the hotels at besan?on have the reputation of being the worst in all france, but my kind friends would not let me try them. i found myself, therefore, all at once in the midst of all kinds of home comforts, domesticities, and distractions, with delightful cicerones in host and hostess, and charming little companions in their two children. this is the poetry of travel; thus to journey from one place to another, provided with introductory letters which open hearts and doors at every stage, and make each one the inauguration of a new friendship. i wish i could subjoin an illustration of "how i travelled through franche-comté," for my exploration of these regions was a succession of pic-nics—host, hostess, their english guest, swiss nurse-maid, and two little fair-haired boys, being cosily packed in an open carriage; on the seat beside the driver, a huge basket, suggesting creature comforts, the neck of a wine bottle, and the spout of a tea-pot being conspicuous above the other contents. this is indeed the way i saw the beautiful valley of the doubs, and not only the country round about besan?on, but the border-land of switzerland and savoy. the weather—we are in the first days of september—is perfect. the children, aged respectively eighteen months and three years and odd, are the best little travellers in the world, always going to sleep when convenient to their elders, and at other times quietly enjoying the shifting landscape; in fact, there is nothing to mar our enjoyment of regions as lovely as any it has ever been my good fortune to witness.
in consequence of the bad character of the besan?on hotels, even french tourists seldom break their journey here; but, on the opening of the new railway line into switzerland, joining besan?on, ornans, and morteau, new and better hotels are sure to spring up. at present, wherever we go, we never, by any chance, meet the ubiquitous english traveller with his murray, and my friends here say that, during a several years' residence in besan?on, they have never even yet seen such an apparition! yet franche-comté, at present a terra incognita of tourists, abounds in all kinds of beauty; the sublime, the gracious, the grandiose, and the pastoral, rock, vast panoramas, mountain and valley, all are here; and all as free from the trace of the english and american tourist as the garden of eden before eve's trespass!
besides these quieter beauties are some rare natural phenomena, such as the glacière de la grace dieu, near baume-les-dames, and the famous osselle grottoes, both of which may be reached by railway. we preferred, however, the open carriages the basket and the tea-pot, and accordingly set off for the latter one superb morning in the highest spirits, which nothing occurred to mar. quitting this splendid environment of besan?on, we drive for three hours amid the lovely valley of the doubs, delighted at every bend of the road with some new feature in the landscape; then choosing a sheltered slope, unpacked our basket, lunched al fresco, with the merriest spirits, and the heartiest appetite. never surely did the renowned besan?on patés taste better, never did the wine of its warm hill-sides prove of a pleasanter flavour! the children sported on the turf like little loves, the air was sweet with the perfume of new-made hay. the birds sang overhead, and beyond our immediate pavilion of greenery, lay the curling blue river and smiling green hills. leaving the children to sleep under the trees, and the horse to feed at a neighbouring mill—there is no kind of wayside inn here, so we have to beg a little hay from the miller or a farmer—we follow a little lad, provided with matches and candles to the entrance of the famous grottoes. outside the sugar-loaf hill, so marvellously channelled and cased with stalactite formation, has nothing remarkable—it is a mere green height, and nothing more. inside, however, as strange a spectacle meets our eyes as it is possible to conceive. to see these caves in detail, you must spend an hour or two in the bowels of the earth, but we were contented with half that time, for this underground promenade is a very chilly one, as in some places we were ankle deep in water. each provided with a candle, we now follow our youthful guide, who was accompanied by a dog, as familiar as himself with the windings of these sombre subterranean palaces, for palaces they might be called. sometimes the stalactite roofs are lofty, sometimes we have to bend our heads in order to pass from one vaulted chamber to another; here we have a superb column supporting an arch; here a pillar in course of formation, everywhere the strangest, most fantastic architecture, an architecture moreover that is the work of ages; one petrifying drop after another doing its apportioned work, column, arch, and roof being formed by a process so slow that the life-time of a human being hardly counts in the calculation. there is something sublime in the contemplation of this steady persistence of nature, this undeviating march to a goal; and as we gaze upon the embryo stages of the petrifaction, stalagmite patiently lifting itself upward, stalactite as patiently bending down to the remote but inevitable union, we might almost fancy them sentient agents in the marvellous transformation. the stamens of a passion-flower do not more eagerly, as it seems, coil upwards to embrace the pistil; the beautiful stamina flower of the vallisneria spiralis does not more determinately seek its mate than these crystal pendants covet union with their fellows below. their perpetual bridals are accomplished after countless cycles of time, whilst meantime in the sunlit world outside, the faces of whole continents are being changed, and entire civilizations are formed and overthrown.
