Throughout the restless Middle Ages it was a small fortified6 town of little military importance. It had its circuit of walls and its gates, its keep and its battlements; but, at its best, it was a place with more valour than strength. No doubt it looked sturdy enough on the top of the hill, a neat compact town as round as a jar with the great white Roman monument erect8 in its midst, like a dead lily in a stone pot.
During the intervals9 when it was not being looted or burned it was treated with some dignity; for when the Counts of Provence were the masters of La Turbie they nominated a chatelain or governor from among “the first gentlemen of Nice.” The distinction thus conferred was a little marred10 by the fact that the gentleman was not required to reside in the town. Gentlemen with very sonorous11 names and connected with “the best families” were, from time to time, nominated for this post; but they do not seem to have added much to the comfort of the place as a residence.[41]
The visitor to La Turbie, whether he arrives by the rack-and-pinion railway or by the mule-path, will assuredly make his way at once to the Belvedere to see that view which has moved the guide books to such unanimous rapture12. He will probably be met on his way by a man—very foreign in appearance—who will wish to sell him an opera glass on one morning and a square of carpet on the next. He will also come upon a camera obscura, set up for the benefit of those who prefer to see through a glass darkly and who would sooner view a scene when reflected on a white table-cloth in a dark room than gaze upon it with the naked eye.
At the camera obscura kiosk postcards are sold together with articles which the vendor13 asserts are souvenirs and mementoes of La Turbie. These things for remembrance are hard to understand. One wonders why a polished slate14 inkstand from Paris, a mineral from (possibly) a Cornish mine, a sea-shell from the tropics or some beads15 from Cairo should call to mind a medi?val town in Provence and the wars of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines.
When the pilgrim in his progress has passed both the man with the carpet and the things that will keep green the memory of La Turbie he can enjoy the view that opens out on the edge of the cliff. It is a view that not even a camera obscura can enhance. There is the line of coast that sweeps from Bordighera on the east to the Esterels on the west; while below, as a bright splash of yellow, white and red, is Monte Carlo. The spectator looks directly down upon Monte Carlo as he would view a thing on the pavement from the top of a tower. It is not often that one can see at a glance an entire European state from frontier to frontier and from seaboard to hinterland; but here is laid out before the eye every foot of the principality of Monaco as complete as on a map.
Monte Carlo is largely a display of roofs among which it is possible to pick out those of familiar hotels and those of the villas16 of friends. There is an odd sense of indelicacy about the bold inspection17 of a friend’s roof. There is nothing indecent about a roof but there is an impression of spying, of looking down the chimneys and of taking advantage of an exceptional position, for a roof is not the best part of a house and in the case of friends it somehow comes into the category of things that you ought not to see.
A STREET IN LA TURBIE.
The most precious object in La Turbie is the Monument, although it is now in a state of woeful decay. It stands in a dismal19 waste where clothes are spread out to dry and where fowls20 wander about scratching, as if searching for Roman remains21. It is surrounded by houses which appear to have contracted the leprous complaint which has attacked the great trophy23. As a monument of melancholy24 it is not to be surpassed. As a place of dreariness25 the spot where it is found can hardly be exceeded in pathos26. It needs only the solitary27 figure of Job, sitting on a broken column with his face buried in his hands, to complete the picture of its desolation.
The monument was erected28, or was at least completed, in the year B.C. 6. It was raised by the Roman senate to commemorate29 the victories of the Emperor Augustus over the tribes of southern Gaul and to record the final conquest of that tract22 of country. It was a colossal30 structure of supreme31 magnificence that took the form of a lofty tower very richly ornamented32. It stood upon a square base formed of massive blocks of stone which are still in place, for none but an uncommon33 power could ever move them. The tower itself was circular and encased in marble upon which, in letters of gold, was engraved34 an inscription35, “IMPERATORI ? C?SARI ? DIVI ? FILIO ? AUGUSTO ? PONT ? MAX ? IMP7 ? XIV ? TRIB ? POT ? XVII ? S.P.Q.R.” These words, which suggest a form of shorthand or a crude telegraphic code, were followed by an account of the Emperor’s triumph and the names of the forty-five Alpine36 tribes that he had conquered. Of this imposing37 inscription nothing now remains. It is replaced by the feeble initials of sundry38 shopboys from neighbouring towns, cut with penknives in the presence of their admiring ladies.
