TheHunchbackofNotreDame 10180959

Pres e n te d t o the
L IB R A R Y o
f the
U N IVER SITY O F T O R O NT O
by
Mr s An d r e w Ke l l o gg
S T AJW D AJR D
N OV E L &
N °
X X X II .
No k i nd of li terature is so g e ner a ll y a ttractwe as F rctio n . P rctures of
l ife a nd r nd S to n es f dv nt r
m a nne s, a m re g rly
o a ed b y
e u e , a re o ea e rece rv
t h m ny t h n gr v r p ro d
e a a t i n h w v r m po t nt t h se l tt r m y b e
a e uc o s, o e e x r a e a e a
A UL E IU i be tt r rem mb red by h i f b l e f C p d nd P y h t h n by
P S s e e e s a o u i a s c e a
h s a bs tr
r r P l t nic w l tm g a nd th D m r n f B
us e a o r s ro h t e eca e o o oc ca cc as o u .
l wed t he La t tr tises and th r l rned w k o f th t th or ”

ro ea ,
o e ea or s a au .
T HE
H U N C H B A C K OF N O T R E DA M E -
.
T R A N SLA T E D m or
e THE . FR E N C H on
V I C T O R H UG O .
C OM P L ET E I N O N E V OL UM E .
L O ND O N
R IC H A R D B E N T LE Y , NE W B U R L IN G T ON S T R E E T ,
( SU C C E SSO R TO H ENRY C O L B U RN) :
B EL L AND B R A DFDT E, E DIN B UR G H ;

CUM M N , I G D
UB L I N ; AND ‘
G A L X GN A N I, m a rs
1 833 .
ri nt d b y A
P e
Nf w Slil eetfiq u
.
’‘ '
-
v
a re.
H U N C H B A C K
-A n o n — “ W
N OT R E D A M E -
.
BY VICTOR H UGO .
T R A NSL A T E D EX P R E SSLY F OR T H IS ED I T I ON
W
'
I T H A SKE TC H OF T HE L I FE AND W R IT I N GS OF T H E A UT H OR
BY F R E D E R C SH OB E R LI .
L O NDO N
R I C HA R D B E N T LE Y , N E W B UR LIN G T ON ST R EE T ,
( SUC C E S S O R T O H E N R Y C O L B U RN )
B E LL A N D B R A D F UT E E D I N B U R G H ; ,
C UM M I N G D UBL I N ; A N D
,
G A LI G N A N I P A R I S .
C ONT ENT S .
Sm ca or m Lm ; m o tW arrrN o s or? V l cr o a H uoo
BOOK I .
CH AP
I — The gr t H ll of the Palace of Ju tice
ea a s
II — P G m go i
e rre
n r re
t h Card l nal
.
I IL M n ng n o se cu r e
IV .M te r J q Coppe no l
as ac u es e
V u m d as n o o
Es m ralda e
B OOK II .
L— o m Cha Fr bd is n o Sc l la I t y
I L— T he P ac e e le e Gr v
I II — T he oe P
u z z ed tp l
I V — I nco nve m e nces o f o llo w n G irl
.
. f i g a h a nd so me
Str
ee t a t N igh t
V — Seq u e l o t Inco nve
‘
k
.
V I — The o en Jbr ug
V I L — A W ed d i n n b t
.
g
BOOK III .
I .N o t re Da m e
I I — B1rd ’s-E ye
. Vi ew of P ar i s
BOOK IV .
I F nd l i ng
- The ou
II Cl d Fr l l
.
au e o o
I I L— T h B ll Km N tre D
.
e e - of o - am e
I V — Tb e Do g
. and is Mas te r
BOOK V .
La A nci ent A d m l nistrati on c l

'
Jus trce
II - e
. Th T
ro u a u x Ra ts
I II . u s te r G d ul e
l V - T he Pul ory
.
C 0N T E N T S¢
B O O K VI .
C H AR
I g f tr st i ng G t with Secre t
—Da n er o u a oa a
P h l o p h r a e two d ff erent P ers
.
II — A P t nd r re s a a i so e r i o ns
I II Th B ll
.
e e s
—C l d Fro ll C ll
.
IV au e
’
o 3 e
T h tw M n m Bl k
.
V - e o e ac
C pta i n P h b pe rs
.
VL d C h tea oe u s e a au
V I I — T h G bl i n M n k e o - o
V II I — Ut h ty of W i nd ws l k ing to wards the R iv er
.
. i o oo
B OOK VII .
I t a ns form ed i nt a d ry Leaf
T he C ro wn r o a
Se q l to the Cr wn tr ns f rm ed i nt d y Leaf
.
II ue o a o o a r
C n l u i o n o f t h e C ro wn tr n fo rm d i nto a d ry Le af
.
I IL o c s a s e
IV L sci te Ogni Sp r nz a a e a a
V — Th M o th e r
.
e
VI . T hree h uma n H ea rts d i ff ere ntl y cons ti tute d
-
BOOK VI I I .
I. high F r A eve
‘
II ry - T he Sa nctu a
I II A h H rt F rm r e l y h
.
u man m uman
'
ea a o sca c
IV E rth nw r nd C ry t l
. a e a e a s a
V T h K y f t h P rt R ge e e o e o e ou
V I — S q l to the K y o f the P rte Ro ge
.
. e ue e o u
B OO K IX .
I .
'
G ri n ire h as se e a ca a v r l p i t l I d eas one after anoth er in

t he u e d e s B ernard ms
II — T rn V g b u a a ond
I I I — 1 1 All gr
.
e o
Am h s Fri nd
.
’
II l sc re v o u e
T h R tr t wh re M n i e r Lo u s of F r y s his
.
V .
- e e ea e o s u a ance sa
Pr y r F a e s
VI A n rr w E pe a o s ca
per to th Rescu e
.
V IL Ch t a ea u s e
B OOK X .
I — T h l ittle Sh oe e
B ll Bi ”
.
II L C r t r e a n V e t i t ea u a a a co s a
I I I — M rri ag f C pt i P hwb us
.
a e o a a n
IV — M rri ge f Q a im od
.
. a a o u s o
SK E T C H OF
T H E LIFE A ND W R ITING S
V I C T OR H UG O .
T H E author o f the work here submi t ted to the p ubl ic in an

E nglish dress though still young has distin guished himself
, ,
i n almost every walk of imaginative li terature : disputin g

the prize with the best lyri c poets o f the day ; occupying
o ne of the most eminent p ositions o n the sta ge ; an d hold
ing the very fi rst pl a ce among the contemporary novelists

of France .Of such a wri ter the follo wing parti culars
, ,
brief though they be will i t is p resum ed form an accept

, , ,
a ble Introducti on to the attempt to tr ansfuse the ackn o w
Iedged master pi ece of his pen into ou r nati ve language

- .
V rcr o n H UG O was born o n the 2 6th o f Februar y 1 8 02 , ,
a t Besan con At the age o f fi ve years he accompanied his

.
fa ther then a colonel in the Fren ch army to I tal y where

, , ,
this o ffi cer was afterwards appoin ted commandan t o f a

p rovince and was engaged in suppressing the h ordes o f
,
bandi tti [which then infested that coun try and among , ,
ot hers
, the d a ring Fra D iavolo T wo years afterwards
.
,
youn g Hugo having returned to Paris received his first in

, ,
s tru cti o ns fr om his mother who belonged to a family o f La

,
Vend ee assiste d by a royalist who was concealed in he r

,
house and who afterwards su ff ered death with M allet an d an

, ,
e ccles iasti c . Among the first books that he read were the
works of Pol ybi u s an d T a c itus I n 1 8 1 1 he went with his
.
viii I
L FE A ND W R I T I N GS or vrcr o n
'
HU GO .
m other and brothers to S pain where hi s father meanwh ile , ,
promoted to the rank o f general comm anded two provinces ,

.
H e resided w ith them in the M a cerano palace at M adrid and ,
was destined to be page to K ing Joseph I n the following .
year when his patron was expe lled fr om the Peninsula his
, ,
mother returned w ith him an d his brother E ugen e to Paris .
H is residen ce in I taly and Spain the royalis t sen timents and ,
r el igious spi r i t o f his mother and the enthusiasm o f his ,
father for N apoleon have give n a tinge to his after li fe

,
-
and to every page o f his works .
At the age of thirteen young Hugo m ade his first p o ,
e ti cal essay i n honour of R oland and chi valry Soon after .
wards by superior command he was obliged to leav e his

, ,
mother who had quarrelled with her husband p robably

, ,
owing to the di ff erence Of their poli tical opinions an d was ,
se n t by his father to a n establi shmen t belonging to the

Gymnasium of Louis l e Grand Here vexed at his sepa .
,
r ation from his m other he wrote a royalist traged y i n ho

, ,
nour o f Louis X V I I I wi th E gypti an n ames u nder the

.
,
ti tle Of I rtam ene From the academ y o f C ordi e n and D e

.
cote he sent a poem S u r les A va ntag es de l E tu de to the
French A cadem y o n whi ch occasion he had for c ompeti tors

,
Lebrun , D el av igne, Saintine and L o ys on who all made , ,
their poeti cal d eb u t at this time The pri ze was no t ad .
j udged to Vi ctor Hugo s performan ce but it obtained ho

’
,
.
nou rab l e men tion The you thful poet con clu ded with this
.
referen ce to hi mself
M o i qui toujours fuyant l e s cités e t les cou rs ,

”
D e t rois lustres a peine ai v u finir l e cou rs .
T he Academi cian s would n ot believe that the author was

o nly fi fteen an d felt o ff ended at what they con sidered an
,
attempt to impose upon them ; an d when Hugo l aid the

certifi cate Of his baptism before R ayn ou ard the rep orte r; ,
the prize was al ready adj udged .
'
I n the foll owing year Victor s brother E ugene gained a
,
pr i ze at the Jew : fiora u w o f Toul ouse Vi ctor s j ealou sy

’
.
was excited and I n 1 8 1 9 he Obtained two pri zes from the

,
sam e A cademy, for p oems on the S ta tu e of H enry I V and .

LIF E A ND W R IT I N G S or v rcr o n H U O. G is
the Virgins o f Verdun At Toul ouse the j udges like the

.
, ,
Fren ch A c ademicians would not believe that the wri ter

,
W as so young and the presiden t o f the A cadem y m ade a

,
form al complain t o n the subj ect The O de o n the Sta. .
”
tue o f Hen ry I V wa s finished in a single night
. He .
wa s wat c hing besi de his sick mother who l amen ted the ,
circumstan ce as p reven ti ng hi m from being a c andi date ,
sin ce the nex t m orning was the l atest time for sendi n g o ff
p oems destined to com pe te f or the p ri ze E arly o n the .
fol lowing day the piece was finished and bedewed wi th , ,

’
his mother s tears i t arrived in time at Toulouse
,
.
I n 1 8 20 Victor Hugo a gai n obtained the p ri ze f or his

"
p oem of M ose s on the N ile and was proclaimed ma ntra ,
es jeu x fi ora ux These pursui ts were not cal c ulated to

.
further his study o f the l a w whi ch he had chosen for hi s

,
p rofession and whi ch was besides Obs truc ted by the cares
,
a rising fro m the necessity o f supporting himself by politi cs , ,
which no w began to engage his atten tion and abo ve all , , ,

“
by lo ve H is terrifi c roman ce o f H a n d I s la nde whic h
.
” ’
he com men ced i n 1 8 2 0 but f o r which he could n ot fin d

,
a publisher till thr ee years afterwards was w ri tten f o r no ,
o ther p u rp ose but to c ommunicate his feelin gs to the Obj ect
wh o had long possessed his youthful a ffections and who m ,
he was at length not permitted to see At the s ame ti me .
he compo sed his roy al ist and reli gious O des and in co n , ,
..
j un ction wi th a f e w friends published the Cons erva teu r

,
L ittér a i r e to whi ch b e con tributed arti cles o n Sir Walte r

,
S cott B y ron , M oore and also poli ti cal satires The tran s
, , . .
l a ti o ns from Lu can and Virgil which abou t this time ap ,
pe e re d under the name o f D A u vern e y and the E pistle s ’
fro m Aristides to B ru tu s o n Thou and Y ou were from his ,
pen .
I n the Co ns e r va teu r L il tér a ire he al so wrote remarks on

the firs t M ed ita tio ns P oétiqu es the au thor o f which had ,
no t yet avowed himself E very line o f this article ex

.
p res ses astonishmen t profound admiration Of the ne w

,
p oet and keen sarcasm o n the fi rs t opinions that might be

,
an ti cipated from the pub lic o n this poetj Lamarti ne I t .
was no t till two years a fte r the publication o f thi s article

that he be ca me p erson all y acquain ted wi th Lamarti ne him
L I F E A ND W R I T I N GS or I T
V C OR G
H U O. xi
q uoted ,
the essen tial improbability o f such a character
as B u g Jarg al a n egro of the noblest moral an d i n te l lectual
,
ch aracte r passionately in love with a white w oman ye t

, ,
te mperi ng the wildes t passion wi th the deepest respect ,
and sacrificing even li fe at last i n her beh al f and that o f

her husband is to o violen t a cal l upon the imagination
,
bu t setting aside the defects o f the plo t, n o reader of the ta le

,
.
can forget the en trancing in terest o f the scenes in the cam p
o f the insurgen t chief B iassou o r the death struggle be ,
'
t ween H ab ihrah and D A u ve m e y o n the brin k o f the cata ,
ract T he latte r in partic u lar i s drawn with such in ten se

.
, ,
force that the reader seem s almost to be a witness o f the

,
changing fortu nes o f the fight and c an hardl y b reathe

" ,
f reely till he comes to the clo se .
I n 1 8 2 3— 4 Vi ctor Hugo produ c e d a p oetical mis

,
cel l any wi th the title o f L a M u s e F ra n pa is e I n 1 824

"
.
, ,
his poe m N apoleon Obtained deserved applause F or .
a narrative o f the tour which he made in Switzerland in
1 8 2 5 in compan y with N o di er, he has no t been able to

,
find a publisher I n 1 8 2 7 he com po sed his Ode d la

.
,
Co lo nne whi ch g ained him ge ner a l adm irati on

, H is .
father died in the following year and his last hours we re ,
cheered by the en thusias m with which his s on ce l ebrate d

the exploits of hi s emperor .
About this pe riod the hostilities between the adheren ts

of the roman ti c and the clas si c school we re renewed wi th
vehemen ce for a wh ile this quarrel en grossed the atten

tion Of the publi c e ven in a still greater degree than po li
tics an d Hugo at the he ad o f a little band waged war
, ,
against the numerous host o f the cl assicis ts wi th vari abl e

”
su c cess His drama enti tl ed
. C romwe ll ( 1 8 2 7 ) no t ,
adapte d fo r the stage , fu ll o f admirable passages but f t c ,
quen tly lame weak and abs urd was rather a defeat than
, , ,
a vic tory
. The Ori en ta les ( 1 8 2 8 ) gave a severe blow to
.
classicism never had a Fren chman produ ced such lyri cs .
T his work is replete wi th simple na tu ral feel ing, and ,
g lowing inspiration .
H is next perfo r man ce L e der nier Jo u r d u n Co nda m né

,
’
publ ished in 1 8 2 9 though i t has no pretensions to the

,
ch arac ter o f a regul ar tale, is in its way , perha p s the m os t

, ,
x ii L IF E AN D ,
W R I TI N G S or v rcT OR H UGO.
Victor H u go s pr o du ctions H ere like S terne,

’
per fect of .
,
he ha s taken a single captive sh u t him up in a dungeon , ,
and then l ooked through the twili ght o f the grated doo r
to take his picture I t w as wri tten to show ho w d ee p
.
an in terest might be given to a mere chroni cle o f thou gh ts ,
a register of sensations what v ariety and even dramati c

m ovement migh t b e imparted to a m onologue i n which ,
the scene shifts only from the B ic etre to the C on ciergerie ,

the H Otel de Ville and the P lace de Gr eve
- - an d such i s
the power o f genius , that he has co mpletely succeeded i n
e n ch aining the interest o f the reader throughout at the ,
sa me time with ou t p ushing the subj ect beyond the verge of

”
p hysical p ain .
This work was soon followed by M a rion D elo r me , a

tragedy, which at first was no t permitted to b e r ep re
sented T he minister L ab ou rdo nn aye o ff ered th e author
.
,
by way o f compensation a c onsiderable i n crease o f his ,
pen sion which the p oe t rej e ct ed I n the same year he

,
.
c ompleted an other tragedy H erna ni whi ch was brough t , ,
ou t i n the following February at the T hé a i tre Fran cais .
At the representations Of this play which abounds i n ,
i n di vidua l beauties b u t the general p l ot o f whi ch is ex

,
t re m el y defe c tive the theatre pi t and boxes res embled a

, , ,
field o f battle B oth parties cl aimed the vi c to r y

. .
I n M arch 1 8 3 1 , appeared his N otre D a m e de P a r is

,
-
,
o f whi ch this volum e o ffers a trans l ation — a work j ustl y e
sa id to be in a s train o f a h igher m o o d than any that he

had p revi ousl y attem pt ed S u ch was i ts suc ce ss i n Paris
.
,
th at several e di tion s were requ ired in the course Of a few

mon ths .An in telli gen t cri ti c in the Foreign Quarterl y
Review ( N o X V ) in his remark s on it, has thes e Ob
, . .
s erv a tio ns A s l ong as a tas te rem ains for the extra .
or din ary or perhaps i t shoul d be call ed the tremendou s

, ,
s u ch works must be p o p ular T hey appeal to an ap peti te .
whi ch is s hared by the peer with the peasant Vi cto r .
Hugo is no t a wr i ter in whose hands the p ower Of m oul d;

ing th e human sympathies is likel y to be idl e H e is .
e l oqu ent hi s fancy is acti ve, his imagin ation fertil e and
, _
Ed in burgh R eview.
m s A ND wa rr m c s or v i cr on n u qo. x ii i
p ass ion whi ch gives life and energy to the con ce p tion s o f
,
a writer and which acting upon ideas as fire does upo n

, ,
the p arched wo od s o f Ameri ca sets the whole scene in a ,
fl ame is i n him readi ly roused Hugo m ay be ca ll e d an

,
.
a ff ec ted wri ter, a m annerist or a horrorist ; but he ca n ,
never be ac cused o f the great vi ce i n modern tim es the

" ”
,
most heinous o f all dulness Here says another .

,
cr i tic ,
the author has brought his an tiqu arian learni ng
to bear wi th e ff ect n ot overlaying his story with erudition
, ,
but vivifyin g the d ry bones o f history by the warm th and

bri l li an cy o f his fancy ; while an extraordinary e ffec t o f
unity is gi ven to the whole by making the whole move ,
ment o f the tale emanate from an d revolve roun d the gips y

heroine an d con centrate i tself round the venerable towers
,
of N otre D am e - I n power Hugo i s never deficient ;

but certainly nothing in any o f his form er works is to be
co mpared to his description o f N o tre D ame and the m ys -
,
t e ri ous adaptation and pre established h arm on y as i t we re

.
which seemed to e xis t between i t and i ts m onstrous chil d

Quasim odo to the atta ck o f the T ru an d s ( the Alsatian s
o f P ar is
) u po n the c athedral an d their repulse by the ,
superhuman exertion s o f the bell ringer an d finally to -
th at awful s cen e where the archdeacon gazing down from ,
the square tower of N o tre D ame upon the execution o f hi s

-
victim in the square beneath is hurled fr om a height o f ,

”
t wo hundred feet plumb down to the pavement belo w .
B ut i t would be usele s s to ac c umulate opinion s u p on a

work no w before the B ri tish p ubli c which can o f cours e ,
form its o wn j udgmen t u po n it T he translator will there .
fore me r ely add that this version has been made with care
,
that i t has been his aim i n the task to preserve as much

a s possible the peculi arities o f the author s style and man
’
ner “ an d that he has taken no further liberty with the
o riginal than here and there pruning away certai n l u x u ri
a ncie s , o r so ftening down ex p ressions whi ch thoug h no t

, ,
it F ew E n s m e n,"o serves a c
gl i h b ri ti A th
c in th e e nae u m , a r e a l e to
b
r ea d t he w ri t g V i r g i h f i i ty ri g i
i n s o f c to H u o W t ac l i n t he o nal , fo r th e a u t o rh
ha s not m e re ly l g g
e b u t a a n u a e o f his o wn r h ll
T he t u t i s he h as cu e d
styr
a
l a nks, and ro m e e e ra o f fi e nch te a tu e , wo d s a nd
li r r
. ,
g
f ro m a l l a es a nd f v ry r
c x p re ss ro ns w e e w thr ih to e m od b yfrh
o t tr g r i p rf l
th e s a n e c ea t o ns o f h i s o we u
l g g
i m a in a t i o n : a nd h i s a n u a e la u gh r th e
s to sco n th e au th o ri tyof A c rd erme ,
th e ns trt u t, and the l e co xi r p h r
g a e s
”
.
LIF E AN D W R IT IN GS OF I CTO R H UG O
V .
startli ng to ou r continental neighbour s woul d offend the ,
se verer taste o f th e E nglish reader .
Sin ce the publi cation o f this work which has pla ced ,
Vi ct or Hugo indisputably at the head o f the roman ce

wri ters o f his country he has chiefly directed his attention
,
Two pieces, L e R oi s a mu s e an d L ucr ece

’
to the drama .
B or g ia have been the resul t but o f these i t has be en

, ,
observed that they parta ke too largely o f the besetting s in

,
o f the m odern French schoo l o f imaginati ve litera tu re,
and that in th em scarcely any humane or generous e m o

t ion l eaven s the m ass o f li centiousness incest, and m ur ,
d e r in which they deal

,
The form er wa s neverthele ss
.
brought o u t at the Th eatre Fran cais but the represen t ,
ation was forbidden by the minister A rgou t on account o f ,
p assages whi ch were supposed to con t ain all usions to the

O rleans family I n consequence o f this inte rdi ct the di
.
,
rectors o f the theatre refused to fulfil their contract with

{
the au thor who therefore instituted legal proceedings

,
against them but we believe , W ithou t ac complishing hi s

, ,
obj ect .
Victor Hugo s reading lies chiefly among E nglish S pa

’
n ish and I t alian authors

,
His acqu ain ta n ce with E ng lish
.
li terature indeed, is apparen t both in his poetry an d his

,
roman ce i t has been asser ted that in the characters an d,
i ncidents of thi s work in particul ar a strong likeness to the

,
i nventions o f E nglish wri ters m ay frequentl y be tr a c ed ;

b u t we doubt whether any unbiassed reader o f this vol ume
will discover in i t sufficient e vidence to j us tify the ch arge
of imitation all eged against the author .
TH E
H UN C H B A C K O F N OT R E D A M E -
.
VO L UM E THE FIRST .
BOO K I .
C HAPT ER I .
TH E G RE A T H A LL O F TH E PAL A CE O F JU STI CE .
I T is this day three hundred and forty —eight years six '
months and ninete en days since the good people o f Pari s

we r e awakened by a grand peal fr om all the bells i n the
th r ee districts of the C ity the Unive r sity and the Ville
, , .
The 6 th o f January 1 48 2 was nevertheless a day o f

, , , ,
which history has n o t preserved an y reco r d There was .
nothing wo r thy o f note in the even t which s o ea rly set i n

motion the bells and the ci tizens of Paris I t was nei ther .
an assault o f the Picards or the B urgundians n or a pro ,
cession with the shrine of some saint nor a mutiny o f the ,
students nor an entry o f o u r m ost red oubted lord M on

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”
sieur the king nor even an execution o f rogues o f ei ther
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sex before the Palace o f Justi ce of Paris Neither was i t

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an arrival o f som e bedi zened and b e f ea there d embassy a ,
sight o f frequen t occurrence in the fifteenth century I t .
was but two days since the last cavalcade o f this k ind that ,
o f the Flemish ambassadors commissioned to con clude a
marriage between the D auphi n and M a rgare t o f Flanders ,
had made its entry into Pa ris to the great annoyan ce o f

,
the C ardin al of B ourbon who in order to please the ki ng

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B
2 TH E H UN C H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME
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h ad been obliged to receive thi s vulgar s q uad of Flemish '
burgomaste r s with a good g race and to ente r tain them at ,
his h otel de B ourbon wi th a goodly mo r ality mumme r y , ,
and farce while a deluge o f rain drenched the magnificent

,
tapestry at his door .
What set in motion all the population of Pa r is o n the

6 th o f January was the double solemni ty united fr om time ,
immemo r ial o f the epiphan y and the Festival of Fools

, .
I O n that day the r e was to be an exhibition of fi r eworks in

the Place de Gr eve a M ay tree planted at the chapel of
,
-
B raque an d a m yste r y pe r fo r med at the Palace of Justi ce

, .
Proclamation had been made to this e ffect on the p r eceding

day with sound of t r umpet in the publi c places by the
, ,
p r ovost s o fficers in fair coats of purple cam let with large

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white crosses on the breast .
That morning therefore all the houses and shops re

, ,
mained shut and crowds of citizen s of both sexes were to

,
be see n wending their way towards one of the th r ee places

specified above B e it however observed to the honour o f
.
, , ,
the taste of the cockneys of Pa r is th at the maj o r ity of thi s ,
co ncou r se were proceeding towa r ds the fireworks which ,
were quite seasonable or to the myste r y which was to be

,
represen ted in the g r eat hall o f the palace well covered in ,
and sheltered and that the curious agreed to let the poor
,
leafless M ay shiver all alone beneath a January sky in the

cemete r y of the chapel o f B ra q ue .
All the avenues to the Palace of Justice were particularly

thronged because i t was known that the Flemish ambas
,
s a d o rs who had a rr ived two days befo r e purposed to attend

, ,
the representation o f the m yster y and the election o f the ,
Pope of Fools which was also to take place in the great

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ha ll
.
I t was n o easy m atter on that day to get in to this great

hall though then reputed to be the lar gest room i n the
,
world T o the spectators at the windows the palace y ard

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crow d ed wi t h people had the appearance o f a sea in to ,
whi ch fi ve or six st r eets like the mouths of so m any ri vers

, ,
disgorged their l ivi n g streams The waves of thi s s ea . ,
i n cessan tly swelled by fresh accessions broke again st the ,
angles of the houses, proj ecting here and there like pro
rns
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H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
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m ontorie s in to the irregular basin of the Place In the .
ce n tre of the lofty Gothic fa cade of the palace the g r and ,
s taircase with i ts double cu rr ent ascending and descending

, ,
poured incessantly into the Place like a cascade in to a lake .
G r eat were the noise and the clamour produ ced by the
cries o f some the laughte r of others and the trampling o f
, ,
the thousan d s o f feet F r om time to time this clamour

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an d this noise were redoubled the cur r en t which pro

pe ll e d the crowd towards the gran d staircase turned back ,
agi tated and whi r ling about I t was a dash made by an .
’
arche r or the horse of one of the pro vost s sergeants kick
,
i m and plunging to restore order — an admirable man

( e u vre which the p rovosty bequeathed to the con stablery
, ,
the constable r y to the ma r échauss ée and the m aré chau s s e e ,
to the p r es en t gendarme rie o f Pa r is .
D oors windows loopholes the roo fs of the hou ses

, , , ,
swarmed with thousands of calm and honest faces gazing

at the palace and at the crowd and desi r ing nothing mo re ,
for most o f the good people o f Paris are quite content with
the sight o f the spectators ; nay a blank wall behind , ,
whi ch something or other is going forward , i s to u s an

o bj ect o f g reat curiosity .
I f i t could be given to u s mortals living i n the year

1 8 3 0 to mingle in i magination with those Parisians of the
fifteenth century and to en ter wi th them shoved elbowed
, , , ,
hustled that immense hall o f the palace so str ai tened f or

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room on the 6 th of Janua r y 1 48 2 the sigh t would not be

, ,
des ti tute either o f inte r est o r o f cha r m ; and all that we

s houl d have around us wo u ld be so ancien t as to appear
abso lu w ne w I f it is agreeable to the reader we wil l

.
,
e n deavour to re trace in im a gination the impressions which
he woul d have felt with us o n crossing the th r eshold of the

great hall amidst this motley crowd coated gowned o r
, , , ,
clothed i n the paraphe r nali a of o ffice .
I n the first place how one s ears are stunned with the
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noi se -
how one s eyes are daz zled O ver head is a double
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r o of of pointed arches ceiled with carved wood painted

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sky blue and studded with fleur s de l ie in gold ; unde r

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,
f oot a pavemen t of alternate squares o f black and whi te

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m arble A f e w p aces from us s tands an enormous pillar

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,
ra m n u rvou na ox or NO T RE D A ME - . 5
I t is indeed possible that the accompli ces of R av aill ac

, ,
had no hand in the fire of 1 6 1 8 The r e are t wo other .
plausible ways of accounting for it ; fi r st the great star ,
o f fire a foot broad and a foot and a half high

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whi ch
, ,
fell as every body knows from the sky upon the Pala ce
, ,
o n the 7 th of M arch after midnigh t secondly this stan za

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of T héophil e
Ce t f t u n tri te je
r e s cc u s u.
Q nd a Pa ri l m e J t i e
ua s ( a us c
m nge t r p d ép ce
,
P r ou a vo ir a o
'
i
Se m t to t l e p l
,
i n f
u a a te e eu .
W hatever may be though t o f this threefold explanation ,
political physical and poetical o f the burning o f the

, , ,
Palace of Justice in 1 6 1 8 the fac t o f the fire is u nf o r ,
tu n a tel y most certain O wing to this catast r ophe and .

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above all to the successive resto ration s which have swept

,
away what i t spa red very l ittle is n ow left of this elder ,
Palace of the Louvre al r eady so ancien t in the time of ,
Philip the F air that the tr aces of the m agnificent build

,
ings e r ected by K ing R obert and described by H e gal d u s , ,
had then to be sought for Wh at has become o f the .
C han cery C hamber where St Louis consummated hi s ,

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m arriage ? the garden whe re b e administered ju s tice hab ite d ,
in a camlet coat a surcoa t o f lin sey woolsey withou t

,
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sleeves and a mantle over all o f black serge reclining

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u pon c arpets wi th Join ville ? Where i s the chambe r o f

the E mperor Sigismond ? — that o f C harles I V that .
o f John Lackland ? Where is the flight o f steps from

which C harles V I promulgate d his edi ct o f amnesty ?
.
the slab whereon M arcel mur dered in the presen ce o f the ,
d auphin R obert de C lermon t and the M arechal d e C ham

,
pagne ? — th e wicke t whe r e the bulls o f the anti pope

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B enedict were torn i n pieces and when ce those who had ,
b rough t them were taken coped and mitred in de r ision , ,
and carried in procession through al l Pari s P — the great

hall with its gilding its azure its poin ted arches its
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s tatues its pilla r s i ts immense vaulted roo f cut and carved

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al l over and the gilded chamber ? — and the stone lion

at the gate kneeling with head couched and tai l betwee n
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hi s l egs lik e the lions o f K ing So lo mo n s throne in the

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B 3
0 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T R E D A ME
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reverential attitude which befits strength in the p resen c e

o f j ustice and the beautiful doors and the painted
windows ? and the chased i r on —wo r k which discouraged
B is co rn e tte P— and the delicate ca r vings o f D u Haney ?
time what have men done with these wonders E‘
, ,
been given to us fo r all these for al l this a n

art P the heavy
s
y architect o f the
porch of St Ge r vais .so much fo r art : and as for his ,
to r y we have the tradi tions o f the great pill a r which still

, ,
reverberates the gossip of the P a tru s This is n o great .
m atter Let us re turn to the veri table great hall o f the

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veri table ol d palace .
O ne of the ext r emities of this prodigious parall elogram

was oc cupied by the fa m ous marble table o f a single piece , ,
s o long so b r oad
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and so thick that as the an cien t ter riers
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sa
y in a style that migh t hav e given an appetite to Gar
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gan tu a never was there seen in the world sli ce o f

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marble to match it ; and the other by the chap el where

Louis X I placed his o wn e ffigy kneeling before the Vi r gin
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and to which reckless of leaving two vacan t niches in the

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file of royal statues he removed those o f C har lemagne an d

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St Louis saints who m he conceived to possess great in

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flu e n ce wi th Heaven as k ings of France This chapel .

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still new having been built sc a rcely six years was in th at

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charming styl e o f deli cate a rchi tecture wonderful scul ptu re , ,
a nd sharp deep carving which marks with us the conclu ,
sion of the Gothi c era and p r evail s till about the middle
,
o f the sixteenth century in the fairy fantasies of the re
v iva l of the art The small rose mullion o ver the porch
.
was in particular a masterpiece of lightness and delicacy

you would have taken it for a star o f lacework .
I n the middl e of the ha11 0pp o s ite to the g r eat door , . ,
an en closed platform lined with gold b r ocade backed ,
ag ainst the wall and to which the r e had been made a

,
private entran ce by mean s of a window fr om the passage

to the gilded chamber was erected expressly for the Flemis h
,
e nvoys an d the other distinguished personages invited to

,
the rep resen tation o f the myste r y .
O n this marble table according to established usag e, ,

ra n H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
7
the mystery was to be perfo r med Arrangemen ts for this .
p u rpose had been m ade early in the mo rning The ri ch .
ma rble floor scratched all over by the heels o f the clerks

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o f the B azoche supported a cage of woodwork o f con sider

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able height the upper fioor o f whi ch exposed to view

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from eve r y part o f the hall was to serve for the stage , ,
while the lower m asked by hangings of tapestry formed a

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sort o f dressing room for the ac tors A lad d er undis

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g ui se dl y placed outside was to be th e channel o f com m u

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n ica tio n between the two and i ts rude ste ps were to furnish
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t he only medium as wel l for entr ances as fo r exits The re .
was n o movement however abrupt and unexpected no

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piece of stage e ffect so sudden but had to be executed by

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the intervention o f this ladder I nnocent and venerable .
infancy o f the art o f machinery

Four se rgeants of the b a ili ff of Paris whose duty i t was ,
to superintend all the amusemen ts o f the people as wel l ,
on festiv als as o n days of e x ecution were stationed o ne at ,
ea ch co m e r of the marble ta ble .
I t was not till the great clock of the palace had stru ck
th e hour o f twelve that the performan ce was to begin
a late hou r , to be sure for a theatri cal representation but
, ,
i t had been found necessary to sui t i t to the convenien ce o f

the ambass adors .
N ow the whole assembled multi tude had been waiting

,
ever since the morning M an y of these honest sight .
loving folks h ad indeed been shive r ing fr om dayb reak

, ,
b efo r e the steps o f the p ala ce ; nay some decla red th at they ,
had passed the night under the gr eat porch to m ake sure ,
of getting in The c r owd increased every moment and

.
, ,
l ike water that rises abo ve its level began to m oun t along ,
the walls to swell about the pill ars to cover the en tabla
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t ures the co r nices all the salient poin ts of the a r chitecture

, , ,
all the rilievos of the sculpture Acco rdingly the weari .

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ness the impatien ce the freedom o f a day of li cence the

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quarrels occasioned every momen t by a sharp elbo w o r a

hob nailed shoe and the ted iousness o f long wai ting gave
-
, , ,
l ong before the ho u r at which the ambass ado r s we re to

arri ve, a sharp, sour tone to the clamour o f the popul a c e ,
B 4
8 TH E B UN CH B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
kicked, cu ffed j ostled squeezed and we dged together

, , ,
al most to su ffocation N othing was to be hea r d but com .
pl aints and imp r ecations again st the Flemings the pro vost ,
o f the merchan ts the cardinal of B ourbon the baili ff of the

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p al ace M adame M argaret o f Austria the se rgean t verge r s

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the cold the heat the bad weathe r the bishop o f Pari s
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the Pope o f Fools the pillars the statues this closed door,
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that open windo w — all to the g reat amusement o f the

groups o f scholars and serving men distribute d through -
the crow d who mingled with all thi s di scontent their sar
,
a
ca s m s and mischievous sallies which like pins thrust in to , ,
a wo u nd produced no small aggravation o f the general ill

,
humour .
There was among others a kno t o f these merry wights ,
who a fter knocki ng the glass o u t o f o ne o f the windows

, ,
had boldly seated themselves on the e ntaib l ature and then ce ,
cast their eyes and their j okes alternately wi thin and with
ou t, among the crowd i n the h al l and the crowd in the
Place From their m im ick ries their p eals o f laughte r
.
, ,
l and the j eers whi ch they exchanged from o ne end o f the

hal l to the other with their comrades, it was eviden t that
t he s e young clerks felt n one o f the weariness an d ennui
y
which overpowered the rest o f the assembly and that they
{ ,
well knew ho w to extract from the scene before them suf

ficient amusement to enable the m to wai t patientl y for the
promised spectacle .
’ ’
Why, pon m y soul t is you Joannes Frollo de , ,
M ol e ndino cried one o f them a youth wi th a fair com ,
plexion handsome face and arch look perched o n the

, , ,
acanthi o f a capital ; you are rightly named Jehan d u ,
M oulin f or y our arm s an d l e gs are exactly like the four

,
sail s o f a windmill H o w long have you been here .
”
B y the devil s mercy replied Joannes Frollo more
’
“
, ,
than four hours and I hope they will be coun ted into m y
,
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tim e of purgatory I hea r d the king o f Sicily s eight .
chan ters str ike up the first verse of high m ass at seven
o clock in the Holy C hapel
’
.
Rare chanters forsooth rej oined the other with

, ,
voi ces sharper than their pointed caps ! The king before ,
he foun ded a mass to M onsieur St John ought to have .

,
rns H UN CH BAC K or NO T RE D A ME - .
9
ascertai ned whether M onsieur St John is fond o f Lati n .
”
chanted with a Pro ven cal twang .
And i t was to employ those cursed singers of the kin g

"
o f Sicily that he did i t ! cried an o ld woman among the
crowd at the foot of the window O nly think ! a thou
.
sand livres Parisis for o ne mass , and g r anted o u t of the

farm rent o f the sea fish sold in the market o f Paris in to
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the bargain
Silence ! ej aculated a l usty portly personage who , ,
was holding his nose by the side o f the fis hwo m an

how could the king help foundi ng a mass ? Would you
have him fal l ill again
Admirably spoken sire Gilles Le cornu master fur rier
, ,
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o f the king 8 robes shoute d the li ttle scholar clin ging to

the capital .
A general pe al of laughter from hi s comrades greeted

’
the unlucky name o f the poor master fu rri er of the king 8 -
robes .
Le co rn u Gilles Le cornu cr ied some of them

"
.
Co m u t a s et hir su tus said a nbther ,

.
”
Ay no doubt
,
replied the li ttle demon o f the ca pita L
,
‘Vha t is there to laugh at ? An honour able man Gilles ,
Le co rnu b r other o f M aste r Jehan Le cornu provost o f the

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king s household so n o f M aster M ahie t Le cornu first

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, ,
po rter o f the woo d of Vincennes all citi zens o f Pari s, all ,

”
m arried from father to son 1
A fr esh explosion of mirth succeeded all eyes were fixed
o n the fat m as ten f u r rie r who without uttering a word
, ,
i n reply strove to wi thdr aw himse l f from the publi c gaze

,
but in vain he pu ff ed and st ruggled till he was covered

wi th perspi r ation : the e fforts which he m ade served only
to wedge in hi s bloate d apoplecti c face p u rple wi th rage ,
and vexation the more firmly between the shoulders of hi s

,
neighbours .
At length o ne o f these short pursy an d venerable as

, , , ,
hi m self had the courage to take his part

, .
What abomination ! Scholars dare to talk thus to a

citi zen In my time they would have b een scou rged with
rods an d burned with them afterwards .
10 TH E H UN C H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME- .
The whole ban d burst out Soho ! who sings tha t ,
tune ! What screech owl of ill omen is that ?

"
-
t is M aster Andry
’
Stay I know hi m said one ,
”
M u s nie r .
O ne of the four sworn booksellers to the Un iversity ,
said another .
E very thing goes by fours at that shop cried a ,

“
third : the fou r nations the four faculties the four f es, ,
t iv al s the four proctors the four electors

,
the four book
, ,
selle r s .
M u snie r we will burn thy books !

,
M u s nier we will beat thy se r ving man

,
-
”
M u s n ier we will tear th y wife s r ags o ff her back l ’
,
”
The good fat M ademoiselle Ou d ard e .
WVho is as fresh an d as buxom as though she were a

”
widow .
”
The devil fetch you a ll ! muttered M aster Andry
M u s nie r .
M aster Andry rej oined Jehan stil l perched o n hi s

, ,
capital hold thy ton gue man or I will drop upon thy
, , ,
head .
M aster Andry lifted his eyes appeared to be measuring ,
fo r a moment the height of the pillar estimating the weigh t ,
of the wag ment ally multiplying this weight by the squ are
,
of the velocity and he held his tongue ,

.
Jehan master of the field o f battle triumphantly con

, ,
tinned I woul d do it too though I am the b r other o f

, ,
an archdeacon .
P r etty gentry those belonging to our uni versities not

even to enforce respect for our p r ivileges on such a day a s
this
D own with the rector the electors and the p roctors, ,
cried J oannes .
Let us make a bonfi r e t om ight with M aste r Audry s ’
b ooks in the C hamp Gailla r d e x claimed another .
And the desks of the s c ribes said his neighbour .
And the wands of the bedels

s And the chair of the r ecto r !
"
D own respond ed li ttle Jehan down with M aster
, ,
m s H UN C H B A C K or N O T RE - DA M Eu l l
Andry the bedels and the sc r ibes ! down with the th e o

, ,
l og ians the physicians and the decretists

,
down with the
,
p ro c to rs the el
,
ecto r s and the rector ,
I t must surely b e the end o f the world ! murmur ed

M as ter Andry clapping his hands to hi s ears
,
.
The rector ! there goes the rector cried o ne o f tho s e

at the windo w .
Al l eyes were instantly turned towards the Place .
I s i t r eally o ur venerable rector M aster T hibau t ? ,
e nqui red J eha u F r ollo d u M oul in who fr om his position , ,
on the pillar within , could not see what was passing

without .
Yes yes replied the others

, ,
t is he ! t is M aste r ,
’
T hib au t the rector ,
I t was in fact the rector and al l the di gnitaries o f the

, ,
uni ve r sity going in p r ocession to meet the embas sy and

, ,
at that moment crossing the palace yard The scholars - .
who ha d taken post at the window g r eeted them as they

passed with sarcasms and ironi cal plau d its The recto r .
,
who was at the head o f his company, received the first

volley which was a sharp one
, .
Good morrow M r Rector ,Soho ! good m orro w

.
then
Ho w has he managed to get hi ther — the ol d gambler ?
how could he leave his dice ?
Ho the re ! M r R ector Thibaut ho w often did you
,
.
,
thr ow double six last night ? -
H o w he trots along on his mule ! I declare the

’ ’
beast s ears a r e not so long as his maste r s

O h the ca da verous face haggard wrinkled and , ,
wi zened with the love of gaming and di cing !

,
P resen tly i t came to the tu r n of the other d ignitaries .
D own with the bedels down with the mace bearers -
”
R obin P o u s se pa in who is that yonder ? ,
“ I t is Gilbert l e Suilly chan cellor o f the college of
,
”
Autun .
Here take m y shoe you are in a better p lace than I

,
am th r ow it at his head .
Sa tu rna l itia s m ittim u s ecce n u ces .

TH E H U N C H B A C K or NO TRE D A ME - . 13
been wai ting ever since morning for three things noon ,
the Flanders embassy an d the mys tery N oon alone had

,
.
been pun ctual to its time This was rather too bad . .
They wai ted one two three fi ve minutes a quarter o f

, , , ,
an hou r ; nothing came N ot a creature appeared either .
o n the platfo r m or on the stage M eanwhi le impatience .
grew into irr i tation Angry words were ci r culated at first

.
, ,
”
i t is true in a l o w tone
,
The mystery ! the m yste r y !
.
was faintly muttered A storm whi ch as yet only rumbled .

,
at a distance began to gather over the crowd I t was

,
.
Jehan d u M ouli n who d rew fr om i t the first spark .
The mys te r y and let the Flemings go to the devil !

,
shouted he with a l l his might twisting like a snake abo u t

, ,
his capital The crowd clapped their han ds

. The mys .
te ry they repeated and send Flanders to all the devils

,
”
Let us instantly have the mys te r y resumed the ,
scholar or I r ecommend that we should hang the baili ff

,
”
o f the palace by way o f comedy an d m orality .
l Vel l said c r ied the people and let us begin with

hanging the sergeants !
Prodi gious were the acclamations that followed The .
four poor devils turned pale and began to look at each ,
other The crowd moved towards them and they saw the
.
,
fr ail wooden balustrade which separated them from the

people al ready bendi ng and giving way to the pressure o f
the multitude .
The momen t was critical D own down with them .

,
was the cry which resounded from all sides At this in

, .
stant the tapestry o f the dressing room whi ch we have -

,
desc r ibed abo ve was thr o wn open and forth issued a per
, ,
so nag e, the mere sigh t o f whom suddenly appeased the
crowd and chang ed, as i f by magic its indignation in to

, ,
curiosity .
Silence si l ence was the universal cry .
The person age i n question shaking with fear i n every ,
l imb advan ced to the edge o f the ma rble table with a

, ,
fusion of bows which the nearer he approached more and

, , ,
m ore resembled ge nufiex io ns M eanwhile tranqui lli ty was .

,
pretty well restored ; n othing was to b e hear d but that

slight noise which always rises even from a silent crowd .
1 4, TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A M E
- .
M es s ieu rs and M es derho is el l es l es bou r

l es bou rg eo is ,
”
g eois es ,
said he we a r e to have the honou r of declaim
,
ing an d pe r forming befo r e his eminence M onsieur the

,
C ardinal a ve r y goo dl y mo r ality called The g ood Ju dg

, ,
m en t of M a d a m e the Vi rg in M a ry The pa r t of Jupiter .
will be enacted by myself His eminence is at this m o .
men t attending the most honourable the embassy of M on

sieu r the D uke of Austr ia which i s detained till now to ,
hear the speech of M onsieur the rector o f the unive r sity ,
at the gate of B audets The moment his eminence the

.
cardinal arrives we shall begin ,

.
I t is very ce r tain that nothing but the interposition of

Jupiter saved the necks of the fou r unlucky sergean ts of
the bai l i ff of the palace Had we even the honour of i n
.
ven ting this most true history and were we in conse q uen ce ,
res ponsible for it befo r e the t r ibunal o f criticism it is n ot ,
a gainst us that the classi c p r ecept o f antiquity N ee D eu s ,
in ter a ct could at this moment he adduced

, Fo r the rest .
,
the costume of his godship was very superb an d had co n ,
tri b uted not a li ttle to quiet the crowd by eng r ossing all
thei r attention He was atti r ed in a b l igand ine o f black
.
vel vet with gilt studs ; on his head he wore a helmet ,
adorned wi th silver gilt buttons : and but fo r the rouge ,
and the thick beard which divided his face between them ;
,
b u t for the roll of gilt pasteboa r d garnished all over with ,
str ipes o f tinsel whi ch he held in hi s hand and in which

, ,
the p r actised eye easily recognised the thunderbolt o f Jove ;

but for hi s fles h colou r ed legs and feet sandaled after the
-
,
Greek fashion ; he might have sustained a compar ison for

his stately port with a Breton a r cher o f the co rps o f M on
sieur de B erry .
C HAPT ER I I .
PI ERRE G R IN G O I R E .
W H IL E he was S pea king however the uni versal satisfa ction

, , ,
“
na y adm iration excited by his costume was dispelled b y
, , ,
r m: H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - . 15
his words and when he arrived at that u n fortunate con

el usion,
The moment his eminence the ca rdinal a r ri ves ,
”
we shall begin his voice was drowned by the hoo ti ngs of
,
the multitu de .
The mystery the mystery B egin immediately !

shou ted the people And amid the tempest o f voices was
.
,
heard that of Joannes d e M ol e nd ino which pie r ced th r ough ,
the uproa r like a fife in a band of rough music : B egi n

im m e d iately sc reeched the young schola r .
D own with Jupiter and the C ardinal d e Bourbon !

v o cife r ated Robin P ou s s epain and the other clerks rooste d
i n the window .
”
The mo r ality immediately ! repeated the populace
this instant ! o r the sack and the cord for the comedian s
and the cardinal !
Poor Jupi te r affrighted aghast pale ben eath his rouge
, , , ,
dro pped his thunde r bolt took o ff his helmet and bowed
, ,
trembli ng and stamme ring : His eminence the ambas

sa d o rs M adame M argaret of Flanders He knew
not what to say I n good sooth he was afraid o f being
.
h anged — hanged by the populace for wai ting hanged by ,
the ca rdinal for no t waiting : he had the same prospect o n

-
ei ther side that is to say the gallows L u ckily for him

, , .
,
an other person came forwa r d to extri cate hi m from this

dilem ma and to assume the responsibility
, .
An indi v idual who had station ed himself within the

b alustrade in the vacan t space left around the ma rble table
, ,
and whom n o one had yet perceived so completely was his ,
tall slende r fi gu r e sc reened fr om sigh t by the diameter of

the pilla r agains t which he had been leaning— this individual ,
tall and slender as we have said fair pale still young
, , , , ,
though his fo r ehead and cheeks were already wrinkled with ,
s pa rkling eyes and smiling lips habite d in black serge worn ,
threadba r e with age approached the marbl e table and m ad e

, ,
a si gn to the horror stricken actor, who was too much e n

-
grossed to notice him .
He advan ced a step fa r the r Jupi ter “

said he ; m y
.
”
dear Jupi te r ! Still the other heard him not At len gth . ,
the tall pale man losing his patien ce ca ll ed o u t almost

, ,
, under his very no se M ichel G ib o rne !

,
16 TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME -
.
Who cal ls me sa id Jupiter starting like o ne sud ,
d e nl y awakened .
”
I repl ied the personage in black
, .
”
Aha ! said Jupite r .
”
Begin im mediately rej oined the other C omply with
,
.
the wish of the audien ce I unde r take to pacify M onsieur .
the baili ff who will pacify M onsieur the cardi nal

,
.
Jupite r breathed again .
”
Gentlemen citizens cried b e with all the force o f his ,
lungs to the crowd who continued to hoot hi m we shall ,

”
begin forthwith .
E v oe Ju p i ter P l a u d z te c ives shouted the scholars

'
.
,
Huzza ! huzza ! c r ied the pop ul ace .
A clapping of hands that was absolutely deafening en .
sued ; and after Jupite r had reti r ed behind his tapestry

, ,
the hall still shook with acclamations .
M eanwhile the unknown pe r sonage who ha d so ma

, ,
gi call y laid the tempest had modestly withd r awn into the ,
penumbra o f his pill ar where he would no doubt have re ,
mained invisible motionless and mute as befo r e but fo r

, , ,
t wo you n g femal es who being in the fron t rank o f the

, ,
spectato r s had remar ked his col loquy with M ichel G ib orne
,
Jupite r .
M aster sai d o ne o f them beckoning him to come ,
to her .
Hold your tongue m y dear Lien arde said he r neigh , ,
b our ,
a buxom fresh colou r
,
ed damsel g a ily ti r ed in her
-
,
Sunday brave r y he is not a clerk but a layman ; you

, ,
must not call him maste r but messire ,

.
M essire said Lie n ar d e .
The u nknown advanced to the balustrade What would .
you with me my pretty damsels , enqui r ed he eage r ly .
”
O h ! n othi ng said Lie nard e q uite confused
,
i t is ,
my neighbour, G is qu e tte la G encienne who wants to spea k ,
to you .
N ot so replied G is qu e t te blushing ; i t was Lie “

, ,
n arde who called you M a s ter and I told her she must say ,
”
M es s i r e .
The two youn g females cast down their e yes The other . ,
TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - . 17
who desired nothing be tter than to engage them i n con

versation s u rveyed them with a smile
,
.
Then you have nothing to say to me ?

”
O dear n o ! answe r ed G is qu e t te
,
.
Nothing said Lie narde ,

.
The tall fair young man was just reti r ing but the two ,
in q uisitive gi rls had no mind to let him go so easily .
”
Messire said G is qu e tte with the impetuosity o f a
, ,
sluice that is opened or of a woman who has taken he r ,
resolution you must know that soldier who is to play the

,
part o f the Virgin M ary in the mystery

”
Y ou mean the par t o f Jupi ter ? rej oined the u n
kn own .
Ah yes ! said Lie narde she is stupid I think , .
Y o u kno w Jupi ter then ,

”
M ichel Gibo rne P answered the pal e man .
”
madam .
What a goodly heard he has ! said Lienarde .
W ill i t be fine — what they are going to say up there ?

timidly enqui red G is qu e tte .
M ighty fine I assure you replied the unknown wi th

, , ,
o u t the least hesi tation .
”
What will it be ? said Lie narde .
T he goo d Ju dg ment of M a d a m e the Vi rg in a morali ty , ,

’
an t please you madam ,
.
Ah ! that s a di fferent thing rej oined Lienarde

’
,
.
A short silence ensued ; i t was b roken by the unkno wn

‘
informan t This mo r ality i s qui te a new pie ce ; i t has

.
”
never been performed .
”
Then said G is qu e tte
,
it is no t the same that was ,
given two year s ago at the entry of M onsieur the legate , ,
in which three handsome young girls enacted the parts

of
O f syren s continued Lienarde

"
.
,
And q uite naked added the young man ,

.
Lie nard e modestly cast down he r eyes G is qu ette l ooked

at h er and did the same He then proceeded with a smile .
, ,
That was a pleasant sight enough this morality to day -
was com po s e d exp r essly for the Prin cess of Flande r s ”

~
.
Wi l l there be any love songs in i t ask ed G is qu e tt e - .
c
18 m s H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
O fie ! in a morality ! said the unkno wn ; they

would be in consistent with the character o f the piece I f .
i t were a mummery well and good ,

.
What a pity ! exclaimed G is q u e tte O n that day .
there we re at the conduit o f Ponceau wild men and women

who fought togethe r and put themselves into a great many
,
”
attitudes singing little songs all the while
, .
”
What is fit for a legate dr ily replied the unknown , ,
m ay n ot be fit for a prin c ess .
”
And near t hem resumed Li enarde ,
was a band of ,
”
musi cians playing del ightful tunes .
”
And for the refr eshmen t o f passengers
,
continued ,
Gi s q u e tte ,
the condui t thre w out wine milk and b y , ,
.
”
p o cr as at three mouths for every one to drink that listed
, , .
”
And a little below the Pon ceau pro ceeded Lie n ar de , ,
at the T r inity the Passion was repres ented by persons

, ,
without speaking .
I f I recollect right cried Gis qu e tte it was Christ

,
o n the cross and the two thieves o n the right and left
" ,
.
,
Here the young gossips warming at the recollection o f

,
the entry of M onsieur the legate began to speak both to ,
get her.
And further on at the Porte aux Peintres there were

, ,
o ther characters magnificently d ressed .
And at the conduit o f St Innocen t a hun ter pur .

,
”
suing a doe with a great noise o f dogs and horns .
And then at the shambles those scaffolds representi ng

, ,
D ieppe
And when the lega te passed you know G is q u ette , , ,
ho w ou r people attacked it an d all the E ngl is h had thei r

,
”
throats cut .
And then the superb pe rsonages a t the Pon t au C hange ,

”
which was covered all over with an awning .
'
And as the legate passed more than two hundr ed ,
d ozen of all sorts of birds were let loose upon the bridge .
What a fine sight that was Lien arde ,

”
This will be a finer to day rema r ked the interlocutor
-
, ,
who seemed to listen to them wi th impatien ce .
You promise us then that this m ystery W ill be a very

, ,
fine one ? ”
said G is q u e tte .
r u n H u nos na o x os N O T RE D A ME
-
. 19
C ertainly replied he addi ng with a degree o f em

, , ,
”
phasis ,
I made i t myself .
I nde ed exclaimed the young females in amazemen t .
”
Indeed ! responded the poet bridli ng u p a li ttle ,
that is to say the re are two o f us ; Jehan M archand

, ,
who sawed the planks and put together the wood work o f -
the theatre and I wh o wro te the p iece M y name is Pierre

"
.
,
Gringoire .
The author o f the C id c oul d not h ave said with grea ter
pri de Pierre C orneille
,
.
Our readers may probably have perceived that some ti me

mu st have elapsed between the moment when Jupiter dis
,
a ppeared behind the tape stry and that in which the autho r
of the new morali ty revealed himself so abruptly to the

si mple admi ration of G is qu e tte and Lienarde I t was an .
ex traordinary cir cumstance that the crowd a few minutes ,
be fore so tumul tuous now waited m ost meekly o n the faith

,
o f the comedian which proves that everlasting truth con ,
fi rmed by d aily expe rience i n ou r theatres that the best ,
way to make the public wai t with p atience is to a ffirm that

you are just going to begin .
At an y rate the youn g schol ar Joannes did not fall asl ee p

,
at his po st .
Soho there,
he shouted all at once amidst the quiet ,
ex pec tation which had succeeded the disturbance Jupi te r .

,
M adame the Vi rgin puppets o f the devil are ye maki ng

, ,
y o ur game o f us ? The mystery ! The m ystery ! B egin at

”
on ce or loo k to yourselves
, .
T hi s was quite enough to p roduce the desired e ff ect A .
ba n d o f instru ments high and low in the inte rior of the

, ,
theatre commenced playing ; the tapestry was raised and

, ,
forth came four pers ons bepainted and bedecked wi th variou s

cal ours who climbed the rude stage ladder a nd dn reach
,
- .
, ,
ing the upper pla tform drew up in a row before the au

,
di enes to whom they paid the usual tribute o f low obeisan ce

, .
Th e symphony ceased and the mystery commen ced

, .
The perfo r mers having been l ibe rall y rep aid for thei r
,
obe i sances wi th applau s e began amidst solemn silen ce o n

, ,
the part o f the audien ce a prologu e whi ch we gladly spare
, ,
the rea der O n this occasion as it often happen s at the

.
,
c 2
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
-
. 21
metaphors there was not a mo r e attentive ear a more

, ,
vehemently throbbing heart a wilde r looking eye a more ,

-
,
outstr etched neck than the e ye the ear the neck an d the
, , , ,
heart o f the author of the poet of the worthy Pierr e Gri n

, , .
goire who a few momen ts before could not deny himself

,
the pleasu r e o f tel ling his name to two handsome gi rls H e .
had retired a few paces from them behind his pil lar an d ,
the r e he li stened he watched he relished The hearty

, ,
.
applause which had greeted the opening o f his prolo gue

s till rang in his ears ; and he was completely abso r bed in
that kind o f ecstati c con templation wi th which an author
sees his ideas drop one by o ne from the lips o f the actor ,
amid the silence o f a vast assembly .
l Vi th pain we record it this first ecstasy was soon dis

,
tu rbe d . Scarcely had Gringoi r e raised to his lips the i n

to x i ca ting cup o f j oy and triumph , when i t was dashed with
bitte r ness .
A ragged mendi cant who coul d m ake nothing by his

,
vocation lost as he was among the c r owd and who had

, , ,
probably not found a su fficient indemni ty in the pockets o f

,
his neighbo u rs conceived the idea o f pe r ching himself upon

,
some conspicuous point fo r the purpose of attracting noti ce

,
and alms D uring the deli very o f the prologu e he had

.
,
acco rdingly scrambled by the aid o f the pi l lars of the re

,
served platform u p to the corn ice which ran round i t below

,
the balust r ade and there he seated himself silently soli

, ,
citing the no tice and the pity o f the multi tude by his rags
and a hideous sore which covered his right arm .
The prologue was proceeding without molesta tion when , ,
as ill luck wou ld have i t Joannes Frollo f r om the top of

, ,
his pillar espied the mendi cant and his grimaces An

, .
ou trageous fit of laughter seized the young wag who caring , ,
l ittle about interrupting the performan ce an d disturbing

the profound attention o f the audien ce mer rily c r ied , ,
O nly look at that rapscallion begging yonder

‘
R eader if you have ever thrown a stone in to a pond
,
swarmin g with frogs or fired a gun at a covey of birds

, ,
you may for m some conception of the e ffect p r oduced by

t his incon gruous exclamation amidst the general silence ,
and attention G r ingoi r e sta r ted as at an ele ctri c shock ;

.
c 3
~
22 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO TRE D A ME - .
the prologue stopped sho r t and every head turned tumul t ,
u ou s l
y towards the men d icant who so far fr om being , ,
disconcerted rega r ded t his inciden t as a favourable opp or

,
tu ni ty for mak ing a harvest and began to drawl out in a , ,
doleful tone and with half closed eyes ,

, C harity if yo u ,
please !
’
Why upon my soul resumed Joannes
, t i s C lopin
, ,
T rouill e f o u Hoho my fine fellow you fou nd the wound ,

’
o n yo u r leg in the way and so you ve clapped it o n y our
,
arm have you

,
As he thus spoke he threw with the dexterity o f a , ,
monkey a piece o f smal l coin in to the greasy hat whi ch

,
th e beggar held with his aili ng arm The latter pocketed .

,
without wincing both the money and the ,
co n tinued in a lamentable tone

,
C hari ty if you please , ,
This episode conside r ably distracted the attention o f the

a udience ; and a numbe r of the spectators wi th Ro bin ,
P ous se p ain and all the cle rks at their head loudly applauded ,
thi s extempore duet performed in the middle o f the p r o

“
, ,
logue by the scholar with h is squeaking voice and the

,
mendicant with hi s monotonous descant .
Gringoire was so r ely displeased O n re covering from his .
first stupefac tion he bawled o u t lustily to the fou r actors

,
the stage Why the devil do ye s top ? Go on go

,
on without even condescendi ng to cast a look of di sdai n

at the two interrupters .
A t this moment he felt a twitch at the ski rt of hi s sur

to ut ; he tu r ned round in an ill humour and had sorme ,
di ffi culty to raise a smile which however he could not , , ,
suppress I t was the plump handsome arm of G is qu e tte la

.
,
G e ncie nne thrust through the balustrade, which thus ao

,
li cite d his attention .
”
Si r said the damsel
,
will they go o n with the ,
mystery
M ost certainly replied Gringoire not a little shocked
, ,
at the question .
I n that case M essire she resumed ,

will you have , ,
the courtesy to explain to me

What they ar e going to say ? asked Gringoi r e in ter ,
”
ru ti n
p g he r Well listen
.
, .
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - . 23
No rej o m e d Gis qu e tte

,
but what they have been ,
”
saying so far .
G ringoire started like a person wi th a wou n d which you

have touched in the qui ck .
A plague on the stupid wench muttered b e be tween

his teeth .
Gis q ue tte had completel y ruined herself in his goo d

Opinion .
The ac tors had meanwhile obeyed his inj un c tion and

, ,
the publi c seeing that they had resumed the performan ce

, ,
began again to listen but no t wi thout losing a great m an y

,
beauties from the abrupt di visi on o f the piece in to two

,
pa rts and the species o f soldering whi ch they had to nu

,
d ergo Such at least was the painful reflec tion mentall y

.
, ,
m ade by Gringoire Tranquilli ty however was grad ual ly

.
, ,
res to red ; the scholar hel d his to ngue the beggar coun ted ,
th e money in hi s hat and the piece proceeded swimmingly

, .
I t was in truth a maste rly work and we verily believe

, ,
th at managers might avail themselves o f i t at the present

day with some modificati ons The plot was simple ; and
, .
Gri ngoire in the ca ndid san ctuary o f his o wn bosom ad

, ,
m ired its clearness As the reader may easily con ceive the
.
,
four allegori cal ch aracters were somewhat fatigued with

their tour through the three pa rts o f the world withou t ,
finding an opport unity o f disposing agreeably to their in ,
ten d ons o f their golden dol phin Thereupon followed a

, .
panegyric on the marvell ous fish wi th a thousand deli cate ,
allu sions to the young bridegroom o f M argaret o f Flanders ,
a t tha t momen t sadly shut up at Amboise and never ,
dr eami ng that Labour and C lergy N obility and Trade ha d , ,
been ma king a to ur o f the wo r ld on hi s accoun t The said .
dolphin then was young handsome bold and above all

, , , , , , ,
magnificen t origin o f every roy al virtue the so n o f

the lion o f France I declare that this bold metaphor is
.
truly admirable and that the natu r al history o f the theatre

is not at al l startled o n an occasion o f this kind at a
, ,
dolphin the o ffsp r ing of a lion I t is precisely these out

, . .
o f the way and Pinda ri c medleys that are eviden ces o f en

- -
.
thus ias m Cr i tical j ustice neve r theless requires the admis

.
, ,
s ion that the poe t ought to have developed this ori in al

g
0 4 «
24
h
TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME - .
idea in somewha t less than the compass o f two hundred

verses . I t is true that the mystery was to last fr om the
hour of twelve til l that of four according to the o rdinan be ,
o f monsieur the provost and that it was absolutel y ne

,
ce s s a r
y to say something or other B esides the audien ce .
,
listened ve r y patiently .
All at on ce i n the midst of a quarrel between M a de m oi

, ,
selle Trade and M adame N obility at the momen t when ,
M aster Labour was deli vering this emphati c li ne

M ore t t l y b e t was ne r in f re t ee n
s a e as
’
e o s s ,
the doo r of the reserved platform which had hitherto re ,

‘
mained so unseasonably closed was still more unseasonably ,
th r ow n open and the sono r ous voice of the usher abruptly

,
announ ced H is E minen ce M o ns eigneu r the Ca r d ina l of

,
”
B ou r bon .
C HAPT ER I I I .
MON S E IGNEUR TH E C A RD I N AL .
Poon GR I N G O I RE the noise of all the big double petard s

’
at St J ohn s the discharge o f a hundred m atchl ocks the de
.
, ,
tonation o f that famous serpentine o f the Towe r o f B illy ,
whi ch at the siege of Paris o n the 2 9 th o f September 1 46 5

, , , ,
killed se ven Bu rgundian s by one shot nay the explosion , ,
o f all the gunpowde r in the magazine at the gate of the
Temple would not have so shocked his ear at that solem n

,
and d r amatic momen t as these f e w words fr om the lips o f

an usher H is E m inen ce M o ns eig ne u r the Ca r d i na l of
B o u r bon .
N ot that Pierre Gringoire either fea r ed or disdained

M on sieu r the C ar dinal he had neither that weakness nor
that a r rogan ce A genuine eclectic as we should say now
.
,
a days Gringoire possessed one of those fi r m and elevated

-
, ,
calm an d moderate minds which always know how to steer ,
a middle course and are full o f reason and liberal phil o

,
TH E H UNC H BA CK or NO T RE D A ME- . 25
sophy at the same time that they m ake much o f cardin al s

,
— ah admirable race widely sepa r ated from that of the

,
phil osophers ; to whom Wisdom like another A r iadne seems , ,
t o have given a ball o f thr ead which they keep winding up

fr om the commencement o f the world through the laby ,
rin th o f human aff airs We find them always and every

.
where the same that is to say ever accommodating them

, ,
selves to the times And without reckoning o ur Pierre

.
,
Gringoi re who migh t be their rep r esen tati ve in the fifteen th

,
century if we we r e to bestow on him that illustration whi ch

,
he deserves i t was certainly their spirit which animated

,
Father D u B reul when he wrote in the sixte enth th ese

, , ,
simply sublime words worthy o f al l ages ,

I am a
Parisian by nation and a P arrhis ian by speech for P a r
,
r his ia ,
in Greek signifies li berty o f speech , the which I
,
have used even un to M esseigneurs the cardinals un cle an d ,
b r othe r o f M onseigneur the Prince o f C onty : at the same

time with respect for their high dignity and without giving ,
offen ce to any one o f their retinue whi ch methink s is , , ,

”
saying a great de al .
T here was then nei ther hatred o f the C ardi n al nor di s

, ,
dai n o f his presence in the di sagreeable impression which

i t made o n Pie r re Gri ngoire O n the con trary our poet .
,
had too much good sense and too threadbare a frock no t , ,
to feel partic u larly anxious that many an allusion in his

,
prologue and particula rly the eulogy o n the dolphin the

, ,
s o n o f the lion of France shoul d find i ts way to the ear o f

,
a most eminent personage B ut i t is not in te r est that p re .
dominates in the noble natu r e o f poets Supposing the .
enti ty o f the poet to be represented by the number 1 0 ;

i t is ce r tain that a chemist o n analysing i t woul d find i t , ,
to be composed o f o ne part in terest and nine parts vani ty .
N ow at the momen t when the door opened for the C ar

,
’
dinal the nine parts o f G ringo ire s vanity swollen and in
, ,
fia ted by the breath of popul ar admiration were in a state ,
o f such p r odigious enlargemen t as completely to smother
that imperceptible pa r ticle o f in terest w hich we j ust now

di scovered in the consti tution of poets ; a most valuabl e
ingred ien t nevertheless the ballast o f reality and o f hu
, ,
m anity wi thout whi ch they would never descend to thi s

,
26 TH E H UN C EB A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
lower world Gringoire was delighted to see to feel i n

.
,
s ome measure a whole assembly of varlets i t is true — but

, , ,
what d oes that si gnify — s tu pi fie d petrified and stricken , ,
as i t we r e insensible by the immeasu r able speeches which

,
succeeded each other in e v ery part of his epithalamium .
I a ffirm that he participated in the gene r al happiness, and

th at un l ike La Fontaine who on the fi r st rep r esentation
, , ,
”
of hi s comedy o f T he F lo r en tine en q uir ed What , ,
paltry scribbler wrote this rhapsody Gringoire woul d .
gl adly have asked his neighbour W h o 1 s the author of ,
this mas ter piece - N ow i magine what must have b een

.
the e ffect produced upon him by the abrupt and unseason

able arrival of the C ardinal .
What he had reason to apprehend was but too soon

reali sed The entry o f his E minence upset the audi tory
. .
All heads tu rned mechanically towards the platform N ot .
an other word was to be heard The C ardinal ! the C ar .
”
dinal ! was upon every tongue The unlucky prologue .
was cut sho r t a second time .
The C ardinal paused for a moment o n the threshold o f

the platform with superci l ious looks sur veying the audi tory
, .
M ea nwhile the tumul t inc r eased ; each str iving to r aise

’
his head above his neighbour s to obtain a better view of
his E minence .
He was in fact a very distinguished personage the

, , ,
s ight o f whom was well wo r th any other comedy C harles .

,
Ca rdin al of B ourbon Archbishop and C oun t o f Lyons pri

, ,
mate o f the Gauls was at once allied to Loui s XI through

, .
his b r other Pierre Lord o f B eauj eu who was married to

, ,
the K ing s eldest daughte r and to C ha r les the B old by his

’
m othe r Agnes of B u r gundy N ow the p r edominant the

, .
,
dis tinctive trait in the cha r acter of the primate of the

,
Gauls was a cour tier spiri t and devotedness to power T he

-
.
reader may form some con ception o f the numbe rless em

b a rrass m e nts in which he had been involved by this t wo
fold relationship and o f the temporal rocks among which
,
his spi r itual bark had been obliged to lu ff that i t mi ght ;
not be w r ecked either against Louis or against C harles ,
that C har ybdis and Scylla which had eng u lfed the Duke
of N emours and the C onstable o f St Pol Thanks to . .
TH E H UNC H B A CK O P N O I RE D A ME ‘ ’ '
- .
Heaven he had contri ved pretty well to escape the d ange r s

,
o f the voyage and had a rr ived at Rome without obstruction

,
.
B ut though he was in port and precisely because he was

, ,
in port he could never call to mind without agi tation the

,
various chances of his poli tical life so long ha rass ed by ,
labours and alarms Accordi ngly he was accustomed to

.
,
say that the year 1 47 6 had been to hi m both black a nd

-
white thereby meaning that he had lost in that year his

mother the D uchess of B ourbonn ais and his cousin the ,
D u ke o f B urgun dy and that one mour ning had consol e d

,
him for the other .
I n o ther respects he was a good sort o f man he led a

j ovial li fe as cardinal loved to make merry with the growth
,
of the royal vineyard of C haillot did not ha te the game ,
s ome Ri charde la G arm o is e and Thomasse la Saill a rd e ,
bestowed alms on young damsels rather than on wrinkle d

b ag s and for all these reasons was a great favouri te with
,
the po pulace o f Paris Whe r eve r he wen t he was s ur

.
rounded by a little court o f bi shops and abbots of high

families wen chers an d boon companions who had no o h
, ,
je cti o n to join in a carouse and more than on ce the piou s

souls o f St Ge rmain d A u x e rre as they passed in the even
'
.
,
ing under the illumined windows of the C ardinal s re ’
s id e nce had be en scandali sed o n hearing the same voices

,
which had chanted vespers to them a few hours before

lustily singing to the clatter o f glasses the bacchan alia n
, ,
song o f B enedi ct X I I that pope who added a third cro wn

.
,
to the tiara B iba m u s p a pa l i ter .
I t was no doubt this pop ularity to which he was so ,
j ustly entitled that p reserved him at his en trance fr om an y

,
u nfavou r able demonstrations o n the part of the crowd

,
whi ch a moment befo r e had been so dissatisfied and by no ,
me ans di sposed to pay respect to a ca rdinal on the very

day that they were going to elect a pope B ut the Pari: .
sians are not apt to b ear mali ce ; and besides by insisting ,
on the commencement of the performance the honest citi

,
zens had gained a victo r y over the C a rdinal and this ,
triumph was enough for them M oreo ver M onsieur the .

,
C a r dinal of B ou r bon was a comely man he had a s u pe rlf

sca rlet robe which he wo r e very gracefull y o f course he
,
TH E B UN C H B A C K or NO TRE D A ME
- . $29
All these circumsta nces which we here reveal for the

,
edi fi ca tio n of the reade r were so smothe r ed by the general

,
tumult as to pass unnoti ced by the reverend pa r ty on the

platfo r m : had it indeed been otherwise the C a rdinal
, , ,
would not have heeded them , so deeply were the l iberties

of th at day engrafted o n the manne r s of the age He was .
,
moreo ver wholly pre occupied

,
and his countenan ce
-
showed i t — b y another solici tude which closely pu r sued ,
him and indeed en tered the platform almost at the same

, , ,
time with him namely the Flanders embassy

, , .
Not that he was a profound politician and was cal cu ,
la ting the possible conse q uences of the ma r riage o f his

co usin Margaret of B urgundy with his cousin C ha rles ,
D auphin of Vienne or how long the good understand

ing patched up be tween the Duke of Austria and the
Ki ng o f France was likely to last o r how the K ing
of E ngland would take t he slight offe r ed to his daughter
these matters gave him no uneasiness and he enj oyed him ,
self every evening over the royal growth of C haillot with ,
ou t ever dreaming that a few bottles o f the same wine
firs t docto red a little it is tru e by C o ictier the physician

, ,
cordi ally presented to E dwa r d IV by Louis X I would . .
on e day rid Louis XI o f E dward I V . The most honour .
able the embassy o f M onsieur the D uke of Austria brought

upon the C ar dinal none of these cares but it vexed him in
anothe r way I t was in truth rather ha r d as we have
.
,
already obse r ved at the beginning of this book that he , ,
C harles o f B ourbon shou ld be obliged to give hearty wel

,
co me and good ente r tainmen t to palt ry citizens he a car ,
d inal to bu rgomasters ; he a F renchman a boon com

, , ,
panion , to Flemings fond of beer — and that too in

public This was certai nly o ne o f the m ost disagreeable
.
tas ks he had ever undertaken to please the K ing .
He turn ed therefore towards the doo r and with the

, , ,
best grace in the world — s o well had he studied his part

when the usher wi th his sonorous voi ce announced
, ,
M essieur s the E nvoys o f M onsieur the Duke o f Austria .
I t is scar cely necessary to remark that all the spectators

di d the same .
The forty eight ambassadors of M aximilian of Austri a

-
,
30 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO TRE D A ME - .
headed by the reveren d father in Go d Jehan Abbot o f , ,

'
St B ertin C hancellor o f the Golden Fleece and Jacque s

.
, ,
.
de Goy Sieu r D auby High bai li ff of Ghent then entered

, ,
-
,
t wo and two with a gravity which formed a rema rkable

,
co ntrast amidst the volatile ecclesiastical retinue of C harles

of B ou r bon D eep silence per vaded the assembly broken
.
,
on ly by sti fl ed laughte r at the mention o f the uncouth

“
names and all the petty titles which each o f these pe r son
ages repeated with imperturbable solemnity to the usher ,
who then fl ung them names and q ualities p el ell and

,
cruelly mangled among the c r owd There was M as ter , .
Loys R oelof echevin o f the city o f Louvai n M essire

,
‘
Clays d E tu el de echevin o f B russels ; Messi r e Paul de

’
Bae u s t Sieur de V or m iz ell e P r esident o f Flanders ;

, ,
M as ter Jehan C ol eghe ns bu rgomaster o f the city o f ,
Antwerp M aster George de l a M oere and M aster Ghel ,
d ol f van der Hage e che vins o f the city o f Ghent ; and ,
the Sieur de B ie rb ecqu e Jeban Pinnock Jehan Dym aer , ,
z elle & c & c ba ili ff s e che vi ns burgomaste r s ; burgo

, . .
, ,
masters e che vin s bai l i ff s all sti ff, sta r ched formal tri cked
, , , ,
ou t in velvets and damasks and enscon ced in caps o f black ,
velvet with prodi gious tassels of C yprus gold thread fine

Flemis h heads after all with austere but goodly faces o f , ,
°
the same family as tho s e which Remb r andt has brough t

ou t so grave and so expressive
,
fr om the dark g r ou nd o f ,
his nigh t piece personages who all had it written o n thei r

-
b rows that M aximili an o f Austri a had goo d reason to

” “
p l ace ful l confidence as his m anifesto declared in, ,
thei r di scretion firmness experience loyalty , and rare

, , ,
”
qua li ties .
There was however o ne exception This was a sharp

, ,
.
,
inte lligent crafty looking face a physiognomy compounded

,
-
,
( If that o f the monk ey a nt1 m di plomatist towards the —

,
o wn er o f which the C ardinal advanced three steps with a
low b o w and whose name nevertheless was plain Guillaume

, , ,
R ym counc illor and pensionary o f the city o f Ghent

, ,
.
Few pe r sons the r e kn ew who this Guill aume R ym was .
He was a man of rare genius who in times of revolution ! ,
wo uld have raised himself to distinction but was for ced , .
in the fifteenth century to resort to the hollow ways o f

r m: H UNC H BA CK or NO T RE D A ME
- . 31
intri gue and to l ive i n the gap s as saith the Duke o f St

, , .
Simon For the rest he was duly appreciate d by the

.
,
first s upp er in E urope : he wrought in famili ar con cert

wi th Louis X L and frequently lent a helping hand to the
,
King in hi s sec ret necessi ti es — circumstances absolute ly

un known to the crowd who ma r velled at the respect paid
,
by the C ardinal to so insignificant a person as the Flemish

bailiff .
C HAPT ER I V .
MA ST ER JA C Q UE S C OP P E N OL E .
l LE the pensionary o f Ghent and his E minen ce were

exchanging a low obeisance and a few words in a still lower
tone a man o f lofty sta tu r e wi th j oll y face and broad
, ,
s ho u lders s tepped forwa r d fo r the pu r pose o f ente ring

,
ab reast with Guillaume R ym : they looked for all the world

like a bgll dg g bg s jde a fox His felt cap and leathern
- .
ves t were conspicuous amids t the velvets and si lks whi ch

su rrounded him Presuming that he was so me groom who
.
had mistaken the way th e usher stopped him , .
N o admittan ce here my friend said he , , .
The man in the leathern vest pushed him back

"
.
What means the fellow ? cried he in a voi ce whi ch

d rew the attention of the whole hall to this strange colloquy
D ost not see that I belong to them
Your name asked the usher .
”
Jacques C o ppe nol e .
You r quality
Hosier at the sign o f the Three Chains in Ghen t .
The us her was staggered To have to annou nce baili ff s

.
,
and bu rgomaste rs and e che v rns was bad enough ; but a

,
a
,
hosie r l — no — he could not make up his mind to that .
The C a r dinal was upon tho rns The wh ole assembly was .
all eye and ear For two days his E minence had bee n
.
takin g pains to li ck these Flemish bears in order to make ,

32 TH E H UNCH B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
them a li ttle more producible in public and his failure was ,
galling M eanwhile Guil laume Rym with his sly smile

.
, , ,
stepped up to the usher and said in a ve r y low whisper

,
Announce M aster Jac ques C op pe nol e cle r k to the ,

”
e che vi ns of the city o f Ghent
"
.
U sher said the C a rdinal in a loud tone

, announce ,
M aster Jacques C opp enol e clerk to the e che vins of the , .
”
most noble city of Ghent .
N ow i t is very certain that Guillaume R ym had he been ,
left to himself would have shu ffled off the di fficulty but
, ,
C opp e nol e had heard the C a r dinal .
N o by the roo d
, cried he with his voice of thunder , ,
Jac ques C oppe nol e hosier Har k ye ushe r neither

, .
, ,
mo r e nor less B y the rood ! hosier

. that s q uite fine -
’
enough ! M onsieu r the Archduke has more than on ce

”
sought his gloves among my ho se .
A bu rst of laughte r and applause ensued A witticism .
o r a pun is instantly comprehended at Paris and co ns e ,
quently su r e to be applauded C oppe nol e be it mo r eover .

,
observed was one o f the people and the assembly by whi ch

, ,
he was surrounded belonged to the same class The com .
m u nication between them was in conse quence prompt ,
electric and hearty The lofty b r avado o f the Flemish

,
.
hosier at the same time that it humbled the courtiers

, ,
awakened in all those plebeian minds a sense of dignity ,
still but vague and indi stinct in the fifteenth century .
This hosier who had j ust held M onsieur the C a rdinal at

,
defiance was their e qual — a soothing reflection to poor

,
devils accustomed to pay obe di en ce and respect to the ‘
servants o f the very se r geants of the bail i ff of the abbot

of St Genevieve the t r ain bea r er o f the C a r dinal
.
,
- .
C oppe nol e bowed haughtily to the C ardi nal who re ,
turned the obeisance of the high and m ighty bu rgher ,
dre aded by Loui s XI Then whil e Gui l laume R ym a

.
, ,
”
cunning man and spiteful as saith Philip de C omines , ,
looked after bo th with a smile o f conscious superiority ,
they proceeded to thei r pla ces — the C ardinal mo r tified and

di scon ce r ted ; C oppenol e cal m and proud thinking no
, , ,
doubt, that his title o f hosier was as good as any othe r and ,
th at M ary of B urgundy the mother o f that M argaret ,

whose marriage C o ppe no l e had come to negotiate would ,
have felt less dread of him as a car di nal than as a hosier

f o r it was not a cardi nal who would have raised the peo ple
o f Ghen t against the favour ites of the d aughter o f C harles
the B old ; it was not a ca rdin al who would have steeled

the multitude by a word against her tears and her e n
treaties when the princess of Flanders procee d ed to the
,
very foot of the sca ff old to beg their lives of her subj ects
whilst the hosier had but to lift his finge r and off wen t
your heads ye most illustrious gen tlemen Guy d H ym be r
’
, ,
cou r t and chancellor William H u go ne t !

,
The poo r ca r dinal s probation however was no t yet

'
, ,
over : he was doomed to d rink to the very d r egs the cup

o f penance for being in such company The reader has .
,
pe rhaps not fo rgotten the impuden t beggar who at the

, ,
commen cement of the p r ologue pe r ched himself beneath

’
the fr inge of the C ardinal s gallery The arri val of the .
illust r ious guests had not dislodged him from hi s roost ,
and whi le the prelates and the ambassadors were packing

themselves like real Flemish herrings in the boxes o f the
, ,
galle r y he had placed himself at his ease and ca relessly

, ,
crossed his legs over the architrave N obody howeve r .

, ,
had at fi rst noticed thi s extraordinary piece o f insolence ,
the unive r sal attention being di rected to another q uarter .
Nei ther was he on his part aware o f what was going for
, ,
ward in th e h all ; there he sat rocking to and fro with the ,
utmost un concern repeating as from a mechani cal habit

, , ,
”
the ditty of C ha r ity if you please ! To a certainty he
,
was the only o ne in the whole assembly who had no t

deigned to tu r n his head at the altercation between C op
pe no l e and the usher Now, as luck would have it the
.
,
hosie r o f G hen t wi th whom the people already sympathised

,
so st r ongly and on whom all eyes were fixed took hi s seat i n

, ,
the fi r st ro w in the gallery just above the mendi cant , .
G reat was nevertheless their astonishment at seeing the

, , ,
Flemi sh ambassador after taking a survey o f the fellow

,
nestl ed unde r his nose slap hi m fam iliarly o n his should er

,
co vered with tatte r s The mendicant tur n ed sha r ply round

.
surp r ise recognition pleasu r e were e x pressed in both

, , ,
faces ; and then without ca ring a pinch of s nu fl for the

,
'
n
3 4: TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME
- .
spectators the hosie r and the scu r vy rogue shook hands

, ,
and began to talk in a low tone wh i le the r ags o f C lopin ,
T r o u il l e f o u clapped against the cloth of gold with which

,
the gallery was hung p r oduced the e ff ect of a caterpillar

,
upon an orange .
The novelty of this singul ar scene excited s u ch a bu r st

of merriment in the hal l that the ca rdinal could not help,
noticing it ; he leaned fo r wa r d and as fr o m the place , ,
whe r e he sat he ha d but a ve r y imperfect view of the

,
s q uali d figu r e of T rou ill e f ou be naturally supposed that he

,
was soliciting alms : incen sed at his audacity he c r ied , ,
M r B aili ff of the Pala ce th row me that varlet into the

.
,
ri ver .
”
C ross of God M onseigneur the C ardinal ! exclaimed
C opp e n ol e that varlet is a fr iend of mine
,
.
Huzza ! huz za shouted the c r owd F r om that .
moment M aster C o p pe nol e had

,
great influence over the
populace at Pa r is as well as at Ghent ; fo r adds Phili p
,
de C omines “ men of that kidney are sure to have it

, ,
”
when they are so beyond measu r e disorde rly .
The C a r dinal hit his lips Turn ing to his neighbou r .

,
the abbot o f St G en evi eve he said in an under tone

.
,
-
,
Right pleasan t ambassado r s these sent to us by M on ,
sieu r the Archduke to announce M adame M arga ret !

” “
Your E minence r eplied the abbot ,
is th r owing ,
away your civili ties upon these Flemish hogs : m a rga r ita s
”
a n te p or cos .
Say rather answered the C ardi nal with a smile p er

"
.
, ,
008 a n te M a rg a r i to m .
The whole petty cassocked cou r t was in raptu r es at this

s ally The C ardi nal felt somewhat relieved he was now
.
quits with C o ppe nol e he to o had gain ed applause for his

pun .
N ow let such o f ou r reade r s as are capable o f gene r al

,
‘
ising an image and an idea to adopt the ph r aseology of the ,
presen t day permit us to ask if they have fo r med a clear

,
conception of the spe ctacle presented at the moment to ,
which we are calli ng their attention by the vast paral lelo ,
gra m o f the great hall o f Paris I n the middle of the hall .

,
ba cked against the western wall a wide and magn ificen t ,

T H E m m c n n a cx or NO T RE D A ME - . 35
gallery hung with gold bro cade into which through a , ,
small doorway with pointed arch advance in procession ,
a number o f grave pe rsonages successively announced by ,
a bawli ng usher On the front seats al ready many vene

.
rable figu r es mu ffled in e r mine velvet and sca rlet On

, , ,
.
the floor o f the hall i n fron t and o n either side o f the gal
,
le r y which maintains a dignified silen ce a g reat c r owd

, ,
’
and a g reat up r oar A thousand vul gar eyes fixed o n every

.
face in the galle r y ; a thousand whispers at every name .
The scene fo r sooth is a curious o ne and well deserving

, , ,
the attention of the spectato rs B ut what is that ki nd of .
scaffold yonder at the fa r the r end on which are seen four ,
pa r ty colou r ed figures ? and who is that pale faced man in

- -
a black frock at the foot of it ? Why courteous reade r , ,
that is poo r Pierr e Gringoi re and his pr ologue We had .
all q uite and clean fo rgotten him ; and this was p r ecisely
what he was afr aid o f .
. Fro m the moment that the C ardinal en tered Gringoire ,
had not ceased to besti r himsel f for the salvation of hi s

prologue At first he enj oined the acto r s who were in a
.
,
state of suspense to p r oceed and to raise their voices then

, ,
pe r ceivin g that nobody listened to them he o r de r ed them ,
to stop ; and for the q ua r ter o f an hour that the inte r

ruption had lasted he had been incessantly bustling about ,
ca lling upon G is qu e tte and Lie na rde to encou r age thei r

neighbou r s to call for the con tinuation of the p r ologue
but all in vain N ot a creatu r e would turn away from the
.
C a r d inal the embassy and the gallery the sole centre of

, , ,
that vast ci r cle of visual rays The r e is also reason to be .
lieve and we record it with reg ret that the audi en ce was
, ,
beginning to be somewhat ti r ed of the prologue at the ,
moment when his E minence arrived and made such a te r

rible diversion After all the gallery exhibited p r ecisely
.
,
the same spec tacle as the marble table the confli ct between
La bou r and C le r gy N obility and T r ade And many peo ple
, .
liked much better to see them without dis gui se li ving , ,
brea thing acting el b owing one anothe r in that Flemish

, , ,
embassy in that episcopal court under the C a r di nal s robe

, ,
’
under the vest of C o ppe nol e than talking in ve r se painted , , ,
tricked out resembling e ffigies of st r aw stu ff ed into the yel

,
1) 2
TH E H U N C II B A C K or NO T RE D AME -
.
fl
0 7
M onseign eur answered Master Guillaume R ym “we

, ,
ought to be glad that we have escaped half of the play

"
.
The loss is so much gained .
M ay those fel lows continue their farce asked the

’
Go on go ,
o n, said the C ardinal ; t is the same to
me .
The baili ff advanced to the fr on t of the galle ry and ,
e njo m e d silence by a motion of his hand B u rgesses and .
”
inhabitants he c r ied ,
to satisfy those who wish the piece
,
to proceed and those who a r e desirous that it should finish

, ,
hi s E minence orders it to be continued .
The char acte r s on the stage r esumed thei r cue an d ,
Gringoi r e hoped that at any r ate the r est of his piece would
be heard o u t This hope however was destine d like his
.
, , ,
othe r illusions to be ve r y soon blasted Silen ce was i h

,
.
,
deed in some degree res to red among the audien ce but

, ,
Gringoi re had not observed that at the momen t when the ,
C a rdinal ordered the mystery to be continued the gallery ,
was far fr om full and that after the Flemish envoys had
, ,
taken their seats other persons forming part of the train

, , ,
kept coming in and the n ames and q ualities of these pro

, ,
claimed every now and then by the bawling voice of the

ushe r broke in upon his dialogue and made great havoc
,
with it G r ingoi re was the more incensed at this strange

.
accompaniment which rendered i t di fficult to follow the

,
piece because he felt that the interest inc reased as i t pro

,
cee d e d and that his work needed nothing but to b e hea r d

, .
Indee d a mo r e ingenious and more dramatic plot could

,
scarcely be invented The four char acters of the prologue

.
were bewai l ing their mo r tal emba rr assment when Venus ,
appea red to them in person atti r ed in a robe embroidered ,
with the arms of the city of Pa ris She came to prefer .
he r clai m to the dol phin promised to the most beautiful

female : it was suppo r ted by Jupite r whose thunder was ,
hea r d rumbling in the dressing r oom and the goddess had -

,
well nigh carried her point that is to say without meta , ,
pho r established he r right to the hand of M on sieur the

,
D auphin when a child in a d ress of white damask and

, , ,
holdi ng a daisy — diaph anous personification of the p r in

D 3
38 TH E H UNCH B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
-
.
c ess of Flande r s ente r ed the lists against Venus This .
u ne x pected incident produced an instant change in t he
state of a ffai r s Afte r some con trove r sy Venus M argaret

.
, , ,
and the whole party agreed to r efe r the matter to the de

,
cis io n o f the Holy Vi r gin The r e was anothe r st r ikin g

.
part that of D on Ped r o king of M esopotamia but owing

, ,
to so many interruptions i t was difficult to discover i ts

con n ection with the plot o f the pie ce .
All these beauties we r e u nfo r tunately neither appreciated

nor understood The moment the C ar din al ente r ed i t was
.
,
as if an invisible and magic th r ead ha d suddenly dr awn all

eyes fr om the m arble table to the galle r y from the southe r n
,
ext remity to the west side o f the hall N othing could .
break the spell thrown over the audien ce ; eve r y eye r e

m ained fi x ed on o ne point and the new come r s and their
, ,
confounded names and their faces and their d r esses created

, , ,
an endless dive r sion This was most mo r tifyi ng E xcept

. .
ing Gis qu e tte an d Lie narde who tu r ned about fr om time

,
to time when G r ingoi r e pulled them by the sleeve and the ,
pu r sy patient neighbour not a c r eature li stened or even

, ,
looked at the poor fo r saken mo r ality .
With what anguish of spirit did he see hi s whole edifice

o f glo r y and poesy tumbling down piecemeal To think
that the same auditory which had been on the point of
,
rebelling against M onsieu r the baili ff fr om impatience to

hear his wo r k now that they might wi tness i ts pe r fo r m
,
ance cared nothing at all about it ! A pe r fo r man ce to o

, , ,
whi ch had begun amidst such unanimous applause Oh

the incessant flowing and ebbing of popular favou r H ow
nea r they had been to hanging the sergeants of the bailiff
W hat would he not have given fo r the return of that deli
cions moment
The brutal monologue of the ush er cea sed at last ; all
the compan y ha d arrived : G ringoi r e b reathed on ce more ,
and the actors p r oceeded with spi ri t All at on ce what .

,
should M aste r C op pe n ol e the hosie r do but rise fr om his,
seat ? and G ri ngoire stood aghast to hear him amidst the ,
breathless attention o f the spectators commence this s he ,

.
minable harangue
Gentlemen burgesses and yeomen of Paris I know ,
not by the m o d what we a r e abou t he r e D own the re

, , .
,
o n yonde r stage I see some moun tebanks who appear di s

, ,
posed to fight I cannot tell whether this is what you call

.
a myste r y ; let it be what it will i t is not amusing : they ,
bang one anothe r with thei r tongues and that is all Here ,
.
have I been waiting this q uarte r of an hour fo r the first

blow but nothing comes of i t : they are craven s only who
clappe r claw each othe r with abuse You should have sen t .
to London or R otte rdam fo r bruisers a nd by m y faith ! , ,
you would have had thumps which you would have heard
all over the pla ce ; bu t these paillards are contemptible .
They might have given us at least a mor r is dance o r some -
other mumme r y To be su r e nothing was said about that ;

.
they p r omise d me that I should see the festival of fools

and the election of pope ‘ Ve have o u r pope of fools at
.
Ghen t too and by the rood in this respect we a r e not

, , ,
behind your famous city B ut the way we do is this .
we collect a c r owd such as there is he r e

,
then every one
that likes puts his head in tu rn th rough a hole and grins ,
at the othe r s and he who m akes the ugliest face is chosen

,
' ’
pope by acclamation that s i t T is a dive r ting sight I
.
,
assure you . Shall we choose you r pope after the fashion

of my coun t r y ? T will be more amusing at an y rate than
’
listening to those p r ate r s I f they like to come and gr in

.
th r ou gh the hole why let them \Vha t say you gentle

, ,
.
,
men bu r gesses ? We have he r e a suffi cien tly g r otes q ue

specimen of both se x es to r aise a hearty lau gh in the
Flemish fashion ; and we have ugly faces enough among
”
us to e x pect a capital g r imace .
Gringoi re would fain have replied but hor r or indigna , ,
tion stupefaction dep r ived him of utterance

, , B esides .
,
the motion of the popula r hosie r was hailed with such eu

t hu s ia s m by the citi zens flattered with the appell ation of
,
yeo m e n that r esistance would have been useless

, All that .
he co uld now do was to resign himsel f to the stream .

40 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
C H AP T ER V
Q U A SI MODO .
IN the twinkling of an eye every thing was ready for ,
carrying into eff ect the idea of C op pe nol e B urgesses .

,
s cholars an d l awyers clerks had fallen to wo r k The

’
, .
little chapel opposite to the marble table was chosen for the
scene o f the grimaces Having broken the glass in the
.
pretty little round window o ver the door they ag r eed that ,
the competito r s should put thei r hea d s through the ci r cle

of stone that was left To enable the m to reach it t wo
.
,
hogsheads were brought an d set o ne upon the other I t .
was determined that a ll can didates whether men or women , ,

— fo r females we r e eli gible should hide thei r faces and ,
keep them cove r ed in the chapel till the moment of ex

hib i ting them that the impression o f the grimace might be
,
the str onger I n a few minutes the chapel was f u ll o f

.
competitors and the door was shut upon them

, .
C o pp e n ol e fr om his place orde r ed directed s u perin

, , , ,
tended all the a rr angements D u r ing the uproa r the C a r

.
,
dinal not less disconce r ted than G r ingoire having excused

, ,
himself o n the plea of business and vespe r s reti r ed with ,
his retinue ; while the crowd which his coming had s o ,
strongly agitated was scarcely awa r e of his depa r tur e

, .
Guil laume R ym was the only pe r son that noticed the d is co m

p o s u re of his E minen ce The popula r attention like the
.
,
sun pursued its revolution ; setting out fr om one e nd of

,
the hall after pausing some time in the middl e it was no w

, ,
at the other ext r emity The ma r ble table the b r ocaded

.
,
gallery had each had thei r moment it was n o w the turn

,
of Louis X I s chapel The field was open to every

’
. .
species of fun : the Flemings and the populace alone we r e

left .
The grimaces began The fi r st face that presen ted

.
itself at the windo w with its red eyes and widely gaping
,
-
mouth and forehead puckered up in wrinkl es lik e hussar

, ,
TH E H UNC H B A CK or No r m a n a me
- . 41
boots in the time of the emperor caused such con vul sions ,
o f inextinguishable laugh ter that Homer would have taken ,
these ru fli ans for immortal gods A second and a third .
grimace succeeded — then another and another fol lowed by ,
redoubled shouts o f laughter and the stampings and clat

ter ings of merriment The c r owd was seized with a sort
.
o f franti c intoxi cation a supernatur al kind of fascination

, ,
o f which it would be difficult to convey any idea to the
reader o f ou r own days Imagine a series o f visages suc

.
ce s s iv el y presenting every geometri c figure from the tri ,
angle to the trapezium — from the cone to the polyhed r on

- every human expression from rage to lechery all ages
, ,
fr om the wrinkles o f the new born infan t to those of the -
hag at the point o f death all the religious phantasmago r ias

from Faunus to B eelzebub ; all the brute profiles fro m the ,
distended j aw to the beak from the snout of the hog to the

,
muzzle o f the bull Imagi ne all the grotesque heads of the

.
Pont Neuf those nightmares petr ified under the hand of

,
Germain Pilon suddenly starting into li fe and coming on e

, ,
a fter anothe r to stare you in the fa ce with flaming eyes ;
all the masks of the carni val o f Venice passing in succes

sion before your eye glass — in a word a human k al e id o
-
,
scope .
The orgies became more and more uproarious Tenie rs .
could have given but an impe r fect idea of the scene Fancy .
'
Salvator R osa s battle turned in to a bacchanalian piece .
The re were no longer any distin ctions of ranks and pe r sons ,
—no longer scholars ambassadors men o r women — all

, , , ,
were lost i n the general licen ce The great hall was one .
vast furnace o f e ff r ontery and j ollity whe r e every mouth

was a c r y every eye a flash every face a con tortion every
, , ,
indi vidual a posture : all was howl ing and roaring The .
extrao rdina r y faces which in tu rn p r esented them selves at

the window acted li ke so many b r ands th r own upon a
blazing fire ; and from all thi s effe r vescen t c r owd issued ,
l ike vapour fr om a furnace a sharp shrill hissing noise,

, , ,
as fr om an immense se rpen t .
M eanwhile G ringoire the fi r st momen t of dej ection

,
over had re covered hi s spirits : he had braced himself

,
ag ainst adversity Go on
. said he for the third time
42 TH E H UN C H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME
-
.
to hi s speaking machines the com edians and then paced , ,
to and fr o with long strides befo r e the m ar ble table He

, , .
almost felt tempted to exhibit himself in his tu r n at the

roun d window of the chapel were i t b u t to enj oy the ,
ple asure o f grinning at the ungrateful populace B ut no .

