PoorGringoire!thedinofallthegreatdoublepetardsoftheSaint–Jean,thedischargeoftwentyarquebusesonsupports,thedetonationofthatfamousserpentineoftheTowerofBilly,which,duringthesiegeofParis,onSunday,thetwenty–sixthofSeptember,1465,killedsevenBurgundiansatoneblow,theexplosionofallthepowderstoredatthegateoftheTemple,wouldhaverenthisearslessrudelyatthatsolemnanddramaticmoment,thanthesefewwords,whichfellfromthelipsoftheusher,"Hiseminence,MonseigneurtheCardinaldeBourbon."
Atrueeclectic,asitwouldbeexpressednowadays,Gringoirewasoneofthosefirmandlofty,moderateandcalmspirits,whichalwaysknowhowtobearthemselvesamidallcircumstances(~stareindimidiorerum~),andwhoarefullofreasonandofliberalphilosophy,whilestillsettingstorebycardinals.
Arare,precious,andneverinterruptedraceofphilosopherstowhomwisdom,likeanotherAriadne,seemstohavegivenaclewofthreadwhichtheyhavebeenwalkingalongunwindingsincethebeginningoftheworld,throughthelabyrinthofhumanaffairs.
And,withoutreckoningourPierreGringoire,whomayrepresenttheminthefifteenthcenturyifwesucceedinbestowinguponhimthedistinctionwhichhedeserves,itcertainlywastheirspiritwhichanimatedFatherduBreul,whenhewrote,inthesixteenth,thesenaivelysublimewords,worthyofallcenturies:"IamaParisianbynation,andaParrhisianinlanguage,for~parrhisia~inGreeksignifieslibertyofspeech;ofwhichIhavemadeuseeventowardsmesseigneursthecardinals,uncleandbrothertoMonsieurthePrincedeConty,alwayswithrespecttotheirgreatness,andwithoutoffendinganyoneoftheirsuite,whichismuchtosay."
Therewasthenneitherhatredforthecardinal,nordisdainforhispresence,inthedisagreeableimpressionproduceduponPierreGringoire.
Quitethecontrary;ourpoethadtoomuchgoodsenseandtoothreadbareacoat,nottoattachparticularimportancetohavingthenumerousallusionsinhisprologue,and,inparticular,theglorificationofthedauphin,sonoftheLionofFrance,falluponthemosteminentear.
Isupposethattheentityofthepoetmayberepresentedbythenumberten;itiscertainthatachemistonanalyzingandpharmacopolizingit,asRabelaissays,wouldfinditcomposedofonepartinteresttoninepartsofself–esteem.
Now,atthemomentwhenthedoorhadopenedtoadmitthecardinal,theninepartsofself–esteeminGringoire,swollenandexpandedbythebreathofpopularadmiration,wereinastateofprodigiousaugmentation,beneathwhichdisappeared,asthoughstifled,thatimperceptiblemoleculeofwhichwehavejustremarkeduponintheconstitutionofpoets;apreciousingredient,bytheway,aballastofrealityandhumanity,withoutwhichtheywouldnottouchtheearth.
Gringoireenjoyedseeing,feeling,fingering,sotospeakanentireassembly(ofknaves,itistrue,butwhatmattersthat?)
stupefied,petrified,andasthoughasphyxiatedinthepresenceoftheincommensurabletiradeswhichwelledupeveryinstantfromallpartsofhisbridalsong.
Iaffirmthathesharedthegeneralbeatitude,andthat,quitethereverseofLaFontaine,who,atthepresentationofhiscomedyofthe"Florentine,"asked,"Whoistheill–bredloutwhomadethatrhapsody?"
Charles,CardinaldeBourbon,ArchbishopandComteofLyon,PrimateoftheGauls,wasalliedbothtoLouisXI.,throughhisbrother,Pierre,SeigneurdeBeaujeu,whohadmarriedtheking'seldestdaughter,andtoCharlestheBoldthroughhismother,AgnesofBurgundy.
Now,thedominatingtrait,thepeculiaranddistinctivetraitofthecharacterofthePrimateoftheGauls,wasthespiritofthecourtier,anddevotiontothepowersthatbe.
Thereadercanformanideaofthenumberlessembarrassmentswhichthisdoublerelationshiphadcausedhim,andofallthetemporalreefsamongwhichhisspiritualbarkhadbeenforcedtotack,inordernottosuffershipwreckoneitherLouisorCharles,thatScyllaandthatCharybdiswhichhaddevouredtheDucdeNemoursandtheConstabledeSaint–Pol.
