Claude Malingre, in his Histoire de Paris, gives the following
description of the enclosure of the choir of this church. "The choir is
enclosed by a solid wall, but open with pierced work round the high
altar, above which are represented sacred personages gilt and painted.
The upper screen represents the history of the New Testament, and below,
the Old, with scriptures explaining the subjects.
"The great rood which is over the entrance of the choir, is all of one
piece,[17] and a chef-d'œuvre of sculpture.
"Below this, on the south side, is an image of the Blessed Virgin held
in great devotion, and on the altar is another image of our Lady, called
Notre Dame de Consolation, and near it the image of an archbishop with
this scripture, 'Noble homme Guillaume de Melun, archevesque de Sens, a
fait faire ceste histoire entre ces deux pilliers, en l'honneur de Dieu,
de Nostre Dame, et de Monseigneur S. Estienne.'
"On the north side, opposite the Porte Rouge, is an image of a man
kneeling, with the following inscription on a label:
"'C'est Maistre Jean Ravy qui fut masson de Notre Dame de Paris, pour
l'espace de xxvi. ans, et commença ces nouvelles histoires: et Maistre
Jean de Bouteillier les a parfaites en l'an MCCCLI.'"
A great portion of these sculptures still remain, but the choir-screen
or jubé described by Malingre must have been demolished in the
alterations consequent on the ill-judged vow of Louis XIII., as an old
view of the interior of this church, published in the seventeenth
century, represents a jubé of a Rococo style, similar to the wood-work
of the choir. It was composed of four large piers with four engaged
pillars to each: between these, the centre space was filled by two open
metal-work gates, and two lateral ones were occupied as usual by altars,
but in a most degenerate style of decoration. This screen was so similar
to some that I have engraved of a corresponding period, as at Sens, &c.,
that I have not thought it necessary to do more than give a description
of its arrangement. It was demolished in the great revolution of 1790,
and has been replaced since the restoration of religion by a very meagre
railing and dwarf marble wall.
It is proper to observe that the tradition of the ambones is still
retained in two rostrums on either side of the western extremity of the
choir, on which the Epistle and Gospel are sung on all great feasts and
Sundays.