Part 12

On entering the church the effect is most impressive, and upon any great festival, or during the evening services of the Adoration Perpétuelle, when the whole east end is ablaze with candles, few churches can compare with it in grandeur. Nowhere else is to be found such a curious combination of styles, with a more harmonious result. The architect's ambition must have been to prove that two styles so opposed to each other in every respect were capable of being united with the best effect. The Renaissance of S. Eustache seems to give new life to the dying Gothic, by marrying its pilasters, its columns, and its Greek pediments to the pointed groining and arches.

Like the generality of early churches, S. Eustache leans a little to the right; whether in consequence of some peculiarity of the ground, or symbolically of the drooping of the head of the Saviour upon the cross, we cannot tell. There are double aisles on each side, and adjoining them a series of chapels, the depth of which varies, as the church is wider at one end than at the other. All the arches are round with the exception of those of the apse, which are pointed. The entire church is 88 _mètres_ 48c in length, and 42 _mètres_ 74c in width. The height of the nave is 33 _mètres_ 46c. The clerestory is filled with stained glass by Cartaux, of elegant design and harmonious colouring. In some of the details, as for instance the corbels, we see the same ideas that flitted across the brains of the Mediæval sculptors--namely, that of carving masks representing heads of devils and monsters, some grinning, some scowling, all more or less hideous and _bizarre_.

The _banc d'oeuvre_, a sort of pew erected opposite the pulpit for the clergy and Monsieur le Maire and his assistants during sermon, is a _chef-d'oeuvre_ of Renaissance sculpture in wood. Its design is the glory of S. Agnes, the young martyr being represented kneeling upon the summit of the entablature, with outstretched arms; Angels descend with palms in their hands to give her the crown of life. Below, between the Ionic columns, two other Angels support a medallion, which a third hangs to the roof of the arch. Upon this medallion a crucifix is carved, the figure of which is in plaster; for, unfortunately, time and wanton destruction have done their work upon the ornament, a good deal of it being now only of stucco. Upon the side panels were the monograms of the two patrons interlaced (if I remember aright); these were taken down, or covered up, some few years ago, to give place to marble slabs recording the names of all the _curés_ of the parish, from Simon, _prestre de l'église_ in 1223, to l'abbé Simon, one of the actors in the tragedy of the Commune, which he survived only a few years. Owing to the luck of the back of the pew being decorated with a medallion upon which are the Roman _fasces_ crowned with laurel leaves, the men of the First Revolution left it intact--the emblems were Republican; that was enough. The _banc_, which cost the Regent Orléans 20,000 _livres_, was executed by Lepautre from the drawings of Cartaux. One would imagine, thereby, that the Duke was a benefactor to the church; but if he gave with one hand, he took away with the other, and being a great connoisseur in matters artistic, he determined to get possession of a picture belonging to the church, painted by Valentin, of S. James kneeling. Being unable to persuade the _curé_ to give it up, we may infer he sent his emissaries (in other words, hired thieves) to carry it off, and put a copy in its place. The whole affair was studiously planned and carried out; but the church authorities compelled the royal pirate to pay them 20,000 _livres_ in compensation.

The pulpit, with its canopy, is a handsome specimen of carving, with figures of Faith, Hope, and Charity on three medallions. It replaces the old pulpit which was executed from drawings by Lebrun. The organ case is as beautiful as the instrument it encloses. Put up in 1854, architecturally, it is in the style of the church itself. The lower part consists of a gallery of Corinthian columns and arcades, united by a balustrade which follows the curves of the stone tribune upon which it rests. The case is ornamented at the top with figures of Saul brandishing a javelin and David holding his harp, with which he hopes to calm the King's anger--emblem of the power of music to humanise evil men's passions. In the centre stands S. Cecilia, with her organ and palm--the martyred patroness of the divine art. These statues are by the eminent sculptor, M. Guillaume. The frieze is a series of winged Cherubim; and in various parts are griffins, harpies, birds, chimeras, swans, spitting serpents, and little birds and lizards--a whole army of strange creatures, subdued by the sweet strains of the _Voix céleste_.

The great boss which descends from the centre of the transept is nine _mètres_ long, composed of colossal Angels holding the cross; other bosses are also remarkable, having emblems of the Holy Spirit, monograms, little Angels, and heads of Seraphim. The rose of the south transept is the older of the two; the window below it has for subject the Birth of Christ, which occupies the five upright divisions and the six hexagons of which the window is composed. Upon the pier, between the two parts of the south door, stands a Gothic statue which belonged to the earlier church, the pedestal being ornamented with charming little statuettes. On each side of the transept are figures of the Apostles, and bas-reliefs in enamelled terra-cotta of the patrons of music, S. Ambrose and S. Gregory the Great. Here, too, are frescoes painted by Signol of The Entombment; with the Four Evangelists, and the Cardinal Virtues. In the north transept is a statue by Delaplace of the patroness, and wall paintings by Signol, to correspond with those of the south transept, the principal subject being The Way of the Cross.

