ong　perspectives　a　proportionate　time；　and　at　last　you　see　the　chimneys　and　pinnacles　of　Chambord　rise　ap…　parently　out　of　the　ground。　　The　filling…in　of　the　wide　moats　that　formerly　surrounded　it　has；　in　vulgar　par…　lance；　let　it　down；　bud　given　it　an　appearance　of　top…　heaviness　that　is　at　the　same　time　a　magnificent　Orien…　talism。　　The　towers；　the　turrets；　the　cupolas；　the　gables；　the　lanterns；　the　chimneys；　look　more　like　the　spires　of　a　city　than　the　salient　points　of　a　single　building。　You　emerge　from　the　avenue　and　find　yourself　at　the　foot　of　an　enormous　fantastic　mass。　　Chambord　has　a　strange　mixture　of　society　and　solitude。　　A　little　village　clusters　within　view　of　its　stately　windows；　and　a　couple　of　inns　near　by　offer　entertainment　to　pilgrims。　　These　things；　of　course；　are　incidents　of　the　political　pro…　scription　which　hangs　its　thick　veil　over　the　place。　Chambord　is　truly　royal；　…　royal　in　its　great　scale；　its　grand　air；　its　indifference　to　common　considerations。　If　a　cat　may　look　at　a　king；　a　palace　may　lock　at　a　tavern。　　I　enjoyed　my　visit　to　this　extraordinary　struc…　ture　as　much　as　if　I　had　been　a　legitimist；　and　indeed　there　is　something　interesting　in　any　monument　of　a　great　system；　any　bold　presentation　of　a　tradition。
  You　leave　your　vehicle　at　one　of　the　inns；　which　are　very　decent　and　tidy；　and　in　which　every　one　is　very　civil；　as　if　in　this　latter　respect　the　influence　of　the　old　regime　pervaded　the　neighborhood；　and　you　walk　across　the　grass　and　the　gravel　to　a　small　door；　…　a　door　infinitely　subordinate　and　conferring　no　title　of　any　kind　on　those　who　enter　it。　　Here　you　ring　a　bell；　which　a　highly　respectable　person　answers　（a　per…　son　perceptibly　affiliated；　again；　to　the　old　regime）；　after　which　she　ushers　you　across　a　vestibule　into　an　inner　court。　　Perhaps　the　strongest　impression　I　got　at　Chambord　came　to　me　as　I　stood　in　this　court。　The　woman　who　admitted　me　did　not　come　with　me；　I　was　to　find　my　guide　somewhere　else。　　The　specialty　of　Chambord　is　its　prodigious　round　towers。　There　are；　I　believe；　no　less　than　eight　of　them；　placed　at　each　angle　of　the　inner　and　outer　square　of　buildings；　for　the　castle　is　in　the　form　of　a　larger　structure　which　encloses　a　smaller　one。　　One　of　these　towers　stood　before　me　in　the　court；　it　seemed　to　fling　its　shadow　over　the　place；　while　above；　as　I　looked　up；　the　pinnacles　and　gables；　the　enormous　chimneys；　soared　into　the　bright　blue　air。　　The　place　was　empty　and　silent；　shadows　of　gargoyles；　of　extra…　ordinary　projections；　were　thrown　across　the　clear　gray　surfaces。　　One　felt　that　the　whole　thing　was　monstrous。　　A　cicerone　appeared；　a　languid　young　man　in　a　rather　shabby　livery；　and　led　me　about　with　a　mixture　of　the　impatient　and　the　desultory；　of　con…　descension　and　humility。　　I　do　not　profess　to　under…　stand　the　plan　of　Chambord；　and　I　may　add　that　I　do　not　even　desire　to　do　so；　for　it　is　much　more　entertaining　to　think　of　it；　as　you　can　so　easily；　as　an　irresponsible；　insoluble　labyrinth。　　Within；　it　is　a　wilderness　of　empty　chambers；　a　royal　and　romantic　barrack。　　