Chapter 5 Notre Dame Cathedral (1) Volume 1 Hall (4)

"Also, further ahead, just at the Painter's Gate, there are some other people who are very gorgeously dressed." "And, at the Fountain of the Infant, there was a hunter chasing a doe, and the hounds howled and the horns blew!" "Also, set up a high platform in the slaughterhouse of Paris, and staged the capture of Dieppe Castle!" "And, you know, Gisgate, when the envoys pass by in the play, there's a massive attack, and the English are all slaughtered!" "Also, there are many people in splendid costumes in front of the gate of the small castle!"

"Also, there are people on the bridge of the exchange office!" "Also, when the Pope's envoy passed by, more than two hundred birds of various kinds were placed on the bridge to fly in the air. It's very beautiful, Lienard!" "Today will look much better!" The young man seemed impatient, and finally interjected. "Today's miracle drama is better, what do you mean?" Gisgate said. "No problem," he replied, and added, with a certain exaggeration: "Miss, I am the playwright." "Really?" The two beautiful girls said in unison, dumbfounded in surprise.

"That's right!" the poet replied a little triumphantly. "That is to say, there are two of us: John Marchant, who saws the boards, erected the stage, and laid the planks; and I, who wrote the plays. My name is Pierre Gringoire." Had the author of the Cid declared himself Pierre Corneille, he would not have been more ambitious. The reader may have noticed that from the time when Jupiter returned to the background, until the author of the new allegorical drama suddenly revealed himself in such a way that Gisgate and Lienard admired innocently. It's been a while. It is worth noting that the entire audience, which had been arguing a few minutes before, took the actor's word and waited magnanimously.It just proves the timeless truth, which is still being verified every day in our theaters: the best way to keep the audience patiently waiting is to announce to them that the performance is about to begin.

However, the student John did not fall asleep. "Ho la hey!" he yelled suddenly in the quiet waiting after the chaos. "Jupiter, Madonna, you tricksters! Don't you make fun of everyone? Play! Play! Start now, or we'll start all over again!" This trick is really good. Immediately from within the stage came the music of high and low instruments; the curtain rose, and four figures, dressed in colorful costumes and painted on their faces, climbed up the steep ladder of the stage, and when they reached the platform, stood in a row before the audience, He bowed deeply to the crowd.Then, the symphony stopped abruptly, and the Miracle Play began.

The bow of these four characters was met with applause, and then, in the silence of the audience, they began to recite the preface - which we prefer to omit to save the judge.Moreover, audiences are more interested in the costumes of actors than in the roles they play, and this is still the case today.Actually, this is quite right.The four of them are all wearing half-yellow and half-white robes, the difference is only in the material.The first wore gold and silver brocade, the second silk, the third wool, and the fourth canvas.The first character holds a sharp sword in his right hand, the second holds two golden keys, the third holds a scale, and the fourth holds a shovel.The meaning of these symbols is obvious, but in order to help those lazy minds who may not understand, a few large black letters are embroidered on the hem of each character's robe: The words on the hem of the brocade robe read: "My name is Noble "; on the hem of the silk robe:

"My name is priest"; on the hem of the woolen robe: "My name is commodity"; on the hem of the canvas robe: "My name is farming".The gender of the four figures is unmistakable to any discerning spectator: the two shorter-robed ones are male, with capes on their heads; the two longer-robed ones are female, Both have hoods on their heads. Unless there is a lack of sincerity, the meaning of the preface will not be understood: the plow married a commodity, the priest married a nobleman; these two happy couples have a handsome and precious heir, and they think they must marry a beautiful woman.So they traveled all over the world, looking for such a beauty who is so beautiful.The queen of Gokond, the princess of Trebizond, the daughter of the Great Khan of Tartar, etc., etc., they all failed, and then, farming and priests, nobles and merchants, came to the palace of justice Resting on this marble table, addressing an honest audience, eloquent and epigrammatic, if anyone picked up a little to meet the exams of the Faculty of Arts, be it sophistry, decision, rhetoric, or prose, he would definitely get a bachelor's hat Wear it.

