the hunchback of notre dame-第14章

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withal　to　pay　Master　Guillaume　Doulx…Sire；　farmer　of　the　taxes　on　cloven…footed　animals　in　Paris；　the　rent　which　he　owed　him；　that　is　to　say；　twelve　sols　parisian；　twelve　times　the　value　of　all　that　he　possessed　in　the　world；　including　his　trunk…hose；　his　shirt；　and　his　cap。　After　reflecting　a　moment；　temporarily　sheltered　beneath　the　little　wicket　of　the　prison　of　the　treasurer　of　the　Sainte…　Chappelle；　as　to　the　shelter　which　he　would　select　for　the　night；　having　all　the　pavements　of　Paris　to　choose　from；　he　remembered　to　have　noticed　the　week　previously　in　the　Rue　de　la　Savaterie；　at　the　door　of　a　councillor　of　the　parliament；　a　stepping　stone　for　mounting　a　mule；　and　to　have　said　to　himself　that　that　stone　would　furnish；　on　occasion；　a　very　excellent　pillow　for　a　mendicant　or　a　poet。　　He　thanked　Providence　for　having　sent　this　happy　idea　to　him；　but；　as　he　was　preparing　to　cross　the　Place；　in　order　to　reach　the　tortuous　labyrinth　of　the　city；　where　meander　all　those　old　sister　streets；　the　Rues　de　la　Barillerie；　de　la　Vielle…Draperie；　de　la　Savaterie；　de　la　Juiverie；　etc。；　still　extant　to…day；　with　their　nine…story　houses；　he　saw　the　procession　of　the　Pope　of　the　Fools；　which　was　also　emerging　from　the　court　house；　and　rushing　across　the　courtyard；　with　great　cries；　a　great　flashing　of　torches；　and　the　music　which　belonged　to　him；　Gringoire。　This　sight　revived　the　pain　of　his　self…love；　he　fled。　　In　the　bitterness　of　his　dramatic　misadventure；　everything　which　reminded　him　of　the　festival　of　that　day　irritated　his　wound　and　made　it　bleed。

58

He　was　on　the　point　of　turning　to　the　Pont　Saint…Michel；　children　were　running　about　here　and　there　with　fire　lances　and　rockets。

〃Pest　on　firework　candles！〃　said　Gringoire；　and　he　fell　back　on　the　Pont　au　Change。　　To　the　house　at　the　head　of　the　bridge　there　had　been　affixed　three　small　banners；　representing　the　king；　the　dauphin；　and　Marguerite　of　Flanders；　and　six　little　pennons　on　which　were　portrayed　the　Duke　of　Austria；　the　Cardinal　de　Bourbon；　M。　de　Beaujeu；　and　Madame　Jeanne　de　France；　and　Monsieur　the　Bastard　of　Bourbon；　and　I　know　not　whom　else；　all　being　illuminated　with　torches。　The　rabble　were　admiring。

〃Happy　painter；　Jehan　Fourbault！〃　said　Gringoire　with　a　deep　sigh；　and　he　turned　his　back　upon　the　bannerets　and　pennons。　　A　street　opened　before　him；　he　thought　it　so　dark　and　deserted　that　he　hoped　to　there　escape　from　all　the　rumors　as　well　as　from　all　the　gleams　of　the　festival。　　At　the　end　of　a　few　moments　his　foot　came　in　contact　with　an　obstacle；　he　stumbled　and　fell。　　It　was　the　May　truss；　which　the　clerks　of　the　clerks'　law　court　had　deposited　that　morning　at　the　door　of　a　president　of　the　parliament；　in　honor　of　the　solemnity　of　the　day。　　Gringoire　bore　this　new　disaster　heroically；　he　picked　himself　up；　and　reached　the　water's　edge。　　After　leaving　behind　him　the　civic　Tournelle*　and　the　criminal　tower；　and　skirted　the　great　walls　of　the　king's　garden；　on　that　unpaved　strand　where　the　mud　reached　to　his　ankles；　he　reached　the　western　point　of　the　city；　and　considered　for　some　time　the　islet　of　the　Passeur…aux…Vaches；　which　has　disappeared　beneath　the　bronze　horse　of　the　Pont　Neuf。　　The　islet　appeared　to　him　in　the　shadow　like　a　black　mass；　beyond　the　narrow　strip　of　whitish　water　which　separated　him　from　it。　One　could　divine　by　the　ray　of　a　tiny　light　the　sort　of　hut　in　the　form　of　a　beehive　where　the　ferryman　of　cows　took　refuge　at　night。


*　　A　chamber　of　the　ancient　parliament　of　Paris。


〃Happy　ferryman！〃　thought　Gringoire；　〃you　do　not　dream　of　glory；　and　you　do　not　make　marriage　songs！　　What　matters　it　to　you；　if　kings　and　Duchesses　of　Burgundy　marry？　You　know　no　other　daisies　（~marguerites~）　than　those　which　your　April　greensward　gives　your　cows　to　browse　upon；　while　I；　a　poet；　am　hooted；　and　shiver；　and　owe　twelve　sous；　and　the　soles　of　my　shoes　are　so　transparent；　that　they　might　serve　as　glasses　for　your　lantern！　　Thanks；　ferryman；　your　cabin　rests　my　eyes；　and　makes　me　forget　Paris！〃

