But now another, a huge difficulty, sprung up. Printers do not lend their types for nothing any more than they give gratis their time and paper. To publish a book is always an expensive affair; misfortune, which had touched me with its wing, which has been the sad guest of my house, deprived me of the power of undertaking it myself: and where to find a person so generous as to take upon himself the responsibility of the undertaking? Happily I was in England, in the land of kind hearts and warm sympathies. A noble lady, the mother of a distinguished English nobleman, who passes her life in doing good, took an interest in my forlorn history, and was pleased to honour me with her patronage. With this mantle of protection thrown around me, and my generous friend having undertaken to bear the responsibilities of publishing, the difficulties were soon swept away, and Le Morvan was written.
I had hoped that I should in this Preface be permitted to mention her name, which would have been less a compliment to her than an honour to me; but her modesty has refused this public acknowledgment of my unbounded gratitude,—a veil of respectful reserve shall therefore remain suspended over her name. As for me and mine, we shall treasure it in our thankful hearts—every day shall we pray that the Great Giver of all good may confer upon her His most precious and gracious blessings.
HENRI DE CRIGNELLE.
London, August, 1851.
CONTENTS.
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
English propensity to ramble—Where and how—Le Morvan—Vezelay—Descriptionof the town—Historical associations connectedwith it—Charles IX.—Persecutions of the Protestants—Viewfrom Vezelay—Scenery and wild sports—The Author—Objectof the Work | p. 1 |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
Le Morvan—Forests—Climate—Patriarchs and Damosels—Peasantsof the plain and the mountains—Jovial Curés—Their love ofBurgundy—The Doctor and the Curé | 14 |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
Geology—Fossil shells—Antediluvian salmon—The Druids—Chindonax,the High Priest—Roman antiquities—JuliusCæsar's hunting-box—Lugubrious village—Carré-les-Tombes—TheInquisitive Andalusian | 26 |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
Le Morvan during the Middle Ages—Legendary horrors—Forestof La Goulotte—La Croix Chavannes—La Croix Mordienne—Hôtelde Chanty—Château de Lomervo—A French Bluebeard—Citadelof Lingou | 35 |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
Castle of Bazoche—Maréchal de Vauban—Relics of the oldMarshal—Memorials of Philipsburg—Hôtel de Bazarne—Madamede Pompadour's maître d'hôtel—Proof of the curés'grief—Farm of St. Hibaut—Youthful recollections—Monsieurde Cheribalde—Navarre the Four-Pounder—His culverin | 43 |
| [CHAPTER VI]. | |
Bird's-eye view of the forests—The student's visit to his unclein the country—Sallies forth in the early morning—Meets acuckoo—Follows him—The cuckoo too much for him—Givesup the pursuit—Finds he has lost his way—Agreeable vespers—Nightin the forest—Wolves—Up a beech tree—A friend inneed—The student bids adieu to Le Morvan | 55 |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
Charms of a forest life to the sportsman—The Poachers—LePère Séguin—His knowledge of the woods and of the rivers—Thefirst buck—A bad shot | 65 |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
Le Père Séguin's collation—The young sportsman and the hare—Thequarrel—The apology—The reconciliation—The cemetery—Baitfor barbel—Le Père Séguin's deceased friends—The returnhome | 75 |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
Passage of the woodcock in November—Laziness of that bird—Nighttravelling—Mode of snaring them at night—Numberstaken in this way—This sport adapted rather for the poacher—Thebraconnier of Le Morvan—His mode of life—Thepoacher's dog—The double poacher | 88 |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
The woodcock—Its habits in the forests of Le Morvan—Aversionof dogs to this bird—Timidity of the woodcock—Its cunning—Shootingin November—The Woodcock mates—The Woodcock | 100 |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
