The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-11-02
POITIERS, FRANCE.

To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL: 1t
is good to be alive and we'll, in this fair
land of France, in old Poitou, these
bright October days. Poitiers existed
in Druidical times. Since then success
sive ages have come and gone, each
leaving its individual impress. Each
period has its interesting reminders of
day that has passed but glory that
has lived The Dolmen in the far off
field speaks of the Celtic and Gaulish
tribes who worshipped here in the first
ages of humanity. Later came the
heroic days of Charles Martel, who
crushed the Arab forces in 1872, of Philip
Augustus who took this fertile province
from the English, in 1904, Of the fateful
battle of Crecy, in 1916, of the Black
Prince, who took prisoner John the Good,
in 1856, and of Charles V. who annexed
Poitou in 1862 Today Poitiers lies smil-
ingy amid her fields, the seat of a bishop
ric, an academy, university, and a school
of jurisprudence, representative of the
church, letters, science, and the law.
Poitiers is also a garrison town, large
part of the artillery of France being
stationed here. The little streets are
gay with the scarlet stripes and gold
epaulettes of the officers.
Snugly entrenched by the poetic Claim
river, she counts her forty thousand in
habitants, who calmly pursue their way
content with themselves and with the
world. Here were born St. Hilary and
Thibaudeau.
Poitiers' six most celebrated churches
are the Cathedral of St. Pierre, Church
of Notre Dame of St. Hilary, St. Por-
chaire, St. Radegonde, and Montierneuf,
all marvels Of architectural art. The
Cathedral was founded in the ". CEN
fury, on the site of a pagan temple.
Burned by the Normans in 1865, it was
rebuilt in the latter part of the TX. GEN.
fury. The church. as it row stands,
owes its existence to Eleanor Of Aquit-
aine, and her royal spouse, Henry H.,
King of England. 1t was only finished,
however, in the XIV. century. The build
ing is majestic in its proportions, and
possesses some wonderful stained glass
windows of the XII. and XIII. CEN
turtles
In Notre Dame is a curious entomb-
ment of Christ, in marble, the figures
beirg dressed in the ancient Jewish cos
tunes.
The church of St. Hilary belonged
originally to the Abbey of St. Hilary
the Great Pillaged by the Vandals and
the Visigoths in the V. century, it was
restored to its former greatness by the
liberality OF Clovis, as thanksgiving for
his victory over Alaric. In architecture
it resembles the churches of Auvergne,
but its innumerable columns, arches and
pillars, give it the aspect of pagan
temple.
All that is left of the church of St.
Porchare as it originally existed, is the
tower, in the purest style of the XII.
century.
But it is to the church of St. Radegonde
that all eyes are turned on the thirteenth
of August each year. This pious queen
of the merovingianking, Clotaire l., led
most sanity life, worked miracles, did
much for the good of her people, and
early was put upon the Roman calendar.
Her tomb, beneath the choir of the
church. is much venerated. 1t is adorned
with a beautiful marble statue, votive
offering Of Anne of Austria, represented
as St. Radegonde.
Lastly, the Abbey Church of Montier-
neuf, erected at the end of the XII. cen
fury. bv William VI, the Great, Duke of
Aquitaine and Count of Poitou, when he
embraced the nonastic life. The church
was consecrated by Pope Urban H., in
1896. 1t has undergone many changes
since then, been rebuilt, added to, taken
away from, but enough remains to show
its primitive splendor, and grandeur Of
conception.
There are many extremely interesting
old houses in Poitiers, dating back as far
as the k century. One is shown where
Joan of Arc stayed during her four weeks
IN Poitiers, and the house of the famous
Diana of Poitiers is still standing. There
is also the House of the Prevote, which
antlouarians and lovers of art have petit
toned the French government to classify
and repair as national monument. We
stood in raptures before this ancient
house for fully half an hour. The muse
ums here are filled with art treasures,
notably the antique Minerva, which was
unearthed on January 20, 1902, and which
dates from the vi. century, B. C. 1t is
one of the purest specimens of Grecian
art. There is also curious winged
dragon, with wide open jaws, formidable
teeth, and claws like an eagle, which in
alden days, was used in the religious pro-
SESSIONS.
The Bapti5tery of St. Jean is quaint
monument of the ". and V. centuries,
when Orient and Occident in many ways
still met on rommon footinu apd tho