highest　attainable　form　of　accommodation。　　Such　an　economy　I　was　unable　to　practise。　　I　could　only　go　to　Blois　（from　Tours）　to　spend　the　day；　but　this　feat　I　accomplished　twice　over。　　It　is　a　very　sympathetic　little　town；　as　we　say　nowadays；　and　one　might　easily　resign　one's　self　to　a　week　there。　　Seated　on　the　north　bank　of　the　Loire；　it　presents　a　bright；　clean　face　to　the　sun；　and　has　that　aspect　of　cheerful　leisure　which　belongs　to　all　white　towns　that　reflect；　themselves　in　shining　waters。　　It　is　the　water…front　only　of　Blois；　however；　that　exhibits；　this　fresh　complexion；　the　in…　terior　is　of　a　proper　brownness；　as　befits　a　signally　historic　city。　　The　only　disappointment　I　had　there　was　the　discovery　that　the　castle；　which　is　the　special　object　of　one's　pilgrimage；　does　not　overhang　the　river；　as　I　had　always　allowed　myself　to　understand。　　It　overhangs　the　town；　but　it　is　scarcely　visible　from　the　stream。　　That　peculiar　good　fortune　is　reserved　for　Amboise　and　Chaurnont。
  The　Chateau　de　Blois　is　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　elaborate　of　all　the　old　royal　residences　of　this　part　of　France；　and　I　suppose　it　should　have　all　the　honors　of　my　description。　　As　you　cross　its　threshold；　you　step　straight　into　the　brilliant　movement　of　the　French　Renaissance。　　But　it　is　too　rich　to　describe；　…　I　can　only　touch　it　here　and　there。　　It　must　be　pre…　mised　that　in　speaking　of　it　as　one　sees　it　to…day；　one　speaks　of　a　monument　unsparingly　restored。　　The　work　of　restoration　has　been　as　ingenious　as　it　is　pro…　fuse；　but　it　rather　chills　the　imagination。　　This　is　perhaps　almost　the　first　thing　you　feel　as　you　ap…　proach　the　castle　from　the　streets　of　the　town。　　These　little　streets；　as　they；　leave　the　river；　have　pretensions　to　romantic　steepness；　one　of　them；　indeed；　which　resolves　itself　into　a　high　staircase　with　divergent　wings　（the　_escalier　monumental_）；　achieved　this　result　so　successfully　as　to　remind　me　vaguely　…　I　hardly　know　why　…　of　the　great　slope　of　the　Capitol；　beside　the　Ara　Coeli；　at　Rome。　　The　view　of　that　part　of　the　castle　which　figures　to…day　as　the　back　（it　is　the　only　aspect　I　had　seen　reproduced）　exhibits　the　marks　of　restoration　with　the　greatest　assurance。　　The　long　facade；　consisting　only　of　balconied　windows　deeply　recessed；　erects　itself　on　the　summit　of　a　considerable　hill；　which　gives　a　fine；　plunging　movement　to　its　foundations。　　The　deep　niches　of　the　windows　are　all　aglow　with　color。　　They　have　been　repainted　with　red　and　blue；　relieved　with　gold　figures；　and　each　of　them　looks　more　like　the　royal　box　at　a　theatre　than　like　the　aperture　of　a　palace　dark　with　memories。　　For　all　this；　however；　and　in　spite　of　the　fact　that；　as　in　some　others　of　the　chateaux　of　Touraine；　（always　excepting　the　colossal　Chambord；　which　is　not　in　Touraine！）　there　is　less　vastness　than　one　had　expected；　the　least　hospitable　aspect　of　Blois　is　abundantly　impressive。　Here；　as　elsewhere；　lightness　and　grace　are　the　key…　note；　and　the　recesses　of　the　windows；　with　their　happy　proportions；　their　sculpture；　and　their　color；　are　the　empty　frames　of　brilliant　pictures。　　