the hunchback of notre dame-第33章

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CHAPTER　II。

THIS　WILL　KILL　THAT。



Our　lady　readers　will　pardon　us　if　we　pause　for　a　moment　to　seek　what　could　have　been　the　thought　concealed　beneath　those　enigmatic　words　of　the　archdeacon：　〃This　will　kill　that。　　The　book　will　kill　the　edifice。〃

To　our　mind；　this　thought　had　two　faces。　　In　the　first　place；　it　was　a　priestly　thought。　　It　was　the　affright　of　the　priest　in　the　presence　of　a　new　agent；　the　printing　press。　　It　was　the　terror　and　dazzled　amazement　of　the　men　of　the　sanctuary；　in　the　presence　of　the　luminous　press　of　Gutenberg。　　It　was　the　pulpit　and　the　manuscript　taking　the　alarm　at　the　printed　word：　something　similar　to　the　stupor　of　a　sparrow　which　should　behold　the　angel　Legion　unfold　his　six　million　wings。　It　was　the　cry　of　the　prophet　who　already　hears　emancipated　humanity　roaring　and　swarming；　who　beholds　in　the　future；　intelligence　sapping　faith；　opinion　dethroning　belief；　the　world　shaking　off　Rome。　　It　was　the　prognostication　of　the　philosopher　who　sees　human　thought；　volatilized　by　the　press；　evaporating　from　the　theocratic　recipient。　　It　was　the　terror　of　the　soldier　who　examines　the　brazen　battering　ram；　and　says：〃The　tower　will　crumble。〃　It　signified　that　one　power　was　about　to　succeed　another　power。　　It　meant；　〃The　press　will　kill　the　church。〃

But　underlying　this　thought；　the　first　and　most　simple　one；　no　doubt；　there　was　in　our　opinion　another；　newer　one；　a　corollary　of　the　first；　less　easy　to　perceive　and　more　easy　to　contest；　a　view　as　philosophical　and　belonging　no　longer　to　the　priest　alone　but　to　the　savant　and　the　artist。　　It　was　a　presentiment　that　human　thought；　in　changing　its　form；　was　about　to　change　its　mode　of　expression；　that　the　dominant　idea　of　each　generation　would　no　longer　be　written　with　the　same　matter；　and　in　the　same　manner；　that　the　book　of　stone；　so　solid　and　so　durable；　was　about　to　make　way　for　the　book　of　paper；　more　solid　and　still　more　durable。　　In　this　connection　the　archdeacon's　vague　formula　had　a　second　sense。　It　meant；　〃Printing　will　kill　architecture。〃

In　fact；　from　the　origin　of　things　down　to　the　fifteenth　century　of　the　Christian　era；　inclusive；　architecture　is　the　great　book　of　humanity；　the　principal　expression　of　man　in　his　different　stages　of　development；　either　as　a　force　or　as　an　intelligence。

When　the　memory　of　the　first　races　felt　itself　overloaded；　when　the　mass　of　reminiscences　of　the　human　race　became　so　heavy　and　so　confused　that　speech　naked　and　flying；　ran　the　risk　of　losing　them　on　the　way；　men　transcribed　them　on　the　soil　in　a　manner　which　was　at　once　the　most　visible；　most　durable；　and　most　natural。　　They　sealed　each　tradition　beneath　a　monument。

The　first　monuments　were　simple　masses　of　rock；　〃which　the　iron　had　not　touched；〃　as　Moses　says。　　Architecture　began　like　all　writing。　　It　was　first　an　alphabet。　　Men　planted　a　stone　upright；　it　was　a　letter；　and　each　letter　was　a　hieroglyph；　and　upon　each　hieroglyph　rested　a　group　of　ideas；　like　the　capital　on　the　column。　　This　is　what　the　earliest　races　did　everywhere；　at　the　same　moment；　on　the　surface　of　the　entire　world。　　We　find　the　〃standing　stones〃　of　the　Celts　in　Asian　Siberia；　in　the　pampas　of　America。

Later　on；　they　made　words；　they　placed　stone　upon　stone；　they　coupled　those　syllables　of　granite；　and　attempted　some　combinations。　　The　Celtic　dolmen　and　cromlech；　the　Etruscan　tumulus；　the　Hebrew　galgal；　are　words。　　Some；　especially　the　tumulus；　are　proper　names。　　Sometimes　even；　when　men　had　a　great　deal　of　stone；　and　a　vast　plain；　they　wrote　a　phrase。　The　immense　pile　of　Karnac　is　a　complete　sentence。

