50 miles to the furnace, and as
the fuel (charcoal) must be sought for
in many situations from a like distance,
the metal produced is very dear, in
spite of the cheapness of labour. Yet
nearly 60 furnaces are supplied from
hence in the Dept, of Ariege alone.
The iron ore is found deposited in
caverns, veins, and hollows within the
strata of a limestone rock, belonging
apparently to the lower Jura lime¬
stone (lias) foimation, and within a
short distance of the fundamental gra¬
nite. The ore has been worked hori¬
zontally to a depth of 300 metres, and
vertically to a height of 600 metres.
Owing to the unskilfulness, want of
concert, and heedlessness of the mi¬
ners, the ore has been extracted with¬
out any regard to economy or safety
of life; the roofs and walls of the gal¬
leries and chambers excavated, having
no proper support, are constantly
giving way in consequence, and serious
loss of life has frequently attended
these eboulements. Many of the gal¬
leries leading into the mines have been
blocked up by the ruins. At the vil¬
lage of Vicdessos, which is surrounded
by furnaces (forges), there is a clean
inn. There is a path up the Val de
Sallix, over the mountain-pass called
Port d’Aulus, into the Val d’Erce, and
by Aulus and Oust to St. Girons.]

A little more than a mile above Ta¬
rascon lie the Bains cV Ussat, a group of
lodging and bath-houses, &c., includ¬
ing 2 large and comfortable Hotels
(Des Voyageurs, close to the road, and
L’Etablissement, on the opposite side
of the river), which the traveller may
conveniently make his head-quarters

E. Pyrenees. Route 97 .—Bains d'Ussat — Ax.

331

when exploring the neighbouring val¬
leys. They stand, shaded by trees,
within a few yards of the river, at a
point where the valley is closed by
mountain-walls of limestone, bai’ely
allowing a few box-bushes to take root
in their crevices, but traversed by nu¬
merous caverns, in some of which fossil
bones have been found. The Grotto
cave on the 1. bank of the river, above
the H. des Voyageurs, is of consider¬
able extent, requiring an hour to reach
its extremity, and is worth a visit.
The icaters are warm, acidulous, and,
when administered in baths, are said
to have a calming effect over the ner¬
vous system, and are much used by
females. The baths are hollows exca¬
vated in the ground, lined with marble,
filled naturally by the water rising
from beneath.

The high road runs up the 1. bank
of the Aridge, but there is a path
along the rt. from Ussat to Tarascon.
Above Tarascon the vale of the Ariege
makes an abrupt bend to the E., round
the N. base of the Mont St. Bartlie-
lemy, one of the loftiest of this portion
of the chain of the Pyrenees, whose
top, surmounted by snows and glaciers,
appears, from time to time, domineer¬
ing over the upper valley on the 1.
The Pont de Gudane carries the road
over the stream of the Aston, descend¬
ing from the lofty and snowy range
separating France from Andorre. Nu¬
merous old ruined castles, built ori¬
ginally to command the valley or de¬
fend the frequented passage through it
into Catalonia, occur at intervals, rising
on peaked eminences above the valley;
but the largest and most lordly and
picturesque of all is that of Lordat,
near Cabannes; its origin is attributed
to the Moors or Goths. Iron-works in
equal number alternate with these
feudal remains; thus the romantic as¬
sociations of former times combine
with the active industry of the present
to add an interest to a valley which
derives so many attractions besides
from the beauties of nature. Its an¬
cient inhabitants were called Tectosages,
from the sagum, or cloak, which they
wore, which has descended to the
present generation, who, by a curious

coincidence, still designate it by the
same name, in their patois, “ un sago.”

Ax, 13 m. above Ussat. —Inns: H.
d’Espagne; H. de France; both ex¬
tremely dirty. Ax is a town of 2000
Inhab., prettily situated amidst gra¬
nitic mountains, at the junction of 3
valleys, out of which issue 3 moun¬
tain torrents, whose streams combine,
in or near the town, to form the river
Aridge.

In the name Ax it is easy to discover
the Latin Aquae, derived from the hot
sulphureous springs which burst out on
all sides; indeed there appears to be a
natural kettle of boiling water under
the town. More than 30 hot sources
issue forth in different parts of it,
varying in temperature from 113° to
168° of Fahr.; and in order to obtain
cold one must resort to the river; and
even it, in some parts, is rendered
tepid by hot springs rising in its very
bed: the snow rests but a few instants
on a soil so thoroughly heated from
below. Besides the application of the
waters to baths, of which there are 2
or 3 establishments, and for drinking,
it is turned to various domestic and
economic purposes by the inhabitants,
who wash not only their linen, but a
vast quantity of wool in its tepid
streams. The town itself is a miser¬
able collection of dirty lanes, the only
considerable buildings being the hotels
and hospitals, one of which has been
constructed by government for mili¬
tary patients. Near the hospital is an
ancient bath, established in 1200, and
still called Bassin des Ladres , or Lepers’
Basin.

The carriage-road up the valley
ceases shortly before reaching Merens
—a poor village; beyond it the moun¬
tains close in and form a long, gloomy
defile; it afterwards expands into an
open, stony, and uninteresting tract.
A very rough and steep path leads to
Hospitalet (12 m. from Ax), a journey
of 3£ h. on horseback. This is a poor
hamlet, but has a small inn. 1^ hour’s
ride above this is the pass or col over
the mountain, calledj Port de Pug-
maurins, upon which a custom-house is
planted. [Close to this pass, on the
W., begins the territory of Andorre, a

332

Route 98 .—Perpignan to Mont Louis.

Sect. IV.

small neutral state between France and
Spain, wliich has been allowed by its
powerful neighbours, partly through
its insignificance and poverty, to main¬
tain an independent existence, under a
republican form of government, for six
centuries since the days of Charlemagne,
resembling in this respect the republic
of San Marino in Italy. It is shut in
by high mountains on all sides but the
S., where the river Embalire issues out
towards the Spanish town of Urgel.
Its population amounts to about 15,000,
and its capital, Andorre, numbers about
2000. It is governed by a council of
24, a syndic, and 2 viguiers, or magis¬
trates, appointed, one by the sovereign of
France, who, as protector of Andorre,
receives 960 fr. of tribute yearly, the
other by the bishop of Urgel. It con¬
sists of 3 valleys, hemmed in by grand
mountains of great elevation: its pro¬
ductions are limited nearly to wood
and iron; and from the sale of these
(and from smuggling) the inhabitants
are enabled to purchase corn and other
necessaries, which their barren and
lofty country refuses to yield. For
the traveller there is no accommoda¬
tion; and he that ventures thither, if
he be not prepared to sleep in the open
air, with some risk of starving, should
carry letters witb him from persons of
authority at Ax to some pf the wealthy
proprietors. The only English travel¬
ler who has given an account of An¬
dorre, derived from a personal ac¬
quaintance with the country, is the
Hon. Erskine Murray.]

After passing the crest of the great
chain by the Port de Puymaurins, the
path descends the S. slope, through a
very wild valley, strewn with rocks,
passing the hamlets of Porte and Porta,
near which a path strikes off to the rt.
up a minor valley into Andorre. Be¬
tween Porta and Courbassil is the old
ruined castle, after which the vale is
named, called Tour du Carol, built, ac¬
cording to popular tradition, by the
Moors; but upon the conquest of this
country and their expulsion from it by
Charlemagne, the towers were chris¬
tened Carol, after him. They occupy
a very picturesque position on the top
of an immense isolated mass of granite,

rising in the midst of this narrow and
rugged valley. Beyond Courbassil is
the village called Tour de Carol, situ¬
ated within a mile of the Spanish
frontier, which is marked neither by
stream nor mountain, but is a mere
imaginary line at this point. About 2
m. within it lies the Spanish town of
Puycerda, 13 m. from Hospitalet.
See Handbook for Spain.

The road hence to Perpignan, by
Mont Louis and the Valley of the
Tech, is described in Rte. 98.

ROUTE 98.*

EASTERN PYRENEES.—PERPIGNAN TO
MONT LOUIS AND PUYCERDA, BY THE
VALLEYS OF THE TET AND TECH.—
ASCENT OF THE CANIGOU.

About 47 Eng. m.

A post-road as far as Olette, but not
always provided with horses.

The vale of the Tet, up wdiose rt.
bank our road ascends, is flattened
down and absorbed in the great plain
of Roussillon, near Perpignan, and.it is
not until after leaving behind, at some
distance,

24 Ille, a walled town of 3000 Inhab.,
that the road enters fairly among the
mountains. From Vinca, another town,
the ascent is gradual to

18 Prades. This town of 3013 In-
hab. possesses a tolerable Inn , but is
in no wise remarkable, except for its
pretty situation on the rt. bank of the
Tet, in a valley abounding in corn,
wine, and fruits, vineyards terraced up
the hill-sides, maize and hemp fields.
“ The banks on the rt. and 1. are spot¬
ted with villages, and clustered with
old chateaux.” Prades lies at the N.
base of the Canigou, whose summit
may be reached by 8 or 9 hours’ walk
up the vale of Lentilla.

There is, however, another and more
interesting way of approaching the
Canigou, pursuing the high road into
Spain (Rte. 94) as far as Boulou (2z
kilom.), where it turns to the S.W. up
the Valley of the Tech. At Ceret, 6 m.
up, the river is spanned by an ancient
bridge of a single bold arch, 144 ft. in
* See note to Route 97.

E. Pyrenees.

Route 98.— Canigou.

333

tlie opening, whose construction is at¬
tributed to the Visigoth kings, but
which in reality is not older than 1352.
It is very narrow, and the arch thins
out towards the keystone. Ceret, a
town of 3000 Inhab., is about a mile
farther; and 7 m. above it is the small
fort of Arles-les-Bains, constructed by
Louis XIV., on the top of an eminence,
from whose base issue hot sulphureous
springs of a, temperature of 157° Fahr.
They were known to the Romans, and
the vaulted chamber in which one of
them is still received is of their build¬
ing, but is remarkable only for its
solidity. Between this and the town
of Arles are some iron-forges, where
the ore derived from mines situated
high up on the N. flank of the Canigou,
and brought hither on mules’ backs, is
smelted. The Tech is again crossed
before entering the town; it has 2000
Inhab. The Ch. is ancient; the front
and portal enriched with curious carv¬
ing, in white marble, dated from 1045.
On the 1. of the fagade, under a sort of
shed, is a very ancient sarcophagus
resting on 4 feet, filled with miracle-
working water, which is never ex¬
hausted, and is sold at 20 sous the
vial-full. It owes its virtues to the
coffin having enclosed the relics of
two saints, which were brought from
Rome to free the neighbourhood of
Arles from dragons, lions, &c., which
then infested it! Adjoining the Ch.
is a cloister, a range of pointed arches
on slendar pillars, of the 13th centy.,
without a roof.

About 10 m. distant among the
mountains, and approached by steep
paths, from which fine views are ob¬
tained of the Canigou, is the Roman¬
esque Ch. of Coustouges, which may
interest the antiquary, as it is supposed
to date from the 9th centy.

8 m. above Arles, in the Valley of
the Tech, lies Pratz de Mollo, a fron¬
tier town of 4000 Inhab., surrounded
by old-fashioned fortifications, but
commanded on the height above by
the efficient Fort Legarde, constructed
from the plans of Vauban. A mule-
path runs hence over the mountains to
the Spanish town Compredon.

The ascent of the Canigou , which

projects forward from the great chain
of the Pyrenees, and rises, almost iso¬
lated, above the plain of Roussillon, to
a height of 9141 ft., was made by Mr.
E. Murray from Arles. He followed
the mule-paths leading to the iron-
mines, as far as the old tower of Bateres,
standing on a ridge whence you look
down upon both valleys of the Tech
and Tet ; and after 3 or 4 hours’
scrambling from this ridge, “ up
steps, along precipices, and over snow
wreaths,” attained the summit; whence
the eye surveys the plain of Roussillon,
and the coast of the Mediterranean,
with Perpignan on its margin ; the
valleys bordering on the Tet ; the
mountain range of Catalonia on the S.;
and on the W. the chain separating
Roussillon from the Vale of Ariege.
“The ascent or descent to Valmaniais
so difficult and dangerous as to deter
many an aspirant from attempting to
surmount it; but no one, with a toler¬
able pair of legs, good lungs, and not
unaccustomed to mountain climbing,
ought to be discouraged: should he
succeed, he will find himself amply re¬
paid for his toil and fatigue.” Val-
mania is a hamlet, composed of a few
miners’ houses, and a very humble
cabaret, which will afford night shelter,
and fresh eggs, with vin du pays, in a
wild situation under an old ruined
castle. The iron-mines occur near the
junction of a limestone (of the age of
the chalk) with the granite. It is a
five hours’ walk hence to Prades, de¬
scending the vale of the Lentilla,
through picturesque scenery, and join¬
ing the high road near Vinca.

Above Prades the plain of the Tet
contracts into a valley; and, after pass¬
ing the old castle of Ria, the cradle of
a noble line, whence came the Counts
of Arragon and Barcelona, narrows to
a gorge at Villefranche, a town forti¬
fied by Vauban, but not strong, be¬
cause commanded by the neighbouring
heights, which squeeze it in as it were,
and leave barely space for its two nar¬
row streets, and the river below.

8 ^ m. from Prades, in the vale of
Corneilla, which penetrates S. from
this into the flanks of the Canigou, lies

334

Route 98 .—Mont Louis — Valley of the Tet. Sect. IV,

Vernet, a watering-place, supplied by-
hot sulphurous springs bursting out of
a slaty quartzose rock, which here com¬
poses the Pyrensean chain. They are
useful in cases of rheumatism, para¬
lysis, wounds, and ulcers. The place
was visited by Ibrahim Pasha in 1846.
Above Vernet rises the ruined abbey
St. Martin de Canigou.

The high road crosses the Tet, by a
bridge, on quitting Villefranche, and
terminates soon after, giving place to a
mere mule-path.

16 Olette. 2 m. farther the cultiva¬
tion of the vine ceases; the valley be¬
comes sterile and wild; the road,
ascending more rapidly, traverses a
narrow defile, guarded and closed, in
ancient times, by walls, towers, and
gateways, whose ruins still remain. To
this succeeds an open expanse, a table¬
land of green meadow, a pastoral scene,
surrounded by fir-clad heights; and in
the midst, at a distance of 10 m. above
Olette, stands

Mont Louis (a tolerable Inn), a fron¬
tier fortress (442 Inhab.), built 1684 by
Vauban to guard the passage from Spain.

The town consists of 8 short streets,
in straight lines, crossing one another

at right angles, surmounted by the
Citadel, whose casemates afford shelter
for 800 men. A road runs 1ST. from
this to Carcassonne (Rte. 93), and a
path over the mountains by Langles
into the vale of the Ariege.

About 2 m. from Mont Louis, and at
a height of 1150 ft. above it, 5114 ft.
above the sea-level, is the pass over
the mountains, called Col de la Perche.
The path from it descends into the
basin-shaped valley of the Cerdagne
Frangaise, traversed by numerous
streams, the chief of which is the
Seyre, or Segre, a tributary of the
Ebro. The territory of France has
here been pushed, for some distance,
down the S. slope of the backbone of
the Pyrenees, in the same manner that
the Spaniards occupy the head of the
vale of the Garonne, on the N. of the
chain (Rte. 87). 5 m. below the col

is Saillagousa, a town of 400 Inhab.;
2 m. farther is Llivia; and 3 m. more
carry the traveller across the frontier
to the first Spanish town, Puycerda
(10 m. from Mont Louis). See Hand¬
book fob Travellers in Spain,

The road from Puycerda to Toulouse
is described in Rte. 97.

( 335 )

SECTION V,

CENTRAL FRANCE — BERRI—AUVERGNE—VIVARAIS—ARDECHE—
CANTAL — BOURBONNAIS — LYONNAIS — THE CEYENNES.

ROUTE PAGE

103 Orleans to Bourges (Rail) and

Clermont . . . .339

104 Paris to Dijon, by Melun,

Fontainebleau, Sens, Joigny,

Tannerre [Auxerre\ —Paris and
Lyons Railway A . . 344

105 Paris to Lyons, by Fontaine-

bleau, Montargis, Fevers, Mou-
lins [Baths of Vichy ] . . 356

106 Dijon to Chalons-sur-Saone, by
Paris and Lyons Railway B . 363

107 Nevers to Chalons-sur-Saone,
by Chateau-Cliinon and Autun 366

108 Chalons-sur-Saone to Lyons, by
Macon. — Descent of the Saone . 367

109 Moulins to Clermont and Le
Buy. — Volcanoes of Auvergne . 379

110 Clermont to Mont Dore les
Bains ..... 392

112 Clermont to Lyons, by Thiers 396 I

CENTRAL FRANCE.

GENERAL VIEW OF THE COUNTRY.

Among the crowds of English travellers who annually roll along the high road
from Paris to Lyons on their way to Italy, complaining of the dull monotony
of Fi’ance, how few have taken the trouble to ascertain what beauties and
curiosities were presented by the districts which they almost skirted with their
carriage-wheels—Auvergne, the Vivarais, the Ardeche, and Dauphine! Au¬
vergne, little known even to the French themselves, except among men of
science, in whose works it is minutely described, is best approached by quitting
the high road to Lyons at Moulins, and ascending the valley of the Allier to
Clermont. The road thither, and for some distance beyond, traverses a coun¬
try contrasting remarkably with that left behind at Moulins in varied surface,
fertility, and abundance of foliage. It is thickly inhabited, and sprinkled over
with towns and villages, not hidden, but planted on the road side or on the top
of conspicuous eminences, where they alternate with ruined castles. The chief
source of interest, however, in Auvergne consists in its extinct volcanoes, which
of themselves deserve to attract visitors from all quarters of the globe. Even
the distant outline of these commanding mountain groups marks them as some¬
thing uncommon, while on a nearer approach their structure and composition

ROUTE PAGE

114 Clermont to Toulouse, by the

Cantal and Aurillac . .397

116 Clermont to Toulouse, by St.

Flour, the Baths of Chaudes

Aigues, Rodez, and Alby . 401

117 Montauban to Beziers, by Cas-

tres . . . . .406

118 Lyons to Le Puy, Aubenas,
Mende, and Nismes. —Railway

to St. Etienne. —The Cevennes 406

119 Roanne to Valence on the
Rhone, by St. Etienne and An-
nonay.—Railway from Roanne

to St. Etienne . . .411

121 Valence to Nismes, b j Privas,
Aubenas, the Volcanoes of the
Ardeche, and Alais.—Railway
from Alais to Nismes. — The
Cevennes . . . .414

336

Auvergne — The Cevennes.

Sect. Y.

furnish undeniable proof of their extraordinary origin. Many of them swell
into domes, showing that

“ The earth hath bubbles as the water has

others are formed into craters as regular and perfect as those of Etna and
Vesuvius, assuming the shape of a funnel or inverted cone. In many instances
the lava streams may be traced from the very lips of the crater out of which
they originally flowed for miles over the country, capping the hill tops and
filling up the valleys.

Castles of the feudal ages, dismantled by the levelling politician Richelieu,
or by the unbridled fury of the Revolutionists, abound in Central France and
contribute to adorn the landscape. In the volcanic country they are usually
perched on a platform of basalt crowning some conical peak, which is the
relic of a great bed of the same rock which once overspread the country.
These ready-made pedestals, from their isolated position and precipitous sides,
afforded security for property in troublous times, and impunity for violence
and rapine.

The best head-quarters for exploring Auvergne is Clermont, at the foot of
the Puy (or Pic) de Dome, whence numerous excursions may be made over
the Phlegrasan fields of France, including a visit to Mont Dore les Bains,
situated within another volcanic chain, the Monts Dores. Farther S. lie the
volcanic groups of the Cantal, between Murat and Aurillac, whose scenery is
striking and very peculiar; of Velay, in the midst of which stands the town
of Le Puy, one of the most singular and picturesque in France; and of the
Ardeche or Vivarais. Both the Cantal and Le Puy are accessible by good roads
from Clermont, but there is a want of communication between them, and a
carriage can only proceed from one to the other by a long detour, while the
Ardeche is accessible by good roads only from the Rhone. The pedestrian
and geologist will find his way readily across the country.

Aubenas, in the Ardeche, has a good inn; Vais, too, which is even more
centrical, affords very fair accommodation, where travellers may put up while
exploring its basaltic causeways, its domes of ashes, and craters of scoriae, on
which the chesnut luxuriates. The pedestrian and equestrian can pass from
Le Puy, by Langogne, direct to Tliueyts and Montpezat. (Rte. 121.)

Bordering upon the Ardeche to the S. extends the wild mountain chain of the
Cevennes, w T hich may be termed a moral extinct volcano, the last stronghold of
persecuted Protestantism in France, “Le Desert,” as its own inhabitants called
it, while, further in allusion to the children of Israel, they styled themselves
“Les Enfans de Dieu.” The Cevennes fill a large part of the departments of
La Lozere and Gard; and, by tracing up to their sources on the map the
rivers Tarn, Gardon, Vidourle, and Herault, the reader will ascertain the
theatre of that dire struggle, in the course of which 30,000 Cevenols perished
in battle or on the scaffold, and a much larger number of royal troops fell,
between November 1702 and December 1704. The boundaries of the Hautes
Cevennes are precisely marked by the lozenge-shaped outline formed by the
head waters, or forks, of the Tarn, and the two Gardons, that of Andouze and
that of Alais. The Basses Cevennes lie S. of this, between the Gardon d’An¬
douze and the Vidourle. These mountains are a natural citadel, an inextricable
labyrinth of gorges and defiles well fitted for desultory warfare, where a handful
of bold defenders could hold out against a host; with mountain peaks and
ridges for camps; passes and goi’ges for ambuscades; forests to rally in, in the
event of defeat; and for escape and refuge, mountain paths, trodden only by
the wild goat, and caves haunted by the fox; but which the Cevenols converted
into arsenals and storehouses. The best disciplined troops availed nothing in
storming these bulwarks of nature; and army after army, sent forth by the
bigot Louis XIV., at the instigation of the Jesuits, was annihilated by rude

Central France.

The Cevennes.

337

peasants, and tlieir leaders were recalled with disgrace. But the miseries of
war, the assassinations, burnings, pillagings, slaughter of females and infants,
were not confined to these mountains: they spread far and wide down into the
plain, to the ocean on the S., to the Rhone on the E., and N. beyond the
Ardeche: the incursions of the peasants in their forays, pouring down from
the hills, repeatedly spread consternation up to the very walls of Nisrties,
Uzes, Alais, and Montpellier; and their leaders in disguise boldly penetrated
into the interior of these towns when in search of provisions or intelligence.
And who were these chiefs ? Simple peasants, shepherds, labourers, carders of
wool, and weavers, who exercised the double office of military leaders and
prophets; a singular compound of psalm-singing and throat-cutting, combining
the strongest religious fanaticism with much worldly vanity, love of fine dresses,
and of plunder; and above all, the most dauntless courage. One or two had
served as soldiers in the ranks, during the war of the Alps; but this could not
have given them that skill in generalship which enabled them repeatedly to
bring their wild hordes to face troops four, six, or eight times more numerous,
not only in the mountains, in advantageous positions, but also in the plain,
with so much skill as to call forth the admiration even of Marshal Villars.
The story of the poor peasants of the Cevennes differs but little from that of
the Covenanters in Scotland, except that the oppression which the Cevenols
endured was more cruel. It affords a remarkable proof how fruitless are the
efforts of bigoted persecution and tyrannic cruelty, even when backed by un¬
limited power, in procuring passive submission. When, in an evil hour for
France, Louis XIV., listening to the advice of Louvois and Bossuet, backed
by the Jesuits, revoked the Edict of Nantes, made it a crime to pray except
according to his own religion, banished the Reformed pastors to distant lands,
pulled down the churches, and let loose the Dragonnades to torture the people
into conformity, a strange fermentation was produced in the public mind,
heated by the perusal and misapplication of particular parts of the Bible.
Prophets and prophetesses began to spring up among the Protestant commu¬
nity. That wild enthusiasm, bordering on insanity, which roused up the Maid
of Orleans to resist the oppression of the English, here seems to have deve¬
loped itself among a whole community. The disease of prophesying seems
first to have broken out in Dauphine, but soon spread, like an epidemic, across
the Rhone, and a large proportion of the cases were mere boys and girls, and
all untaught peasants. The ignorant peasantry, believing the ecstasies of these
preachers to be inspired by the Holy Ghost, flocked from far and near to listen,
and, deprived of the sober guidance of their own exiled pastors, imbibed the
fervour of fanaticism. The spirit of resistance began to show itself, drawn
forth by the recital of their wrongs, the denunciation of their tyrants, and the
assurance of support from heaven :■ conventicles were held, in spite of the ter¬
rors of prison, torture, and the soldiery, in the open air among rocks and
caverns. The desire of vengeance on the instrument of their suffering, a
bigoted priest who had acted the part which Archbishop Sharp is supposed to
have done in Scotland, and who was assassinated by a fanatic French Balfour
of Burley, was the signal for denial of mercy on the part of the ministers of
Louis, and of open rebellion on the side of the Cevenols. Hereupon com¬
menced the insurrection of the Camisards, as the persecuted outcasts of the
Cevennes were called by their enemies, it is supposed from the white shirt (in
Languedocian, Carnisa ) which they wore over their clothes to distinguish them¬
selves. The whole of the Protestant communities were organized, chiefly by
the leaders Roland and Cavalier; troops were levied from the different parishes,
and each furnished its quota to the ranks and the commissariat or a contribu¬
tion of money; and losses in the ranks were filled up by fresh levies. The
Cevenol force never exceeded 3000 in arms at one time, and was divided into
three brigades under different chiefs, each of whom had his own post and disu
France. Q

338

The Cevennes.

Sect. V.

trict (generally near his own home) among the hills. Such troops and com¬
manders, intoxicated by the wild harangues of prophets and prophetesses who
accompanied the expeditions on horseback, and made their hearers believe that
their bodies should be as stone against sword and musket, and who led them
into action with some inspiriting psalm, produced acts of most dauntless daring
and prowess, and a total disregard of the numbers brought against them. The
seizures, tortures, executions, by breaking on the wheel and burning alive (the
common modes of punishing a Camisard), led to reprisals on their part—to
murders of priests, sacking and burning of popish churches. Yet, horrible as
were the acts of vengeance and violence committed by the Cevenols, they were
equalled, if not surpassed, by the crimes, plunder, and murder of women and
children, perpetrated by the ruffian soldiery in the pay of Louis, especially by
the guerrilla bands called Florentins. The royal troops carried fire and sword
into every village; and the unscrupulous generals and governors of Louis
acting in Languedoc resorted to the atrocious measure of devastating the whole
of the Upper Cevennes; destroying by fire and axe 400 hamlets and villages,
and driving away the inhabitants. The Camisards did not attempt to defend
their homesteads, but retorted by carrying fire and sword over the fertile plain,
and spreading terror into the cities of Nisrnes and Montpellier. The rebellion
was at length arrested, less by any successes gained against the Protestants in
the field, by the number of troops employed against them, and the skill and
generalship of the four marshals of France despatched in turn to take the com¬
mand, than by the cautious policy of one of them, Marshal Villars, in cajoling
and bribing the Cevenol leaders.

Though the struggle of the Cevenols ended in failure—though the tolerance
of their faith, according to the Edict of Nantes, the chief object for which
they contended, was denied them—though the insurrection was followed, not
by alleviation of their wrongs, but by persecution continued for half a century,
—yet these misguided sufferers, who bled upon their native mountains, who
were broken alive on the wheel, burnt alive on the pile, tormented in dun¬
geons, or pined away their lives in gaol, gave a terrible lesson to tyranny and
religious bigotry, and shook th^ “ Grand Monarque” on his throne. Even at
the present time then’ country has not recovered from the desolation inflicted
by the destruction of its houses and temples. Many parishes, destitute of
places of worship, meet for prayer in the open air, and the traveller in passing
through them may be arrested by the distant sounds of psalmody, or in pass¬
ing an abrupt turn in his road may come upon a congregation of peasants
attentively listening to the pastor, who holds forth from the top of the rock,
or from beneath the shade of a venerable tree. Many families trace their
descent from the chiefs of the insurrection. The people are poor, and the
greater part of their country, especially the Upper Cevennes, is not easily ac¬
cessible for want of roads. There is but little traffic along the two highways
from Mende to Nisrnes (Rte. 118), and from Aubenas to Alais (Rte. 121), which
skirt or traverse it. Manufactures, however, are gradually creeping up its re¬
mote valleys from the S.; and the railway completed between Nisrnes and
Alais, and the neighbouring coal-field, cannot fail to give an impulse to traffic
and commerce. The traveller will find little picturesque beauty, owing to the
bare aridity of the hills, the want of foliage and of verdure.

Its history and ancient associations form its chief interest. An Englishman
may be willing to be reminded, as he traverses this district of former strife,
that many of the Irish officers and soldiers who fought at the battle of the
Boyne on the side of James II., and afterwards accompanied him to France,
were employed here against the Protestants; that the Cevenol leaders were
encouraged by the ministers of William III. and Queen Anne, and received
promises of assistance, but promises only; that on two occasions British fleets,
under Sir Cloudesley Shovel, approached the coast of Languedoc to support

Central France.

Route 103.— Bourges.

339

tlie insurrection with troops and arms, but failed in effecting that purpose;
that the band of Cevenol insurgents expelled from France by the intrigues and
negotiations of Villars was formed into a regiment under their chief Cavalier,
and fought in the English army commanded by Peterborough in Spain, at
Almanza, where they were almost cut to pieces by their own countrymen; and
that Cavalier, their leader, died a pensioner in Chelsea Hospital.

A full account of the war of the Cevennes, and the events which led to it,
will be found in Peyrat, Histoire des Pasteurs dn Desert, Paris, 184-2.

For the geology of Auvergne, Yelay, and the Vivarais, there is no work so
good as Scrope’s Central France, with illustrations from the author’s sketches.
Consult also Lyell’s Geology, and the French works of M. Elie de Beaumont;
those of MM. Lecocq and Bouill6, and of M. Bertrand de Doux. Miss Cos¬
tello's Summer in Auvergne may also be referred to. Merime'e’s Notes d'un Voyage
en Auvergne contains the most complete account of the monuments of that dis¬
trict. There is an admirable Map of Auvergne by Desmarest,

ROUTE 103.

ORLEANS TO BOURGES [NEVERS] RAIL
AND CLERMONT.

111 kilom. = 69 Eng. m. to Bourges.
71 kilom. thence to Clermont.

Railroad to Vierzon, Bourges, and
Nevers; 4 trains daily.

This road is the same as Rte. 70 as
far as

80 Vierzon Stat. About a mile out
of the town, on the banks of the Canal,
is the village Les Forges, consisting of
very extensive furnaces, where the iron
of Berry is wrought in large quantity.

90 Foecy Stat.

96 Mehun Stat., near to the river
Yevre. A fragment, consisting of 2
machicolated towers, alone remains of
the castle in which Charles VII. spent
much of the early part of his reign in
indolence, and at last ended his days;
allowing himself to die of starvation,
through the fear of being poisoned by
his son, afterwards Louis XI., 1461.
The demolition of the building has
been chiefly effected since 1812, down
to which time the chamber of the
king, and that of his mistress, Agnes
Sorel, were still pointed out.

103 Marmagne Stat.

112 Bourges Stat.— Inns: La Poste,
a clean and good hotel—R. M.; far the
best, but none very good.

Bourges, anciently capital of Berry,
and now of the Dept, of the Cher, is
situated nearly in the centre of France,

j upon a considerable eminence, rising
| abruptly out of an uninteresting and
flat country, watered by the river Auron,
and has 20,440 Inhab. It possesses
little trade and no extensive manufac¬
ture ; though some cloth is woven and
some iron ore is smelted in it. Its
I streets may be divided into 2 classes:
those of very ancient houses with gables
facing outwards, many of them having
frame fronts of timber, generally occu¬
pied by shops; and streets of dead
walls and portes cocheres, denoting
the habitations of families of indepen¬
dent fortune, and in easy circum¬
stances, in which class Bourges abounds.
The opening of the railway seems to
have thrown some little life into these
dead walls. The number of silver¬
smiths is remarkable in a provincial
town. The highest platform of the
hill on which the town is built is occu¬
pied by the Cathedral of St. Etienne, a
colossal and magnificent edifice, one of
the finest in France, conspicuous, with
its 2 solid towers, far and near. Its
\V. facade presents a row of no less
| than 5 deeply-recessed portals, all orna-
i mented, in a style of peculiar richness
! and originality, with sculpture; that
! in the centre, higher than the rest, is
! decorated, above the carved wood doors,
with a bas-relief of admirable execu¬
tion, representing the Last Judgment.
In the centre, Christ seated amidst
Archangels, and the Virgin and St.
John on either side, on their knee3:

Q 2

340

Route 103.— Bourges — Cathedral .

Sect. V.

below, on his rt., the Good led to the
Gate of Paradise by St. Peter; on the
1. the AVicked seized by Demons and
hurled into a fiery Cauldron, which
divers Imps are exciting with the Bel¬
lows: 6 rows of niches, filled with
figures of the Angelic Choir, Saints,
Patriarchs, &c., line this deep porch
on either side. The varied expression
of the countenances, the elevated cha¬
racter of many, the easy flow of the
drapery, and the good execution of the
whole, bespeak the work of an eminent
sculptor, but his name, as well as that
of the architect of the building, is un¬
known. The portals have been lately
restored, with great care and skill, in
a species of clay. The injuries are at¬
tributed to the Protestants; but if they
be the result of a popular commotion,
and not of the mere progress of time,
they are wonderfully slight. The other
portals have smaller reliefs, from Scrip¬
tural and legendary stories, and fewer
niches, but equally deserve examina¬
tion. Those on the rt, of the spectator
represent the stoning of St, Stephen,
and the Acts of St. Ursin; on the 1.
the Death of the Virgin, and St. Ursin
and St. Just preaching the Gospel in
Berry. The foliage between the mould¬
ings can scarcely be surpassed for de¬
licacy,

The oldest part of the ch. is the late¬
ral doorways on the N. and S, sides;
they are circular arches, adorned with
florid Norman ornaments and statues,
in a stiff stjde dating probably from
the 12th centy. The N, door is covered
by a projecting porch of later date,
The N. and most perfect tower was
founded 1508, and finished 1538, Its
builder was Guil. Pellevoisin: it is
199 ft. high; it is called the butter
tower, because built with the money
raised from indulgences to eat butter
in Lent. The S. tower is inferior in
elegance.

The interior consists of one long and
vast parallelogram, without transept,
but, to make amends, provided with
double aisles on each side, those next
the centre being 65 ft. high, and fur¬
nished, like it, with triforium and cle¬
restory, worthy of a cathedral nave, ex¬
tending all round the choir. Beyond

the outer aisle are 18 chapels. The
vaulted stone roof of the central aisle,
117 ft. high, is supported by 60 piers,
with capitals in the Early English style,
presenting the most varied and striking
perspective.

The chapel, built by the jeweller
Jacques Coeur, and his son John, 88 th
Archbishop of Bourges, 1446, now con¬
verted into a Sacristy, is remarkable for
its glass, and for the very delicate
soulpture of the portal. One of the
chief boasts of this cathedral is the
quantity, excellence, and good preser¬
vation of the painted glass of the win¬
dows of the choir and chapels. They
include specimens of the art from the
13th down to the 17th centy. The cha¬
pels containing the finest examples of
the later state of the art are those of
Jacques Coeur, St. Loup, St. Denis :
those in the chapels of Tullier and
Coppin are the work of Lecuyer, an
artist of Bourges (d. 1556). One of the
most modern specimens is a beautiful
Ascension of the Virgin, given, 1619,
by the Marechal de Montigny, whose
portrait, with that of his wife, is seen
in the corner below.

In the crypt, an early Pointed struc¬
ture, running below the choir, in a
semicircle, is deposited the monument
of Jean le Magnifique, Due de Berri,
son, brother, and uncle of kings, and
nephew of Charles V. of France, erected
by his own nephew, Charles VII. His
effigy, in marble, of good execution,
was brought hither from the Sainte
Chapelle, which hebuilt, now destroyed.
Here are also the effigies in marble of
the Marechal Montigny and his lady,
and the statue of the Virgin, of good
design, Louis XI., son of Charles VII.,
b. at Bourges 1423, was baptized in the
cathedral by Huri d’Avanjour, 89th
archbishop.

Adjoining the cathedral, on the S.,
is the Archeveche, a handsome edifice,
in the Italian style, with gardens at¬
tached, traversed by fine avenues of
limes. Here Don Carlos of Spain was
lodged as a sort of state prisoner. A
little way from it the Caserne d’Artil-
lerie, an immense building, formerly
the Grand Seminaire, surrounded by
numerous detached buildings, stables

Central France. Bourges. — Ramparts—Hotel de Ville. 341

to accommodate the men and horses,
of whom 800, with all their train and
equipments, are commonly stationed
here.

The city of Bourges is still sur¬
rounded by Eemparts, converted, for
the greater part of their extent, into a
public promenade, and planted with
trees. It was formerly defended by 60
watch-towers, all of which have been
demolished except 6 or 8. Two of
these, behind the arclieveche and ca¬
valry barrack, opposite the promenade
called the Cours Seraucourt, deserve
notice, as being undoubtedly Roman.
One is formed of huge blocks of stone,
now much worn at the edges, a style of
durable masonry (opus incertum) em¬
ployed by the Romans in their great
works ; the other is of smaller stones,
with layers of large tiles in bands; the
substructure of the wall, as far as the
garden of the prefecture, is of the same
kind. These Roman relics are of some
interest. Joseph Scaliger and d’An-
ville are satisfied that Bourges is the
ancient Avaricum (named from the river
A vara, now Evre), chief town of the
Bituriges (Berry), mentioned by Csesar
in his Commentaries (viii. 13), “ Oppi-
dum quod erat maximum munitissi-
mumque, in finibus Biturigum, et
totius Galliae urbs prope pulcherrima.”
On account of its importance and beauty
it was the only city of the Celtic Gauls
which they spared to burn to the
ground, when, like the Russians in
Moscow, they resorted to that expe¬
dient as a last resource to check the
conquering armies of Julius Caesar.

At the entrance of the Garden of
the Prefecture, close to the Promenade
de Seraucourt, is a Romanesque portal
of the 11 tli centy., removed Rom the
Ch. of St. Ursin, now destroyed. It is
a circular arch, enclosing curious sculp¬
tures in relief, representing the 12
Months of the Year; a Boar Hunt, &c.;
Scenes from iEsop’s Fables, as the
Stork and the Fox; a Fox drawn by
Geese; of very good execution.

Next to the cathedral, the most
interesting building is the Hotel de
Ville, originally the private mansion of
Jacques Coeur, a citizen of the town, a
great capitalist and successful merchant

and jeweller, and finance minister to
Charles VII., who, after lending his
master 200,000 gold crowns, was torn
from his palace, cast into prison, and
condemned to death and confiscation
of his property—a sentence commuted
by the king into perpetual banishment.
The cause of his accusation and con¬
demnation remains a mystery. The
building, begun 1443, is in the late or
florid Gothic style, of great magnifi¬
cence, yet not overladen : the walls
alone cost 130,000 livres. There is no
uniformity of parts ; no one wall or
window corresponds with another—all
is varied, yet all is harmonious. The
entrance is flanked by a most elegant
tourelle, and is surmounted by a pro¬
jecting balcony, or open oriel of elegant
| tracery. Two figures, sculptured in
stone, on each side, are said to be the
| servants of Jacques Coeur, on the look-
; out to warn him of danger from the
officers of justice, but are more proba-
j bly a mere freak of the architect. This
elegant palace is distinguished, like
( many other French domestic edifices of
the 15th centy., by its circular cone-
roofed towers, containing spiral stair¬
cases. Its windows, surmounted by
flat arches, are ornamented below with
open tablets of quatrefoils, among which
is introduced the punning device of
Jacques Coeur, the heart, and the scal¬
lop-shell of the pilgrim to St. James’s
Shrine. On a little Gothic balustrade
i between the outer gateway and its
: flanking turret the motto of Jacques
Coeur, “ A vaillants Cceurs rien impos¬
sible,” is most elaborately carved in
tall Gothic characters of stone. Over
the doorways in the court are singular
' bas-reliefs : observe that on the 1. of
the great entrance, and that over the
kitchen. The chapel above the gateway
deserves to be seen, but especially the
upper part, divided from the lower by
a modern floor, its groined roof being
elegantly painted in fresco, probably
I by Italian artists, with angels in flowing
! robes of white upon a blue ground, re-
l presenting the mult itude of the angelic
host, bearing scrolls, inscribed, “Gloria
in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax,” &c.:
the figures are well foreshortened, and
; in good preservation. In the lower

342

Route 103.— Bourges—Sceurs JBleues.

Sect. V.

part of the chapel are 2 elegant niches,
nearly blocked up. The rest of the in¬
terior has been sadly mutilated and
altered, to fit it for conversion into law-
courts, stripped of panelling, cornices,
and chimney-pieces, so that the chapel
alone is now worth entering. This
palace was appropriated as a residence
to the youthful Conde, destined to be¬
come Le Grand Conde, while pursuing
his studies at the Jesuits’ College here.

The Caserne de Gendarmerie, in a
street behind the Hotel de Ville, not
far off from it, was the house of Cujas,
professor in the University, which ex¬
isted here from 1465 to the Revolution.
It is of brick, of very solid construc¬
tion, built towards the end of the 16tli
centy., and displays about its doors,
windows, and turrets, some fragments
of elegant decoration. It will be re¬
membered that Bourges had great fame
as a school of law.

The Convent of the Sceurs Bleties , in
the Rue des Vieilles Prisons, originally
the mansion of the family Lallemand,
and built probably about 1512, has an
irregular front, flanked by tourelles,
gracefully decorated with arabesque
patterns, bas-reliefs, &c., in the style
of the Renaissance, which will please
an architect. It contains a little family
oratory, about 10 ft. by 15, surmounted
by a roof of 3 stone slabs, divided into
30 compartments, each filled with some
device, as a Globe on Fire, a Hand
gathering a Chesnut, or other pattern,
rebus, relief, or ornament, alternating
with the letters R E, often repeated,
most elaborately carved, but of which
the meaning is difficult to explain.
These buildings and others of the same
age in other parts of France in the same
debased style of Gothic, have a curious
resemblance to the contemporary ar¬
chitecture of Scotland, as shown in
many castellated mansions still existing.

Bourges was the residence and re¬
fuge of Charles VII., at a time when
three-fourths of his kingdom of France
belonged to the English, when he was
little more, in fact, than “king of
Bourges.”

Bourges has a museum, a receptacle of
antiquities, of various ages, and other
cariosities, without order or arrange¬

ment. A series of 6 weeping figures
(pleureuses), in alabaster, from some
monument; a model of the Saint Clia-
pelle, mentioned above, now destroyed;
an ebony cabinet, ornamented in the
style of the Renaissance, from Agnes
Sorel’s castle, Bon-sire-aime, and some
portraits, including those of Louis
XVI. and Marie Antoinette, merit no¬
tice.

Bourges is the birth-place of Louis
XI., and of Bourdaloue, one of the first
pulpit orators of the French Church.

Diligences daily to Montlu^on and the
Baths of Ndris.

The Railway is continued

123 Moulins Stat.'j

138 Star' k-m Bourges by

148 Nerondes Stat. J

161 La Guerche Stat.

170 Le Guetin Stat.

181 Nevers Stat. (Rte. 105.)

There is little to interest in the flat
but fertile country across which we
proceed to Montlu^n by

18 Levet.

13 Jariole.

A little on one side of the road is the
ruined Abbey of Noirlac, so named from
a dark pool near it. It is now converted
into a China manufactory, including
The Ch., a large and still perfect struc¬
ture, and a good example of the tran¬
sition Gothic of the latter part of the
13th centy., 1189. The kitchen and
refectory, supported on pillars, still re¬
main, as well as the cloister.

16 St. Amand Montrond, a neat town
of 6636 Inhab., on the Marmande, about
a mile from the rt. bank of the Cher.
Only a few shapeless ruins remain of
its Castle, once an important strong¬
hold, belonging to the princes de Conde,
in which the sickly infant who grew to
be le Grand Conde was nursed and
reared. His heroic wife, the Princess
Clemence de Maille, after her escape
from Chantilly, 1650, threw herself and
her son into this castle, whence, after
gathering arouud her the dependants
and retainers of the house of Conde,
she set forth to cross some of the
wildest provinces of France in order to
join the Dukes of Bouillon and La

C. Fr. Houle 103.— Orleans to Clermont—Neris les Bains. 343

Rochefoucald, and put herself at the
head of the army of the Fronde, which
kept possession of Bordeaux against
Mazarin. Montrond was the birth-place
of Gaston de Foix ; it was fortified by
the Due de Sully, who wrote here Ins
“ Adieux a la Cour:” after enduring a
siege of a whole year’s duration, 1652,
from the royal forces, it was compelled
to surrender to the Comte de Palluau,
who levelled the fortifications. The
last tower which remained standing has
been pulled down, in order that the
proprietor may make gardens and ter¬
races on the site.

About 21 m. S.W. of St. Amand is
the Chateau de Meillant, built 1511, for
Charles, Seigneur de Chaumont, some¬
what in the style of the house of
Jacques Coeur at Bourges, with similar
external ornaments, balustrades, and
projecting towers to contain the snail-
shell stairs, but vastly inferior to it.
The blazing hill, sculptured in various
parts, is intended as a sculptured pun
on the owner’s name, Chauds Monts.
The decorations of the interior are not
supposed to be later than the 18th
centy. On the towers are sculptured
figures of sentinels threatening all who
approach, like those on the battlements
of Alnwick.

The road from St. Amand is very
agreeable, running by the side of the
Cher. At Drevant, on its rt. bank, tra¬
versed by the road, extensive substruc¬
tions of a theatre, and other Roman
buildings, have been laid bare.

A branch of the Canal du Cher runs
parallel with the Cher and the high
road from St. Amand to Montlu^on,
and the coal mines of Commentry,
where it terminates.

18 Meaulne.

16 Reugny (Dept. Allier).

15 Montlu^on (//ms: H. de France,
and de l’Ecu), a very ancient town of
the province of the Bourbonnais, having
5400 Inhab., picturesquely situated on
the slope of a hill, whose base is washed
by the Cher, and its summit crowned
by a Castle. During the middle ages
it was a strong fortress ; and, from its
position near the frontier of the French
king’s domains, had often to sustain
the attacks of the English. A part of

its old walls, and their flanking watch-
towers, still remains, constructed with
great solidity. The donjon, and a few
towers on the summit of the hill, are
all that remains of the castle of the
Dues de Bourbon, which commanded
the town, as its ruins still command an
extensive view.

A hilly and uninteresting road to

8 Neris (Inns: Grand Hotel;—H.
Leopold), a watering-place of consider¬
able resort within a few years, but well
known to the Romans, who must have
had a magnificent establishment here,
judging from the architectural frag¬
ments—columns, friezes, foundations
of walls—discovered from time to time.
Yet it is only since 1821 that the French
have begun a bath-house, which is not
yet finished, and which, with several
boarding-houses attached to a poor vil¬
lage of 800 Inhab., compose the place.
The mineral waters are warm, alkaline,
but nearly tasteless, so that the inha¬
bitants employ them for culinary pur¬
poses and for drinking; they are fur¬
nished from 4 sources, one of which.
La Source Nouvelle, burst forth, 1757,
at the time of the earthquake at Lisbon,
They are exclusively used for baths,
being introduced into the houses.
They resemble the spring of Schlangen-
bad, have the same unctuous feel t©
the touch, the same smoothing effect
on the skin, and sedative influence on
the nerves. It is usual to go to bed
after taking the bath, in order to pro¬
mote perspiration. There are also
douche and mud-baths, and 3 piscines
or public baths.

The very pretty promenade, or Jardin
dcs Bains, occupies the site of an am¬
phitheatre, built by the Romans for the
recreation of visitors to these remote
baths of Aquae Neri, as Neris was an¬
ciently called. Concentric terraces
mark the stages on which the seats
were placed; and traces remain of one
of the passages which divided them
into cunei, or wedges. There are con¬
siderable fragments of walls.

The Church is a very ancient Roman¬
esque edifice, in the form of a basilica,
ending in 3 apses. The arches in the
nave are pointed, those in the choir
round. From the rude sculpture of

344

Route 104 .—Paris to Dijon .

Sect. Y.

the capitals, its date has been referred
to the 11th centy.

The country around is pleasing, and
the situation very healthy.

The road to Clermont is carried
through a wild hilly district, passing
out of the coal formation into a coun¬
try of primitive rocks shortly before
reaching

18 Montaigu, a little town appro¬
priately named from its site on a pointed
hill, crowned by a castle, situated in
the Dept. Puy de Dome.

At Menat are quarries, whence tripoli
or polishing slate is obtained; it is pro¬
duced by the spontaneous combustion
of iron pyrites among beds of bitu¬
minous clay. It contains impressions
of vegetables, fish, and insects. Near
this the road ascends a long and steep
hill, commanding a very extensive view
over the volcanic ranges of Auvergne,
and near at hand looks down upon the
Castle of Blot, seated amidst rugged
rocks. The river Sioule is crossed be¬
fore reaching

27 St. Pardoux. The very peculiar
forms of the volcanic mountains of the
Puy de Dome cannot fail to arrest at¬
tention.

We now enter the fertile plain of the
Limagne d’Auvergne.

15 } described iu 109-

ROUTE 104.

PARTS TO DIJON, BY MELUN, FONTAINE¬
BLEAU, MONTEREAU, SENS, JOIGNY

[AUXERRE], AND TONNERRE. —PARIS

AND LYONS RAILROAD A.

Terminus Boulevard Mazas, on the
rt. bank of the Seine, not far from the
Pont d’Austerlitz. 4 trains daily to
Chalons—fast in 10 lirs., slow in 12^-
hrs. The first part of this railway,
from Paris to Tonnerre, was opened
1849. It is carried up the valleys of
the Seine, Yonne, Arman^on, Brenne,
and Oze.

The river Marne is crossed by a bridge
of two divisions, respectively of 2 and
3 arches, at Charenton, a village of 1900
Inhab., containing a Lunatic Asylum, a
large building. Two of the detached

forts for the defence of Paris here
guard the passage of the Seine, one on
each bank.

At Alfort is a large veterinary college.

rt. flows the Seine.

Villeneuve St. George Stat.

1. is the Forest of Senars.

Viaduct of 9 arches over the valley
of the Yeres river.

Brunoy Stat.

2nd viaduct of 28 arches 72 ft. high.

Combes la Ville Stat.

1. m. is Brie Comte Robert.

Lieusaint Stat.

Cesson Stat.

A handsome bridge of 3 arches of
cast iron traverses the Seine at le Mee.

44 Melun Stat. {Inn: H. de France),
a town of 6622 Inhab., chef-lieu of the
Dept. Seine et Marne. It is mentioned
in Caesar’s Commentaries under the
name Melodunum. In 1520 it was be¬
sieged and taken by the armies of
Henry V. and the Duke of Burgundy,
but the English were ejected 1530.

Diligence to Provins by Nanjis.

51 Bois le Roi Stat.

There is a very fine viaduct of 30
arches, 66 ft. high by 33 wide, at Avon.
In the old church of the village, Mo-
naldeschi, favourite of Christina Queen
of Sweden, murdered by her orders (p.
346), is buried. A small square stone
in the pavement, near the benitier,
marks the grave.

59 Fontainebleau Station is about
1 m. E. of the town—omnibus thither.

10 Fontainebleau. — Inns : H. de
France, facing the Palace; good. Ville
de Lyon, very clean, comfortable, and
moderate; Aigle Noir.

This town, seated in the midst ol
the Forest of Fontainebleau, has
swelled, under the influence of the
presence and smiles of royalty, to a
population of 10,000, from a poor
hamlet in the time of Louis VII., who
first built a castle here (1162). It owes
its consequence entirely to its

Chateau Royal, a palace of much his¬
torical interest, but not very imposing
as an edifice, externally, in spite of its
extent; the masses of building com¬
posing it, though they enclose 6 courts,
being limited to low ranges of 2 or 3
stories, chiefly of brick. The oldest

Central France. Route 104.— Fontainebleau .

345

and the greatest part of the existing
edifice dates from the reign of Francis
I., excepting the chapel.

Time, neglect, and violence had
greatly dimmed the splendour of this
venerable seat of kings, when Louis-
Philippe undertook to revive it; and
his judicious and splendid restorations,
following closely the style and cha¬
racter of the different periods at which
it was originally constructed, have
added greatly to the magnificence and
interest of the palace.

The entrance is by the “ Cour du
Cheval Blanc,” so called from a plaster
cast of the equestrian statue of Marcus
Aurelius at Rome, which Catherine of
Medici set up in it, but it no longer
exists. In the midst of this court,
near the foot of the horseshoe stair,
Napoleon took leave of the remnant of
the Old Guard, who had followed him
to the last, midst his reverses, pre¬
viously to his departure for Elba, 1814,
an event commemorated by the well-
known picture of “LesAdieux cle Fon¬
tainebleau.”

The apartments first entered are
those recently fitted up for the late
lamented Due d’Orleans, on the occa¬
sion of his marriage ; they had been
originally occupied by Catherine cle
Medici and Anne of Austria, whence
they got the name Appartements des
Heines Meres. Here Pope Pius VII.
was lodged, rejecting all the magnifi¬
cence and comforts prepared for him
by his imperial jailer, who desired that
his forced residence of 3 years should
have the appearance of a visit rather
than an imprisonment. Napoleon at¬
tempted in a private interview to
wring from the old man his consent
to the Concordat, by which he re¬
nounced temporal power. The ceiling
of the salon, recently restored, is very
gorgeous.

In the Chapelle de la Trinite, whose
paintings are inferior and faded, the
marriages of Louis XV. with Maria
Leckzinska (1725) and of the late Due
d’Orleans (1837) were celebrated. The
Galerie de Frangois I. is one of the most
striking in the palace; perfectly cha¬
racteristic of the style of art of the
period of the Renaissance; and it sup¬

plies specimens of some of the pro¬
ductions of the Italians attracted, at
the king’s Jndding, to France, where
they founded a school of art. Its roof
is of walnut wood, its walls are richly
panelled and covered with stucco,
scroll-work, carvings, trophies, de¬
vices, among which the Salamander of
Francis is often repeated alternating
with terms, or Caryatid figures, me¬
dallions, bas-reliefs. These serve partly
as frames to 14 pictures, in fresco, the
work of Rossi (Maitre Roux), a Flo¬
rentine, and his scholars. One of
Danae, however, is attributed to Pri *
maticcio, who is supposed also to have
designed the ornaments. The paint¬
ings, now too much faded or injured
to be appreciated, are chiefly mytho¬
logical subjects, chosen for their alle¬
gorical reference to the life of Francis.
In the first he is represented opening
the Temple of Art and Taste to a
crowd of blind persons; next comes a
Triumph, in honour of the victory of
Marignan, led by a caparisoned ele¬
phant ; then the Rape of Europa; the
Burning of Troy; iEneas carrying off
Anchises, &c. In the centre is a bust
of Francis. The paintings of the age
of Francis I. were of so licentious a
character, that Anne of Austria thought
right to cause a great part of them to
be effaced in 1653, when she became
Regent, and this will account for the
slight remains now existing. The
Cabinet de Travail contains the little
round mahogany table at which Na¬
poleon, in 1814, signed his abdication,
a fac-simile of which, blotted and
scrawled, is suspended on the walls.
His bed-room remains nearly as he
left it. The Salle du Trone is of the
age of Louis XIII. and XIV., but the
throne was set up by Buonaparte. The
Boudoir de la Heine was fitted up for
the unfortunate Marie-Antoinette by
Louis XVI., and the metal window
bolts (espagnolettes) are said to have
been wrought by his own hand, and
are masterly specimens of his skill in
smith’s work. The Galerie de Diane is
a long corridor, built 1600, but deco¬
rated with paintings relating to that
goddess, by modern artists. Below it
runs the Galerie des Cerfs, which was in

Q 3

346

Route 104. — Fontainebleau.

Sect. Y.

1657 the scene of the atrocious murder
of an Italian, the Marquis Monaldesclii,
by 3 assassins hired for the purpose by
Christina of Sweden, at that time re¬
siding in the chateau as the guest of
Louis XIII. The reason assigned by
her for the crime was some alleged
betrayal of her secrets by Monaldeschi,
who was her high chamberlain, and
had enjoyed her full confidence. She
subjected him to a sort of mock trial,
in which she acted as judge and jury.
She sent for a priest to confess him
before she gave orders for his murder,
which w ? as executed in the confessor’s
presence. Monaldesclii seems not to
have been free from suspicions of his
mistress, for he wore under his dress a
coat of mail, which turned the first
thrusts of the sword of the assassin.
The French court was content to give
a hint of displeasure at this atrocity,
but the queen remained here until
1659. This gallery is now subdivided
into small apartments, and is not
shown.

The suite of rooms called Salons de
Reception comprises one called de Fran¬
cois I., containing Gobelins tapestries,
of recent date, as brilliant as oil paint¬
ings, and a chimney-piece ornamented
with Sevres china. A second is named
after Lords XIII., because he was born
in it; and the Salle de St. Louis is orna¬
mented with a high relief of Henri IY.
on horseback, over the fire-place. The
Salle des Gardes is admirably and most
richly restored: the paintings on the
walls are in the style of those of the
Loggie of Raphael. The chimney-
piece rests on 2 figures of Strength
and Peace, and in the centre is a bust
of Henri IY.

The Salle du Bal, or Galerie de Henri
II., is the most splendid of the recent
restorations, and one of the finest
things in the palace. The paintings
have been renovated with as much care
as possible, yet, it is to be feared,
retain little of the master pencils of
Primaticcio, and his pupil, Niccolo del
Abbate, by whom they were executed.
The ceiling is most gorgeous and
elaborate with ornaments ; the walls
are of consistent richness. Every¬
where appears the crescent of Diana

of Poictiers, and her initial D. linked
with that of her royal lover, H. The
chimney-piece, glittering with fleurs-
de-lis, and resplendent with marbles,
was the work of the sculptor Rondelet.

The Chapelle de St. Saturnin, on the
ground floor, is said to be of the time
of Louis VII., and the oldest part of
the palace; but the repairs of Francis
I., who found it in ruins, have dis¬
guised and altered it so that little of
its primitive structure can be traced.
It was originally dedicated by Thomas
h Becket. In its windows is some good
modern painted glass, from the designs
of the late talented Princess Marie
d’Orleans.

The Porte Force, a splendid portal,
decorated with revived frescoes, ori¬
ginally by Rossi, leads from the Cour
Ovale to the Alice de Maintenon,

* ‘ named by the proudest and vainest
king in Europe after his plebeian wife.”
The Oval Court is also called Cour du
Donjon, from an elevated pavilion on
an archway in the style of the Re¬
naissance, and includes the oldest part
of the Palais. The other entrance to
it is called Port Dauphine, because
built at the birth of Louis XIII., 1601.

The gardens at the back of the palace
are not, on the whole, very remark¬
able to one accustomed to those of
England. That called Jardin Anglais
is bordered by a triangular pond, in
the midst of which rises a pavilion
surrounded by water. The “Fontaine
de Belle Eau,” which gave the name
to the place, rose, it is said, within the
garden; but the source has been lost
in forming the artificial ponds.

Philippe le Bel was born and died at
Fontainebleau; the emperor Charles V.
was lodged in the Salle des Poeles, and
entertained here by Francis I., 1539;
Henrietta Maria sought refuge here
when the cause of Charles I. became
hopeless, 1644; here the Mareehal de
Biron, betrayed by his agent Mafin,
was arrested for conspiracy against
Henri IY., 1602, and conveyed to the
Bastille; the Grand Conde died here
1686, and Louis XIV. here signed
(1685) the Revocation of the Edict of
Nantes.

The Sandstone quarries around Foil-

Central France. Route 104.— Fontainebleau.

347

tainebleau not only furnish paving
stones for the chausse'ed high roads
around the town, but are transported
in quantities down the Seine to Paris.
The rock sometimes presents very
pretty groups of crystals, covered over
with fine sand, well known to every
mineralogist.

The band of the Cavalry Regt. sta-.
tioned here plays every Thursday and
Sunday afternoon in the Gardens of
the Chateau.

Cafe Reiliier, Place au Charbon, is
the best. Post Office, Rue St. Merry,
No. 49. Baths, No. 33 same street.

English Church Service in the Temple
Protestant, Rue du Cimetiere, No. 1 bis,
not far from the Post Office, every Sun¬
day at 3-30 ; French Service at 12-30.

Local souvenirs made of the wood
of the juniper (Gen^vrier) are made
and sold here.

Carriage lure with 2 horses, 12 fir.
per diem; saddle horse, 6 fr.; donkey,
2 fr. : may be engaged at any of the
hotels.

It is scarcely possible to praise too
highly the woodland scenery of La
Foret de Fontainebleau, the constant
resort of French artists in summer,
which would require weeks to explore
thoroughly. An excellent Guide has
been published by M. Denecourt, a
veteran officer of Napoleon, who has
devoted himself to “la Foret.” His
map is essential in tracing the various
picturesque routes which he has indi¬
cated, by the paths which he has cut
through the wildest parts. His routes
are made clear to the wanderer by
arrows painted on the rocks of trees.
—D. B.

The forest of Fontainebleau extends
over an area of about 23,700 hectares.
This attractive hunting-ground in¬
duced the monarclis of France, ardent
lovers of the chase, to build a palace
within it, and make it their favourite
resort. At the Revolution of 1830,
however, all the deer were extermi¬
nated. Only a small portion of the
forest is occupied with full-grown
trees; but here and there it has pre¬
served noble groves of oaks and beech,
of majestic size and luxuriant foliage,
which may have sheltered the jovial

Francois I., the Bon Roi Henri IV.,
Louis XIV., and Napoleon. A large
space is covered with broom, heath,
and underwood, and with extensive
plantations of black fir, from the midst
of which picturesque masses of bare
sandstone rock (gres de Fontainebleau)
break through, and give great variety
and picturesqueness to the forest sce¬
nery. The points best worth visiting
are—to the rt. of the road from Paris,
the Gorges d’ Apremont and de Franchard,
above which are remains of a hermit¬
age, as old as the days of Philippe-
Auguste, destroyed by Louis XIV. ;
and to the 1. of the road La Valle'e de
la Solle, Le Gorge aux Loups, and Nid
de l’Aigle.

“La Croix du Grand Veneur,” an
obelisk on the grand route, at a place
where 4 roads meet, receives its name
from a spectral Black Huntsman, sup¬
posed to haunt the forest, who ap¬
peared here to Henri IV., according
to the story, shortly before his assas¬
sination. The forest is so intersected
with roads radiating in all directions,
that it is difficult to find one’s way
without a map or a guide.

Bailway continues

64 Thomery Stat.

On the borders of the Seine are
grown the fine Cliasselas grapes called
Fontainebleau grapes. 5000 or 6000
baskets of them, packed in heather,
are sent down the Seine every week
in autumn, to supply the markets of
Paris. The vines are trained along the
houses and walls of the village, shel¬
tered by narrow roofs from the rain.
Even the streets are vineyards, and
every foot of wall is covered with
vines.

Viaduct at St. Mammes of 30 arches,
62 ft. high, 32 ft. wide.

68 Moret St. Mammes Stat. Moret
is a picturesque old walled town on
the verge of the Forest of Fontaine¬
bleau, with ancient Ch. and Castle.

79 Montereau Stat.

Montereau (Lin: Grand Monarque,
the only one, but exorbitant charges)
is a town of 4153 Inliab., occupying a
pleasing situation, and one very ad¬
vantageous for commerce, at the junc¬
tion of the two navigable rivers the

348 Route 104.— Montereau —

Seine and Yonne, whence it has gained
the adjunct to its name Montereau -
faut-Yonne—where the Yonne fails, or
is lost in the Seine. The most con¬
siderable part lies on the 1 . bank of
the Yonne. Both rivers are crossed by
bridges, and the one over the Seine (or
rather an older bridge in the same
situation) was the scene of the murder
of Jean-Sans-Peur, Duke of Burgundy,
in the presence and by the orders of
the Dauphin (afterwards Charles VII.),
during a conference between them, and
in spite of the precautions which had
been resorted to of erecting double
barricades to divide the persons of the
2 princes. The blow was struck by
Tanneguy du Chastel. The conference
was designed to bring about a recon¬
ciliation, in order that the two parties
might combine to resist the invasion
of France by Henry Y.

1. Here the branch Railway to Troyes
(Rte. 143) diverges.

‘ ‘ The traveller who approaches Mon¬
tereau from the side of Paris involun¬
tarily halts on the summit of the
heights of Surville, which overhang the
town on the N., to gaze on the lovely
scene which lies spread out, like a map,
beneath his feet: he would do well to
remember that there, beside the little
cross adjacent to the chateau, stood
Napoleon during the last and not the
least of his many victories, on Feb.
18th, 1814. On the evening of the
17th the French troops assembled in
imposing masses on these heights
(which they had gained only after a
severe conflict), and which commanded
the bridge and town beneath. The
artillery of the Guard was placed on
either side of the road near the cross,
and the Emperor took his station, in
person, amidst the guns, to direct their
fire, for the enemy still held the town.
Such was his eagerness to annihilate
the dense masses of the enemy crowd¬
ing over the bridge, that he himself,
resuming his old occupation of a gun¬
ner, with his own hand, as at Toulon,
levelled and pointed a cannon upon
them.”— Alison. The allies were so
hotly pursued by the French cuiras¬
siers, that they were driven over the
Seine, and out of Montereau, having

Sens—Lyons Railway. Sect. V.

barely time to blow up the bridge over
the Yonne, which checked the pursuit
in the direction of Sens.

The Railroad ascends the pleasant
and fertile valley of the Yonne.

89 Villeneuve-la-Guiard Stat. —Inn .-
H. de la Souche, tolerable. Landlord
a wheelwright.

. 112 Pont-sur-Yonne Stat., pleasantly
situated on green banks fringed with
tall poplars and silvery willows. The
country is full of vineyards ; and a
larger proportion than ordinary of the
chateaux of the old noblesse seem to
be in existence near the churches of
the villages, or peeping over the trees.

113 Sens Stat.— Inn: H. de l’Ecu;
very good. This ancient capital of the
Sennones is now but a small city, con¬
taining 9279 Inhab., partly surrounded
by its original ramparts. It is remark¬
ably clean, with little becks of water
running through the streets, supplied
from a stream called the Vanne, which
falls into the Yonne hard by. The
Cathedral, dedicated to St. Stephen, is
one of the finest of its style, early
Gothic, or Transition Norman, resem¬
bling Canterbury, whose builder was
William of Sens ; it has undergone a
thorough repair. The tracery in front
of the transepts is the perfection of
flamboyant detail. The painted glass
deserves peculiar attention. It was
executed by Jean Cousin, a native of
Soucy, a village near Sens, who attained
great excellence in this as well as in
other branches of art. The colouring
is extremely harmonious. The tomb
of the Chancellor Duprat has partly
escaped the general destruction; the
bas-reliefs around it are very curious.
(Temp. Francis I.) There is also a
monument to the dauphin, son of
Louis XV., and his wife, by Coustou.
In the Treasury, among other curious
relics, are shown the vests and mitre
of Thomas Becket, his alb, girdle, stole,
maniple, and chasuble, to all appear¬
ance genuine; they have been repaired.
He fled to Sens 1164, when he escaped
out of England from the wrath of
Henry II.

The altar of St. Thomas is said to be
the same at which Becket pei’formed
his devotions, and is very ancient. He

Central France, Houle 104,— Joigny — Aaxcrre.

349

resided, while in this city, in the Abbey
of St. Columbe, now occupied by the
Soeurs de l’Enfance de Jesus. Three
of the old town gates, the Portes Notre
Dame, St. Antoine, and St. Remy, still
remain: they are probably as old as
the 14th centy.

The vjalls of Sens, which, on the
south side, extend in a straight un¬
broken line, exhibit in the lower por¬
tions magnificent remains of Roman,
some say Gaulish, masonry.

[At Vallery, 12 m. to the W. of
Sens, the Grand Conde is buried in
the Ch., which contains a costly monu¬
ment of marble. The Chateau was de¬
signed by Philibert Delorme.]

An open chalky country follows Sens
till you reach

127 Villeneuve-le-Roi or sur-Yonne
Stat., a remarkably pretty and pe¬
culiar town, with much scope for
the use of the pencil and sketch-
bock. The principal street is termi¬
nated by a gate at each end, of feudal
times, yet apparently more for orna¬
ment than defence. The church, in
the style of the Renaissance, is richly
ornamented.

135 St. Jullien-du Sault Stat.

146 Joigny Stat.— Ian: Due de Bour¬
gogne; dear. This town (Pop. 5800) is
also pleasantly situated on the Yonne.
It derives its ancient name ( Joviniacum )
from Jovinian (see Rheims).— H. A
fine cjuay, closed at either end by an
iron gate, runs along the side of the
Yonne, from one end of the town to
the other. The old town, scarcely ac¬
cessible, owing to its steep and numer¬
ous streets, contains 3 Gothic churches
— St. Jean, which stood within the
castle ; St. Andre , attached to the
priory ; and St. Thibault.

[Coaches several times a day from
Joigny Stat. to Auxerre—Vermanton,
Vezelay, Clamuz — La Charite and
Nevers.

12 Bassou.

17 Auxerre. — Inn: Leopard,« on the
quai, next the Poste; civil people.
This city of 12,300 Inhab., very pret¬
tily situated on the 1. bank of the
Yonne, and chef-lieu of that Dept., is
seen to great advantage from a distance.
The grand mass of the cathedral, and

two or three other large churches, and
a ruined spii-e, all rise finely above the
houses.

The Cathedral has a splendid though
unfinished fagade, in the Flamboyant
Gothic style, which prevails through¬
out the edifice, except in the choir,
in the early Gothic (1215-30). “ The

transepts are covered externally with
the boldest flowing tracery, occasion¬
ally standing free from the wall. The
doors and rose windows are magnifi¬
cent.”— Petit. The nave was finished
about 1350. Within, it is beautifully
proportioned ; and the painted glass,
principally in mosaic patterns, is splen¬
did. Here is the tomb of Jacques
Amyot, whilome bishop of this see,
and celebi'ated for his racy translation
of Plutarch, so excellent in its style as
almost to form an era in the history of
the French language. The chapter of
Auxerre was at one time one of the
richest in France, but they freed them¬
selves from most of their superfluous
possessions by indulging in the luxury
of litigation.

St. Germain, now attached to the
H6tel Dieu, on the height, is in a
plainer style than the cathedral ; it
has lost part of its nave, but possesses
a lofty choir, and transepts. Under¬
neath are curious crypts , one below
another; in the lower are some tombs
of early counts of Auxerre. It has an
ancient tower, which belonged to the
W. front, but is now detached.

St. Pierre is a large and handsome
specimen of Italianised Gothic, begun
at the end of the 16th centy., and
finished 1672. St. Eusebe is a Ro¬
manesque church in its nave, and de¬
tached tower, with a choir in the florid
style, begun 1530.

There is a curious old clock tower
over a gate-house, “with an ugly
skeleton spire of iron bars,” in the
Place du Marche.

“ The Boulevards, in the place of the
ancient walls which surround the town
on 3 sides, present a variety of pro¬
spects; the moats are filled with plan¬
tations of acacia, gardens, and vines;
the fine old towers are covered with
festoons of ivy.”— Miss Costello.

A considerable quantity of wines

350

Route 104 -—Paris to Lyons — Vezelay.

Sect. V.

(chiefly ordinaires), the growth of La
Basse Bourgogne, are sent down the
Yonne hence to Paris. Chablis, about
12 m. E. of this, on the road to Ton-
nerre, gives its name to a wine of
superior quality, prized for drinking
at breakfast or with oysters.

10 Champs A good road, avoiding
the hills and St. Bris, leads from Aux-
erre to Semur, keeping along the banks
of the Yonne, through the pretty vil¬
lages of Champs, Vincelles, and Cra-
vaut V ermanton.

15 Vermanton. Inn: Etoile.

19 Lucy-le-Bois (no Inn) stands in a
sheltered and rather pretty valley.
The rocks around, and the stone heaps
at the road-side derived from them,
abound in fossils of the lias and
gryphite limestone.

About 6 m. from Vermanton, and
9 from Lucy-le-Bois, to the S., are the
Grottes d’Arcy, a series of natural
caverns in the limestone, many of vast
extent, abounding in stalactites, and
in bats, separated from one another by
natural divisions, through which it is
often necessary to crawl on hands and
knees. The entrance to them is by a
door inserted in an opening in the rock
of a wooded dell, on the borders of the
Cure. A guide, with candles, can be
obtained at the village ; the best time
to visit them is during dry weather.
The largest cavern is about 25 ft. high,
30 wide, and 400 long.

9 Avallon ( Inn : Poste), a pleasantly
situated town, nearly surrounded by a
ravine. Around it runs a broad ter¬
race walk, under lime-trees, about
500 ft. above the bed of the Cousin.
The Ch. is ancient, and has a curious
Romanesque portal. Parts of its in¬
terior are singular.

[8 m. oft’ the road, to the E., is
Vezelay, a decayed town, capital of the
district of Le Morvan, situated on a
hill 2000 ft. high, commanding a noble
view, surrounded by embattled walls,
and entered still by feudal gateways.
It contains a very remarkable Abbey
Ch., dedicated to the Madeleine, finely
seated on the summit of a hill. The
niinous W. front lost one of its towers
by the attack of the Huguenots in
1569; the lower part of it is Roman¬

esque, the upper a late Pointed Re¬
storation, poor in effect. Another
tower rises from the angle between the
nave and S. transept. The W. doors
lead into a sort of porch, destined, like
the Galilees in some English cathedrals,
for catechumens : 3 other doorways
open out of this vestibule into the
nave; that in the centre is very rich
in sculpture, and supported by an
ornamental shaft, on which rests a
transom covered with a procession of
figures, in relief. The tympanum of
the arch above it is filled with a large
bas-relief: the figure of the Saviour
forms the centre, attended by groups of
saints reading or writing. One of the
archivolts above is carved with a
zodiac, the signs of which are inter¬
mingled with monsters forming 29
medallions. The interior of the nave
is very impressive from “its great
length, its gloom, and the simplicity
of design which pervades its Norman
features.” It has no triforium, and is
surmounted by a cradle roof. These
walls doubtless echoed to the voice of
Becket in 1168, when he repaired to
Vezelay on Ascension-day, when the
church was crowded, and, mounting
the pulpit, cursed by bell, book, and
candle, all those who maintained in
England “the Customs of their Eld¬
ers.” This proceeding so enraged
Henry II. that he threatened to con¬
fiscate all the Benedictine abbeys in
England, if the Order continued to
shelter Becket in France. A flight of
steps leads up into the choir, which,
with the transepts, is a fine specimen of
early complete Pointed Gothic. It is
surrounded by 8 round pillars, each of
a single stone, and it is lighted by
lancet windows. The axis of the choir
differs from that of the nave, inclining
a little to the 1.

Attached to the S. transept is the
Chapter-house, a low vaulted chamber,
its roof resting on 2 clumsy central
piers in the Romanesque style. Here,
it is said, the monks assembled, with
tears in their eyes, before their expul¬
sion in 1154, through the rebellion of
their vassals, the townsfolk, aided by
the forces of the Comte de Nevers.
The oldest part of the existing church

Centr. Fr. — Rte. 104. —Paris fy Lyons Rail — St. Florentin. 35 1;

is the nave, from the porch E., and the
crypt ; and they probably date from
1050, the previous church having been
destroyed, “prope ad nihilum re-
dactum,” in the middle of the 10th
centy., and its restoration begun 1008.
The W. front is probably of the 12th
centy., and the choir of the early part
of the 13th. Scarcely any remains ex¬
ist of the domestic buildings of the
abbey, which were so vast that kings,
with their suite, could be lodged in
them without discomfort to their
monkish inmates. The entire length
of the building is 404 ft.; the height
of the choir 70 ft.

Yezelay is now a poor wretched
town; its church is dropping to pieces,
the roof and walls being cracked and
crumbling, yet it possesses interesting
historical associations. Here, on March
31, 1145, St. Bernard assembled a
solemn Council of the Church, and
preached in the presence of Louis VII.,
to a multitude assembled in the open
field (the church being too small to
hold them), the necessity of a new
Crusade, with such impressive elo¬
quence, that the universal ci'y for the
Cross burst from the crowd around;
and the supply of crosses not being
sufficient, the Abbot of Clairvaux tore
his own red robe to pieces to distri¬
bute among his willing hearers. The
king, on his knees, first received the
sacred symbol from him; the nobles
followed his example ; and the year
following he set out from hence, with
his army, for the Holy Land. In 1190
Richard Coeur de Lion and Philippe-
Auguste repaired hither to assume the
pilgrim’s cross at the head of their
armies.

Theodore Beza, the Reformer and
Calvinist theologian, was born at
Yezelay, of noble parents, 1519. On
the way to Vezelay you pass the
church of St. Fere, whose tower is
“an almost unique specimen of tran¬
sition, or very early complete Gothic.
The detached shafts, and canopies at
its angles, and its several stages of
open windows, give it an air of light¬
ness and elegance such as I have never
seen surpassed in later buildings.”—
Petit. The chateau de Bazoche be¬

longed to Marshal Yauban, who was
born in the village St. Leger de Fou-
cheret, in Le Morvan. His room and
bed and sword are still preserved in it
—also 4 cannon used at the siege of
Philipburg. His body is buried in the
chapel, his heart is removed to the
Invalides.]

To the S.W. of Avallon stretches
the extensive tract of woodland called
La Foret de Morvan, which supplies
Paris with fuel, the wood being cut
every 10 or 15 years, by portions at a
time, and transported down the Yonne
and Seine in rafts of faggots.]

From Joigny the Railroad is carried
to

155 La Roche Stat.

A bridge of 6 stone arches crosses
the Yonne.

St. Florentin Stat.—A pretty town
at the junction of the Armance and
Armangon. Its Church, founded 1376,
is said to possess fine painted glass, and
a curious double staircase. The walk
of the Prieure commands a view.
[About 14 m. S. of St. Florentin Stat.
lies the Abbey of Pontigny, remarkable
as having been the residence of many
English prelates, and the retreat of
Thomas Becket duringliis exile, 1164-6.
While here he carried the practice of
the austerities of the Cistercian order
to the very extreme, and while in
prayer before one of the altars of the
church had a divine vision, accom¬
panied by the words, “ Thomas, Tho¬
mas, my church shall be glorified by
thy blood:” such, at least, is the
Romish legend. The Abbey was de¬
vastated by the Huguenots, who un¬
roofed and burnt the church and
Abbey, and broke open the tombs,
1567; and the destruction of the con¬
ventual buildings and confiscation of
the revenues were effected at the Re¬
volution. The Church, however, still
remains, and, though dilapidated, is a
grand edifice, in a severe style of early
or transition Gothic, uniform through¬
out, erected 1150 by the munificence
of a Count of Champagne, the finest
church in Burgundy after Sens and
Auxerre. It is 351 ft. long and 68 ft.

352

Sect. V.

Route 104.— Tonnerre — Tanlay.

high, and is lighted by narrow lancet
windows. Behind the high altar is the
Shrine of the English Saint, Edmund
Archbishop of Canterbury, an ark or
chest of wood, carved and gilt, with a
top in the form of a roof, and statues
of saints around it, supported by 4
stone statues of angels as large as life.

Attached to the S. transept is a
chapel, now in ruins, dedicated to St.
Thomas the Martyr, who was driven
from Pontigny by the threat of Henry
II. to banish the Cistercians from Eng¬
land, if they sheltered him in France.
It retains some traces of frescoes, ex¬
ecuted 1520. Among the English
refugees who found shelter here was
Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Can¬
terbury, when banished from England
by King John, together with his suf¬
fragans. The church of Pontigny is to
be repaired.]

The railroad from St. Florentin fol¬
lows the valley of the Arman 9 on, and
the line of the Canal de Bourgogne up¬
wards, through

184 Flogny Stat., where is a wire
bridge, to

197 Tonnerre Stat. — (Inn: Poste.)
This is an old and dull town, of 4247
Inhab., on a steep slope, on the sum¬
mit of which stands the Ch. of St. Pierre,
commanding a fine view of the town
from its rocky platform, and containing
the interesting monument, in marble,
of Marguerite de Bourgogne, Queen
of Sicily, who founded the noble Hos¬
pital in this town, endowing it with
large revenues, which it still enjoys.
Her effigy, finely sculptured in the
costume of the time, reclines upon the
tomb. Here is also buried, under an
imposing monument, Michel le Tellier,
Marquis de Louvois, Minister of War
to Louis XIV. It is the work of Girar-
don. St. Pierre and Notre Name possess
some architectural interest as Gothic
churches.

The gnomon traced on the walls of
the hospital, in 1786, is interesting as
a scientific memorial.

205 Tanlay Stat .—Here is one of the
finest chateaux in Burgundy, and tole¬
rably well kept up by its owner. It is
a good specimen of the style of the

Renaissance, the oldest part having
been begun, 1559, by Coligny d’An-
delot, brother of the Admiral Coligny,
the leader of the Protestants, and the
chief victim of the St. Bartholomew’s
night. A chamber in the Tour de la
Ligue is pointed out as the place where
he and the other leaders of the party,
the Prince de Conde, &c., were in the
habit of meeting; and it is still covered
with faded frescoes, representing, under
the disguise of the gods of Olympus,
the leading characters of the time;
Catherine de Meclicis as Juno (but with
a double face?), and her son, Charles
IX., as Pluto; Conde as Mars. The
larger and more splendid portion of the
chateau, including numerous additions
to the original plan, was built between
1643 and 1648 by Particelli cl’Emery,
Surintendant de Finance under Ma-
zarin, from designs of Le Muet, except
the Petit Ch&teau at the entrance of
the great building, which is a beautiful
specimen of the Renaissance of the 16th
centy. At the extremity of the grand
Canal, flanked by avenues, beneath
which Coligny and Conde may have
walked, is the Chateau d’Eau, from
vdiicli artificial streams burst forth.

219 Ancy le Franc Stat.

The Chateau was begun in 1555, from
designs, it is said, of Primaticcio, and
decorated with frescoes still existing.
In 1688 it became the property and
residence of Louvois, minister of the
Grand Monarque, who ovmecl besides
the Comte of Tonnerre, and other vast
neighbouring possessions brought to
him by his wife, Anne de Souvre', the
richest heiress in France. The Mar¬
quis de Louvois established iron-forges
here. The chateau is well kept up,
and surrounded by park and woods.

225 Nuits - sous - Raviere Stat. —
Coaches to Bourbonne les Bains; Cha-
tillon, Bar-sur-Aube.

233 Aisy-sur-Armanyon Stat.—Soon
after quitting this place you enter the
department of the Cote d’Or, so famous
for its vineyards.

243 Montbard Stat.— (Inn: Point du
Jour.) This unimportant and dirty
town was the residence of the naturalist
Buffon, who was born 1707, and lived
in the Chateau, which still exists. The

Central France.

Route 104.— Dijon.

353

gardens attached to it are arranged in
terraces along the slope of the hill, and
decorated with orange-trees. In an
isolated antique tower, rising in a corner
of them, now going to decay, and
stripped of its furniture, Buffon formed
his study, and composed most of his
works. Nothing but bare walls now
remains. The gardens, now open to
the public, were laid waste and de¬
stroyed by the Revolutionists, but one
relic of their ancient condition was
preserved in a small pillar of marble
raised by the son of Buffon in front of
the lofty tower which contained his
father’s study, and bearing this inscrip¬
tion,

“ Excels® turris liumilis columna,

1’arenti suo films Buffon, 1783.”

( ‘ The Chateau, now occupied by the
widow of Buffon’s son, who was one of
the first victims of the guillotine at the
Revolution, contains portraits of Buffon
and his assistant Daubenton. Two of
the rooms are lined with coloured
prints from the Natural History of its
great owner. His tomb, in the parish
church, was destroyed at the Revolu¬
tion, the lead of his coffin melted, and
his bones scattered.”— Costello.

[Fontenay is a sequestered abbey, a
few miles from Montbard, whose founder
was one Evrard Bishop of Norwich.
It was devoted to monks of the Cister¬
cian order. Its ruined buildings are
now converted into a paper manufac¬
tory, belonging to the respected family
of Montgolfier. The chapter-house and
cloisters are still fine specimens of
Gothic architecture. The church, con¬
verted into every-day purposes, is less
striking; but it contains several muti¬
lated ecclesiastical monuments.]

Coaches from Montbard to Autun,
Semur, Saulieu, Chatillon, Langres.

Les Laumes Stat.

Verrey Stat.

288 Blaisy-Bas- Stat.

The Tunnel of Blaisy is about 2J m.
long, and cost more than 10 million
francs.

298 Malain Stat.

310 Plombicres Stat.

315 Dijon Stat. {Inns: H. du Parc ;
H. de la Cloche, near the Railway

and Cathedral: no good Inn here),
the ancient capital of the Duchy of
Burgundy, now the clief-lieu of the
Dept, de la Cote d’Or, contains 26,000
Inhab. “ The first view of this once
important and opulent city is pecu¬
liarly agreeable and striking. The
Jura faintly bounds the horizon. Dij on
lies outspread on the plain below.
The great fortress-like masses of the
churches, and the Palace of the Dukes
of Burgundy, standing out boldly from
the buildings of the town, mark them¬
selves forcibly on the landscape, quite
as advantageously as the greater rich¬
ness of battlemented turrets and of
open spires.

St. Beniyne (now the Cathedral ) is
surmounted by a spire, which is merely
an elongated obelisk of wood, and
possesses no beauty, except from its
height and its general harmony with
the rest of the structure. The choir
alone deserves notice: it was built
1280-87. The original cathedral was
destroyed during the Revolution, when
St. Benigne also suffered much.

Notre Lame is a singularly fine Ch.
in the purest Gothic, somewhat like
Ely, and remarkable for the boldness
of its construction. The E. end, a
beautiful specimen of early pointed,
was finished 1229. The front exhibits
a beautiful play of light and shade;
but its effect is impaired by the absence
of the towers, which were intended to
complete the elevation. At one corner
of this fagade, where it was intended a
tower should rise, still stands the clock
brought in 1382 by Philip le Hardi, an
epithet which his general conduct de¬
served, though, in this achievement,
the Cruel would have suited him better,
for he plundered and burnt the town,
and massacred the inhabitants. Jacques
Marques, a Flemish mathematician,
was the maker of this clock, which, in
the opinion of Froissart, was the most
curious existing, whether in Christen¬
dom or in the heathen lands, and hence
selected by the duke as his trophy.
The bells are struck by two hammer¬
men, and v r ho are called Jacquemars by
the badaucl of Dijon—a corruption of
their maker’s name.

“Amongst other churches, St. Michael

354

Route 104.— Dijon.

Sect. V.

deserves attention. It is a splendid
example of the style in France called
‘ La Renaissance ,’ less Gothic than the
schools at Oxford, and less Italian than
the Castle of Heidelberg. The portal
is composed of three circular arches,
with a very fine frieze above. The
ornaments of this front are generally
Italian or Roman in their details, yet
so put together that the whole becomes
a perfect Gothic cathedral.”— F. P.

There are a great many desecrated
churches here, degraded into stables,
coach-houses, warehouses, &c., though
in tolerable repair, and worthy the
attention of the architect; such are
St. Jean, remarkable for the span of
its roof; St. Etienne, a covered market;
St. Philibert, cavalry stables.

“The ancient Palace of the dukes
of Burgundy, which, after the union
of the duchy to the crown of France,
became the Palais des Etats, has been
so completely modernised in its prin¬
cipal front, that the great interest pos¬
sessed by the building would hardly be
anticipated. But the front is merely
a mask, and within, as well in the
quadrangles as in other aspects, it
retains very many of the features which
distinguished it when it was the resi¬
dence of the premier dukes of Christ¬
endom. This was the rank possessed
by these powerful sovereigns, who, as
such, ranked immediately after royalty.

“ The style prevailing in this and
the other buildings of the 15tli centy.
in Dijon, and which may be properly
called the Burgundian style, has many
of the features which we afterwards
find in our Tudor architecture, and
the aspect of the building softens down
from the castle to the palace or man¬
sion; not that strength was neglected,
the ducal palace being surmounted by
a large and very massy tower, and all
the lower stories of the building being
vaulted, but still the castellated cha¬
racter is no longer retained. The
building is now used for public offices.
A portion of it is employed as a

“Museum, and the ancient halls and
chambers have been very judiciously
chosen as the place of deposit for the
very rich and important monuments
of the middle ages which are there

preserved. The following articles may
be particularly noticed. The crozier
of St. Robert, the first abbot of the
Cistercian order (ob. 1098). The
wooden cup of St. Bernard, undoubted
relic of this truly great and pious man,
whose memory cannot be, however,
relieved from the atrocities occasioned
by the Crusades. The ornaments were
probably added after his canonization.
Toilet furniture of the Duchesses of
Burgundy; caskets and boxes of ivory,
beautifully carved. A purse supposed
to have belonged to Isabella of Por¬
tugal, third wife of Philip the Good,
of leather richly embroidered, and
apparently of oriental workmanship.
The chief ornaments of the collection
are the magnificent Tombs of Philippe
le Hardi, the founder of the second
race of the Dukes of Burgundy (1342
—1404), and of Jean-sans-Peur, his son
and successor (1371—1419). These
tombs, the sculptures on which are
perhaps the finest specimens existing
of mediaeval art on this side of the
Alps, have suffered strange vicissi¬
tudes. Both were erected in the
Chartreuse of Dijon, founded and en¬
dowed by Philip, and selected by him.
Upon the suppression of the Char¬
treuse they were removed to St.
Benigne, where they rested but a short
time, as in 1793 the Council of the
Commune decreed their destruction.
The bases remained at St. Benigne,
but the figures were dispersed: some
were placed in the Museum, others in
private cabinets, and some abandoned
in a lumber-room. In 1818 the de¬
partment determined upon their resto¬
ration. This labour, though costly,
was comparatively easy, for, although
pulled to pieces, these pieces were as
little defaced as possible. We see
them in a state very little different
from the original splendour. The tomb
of Philippe le Hardi represents him
in a recumbent posture, in his full
ducal robes. He is crowned with the
ducal coronet, a plain circle without
flowers, and his hand grasps the ducal
sceptre. By the side is a space for the
statue of his consort, but it never was
filled. The sides of the tomb are
ornamented with a miniature cloister,

Central France.

Route 104.— Dijon.

355

worked elaborately in the finest ala¬
baster. The little pillars sustain cano¬
pies and finials of the richest pattern,
and in each division are the statues of
friars, represented as mourners, but
with skilful variety of feeling. The
draperies are admirable. Claus Slater,
the Dutchman, was the artist.

“The tomb of Jean-sans-Peur, slain
on the Bridge of Montereau, 1419,
matches entirely with that of his father
both in material and in design. His
ducal robe is seme with the device
which he adopted, the robot, or car¬
penter’s plane, assumed by him in
opposition to the ragged staff of his
political adversary, the Duke of Or¬
leans. By his side is his consort,
Margaret of Bavaria. Her robe is
white, seme with the well-known little
flower which bears her name.

“The chimney-piece of the Great
Hall is said to have been built in 1504,
after a fire which destroyed the roof
in 1502; but it was probably only
restored. It is perhaps oO ft. in height
by 20 in breadth, and it is a magni¬
ficent specimen of Gothic art. Here is
preserved a model of the beautiful
Sainte Cliapelle, the chief Gothic orna¬
ment of Dijon: desecrated at the Revo¬
lution; pulled down and sold, 1807.

“The paintings in the Museum are
numerous, but much of the usual kind
found in provincial collections: 4 some
of the portraits are interesting, espe¬
cially those of the Duchess of Bur¬
gundy. A head of John the Baptist
on a Charger is attributed to A.
Diirer” — F. P.

Some curious relics of domestic
architecture and early art are to be
met with in the town; the Wells, for
instance, especially the Puits de Moise,
executed by Claus Slater (the sculptor
of the ducal monuments), situated in
the old Chartreuse, rebuilt as an Hos¬
pital for the Insane. It consists of
figures of Moses, David, Jeremiah,
Zachariah, Daniel, and Isaiah, hex-
agonally placed under rich canopies,
and upon elaborate pedestals. The
figures are admirable in expression.
In a street near St. Michael’s is a very
elegant stone seat or sofa. “In a
house entered through a shop, not far

from Notre Dame, is a Gothic stair¬
case, on the. top of which stands the
figure of a man with a basket on his
shoulder, whence spring, in the form
of a plant or tree, the vaulting ribs of
the roof; these are foliated in a very
bold manner. The whole is of good
execution, though evidently late in the
style.

“The artist may pass several days
here pleasantly as well as profitably,
as it is a clean, cheerful, and handsome
town, and the park or pleasure grounds
will always form a delightful walk.”—
Petit.

The Public Walks are, indeed, a
leading feature in Dijon, surrounding
the walls as with a belt of foliage, and
there is perhaps no other provincial
town in France so well provided.
They run partly in the form of Boule¬
vards outside of, and parallel to, the
old ramparts, which themselves form
elevated terraces. The Parc, about
a mile out of the town, reached by
the Cours du Parc, was laid out by
Le Notre for the Princes de Condd,
its owners, who gave free admission
to the public.

Dijon lias the renown of being the
native place of Bossuet, the divine,
born in the house No. 12, Place St.
Jean; of Crebillon; of Guyton Mor-
veau, the chemist; and of the Due de
Bassano. St. Bernard was born in
the village Fontaines, about a mile
beyond the wall, and his father’s castle
is still in existence beside the curious
church.

The trade in the wines of Burgundy
is concentrated in Dijon; the district
which produces the most celebrated
wines lies to the S. of the town, and
is traversed by the Railroad to Cha-
lons-sur-Saone, passing Clos de Vou-
geot, Nuits, and Beaune. (Rte. 152.)

Conveyances.—Mallepostes to Besan-
§on, to Geneva, daily.

N.B.—The quickest way to Geneva
is from Clialons-sur-Saone by Lons-le-
Saulnier.

Diligences to Nancy; to Dole and
Geneva; to Besan§on; to Mulhausen;
to Pontarlier; to Gray.

Railroads to Chalons-sur-Saone (Rte.
10G); to Paris by Tonnerre.

356

Route 105 .—Paris to Lyons .

Sect. Y.

ROUTE 105.

PARIS TO LYONS.—ROUTE DU BOURBON-

NAIS, BY FONTAINEBLEAU, MON-

TARGIS, NEVERS, AND MOULINS.-

THE BATHS OF VICHY.

473 kilom. = 293 Eng. m.

From Paris to Lyons the Raily.
(Rtes. 104-106) is usually followed.

From Paris to Nevers the Raily. by
Orleans (Rte. 103). Diligences no longer
run between Paris and Nevers.

The road, soon after quitting Paris
by the Faubourg St. Marceau and the
Barriere d’ltalie, passes at a short
distance on the rt. of Bicetre, an hos¬
pital for old men, a lunatic asylum,
and a penitentiary. Its name is said
to be a corruption of Winchester, be¬
cause it is thought to occupy the
site of a country-house built, 1290,
by John Bp. of Winchester; another
derivation is from its owner in the 15th
centy. (1410), John Due de Berry, in
Latin, “Dux Bituricensis.” The oldest
of the existing buildings are chiefly
those constructed by Cardinal Riche¬
lieu, as an asylum for wounded soldiers,
which was afterwards transferred to
the Invalides.

Nearly 4500 criminals are confined
here, including convicts awaiting their
transmission to the hulks.

The road, which is paved, runs
through an avenue of trees along the
table-land which sinks down into the
valley of the Seine.

8 Villejuif. At the entrance of this
town, on the 1., stands an obelisk,
marking the N. base of a triangle, esta¬
blished for the construction of Cassini’s
Map of France: a similar obelisk, at
Fromenteau, marks the other extremity
of the base.

11 Fromenteau.

Napoleon, hastening to the relief of
Paris, March 30th, 1814, here met the
head of the column of dejected troops
who informed him of the surrender of
the capital to the allies; in consequence
he was forced to return to Fontaine¬
bleau, where he soon after signed his
abdication. Near Juvisy our road
crosses the railroad to Orleans (Rte.
49), and runs for some distance parallel
with the branch to Corbeil.

12 Essonne, a small town, in a hol¬
low, on the Essonne, which falls into
the Seine, 1^ m. below, at Corbeil (Rte.
49), where the branch-rly. terminates.

There are several chateaux near this
part of the road, Villeroy on the rt.,
Coudray on the 1.; but they contri¬
bute in no respect to adorn the road,
as the parks, and lodges, and seats of
England. On the 1. the Seine, winding
through its fertile valley, is a pleasing
feature.

11 Ponthierry.

8 Chailly.

About 5 m. short of Fontainebleau,
we enter its noble Forest, p. 348.

10 Fontainebleau (Rte. 104).

On quitting Fontainebleau our road
passes an obelisk or Pyramid, planted
in the midst of a star (etoile) formed
by the divergence of 11 roads; among
them those to Orleans, to Montereau,
and to Nemours, the last of which we
follow.

For 4 or 5 m. the road continues
through the Forest; then issues out
into a plain of sand, amidst which the
traveller’s carriage flounders; in sum¬
mer enveloped in tormenting dust, in
winter sinking up to the axles in mud.
The pavement ceases near

13 Nemours, a town of 3830 Inhab.,
deriving its name from the woods (ne-
mora) which once surrounded it. The
old Castle, the residence of the Dues de
Nemours, of the line of Savoy, still
exists, flanked by 4 towers, and includes
several institutions.

The Parish Ch., originally attached
to the Priory of St. John, is a fine
building. St. Pierre is the oldest in
the town.

Mirabeau was born (1749) at Bignon,
15 m. from Nemours, on the road to
Sens.

We continue by the side of the small
river Loing all the way to Montargis,
through

13 La Croisiere.

7 Fontenay.

14 Montargis (Zhn: Poste;—H. de
Lyon; not good), atowm of 7757 Inhab.,
on the borders of an extensive forest,
at the junction of the Canal de Briare
with that of (Means, by the side of
which there are public walks. The

Central France. Route 105. — Montargis—La Charite.

357

castle, which for a long time formed
part of the domain of the crown, and,
serving as a royal nursery, was called
“le Berceau des Enfans de France,”
is entirely destroyed. It was of vast
extent; but was sold in 1809, to a de-
molisseur, for 60,000 fr. Over one of
the fireplaces in its great hall (for it
had no less than 6) was a fresco paint¬
ing, representing the combat between
“ the Log of Montargis ” and the mur¬
derer of its master, Macaire, which is
said to have taken place, in the pre¬
sence of Charles VI., in the lists of the
He Notre Dame at Paris. The saga¬
city of the dog not only indicated the
spot where his master was buried in
the forest of Bondy, but also singled
out the murderer; and the king, ac¬
cording to the spirit of the laws of the
time, directed that the cause should
be tried by a duel between the dog, as
accuser, and the accused. After seve¬
ral attacks, the dog seized his adver¬
sary, who was armed with a club, by the
throat, and compelled him to confess
his crime. In 1652 the Grand Conde,
then a rebel against the royal au¬
thority, arriving before Montargis with
a small force, summoned it to surren¬
der. The magistrate hesitated, but
Conde, taking out his watch, declared
he would sack the town and slay the
inhabitants if it were not given up in
an hour. This produced the desired
effect, and gave rise to the saying,
“ que M. le Prince avait pris Montargis
avec sa montre.”

The country in which Montargis lies
belongs to the district anciently called
Gatinois; it has little interest. The
road is carried in a straight line, through
a dull district, to

17 Nogent-sur-Vernisson.

A road strikes off from this to Gien
on the Loire (Rte. 52).

[About 5 m. to the E. lies Chatillon-
sur-Loing, in whose ancient castle the
Admiral Coligny was born, 1516.
After his murder on the Bartholomew’s
night his body was cut down from the
gallows of Montfaucon, upon which it
had been shamefully hung by his Ro¬
manist assassins, and conveyed by his
cousin Montmorency to his wife, who
concealed it for many months before

she could venture to commit it to the
tomb at Chantilly. Chatillon belonged
to the family of Conde.]

12 La Bussiere has a handsome cha¬
teau of the 15th centy. From the
summit of a hill, on approaching
Briare, the valley of the Loire bursts
into view : the pleasing effect of the
broad winding river, and its vine-clad
banks, is much enhanced by the pre¬
vious barrenness and monotonous road.

16 Briare (Inn: Poste), a town of
2730 Inhab., on the rt. bank of the
Loire, has given its name to the Canal,
begun by Sully, and completed 1642,
remarkable as the first attempt to open
a communication between 2 river basins
by means of supplies of water stored
up on the summit level (point de part-
age). It runs from the Loing at Mon¬
targis to the Seine at St. Mamet, thus
opening a communication between Paris
and the S. and centre of France. From
Briare there is a post-road along the rt.
bank of the Loire by Gien (Rte. 52) to
Orleans, where the traveller may take
the railroad to Paris.

17 Neuvy. Inns: Poste, small, but
the bed-rooms comfortable.— W. M.
H. de Nievre, clean. Here is the quiet,
unpretending country seat of the late
Marshal Macdonald, in an English-
looking park. Across an undulating
country, commanding, from time to
time, peeps of the Loire, the road pro¬
ceeds through

14 Cosne (Inn: Grand Cerf— H.N.),
where there are iron-forges ; and a
little way above which the town of San-
cerre is seen on the opposite bank of the
river.

15 Pouilly.

13 La Charite (Inn: Poste, pretty
good— C. A.), an ancient town of 5000
Inhab., still partly surrounded by ram¬
parts, flanked by watch-towers, of the
14th centy. It is said to have derived
its name from the benevolence shown
to travellers by the Monks of St. Bene¬
dict; and its arms are 3 open purses,
on a field azure. Its Ch. (Notre Dame )
must originally have been a very fine
Romanesque building; but the nave
is, in part, destroyed, and the aisles
and other portions modernised. The
choir , however, surrounded by pointed

358

Route 105 .—Paris to Lyons. — Nevers.

Sect. V.

arches, on light piers with elegant capi¬
tals, and the front, are probably as
old as the latter part of the 12th centy.
The church, which had 5 doors (4
Romanesque and with bas reliefs still
remaining), 5 aisles, and 5 apses round
the choir, was in great part destroyed
by fire, 1204, and w r as restored by
Philippe-Auguste. A ruined tower is
the only remaining relic of the monas¬
tery, whose priors were so wealthy and
powerful, that in the 16th centy. the
Pope found it necessary to interfere and
regulate the number of knights who
should form their escort when they
went abroad.

The road to Bourges here crosses the
Loire on a stone bridge (Rte. 103):
there is also a suspension bridge. A
diligence goes daily to Bourges.

At La Marche are ruins of a Roman¬
esque Ch., which, from the rudeness of
its architecture and carved capitals, is
probably as old as the 10th centy.
Under its E. end is a crypt.

13 Pouges. There are mineral
springs about a mile from this.

From the top of a hill surmounted
in the course of this stage, a fine view
is presented of the valley of the Loire
and of that of the Allier, which joins
it a little below Nevers ; the latter
river, how T ever, is not visible.

At Fourchamboult there are exten¬
sive iron furnaces and forges, perhaps
the largest in France, where the iron
conservatories in the Jardin des Plantes,
the arches of the Pont du Carrousel,
the frame-work for the roof of Char¬
tres cathedral, and the piers for the
bridge of Cubsac, were cast. They em¬
ploy between 2000 and 3000 workmen.

12 Nerers {Inn: H. de France), an
unprepossessing, dirty, but ancient city
of 17,085 Inhab., chef-lieu of the Dept,
de la Nievre, formerly capital of the
Nivernois, is situated on the rt. bank
of the Loire, at the confluence of the
Nievre. It is mentioned by Caesar in
his Commentaries, “ Noviodunum op-
pidum vEduorum, ad ripas Ligeris
opportuno loco positum.” He depo¬
sited here his money-chest.

The oldest ecclesiastical edifice here
is the Romanesque Ch. of St. Etienne,
very plain, both within and without.

The date is proved by the charter to
be 1063. It is entered by descending
several steps. The transepts are se¬
parated from the body of the church,
opening below in a wide arch sur¬
mounted by smaller arcades. St. Sau-
veur, near the Loire, another Roman¬
esque church, is turned into a ware¬
house; St. Genest, an example of the
Transition into the Pointed style, is
also desecrated into a brew T ery.

The Cathedral of St. Cyr, on the hill
top, somewhat heavy externally, con¬
sists of a nave and choir, built in the
13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, with
an apse at both ends; that at the W.
is Romanesque, and probably of the
10th centy.; beneath it is a large crypt.
The nave and choir have not the same
axes, the choir inclining perceptibly
to the S. (rt.) The tow r er is flanked
at the angles by colossal figures, in bad
taste. The decoration of the interior
is praiseworthy ; the capitals of the
columns sculptured with rich foliage,
of admirable workmanship. All the
statues were mutilated at the Revolu¬
tion. There are some painted glass and
old tapestries in the choir; and in the
S. transept a rich flamboyant doorway,
leading to a fanciful spiral staircase,
is a remarkable example of what Mr.
Willis calls “ interpenetration,” or
the running of several series of
mouldings into one another : these
complicated interlacings pervade not
only the canopy of the arch, but even
the pinnacles.

The Hotel de Ville, also on the
height facing an irregular Place, for¬
merly palace of the Dukes of Nevers,
built by the princes of the line of
Cleves, is an edifice in the flamboyant
style, retaining several of its pic¬
turesque turrets and gables.

The old walls and towers of the 15tli

centv. still remain. One of the town
«/

gates, a relic of the fortifications erected
by Pierre de Courtenay, Seigneur de
Nevers, at the end of the 12th centy.,
rebuilt 1393, still exists in the Porte
da Groux, black with age and dirt.
Another entry into the towrn is by a
triumphal arch, erected to commemorate
the battle of Fontenay, 1746.

Behind the H. de Ville is a public

Central France'.

Route 105. — Moulins .

359

garden, formerly the park of the pa¬
lace.

Never8 is a thriving, busy manufac¬
turing town, now connected with Or¬
leans and Paris by Rly.; its potteries
are 8 centuries old, and employ 700
persons: in its iron-works' chains and
cables for suspension bridges are made;
the iron used is that of Berry. There
is a royal cannon-foundry, for the navy,
where 125 pieces are cast annually.
Not far from Nevers, the lateral canal
of the Loire is carried over the Allier
in an aqueduct called Pont Canal de
Guetin, a work of magnitude, com¬
pleted 1845.

Mallepostes from Nevers —to Avignon
by Moulins and Lyons—to Montpellier
by Clermont, St. Flour, and Lodeve.

Steamers ply on the Loire to Gien
and Orleans, except when stopped by
ice, fog, or drought, which is not sel¬
dom, and up the Allier to Moulins
in 13 hrs., but very irregular and not
to be depended on.

Rally. (Ligne du Centre) to Bourges
and Orleans (Rte. 103).

The road crosses the Loire by a
heavy bridge of 20 arches on quitting
Nevers, and, leaving that river on the
1., proceeds to ascend the valley of the
Allier, its tributary. The scenery
between Nevers and Moulins is on
the whole very pleasing, the country
much enclosed with hedge-rows, and
generally fertile. The river Allier is
seldom seen, concealed as it is by trees,
in the flat valley through wdiich it passes.

12 Magny.

11 St. Pierre le Moutier. Near this
is a large pond. Hence a road strikes
off to Bourges and Orleans.

8 St. Imbert.

10 Yilleneuve-sur-Allier (Dept. Al¬
lier).

12 Moulins (Pins: H. de Paris, very
good ; Lion d’Or, and des Princes, ex¬
ceedingly good), a cheerful town, with¬
out the activity of much trade or com¬
merce, pleasantly situated on the rt.
bank of the Allier. It is chef-lieu of
the Dept, d’Allier, and contains a po¬
pulation of 15,231.

It is a comparatively modern town,
and has no fine buildings. The castle is
reduced to a square tower, of the 15tli

centy., called La Mai Coiffe'e, and some
buildings erected by Cath. de Medicis.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame consists
merely of a lofty choir in the Florid
style of the 15th centy. : its vaulted
roof is elaborately groined. It con¬
tains an old painting of the Virgin and
Child, the two shutters of which, now
detached from it, and hung against
piers, bear portraits of Pierre II., Due
de Bourbon, and his wife, Anne of
France, attended by their patron saints,
attributed to Ghirlandajo.

In the Chapel of the College is the mo¬
nument of Henri Due de Montmo¬
rency, who suffered, under the heavy
hand of Richelieu, for having conspired
against him and his master, Louis
XIII., and was executed at Toulouse,
1632. His widow, Marie Orsini, con¬
veyed his remains to this chapel, then
attached to the Convent of the Visi¬
tation, of which she became superior,
spending in it the rest of her days.
The monument, attributed to an Ita¬
lian sculptor, Agheri, consists of the
reclining statue of the duke, in Roman
armour, resting on his helmet, with
his duchess beside him in an attitude
of grief and resignation; the expression
of profound sorrow in her countenance
is perfect, and the draperies are very
beautifully executed. On either side
is an allegorical figure—Valour, a sort
of Hercules, and Liberality, a coarse
female. The fact of this monument
being in honour of a man beheaded
for conspiring against a king preserved
it from demolition at the Revolution.

Marshal Villars, the opponent of
Marlborough, and Marshal Berwick,
natural son of James II. by Arabella
Churchill (Marlborough’s sister), who
won the battle of Almanza from the
English in Spain, were both born here.

Here Lord Clarendon wrote the
greater part of his ‘ History of the
Great Rebellion,’ in exile.

Some cutlery, of an inferior kind, is
made at Moulins; the manufacture has
much fallen off.

At Moulins the very interesting road
through the Limagne, Clermont, and
the Volcanic district of Auvergne,
strikes off up the valley of the Allier
(Rte. 109). Diligences run daily, and

360

Route 105 .—Bourbon VArchambault — Vichy . Sect. Y.

a Malleposte to Clermont and Mont¬
pellier. It is possible to go this way
to Lyons by Montbrison, and to Mar¬
seille by Le Puy and St. Etienne,
though, in both cases, it is a detour.

Diligences go hence also to Vichy (see
below). No one will quit Moulins
without thinking of Sterne and his
Maria, the scene of her melancholy
story being laid here.

[a. The watering-place of Bourbon
VArchambault , a town of 3017 Inhab.,
frequented on account of its mineral
waters, is about 19 m. W. of Moulins.
The waters are saline, and are supplied
by a hot spring, and a cold spring
called Source ds Jonas. There is a bath¬
house in the middle of the town.
There are very considerable and pic¬
turesque remains of the ancient castle
of the early Sires de Bourbon, and a
fragment of the apse of the Ste. Chapelle.
Diligences run daily from Moulins to
the Baths in summer, and the road
thither passes through Souvigny, a poor
village 5 m. from Moulins, containing
an Abbey Church, which is one of the
most remarkable Gothic monuments
in the province for size. The central
nave, the apses at the E. end, and the
crypt below the choir, date from the
11 th centy.; the more recent portions
from 1446, when the church was re¬
built. The nave is flanked by double
aisles, the outer ones nearly as broad
as the centre. In the N. aisle is a
curious bas-relief in the Byzantine
style. The Chapelle Vieille, on the S.
side, is separated from the choir and
transept by a stone screen, beautifully
carved with flamboyant tracery. It
encloses the monument of Louis Due
de Bourbon, and Anne his wife, bear¬
ing their recumbent figures, of white
marble, sadly mutilated by the Revo¬
lutionists. A recess, or niche, in the
wall opposite, displays, amidst rich
flamboyant tracery, the word “ Espe-
rance,” the motto of the Order of the
Thistle, founded by the Duke. This
chapel, the greater part of the choir,
the vaults, and windows of the nave,
4 divisions of the outer S. aisle of the
nave, and the remains of the cloisters
on the S. side of the chapel, are sup¬
posed by M. Merimee to have been

built 1441. On the N. side of the
choir is La Chapelle Neuve, similarly
decorated, and even more injured by
the Vandals of ’93, containing the
tombs of Due Charles, and his wife,
Agnes de Bourgogne. The date of
this chapel is somewhere about the
end of the 15th or beginning of the
16th centy.

b. All persons who take an interest
in Gothic architecture should visit
Souvigny from Moulins: in spite of
its mutilations, it is a very interesting
church. The Auberge de la Poste was
the ancient Priors’ palace. At St. Me -
noux, not far from Souvigny, is another
ancient church, once attached to a Be¬
nedictine abbey, but much decayed.
The choir is the most interesting por¬
tion, and a good example of the florid
Romanesque.]

15 Bessay.

15 Varennes.—Poste; a comfortable
little Inn.— C. B.

11 St. Gerard-le-Puy.

[From this a road turns off to the
fashionable watering-place of Vichy,
61 kilom. from Moulins = 39 j Eng. m.,
through a rich but unpicturesque
country, the only objects of interest
being the Puy de Dome and MontDore;
visible the whole way.

Vichy ( Inns: every one lives in
boarding-houses; of these there are 6
or 8 .—H. Guilliermen, good.— L. ; H.
de Corneil, civil people; H. de Paris is
most frequented by Parisians. In none
is the accommodation first-rate. The
guests live together, taking their meals
in public, consisting of a breakfast h la
fourchette at 10, and dinner at 5. No¬
body is allowed to be served in his
own room, unless illness prevent his
appearance in public).

Vichy is situated “in a poplar-
planted flat, in which the broad brawl¬
ing Allier occupies a great river-bed,
crossed by a bridge 3 m. long ; little
eminences with old bourgs and round
towers here and there, of which Old
Vichy is one,” B. M., rising on the rt.
bank of the river. There is besides
a new external quarter, or suburb, of
handsome lodging and boarding houses,
connected with old Vichy by a fine
promenade , shaded by avenues of plane-

Central France. Route 105.—

trees. This is the watering-place ; now
one of the most frequented in France;
and here rise the mineral springs, of
acidulous alkaline water, which has
been compared with hot soda-water,
their principal ingredients being car¬
bonate of soda and carbonic acid gas,
and their peculiarity the small quan¬
tity of iron, in proportion to these
ingredients, which accompanies them.
They operate with advantage on the
digestive and urinary organs, and are
efficacious in long-standing stomach
disorders, obstruction and enlargement
of the spleen.

There are 7 springs, varying in tem¬
perature from 86° to 111° Fahr., but
differing only slightly in the proportion
of the same ingredients; 3 of them are
received in the bath-house (Bdtiment
Thermal), a very handsome building,
faced on the ground floor by a long
colonnade, containing, in the upper
story, a cabinet de lecture and ball¬
room ; and in the lateral ranges 72
baths, tolerably well appointed, and 4
douches. The principal source, or the
one most used for drinking and export¬
ation in bottles, is that called Grand
Grille. The water, received into stone
basins, has the appearance of boiling,
from the quantity of gas which bubbles
up through it. The season begins here
in the early part of May, and ends by
the middle of September.

The routine of a day is as follows:—
As early as 6 the crowd assembles to
drink the waters, which takes up an
hour or two: 10 is the hour of break¬
fast : to this succeeds, after an interval,
the bath, for those who are recom¬
mended to bathe, each individual
having his hour and turn marked upon
a card. The table-d’hote dinner takes
place at 5; and in the evening the
company assemble in the drawing¬
room (salon) of the hotel, where cards
or music afford resources for passing
the evening. Precedence is determined
by the order of arrival, those who have
been longest resident occupying the
upper seats at table, &c. There are
occasional balls at the rooms, but, as
the physicians are masters of the cere¬
monies, they begin at 8^, and usually
end before 11; raking is not allowed.
France.

Paris to Lyons — Vicliy. 361

Frequent collections (quetes) are made
at the instigation of the cure, for the
good of some charity or parish school,
and the poor-box is commonly carried
round by a lady and gentleman.

N. of the great Round Tower stands
the mansion which Madame de Se-
vigne occupied, and from which she
wrote some of her Letters, vol. v.

[ The Rocher des Celestins, at the foot
of which the springs rise, so called
from a convent in ruins on its top,
presents a curious geological phenome¬
non, being composed of vertical strata
of a tufacious deposit, almost pure
arragonite, no doubt deposited from
mineral springs, projecting in shattered
slabs above the surface, and abutting
at a short distance against horizontal
strata of the same tufa. Sir Roderick
Murchison first drew attention to them,
and has described them in the ‘ Geo¬
logical Journal’ of Feb. 1851.

The situation of Vichy is agreeable,
but not striking, in an open and highly
cultivated country, the celebrated
Limagne d’Auvergne (Rte. 109) ; in
fact, Vichy’s main attractions are its
waters.

Some pleasant Excursions, however,
may be made in the neighbourhood,
and many troops of donkeys are kept
for the use of the guests.

The valley of the Sichon affords plea¬
sant walks or rides.

More distant expeditions may be
made to the Chateau of EJfiat , a building
of the 17th centy., now dilapidated,
but still inhabited, and retaining its
formal garden flanked by fosses. It
was erected by Marshal Effiat, who was
ambassador to England to negotiate
the marriage of Henrietta Maria with
Charles I., and father of Cinq Mars, be¬
headed by Richelieu at Lyon.

The castle of Randan, in which Bayard
tarried so long, paying court to its
noble Chatellaine , once belonged to
Madame Adelaide, sister of Louis Phi¬
lippe.

Diligences go daily to Moulins, on
the way to Paris; to Roanne, on the
way to Lyons; to Clermont (Rte. 109),
&c.]

362

Route 105 .—Paris to Lyons — Roanne — Tarare. Sect. V.

The road to Lyons has now quitted
the valley of the Allier, and enters on
a hilly country. The mountains of
Auvergne appearing to the S.W., and
those of Forez more to the E., form
features in the landscape.

10 La Palisse.— Inn: Poste, G. B.
Between this and la Pacaudi&re the
road traverses a hilly tract.

The road crosses a deep ravine by a
very lofty bridge, called Pont de la
Vallee, shortly before entering

8 Droiturier.

7 St. Martin d’Estr^aux is seated on
a height, in the midst of a barren and
hilly country.

7 La Pacaudiere. Here we are once
more in the valley of the Loire, though
that river is not reached until, after
passing

12 St. Germain l’Espinasse, we ar¬
rive at

12 Roanne {Inns: none good; H. du
Centre ; Poste, best; two call them¬
selves H. du Midi), a town of 12,000
Inhab., deriving importance from its
situation on the 1. bank of the Loire,
at the point up to which it is navigable
against the stream as well as down¬
wards. It has a great transit trade:
the manufactures of Lyons, the iron
and coal of St. Etienne, the produc¬
tions of the S. provinces of France, and
the imports from the Levant, conveyed
hither from the Rhone by railway or
canal, are transported hence, down the
Loire, to Nantes, or through it, and
the Canal de Briare, to the Seine and
Paris. There are also considerable ma¬
nufactures of cotton in the town and
its neighbourhood. There is an old
Ch. St. Etienne, rebuilt 1549, near the
chateau, and a bridge over the Loire
which cost 3 million francs.

The Railroad from Roanne to St.
Etienne and Lyons is described in Rte.
119; it is very inferior, as a line of
conveyance, to those in the vicinity of
Paris. Carriages are not taken by it.
The Loire is crossed by a fine stone
bridge on leaving Roanne, and the road
proceeds across the plain for some dis¬
tance parallel with the railroad. About
half way to

17 St. Symphorien-en-Lay, the
ascent of the Montagne de Tarare be¬

gins. The ascent has been made com¬
paratively easy by a truly alpine road,
carried up in a series of zigzag terraces,
sweeping round the shoulders of the
hills, and crossing the gorges on hand¬
some bridges of masonry, protected,
at the sides, by stone studs like mile¬
stones.

15 Pain Bouchain. Near this is the
summit of the pass, about 3000 ft.
above the sea. You reach the foot of
the descent at

12 Tarare {Inn: H. de 1’Europe,
beds clean ; fare middling— W. M. •
le Soleil), a wonderfully thriving ma¬
nufacturing town of 7762 Inhab.,
seated in a narrow valley. The weav¬
ing of muslins , remarkable for their
fineness, is the staple branch of manu¬
facture, and it is calculated that be¬
tween 3 and 4 millions of pieces are
produced annually. It is said that as
many as 52,000 persons are employed
in the town and surrounding country
on this branch of industry. The
weavers ply their trade in damp cellars,
which are neither floored nor warmed
by fire, in order to keep up the moisture
necessary for weaving fine webs, and
to prevent the breaking of the thread.

The road continues along the narrow
valley of the Tardine from Tarare to

11 Arnas, where the country opens
out.

19 Salvagny.

A few m. to the 1. of the road is the
copper-mine of Chessy, which produced
the beautiful blue ore of copper so
well known to the mineralogist, but it
is now abandoned.

“ As you approach Lyons the road
becomes extremely fine, and imme¬
diately above the city you look down
upon it, extending along the banks of
the two great flowing rivers, surrounded
by an amphitheatre of hills. Hand¬
some country seats, gardens, and vine¬
yards are dotted over the landscape,
bespeaking the wealth and prosperity
(in a mercantile sense) of the district.
As the town is entered by the quay of
the Saone, it assumes a most pictu¬
resque character, the grey rough rocks
forcing themselves, as it were, into the
city, protruding between the lofty
houses—a singular mixture of nature

BuRGUSDr. Route 106.— Cote cT Or — Vineyards.

363

and art. One of these rocks is the
celebrated Pierre Seise.”—See p. 374.
— F. P.

