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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:31:52 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/8595-h.zip b/8595-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9797e92 --- /dev/null +++ b/8595-h.zip diff --git a/8595-h/8595-h.htm b/8595-h/8595-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c735457 --- /dev/null +++ b/8595-h/8595-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2291 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>NORMANDY, Part 3</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body {background:#faebd7; margin:10%; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; } + HR { width: 33%; text-align: center; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; } + .figleft {float: left;} + .figright {float: right;} + .toc { margin-left: 15%; margin-bottom: 0em;} + CENTER { padding: 10px;} + PRE { font-family: Times; font-size: 97%; margin-left: 15%;} + // --> +</style> + +</head> +<body> + +<h2>NORMANDY, Part 3, By Gordon Home</h2> +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Normandy, Part 3, by Gordon Home + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Normandy, Part 3 + The Scenery & Romance Of Its Ancient Towns + +Author: Gordon Home + +Release Date: August 11, 2004 [EBook #8595] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORMANDY, PART 3 *** + + + + +HTML version produced by David Widger from the text provided by Ted Garvin, +Beth Trapaga and the Distributed Proofreading Team + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + + +<br> +<hr> +<br><br><br><br><br><br> + + + +<center> +<h1>NORMANDY</h1> +<br><br> +<h3>THE SCENERY & ROMANCE OF ITS ANCIENT TOWNS</h3> +<br><br><br> +<h3>DEPICTED BY</h3> +<br> +<h2>GORDON HOME</h2> +<br><br> +<h3>Part 3.</h3> +<br><br> +</center> +<a name="michel"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/01.jpg"><img alt="01h.jpg (30K)" src="images/01h.jpg" height="464" width="339"></a> +<br><br>A Click on any image will enlarge it to full size. + +</center> +<br><br> + +<br><br> + + + + + + + + + +<br><br><br><br> + +<h2> +CONTENTS</h2> + +<center> +<table summary=""> +<tr><td> + + + + +<p><a href="#ch7">CHAPTER VII</a> +Concerning Mont St Michel</p> + +<p><a href="#ch8">CHAPTER VIII</a> +Concerning Coutances and Some Parts of the Cotentin</p> + +<p><a href="#ch9">CHAPTER IX</a> +Concerning St Lo and Bayeux</p> + +<p><a href="#ch10">CHAPTER X</a> +Concerning Caen and the Coast Towards Trouville</p> + +<p><a href="#ch11">CHAPTER XI</a> +Some Notes on the History of Normandy</p> + +</td></tr> +</table> +</center> + + + +<br><br> + + + + + + + + + +<a name="color"></a><br><br> +<center> +<h2> +LIST OF COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> +</center> + +<p><a href="#michel">MONT ST MICHEL FROM THE CAUSEWAY</a></p> + +<p><a href="#coutances">THE LONG MAIN STREET OF COUTANCES</a> +In the foreground is the Church of St Pierre, and in the distance +is the Cathedral.</p> + +<p><a href="#western">THE GREAT WESTERN TOWERS OF THE CHURCH OF NOTRE DAME AT ST LO</a> +They are of different dates, and differ in the arcading and other +ornament.</p> + +<p><a href="#bayeux">THE NORMAN TOWERS OF BAYEUX CATHEDRAL</a></p> + +<p><a href="#ouistreham">OUISTREHAM</a></p> + +<a name="line"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2> +LIST OF LINE ILLUSTRATIONS</h2></center> + +<p><a href="#chatelet">THE CHATELET AND LA MERVEILLE AT MONT ST MICHEL</a> +The dark opening through the archway on the left is the main entrance to +the Abbey. On the right can be seen the tall narrow windows that light the +three floors of Abbot Jourdain's great work.</p> + +<p><a href="#nicholas">THE DISUSED CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS AT CAEN</a></p> + +<p><a href="#bayeux2">A COURTYARD IN THE RUE DE BAYEUX AT CAEN</a></p> + + + + + + + + + + +<br><br> +<a name="ch7"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> +<h3>Concerning Mont St Michel</h3> +</center> +<br> + +<blockquote><blockquote> +<p> So, when their feet were planted on the plain<br> + That broaden'd toward the base of Camelot,<br> + Far off they saw the silver-misty morn<br> + Rolling her smoke about the Royal mount,<br> + That rose between the forest and the field.<br> + At times the summit of the high city flash'd;<br> + At times the spires and turrets half-way down<br> + Pricked through the mist; at times the great gate shone<br> + Only, that open'd on the field below:<br> + Anon, the whole fair city disappeared.</p> + +<p> + Tennyson's <i>Gareth and Lynette</i></p> +</blockquote></blockquote> + +<p>"The majestic splendour of this gulf, its strategetic importance, have at +all times attracted the attention of warriors." In this quaint fashion +commences the third chapter of a book upon Mont St Michel which is to be +purchased in the little town. We have already had a glimpse of the +splendour of the gulf from Avranches, but there are other aspects of the +rock which are equally impressive. They are missed by all those who, +instead of going by the picturesque and winding coast-road from +Pontaubault, take the straight and dusty <i>route nationale</i> to Pontorson, +and then turn to follow the tramway that has in recent years been extended +along the causeway to the mount itself. If one can manage to make it a +rather late ride along the coast-road just mentioned, many beautiful +distant views of Mont St Michel, backed by sunset lights, will be an ample +reward. Even on a grey and almost featureless evening, when the sea is +leaden-hued, there may, perhaps, appear one of those thin crimson lines +that are the last efforts of the setting sun. This often appears just +behind the grey and dim rock, and the crimson is reflected in a delicate +tinge upon the glistening sands. Tiny rustic villages, with churches humble +and unobtrusive, and prominent calvaries, are passed one after the other. +At times the farmyards seem to have taken the road into their own hands, +for a stone well-head will appear almost in the roadway, and chickens, +pigs, and a litter of straw have to be allowed for by those who ride or +drive along this rural way. When the rock is still some distance off, the +road seems to determine to take a short cut across the sands, but thinking +better of it, it runs along the outer margin of the reclaimed land, and +there is nothing to prevent the sea from flooding over the road at its own +discretion. Once on the broad and solidly constructed causeway, the rock +rapidly gathers in bulk and detail. It has, indeed, as one approaches, an +almost fantastic and fairy-like outline. Then as more and more grows from +the hazy mass, one sees that this remarkable place has a crowded and much +embattled loneliness. Two round towers, sturdy and boldly machicolated, +appear straight ahead, but oddly enough the wall between them has no +opening of any sort, and the stranger is perplexed at the inhospitable +curtain-wall that seems to refuse him admittance to the mediaeval delights +within. It almost heightens the impression that the place belongs +altogether to dreamland, for in that shadowy world all that is most +desirable is so often beyond the reach of the dreamer. It is a very +different impression that one gains if the steam train has been taken, for +its arrival is awaited by a small crowd of vulture-like servants and +porters from the hotels. The little crowd treats the incoming train-load of +tourists as its carrion, and one has no time to notice whether there is a +gateway or not before being swept along the sloping wooden staging that +leads to the only entrance. The simple archway in the outer wall leads into +the Cour de l'Avancee where those two great iron cannons, mentioned in an +earlier chapter, are conspicuous objects. They were captured by the heroic +garrison when the English, in 1433, made their last great effort to obtain +possession of the rock. Beyond these, one passes through the barbican to +the Cour de la Herse, which is largely occupied by the Hotel Poulard Aine. +Then one passes through the Porte du Roi, and enters the town proper. The +narrow little street is flanked by many an old house that has seen most of +the vicissitudes that the little island city has suffered. In fact many of +these shops which are now almost entirely given over to the sale of +mementoes and books of photographs of the island, are individually of great +interest. One of the most ancient in the upper part of the street, is +pointed out as that occupied in the fourteenth century by Tiphane de +Raguenel, the wife of the heroic Bertrand du Guesclin.</p> + +<p>It is almost impossible for those who are sensitive in such matters, not to +feel some annoyance at the pleasant but persistent efforts of the vendors +of souvenirs to induce every single visitor to purchase at each separate +shop. To get an opportunity for closely examining the carved oaken beams +and architectural details of the houses, one must make at least some small +purchase at each trinket store in front of which one is inclined to pause. +Perhaps it would even be wise before attempting to look at anything +architectural in this quaintest of old-world streets, to go from one end to +the other, buying something of trifling cost, say a picture postcard, from +each saleswoman. In this way, one might purchase immunity from the +over-solicitous shop-keepers, and have the privilege of being able to +realise the mediaeval character of the place without constant +interruptions.</p> + +<p>Nearly every visitor to Mont St Michel considers that this historic gem, in +its wonderful setting of opalescent sand, can be "done" in a few hours. +They think that if they climb up the steps to the museum—a new building +made more conspicuous than it need be by a board bearing the word <i>Musee</i> +in enormous letters—if they walk along the ramparts, stare for a moment at +the gateways, and then go round the abbey buildings with one of the small +crowds that the guide pilots through the maze of extraordinary vaulted +passages and chambers, that they have done ample justice to this +world-famous sight. If the rock had only one-half of its historic and +fantastically arranged buildings, it would still deserve considerably more +than this fleeting attention paid to it by such a large proportion of the +tourists. So many of these poor folk come to Mont St Michel quite willing +to learn the reasons for its past greatness, but they do not bring with +them the smallest grains of knowledge. The guides, whose knowledge of +English is limited to such words as "Sirteenth Senchury" (thirteenth +century), give them no clues to the reasons for the existence of any +buildings on the island, and quite a large proportion of visitors go away +without any more knowledge than they could have obtained from the +examination of a good book of photographs.</p> + +<p>To really appreciate in any degree the natural charms of Mont St Michel, at +least one night should be spent on the rock. Having debated between the +rival houses of Poularde Aine and Poularde Jeune, and probably decided on +the older branch of the family, perhaps with a view to being able to speak +of their famous omelettes with enthusiasm, one is conducted to one of the +houses or dependences connected with the hotel. If one has selected the +Maison Rouge, it is necessary to make a long climb to one's bedroom. The +long salle a manger, where dinner is served, is in a tall wedge-like +building just outside the Porte du Roi and in the twilight of evening +coffee can be taken on the little tables of the cafe that overflows on to +the pavement of the narrow street. The cafe faces the head-quarters of the +hotel, and is as much a part of it as any of the other buildings which +contain the bedrooms. To the stranger it comes as a surprise to be handed a +Chinese lantern at bedtime, and to be conducted by one of the hotel +servants almost to the top of the tall house just mentioned. Suddenly the +man opens a door and you step out into an oppressive darkness. Here the use +of the Chinese lantern is obvious, for without some artificial light, the +long series of worn stone steps, that must be climbed before reaching the +Maison Rouge, would offer many opportunities for awkward falls. The +bedrooms in this house, when one has finally reached a floor far above the +little street, have a most enviable position. They are all provided with +small balconies where the enormous sweep of sand or glistening ocean, +according to the condition of the tides, is a sight which will drag the +greatest sluggard from his bed at the first hour of dawn. Right away down +below are the hoary old houses of the town, hemmed in by the fortified wall +that surrounds this side of the island. Then stretching away towards the +greeny-blue coast-line is the long line of digue or causeway on which one +may see a distant puff of white smoke, betokening the arrival of the early +train of the morning. The attaches of the rival hotels are already awaiting +the arrival of the early batch of sight-seers. All over the delicately +tinted sands there are constantly moving shadows from the light clouds +forming over the sea, and blowing freshly from the west there comes an +invigorating breeze.</p> + +<p>Before even the museum can have a real interest for us, we must go back to +the early times when Mont St Michel was a bare rock; when it was not even +an island, and when the bay of Mont St Michel was covered by the forest of +Scissey.</p> + +<p>It seems that the Romans raised a shrine to Jupiter on the rock, which soon +gave to it the name of Mons Jovis, afterwards to be contracted into +Mont-Jou. They had displaced some earlier Druidical or other +sun-worshippers who had carried on their rites at this lonely spot; but the +Roman innovation soon became a thing of the past and the Franks, after +their conversion to Christianity, built on the rock two oratories, one to +St Stephen and the other to St Symphorian. It was then that the name +Mont-Jou was abandoned in favour of Mons-Tumba. The smaller rock, now known +as Tombelaine, was called Tumbella meaning the little tomb, to distinguish +it from the larger rock. It is not known why the two rocks should have been +associated with the word tomb, and it is quite possible that the Tumba may +simply mean a small hill.</p> + +<p>In time, hermits came and built their cells on both the rocks and gradually +a small community was formed under the Merovingian Abbey of Mandane.</p> + +<p>It was about this time, that is in the sixth century, that a great change +came over the surroundings of the two rocks. Hitherto, they had formed +rocky excrescences at the edge of the low forest-land by which the country +adjoining the sea was covered. Gradually the sea commenced a steady +encroachment. It had been probably in progress even since Roman times, but +its advance became more rapid, and after an earthquake, which occurred in +the year 709, the whole of the forest of Scissey was invaded, and the +remains of the trees were buried under a great layer of sand. There were +several villages in this piece of country, some of whose names have been +preserved, and these suffered complete destruction with the forest. A +thousand years afterwards, following a great storm and a consequent +movement of the sand, a large number of oaks and considerable traces of the +little village St Etienne de Paluel were laid bare. The foundations of +houses, a well, and the font of a church were among the discoveries made. +Just about the time of the innundation, we come to the interesting story of +the holy-minded St Aubert who had been made bishop of Avranches. He could +see the rock as it may be seen to-day, although at that time it was crowned +with no buildings visible at any distance, and the loneliness of the spot +seems to have attracted him to retire thither for prayer and meditation. He +eventually raised upon the rock a small chapel which he dedicated to Michel +the archangel. After this time, all the earlier names disappeared and the +island was always known as Mont St Michel. Replacing the hermits of Mandane +with twelve canons, the establishment grew and became prosperous. That this +was so, must be attributed largely to the astonishing miracles which were +supposed to have taken place in connection with the building of the chapel. +Two great rocks near the top of the mount, which were much in the way of +the builders, were removed and sent thundering down the rocky precipice by +the pressure of a child's foot when all the efforts of the men to induce +the rock to move had been unavailing. The huge rock so displaced is now +crowned by the tiny chapel of St Aubert. The offerings brought by the +numerous pilgrims to Mont St Michel gave the canons sufficient means to +commence the building of an abbey, and the unique position of the rock soon +made it a refuge for the Franks of the western parts of Neustria when the +fierce Norman pirates were harrying the country. In this way the village of +Mont St Michel made its appearance at the foot of the rock. The contact of +the canons with this new population brought some trouble in its wake. The +holy men became contaminated with the world, and Richard, Duke of Normandy, +replaced them by thirty Benedictines brought from Mont-Cassin. These monks +were given the power of electing their own abbot who was invested with the +most entire control over all the affairs of the people who dwelt upon the +rock. This system of popular election seems to have worked admirably, for +in the centuries that followed, the rulers of the community were generally +men of remarkable character and great ideals.</p> + +<p>About fifty years before the Conquest of England by Duke William, the abbot +of that time, Hildebert II., commenced work on the prodigious series of +buildings that still crown the rock. His bold scheme of building massive +walls round the highest point, in order to make a lofty platform whereon to +raise a great church, was a work of such magnitude that when he was +gathered to his fathers the foundations were by no means complete. Those +who came after him however, inspired by the great idea, kept up the work of +building with wonderful enthusiasm. Slowly, year by year, the ponderous +walls of the crypts and undercrofts grew in the great space which it was +necessary to fill. Dark, irregularly built chambers, one side formed of the +solid rock and the others composed of the almost equally massive masonry, +grouped themselves round the unequal summit of the mount, until at last, +towards the end of the eleventh century, the building of the nave of the +church was actually in progress. Roger II., the eleventh of the abbots, +commenced the buildings that preceded the extraordinary structure known as +La Merveille. Soon after came Robert de Torigny, a pious man of great +learning, who seems to have worked enthusiastically. He raised two great +towers joined by a porch, the hostelry and infirmary on the south side and +other buildings on the west. Much of this work has unfortunately +disappeared. Torigny's coffin was discovered in 1876 under the north-west +part of the great platform, and one may see a representation of the +architect-abbot in the clever series of life-like models that have been +placed in the museum.</p> + + +<br><br> +<a name="chatelet"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/19.jpg"><img alt="19h.jpg (36K)" src="images/19h.jpg" height="517" width="407"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + + + +<p>The Bretons having made a destructive attack upon the mount in the early +years of the thirteenth century and caused much damage to the buildings, +Jourdain the abbot of that time planned out "La Merveille," which comprises +three storeys of the most remarkable Gothic halls. At the bottom are the +cellar and almonry, then comes the Salle des Chevaliers and the dormitory, +and above all are the beautiful cloisters and the refectory. Jourdain, +however, only lived to see one storey completed, but his successors carried +on the work and Raoul de Villedieu finished the splendid cloister in 1228.</p> + +<p>Up to this time the island was defenceless, but during the abbatiate of +Toustain the ramparts and fortifications were commenced. In 1256 the +buildings known as Belle-Chaise were constructed. They contained the +entrance to the abbey before the chatelet made its appearance. After +Toustain came Pierre le Roy who built a tower behind Belle-Chaise and also +the imposing-looking chatelet which contains the main entrance to the whole +buildings. The fortifications that stood outside this gateway have to some +extent disappeared, but what remain are shown in the accompanying +illustration.</p> + +<p>In the early part of the fifteenth century, the choir of the church +collapsed, but peace having been declared with England, soon afterwards +D'Estouteville was able to construct the wonderful foundations composed of +ponderous round columns called the crypt of les Gros-Piliers, and above it +there afterwards appeared the splendid Gothic choir. The flamboyant tracery +of the windows is filled with plain green leaded glass, and the fact that +the recent restoration has left the church absolutely bare of any +ecclesiastical paraphernalia gives one a splendid opportunity of studying +this splendid work of the fifteenth century. The nave of the church has +still to undergo the process of restoration, for at the present time the +fraudulent character of its stone-vaulted roof is laid bare by the most +casual glance, for at the unfinished edge adjoining the choir one may see +the rough lath and plaster which for a long time must have deceived the +visitors who have gazed at the lofty roof. The western end of the building +is an eighteenth century work, although to glance at the great patches of +orange-coloured lichen that spread themselves over so much of the +stone-work, it would be easy to imagine that the work was of very great +antiquity. In earlier times there were some further bays belonging to the +nave beyond the present west front in the space now occupied by an open +platform. There is a fine view from this position, but it is better still +if one climbs the narrow staircase from the choir leading up to the +asphalted walk beneath the flying buttresses.</p> + +<p>About the middle of the fourteenth century, Tiphaine de Raguenel, the wife +of Bertrand du Guesclin, that splendid Breton soldier, came from Pontorson +and made her home at Mont St Michel, in order not to be kept as a prisoner +by the English. There are several facts recorded that throw light on the +character of this noble lady, sometimes spoken of as "The Fair Maid of +Dinan." She had come to admire Du Guesclin for his prowess in military +matters, and her feeling towards him having deepened, she had no hesitation +in accepting his offer of marriage. It appears that Du Guesclin after this +most happy event—for from all we are able to discover Tiphaine seems to +have shared his patriotic ideals—was inclined to remain at home rather +than to continue his gallant, though at times almost hopeless struggle +against the English. Although it must have been a matter of great +self-renunciation on her part, Tiphaine felt that it would be much against +her character for her to have any share in keeping her husband away from +the scene of action, and by every means in her power she endeavoured to +re-animate his former enthusiasm. In this her success was complete, and +resuming his great responsibilities in the French army, much greater +success attended him than at any time in the past. Du Guesclin was not a +martyr, but he is as much the most striking figure of the fourteenth +century as Joan of Arc is of the fifteenth.</p> + +<p>All through the period of anxiety through which the defenders of the mount +had to pass when the Hundred Years' War was in progress, Mont St Michel was +very largely helped against sudden attacks by the remarkable vigilance of +their great watch-dogs. So valuable for the safety of the Abbey and the +little town were these dogs considered that Louis XI. in 1475 allowed the +annual sum of twenty-four pounds by Tours-weight towards their keep. The +document states that "from the earliest times it has been customary to have +and nourish, at the said place, a certain number of great dogs, which are +tied up by day, and at night brought outside the enclosure to keep watch +till morning." It was during the reign of this same Louis that the military +order of chivalry of St Michael was instituted. The king made three +pilgrimages to the mount and the first chapter of this great order, which +was for a long time looked upon as the most distinguished in France, was +held in the Salle des Chevaliers.</p> + +<p>For a long while Tombelaine, which lies so close to Mont St Michel, was in +the occupation of the English, but in the account of the recovery of +Normandy from the English, written by Jacques le Bouvier, King of Arms to +Charles VII., we find that the place surrendered very easily to the French. +We are told that the fortress of Tombelaine was "An exceedingly strong +place and impregnable so long as the persons within it have provisions." +The garrison numbered about a hundred men. They were allowed to go to +Cherbourg where they took ship to England about the same time as the +garrisons from Vire, Avranches, Coutances, and many other strongholds which +were at this time falling like dead leaves. Le Bouvier at the end of his +account of this wonderful break-up of the English fighting force in +Normandy, tells us that the whole of the Duchy of Normandy with all the +cities, towns, and castles was brought into subjection to the King of +France within one year and six days. "A very wonderful thing," he remarks, +"and it plainly appears that our Lord God therein manifested His grace, for +never was so large a country conquered in so short a time, nor with the +loss of so few people, nor with less injury, which is a great merit, honour +and praise to the King of France."</p> + +<p>In the early part of the sixteenth century, Mont St Michel seems to have +reached the high-water mark of its glories. After this time a decline +commenced and Cardinal le Veneur reduced the number of monks to enlarge his +own income. This new cardinal was the first of a series not chosen from the +residents on the mount, for after 1523 the system of election among +themselves which had answered so well, was abandoned, and this wealthy +establishment became merely one of the coveted preferments of the Church. +There was no longer that enthusiasm for maintaining and continuing the +architectural achievements of the past, for this new series of +ecclesiastics seemed to look upon their appointment largely as a sponge +which they might squeeze.</p> + +<p>In Elizabethan times Mont St Michel once more assumed the character of a +fortress and had to defend itself against the Huguenots when its resources +had been drained by these worldly-minded shepherds, and it is not +surprising to find that the abbey which had withstood all the attacks of +the English during the Hundred Years' War should often fall into the hands +of the protestant armies, although in every case it was re-taken.