|T-0-U| CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARY 1? o Maua- si - 2' ^ )||0-R-L- E-A-N ^; ii.-ii>";^ The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924007444015 THE CATHEDRALS OF NORTHERN FRANCE NOTRE DAME de NO TON . . THE CATHEDRALS OF NORTHERN FRANCE By FRANCIS MILTOUN WITH EIGHTY ILLUSTRATIONS, PLANS, AND DIAGRAMS, By BLANCHE McMANUS BOSTON md6ccciii| \,\ Copyright, igoj By L. C. Page & Company (incorporated) All rights reserved Published October, 1903 CtdoniBl iPrtss Electrotypod atid Printed Jijr C. H. Slmonds & Co. Boston. Mass.; y. S.A. rHIS BOOK IS DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR AND ARTIST TO THE GENIUS OF RACE WHICH MADE POSSIBLE THE EXISTENCE OF THESE ARCHITECTURAL "GLORIES OF FRANCE" APOLOGIA '* There ar^ i'wa ways of writing a book of travel: to recount the journey itself, qv the results of it" This is also the case ipith regard to any 'work which attempts to purvey topo- graphical or historical information of a nature which is only to be gathered upon the stpot; and, "when an additian^l side-light is skoi&n by reason of the inclusion, as in the present in- stance, of the artistic md religious element, it beeo^mes m&re and more a question of judi- cious selection and arrangement of factt rather than a mere hazarding of opinions, which, in many cases, can be naught but conjecture, and may, in spite of any good claim to authorita- tiveness, be misunderstood or perverted to an inutile end, or, what is worse, sw^llQ^fd in that obliviion where lies so much esQcellent thought, which, lacking either balance or time- liness, has become stranded, wrecked, and practically lost to view because of its uneippro- priate and unattractive presentation. Apologia To-day, the purely technical 'writer may have little hope of immortality unless he is broad-minded enough to take a cultivated interest in many matters outside the ken of his own particular sphere. The best-equipped person living could not produce a new -'Dic- tionary of Architecture," and expect it to fill any niche that may be waiting for such a work, unless he brought to bear, in addition to his own special knowledge, something of the statistician, something of the professed com- piler, and, if possible, a little of the not unim- portant knowledge possessed by the maker and seller of books, meaning — the publisher. Given these qualifications, it is likely that he will then produce an ensemble as far in ad- vance of what otherwise might have been as is the modern printing machine, as a factor in the dissemination of literature, as compared with the ancient scribes working to the same end. The sentimentalist and rhapsodist in words and ideas is a dwindling factor at the present day, and a new presentation of fact is occa- sionally to be met with in the printed page. The best " book of travel" within the knowl- edge of the writer, and perhaps one of the slightest in bulk ever written in the English language, is Stevenson's "Inland Voyage " — vi Apologia here were imagination, appreciation, and a new way of seeing things, and, above all, en- thusiasm; and this is the formula upon which doubtless many a future writer will build his reputation, though he may never reach the significant heights expressed by Stevenson in the picturesque wording of his wish to be made Bishop of Noyon. This apparent digression into a critical esti- mate of the making of books is but another expression of the justification of the writer in the attempt herein made to set forth in at- tractive and enduring form certain facts and realities with regard to the grand and glorious group of cathedrals of Northern France. They have appeared as demanding some- thing more than the conventional guide-book, or even technical estimates as to their perfec- tions, and the belief is that the gathering to- gether, after this fashion, of the contemporary information not always to the hand of the general reader presents an attraction as ap- pealing and deserving of a place on the book- shelf as would be an avowed reference work, or a volume made to sell on the strength of its bulk or ornateness, or, lacking these ques- tionable attributes, presented in the guise of a whilom text-book, the sole province of vii Apologia 'which is to impart " knowledge " after a cer- tain well recognized and set pattern. It is believed that, regardless of much that has been said and written anent the subject, the fact remains that some consider- able numbers of persons may be supposed to exist who would be glad of a further sugges- tion which would make possible an acquaint- ance with the cathedrals of France as a part of their own personal experience. To all such, then, it is to be hoped this book will appeal. F. M. vm CONTENTS Introduction Part I. Transition Examplei I. Introductory .... II. Notre Dame de Laon . III. Notre Dame de Noyon IV. Notre Dame de Soissons Part II. The Grand •Group I. Introductory .... II. Notre Dame d'Amiens . III. St. Pierre de Beauvais . IV. Notre Dame de Rouen . V. Basilique de St. Denis . VI. Notre Dame de Paris . VII. St. Julien ; Le Mans VIII. Notre Dame de Chartres IX. Notre Dame de Reims . Part III. The Cathedrals of the Loire I. Introductory ...... II. St. Croix d'Orleans III. St. Louis de Blois PAGE II 4> 43 49 54 6i 64 70 79 93 lOI "3 123 132 147 I JO .56 Contents IV. St. Gatien de Tours . 163 V. St. Maurice d' Angers I73 VI. St. Pierre de Nantes 183 Part IV. Central France I. St. Etienne d'Auxerre 191 II. St. Etienne de Bourges . • 199 III. St. Cyr and St. Juliette de Nevers 209 IV. St. Mammes de Langres . 218 V. Notre Dame d'Auxonne 220 Part V. East of Paris I. Introductory 223 II. Notre Dame de Boulogne-sur-Mer 231 III.' Notre Dame de Cambrai 234 IV. Notre Dame de St. Omer 237 V. St. Vaast d'Arras . 242 VI. St. Etienne de Toul . 247 VII. St. Etienne, Chalons-sur-Marne 251 VIII. St. Die ... . 2S4 IX. St. Lazare d'Autun 257 X. St. Benigne de Dijon . 262 XI. Notre Dame de Senlis . 266 XII. XIII. St. Etienne de Meaux . St. Pierre de Troyes 270 274 XIV. St. Etienne de Sens 279 Part VI. Western Normandy and Brittany I. Introductory . . . . . .285 II. Notre Dame d'Evreux ..... 288 Contents III. Notre Dame d'Alen9on IV. St. Pierre de Lisieux . V. Notre Dame de Seez . VI. Notre Dame de Bayeux VII. Notre Dame de St. Lo . VIII. Notre Dame de Coutances IX. St. Pierre d'Avranches . X. St. Sol, Dol-de-Bretagne XI. St. Malo and St. Servan XII. Treguier XIII. St. Brieuc . XIV. St. Pol de Leon . XV. St. Corentin de Quimper XVI. Vannes Appendices I. The Architectural Divisions of France II. A List of the Departments of France III. The Church in France ..... IV. A List of the Larger French Churches Which Were at One Time Cathedrals V. Chronology of the Chief Styles and Examples of Church Building .... VI. Dimensions and Chronology .... VII. The French Kings from Charlemagne Onward VIII. Measurements of the Cathedrals af Amiens and Salisbury ....... IX. French Metres Reduced to English Feet . X. A Brief Glossary of Architectural Terms . 296 301 305 310 315 321 326 329 335 339 342 345 348 351 353 356 359 362 365 366 383 384 385 386 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Notre Dame de Noyon Frontispiece Notre Dame de Laon ■ 43 Notre Dame de Noyon 47 Notre Dame d' Amiens 64 St. Pierre de Beauvais 70 Notre Dame de Rouen 77 Basilique de St. Denis 91 Oriflamme of St. Denis . . _ 100 Notre Dame de Paris lOI Notre Dame de Paris from the River 107 St. Julien ; Le Mans III Notre Dame de Chartres 123 Notre Dame de Reims 132 St. Croix d' Orleans . . 150 St. Louis de Blois . . 156 St. Gatien de Tours . 161 Flying Buttress, St. Gatien de Tours . 170 St. Maurice d' Angers • 17' St. Pierre de Nantes . 183 St. Etienne d'Auxerre • i9» St. Etienne de Bourges • 197 St. Cyr and St. Juliette de Nevers . • . 209 St. Mammes de Langres . . 2l8 List of Illustrations FAGK Nancy ........ 227 Boulogne, St. Omer, Arras 229 Notre Dame de Cambrai . 236 St. Etienne de Toul . Z47 St. Etienne, Chalon-sur-Marne . 251 St. Die 254 St. Lazare d'Autun . 257 St. Benigne de Dijon 262 Notre Dame de Senlis z66 St. Etienne de Meaux 270 St. Pierre de Troyes . 274 St. Etienne de Sens 279 Notre Dame d'Evreux 289 Window Framing — Evreux 295 Notre Dame d'Alen9on . 296 St. Pierre de Lisieux 299 Notre Dame de Seez 3°5 Notre Dame de Bayeux . 310 Notre Dame de St. Lo . . . 315 Notre Dame de Coutances 319 St. Pierre d'Avranches 326 Column of St. Pierre d'Avranches 328 St. Samson, Dol-de-Bretagne 329 St. Malo and St. Servan. — Treguier 333 St. Brieuc .... 342 St. Corentin de Quimper . 348 Notre Dame d' Amiens (diagram) . 366 Map of Angers . 367 St. Etienne de Bourges (diagram) . ■ 370 Notre Dame de Laon (diagram) . • 372 List of Illustrations St. Julien, le Mans (diagram) 373 Map of Nantes 374 Notre Dame de Noyon (diagram) 375 Notre Dame de Paris (diagram) . 376 Notre Dame de Reims (diagram) 377 Flying Buttresses, Reims . 377 Notre Dame de Rouen (diagram) 378 Basilique de St. Denis (diagrams) 380 Map of Tours .... 381 Charles VII. .... 383 Ground Plan .... 386 Cross Section .... . 387 Interior .... 388 Cross Section .... 389 xm The Cathedrals of Northern France INTRODUCTION An attempt to enumerate the architectural monuments of France is not possible without due consideration being given to the topo- graphical divisions of the country, which, so far as the early population and the expression of their arts and customs is concerned, natu- rally divides itself into two grand divisions of influences, widely dissimilar. Historians, generally, agree that the country which embraces the Prankish influences in the north, as distinct from that where are spoken the romance languages, finds its partition somewhere about a line drawn from the monath of the Loire to the Swiss lakes. Terri- lorially, this approaches an 'equal division, with the characteristics of ardhitectatal forms ivell nigh as equally divided. Indeed, Fcrga^- •II Introduction son, who in his general estimates and valua- tions is seldom at fault, thus divides it : — " on a line which follows the valley of the Loire to a point between Tours and Orleans, then southwesterly to Lyons, and thence along the valley of the Rhone to Geneva." With such a justification, then, it is natural that some arbitrary division should be made in arranging the subject matter of a volume which treats, in part only, of a country or its memorials ; even though the influences of one section may not only have lapped over into the other, but, as in certain instances, extended far beyond. As the peoples were divided in speech, so were they in their manner of building, and the most thoroughly consist- ent and individual types were in the main confined to the environment of their birth. A notable exception is found in Brittany, where is apparent a generous admixture of style which does not occur in the churches of the first rank; referring to the imposing struc- tures of the Isle de France and its immediate vicinity. The " Grand Cathedrals " of this region are, perhaps, most strongly impressed upon the mind of whoever takes something more than a superficial interest in the subject as the type which embodies the loftiest princi- 12 Introduction pies of Gothic forms, and, as such, they are perhaps best remembered by that very con- siderable body of persons known as intelligent observers. The strongest influences at work in the north from the twelfth century onward have been in favour of the Gothic or pointed styles, whilst, in the south, civic and ecclesiastical architecture alike were of a manifest Byzan- tine or Romanesque tendency. No better illustration of this is possible than to recall the fact that, when the builders of the fifteenth century undertook to complete that astound- ingly impressive choir at Beauvais,they sought to rival in size and magnificence its namesake at Rome, which, under the care of the Pontiff himself, was then being projected. Thus it was that this thoroughly Gothic structure of the north was to stand forth as the indicator of local influences, as contrasted with the Italian design and plans of the St. Peter's of the south. A discussion of the merits of any territorial claims as to the inception of what is commonly known as Gothic architecture, under which name, for the want of a more familiar term, it shall be referred to herein, is quite apart from the purport of this volume, and, as such, it were best ignored. The statement, how- 13 Introduction ever, may be made that it would seem clearly to be the development of a northern influence which first took shape after a definite form in a region safely comprehended as lying within the confines of northeastern France, the Netherlands, and the northern Rhine Provinces. Much has been written on this debatable subject and doubtless will continue to be, either as an arrow shot into the air by some wary pedant, or an equally uncon- vincing statement, without proof, of some mere follower in the footsteps of an illustrious, but behind the times, expert. It matters not, as a mere detail, whether it was brought from the East in imperfect form by the Crusaders, and only received its development at the hands of some ingenious northerner, or not. Its de- velopment was certainly rapid and sure in the great group which we know to-day in northern France, and, if proof were wanted, the exist- ing records in stone ought to be sufficiently convincing to point out the fact that here Medi- aeval Gothic architecture received its first and most perfect development. The Primaire: the development of the style finding its best example at Paris. The Secondaire: the Per- fectionnement at Reims, and its Apogee at Amiens. The Tertiaire: practically the be- H Introduction ginning of the decadence, in St. Ouen at Rouen, only a shade removed from the debase- ment which soon followed. As to the merits or demerits of the contemporary structures of other nations, that also would be obviously of comparative unimportance herein except so far as a comparison might once and again be made to accentuate values. The earliest art triumphs of the French may well be said to have been in the develop- ment and perfectionnement of Mediaeval (Gothic) architecture. Its builders planned amply, wisely, and well, and in spite of the interruptions of wars, of invasions, and of revolutions, there is nowhere to be found upon the earth's surface so many characteristic at- tributes of Mediaeval Gothic architecture as is to be observed in this land, extending from the Romanesque types of Frejus Perigueux and Angouleme to that classical degenera- tion commonly called the Renaissance, a more offensive example of which could hardly be found than in the conglomerate structure of St. Etienne du Mont at Paris, or the more modern and, if possible, even more ugly Cathedral Churches at Arras, Cambrai, or Rennes in the north. There may be attractive Italian types in 15 Introduction existence out of Italy; but the fact is that, un- less they are undoubted copies of a thoroughly consistent style to the very end, they impress one as being out of place in a land where the heights of its own native style are so exalted. Gothic, regardless of the fact as to whether it be the severe and unornamental varieties of the Low Countries or the exaggerations of the most ornately flamboyant style, appears not only to please the casual and average ob- server, but the thorough student of ecclesias- tical architecture as well. It has come to be the accepted form throughout the world of what is best representative of the thought and pur- pose for which a great church should stand. With the Renaissance we have not a little to do, when considering the cathedrals of France. Seldom, if ever, in the sixteenth century did the builder or even the restorer add aught but Italian accessories where any considerable work was to be accomplished. Why, or how, the Renaissance ever came into being it is quite impossible for any one to say, sans doubt, as is the first rudimentary invention of Gothic itself. Perhaps it was but the outcome of a desire for something different, if not new; but in the process the taste of the people fell to a low degree. Architecture may be said to i6 Introduction have been all but divorced from life, and, while the fabric is a dead thing of itself, it is a very living and human expression of the tendencies of an era. The Renaissance sought to revive painting and sculpture and to in- corporate them into architectural forms. Whether after a satisfactory manner or not appears to have been no concern with the revivers of a style which was entirely unsuited in its original form to a northern latitude. That which answered for the needs and de- sires of a southern race could not be boldly transplanted into another environment and live without undergoing an evolution which takes time, a fact not disproven by later events. The Italians themselves were the undoubted cause of the debasement of the classical style, evidences having crept into that country nearly a hundred years before the least ves- tiges were known in either France or Ger- many, the Netherlands, or England, and which, though traceable, had left but slight impress in Spain. It is doubtless not far wrong to attribute its introduction into France as the outcome of the wanderings in Italy of Charles VIII., in the latter years of the XV. century. As a result of this it is popularly supposed that it was introduced into the domestic architec- 17 Introduction ture of the nobles who had accompanied the king. Here it found perhaps its most satisfy- ing expression; in those magnificent chateaux of the Loire, and the neighbourhood of Tours and Blois, ever a subject for sentimental praise. One would not seek to pass condemna- tion upon the application of revived classic features where they were but the expression of an individual taste, as in a chateau whose owner so chose to build and embellish it. Cer- tainly no more splendid edifices of their kind are known than the magnificent establishments at Blois, Chenonceaux, Chambord, or Chau- mont. The style appears, however, out of place; an admixture meaningless in itself and in its application when, with a Gothic foundation bequeathed them, builders sought to incorporate into a cathedral such palpable inconsistencies as was frequently done. The building of the chateaux was perhaps the first anti-Gothic step in France and proved to be an influence which spread not slowly, as to decorative detail at least, and soon of itself established a decided non-Gothic type. It was but natural that the cathedral build- ers should have followed to some extent this new influence. The Church was ever seeking to strengthen its popularity, the bishops en- Introduction sconced themselves in their cathedral cities as snugly as did a feudal lord in his castle, and their emulation of wealth outside of the Church was but an effort to keep their status on a plane with that of the other power which also demanded allegiance of the people. It is to be regretted that they did not pass this manifestation by, or at least not encum- bered an otherwise consistent Gothic fabric with superimposed meaningless detail. Such decorative embellishments as are represented by the tomb of Louis XII. at St. Denis, and the tombs of the cardinals at Rouen, may be considered characteristic, though they bear earlier dates by some twenty years than the south portal of Beauvais, which is thoroughly the best of Gothic, or St, Maclou at Rouen, which, though highly florid, is without a trace of anti-Gothic. The extreme (though not a cathedral church) may be seen at St. Etienne du Mont, wherein the effort is made to incor- porate large masses of pseudo-classical decora- tion with Gothic, and, alas, with sad effect. For the most part, the Gothic cathedrals of France, as such, while closely related to each other in their design and arrangements, have little to do with those which lie without the confines of the country, either in general fea- 19 Introduction tures or in detail. The type is distinctively one whiQh stands by its own perfections. In size, while in many instances not having the length of nave of several in England, they have nearly always an equal, if not a greater, width and an almost invariably greater height, though not equal in superficial area to St. Peter's in Italy, the Dom at Cologne, or even the cathedral at Seville in Spain. Such Romanesque types as are to be seen to the northward of the Loire are mostly found in the smaller churches of Brittany, while the early transition type, so familiar throughout the Netherlands, is, in France, usually seen in the neighbourhood of the frontiers of the Low Countries. " Les Grandes Cathedrales " of the north are distinctly those of Paris, Amiens, Reims, Rouen, Beauvais, and Chartres; and it is to them that reference must continually be made ; while the severely plain transitory types of Noyon or Soissons, or the more effective devel- opment of Laon, and the flamboyant structures of Troyes and Nantes, at least lean toward the decadence. The difficulty of assigning ranks to these monumental cathedrals is made the greater by reason of the fact that to-day it is with but ao Introduction one people that we have to reckon, so far as their temperament and environment is con- cerned. Since feudal times the movement has ever been toward one nation, one people, and one view, different from that presented in the middle ages. For centuries after the break of Roman power it had been mostly one local influence against another which prevented perfect co- hesion to any national spirit, and thus it was that the tendencies of the cathedral builders, though Roman as to their teaching and reli- gion, and doubtless, in many instances, with regard to their birth as well, followed no special style until the era of Gothic develop- ment. Unconsciously, transitory types crept in, until suddenly throughout northern Europe there bloomed forth within less than a cen- tury of time the so-called Gothic in all its splendour, and with scarce a century between the commencement and the completion of some of the most notable of the group. The Romanesque types which still lingered in Brittany, though well worthy of special con- sideration to-day, are unimportant and in a way insignificant when compared with the grand group. To most of us it will be impossible to con- 21 Introduction jure up any more significant thought with regard to mediaeval church architecture than that fostered by the memories of acquaintance- ship with these examples of north France ; an opinion which is further strengthened when it is also recalled that they are representative of the first really national artistic expression. For this reason alone, if for no other, the hasty critics who have so handily claimed prece- dence elsewhere, might profitably review the facts of the circumstance which led to so uni- versal an adoption of the full-blown style in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The Romanesque peoples were confined southwards of mid-France at the time of the withdrawal of the Roman legions, while, in the north, the conquering Franks sought to wipe out every vestige of their past influence; hence it may be considered that the new man- ner of building had everything in favour of its speedy growth. It was thus definitely assured of a warm welcome, and, following in the footsteps of Clovis himself, the rulers were more than willing to aid what they be- lieved might be a strengthening influence, politically, as well as morally. The style may be justly said to be a natural and growthful expression of a race, and more <3.% Introduction significant than all else is the fact that no- where, not even on the Rhine, which with northern France claims the origin of the style, is to be found any single example equalling in any like measure the perfections of " Les Grandes Cathedrales Frangaises," though it be recalled that in many instances the German buildings were planned and often erected by French architects and artisans. Among the two thousand or more " Monu- ments Historiques " paternally cared for by the French government and under the direct control of the Ministry of Public Instruction and the Beaux Arts, none are of the relative importance, historically or artistically, of the Grand Cathedrals. Certain objects, classed as megalithic and antique remains, may be the connecting links between the past and the pres- ent by which the antiquarian weaves the threads of his historical lore ; but neither these nor the reliques which have been dug from the ground or untombed from later constructive elements, all of which are generously in- cluded in the general scheme by the Depart- ment of Beaux Arts, which has provided a fund for their preservation and care, have one tithe of the appealing interest which these great churches bespeak on behalf of the con- n Introduction temporary life of the times in which they were built, reflecting as they do many correlated events, and forming, in the interweaving of the history of their inception and construction, an epitome of well-nigh all the contemporary events of their environment, as well as the greater parts which they may have played in general affairs of state. The best example of a part so played is that of the cathedral at Reims, which saw the crowning within its walls of nearly every mon- arch of France from the time of Philippe Augustus (1173) to that of Charles X. (1823). The monarchs of France, a long and pictur- esque line, have ever sought to ally the Church on their side, and right well they have been served, not. ignoring, of course, certain notable lapses. In the main, however, the rulers and the people alike, whatever may have been the periodical dissensions, combined the forces which made possible the projection and erec- tion of these noble examples of an art which, in the Gothic forms at least, here came to its greatest and most interesting phase. Invasion, revolution, and the stress of weather and time, all played their part in the general desecrations which sooner or later followed ; far the most serious of these visible 24 Introduction damages reflected upon us to-day being the malpractices occurring at tlie Revolution, whether at the hands of a sans culotte or of the most respectable of bourgeois, led away by the excitement of revolt. The depredations were irreparable ; they razed, burned, or ruth- lessly shattered shrines, statues, or even reli- quaries, as at Reims, where the Sainted Ampulla, which contained the miraculous oil brought by a dove from heaven, now pre- served in reconstructed fragments in the sac- risty, was dashed to pieces in a fury of uncontrollable wrath. The paucity of sculptured' decoration in certain places only too plainly designed for it is, too, frequently painfully apparent. Such sculptured decoration and glass as were easily to hand met with perhaps the most ready spoliation, while here and there, from some miraculous reason, a gem was left entire, though likely enough in a bruised and shat- tered setting. This is what befell most of the great churches, and, for this reason, any work treat- ing of these architectural glories of France must make due allowance in hazarding opin- ions as to the merit or lack of merit of any particular example as it now exists, as com- 25 Introduction pared with what it may have been as it once was, or had it been completed in accordance with the original design. In local and cathedral archives much valu- able and interesting information exists, treat' ing in this very manner such embellishments as may to-day be lacking; but unfortunately such facts are often buried in a mass of other irrelevant material which would make its dis- covery unusually difficult to any but a very learned local antiquarian. In this same con- nection, also, there is a dearth of illustrative material which can be depended upon as to minutiae or accuracy of detail. Hence it is pos- sible to deal only with such general facts as may be supported by the best contemporary in- formation based upon the researches of others. It may be well to note here, however, a fact which is often overlooked, namely, that the written records of France are not only very complete and exhaustive, but, with respect to Paris itself, to cite an example, the docunien- tary history, consecutive and exact, from the time of the decline of Roman power is pre- served intact, —- a record which is perhaps not so true of any other large city in Europe. In dealing with the cathedrals of the north, territorially, we have to consider those exam- 26 Introduction pies which are generally accepted as being all that a cathedral church should be. Of the first rank are those gathered not far from the con- fines of the mediaeval Isle of France. They too, are best representative of the true Gothic spirit, while the southernmost examples, those of Dijon and Besangon, are of manifest Ro- manesque or Byzantine conception. Each, too, is somewhat reminiscent of the early German manner of building the latter in respect to the double apse, which is often found across the Rhine, but seldom seen in France. The most northerly of all is at St. Omer, where are the somewhat battered remains of a satis- factory Gothic cathedral, although Amiens, not far to the south, is perhaps the ideal cathedral when considered from a general point merely. For the western representative, a line running due west from Paris almost into the Atlantic finds at Quimper, a small port fifteen miles from the sea, the Cathedral of St. Corentin, which, though not as lofty, is more of the manner of building of the Isle of France than one might suppose would be the case here in this outpost of Brittany, where are found so many evidences of Romanesque influ- ences, retained long after they had been given over elsewhere. 27 Introduction Such, then, are the extremes of latitude and of architectural style which combine to give variety to the interest which is always aroused by the contemplation of the masterworks of any of the arts, where outside and contiguous influences have something in common there- with. As a type to admire, there is no doubt but that the cathedral that possesses an apsidal termination of the easterly or choir end, as is nearly the universal custom in France, has charms and beauties which may be latent, but which are simply winning, when it comes to picturing the same structure with the squared- off ends so common in England. It was Stevenson, was it not, who wrote of the satisfaction with which one always looks upon the east end of a French cathedral, " flanging out as it often does in sweeping ter- races, and settling down broadly upon the earth as though it were meant to stay." Cer- tainly nothing of the sort is to be more admired than the rare view of the choir buttresses of Notre Dame at Paris, likened unto " kneeling angels with half-spread wings ; " the delicate and symmetrical choir buttresses of Amiens; the sheer fall of Beauvais; or the triply efifect- ive termination of the one-time catHedral of 28 Introduction Noyon, which falls away in three gracefully gentle slopes to the ground. Again Steven- son's power as a descriptive writer lingers in our memory. He says, of no cathedral in particular, " where else is to be found so many elegant proportions growing one out of the other, and all together in one? . . . Though I have heard a considerable variety of sermons, I have never yet heard one that was so expres- sive as a cathedral." 'Tis the best preacher it- self, preaches day and night, not only telling you of man's art and aspirations in the past, but convicting your own soul of ardent sympa- thies ; or rather, like all good preachers, it sets you preaching to yourself, — and every man is his own doctor of divinity in the last resort. To best estimate the charms and values of these architectural monuments one should consider; first, the history and topography of their environment, — i. e. as to why and when they may have been planned and built; sec- ondly, their personality, as it were, — ^who were their founders, their patrons, their bishops; thirdly, the functions in which they may have partaken, any significant events which may have passed within their walls or centred within their sees; and fourthly, the artistic beauties of their fabric and its embellishments. 29 Introduction In most cases all of these values are so inter- woven and indissolubly linked with the growth of the structure itself from its very earliest foundations that it is hardly possible to detail this information in true chronological order. The picturesque and romantic elements, of which there is not a little; the sordid and bane- ful, of which we may wish there were less ; and the splendid ceremonials of Church and State; all go to make up a chronicle which no ac- count, of even a special nature, could afford to neglect. The picturesque elements of the conver- sion and baptism of Clovis by St. Remi at Reims in 496, where, on the site of the present cathedral, he was adjured to " revere that which thou didst burn and burn that which thou didst revere," and the crowning on the same spot of Charles VII. in 1429 through the efforts of the Maid, well represent these phases. The meanness and the unjustness of her later trial and condemnation in the Abbey Church of St. Ouen at Rouen is another. The affairs of state consist chiefly of the coronation ceremonies which mostly took place at Reims, and present a splendid record. Of the mon- archs from 11 73 onwards who were not here crowned, Henry IV. was crowned at Chartres; 30 Introduction Napoleon I., at Paris ; Louis. Philippe, Louis XVIII. , and Napoleon III. were not crowned at all. Throughout this continuity of state events these great churches were performing their natural functions of the dissemination of the Word. Jealousies and bickerings took place,, to be sure, but in the main there was harmony, if rivalry did exist; else it were not possible that so many of these splendid monuments would have endured to remind us of their past as well as present existence. Certain of the sees were merged into greater ones, and others were abandoqed altogether. In this connection there is a curious circum- stance with regard to the one-time Bishop of Bethleem, who, driven from the Holy Land, was given a see at Clamecy, which see com- prehended only the village in which he re- sided. What remains of the former cathedral is now an adjunct to a hotel. The rearrange- rhent of political divisions of France after the Revolution was the further excuse for estab- lishing but one diocese to a department, until to-day there are but eighty-four sees, admin- istered by sixty-seven bishops and seventeen archbishops. The itinerary of the conventional tour of the > 31 Introduction Continent usually keeps well to the beaten track, and so does the conventional traveller. He does not always get over to Reims, and often does not stop en route at Amiens; sel- dom visits Beauvais, and, unless he specially sets out to " tour " Brittany, a popular enough amusement of the lean of purse in these days, knows little of the unique charms of Treguier, Quimper, or even of Le Mans, with its sub- lime choir, or of Evreux. As for even a nod- ding acquaintance with Noyon or Soissons, two of the most convincingly beautiful and im- pressive transitory types, they might as well be in the wilds of Kamchatka, though they are both situated in a region well travelled on all sides; while Laon, not far distant, is hardly known at all, except as a way station en route to Switzerland. The cathedrals of mid- France are, it is to be feared, even less known than would on first thoughts seem probable. A certain amount of sentimentality attaches itself to the chateaux of the Loire, and some acquaintance with their undeniable pleasing attributes is the portion of most travellers; but, again, such cathedral cities as Besangon, Nantes, and Langres are oflf the well-worn road, and their cathedrals might be myths so far as a general acquaintance with them is 32 Introduction concerned; while the splendid churches of Bourges, Nevers, and Autun are likewise practically unknown to the casual traveller. Tours, Orleans, and Chartres alone appear to be the only recognized representatives of this section of France which have hitherto at- tracted due attention. With the southland this volume does not deal; that is a subject to be considered quite by itself, — and significantly, more real inter- est has been shown with respect to the archi- tectural monuments of Avignon, Aries, Nimes, Le Puy, Perigueux, Carcassonne, and Poitiers than to those of the Midi. Is it that the days of cheap travel and specially conducted tours, when ten or fifteen guineas will take one to the Swiss or Italian lakes, or e'en to Rome and Florence, has caused this apparent neg- lect of the country lying between? Certainly our forefathers travelled more wisely, but then prices and means of locomotion were on quite a different scale in those days, and not infre- quently they were obliged to confine their travels and observations to more restricted areas. Perhaps the most lucid arrangement of architectural species is that given by De Cau- mont's " Abecedaire d'Architecture," which ^7> Introduction divides the country ethnologically into Brit- tany; Normandy; Flanders, including Artois and Picardy; Central France (the Isle of France, Champagne, Orleanois, Main, An- jou, Touraine, and Berri) ; and Burgundy, comprehending the former divisions of Franche Comte, Lorraine, Alsace (now Bel- fort), Nivernois, Bourbonnois, and Lyonnois. Of the above divisions, only that of the. Isle of France with La Brie was originally held by the Crown. The political divisions throughout France now number eighty-seven departments, taking their names from the principal topo- graphical features, and replacing in 1790 the thirty-two mediaeval provinces, each of which had their own characteristics of social and political life, and of which each in turn pro- gressed, stagnated, or fell backward accord- ing to local or periodical conditions. Both the arts of peace and of war have left an in- eradicable impress. In the thirteenth century the various provinces became welded together into one perfect whole under Philippe Augus- tus and the sainted Louis, but retained to no small extent, even as they do unto to-day, their distinctive local characteristics. Because of its cathedrals alone, the Isle of France stands preeminent among the prov- 34 Introduction inces for each of the thirteen provincial styles of architecture which are allocated by the Societe des Monuments Historiques. A com- paratively small and unified province, it com- prehends within and contiguous to its borders more of the attributes and principles of a con- sistent Mediaeval architectural style than is elsewhere to be observed. From Rouen on the vv^est to Reims on the east, northward to Amiens and southwesterly to Chartres, are grouped the show pieces of the world's Gothic architecture. Not alone with the respect to the Grand Cathedrals is this region so richly endowed, but also because of ihe smaller and less important, but no less attractive or inter- esting examples of Noyon, Senlis, Laon, Sois- sons, with their one-time cathedral churches and other varied ecclesiastical and secular edifices. Beauvais, Gisors, Gourney, Cires-les-Mello^ Creil, Royamont, Nogent-les-Vierges, Villers- St.-Pol, indeed nearly every village and town within the royal domain, present values and comparisons which place nearly all of its con- temporary structures, be they large or small, at a grand height above those of other less prolific sections. Lest it be thought that this statement is drawn largely, and that fineness Introduction and balance of estimate are lacking, it suffices to state that it is not alone from study and research, but from frequent personal intima- cies that the region has ever proved an inex- haustible store of architectural values, and one which most well-known authorities, with one accord, place in the very first rank. Arthur Young, than whom no more per- spicuous observer has ever chronicled his im- pressions, wrote (1704) that to see the best of France, the part most varied in topography, and resourceful and attractive in its monu- ments, one should land at Havre and follow the sinuosity of the Seine to Paris, thence the highroad to Moulins and on to the Rhone at Valence, an outline which somewhat ap- proaches the limitations of territory of which this book treats. To be sure, he wrote of eco- nomic and agricultural conditions, and he mostly made his pertinent observations on land holdings, stock keeping, and hedgerows, or rather that lack of them which is so appar- ent throughout France; but these details of themselves only suggest more complete evi- dences of the existing forces which indicate the growth of the wealth and power which has made this region so rich in its architec- 3^ Introduction tural memorials of the past, and which ought to more than compensate for any lack of scenic grandeur. It is to be regretted, of course, that none of these larger cathedrals are to be seen to-day in their completely perfected forms. To what extent would not the glories of Reims, of Amiens, of Beauvais, or of Rouen, be en- hanced, were it possible for us to even imag- ine their splendour, were they possessed of the symmetry and well-favoured situation of the Dom at Cologne? And so it is that we can but feel regret when we mentally note the lack of nave at Beauvais, of spires at Bourges, and, yet again, regret even with more pain the monstrousness of the cast-iron fleche which has been added to the central tower at Rouen. But these are after all minor imperfections — seldom, if ever, in aught but pleasurable anticipation, do we see in the masterpieces of art or nature a perfect unity; so why seek to negative their virtues by futile criticism? It would seem to be all-sufRcient that such details, sins of omis- sion or commission, should be noted merely, that we may pass on to other charms which must compel our allegiance. 37 Introduction When we visit the cathedrals of the Isle of France, we are at once in the midst of the best examples of French Gothic architecture, or of French Mediaeval architecture, if the phrase is to be preferred. .I* PART I Transition Examples INTRODUCTORY SoiSSONS^ with Noyon and Laon, all within perhaps thirty miles of one another, may be said to best represent the nurturing and devel- opment of the early Gothic of France. These simple and somewhat plain types exemplify the style which was in vogue ^t the same time in the Low Countries. It is good Gothic, to be sure, — at least, good as to its planning, — but without that ornateness or lightness known to-day as characteristic of the distinctive French type, which so early developed boldly and beautifully. One observes the resemblances in style be- tween the notable cathedral at Tournai, in Belgium, the neighbouring types of French Flanders, and the cathedrals of this trinity of French towns lying contiguous thereto, Noyon itself being for long interdependent with the see of Tournai. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful type which was cradled here in the 41 The Cathedrals of Northern France country called, by Caesar, Suessiones; and difficult it would be to attempt to assign pre- eminence to any one edifice. Noyon, without a doubt, has the greatest charm of environment, and is of itself in every way a pleasing and satisfying example of what should most truly inspire and impress us in a cathedral. Stevenson describes it as being " the happiest inspiration of mankind, a thing as specious as a statue at the first glance, yet, on examination, as lively and interesting as a forest in detail. The height of its spires can- not be taken by trigonometry: they measure absurdly short, but how tall they are to the admiring eye. ... I sat outside of my hotel and the sweet groaning thunder of the organ floated out of the church like a summons " ; — and much more of the same sort, all of which tells us that, once we find ourselves on a plane of intimacy with a great church, we continu- ally receive new impressions and inspirations, and it is in this vein that one who has known this group of simple but fascinating churches on their own ground, so to put it, can but seek to convey the idea that it is good that we have such contrasting types as a relief and an anti- dote to an appetite which otherwise might become sated. 42 JT 4^K^:i^:g zygg ^^»ff>Q7-aig ^•^■^d:s!U^ i^:g: ^3yi^ II NOTRE DAME DE LAON For over twelve hundred years, until the see was abolished at the Revolution, Laon was the seat of a bishop who in point of rank was sec- ond only to the primate at Reims. Crowning the apex of a long isolated hill, upon which the entire town, now a fortress of the third class, is situated, the cathedral of Notre Dame de Laon, still so called locally, has endured since the beginning of the twelfth century, and may be considered a thoroughly representative transition example. The present structure is on the site of one 43 The Cathedrals of Northern France burned in 1112, and during comparatively re- cent years has been entirely restored. Its crowning glory is in the disposition and number of its fine group of towers : two flank the western fagade, and are rectangular at the base, dwindling to a smaller polygon, which is flanked with corner belfries and pierced by a tall lancet in the central structure, showing a wonderful lightness and open effect. A curi- ous and unique feature of these towers is the addition of four oxen in carven stone perched high aloft in the belfries. These sculptured animals may be merely another expression of symbols of superstition, and if so are far more pleasing than some of the hideous and mon- strous gargoyles ofttimes seen. Two other towers, each 190 feet in height, adjoin the transepts, to each of which is attached a double-storied, apsidal, ancient chapel. Two similarly projected towers are lacking. The lantern is square, with a shallow, conical, mod- ern roof. In the transition type Romanesque influ- ences were evidently dying hard. The Gothic was seldom full blown, and at Laon shows but the merest trace of pointedness to the arches of the western fagade, either in the portals or in the higher openings. 44 The Cathedrals of Northern France The lack of a circular termination to the choir is but another indication of a link with a transitory past; an undeniably false note and one very unusual in France, the choir being of the squared-ofif variety so common in England. This may be coincident with the English cus- tom of the time, or it may be directly due to a local English influence; — most probably the latter, inasmuch as an English prelate held the see for a time, and the city, in the early fifteenth century, was for a number of years in English hands. It is significant that in some of the smaller churches of the diocese is to be noted the same treatment. The rose windows of both flie eastern and western fagades are Gothic in inception and treatment, and are unusually acceptable speci- mens of these supreme efforts of the French mediaeval builders, the glass therein being dis- tinctly good, though perhaps not remarkable. The transepts are rectangular and, with the ensemble of the entire structure, were their towers completed, there would be produced, not only a unique example, but a towering ef- fect only a degree less interesting than the perfectly proportioned pyramidal form so much admired in the perfectly developed Gothic. 