lons-le-saunier, capital or chef-lieu of the department of the jura is charmingly situated amid undulating vine-covered hills, westward, stretching the vast plain of la bresse, eastward and southward, the jura range, dimpled heights changing the lofty mountain ranges into distance. the town known to the romans as ledo salinarius and fortified under their auspices, also a fortified town in the middle ages, is dominated by four hills, conspicuously rising above its undulating environment, and each of these offers a superb view from the top. my first walk was to the height of mont-ciel, mons coelius of the romans, north of the town, and a delightful walk it is, leading us upward between vineyards to a broad open space planted with fine trees, and sufficiently large to afford camping ground for soldiers. from this summit we gain a wonderful prospect, vineyard, hill, and valley, with villages dotted here and there, picturesque mediaeval castles crowning many epochs, and far away the vast plain stretching from the jura to burgundy, and the majestic mountain ranges bounding on either side the east horizon. this walk is so easy that our little companion of four years old could make it without fatigue, and there are many others equally delightful, and not more fatiguing. we rested for awhile on the hill top eating grapes, then slowly descended, stopping on our way to enter the chapel of the jesuits and school-buildings, both commanding a splendid site on the wooded incline. there were of course women in the confessionals, and painted images of saints and miracle-workers in abundance, before which people were kneeling with tiny images hugged to their breasts, like the pagans of old. image worship, indeed, idolatry in the purest form, is carried on to a tremendous extent here, witness the number of images exposed for sale in the shop-windows.
but the excursion to be made from lons-le-saunier is that to the wonderful rock-shut valley and old abbey of baume, baume-les-messieurs, as it is called, to distinguish it from the town of baume-les-dames, near besan?on. this is reached by a delightful drive of an hour and a half, or easily on foot by good pedestrians, and is on no account to be omitted. we, of course, take the former course, having two little fellow-travellers, aged respectively four and two and a half years old, who, perched on our knees, are as much delighted as ourselves with the beauty of everything. we soon reach the top of the valley, a deep, narrow, rock-enclosed valley or gorge, and, leaving our carriage, prepare to descend on foot. at first sight, the zig-zag path along what appears to be the perpendicular side of these steep, lofty rocks, appears perilous, not to say impracticable, but it is neither one nor the other. this mountain stair-case, called the échelles de baume, may be descended in all security by sure-footed people not given to giddiness; our driver, leaving his quiet horse for a time, shoulders one child, my companion shoulders another, i followed with the basket, and in twenty minutes we are safely landed at the base of the cliffs we had just quitted, not yet quite knowing how we had got there! these rocky walls, shutting in the valley, or combe, as it is called, so closely that seldom any ray of sunshine can penetrate, are very lofty, and encircle it from end to end with majestic effect. it is, indeed, a winding little islet of green, threaded by a silvery stream, and rendered naturally impregnable by fortress-like rocks. we rest on the turf for a while, whilst the children munch their cakes and admire the noise of the mill opposite to us, and the dazzling waters of the source, pouring little cascades from the dark mountain-side into the valley. the grottoes and stalactite caverns of this combe are curious alike within and without, and in their inmost recesses is a small lake, the depth of which has never yet been sounded. both lake and stalactite caves, however, can only be seen at certain seasons of the year, and then with difficulty.
the tiny river issuing from the cleft is called the seille, and very lovely is the deep, narrow valley of emerald green through which it murmurs so musically. the mountain gorge opens by little and little as we proceed, showing velvety pastures where little herdsmen and herdswomen are keeping their cows; goats, black and white, browse on the steep rocks as securely as flies on a ceiling, and abundance of trees grow by the road-side. the valley winds for half a mile to the straggling village of baume, and there the stupendous natural fortifications of cliff and rock come to an end. nothing finer in the way of scenery is to be found throughout the jura than this, and it is quite peculiar, being unlike any other mountain conformation i have ever seen, whilst the narrow winding valley of soft gold-green is in beautiful contrast with the rugged grandeur, not to say savageness, of its environment.
