Part 3

As soon as the French Government learned the facts, a Note was sent to the Neutral Powers, protesting against these inhuman deportations, which were ordered by _General Von Graevenitz_, and executed by the 64th Infantry Regiment, commanded by _Captain Himmel_.

Five months later, thanks to the intervention of the King of Spain, Alfonso XIII., these unfortunate people were allowed to go back to their homes.

For several months in 1917 things went better, but in 1918, the German Authorities recommenced deporting. A first batch of men and women was interned at Holzminden, while on another occasion the women were sent to Holzminden and the men to Jewie, near Vilna (Lithuania). The Official Records, to which the reader is referred, contain full details of these inhuman crimes and of the abominable treatment to which the exiles were subjected: privations of every kind, humiliation, torture and degrading occupations.

On September 30th, 1918, the Kommandantur ordered the evacuation of all males from 15 to 60 years of age, but the German soldiers carried out their instructions in a half-hearted way, and many escaped. The approaching sound of the guns and the lax discipline of the soldiers announced the Allies' Great Victory and the coming deliverance to the war-weary people.

On October 17th, the British troops entered Lille.

The Ruined Industries of Northern France

Before the war, Northern France was one of the most flourishing industrial centres in the country.

The metallurgical firms of the North produced annually over a million tons of =steel=, representing nearly a quarter of the country's total production. This steel was transformed locally into finished articles. The exceedingly prosperous =textile= industry was carried on mainly at Tourcoing, Roubaix, Rheims and Sedan.

The =flax= industry was also concentrated around Armentières, Lille and Halluin.

The =cotton= mills of Roubaix, Tourcoing and Lille were extremely prosperous and important.

The following general figures give an idea of the industrial importance of this region, which contributed one-sixth of the country's total taxes. Before the war, the annual industrial production was estimated at 4,000,000,000 frs., of which the textile industries accounted for 2,500,000,000 frs.

The industries of Northern France have been =ruined=, not so much by the war, as by the systematic =pillaging= and =destructions= carried out by the Germans.

Official documents left behind in Brussels by the routed enemy brought to light the existence of two German Organizations: the ="Abbau Konzern"= and the ="Wumba Waffen und Munitions-Beschaffungs Anstalt."= The mission of the =former= was to cripple France industrially, by methodically destroying her factories and mills, while the =latter's= agreeable and profitable task was to sell stolen French machinery and tools to competitive German industrial concerns.

VISIT TO THE TOWN

_To enable tourists to visit the town quickly and thoroughly, we have drawn up 4 itineraries, each of which starts from and returns to the Grande Place._

1st Itinerary (pp. 25 to 35).--=The Centre of the Town. The Ruins in 1914.=

2nd Itinerary (pp. 36 to 48).--=From the Grande Place to the "Dix-huit Ponts." The Ruins in 1916.=

3rd Itinerary (pp. 49 to 54).--=From the Grande Place to the Citadelle.=

4th Itinerary (pp. 55 to 58).--=The Old Town.=

FIRST ITINERARY

_Quarters destroyed by the bombardment of 1914_: =Rue de Paris=, =Rue de Tournai=, =Rue Faidherbe=, etc.

_Monuments seen on the way_: =The "Bourse,"= =Town Hall=, =Palais de Rihour=, =St. Maurice's Church=, =Tournai Gate=, =Theatre=, "=New Bourse=."

_Starting-point_: The Grande Place.

The Grande Place

In the centre of the Square is a fluted Granite =Column= by _Benvignat_, erected in 1848 to commemorate the _Siege of Lille_ in 1792. At the top is a =statue= of _Jeanne Maillotte_ holding a lighted torch in her hand. During the siege of the town in 1792, she crossed the enemy lines and set fire to the Austrian batteries which were shelling the town. The name of this heroic woman was given to one of the streets, in which a later hero, M. Eugène Jacquet, lived _(see p. 44)_. The inhabitants have surnamed the statue _"The Goddess."_

[Sidenote: _See itinerary, p. 25_]

Behind the column is the "=Bourse=" or Stock Exchange. Square in shape, it stands between the Grande Place, Rue des Sept-Agaches, Place du Théâtre and Rue des Manneliers. Rising above the roof is a polygonal turret, the upper part of which forms a terrace with small timber-work campanile. It has been restored in recent times.

