Itinerary of Provence and the Rhone: Made During the Year 1819Hughes, John
History
Itinerary of Provence and the Rhone: Made During the Year 1819
Hughes, John
Provence (France) -- Description and travel; Rhône River (Switzerland and France)
At the foot of one of these barren gray rocks, which, from its shape and
perforation, exactly resembles the barbacan and gate of a castle, St.
Remy is situated. The Hotel de la Graille, where we took up our abode
for the night, was as comfortable as most French inns, excepting those
in the large towns: and though the _gros chien de menage_, for whose
company we always stipulated, was perfectly agreeable, and of a gigantic
size, yet he was by no means, as is frequently the case, the only
civilized person in the house. This _gros chien du menage_, be it known,
is a person of great responsibility in a Provencal inn, as well as of
formidable strength and size, and is entrusted for the night with the
care of the remise, and all the live and dead stock, horses, carriages,
and waggons, which it contains; and a more effectual guard cannot well
be: his manners during the day are very mild and gentleman-like, as if
he acted as master of the ceremonies; and he generally steals in at
supper-time, as if to inform you that all is safe, and to claim a pat of
your hand, and a pairing of your fricandeau in acknowledgment of his
professional care. The greasy landlord will stand staring at his kitchen
door, the landlady will not be very attentive to your accommodation when
you are once safely housed, and the dirty, bare-legged fille will poison
you with steams of garlic; but the _gros chien_ will always make amends
to a genuine lover of dogs.
May 21.--We were tempted by a beautiful morning to rise somewhat before
four o'clock, in order to visit the Roman ruins near this place, before
our departure for Orgon. A walk of ten minutes conducted us up a gentle
terrace on which they were situated, and which rises between the town
and the fantastic hills we had remarked the day before. Having heard but
little of these classical remains, we were most agreeably surprised to
find them in such perfect preservation, and so beautiful in themselves.
They consist of a mausoleum and an arch, which stand within a few yards
of each other, and appear to have formed the principal objects in a
public square or place; the area of which is evidently marked out by a
row of solid stone seats, well adapted for the accommodation of
gazers[46] at these beautiful gems. The arch has suffered the most decay
of the two: or rather, it most exhibits the effects of violence; for the
unmutilated parts are as sharp and bold as if fresh from the hand of the
sculptor. The human figures on each side have suffered the most, either
perhaps from some party commotion of past ages, or the same wanton
propensity which leads man to disfigure his fellow-creature's image in
preference to any other work of art; and to which we owe the demolition
of Andre and Washington's heads in Westminster Abbey. The fretted
compartments in the inside, and the border which surrounds the bend of
the arch, are in the highest preservation. The latter represents
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account