A Tour Through the Pyrenees

CHAPTER I.--FROM LUZ TO BAGNÈRES-DE-BIGORRE...389

Chapter 31,357 wordsPublic domain

“ II.--BAGNÈRES-DE-BIGORRE..............412

“ III.--THE PEOPLE......................420

“ IV--THE ROAD TO BAGNÈRES-DE-LUCHON....468

“ V--LUCHON.............................485

“ VI.--TOULOUSE.........................509

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

THE PINES.....................................003

THE RIVER AFTER A STORM.......................005

THE PINES NEAR ROYAN..........................007

THE BROAD RIVER...............................009

BORDEAUX......................................010

TAIL-PIECE....................................011

LES LANDES....................................012

LES LANDES (SECOND VIEW)......................014

TAIL-PIECE....................................016

A STREET IN BAYONNE...........................017

BAYONNE HARBOR................................019

PÉ DE PUYANE..................................022

THE BURNING CASTLE............................025

HEAD-PIECE....................................035

THE PIERCED ROCK..............................036

TAIL-PIECE....................................039

THE VILLA EUGENIE.............................040

CLIFFS NEAR SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ.................042

COAST NEAR SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ..................045

TAIL-PIECE....................................046

LOUIS XIV. AND ANNE OF AUSTRIA................047

THE POLITENESS OF TO-DAY......................048

THE POLITENESS OF OTHER DAYS..................049

“JE VOUS LE RENDS.”...........................053

A SPLENDID CREATION...........................054

DAX...........................................057

DAX (SECOND VIEW).............................059

CASTLE OF ORTHEZ..............................061

FROISSART.....................................062

A HOME OF LEGENDS.............................063

“THAT STOUT CORNIFIC DOCTOR”..................066

COUNT DE FOIX AT SUPPER.......................068

THE COUNT DE FOIX’S HOSPITALITY...............071

A FRENCH “CONDUCTOR”..........................072

“FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE DO NOT KILL GASTON”........074

