The Portland daily press., 1900-05-31
Description of Ancient
Ruins To Be Seen.
Historical "reminiscences Con-
nected With the Locality.

Basic, Switzerland, May 1lth, 1900.
For an enjoyable trip of q week or ten
days, nothing can exceed visit among
the Castles Of Touraine and the Loire.
These old chateaux are full Of voices Of
the centuries gone by when the people of
that region were as familiar with the
trappings and accoutrements Of the royal
retinue as the present generation is
with the shrek Of the engine, the rattle
of the automobile and the sight Of the
noiseless steed whose riders are attracted
by the fine roads which vie in
splendor with the French mirrors and
wax floors q the region.
From the 14th to the 18th centuries all
the romances Of high life in France were
enacted In Its castles; and the gallantry
of the French coart furnished nowhere
such subjects for painters and novelists
as the beautiful royal residences today
filed with old "reminiscences, and the
objects of interest which were then the
surroundings Of royalty.
You stand in the very turrets from
which they looked forth on the sur
rounding country or watched for the
coming of those they loved. You enter
the self same rooms furnished with the
same equipments which were a part of
their environment; you see the ancient
tapestries worked by dainty fingers of
fair women which afterwards adorned
their walls, portrayfng the events
which were then the under-currents of
their lives. You see the same books they
read, the same affairs before which they
knelt, whether plotting vengeance
against their enemies or Waiting
blessings to their friends. You touch
the identical toilet articles they
used, the same weapons Of war and the
very utensils which served in their ban
quets to seal their compacts of peace.
You wonder at the wealth of their be-
longings and understand what labor for
the artisan such prodigality signifled In,
those early times, before culture had
reached the high point 1t has today,
when inventions of the brain 80 vastly
facilitate the labor of the hand.
Within a radius Of fifty miles, not more
than four or five hours from Paris, there
are fully a score Of these magnificent ed
ifces with their extensive grounds.
These magical castles abound In thrill
ling episodes involving the vicissitudes
of great monarch, and the ascendency of
brilliant women over their lives. In
those historic days when chivalry had not
quite vanished, self-love was already en-
throned in the sordid hearts of sovereigns
as well as in the lives of the lowly.
The first castle which 1t was our good
fortune to visit was Chinon, about an
hour distant from Tours. We arrived
after the shades of evening had fallen
and ensconced ourselves In hotel un-
der the ruins now grown gray. On our
way thither we had passed the old cattle
market where Jeanne dare, In armor
on her steed, like a flying figure with
wings, still seems to guard the lives Of
the simple country folk with whose ori-
gin she can SO well sympathize. Chinon
is one of the Touraine castles and occu-
pies the site of an old Roman fortress.
Afterwards it belonged to the Visigoths.
Then the Counts of Touraine, and later
Henry II. Of England lived, and died
here in 11Sl. The enormous ruin over
hanging the quaintest of old towns, is an
impregnable fortress covering hill
above the Vienne. 1t consists Of three
castles which in the old days were more
than once stormed.
The people of France have learned to
appreciate their ruins and depend large
ly upon the shining coin which tourists
in their wanderings In search Of novel
ties, leave behind. But the Inhabitants
of Touraine and Brittany are not grasp
ing withal, and there is nothing of
French duplicity in their character. The
women have beautiful faces and simple
manners and the men seem to look upon
them with respect and confidence. They
resemble the sympathetic Italians in
the heartfelt interest they take In