I　have　only　to　add；　in　regard　to　the　Musee　Fabre；　that　it　contains　the　portrait　of　its　founder；　…　a　little；　pursy；　fat…faced；　elderly　man；　whose　countenance　con…　tains　few　indications　of　the　power　that　makes　distin…　guished　victims。　　He　is；　however；　just　such　a　personage　as　the　mind's　eye　sees　walking　on　the　terrace　of　the　Peyrou　of　an　October　afternoon　in　the　early　years　of　the　century；　a　plump　figure　in　a　chocolate…colored　coat　and　a　_culotte_　that　exhibits　a　good　leg；　…　a　culotte　pro…　vided　with　a　watch…fob　from　which　a　heavy　seal　is　suspended。　　This　Peyrou　（to　come　to　it　at　last）　is　a　wonderful　place；　especially　to　be　found　in　a　little　pro…　vincial　city。　　France　is　certainly　the　country　of　towns　that　aim　at　completeness；　more　than　in　other　lands；　they　contain　stately　features　as　a　matter　of　course。　　We　should　never　have　ceased　to　hear　about　the　Peyrou；　if　fortune　had　placed　it　at　a　Shrewsbury　or　a　Buffalo。　　It　is　true　that　the　place　enjoys　a　certain　celebrity　at　home；　which　it　amply　deserves；　moreover；　for　nothing　could　be　more　impressive　and　monumental。　　It　consists　of　an　〃elevated　platform；〃　as　Murray　says；　…　an　im…　mense　terrace；　laid　out；　in　the　highest　part　of　the　town；　as　a　garden；　and　commanding　in　all　directions　a　view　which　in　clear　weather　must　be　of　the　finest。　　I　strolled　there　in　the　intervals　of　showers；　and　saw　only　the　nearer　beauties；　…　a　great　pompous　arch　of　triumph　in　honor　of　Louis　XIV。　（which　is　not；　properly　speaking；　in　the　garden；　but　faces　it；　straddling　across　the　_place_　by　which　you　approach　it　from　the　town）；　an　equestrian　statue　of　that　monarch　set　aloft　in　the　middle　of　the　terrace；　and　a　very　exalted　and　complicated　fountain；　which　forms　a　background　to　the　picture。　　This　foun…　tain　gushes　from　a　kind　of　hydraulic　temple；　or　_cha…　teau　d'eau_；　to　which　you　ascend　by　broad　flights　of　steps；　and　which　is　fed　by　a　splendid　aqueduct；　stretched　in　the　most　ornamental　and　unexpected　manner　across　the　neighboring　valley。　　All　this　work　dates　from　the　middle　of　the　last　century。　　The　com…　bination　of　features　…　the　triumphal　arch；　or　gate；　the　wide；　fair　terrace；　with　its　beautiful　view；　the　statue　of　the　grand　monarch；　the　big　architectural　fountain；　which　would　not　surprise　one　at　Rome；　but　goes　sur…　prise　one　at　Montpellier；　and　to　complete　the　effect；　the　extraordinary　aqueduct；　charmingly　fore…shortened；　…　all　this　is　worthy　of　a　capital；　of　a　little　court…city。　The　whole　place；　with　its　repeated　steps；　its　balus…　trades；　its　massive　and　plentiful　stone…work；　is　full　of　the　air　of　the　last　century；　…　_sent　bien　son　dix…huitieme　siecle_；　none　the　less　so；　I　am　afraid；　that；　as　I　read　in　my　faithful　Murray；　after　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes；　the　block；　the　stake；　the　wheel；　had　been　erected　here　for　the　benefit　of　the　desperate　Camisards。
  XXVI。
