按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ay on two sides of it； and makes a striking mass； bristling behind； as you see it from below； with rather small but singularly numerous flying buttresses。 On my way to it I happened to walk through the one street which contains a few ancient and curious houses； … a very crooked and untidy lane； of really mediaeval aspect； honored with the denomina… tion of the Grand' Rue。 Here is the house of Queen Berengaria； … an absurd name； as the building is of a date some three hundred years later than the wife of Richard Coeur de Lion； who has a sepulchral monu… ment in the south aisle of the cathedral。 The structure in question … very sketchable； if the sketcher could get far enough away from it … is an elaborate little dusky facade； overhanging the street； ornamented with panels of stone； which are covered with delicate Renaissance sculpture。 A fat old woman； standing in the door of a small grocer's shop next to it； … a most gracious old woman； with a bristling moustache and a charming manner； … told me what the house was； and also in… dicated to me a rotten…looking brown wooden mansion； in the same street； nearer the cathedral； as the Maison Scarron。 The author of the 〃Roman Comique；〃 and of a thousand facetious verses； enjoyed for some years； in the early part of his life； a benefice in the cathedral of Le Mans； which gave him a right to reside in one of the canonical houses。 He was rather an odd canon； but his history is a combination of oddities。 He wooed the comic muse from the arm…chair of a cripple； and in the same position … he was unable even to go down on his knees … prosecuted that other suit which made him the first husband of a lady of whom Louis XIV。 was to be the second。 There was little of comedy in the future Madame de Maintenon； though； after all； there was doubtless as much as there need have been in the wife of a poor man who was moved to compose for his tomb such an epitaph as this； which I quote from the 〃Biographie Universelle〃：…
〃Celui qui cy maintenant dort； Fit plus de pitie que d'envie； Et souffrit mille fois la mort； Avant que de perdre la vie。 Passant； ne fais icy de bruit； Et garde bien qu'il ne s'eveille； Car voicy la premiere nuit； Que le Pauvre Scarron sommeille。〃
There is rather a quiet； satisfactory _place_ in front of the cathedral； with some good 〃bits〃 in it； notably a turret at the angle of one of the towers； and a very fine； steep…roofed dwelling； behind low walls； which it overlooks； with a tall iron gate。 This house has two or three little pointed towers； a big； black； precipitous roof； and a general air of having had a history。 There are houses which are scenes； and there are houses which are only houses。 The trouble with the domestic architecture of the United States is that it is not scenic； thank Heaven！ and the good fortune of an old structure like the turreted mansion on the hillside of Le Mans is that it is not simply a house。 It is a per… son； as it were； as well。 It would be well； indeed； if it might have communicated a little of its personality to the front of the cathedral； which has none of its own。 Shabby； rusty； unfinished； this front has a romanesque portal； but nothing in the way of a tower。 One sees from without； at a glance； the peculiarity of the church； … the disparity between the romanesque nave； which is small and of the twelfth century； and the immense and splendid transepts and choir； of a period a hundred years later。 Outside； this end of the church rises far above the nave； which looks merely like a long porch leading to it； with a small and curious romanesque porch in its own south flank。 The transepts； shallow but very lofty； display to the spectators in the _place_ the reach of their two clere…story windows； which occupy； above； the whole expanse of the wall。 The south transept terminates in a sort of tower； which is the only one of which the cathedral can boast。 Within； the effect of the choir is superb； it is a church in it… self； with the nave simply for a point of view。 As I stood there； I read in my Murray that it has the stamp of the date of the perfection of pointed Gothic； and I found nothing to object to the remark。 It suffers little by confrontation with Bourges； and； taken in itself； seems to me quite as fine。 A passage of double aisles surrounds it； with the arches that divide them sup… ported on very thick round columns； not clustered。 There are twelve chapels in this passage； and a charm… ing little lady chapel； filled with gorgeous old glass。 The sustained height of this almost detached choir is very noble； its lightness and grace； its soaring sym… metry； carry the eye up to places in the air from which it is slow to descend。 Like Tours； like Chartres； like Bourges （apparently like all the French cathedrals； and unlike several English ones） Le Mans is rich in splendid glass。 The beautiful upper windows of the choir make； far aloft； a sort of gallery of pictures； blooming with vivid color。 It is the south transept that contains the formless image … a clumsy stone woman lying on her back … which purports to represent Queen Berengaria aforesaid。
The view of the cathedral from the rear is； as usual； very fine。 A small garden behind it masks its base； but you descend the hill to a large _place de foire_； ad… jacent to a fine old pubic promenade which is known as Les Jacobins； a sort of miniature Tuileries； where I strolled for a while in rectangular alleys； destitute of herbage； and received a deeper impression of vanished things。 The cathedral； on the pedestal of its hill； looks considerably farther than the fair…ground and the Jacobins； between the rather bare poles of whose straightly planted trees you may admire it at a con… venient distance。 I admired it till I thought I should remember it （better than the event has proved）； and then I wandered away and looked at another curious old church； Notre…Dame…de…la…Couture。 This sacred edifice made a picture for ten minutes； but the picture has faded now。 I reconstruct a yellowish…brown facade； and a portal fretted with early sculptures； but the details have gone the way of all incomplete sensations。 After you have stood awhile in the choir of the cathedral； there is no sensation at Le Mans that goes very far。 For some reason not now to be traced； I had looked for more than this。 I think the reason was to some extent simply in the name of the place； for names； on the whole； whether they be good reasons or not； are very active ones。 Le Mans； if I am not mistaken； has a sturdy； feudal sound； suggests some… thing dark and square； a vision of old ramparts and gates。 Perhaps I had been unduly impressed by the fact； accidentally revealed to me； that Henry II。； first of the English Plantagenets； was born there。 Of course it is easy to assure one's self in advance； but does it not often happen that one had rather not be assured？ There is a pleasure sometimes in running the risk of disappointment。 I took mine； such as it was； quietly enough； while I sat before dinner at the door of one of the cafes in the market…place with a _bitter…et…curacao_ （invaluable pretext at such an hour！） to keep me com… pany。 I remember that in this situation there came over me an impres