CastlesandChateauxofOldTouraineandtheLoireCountry 10276554

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AN D T H E LO I RE C O U N T RY
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BY F R A N C I s I L T O U N
A u t h or o f R a m b l es i n N m an dy , ” “ Ram bl e s i n B f i t t any,
A
“
or
”
R a mb l e s o n t h e Ri v i e ra , e tc.
W i t /9 M a ny I llust r a t i ons
R ep r oduced f r om p a i n t i ng s ma de on Me sp ot
B Y Bi A N C H E M C M A N U S
B O S T O N
PA G E 85 CO M PA N Y
19 0 6
Copy r zg t , fi1 6 7 0
9
BY L . C . PA GE COM PANY
(I n corp orat e d)
ig/21 wa
‘
A ll
’
r s f es er
Firs t I mpres s i on , J une 1

90 6 ,
C OL ON I A L PR E S S
'
E l ect r oty ped a nd P r i n t ed éy C H . .
'
fiC
S z m onds é o.
B os t on , U S A . .
By W ay o f In t ro duc t ion
TH I S book is not t h e r e s ult of ordin a ry con

v en t i on al r a mbl e s o f sights e eing by day
,
an d ,
flying by night but ra th e r of l eis ure ly wa nd e r

,
ings f or a somewh at ext en de d p e riod a long

, ,
t h e b a nks of t h e Loire an d its tribut a ri e s an d

through t h e co untryside dotted with thos e
splendid monum ents of R enaiss ance a r ch i t e c
tur e which h ave p erh aps a mor e a pp e aling i n
fi
t e re s t for str an gers th an any oth e r simil a r
e di c e s wh er e v e r fo und .
B e for e this book wa s proj e cte d t h e conv en ,
t i on al tour of t h e ch at e au coun try h ad b een

”
don e B ae deke r Jo ann e an d J ame s s Bi t
, ,
’
t l e Tour i n h and On a n oth e r occ a sio n An

.
ge rs with its almost in conc eivably r e al ca s

,
t el l a t e d fortr e ss an d Nant e s with its m emori e s

, ,
” ”
of th e E dict and L a Duche ss e An n e “
,
h ad b een ta ste d an d dige st e d en r out e t o a ce r

t ain littl e a rtist s Vill age in Brittany
’
.
O n anoth er occa sion wh en we wer e h ead ed

,
due s o u th we ling e r e d f or a tim e in t h e upp e r

,
v i B y W ay of I nt roduct i on
v all ey b e twee n th e littl e It ali an city of N e

,
ve rs an d t h e most pictu r e sque spot i n t h e

“
world — L e Pu
y .
'
fi
B ut al l this l eft c ertain g r oun d t o b e coy
e r e d an d c e rt a in g aps to b e
,
l l ed tho ugh t h e ,
author s not e books w e r e num e ro u s an d full to

’
-
ove rflowing with mu ch comm ent an d t h e a r ,
t i s t s portfolio wa s alr ea dy b ulgi n g with it s

’
cont ents .
So mor e n ot e books wer e bought and fol

-
, ,
lowing th e geni al M a rk Twain s advice an ’

,
oth e r fount ain p en an d mor e cr ayon s an d
fi
sk etch books and t h e author and a rtist s et out
-
in t h e b eg m nm g of a wa rm S eptemb e r to ll
thos e gaps an d to r educe if possible tha t s e rie s
, ,
of r ambl e s along t h e n e w fla t an d n ow rolli n g
b anks of t h e bro a d blue Loir e to som ething

like cons ecutiven e ss an d uniformity ; with what
r e sult the r eade r may j udge .
Con t e n t s
CH A
P TE R PA G E
BY W AY OF I N T RO D U C TI ON
1 A GEN ERAL S U RVE Y
.
TH E ORL EA N N A I S
T HE BL A I SO I S AND T HE SO L O GN E
C H A MB O D
C HE VER NY B E A U R E GARD AND C H A U MO NT
, ,
TO URA I N E T HE GARD EN S PO T OF F RAN C E

:
A M BOI S E
C HE N ON C E A UX
Lo c H E s
TO URS AND A B O U T T HE R E
Lu Y AND LANG E A I S
NEs
A zA Y -
R I D E A U U E AND C H I N O N
LE -
, ss ,
A N O U AND B R E TAGN E
'
SO U T H OF T HE LO I R E
B RRY AND GE O RG E S D C O UNTRY
E AN
’
s
T HE UPP E R LOI R E
IN D EX
Lis t o f Illus t ra t ion s
A PE ASANT GI R L OF T O U RA I N E F r on tzsp zec e

I T I N E RARY OF T HE LO I R E ( MAP) f aci n g
A LA C E M A KE R OF T HE UPP E R L O I R E
-
f ac i n g 4 "
T HE LO I R E CH ATE A U X (MAP) 9
T HE A N CI E NT PR O VI N C E S OF TH L O I R E E VA L
L E Y AND T HEI R CAPI TA L S (MAP)
T HE L O I R E N E AR LA C H AR I TE
C O I FF E S OF AM B OI S E AND ORL E ANS
T HE C H AT E A U X O F T HE L O I R E (MAP)
ENV I R O NS OF O R L E ANS (MAP)
T HE L OI R E T
T HE L O I R E AT M EU NG
B E A U GEN GY
R S
A M OF T HE C I TY O F BL O IS
T HE RI VE RSI D E AT BL O I S
S I GNAT U R E OF F RAN CO IS PR E MI E R
CYPHE R O F A NN E D E B R E TAGN E AT BL O IS ,
A R M S OF L O U I S XI I .
C ENTRA L DOO RW AY C H AT E A U D E BL O I S
,
T HE C H AT E A U OF BL O I S (D I AGRA M)
):
CYPHE R OF F RANCOIS PR E MI E R AND C L A UD E OF

F RAN C E AT BL OI S
,
N AT I V E T YPE S I N T HE SO L O GN E
DO N O N OF M O NTR IC H ARD
J
A M S OF F
R R AN g PRE MI E R AT C H A M B O RD
OI S ,
PL AN OF C H AT E A U D E C H A M B O RD
CH AT E A U D E C H A M B O RD
x Lis t of I l l us t rat i ons
C H AT E A U D E C HE VE NY R
C HE VE R N Y S U R L OI R E
C H A UM O NT f i ac n g
S I GNAT U R OF D I AN E D E P O I T I E R S
E
T HE L OI R E I N T O U RA IN E f i ac n g
T HE V I NTAG E I N T O U RA I N E f i ac n g
C H AT E A U D A M B OI S E ’
f i ac n g
S C U L PT U R E F R O M C H APE LL E D E S T H U B ERT f i
TH E . ac n g
CYPHE R OF A NN E D E B R E TAGN E H OTEL D E ,
V ILL E AM B O I S E
,
C H AT E A U D E C HEN O N C E A UX
C H AT E A U D E C HE N O N C E A UX (DI AGRA M)
L O CHE S
L O C HE S AND I C HU R C H TS
S KE T C H PL AN OF L O C HE S
S T OU RS L O C HE S
.
, f i ac n g
TO U RS f i ac n g 2 02
‘
s
A R M S OF T HE PR I NT E RS A VO CA TS AND I N N , ,
KEE PE RS T O U RS ,
S C E N E I N T HE Q U ART I E R D E L A C H ED AT RALE ,
TO U RS f i ac n g
PL E SS I S -
LE STO U RS I N T HE T IM E OF LO U I S XI
-
.
E N R O NS OF T OU RS (MAP)
VI
A VI N E YARD V O U VRAY f i g
‘
OE ac n
M E DI VA L S TA I RW AY AND T HE C H AT E A U D E
E
LU YN E S f i ac n g
R U I NS OF C I N Q —MARS f i ac n g
C H AT E A U D E LANG EA I S f i ac n g
A R M S OF L O U I S XI I AND A NN E D E B R E TAGN E
.
C H AT E A U D A Y ’
RI D E A U
ZA -
LE - f i ac n g
C H AT E A U D USS E ’
f i ac n g
T HE ROOF T O PS O F C H IN O N
-
f i ac n g
RAB E L A IS
C H AT E A U D E C H I NO N
C UI S I N E S F O NT EVRA UL T
,
Li s t of I ll us t rat i ons
C H AT E A U D E S A U M U R
THE P ONTS D E CE
C H AT E A U D A NG E R S
’
E NVI R O NS OF N ANT E S (M ) AP
DO N ON OF T HE C H AT E A U D E C LI SS O N
J
B E RRY (MAP)
LA T O U R SAN CE RR E
,
C H AT E A U D E GI E N
C H AT E A U D E V c YAL EN A
GAT E W AY OF M EHU N UR Y S J E VRE
LE C DO R E R O M O RANT I N
A R R I OR ,
EG LI S E S A I GNAN C O SN E
.
,
PO U ILL Y S U R L O I R E
- -
P O RT E D U CR O UX N E VE R S ,
Ca s t le s an d Cha t e a ux
o f Old Toura in e
an d t he Lo ire Co un t ry
CHAPTE R I .
A GE N ERAL S U RVE Y
AN Y a ccoun t of t h e Loir e and of th e town s

along i t s b anks mu st n atu r ally h av e for its
chi ef mention To ur aine an d t h e long line of

S pl endid feud al and R enaiss an ce chat eaux
which r efl ect thems elve s so glorio usly i n its
current .
Th e Loir e poss ess e s a c ert ain fa scin atio n

an d ch a rm which m any oth e r mor e comme r
ci ally gr ea t riv e rs e ntir ely l a ck an d whil e t h e

, ,
e l em e nt of absolu t e nov elty c ann ot p e rforc e
b e cl aim e d for it it h as t h e m e rit of app eal

,
ing l a rgely to t h e love r of t h e rom antic and

t h e p ictur e squ e.
2 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
A Fr en ch write r of a hundr e d ye a rs ag o de di
cat ed his work on To ur ain e to L e B a ron de i
L angeais l e Vicomte de B eaumo nt l e M a rquis

, ,
de B e au r ega rd l e Comt e de Font en aill e s l e

, ,
Comt e de J ouf f r oy Gon s ans l o Duc de Luyn e s

-
, ,
l e Comt e de Vouvr ay l e Comt e de Vill en euve

, ,
e t a la ; an d h e might h av e continue d with a
dir e ctory of al l th e de sc en d ants of t h e n obl es s e

of an e a rli e r ag e
.
for h e aft erwa rd group ed
,
th em und er t h e gen eral c at egory of P r op ri e

t atr es des f or t r es s es et ch dt eaux l es p lus re
m a r qua bl eS — au p oi n t de v ue hi s t ori que ou
a r chi t ect ur al .
H e wa s fortun a t e i n b eing a bl e , as he s aid ,
to h av e h ad cce ss to th eir
a p ap i er s de f a
”
mill e , th eir souvenirs and to h ave b een abl e
,
to inte rrogat e th em in p e rson .
Most Of his fa cts an d his gossip con c erning
fi
t h e p e rs on aliti e s of t h e l at e r g en era tions of
th os e who inh abite d th e s e m agni cent e st ab
li s h m ent s h av e come down t o u s through l at e r
write rs an d it is fortunat e th a t this S ho uld b e
,
t h e c a s e S inc e t h e pr e s en t day a sp e ct of t h e
,
-
ch at eaux is ev er ch angi ng an d on e who V iews ,
th em to d ay is ch agrin e d wh en h e discovers ,
f or inst ance th a t an iron tru ss e d r ed til e d

,
-
,
-
wa sh —hous e h a s b e en b uilt on t h e b anks of t h e

Cosson b efor e t h e m a gni c ent chat eau of fi
4 Old T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
s am e va rying conditions a s we a dvance a hun

dred kilometr e s i n eith e r dir ection .
Tours for exampl e st a nds for al l th a t is

, ,
typic al of t h e s unny south Prun e and p alm .
tr e e s thrust th ems elve s forwa rd in strong con

tr as t to t h e cide r appl e s of t h e lowe r S eine
-
.
B elow Tou rs on e is a lmost at t h e coa st an d

w
,
’
t h e t a bl es d hé t e ar e ab und an tly s uppli ed ith
s e a food Of a l l sorts
-
Abov e Tours t h e Or
.
l éann ai s is typ ic a l Of a c ert ai n w ell to do ma t - -
fi
t er of fa ct exist ence neith e r ve ry luxu rious
- -
nor ve ry dif cult .
N eve rs i s an oth er st ep an d r e s embl e s some

wha t t h e opul ence of B urgundy a s to condi
tion s of life tho ugh t h e g ener a l a sp e ct of t h e
,
city a s well a s a gr ea t p a rt Of its history is

, ,
It ali an through an d through .
Th e l a st gr eat st e p b egins at L e Puy i n t h e ,
gr ea t volc anic Mas s i f Ceut r al e wh er e condi ,
tions of life if prosp e rou s a r e at l ea st h ard e r

, ,
th a n els ewh e r e .
S uch a r e t h e va ryi ng ch ar a ct e ristics of th e

town s an d citi e s thro ugh which t h e Loir e flows .
Th ey run t h e whol e gamut from g ay to ea rne st

an d sol emn ; from t h e e a s e an d comfort of
t h e country a ro und Tours almost s ub tropic al ,
-
in its softne ss to t h e g rime and smok e Of bu sy

,
A G eneral S urvey 5
St . E ti enne ,
an d the chillin e ss an d rigours of
a mountain wint e r at L e Puy .
Th e s e districts a r e al l ve ry full of m emori e s

of events which h av e h elp ed t o b uild up t h e
solida rity of Fr ance of to d ay, though t h e

Nant o is still prou dly procla ims hi ms elf a
Br e ton a n d t h e T our angeau will t ell y ou tha t
,
hi s is t h e tong ue a bove al l oth e rs whi ch

, ,
sp eaks t h e pur e st Fr ench and s o on through

,
t h e whol e cat egory e ach an d eve ry citiz en of

,
a p e t i t p ay s living up to his tr a ditions to t h e
full e st extent possibl e .
In no oth e r j ou rney in Fr an ce of a simil ar ,
l ength will on e s e e a s many varyin g contra sts

,
in conditions of life a s h e will along t h e l ength

of t h e Loire t h e br oad sh allow riv e r which
, ,
St M artin Ch arl es Martel an d Louis XL

fi
.
, , ,
t h e typ ical gur e s of church a rms an d st at e , , ,
came t o know s o well .
Du B ell ay a po e t Of t h e R en aiss an c e h as
'
, ,
s ung t h e pr ais es of t h e Loire in a manne r un

a ppro a ch e d by any oth e r topogr a phic al po e t
,
if on e m ay S O c all him for th at is wh at h e,
r eally was in this p articul a r in st ance .
Th e re is a gr eat deal of p at ri otism i n it al l ,
t oo an d ce rt ainly n o S wee t S in ge r of t h e
,
pr e s ent day h as even appro a ched th e s e lines ,

which ar e eulogistic without b eing fulsom e

an d fe rv e nt witho u t b eing lu rid .
Th e v e rs e s h av e fr eq uently b een re nd er ed
int o E nglish but t h e following I s a s good a s
,
any , and b ett e r th an most tr a nsl atio n s tho u gh ,
it is one of thos e fr agm ents of n ewsp ap e r
vers e whos e authors ar e lost i n obscurity .
Mi g h ti er t o m e t h e h ous e m y f th
a er s ma d e,
Th an y ou r au d aci ous h e ads , 0 H all s of Rome I

More th i mm t l m b l u d y d
an or a ar es n ec a e ,
Th th i e d l t th t
n sa up m y h om
s a es a cov er e ;
M oreth y u Ti b i my L i t m
an o r er s o re o e,
M or P l ti e m y l i ttl Ly e t h
a a ne e r er e
A dm
n th ll t h wi d f ll t h a
or e an a e n s O a e se ,
Th q ui t k i d
e f th A g i n i
e n
”
n ess o e n ev a r.
In history t h e Loir e vall ey is rich in d eed ,
from t h e d ays of t h e anci ent Co unts Of Tou

r aine t o thos e of M az arin wh o h eld fo r th at ,
Neve rs . Tou raine h a s well b een c all ed t h e

hea rt of t h e old Fr en ch mon a rchy .
Provin ci al F r ance h a s a ch a rm nev e r kn own

t o P a ris dwell e rs
-
B alz a c an d Fl aub ert w er e
provinci a ls and D um a s wa s a city—dw
.
,
ell e r ,
an d th e r e li e s t h e di f fe renc e b e twe e n th em .
B alz a c h a s writt en most ch a rmingly of Tou

r a ine in m a ny Of his books in L e Lys d an s ,
l a Vall ée an d L e Cu r é de To urs in p ar
t i cul ar ; not always in complim ent a ry t e rms ,
A General S urv ey 7 .
eithe r for h e h a s s aid th at th e Tour an g eaux

,
will not even inconveni en ce thems elv e s to go

in s ea rch of pl ea s ure This do e s n ot b e sp eak
’
indol enc e s o mu ch a s philosophy S O most of ,
u s will not c avil G e orge S and s country li e s ’

.
a littl e to t h e so u thw a rd of To u r a in e an d ,
B e rry t oo as t h e author e ss he rs elf h a s s aid

, , ,
h a s a clim at e s oup l e et ch aud av ec p lut e ,

”
a bon dan t e t c ou r t e .
Th e rchit ectur al r em ains i n t h e Loir e v al

a
l ey ar e e xce edingly rich an d v a ri ed Th e f eu .
dal syst e m is illu stra t e d at its b e st i n t h e gr e at

wall ed chat e au a t An gers t h e still inh abit ed ,
an d l e ss gr and ch ate au at L an geais t h e r uins ,
a t Cin q M ars an d t h e v e ry sc an ty r em ain s of

-
Pl e ssis —l es Tours -
.
fi
Th e e ccl es i a stical r em ain s a r e quit e a s gr eat .
Th e church e s a r e m any of them , of t h e rst

,
fi
ra nk and t h e gre at c athedr als at N ant e s An
, ,
gers To urs an d O rl eans ar e m agni cent ex

, ,
ampl e s of t h e chu rch b uild ers ar t in t h e mid

’
-
fi
dl e ages an d ar e en titl ed t o r ank amo ng t h e
,
gr ea t ca th edr als if n ot a ctually of t h e rst

,
cl a ss .
With modern civic and oth er public b uild

ings t h e ca s e is not f ar di ff er ent To urs h a s
,
.
a gorge o u s H O t el de Vill e its a rchit e ctur e b e ,
i ng of t h e m ost luxuri an t of mod e rn Fr en ch

R enaiss ance whil e t h e r ailway s t a tions even

, , ,
at both To u rs an d O rl eans ar e mod els of wh a t ,
railway s t ation s sho uld b e, and i n a dditio n a r e

dec or ative ly b eautiful i n th eir appointments
a n d a rr ang em en ts which most r ailway s t a
,
tions ar e not .
Altogeth e r throughout th e L oir e vall ey

,
th e r e is an ai r of prosp erity which i n a mor e

vigoro u s clim a t e is Oft en l a cking This i n .
spit e Of t h e all eg ed t en dency in wha t is com

mouly kn own a s a rel axing climat e towa rd
l ai s s er -
a ll er .
pictur e sque l an dsc ap e of t h e

F i n all y , t h e
“
Loir e is s om ething quit e di ff er ent from t h e

h ard er gr ayer o utlin e s Of t h e n orth All is of
,
.
fi
t h e so uth wa rm an d ru ddy an d t h e w ood ed
, ,
b anks not only r e n e t h e cruditi e s Of a flat

shore line but form a screen or b a rri e r to t h e
-
flow ering ch a rms Of t h e ex ampl e s of R enais

s anc e a rchit ectur e which in T our ain e at l e a st
, , ,
a r e a s thick a s l eav e s in V all ambros a .
St arting at Gien t h e v all ey of t h e Loire b e

,
gins t o offe r thos e mo num ent al ch at eaux which

h ave m a d e its fame a s t h e l a nd Of ca stl e s .
From t h e ol d fortr e ss ch ate au of Gi en to t h e

-
Chate au de Clisson or t h e Lo gi s de l a D uch e ss e

,
Anne a t Na nte s is on e long s ucc es sio n of florid

,
ma st e rpi e ce s not to b e equall e d els ewh e r e

,
.
1
p e rh aps with t h e Orl éann ai s , a r e a va st numb e r

of r eligiou s monum ents e qually c el ebra t e d .
F or inst anc e t h e church of St B en oit s ur

, “
-
Loir e is On e Of t h e most import a nt Rom an

e squ e chu rch e s in all Fr anc e a n d t h e c a th e dr a l ,
”
of St G ati en with its
.
,
b ej ewell e d faca de ,
w
‘
a t T o rs
u t h e ,
t i spire d St M auric e a t A n
n — .
fi
ge rs an d even t h e pompous an d not v ery good
, ,
Gothic e di ce at O rl eans (e sp eci ally note

,
worthy b e caus e its cryp t is a n a nci ent work

a nt e rior to t h e C ap eti an dyn a sty ) a r e al l won
der f ull y int e r e sting an d i mposing ex ampl e s of

m e diaeval e ccl e si a stical a rchit ectur e .
Thr ee gr eat tribut a ri e s ent e r t h e Loir e b elow
fi
Tours t h e Che r t h e In dr e an d t h e Vi enn e
, , ,
.
Th e rst h as for its chi ef a ttr a ctions t h e R e

n aiss ance chat eaux St Aign a n a n d Ch en on .
c eaux th e Roman rem ain s of Ch abris Thez ee

, ,
an d L ar ca y t h e Rom ane sque church e s of

,
S ell e s and St Aignan and t h e feud al do nj o n

-
.
,
of Mo n trich a rd Th e In dr e poss e ss e s t h e ch A
.
t eau of Aza y l e Rideau an d th e sombr e for

— -
tr e ss e s of Montb azon and Loch e s ; whil e t h e

Vi enn e d ep ends for its chi ef int er e st upon t h e
gal axy of fortr e ss chat eaux at Chinon -
.
Th e Loire is a mighty riv e r an d is n avigabl e

f or n e arly nine hundr e d kilom etr e s Of its
l ength almost to L e Puy or to b e exa ct to
, , , ,
1
th e littl e town of Vor ey i n th e D ep artm ent of
t h e H aut e Loir e .
At O rl eans Blois or Tours on e h ardly r eal

, ,
iz e s this much l ess at Nev e rs Th e rive r a p

, .
p e a rs t o b e a gr eat tr anquil d ocil e str eam

, , ,
with sca rce enough wa t e r in its b ed to m ake

a r e sp e ct abl e curr ent l e aving its b e ds a n d b a rs
,
Of s a bl e an d cai l l oux b a r e to t h e sky .
Th e sc a rcity Of w at e r exc ept at occ a sion al

,
fi
flood is t h e prin cip al a n d Obvio u s r ea son for
,
t h e abs ence of wa t e r born e tr af c ev en tho ugh

-
a p a t e rn al minist e ri al d ep a rtm e nt of t h e gov
er nment c alls t h e riv e r n avig abl e .
At t h e tim e s of t h e g r an des cr u es th er e ar e
four m etr e s or mor e regist er e d on t h e big sc al e
at t h e Pont d A n ceni s whil e at oth e r tim e s it
’
,
falls to l ess than a m etr e and wh en it do e s

‘
th er e is a m er e rivul et of w at e r which trickl e s

through t h e bro a d rive r bottom at Ch aum on t -
or Blois or O rl eans B elow Anc enis n avig a

fi
.
,
tion is not s o dif cult but t h e curr ent is mor e

,
strong .
From Blois to Ange rs on t h e right b ank , ,
ext e nds a lo n g dik e which c a rri e s t h e ro a dway
b e side th e r ive r f or a coupl e Of hundr e d kilo

metr e s This is on e of t h e cha rms of travel
.
fi
by th e Loir e Th e only thing u s u ally s een on
.
t h e bosom of t h e rive r s av e an occa sio n al s h

,
1
ing p unt is on e Of thos e gr eat flat bottom e d

,
-
fe rry bo ats with a squar e s ail hung on a ya rd

-
amidshi ps s u ch a s T urne r alway s m ade an

,
fi
a ccompa nim ent to his Loir e pictur e s f or con ,
di t i on s of traf c on t h e rive r h av e n ot grea tly

ch ang e d .
fi fi
Wh eneve r one s ee s a b arge or a bo a t worthy
of cl a ssi ca tion with thos e on e nds on t h e
rive rs of t h e ea st or n orth or on t h e gr e a t ,
c an als it is only about a qua rter of t h e u s ual

,
.
S iz e ; s o i n spit e of its g r e a t n av igabl e l eng th

, ,
t h e wat er w ay of t h e Loir e is t o b e consid er e d

mor e a s a pictu r e sque an d h e althful el em ent
of t h e la n dscap e than a s a commerci al prop
os i t i on .
fi
Wh er e t h e gr e at can als j oin t h e riv e r at Or
l eans a n d fr om Ch atillon to Ro ann e t h e t r a c
, ,
incr e a s e s though mor e is ca rri e d by t h e can al

,
bo ats on t h e Cana l L a t e r a l th an by t h e ba rg e s
on t h e Loir e .
It is only on t h e Loir e b e tween Ange rs and
fi
Na nt e s th a t th e r e is any s embl ance of river
t r af c s u ch a s on e s e e s on most of t h e oth e r
gr ea t wa t er w ays of E ur op e Th er e is a con
fi
.
s i derab l e tr af c t oo which d e sc ends t h e M a in e

, , ,
p a rticul arly from Ange rs downwa rd for A n ,
g ers with its It ali an S ki e s is u s ually tho ught

of ,
an d r e ally is to b e consid e r e d a s a Loir e ,
3
town though it is a ctually on t h e b anks of t h e

,
Maine S om e mil es from t h e Loir e its elf .
On e tho us an d or m or e b at ea ux m ake t h e a s
cent to Angers from t h e Loir e at L a P oin te
e a ch y ea r al l l a den with a misc e ll an e o u s ca rgo
,
fi
of m erch andis e Th e S arthe and t h e Loir also
.
bring a n ot abl e ag ricultur a l tr af c to th e

gre at er L oir e and t h e sm all e r confluent s t h e
, ,
Dive t h e Thoue t t h e Authio u an d t h e L ayon

, , , ,
al l go to sw ell t h e p a r ent str e am until wh en ,
it r ea ch e s Nant es t h e Loir e h as at l a st t aken

,
on s om e thing of t h e a sp ect of a w e ll ord e re d -
a n d u s e ful str e am , ch a r a ct e ristics which abov e
N ant e s ar e p ainfully l a cking B e c au s e Of its .
l a ck of comm erce th e L oir e is in a c ert ain way

,
fi
t h e most nobl e ma gni cen t an d a ristocra tic ,
rive r of Fr an c e ; an d s o t oo it is a lso in r e
, ,
sp ect to its a ss oci a tions of t h e p a st .
It h a s n ot t h e gr andeur of t h e Rh One wh en
t h e spring fr e sh ets from t h e Jur a an d t h e
fi
Swiss l ake s h av e l l ed it to its b anks ; it h a s
n ot t h e b urning activity of t h e S eine a s it b e a rs
its thou s an ds of bo at lo a ds of produce an d

~
me rch andis e to a n d from th e P a ris m a rk et ;

it h a s not th e pr ettine ss of t h e Th am e s nor ,
t h e l e gen d a ry a s pect of t h e Rhin e ; but in a

way it combin es som ething of t h e f ea tur e s Of
all a n d h a s i n a ddition a to n e th at is al l its
, , ,
1
o wn a s it sw eeps a long through its cou ntle ss

,
mil e s Of ample curve s an d holds within its ,
embr ac e al l th at is b est of m e di aev a l an d R e
n aissa n c e Fr anc e t h e p eriod which b uilt up

,
t h e l a t e r mon archy an d wh o sh all n ot s ay t h e

.
, ,
pre s ent prosp e rou s r epublic .
Throughout mos t of t h e river s cours e on e ’

,
s ee s str etching t o t h e horizon r ow upon r ow

, ,
of st ak e d vin eya rds with fruit an d l e av e s i n
luxuri ant a bund an ce an d Of all r ainbow col

ou rs .Th e p ea s ant h er e t h e worke r i n t h e
,
V ineya rds is a pictur e sque el em en t H e is n ot

,
.
p articul arly brilli ant in colourin g but h e is ,
u s u ally j oyo us a n d h e inv a ri ably liv e s in a

,
w ell k ept an d brilli antly env i r on ed h abit ation

- -
an d h a s an ai r of c on t en t a n d prosp e rity amid
t h e well b elov ed tr e a s ur es of his hou s ehold

-
.
Th e Loir e is e ss enti ally a riv e r of oth e r
fi
d ays Trul y a s Mr J am es h as sa id
.
,
. It is-
,
“
t h e ve ry mod el of a g en e rou s b en e cent ,
str eam a wide riv e r which y ou m ay fol

”
low by a wide ro ad is excell ent comp any .
Th e Fren chm an hims elf is mor e flowe ry
fi
’ ‘
C l a p lus n obl e ri v i er e de F r an ce
es t . S on
”
dom ai n e es t i mm en s e et m ag n i que .
Th eLoir e is t h e lo nge st riv e r i n Fr anc e an d ,
t h e only on e of t h e fou r gr ea t riv ers whos e

b a sin or wat ersh ed li e s wholly within Fr ench
A G eneral S urve y 1
5
TH E A N CI EN T
PROVI N CES OF THE
L OI RE VA LLEY
A N D TH EI R
CAPI TA LS
B ret agne t Renn es

A n jou An gers
Tourain e Tours
Orl éannai s Orl ean s
B erry B ourges
N iv ern ai s N ev ers
B ourbonn ai s M ouli n s
Ly on n ai s Lyon
B ourgogn e Di jon
Auv ergne Clermont Ferrand
-
Languedoc Toulous e
1
fi
t e rritory It mor e ove r trav er s e s el even prov
.
-
i n ces
. It ris e s i n a ss ure of gr anit e rock at
t h e foot Of t h e G erbi e r—de Jonc a vo l c an ic cone -
in t h e mo unt ains Of t h e Vivar ais a hundr ed ,
kilome tr e s or mor e south of Lyons In thr ee .
kilom etr e s approxima t ely two mil e s t h e littl e

, ,
torr ent drops a tho us and fe et a ft e r r ec eivin g ,
to its a rms a tiny affluen t coming from t h e

Croix de Mont eu s e .
For twelve kilom etr e s th e river twists and
fi
turns a round t h e b a s e of t h e Viva rais mo un
t ai ns an d n ally ent e rs a gorge b etw ee n t h e
,
fi
rocks a nd mingl e s with t h e w at e rs of t h e littl e
,
L a c d I s s arl es ent e ring for t h e rst tim e a

’
,
flat lo wl and pl ain like th at through which its

'
cours e mostly run s .
Th e monum ent crown e d pi nn a cl e s of L e Puy

-
a n d t h e I nv ert e d bowl of Puy —de —DO m e ris e high

abov e t h e pl ai n an d point t h e way to Ro a nn e ,
wh er e s uch a ctivity a s do e s a ctually t ake pl a ce
fi
upo n t h e Loir e b e gins .
Navig a tion cl a ss e d Of cia lly a s

, flot t abl e
fi
m e r ely h a s alr ea dy b egun at Vor ey j ust b e
fi
, ,
l ow L e Puy but t h e tr af c I S I n S I g ni cant

,
.
M e antim e th e str eam s coming from t h e di

r e ction of St E ti enn e an d Lyo n s h ave b een
.
a dd e d t o t h e Loir e but they do n ot mu ch ,
incr ea s e its bulk St Galmi e r t h e s our ce d ea r

. .
,
1
S an cerr e Gi en a n d Cosne follow i n quick s uc

, ,
ce ssion all reminde rs of a historic p ast as vivid

,
a s it wa s v a ri e d .
From t h e h eights of S ancerr e on e s ee s a

wo n de rful histo ry m aking p anora m a b efor e -
him . C aes a r cross ed th e Loire at Gi en t h e ,
fi
Fr anks forde d t h e riv e r at L a Ch arité wh en ,
they rst w ent against Aquit ain e an d Charl e s ,
t h e B ald c am e s adl y t o gri ef on a c e rt ain

occa sion a t Pouilly .
It is h e r e tha t t h e Loir e ris e s to its gr eat e st
fi
flood an dn undr e ds of tim es s o history t ells
, , ,
from 4 9 0 to 1 866 t h e ckl e riv e r h a s c au s ed

,
a dev a st a tio n so gr eat an d t e rribl e th at t h e

m emor y Of it is n ot y et d ea d .
This ha rdly s eems possibl e of this u sually

tra nquil str eam an d the r e h ave always b een ,
sco f fe rs .
M a dam e de S evigne wrot e i n 1 6 75 to M de .
Coul ange s (but in h er ca s e p e rh aps it wa s m ere

well wishing )
-
L a bel l e L oi r e e ll e es t un p eu
, ,
j debor cl er, mai s p lus

’
s u et t e a se el l e en es t
”
douce .
Anci ent writ er s wer e wo nt to con sid e r th e -
inund a tions of th e L Oi r e a s a punishm ent f rom -
H e aven an d even in l at er tim e s th e s up er s t i

,
tion if it wa s a sup erstition still rem ai ned .
In 1825 wh en thous an ds of ch arco al b urners

,
-
A G eneral S urv ey 1
9
(ch a r bonn i er s ) w e r e a l l b ut ruin e d th ey p eti ,
fi
t i on e d t h e gov e rnm ent for a ssist an c e Th e .
O f ci al wh o h a d t h e matt er i n cha rge and whos e ,
n am e fortuna t ely for his fam e — doe s not _
app e a r to h av e b een r e cord e d r epli e d simply ,
th at th e flood wa s a p eriodical condition of

a ffa irs which t h e Almighty bro ught abo u t a s
occ asion demanded with goo d cau s e and for

, ,
this re ason h e r e fu s ed all a ssist ance .
Imp ort ant public works h av e done much to

pr ev ent r ep etitions of th e s e inundations but ,
t h e da n g e r still exists an d always i n a wet

, ,
s ea son ther e are thos e dwell ers a long t h e riv

,
e r s b an ks wh o fe a r t h e risin g flood a s th ey
’
woul d t h e pl ague .
Chatillon with its towers ; Gi en a busy hi ve

, ,
of industry though with a historic p a st ; S ully ;

,
an d St B en oit s ur L oi re with its unique do ubl e

.
- -
t ran s ep t ed church ; al l p a ss in r apid r ev i ew ,
an d on e ent e rs t h e an ci ent c apit a l of t h e Or
l éann ai s quit e r e a dy for t h e n ew ch apt e r which ,
in colouring is to b e so di f fer ent from tha t

,
d evot ed to t h e upp e r v alley .
From O rl eans south one p a ss e s through a

, ,
verit able wond erl and of fa scin ating ch a rms .
Ch at eaux mona st eri e s a nd gr ea t civic an d

, ,
e ccl e si a stic al monum ents p a ss quickly i n t ur n .
Then com e s To ur aine which al l love th e ,

riv e r m ean time having gr own no mor e swift

or a mpl e n or any mor e sluggish or a tt e nu a t e d
,
.
It is sim ply t h e s ame ch a r a ct eristic flow which

on e h a s known b e for e .
Th e l andsc ap e only is ch anging whil e t h e ,
fruits an d flowe rs an d t h e tr ee s a n d foliag e

,
ar e mor e luxu ri a nt an d t h e gr e a t ch é
i t e aux ar e
‘
mor e num ero u s spl en did a n d imp osing

, , .
O f his well b eloved To u raine B alz a c wrot e

-
DO n ot a s k m e why I lov e To ur ai ne ; I lov e

it n ot m e r ely a s on e love s th e cr a dl e of his
birth n or a s on e love s an o a sis i n a d es e rt
, ; ,
”
but a s an a rtist l ove s his ar t .
Blois wi th its bloody m emorie s ; Ch aumo nt

fi
, ,
S pl e ndid an d r e tir e d ; Ch ambord m agni ce nt , ,
pompous and b a r e ; Am bois e with its gr eat

, ,
towe r high ab ove t h e rive r f ollow in turn till ,
t h e Loir e m ak e s its r eg al ent r ee into To u rs .
”
W h at a sp e ct acl e it is wrot e Ste rne i n
,
”
Tristram Shan dy for a tr av ell er wh o
,
j ourneys through Tour aine at t h e tim e of th e

”
fi
vint age .
And th en come s t h e nal st ep which brin gs

t h e tr av ell e r to wh er e t h e limpid wa t e rs of t h e
Loir e mingl e with t h e s al ty ocea n an d wh at ,
a triumph ant m e e ting it is "
Most of th e citi es Of t h e Loire poss e ss but

.
on e bridge but To u rs h a s thr e e an d as b e

, , ,
Ve n dOm e historic groun d of s up e rl ativ e

ar e
fi
inte r e st an d t h e gr ea t c astl e at Chat eaudun
,
is a s m a g ni c ent i n i t s way a s any O f t h e monu

m ents of t h e Loir e Ven dOm e h a s a H Ot el de
.
fi
Vill e which is an a dmir abl e r elic Of a feuda l
e di c e an d t h e cl och er of
,
its church which ,
domin at e s m any squar e l eagu e s of country ,
is c ount ed a s on e of t h e most p e rfe ctly dis

pos ed church spir e S i n exist ence a s lov ely al
-
, ,
most a s Texi er s m a st erwor k a t Ch artr e s or

,
’
,
t h e needl e—like fléch es at Str a sburg or Fr ei

bu rg in Br eisgau .
fi
Th e M a ine j oins t h e Loir e j ust b elow An ge rs ,
at a littl e villa g e signi c antly c all e d La Point e .
B elow L a Pointe ar e St G e orge s s ur —Loir e .

-
an d thr ee ch at eauw de comm er ce which giv e
th eir name s to t h e thr ee p rincip al Angevin

vineya rds : Ch ai t eau S e rran d l E p i nay and ,
’
,
Ch ev i gn é .
‘
Vin eya rd a ft er vineya rd an d ch ét t eau a ft e r
-
,
‘
ch a rt e au follow ra pidly until on e r e a ch e s t h e
,
Ponts de Cé with their p et i t e ni ll e — al l ve ry ,
delightful N ot so t h e bridge at An ceni s whe r e

.
,
t h e flow of wa t e r is m ark e d d aily on a huge

bl a ck an d whit e scal e Th e bridge is quit e t h e
.
ugli e st wir e rop e a ff air to b e s e en on t h e Loir e

-
an d on e is only too gl a d to l eav e it b ehi n d ,

though it is with a r eal r egret th a t h e p arts

from An cenis its elf .
Som e years ag o one could go from An gers
fi
to St Na z aire by bo at It mu st h av e b een a
. .
m agni c ent trip extr a ordina rily calm an d s e

,
r ene amid an abun da nce of pictu re sque de

,
‘
t ails ; Ol d ch art eaux an d bridg e s i n strong con
tra st to t h e pr airi e s of Tour aine an d th e Or
l éann ai s .On e emb a rke d at t h e foot of t h e
stup en dously tower ed ch a i t eau of King R ené ,
an d for a p eti t e h eu r e n aviga t e d t h e M a in e
i n t h e midst of gr ea t ch a l an als fu ssy littl e ,
r emor qu eur s an d ba r qu es until L a Point e

wa s rea che d when t h e Loire wa s followe d to
,
fi
Nant e s an d St Na z air e . .
T o day this n e trip is deni e d on e th e bo ats ,
going only so f ar a s La Point e .
B el ow Angers th e Loir e flows a roun d an d

abo ut a v erit abl e a rchip el a g o of isl ands an d
isl ets cultiva t e d with all t h e luxuria nce of a

,
b a ck ya rd ga rden an d d ott ed with tiny h am

-
l ets of folk wh o ar e s upr em ely h appy an d con

t ent wi th th eir l ot .
Som e curr ents which r un b ehi n d t h e is l ands

ar e swift flowing an d imp e t u ou s whil e other s
-
ar e pra ctic ally e long a t e d l ak e s as d ea d a s ,
thos e l6m es which i n cert ain plac es flank t h e

S aOn e an d t h e Rh On e .
24 Ol d T ourai ne and t he L oi re C ount ry
All the s e va riou s br anch e s a r e unit ed a s th e

Loir e flows b etween t h e pi e rs of t h e ung ainly
bridg e of t h e Ch emin de—f er de Niort a s it
-
cross e s t h e river at Ch alonn e s .
Ch amptoce an d Montj ean f ollow e a ch with ,
a n individuality al l its own H e re th e com

.
m e rce t ake s on an in cre a s e d a ctivity th anks ,
to t h e gr ea t n a tio n al wat erway kn own a s th e

”
C anal de Br e st a Nant e s Here at t h e bu sy
.
port of Montj ean which t h e Angevins still

sp ell an d prono unc e M ont éj ean — t h e Loir e
’
t ake s on a br ea dth an d gr an d eur simil ar to t h e
fi
grea t riv e rs i n t h e we st ern p a rt of Am erica .
Mon tj ean is domin at e d by a n e ogival church ,
with a b att ery of arcs bout an ts which a re a

-
j oy in th ems elve s .
On t h e other b ank lying b a ck of a gr e at

,
pl ain which str etch e s away from t h e rive r i t

,
s elf is Ch amptoce pl ea s antly situat e d on t h e

, ,
fl ank of a hill an d dominat e d by t h e ruin s of a

thirt eenth century chat eau which b elon ge d to
-
t h e cru el Gill e s de R etz som ewh at ap ocry

,
p h a l l y known to history a s B a rb e —bl eu
n ot t h e Blu eb ea rd of t h e nu rs e ry t al e who wa s ,
Of E a st e rn origin but a sort of O ccid ent al s uc

,
c e ssor wh o was equally cruel and bloodthirsty

in his a ttitud e towa rd his whilom wive s .
From this point on on e com e s within t h e -

spher e of influence of Nan t e s a n d th er e is

fi
,
mor e or le ss of a s uburb a n traf c on t h e r ail

way an d t h e plodd ers citywa rd by roa d a r e
,
more numerou s th an t h e me re vaga bon ds of

t h e coun trysid e .
Th e p ea s ant wom en whom on e m eets w ea r a

curiou s bonnet s et on t h e hea d well to t h e fore
, ,
with wings a t t h e sid e folde d b a ck quit e like

“
t h e pictu r e s th a t on e s ee s of t h e m ediaev a l
d am e s of the s e p arts a s urv 1
,
v al indee d of t h e
middl e a ge s .
Th e Loir e b e com e s mor e an d mor e animat ed

an d occ a sion a lly th e r e is a gr e a t t ow of bo ats
like thos e th at one s ees con tinually pa ssing on

-
t h e low er S eine H ere th e cours e Of th e Loir e

fi
.
t ak e s on a s m gul ar a sp e ct It is l l e d with
"
long flat i sl an ds sometime s in a rchip el agos but

, ,
Often only a gr eat flat pr airie s urround ed by a

tr anquil c anal wid e an d deep an d with littl e
, ,
r e s embl a nce to th e mistr e ss Loir e of a hundr ed

or two kilom etr e s up stream All th e s e isl e s
-
.
a re in a high s t at e of cul tiv a tion tho ugh wholly ,
worke d with t h e h oe and t h e sp a de both of ,
th em of a primitivene ss th at might hav e come

down from Bibl e tim e s ; r a r e it is to s ee a
hors e or a h a rrow on th e s e b ouquets of v er
”
du re s urroun d ed by wave s .
Nea r Oudon is on e of thos e monum ent al

follie s which on e com e s a cross n ow and th en

i n most for eign co untri es : a gr e a t edi c e fi
which Se rves n o u s e ful purpos e, a n d which ,
we r e it n ot f or c ert ain r edeeming featur e s ,
would b e a sorry thing ind ee d Th e . Folie

”
S i ff ai t ,
a ci t a d el which p e rch e s its elf high
upon t h e s um mit of a hill wa s , an d I s an
a m u s e tt e b uilt by a p ubl i ci s p i r i t e d m an of
N an t e s in orde r th a t his workm en might h av e

som ething to do in a tim e of a scarcity Of work .
It is a biz arr e incr edi bl e thing but t h e motive

, ,
which in spir ed its e r ectio n wa s most worthy ,
an d t h e r o a dw ay r unn in g b en ea th pi e rci n g its

,
found a tion walls give s a th eatrical ef fe ct

,
which i n a way m ake s it t h e pictur e sque riv al

, ,
Of m any a mor e famou s Rhine c a stl e .
Th e riv e r v all ey widen s out he r e a t O u do n ,
pr a ctically t h e fron ti e r of Br etagne a nd Anj ou .
Th e r ailro a d pi erce s t h e rock walls of t h e rive r

with num erou s tunnels along t h e right ba nk ,
an d t h e Ve nd e an co un try str e tch e s f a r to t h e
southwa rd in lo ng rolling hills quit e unlike

any of t h e ch a r a ct e ristics of oth e r p a rts of
t h e v all ey . Fi n ally t h e va st pl ain of M auv es

,
com es into S ight b eautifully colo ur e d with a

,
whit e and iro n st a ine d rocky b a ckground which

-
is st a rt lingly pictur e sque in its way if n ot ,

wholly b eautiful a ccording to t h e m aj ority of

s tanda rds .
N ext come s wh a t a Fr enchm an h as call e d a

”
tumultu ous V i s i on of N ante s To day t h e
.
-
ve ry anci ent an d historic city which gr ew up

from t h e Por tu s N amn et um an d t h e Con di v i c
n um of t h e Rom ans is i n dee d a v e rit abl e
tumult of chimn eys m a sts an d locomotive s
, ,
.
B ut al l this will n ot d etr a ct on e j ot from its

r eput ation of b eing one Of t h e most delightful
of provin ci a l c apit als an d t h e smoke an d ac
,
t i v i t y of its p ort onl y t end to a cc entua t e a

n ot e of colo u r th a t in t h e whol e itin e ra ry of t h e
Loir e h a s b e en but p al e .
B elow Nant es t h e L oir e e stuary h as turne d
fi
t h e s urro un din g country in to a littl e H oll and ,
wher e s he r f ol k an d their bo ats with s ails Of ,
r ed an d blue form ch arming s ym phoni e s of

,
p al e colou r In t h e caba r et s along its shor e s

.
fi
ther e is a strange m edl ey of p ea s ants s ea ,
fa r ers an d sh er m en and women Not S O cos

, .
m op ol i t an a cr ew a s on e s ee s i n t h e h a rbo u r
sid e cabar et s at M a rs eill e s or even L e H av r e
fi
, ,
but suf ci ently strange to b e a fa scin a tion to

on e wh o h a s j u st com e down from t h e h e a d
wat ers .
”
Th e S ectio n M a ritim e from Nant e s to
,
t h e s ea is a m att er of som e sixty kilometr e s

, .
H e re the boa ts in cr ea s e in num b er an d S iz e .
They a r e known a s g a bar es cha l an ds an d a l -

, ,
l eg es an d go down with t h e riv e r curr ent a n d

,
-
r eturn on t h e incoming ebb for h e re t h e rive r ,
is tid al .
Gra y a n d gr een is t h e a sp ect at t h e Loire s ’
sourc e an d gr een an d gr ay it still is though

, ,
of a d e cide dly diffe r ent colo u r v alu e at St -
,
.
Naz air e b elow Nante s t h e r eal d eep wat e r

, ,
-
fi
port of t h e Loir e .
By this tim e t h e river ha s ampli e d into a

bro ad e st ua ry which is lost i n t h e incoming
an d o utgoing tid e s Of t h e B ay of Bisc ay .
F or n ea rly a tho u s an d kilom e tr e s t h e Loir e

h a s wound its way g e ntly an d bro adly throu gh
rocky e sc a rpm ents fe rtil e pl ain s populou s an d
, ,
fi
luxu riou s towns all of it historic groun d
, ,
by st at e ly ch t ea ux an d through vineya rds

an d frui t orch a rds with a pl a cid gr a nd eur
, .
Now it b ec ome s m or e or le ss pros aic and

m atte r Of fa ct though i n a way n o l e ss inter
- -
e sting a s it t ak e s on som e Of t h e a ttribut e s

,
of t h e o utside world .
This outline th en approxim at e s som ewh at

, ,
a por tr ait of t h e Loir e It is t h e r e s ult of .
m any pilgrima ge s enthu si a stically unde rt aken ;

a lo n g cont empl a tion of t h e ch arms of p e rhaps
CHA PTER II .
TH E ORL EA N N AI S
OF t h e m an y tr av ell e d E ngl i sh an d Am eri

c ans who go to P a ris h ow f ew v isit t h e Loir e
,
vall ey with its gloriou s a rr ay of m e diaeval an d

R enaiss ance chat eaux No p a rt of Fr ance ex .
,
c ept P a ris is so a cce ssibl e an d none is so com

, ,
f or t abl y tra v ell ed wh eth e r by ro a d or by r ail

,
.
At O rl e an s on e is a t t h e ve ry gat eway of
fi
this spl endid bountiful r egi on t h e lowe r v al
,
.
l ey of t h e Loir e H er e t h e riv er rst t ake s

.
on a compl exion which pr eviously it h ad

l a ck e d f or it is o nly wh en t h e Loir e b ecom e s
t h e bo unda ry li ne b etw een t h e n orth an d t h e
-
south th a t on e come s to r ealiz e its full im

port anc e .
Th e Orl éann ai s lik e m any an oth e r provin ce

,
Of mid Fr a nce is a r egi on wh er e pl enty awaits

-
rich an d poor a like Not wholly giv en ove r to

.
a gricultu r e nor y et wholly to m anu fa ctu rin g

, ,
it is witho ut th at r e stl e ss a ctivity of t h e

30
Th e Orl éannai s 3 1
fra nk ly industri a l cen tre s Of th e north I n .
spit e of this though, t h e Orl éann ai s is n ot

,
idl e
.
O rl ea ns is t h e obviou s p oi n t e dc dep ar t for

all t h e wonde rl and of t h e R en aiss an ce which
is to follow but its elf and its imme di at e s ur

,
roundings h av e not t h e import ance for t h e

v isitor in spit e of t h e viv id hi storic al ch apt e rs
,
which h av e b een writt en h er e in t h e p a st th at ,
m any a noth e r l e ss famous city poss e ss e s By .
this is m eant that t h e existing monuments of

history ar e by n o m ea ns a s num e rou s or spl en
did h er e a s on e might s uppos e Not th at th ey
.
a r e e ntir e ly l acking but r a th e r th a t th ey ar e

,
fi
of a di f f e r ent sp e ci e s altogethe r from th a t
a rr ay of m a gni c e ntly pl ann e d chat eaux which
line t h e b a nks of t h e Loir e b e low .
To on e coming from t h e north t h e en tra n c e
fi
to th e Orl éann ai s will b e emph atically m a rk e d .
It is t h e rst exp e ri en ce of an atmosphe r e

which if not ch a ra cte ristically or climatic ally
,
of t h e south is at l ea st r eminiscent th er eo f
, ,
with a luminosity which th e province s of old

Franc e farth e r nort h entir ely l a ck .
As L av ed an th e Aca démi ci en s ays :

, ,
H er e
al l focu s e s its elf into on e grea t pictu re th e ,
combine d r oman ce of an epoch H ave y ou n ot .
b een struck with a lan d wher e t h e clo uds t h e ,

a tmosph er e t h e Odour of t h e soil an d t h e

,
br e ez e s from a fa r all comport, on e with an

othe r i n true and j ust proportio n s
,
,
”
This is
t h e Or l éann ai s a l and wh e r e was witne ss e d t h e
,
morning of t h e Valois t h e full noon of Louis

?
,
XIV and t h e twilight Of Louis XVI

.
, .
Th e Orl éann ai s form e d a di stinct p a rt of

m ediaeval Fr an ce a s it did age s b efor e of
, , ,
w e st e rn Gaul O f all t h e province s thro ugh

.
which t h e Loir e flows th e Orl éan nai s is a s pro

fi
,
l i c a s any of gr e a t n am e s an d gr ea t er ev e nts ,
an d its his t oric al mo num en ts if n ot S O spl e ndid ,
a s thos e in To ur ai n e a r e n o l e ss ra r e
, .
O rl eans its elf cont ains m an y r emarkabl e

Gothic an d R enaiss an ce con structions an d not ,
f ar away is t h e an ci en t chu rch of t h e Old abb ey

of Notr e D am e de Cl ery on e of t h e most his ,
toric an d cel ebr at ed s h rin e s in t h e tim e of th e

s up erstitio us Louis XL ; whil e innum e r abl e
m ediaeva l vill es a nd ruin ed fortr ess e s p l en t i
fully b e sprinkl e t h e province .
On e ch ar a ct e ristic pos s e ss e d by t h e O rl ean

n ais diffe r en ti a t e s it from t h e oth er o utlying
province s of t h e ol d mon archy Th e p e opl e .
an d t h e m an n e rs an d customs of this gr ea t a n d
‘
import an t duchy wer e alli ed i n n early al l ,
things with t h e int er e sts an d ev en ts of t h e

,
c apit al its elf a n d so th er e was a lways a la ck

,
Th e Orl éannai s 33
Of indiv iduality whi ch even to day is n otice

,
ably a pp a r ent i n t h e O rl e ans capit al Th e .
shops hot els c afés and t h e p e opl e th ems elve s

, , ,
might well b e on e of t h e qua rti ers of P a ris s o ,
like ar e th ey i n gener al a sp e ct .
Th e not abl e P a risi an cha r act er of t h e i n

habitants Of O rl ean s an d t h e r e s embl an ce of
,
t h e p e opl e of t h e s u rrounding country t o thos e

of t h e I l e of Fr anc e is due princip ally to t h e
,
f act that t h e Orl éann ai s wa s never so isol at e d

a s m any oth ers of t h e an ci en t provinc e s It .
wa s virtually a neighbou r Of t h e c apit al an d its ,
r el ations with it wer e intim at e a n d numerou s .
More ove r it wa s favour e d by a gr ea t numb e r

,
of line s of communic ation by roa d an d by

wa t er s o tha t its m anne rs and customs b ecame
, ,
mor e or l e ss unconsciou sly int erpol a tions ,

.
Th e gr eat e v ent of t h e y e a r in O rl e ans is t h e

F et e de J e anne d A rc which t ak e s pl ace in t h e
’
,
month of May . U s ually f ew E nglish an d

Am e rican visitors ar e pr e s ent though why it ,
is h ard to r e a son out f or it t ake s pl a ce at

,
quit e t h e most delightful s ea son i n t h e yea r .
P erh aps it is b e cau s e Anglo S axons a r e -
a sh am e d of t h e p a rt pl ay ed by th e ir a nc e stors
in t h e shocking d eath Of t h e m aid Of Domr emy

an d O rl ea ns . Innum e r abl e a r e t h e r elics an d
”
r eminders Of t h e M aid scatt er ed through
out th e town a nd t h e local books ell ers h ave

,
lik ewis e innum e r abl e an d authorit a tiv e a o

counts Of t h e va riou s episode s of h erlife which ,
sa ve s t h e n e cessity of making furth er m entio n

he re .
Th er e ar e s eve ral st atue s of J e ann e d Ar c ’
in t h e city an d th ey h ave giv en ris e to t h e f ol

,
lowing a ccount writt en by Jul e s L em aitr e th e ,
Aca démici en
I b eli eve th at t h e hi story of J eanne d Ar c
fi
’
wa s th e rst th a t wa s eve r told t o m e (b efor e

ev en t h e f airy ta l es of P e rr ault ) Th e Mort
“
-
.
of C a simir D el avigne wa s
fi
de J e ann e d A r c ’ ’
, ,
th e rst fabl e th at I l e arned an d t h e e que s ,
tri an sta tue of t h e M aid i n t h e Pl a ce Mar ,

’
troi a t O rl ean s is p erh aps t h e old e st vision

, ,
th a t my m emory gua rds .
fi
This st atue Of J e ann e d Ar c is absurd ’
.
S h e h a s a Gr e ci a n pro l e an d a ch arge r which ,
is n ot a war hors e b ut a r a ce hors e N ever

- -
.
t h el es s to m e it wa s n obl e an d imposing .
I n t h e co urty a rd of t h e H Ot el de Vill e is a
p et i t e p ucel l e v e ry gentl e an d pious wh o holds
, ,
fi
a gainst h er h ea rt h er sword a ft e r t h e m ann e r ,
of a cru ci x At t h e en d of t h e bridg e a cross

.
t h e Loir e is anoth e r J e a nn e d A r c a s t h e m aid ’

,
o f wa r s urro unde d by swirling dr ap eri e s a s

, ,
i n a pictu r e of Juven et s This to m e t ells t h e

-
’
.
whol e story o f th e r eve r ence with which t h e

ma rtyr e d M aid is r ega rded i n t h e city of
”
O rl eans by t h e Loire .
On e can appr ec i a t e al l this an d t o th e full

, ,
for a Fr enchm an is a ste rn critic of art even ,
th at of his own countrym en an d J eanne d A r c

,
’
,
is on e of
fi
a long with som e oth e r c el eb r iti e s ,
thos e historical gur e s which h ave s eldom h ad

j ustice done them in Sculptur ed or pictori al
fi
?
r epr e s entations Th e b e st p e rh aps is t h e p r e
.
, ,
coci ous L ep ag e s n e p ainting n ow in Am e ric a

’
.
,
Wh at would not t h e Fr ench gi ve for t h e r eturn

of thi s work of ar t
Th e Or l éann ai s with t h e I l e de Fr an ce
, ,
formed t h e p articul ar dom ain of t h e third ra ce

Of Fr ench mona rchs F rom 1 . 3 64 to 1 4 98 t h e
province wa s an app an age known a s t h e D uch é
d Orl e an s but it wa s unit e d with t h e Crown
fi
’ -
by Louis XII an d nally divid ed into t h e De

.
,
p art m ent s of Loir et Ch er E ur e et Loir an d

, ,
Loir et .
Like th e “
p ardon s an d b ene dictio n s
of F i ni s t er e an d othe r p arts of Br etag ne t h e ,
p ea sa nts of t h e Loir et have a quaint custom
fi
which b e sp e aks a long h an d ed down s up er s t i-
fi
tion O n th e rst Sunday of L ent th ey h i e
.
th ems elve s to t h e elds with light e d f agots

an d ch an tin g t he followin g lin e s
36 Ol d T ourai ne an d t h e L oi re C ount ry
S or t ez ,
t di
s or ez
’
ci m ul ot s l
‘
OII j e v ai s v ous brul er l e s crocs "
Q ui ttez , qui tt ez ces b l és