One remarkable feature of the church is the placing of a corbel under the capitals of the pilasters. Those in the choir are of winged Cherubim, while in the rest of the church various grotesque monsters, human and animal, figure in their stead. The glass in the east end bears the date 1631 and the name of Solignac, a _verrier_ totally unknown to fame, but an "_artiste distingué_," as our neighbours say, when nothing more flattering suggests itself to their minds and lips. S. Eustache figures upon the central light, under a colonnade in perspective, and upon each side of him are the four Latin Fathers and the twelve Apostles. Above our heads we see a rich groined roof, and a boss which is more wonderful than beautiful. Groups of Angels' heads and numberless Cherubim sitting upon clouds are interlaced with a large crown; the whole being about ten _mètres_ in length.

In 1795, upon the suppression of the convent of the Canonesses of Picpus, S. Eustache, for a consideration of 5,000 _francs_, gained possession of the nuns' beautiful stalls, which have since been a notable part of the church, especially the _misereres_ and the curious little stools upon which the _enfants de choeur_ sit.

The pavement and the altar are modern; the former, of various coloured marbles, having been laid in 1869. The altar is raised upon five steps; in the centre is the tabernacle under a domed _baldachino_, the whole being in white Paros marble, designed by M. Baltard. All the sculptures are enriched by gilding. In the centre is the _Sacrifice of the Lamb_, with grapes and corn encircling it. On each side, the symbols of the four Evangelists--the Angel, the Lion, the Ox, and the Eagle; the bull in which S. Eustache was immolated; the ropes and chains, a sword, some palms and lilies, all suggestive of S. Agnes. The _baldachino_ having been found to be out of proportion to the rest of the altar, a pilaster, destined to hold pans for burning incense, was placed at each extremity; but the effect of the whole is good, nay, even beautiful, in spite of the want of proportion. The doors of the tabernacle, in gilt bronze, are chased with great care and elegance. Before the Revolution, a bas-relief said to have been sculptured by Daniele da Volterra,[67] representing _The Entombment_, formed the reredos. The gates of the choir are composed of modern ironwork, by M. Calla, of excellent design.

Under the west door is a white marble bust of Chevert, a warrior whose deeds and virtues may be read upon his epitaph, composed by d'Alembert:

CY-GIT

FRANÇOIS CHEVERT

COMMANDEUR, GRAND'CROIX DE L'ORDRE DE SAINT-LOUIS, CHEVALIER DE L'AIGLE BLANC DE POLOGNE, GOUVERNEUR DE GIVET ET DE CHARLEMONT, LIEUTENANT GENERAL DES ARMÉES DU ROY.

SANS AYEUX, SANS FORTUNE, SANS APPUY, ORPHELIN DÈS L'ENFANCE, IL ENTRA AU SERVICE A L'AGE DE XI ANS, IL S'ÉLEVA A FORCE DE MÉRITE, ET CHAQUE GRADE FUT LE PRIX D'UNE ACTION D'ÉCLAT. LE SEUL TITRE DE MARÉCHAL DE FRANCE A MANQUÉ NON PAS A SA GLOIRE MAIS A L'EXEMPLE DE CEUX QUI LE PRENDRONT POUR MODÈLE IL ÉTAIT NÉ A VERDUN SUR MEUSE, LE 2 FÉVRIER 1695. IL MOURUT A PARIS, LE 24 JANVIER 1769.

_PRIEZ DIEU POUR LE REPOS DE SON AME_

The picture of the Martyrdom of S. Eustache, hard by, is by Simon Vouet, and was the gift of Louis XIV. Sold during the Revolution, it was bought by Cardinal Fesch, at whose death it was purchased by M. Moret, for presentation to the church.

It will be seen that the outer wall of the church is oblique, and, consequently, that the first two chapels are not deep enough even to contain an altar. In 1849, when some repairs were going on, it was discovered that the chapels had all been painted and gilt, and duly smeared over, after the fashion of our forefathers, with sundry coats of whitewash. These being removed, enough of the original decoration remained to restore it to its former splendour, which was done under the superintendence of M. Baltard. The chapel of the Virgin was painted by M. Dénuel, the others by M. Séchaut, while the renewing of the sculpture was the work of MM. Gallois and Poignant.

