NORMANDY:

THE SCENERY & ROMANCE OF ITS ANCIENT TOWNS:

DEPICTED BY GORDON HOME

Part 1. 

PREFACE

This book is not a guide. It is an attempt to convey by pictures anddescription a clear impression of the Normandy which awaits the visitor. 

The route described could, however, be followed without covering the sameground for more than five or six miles, and anyone choosing to do thiswould find in his path some of the richest architecture and scenery thatthe province possesses. 

As a means of reviving memories of past visits to Normandy, I may perhapsventure to hope that the illustrations of this book--as far as thereproductions are successful--may not be ineffectual. 

GORDON HOME

EPSOM, _October_ 1905

CONTENTS

PREFACE

LIST OF COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS

LIST OF LINE ILLUSTRATIONS

CHAPTER ISome Features of Normandy

CHAPTER IIBy the Banks of the Seine

CHAPTER IIIConcerning Rouen, the Ancient Capital of Normandy

CHAPTER IVConcerning the Cathedral City of Evreux and the Road to Bernay

CHAPTER VConcerning Lisieux and the Romantic Town of Falaise

CHAPTER VIFrom Argentan to Avranches

CHAPTER VIIConcerning Mont St Michel

CHAPTER VIIIConcerning Coutances and Some Parts of the Cotentin

CHAPTER IXConcerning St Lo and Bayeux

CHAPTER XConcerning Caen and the Coast Towards Trouville

CHAPTER XISome Notes on the History of Normandy

LIST OF COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS

MONT ST MICHEL FROM THE CAUSEWAY

ON THE ROAD BETWEEN CONCHES AND BEAUMONT-LE-ROGERThis is typical of the poplar-bordered roads of Normandy. 

THE CHATEAU GAILLARD FROM THE ROAD BY THE SEINEThe village of Le Petit Andely appears below the castle rock, and ispartly hidden by the island. The chalk cliffs on the left often looklike ruined walls. 

A TYPICAL REACH OF THE SEINE BETWEEN ROUEN AND LE PETIT ANDELYOn one side great chalk cliffs rise precipitously, and on theother are broad flat pastures. 

THE CHURCH AT GISORS, SEEN FROM THE WALLS OF THE NORMAN CASTLE

THE TOUR DE LA GROSSE HORLOGE, ROUENIt is the Belfry of the City, and was commenced in 1389. 

THE CATHEDRAL AT ROUENShowing a peep of the Portail de la Calende, and some of the quainthouses of the oldest part of the City. 

THE CATHEDRAL OF EVREUX SEEN FROM ABOVEOn the right, just where the light touches some of the roofs of thehouses, the fine old belfry can be seen. 

A TYPICAL FARMYARD SCENE IN NORMANDYThe curious little thatched mushroom above the cart is to be found inmost of the Norman farms. 

THE BRIDGE AT BEAUMONT-LE-ROGEROn the steep hill beyond stands the ruined abbey church. 

IN THE RUE AUX FEVRES, LISIEUXThe second tiled gable from the left belongs to the fine sixteenthcentury house called the Manoir de Francois I. 

THE CHURCH OF ST JACQUES AT LISIEUXOne of the quaint umber fronted houses for which the town is famousappears on the left. 

FALAISE CASTLEThe favourite stronghold of William the Conqueror. 

THE PORTE DES CORDELIERS AT FALAISEA thirteenth century gateway that overlooks the steep valley of the Ante. 

THE CHATEAU D'OA seventeenth century manor house surrounded by a wide moat. 

THE GREAT VIEW OVER THE FORESTS TO THE SOUTH FROM THE RAMPARTS OFDOMFRONT CASTLEDown below can be seen the river Varennes, and to the left of the railwaythe little Norman Church of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau. 

THE CLOCK GATE, VIRE

A VIEW OF MONT ST MICHEL AND THE BAY OF CANCALE FROM THE JARDIN DESPLANTES AT AVRANCHESOn the left is the low coast-line of Normandy, and on the right appearsthe islet of Tombelaine. 

DISTANT VIEW OF MONT ST MICHEL

THE LONG MAIN STREET OF COUTANCESIn the foreground is the Church of St Pierre, and in the distanceis the Cathedral. 

THE GREAT WESTERN TOWERS OF THE CHURCH OF NOTRE DAME AT ST LOThey are of different dates, and differ in the arcading and otherornament. 

THE NORMAN TOWERS OF BAYEUX CATHEDRAL

ST PIERRE, CAEN

OUISTREHAM

LIST OF LINE ILLUSTRATIONS

THE FORTIFIED FARM NEAR GISORS

A SEVENTEENTH CENTURY HOUSE AT ARGENTAN

THE OLD MARKET HOUSE AT ECOUCHE

ONE OF THE TOWERS IN THE WALLS OF DOMFRONT

THE CHËTELET AND LA MERVFILLE AT MONT ST MICHELThe dark opening through the archway on the left is the main entrance tothe Abbey. On the right can be seen the tall narrow windows that light thethree floors of Abbot Jourdain's great work. 

AN ANCIENT HOUSE IN THE RUE ST MALO, BAYEUX

THE GATEWAY OF THE CHATEAU

THE DISUSED CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS AT CAEN

A COURTYARD IN THE RUE DE BAYEUX AT CAEN

CHAPTER I

Some Features of Normandy

Very large ants, magpies in every meadow, and coffee-cups without handles, but of great girth, are some of the objects that soon become familiar tostrangers who wander in that part of France which was at one time as muchpart of England as any of the counties of this island. The ants and thecoffee-cups certainly give one a sense of being in a foreign land, but whenone wanders through the fertile country among the thatched villages andfarms that so forcibly remind one of Devonshire, one feels a friendlinessin the landscapes that scarcely requires the stimulus of the kindlyattitude of the peasants towards _les anglais_. 

If one were to change the dark blue smock and the peculiar peaked hat ofthe country folk of Normandy for the less distinctive clothes of theEnglish peasant, in a very large number of cases the Frenchmen would passas English. The Norman farmer so often has features strongly typical of thesouthern counties of England, that it is surprising that with his wife andhis daughters there should be so little resemblance. Perhaps this isbecause the French women dress their hair in such a different manner tothose on the northern side of the Channel, and they certainly, taken as awhole, dress with better effect than their English neighbours; or it may bethat the similar ideas prevailing among the men as to how much of the faceshould be shaved have given the stronger sex an artificial resemblance. 

