The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-09

Rouen makes an immediate appeal TO
the student of history, even to the most
casual student, as the spot where the Eng
dish put Joan of Arc to death by fire. But
the part the city plays has many incl
dents in it's annals of equal consequence,
if not of greater picturesqueness and pity;
and Mr.. Theodore Andrea Cook has made
a very good book indeed of 1.-The Story of
Rouen" published in the Medieval Cities
series. Like London, and like nearly
every other spot in the world known 70
the Romans and suitable for a city site,
there are classica. remains, scanty but
conclusive, underlying the present town;
and there is little doubt that its strategic
value made il a subject for consideration
during those years of fighting in ancient
Gaul of which hardly a tradition survives.
But there is not the slightest question
about its Importance once the fierce Vik
ings had streamed down from the North
and conquered for themselves a home in
SUMMER France Rouen became their cap
ital, and il was from its royal palaces and
abbeys and from the country roundabout
that the company gathered under Will
liam the Conqueror which was destined
to Law England and the Anglo-Saxon I'M
der subsection even more thorough than
the Danes had done in the centuries be-
fore. aIes
From that time on until England lost ali
shadow of real title to the crown of
France Rouen was the center of fierce
fighting renewed year after year. The
English and French strove around the
Norman stronghold and it changed hands
with a frequency which must have con-
fused the nationality of its inhabitants to
the final degree. But the town contrived
to do an excellent business in salt and
other commodities, however troublous the
situation, and this, while it enabled the
citizens to keep alive, also made the rich
err, and so the larger, prize to the success
full warrior. There are some pleasant liz
tie episodes coming down the centuries in
commemoration of older days. The great
Duke of Bedford, for example, took the
Celestin monks under his especial protec-
ton and Charles VII of France increased
their privileges. Among other things, he
took off the taxes which had been levied
on the wine produced in the monastery's
vineyards and this pleasant fact the good
brethren were accustomed to show their
gratitude for by sending the most skill
full OF their number in such matters to
dance and sing before the juicy barrels
every year as they were frundled past the
house of the Kings representative.
It is to the fact that she was such q
bone of contention that Rouen owes the
existence of so many beautiful churches
within her walls. A victory gained and
the victor once inside the city gates. what
more natural than that he should take
part of the resulting treasure trove for
the purpose of erecting a house of wor-
ship to keep in mind both the victory and
his own piety. Yet the city was so dam
aged by repeated beleaguerments that it
has been practically reconstructed since
the year 1475 and most of the eccIesias-
teal structures are of no great age St
Ouen for instance, is the fifth church
dedicated 10 that patron on the site IL
now occupies, who was buried in the sec
ond STR cJuTe as long ago as $780, It's ar
chiteet finally was Jean de Bayeux, whose
name recalls the fact that The tapestries
called Bayeux were largely executed in
Rouen. ST. Ouen's is famous and so is
the cathedral church, but st. Maclous
lacks little or nothing of the reputation
accorded these others. 1t seems curious
10 see the name, for it is undoubtedly
scotch. and the first Maclou in this part
Of the world was born in Scotland and
died in the odor of sanctity in the Sain-
tonee in 5e1. st. Vincent, too, has church
worthy of his great reputation for holiness.
Rut the list is almost interminable.
one of the great boulevards in the
+ou,n one of the many which now mark
tbe situation of the massive walls that
defended the town against Henry V Of
England, is named for Joan of Arc, and
the city will undoubtedly be one long fes-
tivaI when the decree of canonization for
that remarkable personality is finally
granted. For, after all the rest, though
This was the birthplace of the great Cor
nellie though Pascal here invented his
calculating machine and here the great
7 ord Clarendon died, il Is with the maid
on warrior that the fame of Rouen is
most ind.ssolubly bound.