ClaudeFrollowasnolongerthesimplescholarofthecollegeofTorch,thetenderprotectorofalittlechild,theyounganddreamyphilosopherwhoknewmanythingsandwasignorantofmany.
Hewasapriest,austere,grave,morose;onechargedwithsouls;monsieurthearchdeaconofJosas,thebishop'ssecondacolyte,havingchargeofthetwodeaneriesofMontlhéry,andChâteaufort,andonehundredandseventy–fourcountrycuracies.
Hewasanimposingandsombrepersonage,beforewhomthechoirboysinalbandinjackettrembled,aswellasthemachicots*,andthebrothersofSaint–AugustineandthematutinalclerksofNotre–Dame,whenhepassedslowlybeneaththeloftyarchesofthechoir,majestic,thoughtful,witharmsfoldedandhisheadsobentuponhisbreastthatallonesawofhisfacewashislarge,baldbrow.
DomClaudeFrollohad,however,abandonedneithersciencenortheeducationofhisyoungbrother,thosetwooccupationsofhislife.
LittleJehanFrollo,surnamed(~duMoulin~)"oftheMill"becauseoftheplacewherehehadbeenreared,hadnotgrownupinthedirectionwhichClaudewouldhavelikedtoimposeuponhim.
Butthelittlebrother,likethoseyoungtreeswhichdeceivethegardener'shopesandturnobstinatelytothequarterwhencetheyreceivesunandair,thelittlebrotherdidnotgrowanddidnotmultiply,butonlyputforthfinebushyandluxuriantbranchesonthesideoflaziness,ignorance,anddebauchery.
Hewasaregulardevil,andaverydisorderlyone,whomadeDomClaudescowl;butverydrollandverysubtle,whichmadethebigbrothersmile.
ClaudehadconfidedhimtothatsamecollegeofTorchiwherehehadpassedhisearlyyearsinstudyandmeditation;anditwasagrieftohimthatthissanctuary,formerlyedifiedbythenameofFrollo,shouldto–daybescandalizedbyit.
Nowitwasa~bejaune~oryellowbeak(astheycalledthenewarrivalsattheuniversity),whomhehadbeenmaulingbywayofwelcome;aprecioustraditionwhichhasbeencarefullypreservedtoourownday.
Again,hehadsetinmovementabandofscholars,whohadflungthemselvesuponawine–shopinclassicfashion,quasi~classicoexcitati~,hadthenbeatenthetavern–keeper"withoffensivecudgels,"andjoyouslypillagedthetavern,eventosmashinginthehogsheadsofwineinthecellar.
AndthenitwasafinereportinLatin,whichthesub–monitorofTorchicarriedpiteouslytoDomClaudewiththisdolorousmarginalcomment,—~Rixa;primacausavinumoptimumpotatum~.
Finally,itwassaid,athingquitehorribleinaboyofsixteen,thathisdebaucheryoftenextendedasfarastheRuedeGlatigny.
Claude,saddenedanddiscouragedinhishumanaffections,byallthis,hadflunghimselfeagerlyintothearmsoflearning,thatsisterwhich,atleastdoesnotlaughinyourface,andwhichalwayspaysyou,thoughinmoneythatissometimesalittlehollow,fortheattentionwhichyouhavepaidtoher.
Hence,hebecamemoreandmorelearned,and,atthesametime,asanaturalconsequence,moreandmorerigidasapriest,moreandmoresadasaman.
Thereareforeachofusseveralparallelismsbetweenourintelligence,ourhabits,andourcharacter,whichdevelopwithoutabreak,andbreakonlyinthegreatdisturbancesoflife.
AsClaudeFrollohadpassedthroughnearlytheentirecircleofhumanlearning—positive,exterior,andpermissible—sincehisyouth,hewasobliged,unlesshecametoahalt,~ubidefuitorbis~,toproceedfurtherandseekotheralimentsfortheinsatiableactivityofhisintelligence.
Manygravepersonsaffirmthat,afterhavingexhaustedthe~fas~ofhumanlearning,hehaddaredtopenetrateintothe~nefas~.
Hehad,theysaid,tastedinsuccessionalltheapplesofthetreeofknowledge,and,whetherfromhungerordisgust,hadendedbytastingtheforbiddenfruit.
Hehadtakenhisplacebyturns,asthereaderhasseen,intheconferencesofthetheologiansinSorbonne,—intheassembliesofthedoctorsofart,afterthemannerofSaint–Hilaire,—inthedisputesofthedecretalists,afterthemannerofSaint–Martin,—inthecongregationsofphysiciansattheholywaterfontofNotre–Dame,~adcupamNostroe–Dominoe~.
