[63] Far be it from me to depreciate the labours of Montfaucon. But those who have not the means of getting at that learned antiquarian's Monarchie Françoise may possibly have an opportunity of examining precisely the same representations, of the procession above alluded to, in Ducarel's Anglo-Norman Antiquities, Plate XII. Till the year 1726 this extraordinary series of ornament was supposed to represent the Council of Trent; but the Abbé Noel, happening to find a salamander marked upon the back of one of the figures, supposed, with greater truth, that it was a representation of the abovementioned procession; and accordingly sent Montfaucon an account of the whole. The Abbé might have found more than one, two, or three salamanders, if he had looked closely into this extraordinary exterior; and possibly, in his time, the surfaces of the more delicate parts, especially of the human features, might not have sustained the injuries which time and accident now seem to have inflicted on them. [A beautiful effort in the graphic way representing the entire interior front of this interesting mansion, is said to be published at Rouen.]
[64] In the previous edition of this work, there appeared a facsimile of a small portion of this bas-relief, representing--as I imagine--the setting out of Francis to meet Henry. Nothing, as far as correctness of detail goes, can give a more faithful resemblance of the PRECISE STATE in which the original appears: the defaced and the entire parts being represented with equal fidelity. Mons. Langlois has given a plate of the entire façade or front--in outline--with great ability; but so small as to give little or no notion of the character of the original.
[65] In Ducarel's time, "the ground story consisted of a great quadrangle surrounded with booksellers shops. On one side of it a stone staircase led to a large and lofty room, which, in its internal as well as external appearance, resembled, though in miniature, Westminster Hall. Here (continues Ducarel) I saw several gentlemen of the long robe, in their gowns and bands, walking up and down with briefs in their hands, and making a great show of business." Anglo-Norman Antiquities, p. 32. [According to Mons. Licquet, this "singularly curious hall" was begun to be built in 1493. It was afterwards, and is still called, la Salle des Procureurs.]
[66] the choicest library] Monsieur Riaux, Archiviste de la Chambre de Commerce. This amiable man unites a love of literature with that of architectural antiquities. The library of M. Le Prevost is however as copious as that of Mons. R.
[67] Bourgueville describes this river, in the sixteenth century, as being "aucune fois iaulne, autrefois rouge, verte, bleüe, violée &autres couleurs, selon qu'vn grand nombre de teinturiers qui sont dessus, la diuersifient par interualles en faisant leurs maneures." Antiquitez de Caen, p. 36.
[68] expedition thither.]--When John Evelyn visited this neighbourhood, in 1644, "the country so abounded with wolves, that a shepherd, whom he met, told him that one of his companions was strangled by one of them the day before--and that, in the midst of the flock! The fields (continues he) are mostly planted with pears and apples and other cider fruits. It is plentifully furnished with quarries of stone and slate, and hath iron in abundance." Memoirs of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, vol. i. p. 50. Edit. 1818. My friend Mr. J. H. Markland visited Mont St. Catharine the year after the visit above described. He was of course enchanted with the view; and told me, that a friend whom he met there, and who had travelled pretty much in Italy, assured him there was nothing like it on the banks of either the Arno or the Po. In short, it is quite peculiar to itself--and cannot be surpassed.
[69] It is thus prettily observed in the little Itineraire de Rouen --"Ces agréables maisons de plaisance appartiennent à des habitants de Rouen qui y viennent en famille, dans la belle saison, se délasser des embarras de la ville et des fatigues du commerce." p. 153.
[70] race-ground]--When the English cavalry were quartered here in 1814-5, the officers were in the frequent habit of racing with each other. These races were gaily attended by the inhabitants; and I heard, from more than one mouth, the warmest commendations bestowed upon the fleetness of the coursers and the skill of the riders.
[71] The reader may possibly not object to consult two or three pages of the Bibliographical Decameron, beginning at page 137, vol. ii. respecting a few of the early Rouen printers. The name of MAUFER, however, appears in a fine large folio volume, entitled Gaietanus de Tienis Vincentini in Quatt. Aristot. Metheor. Libros, of the date of 1476--in the possession of Earl Spencer. See Æd. Althorp. vol. ii. p. 134. From the colophon of which we can only infer that Maufer was a citizen of Rouen. [According to M. Licquet, the first book printed at Rouen--a book of the greatest rarity--was entitled Les Croniques de Normandie, par Guillaume Le Talleur, 1487, folio.]
[72] [Since the publication of the first edition of this Tour, I have had particular reason to become further acquainted with the partiality of the Rouennois for Parisian printing. When M. Licquet did me the honour to translate my IXth Letter, subjoining notes, (which cut their own throats instead of that of the author annotated upon) he employed the press of Mons. Crapelet, at Paris: a press, as eminently distinguished for its beauty and accuracy, as its Director has proved himself to be for his narrow-mindedness and acrimony of feeling. M.L. (as I learnt from a friend who conversed with him, and as indeed I naturally expected) seemed to be sorry for what he had done.]