Chapter II: The Marshes of Saint-Gond (1)

COULOMMIERS-PROVINS-SEZANNE

=FROM MEAUX TO COULOMMIERS= (44 km.)

(See map opposite)

FROM MEAUX TO CRÉCY-EN-BRIE

_Leaving Meaux Cathedral by the Rue Saint-Étienne, which skirts it and is continued by the Rue Saint-Nicolas, turn to the right 100 yards beyond the apse of the cathedral into the Rue du Grand-Cerf in order to gain the "Pont du Marché." After crossing it, keep straight on along the Rue du Marché, leaving on the right the market where the famous Brie cheeses are sold wholesale. Take the Rue Cornillon and the Rue du Faubourg-Cornillon, and at the top of the slope, look back in order to have a general view of Meaux, dominated by its cathedral. On leaving the town continue straight along N. 36 to =Couilly= (9 km.) where we reach the valley of the Grand-Morin._

(The quickest road from Couilly to Crécy-en-Brie is N. 34, which turns to the left into the paved street of Couilly before arriving at the bridge, but the prettiest road is that indicated to the tourist, on the opposite bank of the Morin.)

_Make for =Saint-Germain=, traversing the bridge and the level-crossing, and turn to the left immediately beyond the railway into the Rue de la Gare. Turn to the left again into the Rue de Villiers, which is bordered by telegraph poles. The road follows the railway which is on the left._

On the other side of the valley are to be seen the red-tiled roofs of the modern buildings of the "Home" for actors, built on the site of the old Abbey of Pont-aux-Dames. This abbey, which was founded in the thirteenth century, was destroyed during the Revolution. Louis XIV. sent the abbess of Port-Royal-des-Champs to end her days there, after the destruction of the famous abbey of the Jansenists. Mme. du Barry, favourite of Louis XV., after an eventful life, became acquainted with the calm and self-denial of Pont-aux-Dames, when the king was no more.

The "Home" was founded in 1903 by the comedian Coquelin _aîné_, who died there in 1909 while on one of his visits to it. He is buried in the grounds, where is also his statue. Pont-aux-Dames has room for eighty inmates. There is also an open-air theatre used for performances. It is open to visitors on Thursdays and Sundays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (one franc each). The entrance is 1,200 yards from Couilly bridge on N. 34 which follows the right bank of the river.

_The road draws nearer to the Morin, and the railway changes over to the right bank. One hundred yards beyond "La Picardie" (little rustic inn) we arrive at =Villiers-sur-Morin= and turn sharply to the left at the first street._

At this crossing, standing against the house on the right, is a pyramidical monument to the memory of the painter Amédée Servin, who died in 1884. His medallion was engraved by Falguière. It was Servin, together with the native poet Jules Grenier, who introduced the Valley of the Morin to the public. A little school of artists was formed there, which recalled that of Barbizon in the Forest of Fontainebleau, or that on the banks of the Yvette. The part known by the name of the "Morin des Peintres" (the artists' Morin) stretches from Couilly to Tigeaux (south of Crécy); many artists visit there each year.

_Traverse the bridge over the Morin and the level-crossing. Immediately afterwards turn to the right (14½ km.) into N. 34 towards Crécy-en-Brie_.

The Grand Morin was crossed on September 6, 1914, at the beginning of the battle of the Marne by the British troops, who utilised the several bridges between Villiers-sur-Morin and Coulommiers. The Germans offered but a feeble resistance; their forces at this point consisting merely of a screen of cavalry supported by a few artillery and infantry units. Their task was to cover the retreat northwards of the two army corps recalled by Von Kluck to resist the flank attack of the Army of Paris, to the north-west of Meaux.

_Shortly before arriving at Crécy, the road traverses, by means of a level-crossing, the little railway line already met with several times since Couilly and which has its terminus at Crécy._

CRÉCY-EN-BRIE

The entrance to the burgh (16½ km.) is marked by a little brick belfry surmounting a tower which belongs to the ancient fortifications. That part of the Morin which flows at its foot forms the boundary of the town, and also served as moat to the ramparts erected in the Middle Ages. Of these important defences only a few scattered towers remain of the original fifty-five.

From the bridge we have, on the right, a picturesque view of the tanneries shown in the photograph opposite.

_The tourist would be advised not to cross the bridge, but to follow on the left the pretty avenue, planted with trees, which encircles Crécy on the outside._

_This avenue, however, is not accessible to motors. The latter may take the Rue du Marché, the Rue Serret, and on the left of the Place Camus, the Rue Barrois and its continuation, the Rue Jean-de-Compans. At the bridge over the Morin, at the extremity of the town (view opposite), the motor may await the tourists, who will rejoin it by the pretty shady walk beside the Morin shown in the photograph above._

Each one of the houses bordering the river has communication with the boulevard by means of a foot-bridge, some of which are also draw-bridges. The little wash-houses fitted up in the lower storeys of the houses add to the picturesqueness of this rustic corner.

The ramparts, which in former times were reflected in the Morin, have almost disappeared; the opposite view depicts a remaining vestige: and during the walk others will be noticed.

_Having returned to the car and if it is intended to visit the beautiful church of La Chapelle-sur-Crécy (see pp. 120-121), cross the bridge over the Morin and follow the Route Nationale (N. 34) for about 1 km._

(This is also the road to take if, instead of following the tour by the valley of the Grand Morin described hereafter, tourists prefer to go straight on to Coulommiers, 14 km. from Crécy. The tour is much prettier, but 11 km. longer.)

