by bishop Werner, at the beginning of the
eleventh century; the shape of the pillars, their cubical tops
or chapters, the arches exclusively semi-circular, bring us back
to those times. This crypta, that remained unimpaired during all
the changes which the Cathedral must have undergone in the course
of so many centuries, forms a nave with two arch-vaults and a
round chancel. All along the walls of the nave are stone benches.
Four of the inner pillars have still hinges affixed to them which
prove that this portion of the crypta could be closed by a double
door. At its entrance is what is called the holy tomb, a very
ancient group of figures representing Jesus Christ and his
disciples on the mount of Olives, at the moment when the soldiers
are going to seize the Lord: this group comes from the chapel of
the Augustines, erected in 1378; it was placed in the crypta in
1683.

The most ancient of the present chapels of the Cathedral is that
of Saint-Andrew, in the South aisle of the chancel; it is
remarkable for the details of its columns and for its ornaments
of a very old style; it contains the tombs of several bishops,
the oldest of which is that of Henry of Hasenburg, who died in
1190. Behind the North aisle of the chancel, is Saint-John the
Baptist's chapel, also very old, and being now lower than the
pavement of the Cathedral. Besides several epitaphs, one here
sees the fine gothic sepulchre of bishop Conrad of Lichtenberg,
who died in 1299. The colossal statue of that prelate lies on a
stone and has still some marks of the colours with which it had
formerly been painted; in one hand he holds a book, in the other
was his crosier of which only the lower part is now left; his
head covered with the mitre rests on a cushion and his feet lie
against a lion[1]. Near the entrance of this chapel, surrounded
by an elegant railing, is the baptismal-font of sculptured stone,
the master-piece of Josse Dotzinger of Worms, who died in 1449.

[1] The epitaph of Conrad is as follows:

"_Anno domini MCCLXXXXIX kal. Augusti obiit Conradus
secundus de Lichtenberg natus, Argentinensis episcopus,
hic sepultus. Qui omnibus bonis condicionibus, quae in
homine mundiali debent concurrere, eminebat; nec sibi
visus similis est in illis. Sedit autem annis XXV et
mensibus sex. Orate pro eo._"

The first chapel built in the Cathedral was Saint-Lawrence's,
next to the North portal of the transept. It