A tour through the Pyrenees . rty and antiquity arenever ugly, and this expression of religious careseemed to suit well with the ruins and souvenirsof the middle ao^es scattered about us. But deeply rooted in the people is a certain inde-finable love of the ridiculous and absurd which suc-ceeds in spoiling everything; in this poor church,tracery, from which the gilding is worn away, crossesa vault of scoured azure with tarnished stars, flames,roses and little cherubs with wings for cravats. Abrownish pink angel, suspended by one foot, fliesforward, bearing in its hand a golden crown. Inthe opp
A tour through the Pyrenees . rty and antiquity arenever ugly, and this expression of religious careseemed to suit well with the ruins and souvenirsof the middle ao^es scattered about us. But deeply rooted in the people is a certain inde-finable love of the ridiculous and absurd which suc-ceeds in spoiling everything; in this poor church,tracery, from which the gilding is worn away, crossesa vault of scoured azure with tarnished stars, flames,roses and little cherubs with wings for cravats. Abrownish pink angel, suspended by one foot, fliesforward, bearing in its hand a golden crown. Inthe opposite aisle may be seen the face of thesun, with puffy cheeks, semicircular eyebrows, andlooking as sapient as in an almanac. The altar isloaded with a profusion of tarnished gilding, sallowangels, Avith simple and piteous faces like those ofchildren who ha\e eaten too much dinner. Allthis shows that their huts are very dreary, naked * Name applied aiiioni; tlic Pyrenees to a jienple alTIicteil witli Cretinism.— and dull. A people that has just emerged from thedirt is apt to love gilding. The most insipid sweet-meat is delicious to one who has long eaten nothingbut roots and dry bread. III. Luz was formerly the capital of these valleys,which formed together a sort of republic; eachcommune deliberated upon its own private interests ;four or five villages formed a vie, and the deputiesfrom every four vies assembled at Luz. The list of the assessments was, from time im-memorial, made upon bits of wood called totchoux,that is to say, sticks. Each community had itstotchou, upon which the secretary cut with hisknife Roman ciphers, the value of which was knownonly to himself In 1784 the intendant of Auch,who knew nothing of this custom, ordered of thegovernment officials to bring to him the ancientregisters ; the official came, followed by two cart-loads of totchoux. Poor country, free country. The estates ofBigorre were composed of three chambers which de-liberated sep
Size: 1251px × 1997px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookpublishernewyorkhholtandcom
