y with Antoine
Avernier, image-cutter, residing at Amiens, at the rate of thirty-two
sous (sixteen pence) the piece. Most of the wood came from Clermont en
Beauvoisis, near Amiens; the finest, for the bas-reliefs, from
Holland, by St. Valery and Abbeville. The Chapter appointed four of
its own members to superintend the work: Jean Dumas, Jean Fabres,
Pierre Vuaille, and Jean Lenglache, to whom my authors (canons both)
attribute the choice of subjects, the placing of them, and the
initiation of the workmen 'au sens veritable et plus eleve de la Bible
ou des legendes, et portant quelque fois le simple savoir-faire de
l'ouvrier jusqu'a la hauteur du genie du theologien.'

Without pretending to apportion the credit of savoir-faire and
theology in the business, we have only to observe that the whole
company, master, apprentices, workmen, image-cutter, and four canons,
got well into traces, and set to work on the 3rd of July, 1508, in the
great hall of the eveche, which was to be the workshop and studio
during the whole time of the business. In the following year, another
menuisier, Alexander Huet, was associated with the body, to carry on
the stalls on the right hand of the choir, while Arnold Boulin went on
with those on the left. Arnold, leaving his new associate in command
for a time, went to Beauvais and St. Riquier, to see the woodwork
there; and in July of 1511 both the masters went to Rouen together,
'pour etudier les chaires de la cathedrale.' The year before, also,
two Franciscans, monks of Abbeville, 'expert and renowned in working
in wood,' had been called by the Amiens chapter to give their opinion
on things in progress, and had each twenty sous for his opinion, and
travelling expenses.

In 1516, another and an important name appears on the accounts,--that
of Jean Trupin, 'a simple workman at the wages of three sous a day,'
but doubtless a good and spirited carver, whose true portrait it is
without doubt, and by his own hand, that forms the elbow-rest, of the
85th stall (right hand, nearest apse), beneath which is cut his name
JHAN TRUPIN, and again under the 92nd stall, with the added wish, 'Jan
Trupin, God take care of thee' (_Dieu te pourvoie_).

The entire work was ended on St. John's Day, 1522, without (so far as
we hear) any manner of interruption by dissension, death, dishonesty,
or incapacity, among its fellow-workmen, master or servant. And the
accounts being audited by four members of the Chapter, it