_After visiting La Chapelle-sur-Crécy return to Crécy by the same road, cross the bridge over the Morin, follow the Rues Jean-de-Compans and Barrois and come to a halt at the Place Camus. Take a few steps towards the church in the Rue de Penthièvre_ and glance at the arm of the Morin which crosses the street. On the right is an old mill; on the left the charming scene reproduced below; in front is the tower of the church, and its most interesting part.

_Returning to the car, take the Rue Dam-Gilles, immediately to the left of the Rue de Penthièvre._

_Cross the Morin (19½ km.), then at the fork in the road 50 yards beyond the bridge turn to the left into G. C. 20 towards Tigeaux and Dammartin._

La Chapelle-sur-Crécy

This beautiful church, classed as an historical monument, dates from the thirteenth century and was restored in the fifteenth thanks to the generosity of Jeanne de Navarre, wife of Philippe de Bel.

Its situation, on a lower level than the Route Nationale, has necessitated the raising of the ground. At the present time, the height of the building is diminished by about ten feet, a fact which destroys the balance of its proportions.

This impression strikes us at once on entering, for the door is almost reduced to its ogival part. In the interior, as the view below shows, there is a flagrant disproportion between the height of the pillars and that of the arcades.

The triforium encircling the nave and choir is worthy of notice. The capitals of the pillars are finely carved; and the grimacing heads, which terminate the vaulting shafts of the choir supporting the ribs of the vault, show spirited workmanship. Before the window, at the end of the church and on the right on entering, is a group in painted stone dating from the Renaissance. It is reproduced in the photograph on p. 121.

FROM CRÉCY-EN-BRIE TO COULOMMIERS

VIA THE VALLEY OF THE GRAND MORIN

_Turning to the left on leaving Crécy into G. C. 20, beyond the bridge over the Morin, a mill is to be seen on an island in the middle of the river. Then, on the other bank, standing out boldly against the sky line, is the church of La Chapelle-sur-Crécy. Leaving the houses behind, telegraph posts begin to mark the road, and on following them we soon reach =Tigeaux= (24 km.), through which we pass to arrive at =Dammartin=. Enter the latter and turn to the left beyond the cemetery. Go up towards the church (26½ km.), but skirt it and leave to on the left hand. Take the first road to the left beyond the church, and follow the wall of the castle park. A little before the end of the wall, take on the right the "Chemin Vicinal" to Guérard, which dominates the Valley of the Morin. This road rejoins the railway, and fringes it, leaving it on the right. A pretty descent through woods leads down to the valley. When the road begins to mount, before arriving at Guérard, take the road which goes up on the right (31 km.), but without entering the village. 800 yards further on, at the cross roads, turn to the left towards =La Celle=, through which we pass (32 km.)._

We leave on the left, in La Celle, the road which crosses the Morin, and which, after following the right bank, rejoins, by way of Tresmes and near Pommeuse (6 km. further on), D 16 coming from Faremoutiers. We advise tourists to take the latter (D. 16) in order to give more variety to the tour by climbing the height above the river.

_After passing through the lower part of La Celle, the road begins to mount, traverses a level-crossing, and then by a series of zig-zags reaches the height on which the other part of the village of La Celle is built. Turn to the left in the Grand'rue (D. 16) towards =Faremoutiers=, whose church, surmounted by a tiny steeple, may be perceived in the distance. On arriving at the Place du Marché at Faremoutiers, turn to the left into the Rue de Moutiers, then to the right into the Avenue de Garenne, which runs between the church and the town-hall, and descend into the valley._

Faremoutiers was the "moûtiers" (monastery) of Sainte-Fare, who founded a convent there in the sixth century. Among its abbesses was a daughter of Charlemagne. The nuns, who were much talked of, belonged to the Order of St. Benedict. They had also many disputes with the bishops of Meaux. The monastic building was destroyed during the Revolution.

_Still following D. 16, traverse a rather dangerous level-crossing, after which turn to the right towards =Pommeuse=. At the cross roads preceding the village, turn to the left, thus leaving the church on the right. Cross the Grand-Morin, and 50 yards farther on, turn to the right (38 km.). It is here that we once again meet the road which we crossed at La Celle, and which follows the right bank of the Morin._

At Pommeuse, during the short German occupation at the beginning of September, 1914, the inhabitants were obliged to erect a barricade which was destined to bar the passage of the Morin against the British. One of the workers not displaying sufficient ardour was tied to a cart-wheel.

_D. 16 leaving =Mouroux= on the right joins N. 34 coming from Crécy; turn to the right towards =Coulommiers= (44 km.)._

COULOMMIERS

ORIGIN AND PRINCIPAL HISTORICAL FACTS

The following is a poetical version of the origin of Coulommiers. When Julius Cæsar arrived in the region, a tower dominating a few huts stood on the site of the present town. A large number of doves had made their nests in this tower, and flew around it, a fact which caused the spot to be known as _Castrum Columbarium_, from which is derived Coulommiers (the inhabitants are called Columériens).

Coulommiers developed greatly under the Counts of Champagne. The tower was surrounded by ramparts, and protected by a moat fed by the waters of the Grand Morin. These fortifications have disappeared, only a few fragments, situated in the Avenue Victor-Hugo, remaining. Coulommiers was occupied by the English in the fifteenth century, by the Russians in 1814, and by the Germans in 1870.

On September 4, 1914, the retreating British army abandoned Coulommiers, from which the greater part of the population had fled, barely 600 inhabitants remaining in the town. The Germans entered on the 5th and remained until the morning of the 7th. During this short stay they pillaged methodically, and it was owing only to the energy of the mayor, M. Delsol, 77 years of age, and of the "Procureur de la République," M. Chatry, whose adventures are related below, that Coulommiers did not experience the horrors of Senlis.

