“Come，mypoormother，Desrochesisright，“saidJoseph，rejoiningAgatheonthestaircase。“Ihavesoldmytwopictures，letusstartforBerry；youhavetwoweeks’leaveofabsence。“
Afterwritingtohergodmothertoannouncetheirarrival，AgatheandJosephstartedthenexteveningfortheirtriptoIssoudun，leavingPhilippetohisfate。Thediligencerolledthroughtherued’EnfertowardtheOrleanshighroad。WhenAgathesawtheLuxembourg，towhichPhilippehadbeentransferred，shecouldnotrefrainfromsaying，——
“IfitwerenotfortheAllieshewouldneverbethere！“
Manysonswouldhavemadeanimpatientgestureandsmiledwithpity；
buttheartist，whowasalonewithhismotherinthecoupe，caughtherinhisarmsandpressedhertohisheart，exclaiming:——
“Oh，mother！youareamotherjustasRaphaelwasapainter。Andyouwillalwaysbeafoolofamother！“
MadameBridau’smind，divertedbeforelongfromhergriefsbythedistractionsofthejourney，begantodwellonthepurposeofit。Shere-readtheletterofMadameHochon，whichhadsostirredupthelawyerDesroches。Struckwiththewords“concubine“and“slut，“whichthepenofaseptuagenarianaspiousasshewasrespectablehadusedtodesignatethewomannowinprocessofgettingholdofJean-JacquesRouget’sproperty，struckalsowiththeword“imbecile“appliedtoRougethimself，shebegantoaskherselfhow，byherpresenceatIssoudun，shewastosavetheinheritance。Joseph，poordisinterestedartistthathewas，knewlittleenoughabouttheCode，andhismother’slastremarkabsorbedhismind。
“BeforeourfriendDesrochessentusofftoprotectourrights，heoughttohaveexplainedtousthemeansofdoingso，“heexclaimed。
“Sofarasmypoorhead，whichwhirlsatthethoughtofPhilippeinprison，——withouttobacco，perhaps，andabouttoappearbeforetheCourtofPeers！——leavesmeanydistinctmemory，“returnedAgathe，“I
thinkyoungDesrochessaidweweretogetevidenceofundueinfluence，incasemybrotherhasmadeawillinfavorofthat——that——woman。“
“Heisgoodatthat，Desrochesis，“criedthepainter。“Bah！ifwecanmakenothingofitI’llgethimtocomehimself。“
“Well，don’tletustroubleourheadsuselessly，“saidAgathe。“WhenwegettoIssoudunmygodmotherwilltelluswhattodo。“
Thisconversation，whichtookplacejustafterMadameBridauandJosephchangedcoachesatOrleansandenteredtheSologne，issufficientproofoftheincapacityofthepainterandhismothertoplaytheparttheinexorableDesrocheshadassignedtothem。
InreturningtoIssoudunafterthirtyyears’absence，Agathewasabouttofindsuchchangesinitsmannersandcustomsthatitisnecessarytosketch，inafewwords，apictureofthattown。Withoutit，thereaderwouldscarcelyunderstandtheheroismdisplayedbyMadameHochoninassistinghergoddaughter，orthestrangesituationofJean-
JacquesRouget。ThoughDoctorRougethadtaughthissontoregardAgatheinthelightofastranger，itwascertainlyasomewhatextraordinarythingthatforthirtyyearsabrothershouldhavegivennosignsoflifetoasister。Suchasilencewasevidentlycausedbypeculiarcircumstances，andanyothersisterandnephewthanAgatheandJosephwouldlongagohaveinquiredintothem。Thereis，moreover，acertainconnectionbetweentheconditionofthecityofIssoudunandtheinterestsoftheBridaufamily，whichcanonlybeseenasthestorygoeson。
Issoudun，beitsaidwithoutoffencetoParis，isoneoftheoldestcitiesinFrance。InspiteofthehistoricalassumptionwhichmakestheemperorProbustheNoahoftheGauls，CaesarspeaksoftheexcellentwineofChamp-Fort“deCampoForti“stilloneofthebestvintagesofIssoudun。Rigordwritesofthiscityinlanguagewhichleavesnodoubtastoitsgreatpopulationanditsimmensecommerce。