the buildings of this once important abbey of baume are now turned into a farm-house, but enough remains to bespeak the former magnificence of this most aristocratic monastery, [footnote: consult roussel's "dictionnaire de franche-comté" on the subject. it is very voluminous, but like any other work on franche-comté, may be consulted in the public library of lons-le-saunier without trouble or formality.] to which none could be admitted without furnishing proof of pure degree of nobility on both the paternal and maternal sides. adjoining the abbey is the church, which possesses at least one chef-d'oeuvre in its retable.
this altar-piece of wood appears to belong to the fifteenth century, and is in the form of a triptych, the wings being enriched within and without by paintings in excellent preservation. the interior is divided into six compartments, in which are represented the various scenes of the life and passion of christ. the various figures are finely sculptured, and covered with gold. other paintings by the same artist decorate the walls of the church.
one tomb, that of an abbé of baume, is very beautiful, being ornamented with seven small statuettes of weeping monks, who occupy little gothic niches. the expression and attitude of these figures are touching in the extreme. all these monuments are highly interesting, and worthy of being studied in detail. the church is disfigured by not a few modern frivolities and vulgarities.
many objects illustrating the pre-historic and most ancient periods of french history have been found at baume; bronze weapons and ornaments, gallo-roman relics, tombs, statuettes, &c., whilst a roman camp, the largest in the jura, has been traced on the summit of the rocks. this was destined to protect the road from lyons to the rhine, and occupied the height known as mount sermus.
baume shared the fate of most other ecclesiastical establishments in the iconoclastic period of the french revolution, and when we consider what the pitch of popular fury was then, we are rather tempted to wonder that anything was left, rather than that so many treasures were destroyed.
our way home lay through the picturesque valley of the seille, and past many places celebrated for their wines or antiquities. vines, maize, buckwheat, potatoes, and hay covered the hillside and the plain, whilst poplar and fruit trees gave abundant shadow. we pass voiteur, with its ruins; chateau chalon, ancient celtic oppidum, renowned for its wines, like tokay, 'véritable madère sec fran?ais, généreux,' the chateau du pin, massive donjon perched on a hill, and still habitable, where henry iv. sojourned, and other picturesque and interesting sites, reaching home before dusk. in fine weather the inhabitants of lons-le-saunier frequently make pic-nic parties to baume, breakfasting in the valley, but, alas! fine pic-nic weather is as rare in franche-comté as in england this year, and autumn, always sets in early; already the mornings and evenings are really cold, and a fire would be a luxury. we do, however, get a fine day now and then, with a few hours of warm sunshine, and i had one of these for a visit to my friends living in the neighbourhood, whom i have before mentioned.
this little village in question is captivatingly situated at the foot of the first jura range, about a mile from lons-le-saunier. as i have before said, throughout this entire journey, whenever i have spoken of a mountain it must be understood to mean a mountain of the jura chain, which begins here, and only ends at belfort, where you enter the region of the vosges, and all along consists of the same limestone formation, only here and there a vein of granite being found. my friend's house is delightful, standing in the midst of orchards, gardens, and vines, the fine rugged peak called mont d'orient—of which he is the owner—rising above. on a glorious day like this, we, of course, all set off for the mountain-top, and a wonderfully beautiful climb it was, amid vineyards, pastures, and groves of walnut trees. the grapes here are, alas! attacked in many places by the blight o?dium, and this year the season has been so wet and cold, that as they must be gathered after the first white frost, they have no chance of ripening. as a natural result, the year's wine will be sour, and sold at a considerable loss to the growers. we stopped on our way to taste the grapes here and there, but as yet none are ripe, though we are in the last days of september. after steadily climbing for an hour, we reached the mountain-top, and sat down to enjoy the view, having in sight on one side the immense plain stretching from the jura to the hills of the c?te d'or, on the other, in very clear weather, the jura range and the top of mont blanc. never shall i forget this charming walk with my host, his son, and daughter, all three able to give me any information i was in need of concerning their beloved franche-comté. as we returned home by another way through lovely little woods, dells, and glades, we encountered more than one sportsman in blue blouse, who got into the covert of the wood as fast as he could, in quest of thrushes. "a poacher," my host said, shrugging his shoulders. "mais que voulez-vous; il y en a tant." poaching is carried on so largely that very little game is to be had; the severe penalties inflicted by the law having little deterrent effect.