VISIT TO THE TOWN

_Enter Coulommiers by the Rue de Paris, which crosses the Rue de Melun opposite the Hôtel de l'Ours. Cross this street in order to follow the Rue des Capucins, which forms the continuation of the Rue de Paris._

_We arrive before a gateway, on the right, opening into the picturesque grounds of the old castle. Enter by the gateway on the left of the principal building._ A German Staff established itself here during the occupation of September, 1914.

Of the eighteenth century castle, built by the Duchess of Longueville, only the large moat and a few quaint ruins remain.

We cross the moat by the bridge shown in the photograph opposite, and pass in between two little lodges, on which some curious carving is still to be seen (_view above_). Enter the inner courtyard of the castle, now transformed into a garden. On the right and on the left a few ruins are to be seen. The view on p. 124 is of those on the left. After having re-crossed the bridge turn to the left in order to take a glance at the ancient chapel of the Capucins dating from the seventeenth century. At the far end is a rood-loft whose rich wood carvings contrast with the dismantled walls of the chapel.

Leaving the grounds, _take the Rue des Capucins again, and on arriving at the Hôtel de l'Ours_ (where the Germans held orgies as well as at the Hôtel du Soleil Levant, a little lower down, in the Rue de la Pêcherie,) _turn to the right into the Rue de Melun_.

We arrive at the bridge from which the photograph below was taken. The building on the left, of which only a corner is to be seen, is the town-hall. Further to the right, in the background and half-hidden by the trees, is a large house, which lodged a German staff during the occupation. Behind the trees is the theatre.

A little beyond the bridge is a green painted house, 7. Rue de la Pêcherie, where M. Chatry, Procureur de la République, was held prisoner. The latter, in his account before the Enquiry Commission, recalled the incidents of his arrest and of his imprisonment.

"_In the evening I was at the town-hall, when a rough-looking Staff Officer came up to me in the secretary's office, saying: 'Take your casque_ (the magistrate's "toque") _and follow me,' continuing: 'You said you did not know where to find any oats; we have just found some, so you lied; you are a liar and a swine. Come with me and see.' I accompanied him to the granary of the town-mill, which had been broken into and pillaged by the Germans. I remarked that after all there were oats there, and I became again the object of redoubled insults: 'Swine, you will be shot.' And when I protested, declaring my ignorance of this provision of oats, the officer shouted repeatedly: 'Swine, shut your mouth'; at the same time, I was roughly handled and my arm and shoulder bruised._

"_He then forced me to go round the town looking for more oats. I was again insulted and roughly used in a shop where the officer kicked those who were there. 'If, within an hour,' he told me, 'you have not found more oats, you will be shot.'_

"_After a fresh search, I returned to the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, to be again insulted by the same officer, with whom was another, tall, pale, and bareheaded, with a monocle in his right eye, who said mockingly: 'You are responsible for this; it is all your fault.'_

"_The first officer then complained that the gas gave a bad light, and it was in vain that I explained to him that all the men from the gasworks had left us. He continued: 'We know that the town is rich, we could ask for one million or even two million francs here, but if at eight o'clock to-morrow morning you have not found 100,000 francs, you will be shot, and the town bombarded and set on fire' I replied: 'You can do what you like with me, but I cannot possibly find you this sum, all the inhabitants having left and taken their money with them.' I was then arrested, hungry and dinnerless._

"_Shortly after, the mayor, M. Delsol, and the town-clerk, M. Bard, came to join me. Armed soldiers then conducted the three of us to the Rue de la Pêcherie, to the house (No. 7) of a druggist named Couesnon. This house had been broken into by the Germans, and served them as a lock-up. We were led into the dressing room._

"_During the night I overheard the following conversation which took place in German between the soldiers guarding us. I repeat it word for word: 'The Procureur de la République will be shot; the "gay brothers" of the Company have been fetched to kill him; and the street has been swept to look nice.' Another soldier replied: 'Be careful, he understands German and is listening to all you say, for he is awake.'_

* * * * *

"_About 2 a.m. the platoon came to fetch us, and we descended the stairs. Below, in the dining-room, a German soldier played Chopin's 'Funeral March,' and other pieces of music for our benefit. We were ordered out into the street, and made to stand on the pavement, all three of us on the same side, whilst the platoon, with arms ready, stood on the opposite pavement facing us. We waited, thus for fully twenty minutes, after which we were ordered to join the main body of the army. At about 300 yards beyond Montanglaust_ (the hill overlooking the town to the north) _a superior officer of the Death's Head Hussars said to us: 'You are free.'_"

* * * * *

The preceding minute account shows how heavy and painful was the task of the civil authorities in the occupied towns.

* * * * *

(_Leave M. Couesnon's house, and on coming to the Rue le Valentin, turn to the right and continue for a few steps towards the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, in order to have a view of an arm of the Morin bordered by picturesque old houses. Return to the Rue de la Pêcherie.) We arrive at the Place Saint-Denis_, where is the old thirteenth and seventeenth century church of that name, transformed into barracks during the war (_view opposite_).

* * * * *

_Turn to the right in front of the church and take the Rue du Palais-de-Justice which leads to the Place Beaurepaire_, on which is the statue to the hero of Verdun of 1792. (Major de Beaurepaire killed himself rather than sign the capitulation of the town decided upon by the communal council.)

=FROM COULOMMIERS TO PROVINS= (44 km.)