In the towns there is little to suggest in any degree that the mediaevalkings of England ruled this large portion of France, and at Mont St Michelthe only English objects besides the ebb and flow of tourists are the twogreat iron _michelettes_ captured by the French in 1433. Everyone who comesto the wonderful rock is informed that these two guns are English; but asthey have been there for nearly five hundred years, no one feels much shameat seeing them in captivity, and only a very highly specialised antiquarywould be able to recognise any British features in them. Everyone, however, who visits Normandy from England with any enthusiasm, is familiar with theessential features of Norman and early pointed architecture, and it is thuswith distinct pleasure that the churches are often found to be strikinglysimilar to some of the finest examples of the earlier periods in England. 

When we remember that the Norman masons and master-builders had beenimproving the crude Saxon architecture in England even before the Conquest, and that, during the reigns of the Norman kings, "Frenchmen, " as the Saxonscalled them, were working on churches and castles in every part of ourisland, it is no matter for surprise to find that buildings belonging tothe eleventh, twelfth, and even the thirteenth century, besides being ofsimilar general design, are often covered with precisely the same patternsof ornament. When the period of Decorated Gothic began to prevail towardsthe end of the thirteenth century, the styles on each side of the Channelgradually diverged, so that after that time the English periods do notagree with those of Normandy. There is also, even in the churches that mostresemble English structures, a strangeness that assails one unlessfamiliarity has taken the edge off one's perceptions. Though not the casewith all the fine churches and cathedrals of Normandy, yet with anunpleasantly large proportion--unfortunately including the magnificentChurch of St Ouen at Rouen--there is beyond the gaudy tinsel that crowdsthe altars, an untidiness that detracts from the sense of reverence thatstately Norman or Gothic does not fail to inspire. In the north transept ofSt Ouen, some of the walls and pillars have at various times been made tobear large printed notices which have been pasted down, and when out ofdate they have been only roughly torn off, leaving fragments that soonbecome discoloured and seriously mar the dignified antiquity of thestone-work. But beyond this, one finds that the great black stands forcandles that burn beside the altars are generally streaked with the waxthat has guttered from a dozen flames, and that even the floor is coveredwith lumps of wax--the countless stains of only partially scraped-upgutterings of past offerings. There is also that peculiarly unpleasantsmell so often given out by the burning wax that greets one on entering thecool twilight of the building. The worn and tattered appearance of therush-seated chairs in the churches is easily explained when one sees thealmost constant use to which they are put. In the morning, or even as lateas six in the evening, one finds classes of boys or girls being catechisedand instructed by priests and nuns. The visitor on pushing open the swingdoor of an entrance will frequently be met by a monotonous voice thatechoes through the apparently empty church. As he slowly takes his wayalong an aisle, the voice will cease, and suddenly break out in a simplebut loudly sung Gregorian air, soon joined by a score or more of childishvoices; then, as the stranger comes abreast of a side chapel, he causes agrave distraction among the rows of round, closely cropped heads. Therather nasal voice from the sallow figure in the cassock rises higher, andas the echoing footsteps of the person who does nothing but stare about himbecome more and more distant, the sing-song tune grows in volume once more, and the rows of little French boys are again in the way of becoming goodCatholics. In another side chapel the confessional box bears a large whitecard on which is printed in bold letters, "M. Le Cure. " He is on duty atthe present time, for, from behind the curtained lattices, the strangerhears a soft mumble of words, and he is constrained to move silentlytowards the patch of blazing whiteness that betokens the free air andsunshine without. The cheerful clatter of the traffic on the cobbles istypical of all the towns of Normandy, as it is of the whole republic, butCaen has reduced this form of noise by exchanging its omnibuses, thatalways suggested trams that had left the rails, for swift electric tramsthat only disturb the streets by their gongs. In Rouen, the electric cars, which the Britisher rejoices to discover were made in England--the driverbeing obliged to read the positions of his levers in English--are a hugeboon to everyone who goes sight-seeing in that city. Being swept along in asmoothly running car is certainly preferable to jolting one's way over theuneven paving on a bicycle, but it is only in the largest towns that onehas such a choice. 

Although the only road that is depicted in this book is as straight as anybuilt by the Romans and is bordered by poplars, it is only one type of thegreat _routes nationales_ that connect the larger towns. In the hilly partsof Normandy the poplar bordered roads entirely disappear, and howeverstraight the engineers may have tried to make their ways, they have beenforced to give them a zig-zag on the steep slopes that breaks up themonotony of the great perspectives so often to be seen stretching away forgreat distances in front and behind. It must not be imagined that Normandyis without the usual winding country road where every bend has beyond itsome possibilities in the way of fresh views. An examination of a good roadmap of the country will show that although the straight roads are numerous, there are others that wind and twist almost as much as the average Englishturnpike. As a rule, the _route nationale_ is about the same width as mostmain roads, but it has on either side an equal space of grass. This isfrequently scraped off by the cantoniers, and the grass is placed in greatpiles ready for removal. When these have been cleared away the thoroughfareis of enormous width, and in case of need, regiments could march in thecentre with artillery on one side, and a supply train on the other, withoutimpeding one another. 

Level crossings for railways are more frequent than bridges. The gates aregenerally controlled by women in the family sort of fashion that one seesat the lodge of an English park where a right-of-way exists, and yetaccidents do not seem to happen. 

The railways of Normandy are those of the Chemin de Fer de l'Ouest, and onesoon becomes familiar with the very low platforms of the stations that areraised scarcely above the rails. The porters wear blue smocks and trousersof the same material, secured at the waist by a belt of perpendicular redand black stripes. The railway carriages have always two foot-boards, andthe doors besides the usual handles have a second one half-way down thepanels presumably for additional security. It is really in the nature of abolt that turns on a pivot and falls into a bracket. On the doors, theclass of the carriages is always marked in heavy Roman numerals. Thethird-class compartments have windows only in the doors, are innocent ofany form of cushions and are generally only divided half-way up. The secondand first-class compartments are always much better and will bearcomparison with those of the best English railways, whereas the usualthird-class compartment is of that primitive type abandoned twenty or moreyears ago, north of the Channel. The locomotives are usually dirty andblack with outside cylinders, and great drum-shaped steam-domes. They seemto do the work that is required of them efficiently, although if one istravelling in a third-class compartment the top speed seems extraordinarilyslow. The railway officials handle bicycles with wonderful care, and thisis perhaps remarkable when we realize that French railways carry them anydistance simply charging a penny for registration. 