Allthedishespermittedandapproved,whichthosefourgreatkitchenscalledthefourfacultiescouldelaborateandservetotheunderstanding,hehaddevoured,andhadbeensatiatedwiththembeforehishungerwasappeased.
Thenhehadpenetratedfurther,lower,beneathallthatfinished,material,limitedknowledge;hehad,perhaps,riskedhissoul,andhadseatedhimselfinthecavernatthatmysterioustableofthealchemists,oftheastrologers,ofthehermetics,ofwhichAverros,GillaumedeParis,andNicolasFlamelholdtheendintheMiddleAges;andwhichextendsintheEast,bythelightoftheseven–branchedcandlestick,toSolomon,Pythagoras,andZoroaster.
ItiscertainthatthearchdeaconoftenvisitedthecemeteryoftheSaints–Innocents,where,itistrue,hisfatherandmotherhadbeenburied,withothervictimsoftheplagueof1466;butthatheappearedfarlessdevoutbeforethecrossoftheirgravethanbeforethestrangefigureswithwhichthetombofNicolasFlamelandClaudePernelle,erectedjustbesideit,wasloaded.
ItiscertainthathehadfrequentlybeenseentopassalongtheRuedesLombards,andfurtivelyenteralittlehousewhichformedthecorneroftheRuedesEcrivansandtheRueMarivault.
ItwasthehousewhichNicolasFlamelhadbuilt,wherehehaddiedabout1417,andwhich,constantlydesertedsincethattime,hadalreadybeguntofallinruins,—sogreatlyhadthehermeticsandthealchemistsofallcountrieswastedawaythewalls,merelybycarvingtheirnamesuponthem.
Someneighborsevenaffirmthattheyhadonceseen,throughanair–hole,ArchdeaconClaudeexcavating,turningover,digginguptheearthinthetwocellars,whosesupportshadbeendaubedwithnumberlesscoupletsandhieroglyphicsbyNicolasFlamelhimself.
ItwassupposedthatFlamelhadburiedthephilosopher'sstoneinthecellar;andthealchemists,forthespaceoftwocenturies,fromMagistritoFatherPacifique,neverceasedtoworrythesoiluntilthehouse,socruellyransackedandturnedover,endedbyfallingintodustbeneaththeirfeet.
Again,itiscertainthatthearchdeaconhadbeenseizedwithasingularpassionforthesymbolicaldoorofNotre–Dame,thatpageofaconjuringbookwritteninstone,byBishopGuillaumedeParis,whohas,nodoubt,beendamnedforhavingaffixedsoinfernalafrontispiecetothesacredpoemchantedbytherestoftheedifice.
ArchdeaconClaudehadthecreditalsoofhavingfathomedthemysteryofthecolossusofSaintChristopher,andofthatlofty,enigmaticalstatuewhichthenstoodattheentranceofthevestibule,andwhichthepeople,inderision,called"MonsieurLegris."
But,whateveryonemighthavenoticedwastheinterminablehourswhichheoftenemployed,seatedupontheparapetoftheareainfrontofthechurch,incontemplatingthesculpturesofthefront;examiningnowthefoolishvirginswiththeirlampsreversed,nowthewisevirginswiththeirlampsupright;again,calculatingtheangleofvisionofthatravenwhichbelongstotheleftfront,andwhichislookingatamysteriouspointinsidethechurch,whereisconcealedthephilosopher'sstone,ifitbenotinthecellarofNicolasFlamel.
Itwas,letusremarkinpassing,asingularfatefortheChurchofNotre–Dameatthatepochtobesobeloved,intwodifferentdegrees,andwithsomuchdevotion,bytwobeingssodissimilarasClaudeandQuasimodo.
Belovedbyone,asortofinstinctiveandsavagehalf–man,foritsbeauty,foritsstature,fortheharmonieswhichemanatedfromitsmagnificentensemble;belovedbytheother,alearnedandpassionateimagination,foritsmyth,forthesensewhichitcontains,forthesymbolismscatteredbeneaththesculpturesofitsfront,—likethefirsttextunderneaththesecondinapalimpsest,—inaword,fortheenigmawhichitiseternallypropoundingtotheunderstanding.
Furthermore,itiscertainthatthearchdeaconhadestablishedhimselfinthatoneofthetwotowerswhichlooksupontheGrève,justbesidetheframeforthebells,averysecretlittlecell,intowhichnoone,noteventhebishop,enteredwithouthisleave,itwassaid.