the feeble light projected by our four candles in these gloomy yet majestic chambers was not so feeble as to obscure the insignificant names of hundreds of individuals scrawled here and there. the great german philosopher schopenhauer is at pains philosophically to explain the foolish propensity of travellers to perpetuate their names, or as it so seems to them. the pyramids or kentucky caves do not impress their minds at all, but to see their own illustrious names john brown and tom smith cut upon them, does seem a very interesting and important fact. the bones of the cave bear and other gigantic animals have been formed here; but the principal tenants of these antique vaults are now the bats, forming huge black clusters in the roof. there is something eerie in their cries, but they are more alarmed than alarming; the lights disturbing them not a little.
pleasant after even this short adventure into the regions of the nether-world, was the return to sunshine, green trees, the children, and the tea-pot! after calling it into requisition, we set off homewards, reaching besan?on just as the moon made its appearance, a large silver disc above the purple hills; and the next day, good luck still following us, we had a drive and pic-nic in the opposite direction, this time with a less ambitious programme. in fact, we were merely accepting a neighbour's invitation to a friendly dinner out of doors, a few miles from besan?on. this pic-nic is a fair sample of franche-comté hospitality; not only friends were invited but their guests, babies, servants, and "all that was in their house," the various parties being collected by the host in a waggonette. it was sunday, and though i am here still in a strictly protestant atmosphere, host and guests being protestants, it was pleasant to find none of the puritanism characterizing some sections of the reformed church in france. the protestant pastor, indeed, to whose eloquent discourse i had listened that morning, was of the party; and it is quite a matter of course here to spend sunday afternoons thus sociably and healthfully. the meeting-place was a rustic spot much resorted to by bisontins on holidays, and easily reached from the little station of roche on the railway line to belfort. a winding path through a wood leads to the so-called acier springs, which, since the roman epoch, have continued to supply besan?on with the delicious water we find here in such abundance. we have just such bits of wood, waterfalls, and mountains in north wales, but seldom in september such unbroken sunshine to make a pic-nic exactly what it should be. it was warm enough for july, and young and old could disport themselves on the turf in perfect security.
as the afternoon wore on, numerous pleasure-parties, mostly belonging to the working-classes, found their way to the same pleasant spot, all amply provided with baskets of wine and provisions. some went further in search of a little glade they could have to themselves, others took possession of nooks and corners in the open space where we tad just before dined so merrily. it was amusing to see how little attention these good people paid to us, or any other outsiders. two or three of the women, fearing to tear their sunday gowns in the wood, coolly took them off, hung them on the trees near, and as coolly re-made their toilette when their woodland rambles were over.
the train to r?che certainly brought in a goodly contingent of pic-nic parties that afternoon and when about four o'clock we prepared to return home, the place was beginning to wear a very animated appearance. the moon had risen ere we reached our destination, and, seen in the tender summer twilight, the valley of the doubs looked even more beautiful than in the glowing sunshine of mid-day. there is no monotony in these vine-clad hills, rugged mountain sides wooded from peak to base, close shut valleys, and bright blue winding rivers; whether seen under the dropping shadows of a shifting sky, or under the glow of sunset, their quiet beauties delight the eye of the mere spectator and commend themselves to the artist. perhaps no department in france is richer in rivers than le doubs, every landscape has its bit of river, rivulet or canal.
