the hunchback of notre dame-第2章

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s　at　once；　for　us；　a　very　curious　thing　indeed。

If　it　could　be　granted　to　us；　the　men　of　1830；　to　mingle　in　thought　with　those　Parisians　of　the　fifteenth　century；　and　to　enter　with　them；　jostled；　elbowed；　pulled　about；　into　that　immense　hall　of　the　palace；　which　was　so　cramped　on　that　sixth　of　January；　1482；　the　spectacle　would　not　be　devoid　of　either　interest　or　charm；　and　we　should　have　about　us　only　things　that　were　so　old　that　they　would　seem　new。

With　the　reader's　consent；　we　will　endeavor　to　retrace　in　thought；　the　impression　which　he　would　have　experienced　in　company　with　us　on　crossing　the　threshold　of　that　grand　hall；　in　the　midst　of　that　tumultuous　crowd　in　surcoats；　short；　sleeveless　jackets；　and　doublets。

And；　first　of　all；　there　is　a　buzzing　in　the　ears；　a　dazzlement　in　the　eyes。　　Above　our　heads　is　a　double　ogive　vault；　panelled　with　wood　carving；　painted　azure；　and　sown　with　golden　fleurs…de…lis；　beneath　our　feet　a　pavement　of　black　and　white　marble；　alternating。　　A　few　paces　distant；　an　enormous　pillar；　then　another；　then　another；　seven　pillars　in　all；　down　the　length　of　the　hall；　sustaining　the　spring　of　the　arches　of　the　double　vault；　in　the　centre　of　its　width。　　Around　four　of　the　pillars；　stalls　of　merchants；　all　sparkling　with　glass　and　tinsel；　around　the　last　three；　benches　of　oak；　worn　and　polished　by　the　trunk　hose　of　the　litigants；　and　the　robes　of　the　attorneys。　　Around　the　hall；　along　the　lofty　wall；　between　the　doors；　between　the　windows；　between　the　pillars；　the　interminable　row　of　all　the　kings　of　France；　from　Pharamond　down：　the　lazy　kings；　with　pendent　arms　and　downcast　eyes；　the　valiant　and　combative　kings；　with　heads　and　arms　raised　boldly　heavenward。　　Then　in　the　long；　pointed　windows；　glass　of　a　thousand　hues；　at　the　wide　entrances　to　the　hall；　rich　doors；　finely　sculptured；　and　all；　the　vaults；　pillars；　walls；　jambs；　panelling；　doors；　statues；　covered　from　top　to　bottom　with　a　splendid　blue　and　gold　illumination；　which；　a　trifle　tarnished　at　the　epoch　when　we　behold　it；　had　almost　entirely　disappeared　beneath　dust　and　spiders　in　the　year　of　grace；　1549；　when　du　Breul　still　admired　it　from　tradition。

Let　the　reader　picture　to　himself　now；　this　immense；　oblong　hall；　illuminated　by　the　pallid　light　of　a　January　day；　invaded　by　a　motley　and　noisy　throng　which　drifts　along　the　walls；　and　eddies　round　the　seven　pillars；　and　he　will　have　a　confused　idea　of　the　whole　effect　of　the　picture；　whose　curious　details　we　shall　make　an　effort　to　indicate　with　more　precision。

It　is　certain；　that　if　Ravaillac　had　not　assassinated　Henri　IV。；　there　would　have　been　no　documents　in　the　trial　of　Ravaillac　deposited　in　the　clerk's　office　of　the　Palais　de　Justice；　no　accomplices　interested　in　causing　the　said　documents　to　disappear；　hence；　no　incendiaries　obliged；　for　lack　of　better　means；　to　burn　the　clerk's　office　in　order　to　burn　the　documents；　and　to　burn　the　Palais　de　Justice　in　order　to　burn　the　clerk's　office；　consequently；　in　short；　no　conflagration　in　1618。　The　old　Palais　would　be　standing　still；　with　its　ancient　grand　hall；　I　should　be　able　to　say　to　the　reader；　〃Go　and　look　at　it；〃　and　we　should　thus　both　escape　the　necessity；I　of　making；　and　he　of　reading；　a　description　of　it；　such　as　it　is。　Which　demonstrates　a　new　truth：　that　great　events　have　incalculable　results。

It　is　true　that　it　may　be　quite　possible；　in　the　first　place；　that　Ravaillac　had　no　accomplices；　and　in　the　second；　that　if　he　had　any；　they　were　in　no　way　connected　with　the　fire　of　1618。　　Two　other　very　plausible　explanations　exist：　First；　the　great　flaming　star；　a　foot　broad；　and　a　cubit　high；　which　fell　from　heaven；　as　every　one　knows；　upon　the　law　courts；　after　midnight　on　the　seventh　of　March；　second；　Théophile's　quatrain；


　　　　〃Sure；　'twas　but　a　sorry　game　　　　　When　at　Paris；　Dame　Justice；　　　　　Through　having　eaten　too　much　spice；　　　　　Set　the　palace　all　aflame。〃


