the hunchback of notre dame-第27章

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When　the　first　surprise　was　over；　Jehanne　de　la　Tarme　bent　down　to　the　ear　of　la　Gaultière；

〃I　told　you　so；　sister；that　young　clerk；　Monsieur　Claude　Frollo；　is　a　sorcerer。〃




CHAPTER　II。

CLAUDE　FROLLO。



In　fact；　Claude　Frollo　was　no　common　person。

He　belonged　to　one　of　those　middle…class　families　which　were　called　indifferently；　in　the　impertinent　language　of　the　last　century；　the　high　~bourgeoise~　or　the　petty　nobility。　　This　family　had　inherited　from　the　brothers　Paclet　the　fief　of　Tirechappe；　which　was　dependent　upon　the　Bishop　of　Paris；　and　whose　twenty…one　houses　had　been　in　the　thirteenth　century　the　object　of　so　many　suits　before　the　official。　　As　possessor　of　this　fief；　Claude　Frollo　was　one　of　the　twenty…seven　seigneurs　keeping　claim　to　a　manor　in　fee　in　Paris　and　its　suburbs；　and　for　a　long　time；　his　name　was　to　be　seen　inscribed　in　this　quality；　between　the　H？tel　de　Tancarville；　belonging　to　Master　Fran？ois　Le　Rez；　and　the　college　of　Tours；　in　the　records　deposited　at　Saint　Martin　des　Champs。

Claude　Frollo　had　been　destined　from　infancy；　by　his　parents；　to　the　ecclesiastical　profession。　　He　had　been　taught　to　read　in　Latin；　he　had　been　trained　to　keep　his　eyes　on　the　ground　and　to　speak　low。　　While　still　a　child；　his　father　had　cloistered　him　in　the　college　of　Torchi　in　the　University。　There　it　was　that　he　had　grown　up；　on　the　missal　and　the　lexicon。

Moreover；　he　was　a　sad；　grave；　serious　child；　who　studied　ardently；　and　learned　quickly；　he　never　uttered　a　loud　cry　in　recreation　hour；　mixed　but　little　in　the　bacchanals　of　the　Rue　du　Fouarre；　did　not　know　what　it　was　to　~dare　alapas　et　capillos　laniare~；　and　had　cut　no　figure　in　that　revolt　of　1463；　which　the　annalists　register　gravely；　under　the　title　of　〃The　sixth　trouble　of　the　University。〃　　He　seldom　rallied　the　poor　students　of　Montaigu　on　the　~cappettes~　from　which　they　derived　their　name；　or　the　bursars　of　the　college　of　Dormans　on　their　shaved　tonsure；　and　their　surtout　parti…colored　of　bluish…green；　blue；　and　violet　cloth；　~azurini　coloris　et　bruni~；　as　says　the　charter　of　the　Cardinal　des　Quatre…Couronnes。

On　the　other　hand；　he　was　assiduous　at　the　great　and　the　small　schools　of　the　Rue　Saint　Jean　de　Beauvais。　　The　first　pupil　whom　the　Abbé　de　Saint　Pierre　de　Val；　at　the　moment　of　beginning　his　reading　on　canon　law；　always　perceived；　glued　to　a　pillar　of　the　school　Saint…Vendregesile；　opposite　his　rostrum；　was　Claude　Frollo；　armed　with　his　horn　ink…bottle；　biting　his　pen；　scribbling　on　his　threadbare　knee；　and；　in　winter；　blowing　on　his　fingers。　　The　first　auditor　whom　Messire　Miles　d'Isliers；　doctor　in　decretals；　saw　arrive　every　Monday　morning；　all　breathless；　at　the　opening　of　the　gates　of　the　school　of　the　Chef…Saint…Denis；　was　Claude　Frollo。　　Thus；　at　sixteen　years　of　age；　the　young　clerk　might　have　held　his　own；　in　mystical　theology；　against　a　father　of　the　church；　in　canonical　theology；　against　a　father　of　the　councils；　in　scholastic　theology；　against　a　doctor　of　Sorbonne。

Theology　conquered；　he　had　plunged　into　decretals。　　From　the　〃Master　of　Sentences；〃　he　had　passed　to　the　〃Capitularies　of　Charlemagne；〃　and　he　had　devoured　in　succession；　in　his　appetite　for　science；　decretals　upon　decretals；　those　of　Theodore；　Bishop　of　Hispalus；　those　of　Bouchard；　Bishop　of　Worms；　those　of　Yves；　Bishop　of　Chartres；　next　the　decretal　of　Gratian；　which　succeeded　the　capitularies　of　Charlemagne；　then　the　collection　of　Gregory　IX。；　then　the　Epistle　of　~Superspecula~；　of　Honorius　III。　　He　rendered　clear　and　familiar　to　himself　that　vast　and　tumultuous　period　of　civil　law　and　canon　law　in　conflict　and　at　strife　with　each　other；　in　the　chaos　of　the　Middle　Ages；a　period　which　Bishop　Theodore　opens　in　618；　and　which　Pope　Gregory　closes　in　1227。

