Hebelongedtooneofthosemiddle–classfamilieswhichwerecalledindifferently,intheimpertinentlanguageofthelastcentury,thehigh~bourgeoise~orthepettynobility.
ThisfamilyhadinheritedfromthebrothersPacletthefiefofTirechappe,whichwasdependentupontheBishopofParis,andwhosetwenty–onehouseshadbeeninthethirteenthcenturytheobjectofsomanysuitsbeforetheofficial.
Aspossessorofthisfief,ClaudeFrollowasoneofthetwenty–sevenseigneurskeepingclaimtoamanorinfeeinParisanditssuburbs;andforalongtime,hisnamewastobeseeninscribedinthisquality,betweentheHôteldeTancarville,belongingtoMasterFranoisLeRez,andthecollegeofTours,intherecordsdepositedatSaintMartindesChamps.
Moreover,hewasasad,grave,seriouschild,whostudiedardently,andlearnedquickly;heneverutteredaloudcryinrecreationhour,mixedbutlittleinthebacchanalsoftheRueduFouarre,didnotknowwhatitwasto~darealapasetcapilloslaniare~,andhadcutnofigureinthatrevoltof1463,whichtheannalistsregistergravely,underthetitleof"ThesixthtroubleoftheUniversity."
HeseldomralliedthepoorstudentsofMontaiguonthe~cappettes~fromwhichtheyderivedtheirname,orthebursarsofthecollegeofDormansontheirshavedtonsure,andtheirsurtoutparti–coloredofbluish–green,blue,andvioletcloth,~azurinicolorisetbruni~,assaysthecharteroftheCardinaldesQuatre–Couronnes.
ThefirstpupilwhomtheAbbédeSaintPierredeVal,atthemomentofbeginninghisreadingoncanonlaw,alwaysperceived,gluedtoapillaroftheschoolSaint–Vendregesile,oppositehisrostrum,wasClaudeFrollo,armedwithhishornink–bottle,bitinghispen,scribblingonhisthreadbareknee,and,inwinter,blowingonhisfingers.
ThefirstauditorwhomMessireMilesd'Isliers,doctorindecretals,sawarriveeveryMondaymorning,allbreathless,attheopeningofthegatesoftheschooloftheChef–Saint–Denis,wasClaudeFrollo.
Thus,atsixteenyearsofage,theyoungclerkmighthaveheldhisown,inmysticaltheology,againstafatherofthechurch;incanonicaltheology,againstafatherofthecouncils;inscholastictheology,againstadoctorofSorbonne.
Fromthe"MasterofSentences,"hehadpassedtothe"CapitulariesofCharlemagne;"andhehaddevouredinsuccession,inhisappetiteforscience,decretalsupondecretals,thoseofTheodore,BishopofHispalus;thoseofBouchard,BishopofWorms;thoseofYves,BishopofChartres;nextthedecretalofGratian,whichsucceededthecapitulariesofCharlemagne;thenthecollectionofGregoryIX.;thentheEpistleof~Superspecula~,ofHonoriusIII.
Herenderedclearandfamiliartohimselfthatvastandtumultuousperiodofcivillawandcanonlawinconflictandatstrifewitheachother,inthechaosoftheMiddleAges,—aperiodwhichBishopTheodoreopensin618,andwhichPopeGregoryclosesin1227.
Hestudiedthescienceofherbs,thescienceofunguents;hebecameanexpertinfeversandincontusions,insprainsandabcesses.
Attheageofeighteen,hehadmadehiswaythroughthefourfaculties;itseemedtotheyoungmanthatlifehadbutonesoleobject:learning.
Itwastowardsthisepoch,thattheexcessiveheatofthesummerof1466causedthatgrandoutburstoftheplaguewhichcarriedoffmorethanfortythousandsoulsinthevicomtyofParis,andamongothers,asJeandeTroyesstates,"MasterArnoul,astrologertotheking,whowasaveryfineman,bothwiseandpleasant."
ThiswasallthatremainedtoClaudeofhisfamily;theyoungmantookthechildunderhisarmandwentoffinapensivemood.
Orphaned,theeldest,headofthefamilyattheageofnineteen,hefelthimselfrudelyrecalledfromthereveriesofschooltotherealitiesofthisworld.
Then,movedwithpity,hewasseizedwithpassionanddevotiontowardsthatchild,hisbrother;asweetandstrangethingwasahumanaffectiontohim,whohadhithertolovedhisbooksalone.
