TROYES

To-day the flat country of the ancient province of Champagne, broken

only by occasional ridges of the chalk which underlie the surface to the

great advantage of its famous grapes, affords but little of interest to

the traveller by automobile, and has only its level going to recommend

it to the bicyclist. There is not enough traffic on its roads to enliven

the monotony of the journey. How different must it have been when these

same highways teemed with interesting groups from every rank of society,

all crowding to the famous fair of Troyes, which during the Middle Ages

was the bourne of so many traders, knights and other seekers of

adventure from all parts of Christendom. In those days no one would have

had leisure to notice the monotony of the scenery, so engrossed would he

have been in those passing crowds made up of every nationality of

Europe, all repairing to this great mart of trade. During those halcyon

days of commercial distinction there must have been laid broad

foundations of cosmopolitan tastes, and a reflection upon those times

makes it easier to understand why so many artists should later have

been born citizens of that stout burgh. This also explains why so large

a number of Flemish and Italian artists resorted hither, leaving marked

traces of their influence. This prosperity was temporarily checked by

the edict of Louis X forbidding the Flemish to trade at its fairs, and

the absence of these lowlanders was soon followed by that of the

Italians. From this cause, combined with others, the fairs lost their

importance, and the Hundred Years War coming soon after, put the

finishing touches to the city's decadence. The damaging and dreary years

of the English occupation were, however, enlivened by the episode of the

marriage of Henry V of England to Catherine of France, attended by all

the pomp and pageantry that would naturally be attracted thither by so

notable an event. Troyes did not, however, recover her old commercial

prestige until just before the beginning of the sixteenth century. Then

she took such a bound forward as, through the new wealth of her

citizens, to make possible that encouragement of art which developed the

unrivalled school of glass painters soon to make her famous far and

near. In fact, so widely was their fame spread and so firmly were they

established, that their school persisted far into the seventeenth

century, the vigour of their art long outliving that of most of the

other French glass centres. There is no place in France in which one can

better see examples of the various ramifications of the sixteenth

century style in glass. We have here not only the cathedral, but church

after church full of the work of the best masters. We shall see not only

the picture window in lively colour, but also that in the subdued style

of grey and yellow stain, to which we have alluded before. Furthermore,

in the Library there is a series of historical panels which is not

excelled anywhere, the secular topics of the scenes giving an excellent

opportunity to show costumes and manners of the times. Nor must one

confine oneself within the exact limits of the sixteenth century,

because we have noted that here the style of that century extended

practically unchanged far into the next. We shall begin when the style

begins and we shall follow it as long as its healthy life continues. Of

the numerous churches in Troyes, those which chiefly interest the glass

student are the Cathedral, St. Urbain, St. Jean, St. Nizier, La

Madeleine, St. Pantaleon, St. Nicolas, and St. Martin-es-Vignes. Besides

these churches, there is also the Library to be visited for its series

of windows devoted to civic subjects. For a description of that Gothic

eggshell, St. Urbain, turn back to page 82, where will also be found an

account of the splendid thirteenth century glass that makes the choir of

the Cathedral so glorious.

