Rheims and the Battles for its Possession Part 5

Of the two fine statues on the top of the b.u.t.tresses framing the Central door, only the right-hand one (=Solomon=) exists to-day; the other, representing the =Queen of Sheba=, was destroyed by a sh.e.l.l in September, 1914, except the head, which was saved.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEFT-HAND SPLAYING AND LINTEL OF THE CENTRAL DOOR (_Cliche LL._)]

=The Right-Hand Door=

_See photograph on p. 25._

On the lintel, =Saint Paul=, blind, is being led to Ananias, who restores his sight and baptizes him.

On the jambs are pretty little figures which have been variously interpreted. The majority represent vices and virtues, _e.g. on the inner portion_: =Courage=, in knightly raiment; =Cowardice= fleeing before a hare; =Charity= holding out a purse; =Avarice= with a cash-box; _on the outer portion_: =Pride= blasted and overthrown with his horse; =Sloth=, represented as a man seated with his head resting on his elbows, in a stall; =Wisdom= seated, holding a book and a lighted lamp.

On the same jambs other figures are supposed to symbolise the seasons: =Autumn= sitting on a vine-trellis; =Winter= standing before a fire place; =Spring= in the midst of flowers; =Summer= with bared chest.

[Ill.u.s.tration: RIGHT-HAND SPLAYING OF THE RIGHT-HAND DOOR _The two central figures have been decapitated._]

The six statues in the splaying on the right (_photo above_) represent: the aged =Simeon= holding Christ in his arms; =John the Baptist=, =Isaiah=, =Moses= with the brazen serpent and the tables of the Law; =Abraham= about to sacrifice Isaac; =Samuel= carrying a lamb (which has been broken). They differ by their more archaic style from the other sculptures of the lower facade, and closely resemble those of the central door of the north transept of the Cathedral of Chartres. Like the latter, they date without doubt from the beginning of the 13th century. Possibly they belonged to an earlier doorway, or were prepared in advance for a purpose not realised, being finally utilised in the place where they now stand.

The =Last Judgment=, in the gable, was severely damaged by sh.e.l.l splinters.

=The Left-Hand Door=

This door, on account of the scaffolding which surrounded it, was seriously damaged by the fires of September, 1914 (_see p. 17_).

On the lintel is =Saint Paul=, thrown from his horse at the gates of Damascus. On the outside of the jambs, fourteen seated figures meditating, are supposed by some to be embodiments of the arts and sciences, but represent more probably prophets or teachers. Along the splayings are eleven statues, which have not definitely been identified.

In the left-hand splaying is =Saint Nicaise= between two angels. The right-hand angel, generally known as the "=Smile of Rheims=," was decapitated on September 19, 1914. Fortunately, the fragments of the head of this fine statue were saved.

The sculptures in the archings depict scenes from the Pa.s.sion, while the group which adorns the gable represents =The Crucifixion=.

These archings and gable were greatly damaged by the fires of September 19, 1914, and the bombardments.

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEFT-HAND DOOR OF THE WEST FRONT _The headless angel on the left against the door was known as the "Smile of Rheims."_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEFT-HAND SPLAYING OF THE LEFT-HAND DOOR, BEFORE THE WAR _St. Nicaise (between two angels) and St. Clotilda. The angel on the right, known as the "Smile of Rheims," was decapitated._ (_See photo, p.

38._) _Cliche LL._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GABLE OF THE LEFT-HAND DOOR, WITH CRUCIFIXION (_Cliche LL._)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIRST STOREY OF THE WEST FRONT]

=The First Storey=

In the centre is the great rose-window, best seen from the interior of the nave. The stained-gla.s.s is broken. On either side, against the arching which surmounts it, were two large statues. One of them, _David as a youth in shepherd's garb_ (also known as the _Pilgrim_), was destroyed by the bombardments. The other very fine statue is variously said to be _Saul_, _Solomon_ and _St. James_.

The arching which begins above these statues was adorned with small groups of figures representing scenes from the life of Solomon. Most of them were destroyed at the same time as the Pilgrim statue.

Above the arching, a gigantic statue (twice restored) represents _David challenging Goliath_. The bombardments of 1914 destroyed a similar statue on the left representing _David slaying Goliath with a stone from his sling_.

The first storey of the towers flanking the rose-window is broken by lofty twin bays crowned with gables. The niches and pinnacles of the b.u.t.tresses are identical with those of the nave, but the style of their decoration denotes a more recent period (early 14th century).

The northern tower was badly damaged by the bombardment of September 19, 1914, which fired the scaffolding around it (_see photo, p. 9_). Two of the pinnacled niches surmounting the b.u.t.tresses were decapitated, while the flames completely disfigured the statues, including that of Christ.

A large calibre sh.e.l.l burst in the southern tower on April 19, 1917, causing very serious damage.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SECOND STOREY AND UPPER STOREY OF THE TOWERS]

=The Second Storey=

The second storey comprises a series of niches, surmounted by sharply pointed gables and adorned with gigantic statues, known as the _Kings'

Gallery_.

The central group, consisting of seven figures, commemorates the _Baptism of Clovis_. Clovis, standing in the baptismal font; between Saint Remi, receiving the Sacred Ampulla, and Clotilda.

The balcony in front of the _Baptism of Clovis_ was formerly called the _Gloria Gallery_, as it was the custom for the choir-boys to sing the _Gloria_ there on Palm Sunday.

=The Upper Portion of the Towers=

The upper storey of the towers, built on an octagonal plan, is flanked with four open-work turrets, one of which contains stairs leading to the platforms.

The northern tower, badly damaged by the fire of 1914, lost several of the fine colonnettes of its corner turrets in 1918.

In the same year, the pierced staircase of the southern tower was almost entirely destroyed.

At the time of the last restorations, the foundations of the spires provided for in the original plans, but which have never been built, were laid.

In the belfry of the northern tower are two magnificent deep-toned bells. One of them is modern and was cast at Le Mans, and blessed in 1849 by Cardinal Gousset. The other, one of the finest bells known, and presented to the church in 1570 by Cardinal Charles de Lorraine, is the work of the Rheims metal-founder, Pierre Deschamps.

The scaffolding fire of 1914 reached the belfry, bringing down the bells, which were broken in the fall.

=The Lateral Facades and Chevet=

The lateral facades of the Cathedral are of rare beauty. Nowhere have abutments and flying b.u.t.tresses been so harmoniously employed as here.

They are not merely supports, but form part of the decorative scheme of the nave, and ensure the harmony of the whole. b.u.t.tresses, finished off with pinnacles, serve as points of support for two superimposed flying-b.u.t.tresses. The octagonal pinnacles are flanked with four small triangular pyramids and supported in front by two slender detached columns. Between the latter, under canopies, angels with outstretched wings carry the instruments of the Pa.s.sion and various other emblems (_see photo, p. 49_).

_Skirt the Cathedral on the left, pa.s.sing in front of the North Facade (see photo below), to reach the Northern Transept._

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE NORTHERN TRANSEPT IN 1919]

=The Northern Facade and Transept=

The transept is pierced with broad bays, whose completion, as in all the windows of the Cathedral, consists of two twin arches surmounted by a six-leaved rose. The niches in the b.u.t.tresses are ornamented with statues believed by some to represent Kings of France. At any rate, that of the b.u.t.tress on the western front of the north-west tower greatly resembles the figure of St. Louis carved on the doorway of the church of St. Vincent at Carca.s.sonne.

The carvings of the lower windows were either destroyed or damaged on September 19, 1914, at the same time as the stained-gla.s.s. The two towers which flank the crossings were left unfinished.