undertaken　by　a　learned　archaeologist　of　the　place；　Monsieur　Armand
  Peremet；　have　brought　to　light；　under　the　celebrated　tower　of
  Issoudun；　a　basilica　of　the　fifth　century；　probably　the　only　one　in
  France。　This　church　preserves；　in　its　very　materials；　the　sign…manual
  of　an　anterior　civilization；　for　its　stones　came　from　a　Roman　temple
  which　stood　on　the　same　site。
  Issoudun；　therefore；　according　to　the　researches　of　this　antiquary；
  like　other　cities　of　France　whose　ancient　or　modern　autonym　ends　in
  〃Dun〃　（〃dunum〃）　bears　in　its　very　name　the　certificate　of　an
  autochthonous　existence。　The　word　〃Dun；〃　the　appanage　of　all　dignity
  consecrated　by　Druidical　worship；　proves　a　religious　and　military
  settlement　of　the　Celts。　Beneath　the　Dun　of　the　Gauls　must　have　lain
  the　Roman　temple　to　Isis。　From　that　comes；　according　to　Chaumon；　the
  name　of　the　city；　Issous…Dun；〃Is〃　being　the　abbreviation　of　〃Isis。〃
  Richard　Coeur…de…lion　undoubtedly　built　the　famous　tower　（in　which　he
  coined　money）　above　the　basilica　of　the　fifth　century；the　third
  monument　of　the　third　religion　of　this　ancient　town。　He　used　the
  church　as　a　necessary　foundation；　or　stay；　for　the　raising　of　the
  rampart；　and　he　preserved　it　by　covering　it　with　feudal　fortifications
  as　with　a　mantle。　Issoudun　was　at　that　time　the　seat　of　the　ephemeral
  power　of　the　Routiers　and　the　Cottereaux；　adventurers　and　free…
  lancers；　whom　Henry　II。　sent　against　his　son　Richard；　at　the　time　of
  his　rebellion　as　Comte　de　Poitou。
  The　history　of　Aquitaine；　which　was　not　written　by　the　Benedictines；
  will　probably　never　be　written；　because　there　are　no　longer
  Benedictines：　thus　we　are　not　able　to　light　up　these　archaeological
  tenebrae　in　the　history　of　our　manners　and　customs　on　every　occasion
  of　their　appearance。　There　is　another　testimony　to　the　ancient
  importance　of　Issoudun　in　the　conversion　into　a　canal　of　the
  Tournemine；　a　little　stream　raised　several　feet　above　the　level　of　the
  Theols　which　surrounds　the　town。　This　is　undoubtedly　the　work　of　Roman
  genius。　Moreover；　the　suburb　which　extends　from　the　castle　in　a
  northerly　direction　is　intersected　by　a　street　which　for　more　than　two
  thousand　years　has　borne　the　name　of　the　rue　de　Rome；　and　the
  inhabitants　of　this　suburb；　whose　racial　characteristics；　blood；　and
  physiognomy　have　a　special　stamp　of　their　own；　call　themselves
  descendants　of　the　Romans。　They　are　nearly　all　vine…growers；　and
  display　a　remarkable　inflexibility　of　manners　and　customs；　due；
  undoubtedly；　to　their　origin；perhaps　also　to　their　victory　over　the
  Cottereaux　and　the　Routiers；　whom　they　exterminated　on　the　plain　of
  Charost　in　the　twelfth　century。
  After　the　insurrection　of　1830；　France　was　too　agitated　to　pay　much
  attention　to　the　rising　of　the　vine…growers　of　Issoudun；　a　terrible
  affair；　the　facts　of　which　have　never　been　made　public；for　good
  reasons。　In　the　first　place；　the　bourgeois　of　Issoudun　refused　to
  allow　the　military　to　enter　the　town。　They　followed　the　use　and　wont
  of　the　bourgeoisie　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　declared　themselves
  responsible　for　their　own　city。　The　government　was　obliged　to　yield　to
  a　sturdy　people　backed　up　by　seven　or　eight　thousand　vine…growers；　who
  had　burned　all　the　archives；　also　the　offices　of　〃indirect　taxation；〃
  and　had　dragged　through　the　streets　a　customs　officer；　crying　out　at
  every　street　lantern；　〃Let　us　hang　him　here！〃　The　poor　man's　life　was
  saved　by　the　national　guard；　who　took　him　to　prison　on　pretext　of
  drawing　up　his　indictment。　The　general　in　command　only　entered　the
  town　by　virtue　of　a　compromise　made　with　the　vine…growers；　and　it
  needed　some　courage　to　go　among　them。　At　the　moment　when　he　showed
  himself　at　the　hotel…de…ville；　a　man　from　the　faubourg　de　Rome　slung　a
  〃volant〃　round　his　neck　（the　〃volant〃　is　a　huge　pruning…hook　fastened
  to　a　pole；　with　which　they　trim　trees）　crying　out；　〃No　more　clerks；　or
  there's　an　end　to　compromise！〃　The　fellow　would　have　taken　off　that
  honored　head；　left　untouched　by　sixteen　years　of　war；　had　it　not　been
  for　the　hasty　intervention　of　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　revolt；　to
  whom　a　promise　had　been　made　that　THE　CHAMBERS　SHOULD　BE　ASKED　TO
  SUPPRESS　THE　EXCISEMEN。
  In　the　fourteenth　century；　Issoudun　still　had　sixteen　or　seventeen
  thousand　inhabitants；　remains　of　a　population　double　that　number　in
  the　time　of　Rigord。　Charles　VII。　possessed　a　mansion　which　still
  exists；　and　was　known；　as　late　as　the　eighteenth　century；　as　the