The hotels of Normandy are not what they were twenty years ago. Improvements in sanitation have brought about most welcome changes, so thatone can enter the courtyard of most hotels without being met by theaggressive odours that formerly jostled one another for space. When yourealize the very large number of English folk who annually pass from townto town in Normandy it may perhaps be wondered why the proprietors ofhotels do not take the trouble to prepare a room that will answer to thedrawing-room of an English hotel. After dinner in France, a lady hasabsolutely no choice between a possible seat in the courtyard and herbedroom, for the estaminet generally contains a group of noisy Frenchmen, and even if it is vacant the room partakes too much of the character of abar-parlour to be suitable for ladies. Except in the large hotels in RouenI have only found one which boasts of any sort of room besides theestaminet; it was the Hotel des Trois Marie at Argentan. When this defecthas been remedied, I can imagine that English people will tour in Normandymore than they do even at the present time. The small washing basin and jugthat apologetically appears upon the bedroom washstand has still an almostuniversal sway, and it is not sufficiently odd to excuse itself on thescore of picturesqueness. Under that heading come the tiled floors in thebedrooms, the square and mountainous eiderdowns that recline upon the beds, and the matches that take several seconds to ignite and leave a sulphurousodour that does not dissipate itself for several minutes. 

CHAPTER II

By the Banks of the Seine

If you come to Normandy from Southampton, France is entered at the mouth ofthe Seine and you are at once introduced to some of the loveliest scenerythat Normandy possesses. The headland outside Havre is composed of ochreishrock which appears in patches where the grass will not grow. The heightsare occupied by no less than three lighthouses only one of which is now inuse. As the ship gets closer, a great spire appears round the cliff in thesilvery shimmer of the morning haze and then a thousand roofs reflect thesunlight. 

There are boats from Havre that take passengers up the winding river toRouen and in this way much of the beautiful scenery may be enjoyed. By thismeans, however, the country appears as only a series of changing picturesand to see anything of the detail of such charming places as Caudebec, andLillebonne, or the architectural features of Tancarville Castle and theAbbey of Jumieges, the road must be followed instead of the more leisurelyriver. 

Havre with its great docks, its busy streets, and fast electric tramcarsthat frighten away foot passengers with noisy motor horns does not compel avery long stay, although one may chance to find much interest among theshipping, when such vessels as Mr Vanderbilt's magnificent steam yacht, without a mark on its spotless paint, is lying in one of the inner basins. If you wander up and down some of the old streets by the harbour you willfind more than one many-storied house with shutters brightly painted, anddormers on its ancient roof. The church of Notre Dame in the Rue de Parishas a tower that was in earlier times a beacon, and it was here that threebrothers named Raoulin who had been murdered by the governor Villars in1599, are buried. 

On the opposite side of the estuary of the Seine, lies Honfleur with itsextraordinary church tower that stands in the market-place quite detachedfrom the church of St Catherine to which it belongs. It is entirelyconstructed of timber and has great struts supporting the angles of itswalls. The houses along the quay have a most paintable appearance, theiroverhanging floors and innumerable windows forming a picturesque backgroundto the fishing-boats. 

Harfleur, on the same side of the river as Havre, is on the road toTancarville. We pass through it on our way to Caudebec. The great spire ofthe church, dating from the fifteenth century, rears itself above thisancient port where the black-sailed ships of the Northmen often appeared inthe early days before Rollo had forced Charles the Simple (he should havebeen called "The Straightforward") to grant him the great tract of Frenchterritory that we are now about to explore. 

The Seine, winding beneath bold cliffs on one side and along the edge offlat, rich meadowlands on the other, comes near the magnificent ruin ofTancarville Castle whose walls enclose an eighteenth century chateau. Thesituation on an isolated chalk cliff one hundred feet high was moreformidable a century ago than it is to-day, for then the Seine ran closebeneath the forbidding walls, while now it has changed its course somewhat. The entrance to the castle is approached under the shadow of the greatcircular corner tower that stands out so boldly at one extremity of thebuildings, and the gate house has on either side semi-circular towersfifty-two feet in height. Above the archway there are three floorssparingly lighted by very small windows, one to each storey. They point outthe first floor as containing the torture chamber, and in the towersadjoining are the hopelessly strong prisons. The iron bars are still in thewindows and in one instance the positions of the rings to which theprisoners were chained are still visible. 

There are still floors in the Eagle's tower that forms the boldest portionof the castle, and it is a curious feature that the building is angularinside although perfectly cylindrical on the exterior. Near the chateau youmay see the ruined chapel and the remains of the Salle des Chevaliers withits big fireplace. Then higher than the entrance towers is the TourCoquesart built in the fifteenth century and having four storeys with afireplace in each. The keep is near this, but outside the present castleand separated from it by a moat. The earliest parts of the castle allbelong to the eleventh century, but so much destruction was wrought byHenry V. In 1417 that the greater part of the ruins belong to a few yearsafter that date. The name of Tancarville had found a place among the greatfamilies of England before the last of the members of this distinguishedFrench name lost his life at the battle of Agincourt. The heiress of thefamily married one of the Harcourts and eventually the possessions cameinto the hands of Dunois the Bastard of Orleans. 

From Tancarville there is a road that brings you down to that which runsfrom Quilleboeuf, and by it one is soon brought to the picturesquelysituated little town of Lillebonne, famous for its Roman theatre. It wasthe capital of the Caletes and was known as Juliabona, being mentioned inthe iters of Antoninus. The theatre is so well known that no one hasdifficulty in finding it, and compared to most of the Roman remains inEngland, it is well worth seeing. The place held no fewer than threethousand people upon the semi-circular tiers of seats that are now coveredwith turf. Years ago, there was much stone-work to be seen, but this haslargely disappeared, and it is only in the upper portions that many tracesof mason's work are visible. A passage runs round the upper part of thetheatre and the walls are composed of narrow stones that are not muchlarger than bricks. 

The great castle was built by William the Norman, and it was here that hegathered together his barons to mature and work out his project which madehim afterwards William the Conqueror. It will be natural to associate thefine round tower of the castle with this historic conference, butunfortunately, it was only built in the fourteenth century. From more thanone point of view Lillebonne makes beautiful pictures, its roofs dominatedby the great tower of the parish church as well as by the ruins of thecastle. 