Decretals　digested；　he　flung　himself　upon　medicine；　on　the　liberal　arts。　　He　studied　the　science　of　herbs；　the　science　of　unguents；　he　became　an　expert　in　fevers　and　in　contusions；　in　sprains　and　abcesses。　　Jacques　d'　Espars　would　have　received　him　as　a　physician；　Richard　Hellain；　as　a　surgeon。　He　also　passed　through　all　the　degrees　of　licentiate；　master；　and　doctor　of　arts。　　He　studied　the　languages；　Latin；　Greek；　Hebrew；　a　triple　sanctuary　then　very　little　frequented。　　His　was　a　veritable　fever　for　acquiring　and　hoarding；　in　the　matter　of　science。　　At　the　age　of　eighteen；　he　had　made　his　way　through　the　four　faculties；　it　seemed　to　the　young　man　that　life　had　but　one　sole　object：　learning。

It　was　towards　this　epoch；　that　the　excessive　heat　of　the　summer　of　1466　caused　that　grand　outburst　of　the　plague　which　carried　off　more　than　forty　thousand　souls　in　the　vicomty　of　Paris；　and　among　others；　as　Jean　de　Troyes　states；　〃Master　Arnoul；　astrologer　to　the　king；　who　was　a　very　fine　man；　both　wise　and　pleasant。〃　The　rumor　spread　in　the　University　that　the　Rue　Tirechappe　was　especially　devastated　by　the　malady。　　It　was　there　that　Claude's　parents　resided；　in　the　midst　of　their　fief。　　The　young　scholar　rushed　in　great　alarm　to　the　paternal　mansion。　　When　he　entered　it；　he　found　that　both　father　and　mother　had　died　on　the　preceding　day。　A　very　young　brother　of　his；　who　was　in　swaddling　clothes；　was　still　alive　and　crying　abandoned　in　his　cradle。　　This　was　all　that　remained　to　Claude　of　his　family；　the　young　man　took　the　child　under　his　arm　and　went　off　in　a　pensive　mood。　Up　to　that　moment；　he　had　lived　only　in　science；　he　now　began　to　live　in　life。

This　catastrophe　was　a　crisis　in　Claude's　existence。　Orphaned；　the　eldest；　head　of　the　family　at　the　age　of　nineteen；　he　felt　himself　rudely　recalled　from　the　reveries　of　school　to　the　realities　of　this　world。　　Then；　moved　with　pity；　he　was　seized　with　passion　and　devotion　towards　that　child；　his　brother；　a　sweet　and　strange　thing　was　a　human　affection　to　him；　who　had　hitherto　loved　his　books　alone。

This　affection　developed　to　a　singular　point；　in　a　soul　so　new；　it　was　like　a　first　love。　　Separated　since　infancy　from　his　parents；　whom　he　had　hardly　known；　cloistered　and　immured；　as　it　were；　in　his　books；　eager　above　all　things　to　study　and　to　learn；　exclusively　attentive　up　to　that　time；　to　his　intelligence　which　broadened　in　science；　to　his　imagination；　which　expanded　in　letters；the　poor　scholar　had　not　yet　had　time　to　feel　the　place　of　his　heart。

This　young　brother；　without　mother　or　father；　this　little　child　which　had　fallen　abruptly　from　heaven　into　his　arms；　made　a　new　man　of　him。　　He　perceived　that　there　was　something　else　in　the　world　besides　the　speculations　of　the　Sorbonne；　and　the　verses　of　Homer；　that　man　needed　affections；　that　life　without　tenderness　and　without　love　was　only　a　set　of　dry；　shrieking；　and　rending　wheels。　　Only；　he　imagined；　for　he　was　at　the　age　when　illusions　are　as　yet　replaced　only　by　illusions；　that　the　affections　of　blood　and　family　were　the　sole　ones　necessary；　and　that　a　little　brother　to　love　sufficed　to　fill　an　entire　existence。

He　threw　himself；　therefore；　into　the　love　for　his　little　Jehan　with　the　passion　of　a　character　already　profound；　ardent；　concentrated；　that　poor　frail　creature；　pretty；　fair…　haired；　rosy；　and　curly；that　orphan　with　another　orphan　for　his　only　support；　touched　him　to　the　bottom　of　his　heart；　and　grave　thinker　as　he　was；　he　set　to　meditating　upon　Jehan　with　an　infinite　compassion。　　He　kept　watch　and　ward　over　him　as　over　something　very　fragile；　and　very　worthy　of　care。　He　was　more　than　a　brother　to　the　child；　he　became　a　mother　to　him。

