the memoirs of victor hugo-第3部分

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of　Austerlitz。〃　And　in　the　resplendent　light　a　profusion　of　lamps　and　tapers　found　means　to　beam。

At　one　moment　Charles　X。；　attired　in　a　cherry…coloured　simar　striped　with　gold；　lay　at　full　length　at　the　　Archbishop's　feet。　　The　peers　of　France　on　the　right；　embroidered　with　gold；　beplumed　in　the　Henri　IV。　style；　and　wearing　long　mantles　of　velvet　and　ermine；　and　the　Deputies　on　the　left；　in　dress…coats　of　blue　cloth　with　silver　fleurs…de…lys　on　the　collars；　looked　on。

About　all　the　forms　of　chance　were　represented　there：　the　Papal　benediction　by　the　cardinals；　some　of　whom　had　witnessed　the　coronation　of　Napoleon；　victory　by　the　marshals；　　heredity　by　the　Duke　d'Angoulême；　dauphin；　happiness　　by　M。　　de　Talleyrand；　lame　but　able　to　get　about；　the　rising　and　falling　of　stocks　by　M。　de　Villèle；　joy　by　the　birds　that　were　released　and　flew　away；　and　the　knaves　in　a　pack　of　playing…cards　by　the　four　heralds。

A　vast　carpet　embroidered　with　fleurs…de…lys；　made　expressly　for　the　occasion；　and　called　the　〃coronation　carpet；〃　covered　the　old　flagstones　from　one　end　of　the　cathedral　to　the　other　and　concealed　the　tombstones　in　the　pavement。　Thick；　luminous　smoke　of　incense　filled　the　nave。　The　birds　that　had　been　set　at　liberty　flew　wildly　about　in　this　cloud。

The　King　changed　his　costume　six　or　seven　times。　　The　first　prince　of　the　blood；　Louis　Philippe；　Duke　d'Orleans；　aided　him。　　The　Duke　de　Bordeaux；　who　was　five　years　old；　was　in　a　gallery。



The　pew　in　which　Nodier　and　I　were　seated　adjoined　those　of　the　Deputies。　　In　the　middle　of　the　ceremony；　just　before　the　King　prostrated　himself　at　the　feet　of　the　Archbishop；　a　Deputy　for　the　Doubs　department；　named　M。　Hémonin；　turned　towards　Nodier；　who　was　close　to　him；　and　with　his　finger　on　his　lips；　as　a　sign　that　he　　did　not　wish　to　disturb　the　Archbishop's　orisons　by　speaking；　slipped　something　into　my　friend's　hand。　　This　something　was　a　book。　　Nodier　took　it　and　glanced　over　it。

〃What　is　it？〃　I　whispered。

〃Nothing　very　precious；〃　he　replied。　　〃An　odd　volume　of　Shakespeare；　Glasgow　edition。〃

One　of　the　tapestries　from　the　treasure　of　the　church　hanging　exactly　opposite　to　us　represented　a　not　very　historical　interview　between　John　Lackland　and　Philip　　Augustus。　　Nodier　turned　over　the　leaves　of　the　book　for　a　few　minutes；　then　pointed　to　the　tapestry。

〃You　see　that　tapestry？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Do　you　know　what　it　represents？〃

〃No。〃

〃John　Lackland。〃

〃Well；　what　of　it？〃

〃John　Lackland　is　also　in　this　book。〃

The　volume；　which　was　in　sheep　binding　and　worn　at　the　corners；　was　indeed　a　copy　of　_King　John_。

M。　Hémonin　turned　to　Nodier　and　said：　〃I　paid　six　sous　for　it。〃

In　the　evening　the　Duke　of　Northumberland　gave　a　ball。　　It　was　a　magnificent；　fairylike　spectacle。　　This　Arabian　Nights　ambassador　brought　one　of　these　nights　to　Rheims。　　Every　woman　found　a　diamond　in　her　bouquet。

I　could　not　dance。　　Nodier　had　not　danced　since　he　was　sixteen　years　of　age；　when　a　great　aunt　went　into　ecstasies　over　his　terpsichorean　efforts　and　congratulated　him　in　the　following　terms：　〃~Tu　est　charmant；　tu　danses　comme　rim　chou~！〃　We　did　not　go　to　Lord　Northumberland's　ball。

〃What　shall　we　do　tonight？〃　said　I　to　Nodier。　He　held　up　his　odd　volume　and　answered：