The first chapel, called that of the City of Paris, being too shallow for an altar, has the following inscription engraved in golden letters upon a black marble slab:--

"L'an mil six cent trente sept, le vingt-sixième jour d'avril, deuxième dimanche d'après Pasques, cette église, ayant été rebastie de fonds en comble, a été de nouveau desdiée et consacrée avec le maistre autel d'icelle, à l'honneur de Dieu, soubs l'invocation de la bienheureuse Vierge Marie et des bienheureux martyrs sainct Eustache et saincte Agnès et de sainct Louis, confesseur, jadis roy de France, par révérendissime père en Dieu, messire Jean-François de Gondi, premier archevêque de Paris, conseiller du Roi en ses conseils, commandeur de ses ordres et grand maistre de chapelle de sa Majesté. Ce requérant, vénérable et discrète personne maistre Estienne Tonnelier, presbstre, docteur en théologie et curé de la dicte église, avec haut et puissant seigneur Mons. P. Séguier, chevalier, chancelier de France, M. Maistre Gratien Menardeau, conseiller du roi en la cour du Parlement, honorable Jean Bachelier et Charles Gourlin, marchands bourgeois de Paris, au nom et comme Marguilliers de l'oeuvre et fabrique d'icelle église. Et a ledit sieur Archevêque donné indulgence en la forme ordinaire de l'église à tous ceulx et celles qui visiteront annuellement la dicte église, le deuxième dimanche d'après Pasques, jour et feste de la dédicace d'icelle."

This chapel is decorated with the arms of the city of Paris, the ship[68]; and upon each of the others will be found the arms of the founders.

The chapel of Calvary was founded by the Counts of Castille, and was originally dedicated to S. Peter. It contains a crucifix, _souvenir_ of a mission preached in 1825, and was the burial-place of François and Nicolas de Castille, _conseillers du roi_, who died in 1630 and 1634 respectively. In the chapel of S. Cecilia may be seen a little fresco in a very good state of preservation, representing the titular Saint holding the sword of her martyrdom, and S. Leonard. Sold in 1604 to Claude de Montescot, treasurer _des parties casuelles_, it was originally known by the name of S. Claude. Buying a chapel seems to have been the custom; and we find that of the Holy Innocents costing 1,100 _livres_ to the Chantereau-Lestang family. The fresco was painted in 1850 by M. Barre, and relates to S. Joseph, to whom the chapel was dedicated some twenty years ago. The sculptures are of the time of Louis XIII.

In the chapel Des Ames du Purgatoire, founded by the Gentian family in honour of the Holy Sepulchre, reliquaries may be seen containing a portion of the Sepulchre, and of the column upon which Our Lord was bound during the flagellation--so said Cardinal Patrizzi, who has authenticated the relics. More beautiful, and at least as authentic, are the frescoes by M. Margimel, representing the _Descent into Hades_. Moses and David are seen with other Old Testament worthies, the group of Adam and Eve with their children being particularly happy in its treatment. Below, of course, are purgatorial flames and a bruised serpent, with the inscription _Ecce agnus Dei, qui tollit peccatum mundi_. The opposite picture is less satisfactory, it is a conventional reading of the Eternal Father pitying the sufferings of the Son, who is attached to the pillar between weeping Angels. The elegant Renaissance re-table, and a statue by Chartrousse of a mother clasping a cross, with the text: _Bienheureux ceux qui pleurent, parce qu'ils seront consolés_, complete the contents of this chapel. The vaulting is very graceful, and is supported by corbels. The altar is a carved wood representation of _Christ upon the Mount of Olives_. The founder of this chapel or chantry was a descendant of Jean-Jacques Gentian, who saved the life of Philippe le Bel at the battle of Mons in 1304, for which act Gentian was allowed to incorporate the lilies into his arms. He died in 1305, and was buried on this spot in the old church; his descendant, a master merchant, was buried in the chapel in 1578.

It is curious to see how these chapels have changed names, and the why and wherefore. For instance, the first one in the _chevet_ was consecrated in 1608 to the Three Kings, the original founder being Guillaume Morot, one of the king's councillors and _contrôleur des finances_. Then it passed into the hands of the Puysieux family. In 1780 it was called the chapel of S. John the Baptist, in memory of Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau, chevalier d'Armenonville, keeper of the seals, who died at Madrid, and was transported to S. Eustache for burial. Charles Fleuriau, count de Morville, a minister, was buried here in 1732. These d'Armenonvilles inhabited an hotel in the Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which has been swallowed up by the post office. The hide merchants held the meetings of their guild in this chapel. In 1843 it was dedicated to the Sacred Heart, and is decorated by M. de Larivière to celebrate that article of faith, the four personages who accompany Our Lord being Pope Clement XIII., the zealous devotee of the _Sacré Coeur_; the blessed Marie-Marguerite Alacoque, of the order of the Visitation, and the discoverer of the miracle at Paray-le-Monial; the reverend father La Colombière, who defended the apparition against the unbelievers; and Monseigneur de Belzunce, bishop of Marseilles, who, in putting the city under the protection of the new dogma, saved it from the effects of a grievous pestilence, by causing the immediate retreat thereof to less favoured purlieus. In the next chapel we come upon more relics. The Rouillé family, and the Lecouteulx de Canteleu, founded it, and dedicated it to S. Margaret; but after the Revolution, S. Joseph was called in as patron, and as S. Agnes required a special altar, this was once more changed in name, and made over to her good protection in 1850. Or possibly the acquisition of her relics required a resting-place fitted specially for them. They consist of three fingers of the Saint from the abbey of S. Corentin, near Septeuil, and a pretty large portion of one of her ribs from the cemetery of S. Priscilla at Rome, given by Marie-Félix des Ursins, Duchesse de Montmorency, Supérieure de la Visitation de Moulins. The picture over the altar is attributed to Titian or Giordano; the modern frescoes are by M. Vauchelet: the _Martyrdom of S. Agnes_, in which one executioner is thrown down by the rush of flames, while the other, avenging himself upon the innocent victim, cleaves her head asunder with a sword.

