Note 58 — Chapter V · The Cathedral and Its Builders

‘The endless upward reach of the great west front, the clear silvery tone of its surface, the way three or four magnificent features are made to occupy its serene expanse, its simplicity, majesty and dignity—these things crowd upon one’s sense with a force that makes the act of vision for the moment almost all of life. There is an inexpressible harmony in the façade of Chartres.’—Henry James—Portraits of Places.