,
said b e men tally , no revenge ! that we r e unworthy o f us .
Let us struggle manfully to the last : the power of poesy

is mighty ove r the pop u lace : I will bri ng them back We .
shall see which will conque r — the grimaces o r the belles

lettres .
Alas poor Gringoi re ! he was left to be the only

,
spectator o f his play every back was turned upon him .
I a m w r ong : the fat patient m a n whom he had p r e

v io u s l y consulted in a critical momen t was still tu r ned
to wa r ds the theatre As for G is qu ette and Lie narde they
.
had long deserted .
G r ingoire was tou ched to the bottom o f his heart by the

constancy o f his only spectato r He went up and spoke .
to him at the same time gently shaking his a r m

, for the
good man was leaning upon the balustrade and napping a
little .
”
Sir said Gringoire
,
I am exceedi ngly obliged to ,
”
Sir, replied the fat man with a yawn for what ? , ,
”
I see rej oined the poet
,
that you a r e quite annoyed ,
by all this up r oa r which prevents your hearing comfortably

,
.
B ut n ever mind ; you r name wi l l be handed down to pos

,
te ri ty : may I ask what it is

R e naul d C h ateau keeper of the seal of the C h atelet of
,
”
Paris at your se r vice
,
.
Si r you a r e the only represen tative o f the muses in

,
”
thi s assembly, said Gringoi r e .
”
You a r e t o o poli te sir repli ed the keeper o f the se al
, ,
o f the C h ate let .
You a r e the only one resumed G ringoi r e who has

, ,
paid any attention to the piece What do you think .
o f it
W hy to tell the truth, an swe r ed the pursy ma ,
gis tra te only half awake

,
it is stupid enough , .
Gringoire was fo r ced to be conten t with this opinion ;

“ w w -v w
w n e
v ~ 's
as V
WW
.
,
THE II U N C H B A C K O F NO T RE D A M E - .
for thunders of applause mingled with p r odigious shouts , ,
cut short their conve r sation The Po pe of Fools was .
”
elec te d . Huzza ! huzza ! huzza ! cried the people o n
all sides .
I t was in truth a countenance o f mi r aculous ugli ness

, ,
whi ch at this moment shone fo r th from the circular aper

tur e After all the faces pentagonal hexagon al and he
.
, , ,
.
te ro cl ite that had followed each other at this window

, ,
without realising the idea o f the gro tes que which the crowd
had set up i n thei r fr antic imaginations it req ui r ed nothing ,
short o f the sublimely monstrous g rimace which had j ust

dazzled the multitude to obta in thei r su ffrages M as ter .
C o ppe no l e himself applauded and C lopin T ro ui ll e f o u who ,
had been a candidate and God knows what in tensity of

ugliness his featu r es could attain — confessed hi m self co n ~
q uered \Ve shall do the same we s hall not attempt to

.
give the re ade r any idea of that tet rahedron nose , o f that
ho r se shoe mouth of that li ttle left e ye stubbled up wi th
-
, ,
an eye brow o f ca ro tty b r istles while the right was co m

-
,
p l e te l y overwhelmed and buried by an eno r mous wen of

those i r regu lar teeth j agged he r e and there like the battle
,
ments of a fort r ess of that lip , over which o ne of

,
those teeth prot ruded like the tusk of an elephant o f , ,
that fo rked chin and above all o f the exp r ession that
, , ,
mixtu re of spite wonde r and melan choly spre ad over these

, , ,
ex q uisite fea tu r es Imagine such a n obj ect if you can

.
, .
The acclamation was unanimous : the crowd rushed to

the chapel The lucky Po pe of Fools was brought o u t in
.
t riumph and i t was no t till then that surprise and ad

,
m ira tio n we r e at their height : what had been mistaken for

a g rimace was his natu r al vis age indeed it migh t be said ,
that hi s whole pe r son was but o ne g rimace H is prodi .
gions head was covered wi th red b r istles between his ,
shoulders rose an eno r mous hump which was coun ter ,
balanced by a protuberan ce in fr on t his thighs and legs ,
were so strangely put togethe r that they touched at no one ,
point but the knees and seen in fr ont resembled two , , ,
sickles j oined at the handles his feet were immen s e his , ,
han d s monst r ous but wi th all this defo r mity the re was
, , ,
a formidable a ir of strength agility and courage consti , , ,

vv w "
u w "
F
p l’f
THE H ON CB B A OK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
him . C ross of Go d he exclaimed Holy Fathe r ! .
— why thou art the finest piece of ugl iness I eve r beheld .
”
Thou de s erve s t to be pope at R ome as well as at Pari s .
As he thus spoke he sportively clapped his hand on the

,
’
m onster s shoulder
”
Quasimodo did not
. stir C o p pe no l e .
V
“ M5 ? fine fellow I sho u ld like to have a

M
conti nued ,
tus tl e with thee we r e i t to cost me a new douzain o f

,
twelve tourn ois What sayest thou .
Qua simodo made no r eply Cr oss o f God cried the

.
hosier ,
art thou deaf Quasimodo really was deaf .
Presently beginning to feel annoyed by C o pp e nol e s

,
’
manne r he turned suddenly toward s him with so for

,
m idab l e a g r in that the Flemish giant recoiled like a ,
bu ll dog fr o m a cat A ci r cle of te rr or and respect having

-
.
,
a radi us of at least fifteen geometric paces was left vacan t ,
around this st r ange pe r sonage .
An o l d woman info r med C o ppe nol e that Quasimodo was

deaf .
D eaf c r ied the hosier wi th a Flemish hors e Jau gh , .
B y the ro ad he is an accomplished pope

”
H a ! said Jehan who had at length descended from
,
’
his pilla r to obtain a close r view of the n ew pope t is ,
’
my brother s bell ringer Good morrow Quasimodo
-
,
A devil o f a fellow sighed Robin Pou s se pai n aching ,
all over from the e ffects o f his fall He appears — he is .
hunchbacked He walks he is handy legged He looks

.
- .
at yo u he is one eyed Y o u tal k to him

- he is deaf
.
And what use does this Polyphemus m ake o f his ton gue ,
”
I wonder ?
”
He can talk when he likes said the old woman He , .
became deaf with ringing the bells H e is not dumb . .
”
He wan ts that qualification obse r ved Jehan , .
And he has an eye to o much added R obin Pousse ,
Not so rej oined Jehan tartly

, a o ne eyed man is ,
-
”
mo r e incomplete than one who is q uite blind .
M eanwhile al l the mendican ts al l the lackeys all the , ,
cu tpur ses togethe r with the scholars went in p r ocession to

, ,
the sto r e roo m of the B azoche to fetch the pasteboa r d tiara

-
and the mock robe of the Pope of Fools Quasimodo su f .

46 T H E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME ~
.
them to be put u pon hi m with a kind of proud d o

f e re d
cili ty He was then re q ui r ed to sit down o n a party colou red
. -
l itter Twelve o ffice r s o f the fr ate rnity of fools hoisted it

.
upon thei r shoul d ers ; and a so r t of disdainful exultation

overspread the morose counten an ce o f the C yclop when ,
he saw beneath his feet all those heads of straigh t hand ,
some well —shaped men The roaring and r agged p ro ces

,
.
sion then moved o ff, to pass acco r ding to custom through , ,
the galleries in the interior of the Palace before it parad ed ,
the streets and publi c places o f the C ity .
C HAPT E R VI .
LA E SMER A LD A .
W E have great satisfaction in app rising the reader that ,
du ring the whole of this scene G r ingoi r e and his play ha d ,
m aintained thei r ground His actors egged on by him .

, ,
had continued the pe rformance o f his comedy an d he ,
had continued to listen to them In spite of the up r oa r .

,
he was determined to go throu gh wi th it not despai r ing of ,
being able to recall the attention o f the public This .
glimmer o f hope became brighter when he saw Quasim o do , ,
C opp e nol e and the obstreperous retinue of the Pope of

,
F ools leaving the hall

,
The crowd rushed ou t after them
. .
”
E xcellent ! said he we shall get r id of all those t r ou
bl e s om e knaves U nluckily these were the whole assem
.
bly I n the twinkling o f an eye the great hall was empty

. .
T 0 tell the truth a few spectato r s still linge r ed be hin d

, ,
some dispersed others i n g r oups around the pillar s ol d

, ,
men women o r children who had had enough o f the

, , ,
uproar and tumult Some o f the scholars too remained

.
, , ,
as tride o f the entablature o f the windows where they had ,
a good view o f the Place .
Wel l thought Gringoire there are quite as many as I

, ,
want to hear the con clusion o f my myste r y Their num .
b e r indeed is but small ; but they are a select, a lettered

, , ,
aud ien ce .
TH E B U N C H B A OK or NO T R E D A ME - . 4-7
At that momen t a symphony destined to prod uce a

strikin g e ffect at the arrival of the Holy Vi rgin was no t ,
fo r th coming Gringoire pe r ceived that hi s musicians had

.
been p ressed into the service of the p r o cession o f the Pope

"
o f Fools . Skip that said he with the composure of a
, ,
stoic.
He app r oached a knot of citizens who seemed to be

ta l king about his play The fr a gmen t o f their convers
.
ation which he overheard was as foll ows

M aste r C he ne te au you know the h otel de N av arre
, ,
whi ch belonged to M onsieu r de Ne m o u rs P

Yes Opposite to the chapel of Br aq ue .
Wel l ! the exchequer has just leased it to Guillaume

Ale x and r e the history writer for six l ivres eight so l s
-
,
" ,
pa r isis pe r annum .
How r ents are rising

B ah ej aculated G r ingoire wi th a sigh the othe r s
”
are listening at any rate
"
.
C om r ades all at once shouted one o f the young

,
scapegraces i n the windows La E sme r alda ! La E sme

,
ra ld a in the Place
This intimation produced a magic e ffect All who were .
left i n the hall ran to the W indows cl ambering up the ,
wal ls to obtain a sigh t and repeating, La E smerald a ! ,
La E sme r al d a Thunders o f appl ause arose at the same

momen t fr om the Place .
”
What can they mean by La E smeralda ? said Grin
go ire clasping his hands in despai r
,
G r acious heaven
.
it seems to have come to the tu r n of the windows now

Turning towards the marble table he perceived that the
pe r formance was at a stand I t was precisely the momen t
.
when Jupi ter should have appeared with his thunderbolt ;

but Jupi ter was standing stock —still at the foot of the stage
"
.
Michel G ib o rne ! c r ied the in censed poet mind ,
thy business ! what art thou doing ? make haste up !

Alas replied Jupiter one o f the scholars has run
,
”
away with the ladder .
G r ingoi r e looked : i t was even so The communi cati on

.
”
with the stage was completely cut o ff The va rlet ! .
”
murmured he . And why did he take the ladd er ?
48 T H E H UNC H B A CK op NO T RE D A ME
- .
To go and see La E smeralda answered Jupi te r in a , ,

’ ’ ’
doleful tone Stay said he here s a ladder that s
.
, ,
’ ”
o f no use and o ff he scampered with i t
,
.
This was the final blow Gringoire received i t wi th .
resignation .
The dev il fetch you said he to the perfo r me r s .
I f I a m paid you shall be .
With down cast looks he then made his ret r eat but n ot ,
till the very last like a general who has been soundly
,
beaten . A pretty pack of asses and boobies these Par i ,
sia ns he muttered between his teeth as he descen d ed the

winding staircase of the Palace They come to hea r a .
m ystery and will not listen to it They will pay atten tion
,
.
to eve ry thing and e ve r y body to C lopin T rou ill e f ou to ,
the C ardinal to C opp e nol e to Quasimodo to the d evil !

, , ,
but on the H oly Vi r gin they have none to bestow H ad I .
known ye gaping ouphs I should have gi ven you Vi rgin

, ,
M aries I war r ant me ! Turn your backs on such a piece !

,
Homer it is true begged his b r ead in the Greek towns

, ,
and N aso died in exile among the M o s covi te s B ut the .
devil flay me if I comprehend what they mean by thei r La

E smeral da And what kind of word is it to begin with
.
I t must surely be Egypti an

rm: B UN C HB A OK or NO TR E D A ME
-
. 4-9
BOO K I I .
C HA PT E R I .
F R O M C HA RY BD IS I N TO SC Y LLA .
NIGHT comes o n ea rly in the month o f January I t was .
alread y dusk when Gringoire left the p al ace To him the .
nightfall was doubly welcome as he p u rposed seek ing some ,
obscure and se q uestered street whe r e he might muse u n ,
molested and where philosophy might apply the first dress

,
’
i ng to the poet s wound I n fact philosophy was his only
.
,
refuge ; for he knew n ot where he should find a lo dging .
After the signal failure o f his d r amatic attempt he dur st ,
no t return to that which he had occupied i n the Rue
G renier sur I E au opposi te to the Port a u Foin having made

’
- -
, ,
su r e that M onsieur the provost woul d gi ve him such a re

mu nera tio n for his labour as woul d enable him to pay
M aster Guil laume D ou lx Sire farmer o f the customs 0 11
-
,
beasts with cloven hoofs fo r the six months lodgi ng which

,
’
he owed him that is to say twelve s ols Pa r isis , twelve

ti mes the value o f all that he possessed in the world i n ,
cluding hi s hose shirt and doublet Having considered

, ,
.
for a moment shelte ring a d i n ter im under the little

, , ,
gateway o f the prison of the t r easurer o f the Holy Chapel ,
what quarters he should select for the night having al l the ,
pavements o f Paris to choose among he re coll ected having ,
noti ced in the precedi ng week a horsing stone at the doo r

, ,
-
o f a counsell or of the parl iament in the R ue de la Sa v a terie , ,
and having said to himself that this stone would be in ,
c ase o f eme r gency an excell ent pillow for a beggar or a

,
poet He thanked Providence for having sen t this sea

.
sonable idea ; but as he was preparing to cross the pal ace

,
yard f o r the purpo se o f ente ring the tortuous labyrinth o f

,
15
the C ity with i ts an cien t windin g str eets such as those o f

, ,
L a B a ril l e rie La Vielle D rape rie La Sav a terie La Ju ive rie

,
-
, , ,
and others still standing with thei r houses nine stories

, ,
high he s a w the procession of the Pope of Fools coming

,
o u t o f the palace and advan cing across the court towards

,
him with loud shouts the glare of nume r ous torches an d

, , ,
his own band o f musi c This sight tore Open afr esh the .
wounds o f his self love : he took to his heels I n the

-
.
keen m o rtifica tion o f his dramati c miscarriage every thin g ,
that reminded hi m o f the festival held that day touched

him to the qu ick .
H e resolved to m ake for the Pont St M i chel B oys . .
we r e running to and fr o letting o ff squibs an d c r ackers .
C ur se the fire wo rks ej aculate d Gringoi re and he ben t

-
,
his steps towards the Pont au C hange To the houses at - -

.
the end of the bridge were attached three large pieces of

canvass with likenesses of the K ing the D auphin and
, , ,
M argaret of Flanders ; and six s malle r on which were ,
portrayed the D uke of Aust r ia and the C a r dinal o f B ou rbon , ,
and M onsieur de B eauj eu and M adame Jeanne o f France , ,
and M onsieur the B astard o f B o u rbon and I know n o t ,
whom besides — the whole lighted by torches A crowd of .
specta to r s was admiring these performan ces .
”
Happ y painter Jehan F ou rb au l t ! said Gr ingoire
,
with a deep sigh as he turned hi s back on the producti on s

,
of that artist There was a street j ust before him

. it
appeared to be so da r k and so deserted that he hoped there
to be ou t of hea r ing as well as ou t o f sigh t o f all the f e e
t iv iti e s : he ente r ed i t Presently his foot stru ck a g ainst
.
some obstacle ; he stumbled and fell I t was the bole of the .
M ay tre e which the cle r ks o f the B azoche had placed i n

-
, ,
the morning at the door o f a president o f the pa r li amen t

, ,
i n honour o f the day Gringoi r e bore wi th forti tude this

.
new misfo r tune ; he pi cked him self up and pursued his ,
way across the river Leaving behind him the civil an d

.
criminal court o f the parliament and pursuing his way ,

’
along the high wall o f the ki ng s gardens upon the u n ,
paved strand whe r e h e wa s ankle deep in mud he arri ved

,
-
,
at the wes tern p oin t o f the C ity and surveyed f o r some ,
time the islet of the cattle ferry which has s i n ce gi ven -

,
place to the Pont Neuf wi th its bron ze horse The isl et .

TH E B UNC H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME
- . 51
appeared to him in the d ark like a black m ass beyond

, , ,
the whi te na rr ow stripe o f water which separated him from

it B y the glimme r o f a faint l igh t migh t be indistin ctly
.
di sce r ned the kind o f cabin in the shape of a bee hive -
whic h a fforded shel ter to the ferryman du r ing the night .
Happy ferryman thought G r ingoire thou dre am es t

not o f glor y thou wri test no e pithal amiu m s l what to thee
,
are the m arri ages o f kings and duchesses o f B urgundy !

- while I a poet am hoo ted and shiver wi th cold and
, , , ,
o we twelve so n s and the sole of m y shoe is so thi n that

,
it might serve f or the h orn o f a lantern Thanks to thee .

,
fe rr yman ! thy cabin refreshes the eye and causes m e to

”
fo r get Paris .
He was awakened from hi s alm ost lyri c ecs tasy by the

explosion of a double pe tard, sudde nly fired from the
happy cabin I t was the ferrym an taking his share in
.
the rej oicings of the day The report made Gringoire

.
shudd er .
A ccursed festival cried he wilt thou pursue me ,
whithersoev e r I go e ven to the cabin of the ferryman ?

,
He then looked at the Seine flowing at his feet and a ho r ,
rible temptation came over him Ah said he ho w

.
,
”
gladly wo uld I drown mysel f only the water i s so cold ! ,
He then form ed a despe r ate resolution Si nce he found .
i t im pos sibl e to escape the Pope o f Fools the paintings ,
of Jehan Fou rb aul t the M ay trees the s q uibs and the

,
-
, ,
petards he determined to p r oceed to the Place de G r eve

, ,
and to penetrate boldly in to the very heart o f the rej oicings

“At any ra te "thou ht he
.
g , I shall b e able to get a warm at

,
the bonfi re and pe rhaps a supper on some o f the fragments

,
of the collation p rovi de d at the publ i c l arder of the city .
C HAPT ER II .
TH E PLA CE D E G R EV E .
N OT H IN G but a scarcely perceptible vestige o f the Place de

Greve as it then exi ste d
, , 11 0 W remains . This is the
E 2
rm
:
H U N OH B A OK or NO T RE D A ME - . 53
requi site for a good citylike Paris ; a chapel for saying prayers
i n ; a hall for giving au d ien ce and occasionally snubbing
the se r vants o f the king ; and in the lofts an arsenal well
S tored wi th artille r y For the citi zens of Pa r is know that
.
it is not su ffi cien t in every c onj uncture to plead and to pray

for the fr anchises o f t he city an d therefore they always ,
keep in rese r ve a good rusty arquebu se or two i n a loft i n

the H otel de Ville .
The Greve we re at that ti me the same sinister aspect

that i t still retains owing to the unpleasant ideas which i t
,
excites an d the gloomy H otel de Ville of D ominique

,
B o ca dor which occupies the site of the Pillar H ouse

,
A .
pe rm anen t gibbet and a pillory o r as they were called in , ,

”
those days a j ustice and a ladder placed side by side
, ,
in the middle of the pavemen t conferred n o particul ar ,
attractions on this fatal spot where so many human beings ,
fu ll o f health and life have been suddenly cut o ff ; where

fifty years later was generated that fever o f St Vall ier .
,
that disease p r oduced by fear of the sca ff old the most ,
monstr ous of all diseases, because i t di d not proce ed from

God but from m an .
I t is consolato r y be i t observed by the way to think

, ,
that the punishment of d eath which th r ee hundred years ,
ago still en cumbe r ed the G r eve the Halles the Place , ,
D auphine the Cr oss o f T raho ir the Swine M arket the

, , ,
hideous M ontf aucon the barrier o f the Sergens the Place

, ,
aux C hats the gate of St D enis C hampeaux the gate o f

-
,
.
, ,
B audets and the gate o f St Jacques with its iron wheels

, .
, ,
its stone gibbets and all its appa r atus for executions per
, ,
m a ne ntl y imbedded in the pavement — to say nothi ng o f

”
the numberless ladders of the provosts the bishop the , ,
chapte r s the abbots the priors possessing the power o f li fe

, , ,
and death o r o f the j udi cial d r ownings in the river Seine

,
i t is consolato r y I say to think that at the present day

, , , ,
this an cien t sovereign paramount of feudal society str ipped

-
,
successively o f all the pieces o f i ts armour its luxury o f ,
pains and penalties its penal spi r i t and tenden cy its to r

, ,
t ure for whi ch i t caused a new leathern bed to be made

,
e ve r y fi ve yea r s at the G r and C h atelet almost outlawed ,
fr om our cities and o u r l and hunted from code to code , ,
E 3
dri ven from place to place should have in o u r immense ,
Pa r i s but an i gnominious corner of the Gr eve but o ne mi ,
s e rab l e furti ve timid shamefaced guillot ine which always

, , , ,
seems as if fearful of being taken i n the fact so speedily ,
does i t hurry away after striking the fatal blow .
C H A PT E R I I I .
TH E P OE T P U ZZ L ED .
W H EN Pierre Gringoire reached the Place de Gr eve he was

quite benumbed with cold He had gone over the Pont . a
aux M euniers to avoid the crowd at the Pont au C hange

-
,
- -
and the flags o f Jehan F o u rb au l t ; but the wheels o f all

’
the bi sh op s mills had splashed him so unmercifully as he
passed that his frock was d r en ched : i t seemed moreover , ,
as if the failure o f his play had rendered him still more

chi l ly than eve r Accordingly he haste ned towar ds the
.
,
bonfire which blazed m agnificently in the middl e of the

Place A large assemblage o f people formed a circle
.
roun d it .
C ursed Parisians ! said he to himself ; for Grin

o i re like a genuine d r am ati c p oet was addi cted to s ol il o
g , ,
q u ie s there they are shutti n g me ou t from the fire !

,
And yet I am in great need o f a com fortable chi mney corner - .
M y shoes leak and all those infernal m ills showeri ng upon

,
me in to the bargai n ! The devil fetch the B ishop o f

Paris and his mi l ls ! I would fain know what a bishop
'
has to d o with a mill does he e x pect to b e obliged to tur n

m iller some day o r other ? I f he needs nothing but m y
m al ison for that I give i t to him and to his cathe d ral
, , ,
’
an d to his mills with all m y hea r t Stop a mom ent let s
,
.
,
s ee if these boobie s will sheer o ff presen tly B ut what are .
th ey doing there, I wan t to know ? Warming themselves

fi n e amusemen t Gaping at the bonfire pretty sight ,
fors ooth
O n looking more closely he perceived that the cir cle
TH E H U N OB B A C K o r NO TR E D A ME - . 55
was mu ch larger than it needed to have been had the per ,
sons composing it been desirous of warming themselves a t

the king s fi r e and that the as s emblag e of specta tors was
’
not dr awn together solely by the beauty o f the hundred

blazing faggots In an ex tensive space left open between
.
the crowd and the fire there was a young female dancing .
Whether this young female was a human being or a ,
fairy or an angel G r ingoire sceptical philosopher and

, , ,
satirical poet as he was co uld not at th e fi rst moment de ,
cide so completely was he fascinated by the dazzling

,
vision She was not tall thou gh she appea red to be s o

.
,
from the slende r ness and elegan ce o f her shape Her .
complexion was da r k but i t was easy to divi ne that by,
daylight her skin must have the beautiful golden tint of

the Roman and And alusian women Her small foo t too .
was Andal usian She dan ced whi rled turned round o n
.
, , ,
an ol d Persian carpet carelessly spread on the pavement ,
and every time her radiant face passed before you as she
turned her large black eyes flashed ligh tning
, .
E very eye was fixed upon he r every mouth open and ,
in tru th while she was thus dancing what with the sound
, ,
of the tambourine whi ch her two plump ex q uisitely

,
shaped arms held above her head her bodice of gold ,
without folds her spotted robe which swelled wi th the

,
rapidity of her motions her bare shoulders her finely , ,
tu rned legs which he r petticoat now and then discovered ,
her black hair he r eyes o f flame she was a supe rnatur al

, ,
c reatu r e .
Verily thought Gringoire

, i t is a salamander a , ,
nymph a goddess a bacchanal o f M oun t M enal aeu s

, ,
A t that momen t one o f the tres ses of the salamander s hai r ’
got loose and a piece of b rass whi ch had been fastened to i t

,
”
dropped to the ground Ha ! no sai d he t is a .
, ,
’
gipsy The illusion was at an end .
She began dancing again She pi cked up fr om the .
ground two swords which she balan ced o n their points upon
,
her forehead and made them turn round one way while
, ,
she turned the othe r She was in fact a gipsy neithe r .

,
more nor less B ut though the spell was di ssolved stil l

.
,
the whole scene was not without fascination an d charm f o r

E 4
56 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
.
Gringoire : the bonfi r e th r e w a crude red trembling light , ,
o n the wide ci r cle o f faces and on the tawn y b r ow of the
girl and at the extremity o f the Place cas t a faint tinge

, , , ,
mingled with their wavering shado ws upon the an cient , ,
black and fu r rowed fa cade of the M aison aux Piliers o n

,
- -
the one hand and upon the stone arms of the gibbet on the
,
o ther .
Among the thousand faces to which this light co m

m u nica te d a scarlet hue the r e was one which seemed to
,
be more deeply absorbed in the contemplation of the

dancer than any of the others I t was the face of a man .
,
auste r e c alm and somb r e This man whose dr ess was

, , .
,
con cealed by the su r rounding crowd appeared to be no ,
m ore than thi r ty five years of his age he was ne ve rthe

-
,
less bald and had me r ely at his temples a f e w tufts o f

, ,
thi n and al ready grey hair His ample and lofty brow .
began to be furrowed with wrinkles but in his deep sunk -
eyes the r e was an expression o f ext r ao rdinary youth ,

ardent l ife and profound passion He kept them intently
,
.
fixed o n the B ohe m ian and while the l ively gi r l of sixteen

.
was delighting all the other spectators by her dancing and

her cape r s his reve r ie seemed to become more and more
,
gloomy At tim e s a smile and a sigh would meet upon

.
his lips but the smile was by far the sadder of the two
,
.
The girl at length paused panting with her exertions and

, ,
the people applauded with enthusiasm .
Dj ali said the B ohemian and up star ted a pret y ,

t
little whi te goat a nimble l ively glossy creature , with

, , ,
'
gilt horns gi l t hoofs, and a gilt collar which G r ingoire had

, ,
not yet perceived and which had, till then been lying at
, ,
the corner o f the carpet watching her mist r ess dance .
”
Dj ali said the gi r l
,
i t is your t u rn now
,
and seat
ing herself, she gracefully held th e tambourine befo r e the
”
animal . Dj al i continued she ,
what month are we ,
in The goat raised her fore leg an d struck o n e stroke -
upon the ta mbourine I t wa s actuall y the first month

. .
”
The crowd applauded Dj ali said the g irl t urni ng
.
, ,
the tambourine a di ff e r ent way what day o f the month ,
is this Dj ali again raised her little gilt hoof and struc k ,
” 3 he
‘
six blows u pon the instrument D jal i c on tinued t .
,
TH E H UNC H B A CK o r? NO T RE D A ME - . 57
E gypti an again changing the po sition o f the tambourine

, ,
what o clock is i t P’
Dj al i gave seven blows At that .
moment the clock o f the M aison aux Piliers stru ck se ven - - .
The people we re astounded .
There i s sorce r y at the bottom o f this said a sinister

voi ce i n the c rowd I t was that o f the bald m an who
.
,
never took his eyes o ff the B ohemian She sh uddered and .
turned away ; and thunders of applause burst forth and

d r owned the morose exclamation They had the effect o f .
e ff acing it so completely from her mind that she con tinued

to q uesti on her goat .
Dj ali show me how M aster Guichard Gran d Rem y

, ,
captain of the city pistoleers does in the C andlemas p ro

,
”
cession . Dj ali rai sed herself o n her hind legs and began -
,
bleatin g and walking with such comic gravity that the ,
whole ci r cle o f spe c tators roared with laugh ter at this

parody upon the intereste d devotio n of the captain o f the
pistoleers .
Dj ali resumed the gi rl emboldened by the in c reasing

, ,
applause ,show me how M aster Jacques C harm ol ue the ,

’ ”
K ing s attorney in the ecclesi astical court preaches The , .
goat sat down o n her rump and began bleating and shaking
,
her fo r e paws in such a strange way that in gesture

-
, , ,
accent attitude every thing e x cepting bad French and

, ,
worse Latin it was Jac ques C harm ol u e to the li fe The

, .
crowd applauded mo r e loudl y than ever

"
.
Sac rilege ! profanation ! ej aculated the bald man .
”
The gipsy tur ned round on ce m ore Ah ! said she
.
,
i t is that odi ous man then lengthening her lower lip

beyond the u pper s he gave a po ut that seemed to be habi tu al
to her , tu rned upon her heel and began to collect the
,
donations of the multi tude in her tambourine Silve r and .
co pper coins o f al l sorts and si zes we r e sho wered into i t .
She came to Gringoire who so readily thrust his hand into

,
”
his pocket that she stopped The devil ! muttered the
.
p oet fumbl ing in his pocket and finding the real ity that is ,
nothing The gra ceful gir l stood sti ll before him looking
.
,
at hi m wi th her l arge eyes and holdin g out her tambourine

, .
B ig drops of pe r spiration started from G ringo ire s brow ’

.
I f he had had Peru i n his po cket he wou ld certainly have ,

58 . TH E H UNC H B A CK O F
‘
N orR E- D A ME .
given it to the d an cer : bu t Gringoire had n o Peru there,

and besides America was not yet discovered An u nex
, .
p e cte d inciden t luckily relieved him .
“ Wil t thou begone E gyptian grasshopper ? ” c r ied a

,
sharp voi ce issuing fr om the darkest corner o f the Place .
The youn g girl turned abou t in alarm I t was not the .
voi ce of the bald man it was the voice o f a fem ale a de ,
von t and spiteful voice This exclamation which fr ight .

,
en ed the gipsy excited the merrimen t o f a troop o f boys

,
’
who were strolling near the spot T is the crazy woman .
”
in R oland s Tower cried they wi th shou ts of laugh ter
’
, ,
’
t is Sacky who is scolding Pe r haps she has had n o supper . .
Let us run to the city larder and see if we can get some
thing for her 1 And away they scampe red to the M aison
aux Piliers
-
.
M eanwhile Gringoi re had taken advan tage of the girl s

,
‘
agi tation to sneak o ff The shouts of the boys reminded

.
'
him that he had not supped either H e thought that he .
too migh t as well try his l uck at the larder B ut the .
young rogues ran too fast for him when he arrived every ,
thing was cleared away there was no t a scrap o f any ki nd

left .
I t is no t pleasan t to be obliged to go to bed without

supper and still less agreeable to have no bed to go to as
,
’
wel l as no supper to eat Such was G ringoire s p r edi ca .
m en t . He found himself closel y pressed on al l sides by

necessity an d he thought necessity unnecessarily harsh
,
.
He had long since discovered this truth that Jupiter created ,
man in a fi t of misanthropy and that throughout the whole , ,
life o f the phil osopher his destiny keeps his philosophy in

,
a state o f siege Fo r his own part he ha d never seen the

.
,
blockade so complete : he heard his stomach beat a p arley

and he declared i t a scurvy tri ck of mali cious destiny to
take his philosophy by famine
,
.
I n thi s melancholy reve r ie he became m ore an d mo r e

absorbed , when a strange ki nd o f song but remarkably ,
sw eet suddenly roused him from it I t was the E gyptian

,
.
girl who was singing Her voice like her dan cing and .
,
her beauty was ind efinabl e somethi ng pure sono r ous

, , , ,
a eri al , winged as it were There were continu al gushes

,
.
TH E n u u o n n a ox op NO T RE D A ME - . 59
of melody unexpected caden ces then simple phrases inter

, ,
.
spers ed with harsh and hissing tones ; now leaps which

would have confused a nigh tingale but in which h a r mony ,
was nevertheless preserved and p r esently soft undulations

o f octaves which rose and fell like the bo som o f th e young
,
si nge r Her fine face followed wi th ext r ao r din ary versa

.
ti li ty all the capri ces o f her song fr om the wildest ins pir ,
ation to the chastest di gnity Y ou would have taken her .
at o ne time for a maniac at another for a q ueen, .
The wo rds which s he sang we r e of a language unknown

to Gringoi r e and apparen tly unknown to he r sel f so little
, ,
did the e x pression thrown into the singing accord with the
signification o f those wo r ds Thus these four lines were .
i n the highest strain o f mi r th

Un co flre de g ri q
r an u ez a
H ll r
a a on d en o u tr n pil r a ,
D ntr d
e o e l, n
u e va s b nd r a e as,
Con fig u ras de esp ntar a .
A momen t afterwards the tone whi ch she infused into this

stanza
Al b s de c v l l
a ra e a a o
Sm p d m ro e rs e e nea
p d y l c e ll os
,
C o n es a a s, os u
B ll t d b n e h r
,
a es as e ue c a ,
drew tears in to the eyes o f Gringoire M irth however .

, ,
was the predominant spiri t o f her lay s and she seemed ,
to sing like tbg hird j g g sheer sereni ty and carelessness .
The 553 g o f the gipsy had disturbed G ringo ire s reverie ’
but as the swan distu r bs the water : he l istened with a kind

o f rap ture and a forgetfulness o f every thing I t was the .
first respi te from su ffering that he had enj oyed f o r several

hours . That respite was a short o ne The same female .
voi ce whi ch had in terrupted the dan cing o f the gipsy was
no w rai sed to interru pt her sin ging C ease thy chirping .
,
cricket o f hell i t cried still issuing fr om the darkest

,
co r ner of t e Place The po or cr i ck e t stopped short

h .
“ C urse .
th y sc r eechin g thou bird o f foul omen

, exclaimed Gri n
g o ire clapping his hands to his ears
, The o ther spectators .
also began to mu r mur The devil take the hag

. cried
m ore than o ne and the invisible trouble feast might hav e
,
-
had to rue her aggression s again st the B ohemian , had no t

TH E H UNC H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME - . 61
a race b y n o means musical had advan ced no further than ,
the viol the goat s ho r n and the Gothic rebec of the

,
’
twelfth centu r y The empi r e o f Galilee was but little be

.
fo re them ; the highest stret ch of its music was some

wretched ai r o f the infancy of the a r t still imprisoned in ,
the r e la m z I t was a r ound the Pope of Fools that all the

- -
‘
musical excellen ce s of the age were commingled in o ne

magnificent cacophony I t consisted only of viols treble .
, ,
alt and te nor be sides flutes and instruments of brass

, ,
.
’
O ur readers may not recoll ect that thi s was poor G ringoire s
orchestr a .
I t is impossible to convey any idea o f the look of pride

’
and self complacency which had overs pread Quasimodo s
-
dull and hideous countenan ce d uring this triumphal p ro

ce ssion from the Palace to the Gr eve I t was the first .
gratification o f self love that he had ever experien ced - .
Hitherto he had met with nothing but humil iation con ,
tempt for his condition disgust of his person Thus deaf ,

.
,
as he was he enj oyed li ke a real po pe the accl amations o f

,
that crowd which he hated because he knew that he was

hated by it I t mattered not to him that his subj ects we re
.
a mob o f cripples mendican ts t hieves ru ffi ans — still they

, , ,
we r e subjects and he was a sove reign He took in ea r nest

,
.
all those i ronical plaudits all that mock reveren ce and re ,
spec t with which we must however observe there was

, , ,
mingled on the pa r t of the c r owd a certai n degree of real

fear fo r the hun chback was strong the handy legged ,
-
dwarf was active the deaf bell ringer was spi teful thre e
,
-
,
quali ties which tend to temper ridicule .
That the new Pope of Fools was conscious of the senti

ments which he felt and of the sentiments which he in
spi red is more than we can undertake to assert The mind .
which was lodged in that defective body had necessa rily a

touch of impe r fection and of de afness He had the r efore .
but a vague in distin ct confused perceptio n o f what he

, , ,
felt at that moment : enough fo r him that j oy prevailed ,
p r ide p re d ominated That gloom y and unhappy visage

.
was enci r cled by a halo of deligh t .
I t was therefo re n ot without su rp r ise and alarm that

, , ,
a t the moment when Quasimodo in this s ta te o f hal f ,

62 TH E H UNC H B A CK OF NO T RE D A M E -
.
in toxication was borne triumphantly past the M ais on aux

, - 4
Pi l ie r s his attendants beheld a m an suddenly dart from

,
among the c1 o wd an d with an angry gestu r e snatch from

,
his hands his crosier Of g ilt wood the m ark o f his newly ,
conferred dignity This rash m an was the bald headed

.
-
personage who mingled in the group o f spectators had

, , ,
thrilled the poo r gi psy girl by his exclamations Of menace

and abhorrence He was attired in the ec clesiastical habit
. .
At the momen t whe n he issued fr om among the c r ow d ,
Gringoi r e, who ha d not before noticed him recognised i n ,
hi m an Ol d ac q uaintance Hold ! said he with a cry

.
,
Of astonishment Sur e enough i t is my master in Hermes

.
,
D om C laude Frollo the archdeacon What the d evil

,
would he be at with that o ne eyed monster ? He will eat -
”
him up .
Shrieks o f terror bu r st from the crowd as the formidable ,
Quasimodo leaped from the litter to the ground ; an d the

wome n tu r ned away their faces that they migh t no t see ,
the archdeacon to r n in pieces Wi t h o ne bound he was .
before the priest he looked at him and dropped upon his ,
knees The priest pulled o ff his tiara broke his crosier

.
, ,
an d tore his cope o f tinsel Quasimodo rem ained kneeling .

,
bowed his head and clasped his hands Then ensued b e

, .
tween them a strange dialogue o f signs and gestures for ,
neither of them spoke : the priest erect irritated thr eat , , ,
e ning , imperious — Quasimodo at his feet humble sub , ,
missive suppliant And yet it i s cert ain that Quasimodo

,
.
could have cru shed the priest with his thumb .
At length the archdeacon shaking the b r awny shoulder ,
O f Quasimodo motioned him to rise and follow him Qua

,
.
s im o d o rose The fr aternity Of Fools thei r first stupor over

.
, ,
were for defending their pope who had been so u n cere ,
m o nio u s l y dethroned The E gyptians the beggars and

.
, ,
’
the lawyers clerks crowded yelping around the priest
,
.
Quasimod o stepping before the priest clen ched hi s athleti c

, ,
fists and as he eyed the assailants he gnas he d hi s teet h

, , f
fi
l ike a n a ngryrige r The priest resumed his sombre gra

.
v it
y,
made a sign to Quasimodo and w ith d rew in silen ce ,
.
Quasimodo went before , opening a passage for him through

the crowd .
TH E n u n c u na c x O F NO TR E D A M E - . 63
\Vhen they were clear of the populace a number of ,
curious and idle pe r sons b e ga n to foll o w them Quasimodo .
then fel l into the rea r ; and facing the enemy w alked , ,
backward after the archdeacon s q uare m assive bristly , , , ,
picking up his limbs licking his tusk growling li ke a wild

, ,
beast and producing immense Oscillations in the c r owd wi th

,
a gesture or a look They pu r sued thei r way down a dark

.
and n a r row st reet into which no o ne du r st ven ture to fol

,
low them the formidable figure o f Quasimodo securing an .
unmoles ted ret r eat .
’ ”
T is wonderful by m y faith ! exclaimed Gringoire
,
”
but where the devil shall I find a supper ?
C HAPT E R I V .
I NCON V EN I ENCE S OP F O LL O W I N G A H A ND S OME GI R L IN
TH E ST REE T A T N IGH T .
GR took i t in to his head to fol low the gipsy girl at

LN G OI R E
al l hazards He saw he r with her goat turn into the R ue

.
de C outeller i e and to the same street he directed his course .
Why no t ? said he to himsel f by the way .
G ringoire a practical philosopher of the streets of Paris

, ,
had remarked that nothing i s so conducive to reverie as to

foll o w a handsome woman without knowing whither she is
going I n this voluntary resignation o f free will in this
. -
,
submission of one whim to another there is a mixture o f ,
fan tastic independen ce and blind Obedience a something ,
in termedi ate between slavery and li berty whi ch was pleas ,
ing to Gringoire a man Of a min d essentially mixed in

, ,
decisive and complex incessan tly suspended between all

, ,
human passions and propensi ties and in cessan tly neutr al ,
ising them one by another He was fond o f comparing .
himsel f with the tomb Of M ahomet attracted in contrary ,
directions by two loadstones an d ete rnally wavering b e ,
tween the ceiling and the pavement between rising and ,
sinking be tween zenith and nadi r

, .
64 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F N OT E E - D A ME .
N othing tends so much to produce a disposition to follow

p assengers and especi al ly those Of the fair sex in the
, ,
streets as the circumstance o f having neither home nor

,
harbour Gringoi r e therefore walked pensi vely o n after

.
, ,
the girl who quickened her pace and made he r p r etty little
, ,
goat trot along by her side when she saw the shopkeepers ,
retiring to their houses and the tavern keepe r s who had ,

-
,
alone kept Open on that day shutting up for the night

"
.
,
Afte r all this was what he thought or something very

, ,
much like i t she must lodge somewhe r e The gipsies

,
.
are very good natu r ed W I1 0 knows And the sus

.
pensi ve points with which i n his mind he cut short the

,
senten ce involved certain ideas that tickled him mightily

, .
M eanwhile fr om time to time as he passed the last

, ,
groups o f tradesmen shutting their doors he caugh t some ,
fr agments Of their conversation which broke the chain o f ,
his pleasing hypotheses T wo Old men for instan ce would .

, ,
a ccost o ne another in this manner _
M aster Thibaut F e rnicl e do you know that it is very ,

”
co ld ? Gringoire had known that ever sin ce the beginning
o f win ter .
I t is i n d eed M aster B oniface Dis om e ! Are we going

, ,
to have such another winter as we had three years ago in ,

”
8 0 when wood cos t six sous the cord ?
Pooh ! that is nothing M aster Thibaut to the winter , ,
of 1 407 when the frost lasted from M artinmas to C andle

,
m as ; a y and the cold was so bitter that the pen o f the

, ,
cl e r k o f the parliamen t froze in the great chamber every

three words he wrote
Farthe r on a couple o f femal e neighbours woul d be chat
ting a t their windows while the fog made their can dl es ,
crackle again .
Has your husban d to l d you Of the accident M ade m o i ,
sel l e La B o u draqu e
N O but what is it M ademoiselle T u rquan t ? ,
Y ou kno w th e horse of M onsieur Gilles Godin notary ,
to the C h atelet well he took fright at the Flemings and

,
th eir procession and threw M aster Phili ppo t Av rill ot the

, ,
”
inv al id of the C el e s tins .
Indeed !
As true as you are there .
The windows would then close again : but Gringoire h ad ,
nevertheless lost the thread of his ideas Luckily however

,
.
, ,
he soon recovered and quickly re uni te d i t thanks to the ,
gipsy girl and her Dj ali who still pursued their way before ,
hi m two elegant del icate ch arming creatu r es , whose

, ,
small feet handsome shape and graceful manne r s he ad

, ,
mired almost confounding them in his imagination ; re

,
g arding them both as young gi rls for intelligen ce and their

fondness for each Other and thinking them bo th goats f o r ,
agili ty , dexteri ty and lightness Of foot ,

.
The streets meanwhile became every momen t darker

, ,
and more deserted The curfew had long sin ce rung ; and
.
it was only at rar e intervals that a passenger was met o n

the pavement o r a light seen at the windows G r ingoi r e
,
.
,
in following the E gyptian had in volved him self in that ,
inext ri cable labyrinth Of lanes and alleys and cro ss ways , ,

-
,
surrounding the ancient sepulch r e of the Holy I nnocen ts ,
and whi ch resembles a skein Of thread entangled by a play

ful cat . Here are streets which have very little logi c
said Gringoire lost in their thousand meande r s through
, ,
which howeve r the girl proceeded as along a way that was

, ,
well known to her and at a more and more rapid pace , .
Fo r his part he should not have had the remotest con

,
ca ption Of where he was had he not percei ved 011 tu r ning , ,
a corner the octagon mass Of the pillo r y of the Hall es the

, ,
black open work top of which was distinctly defined against

-
a win d ow still lighte d in the Rue Verdelet .
He had by this time begun to attract the n otice Of the

, ,
young girl : she had more than on ce turned her head a nd

looked at him with some uneasiness ; n ay she had stopped ,
short and ta ken advantage Of a ray o f light issuing fr om

the h alf o pen d o or Of a bakehouse to scr u tinise him atten
-
.
,
tiv el y fr om head to foot Gringoire had seen her after .

,
this survey pout her lip as she had done before a nd then
, ,
she passed on .
This p retty gri m ace set Gringoire about en quiring wha t

i t might denote I t ce r tainly con veyed an e x p r ession Of
.
disdai n and dislike H e began in conse q uence to hang his

.
, ,
head as if to count the stones Of the pavement, and to drop

,
9
66 TH E H UNC H B A CK OE NO T RE D AME- .
further b ehind when o n r eaching the corner Of a street

, ,
i nto whi ch she had turned he was startled by a pie r cing ,
shriek The street was extremely da r k a wick steeped in

.
Oil burning in an i r on cage at the foot o f the B lessed

,
Virgin at the angle o f the st reet never theless enabled Grin

, ,
goire to distinguish the B ohemian st ruggling in the grasp

o f two men who we r e striving to stifle her cries
,
The .
poor little goat terrified at this attack drooped her head

, , ,
presented he r horns and bleated , .
Watch watch shouted G r ingoire boldly advan cing , .
O ne of the men who held the gi rl tu r ned upon hi m It .
was the formidable visage o f Quasimodo Gringoire did no t .
'
run away neither did he advan ce anothe r ste p Quasim odo

, .
wen t up to him an d dealt him a back —handed blow that

, ,
sent him reeling three or four yards and stretched him

sprawling upon the pavement ; then darting back he caught , ,
.
up the young gi r l and bore her Off across one o f his arms
,
like a silken sca r f His c ompanion follo wed and the poor
.
,
goat ran after the three, bleating in a most plain tive

manner .
M urder ! murder cried the unfortunate gipsy girl

"
.
Halt scou nd r els and let the wench go ! s uddenly

, ,
roared, in a voice of thunde r a horseman who came dashing ,
along ou t of the next street I t was the captain o f the .
’
archers o f the K ing s ordnan ce armed cap a pee and his ,
- -
,
drawn sword in his hand He snatched the B ohemian o u t .
o f the grasp Of the s t upifi e d Quasimodo laid her across hi s ,
saddl e and at the m oment when the formidable hun chback

, , ,
recovering fro m his surprise, would have rushed upon him

to regain his prey fifteen o r sixteen archers, who followed
,
close at the heels Of their captain came up armed with ,
quarter s taves I t was part Of a company o f the K ing s

- .
’
ordnance whi ch did the duty of counte r watch by the order

,
-
,
o f M essi r e Robert d E s tou te vill e keeper Of the provosty Of

’
Paris .
Quasimodo was surrounded seized and bound H e , , .
bellowed he foamed he ki cked he hit ; and had it been

, , ,
daylight no doubt his face alone rende r ed doubly hideous

, ,
by rage would have sufficed to sca r e away the whole de

,
ta chm ent : but night dis arm ed him Of his most formidable
TH E E UN OE B A OK O F NO T RE -
D a mrz. 67
weapon his ugl iness His companion had disap pe ared

,
.
du r ing the struggle .
’
The B ohemian graceful ly raised hersel f upon the Officer s
saddl e Clapping her two hands upon his sh oulders she
.
,
looked at him inten tly f or a few m omen ts as i f charmed ,
wi th his handsome face and grateful for the seasonable

,
succour which he had a ff orded her Then gi ving a sweeter .

,
tone than usual to her sweet voi ce s he en quired What , ,
is your name sir ? ,
C aptain Phoebus de C ha teaupers at you r service m y , ,
dear replied the Ofli ce r, drawing himself up to his full

,
height .
Thank you s aid she ; and while the capta in was

,
tu rning up his whiskers (i la bo u rg u ig no nne she slid down ,
the ho r se s side to the ground and vanished with the swift

’
ness Of lightning .
C HAPT ER V .
S E Q UE L O F I NCON V EN I ENCE S .
G n m oom e , s tunned by his fall was ex tended on the pave

,
men t before the good Virgin at the corner o f the street .
B y deg rees he came to himself At first he was floating .

,
for some minutes in a kind Of d reamy reveri e whi ch was ,
rather soo thing though the a erial figu r es o f the B ohemia n

,
and her goat were coupled wi th the weigh t Of the ungen tle
fist o f Quasimodo This state was Of short duration
. .
A painful sensation Of cold in that part Of his body whi ch

was in contact with the pavement suddenly awoke him and
recalled his m ind to the su r face t en c comes thi s .
e
”
cold ? said he sharply to himself He then percei ved .
th at he was nearly i n the m iddle Of the kennel .
D evil Of a hunchbacked C yclop ! muttered he an d ,
attempted to rise but he wa s so stunned and brui sed that

, ,
he was forced to remain where he was His hand how .

,
F 2
THE H UN OH B A UK O F NO T RE D A M E - .
9
E ustache M ou b on the ironmonger at the corner is just
, ,
dead We have got his paillasse and are going to make a

.
bonfire Of i t
So saying they threw down the paillasse pre ci sely upon
,
Gringoi re close to whom they had stopped without seeing

,
hi m . At the same time one Of them took a han dful Of ,

’
straw and went to l igh t it at the Virgin s lamp
,
.
’
Sdeath grumbled Gringoire I am likely to be ,
hot enough presently

B etween fire and water he was certainl y in a cri tical
si tuation He made a supernatu r al e ff o r t the e ffort of a
.
,
coine r who is going to be boiled and strives to escape He .
raised himself upon his feet threw back the paillasse upon ,
the urchins and hobbled away as fast as he was able .
Holy Vi rgin ! c r ied the boys t is the ironm o n ,

’
ger s ghost
’
and Off they scampe r ed in their turn .
The paillas se was left in possession o f the field o f battl e .
B ell e fo ré t Father Le Juge and C o rro z e t relate that o n

, , , ,
the following day i t was picked up with great pomp by the

clergy o f the q uarte r and carried to the treasure house Of
,
-
the church Of St O ppo r tune where the sacristan down to

.
, ,
the year 1 7 8 9 m ade a very handsome income with the

,
grand miracle pe rformed by the statue Of the Vi rgi n at the

corner o f the Rue M au co ns e il which had by i ts mere pre , ,
se nce in the memo r able night between the 6 th and the

,
7 th Of January 1 48 2 exorcised the spirit Of Jehan M oubou

, , ,
which to play the devil a t r ick had when he died mali

, ,
ciou s l y hid itself in hi s paillasse .
C HAPT ER VI .
THE BROKEN JUG .
Ar u m running for some time as fast as his legs would

carry him wi thout knowing whithe r knocking his head
, ,
against many a corne r Of a street plunging into man y a ,
kennel dashing thr ough many a lane tu r ning in to many a

, ,
blind alley seeking a passage through all the meanders Of

,
the Old pavemen t Of the H alles explo ring in his panic, , ,
F 3
.
what is termed in the ex quisite Latin o f the char ters tom

v ia chem i n u m e t c ia r ia,
o u r poet stopped short in the
,
-
,
,
first place for want Of br eath and in the next collared as , ,
it we r e by a di lemma whi ch j ust occurred to his mind

, , .
”
I t seemeth to me M aste r Pierre Gringoi r e said he
, ,
to himsel f, clapping his finger to the side Of his nose ,
that you a r e r unning about like a blockhead The young .
rogues were not a whit less afr aid o f you than yo u o f them .
I t seemeth to me I te ll you that you heard their wooden

, ,
shoes clatteri ng o ff to the south while you a r e s cudding ,
away to the north N ow either they have run away and

.
, ,
then the paillasse whi ch they have n o doubt left behind in

,
their fr ight is p r ecisely the hospitable bed for which you

, ,
have been running about ever sin ce morning and which the ,
Vi rgin blessed be her name ! miraculously sends to reward

,
you for having composed in honour o f her a m o r ali ty a c

co mpanied by t r iumphs and mummeries : or the boys have ,
n ot run away in that case they have set fi r e to the pail

.
lasse and a good fire is the very thing you want to warm ,
to dry and to cheer you

,
In either case a good fire or a
.
, ,
good bed the paillasse is a gi ft of Heaven I t was pe rhaps

,
.
for this very reason that the Virgin at the corner o f the
R ue M au conse il caused the death of Jehan M ou b o n an d
i t is stupid Of you to run your legs Off in this manner l ike ,
a Picard from a F r enchman leaving behin d what you are ,

.
s eeking befo r e you You are a fool for you r pains

. .
He turned , and with eyes and ear s o n the alert stro ve

, ,
to stee r his way back to the l ucky paillas s e but in vain ,

.
His course was incessantly checked by intersection s Of

hou ses blind alleys spots whe r e several streets termi n
, ,
ated and where he was forced to pause in doubt and hesi

,
ta tion more perple x ed and more entangled in the intri cacies

,
o f those dark narrow lanes and courts than he would have
been in the maze Of the H Otel de Tournelles itself At .
length losing all patien ce he solemnly ej aculated

,
C urse ,
these b r an ching streets the devil must have m ade them in

”
the image of his fo r k .
This exclamation relieved him a little and a kind Of ,
reddish ligh t whi ch he perceived at the e x tremity Of a long

n arrow lane hel ped to cheer his sp i r its Go d be prai sed .
said he yonder i t is Yonder is my paillasse bu r ning !

,
.
And comparing himsel f with the m a r iner who is wrecked

,
”
in the night S a l ve he piously ej aculated S a l ve m a r ia
" , , ,
m
tr 1
’
Whether this fragment Of the seaman s hymn was a d
dressed to the Blessed Vi r gin o r to the pai llasse is more
than we can take it upon us to deci d e .
B efore he had p r oceeded man y steps down the long lane ,
which was sloping and unpaved an d which became more ,
an d more muddy the farther he went he percei ved some ,
thing that had a m ost ext r aordinary appearan ce He r e .
and there all the way along it crawled a number of indi s

, ,
tinct and shapeless m asses proceeding towards the light at ,
the bottom Of the lane .
N othing makes a man s o adventurous as an empty

pocket G r ingoi r e continued to advan ce and soon came
.
,
up with the hindmost of thes e st r ange figures whi ch was ,
leisurely wr igg ling itself al ong after the Other s O n a .
near approach b e perceived that i t was only a wretched

,
cri pple in a bowl who was hopping along upon both hands
, .
At the moment when he was passing this species Of spider

with human face it accosted him in a l amentable tone :
,
”
L a bu o na ma n cia s ig nor l a bu o na m a n c ia I
,
”
The devil fetch thee said G r ingo ire and m e along
, ,
with thee if I know what thou meanest

, And he
walked o n .
He overtook another Of those moving m asses This .
was a cripple too a man who had su ffered such mutila

t ion in legs and arm s that the complicated system o f
crutches and wooden legs by which he was suppo r ted gave
him the appea r an ce o f a walking sca ff old Gringoi r e who .
,
was fond Of lofty and classic compa r ison s likened him in ,
imagination to the living tripod Of V ulcan .
This living t ripod took Off its hat to him as he passed ,
but held it up under G ringo ire s chin like a barber s ’
,
’
basin at the same time bawling in hi s ea r

, Se fzor ca ba l ,
lero p a r a comp ra r u n p edas o de pa n

,
”
This fellow said Gringoi re ,seems to be talking ,
’
too ; but t is an Odd language and he must be cleve re r ,
”
than I am if he understan d s it .
F 4
He wou ld have quickened hi s pace but for the third , ,
time something obstructed the way Thi s something o r

, .
,
r ather this somebody was a little blind man with Jewish

, ,
face and long bear d who rowing on in the space a r ound

, ,
him with a stick and towed by a great dog sang out with
"
, ,
nasal twang and Hungarian accent F a citote ca r ita tem , .
C ome said Pie r re Gringoire

, he r e is one at last ,
who speaks a C hristian language I must have a most .
benevolent look for people to ask charity of me in this ,
manne r in the present meagre state o f my purse M y

, . ,
friend continued he turning towards the blind man “ it

”
, , ,
is not a week since I sold my last shirt or as you under ,

’
stand n o lan guage but C i cero s Vendidi hebdoma de n u ,
”
p er tra ns i ta m ea m u l tim a m chemis a m .
This said he tu r ned his back on the blind man and

, ,
pursued his way At the same time however the blind

.
, ,
man quickened his pace and in a tri ce up came the two , ,
cripples in great has te with a tremendous clatter of ho w]

, ,
and crutches upon the pavemen t All th r ee j ostli ng each .

,
othe r at the heels o f p oor Gringoire opened upon him a t ,

'
once .
Ca r ita tem sang the blind m an .
L a bu ona ma n c ia sang the man of the bowl .
The other c r ipple j oined in the concert with Un p edas o

de p a n
Gringoire stopped his ears O tower o f B abel ex .
claimed he .
He began to run for i t T he blind man ran The . .
man of the bowl ran The man with wooden legs ran
. .
Presently he was surrounded by halt and lame and bl ind , , ,
by one —armed and one eyed and lepers with their hideous
-
,
sores some issuing fr om houses o thers from the adj oining

, ,
courts an d others fr om cella r s howling bellowing yelping

, , , , ,
hobbli ng rushing towards the light and bedraggled with

, ,
mi r e like snails after a shower

,
.
Gringoi r e still followed by his three persecuto r s and

, ,
not knowing what to thi nk of the matter walked on in ,
some ala r m amidst the others tu rning aside and passing , ,
the cripples on crutches stepping over the heads of those ,
in bowls and entangled l n this crowd of limping sh uffling

, ,
r m: n u n cn n a ox or NO T E S D A ME
- .
73
wretches li ke the E nglish captain who found himself sud

,
d enl y surrounded by a prodigious host of land c rabs - .
The idea occurred to him to try to return B ut it was .
too late . The whole legion had closed behind him and ,
his th ree mendi cants stuck to him like bird li me He - .
proceeded therefore propelled at on ce by this irresistible

, ,
tide by fear and by a diz ziness whi ch made the whole

, , ,
scene appear to hi m l ike a ho r rible dream .
At length he reached the extr emity o f the lane It .
Opened in to a spacious place where a thou s and scattered ,
ligh ts flicke r ed in the confused haze o f night G ringoire . .
pu r sued his way in to it hoping by the lightness o f his

,
heels to escape from the three infirm spectres who stuck s o

closely to him .
0nde va s hombre cried the cripple upon crutches ,
throwing them down and running afte r hi m o n two as

,
goodly legs as ever stepped upon the pavement of Paris .
At the same moment the other cripple standing bolt u p ,
right upon his feet clapped his heavy bowl cased with
,
’
iron upon G ringo ire s head by way of cap and the blind , ,
man stared him in the face with a p air of flaming eyes .
‘
t e r e am I cried the aflrighte d poet .
I n the C our des M iracles replied a fourth spectre , ,
who had j oined them .
”
M i racles u pon my s oul ! rej oined Gringoire
,
for ,
here a re blind who see and lame who run ,

.
A sinister laugh was their only answer .
T he poor poe t cast hi s eyes around hi m He was ac .
t u al l y in that d r eaded C our des M iracles into whi ch no ,
honest man had ever p e netrated at such an hour a magi c ,
circle in which the officers o f the C h atelet and the sergeants

,
o f the provost who ventured with in i t were di sposed o f in

, ,
a tri ce the haun t of thieves a hideous wen on the fac e

o f Pa r is a sewer disgorging every morning and r ecei v in g
eve r y night that fetid to rr ent o f vice mendi city and , ,
roguery which always ove r flows the streets o f g reat ca

,
pital s ; a monstrous hive to which all the drones of the ,
so ci al o r de r r etired at night with their booty ; the hospital

o f impostu re whe r e the gipsy the un fro cked monk the
, , ,
ruin ed scholar the blackguar ds o f all nations Spaniards ,

, ,
7 41 TH E H U N C H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
I tali ans Germans of all rel igion s Jews C hristians M a

, , , , ,
ho m e tans idolaters cove r ed with painted wounds beggars

, , ,
by day tran s m ogrifled themselves into banditti at night ;

,
immense robing room in short whithe r all the actors of

-
, ,
that ete r nal comedy which theft p r osti tution and murder , ,
are performing in the s treets o f Pa ris res orted at that ,
p eriod to d r ess and to un dress .
I t was a spacious a r ea i rregular and ill paved li ke all , ,

-
,
the open places o f Paris i n those days Fi r es around .

,
which swarmed strange looking groups were blazing here -

,
and there All was bustle confusion uproa r

. C oarse , , .
laughter the crying o f children the voi ces of women were

, , ,
intermingled The hands and heads of this multitude

.
,
black upon a luminous ground were making a thousand ,
an tic gestures A d o g whi ch looked like a man o r a man

.
,
who looked like a dog might be seen fr om time to time ,
passing over the place on which trembled the reflection o f

the fires interspersed with broad ill de fine d shadows T he
,
-
.
li mits between races and species seemed to be done away

with in this city, as in a pandemonium M en women .
, ,
brute s age sex health di sease all seemed to be in com

, , , , ,
mon among these people They were j um bled huddled .

,
together laid upon o ne another ; each there partook of

,
eve r y thing .
The fai n t and flickering light o f the fires enabled Grin .
g oire to di stingui sh in spite of his agitation all round

, ,
the immense place a hideous circumference o f old houses ,
the decayed worm eaten ruinous fr onts o f whi ch each

,
-
, ,
p erforated by one o r two small lighted windows appear ed ,
to him in the dark li ke eno r mous heads o f old hags ranged

’
in a circle watching the witches sabbath rites and winking
,
their eyes I t was like a new world unknown unheard

.
, ,
o f deformed creeping crawling fantasti c

, , , ,
.
G r ingoi r e — mo r e an d more terrified ; held by the three

mendicants as by three vi ces ; deafened by a crowd of other
faces bleating and barking a r ound him the unlucky Grin -
go ire strove to rally his presence of mind and to recollect ,
whether it was Satu r day or not B ut his e ffo r ts were .
vain : the t hread o f his memo r y and of his thoughts was

broken and doubting every thing floating between what
, , ,
u m
m H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A M E
- .
75
he sa w and what he felt he asked himself this puz zling ,
question I f I am ca n this be ? if thi s i s can I be

, ,
At thi s momen t a distinct shout arose from amidst the

buzzing cr owd by which he was surrounded Lead him
”
to the king ! lead hi m to the king 1
”
Holy Vi rgin ! muttered Gringoire the king o f
this place why he can be nothing b u t a goat
,
.
To the king to the king repeated every voi ce .
He was hu r ried away The rabble rushed to lay hands .
o n him but the three mendi cants held him fast in thei r
,
gripe tearing him away from the others and ba wling

, , ,
’
He is ours The poet s doublet previously in wretched ,
pligh t was utterly ruined in this struggle

,
.
Wh ile crossing the horrible place , the vertigo which had

confused his senses was d ispelled He had tak en but a .
few steps before a conviction of the reality flashed upon

him H e began to become used to the atmosphe r e of the
.
place At the fi r st moment there had risen from his poeti c

.
b r ain and perhaps to speak quite si mply and pros ai cally

, , ,
from his empty stomach a fume a vapour which spread , , , ,
ing i tself between obj ects and him had permitted hi m to ,
ca tch a glimpse o f them only in the disto rting haze o f the

nigh tmare in that darkness o f dreams which shows all
, ,
outlines as shaking all forms as grinning all obj ects as

, ,
heaped togethe r in preposterous groups dilating things ,
in to chimeras and men in to phan toms B y degrees this .
h allucination gave pla ce to views less wild and less e x ag

gera ting Reality burst upon him paining his eyes tread
.
, ,
ing upon hi s toes and demolish ing piecemeal the whole

,
frightful poesy by which he had at first fancied himsel f

to be s u rrounded He could not help perceiving that he
.
was not walking in the Styx but in the mud ; that he was ,
not elbowed by demons but by robbe r s that his soul was,
not i n danger but merely his life be cause he lacked that

, ,
exce l lent mediator between the ru fflan and the honest man
the purse I n sho r t upon examining the scene more
.
,
closely and mo r e cool ly he fell fr om the witches sabbath ’
down to the tavern The C our des M iracles was in fact

.
nothing but a tave rn but a tavern fo r ru fflans quite as

, ,
m u c h s tained with blood as with wine .

rm:
'
m mcn n a cx or NO T RE D A ME
- . 77
obscene song E ach did j ust as b e pleased swearing and

.
,
descanting without listening to his neighbour The pots

,
.
jingled q uarrels arose and broken mugs occasioned a de

, ,
stru ction of rags .
A la rge dog was seated o n his rump l ooking at the fire , .
Young child ren were present at these orgies The stolen .
bo y was c r ying bitte r ly Another a stout fellow about .

,
four years old was sitting on a high bench , dangling his

,
legs at the ta ble whi ch reached up to his chin and saying

, ,
not a word A third was gravely spreading wi th his finger

.
the mel ted tallow which ran from a candl e upon the table .
The last a little u r chin crouching in the dirt was almost

, , ,
lost in a kettle which he was scraping with a tile and fro m

, ,
which he was ext racting sounds that would have thrown

Str adiva r ius in to a swoon .
Nea r the fire stood a hogshead, and up on this hogshead

was seated a mendicant This was the k ing upon hi s .
throne The th ree vaga bonds who held Gringoire led him
.
befo r e the hogshead and for a momen t the whole motley

,
assemblage was silent excepting the kettle inhabi ted by the

,
boy . G r ingoi re durst not b r eathe or raise his eyes .
H om bre q u ita t u s o mbr e ro

, said o ne of the three fel ,
lows in whose clutches he was and befo r e he knew what , ,
was meant one of the others took o ff his hat — a shabby

,
cove r ing it is true b u t still useful either against sun o r

, ,
rain . Gringoi r e sighed .
”
What varlet have we here ? asked the king Grin .
goire shudde r ed This voice though i t no w had a tone o f

.
,
menace reminded him of another which ha d that very

,
morning given the first blow to his mystery by drawling out ,
amidst the audience C hari ty if you please

, H e rai sed ,
his eyes I t was C lopin T rou il l efou himself

. .
C lopin T rou ill e fou invested with the insignia o f royalty

, ,
had not a rag more o r a rag less than usual The sore on .
his a r m had d i sappeared He held in hi s hand one o f the .
whips composed of thongs o f white leather which were use d ,
by the vergers in those days to keep back the c r owd O n .
his head he wo re a cap of such peculiar form that i t was

di fficult to tell whether i t was a child s biggin o r a king s
’ ’
crown — s o much are the two things alike Gringoire ho w .

,
’
78 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D AME - .
ever ha d regained some h 0pe though without kn owi n g

, ,
why on recognising in the king o f the C our des M i r acles

,
the p r ovoking b e ggar o f the great hall

'
”
Master he stammered forth
, my lord sire ,
what ought I to call yo u ? he at length asked having ,
arrived at the culminating point of his crescendo and not ,
knowing how to get higher o r to descend again .
C a l l m e your maj esty o r comrade or what thou wilt , , .
B ut make haste What hast thou to say in thy defence ?

.
’
I n thy d ef en ce thought Gringoi r e : I don t half li ke
I t w as I — I I
’
that . he resumed , with the same

h esitation as before who this morning
, ,
B y the devil s hoofs cried C lopin , interrupting him

’
thy name knave and nothing more M ark me Tho u

, , . .
art in the presen ce o f th r ee mighty sovereigns m yself , ,
C lopin T roui l l e f ou king o f Thunes and sup reme ruler of

, ,
the realm of Slang M athias Hun yadi Sp ical i duke of ,
Egyp t and Bohemia that sall ow ol d c r one whom thou

,
seest yonder with a clout round his head and G uillaume

,
Rousseau em peror o f Galilee the porpoise who is t oo busy

, ,
wi th that trull to attend to us We are thy j udges Thou . .
h ast en tered o u r territories without being o ne o f our sub

j eet a thou hast violated the privi leges o f ou r city Thou .
mu st be pun ished unless thou art a prig a cadger or a

, , ,
stroller — o r, to use the gibberish o f those who call them

,
selves honest peopl e a thief a beggar o r a vagrant Art

, , , .
t hou any o f these ? j ustify thyself : state thy q ualities .
“ Al as ! ” sighed Gringoi re I have not that honour .

,
I am the author
E nough exclaimed T rou ill e fou without su ffering ,
him to proceed Thou shal t b e hanged And qui te

. .
right too mes sieurs honest citi zens ! As you de al by o ur

,
people among you so we will deal by yours among us .
The law whi ch you make for the V agab ond s the Vagabo nds ,
’
will enforce with you T is your faul t if it is a harsh one
. .
I t is but proper that an honest man shoul d now and then

be see n grinning through a hempen collar — that makes the
thing honour able C ome, my friend di vide thy rags with
.
,
a good grace among these wenches I will have thee hanged .

'
to amuse the vagabonds and thou shalt give them thy ,

m s H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
79
p urse to drink I f thou has t an y mumme r y to make go

. ,
down in to the cellar there is a capital God Almighty i n

stone which we picked up at St Pie r re aux B (e u f s Thou - -
"
. .
,
h ast four m inutes to settle the aff a irs o f thy soul .
This was an alarming announ cemen t .
l Vell said upon my lif e C lopin T rou ill e f ou preaches

,
"
like his holiness the pope cried the emperor o f Gal ilee , ,
breaking his pot to p r op u p his table .
M ost puissant empe r ors and kings said G r ingoire qui te ,
coo l ly — I never coul d make out how he recovered sufficient

fir mness to talk so resolutely you cannot mean what
you say M y name is Pierre Gringoire I am the poe t
.
,
whose mo r ality w as represen ted this morning in the great

”
hall o f the Palace .
“O ho ! maste r ! said C lop in I was there too B ut . .

,
co mrade because we we r e annoyed by thee in the morning

, ,
is that any reaso n why thou shoul dst no t be hung to

night
I shall be puz zled to get m yself ou t o f this scrape ,
though t Gringoi r e He made nevertheless another e ff ort

. .
“ I do not see said he “ why poets should not be

, ,
classed among the vagabonds fE so p was a vagabond .

,
Homer a beggar M ercury a thief,

.
C lopin inte r rupted him I veril y believe thou thinkes t

.
’
to bamboozle us with thy palaver Sdeath as thou must .
”
b e hanged make no more ado
, .
Pa r d on me most illustrious king of Thunes replied

, ,
G ringoi re disputing the ground in ch by inch

, is i t
worth while — only o ne moment — yo u will no t condem n
me unhea rd
His voi ce was absolute ly drowned by the uproar which
p revailed around him The little urchin continued to
. .
sc rape his kettle with g r ea ter en ergy than e v er ; and to ,
mend the matte r an old woman had j ust placed o n the

,
red hot t r evet a frying pan fu ll of fat which yelped and

-
,
ca ckled over the fire like a dog that has been pipe tail d
,
- e
by a t r oop of mischievous boys .
C lopin T rou ill e f ou appea red to be conferring for a

momen t wi th the duke of E gypt and the emperor of ,
Galilee who was quite dru nk H e then c ried out sharply

, . ,
r m: H U N OH B A C K o r No r s e - n a me . 81
The men o f Slang decidedly so an swered Gringoire, , .
”
Thou ackno wl ed ge s t thyself o ne o f the crew ? pro
ce e d ed the king of Thunes .
”
O ne o f the crew .
A subj ect o f the kingdom of C ant ?

”
O f the kingdom o f C ant .
”
A Vagabond ?
A Vagabond .
With all thy soul ?

With all m y so ul .
”
Take notice said the king, thou sh alt nevertheless
,
”
be hanged .
The devil ej aculated the poet .
”
O nly continued C lopin with imperturbable gravity
, ,
thou shalt be hanged not quite so so on and with m ore

ceremony at the cost o f the good city o f Paris o n a fair
, ,
s tone gibbet and by the hands o f hones t men That i s

,
.
some consolation .
As you say replied Gringoire

,
.
There are some other advan tage s which thou wilt

enj oy As one of the crew thou wilt not have to pay rates
. , ,
ei ther for lamp scavenger or poor to which the honest

, , ,
”
burges ses of Pa ris are liable .
B e i t so said the poet I am a Vagabond a sub .

,
j cet o f the kingdom o f C ant one o f the crew a man of , ,
Slang any thing yo u please n ay I was all these before

, , ,
august king o f Thun es for I am a philosopher et o m nia ,

"
i n p hilo s op hic om nes i n p hilo s op ho co nti nen tu r you kn ow
, , .
The august king o f ‘Thunes knitted his b r ow What .
do you take me for m y friend ? What Hungary Jew gib

,
berish are you talking no w P I know nothing o f Hebrew .
‘ ”
One may be a ru flia n wi thout being a Jew .
Gringoire strove to slip in an excuse between these

’
brief sentences cut short by ange r I beg your maj esty s
"
.
pardon : it is not Heb r ew but Latin ,

.
I tell thee rej oined C lopin furiously

,
I am not a ,
Je W and I will have thee hanged varlet a y and that

, , ,
l ittle Jew p e dla r beside thee whom I hope some day to see ,
nailed to a coun ter like a piece o f base coin as he is

,
.
As he thus spoke he pointe d to the little bearded H un

,
G
82 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
garian Jew who acquain ted with no other langu age b u t

, ,
t hat in whi c h he had accosted Gringoire was sur prised at ,
the ill humour which the ki ng o f Thunes appeared to be

-
venting upon him .
At length K ing C lopin be came somewhat more calm

"
.
K nave said he to our poet

,
thou hast a mind th e n to
,
be a Vagabond
U ndoubtedly replied Gringoire ,
.
Tis no t enough to have a m ind

’
said his surl y ,
majesty : good will puts no t one m ore onion into the soup
-
.
T o be admitte d into ou r brotherhoo d tho u m ust prove ,
that thou art fi t for something Show u s thy ski ll at .
pick ing a pocket .
Any thing you please said the poe t , .
C lopin made a sign Several of the Vagabonds left the

.
circle and presentl y returned They brought two poles ,

,
.
each having a flat hori zon tal piece o f wood fasten ed at the
lower extremity upon which i t stood upright on the groun d
, .
Into the upper ends o f these two poles the be a rers fitted a
cross bar and the whole then formed a very h andy port
-
,
able gibbet which Gringoire had the satisfac tion to see s e t

,
up before his face in a tri ce N othing was wan tin g not

.
,
even the cord whi ch dangled gracefully from the cros s

,
bar .
What are they about n ow said Gri ngoire to him sel f ,
while his heart su nk within him A tinkling of small .
bells p ut an end to his an xiety I t was the figure o f a .
m an a ki nd of scarecrow ina red dre ss so profusel y b e

, , ,
studd ed with little b ells that they wou ld have su ffi ced for
th e caparison o f thi rty C astilian mules whi ch the Vaga ,
.
bonds were suspending b y the neck from the rope T he .
chatter o f the s e thousand be lls o ccasi o n e d by the s wi ngi ng

,
o f the rope gradually subsided an d at leng th cease d e u

, ,
tirely with the m otion o f the effi gy .
C lopin poin ted to a crazy stool pl aced un de r the figure .
Get upo n that said he to Gringoire .
’
Sdeath rej oined the p oet I sh all bre ak m y ne ck , .
’
Your stool halts like a distich o f M arti al s ; i t h as one
”
hexameter and o ne penta mete r foot .
Get up , knave repeated C lop in .

m a H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
. 83
Gringoire mounted the stool and after some osc illations , ,
o f head and arms recovered his cent re of g r avi ty

"
.
,
N ow con tinued the king of Thunes

,
cro ss th y ,
”
righ t leg over the left and stand o n tip toe - .
M or ble u c ried G r ingoire then you absolu tely ,

”
ins ist o n it that I shall b r eak some o f my limbs ?
C lopin shook his head Hark ye m y fr iend thou
.
, ,
tal kes t to o much for me I n two word s this is what th o u

.
has t to do Thou must stand o n tiptoe as I tell thee s o

.
,
m to reach the pocket o f the fi gure Thou must ta ke o u t .
a pu r se that is in i t and i f thou canst do this without

,
’
making any o f the bell s speak t is well : thou shalt be a ,
Vagabond l Ve shall then have nothi ng to do but to has te

.
”
thee soundly for a week o r so .
Ven t r e D ieu exclaimed Gringoire And if the bel l s .
”
s hould give mouth in spi te o f me ?
Why then thou shalt be hanged ; dos t thou compre

,
hend me
N ot at all answered Grin goi re
,
.
Wel l th e n I tell thee once more T hou mus t pi ck .
'
the pocket o f that figure o f a purse and i f a single bell ,
st irs while thou art about it thou shalt be han ged Do st

'
.
, ,
th ou understa nd that ?
”
I do
, said G ringoire And then
.
I f thou art clever enough to p ng the purse wi thout

’
setting the bell s a chattering thou art a C an ter and s hal t

-
, ,
b e soundly thrashed eve r y no w and then for a week Thou .
”
u nd e rs t and e s t that no doubt ?
,
B ut what bette r shall I be ? Han ge d in one c ase ,
b ea ten in the o ther

And a C anter rejoine d C lopin “a C anter I s th a t ,
nothing ? I t is f o r thy o wn benefi t that we shall beat

”
th ee to enure thee to blows
, .
M any thanks to you replied the poe t .
C ome bear a hand

, said the king sta mping upon ,
his hogshe ad whi ch sounded l ike a big drum

, T o thy .
ta sk knav e ! And recolle ct if I hear but a single bell

, , .
,
”
thou shalt change pl aces with that fi gure .
The crew applaud ed C lopin a wo r ds and ranged th em ’
se l ves in a circle round the gallows with so piti l ess a lau gh ,
G 2
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME- . 85
’
B ell ev igne de l E to il e said the king of Thunes to a

, ,
p orpoise of a fellow who stepped forth from the ranks

, ,
”
scramble up to that c r oss —bar The mons ter moun ted .
‘
with an agili ty for which n o one would have given him

credit and Gringoire raising hi s eyes beheld him with
, , ,
terror crouching o n the cross beam over his head - .
”
N ow resumed C lopin
,
the momen t I clap m y ,
han ds thou Andry the R ed ki ck away the stool thou

, ,
’
Fran cois C hante pru ne pull the varlet s legs and th ou , ,
B e ll e vigne spring upo n his shoulders — all three at once

, ,
’
d ye hear
Gringoire shuddered .
Are ye the r e said C lopin Tro uill e fou to the three

ru fli an s ready to rush upon the unfortunate poet
,
The .
wretched man passed a moment o f horrid suspen se while ,
C lopin carelessly kicked into the fire a few twigs which the
flame had not consumed Are ye there he repea ted,
.
opening his hands fo r the decisive clap .
He stopped short as if a sudden though t had o ccurred

,
to him . Wai t a moment said he I forgot It is ,
custo mary with us not to hang a blade till the women have ,
be en asked whether any o f them wi ll have him C omrade .

,
thi s is thy last chance .
Gringoire breathed on ce more I t was the se cond time .
that he had come to life within the last half hour He .
durst not therefore place much relian ce upon this reprieve

, ,
.
C lopin again mounted his hogshead This way gen .

,
tl e f olk s cried he I s there any strumpet among you

.
,
who will have this knave ? C ome forward and see ! A

husband for nothing ! Who wants o ne
s Gringoire
. in this wre tched plight l ooked far from
, ,
tempting The female mumpers showed no eagerness to

.
a ccept the o ffer The unhappy man heard them answer

.
o ne after another N o no, hang him and that will be a

, , ,
pleasure for us all .
Three o f them however stepped forward from a mon g

, ,
the crowd to ta ke a look at him The first was a strapping .
broad faced wench She closely examined the deplorable

-
.
doublet and the th readbare fr ock o f the philosopher She .
sh rugged her shoulders Queer toggery g rumbled she

. .
o 3
86 TH E B U N CH B A C K o r? NO T RE - D A ME .
Then turning to G ringoi r e : W here is thy cloak I

”
have lost i t answe r ed he
,
Thy ha t 3 They have
.
”
taken i t fr om me Thy shoes
. They a r e nearly
” ”
worn out . Thy purse Alas ! stammered G r in
g o ire
, I have not a de n ier left Hang then an d be .
,
”
thankful ! replied the wench turning o n her heel and ,
striding away .
The second an ol d wrinkled hag dark an d hideously

, , ,
ugly walked round Gringoire He alm ost trembled lest she .
should take a fan cy to him At length she mut tered to .
”
herself ,
He i s as lean as a carrion and away she went , .
The thi r d was young fr esh looking and not ill favoured
,
-
,
- .
Save me said the po or devil to her in a low tone She .
surveyed him for a moment wi th a look of pity cast do wn ,
her eyes twitched her petti coat and stood fo r a momen t

, ,
undecided He narrowl y watched all her motions I t was

. .
the last glimme r of hope N said she at last

. no
Guil laume Longjou e would be at me and she rej oined the ,
crowd .
C omrade said Clopin ,

thou art unlucky ,
Then .
s tanding u p on his hogshead Will nobody bid ? c r ied ,
he imitating the manne r of an auctioneer to the high di

, ,
version o f the c rew Will nobody bid ? on ce twice

.
, ,
three times and then tu rning to the gallows wi th a nod ,
o f the head Gone

,
Be ll e v igne de l E to il e Andry the R ed and Fran cois

’
, ,
C ha ntep ru ne again sur r ounded the gibbet At that mo .
m ent cries o f La E sme r alda ! La E smeral da aros e

among the Vagabonds G r ingoire shudde r ed and turn ed.
,
the way fr om which the clamour pro ceeded The crowd .
opened and made way f or a bright and dazzling figure I t .
was the gipsy gi r l - .
La E smeralda ej aculated Gringoire stru ck am ids t , ,
his agi tation at the sudden m an ner in which that m agi c

n ame connected his s cattere d recollections o f the events of
,
the day This ex traord in ary c r eature appea red by her fas
.
cina t io n and beauty to exercise sove r eign sw ay over the

C our des M iracles i tself I ts inmates of bo th sexes re.
sp tf u l l dr ew back for her to pass and at sight o f her

ec
y ,
their brutal faces assumed a softer expression Wi th ligh t .

ru e u u x c n n a cn or NO T RE D A ME - . 87
step she app r oached the su ff e rer Her pretty Dj ali foll owed .
at he r heel s Gringoire was more de ad than ali ve She

. .
eyed him fo r a moment in silence .
Are you going to hang this man ? s ai d she gravely

to C lopin .
Yes sister repl ied the king of Th u nes u nless thou

, , ,
”
wilt ta ke him for thy husband .
Her lower lip was protruded into the pretty p out already
desc ri bed .
I wi l l take him said she ,

.
Gringoi r e was now thoroughly co nvin c ed that he had

be en in a d r eam ever since m orning and that this was but ,
a continuation o f i t The shock though agreeabl e was

.
, ,
v iolen t The noo s e was removed the poet was dismounte d

.
,
from the stool o n which he was obli ged to sit do wn so

, ,
vehemen t was his agitation .
The du ke o f E gypt without uttering a word brough t

, ,
an earthenware j ug The gipsy girl handed i t to Grin

.
-
go ire . D ro p i t o n the ground sai d she to him The , .
jug b roke in to” four pie ces .
B ro ther s aid the duke o f E gyp t placi ng a hand

, ,
upon the head o f each , she is thy wife Sister he is th y .

,
”
husband For four years Go
. . .
C HAPT ER VI I .
A W EDD I N G N IGH T
IN a few momen ts our poet found himse lf in a sm all room ,
with coved cei ling very snug and very warm seated at a
, ,
ta ble which appeared to d esire nothing better than to dra w

,
a few loans from a cupboard suspe nded close by having a ,
prospe c t o f a good bed and a téte d —téte with a handsome

,
-
gir l The adven ture was like absolute en chan tment H e

. .
beg an seriously to take himself for the hero of some fairy

tal e ; and looked round from time to time to see whether
the chariot of fi re drawn by riffi ns whi ch could alone have
g ,
conveyed him wi th such rapidity fro m T artarus to Paradise,

0 4
ru n H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- . 89
me to distraction to have taken m e in this manner

,
For .
,
sai d he rising all a t on ce with that candour which formed

,
the groundwork of his characte r and o f his ph ilosoph y I ,
kno w not exactly how i t has come to pass but I am he r ,
husband .
With thi s idea i n his head and in hi s eyes he approached ,
the gi rl with such a r den t impetuosity that she drew back .
”
IVha t do you wan t with me ? enquired she
‘
C an you ask such a ques tion adorable E smeralda ? ,
rej oined Gringoire in so impassioned a tone that he was

astonished at it himself .
The E gyptian opened her l arge eyes I know not .
”
what you mean said she ,
.
”
What ! replied G ringoire warming m ore and m ore and , ,
th inking that after all i t was but a virtue of the C our des
M iracles that he had to do with : am I not thine m y ,
sweet friend ? art thou not mine Wi th these words he

fondl y threw hi s arm roun d her w aist .
The drapery o f the B ohemian glided through his han ds

li ke the skin o f an eel B ounding from one end o f the cell
.
to the other she stooped an d rai sed her s elf again with a
, , ,
li ttle dagger in her hand before Gringoire could see when ce

,
i t came with swollen lip distended n ostril , ch eeks as red

, ,
as an apri cot and eyes flashing lightning At the sa me

, .
moment the li ttle white goat placed i tself before her in the
attitude o f attack presen ting to G r ingoire two very pretty
,
but very sh arp gilt horns All this was done in a twink .
ling.
Our philosopher stood petr ified altern ately eyeing the ,
goat and her mis tress H oly Virgin . h e at len gth

ej aculated when su rprise allowed him to spea k
, what a ,
couple o f vixen s
”
An d you said the B ohemian breaking silen ce o n he r
p art
,
must be a very impuden t fellow " ,
, .
”
Pardon m e replied Gringoire smil ing
, B u t why .
did you take me for your husband ?

Ou ght I to have let yo u be hange d ?
Then rej oin ed the poet somewhat di sappointed in
, ,
hi s amorous hopes you had no other inten tion in m ar

,
t ying me but to sa ve me fr om the gallows ?

90 TH E H UNC H B A CK oe NO T RE D A M E -
.
And what other intention do you suppo se I could have

had P
Gringoire bi t hi s l ips “Go

to said he to himself I am
.
, ,
no t so triumphant in love a ffai r s as I imagined B ut then .

,
”
of what use was it to b r eak the poor j ug ?
’
M eanwhil e E smeralda s dagger and the horns o f her goat

were still upon the defensive .
M ademoisel le E sme r alda said the poet , let us ca ,
pitul a te . I am no t a cle r k to the C h atelet and shal l no t ,
provoke you thus to ca rr y a dagge r in Pa r is in the tee th o f ,
the provost s ordi nan ces an d prohibitions

’
Y ou must ne .
,
v e rthe l es s b e aware that N oel Le s cri vain was sen ten ced
,
a week ago to pay a fine o f ten sous Parisis f o r having

carried a short sword B ut that is no business of mine
.
,
so to retur n to the point — I swear to you by m y hopes o f ,
Paradi se not to approach you without your pe r mission and

’ ”
consent ; but f o r Heaven s sake give me some supper
, , .
I n reali ty G r ingoire l ike De s p re au x was not of a very

, ,
a morous tempe r ament He belonged not to that ch iv ah ic '

.
and military class who take young damsels by assault In .
l ove as in all other affairs he was for temporising an d

, ,
pursuing middle courses ; and to him a good supper with ,
a n agreeable companion appeared ,

especially when he was ,
h u ng r y an ex cellent interlude between the prologue and

,
t he windin g u p of a love adventur e

- .
The E gyptian made no reply She gave her di sd ainful .
pout erected her head like a bird and burst into a loud
, ,
laugh : the p r etty little dagger vanished as i t had come so ,
th at G r ingoi re could not discover where the b ee co ncealed
I n a momen t a l oa f of rye b read a sl i ce o f bacon some

-
, ,
wrinkled apples and a jug o f bee r were se t out upon the

, ,
table G r ingoi r e fell to with such avidity as if all his love

. ,
had been changed in to appetite His hostess sea ted be fore .

,
him looke d on in s ilence visibly engaged with some other

, ,
thought at which she smiled from time to time while her

, ,
s oft hand strok e d the head o f the intell igent g oat cl osely ,
pre s sed between her knees A candle of ye llow wax lighted

.
thi s scene o f voracity and re v e r ie .
T he first cravings of hi s stomach being app eased Grin ,

TH E n u n cn n a cn or N OTB E- D A ME .
91
g o ire felt a degree of false shame o n perceiving that the re

”
was o nly one apple left D o you not ea t something

.
,
”
M ademoiselle E smeralda ? said he She replied in the .
negative by a shake o f the h e ad and her pen si ve looks were ,
fixed on the vau lted cei l ing of the cell .
W hat the devil can she be thinking of ? said Gringoi re

to himself tu r ning his eyes in the same di r ection as hers .
I t is impossible that yon ugly head carved on the groining

ca n thus engross her attention Surely I may stand a com .
pa ri son with that .
M ademoiselle said he raising his voice She ap

, ,
.
”
pe a re d not to hear him M ademoiselle E smeralda !
.
he again began in a stil l loude r tone to j us t as li ttle ,
purpose The spirit of the damsel was elsewhere and the

.
,
voi ce o f Gringoire had not the power to r ecall i t Lu ckily .
for him the goat interfered an d began to p u ll her mistress ,

”
gently by the sleeve What do you want Dj ali P sai d
.
,
the Egyptian sha rply starting like one awakened ou t o f a

,
s ound sleep .
She is hun gry said G ringoi r e deligh ted at the op

, ,
po rtu nit y o f opening t he con versation .
La E smeralda began crumbling some bread which Dj ali ,
gracefully ate out o f the hollow o f her hand G r ingoire .

,
wi thout giving her ti me to resume he r reverie ventured ,
upon a delicate question Then you wil l not have me f or

.
your husband said he .
The damsel looked at hi m inten tly fo r a moment, and

replied N o .
v For your lover ? asked Gringoire .
She pouted her li p and again replied N o

"
.
,
For you r fr iend ? continued Gringoire .
She again fixed her eyes ste dfastly upon hi m Per . .
”
haps
’
, said she afte r a momen t s reflection

, .
This p er haps so dear to philosophers emboldened Grin

,
"
Do yo u know what friendship is ? he enqui red
,
go ire. .
” “
Yes replied the E gypti an ; i t is to be as brother and
,
sister two so uls whi ch tou ch each o ther without uniting,

,
like two fingers o f the same hand .
And love p r oceeded G r ingoire .
O h love said she and her voi ce trembled and her

, ,
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
93
with her hands and she shivered as from the e ffec t of
,
i nten s e cold .
Ho rrid indeed ! said Gringoi r e without relinquish

, ,
”
ing his idea ; but how did you get away from him ?
La E sme r alda smiled sighed and made no reply , ,
.
D o you know why he followed you resumed Grin

g o ire ,
seeking to return to his question by a roundabo ut
way .
” ”
I do not said the girl ,
B ut added she sharp l y .
, ,
”
you followed me to o why did you follow me ?
I n good sooth repli ed Gringoire I do not k no w
, ,
”
e i ther .
B oth were then silent Gringoire took up his knife and .
began to cut the table The damsel smiled and seemed .
to be looking at something through the wall All at on ce .
she co mmen ced singing in a voice scarcely arti c ulate ,
p i t d s e.
fi
n a nd o l as
u d a s es t a n,
n a a
y l ti rr
a
av
e a.
She then abruptly broke o ff and began to caress her Dj ali .
”
That is a pretty creature of yours observed Grin ,
T is my sister repli ed she , .
”
W hy are you called La E smeralda ? enquired the
‘
’
I can t tell
"
.
N 0 sure 1 ,
She drew from her bo som a small oblong bag attac hed ,
to a necklace of small red seeds and emitting a very stro ng ,
s cent of camphor The outside was green silk and in the

.
,
middle of i t there was a large bead o f green gl ass i n imi

”
Pe rhaps it is on accoun t of this said she , .
Gringoi r e extended hi s han d to lay hold o f the bag but ,
she started back D on t touch it said she ;

.
t is an
’
,
’
amulet You might do an inj u ry to the charm or the

.
,
”
charm to you .
The curiosity o f the poet was more and more ex c ite d .
Who gave you that he asked .
She l aid her finger upon her l ips and rep laced the amulet ,
94 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
.
in her bo so m He ven tured upon further question s, b u t

.
co uld scarcely obtain answers t o them .
What is the meaning o f La E smeralda ?

"
I know not said she .
,
T o what language does the word belong ?

”
I t is E gyptian I believe , .
”
I thought so said Gringoire , Y ou are not a nati ve .
o f Fran ce
’
I don t kn ow .
A r e your parents living

She began singing to the tune of an ol d song
My f tha
’
er s a b i nd ,
A nd m y m o e s h i s ma th r te ;
‘
I p br
a s s t he o a d wa te s r
ih b
W t ou t oa t o r bait
. .
”
How ol d were you when yo u came t o France ?
”
I was quite a child .
”
A n d to Par is ?
Last yea r A t the momen t we were entering the
.
pap al gate I saw the yellowhammers flying i n a line o ver

,
o u r heads I t was then the end of August and I s aid

.
,
’
We shall have a sharp win ter .
And so we have said Gringoire delighted with th is

, ,
commencemen t of con versation ; I have done noth ing

but blow m y fingers since i t set in W hy, th en you po s .
,
sess the gift o f prophecy

No ,
replied she relapsing into her la coni c m anner
,
.
The man whom you ca ll the d uke o f Egypt is the

chief o f you r tribe I presume ,
”
Y es .
”
And yet i t was he who m arried u s timidl y observed ,
the poet .
H er lip exhibi ted the accustom ed p ou t I don t e ven

"
.
know your n am e said she ,

.
’
M y name i f you wish to k now it is Pierre Gringoi re
, ,
.
”
I know a much finer said she ,
.
H o w unkin d replied the poe t Never mind .
you shall n ot m ake m e an gry Y ou will perhaps love me .

, ,
w he n you are better acquain ted with me ; and you have

T HE n u non na cx or n r ms- n a me
o .
95
re lated your his to ry to me wi th such candour that I c ann ot

withh old mine from you .
You m ust know then that m y n am e is Pierre Grin

o i e and that my father held the situ ation o f notary a t
g r ,
Gonesse He was hanged by the B urgundians and m y

. ,
mother was murdered by the Picards at the si ege of Pari s ,
twenty years ago so at six years ol d I W a s left an orp han,
wi th no o the r sole to my foot but the pavemen t o f Paris .
I know not how I passed the interv al be t ween six and six
teen . He r e a fruitwoman gave me an ap ple or a plum ;
,
there a baker to ssed me a crust of bread at nigh t I thre w

,
m ysel f in the way o f the watch who pi cked m e up and ,
pu t me in p r ison where I found at leas t a b undle o f s traw

,
.
In spite o f this kind of life I grew tall and slim as you ,
see . I n win te r I warmed myself in the sunshine unde r ,
the porch of the hotel of Sens and I tho ught i t very absurd ,
that the bonfires of St John shoul d be deferred n early to .
the d og d ays At six teen I began to think o f adopting

- .
,
a profession and successively tried m y hand at e v ery thing

,
I tu rned soldier bu t was no t b rave e noug h ; I became a

monk but was not devout enou gh and besides I could no t , ,
drink hard enough In d espair I app r en ti ced m yself to a

.
ca rpente r but was not strong enough

, I ha d a mu ch .
greater fan cy to be a schoolmaster true I had not l earned ,
to read but what of that ?

, After some time I discovered
that owing to some defi cien cy o r other I was fi t for no
, ,
thing and therefo r e set up f or a poet

, This is a pro fes .
sion to which a man who is a vagabon d m ay always be take

himself a nd i t is better than to thieve as some young
, ,
rogues o f m y acquaintan ce advi sed me to d o O ne day .

,
as good l uck would have it M 1m m

i m i- , ,
the reverend a r chde a con of N otre D ame wh o took a liking -

,
to me and to him I o we it that I a m this d ay a l earne d

,
man not unpracti sed either in scholas ti cs poetics o r

, , ,
rhythmics nor even in hermeti cs that sophia o f all so phim

, , .
I am the author o f the m yste ry that was performed to day -
bef ore a prodi gious con cou r se o f people with immen se ap ,
l
p a u s e 1 n the g reat hall o f the Palace o f Justice
, I ha ve .
also written a book o f six hundred pages o n the p ro digious

co met o f 1 46 5 which tu rned a man s brai n and have dis
, ,
.
m s H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
-
.
97
a s en sa tion similar to that experien ced by M icrom ega s
when he lay at his full length upon the Alps .
l Vel l
,
said he accommodating himsel f to this u n
,
comfortable couch as we l l as he coul d ’

t is of no use to
,
grumble B ut at any rate this is a strange wedding

"
.
night !
98 TH E n UN a A CK or NO T RE D A ME- .
BOOK I I I .
C HAPT ER I .
THE church o f N otre D ame at Par is is no doubt still a

-
sublime and maj esti c edifice B ut notwithstanding the

.
,
beauty which i t has retained even in its old age one cannot ,
help feeling grief an d indignation at the numberless inj u

ries and mutilations whi ch time and man have inflicted o n
the venerable str ucture reg a r dless of C ha r lemagn e who laid
,
the fi r st stone of i t and of Ph ilip Augustus who laid the

last .
0 11 the face of this aged queen o f ou r cathed r als we

always find a scar beside a w r inkle T emp u s ed a x ho m o .
,
e da cior whi ch I should translate thus : — Time is blind ,
m an stupid .
I f we had leisu r e to examine with the reader one by ,
o n e the di ff eren t t r aces of dest r uction left upon the ancient

,
chu r ch we should find that Time had had much less hand
,
in them than men and especially profess ional men .
In the first place to adduce only some capit al examples

, ,
there are assuredly few mo r e beautiful specimen s o f archi

tectu r e than that fa cade whe r e the three po r ches with
,
their pointed a r ches the plin th emb r oide r ed and fr etted

wi th twenty eight royal niches the immense cent r al m ul
-
l ion e d window flanked by its two lateral windows like

, ,
the p r iest by the deacon and the sub deacon the lofty and
-
ligh t gallery o f Open wo r k arcades suppo r ting a heavy

-
platfo r m upon its slender pillar s lastly the two dark and ,
massive towers with thei r slated penthouses ha r monious

parts o f a magnificent whole placed one above another in
,
five giganti c stages — p resen t themselves to the eye in a

Tu e H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
99
c rowd yet without confusion wi th their innumerable detail
, s
o f statuary sculpture and ca r ving powe r fully contributing

, , ,
to the tran q uil g r andeur of the whole a vast symphon y

o f ston e if we may be allowed the expression
,
the colossal
product o f the combination o f all the force of the age in ,
which the fancy o f the workman chastened by the genius ,
o f the artist is seen starting forth in a hundred form s upon

,
every stone : in short a sort of human creation migh ty and

, ,
fertile as the divine c reation from which i t seems to have

,
borrowed the two fold character of variety and eternity

- .
What we here say of the fa cade must be said o f the

whole chur ch an d what we say of the cathedral of Pari s
must be said of all the churches o f C h r istendom in the
middle ages B ut to return to the fa cade o f N o ne Dame
. -
,
such as i t appears to us at presen t when we piously repair ,
thither to admire the solemn and gorgeou s cathed r al which , ,
to use the language o f the chronicle rs by its vastness

" ,
stru ck terror into the spectato r .
That fa cade as we now see it has lost three import an t

, ,
acces s ories : in the fi r st place the flight of eleven steps , ,
which raised i t above the level of the ground ; in the next ,
the lower range o f statues which filled the ni ches of the '
three po r ches and the upper range of twenty eight mb re

'
-
,
ancient sovereigns o f France which adorned the gallery o f

the fi rst s tory commencing with C hil de b ert and ending
,
with Philip Augustus holding in hi s hand the imperial

,
globe.
Time raising by a slow an d i rresisti ble progress the

,
level o f the city occasioned the removal o f the steps bu t if

,
this rising tide of the pavemen t of Pa r is has s wallowed up ,
o ne after another those eleven steps which added to the

,
majesti c heigh t of the edifice Time ha s gi ven to the , _
church more perhaps than it has taken a way ; f o r i t is '
Time that has imparted t o the fa cade that sombre hue of

anti qui ty which makes the ol d age of b uil d in gs th e period
o f the ir greatest beauty ;
B ut who ha s thrown down the two ranges of statues ?