45 The Cathedrals of Northern France The interior is equally attractive with the exterior, and, though the church is not by any means of remarkable dimensions, it presents in its appropriate disposition of detail a far more roomy and pleasing arrangement than many a larger example. The transepts are divided into a nave and side aisles, the columns which partition them, like those of the nave proper, being cylin- drical and of massive proportions, which, how- ever, lighten as they rise to the vaulting. They are unusually symmetrical when viewed together, the capitals of the lower series being ornately carved, each of a varying design. Above the aisles are lofty galleries. The nave chapels were added in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The stained glass, like that of the rose windows, is in the nave dis- tinctly good, particularly that of the lower range on the southerly side. The pulpit, of carved wood of the Renaissance period, is not of the importance and quality of this class of work to be seen across the Rhine border. The former Bishop's palace, adjoining the left of the choir, is now the Palais de Justice. A few remains of a former Gothic cloister are to be remarked, surrounded by the later con- struction. 46 Ill NOTRE DAME DE NOYON In Notre Dame at Noyon, Notre Dame at Laon, and the cathedral at Tournai, is to be noted the very unusual division of the interior elevation into four ranges of openings, this effect being only seen at Paris and Rouen among the large cathedrals. Noyon and Laon borrowed, perhaps, from Tournai, where building was commenced at least a century be- fore either of the French examples first took form. It is perhaps not essential that such an arrangement be made in order to give an effect of loftiness, which might not otherwise exist; indeed, it is a question if the reverse is not actually the case, though the effect is undenia- bly one of grandeur. Soissons, too, may rightly enough be included in the group, though the points of resemblance in this case are confined to the rising steps to either transept, coupled with the joint possession of circumambient aisles, and at least the suggested intent of cir- 49 l^he Cathedrals of Northern France cular apsidal terminations to the transepts; though it appears that here this plan was ulti- mately changed and one transept finished off with the usual rectangular ending. In this Noyon plainly excels, and there is found nowhere else in France the perfect trefoil effect produced by the apsidal termina- tions of both transepts and choir. So far as the transepts are concerned, they are of the manner affected by the builders on the Rhine, notably in the Minster at Bonn, at Cologne, and again at Neuss in the neighbourhood of Cologne. With Noyon apparently nothing is lacking either in the perfections of its former cathedral or in its immediate environment. The country round about is thoroughly agri- cultural, and free from the soot and grime of a manufacturing community. Amid a set- ting at once historic and romantic, it has for neighbours the chateaux of Coucy and Perri- fonds, with Compiegne and Chantilly not far distant. The town is unprogressive enough, and the vast barge traffic of the Oise sidles by, not a mile away, as if it were all unconscious of the existence of any signs of modern civi- lization. As a matter of fact, it hardly is mod- ern. The accommodation for the weary trav- eller is of a satisfying and gratifying quality, 50 The Cathedrals of Northern France as the comparatively few visitors to the place well know. The city is an ancient foundation, having been known as the Noviodunum of the Romans. Here Charlemagne was crowned King of the Franks in 768, and Hugh Capet elected king in 987; and here, in an important stronghold of Catholicism, as it had long been, Calvin was born in 1509. Altogether there is much to be found here to charm and stimulate our imagination. As a type the cathedral stands preeminent. As to detail and state of preservation, they, too, leave little to be desired, though the appreciative author of a charming and valuable work treat- ing of a good half hundred or more of the " architectural glories of France " bemoans the lack of a satisfying daily " Office." This may be a fault, possibly, if such be really the case. The fabric of the church has stood the wear and tear of time and stress exceeding well. Built in the eleventh and twelfth cen- turies, it is a thoroughly harmonious and pleasing whole, and we can .well believe all that may have been said of it by the few able critics who have passed judgment upon its style, as well as the sentiment conveyed by the phrase that it is " one of the most graceful and lovable of all the cathedrals of France." The 51 The Cathedrals of Northern France bishopric was suppressed after the Revolution, and the church is now a dependency of the Bishop of Beauvais. The elongated belfry towers are perhaps the first and most noticeable feature ; secondly, the overhanging porch with its supporting frontal buttresses; thirdly, the before-men- tioned tri-apsidal effect of the easterly end; and, last but not least, the general grouping of the whole structure in combination with the buildings which are gathered about its haunches, though with no suspicion of a detracting element as in some sordid and crowded cities, where, in spite of undeniable picturesqueness, is presented a squalor and poverty not creditable either to the city of its habitation or to the cathedral authorities themselves. From every point of vantage the steeples of Notre Dame de Noyon add the one ingredient which makes a unity of the entire ensemble, — a true old-world atmosphere, a town seen in not too apparent a state of unre- pair and certainly not a degenerate. The interior presents no less striking or noble features. It is not stupendous or re- markably awesome; but it is grand, with a subtleness which is inexpressible. Round and pointed arches are intermixed, and there is a 52 The Cathedrals of Northern France notable display of the round variety in the upper ranges of the quadrupled elevation of the nave, the lightness, which might otherwise have been marred, being preserved through the employment of a series of simple lancets in the clerestory of the choir. Rearward of the south transept are the chapter-house and the scanty remains of a Gothic cloister, where a somewhat careworn combination of the forces of nature and art have culminated in giving an unusually old-world charm to this apparently neglected gem, as well representa- tive of early French Gothic as any in existence to-day. 53 IV NOTRE DAME DE SOISSONS SoiSSONS, the other primitive example, is at once a surprise and a disappointment. From the railway, on entering the town, one is highly impressed with the grouping of a sky-piercing, twin-spired structure of ample and symmet- rical proportions ; and at some distance there- from is seen another building, possibly enough of less importance. Curiously, it is the cathe- dral which is the less imposing, and, until one is well up with the beautifully formed spires, he hardly realizes that they represent all that is left of the majestic Abbey of St. Jean des Vignes, where Becket spent nine long years. It is a mere bit of stage scenery, with height and breadth, but no thickness. It is a pity that such a charming structure as this noble building must once have been is now left to crumble. The magnificent rose window, or rather the circular opening which it once oc- cupied, is now but a mere orifice, of great pro- 54 The Cathedrals of Northern France portions, but destitute of glazing. The entire confines of the building, which crowns a slight eminence at the entrance of the town, are now given over to the use of the military authori- ties. A little to the right lies the one-time cathe- dral of Notre Dame, Soissons being another of the ci-devant bishoprics suppressed after the Revolution by the redistribution which gave but one diocese to a Department. Though not unpleasing, its facade is marred by its lack of symmetry, while the tower, which rises on the right 215 feet, is not sufficiently striking to redeem what otherwise is an ordinary enough ensemble. The tower to the left was never raised above where it now ends, and the facade, lacking the charm which the edifice might otherwise have had, were the towers as com- plete and well proportioned as are those of a later date which grace the remains of the old abbey, will be for ever wanting until this com- pletion be carried out. Romanesque is plainly noticeable in mixture with the early Gothic. The three portals are not remarkable, or uniform, and are severely plain, and, though of a noticeable receding depth, are bare and unpeopled. A well-pro- portioned rose window, though not so large as The Cathedrals of Northern France many in the greater cathedrals, has graceful radiating spokes and good glass. This is flanked by two unpierced lancet-pointed window-frames which but accentuate the plainness of the entire fagade. Above is an arcaded gallery which was intended to cross the entire front, but which now stops where the gable joins the northerly tower. Restoration has been carried on, not sparingly, but in good taste, with the result that, in spite of its new- ness at the present writing, it appears as a con- sistent and thoroughly conscientious piece of work, and not the mere patchwork that such repairs usually suggest. The guide-books tell one that Soissons is famous for its trade in haricot beans, and inci- dentally for the beans themselves, and for the great number of sieges which it has undergone, the last being that conducted by the Germans, who took possession in October, 1870, after a bombardment of three days. Fergusson makes the statement, which is well taken, that the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Soissons, while not in any sense mer- iting the term magnificent, presents, in its interior arrangements, at least, a most sym- metrical and harmonious ensemble. A curi- ous though not unpleasing effect is produced 56 The Cathedrals of Northern France by the blackened pointing of the interior ma- sonry, of piers, walls, and vaulting alike. An unusual feature is the circumambient aisles to the transepts and the suggestion that a trefoil apsidal termination was originally thought of, when the rebuilding was taken in hand in the twelfth century. The transept is so com- pleted on the south side, which possesses also an ancient portal, and, with the two at Noyon so done, presents a feature which is as much a relief from the usual rectangle as are the rounded choirs of Continental churches a beauty in advance of the accepted English manner of treatment of this detail. The choir rises loftily above the transepts and nave, and, while the general proportions are not such as to suggest undue narrowness, the effect is of much greater height than really exists. This, too, is apparent when viewing the abside itself. The Chapel of the Rosary in the north transept is overtopped by an effective arrange- ment of perpendicular window-framing, sup- porting a beautiful rose window of the spoke variety. It is safe to say that, had the entire space provided been glazed, the efifect of light- ing would have been unique among the cathe- drals of the world. 57 The Cathedrals of Northern France The only other decorative embellishments are some tapestries, a few well-preserved tombs, and an " Adoration " supposed to be by Rubens, which is perhaps more likely to be genuine, because of the situation of the church near unto Flanders, than many other examples whose claims have even less to support them. PART II The Grand Group 1 INTRODUCTORY Expert opinion, so called, may possibly dif- fer as to just what, or what not, cathedrals of France should be included in this term. The French proverb known of all guide-book makers should give a clue as to those which at least may not be left out. " Clocher de Chartres, Nef d 'Amiens Choeur de Beauvais et Portale de Reims." Rouen, Paris, and Le Mans should be in- cluded, as well possibly as the smaller but no less convincing examples at Seez, Sens, Laon, and Troyes, as being of an analogous manner of building, and, by all that goes to make up the components of a really great church, Bourges might well be considered in the same group. For practical and divisional purposes it is perhaps well to compose an octette of the churches of the Isle of France and those lying contiguous thereto, Paris, Beauvais, St. Denis, fit. The Cathedrals of Northern France Amiens, Reims, Rouen, Chartres, and Le Mans, which may be taken together as repre- sentative of the greatest art expression of the Gothic builders, as well as being those around which centred the most significant events of Church and State. To attempt to catalogue even briefly the charms and notable attributes of even the first four, would require more than the compass of several volumes the size of the present, whereas the attempt made herein is merely to lead with as little digression as possi- ble up to the chief glories for which they are revered, and to suggest some of the many im- portant and epoch-making events intimately associated therewith. More would be impossi- ble, manifestly, unless the present work were to transcend the limitations which were origi- nally planned for it, hence it is with no halting assertion that we enter boldly upon that chro- nology or resume which, in a way, presents a marshalled array of correlated facts which the reader may care to follow in further detail in the list of bibliagraphical references included at the end of the volume. Certain facts relating to the history and the architectural features generally of these great cathedrals are known to all, and are chronicled with more or less completeness in many valua- 62 The Cathedrals of Northern France ble and authoritative works, ranging from the humble though necessary guide-book to the extensive if not exhaustive architectural work of reference. The facts given herein are such, then, as are often overlooked in the before- mentioned classes of works, and as such are presented, not so much with the avowed object of imparting information, as to remind the reader of the wealth of interest that exists with relation to these shrines of religious art. This seems to be the only preamble possible to the chapters which attempt to even classify these magnificent buildings, wherein much is at- tempted and so little accomplished in recount- ing their varied attractions. Let this explana- tion stand, therefore, for any seeming paucity of description which may exist. Le Bon Dieu d'Amkm (>z II NOTRE DAME D'AMIENS The ever impressive Cathedral of Notre Dame d' Amiens is in most English minds the beau ideal of a French cathedral. It is con- temporary with Salisbury in period, at least, but it has little to remind one of the actual features of this edifice. Often associated therewith, as a similar type, it has little in reality in common, except that each is repre- sentative of a supreme style. Beyond this it is hard to see how any expert, archaeologist, antiquary, or what not, would seek to discover relationship between two such distinct types. Salisbury is the ideal English cathedral as to situation, surroundings, and general charm and grace. This no one would attempt to deny; but, in another environment, how different might it not appear, — as for instance placed beside Amiens, where in one particular alone, the mere height of nave and choir, it immedi- ately dwindles into insignificance. Under 64 The Cathedrals of Northern France such conditions its graceful spire becomes dwarfed and attenuated. Need more be said? — The writer thinks not, since the present work does not deal with the comparative merits of any two cathedrals or of national types ; but the suggestion should serve to dem- onstrate how impossible it is for any writer, however erudite he may be, to attempt to as- sign precedence, or even rank, among the really great architectural works of an era. This observation is true of many other ex- amples of art expression. The cathedral at Amiens is dedicated to the Virgin, and is built in the general form of a Latin cross. Over the principal doorway of the south portal, on one of the upper plinths, may be seen the inscription which places the date of the present edifice. \ €n I'an*^ r3ncarnati0 valait nu£l rt %i, il0^...T0, iftt: timist: U prmttr* The work was undertaken by one Robert de Luzarche, in the episcopate of Evrard de Fouilloy, the forty-fifth Bishop of Amiens, whose tomb may be seen just within the west- ern doorway, and occupies the site of other 65 The Cathedrals of Northern France structures which had been variously devastated by fire or invasion in 850, 1019, 1 137, and 1218. For fifty years the work went on expeditiously under various bishops and their architects. " Saint " Louis, Blanche of Castille, Philippe the Hardy, and the city fathers all aided the work substantially, and the fabric speedily took on its finished form. Through the later centuries it still preserved its entity, and even during the Revolution its walls escaped de- struction and defilement through the devotion of its adherents. In later days important work and restora- tion has been carried out under the paternal care and at the expense of the state; and the city itself only recently contributed 45,000 francs for the clearing away of obstructing buildings. A French writer has said, " It is only with the aid of a Bible and a history of theology that it is possible to elucidate the vast icono- graphic display of the marvellous west front of the cathedral at Amiens." Like Reims, its three portals of great size are peopled with a throng of statues. The central portal, known as the Porche du Souvenir, contains the statue of the Good God of Amiens ; that on the right is called after the Mere de Dieu, and that on 66 The Cathedrals of Northern France the left for St. Fermin the Martyr. Above the gables is the " Gallery of Kings," just be- low the enormous rose windows. Above rise the two towers of unequal loftiness, and lack- ing, be it said, thickness in its due proportion. The carven figures in general are not con- sidered the equal in workmanship of those at Reims, though the effect and arrangement is similar. For a complete list of them, number- ing some hundreds on this fagade alone, the reader must refer to some local guide-book, of which several are issued in the city. The south portal, the Portal de la Vierge doree or Portal de Saint Honore* shares com- pany with the west fagade in its richness of sculpture and its rose window and its gable. Here also are to be seen the supporting but- tresses which spring laterally from the wall of the transept and cross with those which come from the choir. The north portal, on the side of the Bishop's Palace, does not show the same richness as the others, though perhaps more than ordi- narily ornate. The spire above the transept crossing is a work of the sixteenth century, and is perhaps more remarkable than its rather diminutive 67 The Cathedrals of Northern France appearance, in contrast with the huge bulk of the edifice, would indicate. The extreme height of nave and choir (147 feet), adds immeasurably to the grand effect produced by the interior, a height in propor- tion to breadth nearly double that usual in the English cathedrals. The vaulting is borne aloft by over one hundred columns. The natu- ral attribute of such great dimension is a superb series of windows, a promise more than fulfilled by the three great rose windows and the lofty clerestory of nave and choir. The sixteenth century glass is exceedingly profuse and brilliant. The lateral chapels of the nave were added subsequent to the work of the early builders, all being of the sixteenth century, while the eleven choir chapels are of the thirteenth cen- tury, all with very ornate iron grilles, which are a feature only second to a remarkable series of " choir stalls," numbering over one hundred, showing a wonderful variety of delicate carved figures of the sixteenth cen- tury, the work of one Jean Turpin, the sub- jects being mainly Biblical. A stone screen with elaborate sculptures in high relief surrounds the choir, that on the south representing the legend of St. Firmin, 68 The Cathedrals of Northern France the patron of Picardy, and that on the north, scenes connected with the life of John the Bap- tist. In a side chapel dedicated to St. John reposes the alleged head of John the Baptist. Others have appeared elsewhere from time to time, but as they are not now recognized as being genuine, and the said apostle not being hydra-headed, it is possible that there will be those who will choose to throw the weight of their opinions in favour of the claim of Amiens. The flying buttresses at Amiens are not of the singular lightness associated with this nota- bly French characteristic; they 'are in the main, however, none the less effective for that, and assuredly, so far as the work which they have to perform is concerned, it was doubtless necessary that they should be of more than ordinary strength. The view of the ensemble from the river shows the massiveness and general proportions in a unique and superb manner. Amiens is not otherwise an attractive city, a bustle of grand and cheap hotels, decidedly a place to be taken en route, not like Beauvais, where one may well remain as long as fancy wills and not feel the too strong hand of progress intrud- ing upon his ruminations. (^9 Ill ST. PIERRE DE BEAUVAIS Beauvais is by no means an inaccessible place, though how often have we known one who could not tell in what part of France it was situated. Of course, being " off the line " is sufficient excuse for the majority of hurried travellers to pass it by, but, leaving this debat- able point out of the question, let us admit, for the nonce, that it is admirably located if one only chooses to spend a half-day or more in visiting the charmingly interesting city and its cathedral, or what there is of it, for it exists only as a luminous height sans nave, sans tower, and sans nearly everything, except a choir of such immensity that to see it is to marvel if not to admire. It is indeed as Hope has said, " a miracle of loftiness and lightness; appearing as if about to soar into the air." How many readers, who recognize the charms for which the cathedral is most re- vered, know that it was intended to rank as the 7Q I V\.-*-"<^ 5- lis* Iw'!^ i:'. ■s 111 Oh f^ ^ The Cathedrals of Northern France St. Peter's of the north, and like its Roman pro- totype, was to surpass all other contemporary structures in size and magnificence. This was marked out for it when, in the middle sixteenth century, the builders of its central spire, which fell shortly after, sought to rival the Italian church in a vast Gothic fabric which should be the dominant northern type in contradistinc- tion to that of the south. This of itself, were there no other contributory interests, which there are to a very great degree, should be all- sufficient to awaken the desire on the part of every one who journeys Parisward to obtain a more intimate acquaintance with this great work. Here was an instance of ambition overleaping itself, — exceeding by far the needs and conditions of its environment and like many another ill-planned venture, it fell to ruin through a lack of logic and mental balance". To-day we see a restored fabric, lacking all the attributes of a great church except that which is encompassed by that por- tion lying eastward of the nave proper, its frail buttresses knitted together by iron rods, its piers latterly doubled in number, and many more visible signs of an attempt to hold its walls and roofs up to the work they have to perform. 71 The Cathedrals of Northern France The present structure, in so far as certain of its components go, was commenced within five years of Amiens (1225), which calls to mind the guide-book comparison, which seems so appropriate that it must really have pre- viously originated from some other source, — Amiens, " a giant in repose ; " Beauvais, " a Colossus on tiptoe." Its designer built not wisely, nor in this case too well, for before the end of the cen- tury the roof had fallen, and this after re- peated miscalculations and failures. At this time the intermediate piers of the choir were built and a general modified plan adopted. Ruskin's favourite simile, with respect to St. Pierre de Beauvais, was that no Alpine precipice had the sheer fall of the walls of this choir, — or words to that eflfect, which is about as far-fetched as many other of his dictums, which have since been exploded by writers of every degree of optimism and pessimism. Certainly it is a great height to which this choir rises, one hundred and fifty-three feet it has been called, which probably exceeds that of Amiens by a dozen or more feet, though authorities {sic) vary with regard to these dimensions, as might be supposed; but 72 The Cathedrals of Northern France it is no more like unto a wall of rock than it is to a lighthouse. With the crumbling of the sixteenth-century spire on Ascension Day, 1573, restoration of the transepts was undertaken and work on the nave resumed, which only proceeded, how- ever, to the extent of erecting one bay to the westward, which stands to this day, the open end filled in with scantling, weather proofing, and what not, — a bare, gaunt, ugly patch. Had it been possible to complete the work on its original magnificent lines, it would have been the most stupendous Gothic fabric the world has ever known. Not entirely without beauty, in spite of its great proportions, it is more with wonder than admiration that one views both its details and proportions. Though it is perhaps unfair to condemn its style as unworthy of the Augustan age of French architecture, surely the ambi- tion with which the work was undertaken was a laudable one enough, and it is only from the fact that it spells failure in the eyes of many who lack initiative in their own make-up, that it only qualifiedly may be called a great work. The choir, which now dates from 1322, per- force looks unduly short, by reason of the 73 The Cathedrals of Northern France absence of a nave to add to the efifect of hori- zontal stability; and the great height of the adjoining transept; but the chevet and but- tresses are certainly a marvel of grace and towering forms. The portals of the transept are of the period of Francis I., with flowing lines and ornate decorations — " having passed the severity and ethical standards of maturity, and pro- gressed well along the path to senility," as a vigorous Frenchman has put it. True enough in its application is this livid sentiment, — perhaps, — but its jewel-like south portal, like the "gemmed" west front of Tours, forms an attractive enough presentment to please most observers who do not delve too deeply into cause and efifect. The north portal is less ornate, but its beautifully carved doors are by the same hand as that which worked the opposite portal. The ornamental stonework here is unusual, suggesting an arrangement which may or may not have been intended as a representation of the " Tree of Jesse." In any case it is a remarkable work of flowing Gothic " branches," which, though mainly lacking its intended interspersed figures, is not only unique among exterior decorations, but 74 The Cathedrals of Northern France appears as a singularly appropriate treatment of a grand doorway. Adjoining the choir on the right is a sacristy occupying a small structure, and to the west- ward is a fragmentary edifice known as the Basse CEuvre, — one of the oldest existing buildings in France; a Romano-Byzantine work, variously stated as of the sixth to eighth century and forming a portion of the original church which occupied the site of the present Cathedral. The general impressiveness of this great church — the memory which most of us will carry away — is caused by its immensity, its loftiness, and the general effect of lightness. These form an irresistible galaxy of features which can hardly fail to produce a new and startling sensation upon any observer. As to decorative embellishments, the church is by no means lacking. The coloured glass, typical of the best period of the art, is lux- urious and extensive; that contained in the north and south transept rose windows being the exceedingly beautiful work of Le Prince, a celebrated sixteenth-century artist. Numerous side chapels surround the am- bulatory of the choir, and on the west wall of the transept are hung the eight tapestries 75 The Cathedrals of Northern France after the sixteenth-century Raphael cartoons now at South Kensington. These tapestries are, it is to be presumed, late copies, since, of the two early sets woven at Arras, one is pre- served in the Vatican and the other at the Museum at Berlin. A modern fresco of Jeanne Hachette, a local Amazon, adorns one of the choir chapels. A modern astronomical clock, with numerous dials, striking figures, and crowing cocks, is placed near the north transept. It might naturally be supposed that in our day the canons of good taste would plead against such a mere " curio " being housed in a noble church. The former Bishop's Palace, dating from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, is now the Palace of Justice. The present episcopal residence is immediately to the north of the Cathedral and is modern. As a tapestry-making centre Beauvais ranks with the famous Gobelin Manufactory at Paris. 76 IV NOTRE DAME DE ROUEN Rouen, of all the medigeval cities of France, is ever to the fore in the memories of the mere traveller for pleasure. In no sense are its charms of a negative quality, or few in number. Quite the reverse is the case; but the city's apparent attraction is its extreme accessibility, and the glamours that a metropo- lis of rank throws over itself; for it must not be denied that a countrified environment has not, for all, the appealing interest of a great city. It is to this, then, that Rouen must accredit the throngs of strangers which con- tinually flock to its doors from the Easter time to late autumn. In addition there are its three great churches, so conveniently and accessibly placed that the veriest tyro in travel can but come upon them whichever way he strolls. Other monuments of equal rank there are, too, and altogether, whether it be the mere hurried pecking of a bird of passage, or the more Ici- 79 The Cathedrals of Northern France surely attack of the studiously inclined, Rouen offers perhaps much greater attractions than are possessed by any other French city of equal rank. So closely, too, have certain events of Eng- lish history been interwoven with scenes and incidents which have taken place here, that the wonder is that it is not known even more intimately by that huge number of persons who annually rush across France to Switzer- land or Italy. Chroniclers of the city's history, its churches, and its institutions have not been wanting, in either French or English; and even the guide-books enlarge (not unduly) upon its varied charms. Once possessing thirty-two churches, sixteen yet remain ; quite one-half of which may be numbered to-day as of appealing interest. £w passant, it may be stated that here at Rouen, in both Notre Dame and the Abbey Church of St. Ouen, is found that gorgeous functionary, commonly called " the Suisse," who seeks your gold or a portion thereof, in return for which he will favour you by opening an iron wicket into the choir, an incumbrance unnoticed elsewhere, except at Paris and St. Denis. The late Gothic church of St. Ouen, where 80 The Cathedrals of Northern France the Maid of Orleans received her fatal sen- tence, shows a wonderful unity of design even as to its modern western towers ; a consistency not equally the possession of the neighbouring cathedral, or even of most great churches. Altogether, this grand building is regarded as an unparallelled example of the realization of much that is best of Gothic architecture at its greatest height. In its central tower alone — which may or may not be suggestive of a market-basket, accordingly as you will take Ruskin's opinion, or form one of your own — is the least evidence of the developed flam- boyant found. Its interior is clean-cut and free of obstruction; the extreme length of its straight lines, both horizontal and perpen- dicular, entirely freed from chapel or choir screen, ' embrace and uphold its " walls of glass " in an unequalled manner. In strong contrast to this expressively grace- ful style is the ultraflorid type of St. Maclou, the other of that trinity of architectural splen- dours, which, with the Cathedral of Notre Dame, form the chief ecclesiastical monu- ments of the city. St. Maclou, which dates from the early fifteenth century, though not of the grand proportions of either of the other great churches, being rather of the type of the 8i The Cathedrals of Northern France large parish church as it is known in England, holds one spellbound by the very daring of its ornaments and tracery, but contains no trace of non-Gothic. The French passion for the curved line is nowhere more manifest than here (and in the west front of Notre Dame), where flowing tracery of window, doorway, portal, and, in general, all exterior ornament, is startling in its audacity. To view these two contrasting types before making acquaintance with the Cathedral of Notre Dame itself, is to prepare oneself for a consideration in some measure of a combination of the charms of both, woven into one fabric. Nowhere, at least in no provincial town of France, are to be found such a categorical display of ecclesi- astical architectural details as here. Rouen has from the second century been an important seat of Christianity. St. Nicaise, not to be confounded with him of the same name of Reims, first held a conversion here and was shortly followed by St. Mellor, who founded the city's first church, on the site of the present cathedral. In succeeding centuries this foundation gradually took shape and form until, with the occupation by the Norse- men under RoUo, was founded a dynasty which fostered the development of theology 82 The Cathedrals of Northern France and the arts in a manner previously unknown. The cathedral was enlarged at this time, and upon his death in 930 RoUo was interred therein, as was also his son in 943. Richard the Fearless followed with further additions and enlargements, his son Richard being made its forty-third archbishop. From this time on, the great church-building era, Christian activities were notably at work, here as else- where, and during the prolific eleventh cen- tury great undertakings were in progress; so much so that what was practically a new church received its consecration, and dedica- tion to Our Lady, in 1063, in the presence of him who later was to be known as the Con- queror. To-day it stands summed up thus — a grand building, rich, confused, and un- equal in design and workmanship. The lower portion of the northwest tower, called the Tour St. Romain, is all that is left of the eleventh-century building, the remain- der of which was destroyed by fire in 1200. Rebuilding followed in succeeding years and shows work of many styles. Additions, re- pairs, and interpolations were incorporated with the fragment of the tower, so that the structure as we now know it stood complete with the early thirteenth century. VioUet-le- 83 The Cathedrals of Northern France Due is the authority for the statement that the apse and transept, chapels, choir, and two doorways of the west fagade were quite com- plete before the influence of the perfected Gothic of the Isle of France was even felt. One Enguerrand was the chief designer of the new church, assisted by Jean d'Andeli as master mason. The early century saw the nave chapels built, having been preceded by the Portail aux Libraires, a sort of cloistered north entrance, still so referred to, one of the most charming and quiet old-world retreats to be found to-day even within the hallowed precincts of a cathedral. The Portail de la Calende did not follow until a century later, when the Tour St. Romain was completed to its roof; at which time was also added the screen or arcade which separates the Portail aux Libraires from the street. This century, too, saw the beginning of the famous Tour de Beurre, built mostly by the contributions of those who paid for the indul- gence of being allowed to eat butter during Lent. Its foundation was laid in 1487 under Archbishop Robert de Croixmore, and it was completed under Cardinal d'Amboise in 1507. A chapel at the base of the tower is dedicated to St. Stephen. The ornate decorations of the 84* The Cathedrals of Northern France west front, added by Georges d'Amboise, are mainly of the sixteenth century and form no part of the original plan or design. It borders upon the style we have since learned to decry, but it is, at least, marvellous as to the skill with which its foliaged and crocketed pinna- cles and elaborate traceries are worked. Rus- kin was probably right in this estimate at least, — " The central gable is the most exquisite piece of pure flamboyant style extant." At the present day this west front is undergoing such restoration and general repair that the entire gable, rose window, and part of the flanking towers are completely covered with a most hideous array of scaffolding. The central spire as it exists to-day, in reality an abomination of abominations, is naturally enough admired by all when first viewed from afar. It certainly looks not dwarfed, or even fragile, but simply delicate, and withal graceful, an opinion which ulti- mate association therewith speedily dispels. It must be one of the very first examples of modern iron or steel erection in the world, dating from 1827, following three former spires, each of which was burned. The archi- tect responsible for this monstrosity sought to combine two fabrics in incoherent propor- 85 The Cathedrals of Northern France tions. More than one authority decries the use of iron as a constructive element, and Chaucer's description of the Temple of Mars in the Knight's Tale reads significantly: " Wrought all of burned steel . . . Was long and straight and ghastly for to see." The great part of the exterior of this re- markable church is closely hidden by a rather squalid collection of buildings. Here and there they have been cleared away, but, like much of the process of restoration, where new fabric is let into the old, the incongruity is quite as objectionably apparent as the crum- bling stones of another age. Notre Dame de Rouen is singularly confined, but there seems no help for it, and it is but another character- istic of the age in which it was built, — that the people either sought the shelter of churchly environment, or that the church was only too willing to stretch forth its sheltering arms to all and sundry who would lie in its shadow. In an assignment of ranking beauty to its external features, the decorative west front must manifestly come first; next the Portail aux Libraires, with its arcaded gateway and the remains of the booksellers' stalls which still 86 The Cathedrals of Northern France surround its miniature courtyard; then, per- haps, should follow the Tour St. Romain and the Portail de la Calender with its charmingly recessed doorway and flanking lancet arches. The sculptured decorations of all are for the most part intact and undisfigured. The gable of the southern doorway rises pointedly until its apex centres with the radiated circular window above, which, by the way, is not of the exceeding great beauty of the other two rose windows, which rank with those at Reims and Chartres as the beaux ideals of these dis- tinctly French achievements. The interior, viewed down the nave, and showing its great length and that of the choir, impresses one with a graver sense of unity in the manner of building than is possible to con- ceive with regard to the exterior. The height and length both approximate that of St. Ouen, and, though the nave rises only to ninety-eight feet, an effect of greater loftiness is produced by the unusual quadripartite range of open- ings from pavement to vaulting: two rows of arches opening into the aisles before the tri- forium itself is reached. The lantern at the crossing supports the ironwork spire, and ad- mits light to the centre of the church, only to a small degree, however. The south 87 The Cathedrals of Northern France transept, like that of the north, with its ample double aisles, is of great width, and, were the framing of the great rose window of less angu- larity, it would indeed produce a remarkable effect of grandeur. The other windows, and the arcading of the triforium, are . singularly graceful ; not lacking either strength or firm- ness, though having no glass of great rarity or excellence. In this transept is the altar of St. Romain, a seventeenth-century work of little pretensions. The north transept contains two features which give it immediate precedence over any other, when viewed from within: its grace- fully traceried rose window and fine glass, and the delightful stone staircase leading to the chapter library. Mere description can- not do this stairway justice. Renaissance it certainly is, and where we might wish to find nothing but Gothic ornament, it may prove somewhat of a disappointment ; but it is mag- nificent. Its white marble balustrading gleams in the strong light thrown from the western transept window and gives an unmis- takable note of richness and sonority. It was built late in the fifteenth century under orders of Cardinal d'Estonteville. The upper doorway leads to the treasury, and that of 88 The Cathedrals of Northern France the first landing to the chamber in which were formerly kept the bibliographical treasures, now housed in the special building which forms the western wall of the outside court. The north and south aisles of the nave are broken into by a series of chapels, the chief of which are the Chapel to St. Stephen in the base of the Tour de Buerre and du Petit St. Romain, where an abbe or cure speaking the English tongue is often to be found. On the south side is a chapel containing the tomb of William Longsword, second Duke of Nor- mandy, and son of RoUo. The great attraction of the choir, far more than its beauties of architectural forms, shown in its graceful columns and deep graven capi- tals, will be, for most visitors, its array of elab- orate monuments, including those of Pierre and Louis de Breze, of whom the former, the Grand Seneschal of Normandy under Charles VII., fell at Monthery, and was buried here in 1465. More pretentious is the tomb of Louis, his grandson, erected by his wife Diane de Poitiers, with a significant inscription which the curious may be pleased to figure out for themselves. This noble monument is one of those examples hesitatingly attributed to Jean Goujon. The piece de resistance is the 89 The Cathedrals of Northern France Renaissance tomb of the Cardinals d'Amboise. Georges I. was memorialized in 1556 by his nephew Georges II., who in turn came to share the same tomb. Both their kneeling figures are beautifully chiselled, and the whole erection is gorgeously representative of the late sixteenth-century monumental work, little in keeping with the Gothic fabric which houses it, but characteristic of the changing thought and influence of its time. Six symbolical figures of the virtues form a lower course, while the canopy is surmounted by nineteen figures of apostles, saints, etc. In 1793 the ashes of these great prelates were scattered to the winds, but the effigies and their setting fortunately remained uninjured. Other arch- bishops of the cathedral are buried in the choir, and the heart of Richard Coeur de Lion once rested here, as did also the bodies of his brother Henry, and John, Duke of Bedford. The choir stalls, mostly the work of Flemish wood-carvers, are notable examples. '■^ _ ,1, .» . ■^ ri 90 Basilique de St. Denis BASILIQUE DE ST. DENIS The Basilica of St. Denis, so-called to-day, built over the remains of the martyred St. Denis, is in a way the counterpart of the Cathedral of Reims, in that it also is inti- mately associated with the Kings of France. In the former they were, almost without ex- ception, crowned ; and here, at St. Denis, are the memorials of their greatness, and in many cases their actual tombs. Thus far and no farther may the similarity be said to exist. The old Abbey of St. Denis has little in com- mon, architecturally, with the grand Cathe- dral of Notre Dame de Reims. Of the two, St. Denis is much the older foundation, and from the point of view of romance and senti- ment holds perhaps the premier place, as well. The history of the city is one of the most interesting and diversified of all in the domain of the Kings of France. A Benedictine abbey was founded here in the reign of Dagobert I., 93 The Cathedrals of Northern France and, under the Carlovingian dynasty, imme- diately took on political as well as devout sig- nificance. The Abbot of St. Denis journeyed to Rome in 751 A. D., and secured for Pepin the papal confirmation of his kingship. Pope Stephen took refuge here from the Lombards in 754 A. D.^ during which time he anointed the king's sons, Charles and Charlemagne; upon the consecration of which act Pepin handed over to his sons the right and title to his dominions. Upon the advice of the Abbot Suger, Louis VI. adopted the Oriflamme, or standard of St. Denis, as the banner of the Kings of France, and, for long after, its red and gold colourings hung above the altar, — only to be removed when the king should take the field in person. Abelard, of famed romance, was a monk of the abbey in the twelfth century; and, in the absence of the sovereign (Louis VII.) in the Holy Land during the mid-century, the Abbe Suger administered full well the affairs of the kingdom. This renowned abbot and true lover of art died in 1151 at St. Denis. In 1429 " the Maid of Orleans " here de- livered up her arms ; and a century and a half later that sturdy Protestant, Henry, abjured 94 The Cathedrals of Northern France the faith to which he had hitherto so tena- ciously clung. In this church, too, the great Napoleon married Marie Louise in 1810; and his later namesake, some fifty years after, erected a mausoleum in the crypt, known as the Caveau Imperial, the burial vault of his dynasty, which, however, has never been so used. Such in brief is the record of some of the more important affairs of church and state, which are identified with this fine old cathe- dral. The usual books of reference give lengthy lists of the various tombs and monu- ments which exist. It is a pity, however, that, in spite of the laudable ambition of preserv- ing here, in a sort of kingly Valhalla, the memory of the rulers of a past age, it has degenerated, in turn, to a mere show-place, with little enough of the real sentiment re- maining to satisfy the seriously inclined, who perforce would wish to be reminded in some more subtle way than by a mere " rush around the exhibits," which is about all the half- hourly, personally conducted excursions, with appropriate fees to be delivered up here and there, amounts to. But for this, there would still be some of the charm and reverence which such a noble memorial should inspire, in spite 9S The Cathedrals of Northern France of the fact that revolution and desecration have played more than a usual share in the general derangement of the original plans. Up to the time of Henry IV. the monarchs were mostly interred in separate tombs, but, following him, his immediate successors were buried in a common vault. During the Revo- lution, the Convention decreed that the royal tombs should be destroyed, and so they mostly were, — the bodies dug up and interred, if so the process can be called, in a common grave. In 1817 Louis XVIII. caused the remains of his ancestors, as well as Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette, to be transferred here from the Madeleine, and in turn he himself was buried here, as well as the Due de Berry and several of his children. The preservation of such of the tombs as survived the many vicissitudes to which they were put, is due to the fact that many of them were at one time removed to the Musee des Petits-Augustines, now the Palace des Beaux Arts, at Paris; but in 1817 Louis XVIII. ordered them to be replaced in the crypt of St. Denis ; not, however, on the sites which they formerly occupied, but in an arbi- trary manner which only the great abilities of M. VioUet-le-Duc, who undertook their re- arrangement and restoration, were able to prC" 96 The Cathedrals of Northern France sent in some coherent manner for the marvel of future generations. There are now therein over fifty monuments and tombs, besides vari- ous statues, medallions, and other memorials. From an architectural point of view, we have to consider the Basilique de St. Denis no longer a cathedral, as one of the earliest Gothic examples in France, though at first glance little enough of the true Gothic feel- ing is apparent. About the year 275 a chapel was built here above the grave of St. Dio- nysius, the first Bishop of Paris. This was fol- lowed by a large basilica, ultimately given over to the uses of monks of the Benedictine order. Evidences of this former construction are supposed by archaeologists to still remain, but little, earlier than the structure of the Abbe Suger, meets the eye to-day. Strong is the trace of the development from the Romanesque fagade, completed in 1140, to pure Gothic construction of a century later. In this church is commonly supposed to be exhibited for the first time, bearing in mind that the date of its consecration was 1144, a complete system of buttresses accompanying the pointed arch of the vaulting, though in conjunction with semicircular vaulting in the choir aisles. 