to get an idea of the commanding position of besan?on, we must climb one of these lofty green heights, that of notre dame des buis, for instance, an hour's drive from the town. having reached a sharp eminence, crowned by a chapel and covered with box-wood, we obtain a splendid view of the natural and artificial defences which make besan?on, strategically speaking, one of the strongest positions in france. caesar, in his 'commentaries' speaks almost with enthusiasm of the admirable [footnote: "oppidum maximum sequauorum, natura loci, sic muniebatur ut magnam ad ducendum bellum daret facultatem: propterea quod flumen dubis ut circino circumductum, pene totum oppidum cingit; reliquum spatium [quod non est amplius pedum dc. quà flumen intermittit,] mons continet magna altitudine, ita ut radices ejus montis ex utra parte ripae fluminis continguat." de bello gallico, lib. i., chap, xxxviii. a marvellous bit of accurate description this, and to be commended to writers of guide-books.] position of vesontio, the capital of the sequani, and, when he became master of it, the defeat of vercingetorix was a mere matter of time. but what would the great general have said, could be have seen his citadel thus dwarfed into insignificance by vauban's magnificent fortifications? and what would be vauban's amazement could he behold the stupendous works of modern strategists?
beyond these proudly-cresting heights, every peak bristling with its defiant fort, stretches a vast panorama; the mountain chains of the jura, the vosges, the snow-capped swiss alps, the plains of burgundy, all these lie under our eye, clearly defined in the transparent atmosphere of this summer afternoon. the campanula white and blue, with abundance of lovely tinted deep orange potentills and rich carmine dianthus, were growing at our feet, with numerous other wild flowers. the pretty pink mallow, cultivated in gardens, grows everywhere, but not so luxuriantly here as about morteau, and the serviceberry and barberry have almost disappeared. this is indeed a paradise for botanists, but their travels should be made earlier in the year. the walks and drives in the neighbourhood of besan?on are countless, but that to the little valley of the. world's end, "le bout du monde," must on no account be omitted.
again we follow the limpid waters of the winding doubs; on one side hanging vineyards and orchards, on the other lines of poplars, above these dimpled green hills and craggy peaks are reflected in the still transparent water. we reach the pretty village of beurre after a succession of landscapes, "l'un plus joli que l'autre," as our french neighbours say, and then come suddenly upon a tiny valley shut in by lofty rocks, aptly called the world's end of these parts, since here the most adventuresome pedestrian must retrace his steps—no possibility of scaling these mountain-walls, from which a cascade falls so musically; no outlet from these impregnable walls into the pastoral country on the other side. we must go back by the way we have come, first having penetrated to the heart of the valley by a winding path, and watched the silvery waters tumble down from the grey rocks that seem to touch the blue sky overhead.
the great charm of these landscapes is the abundance of water to be found everywhere, and no less delightful is the sight of springs, fountains, and pumps in every village. besan?on is noted for its handsome fountains, some of which are real works of art, but the tiniest hamlets in the neighbourhood, and, indeed, throughout the whole department of the doubs, are as well supplied as the city itself. we know what an aristocratic luxury good water is in many an english village, and how too often the poor have no pure drinking water within reach at all; here they have close at hand enough and to spare of the purest and best, and not only their share of that, but of the good things of the earth as well, a bit of vegetable and fruit-garden, a vineyard, and, generally speaking, a little house of their own. here, as a rule, everybody possesses something, and the working watchmakers have, most of them, their suburban gardens, to which they resort on sundays and holidays. besan?on is very rich in suburban retreats, and nothing can be more enticing than the cottages and villas nestled so cosily along the vine-clad hills that surround it on every side. it is, above all, rich in public walks and promenades, one of these, the promenade chamart—a corruption of champ de mars—possessing some of the finest plane trees in europe—a gigantic bit of forest on the verge of this city—of wonderful beauty and stateliness. these veteran trees vary in height from thirty to thirty-five yards. the promenade micaud, so called after its originator, mayor of besan?on, in 1842, winds along the river-side, and affords lovely views at every turn. then there are so-called "squares" in the heart of the town, where military bands play twice a week, and nursemaids and their charges spend the afternoons. perhaps no city of its size in all france, besan?on numbers only sixty thousand inhabitants, is better off in this respect, whilst it is so enriched by vine-clad hills and mountains that the country peeps in everywhere.