We have lost sight of the Seine since we left Tancarville, but a ten-milerun brings us to the summit of a hill overlooking Caudebec and a greatsweep of the beautiful river. The church raises its picturesque outlineagainst the rolling white clouds, and forms a picture that compelsadmiration. On descending into the town, the antiquity and the quaintnessof sixteenth century houses greet you frequently, and you do not wonderthat Caudebec has attracted so many painters. There is a wide quay, shadedby an avenue of beautiful trees, and there are views across the broad, shining waters of the Seine, which here as in most of its length attractsus by its breadth. The beautiful chalk hills drop steeply down to thewater's edge on the northern shores in striking contrast to the flatness ofthe opposite banks. On the side of the river facing Caudebec, the peninsulaenclosed by the windings of the Seine includes the great forest ofBrotonne, and all around the town, the steep hills that tumblepicturesquely on every side, are richly clothed with woods, so that withits architectural delights within, and its setting of forest, river andhill, Caudebec well deserves the name it has won for itself in England aswell as in France. 

Just off the road to Rouen from Caudebec and scarcely two miles away, is StWandrille, situated in a charming hollow watered by the Fontanelle, ahumble tributary of the great river. In those beautiful surroundings standthe ruins of the abbey church, almost entirely dating from the thirteenthcentury. Much destruction was done during the Revolution, but there isenough of the south transept and nave still in existence to show what thecomplete building must have been. In the wonderfully preserved cloisterwhich is the gem of St Wandrille, there are some beautiful details in thedoorway leading from the church, and there is much interest in therefectory and chapter house. 

Down in the piece of country included in a long and narrow loop of theriver stand the splendid ruins of the abbey of Jumieges with its threetowers that stand out so conspicuously over the richly wooded country. Whenyou get to the village and are close to the ruins of the great Benedictineabbey, you are not surprised that it was at one time numbered amongst therichest and most notable of the monastic foundations. The founder was StPhilibert, but whatever the buildings which made their appearance in theseventh century may have been, is completely beyond our knowledge, forJumieges was situated too close to the Seine to be overlooked by theharrying ship-loads of pirates from the north, who in the year 851demolished everything. William Longue-Epee, son of Rollo the great leaderof these Northmen, curiously enough commenced the rebuilding of the abbey, and it was completed in the year of the English conquest. Nearly the wholeof the nave and towers present a splendid example of early Normanarchitecture, and it is much more inspiring to look upon the fine westfront of this ruin than that of St Etienne at Caen which has an aspect sodull and uninspiring. The great round arches of the nave are supported bypillars which have the early type of capital distinguishing eleventhcentury work. The little chapel of St Pierre adjoining the abbey church isparticularly interesting on account of the western portion which includessome of that early work built in the first half of the tenth century byWilliam Longue-Epee. The tombstone of Nicholas Lerour, the abbot who wasamong the judges by whom the saintly Joan of Arc was condemned to death, isto be seen with others in the house which now serves as a museum. Associated with the same tragedy is another tombstone, that of Agnes Sorel, the mistress of Charles VII. , that heartless king who made no effort tosave the girl who had given him his throne. 

Jumieges continued to be a perfectly preserved abbey occupied by its monksand hundreds of persons associated with them until scarcely more than acentury ago. It was then allowed to go to complete ruin, and norestrictions seem to have been placed upon the people of the neighbourhoodwho as is usual under such circumstances, used the splendid buildings as astorehouse of ready dressed stone. 

Making our way back to the highway, we pass through beautiful scenery, andonce more reach the banks of the Seine at the town of Duclair which standsbelow the escarpment of chalk hills. There are wharves by the river-sidewhich give the place a thriving aspect, for a considerable export trade iscarried on in dairy produce. 

After following the river-side for a time, the road begins to cut acrossthe neck of land between two bends of the Seine. It climbs up towards theforest of Roumare and passes fairly close to the village of St Martin deBoscherville where the church of St George stands out conspicuously on itshillside. This splendid Norman building is the church of the Abbey built inthe middle of the eleventh century by Raoul de Tancarville who wasWilliam's Chamberlain at the time of the conquest of England. The abbeybuildings are now in ruins but the church has remained almost untouchedduring the eight centuries and more which have passed during which Normandywas often bathed in blood, and when towns and castles were sacked two orthree times over. When the forest of Roumare, has been left behind, youcome to Canteleu, a little village that stands at the top of a steep hill, commanding a huge view over Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy. Youcan see the shipping lying in the river, the factories, the spire of thecathedral, and the many church towers as well as the light framework of themodern moving bridge. This is the present day representative of thefantastic mediaeval city that witnessed the tragedy of Joan of Arc's trialand martyrdom. We will pass Rouen now, returning to it again in the nextchapter. 

The river for some distance becomes frequently punctuated with islands. Large extents of forest including those of Rouvray, Bonde and Elbeuf, spread themselves over the high ground to the west. The view from aboveElbeuf in spite of its many tall chimney shafts includes such a finestretch of fertile country that the scene is not easily forgotten. 

Following the windings of the river through Pont-de-L'Arche and the forestof Louviers we come to that pleasant old town; but although close to theSeine, it stands on the little river Eure. Louviers remains in the memoryas a town whose church is more crowded with elaborately carved stone-workthan any outside Rouen. There is something rather odd, in the closejuxtaposition of the Hotel Mouton d'Argent with its smooth plastered frontand the almost overpowering mass of detail that faces it on the other sideof the road. There is something curious, too, in the severe plainness ofthe tower that almost suggests the unnecessarily shabby clothing worn bysome men whose wives are always to be seen in the most elaborate and costlygowns. Internally the church shows its twelfth century origin, but all theintricate stone-work outside belongs to the fifteenth century. The porchwhich is, if possible, richer than the buttresses of the aisles, belongs tothe flamboyant period, and actually dates from the year 1496. In theclerestory there is much sixteenth century glass and the aisles which arelow and double give a rather unusual appearance. 

The town contains several quaint and ancient houses, one of them supportedby wooden posts projects over the pavement, another at the corner of theMarche des Oeufs has a very rich though battered piece of carved oak at theangle of the walls. It seems as if it had caught the infection of theextraordinary detail of the church porch. Down by the river there are manytimber-framed houses with their foundations touching the water, with narrowwooden bridges crossing to the warehouses that line the other side. ThePlace de Rouen has a shady avenue of limes leading straight down to a greathouse in a garden beyond which rise wooded hills. Towards the river runsanother avenue of limes trimmed squarely on top. These are pleasantfeatures of so many French towns that make up for some of the deficienciesin other matters. 