The "Bourse"

The Bourse is the finest specimen of 17th century Flemish architecture in France. Dissatisfied with transacting their business in the open, twenty-four merchants of Lille petitioned the King of Spain, Philippe IV., for permission to erect a building in the Place du Grand Marché, to be known as the "Bourse."

The plans of the architect _Julien Destré_ were accepted in 1652. It was stipulated in the specification that the façades should be "of like symmetry and construction," that only the armorial bearings of the King were to appear over the entrances, and that the twenty-four buildings composing the edifice should be beneath one continuous roof, so as to form a harmonious whole. The petitioners were to guarantee the completion of the building within a given space of time.

To-day, shops on the ground-floor hide part of the façade, so that it is difficult to distinguish the bossages and semi-circular tympanums, but the rich, severe ornamentation of the upper stories, composed of caryatids, pilasters, pediments, and garlands carved in the stone-work, is plainly visible. The different periods of life (childhood, youth, and old-age) and the passions are depicted. The head of King Midas with stellated crown is especially noteworthy. A judicious use of brick with stone, while ensuring a harmonious _ensemble_, reposing to the view, also causes the relief motifs to stand out well.

Of the four doors ornamented with scroll-work, horns of plenty and royal coats of arms, in the four sides of the edifice, one gives access to the interior courtyard which is lined with four wide arcaded galleries. Doric columns of polished black stone support the vaulting, which is of brick, with binding ribs and nerves of white stone. On the plinth are heads of leopards connected by garlands of flowers and foliage. A bronze =statue= by Lemaire, representing Emperor _Napoléon I._, protector of the national industries, stands in the middle of the courtyard. This statue was inaugurated in 1854, and was cast from old presses from the Mint of Lille, which had previously been made from guns taken at Austerlitz.

The interior galleries of the Bourse were decorated in 1850.

Facing each of the bays formed by the intercolumniations are large tablets of marble surrounded by carvings, which recall those of the façade. In the midst of this sculpture are the symbols of commerce, industry and science. Inscriptions recall the most important dates and institutions relating to the commerce and industry of Lille. The busts over them represent great inventors or learned men (Jacquart, Philippe de Girard, Chaptal, Brongniart, Chevreul).

_On leaving the Bourse, cross the square to the left, and enter the Place de Rihour._

At the corner of the Grand Place, the black façade of the =Grand' Garde= decorated with trophies and curved pediments bearing the arms of France and Lille, should be noticed. A large shell-hole in the left-hand pediment has been temporarily bricked up.

_Cross the ruins of the =Hôtel de Ville=_, burnt down on April 24th 1916 _(photo below)_, at the time of the deportations. To the right, abutting on the Hôtel de Ville, is the =Palais de Rihour= which escaped damage from the fire.

The Palais de Rihour

Built in 1457-1462, this palace was the residence of _Philippe le Bon_, Duke of Burgundy. Only an octagonal turret, the guard-room and the chapel of brick and white stone remain. The Hôtel de Ville was erected on its site.

The low guard-room, in which the town records are kept, is divided in the middle by three polygonal columns unequally interspaced. The stone staircase with ribbed vaulting and graceful ornamentation, was formerly the grand staircase. Transferred to its present position, it now leads to the chapel known as the "Salle du Conclave," where the magistrates of Lille sat until 1789.

To the right of the chapel is a brick building, the façade of which is divided by two similar gables. Jutting out at the corner is an octagonal turret containing two small vaulted chambers. Above is a third room with timber-work ceiling, known as the "Oratory of the Duchess." An opening in the wall communicates with the chapel, and through it the choir is visible. From this room, which is reached by a spiral staircase of stone inside the turret, it is possible to hear the service without being seen.

