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LOUISA STUART COSTELLO,
LOUISA STUART COSTELLO,
AUTHOR OF "the bocages and the vines," "a pilgrimage to auvergne," etc. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. 1844. PRINTED BY R. CLAY, BREAD STREET HILL. TO MISS BURDETT COUTTS, THESE VOLUMES ARE DEDICATED WITH MUCH RESPECT AND AFFECTION BY HER SINCERELY OBLIGED HUMBLE SERVANT, LOUISA STUART COSTELLO. London , March 16, 1844....
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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
When I first indulged the inclination, which I had long entertained, of visiting the famous castle of Chinon, and the equally interesting abbey of Fontevraud—the palace and tomb of our English kings—and paused on my way in "the lovely vales of Vire," and gathered in romantic Brittany some of her pathetic legends, I thought I should have satisfied my longing to explore France; but I found that every step I look in that teeming region opened to me new stores of interest; and, encouraged by the ple
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
honfleur—dejazet—the sailor prince—le mari—lisieux—la croix blanche—arrival at falaise—guibray—castle of falaise—the little recess—arlette—the father—the infant hero—the uncle—arlette's tears—her reception. Within ten leagues of the interesting town of Caen, where William of Normandy and his queen lie buried, the traveller, who devotes a short space of time to a search after the picturesque, may, without straying too far a-field, find what he desires in the clean, bright, gay town of Falaise, wh
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
prince arthur—want of gallantry punished—the recreant sow—the rocks of noron—la grande eperonnière—le camp-ferme—antiquities of falaise—alençon—norman caps—geese—le mans—tomb of bérangère—cathedral—ancient remains—streets—the veiled figure. Close to the natal chamber of Duke William may be seen another recess in the thick walls, still smaller and more dismal, to which a ruined window now gives more light than in the days when poor young Arthur of Brittany looked sadly through its loop-holes over
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
tomb of bérangère—wives of cœur de lion—tombs—abbey churches—château of le mans—de craon—the spectre of le mans—the vendéeans—madame de la roche-jaquelin—a woman's perils—disasters of the vendéeans—henri—chouans. However interesting the exterior of the Cathedral of St. Julien may be, the interior entirely corresponds with it. The windows of painted glass are of the very first order, and of surpassing beauty, nearly entire, and attributed to Cimabue. The double range in the choir, seen through th
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
the museum of le mans—venus—mummy—geoffrey le bel—his costume—matilda—scarron—hélie de la flèche—rufus—the white knight. The Museum of Le Mans is in the Hôtel de la Prefecture, and as we heard that the famous enamel of Geoffrey Plantagenet, formerly on his tomb in the cathedral, was preserved there, we hastened to behold so interesting a remain of early art. A remarkably obtuse female was the exhibitor on the occasion, and, on my asking her to point out the treasure, she took me to a collection
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
lude—saumur revisited—the garden—la petite voisine—the retired militaire—les pierres couvertes—les petites pierres—loudun—urbain grandier—richelieu—the nuns—the victim—the fly—the malle poste—the dislodged serpents. Leaving Le Mans, and all its recollections, we continued our way towards the Loire, which we proposed crossing at Saumur, not only with a pleasing memory of our former visit there, when the sight of Fontevraud and its treasured tombs of our English kings first delighted us, but becau
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
poitiers—battles—the armies—king john of france—the young warrior—hôtel du vreux—amphitheatre—blossac—the great stone—the scholars—museum—the demon's stone—grande gueule. Poitiers is a city of the past: it is one of those towns in which the last lingering characteristics of the middle ages still repose; although they do so in the midst of an atmosphere of innovation. Modern improvement, slowly as it shows itself, is making progress at Poitiers, as at every town in France, and quietly sweeping aw
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
notre dame—the keys—the miracle—procession—st. radegonde—tomb of the saint—foot-print—little loubette—the count outwitted—the cordelier—late justice—the templars. Poitiers is one of the largest towns in France, but is very thinly inhabited; immense gardens, orchards, and fields, extend between the streets; the spaces are vast, but there is no beauty whatever in the architecture or the disposition of the buildings. The squares are wide and open, but surrounded by irregular, slovenly-looking house
