雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第107章

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　　They　were　bordered　with　currant　bushes。　At　the　bottom；　an　alley　of　tall　poplars　ran　from　the　ruins　of　the　old　convent；　which　was　at　the　angle　of　the　Rue　Droit…Mur　to　the　house　of　the　Little　Convent；　which　was　at　the　angle　of　the　Aumarais　lane。　In　front　of　the　Little　Convent　was　what　was　called　the　little　garden。　To　this　whole；　let　the　reader　add　a　courtyard；　all　sorts　of　varied　angles　formed　by　the　interior　buildings；　prison　walls；　the　long　black　line　of　roofs　which　bordered　the　other　side　of　the　Rue　Polonceau　for　its　sole　perspective　and　neighborhood；　and　he　will　be　able　to　form　for　himself　a　plete　image　of　what　the　house　of　the　Bernardines　of　the　Petit…Picpus　was　forty　years　ago。　This　holy　house　had　been　built　on　the　precise　site　of　a　famous　tennis…ground　of　the　fourteenth　to　the　sixteenth　century；　which　was　called　the　〃tennis…ground　of　the　eleven　thousand　devils。〃
　　All　these　streets；　moreover；　were　more　ancient　than　Paris。
　　These　names；　Droit…Mur　and　Aumarais；　are　very　ancient；　the　streets　which　bear　them　are　very　much　more　ancient　still。
　　Aumarais　Lane　was　called　Maugout　Lane；　the　Rue　Droit…Mur　was　called　the　Rue　des　Eglantiers；　for　God　opened　flowers　before　man　cut　stones。


BOOK　SIXTH。LE　PETIT…PICPUS
CHAPTER　IX　
　　A　CENTURY　UNDER　A　GUIMPE
　　Since　we　are　engaged　in　giving　details　as　to　what　the　convent　of　the　Petit…Picpus　was　in　former　times；　and　since　we　have　ventured　to　open　a　window　on　that　discreet　retreat；　the　reader　will　permit　us　one　other　little　digression；　utterly　foreign　to　this　book；　but　characteristic　and　useful；　since　it　shows　that　the　cloister　even　has　its　original　figures。
　　In　the　Little　Convent　there　was　a　centenarian　who　came　from　the　Abbey　of　Fontevrault。
　　She　had　even　been　in　society　before　the　Revolution。　She　talked　a　great　deal　of　M。　de　Miromesnil；　Keeper　of　the　Seals　under　Louis　XVI。
　　and　of　a　Presidentess　Duplat；　with　whom　she　had　been　very　intimate。
　　It　was　her　pleasure　and　her　vanity　to　drag　in　these　names　on　every　pretext。
　　She　told　wonders　of　the　Abbey　of　Fontevrault；　that　it　was　like　a　city；　and　that　there　were　streets　in　the　monastery。
　　She　talked　with　a　Picard　accent　which　amused　the　pupils。
　　Every　year；　she　solemnly　renewed　her　vows；　and　at　the　moment　of　taking　the　oath；　she　said　to　the　priest；　〃Monseigneur　Saint…Francois　gave　it　to　Monseigneur　Saint…Julien；　Monseigneur　Saint…Julien　gave　it　to　Monseigneur　Saint…Eusebius；　Monseigneur　Saint…Eusebius　gave　it　to　Monseigneur　Saint…Procopius；　etc。；　etc。；　and　thus　I　give　it　to　you；　father。〃
　　And　the　school…girls　would　begin　to　laugh；　not　in　their　sleeves；　but　under　their　veils；　charming　little　stifled　laughs　which　made　the　vocal　mothers　frown。
　　On　another　occasion；　the　centenarian　was　telling　stories。
　　She　said　that　in　her　youth　the　Bernardine　monks　were　every　whit　as　good　as　the　mousquetaires。
　　It　was　a　century　which　spoke　through　her；　but　it　was　the　eighteenth　century。
　　She　told　about　the　custom　of　the　four　wines；　which　existed　before　the　Revolution　in　Champagne　and　Bourgogne。　When　a　great　personage；　a　marshal　of　France；　a　prince；　a　duke；　and　a　peer；　traversed　a　town　in　Burgundy　or　Champagne；　the　city　fathers　came　out　to　harangue　him　and　presented　him　with　four　silver　gondolas　into　which　they　had　poured　four　different　sorts　of　wine。　On　the　first　goblet　this　inscription　could　be　read；　monkey　wine；　on　the　second；　lion　wine；　on　the　third；　sheep　wine；　on　the　fourth；　hog　wine。
　　These　four　legends　express　the　four　stages　descended　by　the　drunkard；　the　first；　intoxication；　which　enlivens；　the　second；　that　which　irritates；　the　third；　that　which　dulls；　and　the　fourth；　that　which　brutalizes。