Whatever　may　be　thought　of　this　triple　explanation；　political；　physical；　and　poetical；　of　the　burning　of　the　law　courts　in　1618；　the　unfortunate　fact　of　the　fire　is　certain。　　Very　little　to…day　remains；　thanks　to　this　catastrophe；thanks；　above　all；　to　the　successive　restorations　which　have　completed　what　it　spared；very　little　remains　of　that　first　dwelling　of　the　kings　of　France；of　that　elder　palace　of　the　Louvre；　already　so　old　in　the　time　of　Philip　the　Handsome；　that　they　sought　there　for　the　traces　of　the　magnificent　buildings　erected　by　King　Robert　and　described　by　Helgaldus。　　Nearly　everything　has　disappeared。　　What　has　become　of　the　chamber　of　the　chancellery；　where　Saint　Louis　consummated　his　marriage？　the　garden　where　he　administered　justice；　〃clad　in　a　coat　of　camelot；　a　surcoat　of　linsey…woolsey；　without　sleeves；　and　a　sur…mantle　of　black　sandal；　as　he　lay　upon　the　carpet　with　Joinville？〃　　Where　is　the　chamber　of　the　Emperor　Sigismond？　and　that　of　Charles　IV。？　that　of　Jean　the　Landless？　Where　is　the　staircase；　from　which　Charles　VI。　promulgated　his　edict　of　pardon？　the　slab　where　Marcel　cut　the　throats　of　Robert　de　Clermont　and　the　Marshal　of　Champagne；　in　the　presence　of　the　dauphin？　the　wicket　where　the　bulls　of　Pope　Benedict　were　torn；　and　whence　those　who　had　brought　them　departed　decked　out；　in　derision；　in　copes　and　mitres；　and　making　an　apology　through　all　Paris？　and　the　grand　hall；　with　its　gilding；　its　azure；　its　statues；　its　pointed　arches；　its　pillars；　its　immense　vault；　all　fretted　with　carvings？　and　the　gilded　chamber？　and　the　stone　lion；　which　stood　at　the　door；　with　lowered　head　and　tail　between　his　legs；　like　the　lions　on　the　throne　of　Solomon；　in　the　humiliated　attitude　which　befits　force　in　the　presence　of　justice？　and　the　beautiful　doors？　and　the　stained　glass？　and　the　chased　ironwork；　which　drove　Biscornette　to　despair？　and　the　delicate　woodwork　of　Hancy？　　What　has　time；　what　have　men　done　with　these　marvels？　　What　have　they　given　us　in　return　for　all　this　Gallic　history；　for　all　this　Gothic　art？　　The　heavy　flattened　arches　of　M。　de　Brosse；　that　awkward　architect　of　the　Saint…Gervais　portal。　　So　much　for　art；　and；　as　for　history；　we　have　the　gossiping　reminiscences　of　the　great　pillar；　still　ringing　with　the　tattle　of　the　Patru。

It　is　not　much。　　Let　us　return　to　the　veritable　grand　hall　of　the　veritable　old　palace。　　The　two　extremities　of　this　gigantic　parallelogram　were　occupied；　the　one　by　the　famous　marble　table；　so　long；　so　broad；　and　so　thick　that；　as　the　ancient　land　rollsin　a　style　that　would　have　given　Gargantua　an　appetitesay；　〃such　a　slice　of　marble　as　was　never　beheld　in　the　world〃；　the　other　by　the　chapel　where　Louis　XI。　had　himself　sculptured　on　his　knees　before　the　Virgin；　and　whither　he　caused　to　be　brought；　without　heeding　the　two　gaps　thus　made　in　the　row　of　royal　statues；　the　statues　of　Charlemagne　and　of　Saint　Louis；　two　saints　whom　he　supposed　to　be　great　in　favor　in　heaven；　as　kings　of　France。　This　chapel；　quite　new；　having　been　built　only　six　years；　was　entirely　in　that　charming　taste　of　delicate　architecture；　of　marvellous　sculpture；　of　fine　and　deep　chasing；　which　marks　with　us　the　end　of　the　Gothic　era；　and　which　is　perpetuated　to　about　the　middle　of　the　sixteenth　century　in　the　fairylike　fancies　of　the　Renaissance。　　The　little　open…work　rose　window；　pierced　above　the　portal；　was；　in　particular；　a　masterpiece　of　lightness　and　grace；　one　would　have　pronounced　it　a　star　of　lace。

In　the　middle　of　the　hall；　opposite　the　great　door；　a　platform　of　gold　brocade；　placed　against　the　wall；　a　special　entrance　to　which　had　been　effected　through　a　window　in　the　corridor　of　the　gold　chamber；　had　been　erected　for　the　Flemish　emissaries　and　the　other　great　personages　invited　to　the　presentation　of　the　mystery　play。

It　was　upon　the　marble　table　that　the　mystery　was　to　be　enacted；　as　usual。　　It　had　been　arranged　for　the　purpose；　early　in　the　morning；　its　rich　slabs　of　marble；　all　scratched　by　the　heels　of　law　clerks；　supported　a　cage　of　carpenter's　work　of　considerable　height；　the　upper　surface　of　which；　within　view　of　the　whole　hall；　was　to　serve　as　the　theatre；　and　whose　interior；　masked　by　tapestries；　was　to　take　the　place　of　dressing…rooms　for　the　personages　of　the　piece。　　A　ladder；　naively　placed　on　the　outs