has　（in　its　nobleness）　the　rare　distinction　of　being　a　production　of　our　own　time。　　On　the　south　side　stands　the　tomb　of　Francis　II。；　the　last　of　the　Dukes　of　Brittany；　and　of　his　second　wife；　Margaret　of　Foix；　erected　in　1507　by　their　daughter　Anne；　whom　we　have　encountered　already　at　the　Chateau　de　Nantes；　where　she　was　born；　at　Langeais；　where　she　married　her　first　husband；　at　Amboise；　where　she　lost　him；　at　Blois；　where　she　married　her　second；　the　〃good〃　Louis　XII。；　who　divorced　an　impeccable　spouse　to　make　room　for　her；　and　where　she　herself　died。　　Trans…　ferred　to　the　cathedral　from　a　demolished　convent；　this　monument；　the　masterpiece　of　Michel　Colomb；　author　of　the　charming　tomb　of　the　children　of　Charles　VIII。　and　the　aforesaid　Anne；　which　we　admired　at　Saint　Gatien　of　Tours；　is　one　of　the　most　brilliant　works　of　the　French　Renaissance。　　It　has　a　splendid　effect；　and　is　in　perfect　preservation。　　A　great　table　of　black　marble　supports　the　reclining　figures　of　the　duke　and　duchess；　who　lie　there　peacefully　and　majestically；　in　their　robes　and　crowns；　with　their　heads　each　on　a　cushion；　the　pair　of　which　are　supported；　from　behind；　by　three；　charming　little　kneeling　angels；　at　the　foot　of　the　quiet　couple　are　a　lion　and　a　greyhound；　with　heraldic　devices。　　At　each　of　the　angles　of　the　table　is　a　large　figure　in　white　marble　of　a　woman　elaborately　dressed；　with　a　symbolic　meaning；　and　these　figures；　with　their　contemporary　faces　and　clothes；　which　give　them　the　air　of　realistic　portraits；　are　truthful　and　liv…　ing；　if　not　remarkably　beautiful。　　Round　the　sides　of　the　tomb　are　small　images　of　the　apostles。　　There　is　a　kind　of　masculine　completeness　in　the　work；　and　a　certain　robustness　of　taste。
  In　nothing　were　the　sculptors　of　the　Renaissance　more　fortunate　than　in　being　in　advance　of　us　with　their　tombs：　they　have　left　us　noting　to　say　in　regard　to　the　great　final　contrast；　…　the　contrast　between　the　immobility　of　death　and　the　trappings　and　honors　that　survive。　　They　expressed　in　every　way　in　which　it　was　possible　to　express　it　the　solemnity；　of　their　conviction　that　the　Marble　image　was　a　part　of　the　personal　greatness　of　the　defunct；　and　the　protection；　the　re…　demption；　of　his　memory。　　A　modern　tomb；　in　com…　parison；　is　a　sceptical　affair；　it　insists　too　little　on　the　honors。　　I　say　this　in　the　face　of　the　fact　that　one　has　only　to　step　across　the　cathedral　of　Nantes　to　stand　in　the　presence　of　one　of　the　purest　and　most　touching　of　modern　tombs。　　Catholic　Brittany　has　erected　in　the　opposite　transept　a　monument　to　one　of　the　most　devoted　of　her　sons；　General　de　Lamoriciere；　the　de…　fender　of　the　Pope；　the　vanquished　of　Castelfidardo。　This　noble　work；　from　the　hand　of　Paul　Dubois；　one　of　the　most　interesting　of　that　new　generation　of　sculp…　tors　who　have　revived　in　France　an　art　of　which　our　overdressed　century　had　begun　to　despair；　has　every　merit　but　the　absence　of　a　certain　prime　feeling。　　It　is　the　echo　of　an　earlier　tune；　…　an　echo　with　a　beauti…　ful　cadence。　　