</p> + +<p>A revival of the religious tone of the abbey took place early in the first +quarter of the seventeenth century, when twelve Benedictine monks from St +Maur were installed in the buildings. Pilgrimages once more became the +order of the day, but since the days of Louis XI. part of the sub-structure +of the abbey buildings had been converted into fearful dungeons, and the +day came when the abbey became simply a most remarkable prison. In the time +of Louis XV., a Frenchman named Dubourg—a person who has often been spoken +of as though he had been a victim of his religious convictions, but who +seems to have been really a most reprehensible character—was placed in a +wooden cage in one of the damp and gruesome vaults beneath the abbey. +Dubourg had been arrested for his libellous writings concerning the king +and many important persons in the French court. He existed for a little +over a year in the fearful wooden cage, and just before he died he went +quite mad, being discovered during the next morning half-eaten by rats. A +realistic representation of his ghastly end is given in the museum, but one +must not imagine that the grating filling the semi-circular arch is at all +like the actual spot where the wretched man lay. The cage itself was +composed of bars of wood placed so closely together that Dubourg was not +able to put more than his fingers between them. The space inside was only +about eight feet high and the width was scarcely greater. The cage itself +was placed in a position where moisture dripped on to the miserable +prisoner's body, and we can only marvel that he survived this fearful +torture for so many months. During the French Revolution the abbey was +nothing more than a jail, and it continued to be devoted to this base use +until about forty years ago. Since that time, restoration has continued +almost unceasingly, for in the prison period nothing was done to maintain +the buildings, and there is still much work in hand which the French +government who are now in control are most successfully carrying out.</p> + +<p>These are a few of the thrilling phases of the history of the rock. But +what has been written scarcely does the smallest justice to its crowded +pages. The only way of being fair to a spot so richly endowed with +enthralling events seems to be in stirring the imagination by a preliminary +visit, in order that one may come again armed with a close knowledge of all +that has taken place since Aubert raised his humble chapel upon the lonely +rock. Who does not know that sense of annoyance at being conducted over +some historic building by a professional guide who mentions names and +events that just whet the appetite and then leave a hungry feeling for want +of any surrounding details or contemporary events which one knows would +convert the mere "sight" into holy ground. I submit that a French guide, a +French hand-book or a poor translation, can do little to relieve this +hunger, that Mont St Michel is fully worthy of some preliminary +consideration, and that it should not be treated to the contemptuous scurry +of a day's trip.</p> + +<p>The tides that bring the sea across the great sweep of sand surrounding +Mont St Michel, are intermittent, and it is possible to remain for a day or +two on the island and be able to walk around it dry-shod at any hour. It is +only at the really high tides that the waters of the Bay of Cancale give +visitors the opportunity of seeing the fantastic buildings reflected in the +sea. But although it is safer and much more pleasant to be able to examine +every aspect of the rock from a boat, it is possible to walk over the sands +and get the same views provided one is aware of the dangers of the +quicksands which have claimed too many victims. It is somewhat terrifying +that on what appears to be absolutely firm sand, a few taps of the foot +will convert two or three yards beneath one's feet into a quaking mass. +There is, however, no great danger at the foot of the rocks or +fortifications, but to wander any distance away entails the gravest risks +unless in company with a native who is fully aware of any dangerous +localities. The sands are sufficiently firm to allow those who know the +route to drive horses and carts to Tombelaine, but this should not +encourage strangers to take any chances, for the fate of the English lady +who was swallowed up by the sands in sight of the ramparts and whose body +now lies in the little churchyard of the town, is so distressing that any +repetition of such tragedies would tend to cast a shade over the glories of +the mount.</p> + +<p>You may buy among the numerous photographs and pictures for sale in the +trinket shops, coloured post-cards which show flaming sunsets behind the +abbey, but nothing that I have yet seen does the smallest justice to the +reality. Standing on the causeway and looking up to the great height of the +tower that crowns the highest point, the gilded St Michael with his +outspread wings seems almost ready to soar away into the immensity of the +canopy of heaven. Through the traceried windows of the chancel of the +church, the evening light on the opposite side of the rock glows through +the green glass, for from this position the upper windows are opposite to +one another and the light passes right through the building. The great mass +of curiously simple yet most striking structures that girdle the summit of +the rock and form the platform beneath the church, though built at +different times, have joined in one consenescence and now present the +appearance of one of those cities that dwell in the imagination when +reading of "many tower'd Camelot" or the turreted walls of fairyland. Down +below these great and inaccessible buildings comes an almost perpendicular +drop of rocks, bare except for stray patches of grass or isolated bushes +that have taken root in crevices. Then between this and the fortified wall, +with its circular bastions, encircling the base of the rock, the roofs of +the little town are huddled in picturesque confusion. The necessity of +accommodating the modern pilgrims has unfortunately led to the erection of +one or two houses that in some measure jar with their mediaeval +surroundings. Another unwelcome note is struck by the needlessly aggressive +board on the museum which has already been mentioned. However, when a +sunset is glowing behind the mount, these modern intrusions are subdued +into insignificance, and there is nothing left to disturb the harmony of +the scene.</p> + +<p>A walk round the ramparts reveals an endless series of picturesque +groupings of the old houses with their time-worn stone walls, over which +tower the chatelet and La Merveille. Long flights of stone steps from the +highest part of the narrow street lead up to the main entrance of the abbey +buildings. Here, beneath the great archway of the chatelet, sits an old +blind woman who is almost as permanent a feature as the masonry on which +she sits. Ascending the wide flight of steps, the Salle des Gardes is +reached. It is in the lower portion of the building known as Belle-Chaise, +mentioned earlier in this chapter. From this point a large portion of the +seemingly endless series of buildings are traversed by the visitor, who is +conducted by a regular guide. You ascend a great staircase, between massive +stone walls spanned by two bridges, the first a strongly built structure of +stone, the next a slighter one of wood, and then reach a breezy rampart +where great views over the distant coasts spread themselves out. From here +you enter the church, its floor now littered with the debris of +restoration. Then follow the cloister and the refectory, and down below +them on the second floor of the Merveille is the Salle des Chevaliers. +Besides the wonderful Gothic halls with their vaulted roofs and perfect +simplicity of design, there are the endless series of crypts and dungeons, +which leave a very strong impression on the minds of all those whose +knowledge of architecture is lean. There is the shadowy crypt of Les Gros +Pilliers down below the chancel of the church; there is the Charnier where +the holy men were buried in the early days of the abbey; and there is the +great dark space filled by the enormous wheel which was worked by the +prisoners when Mont St Michel was nothing more than a great jail. It was by +this means that the food for the occupants of the buildings was raised from +down below. Without knowing it, in passing from one dark chamber to +another, the guide takes his little flock of peering and wondering visitors +all round the summit of the rock, for it is hard, even for those who +endeavour to do so, to keep the cardinal points in mind, when, except for a +chance view from a narrow window, there is nothing to correct the +impression that you are still on the same side of the mount as the +Merveille. At last the perambulation is finished—the dazzling sunshine is +once more all around you as you come out to the steep steps that lead +towards the ramparts.</p> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="ch8"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> +<h3>Concerning Coutances and Some Parts of the Cotentin</h3> +</center> +<br> + +<p>When at last it is necessary to bid farewell to Mont St Michel, one is not +compelled to lose sight of the distant grey silhouette for a long while. It +remains in sight across the buttercup fields and sunny pastures on the road +to Pontaubault. Then again, when climbing the zig-zag hill towards +Avranches the Bay of Mont St Michel is spread out. You may see the mount +again from Avranches itself, and then if you follow the coast-road towards +Granville instead of the rather monotonous road that goes to its +destination with the directness of a gun-shot, there are further views of +the wonderful rock and its humble companion Tombelaine.</p> + +<p>Keeping along this pretty road through the little village of Genets, where +you actually touch the ocean, there is much pretty scenery to be enjoyed +all the way to the busy town of Granville. It is a watering-place and a +port, the two aspects of the town being divided from each other by the +great rocky promontory of Lihou. If one climbs up right above the place +this conformation is plainly visible, for down below is the stretch of +sandy beach, with its frailly constructed concert rooms and cafes +sheltering under the gaunt red cliffs, while over the shoulder of the +peninsula appears a glimpse of the piers and the masts of sailing ships. +There is much that is picturesque in the seaport side of the town, +particularly towards evening, when the red and green harbour-lights are +reflected in the sea. There are usually five or six sailing ships loading +or discharging their cargoes by the quays, and you will generally find a +British tramp steamer lying against one of the wharves. The sturdy +crocketed spire of the sombre old church of Notre Dame stands out above the +long line of shuttered houses down by the harbour. It is a wonderful +contrast, this old portion of Granville that surmounts the promontory, to +the ephemeral and gay aspect of the watering-place on the northern side. +But these sort of contrasts are to be found elsewhere than at Granville, +for at Dieppe it is much the same, although the view of that popular resort +that is most familiar in England, is the hideous casino and the wide sweep +of gardens that occupy the sea-front. Those who have not been there would +scarcely believe that the town possesses a castle perched upon towering +cliffs, or that its splendid old church of Saint-Jacques is the real glory +of the place. Granville cannot boast of quite so much in the way of +antiquities, but there is something peculiarly fascinating about its dark +church, in which the light seems unable to penetrate, and whose walls +assume almost the same tones as the rocks from which the masonry was hewn.</p> + +<p>I should like to describe the scenery of the twenty miles of country that +lie between Granville and Coutances, but I have only passed over it on one +occasion. It was nine o'clock in the evening, and the long drawn-out +twilight had nearly faded away as I climbed up the long ascent which +commences the road to Coutances, and before I had reached the village of +Brehal it was quite dark. The road became absolutely deserted, and although +one or two people on bicycles passed me about this time, they were carrying +no lamps as is the usual custom in France, where the rules governing the +use of a <i>bicyclette</i> are so numerous and intricate, but so absolutely +ignored. My own lamp seemed to be a grave distraction among the invisible +occupants of the roadside meadows, and often much lowing rose up on either +side. The hedges would suddenly whirr with countless grasshoppers, +although, no doubt, they had been amusing themselves with their monotonous +noises for hours. The strange sound seemed to follow me in a most +persistent fashion, and then would be merged into the croaking of a vast +assemblage of frogs. These sounds, however, carry with them no real menace, +however late the hour, but there is something which may almost strike +terror into the heart, though it might almost be considered foolish by +those who have not experienced a midnight ride in this country. The clipped +and shaven trees that in daylight merely appear ridiculous, in the darkness +assume an altogether different character. To the vivid imagination, it is +easy to see a witch's broom swaying in the wind; a group of curious and +distorted stems will suggest a row of large but painfully thin brownies, +holding hands as they dance. Every moment, two or three figures of gaunt +and lanky witches in spreading skirts will alarm you as they suddenly +appear round a corner. When they are not so uncanny in their outlines, the +trees will appear like clipped poodles standing upon their hind legs, or +they will suddenly assume the character of a grove of palm trees. After a +long stretch of this sort of country, it is pleasant to pass through some +sleeping village where there are just two or three lighted windows to show +that there are still a few people awake besides oneself in this lonely +country. I can imagine that the village of Hyenville has some claims to +beauty. I know at least that it lies in a valley, watered by the river +Sienne, and that the darkness allowed me to see an old stone bridge, with a +cross raised above the centre of the parapet. Soon after this I began to +descend the hill that leads into Coutances. A bend in the road, as I was +rapidly descending, brought into view a whole blaze of lights, and I felt +that here at last there were people and hotels, and an end to the ghostly +sights of the open country. Then I came to houses, but they were all quite +dark, and there was not a single human being in sight. Following this came +a choice of streets without a possibility of knowing which one would lead +in the direction of the hotel I was hoping to reach; but my perplexity was +at length relieved by the advent of a tall youth whose cadaverous features +were shown up by the street lamp overhead. He gave his directions clearly +enough, but although I followed them carefully right up the hill past the +cathedral, I began to think that I had overshot the mark, when another +passer-by appeared in the silent street. I found that I was within a few +yards of the hotel; but on hurrying forward, I found to my astonishment, +that the whole building was completely shut up and no light appeared even +within the courtyard. As I had passed the cathedral eleven reverbrating +notes had echoed over the town, and it seemed as though Coutances had +retired earlier on this night of all nights in order that I might learn +to travel at more rational hours. Going inside the courtyard, my anxiety +was suddenly relieved by seeing the light of a candle in a stable on the +further side; a man was putting up a horse, and he at once volunteered +to arouse some one who would find a bedroom. After some shouting to the +gallery above, a maid appeared, and a few minutes afterwards mine host +himself, clad in a long flannel night robe and protecting a flickering +candle-flame with his hand, appeared at a doorway. His long grey beard +gave him a most venerable aspect. The note of welcome in his cheery +voice was unmistakable and soon the maid who had spoken from the balcony +had shown the way up a winding circular staircase to a welcome exchange +to the shelter of a haystack which I had begun to fear would be my only +resting-place for the night.</p> + +<p>In the morning, the Hotel d'Angleterre proved to be a most picturesque +old hostelry. Galleries ran round three sides of the courtyard, and the +circular staircase was enclosed in one of those round towers that are +such a distinctive feature of the older type of French inn.</p> + +<p>The long main street does not always look deserted and in daylight it +appeared as sunny and cheerful as one expects to find the chief +thoroughfare of a thriving French town. Coutances stands on such a bold +hill that the street, almost of necessity, drops precipitously, and the +cathedral which ranks with the best in France, stands out boldly from all +points of view. It was principally built in the thirteenth century, but a +church which had stood in its place two centuries before, had been +consecrated by Bishop Geoffrey de Montbray in 1056, in the presence of Duke +William, afterwards William I. of England. The two western towers of the +present cathedral are not exactly similar, and owing to their curious +formation of clustered spires they are not symmetrical. It is for this +reason that they are often described as being unpleasing. I am unable to +echo such criticism, for in looking at the original ideas that are most +plainly manifest in this most astonishing cathedral one seems to be in +close touch with the long forgotten builders and architects whose notions +of proportion and beauty they contrived to stamp so indelibly upon their +masterpiece. From the central tower there is a view over an enormous sweep +of country which includes a stretch of the coast, for Coutances is only +half a dozen miles from the sea. This central tower rises from a square +base at the intersection of the transepts with the nave. It runs up almost +without a break in an octagonal form to a parapet ornamented with open +quatrefoils. The interior has a clean and fresh appearance owing to the +recent restorations and is chiefly remarkable for the balustraded triforium +which is continued round the whole church. In many of the windows there is +glass belonging to the sixteenth century and some dates as early as the +fourteenth century.</p> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="coutances"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/20.jpg"><img alt="20h.jpg (40K)" src="images/20h.jpg" height="521" width="349"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + + +<p>Besides the cathedral, the long main street of Coutances possesses the +churches of St Nicholas and St Pierre. In St Nicholas one may see a +somewhat unusual feature in the carved inscriptions dating from early in +the seventeenth century which appear on the plain round columns. Here, as +in the cathedral, the idea of the balustrade under the clerestory is +carried out. The fourteen Stations of the Cross that as usual meet one in +the aisles of the nave, are in this church painted with a most unusual +vividness and reality, in powerful contrast to so many of these crucifixion +scenes to be seen in Roman Catholic churches.</p> + +<p>The church of St Pierre is illustrated here, with the cathedral beyond, but +the drawing does not include the great central tower which is crowned by a +pyramidal spire. This church belongs to a later period than the cathedral +as one may see by a glance at the classic work in the western tower, for +most of the building is subsequent to the fifteenth century. St Pierre and +the cathedral form a most interesting study in the development from Early +French architecture to the Renaissance; but for picturesqueness in domestic +architecture Coutances cannot hold up its head with Lisieux, Vire, or +Rouen. There is still a remnant of one of the town gateways and to those +who spend any considerable time in the city some other quaint corners may +be found. From the western side there is a beautiful view of the town with +the great western towers of the cathedral rising gracefully above the +quarries in the Bois des Vignettes. Another feature of Coutances is the +aqueduct. It unfortunately does not date from Roman times when the place +was known as Constantia, for there is nothing Roman about the ivy-clad +arches that cross the valley on the western side.</p> + +<p>From Coutances northwards to Cherbourg stretches that large tract of +Normandy which used to be known as the Cotentin. At first the country is +full of deep valleys and smiling hills covered with rich pastures and +woodland, but as you approach Lessay at the head of an inlet of the sea the +road passes over a flat heathy desert. The church at Lessay is a most +perfect example of Norman work. The situation is quite pretty, for near by +flows the little river Ay, and the roofs are brilliant with orange lichen. +The great square tower with its round-headed Norman windows, is crowned +with a cupola. With the exception of the windows in the north aisle the +whole of the interior is of pure Norman work. There is a double triforium +and the round, circular arches rest on ponderous pillars and there is also +a typical Norman semi-circular apse. The village, which is a very ancient +one, grew round the Benedictine convent established here by one Turstan +Halduc in 1040, and there may still be seen the wonderfully picturesque +castle with its round towers.</p> + +<p>Following the estuary of the river from Lessay on a minor road you come to +the hamlet of St Germain-sur-Ay. The country all around is flat, but the +wide stretches of sand in the inlet have some attractiveness to those who +are fond of breezy and open scenery, and the little church in the village +is as old as that of Lessay. One could follow this pretty coast-line +northwards until the seaboard becomes bold, but we will turn aside to the +little town of La Haye-du-Puits. There is a junction here on the railway +for Carentan and St Lo, but the place seems to have gone on quite unaltered +by this communication with the large centres of population. The remains of +the castle, where lived during the eleventh century the Turstan Halduc just +mentioned, are to be seen on the railway side of the town. The dungeon +tower, picturesquely smothered in ivy, is all that remains of this Norman +fortress. The other portion is on the opposite side of the road, but it +only dates from the sixteenth century, when it was rebuilt. Turstan had a +son named Odo, who was seneschal to William the Norman, and he is known to +have received certain important lands in Sussex as a reward for his +services. During the next century the owner of the castle was that Richard +de la Haye whose story is a most interesting one. He was escaping from +Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, when he had the ill luck to fall in +with some Moorish pirates by whom he was captured and kept as a slave for +some years. He however succeeded in regaining his liberty, and after his +return to France, he and his wife, Mathilde de Vernon, founded the Abbey of +Blanchelande. The ruins of this establishment are scarcely more than two +miles from La Haye du Puits, but they unfortunately consist of little more +than some arches of the abbey church and some of the walls of the lesser +buildings.</p> + +<p>Immediately north of La Haye there is some more heathy ground, but it is +higher than the country surrounding Lessay. A round windmill, much +resembling the ruined structure that stands out conspicuously on the bare + tableland of Alderney, is the first of these picturesque features that +we have seen in this part of the country. It is worth mention also on +account of the fact that it was at St Sauveur-le-Vicomte, only about seven +miles distant, that the first recorded windmill was put up in France about +the year 1180, almost the same time as the first reference to such +structures occurs in England. St Sauveur has its castle now occupied by the +hospital. It was given to Sir John Chandos by Edward III. after the Treaty +of Bretigny in 1360, and that courageous soldier, who saw so much fighting +in France during the Hundred Years War, added much to the fortress which +had already been in existence since very early times in the history of the +duchy.</p> + +<p>A road runs from St Sauveur straight towards the sea. It passes the corner +of a forest and then goes right down to the low sandy harbour of Port Bail. +It is a wonderful country for atmospheric effects across the embanked +swamps and sandhills that lie between the hamlet and the sea. One of the +two churches has a bold, square tower, dating from the fifteenth +century—it now serves as a lighthouse. The harbour has two other lights +and, although it can only be entered at certain tides, the little port +contrives to carry on a considerable export trade of farm produce, most of +it being consumed in the Channel Islands.</p> + +<p>The railway goes on to its terminus at Cartaret, a nicely situated little +seaside village close to the cape of the same name. Here, if you tire of +shrimping on the wide stretch of sands, it is possible to desert Normandy +by the little steamer that during the summer plies between this point and +Gorey in Jersey. Modern influences have given Cartaret a more civilised +flavour than it had a few years ago, and it now has something of the aspect +of a watering-place. Northwards from Cartaret, a road follows the +coast-line two or three miles from the cliffs to Les Pieux. Then one can go +on to Flamanville by the cape which takes its name from the village, and +there see the seventeenth century moated manor house.</p> + +<p>Cherbourg, the greatest naval port of France, is not often visited by those +who travel in Normandy, for with the exception of the enormous breakwater, +there is nothing beyond the sights of a huge dockyard town that is of any +note. The breakwater, however, is a most remarkable work. It stands about +two miles from the shore, is more than 4000 yards long by 100 yards wide, +and has a most formidable appearance with its circular forts and batteries +of guns.</p> + +<p>The church of La Trinite was built during the English occupation and must +have been barely finished before the evacuation of the place in 1450. Since +that time the post has only been once attacked by the English, and that was +as recently as 1758, when Lord Howe destroyed and burnt the forts, shipping +and naval stores.</p> + +<p>Leaving Cherbourg we will take our way southwards again to Valognes, a town +which suffered terribly during the ceaseless wars between England and +France. In 1346, Edward III. completely destroyed the place. It was +captured by the English seventy-one years afterwards and did not again +become French until that remarkable year 1450, when the whole of Normandy +and part of Guienne was cleared of Englishmen by the victorious French +armies under the Count of Clermont and the Duke of Alencon.</p> + +<p>The Montgommery, whose defeat at Domfront castle has already been +mentioned, held Valognes against the Catholic army, but it afterwards was +captured by the victorious Henry of Navarre after the battle of Ivry near +Evreux.