_Leave Coulommiers by the Avenue de Rebais skirting the new church, and passing it on the right. Cross a little bridge after about 2 km., and 1,500 yards further on take the road on the right (G. C. 66), which follows the Morin in the direction of La Ferté-Gaucher._

This part of the river was crossed by the Franco-British forces only on September 7, the British crossing at Coulommiers and in the neighbourhood, the 2nd French Cavalry Corps at La Ferté-Gaucher.

_Pass through =Chauffry= (8 km.) then =Jouy-sur-Morin= (17 km.). Turn to the right in the latter village, and leaving the church on the left, cross the Morin before turning to the left. Here the road passes over the railway, then skirts it to rejoin N. 34, in which turn to the left (19 km.) in order to descend towards =La Ferté-Gaucher=. At 400 yards from this crossing, turn to the right into D. 4 in the direction of Courtacon and Provins (a line of telegraph-poles breaks off from N. 34 to follow D. 4). The road ascends and gives a pretty view of La Ferté-Gaucher shown in the photograph below._

An anecdote relating to the passage of the Grand Morin has been recalled by Professor Delbet, whose mother's estate contains a bridge over that river. A German general obliged Mme. Delbet, aged 77 years, to be present at the passage of the troops over the bridge, a spectacle which lasted seven hours. "Madame," said he, "when you become German, for German you are going to be, you will feel very proud to have seen my army pass through your gates. I have, besides, the intention to order a handsome memorial tablet to be fixed here mentioning this fact." As Mme. Delbet protested at the idea of becoming German, he continued: "The French race is degenerate and worn out. As you belong to a family of doctors, you must know that this is a fact. The French are done for. I may as well tell you what we mean to do. We shall keep the finest men and marry them to solid German girls; in this way, they may be able to have healthy children. As for the other survivors, we shall ship them off to America."

A few days after, Mme. Delbet had the pleasure of seeing the German troops re-crossing the river in haste, pursued by French cavalry.

At the "Château de la Masure," at 3½ km. south of La Ferté-Gaucher, much more tragic events took place, as the Enquiry Commission has established. The occupants were M. Quenescourt, late mayor of Sézanne, aged 77 years, with an old servant, and a lady from a neighbouring hamlet who had come to seek refuge.

On September 5 several German soldiers and a non-commissioned officer took possession of the estate. In order to protect one of the women from the brutal attentions of the latter, M. Quenescourt sent her to hide in the farm near by. The German hastened to look for her, found her, brought her back to the castle and took her to an attic. The old gentleman, wishing to save her, fired his revolver up the stairs. He was killed point blank by the German officer who then ordered the woman out of the attic, and handed her over to two soldiers who outraged her in the room where lay the dead man; during this time the first brute fell upon the old servant.

_At the cross roads, about 1 km. beyond the spot where the view was taken, turn to the left, abandoning the line of telegraph poles._

_On arriving at_ +Courtacon+, we cross D. 8 (27½ km.) at the spot where the view above was taken (the photographer standing before the police station which was burned in September, 1914, but has since been rebuilt).

_Continue straight on along D. 4, towards Provins_; on the left is the group of burnt houses shown in the view below.

The Germans occupied Courtacon on September 6, and immediately set fire to it, after having drenched the houses with paraffin oil. The inhabitants were obliged to furnish the faggots of wood and the matches. The mayor and five other hostages were led away, and guarded in the midst of the troops during the combats which took place around the village. After having pretended to shoot them, the Germans sent them home again.

A young man named Rousseau, a conscript of the 1914 class, was torn from his house with blows from the butt-end of rifles, and led with his hands tied behind his back after the other hostages. Although the mayor declared that the youth's "class" had not yet been called up, he was shot at 50 yards from the village as a spy.

On leaving we may see, if we look behind us, the line of heights running eastwards from Courtacon to Esternay, and on which were established the German positions when Franchet d'Esperey's army began its offensive.

_We arrive without_ difficulty at Provins _(44 km.) after a zigzagging descent, which_ gives us a charming view of the town (_see pp. 128-129_).

PROVINS

N.-D. du Val.
St. Quiriace.
Cæsar's Tower.

GENERAL VIEW OF PROVINS]

The Upper Town of Provins dates from the Gallo-Roman period. In the third century a "castrum" was established there on the hill. The Roman general Probus, afterwards emperor, halted there about the year 271, and caused the walls of the fortress to be repaired. Domitien had forbidden the cultivation of the vine in Gaul, but Probus, during his sojourn at Provins, abolished this prohibition, and thus won the gratitude of the inhabitants. This fact has given rise to one of the versions of the origin of the word "Provins," which is supposed to mean "the vine of Probus."

ORIGIN AND PRINCIPAL HISTORICAL FACTS

The lower town is of monastic origin. In the seventh century some monks, flying before the Norman invasion, took refuge in the forest which stretched at the foot of the fortress, and there buried the remains of the martyr St. Ayoul. The body was discovered in 996, and a church was erected on the spot. The church was followed by a large monastery of the Cistercian Order, around which grew up the lower town.

In the tenth century Provins passed from the royal domain into the hands of the Counts of Champagne, under whose rule it flourished exceedingly. Many buildings were erected--abbeys, churches, palaces, and a hospital; also a new wall enclosed the town. Commerce and industry flourished. Dye-works, tanneries, weaving, and the manufacture of cutlery occupied thousands of workmen, and the town counted, we are told, 80,000 inhabitants (there are now only 9,000). Its fairs were famous and were visited by strangers from all parts of Europe; even the silks and carpets of the East were to be found there. Business was carried on by means of money struck at Provins. The "sou provinois" was accepted far beyond the borders of France.