They　need　the　figure　of　a　Francis　I。　to　complete　them；　or　of　a　Diane　de　Poitiers；　or　even　of　a　Henry　III。　　The　base　of　this　exquisite　structure　emerges　from　a　bed　of　light　verdure；　which　has　been　allowed　to　mass　itself　there；　and　which　contributes　to　the　springing　look　of　the　walls；　while　on　the　right　it　joins　the　most　modern　portion　of　the　castle；　…　the　building　erected；　on　founda…　tions　of　enormous　height　and　solidity；　in　1635；　by　Gaston　d'Orleans。　　This　fine；　frigid　mansion　…　the　proper　view　of　it　is　from　the　court　within　…　is　one　of　the　masterpieces　of　Francois　Mansard；　whom。　a　kind　pro…　vidence　did　not　allow　to　make　over　the　whole　palace　in　the　superior　manner　of　his　superior　age。　　This　had　been　a　part　of　Gaston's　plan；　…　he　was　a　blunderer　born；　and　this　precious　project　was　worthy　of　him。　This　execution　of　it　would　surely　have　been　one　of　the　great　misdeeds　of　history。　　Partially　performed；　the　misdeed　is　not　altogether　to　be　regretted；　for　as　one　stands　in　the　court　of　the　castle；　and　lets　one's　eye　wander　from　the　splendid　wing　of　Francis　I。　…　which　is　the　last　work　of　free　and　joyous　invention　…　to　the　ruled　lines　and　blank　spaces　of　the　ponderous　pavilion　of　Mansard；　one　makes　one's　reflections　upon　the　advantage；　in　even　the　least　personaI　of　the　arts；　of　having　something　to　say；　and　upon　the　stupidity　of　a　taste　which　had　ended　by　becoming　an　aggregation　of　negatives。　　Gaston's　wing；　taken　by　itself；　has　much　of　the　_bel　air_　which　was　to　belong　to　the　architecture　of　Louis　XIV。；　but；　taken　in　contrast　to　its　flowering；　laughing；　living　neighbor；　it　marks　the　difference　be…　tween　inspiration　and　calculation。　　We　scarcely　grudge　it　its　place；　however；　for　it　adds　a　price　to　the　rest　of　the　chateau。
  We　have　entered　the　court；　by　the　way；　by　jump…　ing　over　the　walls。　　The　more　orthodox　method　is　to　follow　a　modern；　terrace；　which　leads　to　the　left；　from　the　side　of　the　chateau　that　I　began　by　speaking　of；　and　passes　round；　ascending；　to　a　little　square　on　a　considerably　higher　level；　which　is　not；　like　a　very　modern　square　on　which　the　back　（as　I　have　called　it）　looks　out；　a　thoroughfare。　　This　small；　empty　_place；_　oblong　in　form；　at　once　bright　and　quiet；　with　a　cer…　tain　grass…grown　look；　offers　an　excellent　setting　to　the　entrance…front　of　the　palace；　…　the　wing　of　Louis　XII。　The　restoration　here　has　been　lavish；　but　it　was　per…　haps　but　an　inevitable　reaction　against　the　injuries；　still　more　lavish；　by　which　the　unfortunate　building　had　long　been　overwhelmed。　　It　had　fallen　into　a　state　of　ruinous　neglect；　relieved　only　by　the　misuse　pro…　ceeding　from　successive　generations　of　soldiers；　for　whom　its　charming　chambers　served　as　barrack…room。　Whitewashed；　mutilated；　dishonored；　the　castle　of　Blois　may　be　said　to　have　escaped　simply　with　its　life。　　This　is　the　history　of　Amboise　as　well；　and　is　to　a　certain　extent　the　history　of　Chambord。　　Delightful；　at　any　rate；　was　the　refreshed　facade　of　Louis　XII。　as　I　stood　and　looked　at　it　one　bright　September　morning。　　In　that　soft；　clear；　merry　light　of　Touraine；　everything　shows；　everything　speaks。　　