</p> + +<p>Valognes possesses a good museum containing many Roman relics from the +neighbourhood. A short distance from the town, on the east side, lies the +village of Alleaume where there remain the ivy-grown ruins of the castle in +which Duke William was residing when the news was brought to him of the +insurrection of his barons under the Viscount of the Cotentin. It was at +this place that William's fool revealed to him the danger in which he +stood, and it was from here that he rode in hot haste to the castle of +Falaise, a stronghold the Duke seemed to regard as safer than any other in +his possession.</p> + +<p>Still farther southwards lies the town of Carentan, in the centre of a +great butter-making district. It is, however, a dull place—it can scarcely +be called a city even though it possesses a cathedral. The earliest part of +this building is the west front which is of twelfth century work. The spire +of the central tower has much the same appearance as those crowning the two +western towers at St Lo, but there is nothing about the building that +inspires any particular enthusiasm although the tracery of some of the +windows, especially of the reticulated one in the south transept, is +exceptionally fine.</p> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="ch9"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2> +<h3>Concerning St Lo and Bayeux</h3> +</center> +<br> + + +<p>The richest pasture lands occupy the great butter-making district that lies +north of St Lo. The grass in every meadow seems to grow with particular +luxuriance, and the sleepy cows that are privileged to dwell in this choice +country, show by their complaisant expressions the satisfaction they feel +with their surroundings. It is wonderful to lie in one of these sunny +pastures, when the buttercups have gilded the grass, and to watch the +motionless red and white cattle as they solemnly let the hours drift past +them. During a whole sunny afternoon, which I once spent in those pastoral +surroundings, I can scarcely remember the slightest movement taking place +among the somnolent herd. There was a gentle breeze that made waves in the +silky sea of grass and sometimes stirred the fresh green leaves of the +trees overhead. The birds were singing sweetly, and the distant tolling of +the cathedral bells at Carentan added a richness to the sounds of nature. +Imagine this scene repeated a thousand times in every direction and you +have a good idea of this strip of pastoral Normandy.</p> + +<p>About four miles north of St Lo, the main road drops down into the pleasant +little village of Pont Hebert and then passes over the Vire where it flows +through a lovely vale. In either direction the brimming waters of the river +glide between brilliant green meadows, and as it winds away into the +distance, the trees become more and more blue and form a charming contrast +to the brighter colours near at hand.</p> + +<p>To come across the peasants of this pretty country in the garb one so +frequently sees depicted as the usual dress of Normandy, it is necessary to +be there on a Sunday or some fete day. On such days the wonderful frilled +caps, that stand out for quite a foot above the head, are seen on every +peasant woman. They are always of the most elaborate designs, and it is +scarcely necessary to say that they are of a dazzling whiteness. The men +have their characteristic dark blue close-fitting coats and the +high-crowned cap that being worn on week days is much more frequently in +evidence than the remarkable creations worn by the womenfolk.</p> + +<p>There is a long climb from Pont Hebert to St Lo but there are plenty of +pretty cottages scattered along the road, and these with crimson stonecrop +on the roofs and may and lilac blossoming in the gardens, are pictures that +prevent you from finding the way tedious. At last, from the considerable +height you have reached, St Lo, dominated by its great church, appears on a +hill scarcely a mile away. The old town, perched upon the flat surface of a +mass of rock with precipitous sides, has much the same position as +Domfront. But here we are shut in by other hills and there is no unlimited +view of green forest-lands. The place, too, has a busy city-like aspect so +that the comparison cannot be carried very far. When you have climbed the +steep street that leads up through a quaint gateway to the extensive +plateau above, you pass through the Rue Thiers and reach one of the finest +views of the church. On one side of the street, there are picturesque +houses with tiled roofs and curiously clustered chimneys, and beyond them, +across a wide gravelly space, rises the majestic bulk of the west front of +Notre Dame. From the wide flight of steps that leads to the main entrance, +the eye travels upwards to the three deeply-recessed windows that occupy +most of the surface of this end of the nave. Then the two great towers, +seemingly similar, but really full of individual ornament, rise +majestically to a height equal to that of the highest portion of the nave. +Then higher still, soaring away into the blue sky above, come the enormous +stone spires perforated with great multi-foiled openings all the way to the +apex. Both towers belong to the fifteenth century, but they were not built +at quite the same time. In the chancel there is a double arcade of graceful +pillars without capitals. There is much fine old glass full of beautiful +colours that make a curious effect when the sunlight falls through them +upon the black and white marble slabs of the floor.</p> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="western"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/21.jpg"><img alt="21h.jpg (40K)" src="images/21h.jpg" height="531" width="361"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + + +<p>Wedged up against the north-west corner of the exterior stands a +comparatively modern house, but this incongruous companionship is no +strange thing in Normandy, although, as we have seen at Falaise, there are +instances in which efforts are being made to scrape off the humble domestic +architecture that clings, barnacle-like, upon the walls of so many of the +finest churches. On the north side of Notre Dame, there is an admirably +designed outside pulpit with a great stone canopy overhead full of +elaborate tracery. It overhangs the pavement, and is a noticeable object as +you go towards the Place de la Prefecture. On this wide and open terrace, a +band plays on Sunday evenings. There are seats under the trees by the stone +balustrade from which one may look across the roofs of the lower town +filling the space beneath. The great gravelly Place des Beaux-Regards that +runs from the western side of the church, is terminated at the very edge of +the rocky platform, and looking over the stone parapet you see the Vire +flowing a hundred feet below. This view must have been very much finer +before warehouses and factory-like buildings came to spoil the river-side +scenery, but even now it has qualities which are unique. Facing the west +end of the church, the most striking gabled front of the Maison Dieu forms +part of one side of the open space. This building may at first appear +almost too richly carved and ornate to be anything but a modern +reproduction of a mediaeval house, but it has been so carefully preserved +that the whole of the details of the front belong to the original time of +the construction of the house. The lower portion is of heavy stone-work, +above, the floors project one over the other, and the beauty of the +timber-framing and the leaded windows is most striking.</p> + +<p>St Lo teems with soldiers, and it has a town-crier who wears a dark blue +uniform and carries a drum to call attention to his announcements. In the +lower part of the town, in the Rue des Halles, you may find the corn-market +now held in the church that was dedicated to Thomas a Becket. The building +was in course of construction when the primate happened to be at St Lo and +he was asked to name the saint to whom the church should be dedicated. His +advice was that they should wait until some saintly son of the church +should die for its sake. Strangely enough he himself died for the +privileges of the church, and thus his name was given to this now +desecrated house of God.</p> + +<p>The remains of the fortifications that crown the rock are scarcely +noticeable at the present time, and it is very much a matter of regret that +the town has, with the exception of the Tour Beaux-Regards, lost the walls +and towers that witnessed so many sieges and assaults from early Norman +times right up to the days of Henry of Navarre. It was one of the towns +that was held by Geoffrey Plantagenet in Stephen's reign, and it was burnt +by Edward III. about the same time as Valognes. Then again in the religious +wars of the sixteenth century, a most terrific attack was made on St Lo by +Matignon who overcame the resistance of the garrison after Colombieres, the +leader, had been shot dead upon the ramparts.</p> + +<p>It is fortunate for travellers in hot weather that exactly half-way between +St Lo and Bayeux there lies the shade of the extensive forest of Cerisy +through which the main road cuts in a perfectly straight line. At Semilly +there is a picturesque calvary. The great wooden cross towers up to a +remarkable height so that the figure of our Lord is almost lost among the +overhanging trees, and down below a double flight of mossy stone steps +leads up to the little walled-in space where the wayfarer may kneel in +prayer at the foot of the cross. Onward from this point, the dust and heat +of the roadway can become excessive, so that when at last the shade of the +forest is reached, its cool glades of slender beech-trees entice you from +the glaring sunshine—for towards the middle of the day the roadway +receives no suggestion of shadows from the trees on either side.</p> + +<p>In this part of the country, it is a common sight to meet the peasant women +riding their black donkeys with the milk cans resting in panniers on either +side. The cans are of brass with spherical bodies and small necks, and are +kept brilliantly burnished.</p> + +<p>The forest left behind, an extensive pottery district is passed through. +The tuilleries may be seen by the roadside in nearly all the villages, +Naron being entirely given up to this manufacture. Great embankments of +dark brown jars show above the hedges, and the furnaces in which the +earthenware is baked, are almost as frequent as the cottages. There are +some particularly quaint, but absolutely simple patterns of narrow necked +jugs that appear for sale in some of the shops at Bayeux and Caen.</p> + +<p>Soon the famous Norman cathedral with its three lofty spires appears +straight ahead. In a few minutes the narrow streets of this historic city +are entered. The place has altogether a different aspect to the busy and +cheerful St Lo. The ground is almost level, it is difficult to find any +really striking views, and we miss the atmosphere of the more favourably +situated town. Perhaps it is because of the evil influence of Caen, but +certainly Bayeux lacks the cleanliness and absence of smells that +distinguishes Coutances and Avranches from some of the other Norman towns. +It is, however, rich in carved fronts and timber-framed houses, and +probably is the nearest rival to Lisieux in these features. The visitor is +inclined to imagine that he will find the tapestry for which he makes a +point of including Bayeux in his tour, at the cathedral or some building +adjoining it, but this is not the case. It is necessary to traverse two or +three small streets to a tree-grown public square where behind a great +wooden gateway is situated the museum. As a home for such a priceless relic +as this great piece of needlework, the museum seems scarcely adequate. It +has a somewhat dusty and forlorn appearance, and although the tapestry is +well set out in a long series of glazed wooden cases, one feels that the +risks of fire and other mischances are greater here than they would be were +the tapestry kept in a more modern and more fire-proof home. Queen Mathilda +or whoever may have been either the actual producer or the inspirer of the +tapestry must have used brilliant colours upon this great length of linen. +During the nine centuries that have passed since the work was completed the +linen has assumed the colour of light brown canvas, but despite this, the +greens, blues, reds, and buffs of the stitches show out plainly against the +unworked background. There is scarcely an English History without a +reproduction of one of the scenes portrayed in the long series of pictures, +and London has in the South Kensington Museum a most carefully produced +copy of the original. Even the chapter-house of Westminster Abbey has its +coloured reproductions of the tapestry, so that it is seldom that any one +goes to Bayeux without some knowledge of the historic events portrayed in +the needlework. There are fifty-eight separate scenes on the 230 feet of +linen. They commence with Harold's instructions from Edward the Confessor +to convey to William the Norman the fact that he (Harold) is to become king +of England. Then follows the whole story leading up to the flight of the +English at Senlac Hill.</p> + +<p>Even if this wonderful piece of work finds a more secure resting-place in +Paris, Bayeux will still attract many pilgrims for its cathedral and its +domestic architecture compare favourably with many other Norman towns.</p> + +<br><br> +<a name="bayeux"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/22.jpg"><img alt="22h.jpg (25K)" src="images/22h.jpg" height="397" width="348"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + +<p>The misfortunes that attended the early years of the life of the cathedral +were so numerous and consistent that the existence of the great structure +to-day is almost a matter for surprise. It seems that the first church made +its appearance during the eleventh century, and it was in it that Harold +unwittingly took that sacred oath on the holy relics, but by some accident +the church was destroyed by fire and there is probably nothing left of this +earliest building except the crypt. Eleven years after the conquest of +England, William was present at Bayeux when a new building built by his +half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, was consecrated. Ten years after his +death, however, this second church was burnt down. They rebuilt it once +more a few years later, but a third time a fire wrought much destruction. +The portions of the cathedral that survived this century of conflagrations +can be seen in the two great western towers, in the arches of the Norman +nave, and a few other portions. The rest of the buildings are in the Early +French period of pointed architecture, with the exception of the central +tower which is partly of the flamboyant period, but the upper portion is as +modern as the middle of last century. The spandrels of the nave arcades are +covered over with a diaper work of half a dozen or more different patterns, +some of them scaly, some representing interwoven basket-work, while others +are composed simply of a series of circles, joined together with lines. +There are curious little panels in each of these spandrels that are carved +with the most quaint and curious devices. Some are strange, Chinese-looking +dragons, and some show odd-looking figures or mitred saints. The panel +showing Harold taking the oath is modern. There is a most imposing pulpit +surmounted by a canopy where a female figure seated on a globe is +surrounded by cherubs, clouds (or are they rocks?) and fearful lightning. +At a shrine dedicated to John the Baptist, the altar bears a painting in +the centre showing the saint's dripping head resting in the charger. Quite +close to the west front of the cathedral there stands a house that still +bears its very tall chimney dating from mediaeval times. Not far from this +there is one of the timber-framed fifteenth century houses ornamented with +curious carvings of small figures, and down in the Rue St Malo there is an +even richer example of the same type of building. On the other side of the +road, nearer the cathedral, a corner house stands out conspicuously.</p> + +<p>It is shown in the illustration given here and its curious detail makes it +one of the most quaint of all the ancient houses in the city.</p> + +<p>Some of these old buildings date from the year 1450, when Normandy was +swept clear of the English, and it is probably owing to the consideration +of the leader of the French army that there are any survivals of this time. +The Lord of Montenay was leading the Duke of Alencon's troops and with him +were Pierre de Louvain, Robert Conigrain and a number of free archers. +After they had battered the walls of Bayeux with their cannon for fifteen +days, and after they had done much work with mines and trenches, the French +were ready for an assault. The King of France, however, and the notables +who have been mentioned "had pity for the destruction of the city and would +not consent to the assault." Without their orders, however, the troops, +whose ardour could not be restrained, attacked in one place, but not having +had the advice of their leaders the onslaught was quite indecisive, both +sides suffering equally from arrows and culverins. It was soon after this +that Matthew Gough, the English leader, was obliged to surrender the city, +and we are told that nine hundred of the bravest and the best soldiers of +the Duchy of Normandy came out and were allowed to march to Cherbourg. The +French lords "for the honour of courtesy" lent some of their horses to +carry the ladies and the other gentlewomen, and they also supplied carts to +convey the ordinary womenfolk who went with their husbands. "It was," says +Jacques le Bouvier, who describes the scene, "a thing pitiful to behold. +Some carried the smallest of the children in their arms, and some were led +by hand, and in this way the English lost possession of Bayeux."</p> + + +<br><br> +<a name="ch10"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2>CHAPTER X</h2> +<h3>Concerning Caen and the Coast Towards Trouville</h3> +</center> +<br> + +<p>Caen, like mediaeval London, is famed for its bells and its smells. If you +climb up to any height in the town you will see at once that the place is +crowded with the spires and towers of churches; and, if you explore any of +the streets, you are sure to discover how rudimentary are the notions of +sanitation in the historic old city. If you come to Caen determined to +thoroughly examine all the churches, you must allow at least two or three +days for this purpose, for although you might endeavour to "do" the place +in one single day, you would remember nothing but the fatigue, and the +features of all the churches would become completely confused.</p> + +<p>My first visit to Caen, several years ago, is associated with a day of +sight-seeing commenced at a very early hour. I had been deposited at one of +the quays by the steamer that had started at sunrise and had slowly glided +along the ten miles of canal from Ouistreham, reaching its destination at +about five o'clock. The town seemed thoroughly awake at this time, the +weather being brilliantly fine. White-capped women were everywhere to be +seen sweeping the cobbled streets with their peculiarly fragile-looking +brooms. It was so early by the actual time, however, that it seemed wise to +go straight to the hotel and to postpone the commencement of sight-seeing +until a more rational hour. My rooms at the hotel, however, were not yet +vacated, so that it was impossible to go to my bedroom till eight o'clock. +The hotel courtyard, though picturesque, with its three superimposed +galleries and its cylindrical tower containing the staircase, was not, at +this hour in the morning at least, a place to linger in. It seemed +therefore the wisest plan to begin an exploration of some of the adjoining +streets to fill the time. After having seen the exterior of three or four +churches, the interiors of some others; after having explored a dozen +curious courtyards and the upper part of the town, where the Chateau +stands, the clocks began to strike seven, although to me it seemed like +noon. By half-past eight the afternoon seemed well advanced, and when +dejeuner made its appearance at the hotel it seemed as though the day would +never cease. I had by this time seen several more churches and interesting +old buildings, and my whole senses had become so jaded that I would +scarcely have moved a yard to have seen the finest piece of architecture in +the whole of Normandy. The circumstances of this day, were, no doubt, +exceptional, but I mention them as a warning to those who with a pathetic +conscientiousness endeavour to see far more than they can possibly +comprehend in the space of a very few hours. It would be far better to +spend one's whole time in the great church of the Abbaye aux Hommes, and +photograph in one's mind the simplicity of the early Norman structure, than +to have a confused recollection of this, St Pierre, the church of the +Abbaye aux Darnes and half a dozen others.</p> + +<p>The galleried hotel I have mentioned was known as the Hotel St Barbe. It is +now converted into a warehouse, but no one need regret this for it was more +pleasant to look at than to actually stay in. I am glad, personally, to +have had this experience; to have seen the country carts, with the blue +sheep-skins over the horse collars, drive into the courtyard, and to have +watched the servants of the hotel eating their meals at a long table in the +open air. There was a Spanish flavour about the place that is not found in +the modern hotels.</p> + +<p>There is no town I have ever known more confusing in its plan than Caen, +and, although I have stayed there for nearly a week on one occasion, I am +still a little uncertain in which direction to turn for the castle when I +am at the church of St Jean. The streets, as a rule, are narrow and have a +busy appearance that is noticeable after the quiet of Bayeux. The clatter +and noise of the omnibuses has been subdued in recent years by the +introduction of electric trams which sweep round the corners with a +terrifying speed, for after a long sojourn in the country and quiet little +towns one loses the agility and wariness of the town-bred folk.</p> + + +<br><br> +<a name="bayeux2"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/24.jpg"><img alt="24h.jpg (48K)" src="images/24h.jpg" height="485" width="401"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + + +<p>Caen, of course, does not compete with Lisieux for its leading position as +the possessor of the largest number of old houses, but it nevertheless can +show some quaint carved fronts in the Rue St Pierre and the narrow streets +adjoining. At the present time the marks of antiquity are being removed +from the beautiful renaissance courtyard of the Bourse near St Pierre. The +restoration has been going on for some years, and the steps that lead up to +the entrance in one corner of the quadrangle are no longer stained with the +blackish-green of a prolonged period of damp. But it is better, however, +that this sixteenth century house should assume a fictitious newness rather +than fall entirely into disrepair. It was originally the house of one of +the wealthy families of Caen named Le Valois, and was known as the Hotel +d'Escoville. Another splendid house is the Hotel de la Monnaie built by the +famous and princely merchant Etienne Duval, Sieur de Mondrainville, whose +great wealth enabled him to get sufficient supplies into Metz to make it +possible for the place to hold out during its siege in 1553. In his most +admirably written book "Highways and Byways in Normandy," Mr Dearmer gives +an interesting sketch of this remarkable man whose success brought him +jealous enemies. They succeeded in bringing charges against him for which +he was exiled, and at another time he was imprisoned in the castle at Caen +until, with great difficulty, he had proved the baseness of the attacks +upon his character. Duval was over seventy when he died, being, like Job, +wealthy and respected, for he had survived the disasters that had fallen +upon him.</p> + +<p>The gateway of the Chateau is the best and most imposing portion of the +fortifications of Caen. The castle being now used as barracks, visitors as +a rule are unable to enter, but as the gateway may be seen from outside the +deep moat, the rest of the place need not tantalise one. In William the +Conqueror's time the castle was being built, and the town walls included +the two great abbeys for which Caen is chiefly famous. These two +magnificent examples of Norman architecture have been restored with great +thoroughness so that the marks of antiquity that one might expect are +entirely wanting in both buildings. The exterior of the great church of St +Etienne disappoints so many, largely from the fact that the gaunt west +front is the only view one really has of the building except from a +distance. Inside, services seem to go on at most times of the day, and when +you are quietly looking at the mighty nave with its plain, semicircular +arches and massive piers, you are suddenly startled by the entry from +somewhere of a procession of priests loudly singing some awe-inspiring +chant, the guttural tones of the singers echoing through the aisles. +Following the clerical party will come a rabble of nuns, children and +ordinary laity, and before you have scarcely had time to think a service +has commenced, people are kneeling, and if you do not make haste towards +the doors a priest will probably succeed in reaching you with a collecting +dish in which one is not inclined to place even a sou if the service has +hindered the exploration of the church. Owing to the perpetuation of an +error in some of the English guides to Normandy, it is often thought that a +thigh-bone of the founder of the abbey is still lying beneath the marble +slab in the sanctuary, but this is a great mistake, for that last poor +relic of William the Conqueror was lost during the Revolution. The whole +story of the death, the burial, and the destruction of the tomb and remains +of the founder of the abbey are most miserable and even gruesome. William +was at Rouen when he died, and we need scarcely remind ourselves of that +tragic scene discovered by the clergy when they came to the house not long +after the great man had expired. Every one of William's suite had +immediately recognised the changed state of affairs now that the inflexible +will that had controlled the two kingdoms had been removed, and each, +concerned for himself, had betaken himself with indecent haste to England +or wherever his presence might be most opportune. In this way, there being +no one left to watch the corpse, the Archbishop of Rouen discovered that +the house and even the bed had been pillaged, so that the royal body was +lying in great disorder until reverently tended by a Norman gentleman named +Herluin. Having fulfilled William's wishes and brought the remains to Caen, +a stately funeral was arranged. As the procession slowly passed through the +narrow streets, however, it was interrupted by an alarm of fire-some of the +wooden houses blazing fiercely just when the bier was passing. The flames +grew so quickly that in some danger the mournful procession was dispersed +and the coffin was only attended by a few monks when the gates of the +Abbaye aux Hommes were reached. Eventually the burial ceremonies were in +progress beside the open grave within the church, but another interruption +ensued. Scarcely had the Bishop of Evreux concluded his address when +everybody was startled at hearing the loud voice of Ascelin resounding +through the church. He was a well-known man, a burgher, and a possessor of +considerable wealth, and it was therefore with considerable anxiety that +the clergy heard his claim upon the ground in which they were about to bury +William. It was the actual site of a house that had belonged to Ascelin's +father, for the dead king had shown no consideration to private claims when +he was building the great abbey to appease the wrath of the church. The +disturbance having been settled by the payment for the grave of a sum which +Ascelin was induced to accept, the proceedings were resumed. But then came +the worst scene of all, for it has been recorded that the coffin containing +the ponderous body of the king had not been made with sufficient strength, +and as it was being lowered into the grave, the boards gave way, and so +gruesome was the result that the church was soon emptied. It thus came +about that once more in the last phase of all William was deserted except +by a few monks.