14 Lyons, described in Rte. 108.
ROUTE 106.

DIJON TO CHALONS-SUR-SAONE BY
BEAUNE, AND THE WINE DISTRICT
OF THE COTE D’OR, CHAMBERTIN,

CLOS-YOUGEOT, NUITS, ETC.-PARIS

AND LYONS RAILWAY B.

69 kilom. = 43 Eng. m. 6 Trains
daily in 2 hours.

Dijon is in Rte. 104.

This Railroad carries the traveller
along the skirts of the vineyards, pro¬
ducing the Burgundy wines, which rank
amongst the best and most famous in
France. The country, wherever it
presents an advantageous slope, is en¬
tirely laid out in vines, and what it
loses in picturesqueness it gains in
richness. It is besides very populous;
there are said to be 40 or 50 villages
between Dijon and Beaune, a distance
of 26 m.

“ About 1 m. S.W. of Dijon begin
the hills which form the celebrated
Cote d' Or, which, judging by the eye,
average from about 800 to 1000 ft. in
height, continuing to range at the
distance of about a m. from the road.
It is a wall of hills, covered with vine¬
yards, which ascend iu terraces their
sunny sides, and then spread along
the table-land on the summit. The
colour of the soil, as seen through the
well-trimmed tufty vines, is of yel¬
lowish red ; and it may be asked
whether the name of the range arises
from this prevailing colour of the
ground, or from the richness of the
product. Here the best Burgundy is
grown, and here, as in almost all other
vine countries, we find the singular
and perplexing phenomenon (but per¬
haps nowhere so forcibly apparent as
here), that whilst one tract of small
extent produces the finest quality,
another hard by, enjoying the same
aspect, and as far as we can judge,
either by our unaided senses or by
chemical tests, the same soil, can never
be made to bring forth a wine of equal

flavour. In richness of flavour and
in perfume, and all the more delicate
qualities of the juice of the grape, they
unquestionably rank as the finest in
the world; and it was not without rea¬
son that the Dukes of Burgundy were
designated as the “princes des bons
vins.” The soils on which these valu¬
able wines are grown consist, in general,
of a light black or red loam, mixed
with the debris of the calcareous rocks
upon which they repose. The principal
vineyards of the Cote cC Or are all situ¬
ated between Dijon and Chagny, and
describe an arc of a large circle exposed
to the S.E. and protected from the
N.W. by the range of hills that
stretches behind them. The vines
are planted in trenches, at the distance
of about 2 ft. apart, and are trained on
poles to the height of 30 to 40 inches.
In the best vineyards they are ex¬
tremely old, and when old vines are
replaced by others, a larger crop, but
of an inferior quality, is obtained. The
choice red growths of the Cote d'Or,
are the Clos-Vougeot, Nuits, Beaune,
Volnay, Pomard, Chambertin, Riche-
bourg, Romance, and St. George.
They are all distinguished by their
beautiful colour and exquisite flavour
and aroma, combining, in a greater
degree than any other wines, the quali¬
ties of lightness and delicacy with
richness and fulness of body. Many
other crops are intermixed with the
vineyards,—potatoes, clover, and maize,
—whilst cherry, almond, and walnut
trees are dotted over the fields. One
need not wonder that the Kings of
France should have coveted this rich
Burgundian territory. This is about
the highest latitude N. where maize
can be grown to any advantage.”—
F. P.

Gevray Stat. Here is the vineyard
of Chambertin, about 15 or 20 acres in
extent, but divided among numerous
proprietors.

Vougeot Stat. The enclosure ( Clos )
de Vougeot produces the prince of Bur¬
gundy wines. It originally belonged to
the monks of the neighbouring Abbey
of Citeaux, who carried its culture
to the highest perfection, never selling
it, but making presents of what they

K 2

364

Route 106.— Burgundy — Vineyards.

Sect. V.

did not consume themselves. At the
Revolution it was bought by MM.
Tourlon at Revol, and still later was
resold to M. Ouvrard (?) and Aguado,
the loan contractor. Its recent pro¬
prietors have enlarged it by taking in
some of the neighbouring land; Jbut
the present extent of the vineyard is
is only 112^ English acres (48 hectares) :
the average annual produce is about
200 hogsheads. The soil near the top
of the hill consists of small fragments
of whitish limestone, mixed with shells,
of which the hill is composed: in the
lowest part of the vineyard it merges
into a nearly pure clay. The vines
nearest the top, in the dry soil, produce
the best wine; on reaching the clay it
falls off, and becomes the mere vin du
pays.

“ The vintage is in general soon
over, the proprietor employing often
from 400 to 450 vintagers at the same
time. For the red wine, the grapes
as they are brought in are thrown
into large cases or troughs, and there
trodden by a number of men, with
large wooden shoes, till the grapes are
nearly all broken. They are then
taken up in baskets, with interstices
wide enough to allow the grapes to
pass through, when a portion of the
stalks, generally about two-thirds, are
taken out. If the whole of the stalks
were taken out, the quality of the
wine, as has been repeatedly proved,
would be inferior. The whole is then
put into the vat into which the must,
as it ran from the treading, had been
previously carried. A space of about
12 inches is left unfilled at the top,
and a sliding lid is then put over,
which floats upon the surface. As
soon as the fermentation becomes vio¬
lent, the swelling of the mass lifts the
lid to the height of six inches above
the mouth of the vat. As, however,
the skins and the stalks had previously
risen to the surface, none of the
liquor escapes. A very small space,
formed by the looseness of the lid, is
considered sufficient to allow the gas
to escape, until the rising of the lid
allows a greater space; and it is per¬
haps owing to the confinement of the
gas that the lid is raised to such a

| height. If the weather had been very
warm when the grapes were gathered,
and still continues warm while the fer¬
mentation is going forward, the wine
is soon made. The fermentation is
sometimes over in 30 h., at other times
it continues 10, 12, and even 15 days,
The best wine is always produced from
the most rapid fermentation. When
the fermentation slackens, the liquor
begins to subside, and, when it is en¬
tirely over, sinks within the top of the
vat, but not so low as when the vat
was first filled, for the marc, or, in
other words, the stalks and skins, are
completely separated from the liquor,
and float upon the top.

“ As soon as it is known by the
subsiding of the head, and by the
taste and examination of the wine,
that the fermentation has ceased, the
wine is drawn off into large casks,
which contain about 700 gallons each.
Every 3 or 4 months it is pumped by
means of the syphon and bellows into
another vat of the same dimensions,
when a man enters by the small open¬
ing left in the end of the vats, and
washes out, with a brush and cold
water, any lees which may have been
deposited. The Burgundy of the Clos-
Vougeot receives no other preparation,
and it is treated in this manner as
often as may be judged requisite, till
it is disposed of. They commence
selling it when 3 and 4 years old, but
the wine of very favourable seasons is
retained by the proprietor till it is 10
or 12 years old, when it is bottled and
sold at the rate of 6 fr. a bottle. The
price of the wine of ordinary vintages,
from 3 to 4 years old, is from 500 to
600 fr. the hogshead, but seasons oc¬
casionally occur when the wine is not
better than the Vin Ordinaire of the
country.”-- -Busby.

Nuits Stat., a town of 2700 Inhab.,
in the midst of the celebrated vineyards
Romane'e, Richebourg, La Tache, &c.
The vins de Nuits were brought into
fashion 1680, by Louis XIV., for whom
they were exclusively prescribed by
the chief physician, Fagon, as a means
of restoring liis strength.

[6 or 7 m. E. of Nuits is the cele¬
brated Abbey of Citeaux , founded 1090

Burgundy. R. 106 .—Dijon to Chalons — Railway — Beaune. 365

by Robert, de Molesme, in which St.
Bernard assumed the cowl 1113, which
sent forth to assume the keys of St.
Peter no less than 4 popes, and which
numbered 3600 tributary convents of
the Cistercian order, of which it was
the head. Remains of the abbatial
buildings still exist. Information
respecting their present condition is
desired by the Editor.]

15 Beaune Stat. (Inns: Poste;—H.
d’Angleterre) contains 10,000 Inhab.,
and owes its prosperity to its being the
chief seat of the wine trade in Burgundy,
about 80 mercantile houses being en¬
gaged in it; the annual exportation
amounts to 30,000 or 40,000 butts.

The Hospital, founded by Nic. Rol-
lin, chancellor of Philip Duke of Bur¬
gundy, 1443, presents in its court
some good bits of Gothic, and there
is a fine Gothic hall. There is a re¬
markable early painting, a Last Judg¬
ment, by Albert van Ouwater, in the
Hotel Dieu. The Bouzeoise, a limpid
stream full of green weeds floating
with its current, traverses the town.

Beaune is the birth place of the
senator Monge, the savant and favour¬
ite of Napoleon.

Coaches daily to Autun (Rte. 108).

[At Gussy la Colonne, 12 m. S.W. of
Beaune, is a Roman pillar or monu¬
ment, bearing bas-reliefs; but it is ac¬
cessible with difficulty by cross roads.
At Nolay, near it, Carnot, the republi¬
can general and engineer, was born.]

“ The country immediately about
Beaune has much amenity, and in its
neighbourhood are produced the wines
of Yolnay and Pomard, the former
being characterised by its light and
grateful aroma and delicate tint, the
latter having more body and colour:
they are sometimes mixed with the red
wines to give them fire. Savigny,
Beaune, Meursault, and several other
vineyards in the neighbourhood, all
produce excellent wines, and, genei-ally
speaking, all the growths of that dis¬
trict are remarkable for the purity of
their flavour.”

Meursault Stat. A vineyard.

Chagny Stat. “This town is full of
interesting subjects for the sketch¬
book, particularly of domestic archi¬

tecture; one house in the principal
street, with a row of trefoil windows,
is particularly striking. The tower of
the Ch. is also curious; it is a perfect
specimen of the transition into the
Pointed from the Norman style.

“ From Chagny, the spot where the
range of the Cote d’Or, properly so
called, ceases, there is still a scattered
line of lower hills, but the slopes are less
rich and the plains less fertile.”— F. P.

16 Chalons-sur-Saone Stat. — (Inns :
Trois Faisans;—H. du Parc; H. de
1’Europe.) The Saone, which runs
through this town of 12,200 Inhab.,
and which, from this point, becomes
an important river, navigable for steam¬
boats, gives it much water-side activity.
The Canal du Centre, which joins the
Saone to the Loire, commences here,
and affords an outlet for a considerable
traffic and transit of goods to the
Mediterranean and Atlantic from the
central departments of France. Cli&lons
is the Cabillonum of Csesar, whose
Commentaries should be one of the
handbooks of every traveller through
the districts of Gaul. A fine granite
column, standing, or rather raised, on
one of the Places, is unquestionably a
relic of the Roman age.

The town is dull, but clean, for
France; and there is little worth see¬
ing. But the quai, facing the river, is
lined by good houses, and is the most
lively portion. The Cathedral (St.
Vincent), lately restored, in tolerably
good taste, with the addition of 2 new
towers, is in the early Gothic, when the
peculiarities of that style were begin¬
ning to mix themselves with the older
Romanesque. The Hospital of St.
Laurent, on the island in the Saone,
has some good painted glass, which, it
has been suggested, should be removed
to the cathedral. At present it is
necessary to traverse the sick ward in
order to see it. The date of this
vaulted dormitory, and of the hospital
itself, is 1528.

Steamers down the Saone to Lyons
in Rte. 108.

Diligences daily to Lyons; to Autun;
to Geneva.

Abelard died (1142) at the Abbey of
St. Marcel, about 2 m. from Chalons,

366

Route 107 .—Nevers to Chalons — Autun.

Sect. V.

now destroyed except the Ch.; he was
buried there, but afterwards removed
to the Paraclet.

Hallway to Paris in 10 hours.

ROUTE 107.

NEVERS TO CHALONS-SUR-SAONE, BY
CHATEAU-CHINON AND AUTUN.

154 kilom. = 101J Eng. m.

Diligences daily.

Nevers, terminus of railway from
Bourge and Orleans, is described in
Rte. 105.

19 Maison Rouge (Nievre).

22 Chatillon-en-Bazois.

10 Moulin Mauguin.

15 Chateau-Chinon, an ancient town
(Pop. 3000), built on a considerable
height, with traces of old fortifications,
not far from the sources of the Yonne.
Under its walls Louis XI. beat the
army of the Due de Bourgogne, 1475,
and put the inhabitants to the sword.

17 Pommoy.

20 Autun.—(Inns: La Poste; Chablis
good here;—La Cloche.) “ Let no one
approach Autun in September; a fair
is then held which lasts the whole
month: the inns are then intolerable,
and the town one scene of bustle and
confusion.”— W. M. The first view of
this interesting city is very pleasing.
It is supposed to have been the ancient
Bibracte, capital of the /Edui, men¬
tioned byCcesaras “ oppidum maximse
auctoritatis apud eos,” but its name
was changed, in the time of Augustus,
into Augustodunum, modernised into
Autun. Tacitus describes its import¬
ance as a fortress and great city, and
states that the most illustrious of the
youth of Gaul were educated here.
“ Autun, now a town of 10,000 Inhab.,
stands at the foot of a range of well-
wooded hills. The Roman ruins,
lioary-grey, situated low down near
the river, distinguish themselves by
their fine and peculiar forms. Amongst
the masses of buildings, crowned by
the cathedral and its lofty spire, is the
Temple of Janus, as it is called, though
without any sufficient authority, a
square building, of which 3 sides are
standing. It is denuded of ornaments,

but imposing, from its proportions and
its solidity. It probably dates from
the time of the Lower Empire. The
Two Roman Gates are beautiful and
very perfect. They are both nearly
on the same plan; double arches be¬
low, and ranges of smaller arches
above, ornamented with pilasters. The
Porte d’Arroux is Corinthian, the Porte
Saint Andre’ Ionic. They are evidently
of the Lower Empire, and the purist
will find fault with the details; but if
you will put away criticism, and enjoy
the objects, the effect is most satisfac¬
tory. Nothing can be more charming
than the appearance of the delicately-
cut arches, coming off against the blue
sky.”— F. P. The Roman walls of Au¬
gustodunum, within which the present
city has shrunk, are very massive and
curious, and large fragments still very
perfect exist.

Just without Autun, upon the Dijon
road, is a singular pyramidal mass of
masonry, called the Pierre de Couars.
It is about 50 ft. in height, and was
probably originally much more lofty.
The facing is entirely destroyed. It
is quite solid, and is probably sepul¬
chral : antiquaries suppose it to be the
tomb of Divictiacus (?).

Autun had a noble amphitheatre.
The ruins are now encircled by other
buildings, but the general site of the
Roman city is a perfect mine of anti¬
quities. Many were collected by the
late M. Jovet. “ Here also is a frag¬
ment of the tomb of the wicked Brune-
hault, who was buried at the abbey of
St. Martin, a curious structure, now
razed to the ground.”

“ The Cathedral of St. Lazare, lately
repaired, exhibits an interesting variety
in its style of architecture. The lofty
spire, covered with foliaged crockets,
is a masterpiece of Gothic; so also is
the rood-loft, composed of delicate and
elaborate filagree-work. But a large
proportion of the building is in the
Romanesque style, and exhibiting the
closest imitation of Roman art.”— F. P.
The elegant flamboyant decorations of
the chapels in the nave, and especially
of the door of the sacristy, a charming
bas-relief of Christ and the Magdalene,
in the chapel which serves as bap-

Central France. Route 108. — Chalons to Lyons.

367

tistery, the painted glass in the Cha-
pelle St. Nazare, representing the gene¬
alogy of the Virgin, and the Martyrdom
of St. Symphorien, by Ingres, deserve
also particular attention.

In all parts of the city you may see
the disjointed and lamentable fragments
of the ancient edifices by which Autun
was once adorned. There is a good
collection of the geology of the district
in the Petit Se'minaire, of which the
Abbe Landriot is superior.

St. Symphorien suffered martyrdom
here for refusing to join a procession
in honour of Cybele.

Autun, it will be remembered, was
the see of Bishop Talleyrand.

Coach daily from Autun to Beaune
Stat. (Rte. 10G.)

Not far from Autun are the two
valuable coal-basins of Epinac (to the
N.) and of Creuzot, which are worked
by pits, in some cases more than 650
ft. deep, and employ, together wfith
the iron-works (usine), about 4000
workmen. Mineral oil for lighting the
mines is obtained by a distillation from
the bituminous schists accompanying
the coal. The Romans used these very
schists to line the walls of their houses
at Autun.

At Creuzot are extensive iron-fur¬
naces, but the iron-ore requires to be
brought from a distance. From Epinac
(where are considerable glass-works for
making wine-bottles) the coal is trans¬
ported on a tramway to the Canal de
Bourgogne, and thence, by water, to
Paris and Alsace. The Canal du Cen¬
tre traverses the coal-field of Creuzot
(see p. 365). There is a new very
hilly road, direct from Autun to Mftcon
(104 kilom.), by Marmagne (21 kilom.),
Mont Cenis, and Cluny.

“Soon after quitting Autun you
enter the forest of Morvan (p. 351).
The road ascends, but with frequent
dips. It is richly wooded, and some of
the little glens are lovely. The sides
of the road are clad with alder and
beech, with here and there a fine oak-
tree lifting up his head above his com¬
peers. The rocks show between and
amongst the verdure, and you see and
hear the rushing of the little rills,
dashing by or in the road.”

17 St. Emiland. “ Beyond St. Emi-
land you begin to find yourself in
another climate. Vines reappear in
great luxuriance, and, unlike other
parts of France, they are often trained
in festoons and arcades; a mode equally
disadvantageous to the produce, and
advantageous to the beauty of the
scenery.”— F. P.

14 St. Leger.

8 Bourgneuf.

12 Chalons-sur-Saone. (Rte. 106.)

ROUTE 108.

DESCENT OF THE SAONE.—CHALONS TO
LYONS, BY MACON.

Steamboats every day. The distance
by the river is about 100 m. The
voyage is far preferable to the land
journey, and is performed in 5 or 6 h.
descending. Meals are served on
board. A steamer (le Parisien) ascends
in little more than 7 h.; leaving Lyons
at 5 a.m., it reaches CMlons by 12f,
in good time for the Express Train to
Paris. The captain of the steamer will
take charge of the carriage, embark¬
ing and landing it, and the luggage,
and will forward them to and from the
hotel. Some of the steamboats are not
large enough to convey carriages. The
expense with a carriage ought not to
exceed that of posting, including the
passenger’s fare, but the charges vary.
The steamers are liable to be arrested
by too much water in the river, in which
case there is not room for the vessel to
pass under the bridges, as well as by
too little, and to be delayed by fogs.

The post-road is good and pic¬
turesque. Malleposte daily, and Dili¬
gences run daily to and fro, but take
16 hrs., double the time of the steamer.

The post-road, runs along the rt. side
of the Saone, sometimes close to it, at
others out of sight of it, but so little
removed from it that the course by
water or land may, without inconve¬
nience, be described together. *

* Post Road .—18 Sennecy.

From some of the eminences surmounted by
the road, towards the E., you see the chain of
the Jura, and, in favourable weather, the white
snow of Mont Blanc, which may at first easily be
mistaken for a cloud, distant as the crow flies
about 100 miles.

368

Route 108.— The Saone. — Macon .

Sect. Y.

rt. immediately below Chalons is
the mouth of the Canal du Centre, and
a basin or dock for barges entering or
quitting it.

The banks of the Saone are at first
tame, but improve as you approach
Lyons.

rt. *Tournus {Inns: Sauvage; H. de
1 ’Europe; both tolerable), a town of
5311 Inhab., possessing a wooden bridge
of 5 arches over the Saone. Its Church,
formerly attached to a venerable abbey,
now destroyed, is a very plain edifice,
in the Romanesque style, but interest¬
ing to the student for its architecture
and antiquity. It is surmounted by a
central tower, flanked with Corinthian
pilasters at the angles, and has 2 other
towers at the W. end. Its nave, pre¬
ceded by a narthex or vestibule sup¬
ported on 2 rows of short thick pillars
without capitals, is probably of the
10 th centy. The nave is roofed with
a series of cradle-vaults, placed trans¬
versely, separated by cross arches, so
as to divide it into compartments.

In the Place de 1’Hotel de Ville is a
granite column, reputed an antique.

The charming painter Greuze was a
native of Tournus: the house where he
was born is marked by an inscription:
he died at Paris, 1805.

1. Fleurville, a bridge over the Saone.

1. St. Albinf has a curious, early
pointed Gothic church; the windows
lancet. The costume of the villagers
is picturesque.

Hear the river vineyards cover the
slopes, which are a prolongation of the
distant range of the hills of Charolois.

rt. Mdcon.% — {Inns: Le Sauvage; a
view of the river; tolerable;—H. de
1’Europe, on the Quay, good.) Macon
was heretofore the capital of the coun¬
try of the Maconnois, and ruled by its
own sovereigns from the time of Louis
le Debonname until it passed to the
house of Burgundy. The country was
often settled as an appanage upon the
younger branches of the family. The
present population of the town, which
is not flourishing, is 11,994: it is chef-
lieu of the Dept. Saone et Loire. The

* 10 Tournus.

f Post Rond .—16 St. Albin.

$ 14 Macon.

conj oint devastations of the Huguenots,
who exercised the greatest cruelties
and atrocities here, and of the Revo¬
lutionists, have nearly denuded Macon
of all its ancient religious structures;
hence the necessity of erecting a new
church, which, until recently, was an
unheard-of event in France. The
towers of the Cathedral are standing,
but mutilated, together with a very
small portion of the body of the build¬
ing, now turned into a blacksmith’s
forge. The river is crossed by a Bridge
of 13 ai’ches. From it, but still better
from a little Esplanade planted with
poplar-trees beyond it, a view of Mont
Blanc may be obtained. In the neigh¬
bourhood of Macon are many very fine
prospects of the ranges of the hills of
the Bourbonnois and Charolois, the
latter being a continuation of the Cote
d’Or.

Macon is thus mentioned by Csesar:
“ Tullium Ciceronem Matiscone, rei
frumentariae causa, collocat.” It is
the birth-place of the living poet and
French politician M. Alphonse de La¬
martine. His Chateau, St. Point, not
far off, is sold.

Macon is the centre of a great trade
in the wine grown in its arrondissement,
though at some distance from the town
itself, and from our road; at the foot
of the hills on the W. The best sorts
are the growths of Thorins and Moulin
h, Vent, which are red, and the Pouilly,
a white wine. Romaneche, situated in
the midst of this wine district, 12 m.
from Macon, possesses an important
mine of manganese, which gives activity
to many manufactures.

[22 kilom. = 15 m. N.W. of Macon is
Clung, a large place {Tnn: H. de Bour¬
gogne), once famous for its ancient and
wealthy abbey, of the order of St. Bene¬
dict, which, before the Revolution, had
600 religious houses dependent upon
it, and enjoyed a revenue of 300,000
fr. a year. It was so utterly destroyed
in 1789, that of its noble Gothic church,
which had 5 aisles and double tran¬
septs, only the 2 towers remain, with
some fragment of wall, and the chapelle
de Bourbon, 15tli centy. The town,
which has a population of 4152, and
carries on some manufactures, is built

Cent. France. Route 108. — The Sadne— Chalons to Lyons , 369

on the site and with the materials of
the abbatial buildings. The cloisters
form a sort of public square, and a
fragment of the Abbot’s Palace is con¬
verted into a private dwelling. Here
is a government stud ( Haras ).]

The country on the 1. bank of the
Sadne formed paid, of the ancient divi¬
sions of La Bresse and Dombes; its in¬
habitants are a primitive race, by no
means enlightened.

The banks of the Saone acquire some
elevation and picturesqueness below
M&con; the Jura mountains being all
along a feature in the view to the E.;
the nearer hills studded with white
chateaux and villages. The Chateau de
Corielles, flanked by 4 round towers,
stands at some distance off the road to
the W.

rt. At St. Romain, a suspension-
bridge.

1. Toissey, an ancient town of the
principality de Dombes, partly hid by
poplars and willows.

rt. Belleville.* A bridge.

About 13 m. to the W. is Beaujeu,
capital of the province of Beaujolais,
in the midst of a district famed for its
wines.

1 . Montmerle, a village situated be¬
low a considerable island, has a suspen¬
sion-bridge: other bridges are thrown
across at Flecliere, Beauregard, and at
Frans, opposite to

rt. Villefranche.f “A smalltown;
has rather a cheerful aspect. The
church has been a beautiful specimen of
the florid Gothic, though small.”

There is a bridge at St. Bernard.

rt. Anse is the port of Villefranche.

1. Trevoux is an ancient town of 2239
Inhab., on the slope of a concave hill,
surmounted by the ruins of its old
castle. It possesses now no interest
beyond that connected with the recol¬
lection of its having once been capital
of the principality of Dombes, and the
place where the Jesuits compiled and

* Post Road .—13 Pontaneveanx.

11 La Croissee.

f 14 Villefranche. Here the road turns away
from the river, avoiding its windings, and follow¬
ing a nearly straight line by

18 Limonest.—Hills, and long descent into

11 Lyons. (Route 105.)

printed the very learned works called
the “ Journal de Trevoux,” 1701, and
“ Dictionnaire de Trevoux,” 1704, a
sort of Encyclopaedia. Their house
remains, marked by the shield of arms
of the Order of St. Ignatius.

Dombes was acknowledged as an in¬
dependent state by the French kings
(except Francis I.) from Philippe-Au-
guste down to Louis XIY., owing them
only allegiance and aids of men in case
of war. It had a parliament of its own,
which met at Tre'voux, and the right
of striking money, down to 1762. It
is supposed to have been the Roman
Triviae, near which Septimius Severus
beat the army of his rival Albinus, and
thus secured the empire for himself.

Through pretty scenery, between
banks thickly scattered with habita¬
tions, the Saone, considerably con¬
tracted in width, passes under the
richly-wooded heights called Mont
d’Or, rising 1000 ft. above the river,
on the rt., by Belle lie,

1 . Neuville, with its suspension-
bridge, and

rt. Couson, opposite to
1. La Roche TailUe , so called from
the cutting which Agrippa caused to be
made through it, to allow the passage
of one of the great Roman highways.

Lower down is L' lie Barbe, the fa¬
vourite retreat of Charlemagne, linked
to either bank by a suspension-bridge.
(See p. 378.)

The valley of Rochecorbon , with its
wood and fountain of Roset, was a fa¬
vourite haunt of Rousseau.

1. La Tour de la Belle Allemande
(described p. 378), and

rt. Pierre Seise. (See p. 374.)

The entrance to Lyons has been
compared to the “approach to Bristol
under the slopes of Durdham and
King’s Down, and the rocks of Clifton
Hot Wells; but the river Saone i
larger, and the cliffs not so high.”

Lyons (French, Lyon). — Inns: H.
d’Univers, rue de Bourbon, very com¬
fortable, kept by an Englishman;—H.
de l’Europe;—H. de Provence, et des
Ambassadeurs, good and very clean,
opposite the Post Office, in the Place
Bellecour;—H. de Rome, Place St.
Jean, quiet, no table-d’liote ;—H. du

r 3

370 Route 108.— Lyons—Notre Dame de Fourvieres. Sect. V.

Nord, a really well-kept house, cuisine
good ;—H. du Parc.

There are few more stately cities, in
external aspect, in striking situation,
seated as it is on two great rivers,
the Rhone and Saone, or in the lively
air of bustle and commerce diffused
through its interior, than Lyons, the
second city of France, the chief seat of
manufactures, the focus where the
commerce of the North and South
converges. It is a fortress of 1st class,
and chef-lieu du Dept, du Rhone. Its
pop. amounts to 200,000, including its
suburbs.

The appearance of grandeur, how¬
ever, is limited to its quais, bridges,
and noble rivers, to the steep and
commanding heights of Fourvieres on
the rt. of the Saone, and to the two
Places Bellecour and des Terreaux; it
is deficient in fine streets and long
open thoroughfares. The interior is
one stack of lofty houses, penetrated
by lanes so excessively narrow and nasty
as not to be traversed without disgust.

It is worth the stranger’s while to
remember, as a clue to find his way
through this labyrinth, that the streets
whose names are written on black
plates run parallel with the course of
the two rivers, those on yellow plates
at rt. angles to them.

Lyons stands on both banks of the
Saone and Rhone, but the largest part
occupies the tongue of land between
these two rivers, extending from the
heights covered by the populous suburb
of La Croix Rousse, the residence of
the silk-weavers and the hot-bed of
insurrection, down nearlv to the con-
fluence of the rivers, towards which
the quarter of Perrache has pushec.
forward buildings. On the 1. bank of
the Rhone are the suburbs of Les
Brotteaux, the scene of revolutionary
executions, and of Guillotiere, where
a new town is rapidly rising; on the
rt. bank of the Saone, the suburbs of
Vaise, through which you enter Lyons
from Paris, of Fourvieres, mounting
up the face of a slope so abrupt as
scarcely to be accessible for whee
carriages, of St. Ire'n<ie behind it, anc.
of St. George, lower down, near the
water-side. These dry topographical.

details will be best understood when
the traveller has scaled the Height of
Fourvieres, which he should do the first
thing after his arrival, on account of
the view it commands. To reach it
you pass between the Palais de Justice
and the cathedral, ascending the steep
and narrow streets above the cathe¬
dral, which are very foul and stinking.

You pass behind the huge straggling
hospital of Antiquailles, occupying the
site of the Roman palace in which
Claudius and Caligula were born, now
assigned to the reception of 600 pa¬
tients, the most miserable wretches of
this populous city, afflicted with mad¬
ness and all sorts of incurable and
disgusting diseases, to the care of
whom 27 Freres Hospitaliers and 67
Soeurs devote their lives. Up narrow
lanes, as steep as stairs, partly in zig¬
zag, and in front of a row of shops, in
which rosaries, medals, pictures, can¬
dles, and wax models of different parts
of the body for suspension in the
church, are displayed before the eyes
of devout pilgrims, you reach

The Ch. of Notre Dame de Fourvieres,
only remarkable for the quantity of
ex-votos, paintings, See., to the number
of 4000, with which its walls are
covered, offered to the altar of the
miracle-working figure of our Lady
of Fourvieres, whose intercession is
stated, by an inscription over the
entrance, to have preserved Lyons
from the cholera. Close beside the
Ch. a speculator has built a tower, by
way of observatory, 630 ft. above the
Saone, and from it, even better than
from the terrace beside it, a most
magnificent view may be obtained.
The city of Lyons appears unrolled
as a map beneath your feet, including
the two noble rivers visible (nearly)
to their junction, the Saone crossed
by 8 or 10 bridges, the Rhone by 7.
Beyond it stretch fields, plains, and
hills, dotted over with country houses,
and the distance is closed (in clear
weather) by the snowy peak of Mt.
Blanc, nearly 100 m. off, this being
one of the farthest points from which
it is seen. More to the S. the Alps of
Dauphin^, the mountains of the Grande
Chartreuse, and the Mont Pilas appear.

Central France. Route 108.— Lyons — Cathedral.

371

The Ch. of Notre Dame is seated on
the very summit of the hill, and is
said to occupy the site, and retain the
name, of the Roman Forum Vetus, built
by Trajan. Numerous but inconsi¬
derable Roman remains have been
brought to light on the hill, the prin¬
cipal being an amphitheatre within the
Jardin des Plantes, and a fragment of
an aqueduct.

In the faubourg St. Irenee, behind
Fourvieres, is the Ch. of St. Irenee, an
uninteresting modern building, but
erected on the grave of that saint and
martyr, and upon subterranean vaults,
in which, it is said, the early Chris¬
tians met for prayer, and were after¬
wards massacred, by order of Septimius
Severus, a.d. 202 . In the midst of
this crypt, an ancient Romanesque
building, resting on plain columns, is
a sort of well, down which the bodies
of the Christians were thrown, until
it overflowed with the blood of the
19,000 martyrs, for such is the number
reported to have fallen, according to
the legend, and a recess is filled with
their bones.

The upper Ch. was destroyed, and
the crypt much injured, by the Cal¬
vinists, 1562.

The Cathedral of St. Jean Baptiste,
on the rt. bank of the Saone, has 4
towers, two of which flank the W.
front, and two, more massive, but
shorter, from the transepts. The W.
front is the most recent part, not
having been completed until the reign
of Louis XI.: its bas-reliefs and sta¬
tues are curious, but they have suf¬
fered from the Calvinistic iconoclasts
of the 16th centy.; these injuries have
usually, but unjustly, been attributed
to the infamous Baron des Adrets,
since he was not in Lyons at the time
when they were perpetrated. “ The
greater portion of the cathedral is of
the age of St, Louis; but, though
Gothic, the attentive observer will
remark some curious imitations of
Roman ornaments, particularly in an
incrusted band or frieze of red and
white marble, composed of masques
and foliage, copied from the antique,
with considerable exactness, running
round the principal apse. The painted

glass windows are remarkably fine.
The centre tower, which opens into
the cross, contains a rose window,
which produces a peculiarly good
effect. In a side aisle, on the floor,
stands the once celebrated clock, made
or built by Nicholas Lippeus of Basle,
in 1508. It is very much like that at
Strasburg, exhibiting various proces¬
sions of little figures, the courses of
the sun and moon, and the like; but
it is quite out of repair; and to be
called in action it requires the admin¬
istration of half a franc to the sacris¬
tan.”— F. P. “ The clerestory presents
an interesting series of windows, giving,,
in order, the gradations from plain
lancets and circles, without foliation,
or even a containing arch, to the per¬
fect mullioned window, with flowing
tracery” (Petit), a good lesson for the
student. The Bourbon chapel, built by
the Cardinal Bourbon and his brother
Pierre, son-in-law of Louis XI., is
remarkable for its ornaments, princi¬
pally flowers and foliage of the most
delicate sculpture. Amongst them the
thistle or char don is repeatedly in¬
troduced ; a pun or rebus, allusive
to the cher-don which the king had
made to Pierre in the gift of his
daughter.

“ The see of Lyons, the religious
metropolis of the Gauls, ascends to
the era of the primitive church, its
founders having been St. Pothinus, an
Asiatic Greek, in the 2nd centy., and
St. Irenseus, disciples of the apostles,
both of whom suffered martyrdom
here. Before the Revolution the cathe¬
dral enjoyed many high privileges.
The canons had the title of Counts of
Lyons: and in the service many an¬
cient usages are retained; amongst
others, yellow or native wax alone was
used for the tapers, and no instru •
mental music was allowed. Adjoining
the cathedral is a building, part of the
ancient Archiepiscopal Palace, which
seems to be of the 9tli centy. Accord¬
ing to popular opinion, Becket lodged
here; but as it is not known that he
visited Lyons, though Anselm did,
the two archbishops may have been
easily confounded; several anthems
and hymns yet sung in the cathedral

372

Route 108.— Lyons—Church of Ainay.

Sect. Y.

are said to have been composed and
set to music by Becket.”— F. F.

On the quai, a little above the cathe¬
dral, opposite the Pont Seguin, de¬
stroyed by the flood of 1840, is the
new Palais de Justice , a handsome
building, faced with a colonnade of 24
pillars. Baltard is the architect.

On the opposite side of the Saone,
about ^ m. lower down, at the end of
a street running up from the Pont
d’ Ainay, is the Church of the Abbey of
Ainay , a very remarkable monument,
both of Pagan and Christian antiquity.
“ The centre of the cross is supported
by 4 ancient granite columns, supposed
to have belonged to the altar erected
at the confluence of the Rhone and
Saone (which originally met close to
the Ch.), in honour of Augustus, who
resided for 3 years at Lyons, by the
60 nations of Gaul. In the represen¬
tation of that altar existing on medals
there are only 2 pillars, 1 on either
side of the altar, each supporting a
statue of Victory; but these lofty
columns, each of a single shaft, having
been cut in two, now form the 4 sup¬
porters, of somewhat low proportions,
to the central lantern.” The mea¬
surements of the diameter of the sec¬
tions in each pair show how they were
joined. Their capitals, an imitation of
the Corinthian, are mediaeval. The
original capitals were Ionic. The Ch.,
as a building, was in existence before
937 (its foundation as a monastery
was much earlier), and these are pos¬
sibly of that aera. The outer tower is
probably Carlovingian; but the build¬
ing has recently been restored, in some
parts awkwardly, so as to prepare
much perplexity for the antiquarians
who are yet unborn. Beneath the
sacristy are the dungeons in which
Pothinus and Blandina were immured
previously to their martyrdom.

‘ ‘ The sufferings of these witnesses
for the truth rest upon a document of
great authenticity, the Epistle of the
Churches of Vienne and Lyons to the
Brethren in Asia and Phrygia. Pothi¬
nus, chosen bishop of Lyons, and then
90 years of age, was sent back into this
dungeon, where he expired after two
days’ confinement. For Blandina, who

was a converted slave, greater tortures
were reserved. After being scourged
and exposed to the fire in an iron
chair, she was delivered over to the
beasts in the amphitheatre. These
events took place during the perse¬
cution under Marcus Antoninus, the
implacable enemy of Christianity,
A.D. 177.

“ These dungeons are gloomy cells,
without light or air, below the bed of
the adjoining river. The apertures by
which they are entered are so low that
you must creep into them upon hands
and knees. They adjoin a crypt which,
until the Revolution, was used as a
chapel: traces of Roman work are here
distinctly seen.

“ The middle-age name of Ainay is
Athenaeum, and most of the historians
of Lyons are unanimous in supposing
that it is built upon the site of the
Athenceum founded by Caligula, and
the buildings of which joined to or
included the Augustan altar. It was
a school of debate and composition, in
which pleaders competed for the prize.
Great honours were bestowed itpon
the successful competitors; but those
who failed were liable, according to
the statutes of the imperial founder,
to the most severe and humiliating
punishments—to be chastised with a
ferula, or thrown into the river, and
to obliterate their own compositions
by licking them out with the tongue:
hence even the most gifted would
approach the altar with trepidation
and fear” ( F . P .), and hence the line
of Juvenal—

“ Palleat, ut nudis pressit qui calcibus angiiem,

Aut Lugdunensem rhetor dicturus ad aram.”

Some other remarkable churches,
&c., have been spared:— St. Nizier, a
splendid example of the flamboyant
Gothic. The bosses of the arched roof
are curiously pointed. The portal, in
the style of the Renaissance, is a work
of the architect Philibert Delorme, in
the 16th centy. Several hundred of
the insurgents in the insurrection of
1834 were pursued within the walls of
this church by the soldiery, and killed
there.

St. Pierre has a curious Carlovingian

Cent. France. JR. 108 .—Lyons — Hotel de Ville — Museum. 373

portal, in perfect preservation, though
barbarously coated with oil-paint.

The square called Place des Terreaux,
one side of which is occupied by the
Hotel de Ville, and another by the
Museum or Palais des Beaux Arts, was
the scene of the execution of Cinq
Mars and De Thou: “they perished
on the scaffold, the one like a Roman,
the other like a saint;” thus atoning
for their share in a conspiracy against
the unrelenting Cardinal Richelieu.
Here also, in 1794, the guillotine was
erected, and actively kept at work
until the square became so flooded
with human blood, that the Terrorist
chiefs, fearing to rouse the sensibility
of the people, resolved on a wholesale
massacre, by musketry and grape, in
the Brotteaux, on the other side of the
Rhone.

The Hotel de Ville (1447-55), with
its lofty roofs and bold projections, is
not unworthy of the ancient consulate,
who, before the Revolution, were a
most influential and useful magistracy,
though much reduced in authority by
Henri IV. In this building sat the
Revolutionary Tribunal which, under
Challier before the siege of Lyons, and
after it under Couthon, Collot d’Her-
bois, and Fouche, despatched so many
thousand victims to perish by the guil¬
lotine and the fusillade. Collot d’Her-
bois, the chief of these tyrants, had
been an actor, and in that capacity had
been hissed off the stage of Lyons. He
vowed vengeance against the town in
consequence of this affront; and amply
did the savage glut his desire for it.

The Palais des Beaux Arts, or Mu¬
seum, in the ancient convent of St.
Pierre, contains some very remarkable
specimens of Roman antiquity. A
Taurobole, or square altar, 5 ft. high.
“The Bronze Tables containing the
speech made by Claudius, when Censor,
in the Roman senate (a.d. 48), on
moving that the communities of Gallia
Comata should be admitted to the pri¬
vileges of the citizenship of Rome—an
act of the highest national importance.
They are beautifully cut, and the
letters are as sharp and as legible as if
they had just issued from the en¬
graver’s hands. In these engravings

we have probably the very words or
composition of Claudius himself. They
were discovered in the year 1528, on
the heights of St. Sebastian. Clau¬
dius was born at Lyons on the very ,
day when the altar of Augustus was
consecrated.

“In contemplating a relic of this
description in the city to which it
belongs, we become sensible how much
of its interest would be diminished by
depositing it in any situation out of
its proper locality. A very fine mosaic
pavement, representing the games of the
Circus, in which the Spina, and the
gates whence the chariots started for
the race, are fully given, was found at
Ainay, 1800. Several other pavements
were found in or near the city, includ¬
ing one of Orpheus and the Beasts,
brilliant in colour, with many sepul¬
chral and other inscriptions.”— F. P.

The legs of a bronze horse, ex¬
tracted from the bed of the Saone, are
remarkable.

In the Picture Gallery are several
paintings of celebrated masters.— Pietro
Perugino: The Ascension, the heavenly
choir in the sky, the Apostles and
Virgin below; one of the best works
of the master, a magnificent painting;
given to the city by Pope Pius VII.
Rubens: St. Francis, St. Dominic, and
the Virgin interceding for the world,
against which the Saviour is about to
launch his thunder; finely coloured,
but coarse, profane, and offensive in
the composition. The Adoration of
the Magi. Spagnoletto: St. Francis
after Death, as placed in the tomb by
Gregory IV.; the ghastly glare of the
eye and rigidity of the frame are truly,
but somewhat painfully, represented.
Palma Vecchio: Portrait of his daughter
Violante (called a Titian), the same face
by Palma existed at Dresden. Caracci:

The Baptism in the Jordan. A Por¬
trait of a Canon of Bologna. Guercino:

The Circumcision, very fine. Teniers:

St. Peter delivered from the Prison,
or rather soldiers gaming in the guard¬
house; for what is called the subject
is rendered merely an accessory. Peru¬
gino : St. Gregory and St. Jame3. A.
Purer (?); The Empr. Maximilian and
the Empress. A Portrait of Jacquart,

374

Route 10S.— Lyons — Museum—Pierre Seise. Sect. V.

inventor of the silk-loom named after
him, by Bonnefonds. Portrait of Mi-
guard, by himself. Portrait of William
III. of England. Van Heem: A View
of the Rock and State Prison of Pierre
Seise, now destroyed, is curious.

A School of Design established at
Lyons has been attended with remark¬
able success in improving the manu¬
factures. A portrait of Jacquart, in
imitation of an engraving, but pro¬
duced by the loom invented by him,
is both a monument to his memory
and a proof of the skill attained by his
townsmen. Copies of the Madonna of
the Seggiola, and of a Crucifixion, have
also been executed in the same style.
Here is also an academy of the fine arts.

In one of the apartments are placed
the busts of some of the illustrious
natives of Lyons, as Philibert De¬
lorme, architect; Bernard Jussieu, the
botanist ; Jacquart, inventor of the
silk-loom; Suchet, marshal of France;
Poivre, governor of L’lle de France,
who introduced pepper.

The _ Museum of Natural History is
very creditable to the town, by its ex¬
tent; and most useful and instructive
to the student, by its excellent systema¬
tic arrangement, according to orders,
families, genera. It is tolerably well
filled in all the departments of natural
history; but where specimens of a genus
are wanting, the place is supplied by a
drawing.

Among the minerals are a very com¬
plete and valuable series of marbles, an¬
tique and modern, of Italy, France,
&c. ; a suit of the blue and green
copper-ores from the mine of Chessy,
on the Saone, now abandoned. The
mineralogical and geological topography
of France is illustrated in a collection
of rocks and fossils from the different
departments.

“ The Bibliotheque Publique is the
best provincial collection in France.
The consulate of the city took great
pride in this institution, which was
originally annexed to the college. It
contains many manuscripts, and about
80,000 printed volumes. Amongst
them are many valuable and all but
unique articles of the early printers—
the delight and despair of the biblio¬

maniac. During the siege of Lyons in
1793, the library suffered greatly from
the bombardments and the cannonade
to which the city was exposed. The
roof of the library was beat down, large
heaps of the books were covered by
the rubbish, and it might have been
wished that they could have continued
so during the reign of the Convention.
Some were carried to Paris; others
stolen. The foregoing were at least
preserved for literature. But the li¬
brary was turned into a barrack; the
National Guard lighted their fires and
boiled their coffee with the volumes,
which they employed in preference to
any other combustible; and a Juge de
Paix in a different canton caused a cart¬
load to be brought to him every de¬
cade for the same purpose; for, said he,
they are all books of devotion, and v T e
do not exactly seek truth in the age of
reason.”— F. P.

In the suburb of Yaise, on the rt.
bank of the Saone, on the line of the
old fortifications, and just above the
road leading to Paris and Ch&lons, rise
the scanty remains of the escarped
rock of Pierre Seise, or Encise, so called
from its having been cut through by
Agrippa, in order to open a military
road. It is now used as a quarry, and
the proprietors are carting off the pic¬
turesque and beautiful by wholesale.
Upon this rock stood a castle, formerly
the dwelling of the Archbishops, and
of wLich the central tower was re¬
markable for its symmetry. It was
demolished during the Revolution,
perhaps in consequence of the odium
which it acquired by having been an¬
ciently employed as a state prison, and
also because it w T as offensive to the in¬
habitants from its domineering over
the tow T n. In this castle Ludovico
Sforza, called II Moro, was confined by
Louis XII. ; he was afterwards re¬
moved to the castle of Loches, where,
being occasionally confined in an iron
cage, he sank under the misery he sus¬
tained. So closely was he incarcerated,
that the exact time of his death is un¬
known: some writers place it in 1508,
others in 1510. ^See Rte. 56.)

Here also Card. Richelieu shut up
M. de Cinq Mars, for conspiring against

Central France. Route 108. — Lyons—Hotel Dieu.

375

his authority and corresponding with
Spain; and De Thou, the son of the his¬
torian, for not betraying the conspiracy.

Farther on, upon the opposite (1.)
bank of the Saone, is an antique castle,
surmounted by a lofty tower, called
Tour de la Belle Allemande, from a tra¬
dition of a German damsel being im¬
mured in it while her beloved was shut
up in Pierre Seise. He, as the story
goes, having escaped, by leaping into
the Saone, was swimming across the
river to join her, when he was per¬
ceived by the castle guard, and shot at
the foot of the tower.

“ The charitable institutions of
Lyons are numerous. The principal
one is the Hotel Dieu, on the quay facing
the Rhone, between the Pont de 1’Hotel
Dieu and Pont Guillotiere: it is the
most ancient, perhaps, now subsisting
in France, having been founded by
Childebert, and Ultrogotha his queen.
The present edifice, built by Soufflot,
has a splendid new front. The plan of
the building is that of a cross, and it
is arranged upon the Panopticon prin¬
ciple. An octagon altar is placed un¬
der the central dome. From this the
wards radiate, and the crucifix and the
officiating priest can be seen from every
bed in the hospital. The chambers are
very lofty and spacious. Amongst
other attendants are 150 sisters of
charity.”— F. P.

The building was destroyed during
the fatal siege of 1793, when filled with
wounded, by shells and red-hot shot:
a black flag, hoisted upon the building
to avert the deadly shower, seemed
only to attract towards it a larger share
of the fire; and after the flames had
been in vain extinguished 42 times, it
was finally consumed. From an in¬
scription discovered not long since in a
courtyard of the Hotel Dieu (once a Pro¬
testant burial-ground), it would seem
that Mrs. Temple, daughter of Young,
author of the £ Night Thoughts,’ who
died at Montpellier, 1736, was actually
buried here. By the ai’chives in the
H. de Yille, it appears that 729 livres
were paid for permission to inter her.

On the quay of the Rhone, below
the Pont Guillotiere, is the still larger
Hospice de la Charite.

The Place Bellecour, one of the largest
squares in Europe, perhaps too large,
covering 15 acres, ornamented in the
centre by a statue of Louis XIV., has
been rebuilt since 1793-94. On the
capture of Lyons by the republicans,
the total annihilation of the town, and
of all its chief buildings, public and
private, which had escaped the 11,000
red-hot shot and the 27,000 shells
hurled against it during a bombard¬
ment of several weeks, was decreed
by the National Convention, in order
to humble the pride of the Lyonnais.
The demolition of the houses of the
Place Bellecour was directed by Cou-
thon, who, borne on a litter, on account
of illness, gave the signal by striking
with a little hammer on the door of
each condemned house, repeating the
words “ Je te condamne h etre demolie
au nom de ia loi.” A mob of dis¬
charged workmen and others of the
lowest classes then hastened to carry
into effect these commands. Lyons,
the chief manufacturing town of
France, was reduced to a heap of ruins,
and the expense of merely pulling
down amounted to 700,000/.—a sum
larger than that which built the Hotel
des Invalides at Paris. Thus was ful¬
filled the decree of the Montagne,
that “ Lyons should no longer exist,”
that “even its name should be ef¬
faced,” and that of “Commune Af-
franchie ” substituted. This decree
enacted also that a column should be
erected on its ruins to bear these
words:—

“ Lyon fit la guerre a la Liberte;

“ Lyon n est plus.”

The Siege of Lyons, which preceded
this wanton razing of the town, was
undertaken by the National Conven¬
tion, to punish and bring back to their
side the people of Lyons, who, irri¬
tated by the vexations, and horror-
stricken by the tyranny, of the club of
Terrorists and the municipality, had
risen up in arms against them, and
made prisoner, tried, and executed
their president, the infamous Challier,
a Savoyard, and once an abbe. In con¬
sequence 60,000 troops were collected
from all quarters against this devoted
town. Its defence was intrusted to

376

Sect. V.

Route 108 .—Ly

about 30,000 of her citizens, who cheer¬
fully manned the walls, resolving that
their oppressors should not capture
the place without marching over piles
of ruins and heaps of dead. After an
heroic resistance of 63 days, during
which acts of the utmost bravery and
scenes of the direst misery were ex¬
hibited, after all the surrounding
heights had been gained by the ene¬
my, and 30,000 persons had perished
within the walls, famine began to
arrest the power of all further resistance,
and the town was yielded, Oct. 9, 1793.

The Suburb of Perrache, between the
Sadne and Rhone, receives its name
from the architect who conceived and
executed the plan of removing the con¬
fluence of these rivers, which, before
1770, were united a little below the
church of Ainay, to its actual situation.
He effected this by strong embank¬
ments ; and the greater portion of the
land thus gained is either built over, or
is prepared for building. Here is situ¬
ated the terminus of the railroad to
St. Etienne. (Rte. 118.)

Until the commencement of the
present century the Rhone merely
skirted the city, and Lyons may be
said to have been confined to its rt.
bank; or, as Gray in his letters hu¬
morously describes the confluence,

“ the Saone goes through the middle
of the city in state, while he (the
Rhone) passes incog, outside the walls,
but waits for her a little below.”

Since that time the 1. bank of the
Rhone has been covered over with
houses, forming the suburbs of Brot-
teaux and Guillotiere. Several streets
of fine and lofty houses are now build¬
ing here, and a new bridge in construc¬
tion over the Rhone will connect them
directly with the business quarter of
the city. At the back of these new
constructions an embankment has been
formed, and a military canal dug, pro¬
tected by forts, so as to serve the
double purpose of securing the neigh¬
bourhood from the inundations of the
Rhone and the attack of an enemy.
In the Brotteaux, at the extremity of
the street called Avenue des Martyrs,
a monumental Chapel, in the form of a
pyramid, perpetuates the memory of

ons — Massacre.

the miserable victims of one of the
worst atrocities of the Revolution.
After the siege and capture of Lyons,
as narrated above, the guillotine
proved too slow an instrument of
slaughter of the accused or suspected
victims, condemned, with or without
cause, to suffer by the mandate of the
revolutionary tribunal. The blood¬
thirsty and infamous tyrant Collot
d’Herbois therefore conducted the pri¬
soners, by 60 at a time, under the
escort of soldiers, to a field beside
the granary of La Part Dieu. Here,
with their hands bound behind their
backs, they were fastened by ropes to
a cable attached to a row of willows;
and at the end of the line two cannons,
loaded with grape-shot, were so placed
as to enfilade the whole. At the first
discharge few fell dead; a second and
third, directed against the poor
wretches, mutilated, wounded, and
deprived of their limbs a great num¬
ber, but left the greater part still alive,
rending the air with their agonizing
shrieks, so that the soldiers were
obliged to finish the work with their
swords or the butt end of their mus¬
kets. So laborious was the task, and
so imperfectly performed, that some
were found breathing 12 hrs. after,
when their bodies were covered with
quicklime, and thrown into a hole for
burial. These heart-sickening massa¬
cres were repeated, by the aid of grape-
shot or musketry fired by platoons of
soldiers, until the number of victims
amounted to 2100. Collot d’Herbois
and Fouche looked on while these
deeds were done; and the former, when
informed, on one occasion, that a band
of prisoners about to be led forth
to death exceeded by two the mini -
ber condemned for execution, replied,
“Qu’importe ! s’ilspassent aujourd’hui,
ils ne passeront pas demain.”

The miscreant Collot d’Herbois, ex¬
ulting in his atrocities, forwarded from
time to time to Paris reports of his
proceedings to the Convention, from
which these are extracts. He says of
himself and colleague, “ The sword of
the law is falling on the conspirators at
the rate of 30 at a time; that they
have already despatched 200, and they

Cent. France. 7?. 108. — Lyons — Bridges—Fortifications . 377

were occupied, in the most unceasing
manner, in the discharge of their func¬
tions.” 3 days after he writes, “ I
send you a second list; the number
now amounts to 300. A more grand
act of justice is preparing; 400 or 500,
with whom the prisons are filled, are
one of these days to expiate their
crimes : the stroke of powder shall
purge them from the earth by a single
discharge.” In a vault beneath the
chapel are shown about 200 skulls and
skeletons, the relics of the miserable
sufferers by this tyranny.

At the extremity of the suburb of La
Guillotiere is an ancient castle called
Chateau de la Motte, in which Henri
IV. was married to Marie de Medicis.

The Bridges. There are 7 over the
Rhone:—the Pont Morand, of wood,
opposite the Place des Terreaux, lead¬
ing to Les Brotteaux, named after its
architect, who perished by the hand
of the revolutionary assassins ; Pont
Lafayette (formerly de Charles X.), of
wood, on stone piers ; Pont de l'Hotel
Bleu, a suspension bridge; Pont de la
Guillotiere, between the Hotel Dieu and
la Cliarite, leading to the Place Belle-
cour, is of stone, 539 yards long: it is
the oldest of all the bridges, its found¬
ation being referred to Pope Innocent
IV., 1190, though no part of the pre¬
sent structure is of that age. The high
road to Savoy passes over it. A very
curious silver buckler, bearing a repre¬
sentation of the Continence of Scipio,
in relief, was found at the base of one
of its piers.

The bridges over the Saone, be¬
tween L’lle Barbe and La Mulatiere,
are 10 in number. The principal are
Pont de Tilsit, a beautiful stone bridge,
leading from the Place Bellecour
to the Archeveche ; the Pont Seguin,
a suspension bridge (destroyed 1840),
named after its engineer, opposite
the Palais de Justice ; and higher up,
the Pont du Change, an old stone bridge.

The Quartiers des Capucins, between
the Place des Terreaux and Croix-
Rousse and of St. Clair, are chiefly
inhabited by rich capitalists and manu¬
facturers. The former stretches up
the foot of the hill of Croix-Rousse,
separated from the faubourg of that

name by a line of antiquated ramparts
and bastions.

The fortifications of Lyons consist of
18 detached forts arranged in a circle
of 12 J m. around the town, crowning
the heights of St. Croix and Fourvi&res,
on the rt. bank of the Saone, and of
Croix-Rousse, above the suburb of that
name ; and the circuit is completed
round the fauxbourgs Brotteaux and
Guillotiere. They owe their origin to
the fearful insurrections of the work¬
men and others, which took place as a
consequence of the July Revolution in
1831 and 1834; and they are at least
as much designed to repress intestine
revolt as to withstand invasion from
without. A garrison of 6000 men
would suffice to defend them. The
chief work, the Fort Montessay, is so
constructed that its guns entirely com¬
mand, and could level with the dust,
the faubourg of La Croix-Rousse, the St.
Antoine of Lyons, a moral volcano
teeming with turbulence and sedition;
while a fortified barrack on the Place
des Bernardines separates it, at will,
from the rest of the city. From this
faubourg issued, in 1831 and 1834, the
armed insurgents who for several days
held possession of the town, having
expelled the military, until an army
could be assembled large enough to
put them down, which was only ef¬
fected with a loss of more than 1000
lives. Indeed, in these recent revolts
(for they were far too serious to fall
under the name of riots), this ill-starred
and ill-conditioned city experienced a
renewal of many of the horrors, the
bloodshed, and misery of the first Revo¬
lution. Many workmen were obliged
to quit the town for their share in
these disturbances, and settled in Swit¬
zerland. Even under a Republican
government Lyons requires a perma¬
nent army of 30,000 to enforce order
—to do the work of police!

The Croix-Rousse is principally in¬
habited by silk-weavers, who live in
densely crowded narrow streets, where
12 to 20 families are piled one above
another in the lofty houses.

Silk is the staple manufacture of
Lyons; in the extent of it she sur¬
passes every other town of Europe.

378 Route 108.— Lyons—Silk Trade — Conveyances. Sect. V.

The manufacture of silk was first esta¬
blished in Lyons in the year 1450. In
variety of design, in taste, in elegance
of pattern, and in certain colours, the
manufactures have a superiority over
the English. “ They can work 25 per
cent, cheaper ; but the hand-loom
weavers of Lyons are nearly as ill off as
those of Spitalfields.”— Laing. There
are no huge factories here: the master,
instead of having a certain number of
workmen constantly employed in his
own premises, merely buys the raw
material, and gives it out to be manu¬
factured by the weavers, dyers, &c., at
their own houses, by themselves and
their families. The patterns are pro¬
duced by draughtsmen (generally a
partner of the master manufacturer),
and the laying or preparing of the
pattern (mise en carte) is the province
of another artiste. There are about
31,000 silk-looms in and about Lyons.
The silk-weavers are, bodily and phy¬
sically, an inferior race ; half the
young men of an age for military ser¬
vice are exempted, owing to weakness
or deformity. Of late manufactories
of cotton, hardware, &c., have been
established in Lyons; it is also the
centre of money transactions with Swit¬
zerland and Italy.

The Conseil des Prudhommes is a com¬
mercial tribunal, composed half of
masters, half of workmen, designed to
settle disputes, respecting wages and
such matters, between the two classes,
and between masters and apprentices,
in a spirit of conciliation. It is of
immense service, and exists in other
manufacturing to mis, and might, per¬
haps, be imitated with advantage in
England. Every workman is provided
with a “ livret de bonne conduite,”
in which particulars of his ability,
industry, and conduct are entered from
time to time, so that it serves as a
passport for him when in want of work,
provided it shows a good and steady
character.

The Condition des Soies is an esta¬
blishment in which the quality and
goodness of raw silks brought hither
for sale is tried, by exposing them to
heat, at a temperature of 72^° to 77°
Fahr. The weight of the silk is then

ascertained, and marked by a sworn
estimator, and fraud is thus prevented.

There are several Theatres, the chief
one behind the H. de Ville, another in
the Place des Celestins, which abounds
with cafe's.

The Post Office is in the Place Belle-
cour. The English Ch. service is per¬
formed in the Chapelle Evangelique,
No. 36, Rue de l’Arbre Sec, Sunday,
at 3 p.m.

Omnibuses traverse the town from
end to end; and cabriolets and fiacres
stand in the Places des Terreaux and
Bellecour, and on the Quai de Retz.
N.B.—Before 8 a.m. a carriage costs
6 fr. for however short a distance.

Malleposte daily to Chalons in 6 h.
thence to Paris by Rail in 10 h.; to
Strasbourg in 36 h.

Diligences daily; 4 to Clialons-sur-
Saone; to Turin by Chambery in 38
h. ; to Aix-les-Bains ; to Avignon ;
to Strasbourg, by Lons-le-Saulnier,
Besangon, Belfort, Colmar; to Cler¬
mont, by Montbrison, to Grenoble; to
Geneva in 13 h.; to Moulins and Ne-
vers Stat. on the Rly. to Orleans.

Railroad to St. Etienne. Office, Place
Bellecour, whence omnibuses go to the
terminus in the Quartier Perrache.
Trains 3 times a day. (See Rte. 118.)

Steamers on the Rhone start for
Vienne, Valence, Avignon, and Arles,
every morning at 4 or 5 a.m., from
the Quai on the Rhone (see Rte. 125) . „
—to Valence at 1 p.m. stopping there
for the night and resuming the voyage
next morning.

Steamers on the Saone for Ch&lons,
starting from the Quai (Rte. 106) every
morning, from 4 to 6 a.m.

The Environs of Lyons are Correctly
described by Gray the poet: “ The
hills around are bedropped and be-
speckled with country houses, gardens,
and plantations of rich merchants and
bourgeois.” These villas are much
more numerous than in the vicinity of
Paris.

“EHe Barbe, an island in the Saone,
above Lyons, nearly surrounded by
escarped rocks, and connected with
the banks of the river by a wire bridge,
is celebrated as having been the fre¬
quent residence of Charlemagne; and

Central, France. Route 109 .—Moulins to Clermont.

379

at the upper extremity is a species of
watch-tower, on which, according to
tradition, the emperor sat and con¬
templated his Paladins, heading his
army, as it marched along the banks of
the river. This castle seems not older
than the 15th centy.; and a chapel on
the island dates, probably, from the
12th. Many curious antique fragments
are dispersed in the island.”— F. P.

A few Historical Notices of Lyons .—
The ancient city of Lyons, the Roman
Lugdunum, founded, according to Dion
Cassius, by Munatius Plancus (b.c. 40),
occupied the heights of Fourvi&res.
Here Augustus and Severus resided.
The central fountain in the Jardins de
Plantes stands in the arena of a Roman
Amphitheatre. Here still exist traces
of the vast Aqueduct, constructed, it is
said, by the soldiers of Marc Antony,
when his legions were quartered here,
to supply the town with water from
the distant mountains of La Forez. It
may be still traced for miles, crossing
the valleys on arches, of which the
most considerable remains are at
Bionnat (6 arches), Chapponost, Char-
donniers and Oullins.

Remains of Agrippa’s 4 great roads,
which met at Lyons, radiating thence
to the Pyrenees, through the Cevennes,
to the Rhine, to the Ocean through
Picardy, and to Marseilles, may also be
traced.

The settlement of the early Chris¬
tians, and the persecutions they en¬
dured in the 2nd and 3rd centuries,
have been alluded to in p. 372.

Lyons was possessed and governed
by its archbishops, who held it by a
grant from the Emperor of Germany,
during the 12th and part of the 13tli
centy., and was not restored to the
French crown until the reign of Philippe
le Bel.

The silk manufacture was established
here in the middle of the 15th centy.
by Italian refugees, and was nearly
ruined by the revocation of the Edict
of Nantes, which dispersed most of its
best workmen to Spitalfields, Amster¬
dam, Crefeld, &c.

The events which occurred at Lyons
during the first Revolution have been
detailed at p. 375.

In 1815 Lyons threw open its gates
to Napoleon on his return from Elba;
the troops intended to defend it having
at once deserted the standard of the
Bourbons, to gather round the tri¬
color, in spite of the exertions of the
Comte cV Artois and Marshal Macdonald
to keep them to their duty.

ROUTE 109.

MOULINS TO CLERMONT AND LE PUY.

VOLCANOES OF AUVERGNE.

To Clermont 95 kilom. = 59 Eng.
m. Malleposte in 6 hrs. daily to Cler¬
mont, and in 36 to Montpellier.

Clermont to Le Puy, 122 kilom. =
75 Eng. m. Diligences daily.

Moulins is described in Rte. 105.
This road contrasts agreeably with the
monotonous dulness of that from Paris
to Lyons, and is interesting from the
natural beauties and rich cultivation of
the country which it traverses ; but,
more than all, for the phenomena of
the extinct volcanic mountains of Au¬
vergne, through the midst of which it
passes. It proceeds nearly due S. from
Moulins, up the valley-plain of the
Allier, the chief tributary of the
Loire, first crossing by a bridge to its
1. bank. The upper part of this valley
above Aigueperse was anciently called
La Limagne, and is believed to have
been once a lake basin, in which were
deposited the fresh-water marls, sands,
&c., which now contribute so much to
its fertility.

12 Chatel Neuve, or de Neuvre.
The mountains of Forez, which divide
the waters of the Allier from those of
the Loire, are seen on the E.

12 St. Pourgain [Inn; Poste), a town
of 4000 Inhab., on the Sioule. An Ecce
Homo, carved in the stone, in the
church here, is praised.

The road, leaving the Allier on the
1. at St. Pourgain, ascends the vale of
the Sioule. It is a flat and uninterest¬
ing stage to

16 Mayet d’Ecole.

8 Gannat. There is a road hence to
the Baths of Vichy (Rte. 105). Our
route is shaded by luxuriant walnut
avenues.

380

Route 109 .—Moulins to Clermont — Riom. Seel. V.

The hill rising on the 1. of the road,
about 1 m. N.E. of Aigueperse, is
called La Butte de Montpensier, and is
composed of yellow mai'ly limestones.
There is a fine view from its top. Be¬
tween it and the road is a hole which
exhales carbonic acid nearly pure, so
that small animals which come to drink
from the pool of water which often
collects at the bottom are apt to be
suffocated. The common people, attri¬
buting this to the water, called it La
Fontaine empoisonne'e.

9 Aigueperse (Lnn: Poste ; comfort¬
able) is the first town in the Dept.
Puy de Dome, and is celebrated as the
native place of the Chancellor d’Agues-
seau, born at the Chateau de la Roche :
his statue may be seen in the Hotel
de Vi lie. Its name is derived from
“ acqua sparsa,” from the streams
around it. The choir of the principal
church, attached to an ugly modern
nave, deserves notice as a pure speci¬
men of the Gothic of the 13th centy. ;
its lofty roof is sustained by long
graceful columns. Here is a painting
of the Nativity, attributed to Ghirlan¬
daio, in a stiff style (the figures said to
be portraits of princes and lords of the
Bourbonnais), and a St. Sebastian (?),
locked up. There is also a Sainte
Ghapelle here, founded, 1475, by Louis,
Dauphin d’Auvergne, inferior to one
at Riom.

The Abbe Delille, author of ( Les
Jardins,’ was born here 1738.

“ O champs de la Limagne, u fortune sejour,

J’ai revu les beaux lieux qui m'ont donne
le jour.”

The hill of Chaptuzat, on the rt. of
the road, is quarried for building-
stone ; the rock is an oolite. Above
it, and on many other eminences
throughout the Limagne, beds of a
tertiary limestone occur, entirely
formed of the cases’ of insects resem¬
bling the caddis-worm, or May-fly, in-
crusted by carbonate of lime, and
formed into a hard travertine, called
“ calcaire h friganes,” or indusial lime¬
stone. The cases, or tubes, are coated
over with shells of Paludina, often to
the number of 100 around one tube,
and 10 or 12 tubes are packed within
the space of a cubic inch. These

insects must have inhabited the lake
which once covered the valley of the
Limagne.

Near Riom the country becomes in¬
teresting, and exhibits the character¬
istic features of the scenery of Au¬
vergne,—a rich vegetation and beautiful
verdure, produced by the abundant
irrigation ; a varied outline of country,
with towns, castles, and villages
perched on the tops of eminences com¬
manding the Limagne.

16 Riom (Lnns: Colonne ; H. du
Palais ; Ecu de France) is a town of
12,500 Inhab., the second in the D^pt.
Puy de Dome, in a cheerful situation,
but built of dark lava from the quar¬
ries of Volvic, and paved with volcanic
stones. It is encircled by boulevards
planted with trees, in one part widen¬
ing out into a platform called Pre-
Madame, where a monument of granite
has been raised to the memory of Ge¬
neral Desaix. It is a perfect treasury
of domestic architecture, chiefly of the
Renaissance period.

The Sainte Chapelle, attached to the
Palais de Justice, is, like that of Paris,
a light and lofty lantern of stone, built
1382, the piers which support the roof
forming the separations between the
windows. It has, however, suffered
material injury from being divided
horizontally, by a floor, into 2 stories :
the lower one is converted into a law
court (Cour Royale), and is stripped
of its painted glass in order to throw
a light upon the proceedings ; the
upper one, turned into a record office,
is filled with old musty deeds, so that
its really beautiful stained windows
can scarcely be seen.

St. Amahle is a curious church, which
will interest the architect and anti¬
quary. The date of the nave, the
oldest part, seems uncertain. The
lower arches are pointed, and rest on
piers, having engaged pillars on 3 sides,
but plain on the inner face; above
them runs a gallery of circular arches
roofed with a demi-vault, which serves
the purpose of a range of flying but¬
tresses to support the roof of the cen¬
tral aisle. The little sculpture em¬
ployed is very rude. The choir is in
the Gothic style of the 13th centy.,

Auvergne. Route 109 .—Moulins to Clermont — Clermont. 381

tlie arches alternately pinched up and
expanding. The W. front and cupola
above the cross are tasteless additions
of the 17th centy.

About a mile from Riom, on the
W., is the village of Mosac or Mosat,
whose church has been attributed to
Pepin ; but the only part which can
be referred to the 8th or 9th centuries
is the W. porch, now walled up. The
nave, in the Romanesque style, seems
to belong to the early part of the 12tli
centy., and is remarkable for the beau¬
tifully executed capitals of its columns :
the only windows are in the aisle. The
choir and rest of the church are of the
15th centy., and uninteresting. In
the sacristy is preserved a silver-gilt
shrine, in the shape of a sarcophagus,
ornamented with enamels in the Ro¬
manesque style, made in the middle of
the 10th centy. It contained the relics
of Saints Calmidius and Numadia.

At Volvic, a few miles farther to the
YV. of Riom, are the vast quarries of
lava which have furnished the stones
for building that town and Clermont.
The lava current in which they are ex¬
cavated has issued out of the extinct
crater called Puy de la Nugere. They
are partly subterranean, partly open
to the sky ; they have been worked
since the 13th centy., and give em¬
ployment to the whole neighbouring
population. The stone is porous, re¬
sembling trachyte, and contains specu¬
lar iron in its cells ; it is easily worked,
and the bed furnishes blocks 20 ft. by
6 ft. in size. When first extracted, it
is of a grey or slate colour, but darkens
by exposure to the air ; it is used for
rude works of sculpture. The church
of Volvic is ancient.

Volvic is built at the foot of the vol¬
canic cone called Puy de la Banniere,
on the lava current which has flowed
from it, and appears to have crossed and
covered that from Puy de la Nugere.

On an eminence near Volvic stands
the very romantic ruined Castle of
Tournoelle, in ancient times one of the
strongest in Auvergne, so that it re¬
sisted long and stoutly a besieging
army under Guy Dampierre and Re-
nauld de Forez, Archbishop of Lyons,
in 1213, and again 1590, when it was

defended against the forces of the
League by Charles d’Apchon. The
remains are accessible by a steep path,
and part of them are tolerably perfect :
the oubliettes, or dungeon, entered
only by a small hole from above, still
exist under the round tower.

There is a footpath or horse-road
direct from Volvic to Clermont.

About a mile before entering Cler¬
mont, the suburb of Montferrand, a
cluster of narrow streets conspicuously
seated on a limestone eminence,
crowned by an old church dedicated to
Notre Dame de Prosperity, is passed.
It was anciently an independent town
and fortress, and was called Montfer¬
rand le Fort. It was surprised and
pillaged by the English, under Perrot
the Bearnais, 1388. Froissart, in his
Chronicles, recounts at length the
story of its capture.

An avenue of trees, nearly a mile
long, leads into

15 Clermont, or Clermont-Ferrand.
—Inns : H. de l’Ecu ; very good. H.
de l’Europe. H. de la Paix (Boyer’s) ;
good, and tolerably clean.

Clermont, once capital of Lower
Auvergne, now of the Dept, du Puy
de Dome, is a cheerful town, which, in
consequence of recent improvements,
has lost the gloomy character which
once distinguished it, its houses, built
of dull grey lava, being now white¬
washed. Its principal interest is de¬
rived from its situation on a hill, com¬
posed chiefly of volcanic tuff, in the
fertile Limagne, in the midst of a
mountainous country, at the foot of
that extraordinary range of extinct
volcanoes which rear their conic or
crater - shaped forms around, sur¬
mounted by the mountain of the Puy
(i. e. Pic) de Dome, whence the depart¬
ment is named, which, though appa¬
rently overhanging Clermont, is nearly
5 m. distant. The population amounts
to 32,427, including the suburbs.

On the outskirts of the town, nearly
all round its circuit, except on the
N.W., runs a line of boulevards, or
“places,” the chief of which are the
Place de Jaude, a wide oblong dusty
space on which fairs are held, sur¬
rounded by houses ; the Place de Tau-

382 Route 109.— Clermont—Notre Dame du Port. Sect. V.

reau, on which a monument has been
raised to Gen. D^saix, a native of Cler¬
mont ; and the Place Delille, by which
the Paris road enters the town, named
after the poet, w r ho was also an Au-
vergnat.

Clermont is destitute of fine public
buildings : the principal edifice is the
Cathedral, externally an irregular pile
of dark lugubrious hue, from the black
lava of Yolvic, of which it is built.
It suffered serious injury from the
frenzy of the Revolution, being
stripped of its ornaments and monu¬
ments, and condemned by the mob to
be levelled with the ground, but w r as
saved by the exertions of a citizen and
magistrate, M. Verdier Latour, under
the pretext that it would be useful to
hold popular meetings in. It is, not¬
withstanding, an interesting example
of the mature pointed Gothic, begun
1248, and carried on till 1265, by the
architect Jean Deschamps (J. de
Campis), but never completed. The
interior, therefore, is all of a piece,
presenting one harmonious w T hole, re¬
markable for its lightness and lofti¬
ness, the vaulted roof (of tufa) being
more than 100 ft. above the pavement.
There are fine rose windows in the
transepts. The painted glass is very
beautiful; that in the choir is of the
age of St. Louis (13th cent.), and dis¬
plays his arms quartered with those of
Spain: the glass in the large window
of the nave is of the 15th and 16th
cents., and inferior ; it has, besides,
suffered from a hailstorm in 1835.

In one of the side chapels of the
choir is an ancient sarcophagus of white
marble, adorned with sculptures well
executed.

The N. portal suffered least at the
Revolution, is very richly adorned with
sculptures, and deserves notice.

From the top of the tower the
stranger may survey to advantage the
town, and the volcanic mountains, the
valley of the Limagne, and the plateau
of Gergovia, the scene of Caesar’s dis¬
comfiture. (See p. 387.)

The most ancient and interesting
church, in an architectural point of
view, is Notre Dame du Port, a Roman¬
esque edifice of the 10th or 11th centy.,

judging from the evidence of style, but
said to date from 870, and perhaps
portions of the very curious crypt may
be of that age. It is encrusted exter¬
nally with rude mosaics. The tower
above the W. door is modern (1823),
but in tolerable taste: the S. doorway
is surmounted by curious bas-reliefs,
much mutilated, and partly hidden
behind woodwork; yet Christ between
two six-winged cherubims, and the
Adoration of the Magi, and the Baptism
of Christ, may be distinguished below r .
The interior possesses some modern
painted glass by a native artist, M.
Thevenot; and in the crypt is a black
image of the Virgin, said to have been
found at the bottom of the well, which
is supposed to work miracles, and is
resorted to by pilgrims on the 15th
May.

In the N.E. corner of the town, not
far from the last-named church, is the
Place Delille, in the midst of which
has been placed a fountain of elegant
design in the style of the Renaissance,
with some mixture of Gothic, executed
1515, for the Bishop Jacques d’Am-
boise. In the same quarter, on the
1. of the road to Montferrand, is the
Cimetiere de la Ville, in whose chapel a
curious antique sarcophagus, richly
sculptured, has been converted into an
altar.

In the Faubourg St. Alyre, to the
N.W. of Clermont, and at the foot of
the eminence on which it is built, rises
a remarkable calcareous spring, called
Fontaine petrifiante, issuing out of a
volcanic peperino resting upon granite.
It resembles that of Matlock, except
that its deposits are more copious and
quickly formed, from the larger quan¬
tity of calcareous matter suspended by
the carbonic acid with which it is im¬
pregnated. It has deposited in the
course of ages a mass of travertine or
limestone, 240 ft. long, 16 ft. high, and
12 ft. wide at its termination. It has
formed over the rivulet a sort of na¬
tural bridge, Pont de Pierre, which is
in fact nothing more than a huge sta¬
lactite, while a second bridge is in pro¬
gress, and gradually increasing. So
abundant is the quantity of lime held
in solution in the water, that the pipes

Auvergne, li. 109.— Musee — Clermont—Pay de Pome.

383

and troughs through which it passes
would be chocked up with stone, were
they not cleared out every 2 or 3
months. By breaking the fall of a jet
of the water, and allowing its spray to
descend upon any article subjected to
it, such as bunches of grapes, baskets,
nests, eggs, hedgehogs, &c., they be¬
come encrusted with the calcareous
sediment, or petrified, as it is vulgarly
called ; and in this way even very
fine casts are obtained from medals,
&c.

The fountain and bridge are situated
in a garden, within which is a bathing-
house supplied from its waters.

The Musee, or Etablissement Scien-
tifique, a building situated on the S.
side of the town within the ill-kept but
beautifully - situated botanic garden,
contains—1. A collection of Natural
History , particularly rich in the mineral
products of Auvergne, which may be
studied with advantage by the geo¬
logical traveller previous to travelling
through the country, as the specimens
are arranged topographically. 2. The
Public Library of 15,000 vols., includ¬
ing some curious ancient MSS., and a
folio bible of the 12th centy., illumi¬
nated with vignettes.

Here is a statue of Blaize Pascal
(b. 1623), and a bust of Delille, both
Auvergnats.

In a corner of the Jardin Botanique,
a number of antiquities, inscriptions,
fragments of columns, &c., and a head
in relief of the Gallic Mercury (?), dug
up in the vicinity, have been deposited
here, but are very little cared for,
being exposed to the w T eather in the
open air.

The terraced walks called Place du
Taureau and Place de la Poterne com¬
mand fine views of the surrounding
mountains.

Clermont has been the seat of several
ecclesiastical Councils: the most re¬
markable was that held in 1095, which
may be said to have lighted the spark
of the crusades in Europe, the train
having been laid by Peter the Hermit.
It was convoked by Pope Urban II.,
who presided in person over the vast
assembly at the head of his cardinals,
of 13 archbishops, and 205 bishops.

The place of meeting is supposed to
have been an open space to the rear of
the church of Notre Dame du Port.
Here, from a throne raised in the
midst, around which were grouped the
tents of tens of thousands of enthu¬
siastic hearers, the pope pronounced
that eloquent discourse which melted
all to tears, and was followed by the
universal shout of “ Diex le volt ” (Dieu
le veut); when the cloaks of red cloth
worn by the noble bystanders were
torn into shreds, to form the badge of
the cross, then first adopted and laid
on the breast of all who took the vow.

Clermont is supposed to be the au-
cient Augustonemetum.

Conveyances.—Mallepostes to Moulins;
to Montpellier, by St. Flour, St. Chely,
Marvejols, and Locleve, in 56 to 60
hrs.

Diligences daily to Paris, by Moulins;
to Lyons; to Le Puy and St. Etienne;
to Montpellier, to Aurillac, to Alby
and Toulouse, to Tulle, Limoges, and
Bordeaux to Bo urges.

t Several persons in the town let for
hire, at a moderate rate, small car¬
riages and saddle - horses, by aid of
which numerous interesting excursions
may be made in the

Environs, the beauties of which can
be reached only by passing over a
dreary intervening space of dusty road
between high walls. It is not there¬
fore advisable to make these excur¬
sions on foot.

The ascent of the Puy de Dome, the
highest mountain in the neighbour¬
hood, 4846 ft. above the sea-level, is
very interesting on account of the in¬
sight it affords into the geological phe¬
nomena of the district. It may be
performed in the following manner:—
You may hire a char-h-banc at Cler¬
mont for 8 or 10 fr. to go and return.
No carriage can advance farther than
to the foot of the cone, the rest of the
ascent must be performed on foot; it is
practicable on horseback if the beast be
sure of foot: the distance is about 6 m.
A steep, but well - engineered road,
commencing at the barrier, passing at
first over black basalt, and afterwards
over the more modern lava, scoriae,
and calcined stones, which have issued

384

Route 109 .—Puy de Pome—Puy de Pariou. Sect. V.

from the Puy de Pariou, leads, in
about l:j hr., to the hamlet and cabaret
of la Barraque, where the road divides,
the 1.-hand branch leading to the Puy de
Dome and Mont Dore, the rt.-hand to
the Puy de Pariou and PontGibaud, and
passing on the 1. the ruined Castle of
Montrodeix. A guide may be hired at
la Barraque, and the carriage may pro¬
ceed nearly to the base of the Dome,
beyond which is a very steep ascent,
partly over coarse grass, mixed with
bilberry bushes, partly over the bare
crumbling rock of which the mountain
is composed; a variety of trachyte,
called Domite by the French geologists,
because peculiar to this locality. It is
so porous, that it retains no water on
its surface, and the mountain in con¬
sequence does not possess a single
spring. The summit is most easily
accessible from the S., where a sort of
zigzag path has been carried up its
side. The Puy (pic) de Dome rises to
a height of 1600 ft. above the table¬
land around; it is the largest in mass
and the most central of the group of
volcanoes of Clermont. Viewed from
the W. only has it the form of a dome,
but its name is said to come from
dumum, the thicket which once co¬
vered its sides. From the top the eye
surveys the singular range of igneous
mountains, craters, domes, lava cur¬
rents (called cheircs in the dialect of
the country), and heaps of scoriae, the
produce of volcanoes, which, though
extinct within the period of all human
tradition, were once as active as HStna
or Vesuvius, and converted the sur¬
rounding district into the Phlegrgean
Fields of France. In many instances
the vast lava currents, flowing across
the country for miles, may be traced
up to the funnel-shaped craters which
poured them forth. The fertile Limagne
lies expanded to view, traversed by the
winding Allier. On the S.W. rises
the rival group of volcanoes of the
Monts Dore; the remainder of the
panorama is somewhat uninteresting
over a monotonous country. The range
of hills of the Monts Dome rises from
a granitic platform, and stretches “18
m. in length by 2 in breadth. They
are usually truncated at the summit,

where the crater is often preserved en¬
tire, the lava having issued from the
base of the hill; but frequently the
crater is broken down on one side,
where the lava has flowed out. Had
these cones of loose sand and ashes
been in existence previous to the De¬
luge, they must have been swept away,
or greatly altered, by the power of a
current of water. Had these volcanoes,
again, been in activity in the time of
Cassar, he would scarcely have failed to
observe them when encamped on the
neighbouring plateau of Gergovia (p.
387), or to have mentioned them in his
Commentaries.”—Ayer’s Geology. See
Scrope and Daubeny on Volcanoes.

The experiments instituted by the
philosopher B. Pascal, to determine
the weight or pressure of the atmos¬
phere, were made on the Puy de Dome,
within view of his native town.

A chapel, dedicated to St. Barnabe,
formei'ly stood on the summit; and
the blocks of basalt, brought from a
distance to build it, still strew the
mountain side.

In descending from the summit,
every one should visit the crater called
the Hen’s Nest, Nid de la Poule, at the
base of the Petit Puy de Dome, a re¬
gular bowl-shaped hollow, 294 ft. deep,
and nearly the same in diameter.

Still farther to the N., the Puy de
Pariou deserves to be ascended, be¬
cause it is one of the most beautifully
regular and perfect volcanic cones and
craters existing in Auvergne. The
sides of this bowl-shaped hollow are
composed of scoriae and pozzolana,
thrown up so regularly from below,
that they taper upwards into a narrow
ridge so little degraded by time or by
the weather, that in many places it is
barely wide enough for one person to
walk along it. The crater is 300 ft.
deep, and 3000 in circumference, mea¬
sured along the brim of the bowl. It
has the figure of an inverted cone. “It
is clothed to the bottom with grass;
and it is a somewhat singular spectacle
to see a herd of cattle quietly grazing
above the orifice whence such furious
explosions once broke forth. Their
foot-tracks, round the shelving side of
the basin, in steps rising one above the

Auvergne. Route 109. — Volcanoes of Auvergne.

385

other, like the seats of an amphi¬
theatre, make the excessive regularity
of its circular basin more remarkable.”
—Sc rope.

The lava from this crater flowed
down in one undivided stream, brist¬
ling and rugged on its surface, like that
of a river blocked up by floating masses
of ice. After descending as far as la
Barraque it encountered a small knoll
of granite. The lava has accumulated
against this impediment into a long
and elevated ridge, * ‘ which still bears
the appearance of a huge wave about to
break over the seemingly insignificant
obstacle; but an easier issue offered
itself in two lateral valleys.” The
rt.-hand branch “ entered the valley of
Villar, a steep and sinuous gorge,
which it threaded, exactly in the man¬
ner of a watery torrent, turning all the
projecting rocks, dashing in cascades
through the narrowest parts, and widen¬
ing its current where the space per¬
mitted, till, on reaching the Limagne,
it stopped at a spot called Fontmore,
where its termination constitutes a
rock, 50 ft. high, still quarried for
building stone. From the base of this
rock gushes a plentiful spring, the
waters of which still find their way
from Villar, beneath the lava, which
usurped their ancient channel.”—■
Scrope.

The left-hand branch “ plunged
down a steep bank into the valley of
Gresinier, replacing the rivulet which
flowed there with a black and shagged
torrent of lava ; entered the limits of
the Limagne at the village of Durtol;
and, following the course of the
stream, did not stop till it reached
the site of the village of Nohanent.
Here, as at Fontmore, an abundant
spring busts forth from the extremity
of the lava current. The springs of
the valley of Durtol find a passage
beneath the lava concealed among the
scoriae, which always form the lowest
part of a bed of lava, and flow on
in these subterranean channels till
they burst forth at the limits of the
lava, in the same manner that the
Arveiron and other Swiss rivers issue
from beneath, under the termination
of a glacier. Above Nohanent, con-

France.

sequently, is seen the anomaly of a
valley without any visible stream ;
and the inhabitants of Durtol are con¬
demned in seasons of drought to the
strange necessity of seeking at No¬
hanent, a distance of 2 m., the water
which flows below their own houses.
A similar phenomenon is common
throughout Auvergne, wherever a cur¬
rent of recent lava has occupied the
bed of a mountain rivulet not suffi¬
ciently copious or violent to under¬
mine the lava above, or open a new
side channel through its former bank.”
— P. Scrope.

“A little to the N.W. of the Puy
de Pariou is the Pay de Cliersou, whose
‘ figure is most precisely that of a
bell,’ and which is curious from the
numerous perforations made in it for
the purpose of obtaining trachyte for
sarcophagi.”— T. J. T.

Instead of returning from the Puy
de Dome by la Barraque and the high
road, you may strike down into the
Val de Fontanat to Boy at, a poor and
filthily dirty village, 2 m. from Cler¬
mont, which has twice been nearly
swept away by inundations of the tor¬
rent which flows past it. It is built
on one of the branches of the lava-
current which has issued from the
Puy de Gravenoire. The torrent,
flowing through the valley, has cut
through the bed of basaltic lava to a
depth of 65 feet, exposing, at the bot¬
tom, a sort of grotto, out of which
gush numerous copious springs, some
of which, conducted in an aqueduct to
Clermont, supply the town with fresh
water. There are many other sources
higher up the valley, issuing out at
intervals from the rocky sides. The
Roman Baths, rediscovered by the cure,
are said to be as efficacious as those of
Mont Dore, but lack notoriety. When
the workmen first cleared them out,
the waters rushed in so fast as neai'ly
to drown and parboil them. The
scenery of the vale of Royat is over¬
praised by the French ; but a fine
view is gained of the Puy de Dome
from some part of it, and the lava-
current, one stratum of which is filled
with burnt corn as thick as plums in
a pudding, is highly curious. The

386

j Route 109.— Auvergne — Pontgibaud.

Sect. V.

church is remarkable for its antiquity
(anterior to the lltli centy.) ; it has a
crypt supported by low columns, and
a spring rises in the midst of it. In
front of the church is a curious cross.

The Puy dc Gravenoire is composed
of scoriae and pozzolana ; the latter is
used in the country to make mortar,
and is commonly called “ gravier
noir,” whence the name of this hill.

“ The conical basaltic summit of
the Puy de Girou, 3 or 4 m. to the

S. of Clermont, is an excellent point
for obtaining an extensive view over a
considerable portion of Auvergne.”—

T. J. T.

At Pontgibaud, 13 m. from Cler¬
mont, on the road to Limoges, may
be seen a feudal castle of the 14th
centy., which once belonged to the
family Lafayette, and was visited by
Montaigne ; and the smelting-houses,
where the argentiferous lead from
mines in this neighbourhood is refined
and separated. The village and castle
stand on a lava-current, which has
issued from the base of the very
perfect and regularly-conical crater
called Puy de Come. The course of
this current deserves observation : de¬
scending the granite slope, it has
covered the ground on which Pontgi¬
baud now stands ; then, pouring in a
broad sheet down a steep granite hill
into the valley of the Sioule, it has
usurped the ancient bed of that river
for more than a mile, and, crossing the
moi’e ancient stream of Louchadiere,
near Pichadoire, terminates there.
The river has, in consequence, worked
out for itself a fresh bed between the
lava and the granite of its W. bank,
and in one place has laid bare a sin¬
gular basaltic colonnade, formed of
jointed pillars, partly vertical, partly
twisted. “ In the ravine between the
smelting-house and the castle is a
small isolated knob of granite which
separates the two great lava currents
of Louchadiere and Come. The former
continues a short way down the rt.
bank of the river, and then crosses it.”
— T. J. T.

At some little distance to the 1ST. W.
of Pontgibaud are the ruins of the
Chartreuse de Porte Sainte Marie , while

in an opposite direction, a little to the

S. , near the margin of the lava current
from the Puy de Come, is the Fon¬
taine d’Oule, a grotto whence issues a
streamlet which is partly frozen in the
hottest weather of summer, but in
winter preserves a temperature con¬
siderably higher than that of the outer
air. “ Sevex-al of the more interesting
Puys ai'e easily accessible fx’om the
road between Clermont and Pontgi¬
baud ; and of these two may be parti¬
cularly specified, viz. the Puy du Grand
Sarcouy, 3799 ft. above the sea-level,
composed of domite, of a sticking,
flattened hemispherical form, and hav¬
ing on its S.E. side a large artificial
excavation, about 70 ft. long, 30 wide,
and 35 high, from which the trachyte
was quarried in ancient times for
sarcophagi ; and the conical Pay de
Chopine, 3910 ft. above the sea, of a
singularly complicated and confused
geological structure, and composed
chiefly of domite, granite, and basalt :
the view from it is very fine.”—

T. J. T.

The Puy de Louchadiere may be
visited from Pontgibaud by the cross¬
road leading to Volvic.

The excursion to the volcanoes and
baths of Mont Lore is described in Itte.
110 .

The Pay de la Poix, about 3 m.
from Clermont on the Lyons road, is
mentioned in Rte. 112.

The Limagne, or valley of the
Allier, is far more interesting above
Clermont, on the way to Le Puy, than
below it. Hei’e it is truly a luxuriant
garden, teeming with the most vai'ied
pi’oductions.

Soon after quitting Clermont, by the
road to Issoire, we skii't a lava current
from the mountain Gravenoire, called
Plateau de Beaumont, a very charac¬
teristic specimen of a lava stream,
which, although partly covered with
vines, exhibits, even to the unscientific
eye, in a manner not to be mistaken,
compact and porous lava, ashes
(scoriae), and volcanic dust (pozzo¬
lana). Beyond l'ises the singular peak
of Montrognon, a basaltic dyke bursting
through fresh-water sti’ata, crowned
by an old castle, built by the 1st Dau-

Auvergne. Route 109.— Clermont to Le Puy — Gergovia. 387

phin of Auvergne (not by Csesar), and
demolished, like so many other feudal
fortresses, by the Card. Richelieu. The
basaltic prisms on which it is founded
are the most regular which occur in
this district. Our road next passes,
within a short distance on the rt., the
Hill of Gergovia (4| m. from Cler¬
mont), memorable as the site of the
chief city of the Artemi (whence Au¬
vergne), so nobly defended by the
Cauls and their chief Vercingetorix
against Caesar, who was more seriously
worsted here than in any other of his
numerous campaigns, having run great
risk of being made prisoner, and
having left his sword in the enemy’s
hands. The hill of Gergovia is as
interesting for its geology as for its
history : it is a table-land, composed
of a base of fresh-water marls, capped
by a sheet of basalt, surrounded by
steep escarpments, absolutely inacces¬
sible on the N. and W., while on the S.
and E. it presents a slope in the form
of steps, occasioned by the horizontal
strata of rock composing it. At the
base of the eminence flows a small
stream, the Auzun, whence the Gaul¬
ish garrison are supposed to have
drawn water, there being no springs
upon the plateau itself; and one of
Csesar’s first objects was to cut them
off* from this supply. The hill called
La Roche Blanche, surmounted by a
tower of the middle ages, though
called Tour de Cesar, is ’conjectured to
be the Gaulish post seized by two
Roman Legions in order to effect that
object. Caesar’s camp is supposed to
have been formed T on a detached and
lower eminence, called Le Crest. The
only traces of human habitation on
the top of the table-land of Gergovia
are some scanty foundations of walls,
some Roman coins, and Gaulish axes of
flint, found from time to time, and
a rampart or agger of loose stones,
which may be traced near the margin
of the plateau. In the ravine above
the village of Merdogne a section of
the strata composing the hill is ex¬
hibited, consisting of beds of white
and greenish marls, nearly 300 ft.
thick, intersected by a basaltic dyke,
which has greatly altered the marl in

contact with it. In the flanks of this
hill also are found extensive deposits
of the limestone formed of the cases of
insects mentioned before.

The road to Le Puy, unlike the mo¬
notonous chaussees of most other parts
of France, winds and undulates be¬
tween and over varied heights, some¬
times crossing a lava current or basal¬
tic dyke, and is generally shaded from
the sun by luxuriant walnut-trees.
Scarcely an eminence but possesses
some interest, either from its volcanic
origin, or from its picturesquely-placed
castle in ruins, or village, which, in
this district, is almost invariably
perched on the hill-top. The country
is very populous as well as fertile, and
intersected by numerous roads.

“The Puy de Marman, a little to
the N. of Vayre, is celebrated among
mineralogists for the beautiful crys¬
tallized specimens of mezotype con¬
tained in the volcanic tuff and basalt
of which it is composed. In the same
neighbourhood interesting fragments
of charred wood, whose bark has been
converted into mezotype, are met with
in the tufa of the Puy de la Pignette,
situated a little to the N. of Mouton.”
— T. J. T.

After passing the populous village
Yayre, we reach, by a steep descent,
the post-station

24 Coudes, situated on the bank of
the Allier. The castle of Montpey-
roux, on an adjoining eminence, now
reduced to a round tower, and some
fragments of walls, belonged to Philip
Augustus. “Near Coudes a variety
of sandstone, termed Arkose, is quar¬
ried for millstones. Between Coudes
and Montpeyroux veins of fibrous
arragonite occur in travertine, and
farther down the river Allier at Co¬
rent there are gypsum quarries which
afford fine specimens of fibrous gyp¬
sum.”— T.J. T. From Coudes through
a lovely country, which keeps the at¬
tention constantly alive.

In the ravine des Etouaires, near
the village of Perrier, an interesting
geological section is presented. Here
fossil remains of extinct quadrupeds,
mastodon, tapir, rhinoceros, elephant,
&c., have been found in alluvial beds,

s 2

388

Route 109.— Issoire—La Chaise Dieu .

Sect. V.

covered by volcanic breccias, and al¬
ternating with them. Near Vayre
and at Perrier the rock has been exca¬
vated to form cave-dwellings ; above
Perrier rises the tower of Maurifolet.

A view of the Monts Dores rising
on the W. may be obtained near

11 Issoire {Inn: Chez Roussard,
Poste), an ancient town of 5990 Inhab.,
situated on the Couze, a short way
above its exit into the Allier. The
ch. of St. Paul will interest the archi¬
tect and antiquary, as a characteristic
specimen of Auvergnat architecture,
as it prevailed in the 10th and 11th
centuries. It is in the Romanesque
style, ending in 5 apses at the E.,
surmounted at the cross by a tower,
the upper part of which, and also the
W. front, are modern. The exterior
of the wall at the E. end is singularly
decorated with rude mosaics, and with
12 medallions, representing the signs
of the zodiac, let into the wall under
the cornice. Under the window of
the N. transept are 2 bas-reliefs, re¬
presenting the Angel appearing to
Abraham, and the Sacrifice of Isaac.
In the interior the arches are semi¬
circular, the side aisles and transepts
being covered with a stone roof, form¬
ing the quarter of a circle, and thus
serving as a buttress to support the
tower and central walls of the nave.
There is an extensive crypt under the
choir.

The chancellor Du prat was born
here. The chief manufacture is that
of copper kettles.

After passing through St. Germain
Lembron, and leaving a little on the
1. the coal-mines and steam-engines
of St* Florine beyond the Allier, we
quit the volcanic country, and the
Dept, du Puy de Dome, to enter that
of la Haute Loire, shortly before
reaching

20 Lempde {Inn: Poste), situated
on the rt. bank of the Alagnon. Here
the road to St. Flour, Montpellier,
and Aurillac (Rte. 114) branches off.
It is the line of a malleposte.

15 Brioude. —Inn: H. du Com¬
merce. The very fine Romanesque
ch. of St. Julien is curious for its
semicircular E. end, with chequered

patterns in a coarse mosaic of parti¬
coloured stones on the outer walls,
and round its 5 projecting apsidal
chapels, of elegant design. The in-
terior is lofty; the arches of the choir
are pointed, and the capitals of the
columns adorned with foliage: the
arches of the nave are round, and the
capitals of the columns supporting
them are partly very grotesque, partly
display a nearly pure classic character.
At the W. end, which is almost bare
externally, is a sort of inner vestibule,
or narthex, supporting, on low arches,
3 chambers, one of which, the chapel
of St. Michel, is decorated with curious
antique frescoes of the 13th centy.
The canons of the church of St. Julien
the Martyr anciently bore the title of
counts.

[The very curious Ch. of La Chaise
Dieu is distant 18 m. from Brioude,
nearly due E. The monastery of the
Casa Dei, now ruined, and attached to
a dilapidated little village (Clieval
Blanc is the inn), is situated at a con¬
siderable elevation, on a high moun¬
tain. It was founded in the 11th
century by St. Robert, a canon of
Brioude, and became the most opulent
convent in Auvergne. Of this original
structure nothing exists, except, per¬
haps, an external gateway. The mo¬
nastic buildings were destroyed at the
Revolution. The Ch. alone remains,
and is a noble edifice in the pointed
Gothic style, begun 1343, chiefly at
the expense of Pope Clement VI., a
native of Chaise Dieu, who laid the
first stone, and is buried under a
mutilated monument , surmounted by
his effigy, wearing the triple crown.
The carved woodwork of the 156 stalls
in the choir is much admired, and de¬
servedly. On the N. wall, which
encloses the choir, are traces, now
nearly defaced, and obliterated by
moisture, of a Dance of Death, painted
in fresco, probably in the 15th centy.
Here are preserved some of the most
curious ancient tapestries remaining in
France, executed probably at the be¬
ginning of the 16th centy., woven
partly with gold thread. The tomb
of another pope, Gregory XI., and of
an abbot, in the S. choir aisle, deserve

Auvergne. Route 109.— Clermont to Le Puy — Polignac. 389

notice. Two sides of the cloisters re¬
main tolerably perfect, and are of a
good style. Contiguous to the ch.
rises a tall square donjon tower, the
only remains of the ancient fortifica¬
tions which surrounded the monastery.
It is surmounted by a bold cornice.]

2 m. beyond Brioude, on the road
to Le Puy, at the wretched village of
La Vieille Brioude, the Allier, here
running in a deep and rocky bed, is
crossed by a Bridge of a single arch
of stone, which was long celebrated as
being the widest in span of any known,
measuring 181 English ft. and 90^ ft.
in height, but now surpassed by the
stone arches of Turin and of Chester
(200 ft. span). It is a very noble
arch, and constructed of Yolvic lava.
It replaces a more ancient bridge
(b. 1451), of equal dimensions, which
fell down in 1822. Immediately be¬
yond the bridge, the road begins to
ascend, and continues over a hilly
and uninteresting country, almost con¬
stantly mounting higher, for many
leagues. A little beyond the poor
village of

21 St. George d’Aurat, the chateau
de Chavagnac is passed, at the dis¬
tance of 1^- m. on the 1. of the road:
it is remarkable as being the birth¬
place of Gen. Lafayette.

By a long, though gradual ascent,
which the diligence takes 3 hours to
surmount “ au pas,” the Montagne de
Fix, separating the valley of the Allier
from that of the Loire, is passed.
Measured at the village of Fix, this
road is 3197 ft. above the sea-level,
and one of the highest carriage-roads
in France.

18 Limandre.

We are now again upon volcanic
rocks, belonging to the basin of Le
Puy. The small river Borne, which
runs into the Loire below Le Puy, is
crossed, and the road is carried down
its valley, passing, at a distance of 4
m. from Le Puy, under the black
rock of basaltic breccia, escarped and
inaccessible on all sides but the N.,
which bears the ruined castle of Po¬
lignac, seat and cradle of that ancient
family, the branche ain^e of the name,
whence sprang the Cardinal, a diplo¬

matic servant of Louis XIY., and the
well-known minister of Charles X. It
was pulled to pieces during the fury
of the Revolution, and all the lands
sold; but the mouldering and pic¬
turesque ruins, which still bristle on
the top of the rock, were repurchased
by the family. They consist of rude
but strongly built walls, often double
and treble, with flanking towers at
intervals, surmounted by a square
donjon tower. Part of the pile of
buildings which served as dwellings
may be as old as the 12th centy.
There is little to be seen except an
enormous mask, rudely carved in gra¬
nite, of a bearded human face, with a
wide orifice for the mouth. According
to the tradition, a Temple of Apollo
occupied the summit of the rock before
the castle, and from this mouthpiece
(somewhat after the fashion of the
Bocca della Yerith at Rome) oracles
were delivered: hence some have gone
so far as to derive Polignac from
“Apollinis Arx.” (?) Sunk in the
platform of the castle is a well, called
Puit de V Oracle, from a tradition that
the oracles were delivered from it
through the mask, which is said to
have covered the well. At a depth of
20 ft. this well communicates with a
vaulted chamber, supported on circular
arches, resting on square piers, de¬
signed doubtless as a cistern, into
which rain-water was conducted by
pipes, now stopped up. About 25
paces from the well is the abyme, a
hole about 40 ft. deep and 15 wide,
cut in the rock, probably designed as
a storehouse. The ch. of Polignac, at
the foot of the castle rock, is an ancient
Romanesque edifice.

Upon a sudden turn of the road,
here bordered by basaltic columns, a
very striking view is presented of Le
Puy and its volcanic rocks; the “spiry
pinnacle” of St. Michel’s, resembling
more an artificial obelisk than a natural
eminence, and Corneille, starting up
from amidst the masses of buildings,
while on the rt. appears Espailly (p.
392).

19 Le Puy. — Inns: H. des Ambas-
sadeurs; best and good;—Palais Royal;
—H. du Commerce. Le Puy, anciently

390

Route 109 .—Le Puy — St. Michel — Cathedral. Sect. V.

capital of the Velay, and now of the
D4pt. de la Haute Loire, with 14,924
Inhab., is, at a distance, one of the
most striking, uncommon, and pic¬
turesque towns in France. Excepting
the broad modern Boulevard, through
which the high roads from Clermont
and St. Etienne pass, which stands on
level ground, the buildings and narrow
streets of the old town are carried up
a steep slope, surmounted by a tower¬
ing, table-topped mass, called Rocher
de Corneille, whose summit, vertically
escarped and mouldering in the form
of turrets, is surmounted by the ruins
of an old castle, the stronghold and
place of retreat from danger of the
former bishops. This rock is a vol¬
canic breccia, resting on a calcareous
base.

Far more remarkable, though less
lofty, is the Rocher de St. Michel, an
isolated rock of basaltic tufa, which,
from its needle shape, gives the name
de V Aiguille to the suburb in which it
stands. It rises from the margin of
the stream of the Borne to a height of
265 ft., with a thickness of 500 ft. at
its base, and 45 or 50 on its top. It
is a fragment of the vast bed of vol¬
canic rock once covering the country
around. The rocks of Corneille and
Polignac are also relics of it; and, be¬
cause harder than the rest, all three
have resisted the erosive processes of
rivers and the atmosphere, which
have scooped out into valleys the in¬
tervening portions, and washed away
the debris. Faujas de St. Fond ab¬
surdly supposes the Aiguille of St.
Michel to have been projected by a
volcanic eruption from below, and
consolidated in its actual form. The
sides of this truncated cone, or sugar-
loaf, are nearly vertical, and its top is
surmounted by a small chapel, which
just fills the platform, dedicated to
Michael, the saint who loves such airy
sites. This building, rendered acces¬
sible by a winding stair partly cut in
the rock, is in the Romanesque style,
and was constructed at the cost of a
dean of the cathedral in the 10th centy.
Its Moresque poi'tal, a circular arch
under a trefoiled arch, is ornamented
with curious sculptured mermen, bas-

reliefs, and chequered stone-work, com¬
posed of black scoriae, white sandstone,
and red tile, in the style of marque -
terie. The interior presents a low
irregular choir, supported by short
pillars with carved capitals.

From the top of the rock a good
view is obtained of the vine-clad hills
covering the slopes of the valley,
dotted over with white country-houses,
boxes, and pavilions, built in the midst
of the vines, also of the white escarp¬
ments of the tertiary strata, laid bare
here and there.

Near the foot of this rock stands
an octagonal building which has long
passed for a heathen temple of Diana,
though destitute of any pretensions
to such a title, being, in fact, a Chris¬
tian edifice in the Romanesque style,
and perhaps originally a baptistery :
some say a chapel of St. Claire. A
small apse projects from its eastern
side, and it is entered by doors on the
N. and W. It has an octagonal roof,
with a hole in the centre, resting on
columns placed in the angles. It may
have been built by the Templars, who
had property in this suburb.

A road slopes upwards from St.
Michel, under the Rock of Corneille,
past the Hospital, and the little turn¬
ing box, in which enfans trouves are
deposited after ringing a bell to an¬
nounce their arrival, through the “Rue
de la Raison,” to

The Cathedral, which rears its singu¬
larly streaked W. front high over the
other buildings. The regular approach
to it is up the steep streets leading
from the market-place to the long
flight of steps under the huge cavern¬
ous vaulted portal, which is prolonged
in a sort of corridor beneath the
church. As the slope of the hill
denied to the architect level ground
sufficient to extend his church to the
W., he was forced to raise an artificial
platform for it upon these vast sub¬
structions. The doorway is flanked by
2 pillars of Egyptian porphyry. It is
a heavy ungainly building, in the Ro¬
manesque style ; its interior not im¬
proved by the repairs and stucco ap¬
plied at the expense of Louis XVIII.
The oldest parts of the church are the

C. France. P. 109 .—Le Pay — Cathedral — Museum.

391

choir, including 4 compartments of
arches on either side, and the transepts;
each compartment is cross-vaulted ; the
probable date is the 10th or 11th
centy. This church is chiefly remark¬
able for a miracle-working image of
Notre Dame die Pvy, which for many
centuries has attracted thousands of
devout pilgrims, who still repair hither,
though in less number than formerly.
Among its visitors in former times are
numbered several popes, and the fol¬
lowing kings :—Louis VII., Philippe
Auguste, Philippe le Hardi, Charles
VI. and VII., Louis XI., Charles VIII.,
and Francois I. : its visitors at present
do not exceed 4000 annually, and are
chiefly of the lower order of peasants.
One cause for this falling off may be
that the existing image deposited over
the high-altar, a black group of the
Virgin and Child with shining faces, is
a modern work, executed by a sculptor
in the town, whose name is well
known, from recollection of the ori¬
ginal, which was destroyed at the Re¬
volution. The original Notre Dame
du Puy, believed to have been made
by the Christians of Mount Lebanon,
or, according to some accounts, by the
prophet Jeremiah himself, and brought
to Europe at the time of the Crusades,
was of cedar-wood, singularly swathed
round with bands of papyrus glued to
it, and partly inscribed. Upon this
the features of the face, of negro tint,
the flesh of hands and feet, and the
draperies, were painted in distemper,
in a rude style, probably by some artist
who copied from Egyptian models.

A marble tablet on one side of the
church records the names of 20 priests
of the diocese slaughtered in the Revo¬
lution, 1793-4 and 8.

The monument raised to the Con¬
stable Du Guesclin, whose body re¬
posed some time at Le Puy, after his
death at Chateauneuf de Randon, and
whose entrails . were buried here, has
recently been restored in a chapel on
the N. side of the Gothic Church of St.
Laurent, in the lower part of the town.
His effigy represents him in armour,
except the helmet, lying on his back,
his hands raised in prayer. The head
is modern, but copied from a cast of

the original, destroyed by the Baron
des Adrets and his followers, and is
considered to have some claim to be
looked on as a portrait.

The collections in the Musde, not far
from the cathedral, are of considerable
interest as local curiosities in art and
nature. Besides some mediocre paint¬
ings (among them Henrietta Maria,
queen of Charles I., a copy from Van¬
dyke ; a faint but curious portrait of
Henri II., in the style of Janet; and a
good landscape by Huysman), are some
Roman antiquities, a bas-relief of a
Stag and Boar Hunt, found on digging
the foundations of the Eveche ; also 3
Genii or Cupids fishing (one with 2
dolphins of very fair execution), from
Margeaix ; a cippus hollowed out into
a sarcophagus, bearing figures of arms,
cut in relief, among them a cross¬
bow (?) ; cast of a bronze hand, with
a Greek inscription, recording a treaty
of peace ; a cast from the so-called
Mask of Apollo, at Polignac (see p.
389) ; one or two groups of Gothic
sculpture, nuns, female saints, &c. ;
carvings in ivory, in Byzantine and
Gothic styles ; a portion of the in¬
scribed papyrus in which the image of
N. D. de Puy was swathed, preserved
at the time the image was burnt, at
the Revolution ; some old furniture ;
an abbot’s seat, carved in the stjde of
the Renaissance ; and an arm-chair of
Gothic work, bearing the arms of Po¬
lignac. Those who take interest in the
geology and mineralogy of the district
will find the collections here not only
the best part of the whole museum,
but one of the best arranged and best
named cabinets which any provincial
museum in France possesses, under
the inspection of M. Bertrand de Doue,
the able expositor of the geology of
Velay. The formations of La Puy en
Velay, the Vivarais, and the Ardeche
may be studied in distinct series of
specimens, topographically arranged,
side by side w T ith a series of the vol¬
canic rocks of Vesuvius, for the sake
of comparison.

Here are preserved the bones of
rhinoceros, hyaena, deer, &c., found
by Dr. Hibbert, a Scotch geologist, at
I St. Privat d’Allier, in a matrix of

392

Route 110.— Clermont to Mont Dore les Bains. Sect. V.

scoriae, "between two layers of basaltic
lava ; a discovery of great interest, as
proving the recent date at which the
volcanoes of the Velay were in ac¬
tivity ; also fossil bones of Palseothe-
rium, of Anthracothei’ium Velaunum,
so named by Cuvier from Le Puy, the
locality where it was found ; of hippo¬
potamus, found in the terrain du trans¬
port near Polignac ; and fossil fruits
from the coal-measures at Longeac.

The manufacture of cotton lace gives
employment to the females of the lower
classes in and about the town ; and
some specimens are shown at the mu¬
seum of great beauty.

About 1 m. W. of the town is the
village of Espailly, surmounted by an¬
other castle-crowned rock of volcanic
breccia. Charles YII. was residing
here during the occupation of France
by the English (1422), when news was
brought of the death of his father, and
his scanty train of followers proclaimed
him King of France in the ancient
fashion, by raising him aloft on a
shield, at the same moment that the
infant Henry VI. of England was pro¬
claimed, with all pomp, at Paris, the
successor to the French throne. There
are good displays of basaltic columns
here, called Les Orgues d’ Espailly; and
on the opposite side of the river, in
the eminence of Denise, several coarse
varieties of precious stones, sapphires,
zircons, and garnets, are found in the
basalt, and in the sands of the neigh¬
bouring streamlet of Riou Pezzouliou.
Fossil remains of Anthracotherium
and other extinct animals have been
found in the marly limestone near
Espailly.

The Castle of Polignac is a walk of
about an hour, not far from the road
to Clermont.

The Pcche Rouge, an isolated mass of
basalt, rising abruptly out of the gra¬
nite rock to a height of 60 ft., about 3
m. to the E. of Le Puy, will interest
the geologist. Its name is probably
derived from the colour of the lichens
which grow on it. It is nothing more
than the expanded portion (renflement)
of a basaltic dyke, which, from supe¬
rior hardness, has resisted the action
of the weather, while the softer granite

around has been disintegrated. The
dyke is continued on either side in a
vein often not more than a foot wide.

Diligences twice a-day to St. Etienne ;
daily to Clermont, and to Langogne.

The views of the town from the sur¬
rounding heights from the roads to
Espailly, Polignac, St. Etienne, are
very striking. Mr. Scrope prefers the
extensive panorama from the more dis¬
tant Mont dH Ours, and observes, with
some geological enthusiasm,—“ There
are, perhaps, few spots on the globe
which offer a more extraordinary pros¬
pect than this. To the eye of a geo¬
logist it is superlatively interesting,
exhibiting in one view a vast theatre of
volcanic formation, containing igneous
products of various natures belonging
to different epochs, and exhibited
under a great diversity of aspect.”

“ The traveller bound from Le Puy
to the Volcanic District of the Vivarais
and Ardeche may take the diligence to
Pradelles, and thence strike across the
country, by bad cross-roads, to Au-
benas, by Thueyts (Rte. 118, 121), or,
more directly, by a mule-road to
Montpezat ; in the course of which he
may visit the Mt. Mezene, the highest
volcanic mountain in Central France,
presenting some wild and singular
views. He may also pass the curious
mountain called Gerbicr des Jones, at
the foot of which rises the Loire.
There is scarcely any accommodation
on this route, which can hardly be
performed in a day; and the people
are rude and forbidding.”— P. F.

ROUTE 110.

CLERMONT TO MONT DORE LES BAINS.

I. Grande Route, 53j kilom.= 33
Eng. m.

II. Petite Route, hilly and not good
for carriages, 42 kilom. = 27 Eng. m.

I. Diligences run daily in summer.

It is a hilly journey by either of
these routes, beginning to ascend from
the Barrier of Clermont to La Bar-
raque (see p. 384), then leaving the
Cone of the Puy de Dome on the rt.
and the ruined castle of Montrodeix

C. France. B. 110.— Clermont to Mont Dore les Bains.

393

on the 1.; its walls formed of basaltic
prisms.

The road reaches the summit level
of the chain of the Monts Dome,
at a spot called Mor^neau, between
the Puys de Leschamps, covered with
wood, and de Montclhb, a volcano,
furnished with 4 craters, which has
been cut away at the base to give pas¬
sage to the road; and trunks of trees
charred have been disclosed by the
section of the trachytic rock. De¬
scending the'opposite slope, it crosses
the stream of the Sioule, here in its
infancy. At St. Bonnet, near Pont
des Eaux, a basaltic clinkstone is
quarried, to serve as rooting slate, as
bridges, fences, &c.: the thin slabs
ring like a bell when struck.

29 Rochefort.

The ruined castle, on the summit
of a basaltic rock, once belonged to the
Dauphins of Auvergne.

The road continues to ascend through
a hilly and bleak country, often blocked
up by snow in winter. About 3 m.
beyond the village of Laqueuille the
road to Mont Dore branches off to the
1., out of that to Aurillac by Muriac,
and, crossing another ridge, descends
upon the village Murat le Queire, in
the valley of the Dordogne, and pro¬
ceeds up the rt. bank of that stream to

24 Mont Dore les Bains (see below).

No. II. La Petite Route is the same
as No. I. until reaching the village
Laschamp, 3 m. beyond La Barraque;
“ or, on foot, more directly and agree¬
ably by Thadde. As there are few
villages, the route may most conve¬
niently be traced by the Puys which
are passed, viz. Gravenoire and Cha¬
rade on the rt.: La Bache and Las-
solas, also on the rt., are extremely
well preserved, and are completely
thrown open on the S.W. side, towards
which they have diverted their lava
streams. There is here quite a circle
of craters, among which Mont Jughat
and Mont Chat are conspicuous.”—
P. F.

21 Randanne (a roadside Inn, with
one bedroom: respectable travellers
may procure a bed in the Chateau).
In the vicinity, at the foot of the

Puy de Montchal, lived the patriotic
philosopher le Comte de Montlosier,
who settled himself down here, after
his return from exile in 1816, in the
midst of an unproductive wilderness,
the home of his fathers having been
destroyed in the Revolution, and, by
the enlightened agricultural improve¬
ments which he introduced, redeemed
a large tract from unproductive barren¬
ness, and “ bid the desert smile.” He
is buried in a small Gothic chapel,
erected on a pretty spot within his
estate; the priests having refused in¬
terment to his remains within conse-
crated ground, on account of his writ¬
ings against the Jesuits.

A road just practicable for a char
leads in about 3 m. on the 1. to the
sheet of water called Lac d’Aidat,
formed by the volcanic current from
the Puy de la Yache, damming up the
course of 2 rivulets. On its borders
Sidonius Apollinaris lived, and an
inscription on the wall of the curious
early church marks the place of his
interment. “ To the rt. is the Puy de
la Rodde, a fine crater opening to the
S., and commanding an extensive view
of the Puys, the streams of lava, and
the mountains of Mont Dore. Abun¬
dance of fine crystals of Augite are
found in it.”— T. J. T.

After attaining the table-land of
Baladaud, which commands an exten¬
sive view, but is itself bleak and unin¬
teresting, it is an uninterrupted and
steep descent into the vale of the
Dordogne. It is clothed with wood,
and interesting. At Quereilh the tra¬
veller turns abruptly to the 1., and
enters the valley enclosing

21 Mont Dore les Bains. Pans, Chez
Chaboury le Jeune, best;—H. de Paris
(Chaboury l’Ain£) and H. Bellon are
good;—H. de Lyon (chez Baradue),
charge living en pension 4 to 7 f. a
day. There is a daily table-d’hote
at most of them. The rivers and
lakes furnish trout, and the mountains
roe venison. “ The people here, little
accustomed to English, are disposed
to make exorbitant charges, experi¬
mentally, trying to hit the mark of the
standard which English are made to
pay elsewhere.”— P. This small water -

s 3

394

Route 110 .—Baths of Mont Dore

Sect.Y.

ing-place is a village at a height of
3411 ft. above the sea-level, in an
upland valley, the cradle of the river
Dor-dogne, surrounded by an amphi¬
theatre of volcanic hills, their sides
clothed with verdant meadows ox-
black pine forests, but torn and
gashed at intervals by ravines and
gullies, down which numerous sti'eams
dash in small cascades from the bare
table-land above. The village lies at
the distance of about 2 m. from the
Pic du Sancy, the highest summit in
central Fi-ance, 6217 ft. above the sea-
level, and the culminating point of
the Mont Dore, that vast volcanic
excrescence which has broken through
the fundamental granite rock, and,
stretching from this point to a distance
of 8 or 10 m., measui-es 18 leagues in
circumference. It is seamed and
fissured by deep valleys radiating in
all directions fi-om the common centre,
the chief of them on the N. side
being the valley of the Dordogne, or
of Mont Dore. The crater from which
this eruption bui-st forth is not dis¬
tinctly marked, owing to the dilapida¬
tions in its sides caused by volcanic
convulsions, by the wearing down of
torrents, and even by the effects of the
weather; but there can be no doubt
that we see the traces and remains of
the lava walls which surrounded it in
“ the elevated peaks which still bristle
over the circus-like gox-ge occupying
the very heart of the mountain. This
was probably the site of its central
crater-, but now, branching off into
deep and short recesses, it forms the
upper basin of the principal valley,
and the recipient into which 2 moun¬
tain rills, the Dor and the Dogne
unite, at the source of the noble river
which henceforward bears their joint
names.”— Scrope, 98.

The mineral springs, on account of
which Mont Dore is resorted to from
June to the end of September, are 8
in number, 2 being cold, the rest of a
temperature of 106 to 113 Fahren¬
heit; they issue out of the trachytic
rock, at the foot of the eminence called
Plateau de l’Angle. They are alka¬
line, and are efficacious in complaints
of the lungs, when unattended with

inflammation, in disorders of the sto¬
mach, and in rheumatism. They are
conducted into a very handsome bath¬
ing establishment, built, like the rest of
the houses, of a trachytic lava, resem¬
bling that of Volvic, but obtained
from a neighbouring quarry. The
most copious source, La Madeleine,
is also used for drinking, and large
quantities are exported in bottles.
It, as well as that called Le Bain de
Cesar, is enclosed in Roman masonri/,
proving that bath-loving people to
have made use of these warm springs.
Numerous arcliitectual fragments,
columns, &c., very curious, in a rich
semi-barbarous style, have been dis¬
covered here, supposed to have be¬
longed to a temple whose foundations
exist, and go by the name of Le Pan¬
theon.

The angler may catch some trout in
the Dordogne below the Baths.