  It　was　a　pleasure　to　feel　one's　self　in　Provence　again；　…　the　land　where　the　silver…gray　earth　is　im…　pregnated　with　the　light　of　the　sky。　　To　celebrate　the　event；　as　soon　as　I　arrived　at　Nimes　I　engaged　a　caleche　to　convey　me　to　the　Pont　du　Gard。　　The　day　was　yet　young；　and　it　was　perfectly　fair；　it　ap…　peared　well；　for　a　longish　drive；　to　take　advantage；　without　delay；　of　such　security。　　After　I　had　left　the　town　I　became　more　intimate　with　that　Provencal　charm　which　I　had　already　enjoyed　from　the　window　of　the　train；　and　which　glowed　in　the　sweet　sunshine　and　the　white　rocks；　and　lurked　in　the　smoke…puffs　of　the　little　olives。　　The　olive…trees　in　Provence　are　half　the　landscape。　　They　are　neither　so　tall；　so　stout；　nor　so　richly　contorted　as　I　have　seen　them　beyond　the　Alps；　but　this　mild　colorless　bloom　seems　the　very　texture　of　the　country。　　The　road　from　Nimes；　for　a　distance　of　fifteen　miles；　is　superb；　broad　enough　for　an　army；　and　as　white　and　firm　as　a　dinner…table。　It　stretches　away　over　undulations　which　suggest　a　kind　of　harmony；　and　in　the　curves　it　makes　through　the　wide；　free　country；　where　there　is　never　a　hedge　or　a　wall；　and　the　detail　is　always　exquisite；　there　is　something　majestic；　almost　processional。　　Some　twenty　minutes　before　I　reached　the　little　inn　that　marks　the　termination　of　the　drive；　my　vehicle　met　with　an　ac…　cident　which　just　missed　being　serious；　and　which　engaged　the　attention　of　a　gentleman；　who；　followed　by　his　groom　and　mounted　on　a　strikingly　handsome　horse　happened　to　ride　up　at　the　moment。　　This　young　man；　who；　with　his　good　looks　and　charming　manner；　might　have　stepped　out　of　a　novel　of　Octave　Feuillet；　gave　me　some　very　intelligent　advice　in　reference　to　one　of　my　horses　that　had　been　injured；　and　was　so　good　as　to　accompany　me　to　the　inn；　with　the　re…　sources　of　which　he　was　acquainted；　to　see　that　his　recommendations　were　carried　out。　　The　result　of　our　interview　was　that　he　invited　me　to　come　and　look　at　a　small　but　ancient　chateau　in　the　neighborhood；　which　he　had　the　happiness　…　not　the　greatest　in　the　world；　he　intimated　…　to　inhabit；　and　at　which　I　en…　gaged　to　present　myself　after　I　should　have　spent　an　hour　at　the　Pont　du　Gard。　　For　the　moment；　when　we　separated；　I　gave　all　my　attention　to　that　great　structure。　　You　are　very　near　it　before　you　see　it；　the　ravine　it　spans　suddenly　opens　and　exhibits　the　picture。　　The　scene　at　this　point　grows　extremely　beautiful。　　The　ravine　is　the　valley　of　the　Gardon；　which　the　road　from　Nimes　has　followed　some　time　without　taking　account　of　it；　but　which；　exactly　at　the　right　distance　from　the　aqueduct；　deepens　and　ex…　pands；　and　puts　on　those　characteristics　which　are　best　suited　to　give　it　effect。　　The　gorge　becomes　romantic；　still；　and　solitary；　and；　with　its　white　rocks　and　wild　shrubbery；　hangs　over　the　clear；　colored　river；　in　whose　slow　course　there　is　here　and　there　a　deeper　pool。　Over　the　valley；　from　side　to　side；　and　ever　so　high　in　the　air；　stretch　the　three　tiers　of　the　tremendous　bridge。　　They　are　unspeakably　imposing；　and　nothing　could　well　be　more　Roman。　　The　hugeness；　the　soli…　dity；　the　unexpectedness；　the　monumental　rectitude　of　the　whole　thing　leave　you　nothing　to　say　…　at　the　time　…　and　make　you　stand　gazing。　　You　simply　feel　that　it　is　noble　and　perfect；　that　it　has　the　quality　of　greatness。　　