GASTON IN THE TOWER OF ORTHEZ.................076

COUNT DE FOIX.................................077

TAILPIECE.....................................078

CHAPTER-HEADING...............................079

THE VALLEY OF OSSAU...........................082

A DESTRUCTION OK SENTIMENT....................084

AVENUE OF THE CHATEAU AT PAU..................085

ARMS OF HENRY IV..............................087

COURT OF THE CHATEAU AT PAU...................088

PAU...........................................090

JEANNE D’ALBRET...............................092

A MORNING’S SPORT.............................094

IN THE STREETS Of EAUSE.......................097

SULLY.........................................100

MARGUERITE OK NAVARRE.........................104

ENTERTAINING THE LADIES.......................106

THE PARK AT PAU...............................108

PROTRACTING A REVERIE.........................109

PIC DU MIDI OSSAU.............................111

AN EXHORTATION................................113

NEAR GAN......................................114

THE VALLEY OK OSSAU...........................115

ROAD TO EAUX BONNES...........................116

THE PROMENADE.................................117

NEAR EAUX BONNES..............................118

A RAINY DAY AT EAUX BONNES....................119

TAKING THE WATERS.............................121

TAKING THE WATERS (SECOND VIEW)...............122

“MUSIC HAITI CHARMS”..........................123

A NATIVE GENIUS...............................125

DOLCE FAR NIENTE.............................126

OUR AMATEURS..................................127

THE BEECHES...................................128

THE SUMMIT OF THE GER.........................131

TAIL-PIECE....................................133

THE ART OK PLEASURE...........................134

THE “JEU DU CANARD”...........................135

PLEASURE WITHOUT THE ART......................137

“A LANDSCAPE”.................................138

EXCELSIOR.....................................139

THE VALENTIN FALLS AT DISCOO..................140

CASCADE OF THE VALENTIN.......................142

PATH TO THE GORGE OF THE SERPENT..............144

THE GAVE......................................146

A DISTANT TALE................................148

SOLITUDE......................................150

A WATER POWER.................................152

THE MIGHTY STREAM.............................155

‘PAPI’........................................157

A TOO DISTANT LANDSCAPE.......................159

A VANTAGE-POINT...............................161

THE PEAKS.....................................163

ABOVE GABAS...................................166

“TO HIM WHO, IN LOVE OF NATURE”...............168

AMONG THE CLOUDS..............................169

ROUTE TO EAUX CHAUDES.........................170

ON THE ROAD TO EAUX CHAUDES...................172

“A WILD AND SUNNY NEST”.......................174

“COLD AND SAD”................................175

NEAR EAUX CHAUDES.............................177

“EGYPT BEFORE THE COMING OF WARRIORS”.........182

SOMEBODY’S JOVE...............................185

THE INHABITANTS...............................186

FIDDLERS THREE................................187

“A SORT OF ROUNDELAY”.........................189

“THEY CLUMSILY BENT THE KNEE”.................192

“FIVE OR SIX OLD WOMEN”.......................194

THE PEAK OF THE GER...........................196

MEETING A LADY................................200

A STOCK-DEALER................................200

YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT.........................201