considered from all points of view it is a very attractive place to live in, and possesses all the resources of the capital on a small scale; an excellent theatre, free art schools, and an academy of arts, literary, scientific and artistic societies, museums, picture galleries, lastly, one of the finest public libraries in france, of which a word or two more later on. first of all something must be said of the city itself, which is especially interesting to the archaeologist and historian, and is very little frequented by english tourists. alternately roman, burgundian, arlesian, anglo-french, and spanish, besan?on has seen extraordinary vicissitudes. in the twelfth century it was constituted a free city or commune, and was not incorporated into the french kingdom till the reign of louis xiv. traces of these various occupations remain, and as we enter in at one gate and pass out of another, we have each successive chapter of its history suggested to us in the noble porte noire or roman triumphal arch; the ancient cathedral first forming a roman basilica; the superb semi-italian, semi-spanish palais granvelle, the h?tel-de-ville with its handsome sixteenth century fa?ade; the renaissance council chamber in magnificently carved oak of the palais de justice—all these stamp the city with the seal of different epochs, and lend majesty to the modern, handsome town into which the besan?on of former times has been transformed. the so-called porte taillée a roman gate hewn out of the solid rock, forms an imposing entry to the city, the triumphal arch before mentioned leading to the cathedral only. here most picturesquely stand the columns and other fragments of the roman theatre excavated by the learned librarian, m. castan, a few years back. the archbishop allows no one to see the art-treasures contained in the archiepiscopal palace, among which is a fine paul veronese; but the cathedral is fortunately open, and there the art-lovers may rejoice in perhaps one of the most beautiful fra bartolomeos in the world, unfortunately hung too high to be well seen. exteriorly the cathedral offers little interest, but the interior is very gorgeous—a dazzling display of gold ornaments, stained glass, pictures, mosaics, and ecclesiastical riches of all kinds. the other churches of besan?on are not interesting, architecturally speaking, though picturesque, especially st. pierre, with its clock-tower conspicuously seen from every part of the town. the archaeological museum is considered the best arranged, as also, in some respects, it is the richest in france, and contains some wonderfully beautiful things, notably the celtic collection found at alaise, in the department of the jura—supposed by some authorities to be the alesia of julius caesar, whilst others have decided in favour of alise sainte reine, in auvergne, where a statue has been raised to the noble vercingetorix. there are also gallo-roman objects of great interest and beauty collected from mandeure (epanuoduorum) and other parts of franche-comté. such collections must be studied in detail to be appreciated, and i only mention them as affording another illustration of the principle of decentralization carried on in france—each city and town being enriched and embellished, as far as possible, and made a centre artistic, scientific, and literary. the museum contains amongst other things a curious collection of old watches, the speciality of besan?on, of which more will be said hereafter. but what was my astonishment and delight, as i sauntered by the little cases under the window containing coins, medals, and antiquities of various kinds, to come suddenly upon a label bearing the inscription:—
"la montre de vergniaud."
there it lay, the little gold watch of the great girondin orator, choicest, most precious relic of the revolution, historic memento unrivalled for interest and romantic associations! vergniaud's watch! the very words take one's breath away, yet there it was, close under my eyes. all those of my readers who are well acquainted with the history of the revolution in detail, will remember the last banquet of the girondins, that memorable meeting together of the martyrs of liberty, each one condemned to die next morning for his political creed. the girondins ruthlessly swept away, the last barrier removed between principle and passion, and the revolutionary tide was free to work destruction at its will; of these, vergniaud was undoubtedly the greatest, and anything and everything connected with him has a magic interest. after the banquet, which was held with much state and ceremony in a hall of the conciergerie, now shown to travellers, the twenty-seven girondins discoursed in platonic fashion upon the subjects nearest their hearts, namely, the future of republican ideas and the immortality of the soul. this solemn symposium brought to an end, each occupied himself differently, some in making their last testament, others in deep thought, one in calm sleep; and it was during the interval that vergniaud with a pin scratched inside the case of his elegant little gold watch the name of adèle, and having done this he handed it to a trustworthy gaoler to be delivered next day. a few hours later his head had fallen on the guillotine, but his last request was duly delivered to the adèle for whom he designed it, a little girl of thirteen who was to have become his wife. she became in due time a happy wife and mother, and bequeathed vergniaud's historic watch to a friend, who generously bestowed it upon the besan?on museum. charles nodier, in his "dernier banquet des girondins," gives an eloquent history of this watch, which most likely he saw and handled as a youth. vergniaud is undoubtedly one of the most striking and imposing figures in the revolution, and everything concerning him is of deepest interest. his lofty soul, no more than any other of that epoch, could foresee how the french republic would be established peaceably and friendly after torrents of blood and crimes and errors unspeakable.
