the hunchback of notre dame-第105部分

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h　the　worse。　　Add　no　chapters　to　an　unsuccessful　book。　　Is　it　incomplete？　　You　should　have　completed　it　when　you　conceived　it。　　Is　your　tree　crooked？　　You　cannot　straighten　it　up。　　Is　your　romance　consumptive？　　Is　your　romance　not　capable　of　living？　　You　cannot　supply　it　with　the　breath　which　it　lacks。　　Has　your　drama　been　born　lame？　Take　my　advice；　and　do　not　provide　it　with　a　wooden　leg。

Hence　the　author　attaches　particular　importance　to　the　public　knowing　for　a　certainty　that　the　chapters　here　added　have　not　been　made　expressly　for　this　reprint。　　They　were　not　published　in　the　preceding　editions　of　the　book　for　a　very　simple　reason。　　At　the　time　when　〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris〃　was　printed　the　first　time；　the　manuscript　of　these　three　chapters　had　been　mislaid。　　It　was　necessary　to　rewrite　them　or　to　dispense　with　them。　　The　author　considered　that　the　only　two　of　these　chapters　which　were　in　the　least　important；　owing　to　their　extent；　were　chapters　on　art　and　history　which　in　no　way　interfered　with　the　groundwork　of　the　drama　and　the　romance；　that　the　public　would　not　notice　their　loss；　and　that　he；　the　author；　would　alone　be　in　possession　of　the　secret。　　He　decided　to　omit　them；　and　then；　if　the　whole　truth　must　be　confessed；　his　indolence　shrunk　from　the　task　of　rewriting　the　three　lost　chapters。　　He　would　have　found　it　a　shorter　matter　to　make　a　new　romance。

Now　the　chapters　have　been　found；　and　he　avails　himself　of　the　first　opportunity　to　restore　them　to　their　place。

This　now；　is　his　entire　work；　such　as　he　dreamed　it；　such　as　he　made　it；　good　or　bad；　durable　or　fragile；　but　such　as　he　wishes　it。

These　recovered　chapters　will　possess　no　doubt；　but　little　value　in　the　eyes　of　persons；　otherwise　very　judicious；　who　have　sought　in　〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris〃　only　the　drama；　the　romance。　　But　there　are　perchance；　other　readers；　who　have　not　found　it　useless　to　study　the　aesthetic　and　philosophic　thought　concealed　in　this　book；　and　who　have　taken　pleasure；　while　reading　〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris；〃　in　unravelling　beneath　the　romance　something　else　than　the　romance；　and　in　following　（may　we　be　pardoned　these　rather　ambitious　expressions）；　the　system　of　the　historian　and　the　aim　of　the　artist　through　the　creation　of　the　poet。

For　such　people　especially；　the　chapters　added　to　this　edition　will　complete　〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris；〃　if　we　admit　that　〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris〃　was　worth　the　trouble　of　completing。

In　one　of　these　chapters　on　the　present　decadence　of　architecture；　and　on　the　death　（in　his　mind　almost　inevitable）　of　that　king　of　arts；　the　author　expresses　and　develops　an　opinion　unfortunately　well　rooted　in　him；　and　well　thought　out。　　But　he　feels　it　necessary　to　say　here　that　he　earnestly　desires　that　the　future　may；　some　day；　put　him　in　the　wrong。　　He　knows　that　art　in　all　its　forms　has　everything　to　hope　from　the　new　generations　whose　genius；　still　in　the　germ；　can　be　heard　gushing　forth　in　our　studios。　　The　grain　is　in　the　furrow；　the　harvest　will　certainly　be　fine。　　He　merely　fears；　and　the　reason　may　be　seen　in　the　second　volume　of　this　edition；　that　the　sap　may　have　been　withdrawn　from　that　ancient　soil　of　architecture　which　has　been　for　so　many　centuries　the　best　field　for　art。

Nevertheless；　there　are　to…day　in　the　artistic　youth　so　much　life；　power；　and；　so　to　speak；　predestination；　that　in　our　schools　of　architecture　in　particular；　at　the　present　time；　the　professors；　who　are　detestable；　produce；　not　only　unconsciously　but　even　in　spite　of　themselves；　excellent　pupils；　quite　the　reverse　of　that　potter　mentioned　by　Horace；　who　dreamed　amphorae　and　produced　pots。　　~Currit　rota；　urcens　exit~。

