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diff --git a/36885-8.txt b/36885-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e432f1a --- /dev/null +++ b/36885-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6251 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Rheims and the Battles for its Possession, by Various + +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: Rheims and the Battles for its Possession + Illustrated Michelin Guides to the Battle-Fields (1914-1918) + +Author: Various + +Release Date: July 29, 2011 [EBook #36885] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RHEIMS *** + + + + +Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive.) + + + + + + + + ILLUSTRATED MICHELIN GUIDES + TO THE BATTLE-FIELDS (1914-1918) + + RHEIMS + AND THE BATTLES FOR ITS POSSESSION. + + MICHELIN & Cie--CLERMONT=FERRAND. + MICHELIN TYRE Co. Ltd., 81, Fulham Road, LONDON, S.W. + MICHELIN TIRE Co., MILLTOWN, N.J., U.S.A. + + + + +[Illustration (Ad)] + +You don't know what a =Good Road Map= is if you haven't used the +=Michelin Map= (_Scale - 1:200,000_) (3.15 miles to the inch). + +On sale at Michelin stockists and booksellers. + +The tourist finds his way about easily =in town=, if he has a plan +giving the names of the streets. + +He gets about with the same ease and certainty =on the road=, if he has +a =Michelin map=, because it gives all the road numbers on the +milestones and road-signs. + + + + +[Illustration (Ad)] + +THE BEST & CHEAPEST DETACHABLE WHEEL + +_The Michelin Wheel is practical and strong_ + +_The Michelin Wheel is simple and smart_ + + + + +THE "TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE." + + +If you are not a Member + of the Touring Club de France +join to-day. By doing so, you will help France and, at the same time, +yourself. (Intending Members should be introduced by two actual Members, +or furnish references.) + +If you are already a Member + of the Touring Club de France +Introduce new Members. It will only cost you a little good will, and you +will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped to augment +the Association's beneficent influence. + +SUBSCRIPTIONS: + + The yearly subscription is: + + 6 francs for new Members of French nationality. + + 10 francs for new Members of other nationality, wherever their + residence may be. + + New subscriptions paid from October 1 are valid for the + following calendar year. + + Life subscriptions may be effected in one payment of 120 francs + for persons of French nationality, or 200 francs if of other + nationality. + + The title of "Membre-Fondateur" may be acquired by the payment + of 300 francs. + + A minimum payment of 500 francs confers the title of + "Membre-Bienfaiteur." + + THE TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE, + 65, AVENUE DE LA GRANDE ARMÉE, PARIS (16). + + + + + IN MEMORY + OF THE MICHELIN EMPLOYEES + AND WORKMEN WHO DIED GLORIOUSLY + FOR THEIR COUNTRY. + + RHEIMS + AND THE BATTLES FOR ITS POSSESSION. + + Published by + MICHELIN & CIE + Clermont-Ferrand, France. + + Copyright by Michelin & Cie. 1919. + + _All rights of translation, adaptation, or reproduction + (in part or whole) reserved in all countries._ + + + + +_On July 6th, 1919, the President of the French Republic conferred the_ +=Croix de la Légion d'Honneur= _on Rheims (fastening it personally on +the City Arms), with the following_ "=citation=":-- + +"_Martyred city, destroyed by an infuriated enemy, powerless to hold +it._ + +"_Sublime population who, like the Municipal Authorities--models of +devotion to duty and despising all danger--gave proof of magnificent +courage, by remaining more than three years under the constant menace of +the enemy's attacks, and by leaving their homes only when ordered to do +so._ + +"_Inspired by the example of the heroic French maid of venerated memory, +whose statue stands in the heart of the city, showed unshakeable faith +in the future of France (Croix de Guerre)._" + +[Illustration: RHEIMS, AS SEEN FROM THE GERMAN LINES (_Photograph found +on a German prisoner_)] + + + + +=RHEIMS= + +=POLITICAL HISTORY= + + +Rheims is one of the oldest towns in France, so old that legendary +accounts, in an endeavour to outdo one another, carry back its +foundation sometimes to 1440 B.C. after the Flood, sometimes to the +siege of Troy. Lying at the intersection of the natural routes between +Belgium and Burgundy, and between the Parisian basin and Lorraine, +_i.e._ between political districts that long remained different in +character, and regions having different commercial resources, it was at +one and the same time the "_oppidum_" and _market-town_. Its military +and commercial position destined it early to be a great city. + +It probably takes its name from the tribe of the _Remi_, who occupied +almost the whole territory now forming the "_départements_" of the Marne +and the Ardennes, and who were clients of the _Suessiones_ (Soissons) +before the Roman conquest. It was already a prosperous town, under the +name of "_Durocortorum_," when Cæsar conquered Gaul. It freed itself +from the yoke of the Suessiones by accepting the Roman domination. When +the Belgians revolted in 57 B.C., the _Remi_ remained faithful to Cæsar +and received the title of "_friends of the Roman people_." Neither did +they take any part in the general revolt of Gaul in 52 B.C. Under the +Empire, Rheims was, with Trèves, one of the great centres of Latin +culture in "_Gallia Belgica_." On becoming a federated city, it retained +its institutions and senate. A favourite residence of the Roman +Governors, Rheims was embellished with sumptuous villas and magnificent +monuments, and soon became one of the most prosperous towns in Gaul. At +the beginning of the Germanic invasions Rheims drew in its borders and +became a military town. Under _Diocletian_ it was the capital of +_Belgica Secunda_. + +According to tradition, Christianity was first preached in Rheims by St. +Sixtus and St. Sinirus, the first bishops of the city. However that may +be, Christianity was firmly established there as early as the 3rd +century. A bishop of Rheims was present at the Council of Arles in 314. +The conversion of several great Roman personages (amongst others, the +_Consul Jovinus_--see p. 118) favoured the progress of the Christian +religion. + +In the 5th century, when Rome, otherwise occupied, was unable to hold +back the barbarians, invasions interfered with the development of the +city. The Frankish conquest marked the beginning of a new period of +prosperity. In 486, after the victory of Soissons, _Clovis_ entered into +negotiations with St. Remi, who, at the age of 22, had been elected +Bishop of Rheims in 459, and whose long episcopate of seventy-four years +is probably unique in history. On Christmas Day, A.D. 496, +St. Remi, who had arranged the marriage of Clovis with the Christian +princess Clotilde, baptized the Frankish king with his own hands in the +Cathedral. This important event took place undoubtedly at Rheims and not +at Tours, as a learned German, _Krusch_, has attempted to prove. + +Under the Merovingians and Carolingians, the history of Rheims became +merged in that of the French monarchy. The possession of the city was +disputed as fiercely as that of the throne. The city was mixed up in +quarrels from which it suffered, without, however, losing its religious +prestige. Pépin-le-Bref and Pope Stephen III., Charlemagne and Pope Leo +III. had famous interviews there. When the Carolingians restored the +religious hierarchy Rheims became one of the twenty-two chief cities of +the Empire. From the time of Charlemagne, the Archbishop of Rheims ruled +over twelve bishoprics, comprising the cities of the ancient Roman +province of _Belgica Secunda_. + +From the 9th to the 11th century the history of Rheims is that of its +church. The Counts of Vermandois, the Lords of Coucy and the archbishops +first disputed, then divided its temporal possession, the latter falling +eventually to the archbishops in the 11th century. After becoming +Counts, with the right to coin money, and, from 940, powerful temporal +princes, the archbishops played a great political part in the struggles +between the Carolingian princes. Under _Charles-le-Chauve_, Archbishop +Hincmar became the protector of the enfeebled monarchy. In 858 he +prevented _Louis-le-Germanique_ from deposing his nephew and becoming +King of France. In 987, Archbishop Adalbéron, at the Meeting of Senlis, +drove the legitimate heir, _Charles de Lorraine_, from the throne, and +favoured the election of Hughes Capet. Although, under the Capetians, +Paris became the political capital of France, Rheims became the +religious metropolis of the kingdom. From the time when _Louis-le-Pieux_ +had himself consecrated emperor in the Cathedral, by Pope Stephen IV., +it was understood that every new king must be consecrated by the +successor of St. Remi. + + +=The Consecration of the Kings of France= + +In the 12th century, Popes and Kings formally acknowledged the right of +the Archbishop of Rheims to consecrate and crown the kings of France. As +a matter of fact, until the Revolution, all the kings, except Louis IV. +and Henri IV., were consecrated at Rheims. + +The ceremony of consecration filled the Cathedral with a great crowd of +people. Apart from the peers, numerous prelates, dignitaries of the +Kingdom, the Court, the Chapter of the Cathedral and the populace +crowded in. Staging was erected for the public in the transept ends and +along the choir. Before the consecration took place, the archbishop, at +the head of a procession, went to receive the _Sacred Ampulla_ at the +threshold of the Cathedral, brought on horseback by the Abbot of St. +Remi. Returning to the altar, the prelate received the King's oath and +then consecrated him, anointing him with the holy oil on his head and +breast, between and on his shoulders, on the joints of his arms and in +the palms of his hands, each motion being accompanied with a special +prayer. Then the Peers handed the insignia of royalty to the archbishop, +who, surrounded by all the Peers, placed the crown of Charlemagne on the +head of the King, _while the people shouted_ "_Long live the King_." + +The King was then led to a throne prepared for him at the entrance to +the Choir, and mass was celebrated with great pomp. The King and Queen +communicated in both kinds, and the royal party then went in procession +to the archbishop's palace, where the _Feast of Consecration_ was held. + +In 1162, the Archbishopric of Rheims, until then a county, became a +Duchy and the highest peerage in France, which explains why it was given +to great personages, such as Henri-de-France and Guillaume-de-Champagne, +brother and brother-in-law of Louis VII. + +In the 12th century the archbishops, freed from the feudal rivalries, +were confronted by a new power, the _bourgeoisie_ or middle classes, +born of the progress of industry and commerce, and whose importance was +demonstrated by the great Champagne Fairs held sometimes at Rheims and +sometimes at Troyes. The first _Company of Burgesses_, founded in 1138, +soon became a "_Commune_." In 1147, the suburb of St. Remi, which the +archbishop refused to allow to become attached to the "_Commune_" rose +in revolt and was only appeased by the intervention of St. Bernard and +Suger. + +In 1160, Archbishop Henri-de-France, with the help of the Count of +Flanders, who was occupying Rheims with a thousand horsemen, suppressed +the "_Commune_" whose independence was alarming him. In 1182 a royal +charter, granting to the inhabitants the right to elect for a year +twelve "_échevins_" (aldermen), re-established the _Commune_ in fact, +if not in name, but the struggle between the _Commune_ and the +archbishop still went on. In 1211, Philippe-Auguste compelled the +aldermen to hand over the keys of the city gates to the archbishop. + +[Illustration: THE CONSECRATION CEREMONY OF THE KINGS OF FRANCE IN THE +CATHEDRAL OF RHEIMS (_see p. 4_)] + +In 1228, Archbishop Henri-de-Braine, not feeling himself safe in the +city, built the fortified castle of Mars-Gate (or old castle of the +archbishops) outside the walls, but looking towards the city (_photo, p. +6_). During the serious riots of 1235, the burgesses besieged the +archbishop's castle, for which act they were excommunicated by Pope +Gregory IX., and rebuked by St. Louis. In 1257, St. Louis intervened +once more, to put an end to the fighting between the free Companies of +the Burghers and the soldiers of the archbishop. + +In the 14th century the two adversaries frequently came to blows, until +the king, in 1362, put an end to their quarrels by taking into his own +hands the care and military government of Rheims. + +In spite of these local struggles the city developed in the course of +the Middle Ages. With Chartres it had a well-attended episcopal school, +long before Paris. Among the masters of this school were _Gerbert_, one +of the most learned men of the Middle Ages, who became Pope under the +name of Sylvester II., and _St. Bruno_, founder of the Carthusian Order. +Among the pupils were _Fulbert_ (afterwards Bishop of Chartres), the +historian _Richer_, _Guillaume de Champeaux_, and _Abélard_ (adversary +of St. Bernard). + +During the Hundred Years' War (_see military section_) the Town Council +of Rheims, which the Treaty of Troyes in 1420 had placed under the +domination of the English, declared in favour of Charles VII., in spite +of the Duke of Burgundy, who was residing at Laon, and notwithstanding +the intrigues of the Bishop of Beauvais, Pierre Cauchon, who, profiting +by the absence of the archbishop, went so far as to have a _Corpus +Christi_ procession in the city, to call down the blessing of Heaven +upon the English. On July 17th, 1429, Joan-of-Arc handed over the keys +of the city to the king, and was present at the consecration, standing +near the altar with her standard which, "after having been through much +tribulation, was accounted worthy of a place of honour." Since the +return of Charles VII. to Rheims, the city had never ceased to be +French. After the departure of the king and Joan-of-Arc, a friend of +Pierre Cauchon plotted to deliver the town into the hands of the Duke of +Burgundy, to whom the English promised it, provided he could take it. +The plot was discovered and failed. + +Under Louis XI. a serious revolt, known as the Micquemaque, broke out in +the town. Louis, well received at the time of his consecration, had +promised the people of Rheims (or so they believed) the abolition of the +tax known as the "_taille._" When, therefore, in the following year, the +collectors demanded payment, the people rose in revolt and drove them +out. + +[Illustration: THE OLD CASTLE OF THE ARCHBISHOPS OF RHEIMS, RAZED TO THE +GROUND BY HENRI IV. +_The Archbishops of Rheims were formerly powerful temporal lords (see +page 4)._] + +As usual, the king had recourse to treachery. Disguised as peasants, his +soldiers entered the city unperceived. Once inside, they arrested those +who were most deeply compromised, and carried out violent reprisals. +Houses were plundered, many of the inhabitants banished, and nine put to +death. + +During the War of Religion, Rheims sided with the Catholics. + +Under the influence of the _Guises_, five of whom were archbishops of +Rheims (notably Cardinal Charles de Lorraine, the protector of Rabelais +and Ronsard, and founder of the University of Rheims in 1547), the town +espoused the cause of the League and opened its gates to the Duc de +Mayenne in 1585. It submitted to Henri IV. only after the battle of +Ivry, when the Castle of Mars Gate (stronghold of the archbishops) was +razed to the ground. Henceforth the archbishops played no political +part, and Richelieu put an end to strife by turning the _Guises_ out of +the archi-episcopal see. + +In the 17th and 18th centuries the town lived in peace, with +alternations of misery and suffering (caused by plague or famine) and +commercial and industrial prosperity. It was at Rheims that the first +French newspaper, the "Gazette de France," printed by Godard in 1694, +appeared. + +During the Revolution, Rheims received the new ideas with enthusiasm. It +furnished a great number of volunteers to withstand the invasion, and on +August 14th, 1792, the Legislative Assembly proclaimed that the city +"_had deserved well of the country_." + +Under the Restoration its industry developed. In August, 1830, the +people, who were favourably to the Revolution of July, overturned the +cross of the "_Calvaire de la Mission_," erected in 1821 by the +ultra-Catholic party, and in its place set up a funeral urn with the +inscription, "To the brave men who died for liberty on the 27th, 28th +and 29th days of July, 1830." The population accepted the monarchy of +July, but without enthusiasm. + +The Second Empire witnessed a remarkable development of business +activity which, after the momentary stoppage caused by the War of 1870 +and the Prussian occupation (_see military section_), made of Rheims, at +the end of the 19th century, one of the great commercial and industrial +cities of France. The population increased from about 30,000 (in 1792) +to 59,000 (in 1865) and to more than 115,000 in 1912. + +When the War of 1914 broke out, the rich and ancient city was still as +_La Fontaine_ had described it: + + "_No town is dearer to me than Rheims, + The Honour and Glory of our France._" + +[Illustration: RHEIMS, FROM AN OLD ENGRAVING (1622)] + + + + +=MILITARY HISTORY= + + +If the military and commercial situation of Rheims destined it, from +early times, to be a great city, it also exposed it to the greed of +ambitious foreigners, and opened the road to invasion. + +During the Hundred Years' War the city was fiercely disputed. On +December 4th, 1359, Edward III. of England besieged it. On January 11th, +1360, a sortie of the troops and burghers, under Remi Grammaire, +compelled him to raise the siege, in recognition of which feat of arms +Charles V. permitted the "_fleur-de-lys_" (emblem of the Royal House of +France) to be emblazoned on the City's coat of arms. Since then the +Shield of Rheims has been: In chief France ancient, in base argent Two, +laurel branches in Saltire vert. In 1420 the English were more +successful and entered Rheims, whose gates were opened to them by +Philippe-le-Bon, Duke of Burgundy. Nine years later (July 16th, 1429) +the Dauphin of France and Joan-of-Arc entered the town, then finally +delivered, by the Dieu-Lumière Gate (formerly the Gate of St. Nicaise). + +During the invasion of 1814, Marshal Marmont's troops retook Rheims on +March 13th, after sharp street fighting, and Napoleon entered the city +the same night. + +In 1870, after the investment of Metz, Rheims witnessed the departure of +the army formed by MacMahon at Châlons-sur-Marne, for the relief of +Marshal Bazaine. A few days later (September 4th) the Prussian troops +entered the city at 3 o'clock in the afternoon by three different gates. +On the 6th, the King of Prussia, accompanied by Bismarck and Von Moltke, +made an imposing entry, and resided for some time at the archi-episcopal +palace, in the apartments reserved for the Kings of France at the time +of their consecration. Rheims was held to ransom, and a number of +citizens shot for protesting against the German yoke, chief among whom +was the Abbé Miroy, Curé of Cuchery, whose tomb (the work of the +sculptor Saint Marceaux) is in the northern cemetery. Others were +carried away prisoners to Germany. The Prussian troops evacuated the +town on November 20th, 1872. + + +=The Invasion of 1914= + +(_See map, p. 11._) + +Forty-four years later to a day (September 4, 1914), German advance +troops again entered Rheims, as General Joffre's plans had not provided +for defending the city. However, the Army detachments placed under the +command of General Foch on August 29, and wedged in between the 4th and +5th Armies, stayed the German advance for a few days. On August 30 the +42nd Division from the East, detrained at Rheims and took up positions +at Sault-Saint-Rémy and Saint-Loup-en-Champagne on August 31, to the +left of the 9th and 11th Corps. + +On September 1, General Foch resisted on the river Retourne but, in the +evening, withdrew to the river Suippe, in conformity with the general +orders. On the 2nd the town was still protected by the 10th Corps +(elements of which occupied the Fort of St. Thierry), by the 42nd +Division near Brimont and to the north of the Aviation ground, and by +the 9th and 11th Corps to the east. On the 3rd, the French retreat +towards the Marne became more rapid, and Rheims was abandoned. On +September 5, Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia entered the town and took +up his quarters at the Grand Hôtel. The Germans at once requisitioned 50 +tons of meat, 20 tons of vegetables, 100 tons of bread, 50 tons of oats, +15,000 gallons of petrol, besides straw and hay, and insisted on the +immediate payment of a million francs as a guarantee that their +requirements would be met. + +[Illustration: THE TEMPORARY GERMAN OCCUPATION OF SEPT. 1914 +_German troops in front of the Cathedral. The scaffolding of the latter +was set on fire on Sept. 19._] + +This sum was paid in the course of the afternoon, under threats by the +enemy. From the 6th onwards the German soldiers gave themselves up to +plundering. The tobacco warehouse at 21 Rue Payen was ransacked, and +more than 700,000 francs worth of cigars and tobacco stolen. On the +following days pillaging, especially of the food-shops, continued. On +the 9th, the Kommandantur requisitioned civilians to bury the dead in +the Rethel, Epernay and Montmirail districts. On the 11th, the Crown +Prince arrived and took up his quarters at the Grand Hôtel, where he was +joined by Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of the Kaiser. On the morning +of the 12th, the Germans, alarmed at the approach of the victorious +French troops from the Marne, arrested the Mayor (Dr. Langlet), Mgr. +Neveux, coadjutor of Rheims, and the Abbé Camus. They then drew up a +list of a hundred hostages and threatened to hang them at the first +attempt at disorder. They also threatened to burn the city, wholly or +partially, and to hang the inhabitants, if any of them molested the +German soldiers. All that day the Germans, instead of organising +defences, left the town in haste, after first pillaging it. In the +afternoon the Crown Prince left the Grand Hôtel with his suite. At 5 +p.m., after setting fire to the forage stores, the Kommandantur left +Rheims by the Rethel road in drenching rain, followed by the hundred +hostages, who were only released at the level-crossing at +Witry-les-Reims. When the latter returned to Rheims, a patrol of French +mounted Chasseurs had already entered the town by the suburb of St. +Anne. The next morning, at about 6 o'clock, the French troops, with the +6th mounted Chasseurs at their head, entered Rheims by the Rue de Vesle. +At 1 p.m. General Franchet d'Espérey, commanding the French 5th Army, +entered the city. + + +=The Battles for Rheims, 1914-1918= + +Although evacuated by the Germans, Rheims had yet to remain for nearly +four years under enemy fire. With equal obstinacy the adversaries +disputed the town, the French seeking to disengage it and the Germans to +recapture it. + +On September 12, on the approach of the victorious French Army from the +Marne, the Germans entrenched themselves to the south-west of the town, +and established a line of resistance passing through Thillois, Ormes, +Bezannes and Villers-aux-Noeuds. + +In spite of the very unfavourable weather, the 3rd Corps (Gen. Hache) +vigorously engaged the enemy at Thillois, and forced them to abandon the +position in the evening. The 1st Corps (Gen. Deligny), on the right, had +orders to push forward advance-guards into Rheims, but as a matter of +fact they reached the suburb of Vesle. The 10th Corps (Gen. Defforges) +attacked at Puisieulx and forced the enemy across the Vesle. + +On the 13th, the left of the 3rd Corps arrived in front of Courcy and +Brimont, where the Germans were strongly entrenched. A desperate battle +took place, with the result that Courcy was taken before noon. Loivre +likewise fell into the hands of the French, but the passage of the Aisne +Canal was fiercely disputed. The attack on Brimont failed, in spite of +the great valour of the troops, who sustained heavy losses. Meanwhile, +the 1st Corps crossed Rheims, with orders to debouch at Bétheny. Just +outside the town they were met with violent artillery fire, which, +however, did not completely check their advance. La Neuvillette, +Pierquin Farm and Bétheny were occupied, and the 1st Corps linked up on +its left with the 3rd Corps, on the outskirts of Soulain Woods. The +advance continued during the night, and Modelin Farm was reached by +advance-guards. General Deligny took up his headquarters in the suburb +of Vesle. The 10th Corps crossed the Vesle, engaged the enemy at St. +Léonard and reached the railway. + +On the 14th, the fighting greatly increased in violence. The 3rd Corps, +in spite of repeated efforts, was unable to advance; on the left it +failed to drive the enemy from the St. Marie Farm, while on the right it +was held up before Brimont. The 1st Corps was likewise checked; the 1st +Division (Gen. Gallet) attempted unsuccessfully to support General Hache +in his attack on Brimont. The 10th Corps, although strongly engaged +towards the Fort of La Pompelle, made but little progress. Farther away, +on the right, the battle extended along the front of the 9th Army. + +On the 15th, at 5.30 a.m., the 5th Army resumed a general offensive. +Fierce fighting took place at St. Marie Farm, to the left of the 3rd +Corps, and also further north, near Hill 100. Despite heavy sacrifices, +however, the enemy held their positions; but, on the right, the 36th +Infantry Regiment captured the Château of Brimont at day-break. General +Deligny, less fortunate, was driven out of Soulains Woods, but stood +firm at the Champ-de-Courses and Bétheny. The 10th Corps continued to +advance slowly, and at certain points reached the high-road to Suippes. + +On the 16th, the 3rd Corps attacked Brimont again, but failed. At the +château the situation became more and more critical, by reason of the +retreat of the 1st Corps on the previous day. This Corps had again to +face a powerful enemy counter-offensive, which, however, failed to drive +it from the Modelin Farm and the "Cavaliers de Courcy." + +On the 17th, the Germans counter-attacked all along the line. In the +afternoon the 3rd Corps, which stood firm at Godat Farm and Loivre, was +elsewhere compelled to cross to the west bank of the canal and fall back +on Courcy. + +After a heroic defence the isolated garrison of Brimont Castle, weakened +by heavy losses, surrendered during the night, after having spent all +its ammunition. The 1st Corps, the greater part of which had left for +the region of Berry-au-Bac, held its positions with its last available +units. The 10th Corps extended its front westwards to Bétheny, while one +of its regiments, the 2nd Infantry, occupied La Pompelle Fort. + +On the 18th, the enemy increased their efforts against the front held by +the 3rd Corps and the reserve units further west. Loivre, which had so +far resisted, fell. The French withdrew to the west of the road to Laon. +The situation was considered critical at this point of the front. The +10th Corps, which had been withdrawn from the east of Rheims, in favour +of another sector, was stopped on the way and sent for a few days in +support of the 3rd Corps. + +On the 19th, one of its brigades counter-attacked Courcy Mill. On the +other side, the Moroccan Division (Gen. Humbert), which had relieved the +10th Corps, continued to hold La Pompelle Fort. + +Gradually the front became fixed. Desperate, indecisive fighting still +took place, but finally the front stabilised on the line extending from +the foot of the Berru and Nogent-l'Abbesse Hills, along the road from +Rheims to Suippes, on the east, and along the western bank of the Aisne +Canal on the north. + +[Illustration: EXPLANATORY MAP OF THE MILITARY OPERATIONS IN 1914 +(_See pp. 9-11._)] + + +=The French Offensive of April, 1917= + +The French offensive, planned by the then Commander-in-Chief, General +Nivelle, and launched in April, between Soissons and Auberive, aimed at +piercing the German front and disengaging Rheims. + +North-west of Rheims was the 5th Army (Gen. Mazel), of which the 38th +Corps (Gen. de Mondesir) held the immediate approaches to the town, +followed by the 7th Corps (Gen. de Bazelaire), 32nd Corps (Gen. Passaga) +astride the Aisne, and, extending beyond Craonne, the 5th Corps (Gen. de +Boissoudy) and the 1st Corps (Gen. Muteau). + +East of Rheims the 4th Army (Gen. Anthoine) was engaged only during the +second stage of the battle. + +At 6 a.m. on the 16th, in drenching rain, the 5th Army attacked all +along the front, in conjunction on the left with the 6th Army (Gen. +Mangin), which undertook to storm the Chemin-des-Dames. The enemy was +expecting the attack, and had concentrated very large forces and +powerful artillery. Despite their bravery, the French were unable to +break through. + +[Illustration: EXPLANATORY MAP OF THE MILITARY OPERATIONS IN 1917] + +In the Rheims sector, the 32nd Corps advanced three kilometers to the +north of the Aisne. The 7th Corps crossed the canal at Loivre and +captured Berméricourt in the morning, but was forced to give up part of +the conquered ground in the afternoon, in consequence of a powerful +German counter-attack. In front of Brimont a brigade of the 38th Corps +failed to pierce the enemy's positions. + +On the 17th, while the army of General Mazel resisted a violent enemy +counter-attack, General Anthoine attacked from the east of Rheims to +Auberive with the 8th Corps (Gen. Hély d'Oissel), 17th Corps (Gen. J. B. +Dumas), 12th Corps (Gen. Nourrisson). At 4.45 a.m., despite violent +squalls of rain and snow, the French infantry rushed forward and carried +the first German lines along a front of eleven kilometers. The 34th +Division (Gen. de Lobit) carried the Mont Cornillet and Mont Blond +hills, which the enemy attempted in vain to recapture. + +On April 18 and 19, and May 4 and 5, the fighting was spasmodic and +finally ceased. On the whole, the French offensive failed, and Rheims +continued to remain under enemy gun-fire. + +On the morning of May 27, 1918, the Germans commenced a powerful +offensive between Vauxaillon (on the Chemin-des-Dames) and the Fort of +Brimont. At the beginning of the attack, the French line passed through +Bétheny and along the Aisne-Marne Canal. In the evening, after the loss +of the Chemin-des-Dames and the Aisne Canal, Rheims was no longer +protected on the north-west, except by the St. Thierry Heights, which +were soon turned. The Germans crossed the Vesle at several points, +principally at Bazoches and Fismes, and advanced as far as Muizon. + +On May 29, the French line passed through La Neuvillette, +Châlons-sur-Vesle, Muizon and Rosnay. On the 30th, it extended from +Perquin Farm to Méry-Premecy, via Champigny. On the 31st, Tinqueux and +Vrigny fell. + +Further to the south the Germans advanced along the valley of the Ardre +towards the Château-Thierry--Epernay--Châlons railway, threatening +Epernay (_see the Michelin Guide: "The Second Battle of the Marne"_). + +However, Rheims still held out. On June 1, the Germans attacked +simultaneously, without success, to the south-east of the town (between +Pommery Park and La Pompelle Fort), and on the west and south-west +(between La Haubette and Ormes), while the French recaptured Vrigny. On +three separate occasions--in the evening of the 1st, and on June 9 and +18, the enemy's powerful and costly efforts to recapture this important +position broke down. On the 18th, they delivered a fresh general attack +from Vrigny to La Pompelle, gaining a footing in the Northern Cemetery +of Rheims and in the north-eastern outskirts of Sillery, but everywhere +else they were repulsed. On the 23rd and 29th, they rushed Bligny Hill, +held by the Italians, only to lose it again shortly afterwards. Once +again, Rheims had eluded the enemy's grasp. + + +=July 15 to August 9, 1918= + +[Illustration: EXPLANATORY MAP OF THE MILITARY OPERATIONS DESCRIBED +ABOVE] + +At dawn, on July 15, the Germans began a new offensive from +Château-Thierry to La Main de Massiges. It was Ludendorf's much vaunted +"Friedensturm" (peace-battle), and was expected by him to prove +irresistible and decisive. Its purpose was to complete the encirclement +of Rheims, carry the hills surrounding the town, crush the French 4th +Army, and reach Châlons-sur-Marne (_see the Michelin Guide: "Champagne +and Argonne"_). However, this time, there was no surprise, and the +Allies held out victoriously. + +To the west, between Dormans and Rheims, Franco-Italian forces held +their ground on the Châtillon-sur-Marne--Cuchery--Marfaux--Bouilly line. +To the east, from La Pompelle to the Argonne, the army of General +Gouraud, after voluntarily abandoning its first line previous to the +enemy's attack, checked and decimated the armies of Von Einem and Von +Mudra, on its second or