. Their value becomes thus private and
practical, and is represented by the process--the quieter, mostly, the
better--of absorption and assimilation of what the relation has done for
us. For persons thus indebted to the genius of France--however, in its
innumerable ways, manifested--the profit to be gained, the lesson to be
learnt, is almost of itself occupation enough. They feel that they bear
witness by the intelligent use and application of their advantage, and
the consciousness of the artist is therefore readily a consciousness of
pious service. He may repeatedly have dreamt of some such happy
combination of mood and moment as shall launch him in a profession of
faith, a_ demonstration _of the interesting business; he may have had
inner glimpses of an explicit statement, and vaguely have sketched it to
himself as one of the most candid and charming ever drawn up; but time,
meanwhile, has passed, interruptions have done their dismal work, the
indirect tribute, too, has perhaps, behind the altar, grown and grown;
and the reflection has at all events established itself that honour is
more rendered by seeing and doing one's work in the light than by
brandishing the torch on the house-tops. Curiosity and admiration have
operated continually, but with as little waste as they could. The
drawback is only that in this case, to be handsomely consequent, one
would perhaps rather not have appeared to celebrate_ any _rites. The
moral of all of which is that those here embodied must pass, at the
best, but for what they are worth._

_H. J._

_August 9, 1900._

[Illustration]

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

Introductory 1

I. Tours 3

II. Tours: the Cathedral 12

III. Tours: Saint Martin 17

" Saint Julian 20

" Plessis-les-Tours 22

" Marmoutier 23

IV. Blois 26

V. Chambord 36

VI. Amboise 47

Chaumont