Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-08-23
NOTES OF TRAVEL.

Special Cores pnndence oil GnHettc MN dou'"'"
Rouen, France, Aug, >. Yesterday
We seemed to step back into the Middle
Ages by visit 10 the cloister that ad.
Joins the beautiful little church OF
Saint Maclou. 1t is not set down IN
laedeker and most visitors have never
heard Of IL, yet it is one CT the quaintest
places in Rouen. II is now a charity
school and little children run to and lro
while nuns in gray gowns and WIDE
white head dresses move slowly among
them or gather them into classes in the
galleries that surround great court
yard that was once cemetery. IL was
opened ut the time of the Black
Death and the horror of the time
is expressed in a series Of morbid
imaginings, the Dnnse Maeabre, or
Danes of death, which is carved on tho
timbers Of the gallery. IN which,
though mutilated and defaced. can be
family traced Death dancing with men
OF all ages and conditions, or clutch
ing them by the sleeve to hurry them
into the ever-hungry sepulchre. This
thought, that the rich must suffer as
we'll, seemed tho only consolation OF
the poor. In tho covered galleries tho
richer citizens were buried while into
the open space between were flung tho
poor who had gone through life IN
misery and who found in death an I'm.
distinguished and promiscuous grave.
On the beams above the gallery are
carved skulls, bones and spades. Under
these grim embems the children play,
unloading, from long acquaintance.
In the churchyard once stood q tall
lonely shaft with q tiny belfry at its
summit that rang at midnight to call
the wandering ghosts to rest. This was
tie Lantern OF the Dead, and at its
base was small slab where offerings
were placed at mis- bit by the brotherhood
whose duty it was to bury the dead.
Similar lanterns still stand in many
county churchyards throughout France.
On emerging from the cloister we
were not rudely dropped back into the
present century for walk along the
neighhoring streets continues the
illusion that We have turned back
many ages There are old houses above
whose doors is carved the calling of
their former owner, or some legend, as
that of the oaparisoned horse, without
q rider, that hurried back across the
bridge to tell that bis master had peen
murdered. Old timbered houses with
projecting upper story almost touching
their neighbOrs across the narrow
street. The upper story of oEe recedes
as il recoiling from SUCH close contact
while pale revolving ihces looked out
at us from high windows OF narrow
closes where ray of sunlight could
never penetrate. Many of the streets
Of Rouen have been widened and
Strengthened into the likeness OF a
modern city hut more still remain
where one must dart into doorway to
escape crushing by passing cart. One
| of the famous old houses Is the Maisop
Bouetheroulde built in 1920. Around
the walls of the courtyard Is series OF
base- relisfs carved on the stones which
have great historic as well as artistic
value, for they record with evident
accuracy the splendid pageant of tho
Field Of the Cloth OF Gold. They have
the value of oontemporaneous work.
manshir, und must have been made
under tho authority Of an eyewitness
of the famous meeting between Francis
First of France and Henry the Eighth
Of England, for the owner Of the
house, Able d. Aumale, was in the
employ Of Francis First. The story is
told in series of panels that represeni
the meeting of the kings. 10th mer
and horses wear great feathered plumes
and the men on foot have circular
hoaddress of feathers like an aureole.
| 1t is easy to bslieve the testimony of q
contemporary writer who says, ''Many
of the Frenohmen carried the price OF
woodland, watermill and pasture on
their backs. yet the taste CT the English
| who had not spont so much produced
| as splendid an effect as the gorgeous
array of the FRENCH II is still DOS.
| sible to discover on the moulding
stone a trace at least of everything
that was originally there. Higher uI
on the wall is frieze repf esenting the
| Triumph of Petrafoh, and series OF
most entertaining rural scenes orna.
ment nm exquisite tower that Joins the
| facade to the main gallery.
To steep ourselves still further in
antiquity we next climbed 70 the ,or
| of the town bolfry whore hangs the
famous old bell, ''Rouvel," loved by
all citizens OF Rouen as we love GU,
| Liberty Bell. It was hung in 1850 and
saved the town in liza by calling 10.
| gefber its oitizens during the siege By
Louis VII. In 1881 it rang fol the
famous revolt OF the "Harelle'' and
went ON ringing all the time the town
was "up." Ii was reported to have
had once silver voice but seems to
have grown hoarse from ringing CSC
strokes at ourfew each night as it does
still, and has done all of these years,
besides proclaiming elections, festival.
and fires. The belfry is q part of an
\ ancient Luilding, the jewel of Rouen,
the Crosse Harloge. Over an archway
crossing the street is the immense face
of an ancient clock, placed there IN
the Middle Ages, one OF the oldest two
clocks in France. Its face was carved
| in the time of Francis /, with this
Good Shepherd and his lambs. Alto.
| gether 1t is beautiful and interesting
centre of the town; its guardian, psllic
from living SO long within the thioA
stone walls, takes n loving pride il
showing the old bell and clock. HI
was pleased with our interest and wher
we left presented us with really fine
and valuable ivory carving, yellow
| with age because, as he said we wer,
"polite Americans instead of rud,
| English. There seems to be settlsc
dislike of the latter, especially amone
the lower Glasses though they cannol
| give any very valid reasons for thei,
distasto; they frequently make tn,
assertion that France will fight Eng
land as soon as the exposition is over.
On the other hand they show desire
to be friendly with Americans as vel
they may to the best patrons of theil
fair. Active officers are stationed al
all the railway stations in Paris anc
elsewhere. | was allowed to pass OF
the simple assurance that my baggag,
contained only clothing but ,Bretol
peasant, who attempted to pass, wa.