the hunchback of notre dame-第44章

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a　metal；　gold　is　light。　　Lead　requires　only　four　periods　of　two　hundred　years　each；　to　pass　in　succession　from　the　state　of　lead；　to　the　state　of　red　arsenic；　from　red　arsenic　to　tin；　from　tin　to　silver。　　Are　not　these　facts？　　But　to　believe　in　the　collar　bone；　in　the　full　line　and　in　the　stars；　is　as　ridiculous　as　to　believe　with　the　inhabitants　of　Grand…Cathay　that　the　golden　oriole　turns　into　a　mole；　and　that　grains　of　wheat　turn　into　fish　of　the　carp　species。〃

〃I　have　studied　hermetic　science！〃　exclaimed　Coictier；　〃and　I　affirm〃

The　fiery　archdeacon　did　not　allow　him　to　finish：　〃And　I　have　studied　medicine；　astrology；　and　hermetics。　　Here　alone　is　the　truth。〃　（As　he　spoke　thus；　he　took　from　the　top　of　the　coffer　a　phial　filled　with　the　powder　which　we　have　mentioned　above）；　〃here　alone　is　light！　　Hippocrates　is　a　dream；　Urania　is　a　dream；　Hermes；　a　thought。　　Gold　is　the　sun；　to　make　gold　is　to　be　God。　　Herein　lies　the　one　and　only　science。　I　have　sounded　the　depths　of　medicine　and　astrology；　I　tell　you！　　Naught；　nothingness！　　The　human　body；　shadows！　the　planets；　shadows！〃

And　he　fell　back　in　his　armchair　in　a　commanding　and　inspired　attitude。　　Gossip　Touraugeau　watched　him　in　silence。　Coictier　tried　to　grin；　shrugged　his　shoulders　imperceptibly；　and　repeated　in　a　low　voice；

〃A　madman！〃

〃And；〃　said　Tourangeau　suddenly；　〃the　wondrous　result；　have　you　attained　it；　have　you　made　gold？〃

〃If　I　had　made　it；〃　replied　the　archdeacon；　articulating　his　words　slowly；　like　a　man　who　is　reflecting；　〃the　king　of　France　would　be　named　Claude　and　not　Louis。〃

The　stranger　frowned。

〃What　am　I　saying？〃　resumed　Dom　Claude；　with　a　smile　of　disdain。　　〃What　would　the　throne　of　France　be　to　me　when　I　could　rebuild　the　empire　of　the　Orient？〃

〃Very　good！〃　said　the　stranger。

〃Oh；　the　poor　fool！〃　murmured　Coictier。

The　archdeacon　went　on；　appearing　to　reply　now　only　to　his　thoughts；

〃But　no；　I　am　still　crawling；　I　am　scratching　my　face　and　knees　against　the　pebbles　of　the　subterranean　pathway。　　I　catch　a　glimpse；　I　do　not　contemplate！　　I　do　not　read；　I　spell　out！〃

〃And　when　you　know　how　to　read！〃　demanded　the　stranger；　〃will　you　make　gold？〃

〃Who　doubts　it？〃　said　the　archdeacon。

〃In　that　case　Our　Lady　knows　that　I　am　greatly　in　need　of　money；　and　I　should　much　desire　to　read　in　your　books。　　Tell　me；　reverend　master；　is　your　science　inimical　or　displeasing　to　Our　Lady？〃

〃Whose　archdeacon　I　am？〃　Dom　Claude　contented　himself　with　replying；　with　tranquil　hauteur。

〃That　is　true；　my　master。　　Well！　will　it　please　you　to　initiate　me？　　Let　me　spell　with　you。〃

Claude　assumed　the　majestic　and　pontifical　attitude　of　a　Samuel。

〃Old　man；　it　requires　longer　years　than　remain　to　you；　to　undertake　this　voyage　across　mysterious　things。　　Your　head　is　very　gray！　　One　comes　forth　from　the　cavern　only　with　white　hair；　but　only　those　with　dark　hair　enter　it。　　Science　alone　knows　well　how　to　hollow；　wither；　and　dry　up　human　faces；　she　needs　not　to　have　old　age　bring　her　faces　already　furrowed。　　Nevertheless；　if　the　desire　possesses　you　of　putting　yourself　under　discipline　at　your　age；　and　of　deciphering　the　formidable　alphabet　of　the　sages；　come　to　me；　'tis　well；　I　will　make　the　effort。　　I　will　not　tell　you；　poor　old　man；　to　go　and　visit　the　sepulchral　chambers　of　the　pyramids；　of　which　ancient　Herodotus　speaks；　nor　the　brick　tower　of　Babylon；　nor　the　immense　white　marble　sanctuary　of　the　Indian　temple　of　Eklinga。　　I；　no　more　than　yourself；　have　seen　the　Chaldean　masonry　works　constructed　according　to　the　sacred　form　of　the　Sikra；　nor　the　temple　of　Solomon；　which　is　destroyed；　nor　the　stone　doors　of　the　sepulchre　of　the　kings　of　Israel；　which　are　broken。　　We　will　content　ourselves　with　the　fragments　of　the　book　of　Hermes　which　we　have　here。　I　will　explain　to　you　the　statue　of　Saint　Christopher；　the　symbol　of　the　sower；　and　that　of　the　two　angels　which　are　on　the　front　of　the　Sainte…Chapelle；　and　one　of　which　holds　in　his　hands　a　vase；　the　other；　a　cloud〃

