The Tomahawk., 1917-08-02

fragments. Later still followed the
interesting group Of domestic and mu.
nicipal architecture.
1t is probably no accident that 1T
should have come into being In that
same fifteenth century which saw
Bourges for brief space once more at
the center Of the nations affairs.
During the paralysis Of the capital and
of the kingdom at large through In
ternal discOrd and foreign invasion,
the remnants Of national force gath
cred themselves together into the CEN
trail province before the final effort to
recover the lost ground.
The unity of the kingdom once more
assured and the royal authority ex-
tended the court abandoned Bourges
forever for the pleasant banks of the
Loire and the more stirring life of
Paris, and the old provincial city-not
situated on main artery Of traffic ell
Their then or after the advent Of rail-
ways-sank back into secondary
plane. 1t lived on, not wholly I'M
eventually; for during the wars Of re-
ligion it suffered many things-havoc
wrought on the cathedral by Mont
gomery's Huguenots, and bloodthirsty
st. Bartholomew reprisals; yet in the
main Il quiet, unexciting existence.
How Hotel de Vile Was Built.
It is somewhat remarkable that up
to the period to which our subject be.
longs so important city as Bourges.
and one SO given to building, should
have remained without hotel de
Vile. But such Is the fact, and the
city fathers were content to hold their
meetings in church chapel known rs
GA COmtale" from it's foundation by
one of the counts of Berry. This
church was damaged and it's chapel de-
stroyed in 1887 by one of those de-
vastating fires so common in medieval
towns, whose timber houses, crowded
in narrow and tortuOus streets, offered
such ready food for the flames. The
whole northern quarter Of the city,
which was then reduced to ashes, was
promptly rebuilt, and the municipal
authorities seized upon this opportu-
nifty to house themselves worthily. The
original building Of the hotel de vile
standing at the back Of the court and
still substantially intact was then
erected. In the sixteenth century i'm
portant additions were made.
The building is rectangular, contain
ing one long and one square room on
each of it's two floors, and an OctagOnal
stair tower projecting into, the court
to connect them. The last forms the
principal feature in the elevation, and
on it were lavished the richest decOra-
tive efforts. This tower was originally
surmounted by an open story, or ''bel-
videre," to which the now useless tur-
ret stairs led, and which provided a
point of observation over the town,
useful for the detection Of incipient
fires. This was removed during res
toration and replaced by the present
cornice and cOnical roof.
The great hall within has a richly
nodded timber ceiling and is adorned
by noble stone chimneypiece. On it's
mantel q frieze Of quatrefoil lozenges
is decorated in every panel with a
belled sheep (Brebis chrinee) repeat
ed from the arms which the city took
Slolh anu "liSA "CAS
once carved on the central shield sup
ported by shepherd and sherpherdess.
1t was not till the middle of the seven
teenth century that Bourges was
granted by royal patent the privilege
of bearing three fleurs de lys in chief
like several other cities-Abbeville.
for instance. Above the frieze dainty
birds perch among the sprays of a
crisply cut wreath of thistle, and high
er still the masonry yet bears the
traces Of the lilies of France consci-
entiously obliterated by some repub-
lican enthusiast.