Let us begin our stroll about the town by a visit to St. Jean. It would

be difficult for a church to more completely preserve its mediaeval

appearance than this one. Besides, the way in which it is tucked in

between two crooked, narrow old streets conforms to the most approved

rules of stage setting. Its quaint, irregular exterior makes it appear a

picturesque medley of three or four churches of varying size, while its

ancient belfry perched on one side like a feather in a cap lends the

ensemble an almost jaunty air. The altar before which Louis II was

crowned and Henry V of England married, has been removed to the east and

placed in the more modern Lady Chapel. We get an interesting hint of the

great value attached to stained glass when we learn that the original of

a window on the right side of the nave clerestory (showing the

coronation of Louis II) was demanded as part of the ransom of Francis I

when he was captured at the Battle of Pavia. This original window is

said to be somewhere in Spain. The axis of the choir slants quite

noticeably from that of the nave, and the priests say that this slant is

intended to symbolise the inclination of the head of Christ on the Cross

after His death. We notice the same difference in axis, as well as the

same tradition, at Quimper, but we there learned that the true

explanation was not so poetic. Here also we are obliged to reject the

quaint legend of the priests; the municipal improvements after the great

fire which ravaged the city in 1524, necessitated the rectification of

the street line, and the north side of the choir had to be slanted to

conform thereto. The glass is in many ways of interest, but has been a

good deal mutilated. That in the nave has suffered most, but fortunately

much of its beauty remains. Notice the admirable Judgment of Solomon on

the south side. In the choir and in its chapels we shall get a real

taste of the Troyes glass school, some of the windows being excellent,

especially that of the brothers Gonthier, showing the Marriage Feast at

Cana, the Manna in the Desert, etc. In many of the churches in this city

we shall observe paintings hung upon the walls, and two of those which

decorate this sanctuary will serve to remind us that Pierre Mignard, the

great painter of Louis XIV, was born here.

Another ancient church, and one much richer in glass, is St. Nizier. Its

original glazing had remained practically intact until in August, 1901,

when a most unusual calamity overcame some of it. An anarchist exploded

a bomb in a chapel on the north of the choir. We have observed what our

poor friend has had to endure in many places, but to be shattered by an

anarchistic explosion seems a most incongruous fate. It is, however, a

pleasant surprise to find how little damage was done by this act of

vandalism. The finest window is undoubtedly that which adorns the south

transept and shows Religion overcoming Heresy. The central one in the

choir (the Virgin Mary and the Apostles receiving the Holy Ghost) is by

the celebrated Macadre of Troyes, but the writer finds its effect

injured by the fact that the artist (probably to indicate that the side

panels are to be considered in conjunction with the central one) allows

the hands of certain figures at the side to extend over upon the central

panel. This century surely went far enough in its disregard for the

delimiting duties of the leads, but when we find an artist so careless

of the properties of his materials as to put a hand over on the other

side of a stone mullion, it would seem that the limit had been exceeded.

The most ancient of all the Troyes churches is La Madeleine. It contains

a marvellous jube arch swung in air between the two western columns of

the choir. Although of stone, the workmanship is so delicate and

lace-like that we are not surprised that the epitaph of its builder

buried below used to read that he calmly awaited the Judgment Day with

no fear of the stone arch falling upon him. The glass around the choir

is excellent, but we must go to the Lady Chapel to see the best. On the

right is a Tree of Jesse, remarkable for the number of figures it

contains. The east window is the gift of the Jewellers' Guild, which

fact is carefully set forth thereon. To the left is a fine example of

glass-making, but in addition to that, because of the treatment of its

subject, it is as interesting as one will often find. Beginning at the

lower left-hand corner and reading to the right, are a series of scenes

depicting the creation of the world, Garden of Eden, etc. The

imagination of the artist set forth the creation of the world in a

manner surprisingly close to the latest theories of modern science. He

starts with a round glowing ball of matter which, by means of rotation

upon its axis, develops in the succeeding pictures, first, a more

symmetrical shape, and then the appearance of land, formation of

continents, etc., etc. On the left of each of these scenes stands the

figure of Jehovah, in a costume resembling that of a high priest. There

is hardly a window in France that tells as much or is more interesting

in the telling than this one.

[Illustration: "CREATION" WINDOW, LA MADELEINE, TROYES (16TH CENTURY).

_Read from left to right, beginning with lowest tier. Earth

evolved from chaos, shown by glowing yellow ball revolving on

its axis; birth of Eve, etc. Tracery Lights above are becoming

simpler in form as elaborate Gothic gives way to Renaissance._]

Now we come to a style that is better shown here than anywhere else--the

picture window composed of grey and occasionally some flesh tints, with

touches of yellow stain to relieve it. Two churches are entirely glazed

in this manner--St. Pantaleon and St. Nicolas. The latter, it is true,

has one or two of its upper windows in colour, but the general effect

is that of a church glazed in grey and stain. Of course, these two

interiors, because of this glazing, are very brilliantly lighted, and

in the opinion of the writer, much too brilliantly. This method proved

very felicitous when devoted to domestic purposes (as found towards the

end of this century and during the early part of the next), but for

a religious edifice, although interesting, it is doubtful if it is

beautiful or suitable. There are some unusual architectural features to

be found in both these churches. St. Nicolas has a very graceful stone

gallery extending across the western end approached by a gradually

bending staircase, the supports of which are of admirable design. St.

