the memoirs of victor hugo-第2部分

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I　am　mistaken；　however；　in　saying　that　I　did　not　know　　Shakespeare。　　I　knew　him　as　everybody　else　did；　not　having　read　him；　and　having　treated　him　with　ridicule。　　My　childhood　began；　as　everybody's　childhood　begins；　with　prejudices。　　Man　finds　prejudices　beside　his　cradle；　puts　them　from　him　a　little　in　the　course　of　his　career；　and　often；　alas！　takes　to　them　again　in　his　old　age。

During　this　journey　in　1825　Charles　Nodier　and　I　passed　our　time　recounting　to　each　other　the　Gothic　tales　and　romances　that　have　taken　root　in　Rheims。　　Our　memories　and　sometimes　our　imaginations；　clubbed　together。　　Each　of　us　furnished　his　legend。　　Rheims　is　one　of　the　most　impossible　towns　in　the　geography　of　story。　　Pagan　lords　have　lived　there；　one　of　whom　gave　as　a　dower　to　his　daughter　the　strips　of　land　in　Borysthenes　called　the　〃race…courses　of　Achilles。〃　The　Duke　de　Guyenne；　in　the　fabliaux；　passes　through　Rheims　on　his　way　to　besiege　Babylon；　Babylon；　moreover；　which　is　very　worthy　of　Rheims；　is　the　capital　of　the　Admiral　Gaudissius。　　It　is　at　Rheims　that　the　deputation　sent　by　the　Locri　Ozolae　to　Apollonius　of　Tyana；　〃high　priest　of　Bellona；〃　〃disembarks。〃　While　discussing　this　disembarkation　we　argued　concerning　the　Locri　Ozolae。　　These　people；　according　to　Nodier；　were　called　the　Fetidae　because　they　were　half　monkeys；　according　to　myself；　because　they　inhabited　the　marshes　of　Phocis。　　We　reconstructed　on　the　spot　the　tradition　of　St。　　Remigius　and　his　adventures　with　the　fairy　Mazelane。　　The　Champagne　country　is　rich　in　tales。　　Nearly　all　the　old　Gaulish　fables　had　their　origin　in　this　province。　　Rheims　is　the　land　of　chimeras。　　It　is　perhaps　for　this　reason　that　kings　were　crowned　there。



Legends　are　so　natural　to　this　place；　are　in　such　good　soil；　that　they　immediately　began　to　germinate　upon　the　coronation　of　Charles　X。　itself。　　The　Duke　of　Northumberland；　the　representative　of　England　at　the　coronation　ceremonies；　was　reputed　fabulously　wealthy。　　Wealthy　and　English；　how　could　he　be　otherwise　than　~a　la　mode~？　　The　English；　at　that　period；　were　very　popular　in　French　society；　although　not　among　the　people。　They　were　liked　in　certain　salons　because　of　Waterloo；　which　was　still　fairly　recent；　and　to　Anglicize　the　French　language　was　a　recommendation　in　ultra…fashionable　society。　　Lord　Northumberland；　therefore；　long　before　his　arrival；　was　popular　and　legendary　in　Rheims。　　A　coronation　was　a　godsend　to　Rheims。　A　flood　of　opulent　people　inundated　the　city。　　It　was　the　Nile　that　was　passing。　　Landlords　rubbed　their　hands　with　glee。

There　was　in　Rheims　in　those　days；　and　there　probably　is　to…day；　at　the　corner　of　a　street　giving　on　to　the　square；　a　rather　large　house　with　a　carriage…entrance　and　a　balcony；　built　of　stone　in　the　royal　style　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　facing　the　cathedral。　　About　this　house　and　Lord　Northumberland　the　following　was　related：

In　January；　1825；　the　balcony　of　the　house　bore　the　notice：　〃House　for　Sale。〃　　All　at　once　the　〃Moniteur〃　announced　that　the　coronation　of　Charles　X。　would　take　place　at　Rheims　in　the　spring。　　There　was　great　rejoicing　in　the　city。　　Notices　of　rooms　to　let　were　immediately　hung　out　everywhere。　　The　meanest　room　was　to　bring　in　at　least　sixty　francs　a　day。　　One　morning　a　man　of　irreproachable　appearance；　dressed　in　black；　with　a　white　cravat；　an　Englishman　who　spoke　broken　French；　presented　himself　at　the　house　in　the　square。　　He　saw　the　proprietor；　who　eyed　him　attentively。

