the hunchback of notre dame-第112章

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angelists　who　surround　the　face　of　the　big　clock　of　the　palace；　and　which　Philippe　Brille　has　just　set　in　order　afresh。　They　are　gilt；　but　they　do　not　indicate　the　hour；　and　the　hands　can　get　on　without　them。〃

He　remained　in　thought　for　a　moment；　then　added；　shaking　his　aged　head；

〃Ho！　　ho！　　by　our　Lady；　I　am　not　Philippe　Brille；　and　I　shall　not　gild　the　great　vassals　anew。　　Continue；　Olivier。〃

The　person　whom　he　designated　by　this　name；　took　the　papers　into　his　hands　again；　and　began　to　read　aloud；

〃To　Adam　Tenon；　clerk　of　the　warden　of　the　seals　of　the　provostship　of　Paris；　for　the　silver；　making；　and　engraving　of　said　seals；　which　have　been　made　new　because　the　others　preceding；　by　reason　of　their　antiquity　and　their　worn　condition；　could　no　longer　be　successfully　used；　twelve　livres　parisis。

〃To　Guillaume　Frère；　the　sum　of　four　livres；　four　sols　parisis；　for　his　trouble　and　salary；　for　having　nourished　and　fed　the　doves　in　the　two　dove…cots　of　the　H？tel　des　Tournelles；　during　the　months　of　January；　February；　and　March　of　this　year；　and　for　this　he　hath　given　seven　sextiers　of　barley。

〃To　a　gray　friar　for　confessing　a　criminal；　four　sols　parisis。〃

The　king　listened　in　silence。　　From　time　to　time　be　coughed；　then　he　raised　the　goblet　to　his　lips　and　drank　a　draught　with　a　grimace。

〃During　this　year　there　have　been　made　by　the　ordinance　of　justice；　to　the　sound　of　the　trumpet；　through　the　squares　of　Paris；　fifty…six　proclamations。　　Account　to　be　regulated。

〃For　having　searched　and　ransacked　in　certain　places；　in　Paris　as　well　as　elsewhere；　for　money　said　to　be　there　concealed；　but　nothing　hath　been　found：　forty…five　livres　parisis。〃

〃Bury　a　crown　to　unearth　a　sou！〃　said　the　king。

〃For　having　set　in　the　H？tel　des　Tournelles　six　panes　of　white　glass　in　the　place　where　the　iron　cage　is；　thirteen　sols；　for　having　made　and　delivered　by　command　of　the　king；　on　the　day　of　the　musters；　four　shields　with　the　escutcheons　of　the　said　seigneur；　encircled　with　garlands　of　roses　all　about；　six　livres；　for　two　new　sleeves　to　the　king's　old　doublet；　twenty　sols；　for　a　box　of　grease　to　grease　the　boots　of　the　king；　fifteen　deniers；　a　stable　newly　made　to　lodge　the　king's　black　pigs；　thirty　livres　parisis；　many　partitions；　planks；　and　trap…doors；　for　the　safekeeping　of　the　lions　at　Saint…Paul；　twenty…two　livres。〃

〃These　be　dear　beasts；〃　said　Louis　XI。　　〃It　matters　not；　it　is　a　fine　magnificence　in　a　king。　　There　is　a　great　red　lion　whom　I　love　for　his　pleasant　ways。　　Have　you　seen　him；　Master　Guillaume？　　Princes　must　have　these　terrific　animals；　for　we　kings　must　have　lions　for　our　dogs　and　tigers　for　our　cats。　The　great　befits　a　crown。　　In　the　days　of　the　pagans　of　Jupiter；　when　the　people　offered　the　temples　a　hundred　oxen　and　a　hundred　sheep；　the　emperors　gave　a　hundred　lions　and　a　hundred　eagles。　　This　was　wild　and　very　fine。　　The　kings　of　France　have　always　had　roarings　round　their　throne。　　Nevertheless；　people　must　do　me　this　justice；　that　I　spend　still　less　money　on　it　than　they　did；　and　that　I　possess　a　greater　modesty　of　lions；　bears；　elephants；　and　leopards。Go　on；　Master　Olivier。　　We　wished　to　say　thus　much　to　our　Flemish　friends。〃

Guillaume　Rym　bowed　low；　while　Coppenole；　with　his　surly　mien；　had　the　air　of　one　of　the　bears　of　which　his　majesty　was　speaking。　　The　king　paid　no　heed。　　He　had　just　dipped　his　lips　into　the　goblet；　and　he　spat　out　the　beverage；　saying：　〃Foh！　what　a　disagreeable　potion！〃　The　man　who　was　reading　continued：

〃For　feeding　a　rascally　footpad；　locked　up　these　six　months　in　the　little　cell　of　the　flayer；　until　it　should　be　determined　what　to　do　with　him；　six　livres；　four　sols。〃

〃What's　that？〃　interrupted　the　king；　〃feed　what　ought　to　be　hanged！　　~Pasque…Dieu~！　　I　will　give　not　a　sou　more　for　that　nourishment。　　Olivier；　come　to　an　understanding　about　the　matter　with　Monsieur　d'Estouteville；　and　prepare　me　this　very　evening　the　wedding　of　the　gallant　and　the　gallows。　　Resume。〃

Olivier　made　a　mark　with　his　thumb　against　the　article　of　the　〃rascally　foot　soldier；〃　and　passed　on。