All ez , vo u t s rouv erez
Dan s l a c av e du cur é
Pl u s a b oi re qu ’
a m an g er.
Just how f ar t h e curé en dors e s th e s e s enti

m ents t h e author of this book doe s n ot kn ow
,
.
Th e expl an atio n Of t h e rath er extr a ordi na ry

proceedi ng came from on e of th e p a rticip an ts ,
wh o h avin g pl aye d hi s p a rt i n t h e c er emony

, ,
dict ate d t h e above line s ove r s undry p eti t s

v er r es p aid for by t h e writ e r Th e day is n ot .
wound up how ever with a n orgy of eating an d

, ,
drink ing a s is som etime s t h e c a s e i n f a r w e st

,
- -
ern Britt any Th e p e a s an t of t h e Loiret sim

.
ply eats r a th e r h eavily Of mi which is ,
nothing mor e or l e ss than o atmea l porridg e ,
a ft e r which h e go e s to b ed .
Th e Loir e rolls down through t h e Orl éann ai s ,
from Chat eauneuf—s ur Loir e a n d J ar g e au -
an d cuts t h e b anks Of s a bl e an d t h e v er y shor e s ,
thems elve s int o little c ap e s an d b ays which

,
a r e d elightful in th eir e cc entricity He r e cuts .
fi
’
in t h e Can al d Orl eans wh ich m akes possibl e ,
t h e littl e traf c th at go e s on b etween t h e S ein e

an d t h e Loir e .
A f ew kilom etr e s away from t h e right b ank

of t h e Loire i n t h e h ear t of th e Gat anai s is
, ,
fi
co m monpl a ce ; b a ck from t h e rive r is a str a t a
which is r eally Ol d n e Go thic hous e fron ts
,
-
an d ol d l eani n g w alls ; whil e still f arthe r from
t h e riv e r a s on e appro a ch es t h e r ailway s t a

,
tion it is strictly mode rn with all t h e device s

, ,
an d appli anc e s Of t h e n ew e st of t h e n ew
-
.
Th e O rl e an s Of history li es riv e rw ards ,
t h e O rl eans wh e r e t h e h ea rt of Fr a nc e p ul s e d
its elf again into lif e i n t h e tr agic days which
fi
we re glori e d by th e Maid ”
.
Th e c ountryside of t h e Orl éann ai s h as th e

m on ot onr of a d es e rt s aid an E nglish tr av
,
e ll e r som e g en e r a tions ag o H e wa s wr on g
. .
To do him j ustice howev er , or to do his Oh

,
s e rv at i on s j u stice h e m e ant prob ably th at

, , , ,
s ave t h e rive r bottom of t h e Loir e t h e gr ea t

-
pl ain which b egins with L a B eau ce an d en ds

wi th t h e Sologn e h a s a comp a r ativ ely un i n t er
e sting topogr aphy This is true ; but it is not a
.
d e s e rt L a B eau ce is t h e b est gr ain growi ng

.
-
r egi on in al l Fr an ce an d t h e Sologne is n ow a
,
r e cl a im ed l and whos e s an dy soil h as proved

a dmir ably a d apt ed to an unus ually ab und ant
growt h of th e vin e S o mu ch for this Old time

.
-
point of Vi ew whi ch to day h a s ch anged con

,
-
s i de r abl y .
Th e Orl éann ai s is on e of th e most populou s

an d progr e ssive s e ctions of al l France a n d its
,
Th e Orléannai s 39
inh abit ants p er squa r e kilom e tr e a r e con

, ,
s t an t l y i n cr ea sing i n numb e rs whi ch is more

,
than can be s aid Of ev er y dep a r t em en t The r e

’
ar e multitud e s of tiny vi ll ages , a nd one i s
c rc ely ever
s a out of S ight an d sound of a h ab
i t at i on .
In t h e gr eat fore st j u st to t h e we st of Cr
,
l eans a r e two small villa ge s e a ch a c el ebr at e d

, ,
ba ttl e groun d an d a pl a c e of a p atriotic pil

-
,
‘
grim age on t h e eighth an d ninth of Novemb er

of ea ch y ea r Th ey ar e Coulmie rs and B a con
.
,
fi
an d h e r e som e fugitiv e s from M e tz a n d S ed an
“
fi
with som e yo ung troops expos ed to r e for t h e
r st time engag e d with t h e Prussians (i n
,
1 870) wh o h ad occupi e d O rl eans since mid

O ctob er Th er e is t h e u s ual conv en tional s ol
.
di e rs monum en t
’
With con side rably mor e
,
a r t abo u t it than is u s ua lly s e en i n Am eric a,
-
b efor e which Fr en chm en s eemingly n ever
ce a s e to worship .
’
This s am e F or et cl Or l ean s one of thos e wild
,
woods which so pl entifully b esprinkl e Fr an c e ,
h a s a s a d an d dol e ful m emory in t h e tr a di

tion s of t h e druidic al inh abit ants of a form er
day Their pr a ctice s h er e did n ot di f fer
gr eatly from thos e of th eir br ethr en els ewh er e,
fi
but loc al history is ful l of r efe ren ce s t o a t r oc
itie s s o bloodthirsty th at it is dif cult t o b e
li eve th at they we r e eve r p erp etra t ed under
t h e guis e of r eli gi on .
S u rroun ding th e f or est ar e m any Vill age s

an d h aml ets war strick en al l in t h e d a rk d ays
,
-
of s ev enty on e wh en t h e Prussi an s w er e ov er
-
running t h e l and .
O f all th e citi e s of th e Loire O rl ean s Blois , , ,
Tours Anger s an d N ante s alone show any

, ,
S pirit o f mod e rn progr e ssiv en e ss or Of lik en e ss

Th e Orl éannai s
to th e c apit al Th e r e st to al l app ea ra nce s

.
, ,
a r e dead or a t l e a st sl eeping i n th eir p a s t s

,
.
B ut th ey ar e ch a rming and r e stful spots for

al l th a t wh e r e in m el ancholy sil ence sit t h e old
,
men whil e t h e yo unge r folk including t h e ve ry

, ,
fi
childr en ar e all at work in t h e neighbou ring
,
Vineya rds or in t h e whe at elds of L a B e auc e -

.
M eung s ur—Loir e an d B eaug ency sl eep on t h e

-
river b ank th eir proud monuments rising high

-
i n t h e b ackground — t h e m a ssiv e towe r Of ,
Cws ar an d a qu art e tt e of chu rch spir eS Just -

.
b elow O rleans is th e j un ctu r e Of t h e Loir et an d

t h e Loir e at St M e smin whil e only a f ew kilo
.
,
m etr e s away is Clery, fame d f or its a ssocia

tion s Of Louis XI .
Th e Loir e t is not a ve ry ampl e rive r an d is ,
cl a ss ed by th e Minist e r of Public Works a s n av
fi
i g abl e for b ut four kilometr e s of its l ength .
This b ett er th an anything els e S hould d e n e

, ,
its r el ative import an ce a mong t h e gr e at wat er

ways of Fr an ce Naviga tion a s it is kn o wn
.
,
els ewh er e is pr a ctic ally n on exist ent

,
-
.
Th e co urs e of t h e Loir et is p e rh aps twe lve

kilometr e s al l told but it h a s given its n am e
,
to a gr eat Fr ench cl ép a r t em ent though it i s ,
doubtl e ss t h e short e st of al l t h e rive rs of
fi
Fr ance thu s honour e d .
It rst com e s to light i n t h e dainty p a rk of

Chat eau de l a Source wh e r e the r e a r e t wo

fi
th e ,
distinct s ou rce s Th e rst form s a small cir

.
”
cul ar b a sin kn own a s th e
,
Bouillon which ,
l eads into an othe r s emicircul a r b a sin call e d t h e

”
B a ssin du Miroir from t h e fa ct tha t it ,
r efl ects t h e fa ca de of t h e ch a
fi
i t eau in its pl a cid
s urfa ce O f cou rs e thi s is all v ery a rti ci al
.
,
a n d th e a tric a l but it is a pr etty conc eit n ev e r

,
t h el e s s
. Th e othe r sourc e known a s t h e ,
Gr a nd e Source j oins th e rivul et som e hun ,

”
dr eds of y ards b el ow t h e B a ssin du Miroir .
fi
Th e Chat e au de l a Sou rc e is a s ev e nt e e nth
fi
century e di ce of no gr ea t a rchit e ctur a l b eauty
,
in its elf but s uf ci en tly sylvan in its s urro und

,
ings to gi ve it r a nk a s on e Of t h e not able pl a ce s

of pilgrim ag e for t our l s t s wh o s aid a cynica l ,
Fr en ch writ e r t ake t h e ch it t eaux of t h e Loir e

,
t our a t our a s th ey do t h e morgue t h e Mo ulin ,
”
Rouge an d t h e s ewe rs of Pa ris
, .
I n t h e ea rly d ays t h e chat e au b elong e d to t h e

C ardin al B ri conn et an d it wa s h er e tha t Bol ,
i n g br oke a ft e r h aving b ee n stripp e d Of his

,
titl e s i n E ngl and went into r etir ement i n 1 , 720

In 1
.
722 h e r e ceiv ed Volt air e wh o r e a d him his ,
”
H en ri a de .
In 1
815 th invading Prince E ckm iih l with
e ,
h i s st a f f inst all ed hims elf in t h e ch at e au wh en

, , ,
a ft e r W at erloo t h e Pru ssi an an d Fr e nch ar

,
fi
Is In S ou rc e whe re t h ere a r e two
.
ti t
"
as . Th e rst f o rms a sm al l cir
v e t s : moth e r s emi ci rcul a r ba s i n

s l the ca l e d
”
du Mir oi r from t h e f a c t t ha t it ,
t h e fac a d e of t h e ch ate au in i t s pl a cid
“ Of cours e this is all v e ry a rti ci al

a .
,
fi
ene a t ri ca l b ut it is a pr e tty co n c ei t n eve r
The othe r s ourc e kno wn a s t h e ,
m n de S our ce j oin s th e rivul et som e hun ,

”
M S Of y ar ds b el ow t h e B as s in du Mir oir .
fi
he Chat e au de l a So urc e i s a s event e ent h
fi
y e di c e o f no g r ea t a r chit e ctu r al b eau ty
” azzur
f r
c z ee l f but s uf c ie m 318 V lv an I n i t s s urro und

.
,
3 ,
t a g ave it r a nk a s on e ( i t tfle n ot abl e pl a c e s

"
?
.
‘s z i i nag e f or t o u r i s t s wh o s aid a cy nic a l
fi
‘
e
.
m a h w r ite r c t ak e t h e ch t e a ux of t he Loir e
r (I t
. h y do t h e m or gu e t h e M oulin t e
,
5u 1 I q rig ”
i j e m u ""l p m
‘ ’
3 s rs w i i rr o .
C a rdi na l B ri comi e t h er e th a t Bol , an d i t wa s

wmimo i u aft e r h a ving b ee n stripp ed of his
t i t le s i n En la nd went i n to re t i r e m e nt in 1720
g , .
I n ”2 32 h e r eceiv e d Volt air e wh o r ea d him his ,
1
81 P rin ce E ckm uhl with
5 th e i nva ding ,
f f i n s t al l ed h im s elf in t h e ch éi t e au wh en
e
. , ,
”
w W a te rl oo t h e Prussi an and Fr en ch ar
:
,
mi e s wer e s ep ar a t e d only by a b arrie r pl ac ed

midway on t h e bridge a t O rl eans It wa s h er e .
also th a t t h e Pru ssi a n a rmy wa s disb and e d on ,
t h e agr eement of t h e co uncil h eld at Ang er

ville n e ar O rl eans
, .
Ther e ar e thr ee othe r Ch at eaux on t h e b or

d e rs of th e Loir et which a r e of more th an ,
ordin a ry int er e st s o f ar a s gr ea t coun try

,
hou s e s an d th eir s urro un dings go though th eir ,
histori e s are n ot very striking with p erh aps ,
t h e exc eption of t h e Chat eau de l a F o n t ai ne ,
which h a s a r ema rkabl e g arden l aid out by ,
L en Ot r e t h e d e sign e r of t h e p arks a t Ver

,
s aill e s .
L eaving O rl eans by t h e right b ank of t h e

fi
“
Loir e on e rst com e s to L a Chap ell e S t Me s

,
-
.
min L a Ch ap ell e h a s a church d ating from

.
t h e el ev enth c entury an d a ch at e au which is

t o d ay t h e mai s on de camp ag n e Of t h e Bishop
of O rl eans O n t h e opposite b ank wa s t h e
.
Abb aye de Mi cy founde d by Clovis at t h e tim e

,
of his co nv e rsion A ston e cross only ma rks

.
, ,
t h e sit e t o day .
St Ay follows n ext an d is u s ually s et down

.
,
in th e g uid e—books as celebr ate d for good

”
wine s .This is n ot to b e d eni e d for a m oment ,
a n d it is cu rio u s to n ot e th at t h e city b ea rs t h e
s am e n am e a s t h e famo us town in t h e cham

p agn e district c el ebra t e d also f or good wine

, ,
though of a di ff e r ent kin d Th e n am e of t h e .
Orl éann ai s A y is gain e d from a h ermit age

fo un de d her e by a holy m an wh o die d i n t h e ,
sixth century H is tomb wa s discov er e d i n

.
1
_
86 0 un d e r t h e choir of th e chu rch which

, ,
m ake s it a pl a c e of pilg rimage of n o littl e local
?
import an c e .
fi
At M eung s ur Loir e on e shoul d cross t h e
- -
riv e r to Clery v e kilom etr e s Off s eldom if

, ,
ev e r visit e d by c a s ual tr av ell ers B ut why .
Simpl y b ecau s e it is ove rlooke d i n th at uni

vers al h a ste shown by most tr avelle rs wh o -
a r e n ot students of art or a rchit e ctu r e or d ee p ,
lov ers of history — i n m aking th eir way to

mor e popul ar shrine s On e will n ot r egr et t h e
.
time t aken to visit Cl ery which sh ar ed with ,
Our L ady of E mbrun t h e d evotio n s of Louis XI .
Cl éry s three thou s an d p a stor al inh abitants

’
of t o day woul d n ever give it distin ctio n an d ,
it is only t he M aison de Louis XI an d t h e .
B a silique de Notr e D am e which make s it worth

whil e but this is en ough
, .
”
In Q uentin D urwa rd on e r ea ds of t h e
time wh en t h e sup erstitio u s Louis was h eld i n

c aptivity by t h e B urgundi an Ch arl e s t h e Bold , ,
and of h ow t h e Fr ench king m a d e his d evotions
b efor e t h e littl e im a ge worn in his h at of t h e

, ,
fi
Virgin Of Clery ; t h e grossne ss of his s up e r
s t it i on non e t h e l e ss th a n his
,
ckl en e s s lead ,
ing him t o b eli eve Our L ady of Clery to b e quit e

a di f fe r e nt p e rson from t h e oth e r obj e ct of his
devotion t h e M a donna Of E mbrun a tiny

, ,
mountain vill a ge i n southwe st ern Fr ance .
Swe et L ady of Clery h e excl aimed cl a sp ,

’
,
ing his h ands an d b ea ting his br e a st a s h e

‘
spoke B l es s ed Mot h er of M ercy " thou wh o
, ,
a r t omnipot e nt with omnipot e nc e h av e comp a s ,
sion with m e a sinner " It is tru e I h ave som e

,
time s negl ect ed y ou for thy bl e ss ed sist er of

Embrun ; but I am a king my powe r is gr ea t , ,
my wea lth boun dl e ss ; an d we r e it othe rwis e ,
I wo uld doubl e my g a bel l e on my s ubj e cts

r ath er th a n not p ay my d ebts to y ou both .
’
Louis enfi
‘
dowe d t h e chu rch at Clery a n d t h e

fi fi
,
e di c e wa s b uilt in t h e n e fl amboy ant styl e
of t h e p e r iod j ust pr eviou s to his d e a th which

, ,
De Com mi n e s giv e s a s -
l e s am edy p én ul t i ém e
j
’
m
’
o u r l
c A ou s t l an i l ,q u a t r e c e n s q ua t r e
ni ng t z et t r oi s , a hui t h eures
, clu s oi r .
Loui s XI wa s buri e d h er e a n d t h e chi e f

.
,
”
sight is of cours e his tomb b es id e which ,
is a fl agstone which covers t h e hea rt of

Cha rl e s VIII Th e Chap ell e St J a cque s -
.
,
within t h e church is orn ament e d by a s eri e s

,
o f ch a rming sculptu r e s an d t h e Ch ap ell e de s

,
46 Old T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C oun t ry
D unois Longuevill e holds t h e r em ains Of t h e

-
famou s a lly of J eann e d A r c an d m emb ers of

’
his family .
I n t h e choi r is t he m a ssiv e o ak en st atue of

Our L a dy of Clery (thirt e enth c entury ) ; t h e
ve ry on e b e for e which Louis m ad e his v ows .
The r e is som e old gl a s s in t h e choir an d a

s eri e s Of sculptur e d st alls which wo uld m ake
,
famous a mor e visit e d an d b ett e r kn own shrin e

fi
.
Th e r e is a n e sculptur ed stone port al to t h e

s a cristy an d within th e r e a r e som e m agni
, fi
cent Ol d a r m oi r es a n d also two ch a s ubl e s which
, ,
s aw s erv i c e I n som e gr e at chu rch p e rh aps h e r e , ,
in t h e tim e s of Louis hims elf .
”
Th e M aiso n de Lo uis XL n ea r th e ,
church is a hou s e Of brick r estore d i n 1

, , 6 51 ,
an d n ow or un til a v e ry r e c e nt d a t e occu
pi e d by a community of nun s In t h e Gr a nd e .
Rue is anoth er M aison de Louis XL ; at
l ea st it h a s hi s ciph er on t h e p aint e d ceiling .
It is n ow occupi ed by t h e H 6 tel de l a B ell e

Im a ge Thos e who like to dine and S l e ep wh e re
.
h ave a lso dined an d sl ept royal h eads will ap

p r e ci at e p utting up a t this host elry .
M eung s ur Loir e wa s t h e birthpl a c e of J eb an

- -
Cl op i n el b ett e r known a s J ea n de M eung who

, ,
continue d Guill aume de L orr i s s Rom an de l a ’
”
Ros e t h e most famo u s bit of ve rs e produce d
,
M eung wa s once a Rom an fortr e ss known ,
a s Maudun um an d i n t h e e l ev enth c entury St

, .
Liph a rd fo un de d a mona ste ry he r e

fi
.
I n the ft eenth cen tury M eung wa s th e

prison Of Fra nc ois Villon Poor vag abo n d a s .
h e wa s then it h a s b e com e t h e fa shion to l aud

,
both t h e p ersonality an d th e po e sy of M aitr e

Fr anc ois Villon .
fi
By t h e ord e rs of Thib aut d A u s s i gny Bishop ’
,
of O rl eans Villo n was co n ned i n a strong

,
fi
tower a tt a che d to t h e side of t h e cl och er of th e
p a rish ch r ch of St Liph a rd an d which ad .
,
j oine d t h e chat eau de p l ai s an ce b elonging to

t h e bishop .Prim a rily this impris onm ent wa s
due to a robb ery i n which t h e p o e t h a d b een
conc erned at O rlean s H e sp ent t h e whol e of .
t h e s umm e r i n this dun g e on which wa s ov e r ,
r un with r at s an d i n to which h e h ad to b e low

,
e r e d by rop e s As his food consisted of br e a d

.
a n d w at e r o n ly his s u f fe rin gs a t this tim e w e r e

,
prob ably gr eat e r th an at any oth e r p eriod i n

his life H er e t h e burgl a r po et r emaine d until
.
-
O ctob e r 1 ,
4 6 1wh e n Louis XI visit e d M eung
,
.
,
an d t o m a rk t h e o c c a sion ord e r e d t h e r el ea s e
, ,
Of al l prisone rs For this d eliv e ry Villon ac

.
, ,
cording t o t h e a ccounts of his life app ears to ,
h av e b een genuinely gr at e ful to t h e king .
At B e augency s even kilom etr e s from M eung

, ,
on e com e s upon an a rchit ectur al and historical
fi
treat which is unexp e ct e d .
I n t h e el eve nth c entury B eaugency wa s a e f

of t h e bishopric of Ami ens an d its onc e strong
‘
,
‘
ch ét t e au wa s occupi e d by t h e B a rons de L andry ,
t h e l a st of whom di e d without childr en in t h e

, ,
fi
thirt eenth centu ry Philipp e—l e B el bought t h e
.
-
e f an d un it e d it with t h e Comt é de Blois It .
was m a de an ind ep end ent comt e of its elf in

fi
’
1 569 an d i n 1
,
663 b e c am e d e n it ely an app an ag e
of O rl e ans Th e Prince de G all e s took B eau
.
g e n cy in 13 59 t h,
e G a scons in 186 1 Du g u e s cl i n ,
in 1 3 70 an d again in 1 41 42 1
7; i n 1 an d in 1 428
it wa s t aken by t h e E nglish from whom it was
,
,
d eliver e d by J eanne d A r c in 1 429 I n t e r n al

’
.
fi fi
wa rs an d wa rfar es continued for anoth er h un
dr ed and f ty yea rs nally culminating i n on e
,
of t h e gross e st scen e s which h ad b een en a ct ed

within its walls t h e bloody r evenge ag ain st
,
t h e Prot est ants enco u r aged do ubtl e ss by t h e

,
a f fair of St B artholom ew s night a t P a ris

’
. .
Th e anci ent squa r e do nj on of t h e el eventh

c entury k nown as t h e Tour de C és a r still
, ,
looms high above th e town It mu st b e on e Of .
t h e huge st keeps i n all Fr an c e Th e ol d cha i .
t eau Of t h e D unois is now a ch arit abl e insti

t ut i on but r efl e cts in a way t h e spl endour of
, , ,
its fo rt u een th c entury inc eption an d its S all e

—
,
50 Ol d T ourai ne and . t he L oi re C ount ry
de J ea nne d A r c with its gr eat chimneyp ie c e

’
, ,
is worthy to r ank with t h e b e st of its kind along

t h e Loir e . Th e spir al st airca s e of which t h e ,
Loir e b uild e rs we r e s o fond is a dmir abl e h er e

, ,
an d d at e s from 1 53 0 .
Th e H Ot el de Vill e of B eaug ency is a ch arm

fi
ing e di ce of t h e v ery b e st of R en aiss an ce ,
which m any mor e pr e t entiou s structur e s of t h e

p eriod a r e n ot It d at e s from 1
. 526 an d wa s _
e ntir ely r e stor e d — not how ev e r to its det ri

, ,
m ent a s fr e qu ently h app ens

,
in t h e l a st y ea rs
of t h e n in et eenth c entury Its ch arm n ever
.
,
t h el e s s li e s mostly in its ext e rior for littl e r e

, ,
m ains Of value within except a r ema rkabl e

s e ri e s of Ol d embroid eri e s t ak en from t h e choir
of t h e Old abb ey of B e au ge ncy .
Th e Eglis e de Notr e D am e is a Rom an e sque

stru ctu r e with Goth ic int erpol ations It is not .
b ad i n its way b ut d e cid e dly is n ot r em arkabl e

,
a s m e di aev al chu rch e s go .
Th e old str e ets of B eaugen cy cont ain a daz

z l i n g a rr ay of ol d ho u s e s in wood an d ston e ,
an d in t h e R u e de s T e mpli e rs is a r a re ex am
p l e Of Rom a ne sque civil a rchite ctu r e ; at l e a st

t h e typ e is r a r e eno ugh in t h e Orl éan n ai s ,
though mor e fr equ ently s e en in t h e south Of

Fr ance Th e To ur St Firmin d at e s from 1
. . 530 ,
an d is all th a t r em ains of a church which stood

5
h er e up to r evolutiona ry tim e s Th e squa r e .
ruine d towe rs known a s t h e Port e T av e rs ar e

r elics o f t h e city s Old walls an d g at es an d a r e
’
,
al l th a t a r e l e ft to m a rk t h e anci ent e nclos u r e .
Th e To u r du Di abl e an d t h e ho u s e of t h e
fi
ruling abbot r em ain to s ugge st t h e powe r an d
m a gni cence of t h e gr ea t abb ey which wa s
buil t he r e i n t h e t en th centu ry In 1 56 7 it wa s .
bu rne d an d l a t e r r e stor e d b ut b eyond t h e two

, ,
fea tur e s j ust m ention ed th e r e is nothing to

indic at e its forme r u s es t h e r em aining s t ruc
,
tur e s h aving pa ss ed into priv at e h ands an d

b eing dev ot e d to s e cul a r u s e s .
Th e old bridge which cross e s t h e Loir e at .
this point is most curiou s an d d at e s from v a ri ,
ou s epochs .It is 440 m etr e s in l ength an d i s ,
compos e d of twenty six a rch e s one of which

-
dat e s from t h e fou rt eenth century wh en ,
bridge building wa s r eally an a r t E ight of

-
.
fi
t h e pr e s ent day a rch e s a r e Of wood an d on
-
t h e s e cond is a mo n olith s urmo un t e d by a gu r e

of Christ in bronz e r epl a cing a form er ch ap el
,
to St Ja cque s A ch ap el on a bridg e is not

. .
a un ique a rr an gem e nt but f ew exist t o day

, ,
on e of t h e most famo us b eing p erh aps th at , ,
on t h e ruin e d bridge of St B en e z e t at Avignon . .
Altogeth er B eaugency a s it sl ee ps its life

, ,
a w ay a ft e r t h e str enu o u s d ays of t h e middl e

a ge s is mor e lovabl e by f ar th an
, a grea t m e
t r op ol i s .
Th e tr av ell e r is well rep aid wh o m ak es a

stop a t B eaugency a p a rt of a three d ays g en ’
t l e r ambl e among t h e u s ually n egl e ct ed towns

an d vill a ge s of t h e Orl éan n ai s an d t h e Bl aisois ,
inst ea d Of ru shing through to Blois by expr e ss

tr ain which is wh a t on e u su ally do e s
, .
Southwa rd one s rout e li e s through plea s an t

’
vin eyards on one S ide th e Sologn e and on t h e

, ,
othe r t h e Coteau de Guigne s which la tt e r r anks

,
a s quit e t h e b e st a mong t h e vin e growing dis -
t ri ct s of t h e Orl éann ai s .
Nea r T av ers is t r l curiosity i n t h e

a na u a
”
sh ap e of t h e Fon taine des S abl e s Mouvan ts ,
wh er e t h e s ands of a tiny spring boil an d bub

bl e lik e a mini atur e geys er .
Mer anoth e r sm all town follows twelve kilo

, , ,
me tr e s fa rth e r On Like B ea ugency it is a s om

.
nol ent bourg, an d th e life of t h e p ea s ant folk

round about wh o g o to m a rket on one day at
,
B e augen cy an d on anoth e r at Blois an d occ a ,
s i on al l y a s f ar away a s O rl ean s , is mu ch t h e
s am e a s it wa s a century ag o .
fi
The re is a B oul ev a rd de l a Ga re and a
Gr a nde Rue at Mer th e l att er l ea ding to a n e
fi
,
Gothic church with a f t eenth century towe r -
which is a dmir abl e i n every way and form s ,

St Claude a n d a scor e of little vill a ge s which

.
,
a r e e ntr a ncing i n th eir Old world a sp e ct ev en -
in the s e days of progr e ss This Compl e t e s t h e .
p anor am a to Blois which with t h e Bl aisois , ,
forms t h e borderl an d b etween t h e Orl éannai s

a n d To ur a in e .
B e for e r ea ching Blois M en ars at any r at e , , ,
comm a nds att ention It fronts upon t h e Loir e .

,
but is pr a ctica lly upon t h e north e rn bord e r of

t h e F or ét de Blois h enc e properly b elong s to,
t h e Bl aisois M en ars wa s m a de a r end ezvou s

.
for t h e ch a s e by th e wily an d pl ea s ur e loving -
L a Pomp a dou r wh o quart er e d h er s elf at t h e

,
ch at eau which a ft erward p a ss ed to h er broth er

, ,
De M a rigny .
B efor e t h e R evolution M en ars wa s t h e s eat ,
of a m a rquis a t e of which t h e l an d wa s bought

,
by Louis XV for his famous or in famou s.

, ,
m ai t r es s e .Th e prop e rty h as fr equently

ch anged h an ds s m ce th at day but its ga rd ens ,
an d t e rr a c e s d e scen din g toward t h e rive r

,
b ank m a rk i t a s on e of thos e coquet t e e st ab

,
l i s h m en t s with which Fr ance wa s dott ed in

,
t h e e ight ee nth c en tu ry .
fi
Th e s e e st ablishments poss e ss e d en ough of
luxurio u s a ppoin tm ents to b e cl a ss ed a s t
ting for t h e butt erfli e s Of t h e tim e but in n o ,
way so f ar a s t h e a rchi t e ctura l d e sig n or t h e

,
artistic d et ails we r e concerne d we r e any of

,
th em worthy to b e cl a ss e d with th e gr e at do
me s t i c ch a
t t eaux of t h e e arly y e a rs of t h e
R enaiss ance .
CHAPTE R III .
TH E B LAI S OI s AN D TH E S O L O GN E
TH E B l és oi s Bl aisois wa s the anci ent n ame

or
gi v en to t h e p e ti t p ay s which m a d e a p art Of
t h e gove rnm en t of t h e Orl éan nai s It wa s an d .
,
is t h e bord erl and b etween t h e Orl éann ai s an d

,
Tou r aine and with its capit al Blois t h e city

, , , ,
of co unts wa s a pow e rful t e rritory in its own

,
right i n spit e of t h e allegi an c e whi ch it ow ed

,
to t h e Crown Tw enty l eague s i n l ength by

. .
thirt een i n width it was boun d ed on t h e n orth

,
by t h e D un ois and t h e Orl éann ai s on t h e ea st ,
by B erry on t h e south by To ur aine an d on

, ,
t h e w e st by To u r aine an d t h e Ven domois .
Blois its capit al wa s fame d ev er i n th e

, ,
ann als of t h e middl e a ge s an d to day n o city

,
-
in t h e Loire v all ey poss ess e s m or e s en tim ental

int e r e st for th e t rav ell e r th an does Blois -
.
To t h e ea stwa rd l ay t h e s an ds of t h e Sologne,
an d s o u thw a rd t h e ampl e an d fruitful Tou
r aine h ence B l oi s s positio n was on e of s u

,
’
56
Th e B lai s oi s and t h e S ol ogne 57
preme i mportan ce an d ther e is no wonde r th at

,
it prove d to b e t h e s c ene of so m any mom en to us

ev e nts of history .
Th e pr e s ent day D ep a rtment of t he Loir

e t Ch er wa s c ar ve d out from t h e Bl aisois t h e ,
Vendomois an d t h e Orl éann ai s Th e B ai s oi s

,
.
wa s in olden time on e of t h e most importa nt

, ,
of t h e p eti t s y ouuern em en t s of all t h e kingdom ,
an d gav e to Blois a lin e of co un ts wh o riva ll e d
in powe r an d we alth t h e churchm en of Tours

‘
G r egory Of To urs
fi
a n d t h e duk e s of Britt any .
is t h e rst histori a n who m ake s m ention of

t h e anci ent Pay us B l ens en s i s .
On e mu st n ot t ell t h e citiz e n Of Blois th a t it
is at Tours th a t on e h ea rs t h e b es t Fr en ch
sp oken E ve rybody kn ows this but t h e i nh ab
.
,
i t an t of t he Bl aisois will n ot a dmit it an d i n , ,
truth to th e strange r ther e is not much app a r

,
en t diffe r enc e Througho ut this whol e r egion

.
h e underst an ds an d m ake s hims elf und e rstood

with much more fa cility than i n any other p a rt
of Fr an c e .
fi
For one thi n g n ot us ually recall ed Blois
, ,
should b e r eve re d an d glori ed It was t h e .
n ativ e pl a ce of L en oir wh o inv en t ed t h e i n s t r u
fi
,
ment which m ade possibl e th e d e n it e det er

m inatio n of th e m etric syst em of m eas ur em en t .
On e r e ads i n B erni e r s Histoir e de Blois

’
tha t t h e inh abit ants a r e hon e st gall ant and , ,
polit e i n convers a tion an d of a d elicat e and

,
difli dent t emp er am ent

”
. Thi s w as writt en
n ea rly a c entury ag o but th e r e is no excus e
,
for one s ch a nging t h e Opinion to —day unl e ss

’
,
a s wa s t h e mi sfortune of t h e writ e r h e run s ,
up a g ainst an unu s u
ally i mportun at e v en
de r of p ost ca rds or an -
a ggr e ssiv e y a rc on de
fe
ca .
Blois a mong all t h e

, _
citi e s of t h e Loir e is ,
t h e favo u rit e with t h e

tourist W hy t h i s
.
should b e is a n en
i gm a It is ov er bur
.
den e d at tim e s with drov e s of to urists and

, , ,
this i n its elf is a detra ctio n in t h e eye s of
fi
m any .
P erh aps it is b e cau s e h er e on e rst meets

‘
a gr e a t ch zi t eau Of s t a t e ; an d c e rt ai nly t h e
Chat e au de Blois live s i n on e s m emory mor e ’
th a n an y oth e r ch at eau i n Fra nc e .
Mu ch h a s b een writt en of Blois its co unts , ,
its chate au an d its m any an d famo u s hét el s

,
of t h e n obility by writ e rs of a ll opinions a n d

,
abiliti e s from thos e Old chronicl e rs who wrot e

,
theroof tops -
of th e lower town quite in fairy
book fa shion ,
t
B a ie en p i erre et d ar doi s e
’
t
c ouv er e ,
B l an ch e é
et carr e au b as de l a col lin e ver e t .
Common ly r e ferr ed to a s t h e Chat eau de

Blois it is r eally compos e d Of fou r s ep a rate
,
a n d disti n ct fo un d atio n s ; origin al chat eau
S igna tu
re o f F ra n coi s P remi er
of th eco unts ; t h e l ate r a ddition of Louis

t h e pa l a ce Of Fr an c ois L an d t h e most un s ym,
p a th etica lly an d dism ally dis pos ed p avi l l on of

Ga ston of O rl e ans .
Th e a rtistic qu aliti e s of t h e gr eat e r p art of

fi
t h e distinct edi c e s which go to m ake up t h e
chat eau a s it st ands tod ay ar e sup erb with ,
t h e exc eption of th at gr e at wing of G a sto n s ’

,
b efor e m ention ed which is a s cold an d unfe el

,
i ng a s th e ove rra t e d p al a c e at Vers aill es .

Th e B l ai s oi s and t h e S ol ogne 6 1
Comte s de Cha tillon built th at portion
Th e
fi
j u st to t h e right of t h e pr e s ent entr ance ;
Lo uis XI I t h e e di ce through which on e ent e rs
.
,
t h e inn e r co urt a n d which ext ends f a r to t h e

l eft including also t h e ch ap el imm e di at ely to
,
t h e r ea r ; whil e Fr an c o i s Pr emi e r wh o h e r e as ,
e ls ewh e r e l e t his unboun d e d It ali an procliv i
ti e s h av e f ull sway buil t t h e ext end e d wing to

,
t h e l e ft of t h e inne r cou rt an d fronting on t h e

pr e s e nt Pl ace du Chat eau form e rly t h e Pl a c e ,
Royal e .
Imm edi a t ely to t h e l eft i n t h e B a ss e Cour ,
de Ch at e au a r e t h e H6 t e l d A mb Oi s e t h e H Ot el
,
’
,
d Ep ern on an d f a rth e r a way in t h e Rue St

’
, , .
H onor e th e HOt el Sa rdini t h e H Ot el d A l luy e

,
-
,
’
,
an d a scor e of oth e rs b elonging to t h e nobility
Of othe r d ays ; all of th em t h e scene s of m any

stirring and g a ll ant e v ents in R enaiss a nc e
time s .
This is h a rdly th e p l a ce for a discussion of

t he me rits or d em e rits of an y p a rticul a r a rtis
t i c styl e but t h e frequen tly r ep eat e d expr e s
,
L e s t y l e c es t l h omm e
“ ’ ’
sion of B uff on s ’
,
fi
m ay w ell b e p ar aphr a s e d into
’ ’
L a r t c es t ,
’
I n fa ct on e nds a t al l tim e s i m
’
l ep oque .
print ed upon th e a rchit e ctur al styl e of any

p e riod t h e curr ent mood br e d of som e historical
event or a p a ssin g fa ncy .
At Blois this is p a rticul a rly notic eabl e As .
fi
an a rchi t ec tu r a l monum ent t h e ch at e au is a
pictur e sque a ss embl ag e of e di ce s b elonging

to m any di f f er e nt epochs an d a s s u ch shows
, , , ,
a s w ell a s an y oth e r docume nt of cont e mpor a ry
tim e s t h e v a rying ambitions an d emotions of

,
build ers from th e ru de an d rough m anne rs

,
of t h e e a rli e s t of f eudal ti mes thr ough t h e
fi
highly r e n ed R en aiss anc e d et ails of t h e i m ag
i n at i v e br a in of Fr an c ois down to t h e b a s e con
,
coctio n of t h e eld e r M a ns a rt produced at t h e

,
comm ands of G a ston of O rl ea ns .
Th e whol e gamu t from t h e g ay an d winsom e

,
to t h e s a d an d dism al is found h er e
, .
Th e e scutch e ons of t h e v a riou s occup ants
fi
a r e pl ainly in evid enc e ,
t h e swa n pi e rc ed by
a n a rrow of t h e rst Co unts of Blois ; t h e
Th e B l ai s oi s and t h e S ol ogne 63
e rmine Anne de B r et agne ; th e porcupine

of
of t h e D u cs d Or l ean s an d t h e s al am a nd e r of
’
,
Fr a nc ois Pr emi er .
In t h e earlie st structure we re to b e s e en al l
fi ‘
t h e a ttrib ut e s o a f audal fortr e ss tow e rs an d ,
wa lls pi erced with na rrow loophol e s an d d amp , ,
d a rk dung e ons hidden a way in t h e thick walls .
Then c ame a structur e which was l e ss Of a

fortr e ss a n d mor e h abit able but still a strong ,
hold though having ampl e an d de cor a tiv e door

,
ways an d windows with curiou s sculptu re s an d

,
rich fr amings Then t h e pompous R en aiss anc e

.
with es ca li ers and ba l con s a j our b alu str a de s ,
crown ing t h e walls a r ab e sque s enriching t h e

,
pil a st e rs an d walls an d el abora t e cornice s h er e

, ,
th er e an d ev e rywh er e — a l l b e sp eaking t h e
, ,
gall antry an d t ast e of t h e r oi ch ev a li er F i -

.
n ally c am e t h e cold cl a ssic fea tur e s of th e

,
p eriod Of th e broth e r of Lo uis XIII d e cidedly .

,
t h e worst an d most unlivabl e an d u nlov ely

a rchit e ctur e which Fr an c e h a s ev e r produ c e d .
All th es e feature s ar e plain i n t h e gene r al

sch eme of t h e Ch ateau de Bl ois to day an d -
doubtl e ss it is this th a t m ak e s t h e app ea l ; t oo

much loveline ss a s at Ch enonceaux or A m y
,
l e Ride au st aggers t h e mod e rn mort al by t h e

-
,
sheer impossibility of its mod e rn att ainm ent .
I n pl an t h e Chat eau de Blois forms an irr eg

64 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e Loi re C ount ry
u al r squar e s ituate d at t h e ap ex of a p r om on
tory hi gh above t h e s urfa c e of t h e Loir e an d
.
,
pra ctically b ehi n d t h e town its elf : Th e build

ing h a s a most pictur e sque a sp e ct and to thos e
, ,
wh o kn ow give s pr a ctically a history Of t h e

,
ch at eau a rchit ectur e of t h e tim e Ab an don ed

.
,
mutil a t e d an d disho n o ur e d from tim e to time

, ,
t h e stru ctur e gr a dually took on n ew forms until

t h e thi ck walls u nd e rlying t h e ap artment
kn own t o d ay a s t h e S all e de s Etats — prob
fi
ably t h e most an ci en t portion of al l — w e r e
oversh a dowe d by t h e gr eat richn e ss of t h e f

t e en t h an d s i xt eenth c entu ri e s
. On e ea rly fr ag
ment was entir ely envelop ed in t h e stru ctur e
which wa s built by Fr an c ois Prem I er t h e an ,
ci en t To ur de Chat eau R egn ault or De Mou ,
lins or De s O ubli ettes a s it wa s va riou s ly

, ,
kn own and f rom t h e o utsid e this is n o long er

,
fi
visibl e .
Fr om t h e pl atform on e s ee s a m agni cent

p an oram a of t h e city an d th e f a r r ea ching -
Loir e which unrolls its elf southwa rd an d

,
northwa rd for m any l eague s its b anks cover e d

,
by rich Vin eya rds an d crown ed by thick for ests .
Th e b uilding of Louis XII pr e s ents its bri ck

.
f ac ed ext e rior i n bl ack an d r ed loz enge sh ap e s -
with sculptu re d window fram e s squa rely upo n

-
,
t h e littl e tr ee bord e red p l a ce of t o day which

-
,
The B l ai s oi s and t he S ol ogne 65
in other time s forme d a pa rt of th at m ag n i

'
fi
c ent t e rr a ce which looke d down upon t h e roof
Of th eEglis e St Nicol a s an d t h e J e suit Church
.
,
Of t h e Imm a cul at e Conception and t h e s i l v ery

’
b elt Of t h e Loir e its elf .
On t h e we st fa c a de of this v a st co nglom er at e
fi
structur e one s e es th e ef g y of t h e p orcupin e ,
th a t weird symbol a dopt ed by t h e family of

O rl e ans .
Th e choic e of this ungainly a nim al in spit e
fi
of which it is most de cor a tiv e in o utli n e
wa s due to t h e rst Louis who was Duc d Or

,
’
lean s I n t h e yea r 1
. 39 3 Loui s found e d t h e
ord e r of t h e porcupine i n ho n our Of t h e birth

,
o f Ch a rl e s his e ld e s t s on who wa s b or n to him

'
, ,
by Val entine de Mil an Th e l eg en d which ac

.
comp ani e d t h e a doptio n of th e sym bol

though oft en enough it wa s m i s s m g In t h e
sculptur e d r epr e s ent a tion s — wa s Comi n us e t '
em i n u s ,
which h a d its origin in t h e b e
li ef th a t t h e p orcupin e coul d d ef end hims el f
i n a n e ar a tt a ck b ut th at wh en h e hims elf
“
a tt a ck e d h e fo ught from a fa r by laun ching

,
forth his spine s .
N a tur alist s will t ell y ou th a t t h e porcup in e

do e s no s uch thing ; but in thos e d ays it wa s
'
fi
e vid ently b eli ev e d th at h e did a n d in m an if
y , ,
n ot all Of t h e sculptu r e d ef g i e s th a t on e s e e s
,
Of t h e b e a st th e r e I s a h alo Of d e t a ch e d spin e s
forming a b a ckground a s if th ey we r e r eally

l aunching th ems elv e s forth in mid ai r -
.
Above this c entr al doorway or entr an ce to ,
t h e co u rty a rd is a nich e in which is a mod ern

,
e que stri a n st at ue of Loui s XII re pla cing a .

,
mor e a nci ent on e d e stroye d at t h e R evolution

w
.
This Old st a tue it is cl aim ed

,
a s an a dmir a ,
bl e work of a r t i n i t s day a n d th e pr e s ent ,
st atue is tho ught to b e a r eplica of it .
It originally bor e t h e following inscription

a Ve rs e writt en by F au sto A n dr el i ni t he ,
king s favou rit e po et

’
.
Th e B l ai s oi s and t h e S ol ogne
Hi c t
ub i n a us er a td t Lex r o odo i cu s O l y m p o,
S um p s i t h on or a t R gi a m an u ;
fi
a e s c ept r a
F el i x q uae t ti f
an ul t l ux n un t i a g
Re i s
Gall i a n on a l i o Pri n c i pe di g na fui t .
F A UST US 1
4 98 .
According to an Old Fr ench de scription this

Old statue wa s
’
t r as be au et t r es ay r e a bl e
’ ’
ai n s y q ue t ous s es p or t r ai t s l on t r ep r es en t é,
comm e c elui q ui e s t a u g r a n d p or t a i l de ,
”
E l oy s .
Above ris e s a b alustr a de wi th fanta stic g a r

g o y l e s with t h e pinn a cl e s a n d fl eur on s o f t h e
fi
window gabl e s al l v ery orn at e t h e whol e ,
topp ed Off with a roo ng Of sl at e .
Blois in i ts gen er al a sp ect is fa scinating ;

, ,
but it is n ot symp a th etic an d this is not s ur ,
prising when on e r em emb ers m en an d wom en

wh o wo rke d their deeds of bloody d a ring
within i t s walls .
Th e murde rs an d oth er a cts of viol enc e an d

trea son which took pl a ce h er e a r e inte r e sting
en o ugh but on e c annot but f eel wh e n h e vi ews
, ,
t h e chimn eypi e ce b e for e which t h e Duc de

Guis e wa s st anding wh en c all e d t o his d eath
in t h e royal clos et th at t h e m en of whom t h e
,
bloody t al e s of Blois ar e told quit e d e s erv ed

their fa t e s .
On e come s away with t h e impr e ssion o f it

a ll st amp ed only upon t h e mind n ot gr av en ,
upo n t h e h e a rt Political intrigue t o d ay if

.
,
fi
‘
quit e a s vulga r is l e ss sordid Bigotry an d

, .
ambitio n i n thos e d ays allow ed f ew of t h e n er
fe elings t o com e to t h e s urfa c e exc ept with ,
r e ga rd to t h e luxuri an ce of s urroundings O f .
this l a st th er e can b e n o que stion an d Blois ,
fi fi
is a s ch a r a ct eristic ally luxurio u s a s any of t h e
m agni cent edi ce s which lodge d th e royalty
a n d nobility of othe r d ays throughout t h e ,
vall ey of t h e Loir e .
A numi smatic cu riosity conn e ct e d with t h e ,
history of t h e Chat eau de Blois is an a nci ent ,
pi e ce of money which on e m ay s ee in th e local

mu s eum It is t h e Old e st document in existen ce
.
fi
in which or on which t h e name of Blois is
, ,
m ention e d O n on e side is a symbolical gur e

.
fi
a n d t h e l eg e nd B l es o Cas t r o an d on t h e oth e r ,
a croi a h au s s ée an d t h e n am e Of t h e O f c e r Of
t h e mint at Bl ois P r e Ci s t a t o m on et a ri o
, ,
.
Th e pl a n Of t h e Chat e au de Blois h e r e gi v en
shows it n ot a s it is t o day b ut a s it was at ,
t h e d e a th of G a ston d Orl ean s in 1 Th e

’
66 0 .
constru ctions of t h e di f fe ren t epochs are not ed

on t h e pl an a s follows :
4
E RE C T ED BY TH E CO M TE S DE C H AT ILL O N
1T
. our t
de Don jon , Ch a eau Re -
g ul t M ul i
na , o ns , or de s
Oub l i e tt es .
the us e of t h e Capu ci n s , an d were cl osete d p our s as s urer

h ere “
’
de leur di s cre ti on ,
”
t he Q uar an te Ci n q wh o were t o k il l t h e
-
Duc de Gui s e .
22 . Cabi n e N e u t f of Hen ri III .

(S econ d fl oor .
)
23 . Gal l er y wh e re was h el d t h e reun i on of t h e Ti ers E tt
a s
of 1 576 .
2 4 Fi t fl
. rs oor , be d ch a mb e r of t h e k in g; s e cond fl oor , b ed
c h am b er of t he qu ee n .
25 . t y Ora or .
26 C bi t
. a ne .
27 P . g t t h T u d M uli n
as s a e o e o r e o s .
28 P . g t t h C b i t Vi ux wh t h Du d Gui
ass a e o e a ne e , ere e e e se
w t u k d w
as s r c o n .
29 C b i
. t Vi ux a ne e .
30 O t y wh
. th tw
r a orh pl i f t h k i ng p y d
, ere e o c a a ns o e ra e
d u i g t h p p t ti f t h m u d
r n e er e ra on o e r er .
31 G d . b wh w fi t d p i t d t h b dy f D
ar e-ro e, er e as rs e os e e o o e
Gui se .
R E C T E D Y GA S T O N
E B D
’
R L E AN S
O
32 . Peri s tyl (D t y d by t h
e . es ro e e m ili t y ) ar .
33 . Dom e .
34 . Pav i l l on de s J ardi ns .
35 . P avi ll on du Foi x .
36 . Peti t Pavi l l on of t h e Méri di onal e f acade . (Des troye d

in
3 7 Terr aces
. .
38 . t
B as i on s du F oi x an d de s J ardi n s .
39 L Eper on
’
. .
40 . Le J ar i n H au d t , or J ar di n du R oi .
Th e
int e rior cou rt is p artly s urro un ded by
a colonn a d e quit e cloist e r lik e i n eff e ct At
,
-
.
t h e right c entr e of t h e Fr an c ois I wing is th a t .
wonde rful spiral st airca s e co nce rnin g t h e In ,

The B lai s oi s an d t h e S ol ogne 1
7
vent i on of which s o mu ch sp ecul ation h a s b een

l aunche d L e ona rdo da Vinci t h e prot égé of
.
,
Fra n c ois h a s b een giv en t h e ho n o u r an d a

, ,
very conside r abl e volum e h a s b een writt en to

prove t h e cl aim .
Within this t our oct ay on e

a s es hui t p an s hur l er nu g org on e
Cyp her f
o F r an cois Premi er a nd Claude f
o F ra nce, at B l oi s
this m a rv ello us op enwork st airway an es ,
ca li er a j our a s t h e Fr en ch c all i t —
, without ,
an e qu al in al l Fr anc e an d for d a ring an d

,
d ecor a tiv e e ff e ct unexcell ed by an y Of thos e

R en aissa n ce motive s of It aly its elf Its a scent .
tu rns not a s do most es ca li er s from l eft to

, ,
right but from right to l e ft It is t h e proto

, .
typ e of thos e s uppos e dly un ique outside stair

co uld b e mor e op ul ent or gloriou s but it giv e s ,
t h e impr e ssion of a city dwelling or a gr e a t

hot el,
“
newly don e up ,a s t h e ho u s e r eno
v a t or s expr e ss it .
On e contra stin g emotion will b e aw a ken e d

by a contempl ation of th e two gr ea t S all e s de s
G a rd e s an d t h e a p a rtm ents of C a therin e de
M e dici ; h er e a t l ea st for t h e mom ent is a
, ,
r eli ef from t h e intrigue s m a ss a cr e s an d a ss a s

, ,
s i n at i on s which oth e rwis e w ent on for on e r e ,
calls that at o n e p e riod

,
dan s es bal l et s e t
, ,
j eua took pl a ce h er e continu ou sly .
I n t h e ap a rtm ents of C ath e rin e the r e is mu ch

”
to r emind on e of t h e b a s e Flor entine as it ,
fi
h as b een t h e fa shion of l a tt e r day histori ans -
to d e scrib e t h e rst Of t h e M edici qu eens .
Nothing could b e mor e s um ptu ous th an t h e

G al e ri e de l a Re in e h er Ca bi n et de Toi l ett e
, ,
or h er Cham br e a Couch er with its s e cr et ,
p an els wh er e sh e di e d on t h e 5th Of J anua ry

, ,
1 589 ,
“
a dor e d an d r ev e r e d
”
but s oon for
,
gott en an d of n o mor e a cco unt th an

,
un e
”
ch a ur e m or t ,
s ays on e old chronicl e r .
Th e ap a rtm en ts of C a th e rine de M e dici

wer e dir e ctly b en ea th t h e gua rd room wh er e -
t h e B al a fré wa s mu rd e re d an d th at ev ent
, ,
t aking pl a ce at t h e v ery mom en t wh en t h e

The B l ai s oi s and t h e S ol ogne 75
queen moth e r -
wa s dying c ann ot b e s aid ,
fi
to hav e b e en conduciv e to a p e a ceful d emis e .
H ere on t h e rst floor of t h e Franc ois

,
Pr emi e r wing t h e r ei n e—mér e h eld h er court

, ,
a s did t h e king his Th e gr ea t g all e ry ove r .
looke d t h e town on t h e sid e of t h e pr e s ent

Pl a ce du Chat eau It wa s an d is a truly .
, ,
gr and a p a rtment with di amon d p ane d win ,

-
dows a n d rich d a rk wall d e cor ations on which

, , ,
C athe rine s d ev ice a crowne d C and h er mono

’
,
gr am i n gold frequently app e a rs Th er e wa s

,
.
,
mor e ove r a gr e at oval window opposit e which

, ,
s tood h er a lt a r an d a doorw ay h alf conc e a l e d

, , ,
l ed to h er writing cl os et wi t h its s ec r e t dr aw ers

-
a n d wa ll p an els which w ell

-
s er v ed h er p ur
pos e s Of intrigue an d de ceit A hidden st air .
way l ed t c t h e floor abov e an d th e r e wa s a ,
ch a m br e a cou ch er with a d e e p r ec e ss for t h e ,
bed t h e s ame to which s h e c all ed h er s on Henri

,
a s s h e l ay dyi ng a dmo n ishing him to giv e u p

,
t h e thou ght Of mu rd e ring Guis e Wh at .