Butalthoughhewasinport,andpreciselybecausehewasinport,heneverrecalledwithoutdisquietthevariedhapsofhispoliticalcareer,solonguneasyandlaborious.
Thus,hewasinthehabitofsayingthattheyear1476hadbeen"whiteandblack"forhim—meaningthereby,thatinthecourseofthatyearhehadlosthismother,theDuchessedelaBourbonnais,andhiscousin,theDukeofBurgundy,andthatonegriefhadconsoledhimfortheother.
Nevertheless,hewasafineman;heledajoyouscardinal'slife,likedtoenlivenhimselfwiththeroyalvintageofChalluau,didnothateRichardelaGarmoiseandThomasselaSaillarde,bestowedalmsonprettygirlsratherthanonoldwomen,—andforallthesereasonswasveryagreeabletothepopulaceofParis.
Heneverwentaboutotherwisethansurroundedbyasmallcourtofbishopsandabbésofhighlineage,gallant,jovial,andgiventocarousingonoccasion;andmorethanoncethegoodanddevoutwomenofSaintGermaind'Auxerre,whenpassingatnightbeneaththebrightlyilluminatedwindowsofBourbon,hadbeenscandalizedtohearthesamevoiceswhichhadintonedvespersforthemduringthedaycarolling,totheclinkingofglasses,thebacchicproverbofBenedictXII.,thatpopewhohadaddedathirdcrowntotheTiara—~Bibamuspapaliter~.
Itwasthisjustlyacquiredpopularity,nodoubt,whichpreservedhimonhisentrancefromanybadreceptionatthehandsofthemob,whichhadbeensodispleasedbutamomentbefore,andverylittledisposedtorespectacardinalontheverydaywhenitwastoelectapope.
ButtheParisianscherishlittlerancor;andthen,havingforcedthebeginningoftheplaybytheirauthority,thegoodbourgeoishadgottheupperhandofthecardinal,andthistriumphwassufficientforthem.
Moreover,theCardinaldeBourbonwasahandsomeman,—heworeafinescarletrobe,whichhecarriedoffverywell,—thatistosay,hehadallthewomenonhisside,and,consequently,thebesthalfoftheaudience.
Assuredly,itwouldbeinjusticeandbadtastetohootacardinalforhavingcomelatetothespectacle,whenheisahandsomeman,andwhenhewearshisscarletrobewell.
Heentered,then,bowedtothosepresentwiththehereditarysmileofthegreatforthepeople,anddirectedhiscourseslowlytowardshisscarletvelvetarm–chair,withtheairofthinkingofsomethingquitedifferent.
Hiscortege—whatweshouldnowadayscallhisstaff—ofbishopsandabbésinvadedtheestradeinhistrain,notwithoutcausingredoubledtumultandcuriosityamongtheaudience.
Eachmanviedwithhisneighborinpointingthemoutandnamingthem,inseeingwhoshouldrecognizeatleastoneofthem:thisone,theBishopofMarseilles(Alaudet,ifmymemoryservesmeright);—thisone,theprimicierofSaint–Denis;—thisone,RobertdeLespinasse,AbbéofSaint–GermaindesPrés,thatlibertinebrotherofamistressofLouisXI.;allwithmanyerrorsandabsurdities.Asforthescholars,theyswore.
Thiswastheirday,theirfeastoffools,theirsaturnalia,theannualorgyofthecorporationofLawclerksandoftheschool.
Wasitnottheleastthatonecoulddotoswearatone'seaseandrevilethenameofGodalittle,onsofineaday,insuchgoodcompanyasdignitariesofthechurchandloosewomen?
Sotheydidnotabstain;and,inthemidstoftheuproar,therewasafrightfulconcertofblasphemiesandenormitiesofalltheunbridledtongues,thetonguesofclerksandstudentsrestrainedduringtherestoftheyear,bythefearofthehotironofSaintLouis.PoorSaintLouis!
JoannesFrollodeMolendin,inhisqualityofbrothertoanarchdeacon,boldlyattackedthescarlet;hesangindeafeningtones,withhisimpudenteyesfastenedonthecardinal,"~Capparepletamero~!"