A char-a-banc holding 4 to 6 people
costs 15 frs. a day. Horses may be
hired at the rate of 3 frs. a day; also
guides, and chaises -a-porteurs with
bearers for ladies, for the numerous
interesting excursions in the vicinity of
these baths. In front of the bath¬
house is a pretty green promenade,
encircled by the windings of the Dor¬
dogne, over- which a suspension bridge
has been thrown, conducting to a path
which leads to the base of the Capucin,
the isolated, cowl-shaped rock, con¬
spicuous from all parts of the valley,
nanredfrom a detached pinnacle, jutting
forward on one side, said to resemble a
monk in a hood.

The Champ) de la Foire is a cattle-
market formed by levelling a group of
basaltic columns. The tops of the
prisms make a natural pavement.

The direction of the valley of the
Dor from its head, at the base of the
Pic de Sancy, to a short distance
below the baths, is nearly due N.
and S. In its E. side, not more than
^ an hour’s walk above the ba,ths, a
singular breach or fissure is percep¬
tible, worn away by the descent of a
stream called La Grande Cascade,
which has cut through the rock, and
exhibits, in the face of the precipice,
an instructive geological section of

C. France. Route 110.— Murol—Puy de Tartciret .

395

a series of beds of trachyte, tufa, and
basalt. Vast blocks have been de¬
tached and hurled below, so that the
stream, after its leap of nearly 80 ft.,
is almost hidden from view.

The Valley of Mont Dore is a
region of woods and waterfalls; the
latter, though not of any great ele¬
vation or grandeur, add an interest
to the many pretty scenes around;
the principal falls are the Cascade de
Quereilh and de Verniere.

On the W. side of the valley, op¬
posite to the Grand Cascade, is the
gorge called Vallee d'Enfer, excavated
out of a volcanic rock, consisting of
scoriae and other fragments, bearing
the marks of fire, over which rise the
naked summits of the Pic d’Aiguiller.
The breccia is in many places pene¬
trated by vertical dykes of dark por-
phyritic trachyte; and such a dyke
forms the separation, called Les
Femes, between the gorges of Enfer
and La Cour. Similar dykes are seen
traversing the precipices of the Pic
d’Aiguiller exposed to the view at the
end of the Val d’Enfer.

The ascent of the Pic de Sancy may
be made in 2 hours from the baths, on
foot or horseback, or in a chair; pro¬
ceeding to the head of the valley, past
the gorges d’Enfer and de la Cour, and
turning to the 1., near the ravine of
La Craie, where a steep ascent begins,
through a fir wood, in the depths of
which lies the Cascade du Serpent,
passing the marsh in which the Dore
rises. The Pic (6171 ft. above the sea-
level) is reached by passing the high
Col between it and the Puy Ferrand.
The distant objects seen from it are
the volcanic group of the Cantal to the
S., and the Monts Dome to the N.,
while near at hand yawns a labyrinth
of valleys and gorges, with peaks brist¬
ling around on all sides; and numer¬
ous small lakes glitter in the depths,
among them the crater Lakes de Pavin
and that de Chambon.

Another very interesting excursion
is to the castle of Murol, situated to
the E. of the baths, crossing the
mountains by the Puy de Diane and
the pretty little Lac Chambon. There
is a road thither directly over the

Mont Dore by la Croix Morand, but,
as it requires to be repaired every
spring after the melting of the snow,
inquiry should be made whether it is
passable. Murol, the village, is built
at the base of the red scoi’iaceous
volcanic hill called Puy de Tartaret,
upon a lava current which has issued
from it, at a period long after the
formation of the volcanic rocks of the
Mont Dore. Murol is nearly sur¬
rounded by a dense forest, one of the
finest in Auvergne. Homely and rustic
accommodation at the public-house
kept by Morin.

The castle, one of the largest relics
of feudal times in France, and a very
picturesque object, crowns the summit
of a detached eminence topped with
basalt, affording a platform just large
enough to hold the fortress, whose
walls rise up, as it were, in continua¬
tion of the vertical precipices beneath
them. It consists of a double en¬
closure, an outer wall flanked with
bastions, dating from the 16th centy.,
and an inner circular wall, surmounted
by machicolations of the 15th. In
the midst rises a round tower, or
dunjon, commanding the country far
and near, and affording a most interest¬
ing view of the plain and valley around,
covered with lava vomited forth from
the Tartaret. Some of the existing
constructions of the castle are as late
as the 18th centy., and none appear
older than the 15th; the first mention
of it occurs in 1223, when its seigneur
was named Jean Chambre Chevarier.

The Puy de Tartaret deserves the
attention of the geologist; it consists
of loose scoriae, lapilli, and fragments
of granite, which have been forced
up through the fundamental granite
rock. “ It has 2 deep and regular
bowl-shaped craters, separated by a
high ridge, and each broken down on
one side:” the lava current which
they have furnished first spreads over
the plain, then, contracting, confines
itself to the valley, whose sinuosities
it follows as far as Neschers, a dis¬
tance of 13 m., occupying the channel
of the former river. Near Neschers
and Champeix it assumes a regular
columnar form. Neschers is a pic-

396

Sect. V.

Route 112.— Clermont

turesque village, and tlie cure, the
Abb^ Croizet, has a collection of
fossils.

Rather more than an hour’s walk
(4^ m.) from Murol, passing partly
over the lava from the Puy de Tar-
taret, and near the waterfall Des
Granges, one of the prettiest in Au¬
vergne, lies St. Nectaire {Inn: H.
Meudon, fair), a village possessing
hot Baths and an incrusting spring,
much more remarkable than that
at Clermont, which issues from the
granite and deposits large quantities
of lime. The curious Romanesque
church is a very ancient and unaltered
but much dilapidated specimen of the
style, no part of it apparently older
than the 12th centy. It is sur¬
mounted at the cross by an octagonal
tower, and terminates at the E. end in
3 apses. The capitals of the pillars in
the choir, carved with bas-reliefs of
Scriptural and legendary subjects, are
curious. In this church are preserved
a curious Byzantine crucifix of copper
gilt, and a reliquiary, in the form of a
bust, of embossed copper gilt, also
Byzantine, and probably of the 11 th
centy. The Castle of St. Nectaire,
the cradle of a noble family, whence
sprang 2 marshals of France, has been
destroyed. On the rt. of the road to
Neschers, a little way out of St.
Nectaire, is the arch of a Roman bridge,
the piers of which stand on the lava of
Tartaret.

On the heights above the Bains de
Boite, not far from St. Nectaire, are
some Druidical remains, consisting
of a dolmen or altar formed of the un¬
hewn blocks of the granite found in
the country. On the summit of the
hill of Cornadore are extensive exca¬
vations supposed to be of great an¬
tiquity, formed, perhaps, by the Gauls
as store-houses, or places of refuge;
they are now used as sheep-sheds.

“ Another interesting excursion,
especially for the geologist, may be
made to the rocks of La Thuilliere
and la Sanadoire, 1 3 hour from Mont
d’Or. The columnar feldspar or pho-
nolite of the Roche Sanadoire is cu¬
rious, and the view fine. 1 ^ hour more
takes the traveller to the Lake of

to Lyons, by Thiers.

Servieres, from which he may gain
the great road to Clermont by de¬
scending the valley of the Sioule by
Yernines (old castle) and St. Bonnet.”
—P.F.

The above is but a very imperfect
enumeration of the curiosities and
excursions of the neighbourhood of
Mont Dore, which affords many other
objects of interest, well calculated to
repay the traveller for exploring. A
full and excellent description of them
will be found in the work of M. Lecocq,
‘ Le Mont Dore et ses Environs.’*

ROUTE 112.

CLERMONT TO LYONS, BY THIERS: —
MONTBRISON.

177 kilom. = 109 Eng. m.

Diligence daily.

The road out of Clermont runs
nealy due W., passing on the 1 . the
Puy de la Poix, an eminence of basaltic
tufa, having on the N. side a spring of
bitumen, or mineral pitch, which issues
out of the earth along with a source of
water.

15 Pont du Chateau, a prettily si¬
tuated town, named from a bridge over
the Allier, by which our road crosses
it. About j m. above the bridge, on
the rt. bank of the river, there is an
interesting geological display of fossili-
ferous freshwater limestone strata, al¬
ternating with calcareous beds contain¬
ing volcanic substances.”— T. J. T.

The Chateau of Beauregard, a little on
the 1 . of the road, was formerly the
country seat of the bishops of Cler¬
mont, and the residence of Massillon as
such.

13 Lezoux, a small town on the
verge of the Limagne, has an ancient
church.

The Castle of Ravel belonged to
Philippe le Bel. Our road is hilly,
threading a part of the chain of the
mountains ofForez, which separate the
Allier from the Loire.

12 Thiers {Inns: Poste ;—H. de
l’Europe; new and good), an indus-

* For any corrections and additions to the
above Route, derived from personal knowledge,
the Editor will be much obliged.

C. France.

Route 114.— Clermont to Toulouse .

397

trious manufacturing town, built on
the top and slope of a peaked granitic
hill, at whose base the Durole flows in
a deep rocky bed, turning many paper-
mills and forges, where various articles
of cutlery are wrought, the staple ma¬
nufacture of the town, giving employ¬
ment to a large portion of its 9830
Inhab. The town, so picturesque at a
distance, with its houses rising one
above another, on nearer approach is
found to consist of dirty lanes; but from
the upper part of it, especially from
the high terrace, fine views are ob¬
tained over the Limagne and the
distant chain of the Monts Dome. Here
also is situated the antique church of
St. Genes, a Romanesque building,
chiefly of the 12th centy., though the
vaults of the roof are newer: the end
of the S. transept is ornamented with
coarse mosaics. More curious to the
antiquary is the church Du Moutier, in
the lower part of the town; the E. ex¬
tremity of the choir has been referred
to the 8th centy.

A portion of the old castle remains.

The road for about 4 m. is carried
along the edge of a precipice, and is
called Le Cordon. The views over
the rich plain of the Limagne, to the
range of the Monts Dome in one di¬
rection, and of the chain of the Forez
in the other, are very fine.

14 La Bergiere.

13 Noiretable, a village at the foot
of the high Montagne de 1’Hermitage.

12 St. Thurin.

15 Boen {Inn : Poste; tolerable, clean
beds), a dirty village. [It is about 11
m. distant from Montbrison, chef-lieu
of the Dept, of the Loire, though in¬
ferior in extent and population (7000)
both to Roanne and St. Etienne. It
stands at the base of a lofty and pre¬
cipitous rock, from the top of which,
or from the tower of the neighbouring
church, as some say, the ferocious
leader of the Calvinists, Le Baron des
Adrets, compelled his Roman Catholic
prisoners to leap, to their certain de¬
struction. When one of the con¬
demned, after twice approaching the
brink, faltered in taking the leap, the
tyrant exclaimed, “ Two chances are
too much.” “ I’ll wager that you will

not do it in ten,” was the ready reply;
and, it is said, saved the waverer’s life.
The Cathedral is a Gothic building
(1205), and contains the tomb of its
founder, Guy IV., Comte de Forez.
The Salle de Diane, once the chapter-
house, is decorated with curious ar¬
morial bearings.] {Inns: H. du Nord;
du Centre.)

From Boen the road to Lyons crosses
the flat and marshy plain of the Loire,
and runs parallel with the Lignon,
which is seen on the rt.; it is crossed,
and at a short distance the river Loire
also, before entering

18 Feurs, which occupies the site of
one of the most important cities of the
Gauls— Forum Segusianomrn. In this
name may be traced the modern one of
Forez, given to the district of which it
was the capital, during the middle ages.
Extensive fragments of Roman walls,
aqueducts, inscribed stones, &c., attest
its ancient consequence. Pop. 2250.

The railroad from Roanne to St.
Etienne (Rte. 119) runs past the town
on the E., directly across our line of
route.

Soon after, the road ascends out of
the fertile valley of the Loire.

10 St. Barthdlemy l’Estra.

13 Sainte Foy l’Argentiere.

6 Duerne.

A high mountain ridge, 'a continua¬
tion of the hill of Tarare, described in
Rte. 105, commanding an extensive
view over the valley of the Rhone,
and extending even, it is said, as far
as Mont Blanc, is traversed in this
stage.

11 La Braly.

14 Grand Buisson.

Lyon. (Rte. 108.)

ROUTE 114.

CLERMONT TO TOULOUSE BY THE CANTAL
AND AURILLAC.

322 kilom. = 199^ Eng. m.

Those who wish to avail themselves
of a public conveyance must take the
Montpellier diligence as far as St.
Flour, whence a private vehicle may be
procured to Aurillac.

The most direct road from Clermont

398

Route 114.— Murat — Tunnel—Puy de Griou. Sect. V.

to Aurillac is by Rochefort (Rte. 110)
and Mauriac, but it is not provided
with post-horses, and it avoids the
picturesque district of Cantal, so in¬
teresting to geologists, through the
heart of which the following road
through Murat is carried.

It is the same as Rte. 109 as far as
55 Lempde, where it turns to the 1.,
ascending a long hill as it quits the
town. By another hill, du Grenier,
you descend in zigzags to

18 Massiac (Dept. Cantal), where
you turn to the left out of the St. Flour
road, by a very pretty branch line car¬
ried up the vale of the Alagnon. This
new road lies through scenery of un¬
interrupted beauty and interest, pass¬
ing the picturesque castle of Merdogne,
perched on a crag of basalt.

14 Ferrieres (Cantal).

22 Murat.— Inn; Chez Dolly; to¬
lerable, excepting the dirt. Fine trout
here and elsewhere in the Cantal.

Murat is a dirty and antiquated town
of 2941 Inhab., in the upland valley of
the Alagnon, here bare of trees, but
surrounded by hills of uncommon ap¬
pearance, capped by basalt. One of
these rises immediately behind Murat,
in a tall cliff called Roche Bonnevie,
composed of lofty and regular basaltic
pillars, 30 to 50 ft. long. The castle
on its summit was razed by Louis XI.,
after he had put to death its owner,
Jacques d’Armagnac, 1477.

Opposite the town is another re¬
markable hill, also topped with basalt,
on which stands the pilgrimage chapel
of N. D. de Bredom.

Soon after quitting the town, the
convent of St. Gal, now an hospital, is
passed on the 1., and the Castle of
Anterroches on the rt. An excellent
road is carried up the valley of the
Alagnon, constantly ascending, amidst
cliffs and precipices of granite. Near
the Pont de Pierre Taillee, a bridge
thrown over a stream which falls in a
pretty cascade, a good geological sec¬
tion of the trachyte and tufa has been
exposed. Above this, the fine fir forest
of Lioran, which clothes the upper
part of the valley, commences. The
additional steepness of the valley near
its head has hitherto been surmounted

by a series of tourniquets or zigzags;
but in order to avoid this, as well as
the snow which blocks up the highest
part of the road, frequently for weeks
and months in winter and spring, a
Tunnel is earned through a saddle-
shaped ridge, which divides the waters
of the Alagnon from those of the Cere,
a little to the E. of the highest point
of the old road, and about 400 or 500
ft. below it. This Tunnel is driven
through the trachytic rock for a dis¬
tance of about 4593 ft. (1400 metres);
it is nearly 18 ft. high, ascends slightly
in the centre, and terminates a little
below the village of les Chazes. On
emerging from it, the Puy de Griou, a
pointed, wedge-shaped peak of white
rock, with a stream of debris descend¬
ing from it, is seen on the rt.: and the
Plornb de Cantal, a boss like a camel’s
hump surmounting a precipice, rises on
the 1. Those, however, who are con¬
tent merely to pass through the tunnel
will miss altogether the grand and
striking scenery of the vast volcanic
amphitheatre, through the midst of
which the old road is carried, in proxi¬
mity to the sources of the Alagnan and
Cere.

The traveller, whether geologist or
merely a lover of picturesque, will be
well rewarded by making the ascent of
the Puy de Griou, which may be effected
in about an hour from the hamlet of
les Chazes, even without a guide. It
is fatiguing from the extreme steepness
of the slope; but the only difficulty is
in surmounting the bare crest of white
clinkstone, covered with loose fallen
masses, which rattle down under your
feet into the depths below. But even
here a sort of path has been formed,
over the scanty grass tufts springing
up between the stones. The summit
itself is a mere crest only 3 or 4 ft.
wide and 20 yds. long, plunging pre¬
cipitously down on all sides. The Puy
de Griou rises in the midst of an ir¬
regular circle of precipices, supposed
by geologists to have been the fiery
mouth or crater whence the volcanic
rocks of the Cantal were erupted, and
whence they spread for 15 or 20 m.
around, from this centre as far as Au¬
rillac, Murat, and St. Flour. It is also

C ANTAL.

Route 114.— Valley of the Cere .

399

supposed that, at a later period, the
volcanic forces acting from below, at
the same point, burst through these
deposits of trachyte, tufa, and basalt,
fracturing the strata with radiating
cracks like those in a starred pane of
glass, and that these cracks, gradually
widening, became the valleys of the
Alagnon, Cere, Jourdanne, Dienne, &c.
The circuit of precipices which com¬
posed the walls of this crater is broken
by gaps formed by the openings of the
different valleys radiating from this
point like the spokes of a wheel.
These walls are most perfect on the E.
below the basaltic hump called Plomb
de Cantal, the highest summit in the
district, 6095 ft. above the sea-level;
on the N. in the Puy Mary, 5459 ft.;
and on the W. in the Puy Chavaroche.
Through the gaps between them the
eye ranges down the vistas of the
valleys over an extensive horizon of
plain and distant hills. The dimen¬
sions of this crater greatly exceed those
of any in Auvergne, as it is more than
6 Eng. m. in diameter. Within and
beneath its bounding walls are rounded
slopes, wooded or covered with turf,
forming the lining of the crater, and
presenting a pleasing picture. Quite
at the foot of the Puy de Griou is a re¬
markable kettle-shaped hollow, covered
with the brightest verdure, and dotted
over with 2 or 3 cabins, and with herds,
for it is the best piece of pasturage in
the district. From its shape it might
be mistaken for a minor crater, hemmed
in by wooded eminences. It is called
le Font du Vacher.

Quitting the volcanic amphitheatre
at les Chazes, we commence the de¬
scent of the valley of the Cere, which
is far more picturesque in its scenery
than that of the Alagnon, but is best
seen in ascending, as the forms of the
mountains at its head lend to the views
their most striking features. The first
village, St. Jacques des Blats, produces
excellent cheeses of goat’s milk, called
cabegons. The numerous projections on
either side of the valley conceal the
villages from view until you are close
upon them. The river cuts through
a rocky bed, and the road, skilfully
engineered, is carried in terraces hewn

out of the tracliytic rock along the
edge of deep precipices, the most re¬
markable of which, called Pas de Corn-
pain, terminates within a few hundred
yards of the village of

26 Tliiezac, where the Poste (Tete
Noire), though most forbidding exter¬
nally, by reason of its dirt, can afford
2 clean beds and a tolerable supper,
with trout; for which and a breakfast
only 5 fr. are charged. Below Thiezac
calcined flints shattered by heat, like
unannealed glass, may be seen em¬
bedded in the trachyte rock at the road
side.

The most strikingly pictureque scene
in the whole valley is at a spot called
Fas de la Cere, a little way above the
solitary projecting rock (Rocher de
Murat), rendered conspicuous by the
single round-headed lime-tree which
crowns its summit. Here the valley
at once expands considerably, and
makes a deep descent or step, and the
river has forced for itself a passage, at
a great depth below the road, in a
fissure lined by smooth walls of rock,
and nearly shrouded by a luxuriant
growth of trees. The rocks towering
above the road imitate the forms of
old castles. The little town of Vic
(Vic-en-Carlad^s, or Vic-sur-Cere) is
the chief place in the very picturesque
valley. [Inn: Chez Vialette.) Close
to it there are mineral springs of aci¬
dulous water, received into a bathing
establishment . 1 m. out of the town,

at the roadside, stands the Chateau de
Comblat, belonging to an ancient and
loyal family settled here for ages, the
present owner being the Comte Charles
de la Baume. At Polminhac is a far
more picturesque castle, towering over
the road, a fit subject for the artist’s
pencil. The valley of Vic, here
widening out into a small plain, co¬
vered with meadows and corn-fields, is
yet enlivened by a pretty distribution
of wood and hedgerows, amidst which
rise numerous chateaux and modern
country houses, indicating that the
proprietors reside on their estates. At
this point our road quits the vale of
the C&re, gradually ascending in a
sloping terrace cut through the white
tertiary limestone, containing flints, in

400

Route 114.— Aurillac — Figeac.

Sect. Y.

appearance closely resembling tlie upper
chalk of England, though of a very
different age, which has been disturbed
and baked by the trachytic rocks.
Turning the shoulders of the hills, we
enter the valley of the Jourdanne, a
tributary of the Cere, at the mouth of
which stands

27 Aurillac (Inn : Trois Freres; best
and good), chef-lieu of the Ddpt. du
Cantal, and anciently one of the 6 good
towns of la Haute Auvergne, a dull
town of 11,000 Inhab., without objects
of interest, in a tame and bare val¬
ley watered by the Jourdanne. The
churches, convents, and palace of the
abbot were destroyed by the Hugue¬
nots, who took the town, 1569, by as¬
sault, and kept it for a year: the ex¬
isting public buildings are modern
and commonplace. The Castle of St.
Etienne, rising on a rock above the
town to the W., is said to have be¬
longed to the ancestors of St. G5raud
(d. 918), the patron of the town: it was
held by the abbots, and now belongs
to the bishop of Clermont, but is not
worth visiting.

The chief manufactures carried on
here are of copper kettles and coarse lace.

The infamous J. B. Carrier, the
author and inventor of the Noyades
at Nantes, was born, 1756, in the
village of Yolet, close to Aurillac.

Diligences daily to Paris, to Rodez,
3 times a week to Toulouse, by Figeac.
The road to Figeac, after crossing the
level verdant valley of the Cere, and
the river itself, mounts into a hilly dis¬
trict of gneiss and mica slate rocks,
barely covered with heath. From the
high ground fine views are obtained of
the volcanic group of the Cantal.

27 Cayrols.

A very long and wunding descent,
doubling the shoulders of the hills, and
diving deep into the recesses of the
gleas, leads down a wooded valley to

18 Maurs. Another hilly tract in¬
tervenes before we reach

24 Figeac ( Inn: Poste), a town of
6400 Inliab., in the Dept, of Lot, lying
snugly at the bottom of a small valley,
so shut in by steep hills that the high
roads are obliged to make the most
singular and circuitous contortions in

order to reach it. The town, whose
naturally obscure name has become
familiar through its illustrious citizen
Champollion, who was born here, and
to whom a monumental obelisk has
been erected at the water-side, con¬
tains a great number of antique houses
and 2 curious churches. The abbey
Church of St. Sauveur, in the lower part
of the town, consists of a Romanesque
basement, with a later pointed super¬
structure, of the 15th centy., and a
modern front of the 19th. The choir,
however, seems almost entirely of the
11th cent. Attached to the S. tran¬
sept is a small chapter-house, resting
on pointed arches.

On an eminence, above the town,
stands Notre Dame de Pity, a church of
the 11th centy., though much altered,
in the form of a basilica, ending to¬
wards the E. in 3 apses. At the
bottom of the choir is a very fine altar
screen of wood richly carved and orna¬
mented, a masterly work of the early
part of the 17th centy., judging from
its style.

The Chateau de la Baleine, now Palais
de Justice, fortified and moated, also
deserves attention.

A high table - land of limestone,
bounded by very abrupt slopes, sepa¬
rates Figeac from the valley of the
Lot. After reaching its summit by a
steep ascent, the road to Villefranche
passes near a singular stone pillar, or
obelisk, rising on the brow of the hill
above Figeac. Its use and age are
equally unknown. Some consider it
to have been a beacon : it was more
probably a landmark to designate the
boundary of some jurisdiction. There
is a similar pillar on the other side of
Figeac.

From the high ground a view is ob¬
tained, on the 1. of the town, of Cap-
denac, on the rt. bank of the Lot,
supposed by Champollion to be the
ancient “ Uxellodunum,” besieged by
Coesar, and mentioned in his Com¬
mentaries.

The Lot is crossed by a wire suspen¬
sion bridge : the hills bordering on the
river sides are very steep.

18 La Remise.

17 Villefranche (Inn; Grand Soleil).

C antal. Route 116.— Clermont to Toulouse — St. Flour .

401

This town of 9540 Inhab., on the
Aveyron, was one of the Bastides, or
Free Towns, built in the 14th centy.,
and retains its original plan (p. 228).
Its principal building is the large Col¬
legiate Church, in the pointed Gothic
style of the 15th and 16th centuries,
standing in a market-place surrounded
by arcades. Its W. facade, though
bare of ornament, is imposing from its
proportions, and is surmounted by a
lofty tower, supported by obliquely
set buttresses, at the base of which a
porch, furnished with triple arches,
gives entrance to the interior.

There are many ancient houses of the
15th and 16th centuries, very pic¬
turesque in their architecture, in the
principal street. “ In the suburb
beyond the river stands the Hospital,
formerly a Carthusian convent, the
buildings of which are preserved nearly
entire, including a good flamboyant
church and the refectory, with rich
pulpit, and 2 cloisters—the smaller
one very rich.”— J. H. P.

Steep hills lead into and out of

29 Caylus ( Inn: Poste), a town of
most picturesque character, both in
itself and in its situation, buried as it
were in the deep recess of a valley.
In the midst, its castle, rising on a
rock, towers above the houses cluster¬
ing round its base; and by its side
rises the church spire. Opposite the
W. door of the Ch. is a remarkable
house of the 14th centy. ; the front
curious and well preserved.

The road emerges from this bowl¬
shaped hollow, by being carried in
bends round its nearly vertical sides.

22 Caussade.

On a cross-road from Caussade
to Alby lies St. Antonin {Inn: H. de
Commerce ; homely, but clean), a
small town with a pretty II. de Ville,
chiefly of the 12tli centy., well restored
under M. Viollet-le-Duc. There are a
number of old houses.

“ Cordes {Inn on the top of the hill,
good ; not so the one below, H. de
Commerce), a curious little town on
the top of a steep sugar-loaf hill, which
no antiquary should pass without as¬
cending. The old fortification and
gates remain, and within them a num¬

ber of elaborate and well - preserved
houses of the 13tli and 14tli centuries.”
— J. II. P.]

23 Montauban ) described in Rte.

51 Toulouse j 70.

ROUTE 116.

CLERMONT TO TOULOUSE BY ST. FLOUR,

THE BATHS OF CHAUDES AIGUES,

RODEZ, AND ALBY.

385 kilom. = 238^ Eng. m.

Malleposte as far as St. Flour, and
thence to Montpellier, in 31 hrs.

The route is identical with Rte. 109
as far as

54 Lempde {Inn: la Poste). At

18 Massiac (Cantal) it turns to the
1. away from the road to Aurillac, and
reaches, by an ascent requiring 1 \ hr.
to surmount, an elevated plain called
la Fageole, formed by a great basaltic
plateau.

10 La Barraque is a solitary post-
house, surrounded by a few farm-
buildings, in a desolate spot.

About 5 m. short of St. Flour, a
good view of it, and of the volcanic
group of the Cantal beyond, is ob¬
tained.

19 St. Flour {Inns: Chez Aubertot,
tolerable ; supper, bed, and coffee cost
3 fr. 5 sous. H. de France).

St. Flour, the 2nd town in import¬
ance of the Cantal, is strikingly con¬
spicuous at a distance, owing to its
elevated position on the top of a table
mount, whose platform is of basalt.
The high road from Clermont to Mont¬
pellier passes through a suburb at its
base ; but the upper town is rendered
accessible for carriages by a road
carried in winding terraces cut into
the basaltic rock, and laying bare a
regular natural colonnade near the
crest of the hill. Excepting its singu¬
lar and picturesque situation, bounded
on 3 sides by escarped precipices, the
town, consisting of narrow streets and
houses built of basalt, and containing
6464 Inhab., is deficient in attraction.
Its Cathedral, the chief edifice, is a
Gothic structure, not remarkable, de¬
dicated 1496, but not finished till
1566; its towers, demolished in 1593,

402 i?. 116.— Clermont to Toulouse—Chaudes Aigues. Sec. Y.

liave been recently rebuilt. The roof
is finely groined, and rests on piers
without capitals.

From a little terrace behind the
Cathedral, from another behind the
Sdminaire, and from the Promenade, or
Cours Chazeret, occupying the neck of
land by which the town is alone con¬
nected with the adjoining high ground
of the Planese, views may be obtained
over the country and distant hills, but
they are arid and bare, and over the
contiguous valley watered by the
Arder, on whose banks the suburb,
the most busy part of the town, is
planted. The basaltic rocks in the
neighbouring mountains are covered
with the lichen archil (orseille) used
in dyeing, which is collected and
largely exported hence.

St. Flour was anciently a very
strong fortress, and withstood many
sieges from the English in the 14th
centy.

At this point the road to Chaudes
Aigues and Rodez separates from that
to Montpellier; a malleposte from
Clermont follows the latter through
St. Chely, Marvejols, and Milhau.

The road to Chaudes Aigues tra¬
verses for a considerable distance the
elevated basaltic plateau called la
Planese. The volcanic group of the
Cantal mountains is visible for a long
time on the W.

On the way to Chaudes Aigues, but
considerably to the 1. of the road, lies
Alleuzes, mentioned by Froissart under
the name Louise, a castle which be¬
longed to the celebrated robber-chief
of the 14th centy., Aymerigot Marcel,
whence his band used to sally forth to
pillage on the highways. A little fur¬
ther in the same direction is Montbrun,
another castle, which was taken and
held for the English, 1357, by John
Chandos, constable of Guienne.

The approach to Chaudes Aigues is
by the steep hill called Cote de La-
neau, where the road has been ter¬
raced through rocks of gneiss and
mica-scliist, whose contortions are laid
open in sections, at the edge of ravines
and precipices. After passing the ra¬
vine called Saut du Loup, from a fan¬
ciful resemblance in the rock to a

wolf’s head, it descends into the valley
or gorge of the Truyere. a tributary of
the Lot. That river is passed on a
handsome stone bridge.

33 Chaudes Aigues (Inns: the best is
Chez Fabre, recently rebuilt. H. Fel-
gere, furnished with baths).

This is an old but rustic-looking
town of 2351 Inhab., planted in a
narrow and picturesque gorge, which
about 3 m. below opens into that of
the Truyere. The mineral waters, from
which it has obtained some resort as a
watering-place, are almost pure warm
water : they issue out of the slate-
rock, and are 4 in number. That
called Source du Par is the hottest
spring in Europe, except the Geysers
in Iceland, having a temperature of
177° Fahrenheit, and is one of the
most copious sources in France; the
others, de Felgere, du Ban, and de la
Grotte, vary in heat between 135° and
162° Fahr. The waters are taken in
baths, and are drunk, being considered
efficacious in rheumatism, swellings of
the joints, and some cutaneous dis¬
orders, though by no means richly
impregnated with mineral particles.
They are also turned to various domes¬
tic and economic purposes : they have
the property of discharging most ra¬
pidly the grease from sheep’s wool,
and a vast number of fleeces are sent
hither from the D^pt. Aveyron to be
washed. From the month of Nov. to
April the hot water is used for warm¬
ing the town, being conducted in pipes
into some of the houses, called in the
patois of the country Maison Caoudo ;
and it thus saves the inhabitants the
cost of many tons of coal or whole
forests of firewood : the equal distri¬
bution of the waters is watched over
by the police. The hot streams are
also partly employed for cookery, for
boiling eggs, prepared soups, and
scalding pigs. They have also been
turned to the artificial incubation of
chickens with considerable success.

There is no object of interest in or
near the town except the waters. A
ruin at a short distance, near the
chapel, is called le Fort des Anglais;
indeed, the English are said to have
captured the town in the 14th centy.,

Cent. France. Route 116.— Espalion — Rodez.

403

in the 2 incursions which they made,
in 1357, under the command of Robert
Knollys, and in 1387. A large portion
of the inhabitants of Chaudes Aigues
migrate every winter to Paris, to ob¬
tain employment in various menial
offices, as water-carriers, decrotteurs,
&c.—a practice common among the
lower orders throughout Auvergne.
From Chaudes Aigues it is possible to
ascend on foot the Plomb de Cantal
and descend on Thiezac (p. 399), but
this cannot be accomplished in a single
day.

Scarcely a human habitation occurs
on the long stage from Chaudes
Aigues, except the poor hamlet of Le-
calm, where the road enters the D4pt.
Aveyron ; a hilly road.

32 Laguiole, built on the slope of
a basaltic hill, trades in the excellent
cheese made in this district.

The road skirts on the 1. a valley,
in whose recesses, once shrouded by
forests, stood the venerable and wealthy
Bernardine Monastery of Bonneval,
now entirely swept away. The de¬
scent into the fertile and verdant
valley of the Lot is very pleasing.
Above the winding course of the river,
which is bordered with wooded and
vine - clad slopes, rise the escarped
peaks crowned with the ruined castles
of Caumont and of Roquelaure.

24 Espalion ( Inn: Chez Aigalenz ;
tolerable) is a prettily-situated small
town, residence of a sous-prdfet, on
the Lot. There is nothing of interest
in the town itself, but in its vicinity
the 2 castles already mentioned, and a
curious chapel in the cemetery of the
village of Perse.

The road to Rodez ascends out of
the valley of the Lot after crossing it,
under the castle-crowned height of
Caumont. From a distance of many
miles the traveller discerns the pic¬
turesque towers of

31 Rodez (Inns: H. du Midi; best.
Ville de Paris ; good. H. des Voy-
ageurs. Des Princes), chef-lieu of
the D6pt. Aveyron, a town of 9685
Inhab., and occupying a commanding
site on an escarped peninsula, sur¬
rounded on 3 sides by a curve of the
Aveyron, which flows at a depth of

150 ft. below. The tongue of land,
which alone connects it with the
neighbouring plain, is traversed by the
road from Paris and Espalion; from
all other sides the town is accessible
only by steep ascents.

The Cathedral, so imposing and con¬
spicuous at a distance, will probably
not altogether justify the impression
it has produced on a near approach,
though it is of large size, and possesses
some elegant details. It was founded
1274, but carried on slowly through
the 2 following centuries, and never
finished. The W. end is destitute of
entrance, because fitted up internally
with a high altar as well as the E.
end. The entrances are at the sides,
and, though mutilated, display some
rich ornaments; near the N. transept
rises the belfry , the pride and boast of
Rodez, 265 ft. high, consisting of a
square base supporting an octagonal
summit, richly ornamented in the
upper part with florid tracery. It is
surmounted by a statue of the Virgin,
and was finished 1531.

The interior of the church, 110 ft.
high, rests on piers without capitals,
and the style of its decorations re¬
sembles the perpendicular of English
Gothic. At the entrance of the choir
is a fin eJube (rood-loft), which, though
mutilated, exhibits workmanship of
surprising beauty, in the delicate sculp¬
ture of its curled foliage. A part of
the screen intended to surround the
choir is of like beauty. The wood¬
work of the stalls and bishop’s throne
in the choir are of good execution, and
were well preserved until painted re¬
cently. One of the side-chapels con¬
tains a fine altar-screen of wood, ela¬
borately carved wdth bas-reliefs, ara¬
besques, and ornaments partly Gothic,
partly classic, in the style of the 16th
centy. The whole is painted and illu¬
minated. The partition screen to this
chapel is of rich open work in stone,
flamboyant in its style. The wood¬
work of the organ-loft, a tomb in the
foi*m of a sarcophagus, adorned with
bas-reliefs of the 9th centy. ; another
tomb of Bishop Guirbert, 14th centy.;
an altar-table of white marble, 6 ft.
long, with Byzantine ornaments, 10th

404 JR. 116.— JRodcz — Mcircillac — Conques — St.Foy. Sect. Y.

centy., now used as an altar-screen,
and painted with a figure of the Virgin,
—also deserve attention.

The town abounds in antique houses
of the 15th and 16th centuries, and
contains some of perhaps a still older
date. In the Place dl 0met there is a
house charmingly decorated, in the
style of the Renaissance, with ara¬
besques, medallions rich framed, and
in the upper story with a range of fan¬
tastic consoles. (See Merimee, 157-
169.)

Terraces run round the town upon
the line of the old fortifications, and
afford agreeable views, though the
country round Rodez is not particu¬
larly attractive, the valley of the Avey-
ron being bare, and not very fertile.

Rodez was the Segodunum of the
Romans, and capital of the Gaulish
tribe the Ruteni, whence comes its
present name.

Fromage de Roquefort, the choicest
cheese which France produces, which
was sent to ancient Rome, and was
enthusiastically praised by Pliny, is
made with ewe milk, in the mountains
of La Lozere, about 28 m. E. and S. of
Rodez, in the district around St.
Rome, St. Afrique, St. Georges, and
Milliau. It is kept in cellars, belong¬
ing to the cheesemongers, to ripen.
About 10,000 cheeses are made annu¬
ally. The village of Roquefort, where
are the principal cellars, is situated
near St. Afrique, in the midst of the
pastures of Larza, which support more
than 100,000 sheep.

Diligences go to Toulouse and Mont-
auban.

[The Valley of Marcillac, beginning
at Salles Compteaux, about 5 m. N. of
Rodez, forms an agreeable contrast to
the barren district immediately around
that town. This beautiful green dell,
gushing with springs and waterfalls,
covered with trees and orchards, is
excavated out of a high plain destitute
of vegetation, which must be crossed
to reach it. At the head of the valley
rises an old castle, near which a
copious spring bursts forth. Follow¬
ing this valley past Marcillac (5 m.)
along the banks of the Dourdou for
about 12 m. below that town, you

reach Conques, a small town half hidden
in a rocky ravine, in the midst of the
wildest mountains of the Rouergue,
scarcely accessible at some seasons,
owing to the badness of the roads. It
owes its origin to an ancient abbey,
whose site it occupies, but the build¬
ings of which have all disappeared, ex¬
cept the Churclc of St. Fog, constructed
to all appearance at the beginning of
the 11th centy. by Abbot Odalric. It
is entirely in the Romanesque style,
with semicircular vaults and arches ;
it terminates at the E. in 3 apses, and
is surmounted at the cross by an oc¬
tagonal tower more modern than the
rest (14th centy.). The W. end is
flanked by 2 towers ; the central portal
is ornamented with a curious bas-relief
in the tympanum, representing the
Last Judgment, divided into 3 hori¬
zontal friezes ; in the centre, Christ
within the Vesica piscis ; on his rt.
the good, on his 1. the wicked ; above,
angels ; below, on one side, the gates
of Paradise, with bolts and a huge
lock, and the dead rising from beneath
their grave-stones ; in the centre, below
Christ, an angel and devil weighing
souls ; on the other side, the gate of
hell, an enormous open jaw, into which
the devil is thrusting the condemned.
Each group and portion of the relief
is designated by inscriptions in Leonine
verses. The figures are coloured.

The Tre'sor of the ch. contains the
following curious and valuable relics
of ancient art, which at the Revolution
were intrusted to the care of different
inhabitants of the town, and were
most carefully preserved, and reli¬
giously restored by them when the
political storm had passed away. An
ancient reliquiary, called Charlemagne’s
A, from its triangular form, and the
tradition that it was given by that
monarch to the abbey; it is of silver
gilt and partly enamelled, and set
with polished gems and some antiques;
at the base are 2 little figures of gilt
bronze, supposed to be less ancient
than the upper portion. A statue of
St. Foy, 18 inches high, of silver gilt,
and studded with precious stones and
antique gems, cameos, &c.; a Eyzantine
enamel of the figure of a saint, on a

C. France.

Route 116.— Alby — Cathedral.

405

plate of copper; a silver crucifix of
beautiful workmanship; a square slab
of red porphyry in a frame of silver,
covered with heads of Christ, the Vir¬
gin, and Saints in niello. There are
also some tapestries of the 16th centy.

About 3 m. below Conques the
Dourdou falls into the Lot.]

The high road from Rodez runs
through

26 La Motte. Inn: Chez Nave.

30 Farguette.

At Carmeaux a coal-field is worked,
which furnishes good fuel.

22 Alby (Inns: H. des Ambassa-
deurs; de l’Europe; du Nord, good)
— an ancient city, chef-lieu of the
Dept, of the Tarn, in the midst of the
flat but fertile plain of Languedoc,
watered by the river Tarn—has 11,662
Inhab. Its buildings are of brick, as
is the case throughout the plain of
Languedoc; the ramparts are thrown
down and planted, and, especially on
the side next the new Quartier de
Vigan, there are extensive walks, ave¬
nues, and gardens, partly on the site
of the ancient lists (les Lices), where
tournaments were held.

The Cathedral of St. Cecile is the
chief building in the town; it is a
noble Gothic edifice of brick, founded
1282, and not completed till 1512.
The tower at the W. end, raised by
Louis d’Amboise, 1475, is 290 ft. high
and of curious construction. The nave,
without transepts, and unsupported by
pillars, is 88 ft. wide and 98 ft. high.
The choir is separated from the nave
by a rood-loft (jube ) of extreme beauty
of design, and elaborate delicacy of
execution in its Gothic tracery, foliage,
&c.; the enclosure of the choir is of
equally rich workmanship. But the
most striking feature of interest is the
profusion of fresco paintings on the
roof and walls, which escaped destruc¬
tion at the Revolution; portions in the
vaults are untouched, and of the
utmost freshness and beauty, on an
azure ground, the work of Italian
artists, 1505. In some of the side
chapels, and near the entrance, are
paintings of a still earlier date (14tlx
centy.), and in a style resembling that
of the German schools. The stone

carvings of the choir, consisting of ela¬
borate tabernacle work with a profusion
of statues, were executed for Cardinal
d’Amboise by a company of itinerant
masons from Strasburg.

The Prefecture, formerly the Epis¬
copal Palace, but at a still earlier
period the residence of the counts of
the Albigeois, is, in part, a heavy
castellated edifice of brick, at the
margin of the Tarn, on its 1. bank.
Its terraced garden, overlooking the
river, is pleasing.

The Ch. of St. Salvi presents some
architectural features of interest.

Some manufactures are carried on
here of coarse linen cloths, candles,
and tools, files, scythes; also of woad
(pastel), which has been made here
from a very early period. The chief
commerce is in grain; the plain of
Alby being one of the richest corn
countries in France.

Alby has given its name to the sect
of dissenters from the Ch. of Rome,
the Albigeois, who abounded in the
district during the 12th and beginning
of the 13th centuries, and who were
condemned as heretics by a council
held here, 1254, and soon after nearly
exterminated at the siege of Beziers.
(Rte. 126.)

Alby is the birth-place of the un¬
fortunate sea captain and circumnavi¬
gator of the globe, La Peyrouse.

The little Ch. of Lescures, on the
opposite side of the river, is quite a
model of the Byzantine style of the
11th centy. as it exists in this part of
France.

At Said de Sabot, about 3 m. off, the
course of the Tarn is intercepted by
rapids of considerable descent, by the
side of which a furnace and forge for
the manufacture of steel is established.

The Castle of Castenau de Levi, on
the rt. bank of the Tarn, is a pic¬
turesque object. The Tarn is crossed
at the village of Marsac.

21 Gaillac stands on the rt. bank
of the Tarn, in a country producing
abundance of wine. Its population
exceeds 7000.

23 Pointe-Sainte-Sulpice.

16 Montbert.

15 Toulouse. Rte. 70.

406 i?. 117.— Castres. i?. 118 .—Lyons to le Pay. Sect. V.

ROUTE 117.

MONTAUBAN TO BEZIERS, BY CASTRES.

198 kilom. = 123 Eng. m.

12 La Bastide.

The road runs by the side of the
Tarn as far as

32 Pointe St. Sulpice.

Hence it follows the Agout.

14 La Vaur.

15 St. Paul.

23 Castres {Inn: H. Sabatier, very
good and clean), a neat little town,
situated on a gentle rise, with public
walks, a Place, Halle au B16, some
manufactures and dye-works.

A pretty drive; pleasing valley en¬
livened with country houses.

27 St. Amans la Bastide (Inns: Lion
d’Or;—St. Denis), a bustling little
place; its streets lined with trees.

25 St. Pons.

The next stage is over a pretty
country, and through a grand defile,
having the Montagnes Noires on the
S. and the Monts Espinouses on the
N.E. The road is skilfully carried
up the pass. The mountains are lite¬
rally covered with wild lavender of
exquisite fragrance. Every patch in
the valley is cultivated; grapes, figs,
almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, olives,
wheat, and maize are among its varied
produce, yet the people are most
miserable.

23 St. Cliinian (Inn: Grand Soleil),
a wretched place, streets scarce wide
enough for a carriage to pass.

27 Beziers (in Rte. 126).

ROUTE 118.

LYONS TO LE PUY, AUBENAS, AND MENDE’
BY ST. ETIENNE.—RAILWAY TO ST*
ETIENNE.-ARDECHE, AND CEVENNES*

220 kilom. = 134 Eng. m.

Railroad from Lyons to St. Etienne,
14^ leagues = 351 Eng. m. Trains go
3 times a day in 4 hours, returning in
3^; the line is not well made, the
jolting is great, and the carriages,
except the first-class (coupes), are large

and dirty, and filled with workmen
and market people; stoppages are fre¬
quent at the numerous villages near
the line. It was opened 1837. It is
carried through more than a dozen
tunnels. Private carriages cannot be
taken. Its chief use is to supply
Lyons with coal from St. Etienne.
The terminus, or depot, is situated out¬
side the town of Lyons, in the Faubourg
de Perrache, between the Sadne and
Rhone, but passengers are conveyed
thither in huge omnibuses, which start
from the Place Bellecour. The rail¬
way is carried over the Gare, or safety
dock for barges, opening into the
Sadne, and crosses the Sadne itself
just above its junction with the Rhone,
by the suspension Pont de la Mulatiere,
and thenceforth skirts the rt. bank of
the Rhone as far as Givors, sometimes
close to the river, sometimes separated
from it by low meadows and rows of
plantations of willows, which intercept
much of the view.

The course of the Rhone is described
in Rte. 125.

Oullins (Stat.) village is surrounded
by country seats of Lyonese manu¬
facturers; in its churchyard Jacquard,
the inventor of the loom named after
him, is buried. The line is carried
through several small tunnels and cut¬
tings past the villages Irigny, Ver-
naison (Stat.) and Grigny, before
reaching Givors.

13 Brignais, the first post-station on
the high road, is about 5 m. to the W.
of the railway.

Givors (Stat.), a dirty and smoky town,
abounding in manufactories, especially
of glass bottles, on the rt. bank of the
Rhone, at the point where it receives
the stream of the Gier and the Canal
de Givors, which transports much coal
and ironstone. Pop. about 5000.

Omnibuses go hence to Vienne (Rte.
125), 5 m., in about an hour, cor¬
responding with the railway trains.

The railroad here quits the side of
the Rhone, and ascends the valley of
the Gier, keeping that stream and the
canal on the rt. hand. Industry pre¬
vails everywhere; manufactories occur
at every step, and envelop the country
with their dense smoke.

C. France. R. 118 .—Lyons to St. Etienne—Rive de Gier. 407

A tunnel about f m. (1500 metres)
long is driven through a hill of the
coal-measures, near

17 La Rousilliere.

22 Rive de Gier (Stat.), a very flourish¬
ing and increasing manufacturing town
of 12,000 Inhab., on the rt. bank of
the Gier, at the commencement of the
Canal de Givors, situated in a pro¬
ductive coal-field, which is the chief
source of its prosperity. More than
40 coal-mines in the vicinity are pro¬
vided with steam-engines. There are
very large glass - works here, and a
manufactory of steel carried on by
Englishmen, Messrs. Jackson, which
produces the best steel in France.

Here are also manufactories of steam-
engines and other machinery, and some
silk-mills. Lyons is chiefly supplied
hence with fuel; but Marseilles, Mul-
liausen, Paris, and Nantes also receive
fuel in large quantities from this coal¬
field, the most important in France,
from its extent and position. Above
this, owing to the steep inclination of
the railway, horse power has hitherto
been alone employed; but a new and
more level line is being cut (1843) to
admit of the use of locomotives. The
railroad and post-road run side by
side to

15 St. diamond (Stat.), another ma¬
nufacturing town, where ribbons and
staylaces are made. More than 1200
frames (metiers h la poupee) are em¬
ployed in weaving staylaces, which
are largely exported. Here are besides
numerous iron furnaces, foundries,
and forges, and several silk - mills.
Pop. 8246. This place has been much
injured by the railway not passing
through it. Between St. diamond
and St. Etienne runs the ridge sepa¬
rating the waters flowing into the Medi¬
terranean through the Rhone, from
those which go to the Atlantic through
the Loire.

Another tunnel, . about 1 m. long,
traverses a hill under the consider¬
able village of Terre Noire (Stat.),
immediately before reaching St. Eti¬
enne. It is very narrow and low,
affording space for only one line of
rails. The latter part of the line
is an inclined plane, which the train

descends by its own impetus in going
to Lyons.

12 St. Etienne Station in Rte. 119.

The diligence takes J 2 hours to
make the journey from St. Etienne to
Le Puy. The road is very hilly and
varied: crossing a long ridge out of
the valley of the Furens, it continues
to traverse a district very populous,
and abounding in manufactures as far
as the coal-measures extend. At Le
Chambon are manufactures of cutlery,
nails, saws, &c. At

12 Firmigny there are many coal¬
mines, some of them, worked after the
fashion of quarries, open to the sky,
in a coal-bed more than 32 feet thick;
also glass-works, ribbon and silk mills.
The valley is bristling with chimneys,
coal - heaps, manufactories; but they
cease before you reach St. Ferreol,
just within the borders of the Dept,
de la Haute Loire. The road is ad¬
mirably engineered, and partly cut
through the granite rock in a terrace
winding round the shoulders of the
hills.

17 Monistrol: the chateau, formerly
a country seat of the Bishop of Le
Puy, is now a ribbon manufactory.
Some ribbons are woven here, but the
manufacture extends no farther. 4 m.
beyond Monistrol our road approaches
the Loire, and crosses, by a very long
and steep descent and ascent, the deep
and picturesque gorge of the Langon,
which falls into the Loire about ^ m.
below the bridge. The course of that
river and its deep and wide valley may
be traced for a considerable distance
on the rt. from the heights beyond
the Langon.

A road turns off rt. E. to Annonay
and Valence on the Rhone, by St. Bon¬
net le Froid and the beautiful Val de
Vocance. (See Rte. 119.)

20 Yssingeaux.— Inn: H.del’Europe;
not good. A town of no particular
interest; Pop. 6700. *

Near this we enter the volcanic dis¬
trict of the Velay: on either side of the
road rise hills of basalt and trachyte,
and from the summit of the trachytic
ridge of the Montague de Pertuis,
which it traverses by a long ascent, an
excellent panorama is presented of the

408

Route 118 .—Le Puy — Ardeche.

Sect. T

country. A part of Le Puy itself is J
visible. The hills generally assume a •
conic form, and are frequently capped i
•with basalt. The top of the Mt.

Pertuis is of slatv clinkstone, which is

•/ *

used for roofing houses.

On the rt. of the road is passed the
ruined Castle Lai'deyt'olles, perched on
the top of such a volcanic eminence.

Within 3 m. of Le Puy the Loire is
crossed, here an insignificant stream,
descending from its source at Gerbier
des Jones, at the base of the Mont
Mezene in the Dept, de 1’Ardeche. 1
The pedestrian may proceed direct from
Le Puy to Montpezat and Aubenas by
the Source of the Loire.

A good view is obtained of the town
of Le Puy in approaching it, though
it is partly concealed by the Rocher
de Corneille.

28 Le Puy. in Rte. 109.

The road to Mende is now furnished
with post-horses : it is very hilly,
being carried over part of the range of
the Cevennes, in which some of the
principal rivers of France take their
rise. At first it ascends the valley of
the Dolaison. From that stream as
far as Pradelles the countrv is all vol-

canic.

19 Castaros.

About S m. W. of this is the Lac de
Bouehet, a mountain tarn occupying
the basin of an ancient crater. 91 ft.
deep in the centre, without visible
outlet.

At the small and elevated town of
Pradelles. near which the granite rock
shows itself, a cross road strikes off;
to Aubenas by Savilatte. over the
mountains into the valley of the Ar¬
deche, near its source, and follows
its course downwards, by Mayras, to !
Thueyts. ^/?;.■;: Chez Burine.) Thueyts '
is built on a current of basaltic lava,
which has flowed from a crater a little
to the E. of it. and hits occupied the
bed of the Aadeehe ; but the river has
cut for itself a passage on one side,
laying bare a majestic colonnade of
basalt 150 ft. high, stretching with a
few interruptions lA m. down the
valley. Its situation and environs
are most picturesque and interesting
(see Rte. 121). About 4 m. below

Thuevts. the river Alignon enters the
Ardeche from the S. The course of
that stream for about 3 m. up, lies at
the base of vertical cliffs, formed of
columns of basalt 150 ft. high, the
section of another lava current, made
by the Alignon, which has gnawed for
itself a channel between the granite
and the basalt. This lava current
is traced up to a large volcanic crater,
called, from its regular cup-shape, L i
Coupe de Jeagac. It has been breached
and broken down on one side. Its
cone and slopes are covered with
Spanish chestnut trees, which grow in
the greatest luxuriance on volcanic
soils, as is especially seen on the slopes
of Mount Etna. This crater of Jaujac
has burst forth through a coal forma¬
tion. which lines the bottom of a tri¬
angular-shaped valley, bounded by
mountains of granite and gneiss. The
village of Jaujac stands in a very
striking and singular position, on the
edge of the basaltic precipice, on the
rt. bank of the Alignon, near the base
of the crater, whence a mineral spring
and copious jets of carbonic acid gas
issue. Another lava current enters
the Alignon about 300 yards above its
junction with the Ardeche : its origin
is to be sought in another volcanic
cone, the G venue de S. 27 is . It has
spread for a considerable distance
down the valley of the Ardeche. Xu-
merous picturesque ranges of columnar
basalt are presented on the river banks
from time to time. Some of the most
striking occur near Pomi de la Beamme 9
at the junction of the Fontaulier,
which flows from Montpezat, with the
Ardeche. The excursion to Montpe¬
zat, and the rest of the road to JLh-
frejios, are described in Rte. 121.

The road from Pradelles descends
into the vailev of the Airi er, which it
crosses before entering

21 Langogne, a town of 2720 Inhab.,
in the De'pt. de la Lozere. It has an
ancient church, which belonged to a
monastery founded in the 10th eenty.

20 La Vitarelle. About 6 m. to
the S. and E. of this the rivers Airier
and Lot take their rise. A stone has
been set up here to commemorate the

Central France. Roule 118.— Mende—Mont Lozere,

409

death of the cliivali’ous Du Guesclin,
who breathed his last while besieging
a company of marauding mercenaries
of the bands called “ compagnies ” in
the petty fortress of Chateauneuf le
Randon, a little on the rt. of the
road, which still retains the ruins of
its castle. The commander had pro¬
mised to yield the place to Du Gues-
clin in a fortnight, provided no suc¬
cour arrived ; but the constable, who
was adored by the compagnies as
their father, who had spent his own
fortune in ransoms for them when
taken prisoners, died in the interval.
The governor of the fortress never¬
theless kept his word by placing the
keys on the dead warrior’s coffin on
the appointed day.

The road is carried over a very high
pass in the granitic range, a part of the
Mont Margaride, often blocked up with
snow, called in irony Le Palais du Roi.

29 Mende (7/m ; H. de Commerce),
chef-lieu of the Dept, de la Lozei^e,
anciently of the province of Gevaudun,
is a feudal and monastic town of 5909
Inhab., in a hollow, surrounded by
mountains, on the Lot. It has a fine
cathedral, surmounted by 2 spires.

The ancient Bishop's Palace is now
the prefecture. On the slope of the
Mont Mimat, above the town, is
perched the Hermitage de St. Privast,
over the grotto of that saint, the
apostle of the Gdvaudun.

Some considerable manufactures of
serges and other coarse cloths are
carried on here.

The direct road from Paris to
Montpellier runs through Marvijols,
about 12 m. AA r . of Mende.

About 6 m. S.E. of Mende rises
the Mont Lozere, whence the Departe-
ment is named, whose summit, 1490
metres above the sea-level, is covered
with extensive pastures occupied in
summer by large flocks of sheep, to
the number, it is said, of 200,000,
which migrate in the winter to the
plains of Languedoc ; and its base is
girt round with large forests, which
still abound in wolves.

At 3 m. from Mende our road quits
the valley of the Lot, and, crossing a
calcareous table-land, utterly bare and

France .

arid, destitute of habitation, cultiva¬
tion, and almost of soil, called Causse
de Sauvetcrre, descends into the valley
of the Tarn, and the country of the
Cevennes. (Introduction, Sect. A".)

26 Molines.

The principal source of the Tarn is
in the Plateau de l’Hopital : on its
borders lies Grisac, birth-place of
Pope Urban A 1- ., and about 6 m. from
its source the Pont de Alontvert, a
small village, deep sunk between the
Mont Loz5re and Boughs, the scene
of some remarkable events in the war
of the Cevennes. The insurrection
in fact commenced here by the mur¬
der of the archdeacon Chayla, a cruel
persecutor of the Calvinists, who had
scoured the country backed by a
troop of dragoons, seizing, imprison¬
ing, and torturing women and men.
On the night of July 24, 1702, the
house, still standing at the N. end of
the bridge, at that time occupied by
Chayla and a party of priests and sol¬
diers, was beset by a band of armed
Caruisards, headed by one of their
prophets, Seguier, who, after breaking
down the door with the trunk of a
tree and releasing the prisoners, set
fire to it, and slew those who at¬
tempted to escape.

A few of its inmates were allowed
quarter, but Chayla, whose death was
the motive for the assault, having
broken his leg in letting himself
down from a window, was discovered
and killed without mercy. He fell,
pierced with 52 wounds, 24 of which
were mortal. The prophet and his
companions, having perpetrated this
act of vengeance, passed the night on
their knees around the corpses, sing¬
ing psalms, and did not withdraw
before the morning. Seguier was
captured shortly after, and expiated
his crime by being burned alive on
the 10th August, 1702. As Pont de
Montvert was the cradle, so was it
also the tomb of the insurrection :
the last bold act of the Camisard
chief Roland before his death was
an assault upon the Miguelets or
Spanish soldiers posted in the village,
from which he was l'epulsed. Joani,
one of the last of the Camisard leaders,

410

Route 118.— Florae — Mialet,

Sect. V.

having been made prisoner near this
(1710), slipped off from behind the
horse of the “archer” or policeman
who was conveying him to a dungeon,
as he was passing the bridge, like Rob
Roy in Scott’s novel, and leaped down
into the Tarn, a height of 20 ft. He
was shot, however, by the captain of
the archers, and perished in the river.
Our road quits the Tarn to follow its
tributary, the Tarnon, shortly before
reaching

11 Florae, a town of 2200 Inhab.,
situated under a hill, whose bare cleft
ridge rises in the form of castellated
towers on the Tarnon, close to the
influx of the Mimente. The 3 valleys
of the 3 head-waters of the Tarn lead
into the inextricable labyrinth of de¬
files composing the mountainous dis¬
trict of the Hautes Cevennes. The
Mimente rises in the mountain of
Bouges, whose N. summit is crowned
by the forest Altefage, in the depths
of which the murderers of the arch¬
priest Chayla had their rendezvous
under 3 huge beech-trees, one of
which was standing in 1837, reduced
to a shattered trunk. At Cassagnas,
a village near the source of the Mi¬
mente, 13 m. from Florae, many of
the caverns which were converted into
storehouses and arsenals by the Ca-
misards still exist, and serve as habi¬
tations. They were filled with corn,
wine, oil, chestnuts, and other pro¬
visions taken from convents and
Romish villages, or contributed by the
Protestants to their leaders. The
provisions were conveyed thence to
the spots where the insurgents met,
either in conventicle for prayer, or in
battle-array, and there distributed in
rations. The corn was for the most
part ground in hand-mills, the water¬
mills having been destroyed by the
military commander of Languedoc,
who, at the same time, laid waste and
burned all the villages in the Upper
Cevennes, to the number of nearly
400, driving away their inhabitants.
Other caves were filled with living
flocks and herds or with meat salted,
while others again were used as pow¬
der magazines and mills ; for the Ca-
misards made powder for themselves

from the saltpetre collected in their
caverns, and the ashes of the willows
growing on all the streams. Their
principal supply, however, was pur¬
chased at Papal Avignon ; so that the
Papists were shot chiefly by the Pope’s
own powder. The most airy and
wholesome caverns were transformed
into hospitals for the wounded, and
stored with drugs from Montpellier—
to such an extent was the commis¬
sariat organised by Roland and other
leaders of that fearful civil strife.
The mountains skirted by the road on
the L, from Molines down to Ledig-
nan, may be regarded as the citadel
of the Camisard insurgents ; but their
ravages and incursions extended S. of
the Gardon, and as far as the sea.
Among these desolate solitudes they
met, like the Cameronians of Scotland,
with arms in their hands, in secret
conventicles, where the harangues of
their prophets and their hymns and
prayers were often interrupted by an
onset of the royal troops, and the con¬
gregation arose from their knees to do
battle. After some miles we ascend
out of the valley of the Tarnon, leav¬
ing it and the road to Montpellier on
the rt., and, crossing the high land of
Hospitalet, enter the valley of the
Gardon, in which lies

23 Pompidou.

The road runs along a sort of hog’s
back or ridge, dividing the Dept, de
la Lozere from that of Gard, and tra¬
verses a sterile and dreary country.

30 St. Jean du Gard, on the 1.
bank of the Gardon, contains silk
mills: 4128 Inhab.

Within this canton, 6 or 8 m. to
the N.E., among the mountains, lies
Mialet, a village of 1358 Inhab., the
stronghold and head-quarters of Ro¬
land, chief of the Gamisards, who was
born at Massoubeyran, close to Mia¬
let. It is also remarkable for the caves
and grottoes around it, converted by
him into arsenals and storehouses
during the war of the Cevennes.
Another position of strength held by
him was Durfort, among the moun¬
tains on the rt. of the Gardon and
considerably to the S. of Anduze.

To the S.W. of St. Jean rise the

Cevennes.

Route 119 .—Roanne to Valence.

411

mountains of the Basses Cevennes,
the chief of which is the Aigoal, at
whose base the river Herault rises.

Anduze (no post) is a town of
5554 Inliab., on the rt. bank of the
Gardon, and protected from its fu¬
rious inundations by a strong dyke
forming a terrace and promenade. It
is overhung by escarped rocks of the
Monts Peyremale and St. Julien. It
was the centre of the religious wars
which foil owed the death of Henri IV.,
and the head-quarters of the Calvinist
leader Rolian. A large portion of its
inliab. are still Calvinists. During
the Camisard insurrection this town
as well as Alais was constantly beset
by the Camisards up to its very walls.

Florian, the author of ‘ Gonzalvo
cle Cordova/ was born in the castle
of Florian, between Anduze and St.
Hyppolite. The valley of the Gardon
below Anduze, between Fornac and
Ners, is called Vallee de Beaurivage,
and is described in his pastoral ro¬
mances Estelle and Nemorin, but with
so much exaggeration as scarcely to be
distinguished.

Near Lezan our road quits the val¬
ley of the Gardon.

27 Ledignan.

Ribaute, a village situated among
the hills to the N. of this, was the
birth-place of Cavalier, who, having
been bred a shepherd, and afterwards
apprenticed to a baker at Anduze,
was elected, at the age of 17, second
in command of the Camisard insur¬
gents, and proved himself a most able
general, as well as powerful prophet
or preacher. He died a pensioner in
Chelsea Hospital.

13 Les Barragues de Fons.

18 Nismes, in Route 126.

ROUTE 119.

ROANNE TO VALENCE ON THE RHONE,

BY ST. ETIENNE AND ANNONAY.-

RAILWAY FROM ROANNE TO ST. ETI¬
ENNE.

179 kilom. = llOf Eng. m.
Diligences go daily.

Roanne is described in Rte. 105.

A Bailroad, 42^ m. long, has been
carried from Roanne to St. Etienne :
the branch from Andresieux to St.
Etienne was the first railway con¬
structed in France: horses and not
locomotives are used on it, and,
though passenger trains traverse it in
about 6 hours, it is chiefly used for
the conveyance of coals and merchan¬
dise ; its construction is very imper¬
fect, and it is not recommended to
English travellers. Carriages are not
taken.

From Roanne it is carried up the
valley of the Rhins, a small tributary
of the Loire, parallel with the post¬
road to Lyons, as far as St. Sympho-
rien de Lay, where it turns S. The
post-road to St. Etienne turns off pre¬
viously at L’Hdpital to

20 Neulise Stat., beyond which it
meets the railway, and the two pro¬
ceed side by side up the valley of the
Loire along its rt. bank. Near the
village Pouilly the Loire is confined
between huge dykes, faced with stones
cemented and clamped together, called
Mole de Pine, the original construction
of which is attributed to the Romans.
The rapids thus produced in the river
prevent the ascent of boats.

20 Feurs Stat., in Rte. 112.

11 Montrond Stat., a village on the
rt. bank of the Loire, m. W. of the
railway. Above it rise the majestic
ruins of its old castle, burned at the
Revolution by order of an itinerant
representative of the people.

Montbrison (Rte. 112) is 10 m. dis¬
tant from Montrond.

14 La Gouyonniere.

The railway reaches the banks of
the Loire at Andresieux, to which
place large quantities of coal are con¬
veyed from St. Etienne, to be em¬
barked on the Loire for the supply of
the centre and W. of France. Beyond
Andresieux the line quits the side
of the Loire, and ascends the in¬
dustrious valley of its tributary the
Furens, which, in the course of 9 m.,
sets in motion more than 100 forges
and mills. The line from Roanne
meets that from St. Etienne at a place
called Querillere, near La Fouillouse.

t 2

412

Route 119.— St. Etienne.

Sect. V.

14 St. Etienne. — Inns : H. du
Nord, large ; and comfortable, in the
Rue Royale ;—Poste, also good.

St. Etienne, the largest and most
populous town in the Dept, de la
Loire, although not its chef-lieu, now
numbering with its suburbs about
72,000 Inhab., is a remarkable ex¬
ample of a sudden rise, and of still in¬
creasing prosperity, owing to two very
dissimilar but flourishing branches of
manufacture—the making of fire-arms
and the weaving of ribbons. To use
the words of a French topographer,
“ ce sont les ateliers de Mars a cote
de ceux de "Venus.” The town is
advantageously situated on the banks
of the Furens, which furnishes water¬
power to move its machinery, in the
midst of one of the most productive
coal-fields of France. It may be called
a French Birmingham, and, like that
of England, it is the “child of coal,”
surrounded by mines, and even seated
on coal-deposits, so that some gal¬
leries are driven beneath its very
streets, though under strict superin¬
tendence of the authorities. It is by
no means an inviting place to tarry in:
little regularity is preserved in the
building of streets so suddenly thrown
up ; and the fine white sandstone of
its houses, many of them 5 and 6
stories high, is soon tarnished and
blackened by the coal-smoke which
constantly hangs in clouds over it. It
has one fine broad street, divided into
2 “Places,” planted with trees, by the
Hotel de Ville, which stands in the
centre of it and of the town. It is a
building of no great merit, but of
large size. It contains the Bourse and
the commercial tribunal called Conseil
des Prudhornmes.

Within its walls is an incipient
Museum (Musee industrial), containing
specimens of the staple manufactures
of the town, ribbons of all kinds, gun-
barrels, locks, and stocks, engraved
and carved by local w r orkmen ; also
a collection of the minerals of the
neighbourhood, and of the fossils of
its coal-field, &c.

There are more than 200 master-
manufacturers of ribbons here. The
number of persons in the town and

neighbouring communes employed in
this branch of industry has been esti¬
mated at 40,000, and the number of
looms at about 20,000. The weavers
live chiefly on the outskirts of the
town and in the adjoining villages,
where they avoid the smoke, and live
cheaper by escaping the octroi.

The beauty and varied invention
shown in the patterns, and the deli¬
cate combinations of colours, are ad¬
mirable. An English traveller should
not omit to visit a ribbon-weaver's
atelier. About 60 artists are em¬
ployed in designing and drawing pat¬
terns. The total annual value of
ribbons made here is estimated at 45
millions of francs.

The gunsmiths' shops may be better
seen at Birmingham, or even at Liege,
both which places produce a larger
quantity of arms. About 30,000 or
40,000 stand of arms are made here
annually in time of peace, besides
30,000 fowling-pieces, and 1500 pair
of pistols; and during the sway of
Napoleon not less than from 60,000
to 100,000 were turned out; but it is
stated that at a push 300,000 muskets
might be produced in 12 months.
A musket may be bought for 12 or
even 10 fr.; but the price paid by
government is from 24 fr. to 35 fr.
apiece. About 500 men are employed
in the Manufacture Royale des Armes,
which is carried on by contractors,
under the superintendence of artillery-
officers; but many more out-labourers
are employed. All the barrels made
must pass through a trial at the proof-
house ( Maison d’Epreuve), open twice
a-week. There are also considerable
manufacturers of quincaillerie, hard¬
ware, and cutlery.

The making of bayonets, gun-locks,
gun-stocks of walnut-wood seasoned
by steam, employs a great number of
hands.

St. Etienne is lighted with gas.
Its Cathedral exhibits in its choir an
ancient specimen of Romanesque ar¬
chitecture.

There is a Theatre here.

Chemins de Fer .—Two short rail¬
ways branch off from St. Etienne—
1. to Lyons: the terminus is at the

Central France. Route 119 .—La Republicjue —Annonay. 413

end of the Rue Royale, on the E. of
the town, and there are 3 trains
daily (see Rte. 118); 2. to Roanne.
The station is also about 4 hour’s walk
from the centre of the town. Trains
go once a-day. (See p. 407.)

Diligences daily to Lyons (3 times);
to Le Puy; to Annonay and Valence;
to Clermont; to Roanne.

The road to Annonay, almost im¬
mediately on quitting the town, passes
out of the coal-basin, and commences
a long but gradual ascent through a
rugged valley, over the high moun¬
tain-ridge separating the waters flow¬
ing into the Atlantic from those
which run into the Mediterranean,
and the valley of the Loire from that
of the Rhone. These two rivers run
parallel to each other, but in an op¬
posite direction, for not less than 120
m. A short way below the summit
stands

12 La Republique, the first relay,
a solitary cabaret, which will furnish
a tolerable meal and glass of wine.
The ridge which our road crosses is
a continuation of the granitic range
of the Mont Pilas (pileatus), so con¬
spicuous from the banks of the Rhone,
near Vienne (Rte. 125), whose peak is
visible on the 1. near La Republique.
The summit of the pass, and country
around, is occupied by a vast forest
of firs, le Grand Bois, on emerging
from which, and beginning to descend,
a fine view opens out, at the end of
the valley, of the Alps of Daupliine
stretching along the horizon, of the
minor chain running from them down
the valley of the Isere, and more near,
on the rt., of the mountains of the
Ardeche.

The road is finely engineered, car¬
ried gradually down along the flanks of
the mountains, following their sinuosi¬
ties. It passes above the ruined Castle
<TArgenial, planted on a sort of pro¬
montory, where the rocks are naked
and inaccessible. The Bourg, once
attached to it, has prudently descended
from this feudal platform,

(16 Bourg d’Argental), and now
occupies a more genial and sunny site
lower down, in a part of the valley
where the vine grows and the white

mulberry flourishes. The white silk
produced here is the best in France
for the manufacture of blonde lace,
and bears a high price.

A little below this town the road
passes out of the Dept, of the Loire
into that of the Ardeche.

The valley of the Dieune, in which
lie both Bourg d’Argental and Anno¬
nay, has no very striking features of
beauty; naked rocks intermixed with
formal mulberry plantations, with green
meadows, aspens, and willows, are the
components of its scenery. Lower
down, the river is bestridden by
several large paper-mills, chiefly be¬
longing to the respected family Mont¬
golfier. The road, carried high up,
looks over slopes occupied by vine¬
yards, beyond which rises the Alpine
chain, and between which, in a deep
ravine, runs the river. Numerous
country houses, or boxes, among the
vines announce the approach to Anno¬
nay.

15 Annonay. Inns: H. du Midi; H.
du Nord.

This active and increasing manu¬
facturing town, the largest in the
Ddpt. de 1’Ardeche, containing a popu
lation of 10,000 souls, is situated in
the rocky gorges of the Dieune and
the Cance, which join their streams
in the very centre of the town. The
houses are either crammed in between
the rocks, or carried up their sides
in tiers, or in ranges along their tops,
so that its ground plan is very irre¬
gular, and from no point can the
whole town be seen at once. It has
no public buildings of the least interest,
merit, or good taste. The Grande
Place includes in its centre the Bascule,
and on one side an Obelisk to the
memory of the ingenious brothers
Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, na¬
tives of Annonay, the inventors of the
air-balloon, and founders of the cele¬
brated paper-mills near this; it was
erected “parleurs concitoyens.” Their
first ascent into the air was made from
this spot, June 1783, in the presence
of the Estates of the province. The
descendants of the brothers still reside
in the neighbourhood, where tbe
family is distinguished by its well-

414

Route 121.— Valence to Nismes.

Sect. V.

earned opulence and intelligence.
Boissy d’Anglas, the firm and unbend¬
ing president of the Convention, was
also born here.

The chief manufacture of Anno-
nay is that of paper, celebrated all
over France, produced in 8 paper-
mills on the neighbouring streams.
The preparation of kid and other
glove leather occupies 65 master manu¬
facturers and 600 men: 350,000
dozen of skins are prepared annually,
of which half are sent to England.
The cultivation of the silk-worm, and
the production of silk, chiefly the
white kind, prized for blondes, is
rapidly advancing in the neighbour¬
hood. Vast quantities of mulberries
have been planted within a few years,
and numerous silk-mills (filatures)
established.

The name Annonay is said to come
from the Latin annona, corn maga¬
zines, established by the Romans on
this spot (?).

There is a good and interesting road
from Annonay to Le Puy—penetrating
the romantic Val de Vocance, and car¬
ried out of it by a series of zigzags,
by which a great elevation is reached,
upon which stands the miserable au-
berge and post-house St. Bonnet le
Froid. It falls into the road to Le
Puy (Rte. 118) near Yssingeaux.

Diligences daily; to St. Etienne; to
Paris; to Lyons; to Grenoble; to
Valence and Avignon.

A steep ascent leads out of Anno¬
nay: from the heights above it, and
nearly all the way to the Rhone,
the Alps form a fine feature in the
view.

The borders of the Rhone are reached
a little below la Tour cles Martyrs,
near Andance, picturesquely situated
among granitic hills, on whose sides
every inch of space opening to the sun
is occupied by vines. A crag rising
above the village is surmounted by a
Calvary. Near this the sad effects of
the inundations of the Rhone, in 1840-
41-46, meet the traveller’s sight, in
fields and vineyards overwhelmed
with sand, broken bridges, and ruined
houses, until the Rhone is crossed, by
a wire bridge, at

21 St. Vallier,

32 Valence {Inn:
Poste),

described in
Rte. 125.

ROUTE 121.

VALENCE TO NISMES, BY PllIVAS.—

AUBENAS AND ALAIS.—VOLCANOES OF

THE ARDECHE.

184 kilom.=:115 Eng. m.

A post-road, but not good in places,
and very hilly. A diligence goes daily
to Aubenas, but it takes 12 u hours,
owing to the defects of the road, which,
while it continues along the Rhone, is
carried through several rivers by fords,
and beyond is very hilly. Throughout
it is interrupted by numerous villages,
the passage of whose narrow and ill-
paved streets is very difficult and
tedious.

The Rhone is crossed by the wire
bridge at Valence to the rt. bank:
and the Eyrieu by another wire
bridge to

19 Lavoulte; all which is described
in Rte. 125.

The Valley of La Payre, up which
the road turns on quiting the Rhone,
is not remarkable for beauty; owing
to the extreme aridity of the hills,
which are of bare limestone, with a
drapery of vines too scanty to cover
their nakedness. There is some pas¬
ture in the low ground; but the dis¬
trict must properly be considered one
vast grove of mulberries, for rearing
the silkworm,—the source of wealth
to the Ardeche. (See Rte. 125.)

The large white buildings which
line the banks of the useful stream
traversing the valley are, for the most
part, silk-mills, for the moulinage
(reeling) and filature (throwing) of
the silk. They are very numerous
near Chomerac, the most consider¬
able place in this valley. A low ridge
separates it from that in which is
situated

20 Privas. — Inns: La Croix d’Or;
tolerable, but dear;—H. du Commerce.
Avoid stopping here for the night if
possible, in autumn, on account of the
mosquitoes.

The Ardeche. Jioute 121 .—Privas — Les Moulins.

415

Privas, chef-lieu of the D£pt. de
1’Ardeche, 4219 Inhab., and one of
the smallest chef-lieux in France, is
situated on a steep ridge, a root of
the range of the Coiron, projecting
between the valley of the Ouveze
and that of a smaller stream falling
into it, within an amphitheatre of
rugged and arid hills. Its principal
street running along this back-bone
is prolonged, at either end, into ter¬
races planted with trees, whence a
good view is obtained of the valleys
around, their slopes clad with vines
and dotted with country houses; their
depths, along the line of the streams,
studded with silk-mills.

The town has an aspect of some
pretension at a distance, with the
Greek portico of its Palais de Justice,
but contains nothing worth notice
except its establishments for the reel¬
ing and throwing of silk. It was in
the 16th and 17th centuries a fort¬
ress and stronghold of Protestantism,
so that in 1612 a synod of all the
Reformed Churches of France w r as
held here; and in the reign of Henri
IV. there was not a single Roman
Catholic in the town or its territory.
It has now quite a modern appear¬
ance, owing to its having been burned
to the ground, and levelled with the
dust, by Louis XIII., who assisted in
person to besiege it, in the train of
Card. Richelieu. The defence was
conducted by the brave St. Andr 6 de
Montbrun, and a garrison of 1200
men, assisted by the inhabitants. At
the end of 2 months a general assault
was made by the royal forces, who
Avere repulsed with a loss of 500 men;
but the place being no longer tenable
was abandoned by Montbrun, who
retired to the Fort de Toulon, wdiere
the want of provisions compelled him
soon after to surrender. The king
caused him and all his companions to
be hung; he confiscated the property
of all the inhabitants of the town who
were in it during the siege, and for¬
bade, by an edict, any person living
there without letters issued under the
great seal. The site of this fort is
marked by a conical hill, surmounted
by 3 crosses, and a Protestant temple

near the Esplanade marks the position
of the old castle, which was razed to
the ground. Privas had, in a previous
war of religion, 1574, successfully
resisted the royal forces, under the
Due de Montpensier, and had become
a sort of metropolitan church to the
Protestants: hence the exasperation of
the Roman Catholic party against it.

The road to Aubenas surmounts the
chain of the Coiron mountains, which
traverse the Dept. Ardeche from
X.W. to S.E., by a steep ascent, re¬
quiring 2 hours to climb to the sum¬
mit of the pass. It passes through
large plantations of sweet chestnuts.
The famed “ marrons de Lyon” come
chiefly from the Ardeche. The country
is not interesting, the extreme naked¬
ness of the hills being a great draw¬
back. The mountains on either side
of the gap or col over which the road
passes are capped by basalt. From
the slope and top of the pass the
mountains of the Ddpt. of the Drome
beyond the Rhone are well seen. On
the opposite slope, a little way down,
stands

16 Les Moulins, a single house. On
the descent towards Aubenas, the hills
are not less parched and naked, nor
more picturesque, than on the side
of Privas. The vine grows very high
up, and it is curious to see it flourish¬
ing upon the dry disintegrated debris
of rock fallen from the tops of the
mountains, streaking their whitened
flanks with the faintest tinge of ver¬
dure. The descent is very long, and
the road towards the bottom of the
valley as bad as possible; not properly
made.

The river Ardeche is crossed im¬
mediately before reaching Aubenas,
in a suburb of that town composed
chiefly of silk-mills. A series of zig¬
zags carried up the face of the hill are
surmounted in order to enter

14 Aubenas.— Inn: H. de TUnion,
kept by Barry; good, and tolerably
comfortable, with capital cuisine, and
not expensive. Truffles abound here;
chestnuts, figs, ortolans are to be had
in perfection. The house, being situ¬
ated on the brow of the hill, commands
a fine view from its terrace.

416

Route 121.-— Aubenas .

Sect V.

Aubenas (4685 Inhab.) is a town
of very striking appearance at a dis¬
tance, from the commanding height on
which it stands, and the picturesque
forms of its old Gothic castle, feudal
walls, and other chief buildings. From
this elevated platform, the foot of
which is washed by the Ardeche, you
command a view of some interest
over its industrious and productive
vale, clothed in its lower slopes with
vines, fig-trees, and mulberry groves,
surmounted in the distance by the
usual bare arid mountains. You trace
the river’s course upwards to the
point where it issues out of the more
confined gorge of Vais, and, as it were
rejoicing in riotous liberty, widens
its bed, and overspreads the valley
with gravel, bare at most seasons but
winter and after autumnal storms,
when the whole channel is covered
by its muddy stream. It is never¬
theless useful, serving to irrigate the
fields, and turn the machinery of a
long array of silk-mills which line its
banks.

Aubenas is of importance as a place
of trade, having become the staple
for the silks of the Ardeche, Drome,
Gard, and L’Herault, which are de¬
posited here in commission houses,
sometimes to the value of 3 millions
of francs, to be disposed of and dis¬
tributed to the consumers in Lyons,
St. Etienne, &c., who find here an
assortment of all the different quali¬
ties of silk, suited to the exigence of
the various manufactures. The canton
of Aubenas furnishes about the 30th
part of the silks sold in its market: in
1838 it possessed 60 mills for reeling
and throwing the silk, which employed
1600 persons, chiefly females: the
number has since greatly increased.

The College Royal was originally
placed under the care of the Jesuits,
established here in the 16th centy. for
the conversion of the Protestants, who
abounded in the Yivarais, as well as
for the dissemination of learning.
Neither the building nor its church
merit notice.

The castle, an ancient and picturesque
edifice, flanked by round and square
towers, was occupied alternately by

Romanists and Huguenots during the
wars of religion: it is now converted
into municipal and police offices; and
the public scales for weighing all the
silk brought to market are deposited
in it.

Diligences daily to Privas and Va¬
lence; a courier to Bourg St. Andeol;
and 3 times a week to Mont&imart.

Although there is little worth seeing
in Aubenas itself, it makes capital
head - quarters (more especially con¬
sidering the goodness of its Inn) for
exploring the surrounding district of
the Vivarais, so interesting in a geo¬
logical point of view.

The course of the river Ardeche and
its tributaries, above Aubenas, and
within a range of 15 or 20 m., exhibits
a series of interesting volcanic phe¬
nomena, which the geologist will not
fail to explore, and which may be vi¬
sited with interest even by the ordinary
traveller, merely on account of the
picturesqueness and singularity of the
scenery.

Some of the valleys of the Bas Vi¬
varais present an exquisite combination
of beauty and magnificence. Their
scenery has been compared by Mr.
Scrope, in his excellent geological de¬
scription of this district, to that of the
Apennines, but with a more luxuriant
vegetation. The rich glow of the
chestnut forests, tinted by a soft and
brilliant atmosphere, are admirably
adapted to painting.

Excursions .— 1. Antraigues and the
Coupe d’Ayzac are distant about 8 m.
above Aubenas. A good road leads
thither, turning out of that to Le Puy
at La Begude, and crossing the river
Ardeche, by a wire bridge, to the vil¬
lage of Vais (H. de 1’Europe ; a good
Inn, and convenient head-quarters for
geological excursions), resorted to on
account of its mineral baths, supplied
by a spring of cold acidulo-ferruginous
water. Vais lies on the 1. bank of the
Volane, a tributary of the Ardeche ;
and for nearly 6 m. above Vais the
valley, which is very picturesque, and
alternately well wooded or bounded
by rocks of gneiss and granite, is
studded at intervals by patches of
basalt, forming platforms and regular

The Ardeche. i?. 121 .—Coupe d'Ayzac — Pont la Baume. 417

colonnades, like those of the Giant’s
Causeway, but on a much smaller
scale, although at times 100 or 150 ft.
high. These fragments are all that
remain of a lava current which once,
undoubtedly, filled the bottom of the
valley, but was cut away by the Vo-
lane, in forcing a passage for its waters.
They appear to be composed of 3 beds,
or stories, of which the lower one
presents the most regular columns,
and the upper is nearly amorphous.
In places the current of the river, or of
some minor rivulet, still saws through
or undermines the basalt, and strews
the bed of the Volane with detached
pillars, mostly regular prisms of 5 or 6
sides. In some places you look down
on the top of the lava stream, which
presents the appearance of a gigantic
tesselated pavement. The origin of
this eruption is to be traced in a vol¬
canic cone, called La Coupe d’Ayzac,
rising on the 1. bank of the Yolane,
opposite Antraigues, a picturesque vil¬
lage, which occupies a commanding
platform on the top of a high rock of
gneiss near the head of the valley.
Around the base of this rock still
cluster numerous groups of columns,
corresponding with a much finer co¬
lonnade, on the opposite or rt. bank
of the river, at the same level, which
were doubtless originally united. An¬
traigues affords no accommodation but a
miserable cabaret. To reach the Coupe
d’Ayzac is a walk of -f hour from the
bridge over the Volane, leaving on the
i4. hand the road up to Antraigues. It
is a very regular crater, but slightly
broken down on the N.W. side, facing
the Col d’Ayzac; and from this breach
the stream of basaltic lava which has
flowed down the course of the Volane
may be seen to issue.

The stout pedestrian may find his
way over the mountains from this to
Burzet and Montpezat, but the aid of
a guide may be desirable; otherwise he
must retrace his steps down the Volane
to Vais.

2. To Montpezat, Thueyts, Jaujac.
It is a long day’s excursion to Mont¬
pezat alone, which is probably 16 m.
from Aubenas—a ride of nearly 4 lirs.
by a bad road. The road to Le Puy,

up the valley of the Ardeche, is fol¬
lowed ; but, instead of crossing the
bridge at La Begude, you continue
along the rt. bank, leaving on one side
the dirty village of Prades, where coal
in small quantity is found, and, pro¬
ceeding to La Baume (6j m. from
Aubenas), a village picturesquely si¬
tuated, under a mass of basalt, ex¬
hibiting in the face of its cliffs a fine
architectural fa§ade of columns, and
occupying an angle in the valley, nearly
opposite to the junction of the Fontau-
lier with the Ard&che. The top of this
platform of basalt, called Chaussee du
Pont la Baume, is covered with vines,
and its mass is penetrated by a sort of
grotto, lined and vaulted with natural
pillars. This chaussee is probably the
production of no less than 4 or 5 ex¬
tinct volcanoes situated in the side
valleys opening into the Ardeche, above
this, whose lava streams united at this
point, just as the waters flowing out of
them now do. Between the two rivers,
on the top of a domineering rock, its
shattered towers and walls pictur¬
esquely draped with ivy, rises an old
Castle, which once belonged to the
Dues de Ventadour: it is one of the
finest feudal relics in the district.

The road to Montpezat (a bridle or
cart road only) here quits that to
Thueyts and Le Puy (see Rte. 118),
crosses the Ardeche by the Pont de la
Baume, and ascends the valley of the
Fontaulier, having the castle on the 1.,
and commanding a fine view of it and
the 2 valleys. Ranges of basalt appear
from time to time on either side of the
valley.

On the rt., a little beyond the village
of Mey ras, the valley of Burzet opens out
on the rt.; a bed of basalt occupies the
bottom of it, and the river frequently
flows over the tops of its columns, in¬
stead of cutting through them. About
6 m. up this valley is a village.

The vale of the Fontaulier expands
as you ascend it; its lower slopes are
covered with one vast forest of sweet
chestnut, which flourishes in the con¬
genial soil, composed of volcanic ashes,
many of the trees being centuries old.
The roads are strewn with their fruit
in September, yet, productive as they

T 3

418

Route 121.— Montpezat—Aubenas to Nismes. Sect. V.

are, and valuable to the peasant, who
exports the best to Lyons or Paris, and
feeds on the inferior fruit himself in
winter, they are gradually giving place
to the still more profitable mulberry-
trees and the culture of silk. The
higher slopes, nearly to the tops of the
hills, are terraced to plant vines. The
red ashes, or scoriae, which compose
the soil of the valley, have issued from
a volcanic crater near its head, easily
distinguished for some distance below
by its red hue, called La Gravenne de
Montpezat. It is a regular bowl-shaped
orifice, composed of porous scoriae,
roasted like the slag of a furnace, or of
puzzolana (here called gravier). The
crater is slightly inclined on one side;
and from the lowest edge of its rim the
lava current which occupies the valley
below Montpezat has been discharged,
filling the beds of the streams to a
depth of 130 ft., and for the width of
nearly ^ a m. The road to and from
the bridge leading to Montpezat passes
under cliffs cut through this eruption
of lava, and showing on their face co¬
lumns of considerable regularity. A
branch of the lava current from the
Gravenne has descended, on the op¬
posite side of the crater, towards
Thueyts, into the Ardeche. Volcanic
tears, bombs, black and white cinders,
are among the productions of its lava.

Montpezat (inn : a dirty, miserable
cabaret, de France) is a poor and dirty
town, composed of singular gloomy
houses, in a narrow street, at the foot
of the granitic range of the Coiron
mountains. A carriage-road has re¬
cently been made from the town up
the valley, and over the bridge be¬
hind, as far as the village Pal (If lir.’s
walk), beyond which, on the opposite
slope, is the very perfect volcano of
Pal, in the midst of which rise 3 cones.

About 15 m. N. of Montpezat, near
Gerbier des Jones, at the base of the
Mount Mezene, is the source of the
Loire, 4711 ft. above the sea-level.
There is a bridle-path by it to Le Puy
(Ete. 109).

It is possible to cross the mountain
from the Gravenne of Montpezat direct
to Thueyts; the only other way is to
return to Pont de la Baume.

A short way above La Baume the
Ard&che is joined by the river Alignon,
in whose valley are situated the sin¬
gular craters of Jaujac and Souillols.
(See Ete. 118.) There is a road from
Jaujac down the valley of the Liane to
L’Argentiere.

Thueyts (Inn; Chez Burine ; far
better than that at Montpezat) lies on
the 1. bank of the Ardeche, surrounded
by the most splendid volcanic scenery,
about 4 m. above La Baume (see Ete.
118); it stands on a volcanic current,
which has issued from the same ridge
as the Gravenne de Montpezat, if not
from that very crater. For nearly 1 m.
below Thueyts the river is lined by the
majestic colonnade of basalt proceeding
from it. A stair, the steps of which
are basaltic prisms, has been formed
up the rock, and is called Escalier die
Roi* A stream dashing down into a
tremendous ravine called La Gueide
d’Enfer forms a remarkable waterfall.

The road from Aubenas to Nismes
is that by which the silk produced in
the S. is transported to the market of
Aubenas, and thence transferred to the
manufactories of Lyons and St. Etienne.
It leaves the town of L’Argentiere a
little on the rt. before reaching

23 Joyeuse, a small town on the
Baume, at the foot of the Cevennes.
An excursion might be made hence by
Euoms and Vallons (famed for the
caves in its vicinity) to the Pont de
VArc, a natural bridge of limestone
spanning the river Ardeche, open to a
height of 90 ft. above it, and 160 ft.
wide. It was once the common line
of passage from the Vivarais into the
Cevennes, and was fortified in the
religious wars.

29 St. Ambroix, in the Dept. Gard,
a town of 3000 Inhab., on the Ceze,
surmounted by an old castle.

The coal - mines of Bessege, near
which tli£ road passes, are remarkable
for the quantity and size of the fossil
vegetables occurring in them.

The rivers Ceze and the 2 Gardons
take their rise in the mountains of the
Hautes Cevennes ,—the wild theatre of

* Additional information respecting the valley
of the Ardeche is desired by the Editor.

The Cevennes. Route 121 .—Aubenas to Nismes — Alais. 419

the insurrection of the Protestant
mountaineers, known as Camisards,
or “ Enfans de Dieu,” as they called
themselves ; 'while they distinguished
their native mountains, whose roots
our road may be said to skirt on the
rt. from St. Ambroix to Ners, by the
name “ le Desert.” Their desolating
irruptions and bloody contests with
the forces of Louis XIV. spread far
and wide over the country we are about
to traverse, on both sides of our route,
up to the very gates of Nismes and
Alais; and almost every step will recall
to those familiar with the history of
that fearful contest some melancholy
memorial of bloodshed and violence.

19 Alais [Inns; H. du Commerce;—
Lion d’Or), an important manufactur¬
ing town, containing 15,884 Inhab., in
the midst of a productive coal-field,
which has only recently begun to be
worked to any extent, and which fur¬
nishes iron as well as coal. The chief
collieries are at Grande Combe on the
railway. There are in the vicinity of
Alais numerous iron - furnaces, silk-
mills, glass-works, and many steam-
engines hard at work.

The Place de la Marecliale is sur¬
rounded by low porticoes or arcades.

The town contains no fine buildings.
It was taken by Louis XIII., as a
stronghold of Protestantism, and its
fortifications destroyed.

A railroad connects Alais with
Nismes; trains go twice a day. Dis¬
tance 49 kilom. = 30 Eng. m. A
branch extends from Alais to Grande
Combe, 10 m.

At la Tour de Bellot, a deserted
sheep-farm and watch-tower to the W.
of Alais, between it and Anduze, a
band of 1500 Camisards, betrayed by a
miller on the Gardon, who had sup¬
plied them with provisions, were sur¬
prised at night by the troops of Louis
XIV., 1704. The Camisard outposts
had barely time to sound an alarm,
when they were cut to pieces, so that
only the leader and a paid of the band
were able to issue forth from the tower
before it was invested. The Camisard
chief. Cavalier, made furious efforts
to drive back the soldiery, and relieve
his brethren in the tower, but in vain.

Its garrison, however, blocked up every
entry, pouring a deadly fire from every
window and cranny, and were only
subdued, after an obstinate resistance of
8 hours, by fire being set to the build¬
ing, in which 298 of them perished,
besides 100 left dead outside the walls.
The loss of the king’s troops was esti¬
mated at 1200 killed and wounded.
Wild justice was soon after done by
the Camisards on the traitorous miller;
he was seized, condemned to death,
and led out to execution in front of the
insurgents, who, as was their custom,
knelt around him the while, offering
up prayers for his soul. His 2 sons,
who served in their ranks, refused his
parting embrace, and looked on un¬
moved during his punishment.

Vezenobre, through which the road
passes, is frequently mentioned in the
history of the Cevenol war; and the
inhabitants of Euzet, a village a few
miles to the E., were put to the sword,
1704, by a king’s officer, Lalande. En¬
tering the town suddenly, he found
great store of provisions, heaps of bread,
hams, sausages, and a bullock skinned,
evidently destined for the Camisards,
whom a brief search disclosed concealed
in the neighbourhood. They were the
remains of the force of Cavalier, de¬
feated at Nages (Rte. 126), and were
here again routed with a loss of 170
killed, including several prophetesses.
Further evidence that the inhabitants
of Euzet were aiding and abetting the
rebels was furnished by the discovery
in their vicinity of one of those caverns
which the Camisards converted into
hospitals and arsenals. It was filled
with wounded, medicines, arms, and
ammunition. This sealed their fate;
they were all slaughtered, including
the patients in the cavern, and Euzet
was destroyed. Such was the system
on which this exterminating war was
carried on. The Camisard commis¬
sariat was supplied by requisitions upon
towns and villages, both Catholic and
Protestant: when not furnished with
good will, a missive of this sort pre¬
ceded their appearance, addressed to
the chief men of the place:—“MM.,
vous ne manquerez point de nous pre¬
parer demain le diner, sous peine d’etre

420

Houle 121.— The Cevennes.

Sect. V.

assi^ge et mis h feu et h sang.— Cava¬
lier.”

14 Ners is a village on the 1. bank of
the Gardon, at the angle formed by the
junction of its 2 branches, the Gardon
d’Anduze and d’Alais. The river in
winter rolls down a flood of water with
the force of a torrent, but in summer
is dried up to a few rills or threads.
Owing to its impetuosity and sudden
rising, no attempt to throw a bridge
across it has succeeded.

Not far from Ners, on the W., is
the Castle of Castelnau (8 m. S. of
Uzes). It is remarkable as the spot
where Roland, the chief and general¬
issimo of the Cevenol insurgents, ended
his career, Aug. 13, 1704. His pre¬
sence on the spot had probably been
betrayed to Marshal Villars, for in the
middle of the night, when Roland and
his companions (including a female
called Mademoiselle de Cornelli) were
fast asleep, their sentinel on the tower
heard the noise of horses’ feet approach¬
ing at a gallop. He gave the alarm
just as the cavalry were about to enter.
The Camisards started up half-naked,
rushed to the stable, and, mounting the
bare backs of their horses, galloped off

for their lives, but without saddles,
belt, or spurs. They were soon over¬
taken, compelled to dismount, and,
having been discovered trying to con¬
ceal themselves in a hollow way, were
forced to face about. Roland, planting
his back against the trunk of an old
olive-tree, made a desperate resistance;
answering to the summons, “ Rendez¬
vous ! Bas les armes! ” by killing 3 of
the dragoons with 3 successive shots
of his blunderbuss, and he was drawing
his pistols, of which he carried a row
at his girdle, when a musket-shot
brought him down. The wound was
mortal, and his companions, seeing his
fall, at once threw themselves on his
body, and allowed themselves to be
seized and bound like lambs. The
body of Roland was publicly burned at
Nismes.

Near Ners rises the tall tower of the
modernized Castle of Boucoiron, on a
rock.

16 La Calmette.

The road passes near the limestone
quarries, whence the Romans obtained
the material for the amphitheatre of
Nismes.

14 Nismes. (Rte. 126.)

( 421 )

SECTION VI.

PROVENCE AND LANGUEDOC.

ROUTE PAGE

125 The Rhone (B)—Lyons to

Avignon and Arles, by Vienne,
Valence, Orange ( Vauclvse),
Tarascon, Beaucaire, and St.
Remy ..... 424

126 Avignon to Narbonne, by the
Pont du Gat'd, Nismes, Mont¬
pellier, and Beziers. — St. Gilles
and A igues Mortes (Rail. Nismes

to Cette.) .... 445

ROUTE PAGE

127 Avignon to Marseilles, Rail
[and Aix], by Tarascon [Beau¬
caire], Arles, and St. Cliamas :

—-The Rhone from Avignon

to Arles .... 457

128 Marseilles to Toulon and

Hyeres . . . .471

129 Avignon to Marseilles and
Nice, by Aix, Frejus, and Cannes 475

130 Nismes to Marseilles, by Beau¬
caire and Arles.—Rail . .481

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION.

1. Features of Provence.—Climate, People.—2. Mistral.—3. Mosquitoes.—

4. Fertility and Varied Productions —5. The True Garden of Provence.— 6.

The Roman Antiquities.—7. Gothic Architecture.—8. The Rhone.

§ 1. The Englishman who knows the S. of France only from books—who there
finds Provence described as the cradle of Poetry and Romance, the paradise of
the Troubadours, a land teeming with oil, wine, silk, and perfumes, has pro •
bably formed in his mind a picture of a region beautiful to behold, and charming
to inhabit. These anticipations may probably be strengthened by Mrs. Rad-
cliffe’s well-known, but perfectly unfounded, descriptions of scenery in the
‘Mysteries of Udolpho.’ Nothing, however, can differ more widely from the
reality; and at least it is not from this quarter that France deserves the epithet
“La Belle.” Nature has altogether an arid character;—in summer a sky of
copper, an atmosphere loaded with dust, the earth scorched rather than parched
by the unmitigated rays of the sun, which overspread everything with a lurid
glare. The hills rise above the surface in masses of bare rock, without any
covering of soil, like the dry bones of a wasted skeleton. Only on the low
grounds, which can be reached by irrigation, does any verdure appear. There
is a sombre, melancholy sternness in the landscape of the South. The aching eye
in vain seeks to repose ona patch of green, and the inhabitant of the North would
not readily purchase the clear cloudless sky of Provence with the verdure of
misty England. Neither the bush-like vine nor the mop-headed mulberry,
stripped of its leaves for a great part of the summer, nor the tawny green olive,
whose foliage looks as though powdered with dust, will at all compensate in a
picturesque point of view for forests of oak, ash, and beech.

“After Nice, the austere South of France, silent, burnt up, shadeless, and
glaring, with houses all closed, showed the misery of a hot climate, while in
Italy its luxury had struck us. The sun had bleached everything, and the
atmosphere was thickened with the perpetual dust of habitual drought, for here
it is said not to rain for seven months together in summer. The roads were of
a dusky bufty white; the farm-houses, built of the materials nearest at hand, of

422

§ 2.— Mistral.

3 .—Mosq u itoes.

Sect. VI.

the same colour ; roads, soil, houses, men, trees, animals, all partaking of the
same hue of universal dust, as the caterpillar does of the leaf on which it feeds.
Now and then parched and scanty grass sprang up among the clodded earth, and
long-legged sheep were feeding anxiously upon it, in the scorching sun, without
a single tree of shelter. All the inns, however miserable, have large remises, to
afford coolness and shade, during the middle of the day, for travellers and
horses.”— P.

The character of the people appears influenced by the fiery sun, and soil
which looks as though it never cooled. Their fervid temperament knows no
control or moderation; hasty and headstrong in disposition, they are led by very
slight religious or political excitement, on sudden impulses, to the committal of
acts of violence unknown in the North. They are rude in manner, coarse in
aspect, and harsh in speech, their patois being unintelligible, even to the French
themselves, not unlike the Spanish dialect of Catalonia. From the loudness of
tone and energy of gesture, they appear always as though going to fight when
merely carrying on an ordinary conversation. The traveller who happens to fall
into the hands of the ruffianly porters at Avignon will be able to judge if this
be an exaggerated picture.

Those who are prone to complain of the climate of England should be sent to
try that of the South of France. If they expect an unvarying serene sky and
warm temperature, they will be wofully disappointed. The vacations between
summer and winter are marked by the dead olive, and vine-trees killed by the
frost; and the torrid influence of summer by the naked beds of torrents left
without water. In many years not a drop of rain falls in June, July, and
August, and the quantity is commonly very small: the great heats occur
between the middle of July and the end of September, yet even in summer
scorching heat alternates with the most piercing cold; and the vicissitudes are
so sudden and severe, that strong persons, much more invalids, should beware
how they yield to the temptation of wearing thin clothing, and of abandoning
cloaks and great-coats.

§ 2. The cause of these sudden changes in temperature is the Mistral or
N. W. wind, one of the scourges of Provence, from the occurrence of which no
season is exempt. It is a most violent, bitterly cold, and drying wind, which
fills the atmosphere with a yellow haze, and is very painful to the eyes and face.
It prevails chiefly in spring all along the coast, and up the Rhone as far as
Valence.

“Voilk le vent, le tourbillon, l’ouragan, les diables dechaines qui veulent
emporter votre chateau; quel ebranlement universel!” are the words in which
Madame de Sevigne describes it: it overthrows at times the largest trees ; their
branches generally grow in a direction contrary to its cutting blasts, and while
it rages, vessels are not unfrequently prevented putting out to sea in the teeth of
it. It was well known to the ancients, and is supposed to be the Melamborias
of Strabo, which he describes as sweeping stones and gravel from the ground.
It is sufficient to blow a man from his horse. “ In the winter months, Decem¬
ber, January, February, the weather is truly charming, with the mistral very
rarely.”

§ 3. Another plague of the South of France is the mosquitoes, cousins, or
moucherons, which, to an inhabitant of the North, unaccustomed to their ve¬
nomous bite, will alone suffice to destroy all pleasure in travelling. They appear
in May, and last sometimes to November; and the only good which the mistral
effects is that it modifies the intensely hot air of summer, and represses, momen¬
tarily, these pestilential insects. They are not idle by day, but it is at night
that the worn-out traveller needing repose is most exposed to the excruciating
torments inflicted by this cruel insect. Woe to him who for the sake of cool¬
ness leaves his window open for a minute; attracted by the light, they will pour
in by myriads. It is better to be stifled by the most oppressive heat than to go

Pjrovence. § 4. —Fertility . § 5.— Garden of Provence.

423

mad. Even closed shutters and a mosquito curtain ( cousiniere ), with which all
beds in good inns are provided, are ineffectual in protecting the sleeper. A
scrutiny of the walls, and a butchery of all that appear, may lessen the number
of enemies; but a single one effecting an entry, after closing the curtains and
tucking up the bed-clothes with the utmost care, does all the mischief. The
sufferer awakes in the middle of the night in a state of fever, and adieu to all
further prospect of rest. The pain inflicted by the bites is bad enough, but it
is the air of triumph with which the enemy blows his trumpet, the tingling,
agonising buzzing which fills the air, gradually advancing nearer and nearer,
announcing the certainty of a fresh attack, which carries the irritation to the
highest pitch.

The pain and swellings usually last for several days, and there is no remedy
but patience. The state of the blood at the time, however, considerably modi¬
fies or increases the amount and duration of suffering. It is said to be the
female only which inflicts the sting. Mosquitoes, of course, are not peculiar to
the S. of France, but there the traveller from the N. w T ill probably first en¬
counter them; and it is necessary that he should be prepared.

The scorpion is not uncommon in Languedoc and Provence, and even now and
then makes his entrance into the houses, being brought in along with fire-wood;
and it is even not uncommon to discover it in the folds of the bed-curtains or
sheets. Instances, however, of persons being bitten by this foul insect are very
rare indeed: from its nature it is fearful, and, when discovered, endeavours to
run away and hide itself.

§ 4. The foregoing description of Provence and Bas Languedoc has been
limited to the dark side of the picture: it remains to examine the resources, fer¬
tility, and curiosities of the country.

Its valleys, and lowlands accessible to irrigation, are most fertile ; and the
earth, where it can be sufficiently supplied with moisture, teems with varied
productions all the year round. Before the spring is over, the mulberry-trees,
which line the roads and cross the fields, in ugly cabbage-headed rows, are
stripped of their juicy foliage to feed the silkworm—silk alone being a source
of immense and increasing wealth in the S. provinces of France. Early in
summer comes the corn-harvest, the crops having grown, for the most part,
under the boughs of the mulberry, olive, or vine; sunshine and soil sufficing for
both. Autumn is the season of the vintage; and the wines of Lunel and Fron-
tignan have a widely-established reputation, though the bulk of the produce is
used in the manufacture of wines and for mixing w T ith other sorts. Chestnuts are
another crop collected in the same season, and furnishing a store of wholesome
food for the peasant during winter. The winter has set in before the olives are
gathered and pressed. A visit to the market-place in every town will show with
what abundance the earth brings forth fruits and vegetables of endless variety—
grapes, figs, melons, almonds, citrons, mushrooms, tomatas, truffles, &c. The
drying and preserving of fruits of various kinds is a great source of mercantile
wealth to Provence.

§ 5. There is one little corner of Provence which combines remarkable pic¬
turesque beauty with a climate so serene and warm, and well protected from
injurious blasts, that its productions are almost tropical in their nature. This
is a narrow strip in the Department of the Var, bordering on the blue Mediter¬
ranean, extending from Toulon to Nice, stretching inland to Grasse and Dra-
guignan. In this favoured region, the true garden of Provence, the real paradise
of the Troubadours, in the valleys, and on the S. slopes of the small mountain-
chains of Les Maures and Les Estrelles, sheltered from the injurious mistral, and
open only to the S., the aloe, the cactus, the pine of Aleppo, the umbrella-pine, the
pomegranate, the orange, and even the palm-tree, may be seen flourishing in the
open air. This is especially the case at St. Maxime, Hyeres, Antibes, and Cannes,
whose gardens, luxuriant with aromatic herbs, heliotropes, orange-flowers,

424 § 6 .—Homan Antiquities. § 8.— Tice Hhone. Sect. VI.

jasmines, &c., supply the perfume-distilleries of Grasse, where more scents,
pomades, essences, &c., are made than in any town in Europe, save Paris.

§ 6. The chief attraction, however, of these southern provinces is their Roman
remains, not surpassed in beauty and preservation by any in Italy. No traveller
should miss seeing the Pont du Gard, between Avignon and Nismes, and the
walls of the Theatre at Orange, stupendous and most impressive structures,
perfectly characteristic of the great people that raised them; the Amphitheatres
of Nismes and Arles, though far less enormous than the Colosseum, are more
interesting on account of their better preservation. The Maison Carree is a gem
of architecture: the monuments at St. Remy, and the arch at Orange , are also of
great excellence, besides many other curious relics, which are described in their
proper place. It may be interesting to compare the Roman aqueduct with that
recently erected to convey water to Marseilles, at Roquefavour.

§ 7. The student of Christian architecture will find much to interest him in
the churches of Arles and its vicinity, of St. Gilles, of Aix, of Avignon (the
cathedral), where the stupendous Papal palace is also a very interesting his¬
torical monument, and many more.

In these and other mediaeval monuments of S. E. France the traveller will not
fail to observe the long-perpetuated influence of Roman architecture on the
ecclesiastical edifices of the district, which still retains its Roman name of the
Province, par excellence. “ A marked difference of character prevails between
the church architecture of the S. of France and that of the N., in the smallness
of the windows, designed no doubt to exclude the glare and heat. This gives
the southern churches a much greater solemnity than those immense lantern-
structures of the N.: unless where the windows are entirely filled with stained
glass, it is difficult to produce the same effect. The influence of climate
evidently gave rise to the distinctions in the two styles.”— E. o. S.

§ 8. The Rhone , the great highway to Provence and to Italy, since the estab¬
lishment of steamers, is not of commercial utility proportioned to its length and
volume, owing to its turbulence and shifting sand-banks. Yet it is a noble river,
and its scenery very striking, and some have preferred it to the Rhine; but, in
truth, the two have a totally different character, and each its own excellences:
the writer of this, however, cannot conceal his preference for the German
stream. The traffic upon the Rhine is at least fourfold greater than that on the
Rhone. The Rhine is navigated by 42 steamers, and, although there are 28 at
present on the Rhdne, they make on an average only 50 passages in the year,
while a great part of the Rhenish steamers are, with the exception of a few
weeks, in action all the year through.

The works which will best afford detailed information respecting Provence and
the S. of France are—Millin, ‘Voyage dans le Midi de la France;’ Frossard,
‘Tableau de ISTimes;’ Merimee, ‘Rapport sur les Monumens du Midi de la
France’ (for architecture); and Hughes’ ‘ Itinerary of Provence and the Rhone.’

ROUTE 125.

THE RHONE (b)—LYONS TO AVIGNON
AND ARLES, BY VIENNE, VALENCE,
ORANGE.

By land, 263 kilom.= 163 Eng. m.
By water to Arles, 285 kilom.
Steamers, belonging to several com¬
panies, but almost without exception
managed by English engineers, start

every morning from the Quai on the
rt. bank of the Rhone, except when the
river is too high to allow them to pass
under the bridges, or too low, which
sometimes happens. The hour of de¬
parture varies, according to the season,
from 5 to 7 A.M. The early boat makes
the voyage to Avignon, a distance of at
least 163 Eng. m., in 10 or 11 hrs.;
and to Arles in 13. The others, start-

PuMidud Av John Murray AlhtmnHe o'lrrrl London JdSZ Dr "™* F.ng bv .1 tCXito.

Provence. Route 125 . — The Rhone (B) — Givors.

425

mg in the afternoon, stop at Valence to
sleep. They take carriages at a charge
varying from 60 fr. for a light caleche
to 160 for a Berline. The captain ma¬
nages the embarkation and landing of
carriages; transporting them to and
from the hotel. The passenger’s fare
varies from 10 to 20 or 30 fr., so that
it is cheaper than posting for a party in
a light carriage (?). They are by no
means clean, and are often crowded
with merchandise. There is a Restau¬
rant on board. They touch at Vienne,
Tournon, Valence, Avignon, Beaucaire,
Arles. It is very advisable to go by
water down the Rhone, as the road is
bad. It scarcely answers for passengers
to ascend the river, as the vessels take
as long as the diligences, requiring 40
or 50 hrs. from Arles, and at least 2
days from Avignon to Lyons.

4 Diligences* run daily, along the 1.
bank, to Marseilles, and many more
between the intermediate towns.

Malleposte daily in 15 hrs.; takes one
passenger.

A Railroad was commenced 1852, and
may be finished in 3 years.

There is little interest at first in the
banks of the Rhone, after getting clear
of Lyons, its bustling quays and tall
stately houses, and passing,

rt., the junction of the Saone with
the Rhone,—

“ Ubi Rhodanus ingens amne praerapido fluit,
Ararque dubitans quo suos oursus agat
Tacitus quietis alluit ripas vadis,”— Seneca.

under the wire suspension-bridge of
La Mulatiere, which carries the Rly. to
St. Etienne over the Saone (Rte. 118).
The junction of the Rhodanus and Arar
originally took place nearly 2 m. higher
up, until 1770, when the architect Per-
rache constructed dykes between the
rivers, and gained from the water the
long tongue of land now partly occu¬
pied by an important suburb of Lyons.

* Bv land, 263 kilom. = 163 Eng. m.

The post-road quits Lyons, after traversing
the Rhone, by the Faubourg Guillotiere, passes
on tiie 1. the detached Fort de la Motte, one of
the modern defences of Lyons, named after an
old castle occupied by Henri IV. at his mar¬
riage with Marie de Medicis, and, shortly before
reaching

8 St. Fons, enters the Dept, de l’lsere.

Caesar appears to have visited the j unc¬
tion from his description of it: “Arar
in Rhodanum influit incredibili lenitate,
ita ut oculis in utram partem fluat, ju-
dicari non possit.” (See p. 376.)

The united waters form a broad ma¬
jestic flood; the banks are studded with
small villages, scattered among willow
and poplar avenues.

1. The high road along the 1. bank of
the Rhone is often out of order ; a series
of ups and downs, liable to constant
injury from the torrents descending
from the hills across it; but, above all,
tremendously cut up by the immense
number of broad-wheeled waggons
which traverse it at all seasons. Even
though the Rhone, the largest river in
France, runs parallel with it, such is
the rapidity of the current, and the per¬
versity of the navigation, from shifting
sand-banks, that the transport up its
valley of most of the bulky articles the
produce of Provence, soap, oils, silk,
dried fruits, &c., and of the colonial
imports of Marseilles, is made on the
axle. Every mile or two the road is
studded with enormous barn-like Re¬
mises, whose open portals yawn in¬
vitingly to receive in their shade the
loaded waggon and its 6 or 8 horses.
They have a cabaret or carter’s hostel
attached to them.

The traveller “journeys onwards in
the dazzling dreariness of the sunshine,
amidst clouds of intolerable dust,
crossed ever and anon by long caravans
of roulage, drawn by tall mules.”

rt. The railway to St. Etienne (Rte.
118) continues near the water’s edge
as far as the dirty manufacturing town
of

rt. Givors, distinguished at a dis¬
tance by the smoke of its glass-houses.
It is a place of some importance from
its position on the railway, and at the
mouth of the canal, which brings down
coal, iron, See., from Rive de Gier (see
Rte. 118). Its population is 4900.
Omnibuses run between Givors and
Vienne, corresponding with the railway
trains.

Along the banks of the Rhone, from
Lyons to Valence, a “poste aux anes,”
or relays of donkeys, for the conve¬
nience of bargemen and such persons,

426

Route 125.— The Rhone (T>) — Vienne.

Sect. VI.

was at one time established. The cul¬
tivation of the vine is very general in
the neighbourhood of Vienne : vine¬
yards here cover all the slopes.

1.* Vienne. (Inn: Table Ronde :
besV but charges high— L. F. ; and not
dean.) Vienne, a town of 17,000 Inhab.,
stretches its buildings along the 1. bank
of the Rhone, faced by a tolerably
handsome quay, at the foot of pre¬
cipitous hills, and runs up a small
valley between 2 heights : the one,
Mont Salomon, crowned by a ruined
castle of the middle ages ; the other,
Mont Pipet, originally a fortified camp
of the Romans. The Castle of Salomon
passes with the common people for the
prison of Pilate, who w r as banished to
Vienne in Gaul, according to Eusebius
and others, after his return from Judsea
to Rome.

From the valley behind Vienne, the
Gere issues out into the Rhone, turn¬
ing in its passage many mill-wheels,
and giving activity to manufactures of
coarse cloth, pasteboard, iron-forges, &c.

Vienne is one of the most ancient
towns in France, having been already a
flourishing place before Lyons is known
to have existed. It is mentioned by
Caesar, by Ausonius, in the line,

“ Accolit Alpinis opulenta Vienna calonis,”

and by Martial, who calls it “ opulenta
Vienna,” and it is natural to expect to
find some remains of its Roman pos¬
sessors. Besides numerous water-con¬
duits and substructions of masonry,
the chief Roman building is a Temple,
supposed to have been dedicated to
Augustus, in form somewhat like the
Maison Carree at Nismes, but much
injured during the middle ages by
having the interstices of its columns
built up with masonry, and the columns
themselves rasped to bring them to a
level with the walls, in order to con¬
vert it into a church. It is now a
museum, and contains a number of
sculptured and architectural fragments
found in and about the town, a very
rich frieze, capitals of columns, &c. A
Greyhound, in marble, two Boys quar-

* The post road continues through

8 St. Symphorien, at a considerable distance
from the river, but it approaches it at

13 Vienne.

relling about a Bird (a common subject
of antique sculpture), and 2 copper
Dolphins found in the Rhone, are worth
notice.

Behind the Place du Pilori is a lofty
double arch and vault, with pillars
inside, called Arche de Triomphe, but in
reality part of the portico of the ancient
Forum. It now leads to the modern
theatre, and is unimportant.

On the slopes of Mont Pipet the re¬
mains of the seats of a Roman theatre
may, it is said, be traced among the
vineyards, but they are very incon¬
siderable. Lastly, outside the town,
below it, is the Roman obelisk, or
Aiguille, described p. 427.

The Cathedral of St. Maurice is a
stately and interesting edifice in the
lower part of the town, raised upon
an elevated basement or parvis, facing
the river, on a line with the bridge,
and approached by a broad flight of
steps. Its W. front, flanked by 2 mas¬
sive towers, is rich in flamboyant orna¬
ments, but they are clumsy and with¬
out delicacy. It was much mutilated,
like all the churches on the Rhone, by
the fanatic Huguenot soldiery (1562),
less than 30 years after its completion.
The interior wants height. The pointed
roof, painted blue, and sprinkled with
stars, and the 4 compartments nearest
to the W. end, seem of the same age,
viz. 15th or 16th centy. The pillars
of the choir, and the apses at the E.
end, are said to be of the 12th centy.
The delicate carving of the capitals and
of other ornaments is very remarkable.
There are no transepts. A marble
monument of an Archbishop Mont-
morin, on the rt. of the altar, though
much vaunted, seems a heavy piece of
work; its artist was called Michel An¬
gelo Slodtz. The N. porch retains
some statues in a stiff style.

The Romanesque tower of St. Andre
le Bas will be admired by the architect
for its composition and proportions;
but the cloister, so interesting for the
varied sculpture of its capitals, is now
included in a private garden, and its
pillars built up in a wall.

In the suburb Pont l’Fveque, in a
hill on the 1. bank of the Gere, there
is a lead-mine.

Provence. Route 125. — The Rhone (J5) — Cote Rotie.

427

Many who have occupied themselves
in tracing the route of Hannibal over
the Alps suppose that he quitted the
1. bank of the Rhone at Vienne (which
was one of the chief towns of the Allo-
broges), proceeding hence, by Bour-
gouin and Yenne, to the Little St.
Bernard.

Vienne is interesting as the cradle
of Christianity in the West: the Epistle
of its early Martyrs to their brethren
in the E. is a very instructive and
perfectly authentic document.

Vienne was capital of the 1st king¬
dom of Burgundy in the 5th centy.,
and at a later period was the capital
and residence of the Dauphins. A cele¬
brated ecclesiastical council held here
1307, and presided over by Pope Cle¬
ment V. and Philippe le Bel, condemned
the Order of the Templars. The arch¬
bishops long enjoyed considerable tem¬
poral sway: they had the privilege of
naming the governor of the forts Salo¬
mon and Pipet, who was always a
canon of the cathedral, but had a mili¬
tary deputy under him.

A suspension - bridge, reconstructed
since 1840, the previous one having
been washed down by the inundation,
connects Vienne with,

rt., its suburb, St. Colombe, where
stands by the water side an old square
tower, sometimes called “ Tour de Mau-
eonseil,” from a tradition that Pilate
threw himself off from the top of it.
In reality it was built by Philippe de
Valois as a tete-du-pont to the original
stone bridge, destroyed by the Rhone,
1651, except the trunks of some of its
piers, still visible when the water is low.

Diligences daily to Grenoble (Rte.
131) and Lyons, and omnibuses along
the rt. bank of the Rhone to Givors,
to meet the trains on the railway to
St. Etienne and Lyons (Rte. 118).

1. Immediately below Vienne, in the
midst of a field, on the rt. of the road
to Avignon, stands a Roman obelisk,
called L'Aiguille, IQ ft. high, rising
from a square base, pierced by a double
arch, and supported at the angles by
pillars of clumsy proportions. The
whole is of excellent masonry, the
stones being fastened together, not by
mortar, but by iron clamps. Its desti- j

nation is unknown, and it bears no
trace of an inscription, but was pro¬
bably a sepulchral monument.

rt. The uniformity of the vine-clad
slopes which border the river is re¬
lieved by the lofty irregular ridge and
picturesque outline of Mont Pilas, 3516
ft. above the sea-level, a member of the
chain of hills which divides the Rhone
from the Loire.

rt. Ampuis.* At its base is a small
village, from the flat behind which
rise the sunny slopes of Cote Rotie,
called “ the burnt side,” from their
happy exposure to the sun, which,
striking full on them, as on a forcing
wall, matures the excellent wine named
after them. 3 m. below the hills of
Cote Rotie is

rt. Condrieux, a town of 4000 Inhab.,
famed for its wines; it has a suspen¬
sion-bridge over the Rhone.