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
château de la fée—king rené—the miniatures—the post-office functionary—originality—the english bank-note—st. porchaire—the dead child—montierneuf—guillaume guy geoffroy—thomas à becket—choir of angels—relics—the armed hermit—a saint—the repudiated queen—elionore—the bold priest—lay. One of the most remarkable houses in Poitiers, of which not many ancient remain, is one now used as a school by the Christian Brothers. It is in the Rue de la Prévôté, close to the Place de la Pilori, and has been a
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
melusine—lusignan—trou de la fée—the legend—male curiosity—the discovery—the fairy's shrieks—the chronicler—geoffroy of the great tooth—jacques cœur—royal gratitude—enemies—jean du village—wedding—the bride—the tragedy of mauprier—the garden—the shepherdess—the walnut gatherers—la gâtine—st. maixant—niort—madame de maintenon—enormous caps—chamois leather—duguesclin—the dame de plainmartin—the sea. Full of anxiety to visit the famous Château of Lusignan—the very centre of romance and mystery—we l
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
la rochelle—les trois chandeliers—oysters—bathing establishment—gaiety—military discipline—curious arcades—story of auffrédy. On arriving at La Rochelle, early in a bright morning at the beginning of September, we found the town so full that we had immediately to institute a search for an hotel, as that at which we stopped had no accommodation. We judged so before we alighted from the coupé , by the air of indifference visible on the face of every waiter and chambermaid, to whom our arrival seem
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
and by this neglect in his education was he betrayed. The artful Chaudrier, who appeared to be his intimate friend, invited the governor to dine with him one day, with some of the citizens of the town, and took occasion, before dinner, to say that he had just received news from England which concerned him. The governor desiring to know them, he replied, "Of course you shall hear; I will fetch the letter, and it shall be read to you." He then went to a coffer and took out an open letter, sealed,
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
rochefort—the curious bonne—americanisms—convicts—the charente—"tulipes"—taillebourg—henry the third—st. louis—false security—romegoux—puytaillé. Our good fortune in respect to the weather, which we so much enjoyed at La Rochelle, seemed to have taken leave of us when we quitted that charming town and took our way southward. It rained in torrents when we got into the diligence for Rochefort, and continued to do so throughout our journey. The country is very flat for several leagues, and possesse
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
saintes—roman arch of triumph—gothic bridge—the cours—ruined city—cathedral—coligny—ruined palace—st. eutrope—amphitheatre—legend of ste. eustelle—the prince of babylon—fête—the côteau—ste. marie. Of course the earliest object which one hastens to see in Saintes, is the famous Roman arch. We beheld it first by moon-light, when its large, spectre-like proportions, as it stood in shadow, at the extremity of the bridge, gave a solemn character to the scene suitable to its antiquity: the uncertain l
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
frère chrétien—utility of custom-house search—bold voyager—pauillac—blaye—the gironde—talbot—vines—the landes—phantom of king arthur—the witch-finder—the landes—wreckers. Our destination was now the Gironde, and we found our only plan was to set out in the middle of the night for Mortagne, where the steam-boat to Bordeaux from Royan touched for passengers. We accordingly secured our places in the coupé , and, having been quite punctual to the hour of twelve, we expected to begin our journey. At
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
ports—divona—bordeaux—quinconces—allées—first impression—chartrons—bahutier—bacalan—quays—white guide—s te croix—st. michel—st. andré—pretty figure—pretty women—palais gallien—black prince's son edward. Tavernier has said, in speaking of the most celebrated ports, "three only can enter into comparison, one with the other, for their beauty of situation and their form of a rainbow , viz., Constantinople, Goa, and Bordeaux." The poet, Chapelle, thus names this celebrated city:— The commendatory add
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
the garonne—the lord of langoyran—miracle of the mule—castle of the four sons of aymon—the aged lover—gavaches—the franchimans—count raymond—flying bridges—the miller of barbaste—the troubadour count—the count de la marche—the rochellaise—eugénie and her song. At four o'clock, on a September morning, we followed our commissionnaire from the Hôtel de Nantes, at Bordeaux, along the now solitary quay, for nearly a mile, the stars shining brightly and the air soft and balmy, to the steam-boat, which
