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e focus of heat。 To…day； I am afraid； these mighty hearts are forever cold； justice it probably administered with the aid of a modern _calorifere_； and the walls of the palace are perforated with regurgitating tubes。 Behind and above the gallery that surmounts the three fireplaces are high Gothic windows； the tracery of which masks； in some sort； the chimneys； and in each angle of this and of the room to the right and left of the trio of chimneys； is all open…work spiral staircase； ascending to … I forget where； perhaps to the roof of the edifice。 This whole side of the _salle_ is very lordly； and seems to express an unstinted hospitality； to extend the friendliest of all invitations； to bid the whole world come and get warm。 It was the invention of John； Duke of Berry and Count of Poitou； about 1395。 I give this information on the authority of the Guide… Joanne； from which source I gather much other curious learning； for instance； that it was in this building； when it had surely a very different front； that Charles VII。 was proclaimed king； in 1422； and that here Jeanne Darc was subjected； in 1429； to the inquisition of certain doctors and matrons。
The most charming thing at Poitiers is simply the Promenade de Blossac； … a small public garden at one end of the flat top of the hill。 It has a happy look of the last century （having been arranged at that period）； and a beautiful sweep of view over the sur… rounding country； and especially of the course of the little river Clain； which winds about a part of the base of the big mound of Poitiers。 The limit of this dear little garden is formed； on the side that turns away from the town； by the rampart erected in the fourteenth century； and by its big semicircular bastions。 This rampart； of great length； has a low parapet； you look over it at the charming little vegetable…gardens with which the base of the hill appears exclusively to be garnished。 The whole prospect is delightful； especially the details of the part just under the walls； at the end of the walk。 Here the river makes a shining twist； which a painter might have invented； and the side of the hill is terraced into several ledges； … a sort of tangle of small blooming patches and little pavillions with peaked roofs and green shutters。 It is idle to attempt to reproduce all this in words； it should be reproduced only in water…colors。 The reader； how… ever； will already have remarked that disparity in these ineffectual pages； which are pervaded by the attempt to sketch without a palette or brushes。 He will doubtless； also； be struck with the grovelling vision which； on such a spot as the ramparts of Poitiers； peoples itself with carrots and cabbages rather than with images of the Black Prince and the captive king。 I am not sure that in looking out from the Promenade de Blossac you command the old battle…field； it is enough that it was not far off； and that the great rout of Frenchmen poured into the walls of Poitiers； leav… ing on the ground a number of the fallen equal to the little army （eight thousand） of the invader。 I did think of the battle。 I wondered； rather helplessly； where it had taken place； and I came away （as the reader will see from the preceding sentence） without finding out。 This indifference； however； was a result rather of a general dread of military topography than of a want of admiration of this particular victory； which I have always supposed to be one of the most brilliant on record。 Indeed； I should be almost ashamed； and very much at a loss； to say what light it was that this glorious day seemed to me to have left forever on the horizon； and why the very name of the place had always caused my blood gently to tingle。 It is carrying the feeling of race to quite inscrutable lengths when a vague American permits himself an emotion because more than five centuries ago； on French soil； one rapacious Frenchman got the better of another。 Edward was a Frenchman as well as John； and French were the cries that urged each of the hosts to the fight。 French is the beautiful motto graven round the image of the Black Prince； as he lies forever at rest in the choir of Canterbury： _a la mort ne pensai…je mye_。 Nevertheless； the victory of Poitiers declines to lose itself in these considerations； the sense of it is a part of our heritage； the joy of it a part of our imagination； and it filters down through centuries and migrations till it titillates a New Yorker who forgets in his elation that he happens at that moment to be enjoying the hospitality of France。 It was something done； I know not how justly； for Eng… land； and what was done in the fourteenth century for England was done also for New York。
XVIII。
If it was really for the sake of the Black Prince that I had stopped at Poitiers （for my prevision of Notre Dame la Grande and of the little temple of St。 John was of the dimmest）； I ought to have stopped at Angouleme for the sake of David and Eve Sechard； of Lucien de Rubempre and of Madame de Bargeton； who when she wore a _toilette etudiee_ sported a Jewish turban ornamented with an Eastern brooch； a scarf of gauze； a necklace of cameos； and a robe of 〃painted muslin；〃 whatever that may be； treating herself to these luxuries out of an income of twelve thousand francs。 The persons I have mentioned have not that vagueness of identity which is the misfortune of his… torical characters； they are real； supremely real； thanks to their affiliation to the great Balzac； who had invented an artificial reality which was as much better than the vulgar article as mock…turtle soup is than the liquid it emulates。 The first time I read 〃Les Illusions Perdues〃 I should have refused to believe that I was capable of passing the old capital of Anjou without alighting to visit the Houmeau。 But we never know what we are capable of till we are tested； as I reflected when I found myself looking back at Angouleme from the window of the train； just after we had emerged from the long tunnel that passes under the town。 This tunnel perforates the hill on which； like Poitiers； Angouleme rears itself； and which gives it an eleva… tion still greater than that of Poitiers。 You may have a tolerable look at the cathedral without leaving the railway…carriage； for it stands just above the tunnel； and is exposed； much foreshortened； to the spectator below。 There is evidently a charming walk round the plateau of the town； commanding those pretty views of which Balzac gives an account。 But the train whirled me away； and these are my only impressions。 The truth is that I had no need； just at that moment； of putting myself into communication with Balzac； for opposite to me in the compartment were a couple of figures almost as vivid as the actors in the 〃Comedie Humaine。〃 One of these was a very genial and dirty old priest； and the other was a reserved and concen… trated young monk； … the latter （by which I mean a monk of any kind） being a rare sight to…day in France。 This young man； indeed； was mitigatedly monastic。 He had a big brown frock and cowl； but he had also a shirt and a pair of shoes； he had； instead of a hempen scourge round his waist； a stout leather thong； and he carried with him a very profane little vali