97 The Cathedrals of Northern France The west fagade is the most notable part of Suger's building. It contains three deeply recessed round arched portals, decorated with sculpture, but so disfigured, or at least mod- ified from their original forms in an attempt to replace the ravages of time and spolia- tion, that one can not well judge of their origi- nal merit. The south portal shows symbolical figures of the months and of " St. Dionysius in Prison ; " the central doorway a " Last Judgment," and the " Wise and Foolish Virgins ; " while the north portal depicts " St. Dionysius on His Way to Martyrdom," and " The Signs of the Zodiac." A curious and unusual effect of the upper portion of this grim f agade, like a similar work at Dol-de-Bretagne, is a range of battlements which were erected for defensive purposes in the fourteenth century. The nave rises high above this, surmounted by a statue of St. Denis. Above the lateral portals of the fagade are two towers, that on the right rising two stages above the embattled crest, while that on the left stops at that level. The spire with which it was formerly surmounted was ruined by lightning early in the nineteenth century. The choir, with its radiating chapels, is of a Romanesque order, with the Gothic at- 98 The Cathedrals of Northern France tribute of the flying buttress in a high degree of development. A general restoration was carried out in the thirteenth century by the successors of Suger, the Abbes Eudes Clement and Matthieu de Vendome, in the best Gothic of the time ; and it is to their excellently planned work that the general fine efifect of the present interior ar- rangements may properly enough be accred- ited, though for a fact it seldom is so. A later restoration, the removing of the ruin wrought by the Revolution, did not succeed so well. It was not until the really great work of Viollet- le-Duc, under Napoleon III., that this grand building finally took on again an acceptable form. The general interior arrangements, though to-day apparently subservient to the common attributes of a show-house with its innumer- able guides, functionaries, and fees, are simple and impressive so far as structural elements are concerned. As for decorations, they are mostly to be found in that gorgeous array of monuments and tombs before mentioned. The entrance proper, or vestibule, is of Suger's era and is gloomy and dull, in strong contrast with the noble and impressive nave, which contains thirty-seven enormously high 99 The Cathedrals of Northern France windows and a handsome triforium gallery. This portion dates from the thirteenth cen- tury, or immediately following Suger's re- gime. The excellent stained glass is modern. The transepts are mere rudimentary elements, suggested only by the interior arrangement of the piers, and are simple and impressive. Oriflamme of St. Dtnis TOO NOTRE DAME de PARIS . . rVI NOTRE DAME DE PARIS Of all the cathedrals of France, Notre Dame de Paris is most firmly impressed on the minds of English speaking people. At least, it is more familiarly known by all who visit that delectable land, and perhaps rightly so. Poets have sung its praises, and writers of all ranks have used it in well-nigh every possible fashion as an accessory; indeed, books almost without number have been written about it, and around it. This is as it should be, for perhaps no great church is more worthy, or more prolific in material. For those who would probe deeply into its story, there is but one way to acquire an intimate knowledge thereof, — to undertake a course of reading and study in some such way as a lawyer sets about reading up on a great case. By no other method could be acquired a tithe of the com- monly known facts regarding its past history; hence the impossibility of attempting to deal lOI The Cathedrals of Northern France fully in a few pages with this great church, even in a perfunctory manner. The most that can be safely ventured upon, is to recount some of the facts. How many have really noticed that none of the diagrams, which show the ground-plan of this cathedral, indicate the existence of any transepts? Take, for instance, that which ac- companies this volume, which, it may be said, is drawn correctly, — beyond the omission of a couple of pillars on either side of the nave, there is nothing to break into the long paral- lelogram-like structure, with an apsidal ter- mination. As a matter of fact, there are a pair of very beautiful transepts, as most pho- tographs of the exterior, and drawings of the interior, show. They are, too, in no way at- tenuated, and are only lost in the ground-plan by reason of the fact that they follow the very unusual arrangement of not extending later- ally beyond the ample width of the nave and its chapelled aisles. The south transept fagade, with the portal dedicated to St. Stephen, and two magnificent rose windows, is unquestion- ably more pleasing than the west fagade itself as to design and arrangement. Begun in 1163 and consecrated in 1182, the church has undergone many vicissitudes. The Cathedrals of Northern France changes, and restorations. It has fared ill on many occasions; perhaps the greatest defile- ment being that which befell it during the Revolution, when it was not only foully dese- crated, its statues and other imagery despoiled, but the edifice was actually doomed to destruc- tion. This fortunately was spared to it, but in the same year ( 1793) it became a " Temple of Reason," one of those fanatical exploits of a set of madmen who are periodically let loose upon the world. Mysticism, palaver- ings, and orgies unspeakable took place be- tween its walls, and it only became sanctified again when Napoleon caused it tp be reopened as a place of divine worship. Again, three- quarters of a century later, it fell into evil times — when it was turned into a military rendezvous by the Communards of '71. In turn, they too retreated, leaving the church, as they supposed, to the mercy of the flames which they had kindled. Fortunately these were extinguished and the building again res- cued from an untoward fate. The thirteenth-century fagade is usually ac- credited the finest part of the church. It comes upon one as rather plain and bare after the luxuriance of Amiens, Reims, or Rouen. As a model and design, however, it has served 103 The Cathedrals of Northern France its purpose well, if other examples, variously distributed throughout England and France, are considered. Its lines, in fact, are superb and vary little in proportion or extent from what must perforce be accepted as ideal. Its. portals are of good design, and so also is such sculpture as survived the ravages of the past, though the outlines of the doorways are se- verely plain. A series of modern sculptured effigies of the kings, replacing those destroyed at the Revolution, forms a plain horizontal band across the entire front; a none too grace- ful or pleasing arrangement of itself. A rose window forty-two feet in width occupies the centre of the next stage, flanked by two blunt- pointed windows rather bare of glass. Above is an arcaded gallery of small pointed arches in pairs, also extending across the entire front. The balustrade, above, holds a number of gro- tesque creatures carved in stone. They may be gargoyles, but are not, however, in this case, of the spout variety, being some of those erec- tions of a superstitious age which were so fre- quently added to a mediaeval building; though whether as a mere decoration, or with greater significance, authorities do not seem to agree. The two uncompleted square towers overtop all, pierced by the two great lancets, which, 104 The Cathedrals of Northern France with respect to mere proportions, are unusual if not unique. The spire above the crossing is a wooden structure covered with lead, and dates only from the middle of the nineteenth century. Both the north and south transepts contain magnificent rose windows of even larger di- mensions than that of the west fagade. The doorway of the south transept is ornamented with effective ironwork, but otherwise the exterior presents no remarkable features. To the artist's eye the gem of the building is undoubtedly the fine grouping and ensemble of the flying buttresses at the rear of the choir. Most persons, so gifted, have tried their pren- tice, or their master, hands at depicting this grand marshalled array of " folded wings," and, but for the gruesome morgue at its foot, which ever intrudes into the view, one might almost say it is the most idyllic and most specious view of a great cathedral that it were possible to have. Were it not for this charm- ing view of these buttressed walls, with the river flowing at their feet, the Isle de la Cite would be indeed a gloomy spot, with its lurid historical past, and its present gruesome asso- ciation with the " house of the dead." Indeed, it has been questioned as to whether the choir 105 The Cathedrals of Northern France and chevet of Notre Dame de Paris is not the most beautiful extant. The Isle de la Cite was the ancient island village of the Parisii. A sixteenth-century Dutch writer (De Sau- teuil) has delivered himself of these few lines concerning the Seine at this point: " When first it enters the metropolis it am- bitiously stays its rapid course, and, being truly enamoured with the place, forgets its way, is uncertain whither to flow, and winds in sweet meanders through the town ; thence fill- ing the pipes with its waters. That which was once a river, joys to become a fountain." To carry the suggestion of contrast still farther one should read Hugo's " Notre Dame " on the spot. It will give a wonderful and whimsical conception of those weird gar- goyles and devils, which have only to be seen to awaken a new interest in what this great writer has put forth. For another sensation, pleasant or otherwise, one might look up a copy of Meyron's wonderful etching of the same subject, or refer to a most excellent monograph, written not many years since, en- titled "The Devils of Notre Dame." The interior shows the earliest example wherein the double aisles of the nave are continued around the choir, and the first introduction of 1 06 The Cathedrals of Northern France the quadruple range of openings from the pavement to the vaulting. The aisles and nave are of almost equal height. The choir, besides being merely apsided, is, in fact, a true semicircle, a sufficiently unusual arrangement in an early Gothic church to be remarked;, and, in addition, is exceedingly narrow and lofty. The glass of the rose win- dows is of old and gorgeous quality, it having escaped destruction in Revolutionary times, whereas that of the lower range of windows was mostly destroyed. The choir stalls are of excellent wooden carving, but the high altar is modern, dat- ing only from 1874. The choir screen, of the fourteenth century, shows twenty-three reliefs in stone, once richly gilded, but now tarnished and dull. Notre Dame de Paris from the River 107 The Cathedrals of Northern France ST. LOUIS DE VERSAILLES Allied with the see whose jurisdiction in- cludes the Diocese of the Department of the Seine, should be considered that of Seine and Oise, which has its bishop's throne esconced in the Cathedral of St. Louis at Versailles. To all intents and purposes the town is one of those conglomerate units which go to make up the " traveller's Paris." More can hardly be said with due regard to the magnificent edifices with which this cathedral must natu- rally be classed. The other attractions of this " court suburb " are so appealing to the senti- mentally inclined that it is to be feared that such will have little eye for the very minor attractions of the cathedral. The Trianons, the " Grandes Eaux " and the " Petites Eaux " are all in all to the visitor to Versailles. As a matter of fact and record, the Cathe- dral of St. Louis must be mentioned, if only to be dismissed in a word. Bourasee refers to it as " a thing cold, unfeeling, and without life." Truthfully, it is a remarkably ugly building of the middle eighteenth century, with no de- tails of note and no memorials worthy of even a passing regard, except a monument to the 1 08 The Cathedrals of Northern France Due de Berry, who died in 1820. What embel- lishment is given to the interior, is accounted for by the exceeding ruddy glow shed by the contemporary coloured glass of the none too numerous windows. 109 VII ST. julien; le mans Le Mans, like Chartres, sprang from an ancient Celtic hill fort, and, through success- ive stages, has since grown to a Roman, a mediaeval, and finally a modern city. It crowns the top of a very considerable emi- nence, the like of which, says Professor Free- man, does not exist in England. Like Char- tres, too, it has always retained the balance of power which has made it the local civil and ecclesiastical capital of its province. It is, too, more closely associated in English minds than is Chartres, forming as it did a part of the dominion of a common sovereign; also by reason of being the birthplace of Henry II., and the burial-place of Queen Berengaria, the wife of Richard Coeur-de-Lion. Le Mans stands, without doubt, in advance of Chartres in the importance and number of its secondary churches, as well as its ecclesi- astical, civil, and military establishments in 113 The Cathedrals of Northern France general. In spite of all this, the city has never ranked as of supreme importance as a Euro- pean city; nor did it ever attain the rank in Gallic times, that the events which have been woven around it would seem to augur. To- day it is a truly characteristic, large, provin- cial town of little or no importance to the out- side world. Self-sufficient as to its own impor- tance, and the events around which its local life circles, it gives little indication of ever be- coming more of a metropolis than it now is; indeed the census figures would indicate that the department, of which it is the capital, has remained stationary as to the numbers of its population, since the Revolution. Writers have endeavoured to carry the simi- larity to English interests and conditions still farther than the events of history really go to prove, and have declared that Maine and England should have united in repelling their common invader. Endeavour has also been made to trace similarity between the commu- nistic principles of days gone by, which took form here and at Exeter across the Channel, and have even remarked the sirnilarity of the topographical features of the surrounding landscape, wherein the country round about differs so from other parts of France, being 114 The Cathedrals of Northern France here rolling, hilly, and wooded, as in certain parts of England ; and even stretching a point to include the hedgerows, which, it must be admitted, are more in evidence in Maine than elsewhere in France, But these observations apparently prove nothing except that the majority of persons probably know very little of the real conditions which exist in the prov- inces of France, preferring rather that their journeyings afield should follow more the well-worn road of their compatriots. The Cathedral of St. Julien well represents the two distinct epochs in which church archi- tecture, as it remains to us tg-day, was prac- tised here, and shows, to well-nigh the fullest expression possible, the two principal trans- formations of Christian architecture. As the Angevin style partakes so closely of northern and southern types intermixed, so the distinctive architectures of Maine, if such there be, may be said to favour the styles of both Normandy and Anjou; at least so far as the cathedral at Le Mans shows a combination of Angevin and Norman detail. The really distinctive southern influence is to be noted in the Romano-Byzantine nave, the exterior of which, so far as the western front is concerned, is far more notable in the rigidness and aus- "5 The Cathedrals of Northern France terity of its lines, than by any richness of ornamentation or decoration. Nothing could be more simply plain than this portal, and the wall and gable which surmount it. A large bare window, of the variety of that at Angers, stands above the doorway, which, itself, lacks all attempt at embellishment. What decora- tion the fagade bears is after the true Byzan- tine manner, of the nature of brickwork dis- played and set into the wall in geometrically angular fashion. What sculpture there is, two grotesque animals on either of the buttresses which flank the facade, is of minor account. This, then, is the extent of the detail of this severe western facade, the grand portal of the usually accepted great church being entirely lacking and evidently not thought of as a desirable detail when this portion of the struc- ture was erected. It has nothing of the pro- digious art expression of the frontispieces of the grand Gothic churches of the north, or of the less poverty-stricken Byzantine decoration of its own Meridional portal, which, in so far as the style can be said to take on richness of form, shows the transition tendencies of the early twelfth century. This doorway is sur- mounted by a tympanum, ornamented by a figure of the Saviour surrounded by the four Ii6 The Cathedrals of Northern France Evangelists, a subject which has always proved itself a highly successful and popular ecclesi- astical symbol, and one which in this case, as in most others, is well made use of. All the figures have suffered considerably from the ravages of time, but retain much of their inter- est and charm in spite of such mutilation. A tower of Romanesque foundation, but of fif- teenth and sixteenth century completion, flanks this south transept. The ranking portion of this interesting church is its choir, larger in superficial area than the entire cathedrals of Noyon or Sois- sons. Both from inside and out, it is all that one's imagination could possibly invent. Its great proportions are as harmonious and grace- ful as the lines of a willow-tree ; in fact, as to general effect, it may be set down as a thing of extraordinary grandeur, worthy to rank with Beauvais or Amiens, and yet different from either, of a quality its very own. At the commencement of the thirteenth century the canons obtained, from Philip Augustus, per- mission to extend their church beyond the city walls in an easterly direction, and then it was that this wonderful choir took shape. The work was undertaken in 12 17 and was com- pleted soon after the middle of the same cen- U7 The Cathedrals of Northern France tury, and the body of St. Julien, the first apostle to Le Mans, for whom the church was named, was placed therein by Geoffroy de Loudon, then bishop, who decorated the win- dows of the choir with the magnificent glass with which they are still set. Frdm a certain distance to the eastward the cathedral at Le Mans presents a view of the choir, unique in all the world. Other greater ones there are, if mere height be concerned, and Others with more perfect appendages ; but none give the far-spreading effect of encircling chapels, or are possessed of high springing buttresses of more grace or beauty than are seen here. He was a rash man who ranked the flying buttresses as a sign of defective construction, indicating structural weakness, meaningless and undecorative ornament, and what not. Few have agreed with this dictum, and few ever will after they have seen Paris, Beauvais, and Le Mans. The interior is one of great interest; the nave, even in its early forms, is none the less attractive because of its austerity. It is, as a matter of fact, far more interesting here than in its exterior, the swarthy circular pillars holding aloft arches with just a suspicion of the ogival style, with narrow, low, and dispro- Tl8 The Cathedrals of Northern France portionately small windows in the aisles, where are also a series of strengthening pillars of black and white stone, presenting again a reminiscence of the southern manner, or at least recalling the slate and stone of Angers. In the choir, with its girdling chapels and double ambulatory, we come upon the most impressive portion of all. Slightly orientated from the east and west, it presents by itself, like Beauvais, nearly all of the at- tributes of a great church. The columns, arcades, and windows throughout are all of an unusual elegance and grace, the vaulting rising with much daring to a remarkable height, which must approach one hundred and ten or more feet, and the equal of certain other " popularly notable " buildings. The rose window of the south of the tran- sept is a remarkable example of these master- pieces of the French builder. The framing and the glass with which it is set is of the richest quality, though it dates only from the fifteenth century. The organ case is here found in the south transept, an unusual ar- rangement in a French church, where it is usually placed over the western doorway. The vaulting, too, is much loftier here than in the nave. The aisles of this remarkable choir 119 The Cathedrals of Northern France have the further unusual attribute of three ranges of openings, while the clerestory, only, rises above, but w^ith great and imposing beauty. There are a few funeral monuments of more than ordinary interest, including that of Queen Berengaria, wife of Richard, the Lion-Hearted, brought from the Abbey de I'Epau in 1821; a sarcophagus and statue in white marble of Charles of Anjou, Count of Maine, King of Jerusalem and Sicily (d. 1472), and the mausoleum of Langey du Bel- lay. In the north aisle are a number of fif- teenth or sixteenth century tapestries. The former bishop's palace was burned by the Germans in 1871. 120 VIII NOTRE DAME DE CHARTRES Aside from their wonderful, though non- similar, cathedrals, Chartres and Le Mans, its neighbour, have much in common. Both have been possessed of a brilliant array of counts and prelates, both grew from a Celtic village to their present grand proportions through a series of vicissitudes, wars, and conquests, until to-day each is preeminent within its own sphere, and has become not only a centre of ecclesiastical affairs, but of civil life as well. The Counts of Chartres and of Blois, in the middle ages, were a powerful race of men, and should ever be associated with profound respect in English minds by the fact that here was the birthplace of Adela, the mother of King Stephen of Blois, and of Henry, Bishop of Winchester. As for local conditions to-day, Chartres, while having grown to the state which it now occupies through events which have made it 123 The Cathedrals of Northern France a city of mark, remains a somnolescent> sparsely built town, with little suggestion of the progress of modernity. More frequently mentioned in the note-books of the traveller than Le Mans, it offers perhaps no greater charms. To be sure, its cathedral, by reason of its open situation and the charming quality and effect produced by its spires and its one hundred and thirty windows of coloured glass, at once places it at the very head amongst the great " show pieces " of France ; but it is in connection with Le Mans, scarcely eighty miles away and so little known, that it ought really to be studied and considered ; which as a matter of fact it seldom is. The city is hardly in keeping with what we are wont to associate with the environment of a great cathedral, though this of itself in no way de- tracts from its charms. The weekly cattle- market takes place almost before its very doors, and the battery of hotels which flank the open square present the air of catering more to the need of the husbandman than to the tourist; — not a wholly objectionable fea- ture, either. Beyond such evidences as an occasional sign-board announcing the fact that the hos- telry possesses a garage, fosse, or what not for 124 The Cathedrals of Northern France the necessitous requirements of the automo- bilist, the inns remain much as they always were, mere bourgeoise caravansaries. The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Char- tres jumps full into view immediately on leav- ing the railway station, though here it is to be noted that no delineation has ever been made by modern hand which shows its fagade in its entirety. The roofs of the houses and shops around its base indicate no special squalor or poverty, as is the case with regard to some Continental churches, and there is a picturesque grouping of firs and poplars to the left which adds considerably , to an already pleasing prospect. The whole grouping is, perhaps, none the less attractive than if the fagade, with those extraordinarily beautiful non-contemporary spires, stood quite unob- structed. In fact, it is doubtful if many a monumental shrine might not lose considera- bly, were it taken from its environment and placed in another which might not suit its graces so well. These really fascinating spires, famed of all writers, archaeologists, and painters alike, are the clef by which the whole harmony is sounded. One cannot but echo, and reecho, all that has been said of them, though in a 125 The Cathedrals of Northern France quandary as to which of the two is the more beautiful: the plain, simple, symmetrical, older spire, or that wonderful work of Tex- ier's, replacing another burned in 1506, which rises in gently sculptured and tapered ranges to a height which exceeds its companion by some twenty- five feet. No more appropriate or convincing wording could be given of it than by quoting Fefgusson's estimate, which sums it up as being " the most beautifully de- signed spire in Europe, surpassing even Stras- burg and Antwerp." It is rather a pity that from no suitably near-by point can one obtain a full view of the effect of the western fagade. One poor little house seems ever to thrust itself into the ensemble, though it is to-day apparent that certain others, which must have cut into the front still more, have been cleared away. Clearly, with all its charm and beauty of de- tail, it is for its great and general excellencies that the cathedral at Chartres most impresses itself upon the memory. Visitors to-day will have no easy task in locating Lowell's " little pea^green inn," in which he indited the lines, " A Day in Char- tres ; " as appreciative and graceful an esti- 126 The Cathedrals of Northern France mate of an inanimate thing as ever was made in verse: "The Grecian gluts me with its perfectness Unanswerable as Euclid, self-contained. The one thing finished in this hasty world. But ah ! this other, this that never ends. Still climbing, luring fancy still to climb. As fiill of morals, half divined, as life. Graceful, grotesque, with ever new surprise Of hazardous caprices, sure to please. Heavy as nightmare, airy light as fern. Imagination's very self in stone." Among the other attractions of the west fagade is the Porte Royale, so called, the cen- tral doorway which was only opened for the entrance of the sovereign. It is decorated with the " signs of the zodiac " and " sym- bols of the months." Next in point of rich- ness are the grandly effective north and south porches, with their triple doorways or portals, setting back some twenty feet from their jambs, which, as at Noyon, and in the smaller church at Louviers, are pierced with a transverse pas- sage. The north porch, with its range of three open-sided and deeply recessed doorways, has unmistakably debased tendencies, but is filled with sculptured statuary of more than ordi- 127 The Cathedrals of Northern France narily effective disposition, more remarkable for magnitude and ornateness than for finesse of skill and workmanship, or even as a detail of good taste. The life-size statues of all three recesses are held^aloft by pedestals, on pillars of twisted and of spiralled trunks, a formation reviled by Ruskin, but producing an effect much more pleasing than some galleries of effigies we have seen, where the figures appear as if hung up by the hair of their heads, or are clinging to the walls by invisible spurs at their heels, or, as is not infrequently the case, are standing or hung on nothing, as though they were graven of some bewitched magnetic stone. Here for the first time is seen, in the sculptured figures of the three great portals, the plastic forms which were to add so greatly to the Gothic architecture: male and female saints. Evan- gelists, and Apostles in great array, all some- what more than life-size. Only one adverse impression is cast: that of petrifaction. The figures, almost without exception, appear as integral parts of the architectural fabric, rather than as added ornament. They are most ungainly, tall, stiff, and column-like, much more so than similar works at Reims, 128 The Cathedrals of Northern France or at Amiens, where the sculpture has some- thing of the vigour and warmth of life. The south porch, erected in the reign of Henry I. by Jean Cormier, partly from dona- tions of Matilda, queen of the Norman Con- queror, contains a series of hasso relievos, — seen also in the arches of the choir, — mani- festly not of good Gothic principle, and one which is the very antithesis of the northern spirit, as the name itself implies. The earliest portion of the existing church, the crypt, is that of a timber-roofed structure burned in 1020. It was erected early in the eleventh century by Fulbert, the famous Bishop of Chartres, also remembered — possi- bly revered — as being the prolific letter- writer of his time. John of Salisbury was bishop in the next century, and under him were built the lower stages of the western fagade and towers. In this church Edward III. called for the help of Heaven to aid his plans, and here Henry of "Navarre was crowned King of France, a change of venue from Reims, where so many previous and subsequent coronations were held. The interior gives a deal of the thrill for which one should always be prepared. The 129 The Cathedrals of Northern France gloom, so apparent at first, slowly brightens as the eye becomes accustomed to the finely filtered light, which penetrates through the gorgeous coloured glass, a feature which ranks with the spires as a vivid impression to be carried away. Nearly all of this glass is of equal worth and attractiveness, being, with the exception of three windows of a late date, and a few uncoloured ones, all of the gorgeous thirteenth-century variety. The whole mass of the clerestory through- out gives the effect of windows heavily hung with tapestries through which the outside light pierces in minute rays. This comparison is made advisedly, inasmuch as, regardless of the quality and value of the glass, it is composed mainly of those minute and fragmentary par- ticles often more rich in colour than design. There is little doubt but that the result of the deep rich blue, claret, and orange gives a first effect of insufficient lighting which would try an artist or photographer sorely, though not a detracting element in churches which would often appear cold and uncon- vincing were such an attribute lacking. There are also three magnificent rose windows of great size (thirty to forty feet), containing equally good glass. 130 The Cathedrals of Northern France A double ambulatory surrounds the seven- chapeled choir, which is further enclosed by a magnificent sculptured stone screen be- gun in the sixteenth century by Texier, who designed the marvellous north spire. The Vierge du Filter of the north choir aisle, a fifteenth-century shrine, is the subject of great local veneration. The treasury contains a relique in the form of the veil of the Virgin, supposed to have been presented by Charle- magne to Princess Irene. Other interior details of note are an eleventh-century font; the large crypt be- neath the choir; the unequal level of the pave- ment of nave and choir; and the maze, which still exists in the nave. This last feature is a winding circular path some forty odd feet in diameter, and, in all, perhaps a thousand feet long. As a penance in place of a pil- grimage to Jerusalem, " the journey of the maze " was performed by the penitent on his knees — taking perhaps an hour or more, ac- cording to the size and length of the path, which varied with dififerent churches where they formerly existed. The other most notable example in France is at St. Quentin, northeast of Paris. 131 IX NOTRE DAME DE REIMS The very ancient city of Reims, now the capital of the Department of the Marne, was a large centre of population when it first fell under the sway of the Romans. During Caesar's occupation it was known as Duroc- torum, in the Prsefecture of the Gauls. A powerful metropolis and a faithful ad- herent of the Romans, the city early attained prominence as a centre of Christianity. St. Sixte preached the word here shortly after the first bishopric was founded, after capture by the Vandals in 406 A. D. The city was practi- cally razed by Attila, who afterward met de- feat at Chalons. During the Roman Empire it was the most important town of the Province of Belgica Secunda, later becoming known as the capital of the Remi, the name given to the people inhabiting the country round about. In 508 A. D. the Franks under Childeric captured the city, and in 720 A. D. Charles 132 NOTRE DAME de REIMS . . The Cathedrals of Northern France Martel captured it from Bishop Rigobert. Here, too, Pope Stephen had his famous in- terview with Pepin, and attended the crown- ing of Louis le Debonnaire in 8i6 A. D. In 744 it was made an archbishop's see, with suffragans at Amiens, Beauvais, Chalons, and Soissons. It is to-day the ecclesiastical capital of France — the Archbishop of Reims being the metropolitan prelate. Clovis, son of Childeric, King of the Ripu- arian Franks, in 496 A. D. conquered the last Roman stronghold at Soissons, and, having married a Burgundian princess, Clotilda, was induced to accept Christianity.* He was ac- cordingly baptized here by St. Remi on Christmas Day, 496 A. D. Leo III. met Charlemagne here; a council was held in 1119 A. D. by Calixtus II. in an attempt to reconcile Henry I. and Louis le Gros; and, later, another, to excommunicate another Henry. Succeeding years saw a continuity of arch- bishops, who achieved by their religious works a world-wide fame and glory. In these early days they held the temporal as well as spiritual power of the cities, and in some in- stances even coined their own specie. In spite of the changes of the times and con- 133 The Cathedrals of Northern France ditioni of life, the ancient capital of Belgiea Secunda still remains the chief city of the Departments of the Marne, Ardennes, and Aisne. Its ecclesiastical and secular monu- ments, headed by the grand Cathedral of Notre Dame, form an array which is well worthy of such extended consideration as the traveller or student can give. The Benedic- tine Abbey, the Church of St. Remi, is like- wise notable in all of its dimensions and de- tails. Its construction dates from 1 162- 1506, though the remains of a former tenth-century structure are made use of therein. Its chief treasure is the tomb of St. Remi, a wonderful Renaissance funeral monument of imposing proportions. Another monumental feature of more than unusual note, is the magnificent Roman arch of the former fortress of Porte Mars. This truly majestic specimen of the work of the Roman builder is supposed to have been erected by Agrippa in 25 B. Q,., in honour of Augustus, although another author- ity puts it as late as the period of Julian, 361 A. D. At any rate, it has stood the rigours of a northern clime as well as any Roman memorial extant; indeed, has seen fall all its contemporaries of the city, for at one time Reims was possessed of no less than three 134 The Cathedrals of Northern France other gateways, bearing the pagan nomencla- ture of Ceres, Mars, and Venus. The various other memorials of the city are on a no less grand scale, but the average per- son will hardly have eyes and ears for more than a contemplation of the wealth of splen- dour to be seen in its overpowering cathedral. Of the glorious group of monumental churches of northern France, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims, if not admittedly the most beautiful and memorable Gothic edifice in all France, needs but little qualifying comment. It has a preeminence which has been generally conceded, and even elaborately endorsed, by most observers qualified to pass opinion hereon. Contemplation of the wealth of de- tail, and of the disposition of its wonderful west front, no less than of its general excel- lencies, can but compel the decision that in its exterior, at least, the Cathedral of Reims is the peer of any existing Gothic fabric. Though less huge than Strasburg or Cologne, and lacking the doubled tier of flying but- tresses of the latter, it is altogether the most splendid and well-proportioned Gothic mass extant. The diminishing or pyramidal efifect of the towers and gable of this west fagade is an exemplification of the true symmetry of 135 The Cathedrals of Northern France Gothic form. Lofty, and not closely hemmed in by surrounding structures, it looms, from any adjacent view-point, fully two-thirds of its decorated splendour above the general sky- line round about. Aside from modern adula- tion we have the praise of an early historian, who delivers himself thus: "Decor et majestes praeclarissime hugus structurae omnem scribendi peritiam longe superat, ob elegantum omnibus est admira- tioni, at que sibi similem non habet in tota Gallia." — Met. Rememsis Hist. Dom. Guliol. Marlot S. Nicasii Rem. Prioris, Tom ii. p. 470. Following the preaching of St. Remi, and the murder of St. Nicaise, who founded a church on this site in 400 A. D., Ebo, bishop in 818 A. D., laid the foundations of a new church, Louis I. granting that such material as might be needed be taken from the city wall. To assist, the sovereign also sent his architect, Rumaldi. In 847 A. D. Archbishop Nicman secured a renewal of the privileges, and in the presence of the king the building was consecrated in 862 A. D. The western en- trance was ornamented with graven statues of Louis I., the patron, Pope Stephen, and the archbishop himself. 136 The Cathedrals of Northern France This entire fabric succumbed to fire on the 6th of May, 1210, and the present structure rests merely on the remains of the ancient crypt, which in a measure survived. Few visible remains of this ancient foundation are to-day visible. The new church reared itself rapidly under the immediate supervision of the Archbishop Alberic de Humbert. The choir, begun within two years of the fire, made such progress as to allow of the high altar being ceremoniously dedicated within three years ; and, before the middle of the century, the records tell us that the main body of the church was entirely completed- The right tower was uncompleted at this time, but was finished by Cardinal Philastre in 1430, up to which time intermittent labour had evolved a superlative combination of constructive and decorative excellencies. The extreme light- ness of the west front is brought more and more to impress itself upon one by reason of the consistent disposition of the excellency and delicacy of its sculptured ornament. This western front, from the grand portals upward, is the apogee of French Gothic orna- ment, — at once the admiration and boast of all France. Here is no mixture or confusion of style, in design or decoration. The pointed 137 The Cathedrals of Northern France arches of window and doorway are of the accepted " best manner," the heavy detail is placed low and rises gracefully to the " Gal- lery of Kings," a grand succession of stone effigies of royalties from Clovis to Charles VII., a decorative arrangement not made use of elsewhere to anything like a similar extent, a fact which of itself stamps the cathedral as the royal church of France. Conceived by one Gaucher, the portals are not only superior to all others in richness, depth, and quality of the sculpture shown in the hundreds of figures with which they are peopled, but are of exceedingly true and appropriate dimen- sions, taken in relation with the other parts of their setting. Immediately above the gable of the central portal is a wonderful rose win- dow, of the spoke variety, containing thirty- four sections, — of immense size and nearly forty feet across. This " most perfect rose," designed by Bernard de Soissons, may well be credited as one of the masterworks of archi- tectural decoration in all the world. Flank- ing this great window on either side are two open lancet arches, while above is the " Gal- lery of Kings " before mentioned. The twin mullioned towers on either side rise for two hundred and sixty-seven feet. Light and airy, 138 The Cathedrals of Northern France they depend for their effect of grace and sym- metry entirely upon structural design, lacking sculptured ornament of any kind. Formerly they possessed spires of a great height, which, however, were destroyed by fire in the fif- teenth century. " Were all its original attributes complete," says Fergusson, " we should have the heau ideal, externally, of a cathedral." This is probably an adaptation of Viollet4e-Duc's es- timate, which he expresses thus : " This west facade is the most splendid conception of the thirteenth century, — Paris, like Laon, being really a transition example, Amiens represent- ative of different epochs, Chartres a mere re- union of fragments, and Bourges and Rouen a melange of three centuries." The south transept portal, which is of great breadth, contains statues of the Archbishops of Reims, and one of Clovis. A similar door- way on the north side, though now walled up, contains, in the tympanum, a fine Sculptured " Last Judgment," while the transept itself houses one of those great clocks So ffeqaenily met w^ith in Continental churches, — in this instance said to be the oldest running time- piece in existence. Seven flying buttresses, between the tran- 139 The Cathedrals of Northern France sept and the west front, flank the nave, each holding aloft an elegantly canopied niche containing a full-length winged figure, a fur- ther unique arrangement being a similar fig- ure which caps or pinnacles the outer piers, from which the buttresses spring. Above the point of contact of the buttresses with the main body, runs an effective balustrade of small pointed arches, while the abside shows, again, a wonderful combination of the buttress as a decorative and utile feature, combined. The exterior may be summed up briefly as being the most gorgeously peopled and deco- rated structure of its age — as though it were expressly designed to show off this great throng of statues to the best possible advantage. Taken collectively, the series forms, says one writer, " the most complete and magnificent collection of mediaeval iconography extant." The figures were originally perhaps as many as five thousand, representing nearly all the families of mankind. In size the Cathedral of Reims ranks third among the four largest in France, being ex- ceeded only by Amiens and Chartres, while Paris is slightly smaller. The interior presents by no means the awe- inspiring grandeur of the exterior mass, and 140 The Cathedrals of Northern France is possibly inferior to both Amiens and Char- tres, and though well disposed, lacks the light- ness of Cologne or Beauvais. A first impres- sion rather indicates large proportions of length, breadth, and height in the nave, though these dimensions are not actually of the greatest. The transepts, including their aisles, are, however, of an extreme width, but very short; and the absence of side chapels, either here or in the nave, produces a regu- larity of outline unusually convincing. The nave piers, of which there are ten on either side, with two window piercings, are of a manifestly heavy order, the capitals un- usually so, being very deep and weighty with carving in high relief. The triforium is se- verely plain, being a mere shallow gallery of small pointed arches. The nave itself is, more- over, somewhat gloomy, when contrasted with the brilliant lighting of the aisles, caused by the peculiar arrangement of plain and col- oured glass, the former filling the windows of the clerestory and the latter those of the aisles, the reverse being the case with the op- posite ranges. The aisles have no chapels be- tween the rather low windows, but groups of clustered columns against the walls. The vaulting is deep, with simple ribs, coloured 141 The Cathedrals of Northern France with a blue ground spangled with stars and fleurs-de-lys. The choir is surrounded by seven chapels. There are ten columns in the choir, all with beautifully wrought capitals. The pavement here is composed of marble taken from Liber- gier's abbey church of St. Nicaise, from which edifice, since destroyed, was trans- ferred the tomb of Jovinus, the Roman pre- fect of Reims, who became converted in 366 A. D. The sarcophagus, consists of a huge block of marble, nine feet by four, with a fig- ure of Jovinus, " lion hunting on horseback," carved in high relief. The roof of the choir is curiously constructed of wood, of chestnut, say the authorities, as no spiders are found. The high altar, as reconstructed by Poncelet Paroissien in 1550, was a very beautiful affair if old prints, usually none too reliable as to de- tail, are regarded. It was, however, destroyed during the middle of the eighteenth century. The glass of the rose window dates in part from the period of the greatest richness (thir- teenth century). The sepulchral monuments, aside from the sarcophagus of Jovinus, are to-day practically nil, having been swept away during the terrors of the Revolution. Two interesting effigies 142 The Cathedrals of Northern France still remain, however, near the western door- way, a figure of a mailed knight and an abbess. Among the real riches of the Cathedral are the remarkable and unique tapestries; well preserved, and of the finest quality of design and texture. Fourteen, by Lenoncourt, date from 1530-70; those in the south aisle, the Pepersacks, the gift of Abbe Lorraine, from 1640; and the modern Gobelins of the nine- teenth century, the gift of the government. The " Tresor," which includes the church plate, most of which appears to have endured the ravages of invasion and wars, is truly magnificent and intrinsically of great value. The chief of these are: the chalice of St. Remi, of the eleventh century; a reliquary containing a thorn from the Holy Crown; the marble font in which Clovis was baptized in 496 A. D. ; the chasuble of Louis XIII., and the Sainte Ampoule, which contained the holy oil brought by a dove from heaven for use at the conversion of Clovis, now a mere fragment enclosed in a modern setting, after having been ruthlessly shattered by a sans- culotte in 1793. Adjoining the Cathedral, on the right, is the Episcopal Palace, which, with its depend- encies, occupies a hectare or more of ground. 