〃You　wish　to　sell　your　house？〃　queried　the　Englishman。

〃How　much？〃

〃Ten　thousand　francs。〃

〃But　I　don't　want　to　buy　it。〃

〃What　do　you　want；　then？〃

〃Only　to　hire　it。〃

〃That's　different。　　For　a　year？〃

〃For　six　months？〃

〃No。　　I　want　to　hire　it　for　three　days。〃

〃How　much　will　you　charge？〃

〃Thirty　thousand　francs。〃

The　gentleman　was　Lord　Northumberland's　steward；　who　was　looking　for　a　lodging　for　his　master　for　the　coronation　ceremonies。　　The　proprietor　had　smelled　the　Englishman　and　guessed　the　steward。　　　The　house　was　satisfactory；　and　the　proprietor　held　out　for　his　price；　the　Englishman；　being　only　a　Norman；　gave　way　to　the　Champenois；　the　duke　paid　the　30；000　francs；　and　spent　three　days　in　the　house；　at　the　rate　of　400　francs　an　hour。



Nodier　and　I　were　two　explorers。　　When　we　travelled　together；　as　we　occasionally　did；　we　went　on　voyages　of　discovery；　he　in　search　of　rare　books；　I　in　search　of　ruins。　　He　would　go　into　ecstasies　over　a　_Cymbalum　Mound_　with　margins；　and　I　over　a　defaced　portal。　　We　had　given　each　other　a　devil。　　He　said　to　me：　〃You　are　possessed　of　the　demon　Ogive。〃　　〃And　you；〃　I　answered；　〃of　the　demon　Elzevir。〃

At　Soissons；　while　I　was　exploring　Saint　Jean…des…Vignes；　he　had　discovered；　in　a　suburb；　a　ragpicker。　　The　ragpicker's　basket　is　the　hyphen　between　rags　and　paper；　and　the　ragpicker　is　the　hyphen　between　the　beggar　and　the　philosopher。　　Nodier　who　gave　to　the　poor；　and　sometimes　to　philosophers；　had　entered　the　ragpicker's　abode。　　The　ragpicker　turned　out　to　be　a　book　dealer。　　Among　the　books　Nodier　noticed　a　rather　thick　volume　of　six　or　eight　hundred　pages；　printed　in　Spanish；　two　columns　to　a　page；　badly　damaged　by　worms；　and　the　binding　missing　from　the　back。　　The　ragpicker；　asked　what　he　wanted　for　it；　replied；　trembling　lest　the　price　should　be　refused：　〃Five　francs；〃　which　Nodier　paid；　also　trembling；　but　with　joy。　　This　book　was　the　_Romancero_　complete。　　There　are　only　three　complete　copies　of　this　edition　now　in　existence。　　One　of　these　a　few　years　ago　sold　for　7；500　francs。　　Moreover；　worms　are　vying　with　each　other　in　eating　up　these　three　remaining　copies。　　The　peoples；　feeders　of　princes；　have　something　else　to　do　than　spend　their　money　to　preserve　for　new　editions　the　legacies　of　human　intellect；　and　the　_Romancero_；　being　merely　an　Iliad；　has　not　been　reprinted。



During　the　three　days　of　the　coronation　there　were　great　crowds　in　the　streets　of　Rheims；　at　the　Archbishop's　palace；　and　on　the　promenades　along　the　Vesdre；　eager　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　Charles　X。　　I　said　to　Charles　Nodier：　〃Let　us　go　and　see　his　majesty　the　cathedral。〃

Rheims　is　a　proverb　in　Gothic　Christian　art。　　One　speaks　of　the　〃nave　of　Amiens；　the　bell　towers　of　Chartres；　the　fa？ade　of　Rheims。〃　　A　month　before　the　coronation　of　Charles　X　a　swarm　of　masons；　perched　on　ladders　and　clinging　to　knotted　ropes；　spent　a　week　smashing　with　hammers　every　bit　of　jutting　sculpture　on　the　fa？ade；　for　fear　a　stone　might　become　detached　from　one　of　these　reliefs　and　fall　on　the　King's　head。　　The　debris　littered　the　pavement　and　was　swept　away。　　For　a　long　time　I　had　in　my　possession　a　head　of　Christ　that　fell　in　this　way。　　It　was　stolen　from　me　in　1851。　　This　head　was　unfortunate；　broken　by　a　king；　it　was　lost　by　an　exile。