〃To　Henriet　Cousin；　master　executor　of　the　high　works　of　justice　in　Paris；　the　sum　of　sixty　sols　parisis；　to　him　assessed　and　ordained　by　monseigneur　the　provost　of　Paris；　for　having　bought；　by　order　of　the　said　sieur　the　provost；　a　great　broad　sword；　serving　to　execute　and　decapitate　persons　who　are　by　justice　condemned　for　their　demerits；　and　he　hath　caused　the　same　to　be　garnished　with　a　sheath　and　with　all　things　thereto　appertaining；　and　hath　likewise　caused　to　be　repointed　and　set　in　order　the　old　sword；　which　had　become　broken　and　notched　in　executing　justice　on　Messire　Louis　de　Luxembourg；　as　will　more　fully　appear　。

The　king　interrupted：　〃That　suffices。　　I　allow　the　sum　with　great　good　will。　　Those　are　expenses　which　I　do　not　begrudge。　　I　have　never　regretted　that　money。　　Continue。〃

〃For　having　made　over　a　great　cage。。。〃

〃Ah！〃　said　the　king；　grasping　the　arms　of　his　chair　in　both　hands；　〃I　knew　well　that　I　came　hither　to　this　Bastille　for　some　purpose。　　Hold；　Master　Olivier；　I　desire　to　see　that　cage　myself。　　You　shall　read　me　the　cost　while　I　am　examining　it。　　Messieurs　Flemings；　come　and　see　this；　'tis　curious。〃

Then　he　rose；　leaned　on　the　arm　of　his　interlocutor；　made　a　sign　to　the　sort　of　mute　who　stood　before　the　door　to　precede　him；　to　the　two　Flemings　to　follow　him；　and　quitted　the　room。

The　royal　company　was　recruited；　at　the　door　of　the　retreat；　by　men　of　arms；　all　loaded　down　with　iron；　and　by　slender　pages　bearing　flambeaux。　　It　marched　for　some　time　through　the　interior　of　the　gloomy　donjon；　pierced　with　staircases　and　corridors　even　in　the　very　thickness　of　the　walls。　　The　captain　of　the　Bastille　marched　at　their　head；　and　caused　the　wickets　to　be　opened　before　the　bent　and　aged　king；　who　coughed　as　he　walked。

At　each　wicket；　all　heads　were　obliged　to　stoop；　except　that　of　the　old　man　bent　double　with　age。　　〃Hum；〃　said　he　between　his　gums；　for　he　had　no　longer　any　teeth；　〃we　are　already　quite　prepared　for　the　door　of　the　sepulchre。　　For　a　low　door；　a　bent　passer。〃

At　length；　after　having　passed　a　final　wicket；　so　loaded　with　locks　that　a　quarter　of　an　hour　was　required　to　open　it；　they　entered　a　vast　and　lofty　vaulted　hall；　in　the　centre　of　which　they　could　distinguish　by　the　light　of　the　torches；　a　huge　cubic　mass　of　masonry；　iron；　and　wood。　　The　interior　was　hollow。　　It　was　one　of　those　famous　cages　of　prisoners　of　state；　which　were　called　〃the　little　daughters　of　the　king。〃　In　its　walls　there　were　two　or　three　little　windows　so　closely　trellised　with　stout　iron　bars；　that　the　glass　was　not　visible。　The　door　was　a　large　flat　slab　of　stone；　as　on　tombs；　the　sort　of　door　which　serves　for　entrance　only。　　Only　here；　the　occupant　was　alive。

The　king　began　to　walk　slowly　round　the　little　edifice；　examining　it　carefully；　while　Master　Olivier；　who　followed　him；　read　aloud　the　note。

〃For　having　made　a　great　cage　of　wood　of　solid　beams；　timbers　and　wall…plates；　measuring　nine　feet　in　length　by　eight　in　breadth；　and　of　the　height　of　seven　feet　between　the　partitions；　smoothed　and　clamped　with　great　bolts　of　iron；　which　has　been　placed　in　a　chamber　situated　in　one　of　the　towers　of　the　Bastille　Saint…Antoine；　in　which　cage　is　placed　and　detained；　by　command　of　the　king　our　lord；　a　prisoner　who　formerly　inhabited　an　old；　decrepit；　and　ruined　cage。　There　have　been　employed　in　making　the　said　new　cage；　ninety…six　horizontal　beams；　and　fifty…two　upright　joists；　ten　wall　plates　three　toises　long；　there　have　been　occupied　nineteen　carpenters　to　hew；　work；　and　fit　all　the　said　wood　in　the　courtyard　of　the　Bastille　during　twenty　days。〃

〃Very　fine　heart　of　oak；〃　said　the　king；　striking　the　woodwork　with　his　fist。

〃There　have　been　used　in　this　cage；〃　continued　the　other；　〃two　hundred　and　twenty　great　bolts　of　iron；　of　nine　feet；　and　of　eight；　the　rest　of　medium　length；　with　the　rowels；　caps　and　counterbands　appertaining　to　the　said　bolts；　weighing；　the　said　iron　in　all；　three　thousand；　seven　hundred　and　thirty…five　pounds；　beside　eight　great　squares　of　iron；　serving　to　attach　the　said　cage　in　place　with　clamps　and　nails　weighing　in　all　two　hundred　and　eighteen　poun