New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-14
BAYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERS.
AvIsrr TO THE GRANDE CHARTREUsE.

During an excursion which / made to the
south of Europe some two month ago, turned asiue
to make acquaintance with place of which most Oh
my readers have heard, but which very few suS-
pect have ever visited. This is the celebrated mon
astery called the Grande Ckdrtreuse situated Il, 'n
Alpine wilderness known as the Desert on 'ie W.
ders of Savoy. During the last century "neii 0i"'
and Horace Walpoe penetrated into theSe
the monastery was q well-known point OF interest,"
60 to,lor Int II seems TO have been forgotten dur
ing and since the grand upheaval oil the rIen'H
Revolution and the NapoleOnic Empire Inc name
hovever il kent alive on the tongues OF gouli'iU0
byA certain greenish, pungent perluii'u nq
which comes upon their tables at the close Ol ii'i
Tba traveller from Lyons TO Marseilles passes
,ytbin six hours Journey of the Oranu Ohai uou'0
If no will leave the train at Naence, the Diao i'"u
10 C;renobe will take him swiftly up the I"ne! VI
a. Inre and he will soon exchange the rocky VINE
slopes of the Rhone for Alpine scenery Oh se"i0
hardly surpassed in Switzerland The lower Valleys
90 Soyov and Dauphine form one Of the loyellest
regions in Europe Rich thickly settled, teemlng
With Grain. fruit and wine they lie Immediately I'M
der the highest of the Alps, and the grand peaks
from Mont Blanc to Mont PelyOux, I'LL tho eastern
sky in ell their landscapes.
This was the route which chose on my waynorth-
ward from the PyTenees. The valley of the lsere, at
first broad and showing its fiat stony fields traces
of frequent foundations, gradually contracted; the
cultivation of silk gavepace to that OF gram ana
vines and the meadows of deep grass, studded WIN
hinge walnut trees, reproduced but on warmer ana
richer scale. the character of Swiss scenery Night
came ON before reached the Vale of Gresivaudan,
(which is considered the Paradise of Daupblne, and
when the train halted at the station OF Noeppe' III
was pitcb-dark under gathering rain. There was
rustic omnibus in waiting, into which do"ueu
with priest and TWO farmers. all of whom recon-
nrdod the Pett Paris as the best inn, and thlther,
accordingly. Invent when we reached the village
II was a primitive, but picturesque and inviting
Mace. was ushered into spacious kitchen, win
paved floor and huge stone range standing III inc
cepter The landlady stood before her pans and
gave the finishing touch TO some outlets whe she
received my orders and those of the priest The lat
ter when he came into the light proved to be a
,orng man male thin and melancholy, with worn
braviarv under his arm He asked to have Deu I'M
medatelv In. an adjoining room, company Oh
peasants were drinking cider and thin wine and as
cussing crops around deal table. listened awhle'
Int finding it impossible to understand their Dialect
followed the example of the priest The Iandlady
gave me clean bed, in clean room, and speedily
slept in spite of rain and thunder.
Ihad barely taken coffee in the morning before an
omnibus drove up its way to ST. Laurent du Font'
village at the mouth of the rayine which descends
from the Grande Chartreuse. There was place
inside. between two sharpfeatured women and oppo-
site another priest, who was middle-aged and wore
an air of cheerful resignation. This place occupied
and was presently climbing the long mountain road
with glorious picture of the Vale Of Greslyaudan
deepening and widening below. Halfway up the
mountains beyond the lsere tioated shining belts Oh
cloud the shadows Of which mottled the sunlt fields
and gardens. Above us, huge walls OF perpendicular
rock crowned with forests, shut out the morning
~. l.. ,.1r, eyi,, doxVu their
were filled with the most splendid vegetation Our
way upward was through the shadows of immense
walnutltrees beside the rushing of crystal brooks
and in the perfume of poisoning grass and millions
of meadow flowers 1t seemed incredible that we
should be approaching Desert" through such
scenery
NV fellow-travelers were inclined to be social we
lost the women at the first little hamlet above Vo-
reppe and there only remained the priest and stout,
staggering person. who had the appearance and
manners of a Government contractor. The former
told us that he had parish the high windy table
lands of Champagne and had never before seen such
wonderful mountain landscapes. He was now on his
way TO Rome-one of the army of GOO migratory
ravens las the ITALIANS called them, who took part
in the Festival of st. Peter. He was cheerful and
tolerant with more heart than intellect, and we got
on very agTeeably. The contractor informed us that
themonks of the Cbartreuse had an income OF a mil
lion francs a year, part Of which they spend IN
building churches and schools They have recently
built new church for the village OF st. Laurent du
Pont
In an bour OF more we had reached the highest
noint Of the road which now ran eastward along the
base of line of tremendous mountains On the top
most nights above the gray ramparts OF rock, there
were patches of bright rosy color, which had at
first took to be the Alpine rhododendrOn in blossom,
INT they proved to be forests of beech, which the
rent severe frosts had scorched. The streams from
the nights dropped into CULTS yawning at the base
of the mountains making cataracts several hundred
feet in hight Here the grain, already harvested In
the valley of the RhOne, still green, and the first
crop of hay uncut ,..,, ,.,.
the mouth of the gorge The omnibus drew uR be
basket wagon for the journey to the monastery, two
leagues distant. / preferred to climb the gorge
leisurely on foot, and set about engaging man
as companion rather than guide. The sky was
full of suspicious clouds, there were mutternRs OF
thunder in the mountains and the sun stung with an
insuppOrtable power; but after breakfast set out
with middle-aged man. who had an eye to profit,
followed the stream for mile, and found myself in
the heart of terrific Wilderness OF rock and forest
In front the mountains closed, and only thin line Of
shadow revealed the split through which we must
mass Before reaching IT, there Is an ancient forge
the left and massive building on the right which
the monks have recently erected for the manufac-
fre of the Quegr which bears the name OF their mon
asteTy.
Gent gate which once closed the further passage.
The road is bewn out of the solid rock and the sides
of the cleft are so together that the masonry
supporting the road is held firm by timbers crossing
the abyss and mOrticed into the opposite rock. Form
erly there was only narrow ana dangerous mule
path and the passage must have had character
which the present security of the road destroys 1t
was so in Gfays time, inspiring him with these al
most HOratian lines:
"Per invias RUPEES, fer per juge