We could stay at Louviers for some time without exhausting all itsattractions, but ten miles away at the extremity of another deep loop ofthe Seine there stands the great and historic Chateau-Gaillard that towersabove Le Petit-Andely, the pretty village standing invitingly by a cleft inthe hills. The road we traverse is that which appears so conspicuously inTurner's great painting of the Chateau-Gaillard. It crosses the bridgeclose under the towering chalk cliffs where the ruin stands so boldly. There is a road that follows the right bank of the river close to therailway, and it is from there that one of the strangest views of the castleis to be obtained. You may see it thrown up by a blaze of sunlight againstthe grassy heights behind that are all dark beneath the shadow of a cloud. The stone of the towers and heavily buttressed walls appears almost aswhite as the chalk which crops out in the form of cliffs along theriver-side. An island crowded with willows that overhang the waterpartially hides the village of Le Petit-Andely, and close at hand above thesteep slopes of grass that rise from the roadway tower great masses ofgleaming white chalk projecting from the vivid turf as though they were theworn ruins of other castles. The whiteness is only broken by the horizontallines of flints and the blue-grey shadows that fill the crevices. 

From the hill above the Chateau there is another and even more strikingview. It is the one that appears in Turner's picture just mentioned, andgives one some idea of the magnificent position that Richard Coeur de Lionchose, when in 1197 he decided to build an impregnable fortress on thisbend of the Seine. It was soon after his return from captivity whichfollowed the disastrous crusade that Richard commenced to show PhilippeAuguste that he was determined to hold his French possessions with hiswhole strength. Philippe had warned John when the news of the release ofthe lion-hearted king from captivity had become known, that "the devil wasunchained, " and the building of this castle showed that Richard was makingthe most of his opportunities. The French king was, with somejustification, furious with his neighbour, for Richard had recently givenhis word not to fortify this place, and some fierce fighting would haveensued on top of the threats which the monarchs exchanged, but for thedeath of the English king in 1199. When John assumed the crown of England, however, Philippe soon found cause to quarrel with him, and thus the greatsiege of the castle was only postponed for three or four years. The Frenchking brought his army across the peninsula formed by the Seine, and havingsucceeded in destroying the bridge beneath the castle, he constructed onefor himself with boats and soon afterwards managed to capture the island, despite its strong fortifications. The leader of the English garrison wasthe courageous Roger de Lacy, Constable of Chester. From his knowledge ofthe character of his new king, de Lacy would have expected littleassistance from the outside and would have relied upon his own resources todefend Richard's masterpiece. John made one attempt to succour thegarrison. He brought his army across the level country and essayed todestroy the bridge of boats constructed by the French. This one effortproving unsuccessful he took no other measures to distract the besiegingarmy, and left Roger de Lacy to the undivided attention of the Frenchmen. Then followed a terrible struggle. The French king succeeded in drawing hislines closer to the castle itself and eventually obtained possession of theouter fortifications and the village of Le Petit-Andely, from which theinhabitants fled to the protection of the castle. The governor had no wishto have all his supplies consumed by non-combatants, and soon compelledthese defenceless folk to go out of the protection of his huge walls. Atfirst the besiegers seemed to have allowed the people to pass unmolested, but probably realizing the embarrassment they would have been to thegarrison, they altered their minds, and drove most of them back to thecastle. Here they gained a reception almost as hostile as that of theenemy, and after being shot down by the arrows of the French they remainedfor days in a starving condition in a hollow between the hostile lines. Here they would all have died of hunger, but Philippe at last took pity onthe terrible plight of these defenceless women and children and old folks, and having allowed them a small supply of provisions they were at lastreleased from their ghastly position. Such a tragedy as this lends terriblepathos to the grassy steeps and hollows surrounding the chateau and one mayalmost be astonished that such callousness could have existed in these daysof chivalry. 

The siege was continued with rigour and a most strenuous attack was madeupon the end of the castle that adjoined the high ground that overlooksthe ruins. With magnificent courage the Frenchmen succeeded in miningthe walls, and having rushed into the breach they soon made themselvesmasters of the outer courtyard. Continuing the assault, a small partyof intrepid soldiers gained a foothold within the next series offortifications, causing the English to retreat to the inner courtyarddominated by the enormous keep. Despite the magnificent resistanceoffered by de Lacy's men the besiegers raised their engines in front ofthe gate, and when at last they had forced an entry they contrived afeat that almost seems incredible--they cut off the garrison from theirretreat to the keep. Thus this most famous of castles fell within halfa dozen years of its completion. 

In the hundred years' war the Chateau-Gaillard was naturally one of thecentres of the fiercest fighting, and the pages of history are full ofreferences to the sieges and captures of the fortress, proving how evenwith the most primitive weapons these ponderous and unscalable walls werenot as impregnable as they may have seemed to the builders. Like the abbeyof Jumieges, this proud structure became nothing more than a quarry, for inthe seventeenth century permission was given to two religious houses, oneat Le Petit-Andely and the other at Le Grand-Andely to take whateverstone-work they required for their monastic establishments. Records showhow more damage would have been done to the castle but for the frequentquarrels between these two religious houses as to their rights over thevarious parts of the ruins. When you climb up to the ruined citadel andlook out of the windows that are now battered and shapeless, you can easilyfeel how the heart of the bold Richard must have swelled within him when hesaw how his castle dominated an enormous belt of country. But you cannothelp wondering whether he ever had misgivings over the unwelcome proximityof the chalky heights that rise so closely above the site of the ruin. Weourselves, are inclined to forget these questions of military strength inthe serene beauty of the silvery river flowing on its serpentine coursepast groups of poplars, rich pastures dotted with cattle, forest lands andvillages set amidst blossoming orchards. Down below are the warmchocolate-red roofs of the little town that has shared with the chateau itsgood and evil fortunes. The church with its slender spire occupies thecentral position, and it dates from precisely the same years as those whichwitnessed the advent of the fortress above. The little streets of the townare full of quaint timber-framed houses, and it is not surprising that thisis one of the spots by the beautiful banks of the Seine that has attained aname for its picturesqueness. 