　　In　a　cupboard；　under　lock　and　key；　she　kept　a　mysterious　object　of　which　she　thought　a　great　deal。
　　The　rule　of　Fontevrault　did　not　forbid　this。
　　She　would　not　show　this　object　to　anyone。　She　shut　herself　up；　which　her　rule　allowed　her　to　do；　and　hid　herself；　every　time　that　she　desired　to　contemplate　it。　If　she　heard　a　footstep　in　the　corridor；　she　closed　the　cupboard　again　as　hastily　as　it　was　possible　with　her　aged　hands。
　　As　soon　as　it　was　mentioned　to　her；　she　became　silent；　she　who　was　so　fond　of　talking。
　　The　most　curious　were　baffled　by　her　silence　and　the　most　tenacious　by　her　obstinacy。
　　Thus　it　furnished　a　subject　of　ment　for　all　those　who　were　unoccupied　or　bored　in　the　convent。　What　could　that　treasure　of　the　centenarian　be；　which　was　so　precious　and　so　secret？
　　Some　holy　book；　no　doubt？
　　Some　unique　chaplet？　Some　authentic　relic？
　　They　lost　themselves　in　conjectures。　When　the　poor　old　woman　died；　they　rushed　to　her　cupboard　more　hastily　than　was　fitting；　perhaps；　and　opened　it。
　　They　found　the　object　beneath　a　triple　linen　cloth；　like　some　consecrated　paten。　It　was　a　Faenza　platter　representing　little　Loves　flitting　away　pursued　by　apothecary　lads　armed　with　enormous　syringes。　The　chase　abounds　in　grimaces　and　in　ical　postures。
　　One　of　the　charming　little　Loves　is　already　fairly　spitted。
　　He　is　resisting；　fluttering　his　tiny　wings；　and　still　making　an　effort　to　fly；　but　the　dancer　is　laughing　with　a　satanical　air。
　　Moral：
　　Love　conquered　by　the　colic。
　　This　platter；　which　is　very　curious；　and　which　had；　possibly；　the　honor　of　furnishing　Moliere　with　an　idea；　was　still　in　existence　in　September；　1845；　it　was　for　sale　by　a　bric…a…brac　merchant　in　the　Boulevard　Beaumarchais。
　　This　good　old　woman　would　not　receive　any　visits　from　outside　because；　said　she；　the　parlor　is　too　gloomy。


BOOK　SIXTH。LE　PETIT…PICPUS
CHAPTER　X　
　　ORIGIN　OF　THE　PERPETUAL　ADORATION
　　However；　this　almost　sepulchral　parlor；　of　which　we　have　sought　to　convey　an　idea；　is　a　purely　local　trait　which　is　not　reproduced　with　the　same　severity　in　other　convents。
　　At　the　convent　of　the　Rue　du　Temple；　in　particular；　which　belonged；　in　truth；　to　another　order；　the　black　shutters　were　replaced　by　brown　curtains；　and　the　parlor　itself　was　a　salon　with　a　polished　wood　floor；　whose　windows　were　draped　in　white　muslin　curtains　and　whose　walls　admitted　all　sorts　of　frames；　a　portrait　of　a　Benedictine　nun　with　unveiled　face；　painted　bouquets；　and　even　the　head　of　a　Turk。
　　It　is　in　that　garden　of　the　Temple　convent；　that　stood　that　famous　chestnut…tree　which　was　renowned　as　the　finest　and　the　largest　in　France；　and　which　bore　the　reputation　among　the　good　people　of　the　eighteenth　century　of　being　the　father　of　all　the　chestnut　trees　of　the　realm。
　　As　we　have　said；　this　convent　of　the　Temple　was　occupied　by　Benedictines　of　the　Perpetual　Adoration；　Benedictines　quite　different　from　those　who　depended　on　Citeaux。
　　This　order　of　the　Perpetual　Adoration　is　not　very　ancient　and　does　not　go　back　more　than　two　hundred　years。　In　1649　the　holy　sacrament　was　profaned　on　two　occasions　a　few　days　apart；　in　two　churches　in　Paris；　at　Saint…Sulpice　and　at　Saint…Jean　en　Greve；　a　rare　and　frightful　sacrilege　which　set　the　whole　town　in　an　uproar。
　　M。　the　Prior　and　Vicar…General　of　Saint…Germain　des　Pres　ordered　a　solemn　procession　of　all　his　clergy；　in　which　the　Pope's　Nuncio　officiated。
　　But　this　expiation　did　not　satisfy　two　sainted　women；　Madame　Courtin；　Marquise　de　Boucs；　and　the　tesse　de　Chateauvieux。