The soil of the valley of the Rhone
abounds with rolled pebbles, which in
places almost exclusively compose it;
yet upon this grows the mulberry-tree
in vast quantities, planted in rows
across the fields, while beneath, and
in spite of its shade, luxuriant crops of
corn are produced.

rt. There is another suspension-
bridge at Serrieres, and hence a road
strikes off to Annonay. (Rte. 119.)

rt. The church of Champagne is a
Romanesque edifice of the 13th centy.,
well worth the attention of the anti¬
quary, on account of the singular bas-
reliefs with which its outer walls are
incrusted, consisting of heads of ani¬
mals, monsters, &c., and for the sculp¬
tured cornice running under the roof.
Some of these carvings have been con¬
jectured to belong to a more ancient
structure. Two of them represent
David and Goliah, and Judith and
Holofernes. The interior ends in an
apse at the E. The grand portal is
decorated above with 6 bas-reliefs in
medallions, representing, 1. a satyr; 2.
a lion coucliant; 3 and 4. 2 young fauns;

* The Post-road continues near to the Rhone
until almost opposite Ampuis, where it turns
away to the station.

13 Auberive, situated outside the village,
which it leaves on the rt.

6 Peage de Roussillon. A toll here.

428

Route 125.— The Rhone ( B )— Hermitage . Sect. VI*

5. a tiger; 6. a group of 2 genii em¬
bracing. The meaning of these sculp¬
tures seems difficult to explain.

Before the Revolution the towns of
Andance, Champagne, Annonay, though
on the rt. bank of the Rhone, belonged
to Dauphine, having been ancient pos¬
sessions of the Dauphins of Vienne.

1.* St. Rambert. Just below this
the Rhone passes from the Dept, de
l’lsere into that of La Drdme.

rt. The road from St. Etienne to
Marseilles, by Annonay, descends
through a gap in the vine-clad granite
hills near

rt. Andance (Rte. 119), and crosses
the Rhone, a little lower down, by the
suspension-bridge of

1. St. Valliert {Inn: Poste or Grand
Sauvage, fair), a town of 2455 Inhab.,
consisting of a long street, extending
on a terrace above the Rhone. It has
a large modern chateau. There are
numerous silk-mills here.

Behind the town, in the gorge of the
Galaure, rise the picturesque ruins of
the castle of Vais ; and near it is the
Roche Taillee, a passage cut in the rock,
through which a small road is carried.

1. The Chateau de Ponsas (derived,
by the vulgar, from Pontius Pilate,
who, according to the tradition, ended
his days here by throwing himself from
the rock) is a fine object, frowning
with towers and battlements over river
and village from the summit of a lofty
precipice.

The valley of the Rhone is narrowed
to a pass, by rocks projecting on either
side, on approaching Tain. Nearly
opposite the mouth of the considerable
river Doux, which is crossed by a wire
bridge,

1. A lofty round-topped hill, with a
scanty scarf of black bushes round its
shoulder, pushes forward its naked and
almost precipitous sides into the river,
which, along with the road, winds
closely round its base. On doubling
the sort of cape which it forms, its
southern side will be found to consist
of a more gradual slope, descending
in a succession of steps, or terraces,
formed by the natural divisions of the

* Post-road. — 9 St. Rambert.

•f 12 St. Vallier.

slaty beds of gneiss rock, all covered
from top to bottom with vines. This
is the celebrated vineyard of I’ Hermi¬
tage, named from the ruin on its sum¬
mit, once, perhaps, a hermit's cell.
On its favoured slopes the sun plays
all day long, maturing the juices of
its grapes, which produce the Hermit¬
age wine, one of the finest which
grows on the Rhone. The white sort
will keep for half a century; the
red, of the best quality, is sent to
Bordeaux, to be mixed with clarets of
first growth, principally the kinds ex¬
ported to England, which derive from
it, and not from brandy, as is com¬
monly supposed, that body which fits
them for exportation, and adapts them
to the English palate. The whole ex¬
tent of the vineyard does not, perhaps,
exceed 300 acres, and of this only a
part near the centre, where a calcareous
band traverses the gneiss rock, pro¬
duces first-rate wines; the soil below is
too rich, and above is too cold. The
hill is divided among numerous pro¬
prietors; it is cultivated with vast la¬
bour, and at great expense; the vines
are manured with sheep or horse dung.
The grape grown for the red wine is
called Ceras, and is said to have been
brought from Shiraz, in Persia, by one
of the hermits of the mountain.

1.* Tain {Inns, mere cabarets), a
town of 2338 Inhab., connected by a
wire suspension-bridge, the first, on a
large scale, erected in France, with
rt. Tournon, one of the chief towns
of the Dept, de l’Ardeche (3971 Inhab.).
Above the bridge the picturesque
towers of the old castle of the Counts
of Tournon and Dues de Soubise rise
on a precipitous rock, at the foot of
the hills; it is now converted into the
purposes of a mairie, tribunal, and a
prison. Below the bridge, at the water
side, stands the College Royal, originally
founded by the Cardinal de Tournon,
a favourite of Francis I. (1542), and a
few years after, 1561, delivered over to
the care of the Jesuits in order to extir¬
pate the seeds of Protestantism, and
they maintained their post here until
the suppression of the Order in 1766.
It next became an Ecole Militaire.

* Post-road .—14 Tain.

Provence. Route 125. — The Rhone (Z?) — Valence.

429

Diligences run from Tain to Romans
on the Isere, on the way to Grenoble.
(Rte. 132.)

1. The valley of the river Isere, one of
the chief tributaries of the Rhone,
rising at the foot of the Little St. Ber¬
nard, now opens out into a wide and
monotonous plain, after traversing
which, and being crossed itself by the
high road, on a handsome bridge of 7
arches, the river falls into the Rhone.
Its waters have usually a black tint
contrasting with the white muddy
Rhone. Hannibal is supposed by some
to have reached the foot of the Alps
by ascending this valley, having passed
the Rhone lower down, perhaps near
Roquemaure.

1. The vista, opening out through
the valley of the Isere, is terminated
by the majestic snowy mass of Mont
Blanc, clearly distinguished from among
the Alps of Daupliine; a magnificent
object, although 70 or 80 m. distant
as the crow flies. The deck of the
steamer is too low to command it, but
it is well seen from the road, or rt.
bank.

rt. Mr, L. Giraud, the owner of the
picturesque white feudal castle, the
Chateaubourg, perched on a pedestal of
rock, projecting into the Rhone, with a
little hamlet at its foot, is much to be
envied: his dwelling stands in the eye
of Mont Blanc, and the everlasting
snows of the monarch of mountains add
magnificence to the distant horizon
of a view in which the exulting and
abounding Rhone forms the foreground.

rt. Cornas, at the foot of limestone
hills of considerable elevation, pro¬
duces a tolerable red wine.

rt. On approaching Valence, the bare
limestone precipices, rising behind the
village of St. Peray, and crowned by
the picturesque castle of Crussol , arrest
the attention. (Seep. 431.)

1. Valence. * — Inn : Poste, outside
the walls: not at all bad, with some
pretensions to English comforts : not
dear and very civil people: — H. du
Nord, close to the steamer, from which
the others are remote. Try here the
sparkling St. Peray, an excellent wine,
not inferior to Champagne. It costs
* Post-road. 18 Valence.

here 2 fr. the bottle, and Chateauneuf
des Papes 1^ fr.

The steamer passes the town and the
Citadel, which is conspicuous from
the Rhone, but is separated from it by
a considerable space of garden-ground,
and comes to her moorings below the
wire Suspension-Bridge, one of the hand¬
somest on the Rhone, supported in the
centre by a fine lofty arch of classical
architecture.

The high road from Lyons to Avig¬
non skirts the outside of the town,
which lies between it and the river,
through a faubourg, in which the
Poste aux Chevaux and other inns
are situated.

Valence is an ancient town of 10,967
Inhab., still surrounded by its feudal
ramparts, battlemented, flanked by
towers, and entered by arched gates.
It is chef-lieu of the Dept, cle la
Drome, and was formerly capital of
the Valentinois, created a dukedom
for the infamous Csesar Borgia, by
Louis XII.

The Cathedral, a Romanesque build¬
ing, small in size and very plain, is
yet interesting to the architect for its
age and constructive peculiarities. It
is a cross with long transepts. Out¬
side the nave, above the aisle roof,
runs a small arcade of arches, alter¬
nately round and straight sided. The
interior is simple ; the piers, sur¬
mounted by nearly pure Corinthian
capitals, support round arches, from
which rises the cylindrical roof, with¬
out triforium or clerestory. The E.
end is an apse, roofed with a semi¬
dome. The Ch. contains a bust and
bas-relief, by Canova, to the memory
of Pope Pius VI., who, after having
been carried off a prisoner from the
Vatican and loaded with insults by the
French, which he bore with resigna¬
tion, died here, 1799.

On the N. side of the Ch. is a singu¬
lar building, known as Le Pendentif, of
classical architecture, erected 1548, as
a monument to the family Mistral,
whose arms are still visible on it. It
is square in form, consisting of 4 piers,
with pillars in the angles, and arches
between them, supporting a vault, the
first of its kind erected, and regarded

430

Route 125.— The Rhone (Z?)— St. Perciy. Sect. VI.

as a type in architecture. In the
rusticated space occupying the sides,
carvings of monstrous birds may be
discovered.

The ancient Eveche, now subdivided,
and partly destroyed, was often visited
by Madame de Sevigne.

The semicircular E. end of the
cathedral adjoins the Place aux Clercs,
an Esplanade between the Faubourg
and the river, ornamented with a
bronze statue of the Napoleonist Gene¬
ral Championnet, a native of Valence.

In the “Grande Rue,” leading out
of this Place, will be found a very rich
and interesting specimen of domestic
architecture, in a Mansion of the 16th
centy., now converted into a book¬
seller’s shop. Its origin and destina¬
tion are not clearly known. It has
a Gothic front, covered with elegant
Florid tracery, now sadly mutilated,
combined with a certain mixture of
classic ornament, such as rows of
heads and statues, the upper heads
representing the 4 Seasons. The door¬
way is an elegant flattened arch; the
transoms of the windows have unfor¬
tunately been knocked out. The front
of the house is not in one plane, but
projects forward ; only one part of it
is ornamented, and that which is un¬
adorned retreats backward at a slight
angle, so as to be partly concealed
from view as you approach it from the
Place aux Clercs, probably with design
on the part of the architect. The
groined and vaulted passage, and the
walls towards the inner court, also
deserve notice. In the same street, at
No. 4, on the 1st floor, Napoleon
lodged, while yet a poor and obscure
sous-lieutenant of artillery; and some
of his first essays in the art of war were
made in the Champs de Mars here.
The staircase at the back of the house
of Madame Dupre, Rue Perolierie, is
a good specimen of the Renaissance
in architecture, enriched with sculp¬
ture.

The Citadelle, begun by Francis I.,
and bastioned only on the side facing
the town, but of no use now as a
fortress, is converted into a Caserne
du Ge'nie. From the finished bastion
there is a good view over the river, of

St. Peray, and the Castle of Crussol on
its arid rock beyond the Rhone.

Valence is the seat of an Ecole
d' Artillerie, and the practice of gunnery
is taught on the polygone, a large sandy
area on the outskirts of the town,
bordering on the Lyons road.

The reeling (filature) and throwing
(moulinage) of silk affords employment
to a large number of persons at Valence.
(See p. 433.)

Steamers up and down the Rhone
daily. The ascent to Lyons is made
in one day.

Malleposte to Lyons and to Mar¬
seilles.

Diligences daily (4) to Lyons and
Marseilles; 2 to Grenoble (Rte. 132);
1 to Aubenas and Privas (Rte. 121); to
St. Etienne and Annonay.

[rt. St. Peray, famed for one of the best
wines of the Rhone, is 2 Eng. m. from
Valence, on the opposite side of the
Rhone, within the Dept, of the Ardeche:
an omnibus goes thither several times
a day.

The little village of St. Peray lies
snugly in the quiet nook of a sheltered
valley running down to the Rhone
opposite Valence. Its most conspicuous
buildings are the house of M. Faure,
the chief proprietor of the vineyards
around; and on the height, a little
above it, the Chateau de Beauregard, a
singular mansion on the plan of a
mimic fortress, bastioned and cur¬
tained, with loopholed walls, portcullis,
See., built, it is said, by Marshal Vau-
ban, as a freak, reminding one of Uncle
Toby and Corporal Trim, now con¬
verted into a depot for the wine of the
district, for which it is better suited
than for a dwelling, being constructed
over cellars of vast extent.

The slopes of the hills around St.
Peray are covered with one uninter¬
rupted vineyard, and wherever they
present an aspect to the S.E., so as to
receive the sun’s rays during nearly
the whole day, the best wines grow:
such are the Cote de Hongrie, Chapelle
de Crussol, and the Prieure vineyards.
The soil is a decomposed granite, and
the vine seems to flourish most on this
mere dry gravel. Great pains are

Provence. 2?. 125.— The Rhone (B) — St. Per ay — Whies. 431

taken in digging about tlie roots, but
the only manure employed is the leaves
of the box, cut small. The grape,
when ripe, assumes a beautiful golden
hue; its taste is cloyingly sweet, and
the saccharine matter exuding often
covers the bunches with a brown stain.

The sparkling St. Peray wine is dis¬
tinguished from Champagne in this
respect, that its sweetness arises from
the natural juice of the grape, and not
from the addition of sugar to the grape-
juice : and it is consequently a far
more wholesome and not less palatable
wine. The red St. Peray derives its
colour, a delicate rose tint, from the
hue of the skins of the grapes. The
vintage takes place about the middle
or end of September, and the juice is
at once transferred to the cask before
the fermentation has begun, and rests
there for 6 or 7 months, during which
time it is fined. In March or April it
is bottled, and remains 2 or 3 years to
mature, and allow the dregs to deposit.
The bottles are piled up in stacks,
each row separated by laths, to allow
of the bottles wdiich burst (and they
form 14 or 15 per cent, of the whole)
to be withdrawn. After this the wine
is racked, i.e. every bottle is taken
out, and is thrust, with its neck down¬
wards, into a hole cut in a board. By
this means the dregs sink down gradu¬
ally into the neck, and, as they descend,
day by day, the bottle is tilted more
and more until its position becomes
nearly vertical. To expedite the fall¬
ing of the sediment the bottles are
lifted and set down with a jerk once or
twice a day; and after receiving 200 or
300 of these jerks, the bottle is taken
up, and the sediment is discharged by
cutting the string and letting the cork
fly, and with it the lees at the neck of
the bottle, but as little as possible of
the wine. This is called “disgorging.”
The vacancy thus caused is filled with
clear wine; and this process of corking
and uncorking is repeated 2 or 3 times,
until no more sediment is deposited.
The wine is then fit for use, and an
excellent wine it is, the “St. Peray
grand Mousseux” of M. Faure being
equal to a first class Champagne.]
rt. A very conspicuous but unsightly

line of cliffs of limestone, naked, arid,
and partly stained black and yellow,
bounds the W. side of the Rhone val¬
ley, opposite to and below Valence.
Quarries of building-stone are worked
in these rocks. The highest peak of
all, a castled crag rising above the
entrance of the valley in which lies St.
Peray, is crowned by the ruins of the
Castle of Crussol, called, from its 2
projecting and roofless gables, Les
Cornes de Crussol, and conspicuous
from a great distance. It belonged to
the ancient family of the Crussols,
Dues d’Uzes, and once enclosed within
its fortifications, which may be seen
running down the rock, a small village
long since deserted. Owing to the
precipice, from whose very edges its
walls start up, it must have been im¬
pregnable in the olden time.

rt. Lower down, on the top of the
same escarpment of limestone, stands
Soyons Castle, now an utter ruin, once
a stronghold of the Calvinists, who by
means of it held the key of the Rhone,
intercepting the communication be¬
tween Lyons and the S. in 1627, under
their chief, Brisson: it was taken and
demolished the same year by the Prince
de Conde. A flight of steps cut in
the rock leads to the summit.

1. Among the Dauphine mountains
the Pioche Courbe becomes a conspicuous
feature in the landscape, from its pre¬
cipitous sides and horned brow. A
little further down it changes its aspect,
presenting a series of peaks as seen
from the river.

1. L’Etoile, a pretty village,
rt. The river Eyrieu pours itself into
the Rhone, a little below Charmes, at
Beauchastel, where a new wire bridge
shortens the way to Lavoulte by more
than 2 m. Formerly it was necessary
to ascend as high as St. Laurent du
Pape to cross the Eyrieu.

rt. Lavoulte, a little town, piled
up in a heap against a rock, is dis¬
tinguished by the large castle on the
summit of the height above it, and the
clouds of smoke rising from the 4
large iron-furnaces at its base. The
Castle, an ancient possession of the
house of Ventadour, and residence of
Louis XIII. in 1629, is now occupied

432

Houle 125.— The Rhone (7?.)— Montelimart. Sect. YI.

by an iron-company, and partly serves
as a fire-brick kiln: 1 or 2 picturesque
towers remain of its older feudal part.
The furnaces at its base are supplied
with a very rich ore (red carbonate or
haematite), from mines a short way up
the valley. More than 300 persons
are employed in them and in the iron¬
works; and the red tinge from the ore
pervades the hideously filthy streets,
and its dirty inhabitants, whose flesh,
clothes, and even hair, acquire the
same ruddy stain. The coal comes
from St. Etienne, and the metal is
sent hence in barges, for whose recep¬
tion a little basin has been formed here
at the water side.

A little below Lavoulte

rt. Pousin, a small town with a sus¬
pension bridge; activity is caused by
the establishment of two large iron
furnaces nearly opposite.

1. The river Drome, which gives its
name to a Dept., pours itself into the
Rhone.

1. On either side of the Drome,
about 2 m. above its confluence, stand
the towns of Livrons (half of whose
3457 Inhab. are Protestants) and
Loriol* (Inn: Chariot d’Or, 2nd rate).
A fine bridge over the Drome connects
them, and the high road passes through
both. On the 1. in the valley is the
Chateau of Crest, well placed. Loriol
was the birth-place and residence of
Faujas de St. Fond, who wrote a bulky
tome on the extinct Volcanoes of Cen¬
tral France in his own neighbourhood,
which, as the author had never seen an
active volcano, abounds in fallacies, and
is now little valued.

The road to the volcanic district of
the Ardeche by Privas and Aubenas
(Rte. 121), turns away from the Rhone
near Pouzin.

rt. Cruas, a curious fortified Abbey
on a hill, in ruins, but retaining its
antique ramparts, gates, and donjon,
which stood sieges in 1584 and 1585,
from the Calvinists, who were repulsed
by the Monks. The Ch., below the
road, and half buried under the de¬
posits brought down by a neighbouring
torrent, is a curious specimen of
Romanesque architecture: beneath it
* rust-road .—11 Pailasse. 11 Loriol.

are crypts. It contains the monument
of Count Adhemar, founder of Monte¬
limart and Rochemaure.

One of the most striking scenes on
the banks of the Rhone is

rt. Rochemaure, a small village at
the base of a hill from which project 3
peaked masses of black basalt, contrast¬
ing vividly with the light-coloured
limestone around. The middle peak,
rising precipitously 300 ft. above the
river, is surmounted by the ruins of a
feudal castle, which belonged to the
families of Ventadour and Soubise.
The donjon, crowning a now isolated
peak, was formerly joined to the rest
of the fortress by bridges thrown
across the abyss. In these precipices
of Rochemaure you behold the last
root or limb of the Coiron chain of hills
which, after traversing the whole of the
Ardeche, terminates here, on the margin
of the Rhone. The black rocks are 3
dykes of basalt, branches of the vast
lava current which caps that mountain
plateau. The basalt assumes in places
a columnar form, and some of the
houses and a part of the castle are built
of regular prisms. From the top of
the rock of Rochemaure there is a fine
view over the course of the Rhone, the
Alps of Dauphine, &c.

About 3 m. lower down, but 1J from
the river-side, stands

1. Montelimart* {Inn: Poste, outside
the town on the S.), an ancient town of
7956 Inliab., entirely surrounded by
Gothic ramparts flanked with watch-
towers, and entered by 4 gates. On a
rising ground within it stands the
castle or citadelle. It obtained its
name, Monteil d’Adhemar, from a
powerful family of magnates, who held
possession here from the days of
Charlemagne, and from whom many of
the old noblesse of the province traced
their lineage. Some morocco leather
is made here, and the manufacture is
mentioned by Rabelais. The almond-
cakes (nougat), in texture resembling
a piece of soap, enjoy some celebrity.
Near this the olive is first seen, though
it cannot be said to flourish farther to
the N. than Avignon: black truffles
abound; and the mulberry-tree is cul-
* Pust-ruud.— 13 Derbieres. 10 Montelimart.

Provence. Route 12,5. — Montelimart—Silkworms.

433

tivated to a very great extent for the
silkworm.

At a small village called Allan, about
9 m. S.E. of Montelimart, and the
same from the Rhone, there existed,
down to 1802, the fmst white mulberry
planted in France. It was brought
thither from Naples, by Guy Pope de
St. Auban, seigneur of Allan, one of
the soldiers who accompanied Charles
VIII. on his Italian campaign, 1494. It
spread hence all over the S. of France,
where the culture of the silkworm is
now one of the chief sources of industry
and prosperity to the people. The
silkworm is here called magnan, and
the establishments in which it is reared
magnaneries. A single tree will furnish
5 or 6 quintaux of leaves, and not unfre-
quently as much as 9 or 10 quintaux.

At the time when the eggs (la
graine) are beginning to be hatched,
sheets of paper pierced with holes are
laid upon them, and through these the
worms, extricating themselves from
the shells, climb to reach the mulberry
leaves hung over them, whence they
are transferred to hurdles formed of
reeds, arranged like shelves, for their
future habitation. The worms live in
that state (as larvae) about 34 days, and
in the course of that period change
their skin 4 times. Before each of
these slougliings, called “ ages ” by the
peasant, they become torpid, and cease
to eat, but, having changed their skin,
their appetite increases enormously.
The periods of appetite preceding the
4 first changes are called petites frezes,
and that before the 5th change grande
freze. The consumption of leaves
increases with each age. The worms
produced by an ounce of eggs devour
7 lbs. of leaves during the 1st age, and
as much as 200 to 300 lbs. of leaves
diming the final period. At that time
they make a noise in eating which re¬
sembles that of a heavy shower falling.
On the 10th day of this 5th age they
cease to eat, and try to climb up to
the small twigs of heath or other plants
purposely hung over the shelves, in
order to spin their cocoon, which they
complete in 3 or 4 days. Formerly it
was usual to bake the cocoons in an
oven, in order to kill the worm and

France.

prevent its biting through the silk; a
more effectual method, unattended by
risk of burning the silk, is to enclose
the cocoon in a copper filled with
steam, and hermetically sealed, and
thus to stifle the worm. It is then fit
for reeling ( filature ).

[17 m. S. E. of Montelimart i 3
Chateau Grignan, celebrated in the let¬
ters of Madame de Sevigne, and the
residence of her son-in-law. It was
originally a stately pile, (( un chateau
vraiment royal,” as Madame de S. calls
it, seated on a commanding height
above the town, fronted with a terrace
raised partly on a rock, partly on ma¬
sonry, 100 ft. high, commanding an
extensive view, bounded by the Mont
Ventoux. But it was burnt and gutted
at the Revolution by a band of robbers
composed of the scum of Orange and
the neighbouring towns, and now
stands a mere shell; yet the window
of the bed-chamber and boudoir of the
Sevigne is still pointed out. In the
church, whose tower adjoins the castle
terrace, and rises to a level with it,
Madamq de Sevign^ (who died at
Grignan) is buried. A black stone in
the pavement marks the entrance
of the family vault, which was saved
from desecration at the hands of the
Revolutionist pillagers of the church
by the removal of this stone, so as to
conceal the position of the vault.

The traveller may regain the banks
of the Rhone from Grignan by a differ¬
ent road, leading direct to La Palud,
near Pont St. Esprit. The cross-roads,
however, to and from Grignan are very
bad indeed.]

A considerable hill occurs on quitting
Montelimart.

rt. The inundation of 1840 carried
off the suspension-bridge across the
Rhone at Le Theil, nearly opposite
Montelimart.

In this portion of the route the finest
scenery occurs, and the superior trans¬
parency of a southern atmosphere be¬
comes perceptible in the remarkable
blueness of the distant hills, approxi¬
mating in intensity to ultramarine.
The inhabitant of a northern climate,
who has, perhaps, regarded as exagge-

434

Houle 125.— Viviers—Pont St. Esprit. Sect. VI.

rations the azure mountains in the
backgrounds of the paintings of Titian,
will be surprised to find them here
realised in nature.

The Rhone is confined between
high but arid limestone cliffs abreast
of

rt. Viviers, a town of only 2500 In-
liab., yet a bishop’s see, and anciently
the capital of the province of Vivarais,
which is named after it. The town,
enclosed within its old walls, is a com¬
plicated labyrinth of narrow streets,
partly crossed by arches, not unlike
the interior of a hive. On an emi¬
nence, near the verge of the cliff, rising
abruptly from the Rhone, stands the
Cathedral , overtopping the other build¬
ings : it is small, and not very remark¬
able; the nave modern, surmounted
by a tower. Near it is the Eveclic.
At the upper end of the town stands
the Seminaire , a huge modern edifice
of 6 stories, for the education of
priests. A private house in the prin¬
cipal Place presents in its richly orna¬
mented front a good specimen of do¬
mestic architecture. Viviers suffered
much during the wars of Religion,
having been one of the first towns to
declare against the king in favour of
the Prince de Conde and the Pro¬
testant party, 1562. It was several
times besieged and captured by both
parties.

There is a road from Viviers to Au-
benas, by Villeneuve de Berg, the
birth-place of Olivier de Serres; near
which is a curious volcanic mountain,
known as les Rampes de Montbrul,
pierced with grottoes.

1. The majestic summit of the Mont
Ventoux, the extreme buttress or root
pushed forth from the French Alps to¬
wards the Rhone, continues in view, a
noble object and landmark from this as
far as Avignon.

Below Viviers * the river expands,
and its current is divided by numerous
willowy islands. A fine suspension-
bridge of 3 curves, rebuilt since 1840,
when the inundation destroyed it,
crosses the Rhone at

rt. Bourg St. Andeol, a town of 4300
Inhab., built on a slope. Close to
* Post-road, —14 Donz're.

it is a copious source rising from the
base of a rock, on the face of which,
about 20 ft. from the ground, is a
rudely-sculptured group, representing
the Sacrifice of a Bull to the god Mi¬
thras, to whom the source seems to
have been dedicated. It is now nearly
effaced.

Those who intend to visit the anti¬
quities of Orange, on their way to
Avignon, must quit the steamer at the
bridge of Bourg St. Andeol.

1. Opposite to St. Andeol, but re¬
moved 14 nr. from the river, is Pierre-
latte, so called from the broad isolated
mass of rock rising out of the plain be •
hind it, to a height of 300 or 400 ft.
For many miles beyond this, nearly as
far as Avignon, the road runs at such
a distance from the Rhone that it is
rarely seen at all.

1. La Palud,* the first place in the
Dept. Vaucluse, is about 2 m. distant
from the Rhone, but the crocketed
stone spire of its Gothic church may
be distinguished. A few miles to the E.
of the road is St. Paul Trois Chateaux,
the Roman Augusta Tricastinorum.

rt. The river Ardeche pours its waters
into the Rhone nearly opposite La Pa¬
lud, and its deposits seem to have
formed the numerous islands occurring
near its mouth.

rt. About 2. m. lower down, at Pont
St. Esprit, a town of 4500 Inhab.,
whose citadel was built by Louis XIII.
to keep in awe the Protestants, the
Rhone is crossed by a bridge of 19
arches, and 4 small land arches, the
longest stone bridge in the world,
and down to 1806 the only one over
the Rhone. It was built 1310 by
an associated brotherhood formed in
the town, then called St/'Saturnin, and
45 years were occupied in its con¬
struction, the first stone having been
laid 1265 by the prior of the convent.
The cost of this great public work was
defrayed by subscriptions raised among
the inhabitants of both banks of the
Rhone, and by offerings made by the
pious at a little chapel dedicated to the
Holy Ghost at the end of the bridge,
whence its actual name. The stones
for it were brought by water from the
* Post-road .—16 La Palud.

435

Provence. Route 125. — The Rhone (I?)— Orange.

quarries of St. Andeol, and a company
of monks and nuns was established on
the bank, the one to superintend the
works, the other to attend the sick or
wounded workmen. It is 2550 Fr.
ft., or 2717 Eng. ft. long, more than
three times as long as London Bridge,
and 17 ft. wide: the arches are irre¬
gular in size; the widest have an open¬
ing of 108 ft.; the piers are pierced
with small, round-headed, flood-water
arches. It is not straight, but makes
an angle against the stream. The pas¬
sage under the Pont St. Esprit used to
be thought an achievement like that of
shooting old London Bridge, owing to
the rapidity of the current; but the
experience of the pilots is a guarantee
from all danger, and the steamers pass
in perfect safety, although the eddy¬
ing river, rushing through the low
arches, has an alarming look, increased
by the sudden twist which the steers¬
man is obliged to give to the vessel
the moment it has passed through.
The bridge is about 2 m. distant
from the high road to Avignon. Roads
branch off from it E. to Gap, and S.W.
to Nismes, by the Pont du Gard.
(Rte. 126.)

1. The Avignon road, having crossed
that from Pont St. Esprit to Gap,
skirts the towns of Montdragon and
Mornas, both seated at the foot of pre¬
cipitous cliffs crowned by ruined castles.
From that of Mornas, as the story goes,
the ferocious Huguenot leader, the
Baron des Adrets, forced his prisoners
to leap down on the pikes of his sol¬
diers below.

1. After passing a small stream, the
Aigues, a glimpse may be obtained
from the river of a huge structure sur¬
mounting the town of Orange, 3 m. in¬
land from the Rhone: it is the wall of
its Roman theatre. (See below.) The
post-road, just before it reaches Orange,
flanked by poplars, is carried in a
double sweep round the antique Roman
Arch.

1. Orange.* — Inns: H. des Princes;
Griffin d’Or; both dear: mosquitoes
are to be much dreaded here. (§ 3.)
This town of 9223 Inhab., situated
about 3 m. E. of the Rhone, was the
* Post-road —12 Mornas. 11 Orange.

ancient Arausio, and is remarkable for
the interesting Roman remains which
it possesses. Its name has been ren¬
dered familiar and illustrious by hav¬
ing been borne by the noble family of
Nassau. It was the chief town of a
small but independent principality
which had existed from the 11th centy.,
and on the death of Philibert de Cha¬
lons, Prince of Orange, 1531, without
children, became the inheritance of his
sister, who was married to the Prince
of Nassau Dili ingen. The family of
Nassau was confirmed in the possession
by the Treaty of Ryswick; but upon
the death of William III. of England
the King of Prussia claimed it, as a
descendant of the princes of Nassau-
Orange, and in spite of other, rightful
perhaps, but weaker claimants, he was
allowed by the Treaty of Utrecht to
make over the principality, in ex¬
change for other possessions, to the
King of France, from whose domi¬
nions it has never since been sepa¬
rated. The house of Nassau conse¬
quently retains at present no more than
the title of Prince of Orange, which is
borne by the heir to the throne of
Holland.

The principal Roman remains are, 1.
The Triumphal Arch, situated about j
m. outside the town, on the road to
Valence. It is a handsome structure,
in a good, if not in the best style of
Roman architecture : its preservation
is remarkable, considering that it was
incorporated in the palace of the
Princes of Orange; and the deep yel¬
low tints of the stone (a tertiary lime¬
stone abounding in fossils) of which it
is composed have a rich effect. The
bas-reliefs with which it is adorned
represent chiefly naval trophies,—
rostra, masts, yards, shrouds, anchors,
and a number of barbaric shields skil¬
fully disposed; others consist of groups
of figures, but the subjects are not
satisfactorily explained : one female
holds her finger to her ear. The
sunken panels (caissons) in the vault
of the central archway are very ele¬
gant. The date and destination of this
arch are unknown ; no inscription is
visible, excepting certain names in¬
scribed on the shields, among which

u 2

436

lloute 125.— Vaison -— Cathedral.

Sect. VI.

tlie most distinct is MARIO, and some
have, in consequence, supposed that
it was raised in commemoration of
Marius’ victory over the Cimbri near
Aix. But arches of triumph were
not known, it appears, until the time
of the emperors, and the generally-
received opinion at present refers it to
the reign of Marcus Aurelius, and to his
successes on the Danube and in Ger¬
many.

The building has been very judi¬
ciously repaired.

Quite at the other end of the dirty
little town stands, 2. The Roman
Theatre , at the foot of a hill, whose
side, with skilful economy, was exca¬
vated into semicircular ranges of seats
for the spectators, and whose top was
crowned by the citadel of the Romans
first, and afterwards of the Princes of
Orange, finally razed by Louis XIV.
The colossal wall forming the scena,
the chord of the semicircle, built over
against the hill, overtops all the puny
edifices of modern times, and is con¬
spicuous for miles around. Few such
walls, it may safely be asserted, exist
in any part of the world: its dimen¬
sions are, 34 met. = 121 ft. high, 102
met. = 334|- ft. long, and 4 met. = 13
ft. thick. It is formed of huge blocks,
fitted accurately together without ce¬
ment. It had 3 doorways below, and
near the top ran 2 rows of projecting
corbel stones, those nearest the ex¬
tremities being pierced with holes for
the masts, by which an awning was
stretched over the scene. Owing,
however, to the projection of the
crowning cornice, the masts must have
inclined outwards. The inner face of
the wall is denuded of ornament; in
its centre is an arch, and on either
side a curious and lofty recess. The
interior has recently been cleared of
the miserable hovels which filled it,
and whose tenants, in some instances,
burrowing like moles, had formed cel¬
lars in the thickness of the wall, re¬
gardless of the risk of undermining it,
and of being buried in its ruins. The
removal of 100 of these cabins now
enables the spectator to judge, to a
certain extent, of the arrangement of
the scene on its inner face. It is still

accessible by stone stairs nearly to the
top. Some of the corridors are vaulted
with long stone beams. Near the top
the stone is calcined and reddened by
the action of fire. The apartments at
the side were destined for the actors,
scenery, and other accessories of a
theatre. A few seats remain on the
slope, formed by excavating the lime¬
stone rock: on one may be seen the
letters Eq. C. in. (Knights’ 3rd row).
— Round the semicircle run 3 pas¬
sages, lined with masonry of small
stones. A great many fragments of
architecture and sculpture, slabs of
marble, pillars of granite, &c,, dug up
within the enclosure, are preserved
here.

Side by side with this theatre ran a
circus, or hippodrome, the greater part
of which has disappeared, quarried out
to build the houses of the town, ex¬
cept a few arches of the portico, which
joined it to the theatre.

The ancient Arausio, which could
construct and maintain edifices of such
splendour and magnitude as these, far
exceeded in extent the present provin¬
cial town; and, judging from the range
of the Roman walls, part of whose cir¬
cuit still remains, they may have en¬
closed a population of 40,000. A good
survey of it may be made from the
heights above the theatre, where
the citadel, now reduced to fragments
of masonry, and the base of a round
tower, once stood.

The people of Orange have a charac¬
ter for ferocity, of which they certainly
displayed a sample during the Revolu¬
tion; 378 persons perished here by the
guillotine, in the space of 3 months, in
compliance with the decree of the re¬
volutionary tribunal.

[At Vaison, 15 m. N. E. of Orange,
are some scanty ancient remains, 2
arches of a theatre, and a Roman
bridge, of a single arch, over the
torrent Lou Veze, beyond which, in
the modern town, are 2 old Roman¬
esque churches, St. Quinin, partly of
the 8th centy., and the cathedral, cal¬
culated to interest the antiquarian
architect.

The most curious of the bas-reliefs
and other antiquities, built into the

Phoven£e. Route 125. — The Rhone {13) — Avignon.

437

walls of the house called Ch&teau
Maraudy, have been removed to
Avignon.]

The Rhone, below Orange, traverses
a wide plain, with little variety of
surface.

rt. Roquemaure, distinguished by
its tower, perched on the edge of a
cliff, excavated below by stone-quar¬
ries, is fixed on by various authors
as the spot where Hannibal passed
the Rhone with his army and ele¬
phants, 4 days’ march below the junc¬
tion of the Isere, on his way to the
Little St. Bernard, where he crossed
the Alps.

1. Nearly opposite is Chateauneuf
des Papes, where the Popes had a
country residence.

1. The stony plain on the E. of the
Rhone is nearly barren, but supports a
few olives and willows. The road
passes by Courthezon, near which is a
salt lake, the only one in France; in
its bed salt is collected when the
waters dry up. There is greater fer¬
tility near Bedarrides (Biturritse, from
2 towers which it possessed), and
Sorgues, a village named from the
clear stream flowing through it, which
rises at Vaucluse. At its junction
with the Rhone, that river divides
into 2 branches, separated by broad
islands.

The spires of Avignon, and the gi¬
gantic towers of the Papal palace, now
rise conspicuously to view, whether we
approach by land or water.

The steamers stop at the quay, out¬
side the lofty battlemented city wall,
just above the broken stone bridge of
St. Benezet, and its little chapel, which
is about a mile from the Inns. Pas¬
sengers are left in the hands of the
porters of Avignon, who are notoriously
a brutal set, and whose exactions and
insolence ought to be repressed by the
police.

1. Avignon.*— Inns: Hotel de l’Eu-
rope, excellent in all respects—a most
attentive landlord; H. du Palais Na¬
tional, also very good and moderate.
There are few better inns in France
than these.

This ancient city of the Popes is

* Poit-road .—18 Sorgues. 10 Avignon.

seated on the 1. bank of the Rhone, a
little above the influx of the Durance
into it, and is still enclosed by the
lofty walls, surmounted by a cornice
of machicolations, battlemented, and
flanked by watch-towers, which were
constructed for its defence by Clement
VI. in the middle of the 14th centy.
They are very perfect and picturesque,
interrupted only on the side towards
the Rhone by the cliffs of the Bocher
des Dons, which, starting up abruptly,
nearly from the water’s edge, abuts
against the wall, serves as a rampart, and
renders other defence needless. Within
the circuit of these fortifications, how¬
ever, will be found large spaces, now
vacant, once covered with habitations;
for Avignon, though now numbering
only 31,786 inhabitants, possessed
down to the time of Louis XIV. a
population of 80,000. It has indeed
several thriving suburbs outside its
walls. A new suspension-bridge is
thrown over the branches of the Rhone,
from the Port d’Oulle to Villeneuve-
les-Avignon, on the rt. bank of the
river. In the Place d’Oulle, just within
this gate, stand the two principal ho¬
tels, and a small Theatre, designed by
the architect Mignard, now a ware¬
house. On this place Marshal Brune,
in passing through Avignon, 1815,
furnished with Lord Exmouth’s pass¬
port, was murdered by an infuriated
mob of Proven§al royalists, who, upon
the news of the battle of Waterloo,
and instigated by hatred of Buona¬
parte, rose upon their adversaries, and
committed all sorts of excesses and
massacres. The Marshal was shot by
the pistol of an assassin in his chamber
at the Hotel du Palais Royal, his body
was thrown into the Rhone, and his
murderers escaped justice.

To obtain an idea of the leading
features of Avignon and its vicinity,
the traveller must penetrate through
its ill-paved and dirty streets, so nar¬
row that an awning is often stretched
across, from house to house, to keep
off the sun, to the height of the Dons.
On reaching its platform, now planted,
converted into a public walk, and or¬
namented with a statue of Alten,
who introduced the culture of garance

438

Route 125.— Avignon — Cathedral — Palace. Sect. VI.

(madder) into France, in the Dept, of
Vaucluse, close to the telegraph, he
will find himself on the brink of a
precipice, looking over the Rhdne, here
divided by an island, towards the
towers of Villeneuve, which was long
a frontier fortress of France, on the
opposite bank. In the S. appears the
barren range bordering the valley of
the Durance, and the Durance itself
hurrying on to join the Rhone. On the
N.E. rise the Mont Ventoux, and the
blue hills at whose feet lies Yaucluse;
and close at hand the buildings of the
city are spread out, surmounted by the
cathedral, the palace of the popes, and
its ill-omened tower of the Glaciere
planted side by side.

The Cathedral, called Notre Dame
des Dons (de Dominis), is founded on
the rock, and approached by a long
flight of steps. It is entered by a
projecting porch, calculated to interest
and puzzle the architect and antiquary,
consisting of a circular arch, flanked
by 2 Corinthian columns at the cor¬
ners, so completely Roman in character
that some have supposed it to have
formed the porch of a Roman building,
a temple of Hercules ; and, judging
from a juncture perceptible in the ma¬
sonry behind, it is probably of a dif¬
ferent date from the body of the
church. The pediment surmounting
it is rather higher pitched than is
usual in classic buildings; its tympa¬
num is pierced with a circular opening,
and over the doorway are the remains
of frescoes of the 14th centy. Behind
this rises a massy W. tower, and the
cross is surmounted by an octagon,
supported at the angles and flanked
externally by fluted Corinthian co¬
lumns. The roof is Pointed; the side
chapels date from the 14th centy. ;
that of St. Joseph was once a passage
leading into the papal palace. The
tomb of Pope Jean XXII. is a florid
Gothic canopy, richly carved, but mu¬
tilated, and its niches emptied since
the Revolution; beneath it reclines his
broken effigy. Benedict XII. is also
buried here under a plainer monu¬
ment. Here is preserved a very an¬
cient altar, a slab of marble supported
on 5 pillars with classic capitals. In

the choir is placed the papal throne,
now the seat of the archbishop, of
marble, carved with the Winged Bull
of St. Luke, and the Lion of St. Mark.
4 or 5 popes were consecrated in this
church. *

Besides what it suffered at the Revo¬
lution, this edifice was, in 1814, made
the receptacle for some hundred Spa¬
nish prisoners. It has lately under¬
gone repairs, and has been modernised
with bad effect. One chapel is deco¬
rated with frescoes by Deveria ; in one
a statue of the Virgin, by Pradier, has
been placed.

The ancient Palace of the Popes, now
degraded into a barrack and prison, is
magnificent from its colossal vastness,
and very impressive in spite of its
present degradation and mutilations.
Of late no part has been shown to
strangers but the Chapelle du St.
Office. It has been injuriously mo¬
dernised. Those who heretofore ex¬
plored its recesses were subjected to
fatiguing ascents of lofty staircases, bad
smells, and other annoyances inseparable
from a barrack. It partakes of the
mixed character of a feudal castle and

* The Popes gained possession of Avignon on
the strength of a grant made by Joanna of
Naples, while yet a minor, 1348 : she was to
receive for it 80,000 gold crowns, which were
never paid.

List of the Popes who reigned at Avignon—all
Frenchmen.

1305. Clement V. Born near Bordeaux.

1316. John XXII. Born at Cahors.

1334. Benedict XII. Born at Verdun, Comte de
Foix.

1342. Clement VI. Born near Limoges.

1352. Innocent VI. Born near Limoges.

1362. Urban V. Born in diocese of Mende.
1370. Gregory XI. Born in Limousin. Quitted
Avignon for Rome, 1376. Thus ended
the Babylonish Captivity of the Romish
Church, as it is called, “ L’Empia Babi-
lonia ” of Petrarch’s Sonnet, 91.

Afterwards the following schismatic Popes set
up their throne at Avignon, and resided there
40 years.

1378. Clement VII.

1394. Benedict XIII. (Pierre de Luna.)

1424. Clement VIII.

On the termination of the Schism, Avignon
became the residence of the Papal Legate.
Louis XIV., “ the eldest son of the Church,”
seized Avignon to revenge a pretended affront
on his ambassador at Rome. Louis XV. held
possession of it for 10 years. It was not united
with France until 1791.

Provence. Route 125. — Avignon — Papal Palace.

439

convent. Its walls are 100 ft. high,
and some of its towers 150 ft., with a
proportionate thickness of masonry.

It is an edifice rich in associations!
It was founded by Clement V., 1319,
and during the greater part of the
14th centy., the period of its con¬
struction by successive rulers, it was
the seat of the Papal court, which had
become a by-word for its luxury, pro¬
fligacy, and venality. In those halls,
now echoing to the blasphemous oaths
of prisoners, or subdivided and filled
with soldiers’ cribs and accoutrements,
the conclave of cardinals sate, by whom
the pope was elected. Here Petrarch
was a guest. Giotto and his scholars
adorned its walls, and in its dungeons
Rienzi was a prisoner. Here the once
formidable Tribune of Rome, who had
ruled from the Capitol with the sway
of the Csesars, now humble and despi¬
cable, owed his life to the intercession
of his friend the poet. He was im¬
prisoned in the tower des Oubliettes,
and fettered with a single chain, fas¬
tened into the vault of the dungeon;
in other respects kept in honourable
custody, and had his meals from the
remnants of the papal table, which
were distributed to the poor. He could
pursue his beloved studies: the Bible,
and the history of the ancient Romans,
particularly the books of Livy, were
his companions in his prison, as for¬
merly at the height of his prosperity.
These battlemented walls and towers
defied for several years a French army
under Marshal Bougicault, who in vain
besieged within them the anti-pope
Benedict XIII. (Pierre de Luna), who
finally escaped by a postern.

Above the entrance, originally de¬
fended by drawbridges, portcullis, and
iron gates, now removed, is the balcony
whence the popes bestowed their bene¬
diction upon the people. The first
court is disfigured by new buildings.
A wide stone ' staircase, under a de¬
pressed arch, on the rt. hand, leads up
to what was once the great hall of the
palace, called Salle Brulee, ever since
Pierre de Lude, papal legate in 1441,
caused it to be blown up, with the
guests assembled in it, consisting of
the nobles of Avignon, in revenge for

the murder of his nephew, a young
libertine, who had outraged them by
his excesses ! Attached to it are side
chapels, and the Salle du Consistoire,
having traces of frescoes executed in
the 14th centy.; but they are partly
effaced or concealed from view by the
modern division of this lofty range of
halls, by floors, into 3 stories, to con¬
vert them into dormitories.

Another stair, on the opposite side
of the building, leads to the chamber
occupied by the Inquisition, which was
established here in the 13th centy.
The Chapelle du Saint Office, vaulted
and groined, x-etains scarcely any traces
of the frescoes with which it was deco-
rated by Giotto, 1324-27. Christ’s
Baptism, and Interview with the Wo¬
man of Samaria; Theodosius repulsed
by St. Ambrose; and St. Louis in
Egypt, the Pyramids in the back¬
ground, may still be distinguished. A
large poi’tion, including the Last Judg¬
ment, are effaced. Here the Jews in¬
habiting Avignon were assembled at
stated times to hear a sermon, de¬
signed to promote their convei’sion to
Christianity. The chamber of torture
(salle de la question) adjoining, is built
with funnel-shaped walls, contracting
upwards, in the manner of a glass¬
house; a form devised, it is said, to
stifle the ci’ies of the misei’able victims.
In the thickness of the wall, in one
corner, are the remains of a furnace for
heating toxbui’ing irons, accoi’ding to
the tradition. Near it are the holes
to which was attached the instrument
called la Veille, a pointed stake upon
which the condemned was seated, sus¬
pended by cords from above, so as only
to pi’event his falling, but allowing his
whole weight to bear xxpon the point.

These are the associations of the dark
ages, and they are dismal enough; but
this building has beheld events in mo¬
dern and enlightened times which far
distance them in their horrors and
atrocities. The crimes accumulated
during a few hours of the French
Revolution exceed those dispersed
through previous ages. Who has not
heard of the Glaciere of Avignon? The
tower so called, from an ice-house in a
garden near it, stands close to the

440

Route 125.— Avignon — Musee.

Sect. VI.

tower of the Inquisition. The stranger
is invited to gaze into it, through an
aperture in its walls, and he will dis¬
cern near the bottom long black stains;
they are streaks of human blood; and
into those dark depths below were
hurled from above no less than 60 un¬
fortunate and innocent persons, fe¬
males as well as men, massacred by a
band of democrats more savage than
wild beasts, in Oct. 1791. The pri¬
soners were dragged from their cells,
and poignarded or struck down in the
door; but in the blind haste of the
ruffians, it is believed that some of
their victims were precipitated from
above before life was yet extinct; but
to finish the deed of infamy, quick¬
lime in large quantities was thrown
down over them upon the mangled
heap of dead and dying.

In the narrow passage, shut up
within lofty walls, by which you ap¬
proach this part of the castle, some of
the prisoners of the revolutionary exe¬
cutioner Jourdan, called Coupetete,
from his butcheries, were thrust, and,
cannon being brought to the gate, were
despatched by grape-shot, the marks
of which still indent the walls.

The modern building facing the
Papal palace, Caserne de Gendarmerie,
but temporarily the Hotel de Ville,
fantastically ornamented in front with
large garlands, carved in stone, was the
papal mint.

A little way behind the castle, pass¬
ing into the Rue Peirollerie, under a
huge flying buttress, which supports
the castle wall, and leaving on the rt.
an ancient building, once the residence
of the Podestat or Governor of Avig¬
non, we reach the Ch. of St. Pierre ,
having a richly florid front, built 1512,
nearly in the Perpendicular style, but
mutilated. It contains a stone pulpit,
carved and surrounded by little statues,
in canopied niches. Scarcely any other
of the numerous churches here deserve
notice; but to give an idea how com¬
pletely ecclesiastical Avignon was be¬
fore the Revolution, w T e may mention
that it contained 8 chapters, 35 con¬
vents of both sexes, 10 hospitals, 7
fraternities of penitents, 3 s^minaires,
a university, and 60 churches, of which

18 now remain; | of its population
were dedicated to the church, and it
possessed between 200 and 300 towers
and spires. Rabelais, in consequence
of the number of bells, called it “ La
Ville sonnante.”

The Place de VHorloge is overlooked
by the clock-tower, or belfry, called
Jacquemart, from the figure in armour,
who strikes the hours, attached to the
Hotel de Ville, rebuilt 1852. Here are
situated the principal cafes and the
theatre.

In the Rue Calade is situated the
Mus'-'e, founded by Calvet, a native of
Avignon. Its collections are of con¬
siderable interest. The Roman an¬
tiquities found in the neighbourhood
are numerous, though few are derived
from Avignon itself, the ancient Ave-
nio. Several large monuments, carved
in high relief, have been brought from
Vaison near Orange (p. 436), among
them a chariot carrying 2 persons and
a driver, drawn by horses harnessed
with traces, and shod (this use of
horseshoes has been attributed to
later times); another represents the
Sacrifice of a Bull (?Mithraic). They
are overladen with ornament, and in
the debased style of the Lower Empire.
An amphora or wine-jar, 5 ft. high,
and 8 or 10 in circumference, deserves
notice for its size.

In the upper rooms are a large col¬
lection of antique bronzes, arms, uten¬
sils, &c., found in Provence and the
Comtat Venaissin, in fine preservation:
some of them have a Greek character.
Among them is the Head of a Roman
Standard (the Eagle of a Legion?), and
a Head of Jupiter, cut in agate. The
collection of Roman glass is large and
perfect. Many of these objects were
obtained from the Roman town Vaison
by excavations in 1838-1840. There
are 2 perfect Egyptian paintings on
papyrus, and other Egyptian antiqui¬
ties. The coins and medals amount to
14,000: among them is a suit of Papal
medals struck at Avignon; also the
seals of the Popes and their Legates,
and the last seal used by the Inquisition
here.

In the Picture Gallery, besides many
early paintings of the 15th and 16th

441

Provence. Route 12o.— Avignon—Picture Gallery.

centuries, which seem to have been re¬
touched, there are 2 portraits attri¬
buted to Holbein; another head, like
John Knox, 1535, in an oval; and a
Holy Family of the Milanese school.
A Crucifixion, by Eckhout, is not un¬
worthy of Rembrandt, and is, perhaps,
the best picture in the gallery. There
are paintings by the 3 Vernets; by Jo*
seph, who was a native of Avignon, one
of his best landscapes; by Carl, several
landscapes; and by Horace (whose bust,
by Thorwaldsen, is placed in the room),
Mazeppa on the Wild Horse. Many of
old Vernet's sketches for the views of
French seaports in the Louvre exist
here.

The library amounts to 42,000 vols.
derived from suppressed convents in
the town; it includes 700 MSS. and
many early printed editions of the 15tli
centy.

The large Benedictine convent ad¬
joining it has been converted into a
Museum of Natural History. In this
collection may be seen specimens of
the flamingo caught in the delta of the
Rhone, where it frequents the ponds
(etangs) of the Camargue. (See Index.)
It is stated to be a permanent inha¬
bitant of that part of France, forming
a nest of mud, in the form of a trun¬
cated cone, on which it sits over its
eggs, with its long legs dangling down
on the outside. The bird does not as¬
sume its red plumage until it is 2 years
old.

Here is the beaver of the Rhone, an
animal now nearly exterminated, since
the late inundations drove most of
them from their retired haunts. Its
colour is tawny, and its hair harsh
compared with the American beaver.
It does not build houses nor lay up
stores in Europe, but burrows in the
dykes or river bed, and feeds on wil¬
lows or other brushwood, whole plan¬
tations of which are often laid prostrate
by its sharp teeth. Here are collec¬
tions of the minerals and fossils of the
De'pt. de Vaucluse; also of fossil in¬
sects and fishes from Aix. The mu¬
seum has been enriched by the splen¬
did bequest of M. Riquet, and the
whole appears well arranged. Behind
is the botanic garden.

Continuing in the same direction, as
far as Rue des Lices (No. 8), a street
abounding with dyers and tanners, at
the back of the Maison des Orphelins,
a charitable institution for the educa¬
tion of 50 poor children, we shall find
the last relic of the church of the Corde¬
liers, in which Petrarch’s Laura, a mar¬
ried lady of the family De Sade in
Avignon, was buried. The church,
destroyed at the Revolution, is now
reduced to a fragment of the tower and
side walls, sold probably for the value
of the materials, but not worth pulling
down.

Laura's tomb, described by Arthur
Young as “ nothing but a stone in the
pavement, with a figure engraved on
it, partly effaced, surrounded by an in¬
scription in Gothic letters, and another
on the wall adjoining, with the armorial
bearings of the family De Sade,” has
entirely disappeared, having been
broken open, and the contents of the
tomb, as well as that of the brave Cril-
lon, scattered by the Revolutionists.
In a sort of tea-garden behind the
fragment of the church, a vulgar, taste¬
less monument has been raised to
Laura, bearing the pompous inscrip¬
tion, “Hunc cippum posuit Carolus
Kelsall Anglicus.” Petrarch has re¬
corded that he first saw Laura in the
church of St. Claire, 1327, in the time
of his early youth.

In this church of the Cordeliers,
June 1791, the mob of Avignon, irri¬
tated at the tyranny, spoliations, and
sacrilegious acts of the democratic mu¬
nicipality, put to death its agent and
secretary Lescuyere: the chief actors
in this deed of blood were women, who
actually tore out his eyes with their
scissors.

Behind the church and convent of
St. Martial is the Hotel des Invalides,
subordinate to, and dependent on, that
of Paris, founded for old soldiers, after
the expulsion of the French from
Egypt. It occupies the buildings of 2
suppressed convents, between which a
park extends. The upper part of a
chapel, in the roof of which are traces
of fresco, serves as the Lingerie. The
establishment is furnished with a good
library for the use of the inmates.

u 3

442 Route 125.— Avignon — ViUencuve-les-Avignon. Sect. YI.

A crucifix of ivory, 26 inches high,
executed by one Guillermin, according
to the story, to save his nephew from
execution, and preserved in the chapel
of the Hospice des Insenses, is much
vaunted in the guide-books; but is not,
after all, of high merit.

Steamers, 2 daily to Lyons in the
morning; 2 to Arles in the afternoon.

Steamers on the Rhone —to Valence,
rarely in one long day, most commonly
it takes more; and the steamer brings
to at night without reference to any
inn being near the spot.

Railway to Arles, Nismes, and Mar¬
seilles. (Rte. 129.)

Diligences, daily, to Nismes 3 (in 4
hrs.); to Lyons 4 daily.

rt. Opposite to Avignon, on the rt.
bank of the Rhone, at the extremity of
the wooden bridge, stands Villeneuve-
les-Avignon, an ancient town of 4000
Inhab., which was much encouraged
by the kings of France, as a border-
fortress, on the frontier of Languedoc,
confronting the foreign territory of the
Pope, on the opposite shore of Pro¬
vence. It contains several objects of
curiosity. In the chapel of the Hopital
is placed the very elegant Gothic tomb
of Pope Innocent VI., composed of taber¬
nacle work, and niches beautifully
carved. It was removed from the
ruined convent of the Chartreuse, and
has been carefully restored.

The ruins of the Gothic Church of
the Chartreuse, and the tower which
formed the Tete du Pont of the broken
bridge of St. Benazet, faced with stones
cut in diamond facettes, built by Phi¬
lippe le Bel, also merit notice. The
Fort St. Andre, on an elevated platform
above the town, is a nearly unaltered
citadel of feudal times.

The climate of Avignon is described
in the proverbial line, “Avenio ven-
tosa, sine vento venenosa, cum vento
fastidiosa.”

The following very interesting Ex¬
cursions may be made from Avignon:—
a. To Vaucluse; b. To the Pont du
Gard, on the way to Nismes (Rte. 126);
on no account to be omitted: either of
these may be seen in one day from
Avignon. The traveller should not
return to Avignon from the P. du G.,

but by all means go on to Nismes.
c. To Orange, on the way to Lyons (p.
451); d. To St. Remy (p. 435); e. To
Carpentras. The Roman remains of
Nismes (p. 446) and Arles (p. 460),
more distant from Avignon, are scarcely
inferior in interest to any in Italy.

a. To Vaucluse. 29 kilom. = 18 Eng.
m. Diligence every morning at 6, to
LTsle for 30 sous, returning in the
afternoon: it takes about an hour to
walk from LTsle to Vaucluse.

A carriage with 2 horses costs 18 or
20 frs., or with 1 horse 10 fi's., to go
and return; the excursion will take
about 8 hrs.

It is incumbent upon all travellers
to perform this ( ‘ sentimental j ourney,”
not only on account of Petrarch and
Laura, but because Vaucluse itself is
a striking scene. You quit Avignon
by the Porte St. Lazare, traverse long
avenues of willows and poplars, leaving
on either hand numerous country-
houses, each fronted with an avenue of
planes; and, after crossing the Canal
de Crillon, which conducts the waters
of the Durance to fertilise the fields of
madder around Avignon (Rte. 128),
reach the village of Le Thor, so named
from a bull, which, by constantly fall¬
ing on its knees, when brought to
water on the margin of a pond, led to
the discovery of a miraculous image of
the Virgin, which was fished out of the
mud, and deposited in the Church of
St. Marie du Lac! This is an ancient
and curious Romanesque building; its
W. doorway resembles that of Notre
Dame des Dons, and is probably of the
11th centy.; an ornamented portal at
the E. end is rather later. The coun¬
try is dreary as far as

22 LTsle (Inns: H. du Petrarque et
Laure; not very good, and dear;—
Poste, better), a town of 5000 Inhab.,
12 m. from Avignon, on an island sur¬
rounded by branches of the Sorgues,
whose waters, employed in irrigation,
spread fertility and verdure around.
This is a green oasis in the desert,
affording bubbling streams and grate¬
ful shade. There is a road from LTsle
to Carpentras. (See p. 444.)

The valley of the Sorgues, whose
course we trace hence upwards, is ex-

Provence.

443

Route 125 — Vaucluse — Petrarch.

cavated in a mountain-chain, branching
from the lofty Mont Ventoux. Near
its head lies the little village

7 Vaucluse. — Inn: H. de Laure;
small, and not very clean. The land¬
lord is a capital cook, and, judging
from the Strangers’ Book—a singular
record of frivolous sentiment and sel¬
fish “gourmandise,”—his fried trout
and eels, soupe h la bisque, and co-
quille d’ecrevisse, have made a far
deeper and more lasting impression on
his visitors than the souvenir of Laura;
and indeed they are not to be despised;
even Petrarch himself has mentioned
the fish of the Sorgues with praise.
Close to the village stands a tasteless
monument to Petrarch, which the Aca¬
demy of Avignon planted at the mouth
of the grotto itself, whence it was
judiciously removed by order of the
late Duchesse d’Angouleme, when she
visited the spot. A path leads from
the village to the fountain by the side
of the Sorgues, whose exquisitely lim¬
pid waters are dried up near the head,
in summer, and, instead of bursting
out exuberantly from the cavern, fil¬
trate underground, and issue out, some
hundred yards lower down, in nume¬
rous streamlets, out of holes in the
limestone rock.

The valley of Vaucluse (vallis clausa)
is a complete cul de sac, a semicircular
excavation in the side of a mountain,
which seems to have been split from
top to bottom, so as to disclose the
secret storehouse of water within it,
whence the sparkling Sorgues derives
its supplies. All around rise walls of
rock from 500 to 600 ft. high, inter¬
mixed with bristling pyramids, arid,
destitute of verdure, and glaringly
white. The sides and bottom are
strewn with broken fragments of stone,
which, where the Sorgues rolls over
them, are covered with a luxuriant
mantle of green moss. It is a desolate
and arid scene. On a ledge half way
up, to the rt., is perched a ruined
castle, which belonged to the bishops
of Cavaillon, one of whom, the Car¬
dinal de Cabassole, was Petrarch’s
friend. Though popularly known as
Petrarch’s Castle, it never belonged
either to him or to Laura; but the site

of his house is pointed out between
the castle and the village. Here, be¬
side a natural grotto in the rock, men¬
tioned in his letters, one of the gardens
which he formed with so much care
was probably situated.

At the extremity of this majestic
recess, at the base of the precipice,
yawns the cavern which contains the
fountain of Vaucluse. According to the
season, and the abundance of the water,
it presents alternately a gushing cata¬
ract, tumbling over the moss-clad
stones, from step to step, or a quiet,
pellucid, dark-plue pool, sunken within
its grotto, so that you may enter under
the vault beside it, and, gazing into its
funnel-shaped basin, watch the stones
which are thrown in gradually descend
into its fathomless depths. A wild fig-
tree, springing from a crevice in the
face of the rock, above the natural
vault, marks, with its roots, the height
which the waters attain when they fill
the cave.

Around this spot must have been
the other garden mentioned by Pe¬
trarch in his letters; that consecrated
to Apollo, adapted to study, “where
art surpasses nature.”

It is more agreeable to contemplate
Petrarch in these haunts, as the labo¬
rious student retired from the world,
than as the mawkish lover, sighing for
a married mistress, and converted, as
in the sentimental verses of Delille,
into a sort of Italian Werther. Listen
to his own account of his occupations
at Vaucluse.

“ The Sorgues, transparent as crys¬
tal, rolls over its emerald bed; and by
its bank I cultivate a little sterile and
stony spot, which I have destined to
the Muses; but the jealous Nymphs
dispute the possession of it with me;
they destroy, in the spring, the labours
of my summer. I had conquered from
them a little meadow, and had not en¬
joyed it long, when, upon my return
from a j ourney into Italy, I found that
they had robbed me of all my posses¬
sion. But I was not to be discouraged;
I collected the labourers, the fisher¬
men, and the shepherds, and raised a
rampart against the Nymphs; and
there we raised an altar to the Muses;

444

Route 125.— Carpentras—Mont Ventoux. Sect. VI.

but, alas! experience has proved that
it is in vain to battle with the ele¬
ments. I no longer dispute with the
Sorgues a part of its bed; the Nymphs
have gained the victory.

“ Here I please myself with my little
gardens and my narrow dwelling. I
want nothing, and look for no favours
from fortune. If you come to me, you
will see a solitary, who wanders in the
meadows, the fields, the forests, and
the mountains, resting on the mossy
grottoes, or beneath the shady trees.
Your friend detests the intrigues of
court, the tumult of cities, and flies
from the abodes of pageantry and
pride.—Equally removed from joy or
sadness, he passes his days in the most
profound calm, happy to have the
Muses for his companions, and the
song of birds and the murmur of the

stream for his serenade.I have

few servants, but many books. Some¬
times you will find me seated upon the
bank of the river, sometimes stretched
upon the yielding grass: and, enviable
power! I have all my hours at my own
disposal, for it is rarely that I see any
one. Above all things, I delight to
taste the sweets of leisure.”

e. Carpentras. 23 kilom. = 14 Eng.
m. from Avignon, and the Mont Ventoux.

The road thither from Avignon lies
through Entraigues andMonteux, cross¬
ing the Sorgues, here as limpid as at
Vaucluse, between the two villages.
The country around Carpentras is a
fertile plain, which, by means of irri¬
gation, and of a southern sun, produces
crops of all kinds in abundance.

23 Cai’pentras is a flourishing town
of 10,000 Inhab., still retaining, like
most of those in the old Papal territory
(the Comtat Yenaissin), its feudal walls,
towers, and gates; the Porte d’ Orange
being particularly perfect and stately.
It was an important Roman station;
but almost the only relic of that people
remaining is an Arch of Triumph, for¬
merly built up into the bishop’s palace,
and serving as his kitchen, but recently
set free from that degradation, and de¬
tached from the buildings surrounding
it. It is a ruin, reduced to the mere
stone vault, without the attic, resting
on the side piers. Upon these are

curious sculptures in relief, represent¬
ing Barbarian Captives, their hands
bound behind their backs to trophies.
Nothing is known of the date or desti¬
nation of this arch; but it is doubtless
a work of the Lower Empire.

The cathedral, rebuilt 1405, has a
tower attached to it of the 10th centy.,
and contains a nail of the Cross, made
into a bit, and used for that purpose
by Constantine, if we may believe the
tradition.

There is a mus 'e here containing anti¬
quities, and a public library of 12,000
volumes and 700 MSS.

The aqueduct of Carpentras, a massive
structure of 48 arches, was finished
1734.

The ascent of the Mont Ventoux may
be made from Carpentras by way of
Malaucene, whence it is 6 m. distant.
Its top, reached by Petrarch in 1345,
is 6427 ft. above the sea-level, and is
covered for half the year with snow,
which supplies the Dept, with ice in
summer. The view from it includes a
portion of the chain of the Alps, the
Cevennes, the Coiron, the course of
the Rhone and Durance, and, it is said,
extends to the Mediterranean. At the
foot of the mountain stands Bedouin, a
miserable village rising from amidst
the blackened ruins of a former village
destroyed at the Revolution. There is
no darker spot in the black history of
that period than the burning of Be¬
douin and the massacre of its inha¬
bitants by the revolutionary committee.
Their agent, the apostate priest Maignet,
directed this atrocious crime, and Su-
chet, afterwards so eminent a general,
with his soldiers, carried it into execu¬
tion, setting fire to the houses, blowing
up the public buildings, hurrying the
peaceful inhabitants to the scaffold,
and picking off with musketry those
who tried to escape, until 180 had
perished. And these horrors were
enacted, not in a hostile country and
in time of war, but upon fellow-coun¬
trymen, women, and children, French¬
men being the executioners; and all
because a tree of liberty planted within
the parish had been sawn through in
the night.

N.B. The railway from Avignon to

Provence. JR. 126. —Avignon to Narbonne—Pont du Gard. 445

Tarascon, Arles, and Marseilles is de¬
scribed Rte. 127.

ROUTE 126.

AVIGNON TO NARBONNE, BY THE PONT
DU GARD, NISMES, MONTPELLIER, AND
BEZIERS.—EXCURSIONS TO ST. GILLES,
CETTE, AND AIGUES MORTES.

200 kilom. = 124 Eng. m.

Malleposte from Montpellier to Nar¬
bonne daily.

Diligences from Avignon to Nismes,
in 4 hrs. daily. The Pont du Gard
may be seen on the way to Nismes.

9 kilom. extra are charged by the
postmaster for making the detour by
the Pont dn Gard.

You quit Avignon by the Suspension
bridge which crosses the Rhone, rest¬
ing on the island. From the slope
and summit of the long steep ascent
which carries the road over the hills
forming the rt. bank of the Rhone,
you have a fine view of it and of
Avignon, and then a dreary country
succeeds; hills bare as dry bones; but
in the low ground olives, mulberries,
and vines.

12 Begude de Saze.

The point where our road approaches
nearest to the Pont du Gard is at Re-
moulins (1| m. distant from it), a
small town on the 1. bank of dhe Gar-
don, now at length connected by a
bridge of wire with

11 La Foux (Fabre’s restaurant), a
village and post stat. on the rt. bank.
9 kilom. extra are charged if the tra¬
veller posting chooses to be driven
round by the Pont du Gard (1| m.. dis¬
tant, turning to the rt. up the rt. bank
of the river). The sight of this noble
edifice, one of the grandest monuments
which the Romans have left, in France
or any other country, would well repay
for a very long detour. Like Stone¬
henge, it is the monument of a people’s
greatness, a standard by which to mea¬
sure their power and intellect. It
consists of 3 tiers of arches; the lowest
of 6 arches supporting 11 of equal span
in the central tier, surmounted by 35 of
smaller size; the whole in a simple, if
not stern style of architecture, destitute

of ornament. It is by its magnitude,
and the skilful fitting of its enormous
blocks, that it makes an impression
upon the mind. It is the more striking
from the utter solitude in which it
stands, a rocky valley, partly covered
with brushwood and greensward, with
scarcely a human habitation in sight,
only a few goats browsing. After the
lapse of 16 centuries this colossal
monument still spans the valley, join¬
ing hill to hill, in a nearly perfect
state, only the upper part, at the N.
extremity, being broken away. The
highest range of arches carries a covered
canal about 5 ft. high, and 2 ft. wide,
shaped like the letter U, just large
enough for a man to walk through,
still retaining a thick lining of Roman
cement. It is covered with thick
stone slabs, along which it is possible
to walk from one end to the other,
and to overlook the valley of the
Gardon. The arches of the middle
tier are formed of 3 distinct ribs or
bands, apparently unconnected. The
height of the Pont du Gard is 180 ft.,
and the length of the highest arcade
873 ft. Its use was to convey to the
town of Nismes the water of 2 springs,
25 m. distant, the Airan rising near
St. Quentin, and the Ure near Uzes.
It forms only a small portion of the
conduit constructed for this purpose,
whose course, partly raised on low
arches, some of which exist on the N.
of the Pont du Gard, partly cut in the
rock round the shoulders of the hills,
may be traced at the village of St.
Maximin, near Uzes, and above that of
Vers, to the Pont du Gard; thence,
by St. Bonnet and Sernhac, to the hill
of the Tour Magne, and Bassin des
Thermes at Nismes.

The sole object and use of this gigan¬
tic structure was for the conveyance
of this small stream, an end which
could be obtained in modern times by
iron pipes laid under the garden, of
sufficient strength to withstand the
weight of the column of water from
above. Its date and builder are alike
lost in oblivion, but it is attributed to
M. Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus,
b.c. 19. The quarry whence the stone
was obtained is a little way down the

446

Sect. VI.

Route 1 26. — Nis??ies — Amphitheatre.

Gardon, on its 1. bank. The bridge
by which the road crosses the Gardon,
on a level with the lower tier of arches,
and formed by merely widening them,
is a modern addition to the ancient
structure, having been erected in 1743
by the States of Languedoc.

Close to La Foux the road to Nismes
turns rt. out of the valley of the Gar¬
don, and traverses a more fertile and
productive, but uninteresting coun¬
try, by

10 St. Gervasy, to

10 Nismes. Inns: H. du Luxem¬
bourg; good; the best; tolerable cui¬
sine;—H. du Midi; middling.

Nismes, chef-lieu of the Dept, du
Gard, a flourishing manufacturing town
of 44,240 Inhab., consists of a central
nucleus of narrow intricate streets and
old houses, encircled by a girdle of
open boulevard, which separates it from
its modern fauxbourgs, composed of
wide streets and new houses. The
boulevard is itself a fine broad street,
planted with trees, lined with hand¬
some buildings; and there is little
need for the passing traveller to pene¬
trate into the old town, as the chief
curiosities and objects of interest are
situated on the edge of this boulevard,
or at a short distance from it. They
consist almost exclusively of Roman
monuments, relics of the ancient city
of Nemausus, which, though passed
over in oblivion by classic authors, so
that its origin is unknown, and merely
mentioned in the geographical cata¬
logues of Strabo and Ptolemy, yet
affords more palpable testimony of its
ancient extent and splendour than
most cities celebrated in classic page.
While the renowned cities of Mar¬
seilles and Narbonne have few relics
and no existing edifices of the ancient
masters of the world, the obscure
Nismes is richer in well-preserved
antiquities than any town in France or
Northern Europe.

A walk along the boulevard, starting
from the H. du Luxembourg, and
keeping to the 1., will bring you first
to the Esplanade, a square terraced
platform, planted with trees, furnish¬
ing a promenade of considerable extent.
Facing it is the new Palais de Justice,

fronted with an imposing portico, and
a little further on stands

The Amphitheatre, Les Arenes, now
isolated by the removal of the build¬
ings which obstructed it within and
without, in the middle of a wide Place,
allowing unimpeded view of its very
perfect oval circuit. It consists of 2
stories, each of 60 arcades, 70 ft. high;
the lower arches serving as so many
doors: the arches of the upper arcade
are double, but the inner arches are
not concentric with the lower. It is
far better preserved, externally, than
the Coliseum at Rome, although like
it converted into a fortress during the
middle ages, and retains even its pro¬
jecting stones, pierced with holes, for
inserting the masts to which the awn¬
ings (Valeria) were attached.

The interior, though less perfect,
retains some of the original seats,
especially of the lower and upper
rows. The modern French architect
employed on the building, not content
with preserving and protecting the
parts which remain, has committed
the fault of restoring, or rather recon¬
structing, in a somewhat clumsy man¬
ner, part of them and some of the
arcades. There were originally 32
rows of seats, and the number of spec¬
tators which it is supposed the build¬
ing may have contained is estimated at
from 17,000 to 23,000.

A long corridor, surrounding the
building, runs within the arches on the
ground stoiy, and a smaller corridor
encircles the upper story. It is worth
while to make the circuit of these,
and, indeed, to penetrate every part
of this extraordinary structure. The
vaults of the lower corridor or portico
are like some vast natural cavern; the
upper one is roofed with huge stone
beams, 18 ft. long, reaching from side
to side, many of them cracked, either
by an earthquake, or by the confla¬
gration which consumed the Arenes
in the times of Charles Martel. It is
interesting to penetrate the wedge-
shaped passages, radiating from the
centre, and widening outwards, so
contrived as to facilitate the egress
of the hastening crowds, and allow
them to depart without any check; to

Provence. Route 126.— Nismes — Arenas—Maison Carree. 447

ascend tlie stairs, by which ready
access was given to every part of the
huge structure; to clamber over the
broken seats, some still marked with
the line indicating the space allotted
to each spectator, scaring the fright¬
ened lizard, which starts away from
under your foot, out of the sunshine
in which it has been basking, to the
shelter of the tufts of grass or weeds
springing up among the crevices of the
masonry; and, finally, to stand on the
topmost stone, the rim of this huge
oval basin, surveying its whole inte¬
rior, dismantled, and almost glutted.
Here you may examine the round
holes cut in the projecting stones, and
corresponding with hollows in the ex¬
terior cornice below, into which the
poles were put, in order to fasten the
awnings stretched over the spectators.
A very narrow stair in the thickness
of the wall, near the N. side, was des¬
tined, it is supposed, for the men who
had charge of the awning. The zones
of seats, as is well known, were divided
into 4 tiers (praecinctiones) by spaces
wider than the seats themselves, and
were destined for spectators of different
rank ; the patricians occupied the
lower, equivalent to the dress circle,
the plebeians the upper, corresponding
with the gallery. These spaces, or
landing-places, were each reached by
10 passages or vomitories. The 3
uppermost rows of seats rest upon a
half arch, whose only support is the
outer wall.

The dimensions are, length 437 ft.,
width 332 ft., height 70 ft.

The founder of this building and its
date are unknown: it is attributed to
Antoninus Pius, whose ancestors came
from Nismes, but by others to Titus
and Adrian.

The Visigoths converted it into a
fortress, and it was known as the
“ Castrum Arenaruin.” The Saracens
occupied it as such in the beginning
of the 8th centy., until expelled by
Charles Martel, who endeavoured to
destroy the building altogether, by
filling its vaults and passages with
wood, and setting fire to it; finally,
down to the middle of the 18th centy.,
it was occupied by mean hovels, all

of which are now swept away. The
people of Nismes use the Arenes for
an entertainment called Ferrade, which
consists in teasing a number of wild
bulls from the Camargue (p. 463),
previous to branding them with hot
iron. The sport is but a poor imita¬
tion of a Spanish bull-fight; nearly as
cruel, without being so exciting, and
it has properly been prohibited.

Continuing through the boulevard,
from the Arenes, and passing on the
1. the Great Hospital, you reach the
modern Theatre, remarkable only for
its tasteless portico, contrasting very
unfavourably with a neighbouring
building, which, though of an age
deemed barbarous, shows yet a far
greater refinement in taste,—

The Maison Carree, the vulgar name
given to a beautiful Corinthian temple,
a gem of architecture, which has come
down to the present time in a state of
wonderful preservation, considering its
various fortunes and the purposes to
which it has been converted. Origin¬
ally a temple, consecrated in the
reign of Augustus, according to some;
of Antoninus Pius, according to others:
it became afterwards a Christian church,
and, in the 11th centy., the Hotel de
Ville; still later it was converted into
a stable, and its owner, to extend his
space, built walls between the pillars
of the portico, and pared away the
flutings of the central columns to
allow his carts to pass; it then became
attached to the Augustine convent,
and was used as a tomb-house for
burial; its next changes were into a
Revolutionary tribunal and corn ware¬
house; and, finally, at present it is
converted into a museum.

It is surrounded by 30 elegant
Corinthian columns, 10 of them de¬
tached, forming the portico, and 20
engaged: their height is equal to 10|
diameters; and learned architects will
tell you that these proportions are
contrary to Vitruvian rules, and that
the building is debased and defective
in consequence. This, however, ap¬
pears a case in which ignorance is
bliss ; the ordinary and unlearned
spectator will scarcely fail to be im¬
pressed with the elegance of its general

448

Route 126.— Nismes — Fountain.

Sect. VI.

effect, as well as witli the simplicity
of its form, the beauty of its fluted
Corinthian columns, and the richness
of the capitals, frieze, and cornice
which they support.

M. Seguier, an antiquary of Nismes,
first hit upon the ingenious idea of
restoring the inscription on the frieze
above the portico from the holes left
in it, by which the bronze letters com¬
posing it were attached, the letters
themselves having long since disap¬
peared. According to his reading, it
ran thus: — c. caesari. augvsti. f. cos.

L. CAESARI. AUGUSTI. F. COS. DESIGNATO.

principibus. juventutis. ; thus attri¬
buting the dedication of this temple
to “ Marcus and Julius Caesar, grand¬
sons of Augustus, Consuls Elect,
Princes of Youth.” The style, how¬
ever, of the building, and the profusion
of ornament, indicate a period much
later than Augustus; and another anti¬
quary, on examining the original state
of the holes in the frieze, discovers 3
holes preceding the 2 to which M.
Seguier’s first letter C was fastened,
and thus converts the C into an M.
This slight alteration shifts the date of
the Maison Carree from the era of
Augustus to that of Antoninus, for it
appears that the only 2 princes bearing
such names who enjoyed together the
title Principes Juventutis, after the
sons of Agrippa, were Marcus Aure¬
lius and Lucius Verus, adopted sons
of Antoninus. It is evident, however,
that the determination of the letters
from such data must, in a great degree,
be a mere piece of guess-work, owing
to the confusion and number of the
holes. Excavations have laid bare
the foundations of walls, extending on
either side of the temple, showing that
it was only the centre of a larger edi¬
fice, from which two long colonnades
extended, in the manner of wings, on
either hand, and it is supposed that it
occupied one end of the ancient forum,
of Nemausus.

The whole is now enclosed by an
iron railing, within which are depo¬
sited numerous antique fragments found
in and about the town.

The contents of the Museum (into
which the temple is now turned) con¬

sist of other antiquities, including a
bronze head (of Apollo?); a marble
bust of Venus, and a quantity of pic -
tures, very poor and commonplace for
the most part, excepting Paul Dela-
roche’s master-piece, Cromwell opening
the Coffin of Charles I., and Nero
trying upon a Slave the Poison des¬
tined for his Brother Britannieus, by
Sigalon.

Opposite the entrance to the Maison
Carree is the small, though rich,
Museum of Antiquities, formed by M.
Perrot.

Returning to the boulevard, and
continuing along it as far as the irre¬
gular Place de la Bouquerie, you come
upon a handsome canal, supplied with
water from the ancient Fountain of the
Nymphs. It must not, however, be
judged of at first sight, for at this
point nothing can be more unclassical;
its limpid rills are stained with soap¬
suds, and in the place of nymphs a
swarm of blanchisseuses convert it into
a public washing tub. Trace it up¬
wards, however, and you will find its
source within a fine Public Garden,
planted with trees, in the midst of
which it bursts forth in exuberant
copiousness from the foot of a hill,
and is received into a large reservoir,
originally a Roman bath for Women. It
is surrounded by a large colonnade
below the level of the ground, and is
conducted through a formal canal
lined with masonry, like the ditch of
a fortification, and bordered with a
handsome stone balustrade. A part
of this enclosure is of antique masonry,
but the whole has been restored in
modern times. It is a very handsome,
but formal construction, and it and
the fine Garden which it traverses form
a principal ornament of the town. On
one side of it is a ruined Roman building,
supposed at one time to have been a
temple of Diana, but now regarded as
a Nymphceum (or fane dedicated to the
Nymphs), and connected with the
neighbouring baths. It appears to
have had a semi-cylindrical roof rising
from an entablature, supported by
columns. It is- proved by inscriptions
to have been built, along with the
baths, by Augustus. It was reduced

Provence. Route 126.— Nismes—Tourmagne — Cathedral. 449

to ruin 1577. The ancient aqueduct
which the Pont du Gard carried across
the valley of the Gardon (p. 445) ter¬
minated near the fountain at Nismes,
in a basin or reservoir 16 ft. diameter,
and about 5 ft. deep, recently dis¬
covered.

The hill rising behind the fountain,
planted with trees, and rendered ac¬
cessible by zigzag walks, is surmounted
by another singular ancient monument,
known as La Tourmagne, a dismantled
tomb of rough ashlar, not unlike seve¬
ral still existing in the vicinity of
Rome, but which has passed at different
times with learned antiquaries for a
lighthouse (50 m. inland, and remote
from any river!), a Gallic temple, and
a treasury. It is hollow within, having
a rude conical shape, resembling that
of a glass-house. The walls are very
thick below, but taper upwards ; ex¬
ternally it was an octagon, but the sur¬
face-stonework is for the most part re¬
moved. It is, perhaps, the oldest
building in the town. Some have re¬
ferred its origin to times preceding the
Romans: in their time it was included
in the defences of the town, and con¬
nected with the walls. It was originally
filled with earth, and it seems not un¬
likely that it was built upon a nucleus
of earth, for its cone is not properly
vaulted, but consists of small stones,
held together by the strength of the
cement alone. It was cleared out by a
gardener, who obtained leave from
Henri IV. to search the building for
treasure, a scheme which turned out
eminently unprofitable.

A staircase is now erected to the top,
whence the view is very fine. The situa¬
tion of the Tourmagne is very com¬
manding; at the foot of the heights,
on which it stands, the whole city is
displayed, and the distant horizon in¬
cludes the bifurcation of the Rhone,
and, perhaps, the site of Aigues Mortes
on the Mediterranean.

Nismes retains two of its original Ro¬
man gates, the Porte (T Auguste, founded
in the reign of that Emperor, b.c. 16,
consisting of a double arch with two
side doors for foot passengers, flanked
by 2 towers, and the Porte de France.

In the heart of the old town stands

the Cathedral, an ancient building, but
so injured during the wars of religion
of the 16th and 17th centuries, and now
so much modernised, as to possess little
interest. High up, on the W. front,
above a circular window, a curious
sculptured frieze, representing events
from the book of Genesis, is introduced;
it is very ancient.

The cabinet of antiquities of M. Pelet,
and the cork models made by him of
the ancient buildings in Nismes, are
well worth seeing.

There are 12,000 Protestants at
Nismes, who have 2 churches ( temples)
and a chapel: they have endured severe
persecutions at different times. So little
even now do the Protestants and Catho¬
lics coalesce, that each party frequents
distinct cafes.

The Maison centrale de Detention was
originally a citadel, erected by Louis
XIV. to keep down the Protestants.

The manufactures of Nismes consist
of various articles of silk and cotton,
which change with the fashion and the
demand; it has large printing and dye¬
ing works ; but cotton handkerchiefs
seem the staple production. A con¬
siderable trade in the wines and spirits
of Languedoc, in raw silks, and in oil,
is carried on here. It is a very thriving
town on the whole.

In the garden of the Convent of Re¬
collets, now occupied by the Theatre,
Marshal Villars had an interview in
1704 with the chief of the Camisards,
Cavalier, who, originally a baker’s boy,
and at that time a mere youth, had
raised himself by his talents for com¬
mand and his fanatic eloquence to be
the head of the formidable rebellion of
the Cevennes. He appeared on that
occasion magnificently mounted, and
attired in laced coat, cocked hat, and
plume of white feathers, escorted by a
body-guard on horseback. The result
of this memorable conference was to
detach him from the insurgents by
flattery and promises of rank and re¬
ward in the service of Louis XIV., as
the price of his defection, coupled with
assurances of justice and tolerance in
religion to the persecuted Protestants
of the Cevennes. Neither the one nor
the other was destined to be kept or

450 Route 126.— Nismes—The Cevenols — St. Gilles. Secf. YJ.

fulfilled. Villars, however, thus dealt
a death-blow to the insurrection, by de¬
priving it of one of its heads; and Ca¬
valier, despised and hated for his de¬
sertion by his own party, and neglected
by the court, was soon driven into
exile, and died a pensioner at Chelsea.

On the Place de Boucairie in 1705
were erected the gibbet, the wheel, and
the stake, at which a vast number of
the Camisards concerned in the rebel¬
lion of the Cevennes perished miserably,
after suffering horrid tortures in the
prison of the fortress. The most me¬
morable execution was that of the
chiefs (April 22) Catenat and Ravenel,
who were burnt alive, almost within
sight of the battle-field where 2 years
before they had defeated the royal
forces under the Comte de Broglie;
while their companions, Jonquet and
Villas, were broken on the wheel and
then burnt. On the 16th August, 1704,
the body of Roland Laporte, general of
the Camisards (see Rte. 121), was
dragged into Nismes at the tail of a cart
and burnt, while 5 of his companions
were broken on the wheel around his
funeral pyre.

Nismes is the birthplace of Nicot, a
physician who first introduced from
Portugal into France tobacco (called
after him Nicotiana). Some one pro¬
posed to raise a monument to him in
the form of a snuff-box, bearing the
inscription, “Dieu vous benisse.” M.
Guizot, ex-Minister of France, also
comes from Nismes, “ where his father,
an avocat, was guillotined during the
Reign of Terror.”— G.

Railroads to Alais and its coal-field
(R. 121), trains twice a day; to Beau-
caire (R. 127); to Arles and Marseilles;
to Montpellier and Cette.

Diligences daily to Avignon, to Lyons,
to Mende, St. Flour, and Clermont; to
St. Gilles and Aigues Mortes.

The Pont du Gard (p. 445), distant
about 15 m. from Nismes, on the way
to Avignon, ought to be visited ex¬
pressly by those whose route does not
lead them past it. It is about 2 hours’
drive; a carriage may be hired for 12
fr. to go and return.

About 13 m. nearly due S. of Nismes
is St. Gilles , a town of great antiquity,

originally Rhoda Rhodiorum, a colony
founded by the Rhodians according to
Pliny, situated on the Petit Rhone,
chiefly remarkable at present for its
magnificent abbey church, which will inte¬
rest the antiquary. The upper church
was begun 1116, on a scale of great
magnificence, by Alplionso, son of Ray¬
mond IV., Count of St. Gilles, called
Jourdain, because baptised in the Jor¬
dan, but was destroyed during the wars
of religion, having been turned into a
fortress by the Huguenots in 1562, and
demolished, v T hen no longer tenable as
such, by the Due de Rohan, 1622. It
has been replaced by a temporary struc¬
ture of late date and inferior architecture.

The lower Church, however, which is
not subterranean, but on a level with the
cloister, is, perhaps, of the 11th centy.,
having been dedicated, 1096, by Pope
Urban II. ; and the West Front is a
masterpiece of the Romanesque style,
upon which every species of ornamental
decoration and rich sculpture seems to
have been lavished. It has been de¬
scribed as one immense bas-relief,
crowded with pillars, statues, panelling,
foliage, &c., combined with a strange
infusion of the elements of classical ar¬
chitecture, columns, capitals, entabla¬
tures, and friezes. Sculptured lions
are frequently introduced as supports
to the pillars, and in other parts; and
as the abbots of St. Gilles, powerful
seigneurs in ancient days, used to sit
at the gate of the ch. to dispense jus¬
tice, many of the old charters begin
with the words “ Domino NN. sedente
inter leones.” In the vestibule of this
ch., Raymond VI., Comte de Toulouse,
accused of favouring the persecuted
Albigenses, underwent, in 1209, the
ignominious penance of being scourged
on his naked back, in the presence of
the papal legate and of 12 French
bishops. The lower church is supposed
to be a little older than the porch.

A detached pile of ruin, behind the
actual church, is the only relic of the old
priory which escaped being destroyed in
the 16th centy.; it contains a cork¬
screw staircase, called Le VisdeSt. Gilles,
and is celebrated for its masterly con¬
struction as a piece of masonry. It was
again saved from destruction at the Re-

Provence.

Route 126 .— Vaunage — Lunel.

451

volution by tlie influence of M. Michel,
a lawyer of St. Gilles. In a narrow
street facing the ch. is a curious old
house, deserving attention as a re¬
markable specimen of the civil archi¬
tecture of the middle ages.]

A Railway, finished 1844, j oins Nismes
to Montpellier (52 kilom.), and is car¬
ried thence to the seaport of Cette, 27
kilom. = total 45 Eng. m. 4 trains
daily, in 2 horn’s. Fare, 1st class, 2
frs. 10 sous, carriage 32 frs. Its chief
work is a viaduct of 96 arches. It
passes by Lunel.

The way from Nismes to Montpel¬
lier lies across an extensive plain, reach¬
ing from a range of low rocky limestone
hills on the N., the extreme roots of
the Cevennes, to the salt marshes bor¬
dering on the Mediterranean, S.

The fertile district to the W. of
Nismes is called the Vaunage or Valley of
Nages, from a small and reduced town
of that name, a little to the N. of our
road. It was the scene of one of the
most remarkable engagements in the
war of the Cevennes (April 6, 1704), in
which Cavalier, at the head of 900 foot
and 300 horse, well equipped, intend¬
ing to waylay the Marechal de Montre-
val on his way to Montpellier, was
himself betrayed into a vast ambuscade,
surrounded on all sides by the royal
troops (among whom were 100 Irish
from the Boyne), and caught as in a
trap. Undismayed by numbers 6 times
exceeding his own, the Camisard chief,
perceiving the design of the enemy to
outflank him, wheeled his column ra¬
pidly round under the hottest fire, and
in the face of a charge of bayonets, and
drew off his men, retreating en echelon
—a masterly manoeuvre of the baker’s
boy, which drew forth the admiration
of Marshal Villars. Cavalier’s retreat,
however, was cut off; the royal army
occupied every pass, every height; not
an opening remained; and his only
course was to cut his way through.
Throwing aside Iris magnificent uniform
and white plume, he put on a common
dress, and, bidding his followers close
their ranks, dashed forward directly
against the enemy. With the fiercest
struggle he broke through the first line,
but was soon singled out and dis¬

covered: at one time a soldier caught
his horse’s bridle, but a Camisard
behind cut off the hand; another dra¬
goon who had seized him he shot with
his pistol. But in front now appeared
a second rank barring his way, and a
squadron of dragoons occupying the
Pont de Rosni, the only issue. The
fugitive cavalry poured down upon it,
forced their way through, forgetful of
their leader, who was in the rear, and
would probably have been cut off after
all but for his brother, a boy 10 years
old, who drew up his horse across the
bridge, and, with a pistol presented to
the fugitives, summoned them to de¬
fend their chief, and not abandon him.
Cavalier, with the rest of his infantry,
escaped into the wood of Cannes. This
battle, or series of combats, extended
from the mill of Langlade to the village
of Nages; 1000 dead were left on the
field, half of whom were Camisards.

At the commencement of the fight
one of the Prophets of the Enfans de
Dieu, named Daniel Gui, planted on
the top of a rock, surrounded by 5 or 6
prophetesses, 3 of whom were after¬
wards found among the slain, called on
the God of battles to favour their cause.

12 Uchau, anciently Ad Octavum La-
pidem (the 8th milestone).

The turbulent torrent Vidourle,
which separates the Dept, du Garcl
from that of L’Herault, is crossed
shortly before reaching

14 Lunel Stat., atown of 6385 Inhab.,
owing its celebrity and prosperity to
the sweet wine and brandy which form
its chief articles of commerce. The best
Lunel wine is grown on the Cote de
Mazet. The lower ground in which the
town is situated is often inundated in
winter and spring, is infested with mos¬
quitoes in summer, and with fevers in
autumn. Human bones, with pottery,
have been found in caves in the tertiary
limestone at Pondres, 6 m. N. of Lunel.

[About 5 m. S. of Lunel is Aigues
Mortes, singularly situated in the midst
of salt marshes and lagoons, whose ex¬
halations render it very unhealthy. It
is approached by a causeway raised
above the marsh and spanned midway
by an ancient gate-tower, La Carbon -
niere. Aigues Mortes, itself a miserable

452

Route 126 .—Aigues Mortes- - Montpellier.

Sect. VI.

and deserted town, is of interest only
as a perfect example of a feudal for¬
tress; its walls and gates, more entire
and less altered than even those of
Avignon, give a perfect idea of the art
of fortification in the 13th centy. Its
foss has been filled up, on account of
the malaria produced by its stagnant
water. In advance of the place, to the
N., is a single round tower, wdiich
served as a citadel, 90 ft. high, 65 in
diameter, surmounted by an old light¬
house turret of 34 ft. In the centre of
each floor is a hole communicating with
a reservoir for water below. Some of
its chambers served as a prison, in
which Protestants, chiefly females, who
refused to abjure their faith, were con¬
fined after the Revocation of the Edict
of Nantes. Some of them had been
shut up here for 35 years, when they
were released in 1769. From the upper
story of this tower the Camisard chief
Abraham, with 17 companions, made a
wonderful escape, letting themselves
down from a height of 80 ft. by their
blankets tied together. This tower is
called Tour de Constance, for what
reason is unknown. It is proved to
have been built by St. Louis, who em¬
barked here on his unsuccessful Cru¬
sade in 1270, having assembled at this
spot a fleet of 800 galleys and an army
of 40,000 men. As Aigues Mortes lies
nearly 3 m. inland, some have supposed
from this that the sea must have retired
since the 13th centy.; modern investi¬
gations have proved, however, the ex¬
istence of a small port close to the
town, in whose walls the ancient moor¬
ing rings still remain; and of a canal,
now filled with sand, extending thence
to the harbour of Grau du Roi, on the
sea, doubtless the place of rendezvous
for the royal fleet. The walls of the
town were built after the death of St.
Louis, in Africa, by his son Philippe le
Hardi, on the plan, it is said, of those
of Damietta. Salt is the chief article
of commerce produced in the vicinity;
and after the massacre by the royal
forces, aided by the townsfolk, of the
Burgundian troops, who had obtained
possession of the town in 1421, the
bodies of the slain were thrown into
the tower still called Tour des Bourgui-

nons, between layers of salt, it is said,
in order to prevent their putrefying
and breeding miasma in the town. In
1538 an interview took place here be¬
tween the Emperor Charles Y. and
Francis I.; and in 1542 the Turkish
corsair Barbarossa, the ally of the
French king against the emperor,
moored his fleet in the harbour.]

There is little to observe on the road
between Lunel and Montpellier ; the
country rich and monotonously flat.

Lunel Yiel, St. Bres, Les Mazes, Sta¬
tions.

10 Columbier Stat., a land of oil and
wine.

13 Montpellier Stat. — Inns: Hdtel
Nevet, a splendid large edifice, 200 bed¬
rooms—one of the best hotels in France
— L. Y.; —H. du Midi; good, but in¬
sects;—H. de Londres ; good;—H.
des Ambassadeurs. The name of Mont¬
pellier, familiar to every one who has
been in an English watering-place, as
the type of salubrity and mildness
of climate, will not in reality answer
the expectations of those who antici¬
pate either a soft air or a beautiful po¬
sition. Indeed it is difficult to under¬
stand how it came to be chosen by the
physicians of the North as a retreat for
consumptive patients ; since nothing
can be more trying to weak lungs than
its variable climate, its blazing sun¬
shine alternating with the piercingly
cold blasts of the mistral. Though its
sky be clear, its atmosphere is filled
with dust, which must be hurtful to
the lungs; and the glare from the
chalky ground and white houses, un¬
modified by shade, is exceedingly pain¬
ful to the eyes. The town is chef-lieu
of the Dept, de l’Herault, and a place
of importance, since it contains 40,746
Inhab.; in its streets and buildings it
is not much distinguished.

The Promenade du Peyrou (a pro¬
vincial form for pierreux, stony, the
spot having been originally a bare
rock), an elevated platform, reached
by flights of stairs, and surrounded by
balustrades in the style of the time of
Louis XIV., whose equestrian statue is
in the centre, was constructed 1766,
and is referred to as the ne plus ultra
of a public walk. It has, it is true,

Provence. Route 126. — Montpellier—Jardin des Plantes . 453

shady avenues and neat parterres. At
the extremity of it rises the Chateau
d’Eau, a sort of fountain-temple, which
receives and distributes through the
town the waters conveyed across the
fertile valley from the opposite hill by
the Aqueduct, a very noble construction,
though modern, begun 1753, consist¬
ing of 53 large arches, surmounted by
183 smaller, measuring 2896 ft. The
source whence the water is derived is
about 2 m. distant. The beauty of the
view from the Peyrou has been some¬
what exaggerated ; the Pyrenees are
too distant to give it interest, though
the peak of the Canigou is said to be
sometimes visible; the Mediterranean is
ill represented in its border of marshes
and lagoons; and the Alps (in spite of
what the guide-books say) are out of
the scope of vision. The chief feature
is the bare Pic de St. Loup, a buttress
of the Cevennes projecting from the N.,
visible from the road to Nismes. On
the S. is seen the church-tower of
Maguelonne.

The town gate on one side of the
Peyrou was erected to commemorate
the glories of the reign of Louis XIV.
The bas-reliefs towards the town are
meant to represent the union of the
Mediterranean to the Atlantic by the
Canal du Midi, and the Revocation of
the Edict of Nantes; the one a benefit,
the other a curse to France. There
are, indeed, mournful recollections con¬
nected with the Peyrou : here were
raised, during the reigns of Louis XIV.
and XV., the scaffolds on which pe-
rished, by being burnt alive or broken
alive on the wheel, not only many of
the fanatic Camisards, among others
their chief Castanet, but also many
“Pastors of the Desert,” Protestant
ministers whose only crime was pray¬
ing to God according to the impulse of
their own conscience.

The Jardin des Plantes was the first
established in France, in the reign of
Henri IV., and it is well kept up,
under the able direction of M. Martins.
Here may be seen the Galactodendron,
the cow or milk tree of S. America,
mentioned by Humboldt. In one cor¬
ner of the garden, shaded by cypress,
is an arched recess, fenced with a trellis

rail, within which a simple tablet bears
these words: “ Placandis Narcissoe inani-
bus.” This is pointed out as the tomb
of Mrs. Temple, the adopted daughter
of Young, the poet, who died suddenly
here, at a time when the atrocious laws
which accompanied the revocation of
the Edict of Nantes, backed by the
superstition of a fanatic populace, de¬
nied Christian burial to Protestants.
Such a refusal gave rise to the following
passage in the ‘ Night Thoughts —

“ Snatch'd ere thy prime! and in thy bridal
hour I

And when kind fortune, with thy lover,
smiled!

And when high-flavour’d thy fresh opening
joys !

And when blind man pronounced thy bliss
complete !

And on a foreign shore, where strangers
wept!

Strangers to thee ; and, more surprising still,

Strangers to kindness, wept: their eyes let fall

Inhuman tears! strange tears! that trickled
down

From marbled hearts ! obdurate tenderness !

A tenderness that call’d them more severe ;

In spite of nature’s soft persuasion steel’d ;

While nature melted, superstition raved;

That mourn’d the dead, and this denied a
grave—

Denied the charity of dust to spread

O’er dust! a ckarity their dogs enjoy.

What could I do ? What succour ? What
resource ?

With pious sacrilege a grave I stole ;

With impious piety that grave I wrong’d ;

Short in my duty ; coward in my grief!

More like her murderer than friend, I crept,

With soft suspended step, and muffled deep.

In midnight darkness, whisper'd my last sigh.

I whisper’d what should echo through their
realms;

Nor writ her name whose tomb should pierce
the skies.”

Evidence has been brought forward
to prove that Narcissa (Mrs. Temple)
was, in reality, buried at Lyons.

The student of medicine should not
fail to see the Ecole de Me'decine, situ¬
ated in the old building, formerly the
bishop’s palace. It contains valuable
anatomical collections, and the doctor’s
robe with which Rabelais was here in¬
stalled, and which is employed for the
same purpose at present, but so much
patched and mended that scarcely a
thread of the original garment remains.
The school of medicine here is of great
antiquity, having been founded, it is
said, by Arab physicians, driven out of

Route 126.— Montpellier — Cette.

Sect. VI.

451

Spain, and patronised by the Comtes
de Montpellier. Adjoining tliis build¬
ing is the Cathedral, modernised, and of
no interest. It has a singular porch,
projecting from the wall, and resting
on 2 round piers or turrets. The
building suffered much from the
Huguenots. It contains an altarpiece
by Sebastian Bourdon, a native of Mont¬
pellier, the Fall of Simon Magus.

The principal object of curiosity
here, however, is the Musee Fabre,
named from its founder, a native of
Montpellier, an artist, and the friend
of Alfieri and his mistress the Countess
of Albany. It comprises a collection
of paintings, of an excellence rarely
found away from the capital ; among
them a portrait of Lorenzo de’ Medicis,
father of Catherine de’ Medici (d. 1519),
by Raphael, probably genuine, and
good; and a head of a Young Man with
a Beard, also attributed to Raphael,
brought from a villa near Sienna; and
at least a good copy by his scholars, if
not original. The Infant Samuel in
Prayer, Sir Joshua Reynolds . There are
also many other pictures of the Italian
schools, and a number by artists of the
modern French school.

The library of Alfieri, 15,000 vols.,
including many works on art, is also
deposited in this museum. The Mar¬
quis de Montcalm has a good collection
of Paintings by the old masters, which
is shown.— H. N.

Cambaceres, Grand Chamberlain of
Napoleon, Seb. Bourdon the painter,
andChaptal the chemist, were born here.

Montpellier has some considerable
manufactures of cottons, dye-works, &c.;
and some which are nearly peculiar to
itself and its neighboui'hood, such as
the making of verdigris, which is ob¬
tained by laying plates of copper be¬
tween layers of grape-husks, and allow¬
ing them to remain in cellars for 18 or
20 days, after which the coating of
green rust (acetate of copper), pro¬
duced by the oxidizing of the meta'
plates by the grape-juice, is scraped off.
There are extensive chemical works here,
founded by the Comte de Chaptal, con¬
sisting of alum, Prussian blue, sul¬
phuric and nitric acids; also a consider¬
able quantity of perfumes, essences,

and liqueurs. The distilleries of brandy
from the wines of the district are very
numerous.

The excellent Roquefort cheese is
made about 15 m. to the N. of this, in
the Dept, de la Lozere. (See Index.)

Diligences daily, to Toulouse ; to
Perpignan; to Narbonne.

[The Railway, 17 m. long, from Mont¬
pellier to Cette, passes through Ville-
neuve, whose Church is in part as old,
probably, as the 8th centy., and Fron -
tignan, celebrated for its sweet wine,
the best being of the kind called Muscat.

The flourishing town and seaport of
Cette (Inns : Poste, very good;—H.
du Grand Gabon; dear; beware mos¬
quitoes) contains a population of
13,413, and is situated on a tongue of
land running between the sea and the
salt lake called Etang de Thau: it
stands at the foot of an eminence, sur¬
mounted by a fort. The town is en¬
tered by a causeway elevated above the
lagoon, and by a bridge of 52 arches.
The town was founded by Louis XIY.;
and the works of the harbour, piers,
&c., were executed by Riquet, the en¬
gineer of the Canal du Midi. There is
an extensive manufacture here of the
wines of all countries, port, sherry,
claret, champagne, for the English and
other markets, produced by the mix¬
ture of various kinds of French and
Spanish wine and brandy; Benicarlo
wine being imported from Spain to
mix with inferior claret. The salt¬
works on the lagoon are numerous.
In 1710 a descent was made here from
the fleet of Commodore Norris by a
small British force designed to cause
a diversion on the side of Spain, and
effect a junction with the insurgents of
the Cevennes. They took possession of
Cette, but after holding it for a few
days were driven back to their ships
with some loss.

Steamers to Marseilles, chiefly for mer¬
chandise, in 10 or 12 hours; to Onglous,
near Agde, at the mouth of the Canal du
Midi, crossing the Etang de Thau: 36
hours are required to reach Toulouse
from Cette by the canal, owing to the
number of locks ; so that this mode of
conveyance is not to be recommended.
A canal passes through the series of

Provence.

Route 126 .— Beziers — Massacre.

455

lagoons from Cette to Aigues Mortes,
fenced in by dykes of stone or mud,
and thence to Beaucaire. The Canal
du Midi opens out also into the Etang
de Thau, and thus Cette communicates
both with the Rhone and Garonne.

The ruined church of Maguelonne,
on an island between the sea and the
lagoons, beyond the Canal du Grave,
will interest the antiquary, but he will
require a guide to it across the heath
and marsh, though the distance is only
6 m. from Montpellier. It appears
more like a castle than a church, little
ornament being expended on its ex¬
terior. Its W. doorway is curious,
consisting of a pointed arch of coloured
marble, resting on a sculptured frieze,
with a bas-relief of the Saviour in the
tympanum, and a triangular bas-relief
on either side of the door, representing
St. Peter with the Keys, and St. Paul
with the Sword. The body of the
church, a nave ending in an apse, con¬
tains some ancient tombs of bishops,
but is filled with hay. The building
dates from 1110 to 1180. It is the sole
relic of a populous town which existed
on this spot down to the 16tli centy.]

From Cette to Beziers the Canal du
Midi is not a disagreeable mode of con¬
veyance for those who have long been
jolted along high roads in Diligences.

The road from Montpellier to ISTar-
bonne passes through a country abound¬
ing in vineyards, which cover all the
low ground, while olives occupy the
hills: it is very thickly inhabited.

11 Fab rogues.

8 Gigean; from this the town of
Cette, rising on a promontory out of
the sea, is well seen. Skirting the
margin of the lagoon of Thau, we pro¬
ceed to

12 Meze. {Inn: Couronne, tole¬
rable.) Near this are the baths of
Balarue, supplied by a hot salt spring:
they are good for rheumatism, para¬
lysis, &c. There is a very bad road
(1846) from M&ze to Beziers by Agde
(20 kilom.— Inn: Poste), a small sea¬
port, Beziers (22 kilom.).

Beyond Meze the road turns away
from the sea ; the country is very
pretty, especially in the vicinity of

18 Pezenas, a town of 7800 Inhab.,

agreeably situated on the 1. bank of
the Herault, at the confluence of the
Peine. It was anciently called Pisse-
canum. Moliere wrote here his comedy
Les Precieuses Ridicules, while di¬
rector of a troop of strolling players.
The chair in which he used to sit to be
shaved by the barber is still preserved
in the town. Pezenas is one of the
chief brandy markets in Europe.

10 La Begude de Jordy. A very
steep ascent, for which an extra horse
is required, leads into

12 Beziers. — Inns: H. du Nord,
filthy in the extreme and exorbitant—
W. W. L. ;—Poste; improved and good
(1850) ;—Croix Blanche.

Beziers, an ancient town of 16,779
Inliab., has an imposing appearance
at a distance, seated as it is upon a
commanding eminence, its topmost
building being its Cathedral. The in¬
terior, however, is confined, gloomy,
and filthy; but some improvements
have lately been made, including a new
bridge to lead into the town. The
view from the Terrace, in front of the
cathedral and eveche, is fine, extending
over the course of the Orbe, and of the
Canal du Midi, both of which pass near
the foot of the hill, and pursue their
way to the sea in different directions.
The Cathedral of St. Nazaire is a Gothic
building, surmounted by battlements,
so as somewhat to resemble a castle
externally, and contains some old
painted glass. It was the chief scene
of the horrible slaughter of 1209, with,
which the name of Beziers is always
associated, at that terrible siege by the
crusading army raised at the call of the
church of Rome to exterminate the un¬
fortunate Albigenses, who were numer¬
ous in this devoted city. The inha¬
bitants refusing to yield, the crusaders
forced their way into the town, their
leaders being its bishop and the abbe
of Citeaux, who had prepared a list of
the proscribed persons. In the con¬
fusion of the assault, however, the
soldiers were perplexed to distinguish
the heretics from the orthodox ; ‘ ‘ Kill
all,” exclaimed the abbot ; “the Lord
will recognise his own ” (Csedite eos,
novit enim Dominus qui sunt ejus).
The result was the massacre of every

456

Route 126.— Narbonne — Cathedral.

Sect. VI.

living soul, to tlie number of 60,000
according to some historians, though
the abbot of Citeaiix himself, in his
letter to Innocent III., humbly avows
that he could only slay 20,000.

The chief trade here is in eau de
vie, produced in the numerous dis¬
tilleries. On the Promenade is a Statue
in bronze of Paul Piquet, Baron de
Bonrepos, a native of Beziers, the pro¬
jector of the Canal du Midi, which is
carried through 9 locks close to the
town. (See Rte. 93.) It opens into
the sea, 13 m. S. of this, at Agde, called
“ Yille Noire,” from the black volcanic
basalt of which it is built. Agde (Inn:
Poste; 8230 Inhab.) has a curious
cathedral, and a cloister, whose arcades
are perfect, though walled up. The
Herault is here crossed by a suspension
bridge.

Hence to Narbonne the country is
very uninteresting.

10 Nissan. The Etang de Capes-
tang is passed on the rt., and the river
Aude (Atax), which gives its name
to the Dept, is crossed between this
and

17 Narbonne. Inns: H. de la Dau-
rade, good— E. o. S. ; H. de France.

This very ancient town was the
Narbo Marti us of the Romans, one of
the first colonies established by them
beyond the Alps, and capital of the
vast province of Gallia Narbonensis,
which extended from the Alps to the
Py renees. It was the spot where Ju¬
lius Csesar settled the remains of his
1 Otli Legion, at the termination of the
civil wars, and the “ pulcherrima
Narbo ” of Martial; yet it retains sur¬
prisingly scanty vestiges of its ancient
masters compared with the importance
and celebrity which it maintains in
history. Not one Roman building re¬
mains ; and the chief traces of its former
splendour are the numerous bas-reliefs,
friezes, inscriptions, &c., built into the
town walls, erected by Francis I., who
fortified the place with the ruins of
Roman buildings. The ramparts may
consequently be looked upon as a mu¬
seum of antiquities. A local antiqua¬
rian society, however, has collected
together in a Museum within the an¬
cient Archeveche a number of frag¬

ments, and several antique tombs of
the 3rd and 4th centuries, a bas-relief
of 2 Eagles supporting a Garland, &c.

Attached to the Archeveche, a heavy
castellated building, rises a square
tower, the lower part of which, of large
cubical stones, dates probably from
the time of the Lower Empire, and the
upper part from the 8th centy. This
building retains one curious doorway.
Within it Louis XIII. signed the order
for the delivery of Cinq Mars and De
Thou to a commission named by their
enemy the Cardinal Richelieu for trial.

The Cathedral of St. Just is a fine
Gothic edifice, of which the choir only
is finished. It was founded in 1272;
the height of the roof is 40 metres
(?131 ft.). The side chapels were
added during the 13th centy. ; and
some of the windows having flamboyant
tracery are of the 15th. There is a
good deal of painted glass in them.
The high altar is rich in marble of the
country. The magnificent white marble
monument of Bishop de la Jugie (1272)
is a model of Gothic art of the 13th
centy., and well worth study. The
statues of saints and bishops are ad¬
mirably executed, “ but in the revo¬
lutionary frenzy the head of every
statue was knocked off, and the Bishop’s
effigy removed. A monument in the
style of the Renaissance, having figures
of weepers instead of saints, was left
untouched by the infidel devastators.”
— E. o. S. There are other tombs of
the 16th centy., and a fine organ of
the age of Louis XIII. Repairs and
additions are being made to the build¬
ing, and the completion of the nave is
intended.

Behind the altar are some curious
iron seats, in the form of an X, of con¬
siderable antiquity. Sebastian del
Piombo’s “ Raising of Lazarus,” now
in the National Gallery, was painted
for this church: there is a copy of it
here. The Ch. of St. Paul, founded
1229, may interest the architect. The
carved capitals of the columns “ on the
outside represent monsters, devils, and
other objects designed to disgust men
with vice, and to remind them of the
punishment of the wicked.”— E. o. S.

Narbonne is a city of 10,792 Inhab.,

Provence. Route 12*1.—Avignon to Marseilles — Tarascon. 457

but, though once so important, it is
now not even chef-lieu of the depart¬
ment. It is about 8 m. from the sea;
and a branch of the Canal du Midi,
called La Eobine, runs through it to
the Mediterranean. The principal Pro¬
menade is an avenue of trees, which
lines its side, called Alle'e des Soupirs.
Narbonne is an intricate, curious, but
lifeless town, though it possesses some
manufactures. The honey of Narbonne
is the best in France; it is very white,
and has a highly aromatic flavour. A
distant view of the Pyrenees is obtained
from hence.

The two great roads, to Perpignan
(Rte. 94) and to Toulouse (Rte. 93),
branch off from this. Diligences tra¬
verse both daily.

The Canal duMidi is shortly described
in Rte. 93.

ROUTE 127.

AVIGNON TO MARSEILLES (AND Aix),
BY TARASCON [bEAUCAIRe], ARLES,
AND ST. CHAMAS:—THE RHONE, FROM
AVIGNON TO ARLES.

120 kilom. = 74^- Eng. m.—4 trains
daily in 4^ to 5 hrs.; 5 trains to Arles.

The first portion of this Rly. was
opened 1847, and it was completed by
aid of advances from Government,
1849.

As far as Arles its course is parallel
with the Rhone, at a short distance
from the 1. bank of the river.

The Rhone opposite Avignon always
belonged to the King of France, even
when its 1. bank formed the territory
of the Pope, and, in consequence,
during an inundation of the river,
which had laid a quarter of the town
under water, the royal bailiff entered
the streets in a boat, and claimed all
those parts which the river had occu¬
pied, for his master.

3 m. S. of Avignon the turbulent
river Durance is crossed by a Viaduct
656 yds. long.

The course of the Rhone below this
possesses very little interest. The
high road to Arles is equally unin¬
teresting, but more direct than the
France.

river: traversing at first a country ren¬
dered fertile by irrigation, it crosses
the Durance, at a distance of lj m.
from Avignon, by a very long suspen¬
sion bridge, rendered necessary by the
broad bed of gravel, not half of which
is occupied by the wild river, except in
times of flood.

1. At Barbantane there are extensive
quarries.

1. A low ridge of hills, called Alpines,
remarkable for their utter nakedness,
now approaches the Rhone, running
from E. to W. In the distance, upon
their flanks, the white houses of St.
Remy, and its 2 Roman monuments,
may be distinguished.

rt. Aramon is a town of 2800 Inhab.:
and a little below it the river Gardon,
which gives its name to the Dept.,
flows into the Rhone.

8 kilom. Rognonas Stat.

12 Cadellan Stat.

A cast-iron Viaduct of 7 wide arches
carries the Gard Rly. over the Rhone
from Beaucaire to Tarascon. It is a
construction of great merit.

A wire bridge, suspended from 4
piers, 1446 ft. long, over which the
high road from Marseilles to Nismes
and Narbonne passes (Rte. 126, 127),
connects

1. Tarascon, whose massive square
castle at the water-side is overtopped
by the spire of its Gothic church be¬
hind, with

rt. Beaucaire, lying at the base of
cliffs of bare rock, one of them sur¬
mounted by a Calvary, the other by a
ruined castle. The bridge was erected
in 6 months in 1829 by M. Seguin, of
Lyons, at a cost of 600,000/,.

21 Tarascon Stat.

rt. Here the Rly. is joined by the
Gard line from Nismes and Mont¬
pellier (Rte. 126).

1.* Tarascon (Inns: H. des Empe-
reurs, close to the bridge; not recom¬
mended— G. E.) is a town of about
11,000 Inhab. Etymologists have been
bold enough to derive its name from
the Greek rapdao-u, disturb, connect¬
ing it with the tradition of a dragon
called Tarasque, which, once upon a
time, infested the borders of the
* Post-road.— 23 Tarascon.

458

Route 127.— Tarascon — Beciucaire.

Sect. VI.

Rhone, preying upon human flesh, to
the great terror and disturbance of the
inhabitants. They were at length de¬
livered from the pest by St. Martha,
sister of Lazarus, since adopted as the
patron saint of the town, who con¬
quered the monster with no other
weapon than the Cross, and made him
a prisoner with her girdle. This de¬
liverance was commemorated until
within a few years by a procession of
mummers, attended by the clergy,
who paraded the town escorting the
figure of a dragon, made of canvas,
and wielding a huge beam of wood by
way of a tail, to the imminent danger
of the legs of all who approached.
The ceremony was attended by nu¬
merous practical j okes, and led to acts
of violence, in consequence of which it
has been suppressed. The effigy of the
dragon now slumbers in the lumber-
room of the playhouse.

The Gh. of St. Martha is a pointed
Gothic building of the 14th centy.,
with the exception of the S. portal,
which is circular and recessed with
deep mouldings; between these the
dog-tooth ornament appears: it dates
from 1187. In a crypt beneath the
nave of the church is the shrine and
tomb of St. Martha, ornamented with
her reclining effigy of white marble,
not badly executed, but modern.
Against the walls the history of Mar¬
tha is represented in a series of bas-
reliefs. Here also is the tomb of a
Neapolitan knight, a follower of Roi
Rene, and a well in the floor, the water
of which is said to rise and fall with
the Rhone.

The picturesque Castle, remarkable
for its massive construction and per¬
fect preservation, was begun by Henri
II. in 1400, and finished by King Rene
of Anjou, who frequently resided here,
spending his time in festivities and
fetes, during one of which he and his
queen appeared in the attire of shep¬
herd and shepherdess: it is now a
prison, and contains nothing remark¬
able.

The road from Tarascon to Nismes is
in Rte. 130.

i't. Beaucaire (Inn : H. du Luxem¬
bourg), though it contains only 9967

Inkab., is a town of more life than
its opposite neighbour Tarascon. It
stands at the mouth of the Canal de
Beaucaire, which joins the Canal du
Midi, and thus unites the Rhone and
Garonne, and it is the terminus of the
Rly. to Nismes and Alais (Rte. 127).
It is, besides, the locality of the cele¬
brated fair, held here every year be¬
tween the 1st and 28th of July, on the
wide space of ground, planted with
rows of trees, extending between the
Rhone and the castle rock. This space
is then covered with booths and sheds,
arranged in streets, forming a sort of
supplemental town of wood and canvas,
within which the various kinds of mer¬
chandise are deposited, each classed by
itself. The shore is lined by a flotilla
of barges, the roads are choked with
waggons, and the inns are filled to
overflowing. Though somewhat fallen
off of late, this fair collects together
about 100,000 persons, and is attended
by merchants not only from all parts
of France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, but
by many Jews, Turks, Armenians,
Greeks, and even Moors from Barbary,
who sell dates, See. It terminates
July 28, at midnight. It is said to
date as far back as 1108.

The Castle, standing on the top of
an escarped rock, was an ancient pos¬
session of the Counts of Toulouse, and
was recovered by Count Raymond
VII., when only 19 years of age, from
the usurping Simon de Montfort and
his sons, after a long and memorable
siege (1216), in which he, besieging
the garrison, was himself surrounded
by an army from without. It is now
reduced to a complete ruin; one stately
triangular tower, and a curious Ro¬
manesque chapel of great antiquity, in
which St. Louis is said to have heard
mass before he embarked for the Cru¬
sade, alone surmounting the crumbling
walls. There is a good view, from the
castle rock, of the Rhone, the bridge,
the scene of the fair, the distant arid
range of the Alpines on the opposite
side of the river, and the equally
naked hills of the Calvary and gallows
(fourche patibulaire) on this side; but
verdure is wanting. The rock, which
serves as the pedestal to the castle, is

459

Provence. Route 127.— The Rhone (IT) — St. Remy.

being cut through, to allow the pas¬
sage of a road to the Rhone.

Beaucaire is the scene of the old
Provengal romance of Aucassin and
Nicolette.