the picture-galleries, arranged in fine handsome rooms adjoining, contain several chefs d'oeuvre amid a fairly representative collection of french art. the fine albert dürer—an altarpiece in wood—the moro portraits, the bronzino—descent from the cross—all veritable gems, lastly the portrait of cardinal granvelle by titian. this is a noble work; there are also two canvases attributed to velasquez, "galileo," and a "mathematician." seeing that besan?on was under spanish protection during the great painter's lifetime, and that all kinds of art-treasures were amassed by the granvelles in their superb palace, it might well happen that works of velasquez should have found their way here. authorities must decide on the genuineness of these two real works of art.
under the same roof is the free art-school for students of both sexes, which is one of the most flourishing institutes of the town, and dates from the year 1794. in the second year of study, drawing is taught from the living model, and every facility is thus afforded to those unable to pursue their studies in paris, or pay the expense of a private study. there is also a free music-school and technical schools, both gratuitous, and open to both sexes. nor must we forget the academy of science and belles lettres, which not only affords complete scientific and literary instruction gratuitously to the poor student, but also courses of lectures open to the general public from october till june. these lectures may be compared to the winter series of our royal institution, (alas! the privilege of the rich and at least well-to-do only!) and, besides offering a rare intellectual treat to lovers of science and letters generally, are of the greatest possible use to needy students. indeed, so liberal is the city of besan?on in this respect that any lad who has been lucky enough to get a nomination to the lycée, may here pass his examination for the bachelier-ès-lettres and ès-science without a farthing of costs. again i may remark, as far as i know, no english town of 60,000 inhabitants, more or less, offers anything like the same advantages in the matter of higher instruction to those who cannot afford to pay for it; but perhaps my english critics will reply that those who cannot pay the cost of royal institution or other lectures are unreasonable to expect scientific instruction, or recreation, to which argument i have nothing to say. the fact remains, as everyone who lives in france knows well enough, that we have nothing to be compared to the free academies, free art and music schools found there so largely, and which have received considerable development of late years. many of these date from the great revolution, when the highest instruction was not considered too good for the people. the superior taste, technical skill, and general intelligence of french workmen are due to those causes, and, of course, chiefly to the accessibility of museums, libraries, art-collections, &c. on sundays. no matter which of these you may happen to visit on a sunday, you are sure to find that soldiers, artisans and peasants curiously inspecting the treasures displayed to view—even dry geological and archaeological collections attracting their attention. it is impossible to have anything to do with the french working classes, and not observe the effect of this artistic culture, and here and there throughout this work i have adduced instances in point. we have nothing in england to be compared to the general filtration of artistic ideas, by means of gratuitous art and technical instruction, and the opening on sunday of all art and literary collections.
but after all it is the watchmaking school, or, école d'horlogerie that will perhaps most interest and instruct the traveller here, and he should by no means neglect to visit it; however short his stay may be. watchmaking is, as is well known, the speciality of besan?on, and dates as an important branch of industry from the year 1793. the national convention is to be thanked for the foundation of the first "horlogerie," having invited to besan?on the refugee watchmakers of chaux de fonds and locle, who had been prescribed for their adherence to the republican idea. by a decree of the convention, these exiles were accorded succour, after which the committee declared watchmaking in the department of the doubs to be a national institution. many hundred thousand watches are made here annually, and it has been computed that, out of every hundred watches in the french market, eighty-six come from besan?on. in the year 1873, 353,764 watches were made, representing a capital of fifteen millions of francs, and the trade increases annually. the watchmaking school located in the picturesque old grenier, or public granary of the city, numbers over a hundred pupils of both sexes, and is of course gratuitous. the besan?on watches are noted for their elegance and cheapness, being sold at prices which would surprise eminent london watchmakers. many working watchmakers on a small scale, are here, who, by dint of great economy, contrive to purchase a bit of garden and summer house outside the town, whither they go on sundays and holidays to breathe the fresh air, and cultivate their flowers and vegetables. but the majority are capitalists on a large scale, as at montbéliard, and i fear the workman's hours here are as long as at the latter place. the length of the day's labour in france is appalling, the one blot on a bright picture of thrift, independence, and a general well-being.