,
s aid H enri on this emb a rr a ssing occ a sion

, ,
sp ar e Guis e wh en h e triumpha nt in P a ris

, , ,
da r e d l ay his h and on t h e hilt of his sword "

Sp a r e him who dr ov e m e a fugitive from t h e
c apit al " Sp a re th em who neve r spa r e d m e "
”
N O moth e r I will n ot
, , .
As t h e quee n moth e r dr ew n e a r h e r en d
-
,
an d wa s lying ill at Blois gr eat events f or

,
Fr ance we r e culmi nating a t t h e chat ea u .
Henri III h ad b e come King Of F r ance an d

.
,
t h e B al a fr é s upport e d by Rom e and Sp ain

, ,
wa s i n op en r eb ellio n a gain st t h e r eigning

h ous e, a n d t h e word h ad go n e forth th at t h e
Due de Guis e must di e Th e St a t e s G e ne r a l
.
we r e to b e Imm edi at ely a ss embled an d De ,
Guis e on ce th e p o etic love r of M a rgue rit e

, ,
thro ugh his emiss a ri e s canv a ss e d al l Fr ance

to en s ur e th e triumph of t h e p a rty of t h e
Chu rch a gainst H e nri de Nava rr e an d his
queen ,
t h e M a rguerit e whom De Gui s e o n c e
-
profe ss e d to lov e — wh o s oon w er e t o come to

,
t h e thro n e of F ranc e .
Th e uncomfort abl e H e nri III h a d b e en told.
tha t h e would n ever b e king i n r ea lity until

De Guis e h a d b e en m ad e aw ay with
fi
.
Th e n a l a ct of t h e dr am a b e twe en t h e riv al
hou s e s of Guis e an d Valois cam e wh en t h e
king an d his council came to Blois for t h e
As s embly Th e s unny city of Blois wa s inde ed
.
to b e t h e scene of a momento us a ff air an d a ,
truly s umptuou s s etting it wa s t h e roof—tops ,
of its ho u s e s slopi n g downwa rd g ently to t h e
Loir e with t h e chi ef a cc e ssory t h e coiffe d an d

, ,
fi
tu rr e t ed chat eau its elf high a bov e all els e
,
.
D et ails h ad b een a rr ang ed with in n it e

Rome by sl ayi ng t h e l ead er of t h e Church

p a rty .
Guis e di e d a s Hen ri s aid h e would di e with ,
t h e words on hi s lips : A m oi m es ami s " “

,
”
t r a hi s o "
n — a m oi , Gui s e,
j e m e m eur s bu t ,
t h e r eve ng e of t h e Church p arty c am e wh en at ,
St Clou d t h e monk J a cques Cl em en t poi

.
, , ,
gua rd ed t h e l a st of th e Valois an d p ut t h e th en ,
h er etic al H enri de Nava rr e on t h e throne of
fi
Fr an c e .
Within t h e south ernmost co n n e s of t h e

chat ea u is t h e Tou r de Foix so c all e d for t h e ,
ol d faubo u rg n e a r by Th e upp e r story an d

.
.
roof of this curiou s round tow e r wa s t h e work

Of C a th e ri n e de M e dici who inst a ll e d th e r e h er
,
a strologe r an d m ak e r Of philtr e s Cosmo Rug ,
g i eri .
Ruggi e ri wa s a most vers atil e p erson ; h e

wa s a strologer alch emist an d philosoph e r
, ,
alik e b e sid e s b eing m any oth e r kin ds of a

,
ro g ue al l of which wa s v ery u s eful to t h e

,
M e dici n ow th a t s h e h a d com e to powe r .
C ath e rine built an o utsid e st airway up to t h e

pl atform of this towe r an d a gr ea t flat stone , , ,
t abl e wa s pl a c ed th e r e to form a found a tion

for Rug g i e ri s c ab alistic instruments
’
E ven .
this ston e t able its elf wa s a n unc anny a ff air ,
if we a r e to b eli eve t h e old chronicl e s It r an g .

out in a cl ea r sharp n ote wh eneve r struck with

s om e h a rd body an d on its s u rfa c e wa s gr av en
,
a lin e which l ed t h e ey e dir e ctly tow a rd th e
golden fl eur de ly s on t h e cupol a of Cham

- -
bord s chat eau some thr ee l eague s dist ant on

’
,
t h e oth e r sid e Of t h e Loir e Wh at all this sym

.
h olism a ctually m e ant nobody e xcept C a th erin e

an d h e r a strolog e r kn ew ; at l ea st t h e d e t a ils ,
do not app ea r t o h av e com e down to enlight en

posterity O ve r t h e doo r way of th e Obs e rva
.
tory wer e gr aven t h e words Vr an i ce S a ,
”
cr um ,
i e cons ecr at e d to Ur an i u s
. .
,
Wher eve r C a the rine chos e to r e sid e wh eth er ,
i n Tou r aine or a t P a ris h e r a strolog e r an d his

,
obs e r v a t oi r e form e d a p a rt of h er tr ain .
S h e h a d brought Cosmo from I t aly an d n ev e r ,
f or a mom ent did h e l e ave h er H e was a sort .
of a priv at e d emon on whom C a th erine could

sho uld e r h er p oiso nings and h er st abs and , ,
a s b e for e s aid h e wa s an exceedi ngly busy

,
function a ry of th e court .
Th at p art of th e stru ctur e built by Man

s a rt for G a sto n d Orl e an s app ea rs str ange
’
,
sol emn and sup erflu ou s in conn e ction with t h e

,
s um ptuo u s n ess of t h e ea rli er portion s With .
what poverty t h e archit ectu r al a rt of t h e

s event eenth c entury expr e ss ed its elf " W h at an
in feriority came with t h e p a ssing of th e S ix
fi
t e en t hc entury an d t h e a dv ent of t h e followin g "
On e nds a c e rta in gr andeur in t h e o utlin e s ofi
this l a st wing with its m aj estic cupol a ov e r

,
t h e entr anc e pa v ilion but t h e g e n er a l ef fe ct

,
Of t h e d ecor a tions is on e of a gr ea t p aucity of

inv ention wh en comp a r ed to t h e mor e brilli ant
R enaiss anc e for erunn e rs on t h e opposit e side
Of t h e co urtya rd
. .
It was un d e r t h e regi m e of G a ston d Orl ean s ’
th at t h e ga rd ens Of t h e Chat eau de Blois cam e
fi
to their gr e at e st excell ence a n d b eauty I n .
1 6 53 Ab el B r un y er t h e rst physici an of Gas

,
ton s s uit e publish ed a ca t alo g ue of t h e fruits

’
,
fi
an d flow e rs t o b e fo und h e r e in th e s e ga rd en s ,
of which h e wa s also dir e ctor More th an v e

.
hundr ed va ri eti e s wer e in cluded thr ee qua r ,

-
t e rs Of which b elong ed to t h e flor a of Fra nc e .
Among t h e delic aci e s an d nov elti e s of t h e

tim e to b e found h er e wa s t h e Pruni e r de R eine
Cl au de from which thos e delicio u s gr een plums
,
known to a ll t h e world to day a s -

R ein e
Cl au de s we r e prop aga t e d a lso a noth er va ri
,
e t y which c am e from t h e Pruni e r de Monsi eu r ,
som ewh at simil a r in t a ste but of a d eep pu rpl e

colou r .Th e p om m e de t er re wa s t end e rly
c a r e d f or an d grown a s a gr eat n ov elty an d
d elic a cy long b e for e its introduction to gener al
cultiv ation by P a rmenti er Th e tom ato was
.
tion h av e mor e th an onc e u s ed it a s an a cce s

sory or t h e princip al sc eni c b a ckgroun d of th eir
sword an d clo ak nov els ; none mor e e f f ectively
th an D um a s in t h e D A r t ag n a n s eri e s ’
.
Th e op e ning line s Of L e Vicomt e de Br age

lonne a r e l a id h e r e It should h av e b een
.
”
a so u rc e Of prid e to t h e city of Blois , s ays
D um a s ,
th a t G a ston of O rl eans h ad chos en
“
it a s his r e sid ence an d held his court i n t h e

,
”
anci ent chat e au Of t h e St at e s .
H er e t oo I n t h e s econ d volume of t h e D A r
, ,
’
t agnau rom a nce s is t h e scen e Of th at most

,
a ff e cting m e e ting b etw ee n his M aj e sty Ch a rl es

IL King of E ngl and an d Louis XIV
, , .
Altogether on e liv e s h e r e in t h e v ery spirit

Of t h e p a ge s Of D uma s N ot only Blois but .
,
fi
L ang eais Ch amb ord Ch ev e rny Ambois e an d
, , , ,
m any oth er ch at e aux gur e in t h e nov els with

an a stonishing fr equ ency an d wh a t ev e r t h e , ,
critics m ay s ay Of t h e author s slips of p en ’
an d m emory D uma s h a s gi v en u s a won de r

,
fully faithful pictur e Of t h e life Of t h e tim e s .
In 1 79 3 al l t h e symbols an d embl ems of r oy

alty w e r e r e mov e d from t h e ch at e au an d de s
t r oy e d
. Th e c el ebr at e d bu st of G as ton t h e ,
fi
chi e f a rtistic a ttribut e of th a t p a rt of t h e e di
ce b uilt by him wa s d e c apit at e d an d t h e
, ,
st atu e of Louis XII ove r t h e entr ance gat eway

.
wa s o v e rturne d broken up Aft e rwa rd t h e

an d .
chat eau b e came t h e prop erty of t h e do

maine an d wa s turn e d i nto a m e re b arr a cks .
ma
“
Th e P avillon of Q ue e n Ann e b e c ame a
y as i n des s u bs i s t an ces m i li t ai r es t h e To u r de ,
l Ob s e rv at Oi r e a p owd e r m ag azine an d al l t h e
’
-
, ,
indigniti e s imaginabl e we r e h eap e d upon t h e

chat eau .
In 1 81 4 Blois b e c ame t h e la st c apit al of

Napol e on s empir e an d t h e ch at eau walls sh el
’
,
t e r e d t h e prisone rs captur e d by t h e imp e ri a l
fi
a rmy .
B l oi s s most luxu rious church e di ce wa s t h e

’
Ol d abb ey chu rch of St S auv eur which wa s

.
,
built from 1 138 to 1 210 It lost t h e roy al f a

.
vou r in 1 6 9 7 wh e n Lo uis XI V ma d e Blois a

, .
city of bishop s a s well a s Of counts an d tra ns ,
fifi
fe rr e d t h e ch apt e r of St S auv eu r s to t h e ba s
.
’
t a rd Gothic e di ce rst known a s St Sol enne .

,
b u t which soon took on t h e n ame of St Louis . .
In spit e of t h e claims of t h e old church this ,
cold unfeeling an d ugly mixtur e Of tomblik e

, ,
R enaiss anc e b e came an d still r em ains t h e

, ,
bishop s church of Blois

fi
’
.
On e mu st not n egl e ct or forge t t h e m ag ni

c ent bridg e which cross es t h e Loir e at Blois .
A work of 1 717 24 it b e a rs t h e Rue D enis

-
P apin a cross its el ev en solidly built m a sonry

pi ers Abov e t h e c ent ral a rch is er e cte d a

.
fi
m emori al pyr amid an d t abl et which st at e s t h e
fa ct th at it wa s on e of t h e rst works Of th e
'
r eign of Louis XV .
Blois a ltog ethe r th en O f fers a multitudinou s

, ,
fi
a rr ay Of a ttr a ctions for t h e to urist who m ak e s
his rst entr ance to t he chat eaux country

thro ugh its doors Th e town its elf h a s not t h e
.
a pp e a l of To u rs of Ang er s or Of N a nt e s ; b ut
, , ,
f or a l l th a t its abund anc e of historic lor e t h e

, ,
a dmir abl e pr e s e rv a tion of its chi e f monum e nt ,
an d t h e gen e r a l pictur e squen e ss Of its sit e an d

t h e co un try round abou t m ake up for m any
oth e r qualiti e s that m ay b e l a cking .
Th e Sologn e lying b etw een Blois Vi e rzon

, , ,
an d Ch at eaun euf s ur Loir e -

is a gr ea t r egi on
-
of l a kel ets s andy soil an d r eplant e d Corsican

, ,
pine s which t o d ay h a s t ak en on a n ew l e a s e
,
of lif e an d a prosp e rity which wa s unknown
in t h e d ays wh en t h e Comt e s de Blois rst fi

e r e ct e d th a t m ai s on de p l ai s an ce on its w e st e rn
bord er which wa s a ft e rwa rd to aggr andiz e i t

s elf into t h e l at er Ch at eau de Ch am bord Th e .
s oil h a s b een dr ain ed and th e vine pl a nte d to

a hith erto undr e am e d Of ext ent until t o day , ,
if th e la nd do e s not exa ctly b lossom lik e t h e

r os e it at l ea st som ewh at a ppro a ch e s it
, .
‘
Th e chaumi er es of t h e Sologn e h ave di s ap
86 Ol d Tourai ne and t he Loire Count ry
c
an e , but his n eighbours to t h e north an d t h e
south will t ell y ou th at all this hid e s a deep
m alice which is h a rd to b eli ev e i n spit e of
, ,
.
t h e w ell r e cogniz ed s aying S ot comme n u

,
”
S ol oy n a t. Th e women hav e a physio g nomy
mor e p a ssive ; wh en young th ey a r e fr e sh a n d
lip —liv ely but a s they grow olde r th eir ch a rms
,
p a ss quickly .
Th e Sologn e in most r e sp ects h a s ch an ge d

gr eatly S ince t h e days of Arthur Young Th en .
this cl a ssic l an d was r evil e d and veh ement im

p r eca t i on s w er e l aunch e d upo n t h e propri etors
fi
of its s oil thos e brilli ant a nd a mbitio u s
“
,
gen tl emen wh o gu re s o la rgely i n t h e c ere

moni e s Of Ve rs aill e s TO day al l is ch an ge d
.
-
,
an d t h e g en tl em an fa rme r is som e thing mor e
th an a bourg eoi s p ari s i en wh o hunts a n d rid e s

”
an d ap e s l e s p or t of t h e E nglish co un try
squi r e .
Th e j a ck r abbit an d th e h ar e ar e t h e p e sts
-
Of t h e Sologne now th at its s an dy s oil h a s b een

conquer ed but th ey a r e quit e s ucc essfully kept
,
down in numb ers an d t h e in s e cts which for

,
m erly r ava ge d t h e vine s ar e likewi s e l e ss

O ff ensive th an th ey u s ed to b e s o t h e S ologn e ,
m ay truly b e s aid to hav e b een tran sforme d .
T o d a y a s in t h e d ays of t h e roy al hunt

, ,
wh en Chambord wa s but a shooting box of t h e -

Counts of Blois t h e Sologn e is rife wi th small

,
gam e an d even deer an d an occa sion al s ang li er

,
.
L a chas s e in Fr anc e is n o m ean thing

to day an d t h e Sologne L a B eauce a nd t h e
-
, , ,
gr eat n a tional for e sts of Lyo n s an d R am

bouillet dr aw on t h e op ening of th e s ea son ,
somewh er e b etween t h e 28t h of Augu st an d

[
t h e 2d Of S ept emb er of each y ea r — th eir
hundr eds of thou sa nds Of Nimrods an d dis
ci p l es of St Hub ert Th e b ea re r of th e g un
. .
i n Fr anc e is ind ee d a most a rd ent spo rtsm an ,
an d i n no E urop ean co untry can on e buy i n
t h e op en m arket a gr ea t e r v ari ety of sm all

game , al l t h e produ ct of thos e wh o p ay th eir
twenty fr ancs for t h e privil ege of b agging r ab

bits h a r es p artridge s a nd t h e like Th e hunt
, , , .
e r s of Fr anc e e nj oy on e s up e rstit i o n how ev er , ,
fi
an d th a t is th a t t o a ccid ent ally b ag a crow on
t h e rst shot me an s a c ert ain an d s udd en d e ath

b efor e t h e day is ove r .
L a Mott e B euv ro n is c el ebr a t e d in t h e ann als

-
of t h e Sologne ; it is in fa ct t h e m e tropolis
, ,
of t h e r e gion an d t h e c entr e from which r a di

,
a t e d t h e influenc e s which conqu e r e d t h e soil
an d m ad e of it a prosp e ro u s la nd wh e r e for ,
m e rly it wa s but a s an dy a rid d e s ert La , .
Motte B euvron i s a long dr a wn out boury a cl e

- - -
,
like som e of t h e pop ulous c entr e s of t h e gr ea t

pl ain of Hunga ry an d th er e is no gr eat pros

, [
p e r i t y or u p
-
t o—dat en e s s to b e Obs erv e d in ,
spit e of its con st antly incr ea sing Import anc e .

,
f or L a Mott e B euvron an d t h e country ro und

-
abo ut is on e of t h e loc aliti e s of Fr an ce which
is app ar ently n ot falling off i n its popul ation .
L a Mott e h a s a most imposing H6 t el de Vill e

fi
,
a h eavy edi c e Of brick b uilt by N apol e on III .
-
who h as n eve r b een a ccus e d of h avin g h a d
t h e a rtistic a ppr e ci a tion of hi s gr e at e r an ce s
tor a ft er t h e mod el of t h e Ar s e n al at Venic e .
This is a l l L a Mott e h as to w a rr ant r em a rk

unl e ss on e I s l ed to inv e stiga t e t h e s ucc e ssful
a gricultu ra l e xp erim e nt which is still b eing
ca rri ed out h e r eabouts L a Mott e s h 6 t el s and
.
’
c afés ar e but ordin ary an d th er e is n o count e r

,
attr a ctio n of boul ev a rd or p a rk to pl a c e t h e
t own among thos e lovabl e pl a ce s which trav

ell e rs occ a sion ally com e upo n u n aw a r e s .
To r ealiz e t h e Sologne at its b e st an d in its

most ch anged a sp ect on e should follow t h e
,
ro a dway from L a Mott e to Blois H e m ay .
'
e ith e r go by tr amway a v ap eur or by h i s own

,
m e ans of communic a tion I n eith er c a s e h e will

.
th en know why t h e prosp erity of th e Solog ne

an d t h e cont entm ent of t h e S ol og n at is a ss u r e d .
Romora ntin still ch a r a cte ristic of th e S O

,
logue an d its historic capit al is famou s for i t s

,
fi
tak e s good ca r e t o pr e ss t h e m a rri ag e ring well -
up to t h e third j oin t of his spo u s e s n g er ,

’
”
e ls e s h e will b e t h e m a st e r of t h e ho u s e ,
which is about a s w ell a s t h e thing can b e ex

pr e ss e d i n E ngl ish It s eems a simpl e p recau
.
tion an d any on e s o mind e d might well do t h e

,
s am e un d er simil ar circumsta nc e s pro vi ded h e

fi
,
thinks th e procee ding ef ca cious .
Again durin g t h e m a rri a ge cer emo ny its elf

, ,
e a ch of t h e p a rti e s most in t er e ste d b ears a

light e d wax t ap er wi th t h e b eli ef th at which
fi fi
,
ev e r rst b urns out s o will its b ear er di e rst

,
.
It s a grue som e thought p erh aps but it giv e s

’
, ,
on e an inklin g of wh o st ands t h e b e st ch a nc e
Of inh eriting t h e oth er s go ods which is wh at

’
,
m a tche s ar e som etime s m a de for .
Th e m a rri age c e remo ny in t h e Sologne is a

gr eat and very public function Intima t e s .
,
fri ends a cquaint anc e s an d any of th e n eigh

, ,
b our i ng p opul a ce wh o m ay n ot oth e rwis e b e

occupi e d a tt end and e at drink an d ultim at ely
, , , ,
g et m e rry B ut th ey h av e a sort of proce ss of

.
ea ch p ayin g his or h er own way ; at l e a st a col
l e ction is t aken up to p ay for t h e en te rt ainm en t ,
for t h e Sologne p eas ant would oth erwis e st art

his m arri ed life i n a sta te of b ankru ptcy from
which it would t ake him a long tim e to r e cover .
Th e coll e ction i s m ade with con sider abl e

Th e B lai s oi s and t h e S ol ogne 9 1
’
ecl a t and h as all l m ents of pictur e sque

t he e e
n e ss th at on e u s ually a ssoci a t e s with t h e wed
di ng p roc essio n s th a t on e s ee s on t h e comic
fi
op er a st age A sort of nupti al bouquet
. a
gr ea t bunch of eld flowers — is hand ed round

from on e gue st t o an oth e r, a nd for a s niff of
th eir fr agr ance and a p articip a tio n i n t h e col
l atio n which is t o come they m ake an Offe ring
, ,
dropping much or littl e into a golden (not gold )

gobl et which is p a ss ed a roun d by t h e bride h er
s elf
.
I n t h e Sologn e the r e is (or was for th e ,
writ er h as neve r s een it ) anoth er sin gul a r cu s
fi
tom of t h e ma rri age s ervice n ot r e ally a p a rt
of t h e churchly o f c e b ut a sort of pr a ctic al

,
in dors ement of t h e a ctuality of it al l .
Th e bride an d groom ar e both p ricke d with

a n eedl e until t h e blood runs to d emonstr at e ,
th at n eith e r t h e m an n or t h e wom an is ins en

sibl e or dr eaming a s to t h e purport of t h e c er e
mony about to t ake pl a ce .
As eve ry Fr ench m arri a ge is at t h e Ma iri e ,
a s w ell as b eing h eld in church this doubl e,
c er emony (an d th e blood l etting a s well ) mu st

-
make a v ery h ard an d fa st ag r eement Per .
h aps it might b e tri e d els ewh er e with ad

vant age .
Montrich a rd on t h e Ch er is on t h e bor de r
, ,
92 Ol d T ourai ne and . t h e L oi re C ount ry
l and b etwee n t h e Bl aisois an d To ur aine Its .
donj on ann o unc e s its elf from a fa r a s a m ag

fi
n i cen t f eud a l r uin Th e town is more ove r
.
'
most curiou s an d original t h e gr eat r ect angu ,
l ar donj on rising high in to t h e s ky above a

s e ri e s of cliff—dwellers ch alk cut hom es , in
’ -
truly weird fa shion .
Th e r e is n othing s o v ery r em ark abl e about

cliff dwell ers i n t h e Loir e country an d th eir
-
a sp e ct,
m an ne rs a n d cu stoms do n ot di f fe r
,
gr eatly from thos e of their n eighbours wh o ,
live b elow them .
Curiou sly e nough the s e» rock cut dwellings -
app e ar dry an d h ea lthful an d ar e n ot in t h e,
l ea st ins alubrious though wh er e a cane h a s

,
been d evote d only to t h e stor a ge of win e i n

vats b arr els and bottl e s t h e ca s e is Som ewh at
, ,
di ff e r ent.
Montrich a rd its elf o utsid e of th e s e sco r e s

,
Of hom e s b urrow e d out of th e cli ff is most ,
pictur e sque with stone p i g n on ed gabl e s and

,
-
dorm er —wm dows an d window fr ame s cut or -
work ed in wood or sto ne int o a thous and

amu sing S h ap e s .
Montrich a rd with Chin on t ake s t h e l ea d in

, ,
int er e sting old hou s e s in th e s e p a rts ; in fact ,
th ey quit e rival th e ruin o us l ean to hous es of -
Rouen an d Lisi eux in Norm andy which is say ,

ing a good deal for th eir pictur e sque qu al

iti e s
.
On e thi rd Of Mont ri ch ar d s popul ation live

-
’
und e rgro und or I n ho u s e s built up a g ainst t h e
hillsid es E ven t h e lovely old p a rish church

-
.
b a cks a gainst t h e rock .
E verywher e a re st airways and Ip et i t s ch e

mi n s l ea ding upward or downwa rd with littl e ,
fa c ade s windows or doorways coming upon

, ,
on e i n most un exp e ct e d an d myst erio us f a shio n
fi
at ev e ry tu rn .
Th e m agni cent donj on is a r elic of t h e work

of th at gr e a t fortr e ss b uilde r F oul q
-
u e s N e rr a
, ,
Comte d Anj ou who dott ed t h e l and wh erever

’
,
h e trod with th e s e m a st e rpi e c e s of th eir kin d ,
most of th em gr ea t r e ct angul ar structur e s like

t h e donj o n s of Brit ain b ut quit e unlike t h e
,
stru ctur e s of their cl a ss mostly s een in Fr an ce .
Rich a rd C oeur de Lion occupi ed t h e for tr e ss

in 1 1 08 but was obli g e d t o s uccumb to his riva l
,
in pow er Philipp e August e wh o i n time m ade

,
-
a br e a ch in its w a lls an d c aptur e d it Ther e .
a ft e r i t b e came an o u tpost of his own from ,
wh en ce h e could menace t h e Comt e d Anj ou ’

.
CHAPTE R IV
C H A M B ORD
CH A M B ORD is fo ur l ea g ue s from Blois from ,
which point it is u s ually appro a ch ed To r ea ch .
it on e cross e s t h e Sologne n ot t h e a rid w a st e

,
it h a s b ee n pictu r ed but a d e s ert whi ch h a s

,
b een ma d e to bloss om a s t h e ros e .
A gl a nc e Of t h e ey e given anywh e r e along

,
t h e ro a d from Blois to Ch ambord will S how ,
a vin ey a rd of a tho u s and two thous and or

, ,
ev en mor e a cr e s wh e r e from out of a soil th a t

-
, ,
wa s onc e s uppos e d to be th e p oor e st i n al l win e

growing Fr ance m ay b e ga rner e d a crop equal
,
ling a hundr ed doz en of bottl e s of good rich

win e t o t h e a cr e .
This win e of t h e Sologn e is n ot one of t h e

f amou s wine s of France to b e s ur e b ut wh at
, ,
on e g e ts in th e s e p a rts is p u r e a n d a stonish
i n g l y p al a t abl e ; mor e ov e r on e can drink l a rge

,
potions of i t — a s do t h e n ativ e s — Wi thout

b eing a f fect ed i n eith er his h ea d or his pocket
book .
though mostly it is fr am ed by t h e somewh at

stunt ed pine s which m ake up t h e pl ea s ant for
es t . Th e vist a s which On e s e e s wh en coming
towa rd Chambord thro ugh t h e driv e s an d ,
a ll eys of its p a rk with t h e chat e au its elf bril

,
lia nt in t h e dist ance ar e cha rming an d fa i ry,
like ind ee d Str aight a s an a rrow th e s e r oa d

.
ways r un an d h e wh o tr av ers e s on e of thos e

,
,
c entring a t t h e chat eau will s ee a tiny whit e
fi
fl e ck in t h e s unlight a h alf a doz en kilom etr e s
a w ay which wh e n it
,
n ally is r e a ch e d will b e
, ,
a dmitt e d to b e t h e gr ea t e st triumph of t he ar t
lo v ing mona rch .
Fr an c ois Pr emi e r wa s for emost in ev e ry

a rtistic e xpr e ssio n i n Fr anc e an d t h e co urt , ,
a s m ay b e e xp e ct e d wer e only t oo e a ge r to
,
follow t h e exp en sive ta st e s of th eir mon arch ,
wh en th ey co uld g et th e m ea ns an d whe n th ey ,
could not Oft en enough Fr anc ois s uppli ed t h e

,
wh er ewith al .
Fr anc ois hims elf dr e ss ed in t h e riche st of

It ali an v elvets t h e mor e brilli an t t h e b ette r
, ,
with a pr eponde r ant t en dency tow a rd pink an d

s ky blue .
A doz en yea rs a ft e r Fr an c ois cam e to t h e

thron e a doz en yea r s a fte r t h e pl ea s ant life
,
Of Ambois e wh en mothe r d aught er an d s on

, , ,
lived togeth er on t h e b anks of th e Loir e i n th at

Ch amb ord 97
”
Trinity of lov e t h e monarch an d his wife
, ,
Q ueen Claud e Of Fra nce t h e d aught er of ,
Louis XII an d Anne of Brittany c am e to live

.
,
a t Ch ambord on t h e e dge of t h e s andy Sologn e
wa st e .
He re t oo c am e M argu erit e d Al en con t h e

, ,
’
,
ev e r faithful a n d d ev ot e d sist er Of Fra nc ois ,
t h e duke h e r husb and an d all th e g ay memb e rs

, ,
of t h e co u rt Th e hun t was t h e ord er of t h e

.
day for th e for e st tr a ct of t h e Sologn e scanty

, ,
though it wa s in growth aboun de d in sm all ,
g am e .
Ch ambord at this time had n ot ris en to t h e

gr and an d ornat e proportions which we s e e
t o d ay but s et snugly on t h e low swampy b anks
, ,
of t h e tiny riv e r Cosson a dull gloomy m edi , ,
a v a l fortr e ss whos e only a sp e ct of gai ety wa s

,
th a t brought by t h e pl ea sur e lovi ng court wh en -
it a ss embl e d th er e In siz e it wa s ampl e to.
a ccommod at e t h e co urt but Fr an c ois s a rtistic

’
,
t emp er ament alr ea dy anticip at e d m any an d

gr eat ch ange s Th e Loir e was to b e turn e d
.
from its cours e and t h e futur e pompo u s p al a c e

wa s to h av e its fe et b ath ed i n t h e limpid Loir e
wat e r r ath er th an i n t h e st a gn ant pools of t h e
mor a ss which th en s u rround ed it .
As a triumph Of t h e royal ch at eau build er s

— ’
ar t
,
Ch ambord is f ar an d aw ay ah ea d of Fon
t ai n ebl e au Ve rs aill e s b oth of which w e r e

or ,
built in a r eign which ende d two hun dr e d ye a rs

l at e r th a n th a t which b egan with t h e e r e ction
’
of Ch ambord As an ex ampl e Of t h e a rts of

.
Fr a nc ois I an d his time comp a r e d with thos e

.
of Lo u is XI V an d his
fi
. Ch ambord st ands forth
,
with gloriou s signi c ance .
O n t h e l ow b anks Of t h e Cosson Fr an c ois ,
a chiev e d p e rh a ps t h e gr ea t e st tri umph th a t
R enaiss ance a rchit e ctur e h a d y et known .
It wa s eith er Ch ambord or t h e r e construe

fi
,
tion by Fr an c ois of t h e e di ce b elonging t o t h e

Co unts of Blois whi ch r e s ult e d in t h e r e n e
,
fi
m ent of t h e R en aiss anc e styl e l e ss th an a qua r
t e r Of a c entury a ft e r its introdu ction into
Fr a nc e by Ch arl e s V III — i f h e r e ally wa s
r e sponsibl e for its import a tion from It aly .
Fr an c ois l a ck e d nothing Of d a ring an d built ,
a n d emb ellish e d a stru ct u r e which t o day in ,
S pit e of num e ro u s S hortcomings st a nds a s t h e ,
fi
s upr em e typ e of a gr eat R en ai s s anc e dom e stic
e di c e Of st a t e E v e ry d evic e Of d e cor a tion
.
a n d e rr a tic s u gg e stio n s eems to hav e b e en ca r
ri e d out n ot only structur ally a s in t h e gr ea t

, ,
do ubl e spir al Of its centr al st airw ay but in its ,
int e rpol a t e d d et ails an d s ym bolism a s well .
It wa s at this tim e t oo th at Fr an c ois b egan

, ,
to introduc e t h e f amous s al am and e r into his

1
00 Ol d T ourai ne and . t h e L oi re C ount ry
t ain comple ten e ss ,

b ut work was r e al ly
t he
p urs ued a ft e rwa rd a ccording to t h e notions Of
”
on e S ert i o .
Th e m a ste rpi e ce Of its con structiv e el ements

is its wonderful doubly spir all e d cen tr al st air
c a s e which p e rmits On e to a scend or de scend
,
witho ut p a ssing a nother proce eding in t h e

opposit e dir ection at t h e s ame tim e Wh a t ev e r
fi
.
m ay h av e b een t he r eal sign i canc e of this

grea t do ubl e spiral it h as b ee n s aid th at it
,
pl ayed its n ot unimportant p art in t h e intrigue

an d sc a nd al of t h e tim e It c e rt ainly is a won
.
der of its kind mor e m a rv ello u s ev en th an th a t

,
spir a l a t Blois a ttribut ed with som e doubt

, ,
p erh aps to L eona rdo da Vinci an d c ert ainly

, ,
f a r mor e b e autiful th an t h e clumsy ro und

towe r up which hors e s an d ca rri ag e s w er e onc e
driv en at Amb ois e .
At al l events it prob ably m eant some th ing

,
mor e th a n m er e constructiv e ability an d a ,
st airca s e which allows on e individual to mount

a n d a noth e r t o d e sc end witho ut knowi ng of
t h e pr e s ence Of t h e oth e r m ay a ss ur e dly b e

cla ss e d with thos e oth er m ediaev al a cce ssori e s ,
sliding p anels hidd en doorways a n d s ecr e t

, ,
c abine ts .
B en eath t h e dom e which t ermin a te s th e st air

c as e i n t h e O rl e ans wing a r e thr ee ca ryatides
Ch amb ord 01
1
r epr e s enting — i t is do ubtfully st at e d — Fra n
c ois Premi e r L a D uch e ss e d Et amp es an d
,
’
,
M a dame l a Comte ss e de Chat eaubria nd a ,
trinity Of boon comp anions in intrigue .
fi
I n r ea lity Cha mbord pr e s ents t h e curiou sly
contrive d a rr angem ent of one e di ce within an
othe r a s a gl an c e of t h e ey e at t h e pl an will
,
s how .
Th e foss e t h e u s ual a ttribut e Of a gr e at

m ediaeval chat eau it m ay b e a dry one or
a wet on e in this c a s e it wa s a wet on e — h a s
,
dis app ea r ed though B ran t Ome writ e s th a t h e

'
s aw gr e a t iro n rings l et in to t h e w alls to which

”
wer e att a ch ed bar ques cl g r an ds ba t eaux ,
which h a d m a de th eir way from t h e Loir e v i a

t h e dribbling Cosson .
Th e COSS on still dribbl e s its life away t o day ,
its moistur e h aving to a gr ea t p a rt gone to

, ,
irrigat e t h e s an dy Sologn e but formerly it was

,
doubtl es s a much more ample str eam .
From t h e p ark t h e ornate gabl e s and dormer

windows loom high a bov e t h e gr een sward ed -
b anks of t h e Cos son It wa s s o i n Fr an c ois s

.
’
time an d it is s o t o day ; n othing h as b een

,
add e d t o br eak t h e spr e ad of l awn, e xc ept an
iron fr am ed wa sh —hou s e with re d til e s an d a

-
sheet iron chimney pot b e sid e t h e little river,

- - -
1
an d a tinroof ed g ar age f or automobil es con

-
n ect e d with th e littl e i nn o utsid e t h e g at e s .
Th e r e st is a s it wa s of yor e at l e a st t h e
s am
, ,
e a s t h e Ol d en gr avin gs of a co upl e Of h un
dr e ds of yea rs ag o pictur e it h en ce it is a gr ea t ,
sh am e since t h e n eeds of t h e tiny vill ag e could

,
not h av e demand e d it, th at t h e for eground

could not h av e b e en l eft a s it originally wa s .
Th e town or r a the r Vill ag e or ev en h aml e t

, , ,
of Ch amb ord is about t h e most a bbr evi at e d

thing of its kind exist ent Th er e is pra ctic ally .
n o vill a g e ; th e r e ar e a scor e or two Of ho u s e s

‘
an inn of t h e fr ankly to urist kin d which ev i ,
dent l y do e s n ot c a t e r to t h e n ativ es t h e a for e ,
s aid wa sh—hou s e by t h e rive r b ank th e dwell ,
ings of th e g am ek e ep ers ga rd en ers an d work

, ,
m en on t h e e st a t e an d a diminutive church ris

,
i ng abov e t h e tr e e s n ot f a r aw ay Th e s e a cc e s .
s or i e s pr a ctic ally compl e t e t h e m ak e up Of t h e -
littl e s ettl em ent of Chambord, on t h e bord ers

Of t h e Bl aisois and Tour aine .
Chambord h a s b e en c all ed top heavy but it -
is h ardly th at Prob ably t h e e ffe ct is c au s ed

.
by its low lying situation f or a s h a s b een i n

-
, ,
tim at ed b e for e this most imposing O f a l l Of

,
t h e Loir e ch at e aux h a s t h e l ea st d e sir abl e situa

tion of any Th er e is a c er t ain vaguen e ss an d
.
for eignn ess about t h e sky line th at is almost -

1
t er day , an d,
b eyon d t h e occ a sion al falling of
a til e from t h e wo n de rful a rr ay of chi mn ey
pots , but littl e evid en c e s ar e s een exte riorly

of its h aving d ec aye d i n t h e l e a st On t h e
.
tower which fl anks t h e littl e door wh e r e one

m eets t h e con ci erg e an d en t e rs the r e a r e un
,
mistakabl e m arks of bul lets and b alls which a ,
r evolution ary or some othe r fury l eft a s m e

m ent oes of its p ass age .
Con sid erin g tha t Cham bord wa s n ot a prod

fi
uct of feud al tim e s th e s e di s g ur em ent s s eem
,
out of pl a ce ; still its p ea ce ful motive s could

h a rdly h ave b een exp ect ed to h ave l a st ed al
Th e south ern fac ade is n ot excell ed by t h e

el ev ation of any r e sid en ti al structur e Of a ny
ag e , an d its o utlin e s a r e v a ri e d an d pl ea sin g
e no u gh to s atis f y t h e most critic al ; if on e p a r
don s t he littl e p epp er —box e s on t h e n orth an d
fi
south tow ers and p erforce on e h a s to p a rdo n
,
th em wh en h e r ec alls t h e m agni cen ce of t he

g en er al disposition an d sky line of this m ar
-
v el l ous l y imposing ch ateau Of t h e R enais

s ance .
Fr an c ois P r emi e r m ade Ch ambord his f a

“
v ou r i t e r e sid ence,
an d I n f a ct e ndow e d Pi e rr e
Nep v eu — who for this work alon e will b e con

s i de r ed on e of t h e for emost a rchit e cts of t h e
1
h e h ad e ven tir ed Of po etry ,

ar t , an d political
af f a irs
.
Above al l h e sh am efully and sham el essly

,
ab u s e d wom en a t onc e t h e prop an d t h e und e r

,
mining influence Of his kingly pow e r i n d ays

gon e by Th er e is an existing r e cord to t h e
.
e ff e ct th a t h e wrot e som e wi n dow p ane -
ver s e on t h e window Of his privat e a p a rtm ent

to t h e following ef f ect
S ouven tf em me vari e
fi
;
Mal h ab i l e qu i s y ’
e
If this b e pocryph al t h e incid ent must

n ot a ,
h av e t ak en p l a c e long y e a rs b e for e th a t c el e
b r at ed window p ane -
vers e of Sh en stone s ’
,
an d Fr a n c ois is prov en a gain a for e run n e r a s ,
h e wa s in ma ny oth e r things .
Without doubt t h e R ev olution did away with

this squa r e of gl a ss which — a ccording to Pi
,
g a n i ol de l a Forc e — exist e d in t h e middl e of
t h e eight eenth c entury P e rh aps Fr an c ois s

.
’
own j ealo u s humo u r pro mpt e d him to writ e
th e s e cynical line s an d th en a gain p erh aps it

,
is m er ely on e of thos e fabl es which br eath e t h e

br e ath of life in som e un a ccount abl e m anner ,
n o on e h aving b ee n pr es ent at its birth and ,
h ea rs ay an d tr a dition a ccounting f or it al l .
Fr an c ois truly wa s failing an d h e and his

, , ,
siste r discuss ed but sorrowful s ubj e cts : t h e

Ch amb ord 1
07
de a th of hi s favourit e son Ch a rl e s t h e i n h er , ,
i t or of t h e thron e at Abb evill e wh er e h e h e

, ,
c am e infe ct ed with th e pl a gue an d also t h e ,

”
d e a th of him whom h e c all ed his Old fri e nd ,
Henry VIII Of E nglan d a monarch whos e

.
,
amo u rs w er e a s num e ro u s an d c el ebr at e d a s
his own .
H enri II prefe rr ed t h e attra ctions of An et

.
to Ch ambord whil e C ath erin e de M edici an d

,
Ch arl es IX car e d mor e for Blois Ch aumont

.
, ,
an d Ch e nonc e aux Louis XIII an d Louis XIV

. .
only consid er e d it a s a r end ezv ou s for t h e

ch a s e an d t h e l att e r s s ucce ssor Louis XV
,
’
,
.
,
gav e it to t h e illustriou s M auri ce de S axe t h e ,
vi ctor of Font enoy who sp ent his old ag e h er e

, ,
amid fa te s pl ea s ur e s an d milita ry p a r a d e s
, , .
N ea r by a r e t h e b a rr a cks built for t h e a ccom ,
m odat i on of t h e r e gim ent of hors e forme d by

t h e m aréch al an d d ev ot e d to his sp e ci al g ua rdi
an s h i p an d pl e a s u r e an d p aid for by t h e king
, ,
who in turn r ep aid hims elf — with int er e st

from t h e p ublic tr ea sury Th e exercising Of .
this littl e a rmy wa s on e of t h e chi ef amu s e

m ents of t h e illu strious Old soldi e r .
A de fi t
e n s com b a s t
Lui -m eme en s e j ouan t con dui tl e s vi e ux s ol dt
a s
wrot e th e
Abb é de Lill e in cont empor a ry tim e s .
King Stanisl a s of Pol and live d h e r e from

1
725 to 1
1 73 3 ,
l t r it wa s giv en to M ar éch al
an d a e
B e rthi er by whos e widow it was sold i n 1

,
821,
.
It wa s bought by national s ubscription for

a millio n a n d a h alf of fr an cs an d gi v en to
t h e Duc de Bord eaux who imm e di at ely com

,
m en ced its r e stora tion for it h ad b een horribly

,
mutil a t ed by M a réchal de S axe and t h e s ur ,
rounding wood h ad b een pr a ctic ally d enud ed

und e r t h e B erthi e r occup an cy
Th e Due de Bord eaux di e d i n 1 883 an d his ,
h eirs t he Due de Pa rm e and t h e Comt e de

,
B a rdi a r e n ow s aid t o sp end a qua rt er of a

,
millio n annually i n t h e m aint en an ce of t h e

e st a t e t h e i n come of which a pproxima t e s only
,
h alf th at s um .
fi
Th er e a r e thirt een gr ea t stairca s e s i n t h e
e di c e an d a room for ev e ry day in t h e yea r
,
.
O n t h e gro und floor is t h e S all e des G ard es ,
from which on e moun ts by th e gr eat spir al to

anoth e r simil a r ap a rtm ent with a b arr el
v ault e d roof which in a forme r day was con
,
v ert e d into a th eatr e wher e in 1

fi
,
6 69 70 we r e -
h eld t h e rs t r epr e s ent ations of Po urceau

”
gn ac a nd L e Bo urge ois G en tilhomm e ,
an d wh e r e Mol i ér e hims elf frequently ap

p e a r ed .
Th e s e cond floor is know as th e g r a ndes

t er r as s es an d s u rro un ds t h e b a s e of th e gr ea t
CHA PTE R V
C H EVE R N Y, B EAU RE GARD, AND CH AU M O N T
F RO M Ch ambord an d its overpower in g m as

s i v en es s on e m a k e s his way to Ch aumo n t on ,
t h e ba nks of t h e Loir e b elow Blois by e asy ,
st age s a cross t h e pl ain of t h e Solo gne .
On e l e av e s th e pr e cincts of Ch ambord by t h e
b a ck entr anc e a s one might call it thro ugh six
, ,
kilometr e s Of for e st ro a d like th at by which

,
on e e nt e rs a n d soo n p a ss e s t h e littl e tow nl e t

,
of Br a ci eux .
On e gets glimps e s of mor e or l e ss mode rn

r e sidenti a l chat e aux once an d a gain off th e
m ain ro a d but n o r em a rk ably int e r e stin g
stru ctur e s of any sort a r e met with until on e
r e a ch e s Ch ev e rny Ju st b e for e Ch ev erny one
.
p a ss e s Cour Ch ev erny with a curio us ol d

-
church an d a qu aint looking littl e i nn b e sid e it

-
.
Ch ev erny its elf is howev e r t h e r eal at t ra c

, ,
tion two kilom etr e s a way Her e t h e ch ateau

, .
is op ened by its priva t e owners from April to

1
10
1
p ort uni t y h aving b een w ell a cquaint e d with

of
a mor e b eau tiful styl e was r e sponsibl e for t h e
fi
.
d e sign of t h e e di ce at Ch ev e rny .
Th e inte rior de cora tio n s i n C ordovan l ea th e r

fi
,
t h e n e chimn eypi e ce s an d t h e m any el abor at e

,
historic a l pictur e s an d wa ll p aintings by Mos ,
ni e r Clouet and Migna rd a re a ll of t h e b e st

, , ,
of th eir p eriod ; whil e t h e ap a rtm ents th em

s elve s a r e excee dingly ampl e n ot ably t h e Ap ,
p ar t em en t du Roi furnish e d a s it wa s i n t h e
,
”
d ays of Ve rt Gal ant th e S all e de s G a rde s
, ,
t h e libr a ry an d an e l abora t ely tra c eri e d s t aI r

ca s e I n t h e chap el is an alt a r t abl e which
.
-
came from t h e Eglis e St C al ais i n t h e ch ate au.

,
at Blois .
Just outside th e gat e s is a r em a rk abl e crotch

e t y Old sto n e church with a dwin dling t op
, ,
pling spir e It is p oor and impov e rish e d wh en

.
comp a re d with most Fr en ch church es and h a s ,
a most a stonishi ng timb e r e d v er an d a with a ,
str aining cr e aking roof running a roun d its t wo

fi
,
fi
unobstru ct e d walls Th e op en ra ft ers a re l l ed
.
with all sorts of rubbish an d t h e l ocal r e ,
briga de ke eps its hos e and l adders th e r e A .
fi
most suit abl e ol d rooke ry it is i n which to start
a r s t cla ss con flag r at i on
-
.
Within ar e a f ew fun er al m a rbl es of t h e

Hurault family and t he daily of ce s are con
, fi
C h everny , B eauregard, Ch aumont 1
13
Cheverny s ur L oire
1
duct ed with a pomp most unexp ect ed Al to .
geth e r it forms a s to its fabric an d its func

,
tions a s strong a contr a st of a ctivity and d ecay

,
a s on e is likely to s e e in a long j o u rn ey .
Th e town its elf is a sl eepy unprogr e ssiv e ,
pl a ce wh er e automobilists m ay n ot even buy

,
es s en ce a p et r ol e though bo a sting — if
’
and , ,
t h e indol ent Old town r e a lly do e s bo a st — a

coupl e of thous a nd souls on e still h a s to j o ur
,
n ey t o Co u r Ch ev e rny to s end a t el e gr aphic

-
d e spa tch or buy a d aily p ap er .
B e tween Ch ev erny an d Blois is t h e Forat

de Ru ssy which wi ll aw ak en m emori e s of t h e
,
bo a r —hunts Of Fr an c ois L which along with , ,
a r t in all its enlight en ing a sp e cts app e a rs to ,
h av e b ee n on e of th e chi ef pl ea s u r e s of th at
mon arch P erh aps on e o ught to include also
.
t h e love of fair wom en but with th em h e wa s

,
n ot so const ant .
O n t h e ro a d to Blois also on e p a ss e s t h e
, ,
Ch at eau de B e au r egard ; th a t is on e u sually ,
p a ss e s it but h e shouldn t It is built p r act i

,
’
.
,
c ally within t h e for e st on t h e b anks of th e

, ,
littl e rive r B eauv r on A n iron g ri l l e giv e s

.
e ntr anc e to a b e autiful p a rk a n d within is t h e ,
ch at eau its ve ry nam e indic ating t h e favou r

,
with which it wa s h eld by its royal owner It .
wa s i n 1 520 th a t Fr anc ois I e st ablish e d it a s .

1
xcell en t exampl e of t h e cra ftsman ship of til e

“
maki ng .
On e gain s a dmissio n to t h e chat eau fr eely

from th e con ci erg e wh o in due cours e exp ec ts
,
h e r p our boi r e an d s ee s th at s h e gets it

, B ut .
wh at wo uld y ou in qui sitive travell e r " You

,
“
“
have com e he r e t o s ee t h e sights and B eaur e ,
ga rd is w ell worth t h e pric e of a dmission ,
which is a nything y ou like to gi ve, ce rtainly

n ot l e ss th an a fr an c .
On e m ay r eturn t o Blois thro ugh t h e for e st ,
or may co n tinu e his way down t h e rive r to
Ch aumon t on t he l eft b ank .
At Ch aumo n t th e Loir e bro a d en s to n ea rly

doubl e t h e width at Blois its p ebbl e s an d s an d
,
b a rs br eakin g t h e mirror lik e s urfa ce into i n

-
n um er abl e pools an d e t ang s The r e is a bridge .
which connects Ch aumont with t h e ra ilway at

O nz ain and t h e grea t n atio nal highway from
Tours to Blois Th e bridge howeve r is so
.
, ,
hid e ous a thing tha t one h ad r ath e r go mile s

out of his way th an a ccept its hospit ality It .
is simply one of thos e un symp ath etic wir e rop e -
a ff a irs with which t h e fa c e of t h e gl ob e is b e ing
cove r ed a s engineering skill progr ess e s and th e

,
ar t in stin ct di e s out .
Th e Chat eau de Ch aumon t is ch a rmin gly

S it uat ed ,
a lb eit it is n ot v e ry a cc e ssibl e t o
1
m ob i l i s t s cyclists n ow roll a lo n g wh er e t h e
an d
st at e c a rri a ge s of t h e court us e d to roll wh en

Fr anc ois Pr emi er an d his sons j ou rn ey ed from
on e g ay co untry ho u s e t o a noth e r .
It is to b e infe rr ed th at t h e a sp ect of things

a t Ch aumont h a s not ch a ng e d mu ch S inc e th a t
day , alw a ys s aving th at spid er n et wir e -
bridge Th e pop ul atio n Of t h e town h as doubt

.
l e ss grown som ewhat ev en though sm all town s

,
in Fr anc e som e time s do not incr ea s e th eir

pop ul ation i n c en turi e s ; but t h e topogr aphical
S ign a tu
re o
f D i an e t
dc P oi i ers
a sp e ct of th e lo ng dr awn —out vill age b a cke d by

-
gr een hills on on e S ide an d t h e Loir e on t h e

oth e r is mu ch a s it alwa ys h a s b een
,
.
Th e chat e au a t Ch aumont h a d its origin as

f ar b a ck a s t h e t enth c e ntury a n d its pro pri e ,
tors w er e s ucce ssiv ely loc al s eigneurs Counts ,
Of Blois t h e family Of Am bois e an d Di an e

, ,
de Poiti ers who r eceiv e d it from C ath e rin e in

,
e xch ange for Ch en onc e aux This was not a fair

.
wa s to some ext ent ,

fi
exch ang e an d Di an e
, ,
j u sti e d i n h e r compl aints .
Ch aumont was for a time i n t h e poss e ssion

C h ev erny , B eauregard, C h aumont 1
19
of Scipion S ar di n i on e of t h e Itali an p a rtis ans

,
of th e M e dici
‘
whos e a rms bor e t r ot s s a r di n es

,
”
an d who h a d m a rri e d Is ab ell e de l a
’
d a rg en t ,
To ur ,
l a D em oi s ell e de Li m i eul
, of u ns a
v our y r ep u t ation .
Th e Dem oi s ell e dc L i mi eul

’
wa s r el at e d ,
too to C athe rine an d wa s c el ebra t e d i n t h e

, ,
gall antri e s of t h e tim e i n n o env i abl e f a shion ‘

.
S h e wa s a m emb er of that b and of d emois ell e s ,
whos e bu sine ss it wa s by on e fa scination or -
anoth e r — to worm politica l s e cr e ts from t h e
n obl e s of t h e co u rt On e horribl e sc and a l con .
n e ct e d t h e unfortun a t e l a dy with t h e Princ e de
Condé but it nee d not b e r ep ea t ed her e Th e

,
.
Hugu en ots ridicul e d it i n thos e memorabl e

vers es b eginning thu s
Puell a i ll a . n ob il i s
Q uae er a tt a m am ab il i s .
Aft er t h e r eign of S ardi n i an d of his dir ect

s ucce ssors t h e hou s e of B ullion Ch aumont
, ,
p a ss e d through m any h an ds Mad am e de St a t31 .

-
a rriv e d a t t h e ch at eau i n t h e e a rly y ea rs of t h e
n in e t eenth c en tury wh e n s h e h ad r e c eiv e d t h e

,
order to s ep a ra t e h e rs elf from P a ris by at ,

”
l ea st f orty l ea g ue s S h e h ad m ad e t h e circl e
.
of t h e outlying town s hovering about P a ris a s ,
a moth abo ut a c a ndl e flam e ; Ro u en Aux e rr e -
,
,
Blois S aumu r all h ad ent ertain ed h er but now

, , ,
1
s he cam e to e st ablish h ers elf in this Loir e cit a

del . As t h e story go e s j o urn eying from S au ,
mur to Tours by post chais e on t h e opposit e

,
-
sid e of t h e rive r s h e s aw t h e imposing m a ss

,
of Ch aumont rising high abov e t h e riv e r b ed -

,
an d by h er go o d gr a c e s and winning ways i n
st a ll e d h e rs elf i n t h e af fe ctions of t h e th en pro

p r i et or M L e r ay an d continue d h e r r e sid en ce
,
.
,
”
an d m a d e h er co urt h er e for m an y y e a rs .
Ch aumo n t is to day t h e prop er ty of t h e Prin

-
c e ss e de Brogli e wh o h a s sought to r e stor e it

, ,
wh er e n eedful even to r e est ablishing t h e an

,
ci ent foss e or mo a t This l a st p erh aps is n ot .

, ,
n e edful ; still a mo at e d ch at eau or even a

, ,
mo a t e d gr ange h as a fa scin ation f or t h e s en

t i m en t all y incline d .
At t h e dr awbridge a s on e ent ers Ch aum on t ,
to —day on e s ee s t h e grav en initi als of Louis

,
XII and Ann e de Br et a gne t h e arms of

.
,
G e orge s d Am b oi s e s urmount ed by his car

’
,
di n al s h at an d thos e of Ch a rl e s de Ch aumon t
’
, ,
a s w ell a s oth e r c ab alistic sign s : on e a r ep r e
s cut a tion of a mount ain (app a r ently ) with a

cr at e r—like sum mit from which fl ame s ar e
br e aking forth whil e hovering about b a ck to
, ,
b a ck ar e two C s : OC Th e R enaiss an ce ar
,
’
.
t i s t s gre a tly a ff e ct e d t h e r eb u s an d this p er ,
h aps h a s s om e r e fe ren ce to t h e etymolog y of

1
bishop of Rouen a n d a ca rdin al, s u cceed e d his

un cl e in t h e s ee H e al so is b uri e d b en e ath th e
.
s am e ca nopy a s his pr e de ce ssor at Rouen

fi
.
Th e m ain port al of t h e ch at eau l e ads to a n e

quadrila t er al cou rt with an op en gall ery over
looking th e Loir e which mu st h ave b een a m ag
fi
,
n i cen t pl aygro und f er th e nobility of a

“
fi
form er day Th e int e rior emb ellishm ents ar e
.
ne ,
some of t h e mor e n ot ew orthy fea tur e s
b eing a gr a nd st airca s e of t h e styl e of
Louis XII ; t h e S all e des G arde s with a
.
,
p a i n t e d ce i l i n g showing t h e a rms of Ch aumont

‘
an d Am bois e ; t h e S all e du Cons e il with som e
fi
,
n e t a p e stri e s an d a r em ark abl e til e d floor ,
d epict ing scen es of t h e ch a s e ; t h e Ch ambr e de

-
C a th e rine de M edici (s h e poss e ss e d Ch aumont

f or n ine years ) co nt ainin g som e of t h e gifts
,
pr e s ent e d to h er upon h e r we dding with

H en ri II ; a n d t h e curiou s Ch ambr e de Ruggi
.
eri , t h e a strologe r whom C ath e rin e brought

_
from h er It ali an hom e an d wh o wa s alw ays ,
n e a r h e r an d k ept h er s uppli e d with ch a rms

,
a n d om en s good a n d b ad an d a lso h er p oisons

, ,
.
R ugg i e ri s obs erva tory wa s ab ove his ap art

’
m ent It wa s a t Ch aumont th at t h e a strologer

.
ove rst epp ed hims elf an d wo uld h av e u s ed his

,
m a gic a gainst Ch a rl e s IX H e did go s o f ar .
a s to m ake an im a ge an d i nflict c e rt ai n i n di g
C h everny , B eauregard, C haum ont 1
23
n i t i es pon it wi th t h e b eli ef that t h e s ame

u ,
would befall t h e mon arch hims elf Ruggi eri .
went to t h e galleys f or this but t h e sch eming ,
C ath erine soon h a d him out a gain an d a t work ,
with his poiso n s an d philtr e s .
Finally th er e is th e Ch ambr e de Di ane de

Poiti ers C athe r ine s mor e th a n s ucc e ssful
,
’
riv a l Wi th a b ed (mo dern it is s aid ) an d a

, ,
s eri e s of S ixt eenth century t ap e stri e s with

-
va riou s oth e r pi e ce s of contempor a ry f ur ni

tur e A portr ait of Di ane which de cor at e s t h e
.
ap a rtm ent is s uppos e d to b e on e of t h e thr ee
fi
a u th entic portr aits of t h e fa ir huntr e ss Th e .
ch ap el h a s a n e tile d p avement a n d some

e xc ell ent gl a ss .
Chaumont is eight een kilom etr e s from Blois

an d t h e s am e dist an c e from Ambois e It h a s
fi
n ot t h e spl endou r of Ch ambord but it h a s a ,
gr e ate r antiquity an d an in comp ar ably ne r

,
situation which displ ays its coiff ed towers an d

,
th eir m dchi con li s an d cornice s in a m anne r not

othe rwis e possibl e It is on e of thos e pictu r e
.
chateaux which t ell a sil ent story quit e ind e

p end ent of guid e book or historical n a rr ative
-
.
It wa s M Dona ti en L e R ay de Ch aumont th e
.
,
s up erint end ent of t h e for e sts of B erry an d t h e

Bl aisois und er Loui s XVI who gave hospi
, ,
tality to B enj amin Fr anklin an d turne d ove r ,

1
fi
to t h e rst Am erican amb a ss a dor to Fr an ce t h e
occup an cy of his ho us e a t P a ssy w he r e Fr ank ,
l i n live d f or nin e cons e cutive yea rs .
O f this s ame M de Ch aumo n t Americans can

.
n ot h ave too high a r e g ard for his tim ely an d,
j udi ciou s hospit ality h a s a ssocia t e d his nam e ,
only l e ss p e rm an ently th an Franklin s with ’

,
t h e early fortun e s of t h e Am eric an r ep ublic

fi
.
B e side s his oth e r of c e s M de Ch aumont was

,
. .
t h e in t endant of t h e H ot el de s Inv alid e s at

fi
,
P a ris holding con d enti al r el atio n s with th e

,
ministry of t h e youn g king an d wa s in t h e ,
imme di at e enj oym ent of a fortun e which

amo un t e d t o two an d a h alf millio n of fr an cs
,
b e side s ownin g in addition to Ch aumo nt on

,
t h e Loir e a noth e r ch at e au in t h e Bl aisois

,
.
This chat e au h e a ft erward t en d er e d to John

Ad ams wh o de clined t h e o f fer i n a l ett er
, ,
written at P a ssy s ur S eine F ebruary 2 5 1

- -
, 779 , ,
i n t h e following words To a min d a s

much a ddicte d to r etir emen t a s min e t h e situa ,
tio n y ou propos e would b e d eliciou s ind eed ,
provide d my country we r e at p ea c e an d my
f amily with m e ; but s ep a r a t ed from my
,
family an d with a h ea rt bl eeding with t h e

wounds of its coun try I should be t h e most
,
mis erabl e b ein g on ea rth .
Th e pott e ri e s which now form t h e st abl e s

,
1
a mong th e s e shops whos e a ttr a ctions a r e al

,
most a rival to thos e of t h e c a stl e though this ,
is c ert ainly on e of t h e most int e r e sting i n

Fr a nce Th e tr av ell er will r em emb e r t h e long
.
flight of stone st eps which climbs t h e st eep hill

in t h e c entr e of t h e town N ea r t h e foot of this
.
hill th e r e is a well —furnish e d book shop ; its -
win dows displ ay old e ditions a nd rich bindings ,
an d t empt on e to en t e r an d inquir e for antiqui
ti e s H er e I found a quantity of ol d nota ri al

.
documents a n d diplom a s of coll ege or un i

v e rsity , al l mor e or l e ss r e c ently cl e a r e d out
from some to wn h all or un e arth e d from n eigh

,
b ouri n g c a stl e an d s old by a c a r el e ss own e r

, ,
a s n o longe r v alu abl e to him . This was t h e c a s e

with most of t h e p a rchm ents I found at Blois ;
th ey h a d b een a cquir e d within a f ew years from
t h e c a stl e of M a don an d from a form e r pro
,
p r i et or of t h e n eighbou rin g c a stl e of Ch aumont

( t h e c a l v n s m an s of m e di aev a l tim e ) a
,
n d most
of th em p e rt ain ed to t h e aff airs of t h e s et
g n e u r i e d e Ch au m o n t . Contr a cts ,
e x e cutions
,
s al e s of v ineya rds and hou s e s l egal de cisions

, ,
a c t es de v en t e ,
lo ans on mortgage s th e m ar ,
r a g e contr a ct o
i f a M . Lubin — th e s e we re
,
t h e chi e f docum ents th a t I fo un d and p ur

”
ch a s ed .
Th e trav ell e r m ay not exp e ct to com e upo n

~
~
Ch everny , B eauregard, Ch aumont 1

27
duplicat e s of th e s e tr eas ur e s ag ain but th e

,
incident only points to t h e fact th a t much doc

um en t ar y hi story still li es mor e or l e ss d eeply
buri ed .
C HAPT E R VI .
T O URAI NE : TH E GAR DEN S P T OF O FR AN C E
C es
’
tu ne g r an d d m u pi
e a e, lt
ne r n c es s e a i er e,
Ch acu n de s es c h at u m qué du
ea x , u y
ar s ce a ro al ,
L ui f ai t un e t il tt
o e d t l l d pi
e en en e e e err e
Et s on s pl e n di d fl u u mi i d i t l
e e ve n ro r e cr s a
fi
.
IT is dif cult to writ e a ppr e ci atively of Tou

r aine without e choing t he words of som e on e
fi
who h a s gone b efor e an d it is likely th a t thos e
,
who come a ft e r will n d th e t a sk no ea si e r .
Trul y a s a s event eenth cen tury ge ogr aphe r

,
-
h a s s aid : H er e is t h e most d elicious an d th e

most a gr eeabl e p r ov m ce of t h e kingdom It .
h a s b e en n ame d t h e g ard en of Fr ance b ec aus e

of t h e softne ss of its clim at e t he a f fability of ,
”
its p e opl e an d th e ea s e of its life
,
.
Th e po ets who h ave s ung t h e pr ais e s of Tou

rain e ar e m any Ron s a rd R emy B ell eau Du
, , ,
B ell ay an d for pros e authors we h ave at th e