The　exiled　prince　to　whom　it　gives　its　title　has　not　the　means　to　keep　up　four　hundred　rooms；　he　contents　himself　with　preserving　the　huge　outside。　The　repairs　of　the　prodigious　roof　alone　must　absorb　a　large　part　of　his　revenue。　　The　great　feature　of　the　interior　is　the　celebrated　double　staircase；　rising　straight　through　the　building；　with　two　courses　of　steps；　so　that　people　may　ascend　and　descend　without　meeting。　　This　staircase　is　a　truly　majestic　piece　of　humor；　it　gives　you　the　note；　as　it　were；　of　Chambord。　It　opens　on　each　landing　to　a　vast　guard…room；　in　four　arms；　radiations　of　the　winding　shaft。　　My　guide　made　me　climb　to　the　great　open…work　lantern　which；　springing　from　the　roof　at　the　termination　of　the　rotund　staircase　（surmounted　here　by　a　smaller　one）；　forms　the　pinnacle　of　the　bristling　crown　of　Cham…　bord。　　This　lantern　is　tipped　with　a　huge　_fleur…de…lis_　in　stone；　…　the　only　one；　I　believe；　that　the　Revolution　did　not　succeed　in　pulling　down。　　Here；　from　narrow　windows；　you　look　over　the　wide；　flat　country　and　the　tangled；　melancholy　park；　with　the　rotation　of　its　straight　avenues。　　Then　you　walk　about　the　roof；　in　a　complication　of　galleries；　terraces；　balconies；　through　the　multitude　of　chimneys　and　gables。　　This　roof；　which　is　in　itself　a　sort　of　castle　in　the　air；　has　an　extravagant；　faboulus　quality；　and　with　its　profuse　ornamentation；　…　the　salamander　of　Francis　I。　is　a　con…　tant　motive；　…　its　lonely　pavements；　its　sunny　niches；　the　balcony　that　looks　down　over　the　closed　and　grass…grown　main　entrance；　a　strange；　half…sad；　half…　brilliant　charm。　　The　stone…work　is　covered　with　fine　mould。　　There　are　places　that　reminded　me　of　some　of　those　quiet；　mildewed　corners　of　courts　and　ter…　races；　into　which　the　traveller　who　wanders　through　the　Vatican　looks　down　from　neglected　windows。　　They　show　you　two　or　three　furnished　rooms；　with　Bourbon　portraits；　hideous　tapestries　from　the　ladies　of　France；　a　collection　of　the　toys　of　the　_enfant　du　miracle；_　all　military　and　of　the　finest　make。　　〃Tout　cela　fonc…　tionne；〃　the　guide　said　of　these　miniature　weapons；　and　I　wondered；　if　he　should　take　it　into　his　head　to　fire　off　his　little　canon；　how　much　harm　the　Comte　de　Chambord　would　do。
  From　below；　the　castle　would　look　crushed　by　the　redundancy　of　its　upper　protuberances　if　it　were　not　for　the　enormous　girth　of　its　round　towers；　which　appear　to　give　it　a　robust　lateral　development。　　These　towers；　however；　fine　as　they　are　in　their　way；　struck　me　as　a　little　stupid；　they　are　the　exaggeration　of　an　exaggeration。　　In　a　building　erected　after　the　days　of　defence；　and　proclaiming　its　peaceful　character　from　its　hundred　embroideries　and　cupolas；　they　seem　to　indicate　a　want　of　invention。　　I　shall　risk　the　ac…　cusation　of　bad　taste　if　I　say　that；　impressive　as　it　is；　the　Chateau　de　Chambord　seemed　to　me　to　have　al…　together　a　little　of　that　quality　of　stupidity。　　The　trouble　is　that　it　represents　nothing　very　particular；　it　has　not　happened；　in　spite　of　sundry　vicissitudes；　to　have　a　very　interesting　history。　　