“The sculptures over the arches are practically invisible, for you must dislocate your neck to see them.  Nor is the art they display exciting.  Only the subjects are interesting.  Besides a row of angels bearing stars and torches, they represent the achievements of Gideon; the story of Samson, who, when a prisoner, rose in the night, and carrying away the gates of Gaza, escaped from the town, as Christ broke the gates of death, and escaped alive from His sepulchre; the history of Tobit, as a divine paragon of mercy and patience; and finally, in the corner we find a replica of the grand porch, the signs of the zodiac, and a calendar in sculptured stone.

“The tympanum, as you see, is divided into two portions.

“In the upper part we see the Judgment of Solomon, as figuring the Sun of Justice, Christ Himself.

“In the lower half Job lies stretched on his dunghill, and the Messiah, of whom he is a prototype, comes, supported by two angels, to give him a palm-branch.

“To complete the elucidation of the symbolism of these doorways, it now only remains to glance at the three arches of the porch that precedes them.  Here we see chiefly the benefactors of the cathedral and the saints of the See; also, mingled with these, certain prophets for whom there was not room in the arches of the doors.  This vestibule is, so to speak, a postscript, a supplement added to the work.

“Here, where we stand in the right-hand arch are Saint Potentien, the first apostle of Chartres, and Saint Modesta, the daughter of Quirinus, the Governor of the city, who killed her because she would not deny Christ.  Here you see Ferdinand of Castille.  He presented certain windows distinguished by his arms, gules, three castles or, side by side with the azure shield and fleur-de-lys of France, in the principal window of this front.  Next to him that shrewd and severe face is probably that of Baruch, the judge, and here, barefoot and burthened with a penitent’s satchel, you see Saint Louis, who loaded the cathedral with gifts and inaugurated its use.

“Under the porch of the middle door are two vacant pedestals, on which formerly stood the effigies of Philip Augustus and Richard Coeur de Lion, two of the most liberal donors to the church.  On the other plinths stand the Comte and Comtesse de Boulogne, a buxom dame with masculine features, wearing a biretta; a prophet who is nameless, but no doubt Ezekiel, for he is missing from the series in this porch; Louis VIII., Saint Louis’ father; and, finally, that king’s sister Isabella, who founded the Abbey of Longchamps under the rule of Saint Clare.  She is dressed as a nun, and next her in the shadow is a personage of the Old Dispensation carrying a censer, like Melchizedec.  Remark, too, the firm and solemn mien of that priest, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, whose canticle ‘Benedictus’ foretells the blessings of Christ.

“Thus ends our review of this wonderful text-book of the Old Testament types, and the historical memorial of those benefactors whose gifts endowed the church with this sculptured imagery of the Ancient Word.”