St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-01-11
A REMARKABLE LEGEND.
How Four Celestial Architects Planned
the Cathedral Of Cologne.

the Cathedral 0f Cologne.
Several years before the foundation
stone Of the famous chapel was laid
there lived a man who was far in ad
vance of all his contemporaries in th'
cultivation of human knowledge. Thi
was Albcrtus Magnus, of the Order o
st. Dominic. At this period Conrad Vol
Hochstaden occupied the archi-episcopa
:hrcne at Cologne, and had for some
time bcen engrossed with the thought o
erecting vast and majestic cathedral
With this object in view he caused the
friar to be summoned before him, and
directed him to design a plan for tn
erection of building which should
eclipse in splcndor all then existing
structures.
Albertus cogitated day and night In
his lonely cell over the grand idea
which had been intrusted to him; he
prayed fervently and continuous that
God would assist him. But, notwith-
standing all his meditation and prayer,
mist seemed to enshroud his imag.
nation: no picture that he could re.
duce to shape would present it
self. His heart was bowed down
with anxiety as in the silent
watches of the night he sat immersed
in thought and reflection and yet the
shadOwy outline. Of superb temple
fioated before his mind and seemed to
fill his thoughts. When he was tired
out with the strain or mental exertion,
he would cast himself upon his knees
and implore the Blessed Virgin to as
sist him in his task which he was un-
able to accomplish alone. In this way
weeks passed.
On one occasion, when Albertus had
been sitting by the side of his flickering
lamp. deeply impressed in the construc-
ton of design, after Offering fervent
prayer for help, he became overpowered
with sleep. 1t may have been midnight
when he awoke. His cell was filled
with Heavenly radiance, and the door
leading to the hall Of the monastery
was standing open. Albertus rose in
terror from his seat: it seemed as if a
flash of lightning had passed before his
eyes, and he became aware of four men
dressed in white cassocks entering his
cell, with crowns Of Furnished gold,
glistening like fire, on their heads. Tho
first was grave old man, with long,
flowing white beard covering his breast,
in his hand no held pair of cOmpasses;
the second, somewhat younger in al-
pearance, carried q mason's square;
the third, powerful man, whose
chin was covered with a dark,
curly beard, held rule, and
the fourth, handsome youth with
auburn locks, brought level. They
walked in with grave and solemn tread,
and behind them, in her celestial beau.
ty. came Our Lady, carrying in Eer
righ hand . lily stalk with brightly
cleaning flowers. She made a sign to
her companions, whereupon they pro-
reeded to sketch, with practical hands,
q design in lines Of fire upon the l,are
walls of the cell. The pillars rose on
high. the arches curved to meet them,
and two majestic towers scared into the
and admiration of the
glorious picture thus presented to his
gaze.
AS suddenly as it had appeared, the
vision again vanished, and
Albertus found himself alone: bat the
plan of the splendid edifice, which had
been drawn by the four celestial archi-
tects. under the direction of the Virgin
was traced upon his memory in
lines. Very soon after this
he presented plan Of the Cathedral Of
Cologne to Archbishop Conrad. The
most high-flown aspirations of the
prelate had been surpassed beyond meas
lrer The foundations Of the building
we're soon aftcrward laid, and future
carried on the erection, and
as we now see it, wonder
If the whole world.-N. Y. Catholic
News.