battle-line. On July 16, 17 and 18, the enemy, +now exhausted and incapable of resuming their general attack, attempted +local attempts only, especially near Beaumont-sur-Vesle, to the north of +Prosnes, and in the region of Trigny and Pourcy, to the west, all of +which were repulsed. Once more Rheims escaped, and was destined from now +on, to be gradually freed from the enemy's grasp. The French +counter-offensive began on July 18, on the Aisne (_see the Michelin +Guide: "The Second Battle of the Marne"_), extending shortly afterwards +to the west of Rheims. On the 22nd, the army of General Berthelot +captured St. Euphraise and Bouilly, and on the 23rd reached a point +between Vrigny and the Ardre. A number of German counter-attacks on July +24, 25 and 30 and August 1 failed to check its advance. On August 2, +Gueux and Thillois were recaptured. On the 4th, the Vesle was reached to +the east of Fismes, and the latter occupied, while a small force crossed +to the north bank of the river. On the 7th, after fierce fighting, in +which the French and Americans advanced foot by foot, the Vesle was +crossed to the east of Bazoches and Braine. On the 9th, Fismette was +taken. + + +=September 26 to November 11, 1918= + +[Illustration (Map)] + +The disengaging of Rheims, which had begun slowly, was now rapidly +accomplished. Two French offensives completely effected it in a few +days--that of September 26 (_see the Michelin Guide: "Champagne and +Argonne"_), under General Gouraud, and that of September 30, first by +General Berthelot and then by General Guillaumat. The first of these +offensives, to the east, brought about the fall of the Moronvilliers +Heights, after outflanking them; the second, to the west, captured the +Saint-Thierry Heights, the French troops crossing the Aisne-Marne Canal +from Le Godat to La Neuvillette. This double manoeuvre forced the +Germans, whose communications were threatened, to beat a hasty retreat +on October 5 along a twenty-seven mile front. An important part of the +old German front of 1914, and one of the most fiercely disputed, +collapsed suddenly. The formidable forts of Brimont and +Nogent-l'Abbesse, which had held Rheims under their guns for four years, +fell. This time the deliverance of Rheims was complete and final. + +[Illustration: THE DISENGAGING OF RHEIMS + +The dotted lines show the Allied advance at the date indicated in the +middle of each zone conquered. The line of departure is that of July 18 +(18/7). On the evening of Oct. 6 (6/10)--the upper thick dotted +line--the town was completely disengaged. The Allied advance has the +appearance of a fan spreading out west of Rheims until Oct. 5 (5/10), +when the Germans were forced to make a deep retreat.] + + +=The Destruction of Rheims= + +Being unable to capture Rheims, the Germans reduced it to ruins by +bombardment. For four years (September 4, 1914, to October 5, 1918) they +rained explosive and incendiary shells on it, almost without +intermission. + +On September 3, 1914, at about 11 a.m., a German aeroplane dropped bombs +on the town. A few of the inhabitants left, as the enemy approached, but +the majority remained. A lady-teacher, sixty years of age, Mlle. +Fouriaux (afterwards decorated with the Légion d'Honneur), who had +charge of Hospital No. 101 (formerly a high-school for girls), +transferred the wounded to Epernay and then returned on foot to Rheims. + +On September 4, at 9.30 a.m., when the enemy advance-guards were already +in the town, and a German officer was making requisitions at the Town +Hall, the bombardment began again. From 9.30 to 10.15 a.m., 176 large +shells fell into the town, three of which tore open the great gallery of +modern paintings in the Museum. Forty-nine civilians were killed and 130 +wounded, several of them mortally. + +The Germans, hard pressed by the French, evacuated Rheims on September +12. Two days later, at 9 a.m., they bombarded the town. Their fire was +especially directed against the headquarters of General Franchet +d'Espérey, near the Town Hall. On the following days, firing was resumed +at the same hour. On the 17th, the first fires broke out. Many civilians +were killed or wounded. The vicinity of the Cathedral, which was +believed to be specially aimed at, was among the places that suffered +most. To protect the Cathedral, which the Germans had fitted up on the +12th for the reception of their wounded, some seventy to eighty German +wounded were accommodated on straw in the nave. The Red Cross flag was +displayed on each tower, and notice given to the enemy. + +[Illustration: GERMAN SHELLS BURSTING IN A STREET OF RHEIMS] + +[Illustration: THE MONT DE PIÉTÉ] + +On the 18th, the bombardment began again at 8.15 a.m. In addition to the +Sub-Prefecture, which was almost entirely destroyed, as were also many +important factories, the Cathedral, in spite of the Red Cross flag, was +struck by 8-in. shells, which damaged the outside sculptures of the +lower windows of the main transept, smashing the 13th and 14th century +stained-glass. Splinters of stone killed a French gendarme and two +wounded Germans in the lower part of the south nave. + +On the 19th, the bombardment was intensified. The Town Hall, Museum, +hospitals (including that of the Girls' High School), the south side of +the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace were all hit. Towards noon, +incendiary shells were rained on the centre of the town. + +At about 4 p.m., a shell fired the wooden scaffolding round the +north-west tower which had been under repair since 1913. The fire spread +quickly to the roof, the molten lead from which set fire to the straw in +the nave. + +[Illustration: THE SAINT FRÈRES FACTORY IN RUINS (OCT. 1916) +(_15 Rue de l'University_)] + +[Illustration: CENTRAL WOOL CONTROL OFFICE IN SEPT., 1915] + +In spite of a rescue party, who risked their lives in getting out the +wounded, a dozen of the German wounded perished in the flames. The +conflagration spread to the Archbishop's Palace, from which it was +impossible to remove the tapestries or the pre-historic Roman and Gothic +collections. The Protestant Church, the Offices of the Controller of +silk and woollen cloths, and the Colbert barracks along the eastern +boulevards were burnt. Everywhere new centres caught fire, and nearly +thirty-five acres of buildings were destroyed. On the 20th, the +bombardment continued with equal violence, then after a respite of two +days began again. Of the Place Royale and the Rue Colbert nothing +remained but a heap of ruins. + +[Illustration: THE PROTESTANT CHURCH IN AUGUST, 1917 +(_Boulevard Lundy_)] + +[Illustration: KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL IN THE BOULEVARD LUNDY] + +On November 1 the number of civilians killed by shell fire had increased +to 282. + +From September 14, 1914, to the beginning of June, 1915, the town never +remained more than four days without being shelled. Up to the end of +November, 1914, the shells rarely went beyond the Cathedral and the +theatre, falling mostly in the suburbs of Cérès and Laon. On November +22, the suburb of Paris was struck, and from that time onwards there was +no security for the inhabitants in any quarter of the city. + +As it would take too long to recount all the bombardments, only the most +terrible ones are here mentioned. On November 26, 1914, the German guns +fired all day, one shell alone killing twenty-three patients in the +Hospital for Incurables. On the night of February 21 and on February 22, +1915, more than 1,500 shells fell in the town, killing twenty civilians, +setting on fire a score of houses and piercing the vaulting of the +Cathedral. + +[Illustration: RUE GAMBETTA +_The Cathedral is seen at the end of the street._] + +On March 8, terrifying fires broke out again. On April 29 and July 20 +more than 500 shells, many of them incendiary, were counted. In April, +1916, more than 1,200 projectiles struck the different quarters of the +town in one day. On August 13, whilst the town was being bombarded, +seven German aeroplanes dropped incendiary bombs, which burnt the Hôtel +Dieu Hospital. On October 25, the Germans fired more than 600 shells +into Rheims and more than 1,000 on the 27th. + +[Illustration: THE BOMBARDMENT OF THE CATHEDRAL QUARTER +_Part of the striking-points of the shells which fell around the +Cathedral, as noted by the architect of the latter (M. Sainsaulieu). The +shells which struck the Cathedral were far too numerous to allow all of +them to be shown on the above plan._] + +On April 1, 1917, more than 2,800 shells fell in the town, and on the +4th, 2,121. According to the Official Communiqué, on the night of the +5th and on Good Friday, the number of shells was 7,500. Easter-Day was +likewise terrible. On April 15, 19 and 24 the town received large +numbers of 8-in., 12-in. and 15-in. shells. On May 3 the Town Hall and +108 houses were burnt. On the 4th the fires spread to fifteen +neighbouring streets. + +From April 8 to the 15th the enemy rained incendiary shells on the town +without respite, and completed their work of destruction, in the course +of the afternoon of the 21st, by burning the centre of the town. Hardly +anybody was left in the latter, except the firemen, who, despite their +prodigious activity and valour, were unable to cope with the flames. + +Whole streets, often the finest, were burnt down, more than 700 houses +being destroyed. + +When, on October 5, the Germans retreated, the havoc caused by this +continual bombardment was incalculable. Of the town's 14,000 houses, +only about sixty were immediately habitable when the people came back. + +In addition to the material losses, there were, unfortunately, numerous +irreparable artistic and archæological losses. + + +=Life in Bombarded Rheims= + +[Illustration: THE DESTRUCTIONS, PHOTOGRAPHED FROM AN AEROPLANE (_Cliché +Illustration_) + ND.--The Cathedral. + PR.--Place Royale. + D.--Hôtel de la Douane. + SG.--Société Générale Bank. + P.--General Post Office. + J.--Palais de Justice. + T.--Theatre. + M.--Museum. + GH.--Grand Hôtel. + LO.--Hôtel du Lion d'Or. + PA.--Archi-episcopal Palace. + A.--The Cardinal's House. + EP.--Professional School for Young Ladies. + SP.--Sub-Prefecture. + PG.--Place Godinot. + L.-Lycée. + C.--Colbert Barracks. +] + +Although there were short respites, it may be said that for four years +Rheims led the life of a besieged town, under the fire of the German +guns and howitzers. The enemy increased the calibre of their shells and +varied their modes of bombardment, sometimes firing for a few hours, +sometimes all day long at the rate of one shell every three minutes, or +again at night. Sometimes 3-in. shells would be used, at others "Jack +Johnsons" of 8-in., 12-in. and 15-in. calibre; sometimes all four at the +same time. Both explosive and incendiary shells were used, while +aeroplane bombs, darts and asphyxiating gas were resorted to +occasionally. Public holidays were the occasion of the fiercest +bombardments, in the hope of increasing the number of victims. For +instance, the shelling was particularly murderous on All Saints' Day of +1914, when the eastern and southern cemeteries (generally crowded on +this day) were especially aimed at. Easter Monday of 1916 and Good +Friday of 1917 were similarly favoured. + +[Illustration: THE FIRST AND SECOND STORIES OF A HOUSE IN THE RUE +D'ANJOU, AFTER THE BURSTING OF AN 8-IN. SHELL] + +After each check--at Verdun, in Champagne, on the Somme or wherever it +might be--the Germans revenged themselves on Rheims. In this way the +Cathedral was fired by incendiary shells after the defeat on the Marne +in 1914. The awful fires of February 22 and March 8, 1915, were the +German reply to their set-backs in Champagne and Argonne. The Hôtel Dieu +hospital was burnt down in August, 1916, the day after the +Franco-British attack on the Somme. The Town Hall was reduced to ashes +on May 3, 1917, after the French offensive on the Champagne hills. For +the same reason the bombardments reached their maximum of intensity in +April and May, 1918, _i.e._ after the enemy had lost all hope of +crushing the Allies and taking Paris. + +At the beginning of the siege the population took refuge in the +south-western districts, which were not as yet bombarded, but on and +after November 22, 1914, when the German shells reached the suburb of +Paris, a large number of the inhabitants left the town. + +[Illustration: THE EFFECT OF AN 8-IN. SHELL IN THE PREMISES OF "LA +MUTUALITÉ," IN THE RUE DES ELUS (SEPT. 8, 1915)] + +In February, 1915, the exodus began again, but at the end of May in that +year there were still some 26,000 people in the town. In February, 1917, +after twenty-eight months of bombardment, there remained 17,100 people, +or 100,000 fewer than in 1914. At the beginning of April in that year, +the mayor and later the sub-prefect, requested all those who were not +prevented by their duties to leave the town. + +This invitation not having the desired effect, the military authorities, +in view of the increased intensity of the bombardment and the imminence +of the French offensive, announced that they could not guarantee food +supplies for the town, and decided that the civil population must leave +not later than April 10. The evacuation was effected by carts and +motor-vehicles to Epernay, where trains awaited the people. + +A part of the inhabitants returned to Rheims after the French offensive +of April-May, but for a few months only, as, in February, 1918, the +coming German offensive compelled the civil population again to leave +the town. + +During the thirty-one months, during which a considerable portion of the +population persisted in staying in Rheims (September, 1914, to April, +1917), life and work went on in the bombarded city, the people adapting +themselves courageously to their precarious existence and to the danger. +They were supplied with helmets and gas masks, like the soldiers. Shell +and bomb-proof shelters were organised, and the cellars, with which the +city abounds, became the people's ordinary dwellings. The Town Council, +with the exception of a few members who left on the approach of the +enemy, remained at the Town Hall until it was destroyed, then installed +themselves in a cellar, under the constant chairmanship of the Mayor, +Dr. Langlet. The services rendered by the latter during these trying +times were such that the French Premier decorated him personally in +November, 1914, with the _Croix de la Légion d'Honneur_. The General +Post Office had to change its quarters several times; but until the +complete evacuation of the town the postmen went their rounds regularly. + +The Courts of Justice were set up in the cellars of the +Palais-de-Justice. + +[Illustration: REMOVING THE WORKS OF ART IN JANUARY, 1918] + +The archbishop, Mgr. Luçon, was absent from Rheims in 1914, being +retained in Rome by the Council. As soon as the latter was ended, he +returned to Rheims and thereafter, like his coadjutor, Mgr. Neveux, and +the unmobilized clergy, he remained at his post until the evacuation of +April, 1917. The Cathedral architect, M. Sainsaulieu, who, like Mgr. +Luçon, has been made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, remained +constantly at his post, repairing from day to day, as well as might be, +the damage caused to the Cathedral, and saving the art treasures spared +by the German shells. + +[Illustration: SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH GAS-MASKS] + +The firemen, reinforced in March, 1915, by thirty-two of their comrades +from Paris, devoted themselves, at the risk of their lives, to fighting +the flames caused by the bombardments. Unfortunately, their courage and +devotion were often unequal to their task. For instance, twenty-two +separate fires occurred on the night of February 22, 1915. Their task +was rendered still more difficult by the fact that the Germans often +fired on the burning buildings to drive off the men who were trying to +save them. + +On July 6, 1917, the President of the French Republic fittingly +acknowledged the magnificent bravery of the firemen by personally +decorating their flag with the Croix de la Légion d'Honneur. At the same +time he conferred this dignity on the city (_see p. 2_). + +After remaining closed for several weeks, the schools re-opened. Until +then, the children had been too much in the streets looking for +aluminium fuses of shells, out of which they made rings, or for scraps +of stained-glass from the broken windows of the Cathedral. The first +school, called the "Maunoury" school, was installed on December 7, 1914, +in a wine cellar of the firm Pommery, Boulevard Henri-Vasnier, near the +Rond-Point St. Nicaise. On January 22, 1915, the "Joffre" school was +opened in the cellars of Messrs. Mumm, 24 Rue du Champ-de-Mars. Then +came the "Albert I." school, in the cellars of Messrs. Krug, 5 Rue +Coquebert, and the "Dubail" school in those of Messrs. Champion, Place +St. Nicaise. In addition to the underground schools, open-air classes +were conducted. The underground schools, in which the teaching staff, +exclusively voluntary, lived permanently, together with the +school-children and their relatives, were situated in the most exposed +and frequently bombarded districts. The "Dubail" school was struck three +times: on March 6, 1915 (by an 8-in. shell), and on March 25 and October +25, 1916. Luckily there were no victims. + +The schools were quite close to the enemy lines, the distance varying +from about two-thirds of a mile to a mile and a half. + +In 1915 and 1916, the examinations for the "Elementary School +Certificate" took place in July, as usual. In 1915, the ceremony of the +Annual Prize Distribution, which had not taken place at Rheims for ten +years, was restored, the book-prizes for the pupils coming from every +corner of France. + +[Illustration: CARDINAL LUÇON, ARCHBISHOP OF RHEIMS, COMING OUT OF THE +CATHEDRAL] + +The victualling of the town, thanks to the co-operation between the +Municipal and Military Authorities, was effected with regularity. There +was never any shortage of bread. The butchers' and grocers' shops +remained open. The milk-women and hawkers donned their helmets and +continued to push their carts through the streets. The market-women +remained at their stalls. The nuns of St. Vincent-de-Paul, whose convent +had been largely destroyed, ensured the service of cheap meals, +organised by the Municipality for the poor. The undaunted inhabitants +had their daily paper ("_L'Eclaireur de l'Est_"), edited by M. Dramas, a +courageous journalist, whose printing-house was early wrecked by +shell-fire, but who continued almost single-handed to issue his paper. + +[Illustration: MILK-WOMAN, WITH HELMET, GOING HER ROUND] + +[Illustration: WINE-CELLAR OF MESSRS. POMMERY USED AS A DWELLING] + +[Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW, SEEN FROM ST. NICAISE HILL (_p. 102_)] + + + + +A VISIT TO RHEIMS + +(_pp. 28 to 120_) + + +=THE CATHEDRAL= (_pp. 28 to 60_) + + +=FIRST ITINERARY= (_pp. 61 to 94_) + +=The Archi-episcopal Palace, Museum, Church of St. Jacques, Promenades, +Town Hall, Place Royale, Musicians' House, Mars Gate, Faubourg Cérès, +Church of St. André, Palais-de-Justice, etc.= + + +=SECOND ITINERARY= (_pp. 95 to 120_) + +=The Lycée, Abbey of St. Pierre-les-Dames, Rue Barbâtre, Church of St. +Maurice, Church of St. Remi, Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, etc.= + +[Illustration: GERMAN PRISONERS CLEARING A STREET (OCT., 1918)] + + +=The Cathedral= + +The Cathedral of Rheims, which Charles VIII. declared to be "pre-eminent +among all the churches of the kingdom," and which a local poet in the +reign of Louis XIII. extolled above the seven wonders of the world, is +one of the most beautiful Gothic churches extant. + +Few edifices combine such grandeur, simplicity and grace; still fewer, +its characteristic unity and symmetry. + +The work of at least four architects, the building operations extended +over two centuries, yet it has retained rare unity both of plan and +style. The whole is so harmonious as to give the impression of being the +effort of a single master-mind. + + +=Historical Account= + +The Cathedral stands on the site of former churches, successively +erected between the 5th and 13th centuries. On the night of May 6, 1210, +a terrible fire destroyed the then existing edifice, together with a +portion of the city. + +[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL BEFORE THE WAR] + +Exactly one year later, Archbishop Aubri de Humbert laid the first stone +of a new edifice, which was destined to become the Cathedral of to-day. + +Begun in 1211, the building went on without pause for twenty years, +after which, there was a slackening, followed by a vigorous resumption +in 1299. Another pause occurred during the Hundred Years' War. The +Cathedral, less the tower spires provided for in the plans, was finished +in 1428. The spires were not yet built when the great fire of July 24th, +1481, entirely destroyed the roof of the Cathedral, further deferring +their construction, which was subsequently abandoned. + +The funds for this colossal work were furnished partly by the clergy and +the people, partly by Papal Indulgences granted to donors, and by +collections in Christian lands, especially in the ecclesiastical +province of Rheims. The wonderful plans of the Cathedral were long +believed to be the work of _Robert de Coucy_, whereas the original ones +were in fact drawn by _Jean d'Orbais_, who began their execution between +1211 and 1231. His work was continued with wonderful fidelity by +_Jean-le-Loup_, from 1231-1247; by _Gaucher of Rheims_ in 1247-1255, +_Bernard of Soissons_ from 1255 to 1290, _Robert de Coucy_ until 1311, +and afterwards by _Maître Colard_, _Gilles le Maçon_, _Jean de Dijon_ +and _Colard de Givry_ in the course of the 14th and 15th centuries. + +[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL AFTER THE FIRE OF SEPT. 19, 1914] + +In the 17th and 18th centuries only repairs rendered necessary by the +wear of the stone were effected. In the 19th century, beginning in 1845, +important restorations, principally by Viollet-le-Duc, were carried out +with regularity. + +The Cathedral's approximate measurements are 480 feet long (it is the +longest church in France), and 160 feet wide at the intersection of the +transept. The vaulting, less lofty than that at Beauvais (156 feet) and +Amiens (143 feet), is 123 feet in height. The towers are six in number +(as in the cathedral at Laon), of which the four situated at the +extremities of the transept have never had more than one storey. The +principal towers are about 266 feet in height, or about 60 feet higher +than those of Nôtre-Dame in Paris. + +The plan of the Cathedral is in shape a Latin cross, with radiating +chapels. It is built entirely of stone from the neighbourhood of Rheims. +Forty pillars support the vaults, which are further sustained by fifty +buttresses. Three great doorways and eight secondary doors give access +to the interior, which is lighted by a hundred windows and rose-windows; +2,303 figures of all sizes decorate the exterior and interior. + +[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL PHOTOGRAPHED FROM AEROPLANE IN 1916] + + +=The Cathedral During the War= + +In revenging themselves on Rheims for their disappointments and +failures, the Germans seem to have been particularly determined to +destroy the building which is at once one of the most precious artistic +treasures of France and one of the most ancient evidences of her +history. In 1814 the then Allies bombarded Rheims but respected the +Cathedral. It is true that there were Germans who found fault with this +respectful forbearance. One of them, _Johann Joseph Goëres_, author of a +voluminous work entitled "_Christian Mysticism_," dared to write in +April, 1814: "_Destroy, reduce to ashes, this Rheims basilica, where +Chlodoric was consecrated, and where was born that empire of the Franks, +those turncoat brothers of the noble Germans; burn the Cathedral._" In +the course of the recent war the Germans followed the vindictive advice +of Goëres, although, less frank than he, they did not dare, in face of +the indignation of Christendom and of the whole world, boast of their +vandalism. + +[Illustration: THE PIERCED VAULTING AND TOWERS OF THE CATHEDRAL IN 1919] + +By way of excuse they alleged sometimes errors in firing, sometimes that +the French had established a battery of artillery near the Cathedral and +an observation-post in one of the towers (a projector was installed on +the Cathedral, on September 13, 1914, _i.e._ the day that the French +re-entered Rheims, and it remained there only one night). + +On November 9, 1914, General Rouquerol declared to the French +Government, who had demanded an enquiry, that the nearest battery to the +Cathedral was at that time more than 1,200 yards away; that on the day +(September 19) the Cathedral was set on fire by the German shells, the +nearest French batteries were still quite close to the spot occupied by +the above-mentioned battery, whose position the French Premier verified +personally. The General concluded that the German artillery could not +have made an error of 1,200 yards in firing, but that they had +deliberately aimed at the Cathedral. + +The Cathedral, though terribly shattered, is still standing. The +description of the edifice (pp. 33 to 60) gives particulars of the +damage and destructions which occurred principally in September, 1914, +April, 1917, and July, 1918. + +On September 19, 1914, incendiary shells set fire to various portions of +the building. The roof was burnt, but the vaulting escaped injury. The +tambours of the side doors and the statues on the latter were destroyed +by the flames. The 18th century stalls, consecration carpet of Charles +X. and archi-episcopal throne were likewise burnt. The great rose-window +of the western façade, together with several other stained-glass +windows, were destroyed, as were also the "Angel" steeple and its +caryatids above the chevet. The northern tower was seriously injured by +the burning of the scaffolding around it (_see photo, p. 9_). The +statues were eaten into by the flames and subsequently crumbled away, +some of them being irrecoverably lost. + +In 1915 and 1916 the Cathedral was struck a hundred times, but it was +during the bombardments of April 15, 19 and 24, 1917, that it suffered +most. For seven consecutive hours, at the rate of twelve per hour, the +Germans fired 12-in., 14-in. and 15-in. shells on the edifice, causing +terrible havoc, especially to the south-western side. + +During the terrible bombardments of April, 1918, the Cathedral did not +suffer--for once the Germans seemed to have decided to spare it; but, +unfortunately, the truce did not last. In the following months the +bombardment began again, and the ravages increased, especially in the +two towers and the vaulting. However, both vaulting and towers, in spite +of their injuries, have not been irreparably damaged in their vital +parts, and are capable of restoration. + +That the damage is not more serious is due to the protective measures +taken by the Cathedral architect and by the Department of Historical +Monuments. As early as 1915, the doorways of the western façade were +protected with beams and sand-bags (_see photo, p. 25_), while the +Treasure was removed and placed in safety, together with the paintings +and tapestries. + +In 1916 and following years masonry protections were placed around some +of the more valuable statues. The fallen fragments of carvings and +sculpture were carefully collected, with a view to future restoration. +In this way the débris of the head of the beautiful statue of the +"Visitation" Group, known as the "Smile of Rheims," on the left-hand +side of the central doorway of the western façade, were saved. + +At the beginning of 1918, it was found possible to save the remains of +the stained-glass of the windows, and other glass-work still +intact--amongst which was some of the finest in the nave. The salvage +was difficult, for scaffolding would have furnished the Germans with an +excuse for further bombardments. Recourse was had to a small body of +Paris firemen and two glaziers who, in foggy weather, and before +daybreak, climbed up to the iron framework of the windows and +accomplished their work at great heights with remarkable courage and +skill. + +[Illustration: REIMS] + + REIMS + SCALE. + + ------------------------- + 0 500 1,000 M. + + PORTE DE MARS A. D-3-4 + MUSICIANS' HOUSE B. D-4 + BARRACKS C. + **CATHEDRAL D. D-4-5 + ARCHI-EPISCOPAL PALACE E. D-5 + CHURCH OF ST. MAURICE F. E-5-6 + POLICE STATION G. D-2 + HOTEL DE VILLE H. D-4 + LAW COURTS J. D-4 + *HOTEL DIEU K. E-6 + *CHURCH OF ST. REMY L. E-6 + MUSEUM M. D-5 + OCTROIS (Tolls) O. + SUB-PREFECTURE P. E-4-5 + THEATRE T. D-4-5 + + POPULATION 115,178 H + ALTITUDE 83 M + + PLACES. + + 1.--Pl. Luton + 2.--Pl. de la République + 3.--Pl. du Boulingrin + 4.--Pl. Bétheny. + 5.--Square Colbert + 6.--Pl. St. André + 7.--Pl. des Marchés + 8.--Pl. Colin. + 9.--Pl. Royale + 10.--Esplanade Cérès + 11.--Place du Parvis + 12.--Pl. Belle Tour + 13.--Pl. de l'Hôpital Civil + 14.--Pl. St. Remy + 15.--Pl. St. Nicaise + 16.--Rond point St. Nicaise + 17.--Pl. Dieu Lumière + + HOTELS. + + Hotel Continental a C-4 + Hotel du Nord b C-4 + Temporary Annexe Grand Hotel c D-5 + Post Office Telegraph Telephone f E-4 + + Roads and streets to be + avoided by motor cars. + +[Illustration: ENLARGED PLAN OF CENTRE OF TOWN] + +[Illustration: CATHEDRAL OF RHEIMS] + + CATHEDRAL OF RHEIMS + Plan of Cathedral + and + Archi-episcopal Palace + + 1. Staircase of the Towers. + 2. Site of the Labyrinth (p. 53). + 3. Main Pulpit (p. 53). + 4. Site of "La Rouelle de Saint-Nicaise" + (Flag-stone with memorial inscription) (p. 53). + 5. Pillar supporting the "Vintage Scene" (p. 52). + 6. Altar of the Rear Choir (p. 57). + 7. 