the hunchback of notre dame-第117节

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〃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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