At　last　they　made　books。　　Traditions　had　brought　forth　symbols；　beneath　which　they　disappeared　like　the　trunk　of　a　tree　beneath　its　foliage；　all　these　symbols　in　which　humanity　placed　faith　continued　to　grow；　to　multiply；　to　intersect；　to　become　more　and　more　complicated；　the　first　monuments　no　longer　sufficed　to　contain　them；　they　were　overflowing　in　every　part；　these　monuments　hardly　expressed　now　the　primitive　tradition；　simple　like　themselves；　naked　and　prone　upon　the　earth。　　The　symbol　felt　the　need　of　expansion　in　the　edifice。　Then　architecture　was　developed　in　proportion　with　human　thought；　it　became　a　giant　with　a　thousand　heads　and　a　thousand　arms；　and　fixed　all　this　floating　symbolism　in　an　eternal；　visible；　palpable　form。　　While　Daedalus；　who　is　force；　measured；　while　Orpheus；　who　is　intelligence；　sang；the　pillar；　which　is　a　letter；　the　arcade；　which　is　a　syllable；　the　pyramid；　which　is　a　word；all　set　in　movement　at　once　by　a　law　of　geometry　and　by　a　law　of　poetry；　grouped　themselves；　combined；　amalgamated；　descended；　ascended；　placed　themselves　side　by　side　on　the　soil；　ranged　themselves　in　stories　in　the　sky；　until　they　had　written　under　the　dictation　of　the　general　idea　of　an　epoch；　those　marvellous　books　which　were　also　marvellous　edifices：　the　Pagoda　of　Eklinga；　the　Rhamseion　of　Egypt；　the　Temple　of　Solomon。

The　generating　idea；　the　word；　was　not　only　at　the　foundation　of　all　these　edifices；　but　also　in　the　form。　　The　temple　of　Solomon；　for　example；　was　not　alone　the　binding　of　the　holy　book；　it　was　the　holy　book　itself。　　On　each　one　of　its　concentric　walls；　the　priests　could　read　the　word　translated　and　manifested　to　the　eye；　and　thus　they　followed　its　transformations　from　sanctuary　to　sanctuary；　until　they　seized　it　in　its　last　tabernacle；　under　its　most　concrete　form；　which　still　belonged　to　architecture：　the　arch。　　Thus　the　word　was　enclosed　in　an　edifice；　but　its　image　was　upon　its　envelope；　like　the　human　form　on　the　coffin　of　a　mummy。

And　not　only　the　form　of　edifices；　but　the　sites　selected　for　them；　revealed　the　thought　which　they　represented；　according　as　the　symbol　to　be　expressed　was　graceful　or　grave。　Greece　crowned　her　mountains　with　a　temple　harmonious　to　the　eye；　India　disembowelled　hers；　to　chisel　therein　those　monstrous　subterranean　pagodas；　borne　up　by　gigantic　rows　of　granite　elephants。

Thus；　during　the　first　six　thousand　years　of　the　world；　from　the　most　immemorial　pagoda　of　Hindustan；　to　the　cathedral　of　Cologne；　architecture　was　the　great　handwriting　of　the　human　race。　　And　this　is　so　true；　that　not　only　every　religious　symbol；　but　every　human　thought；　has　its　page　and　its　monument　in　that　immense　book。

All　civilization　begins　in　theocracy　and　ends　in　democracy。　This　law　of　liberty　following　unity　is　written　in　architecture。　For；　let　us　insist　upon　this　point；　masonry　must　not　be　thought　to　be　powerful　only　in　erecting　the　temple　and　in　expressing　the　myth　and　sacerdotal　symbolism；　in　inscribing　in　hieroglyphs　upon　its　pages　of　stone　the　mysterious　tables　of　the　law。　　If　it　were　thus；as　there　comes　in　all　human　society　a　moment　when　the　sacred　symbol　is　worn　out　and　becomes　obliterated　under　freedom　of　thought；　when　man　escapes　from　the　priest；　when　the　excrescence　of　philosophies　and　systems　devour　the　face　of　religion；architecture　could　not　reproduce　this　new　state　of　human　thought；　its　leaves；　so　crowded　on　the　face；　would　be　empty　on　the　back；　its　work　would　be　mutilated；　its　book　would　he　incomplete。　　But　no。

