The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1918-02-09


Coucy RACED to the ground,
bombed by the fleeing enemy.
This was the brief, bald
cOmmunique which struck q blow to
French hearts second only in force to
that delivered by the shower Of steel
rained for two years and half on the
famous cathedral at Reims, writes
Blanche McManus In the Chicago Her
aid.
It was the spring before that sum-
mer clOudburst Of war. We had opened
that day for the first reading the "hal-
ladies' Franchises" Of that eccentric
and celebrated poet Of the quarter"
Legitimate successor Of him who gave
lame to the long-departed Cafe Procope
Paul Fort; opened it, too, at his
adorable musical tribute dedicated to
this same grand old Chateau de COucy.
Built some 600 years ago by a
naughty seigneur by the name Of En-
guerrand. third Of the line of Coucy.
1t was handed down for two centuries.
Then q royal Louis Of the reigning Or
leans family, who evidently had pref
ty taste in castles, having just built
Its splendid rival, the neighb0ring
Chateau de Pierrefonds (als0 In the
zone des armees but not yet iberated).
bought 1t for 100000 livres tournois, a
unit of reckoning comparable to the
franc Of today.
After the usual martial viclssitudes
Of the times Cardinal Richelieu. in the
seventeenth century. gave the fabric
ts hrst hard knock by ordering 1t dis
mantlad rs fortress Of the time. But
Its mighty walls resisted well, although
the interior was Quilted. Thereafter its
neighborhood. and 1t Is easy to see that
the solid houses Of the little town hud-
ding about the walls were built chiefly
Of its stones. Some sixty years ago
it entered into the public domain OF
the French government. who commits
stoned the great French architect, Vic.
lette-le-Duc, master Of modern Gothic,
to restore It to the extent Of CONSOLE
dating Its stately shell against further
disintegration; then. too, 1t came to be
officially classed as a monument his.
toriQue and remained the most splen.
did feudal bastile of all Europe and
a Joy and marvel to the eyes Of all
who came within its spell.
Everything Within IL Wails.
So much for history. Now for its
. reality, at least up to q few months
ago. The Chateau OF Coucy is the
most perfect example Of the self-con.
tanned mode of existence on earth and
should make the committing suburban.
lite blush for his wandering life. Every.
thing for the requirements Of the
jewellers within was held also within
Its mighty grip. surrounded by Its four
towering stories Of defenses, taller In
their ensemble than many q cathedral
spire. First the encircling outer wall,
behind which In the old days lived the
serfs in their wooden huts. but today
inclosing the sleepy little village 80
typical Of northern France. There
was q rampant promenade, along
which we followed, punctuated with
the thirty-two tours Of other days. and
with but three gateways. one leading
to Laon. one to scissors, one to
Chauny, all of them towns which are
making rapid history at this moment.
Here were gathered the tiny shops,
the markets where provisions were
brought from where they were grown
In the fields below the walls.
Next the second ring of walls, sur
rounded by q deep moat opening only
at one massive gateway. We crossed
its drawbridge. still hung by the rusty
chains Of other days These inclosed
the working parts Of the chateau. an
orchard and q quaint formal garden
IN which the family took their airings.
Circled about were the stables, retain
ers quarters, guardhouses. armory,
poultry gard, dairy. the falconry, cell
lara st0reroom6. dtehens and oil the
g