my host told me much of interest concerning the peasants and their ways. the land here belongs to the people, but the rural population is not wealthy, as in seine et marne and other regions. the bad vine seasons often ruin the farmer, and much improvidence prevails. in many places the proprietor of a vineyard hires small patches of land to cultivate, but that avidity in making purchases found elsewhere does not exist here. land is cheap, but labour very dear, and the peasant therefore mistrusts such investments of capital, if he possesses any; and the liability to the failure in the vine crops necessarily checks enterprise in that direction.
on our return, we found an excellent go?ter, as these afternoon collations are called, substitutes, in fact, for our four o'clock tea. we drank each other's health after the old fashion with the celebrated arbois wine, called le vin de paille, from the process the grape goes through, being dried in straw before fermentation. this vin de paille has an exquisite flavour and is very costly and rare, even in these parts, being chiefly grown by amateurs for themselves. it is clear as crystal, and yellow as gold. sorry indeed was i to quit these kind and charming friends with whom i would gladly have spent many a day. they had so much to show me—antique furniture, a collection of old french fa?ence, sketches in oils, the work of my host himself, books on the history of franche-comté, collections, geological and archaeological, bearing on the history of the country; last, but not least, my hostess—admirable type of the well-bred catholic chatelaine of former days—was an accomplished musician, ready to delight her guest with selections from chopin and schubert, and other favorite composers. but, however reluctantly on both sides, our adieux had to be made, a promise being exacted from me to visit franche-comté ere long again.
i shall carry away no more agreeable recollection of eastern france than this pleasant country home and its occupants in the jura, father, mother, young son and daughter, all vying with each other in making my visit pleasant and profitable. it is touching to be so welcomed, so taken leave of in the midst of a remote foreign place, all the more so when there was no protestantism and republicanism, only natural liking and a community of tastes, to bring us together! french protestants welcome us english folks—presumably protestants too—as their kindred, but let it not be supposed that even in the heart of catholic regions like this, we are now generally regarded with abhorrence as aliens from the true faith—culture, high tastes, and tolerance naturally go hand in hand.
in order to get a good idea of the scenery here the plain must be visited as well as the mountains, and very beautiful it is as seen from such eminences as those occupied by the chateaux de l'etoile and arlay; both excursions to be accomplished in a long afternoon, even with a halt for go?ter at the former place, its owners being friends of my host and hostess. this modern chateau occupies the site of the old, and commands wide views on every side, in the far distance the valley of the sa?ne and the mountains of the c?te d'or, with the varied, richly wooded plain at our feet. the bresse, as this is called, is not healthy for the most part, and the population suffer from marsh fever, but it is well cultivated and very productive; vines grow sparsely in the plain, the chief crops consisting of corn, maize, beetroot, hemp, &c. a curious feature of farming in the bresse is the number of artificial ponds which are seen in different directions. these ponds are allowed to remain for four years, and are then filled up, producing very rich crops. in the meantime a good deal of fish is thus procured. the land is parcelled out into small farms, the property of small peasant proprietors, as in the vineyard regions of the jura. after having admired one prospect after another, hill and valley, wood and pine forest, far off mountain ranges and wide purple plain, we were of course not permitted to go away without tasting the famous wine for which the etoile is celebrated, and other good things. useless it is to protest upon these occasions, not only once, but twice and even thrice you are compelled, in spite of remonstrances, to partake, and glasses are touched after the old fashion. we then quitted our kind host and hostess of this airy perch, and continued our journey, still in the plains, to arlay, a village. dominated by the majestic ruins of an old feudal castle, standing in the midst of fine old trees worthy of an english park.