Allthesedetailswhichweherelaybarefortheedificationofthereader,weresocoveredbythegeneraluproar,thattheywerelostinitbeforereachingthereservedplatforms;moreover,theywouldhavemovedthecardinalbutlittle,somuchapartofthecustomswerethelibertiesofthatday.
Moreover,hehadanothercauseforsolicitude,andhismienaswhollypreoccupiedwithit,whichenteredtheestradethesametimeashimself;thiswastheembassyfromFlanders.
Notthathewasaprofoundpolitician,norwasheborrowingtroubleaboutthepossibleconsequencesofthemarriageofhiscousinMargueritedeBourgoynetohiscousinCharles,DauphindeVienne;norastohowlongthegoodunderstandingwhichhadbeenpatchedupbetweentheDukeofAustriaandtheKingofFrancewouldlast;norhowtheKingofEnglandwouldtakethisdisdainofhisdaughter.
Allthattroubledhimbutlittle;andhegaveawarmreceptioneveryeveningtothewineoftheroyalvintageofChaillot,withoutasuspicionthatseveralflasksofthatsamewine(somewhatrevisedandcorrected,itistrue,byDoctorCoictier),cordiallyofferedtoEdwardIV.
"ThemuchhonoredembassyofMonsieurtheDukeofAustria,"broughtthecardinalnoneofthesecares,butittroubledhiminanotherdirection.
Itwas,infact,somewhathard,andwehavealreadyhintedatitonthesecondpageofthisbook,—forhim,CharlesdeBourbon,tobeobligedtofeastandreceivecordiallynooneknowswhatbourgeois;—forhim,acardinal,toreceivealdermen;—forhim,aFrenchman,andajollycompanion,toreceiveFlemishbeer–drinkers,—andthatinpublic!
Soheturnedtowardthedoor,andwiththebestgraceintheworld(sowellhadhetrainedhimselftoit),whentheusherannounced,inasonorousvoice,"MessieurstheEnvoysofMonsieurtheDukeofAustria."
Thenarrived,twobytwo,withagravitywhichmadeacontrastinthemidstofthefriskyecclesiasticalescortofCharlesdeBourbon,theeightandfortyambassadorsofMaximilianofAustria,havingattheirheadthereverendFatherinGod,Jehan,AbbotofSaint–Bertin,ChancelloroftheGoldenFleece,andJacquesdeGoy,SieurDauby,GrandBailiffofGhent.
Adeepsilencesettledovertheassembly,accompaniedbystifledlaughteratthepreposterousnamesandallthebourgeoisdesignationswhicheachofthesepersonagestransmittedwithimperturbablegravitytotheusher,whothentossednamesandtitlespell–mellandmutilatedtothecrowdbelow.
TherewereMasterLoysRoelof,aldermanofthecityofLouvain;MessireClaysd'Etuelde,aldermanofBrussels;MessirePauldeBaeust,SieurdeVoirmizelle,PresidentofFlanders;MasterJehanColeghens,burgomasterofthecityofAntwerp;MasterGeorgedelaMoere,firstaldermanofthekuereofthecityofGhent;MasterGheldolfvanderHage,firstaldermanofthe~parchous~ofthesaidtown;andtheSieurdeBierbecque,andJehanPinnock,andJehanDymaerzelle,etc.,etc.,etc.;bailiffs,aldermen,burgomasters;burgomasters,aldermen,bailiffs—allstiff,affectedlygrave,formal,dressedoutinvelvetanddamask,hoodedwithcapsofblackvelvet,withgreattuftsofCyprusgoldthread;goodFlemishheads,afterall,severeandworthyfaces,ofthefamilywhichRembrandtmakestostandoutsostrongandgravefromtheblackbackgroundofhis"NightPatrol";personagesallofwhombore,writtenontheirbrows,thatMaximilianofAustriahaddonewellin"trustingimplicitly,"asthemanifestran,"intheirsense,valor,experience,loyalty,andgoodwisdom."
Therewasoneexception,however.Itwasasubtle,intelligent,crafty–lookingface,asortofcombinedmonkeyanddiplomatphiz,beforewhomthecardinalmadethreestepsandaprofoundbow,andwhosename,nevertheless,wasonly,"GuillaumeRym,counsellorandpensioneroftheCityofGhent."
Araregeniuswhoinatimeofrevolutionwouldhavemadeabrilliantappearanceonthesurfaceofevents,butwhointhefifteenthcenturywasreducedtocavernousintrigues,andto"livinginmines,"astheDucdeSaint–Simonexpressesit.
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