maitre cornelius-第1节

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Maitre　Cornelius



by　Honore　de　Balzac



Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley









DEDICATION



　　To　Monsieur　le　Comte　Georges　Mniszech：



　　Some　envious　being　may　think　on　seeing　this　page　illustrated　by

　　one　of　the　most　illustrious　of　Sarmatian　names；　that　I　am

　　striving；　as　the　goldsmiths　do；　to　enhance　a　modern　work　with　an

　　ancient　jewel；a　fancy　of　the　fashions　of　the　day；but　you　and　a

　　few　others；　dear　count；　will　know　that　I　am　only　seeking　to　pay　my

　　debt　to　Talent；　Memory；　and　Friendship。









MAITRE　CORNELIUS







CHAPTER　I



A　CHURCH　SCENE　OF　THE　FIFTEENTH　CENTURY



In　1479；　on　All　Saints'　day；　the　moment　at　which　this　history　begins；

vespers　were　ending　in　the　cathedral　of　Tours。　The　archbishop　Helie　de

Bourdeilles　was　rising　from　his　seat　to　give　the　benediction　himself

to　the　faithful。　The　sermon　had　been　long；　darkness　had　fallen　during

the　service；　and　in　certain　parts　of　the　noble　church　（the　towers　of

which　were　not　yet　finished）　the　deepest　obscurity　prevailed。

Nevertheless　a　goodly　number　of　tapers　were　burning　in　honor　of　the

saints　on　the　triangular　candle…trays　destined　to　receive　such　pious

offerings；　the　merit　and　signification　of　which　have　never　been

sufficiently　explained。　The　lights　on　each　altar　and　all　the

candelabra　in　the　choir　were　burning。　Irregularly　shed　among　a　forest

of　columns　and　arcades　which　supported　the　three　naves　of　the

cathedral；　the　gleam　of　these　masses　of　candles　barely　lighted　the

immense　building；　because　the　strong　shadows　of　the　columns；　projected

among　the　galleries；　produced　fantastic　forms　which　increased　the

darkness　that　already　wrapped　in　gloom　the　arches；　the　vaulted

ceilings；　and　the　lateral　chapels；　always　sombre；　even　at　mid…day。



The　crowd　presented　effects　that　were　no　less　picturesque。　Certain

figures　were　so　vaguely　defined　in　the　〃chiaroscuro〃　that　they　seemed

like　phantoms；　whereas　others；　standing　in　a　full　gleam　of　the

scattered　light；　attracted　attention　like　the　principal　heads　in　a

picture。　Some　statues　seemed　animated；　some　men　seemed　petrified。　Here

and　there　eyes　shone　in　the　flutings　of　the　columns；　the　floor

reflected　looks；　the　marbles　spoke；　the　vaults　re…echoed　sighs；　the

edifice　itself　seemed　endowed　with　life。



The　existence　of　Peoples　has　no　more　solemn　scenes；　no　moments　more

majestic。　To　mankind　in　the　mass；　movement　is　needed　to　make　it

poetical；　but　in　these　hours　of　religious　thought；　when　human　riches

unite　themselves　with　celestial　grandeur；　incredible　sublimities　are

felt　in　the　silence；　there　is　fear　in　the　bended　knee；　hope　in　the

clasping　hands。　The　concert　of　feelings　in　which　all　souls　are　rising

heavenward　produces　an　inexplicable　phenomenon　of　spirituality。　The

mystical　exaltation　of　the　faithful　reacts　upon　each　of　them；　the

feebler　are　no　doubt　borne　upward　by　the　waves　of　this　ocean　of　faith

and　love。　Prayer；　a　power　electrical；　draws　our　nature　above　itself。

This　involuntary　union　of　all　wills；　equally　prostrate　on　the　earth；

equally　risen　into　heaven；　contains；　no　doubt；　the　secret　of　the　magic

influences　wielded　by　the　chants　of　the　priests；　the　harmonies　of　the

organ；　the　perfumes　and　the　pomps　of　the　altar；　the　voices　of　the

crowd　and　its　silent　contemplations。　Consequently；　we　need　not　be

surprised　to　see　in　the　middle…ages　so　many　tender　passions　begun　in

churches　after　long　ecstasies；passions　ending　often　in　little

sanctity；　and　for　which　women；　as　usual；　were　the　ones　to　do　penance。

Religious　sentiment　certainly　had；　in　those　days；　an　affinity　with

love；　it　was　either　the　motive　or　the　end　of　it。　Love　was　still　a

religion；　with　its　fine　fanaticism；　its　naive　superstitions；　its

sublime　devotions；　which　sympathized　with　those　of　Christianity。



The　manners　of　that　period　will　also　serve　to　explain　this　alliance

between　religion　and　love。　In　the　first　place　society　had　no　meeting…

place　except　before　the　altar。　Lords　and　vassals；　men　and　women　were

equals　nowhere　else。　There　alone　could　lovers　see　each　other　and

communicate。　The　festivals　of　the　Church　were　the　theatre　of　former

times；　the　soul　of　woman　was　more　keenly　stirred　in　a　cathedral　than

it　is　at　a　ball　or　the　opera　in　our　day；　and　do　not　strong　emotions

invariably　bring　women　back　to　love？　By　dint　of　mingling　with　life　and

grasping　it　in　all　its　acts　and　interests；　religion　had　made　itself　a

