resumed, which only proceeded, however, to the extent of erecting one
bay to the westward, which stands to this day, the open end filled in
with scantling, weather proofing, and what not,--a bare, gaunt, ugly
patch. Had it been possible to complete the work on its original
magnificent lines, it would have been the most stupendous Gothic fabric
the world has ever known.

Not entirely without beauty, in spite of its great proportions, it is
more with wonder than admiration that one views both its details and
proportions. Though it is perhaps unfair to condemn its style as
unworthy of the Augustan age of French architecture, surely the ambition
with which the work was undertaken was a laudable one enough, and it is
only from the fact that it spells failure in the eyes of many who lack
initiative in their own make-up, that it only qualifiedly may be called
a great work.

The choir, which now dates from 1322, perforce looks unduly short, by
reason of the absence of a nave to add to the effect of horizontal
stability; and the great height of the adjoining transept; but the
chevet and buttresses are certainly a marvel of grace and towering
forms.

The portals of the transept are of the period of Francis I., with
flowing lines and ornate decorations--"having passed the severity and
ethical standards of maturity, and progressed well along the path to
senility," as a vigorous Frenchman has put it. True enough in its
application is this livid sentiment,--perhaps,--but its jewel-like south
portal, like the "_gemmed_" west front of Tours, forms an attractive
enough presentment to please most observers who do not delve too deeply
into cause and effect. The north portal is less ornate, but its
beautifully carved doors are by the same hand as that which worked the
opposite portal. The ornamental stonework here is unusual, suggesting an
arrangement which may or may not have been intended as a representation
of the "Tree of Jesse." In any case it is a remarkable work of flowing
Gothic "branches," which, though mainly lacking its intended
interspersed figures, is not only unique among exterior decorations,
but appears as a singularly appropriate treatment of a grand doorway.

Adjoining the choir on the right is a sacristy occupying a small
structure, and to the westward is a fragmentary edifice known as the
_Basse OEuvre_,--one of the oldest existing buildings in France; a
Romano-Byzantine work, variously stated as of the sixth to ei