143 The Cathedrals of Northern France In the first courtyard is the modern library building, which houses the cathedral's rich bibliographical treasures. Further, through a gateway, is a structure, in itself a grand building, of the time of Louis XIV. The right wing was constructed by Le Tellier in 1690. This portion is now occupied as a dwelling by the archbishop. At the end of the furthest courtyard is " The House of the Kings," a truly grand establishment, so called in the official documents because it was the logement of the monarchs who visited the city on affairs of state. This recalls to mind not the least notable of the functions per- formed by the great cathedral itself. With four exceptions all the Kings of France, from Clovis to Charles X., here first entered into their kingly state. The monarchs of France were a long and picturesque line, and the ceremonies attendant upon their coro- nations were accordingly imposing and mag- nificent. The culmination, for theatrical splendour and efifect, was doubtless that of Charles VII., who, through the efforts of the " Maid," here came into his own. It was a splendid, if gaudy, pageant, and the most memorable event among that long series which only ended with the coronation of Charles X. in 1823. 144 PART III The Cathedrals of the Loire INTRODUCTORY The Loire Valley for its whole length may, in every sense, be well considered the divid- ing-line between northern and southern in- fluences. The romance and sentiment which cradled itself here could only have emanated from the more languid south, and from vastly differing conditions to those of the colder north. The admiration usually bestowed upon the attractions of its domestic architec- tural forms is, no doubt, fully merited ; albeit that the cathedrals of these wealthy and power- ful communities are, no one can possibly deny, if not of a mongrel type, at least of a degen- erate one. It is perhaps hardly fair to note such an expression without qualification where it is applied to St. Gatien at Tours, which is really a delightfully picturesque structure; or to St. Maurice, at Angers, which is unique as to its charm of situation, and one of the most interesting churches anywhere to be found. 147 The Cathedrals of Northern France But the fact is that the general plan and design is not only open here to much just criticism, but is not of the order of consistency which alone entitles an architectural monument to rank as truly great. In no instance, from Orleans to Nantes, are the cathedrals of these cities possessed of the consistent array of charms which would entitle them to a propor- tionate share of the admiration which is usually accorded to the great domestic estab- lishments, the Chateaux of Blois, Chenonceau, Chambord, Langeais, or Loches. The climatic conditions of this region hardly more than intimate the suggestion of the southland, but there is to be seen in the vineyards, and indeed in things that grow, gen- erally, a notable tendency toward a luxuriance that is not found northward of this valley. Productive, prosperous, influential, and pos- sessed of historical and sentimental associa- tions as a touring ground far beyond any other section of France, the Valley of the Loire at once takes rank as the land par excellence where the traveller can be sure of a maximum of pleasure and profit; and one worthy in every way of as prolonged study and sojourn as one's possibilities and circumstances will allow. 148 The Cathedrals of Northern France The towns group themselves naturally en suite in the following order: Orleans, Blois, Tours, Angers, and Nantes, and are so con- sidered in the pages that follow. 149 ^ 1c^ra£P«^z.|^ - ^ ["/jre CKS>iJf_ 1;^ ■ ^ ■[pn.i.E^^st^ II ST. CROIX D'ORLEANS The association of Orleans, in English minds, mostly rests upon the events connected with the siege. Its history in the past has been mainly that of bloody warfare and massacre. As the Genabum of Gallia, it was burned by Caesar in 52 B. C. in revenge for a previous massacre of the Romans. By Aurelian it was rebuilt and named Aurelianum, the progenitor of its present nomenclature. St. Aignan in 451 secured the safety of the city to the cause of Christianity by warding off Attila's attack. 150 The Cathedrals of Northern France Clovis captured it in 498, but at his death it became the capital of an independent king- dom which was afterward, in 613, united with that of Paris. Activities no less extensive or vivid followed, till the English besieged the city in 1429, only retiring before the conquer- ing hosts led by the Maid of Orleans on the 7th of May; the Huguenots held it as a strong- hold under Coligny; and latterly the Ger- mans occupied it, were driven out, and again reoccupied it as a base in 1870-71. Such, in brief, is a partial record of its troubles and trials, with scarce a reference to a Christian or religious motive, if we except Attila's unsuc- cessful attack and Coligny's Protestant fer- vour. The almost legendary part played by Jeanne d'Arc should suffice to impress indeli- bly upon the mind the chief event in connec- tion with any city with which her name and fame were associated. In the third century seven bishops were sent out from Rome, to extend the influence of the Church, to Tours, Orleans, Toulouse, Nar- bonne, Paris, Limoges, and Auvergne; though, in spite of the success with which they met, and the zeal with which they worked, their meetings were chiefly held in the houses of 151 The Cathedrals of Northern France their more opulent converts, and church build- ing at the time appears not to have been so much desired as the dissemination of the Word itself. Since its occupation by the Ger- mans in " '71," great contrasting elements have sprung up. Nowhere, not even in the " up-to- date " Rhine cities of Germany, is better ex- emplified the trend of the age in which we live. There are notable indications of its mo- dernity in the architecture of public and pri- vate buildings, many streets and boulevards of the city being laid out anew and bisecting the older portions. The Cathedral of St. Croix, of widely con- trasting styles and eras, forms a pleasing enough key-note to it all, in spite of its garish crudities. At its best, when viewed from the bridge which spans the well-nigh dry bed of the Loire, it composes well with what is at all times a pleasing prospect, and is set off to great advantage by the fringe of green boule- vard along the river bank, — a fine enough setting for an architectural monument of whatever rank, be it new or old, consistent or conglomerate. As for the classification of the architectural style of the cathedral itself, it is an unprincipled mixture of components, but little related to each other. The southern in- 152 The Cathedrals of Northern France fluence is apparent, alike in the scanty remains of the Romanesque, and the restored Renais- sance portions, while Gothic peeps out here and there, in no mean proportions, as though it were misplaced and out of itsttrue environ- ment. The cathedral, which was destroyed in 1567 by the Huguenots, in spite of the ad- monitions of the Condes, is still visible in the fragments of the choir aisles, the fourteenth- century chapels appearing to have been unin- jured. This much remains of the Gothic of Henry IV.'s time. The late seventeenth-cen- tury work is a manifest expression of the de- basement of Gothic, and such otjier additions as were made in the reigns of the Louis carry the vulgarities still further, the acme being reached in the pseudo-classical north and south porches, which are sepulchral-looking of themselves, and not even of the most ad- mired variety of the species. The most that can be remarked, considering all the distinct- ive features, is the fact that this cathedral is the only Gothic church, so ranking, that is not of Mediaeval growth, a fact which may well account for its unsatisfactory style. The fagade follows the usual enough ar- rangement of three portals, though very ugly ones, flanked by rising towers on either side. 153 The Cathedrals of Northern France In this case these doorways are of the nonde- script variety commonly accepted as base Gothic, but hardly warranting even such a term of endearment. They are in fact flam- boyant as to their lines, though of a remark- able poverty as to further embellishment, if . we bar a series of misplaced armorial blazon- ings. Topping the gables of the portals are a series of circular apertures, with framing of a sort, but without glass, — a poor imitation of what a rose window might be at its worst. Above is an arcaded gallery of nine graceful arches, the first really attractive ornament of this debased fagade. The towers, finished so late as 1789 by M. Paris, the king's architect, rise loftily some two hundred and eighty feet, with ranges of slight columns and perpen- dicular lines, which give the grand and im- posing effect of height of which the cathe- dral is undeniably possessed, and which, when viewed from down the Rue Jeanne d'Arc, is without doubt impressive, — far more so than greater intimacy will sustain. The nave, of a height of one hundred feet, is flanked by double aisles, and in appearance is every way superior to the exterior. 154 The Cathedrals of Northern France No remarkable art treasures are to be seen, if we except a series of sculptured Stations of the Cross beneath the windows, and the Gothic altars of the transepts. <55 ^^'^■y J:» . ^j^n^.^ ^^^- T.r?! ! Ill ST. LOUIS DE BLOIS Regardless of the sentiment which attaches itself to Blois by reason of its magnificent chateau, and in spite of its undeniably pictur- esque and interesting environment, it hardly takes sufficient rank as a cathedral city to war- rant more than a passing consideration. As it is, one cannot get from under the shadow of its overpowering attraction, and, in spite of the poverty and depressing qualities of the Cathe- dral of St. Louis, perhaps no place in the Loire valley has more claim upon the atten- tion of the enthusiastic tourist. The wonderful 156 The Cathedrals of Northern France chateau is all that has been said of it, and more. The picturesqueness of the city's streets of stairs, and its general up and down hill situation, offering charming vistas, unique in a city of the north, are, except for its size, really more suggestive of Genoa or Naples. In the general ensemble of the city, the Loire is an attraction of itself, when viewed from across that wonderful stone bridge, the first public work endowed by Louis XV. But even then, the awkward and uninteresting cathe- dral does not enter into the view with that liveliness and impressiveness which we are wont to associate with such an environment. In short, it must be set down that in the lack of pleasing qualities in its cathedral, is found Blois' greatest disappointment. The tourist pur sang will care little about this. He usually rushes in and out during the daylight, and recalls but little except the fas- cinating staircase of the chateau attributed, as to its spiral formation, to Da Vinci ; the orna- mental chimney-pieces ; and the fact that his- torical events of the past have intermingled inextricably the gruesome stories of the royal houses which bore respectively the arms of hedgehog and salamander. This only, with perhaps the memory that at one time or an- 157 The Cathedrals of Northern Fmnce other a certain eVent took place iftVOlvifig the use of s&ttie forty Odd daggers. Pethaps, after all, it would he an efflbaf' fassment of riches did the town possess a cathedfal, or even other rtionurtients, to Vie with this spectaCUlaf attfactioii which, frOHi every view-point realizes the ideal of our imagifiation, as to just what a Chateau arid its history might be. From near or far the cathedral shows no chafm of outline. Its ridgepole is marred by three unusually obtrusive " lightning conduc- tors," which Could hardly have been more of- fensive had they been turned into those lath- like crosses which are seen elsewhere. Its tower is a monstrosity, with an egg-shaped protuberance which is neither shapely nor impressive, while the southern range of the nave and aisle, when viewed laterally, shows a bareness and poverty of design unusual and painful. The ensemble, from this point, is one of a certain impressiveness. It could hardly be otherwise, with the situation which it commands, even were it the grossest thing that ever took shape in architecture. Its ir- regularities and inconsistencies, and the great variety of outline shown, by the roof-tops of the town, perhaps, make up in a measure for 158 The Cathedrals of Northern France the lack of individual beauties in the church itgdf. There ie this much to be said, however, for the functipng which this church performs, If gll were as much made use of by the market- day peasants, gtreaming in from the surround- ing country, who, with their jugs, niarket- baskets, and what not, in their hands, enter the building, pay a §hort prayer or two, and toddle out again, there would doubtless be fewer ehufchfs with a poverty-stricken air and more of a better and more prosperous class. The greater part of the cathedral which originally stood on this site was dtgtroyed dur- ing the Revolution, and that which was after- ward reared here was merely a restoration by Mansard, who, it is to be presumed, made such use as was possible of what remained. The interior, most will agree, is no more remarkable than the exterior adornments; in fact the same paucity of plan and of detail appears from one end to the other, inside and out. The aisles are astonishingly low; the choir and nave, each unusually short. There are no transepts, and there is no triforium whatever, no chapels of any remarkable beauty, and little glass that is even passable. On the walls of the nave, beneath the low li9 The Cathedrals of Northern France clerestory windows, are a series of four carven Renaissance marble panels, with other blanks suggesting the ultimate addition of similar sepulchral-looking ornaments. Such, in brief, is a resume of the attractions, or rather the lack of them, as it will strike the average per- son. It is perhaps no small wonder that the traveller who desires to study architectural forms, or to sketch them, should prefer the less holy precincts of the chateau, where every facility is offered for the pursuance thereof, to that more " blessed ground," covered by the cathedral, which offers little enough in itself, and that little under a surveillance which makes one regret that the feudal times are not still with us, — when we might vent our spleen and anger upon any who offend us. 1 60 IV ST. GATIEN m TQURS The soi-disant provincial metropolis of Mr. James' appreciative favour, the capital of old Touraine, is possessed of great and many charms for the seeker after new things. He may be passionately fond of churches; if so, the trinity here to be seen, and the history of their founders and prelates, and the impor- tant part which they played in church afifairs, will edify him greatly. If romance fills his or her mind, there is no more convenient ceU' tre than Tours from which to " do " the cha- teaux of the Loire. If it be French history, or the study of modern economic or commercial conditions, the past activities and present pros- perity of the city will give much food for thought. If to literature one's mind turns, there is the association with Balzac's birth in the Rue Royale, and his delightful picturings of the city's environment in the " Cure de Tours," " Le Lys dans la VaUee," and " La 163 The Cathedrals of Northern France Grenadiere." Says Balzac of the habitant: "... He is a listless and unobliging indi- vidual." But the sojourner for a day will probably not notice this, and, if he should, must simply make allowance, and think with Henry James of the other memories of " this land of Rabelais, Descartes, and Balzac; of good dinners, good company, and good houses." To link the city still closer with let- ters, the first printing-press in Touraine was set up here in 1496. Nicolas Jensen, famed as the foremost Venetian printer of his time, was born in the neighbourhood and was at one time " Master of the Mint " at Tours. Chris- topher Plantin, the head of the famous Ant- werp family of printers, likewise was born in the near-by suburb of St. Avertin pres Tours. Climatically, Touraine appears to linger between the rigours of the north and the mild- ness of the southland ; at least we are conscious of another atmosphere, made apparent by such evidences as palms and prunes growing in the open. Tours, says her historian, has ever em- ployed the pure French in her spoken and written word; "patois and provincialisms have no place here." 164 The Cathedrals of Northern France St. Martin of Tours erected a church here, in honour of St. Peter and Paul, as a sort of antidote to the many pagan temples which he had caused to be destroyed. His successors built several others round about the city, but they appear to have been all of small size until, in the fifth century, Perpetus, Bishop of Tours in the reign of Childeric, caused to be built a more splendid church to repla-ce that which Briceius had erected over the tomb of St. Martin. This, in turn, was rebuilt by the cele- brated Gregory of Tours, or so ordered by him; until finally in the seventh century the abbey church of St. Martin of Tours became a place of pilgrimage for all the Turones. To-day, nought remains of this great church but the two towers, which have been bisected by the running of a street throughout the old nave of the church; and thus they stand as silent sentinels of the means through which Tours arose to its ecclesiastical dignity. The Tour St. Martin or " de I'Horloge " is of the twelfth century, and the other, called the Tour de Charlemagne, being the burial-place of his wife Luitgarde, is, in its lower portions, of the eleventh century. The Cathedral of St. Gatien, which should be greatly endeared to the English people, was 165 The Cathedrals of Northern prance commenced by Henry II. in 1170, the cheir being the earliest pertion. The transepts foU lowed in the next century, and the f agade as late as the fifteenth, or the beginning of the sixteenth, eentury, Of manifestly Renaissance tendency, this fagade for sheer charm and piC' turesqueness must rank with the best, with the qualifying statement added that it offend? against many consistent artistic and architeC' tural principles, It is certainly an effective type, although perhaps not warranting the statement of a certain monarch, whose art training may to some degree have been want- ing, that it was a " jewel in a gemmed setting," An exceedingly picturesque and attractive pair of towers rise, through no less than three dif^ ferent styles, to the inverted egg'Cups, which in a purer example might perhaps prove legs pleasing, but which in the present case seem at least to be imbued with something of the Oriental or Mediterranean influence, not yet fallen before the actual decadence. Another peculiarity of this charmingly toned west front is that the rose window is of a peculiar lozenge shape, *' neither square nor round," as one authority puts it. This, of itself, is decidedly not a graceful arrangement; but the propor- tions are ample and the glass is good, so its 166 The Cathedrals of Northern France deficiencies may in a measure be said to be overbalanced by its merits; and, for that matter, as it is only seen in its minutia of detail from the inside, where the excellent coloured glass is seen at its best, it hardly de- tracts from the general fine effect of the exterior fagade. The western doorways are thoroughly Renaissance, both inside and out, while the portals themselves offer a livid sug- gestion as to what they might have been, were all the bare niches and blocks filled and mounted with worthy statues. The effect would have been an undeniable approach to the best matured Gothic, and would have en- hanced greatly this already highly interesting fagade. The buttresses of the choir follow the accepted forms of grace and effectiveness, and, while not numerous or remarkable as to size, each springs to a supporting pier gracefully pinnacled and gargoyled. One instance of the functions of this valuable adjunct to the tower- ing forms taken by most Gothic structures, is a buttress which springs, unsymmetrically enough, from the north transept. This rather ungainly limb flies out like the tentacles of an octopus, grasps a small building on the opposite side of a narrow roadway, and forms a support to the irregular construction of the 167 The Cathedrals of Northern France north transept. This was perhaps necessary as a means of bracing the transept wall, which it might not have been possible to accomplish otherwise. The interior presents the unusual feature of the omission of the organ case from over the western doorway, the organ being in this instance in the south transept, as at Le Mans. The wall space centered upon the nave proper is entirely given over to the lozenge-shaped " rose," which, in spite of its rather heavy framing and kaleidoscopic and patchworky glass, is withal effective* beyond many more gracefully formed openings, where the glass is either too severely plain, or worked into a supposed design, which, by reason of its minute particles, is undecipherable. The de- sign and arrangement of a series of lancets supporting the lozenge would be remarkable, were it in company with the best glass of the middle ages. It depicts an " Adoration " in which kings, saints, and bishops are modelled brilliantly, and with evidence of much good drawing, a detail often wanting in old, or, for that matter, modern glass. The glass of the choir, on the other hand, is far better in arrangement, and shows deep, rich particles which are only at their best in i68 The Cathedrals of Northern France the work of the early period here shown. In this glass are depicted the arms of St. Louis, Blanche of Castile, and of the City of Tours. The choir itself widens out from the crossing of the transept, causing that deviation between the piers of nave and choir which made neces- sary the ungainly flying buttress of the north wall. The aisles of the nave are of no great width and are fringed with a series of chapels of which only one, that of the Sacred Heart, is in any way remarkable. The radiating chap- els of the choir are more interesting, notably the lady-chapel, which contains, old glass re- moved thither from the church of St. Julien, the subject of one of Turner's rhapsodies in his " Seine and Loire." The clerestory of the nave consists of plain glass only; and on the triforium alone, of ex- ceedingly graceful arcaded columns, depends the beauty of the upper ranges. The chief treasure of artistic value and mo- ment is unquestionably the tomb of the chil- dren of Charles VIIL and Anne of Brittany, by whose early deaths the throne passed to the Valois branch of the Orleans family. This remarkable monument is of the early sixteenth century and, according to the report of the 169 The Cathedrals of Northern France Commission des Monuments Historiqu^s, is thg work of Guillaume Regnault, a statement which is much more likely to be correct th^P the usual guide-book information, which in some instances credits it to Goujon, ^nd in gthefs to a local apprentice of his, named Jugte. On a Renaissance sarcophagus lie the two tiny effigies, in white marble, surrounded by guardian angels and other syRjboliqal fig- ures, The bgee bears escutcheons of the Pauphins pf France, the arms and two inscrip- tions referring to the princes and their birth. Flying Buttress, St. Gatien de Toifrf 170 St. Maurice d^ Angers V ST. MAURICE D'ANGERS Historically and romantically, Angers, the former capital of Anjou, is possessed of a past (which may be said to have actively commenced in 989) that cannot fail to arrest and hold one's attention. Capital of the Dukes of Anjou, and the home of Margaret of Anjou, daughter of Rene, who married Henry VI. of England; likewise the cradle of the first Plantagenets ; and immortalized by Shake- speare's King John, who soliloquizes anent " The flinty ribs of this contemptuous town." With all this, Angers has perhaps a supreme claim for English consideration. In spite of all this, and the added attraction of a " real castle," such as is seldom found outside the children's fairy-tale books, not to mention the Cathedral of St. Maurice, — of which more anon, — Angers leaves one with the impres- sion that very much is wanting in order to merit preeminence in the classification of those 173 The Cathedrals of Northern France memories which a traveller is wont to store up as a result of his travels and observations. Perhaps it is the city's pitiful attempt to be gay, to be modern, to undertake pretentious improvements, — all of which appear to fail utterly in their purpose. These things cannot be unless they are of a spontaneous growth, which here they apparently are not. Not that the city still merits the opprobrious {sic^ term of " Black Angers " with which most writers and all makers of guide-books are pleased to refer to it, — it hardly does, In fact it is doubtful as to just what the term originally meant. Perhaps it was merely a reference to the gloom caused by the extensive use in the construction of its buildings of the black slate in which the neighbourhood abounds ; — at any rate the expression is one of undoubted antiquity. The two chief attractions are the cathedral and the castle, both " historical monuments." The latter, as before noted, is the ideal mili- tary stronghold of our early imagination; and if age, magnitude, and the general air of good preservation, count for anything, it must be one of the most impressive monuments of its class still to be seen. Originally its wall, now minus battlements, fronted close upon the 174 The Cathedrals of Northern France river. It is surrounded by a dry yawning fti^se, formerly a moat, and possesses no less than seventeen enormous and perfectly formed towers, each perhaps eighty feet in height, banded near the top in white and black stripes. Hardly more than a circling wall to-day, it has stood well the test of time since it was erected by Philip Augustus and completed Under St. Louis in ii8o. Little remains of the Renaissance portion originally occupied by the Counts of Anjou. Its charm lies rather in its exterior, the interior confines resembling more a lumber-yard than anything else, ^ not worth spending one's time upon* under the present facilities which are offered for its in- spection. One small structure within the walls is notable as being that in which King Rene was born. It is recorded that Wellington re- ceived d part of his military education in Angers. If so, it is probable that he studied this military defence with some care and mirtUteness. To us, dt leasts who have not been educated with respect to military fortification, it seems to fill all demahds that are likely to be ttiade upon a building of its class. Doubt- less it could have been besieged successfully, and even battered through to the extent of allowing the outside foe to enter, but it would 175 The Cathedrals of Northern France probably have been at a fearful cost, and it is possible that the attempt would be given up before any surrender took place. Such would appear to an outsider to be the lines on which these magnificent works of feudal times were built. One should not speak slightingly of the Cathedral of St. Maurice, though it comes upon one who journeys from the north, as a thing apart from anything he has met before; so much so that he is hardly likely to be able to judge it dispassionately until he has turned his impressions of it many times over in his mind. The Angevine style, seen here, is represent- ative of but a very restricted area. The Societe des Monuments H'istoriques defined it as " a small district on_ both sides of the Loire be- tween Normandy and Acquitaine." It is sug- gestive of the Roman manner, far more than the Gothic; though the primitiveness shown in the long, upright lines of the west front of this cathedral marks it at once as something dif- ferent from either Romanesque or Transi- tion, — though Transition it must be, unless we delimit the confines of that useful term. In any case, it points unto heaven in a truly devout manner, is not debased in any partic- 176 The Cathedrals of Northern France ular, and, if not a consistent style, has many of the good qualities of both. The Cathedral of St. Maurice is best seen from a point of view which will exaggerate its height, its slimness, and its straight and upright lines ; but even this does not appear to work out to its disadvantage, in spite of the new note it strikes. It is an interesting work when viewed from any distance sufficient to throw its outline well into the air. From across the Maine, it is charming; from the foot of the stairwayed street which runs downwards from its western portal, it is picturesque and irresistible, while from any other view-point in the town, it is grand. The easterly end is dwarfed by close-lying houses, picturesque enough in themselves; but the gracefulness of the buttress is wanting. The south side is, here and there, broken into by additions and interpolations, none appar- ently of a contemporary era. It offers a grand effect for an artist who would study gray walls and crumbling roofs, but the lack of uni- formity will offend most people. The fagade of the west is the most effective feature, so far as genuineness is concerned. It towers to the sky, its needle-pointed spires overtopping a crooked street which rises 177 The Cathedrals of Northern France sharply from the river. There is but qne portal, and that is centred with 4 Qurious Ro- manesque arch half-way acrass \X% height, above which is a bas-relief of great size. Tb§ sculpture of this portal, while not as ejjgggllent as that seen in the Isle of France, ii qf ^n up^ usual richness and execution. The next r^nge is unique among west fronts, being a large central window, but slightly pqinted ^nd little removed from the Romanesqug. Jt is bare of coloured glass, and is decidedly not an atr tractive feature. On each side q| thi? great window are a series of blunt pointg^ lanc^tS, which form a sort of arcade which pthefwi^f relieves the bareness which would exist, Jni'- mediately above is a row of nichps whjcb hold eight armour-clad knights of the fifteenth con^ tury, inferior perhaps, in execution, to tbp sculpture of the portal, but producing an ef- fect, when viewed from the ground, undenia- bly fine. It is a detail as interesting, in its way, as the long " Gallery of the Kings " at R§ini§- Above rise the slim spires, with an octagonal cupola superimposed over a central structufe, which looks to this day as though it were origi- nally intended as one of a battery ^f three uni- form spires. The general plan of this faga^e is the masterpiece of design of the building, 178 TM Cath&dmU of Northern France afldj except for the ludicrously diminutive elock-face, ddUld withstand nobly the cavil of the ttidSt exacting pedant who ever redd or studied architectural forms, solely out of books. In the immediate foregtound falls the before mentioned street of steps. Many old tUftible-'doWn heuSes have recently been eleated away, atld, at the present writing, the view f torn this point is one which has appar^ ently not previously existed, and one which it is to be hoped will not be marred by the erection of any so-called modetn improve- ments. The inteHof fills no accepted formula of architectural expression, save that it is of the mannei' cbttirtion to AnjdU, the borderland be- tween the Gothic aisled and the great and aisld- less southern naves, but it holds one's interest none the less. Perhaps, after all, it is the cJUality to inteteSt, quite as much aS that to please, which is the standard by which one makes estimates and foftnS opinions. There is a not tery Idhg nor vefy Wide nave and choir, neither with aisles, and bdth with a vaulting which gives the appearance of being much IdWef than it l-eally is, quite the contrary im- ptessidh to that received ffOfti contemplation of the tiittSat. The bishop's throne sets mid- i?9 The Cathedrals of Northern France way on the right of the nave. Each bay of the side walls of the nave is composed of a wide pointed arch resting immediately upon the ground and filled with stone instead of glass; reminiscent of a similar effect in the Church of Notre Dame de la Cloture at Le Mans. The true windows of the nave rise in pairs above this arch, and contain rich, though some- what fragmentary, glass of the thirteenth cen- tury. As characteristic of the Angevine style, there is no triforium or clerestory, and hence, it is claimed, no necessity for flying buttresses, the support being accomplished by less grace- ful, if as effective, heavy square piers built into the outer wall. The transepts are not pronounced as to length or breadth, their chief beauty being their rose windows. The choir, of the twelfth century, shows an interpolated and elaborately flamboyant door- way of a much later period. An ornate oaken pulpit of none too good Renaissance carving is in the nave, and the organ case over the western doorway is sup- ported on the shoulders of a series of huge, grotesque, but monstrously human, wooden caryatides. This, with the gigantic, high canopied carven wood pulpit, one of the most i8o The Cathedrals of Northern France extraordinary in the country, forms a relief to coldly chiselled stone, certainly; — but few will consider their charms such as would war- rant counting them amongst ecclesiastical treasures. The fourteenth-century tapestries from Ar- ras (or Paris) were made for King Rene and by him given to the cathedral. They repre- sent scenes from the Apocalypse, and, though having suffered somewhat from the depreda- tions of the Revolution, still exhibit evidences of rare qualities of workmanship in their de- sign and colouring. The benitier of verd-antico marble sup- ported by figures of lions is a Byzantine work of the eastern empire, given to the cathedral by King Rene. The Dukes of Anjou and Margaret of Anjou were buried here, but the tomb of the latter was desecrated and destroyed during the Revolution. Aside from these, no other monuments of note are to be seen. The Bishop's Palace, of the twelfth century, standing high beside the cathedral, was re- stored by Viollet-le-Duc and reflects a medi- aeval splendour unseen elsewhere in the city, with respect to any great or small domestic establishment. i8i The Cathedrals of Northern France The Maison Barrault in the Logis Barrauh, built by a fofrtier mayor of the city, one time Chancellor df Btittany, was the scene of the magnificent entertainment offfered CaeSar Borgia in 1497. Afterwards it became the fesideflce of Marie de MediCis; later, a mon- astic establishment, then a semifiatyj and lately simply an ordinary private sdhobl. Says one writer, " No wonder its remains should be so scanty and ill preserved." 182 VI ST. PIERRE PE NANTES As a city of commercial and strategic im- portance, no one -vvill deny that Nantes js gu^ prgnje in the Loire valley; that its relation^ with the affairs of Church and State are equally important, is a debatable point. Tfue, the edict in favour of Protestant worship, fathered by Henry IV., was a momentous and significant event; but the revpcation, and the subsequent massacres of the rascally Carrier, well-nigh wiped that out The history qf the city is one long record of warfare an4 blpod' shed. Though holding the command of the 183 The Cathedrals of Northern France Loire, the city has ever been more closely iden- tified with Brittany. Here, in its frowning tenth-century castle, which fronts upon the river immediately in the foreground of the Cathedral of St. Pierre, with which it forms an unusual grouping of ecclesiastical and mili- tary architecture (M. H.), lived at one time or another, most of the Kings of France, from Charles VIII. downward. Here, too, Anne of Brittany was born, and here she married Charles VIII., thus uniting the Duchy of Brit- tany with the crown of France. Her subse- quent marriage, in the chapel of the castle, with Louis XII., made for ever impossible the future independence of the city. Following the edict came the Revolution; and, as if the preliminary horrors of massacres and atrocities, which spread to Orange in Vau- cluse and to Arras in Picardy, were not of sufficient stringency, the " Noyades," or drownings, carried oflf the poor unfortunates, a boatload at a time, until it is estimated that perhaps nine thousand were thus cruelly murdered, — women, children, royalty, and the clergy alike. The wrath which spent itself seemed to know no rank. The guillotine, dis- ease, and famine finished the work, so that the population of the city was, at the beginning of 184 The Cathedrals of Northern France the nineteenth century, immeasurably inferior in numbers to what it had been a decade be- fore. The details of these significant events are recounted quite fully enough by historians generally; but, in reality, it has little to do with the aspect of the city as it exists to-day, which, if not one of great splendour, partakes in no small measure of the attributes of a large metropolis, amply planned, beautifully laid out, and possessing, in addition to the charac- teristics of Brittany with which it has been so long identified, not a little of the influences and attributes of the south. Immediately to the rear of the chateau is the Cathedral of St. Pierre, ancient as to its foundation, and grand as to its general effect, both inside and out, though its exterior is marred by its uncompleted towers. Lofty, but of heavy proportions, St. Pierre de Nantes would, at first sight, appear to offer much that goes to make a satisfying ecclesiastical build- ing. As a matter of fact, it fails in many par- ticulars to realize any ideal which we have come to admire. The western fagade is more indebted to the rich and reasonably ornate portals for its undeniable impressiveness, than to the gable of towers, which have crumbled exceedingly from the effects of wind and 185 The Cathedrals of Northern France weather, rather than of great age, since thfey ddte only from the fifteenth century. The choir rests on the remains of an older church, hardly to be seen to-day in any appre- ciable evidence, • in that restoration and re- building have been so extensively carried on. The windows throughout are but weak dec- orative elements, and lack tracery aiid glass of a decorative quality, an obvious detraction in any great architectural work. The south transept shows indications of four successive periods of construction, and contains the best glass in the church; otherwise it is severely plain. The interior is by no means as incoherent as the exterior, the height of the ndve, one hundred and thirty feet, giving an otherwise unapproachable grandeur; though this ad- mirable dimension is qualified to no small de- gree by a triforium of a luxurious florid growth, little ih keeping with the other at- tributes of firmness and strength. The chapels throughout are bare and un- interesting so far as their altars or decorative embellishments are concerned, — what they may be at some future time, if the Art Nou- viau gets a foothold in church decoration, is fearful to contemplate. Paintings, none t66 i86 The Cathedrals of Northern France cpmmon in French churches, are here some- what in excess of customary numbers, though, as to quality or interest, in no church in France can they vie with those of the great churches of Italy or Flanders. Like the neighbouring city of Tours, Nantes has in its cathedral, for its piece de resistance, a magnificent sepulchral monu- ment, the tomb of Frangois II., the last Due de Bretagne, and Marguerite de Foix, his second wife, erected to their memory by their daughter Anne. This remarkable mausoleum was executed in 1502—07, after designs of Jehan Perreal, by Michel Colomb and his pupils, Regnault and Jean de Ch'artres, with the assistance of Jerome de Fiesole, who con- tributed the ornamental portion. It fortu- nately escaped demolition at the Revolution, and was brought hither and placed in the south transept from the Eglise des Carmes in 1817. It is a wonderful exemplification of the very best quality of Renaissance. The main portion of the tomb is of marble, with black mouldings somewhat shattered in places, but not so much so as to affect the contour or de- sign. The effigies lie recumbent upon a slab, their feet resting on a lion and a greyhound, upheld by a series of miniature figures of the 187 The Cathedrals of Northern France twelve apostles in niches of red marble. At the corners are four nearly life-size figures, depicting Justice, with sword and scales, said to be a portrait of the Duchess Anne ; Power, strangling the dragon of Heresy; Prudence, a double face, showing also Wisdom, with mirror and compass ; and Temperance, bear- ing a curb-bit and a lantern. A tablet at the head bears the figures of St. Louis and Charlemagne, and one at the foot, those of St. Francis of Assisi and Ste. Marguerite, the patrons of the duke and duchess. i8S PART IV Central France 'y^'^''-*^- w t— I H h ST. ETIENNE D'AUXERRE The entrance to the Burgundian city of Auxerre is more or less confused if one would, at the first glance, attempt to recognize its cathedral from among the three fine churches which in true mediaeval fashion loom up over the river Yonne ; not that the entrance is not pleasing: the reverse is actually the case, though one's way into the town lies through newly made roads. However, upon contem- plation of the pleasant prospect of town and river, he would be an uninspired person in- deed who would not be able to pick out the Cathedral of St. Etienne, with its singular reddish brown roof, from among its less im- posing neighbours. It is the central build- ing of the three, and it rises majestically above all, enhanced by the fine grouping of its one lone tower. As a type to admire, the cathedral, be it said, is not of a superlative quality; but as a thing of beauty in many of its details and 191 The Cathedrals of Northern France because of its aforesaid commanding situation, it is one not to be ignored when the really fine gems of mediaeval treasures are catalogued. It is another of those types, so far as its choir is concerned, which rise to a loftiness of soaring height, which, in later days, degenerated, or were lost altogether in the fabric of the tran- septs and nave. The height of the choir is perhaps not so great as it really appears, when gauged by its sheer rise from the river level; but such is the suggestion, at least, which, after all, is what the eye and certain other of our senses admire, quite as much as a pro- fessed expert classification. The western front is of unusual appearance in that the southern tower glances off into the angle of the gable in most curious fashion; not beautiful, nor as originally intended to remain, but so it is, and offers at least a com- parison of how a lofty gable looks when it lacks towers of an appropriate height. At the right of this low tower of the fagade, hidden behind a wall, is a thoroughly Pagan door- way, which might well pass unobserved, did one not actually stumble upon it unawares. It is a curious reminder of other days and other ways, and how it became an adjunct of this mediaeval church the local records fail to 192 The Cathedrals of Northern France state. The three main portals of the fagade, as that of the transept, are somewhat bare of ornament, though the main tympanum and the spring of the arch are fairly filled. These por- tals are of the late thirteenth century, and ex- hibit no traces of the debasement which sub- sequently entered into the upper ranges of the tower and lateral portals. Both the transepts and the west front con- tain rose windows of good, though not remark- able design, and each is exceedingly generous in size. The interior, generally, does not give the effect of the great height suggested from the rear view of the choir overhanging the river front; but both nave and choir are of unusual width, and so also is the clerestory, which is lofty, and set with rare old glass of the most splendid and valuable quality, in the main the gift of Bishop de Villeneuve in 1220. The choir terminates with the usual apse, which is further elongated by the far-reaching lady-chapel, which adjoins the main fabric in a graceful and unusual manner. The north tower was completed as late as the sixteenth century, and that of the south was left unfin- ished, — as it is to-day. The gable and its portals are highly decorated with statues, niches, and crockets. ^9Z The Cathedrals of Northern France Around the aisles of nave and choir is a curi- ously suggested arcade with an overhanging balustrade ornamented with a series of indif- ferently sculptured heads. The bosses of many of the intersecting groins of the vaults are coloured with questionable effect. There are also many visible evidences of coloured wall decorations, which might perhaps as well have been left covered, inasmuch as they have suffered exceedingly in the attempted restora- tion; so much so, that it is impossible to say whether they ever approached acceptable per- fection ; possibly not, as they are supposed to date only from the period when much of this class of work was of none too good a quality. The triforium of the nave is gracefully bal- ustraded, and the choir stands apart from the nave, separated by an elaborate eighteenth century iron grille. The ambulatory of the choir sets three steps lower than the nave, though the platform is on the same level. The crypt beneath the choir, so often the only exist- ing remains of an earlier church, is here grandly in evidence, and dates from the elev- enth century at least. There are a few interesting tombs of former Bishops of Auxerre and others of local celeb- rity. 194 The Cathedrals of Northern France On the whole the charm of Auxerre and its cathedral must be admitted to lie in its gen- eral surroundings and immediate environ- ment, quite as much as because of any remark- ably distinctive features of a superlative quality in the cathedral itself, though an un- deniable wealth of picturesque detail exists. The conventional guides speak of it as "highly interesting," and so it is, with its Romanesque remains, its ungainly fagade, its three fine but weather-worn doorways, and its charming river view. Beside the cathedral stands the old-time Episcopal Palace with its fine arcaded Ro- manesque gallery overlooking the river, where the prelates took their " constitutionals," safely guarded from wind and weather. To- day this grand building represents the official- dom of the local Prefecture. Two other noble ecclesiastical monuments are to be seen here, the Church of St. Germain^ or rather, the fragment which was spared by the Huguenots, now being used as an adjunct to a hospital; and the Church of St. Pierre. The latter is the most appalling example of a Renaissance building which one is likely to meet with, and shows in its remarkable facade, in sheer perversion of misdirected labour, the The Cathedrals of Northern France grossness of pseudo-classicism, which quite entitles it to rank with that other equally abominable example in Paris, St. Eustache. The portail of this remarkable church, lo- cally so called, though in reality it is only a detached gateway, far from the church build- ing itself, is a wonderful Italian suggestion, now mellowed and weathered and undeniably charming in colour in spite of its being so manifestly out of its environment. 