Every house seemed capable of exhibiting similar remains, and on many were dates in stone of 1613, 1660, 1673.

One tower of defence is tolerably perfect; and walls and remnants of gates here and there prove how strong and how important Izeste once must have been.
We entered a court-yard, where a tailor was sitting working close by a curious door-way, which appeared like the entrance to a church, and was built into a wall, forming part of what was formerly a large mansion.

We were so much struck with the extraordinary sculpture round the arch, that we inquired if there was any record of what it had been.

The tailor looked up surprised: "Well," said he, "I have lived here all my life, and never took notice of this door-way before: we have plenty of old stones here; but they are worth nothing, and mean nothing, that I know of." The carving which so excited our curiosity was a series of medallions: some circular, some square, very much mutilated, but still traceable.

On one compartment were the figures of a bear _rampant_, and--what might be--a bull: they seemed in the act of combat, and possibly might represent the arms of Bearn and Ossau, though I confess I look upon them as of _very early_ date--perhaps the work of the Gauls or Goths, _selon moi_; another enclosed a Sagittarius and a dog; another, an animal like a wolf, holding a club; another, an ape: the rest are too much worn to enable an antiquarian to decide what they were; but the whole offered a very singular and interesting problem, which we found it impossible to solve: the medallions are on stones which have evidently belonged to some other building, and been thus placed over a modern portal.
There is a cavern in the neighbourhood of Izeste, which is said to be worth visiting; but the weather was not propitious to our seeing it.
We stopped on the way from the Eaux Bonnes, on our return, at a place where our driver purchased us some ortolans, and we were almost stunned with the noise and clamour of a crowd of little urchins, with flowers and without, who, in whining accents, insisted on sous; but there was nothing either pretty or romantic about them or their costume; and we were very glad when, having procured the delicate little birds we waited for, we could resume our route.