f
the Tour St. Romain.

With the first of these the same King had to do who built the "Palais
de Justice." It was during his visit in 1508 that Louis XII., shocked
with the narrow crowded streets all round the Parvis, destroyed the
various money-changers' hovels, and ordered the building of a "Hotel
des Generaux de Finance" on the spot where these had stood. The Church
of St. Herbland was only just finished at the corner of the Rue de la
Grosse Horloge, and in 1510, Thomas Bohier asked the canons to allow a
hut to be built in the Parvis for the convenience of his masons, just
as the Church had done. In 1512 the neighbouring citizens petitioned
the Chapterhouse that this hut should be removed. It was between these
dates, therefore, that Rouland le Roux, whose work on the Cathedral
facade you will remember (p. 130), began the building of this
exquisite house. It was certainly completed by 1541, and was probably
used some time before that date.

Mutilated and degraded to base uses as this fine piece of French
Renaissance has now become, it is still possible to realise what Le
Roux first built; and in his heavy cornice I cannot help imagining a
suggestion of Italian feeling made by that same King whose wars in
Italy had given him a sense of proportion and of beauty that may be
seen again in his desire to clear the surroundings of the Cathedral,
an idea quite contrary to French mediaeval notions, and in his spacious
plans for the great Palace of the Law. Be that as it may, nothing
could well be more appropriate than the whole decoration of this
corner house. Before shops had invaded its ground-floor, and
advertisements had defaced the exquisite line of carvings just above,
the Rez de chaussee had seven low arcades whose pilasters and windows
were carved with medallions, candelabra, and "grotesques" in low
relief. Over the vaulted entrance was the shield of France, borne by
the Porcupines of Louis XII. Above this is an "entresol" of tiny
circular windows alternating with medallions of crowns held up by
genii. The next storey has seven windows with beautifully carved
pilasters. It is far better preserved than the rest, but the two
niches have lost their statues, and a corbelled tower was destroyed in
1827, when shops were first put in.

The first General des Finances for Normandy was Thomas Bohier, whose
fortunes I have traced at his Chateau of Chenonceaux in Touraine. He
was as unfortunate as every other great financier o