It's all really wonderful. However, these four allegorical characters used a lot of metaphors and talked endlessly. No one in the audience could concentrate their ears, beat their hearts, look flustered, and stretch their necks better than the author himself, that is, the The poet, that good Pierre Gringoire, who just couldn't help telling the two pretty girls his name.He has returned to the original place, a few steps away from the two girls, standing behind the pillar, listening quietly, watching closely, savoring carefully. At the beginning of the preface, the audience once won warm applause, and this applause is still reverberating in his internal organs.His heart is ecstatic, immersed in meditation, which is the ecstatic mood of a playwright when he sees his thoughts falling from the actors' mouths one by one in the silence of a large audience.Great Pierre Gringoire!

However, we are really embarrassed to open our mouths, and this high-spirited mood at the beginning was quickly disturbed.No sooner had Gringoire brought his lips to the cup of intoxicating joy and triumph than a drop of bitter juice was mixed into it. There was a beggar in ragged clothes, who was among the crowd, but he couldn't get any money. Even if he reached into the pockets of other people around him, he probably couldn't get enough compensation. An obvious location to attract everyone's attention and alms.Therefore, as soon as he thought of a few sentences in the opening poem, he used the pillars of the stand reserved for the royal envoys to climb to a lower part of the cornice connecting the railing and the stand, and sat down, deliberately revealing his tattered clothes. , revealing an ugly scar covering the entire right arm, begging for the audience's attention and pity.Besides, he has been silent.

He remained silent, and the prologue recited without any trouble.It was unfortunate that Johann the Student had spotted the beggar and his artifice from the top of the column, and if it had not been so, nothing would have happened out of the blue.As soon as the troublemaker saw him, he burst out laughing wildly. He didn't care whether he would interrupt the performance or disturb the solemnity of the audience, and happily shouted: "Look! That sick beggar!" Anyone who has ever dropped a stone into a frog pond, or fired a shot at a flock of birds, can imagine the effect of such unappetizing words in the rapt audience.Gringoire seemed to have been electrocuted, and his whole body trembled.The prologue suddenly stopped, and I saw thousands of heads turning to the beggar, but the beggar didn't feel embarrassed, but felt that this was a good opportunity to make a fortune, so he narrowed his eyes and pretended to be pitiful. Zhangkou said:

"Okay, please, please!" "Damn it, isn't that Clopin Trouilleur!" continued John. "Hey, my friend! Your scars are on your arms, why is your leg so inconvenient?" Seeing the beggar stretching out his scarred arm, holding a greasy felt hat and waiting for alms, John said while throwing a small coin into the felt hat.The beggar didn't move for a moment, received the alms, held back the ridicule, and continued to cry sadly: "Please do me a favor, please do me a favor!" The episode entertained the audience a great deal.In the middle of the recitation of the prologue, this impromptu duet is suddenly inserted: on the one hand, John's scream, on the other, the beggar's unassuming monotonous chant.Many spectators, headed by Robin Puspin and seminary students, responded with joyful applause.