This brilliant period did not outlast the thirteenth century. In 1270 Count Henri-le-Gros established heavy taxes on commerce and industries which the principal citizens refused to pay. The mayor, Guillaume Pentecôte, to calm them, lengthened the hours of the workmen, who revolted and put him to death. The English Prince, Edmund of Lancaster, who had married the widow of Henri-le-Gros, cruelly repressed these troubles. Provins finally lost its independence by the marriage of the daughter of Henri-le-Gros with the King of France. Philippe-le-Bel (1284).

In 1870 Provins was occupied by the Prussians and suffered many requisitions, but in 1914 the German wave stopped at its gates.

Provins is also known under the poetical name of the "City of Roses," because of the profusion of these flowers, which formerly constituted its beauty and its wealth. According to tradition, the red rose of Provins was brought back from the Crusades by Thibaut IV. The Earl of Lancaster introduced it into his coat-of-arms, and thus it became the rival of the white rose of York during the War of the Roses which, in the fifteenth century, drenched England with blood.

VISIT TO THE TOWN

(See plan inserted between pp. 128-129)

_Enter Provins by the Courloison Gate and Bridge, and, take the Rue Courloison which follows. At the end of the street, turn to the right into the Rue Abailard in order to arrive at the Place St-Ayoul, on to which fronts the façade of the church of that name. If it is considered desirable to take lunch before visiting the town, go directly to one of the hotels indicated, returning later to the Place St.-Ayoul._

=CHURCH OF SAINT AYOUL= (classed as historical monument)

We have seen on p. 129 that a monastery was erected on the spot where the body of the Martyr Saint Ayoul was found.

About 1122, the great theologian Abailard, cruelly mutilated by the vengeance of Canon Fulbert, uncle of Heloïse, and persecuted on account of the boldness of his views, took refuge in the monastery adjoining the church of Saint-Ayoul. He continued to teach there, and gathered round him as many as 2,000 students.

Saint-Ayoul was burned, then rebuilt in the twelfth century, and restored in the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The façade is reproduced in the photograph on p. 130. In spite of mutilations suffered during the Revolution, and the inclemencies of the weather, the great doorway is still worthy of interest.

A Renaissance gallery, terminated by a lantern, flanks on the left the great bare gable pierced by three windows which surmount the gate. The whole has thus a very original appearance.

In order to see the choir (thirteenth and fourteenth centuries), the chapel (fourteenth century) which adjoins it, and the transept (twelfth century), _go round the church to the left of the façade_. This part of the building, which appears in the view at the foot of the preceding page, is now used by the military authorities as a fodder store.

The Roman tower, which rises at the intersection of the transept, no longer possesses its belfry, which was destroyed by fire, The bells now used are those of the Tower of Notre-Dame-du-Val (visible on the right of the photograph on p. 130).

In the interior, in the part reserved for worship, the central nave and the side aisles of the thirteenth century may be visited. The north aisle was doubled in the sixteenth century by a second nave.

The most interesting objects are the seventeenth century pulpit, and a fine reredos, also of the seventeenth century, in carved wood, above the high altar. It contains a picture, _Jesus in the Temple_, painted in 1654 by the artist Stella, of Lyons, who, falling ill whilst passing through Provins, had been cared for in one of the convents in the town.

In the lady chapel, on the right of the high altar, is some beautiful wood-panelling, dating also from the seventeenth century. It is by the same hand as the carved reredos, and is the work of Pierre Blasser of Amiens. Standing against the panelling is a delicate Virgin in ivory, of the sixteenth century, reproduced on p. 131.

To the left of the high altar is a group representing the Virgin and Christ crucified, between Mary Magdalene and St. John. These statues belong to the sixteenth century; as do also the smaller ones in white marble, representing angel-musicians, which ornament the altar placed in the angle of the church, to be found on the left on entering (_see photo, p. 131_).

_On leaving Saint-Ayoul take a few steps along the first street on the right_ in order to glance at the tower of Notre-Dame-du-Val (classed as historical monument). The tower may be seen in the view at the foot of p. 130. It was built in the sixteenth century on the site of an ancient gate. Its construction occupied four years and cost only 1,400 "livres" (about £56), the workmen at this period receiving 2 sous (one penny) a day. The church and the cloister belonging to the tower disappeared during the Revolution.

_Returning to the Place Saint-Ayoul, cross it on the right side, and at the far end take the Rue de la Cordonnerie, which is a continuation._

It was at No. 17 that the poet Hégésippe Moreau was brought up, and where he worked as a typographer. He has sung of Provins and the Voulzie in verses which are well-known:--

La Voulzie, est-ce un fleuve aux grandes iles? Non,
Mais, avec un murmure aussi doux que son nom,
Un tout petit ruisseau coulant, visible à peine:
Un géant altéré le boirait d'une haleine,
Le naiu vert Obéron, jouant au bord des flots,
Sauterait par-dessus sads mouiller ses grelots.

_Cross the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, and following the Rue du Val, stop at the corner of the Rue Sainte-Croix in order to visit the church of this name a few steps further on._

_Whilst the tourist continues his walk towards the Hospital-General and the ramparts, which are not accessible to motor-cars, the latter may go and wait at the Porte de Jouy. This is reached by following the Rue du Val and its continuation the Rue St.-Thibaut, which brings one to the upper town. Here cross diagonally the Place du Châtel, follow the Rue Couverte and the Rue de Jouy till the porte is reached._

Church of Sainte-Croix

This Church was originally the Chapel of Saint-Laurent-des-Ponts (it was impossible to enter it save by bridges thrown across the ditches, which are now covered in).

It was enlarged in the thirteenth century, and took its present name on the return from the crusades of Count Thibaut IV. of Champagne, who presented it with a fragment of the Cross, which he had brought from Jerusalem.