,
h ead R ab el ais L a Fon t aine B alz a c and Alfr e d

, , , ,
de Vigny M er ely to enum er a t e th em al l wo uld

.
1
28
1
r ea d history without books with t h e v e ry p ag es

,
of na tu r e punctua t e d an d a dorned with t h e

m arv els of t h e Fr ench R enaiss ance Louis XI
fi
. .
fi
g av e t h e rst imp etus t o t h e alli ance of t h e
gr ea t dom e stic edi ce — which we h av e come
fi
to distinguish a s t h e r e sid enti a l ch at e au
with t h e throne an d t h e id ea wa s ampli e d
fi
,
by Ch a rl e s VII I an d glori ed by Fr a n c ois

.
Pr emi e r .
In t h e brilli ant if dissolut e tim e s of t h e

, ,
e a rly sixt eenth c e ntury Fr a n c ois Pr emi e r an d
his cour t tr av ell ed down through this s am e

To ur a ine to Loch e s an d to Ambois e wh e re ,
Fr anc ois s l at e ga ol e r Ch a rl e s Q uint wa s to

’
‘
, ,
b e r e c eiv e d an d ent e rt ain e d It Wa s a ft e r

.
Fr a nc ois h a d r etu rne d from his inv olunt ary

e xil e in Sp a in a n d whil e h e wa s still in r e s
,
‘
id ence a t t h e Lo uvr e th a t th e pl ans f or
,
t h e j o u rn ey we r e m ad e To t h e D u ch e ss e
.
d Et am p e s Fra n c ois s aid

’
t h e duch e ss wh o
,
wa s a lr ea dy mor e th a n a riva l of both Di an e

a n d t h e Comt es s e de Ch at eaubri ant I mu st ,
'
t e a r mys elf aw ay from y ou to morrow I sh all -

.
?
aw a it my broth e r Ch arl e s at Ambois e on t h e
”
L oir e.
Sh all y ou not r evenge yours elf upon him ,
for his cru el tr e atm ent of y ou s aid t h e wi ly

favourit e of t h e time If h e like a fool
.
, ,
T ourai ne : G arden S pot of F rance 31
1
com e s to To u r aine will y ou not make him re
Fr an c ois
.
’
I will p ers u a d e him if possibl e

,
voke t h e tr ea ty of Ma drid or shut hi m up in on e

of Lo uis XI s o ubli ett e s ? , ,
but I sh all n ev er forc e him

,
.
I n du e tim e Fr a n c ois did r e ce iv e his brot he r

king at Ambois e an d it wa s amid gr eat cer e
mony an d spl endou r His gue st could not or .
,
would n ot mount st eps so th a t gr e at inclin ed

, ,
pla ne up which a st at e co a ch an d its hors e s

,
might go wa s built Prob ably th e r e wa s a

, .
fi
good r ea son for t h e emp e ror s p e culi a rity for ’
,
that worthy or unworthy monarch nally di ed

of go ut in t h e mon a st e ry of S an J ust e .
Th e m e eting h e r e at Ambois e wa s a gr and

an d c er emonio u s a ff a ir an d t h e Sp a nish m on
a rch s o o n cam e to r e cogniz e a possibl e e n emy

'
in t h e royal favourit e Anne de Piss el i eu Th e ,

- -
.
emp e ror s ey e s how ev e r m elt e d with a dmir a

’
, ,
tion a n d h e told h er tha t only in Fr ance co uld

,
on e s ee s uch a p erfe ction of el egance an d

b e auty with t h e r e s ult that
,
a s is pop ul a rly
a dd u c e d — t h e s usc eptibl e ambitiou s an d un , ,
faithful duch e ss b etr aye d Fr anc ois mor e th an

once in t h e aff airs a tt endant upon t h e s ub s e
quent wa rs b etween Fran ce E ngl and and , ,
Sp ain .
From T our aine in t h e sixt ee nth century

, ,
1
spr ea d tha t influence which le ft its impr e ss

ev en on t h e c apit a l of t h e ki ngdom its elf not ,
“
o nly in r e sp ect to a rchit ectur a l ar t but i n ,
m anne rs an d cu stoms a s well .
Wha t eve r m ay b e t h e r eal value of t h e

R en aiss ance a s an a rtistic expr essio n th e di s ,
cu s s i on of it sh a ll h a v e no pl a c e h e r e b eyond ,
t h e qualifyin g sta t em ent th at wh at we h av e

come to know a s t h e Fr ench R enaiss ance
which und eni ably gr ew up from a tr an spl ant ed
fi
It ali a n ge rm prov e d highly t empting to t h e
fi
m ediaeval build er for al l manne r of e di ce s ,
wh e r ea s it we r e b ett e r if it h ad b een con n e d

to civic and dome stic e stablishm ents an d l e ft
t h e church p ur e in its full blown Gothic forms
-
.
Curiously enough he re in Tour a ine this is

, ,
j ust wh a t did ha pp en Th e Re naiss anc e i n

.
fluen ce cr ept in t o church—building he r e an d

the r e — an d it is but a short st ep from t h e
fi
g o t h i q u e r ay on n an t t o wh at a r e r ecogniz e d
a s w e ll —de n ed R en aiss an c e featur es ; but it is
mor e p a rticula rly i n res p ect to t h e gr ea t ch a
t e aux an d even small e r dwellings th a t t h e
, ,
s up erimpos e d It ali an d et ai ls wer e us ed A .
not abl e illustr ation of this is s een i n t he C ath e

dr al of St G ati en at Tours It is ve ry b eauti
. .
f ul an d h as som e a dmir abl e Gothic fea tur e s ,
but th ere ar e occa sion al co ns tructive d et ails a s ,

1
vicinal e s an d p a r t i cu l i ére s s econd to ,
n on e of th eir r e sp e ctiv e cl a ss e s i n oth e r coun
tri e s for a ss ur edly th e ro a ds of Fr anc e a r e

’
t h e b est in t h e world M any of th e s e gr eat

.
wa ys of commun ic atio n r epl a c e d t h e anci en t
fi
Rom an ro a ds which we r e t h e pione ers of t h e
,
m ag ni cent ro a dways of t h e Fr a nce of to day -

.
Almost inva ri ably Tou r aine is flat or rolling ,
its high es t el ev ation a bov e th e s ea b eing but a

hun dr e d an d forty six m etr e s s carce four h un
fi
-
dr e d an d f ty f eet a fa ct which a ccounts also

,
for t h e gentl e flow of th e Loir e through the s e

p arts .
All t h e fruits of t h e southl a nd ar e found
fi
h er e th e oliv e alon e exc ept ed Mort ality it is
, .
,
s aid and prov ed by gur e s is low er th a n i n

, ,
any oth e r p a rt of Fr anc e an d f or this r e a so n

,
m any dwelle rs in t h e l arg e citi e s if th ey m ay ,
n ot al l h a v e a m e di aev al chat e au h av e a t l e a st ,
”
a vill a f ar aw ay from
, t h e m a dding crowd ,
an d y et within fo ur ho urs tra v el of t h e c a pit al

’
its elf .
Toura ine prop e rly sp eaking h a s n o n atur al

, ,
fronti ers a s it is not en clos e d by rivers or

,
mount ains It is howeve r divid ed by th e

.
, ,
Loir e into two distinct r egion s t h e M éridi on al e ,
an d t h e S ept e ntrion al e ; b ut t h e dr ess t h e ,
physiognomy t h e l anguag e an d t h e p r edi l ec

, ,
1
34 Ol d Tourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
i nal e s
v ci an d p a r t i cul i e re s s e cond to ,
n on e of th ei r r e sp ectiv e cl a ss e s in oth e r coun

tri e s f or a ss ur e dly t h e ro ads of F r an ce a r e
’
t h e b es t in t h e w orld M any of th e s e gr ea t
.
ways of commun ic atio n r epl a c e d t h e an ci ent
fi
Rom an ro a ds which we r e t h e pion eers of t h e
,
m a gn i cent ro adways of t h e Fr ance of to day -

.
A lmo s t inv a ri ably T our ain e is flat or rolling ,
its hi gh e st el ev a tion a bov e th e s ea b eing b ut a

hun dr e d an d forty six m e tr e s scarc e fo ur h un
fi
-
d r e d an d f t y fe e t a f a ct which a cco unts also

‘
f o r t h e g entl e flow of t h e Loir e through th e s e

p arts .
All t h e
i fi
H
i té b fi fi
f th é dd tlfl an d ar e found
iiO )
h er e t h e oliv e alon e exc ept e d Mort ality it i s

“
0
fi
, .
,
s aid an d pr ov e d b y gu r e s i s low e r th a n i n
, ,
an y oth e r p a r t o f F r an c e a n d f o r this r e a so n ,
m any dwell e r s i n t h e l a rg e ci t i e s if th ey m ay ,
not al l h av e a m e di aev a l ch ateau h av e at l e a st ,
a v ill a f a r aw ay f ro m t he m a dding crowd ’

, ,
an d y e t within fo ur h our s tra vel of t h e c apit al

’
it s elf .
T oura in e prop e rly sp eaking h a s no n atu ral

, ,
fr on ti e rs a s it is not enclos ed by riv ers or

,
mount ains It is how ev e r div id e d by t h e

.
, ,
Loir e into two distinct r egions t h e M éridional e ,
a nd t h e S ept entrion al e ; b ut t h e dr e ss t h e ,
hy s i o no m y t h l ng u g d t h e p r e di l ec
p g e ,
a a e a n ,
35
tions of t h e p eopl e a r e everywh er e t h e s am e ,
tho ugh t h e t wo s e ction s diffe r somewh at in

t emp er am ent In t h e south t h e Tour angeau
.
,
is timid and obliging but mor e or l e ss e u ,
gross ed i n his af fa irs ; in t h e nor th h e is ,
prou d egotistical an d a littl e a rrogant but

, , , ,
a bov e all h e like s his c a s e an d comfort som e

, ,
thing aft er t h e manne r of mynheer of H ol

l an d
.
Th es e ar e t h e ch a r a ct eristics which ar e
enum e r at ed by St a nisl a s B ell a ng e r of To urs ,
in L a To ur aine Anci enn e et Mod ern e an d -
th ey ar e tra ceabl e to day in ev e ry p a rticul ar

-
, ,
to on e wh o kn ows well t h e by p aths of t h e -
r e gion .
Form erly t h e p ea s ant wa s i n his own words , ,
s ous la m ai n de M te com t e but with t h e

.
, ,
coming of t h e eight eenth c entury al l thi s wa s ,
ch ange d an d t h e conditions which in E ngl and

, , ,
s u ccee d e d feudalism a r e unknown i n Tour aine

, ,
a s ind ee d thro u gho ut Fr a nce .
Th e two gr ea t divisions which n atur e h ad
fi
m a de of our ai n e wer e fu rthe r cut up into
v e p et i t s p ay s ; l es V ar enn e s l e Ve ro n l a , ,
Ch am p ei gn e l a Br enn e
, an d l es Gatin e s ;
,
n am e s which exist on som e m aps to day but -

,
whi ch h ave lost in a gr eat m ea sur e th eir

, ,
form e r distin ction .

1
Ther e is a good d eal to b e s aid in f avou r of

t h e physic al a n d mor al ch a r a ct eristics of t h e
inh abitants of To ur ain e J ust a s t he de scen d .
an ts of t h e Ph ocean s t h e origin al s ettl e rs of

-
M a rs eill e s di f fe r f r om t h e n ative s of oth er

,
p a rts of Fr ance so too do t h e Tour an g eaux

, , ,
dif fe r from t h e inhabitan ts of oth e r provinc e s .
Th e p eopl e of To ur ai n e ar e a mixtur e of R 0
mans Visigoths S aracen s Al ains Norm ans
, , , ,
and Br eto n s An gl ais a n d G aulois ; but al l h av e

,
gra dually b een influenc ed by local con ditions ,
so tha t t h e native of To ur ain e h a s b e come a

distinct vari ety a l l by hims elf " Th e d eliciou s
n e ss of t h e ga rden of Fr an ce h a s alt e r ed
him so th a t h e st ands to day as mor e distin ctly -
Fr en ch th an t h e citiz en of P aris its elf .
Tourai n e too h a s t h e r eput a tion of b eing

, ,
th at p a rt of France wh er e is spoken th e p ur e st
Fr ench This p erh aps is a s true of t h e B l ai
.
, ,
sois for t h e local books ell e r at Blois will t ell

,
on e with t h e most dulc et an d un d e rst an d abl e
e nunci a tio n th at it is at Blois th a t on e h e a rs
t h e b e st a ccent At any r at e it is som ething

.
,
fi
found within a ch arm ed circl e of p erh aps a ,
hundr e d mil e s in di am ete r th at do e s n ot n d ,
i t s ex a ct cou nt e rp a rt els ewh e r e As S evill e .
st an ds for t h e Sp anish tongue Flor en c e for ,

1
De t
n o re v i e i ll e Gaul e , 6 fleuve pa er n el " t
Fl euv e des d t
oux cli m a s I l a V all i er e et S orel
S ur t es b or d
s f ort un es naqui t t l gl r en ,
e a oi re
a 1ut 1i t i ”
A l dat l am o ur ,
’ ’ ’
un e a re a v c o re .
Again an d a g ain B alz a c s words e cho in ’
one s ea rs from his

’
Scene de l a Vi e de Pro
”
vince . Th e following qu ot ations ar e typic al
of t h e wh ol e
Th e softn e ss of t h e ai r t h e b eauty of t h e ,
clim a t e all t end to a c ert ain ea s e of e xist enc e

,
an d s i mplicity of m ann e r which en co ur ag e s an

”
appr e ci ation of t h e a rts .
Tou r aine is a l and t o fost e r th e ambi tion

”
o f a N a pol e on an d t h e s entim en t of a Byron .
Anoth er writ e r A B eaufort a p ublicist of , .

,
t h e n inet e enth c entury, wrot e

Th e Toura n g eaux r e s embl e t h e good Ad am
in t h e ga rden of E den Th ey drink they eat .
, ,
th ey sl e ep an d dr e am a n d c ar e n ot wh a t th eir
m
,
n eighbo u r ay b e doing .
Tour aine wa s ind eed a t one tim e a v erit abl e , ,
E den though guarde d by fortr e ss e s , h alte

,
ba r des an d a rqu eb u s e s but n ot t h e l e ss a n

, ,
E den for al l th at In a ddition it wa s a l and .
wher e in th e middl e a ge s t h e s eign eu rs m a d e

, ,
history almost withou t a p a r allel in Fr ance or

,
e ls ewh e r e .
Toura in e truly en o ugh wa s t h e c entr e of t h e

, ,
_
.
Tourai ne : G arden S p ot of F rance 1
39
ol d Fr ench mon archy in t h e p erfe ction of its

pomp an d st at e ; but it is a lso true th a t Tou
r aine knew littl e of t h e s e riou s a f fairs of ki ngs ,
though some al l import ant r e s ults came from -
ev ents h app e ning within its bord e rs .
P a ri s wa s th e l aw making centr e in t h e six -
t een t h centu ry an d To u r a in e kn ew only t h e

,
dome stic life an d pl eas u r e s of royalty E ti .
fi
q uett e form an d c er emony w e r e al l r el axe d
, ,
-
,
or at l ea st gr e atly modi ed an d t h e court sp ent ,
in t h e country wh at it h a d l evi e d in t h e capit al .
Curio u sly eno ugh t h e monarchs wer e omni ,
pot ent an d influenti al h er e though i mm e di ,
a t ely th ey qua rt e r e d th e ms elv e s in P a ris th eir
powers wan e d consid er ably ; indeed th ey ,
s e em e d to los e th eir influence upon minist e rs

an d v a ss al s a lik e .
Louis XIII it is true tri e d to b eli eve th at

.
, ,
P a ris wa s Fr an ce lik e t h e Anglo Sa xon tour

,
-
i s t s who d e scend upon it in s u ch gr e a t numb ers

to day
-
an d b uilt V e rs aill e s ; b ut th e r e wa s
,
nev er mu ch r eal glory about its cold and pomp

ou s w alls .
Th e fortun es of t h e old chat eaux of To u r ain e

h ave b e en most v a ri e d Ch ambord is v a st an d .
fi
b a r e el eg ant an d pompou s ; Blois j u st a cross
, ,
t h e bord e r is a tou rist sight of t h e rst r ank

,
whos e s al am anders an d porcupine s hav e b een

1
wll
e c ar ed f or by t h e p at ernal Fr ench gov
ernm en t Chaumo nt Ch en o n c eaux L angeais
.
, , ,
Az ay l e—Rideau a nd half a doz en oth e rs a r e

-
still inh abit ed an d ar e g ay with t h e life of

,
twenti eth c entury luxury ; Ambois e is a pos

-
s e ssion of th e O rl eans f amily ; Loch e s is in ,
p a rt giv en ove r t o t h e u s e s of a sou s —p r ef ec

,
tur e ; an d Chinon s chat eaux ar e but h alf—de

’
m ol i s h ed ruins B e sid es th e s e t h e r e a r e nu
.
m e r ous sm all e r r e siden ti al chat ea ux of t h e

n obility sc a tt e r ed h er e an d th e r e i n t h e Loir e
wat ersh ed .
Th e r e h ave b een writ ers wh o h av e sought to

commis er at e with t h e poor p e a s ant of Tou
“
”
rain e a s th ey h av e b een pl e a s e d to thi nk of
,
him an d h av e d eplor ed t h e fa ct th at his sol e

,
poss essio n wa s a sm all pi ec e of gro und which

h e an d his hou s ehold cultiv at e d an d th at h e ,
liv e d in a littl e whit ewa sh e d hous e built with ,
his own h a nds or thos e of his ance stors

,
.
Though t h e p ea s an t of Tour ain e a s w ell a s of ,
oth er pa rts of t h e countrysid e works for an ,
abs u rdly sm all s um an d for consid e r ably l e ss

,
th an his broth e r near er P a ris h e s ells his prod ,
uce at t h e n e a r e st m a rk e t town for a f a ir -
price an d pr e s e rv e s a spirit of indep end ence

,
which is a s v aluabl e a s a r e som e of t h e things

which ar e thru st upon him i n som e oth er l ands
1
they h ave b een m a d e to riv al t h e r e st of t h e

r egion i n produ ctiv ene ss .
Th e D ép art em en t d I n dr e et L oi r e is t h e
’
rich e st a gricultur al r e gion in all Fr an c e so f a r

a s t h e v a ri e ty an d ab und a nc e of its produ ct
go e s rivallin g i n eve ry Way th e opul ence of

,
t h e B urgun di an hillside s Abov e a ll Tour ain e

.
,
st ands at t h e h ea d of t h e vine cul tur e of a l l t h e -
Loir e v all ey t h e t er ri t oi r e m ni col e l apping

’
ove r into Anj ou wh er e ar e produce d t h e cel e

,
b ra t ed vi n s bl an cs of S aumu r .
Th e vin eya rd work e rs of To ur ai n e in t h e ,
n eighbo urhood of Loch e s h ave clung clos ely

,
to anci ent cu stoms almost on e m ay s ay to t h e

, , ,
d e struction of t h e industry though of l at e n e w ,
m ethods h av e s et in an d sinc e t h e blight n ow

, ,
s om e yea rs gon e by a n ew prosp erit y h a s come

, .
Th e day worke r wh o ca r e s for t h e vin e s an d

,
s up e rint en ds t h e picki ng of t h e gr ap e s by t h e
w om enfolk a nd t h e childr en works for t wo
fi
,
fr ancs fty c entim e s p er day ; but h e i nv ar i

ably c a rri e s with him to t h e sc en e of h i s la bo u rs
a co upl e of cutl ets from a yo ung an d j uicy
br ebi s or ev en a p on l et r dt i s o on e m ay j u dg e
, ,
from this th a t his p ay is ampl e for h i s n eeds

i n this l and of pl enty .
I n t h e mor nin g h e t ak e s his bowl of soup an d

a cup of Whit e win e an d of co urs e huge hunks
,
1
domina t e ,
the fi
rst e ss ential to r eal h appi
ne ss .
Som e on e h a s s aid an d cert ainly not with

,
out r e a son th a t ev e ry Fr e nchm a n h a s a to u ch

,
of R ab el ais an d of Volt air e in his m a ke up -

.
This is prob ably true f or Fra nc e h a s nev e r

,
b ee n sw ept by a wave of purit anism s uch a s

h a s b een m anife st in most oth e r co untri e s and ,
l e g r os ri r e is still t h e n ation al p hilosophy .
I n a forme r day a h e a rty l augh or at l e as t ,
an amu s e d cynicism div ert e d t h e mind of t h e

,
m a rtyr from thr eat en e d tortur e and even vio

l ent dea th B ri nv i ll i er s l augh e d at thos e Wh o
.
w er e t o tortur e h er t o d eath an d De l a B a rr e
,
an d D a nton cr a ck e d j ok e s an d impro v is e d pun s
upon t h e v e ry e dge of th eir un tim ely gr av e s .
Tou r ain e h a s t h e r eput ation of b eing a won

fi
der f ull y produ ctiv e eld for t h e book coll ector ,
‘
though with books lik e m any othe r tre as ur es

,
of a p a st tim e t h e day h a s p a ss e d wh en on e
,
m ay pick up for two sou s a MS worth .
a s m any tho u s a nds of fr an cs ; but still ba rgains
fi fi
ar e ev e n now fo und an d if on e wan ts gr eat
,
c alf cov e r ed tom e s ll e d with n e ol d en g rav

-
fi
ings b ea ring on t h e local history of t h e p ay s
, ,
h e can g en e r ally n d th em at al l pric e s h er e i n

ol d To u r ain e .
Th er e wa s a mor e or l e ss apocryp h al story

45
fi
t old us a n d l andl ady of our inn conce rning
t he
a nd which a gue st h ad com e upon in a littl e
roa dside h aml et a t which h e ch ance d to stop .
H e wa s on e of thos e omnipr e s ent com mi s v oy

ag en r s wh o thr e a d t h e Fr ench pro v inc e s up
an d down a s no oth e r co untry in t h e world is

,
”
tr avell ed or drumm ed . H e was t h e
r epr e s ent a tive f or a brandy shipp e r on e of
,
thos e s ubsta nti al hous e s of th e cogn a c r egion

whos e product is mostly sold o nly in Fr ance ;
but this fa ct n ee d n ot n e ce s s a rily p ut t h e indi
vidual very f ar down i n t h e soci al scal e I n .
d e e d h e wa s a most ami able an d cultivat ed

,
p erson .
Our fellow tr avell er h ad come t o a vill a ge

Whe re al l t h e avail abl e accommodations of t h e
solit a ry i nn wer e a lr e ady eng age d ; th er e for e
h e was oblige d to p ut up with a room in t h e
town which t h e landlord hunt e d out for him
, .
R ep airing to his room Witho ut a ny thought s ave
fi
th a t of sl eep t h e tr avell er woke t h e next morn
,
i ng to n d t h e s un str e ami ng thro u gh t h e
op aquen e ss of a brilli antly colour e d Window .
N ot st ain e d gl a ss h e r e sur ely tho ught t h e

, ,
stra nge r f or his lodging was a most humbl e

,
on e .It prove d t o b e n ot gl ass at all ; m er ely

fou r g r eat vellum l e ave s t ak en from some an
,
ci ent tom e an d stuck into t h e window fr aming -

1
fi
wh er e gl a ss o ught to h ave b een D aylight
th e .
wa s lte ring dimly through t h e rich colo uring ,
a n d it took but a mom ent to b e com e c onvinc e d
that t h e sh eets we r e something r a r e an d v alu

abl e . H e l e a rn e d th a t t h e p age s w e r e from a n
old L a tin MS an d th a t t h e occup ant of t h e lit
.
,
t l e dw elling h a d u s ed t h e p ap er in t h e pl a c e
of t h e gl a ss which h a d lo n g sinc e dis app ea r e d .
Th e v ell um an d its illumin ation s h a d stood t h e

‘
weath e r w ell tho ugh somewh a t dimmed i n com

,
p a rison with th e brillia ncy of t h e r em aining

f olios which w e r e found b elow st airs Th e r e
,
-
.
we r e in al l som e eighty p age s which we r e p ur,
fi
cha s e d f or a mode st forty sous and everybody ,
s atis ed .
Th e volum e h ad origin ally b een foun d by

t h e fa th e r of t h e old d am e who th en h ad pos
s e ssion of it in an old chat e au in r evolution ary
tim e s Wh e th er h er hono ur e d p ar ent wa s a
.
fi
pill ager or a prot e ctor did not com e out but ,
f or all th e s e ye a rs t h e poss e ssion of this n e

work m eant n o mor e to this Touran g el l e th an
a s upply of p ap e r for stopping up broken
window p an e s
-
.
S h e p a rt ed r eadily eno ugh with t h e r em ai n

”
ing l eave s s aid our Fr en chm an
,
but noth ,
“
fi
ing would induce h er to r emov e thos e which
ll ed t h e window N o we h av e no more
.
,
C HAPT E R VII .
AM B OIS E
As on e approa ch e s Ambois e h e leave s t h e,
comp ar atively in s alubr i ous plain of t h e S o

l og n e an d t h e B l aisois an d en t ers Tour ain e .
Amb oi s e t Wh a t history h a s b een m a de

th e r e ; Wha t a wealth of a ct i o n l t s m emori e s
r e call and wha t spl endo ur gai ety a n d s a dn e ss
, , ,
its w alls h ave h eld " An en tir e book might b e

writt en about t h e scene s which took pl a ce unde r
its roof .
To day most tr avell e rs ar e cont en t to rush

-
ove r its ap artm ents gaz e a t its gr eat roun d

,
towe r vi ew t h e Loir e which is h er e quite at

, ,
its b est from t h e b attl em ents and a fte r a bri ef

, , ,
a dmir ation of t h e wond e rfully sculptu r e d por
t al of its ch ap el m ake th eir way to Ch en o n

,
c eaux or t o t h e g ay littl e m etropolis of Tours

,
.
No m att e r whith er on e turn s hi s steps from

Ambois e h e will n ot soon forget this gr eat for
,
tr e ss —ch at eau and t h e m emori e s of t h e p eti t e

ban de of blond e s an d brun ett e s wh o follow ed
‘
1 1
1the wake of Fran c ois Premi e r .
1
48
1
of a fi
forti e d chat eau took form h er e Louis .
l e B ague g av e Ambois e to t h e Counts of Anj ou

-
an d Hugh e s un it e d t h e two ind ep e nd e nt s ei
g n eur i e s of t h e chat e au an d t h e bo urg Aft e r .
fi
t h e Co unts of Anj o u s ucceed ed th e Co unts of
B e rry Ch a rl es VI I by appropri ation con s
, , ,
cation s eizur e or wh at eve r y ou pl e a s e t o call

, ,
it
,
hi story is v ague as to t h e r eal motive
-
,
un it e d Ambois e to t h e poss e ssions of t h e Crown
in 1 4 34 Louis XI liv ed f or a time at this

. .
stron g fortre ss —chat eau b e for e h e turned his

,
a ff e ctions so d ev ot edly to Pl e ssis l e s Tours

.
- -
.
Ch arl e s VIII wa s born an d di e d h er e an d it

.
,
was h e wh o a dded t h e R enaiss an ce det ails or

fi
,
at l ea st t h e rst of th em upon his r eturn from

,
It aly Ind e ed it is to him and to t h e nobl e s

.
,
wh o follow ed i n his tr ain during his Itali an

tr avels th a t t h e in troduction of t h e R enaissan ce
into Fr ance is commonly a ttribut ed .
It wa s at Ambois e th at Ch a rl e s VIII forget ,
f ul of t h e mis eri e s of his It ali an c amp aign s et ,
a bo ut aff a irs of st a t e with a r en ew e d will an d
vigour .H e wa s p e rs on ally s up e rint ending

som e alt e rations in t h e ol d ca stl e walls an d ,
in structing t h e workrnen whom h e brought

from It aly with him a s to j ust how f ar th ey
might introduce thos e det ails which th e world
h a s come t o know a s Ren ai ss anc e wh en in , ,
Ambois e 51
1
p a ssing b eneath a low overhanging b eam h e ,
struck his he a d so viol ently th a t h e expir e d

a lmost imm edi at ely (April 1 7 ,
Louis XII t h e s up erstitiou s lived her e f or

.
, ,
som e tim e an d he r e occurr ed som e of th e most

,
importan t ev ents in t h e life of th e gr ea t Fr an

c ois th e r eal popul ariz er of th e n ew archi t ec
,
tur al R en aiss ance .
It wa s i n t h e ol d ca stl e of Ambois e t h e early ,
home of Louis XII tha t his appoint e d s u cc e s

.
,
sor his s on i n—l aw and s econd cou sin Fra nc ois

,
-
, ,
wa s b rough t up H er e h e wa s educat e d by his

.
mothe r Louis e de S avoi e D u ch e ss e d Ang ou

, ,
’
l ame togeth er with th a t bright an d shining

,
light th at Margue rit e who wa s known a s t h e

,
”
P e a rl of t h e Valois po et e ss a rtist an d
, , ,
court i ntriguer H er e t h e ho us ehold formed

.
wh a t i n t h e ea rly d ays Fr anc ois hims elf wa s

pl ea s e d t o call a trinit y of love .
Throughout th e stru ctur e m ay y et be s een

t h e s ugge stion s of Fr an c ois s a rtistic instincts
’
,
tr ace d in t h e window fr amings of t h e fa ca de, -
i n th e in terior d e cor ation s of t h e lo ng ga ll ery ,
an d on t h e t e rr a c e h an gi n g high abov e t h e
Loir e .
I n th e p a rk an d i n t h e surroun di n g for est

F r an c ois and his sist e r M argue rite p a ss ed
m any h appy days of their childhood Mar .
1
gue rit e,who h a d a lr ea dy b ecom e known a s t h e

”
“
t enth mus e h ad alr e a dy thou
,
ght out h er
H eptame ron whilst Fr an c ois trie d his
,
pr entic e h and at love rhyming an expr e ssion -
of s ent im ent which a t a l a t e r p e riod too k t h e
form of avowals i n p erso n to his favo urite s .
On e r e c alls tho s e st anz a s t o t h e m emory of

Agne s Sor el b eginning ,
t
Gen il l e A g e pl u d
n s s e l oz t u m é i te
r ,
La c au s e ét i t d F
a e r an ce re cou vr i r ;
Q ue cc que p t d da
eu e t
n s u n cl oi r e ouvr i r
Cl os e n on n ai n e
‘
Pon b i en dé t h
vo er m i e t
Fr anc ois wa s mor e th an a lover of t h e b eau

tiful His appr e ci atio n of archit e ctur al a r t
.
amo unt e d a lmost to a p a ssion an d on e might ,
w ell cl aim him a s a m emb e r of t h e a rchit e ctur al

guild although in truth h e wa s nothing mor e
, , ,
than a g ener ous p atron of t h e cr a ftsmen of his

day .
Fr anc ois wa s t h e r ea l fath er of t h e Fr ench

R en aiss anc e t h e mor e spl endid flow er which
,
gr ew from th e It ali an st alk H e h a d no liking .
for t h e V an E ycks an d H olb eins of t h e D utch

school r e s erving his favour for t h e fra nkly
,
l anguid m a st ers from th e south H e brought .
from Italy C ellini Prim aticcio and t h e grea t , ,
L e on a rdo wh o it is s aid h a d a h and in th a t

,
1
slumb e r e d but when they did awake n they

, ,
b urst forth with an unquen chable fury M ean .
tim e h e wa s working off any exce ss of i m ag

i n at i on by bo a r hunts and falconry i n t h e n eigh
-
b ou ri ng for e st of Ch an t elo up and h ad mor e

,
th an one h and to h an d a f fr ay with r e s entful

- -
citiz ens of t h e town wh en h e en cro a che d upo n

,
wh a t they con sider e d th eir tr a ditional p r e

s e rve s S o h e gr ew to man s e st at e but t h e
.
’
,
life tha t h e l iv e d in his youth und e r t he kingly
fi
roof of t h e chat eau at Ambois e gave him t h e
b ene ts of al l t h e loyalty which his fellows
knew an d it h elp ed him carry out t h e idea s
,
which we r e b equeathed to him by his un cl e .
It wa s at a sitting of t h e cou rt at Am bois e ,
wh en Fr an c ois was still un der his mothe r s ’
th a t th e
fi
wing ,
a t t h e a g e of tw enty o nly ,
B ourbon a ff air nally c ame to its h ead M any .
not abl e s w er e mix e d up in it a s p a rtis an s of

t h e ungr a t e ful an d ambitio u s Bo urbo n Ch a rl e s,
de Mo ntp ensi e r Connét abl e de Fr anc e It wa s

fi
.
,
a n o f c e o nly n ext in pow e r to th at o f t h e s ov
fi
e r ei g n hims elf an d on e which h ad b een a llowe d
,
t o di e out in t h e r eign of Loui s XI Th e n al

.
o utcome of it all wa s th a t Fr an c oi s b e cam e a

prison e r at P av i a through t h e tr ea che ry of the
,
Co nnét abl e an d his followers wh o went ove r

,
Amb oi s e 1
55
en m as s e to Fr anc ois s riv al Ch a rle s V , who

’
,
.
,
as Ch a rl e s I I , was Kin g of Sp ain .
O f th e s ubs equent meeting with t h e E mp eror

Cha rl es on Fr ench soil Fr anc ois s aid to t h e ,
D uch e ss e d Et amp e s :
’
It is with r egr et th a t
I l eave y ou t o m eet t h e emp eror at Ambois e
”
on t h e Loir e A n d h e a dd ed :
. You will fol
low me with t h e queen : His queen at this
tim e wa s poor E leanor of Portugal h e rs elf a
fi
,
Sp anish prin cess Cl aude of Fr ance his rst

, ,
”
wife h av m g di ed
,
Th e s e two
. s ays Bra n ,
tam e ,
wer e the only v irtuo us women of his
hou s ehold .
Th e Emp eror Charl e s wa s visibly a f fe ct e d

by t h e meeting though it is true h e h ad no
, , ,
love f or his ol d enemy Fr an c ois P erh aps it

,
.
was on a ccount of t h e duche ss for whom ,
Fr anc ois h a d p ut a side Di ane At any r at e .

,
t h e emp e ror was gall ant enough to s ay to h e r

It is only i n Fr ance th at I h ave s een s uch
a p erfe ctio n of el egance and b eauty My .
brother yo ur king should b e t he envy of al l

, ,
t he sove r eigns of E u rop e H a d I s u ch a ca p

.
tiv e at my p al a c e in M adrid th er e we r e n o ,
r ansom th at I Would a ccept for h er ”

.
Fr anc ois ca r ed not for t h e lon ely Sp anish

prince ss whom h e h a d m a de his quee n ; but
h e wa s somewh a t s u sc eptibl e t o t h e ch a rms of
1
his daughter i n—l aw C ath e rin e de M edici t h e

-
, ,
wife of his s on H en ri , wh o wh en a t Ambois e

, ,
wa s his ev e r r eady comp anion i n th e cha s e .
Fr an c ois was inordin at ely fond of t h e hunt ,
a n d m a de o f it a most str e nu o u s p a stim e full ,
of d ang er a n d of h a rd riding in s e a rch of t h e
bo a r an d th e wolf which aboun de d in t h e thick

,
u nd e rwood i n t h e n eighbo urhood On e won .
d ers wh er e th ey or ra th er th eir d e scend ants

, , , ,
h av e di s app ear ed sin ce nought in th es e d ays

,
b ut a frigh t en e d h a r e a p a rtridge or p e rh aps

, ,
a timid d ee r e v e r cross e s o n e s p ath a s he

’
,
m ak e s his way by t h e smooth ro a ds which cros s

an d r e cross t h e for e st b ehi n d Ambois e .
Wh en Fr a nc ois II wa s sixte e n h e b ec ame

.
t h e nomin al king of Fr an c e To Ambois e h e

.
an d his yo ung brid e c am e h aving b e e n bro ught

,
thith e r from Blois for fea r of t h e Hug uenot

,
rising Th e cou rt s ettl e d its elf forthwith at

.
Ambois e Wh e r e t h e m aj e stic feud al c a stl e pil e d

,
its elf high up abov e t h e bro ad limpid Loir e , ,
f eeling comp a r atively s e cur e Within t h e prot eo

tion of its walls H er e t h e Loir e h a d wid en ed
.
to t h e pr et ensions of a l ak e t h e riv er b eing ,
sp ann e d by a bridge which cross e d it by t h e

,
h elp of t h e isl and a s it do e s to day

,
-
.
O v er this ol d ston e bridge th e court ap

p r oa ch e d t h e c a stl e t h e r e tinu e brilli ant with
,
1
fi
t all an d n ely form e d with aub urn h air shin ,
ing like an aur e ol e above h er intell ectual for e

h ea d an d with a skin of s uch d azzling white
,
n e ss — a trit e s ayi ng but on e which is u s ed ,
by B r an t am e th at it outriv all ed t h e whit e

n e ss of h e r veil .
In t h e spring of 1 558 wh en s h e was but six ,
t een M a ry Stua rt wa s m a rrie d to t h e D auphin

, ,
t h e w eak sickly Fr an c ois I I

,
hims elf but a ,
youth H e wa s howeve r sin ce rely and de eply

.
, ,
fond of his young wife .
Un exp e ct edly through t h e dea th of Hen ri II

,
.
at t h e h an ds of Mo n tgom ery at th at ev e r de
b a t abl e tou rnament Fr anc ois II a scende d t h e

, .
throne of France an d M ary Stuart s aw h ers elf

,
ex alt e d to t h e dizzy h eight which s h e h ad n ot
s o soon e xp e ct e d S h e b e c am e th e qu een of two

.
kingdoms an d h ad t h e futu r e b een mor e p r o

, ,
pitiou s t h e whol e map of E urop e might h ave

,
b een ch ang ed .
Dis e a s e h a d m arke d t h e un st abl e Fr anc ois

for its own and within a yea r h e p a ss e d from
,
t h e thron e to t h e grav e l eavin g hi s young ,
queen a Widow an d an orph an .
Shortly a ft erwa rd l a r ei n e bl an che re
turne d to h er n ative Scotl and bidding Fr an ce ,
th at long l a st s ad a di eu so oft en quot ed :

, ,
Amb oi s e 1
59
F ar e wel l , b el ove d
F t th " r an c e, o ee
B t ti l d
es na ve an ,
Th h i h d t
e c der s e s r an
Th t u
a d my t d i f y
n rs e en er n a nc
F w ll m y h il dh d h ppy d y "
ar e e c oo
’
s a a
Th b k whi h b
e ar ,m th wy c e ar s e us a a ,
B ears b ut t h e p oor er m oi e h e n ce, ty

Th e f
n ob l er h al rem ai n s wi h h ee , t t
Il e ave i t t o t h y con fi d en c e ,
B ut t o rem i n dt
h ee s i l l t of me "
Th e young sove r eigns h a d h ad a most st at ely

s uit e of ap a rtments pr ep ar e d f or th em at Am
bois e t h e lofty windows r ea ching from floor
,
to ceiling an d overlooking t h e riv er an d t h e

v ast t e rr a ce wh er e was so soo n to be en acte d
that bloody dr am a t o which th ey wer e t o b e
m ade unwillin g witn ess es .
This g all e ry wa s wainscoted with old oak

an d hung with rich l e ath e rs an d t h e lofty c eil ,
ing wa s embl a zone d with h er aldic embl ems and

mon ogr ams a s wa s th e fa shion of t h e day
,
.
Broca de s a n d tap e stri e s s et i n gr ea t gold ,
fi
fr am e s line d t h e walls and i n a boudoir or
, , ,
r etiring room b eyond still d e n it ely to b e r ec

-
,
og n i z ed wa s a r em a rk abl e s e ri e s of emb r oid

,
e r e d w all d e cor a tions a t a p e stry of flow e rs

,
an d fruits with an a r ab e squ e borde r of whit e
an d gold truly a quee nly ap artm ent

,
an d on e ,
th at well b ecame th e luxurious an d d ainty

1
M a ry who c am e from Scotl an d to ma rry t h e

,
youthful Fr an c ois .
M a ry Stuart kn ew littl e at t h e tim e a s to

why th ey h a d so s u ddenly r emoved from Bl ois ,
but Fran c ois soon told h er som ething a ft er ,
this Wi s e : Ou r mothe r s a id h e is deeply , ,
conc ern ed with aff airs of st at e Th er e is som e .
conspir a cy a gain st h er and you r uncl e s th e ,

”
Guis e s .
”
T ell me s h e dem anded, con ce rning this ,
”
dr ea dful conspir a cy .
”
We r e y ou not s u spiciou s h e a ske d que r , ,
ul ou s l y wh en we l eft for Am bois e so s ud

,
“
A h, n on , m on F r an coi s , m etho ught th a t we

c ame h er e to hold a j ou stin g tou rney an d to
hunt in t h e for e st .
W ell at any r a t e we a r e s ecur e h er e from

, ,
T urk or J ew or Huguen ot my queen

, , re , ,
pli e d t h e kin g .
Within a short sp a ce a coun cil wa s c all e d in

t h e gr e at h all of Ambois e which t h e Hugu enot ,
chi e fs Con dé Coligny t h e C ar dinal de Ch a

, , ,
tillo n
, wh o app ea rs to h av e b een a sort of a
r eligious r enega d e wer e r eques t ed to a tt en d
,
.
A con cil i atory edict wa s to b e pr ep a r ed an d ,
signed by t h e king a s a m ea sur e for gaining

,
1
or c aptu r e d t h e queen moth er thr ew off

-
t h e m a sk S h e l ed t h e tr embling child kin g

.
-
an d quee n tow a rd t h e so u the rn t er r a c e wh er e , ,
clos e b en eath t h e win dows of t h e chat eau wa s ,
built a sc af f old cover e d with bl a ck cloth b e

, ,
for e which stood t h e ex ecutione r cloth e d i n .
sc a rl et Th e prison e rs w er e ra nge d by hun

.
dr e ds along t h e o ut e r r amp a rt gu ard e d by ,
a rch e rs an d mu sk et ee rs Th e W indows of t h e
.
roya l ap a rtm ent wer e op en an d h er e th e com

p any pl a ce d th ems elve s to witn e ss t h e butch ery
to follow .
fi
Sp e e chl ess with horror s at t h e youn g king
an d que en until,
n ally a s a noth er ba tch of
,
mutil a t e d corps e s w er e thrown into t h e riv e r

b elow t h e young qu ee n swoon e d
, .
My moth e r s aid Fra nc ois

,
I t oo am , , ,
ov e rcom e by this horribl e sight I cr av e your .
Highn e ss s p ermission to r etir e ; t h e blood of

’
my s ubj e cts ev en of my en emi e s is too h or

, ,
ribl e to cont empl a t e .
”
My son s aid t h e bloodthirsty C a th e rine
, ,
I comm and y ou to st ay Duc de Guis e s up .

,
port your ni ec e t h e Que en of Fr ance T ea ch

,
.
h e r h e r duty as a s ov e r eign S h e must l ea rn .
”
how to gove rn thos e h a rdy Scots of h ers .
It wa s on th e v e ry t e rra ce d pl atform on
which on e w alks to day th a t b etween two r anks
-
,
Amb oi s e 1
63
of h a l l eba r di er s rqueb u si ers move d th at

an d a ,
long line of b a r eh e a d ed an d bowe d m en whos e

praye rs went up to h eaven whil e th ey aw ait e d
t h e fat e of t h e g allows .
E ith e r t h e cord or t h e sword bl a de quickly -
a ccou nt e d for t h e liv e s of this multitu d e an d ,
their blood flowe d in rivul ets whil e abov e i n ,
t h e g all ery t h e willing an d unwilling onlooke rs

we r e g ay with l aught e r or dumb with s adn e ss .
Wh en al l this horribl e murd ering wa s ov er

t h e Loir e wa s lit er ally a r e eking m a ss of
corps e s if we a r e to b eli ev e t h e r e cords of t h e
“
tim e Th e chi e f consp i r ators w er e hung in

.
ch ain s from t h e ca stl e w alls or from t h e ,
bridge an d t h e b alu str a d e s which ov erh ang

,
-
fi
t h e str eet which to day fl anks t h e Loir e b e
,
-
n e a th th e ca s t l e w a lls w er e ll ed with a rib ald

,
cr ew of j ee ring p artis ans wh o k new littl e and

c a r e d l e ss for r eligion of any s ort .
Some d ays a ft e r t h e e xecution of th e C alvin

i s t s th e Protest ant po et an d histori an
p a ss ed through t h e roy al city wi th his p r é

eep t eur an d his fat h e r an d wa s shown t h e rows
,
of h ea ds pl an t e d upon pik e s which d e cor a t e d ,
t h e ca stl e w alls an d th er eupon vowe d if n ot

, ,
to av enge at l e a st to p e rp etuat e t h e in famy

,
i n pros e an d v ers e an d this h e did most ef f ec

,
t uall y .
1
An odoro u s ga rd en of ros e s lil a cs honey , ,
s uckl e and h awthorn fra m ed t h e j oyo us a rchi

,
t e ctu r e of t h e chat eau th en a s now in a dor

, ,
abl e fa shio n ; but it co uld n ot p urify t h e m al
odoro us r eput ation which it h ad r ec eived until

t h e dom ain wa s c ede d by Louis XIV to t h e .
Duc de P enthievr e a n d m ad e a oln eh é—p ai ri e .
It would b e p os sibl e to s ay much mor e but

fi
,
this should s uf c e to st amp indelibly t h e f a ct

‘
th a t T our a ine i n gene ra l an d t h e chateau of

, ,
fi
Ambois e in p a rticul a r cr a dl ed a s much of th e
, ,
thought a nd a ction of t h e mon archy i n t h e f

t een th an d sixt eenth c enturi e s a s did t h e c api
t al its elf At any r at e t h e memory of it all is
.
so vivid an d t h e t angibl e monume nts of t h e

,
fi
spl endo ur and intrigu e of t h e court of thos e
d ays a r e s o v er y num ero u s a nd m agni cent ,
th at one could not forget th e p a rts th ey pl aye d

o n ce h avi ng s een th em — if h e would .
Aft e r t h e a ss a ssin ation of t h e Duc de Guis e

“
fi
a t Blois Ambois e b e c am e a prison of st a t e
, ,
wh e r e we r e con ned t h e C a rdinal de Bo urbon

an d C és a r de Ven da m e (t h e sons of H enri IV .
an d G abri e ll e d E s t r ées ) a ls o Fo uqu et an d

’
L auzun In 1 . 76 2 t h e ch a t e au was giv en by

Louis XV to t h e Due de Chois eul an d th e gr eat
.
,
Napol eon turne d it over to his anci e nt col

l ea gue Roge r D u cos wh o app a r ently c ar ed
, ,
Amb oi s e 1
65
littl e for its b eauti e s or a ssoci ati on s for h e ,
mutil at ed it o utr age o usly .
I n l a t e r tim e s t h e history of t h e chat eau

an d its dep end enci e s h as b ee n mor e pros aic .
Th e Emir A b d el Ka d e r wa s imprisone d h e r e
- -
in 1 852 an d Louis Napol e o n st aye d f or a time

,
within its walls upon his r eturn from t h e

south To day it b elongs to t h e family of Or
.
-
l e ans to whom it wa s given by t h e N ational

,
Ass embly i n 1 872 an d h a s b ecom e a hous e of

,
r etr ea t for milit a ry vet e r ans This is due to .
t h e ge ne rosity of t h e Duc d Aumal e in to whos e

’
hands it h a s since p a ss ed Th e r e stor atio n .
which h a s b een ca rri e d on h a s m a de of Am

bois e an ideal r eproductio n of wh at it on c e wa s ,
an d i n e v e ry way it is on e of t h e most spl e ndid
an d f amo u s ch at e aux of its kind tho ugh by no ,
m eans a s lovabl e a s t h e r e sid en ti al chateaux

of Ch enonc eaux or L ang eais .
Th e Chap ell e de St Hub ert which was r e .

,
stor e d by Louis Philipp e is t h e chi ef a rtistic ,
a ttr a ction of Ambois e ; a bij o u of full —blo wn
Gothic It is a verit abl e a rchit e ctur al j oy of

.
th e p e riod of Ch a rl e s VIII to whom its e re c ,
tion was due Its p ort al h as an ad or abl e b a s

.
r eli e f r epr es enting

, L a Ch a ss e de St E u .
”
b ert, an d showing St Hub ert St Christ o .
, .
ph er an d St Anthony whil e ab ove i n t h e ty m

, .
, ,
1
,
fi
p anum a r e ef g i e s of t h e Virgin of Ch a rl e s ,
VII I , an d of Anne de Br et agne Th e sculp .
tur e is howeve r comp aratively m

, , odern but it ,
e mb ellish e s a shrin e worthy i n ev e ry way , for
the r e r epos e t h e bone s of L e onardo da Vin ci .
Form erly Da Vin ci s r em ains h ad r est ed i n t h e

’
chap el of t h e ch atea u its elf d edic at ed to St , .
Flor entin .
O ft en t h e Ch ap ell e de St Hub ert h a s b een.
con founded with th at d e scrib ed by Scott in

”
Q uentin D urw ard but it is m anif e stly not
,
t h e s am e a s th at wa s loc at e d in To urs or n e a r
’
ther e an d his very words de scrib e t h e a rchi

,
”
t e ctur e a s of t h e r u d e st an d m ea n e st kind ,
which this is n ot O ver t h e arch ed doorway

.
of t h e ch ap el at To u rs th e r e wa s however a , ,
st atue of St Hub e rt With a bugl e horn

.
-
a ro und his n ec k an d a l ea sh of gr eyho unds at

”
his feet which m ay h ave b een a n e arly s ug
'
ge stion of t h e l ate r work which was unde r

t ak en at Am bois e .
All vocation s c am e to h ave th eir prot ecting

“
s aints in t h e middl e a ge s an d sinc e ,
la ,
Ch a s s e wa s t h e gr eat r ecr e ation of so m any ,
distinction was b e stow e d upon Hub e rt a s b eing

on e of t h e most d ev o ut Th e l eg end is s ul
. fi
ci en t l y famili a r n ot to n e e d r e co unting h e r e ,
an d anyw ay t h e story is pl ainly told i n this

, ,
1
with pr et entio u s hous e s ca fés aut om obi l e g a

, ,
‘
r age s an d oth e r mode rn buildings

,
.
N ea r t h e Q uai de s Viol ett e s ar e a s eri e s of

s ubt erra n ean ch amb e rs known a s th e Gr enie rs
de C és a r , d ating from t h e sixt eenth century .
E v en at this l at e day on e can almost pictur e

t h e gr e at ch ar a ct ers i n t h e dr am a of oth er
Cip her f
o A n n e de B re tagn e, H atel de Vi lle, A mboi s e
tim e s wh o s t alk ed m aj estically through th e

ap a rtm ents an d ov e r t h e v e ry flag s t on e s of t h e
,
cou rts an d t e rr a c e s which on e tr ea ds to day ; -
C a th e rin e de M e dic i with h er ruff s a n d velv ets ;

H enri de Guis e with al l his wil e s ; Co n dé th e
prou d ; t h e s e cond Fr anc ois youthful but wis e ;
,
his girl queen lovi ng a n d s ad ; an d myri a ds

,
mor e of all r anks an d of all sh ad e s of mor ality ,
al l r e spl e nd ent in t h e v elv ets an d gold of
t h e costum e of th eir tim e .