14th century Tombstones (p. 53). + 8. Tomb of Cardinal de Lorraine. + 9. The Treasure (p. 58). + 10. Clock with Automatons (p. 55). + 11. Tombstone of Hughes Libergier (p. 55). + 12. Norman Door (p. 45). + 13. Great Organ (p. 55). + 14. Lady Chapel (p. 55). + 15. Chapel of the Holy Sacrament (p. 56). + 16. Rosary Chapel (p. 57). + 17. Roman Mosaic (p. 57). + + + +=West Façade= + +(_See full views on pp. 28 and 29_). + +Better than any other, this part of the building reveals the desire for +unity and harmony which guided the various builders of the Cathedral. +The doorway, probably designed by Jean d'Orbais, was very likely not +begun till about 1250, by Gaucher, of Rheims. Bernard of Soissons built +the great rose-window and the façade as far as the Gallery of the Kings. +The architects of the 14th century built the lateral parts forming the +first storey of the towers, the Kings' Gallery and the gable. The upper +storey of the towers was only finished in the 15th century. Except for +slight modifications in detail, the original plan was respected. This +façade, with its full open-work towers and immense rose-window, +demonstrates that the architects knew how to obtain the maximum of +resistance with wonderfully light construction. + +The =Western Doorway= (_photo below_) comprises three doors flanked by +two full arcades, and surmounted by gables adorned with statues. + +Between the gables are pinnacles on small columns (the left-hand ones +have been destroyed). At the foot of the pinnacles are statues of seated +musicians, which recall those on the house in the Rue de Tambour (_see +p. 80_), but which have been partly destroyed. + +The splaying of the doors is adorned with great statues backed up +against columns and separated by smaller columns, the capitals of which +are connected to a foliate frieze of elegant design. The bases are +ornamented with carved drapery. The tympana of the doors contain +window-lights, while five rows of statues, separated by lines of flowers +and foliage, fill up the archings, which suffered severely in the +bombardment of September 19, 1914. About a dozen subjects were destroyed +or spoilt. During the subsequent bombardments, shell splinters did +further damage. + +[Illustration: DOORWAY OF THE WEST FRONT BEFORE THE WAR] + +Generally the sculptural decoration on the ground-floor dates from the +middle of the 13th century. + +In September, 1914, several of the great statues of the lateral +splayings were completely destroyed and the others more or less +seriously damaged. However, subsequent damage was slight, thanks to the +protective measures taken in 1915. + + +=Central Door= + +The lavish decoration of the central door suffered mutilations during +the last three centuries. The inscription carved on the lintel dates +from 1802 and replaced carving descriptive of the life of the Virgin, +destroyed during the Revolution. The sculpture on the arches, especially +that of the three upper lines, was partly restored in the 17th and 18th +centuries. + +The beautiful statues in the splayings of the door represent: _to the +right_ (_photo, p. 36_), the =Annunciation= and =Visitation= (the latter +group is striking by reason of its inspiration from the antique); _to +the left, the_ =Purification= (_photo, p. 36_). + +The Virgin of the Annunciation group was damaged by shell splinters on +September 4, 1914. + +[Illustration: CENTRAL DOOR OF THE WEST FRONT BEFORE THE WAR (_Cliché +LL._)] + +[Illustration: _The Annunciation._ _The Visitation._ +RIGHT-HAND SPLAYING OF CENTRAL DOOR] + +In the gable, a pretty group representing the =Coronation of the Holy +Virgin= was injured by the fires of 1914. + +Of the two fine statues on the top of the buttresses framing the Central +door, only the right-hand one (=Solomon=) exists to-day; the other, +representing the =Queen of Sheba=, was destroyed by a shell in +September, 1914, except the head, which was saved. + +[Illustration: LEFT-HAND SPLAYING AND LINTEL OF THE CENTRAL DOOR +(_Cliché LL._)] + + +=The Right-Hand Door= + +_See photograph on p. 25._ + +On the lintel, =Saint Paul=, blind, is being led to Ananias, who +restores his sight and baptizes him. + +On the jambs are pretty little figures which have been variously +interpreted. The majority represent vices and virtues, _e.g. on the +inner portion_: =Courage=, in knightly raiment; =Cowardice= fleeing +before a hare; =Charity= holding out a purse; =Avarice= with a cash-box; +_on the outer portion_: =Pride= blasted and overthrown with his horse; +=Sloth=, represented as a man seated with his head resting on his +elbows, in a stall; =Wisdom= seated, holding a book and a lighted lamp. +On the same jambs other figures are supposed to symbolise the seasons: +=Autumn= sitting on a vine-trellis; =Winter= standing before a fire +place; =Spring= in the midst of flowers; =Summer= with bared chest. + +[Illustration: RIGHT-HAND SPLAYING OF THE RIGHT-HAND DOOR +_The two central figures have been decapitated._] + +The six statues in the splaying on the right (_photo above_) represent: +the aged =Simeon= holding Christ in his arms; =John the Baptist=, +=Isaiah=, =Moses= with the brazen serpent and the tables of the Law; +=Abraham= about to sacrifice Isaac; =Samuel= carrying a lamb (which has +been broken). They differ by their more archaic style from the other +sculptures of the lower façade, and closely resemble those of the +central door of the north transept of the Cathedral of Chartres. Like +the latter, they date without doubt from the beginning of the 13th +century. Possibly they belonged to an earlier doorway, or were prepared +in advance for a purpose not realised, being finally utilised in the +place where they now stand. + +The =Last Judgment=, in the gable, was severely damaged by shell +splinters. + + +=The Left-Hand Door= + +This door, on account of the scaffolding which surrounded it, was +seriously damaged by the fires of September, 1914 (_see p. 17_). + +On the lintel is =Saint Paul=, thrown from his horse at the gates of +Damascus. On the outside of the jambs, fourteen seated figures +meditating, are supposed by some to be embodiments of the arts and +sciences, but represent more probably prophets or teachers. Along the +splayings are eleven statues, which have not definitely been identified. + +In the left-hand splaying is =Saint Nicaise= between two angels. The +right-hand angel, generally known as the "=Smile of Rheims=," was +decapitated on September 19, 1914. Fortunately, the fragments of the +head of this fine statue were saved. + +The sculptures in the archings depict scenes from the Passion, while the +group which adorns the gable represents =The Crucifixion=. + +These archings and gable were greatly damaged by the fires of September +19, 1914, and the bombardments. + +[Illustration: LEFT-HAND DOOR OF THE WEST FRONT +_The headless angel on the left against the door was known as the "Smile +of Rheims."_] + +[Illustration: LEFT-HAND SPLAYING OF THE LEFT-HAND DOOR, BEFORE THE WAR +_St. Nicaise (between two angels) and St. Clotilda. The angel on the +right, known as the "Smile of Rheims," was decapitated._ (_See photo, p. +38._) _Cliché LL._] + +[Illustration: GABLE OF THE LEFT-HAND DOOR, WITH CRUCIFIXION +(_Cliché LL._)] + +[Illustration: FIRST STOREY OF THE WEST FRONT] + + +=The First Storey= + +In the centre is the great rose-window, best seen from the interior of +the nave. The stained-glass is broken. On either side, against the +arching which surmounts it, were two large statues. One of them, _David +as a youth in shepherd's garb_ (also known as the _Pilgrim_), was +destroyed by the bombardments. The other very fine statue is variously +said to be _Saul_, _Solomon_ and _St. James_. + +The arching which begins above these statues was adorned with small +groups of figures representing scenes from the life of Solomon. Most of +them were destroyed at the same time as the Pilgrim statue. + +Above the arching, a gigantic statue (twice restored) represents _David +challenging Goliath_. The bombardments of 1914 destroyed a similar +statue on the left representing _David slaying Goliath with a stone from +his sling_. + +The first storey of the towers flanking the rose-window is broken by +lofty twin bays crowned with gables. The niches and pinnacles of the +buttresses are identical with those of the nave, but the style of their +decoration denotes a more recent period (early 14th century). + +The northern tower was badly damaged by the bombardment of September 19, +1914, which fired the scaffolding around it (_see photo, p. 9_). Two of +the pinnacled niches surmounting the buttresses were decapitated, while +the flames completely disfigured the statues, including that of Christ. + +A large calibre shell burst in the southern tower on April 19, 1917, +causing very serious damage. + +[Illustration: SECOND STOREY AND UPPER STOREY OF THE TOWERS] + + +=The Second Storey= + +The second storey comprises a series of niches, surmounted by sharply +pointed gables and adorned with gigantic statues, known as the _Kings' +Gallery_. + +The central group, consisting of seven figures, commemorates the +_Baptism of Clovis_. Clovis, standing in the baptismal font; between +Saint Remi, receiving the Sacred Ampulla, and Clotilda. + +The balcony in front of the _Baptism of Clovis_ was formerly called the +_Gloria Gallery_, as it was the custom for the choir-boys to sing the +_Gloria_ there on Palm Sunday. + + +=The Upper Portion of the Towers= + +The upper storey of the towers, built on an octagonal plan, is flanked +with four open-work turrets, one of which contains stairs leading to the +platforms. + +The northern tower, badly damaged by the fire of 1914, lost several of +the fine colonnettes of its corner turrets in 1918. + +In the same year, the pierced staircase of the southern tower was almost +entirely destroyed. + +At the time of the last restorations, the foundations of the spires +provided for in the original plans, but which have never been built, +were laid. + +In the belfry of the northern tower are two magnificent deep-toned +bells. One of them is modern and was cast at Le Mans, and blessed in +1849 by Cardinal Gousset. The other, one of the finest bells known, and +presented to the church in 1570 by Cardinal Charles de Lorraine, is the +work of the Rheims metal-founder, Pierre Deschamps. + +The scaffolding fire of 1914 reached the belfry, bringing down the +bells, which were broken in the fall. + + +=The Lateral Façades and Chevet= + +The lateral façades of the Cathedral are of rare beauty. Nowhere have +abutments and flying buttresses been so harmoniously employed as here. +They are not merely supports, but form part of the decorative scheme of +the nave, and ensure the harmony of the whole. Buttresses, finished off +with pinnacles, serve as points of support for two superimposed +flying-buttresses. The octagonal pinnacles are flanked with four small +triangular pyramids and supported in front by two slender detached +columns. Between the latter, under canopies, angels with outstretched +wings carry the instruments of the Passion and various other emblems +(_see photo, p. 49_). + +_Skirt the Cathedral on the left, passing in front of the North Façade +(see photo below), to reach the Northern Transept._ + +[Illustration: THE NORTHERN TRANSEPT IN 1919] + + +=The Northern Façade and Transept= + +The transept is pierced with broad bays, whose completion, as in all the +windows of the Cathedral, consists of two twin arches surmounted by a +six-leaved rose. The niches in the buttresses are ornamented with +statues believed by some to represent Kings of France. At any rate, that +of the buttress on the western front of the north-west tower greatly +resembles the figure of St. Louis carved on the doorway of the church of +St. Vincent at Carcassonne. + +The carvings of the lower windows were either destroyed or damaged on +September 19, 1914, at the same time as the stained-glass. The two +towers which flank the crossings were left unfinished. + +Before the fire of 1481, there was a lantern over the intersection of +the transept. + +[Illustration: CENTRAL DOOR OF THE NORTHERN TRANSEPT] + + +=The Central Door of the Northern Transept= + +The sculptural decoration, while rich, is more sober than that of the +doorway of the western façade. It is commemorative of the glory of the +Archbishops of Rheims. + +The statue of the Pontiff with a tiara, backing up to the +dividing-pillar, is supposed to be that of St. Sixtus, first Bishop of +Rheims. In the splaying, on the left, is St. Nicaise holding his head in +his hands, between St. Eutropia, an angel and a figure improbably said +to be Clovis. + +The pediment was pierced by a shell and scarred with splinters. It is +divided into five tiers, and represent the life of St. Remi and St. +Nicaise. + +Beginning at the bottom, the figures represent: _on the first tier_, the +beheading of St. Nicaise by the Vandals and the Baptism of Clovis by St. +Remi; _on the second_, St. Remi, as a child, restores sight to Montanus +and, as a man, exorcises the demons who had set fire to Rheims; _on the +third_, the story of Job; _on the fourth_, the restoring to life of a +young Toulouse girl, and the miracle of the cask filled with wine by St. +Remi; _on the fifth_, Christ between two angels. + +[Illustration: LEFT-HAND DOOR OF THE NORTHERN TRANSEPT: THE LAST +JUDGMENT +_The dead rise from their graves._] + + +=The Left-Hand Door of the Northern Transept= + +This door, which has long been walled up, is called _The Doorway of the +Last Judgment_, on account of the carving on the tympanum. + +In the upper part, Christ is supported on one side by the Holy Virgin, +and on the other by John the Baptist. Below (_two rows_) the dead rise +from their graves (_photo above_). Lower down, on one side are _The +Virtues_, represented by seated women; on the other, _The Vices_, +mutilated in 1780 on account of their realism. On the lowest tier, _to +the left_, angels carry souls to Abraham's bosom: _on the right_, Satan +leads a chain of damned souls to Hell (_photo below_), amongst whom are +a king, a bishop, and a monk. + +In the arching are three rows of angels carrying books or blowing +trumpets, and the wise and foolish virgins. + +Backing up to the dividing pillar is an exceedingly fine 13th century +statue, which recalls the "_Beautiful God_" of Amiens Cathedral (_see +the Michelin Guide: Amiens Before and During the War_); Jesus blessing +with His right hand, holds the globe of the world in His left (_see +photo p. 45_). + +This statue was decapitated by a shell which struck the doorway in 1918, +also taking off the head of the first statue on the left-hand portion of +the doorway. + +[Illustration: LEFT-HAND DOOR OF THE NORTHERN TRANSEPT: THE LAST +JUDGMENT +_Satan drags a chain of damned Souls to Hell._] + +On the plinth of the dividing pillar is a bas-relief, remarkable for its +delicate carving. + +According to local tradition, this plinth was erected at the expense of +a dishonest master-draper, convicted of selling by false measure. + +_On the left_, the merchant is seen in his shop. In front of the +counter, customers of both sexes look at the outspread stuffs, while +clerks write in books. + +_On the right_, the merchant kneels before a statue of the Virgin in +penance. + +Near-by, burgesses talk together and seem to judge the delinquent's +conduct severely. + +The six statues against the walls represent the apostles: _on the +right_, St. John, St. James and St. Paul; _on the left_, St. Andrew, St. +Peter and St. Bartholomew. + +The rose is carved in a voussoir; the uprights are decorated with +statues of Adam and Eve in long tunics, and the arch with twenty-two +groups of small figures depicting, _from left to right_, the story of +Adam and Eve, the various tasks to which they and their descendants were +condemned, and the story of Cain and Abel. + +[Illustration: DIVIDING-PILLAR OF THE LEFT-HAND DOOR OF THE NORTHERN +TRANSEPT +_The statue of Christ was decapitated by a shell._ +_On the plinth is the legend of the Master-draper_ (_see text +opposite_).] + +Above the rose an open-work gallery contains seven statues of the +prophets. The statues are 13th century, but the gallery was restored in +1846. + +The balustrading and triangular gable flanked with pinnacles, which +dominate the gallery, date from the beginning of the 16th century, but +have been repaired in recent times. On the gable is a colossal +=Annunciation=; the Archangel and Mary are under Flamboyant canopies. + + +=The Right-Hand Door of the Northern Transept (Norman Door)= + +This little door formerly connected, by means of a vaulted passage, the +Cathedral with the Cloister (no longer existing) of the Chapter. + +Its tympanum is a relic of the Cathedral built by Archbishop Samson. It +depicts, in beautiful Romanesque relief, a majestic Virgin. The +archivolt which frames it, doubtless belonged to a 12th century tomb. At +the top of the arch, angels carry away a soul, while on the uprights, +clerks officiate at a funeral service. + + +=The Chevet= + +(_See photograph of Cathedral, taken from aeroplane, p. 30._) + +The Chevet, begun by Jean D'Orbais and finished by Jean Le Loup, was +inaugurated by the Chapter about 1241. It is one of the finest 13th +century chevets in existence. + +It is stayed by two rows of buttresses supporting double +flying-buttresses. Like those of the nave, the buttresses are surmounted +with pinnacles, beneath which niches shelter statues of flying angels. + +[Illustration: THE CHEVET BEFORE THE WAR +_One of the finest 13th century Chevets._] + +All around the apse, between the windows of the radial chapels and on +the main buttresses, are statues of angels, some of them of great +beauty. + +The 13th century clerestory gallery, which surrounds the upper portion +of the apsidal chapels, was restored by Viollet-le-Duc. It was partially +destroyed by the bombardments. On April 19, 1917, three large calibre +shells, which burst on the chevet, destroyed forty to fifty feet of it. +At the same time, the buttress jutting on the centre of the destroyed +gallery lost its pinnacle, and behind, an arch of the flying-buttress. +The buttresses between the above-mentioned one and the corner of the +South Transept Tower lost either a colonnette or their pinnacle with +angel statue. + +The slender spire which, before the War, rose above the chevet, was +known as the =Angel Spire=, on account of a bronze angel which +surmounted it, and which was removed in 1860 as unsafe. This spire, the +work of Colard le Moine, was built in 1485, after the fire of 1481. Its +pierced base with balustrading was supported by eight leaden caryatids, +some of which, in the popular costume of the Louis XI. period, became +deformed in consequence of the rotting of their oaken core. + +The fire of September 19, 1914, caused by the German shells, entirely +destroyed the spire and its caryatids. + +[Illustration: THE CHEVET IN 1919 +_The roof with the "Angel Spire" was destroyed._] + +The bombardments in the spring of the following year further damaged the +gallery, also causing fresh mutilations to the flying buttresses and the +pinnacles of the apse. + +A plain stone gallery with blind arcading, which formerly ran round the +chevet on a level with the springing of the roof, was replaced by +Viollet-le-Duc, with pierced battlemented arcading. Part of the original +gallery which surrounded the entire building, level with the roof, still +exists on the northern side. + +On October 12, 1914, a shell destroyed about twenty five feet of the +gallery round the chevet, which later was further damaged by another +shell. + + +=The Lateral Façade and South Transept= + +This façade and transept (_which should be seen from the courtyard of +the Archbishop's Palace_) are identical, as a whole, with the northern +façade and transept (_see pp. 28 and 42_). + +The gallery at the springing of the roof of the nave was entirely +rebuilt in 1878 by Architect Millet, in a style foreign to that of the +Cathedral. + +Among the statues of the transept buttresses that at the corner of the +south-western tower, bestriding a lion, is thought by some to represent +=Pepin-the-Short=, and another near him, =Charlemagne=. + +[Illustration: THE LATERAL FAÇADE AND SOUTHERN TRANSEPT IN 1919] + +The façade of the transept has no doorway. Above the lower storey, the +architectural arrangement is the same as that of the northern transept. +At the base of the rose-window, on each side, are two very fine statues. + +_On the left_, =The Christian Religion=, symbolised by a crowned woman +with chalice and standard. This statue was destroyed by a German shell +in 1918, after being damaged in April 1917. + +_On the right_, =The Synagogue=, with eyes bandaged and a crown on one +side, was not seriously damaged. + +In consequence of the fire of 1481, the gable of South Transept was +rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century by three master-masons, one +of whom, Guichart Antoine, co-operated later with the building of =Nôtre +Dame de l'Epine=. (_See the Michelin Guide: The Revigny Pass._) It was +restored about 1888 in the original style. The subject sculptured on the +pediment represents the =Assumption of the Virgin=. + +The =Sagittarius= which surmounted the gable was destroyed in 1914. It +was a modern faithful copy of the old lead-covered wooden Sagittarius, +which was carved, gilded and painted about 1503 by the Rheims sculptor, +Jean Bourcamus. According to tradition, this Sagittarius, which appeared +to be shooting its arrow at the bronze stag of the archi-episcopal +palace, symbolised the rivalry between the Archbishop and the Chapter of +the Cathedral. + +[Illustration: GABLE OF THE SOUTHERN TRANSEPT IN 1914] + +[Illustration: THE SOUTHERN LATERAL FAÇADE IN 1914] + +[Illustration: REVERSE SIDE OF THE CENTRAL DOOR IN 1914 +_See complete view on p. 52._] + + + + +=THE INTERIOR OF THE CATHEDRAL= + +=The Inner Western Façade= + +(_See description of the Exterior on pp. 34 to 41._) + +This is a masterpiece. Its sculptural decoration is unique, and as rich +as that of the outer façade. + +In the tympanum of the central door a sixteen-leaved rose-window, the +stained-glass of which was made shortly before the Revolution, is faced +with three small trefoil rose-windows. + +At the top of the dividing pillar St. Nicaise, headless, is between two +angels and two armed men personifying the barbarians who killed him. + +The entire door, as far as the triforium, is framed by seven rows of +superimposed niches separated by panels of sculptured foliage. The +basements are covered with figured drapery, as on the outside. In each +niche, under a trefoil arcade, is a statue. The subjects represented +are, _from bottom to top_: _on the right_: =The Life of John the +Baptist=; _on the left_: =The Fulfilment of the Prophecy= and =The +Childhood of Christ=. + +[Illustration: STATUES ON REVERSE SIDE OF DOORS AFTER FIRE, SEPT., 1914] + +The first row on the right is known as "=The Knight's Communion="; a +priest offers the Host to a knight wearing 13th century armour, and +turns his back on another knight clothed in a leathern Carolingian tunic +with iron scales, and armed with a small round buckler. + +Above the door, a gallery with nine openings lights the triforium. + +On the highest storey, the great rose-window occupies the whole breadth +of the nave. It is the masterpiece of Bernard de Soissons (_see p. 40_). + +In the form of a gigantic flower with twelve petals, each of the latter +is sub-divided by quatrefoils and trefoil archings. Its harmonious +gracefulness and seeming lightness, in spite of the great thickness of +its border (about 7 ft.), and mullions (about 2 ft. 6 in.), are very +striking. + +The stained-glass, which, with the stonework, formed a harmonious whole, +was restored in modern times. The subject represented was: =The Virgin +surrounded by angels, kings and patriarchs=. + +The fire of 1914 destroyed the stained-glass. + +The side-doors have only a quatrefoil rose-window (_see pp. 25 and 34_), +and their framework of niches consists only of four rows of two niches +each. However, two lines of niches, in which are statues in demi-relief, +form the contour of the arches which frame their top. + +The subjects of the sculptures are allied, in the case of each door, to +those of the outer decoration, _i.e._ "=The Life of St. Stephen=." + +The wooden doors and their tambours were destroyed by the fire of +September 19, 1914, which also disfigured or destroyed the statues +framing them (_see photos above_). + +[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE NAVE IN 1919] + + +=The Great Nave= + +The fire of September 19, 1914, destroyed the framework of the Nave and +its 15th century lead roof. In the following years a number of shells +pierced the vaulting, without, however, damaging its vital parts. It +will be possible to restore it. + +It seems to be clearly established that although the first four bays +were built later than the others, the nave as a whole, like that of the +Cathedral of Amiens, was completely finished before 1300 A.D. Vaulted +throughout on diagonal ribs, the nave, which is perfectly regular, has +three stories: the lowest, formed of great arches, rests on massive +pillars; the triforium, formed of two, four, five, or six arcades, +extends round the entire building; the high twin-bay windows are +surmounted with a six-leaved rose-window. + +The pillars, which have been likened to a row of antique columns, are +composed of a great cylindrical shaft, reinforced by four smaller +engaged columns, standing on an octagonal base. The pillars which follow +the first bay of the nave and carry one of the corners of the towers, as +also the four pillars of the transept square, are more massive. + +[Illustration: CAPITAL IN THE NAVE] + +The capitals of the pillars and of the columns (_photo opposite_) are +most beautifully decorated. The dominating subject of their decoration +is natural foliage (vine, oak, thistle, ivy, ranunculus, fig-tree). +Occasionally, human or animal figures or monsters, and scenes from +nature, _i.e._ the dainty =Vintage scene= on the capital of the sixth +pillar on the right of the nave, are interspersed. The ornamentation of +the capitals of six pillars of the first bays is more elaborate and more +recent in style. These capitals are not, like those of the other +pillars, divided on the four flanking columns into two equal courses by +an astragal, neither do they include, like some of the others, crockets, +acanthus leaves and other conventional ornaments of an older and less +realistic style. + +[Illustration: ROOF OF THE NAVE IN 1914 +_In the foreground on the right: Corner of the Southern Transept._] + +The 13th and 14th century stained-glass of the high windows represents, +on two superimposed lines, figures of kings of France and archbishops of +Rheims. Some of the glass was broken, but the finest was saved. + +In the third and fourth bays there was formerly a square =Labyrinth=, +flanked at the corners by polygonal compartments. In the interior, a +line of white tiles bordered with black stones ran from one side, and +after complicated windings reached a central compartment. At the corners +of the compartments were figures of the four first architects of the +Cathedral: Jean d'Orbais, Jean le Loup, Gaucher of Rheims and Bernard of +Soissons. The central figure is probably that of Archbishop Aubri de +Humbert, who laid the first stone of the edifice. This Labyrinth, the +drawings of which revealed the names of the builders of the Cathedral, +was destroyed in 1778 by the Chapter, to prevent the children playing +there. + +[Illustration: ROOF OF THE NAVE IN 1919 +_In the foreground, on the right: Corner of the Southern Transept._] + +Between the Labyrinth and the Choir are about twenty 14th century +tombstones. + +The =great pulpit= set up against the fifth left-hand pillar was made, +in the time of Louis XV., by a Rheims artist (Blondel). It comes from +the old church of St. Pierre-le-Vieil. + +In the sixth bay, just before the entrance to the choir, the spot where +St. Nicaise was beheaded, on the threshold of his church, was formerly +indicated by a small circular chapel known as _La Rouelle de St. +Nicaise_. The tiny building was replaced by a memorial inscription on +the flagstone, supposed to have been stained with the blood of the +martyr. + + +=The Aisles of the Naves= + +The windows of the Aisles are similar to the lofty windows of the nave. +The walls were formerly hung with valuable tapestries, which were taken +down and evacuated by the _Historical Monuments Department_ at the +outbreak of the War. The two oldest, dating back to about 1440, and +known as the tapestries of the _fort roi Clovis_, were presented by +Cardinal Charles de Lorraine, and depict the history of Clovis. Those of +the Renaissance, given in 1530 by Archbishop Robert de Lenoncourt, who +caused himself to be portrayed kneeling in the picture of the Birth of +Christ, depict the _Life of the Virgin_. The most modern, presented in +1640 by Archbishop Henri de Lorraine and worked by the Fleming, Daniel +Pepersack, represent Jesus at the _Marriage at Cana in Galilee_ and +_Jesus among the Doctors_. + +At the foot of the walls, three stone steps serve as seats. + +[Illustration: TAPESTRIES IN THE SOUTHERN SIDE AISLE, BEFORE THE WAR] + + +=The Interior of the Northern Transept= + +(_See plan, p. 33, and the Exterior, p. 42._) + +The inner façade is partially hidden by the great organ, built about +1487 and transformed several times since then. Of the original organ the +loft only remains, the Gothic balustrading of which is pierced with +Flamboyant arcading. + +[Illustration: THE NORTHERN TRANSEPT _(see p. 33)_] + +The façade originally consisted of three lofty bays with lancet-shaped +windows surmounted by a gallery lighted by three rose-windows of six +lobes each and one of twelve lobes. The subsequent addition of a doorway +about the _middle_ of the 13th century caused the partial suppression of +the bays, of which the transformed summits alone remain. + +Almost all the high windows of the transept contained 13th century +_grisaille_ glass, which was damaged or broken by the bombardments, as +was also the 13th century stained-glass of the great rose-window +(repaired in 1869), which represented _The Story of the Creation_ and +_The Fall of Adam_. + +The reverse side of the Central Door is bare, except the dividing +pillar, the statue of which is hidden by the 18th century wooden +tambour. + +The small western side-door, which formerly communicated with the +cloister of the Chapter, is entirely covered with 18th century woodwork. +The adjoining bay, closed in by a beautiful 13th century wrought-iron +railing, is the old chartulary or muniment room of the Chapter. Near the +railing, in the corner of the transept, is a clock with automatons, +which come out when the hours strike. Its woodwork is 14th and 15th +century and its works 17th and 18th century. + +To the right of the door of the organ stair, a =tombstone= to =Hugues +Libergier= was set up against the wall. He was the architect who, in +1231, commenced the abbatial church of St. Nicaise. The tombstone has +been in the Cathedral since 1800. The altar in the Lady-Chapel, +surmounted with a statue by François Ladatte (1742), replaced a Gothic +altar-screen destroyed in 1739. + +The picture _The Washing of the Disciples' Feet_ is by Jerome Muziano. + +On the western walls of the transept is a fine tapestry, the pendant of +which is in the south transept. These two great tapestries, made at the +Gobelins, after cartoons by Raphael, represent the life of St. Paul. +They were removed in 1914, at the same time as those in the aisles. + +[Illustration: THE VAULTING OF THE CHOIR FELL IN ON THE HIGH ALTAR +_The photo on p. 31 shows the collapse, seen from above._] + + +=The Choir= + +(_See the Chevet, p. 46._) + +The ambulatory with its radiating chapels is of incomparable beauty. +Excepting the larger central chapel, known as the _Chapel of the Holy +Sacrament_, which is nine-sided, each chapel has seven sides rising from +a circular floor. + +In each chapel, three windows similar to those of the nave, light the +three hindmost walls. Blind windows imitate the true ones on the side +walls. + +At the base of the windows a narrow gallery, passing through the +pillars, continues all along the side-aisles of the transept and nave--a +peculiarity in Champagne architecture. + +The 13th century stained-glass of the high windows was destroyed by the +bombardment of September 19, 1914. + +In April, 1917, part of the vaulting fell in on the High Altar (_photo +above_). + +The costly marble High Altar was erected in 1747 by Canon Godinot, who +spent considerable sums in making alterations to the Cathedral, not all +of which were happy. Its six chandeliers date from the consecration of +Charles X. + +The High Altar of the rear choir dates from 1764 and came from the +Church of St. Nicaise. On either side of this altar are two 14th century +tumulary stones. Behind is the tomb of Cardinal de Lorraine. + +The small pulpit of the rear choir, the medallions of which depict the +life of St. Theresa, dates from 1678. It is a gift of the widow of M. +Pommery (_photo below_). + +Twenty-two archbishops of Rheims were buried under the choir pavement. +Their tombstones were removed in 1747. The present flag-stones came from +the old church of St. Nicaise. + +[Illustration: THE SMALL PULPIT IN THE REAR CHOIR] + +The archbishop's throne, by Viollet-le-Duc, was destroyed by the fire of +1914, together with the 18th century stalls. + +The railings (1826-1832) replaced, not very happily, an ancient stone +rood-loft destroyed in 1761. + + +=The Interior of the Southern Transept= + +(_See plan, p. 33, and the Exterior, p. 47_) + +A gap was made in the vaulting by the bombardment of April 19, 1917. + +The arrangement of the inner façade is similar to that of the northern +transept, except that the three high bays with lancet windows, which are +partially hidden in the northern transept, are here entirely visible. + +The stained-glass of the rose-window, destroyed by a hurricane in 1580, +was replaced in 1581 by the Rheims artist Nicolas Dérodé. It represents +the Eternal Father surrounded by the twelve apostles. + +In the Rosary Chapel is a Renaissance altar-screen (1541), attributed to +the Rheims sculptor Pierre Jacques. The general scheme represents _The +dead body of Christ on the knees of the Virgin_, and above, _Christ +coming forth from the sepulchre_. It was a gift of Canon Paul +Grandraoul, who is shown on his knees before Mary Magdalene. + +The Roman mosaic work in the centre of the chapel was discovered in the +courtyard of the archbishop's palace in 1849. Among the most remarkable +scenes are: _Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene_, attributed to Titian; +_Christ with the angels_, by Thaddeo Zuccaro; _The Nativity_, attributed +to Tintoret; _Manna in the Desert_, attributed to Nicolas Poussin. + +[Illustration: ST. REMI'S CHALICE. (_Cliché LL._)] + + +=The Cathedral Treasure= + +This is kept in a sacristy built by Viollet-le-Duc, which is reached +through a plain door in the southern façade of the transept. + +The treasure, which is very rich in precious reliquaries, chalices, and +other pieces of goldsmith's work, was saved from the fire of September +19, 1914, by the Curé of the Cathedral and one of his abbés. After being +temporarily placed in the house of the Cardinal, it was evacuated in +1915, at the order of the Historical Monuments Department. + +Among the best known of these art treasures are the Chalice of St. Remi +and St. Ursula's Skiff. + +The =Chalice of St. Remi=, with its gold filagree work, six rows of +chasing, and precious stones set in a _collier_, is a remarkable work of +art. It was in this chalice that, by special privilege, the kings of +France communicated in wine at the conclusion of their consecration. +Tradition has it that the gold of which it is made was that of the +Soissons Vase, whereas in reality it is 12th century. Confiscated in +1793 and deposited in the _Bibliothèque Nationale_, it was restored to +the Cathedral by Napoleon III. + +[Illustration: ST. URSULA'S SKIFF. (_Cliché LL._)] + +=St. Ursula's Skiff= is a reliquary given by Henri III. It represents a +ship carved out of cornelian, floating on a sea of enamel. The ship, +whose mast bears the royal crown, is adorned with the escutcheons of +France and Poland, and contains eleven small figures. That of St. Ursula +is said to