ities, with
its bishopric removed to Nancy, it ranks as a military and strategic
stronghold rather than a centre of churchly domination. Since Metz and
Strasbourg were given over to the Germans, Toul's former fortress has
been greatly strengthened.

The cathedral itself may truly be said to bear the characteristics of
both the German and French manner of building, the western or later end
being a superb front, after the French manner, and the easterly or
earlier end having a simple apse and long narrow windows, in the German
fashion. A comparison has been made by Professor Freeman between the
western facade of this church and Notre Dame de Reims. He says, "We are
daring enough to think that, simply as a design, the west front of Toul
outdoes that of Reims; though it will be hardly needful to prove that,
as a whole, Reims far outdoes that of Toul." Quite non-committal, to be
sure, as was this charming writer's way; but, of itself, a sort of
preparation to the observer for the beauties which he is to behold. Here
is the case of a superb richness having been added to a plainer body,
and by no means inharmoniously done. The gable is nearly perfect as to
its juxtaposition. The towers are higher in proportion than at Reims,
giving the effect of being the finished thing as they stand, though
lacking spires or pinnacles. The walls are of those just proportions in
relation to the window piercings which is again French, as contrasted
with a neighbouring example at Metz, where the reverse is the case.

The city was the seat of a bishop as early as the sixth century, and its
government was under his control until 1261, when it became a free
commune. Finally it was conquered by Henry II., and its future assured
to France by the Treaty of Westphalia.

The cathedral dates in part from Romanesque remains of the tenth
century, but its entire interior arrangements were much battered during
the Revolution.

The choir and transept are of the best of thirteenth-century building,
while the nave and side aisles are of the century following. Two towers,
which flank the magnificent facade, rise for nearly two hundred and
fifty feet, and are the work of Jacquemin de Commercy in the fifteenth
century. Adjoining the right aisles are the very beautiful Gothic
cloisters of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. They form a
rectangular enclosure, 225 feet by 165 feet, and are made up of
twenty-four sections of four arches, each with clustered c