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A great many of these glasses were broken in the chambre aux clercs of Saint-Ouen. When, reopened for religious purposes, in 1806, the church of Saint-Godard became again possessed of two of its finest windows: that of the chapel of the Virgin, to the right facing the choir, and that of the chapel of Saint-Nicolas, on the opposite side.
Although modern, the church of Saint-Romain, merits as we see, to be examined in all its details. The origin of Saint-Godard is unknown, all that can be affirmed is that there existed anciently on this spot a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. This latter circumstance induced the belief for a long time, that the first Cathedral was erected on this place.
The first, without doubt, is the monument of the archbishop Saint-Romain, which is of granite, and forms, if I may say so, the high altar in the choir, as the top of the high altar covers the monument, which is elsewhere very plainly seen. It was formerly in the crypt of Saint-Godard, where Saint-Romain was buried. It was brought afterwards to this church on the 20th february 1804.
It was only after different additions that the church of Saint-Godard became what we now see it. It is one hundred and fifteen feet long, by seventy eight broad. In 1556, its organ was a very small one; it was afterwards enlarged; but, in 1562, it was destroyed by the calvinists. The present organ, which was established in 1640, is the work of a scotchman, named George Lesselié.
These two windows are each thirty two feet high by twelve in width. Nothing can be comparable to the beauty of the colour of these two windows; from thence came the proverb, in speaking of wine of a purple colour: It is the colour of the windows of Saint-Godard.
This town continued its career peaceably during nearly a century, until Saint-Godard succeeded to the episcopate. Then we come to a great historical transition. Roman power had been long struggling against the encroachments of the Francs in Gaul. Clovis, conquers the provinces situated between the Somme, the Seine and the Aisne; the monarchy commences, and Rouen becomes a French town.
The church of Saint-Godard, when suppressed at the second circumscription of the churches of Rouen, saw all its ornaments and riches pass to the parishes of Saint-Ouen and Saint-Patrice. Amongst the ornaments, we will mention its admirable painted windows, which were the finest in France, according to Farin and Levieil, whose opinion has become an authority.
It will suffice, to establish the contrary, to say that the church of Saint-Godard, was included within the interior of the town only at the commencement of the XIIIth century.
To Saint-Godard who died in 529, Flavius succeeded the same year. The first foundation by Clotaire I, of the abbey of Saint-Peter, now Saint-Ouen, about the year 540, is attributed to him. The latter had been exiled to Rouen, by Chilperic, king of Soissons. Merovee, son of Chilperic, loved Brunehaut and was loved by her.
Those fathers obtained letters patent on the 27th july 1624. They purchased a house at the entrance of the suburb Bouvreuil; which was then in the parish of Saint-Godard, and laid the foundations of their monastery.
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