-
who ha s left the niches empty ? — who has inserted
that new a nd b as ta rd p oi w arch in the middl e o f the
mm
“ h e. W
.
beautiful central po r ch ?
H 2
THE H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
. 1 01
H oly Chapel ( likewise destroyed ) rose ligh t elegan t and , , ,
sono rous m to the ai r overtopping the towe r s ? I t was

, ,
am putated ( 1 7 8 7 ) by an a r chi tect of taste who deemed i t ,
sufficient to cover the wound with that la rge plaster of lead ,
which looks fo r all the wo r l d like the lid o f a saucepan

, , .
I t is thus that the wonderful a r t of the middle ages has

been t reated in almost every country especially in F r ance , .
In its r uins we may distinguish thpg ej inda o fl i njuri es ,
which have a ff ected i t in d i ffe r ent degrees in the first pla ce

Time , whi ch has here and there chapped and eve r y w here
wo r n its surface ; in the ne x t remlufinns politi cal and , ,
reljg ml s which blind and fu rious by n a tu 1 e have rushed

'
, , ,
tumultuously upon it stri pped i t of its rich garb o f sculptur e s

,
and ca r vings b r oken its open work and i ts chai ns o f

,
a r abes q ues and fancifu l figures to r n down its statues some , ,
times o n account of thei r mit res at othe r s o n account of ,
thei r c r owns lastly the fashions mo r e and mo r e silly and

i m
,
M 959 “? which s il i ce d d e v ia tio n s o f the regen
er a tio n h a v e succeeded each other i n the necessary decline
o f architectu r e T he fashions have in fact done more m is

.
chief than revolutions They have cut into the q uick .
they have attacked the osseous system of the a r t ; they

have b ack e d hewn mangl ed m ur dere d the h u ild ing in
, , p , ,
the fo r m as well as in the symbol in its log ic not l es s than ,
i n i ts beauty And then they have r e ne wed — a p re s u m p

.
,
ti on f roTn which at least time and re v o l u t1 o ns h ave been

‘
.
exempt I n the name of goo d ta s te fo r sooth they have

.
, ,
impudently cla pped upon the wounds of Gothic a r chi te cture

their palt r y gewgaws of a dav thei r ribands of ma r ble ,
their pompoons of metal a down r ight lep r osy of eggs volutes , , ,
spirals drape r ies ga rlands fringes flames of stone clouds

, , , , ,
of b r onze pletho r ic cupids chubby che r ubs which begins

, , ,
t o eat into the face of a r t in the o r ato r y of C atheri ne de

’
M edi cis and puts it to death two centuries later w r ith ing
, ,
and grinning in the boudoi r of the D uba r ry .
Thus to sum up the poin ts to which we have di r ected

,
attention th r ee kinds of ravages now a days di s figu re Gothi c

,
- -
arc hitectu re : wrinkles and wa r ts on the epide r mis — these

a re the w or k of Time
'
; wounds cont usions fr actures from , , ,
brutal violence — R h ese are the wo r k o f revolutions from

H 3
1 02 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
Luther to M i r abeau ; mut ilation s, a mp uta tions di slocations ,
o f membe r s r es tora tion s — this I S the ba r barous Greek and

,
R oman W o rk o f pro fe s s o rs acco r ding to Vit r uvius and

”
V1 gn ol e That magnificent a r t which the Vand als produced

academies have mu r dered With Time and re v ol u tions who s e .
,
ravages ar e at an y rate m arked by impa r tiality and grandeur

, , ,
has been associated a host o f ar chitects duly bred duly , ,
patented and d uly swo r n despoiling with the discernment

, ,
o f bad taste substitu ting the chicories o f Louis XV to the

, .
Gothi c lace work for the greate r glo r y of the Parthenon

-
, .
Thi s is truly the ass s kick to the expiring lion ; the old
’
o ak th r owing o u t its leafy c r own to be bitten gnawed and

, , ,
torn by caterpillars .
H ow widely di fferent this from the pe r iod when R obert

C e nal is compa r ing N otre Dame at Paris with the famous
‘
-
,
temple o f D iana at E phesus “ so highly extolled by the ,

”
ancient heathen pronounced the Galli can cathedral more “
,
”
excellent in length breadth height and stru ctu r e
, , ,
.
N ot re D ame howeve r is not what may be called a com

-
, ,
p l e te building no r does it belong to any definite class

,
It .
i s not a R oman church neither is it a Gothi c chur ch

N otre Bame h as not like the abbey of Tournus the heavy
,
, , ,
m assi ve s q uareness the cold n akedness the maj estic sim

, ,
p li ci t
, y o f edifi ces which have the ci r cular arch for their
generative p rinciple I t is not like the cathed r al of B our ges
.
, ,
the magnificent light multifo r m e fil ore s ce nt highly deco

, , , ,
rated p r oduction o f the pointed arch I t cannot be classed .
among that an cient family of churches gloomy mysterious , , ,
l ow and crushed as i t we r e by the ci r cula r arch

, q uite ,
hie r ogly phi c sace r dotal symbolical e x hibiting in their

, , ,
deco r ations m o r e lozenges and zigzags than flowe r s mo r e ,
flowe r s than animals more animals than human figures ; ,
the wo r k not so much of the architect as of the bishop ;

the fi r st t r ansfo r mation of the art imp r essed all over with ,
theoc r ati c and mili tary di scipline commen cing i n the ,
Lowe r E mpi r e and te r minating with William the C on q ueror .
Neithe r can our cathed r al be placed in that other family o f

chu r ches li ght lofty rich in painte d glass and sculptu r es
, , ,
shar p in form hol d in attitude ; free capricious unru ly

, , , ,
as works o f art ; the second transformation of archite cture ,

TH E H UN OH B A C K o r NO T RE D A ME - . 1 03
no longer hie r oglyphic unchangeable and sacerdotal b u t

, , ,
a rtisti cal progr essive and popula r b eginning with the re

, , , ,
tu r n fro m the C rusades and ending with Louis X I Notre .
D ame is no t of pure R oman e x t r action like the fo r mer ,
neithe r is i t o f pu r e A r ab ext r action like the latte r ,

.
I t ja g trarl sitio n ifice T he Sax o n a r chitect had set up

. ,
r st pi lla r s of t e nfie,when the p

‘ “
t l e brough t
’
back from the C rusades seated itself li e a con quero r upon

,
those b r oad R oman capi tals designed to support circu l ar

a r ches only The pointed style thencefo r wa r d mistress
.
, ,
constructe d the rest o f the church ; but unp ractised and ,
timid at its outset i t displays a breadth a flatness and

, , ,
dares not yet shoot up in to steeples and pinnacles as it has ,
since done in so many wonderful cathed r als You would

’
say that it is affected by the vi cinity of the heavy Roman

pillars.
For the rest those edifices o f the transition fr om the

,
R oman to the G othic style are not less val uable as s tudies
tha n the pu r e types o f eithe r They express a shade o f .
the art which woul d be lost but for them — the engrafting
o f the poin ted upon the circul ar style .
N otre D ame at Paris is a particularly curious specimen

-
‘
o f this variety . E ve r y face every stone of the vene rab l e j
, ,
structure is a pgge no t onl y of the history of the c ou ntry

fl
,
1
but also o f the historyo f ar t and s ciep ce Thu s to glan ce
.
_ ,
.
,
me r ely at the prin cipal details while the little Porte R ouge ,
attains almost to the li mits of the Go thic deli cacy o f the

fifteenth centur y the pillar s o f the nave by thei r bul k and
, ,
heaviness carry yo u back to the date of the C arlovingia n

,
abbey o f St Germain d e s Pre s Y ou woul d i m agi ne that

’
. .
there were six centuries between that doo r way and those -
pill ars The r e are none down to the al chym is ts the mselves
.
, ,
but find in the symbols of the g r and po r ch a satisfacto r y

compendium of their scien ce o f whi ch the church of St ,
.
Jac q ues de la B oucherie was so complete an hieroglyphic .
Thus the R oman abbey and the ph ilosophical chu r ch ,
Gothic art and Saxon art the heavy round pill a r which , ,
remin d s you of G r egory V I I papal unity and schism St . .

, ,
Germain des Pres and St Jacque s de la B oucherie — are .
H 4
TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - . 1 05
R oman "zone the Gothic zone and the zone of the revival
, , ,
which we would fain c al l the G reco Ro man The R oman -

.
st r atum whi ch i s the most ancient and the lowest is o ccu

, ,
pied by the ci r cula r a r ch which again appea r s suppo r ted , ,
by the G reek column in the mode r n and uppermost stratum ,
( i f the r evival T he pointed style is between both The

. .
edi fices belonging exclusi vely to o ne of these three st r ata

a re absolute ly distinct o ne and complete Such a r e the , ,
.
abbey of Jumi eges the cathedral of Rheims the Holy , ,
C ross at Orleans B ut the th ree zones blend an d amal .
ga m a te at their bo r d ers like the colou r s in the solar ,
s pectr um Hence the complex structu r es the transition

.
,
edifices The one is R oman at the foot Gothic i n the

.
,
middle Gre w —Roman at the top The reason i s that i t

,
.
was six centu r ies in building This variety is ra r e ; the .
cas tle o f E tampes is a specimen of it B ut the edifi ces .
composed of two fo r mations are frequent Such is N otre .
D ame at Pa ris a building in the pointed style the fi r st

, ,
pillars o f which belong to the R oman zone like the porch ,
of St D enis and the nave of St Germain des Pres Such

.
, . .
t oo is the charming semi gothi c capitular hall of B ocher -
vill e exhibiting the R oman stratum up to half its height

, .
Such is the cathed ral o f R ouen which would be enti r ely ,
Gothic we r e it n ot for the extremity o f its cen tral steeple

, ,
which penet r ates into the zone of the r evival 1 .

‘
For the rest all these shades all these di ff eren ces a ffec t
, , ,
only the surface of edifices i t is but art which has changed

i ts skin The constituti on itsel f o f the C hristi an church i s
.
not affected by them The r e i s always the same internal .
arrangement the same logical disposi tion of parts B e the

, .
sculptured and embroidered ou tside o f a cathedral what i t

m ay we invari ably find underneath at least the germ and
,
rudimen t of the R oman basilica I t uniformly expands .
itself upon the ground according to the same law There .
are without deviation two naves in tersecting each other in ,
0
Th i s is th e sa me th a t is l ik e wi s e ca ll ed a cco rd i ng to co u ntri es cl i m a tes M d
Speci es Lo m ba rd Sa x o n a nd s Th es e fo u r a re para ll e l a nd k i nd red
, , ,
a nt m e
v r ti
,
p li r h r t r ri
, ,
a ie es , e a c h ha v m i ts ec u a c a ac e b ut a ll de v ed fro m t he am s e
p n n cl p l e , t he c rrcu :1 r a c rh ,
p t f th st pl hi h w f wood th t W “d e
.
t It wa s re i s e l y ( h i s a r o w
y by p r
c
e ee e, c as o ,
a
stro e d u e ti e o f ea v e n i n 18 93 h .
1 06 TH E H UN C H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
the form o f a cross and the upper extr emity o f which

,
rounded into an apsis forms the chancel ; and t wo ai les for

,
processions and for chapels a sort o f late r al walking ,
places into whi ch the p r incipal n ave disgorges itself by the

,
i n te r columniations These points being settled the number

.
,
o f the chapels porches towers pinnacles

,
is varied to in
, , ,
finity according to the cap rice o f the age the nation and
, , ,
r the art Accommodation for the exe r cises of r eligion once

.
p rovided and secured architectu r e does j ust what i t pleases

,
.
As fo r statues painted windows mullions a r abes q ues open

, , , ,
wo rk capitals basso relievos — it combines all these devices

, ,
-
agreeably to the sys tem whi ch best suits i tself Hen ce the .
prodigious exte r nal variety in those edifices within whi ch

reside such order and unity The trunk of the tree is u n .
changeable the foliage capri cious

, .
C HAPT E R I I .
VI E W O F P A R IS
’
B rn n s EY E .
“E h ave j ust
7 attempted to r epair for the reader the a d
mi r able church o f N otre D ame at Paris We have briefl y-
.
touched upon most o f the beauties which i t had in the

fifteenth century and which i t n o longer possesses ; but
,
we have omitted the pri n cipal namely the view of Paris ,
then enj oyed from the top o f the towers .
I t was in fact when afte r gropin g your way up the dark

,
spiral staircase with which the thick wall o f the towers is

perpendicularly perfo r ated and landing ab r uptly on o ne of,
the t wo lofty platforms deluged with light and air that a

'
delightful spectacle bu r sts at on ce upon the view a -
spectacle s u i gener is o f which some conception may easily

,
be formed by such of our readers as have had the good for

tune to see one o f the few Gothi c town s still left entire ,
complete homogeneous such as Nuremberg in B avaria

, , ,
Vittoria in Spain , or even smaller s p ecimens provided they , .

T H E H UNC H B A CK or NO TRE D A ME - . 1 07
a re in good preservation as Vi tr é in B retagne and N ord

, ,
hausen in P r ussia .
The Pari s of th r ee hundred and fifty years ago the ,
Paris of the fifteenth centu r y was already a giganti c city

,
.
We m odern Parisians i n general are much mistaken i n

regard to the g r ound which we imagine i t has gained .
Since the time of Louis XI Pa r is has not in creased abo ve

.
o ne third and ce r tes i t has lost much more i n beauty than

it has acqui r ed in m agnitude .
The infan t Paris was bo r n as every body knows in that

, ,
an cient island in the shape o f a cradle which is now called ,
the C ity The banks o f that island were i ts first en closure

.
the Seine was its fi r st ditch For seve r al centuries Paris

.
was confined to the island having two bridges the one on

, ,
the north the other on the south and two tétes de p o nts
, ,
- -
,
which were at on ce its gate s and i ts fo r tresses — the Grand

C h atelet on the right bank and the Peti t C h atelet on the
left I n process o f time under the kings of the first d y
.
,
n asty finding he r self straitened in her island and unable to

,
t u rn he r self about she c r ossed the water

,
A first en closure .
o f walls and towers then began to en croach upon either
bank o f the Seine beyond the two C h atelets O f thi s .
an cient enclosure some ves tiges were still remaining in the

past centu r y ; nothing is n ow left o f it b u t the memor y
and here and there a tradition B y degrees the flood o f .
house s always p r opell ed fr om the heart to the e x tremities

, ,
wore away and o v e rflo we d this en closure Philip Augustus .
surrounded Par is with new r ampar ts He imprisoned the .
city wi thin a ci r cula r chain of la rge lofty and m a ss ive , ,
towers For more than a centu r y the houses crowding

.
,
closer and close r raised thei r level in this basin like wate r
, ,
in a rese r voi r They began to grow higher ; sto r y was

.
piled upon sto r y they shot up like any comp r es sed li q ui d, ,
and each tried to lift its head above its neighbour s in ’
order to obta in a little fresh air The streets became .
deeper and deeper and nar r owe r and na rr owe r : every

,
vacant place was cove red and d isappea r ed The houses at .
length overleaped the wall of Philip Augustu s and merrily ,
scatte r ed themselves at random ove r the p l ain like pri ,
souers who had made thei r escape There they sat them .
T H E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE —D A ME . 1 09
and his tory z — the C ity the U niversity and the Vill e, ,
.
T he C ity whi ch o ccupied the island was the mothe r o f

, ,
the two othe r s and cooped up between them like — r eader

, , ,
forgi ve the compa r ison — l ike a li ttle o l d woman between

two handsome st r apping daughte r s The U nive r sity co .
ve red the left bank o f the Seine fr om the Tou r nelle to the
Towe r of N esle points co rr esponding the o ne with the
,
Hal le aux Vins and the othe r with the M int of modern
, ,
Pari s Its in closu re encroached considerably upon the

.
plain whe r e J u lian had bui lt his baths I t included the .
hill of St Genevi eve The highest point o f this cu r ve o f

. .
walls was the Papal Gate which stood near ly upon the site
,
of the present Pantheon The Vi lle the most ex tensive .

,
of the three divisions stretched alo n g the righ t bank

,
I ts .
q uay ran wi th several inter r uptions indeed along the

, ,
Seine fr om the Towe r of B illy to the To we r du B ois that

, ,
is to say fr om the spot whe r e the G renie r d Ab o nd a nce ’
now stands to that occupied by the T u il e ries These four .
points at which the Seine intersected the in closure o f the

,
capital the T o u rne l l e and the Tower o f N esle o n the left

, ,
and the Towe r of Billy and the To wer d u B ois on the

right were called by way of eminence the fou r towers of
,
Paris. The Ville penet r ated still fu r the r into the field s
than the U nive r sity The culminating poin t o f the in
.
c l osure of the Ville was at the gates of St D enis and St . .
M artin the sites of which remain unchanged to this day

, .
E ach of these great di visions of Paris was as we have ,
observed a city but a city too special to be complete a

, , ,
city which coul d not do without the two others Thus .
they had three totally di ffe r en t aspe c ts The C ity p ro .

,
.
perly so called abounded in chu r ches ; the Vill e contain e d

,
the Pal aces ; and the University the C olleges Setting , .
as i de seconda r y j u r isdi ctions we may assume generally that

, ,
the island was unde r the bishop the righ t bank unde r the ,
provost of the me r chants the left under the recto r of the

,
University and the whol e under the pr ovost of Pa ris a

, ,
royal and not a municipal o fficer The C i ty had the ca .
thed ral of Notre D ame the Vill e the Lou vre and the
-
,
H é te l de Ville an d the U nive r sity the So r bonne

,
The .
Ville contained the Halles the C ity the H 6 tel D ieu and ,
-
,
1 10 TH E H UNC H B A CK op NO T RE D A ME -
.
the U niversity the Pr é aux C lercs For o ffen ces com .
m itte d by the students on the left bank in thei r Pré aux

C lercs they were t ried at the Palace of Justice in the island ,
and punished on the right bank at M ontfaucon unless the

rector finding the Unive r sity st r ong and the king weak
, ,
chose to inte r fe r e : fo r it was a privilege of the scholars to

be hung in their own qua r ter .
M ost of these privileges be i t remarked by the w ay and , ,
some o f them we r e m ore valuable than that j ust mentioned ,
had been extorted fr om di ffe r ent sovereigns by riots an d

insu r rections This is the inva r iable course — the king
.
never grants any boon but what is wrung fr o m him by the

people .
I n the fifteenth century that part of the Seine compre

hended within the inclosu r e o f Pa ris con tained five islands
the Ile Louviers then covered with t r ees and now with
, ,
timber the Ile aux Vaches and the I sle N otre D ame
, ,
-
,
both uninhabited and belonging to the bishop [in the seven

t ee n th century these two islands were con verted into o ne ,
which has been built upon and i s now called the I sle o f
St Louis] lastly the C ity and at i ts poin t the islet o f the
.
,
Passeur aux Vaches sin ce buried under the platform of the

,
Pon t Neuf The city had at that time five bridges three
.
on the right the bridge o f N o n e D ame and the Pont au

,
-
C hange o f s tone and the Pont aux M euniers of wood ; two

,
o n the left the Petit Pon t o f stone and the Pon t St M i

, ,
.
chel of wood ; all o f them covered with houses The .
University had six gates built by Philip Augustus these ,
were s etting out from the Tournelle the gate of St Victo

, ,
.
r
,
the gate o f B ordelle the P ap al gate and the gates of St

, ,
.
Jacques St M ichel and St Ge r main The Ville had six

, .
,
. .
gates built by C harl es V that is to say beginning fr om

, .
,
the Tower of B illy the gates of St Antoine the Temple

,
.
, ,
St M artin St D enis M ontmartre and St Honoré All

.
, .
, ,
. .
these gates were st r ong and handsome too a ci r cumstan ce ,
which does not detract fr om str ength A wide deep di tch .

, ,
supplied by the Seine with wate r which was swollen by ,
the floods o f winter to a running stream en circled the foot ,
o f the wall all round Paris At night the gates were closed, .
r m: B UN C H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME - . 111
the river was ba r red at the two ext r emities o f the city by
stout iron chains and Pa r is slept in q uiet
,
.
A b ird s eye view o f these th r ee town s the C ity the

’
, ,
Unive rsity and the Ville exhibited to the eye an ine x tr i

, ,
cable knot of streets st r angely j umbled together I t wa s .
apparen t ho wever at fi r st sight that these three fragments

, ,
o f a city formed but a single body The spectator per .
ce iv e d immedi ately two long parallel streets without break ,
o r in terruption c r ossing the three cities nea rly in a right

, ,
line from one end to the othe r from south to north per
, , ,
pe ndicul a rl y to the Seine incessan tly pouring the people o f

,
the o ne into the o ther connecting blending them together

, , ,
and converting the three into one The fi r st of these .
str eets ra n from the gate of St Jacques to the gate of St . .
M artin ; i t was called in the U niversity the street o f St .
Jac q ues in the C ity r ue de la J u ive rie and in the Ville

, , ,
t he stree t of St M artin : i t crossed the ri ver twice by the

.
name o f Petit Fo nt and Pon t N o tre D ame The se cond - .

,
named r ue de la Harpe on the left b ank rue de la B aril ,
l e rie in the island rue St D enis on the right bank Pon t

, .
,
St M ichel over one arm o f the Seine and Pont au C hange

.
,
over the other ran fr om the gate of St M ichel in the U ni

,
.
versity to the gate of St D enis in the Ville Still though . .

,
they bo r e so many di ffe r ent names they formed in reality ,
only two st r eets but the two m o the n s tre e ts the two great
, ,
arte ries of Paris All the othe r veins o f the triple city
.
were fed by or di scharged themselves into these .
B esides these two p r incipal di ametrical streets crossing

Pa r is b r eadthwise and common to the entire capital the ,
Ville and the U ni versity had each its chief stree t running
longi tudi nally parallel with the Seine and in i ts cou r se in ,
te r s e cting the two arterial st r eets at righ t angles Thus .
in the Ville you migh t go in a direct l ine from the gate of

St Antoine to the gate of St Honoré and in the U ni
.
.
ve r sity from the gate o f St Victor to the ga te of St Ge r . .
main These two great thoroughfares crossed by the two

.
,
fo r mer cons ti tuted the frame upon whi ch re sted the maz y
,
web of the streets of Paris knotted and j umbled together ,
in every possible way I n the unintel ligible plan of this

.
labyri nth might moreover be di stinguished on closer ex ,

TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T E S D A ME - . 1 13
chu rches : ti s but the hieroglyphics of the feudal system

’
su cceeding those of theocracy .
The C ity then claimed the fi r st notice with its stern to

, , ,
the east and its head to the west Tu r ning toward s the .
l a tter you had before you a countless multitude of old roofs

, ,
above which rose the widely swelling lead covered cupola

of the Holy C hapel like the back of an elephan t support
,
ing its tower I n this case indeed the place o t the towe r
. , ,
was occupied by the ligh tes t the boldest the most elegant , ,
s teeple that ever allowed the sky to be seen th r ough i ts
co ne o f lace work Just in front o f N ot r e D ame th ree

-
.
-
,
stree ts disgorged themselves in to the Parvis a handsome ,
s q uare of old houses O n the south side of this square was

.
the H otel D ieu with its grim wrinkled overhanging front

-
, , , ,
an d i ts roof which seemed to b e co v e re d with warts and

'
pi mples Then to the righ t and to the left to the east

.
, ,
and to the west within the narrow compass of the C ity

, ,
ros e the steeples of i ts twenty one churches of all d ates o f -

,
all forms o f all dimensions fr om the low and crazy R oman

, ,
cam panile o f St D enis d u Pas to the slende r spires of

.
S t Pierre aux B oeufs and St Landry B ehind N otre Dame

. . . -
,
to the north the clois ters unfolded them s elves wi th their

,
Gothic galle ries ; to the south the semi Roman palac e o f -
th e bishop ; to the east the open area called the Ter r ain .
Ami dst this mass of buildings the eye might sti l l distin ,
gui sh by the lofty mitres of stone which crowned the top

,
most windows then placed i n the roofs even of palaces

,
themselves the hotel given by the city in the time of

,
C harles V I to J u ve nal des Ur sin a a little further on the

.
,
tarred sheds o f the market of Palus beyond that the new

choir of St Germain l e Vieux lengthened in 1 458 at the
.
,
ex pen se of one end o f the R ue aux Feves and then at ,
intervals an open space thronged with people a pillo r y

,
er ected at the corner of a street a fine piece of the pave

men t o f Philip Augustus composed of magnifi cen t slabs , ,
channell ed for the sake o f the horses and laid in the middle
of the way a vacan t back cou r t with o ne of those t r ans
parent stai r case turrets which were constructed in the fif .
tee n th century and a s ecimen o f which may sti l l be seen

p ,
in the rue de B ourdonnais Lastly , on the righ t o f the

.
1
1 1 4: T H E H UNC H B A CK or NO TRE D A ME
-
.
Holy C hapel towa r ds the west the Palace o f Justi ce was

, ,
seated with its group o f towers o n the bank o f the river

, , .
The plantations of the king s ga r dens which covered the

’
western point of the C ity inte rcepted the vi ew o f the islet

,
o f the Passeur As for the water it was scarcely to be s ee n

.
,
at either end o f the C ity from the towers o f N o tre Dam e ; ..
the Seine being concealed by the bridges an d the bridges ,
by the houses .
When the eye passed these bridges whose roofs were ,
green with moss the e ffect no t so much of age as of d am p

,
f rom the water if it tu r ned to the left towards the Uni

, ,
ve r sity the first building which stru ck i t was a clump o f

,
towers the Petit C h atelet the yawning gateway of whi ch

, ,
swallowed up the end o f the Petit Pon t : then if i t followed ,
the bank o f the ri ver from east to west fr om the Tour nelle ,
to the Tower of N esle i t perceived a long line o f hou s es

,
with carved beams proj ecting story beyond s tory over the
, ,
pavemen t an inte r minable zi gzag of tra des m e n s hou ses

,
’
frequently broken by the en d o f a street and fr om time to ,
time also by the fron t or pe rhaps the angle o f some spacious

stone man sion seated at its ease, with its cou r ts and gar
,
dens amid this popul ace o f narrow closely crowded dwell

, ,
ings l ike a man of con sequence among his dependen ts

, .
There were five o r six o f these mansion s o n the quay fr om ,
the logis de Lorr aine which di vided with the B ernar dines
,
the extensive en closure contiguous to the Tournelle to the ,
h otel de Nesle whose principal to wer was the boun dary

,
o f Paris and whose pointed roofs for three mon ths of the
,
year ecl ipsed with their black triangles correspon di ng po r

tions o f the scarlet disk o f the setting sun .
O n this side o f the Seine there was much less traffic than
o n the other ; the students made more noise and bustle
there than the artisans and the r e was no quay properly

, ,
speaking except from the b r idge o f St M i chel to the

, .
Tower o f Nesle The rest of the ba nk o f the Seine was in

.
s ome places a naked strand as beyon d the B ernardi nes

, in
o the r s a mass o f houses standi ng o n the brink of the water,
as be tween the two br idges .
Grea t was the di n here kept up by the washerwo me n ,
they gabbl ed shoute d sang, from morning till ni ght, al ong

, ,
THE B UN C H B A C K O F N O T RE D A M E
- .
the bank and soundly beat their linen much the same as
, ,
t hey do at p r esent Among the sigh ts of Paris thi s is by

.
no means the dul les t .
T he Unive r sity brought the eye to a full stop From .
o ne en d to the other i t was an homogeneous compact whole , , .
Those thousand roofs close angul ar adhering together, , , ,
almos t all composed o f the same geometrical element see n ,
from above presented the appearance o f a crystall isation

,
-
of o ne and the same substance The capricious ravines of .
the streets did not cut this pie of hous es in to to o d is pro
p o r t io na te sli ces The .forty two coll e ges were di stribute d

-
am ong t hem in a su fficiently e q ual manne r The curious .
and varied summits o f these beautiful bu ildings were th e

production o f the same art as the simple roofs whi ch they
over to pped in fact they we re but a multipli cation by the
,
square or the cu be o f the same geometrical figure They .
di versified the whole therefore withou t confusing it ; they

, ,
co m fl e te d without ove r loading it Geometry is a harmon y . .
Some su perb mansions too made he re and there magnificen t

inr oads among the pictu resqu e ga r re ts o f the lef t bank the
logis de N evers the logis de R ome the lo gis de R eims
, , ,
whi ch have been swept away the h ote l de C lun y which ,
s till s u b s is ts for the consolation of the artist and the tower ,

_
of whi ch was s o stu pi dly uncrowned s ome y e ars ago That .
Roman palace wi th beautiful cir cula r arches near C lun y , ,
was the baths o f J u lian The r e were li kewi se many abbeys

.
,
of a more severe beau ty than the hotels but nei the r less ,
handsome no r less spacious Those whi ch firs t str uck the .
eye were the B ernardines with their th ree steeples ; St .
Genevi eve the square tower o f which st ill extan t ex cites

, , ,
such regr et for the loss o f the rest ; the So r bo nne hal f ,
college half monastery an admi r able nave of which sti ll

, ,
survi ves ; the beautiful q uadran gular cloister o f the M a

thurins ; i ts neighbo ur the cloister o f St B enedi ct ; th e
, .
C ordeli ers wi th their three enorm ous gables side by side ;

, ,
and the Augu sti nes the graceful steeple o f which made the
,
sec ond indentation ( the Tower o f Nesl e being the first )

on this side of Paris se tting ou t from the west The col
, .
leges which are in fact the intermedi ate link between the
,
clo ister and the world formed the mean in the series c f
, ,
1 2
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
. 1 17
was to be seen the epitaph o f Louis l e G ros and its church ,
with an octagon steeple flanked by four belfries o f the

'
eleven th cen tu r y ; then the bourg St M ar ceau which had .
already th r ee churches and a convent ; then leaving the ,
mill of the Gobelin s and i ts four white w al ls on the left ,
the re was the faubourg St Jac q ues with its beauti fu l .

,
sculptured c ross the chur ch o f St Jacques du Haut Pas .

,
a cha rming pointed Gothic structu r e ; St M agloire a b e an .

,
.
ti ful nave of the fourteenth century converted by N apoleon ,
in to a m agazine for hay ; N ot re D ame des C hamps con -

,
taining B y zantine mosaics Lastly after leaving in the .

,
open country the C arthusian conven t a rich structure con ,
te m porary with the Palace o f Justi ce and the ruins o f ,
Vauvert the haunt of dangerous persons the eye fell to the

, , ,
west upon the th r ee R oman pinnacles of St G ermain des

,
.
Prés The village of St Germain al ready a large parish

. .
, ,
wa s composed of fifteen o r twenty st r eets in the rear the

sharp spi r e of St Sul pice marked one of the corners o f the
.
bou r g C lose to i t might be distinguished the q uad r angular

.
en closure o f the Fair of St Germain the site of the present . .
m arket ; next the pillo r y of the abbey a pretty little cir

, ,
cu la r tower well covered with a cone of lead the tile kil n -
was further o ff so we r e the rue du Four which led to the

, ,
manorial oven the mill and the hospital for le pers a sm all
, , ,
detached building bu t indistin ctly seen B u t what par .
ti cul arl y attracted attention and fi x ed i t for some time on

thi s point was the abbey itself I t is certain that thi s
, .
monastery whi ch had an air o f impo r ta n ce both as a church

,
and as a lo r dly residen ce this abbatial palace where the

, ,
bishops of Pa r is deemed themselves fortunate to be enter

ta ined for a night that refectory to which the architect had
,
gi ven the air the beauty and the splendid window o f a

, ,
cathedral that elegan t chapel of the Virgin that noble dor

, ,
m ito ry those spacious gardens that po r tcullis that draw

, , ,
bridge that girdl e o f battlements cu t o u t to the eye upo n

,
the greensward o f the surrounding fields those courts where ,
men a t arms glistened among copes o f gold — the whole

- -
co llected and grouped around th r ee lofty spi r es with Cir J -
cul ar a r ches
'
firmly seated upon a Gothic choir, formed a
,
m agnifi cent object against the horizon .
1 3
1 18 TH E B UN C H B A C K o r NO T RE D A ME - .
When at length after at tenti vely surveying the Uni

, ,
versity you turn to the right bank to the Ville the eha
, , , .
ra cter o f the scene suddenly changes T he Ville in fact .

, ,
m uch more extensive than the U niversity was also less ,
co mpact At the first sight you perceived that i t was

.
c omposed o f several masses remarkably distin ct I n the .
first pla ce to the east in that part of the town whi ch is

, ,
still named after the m arsh into which C ae sar was enticed
by C am ul ogen e s there was a se r ies o f palaces ” Four
,
n early conti guous mansion s the hotels of Jouy Sens B a r , , ,
beau and the Queen s house mirrored their s lated roofs

,
’
, ,
diversified with slender tur r ets in the waters of the Seine ,

.
Those four buildi ngs fi l led the space between the Rue des
N o naindiere s and the abbey o f the C el e s tins the spire o f ,
whi ch gracefully relieved their line o f gables and battle

’
ments Some greenish walls upon the water s edge in
.
,
front of these buildings did not p r even t the eye fr om ,
catching the beautiful angles o f their fr onts their lar ge ,
quadran gular windows with stone frames and tran soms ,
t he poin t ed arches of their po r ches su r charged with sta tues , ,
and all those charming freaks of archi tectur e whi ch give to

Gothi c art the air of resorting to fresh combination s in
every buildi ng I n the rear o f these palaces ran in al l
.
,
directions sometimes p alisaded and embattled like a castle

, ,
sometimes embowered in great trees like a C arthusian con

vent the immense and multiform encl os ure o f that mar
,
vellons hotel o f St Pol where the ki ng o f Fran ce had

.
,
superb accommodation for twe nty two princes equal i n -
rank to the dauphin and the duke of B urgundy with their ,
attendants and retinues wi thout reckoning distinguished ,
n obles o r the empero r when he visited Paris o r the li ons

, ,
which had their hotel apart from the r oyal habitation Be .
i t here remarked that the apartments o f a prince in tho se

days consisted o f not fewer than eleven rooms fr om the ,
h all of parade to the o r atory exclusively o f gall eries and , ,

”
baths and stoves and other superfluous places attache d
, ,
to each set of apartmen ts ; to say nothing o f the private

’
gardens o f each o f the king s guests ; o f the kitchens the ,

'
cellars the servants rooms the general refectories o f the

, ,
house hold of the o ffi ces where there were twenty two ge -
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME- . 1 19
ner al laboratories from the bakehouse to the wine cellar

,
-
o f places app r opriated to games of eve r y sort the m al l , ,
tennis the ring of a viari es fis h ponds menageries

, ,
-
, ,
stables libr aries arsenals found ries Such was then the
, , ,
.
palace of a king 3 Louvre an hote l St Pol I t was a cit y

,
.
,
. .
within a city .
From the tower where we have taken o u r station the ,
ho tel St Pol though almost half concealed by the four

.
,
great buildings above mentioned was still a righ t goodly

-
,
sight The three hotels whi ch Charles V had incorporated

. .
with his palace though skilfully united to the principal

,
bu ilding by long galleries with windows and small pillars ,
might be perfectly distinguished These were the ho tel of .
the Peti t M uce with the light balust r ade which graceful ly
,
bordered its roof ; the hotel o f the abbot o f St M aur hav .

,
ing the appear ance o f a castle a strong tower portcullises , , ,
loopholes bastions and over the la rge Saxon doorway the

, ,
escutcheo n of the abbot the ho tel of the C ount d E ta m pe s

’
the keep of which in ruin at the to p appeared j agged to

, ,
the eye like the comb o f a cock clumps of old o aks he r e

and the r e forming tufts like enormous cau l iflo wers swans
di spo r ting in the clear water o f the fis h ponds all s treaked -
,
wi th light and shade ; the dwelling o f the li ons with its

low pointed a r ches supported by short Sa xon pil lars its ,
iron grating and its perpetual bellowing ; beyond all these

,
the sc al y spire of the Ave M aria ; o n the left the resi

dence of the provost o f Paris flanked by four turrets o f ,
deli ca te workmanship ; at the bottom in the cent r e the , ,
hotel St Pol prope rly so called with its nume r ous fa cades
.
, , ,
its successi ve embell ishmen ts fr om the time of C harles V .

,
the hybrid excrescen ces with which the whims of architects

had loaded i t in the course of two centuri es with all the ,
apsides o f its chapels all the gables o f its g alleries a thou

, ,
sand weathe r cocks mark ing the four winds and its two ,
lofty contiguous towers whose conical roofs surrounded at

, ,
their base wi th battlements looked l ike sharp pointe d hats ,

-
with the brims turned up .
C ontinuing to ascend that amphitheatre o f palaces sp r ead

ou t far over the ground after c r ossing a deep ravine part
,
.
ing the roofs o f the Vill e the eye arrived at the logis d An
’
1 4
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - . 1 21
idea filled the angle which the wall o f Charles V formed

,
.
wi th the Seine to the east The centre o f the Ville was

.
occupied by a hea p of houses o f the infe r ior class Here .
in fact the three bri d ges of the city disgorged themselves

o n the right b ank and bridges make houses before palaces
, .
This accumulation of dwellings of tradesmen and artisan s ,
j ammed together like cell s in a hi ve had its beauty There ,

.
is something grand in the houses o f a capital as in the

waves o f the sea In the first place the streets crossin g
.
,
and entwining formed a hundred amusing figures ; the

,
en vi r ons o f the H alles looked like a star with a thousand

rays The streets of St D enis and St M artin wi th their
. . .
,
numbe rless ramifications ran up one beside the other like

,
t wo thi ck trees interm ingling their branches and then the

s tr eets o f la Pl ate rie la Verrerie and la T ix erande rie
, , ,
wound over the whole There were some handsome build

.
ings that overtopped the petrified undulation o f this sea of

roo fs At t he head o f the Pont aux C hangeurs behin d
.
,
which the Seine was seen foaming under the wheels of the
Pont aux M eunie r s there was the C h atelet no longer a
, ,
Roman castle as in the time o f Julian the Apostate but a ,
feudal castle o f the thi r teenth century and o f s tone so hard ,
th at i n th r ee hou r s the pickaxe could not chip o ff a piece

la r ger than you r fist The r e too was the rich s q uare tower
.
o f St Jac q ues de la B ou che r ie with i ts angles all blunted

.
,
by scul ptures and already an obj ect o f admiration though

, ,
i t was not finished till the fifteenth century I t had no t .
then those four monsters which perched to this d a y at the ,
cor ners of the roof look li ke four sphynxes gi ving to

, ,
mod ern Paris the enigma of the ancient to un ravel They .
were not erected till the year 1 52 6 by Rault the sculptor , ,
who had twenty fran cs fo r his labour — There was the .
M aison aux Piliers o f which we have conveyed some idea

,
to the reader ; there was St Gervais sin ce spoiled by a

.
,
.
porch i n a good ta s te there was St M ery whose old .

,
pointed arches we r e l ittle less than circ u lar the r e was St .
Jean the m agnificent spire of which was p r overbial ; there

,
were twenty other buil d ings which di d n ot di sdain to bur y

their marvels in this chaos of deep black n ar r ow streets , ,
.
Add to these the sculptur ed stone c r osses more numerou s ,

1 22 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
-
.
e ven than the gibbets the burying g r ound of the I nnocents

,
-
,
the architectu r al enclosure of which was to be seen at a

di stance above the roofs the pillory o f the Halles the top ,
of which was perceptible between two chimneys of the R ue

de la C os s ene rie the l a dd er of the Cr oix du T rahoir i n ,
i ts crossing always black with people the circular walls o f

the Halle a u B lé the remains of the an cient en closur e of
Phi lip Augustus to be distinguished here and there
, ,
d ro wned by the houses towers ove r grown with ivy gate s

, ,
i n ruins c r umbling and shapeless fr agments o f walls the

,
quay with its thousand shops and its bloody slaughter

,
houses ; the Seine covered with craft from the Port an F oin ,
’
to the For L E v é q u e and you wil l have a faint image of
-
,
the central trapezium o f the Ville as it was in 1 48 2 .
B esides these two qua r te r s the o n e o f palaces the other

, ,
of houses the V ill e p re s e nte d a third feature a long

'
-
, ,
z o n e o f abbeys which borde r ed almost i ts whole circum

,
ference fr om west to east and formed a secon d enclosure

,
of convents and chapels within that of the fo r tifi cation s

whi ch en compassed Pa r is Thus immediately a dj oining .
,
to the park o f Tournelles between the street St Antoi ne , .
’
an d the o ld street o f the Te mple there was St C atherine s ,
.
,
with i ts immense extent of gardens and cultivated g r ounds ,
which were bordered only by the wall of Paris B etween .
the old and the new street o f the Temple there was the
Temple a gri m t all c luster o f gloom y towers standing i n
, ,
th e centre o f a vast embattled en closure B etween the .
new street of the Temple and the street St M artin was the .
abbey o f St M artin amidst its ga rdens

.
, a supe r b fo r tified
church whose girdle o f towe r s and tiara of steeples were
,
s ur passed in strength and splendour by St Ge r main des .
Prés alone B etween the streets of St M artin an d St

. . .
D enis was the en closure o f the Trinity ; and lastly between ,
the st r eets of St D enis and M o n to r gu e il the Filles D ieu

.
,
.
Be side the latter were to be seen the tumbling roofs and

t he unpaved area of the C ou r des M iracles I t was the only .
p rofane link that intruded i tself into this chain of conven ts .
The fou r th and last compar tment which was su fficien tly ,
obvi ous o f itself in the agglomeration o f buildings on

the right bank whi ch occupied the western angle of the
TH E H L'N C H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME
- . 1 23
enclosur e and co ve r ed the margin of the river was a new ,
knot of palaces and mansions that had sprung up at the

foo t o f the Louv re The o l d Louvre of Philip Augustus
. ,
that immense building whose g reat tower rallied around ,
i t twenty th r ee other towe r s without reckoning turrets

-
, ,
a ppeared at a distan ce to be enchased in the Gothic sum
mi ts of the hotel of Alen con and o f the Petit B ourbon .
That hyd r a of towers the giant guardian o f Paris with i ts

, ,
twen ty four heads ever erect with its monst r ous ridges
-
, ,
ca sed in lead o r s e al e d with slate and glistening all over ,
with the reflection of metals te rminated in a striking ma n ,
ner the configu r ation o f the Vil le to the west .
Thus an immense is l a n d as the R omans term ed i t o f

, ,
common houses flanked on the right and left by clusters

,
o f palaces crowned the one by the Lou vre

, the other by
, ,
the Tournelles begirt o n the no r th by a long belt o f abbeys

,
and cultivated enclosures the whole blended and amalgamated ,
to the eye ; above these thousands o f buildings whose til ed ,
and slated roo fs formed so many strange chains the tattooe d , ,
figu red carved steeples and spires o f the forty four churche s
,
-
o f the right bank myriads of streets running in all d i rec

ti ons bounded on the one hand by a high wal l wi th squ are
,
towers ( the wall o f the U niversity had circu lar towers )

o n the other by the S eine intersected by bridges and stud
ded with c r aft — such was the Ville in the fifteenth century .
B eyond the walls the r e were sub ur bs c r owding about

,
the gates but the houses composing them were less nume r ous
,
and mo r e scattered than i n those bel onging to the U ni .
versity I n the rear o f the B astille there were a score o f

.
huts grouped about the C ross o f F aubin wi th i ts cu r ious ,
sculptu res and the abbey of St An toine des Champs with

, .
,
i ts flying buttresses ; then Popin court lost in the corn ,
fiel ds ; then la C ou rtill e a j ovial hamlet of po t houses ; ,

-
the bourg St Laur ent with i ts church whose steeple

.
, ,
seemed at a di stan ce to belong to the gate o f St M artin .

,
wi th i ts poin ted towers the faubourg St D enis wi th the .

,
vas t en closu r e o f St Ladr e ; beyond the gate o f M ont

. .
m a rtre la G r ange B ateli ere belted wi th whi te wall s

, ,
behi nd it with its chalky decli vities M ontmartre whi ch

, , ,
had then al most as many ch u rches as windmills b u t ha ,

TH E B U N CH B A C K or NO I RE D A ME
’
- . 1 25
p roduction o f the mi d dle ages a chronicle of stone I t , .
was a city fo r med of two st r ata only the basta r d R oman ,
and the Gothi c for the pur e R oman had long before
,
d isappeared exce pting at the B aths o f Julian where it

, ,
still pee r ed above the thick crust of the middle ages As .
for the C elti c str atum no specimens o f that were now to

,
b e found even i n diggi ng wells .
Fifty yea r s la ter when the regeneration came to blend

,
with this unity so seve r e and yet so diversified the dazzling

luxury of i ts fantasies and its systems i ts ext r avagancies ,
o f R oman a r ches G r eek columns and Gothic ellipses

,
its ,
sculptu r e so delicate and so ideal i ts parti cular style of ,

!
arabesques and acanthi its architectu r al paganism contem

,
po rane ou s with Luther Paris was pe rhaps still mo r e beau

,
tif ul though less harmonious to the eye and the mind

,
.
B ut this splendid momen t was o f short duration the

regeneration was not impartial ; i t was not content with
bu ilding up it wan ted to throw do wn : it i s true enough
,
that it needed room Thus Gothic Paris was complete but

.
fo r a minu te Scar cely was St Jac q ues de la B oucherie

. .
finishe d when the demoli tion of the ol d Louvre was begun .

,
Since that time the great city has been daily inc r easing
in defo r mity The Gothi c Pa r is which swept away the
.
,
bastard R oman has been in its tu r n swept away but can

,
any one tell what Paris has succeeded i t ?

The re is the Pa ris of C atherine de M edici at the Tui
l erie s the Pa ris of Hen r y I I at the H otel d e V ille
, . two
edifi ces still in a grand style the Paris o f Henry I V at .
the Place R oy ale — fronts o f bri ck with stone q uoins and ,
slated roofs — tricoloured hous es the Paris of Louis XI I I .
at Val de G race — a squat clumsy style something paunch

, ,
belli ed in the column and h u n ch ba cked in the dome the -
Paris of Louis XIV at the Invalid es g r and rich gilded

.
, , , ,
an d cold the Paris of Louis XV at St Sulpice — volutes . .

,
knots o f r ibands clouds v e rm icel lie s chicories and the

, , , ,
L or d knows what all in stone the Paris of Louis XVI

,
.
at the Pa ntheon — a w r etched copy o f St Pete r s at R o me ; .

’
the Pari s o f the Republic at the School of M edicine — a

,
poo r G reek and Roman style resembling the C oliseum or,
the Parthenon as the constitution of the yea r 3 doe the s

1 26 TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME
- .
l a ws of M inos — it i s called in archi te cture the M es sidor ,
s tyl e the Pari s of N apoleon at the Place Vend ome — this

,
is su bli me — a column o f b r on ze m ade o f cann on ; the

Paris o f the R estoration at the E xchange — a very white
,
colonnade supporting a ve r y smooth fr ieze ; the whole is
squa r e and cost twenty millions .
With each of these characteristi c structures a certain

number of houses scatte r ed over the di ff erent quarters range
them s elves by a similarity o f style fashion and atti tude : , ,
th ese a r e easily distinguished by the eye o f the connoisseur .
Possess ing this tact you discover the spirit of an age and
,
the physiognomy o f a king even in the knocker o f a doo r .
The Pa r is o f the present day has no general physiognom y .
I t i s a collection of specime ns of various ages the finest of ,
which have disa ppeared The capit al increases o nly in

.
h ou ses and what houses

, At the rate that Paris is no w
goi ng on i t will be renewed every fifty ye ars Thus the
, .
historical signifi cation o f i ts a r chitecture is daily be c oming

ob li terated The m onuments o f past tim e s are be coming
.
m o re an d mo r e rare and you fancy you see them engulphed

,
one after another in the deluge o f houses O ur fathers .
had a Paris o f stone ; our chil dren will have a Paris o f

pl as ter .
As f o r the modern stru ctures o f new P aris we woul d

rather abstain fr om an y mention of them N ot but that .
we admire the m quite as much as is fitting M Sou fflot s . .

’
St Genevieve is ce r tainly the most beautiful Savoy cake

.
that ever was made in stone The Palace of the Legion .
of Honour is al so a most remarkable piece o f pastry The .
d ome o f the Halle au Blé is an E nglish j ockey cap o n a -
lar ge scale The towers of St Sul p ice are two big clarinets
. .
,
and that is a shape as well a s an y other : the telegraph ,
wri thing and g rinning fo r ms a cha r ming accession upon

,
their roof St R och ha s a porch compar able for m agnij

. .
ficen ce to that of St Thomas A q uinas alone

. I t has also .
a C alvar y in alto relievo in a cellar and a sun of gilt wood

-
, .
These a r e absolutely wonderful things The lante r n in .
the labyrin th of the Jardin des Plan tes i s al so a most in

ge niou s wo r k A s for the E xchange which i s Greek i n
.
,
its colonnade Roman in the circula r arches of its doors

,
TH E H UNC H BA CK or N OT RE D A H E
- . 1 27
and windows and belongs to the regenerated s tyl e in i ts

,
great elli pti c vaul t — it is indubitably a most pure and

classi c st ructu r e ; in proof of which i t is crowned by an
atti c such as was never seen at A thens — a beautifu l straight

,
li ne gracefu lly b r oken here and there by stove pipes Add

,
- .
to this that if it is a rul e that the archi tecture o f an edifi ce

shoul d be adap ted to its destination in such a manner that
thi s d estination may be obvious on a mere inspection o f
the building we cannot too highly admire a s tructu re whi ch
,
'
is equally suitable for a king s palace a house of commons , ,
a to wn hal l a college a r iding house an a ca demy a

-
, ,
-
, ,
warehouse a court o f j ust ice a museum a barrack a

, , , ,
sepulchre a temple a theatre And after all i t is an E x

, ,
.
change A building ought moreover to be ada pted to the

.
climate This is evidently designed expressly for our cold

.
and rainy atmosphere I t has a roof nearly flat as i n the .
E ast so that in win ter after snow i t i s necessary to

, , ,
sweep the roof and i t is most certain that a roof is in

,
te nded to be swept As for that destination to whi ch we

.
j ust adve r ted i t fulfils i t marvellously well : in F r an ce it

,
is an E xchange in G reece it would ha ve been a temple

, .
Thes e are no doubt most splendid structu r es Add to .
them a great man y handsome s treets , amusing and di ve r

s ifi e d as the R ue de R i voli and I despa ir no t that Paris , ,
vi ewed from a balloon may some day presen t to the eye ,
that ri chness of lines that luxu r y o f details that diversity

, ,
of as pects a ce rtain combination of the grand wi th the

,
simple o f the beautiful with the unexpe cted , which cha

,
ra cte ris e s a draught boa rd -

.
Admirable however as the Paris o f the present da y

, ,
appea r s to you build up and put together again in ima

,
gina ti o n the P aris o f the fifteenth cen tury ; look at the

light through that su r prising host o f s teeples towers and , ,
“
b el fr ies ; pou r fo r th amidst the immense city b reak agai ns t ,
the points of i ts islands compress within the a r ches o f the ,
bri dges the cu r rent o f the Seine with its large patches o f
, ,
green and yellow more changeable than a se rpent s skin

,
’
define clea r ly the Gothi c profile of thi s o l d Pa r is upon an

ho ri zon of azu r e make its contour float in a wintry fog
,
whi ch clings to i ts innumerable chimney s ; dro wn it in

- . 4 29
di recti ons make th ree or four luminous zigzags an d vanish

, ,
l i ke li ghtning D own yonde r the abbey of St M a r tin

.
, .
sends fo r th i ts ha r sh sha r p tones ; he r e the B a still e raises

,
i ts sinister an d husky voi ce ; at the oth er extremity i t is ,
the great tower of the Louv r e with its counter tenor The
,
- .
royal chimes of the palace throw ou t incessantl y o n a ll

si des resplenden t trills upon which falls at measur ed
, ,
interv al s t he heavy toll from the belfr y o f N otre D ame

,
-
,
whi ch makes them sparkle like the anvil under the hammer .
From ti me to time you see tones o f all shapes proceeding ,
from the triple peal of St Ge r main des Prés passing b e

.
fore you Then again at interv als this mass of sublime

.
, ,
s oun d s Open s and m akes way for the s tr e tte of the Ave
M a ria which glistens like an aig r ette of star s B eneath

,
.
,
in the deepest part o f the con cert you distin guish con ,
f u s e dl y the singing within the chu r ches which t r anspires ,
th r ough the vibrating pores of thei r vaul ts Verily thi s is .
an opera which is well worth listening to I n an o r d ina r y .
w ay the noise issuing from Pari s in the day time is the

,
-
talking o f the city at nigh t i t is the b r eathing o f the city

in this case it is the singing of the city Lend you r ear .
then to this tu tti of ste eples di ff use over the whole the
buz z o f half a million o f human beings , the ete r nal m
mur of the river the infinite piping o f the wind the grave
, ,
an d distant q uartet of the four forests placed like immense
organs on the four hill s o f the hori zon ; soften down as ,
wi th a demi ti n t all that i s to o shrill an d too ha r sh i n

-
,
the central mass of sound — and say i f you know an y

thing in the world more rich more gladdening more , ,
dazzling th an that tumult o f bell s ; than that furn ace

, ,
o f music ; than those ten thousand brazen tones breathed
all at once fr om fl utes of stone three hun d r ed feet high ;
than t hat city which is but one orchest r a ; than that

symphony rushing and roaring like a tempes t .
END 6? TH E F I R ST V OL U M E .
1 30 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A M E - .
v o nU M E TH E S E C ON D .
B O O K IV .
C HAPT ER I .
TH E F OUND LIN G .
SI X TE E Nyears before the period o f the events reco rded in

this history one fine morning — it h appened to be Quasi
,
modo Sunday a li ving c reature was laid after mass in

the church o f Notre D ame in the wooden bed walled into
-
the porch o n the left hand Opposite to that great image o f

,
St C hristopher which faced the kneeling fi gure sculptured

.
in stone o f Antoine des E ssarts , knight till 1 41 3 when , ,
both saint and sinner were thrown down O n this wooden .
bed i t was customary to expose foundli ngs to the publi c

chari ty Any o ne took the m who felt so disposed B e
. .
fore the wooden bed was a copper ba sin to receive the alms
of the charitable .
The li ving creature which lay upon thi s hard couch o n

the morning o f Qu asimodo Sunday i n the year Of ou r ,
Lord 1 46 7 appeared to excite a high degree o f curiosity

,
in the conside r able concourse Of person s who had collec ted

around it They consisted chi efly o f the fair sex being
.
,
almost all o f them ol d women .
In the fron t ro w nearest to the bed were four whom

, ,
fr om their grey cass o ck you would j udge to belong to some

religious sisterhood I see no reason why history shoul d
.
not transmit to posterity the names of these fo u r di s cre e t

and venerable matrons They were Agnes 1a Herm e,
.
Jehanne de la Tarme Henriette la G au l tie re and Gau

, ,
ch e r e la Violette all four widows and sisters o f the chap el

, ,
o f E tienne H au d r , who had left their house with the

y
TH E n u s cn na ox o re NO T RE D A ME
- . 131
perm ission of their superior and agr eea bly to the statute s o f ,
Pierre d Ailly for the purpose o f attending divine service

’
, .
I f howeve r thes e good creatures were Observing the

, ,
statu tes of Pierre d Aill y they were certainly violating at ,
the moment those of M ichel de B rache and the C ardinal o f

Pisa which most inhuma nly imposed upon the m the l aw
,
o f silence .
What is that, s ister said Agnes to G au chere l ook ,
ing inten tly at the l ittle creature yelping and writhing o n ,
the wooden couch and terrified at the number of s trange ,
faces.
What will the world come to said Jehanne , ,
that i s the way they m ake ch ildren now a days P - -

.
'
I don t prete nd to kn ow much about children re ,
”
j oined Agnes, but i t must be a sin to look at that thing
"
.
’ ’
T is not a child, Agnes t is a mis shapen ape oh -
,
served Gau chére .
”
T is a mi r acle !
’
ej a cul ated La Gault i ero .
”
Then rem arked Agnes
,
this is the third sin ce Lae ,
ta re Sunday for it is not a week since we had the miracle

,
o f the s co fi er Of the p il gn m s puni shed by our Lady o f

’
Aubervil liers and that was the se cond mi r acle o f the

month " .
,
This foundl ing as they call it, is a real mons ter o f ,

”
abomination resumed Jchanne ,
He bel lows loud enough to deafen a chante r con ,
tinue d G au chére .
And to pretend that M onsieur de Reims coul d send

this fr ight to M onsieur de Par is a dded La G aul tiere ,
clasping her han ds .
I cannot help thinking said Agnes la Herme that , ,
it is some bru te something between a Je w an d a beast

,
something in short that is not C hristi an and ough t to be ,
drowned o r burned
"
.
I do hope resumed L a Gau l tiere, that nobody will

,
”
apply for i t .
Good God ! exclaimed Agnes how I pity the poo r ,
nurses at the foundling hospital i n the lane yonder going

’
down to the river, close by the archbishop 8 if thi s littl e ,
1: 2
m s B U N C H B A OK o r N OT RE D A ME
- . 1 33
the Obj ect found apparently o n the ba nk o f the Phle

getou .
He seems to have but one eye observed D amoiselle ,

”
Gu ill emette and the r e is a great wart over the other .
”
T is no wa r t r epli ed M aster R obe r t M is tricoll e
'
, ,
but an egg which contains another demon exactly li ke

,
this with another li ttle egg contai ning a third de vil and
, , ,
s o on .
”
La ! how know you that ? asked Guill emette
"
.
I know i t pertinen tly replied the p r othonotary

"
.
,
M r Prothonotary en quired G au chere

.
, what pro ,
”
p he s
y you fr om this kind of fo u ndling ?
”
The g r eatest calami ti es replied M is tri coll e , .
Gracious Heaven exclaimed an ol d woman who

s tood by no wonder we had such a pe stilence last year
, ,
and that the E ng lish i t is s aid are going to l and i n force

, ,
at H are fle u !
Perhaps that may not p r even t the queen from coming
"
to Paris in September rej oined another , trade is very
fla t already .
I am o f Op inion cried Jehanne de l a Tarme

,
that ,
i t would be better for the people o f Pari s if that littl e sor ,

”
ce rer were lying upon a faggot than upon a plank .
”
A y a bonny blazing one 1 added the old dame
— .
”
That might be mo r e pruden t Observed M is tricoll e ,
.
For some momen ts a young priest had been l istening to

,
the comments of the women and the prothonota r y He was .
a man o f an austere counte n an ce with an ample b r ow and ,
pie r cing eye Pus hing aside the crowd withou t speaking
.
,
”
he examined the li ttl e so r cerer and ex tended his hand ,
over him I t was high time for all the pious b y standers
.
,
-
”
were agog for the bonny blazing faggot .
”
I adopt this child said the p riest ,
.
He wrapped him in his cassock and carried him away .
The b y standers looked after hi m with horror till he had

-
,
pas sed the Porte Rouge which then led fr om the ch u rch to
-
the clois ters and was out Of sight

, .
When they had recovered fr om their fi r st astonis hment ,
Jeha nne de la Tarme stooping till her lips were near the
,
K 3
1 34 1 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
ea r o fLa G aul ti ere, Sister whispered she , di d I not

,
tell you that you young clerk M onsieur C laude Frollo, is a

,
”
sorcerer ?
C HAPT ER I I .
C L A UDE F RO LLO .
C L A U D E FRO LL O was , in fact, no ordinary personage He .
b el onge d to o ne Of those families who, in the imper tinent

language o f the last century, were called in di scriminately
ha u te bo u rgeois ie or p etite no bl ess e This family had i n
.
he ri ted from the P acl e ts the fie f o f T i re chapp e , which was

held under the B ishop of Paris, and the twen ty one houses of -
which had been in the thirteenth cen tury the subject of so

many plead ings before the o fficial C laude Frollo, as p o s
.
se s s or o f thi s fief, was o n e o f the o ne hundred and forty - one
se igneurs who claimed manorial rights in Paris and i ts

,
suburbs ; and a s such his name was long to be seen re

i te re d between the H O te l de Tan carville belonging to
g s :
,
M aster Fran cois de R ez an d the C oll ege d e Tours i n

,
~
the cartulary preserved in the church o f St M artin des .

-
C hamps .
C laude Frollo had from his chil dh ood been destined by

hi s parents for the church He was taught to read Latin
.
,
to cast down his eyes and to speak l o w While quite a

,
.
b o y his father had placed him in the C ollege o f To r chi in

,
the U ni versity and there he had grown up o n the missal

and the lexicon .
For the rest he was a dul l grave serious boy who s tu

, , , ,
died assiduously and lea rned qui ckly He made but little
,
.
noise in his recreations had mingled b u t little in the bac

,
chanals of the R ue d u F ou arre and had not cut a figure in

,
that mutiny o f the year 1 46 3 which the chroni clers have

,
gravely recorded under the title o f Si x th D istu rban ce o f

”
the University H e had sca r cely ever b een known to rally
.
the p oor scholars o f M ontaigu for the l ittle hoods , after

TH E H UNC H B A CK or N o r a n m a mn . 1 35
whi ch they we r e nickn amed ( C ape tte s ) o r the bursars Of ,
the C ollege of Dormans for their shaven crowns and their

tricoloured fr ock of grey blue and purple cloth , az u ,
r i m calor ie et bru m as saith the charter Of the C ardinal

' ' '
( les Quatres C ouronnes -

.
O n the other hand he was assiduous in hi s attendance on

,
the upper and lower schools of the R ue St Jean de B eau . .
vais The first scholar whom the Abbé of St Pierre de Val

. .
,
at the momen t o f commencing his lecture on the ca non

law per ceived invariably stationed Opposite to his chair by
,
a pi llar o f the school of St V e ndreges il e was C laude .

,
Frollo pro vided with his ink horn chewing his pen seri b
,
-
, ,
bli ng upon his knee and i n win ter blowing his fingers
, .
The firs t auditor whom M essire Miles d l sl ie rs doctor in ’
di vinity saw en tering every M onday morning q uite o u t

, ,
Of breath , o n the Opening Of the door Of the school of C hef

St D enis was C laude Frollo Accordingly at the age of
.
,
.
,
sixteen the young cle r k might have posed a father of the

ch u rch in m ysti c theology, a father o f the council in
canonical theology and a doctor o f the Sorbonne in scho
,
lasti c theology .
Having passed through theology he had fallen upon the ,
capitul aries o f C harlemagne and with his keen appeti te , ,
f o r knowledge had devoured decretals afte r decretals those

, ,
Of Theodore B ishop o f H is pal a of Bo uchard B ishop o f ,
W orms o f Yves B ishop o f C h a rtres ; then the decree of

,
Gratian which succeeded the capitul aries o f Charlemagne ;

,
then the collection o f Grego r y I X then Hono r ius the .
’
Thi r d s epistle S up er Sp ecu la till he made himself per
f e ctl y familiar wi th that long and tumultuous period i n ,
which the canon law and the civil law were struggling and
labou ring amidst the chaos of the middle ages a period
Opening with Th eodore in 6 1 8 and closing with Pope ,
Gregory i n 1 22 7 .
Having despatched the decretals he proceed ed to me ,
di oine and the liberal arts He studi ed the science o f .
herbs and the science o f unguents he became ski l ful in

the cure o f fevers and o f contusions of wounds and Of im ,
po sthumes He was q uali fied alike to practise in medicine

.
and in chi ru rgery He passed through all the degrees of

.
x 4
rm : H UN CH BA C K on NO T RE D A ME - . 1 37
from the sky into his a r m s made a new man of him He ,

.
perceived that the r e was something in the wo r ld besides the

specu lations of the So rbonne and the verses of Homer ;
t hat human beings have need o f a ff ec tions that li fe with
o u t love is but a d r y wheel creaking and grating as i t ,
revolves He fancied i t is true for he was at an age

.
, ,
when one illusion only gives place to another that the ,
family affections the ties of blood we r e alone n eedful for

, ,
hi m and that the love of his little brother was su fficient to

,
fill his heart for his whole life .
He gave himself up therefore to the love o f his li ttle

Jehan with the passion of a character already ardent ener ,
getic and concentrate d This poor fr ail fair deli cate

, .
, , ,
creature thi s o r phan without any protector but an orphan,

,
moved him to the bottom o f his soul ; and g r ave thi nker ,
as he was he began to muse upon Jehan with feelings of

,
infinite compassion He bestowed o n him all possible ca re

.
and attention just as if he had been something exceed ingly

,
fragile and exceedingly valuable He was more than a .
br o the r to the infant : he became a mother to him .
Little Jehan was still at the breast when he lost his

mother : C laude put him out to nurs e B esides the fie f of .
T ire chap pe he had inherited from his father a mill si tuate d

o n a hi l l near the castle of l Vinches te r since corrupte d to ,
B ic etr e The mille r s wife was j ust suckling a fine boy ;

.
’
i t was not far fr om the U nive r sity and C laude ca rried ,
li ttle Jehan to her him self .
Thenceforward the thought o f his little b rother became

n ot only a recreation but even the Object o f hi s studies .
He resolved to devote himself entirely to the ca r e of him ,
and neve r to have an y othe r wi fe or any other child but , ,
the happiness and p r osperity of his brother He attached .
himself therefo r e more st r ongly than eve r to his cleri cal

vocation His me r it his learning his condition of imme
.
, ,
diate vassal of the B ishop Of Pa r is th r ew the doo rs Of the ,
church wide open to him At the age of twenty by a .

,
s pe ci al dispensation of the holy see he was a p r iest an d , ,
as the youngest
of the chaplains o f N ot r e D ame b e per -
formed the service of the alta r cal led on ac coun t of the ,
latenes s of the mass said there al ta re p ig r oru m

'
,
.
1 38 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
.
There m ore than ever abso rbed b y his beloved books

, ,
which he ne ver qui tted but to run for an hou r to the mill ,
this mixtu r e of learn ing and austeri ty so uncommon at his ,
age quickly gained him the admiration and the re s pect of

,
the c onvent From the cloister his reputation for lea r ning
.
Sp read among the people and among some o f them i t even

,
p rocured him the character Of a sorcerer a frequen t cir

cu m s tan ce in that superstitious age .
I t was at the moment when he was returning on Qua ,
s im od o Sunday from saying mass at

, the altar Of the
”
lazy which stood by the door o f the choir o n the right
, ,
near the image Of the B lessed Virgin that hi s atten tion was ,
at tracted by the group o f Old women cackling a r oun d the

bed Of the foundlings He approached the unfortunate
.
little creature , so hated and so threatened I ts distress its .

,
deformi ty its desti tution the thought o f his young brother

, , ,
the idea which suddenly flashed ac r oss his mind that if he ,
W ere to die his poor little Jehan to o might pe r haps be

mercilessly thrown upon the same spot assailed his he art ,
all at once : it melted with p ity and he carried away the ,
b ol
ic he had taken the child ou t of the sack he foun d
en ,
him to be in fact a monster o f defo r mity The poor li ttle

, ,
.
wretch had a prodigious wart over his left eye his head ,
was close to his shoulders his back a r ched his b r east bon e
, ,
-
pro truded and hi s le gs were twisted but he appeared

,
lively and though i t was impossible to tell what language

,
he attempted to speak his cry indi cated a tolerable degree

,
o f strength and health T his extreme ugliness only served

.
to increase the compassion of C laude ; and he vowed in his

heart to bring up this b o y for the love Of his brother that , ,
whatever might be in the time to come the faults of little

Jehan he might have the benefit o f this char ity done in
,
his behalf I t was a humane act placed as it were to the

.
, , ,
account of his b r other on e o f the little stock o f good works

,
whi ch he determined to lay up for him befo r ehand in case ,
the young rogu e should some day run short of that kind o f
coin the only one taken at the toll gate of Par adise
,
- .
He baptized his adopted child an d n amed him Qu asi

modo either to commemorate the day o n which he had
,
r u n B UN CH B A OK O F NO T RE D A ME - . 1 39
found him o r to expres s the incomplete and scarcely

,
finished sta te o f the poor l ittle c reature I n truth Quasi . .
modo wi th one eye hunchback and crooked legs, was but

, , ,
an apology for a human being .
C HAPT ER I I I .
TH E B E LL R I NG ER O F NO T RE D A ME
- - .
N ow, by the ye ar 1 48 2 Quasimodo had grown up He , .
had been for several years bell ringer to the cathedral o f -
Notre D ame thanks to his foster fathe r C laude Frol lo

-
,
-
, ,
who ha d become archdeacon o f Josas thanks to his dio ,
cesan M essire Louis de B eaumont who had been appoin ted

, ,
B ishop Of Pa ris in 1 472 thanks to his patron Oli vier lo,
D aim ba r ber to Louis X L by the grace of Go d Ki ng,

, , ,
& c &c & c

. . .
In pro cess of time the strongest attachment took place

,
between the bel l ringer an d the church C ut Off for ever

-
.
from society by the double fata li ty of his unknown paren t .
age and his mis shapen nature imprisoned from childhood

-
,
within these impassable boundaries the unhappy wretch ,
was accustomed to see no obj ect in the wo rld beyond the

religious wal ls which had taken him unde r their protection .
N otre D ame had been su c cess i vely to him as he grew up

-
, ,
and expanded his egg, his nest his home his countr y the
, , , ,
un 1 verse .
A sort o f mysterious and pre existent harmony had gro wn -
up between this creature and the edifice Wh ile sti ll quite .

,
a child he crawled about twisting and hopping in the

, ,
shad e of i ts arches he appeared wi th his human face and

, ,
hi s limbs scarcely human the nati ve repti le o f that dark ,
damp pavement among the grotes q ue shadows thrown down

,
upon it by the capita ls Of the Ro man pill ars .
As he grew up the fi r st time that he mechani cally graspe d

,
the rope in the tower and hanging to i t set the bell in

, , ,
r nn
'
H UNC H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME - . 1 41
the u nh a pp yfoundling Having become ringer of the bells.
o f N o n e Dame at the age of fourteen a fr esh infirmity had

-
,
come upon hi m : the volume of sound had b r oken the drum
o f his ea r and deafness was the consequen ce Thus the

,
.
o nly gate w hi ch N atu r e had left wide Open bet ween him
and the wo rld was suddenly closed and fo r ever I n closing , .

,
i t shut out the only ray of li ght and j oy that stil l reached
his soul which was now wrapped i n profound da rkness
,
.
The melancholy o f the poor fel low became incu r able a nd

co mplete as his deformity His deafness rendered him in .
some measure dumb also : for the momen t he lost his ,
hearing b e r esolved to avoid the ridicul e Of othe r s by a

,
s ilence which he never broke but wh en he was alone He .
voluntarily tied up that ton gue which C laude Frollo had ,
ta ken such pain s to loosen : hence when necessity forced

.
,
h im to speak his t ongue was benumbed awkward and

, , ,
l ike a door the hinges of which have grown rusty .
I f then we were to attempt to penetr ate through this

thi ck and obd u rate bark to the soul Of Quasimodo if we
co u ld sound the depths o f this bungli ng piece Of o rgani
sation if we were enabled to hold a torch behind thes e
unt r ansparent organs to explore the gloomy interior o f this
,
Opa q ue being to illumine its Obscure corners and its u n

,
meaning cul de sacs and to th r ow all at on ce a brilliant

- -
,
light upon the spirit enchained at the bottom o f this den ;

we shoul d doubtless find the w r etch in some mise r abl e a t
t itu d e stun ted and rickety like the prisoners under the
, ,
leads Of Venice who gr ow old doubled up in a b o x Of

, ,
s tone too low to s tand up and too short to l ie down in

,
.
I t is certain that the spiri t pines in a mis shapen form - .
Quasimodo scarcely felt within him the blind movemen ts

o f a soul made in his o wn image The impression s o f oh .
je cts underwent a conside r able re fracti on before they reache d

the seat o f thought His brain was a peculiar medium :
.
the ideas whi ch entered it came ou t q ui te twisted T he .
reflection resulting from this refraction was necessarily di

ve rgent and devious Hen ce a thousand optical illusion s
.
,
a thousand aberrations of j udgment a thousand b y ways ,

-
into which his sometimes sill y sometimes crazy i magin , ,
ation would wander .

1 42 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME - .
The first e ffect of this vi cious organisation was to con

fuse the vi ew whi ch he took of things He recei ved scarcely .
a single direct perception The exterior world appeared to

.
him at a greater distan ce than it does to u s The second .
resu lt Of his misfortune was that i t rendered him m is

chie v ou s .He was in truth mischievous becau s e he wa s
, ,
savage he was savage be cause he was ugly There was .
lo gi c in his nature as there is in ours H is strength de

,
.
,
v el Op e d in a most extrao r dinary manner was another c ause ,
Of his p ropensity to mischief J ll a l u s p u er r obu s tu s says

.
,
Hobbes We must nevertheless do him j usti ce : mali ce was

.
p robably no t innate in him F r om his earliest intercourse .
with men he had felt and afterwa r ds he had seen himsel f

, ,
despised rej ected cast o f Human speech had never been

, ,
.
to him aught b ut a j eer o r a curse As he grew u p he .

,
had found nothing but hatred about him He had adopted .
i t He had a cqu ired the general mal ignity He had pick ed

. .
up the weapon with which he had been wounded .
After all he turned towards m ankind with rel uctance

,
his cathedral was enough f or hi m I t was peopled wi th .
figures Of marbl e wi th kings saints, bishops who at least

, , ,
did not laugh in his face an d looked upon him only with
,
.
a n air Of tran quillity and benevolen ce The other statues, .
those of mon sters and demons bore no m alice against him ,

.
They were to o like hi m for that Th eir rail lery was rather .
directed against other men The saints were hi s friends

.
'
,
and bles s ed him ; the monsters were his friends and gu arde d ,
him he would therefore pass whole hours crouched befo re

o ne o f these statues an d holding soli tary conve r se wi th i t
,
.
I f any o ne came by he would run o ff like a lover s u rprised

,
i n a serenade .
m The cathedral was not Only his society but his worl d .
in sho r t all n ature to him He thought o f no oth er

, .
trees than the painted windows which were al ways in ,
blossom o f no other shades than the foliage Of stone

adorned with birds in the Saxon capitals o f n o other
mountains than the colossal towers o f the chur ch ; o f no
Other ocean than Paris which roa red at their feet .
B ut that which he loved most Of all i n the matern al

e difi c e that whi ch awakened hi s soul and caused it t o
,
r ne
'
n u s cu na cic O F NO T RE D A ME -
. 1 43
spre ad its poor wings that Otherwise remained so mi se rabl y

folded up in its p rison that which even confe r red at times ,
a feeling of happiness was the be l ls He loved them he ,

.
,
caressed them he tal k ed to them he unders tood them

, , ,
from the chimes in the steeple of the transept to the great

bell above the porch The belfry Of the transept and the .
two towers were l ike three immense cages in whi ch the ,
birds that he had reared sang for him al one I t was these .
same bi rds however which had deafened him but mothers

, ,
are Often fondest of the child whi ch has caused them the
greatest pain It is true that theirs were the only voi ces
.
he co uld still he ar O n this account the great bell was his

.
b est beloved He preferred her before all the other sisters o f

.
this noisy family who fluttered about hi m on festi val days

, ,
This great bell he ca lled M ary She was placed in the .
southern tower along with her sister Jacqueline a hell of

, ,
inferior si ze enclosed in a cage o f less magnitude by the

,
side o f he r o wn This Jacqueline was thus named after

.
the wife o f Jehan Mon tague who gave her to the church ,
a gift which however did not prevent hi s figuring without

, ,
his head at M ontfaucon I n the second tower were six .
other bells and las tly the six smallest dwelt in the steeple
, ,
o f the tran s ept with the wooden bell , whi ch was only
,
rung between noon on Holy Thursday and the morn ing Of

E aster E ve Thus Q ua simodo had fifteen bell es in his
.
seragli o but big Mary was his favourite

, .
I t is impossible to form a concep tion o f his j oy on the

da ys of the g reat peals The instan t the archdeacon let .
hi m o ff and said
, Go, he ran up the winding staircase
Of the belfry q uicker than another could have gone down .
He hur r ied o u t of b r eath in to the a erial chamber o f the

, ,
great bell looked at her attentively and lovingly for a m o

,
ment then began to talk kindly to her and patted he r ,
with his hand as you would do a good horse whi ch yo u

,
are going to put to hi s mettle He would pity her for the .
l abour she was about to undergo After these first ca .
res se s he shouted to his assistan ts in a lower story Of the

,
tower to begin They sei zed the ropes the W indlass

.
,
cre aked and slowly and heavily the enormous cone of metal
,
'
was set in moti on Quasimodo wi th heaving boso m .

, ,
TH E B U N C H B A OK or R om - D A ME .
ha lf be ll ; a spe cies o f ho rrible A s to l pho, carried o ff by a

p rodigio u s hi ppogri ff of li ving brass .
The pre sen ce o f thi s extraordinary being seemed to in

fus e the breath o f life in to the w hole cathedral A sort of .
mysterious eman ation seemed — a t le ast so the supers ti tious

m ulti tude im agined — to i ssue from him to animate the ,
stones o f N otre D ame and to m ake th e very en trails of

-
,
the o l d ch u rch heave an d palpi tate When i t was kn ow n .
that he was the r e i t was eas y to fan cy that the thousand

,
statu e s in the galleries and o ver the porches m o ved an d

were instinct with life I n fact the ca th edral seemed t o
.
,
be a do cile and obedi ent cr eature i n his h ands ; w ai ting

only his wil l to rai se her m ighty voice being po sses sed an d
filled with Quasimodo as with a fam ili ar genius He .
might be said to m ake the immense buildi ng breathe H e .
was i n fact every where he multiplied him self at all the

,
points of the edifice At o ne time the spec ta to r would be

.
seized wi th a firight o n beholding at the top o f o ne o f the

'
t owers an Odd loo king dwarf cli mbing twi ning crawling
-
, , ,
o n all fou rs descending externally in t o the abyss leaping

, ,
fro m o ne projecting poin t to another and fumbli ng in the ,
body o f some scul ptured Gorgon : i t was Quasimodo u n

nesting the daws At ano ther, the vi site r stumbled in
.
,
so me dark corner o f the church upon a crou ching grim , ,
faced creature a sort of living chim azra — it was Quasi modo

,
musing At another time might b e seen under a belfry

.
an eno r mous head and a bundle o f ill adjus ted li mbs furi -
o u s l y swinging at the end o f a rope — i t was Quasimodo
ringing the vespers o r the angelus Frequen tly ,at night .

,
a hideous figure mig ht be see n wandering o n the deli cate

open work balustrade whi ch crowns the towers an d ru n s
-
r ou n d the apsis — it was still the hun chback o f N otre

D ame At such times acco rdi ng to th e repo rts o f the
.
,
gossips o f the neighbou rhood the whole church as sum ed a

,
fanta stic supernatural frightful aspect ; eyes an d m outh s

, , ,
Opened here and th ere the dogs and the dragons and the , ,
g riffins o f stone whi ch keep watch day an d nigh t with o u t

, ,
s tretche d neck and open j aws a round the m onstrou s cathe

,
dral, were heard to bark an d ho wl A t Chris tmas whil e .

,
the great bell which seemed to ra ttle in the throa t, s u m

,
'
1.
1 46 TH E H U N OH B A CK o r N O T RE D A ME
- .
m oued the p ious to the midnigh t m ass, the gl oomy fa cade

o f the cathedral wore such a strange and sinis ter air that ,
the grand porch seemed to swallow the multitude while ,
the rose window abo ve it looked o n All this proceeded

- .
from Quasim odo E gypt would have taken hi m for the

.
god o f the temple the middle age believed him to be its

d ae m o n : he was the s oul of i t T o such a point was he .
so that to those who knew that Quasimodo on ce existe d

,
N One D ame now appears deserted inanimate dead

- Y ou , , .
feel that there is something w anting This immen se body .
i s void i t is a skeleton : the spiri t has dep arted ; you see

i t s place and that is all I t is hke a scull : the sockets of
, .
the eyes are still there but the ey e s themselves are gone , .
C HAP T ER I V .
TH E D OG A N D H IS M AST ER .
T H ERE was however one human being whom Quasimodo

, ,
excep ted from his an tipathy an d to whom he was as much ,
n ay perhaps m ore strongly attach ed than to his cathedral

,
-
that being was C laude Frollo .
The thin g was perfectly natural C laude Frollo had .
'
t aken pity on him adopt ed him supported him brough t

, , ,
’
him up I t was between C laude F roll o s l e gs that when
.
, ,
quite small he had b een accustomed to seek refuge when

,
t eased by boys o r barked at by dogs C laude Frol l o had .
t augh t hi m to speak to read to w ri te T o cro wn all Cl aude

, ,
.
Frollo had made him bell —ringer .
The gratitude of Quasimodo was in con sequen ce pro

f ound impassioned unbounded ; and though the cou nte
, ,
nan ce of his foster—father was frequen tly gloom y and

m orose though hi s way of speaking was habituall y short
, ,
ha rsh and imperious never had this gratitude ceased for a

, ,
m omen t to sway him The archdeacon had in Quasimod o

.
the most subm issive o f slaves the most do cile of a tten dants, ,
r m: B UN C H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME - . 1 47
the most vigilan t o f warders After the poor bell ringer .

-
had lost his hearing C laude Frol lo and he con ve r sed in a

,
langu age of signs mysterious and unders tood by themselves

,
alone Thus the archdeacon was the only hum an creature

.
wi th whom Quasimodo had kept up co mmunication There .
were but two things in the world with whi ch he sti l l had
inte rcourse — N otre D ame and C laude Frollo - .
N othin g o n earth can be compared with the empire Of

the archdeacon over the bell ringer and the atta chmen t o f -
,
the be l l ri nger to the archdeacon

- A si gn from C laude .
,
and the idea o f givi n g him pleasure would have sufficed to

m ake Quasimodo throw himself from the top of the towers
of N otr e D ame I t was truly extraordin ary to see all tha t
- .
physical strength whi ch had attained such a surprising

,
developmen t in Quasimodo placed impli citly by him at ,
the di sposal o f another I t bespoke undoubtedly filial sub

.
mission domestic attachmen t ; but i t proceeded al so from the

,
fascination which mind exercises upon mind I t was an im .
perfect distorted defecti ve o r ganisati on with head abased an d

, , ,
supplicating eyes before a superior a lofty a commanding

, , , ,
i n te l ligence : but above all i t was grati tude — bu t grati tude

, ,
so carried to i ts extreme li mi t that we know not W hat to

compare i t with T his virtue is not o ne o f those o f whi ch
.
the most striking examples are to be sough t among men .
We shall therefore say that Quasimodo loved the arch

deacon as never dog ne ver horse never elephant loved his
, , ,
master .
I n 1 48 2 Quasimodo was abou t twen ty C laude Fro ll o ,
about thirty six The one had grown up the o ther began
-
.
,
to g ro w ol d .
C laude F r ollo was n o longer the simple student of th e

college o f Torchi the tender protector o f an o rphan child,
,
the youn g and thoughtful philosopher, so learned an d yet

so ignoran t He was an austere grave morose ch u rch
.
, , ,
man second chaplai n to the bishop ar chdeacon of Jos as

, , ,
having under him the two deaneries of M on tlhery an d

C hateaufort an d o ne hundred and seven ty four pari sh
,
-
priests He was a sombre and awe inspi ring person age

.
-
,
before whom ti e mb l e d the singing boys in al bs and long

coats, the p recentors, the b r others of S t Augu s tin, the .
r. 2
r ns
'
n ormm mcx on NOT RE D A ME - . 1 49
'
ro r o f a l ad o f sixteen — th a t his ex cess es o f t

horro rs i n
times carri ed him into the R ue de Glatign y i tse lf .
G rieved and th warted by these circums tan ces i n his

human affections , C laude had thrown himself with so mu ch
the mo r e ardour into the arms o f Science who at l eas t does ,
not laugh you in the face and always repay s you though
, ,
so m etimes i n rather hollo w c oin for the attention s which ,
you have bestowed o n her Thus he bec ame more and .
more le arned an d at the same time by a n atural cou s e

, ,
q ue nce more and more rigid as a pries t m ore an d m ore

, ,
gloomy as a m an .
A s C laude Frollo had from his youth travelled through

al most the en ti r e circle o f human kn owledge pos itive ex , ,
t e r nal and lawful he was forced unless he could m ake u p

, , ,
his mind to stop whe r e he was to se ek further food for ,
the in sa tiable cravin gs o f his understanding The an ti q ue .
symbol o f the serpent biting its tail i s pecu liarly app r opri ate
t o scien ce ; and i t appears that C laude Frollo knew this
from experien ce Several grave persons affi rmed that after
.
exhausting the f a s o f human knowled ge he had dared to

penetrate into the nef a s He had i t was said ta s ted su c
.
, ,
cessively all the apples o f the tree o f knowledge an d had ,
at las t bit ten at the forbidden fruit He had taken his plac e .
by tu rn s as ou r readers have seen at the conferen ces o f the

, ,
theologian s in the Sorbonne at the m ee tings of the philo

,
sophers at the image of St H ilaire at the di spu te s o f the

.
,
decretists at the im age o f St M arti n at the congregation s

.
,
o f the physician s at the holy water fon t o f N otre D ame - - .
All the allowable and app r oved di shes which those four
great ki tchens called the four facul ties could elaborate an d
, ,
set before the understanding he had feasted upon an d ,
satiety had supervened before his hunge r was appeased .
H e had then dug further and deeper beneath all th at ,
finite materi al limited science he had pe rhaps risked his

, ,
soul and had sea ted him self in the cavern at th at m ys te ri

,
o u s tab le o f the al ch m is ts and astrologers one end o f

y ,
which is occupied in the middle ages by Averroes Willi am ,
o f Paris and N icolas Flame] while the o ther

, li ghte d by
, ,
the chandelier wi th se ven bran ches run s o n to Solo mo n, ,
L 3
1 50 TH E H UNC H B A CK op NO T RE D A ME - .
P ythagoras, and Zoroaste r S o, at least it was conj ectured

'
.
, ,
whether righ t or wrong .
I t i s ce rt ain that the archdeacon frequen tl y visited

’
the churchyard o f the I nnocents where to be sure his , , ,
p arents lay bur ied with the othe r vi ctims o f the pestilen ce
o f 1 466 bu t then he appeared to take much less notice of
the cross at the head of their grave than o f the tomb
erected c lose by i t for N icolas Fl am el an d C laude Per
nelle .
I t is certain that he had often been seen walkin g alon g

t he street of the Lombards an d stealthily ente r ing a small
house whi ch fo r med the tco rn er o f the Rue des E criv a ins an d
t h e R ue M ari vaux I t was the house built by N icolas Fl a m el
.
,
i n which he died about the year 1 41 7 an d whi ch having , ,
been ever sin ce uninhabited w as beginning to fal l to rui n

, ,
s o worn were the wall s by the al ch m is ts and the p ro f e s

y
so r s o f the occult scien ce fr om all countries who resorted ,
t hi ther and scratched their n ames upon them Some of the .
n eighbours even affirmed that they had on ce seen through

a hole the archdeacon digging and turning ove r the mould
i n the two cellars the j ambs o f whi ch had been cove r ed
,
w i th verses an d hieroglyphics by F l a me l himself I t was .
’
supposed that M aster N icolas had buried the philosopher s
stone in one of these cellars ; and for two centuries the
al ch m is ts from M a gis tri to Father P a cifi q u e never ceased
y , ,
delving and rum maging till the house weakened and under
, ,
m ined by their researches , a t last t u mbled about their ea r s .
I t is certain m oreover that the archdeacon was smitten

, ,
wi th a strange passion for the emblemati c po r ch of N otre

D ame that page of conj uration written in stone by bishop
,
William o f Paris who has n o doubt been damned for havin g

,
p refixed so infernal a frontispiece to the sacred poem ever

lastingly chanted by the rest o f the edifice I t was also .
believed that the archdeacon had discovered the hidden

m ean in g of the colossal St C h r istopher and o f the other
.
,
t all enigmatical statue which then stood at the en tran ce o f

the Parvis and which the people called in derision M onsieu r
,
L egris B ut a circumstan ce whi ch every body migh t have

.
remarked was his sitting hours without number o n the

p arapet of the Parvis, con tem p la tin g the s cul ptures of the
m s B UN CH B A CK or NO T R E D A ME
-
. 1 51
p orch,
sometimes examining the foo l ish virgins with their
lamps reversed , someti mes the wi se virgin s wi th their la mps
u pright ; at others calculating the angle of vi sion o f the raven
o n the left hand side o f the porch

- looking at some m ys ,
’
teri o us s pot in the ch u rch where the philosopher s ston e i s ,
’
cer tainly concealed if it is no t in N icolas Fl am el s ce l lar
,
.
I t was be i t observed by the way, a singular desti ny for

,
the church o f N otre D ame at that period to be thus loved

-
i n di fferen t degrees and wi th such ardour by two beings s o

di ssim ilar as C laude and Quasimodo — loved by the o ne ,
s ca cel
r y m o wfl
t ha u half m an f o r its beauty
p i t s ma
.
jggty , , ,
,
the harmon ies resulting f ro m i ts grand whole l ov ed b y

“_
. .
.
a min d cul ti vated to the u tmos t and a _
gl owi ng imagi nation f or it s m ysti c s igni fica tio n f o r its

, , , “
hidden meaning for the symbo l con cealed ,
s culptu res o f its facade li ke the first text under the second
,
o f a palimpsest in sho r t for the riddle whi ch i t incessantly

, ,
proposes to the understanding .
L astly i t is certain that the archdeacon ha d fi tted up

,
for him sel f in the tower nearest to the Gr eve close to the ,
belfry a small and secret cel l which none i t was said

, , , ,
but the bi shop durst enter without his perm ission Thi s .
cell had been m ade of o l d almost at the to p o f the tower ,

’
among the raven s nests by bishop Hugo of B esa n con , , ,
who had there p r actised the black art in hi s time N one .
knew what that cel l con tained bu t fr om the Terrai n

there had often been seen at nigh t through a small win ,
d o w at the back o f the tower a st r ang e red i ntermitting , , ,
li ght appearing di sappearing and re appea r ing at sh ort

, , ,
-
and equal intervals apparently govern ed by the blast o f

,
a bellows and p r oceeding rather fr om the flame of a fire

,
than that of a la mp o r candle I n the da r k this h ad a .
singul ar effect at that height and the goodwives would ,

’
say : The re s the archdeacon puf fing away again : hel l
”
i s crackling up yonder !
These after all were n o very stron g proofs of sorcery
, ,
sti ll there was sufficien t smoke to authori se the con clusion

that there must be some fire : at an y rate the archdeacon
had that formidable reputation I t is nevertheless but .
j ust to sta te that the sciences of E gypt necroman cy magic , , ,
L 4
'
m H U NC H B A CK N O T RE D A ME 1 53
'
'
s or - .
chapter, h ad obs erved n ot wi thout horror m arks as i f

, ,
scratched by claws o r finge r n ails upon the surpli ce o f

-
M onsieur the archdeacon o f J 08 3 8 .
I n other respects his austerity was redoubled and never ,
had he led a more exemplary li fe From dispositi on as

.
wel l as profession he had always kep t al o b f from women

he seemed no w to dislike them more than ever A t the .
m ere rustling of a silk petticoat hi s hood was over his

’
eyes O n this point he was so stric t that when the ki ng s
.
daughter the lady o f B eauj eu cam e i n the m onth o f D e

, ,
ce m b e r 1 48 1
,
to see the cloisters o f N o tre D ame b e
,
-
,
seriou sly opposed her admission reminding the bish op o f ,
the statute o f the black book dated o n the vigi l o f St

,
.
B artholomew 1 3 3 4 whi ch fo r bids access to the cloister

, ,
to every woman whats oever whether ol d o r youn g m is

, ,
tress or servan t Whereupon the bishop was forced to

.
~
appeal to the ordinance o f O tho the legate which excep t s ,
certa in la dies of qu ali ty who cannot be refused w ith

,
”
o u t scandal a l iqu ce m a g na tes m a l ier es qu a: s ine s c a nda l o
evita r i n o n p os s u m Sti l l the a r chdeacon protested al

.
,
l e ging that the ordinance o f the legate which dated from ,
1 207 was anterior by o ne hundred and twenty seve n

,
-
years to the black book an d consequen tly ann ul led in poin t

,
o f fact by the latter

; and he actu ally refused to appear
before the p r incess .
I t was moreover r emarked that his horror o f the E gyp

ti ans and Zingari seemed to have become m ore vehemen t
for some time past He had solicited fr om the bishop an
.
edict expressly p r ohibiting the B ohemians to come an d

dan ce and play in the area o f the Parvis and he had
recentl y take n the pains to search through the musty ar
chives o f the o fficial f o r cases of wiz ards and witches
s entenced to the flames or the gallows for practising the
b lack art in as so ci ation with cats s wine o r goats , , .

1 54 TH E H UN CH B A OK o n N O T RE D A M E‘ - .
B OOK V .
C H AP T ER I .
A NC I EN T A DM I N IST R ATI ON O F JU STI CE .
A V ERY luck y W igh t was in the year o f grace 1 48 2 that , ,
doughty pe r s onage R obert d E s tou te vill e k night sieur of ’

, ,
B eyne baron of I vry and St Andry i n La M arche coun

,
.
,
cil l or and chamberlain of the king and keeper o f the

p ro ,
vosty of Paris I t was then n early seventeen years agone

.
that the king had on the 7 th of N ovember 1 46 5 the year ,
o f the g r eat comet conferred on hi m the important a p

pointmen t of provost o f Pari s whi ch was considered rather ,
as a dignity than an office I t was a ma r vellous thing that .
in 8 2 the r e should still be a gentleman holding a com mission

under the king whose appointment dated fr om the time of
the m arr iage of the natural daughter of Louis X I with .
the B astard o f B ourbon O n the same day that R obert

.
’
d E s tou tevill e had succeeded Jacques de Villie r s in the
p rovostship of Pa ris M aste r Jean Dau ve t superseded M essire
,
H el ye de T horre tte s as first p r esiden t of the court of par

lia m e n t Jean J
, ou v en al des Ur s in s supplanted Pierre de
M orvilliers in the office of chan cellor of Fran ce and ,
R egnault des D orman s tu rned Pierre Puy out of the post of

’
master of requests i n o r dina r y to the king s household .
And how m an y p r esidents Chancellors and m asters had , , ,
R obert d E s tou te v ill e seen since he h ad held the provost

’
"
.
ship of Paris ? I t was given to him to keep said the ,
letters —patent and well had he kept i t forsooth So closely

,
.
had he clung to it so complete ly had he in corp orated

, ,
T hi s co m e t, a g i n t wh i h P p
a s c o e C a h x t us o rd r
e ed p bli c pr y er
u a s, i s t he
sam e t ht
a W 1 11 be a g i n b l n 1 835
a V I Sl e i .
rm: H UN C B B A OK o p N o r n a m a mn. 1 55
identified himself with i t that he had es caped that m ani a

,
f o r changing his servan ts which possessed Louis X I a .

,
j ealous niggardly and toiling sovereign who though t to

, , ,
keep up the elasticity o f his power by frequent rem ovals

and appointments N ay m ore the gall an t knigh t had ob
.
,
tai ne d the rev e rsion o f his place fo r his son and fo r t wo ,

’
yea rs past the name o f the n oble Jacques d E s tou te v ill e ,
esquire, figured beside his o wn at the head of the regi ster

o f the ordinary o f the provosty o f Pa r is R are indeed, .
,
and signal fa vour ! I t is true that R obert d E s tou te vil l e ’
was a good soldier that he had loyally raised the banner

,
against the leagu e of the p u bl ic welfa r e and that he had ,
presen ted the queen with a m ost wonderful st ag made o f

sweetmeats on the da y o f her ent r y into Paris
,
H e was .
m oreove r o n te r ms o f friendship with M essi r e Tristan the

’
Hermi t provost of the marshals of the king s hous ehold
,
.
The situation o f M essire Ro bert was o f course rather , ,
e nviable I n the first pl a ce he enj oyed a han d some salary

.
to whi ch hung like supernumerary bun ches o f gr apes to

,
his vine the revenues of the ci vil and criminal registries

,
o f the provostship and also the civil and criminal revenues

,
o f the court o f the C h atelet to s a y nothing o f the tolls col

,
l e cte d at the bridge of M ante and C o rbeil and other minor ,
per q uisites Add to this the pleasure of riding in the ci ty

.
cavalcades and processions and showing o ff among the ,
half scarlet h alf tawn y robes o f the city offi cers his fine
- -
m i l i tary armour which you may still admire sculptured o n

,
his tomb in the abbey o f Valmon t i n N ormandy and his ,
m orion embossed all over at M ontlhery And then was i t .

,
nothing to have the entire sup r emacy over the k eepe r the ,
warden the gaoler and the two audi tors of the C h atelet
, , ,
the sixteen commissaries o f the six teen q uarters the hun ,
dred and twenty horse patrole the hun dred an d twenty

-
,
vergers an d the whole o f the watch o f the city

, I Va s i t
n oth ing to administer j ustice civil an d crimin al to h ave a, ,
right to burn to hang to draw be s ides the infe r ior j uris

, , ,
“ ”
di ction i n the first instan ce as the charters exp r ess i t in, ,
that viscounty of Paris an d the seven noble bai l iwicks

thereto appertaining ? C an you conceive any thing m ore
gratifying than to issue orders and pass senten ce as M ess ire ,
TH E H UNC H B A CK on N O T RE D A ME
- . 57
m agistrate whose duty it was to cle a r away al l the filth ,
m aterial and figurative made by a f éte at Pa ris An d , .
then too he had to si t for the trial o f o ff enders at the

, ,
Grand C h atelet N o w we have remarked that j u d ges in

.
general arrange m atters so that the da y s on whi ch they

have to perform their j udicial fun cti on s a r e their days o f
ill humour that they m ay be sure to have somebody o n
-
,
who m they can convenien tly ven t i t i n the nam e o f the

k ing o f the law and o f j ustice
, ,
.
M eanwhile the proceedings had commen ced wi thout him .
H is deputies did the business for him accor di ng to custom ,
and ever since the hour o f eigh t in the m orning some

scores o f ci tizens o f bo th sexes crowded into a dark corner ,
o f the court o f the C h atelet be tween a strong oaken bar,
rier and the wall gazed with great e d ifica tio n at the spec
,
tacle o f civil and crimin al j us tice administered somewh at

e l l and qui te at random by M aster Florian B a rb e di
pel
enne audi tor to the C h atelet and li eutenan t o f M onsieur
, ,
t he p ro vost .
I t was a small l o w hal l wi th coved ceiling ; at the

, , ,
further end stood a table studded with fleurs de lis a large - -

,
empty arm chai r of carved o ak reserved for the p r ovost

-
, ' ,
and o n the left a s to ol for the auditor M aster Florian , .
B elow was the cle r k busily writing In fron t were the .
p eople an d befo re the door and the table a posse o f the p ro

,
’
v o s t s men in frocks o f pur ple camlet with white crosses .
T wo sergeants o f the Parloir aux B ourgeois in their ker ,
sey
p
j ackets half scarlet and half—blue sto od sen try before a
-
,
l o w closed door whi ch w as seen behin d the table

,
A .
single poin ted window o f scanty dimen sion s en ca sed in the

, ,
thi ck wal l threw the faint ligh t o f a January morni n g on

,
two grotesque figu res — the fantasti c demon o f s tone sculp

tu re d by way o f ornamen t to the groining of the ce ilin g
and the j udge seated at the extremity of the hall .
Figure to yours elf seated at the provos t s table lol l in g ,
upon his elbows between two piles of papers hi s feet u pon , ,
the ski r t of hi s plain brown cloth robe fu rred wi th whi te ,
lamb skin whi ch enci r cled his j olly rubicund visage an d

-
,
double chin M as ter Floria n B arbe die nne audi tor to the
, ,
C h atele t .
N ow the said auditor was deaf A trifling defect this

, .
in an au d itor M aster Florian n eve r theless gave judg

.
, ,
a
men t without appeal and very consisten tly too I t i s m os t

, .
certain that it is quite su fficien t for a j udge to appear to

lis ten and this condition the only essential o n e for strict ,
j ustice the vene r able auditor ful filled the m ore exactly in
,
a s m u ch as no noise could divert his atten tion .
For the rest he had among the audi tory a merciless

,
c omptroller o f his sayings and doings i n the person o f o u r

youn g friend Jeban Frollo du M oulin who was sure to b e
, ,
’
seen every where in Paris except before the professors
Look you said he i n a low tone to hi s companion

,
R obin P ou s s e p ain who was gri nning beside him while he

,
c ommen ted o n the scenes that were passing before them

there i s the pretty Jeha nne ton du B u isson of the M arch é
N e u f U pon m y soul he condemns her too the ol d brute ! ,
H e must have no more eyes than ears Fifteen sous four .
deniers Pa r isis for havin g worn two st r ings o f beads !

,
’
T is paying rather dear though — Soho ! two gentlemen ,
am ong these varlets Aiglet de Soins and Hutin de M ailly ,
— two esquires corp u s Chr is ti ! Ha ! they have been

,
dicing When shall we see o u r rector here ? To pay a

.
fine o f one hundred livres to the king B ravo B arb e dienne !

— M a I be m y brother the archdeacon if this shall preve nt
y ,
m e from gaming ; gaming by day gaming by night gam , ,
ing while I li ve gaming till I die and staking m y sou l

, ,
’
after m y shirt — B y r Lady wh at dam sels o ne after an ,
other pretty lambs ! Ambroi s e L e cu yére I sabeau la Pay

, ,
.
nette ,
B erarde G ironin I kno w them all by m y fay ! , ,
Fined fined, fined ! That will teach you to wear g ilt

,
belts ! Ten sous Parisis coquette s ! O h ! the ol d deaf ,
i mbecile ! O h ! Florian the blockhead ! Oh B arbe di

enne the booby
,
There he is at hi s feast ! Fines costs , ,
charges dam ages stocks pillory impri sonment are to him

, , , , ,
'
C hristmas cakes and St John s marchpane ! Look at him .
,
t he hog ! Get on ! what ! another lewd woman ! Thi

-
b aud l a Thibaude I declare ! F or bein g seen o u t o f the

,
R ue Glatign y — Who is that youn g fellow ? Gie firoy M a

'
b onne o ne of the bowme n o f the guard — f or s wearin g an

,
TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME - . 1 59
oath forsooth — A fine for you La T hibaude ! a fine for

,
you Gie firoyl — bu t ten to o ne the ol d stupid will con foun d

'
the two ch arges and make the wom an pay for the oath an d ,
the soldier for in con tinence ! — Look look Robin ! what , ,
are they bringi ng in no w ? B y Jupi ter there are all the ,
hounds i n the pack ! That must be a fine head o f gam e !

A wild boar surely And so i t i s, Robin so i t is ! An d ,
’
a rare one to o G od wot i— Gramercy ! t is ou r prince
, ,
our Pope o f Fools o ur bell ringer

,
ou r o ne eyed
-
hunch ,
-
,
backed bandylegged Quasimodo

,
Sur e enough i t was Quasimodo bo und , corded pinioned , , .
T he party o f the provost s men who surrounded hi m wer e

’
accompanied by the captain of the watch in person having ,
the arms o f Fran ce embroide r ed o n the breast o f his coat

an d those of the city o n the back At the same time there .
was nothing about Quasimodo save and except his deform ,
i ty which could j ustify thi s display o f halberts and arque

,
busses : he was silent sullen and quiet His only eye

, , .
merely gave from time to time an an gr y glan ce at the bonds

which confin ed hi m .
M eanwhile M aster Florian was inten tly perusing the in

d ors e m e nt o f a paper co nta ining the charges alleged against
j
Quasimodo whi ch had been handed to hi m by the clerk

, .
B y means of this precaution , which he was accus to med to

take before he p r oceeded to an examination he acquai nted ,
himself beforehand wi th the name con di tion , an d o ff en ce , ,
o f the prisoner was enabled to have in readiness replies to

expected answers ; and suc ceeded in extri cating himself fro m
al l the sinuosities o f the interrogatory withou t too grossl y ,
e xposing his infirmity To him therefore the endorsement

.
w as l ike the dog to the blind man If however his in .

, ,
firmi ty chan ced to be tray i tself n ow and then by some in

coherent apostrophe o r some unintel l igible question wi th the ,
m any it passed for profoundness, with some few for imbe

cili t I n ei ther case the honour o f the magistracy
y .
mained unimpeached for i t is better that a j udge shou ld

be repu ted profound or imbecile than deaf Accordingly .
h e took great pain s to con c eal his deafness from observation ,
and i n general b e was s o successfu l as at last to decei ve

himse l f on th is p o int T his is more easily done than it
.
r a n nu mnm a ox or N O T RE D A K E
- . 1 6!
hi s hump with disdai n ; while M aster Florian equall y ,
astonished an d sup pos ing that the mi rth o f the specta tors
,
had been provoked by some di srespe c tfu l re ply o f the pri

s o ne r s
’
rendered visible to hi m by the ri sing of his shoul
,
ders indi gnantly exc laimed

,
For t hat ans wer fell o w , ,
”
y ou deserve a halter K n o w y ou to whom you speak ?
.
This sally was no t l ikely to c heck the explosion of the

eral mirth So o d d an d so ridiculous did i t appear to
.
that the fit o f laugh ter spread to the very sergeants

o f the Parloir aux B our geoi s a sort o f knaves o f spades
, ,
p roverbial for stupidi ty Quasimodo alone

. preserved his
gra vity for this very sufficien t reason that he had n ot the
, ,
l east notion o f what was passing aroun d him The jud ge .