Pantaleon can hardly be said to be attractive. The interior is too high

and too glaringly lighted, but it affords the best opportunity to study

this grey and stain style. Notice that freely as is the yellow stain

used to enliven the monotony of the greys, it does not succeed in

producing the charming silvery tone yielded by the canopy window of the

two preceding centuries. Here and there one observes an attempt to

modify the ultra-yellowish grey tone by introducing blues into the

borders. The falseness of style everywhere noticeable reaches its climax

in a gallery on the left near the entrance, containing two stone figures

which appear to be looking down from it. Do not fail to visit St.

Pantaleon in order to study its unusual glazing, but do so out of

curiosity and not expecting beauty, or you will be disappointed. Its

lack of charm will, however, prove useful if you go straight on from

here to the Cathedral, for by contrast it will intensify your

appreciation of the sympathetic assistance which the wealth of colour

there lends to the splendid architectural effect of the interior. We

have already taken our reader to inspect the thirteenth century glass

around the choir, but now we will have him stop in the nave to see the

work which the sixteenth century produced. One immediately notices the

particularly clear fresh colouring of the glass, and this, combined

with its great quantity (for the pierced triforium permits an

additional row of windows besides the clerestory above and the aisles

below), produces an impression which is so unique, and so distinctive,

that it always lingers in the memory. The rather unpleasant contrast

noticed at Bourges between the depth and the warmth of the thirteenth

century and the lighter tones of the later glass is fortunately absent

from Troyes. The reason for this is the unusually rich colour of the

later windows. From so many excellent ones it is difficult to select a

few to mention, but we particularly commend the fourth on the right (a

Tree of Jesse) and the one in the fourth chapel on the left, Linard

Gonthier's famous Wine Press. The Tree of Jesse is not only a beautiful

example of its type, but is rather out of the ordinary because it has a

red instead of a blue background. Upon this window, as well as on most

of the others, are to be seen the donors, their coats-of-arms, and other

interesting sixteenth century features. Gonthier's Wine Press is so well

known as hardly to call for a word of description. Christ is stretched

out in the press, His blood running into a chalice, while from His

breast springs a vine spreading over the window, bearing as its blossoms

the twelve Apostles. Although this window is dated 1625, it is in the

best style of the sixteenth century and shows no tendency towards

decadence in either drawing or colouring. Before leaving the interior,

notice an odd architectural device in the north rose. This window is of

the wheel type and has a supporting column running up through it as far

as its middle, suggesting a gigantic pinwheel. There is a similar

supporting column in the north rose at Tours, but there it runs straight

up through the window to the top, and unfortunately is too heavily and

solidly built.

Nearly all mediaeval glass was adorned with religious subjects, and

therefore we have an unusual treat when we visit the large hall of the

Library and examine the thirty-two panels that fill its eight large

windows. They are from the hand of Linard Gonthier, and the scenes are

commemorative of the visit to Troyes of Henry IV in 1595. Very charming,

indeed, are these pictures of the life and pageants of the time. There

are many familiar little touches, such as a small boy being pushed off

into the water by the crowd, etc. Some of the panels are also rich in

armorial bearings.

We have purposely delayed until the last any reference to St.

Martin-es-Vignes because it was entirely glazed at the time when the

Troyes sixteenth century school, although still worthy of its

traditions, was about reaching its end. This glass is uniformly good and

provides a most pleasing interior, obviously relying for its effect upon

the glazing. The dating is that of the earlier years of the seventeenth

century. If we examine the windows too closely we easily find

indications of a decadence of style. For instance, the second on the

left gives so much importance to the kneeling donors that, although we

cannot deny the excellence of the work, we must strongly criticise the

taste which made them so prominent a feature. Regarded as a whole,

however, the result in this church is so excellent that it clearly

proves what we have before stated, viz.: the virility and strength of

the glassmaker's art at Troyes outlasted that of most of the

contemporary French schools.