The church was destroyed by fire in the fourteenth century, and rebuilt during the sixteenth. During the Revolution it became a saltpetre factory.

The most interesting part of the façade is the doorway of the side aisle (_see p. 132_) which is a beautiful specimen of sixteenth century art.

Above the transept rises a twelfth century tower, whose semi-circular belfry windows on the lower stage have been blocked up. The upper part is surmounted by a modern spire.

In the interior, the nave and side aisles date from the thirteenth century, but the vaulting has been restored in recent times. It is noticeable that the pillars have not their normal height. The reason is that the level of the ground had to be very much raised, in order to protect the church from the floods, which were so frequent before the construction of the "Fausse Rivière" which now drains the town.

As at Saint-Ayoul, the north aisle was doubled in the sixteenth century. This part of the church is interesting on account of its moulded pillars whose carved capitals represent fantastic animals, as may be seen in the opposite photograph.

The choir, which was rebuilt towards the middle of the sixteenth century, is surrounded by a double ambulatory, and the screen which shuts it off is a beautiful piece of wrought-iron work.

A chapel terminates the apse, where are to be seen three windows of gray-toned stained glass, also dating from the sixteenth century. In the photograph above is the one on the left of the chapel; it represents the Annunciation.

The baptistery (_in the left angle of the church on entering_) is closed off by a railing which may be perceived in the above view. It contains an interesting thirteenth century font, on which are carved a series of figures taking part in a baptismal procession (_see p. 134_).

Beside the railing of the baptistery is a fine wrought iron lectern, dating from the seventeenth century and reproduced in the opposite photograph.

Worthy of notice also is a small stone stoup, dating from the twelfth century, which stands at the entrance to the south aisle (photograph opposite).

_On leaving Sainte-Croix, turn to the right into the Rue Sainte-Croix; then take the first street on the left. At the end of this is the Rue de la Bibliothèque, on the right of which is the_ entrance to a public garden left to the town by M. Garnier. _Before entering it, take a few steps to the left_ as far as the little river, le Durteint, which, flowing between houses, forms a picturesque sight.

_Cross the garden_, in the middle of which is the former residence of the donor, now transformed into a public library and museum. Passing alongside a monument to the memory of the sons of Provins killed in action, _we leave the garden by the little entrance opening on to the Boulevard d'Aligre_. This boulevard, constructed on the site of the ramparts, forms a pretty walk. On the other side of it, opposite the "Jardin Garnier," is the mineral water establishment. The ferruginous waters of Provins were discovered in 1646; they may be drunk or bathed in.

_On taking the Boulevard d'Aligre to the left_, we perceive, standing out on the right, the "Hôpital-Général." _In order to reach it, cross the canal by the foot-bridge, and follow the path which leads to the foot of this building and to a gate giving access to the terraced gardens. Turn to the right in front of the gate, keeping to the wall; then take a steep path, half-way up which is the entrance door._ Ring and ask permission to view the "hospital."

=Hôpital-Général= (classed as historical monument)

We must climb a double staircase to reach the upper terrace where is the hospital proper.

The beautiful view of the whole town thus obtained is alone well worth this visit.

The hospital was originally a convent of the "Cordelières," founded in 1237 by Thibaut-le-Chansonnier, Count of Champagne. Tradition relates that he decided to build a convent because of a vision which came to him one night in his palace in the upper town: he saw St. Catherine on the hill opposite tracing the outlines of a building with her sword.

The convent was several times destroyed by fire.

Henry IV. made it his headquarters when he besieged Provins in 1592, and he narrowly escaped death by a cannon-ball, which killed several of his officers.

In 1748 Louis XV. turned the convent into a "Hôpital-Général." To-day it is a home for old people and orphan children, managed by nuns, who act as guides to tourists desirous of visiting the establishment.

The galleries of the cloisters, dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, are interesting as showing specimens of very fine timber-work. The foliage of the capitals of the pillars is also to be remarked (see opposite photograph).

In the old chapter-room some handsome vaulting is still to be seen.

In the centre of the chapel is a little stone monument, of the thirteenth century (view opposite), which contains the heart of Thibaut, the founder of the monastery; that of his wife, Isabel of France, daughter of St. Louis; and that of her son. It consists of a carved and gilded metal cover surmounting six panels, each one containing, under a canopy, a monk reading a book.

The visit ended, _we retrace our steps to the Boulevard d'Aligre and follow it to the right, crossing the Durteint_. The city wall begins at this point.

=The Ramparts= (historical monument)

The line of the ramparts climbs upwards. At the summit is a doorway pierced in a part of the wall which juts off from the principal line of ramparts. It is the "Porte Faneron" and formed part of the original wall which surrounded the upper town.

Under the Counts of Champagne the ramparts were considerably developed, and in the thirteenth century were made to include the lower town. The opening in the wall on the right of the above view leads to a thirteenth century tower. The exit is by the "Trou-au-chat," so called because it was formed during a siege by a "cat" (a form of catapult for throwing heavy stones). The photograph below shows the picturesque view obtained from the interior of the turret.

_Take the climbing path amidst the trees towards the top of the hill._ It is a pretty walk, and affords a good opportunity to judge of the solidity of the walls, which are dotted here and there with towers. _The path ends at the Porte de Jouy, where we shall find the car which we left in the lower town, and which has followed the directions on p. 132._

La +Porte de Jouy+ (the Jouy Gate) reproduced opposite was constructed in the twelfth century and demolished in the eighteenth, as its keep threatened to fall. It comprised two gates, two portcullises and a drawbridge. A subterranean passage united the two sides; its entrance is still to be seen on the interior of the left hand portion.