Under　a　Renaissance　canopy　of　white　marble；　elaborately　worked　with　arabesques　and　che…　rubs；　in　a　relief　so　low　that　it　gives　the　work　a　cer…　tain　look　of　being　softened　and　worn　by　time；　lies　the　body　of　the　Breton　soldier；　with；　a　crucifix　clasped　to　his　breast　and　a　shroud　thrown　over　his　body。　　At　each　of　the　angles　sits　a　figure　in　bronze；　the　two　best　of　which；　representing　Charity　and　Military　Courage；　had　given　me　extraordinary　pleasure　when　they　were　exhibited　（in　the　clay）　in　the　Salon　of　1876。　　They　are　admirably　cast；　and　they　have　a　certain　greatness：　the　one；　a　serene；　robust　young　mother；　beautiful　in　line　and　attitude；　the　other；　a　lean　and　vigilant　young　man；　in　a　helmet　that　overshadows　his　serious　eyes；　resting　an　outstretched　arm；　an　admirable　military　member；　upon　the　hilt　of　a　sword。　　These　figures　con…　tain　abundant　assurance　that　M。　Paul　Dubois　has　been　attentive　to　Michael　Angelo；　whom　we　have　all　heard　called　a　splendid　example　but　a　bad　model。　　The　visor…shadowed　face　of　his　warrior　is　more　or　less　a　reminiscence　of　the　figure　on　the　tomb　of　Lorenzo　de'　Medici　at　Florence；　but　it　is　doubtless　none　the　worse　for　that。　　The　interest　of　the　work　of　Paul　Dubois　is　its　peculiar　seriousness；　a　kind　of　moral　good　faith　which　is　not　the　commonest　feature　of　French　art；　and　which；　united　as　it　is　in　this　case　with　exceeding　knowledge　and　a　remarkable　sense　of　form；　produces　an　impression；　of　deep　refinement。　　The　whole　monu…　ment　is　a　proof　of　exquisitely　careful　study；　but　I　am　not　sure　that　this　impression　on　the　part　of　the　spec…　tator　is　altogether　a　happy　one。　　It　explains　much　of　its　great　beauty；　and　it　also　explains；　perhaps；　a　little　of　a　certain　weakness。　　That　word；　however；　is　scarcely　in　place；　I　only　mean　that　M。　Dubois　has　made　a　vi…　sible　effort；　which　has　been　most　fruitful。　　Simplicity　is　not　always　strength；　and　our　complicated　modern　genius　contains　treasures　of　intention。　　This　fathomless　modern　element　is　an　immense　charm　on　the　part　of　M。　Paul　Dubois。　　I　am　lost　in　admiration　of　the　deep　aesthetic　experience；　the　enlightenment　of　taste；　re…　vealed　by　such　work。　　After　that；　I　only　hope　that　Giuseppe　Garibaldi　may　have　a　monument　as　fair。
  XVI。
  To　go　from　Nantes　to　La　Rochelle　you　travel　straight　southward；　across　the　historic　_bocage_　of　La　Vendee；　the　home　of　royalist　bush…fighting。　　The　country；　which　is　exceedingly　pretty；　bristles　with　copses；　orchards；　hedges；　and　with　trees　more　spread…　ing　and　sturdy　than　the　traveller　is　apt　to　deem　the　feathery　foliage　of　France。　　It　is　true　that　as　I　pro…　ceeded　it　flattened　out　a　good　deal；　so　that　for　an　hour　there　was　a　vast　featureless　plain；　which　offered　me　little　entertainment　beyond　the　general　impression　that　I　was　approaching　the　Bay　of　Biscay　（from　which；　in　reality；　I　was　yet　far　distant）。　　As　we　drew　near　La　Rochelle；　however；　the　prospect　brightened　con…　siderably；　and　the　railway　kept　its　course　beside　a　charming　little　canal；　or　canalized　river；　bordered　with　trees；　and　with　small；　neat；　bright…colored；　and　yet　old…fashioned　cottages　and　villas；　which　stood　back　on　the　further　side；　behind　small　gardens；　hedges；　painted　palings；　patches　of　turf。　　