A lady's walks in the south of France in 1863

Dedication

To one who pennits me to style him, what he has indeed ever proved, 'My Friend, and the Friend of my Family,' — whom this age honours, and posterity will reverence as one of those God-sent men who act as pioneers in the march of Human progress and educate nations,

This book is inscribed with the deepest feelings of gratitude and veneration by the Author,

MARY EYRE.

Preface To Second Edition

I WISH to write a few brief words by way of Preface to the Second Edition of 'A Lady's Walks in the South of France.' They are very pleasant words to write.

I have to thank my publisher, Mr. Bentley, whose enterprise and energy in bringing out the book has helped materially to make it a success : and to thank the many friends who have zealously interested themselves about it, and the public at large, whose cordial reception has rendered a Second Edition so soon necessary.

Further, I have to acknowledge gratefully the generous and frank recognition of my book's merits, by many of the leading journals who influence public opinion, and whose praise is to a work what the die of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England is to the piles of square, cut, white paper — conferring on them an intrinsic value which turns them into gold.

To my unfriendly critics — to those who write spitefully, simply because it is easier to abuse than to praise, and less trouble to attack an author personally than to read her book — I have also a word to say.

It is this. Whatever these would-be critics may say, I do not blush for honourable poverty. I esteem it a duty to live within my income, to economize ' half-francs,' or quarter-francs if necessary ; so that I may pay everybody their just due, and have a little to give away to those still n PEEFACE TO SECOND EDITION.

poorer than myself; and that, to my mind, there is true nobility in a well-born and delicately brought-up woman's struggling, single-handed, with undeserved misfortune, and winning her way back to ease and affluence by honourable exertion.

Lastly, I benefited so much personally in health and spirits by my free mountain life, and living almost perpetually in the open air ; I found so much more amusement and gained so much more real information as to the customs and character of the Pyreneans, the nature and produce of the country ; I saw so many more picturesque glens, and lovely shady little nooks, carpeted with wild flowers, in the lonely recesses of the hills, tha*n I should have done had I been rolling luxuriously through the country in a carriage, and merely seeing, as such travellers do, the regular stock-sights of every place I came to — and I have travelled formerly in that way too — that if anybody (and I wish somebody may be so charmed with my books as to do it) would leave me three thousand a-year, I should prefer when I travelled to go precisely as I went to the Pyrenees, unencumbered by heavy trunks, and untroubled by packing, rambling from village to village with my dog and my knapsack.

The encouragement my first Walk has met from the public, has induced my publisher to propose to me a second tour through the Eastern Pyrenees to Spain, which I hope to present to my readers in the autumn.

MARY EYRE.

Preface

IN offering this book to the public, I have a few brief words to say. Though many other works have been published on the South of France, none of their writers travelled under the same circumstances, or probably searched for the same kind of information as myself. I bring, therefore, a collection of nearly entirely new facts to my readers.

My extremely slender means compelled me to travel humbly, and to mix a good deal with the people ; I saw, therefore, much more of actual French life among the middle and laborious classes, than most travellers do. I flatter myself that though English, I am unprejudiced ; and that in comparing the customs of the two countries, and the manners of their people, the balance has been fairly struck. It was not always on the side of my own country-folks.

The great mistake that most English wanderers make is to look at everything in the countries through which they travel from an English point of view. It is the same with some of our newspaper correspondents. They abuse the French Government for not allowing the same free comments on its acts in the public press that are allowed in England ; not recognizing, or not choosing to recognize, the very different characters of the nations ; and that, while the phlegmatic Englishman will content him-

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self with a mere grumble over an unpopular edict, or revenge himself by a satirical caricature in ' Punch,' the more inflammable Frenchman will try to excite an emeute. The first Eevolution has 'left deep traces on the mind of the people ; they have not forgotten how humble peasants and petty shopkeepers rose to power, to wealth, and even to thrones ; as in the cases of Murat and Bernadotte. Every fiery, idle, and ambitious young man is ready to believe, that, if the present Government — no matter whether that of a King, or a Kepublic, or an Emperor — no matter how wise and beneficent that rule may be — were overthrown, he, that now insignificant individual, might quit his stool in the counting-house or office, and rise — who knows how high ?

It behoves him who rules to have, as he has, a strong, brave heart, a quick, far-seeing eye, and a tight rein on these fiery, impatient spirits, or they would soon kick over the traces and upset the state carriage.

By the elderly, the more reflecting, and prudent Frenchmen, and, above all, by the Pyrenean peasantry, who love the present Emperor with absolute passion, ' because,' say they, ' he has done us good like his uncle : ' all this is acknowledged and felt.

In the above lines, I have not so much expressed my own opinion (though fully subscribing to it) as that of the most enlightened and unselfish Frenchmen with whom I conversed. In every country it is the idle, the dissipated, and the worthless, who are most eager for change, simply because they may possibly gain somewhat, and they have nothing to lose.

With regard to the multifarious contents of my book,

PREFACE. IX

it may be truly said that probably no English traveller has ever before condensed so much information regarding the quaint manners, peculiar customs, language, ancient legends, songs and music, and botany of the Pyrenees, into any work. So far as I know, few of the legends, and none of the beautiful airs and poetry of the country, have ever found their way into English print; and yet the Pyreneans have their poet, who is as much a true poet, and as popular among them as Burns with us, but Despourrins is scarcely known in England by name. Had time served, and if it would not have occupied too great a share of my work, other equally beautiful and little-known gems of music and song might have been given. The difficulty was where so much was beautiful to select.

If, therefore, I have failed in making a novel and interesting book, the fault is mine. The quarries of rich marbles were there : if the edifice be neither striking nor interesting, the builder is to blame.

There is one subject which my readers may perhaps wonder has not been touched on — the nature and uses of the Thermal Springs. I left them unnoticed on purpose. I am neither a chemist nor medical man. And Murray's Guide-book tells all that need be known on these subjects.

Lastly, my grateful thanks are justly due to the many kind friends, both French and English, who aided me in various ways in my task, especially to the Countess of Carnwath and Miss Le Grice, for copying me some of the Pyrenean airs ; M. Frossard, the French Protestant pastor of Bagneres, and well-known writer on various subjects ;

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and Mr. Lyte, the celebrated photographer, who borrowed for my use .various rare and valuable works, now out of print; M. de Soubise, and others, who so kindly lent them,* and Mrs. Teulon, who kindly aided me in correcting the proofs of the music.

I am deeply indebted to M. Philippe, the well-known botanist and naturalist of Bagneres, for aiding me to class the various plants found in my rambles, which classification I have verified by reference to the botanical works in the British Museum.

And last — not least — my thanks are due to my old schoolfellow and kind friend, Mrs. Headlam, for the beautiful sketch illustrative of Pyrenean scenery which forms the frontispiece to my work.

Surely, a book to which so many have contributed, ought to have some merit

MARY EYRE.

* Most of the legendary tales are translated from Eugene Cordier, Karl des Monte, whose works are out of print, or from Baron Taylor. The singular customs of Beam and Bigorre are chiefly extracted from the Introduction to Rivares' ' Airs et Chansons de Be'arn,' and from Tain, Nicolle, and a host of other French writers.

December, 1864.

Contents

CHAP. PAGE

I. England to Eaux-Bonnes 1

II. Eaux-Bonnes to Eaux-Chaudes 17