* * * * *

Continue the visit of the walls _by the outer "boulevard" which is accessible to motors_. This part of the fortifications is being restored at present. The way leads past the "+Brèche des Anglais+" (the English Breach) (photograph opposite), by which the English are said to have effected an entrance in 1432. The great corner tower, the foremost on the photograph below, is the "+Tour aux Engins+"; it is 65 feet high and its walls are 8 feet thick.

_We arrive at the handsome Porte Saint-Jean by which we re-enter Provins._

The +Porte Saint-Jean+ defended the old Paris road. It was built in the twelfth century, strengthened in the thirteenth, and was surmounted by a keep which has since disappeared. A drawbridge, a portcullis, and a double door presented successive obstacles to assailants. The masonry of the walls is worthy of note, the stones being dressed in embossment, that is to say, instead of being flat, they are protruding. This arrangement gave a greater force of resistance.

The guard rooms on the ground floor of the two towers communicate with each other by means of a subterranean passage; those of the first floor communicate by means of a gallery.

_Re-enter Provins by passing through the gateway and take the Rue Saint-Jean._

La Grange-aux-Dîmes (Tithe Barn)

(historical monument)

_At the end of the street on the left is the_ "Grange-aux-Dîmes" (view opposite). An old military building, rebuilt before 1176, it became in turn a market and then an inn. It was afterwards a store-house for the tithes of the harvest, and it is to this last use that it owes its present name.

_To visit it, ask for the key from the guardian who lives opposite, in the house at the corner of the Rue Saint-Jean and the Rue Couverte._ There is an archæological museum on the ground floor (photograph on p. 138).

We descend into the crypt, which resembles the ground floor in disposition (view opposite), by a stairway whose entrance is hidden by a sort of wooden trap-door. A great many of the houses in the upper town have somewhat similar basements or cellars, with subterranean passages giving access to the open country, for use in times of danger.

The upper hall, which is of no especial interest, is reached by an outer stair, visible on the right of the façade.

Place du Châtel

_On leaving the_ Grange-aux-Dîmes, _take on the right, at the end of the Rue Saint-Jean, the Rue Couverte leading to the picturesque_ Place du Châtel _seen on the photograph below_. The old feudal well on the left, with its wrought-iron top, is 120 feet deep. Beside it is the Crois-aux-Changes, dating from the fourteenth century, on which the "edicts and ordonnances" were posted up.

Beyond the Place may be seen the "+Cæsar's Tower+."

_Turning to the left on the Place we reach in the north-west corner, the old_ "+Maison-des-Petits Plaids+" where the provost meted out justice. It may be seen in part in the background of the opposite photograph. The curious low roof covers an interesting vaulted passage. The house is built over fine thirteenth century cellars in which the poet and songster Pierre Dupont (1821-1870) composed his "Chanson de la Vigne" (song of the Vine), during a vine-dressers' festival.

In the centre of the above view is the old "+Hôtel de la Coquille+," which derives its name from the shell carved above its entrance.

The neighbouring ruins are those of the twelfth century +Church of Saint-Thibaut+. _Motorists are advised to send their car to wait for them in the lower part of the Rue Saint-Thibaut at the corner of the Rue Christophe-Opoix, whither they themselves will return after having visited the Cæsar's Tower and Saint-Quiriace._ The beginning of the picturesque Rue Saint-Thibaut is to be seen in the photograph below.

_Tourists should walk to the south-east corner of the Place and there take the Rue de l'Ormerie, then immediately on the right, the Rue Pierre-Lebrun._ The house in which this writer lived is situated in a charming little square, opening off the street.

_The Rue Pierre-Lebrun makes a bend in order to rejoin the Rue Jean-Desmare's, along which turn to the right._ From this spot there is a fine view of Cæsar's Tower and of the Church of Saint-Quiriace (see the above photograph). The ruined wall seen in the centre jutting off from the tower belongs to the original fortifications. That piece breaking off from the "Porte Faneron" (_p. 136_) rejoined Cæsar's Tower.

_Continue to descend_, passing before the "+Pinacle+," the old palace of the mayors of Provins. It was there that Guillaume Pentecôte was murdered by the workmen of the town (_see p. 129_). Further remains of the city wall are encountered, which descend the slope of the hill to the right before rising to the east in order to enclose the lower town.

The steep path skirting the wall is called the "Chemin du Bourreau" because the executioners of Provins lived here. Their house still exists and may be seen at the foot of the slope, on the wall. Its last inhabitant was Charlemagne Sanson, who, together with his brother the executioner of Paris, guillotined King Louis XVI. in 1793. The opposite photograph of the Executioner's House was taken from the foot of the hill.

_Tourists after descending as far as the "Maison die Bourreau" should remount the same steep path, then gain Cæsar's Tower by the path leading to it._

=Cæsar's Tower= (historical monument)

This superb keep was built in the twelfth century on the site of a Roman fort. The lower battlemented portion was added in the fifteenth century by the English to serve for the installation of their artillery. The pyramidical roof was added in the sixteenth century. The entrance is on the left in the old city-wall, at the top of a little stone staircase. The guardian shows visitors the rooms, the prisons, and the bells which ring for the services in Saint-Quiriace. From the summit a splendid view is obtained.

=Saint-Quiriace Church= (historical monument)

A pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Isis existed in early times on the site of this church. It gave place in the third century to a wooden chapel, which in its turn was succeeded by the present building, erected in 1160 by Count Henri-le-Libéral.