</p> + +<p>The monument which was raised over the Conqueror's grave, was, however, of +a most gorgeous character. It was literally encrusted with precious gems, +and it is known that enormous quantities of gold from the accumulated +stores of wealth which William had made were used by Otto the goldsmith +(sometimes known as Aurifaber) who was entrusted with the production of +this most princely tomb. Such a striking object as this could scarcely pass +through many centuries in safety, and we find that in the Huguenot wars of +the seventeenth century it was largely destroyed and the stone coffin was +broken open, the bones being scattered. We only know what became of a +thigh-bone which was somehow rescued by a monk belonging to the abbey. He +kept it for some time, and in 1642 it was replaced in a new, but much less +gorgeous tomb. About one hundred years later, it was moved to another part +of the church, but in the Revolution this third tomb was broken into, and +the last relic of the Conqueror was lost. Then after some years, the Prefet +of Calvados placed upon the site of the desecrated tomb the slab of black +marble that still marks the spot. The inscription reads "Hic sepultus est, +Invictissimus Guielmus Conquestor, Normanniae Dux et Angliae Rex, Hujusce +domus Conditor Qui obit anno MLXXXVII."</p> + +<p>When Lanfranc had been sent to the Pope by William with a view to making +some arrangement by which the King could retain his wife Matilda and at the +same time the good offices of the Church, his side of the bargain consisted +in undertaking to build two great abbeys at Caen, one for men and one for +women. The first we have already been examining, the other is at the +eastern side of the town on the hill beyond the castle. It is a more +completely Norman building than St Etienne, but its simple, semi-circular +arches and round-headed windows contrast strangely with the huge pontifical +canopy of draped velvet that is suspended above the altar, and very +effectually blocks the view of the Norman apse beyond. The smallness of the +windows throughout the building subdues the light within, and thus gives St +Trinite a somewhat different character to St Etienne. The capitals of the +piers of the arcade are carved with strange-looking monkeys and other +designs, and there are chevron mouldings conspicuous in the nave. The tomb +of Queen Mathilda is in the choir. Like that of her husband it has been +disturbed more than once, so that the marble slab on top is all that +remains of the original.</p> + +<p>Opposite the Place Reine Mathilde stands the desecrated church of St +Gilles, one of the numerous beautiful buildings in Caen now in partial ruin +and occupied as warehouses, wine-vaults or workshops. They are all worth +looking for, and if possible examining inside as well as out, for they +include some beautiful flamboyant structures and others of earlier date, +such as St Nicholas, illustrated here, which in part dates from Norman +times. St Etienne le Vieux, quite close to the Abbaye aux Hommes, is a +beautiful building rich in elaborate carving and rows of gargoyles. It was +built in the early years of the fifteenth century in place of one which had +fallen into ruin when Henry V. besieged Caen. It is still unrestored, and +if you peep inside the open doors you will see the interior filled with +ladders, boxes, brooms, and a thousand odds and ends, this most beautiful +structure being used as a municipal workshop.</p> + + +<br><br> +<a name="nicholas"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/23.jpg"><img alt="23h.jpg (42K)" src="images/23h.jpg" height="354" width="522"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + + + +<p>We have more than once referred to the church of St Pierre, but as yet we +have made no reference to its architecture. The tower and graceful spire +needs no detailed description, for it appears in the coloured illustration +adjoining, and from it one may see what a strikingly perfect structure this +is for such an early date as 1308. It is a marvel of construction, for the +spire within is hollow, and without any interior framework or supports at +all. Although it is so seemingly frail, it was used during the sixteenth +century for military purposes, having been selected as a good position for +firing upon the castle, and it naturally became a target for the guns +inside the fortress. You cannot now see the holes made by the cannon balls, +but although they were not repaired for many years the tower remained +perfectly stable, as a proof of the excellent work of Nicholas, the +Englishman who built it.</p> + +<p>Unlike the church of the Abbaye aux Dames, St Pierre is brilliantly lit +inside by large, traceried windows that let in the light through their +painted glass. In the nave the roof is covered with the most elaborate +vaulting with great pendants dropping from the centre of each section; but +for the most crowded ornament one must examine the chancel and the chapels.</p> + +<p>The church of St Jean is not conspicuous, but it is notable for two or +three features. The western tower is six and a half feet out of +perpendicular, the triforium has a noticeable balustrade running all round, +and the chancel is longer than the nave. St Sauveur, in the Rue St Pierre +is of the same period as St Jean, but its tower if it had been crocketed +would have very closely resembled that of St Pierre, and it is chiefly +notable for the fact that it is two churches thrown into one—that of St +Eustace being joined on to it.</p> + +<p>Another feature of Caen that is often overlooked is the charm of its old +courtyards. Behind some of the rather plain stone fronts, the archways lead +into little paved quadrangles that have curious well-heads, rustic outside +staircases, and odd-shaped dormer windows on the steep roofs. One of these +courtyards behind a house in the Rue de Bayeux is illustrated here, but to +do justice to the quaintnesses that are to be revealed, it would have been +necessary to give several examples. In the Boulevard St Pierre, where the +pavements are shaded by pink horse chestnuts there stands the Tour le Roy. +It is the most noticeable remnant of the days when Caen was a walled and +strongly fortified city, but as you look at it to-day it seems too much +like a good piece of the sham antique to be found at large exhibitions. It +is the restoration that is at fault, and not the tower itself, which is +really old, and no doubt is in quiet rebellion at the false complexion it +is obliged to wear.</p> + +<p>The view of Caen from across the race-course is a beautiful one, but under +some aspects this is quite eclipsed by the wonderful groupings of the +church towers seen from the canal as it goes out of the town towards the +east. I can remember one particular afternoon when there was a curious +mistiness through which the western sunlight passed, turning everything +into a strange, dull gold. It was a light that suppressed all that was +crude and commercial near at hand and emphasised the medievalism of the +place by throwing out spires and towers in softly tinted silhouettes. I +love to think of Caen robed in this cloth of gold, and the best I can wish +for every one who goes there with the proper motives, is that they may see +the place in that same light.</p> + +<p>On the left, a few miles out of Caen on the road to Creully, stands the +Abbaye d'Ardennes where Charles VII. lodged when his army was besieging +the city in 1450. The buildings are now used as a farm, and the church +is generally stacked with hay and straw up to the triforium.</p> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="ouistreham"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<a href="images/26.jpg"><img alt="26h.jpg (36K)" src="images/26h.jpg" height="487" width="353"></a> +</center> +<br><br> +<br><br> + + + +<p>Although they start towards the east, the canal and the river Orne +taking parallel courses run generally towards the north, both entering +the sea by the village of Ouistreham, the ancient port of Caen. Along +the margin of the canal there is a good road, and almost hidden by the +long grass outside the tall trees that line the canal on each bank, +runs the steam tramway to Cabourg and the coast to the west of the +Orne. Except when the fussy little piece of machinery drawing three or +four curious, open-sided trams, is actually passing, the tramway +escapes notice, for the ground is level and the miniature rails are +laid on the ground without any excavating or embanking. The scenery as +you go along the tramway, the road, or the canal, is charming, the +pastures on either side being exceedingly rich, and the red and white +cattle seem to revel in the long grass and buttercups. Heronville, +Blainville and other sleepy villages are pleasantly perched on the +slight rise on the western side of the canal. Their churches, with red +roofs all subdued with lichen into the softest browns, rise above the +cottages or farm buildings that surround them in the ideal fashion that +is finally repeated at Ouistreham where locks impound the waters of the +canal, and a great lighthouse stands out more conspicuously than the +church tower. Seen through the framework of closely trimmed trees +Ouistreham makes a notable picture. The great Norman church is so +exceedingly imposing for such a mere village, that it is easy to +understand how, as a port in the Middle Ages, Ouistreham flourished +exceedingly.</p> + +<p>The tramway crosses the canal at Benouville on its way to Cabourg, and +leaving the shade of birches and poplars takes its way over the open fields +towards the sea. Benouville is best remembered on account of its big +chateau with a great classic portico much resembling a section of Waterloo +Place perched upon a fine terraced slope. Ranville has an old church tower +standing in lonely fashion by itself, and you pass a conspicuous calvary as +you go on to the curious little seaside resort known as Le Home-Sur-Mer. +The houses are bare and (if one may coin a word) seasidey. Perched here and +there on the sandy ridge between the road and the shore, they have scarcely +anything more to suggest a garden than the thin wiry grass that contrives +to exist in such soil.</p> + +<p>Down on the wide sandy beach there is an extensive sweep of the coast to be +seen stretching from beyond Ouistreham to the bold cliffs of Le Havre. +Keeping along the road by the tramway you have been out of sight of the +sea, but in a few minutes the pleasant leafiness of Cabourg has been +reached. Here everything has the full flavour of a seaside resort, for we +find a casino, a long esplanade, hotels, shops and bathing apparatus. It is +a somewhat strong dose of modern life after the slumbering old world towns +and villages we have been exploring, and it is therefore with great +satisfaction that we turn toward the village of Dives lying close at hand. +The place possesses a splendid old market hall, more striking perhaps than +that of Ecouche and a picturesque inn—the Hotel Guillaume le Conquerant. +The building is of stone with tiled roofs, and in the two courtyards there +are galleries and much ancient timber-framing, but unfortunately the +proprietor has not been content to preserve the place in its natural +picturesqueness. He has crowded the exterior, as well as the rooms, with a +thousand additions of a meretricious character which detract very much from +the charm of the fine old inn and defeat the owner's object, that of making +it attractive on account of its age and associations. Madame de Sevigne +wrote many of her letters in one of the rooms, but we know that she saw +none of the sham antique lamps, the well-head, or the excess of flowers +that blaze in the courtyards. On account of its name, the unwary are +trapped into thinking that William the Norman—for he had still to defeat +Harold—could have frequently been seen strolling about this hostelry, when +his forces for invading England were gathering and his fleet of ships were +building. This is, of course, a total misapprehension, for the only +structure that contains anything that dates back to 1066 is the church. +Even this building dates chiefly from the fourteenth century, but there is +to be seen, besides the Norman walls, a carved wooden cross that is +believed to have been found in the sea, and therefore to have some +connection with William's great fleet and its momentous voyage to England. +The names of the leading men who accompanied William are engraved upon two +marble slabs inside the church, and on the hill above the village a short +column put up by M. de Caumont, commemorates the site upon which William is +believed to have inspected his forces previous to their embarkation.</p> + +<p>It is a difficult matter to form any clear idea of the size of this army +for the estimates vary from 67,000 to 14,000, and there is also much +uncertainty as to the number of ships employed in transporting the host +across the channel. The lowest estimates suggest 696 vessels, and there is +every reason to believe that they were quite small. The building of so +large a fleet of even small boats between the winter and summer of 1066 +must have employed an enormous crowd of men, and we may be justified in +picturing a very busy scene on the shores of this portion of the coast of +Normandy. Duke William's ship, which was named the <i>Mora</i>, had been +presented to him by his wife Mathilda, and most of the vessels had been +built and manned by the Norman barons and prelates, the Bishop of Bayeux +preparing no less than a hundred ships. The Conquest of England must have +almost been regarded as a holy crusade!</p> + +<p>When the fleet left the mouth of the river Dives it did not make at once +for Pevensey Bay. The ships instead worked along the coast eastwards to the +Somme, where they waited until a south wind blew, then the vessels all left +the estuary each carrying a light, for it was almost dark. By the next +morning the white chalk of Beachy Head was in sight, and at nine o'clock +William had landed on English soil.</p> + +<p>Close to Dives and in sight of the hill on which the Normans were +mustered, there is a small watering-place known as Houlgate-sur-mer. The +houses are charmingly situated among trees, and the place has in recent +years become known as one of those quiet resorts where princes and +princesses with their families may be seen enjoying the simple pleasures +of the seaside, <i>incognito</i>. This fact, of course, gets known to +enterprising journalists who come down and photograph these members of the +European royal families wherever they can get them in particularly +unconventional surroundings.</p> + +<p>From Houlgate all the way to Trouville the country is wooded and hilly, and +in the hollows, where the timber-framed farms with their thatched roofs are +picturesquely arranged, there is much to attract the visitor who, wearying +of the gaiety of Trouville and its imitators along the coast, wishes to +find solitudes and natural surroundings.</p> + + + +<br><br> +<a name="ch11"></a> +<br><br> +<center> +<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2> +<h3>Some Notes on the History of Normandy</h3> +</center> + +<p>The early inhabitants of Normandy submitted to the Roman legions under +Titurus Sabinus in B.C. 58, only a few years before Caesar's first attempt +upon Britain. By their repeated attacks upon Roman territory the Gaulish +tribes had brought upon themselves the invasion which, after some stubborn +fighting, made their country a province of the Roman Empire. Inter-tribal +strife having now ceased, the civilisation of Rome made its way all over +the country including that northern portion known as Neustria, much of +which from the days of Rollo came to be called Normandy. Traces of the +Roman occupation are scattered all over the province, the most remarkable +being the finely preserved theatre at Lillebonne, a corruption of +Juliabona, mentioned in another chapter.</p> + +<p>In the second century Rouen, under its Roman name Rotomagos, is mentioned +by Ptolemy. It was then merely the capital of the tribe of Velocasses, but +in Diocletian's reign it had become not only the port of Roman Paris, but +also the most important town in the province. In time the position occupied +by Rotomagos became recognised as one having greater strategical advantages +than Juliabona, a little further down the river, and this Gallo-Roman +precursor of the modern Rouen became the headquarters of the provincial +governor. The site of Rotomagos would appear to include the Palais de +Justice and the Cathedral of the present day.</p> + +<p>After the four centuries of Roman rule came the incursions of the savage +hordes of northern Europe, and of the great army of Huns, under Attila, who +marched through Gaul in A.D. 451. The Romans with their auxiliaries engaged +Attila at Chalons—the battle in which fabulous numbers of men are said to +have fallen on both sides.</p> + +<p>The Roman power was soon completely withdrawn from Gaul, and the Franks +under Clovis, after the battle of Soissons, made themselves complete +masters of the country. In 511 Clovis died. He had embraced Christianity +fifteen years before, having been baptised at Rheims, probably through +the influence of his wife Clothilda. Then for two hundred and fifty +years France was under the Merovingian kings, and throughout much of +this period there was very little settled government, Neustria, together +with the rest of France, suffering from the lawlessness that prevailed +under these "sluggard" kings. Rouen was still the centre of many of the +events connected with the history of Neustria. We know something of the +story of Hilparik, a king of Neustria, whose brutal behaviour to his +various queens and the numerous murders and revenges that darkened his +reign, form a most unsavoury chapter in the story of this portion of +France.</p> + +<p>Following this period came the time when France was ruled by the mayors +of the palace who, owing to the weakness of the sovereigns, gradually +assumed the whole of the royal power. After Charles Martel, the most +famous of these mayors, had defeated the Saracens at Tours, came his son +Pepin-le-Bref, the father of Charlemagne. Childeric, the last of the +Merovingian kings, had been put out of the way in a monastery and Pepin +had become the King of France. Charlemagne, however, soon made himself +greater still as Emperor of an enormous portion of Europe—France, +Italy, and Germany all coming under his rule. At his death Charlemagne +divided his empire. His successor Louis le Debonnaire, owing to his +easy-going weakness, fell a prey to Charlemagne's other sons, and at his +death, Charles the Bald became King of France and the country west of +the Rhine. The other portions of the empire falling to Lothaire and the +younger Louis.</p> + +<p>During all this period, France had suffered from endless fighting and the +famines that came as an unevitable consequence, and just about this time +Neustria suffered still further owing to the incursions of the Danes. Even +in Charlemagne's time the black-sailed ships of the Northmen had been seen +hovering along the coast near the mouth of the Seine, and it has been said +that the great Emperor wept at the sight of some of these awe-inspiring +pirates.</p> + +<p>In the year 841 the Northmen had sailed up the Seine as far as Rouen, but +they found little to plunder, for during the reign of the Merovingian +kings, the town had been reduced to a mere shadow of its former prosperity. +There had been a great fire and a great plague, and its ruin had been +rendered complete during the civil strife that succeeded the death of +Charlemagne. Wave after wave came the northern invasions led by such men as +Bjorn Ironside, and Ragnar Lodbrog. Charles the Bald, fearing to meet these +dreaded warriors, bribed them away from the walls of Paris in the year 875. +But they came again twelve years afterwards in search of more of the +Frenchmen's gold. When Charles the Fat, the German Emperor, became also +King of France, he had to suffer for his treacherous murder of a Danish +chief, for soon afterwards came the great Rollo with a large fleet of +galleys, and Paris was besieged once more. Odo, Count of Paris, held out +successfully, but when the king came from Germany with his army, instead of +attacking the Danes, he induced them to retire by offering them a bribe of +800 lbs. of silver. Before long Odo became King of France, but after ten +years of constant fighting, he died and was succeeded by Charles the +Simple. This title does an injustice to his character, for he certainly did +more for France than most of his predecessors. Finding the Northmen too +firmly established in Neustria to have any hope of successfully driving +them out of the country, he made a statesmanlike arrangement with Rollo. +The Dane was to do homage to the French king, to abandon his gods Thor, +Odin and the rest for Christianity, and in return was to be made ruler of +the country between the River Epte and the sea, and westwards as far as the +borders of Brittany Rollo was also to be given the hand of the Princess +Gisela in marriage. Rouen became the capital of the new Duchy of Normandy, +and the old name of Neustria disappeared.</p> + +<p>The Northmen were not at this time numerous, but they continued to come +over in considerable numbers establishing centres such as that of Bayeux, +where only Danish was spoken. As in England, this warrior people showed the +most astonishing adaptability to the higher civilisation with which they +had come into contact, and the new generations that sprang up on French +soil added to the vigour and daring of their ancestors the manners and +advanced customs of France, although the Northmen continued to be called +"The Pirates" for a considerable time. When Rollo died he was succeeded by +his son William Longsword, and from an incident mentioned by Mr T.A. Cook +in his "Story of Rouen," we can see the attitude of the Normans towards +Charles the Simple. He had sent down to Rouen two court gallants to +sympathise with the Princess Gisela, his daughter, for the rough treatment +she had received at the hands of Rollo, but they were both promptly siezed +and hanged in what is now the Place du Marche Vieux.</p> + +<p>Great stone castles were beginning to appear at all the chief places in +Normandy, and when Duke Richard had succeeded Harold Blacktooth we find +that the Duchy was assuming an ordered existence internally. The feudal +system had then reached its fullest development, and the laws established +by Rollo were properly administered. With the accession of Hugh Capet to +the throne of France, Normandy had become a most loyal as well as powerful +fief of the crown. The tenth century witnessed also an attempt on the part +of the serfs of the Duchy to throw off something of the awful grip of the +feudal power. These peasants were the descendants of Celts, of Romans, and +of Franks, and their efforts to form a representative assembly bear a +pathetic resemblance to the movement towards a similar end in Russia of +to-day. The representatives of the serfs were treated with the most fearful +cruelty and sent back to their villages; but the movement did not fail to +have its effects, for the condition of the villains in Normandy was always +better than in other parts of France.</p> + +<p>Broadly speaking, all the successors of Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, +governed the country with wisdom and ability, and although there was more +or less constant war, either with the French, who were always hoping to +regain the lost province, or with rebellious barons who disputed the +authority of the dukes, yet the country progressed steadily and became +prosperous. Abbeys and churches that the invaders had laid waste were +rebuilt on a larger scale. At Jumieges there are still to be seen some +remains of the church that William Longsword began to build for the +unfortunate monks who had been left homeless after their abbey had been +destroyed by the "Pirates." Richard I., who died in 996, had added to the +Cathedral at Rouen, and the abbey of St Ouen prospered greatly in the +religious revival that became so widespread during the eleventh century. +Duke Richard II. had been assisted on one occasion by Olaf, King of Norway, +and before his return to the north that monarch, impressed no doubt by the +pomp of the ceremonial, was in 1004 baptised in the cathedral at Rouen.