found　for　its　deserted　halls。　　In　1725　it　was　oc…　cupied　by　the　luckless　Stanislaus　Leszczynski；　who　spent　the　greater　part　of　his　life　in　being　elected　King　of　Poland　and　being　ousted　from　his　throne；　and　who；　at　this　time　a　refugee　in　France；　had　found　a　compensation　for　some　of　his　misfortunes　in　marry…　ing　his　daughter　to　Louis　XV。　　He　lived　eight　years　at　Chambord；　and　filled　up　the　moats　of　the　castle。　In　1748　it　found　an　illustrious　tenant　in　the　person　of　Maurice　de　Saxe；　the　victor　of　Fontenoy；　who；　how…　ever；　two　years　after　he　had　taken　possession　of　it；　terminated　a　life　which　would　have　been　longer　had　he　been　less　determined　to　make　it　agreeable。　　The　Revolution；　of　course；　was　not　kind　to　Chambord。　It　despoiled　it　in　so　far　as　possible　of　every　vestige　of　its　royal　origin；　and　swept　like　a　whirlwind　through　apartments　to　which　upwards　of　two　centuries　had　contributed　a　treasure　of　decoration　and　furniture。　　In　that　wild　blast　these　precious　things　were　destroyed　or　forever　scattered。　　In　1791　an　odd　proposal　was　made　to　the　French　Government　by　a　company　of　English　Quakers　who　had　conceived　the　bold　idea　of　establishing　in　the　palace　a　manufacture　of　some　peaceful　commodity　not　to…day　recorded。　　Napoleon　allotted　Chambord；　as　a　〃dotation；〃　to　one　of　his　marshals；　Berthier；　for　whose　benefit　it　was　converted；　in　Napoleonic　fashion；　into　the　so…called　principality　of　Wagram。　　By　the　Princess　of　Wagram；　the　marshal's　widow；　it　was；　after　the　Restoration；　sold　to　the　trustees　of　a　national　subscription　which　had　been　established　for　the　purpose　of　presenting　it　to　the　in…　fant　Duke　of　Bordeaux；　then　prospective　King　of　France。　　The　presentation　was　duly　made；　but　the　Comte　de　Chambord；　who　had　changed　his　title　in　recognition　of　the　gift；　was　despoiled　of　his　property　by　the　Government　of　Louis　Philippe。　　He　appealed　for　redress　to　the　tribunals　of　his　country；　and　the　consequence　of　his　appeal　was　an　interminable　litiga…　tion；　by　which；　however；　finally；　after　the　lapse　of　twenty…five　years；　he　was　established　in　his　rights。　　In　1871　he　paid　his　first　visit　to　the　domain　which　had　been　offered　him　half　a　century　before；　a　term　of　which　he　had　spent　forty　years　in　exile。　　It　was　from　Chambord　that　he　dated　his　famous　letter　of　the　5th　of　July　of　that　year；　…　the　letter；　directed　to　his　so…　called　subjects；　in　which　he　waves　aloft　the　white　flag　of　the　Bourbons。　　This　amazing　epistle；　which　is　virtually　an　invitation　to　the　French　people　to　re…　pudiate；　as　their　national　ensign；　that　immortal　tricolor；　the　flag　of　the　Revolution　and　the　Empire；　under　which　they　have；　won　the　glory　which　of　all　glories　has　hitherto　been　dearest　to　them；　and　which　is　as…　sociated　with　the　most　romantic；　the　most　heroic；　the　epic；　the　consolatory；　period　of　their　history；　…　this　luckless　manifesto；　I　say；　appears　to　give　the　measure　of　the　political　wisdom　of　the　excellent　Henry　V。　　It　is　the　most　factitious　proposal　ever　addressed　to　an　eminently　ironical　nation。
