[Illustration]

CHAPTER V.

_BAYEUX._


The approach to the town of Bayeux from the west, either by the old road
from Caen or by the railway, is always striking. The reader may
perchance remember how in old coaching days in England on arriving near
some cathedral town, at a certain turn of the road, the first sight of
some well-known towers or spires came into view. Thus there are certain
spots from which we remember Durham, and from which we have seen
Salisbury; and thus, there is a view of all others which we identify
with Bayeux. We have chosen to present it to the reader as we first saw
it and sketched it (before the completion of the new central
semi-grecian cupola); when the graceful proportions of the two western
spires were seen to much greater advantage than at present.

The cathedral has been drawn and photographed from many points of view;
Pugin has given the elevation of the west front, and the town and
cathedral together have been made the subject of drawings by several
well-known artists; but returning to Bayeux after an absence of many
years, and examining it from every side, we find no position from which
we can obtain a distant view to such advantage as that near the railway
station, which we have shewn in the sketch at the head of this chapter.