Separatedsinceinfancyfromhisparents,whomhehadhardlyknown;cloisteredandimmured,asitwere,inhisbooks;eageraboveallthingstostudyandtolearn;exclusivelyattentiveuptothattime,tohisintelligencewhichbroadenedinscience,tohisimagination,whichexpandedinletters,—thepoorscholarhadnotyethadtimetofeeltheplaceofhisheart.
Thisyoungbrother,withoutmotherorfather,thislittlechildwhichhadfallenabruptlyfromheavenintohisarms,madeanewmanofhim.
HeperceivedthattherewassomethingelseintheworldbesidesthespeculationsoftheSorbonne,andtheversesofHomer;thatmanneededaffections;thatlifewithouttendernessandwithoutlovewasonlyasetofdry,shrieking,andrendingwheels.
Only,heimagined,forhewasattheagewhenillusionsareasyetreplacedonlybyillusions,thattheaffectionsofbloodandfamilywerethesoleonesnecessary,andthatalittlebrothertolovesufficedtofillanentireexistence.
Hethrewhimself,therefore,intotheloveforhislittleJehanwiththepassionofacharacteralreadyprofound,ardent,concentrated;thatpoorfrailcreature,pretty,fair–haired,rosy,andcurly,—thatorphanwithanotherorphanforhisonlysupport,touchedhimtothebottomofhisheart;andgravethinkerashewas,hesettomeditatinguponJehanwithaninfinitecompassion.
BesidesthefiefofTirechappe,hehadinheritedfromhisfatherthefiefofMoulin,whichwasadependencyofthesquaretowerofGentilly;itwasamillonahill,nearthechâteauofWinchestre(Bictre).
Therewasamiller'swifetherewhowasnursingafinechild;itwasnotfarfromtheuniversity,andClaudecarriedthelittleJehantoherinhisownarms.
HeresolvedtoconsecratehimselfentirelytoafutureforwhichhewasresponsibleinthesightofGod,andnevertohaveanyotherwife,anyotherchildthanthehappinessandfortuneofhisbrother.
Hismerits,hislearning,hisqualityofimmediatevassaloftheBishopofParis,threwthedoorsofthechurchwideopentohim.
Attheageoftwenty,byspecialdispensationoftheHolySee,hewasapriest,andservedastheyoungestofthechaplainsofNotre–Damethealtarwhichiscalled,becauseofthelatemasswhichissaidthere,~altarepigrorum~.
There,plungedmoredeeplythaneverinhisdearbooks,whichhequittedonlytorunforanhourtothefiefofMoulin,thismixtureoflearningandausterity,sorareathisage,hadpromptlyacquiredforhimtherespectandadmirationofthemonastery.
Fromthecloister,hisreputationasalearnedmanhadpassedtothepeople,amongwhomithadchangedalittle,afrequentoccurrenceatthattime,intoreputationasasorcerer.
Itwasatthemomentwhenhewasreturning,onQuasimododay,fromsayinghismassattheAltaroftheLazy,whichwasbythesideofthedoorleadingtothenaveontheright,neartheimageoftheVirgin,thathisattentionhadbeenattractedbythegroupofoldwomenchatteringaroundthebedforfoundlings.
Thatdistress,thatdeformity,thatabandonment,thethoughtofhisyoungbrother,theideawhichsuddenlyoccurredtohim,thatifheweretodie,hisdearlittleJehanmightalsobeflungmiserablyontheplankforfoundlings,—allthishadgonetohisheartsimultaneously;agreatpityhadmovedinhim,andhehadcarriedoffthechild.
Thepoorlittlewretchhadawartonhislefteye,hisheadplaceddirectlyonhisshoulders,hisspinalcolumnwascrooked,hisbreastboneprominent,andhislegsbowed;butheappearedtobelively;andalthoughitwasimpossibletosayinwhatlanguagehelisped,hiscryindicatedconsiderableforceandhealth.
Claude'scompassionincreasedatthesightofthisugliness;andhemadeavowinhishearttorearthechildfortheloveofhisbrother,inorderthat,whatevermightbethefuturefaultsofthelittleJehan,heshouldhavebesidehimthatcharitydoneforhissake.
Itwasasortofinvestmentofgoodworks,whichhewaseffectinginthenameofhisyoungbrother;itwasastockofgoodworkswhichhewishedtoamassinadvanceforhim,incasethelittlerogueshouldsomedayfindhimselfshortofthatcoin,theonlysortwhichisreceivedatthetoll–barofparadise.
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