CHAPTER IX.

PLUTARCH declared that a friend is more neces

sary to man than water;* but if the learned Grecian had passed a day and night in a French diligence, he would, if wrapped in such skin as men now wear, prefer a bath to all the friends in the world. Physiologists tell us that our dermis, or true skin, is pierced by 7,000,000 perspiratory tubes, forming a total length of 48,600 yards, or nearly twenty-eight miles. No wonder that we should feel miserably uncomfortable when these tubes have been plugged up by the particles of dust which buzz about a traveller in a French diligence, as floating meal round gyrating millstones. And no wonder that we should feel as if we had cast off a slough, when, by a good ablution, our pore-draining machinery is enabled to act freely again. We were also much indebted to an excellent breakfast for being thoroughly invigorated. We then sallied forth to see Le Puy. This is, without exception the quaintest, funniest, and most picturesque town out of China that it is possible to conceive. We were prepared to expect much, but the reality exceeded the ideality. A general impression of the

* Amicus magis necessarius quam aqua.'

town may be formed by ascending the cathedral tower, but the streets must be threaded to become fully aware of the architectural curiosities of the place. Le Puy, or, as it is generally called, Puy, is built in the form of an amphitheatre on the southern side of a steep hill, anciently bearing the name of Mont Anis. The site is so exceedingly inconvenient for a town, that one is puzzled to guess how it ever came to be selected. History, however, tells us, that certain monks in the eighth century, who dwelt here, happened to possess an image of the Virgin, of such miraculous powers, that their convent became the resort of many thousand pilgrims, some of whom resolved to abide under the protection of Our Lady,' and so a town was gradually formed. Its name is derived from the old Aquitanian word, Puech, or Puich, signifying mountain, which sufficiently describes its situation. So steep are the streets, that the pavement assumes the form of steps, and hand-rails are in many places attached to the houses to aid the wayfarer in his ascent. As to the buildings, it is a direct contradiction of the laws of gravity that they do not slide down the hill to the valley beneath-they must, it is presumed, obey the spiritual attraction which exists in the church towering over them. The culminating point of Mont Anis is a singularly formed mass of breccia, impregnated with iron, called the Rocher de Corneille, whose summit bears the mouldering remains of a castle, said to have sheltered many bishops during seasons of popular discontent. The cathedral stands immediately

164

ANCIENT CATHEDRAL.

under the Rocher de Corneille. It is a noble building, suggestive of a noble-minded architect. The nature of the ground was such as to prevent the construction of a large edifice. The architect, nothing daunted, reared an artificial platform upon three gigantic arches, which present magnificent portals, and are attained by a flight of 118 steps. The effect of these deep vaulted arches is particularly grand. Repairs on a large scale were going on at the time of our visit, and we found it difficult to explore the labyrinthine passages round the cathedral. Addressing myself to a couple of priests, one kindly took us through a private door into the cloisters, which are exceedingly perfect and curious. I shall not encroach on the guide-book's province by describing the church, more than by saying that it is in the Romanesque style, dating from the eighth century. The miraculous image of the Virgin appears, if priests are to be believed, to have brought down the especial blessing of God on it; for as soon as it was ready for consecration, and as the jewelled bishops with their train of priests were about entering the building for that purpose, the doors were flung open, voices proceeding from unseen forms were heard chanting, and the whole of the vast interior was a blaze of light and redolent of perfume.

Ponderous tomes have been written on the image which has made Le Puy celebrated. The majority of accounts concur in stating, that it was made by the Christians of Mount Lebanon, and brought to Europe

IMAGE OF THE VIRGIN.

165

at the time of the Crusades by St. Louis, who presented it to the church. Unhappily for its fame, it had not power to save itself from the fury of the mob during the revolution of 1792, who, unawed by its reputed sanctity, destroyed it, immolating at the same time seventy priests. It was made of cedarwood, wrapped by slips of papyrus, bearing inscriptions. The features of the face resembled those of an Egyptian. It was customary to wash the figure on each Good Friday with wine, and to load it with costly jewels presented by numerous monarchs. A portion of the papyrus which swathed the image is preserved in the town-museum. It bears a seal thus

figured; and attached to it

are these words: An 1051, Leon IX. en sa Bulle écrite en écorce d'arbre, adressé à Etienne de Mercam, Evêque de Puy, dit qu'il n'y a pas

d'Église en France où la Sainte Vierge soit plus réligieusement venérée.' Many popes and kings visited the fragment of painted wood, leaving behind them substantial proofs of their religious zeal.

It might be supposed that when the image was destroyed, pilgrims would no longer visit Le Puy. However, a cunning craftsman, who retained a perfect remembrance of the little black lady's appearance, fabricated an image similar to it, which now does duty over the high altar, and attracts some 4000 persons annually. Few churches in Europe possessed so many

relics as that of Le Puy. Their enumeration is curious. Imprimis: The lance that pierced our Saviour's side: a piece of the true cross; a nail which fastened the right hand of Jesus to the cross; a piece of the sponge; the cloth used at the last supper; the robe of the Lord; a bottle of the Virgin's milk; one of her shoes; a sleeve of her gown; a tooth of St. Magdalen; a bone of Lazarus; the skeletons of six of the eleven thousand virgins; a piece of the camel's skin worn by St. John; the finger with which he pointed, exclaiming, 'Behold the Lord!' a pitcher from the marriage-feast of Cana; the fringes and bells of Aaron; the horn of St. Hubert; and a snowwhite lock of St. Louis' hair.

These relics seem to have been almost as much venerated as the image of the Virgin. It is recorded that on one occasion when they were shown, the people crowded in such numbers, that one hundred and forty were suffocated. However, the relics shared the fate of Nôtre Dame,' and now the church has nothing to show but some magnificent priests' robes and valuable plate, presented by Charles X. and Louis Philippe. The vicinity of the cathedral abounds with picturesque morceaux, some of which we transferred to our sketch-books. It never fell to my lot to see so many priests as I did while thus occupied. The archbishop of the diocese was holding a visitation in the palace which adjoins the cathedral, and all day long black-robed priests moved to and fro, and crept up the narrow little streets leading to their college. We