With scarcely any perceptible division Le Grand-Andely joins the smallervillage. It stands higher in the valley and is chiefly memorable for itsbeautiful inn, the Hotel du Grand Cerf. It is opposite the richlyornamented stone-work of the church of Notre Dame and dates chiefly fromthe sixteenth century. The hall contains a great fireplace, richlyornamented with a renaissance frieze and a fine iron stove-back. Thecourtyard shows carved timbers and in front the elaborate moulding beneaththe eaves is supported by carved brackets. Unlike that old hostelry atDives which is mentioned in another chapter, this hotel is not overrestored, although in the days of a past proprietor the house contained agreat number of antiques and its fame attracted many distinguishedvisitors, including Sir Walter Scott and Victor Hugo. 

In writing of the hotel I am likely to forget the splendid painted glass inthe church, but details of the stories told in these beautiful works of thesixteenth century are given in all good guides. 

There is a pleasant valley behind Les Andelys running up towards the greatplateau that occupies such an enormous area of this portion of Normandy. The scenery as you go along the first part of the valley, through thelittle village of Harquency with its tiny Norman church, and cottages withthatched roofs all velvety with moss, is very charming. The country isentirely hedge-less, but as you look down upon the rather thirsty-lookingvalley below the road, the scenery savours much of Kent; the chalky fields, wooded uplands and big, picturesque farms suggesting some of theagricultural districts of the English county. When we join the broad andstraight national road running towards Gisors we have reached the tablelandjust mentioned. There are perhaps, here and there, a group of stately elms, breaking the broad sweep of arable land that extends with no moreundulations for many leagues than those of a sheet of old-fashioned glass. The horizon is formed by simply the same broad fields, vanishing in a thin, blue line over the rim of the earth. 

[Illustration: THE FORTIFIED FARM NEAR GISORS]

At Les Thilliers, a small hamlet that, owing to situation at cross-roadsfigures conspicuously upon the milestones of the neighbourhood, the road toGisors goes towards the east, and after crossing the valley of the Epte, you run down an easy gradient, passing a fine fortified farm-house withcircular towers at each corner of its four sides and in a few minutes haveturned into the historic old town of Gisors. It is as picturesque as anyplace in Normandy with the exception of Mont St Michel. The river Eptegliding slowly through its little canals at the sides of some of thestreets, forms innumerable pictures when reflecting the quaint houses andgardens whose walls are generally grown over with creepers. Near the ascentto the castle is one of the washing places where the women let their soapsuds float away on the translucent water as they scrub vigorously. Theykneel upon a long wooden platform sheltered by a charming old roofsupported upon a heavy timber framework that is a picture in itself. 

If you stay at the Hotel de l'Ecu de France you are quite close to thecastle that towers upon its hill right in the middle of the town. Mostpeople who come to Gisors are surprised to find how historic is its castle, and how many have been the conflicts that have taken place around it. Theposition between Rouen and Paris and on the frontier of the Duchy gave itan importance in the days of the Norman kings that led to the erection of amost formidable stronghold. In the eleventh century, when William Rufus wason the throne of England, he made the place much stronger. Both Henry I. And Henry II. Added to its fortifications so that Gisors became in time asformidable a castle as the Chateau Gaillard. During the Hundred Years' War, Gisors, which is often spoken of as the key to Normandy, after fiercestruggles had become French. Then again, a determined assault would leavethe flag of England fluttering upon its ramparts until again the Frenchmenwould contrive to make themselves masters of the place. And so theseconstant changes of ownership went on until at last about the year 1450, adate which we shall find associated with the fall of every Englishstronghold in Normandy, Gisors surrendered to Charles VII. And has remainedFrench ever since. 

The outer baileys are defended by some great towers of massive Normanmasonry from which you look all over the town and surrounding country. Butwithin the inner courtyard rises a great mound dominated by the keep whichyou may still climb by a solid stone staircase. From here the view is verymuch finer than from the other towers and its commanding position wouldseem to give the defenders splendid opportunities for tiring out anybesieging force. The concierge of the castle, a genial old woman ofgipsy-like appearance takes you down to the fearful dungeon beneath one ofthe great towers on the eastern side, known as the Tour des Prisonniers. Here you may see the carvings in the stone-work executed by some of theprisoners who had been cast into this black abyss. These carvings includerepresentations of crucifixes, St Christopher, and many excellentlyconceived and patiently wrought figures of other saints. 

We have already had a fine view of the splendid Renaissance exterior of thechurch which is dedicated to the Saints Gervais and Protais. The choir isthe earliest part of the building. It belongs to the thirteenth century, while the nave and most of the remaining portions date from the fifteenthor sixteenth century. It is a building of intense architectural interestand to some extent rivals the castle in the attention it deserves. 

CHAPTER III

Concerning Rouen, the Ancient Capital of Normandy

When whole volumes have been written on Rouen it would be idle to attempteven a fragment of its history in a book of this nature. But all who go toRouen should know something of its story in order to be able to make themost of the antiquities that the great city still retains. How much wewould give to have an opportunity for seeing the Rouen which has vanished, for to-day as we walk along the modern streets there is often nothing toremind us of the centuries crowded with momentous events that have takenplace where now the electric cars sweep to and fro and do their best tomake one forget the Rouen of mediaeval times. 

Of course, no one goes to the city expecting to find ancient walls andtowers, or a really strong flavour of the middle ages, any more than oneexpects to obtain such impressions in the city of London. Rouen, however, contains sufficient relics of its past to convey a powerful impression uponthe minds of all who have strong imaginations. There is the cathedral whichcontains the work of many centuries; there is the beautiful and inspiringchurch of St Ouen; there is the archway of the Grosse Horloge; there is thecrypt of the church of St Gervais, that dates from the dim fifth century;and there are still in the narrow streets between the cathedral and thequays along the river-side, many tall, overhanging houses, whose ageappears in the sloping wall surfaces and in the ancient timbers that showthemselves under the eaves and between the plaster-work. 

Two of the most attractive views in Rouen are illustrated here. One of themshows the Portail de la Calende of the cathedral appearing at the end of anarrow street of antique, gabled houses, while overhead towers thestupendous fleche that forms the most prominent feature of Rouen. The otheris the Grosse Horloge and if there had been space for a third it would haveshown something of the interior of the church of St Ouen. The view of thecity from the hill of Bon Secours forms another imposing feature, but Ithink that it hardly equals what we have already seen on the road fromCaudebec. 