When Archbishop Sibour verified the relics of S. Anne, in 1853, a chapel was dedicated to her, displacing Notre-Dame de Pitié, S. Adrien, S. Hubert, and S. Jacques. One would imagine, that is, the blasphemer might imagine, that saints would not take it well when they are deposed and supplanted, but possibly, being in higher realms than ours, they see the insignificance of such proceedings. The frescoes are by Lazerges.

It was in the west chapel, that of the Holy Angels, that the 17th century mural paintings were discovered. So completely were they enveloped in whitewash, that they escaped the vandalism of the last century. The Duval family founded the chantry. They seem to have had various posts under the government. Nicolas was a councillor in 1542; Jérôme in 1543; Jean was a receiver of taxes and the payer of members of Parliament, besides being a councillor in 1584; another Nicolas was councillor in 1585; Tristan was lord of Fontenay; François, ambassador at Rome; and Catherine's husband, Christophe Harlay, was Seigneur de Beaumont, président of the parliament, and father of the président Harlay. The fresco representing the _Triumph of S. Michael over the revolting Angels_ is by M. Cornu. Above the altar is another fresco of _Christ in Glory_, with S. Lucretia and S. Radegonde, queen of France, and afterwards a nun at Poitiers, kneeling at His feet. The Saints appear with the donors, aforesaid, clad respectively as _chevalier_, priest, and _bourgeois_. Here were buried Marguerite Duval, Jean Lesecq, and a Seigneur de Bridevalles, Nicolas Lesecq, who was the king's chafe-wax, and sealer of the chancellery, and who, worthy man, left twelve _sous_ to the organist, and three to the bellows blower. Françoise-Madeleine Lesecq, who lived in the Hôtel de Gesvres, Rue Coq-Héron, since incorporated into the Caisse d'Epargne, was also buried here.

Formerly, before Louis XIV. admitted them to the Louvre, the Guild of Painters and Sculptors held its meetings in the Rue Trainée, and its _fêtes_ and funeral masses in the chapel of S. André in S. Eustache; in consequence of which the king, to do honour to the Academy, allowed its rector, Antoine Coysevox, to add the royal lily to his arms, and to place them in this chapel, thus honouring Coysevox at the same time as his fellow sculptors and painters. The guild was founded by Lebrun, and held its meetings at the Sieur Martin de Charmois' house. This Seigneur de Lauré was secretary to Marshal Schomberg; and full of zeal for art and artists, was the author of the scheme of a guild. Signed by Lebrun, Sarazin, Perrier, Bourdon, de la Hire Corneille, Juste d'Egmont, Vanolstat, Hause, de Guernier, Errard, Van-Mol, Guillier, and Eustace Lesueur, the petition was presented to the king, and supported by chancellor Séguier and de la Veillière, it obtained the royal assent. Like our later foundation, the Academy made several moves before it was finally settled. First in Charmois' house, it migrated to the Hôtel Clisson, Rue des Deux-Boules, where it held its meetings until the squabbles of the rival artists subsided, and accommodation was found for the members at the Louvre. Most appropriately, the decoration of this chapel was given in 1850 to Isidore Pils, one of the great painters of the latter part of this century, so well known by his _Battle of the Alma_, the _Mort d'une Soeur de Charité_, and _La Prière à l'Hospice_. The subjects are from the life and death of the titular saint, Andrew; on one side, his crucifixion upon the transverse cross which bears his name; upon the other, Angels bearing him to heaven. In the latter, a more delicious little group of children, _soi-disant_ Angels, has rarely been painted, even by that master of chubby and graceful babies, Prud'hon. Pils, says M. l'abbé Koeneg[69] loved children, and he certainly painted them as none but a lover of childhood could have done. The chapel Richelieu was founded by the great cardinal, and is the burial place of the Vrillière family, whose hotel is now the Banque de France. The door close by is called the _Porte de la Miséricorde_ by reason of its paintings, which represent the _Seven Works of Mercy_. They are by M. Biennourry.