</p> + +<p>After Richard II. came Robert the Magnificent, who was called also +Robert the Devil by the people. It was he, who from the walls of his +castle at Falaise, if the legend be true, first saw Arlette the tanner's +daughter who afterwards became the Mother of William the Bastard. As a +boy William had a perilous life, and it is almost marvellous that he +survived to change his appellation to that of "Conqueror." Robert the +Magnificent had joined one of the crusades to the Holy Land when William +was only seven years old, but before he left Normandy, he had made it +known that he wished the boy to succeed him. For twenty years there was +civil war between the greater barons and the supporters of the heir, but +in the end William showed himself sufficiently strong to establish his +power. He won a great battle at Val-es-Dunes where he had been met by +the barons led by Guy of Burgundy, and, having taken some of the most +formidable fortresses in the Duchy, he turned his attention to his foes +outside with equal success. Soon after this William married Mathilda a +daughter of Count Baldwin of Flanders, but although by this act he made +peace with her country, William soon found himself in trouble with the +church. Bishop Mauger, whom he had appointed to the See of Rouen, found +fault with the marriage owing to its being within the forbidden degrees +of relationship, and the papal sanction having been refused, William +only obtained his wishes through the agency of Lanfranc. All his life +William appears to have set a stern example of purity in family life, +and his relations with the church, from this time to his death, seem to +have been most friendly. It was largely due to his religious life as +well as the support he gave to the monasteries that William was able to +give the colour of a religious crusade to his project for invading +England. Harold had slighted the sacredness of the holy relics of the +saints of Normandy, and William was to show England that their king's +action was not to pass unpunished. In this way the Norman host that +assembled at Dives, while the great fleet was being prepared, included +many who came from outside William's dominions. After the whole of +England had been completely subjugated William had his time and +attention largely taken up with affairs in Normandy. His son Robert was +soon in open rebellion, and assisted by the French King, Philip I., +Robert brought about the death of his father, for it was while +devastating a portion of French territory that William received the +injury which resulted in his death. Robert then became Duke of Normandy, +and there followed those sanguinary quarrels between the three brothers +William Rufus, King of England, Henry Beauclerc and Robert. Finally, +after his return from Palestine, Robert came to England to endeavour to +make peace with his younger brother Henry, who was now king, but the +quarrel was not to be settled in this way. Henry, determined to add +Normandy to the English crown, crossed the channel with a large army and +defeated his brother at Tinchebrai in 1106. With the accession of +Stephen to the English throne in 1135, came the long struggle between +that king and Maud. When Henry II. married Eleanor of Aquitaine, not +only that great province but also Maine and Anjou came under his sway, +so that for a time Normandy was only a portion of the huge section of +France belonging to the English Crown. During his long reign Henry spent +much time in Normandy, and Argentan and Avranches are memorable in +connection with the tragedy of Thomas a Becket. During the absence of +Richard Coeur-de-Lion in Palestine John became exceedingly friendly with +Philip Augustus, the French King, but when Richard was dead he found +cause to quarrel with the new English king and, after the fall of the +Chateau Gaillard, John soon discovered that he had lost the Duchy of +Normandy and had earned for himself the name of "Lackland."</p> + +<p>From this time, namely, the commencement of the thirteenth century, +Normandy belonged to the crown of France although English armies were, +until 1450, in frequent occupation of the larger towns and fortresses.</p> + + + +<br> +<br> +<hr> +<br><br> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Normandy, Part 3, by Gordon Home + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORMANDY, PART 3 *** + +***** This file should be named 8595-h.htm or 8595-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/8/5/9/8595/ + +HTML version produced by David Widger from the text provided by Ted Garvin, +Beth Trapaga and the Distributed Proofreading Team + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Normandy, Part 3 + The Scenery & Romance Of Its Ancient Towns + +Author: Gordon Home + +Release Date: August 11, 2004 [EBook #8595] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORMANDY, PART 3 *** + + + + +Produced by Ted Garvin, Beth Trapaga and the Distributed Proofreading +Team + + + + + + +NORMANDY: + +THE SCENERY & ROMANCE OF ITS ANCIENT TOWNS: + +DEPICTED BY GORDON HOME + +Part 3. + + + +CHAPTER VII + + +Concerning Mont St Michel + + So, when their feet were planted on the plain + That broaden'd toward the base of Camelot, + Far off they saw the silver-misty morn + Rolling her smoke about the Royal mount, + That rose between the forest and the field. + At times the summit of the high city flash'd; + At times the spires and turrets half-way down + Pricked through the mist; at times the great gate shone + Only, that open'd on the field below: + Anon, the whole fair city disappeared. + + Tennyson's _Gareth and Lynette_ + +"The majestic splendour of this gulf, its strategetic importance, have at +all times attracted the attention of warriors." In this quaint fashion +commences the third chapter of a book upon Mont St Michel which is to be +purchased in the little town. We have already had a glimpse of the +splendour of the gulf from Avranches, but there are other aspects of the +rock which are equally impressive. They are missed by all those who, +instead of going by the picturesque and winding coast-road from +Pontaubault, take the straight and dusty _route nationale_ to Pontorson, +and then turn to follow the tramway that has in recent years been extended +along the causeway to the mount itself. If one can manage to make it a +rather late ride along the coast-road just mentioned, many beautiful +distant views of Mont St Michel, backed by sunset lights, will be an ample +reward. Even on a grey and almost featureless evening, when the sea is +leaden-hued, there may, perhaps, appear one of those thin crimson lines +that are the last efforts of the setting sun. This often appears just +behind the grey and dim rock, and the crimson is reflected in a delicate +tinge upon the glistening sands. Tiny rustic villages, with churches humble +and unobtrusive, and prominent calvaries, are passed one after the other. +At times the farmyards seem to have taken the road into their own hands, +for a stone well-head will appear almost in the roadway, and chickens, +pigs, and a litter of straw have to be allowed for by those who ride or +drive along this rural way. When the rock is still some distance off, the +road seems to determine to take a short cut across the sands, but thinking +better of it, it runs along the outer margin of the reclaimed land, and +there is nothing to prevent the sea from flooding over the road at its own +discretion. Once on the broad and solidly constructed causeway, the rock +rapidly gathers in bulk and detail. It has, indeed, as one approaches, an +almost fantastic and fairy-like outline. Then as more and more grows from +the hazy mass, one sees that this remarkable place has a crowded and much +embattled loneliness. Two round towers, sturdy and boldly machicolated, +appear straight ahead, but oddly enough the wall between them has no +opening of any sort, and the stranger is perplexed at the inhospitable +curtain-wall that seems to refuse him admittance to the mediaeval delights +within. It almost heightens the impression that the place belongs +altogether to dreamland, for in that shadowy world all that is most +desirable is so often beyond the reach of the dreamer. It is a very +different impression that one gains if the steam train has been taken, for +its arrival is awaited by a small crowd of vulture-like servants and +porters from the hotels. The little crowd treats the incoming train-load of +tourists as its carrion, and one has no time to notice whether there is a +gateway or not before being swept along the sloping wooden staging that +leads to the only entrance. The simple archway in the outer wall leads into +the Cour de l'Avancee where those two great iron cannons, mentioned in an +earlier chapter, are conspicuous objects. They were captured by the heroic +garrison when the English, in 1433, made their last great effort to obtain +possession of the rock. Beyond these, one passes through the barbican to +the Cour de la Herse, which is largely occupied by the Hotel Poulard Aine. +Then one passes through the Porte du Roi, and enters the town proper. The +narrow little street is flanked by many an old house that has seen most of +the vicissitudes that the little island city has suffered. In fact many of +these shops which are now almost entirely given over to the sale of +mementoes and books of photographs of the island, are individually of great +interest. One of the most ancient in the upper part of the street, is +pointed out as that occupied in the fourteenth century by Tiphane de +Raguenel, the wife of the heroic Bertrand du Guesclin. + +It is almost impossible for those who are sensitive in such matters, not to +feel some annoyance at the pleasant but persistent efforts of the vendors +of souvenirs to induce every single visitor to purchase at each separate +shop. To get an opportunity for closely examining the carved oaken beams +and architectural details of the houses, one must make at least some small +purchase at each trinket store in front of which one is inclined to pause. +Perhaps it would even be wise before attempting to look at anything +architectural in this quaintest of old-world streets, to go from one end to +the other, buying something of trifling cost, say a picture postcard, from +each saleswoman. In this way, one might purchase immunity from the +over-solicitous shop-keepers, and have the privilege of being able to +realise the mediaeval character of the place without constant +interruptions. + +Nearly every visitor to Mont St Michel considers that this historic gem, in +its wonderful setting of opalescent sand, can be "done" in a few hours. +They think that if they climb up the steps to the museum--a new building +made more conspicuous than it need be by a board bearing the word _Musee_ +in enormous letters--if they walk along the ramparts, stare for a moment at +the gateways, and then go round the abbey buildings with one of the small +crowds that the guide pilots through the maze of extraordinary vaulted +passages and chambers, that they have done ample justice to this +world-famous sight. If the rock had only one-half of its historic and +fantastically arranged buildings, it would still deserve considerably more +than this fleeting attention paid to it by such a large proportion of the +tourists. So many of these poor folk come to Mont St Michel quite willing +to learn the reasons for its past greatness, but they do not bring with +them the smallest grains of knowledge. The guides, whose knowledge of +English is limited to such words as "Sirteenth Senchury" (thirteenth +century), give them no clues to the reasons for the existence of any +buildings on the island, and quite a large proportion of visitors go away +without any more knowledge than they could have obtained from the +examination of a good book of photographs. + +To really appreciate in any degree the natural charms of Mont St Michel, at +least one night should be spent on the rock. Having debated between the +rival houses of Poularde Aine and Poularde Jeune, and probably decided on +the older branch of the family, perhaps with a view to being able to speak +of their famous omelettes with enthusiasm, one is conducted to one of the +houses or dependences connected with the hotel. If one has selected the +Maison Rouge, it is necessary to make a long climb to one's bedroom. The +long salle a manger, where dinner is served, is in a tall wedge-like +building just outside the Porte du Roi and in the twilight of evening +coffee can be taken on the little tables of the cafe that overflows on to +the pavement of the narrow street. The cafe faces the head-quarters of the +hotel, and is as much a part of it as any of the other buildings which +contain the bedrooms. To the stranger it comes as a surprise to be handed a +Chinese lantern at bedtime, and to be conducted by one of the hotel +servants almost to the top of the tall house just mentioned. Suddenly the +man opens a door and you step out into an oppressive darkness. Here the use +of the Chinese lantern is obvious, for without some artificial light, the +long series of worn stone steps, that must be climbed before reaching the +Maison Rouge, would offer many opportunities for awkward falls. The +bedrooms in this house, when one has finally reached a floor far above the +little street, have a most enviable position. They are all provided with +small balconies where the enormous sweep of sand or glistening ocean, +according to the condition of the tides, is a sight which will drag the +greatest sluggard from his bed at the first hour of dawn. Right away down +below are the hoary old houses of the town, hemmed in by the fortified wall +that surrounds this side of the island. Then stretching away towards the +greeny-blue coast-line is the long line of digue or causeway on which one +may see a distant puff of white smoke, betokening the arrival of the early +train of the morning. The attaches of the rival hotels are already awaiting +the arrival of the early batch of sight-seers. All over the delicately +tinted sands there are constantly moving shadows from the light clouds +forming over the sea, and blowing freshly from the west there comes an +invigorating breeze. + +Before even the museum can have a real interest for us, we must go back to +the early times when Mont St Michel was a bare rock; when it was not even +an island, and when the bay of Mont St Michel was covered by the forest of +Scissey. + +It seems that the Romans raised a shrine to Jupiter on the rock, which soon +gave to it the name of Mons Jovis, afterwards to be contracted into +Mont-Jou. They had displaced some earlier Druidical or other +sun-worshippers who had carried on their rites at this lonely spot; but the +Roman innovation soon became a thing of the past and the Franks, after +their conversion to Christianity, built on the rock two oratories, one to +St Stephen and the other to St Symphorian. It was then that the name +Mont-Jou was abandoned in favour of Mons-Tumba. The smaller rock, now known +as Tombelaine, was called Tumbella meaning the little tomb, to distinguish +it from the larger rock. It is not known why the two rocks should have been +associated with the word tomb, and it is quite possible that the Tumba may +simply mean a small hill. + +In time, hermits came and built their cells on both the rocks and gradually +a small community was formed under the Merovingian Abbey of Mandane. + +It was about this time, that is in the sixth century, that a great change +came over the surroundings of the two rocks. Hitherto, they had formed +rocky excrescences at the edge of the low forest-land by which the country +adjoining the sea was covered. Gradually the sea commenced a steady +encroachment. It had been probably in progress even since Roman times, but +its advance became more rapid, and after an earthquake, which occurred in +the year 709, the whole of the forest of Scissey was invaded, and the +remains of the trees were buried under a great layer of sand. There were +several villages in this piece of country, some of whose names have been +preserved, and these suffered complete destruction with the forest. A +thousand years afterwards, following a great storm and a consequent +movement of the sand, a large number of oaks and considerable traces of the +little village St Etienne de Paluel were laid bare. The foundations of +houses, a well, and the font of a church were among the discoveries made. +Just about the time of the innundation, we come to the interesting story of +the holy-minded St Aubert who had been made bishop of Avranches. He could +see the rock as it may be seen to-day, although at that time it was crowned +with no buildings visible at any distance, and the loneliness of the spot +seems to have attracted him to retire thither for prayer and meditation. He +eventually raised upon the rock a small chapel which he dedicated to Michel +the archangel. After this time, all the earlier names disappeared and the +island was always known as Mont St Michel. Replacing the hermits of Mandane +with twelve canons, the establishment grew and became prosperous. That this +was so, must be attributed largely to the astonishing miracles which were +supposed to have taken place in connection with the building of the chapel. +Two great rocks near the top of the mount, which were much in the way of +the builders, were removed and sent thundering down the rocky precipice by +the pressure of a child's foot when all the efforts of the men to induce +the rock to move had been unavailing. The huge rock so displaced is now +crowned by the tiny chapel of St Aubert. The offerings brought by the +numerous pilgrims to Mont St Michel gave the canons sufficient means to +commence the building of an abbey, and the unique position of the rock soon +made it a refuge for the Franks of the western parts of Neustria when the +fierce Norman pirates were harrying the country. In this way the village of +Mont St Michel made its appearance at the foot of the rock. The contact of +the canons with this new population brought some trouble in its wake. The +holy men became contaminated with the world, and Richard, Duke of Normandy, +replaced them by thirty Benedictines brought from Mont-Cassin. These monks +were given the power of electing their own abbot who was invested with the +most entire control over all the affairs of the people who dwelt upon the +rock. This system of popular election seems to have worked admirably, for +in the centuries that followed, the rulers of the community were generally +men of remarkable character and great ideals. + +About fifty years before the Conquest of England by Duke William, the abbot +of that time, Hildebert II., commenced work on the prodigious series of +buildings that still crown the rock. His bold scheme of building massive +walls round the highest point, in order to make a lofty platform whereon to +raise a great church, was a work of such magnitude that when he was +gathered to his fathers the foundations were by no means complete. Those +who came after him however, inspired by the great idea, kept up the work of +building with wonderful enthusiasm. Slowly, year by year, the ponderous +walls of the crypts and undercrofts grew in the great space which it was +necessary to fill. Dark, irregularly built chambers, one side formed of the +solid rock and the others composed of the almost equally massive masonry, +grouped themselves round the unequal summit of the mount, until at last, +towards the end of the eleventh century, the building of the nave of the +church was actually in progress. Roger II., the eleventh of the abbots, +commenced the buildings that preceded the extraordinary structure known as +La Merveille. Soon after came Robert de Torigny, a pious man of great +learning, who seems to have worked enthusiastically. He raised two great +towers joined by a porch, the hostelry and infirmary on the south side and +other buildings on the west. Much of this work has unfortunately +disappeared. Torigny's coffin was discovered in 1876 under the north-west +part of the great platform, and one may see a representation of the +architect-abbot in the clever series of life-like models that have been +placed in the museum. + +The Bretons having made a destructive attack upon the mount in the early +years of the thirteenth century and caused much damage to the buildings, +Jourdain the abbot of that time planned out "La Merveille," which comprises +three storeys of the most remarkable Gothic halls. At the bottom are the +cellar and almonry, then comes the Salle des Chevaliers and the dormitory, +and above all are the beautiful cloisters and the refectory. Jourdain, +however, only lived to see one storey completed, but his successors carried +on the work and Raoul de Villedieu finished the splendid cloister in 1228. + +Up to this time the island was defenceless, but during the abbatiate of +Toustain the ramparts and fortifications were commenced. In 1256 the +buildings known as Belle-Chaise were constructed. They contained the +entrance to the abbey before the chatelet made its appearance. After +Toustain came Pierre le Roy who built a tower behind Belle-Chaise and also +the imposing-looking chatelet which contains the main entrance to the whole +buildings. The fortifications that stood outside this gateway have to some +extent disappeared, but what remain are shown in the accompanying +illustration. + +In the early part of the fifteenth century, the choir of the church +collapsed, but peace having been declared with England, soon afterwards +D'Estouteville was able to construct the wonderful foundations composed of +ponderous round columns called the crypt of les Gros-Piliers, and above it +there afterwards appeared the splendid Gothic choir. The flamboyant tracery +of the windows is filled with plain green leaded glass, and the fact that +the recent restoration has left the church absolutely bare of any +ecclesiastical paraphernalia gives one a splendid opportunity of studying +this splendid work of the fifteenth century. The nave of the church has +still to undergo the process of restoration, for at the present time the +fraudulent character of its stone-vaulted roof is laid bare by the most +casual glance, for at the unfinished edge adjoining the choir one may see +the rough lath and plaster which for a long time must have deceived the +visitors who have gazed at the lofty roof. The western end of the building +is an eighteenth century work, although to glance at the great patches of +orange-coloured lichen that spread themselves over so much of the +stone-work, it would be easy to imagine that the work was of very great +antiquity. In earlier times there were some further bays belonging to the +nave beyond the present west front in the space now occupied by an open +platform. There is a fine view from this position, but it is better still +if one climbs the narrow staircase from the choir leading up to the +asphalted walk beneath the flying buttresses. + +About the middle of the fourteenth century, Tiphaine de Raguenel, the wife +of Bertrand du Guesclin, that splendid Breton soldier, came from Pontorson +and made her home at Mont St Michel, in order not to be kept as a prisoner +by the English. There are several facts recorded that throw light on the +character of this noble lady, sometimes spoken of as "The Fair Maid of +Dinan." She had come to admire Du Guesclin for his prowess in military +matters, and her feeling towards him having deepened, she had no hesitation +in accepting his offer of marriage. It appears that Du Guesclin after this +most happy event--for from all we are able to discover Tiphaine seems to +have shared his patriotic ideals--was inclined to remain at home rather +than to continue his gallant, though at times almost hopeless struggle +against the English. Although it must have been a matter of great +self-renunciation on her part, Tiphaine felt that it would be much against +her character for her to have any share in keeping her husband away from +the scene of action, and by every means in her power she endeavoured to +re-animate his former enthusiasm. In this her success was complete, and +resuming his great responsibilities in the French army, much greater +success attended him than at any time in the past. Du Guesclin was not a +martyr, but he is as much the most striking figure of the fourteenth +century as Joan of Arc is of the fifteenth. + +All through the period of anxiety through which the defenders of the mount +had to pass when the Hundred Years' War was in progress, Mont St Michel was +very largely helped against sudden attacks by the remarkable vigilance of +their great watch-dogs. So valuable for the safety of the Abbey and the +little town were these dogs considered that Louis XI. in 1475 allowed the +annual sum of twenty-four pounds by Tours-weight towards their keep. The +document states that "from the earliest times it has been customary to have +and nourish, at the said place, a certain number of great dogs, which are +tied up by day, and at night brought outside the enclosure to keep watch +till morning." It was during the reign of this same Louis that the military +order of chivalry of St Michael was instituted. The king made three +pilgrimages to the mount and the first chapter of this great order, which +was for a long time looked upon as the most distinguished in France, was +held in the Salle des Chevaliers. + +For a long while Tombelaine, which lies so close to Mont St Michel, was in +the occupation of the English, but in the account of the recovery of +Normandy from the English, written by Jacques le Bouvier, King of Arms to +Charles VII., we find that the place surrendered very easily to the French. +We are told that the fortress of Tombelaine was "An exceedingly strong +place and impregnable so long as the persons within it have provisions." +The garrison numbered about a hundred men. They were allowed to go to +Cherbourg where they took ship to England about the same time as the +garrisons from Vire, Avranches, Coutances, and many other strongholds which +were at this time falling like dead leaves. Le Bouvier at the end of his +account of this wonderful break-up of the English fighting force in +Normandy, tells us that the whole of the Duchy of Normandy with all the +cities, towns, and castles was brought into subjection to the King of +France within one year and six days. "A very wonderful thing," he remarks, +"and it plainly appears that our Lord God therein manifested His grace, for +never was so large a country conquered in so short a time, nor with the +loss of so few people, nor with less injury, which is a great merit, honour +and praise to the King of France." + +In the early part of the sixteenth century, Mont St Michel seems to have +reached the high-water mark of its glories. After this time a decline +commenced and Cardinal le Veneur reduced the number of monks to enlarge his +own income. This new cardinal was the first of a series not chosen from the +residents on the mount, for after 1523 the system of election among +themselves which had answered so well, was abandoned, and this wealthy +establishment became merely one of the coveted preferments of the Church. +There was no longer that enthusiasm for maintaining and continuing the +architectural achievements of the past, for this new series of +ecclesiastics seemed to look upon their appointment largely as a sponge +which they might squeeze. + +In Elizabethan times Mont St Michel once more assumed the character of a +fortress and had to defend itself against the Huguenots when its resources +had been drained by these worldly-minded shepherds, and it is not +surprising to find that the abbey which had withstood all the attacks of +the English during the Hundred Years' War should often fall into the hands +of the protestant armies, although in every case it was re-taken. + +A revival of the religious tone of the abbey took place early in the first +quarter of the seventeenth century, when twelve Benedictine monks from St +Maur were installed in the buildings. Pilgrimages once more became the +order of the day, but since the days of Louis XI. part of the sub-structure +of the abbey buildings had been converted into fearful dungeons, and the +day came when the abbey became simply a most remarkable prison. In the time +of Louis XV., a Frenchman named Dubourg--a person who has often been spoken +of as though he had been a victim of his religious convictions, but who +seems to have been really a most reprehensible character--was placed in a +wooden cage in one of the damp and gruesome vaults beneath the abbey. +Dubourg had been arrested for his libellous writings concerning the king +and many important persons in the French court. He existed for a little +over a year in the fearful wooden cage, and just before he died he went +quite mad, being discovered during the next morning half-eaten by rats. A +realistic representation of his ghastly end is given in the museum, but