be the portrait of the Queen of France. + +Amongst the other remarkable works of art in the Treasure are the +following: the _reliquaries_ of Archbishop Samson, St. Sixtus (12th +century), St. Peter and St. Paul (14th century), and the Holy Sepulchre +(16th century); a _monstrance_ of gilt copper (13th century); a +_liturgical comb_ of ivory, said to have belonged to St. Bernard (12th +century); a rock-crystal _cross_, which formerly belonged to Cardinal de +Lorraine; _orfrays_ embroidered with silver thread (13th century); the +_credence_ and _oil vessels_ of Abbot de la Salle; a _fragment_ of a +carved wood crozier (incorrectly said to be the crozier of St. +Gibrien), two other fragments of which are in the Town Museum (12th +century); the _vases_, _utensils_, and _sacred ornaments_ which were +used at the consecration of Charles X.; the _reliquary_ of the Sacred +Ampulla, designed by Lafitte for the consecration of Charles X. The +original Sacred Ampulla was broken in 1793. The present one, which has +only served for the consecration of Charles X., is a replica said to +have been made with the few drops of balsam of the Clovis Ampulla, which +pious hands saved from the broken fragments of the sacred vessel. + +[Illustration: CASKET OF THE SACRED AMPULLA. (_Cliché LL._)] + +[Illustration: FRAGMENTS SAVED FROM THE RUINS. (_Cliché LL._)] + +[Illustration (Map)] + + + + +=FIRST ITINERARY FOR VISITING RHEIMS= + +=Starting-point: Place du Parvis Nôtre-Dame= + + 1. The Archbishop's Palace (p. 63). + 2. The Theatre (p. 68) + 3. The House of Levesque de Pouilly (p. 68). + 4. The Stores: Galeries Rémoises (p. 73). + 5. The Maison Fossier (p. 75). + 6. The House of J. B. de la Salle (p. 75). + 7. The House of the Enfant d'Or (p. 75). + 8. The Statue of Louis XV. (p. 79). + 9. The Musicians' House (p. 80). + 10. The House of De Muire (p. 83). + 11. The House of Le Vergeur (p. 85). + 12. A 16th Century House (p. 86). + 13. The General Post Office and Chamber of Commerce (p. 87). + 14. The Cloister of the Franciscan Friars (p. 90). + 15. The House of Thiret de Prain (p. 89). + 16. The House of de la Pourcelette (p. 92). + +[Illustration: REMOVING THE STATUE OF JOAN-OF-ARC IN MAY, 1918] + + +=Place du Parvis= + +The Place du Parvis (_photo below_) is in front of the main façade of +the Cathedral. The shells made enormous craters there. + +In the centre of the square stands an =equestrian statue of +Joan-of-Arc=, by Paul Dubois, of which there is a replica in the Place +St. Augustin in Paris. It was removed in May, 1918, by the Historical +Monuments Department (_photo above_). + +[Illustration: THE PLACE DU PARVIS +_On the right: The Law Courts. In the centre: The Theatre. On the left: +The Grand Hôtel. In centre of Square: Statue of Joan-of-Arc._] + +Looking towards the Cathedral, the tourist will see on the right the +ruins of the _Hôtel du Lion d'Or_ and of the _Hôtel de la Maison Rouge_. + +The latter was completely destroyed. Above the door was the inscription: +"In the year 1429, at the consecration of Charles VII., in this +hostelry--then called the 'Striped Ass'--the father and mother of Jeanne +d'Arcq were lodged at the expense of the Municipality." In reality only +the father of Joan-of-Arc lodged there. + +It was at the Hôtel du Lion d'Or (_photo opposite_) and at the Grand +Hôtel (No. 4 in the Rue Libergier, which opens out in front of the +statue of Joan-of-Arc) that the Field-Marshal French stayed in August, +1914, and later General von Zuchow, commanding the Saxon troops which +entered Rheims on September 4, 1914. + +[Illustration: INNER COURTYARD OF THE LION D'OR HÔTEL. (_Cliché A.S._)] + +On the right of the Cathedral are the ruins of the Archbishop's Palace +(_see plan, p. 33_). A general view of them is seen in the photograph on +p. 48. + + +=The Archbishop's Palace= + +Of the three buildings which surrounded every Cathedral in the Middle +Ages--the bishop's palace, the cloister of the canons, and the house set +apart for the sick and poor (Hôtel-Dieu)--only the archbishop's palace +existed at Rheims in 1914. It extended all along the south lateral +façade of the Cathedral, on the site of the ancient abode of St. +Nicaise, which had replaced a Roman palace. Of the ancient building +erected by the successors of St. Nicaise down to the 13th century, there +remained only the graceful two-storied chapel, doubtless contemporary +with the chevet of the Cathedral. The round entrance tower, known as +Eon's tower (from the name of the heretic who was imprisoned there in +the 12th century), and the great bronze stag placed in the middle of the +courtyard by Archbishop Samson in the 11th century, still existed in the +17th century, but about that time the one was demolished and the other +melted down. This stag, into which on feast-days wine was poured, which +flowed out again by the mouth, was a beautiful specimen of the art of +the old metal-founders of Rheims. + +The archbishop's palace and most of its rich collections were burnt in +the fire of September 19, 1914. Of the palace proper there remains only +the great chimney-piece of the Salle du Tau, on which the Latin motto, +"Good faith preserved makes rich," is inscribed (_see p. 64_), the very +opposite of the German "scrap of paper" theory. + +=The Archevêché=: The buildings which lined the courtyard were of +different periods. The wing abutting on the entrance-gate was 19th +century, while the correct but heavy and dull southern façade was +rebuilt in the 17th century by Archbishop Maurice Le Tellier, from the +plans of Robert de Cotte. + +[Illustration: THE SALLE DU TAU, BEFORE THE WAR] + + +=The Salle du Tau (or Kings' Hall)= + +(_See plan, p. 33._) + +At the bottom of the courtyard there used to be a large late 15th and +early 16th century hall, access to which was gained by a horse-shoe +stair with late 17th century wrought-iron hand-rail. + +A small porch-like structure at the top of the stair was an unfortunate +addition of 1825. + +The hall was known as the =Salle du Tau=, in memory of the ancient +palace which was shaped like the Greek letter _Tau_, or the Kings' Hall, +on account of the portraits of the Kings consecrated at Rheims, received +in 1825. + +Built by the Cardinal Archbishop Guillaume Briçonnet between 1497 and +1507, it comprised two stories. + +[Illustration: THE SALLE DU TAU IN 1918 +_Behind the ruined Hall are seen the Southern Transept and Chevet of the +Cathedral._] + +The upper hall, in which the royal banquet was served at the +consecrations, became the Stock Exchange at the beginning of the 19th +century. It was disfigured by poor paintings and false Gothic +ornamentation at the time of the consecration of Charles X. + +The walls were hung with four admirable tapestries by Pepersack and +several others given by Robert de Lenoncourt. + +The vast chimney-piece with the Briçonnet and Church of Rheims Arms is +all that the fire of 1914 spared of the ancient decoration. It is +visible in the photographs on page 64, at the bottom of the hall. + +[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO THE SALLE DU TAU (OR KINGS' HALL). (_See +plan, p. 33._)] + +The lower hall, with its Gothic arching, was as large as the upper one. +The capitals of the prismatic pillars and the key-stones of the arches +were adorned with escutcheons, fleur-de-lys, flowers and crockets. + + +=The Archi-episcopal Chapel= + +(_See plan, p. 33._) + +This was without doubt the work of Jean d'Orbais, the first architect of +the Cathedral. It resembled the latter in many respects. + +With its seven-sided apse, four-bay nave and lancet-shaped windows +without rubber-work, it was remarkably slender and graceful. + +Its finest ornament was the 13th century bas-relief, _The Adoration of +the Magi_, in the tympanum of the entrance door. + +The white marble inner portico of the door dated from the Restoration. +The other, formed of in-laid wood panels, was adorned with five 16th or +early 17th century painted figures. + +The lower chapel, partly subterranean, was fitted up as a lapidary +museum in 1865 and 1896. + +[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO THE ARCHI-EPISCOPAL CHAPEL. (_See plan, p. +33._)] + +[Illustration: THE ROYAL APARTMENTS IN THE ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE] + + +=The Royal Apartments= + +From the Kings' Hall, access was obtained to five royal saloons with +windows looking on the gardens and adorned with portraits of +archbishops. + +It was in the archbishop's palace that the Kings stayed at the time of +their consecration or when passing through Rheims. Henry IV. lived there +during his two sojourns at Rheims. He washed the feet of the poor on +Holy Thursday in the great hall and listened to the sermon of Father +Cotton. Louis XIII. and Richelieu stayed there in 1641, Louis XIV. in +1680, Peter the Great in 1717, Louis XV. in 1722 and 1744, the Queen in +1765, Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette in 1774, and Charles X. in 1825. +From year VI. (Revolution Calendar) to 1824 it was occupied by the +tribunals. The archbishops formerly held many Councils and Synods there, +but lived there only rarely. In the Middle Ages they preferred living in +their fortified castle of Porte Mars (_see p._ 6). In the 17th and 18th +centuries they lived mostly outside Rheims. + +_After visiting the ruins of the Archbishop's Palace return to the Place +du Parvis. Take the Rue Libergier, opposite the Cathedral, turning into +the first street on the right (Rue Chanzy). The Museum is soon reached +(see Itinerary, p. 61)._ + + +=The Museum=, formerly =The Grand Séminaire= + +This fine 18th century building was erected by Nicolas Bonhomme in +1743-1752. The carved entrance-door and terraced central pavilion, +bordered with a fine balustrade (damaged by shell splinters), are the +remains of the ancient Abbey of St. Denis, the church of which was +destroyed at the time of the Revolution. The right wing was rebuilt in +the 19th century, by order of Cardinal Thomas Gousset. The ground-floor +of the left wing is old, but the other floors are modern. These +buildings were comparatively little damaged by the bombardments. + +[Illustration: THE ENTRANCE TO THE COURTYARD OF THE OLD GRAND SÉMINAIRE +(18th century)] + +Successively occupied since 1790 by the District Council, a free +secondary school, and by the Russians in 1814-1815, the buildings were +handed over to the Grand Séminaire in 1822. Since the separation of the +Church and State in 1905, they have been fitted up as a Museum. + +The Museum was struck at the beginning of the bombardment on September +4, 1914, several pictures in the Modern Gallery being destroyed. Later, +it was again hit by shells, but the greater part of the collections had +already been removed to a place of safety. + +[Illustration: THE OLD GRAND SÉMINAIRE (MUSEUM)] + +[Illustration: THE BED IN WHICH NAPOLEON SLEPT IN 1814 +(_In ruined house at No. 18 Rue de Vesle._)] + +_Continue along the Rue Chanzy, which skirts the_ =Theatre= (1873), of +which only the walls remain. _Take the Rue de Vesle (first street on the +left. See Itinerary, p. 61)._ + +Among the ruins of this street, in the yard of No. 18 on the left, is a +building of which only the ground-floor and front with large windows and +spacious dormers remain. + +It was there that Napoleon I. slept after his return to Rheims. His room +had been preserved exactly as it was in 1814 (_see p. 8_). + +[Illustration: THE PARIS GATE] + +At No. 27 are vestiges of the old =Hôtel Levesque de Pouilly=. Inside +the court there was a 16th century house, the residence of a family +which furnished Rheims with some remarkable administrators, chief among +whom was _Levesque de Pouilly_, "lieutenant of the inhabitants." Among +the celebrated guests received by him were Voltaire and Madame du +Châtelet (1749). In a letter to him, Lord Bolingbroke wrote: "_I know +but three men who are worthy of governing the nation: You, Pope and +myself._" + +[Illustration: THE VAULTING AND BELFRY OF THE CHURCH OF ST. JACQUES +(_Cliché LL._)] + +_On the right, between Nos. 44 and 46, is the Rue St. Jacques._ + +_Follow the Rue de Vesle to the end, where the_ =Paris Gate= _stands, +about 1 km. from the entrance to the Rue St. Jacques._ + +This Gate replaced the Vesle Gate which formerly abutted on the river. +In consequence of the growth of the city it was built in the _faubourg_ +about 1845. Its beautiful wrought-iron work (_photo opposite_), by the +local master-locksmiths Lecoq and Revel, was erected by the City in +1774, at the time of the consecration of Louis XVI. + +_From the Paris Gate, return by the Rue de Vesle to the Rue St. Jacques, +on the right of which stands the_ Church of St. Jacques. + +The =Church of St. Jacques=, whose fine tower contributed to the charm +of the general appearance of the city, was destroyed by the bombardments +of 1918. Begun in the 12th century, it was finished in the 16th. Before +the war, it was the only parish church in Rheims which had been +preserved intact. + +[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF ST. JACQUES (_Cliché +LL._)] + +[Illustration: THE PLACE DROUET D'ERLON, BEFORE THE WAR +_On the right: Belfry of the Church of St. Jacques._] + +_The Rue St. Jacques leads to the long_ Place Drouet d'Erlon, which was +much damaged by the bombardments of 1918 (_photo opposite_). + +Formerly known as _Place de la Couture_, this square, like the +old streets with picturesque names: _Rue des Telliers_, +_Rue du Clou-dans-le-Fer_, _Rue de la Belle Image_, _Rue de la +Grosse-Ecritoire_, _Rue du Cadran St. Pierre_, formed part of the +_Quartier des Loges_, built in the 12th century by Cardinal +Guillaume-aux-blanches-mains for the wood and iron workers. The +house-fronts above the first storey rested mostly on wooden pillars, +leaving recesses or covered galleries on the ground floor. + +In the centre of the square stood a statue of Marshal Drouet d'Erlon, +afterwards removed to the crossing of the Boulevards Gerbert and Victor +Hugo, and replaced by a =monumental fountain=, the gift of M. Subé. + +_Follow the Place Drouet d'Erlon to the Boulevard de la République, +which skirts_ =The Promenades=. + +[Illustration: THE PLACE DROUET D'ERLON, AFTER THE WAR +_The Belfry of the Church of St. Jacques no longer exists._] + +[Illustration: THE SUBÉ FOUNTAIN, IN THE PLACE DROUET D'ERLON +_Seen from the Rue Buirette (in ruins)._] + +The Promenades, greatly damaged by the war, have sometimes been wrongly +attributed to Le Nôtre. Their designer was a Rheims gardener, Jean le +Roux. Commenced in 1731, they were finished and extended in 1787. They +were formerly reached by the Gates of Mars and Vesles, but preferably by +the Promenade Gate specially opened in the ramparts in 1740 and +inaugurated by Louis XV. in 1744, on his return from Flanders. The +Promenades were first called _Cours Le Pelletier_ (the name of the +_Intendant of Champagne_, who approved the plans), then _Cours Royal_, +after the passage of Louis XV. They were encroached upon by the railway +station, built in 1860. + +In the centre of the Promenades, opposite the station, in the _Square +Colbert_, laid out by the landscape gardener Varé in 1860, is a statue +of Colbert. + +_Take the Rue Thiers, which begins at the Square Colbert and leads to +the_ =Hôtel-de-Ville=. + +[Illustration: THE "SQUARE COLBERT" IN THE MIDDLE OF THE "PROMENADES" +_The Entrance to the Station is just opposite this "Square."_] + +[Illustration: THE TOWN HALL IN 1918] + + +=The Hôtel-de-Ville= + +This building, which was destroyed by shell-fire on May 13, 1917, was +similar in many respects to the old Hôtel-de-Ville in Paris, burnt in +1871. + +Commenced in 1627, from plans by the Rheims architect, Jean Bonhomme, it +was completed in stages, at long intervals. Only the central _pavilion_ +and the left-hand portion were 17th century. + +The building was a beautiful specimen of the architecture of the Louis +XIII. period. Seventy-eight columns, Doric on the ground-floor and +Corinthian on the first storey, framed the windows of the façade, whose +bases on the first floor carried trophies in bas-relief and a graceful +frieze. The niches in the central portico were empty, but the pediment +on twisted columns enclosed an equestrian statue of Louis XIII. + +In the interior, in the great vestibule, a staircase with a remarkable +wrought-iron balustrade led to the City Library, which was destroyed by +the fire of 1917 (_photo, p. 73_). + +On the right, the room where the Municipal Council meetings were held, +contained rich panelling alternated with paintings by Lamatte, +commemorating episodes in the history of Rheims. On the left, the +mayor's office contained magnificent Louis XVI. woodwork. + +On the other side of the courtyard, in the centre of which is a statue +of "La Vigne," by St. Marceaux, was the great marriage-hall, containing +a Gallo-Roman mosaic, framed with rosettes and an interlaced border, +representing a gladiatorial fight. + +A number of the pictures and works of art in the Hôtel-de-Ville were +saved by the firemen and soldiers. The mosaic in the marriage-hall was +protected by sand-bags and is intact. + +_In the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, between the Rue Thiers and the Banque +de France, are two small streets: the Rue Salin and the Rue de +Pouilly._ + +[Illustration: THE GRAND STAIRCASE OF THE TOWN HALL] + +At No. 5 of the Rue Salin, the old 17th century _Hôtel Coquebert_, which +was destroyed by the shells, used to be the headquarters of the _Society +of Friends of Old Rheims_. Several of the illustrations in this Guide +are taken from the collections of this Society. + +In the Rue de Pouilly, close to the Hôtel-de-Ville, are the =ruins= of +the _Galeries Rémoises_ stores. These shops were partly housed in a +Gothic building, of which only a few chimney-stacks remain (_see chimney +in photo below_). + +_Opposite the Hôtel-de-Ville take the Rue Colbert to the Place des +Marchés._ + +[Illustration: THE RUE COLBERT, BETWEEN THE TOWN HALL AND THE +MARKET-PLACE] + +[Illustration: RUINS IN THE MARKET-PLACE +_Seen from the Rue de Tambour. The "Maison de l'Enfant d'Or" is among +the ruined houses seen in the middle (see pp. 75 to 77). The "Hôtel de +la Salle" and "Maison Fossier" (p. 76), on the right-hand side of the +Square, are not visible in the above photograph._] + + +=The Place des Marchés= + +Built on the site of the ancient _forum_, the Market Square, before the +war, still contained several remarkable 15th century wooden houses. +Unfortunately, they were destroyed by the terrible bombardment of May +8-15, 1918, together with the Square. + +[Illustration: THE "HÔTEL DE LA SALLE" +_On the left: the Carriage Entrance with Caryatids: Adam and Eve._] + +[Illustration: THE COURTYARD OF THE "HÔTEL DE LA SALLE" +_The graceful Turret has partially collapsed._] + +_After turning to the right, on leaving the Rue Colbert, and quite close +to the Square, at No. 4 in the Rue de l'Arbalète_, is the house, dating +from the middle of the 16th century, where =J. B. de la Salle= was born. + +Although this house suffered from the bombardments of 1918, its front is +practically intact. It is the finest Renaissance front in Rheims, after +that of =Le Vergeur's House= (_see p. 85_). + +The carriage entrance is flanked with two life-size caryatids, popularly +called _Adam and Eve_, on account of their nudity. Along the first +storey runs a broad frieze ornamentated with trophies of arms and a +shield of unknown significance. Between two windows of this storey a +niche, resting on a console, is crowned with a canopy. The shops on the +ground-floor somewhat spoilt the general look of the building. The +interior of the house was less interesting than the front. + +In the courtyard is a strikingly graceful three-storey turret (_photo +above_), one side of which has collapsed. + +Among the wooden houses destroyed by the bombardments of 1918 in the +Place des Marchés, the following must be mentioned: the =Maison Fossier= +(_see p. 76_), which stood in the Square at the right-hand corner of the +Rue de l'Arbalète, and especially the =Maison de l'Enfant d'Or= +(sometimes wrongly called the House of Jacques Callou), which stood near +the Rue des Elus. The latter house took its name from an old sign +representing the gilt figure of a sleeping child. Hence, punningly, the +name _Golden_ or _Sleeping_ Child. + +In spite of alterations, this house (_photo, p. 77_), with its +pent-house roof, two overhanging storeys, windows crowned with finials, +and sculptural decoration (_see carved console, p. 77_), was a +well-preserved specimen of 15th century architecture. + +_From the Place des Marchés, follow the Rue Colbert to the_ =Place +Royale=. + +[Illustration: BEFORE THE WAR +_See text, page 75._] + +[Illustration: AFTER THE WAR +THE "MAISON FOSSIER," BEFORE AND AFTER THE WAR +_See Itinerary, p. 61 (No. 5 of Explanatory Notes)._] + +[Illustration: SEE TEXT. _p. 75_ +RUINS OF THE "MAISON DE L'ENFANT D'OR" +_Second house on the left, after the Rue des Elus. (See p. 77.)_] + +[Illustration: THIS VERY CURIOUS 15TH CENTURY HOUSE STOOD IN THE +MARKET-PLACE +It was completely destroyed (_see p. 76._) +THE "MAISON DE L'ENFANT D'OR," BEFORE THE WAR] + +[Illustration: BRACKET OF THE "MAISON DE L'ENFANT D'OR," REPRESENTING +SAMSON SLAYING THE LION] + +[Illustration: THE PLACE ROYALE IN 1765 +THE INAUGURATION OF THE STATUE OF "LOUIS LE BIENAIMÉ." +_August 20, 1765; engraving by Varin. The original statue (by Pigalle) +is in the middle of the Square._] + + +=The Place Royale= + +The Place Royale, which had previously suffered severely on September +19-22, 1914, was completely destroyed by fire, with the exception of the +modern buildings of the Société Générale Bank, during the bombardment of +April 8-15, 1918. + +[Illustration: THE PLACE ROYALE IN 1918 +_The plinth of the statue was protected by masonry-work._] + +Commenced in 1756, from plans by the architect Legendre, it formed an +oblong, of severe and imposing appearance, at the cross-ways of the four +main streets of the City. In order to carry out Legendre's plans, +forty-nine houses had to be acquired and pulled down. The Square +remained unfinished, only three of its sides being built. The Louis +XV.-XVI. transition style houses were of uniform construction, and were +remarkable for their arcades and eaveless roofs, around which latter ran +a balustrade. The central house (formerly the _Hôtel des Fermes_) had a +Doric front with a statue of Mercury surrounded by children arranging +bales or carrying grapes to the wine-press. A =statue of Louis XV.=, in +the middle of the Square, was protected from the bombardments by +masonry-work (_photos, p. 78 and below_). + +The monarch is represented in a Roman mantle and laurel wreath. On +either side of the pedestal are two allegorical bronze figures. One, a +woman, holding a helm with one hand and leading a lion with the other, +symbolizes _gentleness of Government_; the other, a contented man +resting in the midst of abundance, represents _the happiness of +nations_. The wolf and the lamb sleeping side by side at their feet are +symbolical of the Golden Age. + +[Illustration: STATUE OF LOUIS XV., PLACE ROYALE, WITH PARTIALLY BUILT +PROTECTING WALL OF MASONRY +_The two allegorical figures are supposed to be likenesses of the +Sculptor Pigalle and his wife._] + +The monument, inaugurated in 1765, is the work of Pigalle, but the two +allegorical figures, which are supposed to be portraits of the sculptor +and his wife, alone are original. + +The original statue of Louis XV. was removed at the time of the +Revolution (August 15, 1792), and sent to the foundry. It was first +replaced by a pyramid surmounted by a "Fame," in memory of the defenders +of the _Patrie_, then by a plaster Goddess of Liberty, and in 1803 by a +trophy of arms and flags. The present statue, erected under Louis XVIII. +(1818), is due to the sculptor Cartellier, and is an exact replica of +the original one. + +It was on the steps of the monument that the Conventionist Ruhl smashed +the Sacred Ampulla under the Revolution. + +_From the Place Royale, return to the Market Square, cross over to the +Rue de Tambour (parallel with the Rue Colbert)._ + +The Rue de Tambour owes its name either to the statue of a +tambourine-player on one of its houses, or to the presence of the +town-drummer who lived in it. It was first damaged, then burnt, in +April, 1918. + +[Illustration: THE STATUES OF THE MUSICIANS' HOUSE +_The house was destroyed by bombardment, but the statues were saved._] + +Previous to 1918, old houses in this street were still numerous. The +most celebrated was the now completely destroyed =Musicians' House= +(_photo above_), the true origin of which is unknown. + +It has variously been supposed to have been the house of a rich burgess, +of the Tom Fiddlers' Brotherhood, and the Mint of the Archbishops of +Rheims. The first storey of the façade had been preserved intact since +the 13th century. In the Gothic niches which separated the mullioned and +transomed windows, five large seated figures on carved consoles (_photo +above_) represented _a tambourine and flute player_, _a piper_, _a +falconer_ with crossed legs, _a harpist_ and _an organ-grinder_ crowned +with a garland of flowers. The falcon on the wrist of the central figure +was removed by the organisers of the consecration of Charles X., as it +was feared that the royal banners might get caught on it. + +Fortunately, these statues, which are remarkable for their natural +expression and vigour were removed to a place of safety before the house +was destroyed. + +Thanks to a public subscription, the town was able to acquire them +shortly before the war, thus preventing them from being sold abroad. + +The cellars of this house are curious, but there exists no proof that +they date back, as has been said, to the Roman period. + +[Illustration: 14TH CENTURY DOORWAY, 22 RUE DE TAMBOUR] + +The adjoining house (No. 22) is 14th century, and probably dates back to +about the end of the reign of Philippe-le-Bel. Its front has been +greatly spoilt, but still contains a fine door surmounted by an +elliptical arch (_photo above_). + +At No. 13 of this street, two 13th century carved heads, one of a man +and the other of a woman wearing one of the mortar-shaped hats in +fashion until the end of the reign of St. Louis, have been built into +the façade. + +_At the end of the Rue de Tambour, take the Rue de Mars, on the right of +the Hôtel-de-Ville, at the end of which, on the left, stands the +Triumphal Arch of the_ =Mars Gate=. + +[Illustration: THE RUE DE MARS. THE TOWN HALL IS ON THE LEFT] + +[Illustration: MARS GATE] + + +=The Mars Gate= + +[Illustration: 18TH CENTURY ENGRAVING BY COLLIN OF THE VAULTING OF THE +ROMULUS AND REMUS ARCADE OF THE MARS GATE +_In the centre: Romulus and Remus suckled by the she-wolf._] + +This monument was long believed to be a Roman =gate=--hence its +name--although the ornamentation of its four sides proves that it cannot +originally have been connected with the ramparts. It was only in the +Middle Ages that it was included in the fortified castle (_photo, p. 6_) +built by the archbishops a few steps to the rear. About 1334 its arcades +were walled up, while towards 1554 it was buried under a mass of rubbish +during the building of the fortifications. Partly disinterred in 1594, +when the archbishops' castle was pulled down, it was not completely +cleared until 1816-1817. Restored, then classed as an _historical +monument_ (thanks to Prosper Mérimée), it is one of the largest Roman +structures remaining in France. Forty-four feet high, one hundred and +eight wide, and sixteen thick, it was really a triumphal arch built on +the Cæsarean Way at the entrance to the town, probably in the 4th +century. It comprises three arches separated by fluted Corinthian +columns which support the entablature. On the two main façades between +the columns are carved medallions and niches which have lost their +statues. The vaulting of the arches is divided into sunken panels, the +carving of which is mostly in a good state of preservation. Under the +eastern arch _Romulus and Remus_ are seen suckled by the she-wolf. Under +the middle arch, the twelve months of the year, represented by persons +(five of whom have been destroyed), occupied in the labours of the four +seasons, surround Abundance and Fortune. Under the western arch Love is +seen descending from the sky above Leda and the Swan. + +[Illustration: HÔTEL NOËL DE MUIRE +_Note the curious masonry-work of the first storey, composed of +polygonal stones in relief._] + +_Behind the Mars Gate is the Place de la République, containing_ a +statue by Bartholdi, damaged by shell-fire. _In front of the Gate, take +the Rue Henri IV., leading behind the Hôtel-de-Ville, then turn to the +left into the Rue de Sedan._ The house at No. 3 was destroyed by shells, +except the =Louis XVI. front= with its gracefully carved garlands, which +escaped injury. + +_Take the Rue du Grenier-à-Sel, on the right, to the_ =Hôtel Noël de +Muire=, _on the left, at the corner of the Rue Linguet._ + +This house consists of the remains of a sort of Henry II. manor with +turrets and dormer-windows. The walls, rounded at the corners like those +of the Templars, are of brick and dressed stone. The plinth separating +the two stories is decorated with carved wreathed foliage. Fret-work and +hexagonal points frame the windows, while a broad cornice on consoles +carries the roof. Formerly the residence of the lords of Muire, this +house was popularly known as the _Maison des Petits Pâtés_, on account +of the polygonal shape of the stones in relief. Theodore de Bèze, one of +the leaders of the Reformation in France, lived there with his friend, +Noël de Muire. + +[Illustration: THE RUE DU MARC] + +_Take the Rue du Marc, which continues the Rue du Grenier-à-Sel (photo +above)._ + +The =Rue du Marc= was the quarter where the old noble families and the +higher _bourgeoisie_ of Rheims lived. It suffered considerably from the +bombardments. + +At No. 3 is a Henry IV. house, the windows of which are framed with +graceful ornamentation (_photo below_). + +However, the most remarkable house in the street is undoubtedly the +=Hôtel Nicolas le Vergeur= (No. 1), which, unfortunately, was partly +destroyed by the shells (_see p. 85_). + +[Illustration: HOUSE DATING BACK TO THE REIGN OF HENRI IV. (1589-1610) +AT NO. 3 RUE DU MARC] + + +=The Hôtel Nicolas Le Vergeur= + +The interior building, which has a 17th century carriage entrance, +offers two fine examples of 15th and 16th century architecture. It is +the finest Renaissance structure in Rheims. The main front, incomparably +the most graceful, was but little damaged by the bombardments (_photo +below_). + +On the ground-floor the great arched doorway is divided by a wooden post +into two delicately carved compartments. Pilasters decorated with heads, +flowers, birds, and horns of plenty frame the three stone-mullioned +windows. Above these runs a frieze of trophies and medallions, with +portraits of noble lords with upturned moustaches and pointed beards, +and of great ladies with _collerettes_ and high head-dresses, gracious +or haughty, standing well out in relief. + +[Illustration: HÔTEL NICOLAS LE VERGEUR] + +On the first storey, carved panels above the window form a sort of broad +frieze of bas-reliefs representing men-at-arms or knights of the time of +François I. and Henri II. fighting at tournaments with lance, sword, or +pike. + +In one of the rooms overlooking the Rue Pluche were, a fine stone +_mantelpiece_ decorated with graceful delicate foliage; a timber-work +_ceiling_ with large and small beams, carrying panels decorated with +scrolls, and 15th century _tile-flooring_ of terra-cotta, varnished and +painted green and yellow. + +At the back of the courtyard, a building, supposed by some to be an old +chapel, had been transformed into vast cellars and store-rooms. The +_oaken ceiling_ of the latter, about fifty feet long and twenty-one +broad, destroyed in 1918, was one of the most beautiful in the world. +The beams, whose extremities carried grotesque figures, were carved on +all their sides with foliage, dragons, birds, and fruits. The beams were +connected by joists resting on stems, which represented apes, dragons, +persons, and foliage. Between the joists the panels had the appearance +of scrolls. + +_After visiting the Hôtel Le Vergeur, turn to the right into the Rue +Pluche, which leads to the Place des Marchés. Skirt the Square on the +left, then take the first street on the left_: =Rue Courmeaux=. + +[Illustration: HÔTEL ROGIER DE MONCLIN, 18 RUE COURMEAUX] + +_At No. 18 are the_ ruins of the =Hôtel Rogier de Monclin=, destroyed +after April, 1918. This house dated back to the Louis XV. period, but +had been disfigured by modern alterations. The façade overlooking the +courtyard, the entrance-hall, and the staircase with ornamental +balustrade, were interesting. At the time of the consecration of Louis +XVI., one of the saloons was furnished for the King's brother, the Comte +(or _Monsieur_) d'Artois, whence the name "_Rue de Monsieur_," formerly +borne by the Rue Courmeaux. + +_At No. 30_ is a Renaissance door, almost intact (_photo below_). _At +No. 34, at the corner of the Rue Legendre_, is a late 16th century +house, whose interior arrangement and façade are intact, except for the +woodwork of the windows, which was modernised in the 18th century. It +was built on the site of the old wool-market, after Marshal de +Saint-Paul, at the time of the League, had compelled the inhabitants of +the Faubourg Cérès to destroy their houses. + +[Illustration: RENAISSANCE DOOR, +_30, Rue Courmeaux_.] + +[Illustration: CÉRÈS ESPLANADE] + +_Return to the Rue Courmeaux and take the Rue Bonhomme on the left, +which leads to the Rue Cérès._ + +The =Rue Cérès= was totally destroyed by fire, from the Place Royale to +the Post Office, which had to be given up in the autumn of 1914. + +_At No. 30_ is the =Chamber of Commerce=, one of the finest late 18th +century buildings in Rheims. The magnificent Louis XVI. rooms escaped +practically uninjured. The staircase leading to the first storey, with +its delicate balustrade, is very remarkable. + +[Illustration: CHURCH OF ST. ANDRÉ, +_Rue du Faubourg Cérès._] + +[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF ST. ANDRÉ] + +_The Rue Cérès ends at the Esplanade Cérès_ (_photo, p. 87_), which was +made outside the old ramparts near the Cérès Gate. The name Cérès is +derived from a tower that long served as a prison (_carcer_, whence by +corruption _chair_, _cère_, and then by false mythological association, +_Cérès_). It was in this tower (no longer existing, but famous as early +as the 9th century) that, according to the _chansons de geste_, Ogier +the Dane, handed over by Charlemagne to the custody of the Bishop of +Rheims, was incarcerated. + +_From the Esplanade continue, if desired, by the Rue du Faubourg Cérès_ +(greatly damaged by the bombardments), to the =Church of St. André=, a +modern building erected by the architect Brunette. + +It was struck several times by shells and will have to be rebuilt. As +early as the first bombardment of September 4th, 1914, shell splinters +damaged the doorway, transept, stained glass (part of which was 16th +century and came from the old church), small organ, and the painting of +the _Baptism of Clovis_. Subsequently, the vaulting and parts of the +walls collapsed. + +The Church possesses a precious =reliquary= of copper (15th century) and +a =statue of St. André= (patron of the church) of painted and gilded +stone, attributed without authority, to Pierre Jacques. + +[Illustration: RELIQUARY OF ST. ANDRÉ] + +[Illustration: HÔTEL THIRET DE PRAIN IN 1916 +_19 Rue Eugène Desteuque._] + +_Return to the Esplanade Cérès, turn to the left at the beginning of the +Boulevard de la Paix, then to the right into the_ =Rue Eugène +Desteuque=. + +_At No. 19 of this street_ are the ruins of the =Hôtel Thiret de Prain=. + + +=The Hôtel Thiret de Prain= + +This was a mansion in the days of Henry IV. and Louis XIII. Richelieu +stayed there in 1641. + +[Illustration: HÔTEL THIRET DE PRAIN IN 1918 +_These two photographs illustrate the systematic destructions practised +by the Germans._] + +An imposing building, bordered with streets on its four sides, it had +retained its original appearance. The carriage-entrance in the Rue +Eugène Desteuque alone had been rebuilt in 1697. The principal entrance +was surmounted with a gallery, the walls, ceiling and beams of which +were covered with delicate decorative paintings. + +On the first floor one of the corner rooms, looking east, contained a +large Henry IV. mantelpiece, above which were the arms of the nobles of +Prain. Only the metallic portion remains. + +[Illustration: INTERIOR FAÇADE OF THE CLOISTER OF THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS +_In the courtyard of No. 9, Rue des Trois-Raisinets._] + +The dove-cot of the Hôtel, a massive square tower with pent-house roof, +overlooking the Rue d'Avenay, was destroyed by the bombardments. + +_On the left of the Rue Eugène-Desteuque, opposite the Hôtel +Thiret-de-Prain, is the_ Rue des Trois-Raisinets. At No. 9 are the ruins +of a Franciscan Cloister (_photo above_). + +This street (_photo below_), like the Cloister, suffered severely from +the bombardments. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE MARGOTIN FACTORY +_14, Rue des Trois-Raisinets._] + +_Return to the Rue Eugène-Desteuque and follow the same as far as the_ +Rue de la Grue (_on the right_). This street was badly damaged by +shell-fire and is impracticable for motor-cars. + +It was named after the sign carved on a stone (_photo, p. 91_) of the +house at No. 5 (entirely destroyed by the shells). At the end stood the +house where J. B. Colbert was born (at the corner of the Rues Cérès and +de Nanteuil, _photo below_). + +[Illustration: THE SIGN WHICH GAVE ITS NAME TO THE RUE DE LA GRUE +_It was at No. 5, but has been destroyed._] + +_Return to the Rue Eugène-Desteuque, follow it as far as the_ Rue de +l'Université. _Turn into the latter on the left._ + +This street was destroyed as early as September, 1914. At No. 25 are the +ruins of a Professional School for Girls, formerly the St. Martha +Hospital. The latter, also known as the "Hôpital des Magneuses," was +founded in the 17th century by Mesdames de Magneux, and rebuilt in the +18th century in the Louis XVI. style. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE HOUSE WHERE COLBERT WAS BORN +_At the corner of the Rues Cérès and de Nanteuil._] + +At No. 40, opposite the Sub-Prefecture, now in ruins, is the =Maison de +Jean Maillefer=, named after the rich merchant who built it in 1652. It +was scarcely finished, when it was chosen--and this was a source of +pride to its owner--as an abode for Anne of Austria, at the time of the +consecration of Louis XIV. The inside of the courtyard alone has +retained practically its ancient appearance. The front looking on the +street had recently been put back and altered. Some of the sculpture +which adorned it came from another house. + +_A short distance farther on, on the left, is the_ Place Godinot, named +after a canon of the 18th century, who caused numerous alterations to be +made in the decoration of the choir and sanctuary of the Cathedral. + +_Take the Rue St. Just on the right, and follow its continuation_ (_the +Rue des Anglais_) as far as the Rue d'Anjou, _which take on the right_. + +The =Hôtel de la Pourcelette= (No. 7) evokes memories of _Mabillon_, who +lived there when a young student at the University of Rheims. + +_At the end of the Rue d'Anjou, turn to the left into the Rue du +Cardinal de Lorraine, and follow the same to the short_ Rue des +Tournelles _on the left_. + +In the house at No. 3 of this street were incorporated the turret and +two principal windows of an old Gothic 16th century structure, situated +at No. 18 of the Rue des Anglais, and in ruins since 1898. The +drawing-room likewise contains a large stone chimney-piece, which +formerly stood in the great hall of the old house. + +[Illustration: LOUIS XIII. DOOR +_At No. 20 Rue du Carrouge._] + +_At the end of the Rue des Tournelles, turn to the right into the Rue +des Fusiliers, which leads to the Place du Parvis. Cross the latter to +the Rue Tronson Ducoudray. Follow this street, which runs between the_ +Palais de Justice _and_ _the_ Theatre, _turn to the left, in front of +the latter, into the Rue de Vesle, and take the first street on the +right_, the Rue de Talleyrand. + +_Follow this street_, the greater part of which was destroyed by fire +during the bombardments of April, 1918. It suffered further damage in +the months that followed, and a number of interesting old houses were +destroyed. + +_Turn into the first street on the right (Rue du Cadran St. Pierre), and +follow the same as far as the Rue de la Clef. Take the latter on the +right._ + +Before doing so, however, take a look at the =fine Louis XIII. entrance= +(_photo, p. 92_) of the house at No. 20 of the Rue du Carrouge opposite. + +_At No. 4 of the Rue de la Clef are the_ ruins of the former =Hôtel de +Bezannes=, partly built by Pierre de Bezannes, Lieutenant of Rheims in +1458 This house contains some fine 16th and 18th century woodwork. + +_The Rue des Deux Anges, which continues the Rue de la Clef, leads to +the_ Place du Palais, destroyed during the bombardments of April, 1918. +_In this square stands the_ =Palais de Justice=. The _Palais_ replaced +the old Hôtel-Dieu, but has been almost entirely rebuilt. It is a +building of little note, the principal entrance in particular being +stiff to excess. + +[Illustration: RUE CARNOT +_The Place Royale is seen in the background._] + +Its only interest is provided by two relics of the past: the vast +cellars or subterranean vaults with pointed arches supported by columns +with Gothic capitals; and the façade of the Audience-Chamber, formerly +the principal ward of the old Hôtel Dieu, the exterior of which has +retained its venerable appearance and the interior, vestiges of its +lofty timber-work and wainscoted vaulting. + +The ground-floor of the _Palais_ alone escaped damage from fire and the +shells, thanks to a terrace of reinforced concrete. + +_On the left of the Palais take the Rue Carnot_, destroyed by the +bombardments of April, 1918. + +The Rue Carnot communicates with the courtyard of the Chapter-House, +also burnt, by a great gate and passage which pass right through a +house. + +This entrance was built about 1530, in the transition style between the +Gothic and Renaissance. Its elliptical arch bears a scutcheon with the +arms of the Chapter. Consoles, decorated with grotesque figures, support +the beams. The points of the turrets have disappeared, a supporting +shaft has been mutilated, and the carved wooden leaves of the door have +been removed to the Lycée, yet the gate is still imposing. + +It is the last remaining vestige of the Chapter buildings which, with +their gates closing at the same time as those of the city, at the sound +of the bell, formed a "city within a city." In point of fact, the +Chapter was once lord of that part of the city which lies around the +Cathedral, and which it administered. The canons, jealous of their +prerogatives, were often in conflict with the archbishops. + +[Illustration: DOOR OF THE CHAPTER-HOUSE COURTYARD +_The Northern Transept of the Cathedral is seen in the background._] + +A few capitals and shafts of the ancient cloister of the Chapter, +adjoining the Cathedral, were recently discovered and placed under one +of the penthouses built between the buttresses of Nôtre-Dame. + +_Go through the gate, cross the Place du Chapitre, follow the Rue du +Préau towards the Cathedral, then turn to the right into the Rue Robert +de Coucy, which leads back to the Place du Parvis Nôtre-Dame._ + + +=SECOND ITINERARY FOR VISITING RHEIMS= + +[Illustration (Map)] + +_Starting from the Place du Parvis-Nôtre-Dame, take the Rue Libergier, +opposite the Cathedral. Turn to the left into the_ Rue Chanzy, which was +destroyed by the bombardments of April-August, 1918. + +[Illustration: RUE CHANZY] + +[Illustration: DOOR AND BALCONY OF THE HÔTEL DE COURTAGNON, (_18th +Century_), _at No. 71 Rue Chanzy_] + +The ruins of the 18th century =Hôtel Lagoille de Courtagnon= may be seen +at No. 71 of this street. It was destroyed by the bombardments of April, +1918, with the exception of a part of the front. The finely carved door +and remarkable ironwork of the balcony are visible in the above +photograph. + +[Illustration: ORNAMENTAL RAIN-WATER PIPE-HEAD OF LEAD UNDER THE ROOF OF +THE HOSPICE NOËL CAQUÉ (_see p. 97_)] + +[Illustration: GALLO-ROMAN BAS-RELIEF _at No. 65, Rue de l'Université. +This bas-relief and the one opposite, on the wall of the Lycée, are the +last remaining vestiges of a Gallo-Roman gate_.] + +The =Hospice Noël Caqué= (formerly Hospice St. Marcoul), _on the right_, +was seriously damaged by the bombardments of April, 1918. It dated from +the middle of the 17th century, and was well preserved, with the +exception of the chapel, rebuilt in 1873. + +_Take the Rue de Contrai, on the left, which leads to the_ Rue de +l'Université. Inserted in the façade of the house at No. 65 (_on the +right_), and in the wall of the Lycée (_on the left_), are two stone +=bas-reliefs= ornamented with trophies of arms and Roman insignia, the +sole remaining vestiges of the _Porte Basée_ (_from Basilea_) which +formerly stood there on the Cæsarean way, at the southern extremity of +the Gallo-Roman town. (_See photo above of the right-hand bas-relief._) + +[Illustration: THE FAÇADE OF THE LYCÉE DESTROYED BY THE BOMBARDMENTS] + +_Follow the Rue de l'Université and skirt the_ =Lycée de Garçons=, of +which only the chapel and one of the buildings are left. The rest was +burnt or destroyed by shell-fire. + +[Illustration: DOOR OF THE PETIT LYCÉE, _5, Rue Vauthier-le-Noir_. _On +either side of the arcade are heads of "Jean qui rit" and "Jean qui +pleure."_] + +The Lycée replaced the old _Collège des Bons Enfants_, founded in the +Middle Ages, and rebuilt in the 16th century by the Cardinal de +Lorraine, founder of the University of Rheims. + +Of the old _Collège_, only the central part remained, in the second +court built by Archbishop Charles Maurice Le Tellier in 1686 and the +following years. + +The gate of the _Cour des Etudes_ dates from 1688. + +The ancient door of the Collège--the tympana of whose arcading contain +two laughing and crying heads--was transferred to the entrance of the +_Petit Lycée_, at No. 5 of the street on the right of the Lycée (Rue +Vauthier-le-Noir) (_photo above_). + +_Shortly after the Lycée, turn to the right into the Place Godinot, then +take the Rue St. Pierre-les-Dames on the right._ At No. 8 are the ruins +of the =Abbey of St. Pierre-les-Dames=. + +Of this celebrated Abbey, where several royal persons stayed: _Mary +Stuart_ twice, in her childhood and after she was widowed; _Henry IV._, +on a visit to his cousin, the Abbess Renée II.; _Anne of Austria_, of +whom the _Congrégation_ library contains a portrait; there remains +hardly anything but two 16th century _pavillons_ belonging to the period +when Renée de Lorraine, sister of the Queen of Scotland and aunt of Mary +Stuart, was abbess of the convent. Built of stone and brick with marble +incrustations, and adorned with beautiful carvings, these _pavillons_ +were pure Renaissance in style. The head of an angel with unfolded wings +and the head of a grinning demon surmounted the two windows of one of +the ground-floors. On the first floor of the same _pavillon_ the window, +framed with delicate ornaments, opened above a cornice, the principal +sculptural subject of which was a nude woman, helmeted, suckling two +children. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE ABBEY OF ST. PIERRE-LES-DAMES, _8, Rue St. +Pierre-les-Dames_.] + +_The Rue St. Pierre-les-Dames leads to the Rue des Murs, into which turn +to the right, then to the left into the Rue du Barbâtre. Follow the +latter to the end._ This street suffered greatly from the early +bombardments, and was almost entirely destroyed in the summer of 1918. + +_At Nos. 137 and 139, at the corner of the Rue Montlaurent_, are the +ruins of the =Hôtel Féret de Montlaurent=. + + +=Hôtel Féret de Montlaurent.= + +[Illustration: GALLERY FACING THE COURTYARD OF THE HÔTEL FÉRET DE +MONTLAURENT +_The statues in the niches represent the sun and planets._] + +This large building, occupied by the _Cercle Catholique_, was commenced +about 1540 by Hubert Féret, a _Lieutenant_ of the people, and the most +celebrated member of a family which played an important part at Rheims +in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. The outside façade has been +greatly altered. At No. 137 it was entirely rebuilt under Louis XVI. At +No. 139 the ground-floor openings have been modified. + +As in many of the mansions of the 16th century, most of the decoration +is on the inner façades. Inside the courtyard, on the ground-floor of +the wing abutting on the Rue Montlaurent, there is a six-arched gallery +which was damaged but not destroyed (_photo,_ p. 99). Between the +arch-centres and at the ends of the gallery are seven niches, three feet +high, enclosing stone statues of the sun and the six planets known in +the 16th century. + +Taken in their order they are: =Saturn=, with a scythe in his hand and +serpent round his arm, devouring a child, and the zodiacal signs +Aquarius and Capricornus at his feet; =Jupiter=, holding a lighted +torch, with Sagittarius at his feet; =Mars=, armed from head to foot, +surmounting Cancer and Aries; the =Sun=, personified by Phoebus with +flowing mantle, a lion at his side; =Venus=, clothed only in her hair, +surmounting Taurus and Baloena; =Mercury=, with wings on his head and +heels, the caduceus in his hand, Virgo and Gemini at his feet; the +=Moon=, represented by Diana bearing a crescent; below her Scorpio. + +The escutcheons on the wall at the back of this façade bear the initials +of Régnault Féret, who completed the mansion. In the second court there +are still vestiges of the chapel of this family. + +_At No. 142 of the same street_, the entrance to the =Cour Maupinot= +(one of the numerous _cours_ which have survived in Rheims) is framed in +pilasters, the carved entablature of which supports a triangular +pediment (_photo below_). + +_The Rue Barbâtre is continued by the Rue des Salines, which leads to +the Place St. Nicaise._ + +[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO MAUPINOT COURT. THE DOORWAY IS RENAISSANCE, +_142, Rue du Barbâtre. See Itinerary, p. 95_] + +The Place St. Nicaise was destroyed by the bombardments of April-August, +1918. It took its name from the celebrated Bishop of Rheims, who, with +his sister St. Eutropia, was put to death by the Vandals in 407. + +The Church of St. Nicaise, rebuilt in the 13th century by Libergier and +Robert de Coucy, was destroyed at the time of the Revolution. Amongst +other curiosities it contained a loose pillar, which Peter the Great had +pointed out to him at the time of his journey through Rheims. + +At the corner of the Place St. Nicaise, between the Boulevard +Victor-Hugo and the Rue St. Nicaise, is the entrance to the =Champion +Cellars=, in which the _Dubail_ school was installed during the war +(_see p. 24_). + +_Take the Rue St. Nicaise to the Boulevard Henry Vasnier (photo below), +turn into the latter, on the right, and follow same as far as the_ +=Rond-Point St. Nicaise=. + +All this part of the town, which was quite close to the German lines, +was constantly under the fire of their guns. It was violently bombarded +during the German offensives of May, June and July, 1918. + +_Near the Rond-Point de St. Nicaise are the_ =Pommery Cellars=, which +gave shelter to many citizens and school-classes during the war (_see p. +24_). + + +=The Pommery Cellars= + +These cellars are among the finest in Rheims, and form, with their +eleven miles of streets, squares and boulevards lighted by electricity, +rail-tracks, waggons, lifts, electric pumps and siphons, quite an +underground city. A visit to them will give the tourist an idea of the +importance and complexity of the Champagne wine industry in Rheims. + +[Illustration: THE "HENRY VASNIER," SEEN FROM THE "ROND-POINT ST. +NICAISE"] + +[Illustration: TRENCHES AND SHELTERS IN THE SQUARE ST. NICAISE +_See Itinerary, p. 95, and panorama seen from the top of St. Nicaise +Hill, p. 27._] + +_The Boulevard Diancourt, which skirts the Square St. Nicaise, begins at +the_ Rond-Point St. Nicaise. + +This square was much cut up by the bombardments, and by the trenches and +defensive works made there during the war (_photo above_). + +The square contains two eminences, from the top of which there is a fine +panoramic view of Rheims. + +The photograph on page 27 was taken from the eminence nearest the +Rond-Point St. Nicaise. + +The other eminence is crowned by a limestone tower--all that remains of +the ancient city ramparts. + +_Follow the Boulevard Diancourt to the Place Dieu-Lumière._ + +The name _Dieu-Lumière_, borne by the old gate through which Joan-of-Arc +and the Dauphin entered Rheims, was not derived, as supposed at the +Renaissance, from the Sun-God Apollo, but from the old Gate +_Dieu-li-Mire_ (God the Physician), so called in the Middle Ages on +account of the proximity of a Cistercian hospital. + +_Cross the square and take the Rue Dieu-Lumière on the right to the_ +Place St.-Timothée. The wood-panelled houses, whose _loges_ faced the +Place St.-Timothée, were destroyed by the bombardments of +April-September, 1918, except the one at the corner of the Rue St. +Julien. This house, though severely damaged, has retained its butcher's +stall with 17th century wooden balustrading. + +_Take the Rue St. Julien on the left to the Place St.-Remi, in which +stands the_ =Church of St. Remi=. + + +=The Church of St. Remi= + +The Church of St. Remi is the oldest church in Rheims, and one of the +oldest in all France. Although it is not certain that it replaced a +Roman basilica, said to have stood on the site of the present transept, +there is no doubt that Gallo-Roman building materials, taken from +neighbouring edifices, were used in its construction or restoration. + +To-day, the church covers a ground-space of about an acre and a quarter. +In shape a Latin cross, it measures inside about 450 feet in length, 98 +feet in breadth and 124 feet in height under the vaulting. Only the +southern façade shows to advantage, but in spite of its varied styles, +which mark the different stages of its growth, the church realises to +the full the purpose of its founders. Its architecture and decoration, +especially in the interior, make it, as was intended, a grand and +dignified depository for sacred remains. + +The Church of St. Remi stands on the site of a former cemetery, in the +middle of which was the Chapel of St. Christopher, where St. Remi was +buried. The chapel soon became popular and grew rapidly, especially +between the 6th and 9th centuries, when it became a great fortified +church. The present church, which replaced it, is not only one of the +finest Romanesque churches in the north of France, but also forms a +curious epitome of the history of architecture for several centuries. +Begun in 1039 under Abbot Thierry, it was still far from finished when +consecrated in 1049 by Pope Leo IX. Building was continued in 1170 by +Abbot Pierre de Celle, the future Bishop of Chartres, whose restorations +were the first application of the Gothic style to a great building in +Rheims; in the 13th and 14th centuries, under Abbot Jean Canart, and in +the 15th century, under Abbot Robert de Lenoncourt. Partially +transformed at the end of the 16th century, it has been restored and +partly rebuilt at intervals since 1839. + + +=The Church of St. Remi during the War= + +The Church of St. Remi escaped severe damage until the middle of 1918. +The bombardment of September 4, 1914, injured one of the tapestries +depicting the life of St. Remi, and destroyed a fine painting: _The +Entry of Clovis into Rheims_. The bombardment of November 16, 1914, +wrecked the apsidal chapel of the Virgin, bringing down the vaulting, +destroying the key-stone and pointed arches, crushing the altar beneath +a heap of ruins, smashing the magnificent windows of the apsidal +gallery, and destroying the priceless 12th century stained-glass +depicting _Christ crucified between the Virgin and St. John_. The Church +narrowly escaped destruction when the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital was burnt down +in 1916. From April, 1918, it was marked down by the German batteries. +The roof was entirely burnt, and the dummy vaulting of the nave +collapsed. Of the fine 15th century timber-work nothing remains, but +parts of the lofty 13th century vaulting over the choir and transept +withstood the bombardment. The treasure, tapestries, sacristy doors, +storied tile-flooring of the chapel of St. Eloi, the old stained-glass +of the lofty windows, and the apsidal windows round the gallery of the +first storey, were saved by the Historical Monuments Department. + +The tomb of St. Remi is intact. The relics of the saint which, at the +request of the Archbishop of Rheims had not been disturbed, were removed +by the vicar of the parish at the time of the final evacuation of the +town. The reliquary was taken away by officers at a later date, while +the church was burning. + + +=The Apse of St. Remi Church= + +The Apse was rebuilt under Pierre de Celle in 1170, in early Gothic. +Five three-sided radiating chapels arranged in three stages, one behind +the other, have flowing and elegant lines, broken by the enormous +projections of the buttresses which were added at a later period. + +This apse is one of the earliest religious edifices in France, in which +flying buttresses were employed. + +The latter, very simple in design, rest on outside fluted columns +detached from the wall of the apse. This is one of the last examples of +fluting, as applied to columns, the process disappearing generally with +the introduction of pointed architecture, only to reappear at the +Renaissance. + +The persistence of this fluting is doubtless explained by the influence +of the many specimens of Roman architecture which Rheims had preserved. + + +=The Doorway of the Southern Transept= + +Although the transept dates from the 11th century, its southern façade +was built in 1480 by Robert de Lenoncourt. + +The doorway, which bears the Lenoncourt arms, comprises only one door, +divided by a pillar with statues of St. Remi and the Virgin. + +The deep vaulting of the door is ornamented with vine-foliage. At the +base, in the supporting walls, are statues of St. Sixtus and St. +Sinicius (the first missionaries to Rheims) bare-footed, clothed in long +embroidered mantles and holding books. In the vaulting above the +head-covering of the missionaries are eight groups of statuettes +representing episodes in the Life and Passion of Jesus. + +Tourists who follow the Itinerary on page 95, come out by the Rue St. +Julien, in front of the doorway of the south transept. The latter is +between the ruined apse (_on the right_) and the south lateral façade +(_on the left_). + +[Illustration: SOUTHERN TRANSEPT OF ST. REMI CHURCH] + +[Illustration: DOORWAY OF THE SOUTHERN TRANSEPT (_see photo, p. 104_)] + +The 15th century leaves of the door are composed of wood panels in blind +arcading, ornamented with flowering clover. + +On the buttresses which frame the doorway are five statues of saints, +including St. Remi, St. Benedict, and St. Christopher carrying a +kneeling Jesus on his shoulder. + +The tympanum of the gable above the great flamboyant window is arranged +on a Gothic pediment. Its decoration represents the _Assumption of the +Virgin and her crowning in Heaven_. + +On the top of the pediment, and crowning the whole, is St. Michael +trampling Satan underfoot. + +The whole of the doorway is a beautiful example of Flamboyant Gothic. +Its rich carvings and delicate ornamentation are in striking contrast +with the severity of the rest of the building. + +At the intersection of the transept, there was formerly a wooden spire, +built in 1394, which was pulled down as unsafe in 1825, by order of +those who had charge of the arrangements connected with the consecration +of Charles X. + +On the right-hand side of the transept, and also in the north transept, +are small semi-circular chapels. + + +=South Lateral Façade= + +This front has the bare, massive appearance of the 11th century +buildings. The remarkable Roman arches, massive buttresses and blind +doorway, framed by two primitive capitals with a wreath-shaped astragal, +are apparently vestiges of constructions of an earlier date than those +of Abbot Thierry. + +The semi-cylindrical abutments are among the oldest of mediæval +buttresses. They are crowned with cones or capitals, the greater part of +which are devoid of decoration. + + +=The West Front of St. Remi Church= + +[Illustration (St. Remi Church)] + +Between its two towers, this gabled façade, the recesses and blind +arcading of which form almost its sole decoration, is in strong contrast +with the principal façade of the Cathedral. At once elegant and severe, +like most of the monastic buildings of the 12th century, it lacks unity. +All that part situated above the five windows of the first storey, +including the rose-window, has been rebuilt in modern times. The very +simple rose-window, between two lines of superimposed arcading, is +protected, in the Champagne style, by a relieving-arch. The northern +tower (_on the left_) was almost entirely rebuilt in the 19th century, +on the lines of the old one. The simpler southern tower (_on the +right_), with its arched windows and loopholes, is Roman of the 11th or +12th century. The pointed part of the façade is late 12th century, and +dates from the time of the restorations by Pierre de Celle. + +Three doors open on the nave. The central one is flanked by two columns +with statues of St. Peter and St. Remi. The marble and granite columns +came, no doubt, from some neighbouring Gallo-Roman building. These +statues, with arms pressed close to their sides in the ancient stiff +manner, are probably from the original basilicas. + + +=The Inner Side of the Western Doorway= + +Here, the architecture is peculiar. Pierced columns form a gallery +connecting the upper courses. The galleries of the first storey are +supported by two great columnar shafts, each formed of two portions +joined by a stone ring and surmounted by bell-shaped marble capitals. +The columns and capitals are Gallo-Roman. + + +=The Nave= + +[Illustration: THE NAVE (_seen from the Choir_) (_Cliché LL._)] + +Alterations were made at different times to the nave which, in the 11th +century, had a timber-work roof. Pierre de Celle lengthened it by two +bays, the pointed arches of which contrast with the circular ones of the +lower bays, and also increased its height. _Note the ogives above the +round arches._ The visible timber-work was replaced with vaulting on +diagonal ribs sustained by clusters of small Gothic columns backing up +against the Roman piers, the latter being still visible. These heavy +piers (composed of fourteen small columns) which surround the central +nave, and whose capitals (_photo, p. 108_), with Barbaric wreathed +astragals and foliage, recall the Carolingian period, contrast +strikingly with the lightness of the apse. They are undoubtedly 11th +century. All the stone vaulting of the nave, as far as the transept, +was replaced after 1839 with wood and plaster, which collapsed under the +bombardments of 1918, when the roof was burnt. + +[Illustration: ROMAN CAPITAL IN THE NAVE] + +[Illustration: THE NAVE AND CHOIR IN 1914 (_Cliché LL._)] + +The pulpit, with its Benedictine monogram, is late 17th century. It is +ornamented with three bas-reliefs: _St. Remi receiving the Sacred +Ampulla_, _St. Benedict imploring the Holy Spirit_, and _St. Benedict +giving the Injunction to his monks_. As far as the pulpit, on both sides +of the nave, the granite columns resting on the piers date from the +Gallo-Roman period. + +[Illustration: TRIFORIUM OF ST. REMI CHURCH (_seen from entrance_)] + +The side-aisles of the nave are surmounted with a triforium (_photo +above_) with semi-circular vaulting at right-angles to the nave. The +south aisle is almost entirely in ruins (_photo, p. 107_). + +[Illustration: THE NAVE AND CHOIR IN 1919] + + +=The Tapestries= + +The priceless tapestries which, before the war, decorated the tribunals +of the side-aisles, were saved. + +[Illustration: THE TENTH TAPESTRY OF ST. REMI, DAMAGED BY +SHELL-SPLINTERS ON SEPT. 4, 1914 +(_See description, pp. 110, 111._)] + +Those given by Robert de Lenoncourt and restored by _Les Gobelins_, are +rich in composition and decorative effect. In an architectural frame of +the Renaissance period, they represent the following legendary scenes +from the life of St. Remi, the costumes belonging to the period of +François I.:-- + +1. The blind hermit Montanus visits the new-born Remi, who, touching him +with his fingers wet with milk, restores his sight. + +2. The hermit St. Remi, called by the people to the bishopric, receives +the mitre. + +3. Four miracles are performed by the saint: he extinguishes a fire +lighted by demons in the city; he restores life to a girl; he is served +at table by angels; when wine ran short at the table of his cousin +Celsa, he blessed an empty cask, which was immediately filled. + +4. The Battle of Tolbiac; Clovis instructed and baptized by Remi; the +miraculous dove and an angel bring from heaven the Sacred Ampulla and +the fleur-de-lys scutcheon. + +5. Remi gives Clovis a cask of wine, telling him that he will always be +victorious so long as the cask remains full; a miller who refused to +give his mill to the Church, sees his wheel turn the wrong way and his +mill fall down; St. Génebaud, Bishop of Soissons, punished by Remi for +his sins, is afterwards delivered from his fetters by the saint. + +6. The miracle of Hydrissen: Remi raises a man from the dead, who +confirms his wish to leave a portion of his wealth to the Church, to the +confusion of his son-in-law who contested the will. + +7. Remi contemplating a heap of corn which he had collected to provide +against famine, and which some drunkards had burnt. At a Council, Remi +paralyses the tongue of a heretic priest, and then restores speech to +him after repentance. + +8. Remi, singing Matins in the chapel of the Virgin, is assisted by St. +Peter and St. Paul and blessed by Mary. Remi, blind, dictates his will +in the presence of St. Génebaud and St. Médard. Remi recovers his sight, +celebrates mass and gives the Communion to his clergy. Remi dies and +four angels carry away his soul. + +9. Remi's funeral; the procession goes towards the church of St. +Timothy, where it is proposed to bury the saint, but in front of St. +Christopher's, on the site of the present basilica, the saint, by making +it impossible to lift his coffin, manifests his desire to be interred in +this chapel. The saint's winding-sheet, carried in procession, dispels +the plague that had been ravaging the city. + +10. Angels transfer the relics of the saint to his mausoleum. A soldier +who had tried to break in the door of the church, cannot withdraw his +foot. Remi punishes the Bishop of Mayence, guilty of theft. Remi reveals +himself with the Virgin and St. John. The Archbishop of Rheims, Robert +de Lenoncourt, kneeling, presents the ten pieces of tapestry to the +saint. + +The latter tapestry was riddled with splinters (_photo, p. 110_) during +the bombardment of September 4, 1914. + + +=The Treasure= + +This was kept in the sacristy, the 15th century carved wood doors of +which have Flamboyant style frames. + +Formerly the richest of all the church treasures of France, it was +impoverished in the course of the centuries, through wars and +revolutions. + +The =enamels= by Landin of Limoges (1633), dedicated to the lives of St. +Timothy and St. Remi, a 12th century abbot's =crozier=, =reliquaries= +and =sacerdotal ornaments= are noteworthy. + +The treasure was removed, together with the doors of the sacristy, by +the Historical Monuments Department. + + +=The North Transept= + +Three small white marble Gallo-Roman or Carolingian capitals crown the +colonnettes of the triforium. + +Formerly, the church contained several tombs. Let into the wall of the +north transept is a Latin epitaph, praising the virtues of a woman named +Guiberge, who seems to have combined in her person the perfections of +six women, _i.e._ the beauty of Rachel, the fidelity of Rebecca, the +modesty of Susanna, the piety of Tabitha, the warm affections of Ruth, +and the high morals of Anna. + +[Illustration: THE RUINED TRANSEPT +_In the foreground: Renaissance Balustrade round the Choir (see p. 115), +at the intersection of the Northern Transept. At the back: Inner side of +the South Transept Door._] + + +=The South Transept= + +The first chapel on the right of the apse, against the transept, is the +chapel of St. Eloi. + +In 1846, forty-eight storied flag-stones, taken from the flooring of the +sanctuary of the church of St. Nicaise and collected by the architect +Brunette, were placed there. + +These 14th century lozenge-shaped stones are engraved in black, the +hollowed-out portions being filled with lead. Each stone has a pretty +border with a square medallion, in the middle of which two or three +figures represent a scene from the Old Testament, from Noah to Daniel in +the lions' den. + +This chapel also contained two very expressive mediæval statues of +painted wood and a 14th century Christ, all of which came from the old +church of St. Balsamic. + +The second chapel on the eastern side of the south transept contained an +Entombment dating from 1531. In this group, which belonged to the old +church of the Commandery of the Temple of Rheims, Joseph of Arimathea +and Nicodemus hold the winding-sheet. Salome, and Mary the mother of St. +James, stand near the tomb, while the Virgin, overcome with grief, is +supported by St. John. + +[Illustration: THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY ENTOMBMENT, FORMERLY IN ONE OF THE +CHAPELS OF THE SOUTHERN TRANSEPT (_Cliché LL._)] + +Facing this Burial Scene was the Altar-screen of the Three Baptisms, the +work of Nicolas Jacques and the gift of Jean Lespagnol in 1610. This +screen, which formed the background of the baptismal fonts, represented +in three bas-reliefs: The baptism of Clovis (_on the right_), the +baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (_in the centre_), and the baptism +of Constantine (_on the left_). + +The railing round the baptismal fonts belongs to the second half of the +18th century, and was taken from the church of St. Pierre-le-Vieil. + + +=The Choir of St. Remi Church= + +[Illustration: SCULPTURED CONSOLES OF COLONNETTES IN THE CHOIR] + +The Choir was rebuilt by Pierre de Celle. The plan is very like that of +the choir of the Cathedral, of which it is the prototype. + +As in the Cathedral, it intrudes upon the nave, of which it occupies the +three last bays. In the latter, the columns placed against the six piers +were removed. The groups of small columns which support the ribs of the +vaulting rest upon a corbel-table carried by three consoles (_photo +above_), which in turn rest on colonnettes with crocketed capitals. The +central consoles are ornamented with figures of angels and symbolic +animals, while under the lateral consoles are statuettes of prophets +holding scrolls, on which their names are inscribed in painted letters. + +Five circular radiating chapels open out on the vast ambulatory. The +plan of the latter, like that of Nôtre-Dame-de-Châlons, evokes all that +is most original in the Gothic architecture of Champagne. The bays with +their alternations of square-ogival and triangular vaulting do not +correspond with the breadth of the radiating chapels, which are +connected to one another by three arcades resting on light columns. In +the lower nave, from the curiously large number of points of support, it +would seem that the builders had doubts as to the strength of the +pointed style and, by way of precaution, greatly increased the number of +points of support inside the church and of the exterior buttresses. The +tribunes rising above the arcades are surmounted with a triforium +lighted by high windows, which still retain their beautiful early 18th +century stained-glass. The somewhat stiff figures stand out on a +uniformly blue ground. In the upper part, apostles, evangelists, and the +sixteen greater prophets are grouped around a stately Virgin. In the +lower part, the principal archbishops of Rheims on thrones are seated +round St. Remi who occupies the place of honour below the Virgin. In the +two last windows are effigies of Archbishops Samson (_deceased in 1161_) +and Henry of France, during whose episcopate Pierre de Celle caused the +apse to be built. + +[Illustration: FRAGMENT OF PASCHAL CHANDELIER DESTROYED BY THE +BOMBARDMENTS OF 1914] + +The choir is surrounded by a Renaissance railing which is out of harmony +with the general scheme. It was erected between 1656 and 1669, at the +joint expense of the widow of the famous barrister Omer Talon, the Town +Council, the Duke of Longueville, and the Grand Prior of St. Remi. The +sculptor François Jacques seems to have co-operated therewith. + +The great _crown of light_ hanging at the entrance to the choir was an +imitation of the original crown, destroyed in 1793, and which was +garnished with ninety-six candles, symbolizing the ninety-six years of +St. Remi's life (_see p. 108_). + +The 18th century high-altar of red marble which, like the cross and the +six chandeliers, came from the church of the Minims, was crushed beneath +the falling vaulting. + +At the time of the Revolution (1792) the chandelier (masterpiece of the +old Rheims metal-founders), which adorned the centre of the Sanctuary, +was broken and melted down, with the exception of a portion of one of +the feet. This fragment (_photo above_), preserved in the Archæological +Museum, was destroyed by the bombardment of 1914. + + +=The Tomb and Reliquary of St. Remi= + +[Illustration: TOMB AND RELIQUARY OF ST. REMI] + +The present tomb, erected in 1847, is only a memorial of the sumptuous +mausoleum, profusely decorated with gold medals, diamonds and sapphires, +which was destroyed at the time of the Revolution. + +It is a Renaissance chapel, ornamented with the statues of the original +tomb, which form by far the most interesting part of the monument. The +twelve Peers are represented in their coronation robes: the Archbishop, +Duke of Rheims, carries the Cross; the Archbishop, Duke of Laon, the +sceptre; the Bishop, Count of Beauvais, the royal mantle; the Bishop, +Count of Châlons, the ring; the Bishop, Count of Noyon, the girdle; the +Duke of Burgundy, the crown; the Duke of Aquitaine, the standard; the +Duke of Normandy, a second standard; the Count of Flanders, the sword; +the Count of Toulouse, the spurs; the Count of Champagne, the military +standard of the King. + +The Reliquary of St. Remi, which is in the mausoleum, dates from 1896. +It was bought by national subscription and presented to the church on +the occasion of the centenary of the baptism of Clovis. In the niches of +the lower part of the reliquary are statuettes of the twelve apostles. +Higher up, in the recesses of the long sides, enamels illustrating +episodes in the life of St. Remi are imbedded. On the two ends, two +enamels represent the Battle of Tolbiac and the Baptism of Clovis. + +_Leave the Church of St. Remi by the western doorway, which faces the +Place de l'Hôpital civil, cross the square, then turn to the right into +the Rue Simon. The entrance to the_ Hôtel-Dieu Hospital _is on the +right_. + + +=The Hôtel-Dieu= + +This hospital is installed in the buildings of the ancient Abbey of the +Benedictine monks of St. Remi who, for centuries, were the guardians of +the relics of the famous Bishop of Rheims. + +During the invasion, at the time of the Revolution, the Abbey was +transformed into a military hospital, but it was only in 1827 that it +became officially the _Hôtel-Dieu,_ in place of the old Municipal +Hospital (_see "Palais de Justice" p. 93_). The furnishings of the +latter were then transferred to the Abbey buildings, disaffected since +the Restoration. + +Of the ancient abbey, where _Charles-le-Simple_ and the _Duc Robert_ +were proclaimed king, and where several archbishops were elected, only a +few vestiges remain. Damaged by the fires of 1098, 1481, and 1751, it +was completely destroyed by the great conflagration of January 15, 1774. +The present abbey, rebuilt by Duroche, the King's architect, was +scarcely finished when the Revolution broke out. + +Incendiary bombs dropped by German aeroplanes in August, 1916, destroyed +most of the buildings. + +The monumental façade which faces the Court of Honour is Louis XVI. in +style. + +The second court, that behind the main buildings, is bordered by a +cloister built by the Rheims architect, Nicolas Bonhomme, in the first +part of the 18th century, in place of the 13th and 14th century cloister +destroyed in 1707. The buttresses of the side which abuts on the church +of St. Remi, and those of the opposite side, are 12th century. + +The marble fountain with bronze furnishings, in the centre of the court, +was formerly in the Place St. Nicaise. It was erected in 1750 from +designs by _Coustou_. + +[Illustration: THE CLOISTER AND FOUNTAIN OF THE HÔTEL-DIEU] + +[Illustration: THE GRAND STAIRCASE OF THE HÔTEL-DIEU +_Through the windows is seen the North Front of St. Remi._] + +_At the back of the court, on the left_, is an exceedingly fine Louis +XVI. staircase with wrought-iron handrail (_photo above_). + +The =Lapidary Museum=, which was formerly in the crypt of the +archi-episcopal chapel (_see p. 65_), was installed under one of the +galleries of the cloister in 1896. Of the tombstones, storied +floor-tiles, and various carvings which it contains, the most remarkable +is the =Tomb of Jovinus=. + +Consul in 367, Jovinus commanded the armies in Gaul, under the Emperor +Julian, and successfully resisted three attempts at invasion by the +Alemanni. As a Christian, he founded a basilica at Rheims. + +The white marble tomb with carvings is apparently Græco-Roman of the 3rd +century, and dates back before the time of Jovinus, who died in 370. It +is possible that Jovinus had the first occupant of the tomb ejected, or +that he bought an old sarcophagus and had his own portrait affixed to +it. + +The chapel installed in the old library of the abbey contained some fine +Louis XVI. wood carvings (_see photo below of the ruins of the chapel_). + +[Illustration: CHAPEL OF THE HÔTEL-DIEU IN 1919] + +[Illustration: THE OLD CHAPTER-HOUSE OF THE ABBEY] + +The =chapter-house= of the abbey, which served as a refectory, was +rebuilt about the end of the 12th century. With its pointed arches, it +belonged to the early period of Gothic architecture. The most remarkable +portion was the vestibule facing the cloister. The decoration of the +lateral arcades of the vestibule included Roman capitals, nearly all of +which are intact (_photo below_), and which are of great value from the +standpoint of the history of art and costumes. In the refectory were the +_Godard_ tables made out of a single branch of a gigantic oak-tree from +the forest of St. Basle. They were given to the old _Hôtel-Dieu_ by +Canon Godard, whose name is incrusted in lead in the wood, as a rebus: +_Go_, followed by the figure of a dart (French: _dard_). + +Near the chapter-house, a round-arched chamber was all that remained of +the early portion of the abbey. + +[Illustration: ROMAN CAPITALS IN THE VESTIBULE OF THE CHAPTER-HOUSE] + +[Illustration: THE GRAND STAIRCASE OF THE HÔPITAL GÉNÉRAL] + +_After visiting the Hôtel-Dieu, follow the Rue Simon, which skirts the +Ecole de Médecine, then turn to the right into the Rue St. Remi. At the +end of same, take the Rue Gambetta on the left, and follow it as far as +the_ =Hôpital Général= _on the right._ + + +=The Hôpital Général= + +This is the old Order-House of the Jesuits, built at the beginning of +the 17th century. The =refectory= is ornamented with rich woodwork and +paintings, by the Rheims artist Hélart. Of greater interest is the +_library_, situated under the gables, and which is reached by a fine +staircase. The room is adorned with a profusion of wood-carvings and +mouldings. Exceedingly fine consoles carry the ceiling, whose carved +panels are profusely ornamented with crowns, polygons, florets and heads +of angels. The oaken pilasters which separate the bookshelves are +decorated with a variety of leaves and flowers. In spite of this wealth +of ornament, the general effect is harmonious. The recesses in the +woodwork, opposite the dummy dormer-windows, were for reading. + +Ancient vines cover the walls of the chapel, near the entrance to the +_hôpital_. + +_At the side of the Hôpital Général stands the_ =Church of St. Maurice=. + +This church was entirely rebuilt by the Jesuits after the destruction of +the ancient edifice, which was one of the oldest in Rheims. Here may be +seen the _Eagle Reading-Desk_, a fine piece of 17th century +wood-carving; two _Louis XIV. portable iron desks_ and the _paschal +chandelier_ of carved wood; the _17th century confessionals_ of the +lateral chapels, and in the sacristy remarkable _Louis XIII., +hand-embroidered guipures_ of open-work designs, after the style of the +models by the Rheims artist, Georges Baussonnet. + +_Return to the Place du Parvis, in front of the Cathedral, via the Rue +Gambetta and its continuation, the Rue Chanzy._ + + + + +A VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELDS AROUND RHEIMS + + +[Illustration (Map)] + +A thorough visit can be made in two days. + +The Itinerary for each day is divided into two parts, to allow tourists +to return to Rheims for lunch. + + =First Day= { Morning pp. 122-133. + { Afternoon pp. 134-159. + + =Second Day= { Morning pp. 160-165. + { Afternoon pp. 166-174. + + + + +FIRST DAY + +MORNING + +=THE MOUNTAIN OF RHEIMS= + +(_See the complete Itineraries on p. 121, and the summary of the war +operations on p. 131._) + +[Illustration (Map)] + +This part of the Itinerary will take the tourist to the most important +points of the last German offensive of 1918, which aimed at the capture +of Rheims. + +_Starting from the Place du Parvis Nôtre-Dame, take the Rue Libergier, +opposite the Cathedral, turn to the right into the Rue Chanzy, follow +same as far as the Rue de Vesle, take the latter on the left, and follow +it to the end._ + +_After the_ =Porte de Paris= _(see p. 68) the Rue de Vesle becomes the +Avenue de Paris. Take same, but after passing under the railway bridge, +turn to the left into the Avenue d'Epernay (R. N. 51, see plan, p. +121)._ + +_Take the second street on the right (Rue de Bezannes), which passes in +front of the_ =Western Cemetery=, devastated by the bombardments. + +The road crosses numerous lines of trenches and boyaux, which defended +the immediate approaches to Rheims. + +_Before reaching Bezannes village, leave on the right, two roads which +skirt a large estate enclosed with railings, go straight on to the +ruined railway-station of Bezannes, then turn to the right._ + + +=Bezannes= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 122._) + +_Cross the first group of half-ruined houses, then, on reaching a second +group, which forms the main part of the village, turn to the left into +the first street encountered, where the_ partially destroyed church +_stands_. + +The round-vaulted apse, tower, nave and aisles all belong to the +Romanesque period. The Gothic doorway is 13th, and the spire of the +belfry 15th century. + +The square tower greatly resembles the old belfry on the doorway of St. +Remi Church in Rheims, and, like the latter, dates apparently from the +middle of the 11th century. + +The Gothic doorway of the west front is set up against a Romanesque +wall. The gable has been rebuilt in modern times. Vestiges of an ancient +portal are to be found on each side of the doorway. The key-stones of +the arch above the tympanum, like those of the upper arching, are +numbered in Roman figures, a peculiarity rarely to be found. + +Facing the doorway of the church, on the left of the great entrance-door +to a court, is a niche containing a 16th century stone =statue= +representing a bishop wearing a chasuble. + +In the court of the same house, over the door of the main structure, on +the right, in an arched Renaissance niche, hollowed out and ornamented +with marble incrustations, is the =statue= of a canon with folded hands +kneeling at the foot of a crucifixion. + +A shell-splinter took off the head of the bishop's statue, but the other +group is intact. + +Those interested in things pre-historic, may visit the =Pistat +Collection= at Bezannes, which contains a great number of interesting +specimens belonging to the stone and neolithic ages, and to the Gallic +and Roman periods of the region. + +Of the old castles of Bezannes, nothing of interest remains. + +On September 11, 1914, during the Battle of the Marne, the German Staff +took up their quarters in the house of M. Poullot. On the 12th, the +battle attained the vicinity of the village. + +_Skirt the church, and at the cross-roads at the end of the village, +keep straight on, past the cemetery on the right._ + +[Illustration: CHURCH OF BEZANNES IN 1914] + +_The road climbs a small hill lined with trenches, then descends to the +village of_ =Les Mesneux=. + +_At the entrance to this village (which is of no particular interest) +turn to the right, and at the fork about fifty yards farther on, to the +left, leaving the unmetalled road on the right._ + +_About half-a-mile from Les Mesneux and shortly before reaching the +crossing with the road to Rheims (G. C. 6)_, there is a small wood at +the place called =Le Champ Clairon=. It was from here that German +batteries under Colonel von Roeder fired on Rheims on September 4, 1914, +in spite of the protestations of the Mayor of Les Mesneux, who assured +the German commander that the French troops had completely evacuated the +town. + +_At the crossing with G. C. 6, keep straight on to Ormes_, whose church, +at the entrance to the village, was almost entirely destroyed. + + +=Ormes= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 122._) + +This village, in addition to numerous subterranean passages and +chambers, possesses the interesting 12th century =Church St. Remi= +(_photo below_). + +Its circular apse with cornice resting on corbels is barrel-vaulted. +Colonnettes in the great bays of the steeple (in ruins) carry carved +12th century capitals. + +The pointed vaulting of the southern transept is 12th century, and the +ogival groining rests on Norman capitals. The doorway of the western +façade dates from the second half of the 12th century, and although its +porch was destroyed in 1853 it is still remarkable. + +[Illustration: THE CHURCH OF ORMES] + +[Illustration: THE INSIDE OF ORMES CHURCH] + +It comprises three tierce-pointed arcades surmounted by a line of +billet-moulding. The lateral arcades are blind, while the higher central +arcading around the door is surmounted with three receding _tori_ +resting on crocketed foliate capitals. The lateral arcades have similar +capitals but only one _torus_. + +Inside the church are interesting =16th century statues=: _St. Barbara_ +in stone and _St. Catharine_, painted and decorated, face the altar; +_St. Remi_ in stone, remarkable for its costume and decoration, stands +above the altar of the northern chapel; a wooden _Virgin_ surmounts the +inner doorway. + +[Illustration: ALTAR-SCREEN OF THE CHOIR] + +[Illustration: THE ROAD FROM RHEIMS TO JOUY, NEAR THE LATTER VILLAGE +_Note the camouflaging._] + +_Return by the same road to the crossing with the road to Rheims (G. C. +6), where, opposite the_ =Café du Joyeux Laboureur=, _turn to the +right._ + +The road rises towards the Mountain of Rheims. Of the _camouflaging_ +seen in above photograph, only traces remain. + +_Shortly after, the tourist passes between the villages of_ =Jouy= _and_ +=Pargny=, _whose houses border the road._ Jouy (_on the left_) and +Pargny (_on the right_) were bombarded by the Germans in June, 1915. + +The =Church of Jouy=, visible from the road to Rheims, was almost +entirely destroyed. + +_To visit the church of Pargny, turn to the right opposite the grocery +stores, No. 262, then take the second street on the left_ (near a fine +mansion partly in ruins). + +_About 100 yards farther on is_ the church, the belfry of which was +destroyed. _Return to the crossing with the main road to Rheims, where +turn to the right._ + +The road continues to climb the northern slopes of the Mountain of +Rheims. On a hill to the left, the =Chapel of St. Lié= dominates the +surrounding plain. There is a very fine view of Rheims from here. + +_The top of the rise is reached soon afterwards. Descend the southern +slopes, passing between the sidings of an_ important material and +ammunition depot situated on the reverse side of the mountain out of +sight of the enemy's observation-posts. _On reaching the crossing +half-way down the hill, leave on the left the two roads leading +respectively to_ =Ville Dommange= _and_ =Courmas=. + +_A short distance further on, after passing the road to Onrézy (on the +left), take the following narrow road on the left_, which passes between +clumps of trees that were cut to pieces by shell-fire. + +_A little further on, on the right, is a_ cemetery containing the graves +of some two hundred French, British and Italian soldiers. + +_Turn to the right after the cemetery._ The road crosses a fine avenue +bordered with shell-torn poplar trees, leading to the =Castle of +Commetreuil= _on the left_. _The village of_ =Bouilly= is reached soon +afterwards. + + +[Illustration: THE END OF BOUILLY VILLAGE +(_going towards St. Euphraise_).] + + +=Bouilly--St. Euphraise--Clairizet= + +(_See pp. 131-132, and Itinerary, p. 122._) + +Bouilly was burnt by the Germans on September 12, 1914, under the +pretext that the inhabitants had caused the death of two _Uhlans_ killed +the day before by French _Chasseurs_. + +_Turn to the right opposite the Church of Bouilly._ There is a small +cemetery on the right, just outside the village, containing several +German graves. + +_On reaching G.C. 6, leading to Rheims, turn to the right. Take the +first road on the left_, which passes through a small devastated wood, +where batteries of guns were posted. _Cross a small stream, and +immediately afterwards the railway, then turn to the left into the +village of_ =St. Euphraise=. + +_Turn to the right in the village, opposite the church._ The road rises +steeply to the hamlet of =Clairizet=, which was almost entirely +destroyed. _Pass by a_ "Calvary," composed of four large trees +surrounding a cross, _then turn to the left into a small narrow street_. + +[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF ST. EUPHRAISE] + +[Illustration: COULOMMES VILLAGE SEEN FROM THE CHURCH] + + +=Coulommes-la-Montagne--Vrigny= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 122._) + +_The road rises, then descends to_ =Coulommes-la-Montagne=. _Turn to the +right at the entrance to the village._ The church, in ruins, is on the +left. + +_At the cross-roads just outside the village take G.C. 26 on the left. +At first, the road dips rather abruptly, then rises to_ =Vrigny=. + +The Church of Vrigny, entirely in ruins, is on the right at the entrance +to the village. _Pass the Town Hall, leaving a public washing-place on +the left, then turn to the right._ + +_On leaving the village, take G.C. 26 on the left to the village of_ +=Gueux=. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH AT VRIGNY] + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH OF GUEUX IN 1918] + + +=Gueux= + +(_See pp. 131-132 and Itinerary, p. 122._) + +Gueux is a small old-world village, with ancient houses, castle and +church. + +At the entrance to the village, a large square with trees, cut to pieces +and devastated by the bombardment. + +_From the square, go to the_ =Church= _on the right_, now a heap of +ruins. Seen through the trees from the square it forms a pitiful sight. + +In the chapel, on the left of the main entrance, there was a fine piece +of Renaissance carving. + +[Illustration: GUEUX CHURCH IN 1917 +_Cardinal Luçon coming out of the Church (see above.)_] + +It was to Gueux that the Archbishop of Rheims, Mgr. Luçon, betook +himself after the bombardments of April, 1917. The village cemetery +contains many soldiers' graves. The Cardinal-Archbishop of Rheims +presided at a pathetic ceremony held during the War in honour of the +dead. + +[Illustration: THE ANCIENT CASTLE OF GUEUX] + +_To visit the_ =Castle=, _cross the square and take a small street on +the left, which leads to the road to Rosnay (G.C. 27)_. + +_Turn to the left, and fifty yards further on take on foot the narrow +street on the left, which leads to the old castle._ + +This ancient castle, where the Kings of France, on their way to Rheims +to be consecrated, used to dine, suffered severely from the +bombardments. Outwardly it has, however, retained its general appearance +(_photo above_). + +_Return to the car, and go straight on to the fork in the roads to +Rosnay and Prémecy. Facing the fork is the entrance_ to the park and +=modern Castle of Gueux=, belonging to the Roederer family, which was +completely destroyed (_photo below_). + +_Turn the car round at the above-mentioned fork and continue straight +along G.C. 27._ + +_Beyond the village of Gueux_ the road crosses numerous lines of +trenches. Many shelters and ammunition depots can still be seen along +the road. _The National Road from Rheims to Soissons (N. 31) is reached +soon afterwards. Near the cross-ways are the_ ruins of an inn. + +_At this crossing, leave the National Road on the left and take the +narrow road on the right which leads to_ =Thillois=. + +[Illustration: THE MODERN CASTLE OF GUEUX] + +[Illustration: CROSSING OF THE THILLOIS AND RHEIMS ROADS] + + +=Thillois= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 122._) + +The =Church of Thillois= (late 12th century), now a heap of ruins, stood +at the entrance to the village. + +In 1914 it was still intact in all its vital parts. Its vaulting was +pointed, with groining resting on columns, whose capitals were either +Romanesque or Gothic. The nave had a timber roof. + +The high-altar screen was a fine piece of sculptured stone-work of late +16th or early 17th century. In a niche above the altar, the Virgin, +sitting on an X-shaped seat, was holding Jesus, clothed in a tunic and +standing on her knee. + +_Leaving the church behind on the right, turn to the left, to reach the +National Road. On the right is a_ small 18th century castle, behind a +clump of fine stately trees, known as the _Bosquet de Thillois_. It was +destroyed by shells. + +_Return to the National Road, turn to the right at the cross-roads, +leaving on the left the road to Champigny, then return direct to Rheims, +entering the city by the Avenue and Porte de Paris._ + + +=The Mountain of Rheims Battles= + +(_See p. 14 and p. 122._) + +The fighting known as the _Battles of the Mountain of Rheims_ took place +in 1918 over the whole of the area described above, _i.e._ from Bouilly +to Thillois, _via_ St. Euphraise, Coulommes, Vrigny and Gueux (_see the +Michelin Illustrated Guide: The Second Battle of the Marne_). + +The Mountain of Rheims prolongs the region of Tardenois to the east. It +is an important military position between the Vesle and the Marne, as it +dominates the plain of Champagne. The higher part of it is finely +wooded, while on the lower slopes and eastern and southern edges are the +famous Champagne vineyards (_see Verzenay, pp. 171-172_). + +[Illustration (Map)] + +During the year 1918 the Germans made tremendous efforts to carry this +position, the loss of which would have meant the fall of Rheims, leaving +Epernay and Châlons-sur-Marne unprotected. + +Although held to the east of Mountain, they obtained important successes +on the west, where they reached the Marne, while in May they occupied +the Woods of Courton and Le Roi. In July they crossed the Marne and +advanced as far as Montvoisin, on the road to Epernay. Very fierce +fighting took place, especially to the north-west of the Mountain at +=Bouilly=, =Bligny=, =St. Euphraise= and =Vrigny=. These positions, and +Hill 240 to the west of Vrigny, were several times lost and recaptured +by the Allied troops under General Berthelot, French, Italian and +British, who fought there side by side. + +Vrigny was taken by the Germans on May 30, but retaken by the Allies on +June 1 at the point of the bayonet. The same evening, four German +regiments, after progressing slightly in the direction of Hill 240, were +first checked, then driven back after bitter hand-to-hand fighting. + +On June 9, the Germans were repulsed around Vrigny, after having +sustained severe losses. On the 23rd, they rushed Bligny Hill, held by +Italian troops, reaching the summit, but were shortly afterwards driven +back. On the 29th, they sustained a like check at the same place. + +In July they advanced their lines slightly towards Marfaux, Pourcy and +Cuchery, but were unable to hold the captured ground. On the 18th, the +Italians advanced in the region of Bouilly. On the 19th, Franco-British +troops progressed towards St. Euphraise. On the 21st, the Allies carried +Bouilly and St. Euphraise. On the 24th and 25th, in spite of desperate +repeated efforts, the Germans were unable to hold Hill 240 which they +had temporarily captured. On August 1 further enemy efforts to carry +the Bligny uplands failed. + +The region of Gueux--Thillois--Champigny was terribly ravaged by the +war. + +On September 11th, 1914, the French 5th Division, under General Mangin, +drove the enemy from these positions, which remained in the French lines +until May 30, 1918. Occupied by the Germans on May 31, after fierce +fighting, they were completely devastated by artillery fire. Retaken by +the French, then lost again in July, Thillois was finally recaptured on +August 2, at the same time as Gueux. + +On August 4, after having reached the Vesle at several points east of +Fismes, French troops engaged a vigorous battle between Muizon and +Champigny, and some of them succeeded in crossing the river the same +day. + + +=Champagne Wine= + +Wine-growing has always been a favourite industry in this part of +France. The vineyards extend over the Rheims hills and along the valley +of the Marne. In the hilly country around Rheims there are two distinct +growths of wine: the _Montagne_ proper, with its famous _Verzy_, +_Verzenay_, _Mailly_, _Ludes_, _Rilly_ and _Villers_ "crus," and the +_Petite Montagne_ with its secondary "crus" of the _Tardenois Valley_, +_Hermonville Hills_, _St. Thierry_, _Nogent l'Abbesse_ and +_Cernay-les-Reims_. The _Montagne_ produces more especially black grapes +for white wines. + +Champagne wines were famous as far back as the 16th and 17th centuries. +Henri IV. had a marked preference for the wines of _Ay_. The magnitude +of the cellars still to be seen in the 16th and 17th century houses +testifies to the importance of a trade, whose main outlets were Paris, +Flanders, Belgium and Germany. + +The Champagne wines of that period were red, and rivals of the famous +Burgundy wines. + +The vogue of Champagne wines