Compared　with　that　of　Blois　and　Amboise；　its　past　is　rather　vacant；　and　one　feels　to　a　certain　extent　the　contrast　between　its　pompous　appearance　and　its　spacious　but　some…　what　colorless　annals。　　It　had　indeed　the　good　for…　tune　to　be　erected　by　Francis　I。；　whose　name　by　itself　expresses　a　good　deal　of　history。　　Why　he　should　have　built　a　palace　in　those　sandy　plains　will　ever　remain　an　unanswered　question；　for　kings　have　never　been　obliged　to　give　reasons。　　In　addition　to　the　fact　that　the　country　was　rich　in　game　and　that　Francis　was　a　passionate　hunter；　it　is　suggested　by　M。　de　la　Saussaye；　the　author　of　the　very　complete　little　history　of　Chambord　which　you　may　buy　at　the　bookseller's　at　Blois；　that　he　was　govemed　in　his　choice　of　the　site　by　the　accident　of　a　charming　woman　having　formerly　lived　there。　　The　Comtesse　de　Thoury　had　a　manor　in　the　neighborhood；　and　the　Comtesse　de　Thoury　had　been　the　object　of　a　youthful　passion　on　the　part　of　the　most　susceptible　of　princes　before　his　accession　to　the　throne。　　This　great　pile　was　reared；　therefore；　according　to　M。　de　la　Saussaye；　as　a　_souvenir　de　premieres　amours！_　　It　is　certainly　a　very　massive　memento；　and　if　these　tender　passages　were　propor…　tionate　to　the　building　that　commemorates　them；　they　were　tender　indeed。　　There　has　been　much　discus…　sion　as　to　the　architect　employed　by　Francis　I。；　and　the　honor　of　having　designed　this　splendid　residence　has　been　claimed　for　several　of　the　Italian　artists　who　early　in　the　sixteenth　century　came　to　seek　patronage　in　France。　　It　seems　well　established　to…day；　however；　that　Chambord　was　the　work　neither　of　Primaticcio；　of　Vignola；　nor　of　Il　Rosso；　all　of　whom　have　left　some　trace　of　their　sojourn　in　France；　but　of　an　obscure　yet　very　complete　genius；　Pierre　Nepveu；　known　as　Pierre　Trinqueau；　who　is　designated　in　the　papers　which　preserve　in　some　degree　the　history　of　the　origin　of　the　edifice；　as　the　_maistre　de　l'oeuvre　de　maconnerie。_　　Behind　this　modest　title；　apparently；　we　must　recognize　one　of　the　most　original　talents　of　the　French　Renaissance；　and　it　is　a　proof　of　the　vigor　of　the　artistic　life　of　that　period　that；　brilliant　pro…　duction　being　everywhere　abundant；　an　artist　of　so　high　a　value　should　not　have　been　treated　by　his　con…　temporaries　as　a　celebrity。　　We　manage　things　very　differently　to…day。
  The　immediate　successors　of　Francis　I。　continued　to　visit；　Chambord；　but　it　was　neglected　by　Henry　IV。；　and　was　never　afterwards　a　favorite　residence　of　any　French　king。　　Louis　XIV。　appeared　there　on　several　occasions；　and　the　apparition　was　characteristically　brilliant；　but　Chambord　could　not　long　detain　a　monarch　who　had　gone　to　the　expense　of　creating　a　Versailles　ten　miles　from　Paris。　　With　Versailles；　Fon…　tainebleau；　Saint…Germain；　and　Saint…Cloud　within　easy　reach　of　their　capital；　the　later　French　sovereigns　had　little　reason　to　take　the　air　in　the　dreariest　province　of　their　kingdom。　　Chambord　therefore　suffered　from　royal　indifference；　though　in　the　last　century　a　use　was　found　for　its　deserted　halls。　　In　1725　it　was　oc…　cupied　by　the　luckless　Stanislaus　Leszczynski；　wh