Gringoire was very unhappy.He froze for a moment, and when he woke up, he shouted to the four characters on the stage: "Don't stop! Damn it, don't stop!" Even dismissive of those two troublemakers. At this moment, he felt that someone was pulling the hem of his cloak, and he was quite annoyed. He turned his head to look, and finally smiled.After all, it was impossible not to make a smile: it was Gisgate, the beauty called Jeanne, who pulled him, and her beautiful arm passed through the railing, and in this way called his attention, saying: "Sir, are they still acting?" "Of course." Gringoire was quite annoyed when asked. "In that case, Xianggong, can you tell me..." "What are they going to say next, are they?" said Gringoire, interrupting her. "Well then, listen up!" "That's not what it means," said Gisgate. "It's about what they've said up until now." Gringoire couldn't help but startled, as if a person had been picked on a fresh wound. "Damn stupid girl!" he whispered. From that moment Gisgate disappeared from his mind. Having said that, after his order, several actors on the stage did not dare to disobey their orders, and spoke again. The audience saw it and listened again, but the whole play was suddenly cut into two parts, and now they are welded together again. However, many beautiful lines have been lost, Gringoire couldn't help feeling sad, thinking quietly.Fortunately, it gradually calmed down, the students stopped talking, and the beggar counted a few copper coins in his felt hat, and the acting finally gained the upper hand. To be honest, this is a very wonderful masterpiece. Even if we look at it today, we can still perform it as long as we make some adjustments.The opening part, as far as the composition is concerned, is a bit long and empty, but it is also simple and clear. No wonder Gringoire, in the temple of sincerity deep in his heart, also admires the simplicity of this play. Clearly appreciated.As one might expect, the four allegorical figures travel through the three major parts of the world, somewhat exhausted, but fail to find a suitable spouse for Jingui's heir.Here, the wonderful fish is so eulogized in the play, that it is suggested, by many ingenious allusions, to be the betrothed betrothed to Princess Margaret of Flanders, who is at this time sad and secluded in the Amboise, of course, did not expect that farming and priests, nobles and merchandise had just traveled all over the world for him.In short, the above-mentioned heir was in the prime of life, handsome, strong and vigorous, and especially he was the son of the French lion (which is the source of all royal glory!).I solemnly say that this bold metaphor is really admirable. Since it is a happy day, it should be full of witty words to praise the wedding of the royal family. Therefore, this kind of dramatic form of natural history will not be indifferent to the lion giving birth to a dolphin son. Deeply disturbed.It is precisely this outlandish hybridization that testifies to the author's passion.However, the poet could have developed this beautiful idea in less than two hundred lines, if he had also taken into account the opinions of the critics.It's just that Mr. Fu Yin ordered that the Holy Miracle play must be performed from noon to four o'clock in the afternoon, so there must be something to say.Besides, the audience listened patiently. While Miss Merchant and Mrs. Noble were quarreling, Master Plow recited this unbelievably beautiful line: Such a majestic beast has never been seen in the woods; It was opened—it was inappropriate for the door to be closed all the time, and it was even more inopportune for it to be opened at this moment—the prison door suddenly and loudly announced: "My lord Cardinal Bourbon is here!" Three Lord Cardinals Poor Gringoire!At this exciting and solemn moment, even if all the huge firecrackers of St. John's Church exploded at the same time, even if the twenty bows and crossbows were fired at the same time, even if Paris was besieged in the past, on Sunday, September 29, 1465, a cannon The famous snake-shaped cannon of Billy's Fort, where seven Burgundians were killed, was once more powerful. Even if all the ammunition stored in the temple gate exploded at once, it would not be as good as saying "Boom" from the mouth of a prison gate. His Excellency the Cardinal is coming." These few words shattered Gringoire's ears even more violently. It was not that Pierre Gringoire feared or despised Monsieur the Cardinal. He is neither humble nor overbearing.As people say now, "true eclecticists" are noble and resolute, gentle and quiet, always adhere to the doctrine of the mean, full of rational and liberal philosophy, but attach great importance to the four pivotal virtues.He belonged to a noble and long-established family of philosophers, and his wisdom was like another Arianna, as if given a ball of thread, they would go through the labyrinth of vicissitudes from the beginning of time, and the ball of thread could not be wound around no matter how much they tried.No matter how the situation changes, this kind of person is always there and remains the same. In other words, he can always judge the situation and make decisions according to the wind.Pierre Gringoire may be the representative of such philosophers of the fifteenth century, if we take pains to restore his due glory.Leaving aside our Pierre Gringoire, it must have been the spirit of such philosophers that inspired Despreurs to write in the sixteenth century such candid and brilliant words, which are worthy of being remembered by all generations: "By birth, I am a Parisian; by speech, I am a liberal, for the Greek word parrhisia means freedom of speech: I am even against the two cardinals, uncle and