When you come out of the railway station known as the _Rive Droite_ a shortstreet leads up to one of the most important thoroughfares, the Rue Jeanned'Arc. It is perfectly straight and contains nothing in it that is notperfectly modern, but at the highest point you may see a marble tabletaffixed to a wall. It bears a representation in the form of a gildedoutline of the castle towers as they stood in the time of the Maid ofOrleans, and a short distance behind this wall, but approached from anotherstreet, there still remains the keep of Rouen's historic castle. Thecircular tower contains the room which you may see to-day where Joan wasbrought before her judges and the instruments of torture by which thesaintly maiden was to be frightened into giving careless answers to thequestions with which she was plied by her clever judges. This stone vaultedroom, although restored, is of thrilling interest to those who have studiedthe history of Joan of Arc, for, as we are told by Mr Theodore Cook in his"Story of Rouen, " these are the only walls which are known to have echoedwith her voice. 

Those who have made a careful study of the ancient houses in the olderstreets of Rouen have been successful in tracing other buildings associatedwith the period of Joan of Arc's trial. The Rue St Romain, that narrow andnot very salubrious thoroughfare that runs between the Rue de la Republiqueand the west front of the cathedral, has still some of the old canons'lodgings where some of the men who judged Joan of Arc actually lived. Amongthem, was Canon Guillaume le Desert who outlived all his fellow judges. There is still to be seen the house where lived the architect who designedthe palace for Henry V. Near Mal s'y Frotte. Mr Cook mentions that he hasdiscovered a record which states that the iron cage in which Joan of Arcwas chained by her hands, feet and neck was seen by a workman in this veryhouse. 

In the quaint and narrow streets that are still existing near the Rue StRomain, many strange-looking houses have survived to the present day. Theystand on the site of the earliest nucleus of the present city, and it is inthis neighbourhood that one gets most in touch with the Rouen that has sonearly vanished. 

In this interesting portion of the city you come across the marvellouslyrich Grosse Horloge already mentioned. A casual glance would give one theimpression that the structure was no older than the seventeenth century, but the actual date of its building is 1529, and the clock itself datesfrom about 1389, and is as old as any in France. The dial you see to-day isbrilliantly coloured and has a red centre while the elaborate decorationthat covers nearly the whole surface of the walls is freely gilded, givingan exceedingly rich appearance. The two fourteenth century bells, one knownas La Rouvel or the Silver Bell on account of the legend that silver coinswere thrown into the mould when it was cast, and the other known asCache-Ribaut, are still in the tower, La Rouvel being still rung for aquarter of an hour at nine o'clock in the evening. It is the ancientCurfew, and the Tower de la Grosse Horloge is nothing more than thehistoric belfry of Rouen, although one might imagine by the way it standsover the street on an elliptical arch, that it had formed one of the gatesof the city. 

At the foot of the belfry is one of those richly sculptured fountains thatare to be seen in two or three places in the older streets. The carving isvery much blackened with age, and the detail is not very easilydiscernible, but a close examination will show that the story of Arethusa, and Alpheus, the river-god, is portrayed. The fountain was given to Rouenby the Duke of Luxembourg early in the eighteenth century. 

Adjoining the imposing Rue Jeanne d'Arc is the fine Gothic Palais deJustice, part of which was built by Louis XII. In the year 1499, thecentral portion being added by Leroux, sixteen years later. These greatbuildings were put up chiefly for the uses of the Echiquier--the supremecourt of the Duchy at that time--but it was also to be used as an exchangefor merchants who before this date had been in the habit of transactingmuch of their business in the cathedral. The historic hall where theEchiquier met is still to be seen. The carved oak of the roof has greatgilded pendants that stand out against the blackness of the wood-work, andthe Crucifixion presented by Louis XII. May be noticed among the portraitsin the Chambre du Conseille. 

The earliest portions of the great cathedral of Notre Dame date from thetwelfth century, the north tower showing most palpably the transition fromNorman work to the Early French style of Gothic. By the year 1255 whenLouis IX. Came to Rouen to spend Christmas, the choir, transepts and naveof the cathedral, almost as they may be seen to-day, had been completed. The chapel to St Mary did not make its appearance for some years, and theside _portails_ were only added in the fifteenth century. The elaboratework on the west front belongs to the century following, and although theideas of modern architects have varied as to this portion of the cathedral, the consensus of opinion seems to agree that it is one of the most perfectexamples of the flamboyant style so prevalent in the churches of Normandy. The detail of this masterpiece of the latest phase of Gothic architectureis almost bewildering, but the ornament in every place has a purpose, sothat the whole mass of detail has a reposeful dignity which can only havebeen retained by the most consummate skill. The canopied niches are in manyinstances vacant, but there are still rows of saints in the long lines ofrecesses. The rose window is a most perfect piece of work; it is filledwith painted glass in which strong blues and crimsons are predominant. Above the central tower known as the Tour de Pierre, that was builtpartially in the thirteenth century, there rises the astonishing iron spirethat is one of the highest in the world. Its weight is enormous despite thefact that it is merely an open framework. The architect of this masterlypiece of work whose name was Alavoine seems to have devoted himself withthe same intensity as Barry, to whom we owe the Royal Courts of Justice inLondon, for he worked upon it from 1823, the year following the destructionof the wooden spire by lightning, until 1834, the year of his death. Thespire, however, which was commenced almost immediately after the loss ofthe old one, remained incomplete for over forty years and it was notentirely finished until 1876. The flight of eight hundred and twelve stepsthat is perfectly safe for any one with steady nerves goes right up insidethe spire until, as you look out between the iron framework, Rouen liesbeneath your feet, a confused mass of detail cut through by the silverriver. 

The tower of St Romain is on the north side of the cathedral. It wasfinished towards the end of the fifteenth century, but the lower portion isof very much earlier date for it is the only portion of the cathedral thatwas standing when Richard I. On his way to the Holy Land knelt beforeArchbishop Gautier to receive the sword and banner which he carried withhim to the Crusade. 

The Tour de Beurre is on the southern side--its name being originated inconnection with those of the faithful who during certain Lents paid forindulgences in order to be allowed to eat butter. It was commenced in 1485, and took twenty-two years to complete. In this great tower there used tohang a famous bell. It was called the Georges d'Amboise after the greatCardinal to whom Rouen owes so much, not only as builder of the tower andthe facade, but also as the originator of sanitary reforms and a thousandother benefits for which the city had reason to be grateful. The great bellwas no less than 30 feet in circumference, its weight being 36, 000 lbs. Theman who succeeded in casting it, whose name was Jean Le Machon, seems tohave been so overwhelmed at his success that scarcely a month later hedied. At last when Louis XVI. Came to Rouen, they rang Georges d'Amboise soloudly that a crack appeared, and a few years later, during the Revolution, Le Machon's masterpiece was melted down for cannon. 

