Note 349 — Chapter X · Gothic Art in Normandy[314]

Flaubert, born in Rouen, 1821, died near the city, at Croisset, in his ancient house that formerly belonged to the monks of St. Ouen. The increased river activities during the World War have encroached on his property. His pupil, Guy de Maupassant, born near Dieppe, was associated with his mother’s city, Rouen, where stands his statue (1853-93). The house of the great Corneille (1636-1709) is near Rouen’s Old Market. Other sons of Rouen were La Salle, the explorer (d. 1687), and the painter Géricault (1791-1824). Nicholas Poussin (1594-1665) was born at Les Andelys; Jean-François Millet, near Cherbourg (1814-74); Auber, the composer (1782-1871), at Caen, as was the poet Malherbes (1555-1628). Mézerai, whose history is considered the best account of the XVI-century religious struggle in France, and his brother, Jean Eudes, founder of the Eudists, were born near Caen. The great seamen, Tourville (1642-1701) and Du Quesne (1610-88), were Normans; so were Laplace, the mathematician (1749-1827), Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59), Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (1736-1814), Octave Feuillet (1821-90), Léon Gautier (1832-97), Barbey d’Aurevilly (1808-89), and savants such as Simeon Luce (d. 1892), Gabriel Monod (d. 1912), Albert Sorel, Paul Allard, Leopold Delisle (d. 1910). The latter was led to decipher ancient manuscripts by C. de Gerville, who, with that other Norman, Arcisse de Caumont, was a pioneer in mediæval archeology.