The Portland daily press., 1900-06-13
Jacques Occurs Castle, Now the
Palace Of Justice.
Cave Dwellings Hewn
Out of Granite Hills.
The City Of Nantes and Its
Attractions.
lCorrespondence Of the Press.l

Correspondence Of the Press.)
Basic, Switzerland, May 25th
1t is very much worth ones while to
travel through u good length Of Central
France, just for the purpose OF seeing the
great Cathedral OF Bourges, which stands
on a declivity above the rest Of the town
in silent and sublime grandeur.
There is nothing in Bourges which does
not suggest age-no street nor building
nor market-place of any consequence that
has not behind it great length of days.
Julius Caesar sacked and captured
Bourges % b. G. Afterwards it was
taken by the Visigoths, and Clovis and
Pepin the Short and the Normans held
1t in turn. Louis XII. was born here and
it was the capital of the kingdom in the
time of Charles VII until the deliver
ance of Orleans by Joan of Arc in 1929.
The Cathedral OF Bourges, begun In the
18th century, is perhaps the finest of any
in France outside Of Rheims and Amiens,
II you except the Notre Dame in Paris.
Over the central portal is a wonderfully
elaborate sculpture OF the Last Judg
ment, terrible in allegorical significance.
One of the two towers is not finished and
the other, supported by flying buttre sses,
Is called the Tour de Beurre, because 1t
was built with money given to pay for
indulgences granted or eating butter
during Lent.
When you enter this fine edifice you
are filed not only with the idea of its
simple majesty, but by It's tremendous
height, the effect of which is enhanced by
the fact of its having no transepts. The
side portals contain statues from more
ancient church of the 18th century. There
are double aisles, which with the nave
correspond to the live doors The old
stained glass is finer here than anywhere
else in France, the rose window above
the central portal and one in the apse
making up most. glorious effect.
After the cathedral, the most interest
Ing object in Bourges is the House of
Jacques Occur, now the Palais de JUS
tice. 1t was built against the Roman
ramparts in the latter half of the 10th
century, and the combined effect OF these
towers with the rear of the ediiice is that
of a very extensive medieval castle.
jacques Occur was one of the most
notable characters of the 10Th century.
He was merchant prince and million
aire, and occupied something the position
Of the Rothschilds In the 10Th century.
He was the Minister of Finance to Henry
VII, and supplied him with money to
carry on his campaigns against the Eng
fish. But he finally explated his good
fortune by poverty and imprisonme
The whole story is the picture of might
against right, of the power of the stronger
over the weak. His enemies wishing to
get hold of his immense wealth accused
him of every kind of crime, among
which was the poisoning of Agnes Sorel.
decree was committed at the Pope's in
tercession, to perpetual Punishment, and
after having been stripped Of all his prop
erty he escaped with his life and was sent
by Calixtus Ill. to take command of
fleet which his Holiness was fitting out
against the Turks. But he died on the
Island Of Chios in 1856, soon after the
expedition started. Jacques Occurs cas-
tie gives only small idea of his wealth
and splendor. The court is on large
scale and is ornamented with arcades and
turrets and several beautiful windows,
with sculptures inserted in the wall rep
resenting the sources of the great wealth
of this merchant prince. There are parts
of it which are dellcately carved like lace
work, and over the Gothic porch is a
statue of Charles VII. In the masonry
are two false windows In each of which
Is the form and face of a servant wrought
in stone in realistic attitude, and with
an expectant expression as of looking out
for the return of the master, who went
forth one day and never came back to his
feudal castle.s Jacques Occurs coat of
arms with hearts and scallop shells is
freely interviewer in the decorations and
his motto often appears: "A vaillans
occurs, riens impossible ITO valiant
hearts nothing is impossible.
About fifteen miles from Bourges Is the
small town of Mehunsur- Yevre, which
contains the remnant of an old chateau.
Here Charles VII, in 1861, finished the
downward career which began at the
death of Agnes Sorel. Insanity being in
HIS idiuiiy NC Wds hei1cA WIN u ln'tula
and thought his son, afterwards Louis
NJ, was trying to poison him; according
ly he refused food of every kind until he
died of starvation.
In the vicinity there are stone quarries,
and the queer little villages which lay
along the country as far as the boundaries
of Brittany, are composed for the most
part of houses-cave dwellings, hewn out
of the hillsides of granite. They do not
appear to be dwellings of the poor, <es
signs Of culture are seen IN the pretty
lace window draperies and neatly spread
tables; while there are well dressed
women in the doorways; and interesting
children play in front %. Vhat seems .