〃Let　us　read　this。〃

We　read。

That　is　to　say；　Nodier　read。　　He　knew　English　（without　being　able　to　speak　it；　I　believe）　enough　to　make　it　out。　He　read　aloud；　and　translated　as　he　read。　　At　intervals；　while　he　rested；　I　took　the　book　bought　from　the　ragpicker　of　Soissons；　and　read　passages　from　the　_Romancero_。　　Like　Nodier；　I　translated　as　I　read。　　We　compared　the　English　with　the　Castilian　book；　we　confronted　the　dramatic　with　the　epic。　　Nodier　stood　up　for　Shakespeare；　whom　he　could　read　in　English；　and　I　for　the　_Romancero_；　which　I　could　read　in　Spanish。　　We　brought　face　to　face；　he　the　bastard　Faulconbridge；　I　the　bastard　Mudarra。　　And　little　by　little　in　contradicting　we　convinced　each　other；　and　Nodier　became　filled　with　enthusiasm　for　the　_Romancero_；　and　I　with　admiration　for　Shakespeare。

Listeners　arrived。　　One　passes　the　evening　as　best　one　can　in　a　provincial　town　on　a　coronation　day　when　one　doesn't　go　to　the　ball。　　We　formed　quite　a　little　club。　　There　was　an　academician；　M。　Roger；　a　man　of　letters；　M。　d'Eckstein；　M。　de　Marcellus；　friend　and　country　neighbour　of　my　father；　who　poked　fun　at　his　royalism　and　mine；　good　old　Marquis　d'Herbouville；　and　M。　Hémonin；　donor　of　the　book　that　cost　six　sous。

〃It　isn't　worth　the　money！〃　exclaimed　M。　Roger。

The　conversation　developed　into　a　debate。　　Judgment　was　passed　upon　_King　John_。　　M。　de　Marcellus　declared　that　the　assassination　of　Arthur　was　an　improbable　incident。　It　was　pointed　out　to　him　that　it　was　a　matter　of　history。　It　was　with　difficulty　that　he　became　reconciled　to　it。　　For　kings　to　kill　each　other　was　impossible。　　To　M。　de　Marcellus's　mind　the　murdering　of　kings　began　on　January　21。　Regicide　was　synonymous　with　'93。　　To　kill　a　king　was　an　unheard…of　thing　that　the　〃populace〃　alone　were　capable　of　doing。　　No　king　except　Louis　XVI。　had　ever　been　violently　put　to　death。　　He；　however；　reluctantly　admitted　the　case　of　Charles　I。　　In　his　death　also　he　saw　the　hand　of　the　populace。　　All　the　rest　was　demagogic　lying　and　calumny。

Although　as　good　a　royalist　as　he；　I　ventured　to　insinuate　that　the　sixteenth　century　had　existed；　and　that　it　was　the　period　when　the　Jesuits　had　clearly　propounded　the　question　of　〃bleeding　the　basilic　vein；〃　that　is　to　say　of　cases　in　which　the　king　ought　to　be　slain；　a　question　which；　once　brought　forward；　met　with　such　success　that　it　resulted　in　two　kings；　Henry　III。　and　Henry　IV。；　being　stabbed；　and　a　Jesuit；　Father　Guignard；　being　hanged。

Then　we　passed　to　the　details　of　the　drama；　situations；　scenes；　and　personages。　　Nodier　pointed　out　that　　Faulconbridge　is　the　same　person　spoken　of　by　Mathieu　Paris　as　Falcasius　de　Trente；　bastard　of　Richard　Coeur　de　Lion。　Baron　d'Eckstein；　in　support　of　this；　reminded　his　hearers　that；　according　to　Hollinshed；　Faulconbridge；　or　Falcasius；　slew　the　Viscount　de　Limoges　to　avenge　his　father　Richard；　who　had　been　wounded　unto　death　at　the　siege　of　Chaluz；　and　that　this　castle　of　Chaluz；　being　the　property　of　the　Viscount　de　Limoges；　it　was　only　right　that　the　Viscount；　although　absent；　should　be　made　to　answer　with　his　head　for　the　falling　of　an　arrow　or　a　stone　from　the　castle　upon　the　King。　　M。　Roger　laughed　at　the　cry　of　〃Austria　Limoges〃　in　the　play　and　at　Shakespeare's　confounding　the　Viscount　de　Limoges　with　the　Duke　of　Austria。　　M。　Roger　scored　the　success　of　the　evening　and　his　laughter　settled　the　matter。