,
more and m ore exasperated thought fi t to proceed in the

,
sa me str ain h 0ping thereby to s trike the pri soner with a

,
terror that should react u po n the audien ce .
How dare you thus insul t the audi tor o f the C ha

te l e t the deputy superintenden t o f the police o f Paris
, ,
appointed to enqui re into crimes o ff en ces an d m is de m ea, ,
nou rs to Control all trades to preven t forestall ing and

regrating to clean se the city o f filth and the air o f con
t agio u s diseases ; to re pa ir the pavements i n short to pay
continual atten ti on to the publi c welfare and that too ,
without wages o r h 0pe o f salary ! D o you know tha t

I am Flo r ian Barb e d ienn e o wn lieu ten an t o f M onsieur
,
the pro vost and m o reo ver commissary comptroller e x i

, , , ,
a m ine r
The Lo rd knows when M as ter Florian would h ave

finished this flight of eloquen ce had no t the lo w do or he
hind him suddenly opened and afforded passage to the pro
vost hi m self M aster Florian did not stop short at his
.
entran ce but turning half round u pon hi s heel an d

, , ,
abr uptly directing to the provost the h aran gue which a

momen t befo r e he was laun ching forth against Quasimodo
“ M on seig neur ” said he
a
I deman d such pu nish
, ,
men t as i t shall please you to pronoun ce upon the pri s one r

here present f o r audacious and heinous contemp t o f jus
”
ti ce .
O ut o f breath wi th the ex ert ion he sat down and be gan ,
t o wipe off the perspiration whi ch trick l ed fr om hi s forehead

u
1 69. T H E H UNC H B A CK on N OT R E r D A M E .
and fel l in big drops upon the parchments spread ou t before

M essire Robe r t d E s tou te vil l e knitted his brows
’
him .
and comman ded attention with a gestu r e so i mperious an d

expressive that Quasim odo had some inklin g o f what was
m ean t .
Wh at has t thou done to be brough t hither varlet ? ,
sai d the provost s te m l y .
The poo r devil supposing that the provost was en qu ir

,
ing his n ame broke his habitual silen ce an d in a hars h

, ,
”
an d guttural voice rep l ied Quasimodo , .
The answer was so incon gruous with the question as

on ce more to excite the risibili ty of the bystanders when ,
M essire R o bert flushed with rage exclaimed :

,
Art thou ,
making thy game o f m e too thou arrant knave ,

”
B ell ringer at N ot r e D ame replied Quasimodo con
- —
, ,
ce iving that the j udge had en quired his profession .
B ell ringer — roared the provost who h ad got up

-
,
that morning as we ha ve obs erved in such an ill —hu mou r

, ,
as not to n eed the further provocation o f these cros s

’
grained answers b elL ringer I ll have such a peal
rung on th y back as shall make thee rue thy impertinen ce .
D ost thou hear varlet ,
I f you want to kno w m y age said Qu asimodo I , ,

”
believe I shall be twenty next M artinmas ,
.
This was too provoking the provost lost all patien ce .
I Vh at wretch
, dost thou defy the provost He r e ver
gers take this fellow to the pillory o f the Gr eve let him
,
’
be flogge d and then turn him for an hour S death he shall .
,
pay for his insolen ce and m y pleasure i s that this senten ce

,
be p roclaimed by four trumpeters in the seven ca stellanies

”
o f the viscoun ty of Paris .
The clerk ins tantly fell to work to record the senten ce .
Ve n tr e D ieu but that s a j ust senten ce ! cried ’
Jehan Frollo d u M oulin from his corner ,

.
The provost turned about an d again fixing his fl ashin g ,
eyes o n Quasimodo I verily believe

,
said he that , ,
the knave has dared to swear in ou r p resen ce — C lerk

'
.
,
ad d a fi n e o f twelve deniers Parisis f o r the oath and let

hal f of i t be given to the church of St Eu sta che . .
I n a f e w minu tes the senten c e was drawn u p T he .

T H E H UNC H B A CK os NO T RE D AM E
- . 1 63
lan guage was simple and con cise The pra c tice of the .
provosty and viscounty of Pari s had not then been laid

down by the presiden t Thibaut B aill et and R oger B amm e , ,
king s advocate i t was n ot then obstru cted by that forest

’
o f q uirks cavils and quibbles which these two lawyers

, , ,
plan ted before it at the com mencemen t of the sixteenth

century E very thing abou t it was clear explici t e x p e
.
, ,
d itio u s . I t was all straightforward work and you per ,
ce ive d at once at the end o f eve r y path unin terrupted by ,
bushes o r roundabout ways the pillory the gibbet and the, , ,
wheel You knew at least what you had to expect

. .
The clerk handed the sentence to the provost who af ,

.
fixed his seal and left the hall to continue his round o f
,
'
the cou r ts in a mood which was likely to in c r ease the

,
population o f the gaols of Paris Jehan Frollo an d R obi n .
P o u s s e p a in laughed in their slee ve ; while Quasimod o

looked o n with an air o f calm indi fferen ce .
t ile M aster Florian B arb e die nne was i n his tur n

reading the senten ce previously to his signing i t the clerk
, , ,
feeling compassion for the wretched vi ctim and hoping

to obtain some mitigation o f his punishment approached as ,
near as he could to the ear of the audi to r and said point ,
in g at the same time to Quasimodo The poor fello w

”
is deaf .
H e con ceived that thi s community of infirmi ty migh t

awaken M aster Florian s lenity i n behalf o f the culprit
’
B ut in the first place as we have a l ready mentioned

, , ,
M aster Florian was by no mean s anxious to have i t kno wn

that he was deaf ; and in the next he wa s so hard o f
, ,
hearing as not to catch a single syllable o f what the clerk

said to him P retending nevertheless to hear he replied :
.
, , ,
“ Aha ! that i s a diff eren t thing I did n t know that
o In
, .
this case let him have another hour in the p illory and
he signed the sen ten ce with this alteration .
’ ”
That s right ! cried R obin P ou s s e p ain who owed
‘
Quasimodo a grud ge “ this will teach him to handl e

pe ople roughly .
r nn
'
B UN CH B A OK o r NO T RE DA ME
- . 1 65
defended by two cross bars o f i ron th e onl y aperture f or

-
the admission o f air and light to a small cell wi thout door ,
formed in the basemen t of the wall o f the old building ,
and full o f a quiet the more profound a s ilence the ,
more melancholy from i ts very conti gui ty to a publi c

,
pla ce and that the most popul ous an d the most n oisy in
,
Paris.
This cell had been noted in Pari s f o r three c en turies ,

ever sin ce M adame R olande o f Roland s T ower o u t ’
a ffection for her father , who h ad fallen in the C ru sades ,
caused it to be cu t out o f the w all o f her own house f o r ,
the purpose o f shutting hersel f up in it for ever keepin g ,
no part of her mansion but this hpl e, the door o f w hich

was wall ed up and the windo w Open winter and summer ,
and giving all the res t to the poor and to God I n thi s .
anticipated tomb the disconsolate la dy had awai ted death

,
for twenty years praying nigh t an d day for the soul of

,
her father lying upon ashes without so much as a ston e

, ,
for a pillow habi ted in black sackcloth and subsis ting

, ,
solely upon the b re ad and water which the pity o f the pas
'
se nge rs induced them to deposit o n her window s ill th us -

,
living upon charity after gi ving away her all At her

,
.
death at the moment of quitting this for her last sepulchre

, ,
she bequeathed it for ever to affl icte d females m ai d s, ,
wives or widows who should have occa sion to pray much

, ,
f o r themselves o r others and who should wish to bur y

,
themselves ali ve o n accoun t o f some heavy c alamity or

,
some extraordinary penan ce The tears an d blessings o f .
the poo r embalmed her memo r y but to their great d is ap ,
pointment their pious benefactr ess could not be canonised

f o r want of patronage su fficien tly powerful Such o f them .
as were not most religiously di sposed had hoped that t he

thing would be more easily accompl i shed in Paradise th an
at Rome and had therefo re at on ce prayed to God instead
,
o f the pope in behalf of the deceased M ost of them h ad .
been con tent to hold her memory sacred and to m ake reli c s
o f he r rags The city seconding the intentions of the lady
.
, ,
had founded a publ i c breviary which was attached to the ,
wall ne ar the windo w o f the cell that passengers migh t ,
stop fr om time to ti me were it only tha t they might be

,
M 3
1 66 TH E . H UN GH B A OK: o n NO T RE D A ME
- .
in duced to recite a prayer that the prayer migh t make

,
t hem think o f ai m s and that the poo r recluses the succes

, ,
’
s ive inmates o f M adame R o l a nd e s cell migh t n ot ab s o
'
l u tel y perish of hunger an d neglect .
I n the cities o f the m iddle ages tombs o f this sort were

n o t rare . I n the most frequented street in the m ost ,
crowded and noisy market in the midst of the highways, ,

’
almost u nder the horses feet and the cart wheels you -
,
f requen tly met with a cellar a cave a well a walle d and , , ,
g rated cabin in which a human bei ng self devoted to some

, ,
-
eve r lasting sorrow to some signal expiation spen t nigh t

, ,
a n d day in prayer An d n one of th ose reflections which

.
w ould be awakened in us at the present time by thi s

strange sight this horrid cell a sort of i ntermediate link b e
, ,
t ween a house and a g r ave between the cemetery and the

,
ci ty that being cut o ff from all communi ty with m ankind ,
an d hen ceforth numbered among the dead ; that lamp con

s u m ing its last d r op of o il in obscu r i ty that spa r k of life
glimmering in a grave that voice of in cessant p r ayer in a
ca ge o f stone t hat face for ever turned towards the n ext
world ; that eye already lit by another sun that ear
p ressed against the side of the tomb that soul a prisoner
i n this body this body a p r isoner i n thi s dungeon an d ,
t he m oaning of that a ffli cted soul within this two fold -
envelope o f flesh and granite none of these ideas p r e

s ented themselves to the multitude in those days The .
un r easoning and far from subtle Piety o f that period could

n o t see so many facets in a reli gious act She took .
t he thing i n the lump ; an d honoured venerated upon , ,
o ccasion sanctified the sac rifice but without analysing the

, ,
sufferings or bestowing o n them only a moderate degree

,
o f pity . She ca r ried fr om time to time a pittance to the

wretched penitent peeping through the hole to see if he
,
w ere still alive bu t she knew not his n ame she scar cely
k new how many years i t was since he had begun to die
an d to the enquiries of the st r anger r especting the living .
skeleton who was rotting in such a cabin cave o r cellar

, , , ,
”
the neighbours merely replied I t i s the recluse ,
.
Thus at that day people saw every thing with the

naked eye with out magn ifying glass, witho u t ex agge ra
,
N O T RE D A ME 1 67
’
r n n n u n c n n a cx
'
or - .
tion without metaphysics

,
The microscope had not yet
.
been invented either for material o r for spiritual things .
I nstances o f this kind of seclusion i n the he art o f

cities ,
though they raised but li ttle wonder were yet f re ,
quent as we have j ust observed

,
In Paris there was a .
considerable numbe r o f these cells for praying to God and

doing penance ; and almost all of them were o ccupied .
The cle rgy i t is true disliked to see them empty as that

, , ,
ixn pl ie d lukewarmness i n their flocks ; an d lepers were

placed i n them when no peniten ts o ff ered themselves B e .
sides the cell o f the Greve there was one at M ontfaucon

, ,
an other at the charnel house o f the I nnocents ; a thi rd , I

-
d o not e x actly remember where at the logis C l icho n I , ,
be l ieve ; and others at various places where you still find ,
traces o f them i n tradi tions though the buildi ngs have ,
been swept away O n the hill o f St Genevi eve a kind o f

. .
Job o f the middle ages sang fo r thirty years the seven

penitential psalms upon a dungh ill at the bo ttom o f a
, ,
cistern beginning afr esh as soon as he had finished , a nd

,
raising his voice highest at nigh t : and to this day the

anti q uary imagines that he b e ars hi s voice as he enters ,
the st reet called P u its qu i p a r l e .
’
B ut to retur n to the cell of R oland s Tower I t i s .
righ t to mention that ever since the death of M adame

R olande i t had seldom been for any length o f time with
ou t a tenan t M any a woman had come thither to
.
mourn some their indiscretions and others the loss o f

, ,
parents o r lovers Pa r isian scandal which interferes in

.
,
eve r y thing even in such things as least concern i t pre

, ,
te nded that very few widows had be en seen among the

number .
Acco rding to the fashion o f the age a Latin legend ,
insc ribed upon the wall indicated to the lettered passenger

the pious destination of this cell D own to the middle of
.
t he sixteenth century i t was customary to explain the

Obje c t of a building by a sho r t motto placed over the door .
Thus in Fran ce there m ay still be read over the postern o f

t he seignorial house of Tourville SI L E T O E T s p a n s in ,
I reland beneath the coat o f arm s o ver the grand entrance

,
to Forte scue castle F o n r n S CU T U M s a w s D UC UM

'
in
,
M 4
Tu n H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- . 1 69
eviden t] no t on accoun t o f poverty but simply f or fear o f

t
,
fine .
’
eir companion was tyred nearly in the sam e
fashion but in her dress and m anner there was som e
,
.
thing whi ch be trayed the countrywoman The heigh t o f .
her belt abo ve the hips told that she had no t been long
in Pa r is Add to this a plaited neckerchief b ows o f
.
,
ribands at her shoe s the str ipes o f her pet ticoat runnin g
,
breadthwise ins tead o f l engthwise , and various o ther enor

m itie s equally abhorren t to good tas te .
The fi rst two walked with the step peculi ar to the

women o f Paris who are showing the lions to thei r p ro
vi n cial friends The third held a big b o y by one hand
.
,
while he carried a large cake in the other The boy di d .
not ca r e to keep up wi th her but su ffered h imself to be

,
dragged along an d stumbled every m oment to the no small

, ,
alarm of his mother I t is true that he p aid much greater

.
atten tion to the cake than to the pavement Some weigh ty .
reason n o doubt preven ted hi s taking a bite for he did no ,

’
more th an look wistfu lly at i t T was cruel to m ake a
.
T antalus of the j olt headed cub -

.
M eanwhil e the three dam oisell es for the term da mes

was then reserved f o r noble females were talki ng all at
once .
Let us make haste damoiselle M ahie tte, said the ,
youngest who was also the lus t iest o f the three to her
, ,
country friend .I a m afraid we shall be too late W e .
were told at the C h atelet that he was to be put in the p il

”
l ory fo r thwith .
'
Pooh ! pooh ! What are you tal ki ng o f damoisell e ,
Ouda rd e M u s nie r ? replied the other Pa r isian He is to .
stay t wo ho u rs in the p ill ory We sh all have plen ty o f

.
time Have yo u ever s een any o ne in the pi l lory m y dear

.
,
M ahi e tte P
”
Yes answered M ahie tte
, at R eims , .
Your pillory at Reims why ti s no t worth m ention ,

’
ing A wretched cage where they turn nothing but cl od -

.
,
n
poles '
C lod poles for sooth
, rej oined M ahie tte i n the ,
C loth M arket at R eims ! We have h ad some no ted cri

minais there however — people who had murdered bo th
,
1 70 TH E H UNC H B A CK on N O T RE D A ME
- .
father and mother C lodpol es indeed what d o you take

.
,
us fo r Gervaise ,
I t is c ertain that the p r ovincial lady fel t somewhat net

t l e d at the attack o n the honour o f her pillory Luckily .
the di screet damoisell e Ou d a rde gave a seasonable turn to

t he con versation
.
.
What say you M ahie tte ,

she asked to our Fl e
, ,
"
m ish ambassadors ? H ave yo u ever had any l ike them at
R eims
I con fess replied M ahie tte
,
that Pari s is the onl y
,
”
p lace for seeing Flemings such as they .
An d thei r horses what beautiful animals dressed ou t

, ,
a s they are i n the fashion o f their coun try

.
Ah m y dear , exclaimed M ahie tte assuming in her ,
t urn an air of superiority what woul d you say had you

,
b een at R eims at the coronation in the year 6 1 and see n ,
the ho r ses o f the p r inces and of the king s retinue There ’
"
we r e housings and trappings of all so r ts some of damas k
c l o th and fine cloth of gold garnished with sable others
o f velvet furred with ermine others all cove red with j ew
e llery an d large gold and silver bells
,
Think o f the .
m oney that all this must have cost ! And then the bean .
”
t ifu l pages th at we r e upon them .
Heyday cried Ou d ard e what is there to do ,
y onde r ? See what a crowd is collected at the foot o f the

bridge The r e seems to be something i n the midst o f them
t hat they are looking at .
Surely I hear the sound of a tambourine said Ger ,
v aise . I da r e say it is young E smeralda playing her

antics wi th her goat Quick M ahie tte and pull you r boy
.
, ,
a long . You a r e come to see the c u r iosities of Pa r is Yes .
te r d ay you saw the Flemings to day you must see the -
”
E gyptian .
The E gyptian ! exclaimed M ahie tte star ting back , ,
and forcibly g r asping the a r m of her son God forbid ! .
she might steal m y boy C ome E ustache .
Wi th these wo rds she began to run alo n g the quay to

wards the Gr eve till she had left the b r idge at a consider
,
able distan ce behi nd her Presen tly the boy whom she .
,
dre w after her tripped and fell upon his knees : she stop
,
m s n u n on na ox
'
on NO T RE D A ME - . l 7l
p ed to recover breath and Ou d arde and Gervaise overtook

,
her .
That E gyptian steal your b o y said Gervaise

beshrew me if this be not a strange fan cy
M ahie tte shook her head with a pensive look
-
.
”
And what is still more st r ange obse r ved Ou darde , ,
”
Sister Gudule has the same notion of the E gyptian s .
IVho i s Sister Gudule

'
en q uired M ahie t te .
You must be vastly ignorant at you r R eims n ot to

”
k now that replied Ou d ard e
,
Why the recluse of the .
,
Trou aux Rats .
Wh at ! the poor woman to whom we are carrying the

c ake
Ou d ard e nodded a ffirmatively Just s o Y ou will . .
see he r presently at her windo w o n the Greve She holds .
j ust the same opinion as you o f those E gyptian vagabonds ,
who go about d rumming on tambourines and telling for

t unes N obody k nows why she has such a horror o f the
.
Zingari and E gyptians B ut you M ahie tte wherefore

.
, ,
should you take to your heels thus at the mere sight of ,
them .
O h said M ahie tte clasping her boy s head in both,

’
her hands I would not for the world that the same
,
thing shoul d happen to me as b e fel Paquette la C han te

fle u ri
"
e .
Ah ! you must tell us that story good M ahie tte , ,
said Ge r vaise taking he r by the a r m

" , .
I will answered M ahie tte

, b u t ho w ignorant you
must be in your Pa r is not to know that ! B ut we need not
stop while I tell you the story You must know then .
,
that Paquette 1a C hante fle u rie was a handsome gi r l o f

eighteen j ust when I was so mysel f that is eighteen years , ,
ago and it i s her own fault that she is not at this day like
, ,
me a hearty comely mother o f six and thirty with a hus

,
,
band and a boy She was the daughter o f G u yb e rta u t

.
,
m inst r el o f R eims the same that played before king

,
C harles V I I at his coronation when he wen t down o u r

.
,
rive r Vesle fr om Sille ry to M ui s o n and the M aid of Or ,
lean s was in the barge with him Baquette s father died .

’
while she was qu ite an infan t so she had onl y her m o

rn s
'
n u ncnn a cx or N O T R E D A ME - . 1 73
h ad long been wishing for a child Her m other good .

,
soul who had always winked at her faults was now dead :
,
,
so that Paq u ette had nothing in the world to love and n one ,
to love her F or fi ve years ever sin ce her fall she had

. , ,
been a miser able creature poor C ha nte fle urie ! She wa s ,
alone al one in this life pointed at and ho c te d i n the

, ,
s tr eets ,
cu ffed by the beadles , teased by li ttle ragged
urchins B y this time she was twenty
. an age at whi ch
i t i s said lewd women begin to be o l d
,
Her way o f li fe .
s carcely brough t her i n m o r e than her needlework had

formerly done the winter had set i n sharp and woo d wa s ,
again rare o n her hearth and bread in her cupboa r d She ,

.
was o f course very so rrowful very mise r able and her

, , , ,
t ears wore deep channels in her cheeks B ut in her de .
g raded and forlorn condi tion i t seemed to her that she

sh ould be less degraded and less forlorn , i f she had any
t hing o r any o ne i n the world that she coul d love and ,
t hat could love her She felt that this must n eed s be a
.
child ,
because nothin g but a child coul d be innocen t
IVom e n o f her class must have either a
’
en ough for that .
lo ver o r a child to engage their a ffection s or they a r e very ,
unhappy N o w as Paquette could not find a lover, she

.
se t her whole hear t upon a child and prayed to G od nigh t ,
a nd day for o ne And he took compassion o n her an d

.
,
g ave her a l ittle girl Her j oy is not to be described

. .
H o w she di d hug and fondle her in fant ! i t was qui te a

t empest o f tears and ki sses She suckled i t herself made .
,
i t clothes ou t o f her o wn, and then ceforward felt neither

c old nor hunger H er be auty re turn e d An o l d m aid
. .
ma kes a young mother I n a short ti me she agai n betook

.
herse l f to her former loose courses and she laid o u t all ,
the money that she received o n frocks and caps and lace
an d l ittle satin bonnets and all sorts of fine r y for her ,
' ’
child — M onsieur E usta che ha v n t I told you n o t to ,
m eddle with that c ake —It i s ce r tain that l ittle Agnes ,
that was the n ame given to the child at her chri st ening
was more bedi z ened wi th ribands and embr oidery than a
p rin ces s Amon g other things she had a pai r o f little
.
’
shoes su ch as I l l be bound Loui s X I never had Her
,
. .
mother had m ade and em broidered them herself with the

1 74 TH E I
H UN CH B A CK o r NO T RE D A ME - .
utmost art an d ski l l of her needle A prettier pair o f .
little rose coloured shoes wa s never seen

-
They were n ot .
longer than m y thumb an d you m ust have seen th e ,

’
child s tiny feet com e out or yo u woul d never believe they
could go in to them B ut then those feet were so small s o
.
,
p r etty so rosy — more so than the satin o f the shoes

, .
When you have children Ou d ard e yo u will know that , ,

”
n othing i s so pretty as those del icate little feet an d han ds .
I desi r e n othi n g better said Ou dar d e wi th a sigh , ,
but I must wai t till it i s the good pleasur e of M onsieur

"
Andry M u s nier .
resumed M ahie tte

’
P a qu e tte s baby had n ot , ,
merely handsome feet I saw it when but four m on ths .
ol d . O h i t was a love Her eyes were larger than her

m ou th and she had the mos t beautiful dark hair whi ch
, ,
already began to curl t a t a superb brunette she would .
have m ade at sixteen ! H er m other becam e every day

m ore and m ore dotingly fond o f her She hugged her .
,
she kissed her she tickled he r she washed her she pranked
, , ,
he r u p — she was ready to eat her I n the wildness o f .
her j oy she thanked G o d for the gift B ut i t was her .
tiny rosy feet above all that she wa s never tired o f a dm ir

ing She would pass whole hours in putting o n them the
.
little shoes taking them o ff ag ai n , gazing at them an d

, ,
pressing them to her lips .
The story i s well enough said Gervaise in an under ,

”
tone ; but where are the E gyp ti ans ?
”
Why here replied M ahie tte
, ,O ne day a pa r ty o f .
very str ange looking people o n horseback a r ri ved at R eims

- .
They were beggars and vagabonds who roved abou t th e ,
coun try headed by their duke and their counts Their

,
.
visage was tawn y ; they ha d curly hai r; an d wore silver

rings in their ears The women were uglier than the
.
men Their complexion was darker They went bare

. .
headed a shabby mantle covered the body an o l d piece o f ,
sackcloth was tied abou t the shoulders an d thei r hai r was ,

’
like a horse s tai l The child ren who were tumblin g .
,
about upon their laps were enough to frigh ten an ape , .
These hideous p eople had come so it was sai d

ra ightway from E gy p t to Reim s through P oland ; the
rnn
. B U N C H B A OK o r NO T RE D A ME - . 1 75
ope h ad on fessed them and o r dered them by way of

'
p c ,
penance to wander fo r seven years together th rough the

world without lying in a bed ; and they clai m ten li vres
tou r nois of all archb ishops bisho ps and c r osiered and , ,
m itred abbots by virtue o f a hul l of the pope They cam e

,
.
to Reims to te l l fortunes i n the n ame of the king of Al

giers and the empe r o r of German y This was quite .
enough as you m ay suppose to cause them to be forbidde n

, ,
to enter the city The wh ole ha nd then encamped wi thou t

.
m ore ado o n the mill hill by the old chal k pits and all
-
,
-
,
Reims wen t to see them They looked at your palm an d .
fo r etold wonderful things At the same time there were .
various reports about their stealing children cutti ng purses , ,
and eating human flesh Pru dent perso ns said to the simple
.
,
’
Go not near them and yet wen t themselves in se cret I t
,
.
was q u i te the rage The fact is they told things which woul d
.
,
have as tonished a cardin al M others were n o t a little proud

.
o f their chil dren after the E gyptian s had read all sorts o f
marve l s written in their hands i n Pagan gibberish One .
had an emperor another a pope a third a great captain

, , .
Poo r C han te fle ur ie was sei zed with curiosi ty ; she was

an xious to kno w her lu ck and whether li ttle Agnes ,
should one day be empress o f Armenia o r something o f

that sort She carried her to the en campmen t o f the
.
E gyptians ; the women admired the infant they fon dl ed ,
her they kissed her with their dark lips they were asto
, ,
h ished at her tiny hand to the no small deligh t o f the ,
poor mother B ut above all they extolled he r delicate feet

.
an d her pretty little shoes The child was not quite a .
year old She had begun to li sp a word or two laughed at

.
,
her mother like a li ttle m adca p and was plump and fat and ,
pl ayed a thousand engaging an tics B ut s he was frigh t .
ened at the E gyptians and fell a cryi ng Her m other . .
kissed and cuddl ed her an d away she went overj oyed at ,
the good luck which the fortu ne tellers had promi s ed her
- -
Agnes She was to be a beauty a virtue a queen

. She , ,
.
returned to her ga rret in the R ue Folle Peine qui te p r oud

of her burden Next da y she softly slipped ou t for a
.
m oment while the infan t lay asleep o n the bed leavi ng ,
t he door aj ar, and ran to tell an a c qu aintan ce i n the R ue

r n n n u rzc n na cx
'
or N OT B E - D AM E . 1 77
o ther who had given herself up to the devil He ap peared

,
.
to be about four years old and ta lked a langu age which ,
was not a human lang u age such words were never before
heard i n thi s world C ha nte fle u rie snatched up the tin y
.
shoe all that was left her of all that she had loved
,
She .
lay so long without m oving without speaking apparen tl y

, , ,
without breathing that every body though t she was dead

, .
Al l at once she trembled in every limb ; she covered the

precious reli c with passionate kisses and burs t into a fit ,
o f sobs as if her heart was going to break

,
I assure you . .
we all wep t along with her O h m y baby said s he .

, ,
’
m y dear li ttle baby ! where art thou ?
’
I t m ade one s
’
heart bleed I can t help crying still at the though t o f it
. .
O ur children you se e are as the very m arrow o f o u r

, ,
bones O m y E ustache m y poor E ustache if I were to

.
, ,
lose thee what wo u ld become o f me

, At len g th C han te
fle u rie suddenly sprang up and ran thro ugh the st r ee ts ,
o f R eims shouting ,
T o the camp o f the E gyptian s !
,
Let the witches be burnt The E gyptian s were gone .
I t was dark nigh t : nobody could tell which way the y

had g one N ext day whi ch was Sunday there were
.
, ,
found on a heath between Gueux and Till ey about two ,
leagues fro m Reims the rem ains o f a large fi re bi ts o f

, ,
’
ribands which had belonged to the dress o f P a qu e tte s
chi ld and se veral drops o f blood
,
There could be no .
fu rther doubt that the Egyptian s had the nigh t be fore h el d

their Sabbath o n thi s heath and feas ted upon the child in ,
compan y with their master B elzebub When C han te ,

.
fle urie heard these horrid parti culars she did no t weep ; ,
she moved her lips as if to spea k bu t could not

, Th e , .
day after her h air was quite gray and o n the next she had ,
”
di sappea red .
”
A frightful story indeed exclaimed Oudarde
, and , ,
enough to dra w tears from a B urgundi an

”
I am n o longer surp rised said Gervaise, that yo u ,
”
are so d re adq
y afraid o f the E gyptians .
You di d qu i te right replied Ou d ard e to get o u t, ,
o f their way with E us tache es pe cia ll y as these are E

gyp ,
tians fro m Poland .

1 78 TH E H UN CH B A CK or No r m s D A ME -
.
N ot sai d Gervaise
s o, i t i s said that they com e
”
f ro m Spai n and C ataloni a .
”
At an y rate an swere d Oud a rd e
, i t is certain that ,
”
they are E gyptian s .
A nd n ot le s c ert ain continu e d Gervaise

s
, that their ,
t ee th are long en ough to eat li t tle children And I should .
n o t be surpri s e d if S meralda were to p i ck a bi t no w an d

t hen tho u gh she h as such a small pretty m ou th
,
Her whi te .
g oat plays so m a ny m arvell ous tri cks th at there must be

”
som ethi ng wrong at bottom .
M ahie tte walked o n in silen ce She was absorbe d in that .
r everie whi ch i s a sort of prolongati on of a dolefu l s tory ,
and whi ch con tinues till it has commun icated its vibration
t o the inmost fibres of the he art An d di d yo u neve r .
”
know wh at became o f C hantefl eu rie P asked Gervais e .
M ahie tte m ade no reply Gervaise repeated the question

.
,
gently sh aking her arm an d c alling her by her name .
What be came of C han te fleu rie ? said she mechani cally

repe ating the words whos e impression was still fresh upon
her ear Then m aking an e ff ort to recall her attention to
.
”
the s ense o f tho se wor ds : Ah i sa id she sharply it .
,
.
”
was never k nown what became o f her .
After a pause she added Som e said they saw her

°
l eave R eims i n the dusk of the evening by the Porte F l e

che m b aul t ; an d others at daybreak by the ol d Po r te
B asée H er gold cross was found hangin g o n the s to n e
.
cross in the field where the fai r is held I t was thi s trinket .
that o ccasioned her fall in 6 1 I t was a pre s en t from th e

.
h andsome Viscoun t de C e rm on treui l her fi rst admi r er P a ,

.
q u e tte never would part wi th it distressed as she had often ,
be en She clung to it as to l ife O f course when we heard

. .
,
h ow and where i t wa s foun d we all con cluded that she was

,
d ead Yet there were person s who declar e d they had seen
.
her on the road to Pari s walking barefoot upon th e fiints :

B ut in this case she must have gone ou t at the gate o f
, ,
Vesle and al l these accoun ts cannot be t rue

,
M y o wn .
O pinion is that s he did actually go by th e gate o f Vesle ,
not o nly ou t o f the to wn but ou t o f the w o rld

,
’
I don t un derstand yo u, said Gervaise .
m n un on n a ox or wo w s -
D A ME . 1 79
The Vesle repli ed M ahiette, with a mel an chol y

,
”
smile , is o u r river .
Poo r C hantefie u rie ! sai d Ou d ard e fs b u ddering ,
drowned !
D ro wn ed ! replied M ahi e tte Ah ! ho w i t would .
’
have spoiled good father G u ybe rtau t s singi ng while floa t ,
ing in hi s b ark be neath the bridge o f Tin queu x had he ,
been told that his dear l ittle Paquette wou l d so me da y pass

”
under that same bridge bu t wi thout song and without bark !
,
And the li ttle shoe said Ge rvai se .
”
l D isappeared with the mother rep l ied M ahie tte , .
Ou d a rd e a comely tende r he arted woman w ould ha ve

,
-
,
been satisfied to sigh in company with M ahie tte but Ger

v ai s e who was o f a m ore inquisiti ve disposi tion had no t
, ,
got to the en d o f her questions .
”
And th e monster ? said she all at once resuming her ,
enquiries .
”
t a t monster ? asked M ahie tte .
The li ttle E gyptian m onster l eft by the wi tches at ,
C hante fleu ri e s in exchan ge for her child What was do n e

’
.
”
wi th i t ? I hope you drown ed that too .
0 no repl ied M ahie tte .
B urnt then I suppose ? The best thin g too that

,
’
coul d be done wi th a wi tch s child .
Nor that either Gervaise The archbishop had com

, .
passion o n the E gyptian b o y ; he carefull y took the devi l

o u t o f him , blessed him and sent hi m to Paris to be ex
,
”
p osed in the wooden cradle at N o tre D ame as a foundling -
"
.
Those bishops said Gervaise grum blingly

, because , ,
they are learned men , never do any thing like other pe ople .
O nly think Ou darde to p0p the de vil in to the p la c e o f the

, ,
foundlings ! for it is qui te cert ain that thi s li ttl e m onster

coul d be n othing el se Well M ahie tte, an d what becam e
.
,
o f him at Paris ? N o cha ri ta bl e per son woul d lo ok at hi m ,
I reckon .
’
I don t know repli ed her country frien d
, Jus t .
at that time my husband bought the place o f n otary a t .
B e rn about t wo league s from Reim s an d bein g fully en

, , ,
”
gaged wi th ou r o wn business we los t sig ht of the m atter ,
.
Ami d s uch co nversation the worth y tr io reache d the

N 2
m s n u s cn s a cx or no r a s m a mn. 181
‘
a nd her mouth was contracted as when a p e rs ohis goin g
t o weep . A moment afterwards she pu t her finger upon
her lips and made a sign f o r M ahie tte to come and look
,
.
M ahie tte wen t in silen ce and o n tiptoe as though a p ,
roa ching the bed of a dying person I t was in truth a

p .
melan choly sight that p r esented itself to the t wo women ,
while they looked in without stirring o r breathing at the

b arred window o f the Trou aux R ats .
The ce l l was small wider than deep , with coved ceil

,
ing and see n from within resembled the hollow o f a large

,
episcopal mitre U pon the stone floor i n o ne angle a

.
, ,
female was seated or r ather crouched Her chi n rested .
upon her knees while her arm s and clasped hands en circled
,
her legs . D oubled up in this m anner wrapped i n b r ow n ,
s ackclo th her long lank gray hair falling over her face
,
down to her feet she presen ted at first sigh t a st r ange

,
figu r e standing o u t from the dark ground of the cell a ,
sort of dun triangle which the ray en tering at the window

showed like o ne of those spectres seen i n dreams hal f ,
shadow and half light pale motionless gloomy cowering

, , , ,
upo n a grave or before the grating o f a dungeon I t wa s .
neithe r woman nor man nor living creature ; i t h ad no

, ,
defini te form i t was a shapeless figu r e a sort of vision i n ,
which the real and the fantastic we r e cont r as ted like li gh t

and shade Sca r cely could there be distinguished under
.
her streaming hair the forbidding p r ofile of an attenuated

face ; scarcely did the ample robe o f sackcloth whi ch eh
folded her permi t the ex tremity o f a bare foot to be seen
peeping from beneath i t and cu r ling up on the hard cold
pavemen t The fain t likeness of the hum an for m dis cern
.
ible under this ga rb o f mourning m ade one shudder .
This figure whi ch you would have supposed to be im

,
bedded ih the ston e floor, appeared to have n either mo tion ,
n or b r eath no r thou ght Without other clothing save the

, .
sackcloth in the month o f January barefoot upon a pave

, ,
ment of grani te without fire in the gloom o f a dungeon

, , ,
the oblique aperture o f which admi tted only the chill blas t
but not the cheering sun she seemed no t to su ffe r n ot even
, ,
to feel . You would have though t that she had tu rn ed

hersel f to sto ne with the dungeon to i ce with the season , .
N 3
1 82 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
.
H er hands were clasped , her eyes fixed At the first gl ance .
you would have taken her for a spectre at the second f or a ,
statue .
At interval s however her li vid lips opened for the pur

, ,
p ose of breathing and qui vered but they looked as dead

,
and as will less as l eaves driven by the blast M eanwhile

-
.
those haggard eyes cast a look an ine fiab l e look a p ro

’
, ,
found melan choly imperturbable look stedfastly fi x ed o n

, , ,
a corner of the cell which could not be seen from without ;

a look w hich seemed to connect all the gloomy thoughts o f
that a fflicted spirit with some m ysterious obj ect .
Such was the creature to whom was given fr om her garb

the familiar name o f Sacky an d from her dwelling that o f ,
the Re cluse .
The three women for by this time Gervai se had re

j oined Ou d ar de an d M ahie tte peeped in at the window .
Their heads intercepted the fain t light that entered the

du ngeon but yet the wretched being whom they deprived
,
o f i t appeared n ot to no tice them Let us n ot di stur b .
” ”
her said Ou dard e softly
, she is praying .
M ahie tte scrutini sed all this time that wan , wi thered ,
deathlike face under its veil o f hair with an anxiety that

, ,
increased every moment an d her eyes filled with tears ,

.
I t woul d indeed be most extraordin ary mu ttered she .
Puttin g her head between the bars o f the aperture she was
enabled to see the corner upon whi ch the eye o f the u n
happy recluse was still rivetted When she drew back her .
head from the windo w her cheeks were bathed with tears
,
.
What do you call thi s woman said she to Ou d ard e ,
W e call her Sister Gudule

‘
who replied : .
”
For m y part rej oined M ahi e tte
,
I call her P a ,
”
q u e t te la C hante fieu rie .
Then laying her finger upon her l ips she m ade a sign to
, ,
th e asto nis hed Ou d ard e to pu t her head through th e aper

ture and look Ou d ard e did s o a nd beheld in the corner
.
,
upon which the eye o f the recluse was fixed in gloom y

ecstas y a tiny shoe o f p ink satin embroidered all over wi th ,
gold and s ilver Gervaise looked in after Ou dar de an d the

.
three women fell a weepin g at the sigh t o f the unfortun ate

-
mother . Nei ther their looks however nor their tears, , ,

m s: H U NC HB A CK or N OTB E - D A ME . 1 88
were noti ce d by the recluse Her han ds rem ained clas p ed ,

.
her lips mute her eyes fixed and that l ook thus ben t o n
, ,
the li ttle shoe was enough to cut an y one who kne w her
s tory to the heart .
T he three women ga zed without utte ring a word the y

durst not speak even i n a whisper This profound silen ce , .
this i ntense sorrow this u tter forgetful ness of all but one
,
obj ect produ ced upon them the e ffect o f a high al tar a t
,
E aster o r C hri s tmas I t awed them too in to s ilen ce, i n to

.
devotion : they were ready to fall o n their knees .
At length Gervaise the most inqui si tive and o f course

, ,
the least tenden hearte d o f the three called to the re clu se , ,
in hopes o f making her speak Sister Sister Gudule ,
Thri ce did s he repeat the call raising her voi ce every time
,
.
The recluse stirred not ; i t drew from her neither w ord ,

n o r look nor sigh no r sign o f lif e
, , .
Sis ter Sister St Gudule said Ou da rd e i n her

.
tu rn i n a kinder and more soo thi ng tone

,
The re clus e .
was silen t an d motionless as before .
A strange woman exclaimed Gerv ai se I veril y .
”
be lie ve that a bombard would no t wake n her .
Perhaps she is deaf ! said Ou dard e sighing .
Perhaps bl ind added Gervaise .
Pe r haps de ad ej acula ted M ahie tte

,
.
I t i s certain that i f the spiri t had n ot yet qui tted th at

inert lethargi c and apparen tly inan im ate fram e i t had at
, , ,
least retired to and shut i tself up in recesses w hi ch the per

ce p tio n s o f the extern al organs co ul d n o t reach .
What shall we do to reu s e her said Ou d arde .
I f we leave the cake i n the window some b oy will run

away wi th i t " ,
E us tache whose attenti on had ti ll this m omen t bee n

,
taken up by a l ittle cart dr awn by a great d o g whi ch had ,
just passed along all at on ce perceived that his mother and

,
her fr iends were looki ng through the window at something

and curious to learn what i t was he clambered upon a
, ,
.
post and thrusting hi s red chubby face in at the aperture,

,
he cried : O n ly loo k m other ! who is that ?

A t the soun d of the c hil d s clear, fresh sonorous voi ce
’
N 41
m s B UN C H B A OK or N O T RE D A ME - .
‘
1 85
that in the co ncludin g words she was agai n complaining o f

”
cold D o have a fire then said she ,
.
Fi re exclaimed the recluse in a strange tone ,

“ and would o u m ake o ne for the poor baby who has
y
bee n under ground these fifteen yea r s ?
Her limbs shook , her voice t rembled her eyes flashed ,
s he raised herself upon her knees all at once she extended

he r whi te sk inny hand towa r ds the b o y
,
Take away .
”
that child, cried she The E gyptian will} presen tly
.
”
p ass .
She then s an k upon her face and her forehead struck ,
the floor with a soun d like that of a stone falling upon i t .
The three women con clu d ed that she was dead P r esen tly .
,
however she began to sti r an d they saw her crawl upon

, ,
hands and knees to the corner whe r e the li ttle shoe was .
She was then ou t of their sigh t and they du r st not look ,

'
after her : but they heard a thousand kisses and a thou

sand sighs mingled with piercing sh r ieks and dull heav y
, ,
t humps as if fr om a head striking against a wall : at last

, ,
after one o f these blows so violen t as to make all three

,
s ta rt they heard nothing more

, .
She must have killed he r self ! said Gervaise ven ,
turing to put her head in at the aperture Sister ! .
Sister Gudule
Sister Gudule repeated Ou darde .
Good God ! exclaimed Gervaise she does no t

s tir
. She must b e dead Gudule Gudule
M ahie tte shocked to such a degree that she could
,
”
scarcely speak m ade an e ffort , Wait a moment said .
,
s he
. Then going close to the window Paquette ! she ,
cried ,Paquette la C ha nte fle u rie

A b o y who thoughtlessly blows a li ghted cracker whi ch
hangs fire and makes it explode in his eyes is not more
, ,
frigh tened than was M ahie t te at th e e ffect o f this nam e

thus ab rup tly p r onounced .
The recluse shook all over sprang upon her feet and , ,
bounded to the window her eyes at the same time flashi ng

,
fire wi th such vehemen ce that the three women r et r eated

, ,
to the parapet of the quay The haggard face o f the re

.
bluse appeared pressed against the bars o f the window .

1 86 T H E H U N CH B A CK os NO T RE D A ME
-
.
”
Aha ! she cried with a horrid lau gh,
,
t is the E gyp
’
tian that calls me

The sce ne which was j us t then passing at the pill ory
caugh t her eye H er bro w wri nkled wi th horror, she
.
stretched bo th her skeleton arm s ou t o f her cell and cri e d ,
wit h a voice unlike that of a human be in g : So i t is thou , ,
spawn of E gypt i t i s thou child s teal er that call est me

,
-
,
.
”
C ursed be thou for thy pains ! c u rsed ! — cursed — cursed !
C HAPT ER I V .
TH E PILL OR Y .
T H E S E words were if we m ay so expres s i t the p oint o f

, ,
j un ction o f t wo scenes which had thus far been acting con

temporaneously each on its particular stage ; the o ne that
, ,
which ha s j ust been detailed at the T rou aux R ats ; the

,
other which we are abo ut to describe at the pillory The

, ,
.
fir s t had been witnessed only by the three fem al e s with

whom the reader has j ust m ade acquai ntan ce ; the spec
ta to rs o f the other consisted of the crowd whi ch we some
time sin ce s a w collecting in the Place de Gr eve around the
pillory an d the gal lows .
This crowd to whom the appe aran ce o f the four s e r

,
ge a n ts posted at the four corners o f the pi l lory ever sin ce

nine i n the morning in timated that some poor wretch was
about to su ffer if no t capi tal punishmen t yet flogging the
, , ,
loss o f ears o r som e o ther inflicti o n — this crowd had in

,
creased so rapidly that the sergean ts had been obliged m ore

’
than on ce to keep i t back by means o f their horses heel s
and the free u se o f their whips .
The mob accustomed to wait whole hours for publi c exe

,
cu tio n s did n ot m anifest an y vehemen t impatience

,
They .
amused them selves with gazing at the pill ory a very simple ,
con t r i van ce consisting of a cube o f masonry s ome ten fee t

,
high hollow within A rude fli gh t o f step s o f rough ston e

, .
led to the u p per platform u pon whi ch was seen a hori zontal
,
r n n H U N OH B A OK o r
'
N O T RE D A ME
-
. 1 87
whee l o f o ak U pon this wheel the culpri t was bound upon

.
his knees an d with his hands tied behind him An axle o f .
timber m oved by a capstan concealed from sight withi n

,
the little building cau sed the wh eel to revolve i n the hori
,
’
z o n tal plan e an d th u s exhibited the culpri t s face to every
,
p oin t of the pla c e i n succession This was call ed tu r ning .
a cri minal .
Thus you see the pillory o f the Greve was by no means

, ,
so interesting an objec t as the pillo r y o f the H alles There .
was nothing archi tectural nothing m onumen ta l about i t ,
i t had no roof with iron cross n o o ctagon lan tern , n o slen d er ,
p illars spreading at the m argin o f the roof into capi tals o f

acanthi an d flo wers no fan tastic and mons trou s water
,
spouts n o carved wood work, no delicate scul pture deeply

,
-
cut in stone .
Here the eye was forced to be con tent wi th four flat walls
and t wo buttresses o f unhewn stone an d a plain bare gibbe t , ,
like wise o f stone standing beside i t The treat wo u ld hav e

, .
been a sorry o ne for the lovers o f Gothi c architecture It .
i s true however that no people ever hel d works of art in

, ,
l ess estimation than the Pari sian populace in the middle

ages and that they cared no t a p in abo ut the beau ty o f a
,
p il lory .
The c ulprit tied to the tail o f a cart was at length

, ,
brought forward and when he ha d been hoisted upon the

pl a tf orm where he could be seen fr o m all points o f the Place
, ,
bound with cords and thongs upon the wheel o f the p illory ,
a prodigious b o o ti ng, mingled with laughter an d acol a '
mation s burst fr om the m o b

, They had recognised Qua .
s im o d o .
I t wa s a strange reverse for the poor fellow to be pilloried

o n the same spot where the preceding day he had bee n
,
h ailed and proclaimed Pope and Prince o f Fools escorted ,
by the D uke o f E gypt the K ing of Thunes and the E m, ,
p e r or o f Galilee So mu ch i s certain that there was no t a

.
,
creature in that con course n o t even himself alte rnately the , ,
object o f triumph an d of punishmen t who could clearly ,
make ou t the connection between the two situati ons Grin .
goire and his ph ilosophy were lacking to the spectacle .
Presently M ichel N oiret sworn trum pe ter o f ou r lord the ,

r nn
'
H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D AM E -
. 1 89
shirt as hi gh as the el bo w At length he sta mped with .
his foot The wheel began to turn

. Quasimodo shook in .
his bonds T he am azemen t suddenly expressed i n his

.
hideo us face drew fresh shouts o f laughter from the

.
spe cta tors .
All at on ce at the m omen t when the wheel i n its revo

,
l u ti o n presented the moun tain shoulders o f Quasim odo to -
M aster Pierrat he raised his arm ; the thin lashes hissed

,
sha r ply in the air l ike so many vipers and descended with ,
fury upon the back o f the unlucky w ight .
Quasimodo started like one awakened from a dream H e .
b egan to comprehen d the meaning o f the scene he writhed ,
i n his bonds ; a violent con traction of surprise and pai n

distorted the muscles of his face but he heaved no t a single ,
sigh
. He merel y turned his head first o ne way then the , ,
o ther balancing i t the while like a bull s tung i n the fl ank

, ,
b y a ga d fly .
A second stroke succeeded the first then came a third , ,
and another and another , The wheel continued to turn .
and the blows to fall The blood began to trickle in a.
hundred little stream s down the swart shoul ders o f the

h u n chback and the slender thongs whistling i n the air ,
i n their rotation , sprinkled i t in drops over the gaping

c rowd .
Quasimodo had relapsed in appearan ce at least in to his , ,
former apathy He h ad endeavoured at first quietly an d

.
,
without great ex ternal e ffort to burst his bonds H is eye , .
was seen to flash his muscles to swell his l imbs to gather

, ,
them selves up an d the thongs co r ds and chains to stre tch

, , , .
T he e ff ort was migh ty prodi gious desperate but the ol d

, ,
shackles of the p rovost proved to o tough They cracked .
and that was all Quasimodo sank down exhausted Stupor

. .
gave place in his coun ten an ce to an exp r ession o f dee p

d es po ntl e ncy He closed his only eye dr op ped his head
.
,
upo n his breast and counte rfei ted death , .
Then ceforward he stirred no t N othi ng could make him .
fli nch — neither the blood whi ch oo z e d from hi s lacerate d

back n or the lashes whi ch fell with redoubled force nor
, ,
the fury o f the executioner rous ed and heated by the ex ,
ex c ise, nor the hissin

g and whiz zi ng of the horrible thongs .
1 90 TH E B U N C H B A OK os NO T R E D A ME -
.
A t length an usher of the C h atelet habited i n bl ack, and ,
m ounted upon a black horse wh o had taken his sta tion by

,
the s teps at the commen cemen t o f the flogging ex ten ded .

,
his ebony wan d to wards the hour glass The executioner

- .
held his hand the whee l s tep pe d Quasimodo s eye slowly ’
o pened .
’
T wo attendants o f the sworn tormen to r s wash e d the
'
bleedin g back o f the su ff erer rubbed i t with a sort o f oint

,
men t which in an i ncredibly short ti me closed all the

,
wounds an d threw over him a kind o f yello w frock shaped

,
’
like a priest s Cope while Pierrat T o rteru e d rew through
his fingers the thongs saturated wi th blood whi ch he s hoc k
o f? u pon the pavement .
’
Quasimodo s punishmen t was no t yet over He had .
s till to remain in the p illory that hour whi ch M aster Florian

B arb e die nne had s o j udiciously add e d to the sen ten ce o f
’
M essire Robert d E s tou te v il l e to the great glory o f the
o l d ph ysiological and psychological pun S u r d us a bs u r d/u s .
The hour glass was therefo r e turned and th e hunchback

-
,
left boun d as before that j ustice might be fully satisfied

,
.
The populace especi al ly i n a h alf civili zed aara are i n

,
-
,
society what the boy is in a family So long as they con .
t inne i n this sta te o f p r imiti ve ignoran ce, o f moral an d i n

te l l e ctu al minority so long you may say o f them as o f the
,
”
mischievous urchin That age is without pity We .
h ave already shown that Quasimodo was generally hated ,
for m ore than on e good reason , i t i s true There was .
s carcely a spectator among the crowd but ei ther had o r ,
im agined that he had groun d to complain o f the m ali cious

hunchback o f N otre D ame Hi s appearan ce i n the pillory
- .
had exci ted universal j oy a nd the severe p u nishmen t

whi ch he had un dergone, a nd the pitiful condition in whi ch
i t had l eft him so f ar from s ofte ning the populace had
, ,
but rendered their hatred more malign a nt by armin g i t with

'
the stin g o f mi r th .
Thu s when the publ i c vengean ce was on ce sat isfie d

accordi ng to the j argon still used by gown smen — it wa s
the turn o f private reven ge to seek grati fication Here a s .
,
in the e h all the women were most vehement All

,
.
b ore h h1im
m
g r at
some grudge some for hi s mi schi evous dis
r nE
'
H UNC H B A CK or NO T R E D A ME -
. 1 91
posi tion and others for hi s ugliness : the latter were the
,
m ost fu rious A shower o f abuse was poured upon hi m

.
,
a ccompani ed by hoo tings an d imprecation s and lau ghter , , ,
and here an d there by stones .
Quasimodo was deaf but he was sharp sighted and the ,

-
,
fur y o f the populace was exp r esse d not l es s energetically

in their coun te nances than i n their words B esides the .
,
pelting of the s tones explained the meaning of the bursts

o f laugh ter This annoyance passed for a while unheeded
.
b u t b y degrees that patien ce which had braced i ts e lf u p ,
under the lash of the execu tioner, gave way under all these
stings o f petty insects The hu ll o f the Asturias whi ch
.
,
s carcely deign s to notice the attacks of the p icador is ex ,
asperated by the dogs an d the banderillos .
A t first he slowly rolled around a look of m enace at

the cro wd ; but shackled as he was this look could no t
, ,
dr ive away the flies which galled his wound He th en .
struggled i n hi s bonds an d his furious contortion s m ade

,
the ol d wheel o f the pill ory creak upon its axis Th is .
served only to increase the j eers and the derisions o f the

p opulace .
The wretch ed su fferer findin g l ike a ch ain ed beas t , , ,
tha t he could not break his collar again be cam e quiet ,
though at times a sigh o f rage heaved al l the cavi ti es o f

his chest N ot a blush n ot a trace of sh am e was to b e
.
, ,
,
disce r ned in hi s face H e was too far from the social

.
state and too near to the state of n atu re to know what

sh am e is B esides is it possible that disgrace can be felt
.
,
by o ne cast in a moul d of such extreme deformi ty B ut

rage hatred despair slowly spread over that hideous face
, , ,
a cloud whi ch graduall y be cam e more an d more bla ck ,
more an d m ore charged wit h an el ectricity that dar ted

in a thous an d fl a shes fr om the eye o f the C y clop .
Th is cloud however cleared o ff for a momen t at the

, ,
appearance o f a m ule bearin g a priest The instant he .
caught a
gl im p se of this mule an d thi s priest in the di s
tan ce the face of the poo r s u fle re r ass u m e d a look o f
’
gentleness The rage whi ch had co nt m cte d i t was su c

.
.
cee d ed by a stran e smile ful l o f ine fiab l e meekness

’
g , ,
ki ndn ess ten derness

, As the p riest ap proached this smile
.
r n n H UN OH B A C K o r
'
N o rms D A ME - . 1 93
an x ious eye an d repeated in a voice m ore rugged than

,
before : Water H e was answered with peals o f laugh

ter.
There is water for thee deaf varl et cried R obi n

, ,
P ou s s epain throwing in his face a sponge soaked i n the

”
kennel . I am in thy debt .
A woman hurled a stone at his head That wil l teach .
”
thee to waken us at night
‘
sai d she,
with thy cursed ,
”
bell s .
T ake that to drink thy liquor o u t o f shouted a

fellow throwing at him a broken jug which hi t him upon
, ,
the chest I t was the sight of thy frigh tful figu re that
.
m ade m y wife have a child with two heads .
Water roared the panting Quasimodo for the third

time .
A t that moment he saw the populace m ake way A .
young female i n a strange garb app r oached the pillory

, . .
She was followed by a little whi te goat with gilt horn s , ,

’
and carried a tambourine in her hand Quasimodo s eye .
sparkled I t was the B ohemian whom he had attempted

.
to carry o ff the precedi ng night and he had a confused ,
notion that for this prank he was su ff ering his prese

punishment though in fact i t was be cause he had th
,
mi sfortune to be deaf and to be t ried by a deaf j ud ge ,
H e though t that she was coming to take revenge al so and ,
to gi ve him her blow as well as the rest .
He watched her with nimble foot ascend the s teps

'
/
He was choked with rage ah d ye x a tio n H ad the light .
n ing of his eye possessed the power i t would have blasted ,
the E gyptian before she reached the platform Without .
u t tering a word she approached the su fferer, who vainly

wri thed to avoid her ; and loo sing a gourd fr om her girdle ,
she gently lifted i t to the parched lips o f the exhausted

wretch A big te ar was seen to start from hi s d r y an d
.
blood shot eye an d to trickle slowly down his deformed

,
face s o long contracted by despair I t w as perhaps the .
fi rst that he had shed sin ce he arrive d at manhood .
M eanwhile he fo rgot to d rink The E gyptian pou ted

.
he r pretty lip with im p atien ce , and then put the nec k

0
1 94 m u H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
.
of the gour d between Quasimodo s j agged teeth he dran k ’
g reedi ly for hi s thi r st was extreme

,
.
When he had finished the h u n chback protruded his

dark lips no doubt to kiss the kind hand which had
,
brough t so welcome a relief : but the damsel perhaps re col ,
l eetin g the violen t assault of the foregoin g nigh t qui ckly ,
drew back her han d with the sam e sta r t of terror that a
chil d does from a dog whi ch he fears will bite him The .
poor fello w then fixed on her a look full o f reproach an d

unutterable woe .
U nder an y circ u mstan ces i t would have been a touching

sight to see thi s girl so fr esh so pure so lovely and at
, , , ,
the same time so weak humanely hastening to the relief

,
o f so much distress deformity and malice O n a pillory

, ,
.
,
this sight was subli me The populace themselves were

.
m oved by i t an d began clapping their hands an d shou ting

, ,
Huz za hu z za
I t wa s precisely at this moment that the recluse
ce i ve d fro m the window o f her den the E gyptian o n the
p illory an d pronounced upon her that bi tter imprecation

,
C ursed be thou spawn o f E gypt cursed ! cursed

,
cursed
La E smeralda turned pale and wi th faltering step ,
descen ded fr om the p illory The voice o f the recluse still

.
p ursued her Get thee down ! get thee do wn E gyptian ,
child ste aler ! thou wilt have to go up again o ne o f these

-
”
days !
Sacky is i n her vagaries to day said the people -
,
rumbling : and that was all they did Women o f her

g .
class were then deemed holy and reve r enced accordi ngly .
N obody liked to attack persons who were p raying nigh t

an d day .
’
The time o f Quasimodo s punishmen t having expired,
he was r eleased an d the m ob di spersed
,
.
M ahie tte an d her two companion s had reached the foo t

o f the Grand Pon t on their return when she suddenly ,
stopped short B less m e

. she ex claimed what has ,
be come o f the cake E ustache ? ,

”
M other, said the boy, whil e you were talkin g wi th
TH E H UNC H B A CK or No r ri s D a mn
-
. 1 97
the woman i n that dar k hole a big d og came an d b usts ;

,
o f it so I a te some too
g reat piece ou t ” ,
.
What sir she asked

, ,
have y ou eaten i t all ?
,
I t was the dog mother I told him to let i t al one

, .
,
’ ”
but he did n t mind me so I j ust took a bi te too .
’
T is a sad gr eedy boy said hi s mother sm iling and
s colding at on ce . L ook you Ou darde no t a cherry or
, ,
an apple in our garden is safe from him ; so hi s grand

’
father says he will m ake a rare ca ptain I ll t r i m you
.
well, M aster E us tache ! — G o you greedy gl u tton !

T H E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME
-
. 1 97
petticoats, whi ch su rpassed that o f thei r upper garments ;

by the gau ze the silk the velvet wi th whi ch thei r dress
, , ,
was t rimmed ; and abo ve all by the whi teness of thei r

hands w hi ch showed them to be unused to labour i t was
,
easy to guess that they belonged to noble and wealth y

fam ilies I t was , i n fact D amoiselle Fle u r de Lys de Gon
.
,
d e l au rie r an d her companions D iane de C hri s te u il Ame , ,
lotte de M o n tm ichel C olombe de Gai llefontaine and little

, ,
de C ham p che vrie r who were staying at the house o f the

,
D ame de Gondelaurier, a wido w lady, o n accoun t o f the

expected visit of M onseigneur de B eaujeu and hi s consort ,
wh o were to come to Paris in April f dr the pu rpose o f ,
selecting ladies o f honour for the dauphine ss M a r guerite .
N ow all the gen try f o r a hundred miles round we r e

an xious to obtain thi s favou r for their da ugh ters an d
with this view numbers had already broug ht o r sen t the m
to Pari s Those mentioned a bo ve had been placed by their
.
parents under the care o f the d iscreet and venerable D a me

’
Aloise de Gondelaurier widow o f an o ffi cer o f the Ki ng s

,
cross bo wmen who resided with her on l y dau ghter i n her

-
,
o wn house i n the Place d u Parvis .
The balcony adj oined an apartmen t hung wi th ri ch

fawn colou r ed Flande r s leather stamped wi th gold borders
-
,
.
The parallel beams which crossed the cei ling amused the
eye by a thous and grotesque carvings pain ted and gilt ,
.
O n richly carved co ffers were he r e an d there blazoned

splendid coats o f arms while a boar s head in D el ft ware ’
crowned a magni fi ce nt bu ffet i ndi cating that the mistress

,
o f the house was the wife or widow o f a knight banneret -

.
At the farther end by a high firepla ce s u rrounded with

, ,
escu tcheons and armorial insignia sat in a ri ch arm chai r , ,

-
o f crimson velvet the D ame de Gondelauri e r who se age o f

, ,
fif ty five years was as legibly inscribed upon her dress as

-
upo n her face B y her side s tood a young m an o f a bo ld

.
,
bu t somewhat vain and swaggering look — o ne of those

hands ome fellows to whom all the women ta ke a liki ng ,
though the grave man and the physiognom is t shrug thei r

shoul der s at them This young cav alier wore the bril lian t
.
’
uni form o f ca ptain of the archers o f the K ing s ordn an ce ,
whi ch s o closely resembles th e costume o f Jupite r des cribed

0 3
1 98 TH E H UN CHB A CK on N O T RE D AME- .
at th e outse t of this history that we need not tire the

reader with a second description o f it .
The damsels were seated partly in the room p artly in ,
the balcon y , some o n cushion s of U trecht velvet others ,
On oaken stool s carved with flowers and fi gures

,
E ach o f .
the m held o n her lap a portion of a large piece o f tapestr y ,
o n whi ch they were all working together , whil e the other
p art lay upon the m attin g that covered th e floor .
They were chatting together, in that low tone and wi th

those titters s o comm on i n a party o f young fem ales when
there is a young m an among them He whose presen ce .
wa s su fficien t to set at work the self love of all this youth -
f ul compan y appeared hi ms e lf to care very little about

,
-
i t : and while these beautiful girls were each stri ving to eu

,
‘
gage his atten tion he seem ed to be busi l y engaged him sel f

,
in polishing the buckle o f his belt with his leathern glove .
N o w an d th e n the ol d l ady spoke to him in a very l o w

tone and he answered as well as he coul d wi th a sort of
, ,
awkward and forced politeness From her smiles from.

,
v arious other little significan t tokens, and from the n ods

an d winks which D am e Al oise dir ected towar ds her d au gh
ter F leur de Lys while softly speaking to th e captain i t
, , ,
was easy to see that he was an accepted lover an d that a ,
match was o n foot and would n o doubt be speedily co n

cluded between the young o fficer and Fle u r de L ys It .
was easy t oo to see from hi s col dness and embarr assment

that, on hi s side at l east i t was an y thing but a love
,
m atch .The good lady who fond mother as she was

, , ,
d o ted upon her daughter did no t percei ve the indi ff eren ce

,
o f the captai n and strove by her words and ges t ures t o

,
m ake hi m n oti ce the grace with whi ch Fleu r de Lys p lied

her nee dl e o r her dista ff .
”
Look nephew said she, plucking him by the sleeve
, , ,
i n order to whi sp er i n his ear l oo k at her n o w as she ,

”
stoops .
”
Yes indeed repli e d the young man rel ap sin g in to
, , ,
his form er cold and irksome silen ce .
A moment afterwards he was required to stoop again .
”
D id you e ver sai d D am e Al oise
, b eh old a comelier ,
o r gen teeler girl than your intend e d ? I s i t p ossi ble to b e

. 1 99
fairer ? Are not her hands and arm s perfect models an d

’
her neck has it not all the elegan ce o f a swan s
,
N o doubt he replied thinki ng o f something else all

, ,
the while .
’ ? ”
Wh y don t you go an d talk to her then retorte d
the lady pushing him towards Fleur de Lys
,
Go and .
say somethi ng to her You are grown mighty sh y all at

.
once .
N o w we can ass u re the reader that neither shyness nor

’
m odesty were to be numbered among the captain s defects .
He attemp ted howe ver to do as he was desired

, ,
.
”
Fair cousin said he s tepping up to Fleur de Lys
, , ,
what i s the subj ect o f thi s tapest r y whi ch you are work
ing
Fai r cousin answered Fleur de Lys i n a peevish
, ,
tone,
I have told you three times already that i t is the
grotto o f N eptune .
’
I t was evident that the captai n s cold and absen t man
ner had n ot escaped the keen observation of Fleur de Lys ,
though it was not perceived by her m other He felt the .
necessity o f m aking an attempt at conversation .
And what i s it intended for ? he en qui red .
”
For the abbe y o f S t An toine des C hamps replied .
,
Fl eur de Lys wi thout raising her eyes

, .
The captain lifted up a corner o f the tapestry An d .
pray m y fair cousin said he

,
who is thi s big fellow
, , ,
i n the dis gui s e of a fish blowing the trum pet wi th pu ff ed

,
”
o u t cheeks ?
That is Tri ton answered she , .
I n the tone of Fleur de Lys brief rep lies there was ’
s till something that betokened d ispleasure The captain .
was more and m ore at a loss what to say He stoo p ed .
do wn over the tapestry A charming piece of work by

.
,
my fay cried he .
At this exclamation C ol ombe de Gaillefon taine, another

,
beau tiful gi rl of a deli cately fai r complexion in a d ress of

, ,
blue damask timidly ventured to address a question to

,
Fleur de Lys in the h 0pe that the handsome captai n

,
”
woul d answer i t M y dear Gondel aurier said she,
.
,
o 4
ru n H U NC H B A CK on N O T RE D A ME -
. 2 01
sti ll p aid o c casional visits to his relati ves from a sligh t ,
feeling of human respect that was still left him he fo u n d ,
himself doubly emba rrassed when he called upon Fleur de

L ys i n the first place because b e distribu ted his love so
promiscuously that he reserved a very small portion of i t
for her ; and in the second because in the compan y o f s o ,
m an y handsome well bred, and modest females he was

,
-
under constan t apprehension lest his to ngue habituate d to ,
oath s and imprecations should all at once get the bet ter o f
,
the rein and laun ch ou t in to the language o f the tavern .
Highly di d he pique himself withal upon elegan ce in

dress and appointments and comeliness o f person,
The .
reader must recon cile these things as wel l as he can : I am

but the historian .
The captai n then had stood for some momen ts l ost i n

, , ,
thought or no t thinking at all leaning i n s ilen ce o n th e

, ,
carved mantelpiece when Fleur de Lys suddenly tu rning

, ,
roun d addressed him After all it wen t sorely against the

.
,
grai n wit h the poor girl to pout at him .
D id you not tell us cousin o f a little B ohemian

, , ,
whom you rescued one night abou t two m onths ago fro m , ,
”
the hands o f a dozen robbers ?
”
I think I di d cousin ,
replied the captain
,
.
I should no t wonde r she resumed ,

if it was the ,
B ohemian dancing yonder in the Pa r vis C ome and see .
”
whether you know her cousi n Phoebus , .
I n this gen tle invitation to come to her and the tone in

which i t was uttered he detected a secret des ire of recon
cili ation
. C aptain Phoebus de C h ateaupers — for this is
the personage whom the read er has had before hi m sin ce
the commencemen t o f thi s chapter — advan ced with slo w
steps towards the b alcony Look said Fleur de L ys
.
, ,
’
softly grasping the ca pta in s arm look at you gi r l
dancing in that circle I s she your B ohemian
”
Phoebus loo ked Yes said he
. I know her by
, ,
”
he r goat .
O h ! what a pretty li ttle goat ex cl ai med Am el o tte,

cl apping her hands in admi r ation .
”
Are i ts horns o f real gold ? asked B erang ere .
”
Godmother she began again , hav ing all at onc e
,
2 02 TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO TRE D A ME -
.
raised her brigh t eyes whi ch were in constan t motion to

' '
, ,
th e top o f the to wers o f N otre D ame who is that m an

-
in black up yonder
Al l the young ladies looked u p A m an wa s indeed .
lollin g upon his elbows o n the topmost balus trade o f the

n orthern tower overlooking the Gr eve
,
I t was a priest .
,
a s migh t be known by his dress , which was clea r ly di s .
t ingu i s hab l e and hi s head was supported by bo th his

,
h an ds He was motionless a s a statue H is eye was

. .
fixed on the Place as inten tly a s that of a hawk on a s tar

’
ling s nest which it has di scovered .
”
’
T is the archdeacon o f Josas said Fleur de Lys ,
.
You must have good eyes to know him at this di s

”
tance observed Gaillefontaine
, .
How he looks at the dan cing girl excl aim e d D iane

de C hris teu il .
”
Let the E gyptian take care of herself ! said Fleur
de Lys The archdeacon is no t fon d o f E gyp t
. .
”
’
T i s a pity that man looks at her so added A m el o tte ,
”
d e M o ntm i chel f or she dan ces deligh tfully .
Good cousin Phoebus abruptly cried Fleur de L ys ; ,
since you know this B ohemian j ust call her up I t wi ll ,

.
”
amuse u s .
”
Yes do ! excl aimed all the y oung ladies clapping
, ,
their h an ds .
Where is the use o f it ? rej oined Phte b u s She .
has no doubt forgotten me and I know not e ven her n ame ,

.
”
H owever a s you wish it ladies I will try Leaning o ver
, , , .
the bal ustrade o f the balcony he called ou t My ,
girl
The dan cer had paused f or a moment She turned her .
hea d in the direction fr om which the voice pro ceeded her

spark ling eye fell upon Ph oebus and she s tood m otionless ,
.
”
M y girl ! repeated the captain beckoning her to ,
com e to him .
The girl stil l l o ck e d stedfastly at him she then blushed

deeply as if every drop o f h er blood had rushed to her
,
cheeks and taking he r tam b o urine under her arm she

, ,
‘
m ade her way through the circle o f astonished spectators

to wards the house to which she was summ oned, with slo w
‘
,
rm : H UN OH B A CK or NO TRE D A ME
-
. 2 03
fal terin g step and wi th the agitated look o f s h ind nnab l e

,
to withstand the fas cin a tion o f a se rp ent —

,
A momen t afterw ards the tapestry hung before the door

wa s raised and the B ohemian appeared at the threshold
,
o f the apartment ou t o f breath

,
flushed flu rri ed wi th , , ,
her large eyes fi x e d o n the floor she durst no t advan ce a

s tep further Beran g ere clapped her hands
. .
M eanwhile the d an cer stood motionless at the doo r of

the room . Her appearan ce h ad produ ced a singular e ffec t
upon the p arty o f young ladi es I t i s certain that all o f .
them were more or less influenced by a certai n vague and

i ndistin ct desire o f pleasing the handsome o fli cer ; that the
splendid uniform was the point at whi ch all their coquetrie s
w ere aimed ; and that ever sin ce his entran ce there h ad bee n
a sort o f secret ri val ry among them o f whi ch they we re ,
them selves scarcely conscious but which nevertheless b e ,
tra ye d itself e very momen t in all they s aid and did As .

,
howe ver they all p oss essed nearly the s am e degree o f

,
be auty they fought wi th equal weapons and each migh t

, ,
cheri sh a hope o f vi cto ry The coming o f the B ohem ian

.
suddenly destroyed thi s equilibri um H er beauty was s o .
surpassing that at the momen t when she appeared at the

,
entran ce o f the room she seem ed to shed over i t a sort o f

,
ligh t peculiar to herself I n this close apartmen t over

.
,
shadowed by hangings and carvings she appeared inco m ,
p arabl y more beauti ful an d radiant th an in the publi c

place like a torch whi ch is carried ou t o f the broad d ay
ligh t into the dark I n s pi te of themselves the youn g
.
,
ladi es were daz zled E ach felt wounded as i t were in

.
, ,
her beauty Their battle front

. reader excus e the term
-
,
was changed acco rdingly though no t a single word ,
passed between them The insti ncts o f women apprehend

.
and answ e r one anoth er much m o re readil y than the n u

d ers ta nd ings o f men An enemy h ad come upon them o f
.
thi s they were all sen sible an d therefore they all ralli ed ,
.
O ne d rop o f wine is su ffi cient to redden a whole glass of

water : to tinge a whole company o f handsom e women
with a c ertai n degree o f ill humour m erely intr od u ce a -
female o f superior beauty espe ci all y when ther e i s but one

,
m an in the party .
ran
'
H UNC H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME - . 205
from some fes tival or other What the devil did tha t o wl .
”
o f a fellow wan t wi th yo u hey ? ,
’ ”
I don t k now answe red she ,
.
C urse his impuden ce — a ras ca ll y bell rin ger ru n .

-
away wi th a girl like a viscoun t ! A common fellow poach

o n the game o f gentlemen ! Who ever heard o f such a
t hing ! B ut he paid dearly for i t M aster Pierrat Torte .
rue is the roughest groom that ever trimmed a varlet ;

and I assure you i f that can do you any good he curried
, ,
’ ”
the bell ringer s hide m ost soundly
- .
’
Poor fel low said the B ohemian wh o at the cap tain s ,
words could not help call ing to mind the scene at the pillory .
“
Zoun ds cried the captain laughing outrigh t that , ,
pity is as well bestowed as a feather o n a pig s rump M ay ’

.
I be He stopped short I beg pardon l adies .

,
I had like to have forgotten m yself .
F ie sir ,
said Gaillefontaine .
He is only talking to that cre ature i n her o wn l an

”
guage said Fleur de Lys in an under tone her vexation
,
-
,
increasing eve r y moment N or wa s i t diminished when she

.
saw the captain enchan ted with the B ohemian and still
,
m ore with himself m ake a pi r ouette repeating wi th blun t

, ,
soldierlike gallantry : A fine girl upon m y soul ! ,

”
B ut very un couthly dressed sai d Di ane de C hris ,
teuil grinning and showing he r beauti ful teeth

, .
This remark was a new l igh t to her companions It .
showed them the assailable side o f the E gypti an ; as they

could n ot ca rp at he r beauty they fell foul o f her dr ess , .
”
H o w comes i t m y gi r l said M on tm ichel
,
that you
, ,
run about the s treets in this m anner wi thout neckerchi e f ,
or stomacher
An d then what a short p etti coat

, exclaimed Gaill e
fontaine .Quite shocking I declare ! ,
M y dear said Fleur de Lys in a tone of any thin g

, ,
but kindness the o ffi cers of the C h atelet will take you up
,
”
for wearing that gilt belt .
M y girl resumed C hris teu il with a bitte r smile “ if

, , ,
you were to cover your arms decently wi th sl eeves they

would n ot be so sunburn t " ,
I t was in t ruth a sight worth y o f a m ore in telligen t spe c

2 06 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A M E -
.
tator than Phoebus to see how these fai r dam sel s with their
, ,
k een and en venomed ton gues twisted gli ded and wr ithed
, , , ,
around the dan cin g girl ; they were at on ce cruel and grace
-
ful ; they spi tefully fell foul o f her poor but whimsi ca l
toilet o f tinsel and spangles There was no end to thei r
.
l aughs and j eers an d sarcasms You would have taken

, ,
.
the m for some o f those young R oman ladies who amused ,
themselves with th r usting gold pins into the breasts o f a

beautiful slave ; o r they might be likened to elegan t grey
hounds turn ing wi th distended nostrils and glaring eyes
, , ,
round a poor fawn which the look o f their mas ter forbids
,
them to devour .
What after all was a poor st r eet dan cer to these scions -
o f di stinguished families ! T hey seemed to take no ac

coun t o f her presence and talked o f her before her face,
,
and even to herself as o f an obj ect at once very dis

,
gusting very mean an d ve r y pretty

, ,
.
T he B ohemian was no t insensible to their s tinging re

m arks . Fro m time to time the glow o f shame o r the
flash o f anger flushed her cheek o r li t up her eye a dis
dainful word seemed to hover u p on her lips her con tempt
expressed itsel f i n that pout wi th which the reader is al
ready acquainted ; bu t she stood moti on le ss, fixing upo n
Ph oebus a look o f resign ati on sadness and good nat u re
, ,
- .
I n that look there was also an expression o f tenderness

an d an xiety You woul d have said that she restrained
.
her feeli ngs for fear o f being turned ou t .
M ean while Phoebus laughed and began to take the p ar t

o f the B ohem ian with a m ixture o f impertinen ce an d
,
p ity . Let them ta lk as they l ike m y dear, sai d he , ,
clanking his gold spurs your d r ess is cert ainly some

what whimsica l an d ou t o f the way but f or such a , ,
charming creat u re as you are what d oes th at signi fy ?

,
D ear me exclaimed the fair Gaillefontaine bridl ing ,
u p with a sarcastic s m ile

,
how soon the gen tlemen
,
archers o f the K ing s ordnan ce take fire at bright E gyp

’
”
tian eyes !
Why no t P said Phoebus .
At thi s reply carelessly uttered by the captain C olombe

, ,
l aughed, so did D iane, so did Am el otte, s o di d Fle ur d e

TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME
- . 2 07
L ys , though i t is tru e that a tear star ted at the same ti me

into the eye o f the latter The B ohemian who had hung
.
,
down her head at the remark o f C olombe de G aill e fo n

taine raised her eyes gli stening with jo y and pride an d
, ,
again fixed them on Ph oebus She was passin g beauti fu l .
at that moment .
The old lady who watched this scene fel t o ff ended ,

, ,
”
though she knew not wh y Holy Vi r gin !
. cried she
all at once, what have I go t about me ? Ah ! the nasty
”
beast !
I t was the goat which i n springing to wards her m is
,
tress had en tangled her horn s i n the load o f drapery

which fell upon the fee t o f the noble l ady when she was
seated This was a dive r sion
. The B ohemian wi thou t
.
saying a word disengaged the anim al .
Oh here is the pretty li ttle goat with golden feet

cried B e r ang ere leaping for j oy
, .
The B ohemian crou ched upon her knees and presse d ,
her che ck against the head of the fon d ling goat wh ile ,
D iane stooping to the ear o f C olombe whispere d

, ,
H ow very stupid o f me no t to think o f i t sooner !

Why i t is the E gyptian with the goa t I t is reported
, .
that she is a witch and that her goat perform s tri cks ah
,
solutely miraculous .
”
Well said C olombe
, the goat must p erform one
,
”
o f its m iracles and amuse us in its t urn .
D iane and C olombe eagerly addressed the E gyptian .
”
M y girl s aid they
,
m ake your goat perform a m iracl e
,
f o r us .
I know not what yo u m ean rep lied the dan cer , .
”
A miracle a piece o f magi c o r witch craft, in short
, , .
r ’ ”
I don t understand you she rej oined and agai n
,
began fondling the pretty creature, repeating Dj ali ! ,
Dj ali
At this moment Fleur de Lys remarked a sm all e m
broidered leathern b ag hung round the neck o f the goat .
What is that P she asked the Egyptian .
The girl rai sed her l arge eyes to wards her and gravely
”
answered T hat is m y secret .
Tm : H UNC H B A CK or n rm s -
o D AME . 209
Fleurde Lys ran to her an d shuddered The letters .
which the goat had arranged upon the floor formed the
name
P H G B US .
Was i t the goat that did this ? she asked in a

tremulous voi ce .
Yes indeed it was godm other replied Berang ere

, , , .
It was impossible to doub t the fact .
The secret is o u t thought Fleur de Lys,

.
A t the outcr y o f the child all who were presen t the , ,
mother and the young ladies and the B ohemian and th e , ,
o ffi ce r hastened to the spot The dan cing gir l saw at on ce

, .
-
what a slippery trick the goat had played her She changed .
colou r and began to tremble li ke one who had committed

, ,
some crime before the captain who eyed her with a sm ile
, ,
o f astonishment and gratification .
For a moment the young ladies were struck dumb .
Ph oebus they at length whispered o ne anothe r why , ,

”
that is the name of the captain !
You have a wonderful memory said Fleur de Lys to ,
the petrified B ohemian Then bursting into sobs . Oh ,
she sta mmered i n a tone o f an gui sh covering her face

, ,
wi th both her fair hands she is a sorceress the whi le

,
a voice in sti l l more thril l ing accents cried in the recesses

, ,
o f her heart She is a ri val She sank fain ting on

the floor .
M y daughter my daugh ter shrieked the a ff righted

mother . Get thee gone child o f perdition s aid she to
,
the B ohemian .
La E smeral da picked up the unlucky l etters i n the

twinkling of an eye m a de a sign to her Dj ali and retired
, ,
at o ne door while Fleur de Lys was borne away by

,
another .
C aptain Phte b u s being left by himsel f wavered for a

, ,
momen t between the two doors and then followed the ,
gipsy girl .
210 m s H UNC H B A CK op NO T RE D A ME
-
.
C HAPT E R I I .
A P R I E ST AN D A PH IL O S O PH ER AR E TW O D IFF EREN T
P ER S ON S .
T H E p riest, whom the young ladies had observed on the to p

o f the north tower s tooping over the Place, an d in ten tly
watching the motions o f the B ohemian , was i n fact the

Archdeacon C laude Frollo .
O ur readers have not forgotten the m ysterious cell which

the archdeacon h ad reserved f o r himself in th at tower I .
know not, be i t remarked by the way whether this is not ,
the same cell th e interior of which may still be seen

,
through a sm all squar e aperture o n the east side at about ,
the heigh t of a man on the platform from which the ,
t owers rise I t is a small room naked empty dilapidated

.
, , , ,
the ill plastered walls o f which a r e at the p r esent d a y

-
a d o r n ed with yello w engravings representing the f ronts o f
cathedrals This hole is I presume inhabited conj oin tly

.
, ,
by bats and spiders and conse q uently a double war of,
exterminatio n is carried on there agains t the unfortunate

flies .
E very day an hour before sunset the archdeacon as

, ,
cen d e d the staircase o f the tower and shut himself up in ,
this cell , where b e frequently passed whole nights On .
this day j ust as he had reached the low door of his retreat
, ,
and put into the lock the little complicated key which he
always car ried with hi m i n the pouch han ging at his side ,
the sounds o f a tambou r ine an d cast agnette s struck his ear .
These sounds came from the Place d u Parvi s The cell .

,
as we have alrea dy stated had but o ne windo w lookin g , ,
upon the roof o f the church C laude Frollo hastily with : .
d rew the key and the next moment he was o n the t0p o f
,
the tower i n the atti tude of profound reverie i n whi ch the

,
young ladies had perceived him .
There he was grave motionless absorbed ,

all eye all
, , ,
ear all thought A ll Paris was at his f eet, wi th the thou

,
.
ra n n u x cn n a ox or NO T RE D A ME
- . 21 1
sand spires o f i ts buildin gs an d its circular hori zon o f

,
g en tle hills wi th its

,
ri ver winding beneath i ts b r id g es ,
and i ts po pulation pouring th r ough i ts streets with i ts ,
cloud o f smoke and its moun tain chain of roofs crowd

,
-
,
ing close upon N otre D ame with their double slopes o f

-
,
’
m ail ; but in this whole city the archdeacon s eye sough t
but o ne poin t of the pavemen t the P l ace d u Parvis an d
, ,
am ong the whole m u ltitude but o ne figure the B ohemian , .
I t would have been di fficul t to decide what was the

nature o f that look and o f the fi re that flash ed from i t
, .
I t was a fixed look but full o f tu mul t an d pe rturbation

,
.
And yet fr om the profound quiescence o f his whole body

, ,
sca r cely shaken n ow and then by a mechani cal shudder as ,
a tree by the wind ; fr om the sti ff ness o f his arms more ,
m arble like than the balustrade upon which they lean t ;

-
fr om the petrified sm ile which contracted his face you ,
w ould have said that C laude Froll o had nothing alive abou t
him but his eyes .
The B ohemian was dan cing ; she made her tambourine

spin round o n the tip o f her finger and threw i t u p in the ,
a ir while she dan ced P r oven al sa r abands — light agile

c , ,
j oyous and not aware o f the weigh t o f that formidable

,
look which fell plump upon her head .
The crowd thronged around her : from time to time

a m an habited in a yellow an d red loose coat wen t
round the circle of specta tors to keep them back he then
seate d himself in a chair at the distance o f a f e w paces
,
from the dancer tak ing the head o f the goat upon his
,
knees This m a n seemed to be the companion o f the

.
B ohemian but C laude Frollo coul d not from his elevated

s ta tion distinguish his featu r es .
From the m oment that the archdeacon perceived thi s

stranger his atte ntion seemed to be divided between the
,
dan ce r and hi m and the gloom w hich overspread his

,
countenance became deeper an d deeper All at on ce h e .

,
s ta r ted up and a thrill shook his whole fram e

, Wh o .
can that man be P he muttered . till n o w I have always

seen her alone .
He then darted beneath the winding vaul t o f the spiral

staircase an d descended I n pass i ng the door o f the bel fry
.
P 2
-
. 213
hi ms elf o f the confusion to slip away to the church after

the archdea con who had moti oned him to follo w
,
.
The ca thed r al was already dark and deserted and the ,
lamps in the chapels began to twi nkle like sta rs amids t the
gloom The great rose win dow of the front alone who se
.
-
,
thousand colours were li t up by a ray o f the hori zontal

sun glistened in the da rk hke a cluster of diamonds and
, ,
th r ew i ts dazzling reflection o n the farther extremity o f

the nave .
Afte r they had advan ced a few steps from the en tran ce ,
D om C laude stopping short wi th his back against a pillar

, ,
looked steadfastly at Gringoi r e I n this look there was.
n othing to exci te d r ead in Gringoire dee ply as he was ,
ashamed of having been caught by a grave and learned

pe r sonage in that merry and r ew ga rb The look of the
- .
priest had in i t nothing sarcasti c o r i r oni cal ; i t was seri

ou s , calm a nd piercing,
The archdeacon first broke
.
silence .
C ome hither M aster Pierre There are man y things

,
.
which I wan t you to explain I n the fi r st place ho w

.
,
happens i t that I have no t seen you fo r these two months ,
and that I find you in the public streets i n goodly garb ,
forsooth half red and half yellow like a C audebe c apple

, ,
M essire dolefully replied Gringoire “ i t is indeed a

”
, ,
strange ac cout remen t ; an d one i n which I feel about as

’
com fortable as a cat in a coc oanu t—shell ca’ T is a sad
thing I admi t to le f fli e ge fi
, flm
, va tch ru n the i
risk o f belabou ring under this so r ry disgui se the shoul ders
o f a Pythagorean phi losopher B ut how can I help i t
.
,
m y reve r end master ? The blame rests with m y old coat ,
which basely fo r sook me i n the depth o f win ter upon ,
p r etext that i t was dropping to tatters t a t could I .
d o ? C ivilisation i s not yet so far advan ced that o ne m ay

go s tark naked as D iogenes of ol d wished to do B esides
, .
,
a very keen wind was blowing at the time and the month ,
o f Janua r y is not a likely seaso n to attempt to intro duce
this new fashion with any h o pe of suc cess This wrapper .
'
o fle re d itself ; I took i t and gave up m y ol d black fr ock

, ,
whi ch for an hermetic philosopher like me was far from

, ,
’
being hermeti c all y close So here I am in m oun tebank s

.
P 3
21 4 m s H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
.
garb , l ike S t Genest . .

’
T i s an eclipse to be sure B ut , .
Apollo you know tended swine for Admetus

, , .
A respectable profession truly this that you have ,

”
taken up ! replied the archdeacon
I al low master that i t is better to philosophise o r
, ,
poetise to blow u p th e flame in the fu rnace or to recei ve

,
i t fro m heaven than to carry cats about the streets A o

, .
co r di n gl y when I heard your exclamation

,
I was st r uck ,
as comical a s an ass be f o r e a spit B ut what would you .
have M essire ? A poor devil must li ve one day as well a s

,
another an d the finest Alexandrines that ever were pen

n ed cann ot stay the hungry stom ach so well as a crust o f
bread . You kno w for example that famous e pi thal a
, ,
miu m whi ch I composed for M adame M arga r et o f Flan

ders and the C i ty refuses to pay m e for i t on the groun d
,
that it was not good enough as if one could furnish t r a ,
g e die s like th ose o f Sophocles at four crown s apiece Of .
course I was ready to perish with hunge r Lu ckily I

,
.
,
knew that I was pretty st r ong in the j aw so says I to this ,
ja w Try feats o f st r ength and balan cing work an d

keep thyself A band of beggars who are m y very goo d
.
,
friends have taugh t me twenty di ffe ren t he r culean feats

, ,
an d no w I gi ve to m y teeth every nigh t the bread which

they have helped to ea r n in the day After all I gran t .
,
that i t is a so rr y employmen t o f m y intellectual faculties ,
and that m an was not made to play the tambou r ine and
to carry chai r s between his teeth B ut m y reverend .
,
”
m aster in order to live on e m ust get a l i velihood
,
.
D om C laude listened i n silen ce All at on ce his hollo w .
eye assumed an expression so searchin g and so piercing that

Gringoire felt that look penetrate to the inmost recesses o f
his soul .
Well M aster Pierre but how h appen s i t that you are

,
”
n o w in the compan y o f that E gyptian dan cing gi r l ? -
Gramercy replied G r ingoire i t is because she ,

”
i s m y wife an d I am her husband .
The gloomy eye of the priest gla r ed like fire Wretch !

"
.
h ast thou really done this ? cried he furi ously gras ping ,
’
G ringoire s arm Hast thou so com p letely forsaken th y
.
”
G od as to touch that c reatur e ?
TH E H UNC H B A CK o n n r ms- o D a mn . 215
B y my hope o f p aradise M onseigneur answered , ,
Gringoire trembling in every j oint

,
I swear I have not ,
”
touched her if that is what disturbs yo u
,
.
What are you talki ng then about husban d an d wife

, ,
rej oined the priest .
Gringo ire lost no ti me i n relating to him as con cisely as

possible the circumstances wi th which the reader is al
rea dy acqu ainted his adven ture in the C our des M iracles
, ,
and his ma r riage with the broken jug From his accoun t i t .
appeared that this ceremony had not led to an y result and ,
that the B ohemian each succe eding night contrived to keep

him at as great a distan ce as she had done o n the first .
’
T i s a provoking thing though said he as he finished
, ,
‘
his story ,
5 but that is owing to m y having had the Em is
”
fortune to m arry a virgin .
‘
”
W hat mean you ? asked the archdeacon whose agi ,
ta tio n had graduall y subsided d u ring this narrati ve .
”
I t i s rather di ffi cul t to explai n m y meaning repli ed ,
’
the poet . T is a supersti tion M y wife as I am in .
,
formed by an ol d fell ow whom we call among ourselves the

duke of E gypt is a ch ild that h as been ei ther lost o r found
, ,
which i s the same thing She has a char m hung roun d

.
he r neck which they say will some day cause her to find her
, ,
p arents but which wo u ld lose its virtue if the girl were to

,
”
lose hers Hence we both live most vi rtuously together
"
. .
So then rej oined C laude whose fa ce brigh te ned up

, ,
more and more y o u really believe

, M aster Pierre that , ,
thi s c r eature is yet untouched by m an ?

What chance Do m C laude can a m an have against a
, ,
superstition ? Thi s is what she has got into her head I .
consider thi s nun like chastity which keeps itself intact

-
,
among those B ohemian fem ales who yield so easily to ou r

approaches as a very rare circumstance indeed
, B ut she .
has three things to protect her : the duke o f E gypt who ,
has taken her un der his saf egua r d cal culating perhaps o n ,
selli ng her to some lecherous abbot ; her whole tribe who ,
hold her in extraordinary veneration like another N o tre ,
Dame and a certain li ttl e dagger whi ch the hussey always ,
c arries about her somewhere or other notwi thstan di ng the ,
Ordi nan ces o f the provost a nd whi ch i s sure to be in her

,
P 4
TH E n u ncn na ox on NO T RE D A ME -
. 217
the young dan cer had reason to be afraid o f ; she n ever

to ld fortunes so that she was safe from prosecution s f o r
,
wi tchcraft so freq uen tly instituted against the gipsy wo

,
m en . And then Gringoire was as a b r other to her if no t ,
a husband After all the philosopher bore thi s kind of

.
,
Platonic marriag e with great resignation At any rate he .

,
was sure o f lod ging an d bread E very morning he salli ed .
forth from the head quarters o f the Vagabonds mostly in

-
,
co mpany with the E gyptian ; he assisted her in collecting

her harvest o f sm al l coin in the stree ts ; at night he re
turn ed with her to the same room allowed her to lock her ,
sel f u p in her o wn cell an d slept the sleep of the righteous

a very easy life said he considering all things
, , ,
”
and very favourable to re verie And then in his soul a nd .
,
conscience the ph ilosopher was n ot sure that he was n ot

,
ove r head and ears in love wi th the B ohemian H e loved .
her goat almost as d early I t was a charming gen tle .

, ,
clever intelli gen t creatu r e

, in short a learned goat There -
,
.
was nothing more com mon i n the middle ages than those
learned animals which excited general wonder and f re
, ,
quen tly brought their instructors to the stake The sor .
cer ie s o f the golden hoofed goat however were but very

-
, ,
inno cent tricks These Gringoire explained to the arch

.
deaco n who appeared to be deeply inte r ested by those par

,
ticu l a rs I t was su fficient he said i n most cases to hold

.
, , ,
the tambourine to the anim al in such o r such a way to ,
make it do what you wished I t had been trained to these .
perfo rm an ces by the gi rl who was so extremely clever at ,
the busines s that she had taken only two mon th s to teach
the goat to put together wi th mo veable let ters the word
P H tE B U s .
Ph oebus ! exclaimed the priest ; why Ph oebus

”
God knows replied Gringoire ,
Possibly she may .
imagine that thi s word possesses some secret m agic virtue .
She frequently repeats i t in an under tone when she -
thi n k s she is alone .
Are you su re enquired C laude with his piercin g

, ,
”
l ook, that it is only a word and no t a name ? ,
N ame whose name said the poe t .
H o w shoul d I know rej oined the pries t .

21 8 TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME
- .
’
I ll just tell you M essire what I am th inking , ,
‘
.
These B ohemian s a r e a sort o f Guebres an d worship the ,

”
sun D an Phoebus .
That is n ot so cl ear to m e as to yo u M as ter Pierre , .
’
At an y rate t is a poin t which I care very little about .
Let her mutter her Phoebus as much as she pleases So .
much is certain that Dj ali is al most as fond o f me as of

"
her mistress .
What is Dj ali ?
Why that is the goat , .
The arch deacon reste d his chin upon the points o f his '
fingers and f or a m omen t appeared to be lost in thought

, .
Then suddenly turning towards Gringoi r e

, Thou wil t
? ”
swear said he , that thou hast never touched her
,
W hat
'
the goat ? asked Gringoire .
N o the gi r l , .
O h m y wife I swear I ne ver did .
And thou art often alone with her

E very evening for a ful l hour ,
D om C laude knit ted his brow O h oh Sol u s cu m .
s ol a n o n cog i ta ba n tu r o r a r e P a ter - n os ter .
Upon m y l ife I migh t say the P a ter and the A ve

M a r ia and the Cr edo in B ea m P a tr em omn ip otentem an d ,
she would take no more notice o f m e than a pig o f a

chu r ch .
Swear to me by the soul of thy m other cried the

‘
archdeacon with vehemen ce that thou hast not touched ,
this creature with the tip of thy finger .
I am ready to swear i t by the body o f m y father also .
B ut m y reveren d master allo w me to ask a questi on i n m y

, ,
”
turn .
Speak .
H o w can this con cern you ?

The pale face of the a r chdeacon crimsoned like the
cheek o f a bashful gi rl H e paused f o r a m omen t be fore
.
he replied with visible embar r assment

,
Listen M aster ,
Pierre G r ingoire You are n ot yet damned as far as I

.
,
know I take an interest in your welfare

. Let me tell .
you then that the m omen t you but touch that E gyptian
, , ,
th at child o f the devil you become the vassal o f Satan

-
,
.
TH E n un cn na cx or n ou ns - D a ms . 219
’
T is the body you know that always plunges the soul into
, ,
perdition W 0 betide you if you approach thi s creature !

.
,
That is all N ow get thee gone

. cried the priest wi th a
terrible look and pushing the astonished Gringoire fro m
,
him by the shoulders he retreated with hasty step benea th

,
the gloomy arcades o f the cathedral .
C HAPT ER I I I .
THE BE LLS .
E va n sin ce the morning that Quasi modo un derwen t the

punishment of the pillo r y the good people who dwell in ,
the neighbourhood o f N o n e D ame fan cied that they per -
ce ive d a great abatemen t in his ardour for bell ringing -

.
B efore that event the bell s were going o n all occasions ;

,
the r e were long tollings whi ch lasted from prime to com

pline chimes for high m ass merry peals for a wedding or
, ,
a christening mingli ng in the air like an emb r oidery of all

,
sorts o f charming sounds The o l d church all q uakin g .

,
and all sonorous seemed to keep up a perpetual rej oicing

,
.
Y ou fel t incessan tly the presen ce o f a spirit o f noise and

cap r ice speaking by all these brazen mouths This
, .
spirit seemed n ow to have forsaken its abode : the cathe

dral appeared sullen and silent ; holydays funerals an d , ,
the like , were attended merely by the to l ling which the

ri tual required and n o more : o f the double sound which
pervades a church that o f the organ wi thin an d o f the
,
be lls without the former alone was left Y o u would have

, .
said that there was n o longer an y musi cian in the belfries .
Quasimodo nevertheless was still there B ut what ailed

, , .
him ? Were rage an d vexation o n a ccoun t o f what he

had su ff ered still ran kl ing i n his heart ? di d he still feel in
im agination the lash o f the execu tioner and had the de ,
s p o nd e n c
y occasioned by such treatmen t extinguished eve n
his fondness for the bells o r was i t possible that big
M ary had a rival in the heart o f the be l l ringer of N otre -

r u n n u n cn n a cx os' NO T RE D A ME
-
. 22 1
ought to sing ? There work away !

’
T is the Annun cia
,
tion The cheery sunshi ne re q uires a m erry peal

. Po o r .
Guillaume thou art quite o u t o f breath m y big fello w ,
He was thus engaged in egging on his bells whi ch al l ,
s ix bounded and shoo k their shining haun ches like a ,
n oisy team o f Spanish mules urged firs t this way then

,
that by the apostrophes of the driver All at on ce cas t .

,
ing down his eye between the large slates whi ch like
s cales cover the perpendi cular wall o f the belfry to a cer
tain heigh t he descried in the Place a young female oddly
,
accoutred who stopped and spread upon the ground a

,
ca rpet on which a little goat came and post e d itself A .
circle o f spectators was soon formed aroun d them ‘

This .
si ght suddenly cha nged the current o f his ideas and con
'
ge aled his mu s i cal en thusias m as a breath of air congeals

melted rosin He paused turned his back to his bell s
.
, ,
and leaning forward from beneath the slated pen thou s e

, ,
eyed the dancing girl with that pensive ki nd n ay tender

-
, , ,
look which had on ce be fore astonished the archdeacon

, .
M eanwhile the bells left to them selves abruptly ceased

, ,
all at once to the great disappointm en t of the lovers o f

,
this kind of music who were listening with del igh t t o th e

,
peal fr om the Pon t au C hange and wen t away as sulky as ,
a dog to whi ch yo u have held a piece o f m eat and given

a stone.
C HAPT E R IV .
C L A UDE r n o nno s
’
CE LL .
ON E fine m orning in the sam e m onth of M arch I be l ieve ,
i t w as S aturday the 2 9th the festival o f St E usta che i t

, ,
.
,
so happened that our youn g friend Jehan Frollo d u

M ouli n perceived while dressing himself that his breeches ,
, ,
con taining his pur s e gave ou t n o metallic sound

, Poor .
p u rse s aid he dr awing it forth from his pocket

, n ot
o ne li t tl e Parisis H o w cruelly thou hast been gutte d by
222 m s H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
di ce, Venus an d the tavern

,
There thou art , empty,
w rinkled flaccid Thou art like the bosom o f a fury I wou l d
,
. .
j u st ask you M esser C icero and M esser Seneca, whose

,
’
dog s cared works lie s cattered o n the floor o f what use i s
-
,
it to m e to know better than a master o f the min t or a

,
Je w o f the Pon t aux C hangeurs that a gold crown is ,
worth thirty fiv e u n z ains at twen ty five sous eight deniers

-
,
-
Parisis each if I have not a single miserable black hard

,
to risk on the double six ! 0 C onsul C i cero ! this is n ot

’
a calamity from which one m ay extricate one s self wi th
”
periphrases with qu em a dm odu m s and ver u m en im ver os
,
.
H e began to put o n his clothes i n silen t sadness Wh il e .
l acing his buskins , a thought o ccurred to him but he gave ,
i t up immediately Again i t presented i tself and he put

.
,
o n hi s ves t the wro n g side o u t an eviden t sign o f some ,
violen t inward struggle At length dashing his cap upon

.
,
the ground he ex claim ed

,
Yes I will go to m y bro ,
”
ther I shall get a lecture , but then I shall get a crown .
Then hastily throwing o n his surcoat trimmed with fur,

an d pi ck ing up his cap he rushed out o f the room ,
He .
wen t down the R ue de la Harpe towa r ds the C i ty As he .
passed the R ue de la H u che tte hi s olfactories were g r ati

fie d by the smell o f the j oi n ts in cessa n tly roasting there ,
’
an d he cast a sheep s eye at the gigantic appa r atus which
o n e day drew from C al atagiro ne the F r an ciscan t his patheti c , ,
exclamation Vera m en te qu es te r o tis s er ie s ono oo s a s tu

,
p e nda B ut Jehan had n ot wherewi thal to get a breakfast ,
and with a deep sigh he pursued hi s course un der the

gateway o f the Petit C h atelet that enormous cluste r o f ,
massive towers whi ch guarded the entran ce to the city .
He did not even take the time to throw a stone i n pass

ing as i t was then custom ary , at the mutil ated statue o f
,
that Perinet Leclerc who h ad sur rendered the Paris o f

,
C harles V I to the E nglish

. a crime for which his -
effigy defaced by s tones and covered with mud did

, ,
penan ce for three centuries at th e corner o f the streets o f ,
La H arp e an d B ussy as i n a perpetual pillory ,

.
Havi ng crossed the Petit P ont, J ehan at length found him

self be fore N otre D ame Again he wavered in his purpose
- .
,
an d he walked for a few moments round the statue o f M .