[Sidenote: _See itinerary, p. 25_]

_Re-cross the Hôtel de Ville ruins and return to the Place de Rihour. Follow the Rue de la Vieille-Comédie and Rue du Sec-Arembault (plan, p. 25); the latter comes out into the Rue de Paris, in front of =St. Maurice's church=._

The Church of St. Maurice

_(historical monument)_

The church was seriously damaged by the bombardment of October 1914, which set fire to the roof.

It is a curious specimen of the 15th century Gothic-Flamboyant style of Walloon-Flanders, and comprises five naves of equal height arranged quincuncially, whereas most of the churches belonging to that period have three naves under a single roof, the aisles being shorter than the great nave, while the tower is necessarily placed over the main entrance _(see St. Catherine's Church, p. 54)_.

It also contains an ambulatory and an apse formed by polygonal chapels.

The façade, with its three portals, steeples of open construction, and white stone tower at the entrance, dates from the second half of the 19th century. The old square tower was pulled down in 1826 as unsafe. These different alterations were carried out under the direction of the architect _Lannissie_. According to _Monseigneur Dehaisnes_, the remarkable exterior of this church is due to these successive restorations and alterations.

Inside the church are rows of round slender columns with sculptured capitals, irregularly spaced.

The springing of the binding ribs or projecting arches which line the vaults, and their graceful arched branches, rest on and meet at the capitals. The point of intersection of the arches is marked by a pendant keystone. High and broad mullioned windows (note the stone uprights dividing the bays) amply light the interior. In the choir aisles are the following =paintings=: St. Charles Borromée and St. Francis, by _Van Oost_, and "Les Disciples d'Emmaüs," by _Van der Burgh_; in the chapel of St. Barbara: "Vision de Sté. Therese," by _Van Oost_ and a landscape by _Van der Burgh_; in the chapel of the Virgin: "Mariage de la Vierge," by _Wamps_, "Glorification de la Vierge," by _Van Minne_, and "La Cène," by _Van Audenaerde_. In the vestry are 15th and 16th century =chasubles= and 17th century =tapestries=.

[Sidenote: _See itinerary, p. 25_]

_After visiting the Church, take the Rue du Priez, behind the Church, leading to the Place de la Gare._

_Follow the Rue de Tournai, on the right_ (numerous houses damaged by shells) _as far as the =Tournai Gate=._

The =Tournai Gate= was built in the reign of Louis XVI.

The =bridge= over the moats of the ramparts, which the Germans blew up before leaving, has been temporarily repaired.

_Return by the Rue de Tournai and the Rue Faidherbe_ (partially in ruins) _as far as the Place du Théâtre: see the =Nouvelle Bourse=_ surmounted by a tower, and the =New Theatre=, inaugurated during the German occupation.

SECOND ITINERARY

_Starting from the =Grande Place=, follow the streets indicated by =continuous black lines=, in the direction of the =arrows=._

SECOND ITINERARY

=From the Grande Place to the Douai Gate quarter, destroyed by the Explosion of the "18 Ponts."=

_Principal sights on the way_: =The Prefecture=, =Museum= _and_ =Paris Gate=.

_Starting Point_: =The Grande Place=.

_To the right of the Grand' Garde, take the Rue Neuve, continued by the Rue de Béthune_ (one of those which suffered most from the bombardments).

_Follow this street to the Place de Béthune and to the Place Richebé_; see the bronze equestrian =Statue= of _General Faidherbe_ (1896), at the foot of which are two feminine figures with palm-branches and arms symbolising France and Lille. Two =bas-reliefs= representing the battles of Pont-Noyelles and Bapaume adorn the sides. The Monument is the combined work of the architect _Pugol_ and the sculptor _Mercié_.

_In front of the statue_: Boulevard de la Liberté and the fine Place de la République; _on the right_ is the =Prefecture=, _on the left_, the =Palais des Beaux Arts=.

