Aumale and Chantilly [pp. 258-269]

2A UMALE AND CHA,NTILL Y.
to a syndicate of English bankers. But in 1875, when he became
once more a French citizen in the full possession of his rights, he
called to Chantilly a distinguished architect, M. Daumet, who,
note-book and pencil in hand, listened for three hours to the
plans of the prince, and then declared himself ready to carry
them through to the letter.
The work was at once begun. The old foundations of the
"Cond6's Great Castle" were scrupulously preserved and built
upon, and the result of M. Daumet's exertions was and remains
a perfect revival of long-lost and almost forgotten marvels of
architecture.
No lover of true art can help being struck with admiration
and wonder, as if suddenly brought face to face with the realization of one of Gustave Dore's dreams, when, coming from the
racing-grounds-established at Chantilly by the Duke of Orleans in I832, with a hippodrome twenty-five hundred yards in
circumference-he stands in the presence of the now skilfully
united "Little and Great" Castles, with their entrancing perspectives of cupolas, lofty roofs, rotundas, graceful towers,
countless steeples and spires, out of which rises the nave of the
central chapel, surmounted by a statue of St. Louis, while on the
vast esplanade facing the stately entrance court, called Cour
d'Honneur, towers the imposing figure of Constable Anne of
Montmorency.
But, grand and costly as the exterior may appear, and really
is, it is nothing compared with the unique treasures accumulated, with Oriental lavishness and thoroughly French patience
and taste, in the galleries, loggias, and apartments of Chantilly.
Wherever you may go you find yourself confronted with
truly rare and beautiful works of art. You ascend the broad
flight of steps that leads to the second story, and your eyes are
fascinated by a forged iron baluster of exquisite finish, in which
fleurs-de-lis are curiously blended in brass with the delicatelymoulded monogram of D'Aumale. Now you are in the "Galerie
des Cerfs," and find yourself dazzled, as well as puzzled, by the
still gorgeous Gobelin tapestries made more than two hundred
years ago for the Prince of Cond&e But here is the chapel, and,
even if it were not the house of God, you would feel ashamed to
stand otherwise than bareheaded in the presence of so many
marvels of human genius. The main altar was sculptured by Jean
Goujon, whom posterity has called the French Phidias. These
renaissance panels were carved by the best artists of an epoch so
profuse in arabesque foliage and grotesque animals, extended
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