ing　an　interest　even　to　this　venerable　sanctuary。　Those　who　have　read　the　terrible　little　story　of　〃Le　Cure　de　Tours〃　will　perhaps　remember　that；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　the　simple　and　childlike　old　Abbe　Birotteau；　victim　of　the　infernal　machinations　of　the　Abbe　Troubert　and　Mademoiselle　Gamard；　had　his　quarters　in　the　house　of　that　lady　（she　had　a　speciality　of　letting　lodgings　to　priests）；　which　stood　on　the　north　side　of　the　cathedral；　so　close　under　its　walls　that　the　supporting　pillar　of　one　of　the　great　flying　buttresses　was　planted　in　the　spinster's　garden。　If　you　wander　round　behind　the　church；　in　search　of　this　more　than　historic　habitation；　you　will　have　oc…　casion　to　see　that　the　side　and　rear　of　Saint　Gatien　make　a　delectable　and　curious　figure。　　A　narrow　lane　passes　beside　the　high　wall　which　conceals　from　sight　the　palace　of　the　archbishop；　and　beneath　the　flying　buttresses；　the　far…projecting　gargoyles；　and　the　fine　south　porch　of　the　church。　　It　terminates　in　a　little；　dead；　grass…grown　square　entitled　the　Place　Gregoire　de　Tours。　　All　this　part　of　the　exterior　of　the　cathe…　dral　is　very　brown；　ancient；　Gothic；　grotesque；　Balzac　calls　the　whole　place　〃a　desert　of　stone。〃　　A　battered　and　gabled　wing；　or　out…house　（as　it　appears　to　be）　of　the　hidden　palace；　with　a　queer　old　stone　pulpit　jutting　out　from　it；　looks　down　on　this　melancholy　spot；　on　the　other　side　of　which　is　a　seminary　for　young　priests；　one　of　whom　issues　from　a　door　in　a　quiet　corner；　and；　holding　it　open　a　moment　behind　him；　shows　a　glimpse　of　a　sunny　garden；　where　you　may　fancy　other　black　young　figures　strolling　up　and　down。　　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house；　where　she　took　her　two　abbes　to　board；　and　basely　conspired　with　one　against　the　other；　is　still　further　round　the　cathe…　dral。　　You　cannot　quite　put　your　hand　upon　it　to…　day；　for　the　dwelling　which　you　say　to　yourself　that　it　_must_　have　been　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　does　not　fulfil　all　the　conditions　mentioned　in　BaIzac's　de…　scription。　　The　edifice　in　question；　however；　fulfils　con…　ditions　enough；　in　particular；　its　little　court　offers　hospitality　to　the　big　buttress　of　the　church。　　Another　buttress；　corresponding　with　this　（the　two；　between　them；　sustain　the　gable　of　the　north　transept）；　is　planted　in　the　small　cloister；　of　which　the　door　on　the　further　side　of　the　little　soundless　Rue　de　la　Psalette；　where　nothing　seems　ever　to　pass；　opens　opposite　to　that　of　Mademoiselle　Gamard。　　There　is　a　very　genial　old　sacristan；　who　introduced　me　to　this　cloister　from　the　church。　　It　is　very　small　and　solitary；　and　much　mutilated；　but　it　nestles　with　a　kind　of　wasted　friend…　liness　beneath　the　big　walls　of　the　cathedral。　　Its　lower　arcades　have　been　closed；　and　it　has　a　small　plot　of　garden　in　the　middle；　with　fruit…trees　which　I　should　imagine　to　be　too　much　overshadowed。　　In　one　corner　is　a　remarkably　picturesque　turret；　the　cage　of　a　winding　staircase　which　ascends　（no　great　distance）　to　an　upper　gallery；　where　an　old　priest；　the　_chanoine…gardien_　of　the　church；　was　walking　to　and　fro　with　his　breviary。　　The　turret；　the　gallery；　and　even　the　chanoine…gardien；　belonged；　that　sweet　September　morning；　to　the　class　of　objects　that　are　dear　to　paint…　ers　in　water…colors。