Butthesetestimoniesbothassignamuchlesseragetothecitythanitsancientantiquitydemands。Infact，theexcavationslatelyundertakenbyalearnedarchaeologistoftheplace，MonsieurArmandPeremet，havebroughttolight，underthecelebratedtowerofIssoudun，abasilicaofthefifthcentury，probablytheonlyoneinFrance。Thischurchpreserves，initsverymaterials，thesign-manualofananteriorcivilization；foritsstonescamefromaRomantemplewhichstoodonthesamesite。
Issoudun，therefore，accordingtotheresearchesofthisantiquary，likeothercitiesofFrancewhoseancientormodernautonymendsin“Dun““dunum“bearsinitsverynamethecertificateofanautochthonousexistence。Theword“Dun，“theappanageofalldignityconsecratedbyDruidicalworship，provesareligiousandmilitarysettlementoftheCelts。BeneaththeDunoftheGaulsmusthavelaintheRomantempletoIsis。Fromthatcomes，accordingtoChaumon，thenameofthecity，Issous-Dun，——“Is“beingtheabbreviationof“Isis。“
RichardCoeur-de-lionundoubtedlybuiltthefamoustowerinwhichhecoinedmoneyabovethebasilicaofthefifthcentury，——thethirdmonumentofthethirdreligionofthisancienttown。Heusedthechurchasanecessaryfoundation，orstay，fortheraisingoftherampart；andhepreserveditbycoveringitwithfeudalfortificationsaswithamantle。IssoudunwasatthattimetheseatoftheephemeralpoweroftheRoutiersandtheCottereaux，adventurersandfree-
lancers，whomHenryII。sentagainsthissonRichard，atthetimeofhisrebellionasComtedePoitou。
ThehistoryofAquitaine，whichwasnotwrittenbytheBenedictines，willprobablyneverbewritten，becausetherearenolongerBenedictines:thuswearenotabletolightupthesearchaeologicaltenebraeinthehistoryofourmannersandcustomsoneveryoccasionoftheirappearance。ThereisanothertestimonytotheancientimportanceofIssoudunintheconversionintoacanaloftheTournemine，alittlestreamraisedseveralfeetabovetheleveloftheTheolswhichsurroundsthetown。ThisisundoubtedlytheworkofRomangenius。Moreover，thesuburbwhichextendsfromthecastleinanortherlydirectionisintersectedbyastreetwhichformorethantwothousandyearshasbornethenameoftheruedeRome；andtheinhabitantsofthissuburb，whoseracialcharacteristics，blood，andphysiognomyhaveaspecialstampoftheirown，callthemselvesdescendantsoftheRomans。Theyarenearlyallvine-growers，anddisplayaremarkableinflexibilityofmannersandcustoms，due，undoubtedly，totheirorigin，——perhapsalsototheirvictoryovertheCottereauxandtheRoutiers，whomtheyexterminatedontheplainofCharostinthetwelfthcentury。
Aftertheinsurrectionof1830，Francewastooagitatedtopaymuchattentiontotherisingofthevine-growersofIssoudun；aterribleaffair，thefactsofwhichhaveneverbeenmadepublic，——forgoodreasons。Inthefirstplace，thebourgeoisofIssoudunrefusedtoallowthemilitarytoenterthetown。TheyfollowedtheuseandwontofthebourgeoisieoftheMiddleAgesanddeclaredthemselvesresponsiblefortheirowncity。Thegovernmentwasobligedtoyieldtoasturdypeoplebackedupbysevenoreightthousandvine-growers，whohadburnedallthearchives，alsotheofficesof“indirecttaxation，“
andhaddraggedthroughthestreetsacustomsofficer，cryingoutateverystreetlantern，“Letushanghimhere！“Thepoorman’slifewassavedbythenationalguard，whotookhimtoprisononpretextofdrawinguphisindictment。Thegeneralincommandonlyenteredthetownbyvirtueofacompromisemadewiththevine-growers；anditneededsomecouragetogoamongthem。Atthemomentwhenheshowedhimselfatthehotel-de-ville，amanfromthefaubourgdeRomeslunga“volant“roundhisneckthe“volant“isahugepruning-hookfastenedtoapole，withwhichtheytrimtreescryingout，“Nomoreclerks，orthere’sanendtocompromise！“Thefellowwouldhavetakenoffthathonoredhead，leftuntouchedbysixteenyearsofwar，haditnotbeenforthehastyinterventionofoneoftheleadersoftherevolt，towhomapromisehadbeenmadethatTHECHAMBERSSHOULDBEASKEDTO
