The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-09-27
Arifteenth -uouturv Millionaire.

9 A Fifteenth Century Millionaire.
as The cathedral not the only lion o,
Bourges; the house Of Jscqnes Ceur 10
an object of Interest scarcely less posi-.
tive. This remarkable man had very
strange history, and he too was ''bro.
ken," like the ,wretched soldier. whom
did not stayto sec Heshasb been rehabil.
itated. however, by an age which does
not fear the imputation of paradox, and
q marble statue Of him ornaments the
street in front of his house. To inter.
pref him according to his image-s
womanish figure in a long robe and
turban, with big bare arfAs and drae
matte pose-W0uld be to think of him a:
kind OF truculent sultaaa He wore
the dress of his period, but his spirit was
very modern; he was a Vanderbilt Oh
Rothsehild of the fifteenth century He
supplied the ungrateful Charles VII
with money to pay the troops who, un,
der the heroic Maid, drove the English
from French soil. His house, which to.
day is used as Palais de Justice, ap.
pears to have been regarded atthe time
it was built very much as the residence
of Mr.. Vanderbilt is regarded, in New
York, to-day. 1t stands on the edge OF
the hill on which most of the town il
planted, so that, behind, it plunges down
to lower level, and. nyou approach il
on that side, as did, to come round tc
the front of it you have to ascend
longish flight OF steps. The back, OF
old, must have formed Q portion of the
city-wall; at any rate, It offers to view
formerly part of the defense Of Bourges,
fh<, 1ouo - rxrhf II
the square in front Of the post Office
the palace of Jacques Ceur1 looks very
big and strong and feudal; from the
upper street, in front of 1t, it looks very
handsome and delicate. To this street
it presents two stories and q considerable
length of facade; and it has, both with.
In and without, a great deal of curious
and beautiful detail. Above the portal.
In the stonework, are two false windows
In which two figures, man and wo-
man, apparently household servants,
are represented, in sculpture, as looking
down into the street. The effect is
homely, yet grotesque, and, the figure:
are sufficiently living to make one com.
miserate them for having been con-
demned, in so dull q town, ,~to spend
several centuries at the window. They
appear to be watching for the return o.
their master, who left his beautiful house
one morning. and never came back
'fhe history of Jacques Ceur, which
has been written by M. Pierre Clement,
in volume crowned by the French
Academy, is very wonderful and inter
esting, but have no space to 90 into il
here. There is no more curious exam.
pie, and few more tragical, of great
fortune crumbling from one day to the
other, or of the antique superstition thai
the gods grow jealous of human success
Merchant, millionaire, banker, ship
owner, royal favorite and minister OF
finance, explorer of the East and monop-
olist of the glittering trade between
that quarter of the globe and his own,
great capitalist who had anticipated
the brilliant operations of the present
time, he expiated his prosperity BY pov.
erty. imprisonment and torture. The
obscure points in his career have been
elacidated by M. Clement who has
drawn, moreover, 3 very vivid picture
of the corrupt and exhausted state OF
France during the middle of the fifteenth
century. He has shown that the spolia-
tion OF the great merchant was q aeliber
ately calculated act, and that the king
sacrificed him without scruple or shame
to the avidity of singularly villainous
set of oourtiers. The whole story is an
extraordinary picture of high-handed
rapacity-the crudest possible assertion
of the right of the stronger. The victim
was stripped of his property, but es.
capped with his life, m ade his way out
of France, and, -betaking himself to
Italy, offered his services to the Pope.
1t is proof of the consideration that he
enjoyed In Europe, and of the variety
of his accomplishments, that Cslixtus
Ill. should have appointed him to take
command of fleet which his Holiness
was fitting out against the Turks
Jacques Cpur, however. was not des-
tined to lead 1t to victory. He died
shortly after the expedition had started.
in the island of Chios. in 1456. The
house at Bourges, his native place, testi-
fes in some degree to his wealth and
splendor, though 1t has in parts that
want of space which is striking In many
of the buildings of the Middle Ages.
The court, indeed, is on large scale,
ornamented with turrets and arcades.
with several beautiful windows, and
with sculptures inserted in the walls,
representing the various sources of the
great fortune of the owner. M. Pierre
Clement describes this part of the house
as having been of an .'iaeo4npGrGbLs
richesse"-an estimate of Its charms
which seems slightly exaggerated to-
day. There is, however, something
delicate and familiar In the bas-reliefa
of which have spoken, little scenes OF
agriculture and industry, which show
that the proprietor was not ashamed Of
calling attention to his harvests and
enterprises. To-day we should question
the taste of such illusions, even in plas.
tic form, In the house of ''merchans
prince (say In the Fifth Avenue).
Why is 1t, therefore. that these quaint
little panels at Bourges do not displeasa
us? 1t is perhaps because things very
ancient never, for some mysterious
reason, appear vulgar. This fifteenth.
century millionaire, with his palace.
his photographed sculptures, may
have produced that impression on some
critical spirits of his own day.-HeHry
.Xnanee S4a Sp91feA11hpr dEZ01f1e ..,ss