Charming　are　the　taste；　the　happy　proportions；　the　color　of　this　beautiful　front；　to　which　the　new　feeling　for　a　purely　domestic　architec…　ture　…　an　architecture　of　security　and　tranquillity；　in　which　art　could　indulge　itself　…　gave　an　air　of　youth　and　gladness。　　It　is　true　that　for　a　long　time　to　come　the　castle　of　Blois　was　neither　very　safe　nor　very　quiet；　but　its　dangers　came　from　within；　from　the　evil　passions　of　its　inhabitants；　and　not　from　siege　or　in…　vasion。　　The　front　of　Louis　XII。　is　of　red　brick；　crossed　here　and　there　with　purple；　and　the　purple　slate　of　the　high　roof；　relieved　with　chimneys　beautifully　treated；　and　with　the　embroidered　caps　of　pinnacles　and　arches；　with　the　porcupine　of　Louis；　the　ermine　and　the　festooned　rope　which　formed　the　devices　of　Anne　of　Brittany；　…　the　tone　of　this　rich…looking　roof　carries　out　the　mild　glow　of　the　wall。　　The　wide；　fair　windows　look　as　if　they　had　expanded　to　let　in　the　rosy　dawn　of　the　Renaissance。　　Charming；　for　that　matter；　are　the　windows　of　all　the　chateaux　of　Touraine；　with　their　squareness　corrected　（as　it　is　not　in　the　Tudor　architecture）　by　the　curve　of　the　upper　corners；　which　makes　this　line　look　…　above　the　expressive　aperture　…　like　a　pencilled　eyebrow。　　The　low　door　of　this　front　is　crowned　by　a　high；　deep　niche；　in　which；　under　a　splendid　canopy；　stiffly　astride　of　a　stiffly　draped　charger；　sits　in　profile　an　image　of　the　good　King　Louis。　　Good　as　he　had　been；　…　the　father　of　his　people；　as　he　was　called　（I　believe　he　remitted　various　taxes）；　…　he　was　not　good　enough　to　pass　muster　at　the　Revolution；　and　the　effigy　I　have　just　described　is　no　more　than　a　reproduction　of　the　primitive　statue　demolished　at　that　period。
  Pass　beneath　it　into　the　court；　and　the　sixteenth　century　closes　round　you。　　It　is　a　pardonable　flight　of　fancy　to　say　that　the　expressive　faces　of　an　age　in　which　human　passions　lay　very　near　the　surface　seem　to　look　out　at　you　from　　the　windows；　from　the　balconies；　from　the　thick　foliage　of　the　sculpture。　　The　portion　of　the　wing　of　Louis　XII。　that　looks　toward　the　court　is　supported　on　a　deep　arcade。　　On　your　right　is　the　wing　erected　by　Francis　I。；　the　reverse　of　the　mass　of　building　which　you　see　on　approaching　the　castle。　　This　exquisite；　this　extravagant；　this　trans…　cendent　piece　of　architecture　is　the　most　joyous　ut…　terance　of　the　French　Renaissance。　　It　is　covered　with　an　embroidery　of　sculpture；　in　which　every　detail　is　worthy　of　the　hand　of　a　goldsmith。　　In　the　middle　of　it；　or　rather　a　little　to　the　left；　rises　the　famous　wind…　ing　staircase　（plausibly；　but　I　believe　not　religiously；　restored）；　which　even　the　ages　which　most　misused　it　must　vaguely　have　admired。　　It　forms　a　kind　of　chiselled　cylinder；　with　wide　interstices；　so　that　the　stairs　are　open　to　the　air。　　Every　inch　of　this　structure；　of　its　balconies；　its　pillars；　its　great　central　columns；　is　wrought　over　with　lovely　images；　strange　and　ingenious　devices；　prime　among　which　is　the　great　heraldic　sala…　mander　of　Francis　I。　　The　salamander　is　everywhere　at　Blois；　…