as understood to-day dates back to the end +of the 17th century. It was Dom Pérignon, cellarer of the Abbey of +Hautevillers, near Epernay, who, if not actually the inventor of +sparkling wines, first undertook to perfect them by blending the "crus" +and preparing them with greater care. + +In the last years of the reign of Louis XIV., and still more so under +the Regency, the use of Champagne at Court gained ground, especially at +the tables of the _Duc de Vendôme_ and the _Marquis de Sillery_. + +At that time Champagne was merely a "creamy" wine, _i.e._ +semi-sparkling. The low breaking strain of the glass of those days would +not have allowed of the higher pressure (six atmospheres) of the +present-day wine. The discovery of the chemist François, who in 1836 at +Châlons invented a special "densimeter," made it possible to calculate +the amount of carbonic acid gas contained in the must, and to proportion +the expansive force of the wine to the strength of the bottles, thus +reducing losses by breakage, which for long had been very serious. + +From the 19th century onwards, the production of Champagne wine has +grown unceasingly. The number of bottles of sparkling Champagne placed +on the market for sale in France and abroad rose from 19,145,481 (of +which 16,705,719 went abroad) between April, 1875, and April, 1876, to +33,171,395 (of which 23,056,847 went abroad) between April, 1906 and +April, 1907. During the first ten months of 1915, the exports of +Champagne and sparkling wines were 630,140 wine-quarts, as against +1,092,660 wine quarts in 1914. + + + + +FIRST DAY + +AFTERNOON + +=ST. THIERRY HEIGHTS--LE GODAT--THE GLASS-WORKS OF LOIVRE--BRIMONT--THE +"CAVALIERS DE COURCY"= + +(_See complete Itineraries, p. 121, and summary of the military +operations, pp. 147 and 154._) + +[Illustration (Map)] + + +_Starting from the Place du Parvis-Nôtre-Dame, follow the morning's +Itinerary (p. 122) as far as the railway bridge, then continue straight +along the Avenue de Paris (N. 31). Before leaving Rheims the tourist +can, if desired, visit_ =Haubette Park=. _In this case, turn to the +left, opposite No. 10, Avenue de Paris, into the Rue Flin des Oliviers. +The entrance to_ Haubette Park (an annex of the Calmette Dispensary) +_stands at the beginning of this street, on the right_. + +Napoleon I. bivouacked in this park while his troops attacked Rheims in +1814. A monument and a small museum commemorate the event. At the end of +1914 Haubette Park was a favourite recreation ground and refuge for the +inhabitants of the city during the bombardments. + +_Return to the junction of N. 31 (which leads to Fismes) with G. C. 6 +(the road to Ville-en-Tardenois). Take N. 31 on the right. About 1 km. +from the fork take the first road on the right._ + +_On reaching_ =Tinqueux= _turn to the left at the entrance to the +village, and follow the main road_. + + +=Tinqueux--Mont St. Pierre= + +The church of Tinqueux (St. Peter's) was entirely destroyed. It +contained, on the left side of the nave, a remarkable 16th century +painting on wood, representing the _Adoration of the Shepherds_, with a +frame of the same period. + +_Near the church, between the Vesle and the main street of the village_, +stood an old baronial mansion, in front of which was a building with +turreted façade known as the =Maison de la Salle=. Inside the buildings +which, in later years, served as a farm, there was a curious old wooden +staircase with railed balustrade. The whole was destroyed by the shells. + +In September, 1914, at the beginning of the bombardment of Rheims, many +of the people took refuge at Tinqueux. + +[Illustration: THE MAIN STREET OF TINQUEUX VILLAGE] + +_At the end of the main street of the village, opposite a kind of +observation-post with ladder in a tree, turn to the right. The road +passes at the foot of_ =Mont St. Pierre=, whose village and church +entirely disappeared in the 17th century. It was to replace the church +of Mont St. Pierre that the church of St. Pierre de Tinqueux was built +at the end of the 17th century. + +_The road turns abruptly and nears the Vesle. Turn to the right and +cross the river to reach_ =St. Brice=. + + +=St. Brice--Champigny--Merfy= + +(_Itinerary, p. 134._) + +_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village and take the first +street on the right, which leads to the church._ + +[Illustration: THE RUINED CHURCH OF CHAMPIGNY] + +The Church of St. Brice was almost entirely destroyed. In style, it is +Romanesque, with Renaissance doorway and aisles. The door of the west +front contains interesting carvings--unhappily much mutilated. + +_Return by the same way to the cross-roads in front of the bridge over +the Vesle, turn to the right, then, about 150 yards further on, to the +left. Continue straight ahead, cross the railway (l.c.) and follow the +railway on the left._ + +_About half a mile further on an avenue on the right leads to the_ +=Château de la Malle=. Both the castle and grounds were badly damaged by +the bombardment. + +Standing in the park with magnificent avenues of beech-trees, the castle +is one of the most ancient manors in the vicinity of Rheims. It was +rebuilt in one storey at the beginning of the 14th century on the old +foundations. The decoration of the interior (Louis XVI.) is interesting. +The drawing-room has retained its old wainscoting and paintings. A +carved shield bearing the arms of the Cauchon family, a member of +which, the Bishop of Beauvais, sided with the English and the Duke of +Burgundy against the Dauphin of France and Joan of Arc during the +Hundred Years' War, is still to be seen over a door of one of the +out-buildings. + +_Return by the same road to the Vesle. Cross the river and follow it (as +per Itinerary, p. 134), to the village of Champigny._ + +_Cross straight through the village by the main street, at the end of +which stands the church in a narrow by-street near the entrance to a +park (photo, p. 136)._ + +The little church of St. Theodule is 12th century, except the wooden +belfry, which was modern. The belfry and roof were destroyed. + +[Illustration: MERFY CASTLE, CONVERTED BY THE GERMANS INTO A BLOCKHOUSE +_General Foch had his Headquarters there in 1914._] + +_On leaving the village, go straight ahead. The road (G.C. 75) follows +the railway on the left. Cross the railway (l.c.). The road passes along +the marshy valley of the Vesle, then rises towards the_ St. Thierry +Heights. + +_At the cross-roads of_ the hamlet of Mâco, _keep straight on along G.C. +26_. The road runs between two fairly high embankments containing +numerous shelters. Slightly before entering the village of =Merfy= is a +cemetery containing graves of French, British and German soldiers. + +_At the entrance to the same village, on the right, stands_ a castle, +severely damaged, which, early in September, 1914, served as +headquarters to General Foch (_photo above_). + +_A little farther_ is the church, almost entirely destroyed. + +_At the church, turn to the right and follow the main street_, which is +lined with houses in ruins. + +_On leaving Merfy, cross the railway (l.c.). The village of_ =St. +Thierry= _is reached shortly afterwards._ + +[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO ST. THIERRY VILLAGE +_The sign and camouflaging are German._] + +[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHÂTEAU IN 1914] + +[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHÂTEAU IN 1919] + +[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHURCH +_See other photos, p. 140._] + + +=St. Thierry= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 134, summary of the Military Operations, p. 147._) + +This village was frequently bombarded by the Germans from 1914 to 1918. +_It is crossed by a narrow, winding street containing several sharp +turnings. Shortly before the end of the village, the street widens +abruptly. About a hundred yards further on is the church, while on the +right a monumental door gives access_ to the =Château of St. Thierry= +(_photos, p. 138_). + +This castle was built in 1777 by Mgr. de Talleyrand-Périgord, Archbishop +of Rheims. It replaced the ancient abbey founded in the 6th century by +St. Thierry, a disciple of St. Remi. Remains of the 12th century +chapter-house ogives, colonnettes and capitals, as well as an old +chimney-piece, have been rebuilt into the kitchens. The spacious Louis +XVI. drawing-room and the dining-room were likewise remarkable. + +The church (_see photos above and on p. 140_) possessed certain +remarkable features, _e.g._ the porch, nave and organ-loft. The 12th +century porch had a 17th century pent-house roof. + +Inside the church were Gothic stalls, and a 16th century bas-relief +depicting _The Martyrdom of St. Quentin_. + +The church is now in ruins. + +_Opposite the castle gate turn to the left into G.C. 26._ + +In the embankments along the road are numerous shelters, posts of +commandment, ammunition depots, etc. + +[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHURCH +(_see p. 139_)] + +[Illustration: RUINED PORTAL OF ST. THIERRY CHURCH] + +[Illustration: RUINS OF CHOIR, ST. THIERRY CHURCH] + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THIL CHURCH] + + +=Thil--Villers-Franqueux= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 134._) + +_On reaching Thil, turn to the left at the entrance to the village. Go +straight through._ + +The church, entirely in ruins, _stands at the end of the village, on a +small eminence to the right_. + +_Half-way through the village, on the left, is a road which leads to the +St. Thierry Fort, via the village of Pouillon._ + +The road from Thil to Cormicy was the starting-point of the +communicating trenches which led to the first lines along the National +Road No. =44= and along the canal from the Aisne to the Marne, during +the long stabilisation period of the Berry-au-Bac--Rheims front. All +along the road can still be seen, practically intact, the military works +which were in the immediate rear of the front lines, viz., posts of +commandment, depots, shelters, etc. At the present time, close to the +destroyed villages, these shelters are being used by the people as +habitations. + +_Beyond Thil, the road passes between two embankments._ +=Villers-Franqueux= _is soon reached_. The ruined village and church +_are somewhat to the right_. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF VILLERS-FRANQUEUX] + +[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF HERMONVILLE] + + +=Hermonville= + +_Follow the rails, straight ahead, to_ Hermonville. + +_Turn to the left, at the entrance to the village, into the large +square, on the opposite side of which stands the_ =Town Hall=, partially +destroyed. The =Church= _is on the right_. + +This remarkable church is 12th century. The pointed vaulting of the nave +was raised in 1870, but this had been provided for in the original +plans. At the intersection of the transept the pointed vaulting is +lower. The capitals with their finely carved palm-leaves appear to be +rather more recent than those of the nave, and extend frieze-like round +the pillars. The bays of the transept-arms and of the two square eastern +chapels are round-arched and surmounted with a quatrefoil--an +arrangement frequently met with in the vicinity of Rheims. + +The outer porch, like that of Cauroy-les-Hermonville and St. Thierry, is +a 12th century addition. The depressed arch of the entrance is 17th +century. + +The square tower at the corner of the nave and south transept has cubic +capitals in the twin bays of the second storey. + +The ancient =cemetery=, which used to surround the church, is bordered +by old houses. Entrance was gained by a little gate facing the porch, in +which are incrusted fragments of a 15th century altar-screen +representing a horseman and a group of persons. + +The village was frequently bombarded by the Germans after the Battle of +the Marne. In 1916 several inhabitants were killed by shells. + +_Leave the church on the right, and follow the Rue Sébastopol, at the +end of which is an abrupt turning to the left. The road skirts a large +house and garden surrounded by a wall. At the end of the latter, turn to +the right into the Rue de Sommerville. On leaving the village, turn to +the left, then go straight on to_ =Cauroy-les-Hermonville=. + +[Illustration: CAUROY CHURCH IN 1914] + + +=Cauroy-les-Hermonville= + +_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village, then into the first +street on the left, where stands the_ half-destroyed =Church of +Nôtre-Dame=. + +This Church (_historical monument_) has an original 12th century porch, +which was mutilated by the bombardments. + +Romanesque in style, it stands out from the remainder of the building +and extends over the whole breadth of the west front. Its tile-covered +roof rests on a timber-work frame, whose beams appear to be 16th +century. Two round-arched openings in the ends of the porch serve as +entrances. The front is pierced with a number of round arcades. The +central door giving access to the church is of a later date (16th or +17th century). The capitals of the arcadings are 12th century. Their +curious decoration represents figures of men, animals, birds, scrolls, +etc. + +The ruined tower and nave were likewise 12th century. The side-chapels, +transept-crossing and choir were rebuilt in the 16th century. + +[Illustration: CAUROY CHURCH IN 1918] + +[Illustration: STREET IN CAUROY VILLAGE +(_Seen from the Porch of the Church. To go from Cauroy to Cormicy, take +this street opposite the Church._)] + +In the interior of the church, the wooden altar-screen over the +high-altar dated from 1616. The painting which decorated its central +panel, and the side woodwork of the choir were removed in 1888. The +altar-screen (1547) of the southern side-chapel was composed of an +assemblage of stone statues representing _The Virgin carrying Jesus, St. +Roch, a pilgrim_, and _St. Stephen, a deacon, with the donor kneeling at +his feet_. + +Under several of the houses in the village are subterranean passages, +the most noteworthy being that under the old presbytery on the left of +the church, to which access is gained by a stair of fifty-one steps. + +_Leave the village of Cauroy by the street (photo, p. 145) which opens +up opposite the church._ + +_The road passes through clumps of_ devastated trees. _On the left side +of the road is_ a cemetery, containing numerous well-organised shelters. +_The village of_ =Cormicy= _is next reached._ + + +=Cormicy= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 134._) + +_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village. On either side are_ +tree-lined boulevards, which were made on the ancient ramparts. The +trees have been cut to pieces by the shells. + +Cormicy was formerly a small fortified town with turret, gates, ramparts +and moats, all of which have disappeared except one gate. The site was +planted with trees, which surround practically the whole town. The town +was destroyed in the time of Charles VI., during the Hundred Years' War. + +The present village suffered severely during the German bombardments, +most of the houses being damaged. In June, 1916, only eighty-three +inhabitants remained in their homes. + +[Illustration: CORMICY CHURCH IN 1914] + +The ancient =Church= was likewise badly damaged (_photos above and +below_). While the tower, west front, and the two first bays of the nave +are late 15th or early 16th century, the greater part of the nave is +11th or 12th century. The chevet and the transept-crossing are early +13th century, while the transept ends probably date from the middle of +12th century. + +[Illustration: CORMICY CHURCH IN 1918] + +The portal comprises twin doors surmounted with a broad flamboyant +recess. The doors have been partially mutilated. Above the window runs +a balcony, the Gothic balustrade of which, known as the _Gloria +Gallery_, was modern. This balustrade was destroyed by the bombardments, +which also brought down the steeple. + +[Illustration: G.C. 32 ROAD ON LEAVING CORMICY +(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)] + +The west front has two Gothic doors with 16th century iron-work, at the +extremity of the aisles. The tympana of these doors, formerly lighted, +have been bricked up. The lintels have three consoles ornamented with +fantastic animals and banderoles. The three statues which carried the +consoles have long since disappeared. + +In the south transept, on the left, behind the altar, is an interesting +small door surmounted with a square lintel of the 11th or 12th century. +Two figures of winged monsters with heads of a man and a woman and fish +tails, stand out in high relief, framed and separated by a belt, on +which are carved _florets_ mingled with fantastic figures. + +The three remarkable 18th century marble altars of the choir and +transept chapels come from the Church of the Nuns of Longueau, the abbey +of which, in the Rue du Jard at Rheims, was sold in 1790. The high-altar +occupies nearly the whole of the chancel. Over the tomb, six columns of +grey Dinant marble, crowned with Corinthian capitals, support an oval +marble cornice with richly carved and gilt consoles of wood. The very +large, white and gilt tabernacle is a fine example of 17th or 18th +century woodwork. Its door, decorated with symbolic attributes, is +surrounded by statuettes depicting, _in the lower part_, St. John the +Evangelist and a holy woman wearing crowns; _above each of these +figures_, an angel; _at the top_, The Resurrection of Christ. + +The sixteen carved oak stalls of the choir, as well as the wrought-iron +reading-desk on a marble pedestal, also came from the former Abbey of +Longueau. + +Near the choir, on a pillar of the nave, is an inscription to the effect +that the chronicler _Flodoard_, who died in 966, was _Curé_ of Cormicy. + +The modern =Town Hall=, built by the Rheims architect, Gosset the elder, +which faced the church, was entirely destroyed. + +[Illustration (Map)] + +All the places visited since leaving Merfy, _i.e._ St. Thierry, Thil, +Villers-Franqueux, Hermonville and Cormicy, border the St. Thierry +Heights. The latter are commanded by the fort of the same name and the +Chenay Redoubt, with altitudes of about 670 and 620 feet respectively. +They were recaptured from the Germans after the Battle of the Marne on +September 11, 1914, by the French 3rd Corps. + +After the loss of the Chemin-des-Dames and the Aisne Canal on May 27, +1918, this position, which with its guns commands the road and railway +from Rheims to Soissons and the road from Rheims to Laon, remained the +sole protection of Rheims to the north-west. + +It was defended by the French 45th Infantry Division (General Naulin), +composed of Algerian Sharp-shooters, Zouaves and African Light Infantry, +who held their ground on May 27-28, after which they were reinforced by +battalions of Singalese and Marines drawn from the sector east of +Rheims. + +The struggle was a fierce one, and hand-to-hand fighting frequent. +Finally the constant inflow of German reserves forced back the French +who, on May 29, had to abandon the position, to which the enemy +afterwards clung for four months. On October 1 the Germans, beaten on +the previous evening by the French 5th Army on the high ground between +the Aisne and Rheims, was forced to retreat. The French regained +possession of Merfy and St. Thierry, and advanced as far as the +outskirts of the Fort of St. Thierry, which, with Thil and +Villers-Franqueux, Hermonville, Courcy and Cormicy, fell into their +hands in the course of the next few days (_see map above_). + +[Illustration: DESTROYED BRIDGE OVER THE CANAL, NEAR LE GODAT] + + +=From Cormicy to Godat Farm= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 134._) + +_Pass straight through Cormicy, leaving the church on the left. Take +G.C. 32 to the Rheims-Laon road (N. 44), where turn to the right. Rather +less than a mile further on, near the_ Maison Blanche, _is a road +leading to_ =Godat Farm=. _Cars can only go as far as the canal_, the +destroyed bridge (_photo above_) not having yet been rebuilt. The +lock-keeper's house _seen in the photograph below_ was completely +destroyed. + +[Illustration: THE LOCK-KEEPER'S HOUSE AT LE GODAT +(_Now destroyed._)] + +_Cross the canal on foot to reach Godat Farm, situated about 300 yards +further on._ + +=Le Godat=, formerly a small fief with a castle and chapel (destroyed +during the Revolution in 1793), was merely a farm and a plain country +house when the war broke out. By reason of its position, north of the +Aisne Canal, this bridgehead was, throughout the war, one of the most +fiercely disputed points in the sector north-west of Rheims, even during +the period of trench-warfare. At the time of the French offensive of +April, 1917, the 44th Infantry Regiment advanced beyond Le Godat, where +the French held their ground until the powerful German push of May 27, +1918. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF LE GODAT FARM] + +The farm is now a mere heap of ruins. Shelters still exist in the +basements. + +_Return to the National Road, and turn to the left._ + +_The road crosses_ numerous boyaux which provided access to the +front-line trenches down the hill on the right. + +_Follow the National Road to_ =Chauffour Farm= (in ruins), _where take +the road on the left to_ =Loivre=. + +[Illustration: EMPLACEMENT OF GERMAN HEAVY GUN AT LOIVRE] + +_On nearing the canal_, the ruins of the village of Loivre (entirely +destroyed) _become visible_. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH AT LOIVRE] + + +=From Loivre to Brimont= + +=Loivre.=--_Visit the village on foot. The canal can only be crossed +near the lock south-east of the village._ The destroyed bridge has been +replaced by a temporary footway across the bed of the canal, which +necessitates climbing down and up the banks by steep paths. + +_After crossing the canal the tourist passes by the_ ruins of the Loivre +Glass-Works, founded in 1864 by the descendants of the noble house of +Bigault de Grandrupt, glass manufacturers of Argonne. + +[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF THE RUINS AT LOIVRE IN 1919] + +Loivre and its glass-works were occupied in September, 1914, by the +Germans, who deported the inhabitants to the Ardennes. The village and +works were re-captured during the offensive of April 16, 1917, by the +French 23rd and 133rd Infantry Regiments, surnamed _Les Braves_ and _Les +Lions_ respectively. Whilst other battalions outflanked the village and +crossed the canal, the third battalion of _Lions_ attacked it in front. +The position, powerfully organised, was stoutly defended. The attacking +troops were obliged to come to a halt in front of the cemetery (a +veritable bastion with concrete casemates), and before the ruins of the +mill, both of which bristled with machine-guns. Withdrawing slightly to +allow of a barrage of 75's, they rushed forward again under the +protection of the latter. The site of the mill and the cemetery were +captured, together with numerous prisoners (122 were taken in one +machine-gun shelter). The ruined village was next carried in a bayonet +charge, to the sound of the bugles. The captures were considerable, one +battalion of 500 men alone taking 825 prisoners. + +[Illustration: SEPULCHRE IN THE CEMETERY AT LOIVRE, USED BY THE GERMANS +AS A PHOTOGRAPHIC DARK-ROOM] + +In March and May, 1918, two violent attacks were made on Loivre by the +Germans, but without success. They took it on May 27, only to be driven +out on October 4. + +_Before the war, a road_, which has since completely disappeared, _led +direct from Loivre to Brimont. To reach the latter it is now necessary +to go farther north, via Berméricourt and Orainville, returning +southwards by the Neufchâtel to Rheims road (see Itinerary, p. 134)._ + +=Berméricourt.=--This hamlet, of Gallo-Frankish origin, was formerly +more populous. The bombardments have literally wiped it out. + +_From Berméricourt the tourist reaches_ =Orainville= _by G.C. 30, which +becomes I.C. 2 after crossing the boundary line between the +"departments" of the Marne and the Ardennes. At the entrance to the +ruined village, near the church, turn to the right into I.C. 12, which, +1 kilometre further on, joins the road from Neufchâtel to Rheims (G.C. +9), where turn to the right._ + +_Follow this road for four and a half kilometres to the ruins of_ +=Landau Farm=, _turn to the right, then, about 200 yards further on, +take the road on the left to the_ village of Brimont, entirely +destroyed. + +[Illustration: ALL THAT REMAINS OF BERMÉRICOURT VILLAGE] + + +=Brimont Fort and Château= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 134, and summary of the Military Operations, p. +154._) + +Situated to the west of the road from Rheims to Neufchâtel (formerly a +Roman causeway which crossed the hill at _Cran de Brimont_) Brimont was +already important in Roman times. It was fortified in the Middle Ages, +and traces of its ancient fortifications are still to be found on the +hill. The discovery of a Roman tomb in 1790 caused considerable +excitement in archæological circles, as it was believed to be the +burial-place of the Frankish Chief _Pharamond_ who, according to one +chronicler, had been buried on a hillock near Rheims. + +In 1339, during the siege of Rheims by the English, the Duke of +Lancaster had his camp at Brimont. + +[Illustration: RUINS OF BRIMONT VILLAGE +_In the foreground, on the left: Road to Brimont Fort. On the right: +Beginning of the road to the Château (entirely destroyed)._] + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH OF BRIMONT] + +On several occasions, since September, 1914, the Germans deported the +inhabitants of Brimont and Coucy to the Ardennes. The village is now +destroyed and its church a heap of ruins. + +The church was built at the beginning of the 15th century. + +The four last bays of the nave, which was partly Romanesque, were +altered in the middle of the 16th century. + +The sacristy occupied the lower storey of the square, pointed-arch +tower. + +Several ancient statues were placed at the entrance to the Choir: _St +Remi_, with a woman in late 15th century dress kneeling at his feet; a +_Virgin_ offering grapes to the Infant Jesus in her arms (late 15th +century) and a large _Christ Crucified_, dated from the middle of the +16th century. A beautiful 18th century _lectern_ of carved wood, +representing an eagle standing on a massive three-sided pedestal of red +and white marble, stood in front of the Choir. + +[Illustration: BRIMONT FORT] + +_To visit the_ =Fort of Brimont=, _skirt the church on the side of the +portal staircase, then take the road seen on the photograph on p. 152. +The Fort is about 400 yards further on._ + + +=The Defences North of Rheims and the Fighting in that Sector= + +The =Fort of Brimont=, completed by the =Battery of the Cran de Brimont= +about a mile to the east, and on the west by the =Loivre Battery=, +mentioned on page 151, sweeps the whole country north of Rheims as far +as the banks of the Aisne, Suippe, Retourne and the Aisne-Marne canal, +the Rheims-Neufchâtel, Rheims-Vouziers, Rheims-Rethel and Rheims-Laon +roads, and the Rheims-Laon and Rheims-Charleville railways. About five +miles east of Brimont and four miles east of Rheims is the position of +=Berru= (_see p. 165_), extending along a front of about six miles, +_via_ the hills of Berru and Nogent l'Abbesse. Intended by those who +planned it to guard the valley of the Suippe, the Rheims-Rethe and +Rheims-Vouziers roads, as well as the Rheims-Charleville and +Rheims-Châlons-sur-Marne railways, it comprises the =Fort of Witry= +(about 150 feet in altitude), the batteries of =La Vigie de Berru= (870 +feet), and the =fort and batteries of Nogent-l'Abbesse= (670 feet). + +[Illustration: _The roads shown on the above map are those followed by +the Third Itinerary (see p. 160)._] + +Brimont and Berru are further covered and linked up by the =Fort of +Fresne= (360 feet), situated four miles north-east of Rheims. + +These defensive works, conceived and executed after the war of 1870, +had, in consequence of the evolution of strategical and tactical +doctrines, been abandoned or disarmed before the war of 1914. After +evacuating Rheims on September 12, 1914, the Germans grasped the +importance of these works, to which they clung tenaciously, after +hurriedly organising them. It was against these naturally strong +positions, further strengthened by trenches, that the French 5th Army, +in pursuit of the enemy, found themselves brought to a standstill on the +evening of September 12. From September 13 to 18, the French tried in +vain to capture them. The 5th Division, under General Mangin, did +succeed in capturing the =Château de Brimont=, in the plain, but were +unable to hold it. + +Later, the Germans converted these hills into one of the most formidable +positions organised by them in France. Brimont, Berru, Fresne and Nogent +l'Abbesse, whose guns slowly destroyed Rheims, were, so to speak, her +jailers for four years. + +In April, 1917, during the French offensive of the Aisne, one division, +known as the "Division of aces" (because its four regiments have the +fourragère decoration), penetrated into Berméricourt and advanced to the +outskirts of Brimont, but was unable to hold its ground against the +furious counter-attacks of the Germans. It was only in October, 1918, +that the French 5th Army, in conjunction with the victorious attacks of +the 4th Army in Champagne, after forcing the Germans back to the Aisne +and the canal, and after crossing the Aisne canal on October 4 in front +of Loivre and near Berméricourt, forced the enemy, whose communications +were now threatened, to abandon one of the most valuable portions of his +1914 positions. On October 5, the French re-entered Brimont and Nogent +l'Abbesse, progressed beyond Bourgogne, Cernay-les-Rheims, Beine, Caurel +and Pomacle, and, in spite of desperate enemy resistance, drove back the +Germans to the Suippe. + +_After visiting the fort return to the village of Brimont._ + +From here the =Château de Brimont= may be visited, but this will have to +be done on foot as the road has been destroyed, traces only of it being +left in places (_the lower photograph on p. 152 shows the beginning of +the road in the village_). + +The =Château de l'Ermitage=, also known as the Château de Brimont, _is +situated about 500 yards south of the village, at the entrance to a_ +large park, completely devastated. It was the scene of desperate +fighting (_see p. 152_). + +_Return to Brimont, cross the village (skirting the church) and continue +straight on to the_ =Cran de Brimont Redoubt= _on the road to Rheims._ +Numerous German trenches, etc., are to be seen here. + +_Turn to the right into G.C. 9, which dips down to the_ Plain of Rheims. +The region hereabouts bristle with barbed-wire entanglements and is +crossed with numerous trenches. It was ranged to an incredible degree by +the bombardments. + +_At the bottom of the hill which starts at the Cran de Brimont, cross +Soulains Wood, of which only_ a few torn tree-stumps remain. + +_Several hundred yards after leaving the wood, take on foot the broken +road to the_ "=Cavaliers de Courcy=," situated _on the right, about 500 +yards further on._ + +[Illustration: THE AISNE CANAL AT THE "CAVALIERS DE COURCY"] + + +=The "Cavaliers de Courcy"= + +To the north of La Neuvillette, the Aisne-Marne Canal is flanked on both +sides by enormous artificial embankments planted with fir-trees and +known as the "=Cavaliers de Courcy=." After their retreat in September, +1914, the Germans entrenched themselves there and clung to the east bank +until April, 1917. + +On April 16, 1917, the French 410th Regiment of the Line attacked the +enemy's formidable positions there. This Brittany regiment set out from +positions to which they had given names taken from the history of their +country (_Quimper Bastion_, _Auray_, _Redon Bastion_, etc.). On the +first day they carried three successive lines of defences, and advanced +about a mile. On the 17th and 18th they left their zone of action, to +ensure the _liaison_ on their right, and to help a brigade in +difficulties on their left. For eight days they held their positions +against powerful enemy counter-attacks, after having progressed to a +depth of two miles and captured more than 400 prisoners, 11 +bomb-throwers, and an immense amount of stores. + +These positions, like the neighbouring villages, were re-taken by the +Germans in May and June, 1918, and finally by the Allies in October, +1918. + +_Return to the road and follow it towards Rheims. Leave on the left_ the +devastated =Aviation-ground of Champagne=--now in a state of complete +upheaval, due to the terrific shelling it received--_then cross the_ +=Plain of Bétheny= (_photo, p. 157_). + +The Plain of Bétheny was the scene of two important historical events: +in 1901 the Tsar Nicolas II. reviewed a part of the French Army there; +in August, 1909, the Great Aviation Week was inaugurated there, in the +presence of an immense crowd of spectators. + +[Illustration: GERMAN FIRST-LINE POSITIONS BÉTHENY PLAIN (_see +sketch-map below_) +_Photographed at 7,000 ft. from