About this tower was a round colonnade39 and above it another circle of pillars with statues; while on the summit was a colossal effigy40 of the victorious41 emperor, eighteen feet or more in height. The whole was a stupendous work worthy42 of the amazing people who built it. It is now a shapeless pile as devoid43 of art as a crag on a mountain-top. But it is still impressive by its overwhelming height, by its massiveness, and its suggestion of determined44 strength. High up on one side are two columns recently put in place, which show how an arcade45 once circled around it; but, apart from this, the whole mass looks more rock-like and more supremely46 simple than any work of man. Everything that made it beautiful in substance and human in spirit is gone—the colonnades47, the statues, the capitals, the friezes48 and the carved trophies49 of arms.[42]
The destruction of this exquisite50 fabric51 commenced early and was pursued through successive centuries with peculiar52 pertinacity53. As has been already said La Turbie, throughout its long career, was the subject of many onslaughts. No matter what may have been the purpose of the attacking party or their nationality they did not leave the town until they had devoted54 some time to the annihilation of the tower of Augustus. To contribute something to the breaking up of this monument seems to have been an obligation, a rite55 imposed upon every invading force, a local custom that could not be ignored. The Lombards appear to have commenced the work with great spirit and heartiness56 but with limited means. Then the Saracens came and took bolder measures, but measures founded upon imperfect scientific knowledge, for they attempted to destroy this tower of victory with fire. The Guelphs and the Ghibellines, during their intermittent57 occupation of La Turbie, built a fort with stones obtained from the edifice58. It was a strong fort in the making of which much material was employed and the trophy became a watch tower.
As the knowledge of destructive processes improved more powerful steps were taken to uproot59 the tower. It was undermined and attempts were made to blow it up. These efforts were attended with some results; but the monument still stands. Finally, about the beginning of the eighteenth century a very determined attempt was made by the French to clear this arrogant60 pile from off the face of the earth. The work of destruction was entrusted61 to the Maréchal de Villars and there is no doubt that he did his best; but the monument still stands.
Quite apart from these periodic assaults the monument was, from the earliest days, regarded as a quarry62 and was worked with regularity63 and persistence64 age after age. In the twelfth century by permission of the Lords of Eze the marble—or what remained of it—was stripped from the walls by the Genoese and was carried away to decorate their palaces and their shrines65, to build cool courts, to form terraces in gardens, to furnish the pillars for a pergola or the basin for a well. The marble of the high altar in the old cathedral of Nice came from the Roman monument. The present town of La Turbie is built in great extent from the ruins of this tower of victory; while all over the country pieces of stone, worked by the Romans in the year B.C. 6, will be found in villas, in cottage walls, in motor garages, and in goat sheds. And yet the monument still stands. This is the feature about it that inspires the greatest wonder, this feature of determined immortality66; for it would seem that so long as the world endures the pillar of victory will crown the everlasting67 hill.
It has been battered68 and worn by the wind, the hail and the rain of nearly two thousand years. It has been gnawed69 at by snow and bitten by frost. It has been slashed70 by lightning and shaken by earthquake. It has been shattered by hammers and picks, has been torn asunder71 by crowbars, cracked with fire and rent by gun-powder, but still it stands and still it will stand to the end of time.
That this ruinous old tower should have become, in early days, a thing of myths and mysteries can be no matter of surprise. That its colonnade was haunted, that its black hollows were the abode72 of a god and that its statues spoke73 in the local tongue was the belief of generations. That it was a place to fear and to be avoided at night was a maxim74 impressed upon every boy and girl as soon as they had ears to hear and feet that could flee.
The most remarkable75 quality of the trophy was the intimate knowledge of a certain kind that it was reputed to possess. Owing to this attribute it became an oracle76. One of the statues—that of a god—could speak and was prepared (under conditions) to reply to appropriate questions. It must not be supposed that the tower of the Emperor Augustus became a mere inquiry77 office. It specialised in knowledge and the deity78 who presided would deal only with matters that came within the province of this particular phase of wisdom.
One might hazard the guess that the fullest information that the monument had acquired during its many years of life would relate to assault and battery, and, in a less exhaustive degree, to battle, murder and sudden death. On all questions relating to violence as displayed by man it could claim to speak as an expert. It is curious, however, that on this subject the speaking statue was silent. It professed79 to have a knowledge of one thing and one thing only and that was not violence but human love. But even in this branch of learning it specialised for it dealt exclusively with but a phase of the subject—the constancy and sincerity80 of women.
The broken colonnade was no doubt a favourite resort for lovers and a listening statue could learn much as to the value of vows81 and would gain, during a life of centuries, experience on the topic of women’s fidelity82. It was upon this occult, most difficult and complex subject that the oracle had the courage to speak.