delightful hours may be spent in the public library, one of the richest of provincial france, which is also, like the charming little library of weimar, a museum as well. the most superb of these bibliographical treasures were amassed by the keeper of the seals of charles the fifth, perrenot de granvelle, and afterwards bequeathed by the abbé brisot, into whose possession they had fallen, to the town of besan?on. among them are some splendid manuscripts from the library of mathias corvinus, king of hungary, and a vast collection of choice aldines bound in the costliest manner. no less than 1,200 volumes of the sixteenth century are here, amongst these several specimens of topography printed in franche-comté. lovers of rare mss., old books, and old bindings, have here a feast, indeed, and are generously allowed access to all. like most other important, libraries in france, it is under the management of a man of learning and distinction; m. castan, the present librarian, is the author of some valuable works relating to his native province and to his archaeological labours. besan?on is mainly indebted not only for the excavations, which have filled its museums with treasures, but for the imposing roman remains which adorn its streets. besides its bibliographical collections, the library contains a vast number of coins, medallions, busts, engravings, and portraits relating to the history of franche-comté, many of which are highly interesting. the busts, portraits, and relics of such noble franc-comtois as have won a european reputation—george cuvier, for instance, whose brain weighed more than that of any human being ever known; victor hugo, whose works are familiar to readers in all languages; charles fourier, who saw in the phalanstery, or, associated home, a remedy for the crying social evils of the age, and who, in spite of many aberrations, is entitled to the gratitude of mankind for his efforts on behalf of education, and the elevation of the laborious classes; proudhon, whose famous dictum, "la propriété c'est le vol," has become the watchword of a certain school of socialists, which even the iron despotism of russia and germany cannot keep down; charles nodier, charming littérateur, who, at the age of twenty-one, was the author of the first satire ever published against the first napoleon, "la napoléone," which formulated the indignation of the republican party, and a noble roll-call of artists, authors, savants, soldiers, and men of science.
noteworthy in this treasure-house of franc-comtois history is the fine marble statue of jouffroy by pradier. jouffroy, of whom his native province may well be proud, disputes with fulton the honour of first having applied steam to the purposes of navigation. his efforts, made on the river doubs and the sa?ne in 1776 and 1783, failed for the want of means to carry out his ideas in full, but the academy of science acknowledged his claim to the discovery in 1840. the besan?on library, indeed, whether considered as such pur et simple, or a museum, is full of interest and instruction, and deserves a lengthened visit. the collection of works on art, architecture, and archaeology bequeathed to the city by paris, architect and designer to louis xvi., is a very rich one and there is also a cabinet of medals numbering ten thousand pieces.
besan?on also boasts of several learned societies, one of which founded in the interests of scientific inquiry so far back as 1840, "la société d'émulation du doubs," numbers five hundred and odd members. one of the most interesting features in the ancient city is its connection with spain, and what has been termed the golden age of franche-comté under the emperor charles the fifth. it will be remembered that franche-comté formed a part of the dowry of margaret, daughter of the emperor maximilian of austria, and it was under her protectorate during her life-time and reverted to her nephew charles the fifth on his accession to the crowns of spain, austria, the low countries, and burgundy. his minister, perrenot de granvelle, born at ornans, infused new intellectual and artistic life into the place he ruled as a prince. his stately italian palace, still one of the handsomest monuments of besan?on, was filled with pictures, statues, books, and precious manuscripts, and the stimulus thus given to literature and the fine arts was followed by a goodly array of artists, thinkers, and writers. the learned gilbert cousin, secretary of erasmus, prévost, pupil of raffaelle, goudinel of besan?on, the master of palestrina, creator of popular music, the lettered family of chifflet, and many others, shed lustre on this splendid period; while not only besan?on but lons-le-saunier, arbois, and other small towns bear evidence of spanish influence on architecture and the arts. in the most out of the way places may be found chefs-d'oeuvre dating from the protectorate of margaret and the emperor, and it is such scattered treasure-trove that makes travelling in out of the way places in franche-comté so fruitful to the art-lover in various fields.