  On　the　whole；　Chambord　makes　a　great　impression；　and　the　hour　I　was；　there；　while　the　yellow　afternoon　light　slanted　upon　the　September　woods；　there　was　a　dignity　in　its　desolation。　　It　spoke；　with　a　muffled　but　audible　voice；　of　the　vanished　monarchy；　which　had　been　so　strong；　so　splendid；　but　to…day　has　be…　come　a　sort　of　fantastic　vision；　like　the　cupolas　and　chimneys　that　rose　before　me。　　I　thought；　while　I　lingered　there；　of　all　the　fine　things　it　takes　to　make　up　such　a　monarchy；　and　how　one　of　them　is　a　su…　perfluity　of　mouldering；　empty；　palaces。　　Chambord　is　touching；　…　that　is　the　best　word　for　it；　and　if　the　hopes　of　another　restoration　are　in　the　follies　of　the　Republic；　a　little　reflection　on　that　eloquence　of　ruin　ought　to　put　the　Republic　on　its　guard。　　A　sentimental　tourist　may　venture　to　remark　that　in　the　presence　of　several　chateaux　which　appeal　in　this　mystical　manner　to　the　retrospective　imagination；　it　cannot　afford　to　be　foolish。　　I　thought　of　all　this　as　I　drove　back　to　Blois　by　the　way　of　the　Chateau　de　Cheverny。　　The　road　took　us　out　of　the　park　of　Chambord；　but　through　a　region　of　flat　woodland；　where　the　trees　were　not　mighty；　and　again　into　the　prosy　plain　of　the　Sologne；　…　a　thankless　soil；　all　of　it；　I　believe；　but　lately　much　amended　by　the　magic　of　cheerful　French　industry　and　thrift。　　The　light　had　already　begun　to　fade；　and　my　drive　reminded　me　of　a　passage　in　some　rural　novel　of　Madame　Sand。　　I　passed　a　couple　of　timber　and　plaster　churches；　which　looked　very　old；　black；　and　crooked；　and　had　lumpish　wooden　porches　and　galleries　encircling　the　base。　　By　the　time　I　reached　Cheverny；　the　clear　twilight　had　approached。　　It　was　late　to　ask　to　be　allowed　to　visit　an　inhabited　house；　but　it　was　the　hour　at　which　I　like　best　to　visit　almost　anything。　　My　coachman　drew　up　before　a　gateway；　in　a　high　wall；　which　opened　upon　a　short　avenue；　along　which　I　took　my　way　on　foot；　the　coachmen　in　those　parts　being；　for　reasons　best　known　to　them…　selves；　mortally　averse　to　driving　up　to　a　house。　　I　answered　the　challenge　of　a　very　tidy　little　portress；　who　sat；　in　company　with　a　couple　of　children；　en…　joying　the　evening　air　in；　front　of　her　lodge；　and　who　told　me　to　walk　a　little　further　and　turn　to　the　right。　I　obeyed　her　to　the　letter；　and　my　turn　brought　me　into　sight　of　a　house　as　charming　as　an　old　manor　in　a　fairy　tale。　　I　had　but　a　rapid　and　partial　view　of　Cheverny；　but　that　view　was　a　glimpse　of　perfection。　A　light；　sweet　mansion　stood　looking　over　a　wide　green　lawn；　over　banks　of　flowers　and　groups　of　trees。　　It　had　a　striking　character　of　elegance；　produced　partly　by　a　series　of　Renaissance　busts　let　into　circular　niches　in　the　facade。　　The　place　looked　so　private；　so　reserved；　that　it　seemed　an　act　of　violence　to　ring；　a　stranger　and　foreigner；　at　the　graceful　door。　　But　if　I　had　not　rung　I　should　be　unable　to　express　…　as　it　is　such　a　pleasure　to　do　…　my　sense　of　the　exceeding　courtesy　with　which　this　admirable　house　is　shown。　　It　was　near　the　dinner…hour；　…　the　most　sacred　hour　of　the　day；　but　I　was　freely　conducted　into　the　inhabited　apartments。　　They　are　extremely　beautiful。　　