196 II ST. ETIENNE DE BOURGES The Cathedral of St. Etienne de Bourges partakes of the same honours which are ac- corded to the premier quartette of the Isle of France. Nearly contemporary with Paris and Laon, this cathedral steps into its rank with a grandeur and firmness that in a less stolid or more ornate edifice is often wanting. It retains certain of its Romanesque features, perhaps unduly pronounced; likewise it has certain attributes of Burgundian luxuriance; but withal it presents the highly developed Gothic tendency to a far greater degree than either. Although not far to the south of Paris, Bourges is thoroughly of another climatic environment, which not only shows itself in the changed conditions of life, but in the manner of building as well. The great transeptless church of St. Etienne is another of those soaring monuments which rise skyward and hold the eye whenever one is in its vicinity. Standing on an eminence of 199 The Cathedrals of Northern France not very great height, it dominates, from every point of view, the plain which surrounds the city and reminds one of Noyon or Laon in its comparative isolation. Not because its domi- cile is not a place of some magnitude, but rather because the neighbouring houses lie so huddled in a valley or plain, does the city give the impression of being of less size than it really is. The view from the railway on entering the town is, as it has been called by some imagi- native Frenchman, " but the hors d'oeuvre of the architectural feast to follow," and on drawing still closer, it composes grandly with the swift-flowing little river lined with the tall slim trees which are so distinguished a feature of a French landscape. Like Beauvais, Amiens, and, in only a slightly lesser degree, Le Mans, the sheer fall of the nave and choir from ridge to ground startles one by its exaggeration of perpendicu- lar lines. Though by no means of the great height of these other examples, its great size first impresses one as its distinguishing feature. It sits, too, on the edge of a beautiful wooded park which, in conjunction with the modern Episcopal Palace, forms an ensemble of stone and verdure not often to be seen as the environ- aoo The Cathedrals of Northern France ment of a French cathedral. The gardens are quite open to the public and are set forth with clipped hedges, trees, and monumental stone work of no mean order. Bourges is another of those ancient founda- tions of mid-France where Romish influences died hard, and Gothic, as a perfected type, never, as it were, attained its majority. Here, the mixture of style is notable; pointed and rounded arches intermingled, apparently in- discriminately, with thoroughly Gothic sup- ports, mullions, and piers. These, with the characteristically Renaissance north and south porches, with their carven doorways, all go to complete a series of typically fashioned details, each true to its own age. Such a combination of varying virtues should give the student, or the seeker after new sensations, something more to think about than a mere catalogue of consistent charms ; for it cannot be denied that this church, standing aloof from any other single type, is a marvel of grandeur and im- pressiveness, whatever may be its failings when dessicated by the theorist or the archae- ologist. It is unlikely that Saracen or even Moorish influences were ever at work so far north as this ; but there is an unquestionable tendency 20 1 Thei Cathedrals of Northern France in much of the debased decoration of this church to more than suggest a similarity to both. It is, of course, not Gothic, as we know it, nor Byzantine, pur sang, and it is certainly not Italian, but something quite different. It is, perhaps, worthy of record that the inverted horseshoe arch more nearly approximates what is commonly considered the Moorish form; or, to give it a wider locale, Mediterranean, at least. The polygonal turrets which flank the towers and the chapels of the abside look, too, not unlike a sub-tropical feature, possibly Saracen. Such details are markedly notice- able here, and it is because of features such as these that one is minded to consider the church as something quite different from any- thing seen elsewhere. To carry the argument still farther, if these details are to be considered in any sense Gothic, or any outgrowth thereof, it certainly augurs much for the possibility of this style having come originally from the East, or at least the Mediterranean countries. It has been claimed before now by English and French writers alike, that it may have developed from the arts of the Moors of Spain, or that it may have grown up from a primitive style in vogue in the Far East. The comment is given with- aoa The Cathedrals of Northern France out further elaboration; but here, at least, we see some basis for the claim that Gothic is but a transplanted flower after all, and that it developed so boldly only from the seed's hav- ing been blown hither from some other land, and finding a favourable soil in which to take root and flourish. Without transepts, the long flank of the nave and choir is singularly beautiful, broken into at regular intervals by buttresses which, if not remarkable examples, are at least grace- ful, though so light that they have been visibly stayed by iron rods, as is frequently the case elsewhere, at Beauvais particularlyf where the whole fabric appears to be hung together by wires. The actual inception of the cathedral is attributed to Rudolphe de Turenne, forty- sixth Archbishop of Bourges. Of his known work only the round-arched crypt remains, upon which foundation the present grand pile was reared. The west front possesses a quintette of por- tals, deeply recessed, but of a decidedly mixed Gothic and Renaissance treatment as to dec- oration. Such a range of elaborated door- ways is hardly to be found in such luxuriance elsewhere, though the fact that there are five 203 The Cathedrals of Northern France in all, standing grandly in a row, is perhaps not unique of itself. They are profusely dec- orated with sculptured forms of angels, saints, and kings. The tympanum of the cen- tral portal contains a " Last Judgment," re- markable alike for its magnitude and work- manship. Throughout, these portals vary in date of their construction, their treatment, and their excellencies, but in general they are homogeneous and convincing. In the gables of three are circular piercings which open into a sort of vestibule or porch; but these are entirely without glass. Another unique fea- ture of this western front is a curious lofty double-storied structure, a chapel-like build- ing, of whose functions most will remain in ignorance. It is connected with the main body of the church by a long tentacle-like ligature through which, says Henry James, " the groaning of the organ or the pealing of bells must be transmitted with distressing clearness." The hybrid tower on the extreme left, with many round-arched windows and much florid ornament, is familiarly called the " Tour de Beurre," and, as its compeer at Rouen, was built from the contributions of those who were willing to forego themselves the luxury of 204 The Cathedrals of Northern France butter. To the right is a much less imposing tower, but one that is much more true as to its style. It rises scarcely above the central gable, and helps to exaggerate the lack of uni- formity of the fagade, a condition much de- plored by the true Gothic builder, though whether such varying detail does not after all make a more interesting, and perhaps as edi- fying a work for pleasurable contemplation, is an open question. There is, in any event, a marvellous power in this massive west front to confirm one's opinion that it is a compre- hensive and yet varied thing. Another curious feature of this front is a pair of overlying but- tresses of no apparent purpose as to staying power, since the wall space which they flank is of no inordinate height. The window space, though, is ample; and, though mostly in. blank to-day, at a future time those blanks might be broken out; hence the necessity for these extra props. The interior gives, likewise, a grand im- pression, one of vaster magnitude than in reality exists. The length is probably exag- gerated by reason of the lack of transepts ; but its breadth, including nave and aisle, is un- usually great, and the height is further magni- fied by the fact that the aisles themselves have 205 The Cathedrals of Northern France three ranges of openings, above which, in the nave, rise the triforium and clerestory, — surely alone a sufficiently unusual arrange- ment to account the church as of remarkable planning. Its great beauty may be said to be the magnificent proportions throughout, rather than the preeminent intrinsic value of any specific detail. The rose window of the west end, though of grand proportions, appears to fail utterly as a supreme effort because of the flatness and de- pression given to its circumferential outline. Like that of St. Gatien at Tours it is of an uncertain lozenge shape, while the effect is further lessened by the mediocrity of its glass and framing. The general appearance of the interior is one of symmetrical grandeur, wherein the ef- fect of each dimension is probably enlarged, but with a fine and consistent proportion. Its conventional embellishments are not unduly ornate; though, for that matter, they do not give the impression of being wanting to any great degree either in quality or quantity. In no particular, however, is the sculptured form of figure or foliage of that excellence and magnitude of that of the cathedral at Reims or at Amiens. 206 The Cathedrals of Northern France The magnificent proportions of the choir well merit the term of " Burgundian opu- lence." Its termination opens with an ampli- tude often wanting in even a larger building, the piers being wide apart, without screening, which heightens still more its generous pro- portions. The two picturesque cardinal's hats, with cord and tassels, have long been pendant from the vault of the choir, and are now dimmed in colour and thick deep with dust, seemingly destined to fall of sheer old age and decrepi- tude. Further particulars concerning this pic- turesque detail are wanting only from the lack of any one in attendance from whom one might get this information, — perhaps some reader of these lines may be more fortunate. On the pavement of the nave is a brass rule, inlaid diagonally from the north to the south wall. Its original use appears to be clothed in some obscurity, one informative person stating that it is the line of departmental divi- sion, and another that it marks the meridian of Paris, which is shown on all French navi- gation charts. Its real purpose is evidently topographical rather than of religious or sym- bolical significance. An ardent French writer deplores the fact ao7 The Cathedrals of Northern France that there is no monument here to show respect for Louis XI., who was born at Bourges and baptized in the cathedral; a pity, perhaps, and certainly a subject worthy of the consid- eration of " the powers that be." 2oS jj j^r|^ 7^ ^^./js. crfi^su. jui^iGT^e tjT^^tfP'S^ 1^ III ST. CYR AND ST. JULIETTE DE NEVERS A UNIQUE experience is one's first contem- plation of the " gay little city of Nevers " from the Pont du Loire, with the none too large Cathedral of St. Cyr and St. Juliette crowning, as it were, the apex of a series of steep rises from the Loire, which, even at this distance from the sea, still retains its ample breadth. Said Arthur Young in his plain and bald phraseology, " Nevers makes a fine appear- ance." Here, on the very threshold of the southland, it is something of a shock to be 209 The Cathedrals of Northern France brought at once into intimate association with Italian influences and types of architecture; for, be it recalled, Nevers has been truly " an Italian stronghold in the midst of France," with little to remind one, but its speech, that it is merely a provincial French market-town. Nevers was the seat of the Italian Dukes and Counts of Neivre, who built the ducal palace, the ci-devant chateau, now the Palace of Jus- tice. Here, later, dwelt the nephew of the great Mazarin, who said his king " had a heart more French than his speech." Through his efforts the Nivernais was incorporated with the French crown in 1669. This fine turreted, towered, and decorated building, with its sculpture attributed to Gou- jon, is to-day, in appearance at least, what it was in the past, — the typical urban domestic establishment of grand proportions and splen' did appointments; though it may hardly be said to vie with such masterpieces as Cham- bord, Chenonceau, or Blois. Nor, for that matter, is the town itself entitled to rank, as to its events of historical importance or the fame or personality of its bishops or counts, with either Chartres or Le Mans, both of which it somewhat approaches in point of size. Aside from its many and varied charms, 210 r The Cathedrals of Northern France which have been duly set forth by most writers on the French provinces who have had any- thing whatever to say about it, Nevers should be doubly endeared to all makers of guide- books and students of ecclesiastical architec- ture, from the fact that the Abbe Bourasse, Honorary Canon of Nevers, here wrote and dedicated to his bishop, Mgr. Dufetre, a work treating of the French cathedrals which will ever rank as one of the most delightfully writ- ten and useful books of its class. This fact perhaps is hardly to be reckoned as of histor- ical moment, but pertinent to the plan of the present work nevertheless. Nowhere, not even in Provence or Acqui- taine, are to be noted more significant tend- encies toward a southern influence in the matter of civil and ecclesiastical building. True, many of the minor structures have to- day descended unto base uses, and many of their perfections and beauties are therefore sunk below the surface. For instance, where a palace has become a warehouse, or a church been turned into a stable, or been given over to the uses of a wine factor. Before even considering the cathedral it- self, -^ dedicated to the hero of the legendary tale concerning St. Cyrus, who, depicted as a 211 The Cathedrals of Northern France naked child riding astride a wild boar, was able to turn the infuriated beast from a certain King Charles (further designation not given) and preserve him from danger, — it is well to know that most authorities agree in giving habitation here to one of the most perfect Romanesque churches in all northern Europe, that of St. Etienne, built in 1063--96, and consecrated in the latter year by Ivor, Bishop of Chartres. Of the century contemporary with this fine work, as yet hardly spoiled by any offensive restorations, are two columns, in the easterly portion of the Cathedral of St. Cyr, which bear the date of 1024. From this foundation the lover of churches will rear for himself an exceedingly interesting and uncom- mon type. Not of the first rank, St. Cyr has the power to hold one's attention far more closely and interestingly thin many of greater worth and magnitude; and its environment, from every point of view, composes itself into a picture which it would be hard to duplicate. The grouping of the chevet of the choir with the low roofs of the town lying at its base, and the gardens of the ducal chateau in the immediate foreground, forms an unusually varied com- bination of the picturesque. 212 The Cathedrals of Northern France The wealth of Nevers in architectural monuments would be notable in a town many times its size. The Port de Paris, a not espe- cially attractive Renaissance gateway, guards the northerly, and the Port du Croux the west- erly, end of the town. This latter groups nobly with the west end and tower of the cathedral, and is of itself a monument of the first rank, being so designated by the Com- mission des Monumentes Historiques. A feudal defence, square, broad-based, turreted, flanked with circular watch-towers, and still further strengthened by a barbican which once held a portcullis, this wonderfully effect- ive barrier more than suggests the mediaeval stronghold. Two other towers of the ancient enceinte still remain, the Tour Gougin, and the Tour St. Eloi. Intimate acquaintance with the cathedral shows a blending, not offensive, but in no slight manner, of the Romanesque, early and late Gothic, and finally Renaissance styles. Nev- ertheless there is an apparent cohesiveness often lacking in a larger work, or in one built within a shorter period of time. One dis- tinctly northern feature there is ; namely, the singular effect given by the double apse of the nave and choir, reminiscent mainly of the 213 The Cathedrals of Northern France Rhine builders, that of the eastern end being much the older. The half-obliterated frescoes of the domed vaulting of the western apse indicate that it was completed after the pure Italian manner at a considerably later time than the opposite end. It is hardly a beautiful or even a necessary feature to either the ex- terior or interior of a great church, and, fortu- nately, is unusual in France, though common enough in Germany, notably at Mainz, Worms, and Treves. The most remarkable interior effect, aside from this western apse, is that of the lofty Gothic arches, springing high above the Romanesque arches of the nave, and naturally of a much later date. Cer- tainly this must be, so far as the respective pro- portions of each are concerned, an entirely unique feature. Notable evidences are to be seen of frescoes, probably the work of some Italian hand, both on the screen and in the domed apse. They have apparently been whitewashed over many times, but remorse, if tardily, has evidently come lately, and such restoration or renovation as has been possible, has been undertaken. A dainty and diminutive spiral stairway, suggestive of having been modelled on the lines of the grand spirals at Chambord or 214 The Cathedrals of Northern France Blois, and half enclosed in the surrounding wall, leads to the Chapter Room above. The eastern apse, and the crypt beneath, are the earliest parts readily to be observed and are probably the remains of the Romanesque structure built by Hugh II. early in the elev- enth century, after the common type of the Auvergnat and Angevine churches. Perhaps the best workmanship to be noted is that of the thirteenth-century chapels sur- rounding the choir. Reclus, a French au- thority, has declared that the ornamental foli- age here is not only really admirable as to itself, but is the " perfection of imitation," and extends this commendation also to the work on the pillars and capitals of the north doorway by which the church is usually entered. The interior generally is brilliant and pleas- ing, though good glass is mostly wanting, and the uninterrupted flood of light detracts meas- urably from the warmth and geniality sug- gested by the memory of Bourges, Chartres, or Auxerre. The rose window over the western apse is pitifully weak and quite lacking in effectiveness. A canopied baldacchino rises above the altar and, being of stone treated in a graceful Gothic manner, is an ornament much more in 215 The Cathedrals of Northern France good taste than the hideous mahogany or oaken serpentine atrocities which are often erected. It is impossible to come into close contact with the exterior of this cathedral except by approaching it from the eastern end. West front there is none. As one has saidj " It pos- sesses merely a western end." The western tower, of two non-contemporary orders of Gothic (fourteenth and fifteenth centuries), whether viewed from near or far, is far more pleasing than any other general exterior fea- ture. The chevet of the choir extends, as it were, well into the nave, there being no tran- septs. This is evidently a local custom, recall- ing the neighbouring cathedrals at Bourges and Auxerre. The sculptured decoration of the later por- tion is exceedingly well disposed, and of such magnitude and numbers as to lack that pov- erty in the ensemble often apparent in a more pretentious work. The Church of St. Etienne in Nevers, so thoroughly Roman in inception of design and execution of detail, indicates more vividly than any other example that might possibly be taken, the shortness of time in which the Gothic development actually took place. 216 The Cathedrals of Northern France With Notre Dame at Paris full in mind, it is well to recall that these accepted perfect ex- amples of two contrasting types are scarce a hundred and fifty miles apart, and, in point of time, but sixty years. What an exemplifica- tion this surely is of the transition which came to the art of church building in the twelfth century; what extraordinary rapidity of con- ception and development, and how narrow were the confines of the true Gothic spirit, in- digenous only to the royal domain, which alone produced the churches which fully merit the concisely expressed definition of Gothic: " A manner of building maintained (sus- tained) by a system of thrust and counter thrust." 217 IV ST. MAMMES DE LANGRES Langres is reminiscent of but one other cathedral city in the north of France; like Laon, it occupies and fortifies the crest of a long drawn out hill, or, to give it dignity, it had perhaps best be called in the language of the native " de la montagne de Langres," since from its apex, it is truly dominant of a wide expanse of horizon. Of the Burgundian transition type, the Cathedral at Langres, dedicated to St. Jean the Evangel and St. Mammes, is in many ways a remarkable architectural work, but contami- 218 The Cathedrals of Northern France nated beyond cure by two overbearing Greco- Roman towers and a portal of the mid-eight- eenth century. As a relief, there adjoins the main body of the church, on the southeast, one of those masterworks of the supreme Gothic era, — a canon's cloister of an exceeding thir- teenth-century beauty. In other respects, the exterior is of little note except as to its won- derful degree of prominence in the general grouping of the roofs of the town, when the city is viewed from below. The interior spreads itself out in severe and imposing lines with hardly a remarkable fea- ture in either transepts or nave. The organ- loft, a Calvary, and a marble statue of the Virgin, by Lescornel, a sculptor of Langres, and a few modern sculptured monuments, are the only decorative attributes to be seen, if we except the Renaissance Chapelle des Fonts Baptismaux with its sculptured vault- ing on the left. The symmetrical choir is in itself the true charm of St. Mammes. It has a fine ambula- tory, and a range of eight monolithic columns, removed, says tradition, from an ancient Pagan temple. Their capitals are ornamented with carven foliage, grimacing heads, and fan- tastic animals. 219 The Cathedrals of Northern France A sixteenth-century screen surrounds the choir, but is more like unto a triumphal arch than a churchly accessory. The high altar is a comparatively modern work, as may be supposed, and dates only from 1810. On the right of the choir is an elaborate Roman doorway, and preserved in the Chap- ter Room are five paintings depicting the " Chaste Susanne." A remarkable collection of reliques is shown by the sacristan, in the Chapelle des Reliques. NOTRE DAME D'AUXONNE The small town of Auxonne, lying between Dijon and Besangon, is seldom thought of in connection with a cathedral church. There is little there to compel one's attention beyond the fact that the Church of Notre Dame, of the fourteenth-sixteenth century, is an interesting enough example of a minor edifice which at one time was classed as a cathedral. The church is mainly Gothic and has the unusual arrangement of a Romanesque tower rising above the transept. 220 PART V East of Paris INTRODUCTORY No arbitrary territorial arrangement can be made to include with exactness each and every ecclesiastical division, but, since the Royal Domain and the immediately adjacent terri- tory includes the major portion of what are commonly accepted as the Grand Cathedrals, it has been thought permissible, in the present case, to make a further subdivision which shall include Boulogne and St. Omer, north of Paris; eastward to the Rhine and southward to include Dijon and Besangon. A topog- rapher might not make such a division or arrangement of territory; but no other seems possible which shall include the region lying between the extremes of Besangon and Bou- logne. The local characteristics or architectural types differ widely within these limits, both as to style and excellence. In one way, only, have they advanced under conditions of unity, 233 The Cathedrals of Northern France that of the establishment of a Christian church, but, otherwise, now favouring the northern influence and now the southern. The frontier provinces have, as a natural course, been subject to many retarding influences which have been wanting elsewhere; for in- vasion from without may be depended upon to be as baneful for the preservation of a nation's art treasures as a revolution from within. The Christian element early forced its way among the Franks, and Clovis, at the solicitation of his Christian queen and her bishop, was not averse to adopting what he might otherwise have regarded as a super- stition. His conversion at Reims not only fos- tered and propagated Christianity, but gave an impetus to the foundation and building of churches in a most generous fashion. The region to the eastward of Paris, which has played no unimportant part in the history of France, while prolific as to varied types of church building, possesses but one exam- ple of the very first rank, — and that, as a style which typifies Gothic art, may be said to rank supreme over all others, — Notre Dame de Reims. As the seat of the Metropol- itain, and the City of Coronations, it was allied closely with early aflfairs of Church and State. 224 The Cathedrals of Northern France The principles and manner adopted by Guillaume of Sens in his great works early affected the style here, as seen by the many transition examples, just as the influence of the Monk of St. Beninge of Dijon caused the round-arched species of the west of France. At all events the primitive Gothic influences were early at work and in a measure absorbed the Romanesque tendencies which had flour- ished previously. The most notable exception, an example of the distinctly southern type, is at Besangon, which has a remarkable array of contrasting style, with the Romanesque, though not of the best, predominating. With the cathedrals in the extreme north- erly section we have little to do, — in fact there is little that can be said. St. Omer is possessed of a wonderful old church which at one time ranked as a cathedral, and which has glimpses here and there of very good Gothic. There are also, in this otherwise not very interesting city, two other church build- ings worthy of more than an ordinary amount of attention, the ruins of the Abbey of St. Bertin and the Church of St. Denis. Boulogne-sur-Mer has a modern pseudo- classical structure built well into the nine- 225 The Cathedrals of Northern France teenth century. It is more, notable as a mon- ument to the industry of the man who brought about its erection, taking the place of a former structure burnt during the Revolution, than as a satisfactory example of a great church. The same may be said with equal truth of the atrocious Renaissance and Pagan structures to be seen at Cambrai and Arras, though the conditions under which they were built differ. At Cambrai, however, the present building replaces a former structure levelled by fire. Chalons-sur-Marne, — dear to every French patriot as being renowned for the manufac- ture of flags, a suffragan of Reims, has a re- markable cathedral of Romanesque founda- tion of the fifth to the seventh centuries. Its warlike record, from 273 A. D.^ when Aure- lian vanquished Tetricus, to the occupation by the Germans in 1871, is one long succession of military affairs. To-day the city is the dom- icle of the most important army corps of France. These towns, with Nancy, Toul, and St. Die in the valley of the Moselle, complete the list of those cities which by any stretch of terri- torial boundaries could be classed under the head of " East of Paris." It may be a debatable point as to whether 226 The Cathedrals of Northern France Strasbourg and Metz might not have been in- cluded; the writer is inclined to think that they might have been, though their interests and influences have always been more Teu- tonic than Gallic, — still, they are thoroughly Germanized to-day, and, as we cannot inter- rupt the march of time, and the present vol- ume will otherwise approach the limits origi- nally set out for it, they must perforce be omitted. ^jfjrr~y^ ■ j, ■^r^'THC'B'Ks^i. . yvi-i.-^-or-^^^ 127 II NOTRE DAME DE BOULOGNE-SUR-MER BOULOGNE-SUR-MER is one of those neg- lected tourist points through which the much travelled person usually rushes en route to some other place. It perhaps hardly warrants further consideration except for the history of its past, and its intimate association with cer- tain events which might seriously have affected the history of England. It is, how- ever, an interesting enough place to-day, if one cares for the bustle and rush of a seaport and fishing town, — not very cleanly, and overrun with tea-shops and various establishments which cater only to the cockney abroad, who gathers here in shoals during the summer months. There is, too, a large colony of resi- dent English, probably attracted by its near- ness to London, and possibly for purposes of retrenchment, for there is no question but that the franc, of twenty per cent, less value than the shilling, accomplishes quite as much as 231 The Cathedrals of Northern France a purchasing power. This must be quite a consideration with pater-familias with a lim- ited income derived from Consols or some other traditionally " excellent investment." Most travellers are familiar with what at- tractions Boulogne really does ofifer, but few if any would consider its very modern and ugly cathedral one of them. Perched in the centre of the Haute-Ville, overlooking the city and port, the Cathedral of Notre Dame exists to-day more as a monu- ment to the energy and devotion of its founder than as a notable architectural work. It fol- lows no particular style, except that it is Italian of the most debased general type, though no doubt parts of it mpet the dimen- sions and formulas laid down by accepted good examples in its native land. There is no doubt but that its domed cupola is mani- festly out of place, though this detail is the only feature which gives the cathedral any distinction. A Gothic church stood here up to the Revo- lution, and the building of the present struc- ture was devotedly undertaken to replace its loss by a doubtless earnest man, who, in his zeal, sought to build after what he considered a newer if not a better style. Parts of the 232 The Cathedrals of Northern France crypt arc of the ancient twelfth century church; but the structure above dates from 1827--66. Its fagade, of a poor classical order, is flanked by two slight cupola towers equally meaningless and insignificant. Surmounting the central dome is a colossal statue of the Virgin. The interior is in no way remarkable or in- teresting. There are a few monuments and a gorgeous high altar of precious marbles, mosaic, and bronze, the gift of Prince Alex Torlonia. The lady-chapel is still resorted to as a place of pilgrimage by the seafaring and fisher folk of the neighbourhood. A modern reproduction of a sarcophagus from the catacombs at Rome forms the tomb of Mgr. Hafifreingue (1871). ^ZZ Ill NOTRE DAME DE CAMBRAI CambRAI is one of that quartette of cathedral cities of northern France which in no sense take rank as ecclesiastical shrines of even ordi- narily interesting, much less beautiful, attri- butes. Of the other three, Arras, St. Omer, and Boulogne, St, Omer alone is possessed to- day of anything approaching the great Gothic churches which were spread broadcast throughout France during the five centuries of church building in the middle ages. In manners and customs, and indeed in speech to some extent, these cities all partake somewhat of the locale of those of the Low Countries. These attributes, which have re- tained their original identities across the bor- ders, were for many centuries, and even so late as the seventeenth century, existent in French Flanders. Curiously enough, in none of these cities are any of the primitive Gothic types to be noted in the cathedral churches, though 234 The Cathedrals of Northern France many possess their olden-time belfries and watch towers, preserved to-day with some- thing of the local pride which evinces itself elsewhere with respect to cathedrals. It is possible that this is due to the fact that this great industrial centre of northern France is more given to the arts of manufacture than to the devotion of church-going or even of church building. Another notable and almost universal feature of these cities are the Re- naissance or Romanesque gateways, — silent reminders to-day of the mediaeval communi- ties which they once protected, and of the war- like invasions of the past. The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Cambrai is on the site of an older abbey church, which was of the same ugly style as the present edi- fice itself, but which dated, however, only from the early eighteenth century. The present building is said to furnish a replica, of the vintage of 1859, of the tasteless and crude style of the earlier building. There are statues therein of Fenelon, Bishop Belmas, by David d' Angers, and of Cardinal Regnier; and a series of grisaille windows, after originals by Rubens, by Geeraerts of Anvers. The chimes of Cambrai rank among the most noted in Europe. They are composed The Cathedrals of Northern France of thirty-nine bells and produce a carillon, " very agreeable," says a French authority. They certainly do, — the author can endorse this from a personal knowledge, — and they have not as yet descended to such banalities as popular military marches. The largest bell, given by Fenelon in 1786, weighs 7,500 kilos. 236 IV NOTRE DAME DE ST. OMER Under Baldwin of Hainault, Artois, in- cluding St. Omer, was ceded to the kingdom of France as late as the mid-seventeenth cen- tury. Few minor churches are possessed of the galaxy of charms and attractions of the ci-devant Cathedral of Notre Dame at St. Omer. Hardly in the accepted forms of good taste are the Byzantine slabs of marble stuck upon the walls here and there, as in a museum ; the Renaissance screens; the overpowering organ case; the votive offerings and tablets without number; and the alleged wonderful astronomical clock, with its colossal wooden figures of the sixteenth century, — all of which go to compose a heterogeneous mass more interesting as to occasional detail than as a thorough expression of saintly tempera- ment. The decorative scheme is carried still further by the large number of paintings with 237 The Cathedrals of Northern France which the church is hung; a tribute none too common in France, and more usually asso- ciated with the Flemish churches of nearly every rank. A reflection of their preeminence in this respect is naturally enough visible in French Flanders. " The Descent from the Cross," attributed to Rubens, appears likely enough to be a genuine master, but it has been so roughly re- stored by overpainting, that it is to-day of impaired value. St. Omer, among all the group of northeast France, presents a true Gothic example in its great Basilique de Notre Dame, and it is a pity that its further development was along lines which indicate a trend, at least, toward debasement. This is plainly to be noted in the tracery of the lower and clerestory windows of nave and aisles. Its enormous tower covers nearly the entire western end of nave and aisles, in much the same way as those of some of the fortified churches of the south. Its Gothic is of the true perpendicular style, however, and, with the general grand proportions of the build- ii^g) gives that immensity and massive- ness which is associated only with a church of the first rank. The arcs-boutant of the 238 The Cathedrals of Northern France nave are hardly deserving of mention as such, though they are manifestly sturdy props which perform their functions in per- haps as efficacious a manner as many more graceful and delicate specimens elsewhere. There is just a suggestion of a central tower, which, as is often the case in France, has dwindled to a mere cupola, if it had ever pre- viously grown to a greater height. The tran- septs are of imposing dimensions, that on the south having an enormous rose of perhaps thirty-five feet in diameter, with an elabo- rately carved portal below, which contains a *' Last Judgment " in the tympanum. The choir, chevet, and chapels, while existent to a visible and very beautiful degree, are some- what overshadowed by the great size of the transepts. There is this to be said, however: that the choir, a restoration of our own day, presents, as to style, the type of Gothic purity at its height. It has five radiating chapels, not including that of Notre Dame des Miracles, which adjoins the south transept and contains innumerable votive tablets. For the rest, ex- cept for the fact that the interior partakes of a mere collection of curios and relics, it is in general no less imposing in its proportions than the exterior. The clerestory windows, The Cathedrals of Northern France however, are of ill proportions for so grand a structure, being short and squat; and here, as elsewhere throughout the building, is to be found only modern glass. The great bell of the western tower weighs 8,500 kilos. Chief among the notable accessories and reliques is the monolithic tomb of St. Erkem- bode, bishop of the one-time see of Therou- anne, period 725--37. The sarcophagus itself, dating from the same century, was brought here from the original site. The tomb of St. Omer was restored in the thirteenth century and shows a remarkable sculptured group of Christ, the Virgin, and St. John, called the " Great God of Therouanne." It was saved from the ruin of the church at Therouanne, which was destroyed with the greater part of the town in 1533 by Charles V., in revenge for the " loss of three bishoprics," as history states. At this time the sees of St. Omer and Bou- logne were founded. The near-by Palace of Justice, built by Mansart in 1680 and enlarged for its present use in 1840, was the former Episcopal Palace. St. Omer has also two other grand churches, St. Sepulchre, of the fourteenth century, and the ruins of St. Bertin (1326- 1520), which, 240 The Cathedrals of Northern France before the Revolution, with St. Ouen at Rouen, and the collegiate church at San Quen- tin, was reckoned as one of the most beautiful Gothic abbeys in France. To-day it is a mag- nificent ruin, its huge tower (built in 1431) and portions of the nave and crossing being all that remain. It was considered the finest church in the Low Countries, and for size, purity, and uniformity of style it ranked with the best of its contemporaries. 241 V ST. VAAST D'ARRAS The capital of ancient Flanders was re- moved from Arras to Ghent when Artois was ceded to France, and thus it was that the city became French, as it were, but slowly, its Low Country traditions and customs clinging closely to it until a late day. The former Cathedral of Notre Dame ranked as a grand example of the ogival style of the fourteenth century, in which it was built, and gave to the city of the " tapestry makers " the distinc- tion of possessing a church composed of much that was best of the architecture of a fast growing art. Such was the mediaeval rank to which the cathedral at Arras had attained. The new Cathedral of St. Vaast, dating from 1755 to 1833, is of the Grecian style of temple building, little suited to the needs of a Chris- tian church. The crucial plan consecrated by catholic usages of centuries is not however wholly abandoned. There is something of a 242 The Cathedrals of Northern France suggestion of the Latin cross in its design, but its abside faces toward the southeast rather than due south, with its principal entrance to the northwest, a sufficiently unusual arrange- ment, where most French churches are duly orientated, to be remarked, particularly as there is little that can be said in praise of the structure. The interior follows the general plan of the Corinthian order; the windows, neither numerous nor of sufficiently ample dimensions to well serve their purpose, num- ber nine only in the choir, and five on each side of the nave. There are, to the abside, seven collateral chapels, some of which contain passable sculp- tured monuments, removed from the old abbey of St. Vaast, a foundation erected in the sixth century and reconstructed by Cardinal de Rohan in 1754. The remains of the old abbey buildings have been built around and incorporated in the present Episcopal Palace, the extensive Musee, and Bibliotheque ; and are situated immediately to the right of the fagade of the cathedral. The grisaille glass seen in the interior is unusual, but mediocre in the extreme. There are, however, some good statues in white marble in the Chapelle de St. Vaast, »43 The Cathedrals of Northern France while in another chapel, given by Cardinal de la Tour d'Auvergne, is one equally good of Charles Borromee. There are four great statues at the extremi- ties of the transepts, representing the four evangelists; and three others in the choir, of Faith, Hope, and Charity. In the north transept, also, are two trip- tychs of the Flemish school, by Bellegambe, a native of Douai ( 1 528) . The Abbe Bourasse, in his charming work on the cathedrals of France, says, plainly, and without fear or favour: "We have tried to speak impartially of all species of architec- ture — but why do we not admire the Cathe- dral of Arras? It is against all traditions of ' notre art catholique.' We contend that this is not good. What, say you, can we praise? It is a great work — of the stone-mason ; you should study it from some distance. It is without life, without movement, without dig- nity." Whatever may be the faults of its cathe- dral. Arras is, nevertheless, an interesting city, — modernized, to be sure, by boulevards laid out along the old fortifications. The Citadel of Vauban (1670), called ironically " la belle inutile,^'' may be classed as a worthless, if not 244 The Cathedrals of Northern France wholly unpicturesque, ruin, though ranking, when built, as among the most wonderful for- tifications of the times. The wave of Renais- sance which swept northward has left its in- eradicable marks here. The Hotel de Ville is a remarkable specimen of that art of overload- ing ornament upon a square hulk, and making it look like a wedding-cake ; though, truth to tell, coming upon it after the chilliness of the cathedral itself, it is a cheerful antidote. Dat- ing from 1 510, at which time was built the curious Gothic facade of seven arches, each different as to size and spring. The added wings in elaborate Renaissance are of the late sixteenth century and rank among the most effective examples of the style in France. A belfry surmounts all, 240 feet in height, the " joyeuse " of which weighs nearly nine tons. Arras may perhaps be most revered for its tapestries, its workers taking rank with those of the famous manufactories at Paris and Beauvais. Indeed, it would appear as though experts knew not to which of these three cen- tres to assign precedence, both Arras and Paris claiming the honour of having set up the first looms. It is an ancient art, as the work of craftsmen goes, and more than one 245 The Cathedrals of Northern France writer who has studied deeply the fascinating intricacies of haute and basse lisse, of colour, texture, design, and what not, has not hesitated to proclaim the city as having been the grand- est centre of tapestry-making which the world has ever known; and regret can but be uni- versal that it came to an end when its citizens were put to the sword by Louis XI. 246 VI ST. ETIENNE DE TOUL Annexed to France, in company with Metz and Verdun, in 1556, Toul, situated on the left bank of the Moselle, is to-day ranked as a fortress of the first order. " Can be seen in two hours " — such is the description usually given by the guide-books to the city which 247 The Cathedrals of Northern France contains, in its one-time Cathedral St. Etienne, an example which, with respect to the deco- rative tracery of its fagade savants have de- clared the equal even of Reims. One of the three former bishoprics of Lor- raine, Toul is none too ample to merit the cog- nomen of a large town. It once held within its walls, beside the Cathedral, the Church of St. Gengoult, and several parish churches and monasteries. Shorn to-day of some of these dignities, with its bishopric removed to Nancy, it ranks as a military and strategic stronghold rather than a centre of churchly domination. Since Metz and Strasbourg were given over to the Germans, Toul's former fortress has been greatly strengthened. The cathedral itself may truly be said to bear the characteristics of both the German and French manner of building, the western or later end being a superb front, after the French manner, and the easterly or earlier end having a simple apse and long narrow win- dows, in the German fashion. A comparison has been made by Professor Freeman between the western fagade of this church and Notre Dame de Reims. He says, " We are daring enough to think that, simply as a design, the west front of Toul outdoes that of Reims ; 248 The Cathedrals of Northern France though it will be hardly needful to prove that, as a whole, Reims far outdoes that of Toul." Quite noncommittal, to be sure, as was this charming writer's way; but, of itself, a sort of preparation to the observer for the beauties which he is to be- hold. Here is the case of a superb richness having been added to a plainer body, and by no means inharmoniously done. The gable is nearly perfect as to its juxtaposition. The towers are higher in proportion than at Reims, giving the effect of being the finished thing as they stand, though lacking spires or pinnacles. The walls are of those just proportisns in rela- tion to the window piercings which is again French, as contrasted with a neighbouring example at Metz, where the reverse is the case. The city was the seat of a bishop as early as the sixth century, and its government was under his control until 1261, when it became a free commune. Finally it was conquered by Henry II., and its future assured to France by the Treaty of Westphalia. The cathedral dates in part from Roman- esque remains of the tenth century, but its entire interior arrangements were much bat- tered during the Revolution. The choir and transept are of the best of 249 The Cathedrals of Northern France thirteenth-century building, while the nave and side aisles are of the century following. Two towers, which flank the magnificent fagade, rise for nearly two hundred and fifty feet, and are the work of Jacquemin de Com- niercy in the fifteenth century. Adjoining the right aisles are the very beautiful iGothic clois- ters of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. They form a rectangular enclosure, 225 feet by 165 feet, and are made up of twenty-four sections of four arches, each with clustered columns. A fine sculptured altarpiece, " The Adora- tion of the Shepherds," is in the Chapelle de la Creche, entered from the cloister. The present H6tel-de-Ville was formerly the bishop's palace. 