• Center: Christ enthroned in glory, displaying his wounds. Four beasts and angels surround him. • First circle: Twelve apostles, with Abraham's bosom at 12 o'clock, and the judgment (weighing of souls) at 6 o'clock. Note the angel to the left and devil to the right. • Outer circle: Starting from the 12:30 position, and proceeding clockwise (each circle on the right is paired with one on the left). (1, 12) Instruments of the passion; (2, 11) angels blow trumps; (3, 10) the resurrected dead awaiting judgment; (4,5,8,9) resurrection of the dead (naked, having just come from their graves); (6,7) hell (at the bottom of the circle, naturally enough).
Window 030 - Saint Sylvester [Pope, contemporary of Constantine]
Note that there are eight small round medallions. Seven of these show Constantine writing one of the seven laws he gave to the Church. The final medallion (upper right) shows him watching the soul of Sylvester ascend; there is nothing on his scroll (has this finally silenced him? - GLS).
Bottom to top, left to right:
• Row 17: Sylvester dies, and soul is carried to heaven.
Window 059 - Symbolic Window, Typology of the Passion of Christ (restored, detail)
NB: Read TOP to BOTTOM, unlike most windows. Some are modern (marked *).
• Row 05: The Church (the NT, new faith); Crucifixion with Longinus and Stephaton (*); Synagogue (the OT, old faith). • Row 04: Gideon sees angel (*). • Row 03: Christ is mocked and crowned with thorns; Israelite scouts return from promised land with evidence of its richeness; The Scourging of Christ. • Row 02: Women weep at the Crucifixion; Jesus carries the cross (*); Soldiers preparing for the crucifixion. • Row 01: Christ (with candelabra) (*).
Window 013 - Story of Saint Anthony of the Desert and Saint Paul the Anchorite (restored)
Top to bottom, left to right, including medallions.
• Row 1 (bottom corners): Fishmongers donated the window. • Row 2: St. Anthony hears the gospel preached; he donates his goods to the poor. • Row 3: He leaves his sister in the care of nuns. • Row 4: A hermit teaches Anthony; he digs, manual labor as part of the hermit's life. • Row 5: Devil (green face and feet) tempts Saint Anthony; Anthony before his fire is tempted by the devil in the form of a woman (also in green dress).
Window 014 - Temptation of Christ, Marriage at Cana, Blue Virgin (restored)
• Upper half: Mary with the Infant Christ. The three panels containing Mary and Christ, along with the three lancet windows beneath the western rose, are the sole remaining example of the glass from the cathedral largely destroyed in the fire of 1194, dating to circa AD 1180. The face of Mary is modern; note how she is shaped almost throne-like as Christ sits enthroned upon her. Often called "Notre Dame de la Belle Verrière" (Our Lady of the Beautiful Stained Glass Window). The framing panels and remainder of the window are from the current cathedral--circa 1215 - 1220.
• Row 08: Jesus teaches apostles; Others look on; Three men speak (no halos) (*) • Row 10: Jesus speaks of his coming death; Last Supper; Washing of Feet • Row 11: Jesus in Gethsemane not the cup, which he pleads not to drink, shaped like the chalice of the Mass; Jesus seized; and the apostles flee. • Row 12: Jesus appears to the apostles after his Resurrection; the apostles witness him ascending; descent of the Holy Ghost on Pentecost
†Central Diamond 1: Placidas hunts a stag. • Row 1: Part of the hunt. • Row 2: Part of the hunt. • Row 3 (two circles): Sees crucifix between stag's antlers; Placidus chooses to be baptized a Christian, and receives the name Eustace.
• Row 6 (two circles): Negociates for passage on ship and sails to Egypt (2 panels).
† Central Diamond 3: Eustace and children driven from the boat, while boat captain retains his wife [story continues in row 9].
• Row 7: Eustace's two sons meet and recognize each other; Eustace converses with the emperor's messengers and they realize he is Placidas whom they have been sent to find [story continues row 10]. • Row 8: Emperor Trajan sends for Placidas (now Eustace); The messengers lodge with Eustace without recognizing him [story continues in row 11, right]. • Row 9 (two circles): Eustace fords a river; one child is carried off by pink lion, another attacked by wolf who is in his turn attacked by shepherds [story continues in row 8]. • Row 10: Two recruits (his sons) brought to Eustace but he does not recognize them [story continues in row 11, left]; EITHER family celebrates their reunion OR the messengers tell Eustace's friends of his exploits [story continues in Central Diamond 4].
† Central Diamond 4: Eustace, wife, and children re-united [story continues row 12, left].
• Row 11: Eustace's kidnapped wife leaves to find him [story continues in row 10, right]; Eustace's son selected for military service [story continues row 10, left]. • Row 12: Roman emperor thanks his idols for bringing victory to Eustace; Eustace will not worship the idols. • Row 13: Eustace's execution ordered (also in round panel directly above); servants carry out the emperor's execution order (see also round panel directly above).
†Central Diamond 5: Eustace and family are martyred by being burned in a bull-shaped cauldron.