Amb oi s e 1
69
Nea r t h e chat ea u is t h e Clos Luce, a Gothic

h abitation in whos e or atory di ed L e o nardo da
Vinci on May 2 1
,
51 9 ,
.
Imm edi at ely b a ck of t h e chateau is t h e Forat

d A mb oi s e t h e sc e ne of m a ny g ay hunting
’
,
p a rti es when t h e court was h er e or at Chenon

c eaux which on e r ea ch e s by tr av e rsing t h e
,
for e st rout e O n t h e e dg e of this for e st is

.
Chant elo up r em emb e r ed by most folk on ac

,
“
count of its a trociou s Chine s e like p agoda -
built of t h e débris of t h e Chat eau de l a Bour

dai s i ére by t h e Duc de Chois eul i n m emory
, ,
of t h e a tt e ntions h e r e c e iv e d from t h e nobl e s
an d bo urg e ois of t h e vill e upon t h e f a ll of his
ministry an d his disgra c e at t h e h ands of

Louis XV an d L a Du B a rry It is a curiou s
. .
form to be chos e n wh en one h ad s uch b e auti

f ul exa mpl e s of archit e ctura l a r t n e a r by only ,
e quall e d p e rh aps in a trociou sn e ss by t h e

, ,
Royal P avilion of E ngl an d s G e org e IV

’
.
L a B our dai s iér e n ea r Ambois e of which

, ,
o nly th e site r emain s if n ot on e of t h e chie f

,
tourist a ttr a ctio n s of t h e ch at eau country h a s ,
a t l e a st a s entiment a l int e r e st of abo unding
import ance f or all who r e call t h e details of t h e

life of La B ell e Gabri ell e .
H er e in Tour aine Ga bri ell e d E s t r ée s wa s ’
born in 1 , 56 5 S he wa s tw enty—six y e a rs ol d
.
1
fi
wh en H enri IV rst s a w h er in t h e chate au
.
of h er fath er at C oeuvr es So ch a rm e d wa s h e
.
with h er gr a ce s th at h e m a d e h er h i s m ai t r es s e
forthwith tho ugh t h e old court life chronicl e s
,
-
of t h e day st at e th at s h e a lr e ady poss e ss e d
fi
som ething mor e than t h e a dmir ation of S eb a s
ti an Zam et t h e cel ebr a t e d nan ci er
-
,
.
1
Most tourists com e to Ch enonc eaux by train

from Tours ; oth e rs driv e ov er f rom Ambois e ,
an d y et oth e rs com e by bicycl e or au tomobil e .
Th ey a r e n ot a s y et s o num ero u s a s mi ght b e

e xp e ct e d
, an d a ccordingl y h e r e a s e ls ewh e r e
,
in Tou r aine e ver y fa cility is given for visiting

,
t h e ch at e au an d its p a rk .
If y ou do not hurry off at onc e to worship

at t h e abod e of t h e f a scin at i ng Di an e on e of ,
t h e bright e st orn am ents of t h e co u rt of Fr a n

c ois Pr emi e r an d his son Henri y ou will enj oy
,
your dinn er at t h e H at el du B on L abour eur ,
though most likely it will b e a solit a ry on e an d ,
y ou will b e p ut to b e d in a gr e a t ch amb e r ov e r
looking t he p ark thro ugh which p eep in t h e
, ,
moonlight th e turr ets of t h e ch at eau an d y ou

, ,
m ay h ea r t h e pu rling of t h e wat e rs of t h e Ch e r
a s it flows b e low t h e w alls .
J ean J a cque s Rou ss eau like Fr an c ois I

,
c all e d Ch en on ce aux a b e autiful pl a ce a n d h e,
wa s right ; it i s a l l of th a t an d mor e H er e .
on e com e s into dir e ct cont a ct with an a tmos
p h e r e which if not f eu d al or even m e diae

, ,
v al,
is a t l ea st th at of s ever al hun dr e d yea rs
ag o
Ch en onc eaux is moor ed like a ship i n t h e

middl e of t h e r apidly running Che r a doz en ,
mil e s or mor e above Wh er e th at str e am ente rs

C h enonceaux 1
73
th e Loir e As a m atte r of fact t h e ch at eau

.
,
pra ctically bridge s t h e river which flows und er ,
fi
its fo undations an d b ene ath its dr awbridge on
e ithe r sid e b e sid e s ,
lling t h e moa t with wa t er .
Th e g en e r a l e ffe ct is a s if t h e building we r e
s et i n t h e midst of t h e str e am an d form e d a
sort of isl and chat eau Ro und about is a g en .
t l e meadow an d a gre a t p a rk which giv e to

‘
this turr e t ed a rchit e ctur al g em of Tour aine

a s etting which is e quall e d by no oth e r ch a
t e au .
Wh at t h e chat eau wa s in form er d ays we

can r e a dily im a gin e for nothing is ch ang e d
,
a s to t h e g en e r a l disposition B o a ts c am e to .
t h e wa t e r g at e a s th ey still might do if s u ch
-
bo a ts still exist ed in tru e pictori al le gend a ry

‘
, ,
fa shion .To—day t h e pr e s ent occup ant h a s

,
pl ace d a curiosity on t h e orn am ent al wat ers

in t he sh ap e of a gondol a It is out of ke eping .
with t h e gr and fabric of t h e chat eau an d it ,
is a pity th a t it do e s not c a st its elf a drift some

night W h at h a s b e com e of t h e gondoli e r who
.
,
wa s import e d to k e ep t h e cr a ft comp any n o

'
body s eems to know H e is c e rta inly not in .
ev id en c e or if h e is h a s tr ansforme d hims elf

, , ,
into a groom or a ch ai r/f ea r .
Th e Chat ea u of Ch enonc eaux is not a v e ry

ampl e structu r e ; not s o ampl e a s most photo
1
.
fi
gr aphs wo uld m ake it app ea r It is n ot tiny .
,
but still it h a s not t h e m agni c en t proportions

of Blois of Ch amb ord
,
or ev en of L an g eais
, .
It wa s mor e a h abit atio n th an i t was a for

tr e ss , a m ai s on de camp ag n e a s ind ee d it v i r
,
t u all y b e cam e wh en t h e Connétabl e de Mo n t

mor e ncy took poss e ssion of t h e structur e i n
fi
t h e n am e of t h e king wh en its b uild e r Thom a s
, ,
Bob i e r t h e n o n e too a stut e minist e r of n ance s

,
in Norm andy c am e to gri ef in his a ffairs

,
.
Fr a nc ois I c am e fr equently h er e for

. la
”
ch a s s e ,
an d his m emory is still k ept alive by
t h e Ch ambr e Fr an c ois Pr emi e r Fr a nc ois h eld

.
poss essio n till his d e ath wh en his son m a d e

,
”
it ov e r to t h e a dmir e d of two g en e ra tions ,
Di an e de Poiti ers .
Di an e s m emory will n eve r l eav e Ch enon

’
c eaux To —day it is p erp etuat e d in t h e Ch ambr e

.
de Di an e de Poiti e rs ; b u t t h e portr ait by

L e ona rdo da Vinci which wa s s uppos e d to b e st
,
show h er ch a rms h a s now dis app ea r e d from

,
the long gall ery at t h e chat e au T his por .
tr ait wa s p aint e d at t h e comm and of Fr anc ois ,
b e for e Di ane tr ansf err e d h er a ffe ctions t o his

son .
No one knows wh en or h ow Di an e de Poiti ers

fi rst c am e to fa scin a t e Fr a nc ois or how or ,
why h er pow er w an e d At any r at e at th e

.
,
1
C athe rin e s eag ern e ss to drive Dia ne from

’
t h e co urt wa s s o gr ea t tha t no soo ne r h ad h e r

,
spo us e fall en ev en tho ugh h e did n ot a ctually
di e for som e d a ys — tha n s h e s ent word to

”
Dian e ,
wh o s a t w eeping alone to insta ntly ,
quit t h e cou rt ; to give up t h e crown j ewels

which H enri h a d som ewh a t inconsid e ra t ely
giv en h er ; an d to giv e up Chenonceaux i n
”
Tour aine C a th erin e s Nab oth s v ineya rd
,
’ ’
,
which s h e h ad s o long a dmir e d a n d covet ed .
S h e h a d known it a s a girl wh en s h e oft en ,
visit e d it in comp a ny with h er fa th e r i n—l aw -

,
t h e appr e ci a tive but dissolut e Fr an c ois a n d ,
h a d ev e r longed to poss e ss it f or h e r own ,
b efor e ev en h er husb and n ow d ea d h a d given, ,
it to that old h ag Di a ne de Poiti ers D uch e ss e ,
?
de Val entin01 s .
Di ane p aid no h eed to C ath erin e s com ’
m and S h e simply a sked :

. Is t h e king y et
”
d ea d
No m a d ame
, s aid th e m e ss eng er
, but ,
”
his wound is mort al ; h e c ann ot live t h e day .
”
T ell th e queen th en r epli e d Di a ne
, ,
th a t ,
h er r eign is not y et com e ; th at I am mistr e ss

still ov er h er an d t h e kingdom a s long a s th e
”
king br ea th e s t h e br e ath of life .
H enri wa s mor e or l e ss an equiv ocal ch ar

a ct e r
,
d evote d to Di ane an d lik ewis e fond
,
Ch enonceaux 1
77
on e s ays it with caution of his W ife He .
c aus ed to b e fa shion ed a mo n ogr am (s een at

Chen on ceaux ) after this wis e :
suppos edly indicating his att a chment for Di an e

a n d his Wi f e alike Th e v a rio u s initi als of t h e
.
ciph e r ar e i n n o way inv olv e d Di an e r eturne d

.
t h e complim ent by d e cora ting an ap a rtment for

t h e king at h er Chat eau of An et with t h e bl a ck
, ,
an d whit e of t h e M e dici a rms .
Th e Chat e au of Chenonc e aux s o gr eatly cov

fi
,
et e d by Cath e rin e wh en s h e rst c ame to

F r an cep an d wh en it wa s in t h e poss e ssion of
Di ane still r em ains in all t h e r egal spl endour
,
of its p a st It lie s in t h e lov ely v all ey of t h e

.
Ch e r f a r from t h e ru sh an d turmoil of citi e s

fi
,
an d ev en t h e continuou s tr af c of gr ea t thor
oug hf ar e s for it is on t h e roa d to n owh er e

,
unl e ss on e is j o urn eying cross co un try from -
t h e low er to t h e upp er Loir e This very iso

.
l ation r e sult ed in its b eing on e of th e f ew monu

m ents sp a r ed from t h e furi e s of t h e R evolution ,
”
an d , half p ala ce an d h alf ch at eau it glisten s
- -
,
1
with t h e purity of its forme r glory, a s p i ct ur

e squ e a s e v e r with t u rr ets
, spir e s a n d roof
, ,
tops al l m ellow ed with th e ag e s i n a most en

tr ancing m a nn e r .
E ven to day on e ent ers t h e pr ecincts of t h e

-
ch at e au prop er ove r a dr awbridg e which sp an s

an a r m of t h e Loir e or r a th e r a mo at which
, ,
l ea ds dir e ctly from t h e p a r ent str eam On t h e .
fi
opposit e sid e a r e t h e bridge pi ers s upporting
v e a rch e s ,
t h e work of Di ane wh en s h e wa s
t h e fair ch a t el ain e of t h e dom ain This i n .
l
g e n i ou s tho ught prov ed to b e a most u s e ful an d
a rti s tic a ddition to t h e ch at e au It forme d a .
fl agg e d prom ena d e lov ely in its elf an d l ed to

, ,
t h e so u th e rn b ank of t h e Ch e r wh enc e on e ,
got ch a rming v ist a s of t h e turr ets an d roof

tops of t h e ch at eau through t h e tr e e s a n d t h e
l e a fy av enue s which conv e rge d upon th e strue
tu r e
.
Wh en C a th e rin e c am e s h e did not disd ain

to m ak e t h e b e st u s e of Di an e s innov ation th at
’
s u gges t e d its elf to h er which wa s simply to

,
b uild th e Long G all ery ove r t h e a rch e s of

this lov ely bridge an d so m ak e of it a v erit abl e
,
hou s e ov e r t h e wa t er A cov e rin g wa s m ad e

.
quit e a s b eautiful a s t h e r e st of t h e structure ,
a n d thu s t h e bridg e form e d a sp a cio u s Wing
of two stor i e s . fi
Th e rst floor — kn own a s t h e
1
with t h e pu rity of its fo rm e r glory a s p i ct ur ,
e s que a s ev e r with turr et s spir es a n d roof

, , ,
t ops al l m ellow ed with t h e ag e s in a most en ~
tr ancing m anne r .
E v en to day on e ent e rs t h e precincts of t h e

-
ch at e au prop e r ove r a dr awbridge which sp an s

an a r m of t h e Loir e o r r a th er , a mo a t which ,
l e ads dir e ctly from t h e p a r ent str eam On t h e .
fi
opposit e sid e ar e t h e bridg e pie rs s upporting
v e a r ch e s ,
t h e work of Di an e wh en s h e wa s
t h e fair ch a t e l ain e of t h e d om ain This i n .
g e n i ou s tho u ght pro v e d to b e a most u s e ful a n d
fl agg e d pr om en a d e lov ely in its elf an d l ed to

, ,
t h e s o ut h e r n b ank of t h e Ch e r wh enc e on e ,
got ch a r m i ng vi s t a s of t he t urr e ts an d roof

u
t op s of t h e ch ate au t h rough t h e tr ee s an d t h e
l e a fy av enue s whi ch c onv e rged upon t h e s t ruc
tur e .
Wh en C ath e ri ne cam e s h e did not disdain

’
to m ake th e b e st u s e of Di an e s inno v ation th a t
s u gg e st e d its elf to h er which wa s simply to
,
bu i ld t h e Long G all ery ove r th e a rch e s of

t h i s lov ely bridg e an d so m ak e of it a v e ritabl e
,
h o u s e ov e r t h e wat e r A c o v e r i ng wa s mad e
.
q u it e a s b e au tiful a s t h e r e st of t h e str u ct ur e ,
an d t h u s t h e b r idg e form e d a sp a cio u s wing
o f t wo stori e s . Th e rst oo fl fir — kn o wn a s t h e
1
C a th erin e c am e in t h e e a rly s umm e r to t ake

poss e ssion of h er lo ng covet e d dom ain B ein g
-
.
a skilful hors e wom an , s h e c am e on hors eb a ck

'
a ccompa ni e d by a p et i t e ban de of f eminin e
cha rme rs de stine d to wheedl e political s ecr ets

from friends an d enemie s alike — a r eal es ,
”
cadr on v ol an t de l a r ei n e a s it was call e d by
,
a cont empor a ry .
It wa s a gall a nt comp any tha t a ss embl ed h er e

a t thi s tim e t h e yo ung King Ch a rl es I X
, .
,
t h e Duc de Gui s e an d two ca rdinals moun t ed

,
on mul e s Lorr ain e a true Gui s e a n d

, , ,
D E s t e n ewly a rriv e d from It aly a n d accom

’
, ,
p an i ed by t h e po e t T a sso w ea ri n g a ,
g ab a r
I
”
dine a n d a hood of s atin C a th erin e showed
.
t h e It ali an gr ea t favou r a s wa s due a country

,
m an but th e r e wa s a noth e r po et among th em

,
a s w ell Ron s a rd t h e po e t l aur e at e of t h e tim e

, , .
Th e Duc de Guis e h ad followe d in t h e w ak e

o f M a rgu e rit e unb ekn ownst to C a th e rin e wh o
, ,
frowned down any possibility of an alli an ce

b etwee n t h e hous e s of Valois and Lorr aine .
A gr e at fate and wa t er m a sque h ad b een -
a rr ang e d by C ath e rin e to t a k e pl a c e on t h e
Ch e r with a b anquet to follow in t h e Long

,
G all e ry in hon our of h er a rrival a t Ch eno n ~
ceaux .
Wh e n twilight ha d fall en torch e s we r e i g ,

Ch enonceaux 81
1
n i t e d an d myri a ds of lights bl a z ed forth from
t h e bo ats on t h e rive r an d from t h e windows
of t h e ch at eau Music an d song went forth
.
into t h e night an d all wa s a s g ay an d lov ely

,
as a Ven eti an night s ent ert ainm ent ’

Th e .
hunting horn s e cho ed thro ugh t h e wood e d

‘
-
b anks an d through t h e a rch e s a bove which

,
t h e ch at e au wa s built p a ss ed gr e a t highly
colour e d b a rg e s i n cl udi ng a fl eet of gondol a s
’
to r emind t h e qu e en moth e r of h er It ali an da ys

-
— t h e a nc e stor s p er h aps o f t h e solit ary gon
dol a which t o day flo a ts idly by th e rive r b ank

- -
j u st b e for e t h e gr an d e ntr anc e to t h e ch at e au .
From p a r t er r e and balus t ra de an d from t h e ,
clipp ed y ews of t h e ornam ent al ga rden f airy ,
fi
l amps bu rn e d f c r th an d dwi ndl e d away into
dim in nity a s t h e long lin e s of soft light gr a d
,
u all y lost th ems elv e s in t h e for e st It wa s a .
gr and a ff air an d idyllic in its unworldlin e ss .
On e m ay n ot s ee its lik e to day for el e ctric -
lights an d r ag tim e mu sic which mostly

-
,
compris e t h e attr a ctions of su ch a l f r es co pl ea s

ur e s will h a rdly produc e t h e s am e e ff e ct
“
.
,
Among th e gr eat fat e s a t Ch enonceaux will

always b e r e c all e d th a t giv en by t h e co urt upon
t h e coming of t h e yo u thful Fr an c ois II an d .
M ary Stua rt a ft er t h e horribl e m a ss a cre s at

,
Am bois e .
1
All th e R enaiss ance skill of t h e tim e wa s

employ e d in t h e e r e ctio n of pompo u s a cce s
s or i es tri umph a l a rch e s col umns ob elisks an d

, , , ,
a lt ars
. Th er e w e r e innum er abl e t abl e ts als o ,
b e a ring inscriptions in L atin an d Gr eek ,
which nobody r ea d an d a fo unt ain which,
bor e t h e following :
Au s ai n tb al des dr y d a es ,
A Ph oeb us ,
ce g r an d di eu,
Aux h u m i d e s n y a des ,
‘
J
’
ai c on s acr é ce l i eu .
”
O f Ch eno n ceaux an d its glori e s wh at more

can b e s a id th a n to qu ot e t h e following lin e s
of t h e middl e a g e s which in th eir qu aint ol d

,
Fr en ch apply to day a s mu ch a s ever th ey did :

-
B as i t si m agn i q uem en t fi
Il es t d eb ou , c omm e u h t gé tan ,
D e d an s l e l i t de l a i
r i v er e ,
C t ad i d u u
’
es - -
re es s s n p on t
Q ui p t tt i or e ce n o s es de l on g .
Th e pa rt of t h e e di ce which Bob i e r er e ct ed fi
in 1 515 is th a t thro ugh which t h e visitor m a ke s
his entr ance an d is built upon th e pi e rs of an
,
ol d mill which wa s d e stroy e d at tha t tim e .
C a th e rine b equ ea th e d Ch enonc eaux to t h e

wife of H enri III Lo uis e de Vaudemont who
.
, ,
di e d h er e in 1 601 F or a hundr e d y e a rs it still

.
b elong ed to royalty but in 1 730 it wa s sold t o

,
1
fi
On e might im a gine from a stroll thro ugh th e
,
m agni cent h alls an d gall eri e s of Ch enonceaux ,
th a t Rou ss eau s exp eri enc e s might b e r ep eat ed

’
to day if on e w e r e fortun at e e nough to b e a ske d

-
to soj ourn th er e for a time Th e n ear est th at

.
fi
on e c an g et ,
how eve r to b e coming p ersonally
,
id enti ed with t h e ch at e au an d its life is to sign

his n am e in t h e gr ea t vellum qu a rto which ulti
m at ely will r e st in t h e a rchiv es of t h e chat eau .
It is do ubtl e ss ve ry wrong to b e covetou s ;

but Ch enonc e au x is s u ch a b eautiful pl a ce an d
com e s s o nea r t h e id e al h abit ation of our i m a g
i n at i on th a t t h e d e sir e to poss e ss it for one s ’
own is but hum a n .
fi
I n th e G al e ri e Louis XIV w er e g iven t h e
.
rst r epr e s ent ation s of m any of Rou ss ea u s ’
pi e ce s
.
On e ga th e rs fr om th e s e a ccounts of t h e h ap
p eni ngs in t h e Long G all ery th a t it form e d n o
bridge of sighs an d most c ert ainly it did not
,
.
Its walls r e sounde d almost continu ally with

mu sic an d l aught e r H er e in th e s e rooms
.
H enri II d anc ed and m ade lov e an d intrigued

.
,
whil e C ath erin e his queen wa s l eft at Blois

, ,
with h er a strolog e r an d his poiso n s to eat out ,
h er soul in comp a r ativ e n e gl ect .
B e fore t h e tim e of t h e dwellin g b uilt by

Bob i e r for hims elf an d family on t h e f oun da
C h enonceaux 1
85
tions of t h e old mill th e r e wa s y et a m anor

,
fi
hous e b elonging t o t h e a nci en t f amily of
Ma rque s from whom t h e Norm an n anci e r
,
bought t h e site Th e towe r s een to day a t t h e

.
,
- -
right of t h e entr a nce to t h e ch ateau prop e r ,
an e xpr e ssiv e r elic of feu d al tim e s — wa s a ,
p a rt of t h e earli er e st ablishm ent To day it .

-
is turn ed into a sort of hi os qn e for t h e s al e c
of photographs post c a rds an d a n a dmira bl e

,
-
illustr at e d guide to t h e chate au .
Th e int erior of t h e ch at e au to day pr e s ents -
t h e following r em a rk abl e f e a tu r e s : Th e dining
room of t o—day formerly t h e S all e des Ga rde s

, ,
h a s a c eiling in which t h e ciph e r of C a th e rine

de M edici is int e rwoven with an a r ab e sque To .
t h e l eft of this ap a rtm ent is t h e e ntr ance to

t h e ch ap el which to day s eems a bit incongru
,
-
ou s l y pl ac ed l e a ding a s it do e s from t h e dining

,
room It is but a tiny ch ap el but it is a s g ay

.
,
a n d brilli ant a s if it w e r e still t h e a dj unct of a
luxury loving court an d it h a s some gl a ss dat

-
ing from 1 52 1which if not r emarkabl e f or

, ,
de sign or colouring is quit e choic e en ough to

,
r ank a s an ar t tr ea s ure of r eal v alue .
According to Vi oll et l e Duc each feud al s ei - -
g n eu r h a d a tt a ch e d to his ch a t e au a ch a p e l ,
oft en s er ve d by a priva t e ch apl a in an d i n som e ,
ins t anc es by a n entir e chapter of pr el a t e s .

1
Th e s e ch ap els w er e not simpl e or atori e s s ur

ro unde d by t h e dome stic ap a rtments but wer e ,
a rchit e ctu r a l monum en ts in th ems elve s an d ,
e ith e r e ntir e ly isol at e d a s a t Ambois e or s emi

, ,
d et a ch e d a s at Ch en onceaux
,
.
B elow in t h e s ub —b a s em ent at Ch en o n c e aux

, , ,
fi
ar e t h e origin a l fo und a tions upon which B o b i e r
l aid his rst stone s H e r e t oo a r e va riou s

.
, ,
ch amb ers known r e sp ectiv ely a s t h e prison

, ,
t h e Ba ins de l a R ein e , t h e boul ang eri e e t c , .
Ch enonc eaux to day is no whit ed s ep ulchr e

-
.
It is a re a l living an d livabl e thing an d mor e , ,
fi
ov e r wh en on e visits it h e obs erv e s th a t t h e
, ,
f amily burn gr e a t logs in their r epl a ce s h av e ,
luxu riou s bouquets of flowers on th eir dining

t abl e an d u s e gr eat wax c andl e s inst ea d of t h e
,
mor e prosa ic oil l amps or wors e — a cetyl ene

-
g a s
. Ch e nonc e au x e v id e ntly h a s no tho u ghts
of d e sc ending to st eam h e a t an d el e ctricity .
fi
All this is a s it should b e for wh en on e v isits ,
a shrin e lik e this h e pr e fe rs to n d it with a s
much a s possibl e of t h e ol d tim e a tmosph e r e -
r em aining Ch ambord is b ar e an d s ugg estiv e

.
of t h e tomb in spit e of th e spl endou r of its

,
outlin e an d proportions ; Pi e rr efonds in t h e ,
n orth is m or e s o an d s o wo uld b e Blois e xc ept

, ,
for its r e stor ed or imita tion d ecor a tions ; b ut

h er e at Ch en onceaux all is differ ent an d ,
C HAPT E R IX .
L O C HE S
M UC H m ay b e writt en of Loch e s of its stori ed

,
p a st of its pr e s ent—day quaintne ss an d of its

, ,
fi
wealth of a rchit ectura l monum ents Its church .
is c ert ainl y t h e most curiou s r eligiou s e di ce

in all Fr a nce j udging from a cross s e ction of
,
-
t h e v aults an d walls . Mor e than a ll els e h ow ,
ev e r ,
Loch e s is a ssoci at e d in our minds with
t h e m emory of Agne s Sor el .
Within t h e walls of t h e ol d coll egi at e church

t h e lov ely mistr es s of Ch a rl e s VII wa s bu ri e d
.
in 1 4 50 ; but la t e r h er r em ains an d tomb w e r e

r emov e d t o on e of t h e towe rs of th e anci ent
c a stl e of Loch e s wh e r e th ey n ow a r e S h e h ad
,
.
amply endow e d t h e chu rch b ut th ey wo uld no

,
fi
long e r giv e sh elt er to h er r em ains s o h er bon es
,
w e r e remo v e d v e hundr e d ye a rs l a t e r Th e .
st a tue which s urmounts h er tomb a s s ee n to ,
”
day repr e s ents t h e
,
gentill e Agne s in al l
h er lov elin e ss with fold e d h ands on br e a st a
, ,
kne eling a ngel at h e r h ea d a n d a couch ant

1
88
L oches 1
89
l amb a t h er fe et — a r emind er of h er inno

,
cenc e s aid H enry J am e s but s ur ely h e nodd ed

, ,
wh en h e s aid it Lovely s h e wa s an d good in

.
,
h er way but innoc e nt s h e wa s n ot as we h av e

, ,
fi
come to know t h e word .
It is tting to r e call th a t Ch arl e s VII wa s .
n ot t h e only mon a rch wh o s ang h er pr ais e s for ,
Loches
it wa s Fr an c ois I wh o m any years l at er wrot e

.
, ,
thos e line s b eginning

t
Gen ill e A g n es , pl us de l oz t u m éri te s .
fi
Wh eth er on e com e s t o Loch e s by ro a d or by
r ail t h e rst i mp r es s mn i s t h e s am e ; h e ent ers
,
at o n c e into a sl e epy old world town which

,
-
h a s pr a ctic ally nothing of mod ernity abo ut it

exc ept t h e el e ctric lights .
1
Th er e is but on e way to r e aliz e t h e imm ens e
fi
w e alth of a rchit e ctur a l mo nume nts centr e d at
Loch e s an d t h a t is to s ee t h e city for t h e rst
,
time a s p e rha ps Fr anc ois Pr emi e r s aw it

, , ,
wh en h e j ou rn eye d from Ambois e an d cam e ,
upo n it from t h e h eights of t h e for e st of
Loch e s Th e city h as n ot grown mu ch since

.
fi
th a t day Th e n it h ad thr ee tho us and eight
.
hundre d s oul s a n d now it h a s v e thou s and

, .
H e r e in t h e F orat de Loche s H enry II of

, ,
.
E ngl and built a mo n a st ery y et t o b e s e en , ,
known as th e Ch a rtr eu s e du Lig et in r e p ent ,
anc e or p e rh a ps a s a p en a nc e for t h e mu rd e r
, , ,
o f B e ck e t O v er t h e doorway of this mon a st ery

.
wa s graven
A N GL OR U M H EN R I CU S R E X
T H OM ZE CCE D E C RU E N T U S ,
L I G E TI CO S F U N DA T C A R TU S I A M ON A KOS .
To day t h e mona st e ry is th e prop erty of a

-
M de Ma r s a y a n d th e r efor e not op en to t h e
.
,
fi
p ublic ; but t h e Ch ap elle du Liget n e a r by is a , ,
n e cont empor a ry chu rch of t h e thirt e enth c en
tury w ell worth t h e a dmira tion too i n f r e

,
fi
qu ently b e stowe d upon it .
Th e rst vi ew of Loch e s mu st r e ally b e mu ch

a s it was in Fr an c ois s tim e exc ept p er h aps
’
, , ,
th a t t h e ro a dwa y down from t h e fo re st h as

i mprov e d a s roa ds h ave al l ov e r Fr ance and
, ,
1
th e r e ar e fr agments r ecently discov er e d ,
this in E nglish quit e worth t h e price of a d

,
-
mission which they ch arg e y ou to p eer about

i n a gloomy hol e of a c ell a r litt er e d with empty
,
wine bottle s and rubbish of all sorts

-
'
All this is d elightful enough to t h e simo n

pur e an tiqua ri an ; but eve n h e like s to dig
fi
things out for hims elf an d t h e hous ehold ers
,
can t al l e xp e ct to n d ca ch ot s i n th eir s ub
’
cell a rs or iron ca ge s i n th eir garr ets unl e ss th ey

m anu f a ctu r e th em .
Th e old town in spit e of its l a ck of mod ern

,
ity is full of s urpris e s an d contr a sts that mu st

,
m ake it v ery liva bl e to on e who ca r e s to sp end

a w i nt e r withi n its walls H e m ay walk abo ut
fi
.
on t h e ra mp a rts on s un ny d ays ; m ay s h i n the
fi
In dr e b elow t h e mill ; and if h e is an a rtist h e
, , ,
will n d within a comp a r a tiv ely sm all a r ea

, ,
fi
much mor e th at is exc eedingly p aint abl e
than is u sually foun d i n t h e s h i ng vill ag e s of -
Britt any or on t h e s an d dune s of t h e Pa s de

-
C al ais a rtist s
, sketchin g groun ds
’
which
-
h av e b een pr etty well work e d of l ate .
Th e history of Loch e s is so va ri e d an d vivi d

th at it is ea sy to account for t h e m any r em ain s
of f eudal an d R enai ss ance d ays now existing .
Th e de riv a tion of its n am e is in som e doubt .
Loch e s wa s unque stio nably t h e Luccae of t h e

1
an d th en a royal r e sidence to which Ch a rl e s ,
VII fr equently r ep ai r ed wi th Agne s S or el

.
,
whi ch c alls up ag ain t h e str angel y contr a sting

influenc e s of t h e t wo wom en whos e n am e s h ave
gone down in history linke d with that of
Ch a rl e s VII .
Louis XI a ggr an diz ed t h e ch at ea u

. s a ys ,
a Fr ench authority an d p e r f e ct e d t h e pris

,
”
on s ,
wha t ev er th at m ay m ean H e did we .
,
kn ow b ui ld thos e t erribl e dung e ons f ar down

,
b elow t h e s u rfa c e of th e ground wh e r e daylight ,
n ev e r pene tr a t e d They we r e p erfe ct enou gh

.
i n all consci enc e a s originally b uilt at l e a st a s ,
p e rfe ct a s t h e c el ebr at e d iron cag e in which h e

imprison ed Ca rdinal B alue Th e c age is not in .
its wont ed pl a ce t o day an d only a r ing i n t h e

-
wall indica t e s wh e r e it wa s once m a de fa st .
Ch arl e s VIII a dd e d t h e gr ea t ro und towe r ;

.
but it wa s n ot compl et e d until t h e r eign of

Lo uis XII Fr an c ois I i n a n ot too fri endly
.
,
m ee ting r e ceiv e d Ch a rl e s Q uin t h e r e i n 1

,
539 ,
j ust pr evio u s to his v isit to Amb ois e M a ri e de .
M edici on e scaping from Blois st opp ed at t h e

, ,
ch ateau at t h e invitation of t h e gov e rnor t h e ,
Duc d E p er n on wh o sp e d h er on h er way a s
’
, ,
j oyfully a s possibl e to An g oul am e ,

.
Th e ch at e au its elf is t h e chi e f attr a ction of

inte r e st j u st a s it is t h e chi e f fea tur e of t h e
,
L och es 1
95
landscap e wh en v i ewe d from a fa r O f cours e .
it is unde rstood th at wh en on e sp eaks of t h e

,
chat eau a t Loche s h e r efe rs t o t h e coll e ctiv e

,
chateaux which , in mor e or l e ss fr agm ent a ry

form go to m ak e up t h e edi ce a s it is to day
,
fi -
Wheth e r we admir e most t h e stru ctur e of

fi
fi
G e off roy Gris e Gonell e t h e el eg ant edi c e of
-
the ft eenth century or t h e a dditions of

,
Cha rl e s VI I Loui s XI Cha rl e s VIII Louis

, , ,
XII or Hen ri I I I we mu st conclude th a t to

.
, ,
?
know thi s conglomer a t e structur e in tima t ely
on e mu st a ctu ally liv e with it " Nowh e r e i n
Fr an ce p erh aps in no counti y is the re a

chat eau th at s uggests so stup endously t h e story
of its p a st
Th e ch i e f and most r emarkabl e fe atur e s ar e
un doubt edly t h e gr e a t r e ct ang ul a r k eep or don
fi
j on an d t h e Tour N euf or To u r Ronde Th e
, .
r st ,
in its imm ensity quit e rivals t h e b est
,
ex ampl e s of t h e ki n d e ls ewh e r e if it do e s not ,
a ctually exc el th em in dim en sions It is mor e .

,
ove r a ccording to De C aumont t h e most b eau

, ,
fi
tiful of a l l th e donj ons of Fr ance As a st a t e .
prison it con n e d J ean Duc d A l en con Pi err e

,
’
,
de Brez e and Philipp e de S avoi e

,
.
Th e To u r Ronde is a gr eat cylinde r fl anke d

with d ep enden ci e s which give it a mor e or l e ss
irregul a r form It enclos e s t h e prison wher e
.
1
w er e forme rly kept t h e famou s ca ge s t h e i n ,
v e n t i on of Ca rdin al B a l ue wh o hims elf b ec am e
fi
,
th eir rst victim Th e Tour Ro n de is r emi ni s

fi
.
c ent of t wo gr eat fem al e gur e s in t h e m edi

aev al portr ait gall e ry Agne s Sor el an d Anne
,
de Br et agn e Th e tomb of Agn e s Sor el is h e r e

.
,
an d t h e D u ch e ss e Anne m ad e an or a tory in this
grim towe r from which s h e s ent up h er pr ayer

,
f or t h e s u cc e ss a n d u nity of th e politic al pl ans

which inspir e d h er m a rri a ge into t h e royal
family of Fran c e It is a d aintily de cor a t e d
.
ch amb er with t h e queen s family d ev ice t h e

,
’
,
e r mi n e with its twist e d n e ckl e t prominen tly ,
displ aye d .
In t h e p a ssa g e which conducts t o t h e dun

g e ons of this gr ea t ro und towe r on e r e a ds this ,
ironical invit a tio n E n t r és m es s i eurs ch es l e

, ,
R oy N os t r e M es t r e (0 .
Th a t portion of t h e coll ective ch at eaux f a c

ing to t h e n orth is n ow occupi ed by t h e So u s
Pr ef e ct ur e an d is mor e a ft e r t h e m ann e r of
,
t h e r e sid enti al ch at ea ux of th e Loir e th an of

a fortr e ss stronghold or prison
-
B efor e this .
portion st ands t h e famou s ch e stnut tr ee -

,
pl an te d, it is s aid by Fr a n c ois I
,
an d l arg e ,
en o ugh t o sh elt e r t h e whol e pop ul a tion of

”
Loch e s b en ea th its foli a ge sa ys t h e s am e
,
do ubtful authority .
1
98 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C oun t ry
Il es t e n cort de s bi e n s p our m oy ,
Le t d en re am our et l a d éran ce
ouc e es p .
Most of th e s e formid abl e dunge ons of Loch es

wer e prisons of stat e un til w ell into t h e s i x
t een t h ce ntury .
B en eath or r a th e r b e sid e t h e v e ry walls of

, ,
t h e ch at eau is t h e biz a rr e coll egi at e church of
St O urs One s ays biz arre simply b e caus e it

. .
,
is curiou s an d not b e caus e it is unchurchly i n

,
an y s ens e of t h e word for it is not Its low

,
.
n av e i s s urmo unt ed by an enormous towe r with

a ston e spir e whil e th e r e ar e two oth e r p y r am
,
id al e r ections o v e r t h e roof of t h e choir which

m ak e t h e whol e look not like a n el eph ant a s
a cynic al Fr enchm
, ,
a n o n c e wrot e but r ath er ,

2 00 Ol d Tourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
full e st xt ent possibl e t h e a ntiquity an d i n

e ,
di v i dual i t y of t h e Eglis e de St Ours a t Loch e s . .
Th e quaint R en aiss an c e H at el de Vill e wa s - -
built by th e a rchit e ct J e an B eaudoin (1 53 5

from s ums r ais ed un der l ette rs p at ent
,
fr om Fra nc ois I by c ert ai n oct r oi t axe s

.
,
.
From t h e fa ct th at through its low e r story

p a ss e s on e of t h e old city entr ance s it h a s com e ,
t o b e known also as t h e Port e Pi coy s I n ev e ry .
way it is a worthy example of R enaiss ance

civic a rchit e ctu r e .
In t h e Rue de Chat eau is a r em a rk abl e

R en aiss anc e hou s e known a s t h e Ch an cell eri e
, ,
which d at e s from t h e r eign of H enri II It h a s .
most curiou s sculptur e s on its fa c ad e int er

sp ers ed wi th t h e d evic e s of royalty and th e i n
scriptio n :
E NO
I VS TI TI A R G ,
PR UDEN TIA N UTRIS CO .
Th e Tour St Antoine s erve s to day a s t h e

.
-
city s b elfry It is al l th at r em ains of a church

’
.
,
d emolish e d lon g since which wa s built in 1

,
519
3 0 in imi t ation of St Ga t i en s of Tou rs
, .
’
.
Doubtl e ss it was b a s e i n m any of its det ails a s ,
is its more famou s comp ee r at To urs ; but if t h e ,
ol d tow e r which r em ains is any i n dic atio n it ,
mu st h ave b een an el abora t e an d imposing work

of t h e l at e Gothic an d e a rly R e n aiss anc e era .
L oches 1
20
As lit er a ry not e love rs of Dum a s s r o

a ,
’
man ce s will b e int er e st e d in t h e fa ct th at in t h e

H6tel de l a Cour oi ri e a t Loche s a body of Prot ~
e s t an t s c aptur e d t h e cel ebr at e d Chicot th e ,
j e st er of H enri III a nd H enri IV . .
Loch e s h a s a n ea r n eighbo ur i n B ea uli eu ,
which form erly poss e ss ed a n a rdent h atr ed for

its mor e progr e ssive an d s ucce ssful cont empo
r a ry Loche s Its ve ry name h a s b e en p er
,
.
vert ed by local histori a ns a s coming from B elli

”
locus t h e pl a ce of war a n d not l e li en
“
, ,
’ ”
d nn bel as p ect .
Th e bb ey church at B eauli eu wa s built by

a
t h e wa rlike Fo ulqu e s Ne rr a (in 1 008 who

u s ually b uilt fortr e ss e s an d l e ft church b uild -
fi
ing to monks an d bishops It is a r emarkabl e .
Romane sque exampl e though since t he f , ,
t eent h c en tury it h a s b een mostly i n ruin s

,
.
Foulque s Nerr a hims elf whos e count enan c e ,

”
l a m aj es t é de c elui d a n ang e
'
h ad
’
foun d his ,
l a st r e sting pl a ce within its walls which a lso

-
shelte r ed much rich orn ament to day gr ea tly ,

-
de fa ced though th at of t h e n av e which is still

, ,
inta ct is an ev id ence of its former worth

, .
Th e abb ati al r e sid en c e still exist ent h as a , ,
curious ext erior pulpit built into t h e wall e x ,
ampl e s of which a r e n ot too fr equ e nt in Fr anc e .
Agne s Sor el t h e b ell e of b ell e s live d h er e f or

, ,
2 02 Ol d T ourai ne and t he L oi re C ount ry
a tim e in a ho u s e nea r t h e Port e de Guign é ,
which b ea rs a gr eat ston e p an on ceau from ,
which t h e a rmori a l b ea rings h aVe to day dis -
app e a r e d It is anoth er notabl e monument to

.
”
t h e most gr ac e ful wom an of h er tim e s an d ,
without doubt h a s a s m uch hi s t ori c value a s .
m a ny anoth e r mor e popul a r shrine of histo ry .
In conn e cti on with Agne s Sor el who wa s so

fi
,
clos ely id enti e d with Loch e s an d B eauli eu it ,
is to b e r e call e d that s h e was known to th e

ch ronicl ers of h e r tim e as l a dam e de B ean t é
”
S t i r M a rn e
-
a pl a c e which do e s not app e a r i n
,
t h e books of t h e mod ern ge ogr aph e rs It m ay .
b e not e d too th at it wa s t h e encour a gem ent of

, ,
th e bel l e des bell es of Ch a rl e s VII th a t in .

,
a way contribut ed to th a t mon arch s s ucce ss ’

,
in politics an d a rms for h er sway only b eg an

‘
,
with J eann e d A r c s s upplication a t Gi en an d

’ ’
Chinon Tr a dition h a s it ind eed th a t it wa s

.
, ,
th e gentill e Ag ne s wh o p ut t h e sword of
v ictory in his h a nds wh en h e s et ou t on his
camp aign of r econque st Thu s do e s t h e J eanne .
fi
d A r c l e gend r e c eiv e a d am aging blow
’
.
Th e ch at e au of S au s a c a n el e ga nt e di c e of
,
t h e sixt e en th c entury compl et ely r e stor ed i n

,
l at e r d ays is n ea r by ,
.
C HAPT E R X .
TO URS A N D AB OUT TH E RE
TO U RS above all oth e r Of t h e a nci ent capit als

,
of t h e Fr e nch pro v inc e s r em a ins to day a v i ll e

,
-
de lur e t h e el ega
,
nt c apital of a l and b almy an d
delicious ; a l an d of which D ante s ung :
Terra m ol l e , e dol ce e t
di l e t os a.
It is n ot a very grand town a s t h e s econd ary

citi e s of Fr a nce go ; not like Rouen or Lyons ,
B or deaux or M ars e ill e s ; but it is a s typical a

r efl ection of t h e s urrounding country as any ,
an d th e r e in li e s its ch arm .
On e n eve r come s within t h e influenc e of its

-
luxurio us or at l ea st e asy an d comfort abl e

, , ,
fi
a
p pointm ents its distinctly
,
mod e rn a d
n u p
—to
d at e r ailway s t a tion its trul y ma gni c ent mod

,
e r n H at e l de Vill e its well appoint e d hot els

,
-
an d c a fés an d its l uxu rio u s S hops but th a t h e ,
r e aliz e s all this t o a f ar gr ea te r ext ent th an i n

any oth e r city of Fr anc e .
And a gain r eferring to t h e m at e rial things

,
2 03
2 04 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
of life ev erything is most comfort abl e an d t h e

, ,
r e st aur ants and hot els most attra ctiv e i n th eir

f ar e . To urs is trul y on e provinci al capital
wh er e t h e cui s i n e bourg eoi s e still live s .
To ur ain e an d Tours i n p a rticul a r b e side s

, ,
m any oth e r things is not e d for its hotels The ir

,
.
pr ais e s h av e b een s ung oft en a n d loudly not ,
forge tting H enry J am e s s pr ais e of t h e H6 t el

fi
’
,
de l Uni v er s which is al l on e exp ect s to n d it

’
,
a n d mor e Th e s a m e m ay b e s aid of t h e H Ot el
.
du Croiss ant with t h e a dd e d Opinion th at it

,
s e rve s t h e most bou ntiful and e xc ell ent dé
fi
j en n e r to b e h a d i n a l l provinci a l Fr a n ce It .
is dif cult to s ay j u st wh a t a ctu ally c au s e s al l

this e xcell ence an d abun danc e exc ept th a t t h e ,
cat ering the r e is an e a sy an d pl e a s ur abl e oc

cup at i on .
Th e Rue N ation al e t ouj ours et ur ai ni en t

r oy a l e is t h e gre a t a rt ery of Tours r un
ning riv erwards O n it circul at e s al l t h e life of
.
t h e city .
To t h e right is t h e Q uarti er de l a C a th édr al e ,
wh e r e a r e a ss embl e d t h e gr ea t hou s e s of th e
nobility or s u ch of th em a s ar e l e ft an d of
t h e old bourg eoi s i e t our ang ell e .
fi
To th e l eft ar e t h e str eets of t h e work ers a ,
silk mill or t wo an d t h e printing of ce s To urs

-
,
-
.
is a n d always h a s b een c el ebr a te d f or t h e num

'
curious an d inexplic abl e in t h e light of our

mode rn conceptio n of simil a r things but i t s ,
’
b ett e r th an a shi eld with qua rt erings r epr e s ent

ing h alf a can al bo at an d half a locomotiv e
-
which wa s r e cently a dopt ed by an ent e rprising

wa t e ring pl a ce whi ch sh all b e namel e ss
-
.
In t h e s am e an ci ent qua rt er a r e t h e old

towe rs of Ch arl em agn e an d St M a rtin This . .
p art of t h e town is t h e nu cl eu s of t h e old fo un

d ation t h e s it e of t h e opp i cl un
,
i of t h e Tu r on es ,
t h e Cws a r odunum g a l l o r om ai n an d of t h e life

-
which centr e d a round th e old abb ey of St .
M a rtin s o vene r at e d an d so powe rful in th e

,
middl e a ge s .
To t h e inviol abl e r efuge of this ol d abb ey

-
c am e multitud e s of Christi an pilgrims from

t h e world ov e r ; t h e M erovingi an s to un de rgo
t h e p en anc e s impos ed upon th em by t h e bish
op s an d cl e rics i n expia tion of th eir crim e s .
Und e r Cha rl em a gn e t h e Abbe Alcuin fo und e d

,
gr eat schools of l angua ge s history a stronomy, , ,
an d music from which fo unts of l e a rning w ent

,
forth innum era bl e and illu strio u s r eligi o us

t e a ch ers .
All but t h e two towe rs of this old r eligio u s

foundation ar e gon e Th e yea rs of t h e R ev ol u
.
tion s aw t h e fall of t h e abb ey ; a str e et wa s cut

through t h e n ave of its church an d t h e two ,
T ours an d Ab out T h ere 2 07
dism emb e r e d p a rts st and t o day a s monuments -
t o t he s acril ege of modern tim e s .
To day a b an al faubo urg h a s sprung up

-
a ro un d t h e sit e of t h e abb ey with h e r e an d ,
th ere old tumbl e down hous e s e ith e r of wood

-
an d ston e s u ch a s on e r ea ds of i n t h e p a ge s of
,
B alz a c or s ee s in t h e de signs of Dor é or with

, ,
their sid e s cover e d with ov erl apping S la t e s .
Amid al l the s e is an occa sional tr e a s ur e of

a rchit e ctur a l ar t s u ch a s t h e gr a c e ful Fo unt ain
,
of B e aun e t h e work of Mich el Colomb e a n d

, ,
som e r em ains of e a rly R en aiss ance hous e s of

som ewh at mor e spl endid a ppointme nts th an
th eir fellows p a rticul a rly t h e Maison de Tris
,
t an l H erm i t e t h e Hate l Xai n coi ng s an d m any

’
, ,
e xqui sit e fr agm ents now m a de ov er int o an
aube rg e or a ca ba r e t which m ake on e dr e am of ,
R ab el ais an d his G a rg antua .
It is uncertain wh eth e r Mich el Colomb e who ,
d e signe d this fount ain an d also th at ma st er

work t h e tomb of t h e Duc Fr an c ois II and
, .
M arguerit e de Foix at Nante s wa s a Tou r an , ,
gean or a Br e ton but Tours cl aims him for h e r

,
own an d s e ttl e s onc e for all t h e sp elling of his

,
nam e by produ cing a p ap i e r des aff ai r es

”
signe d pl ainly Colomb e Th e proof li e s i n
fi
.
this docum ent sign e d in a nota ry s o f ce at

,
’
Tours con ce rning p aym ents which w ere m ade

,
to him on b eh alf of t h e m agni cent s epulchr e fi

fi
which h e exe cut e d for t h e church of St S auveu r .
a t L a Roch e ll e I n his time

. ft eenth c entury
Colomb e h a d no rivals in t h e a r t of mon
um en t al sculptu r e i n Fr a nc e a n d with r e as on
,
h e h a s b een c all e d t h e Mich el Ang e of Fr an ce .
Th e c athe dr al qua rt e r h a s for its chi ef attr ae

tio n th at gorge o u sly florid St G a tien whos e .
,
orn a te fa c a de wa s liken e d by a cert ain mon a rch

fi
to a m agni cently b ej ewell e d caske t It is an .
fi
int e r e sting a n d lovabl e Gothic R enaiss anc e -
chu rch which if n ot quit e of t h e rst r ank

,
among t h e m a st e rpi e c e s of its kin d is a m arv el ,
of spl endo u r an d an e x ampl e of t h e

,
cap ri ces
’ ” ’
d un e g ui p ur e d ar t a s t h e Fr e nch c all it
,
.
B orde ring t h e Loir e a t To urs is a s eri e s

of tr ee lin e d quays an d prom en a d e s which a r e
-
t h e sc en e s thro ughout t h e spring an d s umme r

,
months of fat e s an d fairs of m any sorts H er e

, .
,
too a t t h e e xtr emity of t h e Rue Na tio nal e ar e

, ,
st a tue s of D e sc a rt e s an d B alz a c .
Th e To ur de Guis e on t h e rive r b ank r e c alls -
t h e domin a tio n of t h e Pl ant ag en e t kings of

E ngl and wh o we re Counts of Anj ou since it
,
form e d a p art of t h e twelfth —c entury ch at eau

b uilt h e r e by H enry II of E ngl and . .
At t h e opposit e extr emity of t h e city is an

other towe r t h e To ur de Foub e rt , which pro
,
2 08 Ol d Tourai ne and t h e L oi re Count ry
to him on b eh a lf of t h e m agni cent s ep ul ch re fi

fi
which h e ex ecut e d f or t h e church of St S auveu r .
a t L a Ro ch e ll e In his tim e . fte enth century

— COl om b e h a d n o riv als in t h e a r t of mon ~
um en t al sculp t u r e in Fr a nc e a n d with r e as o n ,
h e h a s b een call ed t h e Mi ch el A ng e of Fr an c e .
Th e c athe dr al qua rt e r h a s for its chi ef at t r a c

tion tha t gorge o u s ly florid St G atien whos e .
,
orn a te fa c a d e wa s like ne d by a ce rt ain mon arch

fi
t o a m a gni cently b ej ew ell e d cask e t It is an .
fi
int e r e sting a n d lov abl e Gothic R enaiss ance -
church which if n ot quit e of t h e rst r ank

,
of spl endo ur ,
an d an e xampl e of the cap ri ces
’ ’ ”
d une ui
g p u r e d Fr en ch call it
a r t, as t h e .
Borde ring t h e L oi r e a t Tours is a s eri e s

of tr e e l in e d qu ay s a nd prom e n a d e s which ar e
-
t h e s c en e s th r o ugho ut t h e S p r i ng an d s umme r
,
months of fate s a nd f airs o f m an y s orts H ere

, .
,
too a t t h e extr emity of t h e Rue Na tio nal e a re

, ,
S t a tu e s of D e sc a r t e s an d B a l z a c .
Th e To u r de Guis e o t n h e riv r b nk r e calls

e — a
t h e do mi n a tion of t h e Pl an t ag en e t kings o f
E ngl and who wer e C oun ts of Anj o u since it
,
form e d a p a rt of t h e twelfth c entury chatea u -
bu ilt h e r e by H enry II of E n gl and . .
i t t h e opposit e extr emity of t he city is an

“
o th e r t o we r t h e To ur de Foub e rt which pro

, ,
1
none a ske d alms of him i n v ain On e N ov emb er .
day wh e n t h e wind bl ew briskly an d t h e snow

,
fell fa st a b egg ar a sk e d f or food an d clothing

, .
M a rtin h a d but his own clo ak an d this h e forth ,
with tor e in h alf an d g ave on e portion to t h e

b egga r L at e r on t h e s am e night th e r e c ame
.
a knocking a t Ma rtin s do or ; t h e snow h a d

’
c ea s ed falling an d t h e st a rs shon e brightly an d ,
on e of goodly pr e s enc e stood with t h e clo ak
on his a r m s aying
,
I wa s n ake d an d y e
,
“
”
cloth e d m e . M a rtin str aightway b e c am e a
pri est of th e church an d di e d an honour e d ,
bishop of To urs an d f or ev e r a fte r t h e anni

,
v e r s a ry of his conversion is c el ebr ate d by

s unny ski e s .
W e owe a doubl e d ebt to St M a rtin W e . .
h ave to th a nk him for t h e s aying A ll m y ,

”
ey e an d t h e words chap e l and ch ap
l ai n
. Th e full form of t h e phr a s e A l l my ,
”
ey e an d B et t y M a r t i n which we all of u s h ave
,
oft en h ea rd is an obviou s corruption of

,
0
”
m i hi bea t e M a r ti n e t h e b eginni ng of an i nv o
,
ca tion t o t h e s aint Th e clo ak h e div id e d with

.
a n ak e d b egga r which by t h e way

,
took pl a c e
, ,
a t Ami ens ,
n ot at To u rs wa s tr ea s ur e d a s a ,
r elic by th e Fra nkish kings borne b efor e th em ,
in b attl e an d brought forth wh en sol emn o aths

,
we r e to b e t aken Th e gua rdi ans of this clo ak

.
T ours and Ab out T here 2 1
1
or cap e wer e known a s cap p el l ani ,
”
ch a p l ai n
, whil e its s anctua ry or
”
p lae l ha s b e come ch ap e l .
F or t h e ir d e scriptions of Pl e ssis l e s To urs - -
mode rn E nglish tr av ell ers h ave inv a ri ably

turn ed to t h e p age s of Sir Walt e r Scott This .
is all v e ry well in i t s way b ut it is a lso well

,
fi
to r ememb e r th at Scott drew h i s pictur e from
d e nite inform ation a n d it i s not m er ely t h e
,
p rodu ct of his im agina ry a rchit e ctur al skill .
In this r e sp e ct Scott wa s ce rt ainly f a r ah ea d

of C a rlyl e in his e stim at e s of Fr ench m a tt ers .
E ven in thos e days (writing of Q uen

t i n D urw a rd s aid Scott wh en th e gr e at
“
,
fi
found th ems elve s oblige d to r e side in pl a ce s of
forti e d str ength it , (Pl e ssis l es To urs )
“
was disting uish ed for t h e extr em e a n d j ealo u s
”
ca r e with which it wa s wa tch e d an d d efende d
‘
All this is s ubstanti at e d an d corrobor at e d by

a uthoriti e s a n d whil e it m ay h av e b een chos en
, ,
by Scott m er ely a s a s uit abl e a cce ssory for t h e

d et ails of his story Pl e ssis —l e s Tours un qu e s
,
-
t i on abl y wa s a roya l stronghold of s u ch pro

portions a s to b e but m eanly s ugg e ste d by t h e
scanty r em ains of t h e pr e s ent day .
Louis XI dr eam e d fondly of Pl e ssis l e s

.
-
Tours (Pl e ssis b eing from t h e L atin P l ea i ti um ,
a n am e born e by m any s ub u rb a n vill a g e s of

1
2 2 Ol d T ourai ne an d t h e L oi re C ount ry
Fra nce ) an d h e sought to m ake it a roy al r e si

,
d ence wh er e h e should b e s a fe from ev ery out

“
wa rd h a rm It h a d four gr e at towe rs cr enel

.
,
a t e d an d m a chico l a t e d a ft e r t h e b e st G othi c
,
fortr e ss e s of t h e tim e At t h e four a ngl e s of

.
t h e prot e cting walls we r e t h e princip al logis ,
an d b etw ee n t h e lin e s of its r amp a rts or foss e s
wa s an a dv a nc e gua rd of b uildings pr e s umably

-
fi
int end ed f or t h e va ss als i n tim e of d a nge r .
This wa s t h e c a stl e a s Loui s rst kn ew it ,
wh en it wa s t h e prop erty of t h e Ch amb erlain
fi fi
o f t h e D u chy of L uyn e s from whom th e king
,
fi
bought it for v e tho us and an d v e hundr e d
’
écus d or t h e v alue of
, fty thous and fr ancs
of to day
-
.
Its former a pp ell ation Mont i l z l es Tours ,

- -
,
wa s ch ange d (1 4 63 ) to Pl e ssis All t h e chi e f .
featur e s h av e dis app ear ed and to day it is but ,

-
a scr appy coll ectio n of t umbl e down buildin gs -
devot ed to al l m anner of pu rpos e s A f ew .
fr ag ment a ry l ow roofed v aul ts ar e l eft an d

-
a brick an d ston e b uildi n g fl ank e d by a n oct ag

,
fi
o nal towe r cont aining a st a irway ; but this is
,
about all of t h e form e r e di c e which if n ot a s , ,
S pl endid a s som e oth er roy al r e sid enc e s wa s ,
quit e as ef fe ctively d efen de d and as s uitable to

its purpos e s a s a ny .
It h ad, t oo, within its walls a tiny ch ap el

1
2 4 Ol d T ourai ne an d t he L oi re C ount ry
de dicated to Our L ady of Clery, b efor e whos e

alt a r t h e s up e rstitio u s Lo uis m ad e his i n con
sta nt dev otion s .
O n c e a gre at for e st surro und e d t h e ch at eau ,
an d was , a s Scott s ays r end er e d d angero u s

,
an d w ell nigh
-
impr a cticabl e by sna r e s an d
tr aps a rm ed with scyth e bl ad e s , which shr e d
-
off t h e unwa ry tr av ell e r s limbs an d cal

’
t h r op s th at would pi e rc e you r foot through ,
a n d pitfa lls d ee p en ou gh to b ury y ou in them

”
f or ever . To day th e for es t h as dis app ear e d
-
,
”
lost in t h e n ight of time, as a Fr ench his
tori an h as it .
Th e d et ail ed de scription i n Q uen tin Dur

wa rd is how eve r a s good a s any and if on e
, , , ,
h a s n o r efe r en c e works i n Fr ench by him h e ,
may well r ea d t h e doz en or mor e p a ge s whi ch

Sir Walt e r d evot es to t h e f urth e r de scriptio n
fi
of t h e ca stl e .
P erh aps a ft e r al l , it is tting th at a Scot

,
should h av e writt en s o enthu sia stically of it ,
f or t h e ca stl e its elf wa s guarde d by t h e Scot

tish a rch ers to t h e numb er of thr e e hun dr ed
,
”
gentl em en of t h e b e st blood of Scotla nd .
A n anonymou s po e t h a s writt en of t h e an
ci ent glory of thi s r etr eat of Louis s a s fol ’
l ows
Tours and About Th ere
Un i mp osan t t és ente a l a v ue
ch a eau s e pr
‘
,
Par des p or es de f er l en t rée es t d éfe n d ue

t ’
L es m urs en s on t épai s et l es fos s és profon d s ;

On y voi t des cr é ne aux des t ours des b as ti on s
, , ,
Et des s ol d ats arm é s v eil l ent s u s es m u ai ll es fl r r

’
Fr am e this with s u ch d etails a s t h e surroun d

ing country s uppli es t h e Ch e r on on e side t h e, ,
Loir e on t h e oth er an d t h e f ertil e hills of St

, .
Cyr of B allon a nd of J oue an d on e h a s a

, , ,
picture worthy of t h e gr eat e st p aint er of any

time .
Louis XI died at Pl e ssis a ft er h aving liv ed

.
,
fi
th e re m any yea rs Louis XII m a de of it a
. .
r en dez v ous de ch as s e but Fr a n c ois II con d ed , .
its c ar e t o a gove rn or an d woul d n ev er liv e

i n it .Louis XIV gav e t h e gov ernorship a s
.
a h e r e dit a ry p e rqui sit e to t h e widow of t h e
S eigneur de S au s ac .
In 1 778 it wa s u s e d a s a s ort of r etr ea t for

t h e in digent though h appily eno ugh To ur ain e
,
wa s nev e r ov erburdene d with this cl a ss of hu

manity Un de r Lo uis XV a M a demois ell e De
. .
n eux a mom e nt a ry riv al of L a Pomp a do u r an d

,
Du B arry foun d a r e tr ea t h e r e L a t e r it b e
fi
.
,
c ame a m ai s on de corr ecti on an d n ally a ,
dep at mi li t ai r e At t h e tim e of t h e R evolu tion

’
it wa s de cl ar e d to b e n ational prop e rty an d on ,
t h e ni n et e en t h N i v oi s e Year [ V Citiz en Cor

fi
.
, ,
me ri j u stice of t h e p eace at Tours xed its

, ,
1
2 6 Old Tourai ne and t he Loi re C ount ry
v alue a t on e hundr ed an d thirty on e thous and -
f r ancs .
To d ay it is a s b ar e an d un couth a s a m er e
b arr a cks or a s a dis u s e d flour —mill an d its ruins ,
a r e visit e d p a rtly b e c au s e of th eir form e r his
t or i cal glori e s as,

r ec all e d by stud ents of
Fr ench history an d p a rtly b e cau s e of t h e
,
gl amou r which was sh ed ov er it, f or E nglish

r ea d ers by Scott
,
.
Sixty y e ars ag o a Fr ench wr it e r d eplor ed t h e

fa ct th at on l ea vin g th e s e sc anty r em ain s of a
,
so long gone p a st h e obs e rv e d a notice n ail ed

,
‘
to a pill ar of t h e p or t e cocher e r eading -
LA F ER M E D U PL ESSIS
To day
-
som e sort of a division a n d r ear
r angem ent of t h e prop erty h a s b een m ad e but ,
t h e r e s ult is no l e ss mournful an d s a d an d thu s ,
a glorio u s p a ge of t h e ann als of Fr anc e h a s
b ecom e blurr ed .
It is inte r e sting to r e call wh at mann er of

p ersons compos ed t h e hou s ehold of Louis XI
-
.
wh en h e r e sid e d at Pl e ssis l es Tours Com - -

.
min e s his histori an h a s s aid th at habitually

, ,
it con sist ed of a ch ancellor a j ug e de l h at el ,

’
,
1
2 8 Old T ourai ne an d t h e L oi re C ount ry
To b e asgr e at a s t h e king
r ecogniz e d his roy al m a st e r )
And wh a t wish e s t h e king
His exp ens e s to b e come l e ss
”
(h e
.
h a d n
?
.
ot
Th e r eply bro ught good fortun e for t h e l a d ,
for Louis m a d e him his v al et de ch a/mbr e an d

” ,
took him aft e rwa rd into his most intimat e con

fiden ce .
Louis wa s fond of l a cha s s e an d Scott do e s

,
”
not ov e rlook this fact i n Q ii en t i n D u rw a rd .
W h en af fairs of st a t e did not pr e ss it wa s th e ,
king s gr e a t e st pl ea sur e F or t h e royal hun t no

’
.
p ains or exp en s e w er e sp a r ed Th e ca rri age s

.
we r e without a n equal els ewh e r e in t h e co urts

of E u rop e an d t h e hunti n g e st ablishm en t wa s
,
equipp e d with chi en s cour an t s from Sp ain

l ev ri ers from Br et agn e bas s e t s from Val e nce
,
mul e s from Sicily an d hors e s from N apl e s

,
.
Th e attr a ctions of th e environs of Tou rs a r e

m any an d int er e sting : St Symphori en Va
.
,
r enne s t h e Grotto es of S t e R ad egonde an d t h e

, .
,
sit e of th at mo st famous abb ey of M a rmouti er ,
a lso a fo und a tio n of St M a rtin H er e und e r

. .
,
t h e n ame M artinu s M on a st e rium gr ew up an ,
imm en s e an d s up erb e st ablishm ent From an .
old s ev ent eenth century print on e qu ot e s t h e

-
f ollowing coupl e t
T ours and A b out T h ere 1
2 9
De q
u el cOt é que l e v en t ve n e t
Mar m o uti er a cen s et r e n e t .
”
From this on e infe rs th at t h e abb ey s original ’
functions ar e p erforme d no mor e .
In middl e a ge s (thirt eenth century ) it

th e
wa s on e of t h e most powerful institutions of its
cl a ss an d its chu rch on e of t h e most b eautiful
,
in To ur aine Th e towe r an d donj on a r e t h e

fi
.
only s ubst antial r em ains of thi s e a rly edi ce [

.
A curio us ch ap el c all e d t h e
,
Chap ell e de s
”
S ept Dormants is h e r e cut i n t h e form of a
,
cross into t h e rock of t h e hillside wh er e ar e ,
b uri e d t h e r em ain s of t h e S ev en Sl eep ers ,
t h e discipl e s of St M a rtin wh o a s t h e holy

