ROOF OF THE NAVE IN 1914
In the foreground on the right: Corner of the Southern Transept.
The 13th and 14th century stained-glass of the high windows represents, on two superimposed lines, figures of kings of France and archbishops of Rheims. Some of the glass was broken, but the finest was saved.
In the third and fourth bays there was formerly a square Labyrinth, flanked at the corners by polygonal compartments. In the interior, a line of white tiles bordered with black stones ran from one side, and after complicated windings reached a central compartment. At the corners of the compartments were figures of the four first architects of the Cathedral: Jean d'Orbais, Jean le Loup, Gaucher of Rheims and Bernard of Soissons. The central figure is probably that of Archbishop Aubri de Humbert, who laid the first stone of the edifice. This Labyrinth, the drawings of which revealed the names of the builders of the Cathedral, was destroyed in 1778 by the Chapter, to prevent the children playing there.
ROOF OF THE NAVE IN 1919
In the foreground, on the right: Corner of the Southern Transept.
Between the Labyrinth and the Choir are about twenty 14th century tombstones.
The great pulpit set up against the fifth left-hand pillar was made, in the time of Louis XV., by a Rheims artist (Blondel). It comes from the old church of St. Pierre-le-Vieil.
In the sixth bay, just before the entrance to the choir, the spot where St. Nicaise was beheaded, on the threshold of his church, was formerly indicated by a small circular chapel known as La Rouelle de St. Nicaise. The tiny building was replaced by a memorial inscription on the flagstone, supposed to have been stained with the blood of the martyr.