The =Prefecture= is a richly ornamented building, erected in 1869 from the plans of the architect _Matteau_. The walls have been deeply scarred in places by shell splinters _(note the white patches on the blackened façade)_.

The =Palais des Beaux-Arts= was inaugurated in 1892.

Composite in style, it is very richly ornamented. Flanked by two round pavilions with cupolas containing staircases, its principal façade is in the Rue de la République. The =Museum of Lille= is installed there.

THE MUSEUM OF LILLE

This is one of the finest provincial museums in France. As early as 1795 it contained 183 works of art. A Consular Decree, dated the 14th Fructidor, Year IX, added 46 paintings taken from the collections of the Louvre and Versailles. The first catalogue, dated 1850, comprised 274 works of art, which number had increased to 1,275 at the time of the inventory of January 1st, 1908.

The Museum during the War

The Museum was the edifice which most suffered from the German bombardments. On October 11th, 1914, it was struck by 75 shells. The curator took measures at once to have the roof repaired and protect the collections.

However, the Museum was not proof against German greed. On Saturday, November 17th, two officers, accompanied by military policemen, came to "requisition" the works of art, in the name of the German authorities. After visiting the different rooms, and being unable to obtain the keys of the cabinets, they broke open the latter and took all the medals and miniatures, which they placed in paper bags from a neighbouring grocer's shop. The curator protested the same day, both verbally and in writing, to the Kommandantur and Military Governor.

The miniatures were brought back on November 19th, and the medals on December 3rd, less various antique gold jewels, two miniatures, and two gold medals, which had been "lost."

Later, two well-known German art experts _Herr Demmler_ and _Herr Professor Klemen_, armed with carefully annotated catalogues, made a general "requisition" comprising: 1,500 drawings (including those by Raphael and Michael Angelo), 420 paintings and 518 other works of art, all of which were packed up, labelled and sent off. The famous _="Wax Head"= (page 43)_ had, however, been hidden away in an underground vault, and replaced by a copy.

In an endeavour to justify their action, the Germans sent out a radiogram on November 4th, 1918, stating that the Museum of Lille had been damaged so seriously as to be unsafe for works of art, and that at the request of the curator, an inventory of the collections had been made and the latter transferred first to Valenciennes and then to the Old Museum in Brussels.

VISIT TO THE MUSEUM

The collections are classed under four distinct heads: =paintings=, =modern sculpture=, =archeological and lapidary specimens= and the =Wicar collections=.

I.--Paintings

The =Flemish= and =French= schools are the best represented. _(For a detailed description of the paintings, see "La peinture au Musée de Lille," by François Benoit_, 3 vols. _in 4to, with reproductions_, 1908).

The =Spanish= school includes a St. Jerome, by _Ribera_, dated 1643.

The =Italian= school contains The Martyrdom of St. George by _Veronese_ (duplicate of the painting by _San Giorgio Maggiore_ at Verona); two circular panels: Eloquence and Science (symbolized by two Venetian women with auburn hair), also by Veronese; The Flight into Egypt by _Carlo Saraceni_, and the Assumption of the Virgin by _Piazzetta_ (two very original painters little known in France); a delicate "Virgin with wild roses," of exquisite colouring, by _Ridolfo Ghirlandajo_; "Magdalene at the feet of Christ" and a "Judith and Holopherne" by _Lambert Zustris_ (often called Lambert Lambard)--two paintings of limpid colouring; (note the delicate lilac-grey tints).

As befits the "Capital of Flanders," the =Flemish= and =Dutch= Schools of the North are fully represented.