one +must not imagine that the grating filling the semi-circular arch is at all +like the actual spot where the wretched man lay. The cage itself was +composed of bars of wood placed so closely together that Dubourg was not +able to put more than his fingers between them. The space inside was only +about eight feet high and the width was scarcely greater. The cage itself +was placed in a position where moisture dripped on to the miserable +prisoner's body, and we can only marvel that he survived this fearful +torture for so many months. During the French Revolution the abbey was +nothing more than a jail, and it continued to be devoted to this base use +until about forty years ago. Since that time, restoration has continued +almost unceasingly, for in the prison period nothing was done to maintain +the buildings, and there is still much work in hand which the French +government who are now in control are most successfully carrying out. + +These are a few of the thrilling phases of the history of the rock. But +what has been written scarcely does the smallest justice to its crowded +pages. The only way of being fair to a spot so richly endowed with +enthralling events seems to be in stirring the imagination by a preliminary +visit, in order that one may come again armed with a close knowledge of all +that has taken place since Aubert raised his humble chapel upon the lonely +rock. Who does not know that sense of annoyance at being conducted over +some historic building by a professional guide who mentions names and +events that just whet the appetite and then leave a hungry feeling for want +of any surrounding details or contemporary events which one knows would +convert the mere "sight" into holy ground. I submit that a French guide, a +French hand-book or a poor translation, can do little to relieve this +hunger, that Mont St Michel is fully worthy of some preliminary +consideration, and that it should not be treated to the contemptuous scurry +of a day's trip. + +The tides that bring the sea across the great sweep of sand surrounding +Mont St Michel, are intermittent, and it is possible to remain for a day or +two on the island and be able to walk around it dry-shod at any hour. It is +only at the really high tides that the waters of the Bay of Cancale give +visitors the opportunity of seeing the fantastic buildings reflected in the +sea. But although it is safer and much more pleasant to be able to examine +every aspect of the rock from a boat, it is possible to walk over the sands +and get the same views provided one is aware of the dangers of the +quicksands which have claimed too many victims. It is somewhat terrifying +that on what appears to be absolutely firm sand, a few taps of the foot +will convert two or three yards beneath one's feet into a quaking mass. +There is, however, no great danger at the foot of the rocks or +fortifications, but to wander any distance away entails the gravest risks +unless in company with a native who is fully aware of any dangerous +localities. The sands are sufficiently firm to allow those who know the +route to drive horses and carts to Tombelaine, but this should not +encourage strangers to take any chances, for the fate of the English lady +who was swallowed up by the sands in sight of the ramparts and whose body +now lies in the little churchyard of the town, is so distressing that any +repetition of such tragedies would tend to cast a shade over the glories of +the mount. + +You may buy among the numerous photographs and pictures for sale in the +trinket shops, coloured post-cards which show flaming sunsets behind the +abbey, but nothing that I have yet seen does the smallest justice to the +reality. Standing on the causeway and looking up to the great height of the +tower that crowns the highest point, the gilded St Michael with his +outspread wings seems almost ready to soar away into the immensity of the +canopy of heaven. Through the traceried windows of the chancel of the +church, the evening light on the opposite side of the rock glows through +the green glass, for from this position the upper windows are opposite to +one another and the light passes right through the building. The great mass +of curiously simple yet most striking structures that girdle the summit of +the rock and form the platform beneath the church, though built at +different times, have joined in one consenescence and now present the +appearance of one of those cities that dwell in the imagination when +reading of "many tower'd Camelot" or the turreted walls of fairyland. Down +below these great and inaccessible buildings comes an almost perpendicular +drop of rocks, bare except for stray patches of grass or isolated bushes +that have taken root in crevices. Then between this and the fortified wall, +with its circular bastions, encircling the base of the rock, the roofs of +the little town are huddled in picturesque confusion. The necessity of +accommodating the modern pilgrims has unfortunately led to the erection of +one or two houses that in some measure jar with their mediaeval +surroundings. Another unwelcome note is struck by the needlessly aggressive +board on the museum which has already been mentioned. However, when a +sunset is glowing behind the mount, these modern intrusions are subdued +into insignificance, and there is nothing left to disturb the harmony of +the scene. + +A walk round the ramparts reveals an endless series of picturesque +groupings of the old houses with their time-worn stone walls, over which +tower the chatelet and La Merveille. Long flights of stone steps from the +highest part of the narrow street lead up to the main entrance of the abbey +buildings. Here, beneath the great archway of the chatelet, sits an old +blind woman who is almost as permanent a feature as the masonry on which +she sits. Ascending the wide flight of steps, the Salle des Gardes is +reached. It is in the lower portion of the building known as Belle-Chaise, +mentioned earlier in this chapter. From this point a large portion of the +seemingly endless series of buildings are traversed by the visitor, who is +conducted by a regular guide. You ascend a great staircase, between massive +stone walls spanned by two bridges, the first a strongly built structure of +stone, the next a slighter one of wood, and then reach a breezy rampart +where great views over the distant coasts spread themselves out. From here +you enter the church, its floor now littered with the debris of +restoration. Then follow the cloister and the refectory, and down below +them on the second floor of the Merveille is the Salle des Chevaliers. +Besides the wonderful Gothic halls with their vaulted roofs and perfect +simplicity of design, there are the endless series of crypts and dungeons, +which leave a very strong impression on the minds of all those whose +knowledge of architecture is lean. There is the shadowy crypt of Les Gros +Pilliers down below the chancel of the church; there is the Charnier where +the holy men were buried in the early days of the abbey; and there is the +great dark space filled by the enormous wheel which was worked by the +prisoners when Mont St Michel was nothing more than a great jail. It was by +this means that the food for the occupants of the buildings was raised from +down below. Without knowing it, in passing from one dark chamber to +another, the guide takes his little flock of peering and wondering visitors +all round the summit of the rock, for it is hard, even for those who +endeavour to do so, to keep the cardinal points in mind, when, except for a +chance view from a narrow window, there is nothing to correct the +impression that you are still on the same side of the mount as the +Merveille. At last the perambulation is finished--the dazzling sunshine is +once more all around you as you come out to the steep steps that lead +towards the ramparts. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + + +Concerning Coutances and Some Parts of the Cotentin + +When at last it is necessary to bid farewell to Mont St Michel, one is not +compelled to lose sight of the distant grey silhouette for a long while. It +remains in sight across the buttercup fields and sunny pastures on the road +to Pontaubault. Then again, when climbing the zig-zag hill towards +Avranches the Bay of Mont St Michel is spread out. You may see the mount +again from Avranches itself, and then if you follow the coast-road towards +Granville instead of the rather monotonous road that goes to its +destination with the directness of a gun-shot, there are further views of +the wonderful rock and its humble companion Tombelaine. + +Keeping along this pretty road through the little village of Genets, where +you actually touch the ocean, there is much pretty scenery to be enjoyed +all the way to the busy town of Granville. It is a watering-place and a +port, the two aspects of the town being divided from each other by the +great rocky promontory of Lihou. If one climbs up right above the place +this conformation is plainly visible, for down below is the stretch of +sandy beach, with its frailly constructed concert rooms and cafes +sheltering under the gaunt red cliffs, while over the shoulder of the +peninsula appears a glimpse of the piers and the masts of sailing ships. +There is much that is picturesque in the seaport side of the town, +particularly towards evening, when the red and green harbour-lights are +reflected in the sea. There are usually five or six sailing ships loading +or discharging their cargoes by the quays, and you will generally find a +British tramp steamer lying against one of the wharves. The sturdy +crocketed spire of the sombre old church of Notre Dame stands out above the +long line of shuttered houses down by the harbour. It is a wonderful +contrast, this old portion of Granville that surmounts the promontory, to +the ephemeral and gay aspect of the watering-place on the northern side. +But these sort of contrasts are to be found elsewhere than at Granville, +for at Dieppe it is much the same, although the view of that popular resort +that is most familiar in England, is the hideous casino and the wide sweep +of gardens that occupy the sea-front. Those who have not been there would +scarcely believe that the town possesses a castle perched upon towering +cliffs, or that its splendid old church of Saint-Jacques is the real glory +of the place. Granville cannot boast of quite so much in the way of +antiquities, but there is something peculiarly fascinating about its dark +church, in which the light seems unable to penetrate, and whose walls +assume almost the same tones as the rocks from which the masonry was hewn. + +I should like to describe the scenery of the twenty miles of country that +lie between Granville and Coutances, but I have only passed over it on one +occasion. It was nine o'clock in the evening, and the long drawn-out +twilight had nearly faded away as I climbed up the long ascent which +commences the road to Coutances, and before I had reached the village of +Brehal it was quite dark. The road became absolutely deserted, and although +one or two people on bicycles passed me about this time, they were carrying +no lamps as is the usual custom in France, where the rules governing the +use of a _bicyclette_ are so numerous and intricate, but so absolutely +ignored. My own lamp seemed to be a grave distraction among the invisible +occupants of the roadside meadows, and often much lowing rose up on either +side. The hedges would suddenly whirr with countless grasshoppers, +although, no doubt, they had been amusing themselves with their monotonous +noises for hours. The strange sound seemed to follow me in a most +persistent fashion, and then would be merged into the croaking of a vast +assemblage of frogs. These sounds, however, carry with them no real menace, +however late the hour, but there is something which may almost strike +terror into the heart, though it might almost be considered foolish by +those who have not experienced a midnight ride in this country. The clipped +and shaven trees that in daylight merely appear ridiculous, in the darkness +assume an altogether different character. To the vivid imagination, it is +easy to see a witch's broom swaying in the wind; a group of curious and +distorted stems will suggest a row of large but painfully thin brownies, +holding hands as they dance. Every moment, two or three figures of gaunt +and lanky witches in spreading skirts will alarm you as they suddenly +appear round a corner. When they are not so uncanny in their outlines, the +trees will appear like clipped poodles standing upon their hind legs, or +they will suddenly assume the character of a grove of palm trees. After a +long stretch of this sort of country, it is pleasant to pass through some +sleeping village where there are just two or three lighted windows to show +that there are still a few people awake besides oneself in this lonely +country. I can imagine that the village of Hyenville has some claims to +beauty. I know at least that it lies in a valley, watered by the river +Sienne, and that the darkness allowed me to see an old stone bridge, with a +cross raised above the centre of the parapet. Soon after this I began to +descend the hill that leads into Coutances. A bend in the road, as I was +rapidly descending, brought into view a whole blaze of lights, and I felt +that here at last there were people and hotels, and an end to the ghostly +sights of the open country. Then I came to houses, but they were all quite +dark, and there was not a single human being in sight. Following this came +a choice of streets without a possibility of knowing which one would lead +in the direction of the hotel I was hoping to reach; but my perplexity was +at length relieved by the advent of a tall youth whose cadaverous features +were shown up by the street lamp overhead. He gave his directions clearly +enough, but although I followed them carefully right up the hill past the +cathedral, I began to think that I had overshot the mark, when another +passer-by appeared in the silent street. I found that I was within a few +yards of the hotel; but on hurrying forward, I found to my astonishment, +that the whole building was completely shut up and no light appeared even +within the courtyard. As I had passed the cathedral eleven reverbrating +notes had echoed over the town, and it seemed as though Coutances had +retired earlier on this night of all nights in order that I might learn +to travel at more rational hours. Going inside the courtyard, my anxiety +was suddenly relieved by seeing the light of a candle in a stable on the +further side; a man was putting up a horse, and he at once volunteered +to arouse some one who would find a bedroom. After some shouting to the +gallery above, a maid appeared, and a few minutes afterwards mine host +himself, clad in a long flannel night robe and protecting a flickering +candle-flame with his hand, appeared at a doorway. His long grey beard +gave him a most venerable aspect. The note of welcome in his cheery +voice was unmistakable and soon the maid who had spoken from the balcony +had shown the way up a winding circular staircase to a welcome exchange +to the shelter of a haystack which I had begun to fear would be my only +resting-place for the night. + +In the morning, the Hotel d'Angleterre proved to be a most picturesque +old hostelry. Galleries ran round three sides of the courtyard, and the +circular staircase was enclosed in one of those round towers that are +such a distinctive feature of the older type of French inn. + +The long main street does not always look deserted and in daylight it +appeared as sunny and cheerful as one expects to find the chief +thoroughfare of a thriving French town. Coutances stands on such a bold +hill that the street, almost of necessity, drops precipitously, and the +cathedral which ranks with the best in France, stands out boldly from all +points of view. It was principally built in the thirteenth century, but a +church which had stood in its place two centuries before, had been +consecrated by Bishop Geoffrey de Montbray in 1056, in the presence of Duke +William, afterwards William I. of England. The two western towers of the +present cathedral are not exactly similar, and owing to their curious +formation of clustered spires they are not symmetrical. It is for this +reason that they are often described as being unpleasing. I am unable to +echo such criticism, for in looking at the original ideas that are most +plainly manifest in this most astonishing cathedral one seems to be in +close touch with the long forgotten builders and architects whose notions +of proportion and beauty they contrived to stamp so indelibly upon their +masterpiece. From the central tower there is a view over an enormous sweep +of country which includes a stretch of the coast, for Coutances is only +half a dozen miles from the sea. This central tower rises from a square +base at the intersection of the transepts with the nave. It runs up almost +without a break in an octagonal form to a parapet ornamented with open +quatrefoils. The interior has a clean and fresh appearance owing to the +recent restorations and is chiefly remarkable for the balustraded triforium +which is continued round the whole church. In many of the windows there is +glass belonging to the sixteenth century and some dates as early as the +fourteenth century. + +Besides the cathedral, the long main street of Coutances possesses the +churches of St Nicholas and St Pierre. In St Nicholas one may see a +somewhat unusual feature in the carved inscriptions dating from early in +the seventeenth century which appear on the plain round columns. Here, as +in the cathedral, the idea of the balustrade under the clerestory is +carried out. The fourteen Stations of the Cross that as usual meet one in +the aisles of the nave, are in this church painted with a most unusual +vividness and reality, in powerful contrast to so many of these crucifixion +scenes to be seen in Roman Catholic churches. + +The church of St Pierre is illustrated here, with the cathedral beyond, but +the drawing does not include the great central tower which is crowned by a +pyramidal spire. This church belongs to a later period than the cathedral +as one may see by a glance at the classic work in the western tower, for +most of the building is subsequent to the fifteenth century. St Pierre and +the cathedral form a most interesting study in the development from Early +French architecture to the Renaissance; but for picturesqueness in domestic +architecture Coutances cannot hold up its head with Lisieux, Vire, or +Rouen. There is still a remnant of one of the town gateways and to those +who spend any considerable time in the city some other quaint corners may +be found. From the western side there is a beautiful view of the town with +the great western towers of the cathedral rising gracefully above the +quarries in the Bois des Vignettes. Another feature of Coutances is the +aqueduct. It unfortunately does not date from Roman times when the place +was known as Constantia, for there is nothing Roman about the ivy-clad +arches that cross the valley on the western side. + +From Coutances northwards to Cherbourg stretches that large tract of +Normandy which used to be known as the Cotentin. At first the country is +full of deep valleys and smiling hills covered with rich pastures and +woodland, but as you approach Lessay at the head of an inlet of the sea the +road passes over a flat heathy desert. The church at Lessay is a most +perfect example of Norman work. The situation is quite pretty, for near by +flows the little river Ay, and the roofs are brilliant with orange lichen. +The great square tower with its round-headed Norman windows, is crowned +with a cupola. With the exception of the windows in the north aisle the +whole of the interior is of pure Norman work. There is a double triforium +and the round, circular arches rest on ponderous pillars and there is also +a typical Norman semi-circular apse. The village, which is a very ancient +one, grew round the Benedictine convent established here by one Turstan +Halduc in 1040, and there may still be seen the wonderfully picturesque +castle with its round towers. + +Following the estuary of the river from Lessay on a minor road you come to +the hamlet of St Germain-sur-Ay. The country all around is flat, but the +wide stretches of sand in the inlet have some attractiveness to those who +are fond of breezy and open scenery, and the little church in the village +is as old as that of Lessay. One could follow this pretty coast-line +northwards until the seaboard becomes bold, but we will turn aside to the +little town of La Haye-du-Puits. There is a junction here on the railway +for Carentan and St Lo, but the place seems to have gone on quite unaltered +by this communication with the large centres of population. The remains of +the castle, where lived during the eleventh century the Turstan Halduc just +mentioned, are to be seen on the railway side of the town. The dungeon +tower, picturesquely smothered in ivy, is all that remains of this Norman +fortress. The other portion is on the opposite side of the road, but it +only dates from the sixteenth century, when it was rebuilt. Turstan had a +son named Odo, who was seneschal to William the Norman, and he is known to +have received certain important lands in Sussex as a reward for his +services. During the next century the owner of the castle was that Richard +de la Haye whose story is a most interesting one. He was escaping from +Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, when he had the ill luck to fall in +with some Moorish pirates by whom he was captured and kept as a slave for +some years. He however succeeded in regaining his liberty, and after his +return to France, he and his wife, Mathilde de Vernon, founded the Abbey of +Blanchelande. The ruins of this establishment are scarcely more than two +miles from La Haye du Puits, but they unfortunately consist of little more +than some arches of the abbey church and some of the walls of the lesser +buildings. + +Immediately north of La Haye there is some more heathy ground, but it is +higher than the country surrounding Lessay. A round windmill, much +resembling the ruined structure that stands out conspicuously on the bare + tableland of Alderney, is the first of these picturesque features that +we have seen in this part of the country. It is worth mention also on +account of the fact that it was at St Sauveur-le-Vicomte, only about seven +miles distant, that the first recorded windmill was put up in France about +the year 1180, almost the same time as the first reference to such +structures occurs in England. St Sauveur has its castle now occupied by the +hospital. It was given to Sir John Chandos by Edward III. after the Treaty +of Bretigny in 1360, and that courageous soldier, who saw so much fighting +in France during the Hundred Years War, added much to the fortress which +had already been in existence since very early times in the history of the +duchy. + +A road runs from St Sauveur straight towards the sea. It passes the corner +of a forest and then goes right down to the low sandy harbour of Port Bail. +It is a wonderful country for atmospheric effects across the embanked +swamps and sandhills that lie between the hamlet and the sea. One of the +two churches has a bold, square tower, dating from the fifteenth +century--it now serves as a lighthouse. The harbour has two other lights +and, although it can only be entered at certain tides, the little port +contrives to carry on a considerable export trade of farm produce, most of +it being consumed in the Channel Islands. + +The railway goes on to its terminus at Cartaret, a nicely situated little +seaside village close to the cape of the same name. Here, if you tire of +shrimping on the wide stretch of sands, it is possible to desert Normandy +by the little steamer that during the summer plies between this point and +Gorey in Jersey. Modern influences have given Cartaret a more civilised +flavour than it had a few years ago, and it now has something of the aspect +of a watering-place. Northwards from Cartaret, a road follows the +coast-line two or three miles from the cliffs to Les Pieux. Then one can go +on to Flamanville by the cape which takes its name from the village, and +there see the seventeenth century moated manor house. + +Cherbourg, the greatest naval port of France, is not often visited by those +who travel in Normandy, for with the exception of the enormous breakwater, +there is nothing beyond the sights of a huge dockyard town that is of any +note. The breakwater, however, is a most remarkable work. It stands about +two miles from the shore, is more than 4000 yards long by 100 yards wide, +and has a most formidable appearance with its circular forts and batteries +of guns. + +The church of La Trinite was built during the English occupation and must +have been barely finished before the evacuation of the place in 1450. Since +that time the post has only been once attacked by the English, and that was +as recently as 1758, when Lord Howe destroyed and burnt the forts, shipping +and naval stores. + +Leaving Cherbourg we will take our way southwards again to Valognes, a town +which suffered terribly during the ceaseless wars between England and +France. In 1346, Edward III. completely destroyed the place. It was +captured by the English seventy-one years afterwards and did not again +become French until that remarkable year 1450, when the whole of Normandy +and part of Guienne was cleared of Englishmen by the victorious French +armies under the Count of Clermont and the Duke of Alencon. + +The Montgommery, whose defeat at Domfront castle has already been +mentioned, held Valognes against the Catholic army, but it afterwards was +captured by the victorious Henry of Navarre after the battle of Ivry near +Evreux. + +Valognes possesses a good museum containing many Roman relics from the +neighbourhood. A short distance from the town, on the east side, lies the +village of Alleaume where there remain the ivy-grown ruins of the castle in +which Duke William was residing when the news was brought to him of the +insurrection of his barons under the Viscount of the Cotentin. It was at +this place that William's fool revealed to him the danger in which he +stood, and it was from here that he rode in hot haste to the castle of +Falaise, a stronghold the Duke seemed to regard as safer than any other in +his possession. + +Still farther southwards lies the town of Carentan, in the centre of a +great butter-making district. It is, however, a dull place--it can scarcely +be called a city even though it possesses a cathedral. The earliest part of +this building is the west front which is of twelfth century work. The spire +of the central tower has much the same appearance as those crowning the two +western towers at St Lo, but there is nothing about the building that +inspires any particular enthusiasm although the tracery of some of the +windows, especially of the reticulated one in the south transept, is +exceptionally fine. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + + +Concerning St Lo and Bayeux + +The richest pasture lands occupy the great butter-making district that lies +north of St Lo. The grass in every meadow seems to grow with particular +luxuriance, and the sleepy cows that are privileged to dwell in this choice +country, show by their complaisant expressions the satisfaction they feel +with their surroundings. It is wonderful to lie in one of these sunny +pastures, when the buttercups have gilded the grass, and to watch the +motionless red and white cattle as they solemnly let the hours drift past +them. During a whole sunny afternoon, which I once spent in those pastoral +surroundings, I can scarcely remember the slightest movement taking place +among the somnolent herd. There was a gentle breeze that made waves in the +silky sea of grass and sometimes stirred the fresh green leaves of the +trees overhead. The birds were singing sweetly, and the distant tolling of +the cathedral bells at Carentan added a richness to the sounds of nature. +Imagine this scene repeated a thousand times in every direction and you +have a good idea of this strip of pastoral Normandy. + +About four miles north of St Lo, the main road drops down into the pleasant +little village of Pont Hebert and then passes over the Vire where it flows +through a lovely vale. In either direction the brimming waters of the river +glide between brilliant green meadows, and as it winds away into the +distance, the trees become more and more blue and form a charming contrast +to the brighter colours near at hand. + +To come across the peasants of this pretty country in the garb one so +frequently sees depicted as the usual dress of Normandy, it is necessary to +be there on a Sunday or some fete day. On such days the wonderful frilled +caps, that stand out for quite a foot above the head, are seen on every +peasant woman. They are always of the most elaborate designs, and it is +scarcely necessary to say that they are of a dazzling whiteness. The men +have their characteristic dark blue close-fitting coats and the +high-crowned cap that being worn on week days is much more frequently in +evidence than the remarkable creations worn by the womenfolk. + +There is a long climb from Pont Hebert to St Lo but there are plenty of +pretty cottages scattered along the road, and these with crimson stonecrop +on the roofs and may and lilac blossoming in the gardens, are pictures that +prevent you from finding the way tedious. At last, from the considerable +height you have reached, St Lo, dominated by its great church, appears on a +hill scarcely a mile away. The old town, perched upon the flat surface of a +mass of rock with precipitous sides, has much the same position as +Domfront. But here we are shut in by other hills and there is no unlimited +view of green forest-lands. The place, too, has a busy city-like aspect so +that the comparison cannot be carried very far. When you have climbed the +steep street that leads up through a quaint gateway to the extensive +plateau above, you pass through the Rue Thiers and reach one of the finest +views of the church. On one side of the street, there are picturesque +houses with tiled roofs and curiously clustered chimneys, and beyond them, +across a wide gravelly space, rises the majestic bulk of the west front of +Notre Dame. From the wide flight of steps that leads to the main entrance, +the eye travels upwards to the three deeply-recessed windows that occupy +most of the surface of this end of the nave. Then the two great towers, +seemingly similar, but really full of individual ornament, rise +majestically to a height equal to that of the highest portion of the nave. +Then higher still, soaring away into the blue sky above, come the enormous +stone spires perforated with great multi-foiled openings all the way to the +apex. Both towers belong to the fifteenth century, but they were not built +at quite the same time. In the chancel there is a double arcade of graceful +pillars without capitals. There is much fine old glass full of beautiful +colours that make a curious effect when the sunlight falls through them +upon the black and white marble slabs of the floor. + +Wedged up against the north-west corner of the exterior stands a +comparatively modern house, but this incongruous companionship is no +strange thing in Normandy, although, as we have seen at Falaise, there are +instances in which efforts are being made to scrape off the humble domestic +architecture that clings, barnacle-like, upon the walls of so many of the +finest churches. On the north side of Notre Dame, there is an admirably +designed outside pulpit with a great stone canopy overhead full of +elaborate tracery. It overhangs the pavement, and is a noticeable object as +you go towards the Place de la Prefecture. On this wide and open terrace, a +band plays on Sunday evenings. There are seats under the trees by the stone +balustrade from which one may look across the roofs of the lower town +filling the space beneath. The great gravelly Place des Beaux-Regards that +runs from the western side of the church, is terminated at the very edge of +the rocky platform, and looking over the stone parapet you see the Vire +flowing a hundred feet below. This view must have been very much finer +before warehouses and factory-like buildings came to spoil the river-side +scenery, but even now it has qualities which are unique. Facing the west +end of the church, the most striking gabled front of the Maison Dieu forms +part of one side of the open space. This building may at first appear +almost too richly carved and ornate to be anything but a modern +reproduction of a mediaeval house, but it has been so carefully preserved +that the whole of the details of the front belong to the original time of +the construction of the house. The lower portion is of heavy stone-work, +above, the floors project one over the other, and the beauty of the +timber-framing and the leaded windows is most striking. + +St Lo teems with soldiers, and it has a town-crier who wears a dark blue +uniform and carries a drum to call attention to his announcements. In the +lower part of the town, in the Rue des Halles, you may find the corn-market +now held in the church that was dedicated to Thomas a Becket. The building +was in course of construction when the primate happened to be at St Lo and +he was asked to name the saint to whom the church should be dedicated. His +advice was that they should wait until some saintly son of the church +should die for its sake. Strangely enough he himself died for the +privileges of the church, and thus his name was given to this now +desecrated house of God. + +The remains of the fortifications that crown the rock are scarcely +noticeable at the present time, and it is very much a matter of regret that +the town has, with the exception of the Tour Beaux-Regards, lost the walls +and towers that witnessed so many sieges and assaults from early Norman +times right up to the days of Henry of Navarre. It was one of the towns +that was held by Geoffrey Plantagenet in Stephen's reign, and it was burnt +by Edward III. about the same time as Valognes. Then again in the religious +wars of the sixteenth century, a most terrific attack was made on St Lo by +Matignon who overcame the resistance of the garrison after Colombieres, the +leader, had been shot dead upon the ramparts. + +It is fortunate for travellers in hot weather that exactly half-way between +St Lo and Bayeux there lies the shade of the extensive forest of Cerisy +through which the main road cuts in a perfectly straight line. At Semilly +there is a picturesque calvary. The great wooden cross towers up to a +remarkable height so that the figure of our Lord is almost lost among the +overhanging trees, and down below a double flight of mossy stone steps +leads up to the little walled-in space where the wayfarer may kneel in +prayer at the foot of the cross. Onward from this point, the dust and heat +of the roadway can become excessive, so that when at last the shade of the +forest is reached, its cool glades of slender beech-trees entice you from +the glaring sunshine--for towards the middle of the day the roadway +receives no suggestion of shadows from the trees on either side. + +In this part of the country, it is a common sight to meet the peasant women +riding their black donkeys with the milk cans resting in panniers on either +side. The cans are of brass with spherical bodies and small necks, and are +kept brilliantly burnished. + +The forest left behind, an extensive pottery district is passed through. +The tuilleries may be seen by the roadside in nearly all the villages, +Naron being entirely given up to this manufacture. Great embankments of +dark brown jars show above the hedges, and the furnaces in which the +earthenware is baked, are almost as frequent as the cottages. There are +some particularly quaint, but absolutely simple patterns of narrow necked +jugs that appear for sale in some of the shops at Bayeux and Caen. + +Soon the famous Norman cathedral with its three lofty spires appears +straight ahead. In a few minutes the narrow streets of this historic city +are entered. The place has altogether a different aspect to the busy and +cheerful St Lo. The ground is almost level, it is difficult to find any +really striking views, and we miss the atmosphere of the more favourably +situated town. Perhaps it is because of the evil influence of Caen, but +certainly Bayeux lacks the cleanliness and absence of smells that +distinguishes Coutances and Avranches from some of the other Norman towns. +It is, however, rich in carved fronts and timber-framed houses, and +probably is the nearest rival to Lisieux in these features. The visitor is +inclined to imagine that he will find the tapestry for which he makes a +point of including Bayeux in his tour, at the cathedral or some building +adjoining it, but this is not the case. It is necessary to traverse two or +three small streets to a tree-grown public square where behind a great +wooden gateway is situated the museum. As a home for such a priceless relic +as this great piece of needlework, the museum seems scarcely adequate. It +has a somewhat dusty and forlorn appearance, and although the tapestry is +well set out in a long series of glazed wooden cases, one feels that the +risks of fire and other mischances are greater here than they would be were +the tapestry kept in a more modern and more fire-proof home. Queen Mathilda +or whoever may have been either the actual producer or the inspirer of the +tapestry must have used brilliant colours upon this great length of linen. +During the nine centuries that have passed since the work was completed the +linen has assumed the colour of light brown canvas, but despite this, the +greens, blues, reds, and buffs of the stitches show out plainly against the +unworked background. There is scarcely an English History without a +reproduction of one of the scenes portrayed in the long series of pictures, +and London has in the South Kensington Museum a most carefully produced +copy of the original. Even the chapter-house of Westminster Abbey has its +coloured reproductions of the tapestry, so that it is seldom that any one +goes to Bayeux without some knowledge of the historic events portrayed in +the needlework. There are fifty-eight separate scenes on the 230 feet of +linen. They commence with Harold's instructions from Edward the Confessor +to convey to William the Norman the fact that he (Harold) is to become king +of England. Then follows the whole story leading up to the flight of the +English at Senlac Hill. + +Even if this wonderful piece of work finds a more secure resting-place in +Paris, Bayeux will still attract many pilgrims for its cathedral and its +domestic architecture compare favourably with many other Norman towns. + +The misfortunes that attended the early years of the life of the cathedral +were so numerous and consistent that the existence of the great structure +to-day is almost a matter for surprise. It seems that the first church made +its appearance during the eleventh century, and it was in it that Harold +unwittingly took that sacred oath on the holy relics, but by some accident +the church was destroyed by fire and there is probably nothing left of this +earliest building except the crypt. Eleven years after the conquest of +England, William was present at Bayeux when a new building built by his +half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, was consecrated. Ten years after his +death, however, this second church was burnt down. They rebuilt it once +more a few years later, but a third time a fire wrought much destruction. +The portions of the cathedral that survived this century of conflagrations +can be seen in the two great western towers, in the arches of the Norman +nave, and a few other portions. The rest of the buildings are in the Early +French period of pointed architecture, with the exception of the central +tower which is partly of the flamboyant period, but the upper portion is as +modern as the middle of last century. The spandrels of the nave arcades are +covered over with a diaper work of half a dozen or more different patterns, +some of them scaly, some representing interwoven basket-work, while others +are composed simply of a series of circles, joined together with lines. +There are curious little panels in each of these spandrels that are carved +with the most quaint and curious devices. Some are strange, Chinese-looking +dragons, and some show odd-looking figures or mitred saints. The panel +showing Harold taking the oath is modern. There is a most imposing pulpit +surmounted by a canopy where a female figure seated on a globe is +surrounded by cherubs, clouds (or are they rocks?) and fearful lightning. +At a shrine dedicated to John the Baptist, the altar bears a painting in +the centre showing the saint's dripping head resting in the charger. Quite +close to the west front of the cathedral there stands a house that still +bears its very tall chimney dating from mediaeval times. Not far from this +there is one of the timber-framed fifteenth century houses ornamented with +curious carvings of small figures, and down in the Rue St Malo there is an +even richer example of the same type of building. On the other side of the +road, nearer the cathedral, a corner house stands out conspicuously. + +[Illustration: AN ANCIENT HOUSE IN THE RUE ST MALO, BAYEUX] + +It is shown in the illustration given here and its curious detail makes it +one of the most quaint of all the ancient houses in the city. + +Some of these old buildings date from the year 1450, when Normandy was +swept clear of the English, and it is probably owing to the consideration +of the leader of the French army that there are any survivals of this time. +The Lord of Montenay was leading the Duke of Alencon's troops and with him +were Pierre de Louvain, Robert Conigrain and a number of free archers. +After they had battered the walls of Bayeux with their cannon for fifteen +days, and after they had done much work with mines and trenches, the French +were ready for an assault. The King of France, however, and the notables +who have been mentioned "had pity for the destruction of the city and would +not consent to the assault." Without their orders, however, the troops, +whose ardour could not be restrained, attacked in one place, but not having +had the advice of their leaders the onslaught was quite indecisive, both +sides suffering equally from arrows and culverins. It was soon after this +that Matthew Gough, the English leader, was obliged to surrender the city, +and we are told that nine hundred of the bravest and the best soldiers of +the Duchy of Normandy came out and were allowed to march to Cherbourg. The +French lords "for the honour of courtesy" lent some of their horses to +carry the ladies and the other gentlewomen, and they also supplied carts to +convey the ordinary womenfolk who went with their husbands. "It was," says +Jacques le Bouvier, who describes the scene, "a thing pitiful to behold. +Some carried the smallest of the children in their arms, and some were led +by hand, and in this way the English lost possession of Bayeux." + + +[Illustration: THE GATEWAY OF THE CHATEAU] + + + + +CHAPTER X + + +Concerning Caen and the Coast Towards Trouville + +Caen, like mediaeval London, is famed for its bells and its smells. If you +climb up to any height in the town you will see at once that the place is +crowded with the spires and towers of churches; and, if you explore any of +the streets, you are sure to discover how rudimentary are the notions of +sanitation in the historic old city. If you come to Caen determined to +thoroughly examine all the churches, you must allow at least two or three +days for this purpose, for although you might endeavour to "do" the place +in one single day, you would remember nothing but the fatigue, and the +features of all the churches would become completely confused. + +My first visit to Caen, several years ago, is associated with a day of +sight-seeing commenced at a very early hour. I had been deposited at one of +the quays by the steamer that had started at sunrise and had slowly glided +along the ten miles of canal from Ouistreham, reaching its destination at +about five o'clock. The town seemed thoroughly awake at this time, the +weather being brilliantly fine. White-capped women were everywhere to be +seen sweeping the cobbled streets with their peculiarly fragile-looking +brooms. It was so early by the actual time, however, that it seemed wise to +go straight to the hotel and to postpone the commencement of sight-seeing +until a more rational hour. My rooms at the hotel, however, were not yet +vacated, so that it was impossible to go to my bedroom till eight o'clock. +The hotel courtyard, though picturesque, with its three superimposed +galleries and its cylindrical tower containing the staircase, was not, at +this hour in the morning at least, a place to linger in. It seemed +therefore the wisest plan to begin an exploration of some of the adjoining +streets to fill the time. After having seen the exterior of three or four +churches, the interiors of some others; after having explored a dozen +curious courtyards and the upper part of the town, where the Chateau +stands, the clocks began to strike seven, although to me it seemed like +noon. By half-past eight the afternoon seemed well advanced, and when +dejeuner made its appearance at the hotel it seemed as though the day would +never cease. I had by this time seen several more churches and interesting +old buildings, and my whole senses had become so jaded that I would +scarcely have moved a yard to have seen the finest piece of architecture in +the whole of Normandy. The circumstances of this day, were, no doubt, +exceptional, but I mention them as a warning to those who with a pathetic +conscientiousness endeavour to see far more than they can possibly +comprehend in the space of a very few hours. It would be far better to +spend one's whole time in the great church of the Abbaye aux Hommes, and +photograph in one's mind the simplicity of the early Norman structure, than +to have a confused recollection of this, St Pierre, the church of the +Abbaye aux Darnes and half a dozen others. + +The galleried hotel I have mentioned was known as the Hotel St Barbe. It is +now converted into a warehouse, but no one need regret this for it was more +pleasant to look at than to actually stay in. I am glad, personally, to +have had this experience; to have seen the country carts, with the blue +sheep-skins over the horse collars, drive into the courtyard, and to have +watched the servants of the hotel eating their meals at a long table in the +open air. There was a Spanish flavour about the place that is not found in +the modern hotels. + +There is no town I have ever known more confusing in its plan than Caen, +and, although I have stayed there for nearly a week on one occasion, I am +still a little uncertain in which direction to turn for the castle when I +am at the church of St Jean. The streets, as a rule, are narrow and have a +busy appearance that is noticeable after the quiet of Bayeux. The clatter +and noise of the omnibuses has been subdued in recent years by the +introduction of electric trams which sweep round the corners with a +terrifying speed, for after a long sojourn in the country and quiet little +towns one loses the agility and wariness of the town-bred folk. + +Caen, of course, does not compete with Lisieux for its leading position as +the possessor of the largest number of old houses, but it nevertheless can +show some quaint carved fronts in the Rue St Pierre and the narrow streets +adjoining. At the present time the marks of antiquity are being removed +from the beautiful renaissance courtyard of the Bourse near St Pierre. The +restoration has been going on for some years, and the steps that lead up to +the entrance in one corner of the quadrangle are no longer stained with the +blackish-green of a prolonged period of damp. But it is better, however, +that this sixteenth century house should assume a fictitious newness rather +than fall entirely into disrepair. It was originally the house of one of +the wealthy families of Caen named Le Valois, and was known as the Hotel +d'Escoville. Another splendid house is the Hotel de la Monnaie built by the +famous and princely merchant Etienne Duval, Sieur de Mondrainville, whose +great wealth enabled him to get sufficient supplies into Metz to make it +possible for the place to hold out during its siege in 1553. In his most +admirably written book "Highways and Byways in Normandy," Mr Dearmer gives +an interesting sketch of this remarkable man whose success brought him +jealous enemies. They succeeded in bringing charges against him for which +he was exiled, and at another time he was imprisoned in the castle at Caen +until, with great difficulty, he had proved the baseness of the attacks +upon his character. Duval was over seventy when he died, being, like Job, +wealthy and respected, for he had survived the disasters that had fallen +upon him. + +The gateway of the Chateau is the best and most imposing portion of the +fortifications of Caen. The castle being now used as barracks, visitors as +a rule are unable to enter, but as the gateway may be seen from outside the +deep moat, the rest of the place need not tantalise one. In William the +Conqueror's time the castle was being built, and the town walls included +the two great abbeys for which Caen is chiefly famous. These two +magnificent examples of Norman architecture have been restored with great +thoroughness so that the marks of antiquity that one might expect are +entirely wanting in both buildings. The exterior of the great church of St +Etienne disappoints so many, largely from the fact that the gaunt west +front is the only view one really has of the building except from a +distance. Inside, services seem to go on at most times of the day, and when +you are quietly looking at the mighty nave with its plain, semicircular +arches and massive piers, you are suddenly startled by the entry from +somewhere of a procession of priests loudly singing some awe-inspiring +chant, the guttural tones of the singers echoing through the aisles. +Following the clerical party will come a rabble of nuns, children and +ordinary laity, and before you have scarcely had time to think a service +has commenced, people are kneeling, and if you do not make haste towards +the doors a priest will probably succeed in reaching you with a collecting +dish in which one is not inclined to place even a sou if the service has +hindered the exploration of the church. Owing to the perpetuation of an +error in some of the English guides to Normandy, it is often thought that a +thigh-bone of the founder of the abbey is still lying beneath the marble +slab in the sanctuary, but this is a great mistake, for that last poor +relic of William the Conqueror was lost during the Revolution. The whole +story of the death, the burial, and the destruction of the tomb and remains +of the founder of the abbey are most miserable and even gruesome. William +was at Rouen when he died, and we need scarcely remind ourselves of that +tragic scene discovered by the clergy when they came to the house not long +after the great man had expired. Every one of William's suite had +immediately recognised the changed state of affairs now that the inflexible +will that had controlled the two kingdoms had been removed, and each, +concerned for himself, had betaken himself with indecent haste to England +or wherever his presence might be most opportune. In this way, there being +no one left to watch the corpse, the Archbishop of Rouen discovered that +the house and even the bed had been pillaged, so that the royal body was +lying in great disorder until reverently tended by a Norman gentleman named +Herluin. Having fulfilled William's wishes and brought the remains to Caen, +a stately funeral was arranged. As the procession slowly passed through the +narrow streets, however, it was interrupted by an alarm of fire-some of the +wooden houses blazing fiercely just when the bier was passing. The flames +grew so quickly that in some danger the mournful procession was dispersed +and the coffin was only attended by a few monks when the gates of the +Abbaye aux Hommes were reached. Eventually the burial ceremonies were in +progress beside the open grave within the church, but another interruption +ensued. Scarcely had the Bishop of Evreux concluded his address when +everybody was startled at hearing the loud voice of Ascelin resounding +through the church. He was a well-known man, a burgher, and a possessor of +considerable wealth, and it was therefore with considerable anxiety that +the clergy heard his claim upon the ground in which they were about to bury +William. It was the actual site of a house that had belonged to Ascelin's +father, for the dead king had shown no consideration to private claims when +he was building the great abbey to appease the wrath of the church. The +disturbance having been settled by the payment for the grave of a sum which +Ascelin was induced to accept, the proceedings were resumed. But then came +the worst scene of all, for it has been recorded that the coffin containing +the ponderous body of the king had not been made with sufficient strength, +and as it was being lowered into the grave, the boards gave way, and so +gruesome was the result that the church was soon emptied. It thus came +about that once more in the last phase of all William was deserted except +by a few monks. + +The monument which was raised over the Conqueror's grave, was, however, of +a most gorgeous character. It was literally encrusted with precious gems, +and it is known that enormous quantities of gold from the accumulated +stores of wealth which William had made were used by Otto the goldsmith +(sometimes known as Aurifaber) who was entrusted with the production of +this most princely tomb. Such a striking object as this could scarcely pass +through many centuries in safety, and we find that in the Huguenot wars of +the seventeenth century it was largely destroyed and the stone coffin was +broken open, the bones being scattered. We only know what became of a +thigh-bone which was somehow rescued by a monk belonging to the abbey. He +kept it for some time, and in 1642 it was replaced in a new, but much less +gorgeous tomb. About one hundred years later, it was moved to another part +of the church, but in the Revolution this third tomb was