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
agen—la belle esther—st. caprais—the little cherubs—zoé at the fountain—the hill—le gravier—jasmin, the poet-barber—the metaphor—las papillotas—françonnette—jasmin's lines on the old language—the shepherd and the gascon poet—return to agen—jasmin and the king of france—jasmin and the queen of england. It was night when we reached Agen, and, amidst a tumult of patois , which sounded like Spanish, and was strange to our unaccustomed ears, we landed, and had our goods torn from us by peremptory por
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
renown of pau—lectoure—the labourer-duke—auch—tarbes—the princess and the count—costume—arrival at pau—the promenades—the town—improvements-first impressions—walks—buildings—hotels—the magnificent baker—the swain—tou-cai! We left Agen on our way to Pau, where we proposed taking up our winter quarters, having so frequently heard that it was one of the best retreats for cold weather in the South of France: its various perfections casting into the shade those, long-established, but now waning, of M
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
the climate of pau—storms—fine weather—palassou—reasons for going to pau—the winter. One of the chief inducements to foreigners, particularly the English, to visit Pau for the winter, is the reputation of its climate for mildness and softness. When we arrived, in October, in a storm of rain, it was, we understood, the continuation of a series of wet weather, which, throughout the year, had made the whole country desolate, and the company at all the baths had, in consequence, left a month sooner
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
the castle of henri quatre—the furniture—the shell—the statue—the birth—castel beziat—the fairy gift—a change—henri quatre. When Napoleon, in 1808, passed through the town of Pau, the Béarnais felt wounded and humbled at the indifference he showed to the memory of their hero, Henri Quatre: he scarcely deigned to glance at the château in which their cherished countryman was born; and with so little reverence did he treat the monument dear to every heart in Béarn, that his soldiers made it a barra
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
TROUBADOUR. Navarre has not produced many poets in early times; and the only troubadour whom it claims, is the famous lover of Blanche of Castile, the accomplished Thibault of Champagne, who rather belongs to Provins, where he lived so much, and sang so many of his beautiful lays, than to the Pyrenees. All critics, ancient and modern, from Dante to the Abbé Massieu, have agreed in admiring his compositions, in which grace, tenderness, and refinement, shine out in every line, encumbered though hi
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
road from pau to tarbes—table-land—the pics—the haras of tarbes—autumn in the pyrenees—mont l'héris—gabrielle d'estrées—chasse aux palombes—penne de l'héris—pic du midi—charlet the guide—valley of campan—la gatta—grip—the tourmalet—campana del vasse—barèges-luz—cagot door—gavarnie—the fall of the rock—chaos—circus—magnificence of nature—pont de neige—roland—durendal—izards—les crânes—pierefitte—cauteretz—cerizet—pont d'espagne—lac de gaube—argelez. The road between Pau and Tarbes, [30] like most
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
vallée d'ossau—le hourat—the rio verde—eaux chaudes eaux bonnes—bielle—izeste—saccaze, the naturalist. On rather a cold morning, early in October, we set out from Pau for the Vallée d'Ossau; the road between the hills covered with vines of Jurançon. Gan and Gelos are extremely pretty. We passed a house which was pointed out to us as belonging to the Baron Bernadotte, nephew to the King of Sweden, who, being a native of Pau, divides the honours of the town with Henry IV. Formerly, in this spot st
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
gabas—popular songs—pont crabe—the recluse of the vallée d'ossau—marguerite—the springs. I made another excursion to the Vallée d'Ossau in the February of 1843, when the weather was singularly mild—infinitely more so than when I was first there in October, and the clearness of the sky enabled me to see all the mountains which were before concealed in clouds. With an adventurous party, all anxious to take advantage of the propitious moment, I undertook a long walk —for at this season it is diffic
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