He　was　roused　from　his　almost　lyric　ecstacy；　by　a　big　double　Saint…Jean　cracker；　which　suddenly　went　off　from　the　happy　cabin。　　It　was　the　cow　ferryman；　who　was　taking　his　part　in　the　rejoicings　of　the　day；　and　letting　off　fireworks。

This　cracker　made　Gringoire's　skin　bristle　up　all　over。

〃Accursed　festival！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃wilt　thou　pursue　me　everywhere？　　Oh！　good　God！　even　to　the　ferryman's！〃

Then　he　looked　at　the　Seine　at　his　feet；　and　a　horrible　temptation　took　possession　of　him：

〃Oh！〃　said　he；　〃I　would　gladly　drown　myself；　were　the　water　not　so　cold！〃

Then　a　desperate　resolution　occurred　to　him。　　It　was；　since　he　could　not　escape　from　the　Pope　of　the　Fools；　from　Jehan　Fourbault's　bannerets；　from　May　trusses；　from　squibs　and　crackers；　to　go　to　the　Place　de　Grève。

〃At　least；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃I　shall　there　have　a　firebrand　of　joy　wherewith　to　warm　myself；　and　I　can　sup　on　some　crumbs　of　the　three　great　armorial　bearings　of　royal　sugar　which　have　been　erected　on　the　public　refreshment…stall　of　the　city。




CHAPTER　II。

THE　PLACE　DE　GREVE。



There　remains　to…day　but　a　very　imperceptible　vestige　of　the　Place　de　Grève；　such　as　it　existed　then；　it　consists　in　the　charming　little　turret；　which　occupies　the　angle　north　of　the　Place；　and　which；　already　enshrouded　in　the　ignoble　plaster　which　fills　with　paste　the　delicate　lines　of　its　sculpture；　would　soon　have　disappeared；　perhaps　submerged　by　that　flood　of　new　houses　which　so　rapidly　devours　all　the　ancient　fa？ades　of　Paris。

The　persons　who；　like　ourselves；　never　cross　the　Place　de　Grève　without　casting　a　glance　of　pity　and　sympathy　on　that　poor　turret　strangled　between　two　hovels　of　the　time　of　Louis　XV。；　can　easily　reconstruct　in　their　minds　the　aggregate　of　edifices　to　which　it　belonged；　and　find　again　entire　in　it　the　ancient　Gothic　place　of　the　fifteenth　century。

It　was　then；　as　it　is　to…day；　an　irregular　trapezoid；　bordered　on　one　side　by　the　quay；　and　on　the　other　three　by　a　series　of　lofty；　narrow；　and　gloomy　houses。　　By　day；　one　could　admire　the　variety　of　its　edifices；　all　sculptured　in　stone　or　wood；　and　already　presenting　complete　specimens　of　the　different　domestic　architectures　of　the　Middle　Ages；　running　back　from　the　fifteenth　to　the　eleventh　century；　from　the　casement　which　had　begun　to　dethrone　the　arch；　to　the　Roman　semicircle；　which　had　been　supplanted　by　the　ogive；　and　which　still　occupies；　below　it；　the　first　story　of　that　ancient　house　de　la　Tour　Roland；　at　the　corner　of　the　Place　upon　the　Seine；　on　the　side　of　the　street　with　the　Tannerie。　　At　night；　one　could　distinguish　nothing　of　all　that　mass　of　buildings；　except　the　black　indentation　of　the　roofs；　unrolling　their　chain　of　acute　angles　round　the　place；　for　one　of　the　radical　differences　between　the　cities　of　that　time；　and　the　cities　of　the　present　day；　lay　in　the　fa？ades　which　looked　upon　the　places　and　streets；　and　which　were　then　gables。　　For　the　last　two　centuries　the　houses　have　been　turned　round。

In　the　centre　of　the　eastern　side　of　the　Place；　rose　a　heavy　and　hybrid　construction；　formed　of　three　buildings　placed　in　juxtaposition。　　It　was　called　by　three　names　which　explain　its　history；　its　destination；　and　its　architecture：　〃The　House　of　the　Dauphin；〃　because　Charles　V。；　when　Dauphin；　had　inhabited　it；　〃The　Marchandise；〃　because　it　had　served　as　town　hall；　and　〃The　Pillared　House〃　（~domus　ad　piloria~）；　because　of　a　series　of　large　pillars　which　sustained　the　three　stories。　　The　city　found　there　all　that　is　required　for　a　city　like　Paris；　a　chapel　in　which　to　pray　to　God；　a　~plaidoyer~；　or　pleading　room；　in　which　to　hold　hearings；　and　to　repel；　at　need；　the　King's　people；　and　under　the　roof；　an　~arsenac~　full　of　artillery。　　For　the　bourgeois　of　Paris　were　aware　that　it　is　not　sufficient　to　pray　in　every　conjuncture；　and　to　plead　for　the　franchises　of　the　city；　and　they　had　always　in　reserve；　in　the　garret　of　the　town　hall；　a　few　good　rusty　arquebuses。　　The　Grève　had　then　that　sinister　aspect　which　it　preserves　to…day　from　the　execrable　ideas　which　it　awakens；　and　from　the　sombre　town　hall　of　Dominique　Bocador；　which　has　replaced　the　Pillared　House。　　It　must　be　admitted　that　a　permanent