“
,
.
,
m an h ad pr e dict e d all di e d on t he s am e day

,
.
B eyond M a rmouti e r a stai rw ay of 1 ,

22 st eps ,
out also in t h e rock l eads t o t h e pl at eau on

,
which st a nds t h e g aunt an d ugly L an t e rne de

Roch e corbon a fourt e enth c entury con s t ruc
,
-
tio n with a cr en el at ed s umm it an unlovely ,
comp anio n of th at ev en mor e e nigm a tic e r e c

”
tion known a s L a Pil e a f ew mil e s down
,
t h e Loir e at Cin q Ma rs-

.
as th ey a r e, th ey a r e of much t h e s am e c om
position a soft t alcy form ati on which h er e
,
s erve s a dmir ably t h e p urpos e s of cli f f dwell -
ings for t h e vineya rd an d wine pr e ss workers -
who form pr a ctic ally t h e sole p op ul a tion of th e

Loir e v ill a ge s from Vo uvr ay j ust above Tou rs
-
, ,
to S aumu r f ar b elow .
O n th e hillsid e s a r e t h e vineya rds th em

s elv e s growing out of t h e thin l aye r of s oil
,
i n sh ad e s of r e d an d brown an d gold en which

-
no a rtist h a s ev er b ee n abl e to copy for no ,
on e h a s p aint e d t h e rich col ou ring of a vin e
ya rd i h a m ann e r at al l appro a ching t h e orig

in al .
Not f ar b elow Tours on th e right b ank ris e ,
t h e towe rs an d tu rr ets of t h e Ch at e au de
Luyne s h anging p erilously high above t h e low
,
l and which bord e rs up on t h e riv e r An un .
pl ea s ant tooting tr am giv e s communication a

’
doz en tim e s a day with To u rs but f ew app a r , ,
e n tly p atron i z e i t exc ept p ea s ants with m a rk e t

,
fi
b a sk ets a n d vineya rd worke rs going into town
,
fi
for a j oll i cat i on It is p erh aps j ust a s w ell
.
,
for t h e n e littl e town of Luyn e s which t ak e s ,
its n am e from t h e chat eau which h a s b een t h e

r e sid enc e of a Comt e de Luyn e s sinc e t h e d ays
of Lo uis XIII wo uld b e quit e spoil ed if it we r e
.
,
on t h e b e a t en tr a ck .
222 Ol d Tourai ne an d t he Loi re C ount ry
as th ey a r e th ey a r e of much t he s am e com
,
positi on a soft t a lcy formatio n which h e r e

,
s e rv e s a dmir ably t h e p u rpos es of cli ff —dwe l l

ings f or t h e v in eya rd an d win e pr e ss worke rs -
wh o form pr a ctic ally t h e sol e pop ul a tion of t h e “
Loir e v ill ag e s from Vo uvr ay j us t ab ov e To urs, ,
to Sa umur f ar b elow .
O n th e hillsi de s ar e t h e vin eya rds th em

’
s elv e s growing out of t h e thin l aye r of soil

,
in S h ad e s of r ed an d brown an d golden which ,
n o a rtist h a s ev e r b een abl e to copy for no ,
on e h a s p aint e d t h e rich colou ring of a vin e
inal
N ot f ar b elow Tou r s on th e right b ank ris e
, ,
t h e to we rs an d tu r r e ts of t h e Ch at e au de
L uyne s h a ngi ng p e ril o us l y h ig h above t h e low
,
l and which bor de r s up on t h e riv e r An un .
pl e a s ant tooting tr am g i v e s communication a

doz en tim e s a day wi t h To ur s but f ew a pp ar , ,
en tly p a troniz e i t exc ept p ea s an ts with m a rke t

,
fi
b a skets an d v in eya rd worke rs going into town
,
fi
for a j oll i cat i on It is p erh aps j us t a s well
.
,
for t h e n e littl e town of Luy n es which t ak e s ,
i t s n am e from t h e ch at eau which h as b e en t h e

r e sid enc e of a Comt e de Luyn es s ince t h e d ays
of Lo uis XIII wo uld b e quit e spoil ed if it wer e
.
,
on t h e b ea t en tr a ck .
Luynes and Langeai s 223
bru sque fa c a de of th e Chat eau de Luyne s

Th e
m ake s a ch a rming int erior j udging from t h e ,
de scriptions an d dr awings which ar e to b e m et

with in an el aborat ely pr ep ar e d volum e devot e d
to its history .
Th e str ang e r is allowe d to ent e r within t h e

gat e s of t h e courtyard b enea th t h e grim coiffe d
,
towe rs ; but h e m ay Visit only cert ain ap art

m ents H e will how
fi
. ev e r s e e eno u gh to indi
, ,
cate th at t h e e di ce wa s something mor e th an

a m er e m ai s on de ca mp ag n e All t h e a ttribute s
.
of an import ant f ortr e ss ar e h e r e gr e at ro und , , ,
thickly b uilt towers with but f ew ext e rior wi n

,
dows and thos e high up from t h e ground

,
.
Th e r e is nothing of luxuriou s el ega nc e about

it an d its a sp e ct is for bidding though i m
, ,
p os i n g u
fi
Th e ch at e aub eli e s its looks som ewh a t for it ,
wa s built only in t h e ft eenth an d sixt e enth

c enturi e s wh en i n most of its neighbour s t h e
, , ,
mor e or l e ss florid R en aiss ance wa s in v ogue .
A R enaiss an ce stru ctur e in stone an d brick
fi
forms a pa rt of th at which fa c e s on t h e int e rior
court an d is fl ank ed by a n e octa gonal t our
,
’ ”
d es ca li e r .
From t h e t err a ce of th e courtyard on e ge ts

an impr e ssi v e v i e w of t h e Loir e which glid e s
,
by two or mor e kilometr e s away a n d of t h e ,

towe r s an d roof tops of Tou rs an d t h e V ine

-
,
ca rp et ed hills which str etch away along t h e

river s b ank i n eith e r dir e ction
’
.
Th e chat e au of Luy n e s is still in t h e poss e s

sion of a Duc de Luyn e s th rough whos e cour ,
t e sy on e m ay visit s uch of t h e a p artm ents a s

his s e rvants a r e allowe d to S how It is not .
s o gr eat an exh ibition n or s o good a on e a s

.
, ,
is t o b e h ad at L angeais ; but i t is s atisfa ctory “
a s f a r a s it go e s an d wh en it is s uppl em ent e d
, ,
by t h e walks an d vi ews which ar e to b e h ad

on t h e pl at eau upon which t h e grim tow e r e d
,
-
chat eau sits t he m emory of it all b e come s most

,
pl e a s u r abl e .
Th e form er D ucs de Luyne s we r e co n tinu al ly

app e a r in g i n t h e historic ev ents of t h e l a t e r
R enaiss ance p eriod but it wa s only with

,
Loui s XIII h e who wo uld h ave p ut Fra nce

.
,
und e r t h e prot e ction of t h e Virgin th a t t h e ,
ch at el ain of Luyn e s cam e to a position of r e al

powe r Lo uis m ad e Alb ert t h e Ga scon both
.
l
, ,
Due de Luyn e s a nd Connét abl e de Fr a nce an d ,
ther eby gav e birth to a tyr ant whom h e ha te d

an d f e a r e d a s h e did his moth e r his wife a n d
, , ,
his minist e r, Rich eli eu .
Th e sit e occupi e d by t h e chat e au of Luyn e s
fi
i s truly m a rv ello u s th ough a s a m a tt e r of f a ct
, , ,
th er e is no grea t m agni cen ce about t h e pro

L uynes and Langeai s 2 25
portions of t h e chat eau its elf It is pil ed gr a ce

.
fully on t h e top of a t abl e l and which ri s e s

-
fi
a bruptly from t h e Loir e an d h a s a ch a rmingly
quaint Old t own ne stl ed con di n gly b elow it ,
a s if f or prot e ction .
On e r e a ch e s th e ch at eau by any on e of a h alf

doz en m ethods by t h e highroa d which b ends
, .
a ro u nd i n h airpin curv e s until it r e a ch e s t h e
pl at eau above by va riou s p a ths a cross or

,
a ro und t h e vin ey a rds of t h e hillsid e or by a

,
quaintly cut m edi mv al st airway l ev ell e d an d ,
t err aced in t h e gr av elly soil until it ends j ust

b eneath t h e frowning walls of th e chat ea u its elf .
From this point on e gets quit e t h e most i mp os

ing a sp ect Of th e chat eau t o be h ad, its towe rs
an d t urr ets pi e rcing t h e sky high abov e t h e
h ead an d ca rrying t h e mind b a ck to t h e d ays

,
wh en civ iliz a tion m ean t som ething mor e or
l ess — th an it do e s t o d ay with th e toot of a

,
st eam tram down b elow on t h e river s b ank

-
’
an d t h e midd ay whistl e s of t h e fa ctori e s of
Tours r ending one s e a rs th e mom ent h e forgets

’
t h e p a st an d r e c alls t h e pr e s en t .
To day th e Ch at e au de Luyn e s is mod e rn

-
fi
a t l e a st to t h e e xt e nt th a t it is liv e d in a n d h a s
,
al l t h e r e n em e nts of a mod e rn civiliz a tion ;
but on e do e s n ot r e aliz e al l this from an ex t e

rior cont empl a tion an d only a s on e strolls
,
2 26 Ol d T ourai ne and t he Loi re C ount ry
through t h e ap a rtm ents p ublicly shown a n d ,
gets glimps e s of el e ctrical c onv eni ence s and

mod ern a rr an gem en ts do e s h e won de r how f a r,
differ ent it may h av e b een b efor e al l this cam e

to p a ss .
B uilt i n ea rly R en aiss an ce tim e s th e chat eau ,
h as al l t h e p e culi a riti e s of t h e feu dal p e riod ,
wh en window op enings we r e f ew an d f ar b e
-
tween an d high up above th e l evel of th e p av e

,
m ent In feud al an d wa rlik e time s this oft en

.
proved an a dmir abl e fe atur e ; b ut on e would

h av e thought th at with t h e b egi nning of t h e
,
R en aiss anc e a mor e ampl e provision would

,
h ave b een m ad e f or t h e a dmission of s un shine .
Th e ch ef —d oeuv r e of this r e ally gr ea t a rchi

’
t ect ur al monum en t is u ndo ubt e dly t h e fa c a d e

of t h e b eautifu l fi
f t e en t h —c entury co u rtya rd .
Ther e is nothing even r emot ely feu d al h er e ,
but a p u r ely d e cor ative e f fe ct which is as

ch arming in its way a s is t h e ext erior fa c ad e
”
of Az ay l e Rid e au
— -
A po em . it h a s b een ,
”
c alle d , in we ath er worn timb e r an d sto n e
“ —
,
an d t h e simil e co uld h a rdly b e improv e d upo n .
Th e town too or su ch of it a s imm e di at ely

, ,
a dj oins t h e ch at eau is lik ewis e ch a rming an d

,
quaint an d sl eepily indol ent a s f ar a s any gr ea t

,
a ctivity is conc e rn e d .
Luyn e s wa s t h e s ea t of a s eigneuri e until

22 8 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e L oir e C ount ry
“
four p y r ami di on s of its topmost cours e an d ,
th e s e b e it r em ark ed ar e quite th e most curi

, ,
ou s f ea tur e of t h e whol e fabric .
To m any t h e nam e of t h e littl e town of Cinq

M a rs will s ugg e st th at of t h e M arquis de Cinq
M a rs a court favo urit e of Loui s XIII It wa s
,
.
t h e ambitio u s but unh appy c a re er at co u rt of

this yo ung g all ant which ultim at ely r e s ult e d in
h i s d eath on t h e sc a ffold an d i n t h e r a zing
, ,
by Richeli eu of his a nce str al r es id enc e t he

, ,
ca stl e of Cin q—M ars to t h e h eights of i n

,
“
”
famy . Th e e xpr e ss i on i s a cu rio u s on e but ,
fi
history s o r e cords it All th at is l eft to —day
.
to r emind on e of t h e stronghold of t h e D E f at s ’
of Cinq M a rs ar e its two crumbling ga t e

-
towers with an a rch b etween an d a f ew fr ag

m enta ry foun d ation walls which follow t h e
”
s umm it of t h e cli f f b ehind L a Pil e .
Th e littl e town of n ot mor e th an a coupl e

o f tho u s and i nh abit an ts n e stl e s i n a b end Of t h e
L on e wh e r e th er e is so gr eat a br e adth th at
,
it looks lik e a lo ng dr awn out la ke Th e l ow

- -
.
hills s o ch a ra ct e ristic of th e s e p arts str etch

, ,
th ems elv e s on eith er b ank unbroken except ,
wh er e som e littl e str eamle t forc e s its way by
fi
a g entle r avin e thro ugh t h e scrubby un d e r
growth O aks an d r s an d hug e lime stone

.
cliffs j ut out from t h e top of the hillsid e on

imm e di at ely impr e ss ed by his di stinguish e d

m a nners From infancy Cinq M a rs h ad b e en a
.
-
love r of lif e i n t h e op en H e h a d hunt e d t h e

.
for e sts of To ur a in e an d h ad angl ed t h e w a t ers

,
of t h e Loir e , an d th u s h e c am e to giv e a n ew
z e st to t h e alr ea dy s ad life of Louis XIII .
H o n our a ft e r honou r wa s pil e d upon him until

h e wa s m a d e Gr a nd S ene sch al of Fr an ce an d
M a st e r of t h e King s H ors e at which tim e h e
’
,
dropp ed his n a t al p atronym ic and b ec am e

”
known a s Mons i eu r l e Gr and .
Cinq—M ars f ell m a dly in lov e with M a rion

D elorm e an d wish e d to make h er M a dam e
”
l a Gr and e but t h e dow a ge r M a rqui s e de Cinq
,
M a rs would n ot h e a r of it : Mll e M a rion De .
fi
lorm e t h e Asp a si a of h er day would b e no
, ,
hon ou r to t h e an ce str al tr ee of t h e E f at s of
Cinq M a rs-
.
H e adstrong an d wilful one early mornin g , ,
Mons i eu r l e Gr and an d his b elov ed th en only ,
thirty took co a ch from h er h 6 t el in t h e Rue de s

,
To urnell e s at P a ris f or t h e old family ca stle

in Tour aine sitting high on t h e hills above t h e
,
feud a l vill a g e which bor e t h e name of Cinq

M a rs In t h e ch ap el th ey wer e s e cr etly m ar
.
ri e d an d for eight d ays t h e prov e rbi al m ar

,
r i ag e—b ell r ang tru e Th eir Nem e sis app e ar e d

.
on t h e ni n th day i n t h e p e rson of t h e dow age r ,

Luynes and Lang eai s
an d Cinq M a rs told his mother th a t t h e whol e

-
a ff ai r wa s simply a p as s e t emp s an d th a t ,
Mll e D elorme wa s still Mll e D elorme H is

. . .
moth er would n ot b e dec eiv ed howeve r an d S h e , ,
flew for s u ccour to Rich eli eu wh o hims el f wa s ,
mor e th an slightly a cquaint e d with t h e ch a rms

of t h e fair M a rion .
This wa s Cin q M a rs s downfall He a dvis ed

-
’
.
t h e king by fair me ans or foul l et Rich eli eu ,

”
di e
,
an d t h e king list en ed A conspira cy wa s
.
form ed by Cinq—M a rs a n d oth ers to do away

, ,
with t h e cardinal an d ev en t h e ki ng at whos e

, ,
death G a ston of O rl ean s was to b e procl aim ed

r eg ent for his n eph ew t h e infant Loui s XIV
, .
Th e co urt w en t to N a rbo nn e on t h e Me di t er ,
r an e an th at it might b e n e a r ai d from Sp a in ;
,
all of whi ch was a s ubt e rfug e of Cinq M a rs -

.
Th e r e st mov e s quickly : Rich eli eu discov e r e d

t h e plot ; Cinq M a rs att empt e d to fle e dis g uis e d
-
a s a Sp ani ard wa s c aptu r e d an d brought as a

,
prisone r to th e ca stl e at Montp elli e r .
Rich eli eu h ad prove d t h e mor e p owe rful of

th e two ; but h e wa s dying an d this is t h e r ea,
s on,
p erh aps why h e hurri e d m a tte rs Cinq
, .
”
Ma rs t h e ami abl e crimin al
, went to t h e tor ,
tur e ch amb e r an d aft erward to t h e sca ff old

-
, .
”
Th en s ay t h e ol d chronicl es
,
Rich eli eu ,
orde r e d th at t h e feudal ca stl e of Cinq M a rs in -
,
the vall ey of t h e Loir e should b e blown up and , ,

”
t h e towe rs r az ed to t h e h eight of infa my .
From Cinq—M a rs to L angea i s whos e chat eau ,
is r eally on e of t h e most app e aling sights of t h e

L on e t h e ch ar a ct e ristics of t h e country ar e
,
top ogr aphically an d economic ally t h e s am e ;

gr e en hills slop e vin e cov er e d to t h e rive r,
,
-
,
with h e r e and ther e a tiny rivul et fl owi ng into

t h e gr e at e r str ea m .
As a t Cinq M a rs t h e chi e f commodity of

-
L angeais is wine rich r e d win e an d p al e

, ,
a mb er too but al l of it w n e of a quality an d

i
, ,
at a pric e which wo ul d m ak e t h e city dw ell e r -
e nviou s inde e d .
Th e re a r e two distin ct chat eaux at L angeais ;

at l ea st th e r e is t h e chat eau an d j u st b eyond
, ,
t h e orn am ent al ston e c arp et of its co u rtya rd -
a r e t h e r uin s of on e of t h e e a rli e st donj ons or ,
k eeps in al l Fr a nc e It d at e s from t h e yea r

,
.
990 a n d wa s b uilt by t h e c el ebr at e d Comt e

,
d A n j ou Fo ulque s N err a nu cri m i n el dev oy é

’
’
, ,
des h omm es e t de Di eu whos e hobby ev i ,

"
,
den t l y wa s b uilding ch at e aux a s hi s

,
folli e s ,
in stone ar e s aid to h ave en cumb e re d t h e l an d

in thos e ol d d ays .
fi
T ak en an d r e t aken dism antl e d an d in p art
,
r az ed i n t h e ft eenth c entury it gav e pl a ce to ,
t h e pre s ent chat e au by t h e ord e rs of Louis XI .

Luynes and L angeai s 233
Th e Chat eau de L angeais of t o day is a -
robu st e xampl e of its kind ; its walls fl ank ed ,
by gr eat hood e d towe rs h ave a s urrounding

,
”
g u e t t e, or gall e ry which s e rv e d a s a m e a ns
,
of co mm unic a tion from on e p a rt o f t h e e st ab
l i s h men t t o a noth e r an d in wa rlik e tim e s al

, ,
lowed boiling oi l or m elt e d l ead or wh at ev e r ,
th ey m ay h ave u s ed f or t h e pu rpos e to b e
-
pour ed down upon t h e h ea ds of any b e si ege rs

who h a d t h e aud acity to att a ck it .
Th e re is n o gl acis or mo a t but th e m a chico

,
l at i on s sixty fee t or mor e up from t h e gro und

, ,
must h av e aff orded a well nigh p erfe ct m eans

-
of r ep elling a n e a r a tt a ck .
Alto gethe r L angeais is a r edoubt abl e littl e

-
chat ea u of t h e p e riod and its a sp e ct t o d ay h a s

,
ch ange d but v e ry littl e .It is t h e swan song -
”
of expiring f eud alism , s aid t h e Abb é Boss e
boeuf .
fi
One gets a thrill of h eroic emotion wh en h e
vi ews its h ardy walls f or t h e rst tim e a
mount ain of stone, a h eroic po em of Gothic

”
a rt,
it h as with r e ason b e en call ed .
J ean Bourré th e minist er Of Louis XI built

, ,
t h e pr e s en t chat eau abo ut 1 460 Th e chi e f

.
ev e nts of its hist ory we r e t h e dr awing up

within its walls of t h e common l aw of Tou
r aine by t h e orde r of Ch a rl e s VI I an d t h e
, ,
m a rri a ge Of Ch arl e s VIII with Anne de B r e .
t a gn e on t h e l 6th of D e c emb er 1
,
49 1 ,
.
Th e l and b elong ed in 1 276 to Pi e rr e de , ,
Bross e t h e minist e r of Philipp e —l e Ha rdi ;

,
-
l a t e r to Fr a nc ois d Orl ean s , son of t h e cel e

,
’
b r a t ed B at a r d; to t h e Prince ss e de Conti ,
d aught e r of t h e Due de Guis e ; to t h e famili e s

Du B ell ay an d D E f at s B a rons of Cinq—M a rs ; fi
fi
’
,
an d ,
n ally to t h e Due de Luyn e s
,
in whos e ,
h ands it r e m aine d up to th e R evolution .
H o n oré de B alz ac wh o m ay well b e call e d ,
on e of th e histori an s of To ura in e gav e to ,
on e of his h e roi n es t h e n am e of L an g eais To .
day howeve r t h e f amily of L an geais do e s not

, ,
e xist an d i n de ed a ccordin g to t h e chro nicl e s

, , , ,
n ev e r h ad any co nn e ctio n with eithe r t h e don
fi
j o n of Fo ulqu e s N er r a or t h e ch at e a u of t h e
ft eenth cen tury Th e pr e s en t own er is M

. .
J a cque s Si egfr eid who h as a dmir ably r e stor e d

,
an d furn ish e d it a ft e r t h e Gothic styl e of t h e
middl e a ge s .
Th e chat e au of L angeais lik e th a t of Ch eno n ,
ceaux is occupi e d a s on e l e a rns from a v isit

, ,
to its int e rior A l a ck ey of a s up e rior ord e r

.
r ec eive s y ou ; y ou p ay a fr an c for an a dmi ss i on

tick et an d t h e l a ckey co ndu cts y ou throu gh
,
n ea r ly if n ot quit e all of t h e a p a rt m ent s

, ,
.
Wh e r e t h e family go e s during this proc e ss it is

23 6 Ol d T ouraine and t h e L oi re C ount ry
fi
s p ect ab l e , luxurio u s an d it would t ake a
an d ,
chronic f aul t n der not to b e content with t h e

m anne r with which the s e a dmir able res t ora
fi
tions an d re f urn i s h i ng s h ave b ee n c arri e d out .
On e not e s p a rticul arly t h e in n it e v a ri ety

an d appropri a t e n e ss of t h e tiling which go e s
to m ak e up th e floo rs of th e s e gr eat s alons

mod ern though it is Th e gr ea t chimneypi e ce s ,
.
howeve r a r e anci ent an d h ave n ot b e en re

, ,
tou ch ed Thos e in t h e S all e de s G a rde s an d

.
t h e S all e wh e r e wa s c el ebr a t e d t h e m a rr i a ge
of Ch arl es VIII an d Anne de Br et agne with
.
,
th eir ornam ent ation i n t h e b e st of Gothic a r e ,
e sp e ci ally not eworthy .
This l att e r ap ar tm en t is th e chi ef a ttr a cti on

of t h e ch at e au an d t h e ro om of which t h e pre s
e n t dw ell e rs in this ch a rming m onument of

history a r e n atur ally t h e most proud To day .
-
it forms t h e gr ea t dining h all of t h e e st ablish

-
m e nt M em entos of t his m a rri a ge s o mom en

.
,
tou s for Fr anc e a r e exceedingly num e rou s

,
a long t h e low er Loir e b ut this h andsom e room

,
q ui t e l e ads th em al l This m arri age an d th e

.
,
goods an d l a nds it brou ght to t h e Crown h ad ,
bu t on e stip ul a tion conn e ct e d with it and th at ,
wa s th at th e D u ch e ss e Anne should b e priv

il ege d t o m a rry t h e eld e rly king s s ucce ssor, ’
should s h e s urviv e h er royal hu sb and .

Luynes and Langeai s 23 7
. B M C M A N US '
Louis XII wa s not a t all oppos e d to b ecom

.
i ng t h e husb an d of l a D u ch e s s e An n e a ft e r
Ch arl e s VIII h ad m et his death on t h e t ennis
.
court b e cau s e this s econd m a rri age would f or

,
e v e r bind to Fr a nc e th a t gr eat provinc e rul e d
by t h e gentl e Anne .
I n t h e S all e de s G ard e s ar e six v aluabl e

t ap e stri e s r epr e s enting s u ch h e roic gur e s a s fi
C aes a r an d Cha rlem agn e s urrounde d by th eir ,
comp anions in a rms .
From t h e towe rs on a cl e a r day on e m ay s ee

, ,
t h e pyr amids of t h e c ath e dr a l at T ours rising

on t h e horizon to t h e northw a rd B elow is t h e .
Chat eau de Vill andry wh er e Philippe Augu st e ,

-
m et Hen ry II of E ngl a nd to conclud e a m em

.
or ab l e p e a c e To t h e right is Az ay l e —Ridea u
.
-
an d to t h e extr em e right a r e t h e ru in e d tow e rs
of Cinq—M a rs an d its Pil e Nothing could b e .
mor e delicio us on a bright s umm e r s day th an ’ “
t h e Vi ew from t h e r amp a rts of L ange ais ov e r

t h e roof t Op s of t h e ch arming littl e town in t h e
-
for eg roun d .
S om e tim e a ft er t h e R evolution th e r e wa s
found i n t h e ga rdens of t h e chate au t h e r e
, ,
m ain s of a Chap ell e r om ai n e which histori an s ,
wh o h ave s ea rch ed th e ann als of an tiquity i n

Tour a in e cl aim to h av e b een t h e ch ap el in h on
,
our of St S auv eur which Fo ulqu e s V

. calle d .
,
hous e of a c er t ain amplitude an d gr and eur

a mong its l e ss spl e ndid fe llows now giv e n ov e r , ,
on t h e gro und floor to a b akery an d p a stry

,
shop E nough is l e ft of its origina l a sp e ct

.
,
an d t h e R e n aiss an c e d e cor a tions of its f a c a de
fi
ar e s uf ci e ntly w ell pr e s e rv e d to st amp it a s a
”
worthy abod e for t h e C ur é de Chin on who ,
liv e d h e r e for s om e ye a rs
-
.
Two othe r n ame s in lit e ra tur e ar e conn e ct ed

with L ange ais : Ron s a rd t h e po et wh o lived , ,
h er e for a tim e a,
n d C és a r Al exis Ch i ch er eau
— -
Ch evali e r de l a B a rr e wh o was a po et an d a
,
t roub a do ur of r ep ut e .
Th e m ain str ee t of L angeais is still flanke d

with good G othic an d R en aiss an ce hou s e s ,
n eith e r pr et enti ou s nor m e an but of th at orde r , ,
which s ets off to gr ea t a dv a nt age t h e walls an d

towe rs an d porche s of t h e chate au and t h e
church This str eet follows t h e anci ent Roman
.
ro a dway which tra ve rs ed t h e vall ey of t h e

Loir e thro ugh G aul .
Th e riv e r is h e r e cross e d by on e of thos e

t oo fr equent though us e ful s u sp ensio n bridg e s
, ,
-
with which t h e Loir e aboun ds Th e guide .
books call it beam but it is n ot On e h a s to

,
.
cross it to r ea ch Az ay l e Ride au which lie s t en

- -
kilom etr e s or mor e a way a cross t h e Indr e .

C HAPT E R XII .
AZ AY LE RI DEAU ,
u s s fi , A ND C H IN O N
F RO M L angeais on e s obvious rout e li e s

,
’
towards Chino n v i a Az ay l e—Rid eau an d Uss e

,
-
.
Th e s e l att e r ar e pr a ctically wi thin t h e fore st ,
tho ugh th e For et de Chinon prop er do e s not

a ctua lly b egin un til on e l e av e s Az ay b ehin d ,
wh en f or twen ty kilometr e s or mor e on e of t h e
fi
most sup erb for e st ro ads in Fr ance cross e s
m any hills an d dal e s until it n ally d e scen ds
into Chinon its elf .
Like most for est ro a ds i n Fr ance this high ,
way is n ot flat ; i t ris e s an d falls with a sh eer

th at is som etime s pr ecipitou s but always with ,
a gr av ell e d s u rfa c e th at g iv e s littl e dust an d

”
which absorbs wat er a s t h e s an d from t h e

poun c e box of our for efath ers dri ed up ink
-
.
This simi l e c alls to mind t h e fa ct th at in twen

t i et h —cen tury Fr an ce t h e p ounce box is still in -
us e n ot ably a t w aysid e r ailw ay st ations wh e r e

, ,
fi
t h e a gent wr it e s y ou out yo u r ticke t an d dri e s
it o in a b ox not of s and b ut of s awdust
, , .
To p artake of t h e hos p it ality of Az ay l e -
Rid eau on e must a r rive b e for e four in t h e

a ft e r n oon a n d not e a rli e r th an m i dd ay
,
From .
t h e photogra phs an d p ost c a rds by which on e -
h a s b ecome famili ar with Aza y l e Rid eau it - -
app e ars lik e a gr e a t co untry ho u s e sitting by
its elf f ar a way from any oth e r h abit ation I n .
E ngl and this is oft en t h e c a s e, i n Fr an c e but

s eldom .
Clust er e d a roun d t h e walls of th e not ve ry

grea t pa rk which su rrounds t h e chat eau ar e
,
al l m ann e r of shops an d ca f es not of t h e to u r ,
ist orde r f or th e r e is v e ry littl e h e r e to s ug

,
ge st th a t tou rists ever c om e though i ndee d ,
th ey do by twos an d thr ees thro ughout all t h e

,
y ea r ,
but f or t h e a ccommodation of t h e
-
pop ul a tion of t h e littl e town its elf which mu st ,
approxim a t e a co upl e of tho u s and so u ls all ,
of whom app ea r t o b e engage d i n t h e cultur e

of t h e vin e an d its a tt end ant p urs uits as th e ,
win e pr e ss e s t h e coop e rs shops an d oth e r

-
,
’
,
simil a r e st abl ishm ents pl ainly sho w T h e r e is .

,
mor e ove r t h e pl ea s ant sm ell of fe rm ent ed

,
-
fi
gr ap e j uice ov e r al l which lik e t h e odo ur of
-
, ,
t h e hop el ds of K ent is conduciv e to sl e ep ;

-
an d t h e r e li e s t h e ch a rm of Az ay l e Rideau
- - -
which s e ems always h alf a sl eep -

.
Th e H ot el du Gr and Mon a rqu e is a wo n d er

2 44 O l d T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
if on e t ak e s a n ot xt ensiv e dom e stic e st ab

t oo e
li s hm ent of t h e early y ea rs of t h e sixte en th

cen tury a s th e typical exampl e .
Un do ubt e dly th e sylv an s urro undin gs of th e

ch at eau h av e a gr e a t deal to do with t h e e ff e ct
i v en es s of its ch a rms Th e gr e at whit e walls
.
of its fa c a d e ,
with t h e wonde rful sculptur e s
of J ea n Gouj on glist en i n t h e brilliant s unlight
,
of To ur ain e thro ugh t h e syc am or e s a n d willows
which borde r t h e In dr e i n a g enuin ely romantic

fashion
w
.
Som e h e re within t h e walls are t h e r em ains

of an old towe r of t h e on e tim e fortr e ss which
-
wa s b urn ed by t h e D auphin Cha rl e s in 1 418 ,
a ft e r s ays history
,
h e h ad b eh e a de d its g ov
e r n or an d t ak en all of t h e d e fe nd e rs to t h e
”
n umb e r of three hundr e d a nd thirty four -
.
This a ct wa s i n revenge for an all ege d ins ult

to his s a cr ed p e rson .
Th er e are n o r emain s of this form er tow e r

Visibl e e xt e riorly t o day an d no oth er bloody
-
a cts app e a r to h ave a tt a ch e d th ems elv e s to t h e
pre s ent chat eau i n all t h e four hun dre d years

of its exist enc e .
Gill e s B erth elot e r ected t he pre s ent stru ctur e

ea rly i n t h e r e ign of Fr a n c ois I H e wa s a
fi fi
.
m an clos e to t h e king in a ai r s of st at e rst ,

.
c ons ei l l e r s ecr ét ai r e th en t r és ori er g en em l des

’
- -
,
B e rth elot wa s a king s minist e r an d M ayor

’
of Tou rs Pe rhaps h e thought of h anding it

.
ove r as a gift s ome day in exch a nge for fu rth e r

hono urs H is d evice bore t h e words
. Ung ,
S eul D es i r
fi
which m ay or m ay n ot h ave h a d
,
fi
a sp e ci a l signi c anc e .
Th e int e rior of t h e e di ce is a s b e autiful a s

is its exte rior an d is fu rnish e d with th at l uxur i
,
a nc e of d e cor a tiv e e ffe ct so ch a r a ct e ristic of
t h e b e st e r a of t h e R e naiss ance in Fr ance .
Until r e c ently t h e propri e tor wa s t h e Ma r

quis de Bi en co urt who like his f ellow propri e
, ,
tors of ch at eaux in To ur aine g en ero u sly gave

,
visitors an opportunity to s ee his tr ea s ur e

.
hous e for th ems elv e s an d mor e ove r furnish e d

, , ,
a guide who wa s som ething mor e th an a m en i al
an d y e t not a s up e rciliou s function a ry .
Within a twelv emonth this pu r e st j oy of

t h e Fr ench R en aiss anc e wa s p ut upon t h e
r eal e sta t e m arket with t h e r e s ult th at it might
,
h av e fall en into un appr e ci ative h ands or wha t , ,
a To u r ain e a ntiqu a r i a n told t h e writ e r wo uld
b e t h e wors e fa t e th a t c ould possibly b e fall it ,
might b e bought up by som e Am e rican million

a ir e ,
wh o throu gh t h e s e rv ice s of t h e hou s e
break e r wo uld dism antl e it an d r emov e it stone
by stone an d s et it up an ew on some a sph alt ed
av e nu e in s ome w e st e rn m etropolis This ex
.
A zay l e Ri deau, Us s e,
- -
and Chi non 2 4 7
t r a or di n a r yfea r or rumour wh at eve r it wa s ,
soon p a ss e d awa y an d as a m onum en t hi s t o

’
n gu e t h e chat e au h a s b e come t h e prop erty

of t h e Fr ench gov e rnm ent .
L e ss original p erhaps i n pl an than Chen on

, ,
ceaux l e ss a pp eali n g i n its en s em bl e an d l e ss

,
fortun at e in its situation Az ay l e Rideau is ,

- -
n eve rth e l e ss entitl e d to t h e pr ais e s which h av e
b een heap e d upon it .
It is but a doz en kilome tr e s from Az ay l e -
Rid ea u to Uss e on t h e ro a d to Chinon

,
Th e .
Chat eau d Us s é is indee d a big thing ; not so

’
fi
gr a nd as Chambord n or so winsome a s L an ,
geais but in n it ely mor e ch ar a ct e ristic of wh at

,
on e im a gin e s a gr ea t r e sid enti al ch at eau to
h av e b een like It b elo ngs to day t o t h e Comt e

.
-
de B l acas an d once was t h e prop erty of Vau

‘
b an M ar éch al of Fran ce u nde r Louis XIV

, , .
,
wh o built t h e t errace which li e s b etween it and

th e rive r a br anch of t h e Indre
, .
fi
P e rched high above t h e h emp l ands of th e -
rive r—bottom which h e r e ar e t h e most proli c

,
in t h e vall ey of th e Indr e t h e chateau with its ,
p ark of s even hundr e d or more a cr e s is truly

r egal in its app ointme nts an d s urroun dings .
This p ark e xt ends to t h e bound ary of th e

n ation a l re s e rv a tion t h e For et de Chino n
, .
Th e R enaiss an c e ch at e au of to day is a r e con -

struction of t h e sixt eenth c entury which p r e ,

"
s e rve s however t h e gr eat cylindrical t owe rs of

, ,
a c entury e a rli er Its a rchit e ctu re is on t h e

.
whol e fa nt a stic at l e a st a s mu ch so a s Ch am
,
bord but it is non e t h e l e ss h a rdy an d strong

, .
fi
Pr act i call y i t co n sists of a s e ri e s of p a v i l l on s ’
bound t o th e gr ea t f t een t h centu ry donj on

-
by small e r towers an d turre ts al l sl at e capp ed

,
-
an d point e d with m achicol ations s urrounding

,
th em an d above th at a sort of roofe d an d

,
cren ela t ed b a ttl em ent which p a ss e s like a

coll a r a ro und al l t h e ou te r all w .
Th e gen er al e f fe ct of t h e ext erior w all s is

th at of a gr ea t f eudal stronghold whil e from ,
t h e co u rtya rd t h e a sp e ct is simply th at of a
luxuriou s R enaiss anc e town hou s e showing at ,
l e a st how t h e two styl e s can b e pl ea singly com

bi n e d .
Cr en el a t ed b a ttl em ents a re a s ol d as Pom

p eii s o it is doubtful if th e feud ality of Fr ance
,
did much to increa s e th ei r us e or e f fe ctive ne ss .
They we r e origin ally of s uch dime nsions a s to

allow a compl e t e sh e lt er f or an a rch e r st a nd
ing b ehind on e of t h e uprights Th e contr a st .
t o thos e of a l a t e r day which virtu ally nothing

, ,
mor e th an a c ours e of d ecor a tive stonework ,
g i v e no impr e ssion of u tility is gr

,
e a t tho u gh,
Az y a -
le -
Ri deau, Us s e, and Ch i non 2 49
fi
he re at Uss e they are mor e pronoun ce d tha n i n
ma ny othe r simi l a r e di c e s .
fi
Th e int e rior a rr angements her e giv e due
promine nce t o a n e st airc a s e orn ament ed with ,
a p a inting of St John that is a ttribute d t o

.
Michel Ange .
Th e Chambr e du R oi is hung with anci ent

emb roid e ri e s an d th e r e is a b eau tiful R en ais
,
s ance chap el ab ov e t h e door of which is a six

,
t e ent h c entury b as r e li e f of t h e Apostl e s

- -
Most .
of t h e oth e r gr ea t rooms which a r e shown ar e

r e spl endent i n oak b eame d ce ilings an d m a ssive
-
chi mn eypi ece s always a distinct fea tur e of

,
R en aiss ance chat eau building a n d on e which -
make s mode rn imit ation s app e a r m ean an d

ugly . To r ealiz e this to t h e full on e h as only
to r ecall t h e dining room of t h e pr et entiou s -
hotel which huddl e s un der t h e w alls of Am

bois e In a photogr aph it looks like a r egal
.
b a nqueting h all ; but in reality it is a s t awdry

-
a s st ag e sc en e ry with its imit a tion w a insc ot e d

,
walls its imit ation b e amed c eiling of thre e

,
fi
qua rt er inch pl anks and its pl a st er of P a ris
-
repl ace .
N ear Uss e 1 s t h e Ch ate au de R och e cott e

whi ch r e calls t h e n ame of a c el ebr ated chi e f
t ain of th e Chouans It b elongs t o d ay though .
,
it is n ot their p ate rna l hom e to t h e fami ly of ,

C a st ell an e a nam e whi ch to m any is quite as

,
fi
c el ebr a t e d an d p erh aps b ett e r kn own .
Th e chat e au cont ains a ne coll e ctio n of
D utch p am t i ng s of th e s even t e en th c entury and ,
in its chap el th er e is a r emarkably b eauti ful

copy of t h e Sistine M adonn a Th e name of .
T all eyr and is in ti m at ely co nn e ct ed wi th t h e

occup ancy of t h e chat eau, i n p r e r evolution ary -
ti me s by R och ecott e
,
.
O n t h e roa d to Chin on one p a ss e s through ,
or n e a r Huisme s which h as nothin g to st ay

, ,
one s m a rch but a good twelfth c entury chu rch

’ -
which looks a s though its doors we r e n ever

op ene d Th e Ch at eau de l a Vi ll aum er e of t h e
fi
,
.
ft ee nt h c entury is n ear by and of mor e th an

, ,
p a ssing int e r e st a r e t h e ruins of t h e Chat eau

de B onn ev en t u r e built it is s aid by Cha rl e s
, , ,
VII for Agne s S or el who with al l h er faults

.
, , ,
st an ds high i n t h e e st eem of most love rs of

Fr ench history At any r ate thi s shrine of
.
l a bel l e al es bel l es is worthy to r ank with

th at co n taining h er tomb at Loch e s .
As on e ent ers Chin on by ro a d h e m eets with

t h e u s u a l steep d e clin e int o a riv er v all ey -
,
which s ep a r a te s on e h eight from anothe r .
Gen e r ally this is th e topogr aphic form a tio n

throughout Fr an ce an d Chi n on with its sil ent
, ,
guardi an s t h e fr a gments of thr ee n on con

,
-
wh o aft er his crim e fled from t h e p at ernal male
fi
diction an d foun d a r e fuge h er e ; and that its
name a t r st Cag n on b ecame Chinon Like
, ,
.
t h e d eriv atio n of most anci ent pl a ce n ame s this -
cl aim involve s a wid e i m agi nation an d a s

s ur e dl y so unds un r e a so n abl e Cai n o m ay wi th .
,
mor e likelihood h ave b een a C eltic wor d, m ean

,
‘
ing an exc avation and c am e to b e a dopt e d b e

,
caus e of t h e s ubt err an ean qua rr i e s from which

t h e stone was dr awn for t h e b uildin g of t h e
town . Th e ann alists of t h e w e st e rn empir e
give it as Cas t ml m Cal n o an d wh eth e r its
- ’
,
'
origin d a t e s from ant e diluvi an tim e s or not i t ,
wa s a town i n t h e ve ry e arli e st d ays of t h e

Christi an e r a .
Th e import an c e of Chinon s r ol e i n history ’
an d t h e b eauty of its situ a tion h av e i n spir ed
many writ ers t o sing its pr ais e s .
Chi n on
Peti te vi l l e, g
ran d re n om
A s si s e s ur pi erre an ci enn e
Au h au t e l e b oi s , au b as l a Vi en ne .
Th e disposition of th e town is most pic

t ur e s q u e
. Th e windi ng str eets an d st airways
‘3
ar e for eign ; like It aly if y ou will or s ome , ,
of t h e st eps t o b e s een in t h e towns borde ring

upo n t h e Adri atic At al l ev ent s Chin on is n ot
'
.
,
2 54 Old T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
Th e most pictur e sque event of Chinon s his ’
tory took pl a ce in 1 42 8 wh en Ch a rl e s VII h e r e

,
.
"
a ss embl e d t h e S t at e s G ene r al an d J eann e ,
d A r c pr ev ail e d upon him to m a rch forthwith

’
upon O rl ea ns th e n b e si e g e d by t h e E nglish
,
.
M emori e s of Ch a rl e s VII , of J e anne d A r c

.
’
,
an d of Fr anc ois R ab el ais a r e inextricably

mixe d in t h e gui de—bo ok a cco unts of Chinon ;
but the ir r e sp e ctiv e histori e s a r e not so i n
volv e d a s wo uld app ea r Ther e is s ome doubt
.
a s to wh e th e r t h e P an t agrue list wa s a ctu ally
born at Chinon or i n t h e s ubu rbs th e re for e ,
m ai s on n a t a l e
“
th er e is n o b e for e which
lit e r a ry pilgrims m ay m ake th eir devotion s .
All this is a gr eat pity for R ab el ais excit e s i n

,
t h e minds of most p e opl e a gre a t e r curiosity

th an p e rh aps any oth er me diaev al m an of l etters
th a t t h e world h a s kn own .
Though on e cannot fea st hi s ey e upon t h e

spot of R ab el ais s birth histori an s a g r e e th a t
’
,
it took pl a ce at Chinon in 1 4 83 Much is known

.
fi
of t h e Cu ré de Chinon ; but in spit e of his ,
r a nk a s t h e rst of th e m e diaeval s a tirists his ,
wa s o an t wid e —spr ea d p op ul a rity nor can on e ,
sp eak ve ry highly of his app e a ra nc e a s a typ e

of t h e Tour ang eau of his time H is portr aits .
m ak e him app e a r a mo s t s up erciliou s ch ar a c

t er an d do ubtl e ss h e
,
w as He c ert ainly was
.
Az y
a -
l e Ri deau,
-
U s s e, and C h i non 2 55
not an Ado ni s n or h ad h e th e he a d of a god

,
or t h e cl ev e rn e ss of a co urt ga ll ant Indee d .
the re h as b e en a t endency of l ate to r epr e s ent

him a s a buf foo n a tr ai t wholly for eign t o
,
hi s r eal cha r a ct e r .
As for Ch arl e s VH an d J eann e d A rc Chi

‘
’
.
,
n on wa s simply t h e m eeti n g pl a c e b etwe en t h e

-
in spir ed m aid an d h er sov er eign wh en s h e ,
u rg e d him to p ut hims elf at t h e h ea d of his
troops an d m arch up on O rl eans .
Chi n on is of th e s un ny s outh ; h er e t h e
gr ap e s ripe n ea rly an d cling a f fection at ely not ,
o nly to th e hillsides b ut to t h e ve ry hous e walls

,
-
th ems elve s .
Chin on s a ttr a ction s con sist of fr agm ents of

’
three c astl e s d ating from feudal time s ; of

,
thr ee churches of mor e th an ordinary int er e st

,
an d pictur e sque n e ss ; an d m a ny old timb e r e d
an d g abl e d ho u s e s ; nor sho uld on e forg et t h e
Hot el de Fran ce, its elf a r eminde r of othe r

d ays with its vin e cover ed courty a rd an d t i n
,
-
kling b ells h an ging b eneath its g alle ry for al l ,
t h e world like t h e sort of thin g on e s ee s upo n

t h e st a ge .
Ther e i s n ot much els e about th e hot el th at

is of int e r e st except its v ery an cient lookin g -
high post e d b e ds an d its wa xed tile d floors

-
,
worn into smooth ruts by t h e feet of countl e ss

dr awbridg e which cov er e d t h e old tim e mo at -

.
fi
Th e Gr and Lo gi s t h e royal h abit ation of t h e
,
twelfth to ft ee nth c enturi e s , i s to t h e right ,
ov e rlooking t h e to wn H er e di ed H en ry II of
. .
E ngl and (1 1 89 ) an d h e r e live d Ch a rl es VII .
It wa s i n t h e Gr and S all e of this

fi
a n d Lo uis XI .
ch at e au th a t J e ann e d A r c wa s rst pr e s ent e d

-
’
to h er sov er eign (March 8 ,

From t h e
hou r of this au spiciou s m eeting until t h e hour
o f t h e d ep a rtu r e f or O rl eans s he he rs elf liv e d i n
t h e tow er of t h e Ch at eau de Co u dr ay a littl e ,
fa rth e r b eyond, un de r gu ard of Guill aum e

B éli e r.
Th e m eeting b etween t h e king an d th e

'
M aid is d e scrib e d by an ol d histori an of

To u ra ine as follows : Th e inh abit an ts of
Chinon r e c eiv ed h er with enthusi a sm t h e p ur ,
pos e of h er mission h avi ng alr ea dy pre ced ed

h er . S h e a ppe a r e d a t cou rt a s nn e
p an w e p et i t e berg er et t e an d wa s r e ce iv e d i n
,
fi
t h e Gr ande S all e l ighte d by f ty torch e s an d
”
c ont a ining thr ee hundr e d p e rsons (This
.
st a t em ent wo uld s eem to poin t to t h e fa ct th at

-
it wa s not t h e s a ll e which is shown t o d ay ; it

c e rt ainly co uld not b e m a de to hold thr ee h un
dr e d p e opl e unl e ss they stood on e a ch oth er s ’
fi
sho uld ers ") Th e s e ign eurs w e r e al l cl a d i n
m agni c ent rob e s but t h e king on t h e contr ary
, , ,
ma rk abl e rive r although j u st h er e th er e is

,
n othing v er y r em a rk abl e abo ut it It is h ow

.
,
ev e r d elightfully pictur e squ e a s it w a sh e s t h e

, ,
tr ee line d quays which form Chi non s rive r

-
’
fron t f or a dist ance of upw ard of t wo kilo
fi
m etr e s In gene r a l t h e wa t e rway remi n ds on e
.
of som ething b etwe en a gr eat t r af c b ea ring -
rive r an d a m e r e pl ea s an t stre am .
Th e bridg e b etween Chin o n an d its faubo urg

is typ ical of t e a r t of bridg building at which
h e —
, ,
in m ediaeva l tim e s t h e Fr en ch wer e excell e d by

,
no oth er na tion T o day in comp a ny with t h e

.
,
American s th ey build iron an d st e el abomina

,
tions whi ch ar e ey e sor e s which n o amount of

utility will e v e r indu c e on e t o r e a lly a dmir e .
Not so t h e Fr e nch bridge s of m ediaeval tim e s ,
of t h e typ e of thos e a t Blois on t h e Loir e ; a t
Chino n on t h e Vi enne ; at Avign o n on t h e

Rh ane ; or at C ahors on t h e Lot
If R ab el ais h ad not r ende r ed popul a r Chinon
a n d t h e Ch i n on ai s t h e p ublic wo uld h av e y et t o
fi
l e a rn of this d elightful p ay s in spit e of th at
,
famous rst me etin g b etween Ch arl e s VII and .
J e a nn e d A r c’
.
If th e modern foun de rs of g arden citi e s -
fi
would only g o a s f ar b a ck a s t h e tim e of Rich e
'
li eu th ey wo uld n d a good e xampl e t o follow

i n t h e littl e Tou ra ine town t h e ch ef li eu of t h e
,
-
A zay l e Ri deau, Us s e,
- -
and Ch i non 2 6 1
fi
Commun e which b ears t h e n ame of Rich eli eu
,
.
Wh en Armand du Pl e ssis rst b e c am e t h e

s eigneur of this li t t l e l an d h e r e solut ely s et
abo ut to m ak e of t h e prop erty a town which
shoul d dignify his n am e Acc ordingly h e built .

,
at his own e xp ens e, a ft e r t h e pl ans of L eme r

”
ci e r
,
“
a city r eg ul ar v a st an d luxu riou s
, , ,
.
At t h e s ame tim e t h e cardinal minister r e -
pla ce d t h e p at ern al manor with a ch at eau el ab ~

or at el y an d prodigall y royal
-
.
Richeli eu was a s ort of p etit Vers aill e s ,
which wa s to be to Chin on wh a t t h e r eal Ver

s aill e s wa s to t h e capit al .
fi
To —day a s i n othe r days it is a v i ll e p as t e
, , ,
p ég n li ér e et lnaa eus e but it is un n ish e d On e

, .
gr eat str e et only h as b een compl et e d on its

origin al line s an d it is ex actly 450 m etr e s long
, .
O rigin ally t h e town was to h ave t h e dim ensions

of but six hundr e d by fo ur hundr e d m e tr e s ;
mo de st enough i n siz e but of t h e g r e at e st l ux

,
u ry . Th e ca rdin al h a d n o d e sir e to m ak e it
more gr an d but even wh at h e h ad pl ann e d wa s
,
n ot to b e . Its on e gr eat str eet is border ed with

imposing buildings b ut th eir t enants t o d ay
,
h av e n ot t h e l ea st r e s embl ance to t h e courti e rs

of t h e c a rdin al wh o form e rly occupi e d th em .
Rich eli eu dis app ea r ed in t h e cours e of tim e ,
an d work on hi s hobby stopp ed, or at l e a st

ch ange d ra dically in its pl a n S eco nd ary .
str eets w er e l aid out of le ss gr an deur an d

, ,
p e opl e d with hou s e s without chara cte r low i n ,
st a tur e an d unimposing Th e pl a n of a v i ll e
,
.
s ei g n euri a l e gav e way to a v i l l e de l a b en r .
fi
O th er h abit ations grew up until t o day twenty
v e hundr e d so uls fi
n d th e ir living on t h e spot
wh er e onc e wa s int en d ed t o b e only a life of

luxury .
O f t h e monum ents with which Rich eli eu

woul d h av e ornam ent e d his town th er e r em ains
a cu rio u s m a rk e t h all an d a chu rch in t h e p ure
-
J e s ui t i c styl e of a rchit e cture l a cking n othing,
of pre t ence an d gr a nd eu r .
Not much can b e s aid for t h e v a st Eglis e

Notr e D am e de Rich eli eu a h eavy It ali an strue
,
tur e built from t h e pl ans of L eme rci e r H ow

,
.
ev e r s a tisf ing an d b eau tiful t h e styl e m ay b e

y
i n It aly it is m anife stly in al l gre at works of
, ,
church building i n t h e n or th uns ui t abl e an d nu

-
couth .
The r e wa s als o a ch at eau a s well a gr e at ,
M ans a rt a ff air with an overpowe ring dome .
Pr a ctically this r em ains to day b ut like all -

, ,
e ls e in t h e town it is b ut a promis e of g r e at e r
,
thi ngs which wer e exp ecte d to m at eri aliz e but ,
n ev e r did .
At th e bottom of a littl e vall ey i n a f ertil e ,

blood roya l It h a s b een cl aim e d th at a s a r e

.
,
l i g i ou s e st ablishm en t for m en an d wom en rul e d ,
ove r by a woman t h e abb ey of F ont evr ault wa s

,
unique in Christ e ndom .
It is an ampl e structur e with a church towe r

o f bistr e which forms a most pl ea sing not e
of colo u r in t h e l andsc ap e Th e b a silic a wa s .
b egun in 1 101an d cons e cr a t e d by Pop e C alix

,
t us II i n 1
. 119 Its in t e rior showe d a d e ep
.
vaultin g with gra ce ful an d hardy a rch e s s up

,
p ort ed by m a ssive columns with quaint an d

cur i ou sly scul ptur e d c apit als .
Th e twelfth c entury cloist e r wa s in d e ed a

-
m a st erwork among thos e exampl es al l t oo ,
r a r e existing to day Its arca de is s ever ely

,
-
.
e l e gant an d wa s r eb ui lt by t h e Abb e ss R en ee de
B ourbon sist er of Fr an c ois I a ft er t h e b e st

, .
,
of d e cor ative R e n aiss anc e of th a t day Th e .
chapte r hous e n ow u s e d by t h e dir ector of th e

-
prison h as in a r em arkabl e m ann e r ret ain ed

,
t h e mu ral fre sco e s of a forme r day Ther e a r e .
d epict e d a s e ri e s of groups of mystical an d r e al

p erson age s in a most curio u s fa shi on The r e
-
.
f e ct ory is still much in its primi tive sta t e ,
though p ut to oth er u s e s to —day Its tribun e .

