the memoirs of victor hugo-第4部分

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s　to　be　found。

Such　places　are　truly　holy；　man　has　meditated　and　communed　with　himself　therein。　　What　they　contained　of　truth　has　remained　and　become　greater。　　The　~à…pcu…prês~　has　no　longer　any　voice。　　Extinct　dogmas　have　not　left　their　ashes；　the　prayer　of　the　past　has　left　its　perfume。　　There　is　something　of　the　absolute　in　prayer；　and　because　of　this；　that　which　was　a　synagogue；　that　which　was　a　mosque；　that　which　was　a　pagoda；　is　venerable。　　A　stone　on　which　that　great　anxiety　that　is　called　prayer　has　left　its　impress　is　never　treated　with　ridicule　by　the　thinker。　　The　trace　left　by　those　who　have　bowed　down　before　the　infinite　is　always　imposing。

In　strolling　about　the　cathedral　I　had　climbed　to　the　triforium；　then　under　the　arched　buttresses；　then　to　the　top　of　the　edifice。　　The　timber…work　under　the　pointed　roof　is　admirable；　but　less　remarkable　than　the　〃forest〃　of　Amiens。　　It　is　of　chestnut…wood。

These　cathedral　attics　are　of　grim　appearance。　　One　could　almost　lose　one's　self　in　the　labyrinths　of　rafters；　squares；　traverse　beams；　superposed　joists；　traves；　　architraves；　girders；　madriers；　and　tangled　lines　and　curves。　　One　might　imagine　one's　self　to　be　in　the　skeleton　of　Babel。　The　place　is　as　bare　as　a　garret　and　as　wild　as　a　cavern。　The　wind　whistles　mournfully　through　it。　　Rats　are　at　home　there。　　The　spiders；　driven　from　the　timber　by　the　odour　of　chestnut；　make　their　home　in　the　stone　of　the　basement　　where　the　church　ends　and　the　roof　begins；　and　low　down　in　the　obscurity　spin　their　webs　in　which　you　catch　your　face。　　One　respires　a　mysterious　dust；　and　the　centuries　seem　to　mingle　with　one's　breath。　　The　dust　of　churches　is　not　like　the　dust　of　houses；　it　reminds　one　of　the　tomb；　it　is　composed　of　ashes。

The　flooring　of　these　colossal　garrets　has　crevices　in　it　through　which　one　can　look　down　into　the　abysm；　the　church；　below。　　In　the　corners　that　one　cannot　explore　are　pools　of　shadow；　as　it　were。　　Birds　of　prey　enter　through　one　window　and　go　out　through　the　other。　　Lightning　is　also　familiar　with　these　high；　mysterious　regions。　　Sometimes　it　ventures　too　near；　and　then　it　causes　the　conflagration　　of　Rouen；　of　Chartres；　or　of　St。　Paul's；　London。

My　guide　the　beadle　preceded　me。　　He　looked　at　the　dung　on　the　floor；　and　tossed　his　head。　　He　knew　the　bird　by　its　manure；　and　growled　between　his　teeth：

〃This　is　a　rook；　this　is　a　hawk；　this　is　an　owl。〃

〃You　ought　to　study　the　human　heart；〃　said　I。

A　frightened　bat　flew　before　us。

While　walking　almost　at　hazard；　following　this　bat；　looking　　at　this　manure　of　the　birds；　respiring　this　dust；　in　this　obscurity　among　the　cobwebs　and　scampering　rats；　we　came　to　a　dark　corner　in　which；　on　a　big　wheelbarrow；　I　could　just　distinguish　a　long　package　tied　with　string　and　that　looked　like　a　piece　of　rolled　up　cloth。

〃What　is　that？〃　I　asked　the　beadle。

〃That；〃　said　he；　〃is　Charles　X。's　coronation　carpet。〃

I　stood　gazing　at　the　thing；　and　as　I　did　soI　am　telling　truthfully　what　occurredthere　was　a　deafening　report　that　sounded　like　a　thunder…clap；　only　it　came　from　below。　It　shook　the　timber…work　and　echoed　and　re…echoed　through　the　church。　　It　was　succeeded　by　a　second　roar；　then　a　third；　at　regular　intervals。　　I　recognised　the　thunder　of　the　cannon；　and　remembered　the　gun　I　had　seen　in　the　square。