-
. 2 23
Legris repeating to hi mself

,
I am sure o f the lecture ,
”
but shall I get the crown ?
H e stopped a verger wh o was comi n g from the cloisters .
he en qui r ed
’
Where 1 8 the Arch d eacon o f Josas . .
”
I believe he is in his closet in the to wer replied th e ,
verger ; and I would not advise you to disturb him

the r e unless yo u have a m essage from some such person
,
as the pope o r M on sieur the king

Jehan clapped his hands B y Jupiter . he ex
claimed a fine opportunity fo r seeing that famous den
”
o f sorcery !
D etermined by this re fl ection he resolutely entered at ,
the little black door and began to ascend the winding

,
stai r s leading to the u pp er stories o f the tower We

"
.
shall see said he to him self by the way

,
B y the .
whiskers o f the B lessed Virgin i t must be a curious place , ,
that cell which m y reverend brother keeps so careful ly to

himself They say that he has a roaring fire there some
.
’
times to cook the philosopher s stone at B y m y fay I .
,
’
care no m ore about the phi l o s 0pher s s to ne than an y co b .
ble stone, and I would rather find a savoury omelette on his

-
’
furn ace than the biggest philosopher s stone i n the
”
wo r ld !
Having reached the pill ar gallery he stood pu ffing for a ,
m omen t and then s wo r e at the endless stairs by I kno w

,
no t how m any million cart loads o f devils Having som e

-
.
what ven ted his spleen he recommen ced his ascen t by the
,
little doo r o f the north tower which is no w shut ag ain st

,
the public Just after he h ad passed the bell room he

.
-
,
cam e to a lateral recess in whi ch there was a low pointed

door . H umph said the scholar this must be the
p lace I suppose
,
.
The key was i n the lock an d the door no t fas tened he

,
gen tly pushed i t open far enough to look in .
The reader has no doubt turned over the admirable

works o f Remb r andt that Shak s peare o f painti ng Among
, .
so many wonderful eng ravings there is o ne in parti cul ar, , ,
represen ting D r Faus tu s as i t is conj ec tured whi ch you

.
, ,
ca nnot look at wi thout being dazzled The scene is a .
dark cel l in the middle o f whi ch i s a table co vered wi th

'
,
r HE
'
H UNC H B A C K O F NO T RE D A MB -
. 225
cobweb in the centre o f which the mo tionless in se ct archi

,
te et looked li ke the nave o f this wheel of lace O n the .
furnace lay in disorder all so r ts of vessels glass phials , ,
retorts an d matrasses
,
There was n o fire i n the furnace
.
,
nor did i t appear to have been lighted for a considerable
t ime. A glass mask whi ch Jehan observed among the

,
implements o f alchym y and which n o doubt served to ,
p rote ct the archdeacon s face when he was at wo r k upon

’
an y dangerous substance lay in o ne corner covered with , ,
dust and as i t were fo r gotten

,
B y i ts side was a pair O f .
be l lows e q uall y dusty the u pper surface o f whi ch bore thi s

,
legend inlaid in letters of copper : S PI R A SP ER A ,

.
O ther m ottoes i n great number were inscribed accord ,
ing to the custom Of the hermetic philosophers upon the ,
w alls some wri tten wi th ink and others cut as i f with a

,
graver Gothi c Hebrew G r eek and R oman lette r s were

.
, , ,
all mixed together ; the inscri ption s ran into one another ,
the mo r e recen t e ff acing the older and all dovetailing like ,
the bo ughs o f a clump of trees or pikes in a battle They ,

.
compo sed i n fact a confuse d medley Of all human phi
l o so p hie s reveries an d knowledge

, ,
There was o ne here .
and there which was conspi cuous abo ve the rest li ke a

pennon among the heads o f lances M ost o f them were .
short Latin or G r eek mottoes such as the middle age was ,
so clever at devising Unde ? i nde ? H o m o ha m im

’
'
mo ns tru m — A s tr a . cas tra n o m en
,
n u m en M eyao ,
.
'
fli gh e y g eyot na ndy
’
, Sap er e a u d e . F la t u bi c u l t & 0 .
,
.
Sometimes there occu rred a word withou t an y apparen t

’
signi fication as A ywyx o e a yra which migh t possibly di sgui se
,
’
some bitter al lusion to the monasti c system sometimes a

simple ma x im of clerical discipline in th e form o f a regular
hexam eter There were also by the way Hebrew sc r awls
.
,
which Jehan who knew very little o f G r eek could no t

, ,
de cipher and the whole was crossed i n all direction s by

,
sta rs fi gur es of men an d beas ts and triangles which inter

, , ,
se cte d one another and con tributed not a little to make the
,
w all o f the cell resemble a sheet o f paper upon which a

m onkey has been scribbling with a pen .
I n other respects the cell exhibited a general appearan ce

Of n eglect and dil apidation : and from the sta te Of the
Q
22 6 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T R E D A ME -
.
utensils it migh t be in ferred that the master had long been

diverted from his usual pursuits by o ther occupati on s .
T his master meanwhile bendi n g over a vast m anuscript

, ,
adorned by grotesque pain tings appeared to be to r mented ,
b y an idea whi ch i n cessan tly Obt r uded itself u pon his m e

d i ta tio ns
. So at least Jehan j udged on hearing him u tter ,
this soliloqu y with the pensi ve pauses o f one i n a b r o wn

,
study wh o thin ks aloud

Yes so M anou asserted and Zoroaster taugh t The
, .
sun i s the o ffsp r ing of fire the m oon o f the sun : fire is ,
the soul of the unive r se I ts elementary atoms are i nce s

.
s a ntl
y o verflowin g and pouring upon the wo r ld in innu
m e ra b l e cu r rents At the points where these cu r ren ts in
.
t e rs e ct o ne another in the atm osphere they produce ligh t ;

at their points of inte r section i n the ea r th they produce
gol d — Light gold — one and the sam e thing — F r om the
,
state of fi r e to the con c r ete stat e — The diffe r en ce between

the visible and palpable between the fluid and solid i n the
,
same substan ce be t ween steam and ice n othing m o r e

, , .
’
This is not a dream tis the general l a w of nature
-
.
B ut how is scien ce to se t about detect i n g the secret of thi s

gene r al law ? IVhy this ligh t which floo l s m y hand i s
,
gold ! These same atoms which expand according to a ,
certai n law need b u t be condensed according to a certai n

,
o ther law . How is this to be done Some have pro

posed to e ffect i t by bu r ying a ray of the sun A verro es .
yes i t was Aver r oes — buried o ne under the first pillar

,
o n the left in the san ctuary o f the K o r an in the grand

, ,
mosque at C ordova but the vault must not be Opened to

see whether the ope r ation has bee n success ful for the space
”
o f ei ght thousand yea r s .
’
The devil said J eha n to himself tis a long while
to wai t for a crown !
O the r s have tho u gh t con tinued the archdeacon
, that ,
i t would be better to Operate u pon a ray o f Si r ius B ut i t .
i s very difficult to O b tain one of his rays pure on account ,
of the simultan eous p r esence Of the other stars wh o se ligh t ,
mingles with i t Flamel con ceives that i t is m ore simple

.
to Operate upon terrestrial fire F l a m e l ! what a name

'
.
—
f or an adept ! F la m ma ye s fire That is all — T he

, . .
T H E H UNC H B A C K or N O T RE D A ME - . 2 27
d iamond is in cha r co al , gold is in fire B ut ho w is i t to .
b e ext r acted P M a gis tri a ffirms that there are certai n

names of women possessing so swee t an d s o mysteri ous a
charm that i t is sufficient to pronounce them du ring the
,
Ope r ation Let us see what M ano n says o n the subj ect
.
Where women a r e honou r ed the gods are pleased ;

where they are despised i t is useless to pray to the god s .
The mouth of a woman i s constan tly pure i t is a runnin g

wate r a ray of sunshine
,
The name of a woman ought
.
to be ag r eeable soft im aginary ; to te r minate wi th long

, ,
’
vowels and to be like wo r ds of blessing Yes the phi .
l o so p he r is right thus la M aria 13 SOphia la E s m e ral

, , ,
D amnation always always that thought

H e closed the book with violence He passed his .
han d over his b r ow as if to chase awa y the idea whi ch

,
annoyed him an d then took up a nail and a small hammer ,
the handle o f which was curiously painted with cabalisti c

letters .
For some time past said he with a bi t te r smile

,
I, ,
have failed in all my experimen ts O ne fixed idea ha unts .
me and pie r ces m y brain li ke a red hot i ron I have not - .
even been able to discover the secret o f C assiodorus who ,
m ade a lamp to bu r n with ou t wick and without o il A .
simple matter neve r theless,
P es te muttered Jehan .
O ne single mise r able though t then con tinued th e ,

“
priest is su fficient to make a m an weak o r mad O h how
,
C laude Pe r nelle would laugh at me She who could no t

for a m oment dive r t N icolas F l am el fr om the prosecution
o f the great wo r k ! B ut have 1 n ot i n m y hand the magi c
,
hammer Of Z e chiél é At every blow whi ch the d r ead

rabbi in the r ecesses of his cell struck upon this n ail wit h
,
this hammer some o ne of his enemies whom he had

,
doo med to destruction sank into the earth which sw a llowed

h im up The king o f France him self h aving o ne nigh t
.
,
knocked for a frolic at his doo r sank up to his knees in the

,
pavement of Paris — This happened n o t th r ee centuri es

.
ago. Well I have the hammer and the n ail but then
,
thes e tools are n ot more formidable in m y hands t han a

ru l e in the hands of a carpen ter And ye t I should po s
.
Q 2
T H E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
.
}
225
We know not whether these ideas occurred to hi m at the

m oment but volatile as he was he apprehen d ed that he
, ,
had seen more than he ought to have seen that he had ,
surprised the soul of his elder b r other in o ne Of i ts m ost

secret attitudes and that he must take good care n ot to let
,
C laude pe r ceive i t Perceiving that the archdeacon had re

.
la psed in to his former stupo r he softly d r ew back his head ,
and took several steps outside the door that his footfall ,
might apprise the archdeacon of his arri val .
C ome in c r ied his brother from within the cell

, ,
I h ave been waiting f o r you C ome in M aster Jacques .

,
.
The scholar boldly ente r ed The archdeacon to who m .

,
such a visiter i n such a place was any thing but welcome ,

”
s tarted at the sight Of hi m What is i t you Jehan ?
"
.
,
‘ ”
l is a J at an y rate said the studen t wi th his rudd y
, , ,
i mp u d e nt j ovial face
,
.
The countenance o f D om C laude r esu med its stern ex

”
pression Wh at b rings you hither P
"
.
B rother replied the scholar assuming as humble

, , ,
m odest and deco r ou s an air as he could an d twi rling his

, ,
cap on his fingers with a look Of innocence I am come ,
to ask of you
What
A little wholesome advice which I much need ,
.
Jehan du r st not add and a little money which I need

”
still more This last member of the senten ce he fo rbore
.
to utte r .
Sir said the archdeacon i n an austere tone

, I am , ,
”
hi ghly displeased wi th yo u .
Alas sighed the studen t .
D om C laude made his chair describe one fourth o f a

circle and looked stedfastly at J ehan
, I wanted to see .
”
you said he
, .
This was an ominous exordi um J ehan prepared him .
sel f for a fierce attack .
E ve r y day Jehan complaints a r e brought to m e o f

, ,
0 your m isconduct What have you to say for yourself

.
about that beating which you gave to the young Viscount

Al be r t de Ramon champ P 4
O h replied Jehan a mere bagatelle The scurvy
,
Q 3
TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
.
horse run in the ng his

the scholars
"
.
n hat ex cuse have you to m ake

u resumed the ,
archdeacon about th at a ffai r with M ahie t Targel whose

, ,
gown you tore ? T u n ica m dechir a c er u n t says the co m ,
plain t .
Pooh on ly one o f the sorry M on tai gu hoods th at s ’
The complain t says t nm ca m an d no t cap etta m Have

’
you n o t lea r ned Latin P

Jehan made n o r eply .
Yes continued the priest

, the study of lette r s i s at ,
a low ebb n ow The Latin language is scarcely under

.
stood the Syriac unknown the G reek so hateful that i t i s

, ,
n o t accounted ign o r an ce even in the g r eatest schola r s to

s k i p a Greek word w ithou t pronoun cing i t an d to say , ,
G r ee cu m es t, n on l eg i tu r .
J e ha n
boldly raised his eyes Br other said h e .
, ,
“ would you like me to explain i n simple F r en ch the
,
”
Greek word written there u pon the wall P
”
Which wo rd P
A N A r KH !
’
A sligh t flush tinged th e pallid cheek Of the archdeacon ,
like the pu ff of smoke which be tokens the secret commo

tion s o f a volcano The studen t sca r cely pe r ceived i t
. .
Well Jehan stamm e r ed the elder b r other wi th some

, ,
”
e ffort
,
what is the meaning of that word P
”
F A T A LITY .
D om C laude turned pale and the scholar ca relessly con ,
tinned An d that wo rd un derneath en graven by the ,

’
same han d A v yVEfOL signifies i mp u r ity Y o u see I do
,
as '
,
.
know something Of G r e ek .
The a r chdeacon was silen t This G reek lesson had m ade .
him thoughtful Young Jehan who had all the art o f a

.
,
spoiled child deemed i t a favourabl e m omen t for ha

,
z ar di ng his request Assuming therefo r e as soo thing a

.
, ,
tone as possible he th u s began ,

M y good bro ther ,
su r ely yo u wi l l no t look morose and take a dislike to me ,
merely on accoun t Of a few petty b ruises an d thumps

iven in fair fight t o a p ack o f li ttle chits an d monkeys
g
TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
. 23 1
qu ibu s da m m a r mo s etis . Y ou see I do know something

,
”
of Latin b r other C laude
,
.
B ut this canting hypo crisy had not its accustomed effect

upon the stern senio r I t did n ot remove a single w r inkle.
”
from the brow Of the archdeacon C ome to the point .
,
said he drily .
Wel l then replied Jehan s crewing up his cou r age ;

, ,
”
i t is this I want m oney .
A t this straigh tforwa r d declaration the coun tenan ce o f

the arch d eacon all at once assumed a m agis te rial and p a
tern al exp ression .
You know M onsieur Jeh an , sai d he that ou r fie f , ,
of T i re cha ppe produces no m ore deducting ground ren t ,
and other outgoings for the twen ty on e houses than -

,
thi r ty n ine li vres eleven sous six deniers parisis This is

-
, ,
.
’
h alf as much again as in the time Of the P s elets but tis ,
”
n o g r eat de al .
I want mon ey repeated Jehan stoically ,

.
You kno w that the o fficial has decided th at ou r

twenty one houses a r e liable to the paymen t of fines to the
-
bishop r ic and that to relieve ourselves from this homage

,
we mu st pay t he most reveren d bishop two m arks in silver

gilt at the rate of si x liv re s pa r isis N ow I have n ot yet .
”
been able to save these two m arks as you well know
"
.
,
I know that I want money r epeated Jehan for the ,
thi r d time .
And what would you do with i t ?

A t this q uestion a glimme r of hope dan ce d before the
eyes of Jehan He resum ed his soft and fawning manner
. .
Loo k you m y dear brother C laude , i t is not for an y

,
bad purpo s e that I m ake this application I t is no t to .
play the gallan t in taverns with your u n z ain s or to parade ,
the st r eets of Paris in a suit of gold broca d e with a lac q uey

”
at my heels N o b r other ; i t is for an act o f chari ty
.
,
.
”
What act o f cha rity P enqui r ed C laude with some
s u r p r1 s e .
There are two o f m y fr iends who have proposed to

purchase baby lin en for the child Of a poor wido w in
-
’
H au d ry s alms houses : i t i s a real charity
- I t woul d .
”
cost three florins, and I wish to con tribute m y share .
Q 4
m m H UN C H B A OK op NO T RE D A ME - . 233
Q ui non Ia bo ra t no n ma nd ucet .
’
A t thi s inflexible an swer of the archdeacon s Jeh an
covered his face with his hands sobbed like a wom an and , ,
cried i n a tone o f despair O 1 0 7 0 “t o 7 0 7 07 l

”
What is the meaning o f that ? asked C laude sur ,
prised a t this vagary .
t y said the scholar after rubbing hi s eyes wi th

, ,
his knuc k les to give them the appearance o f weeping it

is Greek tis an a nap azs t o f ZE s chyl u s which exp r esses ,
”
grief to the life .
He then burst into a laugh so d r oll an d s o un govern able

that the archdeacon coul d n ot help smiling I t was i n .
’
fact C laude s fa u lt : why had he so utterly spoiled the
bo y P
N ay no w m y good brother C laude resumed Jehan
, , ,
only look at m y worn out buskins D id you ever see a

-
.
more lamen table sigh t

The archdeacon had qui ckly resumed his former stern
ness . I will send you new buskins bu t no money , .
O nly o ne poor petit parisis brother besough t ,
Jehan I will lea r n Gratian by heart I will be a good

.
,
C hristian a real Pythagoras o f learning and vi r tue O ne

, .
peti t parisis pray Would you let me fal l a prey to hun

,
ger which is staring m e i n the face ?

D om C laude shook hi s wrinkled b r ow Q u i no n l a . .
bo ra t
Well then cried Jehan in terrupting him
,
j olli ty , ,
for ever I will game I will fight I wi l l go to the tavern

, ,
an d the bo rdel
So saying he threw up his cap and snapped his fingers ,
like castagnettes The archdeacon eyed him with gloomy

.
look .
Jehan said he ,you are on a very slippery descent

,
.
K now you whither you are going ?

To the tave r n said Jehan , .
The tavern leads to the pillory .
’
T i s a lantern like any other ; and i t was perhaps
the o ne with which D iogenes found his man .
”
The pillory leads to the gallows .
The gallows is a balance,which has a man at one en d

2 3 4: TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
’
an d all the world at the other T is a fine thing to be the
"
.
man .
The gallows leads to hell

"
.
That i s a rousing fire .
Jehan Jehan the end will be bad, ,

.
The beginning at l east will have been good .
At this moment the sound of a footfall was heard on the

stairs .
Silen ce ! said the a r chdeacon here i s M aster

”
Jacques H ark ye Jehan added he in a lower tone
.
, , , ,
b e s u re not to mention what you sh all h ave seen an d

hear d here Quick hide you r self under this fu rn ace and
"
.
,
’
do n t so much as breathe .
The scholar crept under the fu r nace He r e an excellen t .
idea occurred to him B y the by b r other C laude I

.
, ,
”
m us t have a d ori n for not b r eathing .
Silen ce ! you shall h ave it .
”
B ut give it me now .
The r e take i t said the archdeacon angrily th r owi ng

, ,
him his pouch Jehan crawled as far as he could under

.
the furnace and the door Opened .
C H A PT ER V .
TH E TW O M E N IN B LA CK .
TH E fl l p CM M d
e rs o n _ §e m y a Na ck g o wm w d a*
-
ook O ur friend Jehan who had cont r ived to a rr ange

.
,
himself in his hiding place in such a m anner as to hear -
and see all that passed was struck at the fi r st glan ce by ,
the pe r fect sadness of the ga rb and the c oun ten an ce o f the

visiter A ce r tain gen tleness at the same time oversp read
.
that face but 1 t was the gen tleness of a cat or a j udge The
,
.
m an was very g ab l gnli lgdfl d h a Ld u p o m g x ty : with

m
—
w
e
~
l ag e hands When J e .
han s a w that i t was n obody th at i s to say in all p r obabili ty , ,
some physi cian or m agistrate, and that hi s nose was at a

r m: H UNC H B A CK or n o r n n m a mz . 235
great distan ce from his mouth a sure si gn o f stupidity h e , ,
shrank back in his h ole vexed at the prospect o f having to

,
p ass an indefini te time in so confined a posture and in su ch

scurvy company .
The archdeacon meanwhile had not even risen to thi s

personage . H e m otioned to him to be seated o n a stoo l
’
near the door and after a few m oments silence in whi c h
, , ,
he seemed to be pursuing a p r eviou s med ita tion he said ,
with the tone o f a patron to his client Good morro w , ,
M aste r Jacques .
Goo d m o r row m aster replied the m an in black

, ,
.
I n the two ways o f p r onoun cing o n the o ne h and that

M a s ter Ja c q u es and on the other that m a s te r by way o f
,
eminen ce the r e was as mu ch di fferen ce as between M on

,
seigneur and M on sieur ; i t clearly bespoke the teacher an d

the d isciple .
”
Well resumed the archdeacon after another silen ce
, , ,
whi ch M aster Jacques took care no t to in terrupt h ave ,
you succeeded
Alas m aster said the other with a sorrowful smile,
,
I keep pu ffing away M ore ashes th an I wan t but no t

.
,
an a tom of gold .
A ges ture o f displeasure esca ped D om C laude .
I was not talking of that M aster Jacques C harm o lu e , ,
bu t of the p r oceedings agai nst your so r ce r er M a r c C e na ine , ,
I think you cal l ed him the butler o f the C ourt of Accompts

,
.
D oth he confess his guilt H as the torture produced the

.
desi red effect

Alas ! no replied M aster Jacques still wi th his sad
, ,
smile ; we have not that consolation The m an i s a s .
ha r d a s a flin t We migh t boil him in the Swine M arket

.
before he would con fess H owever we are spa r ing n o pain s

.
,
t o ge t a t the tru th ; his j oin ts are all dislocated We are .
trying every thing we can think o f as o l d Plautus says ,
A d v o rs u m s tim u l o s, la m inas , c ru c e s q u e , co m p e d e s q u e ,
N e rv e s , catenas , carce re s , n u m e l las , p ed ica s , ho ras
but all to no purp ose O h ! he is a terrible fellow He

"
. .
fai rly puz zles me .
Have you foun d nothing fu rth er in his house ?

l ow obeisance B ut I had well nigh fo rgotten

. when
doth it please you that I shoul d o r der the young sorceress
”
to be app r ehended ?
Wh at so r ceress P
That B ohemian you know wh o comes every day to , ,
dan ce in the Parvis in despite of the prohibition o f the ,
o ffici al. She has a goat which i s possessed an d has the ,

’
devil s o wn ho rn s and reads and writes and understands
, , ,
m a them atics an d would b e enough to bring all Bohemia to

,
the gallo ws The indi ctmen t i s qui te ready A h andsom e

. .
creature u pon m y soul th at d an cer ! the brigh test black

, ,
eyes I a pai r of E gyptian ca rbun cles ! when shall we begin P

The archdeacon turned p al e as death I W i ll te l l you .
,
stammered he with a voice scarcely articulate Then with

,
.
an e ffo r t he added F o r the presen t go o n with M ar c

C e n a i ne .
N ever fea r said C harm ol u e smiling

,
as soon as I ,
get back I wi l l have him strapped d own again to the

,
leathern b e d B u t t is a devil of a fellow he tires Pierrat

.
’
T o r te ru e him sel f and his h ands a r e bigger th an mine

, As .
sai th the good Plautus

N u d u s v inct u s centum p on d o es quan do pen des p e r pe des , .
The W indlass will be the best thing to set to work upon him .
D om C laude appea r ed to be absorbed i n gloom y reveri e .
Suddenly turning to C ha rm ol u e M aste r Pier r at

M aster Jacques I would say go on with M arc C e nai ne
, , .
A y a y Do m C laude
, ,
Poor m an he will have su ffered
.
,
a m artyrdom B ut then what an idea to go to the sab

.
,
bath ! a butler o f the C ourt o f A ccompts who ough t to ,
know the tex t o f C ha rlem agn e s ordinan ce S tryga vel m a s ca ! ’
A s for the girl Sm el a rd a as they call her I shall

,
awai t y o ur orders Ah t rue ! and when we a r e at the

.
p orch you will also explain to me what the gardener in l o w

,
relief at the entrance o f the church i s m ean t for ! I s i t

n o t the Sower Hey master ! Wh at think yo u ? ,
D om C laude en grossed by his o wn reflections attended

, ,
n ot to the speaker C harm o l u e following the di r ection o f

.
,
his eye pe r ceived that i t was m echanicall y fi xed upon a

,
'
large spider s web st r etched across the window At that .
momen t a giddy fly attracted by the M arch sun fl ew in to the

, , ,
238 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
.
net an d became en tangled in i t A t the sho ck gi ven to his .
web an enormous spider rushed forth from his central

,
cell and then at o n e l e ap sprang upon the fl y whi ch h e

, , ,
doubled u p with his fore legs whilst with his hideous -

,
sucker he attacked the head Poor fly said the p r o ctor .

,
and raised his hand to rescue i t The archdeacon sud .

,
d e nl y starting up held back his arm wit h con vulsive

,
violen ce .
“
M aster Jacques ! cried he meddle not wi th fatality ! ”
,
The proctor tu r ned about in alar m : it seemed as i f his

arm was held by i r on pin cers The eye o f the p r iest was .
fi x ed wild glaring and gazed intently upon the horrible

, , ,
l ittle g r oupe o f the fly and the spider .
0 yes yes ! ,
resumed the priest with a voice that ,
seemed to proceed from his ve r y bowels thi s is an

emble m of the whole a ffair I t is you ng i t flies ab out i t .
, ,
i s merry it seeks the Open air the sp r ing sunshine

, , ,
li be r ty O yes ! B ut i t is stopped at the fatal windo w ; i t

.
i s caught i n the toils of the spide r th e hideous spi d er ! ,
Poo r d an cing girl poor predestined fly B e q uiet M aster ,
Jacques i t is fatality — Alas C laude ! thou a r t the spi ,

.
.
der C laude thou art the fl y too ! Tho u didst seek sci
.
,
en ce the light the sunshine thou desi r edst only to reach

, ,
the fr ee air the b r oad day ligh t of eternal t r uth : but

, ,
while darting towards the daz zling window which open s ,
i nto the o ther world a wo r ld of brightness intelligen ce, , ,
and scien ce blin d fly silly docto r, thou d idst no t percei ve

, ,
that subtle spider s web sp r ead by Fate between the li ght

’
and thee thou ru s he d s t into it and no w with m angled , ,
head and b r oken wings thou s tru g gl e s t in the iron g r ipe o f

,
fatality M aste r Jacques M as ter Jacques let the spi

der alone
I assu r e you s aid Char m o l u e,
who star ed at him ,
.
with out comp r ehending his meaning that I will not m ed ,

’
dle wi th it B ut for me r cy s sake maste r loose m y arm
.
, , ,
you have a h and like a vice .
The a r chdeacon hea r d him n ot 0 fool ! fool he .

,
again began without taking his eyes for a momen t o f the

,
window And if thou coulds t have broken through those

.
formidable meshes with th y deli cate wings dost thou ima ,

TH E B UN OH B A C K or N O T RE D A ME
-
. 2 39
gine that thou couldst then have attained the light ? How
wouldst thou have passed that glass , whi ch i s beyond i t that ,
t ran sparen t obstacle that w all o f crys ta l harder than bra ss

, ,
whi ch separates all philosophies from truth ? O van ity o f

scien ce how many sages come fluttering from afar to d ash
their heads again st i t ho w m an y systems come buz zing to
rush pell mell against this eternal window
-
H e paused The con cluding reflexions which had in

.
,
sen sibly diverted his mind fr om himself to science appeared ,
to have resto r ed hi m to a degree of composure Jacques .
C ha rm o l u e b r ought him back completely to a feeling o f re

ali ty by asking hi m this question B y the by master , ,
when will you come and help me to m ake gold ? I am not

”
lucky at i t .
The a rchdeacon shook his head with a bitter smile .
”
M aster Jac q ues he replied ,
read the D ia l og u e d e ,
E ne rg ia e t Op er a tio ne D azm o n u m by M ichael P s ell u s , .
What we are a bout is n ot absolutely innocent

”
Speak lower master said Cha rm ol u e
,
I though t
,
.
as much myself B u t a man may be allowed to dabble a

.
’
little in hermetics when he i s but king s pro ctor in the
ecclesiastical court at thirty crowns tournois p e r annum .
”
O nl y let us speak lower .
At that momen t sounds resembling those m ade i n masti

cation proceeding from beneath the furnace struck the
, ,
ala r med ea r of C harm o l u e .
”
What is that ? he asked .
I t wa s the scholar who cramped in his hiding place and ,

-
heartily weary of it had there fo und a hard crust and a

,
cube of mouldy cheese and fallen foul of the m without ,
ce r emony by way o f consolation and breakfast As h e

, .
was very hungry he made a great noise an d smacked his ,
chaps so audibly at every munch as to excite alarm in the

proctor .
’
T is only m y cat said the a r chdeacon sh arply
,
re ,
”
galing he r self under there with a mouse .
This explanation satisfied C har m ol u e I n fact mas .

,
ter he replied with a respectful smile

, ,
every great phi ,
l os opher has had his fami liar animal As Servius says you .
,
”
kno w : N u l l u s en im lo cu s s in e gen io eat .
TH E H UN C H B A CK or NO T R E D A ME - . 2 41
H e appr oach ed them on tiptoe and heard the archde a con ,
say i n a very low tone to his compa nion : I t W as Will iam

o f Paris who had a Job engraved upo n that stone o f th e
colour of l apisJaz ul i and gilt o n the edges Job represen ts

,
.
’
the phil os opher s stone which m us t be tried and tortured i n
,
order to b ecome perfect as sa i th R aym ond Lull y : S u b con

,
”
s erva tione f o r m sp ecificce s a l va a n ima .
What is that to me P said Je ha n to himse lf I have

g o t the pu rse .
A t this mom ent he heard a loud and sonorous voi ce b e

hin d hi m pour forth a formidabl e voll ey o f oaths Sa ng
D ieu ! Ve nt re D ie u ! B edie u ’ Co rp s de D ieu N o mbr il de
.
B el z ebu th ! N om d u n p op e ! Co r ne et to nn er r e ’
’
.
”
U pon m y soul c r ied Jehan ,
that can be nobody ,
but m y fr ien d C aptai n Ph oebu s

The name Ph oebus stru ck the ear o f the archdea con at
’
the m omen t when he was explaining to the king s proctor
W idi ng his tail in a bath when ce issue smoke and
a roy al head Do m C laude shuddered sto p ped short to the
.
, ,
great su rprise o f C harm ol u e turned round and saw his , ,
bro ther Jeha n accost ing a tall o fficer at th e door o f the

G ondal au rier m an sion .
I t was in fact C aptai n Phoebus de C hatea upers He .
wa s leaning against the angle o f the hoarse and swearing

li ke a pagan .
B y m y fay captain Ph oebu s

,
said J ehan graspin g ,
his hand , you swear with m arvell ous emphasis .
B lood and thunde r replied the capt ain .
B loo d and thunder to you rej oined th e s ch ol a r .
B ut I say gen tl e cap tain what has oc casioned thi s o ver

, , ,
flow o f fair words P

I beg your pa rdon m y good comrad e Jehan cri ed
, ,
Ph oebus shaking hi m by the hand

,
a ho r se at the top ,
o f his speed cannot s top short N o w I was s wearing at .
full gallop I have just com e from those a ff ecte d prudes

.
,
and whenever I leave them I have m y th r oat fu ll o f

oaths ; I am forced to turn them o u t o r they would choke
m e ou t righ t — blood a nd thunder
”
Will you co m e an d dri nk with me ? asked the
scholar .
2 42 TH E H U NC H B A CK on NO T R E D A M E -
’
”
This proposal pacified th e captain I fai n . woul d,
”
said he but I have n o m oney
, .
”
Well but I have , .
Atha ! let us see

Jeb an exhibited the pouch to the wondering gaze o f the
captain M eanwhile the a r chdeacon who had left C har
.
,
m ol u e quite astounded had approached an d stopped withi n,
a few paces o f them , watching bo th wi thou t thei r being

awa r e o f it so entirely was their attention engrossed by the
,
p ou c h .
A purse in y our pocket J eha n, cr ied t hus is , ,
li ke the m oon in a bucket o f water You see i t but i t i s .

,
’
n o t there : tis only the shado w N othing but pebbles in .
i t I would wager
,
.
There are the pebbles that I pave my pocket with ,
repli ed Jehan d r ily an d so saying he emptied the pouch

upon a post close by with the air o f a Roman saving hi s
,
count r y .
B y heaven muttered Phoebus real moneys ! tis ’
absolutely dazzling .
J ehan retained his grave and dignified attitude A few .
liards had rolled into the mud ; the captain in hi s e n thu ,
s ia s m ,
stooped to p ick the m up He counted the pieces .
,
and turning with a solemn look towa r ds his companion

, ,
”
D o you know Jeban said he ,
that there are twenty , ,
t hree s on s Parisis ? Who m have you had the luck to

li ghten last night in the R ue C oupe Gueule ? -
Jehan th r ew back the long light hair that curled about

’
his face an d half closed his disdainful eyes
,
Tis a .
”
good thing said he , to have a brother who is an arch
,
deacon and a simpleton .
Com e d c D ieu 7 exclaimed Ph oebus The worthy

. .
”
fellow !
Let us go an d drink said Jehan ,
.
The t wo fr iends then bent thei r steps towards the ta

’
vern kn own by the sign o f l a P om m e d E o e I t is super

m
.
fluons to say that they had fif s t pi the money and ,
that the archdeacon followed them .
The a r chdeacon followed them with wild an d gloom y

l ook Was this the Phoebus whose accursed name had
.
,
TH E H U NOH B A UK o r N O T RE D A ME ~
. 2 43
e ver sin ce his in te rview with Gringoire haunted all hi s ,
thoughts ? he knew not but at any rate i t was a Phoebus, ,
and this m agi c name su ffi ced to lure the archdeacon to f ol

l o w the two reckless c ompanion s with steal thy step listen ,
ing to their conversation and watching thei r slighte st

gestu r es with inten se anxiety I ndeed nothing was more .
,
easy than to hear all they said so loud was the tone i n ,
whi ch they carried o n thei r con versation about duels and

doxies flago ns and drunken frol ics
,
.
At the turning o f a street the sound o f a tambouri ne ,
was wafted to them fr om a crossing at a little distan ce .
D om C laude hea rd the o fli ce r say to his b r other :

B lood and thu nder ! let us qui cken ou r pace
Why Phoebus P ,
I am afr aid lest the B ohemian should s e e me .
”
What B ohemian P
The gi rl with the goat .
La Smeralda P
The same J ehan I always forget her devil o f a
,
.
n ame Let us make haste : she would know me agai n

. I .
’
don t wish that girl to speak to me in the st r eet .
Are you then acquainted with her Ph oebus P ,
He r e the archdeacon saw Phoebus grin sto op to Jehan s ,

’
ear and whisper a few wo rds in it The captain then

, .
burst into a loud laugh and tossed hi s head with a triu m

,
phan t air .
Indeed sa id Jehan .
U pon my soul replied Phoebus

"
.
T o night P -
This very night .
”
Are you sure she will come ?
You must be sill y Jehan N ot the leas t doubt o f it
,
. .
C aptai n Ph oebus you are a lucky fellow,
The archdeacon heard every syllable o f this conversation .
H is te eth chattered A shudder visible to the eye

.
, ,
thrilled his whole fr ame He paused for a m oment .
leaned against a po st like a drunken m an and ag ain fol

, ,
l owed the tw o boon com panions .

TH E H U N OB B A OK or Ho r n s -
D AM E . 2 45
so the tavern no doubt as a p rotec ti on from the col d o f

,
the M arch evenings ipe rhaps also to con ceal his dres s
, .
‘
F rom time to time h e paus e d before the windo w loo ked ,
t hr o u gh the s m all l oz enge sha p ed pan e s bo r d ered with lead,

-
l istened and sta m ped

,
.
At leng th the ta vern doo r opened I t was this that he

- .
appeared to be waiting for T wo pers ons who had bee n .
dr ink ing th ere c a me o u t T he ray o f ligh t whi ch es caped

.
a t the door fell for a m o men t upo n their j ovial faces The .
ma n i n the c lo ak stationed hi m sel f u n d er a porch o n the

o ther side o f th e street to watch th em .
”
B lood a nd thunder ! excl aimed o ne o f the topers .
T he clock has j us t stru ck s even : that is the ti me f or m y

”
a p p oi ntmen t .
I tell you replied hi s com p anio n wi th an arti cul a

, ,
'
tio n far from di s ti nct that I don t li ve in the R ue des
,
M auv aises Paroles — i nd igna s q ui i n ter ver ba mala habi ta t .
I lo dge i n the R ue Jean Pai n M oll et Y ou are m or e - - .
horned than a unicorn if you s a y to the con tr ary , .
E very body k no ws that whoever on ce get s upon a bear s ’
b a ck is never afraid a fterwards : but yo u ha ve a n ose fo r

,
ti t bits
-
Jeh an m y fri end you are dru nk

,
s aid the other
, , .
H i s com panion rej o ined staggering That i s wha t

,
y ou a re pleased to say Phoebus bu t i t is proved tha t , ,

”
Pla to had the pro fil e o f a b ou nd .
The reader has no doubt already recognised in the two

j olly topers the captain an d the scholar The man wh o .
was watching them in the dark appear e d al so to have re

co gnised them for with slo w s tep he followed all the zig
,
z ags in to whi ch the captain was drawn by his companion .
T he former m ore in u red to tippli ng was none the worse

, ,
f o r liquor The man in the cloak listening to the m

.
,
attentively was enabl e d to catch the whol e o f the following

,
inte res ting con versation .
B ody 0 Bacchus M r B a c hel or try to walk st r aight

’
.
,
I t is se ven o clo ck I tell

’
ou kno w I must leave you
y
" ,
.
yo u an d I have an appo intmen t

, .
The n go l ea ve me ! I see the stars an d da rts o f fire

, .
3
'
a
2 46 TH E H UN CH B A CK or NO TR E D A ME -
.
Y ou ar e l ike the castle of Dam p m artin, burstin g w ith

”
l aughte r .
’
B y m y g randmother s warts Jehan the nonsens e , ,
you talk i s t oo absurd B y the by J ehan h ave you an y

. .
, ,
m oney left P
M r Rector there is no fault — the li ttle shambles
.
, ,
”
p a r va bo u chem a
’
Jehan m y friend Jehan you kn ow I ha ve to meet

, ,
that girl a t the end of the Pont St M ichel that I can .

,
’
take her n o where but to F al ou rdel s and shall have to pay ,
for the room The old white whiskered bawd will not gi ve
. -
m e credit . Surely Jehan we have n ot drunk all the

, ,
’ ”
parson s m oney See i f you have no t o ne Parisis left
. .
The consciousness of having well spen t the other

hour s is an excellent sauce to the table .
Fire an d fury ! A tru ce to cross purposes Jehan -

, .
Tell me have you an y money left ? I must h ave some

, ,
o r by heaven
, I will rifle your p ockets were you leprous
, ,
as Job .
Why sir the R ue G ali a che i s a street that has the

, ,
R ue de la Verreri e at one en d and the R ue de la T ix era n ,

”
de r ie at the o ther .
Quite righ t m y dear friend Jehan so i t h as B u t

, ,
.
,
for heaven s sake ral ly your sen ses

’ ’
I t i s seven o clock .
”
and I want but one sous Pa r isi s .
Silen ce n ow — silen ce to the song and atten tion to

, ,
the chorus
Q u an d les rats m ange ront l e s chats ,
Le roi
Scholar of An tichrist cried Phoebus th y “ may

,
brains be dashed o u t wi th thine own books ! At the

sam e time he gave the in toxicated stu dent a violen t pu sh
which sen t him reeling agai nst the wall where he pre ,
s e ntl
y sunk gently upon the pavemen t of Philip Augustus .
From a reli c o f that brothe r ly compassion whi ch i s never

wholly banished fro m the heart o f a tope r Phoebu s rolled ,
Jeban with his foot u pon one o f those pillows o f the poo r .
which Providen ce keeps ready i n the corn ers o f all the

streets of Pari s an d which the wealth y disdainfully
,
TH E H u N oH B A cx or H o r ns D A M E
-
. 2 47
s tigm ati se with the n ame o f dunghills T he captai n .
p l aced Jehan s head on an inclined plane of cabbage stalk s

’
-
,
an d the scholar instantly began sno r ing in a magnificen t

’
bass Yet was no t the captain s heart wholly free fro m
.
’
animosity So much the worse f o r thee if the devil s
.
ca rt picks thee up as it passes said he to the sleeping

scholar and away he wen t
,
.
T he man i n the cloak who had kept follo wing hi m , ,
paused for a moment before the helpless youth as if unde ,
c ided what to do then heaving a deep sigh he continued

, ,
to follow the captain .
Like them we will leave Jehan sleeping beneath the

canopy o f heaven and speed after them if i t so please the
, ,
reade r .
O n reaching the Rue St Aud r e des Ar cs C ap tain Phoe

’
.
,
bus perceived that some o ne was following him C han cing .
to turn his eyes he saw a kind o f shadow creeping behind

,
hi m along the w all s He s topped ; the figu r e s topped

.
he walked o n ; the fi gure w al ked o n too He felt but .
little alarm at this discovery P ooh said he to himsel f

.
,
”
I have not a single s on .
He hal ted in fr ont o f the coll ege o f Autun where he ,
had commen ced wh at he called his studies clo se to the ,
statu e of C ardin al Pier re B e r tran d o n the right o f the ,
porch and looked ar ound him

,
The stre et was absolutely .
dese r ted N othing was to be seen but the fi gure whi ch

.
,
approached him with slow steps so slo w that he had ,
abundant time to observe that i t had a cloak and a hat .
When very near to him i t s to pped and rem ained m otion

,
less as the s tatue o f C a r dinal B ert r an d ; i ntently fixing

upon hi m however a pai r of eyes gla r ing with that vague
, ,
l ight whi ch issues at nigh t from those o f a cat .
The cap tai n was b r ave an d would no t have cared a r ush

for a robber wi th a cudgel i n his fist B ut this walking .
sta tue this petrified man thrilled him wi th horro r There

, , .
were at tha t time in ci r culation a number o f s tories o f

a goblin mo nk who haun ted at night the streets o f Pari s
-
these stories crowded confusedly upon his mem ory He .
s tood s tu pifi ed fo r some minu tes and at length b r oke si ,
lence by a forced laugh I f you are a robber as I ,

TH E B UNC H B A OK o r N O TR E DA ME
- . 2 49
tom , supers ti ti ous tal es — were al l forgotten at the m oment .
I n hi s eyes i t was but a m an an d an insult B ravely .
”
said ! stammered he hal f choked wi th ra ge ,
He dre w .
hi s sword and i n a faltering voi ce — for rage m akes o ne

,
tremble as well as fe ar — cried :

,
Here ! o n the s po t !
t hi s very m o ment ! d raw — draw ! T he bl ood o f o ne o f
us must dye this pavemen t !
M eanwhile the o the r nei ther flinche d n or stirred Wh en .
he saw his adversary i n guard and read y fo r the combat :

”
C aptain P hoebus said he i n a tone t remulous with
, ,
”
v exation you fo rget your engagement .
I n m e n like Phoebus gusts of passion are l ike boiling

milk the ebu l li tion o f which a drop o f cold water is suf
,
.
ficien t to allay At those few simple words the cap tai n

.
dropped the weapon whi ch gli stened i n his hand .
C aptain conti nued the s tranger

, to m or ro w the ,
-
,
day a fter to mo rrow a mon th a year, ten years hen ce yo u

-
, , ,
w ill fin d me ready to cut your throat : but first go to your

”
as s i gnation .
I n fact sa id Phoebu s as if seeki ng to capitulate wi th

, ,
him self ; a sword and a girl are two del ightful things to
’
en co un ter in a meeting ; but I don t see wh y I should gi ve
up o ne for the other when I may h ave bo th .
H e re turned his sword to the scabbard .
”
Go to your assignation repeated the unkn own .
M any thanks s ir for your courtesy replied Ph oebus

, , ,
wi th some em b arrassmen t I t is very true that i t will

.
be time en ough to morro w to slash and cut button holes in

- -
’
father Adam s doublet I am beholden to you for allo w
.
ing m e o ne more agreeab le qua r ter o f an hour I did hope , .
to be sure to pu t you to b e d in the kennel and yet be i n

, ,
t ime for the gi rl especi a lly as in such cases it i s gen teel to

,
m ake the wen ches wai t a li ttle B ut you appear to be a .
hearty fellow and i t is safest to p ut o ff o u r meeting ti l l to

,
m orro w So I shall go to m y assignation which is f o r the

.
,
hou r o f seven as you kno w , Here Phoebus tapped his .
forehead . Ah co rne D i eu ! I forgot I have no t a s ou

-
t o pay for the use of the garret and th e hag in sists on ,

” ’
h aving the money beforehand She w on t trust me . .
Here is money to p ay with .

2 50
'
TH E H UNC H B A C K O F N O T RE D AM E
’ - .
Phoebus felt the cold hand of the unknown s lip in to hi s

a large pie ce o f mon ey H e coul d not help taki n g the
.
coi n and pressing that hand .
”
B y heaven ! h e exclaim ed you are a good fel ,
O ne condition ! said the stranger Prove to me .
that I was w r on g and that you spoke th e truth C on ceal .
me in some corner where I may see whether th e girl i s

,
really the same whose n ame you mentioned .
O h repli ed Phoebus that wi ll m ake no di fferen ce

,
to m e We will take the room called St M a r tha s an d

. .
’
fr om the kennel by the si de o f i t you may see and

”
welcome .
C om e along then rej oined the figure ,

”
At your ser vi ce said the captain ,
For aught I .
know you may be the devil in p r ep r i d p ers oné ; but let u s

,
be good fr iends to night : to m orrow I will pay you m y

- -
debts both o f the purse and the swo r d

, .
They walked away wi th hasty s teps I n a few minutes .
the noise of the ri ver appri sed them that they were o n the
bridge of St M ichel at that time cove r ed with houses
.
,
.
‘
I will fi r st introduce you said Ph oebus to his com
f
.
,
panion and then go and fetch the wen ch who i s to w ai t

,
”
for me near th e Peti t C h atelet That compan ion made .
no reply since they had been walking side by side he had

not uttered a word Phoebus stopped before a low door
.
,
against which he kicked violently A li ght glimme r ed .
’
through the crevices o f the door Who s there cried .
a mumbling voice Co rp s D ieu

. T e te D i eu Ven tr a - -
D ieu r eplied the cap tain The doo r instantly Opened .

,
an d discove r ed an old woman and a lamp both of which ,
trembled The hag was bent almost double and d r essed

.
,
in rags Her head shook and he r h ands face an d neck

.
, , , ,
were covered wi th w r inkles She had very small eyes ; .
her lips receded owing to the loss o f her teeth an d all ,
round her mouth she had long white hai r s resemblin g the
whi skers o f a cat The interior of her dwelling cor
.
responded in appearan ce with herself The wall s were o f .
plaster ; the cei l ing was formed o f the black rafters an d

fl oor o f the room above ; the fire p l ace was disman tled ,
TH E n o x on na ox or N O TR E D A M E
-
. 251
and every co rner di splayed a drapery o f cobwebs T wo or .
three rickety tables and stools occupied the middl e o f the

fl oor ; a dirty b o y was playing in the ashes an d at the ,
farther end the stairs o r rather ladder led up to a

, ,
trap door in the ceiling O n entering this den the cap

- .
,
’
tain s mysterious companion drew his cloak up to his eyes ,
'
while Phoebus kept swearing like a Turk St M a r tha s . .
roo m ! said he putting in to the h and o f the old woman

,
the crown whi ch had been gi ven to him by the stranger .
The cron e who called him M onseigneur at every other

,
word deposited the crown in a drawer While he r back was

,
.
turned the ragged urchin rose fr om the hear th slily wen t

, ,
to the d r awer took ou t the piece o f money an d pu t a dry

, ,
leaf which he had pulled from a faggot in its place .
The hag be ckoned to the two gentlemen as she called ,
them to follo w and ascended the ladder before them c On

, ,
.
reaching the room above s he se t the lam p upon a co fie r

'
, ,
and Ph oebus acquai nte d wi th the loc ali ties of the hou se
, ,
Opened a door t hat l ed to a dark closet This way m y .

,
”
good fellow sai d he to hi s companion
,
The man in the .
cloak complied without uttering a word ; the door closed

upon him he heard Phoebus bolt it and a m oment after ,
wards go do wn stai r s with the ol d woman The ligh t dis .
appeared along with them .
C HAPT E R VI I I .
U TILITY O F W I N DO W S L OOK I N G T O W AR D S TH E R IV ER .
CL A UDE F R OL Lo — for we presume that the reader more ,
intelligen t than Ph oebus has discovered that the spectre

,
monk was no other than the archdeacon — C laude Froll o

groped about for a few moments i n the dark hole in whi ch
the captain ha d bolted him I t was in fact a loft such as
.
bui lders sometimes leave i n the roof above the outer walls
o f a house The verti cal section o f this kennel as Phoebus
.
,
rns
'
H UN OE B A QK or moa n s -
D a mn . 2 53
eyes was radi an t wi th delig h t U n con sc iou sly a nd wi th a

,
.
,
charm ing se m b la nCe o f childis hness she tra ced unmeanin g ,
lines o n the lid o f the co fie r with th e ti p o f her finger and

’
,
then looked at the finger whi ch had been thus employed .
H er feet c ou l d no t be seen : the li ttle goat w as co werin g

u po n them .
An amoro us chit cha t is a very commonplace sort of -
thi ng I t is a perpetual I l ov e you — a ph rase m u si cal

.
enough to the pa rties con cerned , but ex c eedingly bald and

in sipi d to indi fferen t person s wh e n not adorned wi th a ,
f ew fi o ritu ri C laude however was no t an indi fferen t

.
, ,
li stener .
Oh d e spise m e n ot M onseigneur t hus sai d the , ,
gi r l withou t rai sing her eyes I know that wh at I am .
”
doing is wrong .
D espise yo u m y pretty dear ! replied the offi cer

, ,
with a con sequen tial air o f gallantr y despise y ou ! téte

D ieu and why
For ha ving a ccompanied you .
’
I pe r ceive m y beau ty that we don t un ders ta n d one
, ,
another I ought by rights n ot to de spise you but to

.
, , ,
hate you .
T he gir l looked at hi m in al arm Hat e me ! what

"
.
then have I done P
For wan ti ng s o much soli citation .
”
Ala s ! sai d she I am breaki n g a v o w
I shall ne ve r find m y paren ts again The charm will
lose i ts virtue B ut n o matter ! w hat n eed have I at pre
.
sen t o f father or m othe r

As she thus spoke s he fixed o n th e cap ta in her l arge
,
da rk eyes m oist with delight and ten dern ess

,
.
”
D evil fetch m e i f I comprehend you ! exclai m ed ,
P hce b u s .
La E sm eralda was s ilen t for a m om en t ; a tear then

tri ckled from her eye a sigh burst from her lips an d she , ,
said , O M on seigneur I love you ,
There was arou nd this you n g female such an o d our of

chastity su ch a cha rm o f vi rtue that Ph oebus di d no t feel
, ,
qui te at e as e by her side Thi s con fess ion however .

, ,
embolden e d him You do love m e sai d he wi th

.
2 54 TH E B UN C H B A OK or N O T RE D A ME - .
transport throwing his arm roun d the waist of the E gyp

,
tian having only waited for such an o ccasion

,
.
1
”
Phoebus resumed the B ohemian gently removing
, ,
from her waist the tenacious hand o f the captain you ,
are kind you are generous you are handsome yo u

, ,
saved m e who am bu t a poor foundling I have lon g

,
.
been dreaming about an o fficer savin g m y life I t was .
you that I dre am t of before I knew you : the o fficer of

m y dreams had a handsome uniform hke you the look of ,
’
a gentleman and a sword Your name i s Phoebus ; tis
,
.
a fine name I love your name I love you r sword D raw , .
”
your sword Phoebus let m e look at i t
, ,
.
”
Stran ge gi r l ! said the captain un sheathing his ,
s word with a smile The E gyptian looked at the handle

.
,
and at the blade e x amined with especial curio sity the

,
ciphe r on the hilt an d kissed the weap on saying :

,
Y ou
’
belong to a brave man .
As she bent over it Phoebus availed himself o f this 0 p

,
p or tu ni ty to imp r int a ki ss upon her beautifu l neck The .
gi r l suddenly raised her head with a face crimsoned like a ,
cherry The priest gn ashed his teeth in the dark

. .
”
C aptai n Phoebus the E gyptian again began let me “
, ,
'
tal k to you Just stand up a nd wal k and let m e hear

.
,
your spurs rattle Gemini ! how handsome you are

.
The captain rose in compli an ce with her wish and said ,
i n a tone o f rebuke yet with a smile o f satisfaction , ,
Why how childish you are

,
B u t m y dear di d , ,
yo u ever see me in m y st ate uniform ?

Ah no ,
replied she .
You would say that is handsome .
Phoebus went and aga i n seated himself beside her but ,
much closer than before .
H ark you m y dear ,
The E gyptian patted his lips with he r pretty hand with ,
the grace and playful ness o f a child N o no I won t .

, ,
’
hearken to you D o you love me . I want you to tell me

i f you love me .
”
D o I love thee angel of m y life ?
,ex claimed the
cap tain hal f sinking upon his knee M y body, m y soul .
,
r na B U N CH B A OK 01? mo m s -
D a mn . 2 55
m y al l all is thine I love th ee and never l oved an y

.
,
but thee .
The captain had so often re peated this declaration in

m an y a similar conj un cture that he brough t it o u t with ,
ou t boggling o r m aking a single blunder A t thi s i mpas .
s io ne d apostrophe the E gyptian raised her eyes wi th a

,
look o f ange li c happiness towards the dirty ceil ing which

here usurped the place of heaven Oh she softly .
murmur ed this is the m oment at which one ough t to

,
di e Ph oebus though t it a seasonable moment for steal

ing ano ther kiss whi ch in fli cted fresh torment o n the
,
miserable archdeacon i n his hiding place - .
To die c r ied the amorous captain What are yo u .
’
talking o f m y angel ? Why tis the very time to live
, , ,
or Jupiter is a cheat ! D ie at su ch a m omen t as this !

’ ’
A goo dj oke by the devil s horns
,
N o no that won t , ,
do . H ark ye m y dear Similar ,

I beg pa rd on ,
E s m e na rda but yo u have such a prodigiously ou t

’
l a ndi s h name that I can t beat i t into my head
,
.
Good Go d sai d the poor gi r l an d I thought i t a ,
pretty name for its sin gul arity B ut sin ce you dislike i t, .
,
”
I will change i t to whatever yo u please .
’
N ay m y darling don t think about su ch tri fle s ! tis
, ,
’
a n ame o ne must get used to that s all When once I ,

.
have learned i t by heart I shall say i t o ff hand But

,
- .
listen m y dear Similar : I passionately adore you

,
I .
canno t tell how much I love y ou : and I know a dam se l

who is bursting wi th rage about i t .
”
W ho i s that ? en quired the j ealous girl .
That is nothing to the purpose said Phoebus Do , .
you love me P
Do I said she .
Wel l that is enough

,
You shall see ho w I love you .
to o . M ay the great devi l N e p tu nu s spi t me upon his

’
prong if 1 don t make you the happiest gi r l in the wo r ld !
,
We will have a pretty little box somewhere o r other M y .
archers shall parade under you r windows They are all .
o n horseback and C aptain M ignon s are foo l s to them

’
, I .
will take you to the Grange de Ru lly — tis a magnificen t

’
sight E ighty thousand stand o f arms ; thi rty thousand

.
r a n n u x on a a ox or at om s -
Da n s . 2 57
Dom Claude , m ean whil e, was watchi ng al l tha t p asse d .
T he planks o f whi ch the door was made were so de cayed

’
as to leave l arge chasm s f or his hawk s eye The pri es t .
qui vered and boiled at the scene T he sight o f the beauteous .
girl passively yielding hersel f to the arde n t o ffi cer seemed

to infuse molten le ad in to his veins An extraordinary .
commotion took pla c e within him Whoe ver coul d have .
se en, at tha t momen t the face o f the unh ap p y ma n closely

,
p ressed against the crevi ces of the doo r would have tak en ,
i t for the face o f a ti ger l ooking through the bars o f a

c age at some j ackal d evouring a g a zell e Hi s eye fl am ed .
l ike a candle through the chasms .
All at once Ph oebus snatched away the n eckerchief o f

,
the E gyptian The poor gi rl who had contin ued pale and
.
,
thoughtful sta rted up and has tily retreate d f ro m the en ter

, ,
p rising o ffice r C asting a glance at her bare shoulders

.
,
blushi ng confu s ed and dumb wi th shame s he cros s ed her

, , ,
two finely tu rned arms o ver her bosom to c o nceal i t B ut .
f o r the flush that crim soned her cheeks whoever had see n ,
her thus silen t motionl ess and wi th downcas t eyes wou l d

, , ,
ha ve taken her for a statue of M odesty .
T his attack of the captai n s upon her toi let had un co vered
’
the m ysterious am u let whi ch she wore abou t her n eck .
P”
What is that sai d he sei zing this pre te xt for approa ch
,
ing the beautifu l creature who m hi s vehemence had j ust

al armed .
”
Touch i t no t answered she sharply
,
t is m y p ro ,
t e c tor. I t i s this that will enable me to find m y family i f ,
I do nothing un worthy o f it O h leave me captain I besee ch

.
, ,
you ! Ah mother ! m y po or m other ! where art thou ?

Help help th y child ! Pray captai n Phoebus gi ve me m y
, , ,
neckerchief
”
Oh M ad em oi sell e ! said Ph oebus stepping ba ck , i n a ,
”
tone o f indi ffe rence I see plainly that you love m e no t
,
.
”
N o t love him ! exclaimed the unhapp y gi r l at the ,
s ame time clinging to the captain and making h im si t ,
down by her .N ot love thee m y Ph oebus ! N aughty ,
m a n to s ay s o ! Wouldst th o u break m y heart Oh

take me do with me wh at thou wilt ; I am thine O f .
what use to me i s the am ulet ! what n eed h ave I o f a m o .

2 58 TH E B UN C H B A C K O F NO T RE D A ME -
.
‘
ther ! to me thou art father and mother, sin ce I love thee !

Phoebus m y beloved Phoebus look at m e ; thou wilt not
, ,
put away from thee o ne who comes to place herself i n th y

h ands ! M y soul m y li fe m y person are all thine Well
, , , .
we will not ma r ry i f that i s disagreeable to thee An d theri

,
, .
W hat am I a poor vagabond whilst thou a r t a gen ,
tl em an . A dan cing gi r l marry an o fficer ! I m ust have

-
been s illy indeed N o Phoebus no : I wi ll be th y mis

, ,
t r ess thine amusem ent th y pleasure — thin e and thine

, , ,
al one ! I a m fi t for nothing better : sullied despised dis , ,
honou r ed — but n o matter ! so I am but loved I shall be ,
the proudest an d the happiest of women An d when I am .
grow n old and ugly Ph oebus when I shall be n o longer fi t

, ,
for thee to love then permit m e to be thy servan t O thers

, .
shall then embroider scarfs for thee bu t thou wilt let m e ,
clean thy boots an d thy spurs, and brush thy uniform

Thou wi l l g r an t m e that indul gen ce wilt thou n ot m y Ph oe , ,
bus ? M ean while take me ; let m e belon g to thee and be the ,
only obj ect of thy love ! We E gyptians want n othing else

but ai r and love .
As she thus spoke she threw her arm s roun d the neck o f
,
the officer and with a sweet smile and tearful eye fixe d
,
upon him a beseeching look The captain pressed his .
burning lips to her bosom The gi rl sunk backward .

,
th r illing an d palpitating under that kiss .
All at on ce above the head o f the captain she beheld

another head a livid green convulsive face wi th the look
, , ,
o f o n e of the damned close to this face w as a hand holding

a dagger I t was the face and the hand of the priest Un
. .
perceived by them he had contri ved to break open the c r az y

,
door and there he was !

,
The girl was st r uck speechless
an d motionless with horror by this terrible apparition like
a dove raisi n g her head at the moment when a falcon with
glaring eyes i s look ing into he r nest She had no t even .
the power to shriek She s aw the dagger descen d u pon

.
the captain and rise again reek ing “ Perditi on ! ”

he .
,
e xclaimed and fell ,

She swooned . .
At the m omen t when her eyes closed and her senses ,
were forsaking her she thought that she felt a kiss burn
, ,
ing as a ho t iron, im p ressed u p on her lips O n coming .

rnn
'
H UN a A cK or NO T RE D A ME
-
. 2 59
to herself she was surrounded by soldiers belonging to the

,
watch The captai n was carried away bathed in his blood

. .
The priest was gone The window at the farther end Of

.
the chamber which looked towards the river was wide

’
, ,
Open A cloak supposed to belong to the O ffi cer was

.
, ,
picked up and she hea r d the men saying to o ne another,

,
’
T i s a sorceress who has stabbed a captain .
E ND OF TH E S EC OND V O L UME .
wa s n o n o n n a cx or ne w s -p m . 61
l a ribus et which he in tended to get p ri nted

i rr eg ul a rib u a,
’
with the fi rs t money he should h ave For he was o ver .
h ead and ears i n l ove with prin ting ever sin ce he had ,
seen the D ida s kalo n o f Hugo St Vi c to r p ri n ted with the .

,
c elebrate d types o f Vin delin o f S pire .
O ne day while sorrowfu lly passin g the T ourne ll e , a

,
pri son fo r c rimin al s b e percei v ed a con cours e Of people

,
a bout one o f the doors o f the Pal a ce O f Justi ce Wha t .
”
i s going forward he re ? he as ked a young man who was
coming o u t .
I kno w not s ir answer ed the young ma n

, ,
I am .
told that they are trying a woman f o r murdering an Ofli ce r

A s ther e seems to be something Of
’
o f the king s ordnan ce .
sorcery in the business the bishop and the o ffi ci al h ave in

,
te rf ere d and m y b rother the archdeacon o f Josas devotes

, , ,
all his time to i t I w ante d to speak to him but coul d no t

.
,
ge t at him for the crowd which vexed me exceedingly as , ,

”
I a m in great need o f m oney .
Al as si r said Gringoi re
,
I wish i t was in m y ,
power to lend you some bu t m y breeches are all i n holes,

”
no t wi th cro wn s o r any o ther coin I can ass ure you , .
He durst not tell the young m an that he kne w his b ro

t her the archdea c on
,
whom he had n ever call ed upo n
,
s i nce the scene in the church a negle c t of which he felt

,
a shamed .
The scholar went his way an d G ringoire follo wed the ,
c rowd who we re ascen ding the great stai rcas e I n his esti .
m ation there was nothing like a criminal tri al for dispelling

melancholy the j ud ge s being i n gen eral so amusingly
,
s tupid The people wi th whom he had mingled moved o n

.
a nd elbo wed o n e another in silence After a slow an d .
t ires ome shuffling along an endless passage whi ch ran ,
wi nding through the palace li ke the in tes tina l canal Of the

Old structure , he arri ved at a l o w door Opening into a h all ,
which from his tal l stature he was en able d to o verloo k

, ,
a bo ve the undul ating heads o f the crowd .
The hull was S pa cious and dark which m ade i t ap pea r ,
s till la rger The day was dec lining the ta ll poin te d

.
wi ndows ad mi tted b u t a fain t light whi ch expired before i t ,
r eac hed the vaul te d roof, a n enormo us trell is o f c arved

s 8
2 62 TH E H UN C H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME -
.
w oodwork the th ousand figures o f whi ch seemed to move

,
confusedl y in the dusk There were already several

.
ligh ted candles here an d there upon the tables whi ch ,
t hre w their rays upon the heads Of clerks poring over

,
heaps Of papers T he anterior part o f the hall was o ccu

'
p ied by the crowd ; o n th e right an d left were lawyers

seated at tables at the farther end upon a raised platform , ,
a great number Of j udges men wi th i mmoveable and sin is

,
te r—lookin g faces the last rows Of whom were scarcely

,
discernible for the darkness The walls were sprinkled .
with abundan ce Of fleu rs de li s A l arge crucifix was in .
di stin ctly seen above the j udges and o n eve ry side an ,
array Of pikes and halberts which the light Of the candles ,
seemed to tip with fire .
Sir said G r ingoire to one of his neighbours

, who ,
are all those persons ranged i n rows yonder l ike prelate s ,
in cou ncil
”
Sir an swered the neighbour
,
tho s e are the coun ,
s el l o rs o f the great chamber o n the right and the counsel ,
lors Of enquiry o n the left ; the masters in black gowns ,
an d the messires in red ones .
And who is that great red porpoise above them ?

enquired Gringoire .
That is monsieur the presiden t .
A nd those w b ehind him continued Gringoire ,
who as we have already Observed was not fond o f magi s

, ,
t rates ; perh aps owing to the grudge whi ch he bore the

Palace Of Justice ever since his dramati c miscarriage
"
.
’
They are the m asters Of requests Of the king s hotel .
And that b e ar in fron t Of them ?

The clerk to the court Of parliament .
”
And that cro codile, o n the right ?
M aster Ph ilippe Lheu li er, advocate extraordinary to
”
the king .
”
An d that great black e a t o n the l eft ?
’
M aster Jacques C harm ol u e the king s proctor in the ,
ecclesias tical court with the gentlemen o f the Ofli ciality

,
.
B ut I pray you sir what are all these worth y fol k s

, , ,
about here ?
T hey are tryin g som ebody .
r nn
'
B U N C H B A OK O F NO T RE D A ME -
. 2 63
Who is i t ? I do no t see the accused .
I t is a young wom an sir She s ta nds with her back , .
’
towa r ds us and we can t see her for the crowd W h y
,
.
,
there she is where you see that group Of halberts

,
.
Do you know her name asked G ringoire .
N O sir I a m but j ust come : but I presume th at

, ,
the r e is sorcery in the case as the O fficial attends the

trial
.
" ,
C ome o n said our philosopher let us watch all

’
these lawyers ban q ueting o n human fl esh ! T is a sight as
”
well as any other .
Here the bystanders im posed silence on the inter

l o cu to rs An important witness was un der examination
. .
”
Gen tlemen said an Ol d woman in the middle Of th e
,
hal l who was so mu ffled u p as to look like a walki ng bundle

,
Of rag s ,
gen tlemen i t i s as true as that m y name is,
F a l ou rde l and that I have kep t house for forty years at

,
the Pont St M i chel and regul arly paid ren t taxes and
.
, , ,
rates A poor Ol d wom an no w gen tlemen bu t on ce reck

.
, ,
oued handsome though I say i t O ne nigh t I was spin

, .
ning when the r e comes a knock at my door

, I asked .
’
l Vlro s the r e ? and there was such a swearing I
Opened the door : two men came in a man i n black wi th ,
a comely o fficer N oth ing was to be seen of the m an in

.
black but his eyes for all the wo rld like two bu r ning coals
,
’
all the rest o f him was cloak and h at St M artha s . .
’
room ! said they to me That is m y room u p s tairs gen .
,
tl e m e n m y best room
, They gave me a crown I put i t
. .
into m y drawer saying to m yself I t wi ll serve to morro w

,
-
to buy tripe with at the shambles Of the Gloriette Well .

,
we wen t up stairs and while m y back was turned the

, ,
m an i n black was gone This st aggered m e a li ttle The . .
Office r as handsome a gen tleman as you would wish to set

,
eyes o n wen t down stairs with me and o u t he goes B y

, ,
.
0
.
the time I had spun a quarter Of a bobbin in he comes ,
again with a pretty poppet o f a damsel who would have ,
d az zled you like the sun i f she had been properly ti r ed .
She had with her a goat a la rge goat ; it migh t be blac k , ,

’
i t might be white I don t recollect now T he girl
,
that .
was no concern of mine — bu t the goat put me ou t I must ,
8 4:
rm : n u x oa n a cx or mo u rn - Da m s . 2 65
'
‘
with the gobli m m o nk to rob the o ffi cer — Grin goi re .
him self could scar cel y help thinking that there was s om e
p robabili ty in the conj ecture .
Witness said the presiden t in a digni fied m anner

,
" ,
ha ve you nothin g further to communi cate to the cour t P

”
N o m y lord rep lied the ol d woman
, ,
only tha t ,
i n the report m y house is c alled a crazy filth y ho vel whi ch ,
is a scandal ous fal sehood T o be sure the houses o n the .
bridge are no t js o g o odly as some bu t yet the but chers like ,
to li ve i n them and they are people well to do in the

,
world and their wives are as p roper comely women as you

,
”
would wish to see .
The magis trate whom Gringoire had lik ened to a cro

co di l e n ow rose Silence said he
. I beg you m y .
,
l ord and gen tlemen to bear in mind that a dagger was ,
found upon the accused Witness have you brought wi th .

,
yo u the leaf in to which the crown given yo u by the demon

"
was changed ?
Yes sir she replied
, ,
here i t is , .
An usher handed the dead leaf to the crocodile who ,
gave a sinister shake of the head and passed i t to the pre ,
s id e n t
’
an d the presiden t sent it to the king s proctor in
the ecclesiasti cal court ; so that i t went the round of the
h all U pon m y wo rd a birch leaf ej acul ate d M as te r
"
.
,
Jacques Charm ol u e : a fresh p r oof o f sorcery !

A counsellor then rose an d spoke Wi tness said he .
, ,
two men went up st airs togeth er at your hous e ; a man

i n black who im mediately di sa ppeared an d w hom you after
, ,
wards saw swimming in the Seine in the habi t of a priest , ,

”
and the officer Whi ch o f the two gave you the crown ?
.
The old woman considered f o r a momen t I t was the .
”
o ffi cer, said she .
A murmur agai n ran through the court .
thought G ringoire that alters the case m aterially

, .
M aster Phili p Lhe uli e r advo cate extrao rdi na r y to the ,
king again in terposed

, Let me remind yo u m y lord an d
.
,
gen tlemen that the o fficer in hi s deposition taken i n writ

, , ,
.
ing by his bedsi de while ad mi tting that he had a confused

,
idea at the moment when he was ac costed by the m an in

,
bla ck , that it m ight be the gobli n mo nk added that the -

, ,
2 66 TH E H U N C H B A C K NO T RE D A ME
'
or - .
'
phantom had strongly pressed hi m to keep his appointmen t
'
with the accu sed ; and when the said captain observed that,
he had n o money he g ave him the crown with whi ch the

,
o ffi cer p ai d the witness F al ou rdel The crown therefore i s .
”
a coin of hell .
This con clusive observation appeared to dispel all the

lingering doubts o f Gringoire and the other sceptics amo n g
the audience .
Gentlemen are in possession of the papers added the ,

’
-
king s advocate sitting down ,
they can refer to the de
”
position o f C aptain Phoebus de C hateaupers .
At th at name the accused rose Her head was seen .
abo ve the crowd To his horror Gringoire recognised L a

.
,
E smeralda .
She was pale ; her hair on ce so gracefully plaited and , ,
s tudded with sequins was dishevelled ; her lips were livid ,

,
her eyes hollow Alas ! what a change ! .
Phoebus ! exclaimed she wildly “ where is he ?

”
,
0 m y lo r ds before you put me to death for mercy s sake

’
, ,
”
t ell m e if he still li ves !
”
Silence p r isoner ! replied the president
, we have
”
n othing to d o with that .
I f you have any pity tell m e if he is alive she re ,
s umed clasping her attenuated hands

,
and her chains were
heard to rustle along her d r ess .
” ’
IVel l said the king s advo cate d ryly
, he i s dying ,
.
yo u satisfied ?
— A re
The unhappy girl sank down again upon her seat voice ,
less tea rless whi te as a waxen image

, , .
The p r esiden t stooped towards a m an placed at his feet ,
who had a gold laced cap a black go wn a chain about his

-
, ,
'
neck an d a wand in his hand

,
U sher bring in the se .
,
”
cond pri soner .
All eyes tu r ned towards a sm all door which opened and , ,
to the extreme agitation o f G r ingoire in walked a pretty ,
goat with gilt h orn s an d hoofs The elegan t creature stop .
ped for a m oment o n the threshold stretching ou t her neck , ,
as if perched on the poin t o f some rock she was overlook

, ,
ing a vast plai n beneath her All at on ce she descried the .
B ohemian and springing over the ta ble and the head of a

, ,
2 67
'
r nE
'
H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
-
.
clerk of the court in two leaps she was at her knees she
,
then nestled gracefully o n the feet o f her mistr ess soliciting ,
a word o r a caress : but the prisoner rem ained m otionless ,
and poor Dj ali herself could not obtain even a look .
’ ”
. N ay by m y fay tis the same n asty beast cried old
, ,
”
F al o u rd el . I could swear positi vely to them bo th .
I f i t so pleaseth you m y lord and gentlemen ,

began ,
Char m ol u e we wil l proceed to the examin ati on o f the

,
"
second prisoner .
The second prisoner was the goat sure enough N othing ,

.
was m ore com mon in those days than to indict animals for
sorcery . I n the accounts o f the provosty for 1 46 6 we ,
find among othe r s the curious details o f the costs o f the

, ,
t rial o f Gillet So u l a rt a nd his sow

- executed for their ,
”
c rimes at C orbeil E very item i s there : the charge f o r
.
the place of confinemen t made for the s o w the fi ve hundred ,
bundles o f w ood car ried to the port o f M ors ant the three ,
quarts of wine and the bread the last mea l o f the su ff erer , ,
fratern ally shared by the executione r even to the eleven ,
days keep and subsistence o f the s o w at eight deniers P a

’
risis each Sometimes indeed o u r pious an cestors went sti l l

.
, ,
fa r ther than animals The capitularies o f C harlem agne

.
an d Louis l s D ébonnaire dec r ee the infliction of severe p u

n is hm e n ts upo n those luminous phantom s which have the
audacity to appear in the air .
The p r octor o f the ecclesiastical court then pronoun ced

this solemn d enun ciation I f the demon which po s
sesses this goat and which has withstood all the exorcisms
,
that have been tried persists in his wicked courses an d

, ,
shocks the court wi th them we forewarn him that we sh all ,
b e forced to demand that he be senten ced to the gallows o r

the stake .
C old pe rspi r ation covered the face o f Gringoire C har .
m o l u e took from a table the tambourine of the E gyptian ,
hel d i t in a parti cul ar way to the goat and asked W hat

'
, ,
”
hour is i t ?
The goat eyed him with intelligen t look raised her gi lt ,
foot and struck seven strokes I t was actually seven o clock .

’
.
A shudder of terror th r il led the crowd Gringoire could .
no longer contain hi mself .

rn E
'
n v u ca a a cx or n or ms- D a n s . 2 69
”
Do you persi st in denying i t ? as k ed the p resi dent,
c oldl y .
D o I den y i t ! said she i n a fea rfu l tone an d with ,
fl ashi ng eye as she ro s e from her seat

,
.
”
Then p ro ceeded the p resident c alm l y
,
ho w d o you , ,
”
explain the fa cts l ai d to your c ha rge ?
In broken accen ts she repli ed : I h ave al ready told you
, .
I kn ow n ot I t was a pries t — a pries t a s tran ger to m e

.
,
— a n infern al p riest who ha u n ts me

”
There it is ! res u m e d the j udge the go b lin
m onk
"
.
O si rs h ave p i ty upon m e ! I am but a p oor girl

,
.
”
O f E gypt conti nued the j udge
,
.
M aster J a cques Charm ol u e i n his gen tlest softes t tone

, , ,
then said I n co nsequen ce o f the painful obs tinacy of

,
"
the pri soner I deman d the appli cati on o f the to rtu re
, .
Gran ted sai d the pre siden t

,
.
The unha ppy gi rl shoo k all over She r o se h owever .

, ,
at the order of the h al be rdiers and pre ce ded by C harm ol ue

, ,
and the o fficers o f the o fi ici al i ty wal ked wi th tolerably firm

,
s tep between two files o f p a rtisans towards a l o w doo r

, , ,
whi ch suddenl y Open ed and closed after her T o G rin

,
.
go ire i t seem e d as though she had been swal lowed up by the

ga ping j aws of some mon ster As s oon as she had di s ap.
pea red a plainti ve bleatin g was heard

, I t was the poor .
goa t bew ail ing the los s o f her mi stress .
The pro c eedi ngs were sus pended A coun sellor obser v e d .
t ha t the j udges must be fatig ued and tha t th ey wo ul d b e ,
detain e d a long ti me if they w ai ted f o r the con cl usion o f

the to rture to whi ch the presiden t repli ed that a m agi ,
trate ought to have lea rn ed to s a cri fi ce person al co nv e ni en ce

to his duty .
The provoki ng hussy said an ol d j ud ge to brin g ,
th e torture u pon h e rse l f j ust now when we ough t to be at ,
su p pe r
2 70 , TH E H UNC H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME -
.
~
C HAPT E R I I .
SEQU EL TO TH E CRO W N T R A N SF ORMED I N T O A DR Y L E AF .

‘
H AVI N G ascended an d descended some steps i n passages

so dar k that they were lighted in b r oad day by lamps La ,
E smeralda sti l l surroun ded by her dismal escort was th rust

, ,
by the se r geants o f the Palace into a room of sinister aspect .
This room of circular shape occupied the groun d flo or o f

, ,
-
o ne o f the towers that at the present day still perforate
the stratum o f m odern edifi ces with which new Paris has
covered the ol d city There were no windows i n this dun
.
geon neither was there an y other aperture than the low e n

,
tran ce closed by a strong iron door At the same time .
there was no want o f light : in the massive substan ce o f

the wall the r e was a furnace in which burned a la r ge fire
, ,
that threw a red glare o ver the den and qui te eclipsed the ,
light of a miserable can dl e placed in a co r ner The iron .
portculli s w hi ch served as a door to the furnace was dra wn

, ,
up at that moment so that at i ts flaming m on th there

,
were to be seen only the lower extremities of its bars re ,
sembl in g a row o f black sharp , parted teeth which m ade

,
the furn ace look like the mouth o f o ne o f those dragon s o f .
the legends v omiting fire and smoke B y the ligh t whi ch .
i t di ff used the prisoner perceived around the room a variety

,
o f instrum ents the uses o f whi ch were unknown to her

,
.
I n the mid d le was a l eathern m attress laid almost flat upon

the floor o n which hung a thong with a buckle fastene d
, ,
to a copper ring whi ch a grotesque m on ster scul p tured in

,
th e keystone o f the vaulted ceiling held between his teeth .
T ongs pin ce r s broad plough shares lay pell mell hea ti ng

, , ,
-
,
i n the fi re in the interior o f the furnace I ts blood red .

-
fl are presented to the eye i n the whole circum feren ce of the

chamber nought but an assemblage o f fearful obj ects Thi s .
T artaru s was merely c alled the cha m ber of the qu es ti on .
O n the bed was carelessly seated Pier r at T o rteru e the ,

”
sworn tormentor His assistants two square fac ed
.
,
-
ra n H UNC H B A CK O F No r ri s D A ME - . 27 1
gnomes with leathern aprons and linen breeches were

, ,
stirring the coals under the iron implements .
The poor girl had n eed to m uster her courage : o n en

tering this den she was stru ck with horror The se r geants .
Of the baili ff Of the Palace ranged themselves on o ne side ,

’
and the priests o f the Officiality on the other I n O ne '
corner was a table at which sat a clerk wi th pen ink an d

, , ,
p aper .
M aster Jacques C harm ol u e approached the E gyptian with

”
o ne of his kindest smiles M y dea r g irl said he
. do , ,
you persist in your denial

”
Y es s h e replied in a voice scarcely audible
,
.
rej oined C ha rm ol u e “
I n that case ,
i t will be very ,
painful to us to q u es tio n yo u mo r e urgentl y than we would .
T ake the trouble to sit down o n this bed M aster Pierrat .

,
give place to this young woman an d shut the door ,

.
Pie rr at rose growling I f I shut the door mu ttered

.
,
he ,
m y fire will go out .
We l l then m y good fell ow repli e d C harm ol ue leave

, , ,
”
i t Open .
M eanwhile La E smeralda rem ained stan d ing That .
leathern bed , o n which so man y wretched creatures had

writhed i n agon y fr ightened her ,
Horror thrilled the .
ve r y marro w o f her bones : there she stood bewildered ,
s tu p ifi ed At a sign from C harm ol u e the t wo assistan ts

.
,
laid hold o f her and placed her in a si tting posture on the

,
bed Tho se men did not hurt her but when they grasped
.
,
her when the leather touched her she felt all her blood
, ,
flo w back to her heart She looked wildl y around the

.
room She fa n cied that she saw those u gly implemen ts o f

.
torture which were among the instrumen ts o f all kin ds

,
that she had hi therto seen what bats millepedes an d , , ,

'
spiders are among birds and reptiles quitting their places

and advan cing from every part Of the room towa r ds her ,
to cra wl over her and to bite pi n ch and s ting her

'
.
, , ,
”
t ere is the docto r ? asked C harm ol u e .
”
Here answered a m an in a black gown whom she
, ,
had not yet n oti ced .
She shuddered .
resumed the s moo th tongue of the

T HE H UN OH B A OK O F NO T RE D AM E - . 2 73
from sigh t in the iron b oun d apparatus Terror th en re

- .
sto red her strength Take i t Off cri ed she wildly at

.
,
” ’
th e same ti me starti ng up For mercy s sake ! She.
sprang from the bed wi th th e inten tion Of throwing her .
’
se lf at the fee t o f the king s p r o ctor ; but her leg bei ng ,
confin ed i n the heavy block Of o ak sheathed wi th iron she ,
s ank down powerless as a bee having its wings loaded wi th

l ead O n a sign from C harm ol u e she was replaced on the
.
,
bed and t wo coa r se h ands fas tened round her slen d er wai st
,
the thong th a t hung from the ceiling .
”
For the last time said C harm ol u e wi th hi s im
, ,
pert urbable beni gni ty, d o you confess the c rimes lai d to
”
your ch arge ?
I am innocent .
Then how do you exp l ai n the cir c umsta n ces all ege :
ag ainst you
Al as sir I know no t
, ,
.
Y o u deny then
”
E very thing !
”
Begin , said C harm o l u e to Pierrat .
Pierrat tu rned a screw ; the buskin be came more and

m ore con tracted and the w r etched su ff erer gave o ne of
,
those horrible shrieks whi ch ba ffle the orthography o f every

h u m an language .
”
Hold ! said C harm ol u e to Pierrat Do you con .
f ess he then asked the E gyptian .
E very thing cried the miserabl e girl I c onfess .
mercy ! mercy
I n defying the torture she had no t c al cula ted her
strength Poor thing her li fe had til l then been so
.
bright so chee ry so j oyous — the first pang overcame

, ,
her.
Hum anity obliges m e to inform you O bserved th e ,

’
ki ng s proctor that though you co nfes s, you have nothi ng

, ,
”
but death to expect .
”
I wish for it sai d she An d she sank back upon th e
, .
l eathern bed, sus pen ded as if lifeless by th e thong buckled

, ,
round her w aist .
So m y p retty — hol d u p a littl e said M as ter Pier .

,
'
r
2 74 TH E H UN C H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME -
.
rat raising her

,
You look like the golden sheep about
.
the neck o f M onsieur of B u r gundy .
Jac q ues Charm ol u e agai n raised his voice C lerk .

,
write B ohemian gi r l you confess your participation in

.
,
the feasts sabbaths and practices o f hell wi th d aemons

, , , ,
”
sorcere r s and witches ? Answer
'
.
,
”
Yes said she in so low a tone as to be scarcely heard
, .
You confess that you have seen the ram whi ch B e el z e ,
bub displays in the clouds to summon his ch ildren to their

sabbath and which is seen only by sorcerers ?
,
”
Yes .
You confess that you have had com merce with the
devil in the shape Of the goat implicated in l thes e pro
ce e d ings
Yes .
Lastly you declare and confess that instigated by and

, , ,
with the assistan ce o f the devil and the gobl in monk you -
,
did o n the nigh t Of the 2 9 th o f M arch last kil l and slay a

, ,
captain named Ph oebus de C hateaupers

,
She fixed her glazed eyes upon the magistrate and re ,
plied as if mechanically wi thout shock o r con vulsion ,

, ,
Yes — I t was eviden t that her spi r it was utterly broken

. .
Write cle r k said Charm ol u e Then turning to Pier

, ,
.
’ ”
rat s men Loose the prisoner he proceeded and let , ,
”
her be taken b ack in to cou r t When the buski n wa s .
removed the proctor examined her foot s til l numbed wi th

, ,
”
the pain C ome come said he
. tis not much the;worse
, , ,
’
.
Y ou cried ou t in time You would soon be able to dance .
as well as ever m y beauty Then addressing the priests

,
Of the Official i ty Justice is enlightened at last said he

, , .
Tis a consolation gen tlemen an d the damsel will bear

'
,
”
witness that we have shown her all possible lenity .
r nn
'
H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - . 2 75
C HAPT ER I I I .
CONC L U SI ON O F THE CRO W N T R A N SF ORMED I N T O A DR Y LE A F .
W H EN she agai n entere d the court pale and h al ting s he , ,
was greeted wi th a general buz z of pleasure O n the part .
o f the audi tory i t arose fr om that feeling of gratified im

,
patien ce whi ch is experien ced a t the theat r e at the co n ,
elusion o f the last in terlude Of a play when the curtain ,
rises and the fifth act begins ; and on the part of the
,
judges from the prospect o f being soon dismissed to their

,
suppers The poor li ttle goat to o bleated for j oy She

.
, ,
.
would have run to her m istress but she had been tied to a ,
ben ch .
I t was now da r k nigh t The candles having re ceived

.
,
n o accession to their number gave so fain t a li gh t that the

,
w alls Of the court were no t discernible The darkness .
enveloped Objects i n a sort Of haze A few un feeling faces .
o f j udges a lone were with di ffi culty distinguish able Op .
po s ite to them at the other extremity Of the long hall they

, ,
co uld perceive an undefined patch Of white m oving alon g

the dar k floo r I t was the prisoner
. .
She advan ced with faltering steps to her pla ce Whe n .
C harm ol u e had magisterially resumed possession o f his he ,
sat do wn presently rising again he said wi thout too , ,
str ngly betraying the vani ty Of success

o
“ The accused has
”
confessed the crime .
B ohemian girl bega n the presiden t

, you h ave con ,
fessed then al l your misdeeds Of magic of prostituti on an d , ,
o f murder committed o n the body o f Phoebus de C hateau
pe t s
Her heart was wrung and she was heard to s ob in the
,
“
dark . Whatever you please answe r ed she fain tl y , ,
only put me to death soon

”
M r Proctor said the president the court is r eady to
.
, ,
”
h ear your requ isiti ons .
m s H UN OB B A CK o r wor s e- Da m s
: 2 77
I n the Sali c law there i s this c lau se I f a witch have

eaten a m an an d she be con vic ted o f i t sh e sh all pay
, ,
a fine of eigh t thousand deniers whi ch make two hundred ,
sous in gold M ay i t please the court then to sen ten ce

.
’
”
m y clien t to pay this fine .
That clause is be co me Obsolete said the advocate ,
extrao rdi nary to the king .
N ego r epli ed the advocate o f the prisoner .
To the vo te sai d a coun se ll or the crime is

”
p roved an d i t is late
, .
The question was p ut to the vote without leaving the

court The j udges decided Off hand : they were presse d
.
-
for time Their capped h eads were seen un cove r ed one

.
after another in the dusk as the question was put to the m

,
suc cessively in a lo w tone by the j ud ge The poo r pri .
aouer appeared to be looki ng at them but her dim eye no

l onger saw the Obj ects be fore i t .
The clerk o f the cour t began wri ting and then handed ,
a long parchment to the p r esiden t The unhappy girl .
heard a bustle among the people pikes clashing together , ,
an d a chill ing voice pronoun ce these words

B ohemian gi rl o n suc h day as i t shall please our
,
lord the king at the hour Of n oon you shall be drawn i n

, ,
a tumbrel s tripped to your shift barefoo t wi th a rope

, , ,
about your neck to the great porch Of the church Of

,
N otre D ame and shall there do pe n an ce holding i n yo

-
, ,
’
hand a wax taper Of two pounds weigh t ; and thence yo u
shall be taken to the Pla ce de G r eve an d there b anged by ,
the neck o n the gallows o f the C ity ; and thi s your goat
likewise ; and you shall pay to the O ffi cial three gold li on s
i n reparation o f the cri mes by you co mmi tted an d by you
c onfess ed o f sorcery
, m agic incon tinence and m urder
, , ,
done upon the bo dy o f Sieur Phoebus de C ha teaupers Go d .
recei ve your soul

’
O h ti s a d ream murmure d the p risoner an d she ,
fel t roug h hands bearing her away .

2 78 TH E H UN C H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
C HAPT E R I V .
L A S C IAT E O G N I SP ER AN Z A .
I N the middle ages , when a b u ilding was complete, there

wa s almost as mu ch Of i t under groun d as above A palace .
,
a fortress a chur ch had always a double basement unles s i t

, , ,
stood upon piles like N otre D ame U nder a cathedral there - .
was a kin d Of subterraneous church low dark mysterious , , , ,
blind and m u te beneath the upper n ave which w as

, , ,
resplenden t with ligh t an d ran g with the peali ng o f organs

’
and bells night and day : sometimes i t was a catacomb

,
.
I n palaces in bastilles it was a prison sometimes a s epul

, , ,
chre an d sometimes both together These migh ty edifi ces

, .
,
the m ode of whose form ation and v eg eta tio n we have else
where d e s crib e d h a d n ot m erely foundation s but as it were
, , , ,
roots which shot ou t into the soil in chambe r s in galleries

, , ,
i n staircases like the building abo ve them Thus churches

,
.
,
palaces bastilles were buried up to the middl e in the

, ,
ground The vaul ts Of a building were another building

.
,
to which you descen ded i nstead o f ascending and which ,
clapped its subte r raneous stories beneath the exterior stories

o f the edi fice like those woods and m ountains which a p
,
pear revers e d i n the mirror o f a l a k e beneath the woods

an d m ountai ns rising from its banks .
At the B astill e St A ntoine at the Pal ace o f Justice at

.
, ,
the Lou vre these subterraneous edifi ces were prisons The
,
.
stories o f these prison s became more and m ore contracted

an d gloom y the lo wer you descended
,
They were s o .
m any z ones pervaded by di fferen t shades o f horror .
D an te could n o t fin d an y thing m o r e s u i table for his hell .
These funnels o f dungeon s usually terminated in a deep

hole gradually widening from the botto m upw ard i n whi ch ,
D an te has placed his Satan but where society confin e d ,
cul prits unde r sen ten ce Of death W hen on ce a miserable .
wretch w as thu s buried farewell to light to air to life to , , , ,
every ho pe : there was no lea vin g the p la c e but f or the

T H E H UNC H B A CK O F r ou t s D AM E
-
. 2 79
gal lows or the stake So metimes the prisoner was left to

.
moul der there human j usti ce called this f o rgetti ng The .
condemned felt himself cu t Off from hi s kind by a s u pe rin

cumbent moun ta in Of stones and a host Of gaole r s ; an d
the entire prison the massi ve bastille, was but o ne enor
,
m ous comp l icated lock whi ch shut him ou t from the li ving
,
world .
I nto a dungeon o f this kind — the ou bhettes dug by Saint

’
L ouis the i n p a ce Of the Tournelle

,
La E smeralda w as
thrust after her condemnation n o doubt for fear of escape , ,
with the colossal Palace o f Justice over her head Poor .
girl ! she coul d n ot have stirred the smal lest of the stones
Of which i t was built There needed not such a profusio n
.
o f misery and torture to crush so frail a creature .
There she was w rapt in darkness buried e n to m b e dr

, , ,
k
"
immured Whoever had beheld her in this state afte r
.
,
h aving seen her sporting an d dan cing i n the sun would ,
have shuddered C old as night cold as death not a

.
, ,
breath o f air in her dark locks n ot a human soun d in her ,
ear no t a glimmer o f light i n her eyes weighed down with

, ,
chains ben t double crouched beside a pitcher and a loaf

, ,
Of bread on a l ittle straw in the pool formed beneath her

, ,
by the water that dripped fr om the w alls o f her dungeon ,
motionless and scarcely bre athing what more could she

su ffer ? Phoebus the sun the day light the free air the
, ,
-
, ,
streets of Paris the dances which had wo n her such ap

,
p l au se ; her love prattle with the Officer

- then the priest ,
the dagger the blood the tortu r e the g allows ; all thi s
, , ,
had again passed before her mind sometimes like a gay a nd ,
golden vision at others l ike a hideous nightmare : but i t

,
was n o w no m ore than a horrible an d indistin ct struggle ,
which w as veiled in darkness or than di stant mu si c playe d ,
above on the earth and whi ch was not heard at the depth
,
in to which the un fortu n ate c r eature was sunk Sin ce s he .
had been there she h ad not waked she had not slept In
, ,
.
this profound wretchedn ess in the gloom o f thi s dungeo n , ,
she could n o m ore distinguish w aking fr om sleeping ,
dre am from reality than night from day ,

She had cease d .
to feel to know to thi nk a t the utm ost she mused

'
, .
,
'
r 4
rnn
'
m m cn na cx or NO TR E D A ME °
. 28 1
ing through a crann y i n a kind o f tr apdoor pl aced i n the

vaul ted roof of the in p a ce A t the same time the heav y
.
iron bars rattled the door grated on its ru sty hinges i t

t urn ed and she s aw a l antern a h and an d the nether
, , ,
'
ex trem ities o f t wo fi gures, the d oo r b e ing to o l o w f o r her
to perceive their heads The light s o painfully a ff ected

.
her that she clos e d her eyes .
When she opened them again the door was shut a lan , ,
tern was placed o n o ne o f the steps and something l ike a ,
human form stood before her A bl ack wrapper descended .
to i ts feet : a hood Of the same colour con cealed the face

, , .
N othing was to be seen Of the person not even the hands , .
The fi gure looked like a l ong black winding sheet stan d -
ing upright under which something migh t be pe rceived

,
m ovi ng For some minutes she kep t her eyes intently

.
fi xed on this spectral shape N either s poke Y o u would

. .
have tak en them f o r two statues con fronting each other .
Two things only gave signs o f l ife in the dungeon : the

wi ck Of the l an te rn whi ch crack led owing to the dampness
Of the atm osphere and the drip Of the roof breaking this
,
i rregular crepitation by its m onotonous plash whi c h ,
caused the light o f the l antern to dance in con centri c rings

o n the 0
i surface o f the pool .
At length the prisoner broke sil en ce .
”
Who are you ?
A pri est .
The word the accent the voice made her shudder

, ,
.
”
Are you pre p ared ? asked the p riest in a low tone , .
For what
”
To die .
Oh sai d she ; wi ll i t be soon ?

”
T O morro w
-
.
Her head which she had rai sed with a l ook Of jo y,

,
’ ”
agai n sank upo n her bosom Ti s a long ti me till then
.
,
mu rmured she W h y not to day ?

. Wh at di fferen ce -
co u ld i t have made to them ?
Y ou must be very unhappy then sai d the p riest ,
a fter a momen t s silence ’
”
I am very cold she replied She cl asped her f ee t
, .
with her hands and her tee th chatter e d

, .
28 2 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME -
.
The priest seemed from beneath the hood to cast his

ey e s around the dungeon Wi thout light wi thout fire !
.
i n the wa ter ! Ti s horrible ’
Yes answered she , wi th that ai r Of timidi ty which

, ,
su ff ering had imparted every body enj oys the light .
Why should I be thrust into darkness ?

”
DO y ou know resumed the priest after another
, ,
”
p ause ,
why you are here ?
”
I think I di d know , said she passing her attenuated ,
fingers o ver her bro w as if to assist her memory ,

but I ,
”
don t no w
’
.
Al l at on ce she burst o u t a crying lik e a child

, I - .
w ant to l eave this place sir I am cold I am afraid an d

, .
, ,
there are loathsome things whi ch crawl up me .
Well come along with me

, .
Wi th these words the priest took hold o f her arm T he .
wretched girl was chilled to her inmost V itals yet that ,
hand p r oduced a sensation Of cold .
Oh murmured she i t i s the i cy hand Of death

,
”
who are you then P
The priest pushed back his hood She looked at him . .
I t was that sinister face whi ch had s o long haun ted her ,
’
that daemon head which had appeared to her at F al ou rde l s
-
above the head of her ado r ed Phoebus that eye whi ch she ,
had last seen gli stening near a dagger .
Thi s apparition alway s so baneful to h er and whi ch

, ,
had thus hurried her o n from misery to mi sery roused ,
her from her stupor The thick veil whi ch seemed to

.
have sp r ead itself over her memory was ren t asunde r All .
the ci r cumstan ces Of her dismal adven ture from the nigh t ,
’
scene at F al ou rd el s to her co n de m na tio n a t La Tournelle '
rushed at on ce upon her mind n ot vague and confused as ,
at the time Of their occurren ce but distin ct fresh pal , , ,
p i ta ting terrible
,
These recollection s almost obli terated
.
,
by the excess o f her su fferings were revi ved by the sombre ,
fi gure before her ; as the invisible wo r ds wri tten with

sympathetic ink upon whi te paper are brought ou t quite
fresh on i ts being held to the fire All the wounds o f .
her heart seeme d to be torn Open afresh an d to bleed at ,
on ce .
m s n u x onn a cx or NO T E S D A ME -
. 28 3
Ha cried she wi th a con vulsi ve tremor and hold

, ,
”
ing her hands over her eyes i t i s the p r iest ! Presen tly
,
dropping her enfeebled arms she remained sitting her

‘
, ,
head ben t forward her eye fi xed o n the ground mu te an d

, ,
trembling The priest looked at her with the eye of a

.
hawk which has long been descending in silen ce from the

,
topmost heigh t o f the heavens i n circles gradually m ore ,
and more contracted around a poor lark squatting i n the

corn and having suddenly pounced like winged lightnin g
, ,
u pon his prey clutches the panting vi ctim in his talons

,
.
She began to murmur i n a faint tone Finish !

finish ! Give the last blow and she bowed down her
h ead with terror like the la mb a wai tin the fatal stro k e
,
from the hand o f th e butcher .
At length he ask ed Are you afraid o f me then ?

,
She made n o reply .
Are you afraid o f me he re peated .
H er lips were compressed as though she smiled .
”
Yes said she
, the executioner j ee r s the condemned
,
.
For months he has been haunting threatening terrifying , ,

’
m e ! B ut f o r him 0 God how happy I shoul d be
, ,
T is
’
he wh o ha s hurled m e into this abyss tis he who killed

him — who killed my Phoebus Sobbing vehemen tly,
she raised her eyes to the priest WVh O are you .
,
”
wretch ? she exclaimed What have I done to you ?
.
Why shoul d you hate me thus Wh at grudge have you

agains t me ?
I love thee ! sai d the priest .
Her tea r s suddenl y ceased She eyed hi m wi th the .
vacant stare Of an i diot He had m eanwhile sunk upon

.
his knees and gloated upon her with eye o f fire

, .
”
D ost thou hear ? I lo ve thee ! b e repeated .
”
Ah ! what love ! ej aculated the unhappy creature ,
shudde r ing .
The love o f the damned he rep l ied ,

.
B oth remained silent f or some minutes o v erwhehn ed by ,
their emotions he fran ti c she stupid , .
”
Lis ten at length sa id the priest who had all at on ce
, ,
recove r ed a wonderful d e gree o f composure ; thou sh al t

know all I will tell thee what hi therto I have scar cely
.
TH E H UNC H BA CK O F NO T RE DA M E -
. 285
th e Virgin ha d she l ived when he b e cam e m an Her eyes

,
.
were black and splendid : amidst her dark hai r the r e were
’
l o cks which satur ated as i t we r e by the sun s beams
, , , , ,
shone like thre ads Of gold Around her head in her .

,
bl ack tresses the r e were pieces o f metal whi ch sparkl ed ,
i n the sun and formed a coronet o f stars f or her brow

,
.
Her azure robe besprinkled wi th a thousand spangles

, ,
glistened like a summer night H er feet i n thei r rapid .

,
movemen ts appeared indistin ct like the spokes o f a wheel

that is whirling quickly round H er brown an d supple .
arm s were tied and untied around her body like t wo s ca rfs .
H er fi gure was Of surpassing beauty O h the resplenden t .
form whi ch had something luminous about i t even in the

,
broad sunl ight ! Surprised charmed in toxi ca ted I could , , ,
n ot fo r bear watchi ng thee : I looked till I shuddered

I felt that the hand Of Fate was upon me .
The pri es t Oppressed by emotion again paused f or a

, ,
.
moment .H e then pro ceeded

H al f fascinate d al read y I endeavour e d to grasp at ,
something to break m y fall I recollec ted the snares .
which Satan had previously spread for m e The creature .
before me posses s ed that superhuman beau ty which can

p ro ceed only from heaven o r from hell She was no t a .
mere girl moulded o f o u r common clay and faintly lighted

, ,
within by the flickering ray Of a female spirit I t was an .
angel but an angel o f darkness

, o f fire n ot Of l ight At , .
the momen t whe n these though ts were crossing m y brain ,
I saw near her a goat a beast which associates wi th ,
witches I t l ooked at m e and laughed The noontide s un

. .
tipp ed i ts horn s wi th flame I then percei ve d the snare

.
Of the daemon and had no further doubt that thou wert

,
”
come from hel l and com e for m y perdi tion I beli eved so
, . .
The priest h ere l ooked s tedfastly in the face o f th e

p risoner and coldly adde d :
,
I believe so still .
“ M eanwhi le the ch arm began

to Operate by degrees .
.T hy da n cin g turn ed m y brain I felt the mysteri ous spell .
upon me All that should h ave wak e d in m y soul was

.
lulled to sleep ; and like men perishin g in the snow I

, ,
to ok pleasure in y ieldi ng to this slumber All at on ce I .

28 6 TH E E UN OE B A OK O F NO T RE D A M E -
.
heard thee begin to sing What could I do ? Thy si ng .
ing was more fascinating th an thy dan cing I would have .
fled I mpossible I was rivetted rooted to the spot I was

. .
, , .
fo r ced to remain til l thOu hadst finished M y feet were .