,
whe r e t h e le ctrice en t ert aine d t h e siste rs during

th eir r ep a sts is howeve r still in its pl a ce
, , , .
Th e curious biz a rr e ki ln l i ke pyr amid

, , ,
A zay -
l e Ri deau,
-
Us s e, and Ch i non 2 6 5
C ui s i n es , F on tevra ul t
2 66 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e L oi r e C ount ry
known a s t h e Tour d E v r aul t h a s eve r b e en an

’
,
enigm a to t h e a rchaeolo gi st an d a ntiqu a ri an .
Doubtl e ss it form ed t h e kitch en s of t h e e st ab

l i s h m en t f or it looks lik e nothing els e th a t
,
might h av e b elonge d to a gr e at abb ey It h a s .
a co unt e rp a rt a t t h e Abb ey of M a rmo uti e r n e a r
To urs an d of St Trinité at Ve n dam e ; from

, .
which fa ct th e r e wo uld s e em to b e littl e do ubt

as to its r ea l u s e a lthou gh it looks mor e lik e
,
a bl a st fur n a c e or a di still e ry chimn ey .
This cu riou s pyr amidal structu r e is like t h e
fi
coll e gi at e church of St Ours at Loch e s on e of
.
,
thos e biz a rr e e di c e s which defy any sp e ci a l

fi
a rchit e ctu r a l cl a ssi c ation At Font ev r ault th e
.
archit e ct pl a y ed with his ar t wh e n h e l et a l l t h e
light in this curious t ow e nt e r by t h e roof .
fi
At t h e extr eme ap ex of t h e con e h e pl a c e d a
l ant ern from whi ch th e light of day lt e r e d
down t h e slop e of t h e v aulting in a weird an d
tomblike m a nn e r . It is a most s u rprising
e ff e ct b ut on e th at is wholly lost to day
,
since
-
t h e Tou r d E v r aul t h a s b een tu rn e d into t h e

’
kitch e n for t h e m ai s on de det en t i on of

which it forms a p a rt .
Th e n av e of t h e chu rch of t h e old abb ey of

Font ev r ault h as b een cut in two an d a p art is
n ow u s e d a s t h e dormitory of t h e prison b ut ,
t h e choir t h e tr ans epts a n d t h e tow ers r em ain

, ,
which ar e n ot e d for two widely differ ent r ea

son s .
The s e t wo town s a r e M o ntsor eau and

C and e s t h e f orm er n ot ed for t h e m emory of
,
-
th a t bloodthirsty woman wh o g av e a plot to

D uma s (an d som e r eal fa cts of history b e
sid e s ) an d t h e oth er n ot e d for its prun e s
, ,
C a nd e s b eing t h e chi e f c entr e of t h e indust ry
fi
which produ ce s t h e p run ea ap de Tour s f
. .
D e sc ending t h e Vi enne from Chinon, on e rst

com e s t o C and e s which domin at e s t h e conflu
,
e nc e of t h e Vi enn e with t h e Loir e from its
imposing position on t h e top of a hill .
C ande s wa s in oth er tim e s s u rro unde d by

a prot e cting w all an d th e r e a r e t o d a y r em ains
,
of a ch at e au which h a d form e rly giv e n sh elt er
to Ch arl e s VII an d Louis XI It h a s mor e

. .
,
ov e r a twelfth—centu ry church built upon t h e

,
site of t h e c ell i n which di e d St M a rtin in t h e .
fo urth c entury Th e n ativ e of t h e s u rround

.
ing co untry c a r e s nothing f or church e s or ch a

t e aux b ut a ss um e s th a t t h e prun e indu stry of
,
C a nde s is t h e on e thing of int er e st to t h e vis

i t or .
Be this a s it m ay it is ind ee d a m att e r of

,
consid e r abl e import ance to al l within a doz en

kilom etr e s of t h e littl e town All thro ugh t h e
.
r egio n round about C ande s on e m eets with t h e

A zay l e Ri deau, U s s e,
- -
and Ch i non 2 6 9
fruit picke rs
-
with their gr eat b a sk ets l a d en
,
wi t h p run es p e ars an d appl e s to b e s ent ulti

, , ,
mat ely to th e gr ea t oven s to b e de sicca t ed an d

dri ed Fifty yea rs ag o y ou will b e told t h e
.
, ,
cultiva tors a tte nd e d to t h e curing proc e ss th em

s elve s but now it is in t h e h ands of t h e middl e
,
ma n .
At Montsor eau much t h e s ame e conomic con

di t i on s exist a s at C and e s but the r e is v a stly ,
mor e of histori c lor e h anging about t h e town .
fi
In t h e fou rt eenth century a ft er a shifting ca ,
r ee r t h e ef p a ss e d t o t h e Vicomt e s de Ch a
,
t eaudun ; th en in t h e c entury followi ng, to t h e

,
Chabots and t h e fami ly of Ch amb e s of wh ich ,
J ean IV prominent in th e m a ss a cr e of St
.
,
.
B a rth olom ew s night wa s a m em b er It wa s

’
,
.
h e wh o a ss as sin at e d t h e gall ant B ussy d Am

’
bois e at t h e ne ar by Chat eau of Cout an ci er e

-
(at Br ain s ur Allonne s ) wh o h ad m ade a r en

- -
dez v ou s with his wife since b e come fam ou s i n ,
t h e p age s of D um a s an d of history a s La
”
D am e de Montsor eau .
To day t h e ol d bo urg is pr a ctically n on ex

- -
i s t ent an d th e r e is a smugne ss of prosp e rity

,
which consider ably discounts th e former ch a rm

th a t it once mu st h av e h a d B ut f or all tha t .
,
th e r e is enough l eft t o enabl e one t o pictur e

wh at t h e life h er e unde r t h e Re n aiss a nce mu st

h ave b een .
Th e p a rish church th at of th e a nci ent Pa

r oi s s e de R e tz still exists tho ugh in ruins , ,
an d th e r e ar e v e ry s ubst anti al r em ains o f an
ol d priory an ol d tim e dep e nd e ncy of t h e Abb ey

,
-
of St Flor ent n ow conv e rt e d into a f a rm
fi
. .
,
B e sid e t h e highro a d is t h e f t een t h century -
chat eau It h a s a doubl e fac ad e on e side of

.
’
which is ornam e nte d with a s erie s of m achi

c ouli s,
gr ea t high wi ndow Op enings an d flan k -
ing towe rs ; an d i n spit e of its g en e r ally frown

,
i ng a sp e ct looks distinctly livabl e eve n to day

,
-
.
Th e orn am ent al f a c a d e of t h e co u rty ard is

s om ewh a t crumbl e d but still el eg ant an d h a s ,
incorporat e d withi n its walls a most r avishing

R en aiss an ce turr et sm oth e r e d in exquisit e
,
m oula r e s an d a r a b es qu es O n th e t e rmin al g al
.
l ery an d on t h e p anels which br eak up t h e fla t

n e ss of this inne r fa c ad e ar e a s e ri e s of a ll e
g or i cal b as r e li e fs
-
r e pr e s e
,
nting monk eys s ur ,
”
fi fi
mo unt ed with t h e inscription I l te F e r a y ,
.
fi
Th e int e rior of this n e e di c e is entir e ly
r emode ll e d an d h a s n othi ng of its form er t
,
m ents furnishings or de cor a tions

, ,
.
N e a r Port B oul et alm ost opposite C and e s

, ,
is t he great fa rm of a c ertain M C ail Com . .
mun i cat i on is h a d with th e O rl e ans r ailway by

among t h e neighbouring l a ndhold e rs wh o for

,
”
m e rly gav e th ems elve s ov e r to l a ch a s s e ,
an d l e ft t h e condu ct of th e ir fa rms to i n com ~
p e te nt an d mor e or le ss ignor ant hir elings .

C HAPT E R XIII .
AN J O U AN D B R E TA GNE
As on e cross e s t h e borderl and from Tour aine

into Anj o u t h e whol e a sp e ct of things ch ange s
,
.
It is a s if on e went from t h e e r a of t h e R enais

s ance b a ck ag ain into t h e days of t h e Gothic ,
n ot only in r e sp e ct t o a rchit e ctu r e but history

,
an d m any of t h e conditions of ev e ry day lif e a s -
well .
Most of th e ch a r a ct eristics of Anj ou ar e

without th eir like els ewh e r e an d opul ent Anj ou
,
of anci e nt Fr a nc e h a s t o d ay a d e p a rtm e nt al
e tique tt e in m a ny things qu it e diff e r ent from
tha t of oth er s e ctions

fi
.
A m a gni cent agricultur al prov ince it h a s ,
b een furth e r e nriche d by lib e r al proprie tors ; a

l and of a ristocr a cy an d t h e chu rch it h as ev e r
“
b een to t h e for e in politic al an d e ccl e si a stical

m a tt e rs ; an d t o d ay t h e s pirit of indu stry an d
progr e ss ar e nowh e r e mor e m anife st tha n h e r e
in t h e anci ent pro v inc e of Anj ou .
Th e L oir e its elf ch ange s its compl exi on but

'
273
littl e and its entr a nce into S aumu r like its

, ,
en tr a nc e into To u rs is m a de b etween b a nks

,
th a t are tinged with t h e r ainbow colours of t h e

[
growing v in e Wh a t hills th er e a r e near by

.
ar e b u rrow e d a s sw a llows b u rrow in a cliff

, ,
by t h e worke rs of t h e V ineya rds wh o m ak e in ,
t h e rock hom e s simil a r to thos e b elow S aumu r ,
in t h e Vall ée du Vendomois an d at Ci a Mar s ,
n ea r To u rs .
Anj ou h a s a m a rk e d styl e in a rchit ectur e ,
kn own a s Angevin which f ew h av e prop e rly

,
pl a c e d in t h e g amut of a rchit e ctur al styl e s

which run from t h e Byz an tine to t h e R enais
s ance .
Th e Rom ane sque was b eing s uppl ant e d

ev e rywh e r e wh en t h e Ang evin styl e c am e into -
b eing a s a compromis e b etw een t h e h eavy

, ,
flat —roofe d styl e of t h e south an d t h e poin t e d

sky pi e rcing gabl e s of t h e n orth All E u rop e
-
.
wa s a tt empting to sh ak e off t h e Rom an e squ e

influenc e which h ad l a st e d until t h e twel fth
,
c entu ry Germ any alo ne clung to th e p ur e

.
styl e an d it is gen er ally thought improved

, , ,
it Th e Angev in b uild ers d ev elop ed a sp eci e s

.
th a t was on t h e bord e rl and b etween t h e Rom an

e squ e an d t h e Gothic thou gh not by any m ean s
,
a m e r e tr ansition typ e .
Th e chi e f citi e s of Anj ou a r e not v e ry g r ea t

r a ging torr ent ; and s uch it do e s b e come p eri

odically only tr av elle rs neve r s eem to s e e it
,
when it is in this condition .
Wh en C an d e s an d Montsor e au ar e p ass ed
an d on e com e s und e r t h e frowning w alls of
S aumur s grim cit a d el a sort of provinci al

’
,
fi
B a still e in its a we somene ss h e r e aliz e s for th e
,
rst tim e th at th er e is som ewh er e b elow an

, ,
o utl et to t h e s ea H e c annot sm ell t h e s alt

.
l a de n br e ez e s a t this gre a t dista nc e but t h e ,
g ene r al app ea r ance of things give s tha t impr e s

sion .
From To urs t o S aumur by th e right b ank of

t h e Loir e — on e of t h e most s up erb str e tch e s
of au tomobil e ro a dway in t h e world — l ay t h e
roa d of which M ad am e de S eV 1 g n e wrot e in
L ettr e C CXXIV (to h er moth er ) which
.
,
N ous a r ri v on s i ci n ous av on s qui t t e

’
b e gins : ,
”
Tours ce m ati n I t wa s a good day s j o urney
.
’
for thos e tim e s wh eth er by m a l l e p os t or

,
-
t h e privat e co nv ey anc e which lik ely eno ugh , ,
M ad am e de S evi gne u s ed a t t h e tim e

To day it is a m e r e mors el to t h e hungry ro ad
-
d evouring m aw of a twenti e th century auto
?
-
mobil e It s almost worth t h e l abou r of m ak~

.
’
i ng t h e j o urn ey on foot to know t h e ch a rms of

,
this d elightful riv e r —b ank bord e r ed with his

toric shrine s almost without numb e r an d p eo ,
of a rchite ctur e an d y e t oth ers f all in l ov e with

,
it b e cau s e of its a ltogeth e r d elightful situation .
B elow S aumur ar e t h e cliff dwell e rs wh o -
burrow hi gh in t h e ch alk cliff an d stow th em

s e lv e s away from light an d damp like bottl e s
of ol d win e Th e cu stom is old an d n ot i n
fi
.
digenou s to Fr ance but he r e it is s uf ci ently i n

,
ev id enc e t o b e r ema rk e d by ev en t h e tr av ell e r
fi
by tr ain H e r e t oo on e s ee s t h e most r em ark
.
, ,
abl e of all t h e coi es which ar e worn by any

f
of t h e wom e n along t h e Loir e This Angevin .
va ri ety lik e An gevin a rchit e ctur e is like n on e

, ,
of its n eighbours north e a st south or w e st , , ,

.
Stu dents of history will r eve re S aumu r f or

som ething mor e than its a rtistic a sp e ct or its
wine s for it wa s a favourit e r e sid en c e of t h e
,
Angevin prince s and t h e E nglish kin gs a s well ,
a s b eing t h e c apit al of t h e p ap e des H ug u en ot s .
Whil e N ant e s is t h e r eal m etropolis of t h e
fi
Loir e a nd An gers is singul arly up to d at e
,
- -
an d w ell l aid out n eith e r of th e s e n e citi e s

,
h av e a gr eat thoroughfa r e t o comp a r e with t h e

bro a d str a ight stree t of S aumur which l e a ds
, ,
from t h e Ga r e d Orl ean s on t h e l e ft b ank a n d

’
cross e s t h e t wo bridge s which sp an t h e br a nch e s
fi
of t h e Loir e t o s ay n othing of t h e isl and b e
,
tween an d n ally m e rge s int o t h e gr ea t n a

,
t i on al highway which runs south into Poito u .

Anj ou and B ret agne 2 79
Fine hous e s m any if n ot most of th em dat

, , ,
i ng from c enturi e s ag o lin e t h e princip al ,
fi
streets of t h e town which wh en on e h a s a ctu
, ,
a lly e nt e r e d its con n e s pr e s ents th e app e a r

,
an c e of b eing too v a st an d ampl e for its pop
fi
ul at i on .And i n truth so it r eally is Its pop
, ,
.
ul at i on b a r ely r ea che s f t een tho u s an d souls ,
whe r ea s it would s eem t o h ave t h e gr and eur

an d appointm ents of a city of a hundr e d tho u
s and Th e r evoca tion of t h e E dict of N ant e s

.
fi
cut its inh abit ants down to t h e e xt e nt of tw e nty
or twenty v e thous and and it h as never r ocov

-
e r e d from t h e blow .
I n t h e n eighbo urhoo d of S aumur for a con ,
s i der abl e dist an c e up an d down t h e Loir e t h e

'
hills ar e exc avat e d in t o dwelling hous e s an d -
wine caves producing a most curio us a sp e ct

-
, .
One con tinu ous lin e of the s e cli ff vill a ge s

like n othin g so much a s th e h abit ation s of t h e
cliff dwelling Indi an s of Am e ric a
-
ext e nds
from t h e j un ctur e of th e Vi enn e with the Loir e

n ea rly up to t h e Po n ts de Cé .
Th e most curious e ff ect of it al l is t h e multi

tude of op enings of doorways an d win dows an d
t h e uprising of chimn ey pots through t h e ch alk -
an d turf w hich form t h e roof tops of th e s e -
s ettl ements .
I n many of th es e c ave s ar e pr ep ar ed th e
f amous v i n m ous s ena of S aumur of which ,
t h e gr eat e r p art is sold a s ch amp agn e to an

uns u sp e cting an d in differ en t p ublic n ot by t h e ,
growe rs or m ake rs but by un scrupulous mid ,
dl em en .
S aumur like Ange rs is fortuna t e in its cli

, ,
m a t e to which is due a gr eat p a rt of t h e pros

,
p e r i t y o f t h e t own, for t h e R om e of t h e “
Huguenots is mor e prosp erou s — an d who

sh all n ot s ay mor e con t en t l — th an it ever
wa s in t h e d ays of r eligious or feud al war
fare .
Nea r S aumu r is one shrine n egl ec t ed by E ng

l i s h p i l g ri m s which might w ell b e incl ud e d in
/
th eir itine r a ri e s I n t h e Chat eau de Mor aine s

.
at D ampi e rr e di e d M a rg ar e t of An j ou an d L an
c a st e r Q uee n of E ngl and a s on e r eads on a

, ,
t abl et e r e ct e d a t t h e gat eway of this d ainty

p eti t cas t el a t our et or en eava .
M an oir de l a Vi gn ol e S ouz ay -
t f
au re oi s Dam pi err e
A s il e et d er n i ere d e m ure
de l h er oi n e de l a
’
gu err e de s d eux r os es
Mar gueri te d An j ou de L an c as t re ,
’
r ei n e d An gl et erre
’
L a pl us m alh eur e us e de s rei n es , des es pous e s , et
de s m ere s
Q ui M or ut l e 2 5 A out 1
4 82
g
A ee de 53 A n s .
t e au is its chi e f historical mo num ent It is a .
d elightful en s em bl e of t h e b e st of l at e G othic ,
d ating from t h e sixt eenth c entury fl anke d on ,
its fa c ad e by turr ets crown e d with m achi couli s ,
an d light e d by a s e ri e s of el e gan t win dows
fi
a cr oi s i l l on s
. Above al l is a gra cious c amp a
n il e in its way as
,
n e as t h e b elfry of Brug e s ,
to which from a r eally a rtistic st an dpoin t

, ,
rh apso di sts h av e giv en r athe r mor e th an its

due .
Th e int e rior is as el abor at e an d pl ea sing a s
fifi
is t he outside In t h e S all e des M ari age s an d
.
S all e du Con s eil ar e n e f t ee nth century chim

-
n ey p l eces s u ch as ar e o nl y found in th e ir p er
,
f e ct i on on t h e Loir e . Th e libr a ry of som e

,
thing ove r tw enty thous an d volume s m any of ,
fi
them in m anuscript is form e d i n gr eat p a rt
,
from t h e m agni c en t coll e ctio n form e rly at t h e

abb eys of Fo n t evr ault an d St Flor e nt
. Doubt .
l e ss the s e ol d tom e s cont a in a wealth of m at e

ri al from which som e futur e histori an wi ll p er
h aps con struct a n ew th e ory of t h e uni ve rs e .
This i n truth m ay n ot b e lit e rally s o but it is ,
a fa ct th a t th e r e is a v a st amo unt of co n t em
p o r a r y histor i c al i n form a tio n with r ega rd to

,
t h e world i n gen er al which is a s y et une a rth ed

, ,
a s wi tn ess t h e ca s e of Pomp eii alo ne, wh e r e t h e

Anj ou and B ret agne 283
r
a ea of t h e discoveri e s forms but a sm all p art
of t h e entir e buri e d city .
At S aumur num ero u s pr ehistoric an d g a ll o

r om ai n r em a ins a r e continu ally b eing a dd ed
to th e mu s eum which 1 ,
s also in t h e Hat e l de
Vill e A r ec en t a cquisition — discov er ed in a

. ,
n eighbo u ring viney a rd — is a Rom an t r om

”
fi
p e t t,e a s it is d e sign a t e d an d a mor e or ,
l e ss
compl et e out t of tools , obviou sly thos e of a
c a rp ent e r .
Th e n ot orious Ma dame de Mont e sp an

”
t h e illu strious p enit ent though t h e former
,
d e scription answers b e tt er stopp ed h e r e i n

-
,
a ho us e a dj oi n ing t h e Church of St John to .

,
day a m ai s on de r et r ai t on h er way to visit ,
h er sist e r t h e abb e ss at Fo n t evr ault

, , .
From S aumur to Ange rs t h e Loir e p a ss e s

an almost continu o u s s eri e s of h i s t or 1 cal gu ide
posts som e i n ruin s but m any mor e a s proudly

, ,
fi
e nv iron e d a s ev e r .
At Tr ev e s Cunault is a digni e d Romane sque

-
church which would a dd to th e fam e of a mor e

popul ar an d b ett er kn own town It is not a .
gr and structur e but it is p erfe ct of its kind

, ,
with its cr enel a te d fac ad e an d its sturdy ar

cade d tow e rs curio u sly pl a ce d midway on t h e
fi
n orth w all .
He re on e rst b e come s a cquaint e d with m en

2 84 Ol d Tourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
hi p s an d ololm en s , xampl e s of which a r e to

e
b e foun d i n t h e n eighbo urhood n ot s o r em ark ,
abl e a s thos e of Britt any but s till of t h e s am e ,
fami ly .
fi
Th e Ponts de Cé follow n ext still in t h e midst ,
of vine l and an d n ally app ear th e twin spir e s

-
of A ng er s s unique C a th e dr al of St Maurl ce
’
. .
He r e on e r ealiz e s if not b efor e that h e is i n

, ,
An j ou ; no mor e is t h e a tmosph er e t r an s p ar
en t a s i n To ur a in e but s om e thin g of t h e grim e
,
of t h e comm erci al struggl e f or life is ov e r al l .
Here th e M aine j oins t h e Loire at a littl e ,
vill a ge call e d L a Point e t h e Ch a r enton of

“
”
Ange rs it wa s call e d by a P a ris loving bo ul e
fi
-
v a r di er who o n c e w an d er e d a eld .
Mu ch h as b ee n writt en an d mu ch might y et ,
b e writt en abo ut t h e famo u s Ponts de Cé which

, ,
sp an t h e Loir e and its br an ch e s for a dist an ce

consid er ably ove r thr e e kilom e tr e s This an .
ci ent bridge or bridge s (which with tha t at ,
Blois we r e at on e tim e th e only bridge s across

, ,
t h e L 01 r e b elow O rl e ans ) f orm erly consist e d

of 1 09 a rche s but t h e r econ struction of t h e
,
mid nin et eenth c entury r educed th es e to a b ar e

-
scor e .
As a vant age poin t in wa rfare t h e Pont s de

-
Cé we r e ev e r i n cont ention t h e G auls t h e R 0 , ,
m an s th e Fr anks th e No rm an s and t he E ng
, , ,
A nj ou and B ret agne
lish s ucce ssively t aking poss e ssion an d def end

ing them a gainst their opponents Th e Ponts .
de Cé is a weir dl y str ange an d hi storic town

which h a s lost none of its import ance in a l a t e r
day though t h e famo us p on t s ar e now r ema d e
, ,
a nd the ir a ntique a rch e s r epl a c e d by mor e solid ,
if l e ss pictur e sque pi ers an d piling Th ey sp an .
t h e sh allow flow of t h e Loire wat er for thr e e

qua rte rs of a l eague an d produce a homogen e
ou s e f fe ct of a ntiquity coupl e d with t h e city s
’
,
thre e church e s an d its chateau ove rlooking t h e

fi
forti e d isl e in mid—rive r which looks a s though
,
it h a d n ot ch anged since t h e days wh en M a ri e

de M edici looked upon it as r e c all e d by t h e
,
great Rub en s p ainting i n t h e Louvr e Sin ce .
t h e b eginning of t h e history of th e s e p arts b a t ,
tl e s almo st without numb e r h ave t aken pl a ce

h e r e as wa s natur al on a spot so str at e gic ally
,
impo rtan t .
Th e r e is a t ale of t h e Ven d ean wa rs con ,
n ect e d with t h e Roch e de —Murs a t t h e Ponts

-
de Cé to t h e e ff e ct th a t a b a tt alion l e ft h e r e
, ,
to gua rd any a tt a ck from a cros s t h e rive r wa s ,
c aptur ed by t h e Ven deans M any of t h e

.
B l eus r e fus e d to s urr ende r an d thr ew

,
fi
th ems elve s into t h e rive r b en ea th th eir feet .
Among th e s e wa s t h e wife of an of ce r to ,
whom t h e Vend eans off e r ed life if s h e s urr en

de re d Thi s wa s r e fu s ed a n d pr e cipit a t ely

.
, ,
with h er chi ld, s h e thr ew he rs elf into t h e flood

b e neath .
O n t h e l a rge st isl e th at lyi ng b etween t h e

,
Lo uet an d t h e Loir e is on e va st ga rd en or
,
orch ard of ch erry tr ee s which produce a p eonl

-
i a r l y j uicy ch e rry from which l a rg e quantiti e s

”
of g ui g n ol et a sort of
, ch e rry bra ndy is “
,
m ad e Th e An gevin s will t ell y ou th a t this wa s

.
fi
a well —known r e fr e shm ent i n t h e middl e a ge s ,
an d wa s rst m a de by on e of thos e monkish

ord ers wh o we r e s o s ucce ssful in concocting t h e
s ubtl e liqu ors of t h e comm e rc e of t o d ay .
It is with r eal r egr et th at on e p arts from

th e Po n ts de Cé with L a Fo n t ain e s coupl et on
’
,
his lips
Ce tp ’
n es as tt g
pe i e l oi re
Q ue d et po t
’
re n s ur l a Loi re
fi
.
Some on e h a s s aid th at t h e provin ce s n d

n othi ng to env y i n P a ris a s f ar a s t h e tr ans
form ation of the ir citi e s i s conce rn ed This to .

,
a c e rt ain e xt e nt is so n ot only i n r e sp e ct to
, ,
t h e mod e r nizin g of s uch gr and citi e s a s Lyo n s ,
M a rs eill e s or Lill e but i n r e sp e ct t o s uch

, ,
fi
sm all er citie s a s Na nte s an d Ange rs wh e r e t h e ,
improv em ents if not on s o m ag ni cent a scal e

, ,
a r e at l ea st a s mom en to us to th eir imm edi at e
environm en t .
c ath edral In fron t, t h e g entl e curv e s of t h e

.
river M ain e en fold t h e ol d hous e s at t h e b a s e

of t h e h il lside an d l ap t h e v ery walls of t h e
g rim fortr e ss chat eau its el f , or did i n th e d ays

-
wh en t h e Counts o f Anj ou held sway though ,
t o day t h e rive r h as s om ewh a t r e ced ed

-
.
B eyo n d t h e an ci ent r amp arts up t h e hill , ,

”
h av e b een e r e cte d t h e qua r ti ers n euf s with ,
hous e s all admir ably pl anne d and l aid out with ,
ga rdens formi ng a verit abl e gi rdle a s did t h e ,
r e t aining walls of oth e r d ays which s urrounde d

t he ol d ch at eau and its faubourg To day .
-
Angers sh a r e s with Nant e s t h e titl e of m et r op

olis of t h e we st an d t h e Loir e flows on its ampl e
,
way b etwe en t h e two i n a f ar mor e imposin g

m anne r th an els ewh er e i n its cours e from
so urc e to s e a .
Ange rs do e s n ot l i e e xactly at t h e j unctur e

of t h e M aine an d Loir e but a little wa y abov e
, ,
but it h a s always b een co n sid e r e d a s on e of

t h e chi e f L oir e citi e s ; an d prob ably m any of
its visitors do n ot r e aliz e th a t it is n ot on t h e
Loir e its elf .
Th e m arvellou s fairy book ch at eau of An

-
g ers with its fo urt een bl a ck strip e d towe rs is

,
-
j u st a s it wa s wh e n b u ilt by St Lo u is s av
. e th a t ,
its ch e ss bo ard towe rs la ck in most ca s e s th eir

-
, ,
coi f fe s and al l v e stige s h ave dis app ea re d of

,
fruits t h e n eighbou rhood of t h e s ea which

, , ,
not f a r dist an t is t emp e r e d by t h e Gulf Str eam

, ,
h aving given to A nj on a lukewa rm humi dity

an d a t e mp er a tu r e of a r em a rk abl e e qu ality .
Some of t h e nurs eri e s of th e s e p arts ar e

enormo us e st ablishm ents t h e M aison An dr e ,
L eroy f or exampl e cov ering an ext ent of some

, ,
six hundre d a cr e s A c at alog ue of on e of th e s e

.
e st ablishm e nts locat ed i n t h e s uburbs of An

,
ge rs enum e ra t e s over fou r hundr ed S p eci e s of

,
fi
p ea r tr ee s six hun dr e d v ari etie s of apple tr ee s
-
,
-
fi fi
on e hun dr e d an d fty v a ri e ti e s of plums fo ur ,
hundr e d an d s ev enty v e of gr ap e s ft een hun -
dr e d of ros e s an d two hundr e d and ninet een

,
fi
of rhodod e ndrons .
E ach night or a s oft en a s fty railway wag

,
on s ar e lo a d e d tr ains ar e d e sp a tch e d from t h e

,
fi
g ave at Ange rs for al l p arts Wh en th e Ch oua .
fleurs ar e nish ed th en com e t h e p eti t s p oi s

, ,
an d th en t h e a r t i ch aut s an d oth e r l e g um es i n
favour with t h e P a ris bon v i v an t s -
.
N ea r Ange rs is on e of thos e C aes a r s camps ’
which we r e spr e a d thickly up an d down G aul

a n d Brit a in alik e On e r ea ch e s it by ro ad from
.
Ang ers an d until it dawn s upon on e th a t th e

, ,
va st tri angl e on e of whos e equil at e ra l side s is

,
form ed by t h e Loir e a noth e r by t h e M a ine , ,
an d th e third by a ridge of l a nd str e tching b e

A nj on and B ret agne 29 1
tween t h e t wo covers about fourteen kilometr e s
,
squar e it s eems much like any othe r n eck or

,
p eninsul a of l a nd lying b etw een two riv e rs .
On e hundr e d thou s an d of t h e Rom an l egi on

camp e d h e r e a t on e time, which is n ot s o ve ry
wond e rful until it is r e call e d th at th ey live d
f or mon ths on t h e r e s ource s of this comp a r a
t i v el y r e strict e d a r ea .
B efor e coming to Nant e s An cenis and O udon,
shoul d cl ai m t h e a tt ention of t h e tr avell e r ,
though e ach is n ot much mor e th an a typic ally

inte re sting small town of Fr an ce i n spit e of ,
t h e m emorie s of t h e p a st .
Ancenis h a s a n anci en t chat eau r emod ell ed ,
an d a dde d t o i n t h e n in et een th c en tury which ,
poss e ss e s som e r em arkably i mport an t con

structive de t ails t h e chi ef of which ar e a g r e at
,
tower flanked doorway an d t h e corp s de l og i s

-
each t h e work of an Ang ev in a rchit e ct J e an de ,
L es p i n e in t h e sixt e en th ce ntury
,
Within t h e .
walls of this chatea u Fr anc ois II Due de B re .

,
fi
t agne an d Louis XI signed on e of t h e tr ea ti e s
,
.
which n ally l ed up to t h e union of t h e D uché
fi
de Br e t agn e with t h e Crown of Fr ance .
O udon poss e ss e s a n e exampl e of a me diae

v al donj on tho ugh it h a s b e e n r e stor e d in our
,
day .
On e do e s not u uas lly conne ct Britt any with

'
th e Loir e except s o fa r a s to r e coll e ct th at

Nante s wa s a forme r politic al an d soci al cap
it al As a m att er of fa ct how ever a ve ry con
.
, ,
s i de r ab l e proportio n of B ritt any b elo n gs to t h e
Loir e country .
Anj ou of t h e counts and kings an d Br et agne

of t h e duke s an d duch e ss e s embr a c e t h e whol e
of t h e Loire vall ey b elow S aumur although t h e ,
ri ve r b ed of t h e Loir e form e d n o a ctual bound

-
Anj ou ext e nde d nea rly a s f a r to th e so uth

“
a ry .
wa rd a s i t did t o t h e n orth of t h e vine cl a d -
b anks and Br e t agn e too h a d p os s es s 1

, on of a
, ,
va st tr act so uth of Nan te s known a s t h e P ays ,
de R etz which bord e r e d upo n t he V en dee of

,
Poitou .
All t h e world kn ows or shoul d know th at , ,
Nan te s an d St N az air e form on e of t h e gr eat

.
ports of t h e world not by any m e an s so gr e a t

,
a s N ew York Lo ndon or H amburg nor y et

, , ,
fi
a s gr eat a s An tw e rp B ord eaux or M a rs eill e s, , ,
but still a m a gni c ent p ort whi ch pl ays a most

import ant pa rt with t h e a ff airs of Fr an c e an d
t h e o utsid e world .
Nan te s l a Br ette is tr an qui l and solid with

, , ,
t h e life of t h e l aborio us bourge ois always i n t h e

for egro un d It is of Br et a gn e t o which prov
.
,
ince it anciently b elonge d only so f a r a s it ,
forms t h e bridge b e tween t h e Vendee an d t h e

in 1 6 6 5 b e cau s e of his o f fen sive p a rtis anship

,
.
F o uquet too a ft e r his spl endid downfall wa s

, , ,
thrown into t h e donj on h e r e by Louis XIV .
De Gondi r e counts i n his M émoir e s h ow
fi
h e to ok a dv ant age of t h e in a tt ention of his
gua rds an d n ally ev a de d th em by le tting him
s elf ov er t h e sid e of t h e B a stion de M e rcoeur by
m e ans of a rop e smuggle d into him by his
frien ds Th e feat do e s n ot look a v ery f or m i d
.
abl e on e t o day b ut th en or i na ny day it mu st

-
, , ,
h av e b e en som ewh at of an adven tur e for a

p ortly chu rchman an d t h e won de r is th a t it
,
wa s p erforme d s ucce ssfully At any r ate it .
r ea ds lik e a r eal a dv entur e from t h e p a ge s of

D um a s who hims elf m ad e a con side r abl e us e
,
of Nant e s and its ch ateau i n his historica l r o

m an ce s .
L and ais t h e minist e r and favouri te of Fr an

,
c ois II of B ret agne wa s arrest ed h e re in 1

.
,
4 85 ,
i n t h e v e ry ch amb e r of t h e prince who de ,
liv er e d him up with t h e r em a rk : F ai t es j us

t i c e, m ai s s ouv en ez v ous -
qu e v ous lui et es re
”
dev a bl e de v ot r e ch a rg e .
Th er e is n o en d of historic al incident con

n e ct e d with N an t e s s old f ortr e s s chat eau of
’ -
m e diaeval tim e s an d i n on e c ap a city or ah

, ,
oth e r i t h a s sh elt e r e d m any n ame s famou s in

,
history from t h e Kings of Fr an ce from Louis

, ,
Anj ou and B ret agne 29 5
XII onwa rd to M a dame de S ev ig ne and t h e

.
,
D uch e ss e de B e rry .
N ant e s s Pl a c e de l a Bou ffai (which to lovers

’
of D um a s will alr e a dy b e an ol d fri end ) was
form e rly th e site of a chate au cont empor ary

with th at which stands by th e wa t ersid e Th e .
Chat eau de Bou ffai wa s b uilt in 9 90 by Conan

fi fi
,
rst Due de Br et agne an d s e rv e d a s an of ci al ,
re sidenc e to him an d m any of his su cc e ssors

fi
.
I n N a nt e s s gr e at b ut imp e rfe ct an d un n
’
i s h ed C a the dr al of St Pi err e on e come s upo n .
a r elic th a t liv e s long i n t h e m emory of thos e
wh o h av e p a ss e d b efor e it : t h e tomb of Fr an
c ois II Duc de Bre t agne and M a rguerite de
.
, , _
F o ix Th e c ath edr a l its elf is n o m ea n a rchi

.
t ect ural work in spit e of its imp e rfe ctions a s

, ,
on e m ay ju dg e from t h e fol lowing i n scriptio n
gr aven ove r t h e sculptur ed gur e of St Pie rr e fi .

,
its p atron :
“
L
’
an m il q t
u a re c en t t t qu t
re n e-
a re
A m y avr i l s an s
- m ul t
o b tt
ra a re
A u por ai l de ce t tt égl i
e se,
F ut l a prem i ere pi erre as s i s e .
Within t h e chi e f attr a ction is th at m a st er

,
work of Mich el Colomb e th e b e fore men tioned ,

-
tomb which r anks among t h e world s ar t tr ea s

fi
’ -
fi
ure s Th e b e auty of t h e embl em atic
. gur e s
which flank t h e tomb prop er t h e n e chis ell ing ,
of th e fi
r ecumb ent ef g i es th ems elve s , an d t h e
gen er al en s em bl e is s u ch th at t h e work is boun d
”
to app ea l wh at ev e r m ay b e on e s opinion of
,
R enaiss an c e sculpture i n Fr anc e Th e tomb .
wa s bro ught h ere from t h e old Eglis e des

C a rme s which h ad b een pill ag e d an d burn e d i n
,
t h e R evolution .
Th e m au sol eum wa s i n its ol d r e stin g -
pl a ce op en e d i n 1 727 an d a sm all h ea rt , ,
sh ap ed gold box was fo un d suppos e d to h av e

, ,
con taine d th e h ea rt of th e D u ch es s e Anne Th e .
co ff e r was s urmount e d by a royal crown and

embl azon e d with t h e ord e r of t h e Cord eli er e ,
but within wa s found n othing but a sc apul a ry .
On t h e circl e t of t h e crown was writt en i n

r eli ef :
Cueur de t
v er us orn é
Di g n e m e n t cour on n é.
An d on th e box b enea th on e r ea d
En cc pe i tt v ai s s e au, de fin or pur et m un d e,
Rep os e un pl us gr an d c ueur q ue on cq ue d m ut a e e au m on de .
An n e f ut l e n om d e ll e , e n
’
F r an c e d ux f i R yn
e o s o e
Et ces et p ar t t e erre s re ent g ran dd e uil n os d emure .
I X J A N VI ER
.
In
fi
r e sp ec t only h a s N an te s s uff er e d
on e
thro ugh t h e m a rch of tim e Its m a gni cent .
Q uai de l a Foss e h a s dis app e ar ed a long f a ,
c ade whi ch a hundr ed or mor e years ag o wa s

fi
I le F eyd eau is monum ent al t h e I l e Glori ett e ,
”
hu stling an d n e rvo u s with a a i r es an d ,
Pr airi e au Duc busy with indus tri es of all

- -
sorts .
Co ue ron b elow N ant e s on t h e right b ank is

, ,
sombr e with gr ay walls su rrounding its num

b er l e s s fa ctori e s an d chimn e y st a cks b elching
,
-
forth clouds of d ens e smoke B ehind ar e gr eat .
walls of ch alky whit e rock crowne d with v er -
dur e N ea rly opposit e is t h e littl e town of L e

.
P ell e rin g r a cio u sly s ea t e d on th e river s b ank ’
an d m a rking t h e low er limit of t h e Loir e Nan
t ais e.
Anoth er hill b elo nging t o t h e dom ain of Bois

,
Till a c an d L a M a rtini er e wh e r e wa s born ,
F ouch é t h e futu r e Du c d Ot ran t a com e s to

'
’
, ,
fi
Vi ew an d t h e b a sin of t h e Loir e enl arge s into
,
t h e e stu a ry an d all at once on e nds hims elf

,
”
i n t h e tru e Loir e M a ritim e .
At Ma r t i m er e is t h e mouth of th e C anal Mar

i t i m e a l a Loire which from P aimb oeuf to L e , ,
P ell erin is u s e d by al l cr a ft a sc ending th e

,
river to N ant e s dr awin g mor e th an four m etr e s

,
of w a te r .
At t h e entr an ce of th e A ch ene au is th e C anal

de B uz ay which conn e cts th a t str ea m wi th t h e
,
more ambitiou s Loir e an d m ak e s of t h e L ac de , p
Gr an d Li eu a p ublic dom ain , instea d of a pri

A nj ou and B ret agne 29 9
vate prop e rty a s cl aime d by t h e m a rquis

wh o holds i n t error al l who would s h or shoot fi
ove r its w a t e rs All this immedi at e r egion
.
form erly b elonge d to t h e monks of t h e anci ent

Abb e y of B uz ay an d it wa s th ey wh o orig inally
,
cut t h e w a t e rw a y thro ugh to t h e Loir e About .
half way in its l ength a r e t h e ruins of t h e a n

-
ci ent mon a st e ry clust er e d about t h e towe r of its

,
ol d chu rch It is a most rom a ntically s ad m on

.
um en t an d for th a t v e ry r e a son its gro uping

, ,
on t h e b ank of t h e b u sy c an al sugge sts in a ,
most impr e ssive m anne r t h e p a ssing of al l

gr ea t works .
Th e prosp e rity of Nant e s a s a d e ep s ea port -
is of lo ng standing but r ecent improvements ,
h ave incr ea s e d al l this to a hith erto un

thought of e xtent Progr e ss h a s b e en continu
-
.
ou s,
an d now N a nt e s h a s b e com e like Ro u en , ,
a gr ea t d ee p —w a t e r port on e of t h e import an t,
s eaports of Fr ance t h e r ealiz a tion of a hop e

,
e v e r l at e nt in t h e br e a st of t h e N a nt ais sinc e
t h e days an d dis a st e rs of t h e E dict an d its

r ev ocation .
B elow N ante s i n t h e a ctual ,

Loir e M a ri
”
tim e t h e a sp ect of a ll things cha nge s and t h e
,
gr e en an d luxu ria nt b anks give way to s and

dun e s an d flat marshy str etch e s a s s alty a s th e
, ,
s ea its e lf This gi v e s ris e to a very consid e r

.
a bl e developm ent of t h e s alt in du stry which

.
a t B o u rg de B atz is t h e prin cip al if n ot t h e

,
sol e me an s of livelihood
,
.
fi
St Naz aire th e r eal d eep wat er port of
.
,
-
Nant e s d ate s from t h e ft e enth an d sixt eenth

,
centuri e s wh en it was known a s Port N az air e

,
.
fi
It is a progr e ssive an d up to d at e s eaport of
“
- -
som e thirty v e thou s and souls but it h a s no

-
a pp e al for t h e to u rist unl e ss h e b e a lov e r of
gr ea t smoky st eamships and all t h e p a r aph e r

n ali a of longshor e life .
Porn ich et a ,
s t a t i on dc bai ns de m er
t r es f r equ en t ée ;
’
B atz with its s alt—works ; L e

,
Croisic with its curiou s w at ersid e chu rch an d

, ,
t h e ol d w all e d town of Guer ande bring on e to

t h e mouth of t h e Loir e Th e r e st is t h e bil
.
lowy we st e rn ocean whos e ebb an d flow brings

fr e sh br e ez e s an d tid e s to t h e gr eat citi e s of
t h e e stu ary an d m ak e s possibl e th a t prosp e rity
with which they ar e so amply en dowe d .
3 02 O ld T ourai ne and t h e L oi re C ount ry
t al e nts it His life wa s fr e e too fr ee ev en

f or .
,
f or t h e tim e s it wo uld app e a r f or thou gh h e

, , ,
wa s ord aine d c ardin al it wa s impossibl e for ,
him to s uppl a nt M az a rin in t h e good gr a c e s

'
of t h e cou rt As h e hi ms elf h ad s aid th a t h e

.
pr e fe rr e d to b e a gr ea t l ea d e r of a p arty r a th e r
th an a p a rtis a n of royalty h e wa s p e rh aps not ,
so v e ry gr ea tly dis appoi nt e d th a t h e wa s not

a bl e to s uppl a nt t h e wily It ali a n s u cc e ss or of
Rich eli eu in t h e favou r of t he que en r eg ent

'
Gondi wa s abl e to control t h e p a rli am ent how ,
ev e r a nd f or a tim e it wa s un abl e to c a rry

‘
, , ,
through anything a g ainst his will M a z a rin .
ros e to power at l a st b arrica d e d the str eet s ,
of P a ris an d d e cid e d t o exil e Gondi — a s

,
b eing t h e too pop ul a r h e ro of t h e p e opl e .
Gondi knew of t h e edict b ut stuck out to ,
t h e l a st s ayi n g
,
To morrow I H enri de -
, ,
Gondi b e for e midd ay will b e m a st e r of

, ,
P a ris ”
. No on c am e an d h e was m a st er of
,
P a ris but a s h e wa s still Archbishop Co a d

,
-
j ut or of P aris his h an ds w er e ti ed in mor e way s

th an on e and t h e plot f or his supr em a cy ov er
,
”
M a z a rin t h e plund er er
,
f ell through , .
Th e whol e n eighbo u rin g r egio n so uth of t h e

Loir e opposit e N a nt e s t h e anci ent P ays de ,
R etz is un famili a r to tourists in gen er al an d

, ,
f or th a t r ea son it h as an un exp e ct e d i f not a

“
S out h of t h e L oi re 3 03
s up erl ativ e ch a rm It wa s t h e bloodi e st of t h e

.
b a ttl e —grounds of t h e Vendean wa rs an d , ,
though its monum ent al r em ains ar e not a s

num e rou s or a s imposingly b eautiful a s thos e
i n many oth e r p a rts th e r e is an int e r e st abo ut
,
fi
it al l which is a s undying a s is tha t of t h e most
ornate or magni cent chat eau or fortr e ss
p e opl e d l and that ev er exist e d -
.
Not a cor ne r of this l and but h a s s een bloody

w arfa r e in al l its gr imn e ss an d horror from t h e ,
d ays wh en Clisson was pillaged by t h e Normans

in t h e ninth c entury to th e guerill a wa rfa r e of
,
t h e Vend e an r epublic ans i n t h e eight e enth cen

tury Th e adv ent of t h e r ailway h as ch ange d
.
much of t h e a sp e ct of this regi on an d brought

a tw en ti e th c entury civiliz a tion up to t h e v e ry
-
walls of t h e ruins of Clisso n an d M aulevrie r ,
t h e l atte r on e of t h e m a ny chat ea ux of this

r egion which we r e ruin ed by t h e wa rs of Stof
fle t wh o at t h e h ead of t h e ins urgen ts oblige d
, , ,
t h e n obility to follow t h e p ea s an ts i n th eir

uprising .
Now an d th en in the s e p arts one come s upon

, ,
a short l ength of r a ilwa y li n e n ot unlik e th at
a t which our for e fath e rs m a rv ell e d Th e lin e

‘
-
.
m ay b e of n a rrow g auge or it m ay n ot but ,
a lmost inv a ri ably t h e two or thr e e s o c all e d -
carri ag e s a r e con s truct e d i n t h e sty l e (or l ack

‘
of styl e ) of t h e ol d st a ge co a ch an d th ey roll
-
a long i n mu ch t h e s a m e lumb e ring f a shion .
Th e locomotiv e its elf is a thing to b e wonde r e d

’
at. It is a pigmy i n siz e, but it m ake s t h e

comm otio n of a mod ern d e capod or on e of ,
thos e gr ea t fly er s which p ull t h e Southe rn E x
fi
pr e ss ou t h e m ain line v i a Poiti e rs an d Angou
l eme not fty kilometr e s away
, .
The r e is a littl e tr a ct of l and lying j ust south

of t h e Loire b elow Ange rs whi c h is kn own a s
”
l e Bocag e V endée n On e l e ave s t h e Loir e
.
a t Ch a lonn es an d by a s eri e s of ge ntl e inclin e s

, ,
r ea ch e s t h e pl at eau wh er e sits t h e town of

Chole t t h e v e ry c entr e of t h e r egion and a
, ,
town whos e almost only in dustry is t h e m anu

fa ctur e of pocket h andkerchi efs
-
.
Th e a sp e ct of t h e Loir e h a s ch ange d r apidly

a n d giv en way to a mor e vigoro u s a n d v a ri e d
topogr aphy ; but f or all th at Chol et and t h e

, ,
s urrounding country d ep end entir ely upon th e

gr ea t town s of t h e Loir e f or th eir int e rcours e
with t h e still gr e at e r m a rkets b eyo nd Like .
Angers Chol et an d all t h e neighbouring v i l

,
l a ge s ar e sl a te roofed with only an occa sional

-
r e d til e to g iv e v a ri ety to t h e oth er wis e gr ay
an d sombr e o utlook .
E n r out e from Ch alonne s on e p a ss e s Ch e

“
mi ll é almost th e only m ark et town of an y siz e -

3 06 Ol d T ourai ne and t h e L oire C ount ry
”
b e st E nglish .This is a ccomplishe d ch eaply
an d r ea dily by fee ding them with cabb a ge
st alks .
O n S atu rd ays on t h e Ch amp de Foir e t h e

, ,
a sp ect is most anim at e d an d any p aint e r who ,
is d e sirou s of emul ating Ros a B onh eur s ’
H ors e F air
fi
(p aint e d at t h e gre a t c attl e
“
m ark et of B e rn ay in Norm andy ) cann ot n d

,
a b e tt e r v a nt ag e gro und th an h e r e for on e m ay

-
s e e g a th er e d tog eth e r n e a rly al l t h e c attl e typ e s
of Poit ou t h e Vendee Anj ou B a s M ain e and

, , , ,
o f Br e t agn e N an t ai s e .
I n e arli e r d ays Chol et was f ar mor e s adthan

it is t o day ; but th er e r em a in pr a ctically no
s ouvenirs of its p a st Th e wa rs of t h e Vendee
.
l eft it is s aid but thre e hous e s st anding wh en

, ,
t h e riot an d b loodsh ed wa s ov e r Two of t h e .
gr ea t e st b attl e s of this furious struggl e we r e

fought h er e .
O n t h e sit e of th e pr e s en t r ailro ad station

Kl eb e r an d Mo reau fought t h e royalists an d ,
th e h e roic B on ch amp s r ece1 v e d t h e wo und of
fi
which h e di ed a t St Flor ent j ust a ft e r h e h ad
.
,
p ut into e xe cutio n t h e ord e r of r el e a s e for v e

thou s and R epublica n p ri sone rs This wa s on .
the 1 7th O ctob e r 1 79 3

,
Five months l a te r
.
S t offlet poss e ss e d hims elf of t h e town an d

burne d it ne arly to t h e gro un d Not much is .
Thro ughout this r egi on i n th e v a ll eys of th e

,
Moine an d t h e S evr e—Nan t ai s e t h e rocks an d ,
t h e ve rdur e an d t h e a dmir abl e tho ugh ill p r e ,
s e rved ruins all combin e to produce a s un

, ,
worldly an a tmosph er e a s it is possibl e to con

ce i v e within a short h a lf hundr e d kilom etr e s
-
of t h e b u sy world port of N an t e s an d t h e gr ea t
-
comm e rci a l city of Ange rs On e continually

.
m eets with I ll l I l S th at r ecall t he frightful strug

‘
g l e of R evolution ary time s ; h ence t h e impr e s

sion th at on e g e ts from a rambl e thro ugh or
abo u t this r egi o n is w ell n igh unique i n al l
-
Fr an ce .
Th e co a st so uthward n e arly to L a Roch ell e

, ,
is a va st s eri e s of sh allow gulfs an d s alt

'
ma rsh e s which form weirdly wond erful out

looks for t h e p aint e r who in cline s to vast ex
p ans e s of s e a an d sky .
Pornic is a r em a rkably pictur e sque littl e s ea

sid e vill age wh e r e t h e i nflowi n g an d out flowi n g
,
tid e s of t h e B ay of Bisc ay t emp e r t h e southe rn

s un an d m ak e of i t — or wo uld m ak e of it i f
t h e tid e of f a shio n h a d but s et th at way — a

wa t e ring pl a c e of t h e rst r ank
-
fi .
fi
It is an en tr ancing bit of co a st lin e which -
e xt ends for a m att e r of fty kilom e tr e s south

of th e j unctu r e of t h e Loir e with t h e oc ean ,
with an a sp ect at tim e s s eve r e with a wa st e

S out h of t he Loi re 309
of sa nd an d a gain gr a ciou s with v e rdur e an d

,
tr ee cl a d an d rocky shor e s
- -
.
Th e gr eat B ay of Bourgn eu f an d its en fold

i ng p enins ul a of Noirmo uti e r form an a rtist s ’
sketching groun d th at is n ot y et ove rrun with

-
m e r e d abbl e rs in p aint and p encil an d is ac ,
cor di ng l y ch ar mi n g .
Th e B ay of B ourgn euf h as most of t h e ch ar

a ct e r i s t i cs of t h e Morbih an witho ut th a t s ev e r
,
ity and st e rnne ss which impr e ss on e so d eeply

wh en on t h e shor e s of th e gr eat Br eton inl and
s ea .
Th e littl e town of Bourgneuf en R etz with - -
its littl e port of Col l et i s is by no m e ans a city

,
of any a rtistic worth ; in d ee d it is n ea rly b a r e
of most of thos e things which attr a ct tr av e l
l e rs who are lovers of old or historic shrine s ;
fi
but it is a del ightful stopping—pl a c e f or al l th at ,
provided on e do e s not want to g o fa rth e r a eld

to t h e very tip of t h e Ven dean l and s end ’
at Noirmo uti e r a cross t he b ay .
Thr e e time s a day a st eame r m ake s t h e j our

n ey to t h e littl e isl an d town which is a f avou r
'
i t e pl ac e of pilgrim age f or th e N an t ais during

t h e s umme r months O nc e it wa s not ev en an
.
isl an d but a p enins ul a an d n ot so very long

, ,
fi
ag o eithe r Th e alluvi al d eposits of t h e Loir e
.
made it i n t h e rst pl a c e an d t h e s ea b ack , ,

1
ing in from t h e n orth m ad e a str ait which j ust

,
b a r ely s ep a r a t e s it t o d ay from t h e mainl an d .
On this out of —th e way littl e i sl an d th e r e ar e

’
- -
still some r em ains of prehistoric monumen ts ,
t h e dolm en of Chiron Tar di v eau t h e m enhi rs

-
,
of Pi n ai z eaux an d Pi e rr e L evee an d some -

,
oth e rs In t h e sp ee ch of t h e inh abit an ts t h e

.
isl e is known a s Noirmo uti er a contr a ction of ,

”
N i g rum M on as t e ri um a n a m e d e riv e d from
,
t h e mon a st ery found e d h e r e 1 n t h e s ev e nth cen
tury by St Philib ert

. .
I n t h e to wn is an ol d ch at e au t h e an ci ent
“
fortr e ss r e fuge of t h e Abb e of H er It is a

-
.
gr ea t squa re structu r e fl ank e d a t t h e angl e s

with littl e towers of which two a r e roofed
, ,
on e un cov e r e d an d t h e fo urth s urmo unt e d by

,
a h eliogr aph for communica tin g with t h e I l e
de Yeu an d th e Poin t e de Ch en oul i n Th e vi ew .
from t h e h eights of the s e chat eau towers is

fa scin ating b eyon d comp a r e p a rticul arly at ,
s undown on a s umm er s evening wh en t h e ’

,
gold en r ays of t h e sinking s un burnish t h e co a st

o f t h e V end ee an d c a st linge ring sh adows fro m
t h e roof top s an d w alls of t h e town b elow

-
To .
t h e northw e st on e s e e s t h e Ilot du Pili e r with ,
its lighthous e an d its tiny co a st gua rd fortre ss ; -
to th e north is cl ea rly s e en Pornic an d t h e

n eighbo u ring co a sts of t h e P ays de R etz an d of
1
From t h e c en tr a l b a sin flow t wo tiny rivers ,
t h e O g no n an d t h e Boulogn e which ar e ch a rm ,
i ng enough in th eir way a s al s o i s t h e rout e

'
by highro a d from Nant e s but t h e gr ay mon ot ,
on ou s l ak e a cross which t h e wind whistl e s i n

,
a v e rit abl e t emp e st f or mor e th an six mo n ths
o f t h e y e a r is most d epr e ssing

,
.
The r e ar e va riou s h aml ets with som e p r e ,
t ence at a dv ance d civ iliz atio n ab out th em sc a t ,
t or e d a round t h e borde rs of t h e l ak e St L ege r ,

.
,
St M a rs St Ai gn a n St Lumin e Bouaye an d
.
,
.
,
.
, ,
L a Ch evroli er e ; but in t h e whol e numb e r y ou

will not g et a d aily p ap er th at is l e ss th an
forty eight ho urs old and n othing but t h e most
-
st al e n ews of h app enings in t h e outsid e world

e ve r dribbl e s through St Philib e rt is t h e
. .
m e tropolis of th e s e p arts an d it h as n o com ,
p e t i t or s for t h e ho n our .
At t h e entr an c e of t h e O gnon is t h e little

vill age of P a ss ay built at t h e foot of a low cli f f
,
which dominat e s al l this p a rt of t h e l ak e It .
is a pictur e sque littl e v ill age of low hou s e s

a n d r e d roofs with a littl e s an dy b ea ch in t h e
,
for egrou nd throu gh which littl e rivul ets of

,
soft wate r trickl e and go to m ake up th e gr eat er

body .
C HAPT E R XV .
B ERRY AND GE OR GE S A ND ’
s C O U N TRY
WHE THER on e ent ers B e rry through t h e v al

l ey of t h e Ch e r or t h e I ndr e or thro ugh t h e
gat eway of S an ce rre i n t h e mid Loir e t h e i m -
pr e ssion is much
t h e s ame Th e his .
toric prov ince of

B e r r y r e so un ds
a g ain an d a g ain
with t h e e cho e s of
its p a st an d no ,
provi nce a dj a c ent
fi
to t h e Loir e is
mor e proli c in
t h e things th at i n
t e r e s t t h e curio u s ,
an d non e is so lit
t l e known a s t h e
ol d p r ov m ce which
was purcha s ed for t h e Crown by Philipp e I .
in 1
101 .
With the int erior of th e province th at por,
3 3 1
1
tio n which li e s away from t h e rive r valleys ,
this book ha s littl e to do though t h e tr av ell e r ,
through t h e r egion wo uld h ardly omit t h e epis

cop al city of Bourge s an d its gr eat tr ans ept
,
le ss c ath e dr al with its glorious front of quin
?
,
t up l e d port als With t h e c athe dr al m ay well

.
b e coupl e d tha t othe r gr e a t archit ectur al monu
?
m ent t h e M aiso n de J a cque s C oeu r At P a ris
, .
on e is a sk e d A v ee v ous vu l e L ouv re
,
-
but
Et es v ous al l e a ' ’
a t Bo u rg e s it is alw ays ,
-
J a cqu es Occur e v e n b e for e on e is a sk e d if
h e h a s s een t h e cath e dr al .
From t h e hill which ove rlooks S ance rre and ,
forms a fo un d ation for t h e still existing towe r

of t h e ch at e au b elongin g to t h e f eud al Co unts
of S an ce r r e on e g e ts on e of t h e most wo n d e r
,
l
fully wid e—spr e a d vi ews in al l t h e Loire v all ey .
Th e h eight an d its feu dal towe r st an d isol at e d ,
like a rock rising from t h e oc ean From Cos n e .
an d b eyo n d on t h e n orth to L a Ch a rit é on t h e

, , ,
fi
south is on e va st p an oram a of vineyard wh eat
, ,
el d an d luxuri ant riv e r bottom

, At a l e ss e r
-
. .
dist an ce on t h e right b ank is t h e line of t h e

, ,
r ailro a d which thr e a ds its way lik e a s e rp ent

aro un d t h e b ends of t h e riv e r an d its b anks .
B elow t h e hill of S ance rr e is a huge ove r

g row n h aml e t a n d y et not l a rg e e n o ugh to
3 6 1 Ol d T ourai ne and t he L oire C ount ry
a fair l and which n ow blossoms with poppi e s

an d ros e s .
S an cerr e i n spit e of t h e ety mology of its

,
n am e (which com e s down from Rom an time s

S a crum Caes a r i ) is of feudal or 1
,
gin Its for .
t re ss an d t h e Comté as well , we r e unde r t h e

,
s uz e r ainty of t h e Counts of Ch amp agne an d ,
it was t h e stronghold an d r e fug e of m any a

b an d of gu e rill a warriors adventur e rs and, ,
ma r auding thi eve s .
At t h e en d of t h e twelfth cen tury a cert ain

Comt e de S a nc err e at t h e h ea d of a cot e ri e
,
of b andits call e d B rab acon s m a rch ed upon ,
fi
B ourge s and inva d ed t h e city killing all who ,
cross ed th eir p ath an d ring all isol at ed dwell

,
ings and m any even i n t h e h ea rt of t h e city .
S a ncerr e wa s m any time s b e si eged t h e most ,
m emor abl e event of this n atur e b eing t h e a t

t a ck of t h e royalists in 1 573 a gain st t h e
Frond eurs wh o w er e shut up i n t h e town Th e .
d e fend ers we r e without a rtill ery but s o h abit ,
uat e d w e r e th ey to t h e u s e of t h e f ron de th a t
for eight months they wer e abl e to hold t h e

city a gainst th e f oe From this th e f r on ds
.
c ame t o b e kn own a s t h e a r qu ebus e de S an

”
cer r e .
S ance rr e is to day a ruin ed town its str eets

-
un e qua l an d tortu o u s all up an d down hill an d

,
B erry and G eorge S and s C ount ry
’
1
3 7
S a n ce r r e
La Tour , S an cerr e
1
fi
blindl y r ambling off into culs de—s ac which -
l ead n owher e Abov e it al l is th e n e chat eau

.
,
built i n a modern day a ft e r t h e R en aiss ance

m anne r of Mll e de Crus s ol proudly s eat ed on
,
.
,
t h e v e ry cr e st of t h e hill Within t h e groun ds

.
,
t h e only p a rt of t h e dom ain which is fr e e to t h e

public a r e t h e ruins of t h e f amo us cit a del
,
which was bo ught b y St Louis in 1 _

226 from
.
, ,
t h e Comt e Thib aut Th e only portion of this

.
feudal stronghold which r em ains to day is -
”
known a s t h e Tou r des Fi efs .
On e m ay ent e r t h e grounds an d i n t h e com ,
p any of a con ci erg e a scen d t o t h e pl a tform

,
of this lon e towe r wh ence a wond e rful vi ew

,
of t h e bro a d r u ban l umi n eua of t h e Loir e

spr ea ds its elf out a s if flutt ering i n t h e win d ,
northwa rd an d s outhwa rd as f ar a s th e ey e ,
can r e a ch . B e side it on e s ee s a noth e r line of

blue wat e r a s if it w er e a str a nd det a che d from
,
t h e bro a d e r b and This is t h e Ca n al L a ter al

.
de l a Loir e on e of thos e inl and w at erways of

,
Fr ance which a dd so much to th e prosp erity

o f t h e l and .
Abov e S a nce rre is Gien anothe r gat eway to ,
B e rry through which t h e tr avell e r from P a ris

,
fi
through t h e Orl éann ai s is boun d to p a ss .
At a dista nce of v e kilom etr e s or mor e ,
coming from the north on e s ee s t h e tower s of ,

B erry and G eorge S and s C ount ry ’
1
3 9
the chat eau of Gien pi e rcing t h e horizon Th e .
chateau is a most curiou s a f fair with its chain ,
b uilt blocks of ston e, an d its r ed and bla ck

or n ea rly bl a ck bri que cross e d an d r e cross ed
,
in quaint ge om etric al de signs It was built in .
1 49 4 for D am e Ann e de B e auj e au who wa s ,
regent of t h e kingdom imm edi ately a fter th e

d e ath of Cha rl es VIII T hi s building r epl a ced
.
anoth e r of a c entury be for e b uilt by J e an ,
s ans P eur whe r e wa s cel ebr a t e d th e m a rri age

-
,
of h i s d aught e r with t h e Comt e de Guis e .
Gi en s cha ’
t eau t oo may b e s a id to b e a l an d
, ,
m ark on J eanne d A r c s rout e to m artyrdom

’ ’
an d f ame for h e r e s h e m a de h er s upplic ation

,
to Charl e s VII t o m a rch on R eims In Cha rl e

. .
m agn i an tim es this ol d c a stl e h ad a p re dece s

sor whi ch howeve r, wa s mor e a fortr e ss th an
, ,
a h abit abl e ch at e au ; but all r em ain s of this

h ad app a r e ntly dis app e a r e d b efor e t h e l at er
structur e m a de its app ea r an ce Louis XIV . .
a n d Ann e of Au stri a r egent h eld a fugitiv e

, , ,
impoverishe d court i n this chat eau and hea rd ,
with fea r an d tr embling t h e cann o n shots of -
fi
t h e a rmi e s of T u r enne and Con dé at Bl ene au ,
v e l e a gue s dist ant .
At N evers or a t L a Ch arité one do e s n ot g et

t h e Vi ew of t h e Loir e th at h e wo uld like for , ,
i n on e c a s e t h e wa t e rway is ma sked by a r ow
,
of hou s e s an d i n t h e oth e r by a s e ri e s of wall e d

,
gard en s ; but at Gi en wh er e eve rything i s

,
spl endidly theatrica l th er e is a tr ee—borde r e d

,
quay an d innum e r abl e exampl e s of thos e co

q uet t i s h littl e hou s e s of brick which ar e not
b eautiful b ut which s et off m any a Fr ench
,
rive rsid e l an dsc ap e a s n othing els e will .
In Gi en s m ain str ee t the r e ar e a multitud e

’
of r a r e m ellow e d ol d ho us e s w ith sculptur e d

fronts an d high gabl es This s t r ee t twists an d
-
.
tu rns until it r ea ch e s th e ol d stone an d brick

ch at e au with its h a rmoniou sly colour e d w alls
, ,
m aking a v e rit abl e symphony of colou r E ach .
turn in this ol d high str ee t of Gi en give s a new

-
vist a of m ediaev alism quit e s urprising an d

ee r i el i ke a s f an t a stic a s t h e w eird pictur e s of
,
Dor é .
Gi en an d its n eighbour Bri ar e a r e chi efly

not e d comm erci ally f or th eir pott e ry Gi e n
.
m ake s crocke ry wa r e an d Bri ar e inundat e s t h e

,
entir e world with thos e littl e porc el ain b utto n s
which on e b uys in eve ry l and .
Crossing t h e S ologne an d ent e ring B e rry

from t h e c apit al of t h e Orl éannai s or coming ,
out from To urs by t h e v all ey of t h e Ch e r on e ,
com e s upon t h e littl e visit e d an d out of —t h e -
way ch at eau of Val en cay i n t h e c h arming,
d ainty vall ey of t h e Nahon .