But；　in　any　case；　whatever　may　be　the　future　of　architecture；　in　whatever　manner　our　young　architects　may　one　day　solve　the　question　of　their　art；　let　us；　while　waiting　for　new　monument；　preserve　the　ancient　monuments。　　Let　us；　if　possible；　inspire　the　nation　with　a　love　for　national　architecture。　　That；　the　author　declares；　is　one　of　the　principal　aims　of　this　book；　it　is　one　of　the　principal　aims　of　his　life。

〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris〃　has；　perhaps　opened　some　true　perspectives　on　the　art　of　the　Middle　Ages；　on　that　marvellous　art　which　up　to　the　present　time　has　been　unknown　to　some；　and；　what　is　worse；　misknown　by　others。　　But　the　author　is　far　from　regarding　as　accomplished；　the　task　which　he　has　voluntarily　imposed　on　himself。　　He　has　already　pleaded　on　more　than　one　occasion；　the　cause　of　our　ancient　architecture；　he　has　already　loudly　denounced　many　profanations；　many　demolitions；　many　impieties。　　He　will　not　grow　weary。　　He　has　promised　himself　to　recur　frequently　to　this　subject。　　He　will　return　to　it。　　He　will　be　as　indefatigable　in　defending　our　historical　edifices　as　our　iconoclasts　of　the　schools　and　academies　are　eager　in　attacking　them；　for　it　is　a　grievous　thing　to　see　into　what　hands　the　architecture　of　the　Middle　Ages　has　fallen；　and　in　what　a　manner　the　botchers　of　plaster　of　the　present　day　treat　the　ruin　of　this　grand　art；　it　is　even　a　shame　for　us　intelligent　men　who　see　them　at　work　and　content　ourselves　with　hooting　them。　　And　we　are　not　speaking　here　merely　of　what　goes　on　in　the　provinces；　but　of　what　is　done　in　Paris　at　our　very　doors；　beneath　our　windows；　in　the　great　city；　in　the　lettered　city；　in　the　city　of　the　press；　of　word；　of　thought。　　We　cannot　resist　the　impulse　to　point　out；　in　concluding　this　note；　some　of　the　acts　of　vandalism　which　are　every　day　planned；　debated；　begun；　continued；　and　successfully　completed　under　the　eyes　of　the　artistic　public　of　Paris；　face　to　face　with　criticism；　which　is　disconcerted　by　so　much　audacity。　　An　archbishop's　palace　has　just　been　demolished；　an　edifice　in　poor　taste；　no　great　harm　is　done；　but　in　a　block　with　the　archiepiscopal　palace　a　bishop's　palace　has　been　demolished；　a　rare　fragment　of　the　fourteenth　century；　which　the　demolishing　architect　could　not　distinguish　from　the　rest。　He　has　torn　up　the　wheat　with　the　tares；　'tis　all　the　same。　They　are　talking　of　razing　the　admirable　chapel　of　Vincennes；　in　order　to　make；　with　its　stones；　some　fortification；　which　Daumesnil　did　not　need；　however。　　While　the　Palais　Bourbon；　that　wretched　edifice；　is　being　repaired　at　great　expense；　gusts　of　wind　and　equinoctial　storms　are　allowed　to　destroy　the　magnificent　painted　windows　of　the　Sainte…Chapelle。　　For　the　last　few　days　there　has　been　a　scaffolding　on　the　tower　of　Saint　Jacques　de　la　Boucherie；　and　one　of　these　mornings　the　pick　will　be　laid　to　it。　　A　mason　has　been　found　to　build　a　little　white　house　between　the　venerable　towers　of　the　Palais　de…Justice。　　Another　has　been　found　willing　to　prune　away　Saint…Germain…des…Pres；　the　feudal　abbey　with　three　bell　towers。　　Another　will　be　found；　no　doubt；　capable　of　pulling　down　Saint…Germain　l'Auxerrois。　　All　these　masons　claim　to　be　architects；　are　paid　by　the　prefecture　or　from　the　petty　budget；　and　wear　green　coats。　　All　the　harm　which　false　taste　can　inflict　on　good　taste；　they　accomplish。　　While　we　write；　deplorable　spectacle！　one　of　them　holds　possession　of　the　Tuileries；　one　of　them　is　giving　Philibert　Delorme　a　scar　across　the　middle　of　his　face；　and　it　is　not；　assuredly；　one　of　the　least　of　the　scandals　of　our　time　to　see　with　what　effrontery　the　heavy　architecture　of　this　gentleman　is　being　flattened　over　one　of　the　most　delicate　fa？ades　of　the　Renaissance！

PARIS；　October　20；　1832。





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