Little　Jehan　had　lost　his　mother　while　he　was　still　at　the　breast；　Claude　gave　him　to　a　nurse。　　Besides　the　fief　of　Tirechappe；　he　had　inherited　from　his　father　the　fief　of　Moulin；　which　was　a　dependency　of　the　square　tower　of　Gentilly；　it　was　a　mill　on　a　hill；　near　the　chateau　of　Winchestre　（Bicêtre）。　　There　was　a　miller's　wife　there　who　was　nursing　a　fine　child；　it　was　not　far　from　the　university；　and　Claude　carried　the　little　Jehan　to　her　in　his　own　arms。

From　that　time　forth；　feeling　that　he　had　a　burden　to　bear；　he　took　life　very　seriously。　　The　thought　of　his　little　brother　became　not　only　his　recreation；　but　the　object　of　his　studies。　He　resolved　to　consecrate　himself　entirely　to　a　future　for　which　he　was　responsible　in　the　sight　of　God；　and　never　to　have　any　other　wife；　any　other　child　than　the　happiness　and　fortune　of　his　brother。　　Therefore；　he　attached　himself　more　closely　than　ever　to　the　clerical　profession。　　His　merits；　his　learning；　his　quality　of　immediate　vassal　of　the　Bishop　of　Paris；　threw　the　doors　of　the　church　wide　open　to　him。　　At　the　age　of　twenty；　by　special　dispensation　of　the　Holy　See；　he　was　a　priest；　and　served　as　the　youngest　of　the　chaplains　of　Notre…Dame　the　altar　which　is　called；　because　of　the　late　mass　which　is　said　there；　~altare　pigrorum~。

There；　plunged　more　deeply　than　ever　in　his　dear　books；　which　he　quitted　only　to　run　for　an　hour　to　the　fief　of　Moulin；　this　mixture　of　learning　and　austerity；　so　rare　at　his　age；　had　promptly　acquired　for　him　the　respect　and　admiration　of　the　monastery。　　From　the　cloister；　his　reputation　as　a　learned　man　had　passed　to　the　people；　among　whom　it　had　changed　a　little；　a　frequent　occurrence　at　that　time；　into　reputation　as　a　sorcerer。

It　was　at　the　moment　when　he　was　returning；　on　Quasimodo　day；　from　saying　his　mass　at　the　Altar　of　the　Lazy；　which　was　by　the　side　of　the　door　leading　to　the　nave　on　the　right；　near　the　image　of　the　Virgin；　that　his　attention　had　been　attracted　by　the　group　of　old　women　chattering　around　the　bed　for　foundlings。

Then　it　was　that　he　approached　the　unhappy　little　creature；　which　was　so　hated　and　so　menaced。　　That　distress；　that　deformity；　that　abandonment；　the　thought　of　his　young　brother；　the　idea　which　suddenly　occurred　to　him；　that　if　he　were　to　die；　his　dear　little　Jehan　might　also　be　flung　miserably　on　the　plank　for　foundlings；all　this　had　gone　to　his　heart　simultaneously；　a　great　pity　had　moved　in　him；　and　he　had　carried　off　the　child。

When　he　removed　the　child　from　the　sack；　he　found　it　greatly　deformed；　in　very　sooth。　　The　poor　little　wretch　had　a　wart　on　his　left　eye；　his　head　placed　directly　on　his　shoulders；　his　spinal　column　was　crooked；　his　breast　bone　prominent；　and　his　legs　bowed；　but　he　appeared　to　be　lively；　and　although　it　was　impossible　to　say　in　what　language　he　lisped；　his　cry　indicated　considerable　force　and　health。　　Claude's　compassion　increased　at　the　sight　of　this　ugliness；　and　he　made　a　vow　in　his　heart　to　rear　the　child　for　the　love　of　his　brother；　in　order　that；　whatever　might　be　the　future　faults　of　the　little　Jehan；　he　should　have　beside　him　that　charity　done　for　his　sake。　　It　was　a　sort　of　investment　of　good　works；　which　he　was　effecting　in　the　name　of　his　young　brother；　it　was　a　stock　of　good　works　which　he　wished　to　amass　in　advance　for　him；　in　case　the　little　rogue　should　some　day　find　himself　short　of　that　coin；　the　only　sort　which　is　received　at　the　toll…bar　of　paradise。

He　baptized　his　adopted　child；　and　gave　him　the　name　of　Quasimodo；　either　because　he　desired　thereby　to　mark　the　day；　when　he　had　found　him；　or　because　he　wished　to　designate　by　that　name　to　what　a　degree　the　poor　little　creature　was　incomplete；　and　hardly　sketched　out。　　In　fact；　Quasimodo；　blind；　hunchbacked；　knock…kneed；　was　only　an　〃almost。〃