St. Gilles (Rte. 126) is about 15 m.
distant.

[From Tarascon an excursion may be
made to St. Remy (10 m.), a deserted
town, remarkable only for two well-
preserved Roman buildings, detached
from all others, and about f m. from
the town: the one is a funereal Monu¬
ment, of most elegant design, about
50 ft. high, ornamented on its square
base with bas-reliefs. On the N. side
is a Skirmish of Cavalry; on the W. a
Combat of Infantry; on the S. the
Sacrifices and Erection of Trophies
after a Battle; on the E. a winged Vic¬
tory supporting a wounded Soldier :
above this rises a double arch with
engaged columns in the angles, and the
whole is surmounted by a circular
temple enclosing 2 statues. It bears
this inscription, which throws no light
on its date:—

SEX.L.M.JVLIEI.C.V.PABENTIBVS. SVEIS.

The Arch of Triumph, standing within
a few yards of it, is less perfect, having
lost its upper story, but the stones of
its vaults remain, beautifully carved in
hexagonal compartments, or sunk pa¬
nels. Much of the sculpture has
perished ; the bas-reliefs remaining re¬
present captives, boixnd, with women
beside them. The date of this monu¬
ment is as little known as that of the
former: it has been supposed to com¬
memorate the victories of Marc Aure¬
lius. St. Remy was the ancient Gla-
num: it stands on the slope of the
naked Alpines, and one of the lime¬
stone crests near the town is pierced
through and through by a natural ori¬
fice. The ancient quarries remain,
from which stones were obtained for
the Roman edifices in the neighbour¬
hood, and there exist 2 wells. St.
Remy was the birthplace of Nostra¬
damus (1503), the astrologer and for¬
tune-teller.]

[About 5 m. S. of St. Remy is les
Baux, an exceedingly curious town of
the middle ages, wonderfully little

altered, except that it has fallen into
utter decay, only 60 of its houses occu¬
pied, and only 200 Inhab. left. It is
seated on an escarped platform of rock,
surmounted by a Castle, begun about
485, including a Church, both in ruins.
It belonged to the Coimts des Baux,
who during the middle ages were con¬
stantly engaged in feud with the
Counts of Provence, who frequently
laid siege to their stronghold. This
place would well reward an antiquary
to visit it.]

rt., close to the bridge of Beaucaire
is the mouth of the canal joining the
Rhone to the Canal du Midi. The
plain around was overwhelmed by
debris brought down by the Rhone,
which broke its banks hereabouts
during the inundation of 1840. This
irruption, covering the low grounds,
destroyed the crops, but has left behind
a deep deposit of mud over much waste
land, which it is hoped may produce
permanent fertility.

1. The country between Tarascon
and Arles is a flat and uninteresting
alluvial marshy plain, intersected by
ditches, and the olive here gives place
to the willow.

27 Segonnaux Stat.

1. A little on the 1. of the road,
about 2 m. from Arles, a singular rock
rises, like an island, above a marshy
pond, crowned with the ruins of the
once celebrated Abbey of Montmajeur,
founded in the 10th centy., and con¬
tinued down to the 18th. Of the
latter period are the vast palatial con¬
structions of Italian architecture, which
formed the convent, now rapidly fall¬
ing to pieces. The Church is partly
Romanesque, partly Pointed; but be¬
neath it is a vast crypt, of the 11th
centy, running under nearly the whole
upper church. Behind the altar of
this crypt stretches a semicircular wall,
pierced with windows so as to render
the altar visible from the side-chapels.
Attached to the church is a ruined
cloister, in which 2 mutilated monu¬
mental effigies remain of princes of the
house of Anjou.

At the foot of the rock, on the N.E.,
is the vei’y curious Chapel of Sainte

x 2

460

Sect. VI.

Route 127. — The Rhone (Z?)— Arles.

Croix , consisting of a central square
tower, from which project 4 equal
semicircular apsides, that on the W.
haying a porch attached. It is in the
Romanesque style, but destitute of all
ornament. It is proved by records to
have been dedicated by Pons de Marig-
nan, Bishop of Arles, in 1019. An in¬
scription, forged by the monks of Mont-
majeur at a comparatively late period,
attributed its origin to Charlemagne,
to commemorate a victory here gained
over the Saracens. Down to 1789 this
chapel was resorted to every year, on
the festival of the Discovery of the
True Cross, by infinite multitudes of
pilgrims, anxious to reap the advan¬
tages promised by papal indulgence to
all who then flocked hither. The rock
on wdiich the chapel is built is honey¬
combed with tombs of all sizes exca¬
vated in it: some are said to have
been the last resting-place of early
Christians.

1. The Rhone first forks off into 2
branches, forming the head of its delta,
about a mile to the N. of Arles. The
branch which it sends off to the W.,
called Petit Rhone, is crossed by a
wire suspension bridge at the village
Fourques.

34 Arles Stat. is situated on the an¬
cient Roman Cemetery, still called
Eliscamp.

L.* Arles. — Inns: H. du Nord, in
the Place du Forum; improved (. E . o. S .)
and tolerably comfortable; H. du Fo¬
rum, good; Gauthier, who keeps it,
■was cook to Lord Salisbury; H. du
Commerce, on the Quai, kept by the
wife of one of the English engineers on
the steamboats.

Arles, one of the most ancient, and
once the most important city in France,
the Rome of Gaul (“Gallula Roma
Ai’elas,” as Ausonius calls it), the resi¬
dence of a Roman Prefect, and, after
the fall of the Roman Empire (a.d.
876), the capital of the kingdom of
Arles, or of Trans-Jurane Burgundy,
is now shrunken up into a dull pro¬
vincial town. It is, however, rich in
ancient remains of the period of its
greatness; and the stranger who suc¬
ceeds in threading its labyrinth of dirty
* Post-road — ]5 Arles,

narrow streets, more intricate than any
other perhaps in France, will be duly
rewarded, if he takes an interest in an¬
tiquities. Arles is justly celebrated
for the beauty of its women.

It is a seaport town of 19,406
Inhab. (but its population is on the
decrease), standing on the 1. bank of
the Rhone, near the apex of its delta,
about 28 m. from the sea. The river
bank is lined by a quay, at which may
be seen moored a number of heavy
barges, with one mast and a very long
yard, and a prow not unlike that of the
antique galleys. A bridge of boats
unites the town with its suburb

rt. Trinquetaille, and supplies the
place of an old bridge, over which
passed the Aurelian Way, extending
from Rome to Cadiz,

Per quem Romani commercia suseipis orbis,

to use the words of Ausonius, in his
description of Arles.

The most interesting ancient monu¬
ments existing at Arles are,

1. The Amphitheatre, a magnificent
and most interesting relic of former
days, larger than that of Nismes (mea¬
suring 459 ft. by 338 ft., having 5 cor¬
ridors and 43 rows of seats, and capable
of holding 25,000 spectators), but by
no means so well preserved, owing to
the devastations of human hands,
rather than those of time. It consists
of 2 stories of 60 arches, the lower
Doric, the upper Corinthian, both rude
in style, and of most massive con¬
struction, formed of enormous blocks,
very exactly fitted together. Owing to
the unevenness of the ground, it is
supported on one side by vast sub¬
structions. The outer wall is now
nearly separated from the second by
the removal of the vaults, and the in¬
terior is completely gutted. Yet the
lower portion, including the podium,
or parapet surrounding the arena, faced
with marble slabs, is even more perfect
than at Nismes, having been covered
up with earth until within a few years.
Down to 1830 this building was en¬
tirely filled within and choked up
without by an accumulation of mean
hovels, occupied by the poorest and
worst part of the population of the

Provence. Route 127.— Arles — Amphitheatre — Theatre. 4G1

town, to the number of 2000, part of
whom burrowed under the vaults, or
nestled in its recesses, reminding one
of the fungi and parasites springing up
over the trunk of some venerable mo¬
narch of the forest. One of these
houses is still allowed to remain, to
give an idea of the former condition of
the amphitheatre. Another excres¬
cence, not forming part of the original
structure, are the two square towers
surmounting the entire edifice. But
they are interesting historical relics,
having been raised in the 8tli centy.,
either by the Saracens, who, under
Jussouf-Ben-Abdelrahman, Wali of
Narbonne, then obtained possession of
Arles, or by Charles Martel, who ex¬
pelled them from the city 739. At
all events the amphitheatre, like the
Coliseum of Rome, was at that period
converted into a fortress, and with¬
stood sieges and assaults, while 4
towers of defence were erected at the
4 cardinal points. From the top of
the loftiest remaining tower the best
view is obtained of the amphitheatre,
and of the city of Arles, of the course
of the Rhone upwards to Beaucaire, of
the distant outline of the Alpines and
Mont Yentoux, and of the plain of the
Crau: the sea is not visible.

The stranger will not fail to remark
the beauty of the masonry of the
amphitheatre, the arches sometimes
turned fiat, of small stones, sometimes
replaced by huge single beams of
stone. The vaulted chambers commu¬
nicating with the arena are supposed
to have been the dens for wild beasts.
The very scanty traces of inscriptions
remaining on this building throw no
light on its date, but it is supposed to
be older than the arenes of Nismes,
and is attributed to the age of Titus.

The Roman Theatre, more recently
disinterred from the earth than even
the amphitheatre, has suffered equal if
not greater dilapidations in the course
of ages. It is said to have been de¬
molished by order of the early Chris¬
tian bishops, who regarded it as the
focus of idolatry and vice. Although
reduced to a mere fragment, the costly
marbles, the columns, the sculptured
friezes (some preserved in the mu¬

seum), and the statues found in it, one
of which, called the Venus d' Arles,
forms an ornament to the Louvre, at¬
test its ancient magnificence. The
portions remaining are two Corinthian
columns, surmounted by part of their
entablature, which stand isolated like
those in the forum of Rome ; they
formed part of the Proscenium, the
rest of which is reduced to the pe¬
destals of other pillars on a line with
these, to truncated walls pierced by
openings for doors, by which the actors
made their entrance and exit, and fur¬
nished with niches for statues. Oppo¬
site to this wall is the semicircular
space destined for the audience,
scooped out of the rock, and still re¬
taining some of its stone seats, rising
in steps one above the other. In the
middle are some very curious sub¬
structions, attached apparently to the
orchestra, consisting of 3 parallel walls,
6 or 8 ft. high, stretching quite across
the building, leaving a space of about 1
ft. between them, which is set with
grooved ridges projecting alternately
from either wall at regular distances.
Within these was probably placed the
wooden support of the proscenium or
pulpitum, the stage in fact. It is diffi¬
cult to explain the uses of this very
peculiar construction. Near the theatre
there is a very beautiful Doric gateway,
or arch, with both frieze and architrave
richly sculptured.

In the midst of the Place Roy ale,
or de T Hotel de Ville, in which are
situated the church of St. Trophime,
the Hotel de Ville, and the museum,
rises an Obelisk of a single shaft of grey
granite, antique, but not Egyptian,
since it is ascertained to have been
brought from a quarry in the Estrelle
mountains, nearFrejus: and it differs
in shape from those of Egypt, tapering
more rapidly from its base to its sum¬
mit. After having been for centuries
prostrate in the mud of the Rhone, it
was elevated in its present position in
1G76. It is supported on 4 lions, and
surmounted by a very tasteless gilt
sun, set off with eyes, cheeks, and
mouth. It is supposed to have stood
upon the spina in an ancient circus, all
traces of which are gone; it is 47 ft.

462 JR. 127.— Arles — Museum — Cathedral — JH.deVille. Sect. VI.

high (the Luxor obelisk is 72 ft.), and
is destitute of inscription or hieroglyph.

The Museum occupies the suppressed
church of St. Anne; it is filled with
an interesting collection of ancient
remains discovered in or near Arles,
a large proportion in the theatre, in¬
cluding a very rich marble frieze, and
numerous statues, whose merit as
works of art is small, except a head of
a female (? Diana, or the Empress
Livia) without a nose, and a head of
Augustus found in 1834, belonging to a
torso previously sent to the Louvre, both
very fine. An altar to Apollo bears
representations of the Delphic Tripod
and of Marsyas flayed alive. A leaden
pipe, more than 40 ft. long, stamped
with the name of the Roman plumber,
was discovered in the bed of the
Rhone, and is supposed to have con¬
veyed fresh water to the opposite bank.
The cemetery called Aliscamps (p.
463) has furnished a great number of
sarcophagi, some pagan, but the ma¬
jority Christian, ornamented with bas-
reliefs of good design and execution,
showing that Roman art survived long
after the extinction of paganism, though
the subjects on winch it was exercised
were taken from the Bible. Those
most commonly represented are Adam
and Eve, the Deluge, the Passage of
the Red Sea, Moses striking the Rock,
Jonah and the Whale, the Sacrifice
of Isaac, &c. On one is seen the
Oil Press and Olive Harvest. A mu¬
tilated statue of the God Mithras,
wanting the feet and head, is very
curious. It is a human body en¬
twined by a serpent, between whose
folds the signs of the zodiac are sculp¬
tured.

The Cathedral of St. Trophimus, who
is said to have been a disciple of St.
Paul, and to have first planted the
Cross here, is entered from the Place
by a very curious projecting porch,
constructed in the 12th or early in the
13th centy. It consists of a deeply
recessed semicircular arch, with mould¬
ings not unlike our late Norman, rest¬
ing upon a horizontal sculptured frieze
which forms the lintel of the door,
and is continued from beneath the
arch on the rt. and 1. of the facade,

supported on pillars. There are 6 of
these pillars, round, square, and octa¬
gonal, on either side of the door, of
stone, resembling metal in colour,
and one in the middle of the door
forms the support of the lintel. They
are based upon carved lions, some of
them devouring men. Between the
pillars are statues of Apostles and
Saints, those in the angles being St.
Trophimus and St. Stephen. The tym¬
panum over the door is occupied by
the figure of the Saviour as Judge of
the World, with the attributes of the
4 Evangelists ; and the sculptured
frieze below represents in the centre
the 12 Apostles, and on the sides the
Last Judgment ; the Good being on
the 1. of the spectator, the Bad, bound
by a rope and dragged by devils, on
the rt. The arcliivolt is filled with the
Heavenly Host in the shape of rows of
cherubims.

The interior is modernized, and less
interesting; it contains 3 antique sculp¬
tured sarcophagi, one of which serves
as a font.

The cloisters on the S. side are very
curious; two of the sides have round
arches, and two pointed, resting on
double shafts, or square piers, carved
on the sides with figures of saints, and
projecting towards the courtyard in the
form of fluted Corinthian pilasters.
The capitals of the pillars are very cu¬
riously but rudely sculptured, in part
with Scripture groups.

The square tower is also ancient, and
in its upper story Corinthian pilasters
again appear.

The Hotel de Ville was built 1673,
from designs of Mansard, contiguous to
the clock-towei’, which is somewhat
older. It contains a collection of na¬
tural history.

Besides the more important Roman
remains already described, there are,
within the town, in the Place du Fo¬
rum, 2 granite pillars and part of a
Corinthian pediment, let into the wall
in front of the Hotel du Nord; they
are supposed to have been moved, from
some building now destroyed, into
their present position. Other con¬
structions, which may have belonged
to the forum, are known to exist be-

Provence. Route 127.— Aliscctmps — Ccunargue.

463

neath the houses. In a narrow street
near the Rhone is a tower of brick,
called Tour de la Trouille, supposed
to have been built by Constantine
the Great, who resided much at
Arles, and whose eldest son was born
here.

Beyond the walls, to the E. of the
town, near the Rly. Stat., is situated
the ancient Cemetery of Arles, still
called Aliscamps, a slight variation from
the original name (Elisii Campi ) by
which it was known 18 centuries ago.
It was of vast extent, a complete Ne¬
cropolis, and the dead were brought
hither from other cities, as far distant
as Lyons, for interment. Dante men¬
tions it in the Inferno, IX. 112:

“ Si come ad Arli ove ’1 Rodano stagna,
Fanno i sepolcri tutto ’1 loco varo.”

And Ariosto alludes to it in the Or¬
lando Furioso :

“ Tiena di sepolture e la campagna.”

One portion of the ground was used
for burials in pagan times; another,
marked off with crosses, was after¬
wards designated for the interment of
Christians. The ground teems with
gravestones, sepulchral memorials, and
sarcophagi, but the most curious have
been removed to the museums of Arles,
Toulouse, Marseilles, &c. In the
neighbouring farms the cattle drink
out of stone troughs which are nothing
but empty coffins, and with their lids
the ditches are bridged. Several cha¬
pels were erected within the area of
this vast churchyard : the most re¬
markable is that of St. Honorat, or
of Notre Dame de Grace, now falling
to ruin. It is surmounted by an ele¬
gant octagonal tower, of two stories,
having 2 circular-headed windows in
each face ; the interior, except the
crypt, is not older than the 14tli
centy.

The ecclesiastical constructions of the
middle ages on the Montmajeur are de¬
scribed at p. 459.

Although, in the days of the Ro¬
mans, Aides was plentifully supplied
with spring water, conveyed to it from
the chain of the Alpines in aqueducts
of masonry many miles long, the mo¬
dern town is destitute of this import¬

ant commodity, and the inhabitants
suffer severely from the want of drink¬
ing water. Owing to the marshes and
pools in the vicinity, the town and the
district around Arles are unhealthy at
certain seasons; and intermitting fevers
are very prevalent, but less so now than
formerly, in consequence of the ex¬
tended drainage.

A Canal has been formed from Arles
to Bouc, on the sea-coast, at the mouth
of the salt lake called Etang de Berre,
which opens a more direct communi¬
cation to Marseilles than the course of
the Rhone. This canal, begun 1802,
with the double object of draining the
marshes on the 1. bank of the Rhone,
and of facilitating traffic by avoiding
the bars and sandbanks at the mouth
of the river, was not completed until
1835. It is about 30 m. long. It was
traversed regularly by barges until
1840, when the great inundation of the
Rhone overwhelmed a part of it with
sand.

The wide uninterrupted plain
stretching from Arles to the sea, S. and
E., nearly as far as Marseilles, including
the delta of the Rhone, or the island
of Camargue (derived from K ago.?,
marsh, and aypos, field ?), presents
some singular phenomena not un¬
worthy of attention. Indeed, both its
climate and its soil of mud banks, arid
sand, or vast bare gravel beds, alter¬
nating with salt marshes and lagoons,
raised from 2 to 7 feet above the sea,
assimilate it rather to Africa and the
borders of the Nile than to France.
Even some of the animals which resort
to it, the ibis, the pelican, and the
flamingo, properly belong to the Afri¬
can continent. The ground is so im¬
pregnated with salt, that the water is
brackish; the surface of the soil is, in
summer, covered with a white saline
efflorescence, like a coating of snow,
and, when the pools are dried up,
the salt forms in a cake 2 in. thick.
Here, as in the deserts of Asia and
Africa, the mirage constantly occurs
during the heats, transforming the
arid plain in appearance into a wide
lake. Cultivation can only be pursued
by excluding the sea by dykes, which
entirely surround the Camargue, and

464

Route 127.-— Camargue—The Crau.

Sect. VI.

the saline influence is counteracted by
covering the surface with the muddy
deposits brought down by the Rhone,
In this manner the district produces
extensive pastures, on which large flocks
of sheep are fed, together with herds
of swall cattle, and wild horses, or
rather ponies, said to be of a stock
originally brought from Africa by the
Arabs, in their frequent invasions of
this part of France. At stated times
the young bulls are chased and sepa¬
rated from the herd by horsemen armed
with tridents, in order to be branded,
and receive the marks of their different
proprietors; this is called La Ferrade.
A considerable portion of the district
is ploughed land, furnishing crops of
corn, madder, &c., which are produced
in abundance, and the culture of rice
has lately been introduced; but this
fertility, as well as the rich pasturages,
arises entirely from irrigation, and the
distribution in all directions of the
waters of the Rhone, derived from the
river in cuts and canals. The salt
marshes and lagoons are unprofitable
except in producing salt. There is
only one village in the Camargue, that
of Saintes Maries, but many isolated
farms are scattered over it. At har¬
vest time, in the month of July, the
corn is threshed in the Oriental fashion,
by driving 10 or 12 young horses, held
with a long rein by a man in the centre
of the threshing-floor, over the sheaves
laid in heaps around, but this practice
exists throughout Provence. The win¬
nowing is performed by tossing the
straw, chaff, and grain into the air, and
allowing the wind to separate them.

It has been calculated that the
Rhone discharges into the sea, in 24
hrs., more than 5 million cubic metres
of earthy matter, similar to the de¬
posits composing the Camargue. Its
banks are in consequence extending
daily, and the Tower of St. Louis, built
1737, at a distance of 2600 metres (1
m. 3 furl.) from the sea, is now 7200
metres (4 m. 3 furl.) Rom it. In con¬
sequence the mouths of the Rhone are
beset by sand-banks so as to be pro¬
nounced by Vauban “ incorrigibles,”
and their navigation is dangerous.

At Arles are situated the workshop,

engine-house, and carriage depot of the
Company. On quitting Arles Stat.
the Rly. turns away from the Rhone
and pursues a S.E. direction.

The railroad, issuing out of the antique
Necropolis of Arles, the Aliscamp (p.
463), passes near an Aqueduct, com¬
prising part of the line of a Roman
one, which conveyed the waters of the
Durance by St. Remy to Arles. A
short distance from Arles the railway
is carried over some low grounds by a
viaduct of great length, which is a fine
piece of work. From thence to Salon
the railroad traverses the Crau, a sin¬
gular stony plain extending S. to the
Mediterranean, covered all over with
rolled boulders and pebbles, deposited
doubtless by the Rhone and its tri¬
butaries, especially the Durance, under
circumstances differing from their pre¬
sent physical condition. This “campus
lapideus ” was well known to the an¬
cients ; not only is it described by
Strabo, Pliny, and Mela, but Aeschylus,
in a fragment preserved by Pomponius
Mela, lays on it the scene of the combat
between Hercules and the Ligurians,
when the son of Jove, having exhausted
his arrows, was supplied with artillery
from heaven by a discharge of stones
from the sky, sent for his use by Ju¬
piter.

T8a>r 8’ a/j.T)Xai'ovi'7a a 6 Z evs oiKrepe?,
v€(pe\riu 8’ viroax&v VMpaSi arpoyyvAocv

TTCTpOOU

vitoctkiov 0r]<rei x^ova, ois eiremt crop.
-jSaAcDr drjcocreis padlcvs Aiyvv arparoy.

One ancient writer remarks that the
assistance of Jupiter would have been
more effectual had he showered down
the stones at once on the heads of the
Ligurians. Such is the mythological
history of the Crau. Its modern name
is traced by some to the Celtic craig, a
rock (?). “It is composed entirely of
shingle, being so uniform a mass of
round stones, some to the size of a
man’s head, but of all sizes less, that
the newly thrown up shingle of a sea¬
shore is hardly less tree from soil; be¬
neath these surface-stones is not so
much a sand as a cemented rubble, a
small mixture of loam. Vegetation is
rare and miserable; some of the ab-

Provence. Route 127.— Salon — St. Chamas—Rail

465

way.

sinthium and lavender so low and poor
ns scarcely to be recognised, and 2 or
3 miserable grasses, with Centaurea
calycitropes and solstitialis, were the
principal plants I could find.”— A.
Young.

Through the greater portion of its
extent its condition is that of a semi-
desert; but under the stones which
cover it grows a short sweet herbage,
which the sheep accustomed to the
locality obtain by turning over the
stones. It is consequently covered
over in the winter months with flocks
driven hither from the French Alps,
where they spend the summer, passing
annually to and fro like the merino
flocks of the Mesta in Spain. There
the practice of migrating from the
plains to the Pyrenees, and vice versa,
is as old as the 7th centy. Here, how¬
ever, it must be traced to a far earlier
period, since it is mentioned by Pliny,
“e longinquis regionibus pecudum
miHibus convenientibus ut vescantur.”

The small portion of the Crau which
can be reached by irrigation is exceed¬
ingly fertile, producing vines, olives,
mulberries, and corn. Arthur Young
says, “The meadows I viewed are
among the most extraordinary spec¬
tacles the world can afford, in respect
to the amazing contrast between the
soil in its natural and in its watered
state, covered richly and luxuriantly
with clover, chicory, rib-grass, and
avena elatior.” The chief means by
which this useful purpose is effected is
the Canal de Craponne, so called from
its projector, who began it in 1554; it
is cut from the Durance at a place
called La Roque, and extends to the
Rhone at Arles, a distance of 33 m.,
sending out branches to Salon and else¬
where. The whole agriculture of the
district depends upon this canal, as
Egypt does upon the Nile: it is be¬
sides of no small use in turning oil and
corn mills. It is followed for a con¬
siderable distance, and crossed, by our
road. Previous to its construction the
stony desert reached up to the very
outskirts of Arles and Salon. In the
remoter and uncultivated parts of the
Crau, the Mirage, which so often in the
African deserts cheats the parched tra- ]

veller with the appearance of inland
lakes in spots most destitute of water,
is of frequent occurrence. The irri¬
gation and evaporation from a vast
body of stagnant water renders this
district very unhealthy, and the fune¬
real cypresses, thickly planted around
all the houses, are symbolic of the fate
of their inhabitants, worn out with
fever and ague.

43 Raphele Stat.

50 St. Martin Stat., a post-station
on the high road.

63 Entressen Stat.

67 Constantine Stat.

[4 m. N. is

Salon.— Inns: Poste, improved; —
Croix de Malte. This is a rather con¬
siderable town of 6000 Inhab.., carrying
on an important trade in olive-oil. The
high road is carried through a sort of
Boulevard, in the neat modern quarter¬
enclosing the old town; and passes the
Castle, said to be that of Nostradamus,
now a barrack. That celebrated astro¬
loger died here 1566, and is buried in
the parish church .]'

The railway is carried round the
margin of the Etang de Berre, a sort
of inland sea, navigable for small ves¬
sels, which is about to be connected
with the sea by a new canal at Bouc.

72 St. Chamas Stat., a town of 24431
Inhab., on the Etang de Berre. It is
divided into 2 parts by a narrow marly
ridge pierced with caverns, some of
them inhabited., On the ridge stands
the old Church of St. Amand.

Part of the ancient ramparts sur¬
round the town. There is a Govern¬
ment powder-mill here. 500 paces out
of the town, in the midst of the plain,
stands the Pont Flavien, a Roman
bridge, built over the Touloubre, a
single arch of large blocks, approached
by arches of triumph of elegant Co¬
rinthian architecture at either end.
On the frieze is this inscription:—

L. DONNIVS. C. FLAVOS . FLAMEN,
ROME ET. AVGVSTI. TESTAMENTO. FIERI
JVSSIT. ARBITRATV. C DONNII. VENiE
ET. CATTEL. RVFI.

87 Berre Stat,

93 Rognac Stat.; omnibus to Aix,
p. 477.

102 Pas des Lanciers Stat.

X 3

466

Route 127.— Marseilles—The Port.

Sect. VI.

m. is Martigues; an omnibus
runs thither. Near St. Chamas and
Vitrolles the railway encounters a tri¬
ple range of mountains, which hem in
Marseilles on this side. It clears a
series of ridges and ravines by tunnels
and embankments. It traverses the
Estagne by a tunnel 2f Eng. m. long,
driven under the Montagne de la Nerth,
and a second tunnel at St. Louis, 492
yards long, and emerges at the

120 Marseilles Stat., at St. Charles,
at a height of 160 ft. above the Medi¬
terranean. A branch line if m. long
is carried down from St. Charles to the
port of La Joliette, or New Harbour.

15 Marseilles. — Inns: H. des Em-
pereurs, on the Cannebiere, comfort¬
able and quiet, J. D.; —H. de Noailles,
select;—H. d’ Orient;—H. Beauveau;—
II. de Paradis, Place Royale, good but
noisy;—H. des Bains, on the Prado on
the sea-shore, out of town ; same pro¬
prietors as H. des Empereurs.

Marseilles, capital of the Dept, des
Bouches-du-Rhone, is a busy and flou¬
rishing city, and the most important
seaport of France, having a population
of about 193,000 souls; but it has
few fine public buildings or sights for
strangers. The entrance from the side
of Aix is by an Arch of Triumph, not
remarkable for elegance of design, ori¬
ginality of elevation, or elegance of
decoration. It was intended to com¬
memorate the campaign of the French
in Spain in 1823, bub its destination is
now changed to that of celebrating
“all the glories of France.” From
this arch a fine broad street, called the
Cours and Rue de Rome, stretches en¬
tirely across the town to the Porte de
Rome. Near the centre of it another
wide street, called Rue de la Canne¬
biere (K avvafiLs, flax), strikes off from
it at right angles, down to the Port or
Harbour, a natural oblong basin 1000
yards long by 330 broad, extending
into the heart of the town, occupying
an area of 45,000 metres (nearly 70
acres), about equal to two of the clocks
at Liverpool. The depth of water
varies from 18 ft. at its mouth to 24
ft., and it is capable of holding 1000 or
1200 merchant-vessels. This is the
focus of that extensive commerce which

renders Marseilles the first seaport of
France and of the Mediterranean. The
number of vessels entering and quitting
in a year amounts to 18,000, and their
tonnage exceeds 2,000,000 tons, about
one-fourth of that of Liverpool: 633
vessels, of 53,973 tons, belong to the
port. To this harbour Marseilles is
indebted for her commercial conse¬
quence, which dates nearly 3000 years
back, from the days when the Phocseans
first set foot on her shore, inoculating
the bai’barous realms of W. Europe
with the civilization of the East. The
connexion of France with Algiers has
given a great impetus to the prosperity
of Marseilles, as it engrosses nearly the
whole trade with the new colony in
Africa. It has risen also to consider¬
able importance since 1830 as a steam-
packet station (see p. 470).

A new Harbour (le nouveau Port),
called La Joliette, is being constructed
a little to the N. of the old works, and
it is a stupendous undertaking. It is
formed by a breakwater, 1224 yards
long, thrown into the sea parallel to
the shore, and at a distance of 13.12 ft.
from it: 2 moles or piers stretch from
the shore towards it, at a distance of
550 yards from each other, but leaving
openings for the entrance of vessels.
This will form an inner basin and 2
outer harbours, and they will be con¬
nected by a canal, running behind Fort
St. Jean, with the old Port.

From the margin of the old har¬
bour, lined with quays, the ground
rises on all sides, covered with houses,
forming a basin or amphitheatre, ter¬
minating only with the encircling
chain of hills. From this disposition
of the ground, the port becomes the
sewer of the city, and is offensive
from the filth which, flowing into it, is
allowed to stagnate in its tideless sea.
A plan is preparing to remedy this
evil by carrying the town drainage in
distinct culverts and sewers, out to
sea, or to a distance from the town.
Were it not for the bad smells, its
Quais would be an agreeable walk, pre¬
senting as they do an amusing scene
of bustle and variety, Greek, Turkish,
and Neapolitan costumes. Among
its shipping, the picturesque latteen

Provence.

Route 127.— Marseilles — St. Victor.

467

sails of the Mediterranean are very
common.

The direction of the old harbour is
from E. to W. On its N. side, and
within the angle formed by the Rue
Cannebiere and the Cours, lies the
old town of narrow dirty streets,
scarce worth entering. In the line of
the quay, on this side, stands the
Hotel de Ville, a heavy building, and
overloaded with tasteless ornaments,
attributed to Puget, but not by him,
his really beautiful design having been
rejected. Farther on, near the har¬
bour mouth, is the Consigne, or health
office, where everything relating to qua¬
rantine is transacted, and whence the
permission for vessels to enter the har¬
bour is issued. To this office the cap¬
tains of vessels come to give an account
of themselves (raisonner), and to show
their bill of health. The council-
room contains a few paintings, chiefly
having reference to the plague: by
Girard, the Plague at Marseilles, in
which Bishop Belzunce is introduced ;
and another showing the self-devotion
of the Chevalier Rose in burying the
dead, when even the galley-slaves had
refused ; by David, St. Roch healing
the Sick ; a bas-relief, by Puget, of the
Plague at Milan ; the Cholera at Mar¬
seilles by Vernet; the Yellow Fever at
Barcelona, 1822. The subjects are all
horrible, and the execution not good
enough to compensate.

The mouth of the old port is nar¬
row, and was once closed by a chain.
It is defended by two forts : on the
N. by the old castle and tower of
St. Jean, built in the 15th centy., in
which Philippe Egalite was imprisoned
with his youngest son, and whence
after a time they escaped ; on the S.
the Fort St. Nicolas, recently repaired
and extended, guards the entrance. It
was founded by Louis XIV., who,
after capturing the disobedient city,
and entering it by a breach in the
walls, observed that “ he also would
have a Bastide at Marseilles and
forthwith laid the foundation of this
fort, of which the first stone bore the
inscription—“Ne fidelis Massilia, ali-
quorum motibus concitata vel auda-
ciorum petulantia, vel unica libertatis

cupiditate tandem merit, Ludovic.
XIV. optimatum populique securitate
hac arce prodivit.” Close beside Fort
St. Nicolas a new wet dock, Bassin de
Carenage has been formed, by costly
excavations out of the rock, on the
site of an ancient cemetery.

Not far from this is St. Victor, the
most ancient church of Marseilles,
though its crypts and substructures
alone are of the 11th centy. The
upper part dates from 1200, except
the two battlemented towers, which
give it the air of a castle, erected
1350, by Pope Urban V., who had
been abbot of St. Victor. The en¬
trance under the tower is by a round
arch: near it is a curious pointed arch,
its mouldings relieved with the dog¬
tooth ornament. St. Victor was one
of the most celebrated abbeys in
Christendom, and possessed a host of
other abbeys and religious houses de¬
pendent on it.

Above St. Victor, to the S. of the
town and harbour, rises the bare
rocky hill of Notre Dame de la Garde,
so called from the curious chapel, si¬
tuated within a small fort on its
summit, a spot exposed to all the
winds that blow. An image of the
Virgin, carved in olive-wood, and of
great antiquity, is enclosed within this
humble shrine ; it is held in the high¬
est veneration thougliout the Mediter¬
ranean by the sailors and fishermen
and their wives, and its walls and roof
are hung with ex-votos, chiefly paint¬
ings representing moving accidents by
flood and field—all the veriest daubs,
but very curious, as illustrating the
religious feeling of the people. Be¬
sides a vast number of shipwrecks,
storms, steamboat explosions, escapes
from British vessels of war, there is a
whole host of surgical operations,
sick-beds, road-side accidents, & c.
The cholera panic produced numerous
offerings : among them a silver tunny-
fish, presented by the Marseillaise fish¬
wives. Many ostrich-eggs and models
of ships are suspended from the roof,
and one corner is filled with cast-off
crutches, the gifts of grateful cripples,
now no longer lame, and with ropes'
ends by which men have been saved

468

Route 127.— Marseilles — Bastidcs — Museum . Sect. YX.

from drowning ! The silver statue of
the Virgin, 4 ft. high, over the altar,
is modern.

The view from the top of the hill,
beside the chapel, is perhaps the best
that can be had of Marseilles itself,
spread over a gradually sloping basin,
surrounded by hills which are covered
with vineyards and olive-gardens, and
speckled with white country-houses,
called Bastldes, to the number of 5000
or 6000, belonging to the citizens and
shopkeepers. It is an arid prospect of
dazzling white, interspersed, but un¬
relieved, by dark streaks of dusky
green. From this the eye is delighted
to turn and repose upon the deep blue
of the Mediterranean, the graceful
curves of the coast of the Gulf of
Lyons, aud the little group of islands.
If is crowned by a castle, once a state
prison, in which Mirabeau was shut
up, and Pom&gue and Ratoneau, be¬
hind which a fleet of vessels in quaran¬
tine find shelter. The stripe of blue
sea is prolonged into the heart of the
city in the harbour, partly hidden
from view by its forests of masts.

The Fort de la Garde was built by
Francis I., and was never of great im¬
portance as a defence: hence the verses,

“ Gouvernement commode et beau,

Oii l’on ne voit, pour toute garde,

Qu’un Suisse, avec sa hallebarde,

Feint sur la porte du chateau.”

Along the lower slope of the same
hill, within the town, stretches a wide
promenade planted with trees called
Corns Bonaparte: and lower down,
at the water-side, stands the Custom¬
house, with its piles of warehouses, iso¬
lated by a canal cut round it from the
port.

The Prado is a handsome and very
agreeable public walk and drive, a pro¬
longation of the Rue de Rome by the
sea-side, 3 Eng. m. It commands a
fine sea-view. Here are Sea Baths.

The Museum, situated beyond the
Marche aux Capucins, contains the few
relics of antiquity which alone remain
of the time-honoured city Massilia,
founded (b.c. 578) by Phocaean exiles
flying from Asia Minor, In spite
of its wealth, power, and progress in
civilization, the ancient city has left

no remains of buildings, nor any
traces of its existence beyond inscrip¬
tions (some in Greek), sarcophagi,
mostly of the 5th, 6th, and 7th cen¬
turies, and a few fragments of sculp¬
ture. Among the antiques is a draped
torso of a female with a child, wearing
a peaked cap of Greek workmanship :
a marble sarcophagus (No. 13) brought
from Arles, sculptured with a combat
between centaurs and lions : several
Christian tombs, brought, for the most
part, from the crypt of St. Victor ;
one (No. 27) of marble, designed for
a child, contained the relics of St.
Victor, and seems to be the most cu¬
rious ; another of Abbot Isarn (d.
1048), whose effigy is covered with his
epitaph in Latin verse, allowing only
his head, which exhibits the tonsure,
and the feet to appear. None are so
old as the capture of the city by Julius
Ccesar.

The Picture Gallery in the same
building contains about 150 very
badly-lighted pictures, of which the
following seem the best :—St. John
carried up on the eagle, inspired to
write the Revelations ; a portion of
the isle of Patmos appearing below : a
copy after Raphael. The 3 Maries, as
mothers, with St. Joseph, St. Cleophas,
St. Simeon, &c., by Perugino; a very
pleasing and genuine picture, though
faded ; very like Raphael’s early man¬
ner. Rubens (perhaps by Jordaens) :
a boar-liunt ; spirited, but the figures
rather huddled together. A Prince of
Orange with his family, attributed
to Rubens. Lord Strafford, a copy
from Vandyke. One or two small
paintings by Puget merit notice, as he
was a native of Marseilles, and archi¬
tect and sculptor, as well as painter.

It is remarkable that so extensive
and wealthy a mercantile community
as that of Marseilles should not pos¬
sess a permanent Exchange, yet the
bourse is a mere temporary structure
of wood and canvas, not much better
than a show-booth in a fair. In front
of it is a fountain of heavy design,
basins resting on griffins. Some wag
wrote upon them, when the fountain
was first erected, “ N’approchez pas:—
ils sont mauvais.”

Provence.

Route 127.— Marseilles — Lazaret.

469

Another fountain surmounted by a
bust of Homer bears this inscription :
“ Les descendants des Phoeeens h
Homere, 1803.” ! !

The Lazaret, to the N. of the port,
is a well-regulated establishment; one
of the first placed on a sound footing
in Europe, and so large that it held
the entire French army on its return
from Egypt. It covers an area of 50
acres, is enclosed within a double
wall, and is of course not accessible to
any persons but such as enter it for
quarantine. It is to be pulled down,
and docks excavated on its site, 1852.

If a case of plague shows itself, the
vessel is sunk and the goods burned.
Merchandize is released from quaran¬
tine after exposure to the air, and es¬
pecially to the dew. The Lazaret owes
its foundation to the fearful ravages of
the plague at Marseilles in 1720, which
destroyed between 40,000 and 50,000
persons, i. e. half the population of
the town. Amidst the general despair,
selfishness, and depravity which ac¬
companied this dire calamity, many
individuals distinguished themselves by
their noble self-devotion. One of them
has been commemorated by Pope :—

“ Why drew Marseilles’ good bishop purer
breath

When nature sicken'd and each gale was
death ?”

The name of the good bishop was
Belzunce, who offered a rare example
of courage and piety by his intrepid
intercourse with the sick in the hos¬
pitals, where, aided by pious nuns, he
constantly ministered to the support
and consolation of the plague-stricken
inmates. The 2 echevins of the town,
Estelle and Moustier, likewise ex¬
posed their lives. The streets soon
became choked with dead, and of the
galley-slaves, supplied at the rate of
80 a-week to conduct the dead-carts,
none survived. The Chevalier Rose
with his own hands then helped to
bury the dead, when the very galley-
slaves refused the dangerous duty.
3 physicians, also, from Montpellier,
repaired to the city of death to aid
the sick and dying, when all the native
doctors were dead or had fled. The
pestilence, which had broken out in

the spring, continued with dreadful
fury till September, but abated after
a violent storm, and disappeared in
November.

A Breakwater has been thrown be¬
tween the islands of Pomegue and
Ratonneau, connecting them together
so as to form a quarantine roadstead,
called Port da Frioul (fretum Julii).
At this spot Caesar’s squadron, under
the command of D. Brutus, was sta¬
tioned during the siege of Marseilles.

One of the chief manufactures here
is that of soap, which is said to employ
700 men. The process is worth seeing,
and, as it is made exclusively of vege¬
table oil, it is not so unsavoury as in
England. The manufacture of Coral,
celebrated in the earliest times, has
greatly fallen off, and has been trans¬
ferred to Leghorn, Genoa, and Naples.
Shipbuilding is a veiy important
branch of trade. The manufactory of
steam-engines, belonging to Mr. Philip
Taylor and Sons, is one of the most
considerable in France.

The fish-market displays a number
of the finny inhabitants of the Medi¬
terranean unknown in the seas of the
N. ; among others, the tunny is abund¬
ant at certain seasons.

The climate of Marseilles for a large
portion of the year is delightful, but
in summer and autumn the heat is
at times intense—the streets like an
oven, so that it is scarcely possible to
move abroad during the daytime, and
all rest during the night is liable to
be destroyed by the mosquitoes. To
this not unfrequently succeeds the
Mistral, or cutting dry N.E. wind,
wdiose effects are described p. 437.
The N. W. wind, called le Libech
(Ital. Libecchio), exercises a terrific
force over the Mediterranean.

Consuls reside here from the prin¬
cipal states of Europe and America.
Mr. Turnbull is the worthy repre¬
sentative of England.

The English Church Service is per¬
formed in an apartment in the Rue
Sylvabelle, on Sundays, by a resident
clergyman.

“ Dr. de Charge is a very clever
homoeopathic physician.”— E. o. S.

Baths. The Bains de la Mediterrande,

470 j Route 127.— Marseilles — Excursions — Steamers, Sect. VI.

about I 5 m. out of the town, on tbe S.
of the road to Aix, in an agreeable
situation, commanding a view of the
bay, and receiving the sea-breeze, is
a well-conducted establishment. The
New Sea-Baths, at the extremity of the
Prado, are even superior.

With this exception the Environs of
Marseilles possess but slight attrac¬
tions — nothing but dust, scorched
rocks, and bare high walls, amidst
which the eye in vain seeks for some
verdure to rest on. The Bast ides al¬
ready mentioned are little country
boxes, which entirely dot the slopes
around the town, prolonging it appa¬
rently to the tops of the surrounding
hills. Some of them are handsome,
and siirrounded by gardens, but the
greater paid stand in mere bare en¬
closures, between 4 walls, destitute
of shade and water, their only recom¬
mendation being that they are out of
town. Every merchant, citizen, or
shopkeeper must have one, and their
number is said to exceed 6000. The
stupendous Canal which supplies Mar¬
seilles with water from the Durance is
gradually altering the aspect of the
country around the town, by the irri¬
gation which it furnishes. Travellers
should visit the aqueduct of Roquefavour
(see p. 476). It will take a day to go
and return.

A common excursion is a " prome¬
nade sur eau,” from the harbour’s
mouth to the islands of If, &c. (p.
468). Courty’s Restaurant, “ La Mu-
ette de Portici,” at the Prado, on the
beach, 2 m. out of Marseilles, affords a
good specimen of la Cuisine Proven-
£ale.

Some of the best shops are in the
Rues St. Ferreol, Beauvau, and Para¬
dis, and the Post Office is in a street
running out of it, Rue Jeune Ana-
charsis. Letters reach this from Eng¬
land on the 4th day.

Railways to Avignon (Rte. 127)—
Terminus at St. Charles, not far from
the Arc de Triomphe ; to Arles,
Nismes, and Montpellier (Rte. 126-
130).

Diligences daily to Lyons (5 or 6 ) ;
to Aix ; to Toulon and Nice; to Gre¬
noble in 38 hours.

Steamers.

To Italy 12 to 15 times a-month ;
Government mail, and several private
Companies, touching at Genoa, Leg¬
horn, CivitaVecchia, Naples, and Sicily.

To Genoa, Leghorn, Civita Vecchia,
and Naples (Gov.), 3 times a-month.

To Malta, Syra, Smyrna, Constanti¬
nople (Gov.), 3 times a-month.

To Alexandria and Beyrout (Gov.)
twice a-month.

To Spain, Barcelona, Valencia, Ma¬
laga, Gibraltar, 3 or 4 times a-month;
to Cadiz 3 times a-month.

To Algiers (Gov.) 6 times a-month.

To Corsica, Ajaccio, and Bastia, once
a-week.

To Cette twice a-week, chiefly for
merchandise.

To Malta and Alexandria (British
Gov., with India mail and overland
passengers) the 11th and 27th of every
month. Takes the mail despatched
from London on the 8 th and 24tli, and
reaches Malta in about 70 hrs. Fare,
1st class 91., 2nd class 51.

To Arles and the Rhone several times
a-week.

To Cannes and Nice twice a-week.

History. Classical tradition assigns
the foundation of Massilia to a colony
of Phocteans, who left their native
country, Asia Minor, with their wives
and children, rather than submit to
Cyrus, and sought for liberty on the
then barbarous shores of Gaul. Their
emigration (b.c. 5) is described by He¬
rodotus, and alluded to by Horace :—

“ Phocaeorum

Velut profugit execrata civitas,

Agros atque lares patrios, habitandaque rura

Apris reliquit et rapacibus lapis :

Ire pedes quocunque ferent, quocunque per
undas

Notus vocabit, aut protervus Africus.”

Favourably received by the inha¬
bitants of the country, the settlement
increased and prospered; became great
in commerce and navigation, eminent
in the arts and literature ; was sought
and esteemed by Rome as an ally,
until, wishing to remain neutral in the
wars between Cscsar and Pompey, and
finally siding with the latter, she was
besieged, taken, and reduced to great

Provence. R. 127.— Marseilles. 128 .—Marseilles to Toulon. 471

distress by Lis successful antagonist,
who records that he preserved it
“ magis pro nomine et vetustate quam
pro meritis in se.”— Ccesar. Lucan has
described the siege, but evidently
without local knowledge. Cicero says,
in his Oration for Flaccus, that Greece
alone could compete with Marseilles as
a seat of learning ; Tacitus calls her
“ magistram studiorum.” Her im¬
portance continued during the middle
ages; she formed a sort of independent
state, electing her own magistrates,
and forming alliances with other states.
She furnished alone all the galleys re¬
quired by St. Louis to transport his
army on the Crusade. The famous
commercial code Le Consulat cle la Mer
is supposed to have been drawn up
here. At length, conquered by Charles
d’ Anjou, Comte de Provence, she
yielded to the rising superiority on
the sea of Pisa, Genoa, and Venice.

Marseilles held out against Henri
IV. long after Paris had submitted ;
when at length he was informed of its
surrender, he exclaimed, “ C’est main-
tenant que je suis Roi.” Yet was its
turbulent spirit of independence not
subdued, since, in consequence of an
outbreak against Louis XIV., that
monarch entered the city by a breach
in its wall (see above, p. 467).

At the Revolution, which inflamed
to madness the fiery spirits of the
people of the south, among whom mo¬
deration and restraint are unknown or
little practised, Marseilles furnished,
from the dregs of its own population,
and the outcasts of other lands, the
bands of assassins who perpetrated the
greater portion of the September mas¬
sacres in Paris. The Reign of Terror
at Marseilles itself, under the rule of
the infamous Freron and Barras, pro¬
duced more than its usual proportion
of atrocities and follies. The usual
wholesale murders were committed,
amounting to 400 persons, attended by
confiscation of their property.

But not satisfied with this, it was
proposed by one of the Repr^sentants
du Peuple to fill up its harbour. The
name of Marseilles was absolutely abo¬
lished by a decree, which enacted that
it should pass under the denomination

of “la Commune sans Horn !” Even
the death of Robespieri’e, which, for
the most part, put an end to the Reign
of Terror in other places, was here and
elsewhere in the south the signal for
fresh assassinations. Vengeance against
those who had been the instruments
of the revolutionary massacres was
now the cry ; the Fort St. Jean, in
which about 200 of them had been
confined, was broken open, and they
were all murdered by an irritated mob
of insurgents, employing cannon loaded
with grape to finish their victims in
their cells.

Marseilles is the birthplace of Mas-
caron the preacher, of Bishop Belzunce,
and of Puget, the architect who built
the old British Museum.

ROUTE 128.

MARSEILLES TO TOULON AND HYERES.

59 kilom. = 36^ Eng. m.

Diligences daily.

It takes about 5 hrs. to post from
Marseilles to Toulon. The first part
of the road is dreary so long as it runs
between white stone w T alls which en¬
close Bastides and intercept all view
and fresh air. “ The most dusty road
I ever saw ; the vines for 20 rods on
each side like a dressed (powdered)
head: the country all mountains of
rock with poor pines.”— A. Young.

17 Aubagne. Near this a little ver¬
dure is visible in the pretty vale of
Gemenos. The Abbe Barthelem} 7 ,
author of the ‘ Voyages du Jeune
Anacharsis,’ was born at Aubagne.

The caper, a pretty flowering plant,
is cultivated near

12 Cujes, a miserable-looking tow r n
(like most of those on the road) of
3000 Inhab., but the country around
most productive and well cultivated.

A hilly road leads to the poor
towm of

13 Beausset, in the Dept, du Var.
The sea is now and then seen through
breaks on the rt.

About 3 m. farther the road pene¬
trates the mountains, through a deep
chasm or defile of wild and savage

472

Route 128.— Toulon — Harbour—The Siege. Sect. VI.

features, called the Pass of Ollioules.
Bare, bleached, and nearly precipitous
rocks of limestone, surmounted by a
ruined Castle, which once guarded the
passage, hem in on either side, for a
distance of nearly 3 m., a scene of de¬
solation, nakedness, and solitude. On
emerging from it, the landscape is
more cheerful ; the orange-tree is first
seen ; the pomegranate grows in the
hedges ; the olive-trees, the cactus,
and palm occur at intervals in the
favoured region, sheltered from the N.
by the Estrelle, extending hence to
the Yar.

17 Toulon (Inns: Croix de Malte ;
improved, civil people, and good
cuisine. Croix d’Or ; very good;
table-d’hote 3 francs, at 5. Hotel de
France.)

Toulon is the Plymouth of France,
the seat of her naval power in the
Mediterranean, and one of her chief
naval arsenals, inferior only in some
respect to Brest. It is a strongly
fortified town, situated at the bottom
of a deep double bay, which forms the
roads. Behind it runs an amphitheatre
of hills rising on the N. into the
heights of Mount Pharon, too bare to
be picturesque, which stretch their
arms as it were round the bay, so as
nearly to landlock it, rendering it a
safe anchorage, except from the S. and
E., where it is somewhat unprotected.
6 forts on the land side defend the
town, while the mouth of the harbour
and hills commanding it are studded
with forts and redoubts.

The Port is divided into the old and
new, separated from the roadstead by
moles, hollow and bomb-proof, begun
in the reign of Henri IV., formed ex¬
ternally into batteries on a level with
the water’s edge, — very formidable
against ships. The Port du Com¬
merce, or Parse Vieille, on the E., is
appropriated to merchant-vessels, and
is bordered by a quay. The Parse
Ncuve, on the W., is surrounded by
the dockyard, slips, the arsenal, the
storehouses for provisions, &e., equip¬
ments, cannon foundry, park of artil¬
lery, & c.

The town itself contains 39,243
Inhab., exclusive of the garrison; but,

confined within ramparts, its streets
are narrow, its shops inferior, and its
buildings (exclusive of those of the
dockyard) unimportant.

The Hotel ,de Ville, facing the har¬
bour, is ornamented in front with 2
colossal thermae, serving as caryatides
to support a balcony, executed by
Puget, and of good design. Behind
the Hotel de Ville, at the corner of
the Rue d’Orleans, is a house built by
that variously accomplished artist.

The dockyard and fleet of Toulon
were destroyed by a British force
under Sir Sidney Smith, detached
from the fleet of Lord Hood, in No¬
vember, 1793, previously to the eva¬
cuation of the town by the British.
It was a work of danger, as the repub¬
licans, having already gained posses¬
sion of the surrounding forts and
heights, poured in a merciless hail of
shot and shells ; and the work was
but imperfectly performed, that is to
say, the great magazine and several
vessels on the stocks escaped. 27
vessels were destroyed, being ignited
in the harbour by a fire-ship, 2 of them
blowing up : 15 ships were brought
away. It must be remembered that
the English gained possession of Tou¬
lon not by force of arms, but by con¬
vention with the royalist portion of its
inhabitants, on condition of their being
protected from the cruel vengeance of
the republicans. But the means at the
disposal of Admiral Hood, a fleet of 21
ships, aided by a Spanish squadron of
17, were totally inadequate to effect
this ; 5000 British troops, the amount
of his land force, were far too few to
garrison so vast an extent of works,
and little good was done by our 8000
Neapolitan and Spanish allies. Al¬
though the surrounding forts were
manned and put into a state of de¬
fence as far as possible, the important
pass of Ollioules, commanding the only
approach to Toulon from the W., was
left unguarded, and the republican
forces, reeking from the massacres of
Lyons and Marseilles, marched in, and
speedily invested the town to the
number of 50,000, breathing vengeance
against the inhabitants of Toulon for
the defection of a place so important.

Provence. Route 128 .— Toulon — Dockyard — Roadstead. 473

When at length, at the end of 3
months, the harbour became no longer
tenable, and the British fleet was
obliged to weigh anchor, nearly 15,000
of the inhabitants were embarked on
board the British fleet, by the light of
the burning ships and dockyards,
amidst the cries and groans of the
multitude that remained behind, pray¬
ing for the means of escape from the
hands of the merciless republicans.
Nor were their worst anticipations un¬
founded ; more than 6000 miserable
victims were sacrificed to the ven¬
geance of the agents of the Committee
of Public Safety, in spite of the re¬
monstrances of Dugommier, the French
general, and his lieutenant Buonaparte.
With such blind rage did the besieging
soldiery rush into the town, that they
murdered, without question, 200 Ja¬
cobins who had gone forth to meet
them. The horrors of the fusillades
and the butcheries of the guillotine
were then exercised against the inha¬
bitants with a blind rage, which did
not wait to distinguish those who had
opposed from those who had favoured
the English. Freron and the other
members of the Committee of Public
Safety, including the younger Robes¬
pierre, presided in person over the
fusillades (thank God, the word has
no equivalent in English). They sent
orders for 1200 masons to raze the
town of Toulon, but their commands
were only partly carried into execu¬
tion, and they decreed that its name
should be abolished, and that it should
in future be known only as Port de la
Montagne.

The Dockyard (Port Militaire), en¬
tered from the town by a handsome
and appropriate gateway, is not readily
shown to foreigners : the introduction
of the English consul will, generally,
obtain admission for Englishmen. Ex¬
cepting, however, the Bayne , or prison
for the formats (convicts), they will see
nothing here that they may not see as
well at home, at Portsmoxith or Ply¬
mouth, &c. The description already
given of Brest (Rte. 36) renders a fur¬
ther detailed account of a French
dockyard unnecessary. This arsenal
covers a space of 55 acres, of which

35 are occupied by the Basin, which
has a depth of water throughout for
the largest ships fully equipped. In
1841, 13 vessels were building here ;
only 2 of the slips (cales) are roofed ;
but there are nearly twice as many
vessels laid up in ordinary here as in
any other French port. The store of
oak timber is very large. The rope-
house (corderie) is nearly 1200 ft.
long, of 3 vaulted aisles of masonry,
fire-proof, except the floor. In the
centre of the surface of the yard is an
opening out into the Petite Rade, and
a line-of-battle ship, fully armed and
stored, may sail at once from the basin
or port right out to sea. Immediately
after crossing this opening on the rt.
is Le Bagne, a large airy building.
The number of foi^ats here varies
from 3000 to 3500 ; they are most
rigidly superintended, chained each
night to their beds, as at Brest, and
there are loopholes for guns in the
Avails at the extremity of the dormi¬
tory, which would sweep it from end
to end in the event of a mutiny. The
number of free workmen, in 1841, Avas
about 4500.

The Muse'e de la Marine contains a
large collection of models of inven¬
tions, ship-building, &c.

“ 2 first-rate Docks have been con¬
structed at the S. angle of the Basin.
They are not excavations from the
land, but formed by quays carried
into the port. A large frame of w r ood
(caisse) was sunk Avith ballast at the
spot, and of the size of the dock, and
the masonry Avas built in around it.”
— W.

A new or supplemental dockyard
has been formed at Mourillon, in the
S. of the town, between it and Fort la
Malgue ; here are 5 large slips.

The Roadstead and Harbour is the
most picturesque and interesting fea¬
ture about Toulon, and the views of
it from the neighbouring heights are
very pleasing. A small steamer plies
across to the village of La Seyne. The
inner road is divided from the outer
by 2 capes or headlands ; that on the
E. is defended at its point by an ad¬
vanced fort, called Grosse Tour; and
on its neck or root, betAveen the little

474

Route 128.— Toulon — Buonaparte.

Sect. VI.

and great “Rade,” stands the strong
Fort la Malgue, surrounded by ram¬
parts 30 ft. high, capable of holding
800 men, and defended by 200 pieces
of cannon. Opposite to this, from the
W. side of the bay, stretches forth a
two-horned hilly promontory, the two
points of which are occupied by the
strong forts of Eguillette and Ballaguier,
at the water’s edge, while the com¬
manding heights, de Caire, above them
are crowned by the Fort Napoleon,
which replaces the field-works of 1793,
styled le Petit Gibraltar, and which is
the key of the whole defences. Eguil¬
lette was regarded as the key of the
British position in 1793, but was occu¬
pied by a garrison of which unfortu¬
nately only a small part were British,
the rest Spaniards and Neapolitans.
After keeping possession of it between
3 and 4 months, in spite of the be¬
sieging French force from without, on
the 16th of December a range of bat¬
teries, which had been formed secretly
by the French and concealed behind
the olive-gardens, suddenly opened
their fire upon le Petit Gibraltar and
the Fort Eguillette from the heights
behind, throwing, in the course of 36
hours, 8000 shot and shells. Early
the next morning, the French, led by
Dugommier, their commander-in-chief,
advanced to the attack, but were so
warmly received, that at first there
seemed no hope of success, until the
brave Muiron, followed by his men,
entering by an embrasure on the side
of the line intrusted to the Spaniards,
overpowered them, and cut to pieces
the British detachment of 300 men.

The planner of this attack, the
constructor of the concealed batteries
which now opened by hundreds of
fiery mouths from the crests of all
the hills upon the detachment of the
allies below, was a young officer of
artillery, aged 23, named Buonaparte,
who for the first time received a
command and enjoyed an opportunity
of displaying his vast military genius
on the heights above Toulon. On
arriving 2 or 3 months previously to
take the subordinate command, he
found that the incapables who had pre¬
ceded him had raised their batteries at

a distance of 2 gun-shots from Toulon,
and were directing vain efforts against
the place itself. His quick eye at
once perceived the defect, and singled
out the points where an impression
was to be made. In 5 or 6 weeks,
under his directions, batteries were
constructed, mounting 200 pieces of
cannon, on the heights of Bregaillon,
Evesca, and Lambert, commanding
the forts held by the British. While
awaiting the time when all should be
ready to make his great effort, the
Representatives of the People, dis¬
covering so many guns lying idle,
would have caused an immediate
cannonade, and would in their igno¬
rance thus have spoiled all. Then it
was that the young officer had the
boldness to reply to one of them,
Barras, “ Tenez-vous k votre metier
de Reprfisentant, et laissez-moi faire
le mien d’artilleur. Cette batterie
restera lk, et je reponds du succes sur
ma tete.” He promised that, in 2
days after gaining the fort, Toulon
would fall, nor was he wrong: the
morning after the capture of Petit
Gibraltar, Eguillette, and Fort Pha-
ron (an important work on the heights
to the N. of the town), whose guns
together swept the roadstead from end
to end, the British and Spanish fleets
had weighed anchor, and were standing
out to sea.

A previous attempt was made upon
Toulon, in 1707, by the Austrian and
Sardinian army, under Prince Eugene
and the Duke of Savoy, aided by an
English and Dutch fleet, under Sir
Cloudesley Shovel; but after an in¬
effectual bombardment of the town,
they found it so stoutly defended that
they were compelled to retire.

The Outer Road is formed by a hilly
peninsula stretching from W. to E.,
terminating in Cap Sepet, correspond¬
ing with Cap Brun on the opposite side
of the bay.

There is an extensive Naval Hospital
at St. Mandrier, on the S. side oi the
roadstead, farthest from the town, a
splendid building with 2000 beds.
Near it is the Lazaret.

Steamers twice every week to Cor¬
sica, touching at Ajaccio (22 hours’

Provence. It. 128 .— Hyeres. JR. 129 .—Avignon to Nice. 475

passage) and Bastia (24 hours) alter¬
nately.

The view from the hill to the S.E. of
Toulon, on which stands Fort la Malgue,
is one of the finest in the S. of France.

The Botanic Garden, outside the
town, is worth a visit, on account of
the number of plants of tropical or
southern countries which here first
begin to flourish in the open air ;
among others, the date-palm. Several
palms may also be seen in the neigh¬
bourhood of.

18 Hy eves (Inns: H. Leslies d’Or; best
— T.G.; and very good;—H. des Am-
bassadeurs ;—H. de 1’Europe), a town
of 4591 Inliab., on the slope of a hill,
crowned by ruins, sheltered from the
mistral by the chain of Les Maures, so
that it enjoys a temperature nearly as
mild as that of Nice. It faces the
Mediterranean, but is separated from
it by an intervening space, partly
common, partly marsh, 3 m. broad:
hence it enjoys little view of the
sea. There is a want of good accom¬
modation and pure water to drink.

The mildness of its climate causes
Hyeres to be chosen as a winter resi¬
dence for invalids, but the exhalation
from the marshes and lagunes, in which
the sea-water mixes with the fresh,
in summer renders it unwholesome.
The place has certainly been too
much cried up in other respects:
there is little beauty in its situation,
and its vaunted orange-groves, where
alone in France the orange bears
fruit, though a novelty to strangers
from the N., are not an agreeable
feature in the landscape, the trees
being shut up in walled gardens.
The palm-tree, of which there are
4 or 5 in the neighbourhood, produces
no fruit in this latitude. The old or
upper town, composed of narrow
sti-eets, steep and dirty, retains a frag¬
ment of its old Castle, and part of the
line of the former fortifications still
climbing up the steep. It is the birth¬
place of Massillon, the preacher, to
whom a marble pillar and bust have
been raised in the Place Royale.

The low ground is richly culti¬
vated: olives, vines, figs, mulberries
abound; the pomegranate, pistachio,

caper, myrtle, jessamine flourish; but
the hills are bare. On the shore,
about 3 m. to the E., are large salt¬
works, and off the coast is the group of
islands called

[Diligence daily in 7 hours to St.
Tropez, (37 m). (Inn: Id. du Com¬
merce, supported by Commis Voya-
geurs, no good Inn.) In its first aspect
St. Tropez is a little like Cadiz on a
small scale, its white houses rising out
of the blue sea. General Allard, long
employed at Lahore by Runjeet Singh,
was a native of St. Tropez. ]

Diligences run daily between Toulon
and Hyeres.

The road hence to Nice passes
through

23 Cuers.

15 Pignan.

15 Le Luc {Inn: Poste), where it
falls into Rte. 129.

ROUTE 129.

AVIGNON TO NICE, BY AIX, FREJUS, AND
CANNES.

274 kilom. = 170 Eng. m.

Diligences several times a-day. The
railway from Avignon to Marseilles
being completed by Arles (Rtes. 127
and 129 ), the first part of this road is
deserted.

The road on quitting Avignon runs
along the rt. bank of the Durance
(Druentia), a turbulent and ill-con¬
ducted stream, whose wide and deso¬
late bed of gravel, laid bare in sum¬
mer, bears so large a proportion to
the reduced stream flowing in threads
towards the Rhone, that a passing
traveller has no idea of the consider¬
able volume of water poured down
by it even at that season from the
supplies furnished by the melting
snows of the Alps. In winter, swollen
in a few hours to a torrent, it not
only fills its channel, but often inun¬
dates its banks. Its waters are em¬
ployed in irrigating the neighbouring
land. One considerable Canal, called
de Crillon, from the grandson of le
Brave Crillon, who caused it to be
made, is passed by our road near

476

Route 129.— Canal to Marseilles.

Sect. VI.

Bonpas. Here we cross the Durance
by a long wooden bridge. A road
runs hence to l’lsle, by which the tra¬
veller visiting Vaucluse (Rte. 126) may
gain the route to Marseilles without
returning from Avignon.

Near Bonpas is the village Noves, re¬
puted the birthplace of Petrarch’s Laura.

Higher up the Durance, on its rt.
bank, is Cavaillon (7000 Inhab.),
where are some mutilated Roman
remains, an Arch of Triumph , half
buried in the ground, attributed to
the Empr. Constantine, and a curious
Romanesque Cathedral (St. Yeran) of
the 13th centy., with an apse of the
12th; attached to it is a curious
Cloister.

The Durance separates the Dept, of
Yaucluse from that of Bouches du
Rhone.

18 St. Andeol. There is a cross-road
from this to St. Remy, whose Roman
monuments are described at p. 461.
It lies at the foot of the low chain of
bare limestone hills visible to the S.,
extending from Tarascon to Orgon,
called Les Alpines.

10 Orgon (7n«: Poste; dear, and
not to be recommended). This is a
town of 2000 Inhab., near the 1. bank
of the Durance, at the foot of a hill
crowned by a ruined castle.

The Canal de Boisgelin, a branch
of the Canal de Craponne, which
conveys the fresh water of the Du¬
rance to the Rhone at Arles, ferti¬
lising the land on its passage, is here
earned through the rock in a Tunnel,
known as the Pierre Percee, of no great
length.

Napoleon, on his way from Fon¬
tainebleau to Elba, was nearly torn in
pieces here by the infuriated populace,
and became so much alarmed as to dis¬
guise himself as a courier, and ride on
before his own carriage.

The Canal de Craponne is crossed at

18 Pont Royal: there is a pretty
fountain near the post-house.

Canal to Marseilles from the Durance.

This highly important hydraulic
work has been in progress since 1830,
under the able direction of the en¬
gineer M. Montricher. The canal derives

its waters from the river Durance at a
point near to Pertuis, 28 m. in a direct
line from Marseilles; but from the
mountainous and difficult character of
the country, its length extends to 60
m. before it reaches that city. The
point of derivation, at Pertuis, is 614
ft. above the sea, between which place
and Les Beaumes St. Antoine, near
Marseilles, a length of 51 m., it falls to
the level of 490 ft. (about 29 in. per
m.) The section of this portion of the
canal is calculated to pass the enormous
quantity of lj million tons of water
per day, or 198,000 gallons per minute.
In its course three chains of limestone
mountains are pierced by 45 tunnels,
forming an aggregate length of 8£ m.,
and numerous intervening valleys are
crossed by aqueducts. The Aqueduct
of Roquefavour, over the ravine of the
river Arc (about 5 m. from Aix), is a
structure of gigantic dimensions, and
well worthy the attention of the travel¬
ler. In admiring this work many will
doubtless be surprised to find so large
a volume of water, with such ample
fall, still carried across on the same
principles as those adopted by the
Romans, instead of the modern sub¬
stitution of iron pipes, which, owing to
the facilities of the manufacture of iron,
now so generally supersede the neces¬
sity of such constructions. As a work of
art this aqueduct will not suffer in com¬
parison with the famous Pont du Gard,
which it surpasses in height; while it
partakes much of the same character in
design. The whole is carried out in
excellent taste, but it is to be regretted
that its principal arches are not of a
more noble span. The entire elevation
of the aqueduct is 377 ft. and its length
1287 ft. Its total cost has been 151,3947
sterling, and it contains 51,000 cubic
yards of masonry. In the execution
of the tunnels great difficulties were
encountered owing to the hardness of
the rock and the presence of large
quantities of water, particularly in
sinking the shafts of the tunnel of
Taillades, which is above 2 m. in length,
where the expense amounted to an
average of 24/. each yard in depth. The
total cost of these shafts, added to the
expense of the tunnel, 22/. per yard.

Provence.

Route 129.— Canal to Marseilles — Aix.

477

amounted to 57,200?. per mile. The
whole work, from its origin to St.
Antoine, have cost 066,54 61., or 13,069?.
per mile.

The object and use of this canal is to
convey to the arid territory of Mar¬
seilles an almost unlimited supply of
■water for irrigation, and to the city
a quantity sufficient for domestic and
public distribution; and for giving ac¬
tivity to various branches of industry
which may require water power.

Perhaps no work of this description
has been undertaken in modern times
with a greater amount of hardy con¬
ception, and determination to complete
it to its fullest extent, almost regardless
of expense. It has already succeeded
in converting an arid soil, almost un¬
productive hitherto, under the effects
of a southern sun, to that of a well-
watered district. The waters of the
Durance, it is true, are delivered at
their destination in the same state in
which they issue from the river, which
at first sight is likely to give rise to
much disappointment; but the useful
effects of the undertaking are already
perceptible in the district. The prin¬
cipal channel is continued from St.
Antoine, but reduced in size one-third,
and progressively diminishes, taking a
circuit round Marseilles of 25 m., at an
elevation of from 200 to 300 ft-., com¬
manding an area of many square miles.
5 other branch canals strike out of this,
the aggregate lengths of which, includ¬
ing the main line and trunk canal to
St. Antoine, amount to 97 m.

One of these branch canals is exe¬
cuted for the supply of the city of
Marseilles, where it arrives at the level
of 242 ft. above the sea.

Large filtering and service reservoirs
are in the course of construction, and
a considerable extent of iron pipeage
for distributing the water is completed.

The entire cost of this important
undertaking it is stated has already
amounted to above 2,000,000?. sterling.

Lambesc is passed on the way to

14 St. Cannat, where our road is
joined by that from Arles and Nismes.
(Rte. 127.)

A hilly country succeeds, bare and
bleak, but abounding in olives, and

not interesting. A long and steep
hill leads down to Aix; on its brow,
close to the road, are subterranean
Quarries of Gypsum, in connexion
with which a great number of well-
preserved fossil fish and insects are
found. They occur in a fresh-water
shale, whose laminations are so mi¬
nute as to resemble the leaves of a
book; on splitting them open the
fossils are found between.

The Montagne de St. Victor, rising
to the E. of Aix, is a conspicuous
feature in the landscape (see p. 479).

16 Aix. (Inns: H. des Princes, the
first house as you enter the Cours,
good— H. H. M.; Palais Royal, good.)

Aix is a flourishing town of 22,575
Inhab., agreeably situated in a basin
surrounded by hills of abundant fer¬
tility, amidst almond-groves and planta¬
tions of olives, which furnish the much-
esteemed sweet oil of Aix, the best pro¬
duced in France.

The broad street called the Cours,
by which you enter the town, is very
striking; it is lined with handsome
modern houses, including the chief
hotels, closed at one end by an iron
rail, and ornamented with 3 fountains,
one of which bears a statue, by David,
of le Bon Boi Rene, who is represented
holding a bunch of Muscat grapes,
which he introduced into France.
During his reign Aix was the scene of
gaiety and luxury, and the seat of art
and literature. Within the modern
and external quarters of the town,
which assume somewhat the aspect of
boulevards, is the Old Town, the ancient
capital of Provence, the resort of the
troubadours, the home of poetry, gal¬
lantry, and politeness; the theatre of
the courts of love, and of gay fetes
and tournaments, during the reign of
Raymond Berenger IV. as well as of
Ren4 of Anjou. It still retains in part
its feudal walls and gates, and its
streets are narrow and foul. Here
stands, surmounted by an octagon
belfry, without a roof, the Cathedral
of St. Sauveur, parts of which are very
ancient, as the S. aisle of the nave,
resting partly on a wall of Roman
masonry, entered by a curious portal
flanked by 2 Corinthian columns, pro-

478

Route 129.— Aix — Cathedral — Baths.

Sect. VI.

bably antique, within which is a plain
round arch. Attached to the aisle is
a Baptistery recently restored, around
which are arranged a number of antique
pillars of polished granite, supporting
round arches. These portions are all
Romanesque, of the 12th centy., as
well as the Cloister, remarkable for the
variety of the columns supporting it.
The central aisle is later, in the florid
Gothic, and the N. aisle shows traces
of the Italian style. The main W.
entrance resembles in character some¬
what the perpendicular English Gothic,
overloaded with ornaments. The heads
of the statues ornamenting it, destroyed
at the Revolution, have been restored
in the worst manner. The carved
cedar-wood doors merit notice; they
were executed 1503. The bas-reliefs
upon them represent the 12 Theolo¬
gical Virtues (or the Sibyls), and the
4 Greater Prophets, below: the orna¬
ments, a mixture of Gothic and Re¬
naissance, are very delicately exe¬
cuted. These doors are covered with
a sort of shutter to protect them,
which the sacristan will remove for a
small fee.

Within the ch. is a very good old
picture of the Virgin and Child, on the
top of a clump of trees, surrounded by
a glory. Below, an angel appears to
a shepherd, probably intended to re¬
present Moses and the burning bush.
On the outside of the two wings or
shutters which cover the picture,
painted in black and white, is the
angel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin;
and within are King Rene, and his
second wife, Jeanne de Laval, both
evidently portraits; he, attended by
his patron saints, the Magdalen, St.
Anthony, and St. Maurice; she, ac¬
companied by St. John, St. Nicholas,
and St. Catherine, the last a beauteous
and most elevated countenance. This
picture is attributed, like many others
in different parts of France, to the
pencil of King Ren6; it is probably
the work of a Flemish artist of the
school of Van Eyck: its date must be
posterior to 1455, as Ren6 did not
marry Jeanne de Laval until that year.
There are some marble bas-reliefs,
wdiich probably belonged to an antique

sarcophagus, representing Christ and
the Apostles, in the chapel of St.
Mitre, and others of the 15th centy.
behind the altar of St. Maurice.

The Ch. of St. John includes some
monuments to the Counts of Provence.
The building is Gothic. The sacristy
of the modern ch. of La Madeleine
contains a curious painting of the An¬
nunciation, attributed to Alb. Purer.

The Museum contains numerous frag¬
ments of antiquity, inscriptions, mo¬
saics, sculpture, bronzes, chiefly Roman,
and found in the neighbourhood; in¬
cluding a torso of a youth, a tripod
carved with a dancing female in relief,
and a statue, said to be Hercules.
The Pictures, as usual, are for the
most part very mediocre; but among
the modern works is a sample of
Granet, a native of Aix.

The Public Library in the H. de
Ville consists of 100,000 volumes, and
possesses many letters of Mary Stuart.

In the Place de l’Hdtel de Ville is
an old gateway with a clock bearing
the date 1512. “ There are many

pretty bits of carved stone, and. other
relics of ancient taste and splendour,
in the filthy little closes of this most
filthy town.”— W. M.

Aix, the Aquae Sextiae of the Romans,
derives its origin from a Roman colony
sent hither to defend the Phocsean
colonists of Marseilles from the attacks
of the Salyes, in the year 630 after the
building of Rome. Its warm mineral
waters served probably as an induce¬
ment for them to select this spot. The
hot saline spring still exists, but it is
neither very strong nor in high repute.

A Bath-house is erected over the
source in the suburb, and there are
remains of vaults near it, said to be
Roman. The water is so weak that
the baths may with safety be taken
as ordinary warm baths. The chief
spring, called Source de Sextius, from
the founder of the Roman colony,
Caius Sextius Calvinus, has a tempe¬
rature of 78° Fahr. At the beginning
of last century it diminished greatly
in quantity, in consequence of wells
being dug at a place called Barret, 2 m.
off, which brought to light, at a short
| distance from the surface, very copious

Provence. Route 129 .—Aix to Nice — St. Maximin — Frejus. 479

springs, similar in nature to those in
the town, but cold. The magistrates,
however, ordered these sources to be
stopped up; and 22 days after, the
warm spring of Sextius had regained
fths of its original volume. It would
appear, from this remarkable occur¬
rence, that the source of heat must
lie between the Source de Barret and
that of Sextius.

Few provincial towns in France have
produced a greater number of remark¬
able men than Aix: among them the
learned Peiresc, the Marquis d’Argens,
the naturalists Tournefort and Adan-
son, the painters J. B. Vanloo and
Granet, and General Miollis.

The commerce in the sweet oil of Aix
has greatly fallen off since 1830, when
an unusually severe frost killed a large
proportion of the olive-trees in this
neighbourhood.

Diligences to Marseilles; to Nice; to
Avignon, Arles, and Nismes; to Gap;
Digne ; Toulon. Omnibus to Rognac
Stat. on the Marseilles Railway. A
branch line is in progress.

The road to Marseilles and Toulon
is described in Rte. 127.

The road to Nice passes under the
precipitous heights of the Mont St.
Victoire, and not far from the spot
where Marius is supposed to have de¬
feated the Cimbri, b. c. 125. 100,000

of the barbarians are stated to have
been slain or taken prisoners, and the
battle-field on the banks of the Arc
was long known by the name “ Campi
Putridi,” whence the modern village
Pourrieres.

12 Chateauneuf-le-Rouge.

11 Grande Pugere.

St. Maximin (H. duVar, indifferent)
has a rather fine Gothic Ch., very
lofty within, but destitute of a W.
front, without transepts, but ending in
3 apses. It was founded by Chai'les II.,
King of Naples and Count of Provence,
1279, but seems chiefly of the 15th
centy. The woodwork of the pulpit
and sacristy is well preserved. Here
are treasured up the bones of the
Magdalen, over the altar; her skull,
with a bit of flesh adhering to the
forehead, where our Saviour touched
it! her arm gilt, and the coffins of

several saints, her servants; also some
curious old vestments.

22 Tourves, a wretched town of 2800
Inhab., in the Ddpt. du Yar. No Inn.
There is a direct road from Tourves,
by Roquevaire 30 kilom., Aubagne 8
kilom., to Marseilles 17 kilom.

12 Brignolles. (Am: Poste, not very
good— J. 0.) In this town of 6000
Inhab. an extensive trade is carried on
in dried fruits. The “prunes de Brig¬
nolles,” though sold here, are in fact
produced in the country around Digne
(Basses Alpes.)

23 Le Luc, Inn: Poste, very dirty.
Here the road from Toulon and Hyeres
falls in. (See Rte. 128.)

11 Vidauban. Inns: H. de Pro¬
vence; Poste, good beds. Scenery in¬
teresting; myrtle, stone-pine, and cork
trees. An abrupt turn of the road at

13 Le Muy. H. Jourdan or La Poste.

15 Frejus. Inns: H. du Midi, best;

—Poste; not good, and bad smells :
Buonaparte stayed 3 days at the Poste.

Outside the walls of this small and
dirty town (not 3000 Inhab.), the
once celebrated Forum Jidii founded
by Caesar, on the W., are the remains
of a small Circus, recently cleared out,
far inferior in size and preservation to
those of Nismes and Arles. The direc¬
tion of the old Roman town walls may
also be traced by existing fragments
of them. The ancient harbour, in
which Augustus posted the fleet of
300 galleys captured at Actium from
Antony, is now sanded up by the de¬
posits of the Argens (Argentius). The
mole and tower (? lighthouse), which
commanded the entrance to the old
port, now rise out of the midst of a
grass-grown plain. The town is now
a mile from the sea.

Between the sea and the town is a
Roman arch, formed of small stones
alternating with layers of tiles, called
Porte Doree. The Cathedral of St.
Etienne is neither large nor handsome,
but may interest the antiquary as a
Romanesque edifice of the 11th or 12th
centy. Adjoining it is a Baptistery,
resting on 8 antique columns of grey
granite with marble capitals.

The most considerable and interest¬
ing Roman remains here are those of

480

Route 129.— Cannes — Antibes .

Sect. YI.

an Aqueduct, passed on the way to
Cannes. It has been traced for more
than 24 m. up the valley of the
Ciagne, whose clear water it conveyed
to the town. Many of the arches and
piers remain perfect. It is a picturesque
subject for the pencil.

Napoleon landed at the small port
of St. Raphael near this, 1799, on his
return from Egypt, and embarked
hence, 1814, for Elba. This is the
birthplace of the Abb£ Sieyes, and is
said to be that of Julius Agricola.

The French coast between Toulon
and Nice is bordered by 2 small hilly
chains called les Maures (because once
occupied by Saracen brigands) and
VEstrelle. They are, as it were, the
roots or footstool of the Alps, whose
higher ridges protect them from the
N. Consequently in their recesses and
ou their S. slopes they seem to enjoy
a peculiar and privileged climate.
Though their peaks are bare, near
their bases the aloe, cactus, and palm
flourish in the open air; and the
umbrella pine, as in Italy, raises its
graceful head close to the sea-shore.
This is the true “ garden of Provence.”
The Estrelle mountains are partly of
porphyry, and are highly picturesque
in their forms, as is invariably the
case where that rock occurs. The red
porphyry was worked by the Romans,
and used by them for the buildings of
Frejus, and was even sent to Rome;
the ancient quarry has been discovered
about 1^ m. from the shore.

A new and improved line of road
has been constructed over the Pass of

14 L’Estrelle. The scenery, varied
by the fine foliage of the cork-tree,
arbutus, and evergreen oak, is very
pleasing, and is diversified by fine sea
views.

20 Cannes. Inns (none good) : H.
du Nord ; Pinshinat’s Hotel, outside
the town, beautifully situated, has
some charming rooms ; La Poste. The
fish called St. Pierre is reputed the
ortolan of the sea.

This is a neat and cheerful small
town, finely situated in a mountainous
country at the bottom of a beautiful
bay. It is the port of Grasse.

About \ a mile off is the villa Louise

Eleonore, built by Lord Brougham, in
one of the most charming situations
in the S. of France, approached through
iron gates by a long straight avenue.
Sir Herbert Taylor's (now Mr. Wood-
fall’s) Villa has even a finer site—be¬
tween the road and the sea.

Napoleon landed 1^ m. E. of Cannes
from Elba, in March, 1815, with an
army composed of 500 grenadier
guards, 200 dragoons, and 100 lancers
without horses. He took the road to
Grasse, and bivouacked the first night
in an olive-garden there.

Opposite Cannes, about 2^ m. from
the shore, lies the lie Ste. Marguerite,
covered with wood, one of the group
of 2 isles called Lerins, in whose fort,
once a state prison, the Man in the
Iron Mask long lingered. The dungeon
in which he was confined (1686 to
1698) is still pointed out ; its walls
are 12 ft. thick, and its solitary win¬
dow is guarded by treble iron bars.
The only approach to it was through
the governor’s rooms. In the m idst,
of a small garden is a curious square
building, with a door in each face.
On the lie St. Honorat are remains of a
fortified convent, a church, and a bap¬
tistery, recently reduced to ruin, and
all deserving the attention of the anti¬
quary. On the top of the hill washed
by the sea above Cannes is the Ch. of
Notre Dame d’Esperance, much revered
by sailors. The road to Nice merely
skirts, and does not enter, the town of

11 Antibes (Dm: Poste, not good),
a flourishing little seaport (5976 In-
hab.), finely situated on a promontory
jutting out into the sea, and looking
beautiful at a distance, and command¬
ing views of the Maritime Alps. Here
are portions of 2 square Roman towers.
“ Travellers should stop outside the
gates, and send in for horses ; they
will thus save time, and their carriage
will escape the risk of accidents, in
being twice dragged through the most
odious streets.” — W. M. A pier
thrown out from the shore connects it
with some islets in the bay : it was the
work of Yauban.

It is a delightful ride hence to Nice.
The torrent Var, crossed by a bridge
of wood, divides France from the Sar-

Route 130 .—Nismes to Marseilles.

481

clinian states. It is an unmanageable
stream, rolling enormous masses of
shingle down into the sea, which the
current of the Mediterranean pushes
constantly to the W., grinding them
smaller the further they are carried.

The French custom-house is strict
(see Introduction). N. B. “ The
Douanes on either side of the Yar
open about 8 a.m., and close at 5 in
winter, 6 in summer. The gates on
the Pont du Yar are locked during the
intermediate hours, and are not opened
for travellers.”— L. F. M.

Trains daily in 2 hrs.

24 Nice ( Inns: H. Yictoria. H. des
Etrangers ; excellent — L. F. H. de
France ; capital— L. .4.) is described
in Handbook for North Italy.

ROUTE 130.

NISMES TO MARSEILLES BY BEAUCAIRE
AND ARLES—RAILWAY.

Railway trains 4 times a-day, and 10
or 12 times during the fair of Beau-

caire ; it takes carriages. The journey
to Beaucaire is performed in 35 min. ;
the distance 24 kilom. = 15 m. This
railroad is carried through olive-
grounds and vineyards, and, on ap¬
proaching Beaucaire, is terraced along
the shoulder of a hill overlooking the
muddy Rhone, and the canal leading
to Cette. It passes 1 or 2 small
tunnels and cuttings.

[The post-road, direct from Nismes
to Arles, crosses the Canal de Beau¬
caire and the Rhone, by

17 Bellegarde (about 7 m. S. of this
lies St. Gilles, see p. 450),

15 Arles, and avoiding Beaucaire
altogether.]

24 Beaucaire Stat. {Inn: H. du
Grand Jardin ; tolerable). Here are
no post-horses ; and it is necessary to
cross the Rhone to

15 Tarascon, described in Rte. 125.
A viaduct of 7 arches of cast iron
carries the railroad over the Rhone to
Tarascon Stat.

The railroad hence to Marseilles is
described Rte. 127.

France.

( 482 )

SECTION VIL

DAUPHINE.*

ROUTE PAGE

131 Lyons to Grenoble by Vienne,
or by Bourgoin.—Excursion to

the Grande Chartreuse . . 483

132 Valence on the Rhone to Gre¬
noble and Chambery, through
the Valley of Gresivaudan . 490

134 Grenoble to Marseilles, by

Gap and Sisteron.—Protestant
Valleys of Dauphin€ . .491

135 Grenoble to Marseilles, by

the Croix Haute . . .494

ROUTE PAGE

136 Lyons to Nice, by Grenoble,

Digne, and Grasse . . .495

137 Grenoble to Brianqon, by

Bourg di Oysans and the Col de
Lauteret, and by the Mont
Genevre to Susa . . .496

139 Gap to Brian 9 on, by Embrun.

—Protestant Valleys (conti¬
nued) : Val Queyras, Val d’Ar-
vieux , and Val Fressiniere . 499

INTRODUCTION.—SKETCH OF THE COUNTRY.

This province has been as much neglected by travellers as many other parts of
France, yet its scenery is of first-rate beauty and grandeur. “ I saw nothing
among the Alps,” says Arthur Young, “ that offered such pleasing scenes as
the N. parts of Dauphine.” The valley of the Isere is made up of a series of
beautiful scenes, and the part of it about Grenoble, the deservedly vaunted
Vallee de Gresivaudan, combines with the mountain forms of Switzerland the
luxuriant vegetation and umbrageous foliage which usually characterise the S.
slope of the Alps.

The Grande Chartreuse has been rarely visited by the English since Gray and
Horace Walpole first drew their attention to it, yet the approach to it from St.
Laurent is by a gorge as fine as any in the Alps. Grenoble itself is a striking
city in a very romantic situation. The new carriage-road, begun by Napoleon,
and at length nearly finished, from Grenoble to Brian 9 on, by Bourg d’Oysans
and the Col of the Lauteret, lays open a magnificent Alpine pass.

In addition to all this, however, Dauphine includes, in the block of moun¬
tains which separate the basin of the Romanche from that of the Durance and
the sources of the Drac, the highest mountain in France, Mont Pelvoux, whose
culminating peak, the Pointe des Arcines or des Ecrins, attains an elevation of
13,123 ft. above the sea-level. Yet, though the loftiest summit in the Alpine
chain between Mont Blanc and the Mediterranean, and considerably higher than
Monte Viso, its name rarely appears on maps and in books of geography even
published in France. Among the few persons who have visited it, besides
engineers employed in the vicinity, are M. Elie de Beaumont, and our own
countryman, Prof. Forbes, of Edinburgh, who have examined it geologically.
The scenery around Mont Pelvoux will well repay the trouble of a visit : it is
of a sublime but desolate and savage character. It is best approached from
Bourg d’Oysans, whence a path runs up Val Christophe to Berarde, a desolate

* The name Dauphin (Delphinus, whence Dauphine), borne by the eldest son of the King of
France down to 1830, is of unknown origin, but belonged to the Counts of Vienne, who also car¬
ried a dolphin as their coat of arms, from the 11th or 12th century down to 1349, when Count
Humbert II., the last native Dauphin, made over his title and domains to the eldest son of Philip
of Valois.

483

Dauphine*. Route 131 .—Lyons to Grenoble — Bourgoin.

village at its base, buried by snow 7 months of the year, and hemmed in by
precipices, with the scantiest vegetation around, and beyond it moraines and
the glacier of la Condamine. It is destitute of any accommodation ; indeed,
the traveller who explores the Montagnes d’Oysans must be prepared to rough
it ; the mere tourist is an animal nearly unknown as yet among them. Mont
Pelvoux is surrounded by other lofty peaks, all inclining their heads to him as
in homage to the monarch of the French Alps, but presenting sides nearly pre¬
cipitous, surrounding the desolate valley of Bdrarde as it were with a colossal
circus, 36 miles in circumference, forming an arrangement which has been com¬
pared to the petals of a flower.

The Valleys of the Hautes Alpes, including the Yal Fressiniere to the S. of
Mont Pelvoux, and the Yals Queyras and Pragelas, running E. from Embrun
and Mont Dauphin towards Monte Yiso, although destitute of roads and acces¬
sible only by the pedestrian, will be explored with a double interest, not only
for their noble scenery, but also as the refuge of persecuted Protestants, the
kindred of the Albigenses and Yaudois, and also in recent times as the scene of
the labours of the virtuous pastor Felix Neff.

Source?s ‘ Carte du Haut Dauphine ’ is an indispensable travelling com¬
panion, and is not to be surpassed for accuracy.

Gilly’s ‘ Life of Felix Neff,’ of which there is a pocket edition, will be read
with interest amidst the scenes of his ministry.

ROUTE 131.

LYONS TO GRENOBLE, BY VIENNE, OR BY

BOURGOIN. - EXCURSION TO THE

GRANDE CHARTREUSE.

a. By Yienne 113 kilom. = 70 Eng.
m. Diligences daily in 10 or 11 hrs.
The road is the same as Rte. 125 as
far as

27 Yienne.

15 La Detourbe.

14 Chatonay.

17 La Frette.

13 Rives.

13 Yoreppe, p. 484.

14 Grenoble, p. 488.

b. The route by Bourgoin is shorter
than the preceding by 7 kilom. ; it is
the road to Chambery and Turin as far
as Bourgoin.

4 Diligences go daily ; and 2 or 3 to
Chambery and Turin follow the road
by Bourgoin and Pont de Beauvoisin.

The road quits Lyons by the Pont
Guillotiere, and the long suburb of
that name, emerging between 2 of the
detached forts. It enters the Dept, de
l’lsere before reaching

10 Bron, a solitary post-house.

8 St. Laurent des Mures (? so called
from the mulberry-trees).

11 La Yerpilliere.

12 Bourgoin (Poste, good), a neat
manufacturing town of about 3750
Inhab., whose industry is promoted
by the Bourbre and 2 other small
streams flowing through it. Here are
manufactures of cotton, calico, cloth,
and paper. A considerable trade is
carried on in flour and wool ; and the
prosperity of the place is promoted by
its position at the point where the
roads from Lyons to Chambery and
Grenoble branch off.

The way to Chambery and Turin
runs through

15 La Tour du Pin (Poste ; tole¬
rable), a town of 2484 Inhab.

8 Gaz (no inn). A road runs hence
by Yoirons, a town of 6924 Inhab.,
where great quantities of sailcloth and
other coarse cloths are made, to Vo-
reppe and Grenoble.

10 Pont du Beauvoisin (Poste; fallen
off), a frontier town on the Guier,
which here separates France from Sar¬
dinia. The respective custom-houses
of the two countries are situated at the
two extremities of the bridge over it.

The road runs along up the rt. bank
of the Guier, but high above it, through

Y 2

434 Route 131 .—Lyons to Grenoble — Grt&ivaudan. Sect. VII.

a picturesque and fertile country at
first, and afterwards through the grand
gorge of La Chaille.

15 (2 posts) Les Echelles, a village
situated at the junction of 2 streams,
the Guiers Yif and Mort.

About 8 m. S. of this, up the Guiers
Mort, is St. Laurent du Pont, the p int
from which the Grande Chartreuse is
visited (see below).

A good road leads from Les Eclielles
to Grenoble, through St. Laurent.

Chambery is fully described, together
with the road thither from Pont Beau-
voisin, in the Swiss Handbook.

Road to Grenoble .—The direct road
from Lyons to Grenoble turns off from
the preceding route at

40 Bourgoin.

11 Eclose.

15 La Frette. We here fall into the
road a to Grenoble by Vienne.

The Chateau of La Frette was the
birth-place of the terrible Baron des
Adrets, a sort of French Alva, at whose
name and war-cry “ Beaumont,” squad¬
rons used to turn and fly. At the age
of 60 he led on the Huguenots against
the Romanists, and especially against
the party of the Guises. He died here,
after having become himself a Romanist,
at the age of 80.

La Cote St. Andre, a little to the W.,
is famed for its distilleries of liqueurs.

13 Rives, on a stream called La
Fure.

After surmounting a hill the road
descends at Moirans into the beautiful
valley of the Isere. The portion of it
extending upwards from Voreppe to
Chapareillan is called the Valley of
Gre'sivaudan, and is deservedly cele¬
brated as one of the most productive
and beautiful in France. In its culture
and its different kinds of produce, it is
scarce surpassed by those luxuriant
valleys stretching down into Italy on
the S. side of the Alps. Up to the
point where the mountains rise in bare
precipitous rocks, or are girt with dark
forests, every portion is constantly
subject to tillage, and produces a vast
variety of crops. Besides coni and
clover, hemp, for which the valley is
celebrated, grows often to the height
of 15 feet. Orchards, chestnuts, and

mulberry-trees rise above these; and.
the vine also, very abundant, instead
of being allowed to crawl along the
ground, or being clipped like a currant'
bush, slings its graceful festoons from
tree to tree, or is trained along wooden
trellises. The roads are lined and
shaded with trees, and it is difficult to
see across the valley for the dense
screen of foliage, but it hides the some¬
what arid peaks and ridges from view,
and thus modifies an unpleasing feature.
Industry, abundant irrigation, and ma¬
nure, have brought the whole to the
condition of a luxuriant garden, and a
great portion of the bottom is carpeted
with meadows.

13 Voreppe, a flourishing village
abounding in inns, chiefly resorted to
by waggoners, of which the Petit Paris
seems the best. A tolerably good cross¬
road, practicable for carriages, strikes
off from Voreppe 1ST. to the Grande
Chartreuse and Les Echelles.

The Grande Chartreuse.

“ Per invias rupes, fera per juga,

CLivosque prseruptos, sonantes

Inter aquas, nemorumque noctem.”

Ghay.

“ There are certain scenes that would
awe an atheist into belief without the
help of other argument. I am well
persuaded St. Bruno was a man of no
common genius to choose such a place
for his retirement.”— Gray's Letters.

N.B .—Those who cannot content
themselves with Carthusian fare, viz.
soupe maigre, herbs, and an omelet,
had better take some cold meat and
wine with them on this excursion.

The road from Voreppe to the Grande
Chartreuse runs up a side valley shaded
by walnut-trees, ascending steeply at
first. At a distance of about 6 m.,
where the valley has widened out, the
road from Voiron ( Inn: Poste) and Le
Gas (p. 483) falls in, and 4 m. farther
lies St. Laurent du Pont, a small vil¬
lage, with a poor and not very moderate
inn. Here the traveller bound to the
Chartreuse must turn out of the car¬
riage-road, which continues on to Les
Echelles, and the rest of the way must
be performed on horseback or on foot.
A mule or horse may be hired here for

Dauphine'. Route 131 .—La Grande Chartreuse.

5 frs.; a guide to show the way is un¬
necessary.

St. Laurent lies on the stream called
Guiers Mort, up whose valley our way
lies : it is at first ..hounded by gentle
slopes covered with pasture below, and
above with wood; but it soon contracts
into a wooded gorge, not exceeded for
picturesque grandeur among the Alps.
At Fourvoirie, a little more than a mile
from St. Laurent, near an iron-forge,
now bankrupt and deserted, the moun¬
tains close together; the river, hemmed
in by vertical precipices of vast height,
is spanned by a single-arched bridge,
and gushes forth from between the
smoothed rocks with the swiftness of a
cataract, in one deep sea-green flood.
The jaws of the gorge seem barely rent
asunder sufficiently to allow the stream
to pass. The space cut out for the
road between the torrent and the moun¬
tain precipice is occupied by a gateway,
a pointed arch, faced by a modern and
less picturesque one. It originally
served for defence, and marked the
limit of the domain of the monastery,
or of the “Desert of St. Bruno ” as it
was styled. The bridge, the forge, the
gateway, the river, and the precipices
combine to form a most romantic na¬
tural picture, which will gratify the
artist’s eye, and has often employed the
pencil. Within this grand portal the
sides of the defile, up which the rough
mule-path is carried, are rocks and pre¬
cipices of limestone many hundred feet
high ; but their savageness is subdued
by the dense foliage which lines them,
so that it is a ride through a forest the
whole way. The varied combinations
of rock, tree, and river,—of rocks at a
vast height overhead, inclining over the
tree-tops and the wayfarer,—of the tor¬
rent foaming and rushing in the depths
below, now spanned by a bridge, now
studded by saw-mills,—its constant
roar, as it frets and worms its way,
indicating its presence, even when lost
to view by the bends of the gorge or
the intervention of rocks and trees,—
and the varied forms and tints of the
foliage, especially in autumn,—redeem
the defile from all monotony. The
road, though narrow, must have cost
the monks much, and could only have

485

been executed in a long time, and with
great labour, being cut out of the rock
great part of the way. Since the Re¬
volution, however, which ruined the
monks, it has gone to decay also, and
in places is now barely passable, inter¬
sected by holes in which you might
bury a mule, filled with mud, in which
your animal plunges knee-deep. In
places the torrents from the mountains
have adopted it as their bed; in others
it is no better than a steep staircase of
bare rock. Owing to the badness of
the road, no wheeled cart can pass,
and the timber cut in the surrounding
forests, and sawn into planks in the
mills on the Guiers, is transported
down the valley slung with ropes by
the middle to the sides of mules. The
deals thus nicely poised “ traverse ”
like the needle of a compass, and at
every movement of the animal per¬
form segments of circles sweeping the
road, and all that is upon it. It is by
no means agreeable to meet a train of
beasts so laden, with a precipice on
one side of the narrow path, and a
wall of rock on the other; nor are the
huge sacks of charcoal more pleasant
to encounter, as they at least leave
their marks on the clothes, if they do not
push you down the abyss, as the loaded
animal brushes past. # About half-way
up, the path is carried by a narrow
bridge, destitute of parapet, across the
Guiers to its rt. bank, and after a
very severe ascent it reaches a second
Gateway, jammed in as it were be¬
tween the precipice and a colossal
Obelisk of limestone (pain de sucre),
beyond which, in former times, no
female could pass,—such was the rigid
regulation of St. Bruno. A guard of
soldiers was anciently posted here to
keep the pass. The mountains here
separate, and from the height you look
down upon their sloping sides, covered
with nearly unbroken forest, stretch¬
ing over several minor valleys. The
path, quitting the defile, turns to the
1., still through woods, but slightly
thinned, though the chai'coal-burners
are habitually settled in them. At the
end of a ride of 1| hr. the traveller
reaches

La Grande Chartreuse, the Escurial

486

Route 131 .—La Grande Chartreuse. Sect. VII.

of Dauphin^, seated at a height of
1210 met. (4268 ft.) above the sea,
shrouded in umbrageous woods, with
only small patches of meadow and
little or no level ground about it, being
quite hemmed in by wooded heights.
The position is not grand, but solitary,
desolate, and monotonous, from the
confined prospect. The convent is a
huge unpicturesque pile, having neither
age nor architecture to recommend it,
since, owing to repeated conflagrations,
which destroyed 6 or 8 previous build¬
ings, very little of it is older than the
17th centy. Externally, its tent-like
roofs of slate, higher than the body of
the building which they cover, are its
most conspicuous feature. Various
straggling outhouses surround the main
edifice: one is a cowhouse, another the
infirmary, and one tenement is now
set apart for females, who, though no
longer restricted to the limits of the
gateway, are not permitted to set foot
in the convent itself. Male visitors are
received by one of the fathers, called
le Pere Proeureur, who is absolved
from the obligation of silence, and con¬
ducted along its cold corridors, one of
which is 660 ft. long, and includes
part of a Gothic cloister, perhaps of
the 15th centy., to the burial-ground, a
simple enclosure without tombstones.
The graves of the Generals of the order
alone were formerly marked by stone
crosses, but these were destroyed at
the Revolution. When one of the
monks dies, a cross of lath is set up
over his head; but it soon disappears.
Each father has a small habitation and
garden to himself, in which a crucifix
and a skull invite him to prayer and
the contemplation of death. The cells
are lined with plain deals, and fur¬
nished with bookshelves. No one is
allowed to address a brother without
special permission. The chapel is a
lofty apartment, quite plain, in which
service is performed by night and day.
Strangers are not admitted between the
evening and morning. The chapter-
house has been painted with portraits
of the Generals of the order, of no
great merit, and contains a marble
statue of St. Bruno. The number of
monks (peres) is now reduced to 33,

who are dressed in white cloth, and 18
servitors (freres) clad in brown. By
the rule of the order, the members
were originally prohibited from speak¬
ing except on Sundays and fetes; but
this seems now not to be rigidly en¬
forced. On certain days the monks
walk abroad, and ascend in company to
the chapel of St. Bruno; this they call
“ le Spaciment,” and they afterwards
dine together in the refectory; on other
occasions they eat alone, excepting on
fete-days. Previous to 1789 the monks
were owners of St. Laurent du Pont
and of many other villages : their
tenants were well off, the ground well
tilled, and they gave away much in
charity. They were excellent land¬
lords, managing their estates prudently,
and were just to their tenants. The
convent was stripped of its vast pos¬
sessions at the Revolution, and escaped
being sold only because no purchaser
could be found for it; but the woods
around, forfeited at that time, still be¬
long to the government, and all that re¬
mains to the monks is a garden, with
the right of cutting wood in the forest,
and of pasturage for their cows, of
which they have about 50. They de¬
pend much upon charity, and it is
customary for strangers who visit the
convent to make a small donation to
the alms-box, and, if they remain for
the night, they are charged for board
and lodging. Male visitors are enter¬
tained with the humble fare of the con¬
vent, eggs, fish, and vegetables, and
are lodged in a little cell provided with
a small bed. Strangers are not allowed
to remain beyond 2 days, and few
would be tempted to prolong a sojourn
in so melancholy a residence. The
monks are famed for distilling liqueurs;
the finest quality, VElixir,* is used as a
medicine and cordial.

About 1^ m. higher up the moun¬
tain is the Chopelle de St. Bruno, where
the founder of the order, descended
from an opulent family at Cologne,
established himself, 1084, having re¬
solved to abandon the world. He re¬
tired to this spot, pointed out to him
by Hugues Bishop of Grenoble, as a

* It may be had of Morel, in Piccadilly, of
best quality.

Dauphin e'.

Route 131.— Vale of Gresivaudan.

487

desert qiiite beyond the haunts of man,
and named, from a neighbouring ham¬
let, Cartuse, or Chartreuse, whence
the order derives its name. Bruno
lived in a cave or cleft of the rock,
which is pointed out still higher up,
and left no written rule for his order;
that was compiled 44 years after his
death by Dom Guignes.

At a less elevation than St. Bruno’s
is the chapel of the Virgin.

From Le Grand Som (sommet), the
highest neighbouring cliff or peak,
many hundred ft. above the convent,
marked by a crucifix, an extensive
view may be obtained, including part
of the Lac de Bourget, on the side of
Savoy.

There is only one other outlet from
this upland valley, besides the road to
St. Laurent du Pont. It is a path
leading to the small hamlet of St.
Pierre de Chartreuse, and Sapey, 3310
ft. above the sea-level. It is much
shorter than the other, and Grenoble
may be reached by it in 3 or 4 hrs.
From the summit of the heights, as
you descend towards that city, a
beautiful view is obtained of the Vale
of Gresivaudan.

The foundation of the Grande Char¬
treuse by St. Bruno is attributed, in
the legendary histories of him, to the
effect produced on him, by the appari¬
tion, after death, of a learned doctor
of Paris, who, as the funeral procession
was proceeding to the place of bui'ial,
burst from his coffin, exclaiming, “ I
am accused by the just judgment of
God.” This occurrence sank so deeply
on St. Bruno’s mind, that he, with 6
friends, determined to quit the world
and retire into the wilderness. At
first his only habitation was in the
clefts of the rock, and the spot was
inhabited at that time only by wild
beasts. The first cells w r ere higher
up than the present convent, near the
chapel of St. Bruno. These mere huts
were swept away by an avalanche. The
first convent, on the actual site of the
present one, was built of wood by the
5th prior, Guignes, who died 1137. He
first committed to writing the rules of
the order, one of which runs thus:—
“ Nous ne permettons jamais aux

femmes d’entrer dans notre enceinte ;
car nous savons que ni le sage, ni le
prophete, ni le juge, ni l’hote de Dieu,
ni ses enfans, ni meme le premier
modele sorti de ses mains, n’ont pu
cchapper aux caresses ou aux trom-
peries des femmes. Qu’on se rappelle
Salomon, David, Samson, Loth, et
ceux qui ont pris les femmes qu’ils
avoient choisies, et Adam lui-meme; et
qu’on sache bien que l’homme ne peut
cacher du feu dans son sein sans que
ses vetemens soient embrases, ni mar¬
cher sur des charbons ardents sans se
bruler la plante des pieds.”

Between Voreppe and Grenoble is,
perhaps, the most picturesque portion
of the Vale of Gresivaudan ; the valley
is here bounded by mountains pre¬
cipitous as well as lofty. The road
winds under such a one near the vil¬
lage of La Buisserade, which is parti¬
cularly imposing. Under the dark
woods and heights on the opposite
bank lies Sassenage, and near this the
river Drac pours itself into the Isere.

Little is seen of Grenoble, at a dis¬
tance, in approaching from this side.
A tall mountain buttress, nearly pre¬
cipitous, projects forward to the Isere,
leaving barely space for the road at its
foot, and hides the town from view.
This shoulder of rock has been re¬
cently studded with fortifications, ris¬
ing one above another nearly to the
clouds, 918 ft. above the river. They
took more than 10 years to construct;
the natural strength of the height hav¬
ing been increased by blasting and
scarping the rock with gunpowder.
The position of this fortress, the citadel
of Grenoble, at an angle in the valley
where the Isere makes a bend, and
opposite the opening of the Vale of the
Drac, gives it the command of these
valleys, which would be swept by its
guns. The chief work is the crowning
battery, to defend the place in the
rear, where it is surmounted by the
superior heights of the Mont Rachet.
It is called La Bastille, from an old
feudal castle, a bit of which remains
in the midst of modern works. It is
worth while to ascend the hill of the
Bastille, the Ehrenbreitstein of the

488

Route 131.— Gretiohle.

Sect. VII.

Isere, for the sake of the view. It
embraces the town of Grenoble at your
feet, laid open as on a plan, surrounded
by its stellated ramparts, on a flat and
fertile tongue of land watered by canals,
bounded on one side by the Isere and
by the Drac on the other. The courses
of both rivers may be traced from their
junction upwards; that of the Isere is
very winding, and its valley is ter¬
minated by the snowy mass of Mont
Blanc. In front stretches the straight
road leading to Yizille, and pointing
to the mouth of the valley of the
Romanclie, bounded by mountains of
very picturesque outline.

Permission to enter the fortress must
be obtained from the commandant.

At the foot of the rock, crowned by
the Bastille, stands the narrow suburb
of St. Laurent, wedged in between pre¬
cipices and the river. One side of its
confined street has recently been pulled
down and converted into a cheerful
quay.

St. Laurent occupies the site of the
original Gaulish town, called Cularo,
mentioned in the letters of Plancus to
Cicero: it changed its name, out of
compliment to the Emperor Gratian,
into that of Gratianopolis, whence
Grenoble.

A handsome stone bridge, and a sus¬
pension wire bridge, replacing an old
one of wood, connect this suburb with

14 Grenoble. —Inns; H. des Trois
Dauphins, Rue Montorge; good; civil
people; excellent table d’hote at 3 fr.;
breakfast a-la-fourchette, 2 fr. In this
house Napoleon lodged on his return
from Elba: the room he occupied (No.
10) remains nearly in the same state.—
H. des Ambassadeurs, also good.

Grenoble, formerly capital of Dau-
phin<$, and now of the Dept, de 1’Isere,
is a fortified city of 28,967 Inhab.,
pleasingly situated on the Isere, in a
basin of great fertility and beauty,
surrounded by high mountains, within
which the Romanche and the Drac
unite with the Isere, joining it a little
below Grenoble. The full and rapid
flood of the Is&re, which is here con¬
fined within handsome quays, lined
with fine houses, contributes much to
the beauty of the town. Grenoble has

been much improved and enlarged of
late, and it is proposed to extend it
considerably, and reconstruct the for¬
tifications around it, so as to enclose a
much larger space of ground. It has
scarcely any fine public building: its
churches are not remarkable: the Ca¬
thedral is a heavy mixture of ancient
and modern masonry, having been ra ¬
vaged and almost destroyed in the 16tlx
centy. by the ferocious Baron des
Adrets, who also destroyed, in the ch.
of St. Andrd, the monuments of the
Dauphins. St. Laurent is the oldest
church.

One of the most pleasing features of
the town is its Public Garden, on the 1.
bank of the Isere, shaded with um¬
brageous trees, planted with flowers,
and set out with orange-trees in pots.
It was originally laid out by the Due
de Lesdiguieres, and attached to his
palace, now the Prefecture.

In the midst of the neighbouring
Place St. Andre is a bronze colossal
Statue of Bayard, the “ chevalier sans
peur et sans reproche,” who was born
in the valley of the Isere, and buried
in the neighbouring church of the
Minimes, (?) some say in the cathedral,
where there is an inscription to his
memory. It is meant to represent
him in the moment of death, mortally
wounded, kissing the cross formed by
the hilt of his sword ; but it is thea¬
trical, and unworthy of the hero. It
stands opposite the Palais de Justice,
originally the palace of the Dauphin,
the most interesting old building in
the town, retaining a Gothic oriel, and
other portions in the style of the Re¬
naissance. The Place Grenette is the
largest open space in the town : in it
are the chief cafes and diligence offices.
There are several handsome Fountains ;
observe one on the quai—a Lion crush¬
ing a Snake.

Attached to the College is a Museum-,
in which may be seen some of the old
busts of the Dauphins, removed from
their Palace. Here is a large collection
of paintings, mostly mediocre : the best
seem to be a portrait by Philip de
Champagne of Jean Duvergier de Hau-
ranne, a member of Port-Royal; a Ve¬
netian in Velvet, by Tintoret (?) ; the

Dauphin if.

.Route 131.— Grenoble—En virons .

489

Entry of tlie Emperor Sigismond into
Mantua; a sketch by J. Romano • Pope
Julius II., do. ( ?) ; St. Gregory, with
Prudence and Force, by Rubens (or one
of his school). Here are 2 bronze lions
of Byzantine art, brought from an
abbey at St. Marcellin.

In the cabinet of natural history may
be seen specimens of the minerals of
Dauphin^,—its huge rock crystals, 2
feet long and 1 foot broad, its axinite,
anatase, &c., with silver ore from Al-
lemont, and gold from La Gardette,
both mines near Bourg d’Oysans, no
longer worked : but the collection is
dirty and ill-arranged. Here are stuffed
specimens of the wild animals from the
neighbouring Alps, the bear and wolf.

The library contains some books
brought from the Grande Chartreuse ;
also portraits of some of the celebrities
of Grenoble—Vaueanson the mechani¬
cian, andDolomieu, with busts of Mably
and Condillac.

Diligences daily (4 or 5), to Lyons,
in 10 hours ; to Vienne ; to Valence ;
to Chambery (2) ; to Marseilles, by
Sisteron ; to Gap ; to St. Laurent; to
Bourg d’Oysans.— N.B. The gates of
Grenoble are closed at 11 P.M., and
there is no means of gaining admittance
except an order from the commandant.
Those who are shut out must sleep
where they are, and there is no inn,
outside.

No one should omit to ascend the
fortifications on the rt. bank of the
Isere (p. 487) : the view from them is
one of the finest in Dauphine.

Though Grenoble itself is deficient
in objects- of curiosity, the country
around has great beauty, and many in¬
teresting excursions may be made from
it: the chief of these are,

1. To the Grande Chartreuse (de¬
scribed at p. 484). There are two
ways, either a, by Voreppe and St.
Laurent du Pont,- practicable as far as
that place in carriages, and traversed
by a daily diligence in summer,
by wdiich one can go in the morning
and return in the evening ; or b, by
Sapey, a mule-path, the shorter of the
two, by which the convent may be
reached in 4 hrs. The most interest¬
ing part of the excursion, however, is

the wooded gorge on the other road,
between St. Laurent du Pont and the
convent.

2. To Sassenage, abeautifully situated
village on the opposite side of the Drac,
in the midst of thick woods, and falling
waters, and fine pasturages, producing
an excellent cheese, resembling that of
Roquefort. The distance is about 5 m.;
a one-horse carriage may be hired in
Grenoble to go and return for 5 francs.
It is a pleasant drive. A turning to
the rt. leads out of La Cours, the long
avenue extending from Grenoble to
Vizille, and conducts you to the iron
suspension-bridge over the Drac. The
river is here retained within stout
dykes, originally the work of Lesdi-
gui&res ; the plain is intersected wdth
canals for the sake of irrigation. A
small streamlet, a tributary of the
Furon, which traverses the valley of
Sassenage, bursts out of a hole in the
limestone mountain above the village.
The rock is pierced by several small
caves, rather difficult of access.

3. Chateau Bayard, the birthplace of
the model of French chivalry, is about
27 m. up the valley of the Isere, on
the 1. bank. (See Rte. 132.)

4. Six m. from Grenoble, at the mouth
of the gorge of the Somiant, is the fine
feudal castle Uriage ; and near it mine¬
ral baths, with a large hotel.

5. La Tour St. Venin, on the hill of
Parisot, on the 1. bank of the Drac,
classed among the wonders of Dau-
phind, from a vulgar belief that no
poisonous reptiles can live on it, is a
fine point of view, 4 or 5 m. from Gre¬
noble, commanding the junction of the
valleys of the Isere and Drac. It ap¬
pears to have been a chapel or hermit¬
age, attached to a castle now swept
away, dedicated to St. Verin; and that
a misprint or mispronunciation gave
rise to the present name and to the
vulgar fable.

The staple manufacture of Grenoble
is that of leather gloves: it is the most
considerable in France. They are made
of the skins of kid, the best sorts of
which are obtained from Annonay, of
chamois (beaver), and of lamb. Much
leather also comes from Romans and
Milhau. The gloves are chiefly sew T ed

y 3

490

Haute 132.— Valence to Grenoble.

Sect. YII.

by the hand by women, between 4000
and 5000 being employed in and about
the town in cutting out and sewing.

Grenoble was the first place which
openly received Napoleon on his return
from Elba. After having been joined
at La Mure by the troops sent out
against him (see p. 492), and still nearer
at hand by Labedoyere, he approached
the walls, which were strongly guarded
by troops and cannon. Although the
garrison dared not disobey their com¬
mandant by opening the gates, yet not
a shot was fired on him ; he was per¬
mitted to come up to the gates and
direct against them a howitzer to blow
them open. Once within the walls he
was received both by citizens and sol¬
diers with the utmost enthusiasm, and
borne in triumph, amidst shouts of
“ Vive l’Empereur !” to the Hotel des
Trois Dauphins. The Bourbonist go¬
vernor was obliged to decamp, leaving
him at the head of a force of 7000 men.
Before the Emperor retired to rest the
gates of the Porte de Bonne, which he
had been obliged to burst open, were
unhinged and brought before his win¬
dows by the young men of the town,
instead of the keys, of which they could
not obtain possession to present them
to him.

ROUTE 132.

VALENCE ON THE RHONE TO GRENOBLE

AND CHAMBERY, THROUGH THE VAL¬
LEY OF GRESIVAUDAN.

147 kilom.=92 Eng. m.

Diligence daily in 11 hours.

The ascent of the valley of the Isbre
is a very agreeable journey, the country
being alike remarkable for its beauty
and fertility. The river is spanned by
12 or 15 iron-wire suspension-bridges,
erected for the most part within a few
years. Our road crosses it at Bourg du
P4age, by a stone bridge, connecting
that place with

18 Romans {Inn: Coupe d’Or ?), a
thriving town of 9972 Inhab., in a
picturesque situation, still partly sur¬
rounded by ramparts and flanking
towers, one of which leans consider¬
ably out of the perpendicular. The

ch. of St. Antoine is said to be a curious
Gothic edifice.

At this place the last Dauphin, or
native prince of Dauphine, Humbert
II., having lost his only son, who leaped
from his nurse’s arms out of a window
of the castle of Hazard into the Isere,
and was drowned, signed his abdication,
1349, by which he resigned his domains
to Philippe de Valois, on condition that
they should be an appanage of the heir
to the French crown, and that he should
bear the title of Dauphin.

18 Fauries, in the Dept, de 1’Isbre.

At LaSone, where the Isere is crossed
by a wire bridge, is an old castle, now
turned into a silk-mill, part of the
machinery for which was made by
Vaucanson, who was a native of Dau¬
phine.

14 St. Marcellin. Inn : Petit Paris,
not good. This little town, of about
2700 Inhab., is situated near the Isere.
On the height above it, called Mont
Surjeu, is a fine terrace walk, com¬
manding one of the best views of the
valley.

11 L’Allegrerie,

From the top of the descent to Tul-
lins, commencing at the inn of Morette,
a beautiful view opens out over the
valley of the Isere, and the serpentine
windings of the river, backed by the
chain of Alps, and by the Grand Som,
which surmounts the Grande Chart¬
reuse, in front. The charms of the
landscape, the diversified nature of the
ground, the variety of crops, the num¬
ber and denseness of the trees, and the
luxuriant productiveness of the valley,
one of the very finest and richest in
France, appear to be constantly in¬
creasing as far as

11 Tullins {Inn: La Poste), a town
of 3500 Inhab., only remarkable for its
situation in a spot teeming with fer¬
tility. This is a great market for hemp
grown in the vicinity.

The stream of the Fure, crossed a
little beyond Tullins, is studded with
iron-forges.

At Moirans, a town of 2500 Inhab.,
we enter the high road to Lyons
(Rte. 131), and the valley of Gr^si-
vaudan at

13 Voreppe, which, with the excur-

Dauphine'

Route 132 .'—Valence to Grenoble.

491

sion tlience to the Grande Chartreuse,
and the remainder of the route to

14 Grenoble, is described in Rte.
131.

There are two roads up the valley of
the Isere above Grenoble.

a. On the rt. bank of the river is the
post-road, and the shortest way to
Chamb^ry. It is carried along a sort
of terrace at the roots of the moun¬
tains which rise abruptly towards the
Grande Chartreuse. The bridle-road
thither turns off to the 1. by Sapey
at Montbonot. The lower slopes are
sprinkled with the country seats of the
Grenoblois.

20 Lumbin.

On the opposite side of the Isere rise
the ruins of Chateau Bayard.

A little farther on our road passes
on the rt. Fort Barraux, commanding
it and the passage up and down the
valley ; it was built by Charles Em¬
manuel Duke of Savoy, in the presence
of a French army, commanded by Les-
diguieres. That general, on being re¬
proved by Henri IV. for his inertness
in allowing this to proceed, replied,

( ‘ Your Majesty has need of a fortress
on the side of Savoy, to hold in check
that of Montmeillant ; and since the
duke is willing to undertake the ex¬
pense, we may as well permit it, and
as soon as it is properly furnished v T ith
cannon and provision I undertake to
capture it and he kept his word, sur¬
prising the fort by moonlight, March 13,
1598. It was afterwards strengthened
by Vauban. It commands a charming
view from its elevated position. The
country hereabouts is enchanting.

19 Chapareillan. Here is the French
custom-house.

Hence to Chambery, described in the
Handbook for Switzerland, is 15
kilom.

b. The road on the l. bank of the Isere
is interesting and picturesque, but is
not furnished with post-horses.

At St. Domene there is a w r ire sus¬
pension-bridge over the Isere: others
have been erected at Brignon and La
Gache.

At Tencin, which is about half-way,
the traveller, while his horses rest,
may explore a pretty shady glen, tra¬

versed by a gushing stream, leaping in
a miniature fall down the rocks.

Goncelin. A road strikes off to the
rt. from hence to the iron mines and
works of Allevard, 6 m. distant.

About 27 m. from Grenoble stands

Chateau Bayard ; a foot path leads
up to it from the ch. of Grignan.