I　turned　to　my　guide：

〃What　is　that　noise？〃

〃The　telegraph　has　been　at　work　and　the　cannon　has　been　fired。〃

〃What　does　it　mean？〃　I　continued。

〃It　means；〃　said　the　beadle；　〃that　a　grandson　has　just　been　born　to　Louis　Philippe。〃

The　cannon　announced　the　birth　of　the　Count　de　Paris。

These　are　my　recollections　of　Rheims。






RECOUNTED　BY　EYE…WITNESSES

I。　　THE　EXECUTION　OF　LOUIS　XVI。　II。　THE　ARRIVAL　OF　NAPOLEON　I　IN　PARIS　IN　1815。




I。　　THE　EXECUTION　OF　LOUIS　XVI。



There　were　certain　characteristic　details　connected　with　the　execution　of　Louis　XVI。　that　are　not　recorded　in　history。　They　were　recounted　to　me　by　an　eye…witness*　and　are　here　published　for　the　first　time。

*　　This　eye　witness　was　one　Leboucher；　who　arrived　in　Paris　from　Bourges　in　December；　1792；　and　was　present　at　the　execution　of　Louis　XVI。　　　　In　1840　he　recounted　to　Victor　Hugo　most　of　these　details　which；　as　can　easily　be　imagined；　had　impressed　themselves　deeply　upon　his　mind。

The　scaffold　was　not；　as　is　generally　believed；　erected　in　the　very　centre　of　the　Place；　on　the　spot　where　the　obelisk　now　stands；　but　on　a　spot　which　the　decree　of　the　Provisional　Executive　Council　designates　in　these　　precise　terms：　〃between　the　pied　d'estal　and　the　Champs…Elysées。〃

What　was　this　pedestal？　　Present　generations　who　have　seen　so　many　things　happen；　so　many　statues　crumble　and　so　many　pedestals　overthrown　do　not　quite　know　what　meaning　to　give　to　this　very　vague　designation；　and　would　be　embarrassed　to　tell　for　what　monument　the　mysterious　stone　which　the　Executive　Council　of　the　Revolution　laconically　calls　the　〃pied　d'estal〃　served　as　a　base。　　This　stone　had　borne　the　statue　of　Louis　XV。

Let　it　be　noted　~en　passant~　that　this　strange　Place　which　had　been　called　successively　the　Place　Louis　XV。；　Place　de　la　Revolution；　Place　de　la　Concorde；　Place　Louis　XVI。；　Place　du　Garde…Meuble　and　Place　des　Champs…Elysées；　and　which　could　not　retain　any　name；　could　not　keep　any　monument　either。　　It　has　had　the　statue　of　Louis　XV。；　which　disappeared；　an　expiatory　fountain　which　was　to　have　laved　the　bloody　centre　of　the　Place　was　projected；　but　not　even　the　first　stone　was　laid；　a　rough　model　of　a　monument　to　the　Charter　was　made：　we　have　never　seen　anything　but　the　socle　of　this　monument。　　Just　when　a　bronze　figure　representing　the　Charter　of　1814　was　about　to　be　erected；　the　Revolution　of　July　arrived　with　the　Charter　of　1830。　　The　pedestal　of　Louis　XVIII。　vanished；　　as　fell　the　pedestal　of　Louis　XV。　　Now　on　this　same　spot　we　have　placed　the　obelisk　of　Sesostris。　　It　required　thirty　centuries　for　the　great　Desert　to　engulf　half　of　it；　how　many　years　will　the　Place　de　la　Revolution　require　to　swallow　it　up　altogether？

In　the　Year　II　of　the　Republic；　what　the　Executive　Council　called　the　〃pied　d'estal〃　was　nought　but　a　shapeless　and　hideous　block。　　It　was　a　sort　of　sinister　symbol　of　the　royalty　itself。　　Its　ornaments　of　marble　and　bronze　had　been　wrenched　off；　the　bare　stone　was　everywhere　split　and　cracked。　　On　the　four　sides　were　large　square　gaps　showing　the　places　where　the　destroyed　bas　reliefs　had　been。　　Scarcely　could　a　remnant　of　the　entablature　still　be　distinguished　at　the　summit　of　the　pedestal；　and　beneath　the　cornice　a　string　of　ovolos；　　defaced　and　worn；　was　surmounted　by　what　architects　call　a　〃chaplet　of　paternosters。〃　On　the　table　of　the　　pedestal　one　could　perceive　a　heap　of　debris　of　all　kinds；　in　which　tufts　of　grass　were　growing　here　and　there。　　This　pile　of　nameless　things　had　replaced　the　royal　statue。