brother of His Royal Highness the Prince of Conti. My lords also exercised their freedom of speech, but each time they respected their dignity very much, and never offended their attendants, though they were numerous." Therefore, Pierre Gringoire said to the arrival of Monsieur Cardinal Unpleasant impressions, neither resentment nor contempt.On the contrary, our poet knows too much about the world, and has too many patches of tattered jackets, to pay more attention to the many metaphors in his preface poems, especially to the son of the lion of France, the crown prince. —— His praises can be heard by the extremely honorable adults.In all poetic sublime natures, however, it is not self-interest that predominates.I suppose: the essence of the poet is represented by the number ten, and there is no doubt that a chemist who analyzes and doses it, as Rabelais said, will find that only one cent is self-interested, and nine It's self-esteem.However, when the door was opened for His Excellency the Cardinal, Gringoire's nine-point self-esteem was blown by the wind of public praise, and suddenly swelled and swelled up, and the extent of its rapid expansion was unimaginable. The imperceptible trace of self-interest that we have just distinguished from the poetic temperament gradually disappears, as if suffocated.Having said that, self-interest is a precious ingredient, the ballast of reality and humanity, without which the poet cannot touch the land.Let's say that every time Gringoire's wedding hymn is incomparably grandiose, the whole audience--of course they are all pariahs, but so what! ——Everyone was stupefied and stupefied, as if they were all smothered to death. Gringoire felt, witnessed, and even touched the enthusiastic emotions of the audience, and was completely intoxicated.I dare say that he himself enjoyed the supreme joy of the audience; if La Fontaine, seeing his comedy "The Florentine" was performed, asked: "Which bastard wrote this nonsense?" Yes?" Then on the contrary, Gringoire would like to ask the people around him: "Who wrote this masterpiece?" Therefore, the sudden and disastrous visit of the cardinal caused Gringoire We can now imagine what the effect will be. What he feared actually happened.As soon as the bishop entered the arena, the audience suddenly became chaotic.Everyone turned their heads to the stands, and shouted again and again in unison: "Cardinal! Cardinal!" Nothing else was heard.The poor prologue was abruptly interrupted again. The cardinal stopped for a moment on the threshold of the stand, his eyes were quite indifferent, and he slowly looked around the audience, and the noise of the audience became more and more violent.Everyone scrambled to be the first to stretch their necks, so as to surpass the shoulders of others and see him clearly. This is truly an amazing character and it is worth watching him more than any other comedy.He, Charles, Cardinal of Bourbon, Archbishop and Count of Lyon, chief bishop of the Gauls, whose brother Pierre, lord of Beauges, married the king's great princess, and thus Monsieur Cardinal and Louis XI. In-laws, whose mother was Princess Anise of Burgundy, and therefore also related to Charles the Reckless.However, the main characteristic of this Gallic prelate, the unique and distinctive feature, is also his virtue of flattery and worship of power.It is not difficult to imagine that this double nepotism got him into countless troubles, and his spiritual boat had to sail against the wind and waves, twisting and turning among the various reefs of the world to avoid hitting Louis and Charlie. The two dangerous reefs, like Charide and Silas, followed the fate of the Duke of Nemours and the commander of Saint-Pol and were smashed to pieces.Happily, he managed to get out of this stormy crossing fairly well, and arrived safely in Rome.But even though he was in Hong Kong, and because he was anchored, there is always a tinge of fear in looking back on the narrow escapes he has had so many times in a political career of such long fear and hardship.Therefore, he often said that 1476 was his black and white year, meaning that in this year he lost his mother, the Duchess of Bourbonnais, and his cousin, the Duke of Burgundy, and that in these two funerals, both Either mourning may bring him consolation in the other. After all, this is a good man, living the life of a cardinal, happy to enjoy the royal wines and wines of Chateau, at his ease; He doesn't hate fireworks women like De; he would rather give to a coquettish girl than to an old woman; it is for these reasons that the common people in Paris find him quite pleasing.When he moved, he was always surrounded by a small group of bishops and abbots, all of them of good families, handsome, unrestrained, eating and drinking at any time; Passing under the brightly lit windows of the House of Bourbon, I was indignant to hear the voices that had read to them the vespers by day, and were now reciting the Dionysian motto of Pope Benoit XII over the clatter of glasses. The first pope added a third crown to the triple crown: Let us drink like the Pope!Perhaps it was because of this popularity, so justly acquired, that he entered the arena and was not bombarded by the noisy crowd, despite their displeasure just now, despite the fact that on the day of the election of another Pope, they Not much homage to a cardinal.But Parisians seldom hold grudges, and besides, the well-meaning townspeople, having overthrown the cardinal, were content with the victory in forcing the show to begin.Besides, His Excellency the Cardinal of Bourbon was very handsome, in a splendid scarlet gown; that is to say, he had the favor of all the women, and thus the support of the best half of the audience.