Its remains are situated on a height
which commands the road, and a fine
view of the beautiful valley from its
terraces. In the mouldering turrets
and shattered walls there is little
beauty, but as the birth-place of the
“ Chevalier sans peur et sans re-
proche,” they possess great interest.
A gateway with the two flanking
towers is the part best preserved. The
walls of the castle are, in some places,
6 ft. thick. The situation of the room
in which Bayard was born (1476) is
pointed out by those who show the
place, but without authority for what
they state. Nearly opposite, beyond
the Isere, is the modern fort Barraux.
The conspicuous mountain of La Tuille,
remarkable for the contortions of the
strata in its limestone precipices, ap¬
pears to close the valley at its upper
end.

Pontecharra, the frontier town of
France, is about a mile distant. (Inns
very dirty and uncomfortable.) Near
this, Lesdiguieres, marshal of France,
with a force not exceeding 5700, beat
the Savoyard army, 14,000 strong, in
1591.

Before a hired carriage can cross
the frontier it is necessary that the
driver procure from the douaniers a
permit, termed in French caution, in
Savoyard holla or bolletone. It is a
paper containing a description of the
horse and carriage, which enables them
to pass and repass without paying duty.

ROUTE 134.

GRENOBLE TO MARSEILLES, BY GAP AND

SISTERON.—PROTESTANT VALLEYS OF

DAUPIIINE.

282 kilom. =175 Eng. m.

A courier goes daily to Gap in 14-
hours, taking passengers:—also a dili-
gence.

492

Route 134.— Grenoble to Marseilles .

Sect. VII.

This is a very hilly and a little
more circuitous way to Marseilles than
the new road by La Croix Haute.
(Rte. 135.)

The road on quitting Grenoble is
carried within an avenue of trees across
the plain of the Drac, at a short dis¬
tance from its rt. bank, in a straight
line from the Porte de la Graille, as
far as Claix, where there is a fine
bridge of a single arch, built on dry
land by Lesdiguieres, who afterwards
turned the course of the river below
it. Here the new road by Croix Haute
crosses the river, while ours, turning
to the 1. along high dykes, passes near
the junction of the rivers, the Greze
on the L, and the Romanche on the
rt., with the Drac. We here bid adieu
for the present to the Drac, and follow
up its tributary, the Romanche, as
far as

18 Vizille (Inns wretched), an an¬
cient town of 2750 Inhab., on the rt.
bank of the Romanche, carrying on
some manufactures of cotton-spinning,
calico-weaving, &c., chiefly founded
by the Pdrier family, one of whom was
the French minister Casimir Pffifier.

The Chateau, partly destroyed by
fire 1825, was built, between 1611
and 1620, by Lesdiguieres, the Pro¬
testant commander, and governor of
Dauphine under Henri IV., “ ce fin
reynard,” as the Duke of Savoy called
him, who compelled the peasants on
his estate to contribute their unpaid
labour in constructing it, conformably
with the old tax called Corvee. In
1788 the Estates of Dauphine, as¬
sembled by Louis XYI. to appease the
discontent and oiitcries of the people
of the province, met in this building,
and here prepared the bold remon¬
strance against aristocratic privileges,
and in favour of popular representation
by the assembly of the Tiers Etat,
which served as a signal for the Revo¬
lution. This event occurred a year be¬
fore the opening of the States General
at Versailles; Barnave and Mounier
were the leading orators. The actual
building is now a calico and silk¬
printing work, and belongs to the
family P^rier. One apartment is pre¬
served as it was in the time of Lesdi¬

guieres, and a bronze bas-relief of him,
on horseback, still exists.

The route to Brian§on and the Mont
Genevre, across the grand mountains
of Bourg d’Oysans, here turns to the 1.
(Rte. 137.)

The road to Gap crosses the Ro¬
manche beyond Vizille, and proceeds
by a very steep ascent, requiring 2
hours to surmount. The view from
its slope over Vizille and the Ro¬
manche, and over an intervening hilly
ridge to Grenoble and the valley of
the Isere, is very fine.

7 Lafrey.

On the 1. of the road 3 small lakes,
la Motte, I’Aveillan, and Pierre Chatel,
are passed in succession. Napoleon
on his way from Elba, with little more
than 200 men, was encountered, a
little to the S. of Lafrey, by a bat¬
talion despatched by the governor of
Grenoble and drawn up across the
road to intercept his march, between
the hill on one side, and the stream
which runs out of the lake on the
other. Napoleon, on coming in sight
of them, turned off into a meadow on
the rt., and sent forward Bertrand to
parley with the commanding officer
and soldiers opposed to him. The
two parties remained thus an hour in
view of each other, when Napoleon,
advancing to the battalion, opened his
grey riding-coat, and baring his breast,
so as to show the Star of the Legion
of Honour, exclaimed, “ Si quelqu’un
de vous veut tuer son Empereur, qu’il
tire.” They were most of them soldiers
of his own armies, and their com¬
manding officer had served under him
in Egypt. The command given by
their officer to “fire” was unheeded
by them; the ranks were broken, and
the veterans crowded around him;
some, embracing his knees, swore
never to quit him; many burst into
tears, while the air resounded with
the cry of “Vive l’Empereur !” On
his way hence to Grenoble, at the
head of this reinforcement, he was
met by the regiment of Labedoyere,
which at once joined his ranks, their
colonel at their head.

After leaving behind the 3 lakes
some coal-mines are passed on the rt.;

493

Dauphine. Route 134. — La Mure — Champsaur — Gap.

they are worked to a considerable
extent, and produce the species of coal
called anthracite (charbon-h-pierre).

14 La Mure {Inn: Poste, dear), an
industrious town, on the top of a high
hill, visible from afar; it abounds in
mean cabarets and cafes; the chief
occupation of the people is nail-making.
Capital honey here.

A long-continued and very circuitous
descent leads into the valley of the
Drac; the road, however, does not
approach it closely, but skirts the
shattered and deep gorges of its tri¬
butaries until a favourable opportunity
occurs for crossing them. It is a hilly
stage to

11 Souchons. The mountains of
the district are mostly of the Jura
limestone formation, and are readily
disintegrated by the washing of the
rivers and by the weather. One very
conspicuous conical summit rising on
the W. is called the Mont Aiguille, or
Mont Inaccessible, and was regarded
as one of the wonders of Dauphin^.
It is 6562 ft. above the sea-level.
Another mountain, still higher, called
L’Obieux, rises above

14 Corps; no good inns.

On the opposite (1.) bank of the
Drac are the shapeless and uninterest¬
ing ruins of the Chateau Lesdiguieres,
built by the Constable as a resting-
place after death, for he never inha¬
bited it living. His body, transferred
hither from Italy, was torn up at the
Revolution, and his monument re¬
moved to Gap.

We enter the Dept, des Hautes
Alpes and cross the Drac, before
reaching the relay of

14 Guinguette de Boyer.

St. Bonnet, on the rt. bank of the
Drac, was the birthplace of Lesdi-
gui&res.

The upper part of the valley of the
Drac, which we now leave on the 1.,
is called Champsaur (campus aureus);
it is fertile and picturesque, and a
large portion of its inhabitants are
Protestants. They formed part of the
Hock of Felix Neff, who often resided
at St. Laurent. This valley com¬
municates at its upper extremity, by
the difficult pass of the Col d’ Orcieres,

with the village of Dormilleuse, and
the sterile and dreary Val Fressiniere
(Rte. 139).

10 Brutinel. In this stage the high
chain which separates the vale of the
Drac from that in which Gap is situated
is crossed by a long and tedious ascent,
requiring 2 hours to surmount.

13 Gap. Inns: H. du Nord;—de
Provence; only tolerable. This little
mountain capital, the chef-lieu of the
Ddpt. des Hautes Alpes, with 7854
Inhab., need scarcely detain the tra¬
veller, since it possesses no objects of
curiosity, but is pleasingly situated,
approached by avenues of walnuts,
and surrounded by slopes on which
the vine still flourishes, although the
height above the sea amounts to 2424
ft. In the Prefecture, a modern build¬
ing, is deposited the monument of the
Due de Lesdiguieres, Frangois de
Bonne, who, after having been the
successful leader and defender of the
Protestants in Dauphine, abjured his
faith for the rank of Constable of
France, imitating, in his apostacy, the
example of his master Henri IY. The
monument was originally erected over
his grave, in his own castle on the
Drac, the spot chosen by himself, but
was torn thence by revolutionary
spoilers. It is of little merit as a
work of sculpture, and consists of a
white marble effigy, stiffly reclining
on his side, in armour.

Gap was the ancient Vapincum: it
was burnt 1692, by Victor Amedeus
of Savoy. Here is an experimental
Horticultural Garden.

William Farel, the Reformer, was
born in the hamlet of Tareau, just
outside of Gap: his first sermon was
preached in the mill of Buree, but his
followers soon drove out the Roman
Catholics from Gap, and he took pos¬
session of the pulpit of St. Colomb.

The road from Gap to Briangon is
given in Rte. 139. That to Marseilles
descends a tributary valley of the
Durance, and reaches the borders of
that turbulent river at

17 La Saulce: passing previously, a
little on the 1., the ruined castle of
Tallard, once the property of the
family d’Auriac, now of that of Be-

494

Route 135. — Grenoble to Marseilles .

Seel. VII.

ranger: the ruins are extensive and
picturesque.

16 Rourebeau.

The considerable river Buech is
crossed before entering

14 Sisteron {Inn: H. Wagram, tole¬
rable). This antiquated fortress, which
once commanded the passage from
Dauphine into Provence, is composed
of narrow dirty streets, cooped up
within useless ramparts. It is built
at the foot of a perpendicular rock,
which is surmounted by a citadelle,
once the prison of Casimir, brother of
Ladislaus VII. of Poland; but so many
attempts were made by his friends for
his rescue that he was removed to
Vincennes. The works now in pro¬
gress to strengthen it will, it is said,
render it impregnable. There is a
curious ancient Cathedral here; and
fine remains of a monastery, now
turned to lay purposes. Sisteron has
a picturesque exterior, and its position
in a sort of defile of the Durance, here
hemmed in by cliffs, is well worthy of
the pencil of the artist.

Here the roads to Grenoble by La
Croix Haute (Rte. 135), and to Nice
by Digne (Rte. 136), diverge from our
route.

23 Peyruis.

12 Briliane. The Durance, through¬
out the greater part of its course, is
nothing better than a large devastating
torrent, at no time a picturesque ob¬
ject, and in summer so far diminished
as to be incapable of covering its bed,
so that, though its volume is always
considerable, its shrunken rivulets of
water seem nearly lost amidst beds of
gravel and rolled stones, so broad as
in places to appear like a dried lake
bed.

15 Manosque ( Inns: Poste ; fair.
Petit Versailles) is a flourishing little
town, with double the population of
Digne, the chef-lieu of the Dept, des
Basses Alpes. The olive is cultivated
to a considerable extent in its vicinity.

20 Mirabeau. About 4 rn. from the
post-house, on a height, is the ruined
Chateau of the family of the celebrated
leader and orator of the French Revo¬
lution. He frequently resided here in
his early years, but was not born here.

It is flanked by 4 round towers ; and
a group of poor houses form a hamlet
about its base.

We are now within the limits of
scorched and dreary Provence (Sect.
VI.). About a mile from the post-
house the Durance, hemmed in be¬
tween high cliffs, is spanned by a sus¬
pension bridge, by which the road is
transferred to its 1. bank, and is carried
along it partly on terraces.

11 Peyrolles.

The road begins to ascend near Mey-
rargues ; and a little beyond the vil¬
lage, which is surmounted by a stately
castle, the remains of an ancient aque¬
duct of brick, designed by the Romans,
it is said, to convey the water of the
Durance to Aix, are passed. From the
top of the hill which succeeds, the eye
wanders for many miles down the vale
of the Durance, traversed by two more
suspension bridges in this part of its
course.

The new and wonderful Canal which
is to supply Marseilles with water
commences on the Durance, near the
suspension bridge of Pertuis. (See Rte.
129.)

A considerable tract of well-culti¬
vated table-land is traversed, com¬
manding a view of Mont St. Victoire
on the E. (see p. 479), before descend¬
ing the long hill which leads into

21 Aix,

29 Marseilles

SS,} 1

in Rte. 128.

ROUTE 135.

GRENOBLE TO MARSEILLES, BY THE
CROIX HAUTE.

277 kilom. =172 Eng. m.

This road was opened 1841, and is
excellent. The diligences now follow
it, having abandoned the old road. As
there are many precipices, and few
parapet-walls, the journey was at first
attended with danger. No one should
attempt this road without being pre¬
pared to rough it. It is v T ell to engage
post-horses to be in readiness at a fixed
time beforehand.

There is no inn fit to sleep in before
reaching Sisteron.

Daupiiine.

Route 136 .—Lyons to Nice.

495

The relays, after crossing the plain
of the Drac, below Yizille (Rte. 134),
are

16 Vif.

18 Monestier de Clermont.

The country near Grenoble is very
beautiful; woods of walnut and chest¬
nut abound ; in the distance snowy
peaks appear.

17 Clelles.

14 Lalley. The mountains assume
a very wild and desolate appearance,
and there is scarcely any vegetation,
on approaching

11 Lus la Croix Haute.

14 La Faurie.

8 Aspres les Veynes.

15 Serres.

16 Larogne. No inn, but a wretched
cabaret.

17 Sisteron (Inn; see Rte. 134).

131 Marseilles. (Rte. 127 and

134.)

N. B. Additional information re¬
specting this road and its inns is re¬
quested by the Editor.

ROUTE 136.

LYONS TO NICE, BY GRENOBLE, DIGNE,
AND GRASSE.

This is the shortest route from
Lyons to Nice ; but a considerable
portion of the road is very hilly ; and
it is by no means the most comfort¬
able as regards accommodation. It is,
however, a fine road, well engineered,
and passes through mountain scenery
on the grandest scale. The distance
between Digne and Grasse is furnished
with post-horses. Diligence (very ill-
managed) from Grenoble to Digne,
stopping at Sisteron 5 hrs. and at Gap
3, in the middle of the night ! From
Lyons to Grenoble (see Rte. 131).
Thence to Sisteron (see Rte. 134).
The road is carried hence along the 1.
bank of the Durance, and then along¬
side one of its tributaries, the Bleone,
which overspreads the valley with
debris, to

20 Malijay.

Digne ( Inns; Petit Paris ; Bras

d’Or), a town of 3000 Inhab., of nar¬
row, steep, and dirty streets, and mean
houses, stands in the midst of a culti¬
vated oasis of this desert, through
which the torrent passes, restrained
within dykes. It is chef-lieu of the
Dept, des Basses Alpes, and its chief
building is the Prefecture, once
the Bishop’s Palace, a very ordinary
building.

The ancient Cathedral exists only in
a scanty ruined fragment on the road
to Barcelonnette, and is very curious.

Pliny mentions the town under the
name Dina.

About l.j m. off are Warm Baths,
supplied by thermal springs, recom¬
mended in cases of rheumatism. The
accommodation is very simple.

The philosopher Pierre Gassend, or
Gassendi, was born at the neighbouring
village, Champtercier, of poor parents.

1592.

29 Barreme (Inn: H. du Midi).
1750 Inhab.

25 Castellane (Inn: H. du Levant ;
dirty and dear), a small town of 2100
Inhab., at the foot of an escarped rock,
on the Verdon, surrounded by preci¬
pices, and in the midst of scenes of
the highest grandeur. The road hence
commands magnificent views over the
coast of the Mediterranean — Nice,
Antibes, lie Ste. Marguerite, and Sar¬
dinia.

24 Logis-du-Pin.

22 Nans.

18 Grasse, 10 m. N. of Cannes
(12,888 Inhab.), has a comfortable Inn,
Poste, very good ; best between Nice
and Grenoble. Grasse has, after Paris,
the most extensive manufacture of
perfumery in France, made from the
flowers, roses, &c., which flourish in
its neighbourhood, favoured by the
mild climate. Some of the nursery -
garclens near Cannes produce annually
200,000 frs.-worth of flowers of orange,
lemon, heliotrope, hyacinth, which are
sent to Grasse to supply its distilleries.
The views of the Alps from its Public
Walks are very striking ; so is that
from the high road to

24 Nice. f Rte '

129.

496 JR. 137.— Grenoble to Brians on—La Berarde. Sect. VII.

ROUTE 137.

GRENOBLE TO BRIAN9ON, BY BOURG

D’OYSANS AND THE COL DE LAUTE-

RET, AND BY THE MONT GENEVRE TO

SUSA.-EXCURSION UP THE VAL ST.

CHRISTOPHE.

To Brian^on is about 50 Eng. m.

This magnificent carriage-road,begun
by Napoieon in 1804, has been many
years in progress, under the direction
of the meritorious engineer of Mont
Cenis, M. Dausse, but, owing to the
extent and difficulty of the works to
be executed, it was not completed
until 1851. Between Brianyon and
Grenoble diligences run daily; and it
is practicable for the whole distance,
with a light carriage, when the ground
is clear of snow. The accommodation
on the way, as yet, is bad. “ It
abounds with some of the finest scenes
in the Alps.”

As far as Vizille the road is the
same as Rte. 134, but, instead of
crossing the Romanche, it adheres to
its rt. bank, and enters a narrow and
finely-wooded glen, threaded by the
river for many miles, called Combe de
Gavet.

In 1081, a landslip, or fall of a
mountain, washed down by the fury
of the torrents, formed such an accu¬
mulation of earth at the upper end of
this defile as to dam up the river Ro¬
manche until it formed a lake, which
covered the entire plain of Bourg
d’Oysans, and rose to a height of 60 or
80 ft. It lasted for two centuries
until 1229, when the dyke burst, and
the emancipated flood swept all before
it, cultivated lands and villages, as far
as the city of Grenoble, part of which
it also destroyed.

At the upper end of the combe,
where the valley opens out, the river
Olle flows into the Romanche from the
N. ; a few miles up it are the iron
foundries of Allemont and the silver-
mine of Chalanche. At the head of
the valley of Allemont are the Sept
Laux, 7 small lakes, one of the “won¬
ders ” of Dauphine, abounding in
trout. By the Sept Laux a passage

may be effected to Allevard in the
valley of the Isere (Rte. 132).

Bourg d’Oysans, 7^ leagues ( Inns :
very bad : Poste, civil ; —Chez Manuel
■—? Etoile), a town of 3052 Inhab., pos¬
sessing a manufacture of cotton.

[“An interesting excursion maybe
made from Bourg d’Oysans to La Be¬
rarde, in the upper part of the valley
of St. Christoplie, between 7 and 8
hours’ walk from the Bourg. The
only Inn on the whole route is at the
finely situated village of Venos, 12
hrs. from Bourg d’Oysans, where there
are tolerable quarters, but the traveller
must carry his own provisions thither.
St. Christoplie is 2 hrs. above Venos,
and La Berarde lies at the foot of
Mont Pelvoux, the highest mountain
in France, or in the S. Alps, its loftiest
summit—the Point d’Arcines or des
Ecrins—being 13,123 ft. above the sea-
level. The scenery of the whole
valley, and especially at and above La
Berarde, may vie in grandeur with any
in the Alps. The valley is less known
than Chamouni was before the time of
Wyndham and Pocock; but a day de¬
voted to visiting it from Bourg d’Oy¬
sans will always be remembered with
gratification by the lover of sublime
scenery.”]

A char might be hired at Bourg
d’Oysans to cross the Lauteret to Bri-
angon for 18 or 20 fr., in 12 or 14 hrs.
About 3 rn. above Bourg d’Oysans the
plain terminates, and the Veneon,
coming from the 1., pours itself into
the Romanche. Between these 2
streams rises the snowy Mont de Lens.
The road is carried along a tremendous
gorge called Les Infernets, on the N.
side of this mountain, through which
the Romanche forces its way, by ter¬
races and tunnels cut out of the solid
rocks. Two very long tunnels have
thus been formed for the passage of
the road. The first of these, more
than 234 yards long, and very wide
and high, is one of the finest works of
the kind in the Alps.

The gorge of Infernets is succeeded
by a sterile upland valley, strewn with
rocks. A little above this, on the 1.,
is a fine waterfall, called Le Saut de la
Pucelle. The road is completed, and

Dauphine". Route 137.— Grenoble to Briangon — Briangon. 497

fit for carriages, with the exception of
some cuttings near the mouth of Les
Internets, as far as Le Dauphin (4
leagues), in a bare and dreary situa¬
tion, with scarce a habitation around.

Between Le Dauphin and La Grave
a stupendous gorge is traversed by
the Romanche, remarkable for the
extraordinary grandeur and utter
nakedness of the precipices of gneiss
which form its sides. It is called La
Combe de Malval. These precipices
are the escarpments of vast moun¬
tains covered over with eternal snow
and glaciers, which terminate at the
edge of the cliff overhanging the
combe; and numerous streams de¬
scend from them in falls across the road.

At the end of the gorge de Malval
the road ceases, or was not made
passable for carriages in 1849. The
passengers by the diligence walk from
the one to the other (l^ hour),
where a fresh vehicle takes them on.
The view of Mont Lens and its gla¬
ciers is very striking.

We pass from the Dept, d’lsere
into that of the Hautes Alpes, about
a mile before reaching the miserable
village of La Grave, grandly situated
on a projecting rock, backed on the
S. by vast snowy heights. There is
a small and tolerably clean cabaret at
La Grave. The church is worth
looking at, and the view from it is
splendid. A long day’s walk leads
hence over the Col des Infernets, a
wild and high but not difficult pass,
to St. Jean Maurienne.

There is a grand scene a little short
of Yillars d’Arene, where the road is
carried through a dark and deep de¬
file, overhung by the precipices above,
while the Romanche dashes down in
a fine fall into the depths below.

Villars d’Arene (4 leagues), another
wretched village, is situated at the
foot of the pass of the Lauteret, which
the route now ascends, leaving on the
rt. the Romanche, whose source is in
an upland valley to the S., at the foot
of the snowy Mont Pelvoux.

The Col of the Lauteret, which se¬
parates the waters of the Romanche
from those of the Guisanne, is 6869
ft. above the sea-level, about 500 ft.

higher than the Mont Genevre. Its
summit is covered with some of the
most beautiful pasturages in the Alps.
Near the crest of the Col, which is
not more than 50 yards broad, is an
ancient

Hospice (2 leagues), founded by
Humbert II., Count of Dauphint*.
The view from the summit is fine:
the Montagne d’Oursine (13,123 ft.
high) is a grand object on the S.W.;
from the glacier at its base rises the
Guisanne, while in that of Tabouchet,
to the S., is one of the sources of the
Romanche. The Mont Pelvoux from
this point appears lower, because more
distant.

A steep descent leads down the
valley of the Guisanne by Le Lauzet
and Le Casset, near the glacier of
Lusciale, to

Monestier (4 leagues), a town of
2500 Inhab., with several indifferent
Inns, 12 m. from Briangon, having
in its neighbourhood hot sulphureous
springs, used for baths, and so abun¬
dant, that within a short distance
of the source they serve to turn a
mill. The valley around, and from
hence to Briangon, is fertile, well
cultivated, and studded with nume¬
rous villages; the upper slopes clothed
with fir woods, while the view of the
course of the Guisanne, backed in the
distance by Briangon, and its extraor¬
dinary group of forts, piled one over
the other, forms a magnificent scene.

From Monestier to Briangon (15
kilom.) the road is completed. This
part of the valley is remarkable for
its populousness, there being not less
than 22 villages between the foot of
the Lauteret and

15 Briangon. Lnn: H. de la Paix,
not clean; but great civility and toler¬
able cuisine.

Briangon, a first-class fortress of
great strength, a sort of Alpine ‘Gib¬
raltar, commanding the passage from
Italy into France by the Mont Ge¬
nevre, is a most picturesque and im¬
posing object at a distance. It stands
at the meeting of 3 valleys, at the foot
of an isolated and escarped rock,
whose summit is crowned by the Fort
du Chateau, so named from an old

498

Route 137.— Briangon.

Sect. VII.

castle, now demolished. Many of the
streets of the town are so highly in¬
clined that they are impassable for
vehicles, and the carriage-road makes
a circuit, and enters it by a series of
zigzags. All the heights around are
converted into points of defence; fort
rises over fort up to the very clouds,
which frequently shroud from view
the upper works. Where the position
is not inaccessible through natural
precipices, it has been rendered so by
artificial escarpments. The rivers
Guisanne and Claire'e, which unite
beneath the walls of the town with
the infant Durance, run in deep gul¬
lies, whose sides are precipices, form¬
ing as it were natural ditches to the
fortress. The principal works are on
the 1., or E., bank of the Clairee,
whose deep and savage gorge is crossed
by a bridge of a single bold arch, 130
ft. span, and 168 ft. above the water,
constructed 1734. An excellent road
leads, in zigzags, up the abrupt
heights from this bridge to the differ¬
ent forts, which communicate with
each other by subterraneous ways.
The largest fort is called Les Trots
Tetes, because it occupies a triple¬
headed crag; on a level with it i3
Fort Dauphin ; 330 ft. higher, towards
the Durance, is Fort Randouillet,
whose batteries are partly excavated
in the rock ; nearly 2000 ft. above
this is the Donjon ; and finally the Point
da Jour, commanding all the other
defences. The different points, or
mamelons of rock on which these forts
are built, all belong to the Mont Tnfer-
net, whose summit still supports the
ruins of a fort built in 1814, at a
height of 9350 ft. above the sea-level.
From its crest the Mont Pelvoux is a
magnificent object, and the valley Des
Pres or De Neuvache, down which
pours the Clairee, and that leading up
to the Mont Genevre, are well seen.
Permission to visit the forts may be
obtained from the commandant in the
town. If the weather be clear, it is
worth while to ascend to Randouillet,
on account of the view up the beauti¬
ful valley of Guisanne, studded with
villages, and towards the Col de Lau-
teret (p. 497), otherwise the traveller

may content himself with seeing the
Fort clu Chateau. The fortifications
of Briangon have been greatly strength¬
ened of late, and the improvements
are not yet completed.

In the town itself there is nothing
to see. The Port d’Embrun bore
this inscription: ‘ ‘ Aux braves Brian-
gonnois, pour la conservation de cette
ville, Louis-Pliilippe reconnaissant
alluding to the refusal of the inhabit¬
ants, in spite of the orders of the
prefet, to deliver up the town, though
defended by a weak garrison, to the
allies in 1815. The name of L. P. was
erased in 1848.

Briangon has 3455 Inhab.; it stands
at an elevation of 4285 ft. above the
sea-level, and may be said to endure 7
months of winter. It was until 1848-
51 cut off, in a manner, from the rest
of the world, being accesible by only
one carriage-road from the side of
Gap. The Sardinian government has
at length rendered the Mont Genevre
practicable for 4-wheeled carriages.
The cai’riage-road, direct from Gre¬
noble over the Lauteret, many years
in progress, has been finished, and is
practicable in light char.

It takes 12 or 14 hours to reach
Bourg d’Oysans by this route. A
diligence goes daily to Embrun and
Gap. (Rte. 139.)

The Pass of the Mont Genevre
leads from Briangon to Susa, a day’s
journey, 15 hours, traversed 3 times
a week by a diligence. The road
leaves the Val des Pres on the 1.,
traversing thick forests of fir, and
at the end of about 2 leagues of as¬
cent, by zigzags, reaches the summit
of the pass at Bourg Mont Genevre,
a hamlet on a plain, 6476 ft. above
the sea-level, on which barley ripens.
From this plain, at a short distance
from each other, rise the Doira, which
flows through the Po into the Adriatic,
and the Durance; hence the verses

“Adieu ma soeur la Durance,

Nous nous separons sur ce mont;

Tu vas ravager la Provence,

Moi feconder le Piedmont.”

An obelisk erected on the summit
commemorates the construction of this
road, under Napoleon.

Dauphine'. Route 139.— Gap to Brian^on — Embrun.

499

This pass was crossed in 1494 by
Charles VIII. of France with the
army with which he invaded Italy,
dragging with him several hundred
pieces of artillery.

The descent into Piedmont lies
through

Cesanne 2 leagues.

Oulx 2 ,,

Salabertrand 2 ,,

Fort Exiles 1 ,,

Susa (22 m. from Cesanne) described
in the Handbooks for Switzerland
and FT. Italy.

ROUTE 139.

GAP TO BRIAN9ON, BY EMBRUN, AND

EXCURSON INTO THE VAL DE QUEY-

RAS, VAL D’ARVIEUX, AND VAL FRES-

SINIERE.

91 kilom.— 56 Eng. m. to Brian^on.
A diligence (very slow) daily.

The valley above Gap is stony and
dreary.

17 Chorges appears to have pre¬
served traces of the name of the an¬
cient inhabitants of this district, the
“ Caturigae.”

After crossing a high ridge the road
descends in a gradual sweep into the
valley of the Durance, which it reaches
at the foot of a precipitous mountain.
The valley hereabouts is a scene of un¬
mitigated desolation: the turbulent
river rolls along a furious flood of
dirty water, undermining the loose
shaly rocks (? Jura limestone) com¬
posing its sides, strewing the bottom
with rubbish, and constantly forcing
its banks. The road is frequently
swept away by inundations, and for
some distance is carried along tem¬
porary causeways. The Durance is
crossed by a wooden bridge at

14 Savines, and again before reach¬
ing

10 Embrun. Inn: the best is in¬
different. Embrun (anciently Ebro-
dunum), an old-fashioned fortress, sur¬
rounded by looplioled ramparts, over¬
looks the valley from the top of a
singular platform or table of pudding-
stone rock, escarped on the side facing

the river, and separated by a ditch
from the mountain behind it. The
Cathedral has a fine lofty Romanesque
tower ornamented with circular arches,
and a N. portal, whose round mould¬
ings rest on pillars of the red marble
of the country, the two outer ones
being supported on rudely-carved lions.
The W. end is chequered with slabs of
yellow limestone and black shale. It
has a tolerable wheel window, filled
with stained glass. The interior is not
otherwise remarkable: the roof is
Pointed. Against the N. door is
nailed a horseshoe, said to have been
thrown by the horse of Lesdiguieres,
the Protestant leader, which is reported
to have stumbled and thrown its
master in the porch as he was spurring
on his steed to enter the church, and
thus saved it from desecration. Such
is the Romanist legend. The image
of Notre Dame d’Embrun was held
in great reverence by Louis XI., who,
as dauphin, resided long in Dauphine.
(See ‘Quentin Durward.’)

Beside the cathedral stands the
building formerly the archbishop’s
palace, now a barrack; and near it
rises a curious tower of ancient ma¬
sonry called Tour Brune.

The first church at Embrun is said
to have been built by Constantine the
Great. The line of its archbishops is
traced back, uninterruptedly, to his
time: they were made princes, and
endowed with the sovereignty of a
large part of Dauphine, by the Em¬
peror Conrad II. A portion of their
archives, captured with the town by
Lesdiguieres in 1585, are now in the
public library of Cambridge.

Embrun is a poor town of narrow
dirtv streets ; the view from its ram-
parts is striking, but the mountains
around are bare in the extreme.

Little occurs worthy of remark in
pursuing the course of the Durance
upwards, until, after crossing the
river to its 1. bank, we approach the
very picturesque and strong fortress
of Mont Dauphin, the key of the pass
into Italy, standing conspicuous on
an elevated platform of rock, appear¬
ing to close the mouth of the lateral
valley of the Guil, which here enters

500

Route 139 .—Protestant Valleys.

Sect. YII.

the Durance from the N.E. It was
fortified by Vauban, who constructed
its bastions of the rough pink marble
of Eygliers, a neighbouring village,
and completely commands the 2 val¬
leys—presenting escarped precipices
on either side, so as to be almost im¬
pregnable. Our road is carried under
the base of the rock of pudding-stone,
crowned by the fortress, 500 or 600 ft.
above the river, and near it is the
post-house,

16 Plan de Phazy.

[The river Gull rises at the base of
the Monte Viso, on the Piedmontese
frontier : its valley, called Val de
Queyras, consists chiefly of a series
of narrow defiles, through which the
river seems to have forced its passage.
About Itj m. up, on its 1. bank, is
Guillestre, which was one of the sta¬
tions for English prisoners during the
war. Above this the valley is rent
by an extraordinary fissure, called
Gorge de Ghapelue, bounded by pre¬
cipices from 700 to 800 ft. high, de¬
scribed by Brockedon as “ one of the
finest in the Alps” Nearly 2 hours
are required to traverse it. In places
the rocks almost meet overhead, and
the road crosses the depths, in which
the Guil flows far below, from side
to side, as the rocks present a shelf
for its passage ; but at times they are
so completely precipitous that it is
necessary to ascend the heights, and
go over their summits. At the upper
end of the defile, about 4 hours’ walk
from Mont Dauphin, is the castle of
Queyras, an ancient feudal stronghold
of the seigneurs of Chateau-Ville-
Vieille, perched on the top of a mon¬
strous rock, which seems to have been
detached from the neighbouring peak
in order to guard the passage. It is
now converted into a military post,
and is occupied by a company of in¬
fantry. A tolerable inn here, chez
Bosi.

Two passes, the Col des Hayes and
Col d’Isoard, lead N. over the moun¬
tains to Brian£on.

In the remote valleys around Quey¬
ras the Protestants are very numer¬
ous, especially in the Val d’ Arvieux,
reached by a rough road branching

off on the 1. about 1^ m. below Chateau
Queyras ; as well as in the Commune
of Mobiles, and its hamlets, St. Veran,
Pierre Grosse, and Fousillarde. They
have churches at Arvieux, St. Veran,
and Fousillarde, in all of which service
is performed once in 3 weeks by a
minister who resides for a week in
each parish alternately.

Felix Neff’s residence was at La
Chalp, in the Val d’Arvieux, above
the village of that name ; a foot path
runs thence over the mountains to
Brian^on. St. Veran, where he had
also a small Procestant flock, is situ¬
ated in another valley, 8 or 10 m. to
the S. of Chateau Queyras, on the
very verge of vegetation : it is the
loftiest human habitation in France,
6692 ft. above the sea-level, and the
nearest towards the snowy summits
of the Viso. Neff said of it that it
was “ the highest and consequently
the most pious village in the Val
Queyras.”

About 2 m. above Queyras is Abries,
where the Guil bends to the S.E. to¬
wards the Monte Viso, whose unsealed
peak forms a striking object amidst
the wild and savage scenery of this
upland valley, here contracted and
strewn with rocks. It is very grand,
and well worth exploring, not only on
its own account, but because through
the two passes issuing out over the
mountains at its head most interesting
excursions may be made into Pied¬
mont.

a. The Col de la Croix leads from
the village Ristolas and Monta (French
custom-house) to the Protestant valleys
of the Vaudois, and their capital La
Tour.

b. The Col de Viso conducts from
La Chalp, a hamlet 1^- m. above
Monta, along the rt. bank of the Guil,
by a path only practicable on foot, in
5 hours, from Abries to the summit of
the pass, 10,150 ft. above the sea-
level, whence the view over the valley
of the Po and plains of Piedmont, com¬
prising an horizon of 100 m., “is one
of the most magnificent in the world.”
— B. The traveller may enter Italy
by the Col de Viso, and return by La
Tour and Col de la Croix. The routes

Dauphin^, Houle 139,— Protestant Valleys — Dormilleuse. 501

are described in the Handbook for
Switzerland.]

From Mont Dauphin to Brian^on
the road constantly follows the course
of the Durance, sometimes on a level
with it, at others at an elevation of
many hundred feet above it. The
river runs for a long distance at the
bottom of a deep gash, whose sides,
rarely susceptible of cultivation, slope
at a very high angle.

[About 6 m. above Mont Dauphin,
near the village of La Roche, prettily
situated beside a small lake, a long
timber bridge crosses the Durance, and
an abrupt shepherd’s path, scaling the
mountain, leads up into the Val Fres-
siniere, the poor Alpine valley once
blessed by the ministering care of
Felix Neff, and which now serves as
his last resting-place. “ The path
creeps up the mountain in an oblique
direction, and then over some rugged
ground leads to a defile through which
a torrent rushes, bordered on each side
by groups of cottages, crossed by an
Alpine bridge, below which is a cas¬
cade. This hamlet is Palons, and the
torrent, called the Rimasse, is the
guide which conducts to the Val Fres-
siniere. There is no mistaking the
way. The villages passed are Fres-
siniere, whence the valley is named (1
league), in a lovely fertile vale, pro¬
ducing grain of several kinds and fruit-
trees : Violins (1 league) ; here is a
Protestant church, built by Neff, to
which a tower has lately been added :
Minsas (2 m.). Then comes the toil¬
some, rough, and clambering path,
through a country perfectly savage
and appalling, to Dormilleuse (3 m.,
or 5 leagues from La Roche), a miser¬
able village at the very foot of the
glaciers, constructed like an eagle’s
nest upon the side of a mountain, the
most repulsive, perhaps, of all the
habitable spots of Europe. Nature is
here stern and terrible, offering no¬
thing to repay the traveller but the
satisfaction of planting his foot on the
rock which has been hallowed as the
asylum of Christians of whom the
world was not worthy. It consists of
a few poor detached huts, from which

fresh air, comfort, and cleanliness are
all banished ; some without chimneys
or glazed windows, others consisting of
a mere miserable kitchen and stable,
seldom cleaned out more than once a
year, where the inhabitants spend the
greater part of the winter along with
their cattle, for the sake of the warmth.
Their few sterile fields hang over pre¬
cipices, and are partly covered with
blocks of granite. In some seasons
even rye will not ripen. Many of the
pasturages are inaccessible to cattle,
and scarcely safe for sheep. Yet in
this gloomy spot did the virtuous Pro¬
testant pastor, Felix Neff, sit himself
down, because his services seemed
here to be most required, where he
had everything to teach, even to the
planting of a potato.”— Gilly’s Memoir
of Neff.

A mountain pass leads over the
Col (T Orciere, at the head of the Val
Fressiniere, into the valley of Champ-
saur, traversed bv the Drac. (Rte.
134.)

Near Palons are several caves in the
rocks, which served the inhabitants in
time of persecution as places of refuge
and of worship : one of them is called
Glesia (L’Eglise).]

17 La Bessee. Near this a step or
rise occurs in the valley of the Du¬
rance, which seems barred by a high
bank or natural dam. Up this the
road to Brian^on toils in zigzags. A
little above La Bessee the ruins of an
embattled wall are visible, running
across the valley from either bank of
the Durance to the summit of the
heights commanding it on the rt. and
1., evidently designed to close the
passage up, and check the incursions of
a people from the S.

[Nearly opposite La Bessee to the
N.W. opens out the Val Louise, which
terminates in the glaciers and peaks
of the Mont Felvoux, whose top rises
13,440 ft. above the sea-level. “The
poor village called La Ville de Val
Louise is the chief place. Its environs
are very picturesque. The valley
branches into two : that on the rt.
leads to Mt. l’elvoux ; through it 2
French engineers most nearly attained

502

Route 139 .—JBaume cles Vaudois.

Sect. VII.

the summit, but not quite. By the
other branch there is a difficult pass
into the Val Godemar, called Col de
Celar.”— Pr. F.

Within this valley is a cavern called
Baume des Vaudois, from a number
of those unfortunate professors of an
ancient faith, who concealed them¬
selves within it in 1488, carrying with
them their children, and as much food
as they could collect, relying on its
inaccessible position, and the snows
around, for their defence. When the
officer despatched by Charles VIII.
arrived with his soldiers in the valley,
none of its inhabitants were found ;
but at length tracing out their hiding-
place, he commanded a great quantity

of wood to be set fire to at the mouth
of the cave to burn or smoke them out.
“Some were slain in attempting to
escape, others threw themselves head¬
long on the rocks below, others were
smothered ; there were afterwards
found within the caverns 400 infants
stifled in the arms of their dead
mothers. It is believed as a certain
fact that 3000 persons perished on
that occasion in this valley.”— Gilly’s
Mem, of Neff.

Above this the valley is more
wooded, while low down little patches
are cleared of stones to allow the grass
to grow.]

17 Brianqon, in Rte. 137.

( 503 )

SECTION VIII.

BURGUNDY.—FRANCHE-COMTE.

ROUTE PAGE

143 Montereauto Troyes, by Nogent

(Rail) .... 503

144 Paris to Dijon, by Troyes . 505
148 Dijon to Geneva, by Dole . 507
150 Dole to Lausanne, by Pontarlier 508
153 Chalons to Geneva by Lons-

le-Saulnier . . . 509

ROUTE PAGE

155 Descent of the TIaut Rhone .—

Aix in Savoy to Lyons . 510

156 Lyons to Geneva, by Mantua

and Bellegarde . . .511

159 Lyons to Besangon, by Bourg

and Lons-le-Saulnier . .512

ROUTE 143.

MONTEREAU TO TROYES, BY NOGENT—
RAILWAY.

100 kilom. — 62 Eng. m. 5 trains
daily, in 3 to 5 hrs.

Moatereau (79 kilom. from Paris) is
described in Rte. 106. A single line
of railway was finished and opened to
traffic 1848. It runs up the fertile val¬
ley of the Seine without tunnels or any
extensive work.

13 Chatenay Stat.

8 Vimpelles Stat.

3 Les Ormes Stat. (Buffet, refresh¬
ment room.) Diligence to Provins.
(See Rte. 144.)

10 Herme Stat.

4 Melz Stat.

7 Nogent Stat. (Dins: Cygne d’Or;
—Cygne de la Croix), a thriving town
(3365 Inhab.) prettily .situated on the
1. bank of the Seine, at the point where
it becomes navigable. It is intersected
in the middle by the He des Ecluses,
which is connected with either bank
by stone bridges,. one of which was
blown up on February 11, 1814;
when Nogent was bravely defended,
step by step, and house by house, by
a small body of French, under Bour-
mont, against the Allies, who finally
carried the place by storm.

Here is a handsome church, in the
late Gothic of the 15th centy., sur¬

mounted by a fine tower, constructed
between 1521 and 1542; also agreeable
walks round the town.

9 Pont-sur-Seine Stat.

9 Romilly Stat.

12 Mesgrigny Stat. Coach to Se¬
zanne.

6 St. Mesmin Stat.

7 Payne Stat.

7 Barberey Stat.

5 Troyes Station is near the public
walks.

This railway is intended to be pro¬
longed to Chaumont. Diligences thither
to Lar-sur-Aube, to Chatillon, Epernay,
to Langres, to Nancy.

Troyes (Din : Grand Mulet ; good,
clean, and cheap) is chef-lieu of the
Dept, de l’Aube (pop. 25,563), and is
seated on the 1. bank of the Seine,
branches of which, conducted through
the town in canals, contribute to its
industry and cleanliness. In the reign
of Henri IV. Troyes had 60,000 Inhab.,
so that it will be perceived its present
state is one of decay, many of its most
industrious citizens having been ba¬
nished by the revocation of the Edict
of Nantes. “ This ancient capital of
Champagne, in which the peculiar pro¬
vincial character of the ‘Francs Cham-
penois ’ is thought to be exhibited in
its most genuine aspect, still contains
much that is interesting. The greater
part is of timber and plaster, or par¬
geting, exactly in the old English style.

504

Route 143 .—Montereau to Troyes — Troyes, Sect. VIII.

though, as in England, the number of
these venerable buildings diminishes
day by day.

“ The Cathedral, dedicated to St.
Peter, is a splendid specimen of the
flamboyant Gothic, full of bold inverted
curves, open borders of festooned pen¬
dants, and all those luxuriances which
preceded the abandonment of the style.
The church is 374 ft. long, 96 ft. high
to the point of the roof, and has 5
aisles, producing beautiful combina¬
tions of perspective. Those who are
fond of painted glass will here have
much enjoyment, for the windows are
most brilliant and elegant. They ex¬
hibit the finest and most delicate mosaic
patterns, which are more rare than other
styles in this species of art. The cle¬
restory is here really a clear story from
the size of its windows, filled with as
fine painted glass as the rest. In this
church, and before the high altar, May
20, 1420, was our Henry V. affianced
to the Princess Katherine; and on the
following day was signed the memo¬
rable Treaty of Troyes ,—that treaty so
full of disaster, by which the victor of
Azincour was declared to be the heir
of Charles VI., and his successor in
the kingdom. Charles VI. was present,
together with very many magnates and
nobles, English and French; but, above
all, Philip Duke of Burgundy, by whose
intervention the treaty was negotiated
and concluded.

“ The Ch. of St. Urbain is unfinished.
It contains a great deal of open tracery,
such as is found at Cologne, but of
which there are very few examples on
this side of the Rhine. Marechal Vau-
ban, who studied Gothic architecture
attentively, used to say of this church
that it was built of coupons.” — F. P.

St. Urbain was founded by Pope
Urban IV., son of a shoemaker of
Troyes, 1262, on the site of his paternal
abode, and is remarkable as an ex¬
ample of great richness of middle
pointed Gothic, yet uninfluenced by
the Flamboyant style.

The marriage of Henry V. took
place June 2, 1420, in the Church of St.
Jean, now much mutilated externally.
It encloses a well which furnishes water
to the neighbouring quarter of the

town, and possesses an altar - piece,
painted and given by Mignard, who was
born in the parish.

The Sainte Madeleine possesses a
stone rood-loft (jube) of great beauty
and richness of decoration, the work
of JohnGualdo, an Italian, 1518. Most
of the statues have been destroyed,
and some replaced by wood. Those
which remain are good. In this church,
at St. Nicholas, and at St. Nazaire, are
painted glass windows.

St. Pantaleon is ornamented inter¬
nally with statues, the best of which
are attributed to an artist named Fran-
£ois Gentil.

In St. Remi there is a bronze statue
of Christ by Girardon.

The H. de Ville was built 1624-70
from a design of Mansard.

The Public Library is said to contain
50,000 vols. and 5000 MSS.: the hall
in which they are deposited is de¬
corated with painted windows repre¬
senting events in the life of Henri IV.

“ The ancient Boucheries consist of
several long low ranges of timber
buildings, evidently quite as old as the
time of our Henry V. It used to be
an article of popular belief that flies
never entered this building, which
some writers ascribed to a property of
the wood, others to the construction
of the edifice, and others to a spell or
charm of St. Loup. The immunity,
however, like all other privileges, has
disappeared.

“ Troyes would delight an architect.
The houses are generally old and pic¬
turesque, and there are several churches
besides those which we have noticed,
Troyes having suffered less than many
places during the Revolution.”— F. P.

The Hotel Megrigny is a good speci¬
men of the architecture of the Renais¬
sance, flanked by 2 turrets.

The name of Troyes will always be
familiar to us from our Troy-weight,
which obtains its name from the
standard of this town.

The city has little commercial ac¬
tivity; it is evidently the centre of an
agricultural community. A new Canal,
however, is in progress to form a com¬
munication from Troyes to the navi¬
gable part of the Seine, and also to the

Burgundy. Route 144 .—Paris to Dijon — Provins,

50 5

Canal of Burgundy; it will doubtless
contribute to the prosperity of the
town.

The chief manufacture carried on in
and around Troyes is that of nightcaps.

Troyes is a very important place in
a military point of view, being the
centre where various roads meet on
the 1. of the Seine, in the midst of a
plain cut up by streams and woody
morasses. As a proof of this, in the
course of the wonderful campaign of
1814, when Napoleon kept at bay so
many enemies pressing on him from all
sides, it was twice taken by the Allies
and once by the French. In the month
of February the portion of the Allied
armies encamped round the walls
amounted to 100,000 men, and they
required 12 hrs. to march through it.
Here the first steps for the Restora¬
tion of the Bourbons were taken, and
the white cockade was publicly dis¬
played in France for the first time after
a lapse of more than 20 years.

ROUTE 144.

PARIS TO DIJON, BY TROYES.

310 kilom. = 192 Eng. m.

This road is little frequented since
the completion of the railway by way
of Melun, Montereau, Nogent, and
Troyes. (Rte. 143.)

The road turns out of Rte. 106
beyond

7 Charenton.

14 Grosbois. The Chateau was the
property of Monsieur, afterwards Louis
XVIII., and now belongs to the Prince
de Wagram.

8 Brie Comte Robert. The name
of this little town comes from its situa¬
tion in the district of Brie, an ancient
dependence of the province of Cham¬
pagne, and from Robert Comte de
Dreux and Seigneur of Brie, its founder
or benefactor. The parish church is
Gothic of different periods from the
13th to the 16th centy. It contains
some painted glass. The old castle is
an utter ruin. The ruined chapel at¬
tached to the Hotel Dieu merits notice.

France.

16 Guignes.

Near this is the chateau La Grange,
the residence of Lafayette, a moated
mansion, whither he retired during
the rule of Napoleon, occupying him¬
self with agricultural pursuits ; here
he was visited by Fox, who planted
the ivy 'which covers one of the towers.

8 Mormant.

11 Nangis. — Inns: Lion d’Or ;—
Sauvage. There is an ancient church
and ruined castle here. (?)

11 Maison Rouge.

11 Provins. —Inn: H. de la Fontaine.
The ancient ivalls, flanked by watch-
towers, of this venerable but decayed
town, enclose, besides the houses, a
wide open space now occupied by
gardens and vineyards. It lies be¬
tween 2 hills, the old town on the
highest ground, the new town on the
lower slopes.

In the upper town, which abounds
in ruins, rises, conspicuous far and
wide, an ancient tower of great size
and solid masonry, known as the Grosse
Tour de Ce'sar, though undoubtedly a
work of the middle ages. It is square
at the base; but in its upper story 4
turrets detach themselves from the
centre, which becomes octagonal, and
is connected by flying buttresses with
the turrets. This building, containing
2 curious halls and dungeons, now
serves as bell-tower to the neighbour¬
ing church of St. Quiriace, remarkable
for its early date and plain massive
architecture ; it is surmounted in the
centre by a cupola, and beneath is a
curious crypt.

Under various buildings in the high
town run extensive vaults and caves,
arched over and partly sustained on
pillars : they appear to have been
formed out of ancient stone - quarries,
and may have served as places of re¬
fuge, or for warehouses and cellars, in
former times. The two old gates of
St. Jean and Jouy still lead through
the bastioned antique fortifications to
the upper town.

In the lower town, which is also sur¬
rounded by ramparts and boulevards,
stands the church of Ste. Croix, com¬
pleted in 1538, but it includes a more
ancient chapel of St, Laurent, of the

506 R. 144 .—Paris to Dijon — Provins — ChdtiUcn. Sect. VIII.

15th centy., containing delicate sculp¬
tures. This church is much mo¬
dernised, but supported in the interior
by piers of primitive form, 2 of them
twisted, and contains fine carved wood.
The church of St. Ayoul, a simple
nave without transepts or apse, in the
Round style, may reward the notice of
the antiquary.

The chapel of the hospital contains
the monument in which was deposited
the heart of Thibault VII., Comte de
Champagne, who founded here, 1050,
an hospital for pilgrims.

Provins has for centuries been ce¬
lebrated for Boses (improperly called
Provence roses); and though the cul¬
tivation of them for purposes of com¬
merce has now nearly ceased, they are
still partially grown to make ‘‘con¬
serve,” and to colour bonbons. The
Provins rose has a rich crimson hue,
and is said to have been brought by
the Crusaders from the Holy Land.

The 2 small rivers, the Durtin and
Vouzie, above whose confluence Pro¬
vins is built, turn no less than 50 or
GO corn-mills; their waters are thought
to be well fitted for dyeing, and there
are consequently numerous dye-works
on their banks. Pop. 6009.

The road affords little subject for
remark until you reach

18 Nogent-sur-Seine.

Bailway, Nogent to Troyes. Rte. 143.

At St. Aubin, about 4- m. beyond
Nogent, the road passes within view
of the chimneys and roofs of an iron-
forge, now abandoned, which occupies
the site of the famous monastery of the
Paraclete, founded by Abelard, 1123.
It afterwards became the retreat of
Helo'fse, and the final l’esting-place of
both. In 1792, when the abbey was
sold, the coffin containing their bodies
was removed to Nogent, and after¬
wards transferred to Paris, where it is
now deposited in Pere la Chaise, under
a Gothic monument, originally erected
at the monastery of St. Marcel, near
Chalons, over the remains of Abelard.
The monument raised over the two
lovers at the Paraclete, ornamented
with a figure of the Trinity, w r as de¬
stroyed at the Revolution, 1794. A
marble pillar was placed over the

mouth of their burial vault, within the
area once occupied by the church of
the Paraclete, by the late Gen. Pajol,
the owner of the ground, and within
it still remains the stone sarcophagus
which once enclosed their leaden coffin.
The abbot’s house is now inhabited by
a peasant.

8 Pont le Roi, a town of 2000 Inhab.,
at the junction of the Aube with the
Seine: the Chateau was built by Casimir
Pdrier in 1830.

14 Granges. (Aube.)

15 Gres. The country possesses
slight interest.

19 Troyes. Rte. 143.

Bailway to Paris by Nogent and
Montereau. Rte. 143.

At Troyes the high road from Paris
to Basle (Rte. 162) branches off from
that to Besan§on and Dijon.

19 St. Parres-les-Vaudes.

14 Bar-sur-Seine. Pleasantly situ¬
ated on the banks of the infant Seine,
here a clear rivulet. A quiet country
town. The Church has great elegance.

19 Mussy.—“ The wine character of
the country now becomes very apparent.
The vineyards are, however, principally
in strips, alternating with corn, po¬
tatoes, haricots, hemp, clover, alto¬
gether conveying a cheerful impression.
This country begins again to vary from
its hitherto swelling or undulating
monotonous level. Towards the west,
hills of a tabular shape appear, which
continue increasing until they form
almost a connected chain. This is
the commencement of the well-known
Cote cV Or, of which more hereafter.”
— F. P.

15 Chatillon-sur-Seine (Inns: Poste (?);
— II. de la Cote d’ Or; dirty, and barely
tolerable), a neat small town. A con¬
gress of representatives of the allied
sovereigns, at which Lord Castlereagli
appeared on behalf of England, was
held here, February 1814, to offer to
Napoleon the throne of France, pro¬
vided he would be content with its
limits previous to the Revolution; he
rejected these terms, and, emboldened
by the successes he gained in the course
of the campaign, broke off the nego¬
tiations, and the result was his de¬
thronement.

507

Burgundy. Route 148 .—Dijon to Geneva — Dole .

Marshal Marmont was born here, and
built on the spot a fine chateau.

“ The road now becomes more hilly,
masses of grey rock, coloured and
stained with iron hues, starting ab¬
ruptly from the sides of the hills.
The fields and soil generally stony,
yet pleasantly watered by sparkling
streams. On the hill sides many little
ancient towns or hourgades are seen,
even now strongly bearing the impress
of feudality. Surrounded by walls and
gates, it seems as if not a house could
venture to stray out of the protecting
circuit, indicating the ancient unsettled
state of the country, or, at least, of
the habits which arose from its inse¬
curity.”— F. P.

14 Aisey-le-Duc.

15 Ampilly-le-Sec.

15 Chanceaux, celebrated for the
manufacture of preserved barberries
( epinettes ). Here is a comfortable little
inn, where a good stock of the preserve
is kept.

The Seine takes its rise in the high
land of the Cote d’Or, within about 1
m. of Chanceaux.

“The country now begins to assume
a picturesque character; you begin, as
it were, to cross the fibres of the roots
of the Jura, and the beauty of the scene
gains as you advance.

“12 St. Seyne, beautifully situated
amongst a ridge of bold hills, almost
of a mountainous character. The town,
which contains about 1000 Inhab., is
at the bottom of the valley. Above,
on the brow of the hill, are the remains
of a celebrated Abbey of Benedictines,
founded by St. Seguanus before 580.
The church, whose construction dates
from the beginning of the 15th centy.,
is yet standing, and contains much
that is remarkable ; amongst other
things, a series of ancient frescoes re¬
presenting the life of the patron founder.
This church has some peculiarities in
its architecture, and the stalls of the
monks continue undisturbed.”— F. P.

10 Val de Suzon, so called from the
torrent Suzon, which flows through the
very pretty valley. “ The general
aspect of the village, which you reach
by a steep descent, continues to re¬
mind the traveller of his gradual ap¬

proach to Switzerland ; and indeed,
throughout the whole of this district,
he will observe how overcharged is the
opinion of the monotony of French
scenery, even in the provinces which
are not professedly mountainous.”—■
F. P.

17 Dijon (in Rte. 104).

ROUTE 148.

DIJON TO GENEVA BY DOLE.

196 kilom. =120 Eng. m.

Malleposte (2 places) daily in 15 lirs.

Diligences; 2 or 3 daily in about 16
hrs.

The journey may be divided into 2
days’ posting: 1st day to Champagnole,
8 or 9 hrs.; 2nd day, Geneva, 10 hrs.

For some distance along the road
there is little worth description or
notice; the country fertile, but flat
and monotonous. As you advance,
the distant blue outline of the Jura
mountains is discovered on the ho¬
rizon.

17 Genlis—must not be confounded
with the place of the same name in
Picardy, whence Madame de Genlis
derived her title.

A causeway l£ m. long, pierced with
23 arches, to allow the escape of the
water of the Saone during inundations,
leads into

14 Auxonne (Inn; Grand Cerf), a
second-class fortress of minor import¬
ance, owing to its distance from the
frontier, in the rear of Besangon. It
stands on the 1. bank of the Saone,
here crossed by a bridge. The fortifi¬
cations were planned by Vauban. It
was taken by the Austrians 1815. The
pop. 5150.

From the heights above Dole the
snowy mass of the Mont Blanc, more
than 100 m. distant as the crow flies,
is apparent in clear weather.

16 Dole (Inns: H. de France;—Yille
de Lyon;—H. de Paris; said to be
good) is a town of 10,137 Inhab., in
the Dept, of the Jura, seated on the
Doubs. It belonged for a long time
to Spain, having been the capital of
Franche-Comte, which was not united
to France, until the reign of Louis XIV,

508

Route 150 .—Dole to Lausanne .

Sect. VIII.

The Emperor Charles V. fortified it;
but the works were destroyed by
Louis.

The ravish Church is Gothic, and the
Tour de Vergy, which now serves as
a prison, is one of the few ancient
edifices.

The Canal which joins the Rhine to
the Rhone passes near the town.

[The road to Besanyon turns off here,
passing through

14 Or champs.

13 St. Wit.

18 Besanqon. (Rte. 159.)]

18 Mont-sous-Vaudrey, a town of
1000 Inliab.

A road branches off here to Lau¬
sanne, by Salins and Pontarlier. (Rte.
150.)

19 Poligny {Inn: H. de Geneve) is a
town of 6492 Inhab., situated at the
extremity of the plain, at the foot of
the Jura, the first ascent of which
commences on quitting Poligny. The
road was made by Napoleon, and com¬
mands from the summits, after an
hour’s march, a good view into the
valley called Culee de Yaux, and over
the plains of Franclie-Comte and Bur¬
gundy, as far as the Cote d’Or.

12 Montroncl.

The Mont Blanc appears over the
top of a sadclle-backed hill.

10 Champagnole. (Poste ; a very
fair inn.) A town of 3150 Inhab.,
on the Ain, here crossed by a high
bridge.

A picturesque road, passing Billaude
on the first platform or step of the
Jura at the base of the second, to

12 Maisonneuve.

10 St. Laurent. {Inn: Poste.) French
custom-house on entering France. The
staple productions of the Jura are
cheese (resembling Gruyere) and tim¬
ber; saw-mills stud all the streams.

In this stage we reach the culminat¬
ing point in the ascent of the Jura, and
soon after begin to descend by a fine
road, recently completed, to Morbier,
and

12 Morez {Inn: Poste; comfortable),
an industrious and rapidly increasing
bourg of 2508 Inhab., seated at the
bottom of a defile, on the Bienne,
which turns the machinery of numer¬

ous mills and works, where clockwork,
jacks, nails, &c. are made.

8 Les Rousses (Inns not good ; Poste
best), a hideous village on the Swiss
frontier, in a cold, arid, upland coun¬
try. It is proposed to convert Les
Rousses into a fortress for the defence
of the French frontier.

Here is the first French custom¬
house encountered by travellers com¬
ing from Switzerland. Geneva trinkets,
boxes, &c., must be declared ; watches
are admitted on paying a duty of 5 fr.
each.

Those who wish to ascend the Pole ,
one of the highest summits of the
Jura, on account of its surprising
view, must turn out of the high road
at Les Rousses, and proceed to St.
Cergue (12 kilom.), whence the top
may be attained in 3 hrs. See Swiss
Handbook.

The descent of the Jura to Gex is
now made safe and easy by an excellent
new road. About a mile beyond the
douane you pass out of France, but re¬
enter it before.

15 La Vattay.

A little beyond La Faucille, at the
extremity of a narrow gorge, on a
sudden turn in the road, opens out
the celebrated and sublime view over
the Lake of Geneva, the Mont Blanc,
and the range of the Alps; a view not
to be forgotten in a lifetime.

15 Gex {Inn: La Poste), through
Ferney Voltaire, to

17 Geneva (described in Swiss
Handbook).

ROUTE 150.

DOLE TO LAUSANNE BY PONTARLIER.

100 kilom. =62 Eng. m. to Jougne,
i. e. the French frontier.

A journey of 2 days, stopping the
first night at Pontarlier, 8 hours ;
thence to Lausanne, 10 hours.

A very agreeable road, through a
romantic and beautiful country, quit¬
ting that to Geneva by Morez at

18 Mont-sous-Vaudrey.

16 Mouchard.

9 Salins {Inns : Poste ;—Tete Noir;
tolerable), a town of 9000 Inhab.,

Burgundy, P. 150.— Pontarlier . 153.— Chalons to Geneva. 509

which had the misfortune to be al¬
most entirely consumed by a fire,
which lasted for 3 days, in 1825. It
is romantically situated in a narrow
rocky gorge, and owes its name to the
salt-works, Salines Royales, a vast edi¬
fice, 918 ft. long, surrounded by walls,
in the midst of the valley. The salt
is obtained from brine-springs rising
below vaults of ancient construction.
The weaker springs are conducted in
pipes to the forest of Chaux, 15 m.
off, where, after being evaporated in
“maisons de graduation,” they are
boiled.

The Church of St. Anatole is an in¬
teresting edifice, and contains some
good woodwork in the stalls of the
choir.

There are quarries of gypsum here.

The road ascends, on quitting Sa-
lins, through a country having much
of the Swiss character, abounding in
rocks and dark fir-woods.

21 Levier.

21 Fontarlier. Inns; Poste ; very
good;—Croix Blanche;—Lion d’Or.
This is the frontier town of France,
a place of considerable antiquity and
interest, containing 4890Inhab., seated
at a height of 2716 ft. above the sea-
level, at the foot of the second ridge of
the Jura, and at the debouche of the
principal routes leading through that
chain. It is the loftiest town in
France.

The road hence first ascends by the
side of the river Doubs, and through
the pass of La Cluse, which may be
called a mountain gateway between
France and Switzerland, to St. Pierre
de Joux. The defile is commanded
by the Chateau de Joux, situated on
the summit of a precipitous and nearly
inaccessible rock, at the foot of which
the roads from Pontarlier, Neufchatel,
and Lausanne unite. This frontier-
fort was the prison of the uu fortunate
Toussaint L’Ouverture, when treacher¬
ously carried off from St. Domingo by
command of Napoleon. He ended his
days here, some say by violent means ;
but the sudden transition from the
climate of the tropics to a dark dun¬
geon, so dank and cold that the water
drops from the roof in summer, and

icicles congeal on the walls in winter,
in the elevated region and biting at¬
mosphere of the Jura, sufficiently
explains the cause of his death, with¬
out the need of violence. His miser¬
able cell still exists, and has been
described by Miss Martineau. He was
buried in the prison church, with no¬
thing to mark the grave, but it was
bricked over, and is included in the
new wall of the church. Here also
was confined previously, “dans ce nid
de hibous, egaye par une compagnie
d’invalides,” as he termed it, another
remarkable prisoner, Mirabeau. He
was sent hither (1776) by virtue of a
lettre de cachet obtained by his father,
“ L’Ami des Homines,” as he called
himself, and the tyrant of his own
family, as he proved himself. Mira¬
beau, having by his insinuating man¬
ners obtained leave from the governor
to visit the town of Pontarlier on
parole, made love to Sophie Monnier,
the wfife of a magistrate there, and
eloped with her to Holland. She was
the Sophie to whom he addressed
some of his obscene writings, the
“ Lettres datees du donjon de Vin¬
cennes.”

A desolate country, chiefly of forest,
inhabited by charcoal-burners suc¬
ceeds.

10 Jougne, in a narrow pass, be¬
tween high mountains. Here is the
French custom-house.

2^ Orbe. .

1^ Cossonay. I Distances in posts.

2 Lausanne. I

The routes from the Fort de Joux
to Neufchatel by Val Travers, and to
Lausanne by Orbe, are described in the
Handbook for Switzerland.

ROUTE 153.

chalons-sur-saone to geneva, by

LONSLE-SAULNIER.

177 kilom. = 109| Eng. m.

Since the completion of the railway
from Paris to Chalons, Geneva may be
reached more quickly by this route
than by the road from Dijon by Dole.
[202 kilom. = 125 Eng. m.J Rte. 148.

510

Route 155 .—Descent of the Haut Rhone. Sect. VIII.

20 St. Etienne en Bresse.

17 Loulians.

14 Beaurepaire.

13 Lons-le-Saulnier, in Rce. 159.

The ordinary post-road runs through

23 Clairvaux.

23 St. Laurent. Inn here.

20 Les Rousses.) -n, .,, n

30 Ges. } Rte ' 149 -

17 Geneva. (2 posts of Geneva.)

There is a shorter road from Lons-
le Saulnier by

Orgelet.

Ste. Claude. [Inn: Ecu de France ;
best, but wretched.) This is a ro¬
mantically situated town, in the most
beautiful part of the Jura. It has a
fine Cathedral.

The scenery of the pass of the Jura
traversed by this road is superior to
any other leading to Geneva.

Gex.

Geneva. (Swiss Handbook.)

ROUTE 155.

DESCENT OF THE HAUT RHONE.—AIX IN
SAVOY TO LYONS.

JST. B .—A diligence runs several
times a week from Geneva to Seyssel,
to meet the steamer to Lyons.

The Upper Rhone is navigated, in
summer, by Steamers, which perform
the voyage, descending from Aix to
Lyons, in 8 hours, but require 13
hours for the ascent. A vexatious
delay takes place at the custom-houses
of France and Savoy.

The voyage across the Lac de Bour-
get from Aix, passing the Abbey of
Haute-Combe, at the foot of the Mont
du Chat, is described in the Swiss
Handbook, and is very delightful.
The outlet from the lake is a narrow
winding channel, called Canal de
Savieres, traversing the fiat meadows
in a serpentine course, which some
have supposed artificial, but which has,
probably, only been enlarged by art.
By this issue the Lac de Bourget dis¬
gorges its waters into the Rhone, near
the Savoyard village of Ghana. The
course of the Rhone hereabouts is
nearly due N. and S., and parallel with

the lake, from which it is separated by
the mass of the Mont du Chat, whose
ridges are called Dents, and over whose
shoulder Hannibal is supposed to have
led his army to the foot of the high
Alps. On entering the Rhone we have
this mountain on the 1.

The Rhone has been navigated by
steam above this, as high as Seyssel,
a small town on both banks of the
river, one part belonging to France,
the other to Savoy.

Except at one or two points, the
scenery of the Upper Rhone is not
very remarkable. It runs through a
series of basins, terminated at either
end by gorges (etranglemens, i. e.
throttlings, as the French expressively
term them), caused by the approxi¬
mation of the hills on either side.
Below Seyssel

1. the Fiere, a turbid river, which
drains the Lake of Annecy, enters the
Rhone.

1. At Yenne, opposite Belley, is a
suspension bridge, traversed by the
high road from Chambery to Chalons.
A monotonous sandy plain extends
thence to Ghana, across which the
navigation is difficult, on account of
sand-banks in its bed.

The Rhone, however, narrowed
within a reduced channel, traverses a
contracted defile abreast of

rt. Pierre Chatel, a fort of impos¬
ing appearance, belonging to France,
built on the summit of a rock 400 or
500 ft. high. The river rushes through
the gorge at its base with a furious
speed ; but the steamer, steered by a
skilful pilot, passes safely over the
rapids, which, at the point of greatest
fury, are crossed by a wire suspension
bridge.

The river below alters its course ;
turning to the N.W., and emerging
upon an open country, it is intersected
by numerous low islands, the resort
of smugglers. Between St. Genis and
(1.) St. Didier, the river Guiers, which
descends from the Grande Chartreuse
(Rte. 131), joins the Rhone : it is the
boundary of Savoy, separating it from
the Dept, de l’lsere ; below this,
therefore, both banks of the Rhone are
French. Above the junction of the

511

Burgundv. Route 156. — Lyons

Guiers there is a suspension bridge,
and a castle on the height near it.

rt. the ruined Castle of Groslee.

1. Castle of Quinsonas.

To this succeeds the defile of St.
Albin, where the channel is contracted
to a width of 60 ft. ; it is walled in
by bare rocks, destitute of verdure.

The Rhone is traversed from side to
side by a reef of rocks a little above
(rt.) the village of Le Sault, so called
from the leap, or rapid, formed by
the river over them. They are smooth,
and not very dangerous, but the
steamer in ascending has difficulty in
stemming the torrent which sweeps
over this inclined plane. Here the
river is crossed by a handsome stone
bridge, the central arch being 105 ft.
span. On either side are extensive
quarries of limestone, furnishing build¬
ing materials for Lyons and other
towns on the banks of the Rhone
below.

rt. St. Sorlin, with the remains of
ancient fortifications.

1. Vertrieux, a modern chateau in
the foreground, near the river, and be¬
hind it, on an isolated rock, its an¬
cient castle rises in picturesque ruins.

rt. At Lagnieux, where a suspension
bridge of wire spans the Rhone, the
hills subside into a monotonous plain,
stretching away to Lyons.

1. The entry of the cave called
Gi’otte de la Balme is about 10 mi¬
nutes’ walk from the river.

rt. We pass the embouchure of the
Ain, which gives its name to the D^-
partement extending along the rt. bank
of the Rhone from Fort l’Ecluse nearly
to Lyons. The Rhone below this
assumes a very tortuous course be¬
tween islands and sand-banks, unre¬
lieved by objects of interest. Nothing
announces the approach to a vast city,
the borders of the river are so desolate
and lonely. The steamer at length
brings to, under the fortress-crowned
heights of La Croix Rousse, at the quai
in the Faubourg of Bresse, on the out¬
skirts of

rt. Lyons, described in Rte. 108.

to Geneva — Nantua.

ROUTE 156.

LYONS TO GENEVA, BY NANTUA AND
BELLEGARDE.

151 kilom. = 93£ Eng. m.

Diligences daily ; a beautiful and in¬
teresting drive.

The road, for some distance after
quitting Lyons, runs parallel with the
Rhone, up its rt. bank. The river, left
to its own wayward impluse, straggles
onward, overspreading the plain with
wrecks of sterile sand and stones. The
slope of La Pape, whence there is a
good view of the river and the distant
Alps of Dauphine, is next ascended.

13 Miribel.

9 Montluel is a small town of about
3000 Inhab., on the Seraine, which is
crossed on quitting the place.

13 Meximieux, We reach the bor¬
ders of the river Ain at Mollon,

11 Bublanne.

11 Pont d’Ain {Inn: H. Zacharie),
a town of 1‘266 Inhab., on the rt. bank
of the Ain, at the foot of a height
crowned by a castle, built by the dukes
of Savoy. Here the road to Bourg
strikes off (Rte. 159).

The Ain is crossed "by a stone bridge
at Neuville, and its valley is quitted
by the road at Poncin, remarkable for
the ruins of a feudal castle, in order to
reach

13 Cerdon.

From this the road ascends along
the flank of a mountain, forming one
side of a gorge, varied by the pretty
fall of St. Marcellin, and by the ruined
castles of Labatie and St. Julien.

The approach to Nantua, along the
borders of its lake, is very pleasing,
surrounded by mountains. It is about
l:j m. long.

19 Nantua (Inns: H. du Nord ;—
l’Ecu de France) is a town of 3700
Inhab., finely situated in the midst of
the Jura mountains, at the extremity
of its lake, hemmed in by bare preci¬
pices and dark woods. It possesses
some considerable manufactures.

The Parish Church, originally at¬
tached to an abbey, is a “ venerable
and picturesque edifice, in the Roman¬
esque style.” The entrance, a round-

512 JR. 156 .—Lyons to Geneva. 159 .—to Besangon. Sect. VIII*

headed arch, is surmounted by a cir¬
cular window, and noarly all the rest
of the building is early Pointed. The
centre is surmounted by an octagonal
lantern. Charles le Chauve, who died
at Briord, 877, was buried here.

The lake produces capital trout and
crawfish.

The scenerv of the Jura mountains,
through which the road winds, con¬
tinues very interesting for the rest of
the way. A little beyond Neyrolles
we attain the summit of the pass, and,
descending, skirt the shore of the Lake
Sylant, about 2 m. long.

13 St. Germain de Joux {Inn: H. de
la Paix ; clean and good).

At Chfitillon de Micliaille we cross
the Valserine, and leave on the rt. the
road leading to Seyssel (Rte. 155). We
reach the valley of the Rhone at

12 Bellegarde {Inn: Poste), the
frontier town of France, placed at the
junction of the Valserine with the
Rhone. Passports are here called for,
and baggage examined likewise, on
entering France. Ten minutes’ walk
from the inn is the Perte du Rhone, a
contracted portion of the channel, en¬
cumbered with rocks, where the river
plunges into the earth, and continues
its subterraneous course through ca¬
verns neither explored nor fathomed,
which it has probably excavated by its
own torrent in the limestone rocks, for
about 120 yards. This phenomenon,
however, is seen to perfection only
when the river is low. At other times,
when its volume exceeds that which
the subterranean passage is able to
contain, it flows along its upper bed,
open to day, as well as below ground.
At such times, says M. Simond, “ la
Perte du Rhone est perdue pour les
voyageurs.” The vault of rock which
covers the subterranean canal has of
late been partly removed by blasting,
to facilitate the flotage of timber in
detached trunks down the Rhone at
high water ; this tends to diminish the
wonder of the Perte.

The width of the Rhone, which, on
quitting the Lake of Geneva, is about
115 ft., is contracted at the Pont de
Grezin, in the neighbourhood of the
Perte, to 15 or 16 ft.

“ The bed of the Valserine is more
picturesque and scarcely less curious
than the Perte. It is worth while to
descend from the garden of the inn
into the worn channel of this little
river, which is almost dry in summer
time, except when a rivulet of its
water burrows into the clefts and fan¬
tastic bends of its calcareous rock.”—
H. R.

The wild and narrowly contracted
gorge through which the Rhone forces
its way between Bellegarde and Col-
longes, formed by the Mont Vouache
on the side of Savoy, and the Mont
Credo, the extremity of the Jura, on
that of France, is thus described by
Coesar :—“Angustum et difficile inter
Montem Juram, et flumen Rhodanum,
qua vix singuli currus ducerentur ;
mons autem altissimus impendebat, ut
facile perpauci prohibere possent.”
Near the upper end of this defile, com¬
manding the entrance into France,
stands the very strong and picturesque
fortress Fort de VEcluse, originally
planned by Vauban, but ruined by the
Austrians, and repaired since 1824 by
the French government, who have
used infinite labour and expense to
strengthen this position. Additional
batteries have been cut in the rock
above the lower fortress, and these
communicate with the barracks below
by a broad staircase, 100 ft. high,
hewn inside the solid mountain”—-
H. R. The high road is carried
through the fortress. Permission to
see it in detail may generally be ob¬
tained from the governor.

12 Collonges. Here the defile opens
out. On quitting

16 St. Genix, you enter Switzerland.

12 Geneva (2 postes extra charged),
in Handbook for Switzerland.

ROUTE 159.

LYONS TO BESAN9ON, BY BOURG AND
LONS-LE-SAULNIER.

217 kilom. — 134^ Eng. m.
Malleposte daily in 14 hrs.

Diligences daily.

The road from Lyons is the same as
Rte. .156, as far as

Franche-Comte'. Route 159.- — JBourg — Besantfon.

513

58 Pont d’Ain.

20 Bourg.—Inns; H. de 1’Europe
(?) ; —du Nord (?). This place was
capital of the ancient division of La
Bresse, and is now chef-lieu of the
Dept, de l’Ain ; its population is 8996.
It belonged to the Dukes of Savoy
from the 11th to the 17th centy., and
was not finally gained by the French
until 1600. It has neither trade nor
manufactures, and the only object of
interest is the Church of Notre Dame de
Brou, outside the walls, a very remark¬
able edifice in the latest style of Gothic,
verging into the Renaissance, con¬
structed between 1511 and 1536 by
Margaret of Austria, who was created
by her father, the Emperor Maximi¬
lian, and confirmed by her nephew,
Charles V., governor of the Nether¬
lands. Her motto,* fortune—infortune
—forte une, is repeated in various parts
of the building. The architect was
‘ ‘ Maistre Loys Van Boglem,” and the
sculptor “ Maistre Conrad.” The W.
front is surmounted by 3 gables, that
in the centre being the most lofty;
under it is a portal, consisting of a
flattened arch, highly enriched with
carvings, arabesques, and other orna¬
ments. The decorations of the inte¬
rior are concentrated upon the choir ;
rich and varied marbles, and peculiarly
fine painted windows, contribute to
the splendour of the shrine, which
contains the superb monuments of
Margaret, the founder of the church,
of her mother-in-law, Margaret de
Bourbon (wife of Philip II., prince of
Savoy), who made the vow, which her
daughter accomplished, of building
this church ; and in the centre that of
her husband, Philibert le Beau, which
is the finest of all. The prince is re¬
presented above as dead, and below
as dying. These tombs, all of white
marble, are the work of an artist of
Dijon named Colomban. The carving
and decoration of the rood screen, the
wood-work of the choir, and the altar-
piece delicately sculptured out of ala¬
baster, all deserve minute attention.
The sun-dial in front of the portal,
originally made in the 16th centy.,

* “ In fortune or misfortune, there is one
(woman) strong of heart.”

was reconstructed by the astronomer
Joseph de Lalande, who was born at
Bourg, 1732.

The district of La Bresse is famed
for its poultry, honey, &c.

11 St. Etienne du Bois.

Coligny, a little beyond this relay,
is the cradle of the illustrious family
which sent forth the leader of the Pro¬
testants, the Admiral Coligny. He
was born at Chatillon-sur-Loing.

18 St. Amours.

18 Beaufort.

15 Lons-le-Saulnier (Inn ; Chapeau
Rouge) is situated in a basin nearly
surrounded by the mountains of the
Jura, whose lower slopes are covered
with vines. It is chef-lieu of the Dept,
of the Jura, and a flourishing town of
nearly 8000 Inhab.

At one end of the town is the brine-
spring, or well, 60 ft. deep, supplying
the salt-works, Salines (whence the
town received its ancient name, Ledo
Salinarius), situated about a mile from
the town, including vast evaporating
houses for sparing fuel, by strengthen¬
ing the brine before it is boiled.

Above the salt-well rise the ruins of
the Castle Montmorot.

This is the birthplace of the revolu¬
tionary general Lecourhe,

14 Man flans.

15 Poligny, on the high road from
Dijon to Geneva, Rte. 148.

11 Arbois. A good sparkling Avine
is grown here. It is the natHe places
of General Pichegru.

9 Mouchard.

17 Quingey, in the Dept, of the
Doubs.

12 Larnod.

10 Besanqon (Inns: H. du Nord;
H. de France; H. National, not clean,
otherwise pretty good).

This ancient and interesting city
and first-rate fortress, originally capi¬
tal of Franche-Comte, and a free city
of the empire, noAV chef-lieu of the
Dept, of the Doubs, is seated on the
Doubs, Avhich divides it into 2 parts,
and nearly surrounds the ville haute,
the larger and older portion. Its
population is not less than 30,000. It
is defended by a Citadel, built by Vau-
ban, on an inaccessible rock, occupying

Z 3

514

Route 159.— JBesan^on.

Sect. VIII.

the isthmus of the peninsula on which
the town stands, and by several de¬
tached forts. There is a fine view from
the citadel.

Besan^on was the ancient Vesontio
mentioned by Caesar, and his descrip¬
tion of it is so exact, that no other
wall better portray its position. He
tells us that it was the largest town of
the Sequani, and so strong by nature,
as to form an excellent basis for a
campaign, because nearly surrounded
by the river Dubis (Doubs), making a
curve like a horseshoe about it, except
for the space of about 600 ft., occupied
by an eminence washed by the river
on either side. A wall which sur¬
rounds this height converts it into a
citadel, and unites it with the town.
“ Oppiclum maximum Sequanorum ;
natura loci sic muniebatur ut magnum
ad ducendum bellum daret facultatem :
propterea quod flumen Dubis ut cir-
cino circumcluctum, pene totum oppi-
dum cingit: reliquum spatium quod
non est amplius pedum DC qua flumen
intermittit : mons continet magna alti-
tudine, ita ut radices mentis ejus ex
utraque parte ripse fluminis contin-
gant.”—L. i. It is interesting to find
the classical description backed as it
were by still existing remains of the
Roman city, which are both numerous
and curious, consisting not only of in¬
scriptions, mosaics, pillars, and other
fragments, but of buildings, the chief
and oldest of which is a Triumphal
Arch, still tolerably perfect, orna¬
mented with niches, statues, and re¬
liefs, called la Porte Noire.

The old and narrow bridge over the
Doubs is said also to rest on Roman
foundations.

The Porte Taillee is an ancient gate¬
way of solid masonry, built in a cleft
of the rock, which was cut through by
the Romans to give passage to an aque¬
duct, constructed by them, to convey
water to the city from the village
Arcier, 7 m. distant, considerable frag¬
ments of which are still visible along
the road leading to that village from
the Porte Rivotte. Outside the walls
are the remains of an Amphitheatre.

The extensive promenade of Chamars,

traversed by 2 branches of the Doubs,
is said to occupy the site, as well as
retain in part the name, of the Roman
“ Campus Martius.”

The Cathedral of St. Jean has a fine
Gothic nave.

The other churches are compara¬
tively modern. The Palais de Justice
was built 1749 to receive the court of
the parliament of the province, re¬
moved hither from Dole by Louis XIY.

The Cardinal Granvelle, the able
minister of the Emperor Charles V.
and of Philip II. in the Low Countries,
himself a native of Franche-Comte,
born at Ornans, spent many years
here, when disgraced through the in¬
trigues of his enemies, occupying him¬
self with literary pursuits. He contri¬
buted to the enlargement of the College
founded by his father, and he built the
Palais Granvelle, in the style of the Re¬
naissance, uniting (like the schools at
Oxford) the various orders of architec¬
ture, one above another. The library
contains 60 folio vols. of his letters.

The Hopital St. Jacques is an exten¬
sive edifice, containing 500 beds.

In the Musee, partly the bequest of
a native named Paris, are assembled
objects of art and antiquity of various
degrees of interest.

Watch-making, introduced from Swit¬
zerland about 40 years ago, is the most
important manufacture here, employ¬
ing 2000 persons, who work at home
for large houses.

Besan^on stands on the important
line of inland navigation formed to
connect the Rhine with the Rhone,
partly by making the Doubs navigable :
it was originally called Canal du Mon¬
sieur, now Canal du Phone au RJiin.

History. —In the vicinity of this city
Caesar defeated Ariovistus. Besan£on
was taken by Louis XIY. in person
1660, and the possession of it was con¬
firmed to France at the peace of Nime-
guen. It was fruitlessly besieged by
the Allies in 1814.

Conveyances. Malleposte daily to
Dijon by Dole.

Diligences daily to Dijon (whence
railway to Paris) ; to Strasburg ; to
Lyons.

( 515 )

SECTION IX.

CHAMPAGNE.—LORRAINE.—ALSACE.—THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS.

ROUTE PAGE

162 Troyes to Mlihlhausen and
B&le, by Bar-sur-Aube, Chau-
mont, Langres, and Vesoul, and
the Baths of Bourbonne-les-
Bains . . . . .515

164 Paris to Nancy, by Sezanne

and Bar-le-Duc . . .518

165 Paris to Strasburg (Rail¬
way), by Meaux, Chateau-
T/Berry, Epernay, Chdlons-
sur-Marne, Bar-le-Duc, Nancy,
Lunecille .... 520

166 Paris to the Baths of Plom-
bieres, by Ligny, Domremy,
and Epinal .... 531

168 The Vosges Mountains.— Stras¬
burg to Epinal, by Mutzig
and St. Diey .—Excursion to
the Ban de la Roche . .532

ROUTE PAGE

170 Strasburg to Bdle.— Rail¬

road, by Schlestadt, Colmar,
and Muhlhausen . . . 534

171 Strasburg to Besancon, by

Colmar, Thann, Belfort, and
Montbelliard . . . .537

175 Chalons-sur-Marne to Metz and

Forbach, by Verdun . .538

178 Paris to Mezieres and Sedan,

by Soissons and Rheims . . 541

180 Rheims to Luxembourg, by

Stenay and Longwy . . 548

181 Nancy to Treves, by Metz
and Thionville.—Descent of
the Moselle.—And Nancy to
Forbach .... 549'

182 Metz to Luxembourg, or

Arlon, by Longwy. . . 550^

ROUTE 162.

TROYES TO MUHLHAUSEN AND BALE, BY
BAR-SUR-AUBE, CHAUMONT, LANGRES,
AND VESOUL, AND THE BATHS OF
BOURBOXNE-LES-BAINS.

Troyes is described in Rte. 143.
There is a Rly. thence to Paris by
Montereau,

Diligences daily.

The road ascends the valley of the
Barse, traversing the theatre of the
memorable campaign of 1814. The
bridge of La Guilottiere over the
Barse was stormed and carried by the
Bavarians, March 4, after a stout re¬
sistance from the French. Lusigny,
a little farther on, was the scene of a
conference, followed by an armistice,
Feb. 24.

19 Montieramey
13 Vendeuvre.

The Barse rises at the very foot of
the old castle, built, it is supposed,
in the 13th centy.

A ridge of high land is now sur¬
mounted, and the road descends into
the valley of the Aube, whence the
D£pt. gets its name.

That river is crossed, and the road
carried up its rt. bank as far as

21 Bar-sur-Aube.— Inn: La Poste,
Bar is a town of 4133 Inhab., at
the foot of Mont St. Germaine, on the
rt. bank of the Aube, here crossed by
a stone bridge, upon which a chapel
was erected to mark the spot where
Charles VII. caused the Bastard de
Bourbon, who had revolted against
him, to be broken on the wheel, and
his body, sewn up in a sack, to be cast
into the river, 1440.

There are 2 churches here: St.
Pierre is very ancient, and its pave¬
ment sunk considerably below the
level of the ground ; and St. Maclou,

516 R. 162.— Troyes to Bale —

which has a curious altar-piece of
wood, carved and gilt. There is good
trout-fishing in the Aube.

An important and hard-contested
action was fought here, Feb. 27, 1814,
when the Allies, under Schwartzen-
berg, retreating before the French
general Oudinot, turned round and
made a stand, the result of which
was that the French were obliged to
retire across the river, having lost
3000 men, the Allies 2000. Scliwart-
zenberg and Wittgenstein were both
wounded here. On the preceding
25th of February a conference of the
ministers of the allied sovereigns was
held here, in which the firmness of
Lord Castlereagh in refusing the
English subsidies to Bernadotte, who
was hanging on the French frontier
unwilling to take a part in the in¬
vasion of France, unless he detached
2 corps of his army in support of
Blucher, contributed in no slight de¬
gree to decide the wavering policy of
the Allies, and to bring the war to
an end. These reinforcements, thus
extorted from the Swedish army, en¬
abled the Allies to fight the battle of
Laon, and put a stop to Napoleon’s
successful efforts to arrest the march
of the Allies on Paris.

[At Brienne le Chateau, 19 m. lower
down the Aube, Napoleon went to
school—a poor friendless Corsican
boy, not 10 years old, able to speak
no language but Italian, 1779. The
military college which he attended
was suppressed 1790, and the build¬
ing sold and pulled down. At this
spot, 25 years after, he attempted the
masterly manoeuvre of cutting the
army of Silesia in two, by marching
suddenly from Chalons and inter¬
posing his forces between Blucher and
Schwartzenberg, so as to prevent their
junction.

The town is named after its hand¬
some Chateau, built by Louis de
Lomenie, last Comte de Brienne, with
the fortune obtained by his marriage
with the daughter of a fermier ge¬
neral. It was the head-quarters of
Blucher during the memorable en¬
gagement of Jan. 29, 1814, alluded
to above. After resisting the assaults

Brienne — Clairvaux. Sect. IX.

and bombardments of the French
during the whole day, by which the
town had been set on fire, and nearly
destroyed, the Prussian commander
was very nearly surprised and made
prisoner by a party of French grena¬
diers, who burst into the town at
night through the park. He escaped,
it is said, by leading his horse down
a stair. Almost at the same spot,
and at the same time, the career of
Buonaparte, who was advancing to
enter the town, was nearlv cut short
by a Cossack, one of a band who had
dashed unawares upon the Emperor’s
staff, and, singling him out from
the rest, charged him with his lance
in rest, and was only arrested by a
bullet from the pistol of Gourgaud,
which brought the daring lancer to
the ground, when so near to the Em¬
peror that he fell at his feet. Napo¬
leon took up his head-quarters in the
Chateau, which he promised to make
an imperial residence or military
school, to compensate to the inhabit¬
ants for the losses his cannon had
caused them. But his promises were
not destined to be fulfilled. How¬
ever, he left by his will a million of
francs to the town, where he received
the first rudiments of his military
education.]

[About 10 m. from Bar-sur-Aube,
in an opposite direction, up the val¬
ley, is (or rather was) the Abbey of
Clairvaux, founded 1114, in a savage
glen, previously known as the Valhie
d’Absinthe, by St. Bernard, then only
24 years old. It is now converted
into a very capacious prison, or Mai-
son Centrale de Detention.

Its noble church, in which kings and
princes were interred, not inferior
to Notre Dame of Paris, no longer
exists. After withstanding the storm
of the Revolution, it was pulled down
in the first year of the Restoration,
without leaving one stone upon an¬
other, not even St. Bernard’s monu¬
ment, in order to make room for a
prison-yard!]

We quit the valley of the Aube on
leaving Bar, and soon after enter the
Dept. Haute Marne.

Champagne. Route 162. — Chaumont — Langres.

517

15 Colombey les Deux Eglises.
About 15 m. to the N. is the Chateau
de Cirey, where Voltaire passed 5
years of his life in a degrading re¬
tirement, in the company of the
Marquise de Cliatelet. He composed
in this retreat, ‘ Mahomet/ ‘ Me-
rope/ ‘ L’ Enfant Prodigue/ and
the ( Discours Philosopliique sur
1’ Homme.’

8 Juzennecourt.

In the midst of a country destitute
of picturesqueness, but abounding in
iron furnaces, works, forges, See.,
stands

17 Chaumont [Inn : Ecu de France?),
chef-lieu of the Dept, de la Haute
Marne, a dull town of 6318 Inhab.,
planted on a sort of elevated platform
on the 1. bank of the Marne, and re¬
taining some fragments of old fortifi¬
cations. A square tower alone re¬
mains of the Castle of Haute Feuille,
which belonged to the Comtes de
Champagne. Here is a sort of Tri¬
umphal Arch, begun by Napoleon,
finished by Louis XVIII.

The Treaty of Chaumont signed
here by the ministers of the allied
sovereigns, March 1st, 1814, stipu¬
lated that, in case Napoleon should
refuse to agree to the reduction of
the territory of France to the limits
existing previous to the Revolution,
the four allied powers, Austria, Russia,
Prussia and England, should each
maintain an army of 150,000 men
in the field, and that Great Britain
should contribute a subsidy of 5
millions a year towards their support;
it also provided for the reorganization
of the other states of Europe.

There are some manufactures in
the town, and it has a large trade in
the iron made in the neighbouring
iron-works: iron is the staple manu¬
facture of the Dept. Charcoal is
chiefly employed in smelting the ore.
From Chaumont a road strikes off to
Bourbonne-les Bains.

The country from Chaumont to
Langres is such as one would wish to
pass in the dark, so few attractions
has it for the eye. The road runs up
the valley of the Marne.

17 Vesaignes.

A steep ascent leads into

18 Langres (Inns : H. de l’Europe,
exceedingly good;—Poste?), situated
on the slope of a hill skirted by the
Marne, at a considerable elevation:
8303 Inhab. It is of military im¬
portance, as commanding the passage
from the basin of the Saone into that
of the Seine, and it has consequently
been converted into a strong fortress.
It is mentioned by Csesar as capital of
the Lingones, and its antiquity is un¬
doubted. The Cathedral (St. Mam-
mee) is its finest edifice: it is built
chiefly in the Romanesque style, with
ornaments, such as rams’ heads,
borrowed apparently from classic ar¬
chitecture; some portion, however,
is Gothic. The portal, a work of
the last centy., is quite inappropriate,
and the choir-screen, resembling an
arch of triumph, built 1555, is not
much better.

St. Tidier, the oldest church, is
turned into a Museum, in which not
only various Roman remains dug up
on the spot, but also some Egyptian
antiquities, pictures, and a collection
of birds from S. Africa, have been de¬
posited.

The only vestige of a Roman build¬
ing is an arch built into the town wall,
raised in honour of the 2 Gordians
a.d. 240.

Diderot was born at Langres: he
was the son of a cutler.

Langres is a sort of French Shef¬
field, and produces the best fine

cutlery.

[About 30 m. N.E. of Langres lies
the watering-place Bourbonne-les-Bains
(Inns: H. du Commerce;—Vosges;—
Tete du Bceuf), resorted to on account
of its saline hot springs, which have
a temperature of 131° Fahr., and are
efficacious in rheumatism, scrofula,
and paralysis. The bathing establish¬
ment contains about 50 baths, and
there is accommodation for more than
1000 visitors. The number usually
exceeds 800, exclusive of military, who
are received in a Government hospital.

The situation is elevated, the cli¬
mate rainy, and the resources are said
to be few.]

13 Griffonotes.

518 Route 164 .—Paris to Strasburg — Montmirail. Sect. IX.

11 Fayl-Billot (Inn: Lion d’Or?),
2411 Inhab.

From the heights surmounted by
the road views are obtained of the
Vosges mountains.

13 Cintrey (Dept. Haute Saone).

12 Gombeau Fontaine.

12 Port-sur-Saone, 2067 Inhab., is
situated on the Saone, here crossed
by a bridge, over which our road is
carried. The Homans called it Portus
Abucinus. The Saone becomes navi¬
gable at Gray, 30 m. lower down; but
a canal has been undertaken to extend
the water-way up to this point. It is a
hilly country.

13 Vesoul (Inns: Cigogne ;—Ma¬
deleine). Although chef-lieu of the
Dept. Haute Saone, this is a dull
but considerable town of 16,738 Inhab.,
possessing absolutely no interest, but
seated in a fertile country.

11 Calmoutier, a dirty village.

A tolerably level road through a
country diversified with woodland of
oak, birch, and hazels.

18 Lure (Inn : H. cle France, clean),
a town of 3058 Inhab., in the midst of
a marshy plain.

The road reaches the hills at

18 Champagne, near which there
are coal-mines employing many hands.

The Dept, of the Haut Ilhin is en¬
tered at Essort, a little short of

14 Belfort, described in Rte. 171.

Here the road to Miihlhausen turns

off on the 1. (Rte. 171). The distance
hence is 18 kilom. The road lies
through a hilly country, passing the
iron-mines of Perouse; and from the
high hill, surmounted on quitting

15 Chavannes, commands a fine Anew
of the Swiss mountains. Here the
Canal clu Rhone au Rhin is crossed (see
P- 514).

19 Altkirch is a manufacturing town
of 3028 Inhab., and a place of some
antiquity. Its old castle, in ruins, was
occupied by the archdukes of Austria
Avhen they visited Alsace. It is seated
on the Ill.

15 Lochwurth.

13 St. Louis, the last French town.

A little to the 1. of the road lies
Huningen, once an important fortress,
built by Vauban for Louis XIV.,

1681, close to the 1. bank of the Rhine
and to the Swiss frontier, but now a
heap of ruins, furring been captured
by the Austrians in 1815, and bloAvn
up pursuant to treaty.

4 Bale, in the Swiss Handbook.

ROUTE 164.

PARIS TO NANCY, BY SEZANNE AND
BAR-LE-DUC.

455 kilom. = 282 Eng. m.

The Railway from Paris to Strasburg
(Rte. 165) has drawn off the traffic from
this road.

The inns on this road, generally
speaking, are dirty and bad.

14 Champigny.

13 Ozouer la Ferriere.

17 Fontenay.

16 Vauday.

17 Courtaeon.

20 Retourneloup.

13 Sezanne (Inn: H. de France)
(Dept, de la Marne), a town of . 4016
Inhab. The church is curious; it is
pewed and contains some painted glass.
The Boulevards are good. Sezanne was
taken and burnt by the Earl of Salis¬
bury, 1423.

[About 15 m. N.W. of this is Mont-
mirail, the scene of one of the most
decisive of Napoleon’s victories during
his so - called “ expedition of the
Marne,” when his arms were 3 times
successful in the course of 5 days
(February 9-14, 1814), beating Blucher,
and taking 7000 Prussian prisoners,
besides cannon and standards.

Montmirail was the birthplace of the
Cardinal de Retz, 1614.]

“ The solitariness of the road from
Sezanne to Vitry is most striking and
unusual to one fresh from Avell-peopled
England. It crosses a vast, upland,
arable plain, whose entire population
must exist in towns and villages Avidely
separated from one another, since there
are no hamlets or single cottages : the
consequence of Avhich must be a loss of
time and labour to every cultivator,
Avho must go 3 or 4 miles, or perhaps
more, to and from his labour-field eA r ery
morning and evening.”— R. H. /.

Champagne. Route 164 .—Paris to Bar-le-Duc — Joinville. 519

21 F&re Charapenoise.

On the 24th of March, 1814, this
town (of 2049 Inhab.) witnessed the
decisive defeat of the French, under
Marmont and Mortier, by the allied
army, vastly superior to them in num¬
bers, but consisting of 20,000 cavalry
and artillery alone. Nearly at the
same time, and only a short distance
off, another French corps, conveying
guns and bread, was surrounded by
Russian and Prussian cavalry, and
having, in spite of the superiority of
numbers opposed to them, bravely
refused to yield, was cut to pieces.
3000 French fell here, many of them
National Guards. By this victory Paris
was laid open to the Allies ; 7000 pri¬
soners, 80 guns, 200 baggage-waggons,
fell into their hands. It is said not a
musket was fired on their side, the
day having been decided by charges,
by the sabre, and by artillery.

16 Sommesous, a hamlet made ap¬
parently by the passage of the new
road.

14 Coole. “ A new hamlet, smaller
than Sommesous. Between Coole and
Yitry not one house occurs : it is one
immense open plain, without a tree or
a village in sight.”— B. I.

15 Vitry-le-Fran 9 ais, a Stat. on the
Strasburg Railway. Rte. 165.

16 Longchamp.

At the point where the Marne first
becomes navigable stands

12 St. Dizier (Inn: Soleil; tolerable),
a very long and very narrow town,
with 6400 Inhab., of a modern aspect,
having been almost entirely burnt down
1775 through the carelessness of a
baker. The Church, at the N. end,
has a pretty and singular variety of
Gothic windows. A portion remains
of the old Castle, which must have
witnessed the siege of the place in 1544,
by the Spanish army of Charles V.,
commanded by Ferdinand de Gonzaga,
assisted by Maurice of Saxony, Albert
of Brandenburg, and the Prince of
Orange (killed at a spot marked by a
cross), who served under him. The
toAvn, commanded by the Comte de
Sancerre and the Seigneur de Lalande,
resisted for a month ; and, by thus
delaying the march of the Spaniards

on Paris, enabled Francis I. to collect
his forces to oppose them. St. Dizier
is now no longer a fortress. The
produce of the forges and forests of
the D^pt. of the Haute Marne, which
is more abundantly supplied with
wood and iron than almost any other
in France, is embarked here on the
river.

[About 14 m. S.E. of St. Dizier is
Joinville (Lin: Soleil d’Or), an interest¬
ing town, prettily situated on the
Marne, surrounded by vineyards. The
ancient and noble castle of the Prince
de Joinville, the cradle of the Dues de
Guise, in which the famous “ Ligue
du Bien Public ” was signed, 1585, was
sold, in order to be pulled down, by
Philippe Egalite, Due d’Orleans, 1790,
and no vestiges of it exist. The build¬
ing called Petit Chateau was a country
seat of the Due de Guise, the owner of
the town. The domain was created a
principality by Henri II., in behalf of
Francois Due de Guise, who was assas¬
sinated by Poltrot. The Sire de Join¬
ville, the faithful servant and bio¬
grapher of St. Louis, was born here.
There are many iron-works on the
borders of the river, the supply of ore
being very abundant.]

12 Sandrupt (Dept, de la Meuse).

12 Bar-le-Duc, a Stat. on the Rally.
See Rte. 165.

16 Ligny (Inn: Sauvage ?) is a town
of 3012 Inhab. It has pretty walks,
formed in what was the park of the old
chateau.

The road to the Baths of Plombieres,
by Domr&my, turns off here. (See
Rte. 166.)

9 St. Aubin.

14 Void.— Inn: Aigle Noir ; not re¬
commended.

About 24 m. S. of Void, in the Dept,
des Vosges, is the village of Domremy,
the birthplace of Joan of Arc. (Rte.
166.)

About 16 m. N. of Void is St. Mihiel
en Lorraine, where De Retz wrote his
Memoirs.

In the stage beyond Void we cross
the infant Meuse, and afterwards tra¬
verse the mountain ridge separating
that river from the Moselle.

11 Lay St. Remy.

520

Route 165 .—Paris to Strasburg — Rail.

Sect. IX.

11 Toul, a Stat. on the Strasburg
Railway. (See Rte. 165.)

11 Velaine.

11 Nancy, in Rte. 165.

ROUTE 165.

PARIS TO STRASBURG (RAILWAY), BY

MEAUX, CHATEAU - THIERRY, EPER-

NAY, CHALONS-SUR-MARNE-BAR-LE-

DUC, NANCY, LUNEVILLE.

500 kilom. = about 300 Eng. m.

When the line is complete fast trains
will run in 10 or 12 hours; stopping
trains in 15 hours.*

Terminus in Paris, Rue Neuve Cha¬
brol. It is a splendid edifice, with a
rose window at one end. This Rail¬
way, the Great Eastern of France, will
communicate by branches with Rheims,
and with Metz and the Prussian fron¬
tier from Frouard.

i't. The village of Pantin, with its
cabaret and guinguettes.

The Canal de l’Ourcq is crossed.

9 Noisy-le-Sec Stat.

11 Bondy Stat.

14 Villemomble Stat.

19 Chelles Stat.

The banks of the Marne are reached
near

28 Lagny Stat., a town on the 1.
bank of the Marne.

37 Esbly Stat.

The winding Marne is twice crossed,
and the Railway runs between it (rt.)
and the Canal de l’Ourcq, to

45 Meaux Stat. ( Inns: La Sirene ;—
Palais Royal), traversed by the Marne
and the Canal de l’Ourcq, with a popu¬
lation of 9000. It is a bishop’s see,
and its Cathedral is a noble Gothic
edifice, begun in the 12th and continued
until the 16th century, but not finished;
its vaulted roof is 109 feet high. It
has been recently restored by its actual
bishop, in very good taste. It con¬
tains the tombs of several bishops, and
the Monument of Bossuet, ‘ ‘ the Eagle
of Meaux,” as he has been called, who
long time filled the see. His marble
statue, erected by the Ddpt., is stiff,
hai’d, and by no means successful as a
work of .art. His grave escaped, by a

* From Bar-le-Duc to Sarrebourg will be
finished in 1852.

wonder, violation from the Vandals of
the Revolution, and even the pulpit
from which he preached remains. Some
relics of him are preserved in the
Evechd -—the study in which he wrote,
and the avenue of yews in the garden
where he used to meditate. A house
behind the cathedral is a good speci¬
men of domestic architecture of the
15th century, of stone, flanked by tur¬
rets. There is an ancient Hotel Hieu
here, and an Hospice, founded by a
citizen, Jean Rose, is now turned into
a Seminaire. Three abbeys, numerous
convents, and 4 out of its 7 churches,
were destroyed at the Revolution, and
scanty ruins alone exist. A magnifi¬
cent Hopital G 'n 'ral has been built
here, and the Cli. of St. Nicholas has
been restored. Meaux furnishes Paris
with a large supply of coni and flour
from the water-mills on the Marne. A
sort of cream cheese (fromage de Brie),
known as Fromage de la Poste aux
Chevaux h, Meaux, is peculiar to the
place, and is considered very delicate.

The Marne is crossed by a wooden
bi'idge: one of stone which preceded it
having been blown up by the French
in 1814.

Coaches to Dammartin—Villers Cot-
terets (Rte. 178)—Coulommiers—Nan-
teuil.

51 Trilport Stat.

58 Changis Stat.

66 LaFerte-sous-JouarreStat. ( Inns:
Ep4e ; France ; H. du Grand Conde) ;
a town of 2907 Inhab. (Jovis Ara ?),
on the Marne, here varied by islands,
in one of which, united to the banks
by a bridge of 5 arches, is an old mill.
Here is a pretty Pavilion, of the time
of Louis XIII., which, it is said, once
belonged to the Due de St. Simon.
The Chateau de Laguy, in the Faubourg
de Condets, and the Castle of La Barre,
flanked by turrets, near the rt. bank of
the Marne, deserve mention. La Fert£
is famed for its millstones, the best in
the world, quarried in the vicinity out
of beds of a siliceous cellular rock,
known as Burr stone, almost peculiar
to the freshwater basin of Paris, in
which it forms nearly the uppermost
stratum. The stone is very full of
cavities, formed chiefly by shells, which

Champagne. Route 165 .—Paris to Strasburg — Epernay, 521

have been turned into flint. The blocks
are extracted in cylinders, by driving
in wedges of wood and iron. A good
millstone, 6 ^ ft. diameter, costs about
481. ; but many of those which are
used are composed of small pieces (car-
reaux) bound together with iron-hoops.
The number of millstones extracted
amounts to 1200 pairs yearly, which are
chiefly sent to England and America.

On an island in the Marne stands
the ancient and half-ruined Castle of
La Barre ; the height opposite La Ferte
is crowned by the antiquated town of
Jouarre. La Ferte, as before noticed,
means la fortifiee. The Marne is crossed
by a suspension-bridge.

74 Nanteuil Stat.

84 Nogent Stat.

The banks of the Marne are very
prettily varied to

95 Chateau-Thierry Stat. ( Inn: H.
d’Angleterre, tolerable), a neat and
pretty town of 4697 Inhab., agreeably
situated on the Marne. On the sum¬
mit of the gently sloping hill on which
it is built are the fragments of a Castle,
which has now nearly disappeared, con¬
structed, it is said, by Charles Martel
for the young King Thierry IV. The
site, and the ground around these
mouldering walls, are converted into
a pleasant and well-kept public walk, and
command a pleasing prospect of the
town and river. The most perfect of
the towers is turned into a powder
magazine. The Church of St. Crispin,
on the heights, of massive pointed
architecture, resembling a fortress, sur¬
mounted by a huge tower and entered
by high flights of steps, deserves the
notice of the antiquary. In the Rue
cles Cordeliers (the name given in France
to the Franciscan friars from the knotted
cord which they wore round the waist)
the house is preserved in which the
charming poet Jean de la Fontaine was
born, 1621. A statue of him has been
erected at the end of the promenade
called La Levde.

This town suffered much in the
campaign of 1814, when the plain of
Brie was covered over with uncouth
hordes of Calmucks and Lesgliian Cos¬
sacks, having been taken and retaken
several times (Feb. 8-12).

The borders of the Marne are the
prettiest part of the ancient province
of Champagne, the country of the
champagne wine.

Coaches to Soissons.

104 Mezy Stat.

106 Varennes Stat.

117 Dormans Stat. (Inn; Lion d’Or?),
a town of 2000 Inhab., in the Dept.
Marne, has a port on the river. The
ruins of the Chateau of Chatillon, on
an elevated and apparently intrenched
position, have a very picturesque
aspect.

126 Port h, Binson Stat.

Epernay Stat. (Inn; H. de l’Europe),
a town of 5318 Inhab., on the 1.
bank of the Marne. It is the head¬
quarters of Vins de Champagne; the
kinds which are grown in the vicinity
are distinguished from those pro¬
duced near Rheims, as “ Vins de la
Riviere.” A'i, which gives its name to
one of the best sorts, is a hill a little
higher up the Marne, on its rt. bank.
Almost the only “ lion ” is the Cellars
cut out in the chalk rock; they are of
vast extent; a perfect labyrinth, and al¬
ways contain several millions of bottles,
a great part of which are sold on the
spot, wholesale, at 2 or 3 frs. the
bottle.

“ Formerly wines from these par¬
ticular spots were esteemed for their
peculiar qualities; but now that the
wine of Ai or any celebrated locality
is no longer prepared without the ad¬
mixture of the wine of other places,
the general quality of champagne wines
is greatly improved. These growths
are now of value chiefly for admixture;
and a skilful wine preparer gives to his
wine a quality and character fitted for
different markets and countries by his
judicious proportions of the wine grown
in different soils or aspects. Thus a
light wine is preferred in Russia, and a
full-flavoured wine in England; and
these depend on the selection of the
wine, and the degree of sweetness arti¬
ficially imparted.

“ It is a common mistake to suppose
that champagne wine is obtained from
unripe fruit. The grapes are small,
but luxuriously sweet; and fine wine
is never produced unless the season be

522

Route 165 .—Paris to Strasburg — Epernay.

Sect. IX.

most favourable to the ripening of the
fruit. The summer of 1842 was one of
the finest ever remembered for quality
and quantity. The rains, which de¬
stroyed the greatest promise for clarets
in that year, only increased the quan¬
tity and excellence of the champagne
wines, which are later by 3 weeks in
the vintage ; and 1842 will long be
celebrated for the excellence of its
champagne.

“ When the fruit is gathered and
pressed, the juice is exquisitely sweet,
but in a few days this is destroyed by
fermentation in the casks in which it
is placed. When this subsides the wine
is vapid and very disagreeable ; it is
then stopped, and fined to as great a
degree of brightness as can be obtained
before the bottling season, usually in
March following the vintage. When
it is bottled, a second fermentation is
induced, by putting into each bottle a
small glass of what is called liqueur —
sugar - candy dissolved in wine, and
fined to brightness. This fermenta¬
tion produces a fresh deposit of sedi¬
ment or lees, however bright the wine
may be when bottled. In this process
the greatest attention is necessary, and
the bottles are closely watched, the
temperature of the air carefully regu¬
lated, to promote or check the fermen¬
tation; yet thousands of bottles ex¬
plode—so many, indeed, that 10 per
cent, is always charged as a cost of
manufacture: but in seasons of eai'ly
and great and sudden heat 20 per cent,
and even 25 per cent, are broken. It
was reported that Madame Cliquot of
Itheims, the largest grower in France,
lost in the latter proportion 400,000
bottles in the great heat of April,
1843, before the fermentation could be
checked by supplies of ice from Paris
thrown into the caves.

“ The destruction of so large a pro¬
portion as 10 per cent, is never con¬
sidered a loss, for the wine-buyers,
who go round to the growers and mer¬
chants to purchase stock, always in¬
quire the amount of breakage. They
despise the wine that has lost only 5
per cent., and expect to pay more for
wine that has fermented destructively.

“ When the wine, after clouding

with fermentation in the bottles, begins
to deposit a sediment, the bottles are
placed, with the necks downward, in
long beds or shelves, having holes
obliquely cut in them, so that the
bottoms are scarcely raised. Every
day the man whose business it is to
attend to this process lifts the end of
each bottle, and after a slight vibra¬
tion replaces it a little more upright
in the hole, thus detaching the sedi¬
ment from the side, and letting it pass
towards the neck of the bottle. This
is done for some time, until the bottle
is placed quite upright, and the sedi¬
ment is entirely deposited in the neck
of the bottle; which is then ready for
disgorging. In this process, a man
holds the bottle steadily, with the
mouth downwards, before a recess pre¬
pared for the operation, cuts the wire,
when the internal force drives out the
cork, and with it the foul sediment.
The skill of the workman is shown in
his preserving all the bright pure wine,
and losing only the foul. There is an
indescribable manipulation in this. An
old cork is ready to replace that blown
out, which in its turn serves again;
the bottle is filled up from some pre¬
viously purified wine, and again stacked.
A second disgorgement is always ne¬
cessary when the wine is prepared for
sale; sometimes a third: when ready,
it is sweetened for the particular mar¬
ket, or taste of customers: this pre¬
paration is in fact a second disgorge¬
ment. But the wine now gets another
dose of liqueur, which is prepared with
great care and purity, by candy dis¬
solved in white wine for ordinary
champagne, and in red wine for pink;
and the colouring thus given is suffi
cient. The quantity put into each
bottle depends upon the market to
which it is to be sent,—generally a
good wine-glassful: this gives it the
requisite sweetness, and aids its spark¬
ling condition when opened. The high
price of genuine champagne may be
accounted for by the loss from break¬
age and the cost of preparing. So
large is the demand now for this class
of wines, that many of the wine dis¬
tricts make mousseaux wines in imita¬
tion, under the names of spai’kling

Champagne. P. 165 .—Paris to Strashurg — Chalons.

523

Hock, Burgundy, and Moselle; and
even in Hungary they make and send
8 millions of bottles annually to Russia,
which country consumes more than 3
times that amount from France. A
large quantity of wine is made and sold
as champagne in France ; and a com¬
pany exists in Paris, Cette, and in
many other towns for this manufacture.
Light, poor wines, such as inferior
Chablis, are sweetened with candy,
and fined or strained bright: the liquor
is then passed through an apparatus
which charges it with carbonic acid
gas: in this state it is bottled, and in
10 min. is ready for the market.
There is another establishment of the
same sort in London. The English
imitation by gooseberries is well known;
and lately a patent has been granted,
which is worked profitably, for making
champagne of the juice of the stalks of
rhubarb: but all these imitations fall
miserably short of the real article.
The genuine productions of France in
the champagne districts exceed 50
millions of bottles. Moet was a name
long celebrated, but it is now more
than rivalled in fame, and surpassed
in extent, by several others.”— W. B.

Large quantities of coarse earthen¬
ware are made at Epernay from clay
called Terre de Champagne, obtained
from the neighbouring hill of Mon-
tigny.

One of the principal buildings is the
house of M. Moet, the eminent wine-
merchant, in which Napoleon slept at
the time of the battle of Montmirail,
1814.

The town was taken by Henri IV.,
1592, after an obstinate siege, in which
Marshal Biron was killed. In the
hideous modern Church remain a frag¬
ment of a portal in the style of the
Renaissance, and 16 windows filled
with curious painted glass of the 16th
centy.

Coach to Ay and to Rheims.

Mcdleposte Epernay to Rheims and
Sedan in 8^ hrs.

1. A branch railway to Rheims (Rte.
178) diverges.

The journey continues up the 1. bank
of the Marne, through a region of vines;
the vineyard of A'i being conspicuous

on the opposite bank. The landscape
somewhat monotonous, the river ap¬
pearing only now and then.

159 Jalons Stat.

172 Chdlons-sur-Marne Stat. (Inns;
H. Morizot ; La Cloche d’Or ;—H. du
Palais Royal; not a fine house, but
descent and comfortable ; — H. de
Nancy.) This is the chef-lieu of the
Dept. Marne; and has a pop. of 13,163.
During the middle ages, and under its
Count-Bishops, it enjoyed much greater
prosperity as a commercial entrepot,
numbering 60,000 Inhab. Its privileges
were withdrawn, and its celebrated
fairs dwindled away, after the union
of Champagne with France in 1284.

The town is old; principally of tim¬
ber, lath, and plaster. The Cathedral
was built in the 16th centy.; the front
has been modernised, but in other
parts it is in a rich and florid style: at
the W. end is a bold and elaborate
gallery, within which is a pretty chapel
in the style of the Renaissance, and
some good painted glass, including a
rose window. It is 360 ft. long and
96 ft. high. The spires are of a beauti¬
ful open work, a style of which the
finest example is found at Frey burg,
in the Bi’eisgau. The Marne runs
through the city; and on the banks is
another fine Church, Notre Dame, of
early Romanesque architecture, and
forming a striking object in many
points of view. Outside the walls is
the promenade du Jard, planted with
2000 ash-trees (ormes).

“ The Champagne cellars of M. Jaque-
son, of Chalons, compose one of the
finest establishments in France : they
now hold, as an ordinary stock, 3
millions of bottles ; and yet he is
greatly extending them.* On ap¬
proaching CMlons his buildings crown
the hill and line the road; and their
extent may be imagined, when one
portion only—that which contains his
stores in cask, and his sheds for
packing, where he keeps his wood
and straw—were let for 6 months to
the French Government as barracks
for 4000 men; and the ground within
the building offered ample space for
the parade and manoeuvring of the
* Cutler and Lee are his agents in London.

524

Route 165 .—Paris to Strasburg — Nancy.

Sect. IX.

troops. There are excavations in the
chalk rock nearly a mile long, through
which loaded waggons are driven. M
Jaqueson expends 6000/. a year in
corks alone.”— W. B.

Diligences —to Troyes—to Metz—to
St. Menehould.

Malleposte to Metz in 10 hrs.

Railway to Rheims.

An account of the Battle of Attila,
fought near Chalons, is given in lite.
187.

The ch. of N. D. de VEpine, 6 m. E.
of Chalons, is described in Rte. 175.

Vitry - le - Fran§ais Stat. {Inn: La
Cloche ; landlady English) is a town
of modern origin, on the Marne (Ma-
trona), which is here navigable, built
1545 by Francis I., and fortified, to
supply the place of Vitry-le-Brule, 2 m.
off, which had been taken and destroyed
by Charles Y.: 6976 Inhab.

Coaches to St. Dizier, Joinville, Chau-
mont, Langres.

The series of railway embankments
in the neighbourhood, and the pas¬
sage of the Bar river, executed by
M. Michel, are very remarkable. The
skew bridge over the Ornain, con¬
structed after a new system, and two
bridges of cast-iron, present new fea¬
tures, and a great perfection in their
execution.

12 Bar-le-Duc Stat. {Inn; Le Cygne).
This town, the chef-lieu of the Dept,
of La Meuse, has 12,496 Inhab., and
stands on the Ornain. It was for se¬
veral centuries the seat of the line of
Dukes of Bar, whose castle is de¬
stroyed all but a small fragment.

In the Church of St. Pierre, in the
upper town, is the monument of
Rene de Chalons, Prince of Orange,
who was killed before the walls of St.
Dizier. It bears an emaciated effigy
or skeleton of white marble on a black
altar tomb.

There is some trade here in timber,
iron, and vins de Bar, which resemble
champagne. Marshal Oudinot and
General Excelmans were born here.

Diligence to Verdun and Metz.

Nangois le Petit Stat. Coach to
Ligny.

Loxeville Stat.

Lerouville Stat. Coach to St. Mihiel.

Cominercy Stat. on the Meuse.
Coaches to Vancouleurs, Epinal, Plom-
bieres, Bourbonne les Bains.

About 12 m. N. is St. Mihiel en
Lorraine, where De Retz wrote his
Memoirs.

The railway crosses 2 bridges over
the Meuse, near Lever dun.

11 ToulStat. {Inn: H. de l’Europe) is
a fourth-rate fortress, irregularly bas •
tioned, seated on the Moselle, and con¬
taining 7314 Inhab. It was not de¬
finitively added to France until 1552,
having previously maintained a sort of
independence as a free city of the Ger¬
man empire, under the nominal control
of a long line of bishops.

The chief edifice is the Gothic Ca¬
thedral, a fine structure, founded in
the 10th centy. Its portal and W.
front, designed and raised by Jac-
quemin de Commercy (1447), are much
admired ; indeed, they are surpassed
by few in France: the fagade is 227
ft. high. The interior has some pecu¬
liarities of structure deserving notice ;
and there is a very remarkable cloister.
The Ch. of St. Gengoult is said also to
deserve notice. The H. de Ville, a
modern building, was originally the
Bishop’s palace.

Toul is the birth-place of Marshal
Gouvion St. Cyr.

Frouard Stat. t

1. Here the branch line to Metz
(Rte. 175, about 30 Eng. m.) diverges.

Nancy Stat. — Inn: H. de France;
very good.

Nancy, formerly capital of Lorraine,
now chef-lieu of the Dept, de la
Meurtlie, is a city of 35,900 Inhab.,
seated on a fertile plain, not far from
the Meurtlie. It has been styled the
prettiest town in France, and it has
perhaps some claim to the epithet
from the regularity and uniformity of
its buildings and breadth of its streets.
The Place Royale is surrounded by 6
or 7 fine public buildings, including
the H. de Ville and theatre, and orna¬
mented with a statue of Stanislas
Lesczynski, cx-king of Poland, to whom
Nancy is indebted for its modern
aspect and architectural embellish¬
ments. After abdicating the throne
of Poland (1735), he resided here

525

Champagne. Route 165 .—Paris to Strasburg — Nancy.

many years as Duke of Lorraine and
Bar until his death (1766), when these
domains fell to the crown of France.
The Place Royale communicates by a
triumphal arch, also erected by Sta¬
nislas, with the Place Carriere, which
is prolonged into the Cours d’Orleans,
terminating in the gateway called
Porte Neuve, erected 1785 to celebrate
the birth of the Dauphin, the victories
of France, and her alliance with the
United States.

In the old town, a network of lanes,
except the Cours d’Orleans and Place
de Greve, stands a portion of the old
Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, now
a barrack. The portal is admired.