  III。
  I　have　mentioned　the　church　of　Saint　Martin；　which　was　for　many　years　the　sacred　spot；　the　shrine　of　pilgrimage；　of　Tours。　　Originally　the　simple　burial…　place　of　the　great　apostle　who　in　the　fourth　century　Christianized　Gaul；　and　who；　in　his　day　a　brilliant　missionary　and　worker　of　miracles；　is　chiefly　known　to　modem　fame　as　the　worthy　that　cut　his　cloak　in　two　at　the　gate　of　Amiens　to　share　it　with　a　beggar　（tradition　fails　to　say；　I　believe；　what　he　did　with　the　other　half）；　the　abbey　of　Saint　Martin；　through　the　Middle　Ages；　waxed　rich　and　powerful；　till　it　was　known　at　last　as　one　of　the　most　luxurious　religious　houses　in　Christendom；　with　kings　for　its　titular　ab…　bots　（who；　like　Francis　I。；　sometimes　turned　and　despoiled　it）　and　a　great　treasure　of　precious　things。　It　passed；　however；　through　many　vicissitudes。　　Pillaged　by　the　Normans　in　the　ninth　century　and　by　the　Huguenots　in　the　sixteenth；　it　received　its　death…blow　from　the　Revolution；　which　must　have　brought　to　bear　upon　it　an　energy　of　destruction　proportionate　to　its　mighty　bulk。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　a　huge　group　of　ruins　alone　remained；　and　what　we　see　to…day　may　be　called　the　ruin　of　a　ruin。　　It　is　difficult　to　understand　how　so　vast　an　ediface　can　have　been　so　completely　obliterated。　　Its　site　is　given　up　to　several　ugly　streets；　and　a　pair　of　tall　towers；　separated　by　a　space　which　speaks　volumes　as　to　the　size　of　the　church；　and　looking　across　the　close…pressed　roofs　to　the　happier　spires　of　the　cathedral；　preserved　for　the　modern　world　the　memory　of　a　great　fortune；　a　great　abuse；　perhaps；　and　at　all　events　a　great　pen…　alty。　　One　may　believe　that　to　this　day　a　consider…　able　part　of　the　foundations　of　the　great　abbey　is　buried　in　the　soil　of　Tours。　　The　two　surviving　towers；　which　are　dissimilar　in　shape；　are　enormous；　with　those　of　the　cathedral　they　form　the　great　landmarks　of　the　town。　　One　of　them　bears　the　name　of　the　Tour　de　l'Horloge；　the　other；　the　so…called　Tour　Charle…　magne；　was　erected　（two　centuries　after　her　death）　over　the　tomb　of　Luitgarde；　wife　of　the　great　Em…　peror；　who　died　at　Tours　in　800。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　understand　in　what　relation　these　very　mighty　and　effectually　detached　masses　of　masonry　stood　to　each　other；　but　in　their　gray　elevation　and　loneliness　they　are　striking　and　suggestive　to…day；　holding　their　hoary　heads　far　above　the　modern　life　of　the　town；　and　looking　sad　and　conscious；　as　they　had　outlived　all　uses。　　I　know　not　what　is　supposed　to　have　become　of　the　bones　of　the　blessed　saint　during　the　various　scenes　of　confusion　in　which　they　may　have　got　mis…　laid；　but　a　mystic　connection　with　his　wonder…working　relics　may　be　perceived　in　a　strange　little　sanctuary　on　the　left　of　the　street；　which　opens　in　front　of　the　Tour　Charlemagne；　…　the　rugged　base　of　which；　by　the　way；　inhabited　like　a　cave；　with　a　diminutive　doorway；　in　which；　as　I　passed；　an　old　woman　stood　cleaning　a　pot；　and　a　little　dark　window　decorated　with　homely　flowers；　would　be　appreciated　by　a　painter　in　search　of　〃bits。