arlay was built in the ninth century by gérard de boussillon, and now belongs to the prince d'aremberg whose handsome modern chateau lies at its foot. the prince of aremberg is one of the largest landowners in france, and we were told had not visited this splendid possession for ten years.
many other no less interesting excursions are to be made from lons-le-saunier, but i am a belated traveller, overtaken by autumn rains and chills, and must hasten on my way. september and october are often glorious months in the jura, but it is safest to come sooner, and then picnics innumerable can be made, and fine weather relied upon from day to day. the town itself is cheerful, but offers little of interest to the tourist, beyond the salines, or salt-works, which, however, are on a much smaller scale than at salins, and one or two other objects of interest. a curious feature in its architecture are the arcades in the streets, similar to those at arbois, and some other old towns in franche-comté, relics of the spanish occupation. there is also an unmistakeable spanish element to be found in the population, witness the black eyes, and hair, and dark rich complexions of a type common enough here, yet quite distinct from that of the true french stock. the people as a rule are well-made, stalwart, and good-looking, polite to strangers, and very voluble in conversation.
if the antiquities of lons-le-saunier are insignificant, no one can fail, however, to be struck with the handsome public buildings, chiefly modern, which are on a scale quite magnificent for a town of only eleven thousand inhabitants. the hospital, the caserne, or barracks, the lycée, the école normale, the bank, all these are large enough and magnificent enough, one would suppose, for any but the largest provincial towns; the streets are spacious, and the so-called grande place, in the centre of the town, is adorned by a fine statue of general lecourbe, where formerly stood a statue of pichegru; this was presented by charles x. to the municipality in 1826, and broken by the townspeople in 1830. the gardens of the hospital are adorned by a bust of the great anatomist, bichat, whose birth-place, like that of homer, is disputed. bourg-en-bresse disputes the honour with lons-le-saunier, and bourg possesses the splendid monument to bichat's memory by david d'angers. the museum is worth visiting, less for the sake of its archaeological collection than its sculptural gallery, chiefly consisting of works by a contemporary native artist, perrault.
one of the prettiest strolls in the neighbourhood of this most "spazierlich" town, as the germans say, i.e., a town to be enjoyed by pedestrians, is the old little village of montaigu, which is reached after half an hour's climb among the vineyards. as we mount, we get a magnificent panorama to our right, the plain of la bresse, to-day blue and dim as a summer sea; to our left, the jura range, dark purple shadows here and there flecking the green mountain sides; the pretty little town of lons-le-saunier at our feet. on this bright september day everything is glowing and beautiful; the air is fresh and invigorating, and the sun still hot enough to ripen the grapes which we see on every side.
montaigu, however, is not visited for the sake of these lovely prospects so much as its celebrity as a birth-place. this little hamlet and former fortress, perched on a mountain top, is, perhaps, little changed in outward appearance since a soldier-poet, destined to revolutionise france with a song, was born there a hundred years ago. the immortal, inimitable marseillaise, which electrified every french man, woman, or child then, and stirs the calmest with profound emotion now, is, indeed, the revolution incorporated into poetry, and the words and music of the young soldier, rouget de lisle, have played a more important part in history than any other in any age or nation. alas! the marseillaise has been sadly misappropriated since, and cannot be heard by those who know french history without pain; yet it has played a glorious part, and, doubtless, contributed to many a victory when france saw itself beset with enemies on every side in its first and greatest struggle for liberty. it is not to be expected in a country so priest-ridden as this, that a statue to rouget de lisle should be erected in his native town; but surely an inscription, merely stating the fact, might be placed on the house wherein he first saw the light. there is nothing to distinguish it from any other, except a solid iron gateway through which we looked into a little court-yard, and upon a modest yet well-to-do bourgeois dwelling of the olden time.