Inside the cathedral there are, besides the glories of the splendid Gothicarchitecture, the tombs of Henry Plantagenet, the eldest son of Henry II. , and Richard I. There are also the beautifully carved miserere seats in thechoir which are of particular interest in the way they illustrate manydetails of daily life in the fifteenth century. The stone figurerepresenting Richard Coeur de Lion lies outside the railings of thesanctuary. The heart of the king which has long since fallen into dust iscontained in a casket that is enclosed in the stone beneath the effigy. Thefigure of Henry Plantagenet is not the original--you may see that in themuseum, which contains so many fascinating objects that are associated withthe early history of Rouen. The splendid sixteenth century monument of thetwo Cardinals d'Amboise is to be seen in the Chapelle de la Sainte Vierge. The kneeling figures in the canopied recess represent the twoCardinals--that on the right, which is said to be a very good portrait, represents the famous man who added so much to the cathedral--the one onthe left shows his nephew, the second Cardinal Georges d'Amboise. In themiddle of the recess there is a fine sculpture showing St George and theDragon, and most of the other surfaces of the tomb are composed of richlyornamented niches, containing statuettes of saints, bishops, the Virgin andChild, and the twelve Apostles. Another remarkable tomb is that of Louis deBreze, considered to be one of the finest specimens of Renaissance work. Itis built in two storeys--the upper one showing a thrilling representationof the knight in complete armour and mounted upon his war-horse, but uponthe sarcophagus below he is shown with terrible reality as a naked corpse. The sculptor was possibly Jean Goujon, whose name is sometimes associatedwith the monument to the two Cardinals, which is of an earlier date. 

The tomb of Rollo, the founder of the Duchy of Normandy, and the first ofthe Normans to embrace the Christian religion, lies in a chapel adjoiningthe south transept. The effigy belongs to the fourteenth century, but themarble tablet gives an inscription which may be translated as follows:"Here lies Rollo, the first Duke and founder and father of Normandy, ofwhich he was at first the terror and scourge, but afterwards the restorer. Baptised in 912 by Francon, Archbishop of Rouen, and died in 917. Hisremains were at first deposited in the ancient sanctuary, at present theupper end of the nave. The altar having been removed, the remains of theprince were placed here by the blessed Maurille, Archbishop of Rouen in theyear 1063. " The effigy of William Longsword, Rollo's son, is in anotherchapel of the nave, that adjoining the north transept. His effigy, likethat of his father, dates from the fourteenth century. It is insurroundings of this character that we are brought most in touch with theRouen of our imaginations. 

We have already in a preceding chapter seen something of the interior ofthe church of St Ouen, which to many is more inspiring than the cathedral. The original church belonged to the Abbey of St Ouen, established in thereign of Clothaire I. When the Northmen came sailing up the river, layingwaste to everything within their reach, the place was destroyed, but afterRollo's conversion to Christianity the abbey was renovated, and in 1046 anew church was commenced, which having taken about eighty years to completewas almost immediately burnt down. Another fire having taken place acentury later, Jean Roussel, who was Abbot in 1318, commenced this presentbuilding. It was an enormous work to undertake but yet within twenty-oneyears the choirs and transepts were almost entirely completed. This greatAbbot was buried in the Mary chapel behind the High Altar. On the tomb heis called Marc d'Argent and the date of his death is given as December 7, 1339. After this the building of the church went on all through thecentury. The man who was master mason in this period was AlexandreBarneval, but he seems to have become jealous of an apprentice who builtthe rose window that is still such a splendid feature of the northtransept, for in a moment of passion he killed the apprentice and for thiscrime was sentenced to death in the year 1440. St Ouen was completed in thesixteenth century, but the west front as it appears to-day has two spireswhich made their appearance in recent times. The exterior, however, is notthe chief charm of St Ouen; it is the magnificent interior, so huge and yetso inspiring, that so completely satisfies one's ideas of proportion. Wherever you stand, the vistas of arches, all dark and gloomy, relievedhere and there by a blaze of coloured glass, are so splendid that youcannot easily imagine anything finer. A notable feature of the aisles isthe enormous space of glass covering the outer walls, so that the frameworkof the windows seems scarcely adequate to support the vaulted roof above. The central tower is supported by magnificent clustered piers of dark andswarthy masonry, and the views of these from the transepts or from theaisles of the nave make some of the finest pictures that are to be obtainedin this masterpiece of Gothic architecture. The tower that rises from thenorth transept belongs, it is believed, to the twelfth century church thatwas burnt. On the western front it is interesting to find statues ofWilliam the Conqueror, Henry II. And Richard Coeur de Lion among otherdukes of Normandy, and the most famous Archbishops of Rouen. 

Besides the cathedral and St Ouen there is the splendid church of StMaclou. Its western front suddenly appears, filling a gap in the blocks ofmodern shops on the right hand side as you go up the Rue de la Republic. The richness of the mass of carved stone-work arrests your attention, forafter having seen the magnificent facade of the cathedral you would thinkthe city could boast nothing else of such extraordinary splendour. The nameMaclou comes from Scotland, for it was a member of this clan, who, havingfled to Brittany, became Bishop of Aleth and died in 561. Since the tenthcentury a shrine to his memory had been placed outside the walls of Rouen. The present building was designed by Pierre Robin and it dates from between1437 and 1520, but the present spire is modern, having replaced the old oneabout the time of the Revolution. The richly carved doors of the west frontare the work of Jean Goujon. The organ loft rests on two columns of blackmarble, which are also his work; but although the dim interior is full ofinterest and its rose windows blaze with fifteenth century glass, it is thewest front and carved doors that are the most memorable features of thebuilding. 

In the Place du Marche Vieux you may see the actual spot where Joan of Arcwas burnt, a stone on the ground bearing the words "Jeanne Darc, 30 Mai, 1431. " To all who have really studied the life, the trial and the death ofthe Maid of Orleans--and surely no one should visit Rouen without suchknowledge--this is the most sacred spot in the city, for as we stand herewe can almost hear her words addressed to Cauchon, "It is you who havebrought me to this death. " We can see her confessor holding aloft the crossand we seem to hear her breathe the Redeemer's name before she expires.