t pleasing examples seen elsewhere.

XII

ST. ETIENNE DE MEAUX

To the eastward of Paris, one first finds the true country atmosphere at
Meaux, famous for its bishops, its grist-mills, and its generally
charming environment.

The picturesque little city is situated on the Marne, some thirty miles
from Paris, amid a verdure which, if not luxuriant, is, at least, a
"fringe of green" that is appealing alike to local pride, and to the
artist or stranger within the gates. It is an ancient bishopric (now
suffragan of Paris), founded in 375 A. D.

[Illustration: ST. ETIENNE _de MEAUX_]

The Cathedral of Saint Etienne de Meaux is called by the French the
"Child of Amiens," and it would have all the dignity of its mother had
but the nave received the same development as the choir. Its general
dimensions are restrained, and it shows in no way any remarkable
architectural ensemble; but, for all that, its power to please is none
the less great. Lacking a certain symmetry, in itself no great fault,
the exterior gives the impression of being to-day much less grand and
imposing than was really planned. Battled by wind and weather, its outer
walls have that scarred and aged look which is a beauty in itself. There
are two towers, one of which is unfinished and capped with an ugly and
angular slate roof, so low that it hardly exists at all, so far as
forming a distinct feature of the facade is concerned. Its companion,
however, rises boldly and in graceful lines to a generous height above
the gable.

The interior plan is regular and simple, with a nave of five bays, the
first two from the west being divided into the infrequent quadruple
range of openings, while the remainder consist of the usual triforium
and clerestory only. The double aisles of the nave are of unusual
height, in order to admit of this double range of openings.

The transepts, if transepts they can be considered, are very shallow,
being merely the depth of the double aisles of the nave and choir, and
are bare and unadorned so far as any notable sculpture or glass is
concerned, though the arched windows which hold the plain glass are of
grand proportions and excellent design as to their framing.

The triforium, throughout, is an arcaded cloister-like effect of slight
arches, supported by slender columns, with a series of glazed windows
behind. It would be a notable and wholly charming arrangement were the
glass of these windows rich in colour, or even