The　whole　effect　was　Dutch　and　delightful；　and　in　being　delightful；　though　not　in　being　Dutch；　it　prepared　me　for　the　charms　of　La　Rochelle；　which　from　the　moment　I　entered　it　I　perceived　to　be　a　fascinating　little　town；　a　most　original　mixture　of　brightness　and　dulness。　Part　of　its　brightness　comes　from　its　being　extra…　ordinarily　clean；　…　in　which；　after　all；　it　_is_　Dutch；　a　virtue　not　particularly　noticeable　at　Bourges；　Le　Mans；　and　Angers。　　Whenever　I　go　southward；　if　it　be　only　twenty　miles；　I　begin　to　look　out　for　the　south；　pre…　pared　as　I　am　to　find　the　careless　grace　of　those　lati…　tudes　even　in　things　of　which　it　may；　be　said　that　they　may　be　south　of　something；　but　are　not　southern。　To　go　from　Boston　to　New　York　（in　this　state　of　mind）　is　almost　as　soft　a　sensation　as　descending　the　Italian　side；　of　the　Alps；　and　to　go　from　New　York　to　Philadelphia　is　to　enter　a　zone　of　tropical　luxuriance　and　warmth。　　Given　this　absurd　disposition；　I　could　not　fail　to　flatter　myself；　on　reaching　La　Rochelle；　that　I　was　already　in　the　Midi；　and　to　perceive　in　everything；　in　the　language　of　the　country；　the　_ca…　ractere　meridional。_　　Really；　a　great　many　things　had　a　hint　of　it。　　For　that　matter；　it　seems　to　me　that　to　arrive　in　the　south　at　a　bound　…　to　wake　up　there；　as　it　were　…　would　be　a　very　imperfect　pleasure。　　The　full　pleasure　is　to　approach　by　stages　and　gradations；　to　observe　the　successive　shades　of　difference　by　which　it　ceases　to　be　the　north。　　These　shades　are　exceedingly　fine；　but　your　true　south…lover　has　an　eye　for　them　all。　　If　he　perceive　them　at　New　York　and　Philadelphia；　…　we　imagine　him　boldly　as　liberated　from　Boston；　…　how　could　he　fail　to　perceive　them　at　La　Rochelle？　　The　streets　of　　this　dear　little　city　are　lined　with　arcades；　…　good；　big；　straddling　arcades　of　stone；　such　as　befit　a　land　of　hot　summers；　and　which　recalled　to　me；　not　to　go　further；　the　dusky　portions　of　Bayonne。　　It　contains；　moreover；　a　great　wide　_place　d'armes_；　which　looked　for　all　the　world　like　the　piazza　of　some　dead　Italian　town；　empty；　sunny；　grass…grown；　with　a　row　of　yellow　houses　overhanging　it；　an　unfrequented　cafe；　with　a　striped　awning；　a　tall；　cold；　florid；　uninteresting　cathedral　of　the　eighteenth　century　on　one　side；　and　on　the　other　a　shady　walk；　which　forms　part　of　an　old　rampart。　　I　followed　this　walk　for　some　time；　under　the　stunted　trees；　beside　the　grass…covered　bastions；　it　is　very　charming；　wind…　ing　and　wandering；　always　with　trees。　　Beneath　the　rampart　is　a　tidal　river；　and　on　the　other　side；　for　a　long　distance；　the　mossy　walls　of　the　immense　garden　of　a　seminary。　　Three　hundred　years　ago；　La　Rochelle　was　the　great　French　stronghold　of　Protestantism；　but　to…day　it　appears　to　be　a'nursery　of　Papists。
  The　walk　upon　the　rampart　led　me　round　to　one　of　the　gatesi　of　the　town；　where　I　found　some　small　modern；　fortifications　and　sundry　red…legged　soldiers；　and；　beyond　the　fortifications；　another　shady　walk；　…　a　_mail_；　as　the　French　say；　as　well　as　a　_champ　de　manoeuvre_；　…　on　which　latter　expanse　the