What　I　chiefly　remember　is　the　charming　staircase　of　white　embroidered　stone；　and　the　great　_salle　des　gardes_　and　_chambre　a　coucher　du　roi_　on　the　second　floor。　　Che…　verny；　built　in　1634；　is　of　a　much　later　date　than　the　other　royal　residences　of　this　part　of　France；　it　be…　longs　to　the　end　of　the　Renaissance；　and　has　a　touch　of　the　rococo。　　The　guard…room　is　a　superb　apartment；　and　as　it　contains　little　save　its　magnificent　ceiling　and　fireplace　and　certain　dim　tapestries　on　its　walls；　you　the　more　easily　take　the　measure　of　its　noble　proportions。　　The　servant　opened　the　shutters　of　a　single　window；　and　the　last　rays　of　the　twilight　slanted　into　the　rich　brown　gloom。　　It　was　in　the　same　pic…　turesque　fashion　that　I　saw　the　bedroom　（adjoining）　of　Henry　IV。；　where　a　legendary…looking　bed；　draped　in　folds　long　unaltered；　defined　itself　in　the　haunted　dusk。　　Cheverny　remains　to　me　a　very　charming；　a　partly　mysterious　vision。　　I　drove　back　to　Blois　in　the　dark；　some　nine　miles；　through　the　forest　of　Russy；　which　belongs　to　the　State；　and　which；　though　con…　sisting　apparently　of　small　timber；　looked　under　the　stars　sufficiently　vast　and　primeval。　　There　was　a　damp　autumnal　smell　and　the　occasional　sound　of　a　stirring　thing；　and　as　I　moved　through　the　evening　air　I　thought　of　Francis　I。　and　Henry　IV。
  VI。
  You　may　go　to　Amboise　either　from　Blois　or　from　Tours；　it　is　about　half…way　between　these　towns。　　The　great　point　is　to　go；　especially　if　you　have　put　it　off　repeatedly；　and　to　go；　if　possible；　on　a　day　when　the　great　view　of　the　Loire；　which　you　enjoy　from　the　battlements　and　terraces；　presents　itself　under　a　friendly　sky。　　Three　persons；　of　whom　the　author　of　these　lines　was　one；　spent　the　greater　part　of　a　perfect　Sunday　morning　in　looking　at　it。　　It　was　astonishing；　in　the　course　of　the　rainiest　season　in　the　memory　of　the　oldest　Tourangeau；　how　many　perfect　days　we　found　to　our　hand。　　The　town　of　Amboise　lies；　like　Tours；　on　the　left　bank　of　the　river；　a　little　white…　faced　town；　staring　across　an　admirable　bridge；　and　leaning；　behind；　as　it　were；　against　the　pedestal　of　rock　on　which　the　dark　castle　masses　itself。　　The　town　is　so　small；　the　pedestal　so　big；　and　the　castle　so　high　and　striking；　that　the　clustered　houses　at　the　base　of　the　rock　are　like　the　crumbs　that　have　fallen　from　a　well…laden　table。　　You　pass　among　them；　however；　to　ascend　by　a　circuit　to　the　chateau；　which　you　attack；　obliquely；　from　behind。　　It　is　the　property　of　the　Comte　de　Paris；　another　pretender　to　the　French　throne；　having　come　to　him　remotely；　by　inheritance；　from　his　ancestor；　the　Duc　de　Penthievre；　who　toward　the　close　of　the　last　century　bought　it　from　the　crown；　which　had　recovered　it　after　a　lapse。　　Like　the　castle　of　Blois　it　has　been　injured　and　defaced　by　base　uses；　but；　unlike　the　castle　of　Blois；　it　has　not　been　com…　pletely　restored。　　〃It　is　very；　very　dirty；　but　very　curious；〃　…　it　is　in　these　terms　that　I　heard　it　described　by　an　English　lady；　who　was　generally　to　be　found　engaged　upon　a　tattered　Tauchnitz　in　the　little　_salon　de　lecture_　of　the　hotel　at　Tours。　　The　descri