It thus came to pass that doubting husbands were in the habit of repairing to La Turbie in order to ask personal and searching questions about their wives. How the oracle was “worked” is not known. That it was susceptible83 to influences which still have a place in human affairs is very probable. Light is thrown upon the methods of the oracle by the writings of one Raymond Feraud, a troubadour, who in the thirteenth century composed a poem on this very subject.[43] The morality revealed by the writer—it may be said—belongs to that century, not to this.
It appears from the troubadour’s account that Count Aymes, a prince of Narbonne, was a jealous man and probably, as a husband, very tiresome84. He had some doubts as to the fidelity of his wife Tiburge and one day alarmed this cheerful lady by announcing that he proposed to drag her to La Turbie and to ask the stone deity certain pertinent85 questions as to her recent behaviour. Tiburge was a lady of resource and before the inquiry at La Turbie took place she started for the Lerin Islands and sought an interview with no less a personage than St. Honorat. What exactly took place between the saint and the light-hearted lady, during the meeting, the troubadour does not say. Anyhow Tiburge made such confessions86 to St. Honorat as she thought fit, with the result that the saint absolved87 her, cheered her up, called her “chère fille” and assured her that all would be well. To make matters more certain St. Honorat gave her the lappet of his hood88 and told her to wear it on her head during the anxious inquiry at La Turbie. He assured her that with this piece of cloth on her pretty hair the “idole” would not dare to make any offensive observations. Furnished with this unfashionable head-dress the countess, cheerful to the extent of giggling89, joined her morose90 husband and toiled91 up to La Turbie.
The Count Aymes asked the “idole” a number of most unpleasant questions which might have been very trying to the lady had she not been comforted by the brown rag on her head. The answers of the oracle—awaited with anxiety by the husband and with a smile by the lady—were very reassuring92. Indeed the “idole” gave the lady a kind of testimonial and a certificate of character that was, under the circumstances, almost too florid. He said she was a dame93 de grand mérite and treated the count’s innuendoes94 as unworthy of a consort95 and as reprehensible96 when applied97 to a woman of blameless life. He added that a lady whose head was covered by a vestment belonging to so sainted a man as St. Honorat must be above reproach. His manner of dealing98 with this delicate affair suggests to the vulgar mind that there must have been some collusion between the recluse99 on the island and the “idole” in this dilapidated old tower.
Anyhow the count and the countess returned home in the best of spirits and one may assume that on the way she said more than once “I told you so.” When he asked “Why don’t you throw that beastly bit of old cloth away?” she would reply “Oh! I think I will keep it. I may want to use it again.”
[41]
“Chorographie du Comté de Nice,” by Louis Durante, 1847.
[42]
A further account of the trophy is given in the chapter which follows.
[43]
“Mon Pays, etc.,” by D. Durandy.
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1
embittered
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| v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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3
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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4
cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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9
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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marred
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| adj. 被损毁, 污损的 | |
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sonorous
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| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
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12
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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13
vendor
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| n.卖主；小贩 | |
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slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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15
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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22
tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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dreariness
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| 沉寂，可怕，凄凉 | |
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pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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27
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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28
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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commemorate
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| vt.纪念，庆祝 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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alpine
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| adj.高山的；n.高山植物 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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colonnade
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| n.柱廊 | |
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effigy
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| n.肖像 | |
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victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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42
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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43
devoid
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| adj.全无的，缺乏的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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colonnades
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| n.石柱廊( colonnade的名词复数 ) | |
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48
friezes
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| n.（柱顶过梁和挑檐间的）雕带，（墙顶的）饰带( frieze的名词复数 ) | |
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49
trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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50
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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51
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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52
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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53
pertinacity
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| n.执拗，顽固 | |
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54
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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55
rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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56
heartiness
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| 诚实，热心 | |
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57
intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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58
edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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59
uproot
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| v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开 | |
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60
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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61
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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regularity
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| n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐 | |
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64
persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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65
shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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66
immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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67
everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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68
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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69
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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70
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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71
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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72
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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73
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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74
maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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deity
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| n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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confessions
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| n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔 | |
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absolved
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| 宣告…无罪，赦免…的罪行，宽恕…的罪行( absolve的过去式和过去分词 )； 不受责难，免除责任 [义务] ,开脱（罪责） | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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innuendoes
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| n.影射的话( innuendo的名词复数 )；讽刺的话；含沙射影；暗讽 | |
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consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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reprehensible
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| adj.该受责备的 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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recluse
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| n.隐居者 | |
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