be considered that of Lisieux, a
contemporary building, and so much alike in character, that it may
reasonably be doubted if they were not the production of the same
architect, it will scarcely be assuming too much, to say that the date
of the introduction of the pointed architecture in France, may safely be
placed as early as the middle of the eleventh century.

NOTES:

[204] _Abrege de l'Histoire des Eveques de Coutances_, p. 48.

[205] At that time, its length was twenty-five leagues, and its width
ten, without comprising the islands of Guernsey and Jersey, over which
it still held a titular sway. In it were included the district of the
Cotentin; the city of Coutances; the towns of St. Lo, Granville,
Carentan, Vallognes, and Cherbourg; twenty-four smaller market towns;
four archdeaconries; twenty-two rural deaneries; ten abbeys; twenty-four
other convents; and five hundred and fifty parishes. The chapter
consisted of twenty-six canons and eight dignitaries.

[206] The following are the words of Robertus Cenalis upon this
subject:--"Carolo, Ludovici XI. germano, quorundam procerum principumque
suggestione ducatum Normanniae non precario, sed vi impense ambiente, cum
via sibi per posticum episcopalis domus aperta esset, rex idcirco
indignatus incolis qui a fide defecerant, cavit decreto suo in poenam
criminis, quod funditus a solo everterentur civitatis moenia, quae nulla
vel pretii, vel precum sollicitatione restitui potuerunt."--Cenalis then
proceeds to say,--"Habet in templi sui meditullio merito suspiciendum
spectaculum mirae architecturae contextum, e cujus abside si quis lapillum
dejecerit, nunquam a puncto designato ultra citrave dimovebitur instar
laternae vitreae in sublime erectum: vitream arcem merito dixeris, opus
sane venustum et elegans. Urbem praeterea insigniter ornat aquaeductus ad
milliaris semissem, ingenti impensa et opera arcuatim suppositis
fornicibus longo ductu protensus, cujus artificii ope civitas alluitur
et rigatur. Denique si moenibus conclusa foret, quis vetet civitatem
illam Constantinopolim Neustriae maritimae appellari!"--_Gallia
Christiana_, p. 863.

[207] In the following part of the description of the church of
Coutances, considerable use has been made of a manuscript dissertation,
kindly communicated by M. de Gerville to the author, who only laments
that the limits of this publication would not allow him to insert it
entire.

[208] Among the _Instrumenta Ecclesiae Constanti