Nodier　was　an　admirable　antiquary；　and　we　explored　the　cathedral　from　top　to　bottom；　encumbered　though　it　was　with　scaffolding；　painted　scenery；　and　stage　side　lights。　　The　nave　being　only　of　stone；　they　had　hidden　it　by　an　edifice　of　cardboard；　doubtless　because　the　latter　bore　a　greater　resemblance　to　the　monarchy　of　that　period。　　For　the　coronation　of　the　King　of　France　they　had　transformed　a　church　into　a　theatres　and　it　has　since　been　related；　with　perfect　accuracy；　that　on　arriving　at　the　entrance　I　asked　of　the　bodyguard　on　duty：　〃Where　is　my　box？〃

This　cathedral　of　Rheims　is　beautiful　above　all　cathedrals。　　On　the　fa？ade　are　kings；　on　the　absis；　people　being　put　to　the　torture　by　executioners。　　Coronation　of　kings　with　an　accompaniment　of　victims。　　The　fa？ade　is　one　of　the　most　magnificent　symphonies　ever　sung　by　that　music；　architecture。　One　dreams　for　a　long　time　before　this　oratorio。　　Looking　up　from　the　square　you　see　at　a　giddy　height；　at　the　base　of　the　two　towers；　a　row　of　gigantic　statues　representing　kings　of　France。　　In　their　hands　they　hold　the　sceptre；　the　sword；　the　hand　of　justice；　and　the　globe；　and　on　their　heads　are　antique　open　crowns　with　bulging　gems。　　It　is　superb　and　grim。　　You　push　open　the　bell…ringer's　door；　climb　the　winding　staircase；　〃the　screw　of　St。　Giles；〃　to　the　towers；　to　the　high　regions　of　prayer；　you　look　down　and　the　statues　are　below　you。　　The　row　of　kings　is　plunging　into　the　abysm。　　You　hear　the　whispering　of　the　enormous　bells；　which　vibrate　at　the　kiss　of　vague　zephyrs　from　the　sky。

One　day　I　gazed　down　from　the　top　of　the　tower　through　an　embrasure。　　The　entire　fa？ade　sheered　straight　below　me。　　I　perceived　in　the　depth；　on　top　of　a　long　stone　support　that　extended　down　the　wall　directly　beneath　me　to　the　escarpment；　so　that　its　form　was　lost；　a　sort　of　round　basin。　　Rain…water　had　collected　there　and　formed　a　narrow　mirror　at　the　bottom；　there　were　also　a　tuft　of　grass　with　flowers　in　it；　and　a　swallow's　nest。　　Thus　in　a　space　only　two　feet　in　diameter　were　a　lake；　a　garden　and　a　habitationa　birds'　paradise。　　As　I　gazed　the　swallow　was　giving　water　to　her　brood。　　Round　the　upper　edge　of　the　basin　were　what　looked　like　crenelles；　and　between　these　the　swallow　had　built　her　nest。　　I　　examined　these　crenelles。　　They　had　the　form　of　fleurs…de…lys。　　The　support　was　a　statue。　　This　happy　little　world　was　the　stone　crown　of　an　old　king。　　And　if　God　were　asked：　〃Of　what　use　was　this　Lothario；　this　Philip；　this　Charles；　this　Louis；　this　emperor；　this　king？〃　　God　peradventure　would　reply：　〃He　had　this　statue　made　and　lodged　a　swallow。〃



The　coronation　occurred。　　This　is　not　the　place　to　describe　it。　　Besides　my　recollections　of　the　ceremony　of　May　27；　1825；　have　been　recounted　elsewhere　by　another；　more　ably　than　I　could　set　them　forth。

Suffice　it　to　say　that　it　was　a　radiant　day。　　God　seemed　to　have　given　his　assent　to　the　fête。　　The　long　clear　　windowsfor　there　are　no　more　stained…glass　windows　at　Rheimslet　in　bright　daylight；　all　the　light　of　May　was　in　the　church。　　The　Archbishop　was　covered　with　gilding　and　the　altar　with　rays。　　Marshal　de　Lauriston；　Minister　of　the　King's　Household；　rejoiced　at　the　sunshine。　　He　came　and　went；　as　busy　as　could　be；　and　conversed　in　low　tones　with　Lecointe　and　Hittorf；　the　architects。　　The　fine　morning　afforded　the　occasion　to　say；　〃the　sun　of　the　coronation；〃　as　one　used　to　say　〃the　sun　of　Austerlitz。〃　And　in　the　resplendent　light　a　profusion　of　lamps　and　tape