sharer　of　all　virtues；　the　accomplice　of　all　vices。　Religion　had

passed　into　science；　into　politics；　into　eloquence；　into　crimes；　into

the　flesh　of　the　sick　man　and　the　poor　man；　it　mounted　thrones；　it　was

everywhere。　These　semi…learned　observations　will　serve；　perhaps；　to

vindicate　the　truth　of　this　study；　certain　details　of　which　may

frighten　the　perfected　morals　of　our　age；　which　are；　as　everybody

knows；　a　trifle　straitlaced。



At　the　moment　when　the　chanting　ceased　and　the　last　notes　of　the

organ；　mingling　with　the　vibrations　of　the　loud　〃A…men〃　as　it　issued

from　the　strong　chests　of　the　intoning　clergy；　sent　a　murmuring　echo

through　the　distant　arches；　and　the　hushed　assembly　were　awaiting　the

beneficent　words　of　the　archbishop；　a　burgher；　impatient　to　get　home；

or　fearing　for　his　purse　in　the　tumult　of　the　crowd　when　the

worshippers　dispersed；　slipped　quietly　away；　at　the　risk　of　being

called　a　bad　Catholic。　On　which；　a　nobleman；　leaning　against　one　of

the　enormous　columns　that　surround　the　choir；　hastened　to　take

possession　of　the　seat　abandoned　by　the　worthy　Tourainean。　Having　done

so；　he　quickly　hid　his　face　among　the　plumes　of　his　tall　gray　cap；

kneeling　upon　the　chair　with　an　air　of　contrition　that　even　an

inquisitor　would　have　trusted。



Observing　the　new…comer　attentively；　his　immediate　neighbors　seemed　to

recognize　him；　after　which　they　returned　to　their　prayers　with　a

certain　gesture　by　which　they　all　expressed　the　same　thought；a

caustic；　jeering　thought；　a　silent　slander。　Two　old　women　shook　their

heads；　and　gave　each　other　a　glance　that　seemed　to　dive　into　futurity。



The　chair　into　which　the　young　man　had　slipped　was　close　to　a　chapel

placed　between　two　columns　and　closed　by　an　iron　railing。　It　was

customary　for　the　chapter　to　lease　at　a　handsome　price　to　seignorial

families；　and　even　to　rich　burghers；　the　right　to　be　present　at　the

services；　themselves　and　their　servants　exclusively；　in　the　various

lateral　chapels　of　the　long　side…aisles　of　the　cathedral。　This　simony

is　in　practice　to　the　present　day。　A　woman　had　her　chapel　as　she　now

has　her　opera…box。　The　families　who　hired　these　privileged　places　were

required　to　decorate　the　altar　of　the　chapel　thus　conceded　to　them；

and　each　made　it　their　pride　to　adorn　their　own　sumptuously；a　vanity

which　the　Church　did　not　rebuke。　In　this　particular　chapel　a　lady　was

kneeling　close　to　the　railing　on　a　handsome　rug　of　red　velvet　with

gold　tassels；　precisely　opposite　to　the　seat　vacated　of　the　burgher。　A

silver…gilt　lamp；　hanging　from　the　vaulted　ceiling　of　the　chapel

before　an　altar　magnificently　decorated；　cast　its　pale　light　upon　a

prayer…book　held　by　the　lady。　The　book　trembled　violently　in　her　hand

when　the　young　man　approached　her。



〃A…men！〃



To　that　response；　sung　in　a　sweet　low　voice　which　was　painfully

agitated；　though　happily　lost　in　the　general　clamor；　she　added　rapidly

in　a　whisper：



〃You　will　ruin　me。〃



The　words　were　said　in　a　tone　of　innocence　which　a　man　of　any　delicacy

ought　to　have　obeyed；　they　went　to　the　heart　and　pierced　it。　But　the

stranger；　carried　away；　no　doubt；　by　one　of　those　paroxysms　of　passion

which　stifle　conscience；　remained　in　his　chair　and　raised　his　head

slightly　that　he　might　look　into　the　chapel。



〃He　sleeps！〃　he　replied；　in　so　low　a　voice　that　the　words　could　be

heard　by　the　young　woman　only；　as　sound　is　heard　in　its　echo。



The　lady　turned　pale；　her　furtive　glance　left　for　a　moment　the　vellum

page　of　the　prayer…book　and　turned　to　the　old　man　whom　the　young　man

had　designated。　What　terrible　complicity　was　in　that　glance？　When　the

young　woman　had　cautiously　examined　the　old　seigneur；　she　drew　a　long

breath　and　raised　her　forehead；　adorned　with　a　precious　jewel；　toward

a　picture　of　the　Virgin；　that　simple　movement；　that　attitude；　the

moistened　glance；　revealed　her　life　with　imprudent　naivete；　had　she

been　wicked；　she　would　certainly　have　dissimulated。　The　personage　who

thus　alarmed　the　lovers　was　a　little　old　man；　hunchbacked；　nearly

bald；　savage　in　expression；　and　wearing　a　long　and　discolored　white

beard　cut　in　a　fan…tail。　The　cross　of　Saint…Michel　glittered　on　his

breast；　his　coarse；　strong　hands；　covered　with　gray　hairs；　which　had

been　clasped；　had　now　dropped　slightly　apart　in　the　slumber　to　which

he　had　imprudently　yielded。　The　right　hand　seemed　about　to　fall　upon

his　dagger；　the　hilt　of　which　was　in　the　form　of　an　iron　shell。　By　the

manner　in　which　he　had　placed　the　weapon；　this　hilt　wa