broken into, and +the last relic of the Conqueror was lost. Then after some years, the Prefet +of Calvados placed upon the site of the desecrated tomb the slab of black +marble that still marks the spot. The inscription reads "Hic sepultus est, +Invictissimus Guielmus Conquestor, Normanniae Dux et Angliae Rex, Hujusce +domus Conditor Qui obit anno MLXXXVII." + +When Lanfranc had been sent to the Pope by William with a view to making +some arrangement by which the King could retain his wife Matilda and at the +same time the good offices of the Church, his side of the bargain consisted +in undertaking to build two great abbeys at Caen, one for men and one for +women. The first we have already been examining, the other is at the +eastern side of the town on the hill beyond the castle. It is a more +completely Norman building than St Etienne, but its simple, semi-circular +arches and round-headed windows contrast strangely with the huge pontifical +canopy of draped velvet that is suspended above the altar, and very +effectually blocks the view of the Norman apse beyond. The smallness of the +windows throughout the building subdues the light within, and thus gives St +Trinite a somewhat different character to St Etienne. The capitals of the +piers of the arcade are carved with strange-looking monkeys and other +designs, and there are chevron mouldings conspicuous in the nave. The tomb +of Queen Mathilda is in the choir. Like that of her husband it has been +disturbed more than once, so that the marble slab on top is all that +remains of the original. + +Opposite the Place Reine Mathilde stands the desecrated church of St +Gilles, one of the numerous beautiful buildings in Caen now in partial ruin +and occupied as warehouses, wine-vaults or workshops. They are all worth +looking for, and if possible examining inside as well as out, for they +include some beautiful flamboyant structures and others of earlier date, +such as St Nicholas, illustrated here, which in part dates from Norman +times. St Etienne le Vieux, quite close to the Abbaye aux Hommes, is a +beautiful building rich in elaborate carving and rows of gargoyles. It was +built in the early years of the fifteenth century in place of one which had +fallen into ruin when Henry V. besieged Caen. It is still unrestored, and +if you peep inside the open doors you will see the interior filled with +ladders, boxes, brooms, and a thousand odds and ends, this most beautiful +structure being used as a municipal workshop. + +We have more than once referred to the church of St Pierre, but as yet we +have made no reference to its architecture. The tower and graceful spire +needs no detailed description, for it appears in the coloured illustration +adjoining, and from it one may see what a strikingly perfect structure this +is for such an early date as 1308. It is a marvel of construction, for the +spire within is hollow, and without any interior framework or supports at +all. Although it is so seemingly frail, it was used during the sixteenth +century for military purposes, having been selected as a good position for +firing upon the castle, and it naturally became a target for the guns +inside the fortress. You cannot now see the holes made by the cannon balls, +but although they were not repaired for many years the tower remained +perfectly stable, as a proof of the excellent work of Nicholas, the +Englishman who built it. + +Unlike the church of the Abbaye aux Dames, St Pierre is brilliantly lit +inside by large, traceried windows that let in the light through their +painted glass. In the nave the roof is covered with the most elaborate +vaulting with great pendants dropping from the centre of each section; but +for the most crowded ornament one must examine the chancel and the chapels. + +The church of St Jean is not conspicuous, but it is notable for two or +three features. The western tower is six and a half feet out of +perpendicular, the triforium has a noticeable balustrade running all round, +and the chancel is longer than the nave. St Sauveur, in the Rue St Pierre +is of the same period as St Jean, but its tower if it had been crocketed +would have very closely resembled that of St Pierre, and it is chiefly +notable for the fact that it is two churches thrown into one--that of St +Eustace being joined on to it. + +Another feature of Caen that is often overlooked is the charm of its old +courtyards. Behind some of the rather plain stone fronts, the archways lead +into little paved quadrangles that have curious well-heads, rustic outside +staircases, and odd-shaped dormer windows on the steep roofs. One of these +courtyards behind a house in the Rue de Bayeux is illustrated here, but to +do justice to the quaintnesses that are to be revealed, it would have been +necessary to give several examples. In the Boulevard St Pierre, where the +pavements are shaded by pink horse chestnuts there stands the Tour le Roy. +It is the most noticeable remnant of the days when Caen was a walled and +strongly fortified city, but as you look at it to-day it seems too much +like a good piece of the sham antique to be found at large exhibitions. It +is the restoration that is at fault, and not the tower itself, which is +really old, and no doubt is in quiet rebellion at the false complexion it +is obliged to wear. + +The view of Caen from across the race-course is a beautiful one, but under +some aspects this is quite eclipsed by the wonderful groupings of the +church towers seen from the canal as it goes out of the town towards the +east. I can remember one particular afternoon when there was a curious +mistiness through which the western sunlight passed, turning everything +into a strange, dull gold. It was a light that suppressed all that was +crude and commercial near at hand and emphasised the medievalism of the +place by throwing out spires and towers in softly tinted silhouettes. I +love to think of Caen robed in this cloth of gold, and the best I can wish +for every one who goes there with the proper motives, is that they may see +the place in that same light. + +On the left, a few miles out of Caen on the road to Creully, stands the +Abbaye d'Ardennes where Charles VII. lodged when his army was besieging +the city in 1450. The buildings are now used as a farm, and the church +is generally stacked with hay and straw up to the triforium. + +Although they start towards the east, the canal and the river Orne +taking parallel courses run generally towards the north, both entering +the sea by the village of Ouistreham, the ancient port of Caen. Along +the margin of the canal there is a good road, and almost hidden by the +long grass outside the tall trees that line the canal on each bank, +runs the steam tramway to Cabourg and the coast to the west of the +Orne. Except when the fussy little piece of machinery drawing three or +four curious, open-sided trams, is actually passing, the tramway +escapes notice, for the ground is level and the miniature rails are +laid on the ground without any excavating or embanking. The scenery as +you go along the tramway, the road, or the canal, is charming, the +pastures on either side being exceedingly rich, and the red and white +cattle seem to revel in the long grass and buttercups. Heronville, +Blainville and other sleepy villages are pleasantly perched on the +slight rise on the western side of the canal. Their churches, with red +roofs all subdued with lichen into the softest browns, rise above the +cottages or farm buildings that surround them in the ideal fashion that +is finally repeated at Ouistreham where locks impound the waters of the +canal, and a great lighthouse stands out more conspicuously than the +church tower. Seen through the framework of closely trimmed trees +Ouistreham makes a notable picture. The great Norman church is so +exceedingly imposing for such a mere village, that it is easy to +understand how, as a port in the Middle Ages, Ouistreham flourished +exceedingly. + +The tramway crosses the canal at Benouville on its way to Cabourg, and +leaving the shade of birches and poplars takes its way over the open fields +towards the sea. Benouville is best remembered on account of its big +chateau with a great classic portico much resembling a section of Waterloo +Place perched upon a fine terraced slope. Ranville has an old church tower +standing in lonely fashion by itself, and you pass a conspicuous calvary as +you go on to the curious little seaside resort known as Le Home-Sur-Mer. +The houses are bare and (if one may coin a word) seasidey. Perched here and +there on the sandy ridge between the road and the shore, they have scarcely +anything more to suggest a garden than the thin wiry grass that contrives +to exist in such soil. + +Down on the wide sandy beach there is an extensive sweep of the coast to be +seen stretching from beyond Ouistreham to the bold cliffs of Le Havre. +Keeping along the road by the tramway you have been out of sight of the +sea, but in a few minutes the pleasant leafiness of Cabourg has been +reached. Here everything has the full flavour of a seaside resort, for we +find a casino, a long esplanade, hotels, shops and bathing apparatus. It is +a somewhat strong dose of modern life after the slumbering old world towns +and villages we have been exploring, and it is therefore with great +satisfaction that we turn toward the village of Dives lying close at hand. +The place possesses a splendid old market hall, more striking perhaps than +that of Ecouche and a picturesque inn--the Hotel Guillaume le Conquerant. +The building is of stone with tiled roofs, and in the two courtyards there +are galleries and much ancient timber-framing, but unfortunately the +proprietor has not been content to preserve the place in its natural +picturesqueness. He has crowded the exterior, as well as the rooms, with a +thousand additions of a meretricious character which detract very much from +the charm of the fine old inn and defeat the owner's object, that of making +it attractive on account of its age and associations. Madame de Sevigne +wrote many of her letters in one of the rooms, but we know that she saw +none of the sham antique lamps, the well-head, or the excess of flowers +that blaze in the courtyards. On account of its name, the unwary are +trapped into thinking that William the Norman--for he had still to defeat +Harold--could have frequently been seen strolling about this hostelry, when +his forces for invading England were gathering and his fleet of ships were +building. This is, of course, a total misapprehension, for the only +structure that contains anything that dates back to 1066 is the church. +Even this building dates chiefly from the fourteenth century, but there is +to be seen, besides the Norman walls, a carved wooden cross that is +believed to have been found in the sea, and therefore to have some +connection with William's great fleet and its momentous voyage to England. +The names of the leading men who accompanied William are engraved upon two +marble slabs inside the church, and on the hill above the village a short +column put up by M. de Caumont, commemorates the site upon which William is +believed to have inspected his forces previous to their embarkation. + +It is a difficult matter to form any clear idea of the size of this army +for the estimates vary from 67,000 to 14,000, and there is also much +uncertainty as to the number of ships employed in transporting the host +across the channel. The lowest estimates suggest 696 vessels, and there is +every reason to believe that they were quite small. The building of so +large a fleet of even small boats between the winter and summer of 1066 +must have employed an enormous crowd of men, and we may be justified in +picturing a very busy scene on the shores of this portion of the coast of +Normandy. Duke William's ship, which was named the _Mora_, had been +presented to him by his wife Mathilda, and most of the vessels had been +built and manned by the Norman barons and prelates, the Bishop of Bayeux +preparing no less than a hundred ships. The Conquest of England must have +almost been regarded as a holy crusade! + +When the fleet left the mouth of the river Dives it did not make at once +for Pevensey Bay. The ships instead worked along the coast eastwards to the +Somme, where they waited until a south wind blew, then the vessels all left +the estuary each carrying a light, for it was almost dark. By the next +morning the white chalk of Beachy Head was in sight, and at nine o'clock +William had landed on English soil. + +Close to Dives and in sight of the hill on which the Normans were +mustered, there is a small watering-place known as Houlgate-sur-mer. The +houses are charmingly situated among trees, and the place has in recent +years become known as one of those quiet resorts where princes and +princesses with their families may be seen enjoying the simple pleasures +of the seaside, _incognito_. This fact, of course, gets known to +enterprising journalists who come down and photograph these members of the +European royal families wherever they can get them in particularly +unconventional surroundings. + +From Houlgate all the way to Trouville the country is wooded and hilly, and +in the hollows, where the timber-framed farms with their thatched roofs are +picturesquely arranged, there is much to attract the visitor who, wearying +of the gaiety of Trouville and its imitators along the coast, wishes to +find solitudes and natural surroundings. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + + +Some Notes on the History of Normandy + +The early inhabitants of Normandy submitted to the Roman legions under +Titurus Sabinus in B.C. 58, only a few years before Caesar's first attempt +upon Britain. By their repeated attacks upon Roman territory the Gaulish +tribes had brought upon themselves the invasion which, after some stubborn +fighting, made their country a province of the Roman Empire. Inter-tribal +strife having now ceased, the civilisation of Rome made its way all over +the country including that northern portion known as Neustria, much of +which from the days of Rollo came to be called Normandy. Traces of the +Roman occupation are scattered all over the province, the most remarkable +being the finely preserved theatre at Lillebonne, a corruption of +Juliabona, mentioned in another chapter. + +In the second century Rouen, under its Roman name Rotomagos, is mentioned +by Ptolemy. It was then merely the capital of the tribe of Velocasses, but +in Diocletian's reign it had become not only the port of Roman Paris, but +also the most important town in the province. In time the position occupied +by Rotomagos became recognised as one having greater strategical advantages +than Juliabona, a little further down the river, and this Gallo-Roman +precursor of the modern Rouen became the headquarters of the provincial +governor. The site of Rotomagos would appear to include the Palais de +Justice and the Cathedral of the present day. + +After the four centuries of Roman rule came the incursions of the savage +hordes of northern Europe, and of the great army of Huns, under Attila, who +marched through Gaul in A.D. 451. The Romans with their auxiliaries engaged +Attila at Chalons--the battle in which fabulous numbers of men are said to +have fallen on both sides. + +The Roman power was soon completely withdrawn from Gaul, and the Franks +under Clovis, after the battle of Soissons, made themselves complete +masters of the country. In 511 Clovis died. He had embraced Christianity +fifteen years before, having been baptised at Rheims, probably through +the influence of his wife Clothilda. Then for two hundred and fifty +years France was under the Merovingian kings, and throughout much of +this period there was very little settled government, Neustria, together +with the rest of France, suffering from the lawlessness that prevailed +under these "sluggard" kings. Rouen was still the centre of many of the +events connected with the history of Neustria. We know something of the +story of Hilparik, a king of Neustria, whose brutal behaviour to his +various queens and the numerous murders and revenges that darkened his +reign, form a most unsavoury chapter in the story of this portion of +France. + +Following this period came the time when France was ruled by the mayors +of the palace who, owing to the weakness of the sovereigns, gradually +assumed the whole of the royal power. After Charles Martel, the most +famous of these mayors, had defeated the Saracens at Tours, came his son +Pepin-le-Bref, the father of Charlemagne. Childeric, the last of the +Merovingian kings, had been put out of the way in a monastery and Pepin +had become the King of France. Charlemagne, however, soon made himself +greater still as Emperor of an enormous portion of Europe--France, +Italy, and Germany all coming under his rule. At his death Charlemagne +divided his empire. His successor Louis le Debonnaire, owing to his +easy-going weakness, fell a prey to Charlemagne's other sons, and at his +death, Charles the Bald became King of France and the country west of +the Rhine. The other portions of the empire falling to Lothaire and the +younger Louis. + +During all this period, France had suffered from endless fighting and the +famines that came as an unevitable consequence, and just about this time +Neustria suffered still further owing to the incursions of the Danes. Even +in Charlemagne's time the black-sailed ships of the Northmen had been seen +hovering along the coast near the mouth of the Seine, and it has been said +that the great Emperor wept at the sight of some of these awe-inspiring +pirates. + +In the year 841 the Northmen had sailed up the Seine as far as Rouen, but +they found little to plunder, for during the reign of the Merovingian +kings, the town had been reduced to a mere shadow of its former prosperity. +There had been a great fire and a great plague, and its ruin had been +rendered complete during the civil strife that succeeded the death of +Charlemagne. Wave after wave came the northern invasions led by such men as +Bjorn Ironside, and Ragnar Lodbrog. Charles the Bald, fearing to meet these +dreaded warriors, bribed them away from the walls of Paris in the year 875. +But they came again twelve years afterwards in search of more of the +Frenchmen's gold. When Charles the Fat, the German Emperor, became also +King of France, he had to suffer for his treacherous murder of a Danish +chief, for soon afterwards came the great Rollo with a large fleet of +galleys, and Paris was besieged once more. Odo, Count of Paris, held out +successfully, but when the king came from Germany with his army, instead of +attacking the Danes, he induced them to retire by offering them a bribe of +800 lbs. of silver. Before long Odo became King of France, but after ten +years of constant fighting, he died and was succeeded by Charles the +Simple. This title does an injustice to his character, for he certainly did +more for France than most of his predecessors. Finding the Northmen too +firmly established in Neustria to have any hope of successfully driving +them out of the country, he made a statesmanlike arrangement with Rollo. +The Dane was to do homage to the French king, to abandon his gods Thor, +Odin and the rest for Christianity, and in return was to be made ruler of +the country between the River Epte and the sea, and westwards as far as the +borders of Brittany Rollo was also to be given the hand of the Princess +Gisela in marriage. Rouen became the capital of the new Duchy of Normandy, +and the old name of Neustria disappeared. + +The Northmen were not at this time numerous, but they continued to come +over in considerable numbers establishing centres such as that of Bayeux, +where only Danish was spoken. As in England, this warrior people showed the +most astonishing adaptability to the higher civilisation with which they +had come into contact, and the new generations that sprang up on French +soil added to the vigour and daring of their ancestors the manners and +advanced customs of France, although the Northmen continued to be called +"The Pirates" for a considerable time. When Rollo died he was succeeded by +his son William Longsword, and from an incident mentioned by Mr T.A. Cook +in his "Story of Rouen," we can see the attitude of the Normans towards +Charles the Simple. He had sent down to Rouen two court gallants to +sympathise with the Princess Gisela, his daughter, for the rough treatment +she had received at the hands of Rollo, but they were both promptly siezed +and hanged in what is now the Place du Marche Vieux. + +Great stone castles were beginning to appear at all the chief places in +Normandy, and when Duke Richard had succeeded Harold Blacktooth we find +that the Duchy was assuming an ordered existence internally. The feudal +system had then reached its fullest development, and the laws established +by Rollo were properly administered. With the accession of Hugh Capet to +the throne of France, Normandy had become a most loyal as well as powerful +fief of the crown. The tenth century witnessed also an attempt on the part +of the serfs of the Duchy to throw off something of the awful grip of the +feudal power. These peasants were the descendants of Celts, of Romans, and +of Franks, and their efforts to form a representative assembly bear a +pathetic resemblance to the movement towards a similar end in Russia of +to-day. The representatives of the serfs were treated with the most fearful +cruelty and sent back to their villages; but the movement did not fail to +have its effects, for the condition of the villains in Normandy was always +better than in other parts of France. + +Broadly speaking, all the successors of Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy, +governed the country with wisdom and ability, and although there was more +or less constant war, either with the French, who were always hoping to +regain the lost province, or with rebellious barons who disputed the +authority of the dukes, yet the country progressed steadily and became +prosperous. Abbeys and churches that the invaders had laid waste were +rebuilt on a larger scale. At Jumieges there are still to be seen some +remains of the church that William Longsword began to build for the +unfortunate monks who had been left homeless after their abbey had been +destroyed by the "Pirates." Richard I., who died in 996, had added to the +Cathedral at Rouen, and the abbey of St Ouen prospered greatly in the +religious revival that became so widespread during the eleventh century. +Duke Richard II. had been assisted on one occasion by Olaf, King of Norway, +and before his return to the north that monarch, impressed no doubt by the +pomp of the ceremonial, was in 1004 baptised in the cathedral at Rouen. + +After Richard II. came Robert the Magnificent, who was called also +Robert the Devil by the people. It was he, who from the walls of his +castle at Falaise, if the legend be true, first saw Arlette the tanner's +daughter who afterwards became the Mother of William the Bastard. As a +boy William had a perilous life, and it is almost marvellous that he +survived to change his appellation to that of "Conqueror." Robert the +Magnificent had joined one of the crusades to the Holy Land when William +was only seven years old, but before he left Normandy, he had made it +known that he wished the boy to succeed him. For twenty years there was +civil war between the greater barons and the supporters of the heir, but +in the end William showed himself sufficiently strong to establish his +power. He won a great battle at Val-es-Dunes where he had been met by +the barons led by Guy of Burgundy, and, having taken some of the most +formidable fortresses in the Duchy, he turned his attention to his foes +outside with equal success. Soon after this William married Mathilda a +daughter of Count Baldwin of Flanders, but although by this act he made +peace with her country, William soon found himself in trouble with the +church. Bishop Mauger, whom he had appointed to the See of Rouen, found +fault with the marriage owing to its being within the forbidden degrees +of relationship, and the papal sanction having been refused, William +only obtained his wishes through the agency of Lanfranc. All his life +William appears to have set a stern example of purity in family life, +and his relations with the church, from this time to his death, seem to +have been most friendly. It was largely due to his religious life as +well as the support he gave to the monasteries that William was able to +give the colour of a religious crusade to his project for invading +England. Harold had slighted the sacredness of the holy relics of the +saints of Normandy, and William was to show England that their king's +action was not to pass unpunished. In this way the Norman host that +assembled at Dives, while the great fleet was being prepared, included +many who came from outside William's dominions. After the whole of +England had been completely subjugated William had his time and +attention largely taken up with affairs in Normandy. His son Robert was +soon in open rebellion, and assisted by the French King, Philip I., +Robert brought about the death of his father, for it was while +devastating a portion of French territory that William received the +injury which resulted in his death. Robert then became Duke of Normandy, +and there followed those sanguinary quarrels between the three brothers +William Rufus, King of England, Henry Beauclerc and Robert. Finally, +after his return from Palestine, Robert came to England to endeavour to +make peace with his younger brother Henry, who was now king, but the +quarrel was not to be settled in this way. Henry, determined to add +Normandy to the English crown, crossed the channel with a large army and +defeated his brother at Tinchebrai in 1106. With the accession of +Stephen to the English throne in 1135, came the long struggle between +that king and Maud. When Henry II. married Eleanor of Aquitaine, not +only that great province but also Maine and Anjou came under his sway, +so that for a time Normandy was only a portion of the huge section of +France belonging to the English Crown. During his long reign Henry spent +much time in Normandy, and Argentan and Avranches are memorable in +connection with the tragedy of Thomas a Becket. During the absence of +Richard Coeur-de-Lion in Palestine John became exceedingly friendly with +Philip Augustus, the French King, but when Richard was dead he found +cause to quarrel with the new English king and, after the fall of the +Chateau Gaillard, John soon discovered that he had lost the Duchy of +Normandy and had earned for himself the name of "Lackland." + +From this time, namely, the commencement of the thirteenth century, +Normandy belonged to the crown of France although English armies were, +until 1450, in frequent occupation of the larger towns and fortresses. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Normandy, Part 3, by Gordon Home + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORMANDY, PART 3 *** + +***** This file should be named 8595.txt or 8595.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/8/5/9/8595/ + +Produced by Ted Garvin, Beth Trapaga and the Distributed Proofreading +Team + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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