Thereremainsto–daybutaveryimperceptiblevestigeofthePlacedeGréve,suchasitexistedthen;itconsistsinthecharminglittleturret,whichoccupiestheanglenorthofthePlace,andwhich,alreadyenshroudedintheignobleplasterwhichfillswithpastethedelicatelinesofitssculpture,wouldsoonhavedisappeared,perhapssubmergedbythatfloodofnewhouseswhichsorapidlydevoursalltheancientfaadesofParis.
Thepersonswho,likeourselves,nevercrossthePlacedeGrévewithoutcastingaglanceofpityandsympathyonthatpoorturretstrangledbetweentwohovelsofthetimeofLouisXV.,caneasilyreconstructintheirmindstheaggregateofedificestowhichitbelonged,andfindagainentireinittheancientGothicplaceofthefifteenthcentury.
Itwasthen,asitisto–day,anirregulartrapezoid,borderedononesidebythequay,andontheotherthreebyaseriesoflofty,narrow,andgloomyhouses.
Byday,onecouldadmirethevarietyofitsedifices,allsculpturedinstoneorwood,andalreadypresentingcompletespecimensofthedifferentdomesticarchitecturesoftheMiddleAges,runningbackfromthefifteenthtotheeleventhcentury,fromthecasementwhichhadbeguntodethronethearch,totheRomansemicircle,whichhadbeensupplantedbytheogive,andwhichstilloccupies,belowit,thefirststoryofthatancienthousedelaTourRoland,atthecornerofthePlaceupontheSeine,onthesideofthestreetwiththeTannerie.
Atnight,onecoulddistinguishnothingofallthatmassofbuildings,excepttheblackindentationoftheroofs,unrollingtheirchainofacuteanglesroundtheplace;foroneoftheradicaldifferencesbetweenthecitiesofthattime,andthecitiesofthepresentday,layinthefaadeswhichlookedupontheplacesandstreets,andwhichwerethengables.
InthecentreoftheeasternsideofthePlace,roseaheavyandhybridconstruction,formedofthreebuildingsplacedinjuxtaposition.
Itwascalledbythreenameswhichexplainitshistory,itsdestination,anditsarchitecture:"TheHouseoftheDauphin,"becauseCharlesV.,whenDauphin,hadinhabitedit;"TheMarchandise,"becauseithadservedastownhall;and"ThePillaredHouse"(~domusadpiloria~),becauseofaseriesoflargepillarswhichsustainedthethreestories.
ThecityfoundthereallthatisrequiredforacitylikeParis;achapelinwhichtopraytoGod;a~plaidoyer~,orpleadingroom,inwhichtoholdhearings,andtorepel,atneed,theKing'speople;andundertheroof,an~arsenac~fullofartillery.
ForthebourgeoisofPariswereawarethatitisnotsufficienttoprayineveryconjuncture,andtopleadforthefranchisesofthecity,andtheyhadalwaysinreserve,inthegarretofthetownhall,afewgoodrustyarquebuses.
TheGrévehadthenthatsinisteraspectwhichitpreservesto–dayfromtheexecrableideaswhichitawakens,andfromthesombretownhallofDominiqueBocador,whichhasreplacedthePillaredHouse.
Itmustbeadmittedthatapermanentgibbetandapillory,"ajusticeandaladder,"astheywerecalledinthatday,erectedsidebysideinthecentreofthepavement,contributednotalittletocauseeyestobeturnedawayfromthatfatalplace,wheresomanybeingsfulloflifeandhealthhaveagonized;where,fiftyyearslater,thatfeverofSaintVallierwasdestinedtohaveitsbirth,thatterrorofthescaffold,themostmonstrousofallmaladiesbecauseitcomesnotfromGod,butfromman.
Itisaconsolingidea(letusremarkinpassing),tothinkthatthedeathpenalty,whichthreehundredyearsagostillencumberedwithitsironwheels,itsstonegibbets,andallitsparaphernaliaoftorture,permanentandrivetedtothepavement,theGréve,theHalles,thePlaceDauphine,theCrossduTrahoir,theMarchéauxPourceaux,thathideousMontfauon,thebarrierdesSergents,thePlaceauxChats,thePorteSaint–Denis,Champeaux,thePorteBaudets,thePorteSaintJacques,withoutreckoningtheinnumerableladdersoftheprovosts,thebishopofthechapters,oftheabbots,ofthepriors,whohadthedecreeoflifeanddeath,—withoutreckoningthejudicialdrowningsintheriverSeine;itisconsolingto–day,afterhavinglostsuccessivelyallthepiecesofitsarmor,itsluxuryoftorment,itspenaltyofimaginationandfancy,itstortureforwhichitreconstructedeveryfiveyearsaleatherbedattheGrandChâtelet,thatancientsuzerainoffeudalsocietyalmostexpungedfromourlawsandourcities,huntedfromcodetocode,chasedfromplacetoplace,hasnolonger,inourimmenseParis,anymorethanadishonoredcorneroftheGréve,—thanamiserableguillotine,furtive,uneasy,shameful,whichseemsalwaysafraidofbeingcaughtintheact,soquicklydoesitdisappearafterhavingdealtitsblow.
Share this article to
FINISH