DISINTERESTED HOSPITALITY.....................201

AN AMATEUR SKETCH.............................203

THE DEATH OF ROLAND...........................206

“A WELL-TO-DO PEASANT”........................207

CHIVALRIC WAR.................................209

SCIENTIFIC WAR................................209

THE BATTLE OF RONCEVAUX.......................212

“WHEN FIGHTING IS TO BE DONE”.................214

HENRY OF BEARN................................215

“AT THE HEAD OF THE ARMY”.....................217

“VERY DARING”.................................219

MLLE. DE SÉGUR................................220

GASSION’S BOB-TAIL............................222

ON THE WAY TO LUZ.............................225

A SMILING COUNTRY.............................226

“WHAT WE ALL HEARD THIS NIGHT”.-..............228

ORTHON’S TRANSFORMATION.......................234

LETTING THE DOGS LOOSE........................235

“THE RACE OF FAMILIARS AND FAIRIES”...........237

A BROODING SUPERSTITION,......................238

CHAPEL OF LESTELLE............................240

NEAR LOURDES..................................242

GORGE OF PIERREFITTE..........................244

“HEAVY CLOUDS ROSE IN THE SKY”................248

THE GORGE OPENED UP...........................249

OLD HOUSE OF THE TEMPLARS AT LUZ..............250

RUIN OF A CHATEAU NEAR LUZ....................253

MAX GETS FROM THE DESERT AS MUCH AS HE CAN....257

THE VALLEY OF LUZ.............................259

PROGRESS......................................261

SAINT-PIERRE..................................263

“THIS HEIGHT IS A DESERT”.....................264

“NO ONE COMES”................................265

THE MEDIAEVAL TOURISTS........................266

SAINT-SAUVEUR.................................267

THE GAVE AT SUNSET............................272

RUNNING WATERS................................274

“THE POPLARS RISE ONE ABOVE ANOTHER”..........275

BAREGES.......................................277

THE MILITARY HOSPITAL.........................278

TAIL-PIECE....................................279

THE MRS.......................................283

“OUT FROM THE CIVIL WARS”.....................287

“THESE OLD WASTED MOUNTAINS”..................288

MADAME DE MAINTENON...........................289

A FEW BLANDISHMENTS...........................290

THE PATIENTS OF THE OLDEN TIME................291

THE LAKE OF GAUBE.............................293

DIANA.........................................295

NEAR PONT D’ESPAGNE...........................299

STORM AT CAUTERETS............................302

VALLEY OF THE GAVE IN A STORM.................304

NEAR THE LAKE OF GAUISE.......................307

CAUTERET’S....................................311

THE FOAMING GAVE..............................313

HENRY IV AND FRANCIS I........................314

A FRESHETT IN THE MOUNTAINS..................315

“A HORRIBLE WORLD”............................316

ABBEY OF SAINT-SAVIN..........................318

CASCADE OF CERLSEY, NEAR PONT D’ESPAGNE.......320

PRAYER........................................325

ENJOYING HIE SCENERY..........................326

A MOUNTAIN FUNERAL............................328

BRIDGE AT SCIA................................330

VILLAGE OF GEDRES.............................333

CHAOS.........................................337

“THE TUMBLED ROCKS”...........................339

SIECHEUR......................................342

THE MOUNTAIN SIDE.............................343

THE FRECHE DE ROLAND..........................344

THE AMPHITHEATRE NEAR GAVARNIE................346

“THE THIRTEENTH CASCADE ON THE LEFT”..........347

THE CASCADE AS SEEN FROM THE INN..............349

RECIPROCITY...................................351

THE APPRECIATIVE..............................352

ASCENT OF THE BERGONZ.........................354

THE EAGLES....................................355

MONT PERDU....................................359

AN EARLY INHABITANT...........................362

SCENERY DURING AN ASCENT......................365

“ALLEZ DOUCEMENT; ALLEZ TOUJOURS”.............366

A STIMULATING DREAM...........................367

THE PINES.....................................369

A SHOWER IN A FOREST OF BRUSH-FIRS............373

CONTEMPLATION.................................376

A POOR DANCER.................................377

“THE ISARD DWELLS ABOVE THE BEAR”.............378

AN ARGUMENT...................................379

A HERD OF GOATS...............................381

“THE HAPPIEST ANIMAL IN CREATION”.............383

DISTINGUISHED NATIVES.........................386

IN MOUNT CAMPANA..............................389

DE BÉNAC IN EGYPT.............................390

“THEY TRAVERSED A WALL OF CLOUDS”.............395

“MORNING DAWNED”..............................396

“THE HALL WAS FULL”...........................398

“STRANGE IMAGES ROSE IN HIS BRAIN”...........400

BÉNAC A HERMIT................................403

BEYOND LOURDES................................404

CITY OF TORBES................................406

MEPHISTOPHELES................................411

BAGNÈRES DE-BIGORRE...........................412

ONE OF THE FIRST PATRONS......................419

SOCIETY.......................................420

AN OLD CAMPAIGNER.............................422

A YOUNG CAMPAIGNER............................422

A MAN OF PEACE................................422

A MODEL MAN...................................423

IN DANGER.............................:.......424

VARIOUS TOURISTS..............................428

THE LAC D’OO..................................431

TOURISTS COMME IL FAUT........................434

FAMILY TOURISTS...............................435

DINING TOURISTS...............................436

LEARNED TOURISTS..............................438

A MAN OF ESPRIT...............................444

CONNOISSEURS..................................446

BEETHOVEN.....................................447

A SERENADER...................................454

A HISTORIAN...................................456

A PROFESSIONAL CHARACTER......................458

THE PLEASURES OF WINTER.......................461

A DISCUSSION WITHIN BOUNDS....................463

HEAVEN........................................464

THE SOURCE OF THINGS..........................466

GRACE AT MEAT.................................467

THE REST OF THE WEARY.........................468

AT THE HOTEL OF THE GREAT SUN.................470

NEAR LUCHON...................................473

CHAPELLE AND LACHAUMONT.......................476

VALLEY OF LUCHON..............................481

URBS IN REVRE.................................484

HEAD-PIECE....................................485

A TALENTED FAMILY.............................487

LUCHON........................................491

BAGNERES......................................493

“ALL WAS IN HARMONY”..........................495

NEAR CASTEL-VIEIL.............................497

RUINS OF CASTEL-VIEIL.........................499

THE MALADETTA.................................503

“THESE MOUNTAIN SKELETONS”....................505

“A CLEFT IN THE ETERNAL ROCK”.................507

TAIL-PIECE....................................508

HEAD-PIECE....................................509

ST. BERTRAND DE COMINGES......................510

TOULOUSE......................................512

SAINT SERININE AT TOULOUSE....................515

CHURCH OF ST. ETIENNE, TOULOUSE...............519

THE MUSEUM AT TOULOUSE........................521

DATUR HORA QUIETI.............................523

TO MARCELIN.

(EMILE PLANAT.)

This, my dear Marcelin, is a trip to the Pyrenees; I have been there, and that is a praiseworthy circumstance; many writers, including some of the longest-winded, have described these scenes without leaving home.

And yet I have serious shortcomings to confess, and am deeply humbled thereat. I have not been the first to scale any inaccessible mountain; I have broken neither leg nor arm; I have not been eaten by the bears; I have neither saved any English heiress from being swept away by the Gave, nor yet have I married one; I have not been present at a single duel; my experiences include no tragic encounter with brigands or smugglers. I have walked much, and talked a little, and now I recount the pleasures of my eyes and ears. What sort of a man can he be who comes home from a long absence bringing all his limbs with him, is not the least in the world a hero, and yet does not blush to confess it? In this book I have talked as if with thee. There is a Marcelin whom the public knows, a shrewd critic, a caustic wit, the lover and delineator of every worldly elegance; there is another Marcelin, known to but three or four, a learned and thoughtful man. If there are any good ideas in this work, half of them belong to him; to him, then, I restore them.

H. TAINE.