The　scaffold　was　raised　a　few　steps　distant　from　this　ruin；　a　little　in　rear　of　it。　　It　was　covered　with　long　planks；　laid　transversely；　that　masked　the　framework。　　A　ladder　without　banisters　or　balustrade　was　at　the　back；　and　what　they　venture　to　call　the　head　of　this　horrible　　construction　was　turned　towards　the　Garde…Meuble。　　A　basket　of　cylindrical　shape；　covered　with　leather；　was　placed　at　the　spot　where　the　head　of　the　King　was　to　fall；　to　receive　it；　and　at　one　of　the　angles　of　the　entablature；　to　the　right　of　the　ladder；　could　be　discerned　a　long　wicker　basket　prepared　for　the　body；　and　on　which　one　of　the　executioners；　while　waiting　for　the　King；　had　laid　his　hat。

Imagine；　now；　in　the　middle　of　the　Place；　these　two　lugubrious　things；　a　few　paces　from　each　other：　the　pedestal　of　Louis　XV。　and　the　scaffold　of　Louis　XVI。；　that　is　to　say；　the　ruins　of　royalty　dead　and　the　martyrdom　of　royalty　living；　around　these　two　things　four　formidable　lines　of　armed　men；　preserving　a　great　empty　square　in　the　midst　of　an　immense　crowd；　to　the　left　of　the　scaffold；　the　Champs…Elysees；　to　the　right　the　Tuileries；　which；　neglected　and　left　at　the　mercy　of　the　public　had　become　an　unsightly　waste　of　dirt　heaps　and　trenches；　and　over　these　melancholy　edifices；　over　these　black；　leafless　trees；　over　this　gloomy　multitude；　the　bleak；　sombre　sky　of　a　winter　morning；　and　one　will　have　an　idea　of　the　aspect　which　the　Place　de　la　Revolution　presented　at　the　moment　when　Louis　XVI。；　in　the　carriage　of　the　Mayor　of　Paris；　dressed　in　white；　the　Book　of　Psalms　clasped　in　his　hands；　arrived　there　to　die　at　a　few　minutes　after　ten　o'clock　on　January　21；　1793。

Strange　excess　of　abasement　and　misery：　the　son　of　so　many　kings；　bound　and　sacred　like　the　kings　of　Egypt；　was　to　be　consumed　between　two　layers　of　quicklime；　and　to　this　French　royalty；　which　at　Versailles　had　had　a　throne　of　gold　and　at　St。　Denis　sixty　sarcophagi　of　granite；　there　remained　but　a　platform　of　pine　and　a　wicker　coffin。

Here　are　some　unknown　details。　　The　executioners　numbered　four；　two　only　performed　the　execution；　the　third　stayed　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder；　and　the　fourth　was　on　the　waggon　which　was　to　convey　the　King's　body　to　the　Madeleine　Cemetery　and　which　was　waiting　a　few　feet　from　the　scaffold。

The　executioners　wore　breeches；　coats　in　the　French　style　as　the　Revolution　had　modified　it；　and　three…cornered　hats　with　enormous　tri…colour　cockades。

They　executed　the　King　with　their　hats　on；　and　it　was　without　taking　his　hat　off　that　Samson；　seizing　by　the　hair　the　severed　head　of　Louis　XVI。；　showed　it　to　the　people；　and　for　a　few　moments　let　the　blood　from　it　trickle　upon　the　scaffold。

At　the　same　time　his　valet　or　assistant　undid　what　were　called　〃les　sangles〃　（straps）；　and；　while　the　crowd　gazed　alternately　upon　the　King's　body；　dressed　entirely　in　white；　as　I　have　said；　and　still　attached；　with　the　hands　bound　behind　the　back；　to　the　swing　board；　and　upon　that　head　whose　kind　and　gentle　profile　stood　out　against　the　misty；　sombre　trees　of　the　Tuileries；　two　priests；　commissaries　of　the　Commune；　instructed　to　be　present；　as　Municipal　officials；　at　the　execution　of　the　King；　sat　in　the　Mayor's　carriage；　laughing　and　conversing　in　loud　tones。　One　of　them；　Jacques　Roux；　derisively　drew　the　other's　attention　to　Capet's　fat　calves　and　abdomen。

The　armed　men　who　surrou