'
i ce m y head a furnace At length perhaps in pity t o

,
.
,
me th y song ceased an d I saw thee depart

,
The re fle c
,
.
tion of the daz zling vision the sounds Of the en chanting ,
musi c vanished by degrees from m y eyes a nd di ed away

, ,
in m y ea r s I then sank in to the corner Of the window

.
,
sti ff an d helples s as a fal len statue The vespe r bell .
awoke me I fled : but al as something had fallen withi n

me which I could no t rai se up something had come upon
”
me from which I cou ld not flee !
,
H e made another pause and th u s pr o ceeded

Yes from that day I was possessed with a spirit that
, ,
was strange to me I had recourse to m y reme di es

. th e
cloister the alta r o ccupation books
,
Follies ! 0 ho w
, ,
.
hollow science sounds when you dash agai nst it in despair

a head fi l led with passions K nowes t thou m aiden what .
, ,
thenceforth I al ways saw between the book and me ? Thee ,
thy shadow the image Of the luminous apparition whi ch

,
had o ne day passed before me B ut that image h ad no .
l onger the same colour : it was sombre dark gloomy like , , ,
the black cir cle whi ch long dan ces befo r e the eye that has
been imprudent enough to gaze at the sun .
H aunted by it incessan tly incessantly he aring th y ,
son g rin ging in m y ears incessantly se eing thy feet dan cing
,
upon m y breviary feeling each night in my dream s th y

,
form pressing agai nst mine I was desirous to behold ,
thee again to tou ch thee to know who thou we r t to a s cer

, , ,
tain whethe r thou res em bl e ds t the ideal image impres sed

upon m y mind to di spel perhaps the phan tasm by the
,
real ity At all events I hoped that a ne w impression

.
would e fface the first for the fi rs t had be co m e i ntolerable

to me I sough t thee Agai n I beheld thee Whe n I
. . .
had seen thee twi ce I wi shed to see thee a thousand times

,
’
to have thee al ways in my sigh t Then — who can s top .
himself o n the steep descent to perdi tion then was I no

longer m y o wn m as ter I be came a vagran t li ke thy s elf
.
,
.
TH E B U N CH B A OK o r NO T RE D A ME - . 287
I w aited f or thee beneath porches I lurked at the corners ,
Of streets I watched thee from m y tower E ach ni ght o n

,
.
,
examining mysel f I foun d that I was m ore helpless more

, ,
spell- bound more bewitched more undone

, ,
.
I learned who thou wert E gyptian B ohemian , ,
gita na zingara How could I longer doubt that the re

, .
, ,
was witchcra ft in the cas e ! I hoped that the law would

’
b r eak the charm A sorce r ess had bewitched Br un o d A s t
.
he caused her to be burned and was cured I knew hi m ,

. .
I resolved to try the sam e remedy I n the fi r st place I .
Obtained an ordi nance fo r bidding thee to appea r in the pre

cincts Of o u r church hoping to forget thee if I should see
,
thee no mo r e Reckless Of this prohibition thou camest as

.
us ual Then did I con ceive the i d ea Of ca r rying thee o f

. .
O ne nigh t I attempted to put i t in to execution There .
were two Of us We had thee al ready i n ou r clutches ,

.
when that odi ous officer came u p and rescued thee Thus .
di d he commen ce thy su ff erings mine and his o wn At , , .
length not knowin g what to do I denoun ced thee to the

, ,
O ffi cial. I though t that I should be cured as B run o

’
d A s t was I had al so a con fused notion that a j udi cial
.
pro cess would del iver thee i n to m y power that in a prison

I should have thee should hold thee ; that there thou
,
’
couldst not escape me When o ne is doing evil ti s mad.
ness to stop hal f way The e x tremity Of guilt has i ts

-
.
delirium o f rapture .
I shoul d perhaps have renounced m y design ; m y

hi deous idea would p e rhaps have evaporated from m y brain
wi thout producing an y result I imagined that i t would .
depend on m e to follo w up o r to s top the p r oceedi ngs

whenever I pleased B ut every wicked thought is inex o r
.
abl e and hurries to become a fact ; and where I fan cied

m yself all powerful Fate proved more migh ty than I
-
, .
Al as alas i t was Fate that caught thee and threw thee

among the te rrible works o f the m achine whi ch I had
secretly con s tr u ct ed L ist to me I have nearly done
. . .
O ne day — another da y Of lo vely sun shine I sa w

a m an w alk ing bef ore me who pronoun ced thy n am e who , ,
laughed and whose ey es gli stened wi th li ce nti ous desire I

, .
”
foll owed him thou knowest the rest .
m s H UNC H BA CK or n o m nm a u l . 289
have n othing to o ffer her but the squali d casso ck which is ,
to her an object o f fear and disgust to b e present , with

a heart burs ting with j ealousy and rage while she lavishes ,
“
o n a silly braggart the treasures of love and beauty to
see that bo s o m which is more than heaven to yo u heav e
’
and redden under the kisses of another to think o f that

deli cious form ti l l you wri the for whole nigh ts on the fl oor
of your cell and to see all the endearmen ts whi ch you
,
have reserved for her in imagination end in the torture

these these are pincers heated in the fire o f hell ! Hap py
,
i n comparison is he who i s sa wn asunder between t wo

planks o r qu artered by horse s ! K nowes t thou what
,
agon y i t is when during the long nigh ts your arteries

, ,
boil your heart is bursting you r head S plitting an d your

, , ,
teeth tear your o wn fl esh when you are turned in cessantly

as upon a red ho t gridiron by those inexorable to rmen tors,
-
love j ealousy desp air ! M ercy m aiden re lax f o r a m o

, , ,
ment o r if it must be s o torture me wi th o ne hand but

, , ,
fondle me wi th the other H ave pity on m e girl ! have .

,
pity o n me !
The priest rolled in the wate r o n the floor and dashed
his head against the stone s teps o f the dungeon The E gyp .
tian listened to hi m l oo ked at him When he ceased speak

,
.
ing breathless and exhaus te d she repea ted in a low tone

, , ,
O my Ph oebus
The p riest c r awl ed to wards her u p on hi s knee s I .
implore thee he cried “ if thou h as t an y compassion re

, , ,
pul se me not I love thee — I am miserable When tho u

. .
utterest that name it is as if th ou wert rending all the

,
fibres o f m y heart O n l y have pity . I f thou goes t to .
hel l I will go with thee All th at I have done, I have

, .
-
done ] for this The hell where thou art will be to me a

.
p aradise : the sigh t o f thee is more entrancing than that of

Go d ! 0 say wilt tho u not have me ?
, I shoul d have
thought that the day when a woman could rej ect such l ove
the moun tains would di ssolve O h ! i f tho u wouldst how .
,
happy might we yet be ! W e would flee I wo uld e n .
able thee to escape we woul d see k that spot where

.
'
t here are the most trees the m ost sun shi ne the most azure
, ,
sk y W e wou l d love, we wo ul d p ou r forth our so uls into

.
U
2 90 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - ~
.
’
e ach other s and we would have that inextinguishable thirst
,
o f each other which we would appease together and i n ce s

,
”
s an tl y at the inexhaustible fount o f lo ve !
She inte r rupted him with a loud th r illin g lau gh Look .

,
f ather you h ave blood upon your fingers

,
The priest motionless for some m oments as i f pet rifi ed

, , ,
lo oked stedfastly at hi s hand .
Why yes he at length repl ied with un won ted m ild

, ,
n ess ,
abuse me j eer m e overwhelm m e but com e , , ,
come ! L et us lose n o time I t will be to m o r row I tell .

-
,
thee The gibbet o f the G r eve — thou knowest the gib

.
b e t — i t is always ready I t is horrible — to see thee d r awn .
i n that cart ! O h mercy mercy ! N ever di d I feel as at , ,
this m oment how dearly I love thee ! O h ! com e alo n g

with me Thou sh alt take thine own time to love m e after
.
I have saved thee Thou shalt hate m e as long as thou

.
wil t O nly co me To morrow t o m orrow the gallows

. . - m
”
O h save thyself spare me 1
, ,
In a state approaching to madness he seized her arm

“
. .
,
and would have hurried her along She fixed her e ye s in

'
t e ntl y upon him What is becom e of m y Phoebus

. she
en quired .
Ah said the priest loosing her arm from his grasp , ,
yo u have no pi ty
What is become o f Ph oebus repeated she col dl y
"
.
He is dead replied the priest , .
”
D ead ! said she still cold an d passionless then , ,
”
why persuade me to li ve ?
H e heard her n ot 0 yes said he as if talking to.
,
h im self he must be dead

, I struck home Th e poin t . .
m u st have reached his hea r t .
The gi r l rushed upo n him like an enraged tig r ess and ,
th rust him towa r ds the steps with supernatural force : Be

gone mons ter ! begone, murderer ! leave me to die ! M ay
,
t he blood of us both m ark thy brow with an eve r lasting

stain ! B e thine priest ! N ever ! never ! N othing ,
sh all brin g us together no t even hell itself Avaun t ao

‘
.
, ,
c ursed — never
The priest had stumbled upon the steps Silently di s .

-s
e ngaging his fee t from the s k irts of hi s cassock, he p i cked

- . 291
u p hi s l an tern and began slowly to ascend to the door : he

opened i t and wen t fo r th The prisoner gazed after him
. .
A ll at on ce his head again appeared stooping over the stai r s .
His face was ghastly Wi th a rattle of rage an d despair

. ,
he c r ied ,
I tell th e e he i s dead !
She fe l l with her face to the ground ; and no soun d was
then to be heard in the dungeon save the plash o f the d r op
ping water which rippled the pool amid th e profoun d
,
darkness .
C H APT ER V .
TH E MO TH ER .
I C A NNO T con cei ve an y thing i n the world m ore d eligh tful

than the ideas awakened in the heart o f a m other at the
'
sight o f her child s li ttle shoe especial ly i f i t be a holyday ,
,
a Sunday , a baptism al shoe a shoe embroidered down

to the very sole ; a shoe upon which the infan t has never
yet stepped This shoe is so sm all and so pretty i t is so
.
impossible for i t to walk th at i t seem s to the m other as

,
though she saw her child She smiles at it she kisses i t

.
, ,
she talks to it ; she asks herself if a foot can really be so

small and if the infan t should be absen t the pretty shoe
, ,
i s sufficien t to set the swee t and tender creatu re before her

eyes . She fancies she sees it — she does see it all ali ve ,
all j oyous with i ts delicate hands its round head i ts p u re

, , ,
lips i ts serene eyes the whi te o f which is blue

, , I f i t be .
winte r there i t is crawling upon the carpet climbing labo

, , ,
rio u s l
y upon a stool and the m o ther t rembles lest i t should
,
app roach too near to the fire I f it be summer i t is creep

.
,
ing about in the court yard o r i n the ga r den looki n g

-
,
inno cently and fearlessly at the big dogs an d the big horses ,
pull ing up the grass growing be tween the stones playi n g ,
with the shells and the flowers and maki ng the garden er ,
s cold on findi n g sand on his borders and mould o n his paths .
All about it is bright, j oyous an d playful like i tsel f, even

, ,
U 2
m s n o s c n s a crr O F No r ms - n a me . 2 93
l ie ve in G od Ah wre tch that I was to g o ou t that

.
, ,
d ay O Lord Lo rd ! to snatch her fr om me thus ,
t hou coulds t never hav e seen me with her when I warm e d -

,
he r all glee bef o r e the fire when s he cea sed sucking to

, , ,
laugh in m y face when I made her little feet step up m y

,
bo som to m y ve ry li ps Had st thou seen this , 0 m y Go d !

thou wouldst have had pity on m y jo y thou wouldst no t
have ra vished from m e the only love that was left i n m y
heart ! Was I then so vile a wretch O Lord ! that thou ,
couldst not look at m e before condemning m e ! Alas !

alas ! there is the shoe but where is the foot ? where is
,
the child ? M y child ! m y own child ! what have they

d one with thee O Lord ! give me back m y child ! M y
knees h a ve bee n flayed f o r these fifte en years in praying
to thee : is n ot this enough Res tore her to me for a day ,
a n hour a minute only one minu te 0 Lord ! an d the n

, , ,
c as t m e forth to the evil one to all ete rni ty O h did I .

,
but kno w where to fi nd thee I would g r as p the skirts o f

,
thy garmen t with both the se hands an d no t let thee go ,
till thou hadst given me back m y child Behold her pre tty
li tt le shoe Hast thou n o compassion O Lord C an st ,
thou doom a wretched m other to fi fteen years o f such tor

men t as this B lessed Virgi n o f heaven they have stolen
m y child ; they have devoured her o n the moor ; they ha ve
d r unk her blood ; they have gn awed her bones Ki nd .
Vi r gin have pity o n me ! M y child

,
I wan t m y child !
What is i t to me that she is in Parad ise ? I wan t no ne o f .
your angels I wan t m y child O h I wil l writhe upo n .

,
the ground I wil l dash m y head a gainst the s tones I wil l

, ,
curse t hee and seal m y o wn damnation so thou wilt but ,
restore to me m y child ! Thou seest how these arm s are

to r n ! has then the good God n o compassion ? 0 let them gi ve
m e but black bread and salt p r ovided I have m y daugh ter ;
s he will be to me bo th meat and drink and warmth an d ,
sun shine I confess O Lord my God that I am but a

.
, ,
v ile sin ner but m y child was making me pious O ut o f

, .
love to her I was amendi ng m y life and I saw th ee through ,
he r smile as through the ope ned heavens O h that I .

,
cou ld but o nce more only on ce pu t this pretty sh oe on her

, ,
rosy l ittle foo t I would die bles sin g th ee, H oly Vi rgin !
,
U 3
2 94 T H E H UNC H BA CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
B ut no fi fteen years ! she must be grown up now

U nfortunate girl ! t is too certain that I shall n ever s ee
’
t hee more n ot even in heaven ,

for there I shall never ,
e n ter . O what an guish to say there i s her sh oe and ,

”
that is all .
The wretched creature threw herself upon that shoe a ,
source o f solace and o f sorro w f or so many yea r s and sh e

sobbed as though her heart would break j ust as she had ,
done on the very first day G rief like this n ever grows .
ol d
. Though the garm ents of mourning be come th r ead
bare an d lose their colour the heart rem ains black as ever ,
.
At this mom en t the brisk an d mer r y voi ces of bo y s

passed before her cell A t the sight o r the sound of chil
.
dren th e unhappy m other would always dart into the da r k

,
est n ook o f her sepulchre with such p r ecipitation that you ,
would think she was stri ving to bury her head in the wall ,
i n order that she might not hear them O n thi s o ccasion , .
con trary to her custom she started up an d listened atten ,
ti v el y O ne o f the boys was j ust saying to ano ther,

.
”
They are going to hang an E gyp tian to day -
w
.
W M M d en boun d of the s l d
M der that we lately saw , — /
”
:p
?
s r an g to
r V
ru shing upon the fly e n tang le d a n
looked as the reader kn o ws tpfl ar ds

A ladder w
, h
as acmal ly rea r ed against

-
the Pl ace fie Gr ieve

-
the permanen t gallows and the hangm an was engaged in ,
a dj usting the chains which had become rusty with the wet
,
.
A few p e ople were standing around .
The laughin g troop o f boys was already far o ff Th e .
recluse looked abou t for some passenger whom s he migh t

ques tion She perceived close to her cell a priest wh o
. ,
feigned to be reading i n the publi c breviary but whose ,
thoughts were much less engaged by the book than by the

gibbe t towards whi ch he glan ced from time to tim e with
,
wild and gloomy look She recognised in him the arch .
deacon o f J osas an austere and holy m an

,
.
”
Father she en quired ,
whom are they going to ,
”
hang yonder ?,
The p r iest look ed at he r withou t an swering She re .
p e a te d the question I know no t, said he

. .
m s n u n c n s a cx or N OT RE D A ME- . £ 95
Some boys rej oined the reclus e said j ust n ow that

i t was an E gyptian " ,
.
,
”
I believe so replied the priest
,
.
Pa q uette la C ha nte fleu rie burs t in to an h ysterical lau gh .
”
Sister said the archdeacon you s eem to hate the
,
" ,
E gyptians with all your heart .
“Hate them cried the recluse wh y they are witches , ,
child stealers ! They devoured m y little girl m y ch ild,

-
,
m y only child ! They ate m y heart along wi th her — I

have none now !
The priest eyed her coldly .
There is one in parti cular she resumed that I hate, ,
and that I have cursed ; a young girl abou t the sam e age
that m y child w o uld have been n ow had they no t eaten her .
Whenever this young vi per passes m y cell she se ts all m y ,
blood a boiling
-
.
Well then sister rej oice said the pries t cold as the
, , , ,
’
s ta tue o n a sepulchre t is for her that these preparation s
”
a r e making .
His head sunk upon his bosom an d he slowly w ithdrew .
The recluse waved her arms in triumph Thanks .

,
”
si r priest cried she
,
I told her what she would come
.
to .
She then began with hu rried step to pace to an d f ro

, ,
before her wi ndow her hai r di shevelled her eye glaring

, , ,
dashing against the wall with her shoulder with the wild ,
air of a caged she wolf whi ch has long been hun gry and
-
,
is aware that the hour for her repast is approaching .
C HA P T E R VI .
TH REE H U M A N H E AR TS D IFF EREN TLY CON STI T U T ED .
P e rs e us mean while was not dead M en of that kind are

, , .
h ard to kill When M aster Philip Lhe u l ie r advocate ex

.
,
tra o rdi n ary to the king said to poor E smeralda H e i s dyi ng

, ,
—he was either misinformed o r j oking When the arch .
U 4
rm
' ‘
. n u u cn na c x or N O T RE D A ME
- . 29 7
being an E gyptian and las tly o f the goblin monk

,
He , ,
- .
im agined that in this h is tory there was much more o f

m agi c than of love probably a sor ceress perhaps the devil ;
, ,
i n short a com edy o r to use the lan guage of those days a

, , ,
m ys tery o f a very disagreeable nature i n which he played

, ,
an extremely awkward part that o f the butt for blows

and laugh ter The capta in was quite dashed : he fel t the
.
sort o f sha me which La Fontaine so admirably compares

wi th that o f a fox caught by a hen He hoped besides .
, ,
that the a ff air would no t be bruited abroad that i n hi s ,
absen ce his n ame would scarcely be mentioned in connec

ti on with i t o r at any rate not beyon d the pleadi ngs at the
,
Tournelle N either was he far wrong i n this expecta tion

.
there were then n o newspapers ; and as s carcely a week ,
passed but there was some coiner boiled some witch ,
hanged o r some hereti c burned at one o f the numberless

, ,
ju s ti ces of Paris people were so accustomed to s e e the ol d

,
feudal Themis with bare arm s and tucked u p sleeves

,
-
,
perfo rming her o ffice at the g all ows and the pill ory that ,
they scarcely took an y n otice of such even ts I n those .
days the h igher clas ses s carcely knew the n ame o f the
,
su ffe rer who was carried pas t to the corner of the street ,
an d the populace at m ost reg aled itself with this coarse

fare An execution was a familia r in ciden t i n the public
.
’
ways li ke the oven of the baker o r the butcher s slaughter
, ,
house The hangman was but a kind of butcher a shade

.
,
darker th an the other .
Phoebus therefore soon set his mind at ease respecting

the sorceress E smer alda o r Simil ar as he called her the , , ,
woun d infli cted by the B ohemian o r the goblin mon k -
he cared n ot whi ch — and the issue o f the proceedings .
B u t no sooner was his heart vacan t o n thi s score than the

i mage o f Fleur de Lys returned thither The heart o f
- -
.
C a ptain Phoebus like the phi losophy of those times a b

, ,
horred a vacuum .
Besides Queue en B rie w as a very stupid place a

,
- -
,
villa ge of blacksmiths and dai ry women with chapped -
h ands a long line o f crazy cottages bordering b oth sides o f

,
the high road for a m il e Fleur de Lys was his las t .

- -
p assion but one a handsome girl with a go od dower

, ,
.
O ne fine m orn ing therefore being quite con valescent and

, , ,
presuming tha t the a ff air with the B ohemian must after

t he lapse o f two m on ths be completely blown ov er and
forgotten the amorous cavalier came swaggering to the
,
d oor o f the Gondelaurier m an sion H e took n o noti ce o f a .
numerous con cou r se assembled in the Place d u Parvis be ,
fore the porch o f N o n e D ame he recollected that i t was

-
the mon th o f M ay and supposing that the people m ight be

, ,
dr awn together by some religious holyday o r p r ocession he ,
fastened his horse to the ring at the gate and gaily wen t
up stairs to his fair betrothed .
She was alone with her m other Fleur de Lys had . - -
al ways felt sore about the scene with the sorceress her goat
, ,
her cursed alphabet and the long absen ces of Phoebus

,
nevertheless at the en t r an ce of her t ruan t he looked so

, ,
wel l had such a new unifo r m such a smart shoulder belt

, ,
-
,
a n d s o impassioned an air that she reddened with pleasure

,
.
The noble demoiselle was herself m ore cha r min g tha n

ever Her m agnificen t light hair was admirably plai ted
.
s he was attired completely in sky blue which s o well suits -

,
females o f a fair complexion a piece of coquetry whi ch

s he had been taught by C olombe and her eye swam i n
that lan guor of love whi ch suits them s o mu ch better .
Ph oebus who had so long set eyes o n nothing superior i n

,
beauty to the wenches o f Queue e n Br ie was t r ansported - -

,
wi th Fleur de Lys and this imparted such a warmth and

- -
such a tone of gall ant r y to his manner th at his peace was

instantly made M adame de Gondelaurie r herself ma
.
,
‘
te rn al l y seated as usual in her great arm chair ha d n o t the -

,
he art to scold him and as for the rep r oaches of Fleur de -
Lys they expired in accents o f tenderness

, .
The young lady was seated nea r the window stil l ,
working away at her grotto o f N eptune The captain .
lean t o ver the bac k o f her chair and in an under to ne ,

-
s he commen ced her half ca r essing half scolding en quiries

-
,
- .
What have you be en doing with yourself f o r these two

m onths you n aughty man
,
I replied Phoebus who did no t relish the ,
q uestion you are so beautiful that an arch b ishop coul d

,
n o t he lp fall in
"
g in lo ve wi th you .
TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME - . 2 99
She could n ot forbear smiling B eautiful forsooth ! .

,
M y beauty is n othing to the purpose sir I wan t an an swer ,
to m y question .
Well then , m y de ar cousin I was ordered away to

, ,
”
k eep ga r rison .
Where i f you please ? an d why not come to bid me

,
”
adieu P
At Queue e n B rie " - -
.
Phoebus was deligh ted that the first ques ti on enabled

him to shi r k the second .
B ut that is close by sir Ho w i s i t that you have not ,

.
been once to see me ?

Here Phte b u s was se r iously embarrassed Why .
o u r d uty and besides charming cousin I have

, , ,
b een ill
.
I ll she exclai med in alarm .
”
Yes wounded
, .
Wounded
The poor girl was thunderstru ck .
Oh you need no t frighten yourself abou t that said

, ,
Phoebus carel essly ; it was nothing A quarrel, a .
? ”
scratch with a sword how can that concern yo u
”
N ot con cern me ? cried Fleur de Lys rai sing her - -
,
beautiful eyes swim ming in tears Oh i n saying so you .

,
do not say what you think How came you by the .
s cratch you talk of P I insist o n knowing all .
We l l then m y fair cousin I had a squabble with

, ,
M a hé F éd y you kno w hi m the lieu ten an t o f St .
Ge r mai n e n La ye an d each o f us ripped up a few inches

-
"
_
,
’
o f the other s skin That is all . .
The m endacious captai n well knew that an a ffair o f

honou r al ways raises a man in the estimation of a female .
Acco rdingl y Fleur de Lys turned about an d looked him

,
- -
in the face wi th emo tions o f fear pleasure an d admi ration , ,

.
Still she was not completely satisfied .
”
Ah Phoebus said she
, how I rej oi ce that you
, ,
are qui te well again I do no t know your M ahé F éd y

but he is a scurv y fell o w And what was the cause o f .
this quarrel
TH E H UN OH B A CK o n NO T RE D A M E - . 3 01
an d was leaning o ver the back o f her chai r a ch arming

p ost from whi ch his licentiou s eye penetrated into all the
,
openings in Fleur de Lys neckerchief T his covering gaped

- -
’
.
so opportunely i t allowed hi m to see so m an y exquisite

things and to guess at so many others that Phoebus daz zled
, , ,
by that skin which shon e like satin sai d within himself , ,
How can o ne love an y bu t a fair woman B oth kept

silence The lady gave hi m from time to time a look o f
.
d elight and fondness ; and their h air mingl e d together i n

the spring sunshine .
”
Phoebus said Fleur de Lys abruptly i n a low tone
,
- -
, , ,
we are to be m arried i n three m onths : swear that you

”
never loved an y other but m e .
I do swear it beautiful angel , replied Phoebus an d ,
his impassioned look con cu rred with the emphati c accen t

o f his words to convince Fleur d e Lys I t is possible that
- - .
at the momen t he him self believed what he asserted .
M eanwh ile the good mother pleased to see the young ,
p eople o n such excellen t terms had left the apartmen t to ,
attend to some domestic matter o r other P hce bu s percei ved .
her absence, whi ch so emboldened the en terp rising captain ,

that certain curious ideas came into his head Fleur de .
-
L ys loved him she w as betrothed to hi m she was

alone with him his former fondness for her was revi ved ,
no t in all i ts freshn ess but in all i ts a r dour

,
after all there ,
could be n o great harm in cropping his corn in the flag .
I know not whether i t was precisely these ideas that

crossed his mind ; bu t so much i s certain th at Fleur de ,
-
Lys became suddenly alarmed at the expression o f his

countenance She looked around her — her m other w as
.
gone
”
B less me ! said she, flushed and agi ta ted “ I am ,
ve ry ho t
Why repl ied P hce b u s
, I dare say i t is almos t
,
”
noon The sun is troublesome I will dra w the curtains
. . .
N o no , cried th e t r embling damsel o n the con
trar y I have need o f air

, and like a doe that feels the ,
breath o f the pack at her heels she rose ran to the win , ,
dow an d stepped o u t o n the bal con y Phoebus , no t a

, .
li ttle vexed, fo ll owed her thither .

3 02 TH E H UNC H B A CK on N O T RE D AM E - .
The Place du Parvis i n fr on t o f N otre Da me into which ,

-
, ,
as the reader knows this balcony looked exhibi ted at thi s

, ,
m omen t a sinister and singular spectacle which quickly ‘
,
’
changed the n ature o f the timid Fleur de Lys alarm An - - .
immense crowd which fl owed back into all the adj acen t
,
streets covered the Place properly so called The l ow

, ,
.
wall which en compassed the Parvis would not have been

su ffi cien t to keep it clea r ha d i t not been thickly lined by ,
sergean ts o f the O n ze vingts and arquebusiers wi th their -

,
pieces in their hands The wide po r tal s o f the chu r ch .
were closed con t r asting with the numberless windo ws

,
aroun d the Place whi ch thrown open up to the very , ,
roofs displayed thousands o f heads heaped o ne above

,
a nother n early like piles o f cann on balls in a park o f ar -
tillery The surface o f thi s crowd was grey squalid;

.
,
dirty The sigh t whi ch i t was awaiting was evidently on e

.
o f those which have the pri vilege o f calli n g together all

that i s m ost disgusting i n the population N othing coul d .
be m ore hideous than the n oise that arose from this a ssem
blage o f sallow caps an d unkempt heads In this con .
course there were m ore women than men , m ore laughing

than crying .
E ver a nd anon some harsh o r shri l l v oice was heard

‘
above the general din to this e ff ect ,
I say M ahi e t B al i ffre is she to b e hanged yon

, ,
der P
N o simpleton — only to do pen ance there i n chem is e
’
God Al mighty is going to spit Latin i n her face T i s . ,
always done here , at n oon preci s ely I f you wan t to see .

'
” ’
the hanging you must e en go to the G r eve
,
.
”
I will go afterwards .
0 C O 0 O O 0 Q 0 O O O
I s i t true La , B ou canb ry, that she has refused a co n
f e s s or
I am told so L a B e chaign e ,
.
O nly think ! the Pagan
I t i s the cu stom sir The bailiff o f the Palace is

.
,
.
bound to d eli ver o ver the c ulprit for execution , if o f the

T H E H UN C H B A C K or N OT R E- DAM E . 3 03
l ai ty to the provost of Paris

,
but i f a clerk to the o ffic ial ,
”
o f the bishopri c .
I thank you si r .
"
O m y God ! the poo r creature ! e x cl aim e d ‘Fl e u r
de Lys surveying the populace wi th a sorrowful look
-
,
.
The captain too much engaged wi th her to n oti ce the

,
rabble was amorously fumbling at her belt behind

, .
P r ithee let me alone Phoebus said she in a ton e o f

, , ,
entreaty and turning sharply round

,
if my mother were
to come in she would see your hand
A t this momen t the clock o f N otre D ame sl owly stru ck -
twelve A murmur o f satisfaction pervaded the crowd

. .
Scarcely had the last vibration o f the twelfth stroke sub

sided when the vast assemblage o f heads was broken into
,
waves like the sea i n a gale o f wind and o ne i mmense ,
shout o f There she is burst simul taneously from

pavement window s and roofs
, ,
.
F leur de Lys covered her eyes with her hands that she
- -
migh t not see .
Will you go in charmer ? asked Phoebus ,

.
N o she replied ; an d those eyes whi ch she had shut

,
f o r fear she opened again o u t o f curiosity .
A cart drawn by a st r ong N orman bay and completel y

, ,
sur rounded by ho r semen in purple li very marked wi th ,
whi te crosses had j ust issued from the R ue St Pie rre aux
,
.
-
B oeufs and en tered the Pla ce The se rgeants o f the watch .
opened a passage f o r it through the populace with sta ves ,
wi th which they laid lustily about them B eside the cart .
rode certain o ffi cers of j ustice an d poli ce who m igh t be ,
know n by their black d r ess and the awkward m anner i n

which they sat the i r horses At their head paraded M aster
.
Jac q ues C ha rm ol u e I n the fata l vehicle w as seated a

.
young female with her hands tied behind her and n o priest
,
at her side She was stripped to her chemise ; her lon g

.
black hair — fo r i t was no t then customary to cut i t o ff

ti ll the c u lpri t was at the foo t of the gallows fell loosel y
over her bosom and her half un covered sho ulde r s .
’
Through this flowing hair more gloss y than a raven s ,
pl umage, might be s een twisting a grey, knotty cord, whi ch

TH E H UN CB B A OK or NOTR E D A H E-
. 3 05
but too surely La E smeralda On this last s tep o f mi s .
fortune and ign ominy she was still beautiful ; her large
,
‘
black eyes appeared still la rger o n account of the hollo w ,

’
n ess o f her cheeks her l i vid profile was pure an d subli me .
She resembled what she had been as a Virgin o f M a s accio s

’
,
’
resembles a Virgin of R aphael s — feebler thinner m ore , ,
attenuated .
For the rest, there was nothing abo ut her ex cepting her ,
modesty but was left as i t we r e to chance so deeply wa s

, , , ,
she overwhel med by stupor and despair At each j olt o f .
the cart her form rebounded like an inanimate thing

,
her look was dull and silly A tear glistened in her eye
.
but i t was motionless and looked as if i t were fro zen

, .
M ean while the so mbre caval cade had pas s ed through

the crowd amid shouts o f j oy and attitudes o f curiosi ty
,
.
I n order to deserve the character o f faithf ul historian s w e ,
must ne ve r theless record that man y o f the mob a y an d , ,
o f the ha rde s u he ar te d to o o n see ing her so beauti ful an d

,
so forlorn were moved wi th pity

,
The c art had no w .
reached the Parvis .
I t stopped before the central porch The escort ran ged .
i tself o n e ither side The m o b kept silen ce ; an d amid this

.
silence ful l of solemnity and anxiety the folding doo rs

, ,
o f the great porch turned as if spon taneously upon their
hinges whi c h cre aked wi th a shr i ll sound like that o f a fi fe

, ,
afford i ng a view o f the whole length o f the church vast , ,
gloo my hung with black diml y lighted by a few tapers glim

, ,
me r ing i n the distan ce upo n the high altar an d opening ,
li k e the mouth of a cavern upon the Place resplendent wi th

the glorious sunshine At the far thest extremity i n the
.
,
dusk o f the chan cel was fai ntly seen a coloss al sil ver
,
cross relieved upon bl ack cloth which fel l behind i t from

the r oof to the pavement The whole n ave was vacan t
. .
Heads o f pries ts were however se en co nfusedl y movin g

about in the di stant s tall s o f the choir ; and at the moment
when th e great door opened there bu rst fro m the church,
a grave loud and mono tonous chan t hurling as i t were in

, , , , , .
gusts fragments of dol efu l p salms at the head of the con

,
d em ne d o ne.
3 06 T H E H UN C H B A CK op N O T RE D A ME
-
.
Non timaho millis p opuli circu m da ntis me : ex su rge Do m ine ; ,
s al v u m m e fa c D eus
,
Sa l vu m me f a c Deus q uoniam intra v eru n t a qu se u sq ue ad

, ,
am m a m meam .
I nfix u s s u m in li m o p ro fun di ; e t n o n est substantia .
At the sa me time an other voice singly struck up on
the steps o f the high al tar th i s melan choly o ffertory

Q ui verbum meum audit e t c red it ci qui misit me hab et
, ,
v ita m aete rna m e t i n ju diciu m non ven it ; s e d t ran s it a m o rte in
v itam .
These ch ants sung by aged m en , lost i n the darkn ess ,
over that beautiful creature full o f youth an d life caressed

, ,
by the warm ai r o f spring and inunda ted with the sun

,
l ight , belonged to the mass f or the dead The popula ce .
l istened devoutly .
The terrified girl, fi xing her eyes o n the dark inte rior
of the ch u rch , seemed to lose both sight an d thought .
Her p ale lips moved a s if i n prayer ; and whe n the ex

‘
m an wen t to assist her to al ight from the

’
e cu tio ner s
cart he hear d her repeating in a faint voi ce the word

, ,
P hoebu s !
Her hands were un b ound and she aligh te d, a ccom
,
p anied b y her goat w hi ch had also been un tie d and

, ,
bleated for joy o n fin ding itsel f a t l iberty ; an d she was

t hen made to walk barefoot on the hard pavement to the
f oo t o f the s teps l eading to the p orch The ro pe which .
was fas tened about her neck tr ailed behind her : you
would have taken it f or a sn ake that was following her '
.
The chanting in the church ceased A large gold cru .
cifi x an d a file o f ta pers began to m ove i n the dusk .
T he sou n d o f the halb erts o f th e party coloured Swiss was -
heard and in a few momen ts a long procession o f priests

in co pes and deacon s in d al matics slowly advan ced chan ting
, ,
to wards the prisoner, and expanded i ts elf before her eyes

and th ose o f the mob B ut hers were rivete d on him
.
who walked at i ts head immediately after the bearer o f the

cru cifix .Oh she muttered to hersel f shuddering ,
there he is again the priest

I t wa s actually the archdeacon O n hi s le ft was the .
sub chante r, a nd on his ri ght the c han ter bea r ing the
-
m
'
a: H U NC HB A CK O F N O T RE D A M E -
. 3 07
sta ff o f his o ffi ce He a dvan ced with head th ro wn

.
,
back and eyes fix e d and O pen, chanting wi th a loud

,
v oice :
De ventre inf eri clamav i e t e x au dis ti voc e m mea m

, .
E t p roje cis ti me in p rofund um i n co rd e m ar is e t flu m e n ci r ,

-
,
cu m d e d it me .
At the moment when he appe ared in the bro ad day

li gh t beneath the l ofty poin ted arch o f the portal , co vered
with an ample cope o f silver m arked wi th a black c ro ss ,
he was s o pa le that sundry o f the crowd im agi n e d i t must

be one o f the m ar bl e bishops kneel ing o n the 'se pu l
chral monumen ts in the choir who had risen an d come ,
to re ceive o n the brink o f the tomb her who w as about

t o die .
She no t l ess pal e not l ess statue like was s car cely
, ,
-
,
aware that a heavy ligh ted taper o f yellow wax had been
p ut into her hand she had not he ard the squeaki ng voi ce
o f the clerk reading the form of the pen an ce ; when to l d
to say A m e n she had said A m en

, N ei ther di d she re .
co ver an y li fe or an y strength till she saw the p riest m ake

a sign to those who had her in c us tody to reti r e an d a d ,
van ce al one tow ards her She the n felt the bloo d boil i n
.
he r he ad and a spark o f indigna tion was rek indled in that

,
s oul al r ea dy cold benumbed s tu p ifi

, ed , , .
The archdeacon approach e d her slowly ; even i n thi s

extremity she saw him survey her nearly naked form wi th
a n eye spark l ing with pleasure desire and j eal ousy In , , .
a loud voi ce he thus addressed her Bohemian girl ,
have you prayed God to pardon your cri m e s and mis

demeanors Then stooping as the spectators im agi n ed ,
to receive her l as t con fes sion he whispered , Wilt thou

be m ine ? I can even yet save thee
She eyed him stedfastly G0 to the fiend, thy .
mas ter o r I will in form of th ee !

,
He grinn ed horribly a ghastly s mile E “ They will n ot ’
"
.
believe thee he replied , Thou wilt but add scandal.
to guilt Answer quickly wilt th ou h ave me

.
,
What has t thou done with m y Phoebus ?

”
He is dead said the priest , .
At th a t mome nt the wre tched archde a con rai se d his

x 2
m s B UN C H B A GK or NO T RE D AM E
- . 3 09
the Operator by Abraham I t was with some di ffi culty

.
that he was roused fro m this con te mplation but at leng th

he turned about and at a sign which he made, two men i n
, ,
’
yellow dresses the execu tioner s assistants approa ched the
, ,
E gyptian to tie her hands again .
The unfortunate creatu r e at the moment for re ascending,

-
the fa tal cart and setting o u t on her last stage was probably ,
sei zed by some keen repining after life She rai sed her dry .
but in flamed eyes towards heaven towards the sun towards , ,
the silvery clouds studded here and there wi th trapezium s

,
an d tr iangles of az ure and then cast them down a roun d her

,
upon the earth upon the crowd upon the houses

, ,
.
All at on ce while the men in yellow were pinioni ng her

,
arm s she gave a startling scream a scream o f j o y I n th e

, ,
.
balcony at the corner o f the Place s he had descried him ,
her friend her lord her Ph oebus j ust as he looked when

, , ,
al ive The j udge had told her a falsehood ! the priest had
.
told her a fal sehood ! t was he him self— she could n ot’
possibly doubt it There he stood living moving habi ted

.
, , ,
in his bril l ian t un if orm wi th the plume o n his head an d

,
the sword by his side

Phoebus she cried m y Ph oebus ! — and she
woul d have stretched out towards h im her arms tre mbling
wi th love and tr ansport but the y were bound , .
She then saw the captain knit his brow ; a young an d

handsome fem ale who lean t upon him looked at him wi th
di sdainful lip an d angry eye Phoebus then utte red a f e w
words which she was to o far o ff to hear both has til y re
,
tired from the balcon y into the room , and the windo w was
i mm edi ately clos ed .
Phtreb u s cried she wildly dost thou too beli eve ,
it ? A horrible idea had j ust flashed upon her She re .
collected that she had been condemned for the murder o f

C ap tai n Phce b u s de C hateaupers She h ad ho m e up thus .
far against every thing Thi s last shock was too violen t
. .
She fell senseless upon the p avemen t .
”
C ome ! said C harm ol u e carry her to the ca rt, an d ,
”
let us make an end o f the business !
N o pers on h ad yet obse r ved in the gallery o f the roy al
sta tues, i mmedia te ly abo ve the poi n ted arches of the p orch ,
x 3
310 T H E H U NC H B A CK OF NOT RE D AM E - .
a s tran ge l ooking s p ectator who had till then been watch

-
,
ing all that passed with atti tude s o mo tionless head so ou t

, ,
.
stretch ed visage s o deformed, that, but for his a pparel

, ,
h alf red and half purple he might h ave been take n for o ne
,
o f those stone mon sters at whose mouth s the long gutters

,
o f the cathed ral have f o r these six hundr ed years disgorged
themselves This s p ec tator had no t lost a single in ciden t

.
o f the tragedy that had been acting ever since noon before
the porch o f N o ne —D ame ; an d in the very first m omen ts

he had unob s erved securely ti ed to o ne of the sm all
, ,
p ill ars o f the gallery a knotted rope th e end o f whi ch ,
reached the pavement This done, he had set himself to

.
watch as quie tly as before hi ssing from time to time at the

,
j ac kdaws as they flew past him All at once at the m o .

,
’
ment when the executioner s assista nts were preparing tti
obey the phl egmatic order o f C harm ol u e he strode across ,
the balustr ade o f the gal lery sei zed the rope with feet , ,
knees and h ands glided down the fa cade hke a drop o f

, ,
rain down a pane o f glass ; ran up to the two men wit h

the swiftness o f a cat that has fall en from a roof ; felled
I
f
both o them to the groun d with his enormous fists ; ,bore
o ff the E gyp tian o n o n e arm as a girl would her doll an d , ,
at o ne boun d he was in the church holdi ng up the young ,
girl above his head and shouting wi th terri fic voice

”
San c tuary ! san ctuary ! This was all done wi th the
rap idi ty of l ightning .
'
Sanctuary ! s an ctuary rep eated the m ob and the clap ,
p ing of te n thousand hands cau se d Quasimodo s only eye ’
to sparkle wi th j oy and exul tati on .
This shock brought La E smeralda to her senses She .
opened her eyes, looked at Quasimodo and instantly closed ,
them again as i f horror s tri cken at the sight o f her de

,
-
l i vere r.
C harm ol u e stood s tu p ifie d the executioners and so di d

t he whole escort ‘ the walls o f N otre Dame the
Vi thin .
-
prison er was secure from molestation The cathedral was .
a place of refuge Human j usti ce dare d n ot cross i ts

.
threshold .
Quasimodo paused under the great porch His larg e .
f eet seemed as firmly rooted in the pavement o f the chur ch

r rm
'
H UNC H B A C K or NO T R E D A ME - . 311
as the m as sive Roman pillars H is huge head with i ts .

,
p rofu se covering o f hair appea red to be thrust do wn in to ,
his shoulders like that o f the l ion which t oo has a c 0pi

, , , ,
o u s mane and no neck He held the d amsel, palpitating

.
all over hangi ng from his horn y h an ds hke a whi te dr a

,
pery ; b u t he { carried her with as much care as i f he was

fearful o f bruising or di sturbing her He fel t you would .
,
ha ve thought that a thing so delicate so exquisi te so pre

, , ,
cions was n ot m ade for such hands as his At times he

, .
l ooked as though he dared not touch her even with his

breath T hen all at once he woul d clasp her closely in
.
, ,
his arms against his angular b osom as hi s treasure as his

, , ,
all as the mother o f that girl wo u ld hersel f have done

, .
His cyclop eye ben t down upon her shed over her a flood ,
o f tenderness o f pity of grief and was suddenly raise d

, , ,
flashing l ightning At this sigh t the women l aughed an d

.
cri ed ; the crowd stamped wi th enthusiasm for at tha t ,
m oment Quasimodo was really beautiful Yes he was beau .

,
ti ful — he that orphan that foundl ing that outcast ; he

, , ,
felt himself august and strong he looked in the face that

s ociety fr om which he was banished and from whi ch he
,
h ad made so sign al a con quest ; that human j us tice fro m

which he had snatched its vi cti m those j udges those ,
executioners all that force o f the K ing s which he the

,
’
, ,
meanest of the mean had foiled wi th the fo r ce o f God !

,
And then ho w touching was th at protection a ff o rded by

,
a being so deformed to a being so unfortunate as the girl

condemned to die and sa ved by Quasimodo ! I t was the
t wo extreme miseries o f N ature and society meeti ng an d
assisting each other .
After a triumph o f a f e w minutes however Quasimodo , ,
hastened in to the i nte rior o f the chu r ch with hi s bu r den .
The people fond of d aring deeds followed hi m wi th thei r

, ,
eyes along the dusky nave reg r etting that he had so ,
soon withdrawn himself from their acclamation s All .
at once he was again descried at o ne of the ext r emities

o f the gall ery of the ki ngs of France he ran along i t like ,
a maniac holding up his pri ze in his arms and shouting

, ,
San ctuary The populace greeted hi m wi th fresh ap

pianse Havin g traversed the gallery he again penetrated
.
,
x 4
r a n n u rtcn a a cx or N O TR E D A ME
-
. 313
BO O K VI I I .
C H A PT E R I .
A H I GH F E V ER .
CLA U DE F R OL LO was n o longer in N otre D ame when his -

,
foster s on cut thus abru p tly the fatal n oose in which the
-
unhappy archdeacon had caught the E gyptian and was ,
himself caught O n return in g to the sacri sty he had

.
stripped o ff the alb the cope and th e stole thrown them

, , ,
all in to the hands of the s tu ifi

p e d bed el hurried ou t at the ,
pri vate door o f the cloisters ordered a bo atman o f the Ter

,
rai n to carry hi m acros s the river an d wandered amon g ,
the hilly streets of the U niversity m eeting at every step

.
parti es o f men and women hastening j oyously toward the

,
Pon t St ; M ichel ,
in hopes o f being in time to see the s or
ceress h anged Pal e and haggard blinded and m ore be ,
wildered than o wl let loo se and pursued by a tr00 p o f boys

in b r oad daylight he knew not where he was what he did
, , ,
whether he was awake or dreamin g He walked he ran .

, ,
h eedl ess whither takin g an y s tr eet at random still driven

, ,
on ward by the Gr eve the horrible Gr eve which he

, ,
vaguely knew to be b ehind him .
I n this m anner he pursued his way alon g the hill o f St .
Gen evi eve and left the town by the gate of St Vi ctor So
,
. .
long as he coul d see o n turning ro und the line o f towers

, ,
en closing the U niversity and the scattered houses o f the

,
suburb he con tinued to flee ; but when at leng th the

, , ,
i nequali ty o f the ground had comple tely shut o u t that

hate ful Paris from his view when he could fan cy himself
,
a hundr ed leagues o ff, in the co u n try i n a desert he , ,
paused an d felt as though he breathed on ce mo re .
A crowd o f frightful ideas then rushed u po n hi s m ind .
H e sa w pl ain l y in to the recesses o f his soul and shuddered ,

.
3 14 T H E H U N C H B A CK OF N OT RE D A ME -
'
He thought o f that unhappy girl who had undone him ,
and whom he had undone With haggard eye he followed

.
.
the double winding way along whi ch fatality had urged

their two destinies to the point of intersection where i t ,
had pitilessly dashed them against one another He though t .
of the folly o f eternal vows o f the vanity o f chastity , ,
scien ce religion and virtue o f the uselessness o f God H e

, , ,
.
wilful ly plunged into e vil thoughts and as he immers e d ,
him self in them he felt a satanic laugh arising within hi m .
And when while thus diving into his soul he saw how
, ,
large a space nature had there prepa r ed for the passions ,

he laughed still more bitte r ly H e stirred u p from the .
bottom o f his heart all its hatred and all its malignity
an d he perceived wi th the cold in di fferen ce o f a physician
,
examining a patient that this hatred and this m al ignity

,
were but vitiated lo ve ; that love the sour ce o f every ,
virtue in man was transformed into hor r id things i n the

,
heart o f a priest an d that o ne so con stituted as he in

,
m aking himself a p r iest m ade himself a demon He then .
laughed more hideously than ever and all at once he again ,
turned pale on considering the da r kest side o f his fatal pas .
sion that corroding venomous ran corous implacable love ,

, , , ,
whi ch had consigned the o ne to the gallows the other to

hell whi ch had ended in her condemnation in his ,
damnation .
An d then he laughed again on bethinking him that

Phoebus was not dead that he was still ali ve gay an d , ,
j oyous ; that he had a smarter uniform than ever and a ,
new mistress whom he took to see the old one hanged H e .
laughed still mo r e heartily o n reflecting that among all the ,
li ving beings whose death he ha d wished for the E gyp ,
tian the only creature whom he did not hate was also the
, ,
only o ne who had not escaped him .
From the captai n his thoughts turned to the populace ,
and he con ceived a j ealousy o f an unhea r d of kind H e - .
bethought him that the crowd the en tire population o f ,
Paris had beheld the female whom he loved stripped al

,
most naked He wrung his hands on reflecting that this

.
female a glimpse o f whom i n the dusk to him self alone

, ‘
would have been supreme hap p iness had been exhibited in ,

rm : m mcu a a cx or NO T RE D A ME
- . 315
the broad face o f day to the popul ace undres sed as for a ,
night o f volup tuous enj oymen t H e wept for rage at all

.
those mys te ries o f love ex posed profaned sullied wi thered

, , ,
f or ever. He wept for rage o n thin king ho w man y lecher

o u s eyes had gloated o n the open boso m o f that singl e
garm ent ; and that the beaute ous girl that virgin li ly that , ,
c up o f modesty and del ight to which he dared not pu t hi s

,
l ips wi thout trembling had been tran sformed as i t were,

, ,
in to a public bucket ou t of whi ch the vilest o f the rabbl e

,
o f Paris thieves mendicants v agabonds lackeys had

, , , , ,
d run k together draughts o f unhallowed impure depraved , ,
p le asure .
An d when he strove to picture to himself the felicity

which he migh t have found upon earth if she had not bee n
a B ohemian an d if he had no t been a priest i f t
,
hus ,
had not exi sted and i f she had not loved him when he
,
con sidered that a life o f sereni ty and affection might

have been possible for hi m also even for hi m that at , ,
that very moment there were here an d there on the earth

,
happy couples engaged in fon d converse i n orange groves -

,
o n the banks o f m urmuring s tr eams in the presence of a

,
setting sun o r of a starry sky ; and th at had i t pleased

, ,
God he might have formed wi th her o ne o f those blessed

,
couples his heart d issolved in tende r ness and despai r

, .
She formed the subj ect o f hi s every thought I t was .
this fixed idea that haun ted hi m incessan tly that tor tu r ed ,
him that racked his brain and gnawed hi s Vitals He

, ,
.
felt no t regret he felt not remorse : all that he had done

he was ready to do again : he woul d rather see her in the
.
hands o f the hangm an than in the arm s of the captain .
B ut so acute was hi s anguish that at times he tore o ff his

hai r by handfuls .
There was o ne moment among others when i t came into

his mind that possibly at that very instan t the hideous ch ai n
which he had seen in the morning migh t b e d r awing i ts
iron noose around that neck so slender an d so gracefu l .
Thi s idea made the pe r spiration start from every pore .
There was another momen t when laughing diaboli call y ,
at him self the while his im agination r epresented to him

,
at once La E smeral da as on the first day he had seen her,

,
rs a
'
H U N OH B A OK o r NO T RE D A ME - . 3 17
appeared like a star the gibbet like an enormous fle shl e s s

,
arm .
I t is rem arkable that during the whole o f this tor ture

, ,
he never conceived any serious idea o f putti ng an end to

himself The w r etched m an was tenacious of li fe I t
. .
i s possible that he really saw hell ready to receive him

a fterwards .
The day m eanwhile continued to decline The living .
principle which stil l existed within him began to think

confusedly of returning He con ceived that he was far .
from Pari s but on examining the obj ects around he found

, , ,
t hat he ha d turned short after passing the bounds o f the

U ni versity . The steeple of St Sulpice and the three tal l .
spires of St Germain des Prés sh ot up above the hori zon

.
o n his right H e p r oceeded in that direction

. When he .
heard the challenge o f the men a t arm s of the abbo t aroun d - -
the embattled ci r cu m vallation o f St Germain he turn ed .

,
o ff took a path which presen ted i tself between the abbey

,
mill and the lazar house of the hamlet and presently foun d
-
,
himsel f o n the margin o f the Pré aux C lercs Thi s mea - - .
dow was celebrated for the squabbles which took place

there night and day ; i t was s o saith the ch roni cler the , ,
hydr a of the poo r monks of St Germain The archdeacon . .
was app r ehensive lest he should mee t some o ne : he was

afr aid o f every human face : he h ad avoided the U ni versity
an d the hamlet of St Germ ain : he wished to make i t as
.
late as possible before he en tered the stree ts He p ro .
ce ed e d along the Pr é aux C lercs to ok the lonely path whic h

- -
,
sepa r ated it from the Di eu N euf and at length reached ,

’
the bank o f the ri ver There Do m C laude found a boat
.
man who f or a few deniers took him up the Seine to the

,
point o f the C ity an d set him ashore upon that vacant

,
tongue o f land where the reader has al r eady seen G r ingoire

,
’
pondering and which exte nded beyond the king s gardens
,
parallel with the isle o f the cattle —ferryman .
The mon o tonous rocking o f the boat and the murmur o f

the water had s omewhat lulle d the w retched C laude Whe n .
the boat m an had left him he rem ained standing stupidly ,
upon the strand looking straight forward All the obj ects
, .
he be held seemed to dance before his eyes forming a sort ,

318 wa s H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME
- .
of p hantasmagoria I t is no uncomm on thing for the

.
f atigue o f excessive grief to produce this e ff ect upo n the

m ind .
The sun had s e t behind the tal l tower o f Nesle I t was .
j ust twilight The sky was white the water o f the ri ver
.
wa s whi te an d between these the left bank of the Seine ,
u pon which his eyes were fixed extended i ts sombre mass,

,
which , graduall y diminished by the perspective pierced ,
the haze o f the horizon like a b l ack arrow I t was covered

'
with houses o f which n othin g was d istinguishable but the

,
obscure profile sta nding ou t in s trong rel ief in the dark

,
from the ligh t gr ound o f the sky and th e water Lights .
began to glimmer here an d there in the windows Thi s .
i mmense black obelisk thus bounded by the two white

,
sh eets o f the sky and the river o f great breadth at thi s

,
p lace produced o n D om C laude a singular e ff ect which

, ,
may be compared with that which would be experien ce d

by a man lying down o n his back at the foot o f the s teeple
o f Strasburg cathedral and looking at i ts enorm ous shaft
,
p iercing abo ve his head the penumbra o f the t wilight :

only in this case C laude was standing an d the obelisk lying .
B ut as the river in reflecting the sky lengthened the abyss

, , ,
be neath hi m the immen se prom ontory shot forth in to

,
s pace like any church —steeple and the impression was the
,
same That impression was rendered the more s tri k i ng

.
and ex traordinary by the circumsta n ce that this steeple was

t wo l eagues high a colossal immeasurable unparalleled
, ,
o bject ; a tower o f B abel ; an edi fi ce such as human eye
never beheld T he chimneys o f the houses the battle

.
,
m ents o f the w all s the angles o f the roofs the steeple o f

, ,
the Augustines the Tower o f Nesle all those sali en t points

, ,
which inden ted the profile o f the immen se obelisk heigh t ,

.
ened the illusion by presenting to the eye a grotes que

semblan ce o f the fretwork o f a ri ch and fan tastic sculpture .
C laude i n the state o f hallu cination in whi ch he then was ,

,
f an cied that he saw sa w with his bo dily eyes — the
t ower o f hell : the thousand li gh ts gleaming from bottom

to to p o f thi s frightfu l tower appeared to hi m s o man y en o
tr an ces to the im mense furn ace within and the voi ces and
s ounds which issu ed from it, the S hrieks an d moan s o f the
r ns
'
n o ncs s a cx or N O T R E D A ME
- . 319
da mned A deep fear came o ver him b e c overed his

.
ea rs with his hands that he migh t no t hear tu rned his ,
back that he migh t not see and hurried away from the ,
terrible vision B ut the vision was within him

. .
O n ente ring the str eets, the p assengers who j ostl ed o ne

a no ther by the light o f the shop fronts appeared like spec tres -
in cessantly going an d coming around him Strange noises .
rang in his ears extraordinary fancies di sturbed his mind .
H e saw neither houses n or pavemen t neither men women , , ,
nor carriages but a chaos o f confused objects blen ding o ne

,
with another At the corner o f the R ue de la B arill e rie

.
there was a grocer s shop the penthouse o f whi ch was hung

,
al l along according to immemori al custom with tin hoops

, , ,
to which were attached imita tion candles o f wood : th e se,

being shaken by the wind clattered like castanets ,
He .
im agined that he heard the skeletons o f M ontfauco n clash

ing together in the dark .
Oh mut tered he the night wi nd i s dr i ving them

,
.
o ne against ano ther and mingling the clank o f their chains

,
wi th the rattling of their bones She is there to o p erhaps, .

,
a mong them
D istracted he knew not whither he went P resen tl y he

, .
was u pon the P on t St M ichel He perceived a ligh t in the

. .
window o f a ground floo r roo m : he approached it Through

-
.
a cracked pane he beheld a mean apartment which awakened ,
co nfused re collections i n his mind I n this apartmen t, .
f ain tly li ghted by a lamp he saw a fair fresh colo u red jo

, ,
-
,
v i al looking youth
- who loudly laughing the while was
, , ,
to ying wi th a young female whose dress was far from m o

dest and near the lamp was seated an ol d woman spinni ng
a nd singing o r rather squall ing
, a song I n the interval s , .
when the laughter ceas ed snatches o f the o l d woman s

’
s ong reached the ear o f the pries t : the tenour o f i t was
f rightful and not very inte l ligible .
The ol d woman was Fal ou rd el the girl was a prosti tute , ,
a nd the youth was his brother Jehan He continued to .
wa t ch them H e saw Jehan go to a window at the farther

.
en d o f the room open i t and loo k ou t on the qu ay where

, , ,
a thousand illumined windows glan ced in the distan ce and

he heard him say whil e shutting the window
’
Po n m y
TH E H U N OH B A OK or N O T RE D A M E
- . 321
silver cros s glistened ami d the gl oom dotted with sparkl ing ,
points like the milky way o f thi s sepulchral nigh t T he

,
- .
tall windows o f the choir showed abo ve the black drapery

the upper ext r emity of their pointed arch e s the panes o f ,
which admitting a fain t ray o f m oonlight had but those

, ,
doubtful colours o f night a sort o f violet whi te and blue

, , , ,
the tin t o f which is elsewhere foun d only o n the faces o f

the dead The archdeacon percei ving all around the choir
.
,
these li vid p oin ts o f arches fan cied that he beheld a ci rcle

,
o f ghastly faces s taring at him .
With hurried ste p he began to flee across the church .
I t then seemed to hi m that the ch urch too moved breathed , ,
li ved th at each massive colum n was tran sfo r m ed in to an

enormous leg stamping the groun d wi th its broad s tone foo t
, ,
and that the giganti c cathedral was but a sort o f prodi giou s
elephant pu ffing and w al king wi th pil lars for legs th e
, , ,
t wo to wers f o r trunks an d the i mmense shee t o f black

,
cloth for a cap a rison .
Thus the fever o r the phren sy o f the wretched priest had

attained su ch a degree o f intensity that to him the extern al
world was but a kind o f Apocal yp se visible p alpable ter , , ,
fic
ri .
For a m oment he fel t somewhat relieved O n en tering .
o ne o f the aisles he percei ved a reddish ligh t behi nd a clus
ter o f pillars He ran towards i t as towards a star I t was

. .
the petty lamp whi ch night and day threw a dim light o n
the publi c breviary o f N o ne D ame beneath i ts iron grat -
,
ing . He hurri ed to the sacred book in h0pes o f finding ,
i n it some consolation or encouragement I t was ope n .
at this passage o f Job which caught his fixed eye

, Then ,
a spiri t passed before m y face and the hair o f m y flesh ,
s tood up .
O n reading thi s fearful text , he felt much the same as a

b lind man who se fingers are pricked by the sta ff whi ch he
h as pi ck e d up His knees failed hi m , an d he sank upon
.
the pavemen t thinking o f her who had that day su ff ered

,
death Such volumes o f blasti ng vapours en veloped hi s

.
brain th at i t seemed as i f his head had been turned into

o ne o f the chi mneys o f hell .
He must have remained for a l ong ti me in th is a tti tude ,
Y
3 22 T H E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME
- .
n either thinking n or feeling helpless an d passi ve in the ,
h an d o f the daemon At length recovering som e degree

.
,
of consciousness he though t o f seeking refuge in the

,
tower near his t rusty Quasimodo

,
He rose and being .
, ,
afraid he took the lamp o f the breviary to ligh t hi m Thi s

,
.
w as a sacrilege but he n o longer regarded such a trifle

as th at .
He slowly ascended the staircase of the tower filled ,
with a secret dread , whi ch was com municated to the passen

gers who no w an d then crossed the Parvis o n seeing the ,
m ysterious ligh t of his lamp m oun ting so l a te from loop

hole to loophole to the top o f the tower .
All at once he felt a cool air upon his face and foun d ,
hi mself u nder the door way o f the uppermost gallery -

.
The night was cold The sky was mottled with clouds
.
,
the la r ge whi te masses of which o verlapping each other ,
at the edges and being comp ressed at the corners resem

, ,
bled the i ce o f a ri ver that has broken up i n winter The .
crescent m oon imbedded in those clouds looked like a

, ,
celestial shi p surrounded by these a eri al sheets o f i ce .
H e cast down his eye between the iron railing of the

dwarf colo nn ade which unites the two towers and for a ,
m oment contemplated through the veil o f mist and smoke

the vast exten t o f the roofs o f Paris sharp countless , , ,
cr owded together an d small a s the ripples of a c al m sea in

,
a sum mer night The moon gave bu t a fain t li ght whi ch

.
,
i mparted an ashy tin t to earth and sky .
At this m oment the clock raised its loud and solemn

voice .I t was mi dnight The p r iest thought o f n oon .
i t wa s again twelve o clock Oh ’

muttered he to him .
self ,
she must be cold by this time
All at on ce a gust o f win d extinguished hi s lam p and ,
at the same momen t he saw something whi te , a shade a ,
human form a female appear at the opposi te angle of the

, ,
tower He shuddered
. B y the side o f this female there
.
was a little goat whi ch mi ngled her bleating with the last
,
ton es o f the bell He had the courage to look at her

.
’
twas she herself
She was pale ; she was sad Her hai r fell over he r .
shoul ders, as in the mornin g b u t th ere was no ro p e about

TH E H UNC H B A CK or N OT RE D AM E - . 3 23
her neck her h ands were not bound she was fre e s he ,
w as de ad .
She was habited in white and had a whi te veil over he r

,
head .She came towards hi m slowly looking up at the ,
sky and fo l lowed by the supernatu r al goat He wa s

,
.
petri fied : he would have fled but was unable Al l h e ,

.
co u ld do was to recede a step for every o ne that she a d

,
v a nce d He retreated i n this manner ti ll he was beneath

.
the dark vault o f the s taircase H is blood curdled at the

.
idea that she migh t perh a ps come that way to o i f she had ,
he must have died o f frigh t .
She did i n fact approach so nea r as the door o f th e

stai rcase where she paused for a f e w m oments she cast a
,
fixed look into the darkness but without appearing to dis

,
cern the priest and passed on , She seemed to him taller

.
than when al ive ; he sa w the m oonshin e through her

white robe he heard her b r ea th .
When she w as gone he began to descend the stairs as

,
slowly as he had seen the spectre m ove H o r ror stricken .

-
,
hi s hair erect still holding the ex tingui shed lamp in his

,
hand he fan cied himself a spectre ; a nd while descendi ng

, ,
the winding stairs he heard a voi ce laughin g an d repeat

, ,
ing distinctly in hi s ear A spiri t pa ssed before m y face

, ,
”
and the hai r of m y fles h stood up .
C HAPT E R I I .
TH E SANC T U A RY .
IN the middl e ages every town and till the time o f Lo ui s

,
X I I every to wn in Fran ce ha d its san ctu ar ies Amid the

.
,
.
deluge of penal laws an d barbarous j urisdiction s whi ch ia

undated that di vi sion o f Pa r is whi ch we have speci all y
called the C ity these sanctuaries were a kind o f islands
, ,
whi ch rose above the level of human j ustice E very cri .
x 2
TH E H U N OH B A C K or NO T RE D A ME
-
. 3 25
S t D e nis
.
,
The churches had i n general a cell appropri ated to the

re cepti on o f fugi ti ves I n 1 407 N icolas Fl a m el had
.
,
built f o r s uch pers on s in the church o f St Jacques de la

,
.
B oucherie a chambe r whi ch cost him four li vres six sous

,
sixteen deniers parisis .
A t N otre D ame i t wa s a sm all cell on the to p o f the

-
aisle under the flyin g butt r esses facing the clois ters o n
, , ,
the very spot where the wife of the presen t keeper of the
towers has m ade herself a garden which is to the h anging ,
gardens o f B abylon what a lettuce i s to a palm tree o r a -

,
po r t ress to Semi r amis .
He r e i t was that after hi s wild and triumphan t cour se

,
th r ough towers an d galleries Quasimodo deposi ted La ,
E sme r al da SO long as this race lasted the damsel had

.
,
n o t reco vered he r senses : h alf s tu pified h alf awake she , ,
was sen sible of nothing but that she was m oun ting in to
the ai r that she was floatin g flying in i t that some
, , ,
thi ng was lifting he r above the ea rth Fro m ti me to .
ti me she heard the loud laugh and the ha r sh voi ce o f

Quasimodo at her ear ; she Opened her eyes an d then ,
beneath her she confusedly saw Paris speckled wi th i ts

t housand roofs o f slate an d tile like red and blue m osai c ,
work and ab o v e he r head the hideous bu t j oyful face o f

, ,
Quasimodo Again her eyes closed she imagined that all

.
was over that she had been executed during her swoon
, ,
and th at the deformed spiri t wh o had governed her destin y
had sei zed and bo r ne her away .
B u t when the panting bell ringer had laid her down in the
-
cell o f sa n ctuary when she felt hi s huge hands gen tly loo s
,
i ng the cord that galled her arms s b e experien ced th at kind ,
o f shock which abruptly waken s those on board a ship tha t
run s aground in the mi ddl e of a dark nigh t H er ideas .
awoke also and return ed to her o ne by one She sa w that .
s he was in the chu r ch

; she recollected having been snatched
o u t o f the hand of the executioner that Phoebus was ali ve ,
an d that he no longer loved her an d the s e t wo ideas one ,
O f whi ch imp ar ted such bitterness to the o ther presen ting ,
t hems el ves at once to the poor girl she turn ed towards ,
Y 3
3 26 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
Qu asimodo who remained stan ding beside her an d whose

, ,
aspect frigh tened her sayin g Why did you save me

, ,
H e looked anxiously at her as if stri ving to guess what ,
sh e said She repeated the question

. H e then cast on .
her a look deeply sorrowful and withdrew She was los t

, .
i n astonishmen t .
A few m oments afterwards he returned bringing a bun ,
dle whi ch he laid at her feet I t contained apparel whi ch.
charitable women had left f or her at the door o f the

church She then cast down her eyes at herself saw that
.
,
s he was almost n aked an d blushed Life had fully returned

,
. .
Quasimodo seemed to parti cipate i n this feeling o f m odesty .
C o vering hi s face with his large hand he again retired but , ,
wi th slow step .
She hasten ed to d r ess herself I t was a white robe with .
a whi te ve i l — the habi t o f a novice o f the H Otel Dieu .
She had sca r cely finished before Quasimodo return ed H e .
brough t a basket under one arm an d a m attress u nder the

othe r . The basket con tained a bottle bread an d som e , ,
other provisions H e set down the basket an d said

.
, ,
E at H e spread the m attress o n the floor and said , ,
Sleep I t was his o wn dinner his o wn bed that the , ,
bell —ringer had b r ough t her .
T he E gyptian l ifted her eyes to his face to thank hi m

bu t she could not utter a word The poor fellow w as ah .
s o l u tel
y hideou s She d r ooped her head with a thrill o f
.
h orror . Ah said he I frigh ten you I see ,

I am ,
.
u gly enough God wo t ,

D o n ot look at but only hearke n
.
,
to, me I n the daytim e y ou sh all stay here ; at n igh t

.
you can walk about all over the church B ut stir n ot a .
s tep ou t o f i t either by nigh t o r by day o r they wil l catch ,

”
yo u an d kill you an d i t wi l l be the d eath o f m e
,
.
M o ved at this add r ess she raised her head to reply , ,
but he was gone O n ce m ore she was alone pondering

.
,
o n the singular words o f this a l m o s t g and

M S
W ?
,
s truck by the tone o f his voi ce at once s o ars and so ,
gen tle .
She then began to exam in e her cell I t was a ch ambe r .
som e six feet square with a small apertu r e for a window

, ,
a nd a door Openin g upon the sligh tly in cl ined plane of the

.
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A M E - . 327
roof composed o f fla t stones

,
Several gutters term inatin g
.
,
in heads of animal s seemed to ben d down over i t an d to

, ,
stretch out their necks to look in at the hole O n a level .
wi th its roof she perceived a thousand chimney tops dis -

,
gorging the smoke o f all the fires o f Paris M elan choly .
prospect for the p oor E gyptian a foun dl ing rescued fro m

, ,
the gal lows an unfortun ate youn g creature who had ,
neither coun try n or family nor home !

, ,
At the moment when the idea o f her forlorn situation

wrung her heart mo r e keenly than ever s he felt a h airy ,
sh a g gy head rubbing against her hands an d her knees She .
shuddered every thing no w ala r med her an d looked .
I t was the poor goat the nimble Dj ali which ha d escape d

, ,
along wi th her at the m omen t when Quasim odo disperse d

’
C ha rm ol u e s brigade and had been at her feet nearly an
,
hour lavi shi ng caresses on her mistress withou t Obtainin g

, ,
a single glance The E gyptian covered the fond anim al

with ki sses . O Dj ali said she ho w I h ave for ,
gotten thee ! An d yet thou thinkest o f m e Thou for

"
.
,
thy part at least art n ot ungr ateful

, , At the same time
.
,
as if an in vi sible han d h ad rem oved the obstru ction which

had so lo n g r epressed her tears she began to weep and as
, , ,
the big d rOp s t r ickled down her cheeks she felt the keen ,
es t an d bitterest portion o f her sorrows leavi ng her along

with them .
E vening cam e o n The nigh t was s o beautifu l the

.
,
m oonlight so soft that she ventured to take a turn in the

,
high gallery which run s round the ch u rch She felt some .
what refreshed by her walk s o calm di d the e arth appear to

,
her, behel d from th at elevation .

m s H UNCH B A CK os NO T RE D A ME - . 3 29
her his whole face sh one with j oy and tendern ess

,
She .
woul d have made him go in to her cel l bu t he insisted o n

" ,
staying at her threshold N o no said he the o wl

.
, , ,
”
never en ters the nest o f the lark .
She then seated herself gracefull y on her bed wi th her ,
goat at her feet B oth remained for som e minu tes

.
m otionless contemplating i n silen ce he so much beauty

, , ,
s he so mu ch ugliness E very momen t she discove r ed i n

.
Quasimodo som e new deformity He r look wandered .
from his knock knees to his hun chback from his hun ch
-
,
back to his only eye She could no t con ceive ho w a

.
creature so awkwardly put together could exi st A t the .
same time an air o f su ch sadness and gentleness pervaded

his whole figure th at s he began to be recon ciled with i t
, .
He was the fi rs t to break s ilen ce D id you no t c all .
”
me back P said he .
Yes replied she with a no d o f a ffi r m ation ,

.
H e unde r stoo d the sign Alas ! said he as i f he

"
.
,
s i ta ting to fi nish
yo u must know I am d eaf
, ,
.
Poor fell ow exclaimed the B ohemian with an ex ,
p ression of pi ty .
He smiled sadly You think nothing else was wan t

. .
’
ing don t you ? Yes I am deaf That is the way in
, ,
.
which I am se r ved I t i s terrible is i t no t

. while you ,
— you are so beautiful

The tone o f the poor fellow conveyed su ch a profoun d
feeli ng of his wretchedness that she had not the heart to
u tte r a word B esides he would n ot have heard her He
.
, .
then resumed N ever till no w was I aware how hideous

I am . When I compa r e m yself wi th you I cannot hel p ,
p itying m yself poor unhappy m on s ter that I am I must

,
appear to you like a b eas t Y o u you are a sunbeam a

’
.. , ,
’
drop o f de w a bird s song !
,
I I am something fright ,
ful neither m an nor bru te something harder m o r e shape

, , ,
”
l ess and more t r ampled upon than a flint
, ,
.
He the n laughed and scarcely co uld there be augh t in

,
the world m o r e cutting than this laugh He continued .
Yes I am deaf : but you will speak to me by ges tures

, ,
by signs I have a m as ter who talks to m e in tha t way

. .
330 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
An d then I shall soon know your meaning from the m o

,
ti on o f your lips from your look

" .
,
Well then
”
repli ed she smiling “ tell m e wh y you
, ,
h a ve saved me ?
H e looked stedfastly at her while s he spoke .
”
I unders tand rej oined he : ,
you ask m e why I saved
yo u. Y ou have forgotten a wretch who attemp ted one
night to carry you o ff a wretch to whom the ve r y nex t
, ,
day you brought relief o n the ignominious pillory

,
A .
draugh t o f water and a look o f pity are m ore than I coul d

repay wi th m y li fe You h ave forgotten that wretch
.
bu t he has no t fo r gotten .
She listened to him wi th deep em otion A tear starte d .
into the eye o f the b elL ringe r but i t di d n ot fall He , .
”
appeared to m ake a poin t o f repressing it L ook you , .
he again began when h e n o longer feared lest that tear

,
should escape him we have very high towers here ;

,
a m an fal ling from o n e o f the m would be dead almost b e

fore he reached the pavemen t When you wish to be .
rid o f m e tell m e to throw m yself from the top — you

,
”
have but to say the word nay a look will be su ffi cien t ,
.
He then rose U nhappy as was the B ohemian thi s

.
,
grotesque being awakened compassion even i n her She .
m ade him a sign to stay .
”
N o n o said he,
, ,
I mus t n ot stay too l ong I d o .
n o t feel comfortable I t i s o u t o f pi ty that you do n ot

.
turn your eyes from me I will seek some place where

.
I can look at you with out your seeing me : that will be

better .
He drew from hi s pocket a sm all metal whistle Take .
”
thi s said he
,
when you wan t me when you wish m e ,
to come when you have the courage to see m e whistle

, ,
”
with this I sh al l hear that sound
. .
H e laid the whistle o n the floor a nd re tired ,

.
rm : H UNCH B A C K 01a N O T R E D A ME
- . 33 1
C HAPT E R I V .
E A R TH EN W A R E AND C R Y S TAL .
T I ME passed o n Tranquilli ty returned by degree s to the

.
soul o f La E smeral da E x ces si m g u e fi l i ke e m ssmu gy

.
,
i s to o violent [p i g gy The human heart cann ot con tinue

long i n either extremity The B ohemian had su ff ered so
.
much that o f the feeli ngs she had lately experienced asto
, , ,
nis hm e n t al one was left .
Along with security h 0pe began to revive wi thin her .
S he was o u t o f so ciety o u t of li fe bu t she had a vagu e

, ,
feeling that i t migh t no t be impossible for her to return to

them . She was like o ne dead keeping i n reserve a key to ,
her tomb .
The ter r ible i mages which h ad so long haunted her

were leaving her by degrees All the hideous ph antom s .
,
Pie r rat T o rte ru e Jacques C ha rm ol u e had faded fr om her

, ,
mind al l of them even the priest himse l f An d then

, .
,
Ph oebus was yet living : she was sure of i t she had seen
hi m. T o her the life of Phoebus was eve r y thing After .
the series o f fatal sho cks whi ch had laid waste all her
a ff ection s she had found but one sen timen t i n her soul
,
whi ch they had not o ve r thrown — he r love f o r the cap tain .
deepl y i n to n u r whole bein an d f re u cOH

M ?
be green i v w And the re 1 8 this unac

'
countable circum stance attending i t that the blinder that ,
passion the mo r e ten acious it is N ever is i t s tronger than .
when i t is most unreasonable .
N o doubt La E smeralda di d no t think o f the capta i n

w ithout pain N o doubt it was terrible that he too should
.
h ave m ade such a mistake that he too should have though t,
the thing possible that he to o shoul d have believed the

,
wound to be inflicted by o ne who wo u ld have gi ven a

thousand li ves for his sake S till there was no great reaso n
.
rm: H U N C H B A OK o r NO T RE D A M E
- . 3 33
bu t chasten ed with m ore sedateness m or e repo se Her ,

.
former character returned also — even somewhat o f her

cheerfulness her pretty pout her fondness for her goat
, ,
an d f o r sin ging an d her modesty I n the mornin g she

,
.
sh runk into a corner o f her cell to dress herself lest an y ,
inmate o f the neighbouring garrets should espy her through

the windo w .
When the though ts o f Phoebus allowed her ti me the ,
E gypti an would sometimes think o f Quasim odo H e wa s .
the only bond the only link the only communi cation
, , ,
th at was left her with m ankind with the living T he u n ,

.
fortun ate girl was more completely cu t o ff from the world

than Quasimodo As for the strange friend whom chance
.
had given her she knew not what to make o f hi m

,
She .
w ould frequentl y reproach he r self f o r n ot feel ing su fficien t

gra titude to blind her to his imperfec tion s ; bu t decidedl y
she could n ot accustom herself to the p oor bel l ringer H e - .
was to o hideous .
She had left o n the fl o or the whistl e that he had give n

her Quasi modo nevertheless looked in from time to
.
, ,
time o n the succeeding days

,
She strove as m uch as she
.
could to con ce al her aversion when he brough t her th e ,
basket o f provision s o r the pitche r o f water bu t he was

sur e to perceive the sli gh test m ovemen t o f that kind and ,
the n he wen t so r rowfully away .
O ne day h e came j ust at the momen t when she was

,
fondling Dj ali For a while he s too d full of though t b e

.
fore the graceful group o f the goat and the E gyptian A t

"
.
length shakin g his huge misshapen head : M y misfortune

, ,
said he , i s that I am too much like a human creature .
Would to God that I had been a downrigh t beast, like that

goat
She cast o n him a look o f astonishmen t Oh he .
replied to that look wel l do I know wh y and i mme ,
di a te l y retired .
Another time when he cam e to the door of the cell

, ,
whi ch he never entered La E sme ralda was singing an ol d

,
Spanish b allad : she knew not the meaning of th e words ,
but i t dwelt upon her ear be cause the Bohemian women had
l ulled her with it when qui te a child At the abrupt ap .
3 34 T H E H UN C H B A CK O F N O T RE D A ME -
.
p e ar an ce of
that ugly face the damsel stopped short with ,
an in voluntary start in the middle o f her song ,

The u n .
happy b e ll ringe r dropped upon his knees at the threshold

_
o f the door and with a beseeching l ook clasped his clumsy

,
”
shapeless hands O h ! said he sor r owfully,
. go on , ,
I pray you and drive m e no t away

, N ot wishing to vex .
him the trembling girl continued the ballad B y degrees

,
.
her alarm subsided and she gave hersel f up entirely to the

,
impression o f the melan choly tune which she was sin ging
while he remained upon his knees with his hands j oined ,
a s in prayer scarcely breathing his look i nten tly fixed o n

, ,
the sparkling orbs o f the B ohemian Y ou would have said .
that he was listening to her song with his eyes .
O n an other o ccasion he came to her wi th an awkward ,
an d bashful air Hearken to m e said he with e ffort ;

.
, ,
”
I have somethin g to say to you — She m ade a sign to .
hi m that she was listening H e then began to sigh h al f .

,
opened his li ps appea r ed for a moment ready to spe ak

, ,
looked at he r shook his head , an d slowly reti r ed pressing

, ,
his hand to his brow and leaving the E gyptian in amaze ,
ment .
Among the grote sque heads sculp tured in the wall there
wa s o n e fo r whi ch he showed a particular predilection and ,
w ith whi ch he seemed to exchange brotherly looks The .
E gyptian on ce heard hi m address i t i n these words : Oh

why am I not o f stone like thee ,
At length one m orning La E smeralda having advan ced

, , ,
t o the parapet o f the roof was looking at the Place o ver , ,
the sharp roof o f St Jean l e R on d Quasim odo was b e . .
hind her He stationed himself there ou purpo se to spare

.
the damsel the di sagreeable spectacle o f his ungainly pe r

s on. O n a sudden the B ohemian shuddered : a tear and a
flash o f j oy S pa r kled at once i n her eyes : she fell o n h er
k nees an d extended her arm s in an guish towards the Place
, ,
crying Phoebus ! come come one word a single word

, , ,
’
for God s sake Ph oebus Phoebus — Her voi ce her ,
face her attitu de her whole figure had the agoni sing ex
, , ,
pression o f a shipwrecked person who is makin g signal s o f

distress to a di stan t vesse l sailin g gail y al ong in the sun
shine .
TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME - . 335
Quasi modo bending forward perceived that the obj ect

, ,
o f this wild and tender appeal was a young and handsom e
hors eman a captain glistenin g with arms an d accoutre

, ,
m ents who passed caracoling t hrough the Place and bow

, ,
ing to a fair lady smiling i n her balcony The o ffi cer was .
too far o ff to hear the call o f the unhappy gi r l .
B ut the poor deaf bell ringer understood i t A d eep

- .
sigh heaved his breas t ; he turned round ; hi s heart wa s

swollen wi th the tears which he rep r essed ; he dashed hi s
convulsive fi sts against his head ; and when he removed
them there was in each o f the m a handful o f red hair .
The E gyptia n paid no attention to him Gnashing hi s .
teeth he said in a low tone

, ,
Perdi tion That is ho w
,
o ne ough t to look then O ne n eed but h ave a handsom e

,
outside
She continued m eanwhile upon her knees an d cried , ,
with vehemen t agitation O h there he alights

,
He i s
going in to that house Phoebus Phoebus He does
n o t hear m e ! Phoebus O h ! the spi teful woman to
talk to hi m at the same ti me that I do l — Phoebus !
Ph oebus
The deaf bell ringer watched her He comprehended
-
.
’
this pantomime The poor fe l low s eye filled with tears
.
,
but he su ff ered none of them to escape Al l at on ce h e .
gently p u lled her sleeve She turned round

. He had .
assumed a look o f composure an d said to her Shall I

, ,
”
go and fetch hi m ?
She gave a cry o f j oy O h ! go go ! run ! quick !
.
,
that captai n ! that captai n ! bring hi m to me ! I will

‘
l ove thee ! " She clasped hi s knees H e coul d no t help .
shaking hi s head sorrowfully I will go and bri ng hi m

.
”
to you s aid he i n a faint voi ce He then retired an d
, ,
.
hurried down the staircase stifled with sobs ,

.
W hen he reached the Place n othing was to be seen bu t ,
the fine horse fas tened to the gate of the G o nd al au rier

m ansion The captai n had j ust en tered
. He looked up .
t o the roof o f the church La E sme r alda was still at the

.
sa m e place i n the same posture

,
H e m ad e her a sad sign .
with hi s head and le aned with hi s back agai nst o ne o f the

,
m s H U NCH B A CK or NO TR E D A ME - . 337
the st a rry cope o f night Y ou would have said that they

.
were the cobwebs of the firm am e nt I n o ne o f those m o .
ments he all at on ce saw the gl az ed door o f the bal con y

m ys teriously open T wo persons came forth and shut it
.
,
after the m without n oise I t was a man and a wom an

. .
I t was w ith some di ffi culty that Quasimodo recogni sed in

the one the handsome captain in the other the young lady ,
whom he had seen in the morning welcoming the officer

from the window The Place was qui te da r k ; and a
.
double crimson cu r tain whi ch had collapsed again behin d

,
the door at the momen t o f i ts shutting scarcely suffered a , .
gleam of light fr om the apartmen t to reach the b al con y .
The youn g captai n and the lady as far as o u r deaf ,
watchman could j udge — f o r he coul d not hear a word

they said appe ared to indulge i n a very tender téta d Jéte - .
The young lady seemed to jhave permitted the o ffi cer t o

throw his a rm aroun d her wai st and feebly wi th stood a ,
Quasimodo wi tnessed from belo w this scene whi ch i t ,
was the more delightful to see inasmuch as i t was no t in ,
tended to be witnessed H e however contemplated that

.
, ,
happiness that beauty with bitte r ness o f soul After all

, ,
.
,
N ature was no t silen t i n the poor fel low and hi s vertebral ,
column confoun dedly twisted as i t was neve r theless

, ,
thril led li ke any other He though t o f the miserable p o r

.
tion which P r ovidence had al l otted to him that woman ,
l ove and its pleasures would be for ever passing before his
, ,
eyes but that he shou ld n ever do m ore th an witness the

,
feli city o f others B ut what a fflicted him m ost in thi s

.
sight an d mingled anger wi th his vexation was to thin k

, , ,
what the E gyp tian must su ffer if she beheld it To be .
sure the night was very dark L a E smeralda i f she had

, ,
s taid in the same place and he had n o doubt o f that

was at a considerable distan ce an d i t was qui te as much
as he could d o hi mself to disti nguish the lovers in the bal
cony This w as some con sola tion
. .
M eanwhile their conversation becam e m ore and m ore

anim ated The young lady appeared to besee ch the o fficer
.
not to require mo r e o f her Quasim odo co uld discern her .
fai r hands cl asped her smiles ming led wi th tears her

, ,
2
3 38 TH E H U NC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME-
.
looks uplifted to heaven an d the eager eyes o f the cap tai n

,
bent down upon her .
L uckily for the resistan ce of the female was becoming

,
m ore an d more feeble the door o f the balcony sudde nl y

,
Opened ; an aged lady appeared the fair o ne looked con

fused the o fficer vexed , and all three went in
,
.
A moment afterw ards a horse was pran cing beneath the

,
p orch and the brillian t o ffi cer wrapped in his cloak passed

, , ,
swiftly before Quasimodo The bell ringer su ffered him .

-
to turn the corner o f the street and then ran after him ,
”
with the agility o f a monkey, crying : Ho ! captain !
The captain pull ed up What would the varlet with
.
me said he o n spying in the dark the uncouth figure

,
l imping to wards him .
Quasimodo 0 11 comin g up to him boldly laid hold o f

, ,
the horse s bridle ’

Follo w me captain sai d he ;
"
.
, ,
there i s o n e wh o would speak with you .
B y M ahoun d s horns ’
muttered Phoebus me
t hinks I have seen this rascall y scarecro w somewhere o r
”
other Halloo fell o w let go the bridle
. .
”
C aptain replied the deaf bell—ringer
,
ask m e not
”
who i t is .
Loose m y horse I tell you cried Ph oebu s ang rily

,
-
, , .
What mean s the rogue hangi ng thus fr om m y bridle ,
rein D ost thou take m y horse for a gallows knave

.
,
Quasimodo so far from relaxing his hold o f the bridl e

, ,
’
was preparing to tu r n the horse s head the contrary way .
U nable to accoun t for the Opposi tion o f the captain he ,
has tened to give him this explanation C ome captai n .

,
’
tis a female who is waiting f o r you a female who lo ves
yon .
A rare varlet said the captain to suppose that

I am obliged to go to all the women who love me o r say ,
'
they do After all perhaps she is like thyself with that

.
, ,
’
owl s face Tell her wh o sen t th ee that I am going to be
”
m arried an d that she m ay go to the de vil
,
.
”
Hark ye M onseigneur c r ied Quasim odo thinking
, , ,
’
with a word to overcome his hesita tion tis the E gyptian
whom you are acquainted with .
T his in ti m ation made a strong impression upon Phoebus ,

r n n n UN a
'
A cx or N O T RE D A ME - . 339
b ut n ot o f the kind that the spea k er an ticipated I t w ill .
be recollected that o ur gallan t o fficer had reti red wi th

Fleur de Lys a f e w m oments before Quasimodo rescued
- -
the condemned girl from the clutches o f C ha rm ol u e I n a l l .
his subsequen t visits to the logis G o ndal au rie r he had ,
carefully abstained from mentioning that female the re col ,
lecti on o f whom was , be sides painful to him and Fl eur ,
de Lys o n her part had no t deemed i t poli ti c to tell him

-
, , .
that the E gypti a n was alive Phoebus believed therefore

that p oo r S im il a r w
.
, ,
a s dead and that she mus t have bee n ,
s o for a month o r t wo Add to thi s that f o r some m o

.
men ts the captain had been ponde ring o n the ex t r em e

da r kness o f the nigh t o n the supernatural ugliness a nd
,
sepulchral voice of the strange messenger : i t was pas t

m idnigh t the street w as as lonel y as o n the evening tha t
the spectre monk had accoste d him and his horse snorte d
-
,
at the sight o f Quasimodo .
The E gyp tian he exclaimed with almost a feelin g

o f te rror What th en art thou fr om the other world
.
, ,
A t the same time he clapped his han d to the hi lt o f hi s

dagger .
Qui ck ! quick said the dwarf stri ving to lead the ,
horse this way !

Phoebus dealt hi m a smart stroke with his whip across
’
the arm Quasimodo s eye flashed H e made a m ovement
. .
,
a s if to r ush upon the captain but instantly restraining ,
himself he sai d :
, O h how happy you a r e since there is
somebody who lo ves you layin g particular emphasis o n
th e word s om ebody Ge t you gone
. added he loosing ,
the bridle .
Phoebus clapped spurs to his horse at the sam e ti m e ,
swea r ing lustil y Quasimodo looked after him till he was

.
lost in the darkness Oh said the poor fell ow

. to
refuse such a trifle as that
H e retu rned to N otre D ame l ighted his la mp an d -
, ,
ascended the tower As he expecte d the B ohemian was

.
,
still i n the same place The m omen t she saw him she ra n
.
to meet hi m Alone . she exclaimed sorrowful ly ,
c lasping her hands .
”
I cou ld not meet with him sai d Q u asimodo dryly , .
z 2
m s B UN CH B A OK O F NO TE D D A ME-
. 3 41
day at her bo som O n that day she heard n o t the voice

.
s ingin g from the tower — a circumstance that gave her

very little concern She passed whole days in fondl in g
.
Dj ali in watching the door Of the logis G o nd al a urie r i n

, ,
talking to herself o f Phce b u s and in feedi ng the swallows ,
wi th crums of bread .
For some ti me she had neither seen nor hea rd Quasi

m odo . The poor bell ringer seemed to have enti rely f o r
-
saken the church O ne night however unable to sleep

.
, ,
for thin king of her handsome captain she heard a sigh ,
n ear her cell Somewhat alarmed she rose and by the

.
, ,
ligh t o f the moon she saw a sh apeless m ass lying ou tside

across the doorway I t was Quasi modo asleep upon the
.
stones .
C H APT E R V .
TH E KE Y OF TH E P OR T E R OU G E .
M E A N W H IL E publi c rumour had communi cated to the arch

deacon the miraculous m anner i n which the E gyptian h ad
been saved When apprised o f this he kne w no t how he
.
,
felt He had made up hi s mind to the death Of La E s

.
meralda and w as therefore easy o n that poin t : he had

,
drained th e cup o f misery to the dregs The huma n .
hear t Do m C laude h ad deeply medi tated o n these m at

te rs — cann ot con tai n m ore than a certai n quan ti ty o f
despair W hen a sponge is thoroug hly soaked the s e a
.
,
.
may pas s o ver i t without introducing in to i t o ne a ddi

ti o nal drop .
N ow the sponge being filled by the death o f La E s

,
m eralda D om C laude could not experience keener su ff er

,
ing in this world B ut to know that she was li ving an d

. ,
Phoebus to o was to be exposed anew to the vi cissi tud es

, , ,
the shocks the tormen ts o f li fe an d C laude was weary o f

,
them all .
O n hearing these tid ings he shut hi msel f up in his cell ,
i n the cl oi s ters H e attend e d n ei ther the conferen ces of

.
z 3
the chapter nor the usual o ffices H e closed his doo r .
against all not excepting the bishop an d con tinued to se

,
cl u d e himself i n this manner for se veral weeks I t was .
reported that he was ill So he reall y was . .
What was he doing while thus shut up U nder what

thoughts was the wretched archdeacon stru ggling ? l Va s
he engaged i n a last conflict with hi s indomitable passion ?
Was he combining a final plan of death for her an d per
di tion fo r himself
His J eb an his belo ved brother hi s spoiled child cam e
, , ,
t o his door knocked swore entreated mentioned his nam e

, , , ,
ten times over C laude woul d no t Open to him .
H e passed whole days with hi s face close to the panes

o f his window From that window situated as we have
.
,
sai d in the cloisters he could s ee the cell of La E sme

,
ral d a : he percei ved the girl herself with her goat some ,
t i mes with Quasimodo H e remarked the little attention s

.
Of the scurvy hun chback his respectful m anners and his ,
submissive demeanour to wards the E gyptian H e re col .
l e cted — for he had a good m emory an d mem ory is the ,
tormen tor o f the j eal ous he recollected the extraor dina r y

look of the b el l ringe r at the dancing girl o n a pa r ticul ar
~
e vening H e asked himself what m oti ve could have insti

.
gated Quasimodo to res cue her He witnessed a thousan d .
li ttle scenes between the B ohemian an d the hunchback ,
the pantomime o f which beheld at a di stan ce an d com , ,
m e n te d o n by hi s passion appeared to hi m exceedingly ,
tender H e then vaguely felt awakening within him a

.
j ealousy such as he had n o con ception of a j ealousy whi ch ,
m ade him blush for sham e and in dign ation For th e .
captain — it was no t surpri sing ; but for su ch an obj ect as

that The idea distracted him .
His nights were te rrible Since he knew that the E gyp .
t ian was alive the cold id e as o f spectre an d tomb whi ch

,
haun ted him for a whole day were di spelled and the fl esh ,
regained its d om inl on o ver him H e writhed upon his .
bed when he reflected that the lovely brunette was s o

,
n ear a n eighbour to him .
E very night his fren zied imagination pi ctured to hi m La

E smeral da in all those atti tudes whi c h had made the
u m H UNC H B A CK op NO T RE D A ME - . 3 43
blood boil most vehemen tly i n his vein s H e saw her .
stretched upon the wounded cap tain her eyes closed her , ,
beau ti ful bosom covered with his blood at the m omen t o f ,
transport when the archdeacon had imprinted on her pale

,
lips that ki ss which had felt to the unfortunate girl ,
though half dead like the tou ch Of a burning coal Agai n

,
.
he saw her stripped by the rough hands o f the torturers

he saw them expose her finely shaped leg an d her white ,
supple knee while they en cased her de l i cate little foot

,
i n ; the screw buskin He further saw that i vory knee

- .
al one left uncovered by the horrible apparatus Lastly he .

,
fi gured to himself the forlorn damsel , the rope about her

neck with b are feet bare shoulders bare bosom as he
, , , ,
had seen her on the day o f penan ce These images m ade .
his blood boil an d a thrill run through hi s whole frame

,
.
O ne nigh t among others they inflamed hi m to such a

, ,
degree that leaping o u t of hi s bed he threw a surpli ce

, , ,
over him and q ui tted his cell with his lam p in his hand
, , ,
h alf naked wild and his eyes glaring like fire

, , .
H e kne w where to fi nd the key o f the Porte R ouge th e ,
communi cation between the clois ters an d the chur ch and ,
a s the reader knows he alway s carrie d about him a key

,
Of the staircase to the to wers .
C H APT E R V I .
S E Q UE L TO T H E KE Y OF TH E P OR T E ROU G E .
ON that nigh t La E smeralda had fallen asleep i n her lodge ,
forgetful of the past and fu ll o f h ope and pleasing though ts

, .
She had slept for so m e time dreaming as she was won t , , ,
Of Phoebus when she seemed to hear a kind o f n oise about

,
her Her sleep was al ways light an d un q uiet — g bird s

.
’
slegp g t he leas t thing awoke her She Opened her eyes . .
The nigh t was very dark She n evertheless saw at the .
window a fa ce l ooking at her : there was a la mp whi ch

Z 4:
m s H UNC H BA CK OF NO T RE D A ME - . 3 45
the hand of the E gyp tian touched so meth ing cold, th at fel t
like metal I t was Quasim odo s whistle She sei zed i t
.
’
.
with a con vul sion Of hope lifted i t to her lips , an d w his tled
,
wi th all the force she had left The whistle gave ou t a .
cl ear shri l l piercing sound

, ,
.
What is that ? enqui red the priest .
Almost at the same momen t he felt himsel f grasped by a:

vigo r ous arm The cell was dark : he could n ot dis cern
.
who held him thus but he heard teeth gn ashing with rage ,
and there was j ust suffi cien t light scattered amid the darli
ness to enable hi m to see the broad blade o f a cutlass glis
tening above his head .
The priest imagi ned that he perceiv ed the fi gure o f Qu a q
si m o d o He sup po sed th at i t could b e no o ther H e re

. .
coll ected havi ng stum bled o n en tering against a bun dl e Of

something l ying across the doorway outside Stil l as the .
,
ne w comer uttered n ot a word he knew no t what to belie ve , .
He caugh t the arm whi ch held the cutlass , crying Qua ,
si m o d o — forgetfu l in this momen t of di stress th a t

, ,
Q uasimodo was deaf .
I n the twin k ling o f an eye the priest was stretched o n ,
the floor and felt a leaden knee pressing upon his breast
, .
From the angu l ar p ressure of that k n ee he re co gnised Qu a

s im o d o bu t what could he do ? ho w was he to m ake hi m
self kn own to the assailant ? nigh t rendered the deaf monste r
bl ind .
He gave him se lf up for lost The girl with as li ttle .

,
an e inte rposed not to save him T he .
cutlass was is head T he m omen t was .
c ri ti cal All at on ce his adversary appeared to hesitate

. .
” ”
N o said a muttering voice
, N O blood u po n her !
I t was actual ly the voice of Quasimodo .
The priest then felt a huge h and dragging him by the

l eg o u t of the cell : i t was there that he wa s to die Lucki ly .
for hi m the m oon had j ust burst forth When they were
, .
p ast the door her p ale beam s fell upon the head o f the
,
priest Quasimodo looked at his face was sei zed with a

.
,
t rembli ng relaxed his grasp and started back

, ,
.
The E gyptian who had advan ced to the threshold o f

,
the cell sa w wi th surp ri se the actors suddenl y exchangin g

,
3 46 TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A M E -
.
’
charac ters . I t was n ow the priest s turn to threaten , Qu a
’
s im o d o s to supplicate The priest having furiously as
.
,
sailed the hunchback with gestur es o f anger and reproach ,
at len gth motioned him to retire Quasimodo stood for a .
‘
m omen t with bowed head and then falling o n his knees
, ,
before the door of the E gyptian M onseigneur said he , , ,
i n a tone of gravi ty and resignation ki ll me first and , ,

”
do what you please afterwards .
As he thus spoke he O ff ered his cutlass to the pries t .
B eside himself wi th rage the priest clutched at the weapon ;

,
but La E smeralda was too qui ck for hi m Snatching the .
c utlass from the han d o f Quasimodo an d bursting in to an ,
h ysteri c lau gh “ ”
C ome on ! said she to the priest .
.
,
She held the blade up l ifted The priest wavered She .
w oul d certainly have stru ck Thou d are s t not approach

.
”
n ow coward she cried Then with unpitying look an d
, , .
, ,
wel l aware that she should pierce the heart o f the priest as
with a thousan d red hot iron s she added,
- Ah ! I kn ow
,
that Phoebu s i s not dead

The priest with a violen t kick overthrew Quasimodo
, , ,
and rushed qui vering with rage to the vaulted staircase .
When he was gone Quasimodo pi cked up the whistle

,
whi ch had been the mean s Of saving the E gyptian It .
”
was getting rusty sai d he handing i t to her
,
He then
,
.
l eft her to he r self .
The dam sel vehemently a gitated by this violent scene,

,
sank exhausted upon her b e d and sobbed aloud Her ,

.
hori zon h ad again become overcast .
The p r iest on his pa r t groped his way back tohis ce ll

, ,
.
The thing was conclusive D om C laude was j ealous o f

.
Quasimodo wi th pensi ve look he repeated the fatal phrase,

N obody shall have her
E ND OF TH E TH I RD V O L U ME .
rn n
'
H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
. 3 47
V OL U M E THE FOURT H .
B O O K IX .
C HAP T ER I .
G R I N GO I RE H A S S E V E RA L C APIT A L I DE AS ON E A FT E R
A NO TH E R I N T H E R UE D E S B ERN A RD IN S .
As soon as Gringoire percei ved the turn which thi s whole

a ffair was taking an d that decidedly halter, gibbet a nd
, ,
o ther unpleasan t things wo u ld be the lot o f the prin cipal

characters o f this comedy , he felt n o sort o f inclina tio n to
i nterfere in it The Vagabo n ds with whom he had re
.
,
m ained con sidering that after all they were the best com
,
pany in Paris had continued to in te rest them selves f o r

,
the E gyptian This he though t perfectly n atural in people

.
who like her had n o other prospect than C harm ol u e and

, ,
T o rteru e an d who never soa r ed like him into the region s

,
o f i magination between the two wings o f Pegasus Fro m .
them he learn ed that she who m he had espou se d over the

broken j ug h ad taken san ctuary i n N otre D ame, and he -
was very glad o f i t He thought someti m es of th e little

.
goat and that was all I n the day ti me he perform ed

.
m oun tebank tri cks for a li velihood and at night h e el u cu

, .
b ra te d a memorial against the bishop o f Paris for b e re ,
membered the drenching he had got fr om his mills an d ,
bore hi m a grudge for it He was also engaged i n a com

.
mentary upon the admired work o f B au dr yJe R ouge , -
bishop of N oyon and Tournay D e C up a P al r a r a m whic h

, ,
h ad awakened in him a violen t passion for archite cture

a p assion whi ch had superseded in his heart the passion f or
h ermetics ; the one indeed was but a natural coroll ary to

the other, since there is an in tim ate connectio n between
r n n H UN OH B A CK o r
'
N O I R E D AM E
' ’
- . 3 49
”
’
p aradise ! ex claimed Gringoire And turning
T is .
,
to the sculp tures with the daz zled look o f a dem onstrato r
,
”
D on t you think s aid h e
’
o f li ving phenomen a ,
that , ,
this m etamorphosis in low relief for example i s execute d , ,
with great skill patien ce and deli cacy

,
Look at this ,
l ittle pillar Abou t what capital did you ever see fol iage
.
mo r e elegan t an d more highly finished ? Look at those

three medallion s by Jean M aill e vi n They are not firs t .
rate works of that great genius : nevertheless the truth ,
to n ature and the sweetness o f the faces the gaiety o f the

, ,
attitudes and d r aperies and th at inexplicable charm which ,
is blended with all the defects ren der the miniat u re figures ,
exceedingly lively an d exceedingly deli cate perhaps too

”
m uch so D o you n ot think that this is amusing
.
?
Yes I do said the p r iest

, ,
.
And if you were to see the interior of the chapel

resumed the poet wi th his garrul ous enthusiasm
,
s cul p ,
tures all over ; tufted like a caul iflower The choir i s i n .
a righ t godly style and so pe culiar that I never saw an y

,
thing like i t .
D om C laude interrupted him Y ou are happ y .

,
then
Yes upon m y h on our r e pl ied Gringoire with warm th
, , .
At fi rst I was fond o f women then o f beasts now of , ,
stones They are quite as amusing as women and beasts

.
,
”
an d mu ch less treacherous .
The priest raised his hand to his brow I t was his .
l ”
habitual gesture I ndeed .
”
Stay said Gringoire
, you shall see that a m an need ,
”
n o t wan t pleasure H e took the arm of the priest who
.
,
m ade n o resistan ce and drew him in to the staircase turret

,
’
o f the For l E v é u e There is a staircase for you ! when
q
-
.
ever I look a t it I am happy I t is the simplest of i ts .
ki nd an d yet the most exquisi te in Pari s E very step i s

, .
rounded Off unde r neath I ts beauty an d sim pli city consist .
i n the overlapping p arts which for a foot or thereabout are ,
l et in mortised imbedded enchained in chased dovetailed

, , , , ,
o n e into another an d bite i n such a way as to be not les s

,
soli d than goodly .

3 50 TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME
-
.
And you wish for n othing ?

