English
Sixteenyearsprevioustotheepochwhenthisstorytakesplace,onefinemorning,onQuasimodoSunday,alivingcreaturehadbeendeposited,aftermass,inthechurchofNotre–Dame,onthewoodenbedsecurelyfixedinthevestibuleontheleft,oppositethatgreatimageofSaintChristopher,whichthefigureofMessireAntoinedesEssarts,chevalier,carvedinstone,hadbeengazingatonhiskneessince1413,whentheytookitintotheirheadstooverthrowthesaintandthefaithfulfollower.
Uponthisbedofwooditwascustomarytoexposefoundlingsforpubliccharity.Whoevercaredtotakethemdidso.
Infrontofthewoodenbedwasacopperbasinforalms.
ThesortoflivingbeingwhichlayuponthatplankonthemorningofQuasimodo,intheyearoftheLord,1467,appearedtoexcitetoahighdegree,thecuriosityofthenumerousgroupwhichhadcongregatedaboutthewoodenbed.
Thegroupwasformedforthemostpartofthefairsex.
Hardlyanyonewasthereexceptoldwomen.
Inthefirstrow,andamongthosewhoweremostbentoverthebed,fourwerenoticeable,who,fromtheirgray~cagoule~,asortofcassock,wererecognizableasattachedtosomedevoutsisterhood.
Idonotseewhyhistoryhasnottransmittedtoposteritythenamesofthesefourdiscreetandvenerabledamsels.
TheywereAgneslaHerme,JehannedelaTarme,HenriettelaGaultire,GauchrelaViolette,allfourwidows,allfourdamesoftheChapelEtienneHaudry,whohadquittedtheirhousewiththepermissionoftheirmistress,andinconformitywiththestatutesofPierred'Ailly,inordertocomeandhearthesermon.
However,ifthesegoodHaudrietteswere,forthemoment,complyingwiththestatutesofPierred'Ailly,theycertainlyviolatedwithjoythoseofMicheldeBrache,andtheCardinalofPisa,whichsoinhumanlyenjoinedsilenceuponthem.
"Whatisthis,sister?"saidAgnestoGauchre,gazingatthelittlecreatureexposed,whichwasscreamingandwrithingonthewoodenbed,terrifiedbysomanyglances.
"Whatistobecomeofus,"saidJehanne,"ifthatisthewaychildrenaremadenow?"
"I'mnotlearnedinthematterofchildren,"resumedAgnes,"butitmustbeasintolookatthisone."
"'Tisnotachild,Agnes."
"'Tisanabortionofamonkey,"remarkedGauchre.
"'Tisamiracle,"interposedHenriettelaGaultire.
"Then,"remarkedAgnes,"itisthethirdsincetheSundayofthe~Loetare~:for,inlessthanaweek,wehadthemiracleofthemockerofpilgrimsdivinelypunishedbyNotre–Damed'Aubervilliers,andthatwasthesecondmiraclewithinamonth."
"Thispretendedfoundlingisarealmonsterofabomination,"resumedJehanne.
"Heyellsloudenoughtodeafenachanter,"continuedGauchre."Holdyourtongue,youlittlehowler!"
"TothinkthatMonsieurofReimssentthisenormitytoMonsieurofParis,"addedlaGaultire,claspingherhands.
"Iimagine,"saidAgneslaHerme,"thatitisabeast,ananimal,—thefruitof—aJewandasow;somethingnotChristian,inshort,whichoughttobethrownintothefireorintothewater."
"Ireallyhope,"resumedlaGaultire,"thatnobodywillapplyforit."
"Ah,goodheavens!"exclaimedAgnes;"thosepoornursesyonderinthefoundlingasylum,whichformsthelowerendofthelaneasyougototheriver,justbesideMonseigneurthebishop!
whatifthislittlemonsterweretobecarriedtothemtosuckle?I'drathergivesucktoavampire."
"HowinnocentthatpoorlaHermeis!"resumedJehanne;"don'tyousee,sister,thatthislittlemonsterisatleastfouryearsold,andthathewouldhavelessappetiteforyourbreastthanforaturnspit."
