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！
hastily repaired。 We passed into the town； … into that part of it not included in the citadel。 It is the queerest and most fragmentary little place in the world； as everything save the fortifications is being suffered to crumble away； in order that the spirit of M。 Viollet…le…Duc alone may pervade it； and it may subsist simply as a magnificent shell。 As the leases of the wretched little houses fall in； the ground is cleared of them； and a mumbling old woman ap… proached me in the course of my circuit； inviting me to condole with her on the disappearance of so many of the hovels which in the last few hundred years （since the collapse of Carcassonne as a stronghold） had attached themselves to the base of the walls； in the space between the two circles。 These habitations； constructed of materials taken from the ruins； nestled there snugly enough。 This intermediate space had therefore become a kind of street； which has crumbled in turn； as the fortress has grown up again。 There are other streets； beside； very diminutive and vague； where you pick your way over heaps of rubbish and become conscious of unexpected faces looking at you out of windows as detached as the cherubic heads。 The most definite thing in the place was the little cafe； where。 the waiters； I think； must be the ghosts of the old Visigoths； the most definite； that is； after the little chateau and the little cathedral。 Everything in the Cite is little； you can walk round the walls in twenty minutes。 On the drawbridge of the chateau； which； with a picturesque old face； flanking towers； and a dry moat； is to…day simply a bare _caserne_； lounged half a dozen soldiers； unusually small。 No… thing could be more odd than to see these objects en… closed in a receptacle which has much of the appear… ance of an enormous toy。 The Cite and its population vaguely reminded me of an immense Noah's ark。
XXIII。
Carcassonne dates from the Roman occupation of Gaul。 The place commanded one of the great roads into Spain； and in the fourth century Romans and Franks ousted each other from such a point of vantage。 In the year 436； Theodoric； King of the Visigoths； superseded both these parties； and it is during his oc… cupation that the inner enceinte was raised upon the ruins of the Roman fortifications。 Most of the Visigoth towers that are still erect are seated upon Roman sub… structions which appear to have been formed hastily； probably at the moment of the Frankish invasion。 The authors of these solid defences； though occasionally disturbed； held Carcassonne and the neighboring coun… try； in which they had established their kingdom of Septimania； till the year 713； when they were expelled by the Moors of Spain； who ushered in an unillumined period of four centuries； of which no traces remain。 These facts I derived from a source no more recondite than a pamphlet by M。 Viollet…le…Duc； … a very luminous description of the fortifications； which you may buy from the accomplished custodian。 The writer makes a jump to the year 1209； when Carcassonne； then forming part of the realm of the viscounts of Beziers and infected by the Albigensian heresy； was besieged； in the name of the Pope； by the terrible Simon de Montfort and his army of crusaders。 Simon was ac… customed to success； and the town succumbed in the course of a fortnight。 Thirty…one years later； having passed into the hands of the King of France； it was again besieged by the young Raymond de Trincavel； the last of the viscounts of Beziers； and of this siege M。 Viollet…le…Duc gives a long and minute account； which the visitor who has a head for such things may follow； with the brochure in hand； on the fortifications themselves。 The young Raymond de Trincavel； baffled and repulsed； retired at the end of twenty…four days。 Saint Louis and Philip the Bold； in the thirteenth cen… tury； multiplied the defences of Carcassonne； which was one of the bulwarks of their kingdom on the Spanish quarter； and from this time forth； being re… garded as impregnable； the place had nothing to fear。 It was not even attacked； and when； in 1355； Edward the Black Prince marched into it； the inhabitants had opened the gates to the conqueror before whom all Languedoc was prostrate。 I am not one of those who； as I said just now； have a head for such things； and having extracted these few facts had made all the use of M。 Viollet…le…Duc's； pamphlet of which I was cap… able。
I have mentioned that my obliging friend the _amoureux…fou_ handed me over to the door…keeper of the citadel。 I should add that I was at first committed to the wife of this functionary； a stout peasant…woman； who took a key down from a nail； conducted me to a postern door； and ushered me into the presence of her husband。 Having just begun his rounds with a party of four persons； he was not many steps in advance。 I added myself perforce to this party； which was not brilliantly composed； except that two of its members were gendarmes in full toggery； who announced in the course of our tour that they had been stationed for a year at Carcassonne； and had never before had the curiosity to come up to the Cite。 There was something brilliant； certainly； in that。 The _gardien_ was an extra… ordinarily typical little Frenchman； who struck me even more forcibly than the wonders of the inner enceinte； and as I am bound to assume； at whatever cost to my literary vanity； that there is not the slightest danger of his reading these remarks； I may treat him as public property。 With his diminutive stature and his per… pendicular spirit； his flushed face； expressive protuber… ant eyes； high peremptory voice； extreme volubility； lucidity； and neatness of utterance； he reminded me of the gentry who figure in the revolutions of his native land。 If he was not a fierce little Jacobin； he ought to have been； for I am sure there were many men of his pattern on the Committee of Public Safety。 He knew absolutely what he was about； understood the place thoroughly； and constantly reminded his audience of what he himself had done in the way of excavations and reparations。 He described himself as the brother of the architect of the work actually going forward （that which has been done since the death of M。 Viol… let…le…Duc； I suppose he meant）； and this fact was more illustrative than all the others。 It reminded me； as one is reminded at every turn； of the democratic con… ditions of French life： a man of the people； with a wife _en bonnet_； extremely intelligent； full of special knowledge； and yet remaining essentially of the people； and showing his intelligence with a kind of ferocity； of defiance。 Such a personage helps one to under… stand the red radicalism of France； the revolutions； the barricades； the sinister passion for theories。 （I do not； of course； take upon myself to say that the indi… vidual I describe … who can know nothing of the liberties I am taking with him … is actually devoted to these ideals； I only mean that many such devotees must have his qualities。） In just the _nuance_ that I have tried to indicate here； it is a terrible pattern of man。 Permeated in a high degree by civilization； it is yet untouched by the desire which one finds in the Englishman； in proportion