Th e rchit ect i n spit e of t h e imposin g situ

a ,
atio n , is n ot s e en at his b e st h ere , for in n o
way do es it comp ar e with his m a st erwork at

Anet or t h e Tuil eri e s Th e exp ert r e cogniz e s
, .
also t h e h an ds of t wo oth e r a rchit e cts on e of ,
fi
t h e Bl aisois an d t h e oth e r of Anj ou who in ,
some m ea sur e tr an s f ormed th e e di c e i n t h e

r eign of F r an c ois I .
Th e en ormou s do nj on if i t is a donj on
'
, ,
wi t h i t s gr ea t roun d corn e r tow e r with a dome

‘
above whi ch looks lik e n othing so m uch a s an

,
fi
obs e rva tory is p erh aps t h e outgrowth of an
,
e a rli e r a cc e ssory but on t h e whol e t h e e di c e

,
is fully typical of th e R en aiss ance .
Th e co urt un it e s t h e two wid ely di fl erent

te rmina tions i n a fa shion mor e or l e ss ap
p r oach i ng s ym m e try but it is on ly a s a whol e
,
th at t h e ef fe ct is highly pl e a sing .
B eyo n d a balus t r a de a j our is t h e J ardin

de l a D u ch e ss e communic ating with t h e p a rk
,
'
by a gr a ce ful bridge ov e r an orn am ent al w at e r .
I n gen e r al t h e ap artm en ts ar e furnish ed in th e

styl e of t h e First E mpir e an epoch m emor abl e
'
,
i n t h e ann al s of Va l en c ay .
By t h e orde rs of Napol e o n m any royalti e s

an d amb a ss a dors h e r e r e ceiv e d hospit ality an d ,
in 1 808 1 4 it b e c ame a gild e d c age — or a

-
”
gold en p ri son as t h e Fr en ch h av e 1
,
t — for
3 24 Ol d T ourai ne and . t h e L oi re C ount ry
is s om e dist a nce from t h e chat eau on t h e e dge

of t h e d e lightful littl e For a t de G a tine .
Va r enne s j u st above Val enc ay is thought by

, ,
t h e av e r a ge tr ave ll e r through t h e long g all e ry

of ch a rms in t h e ch at eau co untry to b e wholly
un worthy of his a tt ention As a m att e r of fa ct .

,
fi
it do e s n ot poss e ss much of historic al or a rtis
tic int e r e st though its n e ol d church d at e s
,
from t h e tw elfth ce ntu ry .
Asc ending t h e Ch e r from its j unctur e with
fi
t h e Loir e on e p a ss e s a numb e r of int e r e sting
,
pl a c e s St Aign a n with its m a gni cent Gothic

. .
,
an d R en aiss an c e ch at e au ; S ell e s ; Romor antin ,
a d e a d littl e spot d ea r a s mu ch f or its s l e ep i

,
n e ss a s a nythin g e ls e ; Vi e rzon a rich indu s , ,
tri a l town wh e r e th ey m ak e locomotive s auto ,
mobil e s an d m e ch anic al h ay r ak e s copying t h e

,
-
most approv e d Am e ric an mod els ; an d M ehun

s ur Y evr e al l follow in r apid s u cc e ssio n
-
,
.
M ehun s ur Y evr e which to most is only a

- -
,
n am e an d to m any n ot ev en th a t is poss e ss e d ,
of two a rchit e ctur al monum ents a gr and ruin ,
of a Gothic fortr e ss of t h e tim e of Ch a rl e s VII .
an d a f eu d al g a t eway of two gr e at ro und e d
coneroofe d tower s bound by a lig atur e

-
through which a port cullis forme rly slid up -
an d dewn lik e an a ct drop in a th e a tr e -

.
Wo nd er f ully impr e s siv e al l this and t h e ,

3 24 Ol d Tourai ne and t h e L oi re Co unt ry
is s om e d ist a nc e fr om th e ch at ea u on t h e e dge
‘
of t h e d e lightful littl e For et de G atin e .
Var enne s j u st above Val enc ay i s thought by

, ,
t h e av e r ag e tr a ve ll e r thro ugh t h e l ong g all e ry

of cha rms in th e chate au co untry to b e wholly
unworthy of his a tt ention As a m att e r of fa ct
.
,
fi
it do e s not po s s e ss mu ch of hi s toric al or a rtis
tic int e r e s t th ough i t s n e ol d church d at e s
,
from t h e twelfth c entur y .
A s cending t h e Che r from its j unctur e with
fi
t h e Loir e on e p a ss e s a numb er of int e r e s ting
,
pl aces St Ai g nan wi th its m agn i cent Gothic

. .
,
Romor anti n ,
ne ss a s anyth i ng els e ; Vi e rzon a rich i ndu s

m
, ,
tri al to wn wh e r e t h e y ak e l o comotiv e s auto ,

~
mo bil e s an d m e ch anica l h ay r ak e s copying t h e

,
-
m ost approve d Am e r i c an mod el s ; a n d M ehun

s u r Y ev r e al l f ol lo w in r api d s u cc e s sio n
-
,
.
Mehun s ur Y ev r e wh ich to most is only a

- -
n am e an d to m any not ev en th at is p oss e s s e d ,
of t wo a rchit e ct u r a l monum e nts a gr an d r uin ,
of a Gothi c fortr e ss of t h e tim e of Ch a rl e s V I I .
an d a feu d al ga t ew ay of two gr e at ro und e d
con e roof ed towe rs b ound by a lig a tur e

-
th r ough which a port cullis form e rly slid up -
and down like an a ct drop in a th e a tr e -

.
Wo nd er f ully imp r es s iv e all thi s and th e ,

’
325
Le C a rr i o r Do r e
B '
K
M ‘M
o
om o r a n t t n
L e Carri or Dor e, R omor an i n t

mor e so b e caus e the s e m agni cent r elics of fi

other days ar e un spoil ed an d unr e stor e d '
Ch arl e s VII wa s by no m ean s const ant i n

.
his devotion s it will b e r e call e d though h e

, ,
s eems to h av e b een s e rio usly en amo ur e d o f

Agne s Sor el a t any r ate whil e s h e live d .
Aft erwa rd h e sp eedily s urroun de d hims elf with

a g al a xy of bell es dem oi s e l l es v ét ues comm e
”
r ei n es
. Th ey followe d him everywh er e an d ,
h e sp ent al l but his l a st s ou upon them a s di d ,
some of his s ucce ssors .
On e day C h a rl e s VII took r ef uge i n t h e.
strong towe rs of t h e ch at eau of M ehun s ur -
Yevr e which h e hims elf h a d built and which

,
h e h ad fr equen tly m a d e his r e sid en c e Here .
h e di e d mis e rabl e an d a lon e — i t is s aid by ,
history of hunge r Thu s anoth e r d a rk ch apt e r

,
.
i n t he history of kin gs an d queen s wa s brought

to a clos e .
If one h a s t h e tim e and so de sir e s h e may ,
follow t h e Indr e th e n ext confluen t of t h e Loir e

,
south of t h e Ch e r from Loch e s to , G eo rge “
”
S an d s country a s lit er a ry pilgrims will lik e
’
,
to think of th e pl ea s an t valleys of t h e an ci en t
province of B e r ry .
The history of th e provinc e b e for e an d si nc e

Philipp e I unit ed it with th e Cro wn of Fr anc e
.
wa s vivid en ough to m ake it fairly well kn own ,

?
Nohan t its elf as a dainty old world vill age
,
-
,
is divine Has n ot G e orge S an d expr e ss e d h er

.
love of it a s fe rvidly a s did M ari e Antoinette

f or t h e Tri ano n Th e Fr ench c a ll it a bon
fi
et h onn et e p et i t v i l l ag e ber ri ch on Nud e of .
a rti c e it is d elicio u sly un spoil ed

,
A d elight .
f ul ol d chur ch , with a curio u s wo oden porch

an d a p a rvis e a s rur al as co uld possibly b e ,
not even a cobbl e sto ne d etr a cting from its r us

tic b eauty is t h e prin cip al thin g which strik e s
,
on e s ey e as h e ente rs t h e vill age Chicken s

’
.
an d g e e s e wan d er abo ut pickin g h er e an d th e r e

,
on t h e v e ry st e ps of t h e church an d n o on e ,
s ays th em n ay .
Th e hou s e of G e orge S an d is j u st to t h e right

of t h e church withi n whos e gro unds on e s ee s
,
a ls o t h e p av ilion known to h e r a s t h e t heat r e

des m a ri on et t es .
In a corne r of t h e po etic littl e cem et e ry at

Noh ant on e s ee s amon g th e humbl e cross e s
,
e m e rging from t h e midst of t h e v e rdur e al l ,
weath e r b eat en and moss gro wn a pl ain sim

- -
, ,
p l e ston e gre en with mossy d ampn e ss which

, ,
m a rks t h e S pot wh e re r epos e s all th at wa s

mortal of Ge orge S an d H e re i n t h e midst of .
,
this l and which s h e so love d s h e still live s i n ,
t h e memory of al l ; at t h e h ous e of t h e well

l ett e r e d f or h er abounding t al en t s econ d only
’
. 329
to tha t of B alz a c — an d in t h e hom e s of t h e

p ea s ants f or h er gen erous fellowship .
Through h er ance stry s h e co uld an d di d cl a im

r el ationship with Ch a rl e s X an d Lo uis XVIII ;
. .
but h er life among h e r p e opl e h a d no ught of

pret ence in it S h e was born among t h e ros e s
.
an d to t h e so un d of mu sic an d s h e li e s b u ri e d
,
amid a l l t h e r u sticity an d simpl e ch arm of wh a t
m ay w ell b e c all ed t h e gr e enwood of h er n ative

l an d
.
C HAPT E R XVI .
TH E UPPER L OIRE
TH E g at ew ay to t h e upp er vall ey m ay b e
s aid to b e through t h e Nive rnais and th e capi ,
t al city of t h e old provin ce at t h e j un ctu re of

,
t h e Alli e r and t h e Loir e .
Aft e r l ea vin g Gi en and Bri ar e t h e Loir e ,
p a ss es through quit e t h e most truly picture sque

l andscap e of its whol e cours e t h e gr ea t h eight
,
of S an cerr e dominatin g t h e v i ew for thi rty -
fi
mile s or mor e i n any dir e ction .
Cosn e is t h e rst of t h e town s of n ot e of

t h e Nive rn ais an d is a g ay littl e bo u rg of eight
,
or n in e tho u s an d soul s who liv e mu ch t h e s am e
life tha t th eir gran dfath er s live d b efor e t hem .
As a pl ac e of r esiden c e it might prov e dull

to t h e outsid er but a s a hou s e of c all for t h e
,
we a ri ed and famish e d travelle r Cosne with its

, ,
ch armin g situation its tree—bord e red quays

, ,
an d its H 6 t el du Gr and C e rf is most a ttr a ctiv e

,
.
Pouilly s ur —Loir e is next with thr ee thou

-
3 30
s and or mor e inh abit ants wholly devot ed to

'
win e growing Pouilly b eing to t h e upp e r river

-
wh a t Vo uvr ay is t o Tour aine It is not a tour .
ist point in any s en s e, nor is it ve ry pictur esque

or a ttr a ctiv e .
S om e on e h a s s aid th at t h e pl ea sur e of con

“
t em p l at i on is n eve r so gr eat a s wh en on e vi ews
fi
a nobl e monum en t a gr ea t work of a r t
,
or a ,
cha rmi ng Fr ench town for t h e r st time .
N eve r was it mor e true in de ed than of t h e '
two di s simil a r town s of t h e upp er Loir e ,
Nev e rs and L a Ch a rité s ur Loir e Th e old

‘
- -
.
,
towers of L a Ch a rit é ris e up i n t h e s unlight

an d gi v e th a t to u ch to t h e vi ew which m a rks
it at once as of t h e Nivern ais which al l a rcha ,
ologists t ell on e is It ali an and n ot Fren ch i n ,
motive a s well a s s entimen t .
It is r em ark abl e, p erh aps th at th e name La ,
Ch arit é is so s eldom m et with i n t h e a ccounts

of E nglish tr av ell e rs i n Fr an c e, for i n Fr an ce
it is inva ri ably con sider e d to b e on e of t h e

most pictur e sque and famo us spots i n al l mid
Fran ce .
fi
I t is an un progr e s s iv e sl eepy ol d pl ac e with
, ,
str eets mostly unp ave d whos e v e thous an d ,
odd so uls kno wn roun d abo ut a s L e s C arit at e s

, ,
live a pp a r ently i n t h e p ast .
B elow a sto ne s throw from t h e windows of

,
’
s u st ain t h e siege for onl y but a mon th wh en ,
s h e withdr ew .
L a Charit é pl aye d an import ant p art i n t h e

r eligious wa rs of t h e sixt een th c entury an d ,
Prot e st ants and C atholics b e came its occup an ts

i n tu r n Virtually L a Ch a rité s ur Loire b e
.
- -
c am e a Prote st an t stron ghold i n spite of its
fi
C atholic foundatio n .
In 1 577it b a d e d e an c e to t h e royal arms of

t h e Due d Al encon, a s is r e co unte d by t h e f ol
’
»
lowing line s :
Ou all ez -
vous , h él as fu i r eux i n s en s és
Ch erch an de Ch ari t té lproi e et l a rui n e,
a
Q ui l omb re de F oy abb at re l a pen s ez l

’
s an s
Le can on n e p eu t i r en con re t l a Ch ari é, t

Pl us t ot vous d ét ui
r ra l a pe s t e et la f
am i ne,
Car j amai s s an s F oy
’
n aur ez l a Ch ari é t ”
fic
.
I n spit e of this d e it capitul at ed an d an e , ,
on t he 1 5t h of May
at t h e chat eau of Pl e s
,
sis l es Tours on th e Loire H en ri III cele

- -
,
.
b r at ed t h e victory of his broth e r by a fete

”
ul t r a g a l an t e
-
wh e r e i n pl ace of t h e usual
, ,
p age s the re we r e employe d

,
des dam es v es
t ues en ha bi t s d h omm es
’
S urely a f an .
t a s t i c and i mmod e st m ann e r of cel ebr atin g a

victory again st r eligious Oppon ents ; but like ,
m any of th e cu stoms of t h e tim e th e fat e was ,
simply a f anatic al d eb au ch .
Above Nevers , D eciz e B ourbon L aney Gilly ,

-
, ,
and Digoin a r e m er e n am e s which m ean n oth
ing to t h e tr avell e r by r ail They a r e bu sy .
town s of c entr al Fr an ce w her e t h e bustl e of

,
the ir d aily live s is of quit e a di f f e r ent va ri ety

from th at of t h e Il e de Fr an ce of Normandy , ,
or of t h e Pa s de C al ais .
From Digoin to Ro ann e t he Loir e is followe d

by t h e C an al L at er al R oan n e i s a not ve ry
:
.
pl ea sing ov ergrown town which h a s b e com e a

,
ve ritabl e v i ll e des ouv ri er s al l of whom ar e en ,
ga ge d i n cloth m anufa ctur e .
Virtually th en Ro anne is n ot much mor e

, ,
th an a guide post on t h e ro ut e to L e Puy

-
t h e most picture sque pl a c e i n t h e world

an d t h e wo n d e rful ly impr e ssiv e r egio n of t h e
C ev enne s and t h e Vi v ar i s wh er e sheph e rds ,
g ua rd th eir flocks amid th e solitu de s .
F ar abov e L e Puy i n a r ocky gorge known

,
a s t h e G e rbi e r de Jo n c
- -
n ea r S t e Eul alie in
,
.
,
t h e A r dech e ris e s th e tiny Lige r which is t h e

, ,
r eal source of t h e mighty Loir e, th at natur al

bound ary which divide s t h e n orth from t h e
south and forms wh a t t h e Fr en ch ge ographe rs
”
call l a bas s i n cen t r a l e de F r an ce .
TH E E N D .
I N DEX
Ab b ev i ll e, 1
07 A nj o u, 1
5 2 6, 42 1
1 6 1 2 73
Kd
.
, , , ,
A bd el a er, E mi r,
-
165 . 2 74 , 2 84, 2 89 - 2 9 0, 2 9 2 , 3 06 ,
d
A bel ar , 2 93 .
-
32 2 .
A bs a lom, 2 8 1 . A nj ou, Coun s of 1 50, 1 9 3, t ,
A c h e n e au, T h e , 2 9 8 . 2 0 8, 2 3 2 , 2 3 9 , 2 6 7 2 88
F
,
d
.
A a ms , J ohn, 1 24 . A nj ou, oul gues N erra

t d F
,
A lari c, 1 Co m e
’
49 .
(S ee oul ques
A lcui n , A bbé, 2 06 . N erra ) .
A l engon Ducs , , 19 5, 334 d ’

. A nj ou, M arg are of , 2 80 t
t d
.
A l encon M arg ueri e

,
’
, 97, A n n e of A us ri a, 3 0 1 -
302 , t
511
50 1
1 52,
-
.
31
9 .
A lli e r, T h e , 33 0 . A q ui t al n e, 1 8, 1 93 ’ .
A m b o i s e a n d I t s Ch a e au, t A r bri s s e l, R ober 2 63 td

d
,
00 12 3, 1
.
3 , 2 0 , 82 , 9 6 , 1 A re J eann e
’
30 , 2 02 , 2 54 2 56, -
69 , 1
, ,
131 1 3 7, 14 0, 148 1 72 , 2 58 2 6 0
- -
, .
2 49 . A rdi er, P aul 1 1 5 ’

1
1
,
F mi ly
.
Ambois e a o f ,
8 , A r q ue s , C h a e a u d , 9 t
d
, .
20 1
1 A uma l e, D ue 1
’
22 -
65
F td
.
,
1 t d
.
69
’
A m b o is e , us s i g ny , Thi ba u
’
o re , .
, 48
t
.
A m i ens , 2 1 0 . A u h i o u, Th e , 1 3
t
.
A n c e n i s a n d I t s Cha e au, t
A u un , 3 2 1 .
1 1 , 2 1 3,
2 291
-
. A u v e rg n e , 1 5
F
.
A n dreli ni aus o, 66 t . A uv e r s , 2 51
1 d
.
,
t
A n e , Ch a e a u
’
,
1
07, t
77, A ux e rre , 1 7, 1 1 9 .
z A v i g n o n , 51 , 2 60
d
.
A ng e, Mi chel, 2 08, 2 49 . z ay l e Ri e au an d I t s
-
A n g e r s an d I t s Ch a e au, 7, t C h a e a u, 1 t 0, 6 3 , 1 4 0, 2 2 6 ,
1 0 1
-
3, 1 5, 2 12 3, 40, 84, -
2 3 8, 2 40 2 4 7 -
.
27 5, 2 83 2 84 , 2 86 -
2 9 0 , 3 04 , 3 0 8 B ac o n 40 , .
A n g o ul ém e , 1 9 4 , 3 04 ’ . B all o n 2 1
5 ,
B alue Car dinal 1

.
A ng oul em e I s abeau d , 2 67 .
, 94 196 ,
d
, , .
A n g oul em e, l ean , 89 . B a lz ac H on oré de 3 6

, , , , 2 0,
A ng oulem e L oui s e de S a 1
28 1
29 1
37 1
38 1
-
43 ,
-
2 07
d
, , ,
Duch es s e (S ee
’
v oi e, 2 09 , 2 34 , 2 39 , 3 2 9 .
S av oi e, L oui s e de ) . B ardi , Com te de, 1

08 .
338 I ndex
B arre , De la , 1
44 , 2 40 . B ahi er Thomas , 1 74, 1
, 82 ,
B arry , M a dame da, 1
69 , 1 84 1 86 -
.
2 1
5 . B o i s Ti ll ac, 2 9 8
-
B eaud oin J ean 2 00

.
, , . B oli ng broke, 42 , 1 83 .
B eauf ort A 1 38 , .
, . B on champs 3 06 3 07 ,
-
.
B e a ug e n cy a n d I t s Cha B onheur, R os a 3 06 , .
t e au, 9, 4 1 48 ,
-
53 . B o n n ev en t ure, Cha eau de, t
B eauj eau, A nn e de, 3 1
9 . 2 50 .
B e auli e u, 2 0 12 02 -
. t
B on emps Pi erre, 1 05 .
d t d
,
B e a ure g a r , Cha eau de, B o r eaux, 1 33 , 171 , 2 03,

1 14 1 1 6
-
. 2 9 2 .
B e auv ro n , T h e, 1 14 . d
B or eaux, Due de, 1 08 .
B ecke , 1 90t . B os s e baeuf , A bbe, 2 33

’
B éli er, Gui ll aume, 2 58 B o uay e 31

2
B oui n , 3 1
.
, .
B ellang er S anis l as , 1 35
, t . 1 .
B el lay ami ly , Du, 5,F 1

28 , B o ul o g n e, Th e , 3 12 .
234 . B ourbon, Car i na l de, 1 64 d .
B ell eau, R emy , 128 . B ourbon, R en ee de, 2 64 ’
B eri n g h em, H enri de, 2 45 . B o urb o n L an ey , 3 36 -

.
B e r n ay , 3 06 . B o urb o nn ai s , 15 .
B erni er 57 B o r dai s i ére , Ch a eau de l a, t

g9
.
,
B e rry , 7, 1 sa 56, 1 2 39 3 1
3 1 .
31
4 , 31 8, 3 2 0, 3 2 6 3 2 9 -
. B o urg dc 3 00 B at z , .
B erry C oun ts of 1
, 50 ,
B o ur g e s , 1 5, 3 14, 3 16 .
f
.
B erry Duches s e de 2 9 5
, , . B o urgn eu en R e , 3 09 , 3 1 1 - -
tz .
B er th el ot Gi l l es 2 44 2 46
, , , . B ourg o g n e, 4 , 1 5, 1 42 .
B er thi er M arechal 1 , 08
’
, . B o urg ue i l , 2 6 7 .
B euv r o n 8788 ,
-
. B ourre J ean 2 33 ’
, , .
B i en court M a rquis de 2 46 , , . B oy er 1 1
1 , .
B lacas , Com e de, 2 47 t . B ra ci e ux 11 0 , .
B l ai s o i s , Th e , 52 , 54 , 56 84, -
B rai n s ur A l l o nne s 2 69
- -
, .
1 02 , 1 23 1 2 4, 1 3 6, 148, 1
-
9 3, B ran tome 1 01 1
‘
55 1
57 , , , ,
32 2 1
58
B r e n n e, 1
. .
B l e n e au, 3 1 9 .
35 .
Bl és o i s , Th e (S ee B l ai s oi s , t
B re ag n e . 1 5, 6 , 3 5 3 6, 57
2 ,
-
Th e ) 1 218, 2 84, 2 9 12 9 3,
11
.
92 , -
3 0 15 a n d I t s Ch a e au, 3 , 9 , t 301 .
I I , 2 0, 4 0 , 52 —54 , 56 84 , 88, -
t
B r e ag ne, Anne de, 6 3, 97,
94 9 5, 9 8, 1
-
00, 107 , n o 1 2 0, 1 6 8, 1 9 6 , 2 09 , 2 34,
1 1 2, 1 16 1 1 7, 1 1 9, 12 3, 1
-
25 2 3 6 2 3 8, 2 93 , 2 9 6
-
.
1 2 6, 13 6, 1 39 , 1 49 , 1 56 , t
Bre ag ne, Conan, Duc de,
1 6 0, 1 64 , 1 6 7, 1 74, 1 84, 186 , 2 95 .
1 94 , 2 6 0, 2 84 . t
B re ag ne, F rancms I I , Due .
B l oi s , Com es de, 5759, 62 , t -

de 2 9 1
, , 2 9 4 2 96 -
.
84 , 87, 9 8, 1 18 B rez e, Pi erre de, 1

’
95 .
B ri are
.
B l o i s , F o rét de, 54 , 3 2 0, 33 0 .
d
.
d
B l on el, 9 9 B ri conn e t, Car i nal, 42 ‘
.
B r i nvi l li ers , 1
.
B o c ag e, T h e , 3 04 30 5 -
.
44 .
I ndex
Cheva li er, A bbe, 2 43 Co ue ro n, 2 9 8

’
. .
Ch e v e rny a n d I t s Cha e au, t C oulang es , M de, . 1

8 .
82 , 1 10 1
1 4, 133 -
. C oul m i e rs , 4 0 .
Cheverny , P hi lippe Hu C our C h ev e rny ,

-
11
0 , 1
14 ,
ra ul , Com e de, 1t 1 1 t
i
C ous n, J ean, 1
.
Chi co , 2 0 1 t 05 .
t
.
Ch in on an d I t s Cha eaux , t C o ut an c i ére , Cha e au of ,

1
0 , 92 , 1
40 1 71 1
9 3 2 02 , , . , 2 69 .
2 39, 2 41 2 47 2 50 2 6 1 ,
-
, C ox e, M i s s , 1 25 .
Cre q uy M arqui s e de, 1 83

’
.
,
C h i n o n , F o rét de , C r o i x de M o n e us e , 1 6 t .
C hi r o n Ta r di v e au, 3 1 0 . Cr omwell 3 0 1 , .
Ch oi s eul, D ue de, 1 64, 1 69 . Crus s ol, M ll e de, 3 1 8 . .
t
C h o l e , 2 75, 3 04 3 07 -
.
Ch ol e t
Com e de, 1
,
15 t .
D alahai de, 77
Ci n q M a rs a n d I t s Rui n s ,
.
D am p i e rre , 2 80
-
7, 2 1 , 13 7, 2 2 0, 2 2 72 3 2 ,
-
D an te 2 03
.
2 3 8, 2 7
.
,
4 .
D anton 1 44
Ci n q M ars , H enri , M arqui s
.
,
D aud e t 1
-
de, 2 2 8, 2 2 9 2 3 1
7 33 5 , , .
2 34
D e ci z e 336
-
, .
Ci nq M ars , M arqui s e de, 2 30,

, .
D el avig ne Cas i mi r 34
-
1 , , .
23
D el orme M ari on 2 30 2 3 1
F
.
-
Claude f 80,
.
72 ,
, ,
o rance,
D el orme P hi li ber t 32 1
9 7, 1
, , .
55 D eneux M l l e 2 1 5
Cl em en , J acq ues ,
’
t 78 .
D es cartes 3 2 08
,
.
, .
Cl e rm o n e r ra n d, 1
5tF
-
.
D i g o i n , 3 36
, , .
Cléry , 3 2 , 4 1 4 4 4 6 2 1
.
4 Dij o n , 1
-
5
Cli s s on an d I t s Ch a eau, 8, t Di no Duc de
,
.
, 1
15 .
3 03 , 3 0 7 D iv e Th e 1
Cli s s on, 2 9 3
, ,
.
D o m fro n t Chate au de , 9
Cl opi nel, J ehan (S ee J ean
,
D oré 2 07 32 0
de M euug )
,
Dubd
.
,
Cl oue , 1 1 t n , 73 .
2 .
D ucos R og er 1 64 165
Cl aws , 43, 1
'
-
.
, ,
49 , 2 53 .
D udevan t M ad ame (S ee
Coeuv re s , 1
,
70 .
S an d Georg e )
Coli g ny , 1 60 1 61
.
,
-
.
Dug ues cli n, 49

Co ll e t i s , 3 09
.
D umas 47, 3, 6, 82 , 20 1
Col ombe, M i chel, 2 072 08, -
,
2 68 2 69 , 2 9 4 2 9 5
- -
.
,
2 95
D un o i s , The, 56
C ommi n es , D e, 4 5
.
.
D upi n M and Mme 1
83
d
C on é, P ri nce de, 1 9, 1
1 60 , . .
, ,
1
87 .
D uples si s M ornay 28 1
Con ti , Pri n ces s e de, 2 34
-
, .
Corm eri , Ci iz en, 2 1 5 t

P rince
.
Co rm e ry , 1 33 ckmuh l, , 42 .
F D
.
C o s ne , 1 8, 3 1 ami ly , (S ee
’
4, 3 30 . E flia ts
01
Co s s o n , T h e , 2 , 9 79 8, 1 -
. Ci n q M ars ) -
.
t
Co e au de Gui g n e s , 52 . B lbée, D , 3 07
’
.
I ndex 34 1
E l ean or of P or ug al, 1 55 t . Ga ll es , P ri n ce de, 49 .
Elean ore of Gu enne, 2 67

'
i . t
Gas on of O rl eans , 59 6 0, -
E m b run , 4 4, 4 5 . 6 2 , 68 7 0, 7 9 82
- -
E pern on, Duc

’
1
94 d , . Ga t a n a i s , T h e , 3
t
E s e, Car i nal , 1 80d d ’
. t
G a i n e , F o rét de, 3 2 4
d
.
t ’
E s re es , Ga bri elle
’
, 164, Ge org e I V , 1 69 . .
1 69 1 70-
G e rb i e r de J o n c ,
- -
d
.
t
E ampes , D uches s e
’
, 101 , Gi e n an d I t s Ch a e a u, t
1 30 1 31
-
, 155 . 1 9 , 2 02 , 3 1 8 3 2 0, 3 30 -
.
t
E ampes , J acques d , 32 1
’
. Gi l l y , 336 .
t t t
E r e a , 2 51 . G i v e rn y , 2 5 1 .
E ur e e t L o i r, D ep ar m e n t t d
Gon i , H enri de, 2 93 2 94, -
o f, 35 .
30 130 2
-
.
Gouj on J ean 1 05, 179 , 2 44 .
F l i Ch at u
, ,
a a s e, ea de , 9 . Greg ory of Tours 57 ,
F di n d VI I
.
er an . of S pai n, Gri s e Gon ell e Geoff r oy 1

-
95 , , .
tt
G ro o e s of Ste Ra e . d
F i n l s t e re , 3 5 .
g o n e, 2 1 8 d
d
.
Fl aubert 6 Gueran e , 3 00
F i M gu i t d 9 5
. .
,
o x, ar er e e, 2 Gui s e H enri Du e de (L e
, ,
— 8
92 67, 69 7 73 7
0 -
F l i S iff it 6
o e- a , 2 . 1 57, 1 6 0, 1 68 ,
F t i bl u 9 7
on a n e ea , . 1 80, 2 34 .
F t i d S bl M u
on a ne es a es o
t 5
v an s , 2 . H an t e L oi re , De p a r t m e n t
F nt n ll 183
o e e e, 0 Il I
H enri I I
.
F t y 17
on e n o , 0 . .
, 6 9 , 99 , 07 1
1 09 , ,
F t ul t A b b y f 3
o n ev ra , e o , , 1
15 156
, ,
1 72 -
,
63 6 7 8
2 -
2 2 2 . I74 I 77 1
" 83 1
"
84 3 :
1
9 7 2 00 2
F Pi g i l d l 1
,
or ce, 06 an o e a, . H enri III .

, 69 70, 73 , 75 7
-
8, -
F z P l i f 17
ore ,
a n o , .
F h 98
ouc e ,
'
2 . H enri IV .
(de N avarre ) ,
F ul q u N
o 93
es01 erra, ,
2 ,
1
70 ,
32 34
2, 2
f E ng lan d
.
F ulqu V 38
o es . 2 . H enry II . o ,
1
90 ,
F uqu t 164 94
,
o e , ,
2 . 2 572 58, -
672 .
F c i I 6 64 69 7 7
ran o s 0- ,
-
0, 2 H enry VIII . o f E ng land,
73 , 75, 89 . 94 9 9 . 1 01 , 1 04 -
1
07 .
1 07 , 109 , 1 14, 11 8, 13 0, 1 4 8, H olbei n 1 52 , .
1 5 1 1
56 ,
-
1 1
7 7,1 2 174 1—
76 , -
H ug o Vi ctor 3 7
, , .
1 89 —1 9 0. 1 9 4. 1 96 1 9 7, z oo. H ui s m e s 2 50
-
,
1
.
2 44 2 4 5. 2 6 4 , 3 2 2
-
. H uraul t Phi lippe 1
11,
1
,
2 ,
.
F r ancoi s I L, 1 56 1 62 , 1 68, -
1 81 2 1 I l e de Ye u, 3 1 0 31 1
5 .
F d
, .
F ran kli n, B enj amin, I le e y eau, 2 9 8 .
1 2 4, 1 25 I l e Gl o r e e , 2 9 8 i tt .
I l e S t J e an , 1
.
F r e i b ur g , 2 2 49
. .
t
I l o du P ili e r, 3 1
.
F ro m e n i n, 3 1 1 t . 0 .
3 42 I ndex
I n d re , Th e , 1
0 , 11 9 11 2
92 ,
-
, L a Po s s o n l e re , 2 89 .
2 40, 2 4712 75 313 , : L arcay , 1 0 .
32 6 32 7 -
. L a R o c h e l l e, 2 08, 3 08
I n d re D ép art e
.
et L o i re, L auz un, 1 64

d
.
m ent d , ’
1
42 . L av e an, 3 13 2 -
.
L ay o n , T h e , 1 3 .
J ah e l M i s s 1
, 25 , . L e C ro i s i c, 3 0 0
d
.
J am es V of S c o lan 157
. t , . L e H av r e , 2 7 .
J am es H enry , 1 4, 1
, 89 , 2 04, t
L e mai r e, J ul es , 3 4 .
2 51 . L emerci er, 2 6 12 62 -
.
J arg e au , 36 . L en oi r, 57 .
J ean de M euug, 46 47 -
. t
L en o re, 4 3 .
J ean s a ns P eur 3 1
-
9
-
,
. L epag e 3 5, .
J ean s ans Terre, 1

-
93 , 2 67
-
. L e P e ll e ri n , 2 9 8 .
J eann e d A rc. 33 3 5. 3 8, 49 . L e Puy . 4 5. 1 0. I 6 . 1

’
37
‘
- -
.
31
9 , 3 33 3 36
J eann e of F ran ce, 2 09 L eray , M I 0
K L e s A n de l y s , Ch a e au de , 9
. .
,
J oh n , i ng , 28 7 . t .
J o ué, 2 1 5 . L es cure, 3 07 .
l uv en e t, 34 . L es pi n e, J ean de, 2 9 1 .
L i ge t , T h e, 33 6
Kl b
.
e er, 3 06, 3 07 . L i l l e , 2 86
L i l l e, Abbe de, 1 07 .
La B e auc e , 3 8, 41
, 53 , 87, L i mi eul, La D emoi s el le
41
1 (S ee Tour, Is abelle
”
. de
La B ri c h e , 2 7 2
0 -
72 de l a )
d
. .
L a c de Gran L i eu, 2 9 8 L i m o us i n , Th e, 1
"
09 .
2 99 , 3 1 1 — 1
3 2 . L i s i e ux , 9 2 .
L ac d I s s a r l e s , 1
’
6 .
'
L o c h e s a n d I t s Cha eaux , t
L a Ch ap e l l e, 4 3 .
31 1 33 1
30 1 40 : , )
L a Ch ari é, 1 71 8, 3 1 t
4 31 5, - -
1
88 -
2 02 50, 2 6 6 , 3 2 6
, 2 .
31 9 , 3 3 2 334
-
L o c h e s , F o rét de, 1 90 .
t
L a Cha re, 3 2 7 L o i r, T h e , 1 3, 2 1 .
t t
.
L a Ch e v r o l i er e , 3 1 2 . L o i r e t Ch e r, D e p ar m e n
tt
L af ay e e M a ame de, 1 09 d . o f t h e , 3 5. 57
F
,
La on t ai n e, 1 2 8, 2 86 L o i r e , Th e , 1 , 3 3 0, 3 2 , 34
-
43 . 50 51
.
t
L a M ar i n i er e , 2 9 8 .
3 8. 40 4 1
-
. . 53 54. - -
tt
L a M o e , 8788 -
.
56 : 58, 64 6 5, 68, 9 2 , -
d
L an ai s , 2 9 4 1 0 11-
02 , 1 10, 1 1 6 1 1 8, 1 20 -
d d
.
L an es , H ou on des , 1 37 1 22. 12 4. 1 2 9. 13 3. 1 34 .
49 . 1
.
L an g e a i s a n d I t s Ch a e a u, t 1 37 . 14 0 —12
4 . 1 48 1 56 . -
7, 2 1 82 . 1 3 3, 1 40, 1 6 5, 1 6 3. 1 71 . 1 73 . 1 77 1 78. 1 91
-
, .
1 74 , 2 2 4 , 2 3 2 2 4 1 2 47 1 9 6 , 2 0 8, 2 1 5, 2 2 0 2 2 3 , 2 2 5,
- -
,
L an g ue o c , 1 5d . 2 2 72 2 8, 2 3 2 , 2 3 6 , 2 4 0, 2 57
-
,
L an oue, 2 93 . 2 59 2 6 0. 2 6 7
-
. 2 7 3 . 2 75 2 7 6. -
t
L an e r n e de R o ch e c o rb o n , 27 8 2 79 , 2 82 2 86 , 2 88—2 9 0,
- -
2 20 2 9 2 2 9 3 . 2 9 7 3 02 . 3 04 . 3 0 8
- -
1 31 3 31 4. 3 1 8 31
.
La P oin te , 1
3 , 22-2 3, 2 84 .
3 09 . 3 1 . 9. - -
3 44 I ndex
M on tpens i er , Char les de, O r l eans am i ly F

6 3 6 5 66 , , ,
-
154 1 55 -
69 . 1 4 0. 1 6 5. 2 3 4 (S e e
M o n t r i c h ar d an d its Do n al s o Gas on of Or l eans ) t .
j o n, O rl e a n s , F o rét
’
, 39 40 d -
.
M o n t s o re a u , 2 6 8 -
270, 2 76 . d
O u o n , 2 5 2 6, 2 9 1 -
.
M o ra in e s , C h a e a u de (S ee t '
D a m p i e rr e ) . P a i m b oeuf 2 9 8 , .
M oreau 3 06 , . P a ri s 1 3 3 0 33
. 42 . . . . 79 11
9 . .
M o r e t 2 51 , . 12 4, 1 3 6, 139 1
40,
-
2 2 9 - 2 3 0,
M orri s on 8 1 , . 2 84 . 3 02 . 3 1
4
M o r t ag n e 3 07 , . P arm e, Due de, 1 08 .
M os ni er 1 1 2 , . P armen i er, 80 t .
M o uli n s 1 5 , . Pa s de Cal ai s , 192 .
M ui d e s 53 , . Pa s s a y 3 1 2 , .
P a s s y —s ur S e i n e 1
24 -
, .
N a h o n , T h e, 3 2 0 3 2 1 P a y s de Re tz 2 9 2 3 0 1302
'
- -
.
, , ,
t
N a n e s an d I t s Ch a e a u, 3 , t 31 0 .
7 .8
-
12 13. 2 3. 2 5 —2 8
. 4 0. -
t i
P en h evre, Due de, 1
64 .
59 1 84) 1
,
33 , 2 07, 2 78 2 7 9, -
P epi n, 193 .
2 86, 3 , 3 08, 3 1
— o2 1 P hi lippe I , 3 1
3, 32 6 . .
312 . P hilippe I I .
N apol eon I 83 , 1
38 ,
1
64 , 1
93 38
. 2
d
.
,
32 132 2
-
. P hi li ppe I I I (L e H ar i ) , .
N apol eon I I I , 88 . . 2 34 .
N apol e on, L oui s , 1 65 . P hilippe I V (L e B el ) , 49 . .
N a rb o nn e , 2 3 1 . f d
P i e rre o n s , Ch a e au o f , t
N av arre M arg ueri e of (S ee
, t 186 .
A l en con, M arg ueri e t P i e rre L e v ee , 3 1

-
0 .
N em ours , Du e de 1 57 , . Pi l on, Germai n, 1 05 .
N epv eu, P i err e 1 04 ,

Pi n ai z e a ux , 3 1 0 .
Pi us VI , 32 3
.
N e v e rs , 4, 6 , 1 1,
1 5, 1 7, . .
39 1 . 33
2 3 3 3 . 3 3 5 33 6 - -
t
P lan ag en‘e , H enry (S ee t
d
.
N ni i 1 25 H en ry I I of E ng la n ) . .
t
,
P l an in, Chri s t opher, 2 05

.
N i v ern ai s , The, 1 5,
d
.
332 P l es s is , A rman du (S e e
d
.
N o h an t , 32 —2
73 9 . R i cheli eu, Car i nal )
N o i rm o u i e r , 3 0 9 3 1
0 t -
. P l e s s i s l e s To urs , 7, 1 50,
N o rm a n y , 85, 9 2 , 3 06 d 2 112 1
8 33 4 ,
P o i n e de Ch en o ul i n, 3 1
.
t 0 .
O g n o n , Th e , 3 1 2 . t
P o i i e r s , 3 04 .
z
O n ai n , 1 1 6 . t
P oi i ers , Di an e de, 1 18, 1 2 3, .
O r léann a i s , T h e , 4 , 10, 1 5, 1 55 1
30 1 72 1
74 1
.78 1
83 . .
-
. .
1 9 . 2 3 . 3 0 57. 3 1 8. 3 2 0 -
1
87 1
97 .
32 1 P o i t o u 2 78 , 3 06 , 2 92, .
P ompad our
.
O r l éan s , 78, -
0 1
1 2 1
5 1
7 -
, , , , L a, 2 15 .
19 , 3o 3 sa '
4 3, 52 9 P oni a t ows ka, Mari e Thé

1
33 137 . 2 56. 2 58. r és e, 3 2 3 .
t
.
2 84 , 2 89 . P o n A v e n , 2 51 .
I ndex 3 45
P on ts de Cé, 2 12 2 , -
2 75 , 2 79 , S an c e rre an d I t s Ch a e a ux , t
2 84 2 86-
. 18. 1 37. 3
1
3 31 8, 33 0. 3 33 -
.
P o rn i c, 3 08, 3 1 0 . S an cerre, Coun s of , 31 4 t

P o rn i c h e , 3 00 t .
31
t
P o r B o ul e , 2 70 t . S an d Ge org e, 7, 3 2 1 32 6
P o uill y , 1
, ,
8, 33 0 33 2 -
.
32 9
P r a i r i e a u D uc , 2 9 8
.
- -
. S an J us t e M o n a s t e ry of,
t
Pri ma i cci o 1
,
52 , 1
31 .
Pri ma ti ce 99 , . S a on e, The , 2 3
d
.
Puy de D o m e, 1 6 . S or i ni , S cipi on, 1 1

9 .
t
S ar h e , Th e , 1 3, 2 1
F
.
R abe lai s , rancoi s , 3, 1

28 , S a um ur a n d I t s Cha e au, t
l as 1 1 11
9 1 1 1
4 4. 56 71 2 2 1
g
2 39 2 4 0. 2 54 2 2 20 42
- - - -
, , , ,
222 59 , 74 2 83 , 2 9 2
, 2 2 -
t
.
R a m b oui l l e , F o rét de , 87 . S a n s a c , Ch a e a u o f , 2 0 2 t .
Re i m s , 3 1 9 . S ans ac, S eig n eur de, 2 1 5

d
R enau i e, J ean B arri de la,
.
S av e n n i ér e s , 2 89
1
.
61 S av oi e L oui s e de, 1 51
K
.
,
i ng , 2 3, 2 8 1 S av oi e P h i l ppe de 1 i
.
R ene,
’
.
95
, , .
Re n n e s , 1 5 . S ax e M a uri ce de 1 07 1 08 -
d
,
t
,
tt t
.
Re z , Car i nal de (S ee S co , S i r W al er, 1 66, 2 11

d
Gon i H en ri de ) , 2 1 6, 2 1 8
,
d
.
t
.
R e z , Gi l l es de, 2 4, 2 93 . S e an , 4 0 .
R h i n e, Th e , S e i n e , Th e , 4 , I 3 , 2 5, 3 6 ,
R h o n e, T h e , 1 3 , 2 3, 2 6 0 1 2 1 22 1 , .
d
.
R i char Cce ur de L i on, 9 3 , S el le s 1 0 32 4 , , .
19 3. 2 67 S er ti o 1 00 , .
Ri c h e li e u, 2 60 2 6 2 M adame 1
’
S e vi g n e
’
de, 8
d
, ,
R i c he li eu, Car i n a l 2 2 4 , 2 2 8, ,
2 76 , 2 95 .
2 3 12 3 2 , 2 6 0 2 6 2 , 3 0 13 02
- -
. S f orz a, 197 L udov i c,
t
.
R 0 an n e , 1 2, 1 6 1 7, 3 36 . S h ens on e 1 06 , .
R oche co tt e, 2 50 . S i eg f r ei d J acq ues , 2 3 4 ,
t
.
R o c h e co t t e, Ch a e au de, S o l o g n e , T h e , 3 8, 52 53 , 56 -
,
2 49 — 2 50 . 84—94. 9 7. 1 01 . n o, 148.
t
R o m o ran i n a n d I t s Ch a 32 0 .
t e au, 85, 88 89 , 3 2 4 -
S or e l A g n es 152 , 1 88 1 89 -
d
.
, , ,
R ons ar , 1 2 8, 1 57, 1 80, 2 40 . 194 , 19 6 , 2 0 12 0 2 , 2 50, 3 2 6 -
t d
.
Roue n , 11 1 2 11 S a e l M a am e de, 1 1 9 1
’
92 , 9, 22, -
, 20 -
.
2 03, 2 2 1 , 2 99 . S t A i g n an a n d I t s Cha e au
. t ,
R ous s eau, J ean J acques , 1

0 31 2, 3 4 2
f P land Ki ng
,
t
.
1 84, 1 87 -
. S an is las o o , ,
R ay , L uci en, 2 3 5 1
07 1
08 -
d
. .
R oy a le, M a ame, 1 09 . S t A r . 43 44
.
-
R ubens , 2 85 . S t B e n 0 1 s ur L 0 1
. re , t - -
I O, 1
9
d
.
R ugg i eri, Cos mo, 78 79 , -

S t Cl au e , 54
. .
1 22 1 -
23 . S t Cy r, 2 1
.
5 .
Rus s y , F o rét de , 1 14 . S t D i e , 53
. .
t
S ai n Ge lais Guy de, 2 4 5 , . S t e E ul al ie, 33 6
. .
3 46 I ndex
S t en dahl 1 28 , . 21 2 3 3 2 54 56 79 8 5
. . . . . . .
S t E i en n e,
. t 92 1,02 105 121 1 , 28 1 48 , ,
-
,
St . F
l o re n , A bb ey t of , 2 82 , 1611 64 1
, 69 1 72 173 1, 76 ,
-
, ,
3 06 . 183 2 04 2 1
, 5 2 2 0 2 2 9 2 30
, , ,
-
,
St . Gal m i e r , 1
6 . 2 33 - 2 3 4 . 2 38. 2 43 - 2 44 . 2 4 6 .
St Ge o rg e s s ur- L o i re, 22 2 51 2 6 0. 2 73 . 275. 2 84.
-
. .
.
St . L e g e r, 3 12 .
33 2
St . L iphar , 48 d . i
Toura n e, Comtes de, 2 53
.
St . L oui s , 3 7, 1 9 3, To urs , 3 , 4 , 7, 8, 1 0 1 1 , 20 -
St . L um i n e, 3 1 2 . 21 , 4 0, 57 , 84 , 1 16 1 17, 1 2 0, -
St . M a rs 3 1
2 , . 1 32 1 3 3. 1
-
3 7. 1 48 1 49 . 1 66. -
St . M artin 5 , , 1
49 , 2 09 - 2 1
1 , 1711 72 , 2 00, 2 03 2 1
-
1 , 2 1 5, -
2 1
8 , 53 ,2 2 0, 2 2 2 2 12 2 2 ,
-
2 2 4 2 2 5, 2 3 8 2 39 , - -
S t M es me, 2 53
. . 2 46 2 5 .
3 27 6 27 7. -
S t M e s m i n, 4 1
.
, 43 .
3 2 0 32 1 , 32 7 .
. z
S t N a ai re , 2 3 , 2 8, 2 9 2 , 300 . T re v e s Cun aul , 2 83 2 84 t -
.
S t ofli et, 3 03 , 3 Turenn e, 3 1 9 .
S t O urs , 1
.
93 . Turn er, 1 2 .
S t Ph il ib e rt , 3 1
. 13 1 2 -
.
S t P hi li ber , 3 1
. 0 t . U s s e an d I t s Cha eau, t 24 1 ,
S t Pi e rre l e M ou i e r, 333
.
- -
t . 2 4 72 49-
.
S t R am b e r , 1
.
7 t .
S t S auv eur, 2 3 8
. . Va l e n cay an d I ts Cha e au, t
t
S ras b urg , 2 2 .
3 2 0 -
32 4 .
S t S y m p h o ri e n, 2 1
. 8 . t
Val en i n e de Mi lan 66 , .
S t Tri n i é, Ab b ey o f ,
. t 2 66 . Va l en ti n oi s D uches s e de
,
S t u r t, M ary , 1 57 162 , 1
68 (S ee P oi i ers Di ane de ) t
g
-
, .
d
,
11 . V all ée du V e n o m o i s , 2 74 .
St . Valli er, Comte de, 1

75 , Val ms M arg ueri e de (s is t
1
97 . t er of ran coi s I F (S ee .
S uév re s , 53 Al encon M arg ueri e $ t

2
.
, .
S ull y , 19 . Val oi s M arg ueri e de

, de t
N avarre ) 180 , .
Ta ll ey rand, 2 50, 32 1
, 32 3 . Van Ey ck 1 52 , .
Tas s o 1 80, . V a re n n e s 2 1 8 32 4 , , .
T av e rs , 52 . V a r e n n e s , T h e, 1 35 .
Terry , M r , 1 87 . . Vas ari , 1 53 .
Tex i er, 2 2 . Vauban, 2 47 .
Théz ée , I O d
Vau emon , L ouis e de, 1 t 82
d
. .
t
Thi bau l e Tri cheur, 2 59
- -
. V e n o m e, 2 2 , 2 6 6
Thi bau I I I , 2 53 t . Ven dom e, Cés ar de, 1 64
d
.
Thi ephani e, D ame, 2 81 . V e n o m o i s , T h e, 56 57 -

.
T h o ue , Th e , 13 t . V e ro n, 1 35 .
Th oury , Comtes s e, 1 05 . V e rs aill e s , 43, 6 0, 86, 9 8,

f
T or o u, 3 07 . 1 39 , 2 6 1 .
To ul o us e , 1
5 . Vi bray e, M arqui s de 1 11 , .
Tour, I s a bell e de la, 1 19 . V i en n e , T h e , 1 0, 2 1, 2 51,
To urain e, 14, 6 9 , 1 5, 19 - -
2 59 2 60, 2 672 6 8, 2 7
-
5, 2 7 9
-
.

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J

Firs t I mpres s i on , J une 1

TH I S book is not t h e r e s ult of ordin a ry con

ﬂying by night but ra th e r of l eis ure ly wa nd e r

ings f or a somewh at ext en de d p e riod a long

t h e b a nks of t h e Loire an d its tribut a ri e s an d

B e for e this book wa s proj e cte d t h e conv en ,

t i on al tour of t h e ch at e au coun try h ad b een

t l e Tour i n h and On a n oth e r occ a sio n An

ge rs with its almost in conc eivably r e al ca s

t el l a t e d fortr e ss an d Nant e s with its m emori e s

h ad b een ta ste d an d dige st e d en r out e t o a ce r

O n anoth er occa sion wh en we wer e h ead ed

due s o u th we ling e r e d f or a tim e in t h e upp e r

v all ey b e twee n th e littl e It ali an city of N e

ve rs an d t h e most pictu r e sque spot i n t h e

author s not e books w e r e num e ro u s an d full to

ove rﬂowing with mu ch comm ent an d t h e a r ,

t i s t s portfolio wa s alr ea dy b ulgi n g with it s

So mor e n ot e books wer e bought and fol

lowing th e geni al M a rk Twain s advice an ’

oth e r fount ain p en an d mor e cr ayon s an d

of r ambl e s along t h e n e w ﬂa t an d n ow rolli n g

b anks of t h e bro a d blue Loir e to som ething

TO URA I N E T HE GARD EN S PO T OF F RAN C E

A PE ASANT GI R L OF T O U RA I N E F r on tzsp zec e

CYPHE R OF F RANCOIS PR E MI E R AND C L A UD E OF

GAT E W AY OF M EHU N UR Y S J E VRE

AN Y a ccoun t of t h e Loir e and of th e town s

chi ef mention To ur aine an d t h e long line of

Th e Loir e poss ess e s a c ert ain fa scin atio n

ci ally gr ea t riv e rs e ntir ely l a ck an d whil e t h e

e l em e nt of absolu t e nov elty c ann ot p e rforc e

b e cl aim e d for it it h as t h e m e rit of app eal

ing l a rgely to t h e love r of t h e rom antic and

L angeais l e Vicomte de B eaumo nt l e M a rquis

de B e au r ega rd l e Comt e de Font en aill e s l e

Comt e de J ouf f r oy Gon s ans l o Duc de Luyn e s

l e Comt e de Vouvr ay l e Comt e de Vill en euve

e t a la ; an d h e might h av e continue d with a

dir e ctory of al l th e de sc en d ants of t h e n obl es s e

th em und er t h e gen eral c at egory of P r op ri e

m a r qua bl eS — au p oi n t de v ue hi s t ori que ou

H e wa s fortun a t e i n b eing a bl e , as he s aid ,

to inte rrogat e th em in p e rson .

Most Of his fa cts an d his gossip con c erning

ch at eaux is ev er ch angi ng an d on e who V iews ,

f or inst ance th a t an iron tru ss e d r ed til e d

wa sh —hous e h a s b e en b uilt on t h e b anks of t h e

s am e va rying conditions a s we a dvance a hun

Tours for exampl e st a nds for al l th a t is

typic al of t h e s unny south Prun e and p alm .

tr e e s thrust th ems elve s forwa rd in strong con

B elow Tou rs on e is a lmost at t h e coa st an d

l éann ai s is typ ic a l Of a c ert ai n w ell to do ma t - -

nor ve ry dif cult .

N eve rs i s an oth er st ep an d r e s embl e s some

city a s well a s a gr ea t p a rt Of its history is

It ali an through an d through .

Th e l a st gr eat st e p b egins at L e Puy i n t h e ,

gr ea t volc anic Mas s i f Ceut r al e wh er e condi ,

tions of life if prosp e rou s a r e at l ea st h ard e r

S uch a r e t h e va ryi ng ch ar a ct e ristics of th e