A　road；　branching　from　the　highway；　de…　scends　to　the　level　of　the　river　and　passes　under　one　of　the　arches。　　This　road　has　a　wide　margin　of　grass　and　loose　stones；　which　slopes　upward　into　the　bank　of　the　ravine。　　You　may　sit　here　as　long　as　you　please；　staring　up　at　the　light；　strong　piers；　the　spot　is　ex…　tremely　natural；　though　two　or　three　stone　benches　have　been　erected　on　it。　　I　remained　there　an　hour　and　got　a　cornplete　impression；　the　place　was　per…　fectly　soundless；　and　for　the　time；　at　least；　lonely；　the　splendid　afternoon　had　begun　to　fade；　and　there　was　a　fascination　in　the　object　I　had　come　to　see。　　It　came　to　pass　that　at　the　same　time　I　discovered　in　it　a　certain　stupidity；　a　vague　brutality。　　That　element　is　rarely　absent　from　great　Roman　work；　which　is　wanting　in　the　nice　adaptation　of　the　means　to　the　end。　　The　means　are　always　exaggerated；　the　end　is　so　much　more　than　attained。　　The　Roman　rigidity　was　apt　to　overshoot　the　mark；　and　I　suppose　a　race　which　could　do　nothing　small　is　as　defective　as　a　race　that　can　do　nothing　great。　　Of　this　Roman　rigidity　the　Pont　du　Gard　is　an　admirable　example。　　It　would　be　a　great　injustice；　however；　not　to　insist　upon　its　beauty；　…　a　kind　of　manly　beauty；　that　of　an　object　constructed　not　to　please　but　to　serve；　and　impressive　simply　from　the　scale　on　which　it　carries　out　this　intention。　　The　number　of　arches　in　each　tier　is　dif…　ferent；　they　are　smaller　and　more　numerous　as　they　ascend。　　The　preservation　of　the　thing　is　extra…　ordinary；　nothing　has　crumbled　or　collapsed；　every　feature　remains；　and　the　huge　blocks　of　stone；　of　a　brownish…yellow；　（as　if　they　had　been　baked　by　the　Provencal　sun　for　eighteen　centuries）；　pile　themselves；　without　mortar　or　cement；　as　evenly　as　the　day　they　were　laid　together。　　All　this　to　carry　the　water　of　a　couple　of　springs　to　a　little　provincial　city！　　The　con…　duit　on　the　top　has　retained　its　shape　and　traces　of　the　cement　with　which　it　was　lined。　　When　the　vague　twilight　began　to　gather；　the　lonely　valley　seemed　to　fill　itself　with　the　shadow　of　the　Roman　name；　as　if　the　mighty　empire　were　still　as　erect　as　the　supports　of　the　aqueduct；　and　it　was　open　to　a　solitary　tourist；　sitting　there　sentimental；　to　believe　that　no　people　has　ever　been；　or　will　ever　be；　as　great　as　that；　measured；　as　we　measure　the　greatness　of　an　individual；　by　the　push　they　gave　to　what　they　undertook。　　The　Pont　du　Gard　is　one　of　the　three　or　four　deepest　impressions　they　have　left；　it　speaks　of　them　in　a　manner　with　which　they　might　have　been　satisfied。
  I　feel　as　if　it　were　scarcely　discreet　to　indicate　the　whereabouts　of　the　chateau　of　the　obliging　young　man　I　had　met　on　the　way　from　Nimes；　I　must　con…　tent　myself　with　saying　that　it　nestled　in　an　en…　chanting　valley；　…　_dans　le　fond_；　as　they　say　in　France；　…　and　that　I　took　my　course　thither　on　foot；　after　leaving　the　Pont　du　Gard。　　I　find　it　noted　in　my　journal　as　〃an　adorable　little　corner。〃　　The　principal　feature　of　the　place　is　a　couple　of　very　ancient　towers；　brownish…yellow　in　hue；　and　mantled　in　scarlet　Vir…　ginia…creeper