No .
An d regret n othing
N either wishes n o r regrets . I have arranged m y
M an arranges, said C la ude circumstan ces de

”
range .
I am a Pyrrhonian philosopher replied Gringoire , ,

”
and I keep every thing in equili b r ium .
An d h o w do you earn a li velihood ?

I still make epi cs and tragedies now and then ; but
what brings in most mon ey is the trade you have seen m e
follo w carrying pyramids o f chairs and so forth between
m y teeth .
A scurvy trade f o r a philosopher .
I t ha s to do wi th the equilibrium said Gringoire ,

.
When you take an idea into your head, you find i t i n

e very thing .
”
I kn ow it replied the archdeacon ,
.
A fter a pause the priest resumed Y ou are ne ve rthe

l ess as poor as e ver
Poor enough I gran t you bu t not unhappy , ,
.
A t this m omen t the dialogue was interrupted by the

trampling o f horses and a company o f arche r s Of the king s
,
’
ordnance with raised lan ces and an o fficer at their head

, , ,
passed the end o f the st r eet The cavalcade was brilli ant .
,
arid the pavemen t rang be neath their tr ead .
”
Ho w you eye that o ffi cer ! said Gringoire to the arch -
4
deacon .
I rather think I kn ow him .
”
What i s his name ?
I believe ”
said C laude, “ his name i s Phoebus de
,
”
C hateaupers .
Phoebus a curious n ame ! There is also a Phoebus

,
c omte de Foix I once k new a girl who never swore b u t

.
”
by Phoebus .
C ome this way said the priest I have somethin g ,
to say to
E ver since the appearan ce o f the archers some agitatio n ,
was p erce p tibl e under the frozen exterior of the archdeacon .

'
rr m H U N OH B A OK on N O T RE DA M E -
. 3 51
He walked o n foll owed by Gringoire who was wont to

, ,
obey him like all who had ever approached him su ch was
, ,
the as cen d an cy which h e exerci sed They proceeded i n .
silence to the Rue des B em ard ins where a casual passenger ,
only was at ti mes to be seen Here Do m C laude stoppe d

.
short .
”
What h ave you to say to m e m aster ? en quired ,
Gri ngoire .
’
D on t you think said the archdeacon with a look of ,
deep reflection that the d ress o f those archers, who have

,
j ust passe d i s finer than yo u rs or mine

Gringoire shook his head B y my fay I like m y red
.
and yell o w j acket better than those shells o f iron an d steel .
A sorry pleasure to m ake at every step the same noise that

,
’
the I ronmongers Quay would do in an earthquake
Then Gringoire you have never en vied thos e comely
, ,
fe ll ows in the ir habiliments of war

E nvied them f o r what M r Ar chdeacon ? ,
for .
their strength thei r armour thei r discipline ? Far pre

, ,
f erab l e ar e philosoph y an d independen ce i n rags I had .
”
rather be the head Of a fl y th an the tail o f a lion .
”
‘
That is si ngul ar ! said t hou g h tfu lly A .
”
goodl y unif orm i s nevertheless goodly .
G ringoire seeing him abso r bed in thought left him an d

, , ,
wen t up to the porch o f a neighbour ing hou se Presen tl y .
he retu r ned clapping his hands

, I f you were n ot s o .
d eeply engaged with the goodly uniforms o f the men at -
arm s M r Archdeacon I would beg y ou to go and look at

,
.
,
th at door I always said that the entran ce to the Sieur

.
’ ”
Aubrey s house i s not to be m atched al l the world over .
“Pierre Gri ngoi r e said the archdeacon what hav e

, ,
you done with the young E gyptian dan cing gi r l

La E smeralda ? Why how abruptl y you chan ge ,
the conversation
Was she not your wife
Yes after a fashion : by mean s o f a broken jug we
,
”
were j oined together for four years B y the by added .
,
Gringoi re with a hal f ban te r ing tone an d look

, you see m ,
”
to be always thin k ing o f her .
And do you never th in k o f her now ?

T HE n o non na ox or s o r e s -D a m s . 3 53
I desire no better, D om C laude bu t perha ps I ma y ,
g e t m y o w n neck into an ugly noose

”
What s ignifies that ?
What signifies it Y o u are ex ceedi ngly ki nd m as ter ! ,
”
I have just begun two great works .
The p riest stru ck his fo rehead N otwi thstan ding the .
com po sure whi ch b e a ff ecte d a violent gestu re from time to

,
time betraye d his inward con vu lsions What can be .
done to save her

”
M as ter said Gringoire ” I answer, I I p a de l t whi ch
, , ,
is Turkish f o r G od is ou r hop e .
What can be ‘done to save her ? rep eated C laude ,
though tfully .
Gringoire in hi s turn , struck his bro w

,
Hark ye .
,
m as ter, I have no lack o f imaginati on ; I will de vise ex

Sup pose we solicit the king s p ardon ” ’
pe die nts
. .
Pardon ! o f Loui s X I .
Wh y no t P
T ake the bone from the hun gry ti ger .
Gringoire cast about for other expedien ts .
Well s top, Shall we make declaration that the

girl is pregn ant and demand an examination o f matrons
,
’
The pupil o f the priest s hollow eye s parkled Preg .
nant dolt
, K nowest thou aught to that purpo se ?
His look alarmed G r ingoire 0 no no t I he
O ur m arri age was literal ly f orts-"
.
,
has til y replied . w rita

i u m — f o r I was shut o u t At any rate we shoul d oh
g .
”
tain a respite .
Stupid o a f hold thy tongue !

'
N ay don t be an gry muttered Gringoire
, , O ne .
migh t obtain a respite that wo u ld harm nobody an d ,
woul d put forty deniers pari sis in to the po ckets o f the m a

”
tro ns who are poo r women
, .
The priest heard him no t At any rate he mut .

,
ta red , she must away The order mus t be executed i n

three days Besides if there were n o order tha t Quasi
, ,
m odo Who can accoun t for the dep r aved tastes o f wo

men Then raising his voice :
"
M as ter Pierre said ,
he “ I have well weighed the ma tte r : there i s but one

,
”
way to save he r .
TH E H UN C H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - .
And whi ch ? I can see none for m y part .
H ark ye M aster Pierre recollect that to her you o we

,
y our li fe. I will tell you fr ankly m y idea The church .
i s watched night an d day only such persons as have been

seen to enter are su ff ered to go ou t again O f cou r se you .
woul d be allowed to go in You must come I will take .

,
you to her Y o u must change clothes with her

. .
”
So far s o good ,
observed the philosopher , .
”
then ?
Why then she will go away in your clothes and you ,
w ill remain i n hers You will be h anged perhaps ; but

.
s h e will escap e .
Gringoire rubbed his br ow with a profoundl y serious

'
l ook
.
I declare, sai d he that i s an idea whi ch would

,
”
n ever ha ve come into m y head o f itself .
'
’
At this unlooked for p rOpoSition o f D om C laude s the
-
,
open and good humoured countenance o f the poet was

-
o vercast l ike a smiling landscape o f I taly when some n u

, ,
lucky blast dashes a cloud upon the sun .
'
Wel l Gringoire what say you to this exp edient ?

, ,
I say master they will not hang me perhaps but

, , ,
they will hang m e to a certain ty

That does not con ce r n us .
The devil exclaimed G r ingoire .
S he saved your life You are only paying a debt . .
How man y of m y debts besides that are unpaid

”
M aster Pierre you absolu tely must comply ,
.
The archdeacon spoke imperati vely .
”
Hark ye D om C laude ,
repli ed the dismayed poet , ,
you cling to this idea ; but you a r e q uite w r ong I see .
no reason why I should thrust m y head in to the halter i n

”
stead o f another .
What is there then that so strongly attaches you to
Why a thousan d things

,
.
What are the yP— I would ask .
What are they The fresh air the blue sky m orn , ,
ing and evening the wa r m sunshine and the moonlight

, , ,
my good friends the Vagabonds, ou r rom p s with the good

TH E N O T RE D A ME
'
B U N C H B A OK or - . 3 55
natured damsels the beautiful architectural work s o f Paris

,
t o study th r ee thick books to wri te

,
o ne of them ag ai ns t
th e bishop and his mills and I know no t what besid e s .
A naxago r as said that he was i n the world to admire the

sun And then I have the feli ci ty to pass all m y days
.
,
from m o m to eventide with a man o f genius to wi t m y ,
self which is exceedingly agreeable

,
.
A he ad fi t for a bell muttered the archdeacon .
Well but tell me who saved thi s l ife which is so charming

,
'
to thee ? T o whom i s i t owing that thou yet b rea the s t

this air beholdest that sky and canst amuse thy lark s
, ,
’
spirit with extravagances and foll ies ? What wouldst

thou be bu t f o r her ? And yet thou can st suff er her to
die — her to whom thou o west thy life
,
her that beauti ,
f ul lovely adorable creature necessa r y to the light o f the

, , ,
w orld more divine than Go d himself ; whilst thou half

, ,
sage half madman rough sketch o f something or other a

,
-
, ,
species o f vegetable who im agine s t thou canst wal k an d ,
think thou wilt continue to li ve wi th the li fe o f which

,
thou hast robbed her as useless as a candl e at noonday ,
N ay nay have some feeling Gringoire : be generous in

, , ,
thy turn I t was she who set the example

. .
The priest was warm G r ingoi r e li stened to him at . .
first with a look o f indecision presently he began to

soften and at last he put on a tragic grimace which made
, ,
his wan face look like that o f a new born infan t w hich has -
the colic .
Y ou are patheti c said he brushing away a te ar , ,

’
Well I will think about i t T is a dr oll idea this o f .
,
yours ! Pausing awhile he co nti nued After all , ,
who knows perhaps they will no t hang me Betrothal i s .
not always foll owed by ma r riage When they find me up .
yonder in the little cell so grotesquely attired in cap and ,
petticoat perhaps they will only laugh — And then if

, .
,
they do hang me why death by the halter i s like an y other

, ,
death or more co r rectly speaki ng it is not like any oth er

, , ,
death I t is a death worthy of the sage who has oscillated

.
all his life ; a death which is neither fish nor flesh l ike , ,
the soul o f the downri ght s cepti c ; a death impressed all

ove r wi th P yr rhonism and hesi ta ti on , whi ch holds the
A A 2
m s H UN OH B A OK o r N OT E S D A M E
- . 3 57
- A su dden attack . I n the confusion carry her aw ay ,
TO m orrow night
- they will desire n othing be tter .
Your proposal ! Le t us hear ! said the priest shak ,
Gringoire turned maj es tically towards him Leav e .
”
me alone you see I am composing H aving considered .
for a few moments longer he cla pped his hands i n exult ,
a tion ex clai m ing

,
Admirable sure to suc ceed !
,
B ut the means ? enqui red Claude angrily Grin ,

.
g o ire s face beamed wi th t ri u mph .
’
C ome hi ther then , and lend m e your ea r
, T is a .
righ t bold coun ter mine which will get all o f us ou t o f ou t

-
,
t rouble B y hea ven ! i t must be confessed that I am no

.
f oo l
.
He stopped short B y the by is the littl e goat with

.
,
the girl ?
Yes — devil fetch thee !
”
They mean t to have hanged her too di d they n ot ?
What is that to me ?
Yes they m eant to han g her W hy i t was only las t
, .
,
‘
mon th that they hanged a s o w The hangm an li kes that .
— he eats the meat afterwards Hang m y pretty Djali ! .
Poo r dear little lamb

, ,
”
M ali son s upon thee ! cried Dom Cl aude Tho u .
thyse l f art the hangman Wha t means dolt h ast tho u .

, ,
devised for saving her ? M ust one te ar thine idea from

thee with pin cers ?
Ge ntly m aster I will te ll you
, , .
’
Gringoire ben t his lips to the archdea con s ear an d ,
whispered very softly at the same ti me c asting an uneas y

,
lo ok from o ne end o f the street to the other though no t a ,
c rea ture was pas sing When he had finished D om C laude

.
,
g ras p ed hi s hand an d sai d coldl y ,

Good ! to m orrow ,
-
”
T o morrow, - repeated Gringoire The archdea co n .
reti red o ne way while he wen t the other saying to himself

, , ,
i n a n unde r tone A rare business this M on sieur Pi erre

-
, ,
Gri ngoire N O m atter ! I t sh all no t be said that becau s e

.
,
o ne i s li ttle o ne sh rinks from great undertakings Bi te .
ca rri ed mm -gro ml bpl l up on his sho ul dW x a gtai l ,

‘
w
the ni ghtin gale , the swallow, cross the o c ean .

3 58 TH E H U NC H B A CK O F ‘
N o rR E - D A ME .
C HA PT E R I I .
T U R N V A GA BOND .
TH E archdeacon o n hi s return to the cloisters found his

, ,
brother Jeh an waiting for him at the door of his cell The .
y outh had amused himself while waiting by d r awing with , ,
a piece of charcoal upon the wall a p r ofile of his elder bro

ther en r iched with an enormous nose
, .
D o m Cl aude scarcely looked at Jehan : his thoughts

were otherwise engaged The reckless j o vial countenance
.
,
o f Jehan the radiance o f whi ch had so Often restored se

,
re nit
y to the gloomy physiognomy o f the priest was now ,
in capable of dispell ing the m is t which thickened daily over ’
his cor r upt mephiti c and stagnan t soul

, ,
.
”
Br other said Je b an shyly
,
I am come to see you
, ,
.
”
What then ? replied the archdeacon withou t s o much ,
as lifting his eyes to him .
”
B r other resumed the young h yp ocrite
, you are so ,
kind to me and give me such good advice that I cannot

, ,
’
stay away from you .
What then repeated D om C laude

. .
Alas , b 1 other ! you had great reason to say to me ,
Jeban conduct yourself discreetly Jehan attend to your

studies ; Jeban pass not the night ou t of college withou t ,
legitimate occasion and the leave o f the m aster B eat not .
t he P ic ar d s
‘
R o t not like an unlette r ed ass upon the
.
, ,
straw of the school J e han submit to punishment at the

.
,
discretion o f the master Jeban go to chapel every even

.
,
ing and sing an anthem with collect and prayer to the

, , ,
blessed Virgin M ary Ah ! what excell en t counsels were

.
’
”
these !
What more ?
B r othe r you see before you a sinner a grievous sin
, ,
ner a wretch a libertine a criminal a rep r obate M y dear

, , , , .
brother Jchan has trodden under foot your gracious coun

,
sels like straw and litter Severel y am I punished for it

.
r im B UN CH B A OK O F N O TR E D A ME
- . 3 59
God Almighty i s ri gidl y just So long as I had money .

,
I made merry revelled in folly and led a j oyous li fe H o w

, ,
.
fascinating is debauchery i n front but Oh ! how ugly an d ,
deform ed behind ! N ow I have not a coin left ; I have

sold my li nen My j oyous life i s over The bright taper
. .
is put ou t ; and I have but a scurvy tallow can dl e whi ch -
stinks in my nostrils The girls make a mock at me

. I .
have only water to d ri nk I am dunned by remorse an d .
creditors .
What more ? sai d the archdeacon .
Alas ! m y dear brother I would fain tu rn me to a ,
better life . I come to you full o f contriti on I am peni .
tent . I confess m y faul ts I have great reason to wi sh

.
that I may one day become li centiate and sub moni tor o f -
t he college of Torchi A t thi s m oment I feel an irresistible

.
vocation to that o ffi ce B u t I have n o ink I have no pens

.
, ,
I have no paper I have no books — I must buy more T 0

,
.
this end I am in g r eat need o f a li ttle money an d I am ,
come to you brother with a heart fu ll o f contrition

, ,
.
”
I s that all ?
”
Y es said the scho lar A li ttl e money
"
. .
,
I have none .
Well then brother repli ed Jeban with a grave an d

, , ,
at the same time a de termined look I am sorry to have ,
to infor m you that very fair o ffers have been made t o m e

from another quar ter You will not give me some money
.
N
Then I wil l turn Vagabond I n uttering this m o n .
strous res olution he assumed the look of Aj ax expectin g

,
the thunde rbolt to descend upon his head .
Tu r n Vagabond coldl y repli ed the archdeacon

,
.
J ehan made a l o w obei s an ce and skipped whistling down ,
the clois ter stairs .
At the momen t when he was passing through the court

’
o f the cloisters beneath the window of his brother s cell
, ,
he heard i t open and loo king up saw the stern face of the
, , ,
archdeacon p r otr uded through the aperture Go to the .
devil said D om C laude : that is the l ast money thou

”
sh alt have fr o m me .
At the same time the priest threw at Jehan a purse

A A 4
rn n n u n cn nx cx
'
or NO T RE D A M E -
. 36 1
had they ch an ced to en ter the redoubtable C ou r des M i

racles might have re marked that there was a greater tu
,
m ult than usual in the tavern o f the Vagabon ds and tha t ,
the inmates were bo th drinking and swearing more lusti ly .
I n the open space without were numerous groups convers

ing in a subdued tone as when some importan t enterprise ,
is planning ; and here an d there a varlet was c rouching ,
and whetti ng some rusty weapon o r other upon a p aving ~
s tone .
The tavern i ts elf however wine and gaming were so

, , , ,
po werful a d i versi on to the ideas which o n that evening e n

gros se d the vagabond crew that it would have been di fficul t ,
to discover from the conversation o f the t0pe rs the nature

o f their proj ect They merel y appeared to be in higher
.
spiri ts than ordinary and betwee n the legs o f each was ,
seen gli stening some weapon o r other — a bill h ook a -

,
hatchet a thi ck bludgeon or the suppo rter of an Ol d arque

, ,
buss .
The room o f cir cul ar form was very spa cious bu t the
, ,
t ables were so close and the customers so numerous that

, ,
all the con ten ts o f the tavern , men an d women ben ches ,
and beer j ugs those who were drinking those who were
-
, ,
sleeping those who were gaming the able bodied an d the

, ,
-
cripple seemed to be tumbled together pell mell with

,
-
,
j ust as much order and harmon y as a heap o f oyster shells - .
A few tallow candl es were bur ning o n the ta bles but the
-
,
r eal l uminary o f the tave rn that whi ch performed the par t ,
o f the chandelier at the O pera house w as the fire T hi s ,

.
cellar was so damp that the fire was never s u ffered to go
ou t even in summer I t was an immen s e fire place with

. -
,
car ved man tel bris tli ng wi th clumsy andirons and o ther
,
c ulinary apparatus con taining one o f those large fires o f

,
wood and tur f mixed whi ch at night in the village stree ts

,
p roduce by their gl are on the Oppo si te wall s , the appear

,
an oes o f the windows o f a smith y A l arge do g squatted .

,
i n the ashes was turning a s p it laden with viands be fore

,
th e fire .
N ot withstandi ng the confusion after the firs t glan ce ,
there might be di sti ngui shed in this multi tude three p rin , ,
ci al groups crowding around three p ersonages with whom

p
3 62 TH E H U NC H B A C K or NO T RE D A ME - .
the reader i s already acquainted O ne of these per .
s o n ages grotesquely bedizened with man y a piece o f

,
eastern frippery was ,
E gypt and B ohemia .
his legs crossed his finger uplifted imparting i n a loud

, ,
voice sundry lesson s in black and whi te magic to man y a

,
'
gaping face a r ound him

, Another party had drawn .
closely about o u r old friend the val iant king of Thunes , ,
who was a r med to the ve r y teeth C lopin T ro u ill e f ou .

,
with grave look and in a low voice was supe r intendi ng the ,
pillage of a lar ge hogs head full o f arms which stood with ,
head knocked out before him and from which stores of ,
hatchets swords coats o f m ail hunting knives spea r

, , , ,
heads saws a ngers we r e disgo r ged like apples and grapes

, , ,
from a cornucopia E ach took from the heap what he .
pleased — o ne a helmet another a long rapier a thi rd , ,
a cross or basket hilted dagger The very children armed

-
.
t hemselves and there were even li ttle urchins cuirassed

,
and accout r ed running between the legs o f the topers like

,
large beetles .
Lastly a third party the most noisy the most j ovial

, , , ,
an d the most numerous o ccupied the ben ches an d tables , ,
amidst whi ch a treble voice was swea r ing and holding forth
from beneath a heavy suit of armour compl ete fr om h ead
to heel The indi vidual who had thus encased himself
.
was so im p ano pl ie d by his martial accoutrements that no ,
part o f his person could be seen save a saucy red snub , , ,
n ose a l o ok of light hair rosy lips and daring eyes H e

, , ,
.
had his belt stuck full of daggers a long sword at his ,
thigh a rusty arbalest o n hi s left a large j ug o f wine b e

, ,
fore him to say nothing of a t r ollop with Open bosom o n

,
his right E ve r y m outh around him was laughing curs

.
,
ing drinking
, .
Add to these twenty secondary groups the attendants , ,
m ale and female running about with plates and j ugs , ,
the games ters lolling ove r the billiards the me r ils and
, , ,
t he dice the i mpassioned game of the tringl e t ; the q uar

,
rels in on e corner the kisses in another ; and you wil l ,
have some idea of the whole , over which fli ckered the glare
TH E n tm on na ox or NO T R E D A ME
- . 3 63
of a huge blazing fire which m ade a thousand broad gro , ,
teaque shadows dance o n the walls Of the tavern .
As for the noise i t w as li ke that withi n a be ll in a ,
gran d peal .
Amidst all this din upon the ben ch in the chimney cor ,
-
ner was seated it philosopher absorbed in meditation his ,
feet in the ashes and his eye fixed on the burning brands
,
.
I t w as Pierre Gringoire .
C ome make haste arm y ourselves we sh all start i n

, ,
an hour said C lopin T rou ill e fou to hi s cre w .
T wo card pla y ers we r e quarrelling

- K nave c ried .
,
the m ore rubicund of the two holding up his fist at the ,
othe r ,
I will m ar k thee with the club Thou shalt be .
qualified to succeed M istigri in the card parties of M on -
”
seigneur the K ing .
O af roared a N o r man who might easily be known

, ,
by his nasal twang we are crammed to gether here like

,
the saints o f C al lo u vill e

”
M y sons said the duke Of E gyp t to his audi tors i n
, ,
his falsetto “ the witches of F r ance go to the Sabbath

,
withou t broom o r augh t else to ride o n merely wi th a few ,
m agi cal words : those of I taly always have a goat at the

door waiting for them They are all obliged to go ou t o f .
”
the house through the chimney .
The voice Of the young warrior in armour was heard

”
above the uproar Huz za ! huz za l cried he
. my .
,
first feat of arms to day A V agab ond Zounds what am -
I but a Vagabond ! Pour me o u t some drink M y fr iends ,
my name is Jehan Frollo d u M oulin and I am a gen tle ,
man . I could lay any wager that if Jupi ter were

a gendar me he would be fond o f plunder We are going
,
.
,
b r others on a rare expedition

,
We are valian t fellows . .
Lay siege to the chu r ch break open the doors carry o ff , ,
the dam sel rescue her from the j udges save he r from the
, ,
pr iests disman tle the cloisters burn the bishop in hi s

, ,
palace wh y we s hal l do i t all in les s time than a burgo

,
master ta kes to eat a basin o f soup O ur cause is a right .
eons o ne we ll plunder N o tre D ame that s flat We ll

’ ’ ’
- .
hang Quasimodo D o you kno w Quasimodo fair gentle

'
.
,
women H ave ye seen him p u ffing upon the great hell on

.
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO N E D A ME
- . 3 65
D ame the sooner the better I I n the chapel o f St Fereol .
and St Fe rru tie n there are two statues o ne o f St John

.
, .
B aptist the other o f St Antony both o f gold weighing to

,
.
, ,
gether seventeen marks fifteen e s te rli ngs and the ped est al s ,
o f sil ver gilt se ven teen marks five ounces I kn o w this to .
a certainty — I am by trade a goldsmi th .
B y this time Jehan s supper was se t before hi m Thro w

’
.
ing himsel f o n the bosom o f his fem ale neighbour b e ex ,
claimed B y St Vo ul t de Lu cq u es l — the people call him

, . - -
St Go gu el u — I am the happiest fellow in Pari s though I

.
, ,
have renounced the h a lf o f a house situate lying and b e , ,
i ng in Paradise promised me by m y bro ther the arch

, ,
deacon Look a t that simpleton gazin g at me with the

.
,
smooth look o f an archduke There is another o n m y l eft .
with tusks so long that they hide his chin B od y 0 M a .

’
hound ! comrade ! thou hast the very air and odour o f a

bo ne dealer an d yet h ast the assuran ce to clap thyself dow n
-
s o n ear me ! I am noble m y friend Trade is i ncom , .
p atible with nobility G o thy ways — So ho ! yo u there !

.
what are ye figh ting for ? What B aptis te C roq ue O ison , ,
art not afraid to risk th y goodl y nose against the clumsy

fists of that booby ? K nowest thou not simpleton non ,
w
,
cu iqua m da tu m es t ha ber e na s u m — Tho u art absolu
di vine Jacqueline R ouge O reille ! pity thou hast n o hai r !

,
-
—Girls ! look to those brats n os es and snu ff the ca ndles ! ’
—C hrist and M ahound ! what have I got here ? O h the

filthy hussy the h air that is gone from the h ea ds o f th y
-
strumpets thy cus tomers find in thy omele ts D ye hear

,
.
,
devil s cook I like bald omelets ! goodly hostel ry o f Be el

’
z ebub where the sluts comb their heads wi th forks !

,
So saying he dash ed his plate o n the pavemen t and b e

, ,
gan singing with all his might o ne of the peculiar songs o f

the lawless crew o f whom he had become a worthy asso ci ate .
C lopin T rou il l e fou had meanwhile finished hi s d is tri

b u tion o f arms He went up to Gringoire who wi th hi s
.
, ,
feet on the andi ron appeared to be in a brown study

, .
”
Frien d Pierre sai d the king o f Thunes
,
what the ,
devil art think ing of

Gringoire turn ed towards him wi th a m elanchol y smile .
”
I am fon d of the fire m y dear sir sai d he, , no t fo r ,
.
the trivial reason th at i t warms our feet or cooks ou r soup ,
but because there are s pa rk s i n it Sometimes I pass whole '

.
hours watching th ose sparks I di scover a thousan d things .
i n those stars whi ch sprinkle the black chimney back -

.
”
Those stars are worlds too .
Thunder and death if I understand thee cried the

”
king o f Thunes D ost know what hour i t is
.
?
”
N ot I answered G r ingoire
,
.
C lopin then went to the duke of E gypt C omrade .
M atthias said he ,
i t lacks not quite one quarter of an
,
”
hour I am told the king is in Pa r is
. .
O ne reason mo r e why we should get our sister ou t of

”
the ir clutches replied the Ol d B ohemian
,
.
Thou speakest like a man M atthias rej oined Trou , ,
il l e f o u . B esides we shall get on s wimmingly N 0 re

,
.
s i s tan ce to fear in the church The can ons a r e mere ha r es .

,
and we a r e strong The o fficers of the pa r liament will be

.
finely také n in to morrow when they go to look for her

‘
-
.
”
B y the pope s n ose they shall not hang the comely damsel
’
.
With these words C lopin sallied fo r th fr om the tave r n .
G r ingoi r e roused from hi s meditations had begun to

, ,
contemplate the wild an d n oisy scene around him mutter ,
ing between his teeth L u x u r ios a r es v inu m e t tu m u l tu os a

,
ebr i e ta s What good reason h ave I to abstain fr om liquor

.
and h ow admirably St B enedi ct obse r ves Vinu m ap os to .

,
ta r e f a ci t etia m s ap ien tes
At that moment C lopin returned and shout e d with a ,

”
voice o f thunder M idnight ! ,
At this sign al whi ch had the e fle ct o f the sound to horse

'
upon a regimen t in halt all the Vagabo nd crew men wo , , ,
men and chi ldren poured in a to r rent out o f the tavern

, , ,
wi th a loud n oise of arm s and the clanking of i r on im pl e

ments .
The moon was overcast The C our ( les M i r acles was .
qu ite dark N ot a light was to be seen I t was n e ve r the

. .
less filled with a multitude o f both sexes who talked in low ,
t ones together A vast buzz was to be heard and all sorts

.
,
f ste ning in the dark

v
o f weapon s were se en C lopin .
”
m ounted a huge stone T 0 your ranks ye men of C ant
.
, ,
he c ried “ T o you ranks E gy p t ! T 0 you r ranks G a

.
r , ,
. 3 67
li lec A bustle ensued amid the darkness The immen se .
m ulti tude appear ed to be forming i n column I n a few .
m inutes the king of Thunes again rai sed his voice No w .

,
silen ce in passing through the st r eets ! N o torch is to be

lit till we are at N o n e —D ame M a r ch .
I n less than ten minutes the horsemen o f the watch fled

p ani c st ri cken befo re a long black procession descendi ng i n
-
p rofound silen ce towards the Pon t au C hange along the - -

,
winding streets whi ch run in all dire c tions through the

massive qua rter o f the H alles .
C HAPT ER IV .
A M IS C HI E V OU S F R I END .
T HAT same nigh t Quasimodo slept no t He had j ust .
gone his last round in the chur ch He had not remarked .
that at the m o men t when he was fastening the doo r s the

, ,
archdeacon had passed o r the ill humour he ha d sho wn

,
-
o n seeing him employed in careful ly bolting and padl ocking
the immense i r on bars whi ch gave to the large folding

'
doors the solidity o f a wall D om C laude appeared that

.
night to be more deeply absorbed i n thought than usu al .
E ver since the nocturnal adventu r e in the cell he had ,
treated Quasimodo with great harshness ; but i n spite o f ,
this usage nay even though he sometimes wen t so far a s

,
to strike him nothing could shake the submission

,
the ,
patien ce the devoted resignation o f the faith ful bell

, ,
ringer From the archdeacon he would take any thing

.
,
abuse threats blows witho u t murmuring a reproach

, , , ,
without u tte ring a complain t The utmost that he did

.
'
was to watch the archdeacon with anxiety when he as

ce nd e d the staircase Of the tower
; but C laude had o f
himsel f cau tiously abstained from appea ring again in the
presence o f the E gyp tian .
That night then Quasimodo after taking a glan ce at

, ,
his b ell s at M ary, at Ja c quel ine at T hibaul t whom he

, , ,
TH E H UN C B B A OK on NO T RE D A ME - . 8 69
i t afterwards ceased en ti r ely , and the ou tline o f the quay

ag ain became straight an d motionless .
While Quasimodo was form ing all sorts o f conj ecture s ,
the movemen t seemed to t e appear i n the R ue du Parvis -

,
which run s in to the C ity perpendicularly to the fa cade o f

,
N otre D ame At last n otwithstan din g the in tense dark

- .
,
ness he perceived the head of a colum n approaching

,
through this street and the nex t m oment a crowd spread

,
itsel f over the Place du Parvis where nothing cou ld b e ,
distinguished but that i t was a crowd .
This sight was alarming I t is probable that this sin.
gular procession whic h seemed to make a poin t o f avoidin g

,
observation was equally careful to m aintai n profound si

,
len ce yet i t could not help m aking some noise we r e i t ,
only b y the trampling of feet B ut even thi s soun d .
reached no t the ear o f Quasimodo ; and this vast multi

tude of which he could scarcely s ee an y thing and o f
, ,
which he heard absolutely n othin g though al l was hu s tl e ,
and motion so near to him must have had the e ff ect of ,
an army o f the dead mute impalpable an d shrouded in

, , ,
vapou r I t appeared to him as if a mist full o f human

.
beings was approaching and th at what he saw m oving ,
were shadows o f th e shades .
Then were his app r ehension s revi ved and the idea of an ,
attempt against the gipsy —gi r l again occurred to hi s mi nd .
H e had a con fused foreboding of mischief A t thi s cri .
ti cal momen t he b egan to consider what course he had bes t

p ursue and with m o re j udgm ent an d decisio n than m igh t
,
have been expected from a brain so imperfectly organised .
O ught h e to wake the E gyptian ? to assist her to escape ?

How which way the streets were i nves ted the church
w as backed by the rive r There was n o boat n o outlet
.
, .
H e ha d the r efo r e but one cou r se

, ,
to di e on the thresh
o l d of N ot r e D ame ; at an y rate to m ake all the r e sist
-
ance i n his powe r un til succour shoul d ar r ive and n ot to ,
disturb the slumbers o f La Es meralda ; the un fortunate

creature would be awaken e d time enough to die Thi s .
resolution on ce taken he set about examining the enem y

,
wi th greater composure .
The crowd seemed to increase eve ry momen t i n the

B B
3 70 T H E H UN C H B A C K or N O T R E D A ME J
- .
P arvis . H e presum e d however that the noise they m ade

, ,
m ust be ve r y slight be c aus e the windows i n the streets

,
an d the Place remai ned closed Al l a t on ce a l ight a p.

'
p e are d an d in an in stan t seven or eight l igh ted torches

,
rose above the heads o f the multitude shaking their tuf ts ,
o f fl ame amid the darkness Then di d Quasimodo di s

.
tin ctl y percei ve a fr ightful rabble o f men and women in

r ags arm ed wi th scythes
,
pikes pic k axes and halberts
, ,
-
, ,
w i th their thousand glistening heads Here and there .
b lack fork s proj ected like horn s over hideous faces He .
had some vague recollection o f this m ob and fan cied that ,
he had seen those faces som e months befo r e, when he was

e lected Pope o f Fools A man who held a to r ch in o ne
.
,
hand and a cud gel in the other go t u p on a post and a p , ,
p e ared t o be haranguing them At the same time thi s .
strange arm y made some evolution s as if certai n di vision s ,
were taking their respecti ve stati ons about the church .
Quasi modo picked up his lantern an d wen t down to the ,
p latform between the towers to obtain a nearer view and ,
to arrange his mean s o f defen c e .
C lopin T rou ill e f ou on his arrival before the lofty por

,
tal o f N otre D ame had i n fact ranged his troo ps i n

-
, , ,
o rder o f battle Though he expected no resistance yet he

.
,
re s olved like a pruden t general , to preserve such order a s

,
w ould enable him to face about in case o f need against

a ny s u dden attack o f the w atch o r o f the onz ew i ng ts .
A ccordingly he drew up his brigade in such a way that

, ,
h ad you seen i t from above, o r at a di stan ce you would ,
h ave taken i t for the R oman triangle at the battle o f

’
E cn om u s the boar s head o f Alexan der or the famou s
, ,
wedge o f Gustavu s Adolphus T he base o f thi s triangle .
rested upon the farthest side o f the P l a ce s o as to block ,
u p the R ue du Parvis ; o ne o f its sides faced the Ho tel .
D ieu an d the other the R ue Saint Pierre aux B oeufs

,
- - -
.
T r ou ill e fou had placed himself at the a p ex wi th the duke of ,
Egypt ou r friend Jehan and the boldest o f the Vagabonds

, , .
An enterpr ise o f thi s kind w as by no m eans uncomm on

in the towns o f the middle ages Poli ce as we under .
,
stan d the term there was n one N either was the re in

,
.
pop ulou s c ities and in ca pitals m ore p ar ti cul arly an y sole,

, ,
ran m m orm a ox or N OTB E - D a mm . 371
cen tral regul ating power The feudal system had con s ti
,
.
t u ted thes e large com munities after a s trange fashion A .
city was an as semblage of a th ousand seigneuries whi ch ,
cut i t up in to compartmen ts of all forms an d all dim e n

sions Hen ce a thousand contradi c tory poli ces that is to
. ,
say no police at al l
,
I n Paris for instance ind e pe nd
.
, ,
ently o f the o ne hun d red an d forty one seigneurs claiming -
m anorial righ ts there were twen ty fiv e who claimed th e

,
-
righ t o f administering j ustice fr om the bishop o f Pari s , ,
who had five hundred streets down to the prior o f N otre ,
D ame des C hamps who ha d fou r The paramoun t au

- -
,
.
tho ri ty o f the king was but nominally recognised by all

these feudal justiciaries Louis X L that indefatigable
.
,
wo r kman who so largely commen ced the demolition o f the

,
feudal edifice con tin ued by R ichelieu and Louis XI V for

,
.
the in terest o f royalty and co mpleted by M i rabeau for the

,
benefit o f the people Loui s X I had certainly endea . .
v ou re d to break this web o f seigneuries spread o u t o ver
Paris b y violently hu r ling against i t at random two or

,
three ordi nan ces of general po lice Thus i n 1 46 5 the .

, ,
inhabi tants were o rde r ed as soo n as it w as dark to plac e

l ighted candles i n their windows an d to shut up their dogs , ,
upon pain o f the g all ows The same year they were en .
j oined to bl ock the streets at night with iron chains and ,
fo rbidden to carry daggers o r o ffensi ve weapons out o f

doors after dusk bu t in a short time al l these attempts at
, ,
m unicipal legi slation fell into neglect The ol d s tructure .
o f feudal j urisd ictions was l eft stan ding B aili wicks an d .
sei gneuries wi thout number carved ou t the city among

them crossing j os tling en tangling themsel ves with an d
, , , ,
dove tai ling into o ne another There was an endl ess con
-
, .
fus ion o f watches under watches and coun ter watches in

,
-
,
-
,
defian ce o f which robbery plunder and sedi tion were car , , ,
ried o n by m ain force Amidst this di sorder then i t was

.
, ,
n o un common thing for a part o f the rabble to m ake a n
attack upo n a palace a mansion a house in the m ost, , ,
p opulous parts o f the city The neighbours i n gen eral .
abstained from in terfering in the a ffair un less the pillag e ,
ex tended to their o wn property They shut their ears to .
the firing c lo se d thei r shutte rs barri c aded their doors l efl:

, , ,
B B 2
T HE 11 11 ! : a o or NO T RE D AME - . 3 73
were pronoun ced wi th a sort o f wil d and sombre maj esty .
O ne o f the Vagabonds delivere d his banner to C lopin wh o ,
so lemnly plan ted it between two paving stones I t was a - .
p itch fork o n the ti nes o f which hung a lum p o f bleeding

-
,
carrion .
T his done th e ki ng o f Thunes turn ed roun d and sur

,
v e e d his army a savage throng whose eyes glistened

y , ,
’
almost as much as their pikes After a moment s pause .
,
he gave the wo r d o f onset Forw ard ! m y lads ! T o .
your business blackguards was the cry o f C lopin T ro u

,
il l e fo u .
Thirty s tout men fellows with brawny limbs and the ,
faces of blacksmiths sp r ang fro m the ranks bearing sledge ; , ,
h ammers pincers and crowba r s in their hands and o n

, ,
their shoulders They made for the great doo r of the

.
church ascended the ste ps and were presently crouching

, ,
down bene ath the arch at work with their pin cers and ,
their levers A crowd of the Vagabonds followed to assist

.
o r to look on The eleven s teps o f the porch were thronged

.
by them The door however held firm

. D evil , , .
said o ne it is tough and obstinate !

,
is old an d ,
its j oints are sti ff said another C ourage comrades

, .
,
’
repli ed C lopin I l l wager my head agai nst an ol d sh oe
.
th at you will have Opened the door taken the girl and , ,
stri p ped the high al tar before there is a beadle awake .
’
H old I think the lock is giving way
,
.
C lopin was interrupted at this moment by a tremendous

crash behind him He turned round An enormous bea m . .
h ad fallen from the sky i t had crushed a dozen o f the

Vagabonds on the ste ps of the church and rebounded o n ,
the pavemen t wi th the noise o f a cannon breaking a score ,
o r two o f l egs among the crowd o f beggars who wi th , ,
cries o f horror scam pered o ff in every d irection ,

The .
area o f th e Parvis was cleared in a twinkli ng The black .
smiths though protecte d by the depth o f the porch aban

, ,
d o ne d the door and C lopin himself fell back to a respect

,
ful distan ce from the church I have had a n arro w .
es cape cried J
,
ehan I was in the wind o f i t by Jove ! ,
”
but Peter the B utcher i s butchered .
I t is im p ossibl e to desc r ibe the frigh t and cons tern ation

B B 3
3 74 TH E B U N CH B A C K 0 1? NO T RE - D AE
ME .
which fell with that beam u pon the ba nditti For s om e .
m inu tes they s too d sta r ing up at the sky more astounded ,
at the piece of ti mber than they would have been by the

a r rival o f twenty thousand o f the king s archers The ’
.
devil exclaimed the duke of E gypt this does look li ke ,
m agi c ! I t m u st surely be the m oon that has th r own

u s this log said Andry the R ed
, Wh y then methinks .
, ,
”
the moon is a good frien d to o u r Lady the Vi r gin ob , ,
s er ved F r an cois C ha ntepr u ne Thousan d popes.
”
c r ied C lopin ye are a parcel of fools ! but still he
,
kne w not ho w to accoun t for the fall o f the beam .
M eanwhile nothing was to be seen on the fa cade the ,
top o f which was to o high for the ligh t of the to r ches

t o reach it .The ponderous beam lay in the middle of the
P arvis and n othing was heard save the g r oan s of the
,
wre tches who had b een m angled by its sho ck upon the
s teps The first pani c over, the king o f Thunes at le ngth
.
fan cied that he had made a discovery whi ch appeared ,

”
plausible to his companions Ven tr e D ieu !
. cried he ,
are the canon s defending them selves ? I f so sack ! ,
sack Sack sack responded the whole crew with a ,
t remendous hu r rah and a furious discharge o f cross bows -
an d ar qu e b u s se s was levelled at the fa cade of the church .
The report of the fire arm s awoke the peaceful inha

-
b ita nts of the neighbouring houses sund ry windows m igh t

be seen opening nigh tcaps popping out an d h ands hold
, ,
ing can dles .Fire at the windows roa r ed out C lopin .
The windows were shut in an instant and the poo r citi ,

'
zens who had sca r cely had time to cast a hasty and timid
,
glance upon this scene of flash and tumult retu rned t o

“ ,
perspi r e with frigh t by the sides of thei r spouses asking ,
themselves whethe r the witches sabbath was n ow held in ’
th e Parvis o r whether the r e was an othe r attack o f the

,
B urgundians as in 6 4 ,
The m en were apprehen si ve of
.
r obbery the women of rape and all trembled

, , .
Sack ! sack repeated the m en o f Slang but they ,
durst no t advan ce They looked fi r st at the church an d

.
then at the beam The beam did not sti r and the church
.
,
retained its calm an d lonely air but somethi ng h ad frozen ,
the courage o f the Vagabonds .

rm: H u ncn n a ox os o
n ra s - n a ms . 3 75
To work then s coundrels !

,
cried T rou ill ef ou
, .
”
For ce the door ! N ot a soul moved a finger Pretty .
”
f ellows these
,
said C lopin
,
who a r e fr igh tened ou t o f,
th e i r wits by a bit o f wood C ap tain rej oined a n ,
o l d smith
“ it is not the bit o f wood that frighten s u s
, ,
but the door is all clamped wit h i ron bars The pin cers .
”
are o f no use IVhat wan t you then to break i t
.
” ”
O pen ? en quired C lopin We wan t a batte r ing ram . - .
”
Here i t is then cried the king o f Thunes steppin g
, ,
boldly up to the formidable beam and setting his foot upon ,
it : the canon s themselves have sen t you o ne Than k .
”
you canons
, he added making a mock obeisan ce towards
, ,
the chu r ch .
This bravado produ ced the desi red eff ect The char m .
o f the beam was broken picked up like a feather by two

hundred vigorous arm s i t was dashed with fur y agains t ,
the great doo r whi ch the Vagabonds had in vain attempted

,
to force . I n the di m light th r own by the few torches

upon the Place this long beam and its supporters might
,
have been taken for an immen se beast with hundr eds o f

legs butting at a gian t o f stone .
A t the shock of the beam the half metallic door re -
sounded like an immense dru m : i t yielded no t but the ,
whole cathedral shook and the innerm ost cavities o f th e

,
edifice we r e hea r d to groan At the same insta nt a .
shower o f sto nes began to rain upon the assailan t s Hell .
and the devil c ried Jehan ; are the towers sh akin g

their balus trade upon us B ut the impulse was gi ven
the king o f Thunes was righ t it was decidedly the bisho p
defending his ci tadel a nd the Vagabonds only battered the
,
door with the mo r e fury in spite o f the stones whi ch ,
were cracking skulls in all di re cti ons I t is remarkable .
that these stones fell o ne by o n e but so closely did they ,
follo w each o the r that the assailants always felt t wo

,
at a time o ne at their legs the other on their heads

, ,
.
There were few of them that did not tell already a la r ge

heap of killed and wounded lay bleeding and palpitating
under the fe et of thei r com r ades who nothing daunted , , ,
filled up their r anks as fast as they we re thinned The .
l o ng bea m con tinued to ba t ter at regul ar in tervals , the

B B 4
r rm n u s ca na o x os N OT B E - D AME . 3 77
w ork i n silen ce to carry stones rubbish gravel an d even , , ,
the bags o f tools belonging to the m asons to the edge o f ,
the balustrad e over whi ch he had al ready hoisted the

beam As soo n as they commen ced battering the door,
.
the shower o f sto nes began to fall and the Vagabonds ,
i m agined th at the church was tumbling about thei r ears .
An y one who could have seen Quasimodo at that m omen t

wo u ld have been sei zed with dread B esides the p ro .
jectiles which he had piled upon the balustrade he had

, ,
carried a heap o f s tones to the platform i ts elf ; so that a s

soon as the former were exhausted he might have recourse
to the latter There he was then stooping and rising
.
, , ,
stooping and rising again with an acti vi ty absolutely in

,
conceivable His huge hea d m o r e li ke that of a gnom e

.
,
M g was at tim e s bent over the balus

,
trad e then an enormous stone would fal l then another, ,
a nd another Fro m ti me to time too he would follow a

.
, ,
thumping s tone with his eye ; and when i t did good exe
cu tio n he would grun t o u t
, Hun ,
The Vagabonds however were nothing da unted M ore

, ,
.
than twenty times the massive door against which their

attack was directed had trembled under the weigh t of the
oake n ram mul tiplied by the force of a hund r ed men
,
.
The panels were cracked the carving flew o ff in shivers, ,
the hi nges a t every blow sprang up fr om thei r pivo ts the ,
planks began to star t and the wood was pounded to po w

,
d er between the bra ces of iron : luckily fo r Quasimodo

there was m ore i ron than wood H e was aware ne v e rthe .
,
less that the doo r could no t hold ou t long Though he

, .
c ould not hear it yet every s troke o f the ram reverberated

,
i n the caverns and in the inmost recess es of the chu r ch

, .
From his lofty s tation he saw the assailan ts flushed with ,
triumph and wi th rage shaking their fists at the gloomy

,
facade and for his own sake as well as fo r the E gyptian s

, , ,
’
h e cove ted the wings o f the daws whi ch flew o ff i n flo cks ,
abo ve hi s hea d His ammunition was no t effecti ve enough

.
to repel the assailan ts .
At this momen t o f anguish he remarked a little lower ,
down th an the balustrad e fr om which b e crushed the men

o f S lang, t wo l on
g gutters o f s tone whi ch d isgorged the m
3 78 TH E n u n o n nA cx or N OT R E D A ME - .
selves i mm e diately over the great door The inner ori fice .
o f these gutters opened o n the level of the platform An .
’
idea stru ck him He ran to his bell ringer s lodge fo r a
. -
faggot placed it o ver the hole of the two spouts laid upon
, ,
i t several bund les of laths and roll s of lead a kind o f ,
ammunition to which he had not yet resorted ; and a s ,
s oon as all was arranged, he set fire to the faggot wi th his

l an tern .
D uring this interval as the st ones had ceased falling

, ,
the Vagab o nds n o longer looked up and the ru ffian s,

p an ting l ike dogs b a Y ! Ug boar
crowded tu t tifdfi El fiou nd th
.
the ba ttering engine but still standing They awai ted

, .
,
with a thrill o f impatien ce the last grand blow the blow , ,
that was to shiver it i n pieces E ach was stri vi ng to get .
nearest to the doo r that he migh t be first to dart into the

,
ri ch m agazine o f treasures which had been accumulatin g ,
i n the cathedral for three centuries They roared with .
jo y as they reminded one another o f all the bea uti ful silver
cru cifi x es the rich copes o f brocade the monuments of
, ,
silver gilt the magnificen ce o f the choir the C hristmases

, ,
spa r kling with to r ches the E asters dazzling in the sun — all
, ,
those splendid solemni ties when sh r ines chandeliers pyxes , , ,
tabern acles reliqua r ies embossed the a lta r s wi th a crest

, ,
o f gold and diamonds Assu r edly at this m omen t the

.
c ante r s and whine r s the limpers an d tremblers an d tu rn .

, , ,
hlers though t mu ch less of the rescue of the E gyp tian

,
than of the plun der of N ot re D ame F o r o u r o wn parts - .

,
we ve r ily believe that with a great proportion of them La

E smeralda was me r ely a p r etext if however robbers need , , ,
any p r etex t .
All on a sudden while they were grouping themsel ves

,
for a last e ff o rt about the en gine each holding his breath ,
and s ti ffeni ng hi s muscles to throw all his st r ength into

t he decisive blow a howling mo r e hideous tha n that whi ch
, ,
followed the fall of the fatal beam burst from among them ,
.
Those wh o were not yelling an d yet alive looked round .
T wo streams o f molten lead we r e pouring fr om the top of

the building upon the thi ckest part o f the crowd This .
s e a o f men had subsided beneath the boiling metal which ,

'
rn n H U N CH B A OK o r NO T RE D A ME
-
. 3 79
had m ade at the points where i t fell two black an d s m ok

, ,
ing holes in the rabble such a s ho t wa ter woul d make i n ,
a sn ow d rift He r e the dying were writhing h alf c alcined

- .
and roaring wi th agon y All around these two prin cipal .
stream s a shower o f this horrible rain was scatte r ed over

the assailan ts and the drops pierced their skulls like gim
,
lets of fire The cl amour was hor r ible The Vagabonds

. .
,
throwing the beam upon the dead and dying fled pell , ,
mell the bold and the timid together an d the Parvi s was
, ,
clea r ed a second time .
All eyes were rai sed to the to p o f the building They .
beheld a sigh t o f an extrao r dinary kind I n the upper .
most galle r y above the central ro se windo w a vast bo d y

, ,
o f flame accompani ed by sh o wers o f sparks ascended be

, ,
tween the two towers — a fierce and irregular flame patches

.
,
o f which we r e every now and then ca r ried o ff by the wind
along with the smoke : B elo w this fire below the sombre ,
bal ust r ade with i ts glowing red open w ork ornamen ts

,
-
,
two spou ts in the shape o f the j aws o f mons ters vomite d

, ,
w ithout cessation those silver stream s whi ch sto od o u t di s ,
ti n ctl y against the dark mass of the lower fa ade

c A s .
they approach e d the g r ound those two st r eams spre a d ,
l ike water poured through th e holes of the ro se o f a

watering pot Above the flames the eno r mous to wers
- .
,
each showing two sides deeply con trasted the one quite ,
black the other quite r ed appeared still la rger fr om th e ,
immense shad ows which they th r ew towards the sky .
Their numberl e ss sculptu r es of devils an dfi s as

sum ed a doleful aspec t W f the e gave
. g
to t hem the appearance o f motion finrggps seem ed to be .
laughing water spouts yelping salamand e rs puffing fire

,
-
,
“
,
an d g riffins sneezing in the smoke An d among the m on .
s te rsM ak e ne d from thei r sleep o f stone by the flame s
and by the din th e r e was o ne that moved fr om place to

,
place and passed from ti me to time in fron t of the fire

, ,
like a bat before a ca n d l

A silence of terror fell upon the arm y of the Vagabonds ,
d u ring whi ch m igh t be heard the cries o f the canons shut

up in their cloiste r s and more alarm ed than ho r ses i n a
,
s ta bl e that is o n fire together with the sou n d o f w indo ws

,
rm : n u n orrna cx or NO T RE D A ME
-
. 38 1
And th e sacristy too where there are cart l oads o f ,

-
”
gold ? added a rapscall ion whose n ame we regret our
i nability to record .
B ea r d o f M ahound ej acul ate d T rou il l e f ou .
Let us make on e mo r e trial said the precedin g ,
speaker .
Again M athias Hunyadi shook his head We shal l .
”
not get in at the doo r that s certain
’
.
,
”
I shall go back sai d C lopin ,
t o will come .
with m e ? B y the by w here is li ttle Jehan the student, , ,

”
who had cased himself u p to the eyes in steel P
”
D ead no doubt replied some o ne
, , I have n ot .
”
heard his laugh for some time .
’
The king of Thunes knitted hi s b r ow M ore s the .
pity He carried a bold heart under that iron shell

And M aster Pierre G r ingoi re what is becom e o f him ,
”
C aptain C lopin said And r y the R ed ,
he sneaked ,
”
o ff as soon as we had reached the Pon t aux C hangeurs - - .
C lopin stam pe d Sdeath the coward ! To urge us

.
’
into this a ff ai r and then leave us in the lurch

”
C aptain cried Andry the R ed who was looking down
, ,
the R ue d u Parv is yonder comes the little scholar

,
.
”
Thanks be to Pluto ! rej oined C lopin B ut what .
the devil is he d ragging after him

I t was actually Jehan who was advancing as expedi ,
tiou s l y as he could for his heavy warlike accoutrements

and a long ladder which with the aid o f h alf a do zen o f ,
- -
the gang he was traili ng along the pavement more ou t o f

, ,
breath than a pismire drag ging a blade o f grass twen ty times

as long as itself .
Vi cto ry T e D e u m s hou ted the scholar .
’
C lopin wen t up to him What i n the devil s name
.
, ,
? ”
are you going at with th at ladder
”
I have got i t replied Jehan panting an d blowing
, , .
I knew where i t was kept under the shed belonging to

’
the lieu tenan t s house I am acquainted with o ne of the
.
maids there who thinks me a perfect C upid The poor

, .
girl came down h alf nak e d to let m e in -

and here is the
”
ladder .
3 82 TH E H U N OH B A CK or NO T RE D A ME
- .
“but
.
I see sa id Cl opin
, what are you going to do
”
wi th it R
Jehan eyed hi m with a look o f spite and importance ,
and snappe d his fingers li ke cas ta gnettes At that m oment .
he was really subli me His head was cased in o ne of those

.
surcharged helmets of the fifteenth century which daun te d ,
the enem y by their fantastic appendages His was b e .
st udded with ten iron beaks so that he migh t have dis ,
p u te d the formidable epithet Benef gohog with N estor s H o

’
a
meric ship .
What a m I going to do with i t august king of ,
Thunes ? D o you see th a t row o f statues whi ch look so ,
like idiots there abo ve the three porches

, ,
Yes what then

,
That is the gallery o f the kings o f Fran ce .
And what o f that ? said C lopin .
Just listen At the end o f that gallery there is a door

.
,
which i s always o n the la tch Wi th thi s ladder I will .
”
moun t to it and then I a m in the church
, .
”
Let me go up fi rst boy , .
N o n o comrade
,
I brought the la dder Y ou shall
, . .
be second i f you will ,

.
M ay B eelzebub strangle thee ! cried C lopin p ee ,

”
v i shl I will not be second to an y man
y . .
T hen my dear fello w seek a la dder f o r yourself

, , .
Jehan started again dragging his ladder along an d ,
shouting ,
T his wa y m y lads '
I n an instant the ladder was raised and placed agains t

the ba lustrade o f the lower gallery above one o f the side ,
doo r s amidst loud acclamations fro m the c r owd o f the

,
Vagabonds who thronged to the foot of i t to ascend

, .
Jehan main tai ned his righ t to go up first The gallery o f .
the kings o f France is at this present time abou t sixty fee t

abo ve the pavemen t The eleven steps up to the porch
.
in creased the height Jeha n mounted slowly being i m

.
,
pe d ed by his heavy arm our laying hold o f the ladder with ,
o ne hand and having his arbales t in the other

,
Wh en h e .
was about hal f way up he cast a m e lan choly loo k at the

-
dead bodi es that covered the steps and the pavemen t By .
” “
m y fay, said he a heap o f c arcasses that woul d no t disgra ce
,
r n n H UN OH B A OK o s
'
n o r n nm a n s . 3 83
the fi f th b ook o f the I li ad He then con tinued to as cend

.
,
followed by the Vagabo n ds Had yo u seen this li ne of

.
c uirass ed backs und u l ati ng in the dark y ou would have ,
ta ken i t for an immense serpen t wi th iron scales raisin g

i tself agai nst the church .
The schola r at length touched the bal con y and nimbly

l eaped upo n it He was gree ted by a general shout fro m
.
the whole gang T hus m as ter o f the citadel he j oined in

.
the hurrahs but all at once he was struck dumb wi th

,
horror He perceived Quasimod o crouching i n the d ark

.
behi nd one of the royal statues and his eye flashing fi r e ‘

.
Be fore a second o f the besiegers could set foot o n the

g alle r y the formi dable h u n chbac k sprang to the to p o f the
,
ladder and wi th out utte ring a wo rd caugh t hold of the two

, , ,
s i des with his nervous hands and pushed them from the
,
wall with supe rhuman force The long ladder bending

.
,
u nder the l o ad o f the escalading pa r ty whose piercing ,
shrieks rent the air stood up righ t fo r a m omen t and seeme d

, ,
to hesitate then all at on ce taking a tremendou s lurch i t

, ,
fell with its load o f banditti more swiftly than a drawbridge

when the ch ains that held i t have broken An immense .
imprecation ensued presently all was silen t and here and ,
there a m angled wretch crawled forth fr om beneath the

heap o f the dead Quasi mod o leaning wi th his two el
.
,
bo ws upo n the balustrad e looked quietly o n ,

.
Jehan Frollo found hi mself i n a criti cal situation Se .
p ara te d from his com rades by a perpendi cular w all o f eighty

fee t he was alone in the gallery with the formidable bell
, .
ringer While Quasim odo was playing wi th the l ad der

.
,
the scholar had run to the poste rn which he expected to ,
find upon the latch H e was di sap poin ted A b e d warf

. .
had locked it after him when he went down to the gaHFrf

Je ha n then hid him self behind o ne o f the s tone ki ngs hold ,
ing his brea th , and eyeing the m onstrous hun chba ck wi th

a look o f horror lik e the man who having scraped a cquai n t
, ,
-t
an ce with the wife o f a k eeper o f wild beas ts wen t o ne ,
nig ht i n pursuance of an assignation and climbing o ver , ,
the wrong wall , found himself all at on ce face to face wi th

a p rod i ious yvhi t e b ear For some m om e n ts he was not
g _
.
TE E mm o n na cx or R om s -
Da n s . 385
A cry o f horror b u rst from the Vagabonds Re

venge shouted C lopin Sack ! sack res ponded the
.
multi tude Sto rm ! storm !

. Then followed prodigious
yell s in termingled with all languages all dial e cts all a c
, , ,
cents The death o f poor Jehan kindled a fu r y in the

.
c rowd They were filled wi th shame and indign ation at

.
having been so long held in check before a church by a

hunchback R age found ladders and multi pli ed the torches
.
and in a few moments Quasimodo beheld with conster

, ,
n ation a fearful rabble mounting o n all sides to the assault

o f N otre D ame S ome had lad ders others knotted ropes
- .
, ,
while such as could not procure ei ther scrambled up by th e

’
aid of the scul ptures holding by each other s rags , There .
were no mean s o f withstandi ng this rising tide of gri m faces ,
to which rage gave a look of twofold feroci ty The per . .
spiration trickled down their begrimed b ro ws ; their eyes

flashed all these hideous figures were no w closing in upo n
Quasimodo Y o u would have imagined that some other
.
church h ad sent its gorgons i ts de n o l a ts d ragop s i ts

'
fd b
, ’ ,
most fan tas tic monsters,to the a s sa u l f lzl trE Dam e

‘
M eanwhil e the Place wa s i l lumined wi th a thousan d

,
torches A flood o f light suddenly burst upon the scene

.
o f con fusion which had ti ll then been buried in d arkness

,
.
The fire kindled o n the pl atform was stil l burn ing and ,
illumined the city to a considerable di stance The enorm ous .
outline o f the two towers proj ected afar upon the roofs ,
o f the houses formed a large patch o f shadow amidst all

,
this light The city seem ed to be i n a bustle

. Di stan t .
alarm bells were proclaiming that there was something

-
amiss The Vagabonds were shouting yelling swearing

.
, , ,
cli mbing ; and Quasimodo powerless agai nst such a host ,
o f enemies shuddering for the E gy pti an seeing so man y

, ,
ferocious faces appro aching near er and nearer to the gal

le r y p rayed to Heaven f or a mira cle at the same time
, ,
wringing his han ds in despair .

3 86 TH E H UNC H B A CK on N O T RE D A ME
- .
C H AP T ER V .
TH E R ETR E A T W H ERE w
mo e U R L O U IS O F F R A NCE
'
s AY s
m s P R A Y ER S .
TH E reader has perhaps n ot forgotten that Quasimodo

, , ,
the m o m en t before he perceived the n octurnal band o f

the Vagabonds while surveying Pa ris fr om the top of his
,
towe r had discovered bu t a single light whi ch illumined a

, ,
w indow in the uppermost floor o f a lofty and glb o m y

building by the gate of St Antoin e This building was . .
the B astille That light was the candle of Louis X I

. .
The king had actually been for two d ays past i n Paris .
H e was to leave i t ag ai n on the day afte r the m orrow fo r

his fo r tress of M on til z Je z T ours His visits to his good
- .
city of Pa r is were ra r e and short ; for there he felt tha t

h e had not trap doors gibbets and S cottish arche r s enough
-
, ,
about him .
He h ad come that day to sleep in the B astille H e .
di sliked the great chamber whi ch he had at the Lou vre ,
fi ve fath oms square with its great chimney piece adorned

,
-
,
w ith twelve g r eat beasts and thirteen great prophets and ,
i ts great bed twelve feet by eleven H e was lost amidst all

,
.
this grandeur This bu rgher king gave the p r efere nce to

.
the B astille with an humble chamber an d sui table bed

, .
B esides the B as tille was stronger than the Louv r e

,
.
This chambe r, whi ch the king had reserved for him se l f

in the famous state p r ison was spacious an d occupied the
-
, ,
topm ost floor of a tur r et in the keep I t was an apa r tmen t .
of circular fo r m the floor covered wi th shining st r aw

,
m atting ; the rafters o f the ceiling adorn ed with fleu rs

de li s o f pew ter gilt the spaces between them coloured ;
- ,
wains coted wi th rich woods sprinkled with rosettes of ,
tin painted a fine li vely g r een composed of o r pine and

,
woad .
There was but one l ong an d p ointed window, latticed

w ith brass wire and iron bars and somewhat darkened ,
TE E H UNC H B A CK ’
or NO T RE D A ME
- . 3 87
b esides by beautiful stained glass exhibiting the arm s o f ,
the king and those of the queen each pane of which co st ,
t wenty two sous- .
There was but o ne en trance a modern door wi th e l , ,
l ip tic a r ch covered on the inside wi th cloth and having

, ,
without on e o f those porches o f I rish wood frail structures ,
o f curious wo r kmanship which were still very commo n i n ,
o l d buildings o ne hundred an d fifty years a go Though .
they di s figu re and encumber the places says Sauval , ,
peevishly ye t will no t our ancien t folk put them away

, ,
but they preserve them in spi te o f every one .
I n this chamber was to be seen none o f the furni ture

o f o r dinary apartments neither tables upon trestles n o r
, ,
benches nor forms nor comm on stools in the shape of a

, , ,
b o x nor those of a better sort standing upon pillars and

, ,
c ounte r pillars -
at fou r sous apiece
, N othing was to b e .
seen there save a ve r y magnificen t folding arm chair : the

,
-
wood work was adorned with rose s painted o n a red

-
groun d and the s eat was o f sca r let Spanish leather gar ,
nis he d with silk fringe and studded with a thousand golden

,
n ails . This solitary chair indi cated that o ne person only

had a righ t to sit down in that apartm en t N ear the chair .
and close to the window was a table cov ered wi th a cloth

o n which we re the figures of birds O n this table we re .
a portfolio spotted with ink sundry parchments pens , , ,
and a chased silver mug A t a lit tle distance stood a cha .

,
fing dish and a desk for the pu r po se of prayer co vered

, ,
with c r ims on velvet embossed with studs o f gold Lastly .

,
at the farthest part o f the room there was a simple bed o f ,
yello w and flesh coloured damask without lace o r an y

-
,
trimming but plain fringe This bed famed f o r having .

,
witness ed the sleep or the sleeplessness of L oui s X L was to ,
be seen two hundred years ago in the house of a councillor

o f state .
Such was the chamber commonly called Th e retreat ,

”
where M on sieur Louis o f France said his prayers .
A t the momen t o f our ushering the reader into this re

treat i t was very dark An hour had elapsed sin ce the
, .
to lling of the curfe w i t was night and there was only one ,
c an 2
TH E n u nc n n a cx on NO T RE D A ME
- . 3 89
’
G ringo ire s mystery would have recognised in them two
o f the prin cipal Flemish envoys , Gui l laume R ym , the s a
g aciou s pens i onary o f Ghent, and Ja e ues C o ole , the

p opular hosier I t will be recollected that these t wo per
.
sons were mixed up with the se cret pol itics o f Louis XI .
Lastly , at the opposite end o f the room , near the door,

i n the dark stood motionless as a statue a short thick set
, , ,
-
man i n mili tary attire with coat o f arms embroidered on

, ,
the breast whose s quare face without brow eyes o n a level

, ,
with the top o f the head and ea r s hidden by t wo la rge ,

’
p enthouses of straigh t hair pa r took at once o f the dog s ,
’
and the tiger s .
All we r e uncove r ed ex cepting the king .
The nobleman s tandi ng n ear the king was reading to

him a long memori al to which his maj esty seemed to li sten ,
attentively The two Flemings we r e whispering together

. .
B y the rood muttered C o pp e nol e I am tired o f ,
standi ng Are n o chairs allowed here

.
R ym answered by a shake of the head accompanied by ,
a di sc r eet smile .
God s cross resumed C o pp enol e who was qui te ,
miserable to be obliged to speak in so lo w a tone I have ,
a good m ind to clap myself down o n the floor as I might ,
do at home .
Nay M as ter Jacques prithee do no such thing

, ,
.
Hey day M aster Gui l laume ! must one keep o n one s

'
-
,
legs all the while one is here then ,

'
”
E ven so or o n you r kn ees replied R ym
, , .
At that moment the king raised his voi ce They were .
sil en t.
Fifty so us the gowns o f ou r serving men an d twelve -

,
li vr e s the cloaks of the clerks o f o u r crown ! Why tis ,

’
throwing gold away b y tons Are you distraught, O livier

As he thus spoke the old king raised his head Abo u t his .
neck might then be seen glistening the golden balls o f the

col lar o f St! M ichael The rays o f the ca ndle fell full .
upon his skinny and morose face He snatched the paper .
from the hands o f the reader .
”
Y o u will ruin us ! he cried running his ho l lo w eye ,
over i t . Wha t means all this ? what need have we f or such

0 c 3
a prodi gious establi s hment Two chaplain s at the rat e of ,
ten livres each per mon th and a clerk o f the chapel at o ne

,
hundred sous A valet de chambre at ninety li v r es by the

- -
,
year ! Four es quir es o f the kitchen at six sco r e liv r es by the ,
year each An overseer o f the roast another of the v e ge

, ,
tables another o f the sauces a head cook a butle r an d

, ,
-
, ,
t wo assistants at ten livre s each per month ! Two scul

,
lions at eight li vres A groom and his tw o helpers at ”
twenty four livres the month A po r ter a pastry —co ok a

-
, ,
bake r two ca r te r s at sixty liv r es by the yea r each An d

, ,
t he m arshal of the forges six score livres And the

,
m aster o f the chamb e r o f o u r ex che q uer twelve hun d re d ,
li vres An d the comptroller five hund red And I know ,
T i s enough to drive one mad ! T o

’
not how man y more
pay the wages o f our servants Fran ce i s plundered All .
the ingots in the Louvre wi l l melt away befo r e such a fire

o f expense ! we will sell our plate ! And n ext year i f ,
God and our Lady [he r e he lifted his ha t] grant u s life ,

”
we will take our diet d r ink o u t o f a pewte r pot
- .
As he thus spoke h e cast a look at the silver mug which

,
glis tened upon the table He coughed and then proceed ed

.
,
M aste r O livier the prin ces who rule over great coun tries
, ,
such as kings an d empero r s ought n e ver to su ffer h abits o f

,
expen se to c r eep into their households ; fo r that fir e run s

farther an d catch e s the provin ces Give m e n o t occasion .
to repea t thi s M aster O livier Our expen diture increase s

, .
e very year The thing likes us n ot Why P a s qu e D ieu !

. .
,
-
till 7 9 i t never exceeded thirty six thousand l ivres in 8 0 -
i t amoun te d to forty three thousan d six hundred and nine

-
teen li vres I have the exact sum in my head — in 8 1 ,
to sixty six thousan d six hund r ed and eighty ; and thi s

-
year by the faith o f m y body it will not be under eighty

, ,
”
thousan d ! D oubled in four years ! m onstrous !
He paus e d to take breath and then began again with ,
warm th : I see about me none but people who fatten upon

m y leanness Ye suck crowns out of me at ev e ry pore
.
All p r esen t m aintained profound silen ce I t was o ne of .
those paroxysms whi ch m ust be left to themselves He .
contin ued
I t is like that peti ti on in L ati n from the nobl es o f

TE E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A M &
- 391
Fran ce that we would re establish what they call the great

,
.
c harges o f the crown ! C harges in good sooth ! crushing ,
cha rges Ah gentlemen ! ye say that we are no t a king to

,
reign d ap zf e ro n u ll o b u ticu la rio n u ll o We will show you ,

,
P a s q ue D ie u
- whe ther we a r e not a king
He r e he smiled i n the feeling o f his power : his w rath
was softene d and he tu r ned towards the Flemings
,
.
Look you Co mp ar e G uillaume the grand m aster o f the

, ,
pantry the grand ch am berlain the grand seneschal are o f

, , ,
less use than the meanest serving—man Remember that .

,
C omp é re C Opp e nol e ! They are good for nothing Such .
useless attendants o n a king are ve r y like the four evan

ge li s ts about the dial of the great clock of the Palace whi ch ,
Philip Brille has lately b e au tified They are gilt but they .
,
m a r k no t the hour and the hand can go without them

,
.
For a momen t he appeared thoughtful and then shaking , ,
his old head he added , N o no by O u r Lady I am not , , ,
Philip Br ille and I will no t new gild the grand vassa ls

,
- .
”
G o o n O livier
,
The pe rson to whom he spoke took up
.
the paper and began re ading again with a loud voi ce

,
To Adam Tenon cle r k to the keeper o f the seals of

,
the pro vosty of Paris for silver making and eng r aving, ,
sai d seals which have been new m ad e because the former

, ,
could no longer be used by reason o f their being o l d an d,
worn ou t twelve li vres parisis .
To G uillaume F r ere the sum of four li vres four s ons,
parisis as his salary and wages for fee ding the pigeon s in
,
the two dovecotes of the h otel des Tournelles in the m on th s ,
o f January February and M arch o f this presen t year ;

, ,
a nd for thi s there have bee n gi ven seven qua r ters o f

barley .
To a Gray Friar for confessing a criminal four s on s

, ,
”
p arisis
.
The king lis tened in silen ce He cough ed from time to .
time ; he would th e n lift the mug to his l ips and swallow

a mouth ful at the sam e tim e m aking a wry face
, .
I n this year there h ave bee n ma de by order o f j usti ce ,
by sound of trumpet in the publi c places o f Paris fif ty six

, ,
-
p roclamation s The accompt to be settled .
F or having made quest and search in c er ta in p l aces,

0 o 4
TH E H U N C H B A CK on NO I RE D A ME
‘
-
. 3 93
m on ths in the lodge o f the slaugh ter house till i t is settled -

,
what to do with him six livres four s ons

"
.
What is that ? said the king feed what ough t to

hang P as qu e D ieu ' not an other s o n will I give for that
- .
’
feed O li vier settle that business with M onsieur d E s to u
,
te vill e and this very nigh t m ake me the needful prepara

,
”
tion for wedding this gallan t with the gallows Go o n . .
Ol ivier made a mark with his thumb nai l agai nst thell a s t -
ite m and pro ceed ed

,
“ To H e nrie t C ousin m aster executioner o f Paris the
, ,
s u m o f sixty so us parisis to him adj udged and orde r ed by

,
monseig neur the p rovost o f Paris f o r that he did buy at , ,
the comm an d o f the said sieur the provost a great sword ,
for executing and beheading persons condemned by justice

f o r their misdeeds and did p r ovide a sheath and all there
,
un to appertaining and li kewise di d get the old sword

,
ground and repaired by reason that i t was b r oken and

,
notched in doing j us ti ce upon M ess ire Louis o f Luxembourg ,
as m ay more ful ly appear
The king interru p ted the reader That is enough I .
ord er that sum with all m y heart T ho se are expenses .
w hich I think n ot o f I ne ver grudg e moneys so laid ou t

. .
”
Go o n .
For new m aking a great cage

-
Ah said the king grasping the arm s o f his chai r ,
wi th both hands I knew that I ha d come to this B astille

,
f o r something st0p M as ter O li vier I wi l l look at that

, ,
c age m yself You sh al l read the i tems while I examine it

.
,
.
’
Gentlemen o f Flanders come and look at i t t is a
,
c u ri ous thing .
He then rose lean t u pon the arm of the reader, m otioned

,
to the kin d o f mute standing before the door to precede

him to the two Flemings to foll ow and left the chamber
, ,
.
The royal party was reinforced at the door o f the retreat

by men a t arm s encumbe red with iron and slender pages
- -
,
bearing torches I t pursued its way f o r some time th r ough

.
the interior of the sombre keep perforated with stai r cases ,
and corridors even into the substan ce o f the walls The ‘

.
cap ta in o f the B astill e went firs t to get the wickets o p ened ,

3 94 TH E H UNC H B A CK on NO T RE D A ME -
.
for the o l d king who ben t with age and infi rmity coughed
, , ,
as he walked along .
At each wicket every head was obliged to stoop ex cept

ing that of the old monarch Hum mut tered he b e
.
t ween his g u ms for he had lost all his teeth we are

al r eady not far from the door o f the tomb At a l o w door .
”
the passenger must st00p .
At length having p assed the last wicket s o in cumbered

, ,
wi th locks and fastenings that it took nearly a q uarter of

an hour to Open i t they entered a lofty an d spacious hall
, ,
in the middle o f which was discovered by the light of th e ,
torches a m assive cube of m asonry i r on and timber The

, , ,
.
i nterior was hollow I t was o n e of those famous cages for

.
” ’
p risoners of sta te which were c alled the king s daughte r s .
I n the sides of i t were t wo or three small windows so ,
closely latti ced with thi ck i r on ba r s that the glass could n ot

be seen . The door was a large stone slab like those which ,
are lai d upon graves ; o ne o f those doors which are never

used but to ente r : only in this case the buried person was
yet living .
The king began to walk slowly round the little edifi ce ,
examining it with care while M aster Olivier who followed

, ,
him read aloud to this e ff ect :

,
Fo r having new m ade a -
g r eat woo den c age o f thi ck j oists girders and planks , , ,
being nine feet long by eight wide and seven feet fro m ,
fl oor to ceiling planed an d clamped with strong iron clamps

, ,
the which hath bee n set in a chamber situate in o ne of the

towe r s o f the B astide St Antoine i n the whi ch cage is put
.
,
and kept by com mand of o u r lord the king a p r isoner who

, ,
aforetime d welt in a cage that was o l d crazy and decayed , ,

.
-
There we r e used for the said new cage ninety —six j oists ,
fif ty two uprights ten gi r ders three fathom s in length ;

-
, ,
a nd there were employed nineteen ca r pen ters, in squaring ,
cutting and working all said timber in the cour t of the

,
B astide for twenty days

C api tal heart o f o ak said the king rapping the w ood ,
wi th his knu ckle .
There were used for thi s cage continued the reader , ,
t wo hundred and twenty thick iron clamps o f nine and ,
eight feet, the rest of middli ng length , with the screws,

TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - . 3 95
nuts and bands to the said clamps the whole of the said
,
ir on weighing three thousand seven hund r ed and thi r ty five -
pounds ; besides eight stou t holdfasts to fasten the said

cage with the n ails weighing together two hundred an d
, ,
e igh teen pounds ; without reckoning the i ron grating to

the windows o f the chambe r i n which the cage is placed ,
the i ron doors o f that chamber and other things

"
.
,
A great deal o f iron said the king

,
to repres s the ,
Ievity of o ne mind !
The whole amounts to three hund r ed sevente en livres
”
fi ve sous seven deniers .
P u ma s D im !
- exclaimed the king A t this im pre .
cation whi ch was the favou r ite oath o f Louis X L some

, ,
person appea red to rouse up within the cage C hains were .
hea r d t r ailing upon the floo r and a fain t voi ce which

, ,
seemed to issue from a tomb cried M ercy sire mercy

, , ,
T he person who thus spoke could not b e seen .
Thre e hundred seventeen livres five sous seven de

niers repea ted Louis X I .
The lamentable voi ce whi ch i ssued from the cage had

thri lled all present in cluding M aster O l ivier himself Th e
,
.
king alon e appeared no t to have heard it At his command .

,
M aste r O livier began reading again and his maj esty cooll y ,
continued his examin ation o f the c age .
Besides the above the r e has been pai d to a m aso n who

,
m ade the holes to recei ve the bars o f the wi ndows and th e ,
floor of the chamber where the cage is be cause the floo r ,
could not have borne this cage by reaso n o f its weight

”
twen ty se ven livres fourte en sous parisis
-
.
’
The voi ce again began m oaning M ercy for heaven s.
,
sake sire — I assure your maj esty that i t was the C ardin al
,
of Angers who did the treason and not I ,

”
The m ason i s hi gh said the king
,
Pro ceed Oli .
,
V i er
.
O livier continued
T o a joiner for windows beds tead and o ther th in gs
, ,
twenty li vres two sous pa r isis .
The voice likewise con tinued : Alas ! sir e ! will you

no t hear me ? I protest that it was not I who wrote th a t
thing to M onseigneur de Guyenne b u t C ardin al B al ue ,
TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T R E D A ME - . 3 97
Sire sire cried he in tones o f despair The door shut . .
He saw nothing he heard nothing save the husky voice o f

,
the gaoler chanting a stanza of a song o f that day on the

subj ect o f his o wn misfortunes ,
M aitre Jean B alue

A p e r d u la vue
D e ses év échés .
M on s ieu r d e V e rdun
N e n a p lus p a s u m
’
Tous sont dép éc hés .
The king returned in silence to his retreat followed by ,
his train who were thri l led by the last heart rending wail
,
-
ings of the prisoner Hi s maj esty turned abruptly towa r ds

"
.
the gove r nor o f the B astille B y the by said he . was , ,
the r e not some on e i n that cage ?

I n good sooth si re there was replied the governor
, , , ,
astonished at the q uestion .
Who then ?
,
The bishop o f Ve r dun .
The king knew that better than any body else B ut .
this was his way .
”
Ah ! said he a s natu r ally as if he had but j ust though t
,
o f it ; Guillaume de Haraucourt a friend o f M onsieur ,

'
the C ardin al B al u e s A good fellow o f a bishop

.
The doo r of the ret reat presently opened and agai n ,
closed upon the five personages to whom the reader was

introduced at the beginning o f this chapter a nd who re ,
sumed their places their w hi spering conversation and their

, ,
attitudes.
'
D uring the king s absen ce several dispatches had bee n ,
lai d upon hi s table H e b r oke the seal s o f them him se l f

.
,
and hastil y ran o ver o ne afte r another He then m ade a .
sign to M aster O livier who appeared to perform the o ffi ce

,
of ministe r to take a pen and without communicating to

, , ,
hi m the contents of the di spatches began i n a low tone to ,
dictate hi s answers which O livier wrote kneeling very in

,
commodiously at the table .
Guillaume R ym watched him closely The king s poke .
s o low that the Flemings coul d catch n o more th an a few

3 98 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME -
.
detached and scarcely intel ligible fr agments of his dictation ,
su ch as : To m aintain the fertile p laces by commerce ,
the barren by manufactures To show the E ngli sh lords

.
o u r four pieces o f ordnance the London the Br aban t the

, , ,
”
B ou r g em B re s s e and the St O mer
-
The artille r y .
"
.
,
causes war to be now ca r ried o n m ore j udiciously To .
”
o u r fr iend ,
M onsieur B ressui re Armies cannot be
.
kept without taxes

B y and by he raised his voice P a s qua D ze u M on
'
. -
sieur the king of Sicily seals his letters with yell ow wax ,
like a king of Fran ce Perhaps we a r e wrong to pe r mi t

.
this The greatness o f houses is assu r ed by the integri ty

.
”
of their prerogati ves N ote this Comp ere O li v ier
.
, .
P resently O ho ! said he “ the big m essage ! What

, ,
would ou r brother the emperor ? R unning his eye over

the missive he ever and anon inter r upte d his reading by
,
inte rj ections C ertes the A l l m ains are so g r eat and so

,
’ ”
mighty that ti s sca r cely credible B ut we forget the .
o l d saying the finest coun ty is Flanders the finest du chy ,
M ilan the finest kingdom Fran ce ,

I s i t not so m y .
,
Flemish friends ?
This time C o pp e nol e bowed as well as R ym The .
p atriotis m of the hosier was tickled .
The last dispatch m ade M onsieu r Louis k nit his brow .
”
What i s this ? he exclaimed Grievances and com.
plaints agains t ou r garrison s in Pica rdy ! O livier , write

forthwi th to M onsieur the M arshal de R ou al t
'
that dis
cipline is relaxed that the gendarm es of the guard the ,
nobles of the ban the ye o m em archers the Switz ers do

, ,
'
infinite mischief to our lieges that the soldier not con ,
tent wi th the provisio n s whi ch he finds in the houses of

the farmers drives them out wi th g rievous blows o f sti cks
,
a nd staves to the city i n quest of wine fi sh groceries and , , ,
other luxurious things that M onsieur the king is ac

u a i n te d with these proceedings that i t is o u r intention
q
to protect our people from m olestation robbery an d plunder , ,
- th at it is o u r will by O ur Lady , that moreover it , ,
p leaseth u s no t that any musician chiru r geon o r man at , ,

-
arms sh all be attired like a prin ce in velvet silks and rings , ,
o f gold that these vanities are ha teful to G od that we

TH E H U N C H B A OK or NO T RE D A ME-
. 3 99
ourselves who are a gentleman are con ten t wi th a double t

, ,
o f cloth at sixteen sous the Paris ell that M essieurs the

’
soldiers boys may even come down to th at pri ce to o
O rder an d command T o M on sieur de R ou al t ou r fr iend ,
— R igh t !
This letter he dicta ted al oud in a fi r m tone an d by fits , ,
and starts At the momen t when he had finished the

.
,
door opened and a person age whose look bespoke v e he

,
men t terror rushed into the chamber crying Sire sire ,
there is a sedition o f the populace in Paris !

The ste m features of M onsieur Louis were contracted
but all the visible signs o f his emotion passed away like
li ghtning He restrained himself and observed with
.
,
cal m austerity : Comp ére Jac q ues yo u come i n rather ,
abruptly
Si re ! sire the mob i s in rebellion replied Comp er e
Jacq ues b r eathless with haste and alarm
,
.
The king who had risen se ized him roughly by the

, ,
arm and whispered so as to be heard by him alone wit h

, ,
concentrated anger and a sidelong glan ce at the Flemings

B e silen t o r speak low ,
The new comer comprehended hi s meaning and began

-
,
in a lo w tone as coherent a na r rati ve as his fea r s would

permit The king listened with composure while Gui l
.
,
laume R ym dire cted the atten tion o f C opp e no l e to the face

and the d r ess o f the speake r to his fu rr ed hood his short
, ,
cloak an d his black velvet gown which bespoke a p1 e s id e nt

, ,
o f the C ourt o f Accomp ts .
N o sooner had this personage communicated a fe w par

ti cu l a rs to the king th an M onsieur Lo u is burst in to a loud
,
laugh exclaiming
, I s that all ? Speak up Cmnp ér e ,
C o ictier Be no t afraid to open your mouth Ou r Lady

knows that I have no secrets from our good friends o f
Flanders .
B ut si r e ,
Speak up I tell you man ! , ,
Comp ar e C o ictie r was dumbfounded .
C ome resumed the king speak si r there i s ,
a riot o f the rabble in our good city o f Paris ?

”
Yes sire ,
.
TE E H UNC HB A CK or N or n E - D A ME . 401
With scythes pikes sp ades arqu eb u s s e s ,

all sor ts, ,
o f very dangerou s weapon s .
T he king appe ared n ot at all un easy at thi s recapitu la

t ion
. Cmnp ére Jacques deemed i t his duty to add If
yo u r maj es ty sen d no t promp t suc co ur to the ba il i ff he is ,
l ost
We will sen d said the kin g with a look o f a ff ecte d
, ,
’
gravity Tis well
. C ertes we will s end M onsieur.
,
.
the ba iliff is o u r friend Six thousan d ! They are saucy .
rascals Their boldness i s marvellous and hath sorely

.
,
offended u s B ut we h ave few people about us to night

.
-
.
”
I t will be time enough i n the morning .
”
In stan tly sire ! exclaimed Comp ére Jacques
, or ,
’
they will have leisure to plunder the baili ff s house to pull ,
down the seigneurie an d to hang the baili ff twenty times ,
o ver . For the love of God sire send before mornin g , ,
The king looked him full i n the face : I tell you ,

”
in the m orning I t was o ne o f those l ooks to whi ch
.
there is n o replying .
F o r some moments Louis was silent Te ll m e Comp ére .

,
”
Jacques he agai n began
,
for you must know what
was — he c orrected h imse l f what i s the feuda l
j urisdic tion o f the baili ff
Si r e the baili ff o f the Palace ha s the Rue de la C a
,
l andre as far as the R ue de l H erb erie the Place St

,
’
, .
M ichel an d the Places vulga rly called the M ur eaux

,
situate near the church o f N o tre D ame des C hamps " - - -

,
here th e king lifted the bri m of his hat w hi ch hotels

are thirteen i n number ; also the C our d es M iracl es the ,
l azar house called la B anlieue an d the whole line o f cau se

-
,
way commencing a t this laza r house an d en di n g at the -
gate o f St Jacques O f all these parts he i s the liege

. .
lord with the right of administering high , mi ddl e and

, ,
l o w j us ti ce .
”
Hey day ! said the king rubbing the side o f his
-
,
n ose wi th hi s fore finger t is a goo d sh ce o f m y fair

-
,
’
city. So M onsieur the baili ff was king o f all that !

H e asked no m ore questions but remained absorbe d ,
in thou ght and tal king to h im self , Very fine M on .

,
D D
.
sieur the baili ff ! you had there between your teeth a ni ce

p iece o f ou r Pa r is
Al l at once he burst forth P ra gu e—D ian wh at
m ean those men wh o pretend to be liege lords j u d ge s -
, ,
and m aste r s here ? who h ave their toll bar at the end o f -
every field ? their gibbet and thei r hangm an at every

cross street amon g our people ? So that like the Greek
-
, ,
who believed in as man y gods as there we r e fountains an d ,
the Persian as he saw stars the French have as m any kings

, ,
as they see gibbets E gad ! this is a frightful state o f

.
t hings .I like not the confu s ion I would fain know i f .
it be by the grace of God that the r e is at Paris an y other

liege —lo r d besides the king an y othe r j ustice besides our
,
p arliamen t an y other emperor besides ourselves in this

,
empire B y the faith o f m y soul there must come a day

.
,
when there shall be in F r an ce but one king one li ege lord ,

-
,
o ne j udge o ne headsman
,
as i n Paradi se there is but one
,
God
Again he li fted his hat and still musi ng con tinued , , ,
w i th the l ook and accent of a hun tsma n letting s l ip a n d

urging o n his dogs Good m y pe ople well done '
D own with these false lords ! O n them o n them Sack ,
plun der hang ,

You would fai n be kings M esseigneur s , ,
would you
H ere he stopp ed short bit his lips as i f to catch the
, ,
though t whi ch had half escaped him fixed his piercing ,
eye on each o f the five pe r sonages aroun d him in s u ccession ,
a nd s u ddenly seizing his hat with both hands an d looking

, ,
stedfastly at it he exclaimed , O h ! I woul d burn thee ,

”
i f tho u knewest what there is in m y head !
Then casting his eyes agai n around him wi th the ,
keen an d restless look of a fox slily returning to his den

I t matters n ot : we wi l l send suc cou r s to M onsieur the
baili ff U nluckily we have but f e w tr00ps he r e at this
.
m omen t against su ch a mob We must w ait till morning . .
O rder shall be restored i n the city an d they shall hang ,

”
o u t o f the way all who are taken .
B y the by sire said Co mp er e C oi ctie r

, ,
I fo r got ‘
i n m y first alarm the watch has taken two stragglers of

,
TH E H UN C H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME - . 403
the hand . I f your m aj esty pl eases to s ee them they are

,
”
below .
I see them ? c ried the king

I Vill P as qu a D ie u ’ . .
how co u lds t thou forget that ! R un qui ck O livier an d , ,
fetch them
M aster O l ivier l eft the room and presently re turned wi th ,
the two prisone r s surrounded by archers o f the ordnan ce .
The first had a bloate d face and stupid idi ot like drunken ,
-
,
lo ok He was dressed i n rags and i n w al king he ben t his

.
, , ,
knees and shu ffled his feet With the pale and smiling .
countenance of the other the reader is al ready famili ar .
The king scrutinised them for a moment wi thou t say

ing a word and then abruptl y asked the first
,
What is
th y n ame
G ie firoy P inceb o u rde
'
Thy profession
”
A Vagabond .
IVhat wert thou going to do i n that damnabl e se

dition
The varlet stared at the king swinging his arms with a ,
besotted look Hi s was o ne o f tho se mi s shapen heads i n

. -
,
which the u nderstanding i s almost as much cramped as a

ligh t beneath an ex tinguisher .
”
I kno w no t said he The others wen t ; so I wen t
,
.
al ong .
Were ye no t bound to atta ck with vi olen ce and to

p lunder yo u r liege lord the b ai l iff o f the Palace ?
-
I know that we were going to take someth ing from

somebo dy that is all
A soldi er brought to the king a hedging bill whi ch h ad -
been found upon the prisoner .
O wne s t thou that weapon enquired the king .
’
Yes ; tis m y bill : I am a vine dresser -
.
K nowest thou this m an poin ting to the other pri

"
s o ne r was he one o f th y companions ?
N o : I know him not .
’ ”
Ti s enough said the king ; and beckoning to the
, ,
silen t person age stationed near the door Co mp er e Tris ,

” ”
ta n,
sai d he there i s a m an f or you
,
.
T ri stan the H ermi t bo wed He gave so me di re cti on s in

.
D D 2
- . 405
h ones t m an who wou l d be more pu zzled to kindl e a sedi

,
tion than an i cicle to gi ve o u t a spark M ost graciou s .
so ve r eign clemen cy is a kingly virtue whilst severity only

,
exasperates the minds of men The fierce blasts o f the .
n orth cannot m ake the traveller thro w o ff his cloak ; the

s u n gradually po uring forth his rays warm s h i m t o such a
, ,
degree that he is glad to strip himself to his shirt I .
avouch to you m y s o vereign lord and master that I am

, ,
n o t o f the Vagabond crew a thief or a disorderly person , ,

.
Sedition and robbery belong no t to the train o f Apoll o I .
am n ot a m an to rush into those clouds which burst i n

thunders o f insurrection I am a faithful l ie ge o f you r
'
m aj esty The same j ealousy which a husband has f o r the

.
honour of his wife the love which a son feels in return for
,
the a ffection o f a father a good subj ect ought to h ave for ,
the glory o f his king he ough t to burn with zeal for his
p erson his house his prospe rity to the exclusion o f every
, , ,
o ther passion Such si r e is m y poli ti c al creed

.
,
Judge ,
.
m e not then fr om this coat out at elbo ws to be an aecom

, , ,
pl ice i n sedition and plunder Pardon me sire and o n .

, ,
m y kn ees will I p r ay to God night an d mo r ning for yo u , , .
I am not very ri ch i t is true : indeed I am rather poor

, ,
bu t not v icious for all that I t is not m y fault E very . .
o ne knows th at great wealth is n ot to b e gained by letters ,
and that the mos t learned h ave not always the largest fire
i n winter The lawyers run away with all the grain an d
.
,
l eave n oth ing but the straw for the other scientifi c p ro fes
sion s I could repeat to you fo r ty excellent p r ove r bs o n
.
the ragged cloak o f the philosopher O h sire clemen cy .

,
i s the only li ght th at can illumine th e inte r ior o f a great

so ul C lemency bears the to rch befo r e all the other virtues
. .
Without it they are blind and grope abou t in the dark for ,
God M ercy which is the same thing as clemen cy pro

.
, ,
du ces love in subj ects whi ch is the most e ff ective guard

,
for the person of the p r in ce Wh at harm can it do to you r .
m aj es ty who daz zles al l eyes that there is o ne po or m an

, ,
m ore upon the earth one poor innocen t philosopher ,
fl oundering in the darkness of calami ty with empty pocket ,
and empty s tom ach Besides sire I am one o f the learned , ,

.
Great k in gs add a pearl to their crown by protec tin g le tter s

D D 3
406 TH E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
Hercul es disdained n ot the title o f M usaget es ; M atthias

'
C o rvinu s patronised Jean de M o n ro yal the ornamen t o f ,
the m athem atics N ow i t is a bad way o f patronising

.
letters to han g those who cultivate them What a stai n .
upon Alexander if h e had hanged Aristotle ! That trai t

,
would not be a spot o n the face o f his reputation heighten

ing its beauty , but a foul ulcer disfiguring it Sire I have .
,
composed a most pertinen t epithalamium for M ademoiselle

o f Flanders and M on seigneur the m ost august D auphin .
That i s not a bran d o f rebellion Your maj esty pe r ceives .
that I am not an ignoran t varlet that I h ave studied ,
deeply and that I have great n atural eloquen ce H ave

, .
m erc y then , sire I n so doing you will perform an act o f

gal lan try to O ur Lady an d I p r otest to you that I have a
”
strong dislike to the idea o f being hanged !
As he thus spoke the discon solate Gringoire kissed the
’
ki ng s slippe r s and Guillaum e R ym whi spered C op p en ol e
,
He does righ t to crawl the floor K i ngs are like the .
C retan Jupiter they have no ear s bu t in their feet Th e .
hosier , withou t bestowing a thought o n the C retan Jupi

piter replied with a grim smile and his eye fixed o n
, ,
G r ingoi r e C apital by the rood M ethinks I hear the

,
”
C han cellor H u go ne t begging his life o f m e !
When G r ingoi r e at length ceased o u t o f breath with his ,
haran gue he lifted his eyes trembl ing towa r ds the king
, , , ,
who was scratchi ng with his nail a spot on the kn ee of his

breeches : his m aj esty then sipped at his d r ink He u t .
t ere d not a word h owever and this silen ce kept Gringoire

,
o n the rack At length the king fi x e d his eye upon him

. .
IVhat an etern al p r ater !

'
said he Then turning to .
Tristan the H ermi t B ah let the va rlet go

Gringoi r e fell backward overpowered with j oy ,
.
”
Let him go ! grumbled T r istan Will i t n ot .
p lease your m aj esty to have him shut up awhile i n a

cage ?
“ Cam ers rej oined Louis X I dost think i t i s f or
p ,
such birds th at we m ake cages costing three hund r ed

sixty seven livres eigh t so us three denie r s ? D ismiss
-
m e in continen tly this paillard M onsieur LLou i s wa s

,
fon d of this term , whi ch with P a s qu a D ieu, c on stituted

,
-
the whole stock of his j oculari ty and tur n hi m ou t ,

”
wi th a soun d drubbing .
”
Ah ! ej aculated Gringoire what a m agnanimou s ,
”
king ! and for fear of a coun ter order he hastened to
,
-
,
w ard the doo r whi ch Tristan opened for hi m with a very

,
i ll grace . The soldiers went o u t with hi m d r i v ing hi m ,
befo r e them with kicks and thumps which Pierre bore lik e ,
a genuine stoic .
The good humour o f the king ever sin ce he had been

-
,
informed of the in surrection agains t the baili ff m ani ,
f e s te d itself in all he did This unusual clemen cy was n o

.
slight sign o f it Tristan the Hermit looked as surly in

.
hi s corner as a dog when you have shown hi m a bone an d

taken i t away again .
The king m eanwhile was playful l y drumming the

, ,
m arch of Pont Audemer with his finge r s o n the arm o f his

-
chai r This p r ince was a d issembler but he could conceal

.
,
hi s troubles m uch better than hi s j oy These extern al .
m anifestations o f deligh t at any agreeable tidings were

sometimes carried to a great length ; as at the death of
C ha rles the B old when he vowed to presen t a silver b a
,
l u s tra d e to St M arti n of Tours

. and at his accession to
the thr one when he forgot to gi ve directions for the f u
,
neral of his father .
E h sire
,
suddenly exclai med Jacques C o ictier ,
what i s be come o f the acute fit o f illness for whi ch

your m aj esty comm anded m y se r vices ?
”
O h ! said the king I am really in great pain
, ,
comp E re
. I have a ringing i n m y ears, an d rakes o f fire
”
are ha r ro wing m y b r east .
C o ictie r to ok the hand o f the king and felt his pul se ,
wi th a most self—s u fficien t look .
”
See C op pen ol e said R ym i n a l o w tone ,
, ,
there he ,
i s between C oictie r an d Tristan These are his whole .
cou rt A physician f o r him s el f a hangman for all be

.
,
sides.
’
Whil s t feeling the ki ng s pul se C oicti er assumed a look of ,
m ore an d more alarm Louis eyed hi m wi th some anxiety

. .
’
C oicti er s c o u n tenan ce ass u med a darker an d darker shade .
DD 4
TE E B u non s a cx or NO TR E D A ME-
. 409
”
B loodsucker ! mu ttered the k in g what is it thou ,
wouldst have
I lack a roo f fo r these paintings si re ; the c ost will ,
”
be trifling but I have no money
"
.
,
Ho w much will i t co st ?
W hy a roof o f Copper embellished with figures and
, ,
”
t wo th ousand l ivres at the utmost .
Ah the mur derer excl aimed the kin g H e n ever .
draws me a too th but he makes a di amond o f i t f or him

”
Shall I have m y roof ? said C oictier .
Y es and go to the devil — bu t cu re m e fi rst .
Jacques C o icti e r m ade a profoun d obeisan ce Sire .

,
said he ,
no thing bu t a repellen t can save you We will .
ru b you r loin s wi th that fine specific composed o f cera te ,
Armenian bole whi te o f egg o il and vinegar Y o u must

"
.
, , ,
continue your drink and we w ill an swer for yo u r maj es ty

,
.
A ligh ted c an dl e attracts m ore than o ne m oth M aste r .
Oli vier see i ng the li ber ali ty o f the king an d deeming i t a

, ,
favourable opportun ity approached i n his turn “ Sire . . .

,
”
H o w no w ? sai d Loui s X I .
Sire your maj es ty knows th at Simon Ra di n is d e ad

,
.
What then
He was coun sellor o f j ustice to the E xchequer .
Well
His place i s vacant sire ,
.
A s he thus spoke the h aughty face o f M aster O li vier

,
had relinqu ished its arrogan t expres sion an d assumed a ,

’
cringing air — the only change o f whi ch a courtier s fea
tu res are susceptible The king look e d hi m full in th e face
"
. .
I understand said he d r yly, .
”
M aster Olivier he agai n began a fter a brief pause
, , ,
M arsh al de B ou cicau t used to say There are no gifts to ,
be go t but from the king no fish to be caugh t but in the ,

’
s ea
. I perceive that you are o f the sam e way o f thinking
as M onsieur de B ouci caut N o w li sten to this We have . .
a good memory I n 6 8 we m ade yo u groom o f ou r cham

.
,
ber ; in 6 9 keeper of the castle o f the bridge o f St C loud

, .
at a salary o f o ne hundred livres tourn ois ; you w an ted

,
them to be pari sis In N ovember 7 3 by letters iss ued a t

.
,
41 0 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A M E - .
G e rge aul e ,we appom te d you keeper o f the wo od o f Vin

ce nne s in the room o f Gilbert Acle esquire
, in 7 5 ranger , ,
o f the forest o f R ouvray lez St C loud i n the room o f - - .

,
Jacques l e M aire ; in 7 8 we were graciously pleased by , ,
letters paten t with double seal o f green wax to grant a ,
yearly sum of ten livres parisis to you and your wife upon ,
the Place aux M archands situate at the s chool o f St Ger ,

.
m ain i n 79 we made you ranger of the forest o f Senart

, ,
in the room o f poor J ehan D ai z then captain o f the castle

o f Loches then governor of St Quentin then captain o f
, .
,
the bridge o f M eulan fr om which you have taken the style ,
o f coun t O ut o f the fine o f fi ve s on s paid by every barber

.
who shaves o n a holiday three sous go to you and we h ave , ,
your leavings We h ave been pleased to change your name

.
from 16 M a u va is , whi ch accorded but too well wi th your

mien .I n 7 4 we gran ted you to the great displeasu r e o f ,
ou r nobility coat armour o f a tho u sand colours which

,
-
,
’
m akes you a breast like a peacock s P a s qu e are you .
no t content yet ? I s n ot the draugh t of fishes miraculous

enough ? Are you not afraid lest another salmon should
sink your boat ? Pride will be you r down fall comp ér e ,
.
Pride always has ruin an d shame close at its heels Think .
”
o f thi s an d be quiet
, .
Th ese words u ttered with a stern look caused the angry

, ,
visage o f M aster O livier to resume i ts former insolen ce .
’ ”
T is plain murmured he almost aloud
,
that the king , ,
”
is ill to day -
He gives every thing to the ph ysician
. .
L ouis s o far from being exaspe r ated at this impertinen ce

, ,
again began with a degree o f mildness Hold I forgo t ,
that I m ade you m y ambassador to Ghen t to M adame M a

”
rie Yes gentlemen
—
, added the king turning towards, ,
the Flemings this man was m y ambassador — T here

,
.
n ow comp ér e continued he add r essing M aster O li vier

, , , ,
we will not fall o u t : we are ol d fr iends I t i s very late .
w e have finished our business Shave m e . .
O ur readers were probably no t prepared till this m o

m en t to recogn ise in M aster O li vier that terrible Figaro ,
whom Providen ce the great dramatist so curiously mixed

, ,
up with the long and bloody com edy o f Loui s XI W e .
shall n ot here attempt to p ortray that sin gul ar fa ce This .

