New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-26
FROM PARIS TO poITIERs No. ".
tem Our Own Correspondent.

4 JuS oPPo0b our Ninuo"si Uut WV ubos
blow ne, rises steeply from the rivers bank the
hn Of Fronssc. The traveller must not leave Ii
ksrne without visiting it, summit. He may jour
ny far and wide before his eye shall rest on another
N varied and grateful scene az 10 spread before him
here. Directly In front lies Libourne, with It's
Ibddses, vessels at the quays, and the beautiful
Iredern spire of the Cd church Of ST. John, and
Ies old rOund tower which the Libournais chris
I,ss.d tho Tower Of Richard, fse hundred years
j,ge in honor Of Richard, Prince Of Wales, who
lss afterward the unhappy Richard II. Of En-
ltapd. Leftward the eye roves miles and miles
I,ny among the meadows and groves and cultiva-
ltd 6eds Of the peaceful, quiet valley Of the River
IIss. To the right is the broad DOrdogns, some
lines almost returning, On its course seawsrd as il
Ibh to quit the smiling villages and fertile meadows,
Ihe white villas and old castle ruins and vine-c0v.
Tered slopes past which it wids and wanders llnger
thg Many miles away, after the line of its course
Ib Interrupted by occasional slightly ri.Og banks we
Taught elimpses Of its bends appearing like dis
ipnt lakes and here and there the white sails Of
lase that seemed to be navigating among the vine
Iy,rds Of the Palus. Turning completely round, and
i've look down upon the pretty village Of Fronsac aud
out over an undulatlDg region which seems only
continuation Of the vineyard in the midst of which
ne stand, green ocean of vines everywhere, with
bamlets and country houses for Islands. The grapes
pf the Hill Of Fr0nsac are now fermenting in the
great yats in the Outbuding behind the house. This
|bouse is plain onestory edifce, occupied only in
lbe Summer months by the actual proprietor of
trsns an honest gentleman who differs as greatly
from the former propretOrs as his house does from
their chateaus. he built is there because it is the
center OF his valuable vines, and because from its
krrace he can enjoy and have his friends enjoy be-
fde the patent sense Of proprietorship, charming
liew over district that shows fioer proofs of the
title Garden of France than any portion of the over
fyraised valley Of the Loire His predecessors built
hm widely different motives. The first of them,
However may have been an honest gentleman too.
lie was Roman, and perhaps sometimes had the
lpoet Ausonus guest in his villa, which the Bar
lbsrians sfterward destroyed. AT later date Char
kmagne constructed fortress on its site which was
eld by feudal yicomte Deepen lent on the Count of
Nngoaleme, That disappeared in time, and the vi
ante VI ff0Dsac raised in its place strong castle
shose occupants protested allegiance, now to the
lDgs of France, now to the kings of England, &C
sadiDg AS one the other royalty was in the as
snesnt. To 90 through with the catalogue merely of
tsuccessive occupants from this tims-I mean from
ll5l, when the English were finally expelled from
he country--much to the regret Of the Libournas,
40, with reason preferred them to their French
uers-youh carry me beyond the limits Of q letter.
Twill speak of only two or three of them who have
M historic memories hereabOut. Iu Charles the
ikrbth's time it was held from the crown by one
ALonpueyile Count; de ST. Paul. Not a MODEL OF
se Christian virtues was he his lieutenant, d. Ar
ssemOnt, to whom he intrusted the command OF the
Asteau andthe collecting Gifts revenues, was model
n The deyilish vices. lie and the "bleful brood
esto lodged in this den," as Maistre Helie Petit,
,Libourais poet of the Time calls the garrison Of
be castle, robbed and plundered and did worse than
sb and plumber the inhabitants of the surrounding
Huntry The bourgeois of LibOurne, and the crews
vessels passing up the river, and the peasant girls
a the cottages were the prey OF the lieutenant and
Is gang, portion of the profits being divided with
sloIeueyiIe. But things at last came to such pass
That the king was moved by the murmurs OF the
spop,e. and Justice was done on D'ArselimOut,
whose head was cut of and nailed to one OF the
it,tes of Lbourne-but his goods were all conhs-
sated and then giren 10 hes master, LongHerMe
sCoust N 81 Paul. The inhabitants of this region
were not. however, satisfied with the execution OF
pArsile mont and after considerable difficulty they
ebtained permission to demolsh the castle on paying
30, 00 crowns to its prOprietors Though they went
70 work with will the town OF Lioourne furnishing
fy aborers for The service the process o. demoltloh
lksted tHo months A few basement Fragments oil
The stronghold may still be seen on one side OF the
lhn. And SO for many years the Hill OF ffoDsac
IL, ALLOW of wickedness of which through ages 1t
had bOrDe such luzliIiant crops. Then came tnat
inkhed specimen Of genteel corruption, that renaed
Vice, that Gallant, witty light headed, empty heart
lN polished gentleman of the old school, the Mare
ldL Duke RicheIeu, and built an italian villa on
The site Of the ancient castle. There he ate,
dntk and made merry till just before the dood
cane But the deluge, which he escaped by dylag
lnEs3, came upon the house, that was NANNY DC
IEroyed in 1898.
His wonderful. Standing here on the terrace at
frcnsac, looking out toward the ruins OF 81 E@,-
lion md toward CastilOp, under whose walls " VAL
liant ord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury the frepch-
naa's only sceurge, lay sinking and dyblown alter
Dc battle, and up the valley OF the Isle toward Eou-
tas aud the scene of the great battle between tieo
y of Navarro and the Duke OF Joyeuse; OF iooh'uS
Iu. ON T ;bourne whose streets have flowed with
Epssh blood, French blood Protestant blood, Cath
Ole blood, rebelious salt-deslers BLOOD loyal picod,
Revolutionary blood Girondists' blood; or looking
bach with the miuds eye along that railroad track
b Paris "a hich is bOrdered either side tue whole
6stsrcs with battle-felds aud ruins OF feudal castles
and royal castles with their Oubettes and iron cages
Tor prisoners their and bewers for paramours; AM
boise, its streets carpeted with dead bodies, tne GUT
iers running blood, and the Loire covered WIZ
copscs Of Professionals fastened by slxes, egnes au
lSfteens to long poles; Bois, with the murdered
leorpee of the Catholic Guise Orleans, with its muir
dered Msid-everywhere battle, murder waste
cruelty corruption. 1t is enough TO make one be
iIeye In original sin, looking at il thst way. Ba
when ere notes this prospect as It lies spread Oh
here smiling back to the cheerful SIN, the sag;Ik
yrOops ia the vineyards, the scattered iArm-house
and Villages cropping out on the hLside: the grand
ehesrt. grove as you 90 up toward folt'ers qua ne
boundiss gYain-f Of the Beauce, tle ousy 'GtN
ING tofrs GU pass on that road from PARIS 70 Ber'
desux. the intelligent, friendly people who travel ,s
with vow. the Jolly good humor Of those five solier'
soiny bome on furlough their thoughtful kindness