〃　　The　present　shrine　of　Saint　Martin　is　enclosed　（provisionally；　I　suppose）　in　a　very　modem　structure　of　timber；　where　in　a　dusky　cellar；　to　which　you　descend　by　a　wooden　staircase　adorned　with　votive　tablets　and　paper　roses；　is　placed　a　tabernacle　surrounded　by　twinkling　tapers　and　pros…　trate　worshippers。　　Even　this　crepuscular　vault；　how…　ever；　fails；　I　think；　to　attain　solemnity；　for　the　whole　place　is　strangely　vulgar　and　garish。　　The　Catholic　church；　as　churches　go　to…day；　is　certainly　the　most　spectacular；　but　it　must　feel　that　it　has　a　great　fund　of　impressiveness　to　draw　upon　when　it　opens　such　sordid　little　shops　of　sanctity　as　this。　　It　is　impos…　sible　not　to　be　struck　with　the　grotesqueness　of　such　an　establishment；　as　the　last　link　in　the　chain　of　a　great　ecclesiastical　tradition。
  In　the　same　street；　on　the　other　side；　a　little　below；　is　something　better　worth　your　visit　than　the　shrine　of　Saint　Martin。　　Knock　at　a　high　door　in　a　white　wall　（there　is　a　cross　above　it）；　and　a　fresh…faced　sister　of　the　convent　of　the　Petit　Saint　Martin　will　let　you　into　the　charming　little　cloister；　or　rather　fragment　of　a　cloister。　　Only　one　side　of　this　exqui…　site　structure　remains；　but　the　whole　place　is　effective。　In　front　of　the　beautiful　arcade；　which　is　terribly　bruised　and　obliterated；　is　one　of　those　walks　of　inter…　laced　_tilleuls_　which　are　so　frequent　in　Touraine；　and　into　which　the　green　light　filters　so　softly　through　a　lattice　of　clipped　twigs。　　Beyond　this　is　a　garden；　and　beyond　the　garden　are　the　other　buildings　of　the　Convent；　…　where　the　placid　sisters　keep　a　school；　…　a　test；　doubtless；　of　placidity。　　The　imperfect　arcade；　which　dates　from　the　beginning　of　the　sixteenth　cen…　tury　（I　know　nothing　of　it　but　what　is　related　in　Mrs。　Pattison's　〃Rennaissance　in　France〃）　is　a　truly　en…　chanting　piece　of　work；　the　cornice　and　the　angles　of　the　arches；　being　covered　with　the　daintiest　sculpture　of　arabesques；　flowers；　fruit；　medallions；　cherubs；　griffins；　all　in　the　finest　and　most　attenuated　relief。　　It　is　like　the　chasing　of　a　bracelet　in　stone。　　The　taste；　the　fancy；　the　elegance；　the　refinement；　are　of　those　things　which　revive　our　standard　of　　the　exquisite。　　Such　a　piece　of　work　is　the　purest　flower　of　the　French　Renaissance；　there　is　nothing　more　delicate　in　all　Touraine。
  There　is　another　fine　thing　at　Tours　which　is　not　particularly　delicate；　but　which　makes　a　great　impres…　sion；　…　the…　very　interesting　old　church　of　Saint　Julian；　lurking　in　a　crooked　corner　at　the　right　of　the　Rue　Royale；　near　the　point　at　which　this　indifferent　thorough…　fare　emerges；　with　its　little　cry　of　admiration；　on　the　bank　of　the　Loire。　　Saint　Julian　stands　to…day　in　a　kind　of　neglected　hollow；　where　it　is　much　shut　in　by　houses；　but　in　the　year　1225；　when　the　edifice　was　begun；　the　site　was　doubtless；　as　the　architects　say；　more　eligible。　　At　present；　indeed；　when　once　you　have　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　stout；　serious　Romanesque