lo! the end of a modern
house, with a pea-green door and sash windows, and a shrubbery of lilacs
interspersed with Lombardy poplars, blasted our sight. No longer
ambitious of pursuing the lord of St. Vallier in flank, we hoped at
least that a front view of his castle from the road to Avignon might
afford some remains of feudal splendour. Off we set accordingly, and
emerging from the dirty town as quickly as possible, beheld on turning
round!--a large modern front, in the full smile of complacent ugliness,
with a Grecian portico, not of masonry, but of red and yellow paint a la
Lyonnaise; the whole edifice quite worthy of the Hermitage du Mont d'Or.
The two short round towers on the sides might have been originally
Gothic; but if really so, they had been most effectually disguised by
white-washing, and new tiled tops, which very much resembled Grimaldi's
red cap and his whited face. In front of the windows, instead of the
sweeping lawns and dark avenues of which Mrs. Ratcliffe is so liberal,
stood a large close-pruned vineyard, inclosed by a high white wall; at
one end of which, and facing the front of his red and yellow chateau, M.
de St. Vallier had built a red and yellow summer-house, with green
shutters, to keep it in countenance. Very much diverted at our ludicrous
disappointment, we sauntered along the road, which followed the course
of the Rhone. At two miles distance, just where the river winds with a
broad and rapid sweep into a woody gorge, with one blue mountain peeping
over it, a black venerable old ruin, with turret and watch-tower, and
every thing to render it complete, stood cresting an abrupt rock which
hung over the river. Nothing, said I, shall persuade me that this castle
is not the genuine gift of John of Poitiers, and the real object of our
search. Down we sat at all events to sketch it, and meeting by good
fortune a communicative young officer on the road, we learnt that this
castle, called[12] Chateau la Serve, had in reality been the residence
of the lords of St. Vallier; that many years ago it had been reduced by
an accidental fire to its present state, and was finally wrested from
the family at the Revolution. Of the present Chateau St. Vallier, and
the estate annexed, they have remained in uninterrupted possession; and
all admirers of the Gothic must rejoice that the ruin has been
purchased by the commune of La Serve: for, standing as it does within
view of the new chateau, no doubt it would have