The herald., 1893-02-19
NORMAN CHURCHES.
SEVERAL SPECIMENS OF EARLY NOR
MAN ARCHITECTURE.

Castles, Churches and Tombs Built by
William the Conqueror and His Wife.
They Remain Today Pure Examples OF
Simple Grandeur in Building.
It was to hold his own against them and
10 keep his rebellious subjects In order
that William built the great castle at
Caen. William was not legitimate son
aud had no legitimate claim to the throne.
He was not even hiahbor at least on his
mothers side, and on his fathers side he
was the son of murderer; yet he proved
to be one Of the most able rulers of his
time, and not only governed with great
success the duohy of Normandy, but con-
quered and administered all England.
From William the Conqueror we have
the Domesday book and the feudal system
which constitute the foundation Of our
English aristocracy. How the aristocratic
idea can have sprung out of so unaristo-
cratic an origin is one Of those anomalies
which plentifully characterize our social
institutions.
The castle of Caen, like the Tower of Lon
don, though commenced by William the
Conqueror, was not finished by him. 1t
was Henry / of England who completed
this fortress when after some fighting he
firmly united the duchy of Normandy to
the throne of England. The town of Caen
thus fortified has been foughtfor, attacked
and pillaged on many occasions.
In 1916 it was pillaged by Edward III Of
England, and again in 1417 by Henry ".
The French, led by the brave Dunois, took
the town back in 1850, and then the Duke
of Somerset, with 1900 English soldiers
who had taken refuge in the castle, had to
capitulate. After the wars between the
English and the French ceased the Protes-
tants and the Catholics fought for posses
sion of the town, and it was taken by the
Protestants in 1869 and not given up till
the peace Of Amboise. During the great
revolution Caen was q center of the
Girondist party, and it was from Caen that
Charlotte Corday started for Paris to as
sassinate Marat.
In spite of all these broils, wars and
troubles the two churches built the one
by William the Conqueror, the other by
Matilda, his wife, remain still as mag
nificent specimens of the early Norman
architecture. st. Estienne, or the Mems
abbey, is a most impressive structure. It's
twin octagon towers were built in 1854,
two years before the conquest of England.
One is surprised at the extreme simplicity
of outline when contemplating the church
and these two towers. Yet the great
severity of the line imparts majestic ap.
pearance.
A sense of force and grandeur is engen-
dered. Within the building is somewhat
spoiled by more recent additions. A large
gothic chapel was added in the Fourteenth
century, and, though beautiful in itself, 1t
clashes with the Norman style of the ear
,ier part of the edifice. In front of the high
altar marble slab indicates the spot
where William the Conqueror was buried
e05 years ago.
At the opposite end of the town Trinity
church, or the Ladies' abbey, will be visited
with even more interest. 1t was in the year
of the conquest in 1866 that Matilda, the
wife Of the conauerpr, commenced to build
this church. The church has suffered less
from the outrages of time and has been
very perfectly restored.
Yet the spires on the two square towers
were pulled down, Tor strategical reasons.
in 1850, by Du Guesclin, who was then fight
tna Hg8lnsG CIa1i iyo thy bod. prineo VT ~
Claimed the throne OF Burgundy, and was
one of the most perfdious men OF his time,
What with Charles the Simple, Robert the
Devil, William the Bastard and Charles
the Bad we do not get a very good idea of
the ponarchical principle. However, Queen
Matilda, if we may believe, the eepitaph on
her tombstone, gives a better example.
This will be found immediately behind the
grand altar of tlse Trinity church. The
following are the words
"She loved piety, she consoled the poor,
and, poor herself, found herself only rich SO
as to distribute her wealth among the in
digent. 1t is in consequence of this con-
duct that on Nov. 1, after in the morn
ing, she went to enjoy eternal life"
The church she built and where her re,
mains still slumber is not so vast nor sc
imposing as that which incloses the tomb
Of her royal consort, the conquerer; but il
is more pure in style and much more ele-
CANT. Here, undistufbed, we may admire
the early Norman style of architecture
There is, it is true chapel of the transi
ton epoch to the right of the nave, but II
has to be entered to be seen; it stands well
back and does not mar the general effect.
There is something mysterious and awe
inspiring about this Norman style of arch;.,
lecture. 1t takes us back into the Dark
Ages. There is an absence of ornamental
tion, simplicity of design, combined with
q ittNiO WIlCu 10 ll1lpOSlilR, UluJcS-
tic, and yet clearly shows that the refine
ments of life were not yet developed The
stones speak with the voice OF history. One
understands better the Norman period
from viewing these Norman buildings.
Then when from these Eleventh century
churches we proceed to view St. Pierre,
built in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth cen
turies, we grasp at once the glories OF
gothic art. Around us in the streets
there are also many beautiful private
houses and mansions, built in the Thii-
teenth, the Fourteenth and the Fifteenth
and well preserved We get
some idea of the picturesque aspect OF n
medieval city and sigh for those happy
times when artisans were artists, when the
workman knew every department of his
trade, when there was no subdivision of
labor, when there was little or no ma
chinery, when worknen became masters
in their turn, when shoddy was unknown,
when time was Of no great value, when
years could be devoted over one piece Of
work, and when the most beautiful, the
most artistic buildings the world possesses
were raised, which, with all the machinery
and all the wealth Of the Nineteenth cen
tury, we cannot initiate or reproduce.
Philadelphia Telegraph.
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