Let　us　take　as　an　example　the　Middle　Ages；　where　we　see　more　clearly　because　it　is　nearer　to　us。　　During　its　first　period；　while　theocracy　is　organizing　Europe；　while　the　Vatican　is　rallying　and　reclassing　about　itself　the　elements　of　a　Rome　made　from　the　Rome　which　lies　in　ruins　around　the　Capitol；　while　Christianity　is　seeking　all　the　stages　of　society　amid　the　rubbish　of　anterior　civilization；　and　rebuilding　with　its　ruins　a　new　hierarchic　universe；　the　keystone　to　whose　vault　is　the　priestone　first　hears　a　dull　echo　from　that　chaos；　and　then；　little　by　little；　one　sees；　arising　from　beneath　the　breath　of　Christianity；　from　beneath　the　hand　of　the　barbarians；　from　the　fragments　of　the　dead　Greek　and　Roman　architectures；　that　mysterious　Romanesque　architecture；　sister　of　the　theocratic　masonry　of　Egypt　and　of　India；　inalterable　emblem　of　pure　catholicism；　unchangeable　hieroglyph　of　the　papal　unity。　　All　the　thought　of　that　day　is　written；　in　fact；　in　this　sombre；　Romanesque　style。　　One　feels　everywhere　in　it　authority；　unity；　the　impenetrable；　the　absolute；　Gregory　VII。；　always　the　priest；　never　the　man；　everywhere　caste；　never　the　people。

But　the　Crusades　arrive。　　They　are　a　great　popular　movement；　and　every　great　popular　movement；　whatever　may　be　its　cause　and　object；　always　sets　free　the　spirit　of　liberty　from　its　final　precipitate。　　New　things　spring　into　life　every　day。　　Here　opens　the　stormy　period　of　the　Jacqueries；　Pragueries；　and　Leagues。　　Authority　wavers；　unity　is　divided。　Feudalism　demands　to　share　with　theocracy；　while　awaiting　the　inevitable　arrival　of　the　people；　who　will　assume　the　part　of　the　lion：　~Quia　nominor　leo~。　　Seignory　pierces　through　sacerdotalism；　the　commonality；　through　seignory。　　The　face　of　Europe　is　changed。　　Well！　the　face　of　architecture　is　changed　also。　　Like　civilization；　it　has　turned　a　page；　and　the　new　spirit　of　the　time　finds　her　ready　to　write　at　its　dictation。　It　returns　from　the　crusades　with　the　pointed　arch；　like　the　nations　with　liberty。

Then；　while　Rome　is　undergoing　gradual　dismemberment；　Romanesque　architecture　dies。　　The　hieroglyph　deserts　the　cathedral；　and　betakes　itself　to　blazoning　the　donjon　keep；　in　order　to　lend　prestige　to　feudalism。　　The　cathedral　itself；　that　edifice　formerly　so　dogmatic；　invaded　henceforth　by　the　bourgeoisie；　by　the　community；　by　liberty；　escapes　the　priest　and　falls　into　the　power　of　the　artist。　　The　artist　builds　it　after　his　own　fashion。　　Farewell　to　mystery；　myth；　law。　　Fancy　and　caprice；　welcome。　　Provided　the　priest　has　his　basilica　and　his　altar；　he　has　nothing　to　say。　　The　four　walls　belong　to　the　artist。　　The　architectural　book　belongs　no　longer　to　the　priest；　to　religion；　to　Rome；　it　is　the　property　of　poetry；　of　imagination；　of　the　people。　　Hence　the　rapid　and　innumerable　transformations　of　that　architecture　which　owns　but　three　centuries；　so　striking　after　the　stagnant　immobility　of　the　Romanesque　architecture；　which　owns　six　or　seven。　Nevertheless；　art　marches　on　with　giant　strides。　　Popular　genius　amid　originality　accomplish　the　task　which　the　bishops　formerly　fulfilled。　　Each　race　writes　its　line　upon　the　book；　as　it　passes；　it　erases　the　ancient　Romanesque　hieroglyphs　on　the　frontispieces　of　cathedrals；　and　at　the　most　one　only　sees　dogma　cropping　out　here　and　there；　beneath　the　new　symbol　which　it　has　deposited。　　The　popular　drapery　hardly　permits　the　religious　skeleton　to　be　suspected。　　One　cannot　even　form　an　idea　of　the　liberties　which　the　architects　then　take；　even　toward　the　Church。　　There　are　capitals　knitted　of　nuns　and　monks；　shamelessly　coupled；　as　on　the　hall　of　chimney　pieces　in　the　Palais　de　Justice；　in　Paris。　　There　is　Noah's　adventure　carved　to　the　last　detail；　as　under　the　great　portal　of　Bourges。　There　is　a　bacchanalian　monk；　with　ass's　ears　and　glass　in　hand；　laughing　in　the　face　of　a　whole　community；　as　on　the　lavatory　of　the　Abbey　of　Bocherville。　　There　exists　at　that　epoch；　for　thought　written　in　stone；　a　privilege　exactly　comparable　to　our　present　liberty　of　the　press。　　It　is　the　liberty　of　architecture。

This　liberty　goes　very　far。　　Sometimes　a　portal；　a　fa？ade；　an　entire　church；　presents