TH E H UN OH B A OK or NO T RE D A ME - . 41 1
royal barber had three names A t court he was p oli tel y .
c alled O l ivier l e D ai m by the people O li vier the D evil ,

.
His real n ame was O livier l e M auvais .
O livier l e M auvais then stood motionless l ooking d og , , ,
ge dl y at the king an d stealing sidelong glan ces at Jacques

,
C o ictie r Yes yes ! the physi cian

. he m uttered be
,
tween hi s te eth .
Ah yes the ph ysician, ,

repeated L ouis X I with s in .
gular mildness the physi cian h as m ore influen ce th an

,
thou And very naturally H e has our whole bo dy i n his

. .
gripe whilst thou layest hold o f us by the chin only C ome

,
.
,
m y poor barber think no m ore o f i t What wouldst thou

,
.
say and what would become o f th y o ffice i f I were a king

, ,
l ike C h il p e ric who ha d a be ard which he wa s in the habi t

,
o f g r asping i n his hand — N ow co mp ére fetch your , ,

”
things an d sh ave m e
, .
O livier seeing that the king was determined n ot to be

,
p u t o u t o f temper left the room grumbling to comply with

,
his orders .
The king rose wen t to the window and hastily opening

, ,
i t cri ed clapping his hands and with extraordinary agi

, , ,
t a tion Ah yes ! the sky over the ci ty is all in a glo w

"
.
,
The baili ff s house mus t be o n fire I t cannot be an y .

.
thin g else Well done m y good peo ple — a t length ye

"
.
,
lend me a h and to c r ush the ir lordships Then turning .
towards the Flemings O nly come and look gen tl emen , .
I s n ot that a fire yonder ?

The two citi zens of Ghen t approached T i s a great .
”
fire to o said Guillau m e R ym
, .
B y the m od cried C Oppe nol e whose eyes all at on ce ,
sparkl ed that reminds me of the burning o f the Seig

,
neur d H ym be rcour t s house There must be a fine ins ur

’ ’
.
”
rection yonder .
”
Think you so M aster C op pe nol e ? said the king with
, ,
a look o f scarcely less delight than that o f the hosi er .
’
Twill b e di ffic u lt to quell no doubt ,
.
B y the m ass sire your m aj esty will get a great many

,
" ,
companies o f men a t arm s thinn ed in doing it - - .
Ah I that al ters the case rej oined the kin g .
I f I p leased
TE E E U N CE B A CK or N O T RE D A M E - . 41 3
B y wh at clock pray ? ,
C 0pp e nol e w ith g r ave but tranquil look dre w the kin g
, ,
close to the window Listen si re Here is a castle

.
, .
keep there a bell tower cannon burghers soldiers

,
-
, , , .
When the bell tower shall bu z z when the cannon sh all

-
,
roar when the keep sh all fall with a migh ty crash when
, ,
the bu r ghers and the soldiers shall shou t and slay o ne an

other then shall the hour have struck
" .
,
The face of Louis X I became gloom y and though tful . .
For a m oment he was silen t he then patted with hi s han d

the thi ck wall o f the tower as though i t had been the flan k ,
”
o f a favourite charger O no ! said he thou wilt
.
,
not fall so easily m y good B astille ! ,

Then turning
”
s har l
p ylto ward s the bold Fleming : M aster J acqu e s s aid
”
,
he have you ever seen an insurrection ?

”
I have made o ne answered the hosier ,
.
H o w do you set abo ut making an insurrecti on ?

enquired the king .
‘Vhy
”
repli ed C o ppe n ol e
,
th e thing is no t at all ,
di ffi cu lt There are a hundr ed ways

. I n th e first place .
the city must be discontented That is n ot a rare circum .
sta n ce And then the character o f the inhabita nts Those

. .
o f Ghen t a r e disposed to sedi tion They are always a t .
ta che d to the son of the reigning prince but never to the ,
prince hi mself Well I will suppose that some m orn in g

.
, ,
som e o ne comes in to m y shop and says to me : Father

C 0 pp e no l e here i s this that and the other
,
the d e m o i
, ,
sell e o f Flanders is determined to save her ministers the

’
high baili ff has doubled the toll for grinding corn o r an y
thing else — no matter what I ncontinen tly I leave m y .
’
work and ou t I go in to the street and shout
, T o arm s ! ,
There is al ways som e cas k or hogshead lyin g about I .
leap upon i t, and I tell i n th e first words that come what , ,
I have upon m y hea r t and when o ne belongs to the

p eople sire o ne alway s h as something upon the hear t
, , .
Then the lieges assemble they shout they ring the al arm , ,
be ll they arm themselves wi th weapon s taken from the

,
soldiers the m arke t people j oin them and they fall to

,
-
,
work And this will always be the wa y, whil e there are

.
'
l ords in the seignories b u rghe rs in the burghs and peasants

, ,
i n the count r y .
An d against who m do ye thus rebel ? en qui r ed the

”
king . Against your baili ff s against your liege lords ? -
Sometimes o ne someti mes the other j ust as i t hap

, ,
pen s sometimes too against th e duke .
M onsieur Louis return ed to his ch air Aha said .
b e with a smile here they have go t no fur ther than the

baili ff s
At that momen t O li vie r l e D ai m returned He was - - .
’
foll owed by two pages bearing the requisites for the king s
t oilet but what struck Louis X I was the ci r cumstan ce o f .
his being accompanied also by the provost of Pa r is and the

officer o f the watch whose coun tenan ces bespoke al arm
, .
The face of the spiteful barber also wo r e a look of dismay ,
bu t an expression of pleasure lurked beneath i t He i t was .
who spo ke . B egg i ng your maj esty s pardon s ai d he ’
, ,
”
I bring calamitous tidi ngs .
The kin g tu r ning sharply round tore the mat o n the

, ,
floor with the legs o f his chair What have you to .
s ay
‘
Sire replied Ol iv ier l e D aim wi th the m alignan t

,
_ -
,
l oo k o f a man who rej oices i n the oppor t u ni ty o f st riking

a severe blo w i t is n o t against the baili ff o f the Pal ace
,
that the insurrection of the populace is directed .
”
And against whom then ?
”
Against you r self sire ? ,
The aged m onarch starte d upon his feet upright a s a ,
y oung m an . E xplain O li vier ,explai n ! And beware ,
o f thy head co mp ar e f o r I swear by the cross o f St

,
.
L o that if thou li est the sword which cut o ff the head o f

,
M onsieur de Luxembourg is n ot so notched but i t shall

hack o ff thine
Thi s was a formidable oath I n al l his li fe Lo ui s X I
. .
h ad sworn bu t twi ce by the cross of St Lo O livier Opened . .
“
hi s li ps to reply Sire. .
”
Do wn o n th y knees ! cried the king v e hementl y,
”
interr upting him Tristan look to this m an !
.
,
O l i vier fell on his knees “ ”

Sire said he col dly
. a , ,
witch has been sen ten ced to death by your court o f Par
TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A M E -
. 41 5
li a m ent . She has taken san ctuary in N otre D ame The -

.
p e ople have risen to remo ve her by force The provost .
and the o ffi cer o f the w atch who have j ust come from the ,
spo t are here to con tradict m e i f I speak not t ru th I t is

"
.
,
to N otre D ame that the rabble are laying siege

-
.
Soho ej ac u lated the k ing in a l o w tone pale an d , ,
t rembling with rage

“ N o tre D ame is i t ? They are
. -
,
besieging O ur Lady m y good mistress in her o wn cathe

, ,
dral R ise O livier Thou art righ t I give thee Simo n

-
,
. .
’
R adi n s place Thou art right I t i s myself whom they
. .
are assailing The witch is under the safegua r d of the

.
church the church i s under my safeguard I verily believed

,
.
that the baili ff was the obj ect o f their attack I t is myself .
,
after all
Then as i f his passion had suddenly restored to him the
,
vigour o f youth he began to pace the floor with hasty

,
str ides . He n o longer laughed : he was te r rible to behold

as he s talk ed to an d fr o The fox was turned i nto an.
hyaena He seemed to be choked and incapable o f utter

.
,
ance : his lips moved and his scraggy fi sts were clenched
,
.
'
All at on ce he raised his head his hollo w eye glared and

hi s voi ce bu rst forth like the blast of a trumpet : Cut
them i n pieces T ristan ! cut all those knaves in pieces !
,
Go m y friend T r istan slay and spare not

, ,
This explosion over he retu r ned to his seat and sai d, ,
with cold concen t r ated rage

,
Here Tri stan ! — W e ,
’
have with us in this B as till e the Vicomte de Gi f s fifty
lan ces m aking together three hundred ho r se : ta ke them
, .
There is also C aptain de C hateaupers company o f th e ’
archers o f o u r ordnance : take them Y o u are provost o f .
the farriers you have your o wn people : take them At .
the H otel St P o l you will find forty archers o f the n ew

.
guard of M onsieur the D auphin : take them An d with .
all this force has ten forthwi th to N otre D ame — So so -

, ,
m essie u rs of the m ob o f Paris it is at the c r own o f Fran ce , ,
at the san ctity o f O ur Lady an d at the peace o f thi s ,
c ommon wealth that your blows are ai med — E x terminate

, ,
Tristan ! exterminate ! Spar e no t one of them but f or

M ontfau co n
Tn E H UNC H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - . 41 7
He m ade the si gn o f the cross rose put o n hi s hat and , , ,
said to Tristan Lo se not a m omen t ca mp ers T ak e ,

.
M onsieur de C hateaupers along with you Let the al a r m . .
hel l be rung Quell the rabble Hang the sorceress That

. . .
is settled I expect yo u to bear the costs o f the execution

. .
R epor t to me upon it C ome O li vier I sh all no t get to

.
, ,
bed to night Shave me

- . .
Tristan the H ermi t bowed an d reti r ed The king then .
m otioned R y m and C Oppe no l e to wi thdr aw G o d keep .
you m y good frien ds o f Flanders

,
Go take a li ttle rest .
,
the nigh t i s far spen t ; indeed we are nearer to morning

than evening .
B oth accordingly retired and on reaching thei r apart ,
ments to whi ch they were escorted by the captain o f the

,
B astille C o pp e no l e sai d to Guillaume R ym

,
B y the
m o d ! I have had enough o f thi s coughing king I have .
seen C harles o f B u r gun d y dr un k ; he was not so ill con -
d i tio ne d as Louis X I si ck . .
’
M as ter Jacques repli ed R ym ,
t is be cause the wine ,
of kings is no t so cruel as their diet drink - .
C HAPT E R V I .
A N A RRO W E S C AP E .
ON leaving the B astille G ringoire scudded down the R ue

,
St An toine with the swiftness of a run away horse Whe n

. .
he had reached the B au do ye r gate he wal ked straight up ,
to the stone cross which stood i n the middle o f the open

space as though he had been ab l e to di scern in the dark
,
the figure o f a man in a black dress and cowl seated o n ,

”
th e s teps of the cr oss I s it you mas ter ?
. sai d Grin ,
go i re .
The bl ack figure started up D eath and perdition ! .
Y ou m ake m y blood bo il Gringoire The war der o n the

, .
”
tower o f St Gervais has j u s t cried hal f pas t o ne
. .
”
Why, repl i ed Gringoire tis not m y faul t, b ut that ,
’
E E
.
of the watch and the king I have had a n arrow escape . .
I was o n the point o f bein g h anged I am prede stined .
to i t I fan cy
, .
Thou art never in time for an y thing said the o ther ,

? ”
but let us be gone Hast thou the watch word .
-
O nly think master I have seen the king ! I have

,
’
j ust come from him H e wears fusti a n breeches . Ti s .
quite an adven ture

E te rnal babbler What care I for thy adventure
Hast thou the watch word of the Vagabonds ? -
”
B e easy I have .
’
Tis well We should not else be able to reach the
.
church The rabble block up all the str eets Lu ckily

. .
,
they seem to have met wi th resistan ce We shall perhaps

"
.
yet arrive in time .
Yes m aster but ho w are we to get in to the church ?

, ,
”
I have a key to the towers .
An d how shall we get out ?

B ehind the cloisters there is a postern opening upon
the Ter r ain and so to the ri ver I h ave taken the key of
,
.
”
i t and I m oo r ed a boat the r e this mo r ning
,
.
I h ave had a m ost lu cky escape from the gal lows in

”
deed ! said G r ingoire exultingly , .
N ever mind that now come al ong quick rej oined ,
the other .
B oth then p roceed e d at a rapid pace towards the C ity .
C HAPT ER VI I .
C H A T E A U P ER S To TH E R E SC U E !
THE reader probably recoll ects the cri tical si tuation in

which we left Quasimodo The brave hun chback assailed .
,
o n all sides had los t if not all courage at least al l hope

, , ,
o f saving not himself — he n ever once thought o f himself

,
— but the E yptian H e ran i n consternation to the

g .
gal le r y The ch u rch was on the p oint o f b eing carried

. ,
TE E B U N CH B A OK or N O T RE D A ME - . 41 9
by the mob All at once the t r amp o f horses in full gallop

.
was heard in the neighbou ring streets ; and presently a

wide column o f horsemen riding at speed and a long file
o f torches poured wi th a tremendous noise into the Pla ce
li ke a hurri cane France ! Fran ce for ever ! Ch ateau

.
”
pers to the rescue ! D own with the rascals ! The a f
frigh ted Vagabonds faced a bout .
Quasimodo who could not hear the din saw the naked
, ,
'
s words the torches the pike heads the whole colum n of
, ,
-
,
caval r y at th e head of whi ch he recogn ised C aptai n

,
Ph oebus He observed the confusion of the rabble the

.
,
conste r nation o f some an d the ala r m of the stoutest and , ,
at the sigh t of this unexpected succou r he mustered strength ,
enough to th r o w down the foremost o f the assailan ts who ,
we r e already s triding o ve r into the gallery .
The m o b d e fe nd e d themsel ves with the valour of de

.
spai r Taken i n fl ank by the Rue St Pier r e aux B oeufs

. . - -
a nd in rear by the R ue d u Parvis , with their backs towards
N otre D ame whi ch they were still assailing and whi ch

-
,
Quasimodo defended at on ce besiege r s and besieg ed they , ,
were in the singular si tuation in which C oun t Hen ri

d Ha r court subsequen tly found himself at the famous siege
’
o f Turin in 1 6 40 between P r ince Thomas o f Savoy whom

, ,
he was besieging and the M ar q uis de Le gane z who was

, ,
blo ckading him ; T a u r inu m o bs es s o r idem et obs es s u s as ,
his epita ph has i t .
The conflict wa s terrible A s Father M athieu observes .
’
W o l f S fl es h requi r es dogs tee th
’ ’
‘
The king s tr00p s .

,
amids t whom Phoebus de C hateaupers conducted himself

v aliantly gave no quarter : what escaped the point o f the
,
sword was cut d own by the edge The rabble badly .

,
armed foamed and bit M en women children darting

,
.
, , ,
at the flanks an d chests of the horses clung to them like ,
cats with tooth and nail Some thrust torches into the .
faces o f the archers : while oth ers catching t hem by th e ,
n eck wi th i r on hooks pul led them fr om their horses and ,
cut them in pieces O ne in particular was remarked .
with a huge scythe m owing away at the legs of the ,
horses . I t was a fearful sight Snu ffiing a stave wi th .
n asa l twang he k ep t his scyth e in cessan tly goin g At ea ch

,
.
E E 2
r m: H UN CHB AC K on NO T RE D A M E -
. 42 1
BOOK X .
C H AP T E R I .
TH E LITTL E SH O E .
Ar the momen t W he n t h e Vagabonds attacked the church ,
La Es meralda was asleep I t was no t long before she

.
was roused by the consta n tly increasing noise aroun d th e

c athedral and the uneasy bleating o f her goat which had ,
awoke before her She sat up lis tening and looking abou t
.
,
then alarmed by the ligh t and the uproar she hurried ou t

, ,
o f the cell to see what was the matter The aspect o f the .
Place the scene exhibited there the confusion o f thi s

, ,
n octu r nal assault the hideous appearan ce o f the rabble

, ,
hoppi ng about l ike a t g f fig g g , fain tly di scerned in

the dark the harsh croaking of this coarse mob the few
, ,
torches dancing to and fro in the obscu rity like those ,
m eteors of night gambolling over the misty surface o f

bogs produced all togethe r the e ffect o f a mysterious battle
,
’
betwee n the phan toms o f the witches sabbath and the
sto ne monsters of the church I mbued from infan c y
.
with the supersti tions o f the gipsy tribe her fi rs t idea ,
was that s he had caugh t the strange beings peculiar to

night in their unhallowed pranks She then hurried .
back in a flright to her cell to bury her face i n the bed

'
clothes and to shut out i f possible the te rrifi c vision

,
.
The first fumes o f fear having gradually di spersed s he ,
found fr om the in cessantly in creasing di n and di vers

,
o ther tokens o f reality, that she was invested n o t by

spectres but by creatu res o f flesh and blood Her te rror .
then without being augmen ted , changed its form

, She .
h ad conceived a notion o f the po ssibil ity o f a po p u lar se

di tion to tear her from her asylum The prospec t o f still.
l osing her life her hopes her t

, b u s, whi ch her i ma
,
E E 3
422 TH E H U N C H B A C K O F N O T RE D A ME -
.
ginatio n held forth to her the absolute n othin gness o f her,
o w n st r ength her forlorn situation cut o ff from all support

, , ,
all chan ce of flight these and a thousand othe r thoughts

o verwhelmed he r She fell upon her knees laying her
.
,
head co ve r ed with her clasped hands upon the bed fill ed ,
wit h thrilling apprehension s ; and E gyptian idolater , , ,
an d pagan as she was s he began with heavy sobs to im,
l o re m ercy o f the God of C hristians and to pray to our

p
Lady her p r otect r ess
,
For he one s creed what i t w ill
.
,
’
t here are m omen ts in life when one is always o f the ‘
religion o f the temple near which o n e happens to be .
‘
I n this attitude she remained fo r a considerable time ,
trembling indeed more than she prayed her blood cu r dl ing ,
at the indi cations of the nea r er and nearer approach of

t hat infuriated multitude utte rly at a loss to account for ,
their proceedings igno r ant of W hat they were doing and

,
what they meant to do but anticipating some te rrible ,
catast r ophe .
Amidst this anguish she heard a footstep close to her .
She looked up Two men o ne o f whom ca r ried a lan

.
,
tern had j us t en tered her cell She gave a faint sh r iek

, . .
”
Fear nothing said a voice which was n ot unknown
, ,
”
to her : i t is I .
”
And who are you ? she in quired .
”
Pierre Gringoire .
That name gave her fresh courage S he lifted her eyes .
an d saw that i t actually was the poet B ut at his side .
s tood a black figure muffled up fr om head to foot which

, ,
stru ck he r m ute .
Ah resumed G r ingoir e i n a tone of reproach , ,
Dj ali knew m e before you di d

The little g oat had in fact n o t waited for Gringoire
, ,
t o mention his n ame N o sooner did he en ter than she

.
fondly rubbed against his knees covering the poet with ,
endearments and white hair ; for she wa s shedding her

coat G r ingoi r e returned her ca r esses
. .
W ho is that with you said the E gyptian in a l ow
B e easy, an swered G rin goire . T is one of my

”
fri ends .
TH E H UN C H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - . 423
T he philosopher setting dow n the lan tern cro uch e d

, ,
u pon the floor clasped Dj ali i n his arms and cried wi th

,
'
e n thusiasm O h ! tis a da rling creature with its e n

, ,
gaging ways and withal shrewd ingenious and learned

, , ,
as a g r ammarian ! C ome m y Dj ali let u s see if thou , ,
has t no t forgotten th y diverting t ri cks H o w does M aster .
Jacques C harm ol u e do
The m an in black woul d n o t su ff er hi m to finish He .
s tepped up to G r ingoire and r oughly pushed him o n the ,
shoulder Gringoi r e rose

. Ah ! true said he . I
had well nigh forgotten that we are in haste B u t yet .
,
m aster [that i s no reason for hurting people so

,
My .
-
dear gi r l your life i s in d anger and Djal i s to o The y

’
.
, ,
mean to hang you again We a r e your friends and are .

,
c ome to sa ve you Follo w us . .
”
Is i t true ? cried she in extreme agi tation .
”
Qui te true I assu r e you C ome q ui ck !
"
.
,
I wi ll s tammered s he
,
B ut how i s i t that your .
”
friend does no t speak ?
”
Why said G r ingoire
,
the fact is th at his father , ,
and mothe r were fantas ti c people an d m ade him o f a re ,

”
served disposition .
She was obliged to b e sat isfied wi th this explanation .
Gringoi r e took her by the hand his compani on pi cked up

the lantern and walked on be fore The young creature wa s
,
.
s tu ifi She su ffered G r ingoi r e to lead her

p e d wi th fear .
a way . The goat wen t with them fr isking about and s o , ,
o verj oyed to see the poe t again that she thrust her head ,
e very momen t against hi s legs with such force as to make

”
hi m s tagger Such is life said the philosopher when
.
, ,
e ver he had well nigh fallen ; “ i t is often o u r best friends

that throw us down
They rapidly descended the tower stairs passed through ,
the chur ch dark soli tary but rin ging with the uproar
, , , ,
which produced a fearful con trast and wen t o u t by the ,
Porte R ouge in to the cloister court The clois ters were .
'
des erted the canons had fled to the bishop s palace where ,
they were p r aying together : the cour t was empty with the ,
exception o f a few a firighted serving men squatting in the

'
-
,
dark corners Gringoire and his companions proceeded to

.
8 3 41
r na B U N C H B A OK or NO T RE D A ME -
. 42 5
boat was to ta ke his seat at the stern an d to lift the goat

,
u pon his knees Her mistress in whom the stranger ex

.
,
ci ted u nd e finab l e apprehensions sat dow nby the poe t press , ,
ing close to his side .
When o u r philosopher felt the boat m oving he clapped ,

’
his hands and kissed Djal i s forehead
,
Oh he ex .
claimed ,
we are all four saved l Vi th the look o f a
p rofound thinker he added O ne is indebted sometimes
, ,
t o fortu ne sometimes to strata gem f o r the successful i ssue

, ,
o f great undertakings
”
.
The ski ff slowly pursued i ts way toward th e ri gh t bank .
T he girl watched the m ysterious unknown wi th secret

t erro r . H e had carefully masked the light o f his dark
l an tern ; an d he was faintly seen in the fore part o f the -
ski ff like a spectre His cowl still d o wn formed a sort

, .
, ,
of visor and every time that in rowing he opened

, ,
,
his arms fr om whi ch hung wide black slee ves they

, ,
loo ked li ke two prodi gious bats wings H e had no t yet ’

.
u ttered a word o r suffered a breath to escape him

,
He .
made no other noise in the boat than what proceeded f rom

the work ing o f the c ar s which blended with the ru sh o f
,
the thousand ripples against the side o f th e vesse l .
”
O dds m y life ! suddenly exclaimed Gringoire we ,
are a s merry aa s o m any owls ! M ute as Pythagoreans or

/
fish ! P u ma s —D ie u rny friends I wish somebody wo uld

, ,
talk to me — T he hum an voi ce is music to the hum an ear

. .
B y the by that saying belongs no t to me but to Didymus

,
o f Al exandria and a most pe rtinent one i t is C ertes

,
.
,
D idymus o f Alex an dria was n o ordinary philosopher .
O ne wo rd m y swee t girl ! speak to me I beseech yo u

, ,
.
D o you know m y love that the Pa rli amen t has supreme

, ,
j urisdi ction o ver san ctuaries and that you ran as great ,
risk in you r cell in N otre D ame as the little bird t ro -
chylus whi ch bu ilds its nest in the j aws of the crocodi le ?

,
—
The moon is breaking o u t again m as ter ! Tis to be ,
’
hoped we sh a ll no t be perceive d — W e are doing a p raise

worthy action to be sure i n saving the demoiselle and yet ,
we should be hanged in the ki ng s name if they were to ’
ca tch a s — Alas human actions have t wo handles to lay

.
,
hol d by . What is c ondemned i n one is a ppl auded i n an

42 6 T H E H UN C H B A CK or NO T RE D A ME - .
o ther M any a man cen sures C atiline and admires C aesar

. .
I s i t n o t so master ? What say you to that philosophy ?

,
For m y part I possess the philosoph y o f instinct of natu re,

, ,
a t ap es g eom etr i a m — What will nobody answer me ? H o w

.
,
dull ye both are ! I am obliged to talk to myself That .
i s what w e call in t r agedy a soliloquy — P a s que D ieu ! let . -
me tell you I have j ust seen Louis X I and have learned .

,
that oat h from him P a s qu e then what an uproar

.
,
th ey a r e still making in the C i ty l — H e i s a m ean ol d

king that M on sieur Louis He has n o t yet paid me for
,
.
m y epithalamium and i t was a mere chan ce that he did n ot

,
order me to be hanged to night which would have ann oyed -

,
me excee d ingly He is stingy towards men of merit He

. .
ought to read the fou r books by Sal vi an u s of C ologne A d ,
I n good sooth t is a close fis te d king

’
v er s u s a va r i tia m .
,
-
i n his dealings with m e n o f le tters and commits v e ry bar ,
ba r ous c r uelties H e is a very sponge in su cking up the

.
m o ney drained fr om the people His revenues are like th e .
bell y fattening by the leanness of all the othe r m embers .
C omplain ts of the hardness of the times a r e therefore t reated

as mu r murs against the prince U nd er this mild godly old .
gen tleman the gibbets crack with the weigh t o f the con
,
d e m ne d the blo cks are clotted wi th put r efying g or e the

, ,
prison s are bursting like cows in a clove r fiel d This king -

.
has a hand that takes an d a han d that hangs H e is a t .
torney gen eral to M onseigneur Gibbe t and m y lady Gabelle

- .
The great are despoiled of their dignities and the humble ,
in cessantly loaded with fresh burden s T is an exorbitan t .

’
p rince I cannot love this monarch What say you

. .
,
m aster
The m an i n black did no t in te r rupt the censures o f the
gar r ulous poet H e continued to struggle again st the
.
violen ce of the curren t whi ch separates the prow o f the

C ity fr om the poop o f the isle o f N otre D ame which we -
,
n ow call the isle o f St Louis . .
“ B y the by master G r ingoire be gan again abruptly

, , ,
at the moment when we had passed th r ough the enraged

rabble an d reached the Parvis, did you remark that u n
l ucky little wight whose brains your hun chback was i n a
,
fair way to dash o u t against the bal ustrade o f the gallery

-
. 42 7
of the kings ? I am to o near sigh ted to recognise him -

.
”
Perchance you kno w who it was .
The unknown answe r ed no t a word B ut he suddenly .
ceased rowing his arm s sank as if broken hi s head

, , ,
drooped upon his breast and La E smeralda heard him ,
sigh con vulsi vely She had hear d sighs o f that kind
.
before .
The ski ff left to i tself drifted for some moments at the

, ,
wi l l of the cu r ren t At length the m an i n black roused

.
,
himself and again began pull ing agai nst the stream
,
He .
doubled the point o f the isle o f N ot r e D ame and rowed -

,
to wards the landing place o f the Port au Foin - - -

.
Ah sai d G r ingoire yonder is the logis B arbeau ,

.
— O n 1y look maste r at that g roup of black roofs whi ch

, ,
form su ch singular angles — the re beneath that mass of low , ,
streaky di r ty looking clouds in which the moon appears

,
-
,
smashed and spread about like the yolk o f a b r oken egg .
’
Tis a goodly m ansion that ! I t has a chapel with vaulted ,
roof b e au tifie d with excellen t sc u lptu r es Y o u may see

,
.
above i t the belfry wi th i ts ra r e and deli cate tracery

,
.
There is also a pleasan t garden con taining a fis h pond an ,

-
,
aviary an echo a m all a m aze a house for wild beasts

, , , , ,
and m any shady alleys parti cularly agreeable to Venus .
‘ ’
There is li kewise a rogue o f a t r ee called The Lovers
’
Tree because it served for the trysting —place of a famous
,
princess and a gay and witty constable of Fran ce Alas ! .
w e poor philosophers are to a constable what a bed o f cab

bages o r turn ips is to a grove of laurel s What signifies i t .
a fter all For the g r eat as for us li fe is a medley of good , ,
an d ill Pain is ever by the side o f pleasure as the spondee

.
by the dactyl — I must te ll you the hi story o f the logi s

.
B ar beau mas ter : i t finished in a tragical way I t was i n

, .
1 3 1 9 under Phil ip V who reig ned longer than an y other

, .
,
king o f Fran ce The mor al o f the history is that the

.
temp tations of the flesh are hurtful and pernicious B ewa r e .
o f looki ng to o hard at the wi fe o f your neighbour m u ch as ,
your senses m ay be tickled by her beauty — Zounds ! .
”
what an uproar they are making yonder !
The tumult around N otre D ame was in fact raging -
wi th increased vehemen c e They l is te ned Shouts o f . .

rnn
'
H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - . 42 9
The poor E gyp tian shuddered on fi nding herself alone

wi th that man S he strove to speak to cry o u t to c all
.
, ,
G r ingoi r e but her tongue refused its o ffice and not a ,
sound i ssued from her li ps All at once she felt the hand
.
,
o f the unknown upon hers Her teeth chattered and she

.
’
turned p ale r than the m oon s ray whi ch fell upon her .
The m an spoke not a wo r d Wi th h asty step he began to

.
m ove towards the Place de Greve drawing her along by ,
the hand At that momen t she ha d a vague feeling that

.
Fate i s an irresistible power She had lost all elasticity .

,
an d followed mechanically running while he walked , .
The q uay at this spot i s rising ground ; to her it seemed as

if she were going do wn —hill .
She looked arou nd o n all sides N ot a passenger wa s .
to be seen The quay was absolutely deserted She

. .
heard no sound she perceived n o movement o f men but i n

,
the tumultuous and roaring C ity from which she was ,
parted only b y an a r m o f the Seine and when ce her name , ,
m ingled with cries o f death was wafted to her ear ,

The .
rest o f Paris lay scattered around her in vast m asses o f

shade .
M eanwhile the unknown continued to drag her alon g

with th e sa me silence and the same rapidi ty She had no .
recoll ection of the places through which he took her In .
passing a li ghted window she suddenly m ade an effort to

resist an d c ried
,
Help ! help !
The windo w opened ; the i nm ate o f the room appeared
at i t in his shirt and nightcap with a lamp in his hand , ,
looked o u t wi th drowsy eyes upon the quay muttered a ,
few words which she coul d not catch an d reclosed the

, ,
window She felt as though the la st glimmer o f hope was

.
extinguished .
The man i n black uttered no t a sy lla ble : he held her

tightly and began to qui cken his pace She ceased to
, .
resist and followed him spiritless an d helpless

, .
From ti me to time she mustered a little s trength an d ,
in a voi ce broken from the j olting o f the rugged pavement

an d from he r being o u t of breath owing to the rapid rate ,
at whi ch she was drawn along she asked : W ho are ,
y ou Who ar e you He made no reply .

Proceeding thus along the quay they arri ved at a large ,
ope n space The m oon shone faintly

. I t was the G rév e . .
I n the middle o f it stood a sort of black c r oss — i t was the

gibbet She now knew where she was
. .
The m an stopped turned towards her and raised his

, ,
”
cowl . Oh ! stamme r ed she petrified with horro r ,
I ,
knew that i t must be he

I t was in t r uth the priest H e looked like a ghost . .
M oonligh t produces this e ffect I t seem s as if by that .
light one beholds only the spectres o f obj ects .
List to me said he ; an d she shudde r ed at the

soun d of that fatal voice whi ch she had not hea r d for so
,
l ong a time He continued with fr equen t pauses an d in

.
,
broken senten ces whi ch betoken v iolen t inwa r d agitation ,
List to me ! Here we are I wo u ld speak to thee. .
This i s the Gr eve We go n o farther Fate delivers us

. .
up in to the han ds o f each othe r Thy life i s at m y d is .
posal : m y soul at thine Here is a place an d a night he

.
yon d which one sees nothing List to m e then I would

. .
te ll thee but not a word about thy Phoebus as

he spoke he paced to an d fro like a m an who cannot ,
remain quietly on one sp ot and drew her afte r him ,
talk no t to me o f him If thou but utte r est that name

.
,
I kno w not what I shall do but i t will be terrible .
Having proceeded thus far like a body recove r ing its ,
cen t r e of gravity he stood still bu t his words bet r ayed not

, ,
the less perturba tion His voice became m ore and mo re

.
faint.
’
Turn n ot th y head from m e thus List to me Ti s . .
a serious business F i r s t I would tell thee what has

.
,
passed .I t is not a thing to laugh at I p r otest to thee , .
B ut wh at was I saying ! Ah yes ! An order has been ,
i ssued by the Parliamen t whi ch consign s thee again to the

gallow s I have r escued thee fro m their hands B ut
. .
”
yonder they are searching for thee Look .
'
He poin ted towa r ds the C ity I t was evi d ent in fact

.
, ,
that the search was continued The n oise dre w nea r er

. .
The tower of the lieutenan t s house facing the Gr eve was

’
, ,
full of hu s tl e and ligh t s an d soldiers might be seen

running o n the Opposite quay wi th torches shouting : ,
r n r:
'
n u n c a na c sr o r NO T RE D A ME -
. 43 1
T he E gyp tian ! where i s the E gyptian ? D eath !

death
Thou seest th at they are in pursui t of thee and that ,
I am n ot deceiving thee M aiden I love thee ! O pen no t .

,
th y li ps ; answer m e no t if i t is to tell m e that thou ,
hatest me I am determined n ot to hear that I have

. .
aided thine escape Let me complete the work . I can .
save thee E ve r y thing i s prepared

. All depends o n .
th y will . Wh atever thou wilt shall be done .
He in terru pted himself with vehemen ce N o that

is no t what I mean t to say Then ru nning an d drawing
her along after him for he still kept hold o f her he wen t
, ,
straight to the foot of the gibbet and poin ting to it said , , ,

”
coldly : C h oose be tween us .
She tore he r self from hi s g r ipe and throwing hersel f , ,
o n the pavement clasped the foo t of the fatal m achine ;

,
then half turning her head she looked over her shoulder
, ,
at the priest You would have taken her f o r a Vi r gi n

.
M ary at the foot o f the cross The priest stood mo tionless .

,
his finger sti l l raised towa r ds the gibbet like a statue , .
”
I feel less horror of that than o f you at length sai d ,
the E gyptian .
H e slowly dropped his arm and cast his eyes upon the
”
pavemen t in deep d ejection Yes sai d he ; i f these .
,
stones could speak they woul d say There is the most

mise r able of men
I love you he again began ,
The girl kneeling .
,
before the gibbet cove r ed by her lon g flowing hair

, ,
allowed him to p r oceed withou t interruption His accen t .
was now soft an d plaintive wofu ll y con trasting with the ,
lofty ste r nness of his features .
I love you N othing can be more true N o fire can

. .
b e fie r ce r than that whi ch consumes m y heart Ah .
m aiden night and day

, yes nigh t and d a y doth this ,
claim n o pi ty ? Tis a love a tortu re nigh t an d d a y I

’
, , ,
tell thee O h ! m y dear girl t is an agony worth y of

.
,
’
compassion I assure thee , I would speak kindly to thee .

,
thou seest I woul d have thee no t feel such ho rror o f

.
m e A nd then if a man loves a woman i t i s no t his fau lt

.
, .
O m y God What ! tho u wilt never take compassion o n

THE n u n on na cx or N O T RE D A ME -
. 43 3
I done wi th him L ord ? I have taken him un to m e I

, ,
have fed him I h ave brought h im up , I have loved him

, ,
I have idoli sed hi m and ,

I have slai n him
, Yes ,
Lord he i t was whose head was but no w dashed befo re

,
mine eyes against the stones o f thy te mple and i t was o n ,
m y acco un t and o n accoun t o f this female o n her a o

, ,
c oun t
H is eye glared wildly H is voi ce becam e more and

.
m ore faint : b e repeated several ti mes and with pauses o f ,
some length l ike a bell prolon ging i ts last vibration

,
O n her accoun t O n her account

H is lips continued to mo ve but his ton gue ce ased to arti
,
culate any audible sound All at on ce he sank down and

.
,
remained m otionless u po n the ground wi th his head bo wed ,
t o his knees.
A sligh t mo vemen t m ade by the girl to draw h er foot

from under him brough t him to him self He passed h is .
hand slowly over his hollo w cheeks and loo ked vacan tly ,
f o r some m oments at his fingers w hi ch were wet .
”
What he muttered ; have I wept ?
Turning abruptly to wards the E gyp tian with irre ,
pre s sible anguish he sai d :

,
And hast thou coldly behel d
m e weep ? K nowest thou girl that those tears are lava ?
, ,
I s i t then true that th y sex are no t moved by an y thin g

that can b e f al the man they hate ? Wert thou to s ee m e
d ie thou wouldst l augh
,
B ut I. I wish not thy death !
O ne word ! a single word o f kindnes s Tell m e no t tha t
t hou lo vest me ; say only that thou wis hes t me well
i t shall su ffice I will save thee O therwise Oh
.
the time passes . I i mplore thee by all that is sacred wai t ,
n ot till I am again t r ansform ed i n to stone like that gibbet ,
which also claim s thee ! C onsider that I hold bo th o u r

fates i n m y hand that I am mad
, oh i t is terrible
that I may let all drop and that there is ben eath us a b o t
, .
to m l e s s abyss down whi ch I sha ll follow thee in th y fall

,
to all eternity ! O ne kind word ! one word ! but a single

word
She open ed he r lips to answer H e fell o n his knees .
b efore her, t o ca tc h with adoration the words p erhaps of ,
F F
43 4 TH E H UNC H B A C K '
or N O TR E D A ME
'
-
.
sympathy whi ch should drop from her m outh

, You .
”
are an assassin ! sai d she .
The p r iest clasped her furiousl y in his arm s , and burst

f orth into a terrifi c laugh Assassin though I he cri ed .
,
he'
I will have t hee
,
Thou wilt not have m e f or a
-
.
sl ave ; thou shalt have me fo r a m aster Thou shalt be .
m ine I have a den to which I will drag thee Thou

. . .
shalt com e thou must com e with me or I wi l l deli ver

, , ,
thee up ! Thou mu st die m y girl o r be m ine — b e th e , ,

’ ’
priest s th e apostate s the as sassin s — an d this very
’
, ,
n ight too hearest thou ? The grave or my bed Go to

, .
”
K i ss m e wan ton ! Joy ! jo y !
,
’
H is eye spa r kl ed with lust an d rage The dam sel s .
n eck was fl ushed beneath the touch o f hi s lecherous lips .
She struggled i n his grasp M eanwh ile his j oaming m ou th .

( ,
0 d her with kisses .
B ite m e n ot mon ster cried she O h the h ate

, .
‘
ful poisonous monk ! Loo se m e o r I will te ar ou t thy ,
\ scurvy gray hair an d dash i t in th y face

\
\ H e reddened turned pale released her from his gripe
, , ,
and eyed her with a gloom y look She deemed herself .
v i ctorious , an d continued I tell thee I belong to m y

’ ’
Ph oebu s that t is Ph oebus I love that tis Phoebus who i s
, ,
h andsome As f or thee priest, thou art ol d, thou art u gly ,
G 0 thy way
H e gave a violent shriek like a wretch to whose flesh a , . .
red ho t iron is appli ed

- D ie then said he g nashing .
, ,
his teeth She noticed the infernal m align ity o f hi s look

.
,
and w ould have fled H e caugh t her again shook her .

, ,
threw her down an d with rapid strides proceeded towards

,
’
the angle o f R oland s Tower drag ging her after him al ong ,
the pavemen t by her beautiful arm s .
On reachin g that poin t he turned to wards her .
”
m ore s aid he ,
wilt thou be mine ,
She replied firmly, No .
He then cried al oud Gudul e Sister Gudul e ! Here

”
i s the E gyptian ! R evenge th yself on her !
The damsel felt herse lf suddenly sei zed by the w ris t .
She looked : i t was a skeleton arm thrus t throu gh a hole

in the wall whi ch hel d her l i ke a vi c e
,
.
TH E H UNC H B A CK os n r m s - a ms
o D . 43 5
’
H old fast said the priest tis the E gypti an who
, ,
has ru n away Let her n ot escape

. I w ill fetch the .
”
sergean ts thou shalt see he r hanged .
These inhuman wo r ds were answered by a guttural

l augh fr om withi n the wall : H a ! ha ! ha ! The
E gy ptian saw the p r iest run o ff towa rds the bri d ge o f
N ot r e D ame
- .The tramp of horses was hea rd i n that di
rection .
The gi r l presently recogn ised the m ali cious recluse .
Panting with terror, she strove to release herself She .
writhed she m ade many a bound o f agon y and despair

, ,
bu t the recluse held her with supernatural force The .
bon y fi ngers meeting round her w rist clasped her as

fi rmly as if that hand had been ri veted to her a r m M ore .
e fficient than a chain or ring o f i r on i t w as a pai r o f l i v

,
ing and in telligent pin cers issuing fr om a wall .
Against that wal l La E smeralda sank exhausted an d ,
then the fear o f death cam e over her She though t o f .
the pleasure o f life o f youth o f the aspe ct o f the sky o f

, , ,
the scenery o f nature, of love of Phoebus of all that was

, ,
past and all that was to come o f the priest who was gone
,
to denoun ce her of the gibbe t which stood there and the

, ,
hangman who wo u ld presen tly arrive Then did she feel .
horror moun ting to the ve r y roo ts o f her hai r and she ,
heard the siniste r laugh o f the recluse who said in a l ow ,
to ne Thou a rt going to be hanged ha ha ha

She tu rn e d hal f de a d toward the a perture and s a w the
.
sal low face of the re cluse be tween the bars What harm .
have I done to you said she in a fain t voice .
The recluse m ade no reply but be gan to mutter with a

, ,
singing i r ritating an d j ee ring into nation

, ,
Gipsy girl !
”
gipsy girl ! gipsy girl 1
The wretched E smeralda drooped her head conceivin g ,
that it was not a human being wi th which she had to deal .

’
Suddenly the recluse exclaimed as i f the girl s questi o n
,
had taken all the in termediate time to reach her under

standing What harm hast thou done me dos t thou ,
ask t a t harm hast thou done me E gyp tian Wh y , ,
listen I had a child seest thou ? a little ch ild an infan t

.
, , ,
”
I tel l thee a pretty little girl M y Agn es , she re
. .
F r 2
m s n u n cn na o x or NO TR E D AM E
- . 43 7
Give m e m y chi l d .
The poor girl sank down overcome exh aus ted wi th , , ,
the glazed eye o f o ne who is already i n the grave Al as ! .
rents m
s tam ered she you seek yo u r child and I seek my pa
,
“
, .
Gi ve me m y li ttle Agnes continued Gudule ,

Thou .
knowest no t where she is ? — then die I tell thee I ,
w as a l ewd wom a n ; I ha d a child ; they took i t away

’
those acc u rse d E gyp tia ns T is plain then thou m ust die .
When thy E gyptian mother comes to as k f or thee I wil l ,
sa y to her , M other look at that gibbet

,
O r give m e ,
back m y child — knowes t thou where she is where m y ,
li ttle daughter is P Sta y I will show thee There i s her

,
.
sh oe all that is left m e Of her K nowest thou where is

, .
i ts fello w ? I f thou dost tell me and if i t is at the en d

, ,
o f the world I wil l fetch i t if I crawl thither o n hands

,
and knees .
As she thus spoke putting her o ther hand o u t at the

,
aperture she showed t he li ttle embroidered shoe to the

,
E gyptian . I t was already light enough f o r her to d is tin

g uish i ts form and colours .
Le t me look at that sh oe said the gir l shuddering

, ,
.
Gracious God ! At the same ti me with the hand that ,
w as at liberty she tore Ope n the lit tle b ag ado r ned wi th

,
green beads which she wore about her neck

GO to go to muttered Gudule fumble away
i n th y in fern al amule t Then stopping sho r t and trem ,
bl ing in e very j oint she cried with a v oice issui ng fro m

,
her very bo wels M y child ! M y child

The E gyptian had taken ou t Of the b a g a li ttle sh oe
that wa s the preci se fellow to the other To this little .
shoe was attached a piece of parchmen t upon whi ch w as ,
wri tten thi s legend

W h en the fello w t h ou s halt find ,
”
T hy m oth e r is not f a r b e h in d .
I n the twinkling o f an eye the reclu se had compared the

two shoes read the inscription upon the parchment and
, , ,
thrusting her face beaming with celesti al j oy against the

, ,
bars of the window, shouted M y daugh ter my

daughter !
F F 3
43 8 TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME
-
.
M y m other my mother ! responded the E gyptian .
H ere we stop short in our del ineation

The w all and the i r on bars were between them .
”
O h ! this wall ! cried the recluse T o see her .
,
ye t n ot be able to clasp her to m y heart ! Thy han d !

give m e th y hand
The girl put her hand through the window : the recluse
sei zed i t fastened he r lips to i t an d stood absorbed in that
,
kiss g i vin g n o other sign Of life but a sigh which fro m

,
t ime to ti me heaved her bosom M eanwhile tea r s gushed .
from her eyes in silence an d in the dusk like a shower at

, , ,
n igh t The poor mother poured forth upon that adored

.
han d the dark deep well spring of tears which was w ithin
-
her and from which her sorrows had been oozing drop by
,
drop for fifteen years .
All at once she raised her head threw back the long ,
gray hair fr om her face and without sayin g a word , , ,
began to pull an d thrust at the bars o f her wind owm or e

fu riously than W e The bars defied he r utmost
then went to a co r ner o f her cell fetched a ,
l arge paving stone which served he r for a pi l low an d

-
,
dashed it against the m with su ch v iolen ce as to shiver on e

o f them i nto seve r al pieces A second blow drove ou t the.
Old iron cross which barricaded the windo w Wi th both .
h ands she then pul led o u t the rusty fragments Of the bars .
Th ere are mom en ts when the hands Of a woman possess

superhuman force .
The passage being cleared an d this wa s accomplished

i n less than a minute she clasped her daughte r in her
”
arm s an d drew her into the cell C ome ! mu r mured .
s he let me dr ag thee fr om the abyss

She set her down gently upon the floo r then caugh t her ,
up ag ai n and carryin g her in her a r ms as if she had still

, , ,
been her infan t Agnes she paced her narr ow cell into x i
, ,
cs ted frantic wi th j oy sh outing singing kissing the girl

, , , , ,
tal king to her lau ghing weepin g all at on ce an d wi th

, , ,
vehemen ce .
”
M y child ! m y dear child ! cried she I have got .
m y ch ild ! here she is ! The gracious God has restored

her to me C ome all o f you and see that I h ave got my
.
, ,
ra s H UNC H B A CK OF NO T E S D A ME - . 39
daughter again Lord Jesus ho w beautiful she is ,

The .
Al migh ty made me wait fifte en years but i t was to gi ve ,
her back to me in beauty After all then the E gyptians

.
did not eat thee Who could have said so ? M y child ,
m y dear little child kiss me O h those good E gyptians

, ,
How I love the E gyp ti ans ! — And i t is thou thyself !

And this was the reason wh y m y heart always leaped
wi thin me whenever thou wert passing Fool that I was .
to take thi s for hat r ed ! Forgi ve me m y Agnes forgiv e , ,
me ! Tho u must have thought me very spi teful , didst

thou not ? Ah ho w I love thee And the pretty ma r k
o n thy nec k ! hast thou i t still ? Let us see Yes there .
,
i t is ! O h ! ho w handsome thou art grown I t was from .
th y mo ther thou hadst those large bri gh t eyes K iss m e ,
darli ng ! I do lo ve thee What care I whethe r other

mothers h ave children ! I ca n laugh at them no w Le t .
them come Here is mine Here is

. her neck her eyes
.
, ,
her h ai r, her han d Show me anything more charming

.
than this Y e s yes she will have plen ty o f lo vers I will

, , ,
answer for i t I have sorrowed for fifteen years A ll m y

. .
beauty has left me and gone to her K iss me love .

,
I n this strain she ran on uttering a thousand extravagan t

,
things the accen t of which constituted al l their beauty ,

,
deranging the poor girl s d r ess s o as to make her blush

'
stroking her silken hair with her hand kissing her foot , ,
her knee her brow her eyes and extolling eve r y feature
, , , .
T he damsel su ff ered he r to do as she please d repeating at ,
i ntervals i n a low and infinitely sweet tone :

, M y ld e ar
mothe r
Ah my darling the re cluse again began i nterrupting
, , ,
herself at every word with ki sses how I shall love thee !

,
We will leave thi s place H ow happy we shall be ! I

.
have some prope r ty at R eims in ou r o wn coun try D ost

, .
thou remember R eims ? Ah no how shouldst thou thou

wert then qui te an infant I f thou didst but kno w how
.
pretty tho u wert at four months Ol d ! Tin y feet which

people came o u t Of curiosi ty to see all the way from
E pernay which is fifteen m iles Off ! l Ve sh all have a
,
ho use a field Thou shal t sleep in m y bed

, . M y Go d ! .
F F 4
TH E H UNC H BA CK OF N O TR E D AM E
- .
gibbe t is f o r me Save me save me T hey are coming !

"
.
Save me l
For some m oments the reclu se remained motion l es s a s a

statue she then shook her head doubti ngly and suddenl y ,
bur st into a loud laugh her Ol d terrifi c laugh ,

N O no , ,
thou must be dreaming I t can not be T o lose her for. .
fifteen years an d then to fin d her for a sin gle minute !

,
And they wo u ld ta ke her from me again n o w that she is ,
grown up and handsome and talks to me and loves me ! ,
They woul d no w come to devour her before m y face

mine wh o am her mother ! O h no ! su ch things are
,
not possible G od Al mighty would no t p ermi t such

.
”
doin gs .
B y this ti me the cav al cade had apparently halted A .
di stan t voice was heard c alling o u t This way M es si re ,
T ris tan ! The priest says that we shall find her at the
Trou aux Rats
- - The tramp o f the horses began again
. .
The recluse star ted up wi th a shriek of despair Away .
begone m y chil d ! I now recollect i t al l Thou ar t

,
.
”
right Tis fo r thy death C urs es o n them
.
’
Away !.
She put her head ou t at the window and quickly dre w

i t back again Stay. said she i n a lo w dolefu l voice , , ,
convulsively grasping the hand o f the E gyptian who w a s ,
more dead than ali ve Stay ! hold thy breath ! The

.
Place i s full o f soldiers Thou canst no t get away It

"
. .
is too li gh t .
Her eyes we r e dry and inflamed F or a m omen t sh e .
remained silen t : but with hurried step she paced up and

do wn her cell s topping now an d then and tea r ing ou t
, ,
hand fuls Of her gray hair which she dashed upon the fl oor , .
They are coming she excla im e d all at on ce I .
will tal k to them Hide thyself in thi s corner They

. .
will not se e thee I wil l tell them that I let thee go ;

.
”
that thou hast run away that I will !
C atching up the gi rl in her arms she carried her to a ,
corner Of the cell whi ch could not be seen fr om without .
Here she made her crou ch down taking care that nei ther ,
foot nor hand should prot rude beyond the dark s hadow ,
loosed her black hai r whi ch she spread o ver he r whi te

,
robe to con ceal i t and p laced be fore her the water j ug

,
-
442 TH E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME - . ,
an d pavin g stone the only mo veables that she p o ssessed

-
, ,
fondly imagining that they would help to hide her Thi s .
done she was more ca lm knelt down and p rayed D ay

, , ,
.
had n ot yet so far broken but that dim Obscurity still per
vaded the T rou aux Ra ts - - .
A t that momen t the voice o f the pri est that infernal

, ,
voice passed very close to the cell crying

, This way , ,
C ap tain Ph oebus de C hateaupers

At that name at that voice La E smeralda made a sligh t
, ,
m ovement . Stir not said Gudule .
She had scarcely u ttered the words when a t umult o f

horses and men was heard outside the cell The mother .
hastily rose an d posted hersel f befo r e the window to inter

ecpt the view of the i nterior She beheld a numerous bod y .
Of armed men foot and horse drawn up in the Gr eve

, ,
.
Their commander alighted and advanced towards her H e ,

.
w as a man o f truculen t aspe ct “ O ld woman said he .

, ,
we are seeking a sorceress to hang her : we were told

”
that thou hadst her .
The poor mother assuming a look Of as mu ch in differ

,
”
en ce as she coul d an swered I know not what you mean
, ,
.
”
T ate D ieu !
-
cried the other what ki nd o f story ,
did that crazed a r chdeacon tell us ? Whe r e is he ?

M onseigneur said o ne of the soldiers he has
sli pped away " .
, ,
C ome come, Ol d crone resumed the com mandan t

, , ,
let us have the truth A sorceress was given to thee to

hold Wh at hast thou done with her
.
The recluse app r ehensi ve lest by denying every thing

,
she might awaken suspi cion repl ied in a tone Of affected ,
sinceri ty an d surliness I f you mean a young gi r l that I

,
was desired to hold j ust now all I can tell you is that she ,
”
b it me an d I le t he r go
,
Leave m e alone I pray you .
,
.
The countenan ce of the commandan t betrayed a feeli ng

Of disappoin tment .
Tell me no lies Ol d sca r ecrow rej oined he ,

I am , .
T r istan the Hermit the comp ér e of the king Tristan the

,
.
,
” ’
Hermit dost hear ? Tis a name he added looking around
, , ,
a t the Place de Gr eve w hich ha s an echo here ,

.
”
I f yo u were Satan the Hermit repl ied Gudul e re , ,
. 443
gaining some hope I should have nothing el se to tell

,
”
yo u nei ther should I be afr aid of you
, .
T él e D ieu !
-
cried Tri stan there s a hag for you ! ,
’
SO the young sorceress has escaped ! And which way is she

,
gone
D own the Rue d u M ou ton I believe answered G u , ,
dule in a careless tone .
Tristan turned his head an d motioned to his t r oop to,
p repa r e to start The r ecluse began to breathe ag ain

. .
M onseigneur sai d o ne o f the archers all at on ce

, , ,
ask the Old witch why the bars o f her window are
”
broken i n this fashion .
That question once more o verwhel med the heart Of the

wretched mother wi th an gu ish She neve r theless retained .
”
some presen ce Of mind They were alway s so stam
.
,
mered she .
Pooh replied the archer they formed but yester ,
day a fair black cross fi t to remind a man Of his prayers

,
.
Tri stan cast a sidelong glan ce at the recluse By my .
”
fay said he
, the b ag does begin to look confused
,
.
The wretched woman felt that all depended o n keeping

up a bold face and while her soul was r acked with mortal
, ,
anguish she fell a laughing M others have this ki nd o f

,
- .
force . Pshaw said she that fellow is d runk,

It .
i s m ore than a year since the tail Of a ca r t laden wi th

stones was hacked against m y window and broke the grat ,
ing How I did abu se the dri ver

.
T is true enough said another archer,

I was ,
”
p resent .
Wherever you m ay be you are sure to m eet with people

who have see n every thing T h s unexpec ted testi mon y
i .
somewhat revi ved the recluse who felt during this in te r , ,
rogatory like o ne forced to cross an abyss on the edge of a

knife ; but she wa s doomed to a con tinual alte r nation o f
hOp e and alarm .
I f i t was s cart that did this replied the first soldier , ,
the stumps o f the bars w ould be dri ven inward whe r eas , ,
”
these a r e ben t ou twa r ds .
Aha !
”
said Tristan to the archer “ thou has t a ,
r im
'
H UNC H B A CK or N OT RE D A ME
-
. 445
taken .I n fact I alm os t think she must h ave crossed the

,
water .
Why, that is the very contrary way said the p ro ,

’
vost . B esides t is no t l ikely that she would have gone
,
ba c k to the C i ty where search was m aking for her

, .
Thou li est hag ! ,
And then added the first soldi er

,
there is no ,
”
boat either on this side of the water or o n the other
”
She must have swum o ver replied the recluse de , ,
f endi ng the ground in ch by in ch .
”
Who ever heard of women swimming ! cried th e
s o l dier .
T éta D ieu ! Old woman ! thou l iest ! thou liest !

- ex
cl aimed Tristan wi th vehemence , I have a good mind to .
l e t the youn g sorceress go and to take thee ins te a d A quarte r

, .
o f an hour s torture wi l l bring the truth o u t o f thy thr o a t .
”
C ome thou sh alt go along with us
"
.
,
As you please mon seigneur sai d she eagerly catch

, , ,
ing at these words Go to go to ! The torture ! I am

.
,
ready Take me Let us be gone forthwi th — M ean

. .
while thoug h t she m y daugh ter will have opportunity to

, ,
escape .
Sbloo d ! cried the pro vost

’
what greedines s o f to r ,
”
tu re The mad creature completely puz zles me .
An Ol d gray headed sergean t o f the watch advan ced from

-
”
the ranks M ad indeed monseigne u r sai d he a d
.
, ,
dressing the p rovost I f she has let loose the E gyptian

.
,
’
t is n ot her fault for she is not fon d o f the E gypti ans Fo r
, .
th ese fi fteen yea rs that I have belonged to the watch I have

hea rd her eve r y nigh t cursing the Bo hemian women wi th
b itter an d end less execrations I f the o ne we are seeking .
be as I suppose the dancing girl with the goat, I know

, ,
”
t hat she h ate s her abo ve all .
Gud u le m ade an effort and repeated , Abo ve all , .
The unanimous testi mon y Of the m en belonging to the

w atc h confirmed the rep r esen ta tion o f the ol d sergeant .
T ristan the Hermit despair ing Of bei ng able to extract an y

,
information fro m the recluse tu rned his back upo n her , .
and wi th inexpressi b l e anxiety she beh eld hi m slowly pro

ce eding to wards his horse C ome, m uttered he be .
446 m s H UNC H BA CK OF NO T RE D A ME -
.
tween his teeth l et us be o ff and pursue ou r se arch I

,
.
”
will not sleep t ill the E gyptian i s hanged .
He neve r theless paused for some time before b e m oun ted

his horse Gudul e wavered between li fe and death , o n
.
seeing him cast aroun d the Place the restless look o f a

houn d which is awa r e that the lair Of the game is near at
,
h and and is unwilli ng to leave the spot At length he .
shook his head and vaul ted into the saddle The heart of .
Gudule, so cruelly Oppressed once more expanded and , , ,
casting an eye upon her daughter at whom she had not ,
dared to look while the soldi ers were there, she ej acul ate d
”
in a low tone Saved !
,
The poor girl had remained all this time in her corner ,
without stirring without breathing and having the image

, ,
Of death before her eyes Sh e had n o t lost any in ciden t o f

.
the scene be tween Gudule an d Tristan and she had shared ,
all the agonies en dured by her mother She had heard the .
successive snappings o f the threads by which she was s u s

p ended o ver the abyss ; twen ty times she expected to see
them all break and she at length began ag ain to breathe
an d to feel herself upon solid gr ound A t this momen t she .
’ M r Pro
heard a voi ce saying to the provost C r
o bw u f ,
. .
’
vost t is no business o f mine who am a soldier to hang
, , ,
w itches . The begga rly crew are beneath o n e I leave .
ou to atten d to it alone Y u must perm i t me to go an d

y o .
”
rej oin m y compan y be cause it i s without a captain
,
Th at .
voice was the voi ce Of Ph oebus de C ha teauper s — What

she then felt is no t to be described H e was there then .
, ,
her fr iend her protec tor her refuge her Ph oebus ! She
, , ,
sprang up and before he r mother could preven t her darted

, , ,
t o the windo w crying ,

Phoebus ! m y Phoebus ! come
,
hi ther
Phoebus was gone : he had j ust t urned at a gallop the
'
corner o f the R ue de la C ou tellerie B u t T ris tan was .
( ther e sti ll .
l The recluse rushed u p on her daughter with the roar o f

f a wild beas t Striking her n ails i nto her neck she dre w
.
h er back with violence A mother tigress is not very par-l

.
‘
t icul ar
. B u t i t was too late Tristan had seen her. .
E igh eigh c ried b e, wi th a gri n whi ch discovered

TH E n u rvcn e a cx or N O TRE D A ME
- . 447
all his te e th an d m ade his face resembl e the mu z zle of a

,
wolf, t wo mi ce in the trap

”
I suspected as much said the soldier ,
.
Thou art an excellent cat repli ed T ristan pattin g ,
hi m o n the shoulder
”
C ome added b e “ where i s
.
, ,
H e nrie t C ousin
A m an who had neither the g arb nor the l ook of a s o]
dier stepped forth from the ranks He wore a dress hal f .
gray and half brown an d leathe r n sleeves had lank hair

, ,
and carried a coil o f rope in hi s huge fist This man always .
accompanied Tristan who always accompanied Louis X I .
“ M y friend " said Tristan the He r mi t

,
,
I presum e ,
that yonder is the sorceress whom we are seeking Thou .
wilt hang her forthwith H ast thou th y ladder .
There is] one under the shed Of the M ai so n aux -
”
Piliers , repli ed the m an “I s i t at this u s ti ce that we
j .
are to do the business continued he pointing to the stone ,
gibbet .
Y es .
”
HO ho ho ! rej oin ed the m an with a m ore vulgar , ,
’
m ore bestial grin than even that of the provost we sh an t ,
”
have fa r to go .
M ake has te said T ristan and l augh afterwards

, , .
E ver sin ce Tristan had espied the gi rl and al l hope was ,
at an end the recluse had not u ttered a word

,
She had .
thrown the poor E gyptian h alf dead in the corner Of the ,

-
,
cel l and posted herself agai n at the window wi th her two

, ,
hal ul s hke cl aws resting upon the corner Of the entabla tu re

'
-
.
I h this attitude her e ye s which had agai n become wild an d

, ,
fierce were seen to wander fea r lessly over the surroundi ng

,
soldie r s At the momen t when H e nrie t C ousin reached

.
the cell her loo k was so ferocious that he starte d back

, , .
“
said he retur ning to the p rovost, whi ch ,
are we to take
The young o ne .
So much the better ; f o r you ol d hag l ooks like a

T arta r .
Poor dancing girl with the goat sighed the vete ran
-
sergeant o f the watch .
O nce more He nrie t C ou sin app roac hed the window .

m s H UNC H BA CK O F N O T R E D AME - . 449
H enrie t C ousin went to the shed of the M ais om au x

Pil iers to fetch hi s tools He also brought from the sam e .
place a ladder which he immediately set up against the

,
’
gibbet Five o r six o f the provost s men armed them selves
.
with m attocks an d crow bars and Tristan proceeded wi th -

,
them to the cell .
O ld woman said the provost in a stern voi ce “yield

, , ,
up the girl to us quietly .
She gave hi m such a look as though she understo od n ot

what he said .
T éta D ieu “
resumed Tristan what reason can st thou
-
,
have for preven ting this sorce r ess from berug han ged
’
according to the king s pleasure

The w r etched wom an bu r st i nto on e o f her wild laughs .
’
What reason have I ? Ti s m y d a ughter The
accen t with which she u ttered that wo r d m ade even ‘
H e nrie t C ousin himself shudder .
”
I am so r ry for it replied the p ro vost but it is
, ,
”
the good pleasu r e o f the king .
‘ Vha t is thy king to m e cried she redoubli n g her ,
terrible laugh I tell thee i t is m y daugh ter

.
”
Break down the wall said T r istan ,
.
N othin g mo r e was requi r e d to make the Opening s u ffi

cie n tl
y wide than to displace o ne m assi v e stone under the
w indow When the mo ther heard the matto cks an d the
.
c r ow bars sapping her fort ress she gave a terrifi c scream

-
,
and then began to ru n round he r cell wi th fr ig htful swifl .
ness one o f the habits o f a wil d b east whi ch she had ,
con t r a cted from confinem e nt She said not hing but he r .

,
eyes flashe d fire The soldie r s were thri l led to thei r

.
’
he arts core All at once she caugh t up her paving ston e
. -
i n both hands laughed an d hurled i t at the w orkmen

, , .
The sto ne feebly th r own — for her hands t r embled

,
’
missed them all an d rolled to the feet o f T ris tan s hors e .
She gnashed her teeth .
M eanwhile t hough the sun had no t yet ris en i t wa s

, ,
b r oad d aylight : the old d ecayed chimneys Of the M aison

aux Pi l iers were tinged of a beautiful roseate hu e I t
- .
was the hour at which the ea rlies t windows of the grea t

ci ty open cheerily upon the roofs C ertain o f the in .
G a
450 ru e B UN CH B A OK o s N O T RE D A ME
-
.
h abitants dry costermongers r iding o n their asses to

'
the m arkets — b ega n to cross the Gr eve They paused f or .
a momen t before the p arty o f soldiers co ll ecte d around the
T rou aux Rats surveyed the m with looks o f as tonishmen t,

- -
,
a nd pursued their way .
The recluse had sat down in front o f her daughter ,
c overing her with her body listening with fixed eye to the
,
p oor girl , who stirred not who spake not save that she
, ,
m urmured in a l o w tone Phoebus ! Phoebus

I n pro p ortion as the work o f the besiegers seemed to
advance the m other mechanicall y drew back and pressed
, ,
t he girl cl oser and closer against the wall Al l at on ce she .
s a w the stone shake for she kept stri c t wat c h, an d never

took her eyes from i t and she heard the voice Of Tristan
encouraging the l abo urers T hi s roused her from th e
.
s tupor in to whi ch she had sunk for some minu tes and she ,
cried the while her voice sometimes rent the ear like a
s aw,
someti mes stamm ered as if all the m alediction s
t hronging forth at on ce we r e j ostling o ne another u pon her
lips H O ! h o ! ho ! B ut thi s is horrible Ro bbers .
,
do ye really mean t o take m y daughter from me ? I tell

you i t is m y daughter ! O h the cowards ! O h the
h angman s lacquey s ! O h ! the j ou r neymen murderers
’
Help ! help ! fire ! B u t will they rob me Of my child in

t hi s m anner ? I s ther e then such a B eing a s they c all God
Al mighty
Then turning to Tri stan , with foaming lips glaring ,
eyes 9 9 al Lf Our s i ik e a pant her; —and bristl ing with rage

,
* -
C ome a li ttle nearer to rob m e o f m y daugh ter ! D ost

t hou not comprehen d that this woman tel ls thee i t is her
da ughter ! K nowest thou what i t is to be the mother of a
child ? Hast thou lynx never coupled with thy m ate ?
, ,
H ast thou n ever had a whelp by her ? an d if thou hast

young ones when they howl hast thou not withi n thee
, ,
something that yearn s at their cry

”
D own with the s tone ! sai d Tristan i t is loos
e ned .
T he c row bars di splaced the ponderous s tone I t wa s ,

- .
’
a s we have said the m other s last rampart
, She threw .
hersel f u p on i t she woul d have held it fast she scratched

wa s n u n c a e s cx or NOT E S D A ME-
. 451
i t with her n ails bu t the m assive blo ck se t in motion by ,
s ix men slipped from her grasp and gl ided gen tly to the
, ,
ground al ong the iron levers .
The m other seeing an entry made thre w herse lf

, ,
ath wart the aperture barri cading the breach wi th her

,
body waving her arms stri ki ng her head against the to p

, ,
Of the windo w an d shouting wi th a voi ce so husky with

,
fati gue that i t could scarce ly be heard : Help fire fire

"
N o w take the gi rl said T rista n cool as ever
, , .
The mothe r s cowled a t the soldi ers in so formidable

a manner that they were much more di sposed to fal l back
than to advance .
O n there ,
shouted the provost H e nrie t C ou sin .
,
on !
N ot a c reature stirred a step .
'
The provost swore : B y C hrist s head ! men a t arm s - -
afraid Of a woman
M onsei gneur sai d H enrie t
,
call you that a ,
woman .
‘L ”
She has the i nane of a lion sai d an other , .
,
A d van ce ! r e pli ed the provost
’
the gap is large
“
enough E n ter th ree abreast as at the breach o f Pontoise

.
, .
Let us finish the busin ess B y the death o f M ahoun d the

"
.
first that re coils I will cut in t wo .
Placed between the provost and the mo ther an d threat ,
ened by both the soldiers hesita ted f o r a m omen t ; th e n

,
making their choice they advan ced towards the Tron aux
,
-
Rats .
When the recluse saw this, she suddenly raised herse lf

upon her knees threw back her long h air from her face
, ,
and dropped her lank and la cerate d hands upon her thigh s .
B ig tea r s started from he r eyes tri ckling o ne by on e down ,
the wrin k les in her cheeks like a torrent al ong the be d ,
which i t has wrough t for i tsel f A t the same time she .
began to spea k but in a voi ce so supplian t s o m eek s o

, , ,
subdued so cutti ng that more than o ne Old tr ooper wh o

, ,
could have eaten human flesh had to W ipe his eyes .
Gen tlemen and messieurs sergean ts o ne word

, ,
T here is o ne thing that I must te ll you I t is m y .
daughte r , l oo k you — m y dear li ttle girl, who m I had

a o 2
T H E H UNC H B A CK O F NO T RE D A ME -
. 453
’
I tell you ! she i s not the king s ! she i s n ot you rs I .
wi ll be gone ; we will both go Who would s top two .
weak women o ne o f them the mother the other the

, ,
'
daugh ter Let u s pass then ! we are from R eims O h
.
,
.
you are very kind messieurs sergean ts ; I love yo u a ll

,
.
Y ou will not take m y da r ling from me

’
tis impossible .
I s i t no t ? qui te impossible ! M y child ! M y o wn dear

"
chfld !
We shall no t at tempt to con vey any idea of her gestures ,
o f her tone o f the tears which she swall owed as she

,
spoke o f her hands which she clasped and then wrung o f

, ,
the cutting s m il es the moans the sighs the heartrendin g

, , ,
shrieks whi ch she blended wi th this wild rambling and , ,
in coheren t ha r angue When she had done T r istan the .

,
Hermit knitted hi s bro w bu t i t was to conceal a tear ,
which started into his tiger like eye C on q uering this -

.
weakness ho wever he said in a dry tone

, ,
The kin g
”
wills it .
Then bending to the ear of H enrie t C ousin he whis ,
pered Finish o u t of hand The redoubtable pro vost

himself pe rhaps fel t even his heart fail him .
The hangman and the se rgeants en te r ed the cell The ’
m other made no resistance : she merely crawled to wards

her daughte r and th r ew herself headlong upon he r The
,
.
E gyptian saw the soldie r s approaching The horror o f

"
.
deat h roused her M other c ried she in a tone of i n

.
, ,
expressible anguish mother they are coming ; defend

, ,
”
me Yes m y lo ve I will defend thee
,
replied the , ,
mother i n a fain t voice}; and clasping her closely in her ,
arm s she co ve r ed he r wi th ki sses

,
M other and daugh ter .
,
as they thus lay o n the ground presented a sight that was ,
truly pitiable .
H e nri e t C ousin laid hold o f the girl roun d the body .
When she felt the touch o f his hand she shuddered

Heugh and fain ted The hangman fro m whose .
,
eyes big tears fell drop by drop upon he r attemp ted to ,
li ft her but was prevented by the m other who had eu

, ,
twined her arms round her daugh te r s wai st and clung so

’ ‘
fi rmly to her child that i t was impossible to p art them

, .
H e nrie t C ousin therefore d r agged the girl ou t of the cell

, , ,
G a 3
454. T H E H UNC H B A C K or N OT RE D A ME
-
.
an d the mother after her the latter too, wi th her eyes

-
,
shut and apparen tly in sensible

, .
The s un was j ust then ri sing and a considerable num ,
b e r o f people coll ected thus e arly in the Place were striving

to m ake ou t what it wa s that the han gman was thu s drag
ging along t he pavemen t towards the gibbet : for i t was
’
T ristan s way to prevent the near approach o f spectators
a t exe cu ti on s .
There wa s n o t a creature at th e windows There .
were only to be seen o n the top o f th at tower o f N otre

D ame whi ch overlooks the Gr eve two m e n standing ou t ,
i n dark relief fro m th e clear mor ning sky who appeared to ,
be looking o n .
H enrie t C ousin stopped with what he was dragging at

th e foot o f the fatal ladde r an d scar cely breathing so , ,
deeply wa s b e affected he slipped the cord about the

,
lovely n eck of the gi rl The un fortunate creature felt the

.
ho rrid touch of the rope She Opened her eyes and b e

.
,
held the hideous arm o f the stone gibbet e x ten ded o ver her
head R ousing herself she c r ied in a loud and heart rend
.
,
-
”
ing voi ce ,
N o l no I will not The mothe r whose .
,
fa ce was buried in her daugh ter s g arments utte r ed not a ’
word ; her whole body was seen to t r emble and she was ,
heard to ki ss her child with redoubled ferven cy The .
h an gm an took advantage o f this momen t to wren ch

asunder her arms with whi ch she had clung to th e con
d e m ne d gi r l . E ither from e x haustion o r despair she , ,
m ade n o resistance He then lifted the damsel on his

.
shoulder fr om whi ch the charming creature hung grace

,
fully o n either side and began to ascend the ladder

,
.
At that momen t the mother crouched o n the pavement , ,
opened her eyes Wi thout u tte r ing an y cry she S prang

.
,
up with a terrifi c look ; then like a beast of prey she , ,
seized the hand o f the hangman and hit him I t was .
like ligh tning The executioner roared with pain Some

. .
o f th e se r geants ran to him Wi th di fficulty they e x tri

.
ca te d hi s bl e eding h and fr om the teeth of the m other .
She m ain ta in ed profoun d silence They thrust he r back .
i n a brutal manner an d i t was rem a r ked that her head fell

,
he avily upon the pavemen t They lifted her up, b u t

.
again she sank to the

grou nd Sh e was de ad . .
m u n u ncu na o x or NO N E DA M E - . 455
T he hangm an who had not , se t down the girl , co n ti nu e d

to mount the ladder .
C HAPT E R I I .
LA CRE AT UR A BE L L A B I A NCO v ns r rr a .
W H EN Quasimodo as certained th at the cell was vacan t that ,
the E gyptian was not there and that while he was defen d ,
ing her she had been ta ken away he grasped his head wi th ,
both hands and stamped wi th rage an d astonishmen t : he

,
then began to run all over the church in ques t o f the B0

hemian setting up st r ange shouts at every corner and
, ,
strewing his red hair upon the pavement I t was the very .
’
m omen t when the king s archers entered the cathedral vi c
to rio u s also seeking the E gyptian
,
Quasimodo assisted .
them having n o suspicion — poor deaf creatu re — o f their

,
fatal in ten tions : i t was the Vagabon d cre w wh om b e

regarded as the enemies of the E gyptian He hi mself .
conducted T rista n the Hermit to e v ery possible place o f

con cealment opened for him all the secret doors the double
, ,
botto med alta r s and the back sacristies ,

H ad the u nf or .
tu na te gi rl been still there he must ine v i ta bly have be trayed

her When T r istan was ti red o f the un su ccessful se arch
.
— and on such occasions he wa s not soon tired — Quasi

m odo continued i t alone He tr aversed the church twen ty .
times a hundred times lengthwise and b r eadthwise from

, , ,
to p to bottom mounting descending running calling cry

, , , , ,
i ng shouting fe r reting rummagi ng poki ng his head i n to

, , , ,
eve r y hol e thrusting a torch into every da r k corner di s

, ,
.
tracted mad At length when he wa s sure quite sure

, .
, , ,
that she was no longer the r e that she had been stolen away ,
from him he sl owly ascended the tower stai rs th ose stai rs

,
-
,
whi ch he had m oun ted with such tran sport and exultation
o n the day that he saved her He agai n passed that way .
,
with drooping head voiceless t earless almost unbreathin g

, , , .
T he chur c h was on ce m ore clear and s il en ce agai n rei gn e d ,
e e 4
rm : n o x cn na cu or NO T RE D A ME
-
. 457
an empty cradle and a full coffin He uttered no t a word ; .
o nly at lo ng in tervals a sob violen tly shook his whole body ,
b u t i t was a sob without tears l ike those summer lightnings ,
which make n o noi se .
I t appears that then seeking in his doleful reverie t o

,
discover who could thus unexpectedl y have carried o ff the

E gyptian he bethough t himself of the archdeacon
,
He .
r e collected that none but D om C laude had a key to the

stai r case leading to the cell he ca lled to m ind his no ctur
nal attempts upon the dam sel i n the first of which he , ,
Quasimodo himself had assisted , and the second o f whi ch

,
he had fr ustrated he called to mind a thousand o ther cir

c u m s ta nce s and soon felt not the least doubt that i t was
,
the arc hdeacon who had taken the girl fr om him Such .
,
however was his respect for the priest so deeply had

, ,
g ratitude a ffection love f o r that man struck root in hi s

, , ,
heart that even at thi s momen t they withstood the tugs o f

,
j e alousy and desp air .
H e considered that the archdeacon had done this and ,
instead o f the mortal ran cour with which the though t

would have fill ed his heart for any other the momen t i t ,
fi xed upo n C laude F rollo i t only aggravated his grief ,

.
At this momen t when the dawn began to whi ten the fly

,
ing buttresse s he descried o n a higher sto r y o f the cathe

,
dr al at the angle formed by the outer balustrade which

,
run s round the apsis a figure i n motion ,

The face o f .
this figure was turned towards him He recogni sed the .
person . I t was the archdeacon C laude s step was .

’
grave and deliberate He looked n ot be fore him as h e

.
walked towards the n orth tower : but his face was tu rned
askan ce towa r ds the righ t bank o f the Seine as i f he were ,
s tri ving to see so mething over the intervening roofs The .
"
o wl fre q uently has this obli q ue attitude flying in one di ,
rection an d lookin g in another The p riest thus passed .
o n above Quasimodo without perceiving him .
The hunchback pe tri fied by this sudden apparition

, ,
watched til l he lost sight of him at the door of the stair

case o f the north tower The reader al ready kn ows that
.
thi s is the tower which com mands a v iew of the H otel de -
Vil le Q uasimodo rose and followed the archdeacon

. .
458 T H E H U NC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME
- .
H e went u p the s tai rs to a scend the tower f or the p ur ,
pose o f ascertaining why the pries t ascended i t if ind e ed

the p oor bell ringer wh o knew no t what he did o r what he
-
, ,
wished could be said to have an y purp ose

,
He was full .
o f rage and full o f apprehension The archdea con and .
the E gyp tian clashed together in his heart .
When he had reached the top o f the to wer before he ,
i ssue d fr om the darkness o f the stair case and stepped ou t

upon the platform he looked cautiously about to discover
,
where the priest was C l aude had his back towards hi m

. .
A balus trade of open work surrounds the platform of the

steeple The priest whose eyes were ben t upon the town
.
, ,
was l eaning with hi s bre as t again st that corner o f the b a

l u s tra de which looks down u po n the bridge o f N otre
D ame .
’
Quasimodo stole with wolf s step behind him to s e e ,
what h e was thus looking at The attention o f the priest

.
was so completely engrossed that he perceived no t the ap

p roach of the hun chback .
Paris viewed from the to wers o f N otre D ame in the

,
-
cool dawn o f a sum mer morning is a charming and a m ag ,
n ifi ce n t sight and the Pa r is o f that period must have

been eminently so I t was then the m on th o f July The
. .
sky was perfectly serene A few l ingering stars were

.
going ou t at di ff e r en t points and there was still a very ,
bright o ne in the east in the li ghtest part of the firm am ent .
The sun was j ust risi ng Paris began t o be astir A very

.
'
.
whi te an d a ve r y pure li gh t p r esented conspicuously to the

eye the faces which i ts thousand houses turn towa r ds the
east The gian t shadows o f the steeples exten ded fr o m
.
roof to roo f fr om o ne en d of the great city to the other

,
.
There were quarters which already began to sen d forth v a

rio u s sounds Here was heard the hammer o f the smith
.
,
there that o f the carpenter and yonder the compli cated,
creaki ng o f a cart as it pas s ed along the street A few .
column s of smoke issued fr om di fferent points of this vast

surface o f roo fs as from the fissures o f an immense s ol
,
fatara The ri ver whi ch dashes its waters ag ainst the piers
.
o f so m any bridges and the points o f s o many islands was

, ,
s treak ed wi th lines o f silver Around the C ity b eyond

.
,
r nn H U NC H BA CK or n ou n- D A ME . 459
the r amparts the sight was lost in a wide ci rcl e o f fleecy

,
vapours through which might be fain tly dis cerned the in

,
defini te line of the pl ai n s and the graceful swelling o f the

hill s All so r ts o f sounds floated confusedly over thi s
.
half awakened ci ty Towards the east the m orning b ree z ee

- .
drove across the sky a few white flakes ren t from the m an
tl e o f mist that enwr apped the hi l ls .
I n the Parvi s certai n stirrin g h ouse wi ves with milk

, ,
j ugs i n their hands pointed o u t to each other with asto

,
nis hm e n t the shattere d state o f the great portal o f N o tre
D ame and the two streams o f l e ad congealed in the

inte r sti ces between the stones o f the pavemen t These .
were the only vestiges o f the tumult o f the p ast nigh t .
The fi r e kind l ed by Quasimodo between the towers wa s

extinguish ed Tristan had already caused the Pla ce to be
.
cleared and the dead to be thrown into the Seine Such

,
.
kings as Lo uis X I take care to have the pavemen t speedily

.
was hed after a m assacre .
O utside the balustrade o f the tower below the ver y ,
p oin t whe r e the priest had s te pped there was one o f those ,
stone gu tters fan tasti cally carved with which Go thi c edi ,
fice s are b r istled and in a crevi ce o f this gut ter were t wo

,
fine w al l flowe rs in blos s om whi ch waved and as if they

-
, , ,
were anim ated by the breeze seemed to be spo rti vely bow
,
ing to each other Abo ve the towers al oft in the ai r small

.
, ,
birds were heard twittering and screaming .
B ut the p r iest neither h e ard nor saw any o f thes e things .
H e was one o f those who take no n oti ce either o f mornings ,
or o f birds or o f flowers
,
H is con te mplation was engross ed
.
by o ne only point o f that i mmen se hori zon whi ch pre ,
s ented so many as pects aroun d him .
Quasimodo bu r ned with i mpatien ce to in quire what he

had done wi th the E gyptian but the archdeacon seemed
,
at that momen t to be out o f the wo r ld With hi m i t was .
evidently o ne o f th ose criti cal moments o f li fe when a m an ,
would n ot feel th e earth crumbling benea th his feet H e .
remain ed motionless an d sil e n t wi th his eyes invariably

,
fixed on a p arti cular spot and this silen ce and thi s m otion
less atti tude had something s o formidable that the sav age
b ell ringer himse lf shudde red before and durs t not di s
-
r u n H U N C H B A OK or NO T RE D A ME -
. 46 1
hands into the abyss over whi ch D om Cl aude was leaning

, .
D am nation cried the priest as he fell .
The gutter beneath caught him and broke the fall He .
clung to i t with eager hands and was j ust opening his ,
m outh to gi ve a second c r y when he beheld the formidable

,
an d avenging face of Quasimodo protruded over the balus

trade above hi s head He was then silent . .
The abyss was beneath him a fall of more than two

hund r ed fee t and the pavemen t ! I n this terrible si tuation ,
the a r chdeacon uttered neither word n or g r oan Suspended .
from the gutter he wriggle d an d made in credible e fforts

, ,
to raise himse l f upon i t : bu t his hands had n o hold

o f the grani te and his toes me r ely streaked the blackened
,
w all without findi ng the least suppo r t All who have ever .
been up the to wers of N o n e D ame kno w that the ston e -
bellies immediately under the balustrade I t was agains t .
the ret reating slope that the wretched archdeacon exhausted

himself in fruitless e ff orts He had not to do with a per
.
p e nd icu l a r wall but a,

wall that rece d ed fr om him .
Quasimodo migh t have withdrawn him from the gulf b y

m e r ely reaching him his hand : bu t he did not so mu ch as
look at him H e looked a t t he Greve He looked at the
. .
E gyptian He looked at the gi bbet The hun chback was

. .
leaning upon the bal ust r ade at the very spot which the
,
archdeacon had j ust befo r e o ccupied ; and there never ,
tu r ning his eye from the only obj ect which existed for him
at that moment he was motionless and mute as o ne thun
,
de rs tr u ck whilst a st r eam flowed i n silence from th at eye ,
whi ch t ill then had n ot shed a single te a r .
The arch d eacon meanwhile began to pan t The per .
spiration tri ckled fr om his bald b r ow the blood oo zed fr o m ,

’
his fingers ends the skin was rub bed from his knee s
against the wall H e heard his cassock which hung b y
.
,
the gutte r c r ack and rip at every movemen t that he m ade

, .
T o c r ow n hi s misery th at gutter terminated in a leaden

,
pi pe which bent wi th his weigh t The archdeacon felt i t .
sl owly gi ving way The w retched m an sai d t o himself

.
,
that when his casso ck should be rent when the leaden ,
pipe should yield he must fall and horror thrill ed hi s

, ,
entrail s At times he w ildly eyed a sort o f n arrow ledge

.
,
TH E H UNC H B A CK or N O T RE D A ME
- .
formed about ten feet below him by the archi te c tural em

b e lli s hm e nts o f the church and in his di str ess he prayed to
,
Heaven i n the re cesses o f his soul to permi t him to end ,
his life o n this space o f two square feet were i t e ven to ,
la st a hundred years O n ce he glanced at th e abyss be

. .
neath him when he rai sed his head his eyes were close d
and hi s hair s tanding erect .
T here was something frightful in the sile nce o f these

two persons While the archdeacon at the di stan ce o f a
.
,
few feet was experiencing the most horrible agonies Qua

, ,
s im od o kept his eye fixed o n the Gr eve and wept .
The a r chdeacon perceiving that all his exe r tions served

,
but to shake the only frail support that was left him de ,
t e rm ine d to stir n o more The r e he was claspin g the

.
,
gutter scarcely b r eathing absolutely motionless save that

, ,
m echanical convulsion o f the abdomen which supervenes i n

sleep when you d r eam that you are falli ng His fixed eyes
, .
glared in a wild and ghastly m anner M eanwhile he bega n .
to lose his hold : his fingers slipped down the gutter : he

felt his arms becoming weaker and weak e r an d his body ,
heavier and heavier The leaden pipe which supported

.
him bent more an d more every m oment towa r ds the abyss .
B eneath hi m he beheld horrid sight the roof o f St .
Jean l e R ond diminutive as a card bent in two He eyed

- -
,
.
o ne after another the passionless sculptures o f the to wer ,
suspended like himself over the abyss but wi thout fear for ,
themselves o r pity for hi m All about him was stone .
before his eyes gaping monsters ; under him at the bo t ,
tom o f the gulph the p avement o ver hi s head Q uasimodo

,
weeping .
I n the Parvis several groups o f curious spectato r s were

cal mly pu zzli ng their b r ains to divine who coul d be the
m aniac that was amusing himself in this strange manner .
The priest heard the m say f o r their voices reached him,

,
clear an d sharp B y r Lady he must break hi s neck

,
’
,
Quasi modo wept .
At l ength the archdeacon foaming with rage and terror,

,
became sensible that all was useles s He neverthel e ss mus .
tere d all his remaining strength f o r a last e ffort Setting .
b o th his knees a gainst the wall, he hoo ked hi s h ands into

m
'
n n u n on na cx or ar om a- D a mn . 46 3
a cl eft in the sto nes an d suc ceeded in raising him se l f about

,
a foot ; but this strugg l e caus ed the lea den beak whi ch
supported him to give way suddenly His cassock was .
ripped up fro m the same cause Fee ling him self sin kin g,
.
h aving only his sti ffened and crippled hands to h o ld by ,

the wretched man cl o s ed his eyes and p resen tly his fingers ,
relaxed their grasp D own he fell !

.
Quasimod o watched him falling .
A fall from such a heigh t is rarely pe rpe ndi cular The .
a rchdeacon launched into the abyss fell at firs t head dow n

, ,
ward and with outstre tched arms and then whirled severa l ,
ti mes over and over ; dropping upon the roof o f a house ,
and breaking some o f his bones He was no t dead when

.
he reached i t for the bell ringer sa w him stri ve to grapple

,
-
the ridge with hi s fingers but the s l oPe was too steep an d ,
his s t rength utterly failed him Sliding rapidly down the

.
roof like a tile that has go t loose down he wen t and re

, , ,
bounded ou the pavement He never stirred more . .
Quas imodo then raised his eye to the E gyp tian dangling ,
fro m the gallow s At th at distan ce he co u ld see her qui ver

.
beneath her whi te robe in the las t convulsive agonies o f

d eath ; he then looked down at the archdeacon stretched ,
at the foot o f the tower with scarcely a ves tige o f the hu

,
m an form about him and heaving a deep sigh he cried

, , , ,
There is all I ever loved
C HAPT E R I I I .
M A RR IAG E O F C APT A IN P H G B US .
T O W A RD S the evening o f the same day whe n th e j udi cial ,
o fli ce rs o f the bishop cam e to remove the mangled corpse
o f the archdeacon fro m the pavemen t of the Parv is

Qu a ,
.
s im od o was not to be fo u n d in N otre Dame - .
M an y rumou rs were circul ated resp ecting thi s a ffair .
T he general op i nion was that the day had arri ved when,
ran H UN Cl l B A C K or NO T RE D A ME - . 46 5
an cient and the most superb gal lows in the kin gdom .
B etween the faubourgs of the Temple and St M arti n .

,
about o ne hundred and six ty fathoms from the w al ls o f

Paris an d a f e w cross b o w shots from la C o u rtill e
,
-
,
wa s seen at the to p o f a gen tle i mperceptible rise yet , ,
su ffi cien tly elevate d to be seen for sever al leagues round a ,
b u ilding o f strange form nearly resembl ing a C elti c ,
cromlech and where also human vic ti ms were sacrifi ced

, .
Figure to yourself o n th e top o f a mound o f ch alk a

clumsy parallelopipedon o f m asonry fifte en fee t high fo rt y , ,
long and thirty wide with a door an ou ter raili ng an d a

, , , ,
platform upon this platform sixteen m assi ve pil lars o f

unhe wn s tone thirty fee t high ranged in form o f a colon
, ,
n ade round three o f the four sides o f the masonry whi ch

supports them connected at to p by stron g beam s fr om
, ,
whi ch at certain dista n ces han g chain s each having a ske ,
l eton dangling at the end o f i t ; roun d abo ut i t in the plai n

a s tone cross and two gibbe ts o f secondary rank which ,
seem to sp rin g up like shoots from the cen tral stock abo v e
all these i n the atmosphere crows perpetu all y fl ying an d
you will have a picture o f M ontfau co n .
At the con clusion o f the fifteenth cen tu ry this formi ,
d ab l e gibbet whi ch dated from 1 3 2 8 was a l ready ve r y

, ,
decrepit : the beam s were rotten the chain s eaten up with

rust ; the pill ars g reen wi th moss ; there were wide in ter
s ti ce s be tween the courses o f the stone ; and grass gre w
upon the un trodden platform The profile o f thi s edifice

.
u pon the sky was a horrible o ne esp ecially at nigh t when , ,
the faint m oonli gh t fell upon those bleached skul l s o r when ,
the nigh t bree ze shaking the ch ain s an d the skel eton s m ad e

-
, ,
them rattle i n the dark The presen ce o f thi s gibbe t was

.
su ffi cien t to induce a belief that all the en viron s were

haun te d .
The stone work whi ch served as a base to the odi ous edi
-
fice was hollow Here had been form ed a vas t vaul t

.
,
cl osed by an ol d craz y iron gate in to whi ch were throw n ,
n ot only the hum an rem ain s taken from the chains o f

M on tfaucon bu t the bo di es o f all the wretches execu ted at
,
the o ther perm anent gibbe ts o f Pari s I n this vas t ch am el .
house in whi ch so many human c arcases and so man y

,
a n
cri mes have mouldered together m an y o f the great o f the ,
world an d m any innocen t p e rsons ha ve successively lai d

, ,
their b ones from E ngu e rra u d de M arigni who m ade a

, ,
presen t Of M on tfaucon an d who was a good m an to A d

, ,
miral de C oligni with whom i t was closed and who was al so ,
a good man .
R especting the m ysteriou s d isappearan ce o f Quasimodo ,

all th at we have been abl e to di scover i s this
About a year and a hal f o r two years after the events
w ith whi ch this history concludes when se arch was m ade ,
i n the vaul t o f M ontfau con for the body Of O livier l e Da im ,
who h ad been hun g t wo days previously and to who m ,
C harles VI I I had gran ted the favour to be in terred in

.
better compan y at St Laurent among these hi deous car

.
,
cases were foun d two skeleton s i n a si ngular postu re One .
Of these skeletons whi ch was that o f a fem al e had s till

, ,
upon i t some fragments o f a dress that had once been

whi te ; and about the neck was a necklace o f the seeds o f
a d re z ar a ch
,
and a li ttl e sil k bag braided with green beads ,
whi ch was open and empty These thi ngs wer e Of so lit tle
.
value that the hangman n o doubt had no t thought i t worth

hi s whil e to ta ke them The other by whi ch this first was
.
,
closely embraced w as the skeleton Of a male I t was re

,
.
m arked that the spine was c rooked the head depressed b e ,
tween the shoulders an d o ne leg shorter th an the other

,
.
There was however no rupture of the vertebr ae Of the neck,

an d i t was eviden t that the person to whom it belonged had
n o t b ee n h anged He must have come hither an d died i n
.
the place When those who found this skeleton attempted

.
to disengage i t from that whi ch i t he l d in i ts grasp it ,
crumbled to dust .
TH E E ND .
L ONDON
Pri nted by A S O l wo o n
'
. P rr s L
N w S tr e t Sq r
e - e - ua e.
O P I N I ON S ON T H I S W ORK .
T i ns l t as Vi t r H g pr d ucti n is in a tr i n of a
a nd be t kn
s o wn o f c o u o s
'
o o s s a
h igh r m d t he oo p r vi l y tt m pted T h i d i t k n fro m

a n a ny he ha d e o us a e . e ea s a e
t h G t n ll
e f C rv nt
i a i Lov i th gr t t f en h ntm nts T hi s n
a
‘
o e a es . e s e ea es o c a e . s e .
t n e m t
cc s e e t e mb d y t h l ead i ng i d
s o us f t h w rk
o Love m ak the o e ea o e o . es
l rn d r h d c n f rg t h t d i s h l ri ca l h r t r his r p ta ti n f
ea e a c ea o o e is s u e , is c e c a ac e , e u o or
sa nc t i ty t rt t he f v r f v l ti l B h m i n Lov f t h i m e P
; o co u a ou s o a o a e o e a . e or s sa a.
i
r s ra n F ll ft n th h m n
eiie a sov ge Q as i m od — th d um b on y d b l l
e s e u a sa a u o e e -e e e .
r i ng r f N t D n
e o nd t o re n f rm him i nt
. a d li t m n ter —
1e a d ra s o s o a e ca e o s
’
a e
v te d h m b l w r h ipp r f th B h m i n — wh il h wh th cy n r of
o u e o s e o e o e a e s e, o is e os u e
n i ghbo ri ng y th Obj t f ad r t i n t t h es i ng l r l e s h r lf '

e u e es , e ec o o a o o e S u a ov r , is e se
h p l l y tt h d in t rn t g d d y p t d pt i n f th g ard wh n
o e es s a ac e u o a
'
i - a e ca a o e u , o ca
a flb rd t l ve n on b t hi m o lf I n po w r H go i n v r d fi i nt ; b u t c
o o e u se . e u s e e e c e er
t nl y n th i ng in ny f h
ai o f rm r w rk to b m pa re d t his d ri pt i n
a o is o e o s is e co o esc o
o f N tre D m "o — E d m b g li R
- a ew
e. ur e vi .
H wri ti ng is xh ibi t p w rful d li n t i n Of h r te r nd trik i ng

s e o e e ea o s c a ac , a s va
i ti
r e f i n i d nt whi h
es o il l l w y pr r him h i gh p p l ri ty H ri
c e c W a a s oc u e a o u a . is o
nl i k
,
g in l ity i p r m
a nt bo s ll
a a T h v y l ng g he
ou a th t f
ve a e er a ua e u se : is u e a o
a n y t h r wri te r ; i t i
o e l w y w l l i t d t th comm n nd exh i bit m h
s a a s e su e o e o , a s so uc
v r ti li ty th t h i v b l ry nd h po w r v r t
e sa a s oca w rth y f d s t i nct
u a , a is e o e i , a re o o i
n ti o Th gi p y girl E m
ce . e ld in t h pr
s nt w rk i ,
fine nd grac fl l
s e ra a, e ese o , s a a e i
r ti n th ri gi n f wh i h r v w r h v i g ned v r ll y t th F n el la
c ea o , e o o c e ie e s a e a ss se e a o e e
o f S tt t h L G t n l l
co , f C rv nt
e a nd th M i gn n
i a f G th
i a W o d e a es, a e o o oe e . e o
n t t h i nk t h t L
o Es m l d l k ny f th
a a xcept in m r part i l es f
er a a is i e a o e se , e e e c o
c h r t r Sh
a ac e nti ll y po t i
. l nd l i n th nv hk
e i s e s se y f un
a e ca , a es o e ca ass e a ra o s
l gh t h i f l l f d ti n g ntlen and p ri ty Th p nt . t he best

i : s e s u O e vo o , e ess , u . e re s e I
f V i to r H ug w rk ”
'
o c A tl o s o s . a s.
T he N otr e Da me o f c o u o m us
-
Vi t r H g
a e an W t t k r k i th b r
the es t om ances
by th e a u o o f W a e l e th fa l s o
r v r y If i t l h rt pi
in co o u s nes s and v a e ri ty
o f in
.
i t
e d e n a nd a d e n u e , a nsc e nd s i , o n th e o
v t r i t tr e t th r h
a nd , in v ig r i ti
o u , an ma o n,
i ri ty
f am lia w age ith th e
The e ad e o f s oo r r thi b k
se e ms , as .we e , lis e ni n
it r t g
r
t o his e min sc ences o f th e i ti L i
m e o f o u s X I T o p u t o ld P a ris e o re our bf .
ey pp r
es a ea s to b e a e a n ac t o f m e m o r th r ry th t y
a n an a ct o f s u d , and he se s t it
f rth i th
o W a tres hn ess w c s a es in the h i h p rkl
a nc I
‘
f y " t ri i
is ce n u es s nce, b u t .
th e sc e ne h as t he V v d ness o f t he i i
s e n s u ns pre t hi D
ne No u s - a me a o u nds w b i th .
h r tr
c a ac e s any o ne o f w c wo u ld a e se ed to car
hi h h v rv ry t t
on th e in ere s o f a
m od e n no v l ”— E m mmcr
r e . . .
A wo Of e n us rk g i . power i t posse ss es fe w e qua ls The materia ls are

For .
r g
s t an e , b ut a m as ter h nd h the d i pos iti on Of th em Vi ctor Hugo is
'
s a as s .

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Pres e n te d t o the

No k i nd of li terature is so g e ner a ll y a ttractwe as F rctio n . P rctures of

l wed t he La t tr tises and th r l rned w k o f th t th or ”

( SU C C E SSO R TO H ENRY C O L B U RN) :

B EL L AND B R A DFDT E, E DIN B UR G H ;

Sm ca or m Lm ; m o tW arrrN o s or? V l cr o a H uoo

La A nci ent A d m l nistrati on c l

G ri n ire h as se e a ca a v r l p i t l I d eas one after anoth er in

T H E author o f the work here submi t ted to the p ubl ic in an

i n almost every walk of imaginative li terature : disputin g

ing the very ﬁ rst pl a ce among the contemporary novelists

brief though they be will i t is p resum ed form an accept

a ble Introducti on to the attempt to tr ansfuse the ackn o w

Iedged master pi ece of his pen into ou r nati ve language

V rcr o n H UG O was born o n the 2 6th o f Februar y 1 8 02 , ,

a t Besan con At the age o f ﬁ ve years he accompanied his

fa ther then a colonel in the Fren ch army to I tal y where

this o fﬁ cer was afterwards appoin ted commandan t o f a

youn g Hugo having returned to Paris received his ﬁrst in

s tru cti o ns fr om his mother who belonged to a family o f La

Vend ee assiste d by a royalist who was concealed in he r

house and who afterwards su ff ered death with M allet an d an

m other and brothers to S pain where hi s father meanwh ile , ,

promoted to the rank o f general comm anded two provinces ,

H e resided w ith them in the M a cerano palace at M adrid and ,

was destined to be page to K ing Joseph I n the following .

mother returned w ith him an d his brother E ugen e to Paris .

H is residen ce in I taly and Spain the royalis t sen timents and ,

r el igious spi r i t o f his mother and the enthusiasm o f his ,

father for N apoleon have give n a tinge to his after li fe

and to every page o f his works .

At the age of thirteen young Hugo m ade his ﬁrst p o ,

e ti cal essay i n honour of R oland and chi valry Soon after .

wards by superior command he was obliged to leav e his

mother who had quarrelled with her husband p robably

owing to the di ff erence Of their poli tical opinions an d was ,

se n t by his father to a n establi shmen t belonging to the

r ation from his m other he wrote a royalist traged y i n ho

nour o f Louis X V I I I wi th E gypti an n ames u nder the

ti tle Of I rtam ene From the academ y o f C ordi e n and D e

cote he sent a poem S u r les A va ntag es de l E tu de to the

French A cadem y o n whi ch occasion he had for c ompeti tors

Lebrun , D el av igne, Saintine and L o ys on who all made , ,

their poeti cal d eb u t at this time The pri ze was no t ad .

j udged to Vi ctor Hugo s performan ce but it obtained ho

M o i qui toujours fuyant l e s cités e t les cou rs ,

T he Academi cian s would n ot believe that the author was

attempt to impose upon them ; an d when Hugo l aid the

the prize was al ready adj udged .

pr i ze at the Jew : ﬁora u w o f Toul ouse Vi ctor s j ealou sy

was excited and I n 1 8 1 9 he Obtained two pri zes from the

sam e A cademy, for p oems on the S ta tu e of H enry I V and .

the Virgins o f Verdun At Toul ouse the j udges like the

Fren ch A c ademicians would not believe that the wri ter

W as so young and the presiden t o f the A cadem y m ade a

form al complain t o n the subj ect The O de o n the Sta. .

circumstan ce as p reven ti ng hi m from being a c andi date ,

fol lowing day the piece was ﬁnished and bedewed wi th , ,