aeroplane, August 6, 1916, at 10 a.m._] + +[Illustration: THE GERMAN FIRST-LINE DEFENCES IN THE PLAIN OF BÉTHENY +_The tourist passes through this region on returning to Rheims, shortly +before coming to the bridge under the railway. The sketch map explains +the photograph above._] + +_Pass under the Rheims-Laon railway by a very sharp double turning._ +=Pierquin Farm=, entirely destroyed, _stood on the right a short +distance further on_. The only remaining trace is the torn shapeless +carcass of a large iron shed. + +The railway embankment south of Pierquin Farm was fiercely disputed from +September 18, 1914, onwards. Several enemy attacks against it broke down +before the French 75's. During the offensive of May, 1918, the whole of +this region was the scene of desperate fighting. La Neuvillette was +taken on May 30, and Pierquin Farm on the 31st. On August 4, the French, +after crossing the Aisne Canal, advanced to La Neuvillette, where the +enemy made a desperate stand. At the beginning of October they advanced +to the north of La Neuvillette, which the enemy was eventually compelled +to abandon. The last inhabitants had left the locality on July 12, 1916. + +_The tourist enters Rheims by the Rue de Neufchâtel and the Avenue de +Laon._ + + +=La Neuvillette= + +_On reaching the Avenue de Laon, the tourist, instead of entering +Rheims, may turn to the right and go northwards as far as the_ village +and cemetery of La Neuvillette. + +The cemetery of La Neuvillette _is on the right of the road, between the +last houses of Rheims and the village_. It was completely cut up by a +network of first-line trenches (_photos, p. 159_). + +The village of La Neuvillette, now in ruins, was the scene of desperate +fighting during the German offensive of May, 1918. + +Nothing remains of the 12th century church of John-the-Baptist. + +The glass-works north-west of the village, by the side of the canal, are +now a heap of ruins (_photo, p. 159_). + +_Return to Rheims by the same road._ + +[Illustration: THE ROAD TO RHEIMS AT NEUVILLETTE] + +[Illustration: THE GLASS-WORKS AT NEUVILLETTE] + +[Illustration: DRESSING-STATION AT NEUVILLETTE] + +[Illustration: THE CEMETERY AT NEUVILLETTE] + + + + +SECOND DAY + +MORNING + +=FRESNES FORT--WITRY-LES-REIMS--BERRU--NOGENT L'ABBESSE--BEINE= + +(_See complete Itineraries, p. 121, and map on p. 154._) + + +[Illustration (Map)] + +_This Itinerary will lead the tourist through the region of the_ Forts +to the north-east of Rheims, which formed the rear of the German lines +during the stabilisation period of 1914-1918. + +It was this line of forts that, in the German hands, held the French in +check after the first Battle of the Marne. Practically the whole of +these works were but little damaged by the relatively light +bombardments, and have retained traces of the German organisation. + +_Leave Rheims by the Avenue de Laon_ (_which begins at_ Les Pomenades, +_opposite Mars Gate_), _and the Rue de Neufchâtel (second street on the +right), Sortie No. IX. of the Michelin Tourist Guide (see coloured plan, +pp. 32-33)._ + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH AT BOURGOGNE] + +_Follow in the contrary direction the route described in the preceding +Itinerary (p. 134 to p. 159) as far as the crossing in the +Berméricourt-Bourgogne road, where stood_ Landau Farm, now entirely in +ruins. _At this crossing take G.C. 30 on the right._ German camouflaging +is still visible on the right-hand side of the road. + + +=Bourgogne--Fresnes= + +_The village of_ Bourgogne, entirely in ruins, _is soon reached_. + +The village is of very ancient origin. Formerly it was protected by a +belt of moats, now partly filled in, and by earthen ramparts, almost +everywhere levelled. The lines of these moats, planted with rows of +elm-trees, are clearly distinguishable. There is a very extensive view +from this original site. + +A portion of the village was burnt by the Germans who, in 1916, +destroyed the belfry of the church with dynamite. + +This church (dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul), with its fine +Romanesque tower, was remarkable. + +The greater part of it dated from the 12th and 13th centuries. It is now +in ruins (_photo above_). + +_Cross straight through the village._ Numerous German signs _are still +to be seen. At the cross-roads just outside the village, follow the +railway, then cross it near the destroyed railway station of Fresnes. +The village of_ Fresnes _is reached shortly afterwards._ + +_Turn to the right at the first crossing met with._ The church _stands +about 100 yards away, on the left._ + +Norman in style, the Church of Fresnes comprises a central nave with +aisles and a tower without transept. It dates back to the 12th century, +but was several times extensively altered and restored both in the 18th +century and in recent times. + +A small porch of limestone added to the northern aisle, is reached by a +round Norman bay of stone. In the corner of the porch, to the left on +entering, is incrusted a fragment of a small funerary monument of the +16th century. + +[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF WITRY-LES-REIMS] + +This church was almost entirely destroyed. + +_After turning to the right at the crossing mentioned above, keep +straight on._ + +About 2 kilometres from Fresnes the road from that village to +Witry-les-Reims crosses an old Roman causeway, at the side of which, +slightly to the south of Hill 118, the Fort of Fresnes was built in +1878. This fort was blown up by the Germans during their retreat in +1918. Its ruins are impressive. In the moats of the fort are German +trenches and shelters extending right up to the walls of the fort. + +_The village of Witry-les-Reims is next reached._ It suffered severely +from the numerous bombardments, which its situation near the first lines +rendered inevitable. + + +=Witry-les-Reims= + +_After crossing the railway (l.c.) at the entrance to the village, keep +straight on._ The ruined church _is on the left, near the entrance to +the village_. + +Except for one tower, which dates from the 12th century, the church is +modern. The spire was destroyed by the Germans. The belfry, used by the +enemy as an observation-post, was struck by French shells. + +Like many of the villages around Rheims, Witry-les-Reims is of +Gallo-Roman origin. More than two hundred Gallic sepulchres and cinerary +urns have been brought to light. The objects thus discovered, including +a large number of vases, now form the _Bourin_ pre-historic collection. + +_After visiting the church keep straight on. At the Mairie_, of which +only the front remains standing, _turn to the right into the Rue +Boucton-Fayréaux. Follow this street to the Place Gambetta (about 200 +yards distant), where turn to the left._ The entrance to "Pommern +Tunnel," which connected up the German rear and front lines (_photo, p. +163_), is in this square. + +The German inscriptions in the tunnel have been taken down, and the +entrance blocked up, on account of the roof and walls giving way. + +[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO "POMMERN TUNNEL" AT WITRY-LES-REIMS] + +_Leaving the Place Gambetta, take the Rheims-Rethel road (N. 51) on the +left, then the first street on the right to the_ =Fort of Witry=. + +_Just outside the village the road crosses_ the old Roman causeway from +Rheims to Trèves, _and a little further on passes to the left of the_ +=Fort of Witry=. + +The =Fort of Witry= suffered but little from the bombardments. + +_The road climbs the northern slopes of the_ Berru Hill, across numerous +German trenches. _At the bottom of a short run-down, opposite the +village of Berru, is a crossing of four ways. The road leading to the +fort is the one straight ahead._ + +_On the right, among the_ numerous defences, is a German cemetery +containing a monument to the dead, ornamented with somewhat rudimentary +carving and bearing an epitaph dedicated to the memory of the German +soldiers who fell in the battles around Rheims. + +_The road continues up the slopes of Berru Hill, to the right of the way +leading to the_ auxiliary battery of the fort of =Vigie de Berru=. _The +top of the hill is soon reached_, on which the fort, known as the "Vigie +de Berru," stands. This fort was little bombarded, and is practically +intact. + +=Berru Hill=, on account of its height, its sulphurous and ferruginous +waters, flint quarries, and fertile soil, was inhabited in pre-historic +times. At the summit, a _campignien_ workshop, and farther down, above +the springs which supply the village with water, a neolithic station +have been discovered. Thousands of knives, arrow-heads, scrapers, saws, +and other primitive tools have been unearthed. In the Gallo-Roman times +the village must have been fairly important, judging by the vestiges of +the ancient buildings discovered at the foot of the hill. It was near +Berru that the _Gaulish helmet_, now in the National Museum of St. +Germain, was found. Towards the end of the 16th century (about 1575), +during the Leaguers' struggles around Rheims, the village was fortified, +to protect it from pillaging by the soldiers. The moats and glacis which +surrounded it are still visible to the south, where, covered with trees, +they adjoin the gardens. Subterranean places of refuge, the entrance to +which is no longer known, formerly existed underneath the village. + +_From the fort, the road, winds down the opposite slopes of the hill. At +the bottom of the latter, leave on the right the road to the_ =Fort of +Nogent l'Abbesse,= _seen on the high ground to the right._ + +[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO BEINE VILLAGE BY THE ROAD TO NOGENT +L'ABBESSE] + + +=Nogent l'Abbesse--Beine--Berru= + +(_See Itinerary, p. 160, and summary of the Military Operations, p +154._) + +_The village of_ =Nogent l'Abbesse= _is next reached, at the entrance to +which the road divides into three branches. Take the middle one (G.C. +64), which leads to the_ ruined village of =Beine=. _During the run-down +to the village, there is a_ fine view of the Champagne Hills in front +(Mont Cornillet and Mont Haut). + +The village of =Beine= was one of the oldest demesnes belonging to the +Abbey of St. Remi-de-Reims. It was made into a _commune_ at the end of +the 12th century. + +The church of St. Laurent, situated in the centre of the village, was an +excellent specimen of the transition style of the 12th century (_photo +below_). + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH AT BEINE] + +_A road leading to Sillery leaves Beine in a south-westerly direction, +but owing to its bad condition it is impossible to use it for returning +to Rheims._ The trenches and shell holes have barely been filled in, +and the temporary bridges over the wider trenches would probably break +down under a fairly heavy car. On the other hand, the huge craters made +by the Germans in the course of their retreat, have only been summarily +repaired and are not practicable for motor-cars. _Tourists should +therefore return to Nogent l'Abbesse by the road they came by._ + +[Illustration: BERRU CHURCH] + +_Enter the village by the main street, which follow as far as_ the +church, whose belfry has been destroyed. + +_After the church, take the first street on the right, then the second +road on the left (G.C. 64), which leads to_ =Berru=. _In front of the +village, turn to the left and cross straight through._ The 12th century +Church of St. Martin, which suffered only slightly from the +bombardments, _is in the middle of the village, on the left (photo +above)_. + +_On leaving Berru, the tourist comes again to the crossing mentioned on +p. 163. Turn to the right and return to Witry-les-Reims by the road +previously followed._ + +_At Witry-les-Reims, take N. 51 on the left, passing by the_ ruined +works of Linguet (_photo below_). + +_Rheims is reached by the Faubourg Cérès. Keep straight on to the Place +Royale, via the Rue du Faubourg Cérès and the Rue Cérès._ + +[Illustration: RUINS OF THE LINGUET WORKS] + + + + +SECOND DAY + +AFTERNOON + +=LA POMPELLE FORT-SILLERY= + +(_See complete Itinerary, p. 121._) + + +[Illustration (Map)] + +_This Itinerary will take the tourist through two regions of entirely +different characters._ + +_The first part is devoted to visiting the battlefield south-east of +Rheims_, which was the scene of much desperate fighting throughout the +war, but especially in 1918. This region formed the pivot of the French +right wing, and remained firm despite the repeated powerful attacks of +the enemy. + +_The second part of the Itinerary leaves the battlefield proper, and +conducts the tourist across_ the most reputed vine-growing centres of +Champagne (Verzenay, Mailly-Champagne and Ludes), through lovely, +picturesque country, which, although it has somewhat suffered from the +bombardments, has nevertheless retained its pre-war aspect. + +_Leave Rheims by the Avenue de Châlons, continued by N. 44 (see the plan +of Rheims between pp. 32 and 33, F. 6 and H. 7)._ + +The Avenue de Châlons was well within the first-line defences. + +Two communicating trenches run along the footpaths on either side of the +Avenue. + +_Skirt_ Pommery Park, _on the left_, completely ravaged by the +bombardment and the network of trenches which cross it. + +_As soon as the last houses of the town have been left behind, the +tourist finds himself_ in the midst of the battlefield. + +The sector, known as "=La Butte-de-Tir=," situated on the left, below +Cernay and beyond the railway, was the scene of furious fighting +throughout the German occupation of 1914 to 1918 (_photo below_). + +[Illustration: THE "BUTTE-DE-TIR" SECTOR +_Listening-post in front of Cernay village._] + +[Illustration: COMMUNICATING TRENCH AT JOUISSANCE FARM (1915)] + +_The road crosses the Châlons Railway (l.c.), and goes thence direct to +the_ =Fort of La Pompelle=, passing through an inextricable network of +trenches and barbed wire entanglements. The country hereabouts was +completely ravaged by the terrific bombardments, and recalls the +devastated regions around Verdun, near Vaux and Douaumont (_see the +Michelin Illustrated Guide: Verdun, and the Battles for its +Possession_). + +=La Jouissance Farm= is next passed. Nothing remains either of it or of +the road, _which started from this point towards Cernay, on the left_. + +[Illustration: LA POMPELLE FORT (1918)] + +[Illustration: THE MOATS OF LA POMPELLE FORT (1918)] + +The =Fort of La Pompelle=, _which is next reached_, is now a mere heap +of ruins. The road which led to the fort no longer exists. _To visit the +ruins of the fort, tourists will have to follow on foot the narrow-gauge +railway which starts from the road (photo above)_. + +Tradition has it that St. Timothy came from Asia to convert Rheims, +suffered martyrdom, together with St. Apollinaris and several +companions, on the hill known as _La Pompelle_, so-called perhaps from +the procession (_pompa_ or _pompella_) which, in the Middle Ages, used +to visit the place of martyrdom of the saints. + +This hill, which rises close to the crossing of the +Rheims-St.-Hilaire-le-Grand and Rheims-Châlons Roads, was fortified +after 1870, to flank the position of Berru on the south. + +The road from Rheims to Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand (_G.C. 7_), which used to +start from the "Alger Inn," at the cross-roads mentioned above, no +longer exists. Like the inn, it was obliterated by the shelling. A huge +crater now occupies the site of the Alger Inn (_photo below_). + +[Illustration: CRATER, WHERE USED TO STAND THE "ALGER INN"] + +[Illustration: THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF WHAT WAS THE "ALGER INN" +(1918)] + +_Continue along N. 44. About 1 kilometre from the fort, at a bend in the +road_, the shattered remnants of trees of an avenue are visible on the +left. Under the first fir-tree of this avenue, about 20 yards from the +national road, is an armoured machine-gun shelter, almost intact. + +_Cross the railway (l.c.) near the entirely destroyed station of +Petit-Sillery. After passing a ruined château on the left, cross the +bridge over the Vesle. At the fork beyond the bridge, leave N. 44 and +take G.C. 8 on the right to_ =Sillery=. + +This village, renowned for its dry wine, is pleasantly situated on the +banks of the Vesle. Throughout the war, it was quite close to the +trenches and was frequently bombarded. In May, 1916, only some fifty of +its inhabitants remained in the village, which subsequently suffered +very severely, especially in 1918. + +_Take a turn in the village, then follow N. 44 towards Châlons (see +Itinerary, p. 166)._ + +[Illustration: THE "PLACE DE LA MAIRIE" AT SILLERY (1918)] + +The region of =Sillery-Pompelle= was the scene of much fierce fighting +throughout the war. After the capture of =La Pompelle= and the "=Alger +Inn=" by the French 10th Corps on the night of September 17-18, 1914, +the Germans increased the number of their attacks, with a view to +regaining these important positions. + +One of these attacks (that of December 30, 1914) was preceded by the +explosion of a mine at the "Alger Inn," which made a hole 130 feet in +diameter by 55 feet deep (_see photo, p. 169_). After a hand-to-hand +fight, the French drove back the enemy and remained masters of the +crater. + +In 1918, during their offensives against Rheims, the Germans attacked +several times in this region. On June 1, between =Pommery Park= (in the +south-eastern outskirts of Rheims) and the north-east of Sillery, they +attacked with eight or nine battalions and fifteen tanks. The garrison +of Fort Pompelle, momentarily encircled, held out until a furious +counter-attack by the French Colonial Infantry relieved it and drove +back the assailants. The German tanks were either captured or destroyed. +On the 18th, after an hour's intense bombardment, the Germans made a +fresh attack and secured a footing in the Northern Cemetery of Rheims +and in the north-eastern outskirts of Sillery, but French +counter-attacks drove them out almost immediately. From July 15 to 17 +their attacks on Sillery were likewise repulsed. + +_Continue along N. 44 to the_ destroyed Espérance Farm _(about 2 +kilometres distant), then turn to the right_. Numerous military works +were made by the French in the embankments of the Aisne-Marne canal +along the left side of the road. + +_The road rises towards the "Mountain of Rheims."_ A white tower, +dominating the whole plain, _is seen on the left (photo below)_. + +=Verzenay= _is next reached by the Rue de Sillery._ + +[Illustration: VERZENAY, SEEN FROM THE VERZENAY--MAILLY--CHAMPAGNE +ROAD] + +[Illustration: THE OLD MILL AT VERZENAY] + +It was at =Verzenay= that, on the evening of September 3, 1914, the +German aeroplane, which had dropped bombs on Rheims the same morning, +was brought down. It has suffered relatively little from the +bombardments. + +_To visit the church_, which contains the tomb of Saint-Basle (_chapel +on the right_), _take the Rue Gambetta, then the Rue Thiers_. + +_After visiting the church, return to the Rue Thiers, at the end of +which is the Rue de Mailly (G.C. 26)._ + +_Take the latter, which, on leaving Verzenay, rises fairly stiffly._ + +_At the top of the hill, on the right, begins the road leading to_ +=Verzenay Mill=, which crowns Hill 227 (_see Itinerary, p. 166, and +photo above_). + +This mill, whence there is a fine panorama of the plain as far as the +hills of Berru and Moronvilliers, was a military observation-post of the +first order during the siege warfare. + +_It belongs to the champagne-wine firm of Heidsieck Monopole, which +allows tourists to visit it, as also their vineyards in the surrounding +country._ + +_The road dips down to_ Mailly-Champagne, _at the entrance to which +village turn to the right into the Rue Gambetta, then to the left into +the Rue de Ludes (G.C. 26)_. The road, cut out of the hillside, is very +picturesque as far as Ludes. In the forest, on the left of the road, are +numerous "_cendrières_," or quarries, from which volcanic sulphurous +cinders, used for improving the vines, are extracted. Heaps of these +valuable cinders (grey, white and black) are frequently encountered at +the side of the road. + +=Ludes= _is next reached by the Avenue de la Gare_. + +The region just passed through, including the villages of Verzenay, +Mailly-Champagne and Ludes, as well as Verzy (_to the east_), and +Rilly-la-Montagne and Villers-Allerand (_to the west_), are the +wine-growing centres of the "Mountain of Rheims" properly so-called, the +black grapes from which produce the best brands of Champagne. The +villages are picturesquely situated at the edge of the forests which +crown the hills, while the vineyards which cover the slopes of the +latter descend to the chalky plain. These vineyards, divided into tiny +plots, the ground of which before the ravages of the phylloxera cost as +much as 93,000 francs per hectare (about 2-1/2 acres), constitute the +principal wealth of the country. Here and there they have suffered from +the war, but this has not prevented the vine-dressers from cultivating +them (often with the help of the soldiers) or from gathering the grapes, +under the continual menace of the German guns. + +[Illustration: PUISIEULX. THE CHURCH AND ROAD TO SILLERY] + +At =Ludes=, in the _Avenue de la Gare, turn to the right into the Rue de +Cormontreuil, and again to the right, into the Rue de Puisieulx (G.C. +33)_. + +_At the crossing, 1 kilometre beyond Ludes, go straight on. After +passing on the right an avenue bordered with trees leading to the_ +=Château of Romont, Puisieulx= _is reached_. + +_At the first crossing, on entering the village, keep straight on, then +turn to the right as far as the_ ruined church, with its curious +loop-holed chevet. _Leave the church on the right and, at the end of the +village, turn to the left._ There are a few graves _on the right of the +road_. _After skirting a large estate, the trees of which were destroyed +by shell-fire, the tourist reaches_ =Sillery=. + +[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF TAISSY] + +_Turn to the left into G.C. 8, at the entrance to the village. On the +right are vestiges_ of a small wood, known as "Zouaves Wood," which was +the scene of many sanguinary fights after its capture by the French in +1914. + +_The tourist next reaches_ =Taissy=, whose ruined church _is on the +right, by the side of the Vesle (photo, p. 173)_. + +This interesting church is largely Romanesque in style (tower, chevet +and nave). The tabernacle, with altar-piece of carved wood, is Louis +XIII. A fine wrought-iron railing encloses the sanctuary (_photo +below_). The small, sonorous bell of the belfry is, strange to say, 13th +or 14th century. + +_Pass straight through Taissy, then follow the tram-lines._ +=Cormontreuil= _is entered by the Rue Victor-Hugo._ + +_From Cormontreuil, the tourist may return to Rheims either by turning +to the right in the village, beyond the tram station (in this case he +will enter Rheims by the Rue de Cormontreuil which leads to the Place +Dieu-Lumière) or by continuing straight ahead. In the latter case he +will cross the Faubourg Fléchambault by the Rue Ledru-Rollin. At the end +of the latter, turn to the right into the Rue Fléchambault which, after +crossing the Vesle and the canal, leads to the Church of St. Remi._ + +[Illustration: THE CHOIR OF TAISSY CHURCH] + + + + +CONTENTS + + +[Illustration: THE RUE DE LA GRUE, SEEN FROM THE RUE CÉRÈS] + + PAGES + Political History of Rheims 3-7 + Military History of Rheims 8 and 9 + The Battles for Rheims, 1914-1918 9-15 + The Destruction of Rheims by the bombardments 16-21 + Life in the bombarded City 21-26 + + + I.--A VISIT TO THE CITY 27-120 + + THE CATHEDRAL (description of) 28-60 + History of the Cathedral 28-30 + The Cathedral during the War 31 and 32 + Coloured Plan of Rheims between 32 and 33 + Plan of the Cathedral and Archi-episcopal Palace 33 + Exterior of the Cathedral 34-49 + Interior of the Cathedral 50-60 + + FIRST ITINERARY--THE CITY 61-94 + The Place du Parvis 62 + The Archi-episcopal Palace 63-66 + The Place Drouet d'Erlon and The Promenades 70 and 71 + The Hôtel-de-Ville 72 + The Place des Marchés 74 + The Place Royale 78 + The Musicians' House 80 + The Mars Gate 82 + The Rue de Cérès 87 + + SECOND ITINERARY--THE CITY (_continued_) 95-120 + The Rue Chanzy 95-97 + The Lycée 97 and 98 + The Abbey of Saint Pierre-les-Dames 98 + The Pommery Wine-Cellars 101 + The Church of St. Remi 103-116 + The Hôtel-Dieu (Hospital) 117 + + + II.--A VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD. + + FIRST ITINERARY (Morning) 122-133 + Ormes 124 + St. Euphraise 127 + Coulommes-la-Montagne 128 + Gueux 129 + Thillois 131 + + SECOND ITINERARY (Afternoon) 134-159 + Tinqueux 135 + Merfy 137 + St. Thierry 138 + Villers-Franqueux 141 + Cormicy 144 + Le Godat 148 + Loivre 150 + Brimont 152 + The "Cavaliers de Courcy" 156 + La Neuvillette 158 + + THIRD ITINERARY (Morning) 160-165 + Bourgogne--Fresnes 161 + Witry-les-Reims 162 + Nogent l'Abbesse--Beine--Berru 164 + + FOURTH ITINERARY (Afternoon) 166-174 + The Butte-de-Tir 167 + The Fort de la Pompelle 168 + Alger Inn 169 + Verzenay 172 + +[Illustration: HERMONVILLE PORCH] + + +PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON + +XII--2,116-8-19-25 + + + + +BEAUTIFUL FRANCE + + * * * * * + +NORMANDY. + + +Land of rich pastures and fashionable watering-places, Normandy may +truly be said to have been "favoured by the gods." Her fertile soil, +famous breeds of horses and cattle, picturesque sites, and renowned +sea-bathing coast have made Normandy one of France's most flourishing +provinces. Numerous splendid monuments evoke in the tourist's mind +reminiscences of a glorious past. + +No region has been more lavishly adorned by Nature. Its mountain +landscapes have caused it to be surnamed "La Petite Suisse." Among the +more interesting places may be mentioned =Bagnoles-de-l'Orne=, with its +famous mineral-water springs; =Rouen=, with its celebrated cathedral, +churches of St. Ouen and St. Maclou, Palais-de-Justice, and port (which +the war has transformed into one of the most important in Europe); +=Caen=--"Norman Athens"--with its Romanesque churches, Renaissance +mansions, and ancient houses; the great cathedrals of =Sées=, =Evreux=, +=Bayeux=, and =Coutances=; the feudal ruins of =Arques=, +=Château-Gaillard= and =Falaise=; the Abbeys of =Jumièges= and =St. +Wandrille=; the mediaeval narrow winding streets of =Lisieux=. + +Numerous sea-side resorts: =Dieppe=, =St. Valéry=, =Fécamp=, =Entretat=, +=Le Hâvre=, and =St. Adresse=, =Honfleur=, =Trouville=, =Deauville=, +=Villers=, =Houlgate=, =Cabourg=, =Cherbourg= and =Grandville= are too +widely known to call for special mention. + +Lastly =St. Michael's Mount= (surnamed the "Marvel of the West"), with +its extraordinary pyramid of superimposed Gothic monastery and Churches, +built on a rock in the middle of a deep bay. + + * * * * * + +_All enquiries with regard to travelling should be addressed to the +"Touring Club de France," 65, Avenue de la Grande Armée 65, Paris._ + + + + +MICHELIN TOURING OFFICES + + * * * * * + + =MICHELIN TYRE Co., Ltd., LONDON= + Touring Office :: 81, Fulham Road, S. W. + + =MICHELIN & Cie, CLERMONT-FERRAND= + Touring Office :: 99, Bd. Péreire, PARIS + +[Illustration (Ad)] + +_Why ask the Way, when...._ + +[Illustration (Ad)] + +_... Michelin will tell you free of charge?_ + + * * * * * + +Drop a line, ring us up, or call at one of our Touring Offices and you +will receive a carefully worked out description of the route to follow. + + + |----------------------------------------------------------------| + | Hotels and Motor-Agents | + | at RHEIMS | + | | + | Information extracted from the MICHELIN GUIDE (1919)* | + |================================================================| + | Key to Arbitrary Signs | + | | + | [...] Comfortable hotels with modern | + | or modernised installation. | + | [=CC=] Central Heating. | + | [=L=] Electric Light. | + | [=B=] Bath-room. | + | [=W=C] Modern W.C.'s. | + | [=T=] 104 Telephone number. | + | Gar. [=2=] {Accommodation for auto- | + | Shed [=3=] {mobiles, and the number | + | Shelter [=4=] {which can be put up. | + | adj. Adjoining the hotel. | + | =Compressed Air= {Depôt for "bouteille | + | {d'air Michelin" for | + | {inflation of tyres. | + | [...] Repair shop. | + | _Agt for_ Manufacturer's agent. | + | [=3=] Garage and number of cars it will hold. | + | =U= Inspection pit. | + | [=E=] Petrol (gasoline) can be obtained here. | + | [=E""=] Accumulators can be recharged here. | + | [=A-A=] Agt. for the "British Automobile Association." | + | | + |---------------------- =HOTELS= ---------------------------- | + | | + | Grand Hotel (Temporary Annex), _50, rue Clovis_, [=L=][=WC=]. | + | Hôtel du Nord, _73 and 75, Place d'Erlon_, | + | [=L=][=WC=] adj. Shed [=3=] [=T=] =6-14=. | + | Hôtel Continental,_93, Place d'Erlon_, | + | [=L=][=WC=] Gar.[=2=] [=U=] Shelter [=4=][=T=] =147=. | + | | + |------------------ =REPAIR MECHANICS= ---------------------- | + | | + | -- STOCK MICHELIN (Compressed Air), | + | =Vve. A. Mathieu=, _26, rue Buirette_. | + | _Agt for_: de Dion, Renault, | + | [=60=] [=U=] [=E=] [=E"=] [=T=] =5-06=. | + | -- STOCK MICHELIN (Compressed Air), | + | =E. Devraine=, _Pl. Colin and 220, rue de | + | Vesle_, [=50=] [=U=] [=E=] [=E"=] [=A-A=] [=T=] =6-16=. | + | -- STOCK MICHELIN, =Auto-Electro-Mécanique Lemaire=, _10, rue | + | Hincmer, near the Cathedral_, | + | [=20=] [=U=] [=E=] [=E"=] [=T=] =2-77=. | + | -- Garage Central, L. Jeannon, _57, rue des Capucins_, | + | [=40=] [=U=] [=E=] [=E"=]. | + | -- Jacques d'Anglemont de Tassigny, _181, rue de Vesle_, | + | [=10]= [=U=] [=E=]. | + | -- Auto-Palace (de Balliencourt), _35, rue de Bétheny_, | + | [=10=] [=U=] [=E=] [=E"=]. | + | -- Gaston Etienne, _11, rue Chanzy_, [=10=] [=U=] [=E=]. | + | -- M. Triquenot & Cie, _9, rue des Moissons_, [=3=] [=E=]. | + | -- E. Caënen, _8, rue Heidsieck_, [=3=] [=E=]. | + | -- Brouard & Colmart, _20, rue de Savoye_, [=4=] [=E=]. | + | -- Dieudonné, Cycles, _53, rue de Mars_. | + | -- Doyen Fréres, Cycles, _52, rue de Céres_. | + | -- Guérard, Cycles, _81, rue de Neuchâtel_. | + | -- Boissel, Cycles, _122, bis rue de Gambetta_. | + | -- Siron, Cycles, _80, Avenue de Laon_. | + | | + | -------------- =CAR MANUFACTURERS= ----------------------- | + | | + | -- Panhard-Levassor Works, _83, rue Ernest-Renan_. | + | -- Société des Automobiles Brasier Works, _2, rue de Sillery_. | + | | + |----------------------------------------------------------------| + | | + |* _The above information dates from June 1st, 1919, and may no | + |longer be exact when it meets the reader's eye. Tourists are | + |therefore recommended to consult the latest edition of the | + |"Michelin Guide to France" (English or French), before setting | + |out on the tour described in this volume._ | + | | + |----------------------------------------------------------------| + | | + | THE MICHELIN TOURING OFFICE | + | at 81, Fulham Road, Chelsea, LONDON, | + | S.W. 3, will be pleased to furnish | + | motorists with advice and information | + | free of charge. | + | | + | _Special itineraries free, on request._ | + | | + |----------------------------------------------------------------| + +[Illustration: (two ads)] + + + * * * * * + + + Transcriber's notes + +Errors of punctuation and diacritics have been repaired. + +Notations: =bold face text=, _italic text_. + +Hyphens removed: "day[-]break" (page 32), "master[-]piece" (page 50), +"net[-]work" (page 167), "wood[-]work" (pages 72, 144, 146). + +Hyphens added: "key-stones" (page 132), "pre[-]historic" (page 18), +"timber[-]work" (page 85). + +The following words appear once each with and without hyphens and have +not been changed: "day[-]break", "hand[-]rail", "iron[-]work", +"stone[-]work". + +Page 9: "Witry-les-Rheims" changed to "Witry-les-Reims". + +Page 13: "seperate" changed to "separate" (On three separate occasions). + +Page 23: "helmet" changed to "helmets" (They were supplied with helmets). + +Page 55: "railling" changed to "railing" (wrought-iron railing). + +Page 79 (caption): "of" added (supposed to be likenesses of). + +Page 136: "roads" changed to "road" (The road turns abruptly). + +Page 147: "Villers-Farnqueux" changed to "Villers-Franqueux". + +Page 156: "Germas" changed to "Germans" (re-taken by the Germans). + +Page 157 (caption of photo): "BÉTHANY" changed to "BÉTHENY". + +Page 161: "earthern" changed to "earthen" (earthen ramparts). + +Page 164 (title), page 176 (TOC): "l'Abesse" changed to "l'Abbesse". + +Page 167: "per-war" changed to "pre-war" (retained its pre-war aspect). + +Page 172: "Heidsick" changed to "Heidsieck" (champagne-wine firm of +Heidsieck). + +Note: All the above errors except for those on pages 9, 161, 172 were +corrected in the 1920 edition of the book. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Rheims and the Battles for its +Possession, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RHEIMS *** + +***** This file should be named 36885-8.txt or 36885-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/8/8/36885/ + +Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. 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