250 VII ST. ETIENNE, CHALONS - SUR - MARNE Chalons is perhaps first of all famed as the scene of Attila's great defeat in the fifth cen- tury, one of the world's fifteen decisive battles. The Cathedral of St. Etienne is not usually considered to be a remarkable structure; but it is thoroughly typical and characteristic of a locale, which stamps it at once with a mark of genuineness and sincerity. Of early primi- tive Gothic in the main, it shares interest to- day with the four other churches of the city, not overlooking Notre Dame de I'Epine, some 251 The Cathedrals of Northern France five miles distant to the northward, one of the most perfectly designed and appointed late Gothic churches which the world has ever known. It has been called a " miniature cathedral," using the term, it may be supposed, in the sense of referring only to a magnifi- cently ornate church. It is indeed worth a pilgrimage thither to see this true gem of architecture in a wholly undefiled countrified setting. The Cathedral at Chalons-sur-Marne fol- lows somewhat the traditions of the German manner of building, at least so far as a certain plainness and lack of ornate decoration in the main body of the church is concerned; like- wise in the arrangement of its towers, which lie to the eastward of the transepts; and further with respect to its decidedly Teutonic arrangement of the rounded columns, or, more properly, pillars, of its nave. In general this thirteenth-century church is in the best style of its era ; but the west front presents an incongruous seventeenth-century addition in the whilom classical style of that day, bad as to its art, and apparently badly welded into conjunction with the older por- tion. The aisles and clerestory windows are of the later decorated period of Gothic, and 252 The Cathedrals of Northern France present, whether viewed from without or from within, an exceedingly fine appearance. Probably the finest and most pleasing im- pression of the whole structure is that obtained of the interior, with its pillars of nave and choir, of the massive order made familiar in the Rhine churches. A reasonable share of twelfth to sixteenth century glass is still left as its portion, and the general arrangement of the choir, prolonged, as it is, well into the nave, gives a certain majesty to this portion of the church which is perhaps not warranted when we take into consideration that it must perforce dwarf the nave itself. Th^ arrange- ment, though not common, is by no means an unusual one, and it is recalled also, that it is so employed at Reims. Situated near the frontier, Chalons-sur- Marne has ever been subject to that inquietude which usually befalls a border city. German influences have ever been noticeable, and, even to-day, the significant fact is to be noted that a cure will hear confessions in German, and that services are held in that tongue on " Sat- urdays in St. Joseph's Chapel." The Episcopal Palace, behind the cathe- dral, contains a collection of some sixty paint- ings, the gift, in 1864, of the Abbe Joannes. 3-^ '-3i'f*i'-.iK"(;?/'-\T(^-'^* ■ I'l'' 1, /i'^ VIII ST. DIE St. Die gets its name, by the corruption of Dieudonne, from St. Deodatus, who founded a monastery here in the seventh century. It was built, as was many another great cathe- dral, in accordance with the custom of erect- ing a church over the body or relic of a saint whom it was especially desired to honour; us- ually one of local importance, a patron or a devotee. The town is perhaps the most inaccessible and " out-of-the-way " place which harbours 254 The Cathedrals of Northern France a cathedral in all northern France. We might perhaps except St. Pol-de-Leon and Treguier in Brittany, neither of which is on a railway, whereas St. Die is, but at the very end. When you get there and want to go on, not back, you simply journey on foot, or awheel if you can find a conveyance, and take up with another " loose end " of railway some fifteen miles away, which will take you southward, should you be going that way. If not, there appears to be nothing for it, but to retrace your steps whence you came. The cathedral (locally " La Grande Eglise," it only having been made a Cathedral so recently as 1777) has a fine Romanes.que nave of the eleventh century, with choir and aisles of good Gothic, after the accepted Rhine manner of building. The portal, of red sandstone, is of inferior thirteenth-century workmanship, with statues of Faith and Charity on either side. The fagade is flanked by two square towers. The interior is curiously arranged with a cordon of sculpture, high in the vaulting. The capitals of the pillars are likewise orna- mented with highly interesting and ornately sculptured capitals. The choir, as is most usual, is the masterpiece of the collection, the 255 The Cathedrals of Northern France windows, in particular, being of the purest ogival style. In the first chapel, on the right, is a paint- ing, " The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian," and behind the choir is an ancient work commem- orative of " Le Peste de St. Die" 256 %ss::5 ^. 'i fe. '-#-1 ^"'' ' ^_. >'li < IX ST. LAZARE D'AUTUN This ancient episcopal city has ever been devoted to the cause of Christianity. " No- where," says a French historian, "has the Church enjoyed more repute than here." The Dukes of Burgundy, its bishops and peo- ple alike, jdined in a fervour of labaur and zeal to assure its permanence and progress. In addition, the Gallo-Roman remains point to a former city of proud attainments. The fine Raman walls, beautifully jointed, sans cement, are distinctly traceable for a circuit of perhaps three miles around the city. Other interesting remains are two fine gateways, commonly referred to as triumphal arches, which they probably were not, the Porte d'Arroux and the Porte St. Andre; the ruins of an ampitheatre; and a tower assigned to a former temple of Minerva. All these, and more, are found inside the old walls; while, without, are remains of an aqueduct, of a 257 The Cathedrals of Northern France tower dedicated to Janus, and a Roman bridge crossing the river Torenai. It may be inter- esting for an Englishman to recall that the Bishop of Autun, who often presided over the National Assembly, pleaded in vain with George III. for the adoption, in England, of the French metric system. During the destruction of a former build- ing, St. Nazaire, which at one time performed the functions of a cathedral, the bishops held their offices in the chapel of the chateau of the Dukes of Burgundy; but, upon the removal of the residence of the house of Burgundy to Dijon, transferred their services to the pres- ent edifice, which had by that time been com- pleted. The Cathedral of St. Lazare is a charm- ingly graceful, though not great, structure, mainly of the style " ogivale premier," its early Lombard work of the nave and west front being of the foundation of Robert I., Duke of Burgundy. This vast western portal is encased in a great projective porch, a fea- ture indigenous apparently to Burgundy, and commonly referred to as the " Burgundian narthex." Following come the chapels and spires, of exceeding grace and beauty, of the third ogivale style. 258 The Cathedrals of Northern France The interior enrichments, like the western doorway, with its Romanesque sculptures, take rank with the best in Burgundy. The delicately carved rood-loft, or jube, the small sculptures of the choir and nave, and the flam- boyant chapels of the fifteenth to seventeenth century, challenge minute attention from those who would study decorative detail in extenso. The capitals of certain columns in the nave have fluted pilasters in imitation of the antique, but are most curiously orna- mented with grotesque and fantastic human figures on a background of foliage. The choir, of early pointed style, in its actual disposition and arrangement, may be included in that classification which compre- hends some of its more important northern compeers, though, as a matter of fact, it lacks their magnitude. Indeed, the building is one of the smallest cathedrals in all France. The exterior ofifers an imposing and picturesque ensemble, with its crocketed spire rising some two hundred and fifty or more feet above the roof-tops of the ancient city. Nearer inspection shows a certain incoher- ence of construction, particularly in reference to the evidences of garish crudities in the 259 The Cathedrals of Northern France work done under Robert I. in 1031-76, in con- trast to the later pointed work. The doorway of the lateral southern wing is ornamented with a series of grossly exag- gerated columns, in imitation of the antique, with the addition of an apse, which contrast- ingly shows work of a late flamboyant order. The spire itself is the masterwork of the entire structure, and, unlike those which sur- mount many another church, appears not to have suffered the dangers of fire. As a fif- teenth-century work, it merits special men- tion. Rising abruptly from a heavy square base, the pyramid is very acute, and is orna- mented at the angles with foliaged crockets, basely called stone cauliflowers by unimagina- tive persons. One might say, with the gentle Abbe Bourasse, that the " ornamentation breaks into sky and cloud with an exceedingly agreeable effect, far beyond that of a straight line." The inconsistency lies only in the jux- taposition of the two western transition towers, which have hardly enough of the Gothic in them to merit the name. The lower windows of the nave are of good flamboyant style, with a sort of Romanesque triforium, and a simple round-headed win- dow in each bay of the clerestory, which is 260 The Cathedrals of Northern France the more poor in treatment and effect in that it holds no notable glass. There are none of those distinctly northern accessories, the great rose windows, and the whole reeks of dis- tinctly a milder atmosphere. There is a lux- uriance of decoration in the many chapels of different epochs. The exterior, in general, is of excessive sim- plicity; but, if it is not to be placed among those cathedrals and churches accredited the most notable and most beautiful, it will, at least, take rank as one of the most ancient to be seen to-day, and has the further benefit of a glorious environment and association with the past. a6i X ST. BENIGNE DE DIJON The power and wealth of the Dukes of Burgundy, whose influence extended north- ward to the Netherlands, where they often held court at Ghent and Bruges, were, in a way, responsible for the opulence and splen- dour of the life of the day. So, too, Burgun- dian architecture became a term synonymous for the amplitude and grandeur with which many of its institutions were endowed. The reign of Philippe le Bon, with that of Charles the Bold, the most ambitious prince who ever graced his line, was the Augustan 262 The Cathedrals of Northern France age of Burgundian art. It was the dream of the latter to reincarnate the old Burgundian kingdom by annexing Lorraine and subduing the advancing Swiss Confederacy, an ambi- tion which failed, like many others as, or more, worthy. The conquered duke was killed at Nancy, and was finally buried in Notre Dame at Bruges. The Cathedral of St. Benigne is an out- growth from the old abbey church, from which the Italian monk, Guillaume, set forth to found that remarkable series of monaster- ies in Normandy and Brittany. It is said, too, that he crossed the Channel, and had a large share in the works which were erected at that period in the south of England. The bishop's throne has been established in this church only since the Revolution, caused by the destruction of his former cathedral. The early foundations of the old abbey date far back into antiquity, but the present cathedral dates only from the thirteenth century. Com- monly considered as of Gothic style, it is in every way more suggestive of the late Ro- mano-Byzantine type, or at least of the early transition. There is, to be sure, no poverty of style; but there is an air of stability and firmness of purpose on the part of its builders, 263 The Cathedrals of Northern France rather than any attempt to either launch ofif into something new or untried, or even to consistently remain in an old groove. As a fact, it is not a very grand building. Its choir is small, and its transepts short. In its plan, at least, it resembles the Byzantine form much more than the elongated Gothic, where every proportion seems to reach out to its utmost extent. The west fagade is truly fine in the disposi- tion of its parts and arrangements. It sug- gests, more than anything, a traditional local style, favouring nothing else to any remark- able degree except the German solidity so often to be noted in eastern France. The towers are firmly set with unfrequent pointed openings. The central portal and vestibule are deep, and rich with a sculptured " Mar- tyrdom of St. Peter " and a delightfully grace- ful arcade just above the portal arch, and an- other crossing the gable and joining the tow- ers in a singularly effective manner. A some- what heavy but rich pointed window of three lights, surmounted by a quatrefoil rose, with a slight needle-like spire which rises just above the gable, completes the ensemble. The earlier work, seen at its best in the interior, is that of the choir and transepts, 264 The Cathedrals of Northern France where again the distinguishing features are local. In the transepts the arches open di- rectly on the side chapels, the southern arm being gorgeous with brilliant glass. The windows of choir and transepts throughout are richly traceried and set. The choir itself is destitute of either ambulatory or chapels. A lantern is placed at the crossing, sup- ported by gracefully foliaged shafts. The nave is of a much later period, and is not of the richness of the portion lying to the eastward. The windows of the clerestory, in particular, will not be considered of the ex- cellence of those of either transept or choir. The south tower encloses the tombs of Jean sans Peur and Philippe le Hardi. The crypt contains the tomb of St. Benignus. 265 XI NOTRE DAME DE SENLIS " Truly rural " is a term which may well be applied to the situation of Senlis, the an- cient Civitas Sylvanectensium of the Romans. Quaint and attractive to the eye is the entrance to the town from the railway, with its low- lying roofs, over which tower the spires of the ancient Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Church of St. Pierre. It forms a heteroge- neous mass of stone, to be sure, and one which looks little enough, at first glance, like the delicate and graceful cathedral which makes up the mass in part. It is, in reality, a con- 266 The Cathedrals of Northern France fused jumble of towers and turrets which meets the eye, and it takes some little acquaint- ance with the details thereof to separate the cathedral from the adjacent church. The proximity of the sees of Beauvais, Amiens, and Paris perhaps accounts for the lack of importance attached to this cathedral. As for the structure itself, among the minor cathedrals of France, Scnlis, with Seez and Countances, must ever rank as the peers of that order, with respect to the grace and beauty of their spires. It may be doubted if even the spires of Chartres are to be consid- ered as more beautiful than the diminutive single example to be seen here, particularly when grouped with its surrounding environ- ment. Individually, as well, its grace and beauty might even take that rank. The de- marcation between the base of the tower and the gently dwindling spire is almost entirely eliminated, without the slightest tendency toward debasement in the steeple, which too often is merely a series of superimposed, meaningless, and unbeautiful details. Latter- day builders, who want a model for the spire of a moderate-sized Gothic church, could, it would seem, hardly do better than to make a replica of this graceful example. 267 The Cathedrals of Northern France In its f agade, the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Senlis partakes largely of the characteris- tics of the primitive lowland types, reminis- cent, at least, of Noyon or Soissons, and, as such, it may properly be considered and com- pared with them. The transepts of the north and south are not grand members, but they are compact and graceful, and the fagade of the southern arm is of a highly ornate character, bespeaking a wealth of ambition, if not of ability, on the part of the architect. The interior, in spite of the lack of sculp- tured ornament, shows no paucity of style, and, except that it is of the bijou variety, might take rank at once as representative of Gothic style at its best. Under these condi- tions, the nave is naturally confined, and lacks a certain grandeur both as to width and height. The choir is of true, though not lofty, pro- portions, the aisles appearing perhaps too low, if anything, for the height of the nave, which otherwise appears exceedingly generous with respect to the extent of its triforium and clerestory. The transepts, though shallow, are pos- sessed of unusually amplified aisles, there be- 268 The Cathedrals of Northern France ing, as a matter of fact, two in that portion which adjoins the nave on the west, a suffi- ciently unusual arrangement to warrant com- ment. The rose windows of the transepts have graceful design and good framing, though the glass is not of the splendour which we associate with the most pleasing examples seen elsewhere. 269 XII ST. ETIENNE DE MEAUX To the eastward of Paris, one first finds the true country atmosphere at Meaux, famous for its bishops, its grist-mills, and its generally charming environment. The picturesque little city is situated on the Marne, some thirty miles from Paris, amid a verdure which, if not luxuriant, is, at least, a " fringe of green " that is appealing alike to local pride, and to the artist or stran- ger within the gates. It is an ancient bishop- ric (now suffragan of Paris), founded in 375 A. D. The Cathedral of Saint Etienne de Meaux is called by the French the " Child of Ami- ens," and it would have all the dignity of its mother had but the nave received the same development as the choir. Its general dimen- sions are restrained, and it shows in no way any remarkable architectural ensemble; but, for all that, its power to please is none the less 270 The Cathedrals of Northern France great Lacking a certain symmetry, in itself no great fault, the exterior gives the impres- sion of being to-day much less grand and imposing than was really planned. Battled by wind and weather, its outer walls have that scarred and aged look which is a beauty in itself. There are two towers, one of which is unfinished and capped with an ugly and angular slate roof, so low that it hardly exists at all, so far as forming a distinct feature of the fagade is concerned. Its companion, how- ever, rises boldly and in graceful lines to a generous height above the gable. The interior plan is regular and simple, with a nave of five bays, the first two from the west being divided into the infrequent quadruple range of openings, while the re- mainder consist of the usual triforium and clerestory only. The double aisles of the nave are of unusual height, in order to admit of this double range of openings. The transepts, if transepts they can be con- sidered, are very shallow, being merely the depth of the double aisles of the nave and choir, and are bare and unadorned so far as any notable sculpture or glass is concerned, though the arched windows which hold the 371 The Cathedrals of Northern France great Lacking a certain symmetry, in itself no great fault, the exterior gives the impres- sion of being to-day much less grand and imposing than was really planned. Battled by wind and weather, its outer walls have that scarred and aged look which is a beauty in itself. There are two towers, one of which is unfinished and capped with an ugly and angular slate roof, so low that it hardly exists at all, so far as forming a distinct feature of the fagade is concerned. Its companion, how- ever, rises boldly and in graceful lines to a generous height above the gable. The interior plan is regulaj and simple, with a nave of five bays, the first two from the west being divided into the infrequent quadruple range of openings, while the rC' mainder consist of the usual triforium and clerestory only. The double aisles of the nave are of unusual height, in order to admit of this double range of openings. The transepts, if transepts they can be con- sidered, are very shallow, being merely the depth of the double aisles of the nave and choir, and are bare and unadorned so far as any notable sculpture or glass is concerned, though the arched windows which hold the 471 The Cathedrals of Northern France plain glass are of grand proportions and ex- cellent design as to their framing. The triforium, throughout, is an arcaded cloister-like effect of slight arches, supported by slender columns, with a series of glazed windows behind. It would be a notable and wholly charming arrangement were the glass of these windows rich in colour, or even old in design. There is an air of singular lightness, if not actually of grace, throughout the entire nave and choir, superinduced, perhaps, by the re- cent whitening and pointing of the masonry; but the not infrequent bulging piers, particu- larly those nearest to the transept crossing, give a suggestion of ungainliness if not of actual insecurity. The columns of the choir, supporting a series of firm and gracefully poised arches, are of unusual height, something over forty feet, it would appear, — producing a har- mony of form and elegance which again re- minds one of Amiens. There are here copies of the nine Raphael tapestry cartoons, the originals of which are preserved at South Kensington, also of fres- coes by Guido Reni and Domenichino. The chief artistic, if not architectural, 272 The Cathedrals of Northern France charm to be seen within the purlieus of the cathedral is that of the ancient chapter-house, across a narrow way, to the right of the church itself. This gem of mediaeval building is per- haps not remarkable as to any of the prin- ciples which it sets forth in its manner of construction, but it takes one back some hun- dreds of years, a sheer plunge far beyond the age of the most prominent features of the main church, and gives a thrill somewhat akin to the emotion which one feels when he comes across a single leaf torn from an old illumi- nated manuscript. This charming ruin, for it is hardly more than that, being a mere lumber-room, shows in the weathered look of its covered stairway nearly all of the qualities which the painter loves to depict, — colour, texture, and, above all, that indescribable charm which artistic folk, and others who can see as they do, call life. Clearly, the Cathedral of St. Etienne de Meaux, as an interesting shrine, may be classed well at the head of the secondary cathedrals of the third Gothic period. 273 XIII ST. PIERRE DE TROYES To the thorough student of English history, Troyes is perhaps first recalled as being the birthplace of the treaty " decreeing for ever a common sovereign for England and France," a treaty which, it is minded, " stood no while." Again, some dubious antiquary has put it for- ward as the home of that variety of weights " which are not avoirdupois." The Counts of Champagne had, in the once well-walled city, both a castle and a palace. Olden-time houses, good Gothic woodwork 274 The Cathedrals of Northern France and Renaissance stonework, are here in abun- dance ; also, according to the authority of Fer- gusson, a well-nigh perfect Gothic church in St. Urbain; likewise a great cathedral, — rather ugly as to its general outline. All these are possessed by Troyes, and to-day the reminders and remains of each and all are exceedingly vivid and substantial. Certain cathedrals of France show plainly the dififerent phases and developments of the art of building through which they have passed ; others indicate little, if any, deviation from a certain accepted style. St. Pierre de Troyes is of the first category.. Here is Gothic in all its variations. Its environment, too, is characteristic of the many varying moods through which its constituency has passed. A truly mediaeval city in the picturesquencss of its older portions, Troyes is famed alike in affairs of Church and State. The dimensions of the Cathedral at Troyes, which approach those of the grand group, and the general majesty of its interior only further this opin- ion. The main body covers the none too fre- quent arrangement of five aisles, which, fol- lowing through the transept, continue, with the double pair on each side, to likewise 275 The Cathedrals of Northern France girdle the choir. The splendour of immensity is further enhanced by its large windows, in- cluding two rose openings set with old glass, and the general richness of its sculptured dec- orations. The abside of the choir is ranked among the best Gothic works of the time. The choir, begun in 1206, is composed of thirteen arcades, symbolical of Christ and the twelve apostles, from the chief of whom the cathedral takes its name. The windows of the triforium are large and divided into four compartments. The general disposition of the choir, with its radiating chapels, is superb; and it is exactly this satisfying, though per- haps undefinable, quality that is ofttimes lack- ing in an originally well-planned work which fails to inspire one. The choir contains an iron grille of the thirteenth century, of very beautiful workmanship, and is surrounded by five hexagonally sided chapels. The principal portion of the nave, erected in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth cen- turies, interrupted now and again by war and civil distractions, bears indelible impress of its continued centuries of growth. The principal fagade of the fifteenth cen- tury — accredited to one Martin Chambige and erected just after the nave took form — 276 The Cathedrals of Northern France is of the richness of Gothic only just previous to its decline. There are three portals, which are bare of sculptured figures, as indeed is the whole west front. In arrangement, it. re- sembles the frontispieces of certain of the grand cathedrals, and, though lacking their sculptured ornateness, is thoroughly satisfying as a decorative frontage. Had it been exe- cuted fifty years later, it would be hard to imagine to what depths its lines might not have fallen. As it is, the upper ranges of the tower suggest the thought. The windows of the aisle and of the clerestory of the nave, when viewed from the exterior, are grandly traceried and gracefully coupled by a series of light, firm buttresses, which rise, only from the gables of the lower set, over the low-lying roof to the spring of the arch of the upper range. St. Pierre de Troyes suggests, in a mild way, the " sheer glass walls " so fre- quently referred to by adulous French critics when chanting tKe praises of the highly devel- oped lightness of their indigenous style. This is further accentuated when one notes the glazed triforium, a decorative feature remi- niscent of that at Seez, Nevers, Tours, and St. Ouen at Rouen. Troyes is one of those prominent cathedral 277 The Cathedrals of Northern France cities of Catholic France whereof the church- man deplores the fact that its men are not of the churchgoing class, and that its congrega- tions are mostly of the fair sex. Be this as it may, except in Brittany, where the whole pop- ulation appears unusually devout, the stric- ture is probably true in a great measure of all of the north of France; and, be it here said, recent political edicts will doubtless not tend to increase the propaganda of piety. The north gable, with its portal and rose window, is of the fifteenth century, and, with the " lustrous rose " of the south transept, forms a pair of brilliant jewels which are hardly excelled elsewhere, not even by the encircled splendour of the forty-foot openings at Reims and Amiens, the equally extensive one of the north transept at Rouen, or, most splendid of all, the galaxy at Chartres. These marvels of French ingenuity and invention are nowhere more splendidly proportioned or embellished than at Troyes, and are equally attractive viewed from either within or with- out. The chief " tresor" consists of a series of wonderful mediaeval enamels. 278 NE 't' I A ] 'j' SENS iji f XIV ST. ETIENNE DE SENS Says the Abbe Bourasse, " One of the most beautiful titles to glory in a church is the antiquity of its foundation," hence, most French antiquaries who have written upon the subject of the celebrated Cathedral of St. Etienne of Sens have enlarged upon its " glorious antiquity." To prove or verify the fact as to whether St. Savinien or St. Potentien was the first to preach Christian religion here would be a laborious undertaking. Evidences and knowledge of Roman works are not want- 279 The Cathedrals of Northern France ing, and early Christian edifices of the Ro- manesque order must naturally have followed. One learns that an early church on this site was entirely destroyed by fire in 970, and that a new edifice had progressed so far that it was dedicated in 997. This, in turn, was mostly rebuilt, and, two hundred years later (1168), took the form of the present cathedral. It was completed, in a rather plain and heavy ogival style, under the capable direction of the William who came to Canterbury, in response to a call, to rebuild the choir of that English church in 1174. It is this link, and possibly a sight of the vestments of A Becket, now pre- served among the " tresor " of Sens, that binds its memory with English contemporary life. Whatever may be the contentions waged as to the claims of English Gothic, it is universally and unimpeachably admitted that Guillaume de Sens rebuilt that famous choir of Canter- bury, and built it well, and of a newer order of design than any previous work in England. So let it stand. Taken by itself, the Cathedral at Sens is a high example of Christian art. When, how- ever, it is compared with the grand group, it is relegated immediately to the second rank. The interior, far more than the exterior, shows 280 The Cathedrals of Northern France a visible disparity of unified style. Romano- Byzantine, transition, and ogival are all found in the nave and choir, with the flamboyant, of the fifteenth century, in the ornamental tracery of the windows of the transepts. Some visible remains of the earlier struc- ture are shown, built into the eleventh century walls. Of the same period are other evidences of a former erection, to be noted in the aisles. The transept and the greater part of the nave are of the century following, and of the early thirteenth, and finally the three arcades, by which the nave is entered, are something very akin to the full-blown Renaissance of the fif- teenth century. The general plan is symmetrical, and severe, only the twenty chapels being ungracefully disposed. Ten of these are in the choir and ten in the nave. For the antiquary, versed in religious archaeology, the Cathedral of Sens would appear, from the very inconsistencies and exuberance of its style, to be of great inter- est. The fragments that remain of its former magnificent glass, the sculptured monuments, and the tombs and curiosities of the " tresor," which escaped Revolutionary spoliation, all combine in a glorious attraction for one who has the time and inclination to delve into the 281 The Cathedrals of Northern France reminiscence of history and association of a past age. The glass of the choir, and of the chapel of St. Savinien, is of the thirteenth century. The colour is exceedingly brilliant, lively, and har- monious, with the iridescence of a mosaic of precious stones. The sixteenth-century glass, none the less than the framing itself, of the grand rose win- dows of the north and south transepts, is equally remarkable as to design and colour. The former represents the " Glorification of Jesus Christ," and the latter " Events in the Life of St. Etienne." The " tresor " of the cathedral is very numerous and is considered the richest in all France. The most notable are a reliquary of gold, set with sapphires and pearls, containing a fragment of the True Cross, given by Charle- magne in the year 800 ; four magnificent tap- estries of the time of Charles V., representing the " Adoration of the Magi; " and the pon- tifical robes of St. Thomas (a Becket), chasu- ble, aube, stole, manipule, cordon, two mitres, and two collars. This courageous archbishop, persecuted by Henry II., took refuge in Sens in 1162. An elaborate tomb (of the eighteenth century) , by Constant, is the mausoleum of the Dauphin, father of Louis XVI. %%% PART VI Western Normandy and Brittany INTRODUCTORY Most people who have read Ruskin, and most people have done so — in the past, will undoubtedly concur with his dictum that Rouen's " associated Norman cities," Bayeux, Caen, Coutances, St. Lo, Lisiejix, and Dieppe, run the entire gamut of mediaeval architec- tural notes; or, as Ruskin himself has put it, " from the Romanesque to the flamboyant." He might well have added, the Renaissance and the pseudo-classicism of a later day. Beauties there are in this region, galore; and the examples which no longer exist, but of which the records tell, point to a still larger aggregate. Who thinks to-day of Coutances as of being a "cathedral town?" And yet, there is within it, as to the general effect of situation and the magnitude of its towering pinnacles, an edifice which perhaps outranks all but the 285 The Cathedrals of Northern France very greatest. Most likely no thought is given it at all, except that Coutances is somewhere on the railway line between Cherbourg and Paris, or that it is near unto Bayeux; also possessed of a magnificent cathedral, but whose greatest fame lies in a certain false sentiment associated with its famous tapes- try. Not that this great work is to be decried, — far from it, but the spirit with which it is so often viewed should be a matter of scorn for every broad-minded traveller. Lisieux, too, has a wealth of attraction for those who fondly admire reeking picturesque- ness and old timbered houses, though its cathedral will not please. Pugin could not resist depicting many of these delightful old houses of Lisieux in his book on Normandy, though, unlike Ruskin, he had no eye for its cathedral; most of us will not have. So much, then, as a plea for a more sincere and thorough appreciation of the charms of western Normandy. It is cheap, accessible, and has a practically inexhaustible store of treasure for the traveller or student of limited time or money, but who will not make of it the usual mere " bank-holiday " scamper. The same applies also to Brittany, which is treated 286 The Cathedrals of Northern France elsewhere, with this proviso, that the tourist afoot or awheel is far better equipped than he who has to depend upon steam and the rail, two at least of Brittany's cathedrals being " off the line." 287 II NOTRE DAME D'EVREUX The Cathedral at Evreux is another of those edifices which gives one its best impres- sion when first seen upon entering the city. Charmingly, possibly romantically, situated, it lies in a shallow valley with all the pictur- esqueness of its varied style limned against the sky in truly impressionistic fashion. This impression, when viewed from the slight emi- nence by which the railway enters the town, is a vista of rambling roofs and a long, sloping street running gently down to the very foot of the structure, which, set about and inter- spersed with verdure, as it is in the spring and summer months, warrants one in counting his introduction to this charmingly attractive, though non-consistent, type of church, as one of the events which will live in memory for years. If towering spires and pinnacles were a sine qua non for a great and imposing architectural 288 Notre Dame d'Evreux The Cathedrals of Northern France style, this church would at once rank as one of the most delightful examples extant; for these very features, albeit they are mostly of what we have come to accept as a debased form of art, are nevertheless possessed of a grandeur and magnificence which in many worthy examples are entirely lacking. The pair of western towers, of Romanesque founda- tion, were developed, not in what one knows as Gothic, but of the manifest and offensive pseudo-classic order. They are capped, how- ever, with something more akin to Moor- ish or an Eastern termination than Italian. The spire which surmounts the central crossing is, without question, a reminiscence of much that has been accepted as good Gothic form in the great central-towered English churches. Up to a certain point this can hardly be denied; but this rather weak, effeminate spire, which forms such an unusual attribute of a French cathedral, more than qualifies its right to a place in the first rank of spires. As for the rest of the exterior, it is a melange of nearly every known architectural style. Undeniably fine in parts, like " the curate's egg," if a time-worn simile may be permitted, it forms an ensemble which would preclude its ever being accorded un- 2^1 The Cathedrals of Northern France qualified praise from even the most liberal- minded and optimistic enthusiast. By far the most coherent view to be had near by is that from the gardens of the Arch- bishop's Palace immediately to the rearward of the choir. Here the clipped trees, the warm coloured wall, along which the vines are trained, and what was once a canal, or moat, in the foreground, combine to present a singu- larly artistic and pleasing composition. The north transept, of Bishop le Veneur, is of the superlative degree of its era (early six- teenth century) , bordering upon the profusion of splayed ornament which so soon after turned to dross, but standing, as it does, of itself, clearly defined. The gulf was finally crossed when, less than a half-century later, the incongruous west front with its ill-man- nered towers was built, — in itself a subject worth a deal of study from the artist who would picture graven stone, but contrasting unfavourably enough with the heights to which French ecclesiastical architecture had just previously soared. Here is offered the one unified Renaissance facade of a French cathedral, welded, as it were, in unworthy fashion, to a fabric with which it has nothing in common. The stone-mason here superseded 292 The Cathedrals of Northern France the craftsman; and, with the termination of the reign of Frangois I., and following with that of Henry II., came the flowering rankness of a degenerate weed, leaving, as evidence of its contaminating influence in this one exam- ple alone, traces of nearly every classical order, from the simple Doric column to a hybrid which shall be unnamed. The interior presents a general array of in- congruities quite as remarkable as those of the exterior. The nave is very narrow; but the choir widens out perhaps a dozen feet on either side, adding immeasurably to an effect which is far more impressive than might otherwise be supposed. The nave itself shows many varieties of building, ranging from the Gothic of the early twelfth to the late fifteenth centuries; the lower part and the easterly bays are Roman- esque, or what perhaps has been popularly, accepted as Norman, and date from 1 125 ; the remainder and the triforium are of a century later. The choir is of the decorated species of the early fourteenth century, with its arcaded tri- forium glazed, whereas in the nave it is with- out glass. The lady-chapel, of the time of Louis XI., shows that inevitable mark of de- The Cathedrals of Northern France generacy, the " fleur-de-lys" in the elaborated tracery of the window framing. The glass here is, however, excellent, in effect at any rate, with its gorgeous figures of knights, angels, and peers of France, drawn with a masterly skill which is often lacking in even more precious glass. The chapel screens, some twenty in all, are wondrously turned and carved of wood. This leads one to venture the thought that the simi- lar decorative embellishments of the Renais- sance chateaux of the Loire country were slowly creeping northward, and leaving their impress upon the work of the ecclesiastical builder and decorator. Certainly, the numer- ous fine examples of the art of the wood- carver, to be seen in this cathedral, bespeak much for the decorative quality of wood, when used considerately in conjunction with stone. There are two rose windows, of the petal species, unquestionably fine as to framing, but leaving little space for the effect of the glass, which they hold only in small proportion. The " treasury," alone, is enclosed with iron bars, and a grille of graceful late flowing ironwork forms the screen of the choir. Alto- gether the Cathedral at Evreux will be re- m The Cathedrals of Northern France membered quite as much for its wonderful array of wooden and iron grilles as for any other of the specific details among its mass of general attributes. ^M- ^— I ■>■■ —^— Window Framing — Evreux 295 NOTRE DAME D'ALENQON This former capital of the duchy of the same name is a sleepy, countrified French town, with little but its reputedly valuable and beautiful lace to commend it to the average observer. As a cathedral town, of even secondary rank, it will fall far short of any preconceived ideas which one may be possessed of concern- ing it, though its Cathedral of Notre Dame is in many ways one of those irresistible shrines, which at least promise, and often fulfil, a great deal more than their lack of magnitude indi- cates. 296 The Cathedrals of Northern France Its fagade, lacking the conventional towers, advances well into the roadway, as a sort of forward porch ; as at Louviers near by. This porch is very ornate, with decorations of the late Gothic period of flowing tracery. After all, it is an incongruous sort of a build- ing, in that only this porch and its squat cen- tral tower, which is nought but a mere cupola, are in the least decorative. The nave, the choir and chevet, and chapels, are all of a bareness which only exaggerates the floridness of these other appendages. The nave itself is but one hundred and ten feet long^ and perhaps a scant thirty wide, and dates from the fourteenth century. It contains good glass of the same period, which luckily es- caped the spoliation of the Revolution. The choir is more modern, and much plainer in treatment, and is but fifty-five feet in length and of the same width as the nave. There are no transepts; in short, the chief and most interesting features of the church are the before mentioned details, which, unques- tionably bordering upon the debasement of Gothic art, are in every way attractive, with lightness and colour, if such an expression may be applied to gray stone. Certainly the play of sunlight on gracefully 297 The Cathedrals of Northern France carven stone is indicative of a brilliancy which might be termed an effect of colour; and it is with respect to that quality that the west facade of Notre Dame d'Alengon appeals; more than as an otherwise grand or even highly interesting structure. 298 1 IV ST. PIERRE DE LISIEUX LlSlEUX^ the city of the Lexavii, taken by Caesar and besieged by Geoffrey Plantagenet; its old houses; its crooked streets and pictur- esque decay; with its former Cathedral of St. Pierre (M. H.), memorable as the marriage place of Henry III, and Eleanor of Guienne; all go to make up the formula of one of the stock sights of Normandy. It is scarcely an attractive town, in spite of its picturesque sordidness, made the more so by the smoke arising from many belching factory chimneys. In fact, one has difficulty in thinking of it as a cathedral town at all; and, as such, it hardly claims more than a brief resume of its important features. A much more interesting, impressive, and command- ing church is that of St. Jacques, which at least has the stamp of a personality, which in the cathedral itself is entirely wanting, so far as one's latent sympathies are concerned. In spite of the purity of that which is Gothic in 301 The Cathedrals of Northern France its fabric, it has little of that quality which arouses admiration, and which, regardless of the edict of a certain seer and prophet, is mostly that for which we revere a great monu- ment, — its power to sway us impressively. Mr. Ruskin has taken great pains to com- mend the southern portal as being " one of the most quaint and pleasing doors in all Nor- mandy," — a non-committal enough state- ment, most will admit, and one with which we are not obliged to agree. A broader- minded observer would have said that the main body of the church presents a unity of design, very unusual in a mediaeval work, — excelled by no other example in France. The greater part of the nave, choir, and tran- septs is the work of one epoch only; and, as some writers have it, of one man. Bishop Odericus Vitalis, who died shortly after its completion, in the latter part of the eleventh century. As a style, it may be said to be either the last of the transition or of the very earliest Gothic. Certainly this is something in its favour; but the general charm of its imme- diate surroundings is lacking, and the effect of its interior, with the diminutive windows of the nave and clerestory, does not tend to sat- isfy, or even gratify, one with the sense of pleas- 302 The Cathedrals of Northern France ure which perhaps its more creditable features deserve. These are not wholly wanting; for, of course, one must not forget that doorway of Ruskin's nor the quite idyllic proportions of the nave with its uniform massive pillars. The lady-chapel was founded in the fif- teenth century by the rascally Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, who, with his brother, prelate of Winchester, so gleefully burned Joan of Arc. This much he did in expiation of " his false judgment," though, except as a memorial of his significant remorse, the chapel itself would hardly be remarkable. The clere- story of nave and choir is considerably later. The transepts vary as to their windows, and the triforium arches are here at a different level from those in the nave. The general exterior view of the cathedral is hardly satisfactory from any point. On three sides it is almost entirely hemmed in by surrounding structures, and the frontage, on the great open Place Thiers, is the first and the last opportunity of an unobstructed view. As the Abbe Bourasse wrote of the Cathedral at Arras, it is best seen from a distance, about that, we should say, from which the accom- panying drawing was made. The gardens of the Sous-Prefecture, formerly the Bishop's 30Z The Cathedrals of Northern France Palace, should form in a way a cool green setting for the church ; but, as a matter of fact, they do nothing of the sort, since the enormous mass of a none too good Renaissance facade extends along quite two-thirds of the length of the cathedral on the north, and blankets it thoroughly, scarcely more than the rather stubby tower of the west front being visible above the roof of the other structure. Lisieux apparently never ranked as an im- portant see, but depended for the prominence which it attained previous to the Revolution, when the see was abolished, on its association with Rouen, to which it was attached. The neighbouring Cathedrals of Seez, Bayeux, and Coutances far outrank St. Pierre de Lisieux in size, beauty, and importance. 