SAINT-GERVAIS.
Saint-Gervais was perhaps after the virgin, the first person to whom an altar was erected in Rouen. Neither Pommeraye, Farin, Toussaint-Duplessis, nor several other modern writers, have spoken of the origin of this church; the following is a sketch of it.
In 386, saint Victrice, then archbishop of Rouen, received from Saint-Ambroise a box of relics, amongst which were the remains of Saint-Gervais. Saint-Victrice caused a church to be erected in which were to be deposited those venerable remains. The archbishop tells us that he worked with his own hands, and that he even helped to carry the stones on his shoulders. Should not the temple where the remains of Saint-Gervais had been deposited, have been named after this martyr? Was it natural to give another name? Certainly not; and we may conclude therefore that the present church of Saint-Gervais has been erected on the ground where that formerly stood, which Saint-Victrice had caused to be built; and which afterwards was raised into an abbey, and is at the present time a chapel of ease. The church of Saint-Gervais suffered considerably during the religious contests: in the year 1591, it was almost destroyed. At that time the royal army had taken possession of it and had established a battery near to it, which caused great havoc in the town of Rouen, this army was commanded by the Marquis de Villars, for the league.
Strangers should not forget to visit an extremely curious ancient monument, the crypt of Saint-Gervais. It is immediately under the choir of the church. The descent is by a stair-case composed of twenty eight stone steps. The length of this subterranean chapel is thirty five feet, by sixteen in breadth and fifteen in height. The two first archbishops of Rouen, saint Mellon and saint Avitien, are buried under the two arcades, which we perceive on the right and left at the foot of the stair-case. These arcades had been walled up at the time of the religions troubles; in 1723, they were opened again. The monument of saint Mellon is that to the left on entering. We here discover the only vestiges of roman architecture, which are to be found in this town. The roman road, which existed sixteen centuries ago, between the ancient Rothomagus and Juliobona, passed close to this church.
William the Conqueror, when mortally wounded by the pummel of his saddle, on his way to Paris, caused himself to be carried to the priory of Saint-Gervais, where he died on the 9th of september 1087.
SAINT-HILAIRE.
In the year 1562, the calvinists entered by force into the town of Rouen, by the suburb of Saint-Hilaire, and destroyed at the same time the church of that name. It was rebuilt twenty eight or thirty years after. Like the church of Saint-Vivien, it has given its name to the quarter in which it is situated; and like it also, offers nothing worthy the attention of the antiquary.
SAINT-PAUL.
Farin and some other authors have said that this had been an ancient temple of Adonis; nothing however proves, or justifies such an assertion; and we only see in this, a popular tradition on which we must not rely.
Formerly this little church was very curious in some of its portions. It is the only one in Rouen, which offers the three semi-circular absides, which we find in most of the monuments of the XIth century. The middle is the highest and projects farther out than the other two. There is a row of curious figures on the outside of the edifice in its whole circumference: some of which are represented with great moustaches. According to Mr Cotman, who has remarked figures of a similar description in different parts of Normandy, these great moustaches must at first have been a satire upon the Saxons who wore them, when at the same time the Normans had their heads completely shaved. Robert Wace tells us that at the battle of Hastings the English took the Normans for an army of priests.