Here　Jacques　Coictier；　who　had　been　unhorsed　by　the　archdeacon's　impetuous　replies；　regained　his　saddle；　and　interrupted　him　with　the　triumphant　tone　of　one　learned　man　correcting　another；〃~Erras　amice　Claudi~。　　The　symbol　is　not　the　number。　　You　take　Orpheus　for　Hermes。〃

〃'Tis　you　who　are　in　error；〃　replied　the　archdeacon；　gravely。　〃Daedalus　is　the　base；　Orpheus　is　the　wall；　Hermes　is　the　edifice；that　is　all。　　You　shall　come　when　you　will；〃　he　continued；　turning　to　Tourangeau；　〃I　will　show　you　the　little　parcels　of　gold　which　remained　at　the　bottom　of　Nicholas　Flamel's　alembic；　and　you　shall　compare　them　with　the　gold　of　Guillaume　de　Paris。　　I　will　teach　you　the　secret　virtues　of　the　Greek　word；　~peristera~。　　But；　first　of　all；　I　will　make　you　read；　one　after　the　other；　the　marble　letters　of　the　alphabet；　the　granite　pages　of　the　book。　　We　shall　go　to　the　portal　of　Bishop　Guillaume　and　of　Saint…Jean　le　Rond　at　the　Sainte…　Chapelle；　then　to　the　house　of　Nicholas　Flamel；　Rue　Manvault；　to　his　tomb；　which　is　at　the　Saints…Innocents；　to　his　two　hospitals；　Rue　de　Montmorency。　　I　will　make　you　read　the　hieroglyphics　which　cover　the　four　great　iron　cramps　on　the　portal　of　the　hospital　Saint…Gervais；　and　of　the　Rue　de　la　Ferronnerie。　　We　will　spell　out　in　company；　also；　the　fa？ade　of　Saint…Come；　of　Sainte…Geneviève…des…Ardents；　of　Saint　Martin；　of　Saint…Jacques　de　la　Boucherie。〃

For　a　long　time；　Gossip　Tourangeau；　intelligent　as　was　his　glance；　had　appeared　not　to　understand　Dom　Claude。　　He　interrupted。

〃~Pasque…dieu~！　what　are　your　books；　then？〃

〃Here　is　one　of　them；〃　said　the　archdeacon。

And　opening　the　window　of　his　cell　he　pointed　out　with　his　finger　the　immense　church　of　Notre…Dame；　which；　outlining　against　the　starry　sky　the　black　silhouette　of　its　two　towers；　its　stone　flanks；　its　monstrous　haunches；　seemed　an　enormous　two…headed　sphinx；　seated　in　the　middle　of　the　city。

The　archdeacon　gazed　at　the　gigantic　edifice　for　some　time　in　silence；　then　extending　his　right　hand；　with　a　sigh；　towards　the　printed　book　which　lay　open　on　the　table；　and　his　left　towards　Notre…Dame；　and　turning　a　sad　glance　from　the　book　to　the　church；〃Alas；〃　he　said；　〃this　will　kill　that。〃

Coictier；　who　had　eagerly　approached　the　book；　could　not　repress　an　exclamation。　　〃Hé；　but　now；　what　is　there　so　formidable　in　this：　'GLOSSA　IN　EPISTOLAS　D。　PAULI；　~Norimbergoe；　Antonius　Koburger~；　1474。'　　This　is　not　new。　　'Tis　a　book　of　Pierre　Lombard；　the　Master　of　Sentences。　　Is　it　because　it　is　printed？〃

〃You　have　said　it；〃　replied　Claude；　who　seemed　absorbed　in　a　profound　meditation；　and　stood　resting；　his　forefinger　bent　backward　on　the　folio　which　had　come　from　the　famous　press　of　Nuremberg。　　Then　he　added　these　mysterious　words：　〃Alas！　alas！　small　things　come　at　the　end　of　great　things；　a　tooth　triumphs　over　a　mass。　　The　Nile　rat　kills　the　crocodile；　the　swordfish　kills　the　whale；　the　book　will　kill　the　edifice。〃

The　curfew　of　the　cloister　sounded　at　the　moment　when　Master　Jacques　was　repeating　to　his　companion　in　low　tones；　his　eternal　refrain；　〃He　is　mad！〃　To　which　his　companion　this　time　replied；　〃I　believe　that　he　is。〃

It　was　the　hour　when　no　stranger　could　remain　in　the　cloister。　　The　two　visitors　withdrew。　　〃Master；〃　said　Gossip　Tourangeau；　as　he　took　leave　of　the　archdeacon；　〃I　love　wise　men　and　great　minds；　and　I　hold　you　in　singular　esteem。　Come　to…morrow　to　the　Palace　des　Tournelles；　and　inquire　for　the　Abbé　de　Sainte…Martin；　of　Tours。〃

The　archdeacon　returned　to　his　chamber　dumbfounded；　comprehending　at　last　who　Gossip　Tourangeau　was；　and　recalling　that　passage　of　the　register　of　Sainte…Martin；　of　Tours：　~Abbas　beati　Martini；　SCILICET　REX　FRANCIAE；　est　canonicus　de　consuetudine　et　habet　parvam　proebendam　quam　habet　sanctus　Venantius；　et　debet　sedere　in　sede　thesaurarii~。

It　is　asserted　that　after　that　epoch　the　archdeacon　had　frequent　conferences　with　Louis　XI。；　when　his　majesty　came　to　Paris；　and　that　Dom　Claude's　influence　quite　overshadowed　that　of　Olivier　le　Daim　and　Jacques　Coictier；　who；　as　was　his　habit；　rudely　took　the　king　to　task　on　that　account。




CHAPTER　II。

THIS　WILL　KILL　THAT。



Our　lady　readers　will　pardon　us　if　we　pause　for　a　mome