the entire village street has an antiquated look, and the red roof tops, with corner pieces for letting off the snow, which falls abundantly here, are picturesque, if not suggestive of comfort. on our way back to the town, we found all the beauty and fashion of lons-le-saunier collected on the promenade of la chevalerie to hear the military band, which, as usual in french towns, plays on sunday afternoons. this same promenade is famous in history, for here it was, on the 31st may, 1815, that marshal ney, having decided upon going over to the army of the emperor napoleon, summoned his troops, and issued the famous proclamation beginning with the words: "la cause des bourbons est à jamais perdue." ney deceived himself, as well as the royalists, and was shot soon after the final overthrow at waterloo. there is no lack of pleasant walks inside the town as well as in the environs, whilst, perhaps, no other of its size possesses so many cafés and cabarets. in fact, lons-le-saunier is a place where amusement is the order of the day, and, of course, possesses its theatre, museum, and public library; the first, perhaps, being much more popular than the two latter. "eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow you die," is the maxim of the light-hearted, we must even say frivolous population. while the men amuse themselves in the cafés, the women go to the confessional, and no matter at what hour you enter a church, you are sure to find them thus occupied. the jesuits have established a large training-school here, une maison de noviciat, so called; and conventual institutions abound, as at arbois. just beyond the pleasant garden of the presbytère is a large building of cloistered nuns, wretched women, belonging to the upper ranks of society, who have shut themselves up to mortify the flesh and practise all kinds of puerilities for the glory of the church. all the handsome municipal institutions, large hospitals, orphanages, asylums for the aged, &c., are in the hands of the nuns and priests, and woe betide the unfortunate protestant who is driven to seek such shelter!
the same battle occurs here over protestant interments as in other parts of franche-comté. in some cases it is necessary for the préfets to send gendarmes, and have the law carried out by force; the village mayors being generally uneducated men, mere tools of the curés.
after the idyllic pictures i have drawn of other parts of france, i am reluctantly obliged to draw a very different picture of society here. the army and the celibate clergy, the soldier and the priest—such are the demoralizing elements that undermine domestic morality and family life in garrison, priest-ridden towns like this. drink and debauchery fill the prisons, and the taint of immorality is not limited to one class alone. how can it be otherwise? seeing that while the heads of families openly profess unbelief, and deride their priests, they permit their wives and daughters to go to confession, and confide their children to the spiritual teachers they profess to abhor? this point was clearly brought out by the père hyacinthe in one of his recent discourses in paris, and his words struck home. next to the celibate priesthood, it is the army that brings about such a state of things. householders in lons-le-saunier will tell you that, no matter whether their female servants be young, middle-aged, or old, they have to bar and bolt their doors at night as if against marauding arabs in remote settlements of algeria. even when these precautions are taken, the sound of whistling outside the kitchen door at nightfall will often indicate the presence of loafers on their evil quest. in the rural districts domestic morality is at a very low ebb also, and on the whole there is much to be done here by both reformer and educationalist.
i left lons-le-saunier early on a bright september morning, the children being lifted, still drowsy, out of their little beds to bid their english friend good-bye. several diligences start simultaneously from the bureau des messageries here for different places in the heart of the jura, so that tourists cannot do better than make this a starting place. no matter what direction they take, they will find themselves landed in the midst of glorious mountain scenery, and romantic little towns and valleys, unknown to the majority of the travelling world. this is the charm of travelling in these parts. the tourist is breaking virgin soil wherever he goes, and if he has to rough it at every stage, at least he receives substantial reward. my route, marked out for me beforehand by experienced jurassiens, lay by way of champagnole and morez to st. claude, the ancient little bishopric in the heart of the jura highlands, thence to nantua, thus zig-zagging right through the country.