In the Ch. of the Cordeliers are tombs
of the Cardl. de Vaudemont, consist¬
ing of a kneeling statue, by Drouin;
of Antoine de Vaudemont and his
lady, 1447 ; of Philippa of Gueldres,
much praised as a work of art, by the
sculptor Ligier - Pickier, and others.
From the nave you enter the Chapelle
Ducale or Iiotonde , an octagonal struc¬
ture, of singular grace and elegance,
rich in marbles, prefaced by the arms
of Lorraine and Austria, erected as a
funeral chapel for the Dukes of Lor¬
raine. The black marble contrasted
with the white gives a solemn, funereal,
but not too gloomy an air to the whole.
The coffins were taken up at the Re¬
volution, and thrown into a public
cemetery; the ch. and chapel were con¬
verted into a warehouse. Louis XVIII.
and Charles X.,having visited the chapel
after 1815, then degraded and dilapi¬
dated, caused it to be restored, and
the coffins to be replaced.

The Cathedral is a modern Italian
edifice in the new town. The ff. de
V Uniccrsite contains the Public Li¬
brary.

The Ch. of St. L'vre or Epvre, called
also la Chapelle Ronde: from its tower
the Burgundian officers of Charles the
Bold, to the number of nearly 100,
were hanged in revenge for the death
of Suffron du Bachier, chamberlain of
Rene II., Duke of Lorraine, whom
Charles had seized and put to death
while besieging Nancy (1477). Behind
the altar a bas-relief of the Last Supper,
by Drouin, a sculptor of Nancy. In

the Chapel of the Conception are
ancient frescoes, much injured by re¬
painting.

Nancy is well furnished with Gates
of modern Italian architecture; that
of St. Jean leads out of the town to
the Croix du Due de Bourgogne, raised
to mark the spot where the lifeless
body of Charles the Bold was dis¬
covered in a pond, near what was then
the Marais de St. Jean, two days
after the battle of 1477, when the
might of Burgundy was laid prostrate
by hireling Swiss and German lands¬
knechts engaged to support Duke Rene
of Lorraine, whose domains Charles
had unjustly invaded. He rushed on
certain destruction with a dispirited
army, inferior to that of his opponents,
and betrayed by his Neapolitan favour¬
ite, Campo Basso.

At the extremity of the Faubourg
St. Pierre stands the Ch. of Bon Secours,
occupying the site of one raised by the
Due Rene to commemorate this victory.
Having fallen to ruin, it was rebuilt
1738 by the ex-king of Poland, Sta¬
nislas, and contains the Tombs, in white
marble, of himself and his queen. He
was burned to death by his clothes
accidentally catching fire as he sat at
the fire-side. Here are or were pre¬
served several standards taken from
the Turks by various Princes of Lor¬
raine in 1664, 1687, 1716.

The Public Gardens are spacious, and
laid out with taste.

Callot, the artist and clever etcher,

was a native of Nancv.

«/

The Cotton manufacture is carried
on to a considerable extent at Nancy,
as well as that of Cloth; but embroidery,
of the kind called “plumetis,” upon
cambric, muslin, and jaconots, employs
_ the greatest number of hands, amount¬
ing in and about the town to 20,000
or 25,000 persons, but only one-tliird
of the number receive constant em¬
ployment.

Diligences to Luneville and Lyons;
to Langres, Besangon, Colmar, &c.

The Railway from Nancy to Lune¬
ville and Sarrebourg will be finished
before the end of 1852. There are
bridges at Marainvillier and Goudrex-
ange.

526

Route 165 .—Paris to Strasburg — Luneville. Sect. IX.

Steamers down the Moselle to Treves,
starting from Nancy. (Rte. 181.)

There are 2 roads from Nancy to
Sarrebourg— a. by Luneville, 72 kilom.;
b. by Bourdonnay, 65 kilom. On quit¬
ting Nancy, the former road traverses
the Faubourg St. Pierre, passing the
Ch. of Bon Secours, and crosses the
Meurthe at St. Nicholas, where is a
very fine Gothic Ch., begun 1494 and
finished 1544: the vault of its roof,
more than 100 ft. above the pave¬
ment, is supported on very slender
piers.

15 Dombasle (Meurthe): here are
remains of an old castle.

12 Luneville Stat. (Tun: Sauvage; the
only one, and very bad), a decayed town
of 12,636 Inhab., near the junction of
the Vezouse with the Meurthe, consists
chiefly of straight streets and regular
buildings, but is scarcely otherwise re¬
markable than for the Treaty of Peace
signed here 1801 between France and
Austria, by which the frontier of the
Rhine was conceded to France, as a
consequence of the campaign of Ma¬
rengo. The Palace built by Leopold
Duke of Lorraine at the beginning of
the last centy., and sometime occupied
by the ex-king of Poland, Stanislas,
has long been turned into a Caserne
de cavalerie. Its gardens are become
a public walk. Here is a very large
riding-school.

This is one of the chief stations for
cavalry in France.

15 Benam^nil.

15 Blamont.

16 Heming, where we fall into the
other road,

Ete. b., by

14 Champenoux.

17 Moyenvic, a town of 1295 Inhab.,
which formerly possessed salt-works,
abandoned 1831, since the discovery
of a mine of rock-salt at Dieuze (3892
Inhab.), about 9 m. off, where the
most extensive salt-works in France have
been established, producing annually
145,000 quintals, supplied chiefly from
very copious brine springs as well as
rock-salt, and employing 400 men.
There is also a considerable manu¬
facture of soda and other chemical
products.

6 m. N. of Moyenvic is the town of
Chateau Salins.

“ From Moyenvic, or even farther
W., the country traversed is a vast un¬
enclosed arable plain, uninhabited, save
in the towns or villages; scarcely one
hamlet or farm-house, hardly a solitary
cabaret at the road-side.”— R. I.

14 Bourdonnay.

20 Heming.

8 Sarrebourg Stat. {Inns: Le Sau¬
vage;—Grand Hotel), a town of 2164
Inhab., on the rt. bank of the Sarre,
or Saar. Here begins the portion of
the Railway completed in 1851 hence
to Strasburg. It descends the valley
of the Zorn, and turns the hill of
Saverne, an offshoot from the Vosges.

Lutzelbourg Stat.

[7 m. N. is

Phalsbourg {Inn: H. de la Ville de
Metz), one of Louis XIV.’s fortresses,
planned by Vauban in the place of
older works: it is of importance from
its position, under the crest of the
Vosges, as commanding the defiles of
those mountains, and is itself built on
the living rock.]

There are 3 tunnels: one near Hom-
marting is nearly 700 metres (765 yds.)
long.

The spire of Strasburg may be seen
in clear weather from the top of the
hills. We now enter the Dept, du Bas
Rhin. The entrance into Alsace is
very picturesque, presenting a pleasing
picture of fertility. The people differ
much in customs, dress, and language
from the French.

9 Saverne Stat. (Germ. Zabern), {Inn:
Poste), a town of 5106 Inliab., on the
Zorn, once residence of the Bishops
of Strasburg. It suffered severely in
the 30 Years’ War, but has ceased to
be fortified since 1696. In the vicinity
is the Chateau, converted by Louis
Napoleon (1852) into an asylum for
the widows of military and civil public
servants. The Castle of Saverne,
formerly the country residence of the
Bishops of Strasburg, was rebuilt (the
former one having been destroyed by
fire in 1780) by the notorious Bishop-
Prince de Rohan. It is an immense
edifice, situated near the river Zorn,
at the foot of one of the most eastern

Lorraine. Route 165.— Paris to Strasburg — Straslarg .

527

spurs of the Vosges Mountains. Since
the first revolution it had been used
as an extensive barrack for infantry
and artillery. The ruined towers of
Haut-Barr, Geroldsee, and of GreifFen-
stein, on the heights above the valley,
are very picturesque objects.

About 21 m. N. of Saverne is the
fortress of Bitche, where many English
were confined prisoners of war.

You now enter the level plain of
Alsace, inhabited by people of the
German race, one of the richest scenes,
as far as regards soil and cultivation,
to be met with in France.

At Marlenheim, near Wasselonne,
are the quarries which furnished stone
for Strasburg Minster.

Steinbourg Stat.

Dettwiller Stat.

Hochfelden Stat.

Bnimath Stat.

Vendenheim Stat.

13 Strasburg. — Inns: H. de Paris ;
the best and good; table d’hote at 1
and 5, 3 fr.; breakfast fr.; rooms
from 2 to 4 fr. Omnibuses run from
the inns to the Rhine steamers and to
the railway ;—Maison Rouge (Rothes
Haus);—La Fleur ; in a centrical situa¬
tion ;—Rebstock (the Vine), a 2nd-
class German inn, but good.

Strasburg, capital of the ancient
province of Alsace (Elsass), is a very
strong frontier fortress, with 70,298
Inhab., and a garrison of 6000 men,
even in time of peace; situated at the
distance of about 1^ m. from the
Rhine, on the Ill, which, on its way to
join that important river, intersects
the town, divided into several channels
and a canal. Strasburg is the Argento-
ratum of the Romans.

Though it has now for a long time
been united to France, and forms at
present the chief town of the Dept,
du Bas Rhin, yet it bears all the
external aspect of a German town in
the appearance of the streets and
houses, and in the costume and lan¬
guage of its inhabitants. German is
generally spoken by the lower orders,
though French is taught in the schools.
Louis XIV. got possession of Strasburg,
which was an imperial city of the
German empire, in 1681, by an un¬

warrantable attack during the time of
peace.

The principal and most interesting
building in the town is the Cathedral,
or Munster, one of the noblest Gothic
edifices in Europe, remarkable for its
spire, the highest in the world, rising
474 ft. above the pavement; 24 ft.
higher than the great Pyramid of
Egypt, and 140 ft. higher than St.
Paul’s. The artist who designed this
admirable masterpiece of airy open¬
work was Erwin of Steinbach : his plans
are still preserved in the town. He
died in 1318, when the work was only
half finished: it was continued by his
son, and afterwards by his daughter
Sabina. The remains of this family
of architects are interred within the
cathedral. The tower, begun 1277,
was not completed till 1439, long after
their deaths, and 424 years after the
church was commenced, by John Hiiltz
of Cologne, who was summoned to
Strasburg for this end. Had the ori¬
ginal design been carried into execu¬
tion, both the towers would have been
raised to the same height. A door¬
way, in the south side of the truncated
tower, leads to the summit of the
spire. On the platform, about ^ds of
the way up, is a station for the watch¬
men, who are set to look out for fires;
and on a turret a telegraph. One
of them will accompany those who
wish to mount the upper spire, and
will unlock the iron gate which closes
the passage. There is no difficulty or
danger in the ascent to a person of
ordinary nerve or steadiness of head;
but the stonework of the steeple is
so completely open, and the pillars
which support it are so wide apart,
and cut so thin, that they more nearly
resemble a collection of bars of iron
or wood; so that at such a height one
might almost fancy one’s self suspended
in a cage over the city; and, if the
foot were to slip, the body might pos¬
sibly drop through the open fret-work.
At the same time, the elaborateness of
the tracery, and the sharpness of the
angles and ornaments, are proofs of
the skill of the architect, and the ex¬
cellent materials he had chosen; and
it is only by a close inspection that

528

Route 165.— Strasburg — Minster — St. Thomas. Sect. IX.

the delicacy of the workmanship can
be truly appreciated. Within a few
feet of the top, the winding stair ter¬
minates, under a species of carved
rosette. Several instances are recorded
of persons who have either fallen, or
have thrown themselves, off the top.
The upper part of the spire, within
and without, is covered with neatly
carved names of those who have visited
it; among them may be read Stolberg,
Gothe, Schlosser, Herder.

The view of the multitude of rusty-
coloured tiled roofs of the town is not
very pleasing; nor is it the bird’s-eye
panorama of the rich district around,
of the Rhine and Black Forest in
Germany, and of the Vosges Mountains
on the side of France, that will reward
the adventurous climber; but rather
the exploit, the great elevation, and the
near view which it affords of the steeple.

Now to descend to the body of the
church. The exterior of the W. end
deserves minute examination.

“The gigantic mass, over the solid
part of which is thrown a netting of
detached arcades and pillars, which,
notwithstanding their delicacy, from
the hardness and excellent preserva¬
tion of the stone, are so true and
sharp as to look like a veil of the finest
cast-iron, contains a circular window
48 ft. in diameter, and rises to the
height of 230 ft.: i. e. higher than the
towers of York Minster.” — Hope's
Architecture.

“ The building,” says Dr. Whewell,
“ looks as though it were placed be¬
hind a rich open screen, or in a case
of woven stone. The effect of the
combination is very gorgeous, but with
a sacrifice of distinctness from the
multiplicity and intersections of the
lines.” The triple portal in the W.
front deserves to be studied, on ac¬
count of its sculptures, statues, and
bas-reliefs; as does also the porch on
the S. side, executed by Sabina, the
daughter of Erwin. Although the
greater portion of these carvings are
modern, the originals having been de¬
stroyed by the democrats of the Revo¬
lution, who melted down the great
doors of brass into sous-pieces, yet
they have been restored with a perfect

exactness, with great truth of senti¬
ment, and good taste, by MM. Kirstein
et Haumack. The group of the Death
of the Virgin is executed in a masterly
manner.

The nave was begun in 1015, and
finished in 1275. The choir, far in¬
ferior to it in size and proportion, is
part of an older building, attributed
to the time of Charlemagne. The
most remarkable things in the interior
are the rich painted glass, executed
partly in 1348, partly in the 15th
centy., the vast and beautiful marigold
window, the pulpit of carved stone
(date 1487), and the famous clock in
the S. transept, made in 1571, which,
after standing still for more than 50
years, has been repaired by a mechani¬
cian of Strasburg, named Schwilge, who
was occupied 5 years upon the calcu¬
lations alone for the remarkable work.
At 12, all its clockwork, puppets, and
images are set in motion. The part of
the church where it is now placed is
supported by a beautiful single pillar,
ornamented with statues : above the
Gothic border, which runs along the
wall, appears a figure of the architect
of the minster, Erwin of Steinbach,
carved by himself : he is interred here;
and in 1835 the tombstone was dis¬
covered in the little court behind the
chapel of St. John. A statue of him
has lately been erected in the porch
on the S. side of the nave.

The Guild of Freemasons has existed
at Strasburg since the foundation of
the minster, and is the parent of the
lodges throughout Germany.

Two ancient Gothic houses near the
Palais have been repaired, and deserve
notice.

The Church of St. Thomas, appro¬
priated to the use of a Protestant
congregation, contains the Monument of
Marshal Saxe, erected to his memory
by Louis XV., the masterpiece of the
sculptor Pigalle, and the result of 25
years’ labour. It represents the Ge¬
neral descending with a calm mien
to the grave, while France, personi¬
fied in a beautiful female figure, en¬
deavours to detain him, and at the
same time to stay the threatening ad¬
vance of Death. It is looked upon as

529

Alsace. Route 165 .' — Strasburg — Museum,

a very successful effort of the chisel:
though somewhat theatrical, there is a
tenderness of expression about the fe¬
male figure which is truly charming.
This monument was saved from de¬
struction at the Revolution by a citizen
of Strasburg, named Mangelschott,
who covered it up with bundles of hay
and straw, the church having been
turned into a straw warehouse. Schop-
flin, and a brother of the pastor Ober-
lin, are buried in this church ; and
there are one or two other small
monuments. Two bodies, said to be
of a Count of Nassau Saarwerden and
his daughter, are shown, on account of
the wonderfully perfect state in which
flesh and clothes have been preserved
after the lapse of more than a century.
This is truly a disgusting spectacle.

Some curious portions of a “ Dance
of Death” were discovered in 1823,
painted on the walls of the new Church.

The Maine , in the Brandgasse con¬
tains a museum of bad or second-rate
pictures.

The Academic Royale, originally a
Protestant school, founded 1538, raised
to the dignity of an University in
1621, but suppressed at the Revolution,
has produced several remarkable scho¬
lars, as Schopflin, Oberlin, Schweig-
hauser, <&c. : here also Gothe com¬
pleted his studies, and took his degree
of Doctor in Laws, 1772. His resi¬
dence at Strasburg is admirably de¬
scribed in his autobiography. The
Academy possesses a Museum of Natural
History, which ranks far higher than
the common average of provincial col¬
lections. It is very complete in the
productions of Alsace, and especially
in the fossils of the gres bigarre ; and
there is a large series of the fossil
plants discovered at Sulz-les-Bains and
Miililhausen. The botanical collection
contains the section of the trunk of a
silver fir, from the Hochwald, near
Barr ; its diameter was 8 ft. close to
the ground, its height 150 ft. There
are many other specimens of woods,
preserved in such a manner as not
only to interest the botanist, but to be
useful to the practical man, to the
carpenter, and the like, by showing
the texture and quality of the timber.

France.

The Public Library, near the new
Church, boasts of many literary curi¬
osities: the principal are, the f Lands -
berg Missal,’ or ‘ Hortus Delicia-
rum,’ of Herrade, Abbess of Hohen-
berg, richly and copiously decorated
with illuminations and miniatures in
the early Byzantine style, executed
in 1180 ; many early printed books ;
Cicero, printed by Faust, 1465 ; a
Bible, printed at Strasburg, 1466, by
Eggestein ; Mentelin’s Bible, printed
here in the same year.

Here also is deposited a collection
of antiquities, chiefly Roman, and
found in Alsace ; also some monu¬
ments of the middle ages ; a statue of
Rudolph of Habsburg ; and the town
standard (carroccio) of Strasburg, and
some painted glass from Molsheim.

The earliest attempt at printing was
made at Strasburg (about 1436) by
John Guttemberg, who finally brought
his invention to perfection at Mayence.
Peter Schoffer, who assisted him, and
made many improvements, particu¬
larly in the casting of metallic letters,
was a citizen of Strasburg. The total
number of volumes in the Strasburg
library exceeds 100,000. The statue
of Guttemberg, on the Marche aux
Herbes, now called Place Guttemberg,
was modelled by David, and it appears,
on the whole, not inferior to the one
at Mayence.

Strasbiu’g is regarded as one of the
strongest fortresses in France, or in
Europe ; its fortifications, including
the citadel of 5 bastions, whose outer
works extend to the arm of the Rhine,
were laid out by Vauban, 1682-84.
Persons interested in military matters
will be disposed to visit the arsenal of a
fortress so important as Strasburg: it
contains fire-arms for 155,000 men,
and 952 pieces of cannon, 412 of which
are required for the defence of the
town and the citadel. There is a can¬
non foundry here, and one of the largest
depots of artillery in France. By
means of large sluices, constructed in
the time of Louis XV., by Vauban, at
the spot where the Ill enters the town,
the country'around Strasburg, between
the Rhine and the Ill, can be laid
under water, except on the side of the

2 A

530

Route 165.— Strasburg — Synagogue .

Sect. IX.

Porte des Mines, and on that side the
glacis is mined, and the city rendered
unapproachable by an army, and al¬
most impregnable. The attempt of
Louis Napoleon to seize Strasburg was
made Oct. 30, 1836.

The Palais du Roi is a handsome
edifice, close to the cathedral : it was
originally the Bishop’s palace.

There is a good provincial Theatre
here, near the square called Broglie,
from a governor of Alsace of that
name. A very splendid Synagogue was
erected in 1834 by the Jews. It is
curious to contrast the present with
the former condition of that people in
this city. Nowhere did they suffer
more cruel or tyrannical persecutions.
The street called Brand Gasse (Fire-
street) was so named because on the
spot where the Prefecture now stands
a bonfire was made, in 1348, to burn
the Hebrews ; and 2000 of that de¬
voted race, accused of having poisoned
the wells and fountains, and thus
caused the plague which desolated the
city about that time, were consumed
in the flames. From thenceforth no
Jew was allowed to live within the
walls ; and the summons of a horn,
blown every evening from the Minster
tower, compelled them all to depart.

The body of General Kleber (a na¬
tive of Strasburg), originally interred
in the Minster, lias been removed to a
vault in the centre of the Place Kleber,
and a monument has been erected
over it.

Strasburg is famous for its Pate's de
foie gras, made of the livers of geese ,
which are enlarged to an unnatural
size by the simple process of shutting
the birds up singly in coops, too nar¬
row to allow them to turn, and stuff¬
ing them twice a day with maize
formed into a paste, and injected
through a syringe. They are gene¬
rally kept in a dark cellar, and the
winter is the season for fattening
them, coolness being essential. There
is such a coop in almost every house in
the town. Sulphur is steeped in the
water given to the birds, to increase
their appetite. Instances are known
of a goose’s liver having attained the
weight of 2 or even 3 lbs. Henri, Rue |

de la Mesange, and Hummel, No. 9,
Rue des Serruriers, are said to make
good pates. A heavy duty is charged
on them in England.

The gates of Strasburg are shut in
winter at 8 and in summer at 10
o’clock, but ingress or egress is allowed
after that time for diligences, and for
travellers by post and by steamboat;
and some of the gates remain longer
open in summer.

The principal Promenade is the Ru-
prechtsau, an extensive space, laid out in
walks and gardens, beyond the walls.

Railway —to Saarburg, on the way to
Paris, 4 trains daily (between Saarburg
and Nancy malleposte and diligence ) in
23 hrs.; when the line is completed, in
12 and 15 hrs. Diligences in 39 hrs.

Diligences also to Besan 9 on and
Lyons ; to Metz ; to Haguenau (se¬
veral) ; to Epinal ; to Mutzig and
Bischweiler.

Railway from Strasburg to Bale
(Rte. 170). Trains go 4 times a day.
Starting from Bale by the early train
(7 a.m.) you may reach Mayence at 10
the same night.

Railway to Baden-Baden, Freyburg,
Carlsruhe, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt.

Steamers descend the Rhine to Mann¬
heim and Mayence daily, starting from
the Canal of the Ill, in the middle of
the city ; they reach Mayence in 11
hrs. : b\it take 2 long days to mount
upwards from Mayence.

The distance from Strasburg to the
boat bridge over the Rhine at Kehl is
rather more than 1^ m. On the way
thither you pass, on the rt., in the
middle of an island formed by a branch
of the Rhine, a monumental cenotaph,
inscribed “Au General Desaix—l’Ar-
mee du Rhin—1801,” bearing a me¬
dallion portrait of him ; and bas-reliefs
representing the passage of the Rhine,
the Battle of the Pyramids, and the
Death of Desaix at Marengo. His
body lies on the summit of the Great
St. Bernard.

Kehl and the Rhine are described
in the Handbook for North Ger¬
many.

The Ban de la Roche, or Steinthal
(Stone Valley), the scene of the Pastor
Oberlin’s beneficent life and labours, is

Alsace. Route 166 .—Paris to Plombieres — Domremy.

531

about 30 m. S.W. of Strasburg. It is
described in Rte. 168.

Strasburg communicates with Pro¬
vence and the Mediterranean by the
Canal du Rhin au Rhone, and with the
Loire and Atlantic by the Canals de
Bourgogne and du Centre, which
supply the manufacturers of Alsace
with fuel from the coal-basin of the
Loire, just a,t the time when their own
coal-mines had been exhausted.

ROUTE 166.

PARIS TO THE BATHS OF PLOMBIERES

BY LIGNY, DOMREMY, AND EPINAL.

396 kilom.=246 Eng. m.

The road is the same as Rte. 164 as
far as

249 Ligny (p. 519), where it turns
to the S.E., and ascends the valley of
the Omain to

23 Houdelaincourt : thence crosses
the hills to

22 Domremy (la Pucelle .) This re¬
tired and insignificant village, on the
Meuse, has been rendered celebrated
as the birthplace (1410) of Jeanne
d’ Arc, the simple untaught peasant
girl, who quitted her flocks to rescue
her country from foreign invaders,
and to place the crown of France on
the rightful sovereign’s head. Here,
in the deep shade of the neighbouring
haunted wood, Bois Chenus (ISTemus
Canutum), she heard the mysterious
voices of her guardian saints, St. Mar¬
garet and St. Catherine, urging her
to the enterprise, and counselling her
how to act ; and here in the village
chapel dedicated to them, now in
ruins, she would spend whole days in
prayer, avoiding the pastimes of her
companions. After the accomplish¬
ment of her mission, by the coronation
at Rheims of Charles VII., Jeanne
d’Arc entreated to be allowed to re¬
turn hither to join her parents, and
become a shepherd girl again, an in¬
tention she was persuaded to abandon
to her own destruction. The only fa¬
vour that she asked from the king, for
whom she had effected so much, was
that her native village should be ex¬
empt from every tax. This privilege

was conceded, and remained in force
down to the Revolution. In the re¬
gistry-book of taxes, the space opposite
the name Domremy was filled up with
the words, “ Neant, h cause de la
Pucelle,” instead of the amount of
contribution. The humble cottage in
which she was born, having always
been treated with a sort of veneration,
is still preserved. A 'monument and
a girls’ school have also been raised in
her honour : and King Louis-Philippe
has presented to the village a cast of
the beautiful statue of the Pucelle by
his own daughter, ‘ ‘ another inspired
Maid of Orleans.”

At Vaucouleurs, about midway be¬
tween Void and Domremy, the Maid
first disclosed her mission to the Sire
de Baudricourt, and hence she set
forth on a journey of nearly 300 miles,
to declare to the king at Chinon, in
Touraine, the assistance which Heaven
destined in support of his cause.

11 Neufchateau,— Inns : Couronne
(?) ;—La Providence (?),—a town of
3650 Inhab., on a stream which runs
into the Meuse not far off.

19 Houecourt.

19 Mirecourt.

24 Darnieulles.

9 Epinal (Inn: La Poste), chef-lieu
of the Dept, des Yosges, is a town of
9526 Inhab. It stands on the W. de¬
clivity of the Vosges mountains, on
the infant Moselle, which makes se¬
veral small falls in passing through it,
and it is surmounted by the ruins of
an old castle. It has a large Gothic
church.

Diligences to Nancy ; to Thann and
Mulhausen ; to Strasburg.

16 Xertigny. The Saone rises a few
miles to the W. of this.

11 Plombieres (Inn: Ours ; j>oor ac¬
commodation). There is no lack of
lodgings in the town ; 10 frs. a day is
charged for a double-bedded room, a
sitting and servants’ room, with linen
and its washing.

Plombieres is a town of 1500 per¬
manent Inhab., situated on the Eau-
gronne, at a height of 1382 ft. above
the sea-level. It possesses celebrated
mineral springs, and may be regarded
as one of the most fashionable water-

2 a 2

Sect. IX.

532 Eoufe 168 .—Strasburg to Epinal,

ing places in France. The waters are
chiefly saline and thermal ; but there
are some cold springs, one of them
ferruginous, La Bourdeille. They are
very numerous ; the principal are the
Sources du Romains, du Crucifix, de
l’Enfer, du Grand Bain (147° Fahr.),
des Capucins (127° Fahr.), du Bain
des Dames. They are used chiefly for
baths ; but some, as the Crucifix,
Bain des Dames, are taken inter¬
nally.

The bath-houses belong to Govern¬
ment ; the principal ones are Bain
Royal , containing two public baths
(piscines), one for male, the other for
female bathers, each capable of hold¬
ing 25 persons, besides private baths.
The building also contains a reading-
room, which serves for balls and con¬
certs. The others are the Bains des
Capucins, Bain Tempere, Bain des
Dames (so called from the Nuns of
Remiremont, to whom it belonged),
and Grand Bain, or Bain des Pauvres.
In all there is a public as well as
private bath, and in some are douche
and vapour baths.

The waters are considered beneficial
in chronic diseases of the digestive
organs, dyspepsia, &c. The season
lasts from May till October.

In the neighbourhood of Plombieres
are some agreeable walks, through the
vast forests of oak, beech, and fir,
which cover the surrounding moun¬
tains.

One of the walks nearest to the town
leads to the Fontaine Stanislas, a well
on the side of an eminence overhung
by rocks, carved with inscriptions re¬
cording the benefactions of the Polish
king, who also founded a hospital here.
The avenues planted along the sides of
the road leading to Remiremont form
another frequented promenade. The
eminence called La Feuillee commands
a fine view over the fertile Val d’Ajol.

ROUTE 168.

THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS. — STRASBURC

TO EPINAL, BY MUTZIG AND ST. DIEY.

— EXCURSION TO THE BAN DE LA

ROCHE.

139 kilom. = 86 Eng. m.

Diligences daily to Epinal, and to
Mutzig.

This road, through the heart of the
Vosges mountains, will possess an in¬
terest with many English travellers
from its leading them close to the
country of the estimable pastor Ober-
lin. The following account is derived
from the journal of an English tra¬
veller :—“ We left Strasburg by the
Porte de Nancy, and, crossing the 111,
passed over a country whose chief pro¬
ductions seemed to be tobacco, flax,
and potatoes.

11 “ Entzheim. In several villages
the houses were hung with double
rows of tobacco-leaves drying in the
sun. 3 m. on rt. is the chateau of M.
Humann, late Minister of Finance.
At Altorf, the near undulating hills
are covered with vineyards ; in the
distance the mountains of the Vosges
show themselves with great beauty.
At Molzheim, a prettily situated vil¬
lage, is a large manufactory of saws,
files, and other edge tools.” Near this
are the saline thermal springs of Sulz-
les-Bains, little frequented at present.

“ At Darlesheim we cross the river
Bruche, and entering a defile of the
mountains lose sight of Strasburg
spire, hitherto visible far above the
level plain.”

14 Mutzig, a small walled town of
3551 Inhab., prettily situated on the
Bruche. The Chateau of the bishops
of Strasburg is turned into a manufac¬
tory of fire-arms. Behind the wooded
hills to the W. rises the bald head of
the Donon, 3314 ft.

“At Diersheim, 2 m. farther, a fine
view of mountain scenery : the valley
only 5 m. broad ; on 1 . a level green¬
sward, from which the hills rise preci¬
pitously about 500 ft., covered with
young oak, beeches, fir, &c. ; before
us the mountain stream, the narrow
but fresh-looking valley shut up by

Alsace.

Route 168 .—Strashurg to Epinal— Oberlin,

533

the mountains of the Vosges, of which
we trace 7 ridges rising one above an¬
other in the distance.

22 “ Schirmeck, a village prettily
situated at the junction of another
small stream with the Bruche, has 2
large ribbon manufactories. We are
now in the Dept, of the Vosges. 4 m.
farther, at Rothau, a village situated
at the JST.E. extremity of the Ban de la
Roche, we turn to the 1. out of the
road to St. Diey, and crossing the
Bruche by a bridge which supplies the
place of that originally constructed, as
well as the road itself, in part by the
labour of Oberlin’s own hands, reach
the quiet village of Fouday, within the
Dept. Bas Rhin, at the entrance of the
valley of Waldersbach, which, though
naturally sterile, enclosed by schistose
hills, rising 1000 ft. above it, is much
improved by cultivation and irrigation.
A cotton-ribbon factory has been esta¬
blished here by M. Legrand, which,
unlike most other establishments of
the kind, has proved a blessing instead
of a curse. The children, who are
chiefly employed, work at home under
their parents’ eyes, and thus reap all
the benefits of industry without the
risk of health or morals attendant upon
a crowded room.”— C. W.

In the churchyard is the grave of
Oberlin, a plain stone with his name
engraved on it, and the words Cl II fut
60 ans Pere de ce Canton,” and round
the edge, “ La memoire du juste sera
en benediction.”— “ His memory is in¬
deed blessed : no cottager in this valley
ever mentions his name without the
affectionate addition of Father. Look
around ; every smiling field, every
cultivated spot, every tree bearing
fruit, reminds them of their lost bene¬
factor : the education of their children,
the comforts they enjoy in their cot¬
tages, the very roads by which they
communicate, and, of infinitely more
importance, the knowledge of the road
that leads to heaven, which was con¬
stantly and faithfully taught them
both by precept and example,—all
forcibly recall the memory of their
‘ Father Oberlin.’ ”— Capt. W.

At Waldbacli, a few miles farther, is
Oberlin’s parsonage, where his study,

books, MSS., specimens of natural
history, and drawings remain nearly
as he left them ; the walls and doors
decorated by him with texts from
Scripture.

In the plain village church is a mo¬
nument to him, a medallion head by
Ohmacht. The school established bv
him, which in one generation redeemed
the inhabitants of this district nearly
from barbarism, will not be looked on
without interest.

There is no inn at Fouday or Wald-
bach. There is a road from Fouday
by St. Blaise and Villy to Schlestadt
(see p. 534).

The principal mass of the Vosges
mountains lies between Giromagny
and the valley of the Breusch ; they
are about 120 m. in extent, running
parallel to the Rhine, and separating
its basin from that of the Moselle.
They consist chiefly of rounded dome¬
shaped hills abounding in forests and
often turfed on the top. The name
‘* ballon” applied to several of them
is doubtless derived from this swelling
rounded form. Les Chaumes (Calvi
montes), so called from their bareness,
form the highest ground in the Ban de
la Roche. The bulk, or thickest mass
of the Vosges, rises between the Ballon
d’Alsace (4124 ft.), the Donon (3314),
and the Ballon de Sultz, the highest of
all (4693). The rivers Seine, Saone,
Moselle, and Saar rise in the Vosges.

The road from Schirmeck to St.
Diey runs by

20 Saales.

19 St. Diey or Die (Inn : La Poste).
The name of this town of 7707 Inhab.
comes from St. Dieu Donn£ (Deoda-
tus), to whom it and the valley were
given by Childeric II. It stands on
the Meurthe, here a mere torrent.
Having been burnt down 1756, it was
rebuilt, chiefly by the ex-king of Po¬
land, Stanislas.

11 L’Hote du Bois.

16 Rambervillars.

13 Girecourt.

15 Epinal, in Rte. 166.

The Baths of Flombieres are about 36
m. to the S. of this, Rte. 166.

534

Route 170 .—Strasburg to Bale — Railway. Sect. IX.

ROUTE 170.

STRASBURG TO BALE. — RAILROAD, BY

SCHLESTADT, COLMAR, AND MUHL-

HAUSEN.

140 kilom. = 86 Eng. m.

Trains go 4 times a-day : tlie stop¬
pages by the slow trains are very nu¬
merous, 28 in all, and the journey
in consequence tedious, occupying 5
hours.

There is 1 fast train daily from
Strasburg at (?) 5 p.m., and from Bale
at 1 A.M., which makes the journey in 4
hours. Passengers by this train pass
the Douane without examination, if on
their way to the Lower Rhine. Car¬
riages and baggage may be plombe at
either end of the line, in order that
the search may be deferred till the
end of the journey ; or, if you are
going out of France, the plombage will
relieve you from all search.

“ The transit by the railroad from
Basle to the steam-packet at Strasburg
is, on the whole, well managed, and yet
rather puzzling to those who make it
for the first time. At the office they
give you three sets of tickets, for—
1 . omnibus to railroad (yellow) ; 2.
railroad (white) ; 3. omnibus from
Strasburg terminus to water - side
(green) ; 4. steam-boat (white) : these
tickets clear all your luggage. The
railroad ticket which was given to you
at Basle must be produced to the
booking-clerk. All the luggage must
be taken to the examination room ;
and upon your stating that it is for the
Cologne Company’s steamer, it is regis¬
tered accordingly, and you receive a
ticket in the usual manner. All the
steamboat luggage is put into a sepa¬
rate van, and being plombe is driven
to the water-side, in charge of a dou-
anier ; and the van being opened, you
must select your luggage, and see it
on board. The conductor of the om¬
nibus takes your steamboat ticket
from you, and you must go for it to
the office at the river-side, where it is
re-delivered to you, having been coun¬
tersigned.”— F. P.

The transport of a carriage costs
50 fr.

The construction of this railway is
chiefly due to the enterprise of MM.
Koechlin and Brothers, of Muhlhausen.

Omnibuses ply to and from almost all
the stations on the line ; the fare is 30
centimes.

The terminus, at present but a tem¬
porary one, is on the glacis, close to
the Porte de Saverne.

There are no great works on this
line, owing to its passing over a dead
level country, up the valley of the Ill
and parallel with the Canal du Rhone
au Rhin, and with the Rhine, though
at some distance from them.

It is carried over many hundred
small bridges, which allow the stream¬
lets descending from the Vosges to
pass. It skirts, as it were, the roots
of that mountain chain, and commands
some pleasing views of them and of
their old castles.

7 Geispolzheim Stat.

3 Fegersheim Stat.

3J Limersheim Stat.

4^ Erstein Stat., a town of 3550 In-
hab. The Strasburghers destroyed its
walls and the neighbouring fort of
Schwanau in the 14th centy. Hence
an interesting excursion may be made
to the Odilienberg (11 m.), commanding
one of the finest views in the range of
the Vosges ; the Convent of St. Odilia,
with a church built 1696, with 5 or 6
ancient chapels near it.

3 Matzenheim Stat.

3^ Benfeld Stat. {Inn : Poste). This
small town was taken by the Swedes
1632, and fortified by Count Horn.

A little to the W. of Benfeld and
Sclilestadt lies Barr, a town of 4200
Inhab., remarkable for the beauties of
the surrounding country.

Close to Barr are the 2 castles and
Abbey of Andlau, and near Barr are
the fine castles of Landsberg on a lofty
height, Birkenfeld and Spesburg, also
the Heidenmauer or Pagan’s Wall.
Hiittenheim, on the 1. of the railway,
is distinguished by one of the finest
and loftiest church towers in Alsace.

5^ Kogenheim Stat.

44 Ebersheim Stat.

64 Schlestadt Stat. (Germ. Schlctt-
stadt) {Inn: Le Bouc), seated on the 1.
bank of the Ill, anciently an Imperial

Alsace.

Route 170 .—Strasburg to Rale — Colmar.

53 5

Free City, has now 10,000 Inhab. and
some manufactures, and is a fortress of
fourth class, laid out by Vauban. It
was besieged by the Allies in 1815.

The Church of St. George is rather an
elegant Gothic building of the 14th
centy., and that of St. Fog is remark¬
able for its antiquity, having been
built 1094, on the model of the Holy
Sepulchre church. Adjoining it is a
large convent, called Le Pavilion, oc¬
cupied in turn by Benedictines and
Jesuits, but now a barrack.

The Tour d’Horloge, or Fausse-porte,
is a fine Gothic gate-tower, pierced by
a Pointed archway. Martin Bucer, the
Reformer, was born here.

Diligences go hence to the indus¬
trious town of St. Marie aux Mines,
which is entirely engaged in the cotton
manufacture.

From the vicinity of Schlestadt, and
from other points on the railway be¬
tween Strasburg and Miihlhausen,
good views are obtained of the Vosges
Mountains (p. 533), stretching nearly
parallel to the Rhine on the W., and
gradually sinking into the plain tra¬
versed by the railway. They have
mostly a tame, rounded outline ; here
and there an escarpment of red sand¬
stone, of which they are chiefly com¬
posed, breaks through the green forest,
and ever and anon upon some project¬
ing cape stands forth a ruined castle.
The beauties of the Val cle Villee, near
Schlestadt, are extolled. 24 m. from
Schlestadt is the old castle Kientzheim.

5^- St. Hyppolite (Germ. St. Pilt)
Stat. The town (2| m. from Stat.— Inn:
Couronne) is a good point from which
to start on an excursion into the Vosges
mountains. It lies at the foot of a hill
crowned by the ruined castle of Holier
Konigsburg, the most extensive in the
Vosges range, and very picturesque.
From the top (a walk of 1^ hr.) of
its massive towers a fine view over
Alsace and the Rhine valley is ob¬
tained. Its origin is unknown, but it
is recorded that it was taken and dis¬
mantled (1462) by an army of Stras-
burghers and of Balois, who combined
their forces, and placed themselves
under the Bishop of Strasburg as gene¬
ral, in order to put down the robber \

knights, its owners, on account of the
depredations they had committed. It
was ruined and sacked by the Swedes
in the 30 Years’ War, 1633. Near this
are coal-mines.

4 ^ Ribeauville Stat. The best wine
produced in the Vosges is grown here.

The hill rising on the W. of this
town of 6568 Inhab. is crowned by the
castle of Eibeaupierre, which was be¬
sieged in turn by Rudolph of Habs-
burg and Adolphus of Nassau. Lower
down, on neighbouring heights, are
the castles of Giersburg and St. Ulrich.
Along the crest of the advanced line
of hills forming the Vosges range
above Ribeauville runs the curious
and mysterious bulwark, of unknown
antiquity, called Heidenmauer, or Pagan
Wall. It is composed of unhewn
stones, heaped together without ce¬
ment, from 8 to 10 ft. high.

3 Ostheim Stat.

3 Bennwihr Stat.

6 Colmar Stat. ( Inns : Deux Clefs ;
good ;—Ange). This is a flourishing
town of 12,000 Inhab., and chef-lieu
of the Dept. Haut Rliin. It is situated
near the foot of the Vosges, at the dis¬
tance of 14 m. from the Ill, on 2 of
its tributaries, which do much service
in turning millwheels in their passage
through the town. Its chief manufac¬
tures are cotton and printed goods.
There are many large factories on the
outskirts. In the 13th centy. it was
made a Free Imperial city, and was
joined to France 1697. Louis XIV.,
who took it in 1673, razed the fortifi¬
cations, and they aie now replaced by
agreeable Boulevards.

In the Cathedral, or Minster, built
1363, a respectable Gothic edifice, con¬
taining some monuments and painted
glass in the choir, is a remarkable
painting, of the old German school, by
Martin Schon, or Schongauer, a native
of Colmar. It is placed behind the
altar, and represents the Virgin Mary
in a bower of Roses with the infant
Jesus, attended by Angels. It is re¬
markable for its size and composition :
the figures, rather larger than life, are
on a gold ground. In the public library
(containing 36,000 vols.) are several
| other paintings by M. Schon ; 2 altar-

536

Route 170 .—Strasburg to Rale — Miihlhdusen. Sect. IX.

pieces of 6 compartments each, filled
with events in the Life of Christ ; 6
subjects from the Passion ; an An¬
nunciation and Adoration of the Magi,
also by M. Schon, with other pictures
attributed to Alb. Diirer and Grunewald.

The Halle aux Bids is a desecrated
church ; the nave is very elegant. In
the Muse'e is preserved an aerolite,
which fell from the sky here in 1492.

The fine choir of the Protestant
Church is now a warehouse; and
several other religious edifices are de¬
graded to similar purposes.

General Rapp, celebrated for his
defence of Danzig, was a native of
Colmar.

The road to Besan§on and Lyons
(Rte. 171) here diverges from that to
Bale.

Diligences to Lyons; to New Brei-
sach (an octagon fortress, built by
Vauban, 1699); to Old Breisach and
Fribourg, crossing the Rhine; also to
Munster (15 m.), a manufacturing
town, of 4340 Inhab., on the Feeht, in
a pretty, narrow valley, shut in by
hills, where factories and country
seats alternate with vineyards and
gardens. The principal factory is
that of MM. Hartman, for cotton
prints, one of the largest in France,
employing about 1200 workpeople:
there are also spinning and paper
mills.

Sulzbad, in the valley of Munster,
9 m. from Colmar, has mineral springs
of acidulous water, sometimes called
“ bain des fous,” because considered
to be efficacious in hypochondriac and
hysterical complaints. ^

4 m. W. of Colmar is Turckheim,
where Turenne gained a victory (1675)
over the Imperialists.

4 Jj Eguisheim Stat. This was the
birthplace of Leo IX. Above the
town rises the castle, conspicuous for
its 3 towers.

Herrlisheim Stat.

6 -^ Rouffach (Stat.) is the birth-place
of General Lefebre, Duke of Danzig.

5^- Merxheim Stat. Here stood the
castle of Isemburg, inhabited by the
Merovingian kings of France.

7 Bollwiller Stat. There is a large
nursery garden here, where all the

known species of vine are cultivated.
Some of the best wines of Alsace are
grown near this.

At Guebweiler, a few m. up the
valley of the Lauch, is an extensive
manufacture of spinning machinery.

The Ballon de Guebweiler, or de
Sultz, the highest of the Vosges
mountains, is 4693 ft. above the sea-
level, and 10 m. distant from Boll¬
willer.

4^ Wittelsheim Stat.

7 Lutterbach Stat.

Dornacli Stat.

3 Muhlhausen Stat. Inns: H. de
Paris;—Couronne. This town, con¬
taining many large new buildings, but
for the most part old and irregular,
surrounded by the Ill, and situated
close to the Canal du Rhin au Rhone,
was formerly capital of a small de¬
mocratic and independent state, and
an ally of the Swiss Confederation
from 1466 down to 1798, when it
was united to France. Since the
beginning of the present centy. it
has rapidly risen to be one of the
most important manufacturing towns
in France. Its population amounts
to 20,129 by the last census; and
7000 workmen repair daily to the
town from the neighbouring com¬
munes. An entirely new quarter
has lately sprung into existence. The
branch of industry from which this
sudden progress is derived is the
manufacture of cotton prints and
muslins. The quantity made here
probably exceeds that of any other
place in the world; they are par¬
ticularly distinguished by the per¬
fection and variety of their patterns,
and the fineness of the colours.
Another manufacture, the spinning
of cotton, does not flourish to an
equal extent, having difficulty in
competing with Manchester and Glas¬
gow. There are several extensive
manufactories of machinery. Cotton
printing was first introduced here,
1746, by Samuel Koeclilin (the Orrel,
Marshal, or Cobden of France, whose
descendants are still at the head of the
manufacturers here), in conjunction
with J. Schmalzer and H. Dollfus.

Many of the mills and factories of

537

Alsace. Route 171. — Strasburg to Besangon—Befort.

Muhlhausen are carried on, and set
a-going, by the capital of the bankers
of Bale. The condition of the work¬
people is not good; they are badly
clothed, and lodged generally in cel¬
lars. (See Bowring’s Report.)

Muhlhausen has to contend against
the serious disadvantage of its long
distance from the sea (raw cotton
being transported hither all the way
from Havre and Marseilles), and the
want of coal in the neighbourhood.
Its supply of fuel is obtained chiefly
from St. Etienne and Rive de Gier,
through the Canal du Rhin au Rhone.

The octagonal church of Ottmarsheim

m. from Muhlhausen will interest
the architect and antiquary by many
peculiarities of construction.

Malleposte daily to Lyons in 24
hours. Diligences to Paris; to Lyons.
There is a branch railroad from
Muhlhausen to Thann (Rte. 171), by
Dornach, Lutterbach, and Cernay.
Lutterbach is on the line from Stras-
burg to Muhlhausen, and here the
branch to Thann properly begins.

5^- Rixheim Stat. Here are made
the stained papers for rooms, including
those very flashy pictures which
commonly decorate the walls of salles-
h-manger at inns; and one of the
chief establishments employs 200
workmen.

1 ^ Habsheim Stat.

10 Sierentz Stat.

3-J Bartenlieim Stat.

74 St. Louis Stat. Baggage searched
in coming from Switzerland, (p. 534.)

3 Bale Terminus (see Swiss Hand¬
book). The Bale omnibus meets
every train, fare 50 cents.

N.B .—Travellers setting out from
Brlle by the early train (7 a.m.) find,
on their arrival at Strasburg, a steamer
ready to start at 11 a.m., and by it
they may reach Mayence at 10 p.m.
the same night; or they may continue
the journey from Strasburg by the
Baden Railroad from Kehl to Manne-
lieim, or Frankfurt.

Bale to Paris, by Strasburg Railway,
in 28 hours.

ROUTE 171.

STRASBURG TO BESAN^ON BY COLMAR,

THANN, BELFORT, AND MONTBEL-

LIARD.

228 kilom. = 142 Eng. m.

The railroad is the best mode of
travelling as far as Colmar, or even
Thann. (See Rte. 170.)

69 Colmar (Rte. 170). Diligences
hence.

10 Hattstatt. The road continues
along the level plain of the Rhine as
far as

14 Isenheim, where the country be¬
comes hilly.

The pretty little town of Thann
(Pop. 3937) has a superb Gothic
Church dedicated to St. Thiehaut, sur¬
mounted by a fine spire of delicate
open work more than 300 ft. high.
The doorway is highly enriched with
sculpture, representing saints and
Scriptural subjects, of very good execu¬
tion; it is, in short, a miniature of
Strasburg, and has lately been repaired.

On the hill above are the ruins
of the Castle of Engelburg. There
are manufactories of cotton prints here.

A branch Railway connects Thann
with Muhlhausen, and with the rail¬
way from Strasburg to Bale (Rte. 170)

19 Aspach. At

14 La Chapelle, the heights which
eonnect the chain of the Vosges with
the Jura mountains are crossed; and
leaving the fertile and industrious
province of Alsace, we enter that of
Franche-Comte.

16 Belfort, or Befort (Tnn: L’An-
eienne Poste), a fortress of first class
in strength and importance, com¬
manded by a Citadel, defending the
entrance into France from the side
of Switzerland, by the pass between
the Jura and Vosges. It was laid
out by Vauban; but, besides its
own formidable fortifications, it is
protected by an intrenched camp
capable of holding 30,000 men. The
town numbers about 6000 Inhab.,
and is seated on the Savoreuse.

The road from Paris to Bale (Rte,
162) passes through Befort.

2 A 3

538 JR. 171.— The Doubs. JR. 175. — Chalons to Metz, Sect. IX.

Country barren and hilly to

11 Hericourt.

21 L’lle sur le Doubs, a bourg of
1100 Inliab., on the 1. bank of the
winding Doubs, and on the Canal du
Rliin au Rhone.

[A detour from Befort of 5^ m. will
carry the traveller through Montbel-
liard (Germ. Miimpelgard) (Inns :
Lion Rouge; Balance), a small walled
town of 5000 Inliab., the majority
Protestants, and industrious; it is
prettily situated in the valley of the
Allan and Luzine. The most conspi¬
cuous building is the Chateau, on a
commanding height; the greater part
a modern construction of the last
centy., flanked by ancient round towers.
It is now converted into a prison.
This town has to boast of being the
birth-place of the distinguished na¬
turalist Geo. Cuvier (b. 1769): a bronze
statue of him by David D’Angers has
been raised to his memory by his
countrymen, opposite the house in
which he was born.]

2 m. from Montbelliard the road
reaches the Doubs, and continues
down its rt. bank at the foot of well-
wooded limestone hills to the He sur
Doubs.

Here the river is crossed by a bridge;
the road still following its beautiful
clear stream between hills 200 or 300
ft, high, cohered with every variety of
wild flowers.

The Doubs, a doubling stream, rises
in the Jura, at the foot of Mont
Rixon, 3122 ft. above the sea-level,
and flows for 60 m. to the N.E, as if
to join the Rhine, but is turned to
the S.W., on approaching Montbel¬
liard, by the spur or ridge which
connects the Vosges with the Jura,
traversed by our road between Thann
and Befort. It descends past Besan-
9 on and joins the Saone below Dole.
It has been canalised and made navi¬
gable for barges of 20 tons, and forms
a limb of the inland water communi¬
cation connecting the Rhine with the
Rhone. At

11 Clerval, a pretty village on its
1 . bank, at the foot of hills 1000 ft.
high, the Doubs is recrossed. 10 m.
farther a mass of naked rock, 500 ft.

high, of the most picturesque form
overhangs the road, which has barely
room to pass between it and the
river.

A steep hill is now to be surmounted,
whose top commands a very extensive
view of the mountain scenery of the
Jura, to the S.E. Immediately at the
foot of this hill lies the retired town of

15 Beaume les Dames, pop. 2447.
It is famous for its pates and for its
fish.

The Doubs is again crossed, and
another steep hill succeeds, from whose
slope there is a fine prospect of the
valley and of a ruined castle on the
opposite side, which belonged to
Charles the Bold, of Burgundy.

12 Roulans.

The scenery of the Doubs valley
in this place is not unlike that of the
Meuse between Liege and Namur. A
sharp descent brings us to the fortified
town of

19 Besangon (in Rte. 159).

ROUTE 175.

CHALONS TO METZ, BY VERDUN.

Malleposte daily in 10 hours.

Diligences daily.

Chalons-sur-Marne is described in
Rte. 165. The Railway from Nancy to
Metz is generally preferred to this
route.

6 m. from Chalons the road to
Ste. Menehould passes the beautiful
Gothic Church of N. D. de VEpine,
a perfect cathedral in size and beauty,
surmounted by a most elegant spire
of filagree open work, contrasting
forcibly with the hovels of the poor
hamlet around it. ‘ c The exterior is
especially beautiful, full of bold and
graceful devices, the whole more like
some luxuriant tropical plant than a
mass of stone.”— S. A. It was con¬
structed towards the end of the 16th
centy,, partly at the expense of
Charles V.; and its present ruinous
condition is much to be lamented.
Its triple portal at the W. end richly
adorned with sculptures of holy per¬
sons and sacred subjects, the fine
rose windows surmounting them, the

Alsace.

Route 175.— Valmy — Varennes — Verdun.

539

gargoyls round the eaves, quaintly
carved, the elegance of the piers and
arches, the choir screen, orjube, deli¬
cately carved, a bas-relief of wood
over the high altar, and some curious
painted glass, all merit examination.

The truncated tower was deprived
of its spire at the end of the 18th
centy., in order to erect upon it
the Telegraph, which still holds its
place.

13 Somme Yesle.

16 Orbeval.

8 Sainte Menehould.— Inn: La
Ville de Metz: “c’est une auberge
excellente,” and its kitchen is a “ cui¬
sine modele,” says Victor Hugo. This
town of 3900 Inliab. has nothing
worth notice, except its very pleasing
aspect and position; it stands on the
Aisne.

[6 m. off is Valmy, where the
French under Kellerman defeated the
Prussian army and compelled it to
evacuate the territory of France, 1792.
Louis-Philippe was present in this
battle. The French commander, who
became Duke of Yalmy, desired at
his death (aged 82, in 1820) that his
heart should be transported to the
battle-field, in order that it might rest
among the remains of his brave com¬
panions in arms who fell there. This
wish has been complied with, and
a simple monument erected on the
spot.]

The road to Metz passes through a
nearly uninterrupted orchard, as far as
the large village of

14 Clermont en Argonne, previously
entering the Dept, of the Meuse,
across the very pretty wooded valley
of the Brieme, and the defile of les
Islettes. 11 m. to the N. lies the
small town of Varennes, where the
unfortunate Louis XVI. and his fa¬
mily were arrested, June 21 , 1791,
while endeavouring to escape across
the frontier, by Drouet, post-master
of Ste. Menehould, as the king’s car¬
riage was crossing the little place or
square.

The ridge of land called Monts de
la Meuse, separating the basin of the
Marne from that of the Meuse, is
crossed between

10 Dombasle and Yerdun. The
passes of these hills were the scene of
the campaign of 1792, when Dumou-
riez was opposed to the Prussians;
but they have lost their military im¬
portance, now that the country of
1 ’Argonne is drained, and its forests
cleared.

We now enter the valley of the
Meuse and the territory formerly
known as Les Trois Eveclies (Metz
Toul, and Yerdun).

15 Verdun (Inns \ H. de 1’Europe;
Trois Maures, dear— J. L.) is an an¬
cient and historical town, and a for¬
tress of the fourth class, containing a
population of 10,540: it is seated on
the Meuse, which here first becomes
navigable. It is well known to many
Englishmen as the prison in which
they spent 11 weary years from 1803,
when so cruelly and unjustly seized
by Napoleon on the sudden breaking
out of the war, and kept until his fall
in 1814.

The citadel, which is alone of im¬
portance as commanding the course of
the Meuse, was planned by Vauban.
The beautiful Gothic chapel of St.
Vannes, in the midst of it, was pulled
down in 1825 to give place to a bar¬
rack.

The great event which renders Yer¬
dun distinguished in history is the dis¬
memberment of the vast empire of
Charlemagne in 843, between the 3
brothers—Louis, who received all Ger¬
many as far as the Rhine; Charles, who
took the Gallic provinces S. of a line
formed by the Scheldt, Meuse, Saone,
and Rhone ; and Lothaire, who kept
Italy and the E. part of Gaul. This
act is known as the “Treaty of Ver¬
dun.”

Yerdun was a free city of the Empire
down to 1552, and was not finally
united to France until the peace of
Munster, 1648.

It was taken by the Prussians, 1792,
after a bombardment of 15 hours, in
spite of the opposition of Marceau, Le-
moine, and other brave officers, who
wished to hold out still longer. It
was. however, soon evacuated by the
Prussians in consequence of the victory
of Valmy. When the French regained

540

Route 175.— Metz.

Sect. IX.

possession, the revolutionary tribunal
sent to the guillotine 15 young women,
all under 15 years of age, for the crime
of having danced at a ball given by
the Prussian officers.

Yerdun is celebrated for its manu¬
facture of sugar-plums (dragees) and
liqueurs.

Beyond Verdun you pass through a
beautifully wooded country.

18 Manheules.

10 Harville.

12 Mars la Tour (Dept. Moselle),

11 Gravel otte.

Immediately beneath the steep hill
and corkscrew road, leading down into
the plain where lies Metz, and winds
the Moselle, is the beautiful village
Roseillyeuse : the banks of the Moselle
are flat and uninteresting.

14 Metz. Inns : H. de 1’ Europe ;
best, but dear;—du ISTord;—de France.

Metz is considered the strongest
fortress in France, and forms the centre
of defence on the frontier of Germany
between the Meuse and the Rhine. It
is also chef-lieu of the Dept, of the
Moselle ; and an important city on the
score of its population (44,131), of its
trade, and of its manufactures. It is
seated on the Moselle, at the junction
of a small stream, la Seille. The streets
in the centre of the town are narrow,
and the houses lofty, but the river is
lined with open quays and crossed by
fine bridges. The situation of Metz,
its public gardens and quays, will re¬
pay the traveller for a halt of some
hours. It possesses a magnificent Gothic
Cathedral, whose construction was con¬
tinued from the 14th to the 16th cen¬
turies, with some incongruous addi¬
tions (Portal, 1754) in the style of
Louis XIV. It is surmounted at the
cross by an elegant spire of open work
373 ft. high (built 1427), but is with¬
out towers at the extremities. It is
373 ft. long, and the elevation of the
vaulted roof above the pavement is
141 ft. (?). The painted glass of the
choir, executed 1526 by Anthon Busch
of Strasburg, is remarkably fine, the
design good, and the colours very bril¬
liant. The font, called Cuve de Cdsar,
is very ancient, probably Roman, and
oblong in shape. Here are preserved

the ancient stone throne of the early
bishops ; 2 processional crosses. 12th
and 14th centuries ; a cope of red silk,
embroidered, said to be Charlemagne’s;
mass-books, &c.; and a dragon of paste¬
board, or canvas, on a wooden frame,
which was formerly carried through
the streets in procession, with a man
inside of it. It is worth while to as¬
cend to the clerestory gallery, to view
the stained glass close at hand, and to
pass on to the roof, in order to examine
the skilful arrangement of the flying
buttresses, and the details of sculpture,
as well as to enjoy the view over the
city.

Another church, Notre Dame de la
Ronde, has a choir, built 1130. Within
the citadel is a Round Church, Eglise du
Temple, which belonged to the Knights
Templars, somewhat like the round
churches of Cambridge and Northamp¬
ton. It is wholly Romanesque in style;
the nave is externally an octagon : it
has a low apsiclal E. end. Within it,
and in a building near it, probably the
Knights’ Refectory, are traces of paint¬
ing of the 13th centy.

The Church of St. Segolcne may in¬
terest the antiquary.

Some of the ancient city gates re¬
main, and retain the machinery for
raising the portcullis.

The Esplanade, its shady walks and
gardens brilliant with flowers, planted
with lofty acacias, and “confided to
the care of each citizen,” with the
river, bridges, and fine buildings, in
the neighbourhood, are much to be ad¬
mired.

Metz has one of the largest Arsenals
in France, with cannon foundry, &c.,
the machinery moved by water. It is
shown only Monday and Thursday, by
order. The immense Military Hospital
is capable of holding 1500 patients.
Metz is abundantly supplied with bar¬
racks. There is also a School for the
application and practice of Artillery and
Engineering .

The fortifications were planned by
Vauban, and continued by Marshal
Belleisle. The most important works
are the forts of Belle Croix, a chef-
d’oeuvre of military construction, begun
1731 ; and la Double Couronne, sur-

Champagne. R. 175.— Metz . R. 178 .—Paris to Mezieres. 541

rounded by a triple ditch filled with
water. In addition to these, there is
a considerable redoubt called le Pate,
so contrived that it may be converted
into an island, by closing the sluices
on the Seille, whose waters may be
raised 24 feet, .so as to form a lake
more than 6 m. in extent.

Metz, for a long time capital of the
kingdom of Austrasia, became, under
the Emperor Otlio II., a free imperial
city, and residence of a prince-bishop.
At length, in 1552, the Constable
Montmorency gained possession of it
by stratagem for Henri II. The Em¬
peror Charles V., furious at the loss
of so strong a fortress and important a
city, containing at that time 60,000
Inhab., assembled an army of 100,000
men, determined at all risks to regain
it. The defence, however, had been
undertaken by the youthful and chival¬
rous Francois Due de Guise, the same
who afterwards wrested Calais from the
English, who threw himself into the
place with the elite of the French no¬
blesse, among them the Prince de
Conde. The Guise, by his address and
activity, conciliated the citizens, in¬
ducing them to endure patiently the
horrors of a siege, and strengthened
the walls by new works thrown up in
an incredibly short space of time. The
details of this hard-contested siege are
familiar to all who have read Robert¬
son’s Charles V. On Jan. 1, 1553, at
the end of 10 months, the Emperor,
experienced general as he was, was
compelled to raise the siege, having
lost 30,000 men before the place.
“Fortune is a woman,” he exclaimed
bitterly, “and she favours only the
young.” The Due de Guise was at that
time only 30 years of age.

There are more Jews in Metz than in
any other city of France, except Paris.

Metz is the native place of Generals
Kellerman, the- hero of Valmy, and
Custine, who was guillotined.

Though Metz was an important city
under the Romans, who called it Dioo-
durum and Metis , yet there are few
traces of their buildings in the town
itself. Without the walls, however,
at the village of Jouy aux Arches, 6 m.
off, on the road to Nancy, are the very

interesting remains of a Roman Aque¬
duct, which conveyed the waters of a
streamlet from Gorze to Metz, a dis¬
tance of more than 15 m. Five arches
are still standing on the 1. bank of the
Moselle, and 17 in the village of Jouy
on the rt., out of 118 : that under
which the road passes is 60 ft. high.

The gates of iVLitz are shut at 11;
in winter even earlier.

Steamers, daily in summer (starting
from the Quai de la Prefecture), in one
day to Treves; to Pont h Mouson, and
Nancy (Rte. 181). Travellers entering
France must here have their passports
signed, which is attended with some
difficulty for those who wish to con¬
tinue on to Paris with the train without
detention.

Railvjays —to Nancy—to Forbach on
the German frontier (Rte. 181).

ROUTE 178.

PARIS TO MEZIERES AND SEDAN, BY
SOISSONS AND RIIEIMS.

257 kilom.= 157 Eng. m.

The Strasburg Railway (Rte. 165)
is the quickest way to reach the places
on this route between Paris, Rheims,
and Epernay. Omnibuses ply to the
Railway from all the principal towns.

Malleposte from Epernay to Sedan by
Rheims in 8 hours.

The road quits Paris by the Fau¬
bourg St. Martin, and traverses the
village of la Yillette, situated on the
basin of the Canal de l’Ourcq. At this
point the most desperate resistance
was made by the French in defence of
Paris, against the allied armies, in
March 1814, and several bloody com¬
bats were fought here.

11 Le Bourget. Napoleon on his
way from Waterloo stopped here some
hours, in order not to enter Paris by
daylight. At the radiation of roads
called Patte d’Oie (goose’s foot), you
leave on the 1. the route to Senlis,
Lille, and Amiens. (Rte. 1 and 185.)

16 Mesnil Amelot (Seine et Marne.)

8 Dammartin. The Ch. of Notre
Dame contains the monument of its
founder, Antoine de Chabannes, leader

542

Route 178 .—Paris to Metieres — Soissons.

Sect. IX.

of tlie ferocious brigands called f< Ecor-
cheurs:” died 1488.

[A little on the 1. of the road lies
the village of Ermenonville. In the
Chateau (which belonged to M. de Gi-
rardin) Jean Jacques Rousseau resided
3 or 4 months, and here terminated his
miserable existence, it is supposed by-
poison, if not by tl^e additional aid of
a pistol, 1778, aged 66. (See Musset-
Pathay, Vie de J. J. R., 1822.) His
tomb is in the midst of the lie des Peu-
pliers, in the grounds of his host.]

14 Nanteuil-le-Haudouin (Oise).

A tower of the Chateau of the time
of Francis I. alone exists.

10 Levignen.

15 Villers-Cotterets, a town of 2689
Inhab. Its magnificent manor-house,
belonging to the Due de Valois, of the
age of Francis I., is now degraded into
a poor-house (D£pot de Mendicity).
Its former pare was laid out by Le
Notre. Coach to Meaux Stat.

[La Ferte Milon, a walled town on
the Ourcq, with an old castle, about
9 m. S. of our road, on the way to
Chateau-Thierry, deserves mention as
the birthplace of Racine.']

11 Verte Feuille.

13 Soissons. {Inns: Croix d’Or; Cou-
ronne; Lion Rouge.)

This is a truly historical city, and
one of the oldest in France as regards
its foundation. Caesar found the ter¬
ritory of the Suessones most extensive
and fertile, and under the rule of a
king not only the most powerful in the
whole of Gaul, but who ruled over
part of Britain. Xoviodunum, at that
time the name of this city, is mentioned
thus in the Commentaries : “ Caesar in
fines Suessionum qui proximi Rhemis
erant, exercitum duxit, et ad oppidum
Noviodunum contendit.” Under its
walls, Clovis, by defeating Syagrius,
in 486, put an end to the Roman rule in
France. He established here the throne
of the Francs, and made Soissons his
capital. Afterwards, and because some
of his successors made it the seat of
government, they -were called Kings of
Soissons. Charles the Simple was here
defeated 924.

Its importance, in a military point
of view, as commanding a passage over

the Aisne, is shown by its fortunes in
the campaign of 1814, when it was
twice taken and retaken within 4 weeks
—first, by the Russian general Cherni-
cheff with his Cossacks, by a coup-de-
main, February 13th, when its gover¬
nor, the brave General Rusca, was killed
by a cannon-shot on its walls. The
French, however, regained it the same
day, Chernicheff being compelled to
withdraw. Napoleon laid the greatest
stress upon the possession of it, enjoin¬
ing the garrison to hold it to the last
drop of their blood; and, if his injunc¬
tion had been complied with, Bliicher
and the Silesian army, pursued by Na¬
poleon across the Marne, and pent up
between his army and Soissons, with
the army of Marmont and Mortier be¬
hind it, would probably have been
annihilated. Fortunately for the old
Prussian Marshal, he obtained posses¬
sion of the place by a disgraceful capi¬
tulation on the part of the French
governor, which deranged all Napo¬
leon’s plans, March 3rd, and Bliicher
thus escaped out of the trap which
Napoleon had laid for him.

Soissons in 1814 was defended only
by antiquated ramparts ; it has since
been converted into a regular fortress.
It is a city of 8149 Inhab., pleasantly
situated on the banks of the Aisne.

Owing to what it has suffered from
time and from the wars of 1567, when
it was sacked by the Huguenots, and
that of 1814, Soissons of the present
day is a new town, and has a modern
air, with few tangible relics to which
one may attach the recollections of
ancient times. The chief buildings
remaining here consist of the Castle,
occupying only the site of that inha¬
bited by the Merovingian kings.

The Cathedral, surmounted by a soli¬
tary tower, is a very dilapidated edi¬
fice, founded in the 12th centy., whose
venerable appearance is much injured
by injudicious repair. The choir is of
the 13tli centy. (1212). The S. tran¬
sept ends in a semicircle. Soissons is
one of the oldest episcopal sees in
France; indeed, traditions of the Church
would refer its origin to the primitive
Christians.

Of the once magnificent Abbey of St.

Champagne. Route 178 .—Paris to Mezieres — Soissons.

543

Jean cles Vignes, where Thomas Becket
was received when in exile, which was
castellated and moated, and formed a
fortress by itself, detached from the
town, only the W. end of the church,
surmounted by 2 towers, crowned by
spires, remains. These are a great
ornament to the town, and were spared
at the entreaty of the citizens, when
the ruthless democrats destroyed the
rest. The towers and the portal are
probably of the 13th centy., the spires
are more modern. The Church of St.
Leger is interesting for its architecture,
and tolerably perfect.

Some fragments of antiquities found
in and near the town are stored away
in a Museum. The famous tomb of
St. Drausen, and the statues of several
abbesses, have been saved from destruc¬
tion.

A short walk across the fields, along
the rt. bank of the Aisne, leads to an
institute for Deaf and Dumb, occupying
the site of the once celebrated Abbey of
St. Medard, which has been razed to
the ground, the only remnant being a
subterranean Crypt, the date of which
is referred by some to the 11th cen¬
tury. (?) It is remarkable for the
beauty of the construction, the sharp¬
ness of the stone, and the good pre¬
servation of the colours upon it. Here
were buried the kings Clothaire and
Sigebert; and in a dismal dungeon ad¬
joining it, measuring 8 feet by 3 feet,
which is still pointed out, Louis le
Debonnaire is supposed to have been
confined by his own son, Clothaire,
833. The verses on the wall, appa¬
rently referring to him, are not older
than the 15th centy.

Among the natives of Soissons are
kings Caribert, Chilperic, and Clo¬
thaire II., and the Due de Mayenne,
chief of the League, the opponent of
Henri IV., who died here.

Diligences nm to Laon (22 Eng. m.)
(see Rte. 187); to Compiegne, Amiens,
&c.; to Chateau-Thierry Stat.

[About 10 m. N. of Soissons is the
very curious Gothic fortress of Coucy
le Chateau, the beau ideal, in extent,
arrangement, and picturesqueness, of
a feudal castle, and perhaps the finest
in France, though in ruins. It is at¬

tached to an old and picturesque walled
town (Inn: Pomme d’Or), situated on
the extremity of a high headland over¬
looking a deep valley. The castle con¬
sists of an outer bail or court, whose
walls, garnished with circular towers
at the angles about 100 ft. high, and
with semicircular ones, or bastions,
along the curtains, were partly blown
up by Mazarin, 1652. Within this is
the inner bail or ward, out of which
rises the majestic circular Donjon, the
prominent feature of the building—fit
emblem of the proud barons that built
and held it — whose boastful motto
was,—

“ Roi je ne suis,

Prince, ni Comte aussi,

Je suis le Sire de Coucy.”

Time has made little impression on
it, and even the earthquake’s shock,
though it has cleft its walls vertically
from top to bottom in 1692, leaving the
cracks still perceptible, has not altered
its symmetry, nor caused it to swerve
out of the perpendicular. It is 187 ft.
high and 325 ft. in circumference; and
its walls, massive in proportion, are 34
ft. thick. Except a row of windows
surmounting its circlet of machicola¬
tions at the top, almost the only ex¬
ternal openings are mere loopholes. It
was entered by a narrow bridge now
removed; over the door is the frag¬
ment of a bas-relief, sculptured with
the device of the Coucy, a combat be¬
tween a man and a lion. The interior,
divided into 4 stories originally, is now
entirely gutted, but around each stage
runs an arcade of pointed recesses.
On the ground floor, to the rt. as you
enter, is a well 200 ft. deep, cut in the
rock. Beside it was originally a flour¬
mill and oven. Excepting the topmost
story, the halls of the donjon must
have been inconveniently dark. Two
of the external round towers are fur¬
nished with dungeons, whose only
entrance was a hole in their roof, like
the mouth of a well. Vast casemates
ran under the outer walls.

The construction of Coucy Castle
dates from the 13th centy.: its founder
was Enguerrand III. de Coucy.

La Belle Gabrielle had a house here,
which still exists, where she was visited

Motile 178 .—Paris to Mezieres — Rheims.

Sect. IX.

by Henri IV. Her son, the Due de
Vendome, was born here.]

The road to Pdieims follows the
course of the Vesle, a small stream,
upwards through

18 Brain-sur-Vesle.

13 Fismes.

10 Jonchery.

17 Rheims. (Inn: Liond’Or; good;
fronting the Cathedral.) “ This city
(39,185 Inhab.), so inseparably con¬
nected with the history of the Frankish
monarchy, retains many vestiges of the
Roman domination. The 4 gates of
the city were called respectively the
Porta Martis, Porta Cereris, Porta
Veneris, and Porta Bacchi: the first 2
still preserve their appellations. The
ancient Porta Martis (for there is a
modern one beside it) is a splendid
triumphal arch, recently restored. The
fragments of the Corinthian columns
are most delicately fluted, and acquire
additional grace from the Gothic towers
and rough walls around them. This
noble relic has undergone strange vi¬
cissitudes. It was employed as the
city gate until 1554, when earthworks
were raised against it, and the adjoin¬
ing gate opened. It was uncovered
in 1595, but afterwards walled over
again. In 1677 it was uncovered, but
the apertures were walled. M. Guizot’s
commission brought it to its present
state.

“ The Cathedral, built 1241, is one
of the most sumptuous Gothic edifices
in France. It is, perhaps, the finest
shrine of masonry N. of the Alps (for
Milan must be reckoned as the finest
in the world); and highly as the ex¬
pectations of the stranger may have
been raised, they will not be disap¬
pointed. The building, as it now
stands, was the work of Robert de
Coucy, begun 1212. The towers are
unfinished; they were to have been
crowned by open-work spires, such as
did exist in the now demolished church
of St. Nicaise; and by their absence
the elevation loses much of its com¬
pleteness. Extensive restorations in
good taste have been for many years in
progress. The great merit of Rheims
arises from the unity of the conception.

Completely as the portal is covered
and filled with ornaments, not one can
be considered as an afterthought. Hav¬
ing massed the whole design, the archi¬
tect then worked out the details, with¬
out interfering with the general effect.
Many of the 600 statues on the portal
are colossal, and generally elegant,
both in design and workmanship; those
in the transepts are not so good. The
rose windows in the W, front, of which
there are two, a large one above, more
than 40 ft. in diameter, and one within
the vast portal, are filled with the
most brilliant painted glass. The
gemmed windows of Aladdin’s palace
could hardly have been more splendid.
Size of the building: its length is 466
ft., its height 121. The architecture
of the interior bears a near resemblance,
in the main outlines, to Westminster
Abbey, excepting that it is bolder and
simpler. It is much less florid and
decorated than the exterior, and this
has sometimes been considered as a
defect ; but it is evident that the
architect calculated upon the gloom
produced by the painted glass. The
W. wall is ornamented with tiers of
statues, placed, not in arches, but in
deep cells, so that each figure is brought
out by a background of shade. Al¬
most all the monuments have been
swept away; but the sarcophagus of
Jovinus, prefect of Rheims, is here,
brought from the Abbey of St. Nicaise
—a curious national monument. It is
composed of a single block of pure
white marble, about 9 ft. in length and
4 in height. Jovinus is represented
in fine bas-relief, on horseback, having
just broken his spear in the neck of a
lion, which w T as leaping on a man.
Many figures surround Jovinus; some,
as well as himself, apparently portraits,
beautiful in countenance, and perfectly
made out in dress and accoutrements.
A dead boar and other animals are in
the foreground. The figures are about
half the size of life; and on the sides of
the tomb, shaped like an altar, the
story is continued in very low relief.
Much learned controversy has been ex¬
cited on the subject of the bas-reliefs.
Some antiquarians are of opinion that
they refer (though how it would be

545

Champagne. Route 178.— Rheims—Abbey of St. Remi.

difficult to conjecture) to the defeat of
the Alemanni (a.d. 367) by this con¬
sular general. Jovinus was a Christian;
but there is no token of his faith upon
this very curious monument. Amongst
the curiosities of the Cathedral, the
clock, standing in the 14. transept,
must not be omitted, inasmuch as it
is probably the oldest moving piece of
horologery in existence. From the
style of the Gothic tracery and carv¬
ings, it seems to belong to the 15th
centy. When it strikes, a door opens,
and the effigy of a man looks out; other
smaller figures sally forth and make
the round, as in the common Dutch
clocks. This, without doubt, was con¬
sidered in its time as a masterpiece.

“ The Abbey Church of St. Remi is
the burial-place of St. Remigius, the
Apostle of the Franks (d. 545). Clovis
and Clotilda founded the Church: the
monastery owes its origin to Archbishop
Turpin, who will be better recollected
from the history which passes under
his name, so often quoted in romance,
than from any other of his deeds.
Amongst its treasures was the Sainte
Ampoule, employed in the coronation
of the kings of France, and of which a
fragment, said to have been preserved
when the rest of the relics were dis¬
persed, was produced at the consecra¬
tion of Charles X. As it now stands,
the principal portions were erected be¬
tween 1048 and 1162: the choir is of
the latter period, of a fully developed
and beautiful Gothic. The S. transept,
in the flamboyant style, was built in
1506. It is a most curious and har¬
monious mixture of inharmonious parts,
of different periods and different styles.
It is a large Ch. 350 ft. long. ; it
was extremely injured during the Re¬
volution, but has undergone a thorough
repair. The bodies of Carloman, Louis
d’Outremer, Lothaire, and of 25 arch¬
bishops buried in its walls, wei’e torn up,
j 793. The tomb of St. Remi, erected by
Cardinal Abbot Robert de Lenoncourt,
about 1533, escaped the iconoclasts;
and, though not in accordance with the
Church, for it is in a Flemish-Italian
style, is grand from its size and sump¬
tuousness, It was reconstructed by a
private individual in 1803, It is orna¬

mented with 12 statues, as large as
life, of the 12 peers of France, to
whom Turpin gave so much chivalrous
celebrity: 6 are the prelates of Rheims,
Laon, Langres, Beauvais, Chalons,
Noyon ; 6 lay peers—the Dukes of
Burgundy, Normandy, and Aquitaine,
the Counts of Flanders, Champagne,
and Toulouse: the figures are of white
marble, finely sculptured, but in the
rather theatrical and exaggerated taste
of the time.

“ Many of the streets of Rheims will
remind the traveller of an old English
town. In these the houses are low,
usually of one story. The smart new
portions of the town, in which great
improvements are making, are of the
usual French character” (F. R.); yet,
on the whole, the stranger who has
heard Rheims described as one of the
oldest towns in France will be sur¬
prised to find that it has so very little
appearance of antiquity. A few ex¬
amples of picturesque street-architec¬
ture remain : in the Rue du Tambour
is the hotel of the Comtes de Cham¬
pagne; in the Marchd au Ble, a house
decorated externally with rich and well-
preserved oak carving. The inn called
Maison Rouge, near the Cathedral, is
interesting as being the same (or occu¬
pying the same site as that) in which
Jeanne d’Arc was lodged at the coro¬
nation of Charles VII., though it then
bore the sign of L’Ane Raye (Zebra).
In the Rue de Ceres is the house in
which Colbert, the enlightened minister
of Louis XIV., was born, 1619; his
father is supposed to have been a
draper, and he to have served as a
shopman and traveller. The Abbe
Pluche, author of the ‘ Spectacle de la
Nature,’ was also a native of Rheims.
Mr. Pitt spent some months here in
1786 with his friend Wilberforce, in
order to learn French. Drouet, Comte
d’Erlon, is buried in the Cemetery ; his
sword is at the foot of the pedestal
bearing his bust.

The ramparts and fosse have been
planted and converted into agreeable
public walks surrounding the town, and
commanding fine views. The pro¬
menade is large and well laid out. The
Cafe Courtois is handsomely fitted up.

546

Route 178.— Rheims — Coronation — Wines. Sect. IX.

Diligences to Epernay Stafc. on the
railway to Paris. A branch railway
from Rlieims to Epernay is in progress.

Rheims is the metropolitan see of
France, and one of the nuclei of the
civilisation of that country; and was
the place of coronation of the French
kings from the time of Philippe Au¬
guste to that of Charles X., with the
two exceptions of Henri IV. and Louis
XVIII. It was selected for that dis¬
tinction, probably, as the place of de¬
posit of the Sainte Ampoule, or holy
Jiask of oil, brought by a dove from
heaven to St. Remy as he was about
to baptize Clovis (496). The persua¬
sion of Clothilda, his queen, and a vow
made before the decisive battle of Zul-
pich, had induced the Frankish con¬
queror to receive the Christian rite
from the hands of the bishop; w T ho, as
the new convert kneeled before him,
received him as a member of the church
w T ith these haughty words :—“ Mitis
depone colla Sicamber; incende quod
adorasti, et adora quod incendisti.”
The story of the Ampoule, however,
is said to have been an invention of
the Bishop Hinckmar, 360 years after
Clovis; it is certain that no contem¬
porary records make mention of it.
After having been publicly smashed to
pieces by a sansculotte named Ruhl, in
1793, it most unaccountably reappeared
at the coronation of Charles X.

No celebration of the august cere¬
mony of the “Sacre” in that imposing
and well-proportioned pile, the Ca¬
thedral, can have exceeded in interest
that of Charles VII., the result of the
enthusiasm of the Maid of Orleans.
“ The people looked on with wonder
and with awe. Thus had really come
to pass the fantastic visions that floated
before the eyes of the poor shepherd-
girl of Domremy! Thus did she per¬
form her two-fold promise to the king
within 3 months from the day when
she first appeared in arms at Blois.
During the coronation of her sovereign
—so long the aim of her thoughts and
prayers, and reserved to be at length
achieved by her own prowess — the
Maid stood before the high altar by
the side of the king, with her banner
unfurled in her hand. ‘ It had shared

the danger,’ she observed; f it had a
right to share the glory.’

“ The holy rites having been per¬
formed, the Maid knelt down before
the newly-crowned monarch, her eyes
streaming with tears. f Gentle King,’
she said, f now is fulfilled the pleasure
of God, who willed that you should
come to Rheims and be anointed, show¬
ing that you are the true king, and he
to whom the kingdom should belong.’
She now regarded her mission as ac¬
complished, and her inspiration as fled.
f I wish,’ she said, ‘ that the gentle
king should allow me to return to¬
wards my father and mother, keep my
flocks and herds as before, and do all
things as I was wont to do.’” —Lord
Mahon.

In the campaign of 1814 Rheims was
surprised and taken by a Russian force
under St. Priest, the French garrison
being quite inadequate, from their small
numbers, to defend the walls; but Na¬
poleon did not allow the Russians to
keep it many hours. Hurrying to the
spot with an army broken by the de¬
feat of Laon, he nevertheless com¬
pletely took by surprise St. Priest,
who was mortally wounded while en¬
deavouring to stem the torrent and
secure his retreat. This was almost
the last military success which Buona¬
parte gained.

The situation of Rheims is agreeable,
on the rt. bank of the Vesle, surrounded
by slopes covered with vineyards.

Champagne Wines. —“This city is
thriving: the chief article of commerce
is the wine, which, in spite of all the
powers of revolutionary geography, will
perpetually keep the ancient name of
the province of Champagne in remem¬
brance. These wines are divided into
‘Vins de la Riviere,’ and the f Vins de
la Montagne;’ the former being for the
most part white, and the latter red.
The best river wines, strictly so called,
are obtained from the vineyards situate
in the valleys and on the sides of the
hills that border the Marne at A'i,
Hautvilliers, Epernay, Dizy, Avernay,
&c., and occupy a tract of country of
about 5 leagues in extent; but the
estate of Cumieres, though in the
midst of these vineyards, lying under

Champagne. Route 1 78. — Mezieres — Charleville.

the same line and with the same ex¬
posure, yields red wines only, and of a
superior quality to the others that are
grown in the same neighbourhood. In
general, it may be observed that the
vineyards on the banks of the Marne
supply the choicest wines. (Rte, 165.)

The road to Mezieres lies through
an uninteresting portion of that part
of Champagne called “ La Pouilleuse,”
passing

17 Isle, beyond which it enters the
Dept, of the Ardennes, and reaches

20 Bethel, a town of 6800 Inhab.,
prettily seated on the Aisne, wdiose
branches divide it into several parts.

A hilly country succeeds; once
forest, now cleared for the most part,
and bare and sad of aspect in conse¬
quence.

12 Saulces au Bois.

10 Launay.

19 Mezieres ( Inn: H. du Palais Royal;
very good), one of Vauban’s strong for¬
tresses, and at the same time the chef-
lieu of the Dept, des Ardennes, is
seated on the rt. bank of the Meuse,
on the isthmus of a promontory formed
by the river, which washes its walls
on two sides, and separates it from
Charleville. It has 4083 Inhab.

The parish Church is a very fine
flamboyant Gothic edifice of the 16th
centy., in which the marriage of
Charles IX. with Isabelle d’Autriche
was solemnised 1570. Among the
good points about it are its lateral
portals, in the style of the latter part
of the 15th centy., and 2 curioiis bas-
reliefs in the choir. There are some
bits of painted glass inserted in blank
windows, and over the N. aisle is a
bomb-shell, one of those thrown by
the Allies when they invested the
place after the battle of Waterloo,
which has remained sticking in the
roof ever since the town capitulated.

A more glorious event in the annals
of Mezieres was the resistance which it
made to the Spanish army of Charles V.,
40,000 strong, in 1521. The Chevalier
Bayard gallantly took the command of
the town at a time when Francis I.
had proposed to blow it up and abandon
it, as too w r eak to offer any resistance,
and to lay waste the country around,

547

as the only means of stopping the
enemy. With a force of only 2000
men Bayard endured a siege of 6
weeks, in the course of which bombs
were for the first time used, and were
most plentifully showered upon the
garrison, but with little effect. The
banner of Bayard is said to be still
preserved in the H. de Ville.

Charleville, a town of 7773 Inhab.,
is only a mile distant from Mdzi&res,
and is connected with it by an avenue
and suspension-bridge. It has become
a thriving place since it ceased to be
a fortress at the end of the 17th
centy., and manufactures nails, hard¬
ware, fire-arms, &c.

The Meuse makes a wide sweep
around, and then dives into a narrow
trench or defile cut by it in the slate
rocks, which stretch with the most
contorted windings nearly as far as
Givet. The depths into which the
Meuse enters are a narrow and deep
chasm in the chain of the Ardennes;
the breach is in places no wider than
the river itself, its sides often vertical,
sometimes 130 ft. high. It expands
suddenly at Fumay, a town most pic¬
turesquely planted on a holm on the
banks of the river, overhung by pre¬
cipitous rocks, called Les Dames de la
Meuse, 130 ft. high, and overlooked by
the picturesque ruins of the castle of
Hierches. Slate is the chief product of
this desolate district; it is sent down
the Meuse to Holland from Fumay,
where there are extensive quarries. In
1623 slates were sent from the Ar¬
dennes to roof the ch. of St. James of
Compostella in Spain.

[20 m. N. of Mezieres is Bocroy, a
small fortress, in front of which le
Grand Conde gained the greatest of
his victories over the Spaniards, at the
age of 22 years. The army opposed
to him were veteran bands of Walloons,
Spaniards, and Italians, commanded
by a mature and experienced general;
and it was only after thrice heading
the charge against this serried infantry,
that Conde at length broke their array.
The Spanish general Fuentes, who con¬
ducted the battle from a litter, being
wounded, was found among the dead.
The battle-field is on a plain, at that

548

Sect. IX.

Route 180 .—Rheims to Luxembourg .

time (May 19, 1643) surrounded by
marshes and dense forests on all sides,
but now much changed by clearing
and drainage.]

The road to Sedan lies through a
pretty country.

9 Flize. The Meuse is crossed on
quitting Mezieres, and again twice
before entering

13 Sedan.— Inns: Croix d’Or; good;
—H. de Turenne (?);—Croix d’Argent;
nasty. Sedan, situated on the rt. bank
of the Meuse, is both an important
frontier fortress, commanding the en¬
trance from Luxembourg into France,
and a prosperous manufacturing town
of 13,719 Inhab., but is a dirty, dis¬
agreeable place. It is celebrated for
the fine cloths, especially the black,
which are made here, and not less
than 11,000 or 12,000 persons are em¬
ployed in this branch of industry.

Down to the time of Louis XIII.
it was capital of a principality belong¬
ing to the family of La Tour d’Au-
vergne, Dues de Bouillon; but in 1642
the Due de B., having engaged in the
conspiracy of Cinq-Mars against Riche¬
lieu, was too happy to give it up to
save his head. Marshal Turenne was
born here 1611, in a small pavilion
attached to the chateau, which was
razed to the ground at the Revolution,
and no souvenir of him remains, save
a black stone to mark the spot where
it stood. An ugly statue of him has
been set up in the Place. The chateau
itself is also demolished. In fact,
Sedan has nothing of interest to detain
the tx-aveller.

At Bazeilles, a neighbouring village,
is, or was, the chateau where Turenne
was nursed, and an avenue planted by
him. At this place the Comte de
Soissons defeated the army of Riche¬
lieu 1641, but perished on the field of
battle.

Malleposte to Rheims and Epernay
Stat. on the Railway to Paris. (Rte.
165.)

ROUTE 180.

RHEIMS TO LUXEMBOURG, BY STENAY
AND LONGWY.

Rheims, in Rte. 178.

17 Isle (Marne), in Rte. 178.

23 Pauvres.

16 Vouziers (Ardennes), a town of
2000 Inhab.; on the 1. bank of the
Aisne.

13 Boux aux Bois.

9 Buzaney, a bourg of less than
1000 Inhab., retaining portions of its
old fortifications, and an entrance-gate
called Porte St. Germaine. On the
site of the Citadel is the Chateau de la
Cour, anciently the habitation of St.
Remy, Bishop of Rheims. To the N.
of the village, and in the upper part
of it, stands the singular edifice called
Mahomet, said to have been a mosque
built by Pierre d’Anglure, who, having
followed St. Louis to the Holy Wars,
was taken prisoxier by the Saracens,
and released after a long captivity, on
giving his word of honour that he
would himself bring back his ransom.
He accordingly sold part of his lands
to raise the money, and returned, after
many adventures, in the course of
which he lost an eve, to the Sultan,
who was so pleased with his honour¬
able conduct that he restored the gold
to the Christian knight, on the con¬
dition that he should build a mosque
on his return home. The building is
constructed of large stones, and the
door on the E. was originally the
only opening; the windows have been
broken out.

The Dept, of the Meuse is entered
shortly before reaching

21 Stenay, an ancient town of 3140
Inhab., once an important frontier
fortress, but after its capture by Louis
XIV. its fortifications were razed, 1654.
It belonged to the family of Conde
down to 1791, and the Vicomte de
Turenne, when in rebellion against the
Court and Mazarin, threw himself into
it, and was joined by the Duchesse de
Longueville, so celebrated in the wars
of the Fronde. They here signed a
treaty of alliance with Spain.

,549

Champagne, Route 181.— Nancy to Treves — Thionville.

The country around is flat, and sub¬
ject to inundations from the Meuse.

15 Montmedy is a fourth-class for¬
tress, consisting of an upper town sur¬
rounded by 8 bastions, and a lower
one badly fortified. It stands on the
Chiers, a tributary of the Meuse, and
was taken from the Spaniards 1657.
3169 Inhab.

28 Longuyon.

18 Longwy {Inn: Croix d’Or; very
good, and the only tolerable inn on
the road). This is another fortress;
the works of the upper town were laid
out by Yauban, 1682, and Louis XIV.
styled it the Iron Gate of France,
from its important military position,
at an angle of the French territory
projecting into Luxembourg. It was
taken by the Duke of Brunswick and
the Prussians, 1792, and again 1815,
when, after a severe bombardment,
and a noble resistance on the part of
the French General Ducos and a small
garrison, it surrendered on honourable
terms to the Allies commanded by the
Prince of Hesse-Homburg.

Mercy, the Bavarian General, the
antagonist of le Grand Conde at Fri¬
bourg and Nordlingen, where he fell
nobly on the battle-field, 1645, was
born here.

We cross the French frontier and
enter the Duchy of Luxembourg be¬
fore reaching

6 Auhange.

3^- posts, Luxembourg . See Hand¬
book for North Germany.

ROUTE 181.

NANCY TO TREVES, BY METZ AND
THIONVILLE.-DESCENT OF THE MO¬

SELLE.—AND NANCY TO FORBACH.

Railway, Nancy to Metz 35^ kilom.,
and to Forbacli 78f kilom.

A small steamer navigates the Mo¬
selle daily between Nancy (Pont-a-
Mousson), Metz, and Treves: it takes
15 hours to go from Treves to Metz.

The Moselle flows at a distance of
about 7 m. from Nancy, and is crossed
by the Railroad.

6j Frouard Stat.

9.^ Marbache Stat.

13f Dieulouard Stat.

18§ Pont-a-Mousson Stat. {Inn: H.
d’Angleterre), a town of 7218 Inhab., on
the Moselle, here crossed by a bridge.
The fine Gothic Gh. of St. Martin, end¬
ing in 3 apses and ornamented with
paintings of the Lorraine school, in
the style of the latter part of the 13th
centy., and in the square or Place,
which is surrounded by arcades, an
ancient mansion curiously decorated ex¬
ternally with sculptures, called Maison
des 7 Peeke's Capitaux, deserve notice.
The buildings of the ancient Abbaye
de St. Marie are converted into a
Seminaire.

This is the birthplace of Marshal
Duroc, the friend of Napoleon, in
whose arms he died mortally wounded
at the battle of Bautzen, 1813. The
high road here crosses the Moselle to
its rt. bank.

23^ Pagny Stat.

27^ Noveant Stat.

The ruined Roman aqueduct, de¬
scribed p. 445, is at Jouy aux Arches.
35^ Metz Station, in Rte. 175.

[The Stations from Metz to For-
bach are—

40 Peltre
44j Courcelles
49j Remilly
53 Herny
60^ Faulquemont
66f Saint-Avold
714 Hombourg
75^ Cocheren
78f Forbacii Terminus. The fron¬
tier town of Germany: 4281 Inhab.

Malleposte hence to Mayence and
Frankfurt (see North German Hand¬
book.) in 18 hrs.

Metz to Treves — Thionville.

17 Mondelange. The correction of
the course of the Moselle below Metz
has been carried to such an extent,
that it resembles a canal running
between dykes. In Prussia little has
been done: in many places the current
is so strong that the steamer, in as¬
cending, stems the rapids only by the
aid of a towing-liorse.

The small town of Richemont stands
prettily on the 1. bank of the Moselle,
at the confluence of the Orne.

11 Thionville (Germ. Diedenhofen)

-Stat.]

550

Route 182 .—Metz to Luxembourg.

Sect. IX.

(Inns: H. du Luxembourg;—du Com¬
merce;—Lion d’Or), a town of 5800
Inhab., a fortress of third class, con¬
structed by Vauban, consisting of 11
bastions covered by some external
works, and by a fort on the rt. bank
of the Moselle. It contains 5600
Inhab.; many of its houses bear the
date of the 16th centy.

It was taken from the Spaniards,
1558, by the Due de Guise, but was
restored to Philip II. by the treaty of
Cateau Cambresis. The Grand Conde,
while yet Due d’Enghien, captured it,
1643, after 3 months of siege and 40
days of open trenches. The Prussian
custom-house on the river is near
Seri, the French at . The cuisines
de Charlemagne are not older than the
16th centy. The Tour aux Puces is
now Magasin d’Artillerie.

17 Sierck, the last town in France,
is agreeably situated on the rt. bank
of the Moselle, between the Strom-
berg and the rocks of the valley of
Montenach, surmounted at a consider¬
able height by an old Castle in ruins,
commanding the course of the Moselle:
it is a fine point of view.

A little below Sierck is the camp of
Ivunsberg, thrown up by Vauban, a
series of fortified lines, in which Mar¬

shal Villars arrested the march of
Marlborough.

26 Sarrebourg (3 Pruss. posts).
Treves. Handbook for North
Germany.

ROUTE 182.

METZ TO LUXEMBOURG, OR ARLON, BY
LONGWY.

The Inn at Longwy is the best and
almost the only good one on these
lines.

a. to Metz.

17 Mondelange.

11 Thionville (Rte. 181).

19 (or 2| posts) Frisange in Luxem¬
bourg.

If posts, Luxembourg. Handbook
for N. Germany.

b. to Arlon.

17 Mondelange.

20 Fontoy.

9 Aumetz.

20 Longwy (Inn: tolerable), a for¬
tress; the upper town was fortified
by Louis XIV., after the treaty of
Nymegen.

Arlon. Handbook for N. Ger¬
many.

( 551 )

SECTION X.

ILE DE FRANCE.—FLANDRES.-ARTOIS.

ROUTE PAGE

183 Paris to Valenciennes, by

Creil, Compiegne, Noyon,
Chauny, St. Quentin (Rail¬
way), and Cambrai . .551

184 Chemin de Fer du Ford. Paris
to Brussels, by Amiens, Arras,
Douai, and Valenciennes . 555

186 Lille to Brussels, by Rou-
baix, Mouscron, Tournay, and
Mons.—Lille to Gand . . 556

ROUTE PAGE

187 Calais to Dijon, by Douai,
Cambrai, St. Quentin, Laon,
Rlieims, Chalons-sur-Marne,
and Troyes .... 556

188 Lille to Dunkerque, by
Cassel ..... 559

189 Calais to Dunkerque and
Courtrai, by Gravelines and
Bergues .... 560

ROUTE 183.

PARIS TO VALENCIENNES, BY CREIL,
COMPIEGNE, NOYON, CHAUNY, ST.
QUENTIN (RAILWAY), AND CAMBRAI.

The Chemin de Fer du Ford has been
described between Paris and

67 Creil Stat., in Rte. 3. A branch
Railway extends thence to St. Quentin,
167 kilom. = 103^ Eng. m.

id. extends the Forest of Chantilly.
78 Pont St. Maxence Stat. This
town is prettily situated on the Oise,
and its Bridge was built by the archi¬
tect Peyronnet.

Coaches hence and also from Creil to
Senlis (Inn: Grand Cerf), a town of
5000 Inhab., consisting of an old town
still surrounded by ramparts and
boulevards, among which are traces of
Roman constructions, and of 3 modern
suburbs, in which are cotton-mills and
other manufactories. The Porte de
Meaux, now in ruins, was a fort in it¬
self, approached by a bridge; the Porte
Bellon is also curious. In the interior
of the Cite are remains of the Castle,
dating from the time of St. Louis, in
which may be distinguished the chapel,
the hall bearing the initials of Henri
II. and Diana of Poitiers, and the
chamber of Louis XIII.

The Cathedral is a small and simple
but stately building, chiefly of the
12th centy. The W. portal, with its
statues, has been restored. The la¬
teral portals, the fa§ades of the tran¬
septs, which are very rich, are of the
age of Francis I. and Louis XII. It is
surmounted by a fine tower and twin
spires 211 feet high.

Several other desecrated churches
merit notice, as the Abbey of St. Vin¬
cent, well preserved ; the Church of St.
Pierre, now a liay-store, with a porch
rich in sculpture ; the Chapel of the
Hotel Dieu; and the nave of St. Fram-
bourg.

The ruins of the Abbey of Chaalis,
and the Chapelle du Roi, near Senlis,
may 1 deserve a visit from those who
take an interest in Gothic remains.]

88 Villeneuve-sur-Verberie Stat.
The river Oise runs parallel with our
road at some distance on the 1.

100 Compiegne Stat. (Inns: La
Cloche (?) ;—le Lion), a mean town of
8895 Inhab., on the 1. bank of the
Oise, a little below its junction with
the Aisne. The Romans gave it the
name Compendium, because their mili¬
tary stores and ammunition of all sorts
were kept here. It has been a favour¬
ite residence of the French monarchs,
with few exceptions, from the time of

552

Route 183 .—Paris to Valenciennes — Compi'egne. Sect. X.

Clovis. They often repaired hither to
enjoy the pleasures of the chace in its
very extensive park and neighbouring
forest.

The Royal Palace, as it at present
stands, is a building of the time of
Louis XV., erected from designs of
Gabriel. Napoleon added a splendid
hall or gallery : it was here that he
received his bride Marie Louise.
Charles X. spent much of his time
here, in his favourite sport of shooting.
The interior is elegantly furnished.
The Gardens are prettily laid out, and
a sort of arbour, or berceau walk, 4800
ft. long, leads from them to the forest.
The facade towards the forest is very
grand.

The Hotel de Ville is a curious
Gothic edifice, surmounted by a beffroi
and turrets.

The Church of St. Andre is of the pure
Gothic of the 13th centy., except the
aisles and side chapels, which date
from the end of the 15th. In the Ch.
of St. Anne is a curious marble font.

The Forest occupies an area of nearly
30,000 acres, and contains some fine
oak timber.

A camp for military manoeuvres is
sometimes formed here in the autumn.

Though the fortifications are now
entirely razed, Compiegne was once a
strong place ; and it was before its
walls that the dauntless Maid of Or¬
leans was made a prisoner and entered
on a captivity which ended only in her
miserable and cruel death, 1430. She
had thrown herself into the town, then
besieged by the Duke of Burgundy,
and had courageously headed the gar¬
rison in a sally across the bridge,
when, in retreating last of the rear¬
guard, she found the town-gate partly
closed, and choked by the throng eager
to escape from the enemy, who closely
pursued them. In consequence of
this, while endeavouring to protect the
fugitives, and before she could obtain
an entrance, she was seized by an
archer of Picardy, and transferred to
John of Luxembourg, from whom she
was purchased by the English. The
spot of her capture, near the old gate¬
way de Vieux Pont, is still pointed
out, although the old bridge, close to

which it occurred, has been removed,
and replaced by another higher up the
stream.

Diligence daily to Soissons. (Rte.178.)

The Railroad ascends the valley of
the Oise on its rt. bank, by

109 Thourotte Stat.,

117 Ourscamps Stat., to

124 Noyon Slat. (Inn: H. des Che-
valets), a very ancient town, on a
small stream, the Vorse, about a mile
from the right side of the Oise, with
6250 Inliab., remarkable as the birth¬
place of the reformer, John Calvin,*
son of a notary, grandson of a cooper,
b. 1509. The house at the corner of
the Rue Fromenteresse has been pulled
down, it is said out of hatred to the
heresiarch. Noyon was besieged by
Julius Caesar, who calls it Noviodunum
Belgarum. Charlemagne resided here;
and Hugues Capet was elected by his
vassals King of France at this place in
987.

The Cathedral is of interest to the
antiquary and architect. It is a fine
Romanesque edifice, begun in the 12th
centy., and completed on a uniform
plan early in the 13th. The transepts
and nave have semicircular termina¬
tions. The lower arches and the 9
side-chapels outside the choir are
Round ; the triforium gallery running
above them has Pointed arches. This
church presents an interesting example
of the transition from the Round to
the Pointed style.

[A Diligence runs from Noyon by
Guiscard to Ham, crossing the ridge
which divides the basin of the Seine
from that of the Somme, and enters
the Dept, of the Somme before
reaching

Ham {Inns: H. de France;—Cornet
d’Or), a small town on the Somme,
surrounded by marshes, with 1663
Inhab. Its Citadel has been much
strengthened by modern works, so as
to be now a fortress of importance : it
serves as a state prison, for which pur¬
pose it is well fitted. The central
tower or donjon is 100 ft. high, 100
ft. wide, and the walls are of masonry
36 ft. thick. It was built 1470 by
the Comte de St. Pol, afterwards be-
* See Dyer’s ‘ Life of Calvin.’

Fii. Flanders.

Route 183.— Ham — St. Quentin.

553

headed by Louis XI., and bears over
the gate his motto, “Mon Mieux.”
The Prince de Polignac, and 3 other
ministers of Charles X., who signed
the Ordonnances of July 25, 1830,

were confined here; and Prince Louis
Napoleon, after the failure of his rash
attempt at Boulogne, 1840, remained
here for 6 years, until, in 1846, he
escaped in the disguise of a labourer,
carrying a plank on his shoulder.
Strangers are not admitted.

The Church is said to be an inter¬
esting building, and contains some
curious bas-reliefs.

General Foy was born here.

Between Ham and a village called
Nesle, Henry V. crossed the Somme,
by a ford which the French had left
unguarded, with his brave army, des¬
tined, 2 days after, to fight and gain
the battle of Azincour, 1415.]

132 Appely Stat.

140 Chauny Stat., an ancient town of
5154 Inliab., partly built on an island
in the Oise, which is here connected
with the Canal de St. Quentin.

169 St. Quentin Terminus ( Inn:
H. du Cygne ; comfortable), a flou¬
rishing manufacturing town, whose
population has more than doubled in
25 years, and now amounts to 25,000,
It was the ancient capital of the Yer-
mandois, the “Augusta Viromanduo-
rum” of the Romans, and is situated on
the Somme (Samarobriva of Caesar).

The principal Church, once colle¬
giate, is less known than it ought to be.
It is one of the finest, boldest, and
purest Gothic buildings in this part of
Belgic Gaul. The vault of the roof is
127 ft. high. It has a double transept;
the choir is braced with iron ; the E.
apse has fine painted glass in 7 win¬
dows. The King of ‘France was pre¬
mier canon of this church, and the
chapter possessed privileges over the
municipal community which kept up
constant feuds between town and gown.
and this continued, more or less, until
chapter and community sustained a
simultaneous annihilation. The Hotel
de Ville is a very fine specimen of
these structures in what may be
termed the Flemish-Gothic style ; and
this and many other portions of the

France.

town afford good subjects for the
pencil. It probably dates from the
15th centy.

The wharfs on the banks of the
Somme bear testimony to the increas¬
ing consumption of coal in this dis¬
trict. It is brought from the vicinity
of Valenciennes, Conde, and Mons, by
the Canal de St. Quentin, and is of an
inferior quality, but it is extensively
employed in the various manufactures
which are springing up, and which
may hereafter become formidable rivals
to those of England.

St. Quentin is the centre of the
manufacture of Linen Cloths (toile de
fil), muslins and gauzes (battistes et
gazes), which spread over the country
for 30 m. around, as far as Cambrai,
Bapeaume, and Peronne. Flanders
and Picardy furnish the flax: the
finest quality comes from Marchiennes;
that of St. Quentin is coarse. The
weavers are obliged to work below
ground and in cellars, by the moist and
even temperature of which they are
alone enabled to prevent the fine
thread breaking. It has been calcu¬
lated that 100,000 persons are em¬
ployed in weaving and spinning flax.
Cotton spinning and weaving also em¬
ploy a great many hands.

Under the walls of St. Quentin was
fought (July 28, 1557) the celebrated
battle between the Spanish troops,
commanded by Emanuel Philibert
Duke of Savoy, and Ferdinand Gon-
zaga, and the French, headed by Co-
ligny and the Connetable Anne de
Montmorency, in which the latter were
entirely routed. Queen Mary of Eng¬
land aided her husband Philip II. on
this occasion with a considerable levy
of English troops, under the command
of the Earl of Pembroke, who con¬
tributed not a little to the victory.
This defeat left Paris unprotected ;
and, had the victors profited by their
advantage, France and Spain might
perhaps have been united into one vast
monarchy. But Philip, who joined
the army after the battle, hesitated,
and occupied himself in the siege of
the town, which, just capable of de¬
fence, might with safety have been
left in the occupation of the French

2 b

554 Route 183 .—Paris to Valenciennes — Cambrai. Sect. X.

garrison. Commanded by Coligny and
Jarnac, the town sustained eleven
assaults before it was taken. The in¬
habitants were treated with great
cruelty, the Spaniards revenging them¬
selves upon the burgesses, who had
defended the town-walls with great
valour. Even the clergy were not
spared, and they all quitted the town,
and did not return until St. Quentin
was restored to France by the treaty
of C&teau Cambresis, 1559.

Diligences daily to Cambrai, to Ga¬
teau, to Laon and Rheims (Rte. 187),
to Avesnes.

The Canal of St. Quentin is of great
importance to the town : it connects
the basin of the Somme with that of
the Scheldt, and is carried through
the intervening hills by tunnels,—one
at Tronquoi, £ m. long; another at
Riqueval, 3f m. long, cut through the
solid rock : it is 20 ft. high, and 20 ft.
broad ; it admits only 1 barge to pass
at a time, towed by men. By means
of this canal a communication is
opened between the river Scheldt and
the extreme eastern departments of
France and the Atlantic, through the
rivers Somme, Seine, and Loire ; it
was completed by Napoleon in 1810 ;
it enters the Oise at Chauny. It runs
parallel with our road as far as
Cambrai.

14 Bellicourt. The road is hilly to
Cambrai. Near the little village of
Castelet, traversed by the road, the
Scheldt (l’Escaut) rises from behind
the gardens of Mont St. Martin ; it
issues from an arch in the side of a hill.

14 Bonavy.

11 Cambrai (Inn: H. de 1’Europe,
formerly au Grand Canard ; good) is
an industrious and considerable town
and fortress on the Scheldt, with
19,000 Inhab., principally remarkable
for the fine muslin manufactured here,
named by the English, after the place
where it is made, Cambric. The
Revolution stripped it of all its prin¬
cipal ornaments. It was the episcopal
see of the venerable Fenelon, author
of Telemaque, who was buried here.
The sacrilegious hands of the Revo¬
lutionists, in 1793, tore his body from
the peaceful grave, and melted the

lead of his coffin into bullets. The
beautiful Cathedral was utterly razed
to the ground at the same time. By
way of making some atonement for the
outrage, a handsome monument was
erected to his memory in 1825, in the
present cathedral, a modern church of
indifferent architecture. His statue,
“ half rising from an altar tomb, ap¬
parently ready to obey the sound of
the last trumpet, is not ill conceived
nor executed.” The three bas-reliefs
represent memorable events of his life
—the education of the Duke of Bur¬
gundy, the Archbishop attending the
wounded soldier after the battle of
Malplaquet, and the cow restored to
the peasant. His remains are deposited
beneath the monument, which is the
work of David , the sculptor. An an¬
cient Greek painting of the Virgin,
attributed, as is usual with pictures
of this class, to St. Luke, is preserved
in the cathedral, and is yet carried in
procession.

Of the 12 churches which existed
before the Revolution, 2 alone remain.
That of St. Gery has a roodloft. The
only other public building of conse¬
quence is the Hotel de Ville, of modern
construction. Cambrai is called Ca-
maracum in the Itinerary of Antonine.

Cambrai is celebrated in the annals
of diplomacy for the famous League
against the republic of Venice con¬
cocted here in 1508 : a treaty of peace
between Charles V. and Francis I.
was also signed in 1529. The citadel
was raised by Charles V. Cambrai was
taken by a detachment of the British
army under Sir Charles Colville, June
24, 1815. It is the native place of the
historian Monstrelet, and of General
Dumouriez (1739).

Diligences daily to Douai and Arras
on the Northern Railway.

The Canal of St. Quentin begins at
Cambrai, where it issues out of the
Scheldt (see above). It is of the highest
utility in promoting the industry and
jmosperity of the district through which
it passes.

[15 m. E. of Cambrai lies Le Cateau
Cambresis, famous for the treaty signed
there (1595) between Philip II. and
Henri II. It was also the birthplace

Yr. Flanders. Route 184 .—Paris to Brussels — Peronne. 555

of Marshal Mortier, Duke of Trevise,
who perished in Paris by Fieschi’s
assassination-machine. Cateau was the
head-quarters of the Duke of Welling¬
ton Avhen he entered France in 1815 ;
hence he issued his order to his troops
to abstain from pillage, and to main¬
tain the strictest discipline.]

15 Bouchain, a small 2nd class for¬
tress on the Scheldt.

On quitting Bouchain the road
passes on the 1. Denain, the battle-field
where Marshal Villars defeated and
made prisoner Lord Albemarle, com¬
mander of the allied forces, posted in
a strong position, 1712. An Obelisk
was erected on the field to comme¬
morate the success, with these lines of
Voltaire :—

“ Regard ez dans Denain l’audacieux Villars

Disputant le tonnerre a l’aigle des Cesars/’

The innermost douane to be passed on
entering France is at Doucliy. There
is a railroad from Denain to Anzin by
St. Waast, 16 kilom.

On approaching Valenciennes the
road passes the great coal-field of the
D6pt. du Nord, the most important in
France, discovered about 1736, in a
portion of Hainault which was not
ceded to France until 1678. It is a
prolongation of the Belgian coal-field.
The chief collieries are at Anzin, De¬
nain, Lourches, Fresnes, Vieux Conde,
&c. ; 40 mines are worked in this dis¬
trict ; some of them are 1640 ft. deep.
Paris is supplied with a large quantity
of coal from hence by the canal of St.
Quentin, and the fuel derived from
hence imparts life to the numerous
and varied manufactures scattered over
the industrious Dept, du Nord, in¬
cluding 3000 manufactories around the
walls of

Valenciennes, within a circle of 10
or 15 m. (Rte. 184.)

ROUTE 184.

PARIS TO BRUSSELS.—CHEMIN DE FER
DU NORD, BY AMIENS, ARRAS, DOUAI,
AND VALENCIENNES.

370 kilom. = about 228 Eng. m.

5 trains daily to Douai in h.

2 trains daily to Brussels in 12£ h.
This railway is described in Rtes. 1
and 3 as far as

147 Amiens Stat.

163 Carbie Stat.

179 Albert Stat. Diligence to

Peronne (Inns: H. St. Martin ; H.
d’Angleterre), a fortress on the X.
bank of the Somme. It bore the epi¬
thet “la Pucelle,” because it never
was captured by an enemy down to
1815, when the Duke of Wellington
deprived it of its virgin reputation.
He thus describes its capture in his
Despatches : — “I attacked Peronne
with the first division of British
Guards, under Major-Gen. Maitland,
on the 26th in the afternoon. The
troops took the hornwork, which
covers the suburb on the 1. of the
Somme, by storm, with but small
loss, and the town immediately after¬
wards surrendered, on the condition
that the garrison should lay down their
arms and be allowed to return to their
homes.”— June 2 6th, 1815. The num¬
ber of the inhabitants in the town ex¬
ceeds 4000.

It was in the Castle of Peronne that
Charles the Bold detained the crafty
Louis XI. his piisoner, in the way so
admirably described in Quentin Dur-
ward, on receiving intelligence of the
revolt of the Liegeois, and restored
him to liberty only after he had signed
conditions most disadvantageous to
himself, and known in history as the
“ treaty of Peronne.” The castle is
much dilapidated, and a large part is
probably not older than the 16th
centy., yet there remain many dismal
dungeons on the ground-floor. The
chamber occupied by Louis is still
pointed out in the Tour Herbert, and
beside it the miserable cell, on a level
with the moat, where Chaiies the
Simple ended his days, a wretched
captive. He was buried in the church
of St. Farcy, now destroyed. The
Church of St. John, near the Beffroi, or
bell-tower, date 1376, is a handsome
Gothic edifice, apparently of the 16th
centy. ; its lithe piers without capitals
spread out into multiplied groinings
over the roof, and it has a little painted
glass. The situation of PeTonne is

2 b 2

556 _Z?. 184.— Valenciennes. 187.— Calais to Dijon.

Sect. X.

unwholesome, owing to the marshes
which surround it.

197 Acliiet Stat. Coach to Bapeaume,
a dull and dirty fortress, where some
linen and muslin are made.

206 Boileux Stat.

215 Arras Stat. in Rte. 1.

Diligence to Cambrai, &c.

224 Roux Stat.

231 Yitry Stat.

241 Douai Stat. in Rte. 1.

249 Montigny Stat.

256 Somain Stat,

265 Wallers Stat.

274 Raismes Stat.

277 Valenciennes Stat.

Valenciennes {Inns: La Poste ;
H. des Princes, very good and com¬
fortable ; La Canard ; La Biche ; La
Cour de France), a fortress of the 2nd
class, with a strong citadel constructed
by the engineer Vauban, is a dark and
ill-built town, lying on the Scheldt,
and has a population of 22,000 souls.
In 1793 it was taken by the Allies
under the Duke of York and General
Abercromby, after a siege of 84 days
and a severe bombardment, which de¬
stroyed a part of the town : it was
yielded back next year. In the grand
square, or Place d’Armes, are situated
the Hotel de Ville, a fine building, half
Gothic half Italian in style, built
1612, and containing 3 pictures by
Rubens (?), brought from the abbey of
St. Amand ; the Beffroi, 170 ft. high,
built 1237, fell 1843, and caused a
serious loss of life ; the Theatre. The
Church of St. Gery is the principal one.

The celebrated Valenciennes Lace is
manufactured here, and a considerable
quantity of fine cambric. This is the
birthplace of Watteau the painter, of
Froissart the historian, and of the
minister D’Argenson.

On entering France, passports must
lie delivered up here ; and on quitting
the country they are strictly examined
by the police.

The country around Valenciennes
offers no picturesque beauty ; the rivers
are sluggish, and have flat, uninterest¬
ing banks.

There is a triple row of French
custom-houses on this frontier; and
the repeated searches to which the

traveller is subjected are often very
annoying, and occasion considerable
delay.

Diligences to Mezieres, Sedan, and
Strasburg ; to Peronne ; Landrecies ;
to Maubeuge and Avesnes.

The Railway from Valenciennes to
the Belgian frontier (14 kilom.), and
thence to Brussels (11^ posts), is de¬
scribed in the Handbook for North
Germany.

288 Blanc Misseron Stat.

289 Quievrain Stat.

308 Mons Stat.

370 Brussels Terminus (see Hand¬
book for Belgium and North Ger¬
many) .

ROUTE 186.

LILLE TO BRUSSELS, BY ROUBAIX, MOUS-

CRON, AND MONS.—LILLE TO GAND.

3 trains daily, in about 5-J lirs.

11 Roubaix Stat. An industrious
town of 24,000 Inhab.—a focus of the
cotton manufacture.

Tourcoing Stat. A town of 20,000
Inhab. Celebrated manufactures of
table-linen.

Mouscron Stat.

[Here the branch Railway to Gand
diverges.]

The Brussels line proceeds by

Tournai Stat. )

Mons Stat. described m Hand-

Braine-le-Comte ( book for Isorth
Stat. ] Germany.

Brussels Station.

ROUTE 187.

CALAIS TO DIJON, BY DOUAI, CAMBRAI,

ST. QUENTIN, LAON, RHEIMS, CHA-

LONS-SUR-MARNE, AND TROYES.

559 kilom. = 346^- Eng. m.

This is the direct road for travellers
to Switzerland or Italy, not wishing to
pass through Paris. The saving in
distance is not great, only 7 m. less
than the route by Paris and Sens, and
the road is very bad : the railway
route by Paris is, of course, far pre¬
ferable in point of speed ; but by this
route they will pass through a series

Fr. Fland. Route 187.— Calais to Dijon — Laon .

557

of places possessing great interest.
The country is interesting, but the
road as far as Chalons-sur-Marne is
wretched; rough paving worn into
holes. Beyond C. s. M. the railway is
open. Those who travel by diligence
will not find a public conveyance

direct to carry them from one end of
the journey to the other without in¬
terruption, and may have to wait at
various points; but they will invari¬
ably meet with diligences running from
one great town to another.

Calais is described in Rte. 1.

16 Ardres, 1

8 La Recousse, > Railway. (Rte 1.)

18 St. Omer, J

18 Aire.

13 Lillers, a town of 4620 Inhab.
Here the first Artesian well, so called
from the province Artois, was bored
by the engineer Belidor, in the 18th
century, and hence the practice has
extended all over Europe ; it had been,
however, previously tried in Italy.

13 Bethune (Inn: H. du Roi, com¬
fortable). The post-house is outside
the town, which was formerly consi¬
dered third in importance in Artois.
It has 6890 Inhab. In its large market¬
place rises a singular old Beffroi, a
heavy square truncated tower, on which
a Gothic spire has been engrafted.

Water is scarce here, and wells few
and very deep. Coach to Arras Stat.

There are 2 roads hence to Cambrai.

Branch a. by

18 Souchez, a shady and picturesque
village.

“ The country, which near Calais is
very marshy and bleak, gradually im¬
proves. Very few hedges are seen.
The crops divide the ownership, and
some growths become apparent to
which we are not accustomed at
home : flax and hemp in great abund¬
ance, and large strips of the white
poppy, cultivated for the purpose of
extracting oil from the seed. The
pale petals have a large lilac fleck at
their base, and the crop is handsome
when in flower. One unpleasing result
of the want of hedges is the absence of
their feathered tenants.”— F. P.

12 Arras (Rte. 1). Railway to Paris.

24 Marquion.

11 Cambrai.

Branch b. from Bethune to
19 Lens.

15 Bac en Bencheul.

11 Cambrai , in Rte. 183.

11 Bonavy, 1

14 Bellicourt, > in Rte. 183.

13 St. Quentin, j

10 Cerisy, a pretty village.

12 La Fere, a fortified town of 2085
Inhab., on the Oise, which we here
cross. It has a school of artillery.

La Fere to Rheims ; a railway pro¬
jected 1852. 80 kilom. = 50 m.

The road is very bad, but the

country improves in picturesqueness
on approaching Laon, which is entered
by a long and steep ascent.

23 Laon. —Inn: La Hure, i. e. the
Boar’s Head ; not a splendid house,
but comfortable.

Laon, the chef-lieu of the D^pt.
de l’Aisne (9346 Inhab.), “ is situ¬
ated upon a lofty and almost iso¬
lated hill, crowned by the noble Ca¬
thedral of Notre Dame. This edifice,
which is in a very pure and simple
Gothic style, much resembling the
early English of Salisbury, was dedi¬
cated Sept. 6, 1114, having been built
from the very ground in the space
of the 2 years preceding ; so that it is
a century older than any specimen of
the same kind in England. It has 4
towers, which have very large, lofty,
unglazed windows, through which the
light shines, and the beginnings of 2
others. The fa 9 ade, with its great
receding cavern-like portals and arches,
is singularly venerable ; and the tra¬
veller will do well to mark its outline,
for he will here see, in its simplest
aspect, the type which at Rheims is
expanded to the highest grade of deco¬
ration and exuberance. As a matter
of taste, however, it may be doubtful
whether the simplicity be not as satis¬
factory. It is 400 ft. long within, and
has a double triforium, making 4
stories in all. The choir, like our
English cathedrals, ends square. The
circular window is remarkable for its
size, and for its painted glass, of which
there is more in the choir. The Ca¬
thedral is much neglected, and the

558

Route 187.— Calais to Dijon — Laon — Sillery. Sect. X.

cloisters have been demolished quite
recently by the Vandalism of the mu¬
nicipality. The Bishop of Laon was
one of the 12 ecclesiastical peers of
France ; but this dignity did not deter
the citizens from violently contesting
his authority. In this Cathedral is
preserved an ancient painting of St.
Veronica, brought from a suppressed
monastery, with an inscription which
greatly puzzled the savans of the age
of Louis Quatorze. It is in the an¬
cient Sclavonian dialect and character,
merely indicating the object which it
represents.”— F. P.

