Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and EducationAllies, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Journal in France in 1845 and 1848 with Letters from Italy in 1847: Of Things and Persons Concerning the Church and Education
Allies, T. W. (Thomas William)
France -- Church history -- 19th century; Italy -- Church history -- 19th century
learning, combined with poverty, and exhibited in the persons of those
drawn from the people itself, or of those who surrender a higher rank
to belong to the people, will make any great and permanent impression
on them. The more I reflect, the more it appears to me that the
priesthood and the ecclesiastical colleges of France have in them this
element of success.
M. Lambert's college is to be a quadrangle, of the style of the old
chateaux in Louis XIV.'s time. Two sides are nearly finished. It will
be a very pleasing and appropriate building when completed, and is
from the design of M. Robert. The boys now sleep in two dormitories,
which, like all the house, are scrupulously clean and neat, the
masters among them, the only discernible difference being a little
wider space between a master's and the adjoining bed.
In the course of to-day, I asked a person well qualified to judge,
whether the university colleges were now in a better state as to the
morals of their inmates: the answer expressed a fear that they were
even worse.
We left our kind host M. Picard this afternoon, and went by
railway to Mantes. It is a fine and noble country all the way; the
view of Rouen as one passes over the bridge, under Notre Dame de bon
Secours, is of ravishing beauty. The lofty banks of the Seine, 400
feet high, accompany one at a little distance, most of the way--and
twice a tunnel cuts through them, and comes out suddenly on the
peaceful banks of the river again. The country is cut on a broad and
large scale, which contrasts strongly with the limited and smaller
prospects in England. We reached Mantes just in time to have a look at
the beautiful church of Notre Dame, worthy of its builders, Blanche of
Castile and S. Louis.
_Tuesday, July 18._--We attended a Low Mass at six this morning, in
the Lady Chapel at Notre Dame; there were a good many people, sisters
of charity, and Christian brothers, and several communicants. This
church is one of great purity and chasteness, and full of symbolism.
The numbers seven and three perpetually occur in the windows and bays.
There are seven bays of the nave, and seven round the apse--seven
great rose windows over the vaulted triforium round the apse: many
most beautiful windows of geometric tracery, with trefoils arranged in
threes. In each bay of the nave the triforium has three smaller bays
formed by most elegant colonnettes. The western façade, up to the
gallery, is of rare dignity and beauty.
We reached Paris at a quarter past ten, and in a few minutes were on
our way to our Hotel Windsor; the soldiers were bivouacking in the
railway station. I was then more than five hours writing my journal
from the beginning. In the evening we walked to Notre Dame, along the
quais, and to the Hôtel de Ville. The thoroughfares were thronged with
National Guards, and an idle or unoccupied population. Woe to the
nation of which these are rulers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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