peasants of ossau—captivity of francis the first—death of joyeuse—death of the duke de maine—dances. A great deal has been said and written about the peasants of the Vallée d'Ossau; and most persons appear to have been guided rather by enthusiasm than truth, exaggerating and embellishing facts as it suited their views or their humour. It is the custom to admire the young girls and children who pester travellers with shabby, faded little bouquets, which they throw into the carriage-windows, and t
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
coarraze—orton—the pont long—les belles cantinières—morlaas—the curé—resistance to improvement—uzain—lescar—reformation in navarre—tombs—françois phoebus—the mother. Within a pleasant drive of Pau is the Castle of Coarraze, where the youth of Henry IV. was passed, under the guardianship of Suzanne de Bourbon-Busset, Barronne de Miossens. Of this castle nothing now remains but one tower, on which may still be traced the motto, " Lo que ha de ser non puede faltar ," from whence is a magnificent vi
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
the romances of the castle of orthez—tour de moncade—the infants—the son of gaston phoebus—- legends—the oath—the bad king of navarre—the quarrel—the murder—death of gaston phoebus—paradise the reward of hunters—the captive—the step-mother—the young countess—the great bear—the return—the real cause—the meeting in the forest—the mass. The most interesting place on the road to Bayonne is Orthez, once the seat of the counts of Foix. We proposed remaining there a short time, in order to visit its re
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
the countess of comminges—the charge—the persecuted heiress—the bridge—the cordelier—costume—aspremont—peyrehorade. Although Count Gaston Phoebus was a tyrant, who spared none in his anger, yet he had all the virtues which were admired by the bold spirits of the men of his time; amongst the chief of which was hospitality. Like a true knight of old, he afforded protection to distressed ladies and damsels, and his Court was a refuge sought, and not in vain, by all who had been injured by those str
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
bayonne—public walks—biaritz—atalaya—giant fernagus—anne of neubourg—the dancing mayor. From Orthez we continued our way to Bayonne, where it was our intention to remain a few days. The entrance to Bayonne, that famous city, whose motto is "Nunquam Polluta"—" Always pure ," from the separate town of St. Esprit, which is in the department of the Landes, as well as half of the bridge which connects it with its more important sister, is extremely striking. This bridge is over the fine bold river Ad
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
basque language—dialects—words—poetry—songs—the deserter—character—drama—towns. The Basque country,—in which the ancient town of Bayonne, or Lapurdum, holds a principal place,—is unequally divided between France and Spain. The one part is composed of La Soule, Basse Navarre, and Labourd, and extends over a surface of about a hundred and forty square leagues; the other portion comprises Haute Navarre, Alava, Guipuscoa, and Biscay, and contains about nine hundred and sixty square leagues: so that
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
cagots—cacous of brittany . One of the most puzzling and, at the same time, interesting subjects, which recurs to the explorer in the Pyrenees, is the question respecting that mysterious race of people called Cagots, whose origin has never yet been satisfactorily accounted for. All travellers speak of the Cagots, and make allusion to them, but nothing very positive is told. When I arrived in the Pyrenees, my first demand was respecting them; but those of my countrymen who had ever heard of their
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
aramitz—the play—mauléon—the sisters—words—st. jean. Our intention now was to visit Mauléon, and see as much of the Pays Basque as the uncertain state of the weather would allow. The route to Aramitz is very beautiful, with the fine valley of Barétous, and the Bois d'Erreche stretching out at the foot of the bold hills. When we entered the town of Aramitz the whole population was assembled in a great square; some acting, and others gazing at a carnival play, the performers in which were dressed
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVII.
arneguy—the cacolet—rolando's tree—snow-white goats—costume—sauveterre—the pastor—navarreux—spanish air. We arrived at St. Jean Pied de Port late in the day, and the aspect of affairs at Le Grand Soleil, where we stopped, was by no means exhilarating. Having passed through the black, dirty kitchen, and climbed the dingy staircase, we were shown several rooms, which we could not have , by a very sour-looking old woman, who tried to persuade us to content ourselves with apartments without fire-pla
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