The"littlemonster"weshouldfinditdifficultourselvestodescribehimotherwise,was,infact,notanew–bornchild.
Itwasaveryangularandverylivelylittlemass,imprisonedinitslinensack,stampedwiththecipherofMessireGuillaumeChartier,thenbishopofParis,withaheadprojecting.
Thatheadwasdeformedenough;onebeheldonlyaforestofredhair,oneeye,amouth,andteeth.
Theeyewept,themouthcried,andtheteethseemedtoaskonlytobeallowedtobite.
Thewholestruggledinthesack,tothegreatconsternationofthecrowd,whichincreasedandwasrenewedincessantlyaroundit.
DameAloisedeGondelaurier,arichandnoblewoman,whoheldbythehandaprettygirlaboutfiveorsixyearsofage,anddraggedalongveilabout,suspendedtothegoldenhornofherheaddress,haltedasshepassedthewoodenbed,andgazedforamomentatthewretchedcreature,whilehercharminglittledaughter,Fleur–de–LysdeGondelaurier,spelledoutwithhertiny,prettyfinger,thepermanentinscriptionattachedtothewoodenbed:"Foundlings."
"Really,"saidthedame,turningawayindisgust,"Ithoughtthattheyonlyexposedchildrenhere."
Sheturnedherback,throwingintothebasinasilverflorin,whichrangamongtheliards,andmadethepoorgoodwivesofthechapelofEtienneHaudryopentheireyes.
Amomentlater,thegraveandlearnedRobertMistricolle,theking'sprotonotary,passed,withanenormousmissalunderonearmandhiswifeontheother(DamoiselleGuillemettelaMairesse),havingthusbyhissidehistworegulators,—spiritualandtemporal.
"Foundling!"hesaid,afterexaminingtheobject;"found,apparently,onthebanksoftheriverPhlegethon."
"Onecanonlyseeoneeye,"observedDamoiselleGuillemette;"thereisawartontheother."
"It'snotawart,"returnedMasterRobertMistricolle,"itisaneggwhichcontainsanotherdemonexactlysimilar,whobearsanotherlittleeggwhichcontainsanotherdevil,andsoon."
"Howdoyouknowthat?"askedGuillemettelaMairesse.
"Iknowitpertinently,"repliedtheprotonotary.
"Monsieurleprotonotare,"askedGauchre,"whatdoyouprognosticateofthispretendedfoundling?"
"Thegreatestmisfortunes,"repliedMistricolle.
"Ah!goodheavens!"
saidanoldwomanamongthespectators,"andthatbesidesourhavinghadaconsiderablepestilencelastyear,andthattheysaythattheEnglisharegoingtodisembarkinacompanyatHarfleur."
"PerhapsthatwillpreventthequeenfromcomingtoParisinthemonthofSeptember,"interposedanother;"tradeissobadalready."
"Myopinionis,"exclaimedJehannedelaTarme,"thatitwouldbebetterfortheloutsofParis,ifthislittlemagicianwereputtobedonafagotthanonaplank."
"Afine,flamingfagot,"addedtheoldwoman.
"Itwouldbemoreprudent,"saidMistricolle.
Forseveralminutes,ayoungpriesthadbeenlisteningtothereasoningoftheHaudriettesandthesentencesofthenotary.
Hehadasevereface,withalargebrow,aprofoundglance.
Hethrustthecrowdsilentlyaside,scrutinizedthe"littlemagician,"andstretchedouthishanduponhim.
Itwashightime,forallthedevoteeswerealreadylickingtheirchopsoverthe"fine,flamingfagot."
"Iadoptthischild,"saidthepriest.
Hetookitinhiscassockandcarrieditoff.
Thespectatorsfollowedhimwithfrightenedglances.
Amomentlater,hehaddisappearedthroughthe"RedDoor,"whichthenledfromthechurchtothecloister.
Whenthefirstsurprisewasover,JehannedelaTarmebentdowntotheearoflaGaultire,—
"Itoldyouso,sister,—thatyoungclerk,MonsieurClaudeFrollo,isasorcerer."
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