The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-22
NOTRE DAME.
THE CHANGES THAT THE GREAT CA,
THEDRAL OF FRANCE HAS
UNDERGONE.
"A Temple to Juplter-A Christian Church
and n Fortress Some Of the Curl
Osities Of NOtre Danes Treasury.
Especial Correspondence of tho Democrat

Oslties Of NOtre Danes treasury.
Especial Correspondence of tho Democrat
PARIS, November %, 1873
On little island of the Seine, called lie de
In Cite stands one OF the noblest monuments
OF the Middle Ages. The Hotel Dieu, that
elegant palace for the sick at Paris; the
PaIais de Justice, beneath whose roof more
life-romances are unraveed than ever novel
list ever dreamed; the Morgue, whose gloomy
recesses draw curious virtue and pryng life to
the contemplation Of crime ended by death
the Ste ChapeIle, that glowing gem of archi-
tectural llghtness and grace; the Concler-
gerie, where Marie Antonette wept her
beautiful eyes dim In prison, all look up to
its majestic towers-yet, doctor and lawyer,
curiosity and religious enthusiast,
even the historian himself, forgets these In
viewing the slender spires Of Notre Dame, and
turns from them to the cathedral even as an
artist turns from q modern picture gallery
to the treasures Of long ago-from Landseer
to Leonardo di Vinci, from Dore to Michael
Angelo.
THE NOTRE DAME
OF to-day was three centuries in building, and
consequently displays the characteristic
styles of the twelfth, thirteenth and four
teenth centuries; yet it's existence must not
be measured by paltry GOO years; It's actual
foundation lies In those remote times whose
chronicles the pen leaves almost untouched.
Some stones found in ITO would lead to the
supposition that the original church was
erected on the site Of q temple Of Jupiter. 1t
would thus out-date the French monarchy
itself. Indeed, tradition makes st. Denis, the
first Bishop Of Paris, lay the foundation stone
OF this Christian sanctuary in the third CEN
fury OF our era. The actual Notre Dame was
commenced in 1857.
We do not, in these days Of photography
pretend to give full description Of one OF
the wonders of France To say that 1t is 800
feet In length, IA feet In width ut the tran
seps and 1902 feet from the floor to the vault
ing OF the roof; that it is supported by 297
pillars and lighted by 113 windows; that its
towers are 205 feet high and built in 50 heavy
a style as to prevent their completion
gives but slight Idea OF the vast
structure. Neither can we express the de-
light antiquarians must take In tracing the
luxurant ornamentation of the three grand
portals of It's facade; the curious statues, all
in straight row. of twenty-seven French
y,
ranged in the first gallery; the Virgin Adam
and Eve In the second, the thirty-four elegant
columns Supporting the balustrade Of the
third, nor the Grand Ross in that same IA
cade the only glass that survived the wreck
of 1893. Our intention is to eOniine ourselves
more particularly to the historic events that
must ever hold US in thrall quite as much as
the light and elegant buttresses Of the Old
Cathedral.
During the first French revolution all reli-
gion was abolished. The Old and New Testa-
ments were burned. The churches were con-
yerted into places Of blasphemous riot and
reyelry. Rousseau and Votaire became the
prophets OF the nation. Dotre Dame, where
SO recently Louis NV, the Absolute, had
chanted magnificent re Deums for his sham
victories, now became
THE TEMPLE OF REASON.
Within its walls was reared q mound on
which was planted flaming torch, the torch
OF Truth. On its grand altar was Installed
the Goddess of Reason in the person of a
member Of the Opera ballet troupe. The lat
ter having demonstrated against her enforced
honors, was told II she did not accept them
she would he treated as a simple mortal. so,
while the torch Of truth burned bright, while
a procession of lewd women clothed In white
garments and bearing aloft brilliant fam
beaux, deiiled before it, while the busts of the
noted materiaists Of the century looked
blankly on, the sacriiegious'erow came and
bent the knee to the Goddess Of Reason, Miss
Maillord, the ballet dancer. The music Of the
Republican Guards dscoursed the songs OF
Andre Chcnier, where the solemn organ tones
had pealed forth in sacred harmony.
AN ASS ADoRNDED WITH MITRE AND Gown
took the place of the bishop. statue OF
Liberty. by order Of the Commune, replaced
the Virgins. celebrated comedian called
on God. IL he really existed, to strike hiEl
dead. In all this the people only followed the
example of their chief pastor the Bishop OF
Paris, who solemnly renowned the Christian
religion at the bar of the Commune. Notre
Dame. with all its archaeological museum
was almost doomed through the fanaticsn
OF these recreants. Orders We're given for 1T
total destruction. They were revoked only
after the flames had commenced their work,
at the earnest solicitation Of Channel. WhC
found in
1.-THE ZODIAC OF THE VIRGIN
where the latter figures as Ceres, an argu-
ment against its demolition. For science,
art and abstract moraiity-ev everything, in
fact, which savored of ancient Greece or