Saint-Quiriace, a converted Jew, who became Bishop of Jerusalem in the fourth century, indicated to Saint Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, the spot where the three crosses of Calvary had been hidden. He suffered martyrdom in 363, and the basilica which crowns the upper town was built to receive the saint's skull.

The original tower which rose above the centre of the transept, was burned in the seventeenth century. It has been replaced by a vast zinc-covered cupola, which, while giving the church a quaint appearance, harmonises little with its style of architecture.

Saint-Quiriace is full of historical memories. King Philippe-Auguste here stood godfather to Count Thibaut-le-Grand (1201); Jeanne d'Arc and Charles VII. heard Mass in it (1429); and Louis XI., Francois I. and Louis XIV. came to take part in "_Te Deum_."

If the church had been finished it would be extremely large. Unfortunately, in the thirteenth century, the construction of the nave was interrupted at the second triforium, a fact which explains the very marked disproportion existing between the choir and the transept on one hand and the nave on the other.

The fabric of the choir is very imposing. It contains an elegant blind-storey gallery extending into the north and south transepts (view on p. 143), and is surrounded by an ambulatory (view above), terminated at the east end by three square chapels.

The greater part of the church furnishings was destroyed at the Revolution; but the fine Louis XV. gate of the principal doorway still exists (view opposite), as does the wood-panelling at the end of the church on the left (photograph below).

_On leaving Saint-Quiriace, take on the right the Rue des Beaux-Arts leading into the Rue du Palais._

_Take a few steps to the left in_ order to glance at a house in the +Roman style+, dating from the tenth century (photograph opposite). _The tourist will then retrace his steps in the direction of the_ +College+ installed in the ancient palace of the Counts of Champagne; _then descend the Rue du Collège_, in which, on the right, are the ruins of +St. Peter's Church+, built in the thirteenth century and destroyed during the Revolution.

_At the head of the flight of steps leading to the lower town_, beside St. Peter's, was the "Hôtel des Monnaies" (the Mint), which was founded by Charlemagne. It was there that the "sous Provinois," so well known in the Middle Ages, were struck (see p. 129).

_Descend St. Peter's steps, and the Rue des Petits-Lions, which lead to the Rue des Capucins._ On entering the latter, one perceives the old "Hôtel de la Croix d'Or," dating from the thirteenth century (photograph below); _whilst a little to the right, on the opposite side of the street, is the_ "Hôtel Vauluisant," also of the thirteenth century. Its front, pierced by four fine mullioned windows with trefoil tracery, may be seen in the photograph below and in that on p. 146.

_Retracing our steps we rejoin the Rue St. Thibaut by way of the Rue Christophe Opoix, a continuation of the Rue des Capucins. Here motors coming directly from the Place du Châtel by the Rue Saint-Thibaut may wait._

_Before leaving, take a few steps up the Rue Saint-Thibaut_ to glance at the "+Hôtel-Dieu+," the former palace of the Countesses of Blois and of Champagne.

In the vestibule (view below), on the left is a Renaissance reredos in stone. The donatrice (the wife of a bailiff of Provins) is represented in the central panel kneeling to the Virgin.

The vaulted hall, which follows, is very large, and beneath is a crypt of the same dimensions.

_This brief visit to Provins and its curiosities being over, regain the hotel for dinner and bed by taking the Rue du Val, the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, and the Rue de la Cordonnerie. Turn to the right at Saint-Ayoul into the Rue Edmond-Nocard continued by the Rue Victor-Arnoul where stands the hotel._

_Next morning in leaving Provins make for the Place Saint-Ayoul, and turn to the right into the Rue Abailard which skirts the church. Here take the Rue Courloison on the left. After crossing the Courloison Bridge, turn to the left into D. 4, which climbs in zig-zags the slope of the hill to the north of Provins. We entered the town by this same road._

_During the morning we shall visit the field of operations of the Fifth French Army and arrive at Sézanne for lunch._

VISIT TO THE FIELD OF OPERATIONS

OF THE

FIFTH & NINTH FRENCH ARMIES

FROM

PROVINS TO CHÂLONS-SUR-MARNE

=FROM PROVINS TO SÉZANNE= (80 km.)

(See map inserted between pp. 116-117)

+Via Voulton, Augers, Montceaux, Courgiveaux, Esternay, Champguyon, Charleville, and La Villeneuve.+

_At the top of the zig-zag hill at the exit of Provins is a fork in the road. Turn to the right; then take, on the left, the road not lined with trees_ (G. C. 71) _going to =Voulton= (9 km.)._

On the right of the road, in the village, is the church (historical monument) which dates from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The interior is worth a visit as the photographs opposite indicate. If the door of the church is locked, ask the "curé" for the key. (The "presbytère" (rectory) is the house with a little garden before it, lying to the left front of the church.)

When the battle of the Marne began on the morning of September 6 the 18th Corps was at Voulton and to the east of this village.

_After Voulton, cross through =Rupéreux=, when =Augers= may be seen in_ the distance, with its much damaged +CHURCH+ (photograph p. 148). The heights which formed the principal German position shut in the horizon. The task of the left of the 18th French Corps was to push back the advance-guards of the Third German Corps between Voulton and Augers.

On the evening of the 6th, the French camped round Augers.

Arriving in the village, pay a visit to the church, which is to the right of the road. Augers was bombarded in turn by the French and by the Germans, each believing the other to be in the village, whereas they were merely in the neighbourhood. The church suffered particularly, as may well be realised by passing through the breach in the wall shown in the photograph below. The interior presents a scene of desolation.

_Returning to the road after visiting the church, turn to the right, then immediately afterwards to the left, and take the "Chêmin vicinal" leading to the main road from Courtacon to Sézanne (D. 8) in which turn to the right._