Fine names—Gustavus Adolphus and the cabbages—GustavusAdolphus no hero!—The Parisian Sportsman—Partridgeshooting despicable—Wild boar-hunting—Rousing the grislymonster—His approach—The post of honour—Good nerves—Thedeath—The trophy and congratulations | 117 |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
The Mares—Manner in which they are formed in the depths ofthe forest—Mare No. 1.—Description of it—The appearanceof the spot—Mode of constructing the hunting-lodge—Approachof the birds—Animals that frequent the Mares in theevening | 141 |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
Appearance of the Mare in the morning—Forest etiquette—Modeof obtaining possession of the best Mare—Every subterfugefair—The jocose sportsman—The quarrel—Reveriesin the hut—Comparison between meeting a lady and watchingfor a wolf | 157 |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
Mare No. 2.—Description of it—Not sought after by the sportsman—Thesick banker—The doctor's prescription—The patient'sdisgust at it—Is at length obliged to yield—Leaves Paris forLe Morvan—Consequences to the inmates of the château—Thebanker convalescent | 170 |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
Summer months in the Forest—Mare No. 3.—Description of it—TheWoodcock fly—The Banker has a day's sport—Arrives atthe Mare—Difficult to please in his choice of a hut—Proceedsto a larger Mare—His friends retire—The Banker on the alertfor a Wolf or a Boar—Fires at some animal—The unfortunatediscovery—Rage of the Parisian—Pays for his blunder, andrecovers his temper | 188 |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
The Curé of the Mountain—Toby Gold Button—Hospitality—TheCuré's pig—His hard fate and reflections—The Curé ofthe plain—His worth and influence—The agent of theGovernment—Landed Proprietors—Their influence—TheOrator—Dialogue with a Peasant | 207 |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
The wolf—His aspect and extreme ferocity—His cunning inhunting his prey—His unsocial nature—Antiquity of therace—Where found, and their varieties—Annihilated inEngland by the perseverance of the kings and people—Decreesand rewards to encourage their destruction by Athelstane,John, and Edward I.—Death of the last wolf inEngland—Death of the last in Ireland | 221 |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
The battues of May and December—The gathering of sportsmen—Preparationsin the forest—The charivari—The fatal rush—Excitementof the moment—The volley—The day's triumph,and the reward—The peasants returning—Hunting the wolfwith dogs—Cub-hunting—The drunken wolf | 236 |
| [CHAPTER XIX.] | |
Wolf-hunting, an expensive amusement—The Traquenard—Modeof setting this trap—A night in the forest with Navarre—Theyoung lover—Dreadful accident that befell him—Hiscourage and efforts to escape—The fatal catastrophe—Thepoor mad mother | 248 |
| [CHAPTER XX.] | |
Shooting wolves in the summer—The most approved baits toattract them—Fatal error—Hut-shooting—Silent joviality—Theapproach of the wolves—The first volley—The retreat—Thefinal slaughter—The sportsman's reward—The farm-yardnear St. Hibaut—The dead colt—The onset—Scene inthe morning—Horrible accident—The gallant farmer—Deathof the wolves, the dogs, and the peasant—The wolf-skin drum—Anathemaof the naturalists | 261 |
| [CHAPTER XXI.] | |
Fishing in Le Morvan—The naturalist—The Gour of Akin—TheEnglish lady—The mountain streams—Château deChatelux—Sermiselle—New mode of killing pike—PierrePertuis—The rocks and whirlpool there—The syrens of thegrotto—Château des Panolas—The Cousin—The ponds ofMarot and lakes of Lomervo—Mode of taking fish with livetrimmers—The Scotch farmer | 280 |
| [CHAPTER XXII.] | |
Village fêtes—The first of May—The religious festivals—The FêteDieu—Appearance of the streets—The altars erected in them—Processionfrom the church—Country fairs—The book-stallsat them—Pictures of the Roman Catholic Church—Before theVendange—Proprietor's hopes and fears—Shooting in the vineyards—Thefirst day of the Vendange—Appearance of thecountry—Influx of visitors at this season—The consequences—Herminie—Hersad history—Le Morvan—Recommended tothe English traveller—Lord Brougham and Cannes—Contrastbetween it and Le Morvan | 297 |