  Maison　du　Roi。　This　town；　then　a　centre　of　the　woollen　trade；　supplied
  that　commodity　to　the　greater　part　of　Europe；　and　manufactured　on　a
  large　scale　blankets；　hats；　and　the　excellent　Chevreautin　gloves。
  Under　Louis　XIV。；　Issoudun；　the　birthplace　of　Baron　and　Bourdaloue；
  was　always　cited　as　a　city　of　elegance　and　good　society；　where　the
  language　was　correctly　spoken。　The　curate　Poupard；　in　his　History　of
  Sancerre；　mentions　the　inhabitants　of　Issoudun　as　remarkable　among　the
  other　Berrichons　for　subtlety　and　natural　wit。　To…day；　the　wit　and　the
  splendor　have　alike　disappeared。　Issoudun；　whose　great　extent　of
  ground　bears　witness　to　its　ancient　importance；　has　now　barely　twelve
  thousand　inhabitants；　including　the　vine…dressers　of　four　enormous
  suburbs；those　of　Saint…Paterne；　Vilatte；　Rome；　and　Alouette；　which
  are　really　small　towns。　The　bourgeoisie；　like　that　of　Versailles；　are
  spread　over　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　streets。　Issoudun　still
  holds　the　market　for　the　fleeces　of　Berry；　a　commerce　now　threatened
  by　improvements　in　the　stock　which　are　being　introduced　everywhere
  except　in　Berry。
  The　vineyards　of　Issoudun　produce　a　wine　which　is　drunk　throughout　the
  two　departments；　and　which；　if　manufactured　as　Burgundy　and　Gascony
  manufacture　theirs；　would　be　one　of　the　best　wines　in　France。　Alas；
  〃to　do　as　our　fathers　did；〃　with　no　innovations；　is　the　law　of　the
  land。　Accordingly；　the　vine…growers　continue　to　leave　the　refuse　of
  the　grape　in　the　juice　during　its　fermentation；　which　makes　the　wine
  detestable；　when　it　might　be　a　source　of　ever…springing　wealth；　and　an
  industry　for　the　community。　Thanks　to　the　bitterness　which　the　refuse
  infuses　into　the　wine；　and　which；　they　say；　lessens　with　age；　a
  vintage　will　keep　a　century。　This　reason；　given　by　the　vine…grower　in
  excuse　for　his　obstinacy；　is　of　sufficient　importance　to　oenology　to
  be　made　public　here；　Guillaume　le　Breton　has　also　proclaimed　it　in
  some　lines　of　his　〃Phillippide。〃
  The　decline　of　Issoudun　is　explained　by　this　spirit　of　sluggishness；
  sunken　to　actual　torpor；　which　a　single　fact　will　illustrate。　When　the
  authorities　were　talking　of　a　highroad　between　Paris　and　Toulouse；　it
  was　natural　to　think　of　taking　it　from　Vierzon　to　Chateauroux　by　way
  of　Issoudun。　The　distance　was　shorter　than　to　make　it；　as　the　road　now
  is；　through　Vatan；　but　the　leading　people　of　the　neighborhood　and　the
  city　council　of　Issoudun　（whose　discussion　of　the　matter　is　said　to　be
  recorded）；　demanded　that　it　should　go　by　Vatan；　on　the　ground　that　if
  the　highroad　went　through　their　town；　provisions　would　rise　in　price
  and　they　might　be　forced　to　pay　thirty　sous　for　a　chicken。　The　only
  analogy　to　be　found　for　this　proceeding　is　in　the　wilder　parts　of
  Sardinia；　a　land　once　so　rich　and　populous；　now　so　deserted。　When
  Charles　Albert；　with　a　praiseworthy　intention　of　civilization；　wished
  to　unite　Sassari；　the　second　capital　of　the　island；　with　Cagliari　by　a
  magnificent　highway　（the　only　one　ever　made　in　that　wild　waste　by　name
  Sardinia）；　the　direct　line　lay　through　Bornova；　a　district　inhabited
  by　lawless　people；　all　the　more　like　our　Arab　tribes　because　they　are
  descended　from　the　Moors。　Seeing　that　they　were　about　to　fall　into　the
  clutches　of　civilization；　the　savages　of　Bornova；　without　taking　the
  trouble　to　discuss　the　matter；　declared　their　opposition　to　the　road。
  The　government　took　no　notice　of　it。　The　first　engineer　who　came　to
  survey　it；　got　a　ball　through　his　head；　and　died　on　his　level。　No
  action　was　taken　on　this　murder；　but　the　road　made　a　circuit　which
  lengthened　it　by　eight　miles！
  The　continual　lowering　of　the　price　of　wines　drunk　in　the
  neighborhood；　though　it　may　satisfy　the　desire　of　the　bourgeoisie　of
  Issoudun　for　cheap　provisions；　is　leading　the　way　to　the　ruin　of　the
  vine…growers；　who　are　more　and　more　burdened　with　the　costs　of
  cultivation　and　the　taxes；　just　as　the　ruin　of　the　woollen　trade　is
  the　result　of　the　non…improvement　in　the　breeding　of　sheep。　Country…
  folk　have　the　deepest　horror　of　change；　even　that　which　is　most
  conducive　to　their　interests。　In　the　country；　a　Parisian　meets　a
  laborer　who　eats　an　enormous　quantity　of　bread；　cheese；　and
  vegetables；　he　proves　to　him　that　if　he　would　substitute　for　that　diet
  a　certain　portion　of　meat；　he　would　be　better　fed；　at　less　cost；　that
  he　could　work　more；　and　would　not　use　up　his　capital　of　health　and
  strength　so　quickly。　The　Berrichon　sees　the　correctness　of　the
  calculation；　but