Thistinycellhadformerlybeenmadealmostatthesummitofthetower,amongtheravens'nests,byBishopHugodeBesanon*whohadwroughtsorcerythereinhisday.
Whatthatcellcontained,nooneknew;butfromthestrandoftheTerrain,atnight,therewasoftenseentoappear,disappear,andreappearatbriefandregularintervals,atalittledormerwindowopeninguponthebackofthetower,acertainred,intermittent,singularlightwhichseemedtofollowthepantingbreathsofabellows,andtoproceedfromaflame,ratherthanfromalight.
Inthedarkness,atthatheight,itproducedasingulareffect;andthegoodwivessaid:"There'sthearchdeaconblowing!hellissparklingupyonder!"
Therewerenogreatproofsofsorceryinthat,afterall,buttherewasstillenoughsmoketowarrantasurmiseoffire,andthearchdeaconboreatolerablyformidablereputation.
Weoughttomentionhowever,thatthesciencesofEgypt,thatnecromancyandmagic,eventhewhitest,eventhemostinnocent,hadnomoreenvenomedenemy,nomorepitilessdenunciatorbeforethegentlemenoftheofficialtyofNotre–Dame.
atallevents,itdidnotpreventthearchdeaconfrombeingconsideredbythelearnedheadsofthechapter,asasoulwhohadventuredintothevestibuleofhell,whowaslostinthecavesofthecabal,gropingamidtheshadowsoftheoccultsciences.
Neitherwerethepeopledeceivedthereby;withanyonewhopossessedanysagacity,Quasimodopassedforthedemon;ClaudeFrollo,forthesorcerer.
Itwasevidentthatthebellringerwastoservethearchdeaconforagiventime,attheendofwhichhewouldcarryawaythelatter'ssoul,bywayofpayment.
Thusthearchdeacon,inspiteoftheexcessiveausterityofhislife,wasinbadodoramongallpioussouls;andtherewasnodevoutnosesoinexperiencedthatitcouldnotsmellhimouttobeamagician.
Thatatleast,iswhatonehadgroundsforbelievingonscrutinizingthatfaceuponwhichthesoulwasonlyseentoshinethroughasombrecloud.Whencethatlarge,baldbrow?thatheadforeverbent?thatbreastalwaysheavingwithsighs?
Whatsecretthoughtcausedhismouthtosmilewithsomuchbitterness,atthesamemomentthathisscowlingbrowsapproachedeachotherliketwobullsonthepointoffighting?
Whatwasthatinternalfirewhichsometimesbrokeforthinhisglance,tosuchadegreethathiseyeresembledaholepiercedinthewallofafurnace?
Thesesymptomsofaviolentmoralpreoccupation,hadacquiredanespeciallyhighdegreeofintensityattheepochwhenthisstorytakesplace.
Morethanonce,inthechoir,atthehouroftheoffices,hisneighborinthestallshadheardhimminglewiththeplainsong,~adomnemtonum~,unintelligibleparentheses.
MorethanoncethelaundressoftheTerraincharged"withwashingthechapter"hadobserved,notwithoutaffright,themarksofnailsandclenchedfingersonthesurpliceofmonsieurthearchdeaconofJosas.
Byprofessionaswellasbycharacter,hehadalwaysheldhimselfalooffromwomen;heseemedtohatethemmorethanever.
Uponthisscorehewassojealousofausterityandreserve,thatwhentheDamedeBeaujeu,theking'sdaughter,cametovisitthecloisterofNotre–Dame,inthemonthofDecember,1481,hegravelyopposedherentrance,remindingthebishopofthestatuteoftheBlackBook,datingfromthevigilofSaint–Barthélemy,1334,whichinterdictsaccesstothecloisterto"anywomanwhatever,oldoryoung,mistressormaid."
UponwhichthebishophadbeenconstrainedtorecitetohimtheordinanceofLegateOdo,whichexceptscertaingreatdames,~aliquoemagnatesmulieres,quoesinescandalovitarinonpossunt~.
Andagainthearchdeaconhadprotested,objectingthattheordinanceofthelegate,whichdatedbackto1207,wasanteriorbyahundredandtwenty–sevenyearstotheBlackBook,andconsequentlywasabrogatedinfactbyit.
HehadpetitionedthebishopforanedictwhichexpresslyforbadetheBohemianwomentocomeanddanceandbeattheirtambourinesontheplaceoftheParvis;andforaboutthesamelengthoftime,hehadbeenransackingthemouldyplacardsoftheofficialty,inordertocollectthecasesofsorcerersandwitchescondemnedtofireortherope,forcomplicityincrimeswithrams,sows,orgoats.
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