304 ^A.'^' i 'n. '^ & f J'? F-' •fiH S-'^ M.^ ' '- ' ^» ^ w '' ^*Kv*^ .^^_r ■^^MJa- ■ -^^^\^£. . z^ ""*^^'^^^^'F^1 J^wf lvl 1 ■^^P'' ''M^^w) Ua^^^^/^^iT' A\ ^^g '"b -^iaas^s^al^ M^B ^ i . -"•^^^^^■^ \\V -tM*?^"^ ^^ ^pK^^MMtfi^it^ -<|f ■:> w s • < ■ Q N Ci^ M'^ c^^ NOTRE DAME DE SEEZ The ancient Civitas Sagiorum of the Ro- mans is now a bishopric, suffragan of Rouen. This ancient Gallic stronghold, which fared hardly in the Anglo-Norman wars, presents to-day the impression of being a town some- what smaller than the usual small town of France. It also has this advantage, — it is comparatively unknown to tourists, and like- wise to some map-makers; all of which is decidedly in its favour. Seldom is Seez in- cluded in the itinerary of the tourist, even though it is situated in the heart of the " popu- lar province." Except for the fact that its charming cathe- dral is not of the generous proportions first impressed upon one, it is difficult to realize that such a noble architectural memorial should so often be overlooked and apparently neglected by those who might find a great deal of pleasure, and incidental profit, from a con- templation- thereof. 305 The Cathedrals of Northern France As a town of celebrated history, Seez is of far more relative rank than its cathedral, which, in spite of its many beauties and charm of detail, has suffered perhaps more than any other in France, and yet kept a fairly pure early Gothic style ; referring to the many addi- tions and repairs made necessary by crum- bling walls and sinking foundations. The worst that has arisen from this unhappy state of affairs is, not that there has been any serious admixture of style, but rather that one gross interpolation has been foisted upon an otherwise symmetrical whole, — the enormous advancing buttresses which flank the portal of the western facade; an addition of the four- teenth century, neither graceful nor decora- tive, and only made necessary by a tottering wall. A pity it is that some other equally effective method was not adopted. The cathedral is, in a way, a satisfying rep- resentation of the cathedral of our imagina- tion. From a distance, at least, and in com- parison with the low-lying structures round about, it certainly appears as of great propor- tions, uniform and complete in itself. Im- mediate contact with it somewhat dispels these charms. All things considered, one finds here, in this 306 The Cathedruls of Northern France idyllic, countrified setting, a very attractive and fairly consistent Mediaeval Gothic church of the epoch contemporary with that of the best work of the northern builders, showing unmis- takable evidence of having been laid down on good lines, and after a good design, in spite of the structural defects of its foundations. From any direction it may be viewed across a quarter of a mile of ploughed fields. The great national highroad, from the Channel to Bor- deaux, passes straight as a die through the town, and the cross-country line of the Chemin de-Fer de Quest ambles slowly northward or southward ; with little occurring to break the quietude of local ease. The native is for the most part engaged in garnering from his truck farm, or in carrying its product to the railway, to be transported to market, and pays little attention to the stray traveller who occasion- ally wanders in to study the architectural of- fering of the town. A completed church was here in 1050, hav- ing been erected by a monk, Azon by name. This was burned to the ground in an attempt to drive out a robber band which had taken shelter therein. Leo IX. engaged Yves, Count of Bellene and the Bishop of Alen§on, to re- build it, and restore its former splendour. 307 The Cathedrals of Northern France This was in the twelfth century, but, later, owing to the insecure foundations, it was pulled down and rebuilt again. Now nothing remains of the former twelfth and thirteenth century work but the lady-chapel of the choir. The interior of the nave is, at present, en- tirely filled with scaffolding, which looks as though it might not be removed for years. As a restorative policy this is commendable and was necessary, but it detracts from one's intimate acquaintance with details. About the only lasting impression of the nave that can now be obtained is that its proportions are superb, and that its cylindrical pillars, with their foliaged capitals, would be notable any- where. In general eflfect the choir is charming, hav- ing gone through the restorative process and apparently suffered little thereby. It presents the unusual basilica form of setting the altar forward on a platform raised a few steps. The transepts are of quite idyllic propor- tions, each possessing an ample rose window which makes up in design and framing what it may lack in the quality of glass with which it is set. These transepts, too, have undergone the usual restoration, and have come safely through with little sad eflfect. It is tQ be 3q8 The Cathedrals of Northern France hoped that these continued restorations will be carried out with the same good taste, and in a like consistent manner. If so, there will be presented for the delectation of generations of the near future one of the most pleasing of the smaller cathedrals in all France. The tri- forium of the choir, and of the nave so far as it can be observed through the obstructing scaffolding, is singularly light and graceful, and the window framing throughout, though entirely lacking notable glass, is of manifest good design. In fine, then, the general effect of the Cathe- dral of Notre Dame de Seez is one of light- ness and grace, and it may be considered as an extraordinarily fine architectural monument, in spite of the anomalies of its west front. The twin spires rise gracefully for perhaps two hundred and fifty feet, and are after the best manner of the great Gothic builders; of true proportions, and of the dwindling pyram- idal form so much approved. The facade, between the towers and the ex- traordinary buttresses, is completely filled with an ample Gothic portal, which, though entirely destitute of sculpture, or indeed carv- ing of any sort, offers a significant opportunity for same future efforts in this direction. ■' " " ill # f 1 VI NOTRE DAME DE BAYEUX The magnificently impressive Cathedral of Notre Dame is perhaps less intimately asso- ciated with Bayeux in the average mind than is the v^^onderful story-telling tapestry which is domiciled in, the same city. As for this treasure of the past, it is a subject so vast, and of such great significance, in both history and art, that it has many times been made the sub- ject of weighty consideration. A well-known English amateur, the Honourable E. J. Low- ell, has stated that popular tradition has cred- ited it as the handiwork of Matilda, Queen of 310 The Cathedrals of Northern France William the Conqueror, who worked it to commemorate his glorious achievements. If this be really so, the queen was probably as- sisted largely by the ladies of her court, as the extensive work, measuring some hundred and sixty odd feet, could hardly have been ac- complished single-handed. Professor Free- man assigns it to a similiar period, but worked, as he thinks, by English workmen, for Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, the Conqueror's half- brother. A previous acquaintance with the great cathedrals of the Isle of France will tend somewhat to nullify the efifect which is pro- duced by Notre Dame de Bayeux, although, in point of size and general arrangements, at least, it fulfils its functions perhaps more ac- ceptably than many a more renowned edifice. Its situation, on the side of a steep slope, pro- duces a curious effect, first, with respect to the choir chevet, which is thus shown as rather gaunt and bare in its lower elongated stages, though undeniably a fine work in itself; sec- ondly, in the general interior view where, from the western entrance, one comes upon the nave pavement a dozen or more steps below the portal, and again meets with the same ef- fect further on at the transept crossing. There The Cathedrals of Northern France would appear to have been no other way but this of placing above ground what might otherwise have been the crypt; adding im- measurably to the fine appearance of the in- terior, the nave and choir appearing to lengthen out interminably by reason of the western elevation from which they are viewed. A portion of the western towers, and the crypt which is beneath the choir, are thought to date from as early as the eleventh century, having been built by Odo, the half-brother of William the Norman. The splendidly pro- portioned Norman nave, with its decorated spandrels and archivolts, a worthy decorative embellishment developed before the days of coloured glass, possesses that bright and fresh appearance which is usually associated with a recent work, whereas, as a matter of fact, it can hardly be, in its five circular arches at least, later than the late eleventh or early twelfth century. If it were true that modern restorative processes commonly dis- figured no more than this, it is a pity that the dust and cobwebs, and a little of the grime of ages, were not more often removed. Here is the very excess of dog-tooth, arabesque, and" grotesque carving, never found in connection with a building which is constructively dec- 31a The Cathedrals of Northern France orative. Here also is an ornate frieze of no great depth and possessing none of the beauties of the two other distinct elements. As there is no triforium in the nave proper, this decora- tion is, of course, intended merely as a relief to a bareness which, on account of the gener- ous height, would otherwise exist. In the choir, the triforium, which is omitted in the nave, springs into being in beautiful and ornate form. The lower arches, with the sup- ports, the attributed work of an English archi- tect, are of the usual Gothic form, in contra- distinction to the rounded heads of those of the nave. The clerestory, though delicate and graceful, is somewhat curtailed from the di- mensions of that of the west end of the church. The transepts are unusually bright and cheerful, with a series of windows more beau- tifully designed than those of either the choir or nave. The choir stalls are of oak, carved in the best manner of the Renaissance. The charming tower group of this cathe- dral is as effective, perhaps, as any among all the northern churches. The central belfry, al- beit of a base, though pretentious, rococo de- sign, follows no accepted style, but adds im- posingly to the general outline. (Its height is over three hundred feet.) In this tower, as 2>^2 The Cathedrals of Northern France in the window tracery, the fleur-de-lys, always a sign of the decadent in Gothic style, is to be seen. The western towers, with their spires, follow the truest pyramidal form, and, though carrying both pointed and round-arched open- ings, are in every way representative of the best work of their period. The northwesterly tower has an elongated turret, extending from the lower ranges, which, when seen from a distance over the roof of the nave, appears as a protuberance not unlike a dove-cote. This contains the spiral staircase up which visitors are earnestly implored, by the caretaker, to wend their way and participate in the view from the heights above. This view, though undeniably wider in range than are most elevated view-points, is hardly of interest to one who seeks the beauties of the structure itself. There are three porches on the west facade, all fairly well filled with foliaged ornament and bas-reliefs. They are of the thirteenth century, and of a thoroughly florid order. Included in the " tresor " are two gifts from St. Louis, the chasuble of St. Regnobert, and an ivory and enamel casket. 3^A ) ^:^<:.i7yeiJmr^py^^vor-K& '0-'^^'^'^^^yi^::fsMix¥Loy;r^^ VII NOTRE DAME DE ST. "LO This- picturesquely situated city of the Cotentin, St. Lo, is so named from the Bishop St. Laud, who lived in the neighbourhood in the sixth century. Later, it became a Hugue- not stronghold, and was ably, though unsuc- cessfully, defended by Colombiers. It forms, with its former Cathedral of Notre Dame crowning its height, another of those ensem- bles which will always linger in the memory of the traveller who first comes upon it clad in spring and summer verdure. The rippling Vire at its very feet gives at once the note; 315 The Cathedrals of Northern France it not only binds and enwraps it like the setting of a precious stone, but adds that one feature which, lacking, would be a chord mis- placed. Perhaps no other cathedral in all France, with regard to its bijou setting, cer- tainly no other so accessible to the English tourist, has more dainty charm than this not very grand, but graceful, church at St. Lo. Its towers, though not uniform as to size, are of apparently the same gradual proportions, and, if not the most impressive, are at least the most beautiful in Normandy. They rise high above the wooded crest which encircles their base in true picture-book fashion. The attraction of the river, here, is unusual, in that it presents no accustomed " slummy " pictur- esqueness, but winds slowly, amid its green, to the very base of the cliff which upholds the chief portion of the town and its cathedral. The facade presents a melange of the work of at least three epochs, a not unusual feature in some of the smaller cathedrals. It has a mean little house built into its northwest corner, a crude and ugly clock-face stuck unmean- ingly on its f agade, and a general air of dilapi- dation, with respect to the statues originally contained in its archivolts and niches, which, to say the least, is not creditable to those who 316 The Cathedrals of Northern France have been responsible for its care. It would seem that so lively and important a centre of local activity might have devoted a little more thought and care to the maintenance of this charming building. Built up from a foundation of which but little, if any portion, visibly remains, Notre Dame shows a debasement of design and dec- oration of its facade which is not only not admirable, but is, in addition, sadly disfigured. The one detail, for the most part good in style, is a not unduly florid arcade, which plainly indicates its superiority over the rest of the building. On the north side is an open-air pulpit of stone overhung with a canopy, a highly inter- esting detail, though, of course, not a unique one. Unable to command admiration as an absolute novelty, it is assuredly a charming feature, and is delicately and profusely sculp- tured. It suggests much in conjunction with the busy life of the rather squalid neighbour- ing market-place, whose only picturesque at- tribute is when it is crowded with the gaiety of a market or a fete day. By far the most compelling interest in the building, after an inspection of its interior, is the view to be had from a distance. 3>7 The Cathedrals of Northern France The nave is late Gothic, and widens out in curious fashion toward the east; otherwise the interior arrangements are not remarkable. One bulbous chapel on the south side supplants the usual transept. There is no triforium either in choir or nave, the lighting principally being effected by the large windows of the aisles. It is pertinent to recall here that one of Charlemagne's own foundations of the ninth century, destroyed by the barbarians, was situ- ated near by, the famous Abbey of St. Croix. 318 IS ''TV- VIII NOTRE DAME DE COUTANCES Like many another town of western Nor- mandy, like Falise, Domfront, St. Lo, Gran- ville, Avranches, and Mont St. Michel itself, Coutances rises high above the surrounding plain and stands dominant in the landscape for miles on either hand. Of perhaps more mag- nitude, as to area, than any of the other ex- amples, the city has the added attribute of three towered ecclesiastical edifices, which rise nobly in varying stages far over the neigh- bouring roof-tops of the town itself and the tree-clad slopes which embank it. The oldest of the Norman Gothic cathe- drals, and that which partakes the most of local character, is Notre Dame de Coutances. Certain French archaeologists have said that the main body of the church is actually that of the eleventh century. It is more likely, however, that none of the building at present in view is earlier than the thirteenth century, 321 The Cathedrals of Northern France the epoch during which contemporaneous Gothic first grew to its maturity. In any event, such building and construction was going on from 1208 to 1233 as would indicate that it was the entire present edifice which was being planned at that time. In this case it is quite possible that the rebuilding was going on slowly, foot by foot, in a manner which not only encompassed and absorbed the older building, but in reality eradicated every ves- tige of it. Says a French writer of enthusi- asm, " The Cathedral of Coutances, as it now stands, is one of the most noble and grand relig- ious edifices in France, with all the qualities of a monument of the first order, of perfect di- mension, beauty of plan, unity of workman- ship, and distinction of form." Any one of these attributes, were it literally so, might well turn a cornmonplace structure into an unap- proachable masterpiece. In a measure, all of his eulogy is quite true, and the pity is that more do not know of its fascination and charm. The f agade of the Cathedral of Notre Dame is of the indigenous Norman-Gothic type. The fine towers, in addition to combining the symmetrical elements of Gothic, have, each, as well, a flanking towerlet, attached to their outer sides, enclosing a spiral stairway. These 322 The Cathedrals of Northern France extend to quite the full height of the tower proper; and, though by no means a wholly attractive feature, are not as offensive as might at first be supposed. It is doubtful, in fact, if the general strength and impressiveness of the entire structure would not be impaired were the arrangements otherwise. The present ogival structure is built on the remains of a Romanesque church erected by a famous Bishop of Coutances, Geoffrey de Montbray, with funds supplied by Guillaume Bras-de-Fer, Odon, Roger, Onfroy, and Rob- ert, sons of Tancrede-de-Hauteville, the Nor- man conquerors of Sicily and Qalabria, whose names have been given fabled prominence in more than one epic poem. The early structure was consecrated in 1056, in the presence of William, then Duke of Normandy, a few years before he became the Conqueror. Sup- posedly none of this former church remains; in fact, what fragments, if any, exist, are doubtless covered in the present foundations. Mainly, the present structure is thirteenth- century work, with a lady-chapel of the four- teenth century. An unusual, and exceedingly beautiful, ef- fect is given by the Gothic window muUions, between the chapels, in reality a series of gco- The Cathedrals of Northern France metrical window-frames, without glass. No florid ornament either inside or out is to be found to offend against accepted ideals. In short, " the whole is of a piece complete." The parapets of triforium and clerestory, with foliaged carvings, are about the only ornate decorations to be seen. The central tower, of great proportions, but incomplete as to the addition of a spire, is a marvel of strength and power. Its interior, elaborately decorated, forms a lantern at the crossing. Here, as at Bayeux, the choir is raised a few steps above its aisles, giving a certain impressiveness beyond what might otherwise exist. The interior, generally, is admirable. Clus- tered columns, as they are commonly called, — in reality they are clustered pillars, if word derivations are to be considered, — separate both nave and choir from the aisles; and, in case of the choir, a series of elongated circu- lar pillars are coupled, one behind the other, an unquestionably unique arrangement. The transepts are practically non-existent, as the widening does not extend beyond the ex- tent of the nave chapels. This leaves the ground-plan, at least, a mere parallelogram with a rounded eastern end. 324 The Cathedrals of Northern France Notre Dame de Coutances is one of the few really great Gothic churches not possessing an example of those French masterworks, the rose window. Again referring to the fine tower group, it is probably true that, were the huge central tower properly spired, the ensemble would rival Laon in regard to its impressive situation and elaborate pinnacles. St. Pierre, of the fifteenth century, and St. Nicolas, of the fourteenth, complete the trinity of fine churches which Coutances possesses. The latter contains the unusual arrangement in a Continental church of pews in place of chairs, although formerly, it is said, this fea- ture was not uncommon in Normandy. The somewhat considerable remains of a Roman acqueduct, near by, are sufficiently remarkable to warrant passing consideration, even by the " mere lover of churches." 325 IX ST. PIERRE D'AVRANCHES There is little to recount concerning the See of Avranches. Its bishopric and its cathedral were alike destroyed during the parlous times of the bickerings and ravages of Royalists and Republicans of the Revolution- ary period. All that remains to-day is a tri- fling heap of stones which would hardly fill a row-boat, — a fragment of a shaft on which is a tablet reading: 326 The Cathedrals of Northern France " Off THIS STONE, Here at the door of the Cathedral of AvraNChbS, After the Murder of Thomas A Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, Henry II., King of England and Duke of Normandy, Received on his knees, From the Legates of the Pope, The Apostolic Absolution, On Sunday, 22D May 1172." At its feet is another slab, the aforementioned door-step, on which, before the papal legate, the remorseful monarch did pgnance before his later expiation at Canterbury. A little farther on is a small heap consisting of shafts and capitals of columns, a stone sar- cophagus and a brass plate stating that they are the " Derniers restes de la cathedrale d'Avranches; commencee vers 1090 et con- sacree par I'eveque Turgis en 1121." The nave having fallen in, the rest of the edifice had to be taken down in 1799. Because of its picturesque environment and situation, Avranches is perhaps a more than ordinarily attractive setting for a shrine, and it is well worthy of the attention of the passing traveller, in spite of its ancient cathedral being 327 The Cathedrals of Northern France now but a heap of stones. Apart from this it is of little interest, and hence, to most, it will probably remain, in the words of a French traveller, a mere " silhouette in the distance," 328 ' QFTM'D'RAL rp „/= S.SSSPHSOJV T; 2)0L 1^ c^ ^su X ST. SAMSON, DOL - DE - BRETAGNE The one-time Cathedral of St. Samson, at Dol, is, says an unsually expressive French- man, " a grand, noble, and severe church, now widowed of its bishops. Its aspect is desolate and abandoned, as if it were but a ruin en face sur la grand e place, of itself, but a mere desert of scrub." This is certainly a vivid and forceful description of even a wholly unpre- possessing shrine. This St. Samson is not, and due allowance should be made for verbal modelling which, in many cases, is but the 329 The Ca,lkedrals of Northern France mere expression of a mood pro tempo. There is, however, somewhat of truth in the descrip- tion. About the granite walls there is a grim- ness and gauntness of decay; of changed plans and projects; of devastation; of restoration; and, finally, of what is, apparently, submis- sion to the inevitableness of time. The enormous northwesterly tower is stopped suddenly, with the daylight creeping through its very framework. Its fagade is cer- tainly bare of ornament, and gives a thor- ough illustration of paucity of design as well as of detail. There is, indeed, nothing in the west fagade to compel admiration, and yet there is a fascination about it that to some will be irresistible. A sixteenth-century porch, of suggested Burgundian style, forms the main entrance to the church, and is situated midway along the south side. Almost directly opposite, on the north, is the curiously contrasting feature of a crenelated battlerhent, a reminder of the time when the church was doubtless a temporal as well as a spiritual stronghold. The interior, as the exterior, is gloomy and melancholy. One has only to contemplate the collection of ludicrously slender clustered col- umns of the nave, bound together with mark- 33° The Cathedrals of Northern France edly visible iron strands, to realize the real weakness of the means by which the fabric has been kept alive. The nave itself is of true proportions, and, regardless of the severity of its lines, and the ludicrous pillars, is undeniably fine in effect. A curiously squared choir-end, but with the small apsed lady-chapel extending beyond, is another of those curious details which stand out in a way to be remarked in a French church. In this squared end, and above the arch made by the pillars of the choir aisle, is a large pointed window filled with ancient glass which must have been inserted soon after the church was reconstructed after the fire in the twelfth century. The general effect qf the nave and aisles is one of extreme narrowness, which perhaps is not so much really the case when actual meas- urements are taken. In general, the church is supposed by many to resemble the distinct type of Gothic as it is known across the Channel; and, admitting for the nonce that possibly many of the Brit- tany structures were the work of English builders, this church, in the absence of any records as to who were its architects, may well be counted as of that number. 331 The Cathedrals of Northern France The stalls of the choir are of delicately carved wood, before which is placed a monu- mental bishop's throne, with elaborate ar- morial embellishments. A Renaissance tomb of the sixteenth century, by a pupil of Michael Colomb, now much injured in its sculptured details of angels and allegorical figures, is locally considered the " show-piece " of the church. ZZ"^ ^ s. svi^L>o es-' s. seiijo^jv ^ XI ST. MALO AND ST. SERVAN Welshmen throughout the world rejoice that it was one of their countrymen, a monk of the sixth century, who gave his name as founder to the " walled city of St. Malo by the sea." With its outlying and contiguous towns of St. Servan, Dinan, and Parame, St. Malo is a paradise for the mere lover of pleas- ure resorts. Further, with respect to the first three places mentioned, there is present not a little of the romance and history of the past, reflected as it were in a modern mirror. Not but that the old town of St. Malo, within the walls, is ancient and picturesque enough, and dirty, too, if one be speciously critical; but the fact is that the modern Pont Roulant, and the omnific toot of the steam-tram, ever pres- ent in one's sight and hearing, are forcible reminders of the march of time. St. Servan, so far as its cathedral is con- cerned, may be dismissed in a word. The 335 The Cathedrals of Northern France ancient see of St. Pierre d'Aleth had, at one time, its dignity vested in a bishop who en- throned himself in a cathedral, the remains of which exist to-day only as a fragment built into the fortifications. The bishopric was removed in 1142 to St. Malo. With St. Malo a difference exists. Its cathedral, now degenerated to a parish church, is a Gothic work mainly of the fif- teenth century, and, regardless of its unim- posing qualities, is one of those fascinating old buildings which, in its environment and surroundings, appeals perhaps more largely to us as a component of a whole than as a feature to be admired by itself. The church, safely sheltered from the ravage of gale and storm, sits amid narrow winding streets, whose buildings are so compressed as to rise to heights unusual in the smaller Continental towns. The edifice is mainly of the fifteenth cen- tury, but has been variously renovated and re- stored. Gothic, Renaissance, and the transi- tion between the two are plainly discernible throughout. Perhaps the best art to be noted is that found in the interior of the choir, with its fine triforium and clerestory windows above. Here, again, is to be observed the The Cathedrals of Northern France squared east end of the English contemporary church, a further reminder, if it be needed, of the influences which were bound to be more or less exchanged with regard to the arts and customs of the time, on both shores of La Manche. A few features of passing interest are here, an ivory crucifix, a few tombs, and some indif- ferent paintings. The spire is modern, but gives a suggestion, at least, in viewing the city from a distance, of something of what a mediaeval walled sea- port, with its population huddled close be- neath the shadow of the chucch, and within the city walls, must have been like. The best example of this which ever existed in medi- aeval France, and which exists to-day in a more than ordinary remarkable state of pres- ervation, is the famous Mount St. Michel, a few miles only to the eastward, and famed of all, historian, ecclesiast, artist, and mere pleas- ure-seeker, alike. Most writers are pleased to refer to the confiding attitude of mine host, who conducts the principal hostelry on the Mount, and who guilelessly asks the wary traveller (ofttimes they are wary) what he has partaken of during his stay, and makes up the account accordingly. This is, perhaps, 337 The Cathedrals of Northern France not the least of attributive charms, though it should be a minor one where this wonderful and real Mount, which takes its name from legendary St. Michel, is concerned. Indeed, leaving the cathedrals at Rouen, Chartres, and Le Mans out of the question, it is doubtful if the Abbey of Mont St. Michel is not the chief remaining architectural glory of the middle ages, west of Paris. It is but a short distance from St. Malo to St. Servan, but what a difference! It is called by the French themselves the daughter of St. Malo, — the " faubourg grown into a city." Rabida's " Bretagne " states that there are " nombreux des Anglais a St. Servan, des jeunes gens vivant dans les pensions britta- niques — des families venant I'ete faire en Bre- tagne une cure d'economies pour I'hiver." Continuing, this discerning author says: " Bathers, bicyclists, golfists, promenaders, and excursionists abound." Better then let them hold forth here to their hearts' content; there is little that the lover of churches will gain from what remains to-day of the town's former Cathedral of St. Pierre. ZZ^ XII TREGUIER This old cathedral city, at the junction of two small streamlets, a short distance from the sea, lies perhaps a dozen miles away from the nearest railway. With St. Pol de Leon and St. Brieuc it is, in local characteristics and customs alike, a something apart from any other community in northern France. The Bretons are commonly accredited as be- ing a most devout race, and certainly devotion could take no more marked turn than the many evidences here to be seen in this " land of Calvaries." St. Brieuc is a bishopric, suf- fragan of Rennes, whose cathedral is a hide- ous modern structure of the early nineteenth century quite unworthy as a shrine ; but Tre- guier's power waned with the Revolution. Its fourteenth-century church, however, is suffi- ciently remarkable by reason of its situation and surroundings, none the less than in its fabric, to warrant a deviation from well-worn 339 The Cathedrals of Northern France roads in order to visit it. Chiefly of a late period, it possesses in the Tour de Hasting, named after the Danish pirate (though why seems obscure), which enfolds the north tran- sept, a work of the best eleventh-century class. This should place the church, at once, within the scope of the designation of a " transition " type. In this tower the windows and pilasters are of the characteristic round variety of the period. The south porch is the most highly developed feature as to Mediaeval style, but the attraction lies mainly in its ensembled mas- siveness, with its two sturdy towers and a ridiculously spired south clocher. Beyond a certain grimness of fabric the church fails, not a little, to impress one with even simple grandeur, even when one takes into considera- tion the charms of its florid but firmly de- signed cloister, which, with the church itself, is classed by the Departement des Beaux Arts as one of the twenty-three hundred " Monu- mentes Historiques." Nevertheless, the build- ing proves more than ordinarily gratifying, though by no stretch of the imagination could it be classed as grand. Loftiness and grandeur are equally lacking in the interior, and there is great variation of style with respect to the pillars of nave and 340 The Cathedrals of Northern France choir. This is also the case with the windows, which play the gamut from the severe round- headed Romanesque to the latest flamboyant development, a feature which not only disre- gards most conventions, but, as every one will admit, most flagrantly offends, with sad re- sults, against the general constructive elements. A plain triforium, in the nave, blossoms out, in the south transept and choir, in no hesitating manner, into exceeding richness. The choir has an apsidal termination and contains carved wooden stalls which are classed as work of the mid-seventeenth century, though appearing much rnore time-worn. The really popular attribute*of the church lies in the reconstructed monument to St. Yves, the patron saint of advocates, and commonly considered the most popular in all the Brit- tany calendar. Born near Treguier in 1253, St. Yves' " un- heard-of probity and consideration for the sick and the poor " gained such general respect that, with his death on the nineteenth of May, 1303, there was inaugurated a great feast which to-day is yearly celebrated, and all grieving against a real or fancied wrong have recourse promptly to the supposedly just fa- vour of this universal patron of the law. XIII ST. BRIEUC Unlike many of the smaller towns which contain cathedral churches, St. Brieuc is a present day bishopric; hence the Cathedral takes on, perhaps, more significance than it would, were it but an example of a Mediaeval church. In reality it is not a very wonderful struc- ture, and the guide-books will tell one practi- cally nothing about it. The town itself is a dull place, a tidal port, at some little distance from the sea, which flushes in upon it twice during the round of the clock. A monastery was founded here in the fifth 342 The Cathedrals of Northern France ceritury by St. Brieuc, from whom the town itself and the present cathedral take their name. He was a Celtic monk from Wales, who, upon being expelled from his native land, located his establishment here, on the site of a former Gallo-Roman town. The pa- tronal feast of St. Brieuc is held each year on the first of May and is a curious survival of a mediaeval custom. Some remains of an early church are built into the choir walls, but in the main this not very grand edifice is of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The tower, with its loopholes, would sup- posedly indicate that the church was likewise intended as somewhat of a fortification. The apse is rounded in the. usual form, and on either side extend transepts to the width of two bays. Within, the Cathedral is more attractive than without. The elements of construction and embellishment, while perhaps not rank- ing with those of the really great churches, are sufficiently vivid and lively to indicate that the work was consciously and enthusiasti- cally undertaken. The lady-chapel is of the thirteenth century, and the transept rose is of the fifteenth, as is also the Chapel of St. Guil- 343 The Cathedrals of Northern France laume, named for the monk of Dijon who built so many of the monasteries throughout Brit- tany and who, it is to be presumed, planned or built the original structure, the remains of which are found in the present choir. The windows throughout are either of not very good modern glass, or of plain leaded lights, which, in the majority of cases, may be considered as no less an attraction. An elab- orate rose is in the western gable. There are, in the church, various monu- ments and tombs to former bishops. 344 XIV ST. POL DE LEON In the midst of that land which furnishes the south of England with most of its cauli- flowers, artichokes, onions, and asparagus, truly off the beaten track, in that it is actually off the line of railway, is the strange and mel- ancholy city of St. Pol de Leon, its clochers dominating, by day at least, both land and sea. It contains the famous " Kreisker," a name which sounds as though it were Dutch or North German, which it probably is along with other place names on the near-by coast, such as Grouin, St. Vaast, Roscoff, and La Hougue. The tower and spire of this wonderful " Kreisker " rise boldly, from the transept crossing, in remarkable fashion, and as a marvel of construction may be said to far out- rank the cathedral structure itself. " Curious and clever " well describes it. As for the former cathedral over which the Kreisker 345 The Cathedrals of Northern France throws its shadow, it is one of those majestic twin-towered structures not usually associated with what, when compared with the larger French towns, must perforce rank as a mere village. There is much to be said in favour of these little-known near-by places, namely, that the charm of their attractions amply repays one for any special labour involved in getting to them, with the additional advantage, regard- less of the fact that a stranger appears some- what to the native as a curiosity, that they are " good value for the money paid." Perhaps the cheapest Continental tour, of say three weeks, that could be taken, amid a constantly changing environment, if one so choose, would comprehend this land of Calvaries. The two cathedral towers of early Gothic flank a generous porch. There is good glass throughout the church, the circular " rose " of the transept being a magnificent composi- tion in a granite framing. The nave is of thirteenth-century Gothic, from the south aisle of which projects a large chapel dedicated to St. Michael. The double-aisled choir is gar- nished with sculptured stalls of the fifteenth century, and, separated from its aisles by a stone screen, is of much larger proportions 346 The Cathedrals of Northern France than the nave, and likewise of a later epoch of building. The apse is flamboyant, as are also the windows of the south transept. In the chapels are various vaults and tombs, remark- ably well preserved, but of no special moment. In one of these chapels, however, is a curious painting in the vaulting, representing a " Trinity " possessing three faces, disposed in the form of a trefoil with three eyes only. A ribbon or " banderalle " bears an inscription in Gothic characters; in the Breton tongue, "Ma Donez" (Mon Dieu). 347 XV ST. CORENTIN DE QUIMPER " C'esT Quimper, ce melange du passe et du present." A true enough description of most mediaeval cities when viewed to-day; but with no centre of habitation is it more true than of this city by the sea, — though in re- ality it is not by the sea, but rather of it, with a port always calm and tranquil. It takes rank with Brest as the western outpost of modern France. For centuries unconquered, and possessing an individuality of its very own, this now important prefecture has much to remind us of its past. History, archaeology, and " mere antiquarian lore " abound, and, in its grandi- ose Cathedral of St. Corentin, one finds a large subject for his appreciative considera- tion. It is of the robust and matured type that familiarity has come to regard as representa- tive of a bishopric; nothing is impoverished 348 (T. CORENTIN ) de JUMPER . The Cathedrals of Northern France or curtailed. Its fine towers with modern spires, erected from the proceeds of a " butter tax," are broad of base and delicately and truly proportioned. Its ground-plan is equally worthy, though the choir is not truly orientated. Its general detail and ensemble, one part with another, is all that fancy has told us a great church should contain, and one can but be prepared to appreciate it when it is endorsed, and commented on, by such ardent admirers as De Caumont, VioUet-le-Duc, Cor- royer, and Gonse, those four accomplished Frenchmen, who probably knew more con- cerning Mediaeval (Gothic) architecture than all the rest of the world put together. From the thirteenth to the fifteenth century there grew up here a work embracing the ogival and the flamboyant, neither in an un- due proportion, but as well as in any other single structure known. This well shows the rise, development, and apogee of the style which we commonly call Gothic, but which the French prefer to call " ogival," and which should really, if one is to fairly apportion credit where it is due, be best known as French Mediaeval architecture. Its west fagade, with its generous lines, is strongly original. The two towers, pierced 349 The Cathedrals of Northern France with enormously heightened lancets, are in- dubitably graceful and impressive, while a flanking pair of flying buttresses, with their intermediate piers, form an unusual arrange- ment in the west front of a French cathedral. Above the western gable is a curiously graven effigy of King Grollo in stone. Considered as a whole, the exterior is repre- sentative of the best contemporary features of the time, but contains few if any which are so distinctly born of its environment as to be otherwise notable. The interior vies with the outer portion of the fabric in the general efJect of majesty and good design. The triforium is remarkably beautiful and is overtopped by a range of clerestory windows which to an appreciable extent contain good early glass. The easterly end is the usual semicircular apse. Among the relics of the Cathedral is a cruci- fix which is supposed to emit drops of blood when one perjures himself before it. It is, per- haps, significant that the people of Finistere, the department which claims Quimper as its capital, have the repute of being honest folk. The Bishops of Quimper were, by virtue of the gift of le rot Grodlon le Grave, the only seigneurs of the city during the middle ages. 35° XVI VANNES Vannes was the ancient capital of the Celtic tribe of the Veneti, its inhabitants being put to rout by Caesar in 57 B. C. Afterward it became the Roman town of Duriorigum, and later reverted back to a corruption of its former name. Christianity having made some progress, a council was held, and a bishop ap- pointed to the city, and from that time onward its position in the Christian world appears to have been assured. For centuries afterward, however, it was the centre of a maelstrom of internal strife, in which Armoricans, Britons, Franks, and Romans appear to have been in- extricably involved. Then came the North- men, who burned the former Cathedral of St. Peter. This was rebuilt in the eleventh cen- tury, and in no small measure forms the foun- dation of the present structure, which to-day is the seat of a bishop, suffragan of Rennes. From this early architectural foundation, to 35^ The Cathedrals of Northern France the most florid and flamboyant of late Gothic, is pretty much the whole range of Mediaeval architectural style. By no means has a grand or even fine structure resulted. The old choir, suffering from the stress of time, was pulled down and rebuilt as late as 1770. Thus, this usually excellently appointed and constructed detail is here of no worthy rank whatever. The nave and transepts were completed within the hundred years following 1452, and show the last flights of Gothic toward the heights from which it afterward fell. Transformation and restoration have frequently been" undertaken, with the result that nowhere is to be seen per- haps greater inconsistencies. The latest of these examples of a perverted industry is seen in the nineteenth-century additions to the tower and the west fagade. The result is not, be it said, to the credit of its projectors. THE END. 352 Appendices I The Architectural Divisions of France It is quite possible to construct an ethnographic map of a country from its architectural remains, — but there must always be diverse and varying opinions as to the delimitation of one school, as compared with another lying contiguous thereto. * One may wander from province to province, and continually find reminders, of another manner of building, from that which is recognized as the characteristic local species. This could hardly be otherwise. In the past, as in the present, imitators were not few, and if the adoption of new, or foreign, ideas was then less rapid, it was no less sure. Still, in the main, there is a cohesiveness and limitation of architectural style in France ; which, as is but natural to suppose, is in no way more clearly defined than by the churches which were built during the middle ages, the earliest types retaining the influence of massive forms, and the later again debasing itself to a heavy classical order, neither a copy of anything of a pre-Gothic era, or a happy de- 353 Appendices velopment therefrom. Between the two, in a period of scarcely more than three hundred years, there grew up and developed the ingenious and graceful pointed style, in all its fearlessness and unconvention. Political causes had, perhaps, gomewhat to do with the confining of 4 particular style well within the land of its birth, but on the other hand, warfare carried with it invasion and conquest of new sections, and its followers, in a measure, may be said to have carried with them certain of their former arts, accomplishments, and desires ; and so grew up the composite and mixed types which are frequently met with. There are a dozen or more architectural styles in what is known as the France of to-day. The Proven- cal (more properly, says Fergusson, it should be called " Gallia Narbonese,") one of the most beautiful and clearly defined of all 5 the Burgundian, with its sugges- tion of luxuriance and, if not massiveness, at least grandeur ; the Auvergnian, lying contiguous to both the above, with a style peculiarly its own, though of an un- compromising southern aspect ; Acquitanian, defining the style which lies between Provence, the Auvergnat and the Pyrenees, and a type quite different from either. The Angevinian, which extends northward from Limoges to Normandy and Brittany, and northeasterly nearly to Orleans, is a species difficult to place — it partakes largely of southern influence, but is usually though* to merit a nomenclature of its own, as distinct from the type found at Anjou. Turning now to the northern or Frankish influence, as distinct from the Romance counr 354 Appendices tries ; Brittany joins to no slight degree influences of each region ; Normandy partakes largely of the charac- teristics of the type of Central France, which is thor- oughly dominated by that indigenous to the Isle of France, which species properly might include the Bour- bonnais and Nivernoise variants, as being something of a distinct type, though resembling, in occasional details, southern features. This list, with the addition of French Flanders, with its Lowland types, completes the arrangement, if we except Alsace and Lorraine, which favour the German manner of building rather more than any of the native French types. 