The Mystic Press, by _Jean Bellegambe_; the triptych, Virgin surrounded by Angels, attributed to _Gerard David_; the first portrait of Philippe le Bon, attributed to _Pierre Etret_; the Symbolical Fountain, an exceedingly fine altar-screen panel by _Thierry Bouts_ de Haarlem, is particularly noteworthy; a portrait of Emperor Charles Quint at the age of 32, by _Christophe Amberger_ and Charles Quint taking the Monk's Gown, by _Nicolas Francken the Elder_. _Rubens_ is represented by seven paintings: The Descent from the Cross, of admirable clearness; the expression is more natural than that of the painting in Antwerp; Vision of the Virgin appearing to St. Francis, of warm colouring; St. Bonaventure Meditating, and St. Francis receiving the Stigmas (two fine long panels); The Death of Magdalene (a somewhat monotonous but strangely intense monochrome). _Van Dyck_ is well represented by the following: The Crucifixion, considered by Paul de St. Victor to be his greatest masterpiece (the figure of Christ stands out clearly against a cloudy sky pierced by lightning); Portraits of an Old Lady and Marie de Médicis (in the background are seen Antwerp and the Escaut). The following artists are also represented: _Jordaens_, by the Prodigal Son, Christ and the Pharisees, the Temptation, and a wonderful study of cows; _Gaspard de Crayer_, by Martyrs buried alive (fine harmonious composition); _F. Franchoys_, by a Portrait of the Prior of the Abbey of Tongerloo, Gisherts Mutsarts, dated 1645. (Paintings by this artist are exceedingly rare). _Verspronck_, by the Portrait of Young Boy; _Jansen Van Ceulen_, by a very fine portrait of Anne Marie de Schurmann; _Pieter Codde_, by Conversation, of delightful colouring.

The =French= school, although incomplete (_Prudhon_, _Ingres_ and _Antoine Watteau_ are not represented), is nevertheless rich and instructive. First of all an _anonymous_ 17th century Portrait of an Architect, whose pale harsh face arrests the attention and haunts the memory. _Ph. de Champaigne_ is represented by the Good Shepherd; _Restout_ by a Jesus at Emmaüs; _Mignard_, by A Judgment by Midas; _Largillière_, by a very fine portrait of his father-in-law, the painter, John Forest; _Douvé_ (native of Lille), by a fine portrait of the painter Savage; _Jean Voilles_, by a delightful portrait of Madame Liénard; _François Watteau_ (grand nephew of Antoine Watteau), by two amusing sketches: Procession of our Lady of the Vine in 1789 and The Old Clothes Market of Lille; _David_, by his first picture after returning from Rome, "Bélisaire" (1781), of which there is a reduced copy in the Louvre (this painting marks the re-birth of the antique); _Boilly_, a native of the district of Lille, is fully represented by his Triumph of Marat--masterpiece of great truth and delicacy--and 28 portraits of artists painted for the picture "Réunion d'artistes dans l'atelier d'Isabey." The following are the names of these portraits: _Van Dael_, flower painter; _Houdon_, sculptor (grey overcoat); _Chaudet_, sculptor (seated); _Duplessis Berteaux_, designer (head resting on hands); _Hoffman_, art critic (long powdered hair); _Redoute_, flower painter; _Bourgeois_, designer; _Demarne_, painter; _Thibaut_, architect; _Swibach_, genre painter; _Lemot_, sculptor; _Serangeli_, historical painter (half-length, hands in pockets); _Taunay_, landscape painter; _Isabey_ (red coat); _Percier_, architect (looking at a plan); _Talma_, actor; _Drolling_, portrait-painter (red waistcoat); _Corbet_, sculptor (grey coat and white waistcoat); _Meynier_, painter; _Fontaine_, architect; _Blot_, engraver; _Bidault_, painter; _Boilly-Chenard_, singer; _Girodet-Trioson_, _Gerard_ and the remarkable group _Lethière_ and _Carle Vernet_.

In the =modern= school, the following are especially noteworthy: La Medée, by _Eugène Delacroix_ (strikingly dramatic), L'après-diner à Ornans, by _Courbet_, the colouring of which is unfortunately fading; La Becquée, charming genre painting by _Millet_; Effet du Matin, by _Corot_, remarkable for its beautiful effects of silvery light.

II.--Sculpture

Of the collections of sculpture, only the fine =bust= of Bonaparte by _Corbet_, dated 1799, is worthy of special mention.

III.--Archeological and Lapidary Museum