The Ch. of St. Martin, on the side
of the town opposite to the cathedral,
is only remarkable for its 2 fine and
lofty towers.

The Prefecture is established in the
ancient abbey of St. Jean, which also
contains the public Library, and the
HotelDieu is the former Abbey of Martin.

The grand massive tower of Louis
d’Outremer, one of the oldest monu¬
ments in France, has been pulled down
to make way for a Citadelle, which
has been deemed necessary to defend
this side of France from invasion. Its
massive foundations, however, have
hitherto resisted the attempt to remove
them. Near the Porte St. Martin is a
curious Leaning Tower, called Tour
Penchee, or de la Dame Eve, inclining
nearly 10 degrees out of the perpendi¬
cular. Queen Brunehault, who fixed
her court at Laon, gives her name to
another tower. * ‘ The fine masses of
the ancient walls and towers w T hich
encircle the town, mixing with the
rocks, add much to its picturesque
aspect. These walls are said to have
been built by Guillaume Harulin, the
physician who attended Charles VI.
during his insanity ; so that, if this
tradition be correct, they give a great
idea of his fees. There are many fine
points of view here, and perhaps none
of them are more pleasing than those
gained from the summit of the ram¬
parts. The landscape is extensive and
varied. Vineyards clothe the slopes
of the hills, the plains are covered with
* cultivation, the earth seems literally
teeming.”— F. P.

One of the finest views of the town

is from the road called “ Chemin des
Creuttes,” near the Calvary, on the
way to the Abbey of St. Vincent, of
which no part escaped the fury of the
democrats, except its outer walls
(creuttes), moated and embattled like
a fortress as it was ; they now enclose
a private garden.

In March (9 and 10), 1814, a battle,
which lasted 2 days, was fought between
the Allies, commanded by Blucher and
Witzingerode, who occupied the town
and neighbouring heights, and the
French army, much inferior to them
in numbers. Here the success of Na¬
poleon was arrested for the first time
in the campaign, and he was compelled
to retire towards Soissons, with a loss
of 6000 men and 46 cannon.

20 Corbeny. “ Crossing the Aisne,
the road enters the ancient province
of Champagne, which derives its name
from the many plains which it con¬
tains, and which constitute its great
natural features, as soon as you ad¬
vance beyond the borders.”— F. P.

9 Berry au Bac. “ From Laon the
country continues varied, though less
hilly, as you approach Rheims. It is
tolerably wooded, and the luxuriance
of the wild flowers, French honey¬
suckle, and many which are cultivated
in gardens with us, is very pleasing.”
— F. P.

19 Rheims, in Rte. 178.

“ 11 Sillery ; not the locality which
produces the celebrated Sillery Cham¬
pagne. That wine derives its name
from Sillery by a secondary process.
Under its name is comprehended the
produce of the vineyards of Verzenay,
Mailly, Raunent, &c., situated at the
N.E. termination of the chain of hills
which separate the Maine from the
Verle, and formerly belonging to the
Marquis de Sillery, husband of Madame
de Genlis. Having been originally
brought into vogue by the greater care
bestowed upon the manufacture of it
by the Marechale d’Estrees, it was long
known by the name of Vin de la Mare'-
chale.

“19 Les Grandes Loges.

“ The road from Rheims to Chalons
passes through plains extending far
and wide, in which the course of the

Fr. Flanders. Route 188. — Lille to Dunkerque .

559

Marne may be traced by the long rows
of poplai'S upon its bank, by the Campi
Catalaunici, where the great battle took
place between the combined armies of
Rome and Theodoric, and the ‘ in¬
numerable host’ of Attila (a.d. 451).
Here, as Gibbon observes, were as¬
sembled the natives of the various
countries from the Volga to the At¬
lantic. The number of the slain
amounted to 162,000, or, according
to another account, 300,000. Attila,
whose valour was always guided by
his prudence, had waited for the enemy
in these plains, as being best adapted
to the operations of his Scythian ca¬
valry. Great as was the slaughter,
the conflict was undecided : Attila re¬
treated into his camp, which he had
fortified, according to the Scythian
usage, by a vast circle of the waggons
in which they dwelt. The allied armies
separated at the moment when the
magnanimous Barbarian had resolved,
if his intrenchments should be forced,
to rush headlong into the flames of the
funeral pile formed of the saddles and
rich furniture of the cavalry, and thus
to deprive his enemies of the glory
which they might have acquired by
his captivity. Attila continued for
several days within the circle of his
waggons after this defeat, dreading
some hostile stratagem; but his ulti¬
mate retreat beyond the Rhine ‘ con¬
fessed the last victory which was
achieved in the name of the Western
Empire.’ Hear the villages of Chape
and Cuperly, about 5 m. from Chalons,
there are vestiges of ancient earth¬
works, traditionally known as the
Camps of Attila ; and the expositors
of the productions of the ancient Ger¬
man bards find the battle of Chalons
recorded in the Niebelungen Lay.”
—F. P.

13 Chalons-sur-Marne (Rte. 165), on
the Railway to Strasburg.

18 Vatry.

10 Sommesous.

After leaving Chalons the country
becomes less fertile, the crops generally
thin and scanty. The vineyards of
Champagne seem to be replaced by
plantations of Scotch firs, which add
nothing to the beauty and little to the

shelter of the scenery. The road con¬
tinues straight before and behind,
marked in white chalk along the yellow
and russet fields. At length it begins
to undulate ; till, after a long ascent
and descent, you reach

20 Arcis - sur - Aube ( Inn: Poste ;
small but decent), a town of 3000 In-
hab., nearly all burnt down March 20,
1814, during a combat between Napo¬
leon and the Allies. Much grain is
shipped from its bridge. Danton the
Terrorist was born here.

9 Voue.

19 Troyes (Rte. 143, p. 503).

19 St. Parre-les-Vaudes.

14 Bar-sur-Seine.

19 Musse-sui’-Seine,

15 ChtLtillon-sur-Seine.

14 Aisey-le-Duc.

15 Ampilly-le-Sec.

15 Chanceaux.

39 Dijon (Rte. 104).

>Rte. 144.

ROUTE 188.

LILLE TO DUNKERQUE, BY CASSEL.

51 kilom. = 32 Eng. m.

From Lille to Hazebrouck is de¬
scribed in Rte. 1.

Hazebrouck Stat.

20 Cassel Stat. H. du Sauvage, good.
It is worth while in fine weather to
stop here for a short time to enjoy the
view.

Cassel is an ancient town of 4234
Inhab., agreeably situated on a hill
commanding one of the most extensive
views in Europe. Although it has
no striking features, it exhibits, on a
clear day, an unusually extensive tract
of highly cultivated and productive
country. Its most remarkable feature
is, that the horizon is almost equally
distant in every direction, as no rising
ground interrupts the sight. It ex¬
tends over the fiat and fertile plains of
Flanders, and as far as the white cliffs
of England, into 3 different kingdoms ;
includes 32 towns and 100 villages. St.
Omer, Dunkerque, Ypres, Ostend, and
the beautiful steeple of Hazebrouck are
the most prominent objects : no fresh
water is visible in this vast expanse.
Mont Cassel is only 800 Eng. ft. high :

560

Route 189.— Calais to Dunkerque .

Sect. X.

it was one of the principal signal sta¬
tions of the great trigonometrical sur¬
vey carried on during the reign of
Napoleon. A small map of the country
visible may be purchased on the spot
for 20 sous.

The gardens and grounds of the late
General Vandamme, who was born
here, are commonly shown to strangers,
and are very tastefully laid out. The
stable is worthy of remark on account
of its size.

* f Flemish is the general language of
the entire population in the northern
parts of the Dept, du Nord : it is
spoken at Cassel, and as far as Watel.”
— G. C. L.

Arnecke Stat.

Esquelbecq Stat.

Bergues Stat., in Rte. 189.

Dunkerque Stat., in Rte. 189.

ROUTE 189.

CALAIS TO DUNKERQUE AND COURTRAI,
BY GRAVELINES AND BERGUES.

51 kilom. — 31^- Eng. m. to Bergues,
and 8 posts thence to Courtrai.

Calais, in Rte. 1.

It is a good road to

20 Gravelines, a fortress, and deso¬
late-looking small town, with grass
growing in its streets ; it has 3000 In-
hab. “ It is,” to use the words of an
old writer, “very strong, by reason
that they can drown it round in 4hrs.,
so as no land shall be within a mile of
it.” It is surrounded by a plain, once
a vast marsh, below the level of the
sea, nearly 20 m. long by 12 broad ;
almost all this can be laid under water
in case of need, to ward off a hostile
invasion on this side of France. At
present this district supports a popula¬
tion of 60,000. It is protected from
the sea by the dunes or sandhills, and
is gradually being drained by its in¬
habitants. It would cost the arron-
dissement 10 millions of firs, to repair
the damage caused by admitting the
waters upon the land.

The Emperor Charles V. here paid a
visit to Henry VIII. on his return from
his interview with Francis I. at the
Field of the Cloth of Gold, 1520.

Beyond Gravelines the road is paved.

21 Dunkerque (Inns: H. de Flan-
dres ; very good, and not dear ; table
d’hote at 6, good, 2^ frs. ; breakfast,
with eggs, 1 fr. 75 c. ; — Chaperon
Rouge), a considerable fortified town
and seaport, with 25,400 Inhab. Large
sums have been expended in endeavour¬
ing to clear the mouth of the harbour
from the bar of sand which obstructs
it, by means of basins and sluices,
which are filled by the flowing of the
tide, and discharged at low water, so
as to scour a channel through the
mud. They are said to have failed in
producing the results anticipated. Dun¬
kerque nevertheless is the best harbour
which France possesses in the N. Sea,
and ranks fourth in the value of its
exports and imports of all the seaports
in the kingdom. It serves as the out¬
let for the manufacturing district of
the Dept, du Nord. “It is one of
the cleanest towns in France, with wide
streets, well paved, living cheap: baths,
very good.”— D. V.

The Quai, usually crowded with
vessels, and pier, extending far into
the sea, are worth seeing : so is the
Corinthian portico of the Church of St.
Eloi, a handsome but most incongruous
frontispiece to a Gothic building ; in
front of it is a fine detached Gothic
belfry, containing the chimes.

There is an English Protestant Church,
Rue des Soeurs Blanches—a proof of
the number of British residents.

A Statue of John Bart, a famous sea-
captain, born here (temp. Louis NIV.),
stands in the Great Market Place.

Dunkerque owes its origin to a chapel
built by St. Eloi in the 7th century
among the dunes or sandhills, and
thence comes its name, “ Church of
the Dunes.” Here was equipped the
Flemish division of the Spanish Armada,
designed to combine in tbe invasion of
England, under the command of the
Prince of Parma; but that skilful gene¬
ral, perhaps foreseeing the result, re¬
frained from putting out to sea. Dun¬
kerque, after having been hardly won
by the English under Oliver Cromwell
from the Spaniards, 1658, w T as basely
sold by Charles II. to Louis XIV. for
6 millions of livres in 1662.

Fr. Flanders.

Route 189.— Dunkerque — Bergues.

561

By the Treaty of Utrecht (1715) the
French were compelled to demolish
the town and fortifications, and an
English commissioner was actually sent
hither to ascertain that the stipulations
of the treaty were complied with to
the letter ; a source of deep humilia¬
tion to French pride, but of more im¬
mediate misery to the poor inhabitants.
The port and fortifications were not
restored and rebuilt until 1740.

The country around is little better
than a dreary waste of sandhills thrown
up by the wind. It was in the neigh¬
bourhood of them that Turenne de¬
feated, in 1658, the Spanish army under
Don John of Austria and the Great
Condo, who had sided at that time
with the enemies of France, in the
Battle of the Dunes. The siege of the
town had been commenced by Mazarin,
at the dictation of Cromwell, whose
fleet blockaded it by sea. The Spa¬
niards, unprovided with artillery, ad¬
vanced to attack the French, by march¬
ing close to the sea. Conde remon¬
strated in vain with Don John against
a measure so perilous : “ Vous ne con-
naissez pas M. de Turenne,” said he;
“ on ne fait pas impunement desfautes
devant un si grand homme and just
as the action began, he turned to the
young Duke of Gloucester, and asked
if he had ever been in a battle before.
“No,” answered the Duke. “Then
you will see one lost in half an hour.”
The action was commenced by 6000
English soldiers of Cromwell, com¬
manded by Lockhart, his ambassador,
who formed the left wing of the French
army, and distinguished themselves
eminently : their charge carried every¬
thing before it, and contributed not a
little to the result. The Duke of York
(afterwards James II.) fought in the
opposite ranks, at the head of a regi¬
ment of Cavaliers, and it was from
them that their fellow - countrymen

suffered most. The Spaniards lost
4000 men, and Dunkerque surrendered
10 days after, in consequence of this
defeat.

A pleasant excursion may be made
to the hill of Cassel, about 18f in.
off (Rte. 188). Marchand, voiturier, is
obliging, intelligent, and has a good
equipage.

Diligences daily to Calais; to Ostend.

Steamers to London ; to Rotterdam ;
to Hamburg ; to Havre. Railway to
Hazebrouck, where it joins the lines
from Lille to Paris,

There is a canal from Dunkerque to
Fumes, Ostend, and Bruges, traversed
daily by a barge, and another canal to
Bergues.

10 Bergues (Inn: Poste; small,
but cheap), a small and poor fortified
town of 6000 Inhab., situated on an
elevation, surrounded by marshes and
salt lakes called Moere, formerly waste
and insalubrious ; but having been
drained within a few years by the con¬
struction of hydraulic works, they are
now becoming productive, and less
unwholesome. Though only a fortress
of the 3rd class, the possession of
Bergues has been deemed of such con¬
sequence in every war, that it has been
8 times taken and retaken, and 9 times
pillaged, in the. course of 8 centuries.
It has a picturesque Beffroi, 150 ft.
high. A very important corn-market is
held here every Monday. The gates
are closed at 10, after wdiich neither
ingress nor egress is allowed.

The French frontier and custom¬

house is reached at Oest Kappel : here
the “acquit h. caution” must be deli¬
vered up. (See Introduction, § e.)

Belgian Posts :

!#■ Rousbrugge, a Belgian village.

2f Ypres,

2£ Meniiq^n
the Lys,
lj COURTRAI.

See Handbook
for North Ger¬
many.

—

' *

ABBEVILLE.

Abbeville, 16

Abelard (at St. Gildas), 150,
204 ; liis death at St. Marcel,
165

Ablon, 169
Accous, 282

Adour, passage of the, 270;
cradle of, 304

Adrets, Baron des, 397, 484, 488

JEschylus, 464

st. Afrique, 404

Agde, 455, 456

Agen, 252

Agincourt, 9

Agnes Sorel, 53, 56, 192, 194,
214

d’Aguesseau, 380
Ai', 521

Aidat, Lac d’, 393
st. Aignan, 182
Aigrefeuille, 208
Aigueperse, 380
Aigues Mortes, 451
Aiguillon, 253
Ailly, 16
Ain, 511

-river, 5x1

Airaines, 23
Aire, 9, 278
Aisey-le-Duc, 507
Aix, 477

■-in Savoy to Lyons, 510

•-lie d’, 210

Alagnon, 398

Alais, 419. To Nismes, rail¬
way, ib.

Albigeois, 324, 405, 455
st. Albin, 368
Albret, 267
Alby, 405
Alencon, 123
Alfieri's library, 454
Alfort, 344
Allan, 433
Allemont, 496
Allevard, 491
Allier, 3 59> 379, 3 g 4, 3 8 9
Alpines, 457, 476
Alsace, 515
Altkirch, 518
Alzonne, 324
st. Amand, 238

( 563 )

INDEX.

ARLES-LES-BAINS.

st. Amand Montrond, 342

st. Amans la Bastide, 406

Ambleteuse, 22

Amboise, 182

st. Ambroix, 418

Amiens, x6. Cathedral, ib.

Amphitheatre at Nismes, 446

--Arles, 460

Ampilly-le-Sec, 507
Ampoulle, sainte, 546
Ampuis, 427
Amyot, Jacques, 349
Ancenis, 203
Ancy-le-Franc, 352
Andance, 414, 428
Andaye, 274
Andelle, 51
les Andelys, 51
st. Anddol, 476
Andorre, 331
st. Andre de Cubsac, 221

-le Bas, 426

Andresieux, 411
Andresis, 49
Anduze, 411
Anet, chat, d’, 122
Angers, 154, 159
Angerville, 168, 171
Angouleme, 219
Anjou, 155
Annonay, 413
Antibes, 480, 495
st Antonin, 401
Antraigues, 416
Anzin, 555
Aragnouet, 307
Arago, M., 327
Aramon, 457

Aran, Val d’, 314, 316, 320
Arbois, 513

l’Arboust, Val, 307, 315
Arc, Pont de 1’, 418
Arcis-sur-Aube, 559
Arcy, les Grottes d’, 350
Ardeche, 33 5

-river, 408, 434

Ardenne, 76
Ardevon, 93
Ardres, 9
Argelez, 292, 293
Argental, Bourg, 413
Argentan, 99
Argenton, 236
Aridge, 322, 329
Arles, en Provence, 460
Arles-les-Bains, 333

AZUN.

Armentiere, 6
Arpajon, 170
Arques, 28
Arras, 8
Arreau, 306
Arrhune, 273
Artenay, 168, 171
Artesian wells, 557
Artigues, 305

-Tellina, 316, 320

Artix, 277

Artois, 551

Arvieux, Val d’, 500

Asnihres, 31

Aspe, Val d’, 282

Aspin, ? 06

Athis, Mont, 169

Attila, 559

Aubagne, 471, 478

Aube, 515

Aubenas, 336, 415

st. Aubin du Cormier, 101

Audi, 321

Aude, 323

Aumetz, 550

Auray, 148

Aure, Val d’, 306

Auriac, 278

Aurigny (Alderney), 87
Amlllac, 400
Ausonius, 260, 460
Auteuil, 120
Autrerive, 330
Aiitun, 366

Auvergne, 335, 379, 3 8 1
Auxerre, 349
Auxonne, 507
Avalon, 134
Avallon, 350
Avenieres, 118
Avesnes, 554
Avignon, 437-442

- to Marseilles, by Arles,

St. Chamas, Etang de Berre
(Railway), 457

- to Narbonne, by Nismes

and Montpellier, 445

-to Nice, by Aix, 47;

Avignonet, 323
Avranches, 91
Ax, 331
st. Ay, 177
Ayzac, Coupe d’, 416
Azay-le-Rideau, 193
Azincour, 9
Azun, Val d’, 292

564

INDEX.

BAGNJEK.ES.

Bagneres de Bigorre, 230, 310

- to Luchon, mountain

road, 305

- de Luchon , 230, 315

Bagnes, the, 129, 2x1, 473

Bailleul, 6

Balarue, 455

Ballons, 533

Ban de la Roche, 533

Bapamne, 55

Bar-sur-Aube, 515

-Seine, 506

la Baraque, 401
Barbaste, 277
st. Barbe, 151
Barbe Bleu, 202

-He, 369, 3 7 8

Barbeira, 326
BarbezieUj 221
Barcelonnette, 495
Bar-le-Duc, 524

Bareges, 230, 302. Crepe de,
303, 3x2
Barentin, 60
Barfleur, 82
Barr, 534

Barraux, Fort, 491
Barre-y-va, 54
Barreme, 495
Bai-sac, 254, 267
Barse, 515
Basques, 227, 272
Bastan valley, 274, 302
Bastides at Marseilles, 228,
468, 470, 471
Batignolles, 31
Batz, 135
Baud, 148
Baudean, 305
la Baume, 417
les Baxxx, 459

Bayard, 488, 547. Chateau,
489, 491

Bayeux, 78. Tapestry, 79

-to St. Lo, iox

Bayle, 329
Bayonne, 268

-to Iran in Spain, 272

-■ to Pau, 276

Bayonnette, 271, 274
Bazas, 267, 277
Bazeilles, 548
Bazibge, 323

Bazoclie, Chateau de, 351
Bearn, 225, 278, 282
st. Bdat, 314, 32i
Beaucaire, 457, 458, 481

-fair of, 458

la Beauce, 113, 175
Beaufort, 513
Beaugency, 178
Beaxxjeu, 369
Beaumanoir, 140
la Beaurne, Pont de, 408, 418
Beaume les Dames, 538
Beaumont, 70
- sur-Oise, 19, 25

BOEN.

Beaxme, 365
Beauport Abbey, 133
Beaupreau, chateau, 161
Beauregard, 396, 430
Beausoleil, 238
Beausset, 471
Beauvais, 23
Beauvoir, 93

Beaver of the Rhone, 441
Bee Abbey, 69

-d'Ambes, 264

Becket, Thomas, 73, 350, 351,

54 ?

Bddarrides, 437
Bddeillac, 330
Bedouin, 444
Bddous, 282
Bdfort, 537
Begude de Jordy, 455

-Saze, 445

Behobia, 273
Behuard, lie, 201
Bellegarde, 481

-- fort, 328

-(Ain), 512

Belle Isle, 147
Belle-Ile-en-Terre, 125
Belley, 510
Belzunce, Bp., 469
Benfeld, 534
la Berarde, 496
Bergons, Pic de, 296, 298
Bergues, 561
Bemadotte, 281, 516
Bernay, 22, 68
Berre, Etang de, 463, 465
Berri, 335

-Duchesse de, 161, 264

st. Bertrand de Comminges, 314

Besancon, 513 5

Bdtharram, 290

Bethune, 557

Beycheville, 265

Beza, 351

Bdziers, 455

Bezons, 31

Biaritz, 272

Biaudos, 276

Bicetre, 356

Bidart, 272

Bidassoa, 273

Bielle, 285

Bielsa, 307

Bienne, 508

Bignon, 356

Bilhbre, 277

Binic, 132

Bischweiler, 530

Bitche, 527

Black Prince, 217, 228, 237,
260, 291, 309, 325
Blanclielande, 88
Blanquefort, 260, 261
Blaye, 264
Blere, 184
Blois, X78
Blosseville, 43
Bliicher, 516
le Bocage, 99
Boen, 397

LA BReDE.

Bois Robert, 29
Bolbec, 61

Bolingbroke's Chateau, 175
Bollwiller, 536
Bonaparte at Boulogne, 14

-at Brienne, 516

-- at Cannes, 480

-at Fontainebleau, 345

-at Frdjus, 478

-at Grenoble, 488, 490, 492

-at Lyons, 3 79

-at Malmaison, 44

-at Orgon, 476

-at Rochefort, 211

- at Surville, 348

-at Toulon, 473, 47,

-at Valence, 430

Bonavy, 554
Bondy, 520
st. Bonnet, 393, 493
Bonneval, 19X, 403
Bonnieres, 33
Bord'haut, 47
BoxiDEAUX, 255-261

-to Auch, 277

-- to Bayonne, 266

-by the Landes, 274

-Bridge of, 222, 255

- to Pau, 278

-Richard of, 260

-to la Tour de Cordouan,

261

-wines, 259, 261

Bore in the Seine, 54
Boscherville, St. George de,
5 3 , 56

Bosost, 316, 321
Bossuet, 355, 520
Bouc, 463
Bouchain, 555
Boucoiron, 420
Boulogne-sur-Mer, 11-15

-flotilla, 14

-to Paris, 11

Boulou, 328

Bourbon l’Ai'chambault, 360

-Vendee, 208

Bourbonnais, 335
Bourbonne-les-Bains, 517
Bourdaloue, 342
Bourdonnay, 526
Bourgachard, 69
Bourg, 264

-(Ain), 513

-St. Anddol, 434

-d’Argental, 413

-Dieu or Ddols, 236

-Dun, 65

-d'Oysans, 496

-la Reine, 168

Bourges, 339-342
le Bourget, 541
Bourget, lac de, 510
Bourgoin, 483
Bourgtheroude, 69
Bouscaut, 255, 266
Bout de Bois, 144
Breclie de Roland, 298, 300, 301

-ascent to, 300

la Brede, chateau de la, 259, 267

BREHaL.

Brehat, 90
la Bre'sse, 369, 513
Bressuire, 207

Brest, 127-132. Roadstead of,
130

- to Nantes, 144

Breteuil, 9
Bretigny, 115, 170
Bretteville, 78
Briancon, 497

-to Susa, 498

Briare, 556, 3 57
Bricquebec, 81, 88
Brie Comte Robert, 505

-Cheese, 520

Brienne, 516
st. Brieuc., 125

-to Brest, 172

Brignais, 406
Brignolles, 479
Brionne, 69
Brioude, 388
Brissac, chateau, 201
Brittany, 103-109
Brives, 239
Brix or Bruis, 82
Broglie, 68
Broons, 124

Brou (Ain), church of, 512
Brougham, Lord, 480
Brummel, Beau, 76
Brune, Marshal, 437
Brunei, Mark Isambart, birth¬
place of, 47
st. Bruno, 486
Buffon, 352
Buisson, Haut, 22
Burgundy, 503. Wines, 363
Burzet, 417
la Bussiere, 357
Buzancais, 193
Buzaney, 548

Cacolet, 272

Caen, 73-78. Stone-quarries, 77

-to Cherbourg, 78

-to Rennes, 99

-to Tours, 98

Caesar at Gergovia, 387
Cafes, xxxi
Cagots, 227, 297
Cahors, 240
Calais, 3

- to Dijon, by Douai, Cam-

brai, St. Quentin, Laon,
Rheims, Chalons-sur-Mame,
and Troyes, 556

- to Dunkerque and Cour-

trai, 560

• -to Paris by Amiens, 9

-to Paris by Boulogne, 22

• -to Paris by Lille, 3

Calas, Jean, 246
Calmoutier, 518
Calvados, Dept., 7 3
Calvin, 552

INDEX.

CAYLUS.

Calvinet, Mont, 248
Camargue, 447, 463
Cambacerbs, 454
Cambiel, 307
Cambo, 271
Cambrai, 554

Camisards, 337, 409, 419, 451
Campan, Val de, 305, 311
Camp franc, 283
Canal of Arles, 463

-de Beaucaire, 458

-de Boisgelin, 476

-de Briare, 356, 357

-de Brienne, 248

-du Centre, 365, 368

-du Cher, 343

-de Crillon, 442, 475

-de Marseilles, 476

-du Midi, 241, 248, 323, 455

-d'Orldans, 177

-de l’Ourcq, 520

—— de St. Quentin, 554

-du Rhin au Rhone, 53 9

Cancale, Rochers du, 95, 96

Candes, 196

Canigou, 327, 332

st. Camiat, 477

Cannes, 480

Cantal, 335, 398

Canteleu, 53

Cany, 65

Capbern, 314

Capdenac, 400

Captieux, 267

Carbon Blanc, 222

Carcassonne, 324

Cardillac, 254

Carentan, 80

Carhaix, 142

Carla-le-Comte, 329

Carnac, 150

Carnot, 365

Carpentras, 444

Carriages, duty on, xxiii

Carrier, the infamous, 162, 400

Cassagnas, 410

Cassel, 559

st. Cast, 140

Castanet, 323

Castel Jaloux, 277, 285

Castellane, 495

Castelnau Castle, 420

Castelnaudary, 324

Castel Sarrazin, 252

Castels, 275

Castillon, 251

Castres, 255, 267, 406

Cateau Cambresis, 554

ste. Catherine de Fierbois, 214

Cauchoise, 60

Caudebec, 54, 57

Caumont, M. de, 76

Caunes, 325

Caussade, 240, 401

Cauterets, 230, 293, 299

Caux, Pays de, 60

Cavaillon, 476

Cavalier, 355, 411,420, 449, 451
Cavignac, 221
Caylus, 401

565

chateau du loir.

Cazeau, 308 \

Cazeres, 288
Cere valley, 399
Ceret, 332
Cerisy, 101, 557
Cdrons, 255
Cette, 455

Cevennes, 335, 336, 408, 410,
418

Cbze, 418
Chablis, 3 50 ’

Chabrol Castle, 249
Chagny, 365
Chailly, 356
Chaise Dieu, 388
Chalabre, 329
Chalonnes, 202
Chalons to Lyons, 367

-to Metz, 538

Chalons-sur-Marne, 523
Chdlons-sur-Sadne, 365

-to Geneva, 509

la Chalp, 500 1
Chalus, 249
Chalusset, 238
st. Chamas, 465
Chamber tin, 363
Chambord, chateau, 180
st. Chamond, 407
Champagne, 515, 518, 558

-church of, 427

-vins de, 521, 523, 546

Champagnole, 508
Champigny, 195, 518
Champollion’s birthplace, 40a
Champsaur, 497
Champ ter cier, 495
Champ toc6, 202
Champtoceaux, 204
Chanceaux, 507
Chanteloup, 184
Chantilly, 9
Chapareillan, 491
la Chapelle, 537
Chaptal, 454
Chaptuzat, 380
Charente, 209
Charenton, 344, 505
la Charitd, 3 57
Charleville, 547
Charmes, 431
Charroux, 218

Chartres, 113 ; Cathedral, ib.

-to Tours, 191

Chartreuse, la Grande, 482,484
Chasselas grapes, 347
Chateau d'Adam, 82
Chateaubourg, 429!
Chateaubriand, M. de, birth¬
place and tomb of, 97
Chateaubriant, 140
Chateau Chinon, 366
Chateaudun, 191
Chateau le Foret, 127

-Gaillard, 50

— Gonthier, 118

-Lafitte, 265

-Latour, 265

Ch&teaulin, 145
Chateau du Loir, 99

566

INDEX.

CHATEAU margaux.

Ch&teau Margaux, 264
CMteauneuf, 137

-des Papes, 436

-St. Pierre, 82

-le Randon, 409

■-* le-Rouge, 479

Chateau Regnault, 191
Chdteauroux, 236
Chateau Salins, 526
Chateau-Thierry, 521
Chatelaudren, 125
Ch&tellerault, 2x4
Clhitenay, 168
CMtillon-sur-Indre, 193

-sur-Loing, 357

-- de Michaille, 512

-sur-Seine, 506

-sur-Sevre, 207

Clxatonay, 483
Chatou, 45
Chaudes Aigues, 402
Chaitmont, 182

-Haixt Marne, 517

Chauny, 553
Chauvigny, 222
Chavagnac, 389
Cbavannes, 518
Chazes, 399

Chenonceaux, chateau of, 184
Cherbourg , 83 ; Digue, 84

-to St. Malo, 87

Chessy, 362
Cheviily, 168, 171
Chevreuse, 1x2
Chierzac, 221
st. Chinian, 406
Chinon, 193
Choisy, 169
Chollet, 207
Chorges, 499
la Chouaunerie, 108, 118
Chouzd, 196

Christian architecture, 424
st. Chi'istophe, 496
Cierp, 314

Cinq Mars, la Pile de, 196
Cintegabelle, 329
Cirey, 517
Cirque, 226, 298

-de Gavarnie, 298, 300

Citeaux Abbey, 364
Civray, 218
Clain, 214

ste. Claire-sur-Epte, 246
Clairvaux, 516
Claix, 492
Claxnart, 110
Clarbide, Port de, 307
Claret Wive, 258
ste. Claude, 5x0
Clernence Isaure, 242

• -de Mailld, 236, 239, 260,

342

Clermont eti Argonne, 539

- Ferrand, 381

--to Mont Dore, 392

• -to Lyons, by Thiers, 396

-sui’-Oise, 19

■-to Toulouse, by the Can-

tal, 397

COURBASSIL.

Clermont to Toulouse, by St.

Flour, Alby, Rodez, 401
Clerval, 538
Cldry, N. Dame de, 177
Clichy, 31
Clisson, 164, 204
Clos-Vougeot, 363
st. Cloud, hi
C lovis, 542, 545
Cluny,368
Cluse, 509
Coarrase, 290
Cocherel, 71
Coeur, Jacques, 341
Cognac, 213
Coiron, 415

Coligny, 10, 220, 352, 357 , 5 IJ
ColLioure, 328
Collonges, 512
Colmar, 535
Colombes, 31
Colombey, 5x7
Combat des Trente, 143
Combe de Malval, 497
Comblat, 399
st. Comes, 253
Comines, 16
la Commanderie, 72
Commentry, 343
Compiegne, 551
Concarneau, 146
Conde, le Grand, at Chantilly,
10 ; at Havre, 63 ; at Mont-
rond, 342 ; at Fontainebleau,
346 ; at Montargis, 357 ; at
Rocroy, 547 ; at the Dunes,
561

Condillac, 178
Condom, 278
Condorcet, 168
Condrieux, 427
Conflans, 49

Conqueroi’, Wrn. the, his resi¬
dence at Lillebonne, 59 ; his
birth, 98; his death and
funeral, 39, 74; his grave,
74

Conques, 404
Conquet, 131
Coole, 519
Corbeil, 169
Corbdny, 558
Corday, Charlotte, 76
Cordes, 401

Cordouan, Tom - de, 266
Connery, 191
Cornas, 429
Corneille, 41
Corps Nuds, 140
Correze, 239
Corseulles, 77
Cosne, 357

Cote des Deux Arnans, 51

-- d'Or, 352, 363, 506

-- Rotie, 427

Cotentin, 80
Coucy le Chateau, 543
Coudes, 387
Couesnon, river, 95
Courbassil, 332

DOMBASLE.

Courbevoie, 44, 111
Cournouaille, 108, 142
Couronne, Grande, 69
Courthezon, 437
Courville, 116
Coustouges, 333
Coutances, 89
Coutras, 251
Crach, 150
Craon, 25

Craponne, Canal de, 465

Crau, 464

Crdcy, 15

Creil, 19

Cressensac, 239

Crest, 432

Creuiliy, 78

Creuzot, 366

Crillon, 475 5

Croix Court, 141

-Daurade, 241

-Haute, 495

-- Rousse, 377, 511

Croquelardit, 252
Croutelle, 218, 223
Cruas, 432
Crussol, 429, 431
Cubsac, Pont de, 221
Cujus, 471

Cussy la Colonne, 365
Cuvier, 65, 538
Cylindre, Mt. 300
st. Cyr, 121

Dammar tin, 541
Dampierre, 197

-chateau de, 112

Dante, allusion to Arles, 463

Daoulas, 145

Dauphine, 482

Dax, 268

Denain, 555

st. Denis, 20

Departments of France, xxxvi
Diderot, 517
Dieppe, 26-29

- to Paris, 26 v

-to Rouen, 30

Dieppedale, 53
Dieuze, 526
st. Diey, or Did, 533
Eigne, 495
Dijon, 351-155

-to Chalons-sur-Saone, 363

-to Geneva, by Dole, 507

Diligences, xxv
Dinan,137
st. Dizier, 519
Doira, 498
Dol, 95
Dole, 507

-to Pontarlier and Lau¬
sanne, 508

Dolmens, 105, 116, 135, 146,
150, 199, 217
Dombasle, 526, 539

DOMBES.

Dombes, 369
Domrbmy la Pucelle, 531
Donzenac, 259
Dordogne, 221, 25X, 394
Dore les Bains, Mont, 393
Dormans, 521
Dormilleuse, 493, 501
Douai, 8

Doubs, river, 513, 538 ; Dept.,
5i?

Doullens, 9
Dozulle, 70

Drac, river, 488, 490, 492
Dragonnades, 241, 337
Dreux, 121 ; battle of, ib.

-to Argentan, 165

Drevant, 343
Droiturier, 362
Drome, 432
Duclair, 53, 56

Duguesclin, 92, 124, 138, 148,
391 ; his death, 409
Dumouriez, 554
Dunes, battle of the, 561 1
Dunkerque, 560
Durance, 437, 457, 475 , 49 8
Duretal, 154
Durfort, 4x0
Duroc, Marshal, 549

Eaux-Bonnes, 230, 288

-to Cauterets or Luz, 289

Eaux-Chaudes, 230, 286

Ebro, rise of, 314

les Echelles, 484

Ecluse, Fort, 512

Ecouen, 11

Ecouis, 48

Effiat, 361

Elboeuf, 52

st. Elne, 327

Elven,153

Embrun, 499

st. Emilion, 251

Enghien-les-Bains, 19

English abroad, xxxvii

Entre Deux Mers, 222, 263

Entzheim, 532

Epernay, 521

Epernon, 112

Epinac, 367

Epinal, 531

Epinay, 170

Epouville, 65

Epte, river, 49

Erdevan, 151

Ermenonville, 542

Ers, 248

Erstein, 534

Escaladieu, 3x3

Escot, 282

Espalion, 403

st. Esprit, x 39, 433

Essorme, 3 56

Essort, 518

Estagel, 327

INDEX.

FOSSARD.

Estrelle, 461, 480
Etampes, 170
Etaples, 15
Etauliers, 213
st. Etienne, 412

-- to Lyons, 406

Etoile, 431
Etrdcy, 168, 170
Etretat, 65
Eu, 65
Eure, 51
Euzet, 419
Evreux , 71
Eyrieu, 431

Falaise, 98
Faou, 144
Faouet, 142
Farel, 493
le Fay, 236
Fay 1 -Billot, 518
Fdcamp, 65
la Fhre, 557

-Champenois, 519

st. Fereol, 323
la Ferrade, 447, 464
Ferrihres, 398
la Fertd, meaning of, 236
Ferte-Bernard, 116

-sous-Jouarre, 520

-Milon, 542

Feurs, 397, 411

Field of the Cloth of Gold, 5

Figeac, 400

Finisterre, Dept., 125

Fire-arms, manufacture of, 412

Fii'migny, 407

Fitou, 326

Flamboyant Gothic, 107, 160,

191, 504
Flamingo, 441
Flanders, 551
la Flbche, 154
Fleury-sur-Andelle, 48
Florae, 410
st. Florent, 203
st. Florentin, 351
Florian, 176, 411
st. Flour, 397, 401
Foix, 3 29

Folgoat, church of, 132, 135
st. Fons, 425
Fontainebleau, 344
-sandstone and grapes, 346,

347 .

Fontaine le Henri, 77
Fontaines, 355
Fontanelle, 57
Fontaulier, 408, 417
Fontenay-le-Marmion, 98
Fontevrault Abbey, 190
Forbach, 549
Forez, 3 79 , 197
Forges les Eaux, 29
Formigny, 80
Fossard, 365

567

ST. GERARD LE PUY.

Fouday, 533
Foughres, 101
Fourchamboult, 3 58
Fourvihres, 370
la Foux, 445

France, introductory inform¬
ation respecting, ix-xxxix ;
modes of travelling in, xx ;
inns, &c., xxix; a travel¬
ler's view of, xxxii; Depart¬
ments and Provinces, xxxvi
Franche-Comtd, 503
Francs, table of, x
Frejus, 479
Fresne Camilly, 78
Fresnes, 555
Frossiniere, 493, 501
la Frette, 484
la Frey, 492
Frillibre, 185

Froissart, 75, 228, 291, 556
Fromenteau, 356
Frontignan, 454
Fruges, 9
Fumay, 547
Furens, 412

Gabas, 287
Gail lac, 40?

Gaillard, chateau, 33,50

Gaillon, 33

Galgals, 106

Galignani, 25

Gan, 283

Gannat, 379

Gap, 493

-to Briancon, 499

la Garaye, 140
Gard, St. Jean du, 410

-Pont du (Aqueduct), 445

Garden, 410, 418, 449
Garonne, river, 252

-below Bordeaux, 261

-sources of, 314, 319, 320

Gascony, 225
Gassendi, 495
Gatteville, 82
Gaube, lac de, 295
st. Gaudens, 322

-to Foix and Carcassonne,

328

Gave de Gavarnie, 296-299

Gaves, 225

Gavr Innis, 149

Gbdre, 298

Geloz, 285

Gemenos, 471

Gendarmes, xix

st. Genes, 397

Geneva, 508

st. Genevihve, 45

st. Genix, 512

Genlis (Burgundy), 507

Gennes, 200

st. George Boscherville, 56
st. Gerard-le-Puy, 360

568

INDEX.

GERBIER.

Gerbier des Jones, 392, 408,
418

Gere, 426

Gergovia, 387

st. Germain-e n-Laye, 45

-to Rouen, 48

-Railway, 44

-de Joux, 512

Gervais, 39
Geuoay, 218
Gevray, 363
Gex, 508

Gibaud, Pont, 386
Gien, 176

-to Orleans, 176

Gigean, 455
Gildas de Rhuys, 150
st. Gilles, 450
Giromagny, 533
Gironde, 221, 264
Girondins, 76, 261, 264
st. Girons, 328
Gisors, 29
Givors, 406, 42;

Glaciere at Avignon, 439
Gobelins tapestries, 346
Godemar, Val, 502
Goderville, 65
Goncelin, 491
Gournay, 29

-sur-Aronde, 29

Grande Chartreuse, 482, 484

-Combe, 419

Grandvilliers, 23
la Grange, 505
Granges (Aube), 506
Granville, 90
Grasse, 495
la Grave, 497
Gravelines, 560
Graviers, 213
Graville, 61
Gray, 518
Grenoble, 488

-to Brianeon, by Bourg

d’Oysans, 496

•-to Gap and Marseilles, 491

-to Marseilles, by Croix

Haute, 494

Grdsivaudan, Val de, 482, 484,
487

Greuze, 368
Grignan, chateau, 433
Grip, 305
Grisac, 409
Grolaud, 209
Grosbois, 505
Guebweiler, 536
Guerche, chateau de, 214
Guichen, 307
Guienne, 225
Guier, 133, 482
Guil river, 500
Guillestre, 500
Guillotiere, 376, 515
Guingamp, 125
Guinguette de Boyer, 493
la Guide, 403
Guisanne, Val de, 498
Guise, Due de, 68

IRON MASK.

Guise, Due
of, 174
Guisnes, 5
Guizot, 450
Gypsum quarries, 476

de, assassination

Hacqueville, Brunei's birth¬
place, 47

Hague, Cap la, 87
Ham, 552
Hambye, 90

Hannibal's route over the Alps,
427, 429, 437, 510
Harcourt, 72
Harfleur, 61
Hautes Pyrenees, 290
Hauteville, 102
le Havre, 62

■-to Caen, 70

-to Dieppe, 64

la Haye, 214

-du Puits, 88

Hazebrouck, 6
Ideas, Val d’, 290
Hectares and Acres, xvi
Hddd, 137
Heidenmauer, 535
Hennebon, 147
Henri Quatre, birth of, 279
Herblay, 29
st. Herbot, 142
Hdricourt, 538
Hermitage, 428
st. Hilaire du Harcouet, 101
Honfleur, 70
Honorat, 463, 480
Ilopital, 409, 411
Hot springs of the Pyrenees,
230

Houdan, 121

la Hougue, Cape, battle of, 81
Hourat, 285
Hourquettes, 226
Hourquette d’Aspin, 306
Huelgoat, 141

Huguenot, derivation of, 190
Huningen, 518
Hyeres, 475
st. Ilyppolite, 535

If, 468

lie sur Doubs, 538

-des Faisans, 274

-- de France, 551

-Jourdain, 321

Ille, 332

Indre, 193

Indret, 164

les Infernets, 496, 497

Ingouville, 64

Ingrande, 203, 214

Inns, xxix

Inquisition in France, 246, 439
Iron Mask, the Man in the,
480

LABRIT.

Isenheim, 537

Isere, river, 429, 491

Isigny, 80

l’lsle, 442

Isle, 547

Issoire, 388

Issy, no

Ivry, battle, 122

Izard, 227, 284

Jacquerie, 25

James II. at St. Germain-en-
Laye, 45
st. James, 243
Jargeau, 176
Jarnac, 221
Jaujac, 408, 417
st. Jean d'Angely, 208

-du Doigt, 134

■-du Gard, 4x0

-de Luz, 273

Jean-sans-peur, 348, 355
Jeanne d’Arc, at Rouen, 40;
at Patay, 171 ; souvenirs at
Orleans, 173 ; at Jargeau,
176; at Chinon, 194; at
Domrdmy, 531 ; at Rheims,
546 ; at Compiegne, 552
Jeux Floraux, 242
Joigny, 349
Joinville, 519
Josephine, Empress, 44
Josselin, 143
Jouarre, 521
Jougne, 509
Joux, Fort de, 509
Jouy aux Arches, 541
Joyeuse, 418
st. Julien, 187, 265, 411
Jumieges Abbey, 56
st. Junien, 238
Jura, 513

Jurancon, 277, 283
st. Just, 9, 456
Juvisy, 169

Kellennan, 539

Kersanton stone, 107, 132, 135,
145

Kilogrammes reduced to Eng¬
lish pounds, xv

Kilometres reduced to English
miles, xv, xx
Kistvaens, 106

Labedoybre, 490
Labourd, Pays de, 271
Labrit, 267

INDEX

569

LAC BLEU,

Lac Bleu, 313

-d’Espingo, jo 3

*-- d'Estom, 295

-d’Oncet, 304

Lace, manufacture of, 10, 76,

J92, 556

Lafayette, 389, 505
Lafoux, 446
Lafrey, 492
Lagnieux, 511
Lalande, 513

Lamartine, M. Alphonse de,

j68

Lamballe, 124
Lambert, 474
Lambesc, 477
La Mothe Fendlon, 279
Lanbader, 127
Landerneau, 127
Landes, 259, 261, 274
Landevan, 148
Landivisiau, 126
Landrecies, 556
Langeais, 196
Langogne, 408
Langoiron, 255
Langon, 254, 267, 4°7
Langres, 517
Languedoc, 225, 240, 421
Lanleff, 108, 132
Lanmeur, 174
Lannemezan, 714
Lannion, 177
Laon, 557. Battle, 558
Laplace, 70

Larochejacquelin, 91, 117, 199,

204 ; his death, 207
Laruns, 285

La Tour d’Auvergne, 142
Laura's tomb, 441
st. Laurent, 508, 510

-du Pont, 484

Lauteret, Col de, 497
Laval, 117 .

Lavedan, Val, 292
Lavelanet, 729
Lavoulte, 471
Ledignan, 411
Le'gue, 125
Lehon, 179
Lemans, 116
Lempde, 788, 798, 401
Lens, 557
Lescar, 277
Lescure, iox, 207
Lescures, 405
Lesdiguieres, 491, 492
Lesneven, x 3 5
Lesparre, 265
Lesponne, 305, 313
Lessay, 88
Lestelle, 290
st. Leu, 19
Leucate, 326
la Levde de la Loire, 182
Lezardrieux, 133
Libech, 469
Libourne, 251
Lieues de poste, xv
Lieuvin, 72

LYONS.

Liffre, 101
Ligny, 519
Lille, 6

-to Bi’ussels, 556

-to Dunkerque, 559

Lillebonne, 54, 58
Lillers, 557

la Limagne, 344, 361, 3 79
Limetz, 49

Limoges, 237 ; Enamels, 237

-- to Bordeaux, 249

Limonest, 369
Limousin, 225
Limoux, 329
Lisieux, 72
Livres Tournois, 190
Livrons, 432
st. Lo, 101

Loches, castle of, 191
Locmariaker, 149
Loir river, 191
Loire rivei', 166

- A. Gierx to Orleans, 176

- P>. Orleans to Tours, 177

- C. Tours to Nantes, 195

-below Nantes, 164

-, source of the, 418

Loire t, 177

Longdac, 392

Longjumeau, 168

Longwy, 549

Lons-le-Saulnier, 513

Lorient, 146

Loriol, 432

Lorraine, 515

st. Louis, 31, 212, 452, 518

Louis Napoleon, Prince, 553

Louis XI., 188

Louise Eleonore, Lord Brough¬
am's villa, near Cannes, 480
Louise, Yal, 501
Lourdes, 290
Louviers, 46
Lowendahl, 236
la Lozere, 409
Luc, 77

le Luc, 475, 479
Luchon, 315
Luciennes, 44
Lugon, 209
Lucy-le-Bois, 350
Lunel, 451
Lundville, 526
Lure, 518

Lusignan on the Vonne, 223
Lussac les Chateaux, 223
Luynes, 195, 241
Luz, 297

-- to Gavarnie, 298

-to Barfeges, 302

Luzarches, ix
Lyonnais, 335

Lyons, 369-379; Fourvieres,
370 ; Cathedral, 371 ; Ainay,
372; Museum, 373; Pierre
Seise, 3 74 ; P. Bellecour, 375;
Siege of, 375 ; Inundation,
376; Fortifications, 377; Silk
trade, 377.

-to Avignon and Arles, 424

MARSEILLES.

Lyons to Besangon, by Bourg,
512

-to Geneva, by Nantua,

5ii

-to Grenoble and Cham-

bery, 483

—— to Nice, by Grenoble,
Digne, and Grasse, 495

-to Le Puy, Axxbenas, St.

Etienne, 406
Lys, Val de, 316

st. Maclou, Rouen, 36
Macon, 368
la Magdeleine, 240
Magistere, 252
Magny, 47, 359
Maguelonne, 455
Mailleraye-sui’-Seine, 53
Mailly, 558
Maine, 208

Maintenon and its aqueduct,
112

Maison Carrde, 447

-Neuve, 508

- Rouge, 237, 366, 505, 527

Maisons, 31
st. Maixent, 208, 223
Maladetta, 304, 306, 318, 319,
320

Malijay, 495
Mallespostes, xxiv
Malmaison, 44
st. Malo, 96

-to Nantes, 137

Mamet, 317

Manny, Sir Walter de, 148
Manosque, 494
le Mans, 116

-to Nantes, 153

Mansle, 218
Mantes, 32
Marans, 209
Marbord, 298, 300
Marcadaou, 288, 295
st. Marcellin, 490
Marchiennes, 553
Marcillac, 404
Marennes, 212
Mareuil, 209
Margaux, 264
Marguerite, lie Ste., 480

-de Valois, 219, 253

st. Marie aux Mines, 535
stes. Maries, 464
Marigny, Enguerrand de, 39, 48
Marlborough at Brest, 131
Marly, 44

Marman, Puy de, 387
Marmande, 254, 342
Mannoutiers Abbey, 186
Marot, 76, 240
Max-quise, 22
st. Mars-la-Bruyfere, 116
Marseilles, 466-471
-to Toulon and Ilybres, 471

570

INDEX.

MARSEILLE-SUR-OISE.

Marseille-sur-Oise, 23

Martinvaast, 87

st. Mar tor y, 322

Martres, 245, 322

Marvejols, 402

Massiac, 398, 401

Massillon, 475

st. Mathurin, 201

st. Matthew, Abbey of, 131

Maubeuge, 556

Mauldon, 234

st. Maur, 200

les Maures, 475, 480

at. Maurice, 155, 426

Maurs, 400

Mauves, 204

st. Maximin, 445, 479

Mayenne, 124

Mayet d'Ecole, 3 79

Mazeres, 329

Meaux, 520

st. Medard, 250

Medoc and its wines, 261-266

M6dous, 305

Mehun, 178

•-sur-Yevre, 339

Meillant, 343
la Meilleraye, 140
Melun, 344

Menars-le-Chateau, 178
Menat, 344
Mende, 409
ste. Menehould, 539
Menez Arr6s hills, 103, 141
Menhirs, 96, 105, 131, 135, 149
ste. Mhre l’Eglise, 80
Mereville, 168
st. Merxheim, 536
Mesnil-sous-J umihges, 53
Metre, the, xii; Table of, re¬
duced to feet, xiv
Mettray, 190
Metz, 540

-to Luxembourg, 550

Meudon, no
Meulan, 31
Meung, 178
Meuse river, 547
Meximieux, 51 x
Mfeze, 455
Mezene, Mt., 392
Mezieres, 547
Mialet, 410

st. Michel-aux-Lions, 237
Michel, Mont S)., 93, 94
Midi, Canal da, 241, 248, 323,
455

Mi 61 an, 322
Milhau, 489
Mimat, 409

Mirabeau, 356, 468, 494, 509

Mirage, 463, 465

Mirande, 322

Mirecourt, 531

Mistral, 422, 452, 469

Moirans, 490

Moissac, 252

Moisselles, 25

Molesme, 365

Moliere, 181, 455

MONT VALERIEN.

Monaldeschi, 346
Monestier, 497

-- de Clermont, 495

Money of France, x
Monistrol, 407
Montaigne, Michel de, 251
Montaigu, 208, 313, 344
Montargis, 356
Montauban, 240

-to Beziers, 406

Montbard, 352
Montbazon, 214
Montbelliard, 538
Montbert, 405
Mont Blanc, 429
Montbrison, 397, 411
Montbrun, 402, 415
Mont Cassel, 559
Mont Dauphin, 499
Mont Dol, 96
Mont Dore les Bains, 393
Mont d'Ours, 390
Montdragon, 435
MonteLimart, 432
Montereau, 347, 503

-to Troyes, 503

Montesquieu's chateau, 267
Montferrand, 263, 381
Montfort castle, 70
Montfort, Jean de, 143, 204

-Simon de, 325, 458

Mont Genhvre, 498
Montgolfier, 413
Montigny, 556
Montivilliers, 64
Mont Jan, 202
Montlhery, 170
Montlosier, 393
Mont Louis, 185, 334

-Lozere, 409

Montlucon, 343
Montluel, 511
Montmajeur, 459
Mont de Marsan, 267
Montmedy, 549
Montmirail, 518
Mont Mirat, 99
Montmorency, 20
Montmorillon, 223
Montpellier, 452
Montpensier, Butte de, 380
Mont Perdu, 298, 301

-Pertuis, 407

Montpeyroux, 387
Montpezat, 417, 418
Mont Pilas, 413, 427

-Pipet, 426

Montpont, 251
Montrejeau, 314
Montrelais, 203
Montreuil, hi

-sur-Mer, 22

Montreval, 451
Montricher, 476
Montrodeix, 384
Montrognon, 386
Montrond, 342, 411. 508
Mont Salomon, 426

-St. Michel, 93, 94

-Val6rien, 44 .

NEUILLY.

Mont-sous-Vaudrey, 508
Mont St. Victoire, 479
Morbihan, 149
Moreilles, 209
Moret, 347
Morez, 508
Morlaix, 125

-to Nantes, 141

Mornas, 435
Mortagne, 123, 266

-- (Vendee), 207

Mortain, 100
Mortemer, Abbey of, 48
Mortier, Marshal, 555
Morvan, 351, 367
Mosac. or Mosat, 381
Moselle, 549

Mosquitoes, 422, 435, 469
la Mothe Pension, 239
Mouchard, 508, 513
Moulineaux, 53
Moulins, 359

-to Clermont and le Puy

179

Moyenvic, 526
Muhlhausen, 536
Mulberry, 433
Munster, 536
Murat, 239, 398
la Mure, 493
Muret, 275, 322
Muriac, 393
Murol, 395
Mutzig, 532
le Muy, 479
Myriametre, xii, xv

Nages, 451
Nampont, 22
Nancy, 524

-to Trfeves, 549

Nangis, 505
Nanterre, 4;

Nantes, 159-165

-to Poitiers, 204

-to Rochelle and Bordeaux

208

Nanteuil, 521, 542
Nantua, 511
Narbonne, 456

- to Perpignan, 3 26

Narcissa, 453
Navarre, 225
st. Nazaire, 325, 455
st. Nectaire, 396
Neff, Felix, 493, 500, 501
Nemours, 356
Nerac, 277
Ncris-les-Bains, 343
Ners, 420
Nescliers, 395
Neufbreisach, 536
Neufchateau, 531
Neufchatel, 29
Neuilly, 43

NEUYY.

Neuvy, 357
Nevers, ? 58

-to Chalons-sur-Saone, 766

Nice, 481

st. Nicolas, 38, 526
Nicot, 450
Niort, 208, 223
Nismes, 446

-- to Alais and Aubenas,

418

-to Marseilles, 481

Nivelle, 27?
st. Nizier, 372
Noailles, 239
Nob, 322

Nogent-sur-Seine, 503, 506
—— le Rotrou, 116

-- sur Yernisson, 357

Noiretable, 397
Noirlac, 342
Noirmou tiers, lie, 165
Noisy -1 e-Sec, 520
Nonancourt, 123
Nord, Depart, dn, 555
Normandy, 1-3. Routes, 3-
102

Norrey, 78
Nort, 141

Nostradamus, 459, 465
Nouvion, 23

Noyades of the Loire, 162
Noyon, 552
Nuits, 352, J64

Oberlin, 533
Octeville, 87
Odilienberg, 534
Oissel, 52
Olbron, He d’, 210
Olette, 332, 334
Olivet, 235, 312
Ollioules, 472
Oloron, 282
st. Omer, 5, 557
Oo, Lac d', 307
Orange, 4?;

Orcieres, Col d’, 493, 501
Orgon, 476
Orival, 52
Orleans, 171

-- forest of, 168

-siege of, 173

-Maid of, 17?, 174, 214

-railroad to Paris, 168

.-to Bourges and Clermont,

339

-to Gien, 176

-to Toulouse, 235

•-- to Tours, 177

d’Orlbans, Due, 43
Ornain, 524
Orthez, 276

Ossau, Yal d’, 282, 284
Ossoue, 29b
Ossuary, 107
Ottmarsheim, 537

INDEX.

EAUX-CHAUDES.

Oudon, 204
Ouessant, 22, 132
Oule, 226, 298
Oullins, 406

la Pacaudiere, 362
Pacy-sur-Eure, 71
Paillole, 306
Paimboeuf, 164
Paimpol, 133
Pain Boucbain, 362
Palais du Roi, 409
la Palisse, 362
le Pallet, 204
Palons, 501
la Palud, 434
Pamiers, 329
Panticosa, 287
Pan tin, 520

Paper manufacture, 414
Paraclete, church of the, 506
st. Pardoux, 344
Paris, 25

-to Brussels — Chemin de

Fer du Nord, bj^ Amiens,
Arras, Douai, and Valen¬
ciennes, 555

-to Caen and Cherbourg, 71

-to Dijon, by Melun, 344

-- — by Troyes, 505

• -to Lyons, Route du Bour-

bonnais, 356

■ -to Mezieres and Sedan, by

Rheims, 541

-to Nancy, 518

-to Orleans, 168. Railway,

169

-to Plombibres, 531

-to Rennes, 109, 120

-to Rouen (railway), 30

-to Rouen (railway), lower

road, 43

-, upper road, 47

• -to Sceaux (railroad), 175

-to Strasburg, by Nancy,

520

■ -to Valenciennes, by St.

Quentin and Cambrai, 551

-to Versailles (railroad),

109

Parthenay, 207
Passe Provisoire , xvii
Passports and Police, xvi-
xix

Passy, 120
Patay, 171
st. Patrice, 196
Pau, 278

-to Bagnbres de Bigorre

and de Luchon, 308

-to Campfranc in Spain,

by Oloron and Val d’Aspe,
282

-to Cauterets and Barbges,

290

-to Eaux-Bonnes and

Eaux-Chaudes, 283

571

POIX.

st. Paul, 252, 305, 406

-de Dax, 268

Pavilly, 60
st. Pe, 290
Pe'age, 175
le Pecq, 44, 4;

Pedauque, la Reine, 245

Pelacoy, 239

Pelvoux, Mont, 482, 501

Pendentif, 429

st. Peray, 430. Wine, 431

Perci, 90, 102

Perdu, Mont, 298, 301

st. Pbre, 351

Periers, 89

Perigueux , 250

Peronne, 555

Perpignan, 326

-to Mont Louis and Puy-

cerda, 332
Perrache, 376
Perte du Rhone, 512
Perthus, 328
Petignac, 221
Petit Rhone, 460
Petrarch, 439, 441, 443
Peulvens, 105
Peyrada, 299
Peyrehorade, 276
Peyresourde, 307
Peyrolles, 494
Peyruis, 494
Pezenas, 455
Phalsbourg, 526
Picade, port de, 317
Picardy, 1

Pic de Bergons, 296, 298

-Genos, 307

-Gers, 288

-du Midi de Bigorre, 279,

304

-du Midi d’Ossau, 277, 283

Picquigny, 16
Pierre Chatel, 510

-de Couars, 366

st. Pierre le Moutier, 359

-les Eglises, 72, 73

-de Vauvray, 33

Pierrelitte, 292, 307
Pierrelatte, 434
Pilas, Mont, 413, 427
Pimenb, 299

Pique, valley of the, 314
Pithiviers, 171
Plantagenet, 103
Plessis les Tours, 188
Pleyben, 145
Ploermel, 153
Plomb de Cantal, 399
Plombibres, 353, 531
Plouarzel, 131
Plouastel, 132
Plouha, 133
Podensac, 255
Poissy, 31

Poitiers, 214. Battle of, 217

-to Chateauroux, 222

-to Rochefort by Niort,

223

Poix, 23

572

INDEX

ST. POL.

st. Pol, 9

-de Ldon, 134

Polignac, 389, 553
Poligny, 508
Polminhac, 399
Pomard, 365

Pommereau, port de, 320
Pommereval, 29
Pompadour, 239
Pompidou, 410
Pons, 213
Ponsas, 428
Pont-a-Mousson, 549
Pontarlier, 509
Pont Audemer, 69
Pontchateau, 396
Pontecharra, 491
Pont d’Ain, 511, 513
Pont du Beauvoisin, 483
Ponts de Cd, 201
Pont Flavien, 465
Pont de l'Arc, 418

-de TArche, 33

--du CMteau, 396

-d’Espagne, 295

-nu Gakd, 445

-de Montvert, 409

Pontgibaud, 386
Pontigny, 351
Pontius Pilate, 427
Pontivy, 142
Pont l’Eveque, 70

-le Bui, 506

Pontoise, 19
Pont Orson, 92
Pontoux, 219
Pont St. Esprit, 434

-St. Maxence, 551

-Scorff, 147

Pont sans Pared, 5
Pont-sur-Yonne, 348
ropes at Avignon, 438
st. Porchaire, 212
Pornic, 165
Port de Launay, 144
Port-Royal des Champs, in
Port-sur-Saone, 518

-Vendres, 328

Portet, 255, 322, 329
Portillons, 226
Ports, 226
Poste aux anes, 425
Posting in France, xx
Pouges, 35 3
Pouilly, 357, 41 x
Poulahouan, 142
st. Pourgain, 379
Poussin, Nicolas, 51
Pouy, 267
Pradelles, 408
Prades, 3 32, 417
Pratz de Mollo, 333
Preignac, 254
Pretender (the) 135, 162
Privas, 414
st. Privast, 409
Privat d'Allier, 391
Provence, 421
Provins, 505
Pugere, 479

RANCOGNE.

Puiseux, 25
le Puy, 389
Puy du Chopine, 386

-de Cliersou, 385

-- Come, 386

-de Dome, 383

-Girou, 386

-du Grand Sarcouy, 386

-Gravenoire, 386

-Griou, 398

-Marman, 387

-Pariou, 384

-la Poix, 386, 396

-■ de Tar tare t, 395

Puymaurins, 33 x
Puyoo, 276

Pyrenees, 225, 290, 305, 308.
Routes, 80, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87,
9L 94. 97, 93

-directions for travelling,

231, 235

- the Eastern , 329, 332

-Marbles of the, 311

Qudlern, 130, 144
st. Quentin, 553

-in Normandy, 98

Querqueville, 87
Quevilly, 53
Queyras, Val, 500
Quiberon, 151
Quillebceuf, 54
Quimper, 145
Quimperld, 146
Quindville, 80
Quinipily, Yenus of, 148

Rabastens, 322
Rabelais, no, 195, 453
Rachet, 487
Racine, 112, 542
Railldre, 294
Railroads, xxvii

-Bordeaux to La Teste, 259

-Lille to Courtrai, 7

-Lyons to St. Etienne, 406

-Montpellier to Cette, 454

-Nismes to Beaxxcaire, 481

-Paris to Corbeil, 169

-to St. Gennain, 44

-to Orleans, 169

-to Rouen, 30

-to Versailles, 109

-Roanne to St. Etienne,

362, 412

- Strasburg to Bale, 534

Raismes, 556
st. Rambert, 428
Rambouillet, 112
la Ranee, river, 137
Rancid, mines de, 3 30
Rancogne, Grottes de, 219

ROLLO.

Randan, 361
Randanne, 393
Raz, Pointe du, 146
Rd, He de, 210
Rdbdnac, 283
la Recousse, 9
Redon, 143
Reignac, 221
Remiremont, 532
Remoulins, 445
st, Remy, 459

Renaissance, style, 160, 173,
181, 187, 354 * 450
Rend d’Anjou, 477
Rennes, 119

-to Brest, 124

-to Yannes, 153

la Rdole, 254
Rethel, 547
de Retz at Nantes, 161
Rheims, 544

-to Luxembourg, 548

Rhins, 411
RhOne, 424

-the Haut, Aix to Lyons,

510

-Junction with the SaGne,

425

-Lyons to Avignon and

Arles, 424

-Perte du, 512

Rhuys, 150

Ribbon manufacture, 4x2
st. Ribeauville, 535
Richard Coeur-de-Lion, 36 ;

death of, 249
Richebourg, 363
Richelieu, 44, 210
Rienzi at Avignon, 439
Riom, 380
st. Riquier, 23
Rive de Gier, 407
Rivesaltes, 326
Roanne, 362

-to St. Etienne (Railway J

and Valence, 411
Robert the Devil, 53
la Roche-sur-Yonne, 208
la Roche Bernard, 152

-Guyon, 49

-Maurice, 127

Roche Corbon, 185, 369

-Cotte, 196

-Courbe, 431

-Taillde, 369, 428

Rochefort, 202, 211, 3 93

la Rochefoucauld, 219

la Rochelle, 209

la Roche Jagu, castle, 133

Rochemaure, 432

les Rochers, 119

Rocroy, 547

Rodez, 403

Rohan, 143, 411

Roland, Camisard chief, 337*,

4 ° 9 , 4 io j 4 2 °* 45 o

-the Girondist, 48

-the Paladin, 298

Rolleboise, 49
Rollo the Pirate, 47

INDEX.

573

ST. ROMAENT.

st. Romain, 41, 369
Roman remains, 424, 426, 455,

445, 447, 448, 449, 459, 4 6 °,
465

Romanche, Val, 496
RomanSche, 468
Romance, 465

Romanesque style, xo8, 160,
256, 427, 450, 459
Romans, 490

Romilly copper-works, 51
Roncesvalles, 228
Roquefavour, aqueduct of, 476
Roquefort, 267, 278 ; cheese,
404

Roquemaure, 436
Roscoff, 145
les Rosiers, 200
Rosny, chateau, 3 2
Rosporden, 146
Roubaix, 556
Rouen, 44-44

-to Alencon, 68

-to Caen, 69

-to Havre, 52, 55 ; by

Yvetot, 59

-to Orleans, 175

-to Paris (railroad), 40, 44

Rouffach, 546

Rousseau, 20, 542

les Rousses, 508

Roussillon, 225, 426

Rouvray, St. Etienne de, 52

Royan, 212, 266

Royat, 485

Ruel, 44

Ruelle, 219

Ruffec, 218

Rumengol, 144

Sable, 154
les Sables, 209

le Sage, birthplace of, 150; his
death,14
Saintes, 212
Salbris, 246
Salces, 426
Salins, 508

Salles Compteaux, 404
Sallies, 276
Salon, 465
Samer, 22
Sanadoire, 496
Sancerre, 457
Sancy, Pic de, 494, 495 .
Sandrupt, 519

Saonf., river , Chalons to Ly¬
ons, 467 ; junction of, with
Rhone, 425
Sapey, 487
Sarrebourg, 526
Sarzeau, 152
Sassenage, 487, 489
le Saulce, 494
le Sault, 511
Saumur, 198

SOULT.

Saumur to Saintes and Bor¬
deaux, 207
Saut de Sabot, 405
Sauterne, 267
Sauveterre, 276
st. Sauveur les Bains, 240, 297

-le Yicomte, 81, 88

Savenay, 154
Savenibres, 202
Saverdun, 429
Saveme, 526

Savigny, Abbey, 101 ; village,
170

st. Savin, 222
Scarron, 117, 154
Sceaux, 176
Scheldt, 554
Schirmeck, 544
Schlestadt, 544
Schon, Martin, 545
Schwartzenberg, 516
Scorpions, 424
Seculejo, 405
Sddan, 548
Sdez, 69

la Seilleraie, 204
Seine River, rise of, 507

-Paris to Rouen, 44

-Rouen to Havre, 52

Selles-sur-Cber, 181
Semur, 454
Senlis, 551
Sens, 448
Sept Laux, 496
st. Semin, 244
Serres, 495

Serrant, chateau de, 201
st. Servan, 97
Servieres, 496
st. Sever, 44, 49
Sevignac, 284

S^vigne, Mad. de, 119, 154,
161, 204, 4?4
Sfevre Nantaise, 159, 207

-- Niortaise, 209

Sbvres china, 120

st. Seyne, 507

Seyssel, 510

Sdzanne, 518

Sierck, 550

Sibyes, 480

Sigean, 426

Silkworm, 454

Silk manufacture, 415, 416

Sillery, 558

-Champagne, 558

Sisteron, 494

Skeleton Tour of France, xxxix

Soap manufacture, 469

Soissons, 542

Solesmes, 154

Soligny, 124

la Sologne, 246

Sommesous, 519

la Sone, 490

Sorgues, 447, 44?

Sorigny, 214
Sotteville, 44
Souchez, 557
Soult, Marshal, 249, 270

TOXQUEDEC.

la Source du Loiret, 175
Souvignd, 101
Souvigny, 460
Souze, 197
Soyons, 471
Steamboats, xxix *

Stenay, 548

Strasburg, 527-541 ; patds,
53 o

-to Bale (railroad) 544

-to Besancon, by Colmar,

537

-to Epinal, 542

Succinio, 150
Suchet, Marshal, 444
Sully, 42, 176 ; his castle, 116 ;
his grave, ib.

-town and castle, 176

Sulz les Bains, 542
Sulzbad, 546
Suzon, Val de, 507
Symphorien-en-Lay, 462

Tables d'hote, xxix
Taillebourg, 212
Tain, 428

Talbot's death, 251
Tallard, 49 j

Talleyrand's residence at Va-
lencay, 181 ; his tomb, ib.
Tamarville, 81
Tancarville, 54
Tanlay, 452
Tarare, 462
Tarascon, 457

-(Aritige), 440

Tarbes, 409
Tarn, 405, 409
Tartas, 268

Tech, valley of the, 442
Tencin, 491

Teste de Buch (railway), 259
Tet, 426, 442
Thau, Etang de, 454
Thann (Alsace), 547

-near Caen, 77

Theatres, Roman, at Lille-
bonne, 58

-at Arles, 461

-at Orange, 446

Tlieogonec, 126 t
Thiers, 496
Thiezac, 499
Thionville, 549
Thouars, 207
Thourie, 140
Thueyts, 408, 417 448
Tiffauges, 206
Tinchebray, 100
Tocqueville, 65, 82
Toissey, 469
Tomblaine, 92, 95
Tonnay Charente, 212
Tonneins, 254
Tonnerre, 452
Tonquedec, 144

574

INDEX.

TORFOU.

Torfou, 206
Torigni, 102
Torte, 288, 289
Totes, 30
Tout, 520, 524
Toulon, 472 ; siege, ib.
Toulouse, 241-249; battle of,
248

-to Auch and Pan, 321

-to Bagnferes, 322

-to Bordeaux, 252

-to Foix, 329

■-to Narbonne, 323

Touraine, 167
Tour de Bel lot, 419

-en Bessin, 80

-du Carol, 332

-de Cordouan, 266

-du Pin, 483

Tourlaville castle, 82
la Tounnagne, 449
Tourmalet, 302, 304
Tournay, 556
Tournebride, 204
Tournoelle, 381
Tournon, 428
Tournus, 368
Tours, 186-190

-to Chinon and Saumur, 193

-to Loches, 191

-to Nantes, 195

-to Poitiers and Bordeaux,

213

Tourves, 479
Tourville, 34
Tourcoing, 556
Toussaint l'Ouverture, 509
Tramesaigues (Yal d'Aure),
304, 306

la Trappe pres Soligny, 123
Trappist Convents, 88, 123,
140

Treguier, 133
Trbpasses, Baie des, 146
Treport' 68
Treves, 200
Trbvoux,369
Tricherie, 214
Trie!, 31
Troarn, 70
st. Tropez, 475
Trouille, 463
Troumouse, 299
Trouville, 70

Troyes, 503 ; treaty of, 504;
weight, 504

-to Miilhausen, 515

Tulle, 239
Tullins, 490
Turenne, 239

-- Marshal, 548, 561

Turpin, Archbishop, 545

Uchau, 451
Urdos, 283
Uriage, 489
Urtubi, 273

ST. VERAN.

Urugne, 273
Ussat, 330

Utrecht, Treaty of, 561
Uzerche, 238
Uzds, 420
Uzeste, 267

st. Yaastla Hougue, 81
Vaison, 436
Yal d’Ante, 99

-d’Enfer, 395

-d'Ossau, 282, 284

Valencay, 181
Valence, 429

--to Aubenas, Privas, and

JSTismes, 414

-to Grenoble, 490

Valenciennes, 556
Valdrien, Mt., 44
st. Yalery-sur-Somme, 15
Vallery en Caux, 65
Vallery, 349
st. Yallier, 428
Valliere, Mad. de la, 45
Vallons, 418
Valmy, 539
Yalognes, 81
Vais, 336, 416, 428
Vandamme, General, 560
Vannes, 152
Vanvres, no
Yar, 480
Varades, 203
Yarennes, 360, 539
la Vattay, 508
Vaubadon, 101

Vauban, Marshal, 6, 83, 127,
269, 35 B 529
Yaucanson, 490
Vaucelles, 75
Vaucluse, 443
Vaucouleurs, 531
Vaudemont, 525
Vaudreuil, 46
le Vaunage, 451
Vaux de Vire, 100
Vayre, 387
Yelaine, 520
le Velay, 39 U 4°7
Venasque, 319 ; port de, 315,
3 17, U8

Vendeans at Granville, 91
—~ at Laval, x 18

-at le Mans, 117

-at Nantes, 163

-at Saumur, 199

-at Savenay, 153

-at St. Florent, 203

la Vendee, 120, 167, 208
Vendome, 191
Vendres, Port, 328
Venerand, 118
Yenin, la Tour, st., 489
Vencs, 496

Veil to ux, Mont, 434, 444
st. Veran, 500

VOLVIC.

Yerberie, 551

Verdigris, manufacture of, 454

Verdun, 539

Veretz, 195

Vergy, 508

Vermanton, 350

Vernet, 334

-Horace, 441

Verneuil, 123
Vernon, 33
la Verpilliere, 483
Versailles, 111, 121
Yertrieux, 511
Vesaignes, 517
Yesoul, 518
Yexin, 47
Vdzelay, 350
Vezenobre, 419
Yicdessos, 330
Yichy Baths, 360
Vic-sur-Ccre, 399
Vidauban, 439
Vieille-Brioude, 389
Vienne, 426

-to Grenoble, 483

Yierzon, 236, 339

Vif, 495

Vigan, 405
Vignemale, 296
Vigny, 47
Vilaine, river, 119
Villandraut, 254
Villars, 338, 3 59 > 449 > 555

-d'Arhne, 497

-Bocage, 99

Villebaudon, 102
Villebon, 116
Villedieu les Poeles, 102

-du Perron, 223

Villefranche, 323, 333

- sur-Saone, 369

-(Aveyron), 400

Villejuif, 356

Villeneuve lbs Avignon, 442

-St. George, 344

-la Guiard, 348

-de Marsan, 278

-le Roi, 169, 349

Villers-Cotterets, 542
la Villette, 541
Villiquier, 54
Vire, 99
Viry, 169
Viso, Monte, 500
la Vitarelle, 252, 408
Vitre, 119

Yitry le Francais, 519, 524
Vivarais, 335, 416
Viviers, 329, 434
Yizille, 492
Vocance, Yal de, 414
Void, 519
Voirons, 483
Volane, 416

Volcanoes, extinct, of Au¬
vergne, 335
Yolnay, 365

Voltaire, 31, 168, 175, 247,
5i7

Volvic, 381

INDEX.

5/o

VOREPPE.

Yoreppe, 484

Vosges mountains (Routes
168, 170), 515, 53 2, 533 ,
535

Voue', 559

Vougeot, Clos de, 36 3
la Voulte, 431
Vouziers, 548

Waldbach, S 33
Waldersbach, 533

XERTIGNY.

st. Wandrille, 57
Wasselonne, 527
Weights and measures, xii-xvi
Wellington, Duke of, 155 ; in
the Pyrenees, 229, 249, 273 ;
at Bayonne, 269
Wimille, 22
Witsand, 22

Xantrailles, 277

Xertigny, 5ii

THE END.

ZABERN.

Yfevre, 339
Yonne, river, 348
Young, the poet, 453
st. Yrieix, 238
Yssingeaux, 407
Yvetot, 60; Eoi d’, ib.

Zabern, 526

London : Printed by William Clowes and Sons, Stamford Street.

MURRAY'S

HAND-BOOK ADVERTISED.

1853 .

PRINTED FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THOSE WHO ARE DESIROUS OF
COMMUNICATING INFORMATION TO

TRAVELLERS ON THE CONTINENT.

PUBLISHED ANNUALLY.

The Editor is not responsible for any statements made in the Advertisements.

SCALE OF CHARGES

£ s. d.

For Eight Lines .... 0 8 6
Every Line additional ..009
An entire Page . .

£ 5. d.

Half a Column ....120
A Column, or Half-page .2 20
.... £4 0 0

INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS.

BELGIUM.

Brussels.—S ufFell’s Carriages <fe Horses 16
GERMANY.

Frankfort.—T acchi’s Glass Warehouse 9
Bing’s Manufactory . . 7

Lohr & Alten’s Hotel . 20
Munich.—S teigerwald’s Glass Rooms . 4

Henry Wimmer’s Magazine 6
Cologne.—F arina’s Eau de Cologne . 10
Bonn. 1 —Schmitz’s Golden Star Hotel . 8

Dresden.—M agazine of Fine Arts . . 11

Carlsbad.—S eifert, bookseller ... 20
Heidelberg.—H otel du Prince Charles 20

SWITZERLAND.

Bremen.—H illman’s Hotel.17

Freiberg.—S ommer’s Hotel .... 20

ITALY.

Florence. —Bianchini’s Mosaic . . 5

Genoa.—L oleo’s Silver Filigree Work . 5

Nice.—H ow’s English Warehouse . . 6
Lattes, General Agent .... 6

Paulian’s English Pharmacy . 17
Leghorn.—M icali’s Marble Works . . 11
Rome.—S inimberghi’s Pharmacy . . 5

Shea’s House Agency . . . . 14 ;

ENGLAND.

Custom House Agents—McCracken. 2

Union Bank of London. 15

London and Westminster Bank . . .14

Mechi’s Dressing Cases. 14

Black’s Guide Books.12

Lee’s Guide-Book Depot. 24

Useful Knowledge Maps.11

Thimm’s Foreign Book Depot . . . .16

Dr. Forbes’s Month in Switzerland . .11

Dr. Locock’s Cough Wafers . . . .13

Ocean-Parcel Company. 16

Straker’s Microscopes. 16

Decastro’s Magnesia. 16

Books for Travellers.21

The Scottish Tourist. 20

Globe Insurance. 19

Reeve’s Popular Natural History . . IS

The Athenaeum. 17

Caiy’s Pocket Telescope. 17

Low, Son and Co., Literary Agents . 22
Mrs. Markham’s School Histories . . 22

The English Cyclopaedia. 23

Household Words. 23

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

MESSRS. J. & R. M°CRACKEN,

7 , OLD JEWRY, LONDON,

AGENTS, BY APPOINTMENT, TO THE ROYAL ACADEMY,

And Agents generally for the Reception and Shipment of Works of Art, Baggage, etc.

FROM AND TO ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD,

Return tlierr sincere acknowledgments to
the Nobility and Gentry for the liberal
patronage hitherto conferred on them.
They hope, by the moderation of their
charges, and their unremitting care in
passing through the Custom-House Pro¬
perty confided to them, to merit a conti¬
nuance of the favours they have heretofore
enjoyed. Their establishment comprises
DRY AND SPACIOUS WAREHOUSES,
where Works of Art and all descriptions of
Property can be kept during the Owner’s
absence, at most moderate rates of rent.

J. & R. M c C. undertake to execute Com¬
missions for the purchase of Pictures,
Statuary in Marble and Alabaster, Bronzes,
&c., being in direct correspondence with
Artists, Agents, and Bankers throughout
the Continent.

British Artists resident abroad, having
occasion to send home their Works for
Exhibition, or to be passed by the Academy,
will find it advantageous to address them to
the care of Messrs. J. & R. M c Cracken,
whose appointment enables them to offer
every facility.

Parties favouring J. & R. M e C. with
Consignments, are requested to be parti¬
cular in having the Bills of Lading sent to
them DIRECT by post, and also to forward
their Keys with the Packages, as all Goods
MUST BE EXAMINED immediately on
arrival.

J. & R. M c C. keep Lachrymre Christi
and Marsala Wines of first quality, also
Port and Sherry ; and are general Im¬
porters of French and other Foreign
Wines.

Packages sent, by Steamers or otherwise, to Southampton and Liverpool,

also attended to.

THEIR PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENTS ARE AT

CALAIS.|

BOULOGNE S. M...

PARIS.

HAVRE.

MARSEILLES.j

BAGNERES DE BI-)
GORRE, (Hautes V

PyrtnOes). )

BORDEAUX..

GIBRALTAR.

LISBON.

SEVILLE.|

NICE.

GENOA.|

MILAN.

CARRARA.

LEGHORN.

PISA.

FLORENCE

VOLTERRA
BOLOGNA .

Messrs. Ch artier, Mory & Vogue.

Messrs. Isaac Vital & Fils.

Messrs. Ci-iartier, Mory, & Vogue. Mr. H. Sire.

Mr. M. Chenue, Packer, Rue Croix Petits Champs, No. 24 .

Mr. A. Chaumont, Mr. Thomas Taylor, Messrs. P. Devot & Co.
Messrs. Horace Bouchet & Co.

Messrs. Claude Clerc & Co.

Mr. Aime' Ge'ruzet, Marble Works.

Mr. Aime Ge'ruzet, 8, Place des Quinconces.

Messrs. Archbold, Johnson & Powers. Messrs. Turner & Co.
Mr. Arthur Van Zeller, Penin. & Orient. St. Nav. Co.’s Offices.
Mr. Julian B. Williams, Brit. Vice-Cons. Don Juan Ant 0 .
Bailly.

Messrs. A. Lacroix & Co., British Consulate. Mr. T. W. How.
Messrs. Gibbs & Co. Mr. A. G. Barchi.

Mr. Gomersal, British Vice-Consul.

Messrs. Buffet & Beruto, Piazzale di S. Sepolcro, No. 3170 .
Mr. Vincenzo Livy, Sculptor.

Messrs. W. Macbean & Co. Messrs. Thomas Pate & Sons.
Messrs. Henderson Brothers. Messrs. Maquay, Pakenham,
& Smyth. Messrs. Giac 0 . Micali & Fig 0 . Sculptors in Ala¬
baster and Marble. Mr. M. Ristori. Mr. Joseph Guano.
Messrs. Della Valle Brothers, Artists in Scagliola. Messrs.
G. Galliani & Co.

Mr. Ferd. Peverada.

Messrs. Huguet & Van Lint, Sculptors in Alabaster and Marble.
Messrs. Emm 1 '. Fenzi & Co. Messrs. Plowden & French.
Messrs. Maquay & Pakenham. Mr. Gaet°. Bianchini, Mosaic
Worker, opposite the Capella de’ Medici. Mr. Antonio di Luigi
Piacenti. Mr. J. Tough. Messrs. F m . Pacetti, Picture-frame
Makers, Via del Pelagio. Messrs. Nesti Ciardi & Co. Mr. F.
Leopoldo Pisani, Sculptor, No. 1 , sul Prato.

Sig. Ott°. Callaj. and Sis. Gius e . Cherici.

Mr. Flavio Perotti, British Vice-Consul.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

MESSRS. J. X

ANCONA .

ROME.

CIVITA VECC'HIA..

NAPLES.

PALERMO .

MESSINA.

MALTA .

CORFU .

ALEXANDRIA ....
CONSTANTINOPLE

SMYRNA .

BEYROUT.

ATHENS, PIRiEUS

VENICE.

TRIESTE .

OSTEND.

GHENT .

BRUSSELS .

ANTWERP .

ROTTERDAM.

COLOGNE.

MAYENCE .

FRANKFORT O. M.

MANNHEIM .

MUNICH ..

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RATISBON .

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INTERLACKEN....
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BERLIN.

DRESDEN.

NEW YORK.

R. MCCRACKEN’S CORRESPONDENTS — continued.

Messrs. Moore, Merellet, & Co.

{ Messrs. Freeborn & Co. Messrs. Torlonia & Co. Messrs.
Macbean <fc Co. Mr. Edward Trebbi. Messrs. Plowden,
Cholmeley & Co. Messrs. Pakenham, Hooker, & Co. Mr.
Luigi Branchini, at the English College.

Mr. J. T. Lowe, Junr., British Vice-Consul. Mr. T. Arata.
j Messrs. Iggulden & Co. Messrs. W. J. Turner & Co. Messrs.
( Cumming, Wood, & Co.

Messrs. Prior, Turner & Thomas.

Messrs. Cailler & Co.

Mr. Emanuel Zammit. Mr. J Aspinall. Rosina Dimech &
Brothers, No. 69 , Strada Teatro 7 Valletta, Sculptors in Malta
Stone. Mr. P. P. Decesare, 53 , Strada Reale, Sculptor in Malta
Stone. Mr. Fortunato Testa, 92 , Strada S ta Lucia. Messrs.
, Josh Darmanin & Sons, 45 , Strada Levante, Mosaic Workers.
Mr. J. W. Taylor.

Messrs. Briggs & Co.

Messrs. C. Hanson & Co., and Mr. Black.

Messrs. Hanson & Co.

Mr. Henry Heald.

Mr. J. J. Bucherer.
f Messrs. Freres Schielin.

| Messrs. S. & A. Blumenthal & Co. Mr. John Harris.
Messrs. George Moore & Co.

Mr. F. A. Belleroche. Messrs. Bach & Co. Mr. St. Amour.
Mr. J. De Buyser, Dealer in Antiquities, Marche au Beurre, 21 .

Messrs. F. Mack & Co., Kipdorp, 1748 .

Mt.P.VanZeebroek, Picture Dealer,&c., Rue des Recollets, 2076 .
Messrs. Preston & Co. Messrs. S. A. Levino & Co. Messrs. L.

Mayer&Co. Messrs. C. Hermann dfc Co. Messrs. Boutmy& Co.
Mr. J. M. Farina, vis-a-vis la Place Juliers.

Messrs. G me . Tilmes & Co.

Mr. G. L. Kayser, Expediteur.

Mr. Joseph Thuquet. Mr. Knussman, Cabinet Maker.

Mr. P. A. Tacchi’s Successor, Glass Manufacturer, Zeil D, 17 ..
Madame Veuve J. H. Stiebel, Zeil D, 30.

Messrs. Bing Brothers, Zeil D, 31 . Mr. F. Bohler, Zeil.

.Mr. G. A. Zipf, Ross Markt.

Mr. Dinkelspeil. Messrs. Eyssen & Claus.

Mr. Hy. Wimmer, Printseller, Promenade St. No. 12 . Messrs.
May & Widmayer, Print-sellers. Mr. F. Steigerwald, Glass
Manufacturer. Messrs. L. Negrioli & Co.

Mr. F. Steigerwald, Glass Manufacturer.

Messrs. J. Bergmann & Co.

Mr. Auguste Koch, Dealer in Antiquities.

Mr. Paolo Galimberti, at the Red Horse, Dealer in Antiquities.
Mr. John Conrad Cnopf, Banker and Forwarding Agent.
Messrs. Jean Preiswerk & Fils.

Mr. Auguste Buesche. Mr. Albert Trumpy.

Messrs. Ritzchel, Pfere et Fils, Grand Quai.

Messrs. Aug. & Victor Snell.

Mr. L. Longchamps. -

Mr. J. Wyder.

Mr. S. Rothacher, Fils.

Messrs. Schaar & Clauss. Zahn & Vivie.

Mr. W. Hofmann, Glass Manufacturer, Blauern Stern.

Mr. A. V. Lebeda, Gun Maker, &c.

Mr. Thomas Wolf, Glass Manufacturer.

Mr. Carl Knoll, au Lion Blanc.

Mr. W. Hofmann, Glass Manufacturer, am Lugeck, No. 768 .
Mr. Alois Duregger.

Messrs. Gebruder Rocca, Printsellers, Unten den Linden.
Messrs. Phaland <fe Dietrich, Carriers.

Mr. Lion M. Cohn, Comm" Expediteur.

Messrs. H. W. Bassenge & Co. Messrs. G. F. Thode Sohne.
Madame Helena Wolfsohn, Schossergasse, No. 5 .

Messrs. Wilbur & Scott.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

MUNICH.

FRANCIS STEIGERWALD,

MANUFACTURER OF ALL KINDS OF

/mint irtitlts k lernins in ‘BJjjiti k /nlaroir Cnjstnl ilm,

•CUT, OR ORNAMENTED WITH GILDING, PAINTING, OR ENGRAVING,

Begs respectfully to inform the Public that his large Stock at
MUNICH, the acknowledged seat of the Fine Arts in Germany,
is, as it has been for many years, carefully supplied with the
NEWEST and CHOICEST PRODUCE of his FACTORY.

Francis Steigerwald has also an Establishment at Kissingen
during the Season.

Requesting his Customers and Correspondents in ENGLAND
to continue to this Establishment the favour and confidence
they have been pleased to bestow on his former one at FRANK¬
FORT ON THE MAINE, he begs to state that Purchases or
Orders will he transmitted on the shortest notice, and without
any further trouble, through the medium of his Agents, Messrs.
J. b R. M‘Cracken, No. 7, Old Jewrv, London.

V 7

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

ROME.

ENGLISH PHARMACY.

4 60, CORSO,

NEAR THE PIAZZA ST. CARLO AND THE VIA OB’ PONTEF1CI.

SINIMBERGHI AND WHITBURN,

DISPENSING CHEMISTS AND DRUGGISTS,

MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN,

B EG to inform Visitors to Rome, that their Establishment is well provided with
genuine English and French Patent Medicines.

Prescriptions prepared with the greatest care according to the formulary of the
London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and United States Pharmacopeias, and the quality
of the drugs may be confidently relied on, as they are chiefly supplied direct from
Apothecaries’ Hall.

GENOA.

—♦—

SILVER FILIGREE WORK.

G. LOLEO,

(SUCCESSOR TO FELIX PERNETTI,)

No. 81, IN THE ALBERGQ DELLA CROCE DI MALTA,

Keeps a Magazine which boasts the most elegant and complete assortment of
every description of objects of this renowned and special production of Genoese
industry. The exhibition of it in London, on the glorious occasion of the 1st
May, 1851, obtained, for its variety, elegance, and solidity, the admiration of the
visitors to the Crystal Palace, and was honoured with a Prize Medal. He invites
Foreigners and Travellers to visit his Establishment (without being expected to
purchase), where every article is sold at fixed prices.

His Agents in England arc Messrs. J. & R. M £ Cracken, 7, Old Jewry, London.

*** In his Show-room may be seen a Monumental Column in filigree work in
commemoration of the Great Exhibition.

FLORENCE.

G. BIANCHINI,

MANUFACTURER OF TABLES AND LADIES’ ORNAMENTS,

OF FLORENTINE MOSAIC.

No. 4844, Via de’ Nelli, opposite the Royal Chapel of the Medici,

Invites the English Nobility and Gentry to visit his Establishment, where may
always be seen numerous specimens of this celebrated and beautiful Manufacture,
in every description of Rare and Precious Stones. Orders for Tables and other
Ornaments executed to any Design.

G. Bianchini’s Agents in England are Messrs. J. & R. M £ Cracken, 7, Old
Jewry, London.

6 MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

IT ICE.

- 1 -

ENGLISH WAREHOUSE.

T. W. HO AY,

WINE MERCHANT, GROCER, &c.

Q UAI DU JARDIM DES PLANTES,

^ (Two doors from the Hotel de France).

Wines and Teas of the choicest qualities.
Bass’s and Allsopp’s Pale and Burton Ales,
Stout, Porter, & c. Lemann’s Biscuits,
English Cheese, York Hams, Pickles,
Sauces, and a variety of other condiments
and articles too numerous to mention.

Correspondents in London, Messrs. J. and
R. McCbacken, 7 , Old Jewry.

NICE.

-+. —

F. LATTES,

NEAR THE PONT NEUF

(JKeiiDraT

AND

AGENT FOR LETTING FURNISHED
APARTMENTS.

Letters addressed as above from parties
requiring any information respecting Apart -
ments, &c., will meet with immediate at¬
tention.

MUNICH.

■ - ♦ ■■■ -

HENRY WIMMER,

SUCCESSOR TO

J. M. DE HERMANN,

PRINT AND PICTURE SELLER TO I11S MAJESTY THE KING

OF BAVARIA,

ROYAL PROMENADE STRASSE, No. 12.

MAGAZINE OF OBJECTS OF FiNE ARTS, PICTURES, PRINTS
DRAWINGS, AND LITHOGRAPHS.

Invites the Nobility and Gentry to visit bis Establishment, where he has always
on Sale an extensive collection of Pictures by Modern Artists, Paintings on Glass
and Porcelain, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, and Lithographs, the latter
comprising the Complete Collections of the various Galleries, of which Single
Copies may be selected.

He has also on Sale all that relates to the Fine Arts.

H. WIMMER undertakes to forward to England all purchases made at his
Establishment, through his Agents, Messrs. J. and R. M c Ckacken, 7, Old Jewry,
London.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

FRANKFORT 0. M.

- 4 --

BING BROTHERS,

ZEIL, No. 31,

(opposite the hotel de RUSS1E,)

MANUFACTORY OF ARTICLES IN STAG’S HORN,

DEPOT OF DRESDEN CHINA.

COPY OF THE STATUE OF ARIADNE.

*** All kinds of Parisian Fancy Articles.

"Messrs. BING Brothers beg respectfully to invite the Public to visit their
Establishment, where they have always on show, and for sale, a most extensive
Assortment of Articles in Stag’s Horn, of their own manufacture; consisting of
Brooches, Ear-rings, Bracelets, Pen and Pencil-holders, Seals, Ink-stands, Watch-
stands, Snuff-boxes, Cigar-boxes, Whips, Walking-sticks, Knives, Card-cases, and
every description of article for the Writing and Work Table, besides Vases and
other ornamental objects too various to be here enumerated.

Messrs. Bing have also the finest Copies, both in Biscuit-China and Bronze, of
the Statue of Ariadne, the Chef-d’aiuvre of the Sculptor Danneckek, of which the
original is in Bethman’s Museum at Frankfort 0. M.

Messrs. Bing have likewise the Sole Depot in Frankfort of the Porcelain of
the Royal Manufactory of Dresden; and at their Establishment may be seen the
most splendid assortment of Figures after the Ancient Models, ornamented with
Lace-work of the most extraordinary fineness; likewise Dinner, Dessert, and Tea
Services ; Plates, Vases, Candelabras, Baskets, &c. &c., in the Antique Style,
ornamented with flowers in relief, and the finest paintings.

Besides the above-named objects, they have a superb assortment of Clocks,
Bronzes, Porcelain, and other Fancy Objects, the productions of Germany, France,
and England.

Depot of the veritable Eau de Cologne of Jean Maria Farina, of Cologne.

Their Agents in London are J. and R. M‘Cracken, 7, Old Jewry.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER

BONN ON THE RHINE.

MR. SCHMITZ,

PROPRIETOR OF THE GOLDEN STAR HOTEL,

Begs leave to recommend his Hotel to English Travellers. The apart¬
ments are furnished throughout in the English style ; the rooms are
carpeted, and the attendance, as well as the kitchen and the wine-cellar,
is well provided. ;

The STAR HOTEL has been honoured by the visits cf the following
Members of the English Royal Family :—

H. M. Adelaide, Queen Dowager of Great Britain, accompanied
by His Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, Lord and
1 S 46 . June 18 . -j Lady Barrington, Sir David Davis, M.D., Rev. J. R. Wood,

J M.A., Captain Taydor, &c. &c., honoured the above Establish-

V ment with a Three Days’ Visit.

1818 . May ,

1825 . March

and Sept.

1 S 34 . July

H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge and Suite.

| IT. B. IT. the Duke and Duchess of Clarence and Suite.

■{

1836 .

1837 .
1839 .

IS 10

1841

1844

Aug.

July

Nov.

H. M. Queen Adelaide, accompanied by the Earl and Countess of
Errol, Earl and Countess of^, Denbigh, Earl and Countess
IIowe, &c.

. H. R. IT. the Duchess of Gloucester and Suite.

. H. R. IT. the Duchess of Cambridge and Suite.

. H. R. H. the Prince George of Cambridge and Suite.

f H. R. H. Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg Gotha, accompanied by
■ | Prince Ernest of Saxe Coburg Gotha, and their Suite.

f II. R. H. the Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by the Princess
* ( Augusta of Cambridge, and their Suite.

H. R. H. the Duchess of Kent and Suite, accompanied by H.R.H. the
Prince of Leiningen.

J line

IT. R. H. the Duchess of Cambridge and Suite.

H. R. IT. Princess Carolina of Cambridge.

H. R. II. the Duchess of Cambridge and Suite.

H. R. H. Princess Mary of Cambridge.

IT. R. H. the Duchess of Kent and Suite, accompanied by H. S. H. the
Prince of Leiningen.

, c ,k -i f H. R. H. the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with their Family

JS 47 . July .j and Suite.

Mr. £C1IMITZ begs to add, that at no Hotel on the Rhine will be found

more moderate charges.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

FRANKFORT 0. M.

P. A. TACCHI’S SUCCESSOR

(LATJ3 FRANCIS STEIGERWALD,)

ZEIL D, No. 17,

aiJnlji'ininit ,fmtnj <®lras imit (fejdnl IBnriljmisf.

P. A. TACCHI’S SUCCESSOR begs to acquaint the Public, that
lie has become the Purchaser of Air. F. Steigerwald’s Establish¬
ment in this Town, for the Sale of Bohemian Fancy Cut Glass and
Crystals.

He has always an extensive and choice Assortment of the Newest
and most Elegant Patterns of

ORNAMENTAL CUT, ENGRAVED, GILT, AND PAINTED GLASS

Both White and Coloured,

In Dessert Services, Chandeliers, Articles for the Table and Toilet,
and every possible variety of objects in this beautiful branch of manu¬
facture. He solicits, and will endeavour to merit, a continuance of
the favours of the Public, which the late well-known House enjoyed in
an eminent degree during a considerable number of years.

P. A. Tacchi’s Successor has Branch Establishments during the
Season at

WIESBADEN AND EMS,

Where will always be found Selections of the newest Articles from
his principal Establishment.

His Agents in England, to whom he undertakes to forward Pur¬
chases made of him, are Messrs. J. & R. McCracken, 7, Old Jewry,
London.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

COLOGNE 0. RHINE.

JOHN MARIA FARINA,

(OPPOSITE TEE JULICH'S PLACE,) ,

PURVEYOR TO H. M. QUEEN VICTORIA; TO H. M. F. W. 111., KING OF
PRUSSIA; H. M. NICOLAS I., EMPEROR OF RUSSIA;

THE KING OF HANOVER, ETC., ETC.

OF THE

ONLY GENUINE EAU DE COLOGNE.

rUHE frequency of mistakes, which, are sometimes accidental, but for the
most part the result of deception practised by interested individuals, induce me to
request the attention of the English travellers to the following statement:—

Since the first establishment of my house in 1709 , there has never been any partner
in the business who did not bear the name of Farina, nor has the manufacture of a
second and cheaper quality of Eau de Cologne ever been attempted. Since 182 S,
however, several inhabitants of Cologne have entered into engagements with Italians of
the name of Farina, and, by employing that name, have succeeded to a very great-
extent in foisting an inferior and spurious article upon the Public.

But they have to this rivalry in trade not been satisfied with the mere usurpation
of my name ; the concluding phrase, “ opposite the Julich's Place, ” which had so long
existed my special property, was not allowed to remain in its integrity. To deceive
and lead astray again those of the public who are not fully conversant with the locality
and circumstances, the competition seized hold of the word “opposite," and more than
once settled in my immediate neighbourhood, that they might avail themselves to the
full extent of the phrase “ opposite the Julich’s Place." When tried before the courts, the
use only of the word “ opposite ” was forbidden, which, however, has been supplied by the
word “at” or ‘ ‘near, ” with the addition of the number of their houses. It is true, another
less flagrant, but not less deceitful invention was, that several of my imitators established
the sites of their manufactories in other public places of the town, to enable them to make

use of the phrase “opposite - Place, or Market,” on their address cards or labels,

speculating with respect to the proper name “Julich, ” on the carelessness or forgetfulness
of the consumer. I therefore beg to inform all strangers visiting Cologne that my
establishment, which has existed since 1709 , is exactly opposite the Julich’s Place,
forming the corner of the two streets, Unter Goldschmidt and ObenMarspforten, No. 23 ,
and that it may be the more easily recognised, I have put up the arms of England,
Russia, &c. &c., in the front of my house. By calling the attention of the public to
this notice, I hope to check that system of imposition which has been so long practised
towards foreigners by coachmen, valets de place, and others who receive bribes from
the vendors of the many spurious compounds sold under my name.

A new proof of the excellence of my manufacture has been put beyond all doubt by
the fact of the Jury of the Great Exhibition in London having awarded me the Prize
Medal.—See the Official Statement in No. 20 , 934 , page 6 of the “Times" of this month.

Cologne, October, 1851 . J. M. FARINA,

Opposite the Julich’s Place.

*** My Custom-house Agents in London are Messrs. J. & R. McCracken,
7, Old Jewry; and my Agent for Great Britain is Mr. Wm. Langenbeck,
15, Maddox Street , Regent Street, and 46, Lime Street, City.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

DRESDEN.

—♦—

MAGAZINE OF ANTIQUITIES AND FINE ARTS.

HELENA WOLESOHN, mSe MEYER,

(SUCCESSOR OF L. METER AND SONS),

5,G3CHLOSSERGAS8E,

Begs respectfully to solicit the inspection of her Establishment, where she has
always on show and for sale a most extensive assortment of Old Saxon China, Old
Sevres and Japan, Antique Furniture, Bronzes, Old Lace, such as Points de
Bruxelles and D’Alenin, Points de Venise, Guipure, &c., &c. Venetian, Ruby,
and Painted Glass, Rock Crystal, Ivory Work, Enamels, Mosaic Work, Armour,
Gobelins Tapestry, Fans, and many other remarkable and curious articles.

HER AGENTS IN ENGLAND ARE

MESSRS J. & R. MCCRACKEN, 7, OLD JEWRY, LONDON.

LEGHORN.

—♦—

HIACINTH MICA.LT> SON,

VIA FERDINANDA, No. 1230.

Manufactory of Marble, Alabaster, and
Scagliola Tables, and Depot of Objects of
Fine Arts.

Their extensive Show-rooms are always
open to Visitors.

THEIR AGENTS IN ENGLAND ARE

MESSRS. J. AND R. iWCRACKEN,

7, OLD JEWRY, LONDON.

MAPS AND PLANS

OF THE SOCIETY FOR DIFFUSION
OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE.

Ninepence coloured ; Sixpence plain, each,
and mounted on cloth and adapted to a
case at a moderate charge.

Travellers will find them most useful
accompaniments to Mr. Murray’s Hand¬
book, particularly the Plans of Towns,
which will often save the “expense and
persecution ” of a Valet de Place. A com¬
plete list will be forwarded on application
to the Publisher.

LONDON: GEORGE COX,

18 , King-street, Covent-garden.

A MONTH

IN SWITZERLAND;

OR,

THE PHYSICIAN’S HOLIDAY.

BY JOHN FORBES, M.D., F.R.S.,
Physician to Her Majesty’s Household.

With a Map and Illustrations. Third
Edition. Small 8vo. Price 6s., or
free by post for 6cl. extra.

“ Very apropos is this pleasant and
useful book. Now men are throwing off
the accumulated ennui and paleness of
a London season ; now they pack up for
a breath of fresh air and a gulp of health ;
and now Dr. Forbes’s account of his
walking tour in Switzerland will say to
many, ‘ Go thou and walk likewise.’ It
is an agreeable book to read—a valuable
book as a prescription to invalids. The
minute practical information it contains
will make it as indispensable as a Mur¬
ray to travellers in Switzerland.”— The
Leader.

LONDON: WM. S. ORR AND CO.

AMEN CORNER.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER,

BLACK’S GUIDE-BOOKS

AND TRAVELLING-MAPS FOR TOURISTS.

IN NEAT PORTABLE VOLUMES, STRONGLY BOUND IN GREEN CLOTH',

‘ ‘ They should find a cornerdn the portmanteau of every person about to undertake a
journey of pleasure or business, either in England and Wales, or Scotland.”— John Bull.

“ The most valuable series of Picturesque Guide Books issued by Messrs. Black, of
Edinburgh. We have looked carefully through the volumes : they are admirably ‘got
upthe descriptions are accurate, and remarkably clear and comprehensive. Altogether
this series of works is of immense value to Tourists.”— Art-Journal.

ENGLAND. With 26 Maps and Railway Charts. Price 10 s. 6 d.

SCOTLAND. With 24 Maps, Plans, and Charts ; and 50 Views of Scenery and
Public Buildings. Price 8s. Gd.

ENGLISH LAKES. With an Essay on the Geology of the District, by
Professor Phillips ; minutely accurate Mag) and Charts; and Views of the
Mountain Ranges, and other Scenery. Price 5 s.

WALES (NORTH & SOUTH) & MONMOUTHSHIRE.

Containing minutely engraved Travelling Maps, Charts of the Railways, a Chart
of the Course of the River Wye, numerous Views of the Scenery, engraved on
Wood and Steel, and a copious Itinerary. Price 5 s.

SCOTLAND. Cheap Edition. With an accurate Travelling Map, Four
Engraved Charts, &c. Price 3 s. Gd.

HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND.

By G. and P. Anderson, of Inverness. Third Edition. Price 10 s. Gd.

EDINBURGH : A. & C. BLACK, AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.

IMPORTANT TO RAILWAY AND CONTINENTAL TRAVELLERS.

PRATT’S NEW PATENT TRAVELLING WARDROBE

“ PORTMANTEAU,”

CONTAINS THE WHOLE WARDROBE AND SAVES IN HAVING ONLY ONE PACKAGE.

For Gentlemen,

For Ladies,

TO BE OBTAINED ONLY OF THE PATENTEE,

123, NEW BOND STREET, AND 19, COCKSPUR STREET, LONDON.

M here a large assortment of Articles necessary for comfoit in Travelling are always kept, and

The Patent Compendium Portmanteau for Continental and Railway Travellers.

Fig. l.

e e for Hat and
Bonnets ; d d for
Linen; h h for
Coats & Dresses;
b b Boots and
Shoes.

Fig. 2 .

MURRAY S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

PATRONAGE.

PERFECT FREEDOM FROM COUGHS IN TEN MINUTES

AND INSTANT RELIEF AND A RAPID CURE OF

Asthma and Consumption, Coughs, Colds, and all Disorders

of the Breath and Lungs,

ARE INSURED BY

DR. LOCOCK’S PULMONIC WAFERS.

- $ —_

CURE OF 7 YEARS COUGH.

From the Rev. Geo. Dawson , Primitive Methodist Minister.

Bridge Street, Peel, Isle of Man, January 29 , 1852 .
Gentlemen,—My wife having been afflicted with a severe cough for seven years
last past, during the last spring was brought so low that her life was despaired of,
when a friend recommended her to try Dr. Locock’s Pulmonic Wafers. She did so,
and the benefit she derived from them was truly amazing. She was, after taking a
few boxes, again able to return to her domestic duties.

I think it would be a great blessing to the afflicted in our island were they adver¬
tised here, as they appear not to be known. You are at liberty to make what use you
may think proper of my testimony.

I am, yours, &c. GEO. DAWSON.

Primitive Methodist Minister.

From the Author of the “ Narrative of the Second Sikh WarF

June 25 , 1851 .

Sir,—I had long suffered from a deep-seated cough, when Providence placed in my
way a box of your Pulmonic Wafers. I experienced instantaneous relief, and have
such a high estimate of their efficacy that I firmly believe they would effect the cure
of the most consumptive person. You may make any use you please of this letter.

(Signed) EDWARD JOSEPH THACKWELL,

Lieut. 3 rd Light Dragoons, Union Club, London.

To Singers and Public Speakers they are invaluable, as in a few hours they remove
all hoarseness, and wonderfully increase the power and flexibility of the voice. They
have a pleasant taste. Price Is. lid., 2 s. 9 d., and 11s. per box. Also, may be had,

a mild and gentle Aperient and Stomach Medicine, having a most agreeable taste,
and of great efficacy for regulating the secretions and correcting the action of the
Stomach and Liver.

SOLD AT Is. 1 id., 2 s. 9 d., AND 11 s. PER BOX. Also,

DR. LO COCK'S COSMETIC,

A Delightfully Fragrant Preparation,

FOR IMPROVING AND BEAUTIFYING THE COMPLEXION,

RENDERING THE SKIN CLEAR, SOFT, AND TRANSPARENT, REMOVING ALL

Eruptions, Freckles, Sunburn, Tan, Pimples, and Houglmess,

CURING GNAT BITES AND THE STINGS OF INSECTS GENERALLY.

Li the 'process of Shaving, it allays all smarting, and renders the skin soft and smooth.
Sold in Bottles, at Is. lid., 2 s. 9 d., and 4 s. Gd. each.

BEY/ARE OF COUNTERFEITS.—Observe the name in the Governmen

Stamp OUTSIDE the Wrapper.

Prepared at the Wholesale Warehouse, 26, Bride Lane , Fleet Street , London.

SOLD BY ALL RESPECTABLE CHEMISTS.

r+-

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

To all Persons of Taste intending to Visit London.

M EC HI,

Of No. 4, LEADENHALL STREET, near Gracechurch Street, LONDON,

HAS LONG BEEN RENOWNED THROUGHOUT THE CIVILISED WORLD FOR

RAZORS, STROPS, CUTLERY IN GENERAL,

NEEDLES, DRESSING-CASES, WORK-BOXES, TEA-TRAYS, AND PAPIER
MACHE IN ALL ITS VARIOUS APPLICATIONS,

AS WELL AS EVERY REQUISITE FOR THE TOILET AND WORK-TABLE.

His well-known Emporium has been re-decorated in a style suitable to the improved
spirit of the age, and has received an accession of Stock calculated to meet the extraordi¬
nary demand which he anticipates. Among the sights of London, none are more in¬
teresting and extraordinary than its shops, and for a combination of taste and elegance,
there is not one more conspicuous than Mechi’s. Those who wish to see the Manufac¬
tures of England displayed in the most attractive manner must not omit to visit
Mechi’s, where they will find an abundance of objects adapted to the requirements of
every class of purchasers. Catalogues will be furnished gratis, or sent to any address
in England, post free.

4, LEADENHALL STREET, NEAR THE INDIA HOUSE.

THE LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANK

Issues Circular Notes of £10 each,

FOR THE USE OF TRAVELLERS AND RESIDENTS ON THE CONTINENT.

They are payable at every important place in Europe, and enable a Traveller to vary
his route without inconvenience. No expense is incurred, and when cashed, no charge
is made for commission. They may be obtained at the head office of the London and
Westminster Bank, in Lothbury ; or of its branches, viz. :— 1 , St. James’s-square, 214 ,
High Holborn, 3 , Wellington-street, Borough, 87 , High-street, Whitechapel, and 4 ,
Stratford-place, Oxford-street. J. W. GILBART, General Manager.

ROME.

J. P. SHEAS

ENGLISH HOUSE-AGENCY OFFICES/

14 AND 15, PIAZZA DE SPAGNA.

The only practical establishment of the kind ever known here,
where the comforts and requirements of a family are thoroughly
understood, and the interest of employers properly attended to.

The undeniable improvement which J. P. S. has in a short
time effected in the system of House Letting, and the satisfaction
expressed by those who have patronised him, will, he hopes,
recommend him to Visitors requiring large or small Furnished
Apartments.

Experience enables J. P. S. to hold himself responsible for the
correct execution of any commission sent by letter, wherein
requirements are properly specified.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER

UNION BANK OF LONDON.

SIR PETER LAURIE, Alderman, Governor.
WILLIAM MOUNTFORD NURSE, Esq., Deputy-Governor.

J. Barnes, Esq.

J. Farquhar, Esq.

P. North all Laurie, Esq.
C. Lyall, Esq.

J. Chapman, Esq.

H. Hulbert, Esq.

A. Boyd, Esq.

Lt.-Col. Matheson, M.P.

William Wilson Scrimgeour, General Manager.

J. Scott, Esq.

Leo Schuster, Esq.

Sir John Musgrove, Bart.
William S. Binny, Esq.

Walter Laurie, Secretary.

CIRCULAR NOTES.

CIRCULAR NOTES of the value of £10 and upwards, free of expense, and LETTERS
OF CREDIT payable at the places indicated below may be obtained at the Head Office,
2, Princes Street, Mansion House; Argyll Place; and 4, Pall Mall East.

Abbeville

Cambrai

Gotha

Middlebourg

San Francisco

Aix-en-Provence

Canada

Gottenbourg

Milan

San Sebastian

Aix-la-Chapelle

Canton

Gottingen

Modena

Santa Cruz

Alexandria

Cape Town

Graefenburg

Montpellier

Schwalback

Aleppo

Carlsbad

Granville

Montreal

Seville

Algiers

Carlsrulie

Grasse

Moreton Bay

Shaffhausen

Alicante

Cassel

Gratz

Moscow

Siena

Almeria

Catania

Grenada

Moulins

Singapore

Amiens

Cephalonia

Grenoble

Moulmein

Smyrna

Amsterdam

Cette

Halifax

Munich

Spa

Ancona

Ceylon

Hamburg

Munster

Stettin

Angers

Chalon

Hanover

Murcia

St. Galle

Antwerp

Chambery

Havre

Nancy

St. Malo

Archangel

Chaux de fends

Hague

Nantes

St. Omer

Athens

Cherbourg

Heidelburg

Naples

St. Petersburg

Augsbourg

Christiana

Hermanstadt

Neufchatel

St. Quentin

Avignon

Christiansand

Homburg es

New Orleans

St. Thomas

Avranches

Civit& Vecchia

monts

New York

Stockholm

Baden-Baden

Clermont Fer-

Hong Kong

Nice

Strasbourg

Bagdad

rand.

Innspmck

Nismes

Stuttgardt

Bagnferes cle Bi-

Coblenz

Interlaken

Nurembourg

Sydney

gorre

Cobourg

Jaffa

Odessa

Tarbes

Bahia

C'oire

J erusalem

Oleron

Teneriffe

Barcelona

Cologne

Kissengen

Oporto

Toplitz

Basle

Constance

Konigsberg

Orleans

Toronto

Bayonne

Constantinople

Lausanne

Ostend

Toulon

Beirout

Copenhagen

Leghorn

Palermo

Toulouse

Bergen

Cordova

Leipsic

Paris

Tours

Berlin

Corfu

Liege

Parma

Treves

Beme

Corunna

Lille

Patras

Trieste

Besangon

Creuznach

Lisbon

Pau

Turin

Bilbao

Damascus

Locle

Perpignan

Utrecht

Blois

Dantzic

L’Orient

Pestli

Valenciennes

Bologna

Darmstadt

Lubeck

Pisa

Valencia

Bombay

Delhi

Lucca

Port St. Mary

Venice

Bonn

Dieppe

Lucerne

Prague

Verona

Bordeaux

Dijon

Lyons

Presbourg

Vevey

Botzen

Dresden

Madeira

Quebec

Vienna

Boulogne

Drontheim

Madras

Rastadt

Vigo

Bremen

Dunkirk

Madrid

Ratisbonne

Vitoria

Breslau

Dusseldorf

Magdebourg

Rennes

Warsaw

Bruges

Elberfeld

Malaga

Rheims

Weimar

Briinn

Elsinore

Malta

Riga

Wiesbaden

Brunswick

Emms

Mannheim

Rio de Janeiro

Wildbad

Brussels

Florence

Mantua

Rome

Worms

Burgos

Foix

Marlenbad

Rostock

Wurzbourg

Cadiz

Francfort

Marseilles

Rotterdam

Yverdon

Caen

Geneva

Mauritius

Rouen

Zante

Cairo

Genoa

Mayence

Salamanca

Zaragosa

Calais

Ghent

Melbourne

Salzburg

Zurich.

Calcutta

Gibraltar

Messina

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

BRUSSELS.

—♦—

CARRIAGES AND HORSES.

T. SUFFELL

Respectfully informs British and American
Travellers they can always obtain a choice of

EXCELLENT VEHICLES,

GOOD SADDLE HORSES,

TO CONVEY PARTIES

TO AND FROM WATERLOO.

At very reasonable prices.

For Carriages by the day, half day, or
hour, apply to T. SUFFELL, 12 , Rue do
Ravenstein, Montague de la Cour, on the
right hand side descending from the Place
Roy ale.

Carnages of every description for town use.
A pair of Horse Carriages for Waterloo,
20 fr.; Gig or Cab, 15 fr.; and a Saddle
Horse, 12 fr.

OCEAN PARCEL DELIVERY COMPANY,

4, AGAR STREET, STRAND.

(Opposite Charing Cross Hospital).

This Company has been formed with the view of supplying a cheap, rapid, and certain
Conveyance for Small Parcels, as well as large quantities of Goods, by the best esta¬
blished Steamers and Sailing Vessels, to all parts of the World. A fixed rate of Charge
(upon the same principle as that of the Railway Companies and Carriers) has been
adopted, thereby avoiding all trouble and expense of Bills of Lading, Customs Charges,
&c. Every one having Correspondents in India, Australia, Canada, the United States,
and California, must have felt the want of such a medium of communication; and it
shall be the constant effort of the Company to supply this great desideratum, directing
their attention to the three chief points—Rapidity, Certainty, and Cheapness. Arrange¬
ments have been made which insure every attention to the shipping and clearance of
parcels and goods by the various lines of Packets leaving Liverpool, Southampton, and
the Outports, as well as in London.

INSURANCES EFFECTED FR&E OF COMMISSION.

G. W. FIELD, Manager.

FOREIGN BOOKS.

— ♦ —

GERMAN, FRENCH, ITALIAN,
SPANISH, SWEDISH, DANISH,
and DUTCH

G RAM MARS,

DICTIONARIES, DIALOGUES,

and a choice stock of the
LITERATURE of the CONTINENT
is always to be found at

FRAKZ THIMM’S

FOREIGN LIBRARY,

3 , BROOK STREET, GROSVENOR SQ.
(Three doors from New Bond Street.)

Lately published,. s. d.

Ahn’s German Grammar . .30

,, Child’s German Book . . 3 0

,, French Grammar . . .30

,, Italian ,, . ..40

Soanish .. . . .40

ACR0MATIC MICROSCOPES

FOR TRAVELLERS,

NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BY MR. PRITCHARD,

( Author of A History of Animalcules,
living and fossil).

S. STRAKER

Supplies the above of the best quality,
and will be happy to forward, post free,
a new price-list of

Acromatic Microscopes, Micrometers,
Polarizing apparatus, Object-glasses,
and Eye-pieces.

162 , FLEET STREET, LONDON.

EFFERVESCING CITRATE

OF MAGNESIA.

- - —

This preparation is a mild and pleasant
aperient, and a valuable remedy in

Bilious and Stomach Complaints,
Gout, Heartburn, Sickness, &c.

From its portability (each bottle being
enclosed in a case) it will be found a most
valuable Medicine for

TRAVELLERS, TOURISTS, OFFICERS IN THE
ARMY AND NAVY, AND RESIDENTS IN
FOREIGN .COUNTRIES.

Prepared and sold by
DECASTRO, WATSON, and PALMER,

33 , WILTON PLACE, BELGRATE SQ., LONDON.

MURRAY’S HAND-BOOK ADVERTISER.

HILLMAN’S HOTEL,

BREMEN,

Is a magnificent establishment, built in
the year 1847 , and the best Hotel in
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ABERCROMBIE’S PHILOSOPHY OF THE MORAL FEELINGS.

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HEAD’S TOUR THROUGH THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS

OF ENGLAND. Post 8vo, 12s.

PEDESTRIAN WANDERINGS the PYRENEES. By T. C. Paris.

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DALMATIA & MONTENEGRO, By Sib J. G. Wilkinson. 2 vols. 8vo, 42$.
ETRURIA ; ITS CITIES AND CEMETERIES. By Chough Dennis. Plates.

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BUBBLES from the BRUNNEN of NASSAU. By An Old Man, !6mo, 5s.
THE MONASTERIES OF THE LEVANT. By Robert Curzon,

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HUNGARY & TRANSYLVANIA. By John Paget. 2 vols. Svo, 24$.
TRAVELS IN ASIA MINOR AND LYCIA, By Sir Charles Fellows,

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June, 1853.