Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-23
4 Firteenth-Century Millionaire.
4 fTruffe H00fBYy


rescue its young.
a Fineenth-Century Millionaire.
Atlantic HOHtbYy.
The cathedral is not the only lion of
Bourges; the house of jacques Cwur is
an object of interest scarcely less posi-
tive. This remarkable man had a very
strange history, and he too was broken"
like the Wretched soldier whom | did not
stay to see. He has been rehabilitated.
however, by an age which does not fear
the lmputatiOn OF paradox. and marble
statue OF hlm ornaments the street i'm
front OF his house. To interpret him ac-
cordinS To this image-a womanish figure
ln long robe and a tUrban. with biz
bare arms, and a dramatic p0se-would
be TO think of him as a kind of tIuculent
suitana. He wore the dress of his period
but his spirit was very modern: he was a
Vanderbilt or ROthschild of the fifteenth
century. lie supplied the ungratefu
Charles ii. with money to pay the troops
who, under the heroic Maid, drove the
English from French soil His house.
which to-day is used as a Palais de Jus
tice. appears to have been regarded at
the time il was built very much as the
residence OF Mr.. Vanderbilt is regarded in
New Y Ork to-day. 1t stands on the edge
Of the hill on which most of the town is
planted, so that, behind, it plunges down
TO a lower level, and if you approach il
ON that side. as | did. 10 come round
to the front Of il you have to ascend a
longish flight of steps. The back. of old.
musthave formed a portion Of the city
wall; at any rate, il offers to view two big
towers. which JOanne saws We're formerly
part of the defense of BOurges. From
TIE lower level of which | speak-the
square in front of the post Olfice-the pal
ace of jacques CWur looks very big and
sH.
i'm front of il. il looks very handsome and
delicate. To this street it presents two
stories and a considerable length Offacade:
and it has. both within and without, a
great deal of curious and beautiful
detail. Above the portal. in the stone
work, are TWO false windows, in which
two figures. man and a woman. appa-
Tently household servants, are represent
ed. i'm sculpture. as looking down into the
street. The effect Is hOmely, vet gro
tesque. and the figures are sufficiently
living 10 make one cOmmiSerate them
for having been condemned, in so dull
town. to spend several centuries at the
window. They appear to be watching for
the return Of their master, who left his
beautiful house one morning and never
came back. The history Of jacques
CWur which has been written by NJ
Pierre Clement IN a volume crowned by
the French Academy, is very wonder
ful and interesting, but | have no
space to 20 into it here. There is no
more curious example, and few more
tragical, Of q great fortune crumbling
from one day to the other, or of the antique
superstition that the gods grow Jealous of
human success. Merchant, millionaire,
banker. ship owner, royal fdyOrite and
Minister of Finance, explorer Of the East
and MOnOpOliSt Of the glittering trade be-
tween that quarter of the globe and his
own. great capitalist who had anticipated
the brilliant operations Of the present
time. he eNpiated his prosperity by power
~. Imprisonment and torture. The OBJ
scure points in his career have been elu-
cidated by NJ. Clement. who has
drawn. moreover, a very vivid picture
of the corrupt and exhausted state
of France during the middle of the fif-
teenth century. He has shown that the
sp0liatiOn of the great merchant was a
deliberately calculated act, and that the
King sacrificed HIM without scruple or
shame to the avidity of a singulaTly vil-
lainOUS set Of cOUrtIerS. The whole story
is an extraordinary picture of high hand
ed FsSacity-the crudest possible asser-
tion of the right of the stronger. The
victim was stripped Of his property. but
escaped with his life, made bis way out
of France. and betaking himself TO Italy,
offered his services To the Pope. 1t is
i'm Europe. sCd of the variety of his ac-
cOmplishments. that CaliXtus Ill.
should have appointed Lim to take
command of fleet which His Holiness
was fitting out against the Turks. Jacques
Cour, however, was not destined to
lead il t. victory. He died shortly after
theeXpeditiOn had started, in the island
of ChiOg, in 1856. The house Of BOurges.
his native place. testiHes in some degree
To his wealth and spiendOr. though il has
i'm parts that want of space which is
striking in many of the buildings of the
middle aces. The court. indeed. is on n
large scale. 0rnamented with turrets and
arcades. with several beautiful windows
with sculptures inserted Ih The walls,
representing the various sources OF the
great fortune OF the owner. u. Pierre
Clement describes this part Of the house
as having been of an 'iiHeQmpGr0bie
FirbeSS6'-an estimate Oiits charms which
seem slightly exaggerated to-day. There
is however. something delicate
and familiar ID tEC baS-reliefs of which l
have spoken, liitie scenes % agriculture
and industry. which show that the pr0prie-
tor was not ashamed Of calling attention
To his haryesUs and enterprises. To-day we
should question the taste Of such allu-
sions. even in plastic form, in the house
of d -merchant prince" say in the Fifth
aveuuej. Why is it. therefore, that these
quaint little panels ct sOurges do not dis.
please us: Ii is, perhaps, because things
very ancient never, for some mysterious
reason. appear vulgar. This fifteenth
centssrv millionaire, with his palace, his
aut0biogTaplical sculptures, may have
produced that impression on some critical
spirits of his own dag.