The　discussion　having　taken　this　turn　I　said　nothing　further。　　This　revelation　of　Shakespeare　had　moved　me。　　His　grandeur　impressed　me。　　_King　John_　is　not　a　masterpiece；　but　certain　scenes　are　lofty　and　powerful；　and　in　the　motherhood　of　Constance　there　are　bursts　of　genius。

The　two　books；　open　and　reversed；　remained　lying　upon　the　table。　　The　company　had　ceased　to　read　in　order　to　laugh。　　Nodier　at　length　became　silent　like　myself。　　We　were　beaten。　　The　gathering　broke　up　with　a　laugh；　and　our　visitors　went　away。　　Nodier　and　I　remained　alone　and　pensive；　thinking　of　the　great　works　that　are　unappreciated；　　and　amazed　that　the　intellectual　education　of　the　civilized　peoples；　and　even　our　own；　his　and　mine；　had　　advanced　no　further　than　this。

At　last　Nodier　broke　the　silence。　　I　can　see　his　smile　now　as　he　said：

〃They　know　nothing　about　the　Romancero！〃

I　replied：

〃And　they　deride　Shakespeare！〃

Thirteen　years　later　chance　took　me　to　Rheims　again。

It　was　on　August　28；　1838。　　It　will　be　seen　further　on　why　this　date　impressed　itself　on　my　memory。

I　was　returning　from　Vouziers；　and　seeing　the　two　towers　of　Rheims　in　the　distance；　was　seized　with　a　desire　to　visit　the　cathedral　again。　　I　therefore　went　to　Rheims。

On　arriving　in　the　cathedral　square　I　saw　a　gun　drawn　up　near　the　portal　and　beside　it　gunners　with　lighted　fuses　in　their　hands。　　As　I　had　seen　artillery　there　on　May　27；　1825；　I　supposed　it　was　customary　to　keep　a　cannon　in　the　square；　and　paid　little　attention　to　it。　　I　passed　on　and　entered　the　church。

A　beadle　in　violet　sleeves；　a　sort　of　priest；　took　me　in　charge　and　conducted　me　all　over　the　church。　　The　stones　were　dark；　the　statues　dismal；　the　altar　mysterious。　　No　lamps　competed　with　the　sun。　　The　latter　threw　upon　the　sepulchral　stones　in　the　pavement　the　long　white　silhouettes　of　the　windows；　which　through　the　melancholy　obscurity　of　the　rest　of　the　church　looked　like　phantoms　lying　upon　these　tombs。　　No　one　was　in　the　church。　　Not　a　whisper；　not　a　footfall　could　be　heard。

This　solitude　saddened　the　heart　and　enraptured　the　soul。　There　were　in　it　abandonment；　neglect；　oblivion；　exile；　and　sublimity。　　Gone　the　whirl　of　1825。　　The　church　had　resumed　　its　dignity　and　its　calmness。　　Not　a　piece　of　finery；　not　a　vestment；　not　anything。　　It　was　bare　and　beautiful。　The　lofty　vault　no　longer　supported　a　canopy。　　Ceremonies　of　the　palace　arc　not　suited　to　these　severe　places；　a　　coronation　ceremony　is　merely　tolerated；　these　noble　ruins　are　not　made　to　be　courtiers。　　To　rid　it　of　the　throne　and　　withdraw　the　king　from　the　presence　of　God　increases　the　majesty　of　a　temple。　　Louis　XIV。　hides　Jehovah　from　sight。

Withdraw　the　priest　as　well。　　All　that　eclipsed　it　having　been　taken　away；　you　will　see　the　light　of　day　direct。　　　Orisons；　rites；　bibles；　formulas；　refract　and　decompose　the　sacred　light。　　A　dogma　is　a　dark　chamber。　　Through　a　religion　you　see　the　solar　spectre　of　God；　but　not　God。　Desuetude　and　crumbling　enhance　the　grandeur　of　a　temple。　As　human　religion　retires　from　this　mysterious　and　jealous　edifice；　divine　religion　enters　it。　　Let　solitude　reign　in　it　and　you　will　feel　heaven　there。　　A　sanctuary　deserted　and　in　ruins；　like　Jumièges；　like　St。　Bertin；　like　Villers；　like　Holyrood；　like　Montrose　Abbey；　like　the　temple　of　Paestum；　like　the　hypogeum　of　Thebes；　becomes　almost　an　element；　and　possesses　the　virginal　and　religious　grandeur　of　a　savannah　or　of　a　forest。　　There　something　of　the　real　Presence　is　to　be　found。

Such　places　are　truly　holy；　man　has　meditated　and　communed　with　himself　therein。