Though there are four convents, there is but one parochial church in
the whole town; I had not an opportunity of taking its exact
dimensions, but it is pretty easy to make a tolerable conjecture of
’em—for as there are fourteen thousand inhabitants in the town, if the
church holds them all it must be considerably large—and if it will
not—’tis a very great pity they have not another—it is built in form of
a cross, and dedicated to the Virgin _Mary;_ the steeple, which has a
spire to it, is placed in the middle of the church, and stands upon
four pillars elegant and light enough, but sufficiently strong at the
same time—it is decorated with eleven altars, most of which are rather
fine than beautiful. The great altar is a master- piece in its kind;
’tis of white marble, and, as I was told, near sixty feet high—had it
been much higher, it had been as high as mount _Calvary_
itself—therefore, I suppose it must be high enough in all conscience.
There was nothing struck me more than the great _Square;_ tho’ I cannot
say ’tis either well paved or well built; but ’tis in the heart of the
town, and most of the streets, especially those in that quarter, all
terminate in it; could there have been a fountain in all _Calais_,
which it seems there cannot, as such an object would have been a great
ornament, it is not to be doubted, but that the inhabitants would have
had it in the very centre of this square,—not that it is properly a
square,—because ’tis forty feet longer from east to west, than from
north to south; so that the _French_ in general have more reason on
their side in calling them _Places_ than _Squares_, which, strictly
speaking, to be sure, they are not.
The town-house seems to be but a sorry building, and not to be kept in
the best repair; otherwise it had been a second great ornament to this
place; it answers however its destination, and serves very well for the
reception of the magistrates, who assemble in it from time to time; so
that ’tis presumable, justice is regularly distributed.
I have heard much of it, but there is nothing at all curious in the
_Courgain;_ ’tis a distinct quarter of the town, inhabited solely by
sailors and fishermen; it consists of a number of small streets, neatly
built and mostly of brick; ’tis extremely populous, but as that may be
accounted for, from the principles of their diet,—there is nothing
curious in that neither.——A traveller may see it to satisfy himself—he
must not omit however taking notice of _La Tour de Guet_, upon any
account; ’tis so called from its particular destination, because in war
it serves to discover and give notice of the enemies which approach the
place, either by sea or land;——but ’tis monstrous high, and catches the
eye so continually, you cannot avoid taking notice of it if you would.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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