the most salient feature of social life at besan?on is its catholicism, the place literally swarming with priests, and soldiers, to the great detriment of public morality. the protestants, nevertheless, hold their own here, and even gain ground, witness the protestant church established within the last ten years at arbois by the consistory of besan?on. they have also succeeded in founding a hospital here for the sick and aged poor, which is the greatest possible boon. up till that time, this section of the community had been received in the municipal hospital under the management of the nuns, who, of course, did all in their power to worry their patients into catholicism. we know what happens when a hospital is under the charge of nuns, and it can easily be understood that many of these poor people preferred to embrace a crucifix than forego their broth when half dead of exhaustion. some would go through a mock conversion, others would endure a martyrdom till the last; but the position alike of weak and obstinate was unbearable. now there is a home, not only for the indigent sick and aged, but for those who can afford to pay a small sum for being well looked after; and it is delightful to witness the home-like ease and comfort everywhere. the poor people welcomed their pastor, who accompanied me on my visit, not only as a priest but as a friend, and it was easy to see how they enjoyed a little talk with madame, and the prattle of the children.
the large shady hospital garden overlooking the town is much resorted to in fine weather, and everywhere we found cheerful faces. it is hardly necessary to say that this admirable work needs money. the catholic clergy, of course, regard any step in advance on the part of the protestants with abhorrence, and do a little bit of persecution whenever opportunity offers. thus, as perhaps may not be known to all my readers, the parish burial-ground in france is open by the law to all sects and denominations indiscriminately; protestant, jew, mahometan, or brahmin may here find a resting-place in spite of m. le curé. such is the law, and an admirable law it is, but the law means one thing to a catholic and another to a protestant there is no protestant burial-ground in besan?on or the neighbouring villages, so that everyone is buried in the town and parish cemetery; but, as mayors of small country towns and villages often happen not to know the law, the curé tries to circumvent his enemy at the last. accordingly, when the time of burial comes, a protestant pastor may be kept waiting for hours in consequence of this wilful obstinacy; supposing that the mayor is under clerical influence, useless to argue "la loi est avec nous;" curé and mayor persist, and at the last moment the unfortunate pastor has to telegraph to the préfet, who, whether clerical or not, knows the law, and is obliged to follow it, and consequently sends an authorization which ends the matter. this is very blind on the part of the clericals, for it naturally turns the protestants into martyrs. it happened in a little village, not far from besan?on, that, after a scene of this kind, all the village population turned into the cemetery, and, by the time the préfet's order came, the protestant pastor had a large audience for his discourse over the grave. "c'est si consolant chez les protestants, l'enterrement des morts," people were heard to say, and let us hope that the curé and the mayor were punished for their folly by a few conversions among their flocks to protestantism.
a mediaeval writer, fran?ois de belleforest, thus describes besan?on:—
"si par l'antiquité, continuée en grandeur, la bénédiction de dieu se cognoit en une lieu, il n'y a ville ni cité en toutes les gaules qui ayt plus grande occasion de remarquer la faveur de dieu, en soy que la cité dont nous avions prise le discours. car, en premier lieu, elle est assise en aussi bonne et riche assiette que ville du monde; estant entouré de riches costeaux et vignobles, et de belles et hautes f?rets, ayant la rivière du doux qui passe par le millieu, et enclost pour le plupart d'icelle, estant bien, d'ailleurs fort bien approvisionée. les fruicts y sont aussi bons, et y a aussi bonne commodité de venaison et de gibier en ceste ville, qu'en autre qu'on sceut choisir. et puis ce qu'elle est à la cheultes des montagnes, on la tient pour le grenier commun du comté de bourgogne, comme jadis sicile estait de l'itaile. et s'il était question d'estimer la vertu d'un peuple, qui s'est longtemps maintenu libre sans ployer la gantelet, ni rien perdu de sa réputation, on peut, à bon droit, faire cas de ceste cité. et certes de tout temps ceste brave cité a esté enviée des tyrans, pour en usurper la domination. et il n'y a ni eu ni menaces, ni allêchement qui ayent sceu esbranler les nobles et libres coeurs besan?onnais, pour quicter aucune chose de leurs libertez, quelques couleurs de grandeur et de richesses qu'on leur ayt mis audevant pour se laisser annexer au comté de bourgogne, et avoir un parlément, et se mettre auxpieds ce qu'il ont aux mains."