355 II A List of the Departments of France, and of the Ancient Provinces from which they have been evolved. Provinces and date of union with France He de France, with La Brie, etc. Always held by the Crown Picardie. Louis XIV. 1667 Artois and Boulonnais. 1640 Flandre and H a i n a ul t Fran9ais. Louis XIV. I 667- I 669 Dipariements Chefs-Lieux Seine Paris Seine-et-Oise Versailles Seine-et-Marne Melun Oise Beauvais Aisne Laon Somme Amiens Pas-de-Calais Arras Nord Lille Normandie. Auguste, : Philippe [204 Seine-InKrieure Eure Calvados Orne Manche Rouen Evreux Caen Alen9on Saint-L6 Bretagne. 1532 Frangois I. Ille-et-Vilaine C5tes-du-Nord Finisterre Morbihan Loire-Inf^rieure Rennes Sajnt-Brieux Quimper Vannes Nantes Orleanais. 1498 Louis XII. Loiret Loir-et-Cher Orleans Blois Beauce and train Pays Char- Eure-et-Loire Chartres Maine. Louis XI. 1481 Aniou. Louis XI. 148 1 Sarthe Mayenne Maine-et-Loire Le Mans Laval Angers 356 Appendices Provinces and date of union with France Dipartements Chefs-Lieux Touraine. Henri III. 1584 Indre-et-Loire Tours Poitou. Charles VI. 1416 Vendee Deux-S^vres Vienne Bourbon-Vendue Niort Poitiers Berri. Philippe I. 11 00 Indre Cher ChSteauroux Bourges Marche. Franyois I. 1531 Creuse Gueret Limousin. Charles V. 1370 Haute- Vienne Correze Limoges Tulle Angoumois. Charles V. 1370 Charente Angoulgme Saintonge and A u n i s . Charente-Inferieure La Rochelle 1370 Guienne and Gascogne. Charles VII. I451 Dordogne Gironde Lot-et-Garonne Lot Tarn-et-Garonne Aveyron Gers _ _ • Hautes-Pyrenees Landes Perigueux Bordeaux Agen Cahors Montauban Rodez Auch Tarbes Mont-de-Marsan Bdarn and French Navarre. Louis XIII. Basses- Pyrenees Pau Comte de Foix. Louis XIIL Ariege Foix Roussillon. 1659 Pyrenees-Orientales Perpignan Languedoc. John, 1361 Haute-Garonne Tarn Aude Herault Gard Toulouse Albi Carcassonne Montpellier Nimes Vivarsus Ardeche Privas Gevaudan Lozere Mende Velay Haute- Loire Le Puy Comtat Venaissin, Orange, etc. Louis XIV. 1713 Vaucluse Avignon Provence. Louis XI. 1481 Bouches-du-Rhone Var Basses- Alpes Marseille Draguignan Digne 357 Appendices Provinces and date of union with Fra7ice Dipartemenis Clufs-Lieux Dauphine. Philippe de Valois, 1343 Isere Dr6me Hautes-Alpes Grenoble Valence Gap Lyonnais and Beaujolais Rh6ne Lyon Forez Loire St. Etienne Auvergne. Philippe Au- guste, 1210 Puy-de-D&me Cantal Clermont Aurillac Bourbonnais. Louis XII. AUier Moulins 1505 Nivernais. Charles VII. Nievre Nevers I4S7 Bresse, Bugey, etc. Ain Bourg Bourgogne (duche). Louis XI. 1477 Saone-et-Loire C8te-d'Or Yonne MS.con Dijon Auxerre Comte de Bourgogne, or Franche-Conitei Peace of Nimeguen, 1678 Doubs Jura Hiute-Sa6ne Besan9on Lons-le-Saulnier Vesoul Champagne. Philippe le Bel, 1284 Aube Mame Haute-Marne Ardehnes Troyes. [Marne Chaions-sur- Chaumont Mezieres Lorraine.' On the death of Stanislas Leczinsky, 1766 Meurthe and Moselle Meuse Vosges Nancy Bar-le>Duc Epinal Alsace.' Louis XIV. 1648 Territory of Belfort Haut-Rhin Belfort Colmar Corsica. 1794. Corse Ajaccio Comte de Nice. 1861 Alpes Maritimes Nice Savoy Savoie Haute-Savoie Chambery Annecy ' The greater part of these provinces as they formerly stood were ceded to Ger- many, May 10, 1871, ZS'<^ Ill The Church in France La France Cathalique is to-day divided into eighty- four dioceses, administered, as to spiritual affairs, by seventeen archbishops and sixty-seven bishops. To each diocese is attached a seminary for the iii§truction of those who aspire to the priesthood. Each chief town of a canton has its cure, each parish its desservant. A rchbiskops and Bishops Parts Chartres Meaux Orleans Blois Versailles Cambrai Arras Lyon - et - Vienne Autun Langres Dijon Sainte Claude Grenoble BOURGES Clermont Limoges Le Puy Tulle Saint Flour Dioceses Seine Eure-et-Loire Seine-et-Marne Loiret Loire-et-Cher Seine-et-Oise Nord Pas-de-Calais Rh6ne, Loire Saone-et-Loire Haute-Mame C6te-d'Or Jura Isfere Cher-et-Indre Puy-de-D6me Haute-Vienne et Creuse Haute-Loire Corr^ze Cantal 359 Appendices A rckhishops and Bishops Diocests Alei Tarn Rodez Aveyron Cahors Lot Meude Lozfere Perpignan Pyrenees-Orientales Bordeaux ' Gironde A gen Lot-et-Garonne Angouleme Charente Poitiers Vienne-et-Deux Sfevres Perigueux Dordogne La Rochelle Charente-Infdrieure Lu9on Vendue AUCH Gers Aire Landes Tarbes Hautes- Pyrenees Bayonne Basses-Pyrenees Toulouse - Narbonnk Haute-Garonne Montauban Tarn^-et-Garonne Pamiers Arige Carcassonne Aude Rouen Seine-Inferieur Bayeux Calvados Evreux Eure S^ez Ome Coutances Manche Sens et Auxerre Yonne Troyes Aube Nevers Nifevre Moulins Allier Reims Arr. de Reims-et-Ardennes Soissons Aisne Ch alons-s ur-Mame Marne except Arrond. de Reims Beauvais Oise Amiens Somme Tours Indre-et-Loire Le Mans Sarthe Angers Maine- et-Loire Nantes Loire-Inferieur Laval Mayenne * The Archbishop of Bordeaux has tliree suffra^ns outside France : St. Denis and La Reunion, St. Pierre and Fort de France (Martinique), Basseterre f Guadaloupe). 36c Appendices A rchiishops and Bishops Dioceses Aix; Arles, and Embrun Bouches-du-Rhone excepi Marseilles Arr. de Marseilles Fr^jus and Toulon Var Digne Basses-Alpes Gap Hautes-Alpes Nice Alpes-Mar times Ajaccio Corse BESANgON Doubs et Haute-Sadne Verdun Meuse Belley Ain St. Di^ Vosges Nancy Meurthe Avignon Vaucluse Nimes Gard Valence Dr6me Viviers Ard8che Montpellier H^rault Rennes Ille-et-Vilaine Quimper Finisterre Vannes Morbihan St. Brieuc C6tes-du-Nord Chamb6ry * Annecy Haute-Savoie Tarentaise Val-de-Tarentaise (Savoie) Maurienne Val-de-Maurienne (Savoie) [seilles 361 IV A List of the Larger French Churches which were at one time Cathedrals and usually referred to as such. Note. — Those marked H; M. Ife classed as Les Monuments HiStofiques by La Commission de la Conservation des Monuments Historiquea^ Agde Hirault H. M. Alais Garde Alen9on Orne Notre Dame H. M. Alet Aude Notre Dame H. M. Apt Vaucluse H. M. Aries Bouches-du-Rh6ne St. Trophimus H. M. Arras St. Vaast Auxerre Yonne St. Etienne H. M. Auxonne CSte-d'Or Notre Dame Avranches Manche (remains only) H. M. Bazas Gironde St. Jean H. M. Bethleem (There was once a Bishop of Bethleem whose see was the village of Clamecy only, but no cathedral.) Beziers Hirault St. Nazaire H. M. Boulogne Pas-de-Calais Notre Dame Bourg Ain Notre Dame Brioud Haute-Loire H. M. Cambrai Notre Dame Carcassonne Aude St. Nazaire H. M. Carpentras Vaucluse St. Siffrein H. M. Castres Tarn St. Benonit Cavaillon Vaucluse St. Veran H. M. Condom Gers H. M. Conserons ArUge (See St. Lizier) Die DrSme H. M. Dinan CStes-du-Nord St. Saveur H. M. 362 Appendices Dol Ille-et- Vilaine St. Samson H. M. Elne PyrSnies-Orientales H. M. Embrun Hautes-Alpes H. M. Gland^ves Basses-Alpes (Bishopric transferred to Entrevaux) Grasse Alpes-Maritimes (Bishopric in XlVth century) Laon Aisne Notre Dame H. M. Lavaur Tarn (Bishopric in XlVth century) Lectours Gers (Bishopric in Xth century) Lescar Basses-Pyrinles H. M. Lisieux Calvados St. Pierre Lodeve mrault St. Fulcran H. M. Lombez Gers H. M. Macon Sa6ne-et-Loire St. Vincent H. M. Mallezais Vendie Mirepoix Ariige (Bishopric in XlVth century) Noyon Oise Notre Dame H. M. Oloron Basses-PyrSntes H. M. Orange Vaucluse Notre Dame P^rigueux Dordogn. St. Etienne St. Bertrand de Haute-Garonne H. M. Comminges « St. Dii Vosges St. Lizier Ariige H. M. St. L6 Manche Notre Dame H. M. St. Malo Ille-et-Vilaine Ste. Marie Basses-Pyrin'ees St. Omar Pas-de-Calais Notre Dame H. M. St. Papoul Aude H. M. St. Paul Trois DrSme H. M. Chateaux St. Pol de Leon Finisterre H. M. St. Servan Jlle-et- Vilaine St. Pierre d'Aleth Sarlat Dordogne H. M. Seez Orne Notre Dame H. M. Senez Basses-Alpes H. M. Senlis Oise Notre Dame H. M. Sisteron Basses-Alpes Soissons Aisne Notre Dame St. Gervais St. Protais H. M. Tarbes Hautes-Pyrinles Eglise de la S^de H. M. Toul Meurthe St. Etienne H. M. Toulon Var Ste. Marie-Majeur Tr^guier CStes-du-AWd H. M. 3^3 Appendices Uzes Gard St. Thierry Vabres Aveyron ■ Vaiso Vaucluse "■■ '^■ Versailles Seine-et-Oise St. Louis Vence Alpes-Maritimes H. M. Vienne Isire St. Maurice H. M. 364 Chronology of the chief styles and examples of church building in the north of France from the Romano-Byzantine period to that of the Renaissance 1050-1075 Nevers 1075-1100 Bayeux Caen 1 1 25-1 1 50 Autun St. Denis 1150-1175 Angers Paris Sens 1200-1225 Reims Auxerre Troyes 1 2 25-1 2 50 Amiens Dijon Bourges 1250-1275 Noyon 1300-1325 Rouen '3S°-I37S Chartres 1425-1450 Auxerre 1450-1475 Evreux 1475-1-500 Rouen Nevers 1500-1525 Beauvais Cliartres 1525-1550 Beauvais Amiens 1 550-1 57 5 Beauvais 1600-1625 Orleans St. Etienne Notre Dame St. Etienne St. Lazare (choir) St. Maurice Notre Dame St. Etienne Distinct round-arch style Pointed arch in vaulting and larger works.with the retaining of the round in the smaller Notre Dame St. Etienne Sts. Peter and Paul Notre Dame St. Beninge St. Etienne Notre Dame (cloisters) Notre Dame (lady-chapel) Notre Dame General adoption of the ogival style The completed ogival style St. Etienne (N. tran- sept) Notre Dame (transepts and tower) Notre Dame (S. W. tower) St. Etienne (S. porch) St. Pierre (S. transept) Notre Dame (N. W. spire) St. Pierre (N. transept) Notre Dame (fl§che) St. Pierre (central tower since destroyed) Ste. Croix Introduction o f Renaissance de- tail in Italy and elaboration o f Gothic in France Renaissance firmly grafted in Italy and gradually appearing in the Gothic of France Renaissance firmly established zH VI Dimensions and Chronology NOTRE DAME D'AMIENS Dimensions Length of nave and ,choir, 469 feet Width including transepts, 214 feet 366 Appendices Width of nave, 59 feet Width of aisles, 33^ feet Height of nave, 141 or 147 feet, estimated variously Height of aisles, 65 feet Length of choir, 135 feet Width of nave including aisles, 150 feet Length of transepts, 194 feet Width of transepts, 36 feet, 6 inches Height of spire, 422 feet Superficial area, 70,000 square feet (approx.) Chronology Nave and choir, 1220-1288 Choir stalls, 1 520 Western towers completed, 1533 Lateral chapels of nave, XVIth century Choir chapels, Xlllth century ST. MAURICE D'ANGERS Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 300 feet Width of transepts, 40 feet 367 Appendices Height of transepts, 80 feet Height of nave, no feet Width of nave, 53 feet Height of spires, 225 feet Chronology Lower viralls, Romano- Byzantine Main body completed, 1240 Choir, Xllth century Bishop's Palace, Xllth century Arras tapestries, XIV th century Choir doorway, Xlllth century (Recently restored by VioUet-le-Duc) ST. VAAST D'ARRAS Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 302 feet Height of nave, 66j^ feet Width of nave, 49 feet Height of tower, 154 feet Chronology Former Cathedral of Notre Dame begun, end of Xllth century Former Cathedral of Notre Dame completed, 1499 Present Cathedral of St. Vaast, 1755-1833 Triptych of Bellegambe in present Cathedral, 1 528 Former Abbey of St. Vaast, now Episcopal Palace since 1754 ST. LAZARE D'AUTUN Dimensions Height of spire, 325 feet Chronology Transition portion constructed by R .bsrt I., Duke of Burgundy, 1031-1076 Spire, XVth century Sculpture of choir, XVIth century Flamboyant ghapels, XVIth century 368 Appendices AUXERRE Chronology Crypt (remains of early work), Xlth century Choir and glass, 1215-1234 Western portals, Xlllth century Nave, 1334-1373 North transept, 1415-1513 N. W. tower, 1525-1530 Iron grille of choir, XVIIIth century NOTRE DAME DE BAYEUX Dimensions Central belfry, 300 feet Length interior, 335 feet Height interior, 74 feet, 9 inches Height of western towers, 252 feet Chronology Odo's crypt, Xlth century Circular arches of nave, late Xlth or early Xllth century Portals of west fagade, Xlllth century Chasuble of St. Regnobert, gift of St. Louis, 1226 Date of tapestry (in inventory of church property), 1476 ST. PIERRE DE BEAUVAIS Dimensions Height of nave, 150 feet Height of original spire, which fell in 1 573, 486 feet Area of choir, about 28,000 square feet Chronology The Basse (Euvre, Vlth to VHIth centuries Present building begun, 1225 • Dedicated, 1272 Roof fell, 1284 South transept begun, 1500 North transept begun, 1530 North transept finished, 1537 Central spire fell, 1573 Ancient Bishop's Palace, now Palais de Justice, XlVth to XVIth centuries 3^9 Appendices ST. ETIENNE DE BOURGES Dimensions Length, 405 feet Width, 135^ feet Height of nave, 124 J^ feet Height of inner aisle, 66 feet Height of outer aisle, 28 feet Height north tow^r, 217^ feet Height south tower, 176 feet Superficial area, 73,170 square feet (approz.) Chronology Dedicated, 1324 Sepulchre, 1336 Crypts, Xllth century North tower, 1 508-1 538 Tower St. Etienne completed, Tower St. Etienne fell, 1 506 Choir stalls, 1760 490 Appendices ST. ETIENNE DE CHALONS -SUR MARNE Chronology Tower next north door, Romano-Byzantine Part of nave and choir, Ogival primaire Aisle and chapels of apse, XlVth century Apse restored, after fire, in 1672 NOTRE DAME DE CHARTRES Dimensions Length nave and choir, 430 feet Width, no feet Length nave only, 121 feet Width nave, 46 feet Width nave aisles, 19 feet Height nave, io6 feet Length transepts, 202 feet Width transepts, 70 feet , Height of north spire, 403 feet Height of south spire, 365 feet Rose window, diameter, 40 to 43 feet Area, 65,000 square feet (approx.) Chronology Wooden church hurried, 1020 Crypt under chevet of choir, 1029 (only remains of original church) Work of rebuilding stopped, 1048 South portal erected, 1060 Work aided by Matilda, queen of William I., 1083 Lower portion of main body built, I loo-i 1 50 Western towers, 11 45 Fire damaged greater part, 1194 Vaulting completed, 1220 Porches of transepts added, 1250 Building consecrated, October 17, 1260 Sacristy and screen in crypt, Xlllth century North spire burned, 1506 Texier's spire erected, 1 507-1 51 5 Texier's spire repaired, 1629 South spire repaired, 1754 Belfry and roof burned (vaulting unharmed), 1836 Appendices NOTRE DAME D'EVREUX Dimensions Length, 368 feet, 6 inches Transept, length, 112 feet Transept, width, 23 feet Chronology Church consecrated, 1076 Church burnt, 1 119 Northwest tower foundations laid, 1352 Northwest tower completed, 1417 North transept, XVIth century Nave, early Xllth to late XVth century Choir, XlVth century Lady-chapel, Xlllth century NOTRE DAME DE LAON Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 351 feet Height of nave, 80 feet Width of nave, 67 feet, 7 inches 37* Appendices Length of transepts, 174 feet Width of transepts, 35 feet, 9 inches Height of western towers, 173 feet Height of southwest tower and spire (formerly), 328 feet Western circular window, 26 feet Superficial area, 44,000 square feet (approx.) Chronology Original church burned, 11 12 New edifice begun, 11 14 Entirely rebuilt, 1 190 General restoration, 185 1 ST. JULIEN, LE MANS i 0^ . ■ i '^ '^^yr^^ff^^ Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 369 feet Width of nave and aisles, 78 feet Width of choir, 123 feet Height of choir, 108 feet Area of choir, 30,000 square feet (approx.) Length of transept, 178 feet Width of transept, 32 feet Appendices Chronology West fa9ade, Xlth century Transition) south portal, Xtlth century Nave and transepts reconstructed, Xllth century Church extended beyond city walls, Xtllth century Choir rebuilt, 1 200 Choir restored, 1858 Coloured glass, Xlllth, XlVth, XVth centuries Rose window, soUth transept, XVth tifeflf (ity Former Bishop's Palace desttoyfed by Gefmans, 187 1 ST. ETIENNE DE MEAUX Dimensions Height of nave, 109 feet Length of nave, 275 feet Length of ttansepts, 1 20 feet Chronology Bishdpric founded, 375 A. D. Choir in part, Xllth centufy Restored, 1652 ST. PIERRE DE NANTES Appendices Dimensions Height of western towers, 270 feet Height of nave, 130 feet Chronology Remains of choir contains, Xllth century Romanesque church rebuilt, XVth century West front, 1 434- 1 500 North transept and choir only completed in XlXth century Tomb of Fran9ois II. and Marguerite de Foix, 1507 Later restoration, 1852 NOTRE DAME DE NOYON V ^"^^^ t f|J M-v,„„n ' tCft \ Dimensions Length, 338 feet Width of nave and aisles, 64 feet, 10 inches Height of nave, 74 feet, 6 inches Height of aisles, 28 feet, 9 inches Height of choir, 26 feet, 3 inches Height of towers, 200 feet Superficial area, 30,000 square feet (approx.) 375 Appendices Chronology First constructed, 989 Burnt, 1 131 Rebuilding undertaken, 1137-1150 Choir, transepts, and nave completed, 1 167-1200 Timber work burnt, 1293 Chapter-house built, Xlllth century Five bays of cloister built, XlVth century Restored under governmental supervision, 1840 ST. CROIX D'ORLEANS Dimensions Height of towers, 280 feet Height of nave, 100 feet Chronology First bishops sent from Rome, Ilird century Cathedral destroyed by Huguenots, 1567 Chapels of nave which still remain, XlVth century Late Gothic mainly of XVIIth century Western towers completed, 1789 NOTRE DAME DE PARIS Dimensions Length, 390 feet Width, 144 feet Height of nave, 102 feet Diameter of rose windows in transept, 36 feet Superficial area, 64,100 square feet Chronology Founded by Bishop de Sully, 1160-1170 High altar dedicated, 1182 Interior completed (approx.), 1208 West front, 1223-1230 Western towers, 1235 Transept portals, 1257 376 Appendices NOTRE DAME DE REIMS Flying Buttresses, . Reims Dimensions Western towers, 267 feet Area, 65,000 feet (approx.) Chronology First stone laid, 121Z First portion dedicated, 121 5 Chapter takes possession of choir, 1244 Nave commenced, 1250 Transept and abside ornamented, 1295 South tower begun and completed, 1380-1391 Coronation of Charles VII., 1427 Southwest tower completed by Philastre, 1430 Tapestries added to choir, 1444 ' Belfry of the Angel built, 1497 Gable of the Assumption and Zodiac, 1408 Reestablishment of grand altar, 1 547 Repairs to portals and vaulting, 1610 Cathedral becomes national property, 1790 Exterior repairs and restoration, i8ii General restorations, 1840 2,083,411 francs voted by Chamber for fegtgrations, 1875 Gifts of Gobelin tapestries, 1848 377 Appendices NOTRE DAME DE ROUEN Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 450 feet Width, including transepts, 177 feet Width of nave and aisles, 105 feet Length of choir only, 118 feet Height of nave, 92 feet Height of central spire, 480 feet Height of Tour de Beurre, 252 feet Height of Tour St. Romain, 246 feet Area (originally), 53,000 square feet Chronology First church founded on site of cathedral by St. Mellar, Vllth century Cathedral enlarged under RoUo, who was buried therein in 930 Consecrated and dedicated, 1063 Tour St. Romain, remains of, Xlth century Destroyed by fire, 1 200 New building completed, Xlllth century Portail de la Calende, XlVth century Tour de Beurre laid, 1487 Tour de Beurre completed, 1507 IFlamboyant west front, XVIth century Appendices Altar of St. Romain, XVIIth century Tomb of the Cardinals, 1556 Central spire, 1823 Restoration of west front, 1897 ST. ETIENNE DE SENS Dimensions Length, 384 feet Width, 124 feet Height, 98 feet Area, 44,000 square feet Chronology Relique of True Cross given by Charlemagne, 800 A. D. Early church destroyed by fire, 970 Nevf church dedicated, 997 Present building completed, n68 Choir rebuilt, 1174 Present transept and nave, Xllth and Xlllth centuries Glass in chapel of St. Savinien, Xlllth century Glass of rose windows, XVIth century * Mausoleum of the Dauphin, XVIIIth century BASILIQUE DE ST. DENIS Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 354 feet Width, 133 feet Clerestory windows (height), 33 feet Chronology Chapel first built above grave of St. Dionysius the martyr, 275 A. D. Benedictine abbey first founded here in reign of Dagobert, 628 Pope Stephen took refuge here, 754 Romanesque fayade, 1140 Consecration of the building, 1144 Nave, Xlllth century Abbot Suger died, 11 51 Crenelated battlement added to fa9ade, XlVth century Spire burned by lightning, XlXth century General restoration by Suger's successors, Xlllth century 379 Appendices General restoration by VioUet-le-Duc, i860 Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette reinterred here (removed from the Madeleine), 1817 ^^HEI^ NOTRE DAME DE ST. OMER Dimensions The great bell of tower weighs 8,500 kilos. Chronology Bishopric founded, 1533 Astronomical clock, XVIth century Tomb of St. Erkembode, Vlllth century Tomb of St. Omer restored, Xlllth century Former Episcopal Palace, now Palais de Justice, 1680 380 Appendices ST. GATIEN DE TOURS Dimensions Length of nave and choir, 256 feet Width, 95 feet Chronology Choir begun, 1170 Tour Charlemagne, Xlth century Tour St. Martin, Xllth century Transepts, 1316 West fa9ade, 1430-1500 Southwest tower, 1507 Tomb of children of Charles VIII., 1483 ST. PIERRE DE TROYES Dimensions Length, 394 feet Width, 168 feet Height, 96 feet Height northwest tower, 202 feet 381 Appendices Chronology Apse and chapels, 1206-1223 Choir and transepts, 1314-1315 Iron grille of choir, Xlllth century Church consecrated, 1430 West fajade, XVth century Nave constructed during XlVth, XVth, XVIth centuries North gable, XVth century Tower St. Pierre, 1559-1568 Northwest tower demolished by lightning, 1700 Vaulting of transepts fell, 1840 Restoration of choir and transepts, 1840 382 VII The French Kings from Charlemagne Onward Charlemagne . . . Louis le Debonnaire Charles le Chauve . Louis II., le Begue . Louis III Carloman .... Charles le Gros . . Eudes Charles III., the Simpl Robert I Rodolf of Burgundy Louis IV., the Strange) Lothaire .... Louis v., le Faineant Hugh Capet . . . Robert II., the Wise Henry I Philip I., I'Amonreux Louis VI., le Gros . Louis VII., le Jeune Philip Augustus . . Louis VIII., the Lion Louis IX., the Saint Philip III., the Hardy Philip IV, the Fair . Louis X., Hutin . . John I Philip V. . . . Charles IV., le Bel A.D. A. D. 768 Philip VI., de Valois . . 1328 814 John II., the Good. . . 1350 840 Charles v., le Sage . . 1364 877 Charles VI., the Beloved 1380 879 Charles VII., the Victori- 879 ous 1422 884 Louis XI 1461 887 Charles VIII 1483 893 Louis XII., of Orleans . 1498 922 Francis 1 1515 923 Henry II 1547 936 Francis II 1559 954 Charles IX 1560 986 Henry III 1574 987 Henry IV., the Great - . 1589 996 Louis XIIE, the Just . . 1610 103 1 Louis XIV., le Grand . . 1643 1060 Louis XV 1715 1 108 Louis XVI 1774 1 137 Revolutionary Tribunal . 1793 1 180 Directory 1795 1223 Napoleon, Consul . . . 1799 1226 Napoleon I.,' Emperor . 1804 1270 Louis XVIII 1814 1285 Charles X 1824 1314 Louis Philippe .... 1830 1316 Republic 1848 1316 Napoleon III., Emperor . 1852 1322 Republic 1870 VIII Measurements of the Cathedrals at Amiens and Salisbury (Whittington) Amiens Salisbury Frenchfeet English/ett 4IS 452 220 246 ing lady-chapel 63 6S south 182 210 42.9 34-5 42.9 18 17-5 41 48 78.9 I02 ISO I'S 132 84 129 210 60 60^ S7-8 38 16 78 78 46 25 . 130 140 Length east to west Length west door to choir Length behind choir, incluc Length transepts north to south Width nave Width transept Width side aisles Width windows Width nave and side aisles Width west front Height vault, nave Height vault, choir Height west towers Height chapels Height side aisles, nave Height side aisles, choir Distance between pillars Height grand arches Number of pillars Number of chapels Length of choir (The old French foot is the equal of 1.06576 English feet.) The above comparative measurements are given as being of the contemporary types of English and French cathedrals, being nearly approximate to each other as to the date of their erection and measurements. The figures themselves are transcribed from a little- known but thoroughly conscientious work by G. D. Whittington, en- titled " Contributions to an Ecclesiastical Survey of France." 384 IX French Metres Reduced to English Feet Metres English feet and Metres English, feet and Metres English feet and decimal parts decimal parts decimal parts 1 3-2Sl 20 2 6.562 30 3 9843 40 4 13.123 SO 5 16.404 60 6 19.685 70 7 22.966 80 8 26.247 90 9 29.528 100 10 32.809 200 65.618 300 984.270 98.427 400 1312.360 131.236 500 1640.450 164.045 600 1968.539 196.854 700 2296.629 229.663 800 2624.719 262.472 900 2952.809 295.281 1000 3280.899 328.090 656.180 ■ 3^ X A Brief Glossary of architectural terms ^ with popular definitions, as applied to the components which compose the principal features of a cathedral church , No. I. Ground Plan A Lady-chapel B Transept C Porch The principal chapel, usually behind the high altar, at the extremity or eastern end of choir, dedicated to Our Lady (Notre Dame) The middle portion of a church, which pro- jects at right angles with the main body of nave and choir Usually the vestibule or receding doorway 386 Appendices D Lantern or crossing E Choir F Ambulatory G Chapels H Nave I Aisles Portal Abside Sacristy Where the transept crosses and joins choir and nave, usually with windows, if a lan- tern proper That portion of the edifice in which are stalls for the choristers, and chapter, also containing the Mattre d'Autel The aisles or colonnade which surround the choir Literally a small place of worship contain- ing an altar. In a great church, which may contain several, they are usually dedicated to male and female saints The main body of a church, extending from the choir to the principal fa9ade ; i. e. that part between the outer aisles The lateral passage on either side of the nave and separated therefrom by piers or pillars Literally, the framework of a doorway The domed easterly end of a church The apartment in which is kept the church plate and vestments No. 2. Cross Section Appendices A Nave aisle vaulting B Nave vaulting C Flying buttress Side aisle Buttress pier Pinnacle Gargoyle Niche The arched roof of stone The arched roof of stone A supporting outside prop of the thrust variety. Notably a distinguishing feature of mediaeval Gothic architecture The passage which flanks the nave The outer support of a flying buttress On towers, buttress piers, gables, etc. A projecting water-spout carved grotesquely A recess in a wall, or surmounting a pier ; primarily to hold a statue No. 3. Interior A Clerestory The upper range of windows of the nave ; rising abbve the adjoining portions B Triforium Literally, a blind window — a range of openings, or possibly an arcade-efifect only, coming below the clerestory and above the lower arches of the nave C Arch (between nave Joining the piers or pillars which separate and aisle) nave from aisles Appendices D Pillars (of nave) Vaulting West wall G Arcaded gallery H Pavement Commonly called pillars, columns, and piers, but more often are literally pillars, being made up of blocks of stone one upon another The stone arched roof Here, in the true Gothic church, is usually found a rose window, though often ob- scured by the organ case A feature frequently seen in the interior of great churches, as distinct from the trifo- riura. Either decorative or of practical value The floor, always of stone, and often of marble or mosaic No. 4. Cross Section JVo4 II 1-J^W^ Sevn ** IfI E 1 < * 1 1 » ( ■la ixM 1 1 1 1 A Flying buttresses B Timber roof C Nave A thrust support, or prop, extending from the main fabric to an outer pier The timber or scantling above the nave, which supports the outer tiled or leaden roofing The main body of a church Appendices D Aisle The passage which flanks the nave E Outer aisle A second or outer passage flanking the nave F Stairway to roof of Stairways from the interior pavement, lead- aisle ing to triforium, belfry, or roof G Crypt In reality a lower or subterranean church or chapel ; from crypta, to hide H Buttress pier The outer support of a flying buttress, or one lying directly against the wall which it strengthens 39Q INDEX Abelard, 94. Acquitajne, 176, 211. Adela, mother of King Stephen of Blois, 121. Agrippa, 134. Aisne, Department of the, 1 34. Alen9on, Bishop of, 307. Alencon, Notre Dame d', 296- 298. Amboise, Cardinal d', 84, 90. Amboise, Georges d', 85, 90. Amiens, 32, 35, 37, 61, 62, 117, 129, 133, 200, 267, 272, 27S. Amiens, Bishop of, 65. Amiens, Cathedral at, 140, 141, 384- Amiens, Flying buttresses at, 67. Amiens, Notre Dame d', 64,69, 72, 366, 367. " Ampoule, Sainte," The, 25, 143. Angers, 119, 149. Angers, Bishop's Palace at, 181. Angers, Castle at, 175. Angers, David d', 235. Angers, St. Maurice d', 147, 173- 182, 367, 368. Angevine Churches, The, 215. Angevine details at Le Mans, 115. Angevine style of architecture. The, 176, 180. Angoul§me, 15. Anjou, 115. Anjou, Counts of, 175. Anjou, Dukes of, 173, 181. Anjou, Margaret of, 173. Anne of Brittany, 169, 184. Anne, Duchesse (see also Anne of Brittany), 188. Antwerp, 126. Architectural divisions of France, 34- Ardennes, Department of the, 134- Aries, 33. Arras, 15, 184, 226. Arras, Belfrf at, 245 ; Citadel of, 244 ; Hotel de Ville, 245. Arras, St. Vaast d', 242-246, 368. Artois, 237, 242. Assisi, St. Francis of, 188. Attila, 132. Attila, Attack on Aurelianum, 150. Attila, Defeat at Chalons, 251. Augustus, 134. Aurelian, 150, 226. Autun, 33, 257, 258. Autun, St. Lazare d', 257-261, 368. Auvergne, 131- Auvergnat Churches, The, 215. Auxerre, 215. Auxerre, Bishops of, 194. Auxerre, Episcopal Palace at, Auxerre, St. Etienne d', 191- 196, 369. Auxonne, Notre Dame d', 220. Avignon, 33. Avranches, 321. Z9^ Index Avranches, Notre Dame de, 326- 328. Azon, 307. Baldwin of Hainault, 237. Balzac, 164. Bayeux, 285. Bayeux, Odo, Bishop of, 311, 312. Bayeux, Notre Dame de, 310-314, 369- Bayeux, Tapestry of, 310, 311. Beauvais, 13, 19, 20, 32, 35, 37, 61, 69, 117-119. '33. 200,267. Beauvais, Bishop of, 52, 303. Beauvais, Romano-Byzantine work at, 75. • Beauvais, Cathedral of St. Pierre, 28, 70-76, 140, 369. Beaux Arts, Departement de, 23, 340. Beaux Arts, Palais des, 96. Becket, St. Thomas i, 54, 280, 282, 327. Bedford, Duke of, 90. Belgica, Secunda, 132. Bellegambe, 244. BellSne, Count of, 307. Belmas, Bishop, 235. Benedictine Abbey at St. Denis, 93- Berengaria, Queen, 113, 120. Bernard de Soissons, 138. Berry, Due de, 96, 108. Besan5on, 27, 32, 223, 225. Bethleem, Bishop of, 31. Bishop's Palace, The (Amiens), 67. Bishop's Palace, The, at Beauvais, 76. " Black Angers," 174 (see Shake- speare on Angers). Blanche of Castile, 66, 169. Blois, 18, 149, 210, 215. Blois, Chateau of, 157. Blois, Counts of, 121. Blois, King Stephen of, 121. Blois, St. Louis de, 156. Bonn, Minster at, 50. Borgia, Caesar, 182. Borrom^e, 244. Boulogne-sur-Mer, 223, 225. Boulogne-sur-Mer, Notre Dame de, 231-233. Bourasse, Abb^, 108, 2ii, 260, 279. 303- Bourges, 33, 37, 61, 215. Bourges, St. Etienne de, 139, 199-208, 370. Brest, 348. Bretagne, Due de, 187. Briceius, 165. Brittany, 12, 20, 27, 32. Brittany, Chancellor of, 182. Brittany, Duchy of, 184. Bruges, 262. Burgundy, 258, 259, 262. Byzantine influences at Bourges, 202. Byzantine tendencies, 13; con- ception, 27. Caen, 285. Caesar, burned Orleans, 150. Calixtus II., 133. Calvin (John), 51. Cambrai, 15, 226. Cambrai, Notre Dame de, 234- 236. Capet, Hugh, 51. Carcassonne, 33. Carlovingian Dynasty, The, 94. Carrier, 183. Cathedrals, The Grand, 23. Cathedrals of the North, 26. "Caveau Imperial," The, at St. Denis, 95. Chalons (sur Marne), 132, 133, 226. Chalons-sur-Mame, St. Etienne de, 251-253, 371- Chambidge, Martin, 276. Chambord, 18, 210, 214. Champagne, Counts of, 274. Chancellor of Brittany, 182. Chantilly, Chateau of, 50. Charlemagne, 51, 133, 282. Charlemagne, Tour de, 165. Charles of Anjou, 12a 392 Index Charles the Bold, Duke of Bur- gundy, 262-263. Charles (King), 212. Charles V., 240, 282. Charles VII., 30, 138, 144. Charles VIII., 17, 169, 184. Charles X., 24, 144. Chartres, 20, 30, 33, 35, 61, 62, 113, 210, 215, 278, 338. Chartres, Celtic foundation of, 124. Chartres, Counts of, 121. Chartres, Details at, 87. Chartres, Jean de, 187. Chartres, Notre Dame de, 121, I39> 140, 141, 371- Chartres, Spires of Cathedral at, 125, 267. Chaste Susanne, Painting of, 220. Chateau of the Italian Dukes (at Nevers), 210. Chateaux of the Loire, 18, 32, 148. Chaucer's " Temple of Mars," 86. Chaumont, 18. Chenonceaux, 18, 210. Ghilderic, 132, 133. Cires-les-Mello, 35. Clamecy, 31. Clement, Eudes, 99. Clotilda, wife of Clovis, 133. Clovis, 22, 30, 138, 139, 143, 144, 224. Clovis, Baptism of, 133. Coligny, 151. Cologne, Apse-sided transepts at, 50. Cologne, Cathedral at, 20, 37, 13s. 141- Colomb, Michael, 187, 332. Colombiers, 315. Commercy, Jacquemin de, 250. Commission des Monuments Historiques, 35, 170, 176, 213. Compifegne, Chateau of, 50. Condes, The, 1 53. Constant, 282. Cormier, Jean, 129. Corroyer, 349. Coucy, Chateau of, 50. Coutances, 267, 285, 286, 321. Coutances, Notre Dame de, 321- 325- Creil, 35. Croixmore, Abp. Robert de, 84. Crusaders, The, 14. Dagobert I., 93. D'Arc, Jeanne, 151, 303. Dauphins of France, The, 170. Da Vinci, 157. De Breze, Louis, 89. De Breze, Pierre, 89. De Caumont, " AbecSdaire'd Ar- chitecture," 33, 349. De Sauteuil, 106. Descartes, 164. Descent from the Cross, The (by Rubens), 239. Devils of Notre Dame, The, 106. Dieppe, 285. Dijon, 27, 223, 258. Dijon, St. Beninge of, 225, 262- 265. • Dinan, 333. Dol-de-Bretagne, Fa9ade at, 98. Dol-de-Bretagne, St. Samson de, 329-332- Domenichino, 272. Domfront, 321. Douai, 244. Du Bellay Langey, 120. Duf6tre, Mgr., 211. Duroctorum, 132. East of Paris, 221. Eastern influences at Bourges, 202. Ebo, Bishop of Reims, 136. Edict of Nantes, The, 183. Edward III., 129. English characteristics of Gothic, 45. 68- Estonteville, Cardinal d', 88. Evreux, 32. Evreux, Notre Dame d', 288-295', 372- Exeter, 114. zsz Index Falise, 321. Fenelon, 235, 236. Fergusson, quoted, iz, 56, 126, 139- Fiesole, Jerome de, 187. Flemish school of painting, 244. Flemish wood-carving, 90. Florence, 33. Flying buttresses, Notre Dame de Paris, 28; Notre Dame d' Amiens, 28 ; Tours, 167. Foix, Marguerite de, 187. Fouilloy, Evrard de, 65. France, Architectural divisions of, 34- France, Ecclesiastical capital of, 133- France, Kings of, 24, 93, 383. Francis I., 74. Francis II., Tomb of, 187. Franks, The, 22. Franks, The Ripuarian, 133. Franks, Invasion of, 132, 133, 224. Frankish influence, ii. Freeman, Prof. Aug., 1 1 3, 248, 311- Frejus, 15. French Flanders, 41. French Gothic Architecture, 38. French Medisval Architecture, 38. French Revolution, The, 31, 43, 44. 52. SS.96>99. 103. 142. 184. 226. Fulbert, Bishop of Chartres, 129. " Gallery of Kings," at Amiens, 67. Gallery of Kings, The (at Reims), 138, 178. Gaucher, 138. Geeraerts (of Antwerp), 235. Genabum (of Gallia), 150. Genoa, 157. German manner of building, 27. Ghent, 242, 262. Gisors, 35. Gobelin Tapestries, 76, 143. Gons^, 349. Good God of Amiens, The, 66. Gothic, Development of, 14, 24 ; Rudimentary, 16; Anti, 18; Non, 18. Goujon, Jean, 89, 170. Gourney, 35. Grand Cathedrals, The, 12, 20, 35, 61-63. Granville, 321. Grouin, 345. Guillaume of Sens, 225. Guillaume Bras-de-Fer, 323. Hachette, Jeanne, 76. Haffreingue, Mgr., 233. Henry I., 129, 133. Henry II. (of France), 113, 166, 249. Henry II. (of England), 282, 301, 325- Henry IV., 30, 96, 133, 153, 183. Henry of Navarre, 1 29. House of the Kings, The, 144. Hugh II., 215. Hugo's "Notre Dame," 106. Huguenots, The, 153, 195. Humbert, Alberic de, 137. Irene, Princess, 130. Isle de la Cite, 105, 106. Isle of France, 12, 27, 61. Italian influences, 17. Ivor (Bishop of Chartres), 212. James (Henry), 163, 204. Jean sans Peur, 265. Jensen, Nicolas, 164. Joannes, Abbe, 253. John, Duke of Bedford, 90. John the Baptist, 69. Jovinus, Tomb of, 142. Juste, 170. "Kreisker," The (at St. Pol de Leon), 345. La Hougue, 345. Langris, 32. 394 Index Langr^s, La Montagne de, 218. Langr^s, St. Mammes de, 218- 220. Laon, 20, 32, 41, 61, 325. Laon, Notre Dame de, 43-46, 49, 139. 372-373- Laon, Palais de Justice, 46. Last Judgment, The (at Bourges), 204. Le Mans, 32, 61, 62, 120, 121, 124, 168, 200, 210, 338. Le Mans, German invasion of, 120. Le Mans, Notre Dame de la Cloture, 180. Le Mans, St. Julien, 11 3-1 20, 373. 374- Leo III., 133. Leo IX., 307. Le Puy, 33. Lescornel, 219. Le Tellier, 144. Le Veneur, Bishop, 292. Libergier, 142. Limoges, 151. Lisieux, 285, 286, 301. Lisleux, St. Pierre de, 301-304. Loire, Cathedrals of the, 145. Loire, Valley of the, 147, 148. Loire, Chateaux of, 18, 32, 147. Longsword, William, 89. Lorraine, Abbe, 143. Loudon, Geoff roy dq, 118. Louis le Debonnaire, 1 33. Louis le Gros, 133. Louis I., 136. Louis VI., 94. Louis XL, 208, 246. Louis XII., 184. Louis XII., Tomb of, at St. Denis, 19. Louis XIV., 144. Louis XVI., 96, 282. Louis XVIII., 31, 96, 143. Louis Philippe, 31. Louviers, 127, 297. Low Countries, The, 16, 20. Lowell (James Russell), " A Day in Chartres," iz6. Lowell, Hon. E. J., 310. Luitgarde, 165. Luzarch, Robert de, 65. Madeleine, The, 96. Maid of Orleans, The, 81, 94, 144, 151. Maine, 114. Maine, Count of, 120. Mainz, 214. Mansard, 159, 240. Margaret of Anjou, 173, l8i. Marie Antoinette, 96. Marie de Medicis, 182. Marie Louise, 95. Marne, Department of, 132, 134. Marne, River, 270. Martel, Charles, 133. Matilda, queen of William the Conqueror, 129, 310, 311. Mazarin (Cardinal), 210. Meaux, 270. Meaux, St. Etienne de, 270-273, 374- Medicis, Marie de, 182. M^re de Dieu, 66. Metz, 227, 248, 249. Meyron, Etchings of, 106. Montbray, Geoffrey de, 323. Monthery, 89. Mont St. Michel, 321, 337,338; Abbey of, 338. Monuments, Historical, 23, 340. Moorish type of architecture at Bourges, 201. Moors of Spain, The, 202. Moselle, Valley of the, 226. Moulins, 36. Musee des Petits Augustines, 96. Nancy, 226. Nancy, Cathedral at, 227. Nantes, 20, 32, 148, 149. Nantes, Edict of, 183. Nantes, St. Pierre de, 183, 374, 375- Naples, 157. Napoleon I., 31, 103; Marriage of, 95. 395 Index Napoleon III., 31, 99. Narbonne, 151. " Narthex, Burgundian," 258. Netherlands, The, 14. Neuss, Apse-sided transepts at, 50. Nevers, 33, 277. Nevers, St. Cyr and St. Juliette de, 209. Nevers, St. Etienne de, 212, 216. Nevers, The Pont du Loire, 209. Nevers, Tour Gougin, 213; Tour St. Eloi, 213. Nicman, Archbishop, 136. Nievre, Counts of, 210. Nimes, 33. Nivernais, The, 210. Nogent-les-Vierges, 35. Normandy, 115, 176. Normandy, Duke of, 89. Norsemen, The, 82. Notre Dame d'Alen9on, 296-298. Notre Dame d' Amiens, 64-69, 72, 366, 367. Notre Dame d'Auxonne, 220. Notre Dame de Bayeux, 310-314, 369- Notre Dame de Boulogne-sur- Mer, 231-233. Notre Dame de Cambrai, 234- 236. Notre Dame de Chartres, 121, 139-141.371- Notre Dame de Coutances, 321- 325- Notre Dame d'Evreux, 288-295, 372- Notre Dame de la Cloture (Le Mans), 180. Notre Dame de Laon, 43-46, 372. Notre Dame de I'Epine, 251. Notre Dame de Noyon, 29, 49- 53. 199. 375. 376. Notre Dame de Paris, 28, 49, loi- 107, 139, 140, 199, 376, 377. Notre Dame de Reims, 132-144, 248, 249. Notre Dame de Rouen, 37, 49, 79-90. 139. 338. 378, 379- Notre Dame de St. Lo, 3i5-3'8 Notre Dame de St. Oraer, 237- 241, 380. Notre Dame de Senlis, 266-269. Noviodunum, 51. Noyades, The, 184. Noyon, 20, 32, 41, 117, 127, 268. Noyon, Notre Dame de, 29, 49- 53. 199. 375. 376. Odericus Vitalis, Bishop, 302. Odon, 323. Oise, The River, 50. Onfroy, 323. Orange, 184. Oriflamme, The, 94. Orleans, 33, 148, 149. Orleans, Captured by Clovis, 151, 152. Orleans Family, The, 169. Orleans, German occupation of, 151. Orleans, St. Croix d', 150-155, 376. Orleans, The Maid of, 81, 94, 144, 151. Palais de Justice, Beauvais, 76. Parame, 335. Paris, 20, 61, 267. Paris, Documentary history of, 26. Paris, East of, 221. Paris, Notre Dame de, 28, 49, 101-107, 139, 140, 199, 217, 376, 377- Paroissien, Poncelet, 142. Pepersack Tapestries at Reims, The, 143. Pepin, 94, 133. Perigueux, 15, 33. Perpetus, Bishop of Tours, 165. Perreal, Jehan, 187. Perrifonds, Chateau of, 50. Philastre, Cardinal, 137. Philippe Augustus, 24, 34, 117, Philippe le Bon, 262. Philippe le Hardi, 65, 265. Picardy, 184. 396 Index Ficardy, Patron Saint of, 69. Plantagenets, Cradle of the, 173. Poitiers, 33. Poitiers, Diane de, 89. Pont du Loire, Nevers, 209. Pope Stepiien, 94. Portal de St. Honore (Amiens), 67. Portal de la Vierge D o r d e (Amiens), 67. Porte d'Arroux, Autun, 257. Porte St. Andre, Autun, 257. Provence, 211. Quimper, 27, 32, 348. Quimper, St. Corentin de, 348- 350- Rabelais, 164. Rabida, " Bretagne " of, 338. Raphael, Tapestry cartoons at S. Kensington, 76. Reclus, 215. Regnault, 187. Regnier, Cardinal, 235. Reims, 32, 35, 37, 128, 129, 224, 226, 278. Reims, Baptism of Clovis at, 30. Reims, Capture of, by vandals, 132. Reims, Cathedral at, 24. Reims, Details at, 87. Reims, Devastation at, 25. Reims, Notre Dame de, 93, 132- 144, 248, 249. Reims, Portals of Cathedral, 66. Reims, Roman remains at, 134. Reims, St. Nicaise of, 82. Remi, Capital of the, 132. Renaissance, The, 16. Renaissance Architecture at Bourges, 201. Renaissance fa9ade at Tours, 166, 167. Renaissance wood-carving, 46. Ren^, King, 173, 175, 181. Reni, Guido, 272. Rennes, 15. Revolution, The French, 31, 43, 44. 52. SS. 96> 99. 103. 142, 184, 226. Rhine, The, 23, 27, 223. Rhine Provinces, The, 14. Rh8ne, The, 36. Richard Coeur-de-Lion, 90, 113, 120. Richard the Fearless, 83. Rigobert, Bishop, 133. Robert I., Duke of Burgundy, 258, 260. Robert, son of Tancrede-de- Hauteville, 323. Roger, son of Tancrede-de- Hauteville, 323. Rohan, Cardinal de, 243. RoUo, 82, 89. Romanesque tendencies, 13, 27, 44; types, 20, ZI. Roman power, Decline of, 26. Roman remains at Reims, 134. Romans, The, at Genabum (Or- leans), 150. Romano-Bj^antine work at Beauvais, 75. Romano-Byzantine nave at Le Mans, 115. Rome, 33. Rosary, Chapel of the (Soissons), 57- Roscoff, 345. Rouen, 19, 35, 37, 61, 62. Rouen, Cathedral at, 37, 49, 79- 90. 139. 338. 378, 379- Rouen, Notre Dame de, 37, 49, 79-90. 139. 338, 378. 379- Rouen, Tour de Benrre, 204. Royal Domain, The, 223. Royale Rue (Tours), 163. Royamont, 35. Rubens, 235, 238. Rubens, " Adoration " by (Sois sons), 58. Rumaldi, 136. Ruskin on Rouen Cathedral, 85. Ruskin, quoted, 72, 81, 128, 285, 302. 397 Index St. Aignan, 150. St. Beninge (Monk of Dijon), 225. St. Beninge (Catliedral), 262-265. St. Bertin, Abbey of (St. Omer), 225, 240. St. Brieuc, 339, 342. St. Brieuc, Cathedral of, 342-344. St. Corentin, Cathedral of, 27. St. Corentin de Quimper, 348- 3S°- St. Croix, Abbey of, 318. St. Croix d'Orleans, 150-155, 376. St. Cyr and St. Juliette de Nevers, 209. St. Denis, 19, 61. St. Denis, Abbey of, 93. St. Denis, Abbot of, 94. St. Denis, Basilique de, 93-100, 379- St. Denis, Church of (at St. Omer), 225. St. Denis, Crypt of, 96. St. Deodatus, 254. St. Die, 226, 254-256. St. Die (Cathedral), 255, 256. St. Dionysius, 97, 98. St. Etienne d'Auxerre, 191-196, 369- St. Etienne de Bourges, 199-208, 370. St. Etienne (Chalons-sur-Marne), 251-253. 371- St. Etienne de Meaux, 270-273, 374- St. Etienne du Mont (Paris), 15, 19- St. Etienne de Nevers, 212, 216. St. Etienne de Sens, 279-282, 379- St. Etienne de Toul, 247-250. St. Eustache, Church of, Paris, 196. St. Fermin the Martyr, 67, 68. St. Francis of Assisi, 188. St. Gatien de Tours, 147, 163, 206, 381. St. Gengoult, Church of (Toul), 248. St. Germain, Church, of (at Au- ■ xerre), 195. St. Jean the Evangel, 218. St. Jean des Vignes, Abbey of, 54. St. John, 69. St. Julien, Church of (at Tours), 169. St. Julien, Le Mans, 1 13-120, 373' 374- St. Laud, Bishop, 315. St. Lazare d'Autun, 257-261, 368. St. Lo, 285, 321. St. Lo, Notre Dame de, 315-318. St. Louis, 34, 66, 188, 314. St. Louis, Arms of, 169. St. Louis de Blois, 156. St. Louis de Versailles, Cathedral of, 108. St. Maclou, Church of (Rouen), 19, 81. St. Malo, 335, 338. St. Malo, Cathedral of, 336-338. St. Mammas de Langres, 218-220. Ste. Marguerite, 188. St. Martin (of Tours), 165. St. Martin, Tour de (at Tours), 165. St. Maurice d'Angers, 147, 173- 182, 367, 368. St. Nazaire (Autun), 258. St. Nicaise, 82, 136, 142. St. Nicolas de Coutances, 325. St. Mellor, 82. St. Omer, 27, 223, 225. St. Omer, Notre Dame de, 237- 241, 380. St. Ouen, Church of (Rouen), 15, 30,80,87, 241, 277. St. Peter's, at Rome, 20. " St. Peter's of the North," 71. " St. Peter's of the South," 13. St. Peter and Paul, Church of (at Tours), 165. St. Pierre d'Aleth, 336. St. Pierre de Beauvais, 28, 70-76, 140, 369. St. Pierre de Coutances, 325. St. Pierre de Lisieux, 301-304. 398 Index St. Pierre de Nantes, 183, 374, 37 S- St. Pierre de Troyes, 274-278, 381, 382. St. Pol de Leon, 255, 339, 345. St. Pol de Leon, Cathedral of, 345-347- St. Potentian, 279. St. Quentin, Maze at, 131. St. Remi, 31, 133, 134, 136. St. Samson, 329-332. St. Savinien, 279, 282. St. Sepulchre, Church of (at St. Omer), 240. St. Servan, 335, 338. St. Sixte, 132. St. Urbain, 273. St. Vaast d' Arras, 242-246, 345, 368. St. Yves, 341. " Sainte Ampoule," The, 25, 143. Salisbury, Cathedral at, 64, 384. Salisbury, John of, 129. Saracen type of architecture at Bourges, 201. Seez, 61, 267, 277, 305. Seez, Notre Dame de, 305-309. Seine, The, 36, 106. Seine and Loire (by J. M. W. Turner), 169. Seine, Department of, 108. Senlis, 266. Senlis, Notre Dame de, 266-269. Sens, 61, 279. Sens, Guillaume of, 225, 280. Sens, St. Etienne de, 279-282, 379- Seville, Cathedral at, 20. Shakespeare on Angers (in " King John"), 173- Societe des Monuments Histo- riques, 35, 170, 176. Soissons, 20, 32, 41, 117, 133, 268. Soissons, Bombardment of, by the Germans, 56. Soissons, Notre Dame de, 54-58. South Kensington, 272. Stephen, Pope, 136. Stevenson (Robert Louis), 28, 42. Strasbourg, 248. Strasburg, Cathedral at, 126, 135, 227. Suger, Abbot, The, 94, 97. " Suisse, The," 80. Tancrede-de-Hauteville, 323. Tapestries at Angers, i8i. Tapestries at Bayeux, 310-31 1. Tapestries at Le Mans, 1 20. Tapestries at Reims, 142, 143. Tapestries at Soissons, 58. Tapestries from Raphael's car- toons (at Beauvais), 76. Tapestry-making at Beauvais, 76 ; at Paris ; at Arras, 76, 242, 245, 246. Tetricus, 226. Texier, 126, 131. "Therouanne, The Great God of," 240. Torenai River, 258. Torlonia, Prince Alex, 233. Toul, 226, 247-250. Toul, St. Etienne de, 247-250. Touloise, 151. Tour d'Auvergne, Cardinal de la, 244. Tour de Beurre (Rouen), 84, 89. Tour de Charlemagne (at Tours), 165. Tour de Hasting (at Treguier), 340. Tour Gougin (at Nevers), 213. Tour de I'Horloge (at Tours), 165. Tour St. Eloi (at Nevers), 213. Tour de St. Martin (at Tours), 165. Touraine, Old, 163. Tournai, 41. Tours, 18, 33, 277. Tours, Church of St. Peter and . Paul, 165. Tours, St. Gatien de, 147, 163, 206, 381. Tours (St. Martin of), 165. Tours, West front of St. Gatien, 74- 399 Index Transition examples, 39. Transition Style of Arcliitecture, Tlie, 176. Tr^guier, 32, 253, 339. Treguier, Cathedral of, 339-341. " Tresor," The, at Reims, 143. " Tresor," The, at Troyes, 278. " Tresor," The, at Sens, 282. " Tresor," The, at Bayeux, 314. Treves, 214. Trianons, The, 108. Troyes, 20, 61, 274, 275. Troyes, St. Pierre de, 274-278, 381, 382. Turner (J. M. W.), "Seine and Loire," 169. Valence, 36. Valois Branch of the Orleans Family, i6g. Vannes, 351. Vannes, Cathedral of, 35:, 352. Vauban, 244. Vauduse, 184. Vendome, Matthieu de, 99. Versailles, Fountains at, 108. Versailles, St. Louis de, 108. Villeneuve, Bishop de, 193. Vmers-St.-Pol, 35. VioUet-le-Duc, 83, 96, 99, 139, 181, 349. Vire, River, 315. Wellington, Duke of, 175. Westphalia, Treaty of, 249. William, Duke of Normandy, 323. Winchester, Henry, Bishop of, 121. Winchester, Prelate of, 303. Wood-carving (at Amiens), 68. Worms, 214. Yonne, The River, 191. 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