In the centre of the basement, in a niche at the bottom of which is a =painting= of the twelve Apostles, a reclining =statue= of Ferry de Beauvoir, Bishop of Amiens, should be noticed. On each side there are remarkable =paintings= of two angels lifting a red cloth, and two canons with cope and cassock holding a pall decorated with the figure of Agnus Dei and the symbols of the four Evangelists. The whole dates from about 1489. The carvings are the oldest of all those in the aisles, and are distinguishable from the others by the [Illustration: CHOIR AISLES. (10 _on plan_) REVELATION AND TRANSLATION OF REMAINS OF ST. FIRMIN.] garments, which fall in long, straight, stiff folds, and their greater simplicity. The second bay (10 _on plan, photo p._ 31) recalls the legend of the discovery and translation of the remains of St. Firmin. _From left to right_:-- 1. St. Sauve, Bishop of Amiens, exhorting the faithful to pray, that the sepulchre of the saint might be revealed. 2. Ray of light revealing the sepulchre to St. Sauve during Mass. 3. Exhuming the body. 4. Translating the remains of St. Firmin to Amiens. The basement comprises thirteen carved =medallions= illustrating various episodes in the life of St. Firmin, while in the middle is seen an exceedingly fine recumbent =statue= of Adrien de Henencourt, dean of the chapter of Amiens, who died in 1530, and at whose expense the whole of the south enclosure of the choir was built. [Illustration: CATHEDRAL TREASURE (_in Vestry_): ST. FIRMIN'S SHRINE.] [Illustration: PROTECTION OF DOORWAYS OF PRINCIPAL FAÇADE.] THE CATHEDRAL DURING THE WAR During the =War=, elaborate precautions were taken to protect the Cathedral and its art treasures from the dangers of bombardment. The three doorways of the principal façade (_photo above_) and that of the Gilded Virgin, were covered with a thick protecting wall of sandbags. The choir stalls (_photo p._ 33) were enclosed with reinforced concrete and sandbags, the stone carvings of the ambulatory being protected in like manner. The various funeral monuments were walled in, while firemen from Paris removed the stained glass. All the movable art treasures were taken away and placed in safety (_photo p._ 33). [Illustration: CHAPEL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST DAMAGED BY SHELL (_left-hand side of Apse_).] [Illustration: PROTECTION OF THE CHOIR STALLS.] These precautions were not superfluous, as the cathedral was repeatedly made the target of enemy artillery fire. In 1915, during an air bombardment, three out of nine bombs fell in the immediate vicinity, at distances varying from 150 to 200 yards. In the spring of 1918 an incendiary shell burst in the Rue de Robert Luzarches, within 30 yards of the Virgin doorway, completely destroying two houses, while splinters hit the upper part of the doorway above the wall of sandbags. In all, nine shells hit the cathedral, but none of them caused very serious damage.