N。
Inthefourteenthcentury，Issoudunstillhadsixteenorseventeenthousandinhabitants，remainsofapopulationdoublethatnumberinthetimeofRigord。CharlesVII。possessedamansionwhichstillexists，andwasknown，aslateastheeighteenthcentury，astheMaisonduRoi。Thistown，thenacentreofthewoollentrade，suppliedthatcommoditytothegreaterpartofEurope，andmanufacturedonalargescaleblankets，hats，andtheexcellentChevreautingloves。
UnderLouisXIV。，Issoudun，thebirthplaceofBaronandBourdaloue，wasalwayscitedasacityofeleganceandgoodsociety，wherethelanguagewascorrectlyspoken。ThecuratePoupard，inhisHistoryofSancerre，mentionstheinhabitantsofIssoudunasremarkableamongtheotherBerrichonsforsubtletyandnaturalwit。To-day，thewitandthesplendorhavealikedisappeared。Issoudun，whosegreatextentofgroundbearswitnesstoitsancientimportance，hasnowbarelytwelvethousandinhabitants，includingthevine-dressersoffourenormoussuburbs，——thoseofSaint-Paterne，Vilatte，Rome，andAlouette，whicharereallysmalltowns。Thebourgeoisie，likethatofVersailles，arespreadoverthelengthandbreadthofthestreets。IssoudunstillholdsthemarketforthefleecesofBerry；acommercenowthreatenedbyimprovementsinthestockwhicharebeingintroducedeverywhereexceptinBerry。
ThevineyardsofIssoudunproduceawinewhichisdrunkthroughoutthetwodepartments，andwhich，ifmanufacturedasBurgundyandGasconymanufacturetheirs，wouldbeoneofthebestwinesinFrance。Alas，“todoasourfathersdid，“withnoinnovations，isthelawoftheland。Accordingly，thevine-growerscontinuetoleavetherefuseofthegrapeinthejuiceduringitsfermentation，whichmakesthewinedetestable，whenitmightbeasourceofever-springingwealth，andanindustryforthecommunity。Thankstothebitternesswhichtherefuseinfusesintothewine，andwhich，theysay，lessenswithage，avintagewillkeepacentury。Thisreason，givenbythevine-growerinexcuseforhisobstinacy，isofsufficientimportancetooenologytobemadepublichere；GuillaumeleBretonhasalsoproclaimeditinsomelinesofhis“Phillippide。“
ThedeclineofIssoudunisexplainedbythisspiritofsluggishness，sunkentoactualtorpor，whichasinglefactwillillustrate。WhentheauthoritiesweretalkingofahighroadbetweenParisandToulouse，itwasnaturaltothinkoftakingitfromVierzontoChateaurouxbywayofIssoudun。Thedistancewasshorterthantomakeit，astheroadnowis，throughVatan，buttheleadingpeopleoftheneighborhoodandthecitycouncilofIssoudunwhosediscussionofthematterissaidtoberecorded，demandedthatitshouldgobyVatan，onthegroundthatifthehighroadwentthroughtheirtown，provisionswouldriseinpriceandtheymightbeforcedtopaythirtysousforachicken。TheonlyanalogytobefoundforthisproceedingisinthewilderpartsofSardinia，alandoncesorichandpopulous，nowsodeserted。WhenCharlesAlbert，withapraiseworthyintentionofcivilization，wishedtouniteSassari，thesecondcapitaloftheisland，withCagliaribyamagnificenthighwaytheonlyoneevermadeinthatwildwastebynameSardinia，thedirectlinelaythroughBornova，adistrictinhabitedbylawlesspeople，allthemorelikeourArabtribesbecausetheyaredescendedfromtheMoors。Seeingthattheywereabouttofallintotheclutchesofcivilization，thesavagesofBornova，withouttakingthetroubletodiscussthematter，declaredtheiroppositiontotheroad。