　　This　outrage　mitted　on　〃the　most　holy　sacrament　of　the　altar；〃　though　but　temporary；　would　not　depart　from　these　holy　souls；　and　it　seemed　to　them　that　it　could　only　be　extenuated　by　a　〃Perpetual　Adoration〃　in　some　female　monastery。　Both　of　them；　one　in　1652；　the　other　in　1653；　made　donations　of　notable　sums　to　Mother　Catherine　de　Bar；　called　of　the　Holy　Sacrament；　a　Benedictine　nun；　for　the　purpose　of　founding；　to　this　pious　end；　a　monastery　of　the　order　of　Saint…Benoit；　the　first　permission　for　this　foundation　was　given　to　Mother　Catherine　de　Bar　by　M。　de　Metz；　Abbe　of　Saint…Germain；　〃on　condition　that　no　woman　could　be　received　unless　she　contributed　three　hundred　livres　ine；　which　amounts　to　six　thousand　livres；　to　the　principal。〃　After　the　Abbe　of　Saint…Germain；　the　king　accorded　letters…patent；　and　all　the　rest；　abbatial　charter；　and　royal　letters；　was　confirmed　in　1654　by　the　Chamber　of　Accounts　and　the　Parliament。
　　Such　is　the　origin　of　the　legal　consecration　of　the　establishment　of　the　Benedictines　of　the　Perpetual　Adoration　of　the　Holy　Sacrament　at　Paris。
　　Their　first　convent　was　〃a　new　building〃　in　the　Rue　Cassette；　out　of　the　contributions　of　Mesdames　de　Boucs　and　de　Chateauvieux。
　　This　order；　as　it　will　be　seen；　was　not　to　be　confounded　with　the　Benedictine　nuns　of　Citeaux。
　　It　mounted　back　to　the　Abbe　of　Saint…Germain　des　Pres；　in　the　same　manner　that　the　ladies　of　the　Sacred　Heart　go　back　to　the　general　of　the　Jesuits；　and　the　sisters　of　charity　to　the　general　of　the　Lazarists。
　　It　was　also　totally　different　from　the　Bernardines　of　the　Petit…Picpus；　whose　interior　we　have　just　shown。
　　In　1657；　Pope　Alexander　VII。　had　authorized；　by　a　special　brief；　the　Bernardines　of　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus；　to　practise　the　Perpetual　Adoration　like　the　Benedictine　nuns　of　the　Holy　Sacrament。
　　But　the　two　orders　remained　distinct　none　the　less。


BOOK　SIXTH。LE　PETIT…PICPUS
CHAPTER　XI　
　　END　OF　THE　PETIT…PICPUS
　　At　the　beginning　of　the　Restoration；　the　convent　of　the　Petit…Picpus　was　in　its　decay；　this　forms　a　part　of　the　general　death　of　the　order；　which；　after　the　eighteenth　century；　has　been　disappearing　like　all　the　religious　orders。
　　Contemplation　is；　like　prayer；　one　of　humanity's　needs；　but；　like　everything　which　the　Revolution　touched；　it　will　be　transformed；　and　from　being　hostile　to　social　progress；　it　will　bee　favorable　to　it。
　　The　house　of　the　Petit…Picpus　was　being　rapidly　depopulated。　In　1840；　the　Little　Convent　had　disappeared；　the　school　had　disappeared。　There　were　no　longer　any　old　women；　nor　young　girls；　the　first　were　dead；　the　latter　had　taken　their　departure。
　　Volaverunt。
　　The　rule　of　the　Perpetual　Adoration　is　so　rigid　in　its　nature　that　it　alarms；　vocations　recoil　before　it；　the　order　receives　no　recruits。
　　In　1845；　it　still　obtained　lay…sisters　here　and　there。　But　of　professed　nuns；　none　at　all。
　　Forty　years　ago；　the　nuns　numbered　nearly　a　hundred；　fifteen　years　ago　there　were　not　more　than　twenty…eight　of　them。
　　How　many　are　there　to…day？　In　1847；　the　prioress　was　young；　a　sign　that　the　circle　of　choice　was　restricted。　She　was　not　forty　years　old。
　　In　proportion　as　the　number　diminishes；　the　fatigue　increases；　the　service　of　each　bees　more　painful；　the　moment　could　then　be　seen　drawing　near　when　there　would　be　but　a　dozen　bent　and　aching　shoulders　to　bear　the　heavy　rule　of　Saint…Benoit。　The　burden　is　implacable；　and　remains　the　same　for　the　few　as　for　the　many。
　　It　weighs　down；　it　crushes。
　　Thus　they　die。　At　the　period　when　the　author　of　this　book　still　lived　in　Paris；　two　died。
　　One　was　twenty…five　years　old；　the　other　twenty…three。　This　latter　can　say；　like　Julia　Alpinula：
　　〃Hic　jaceo。
　　Vixi　annos　viginti　et　tres。〃
　　It　is　in　consequence　of　this　decay　that　the　convent　gave　up　the　education　of　girls。
　　We　have　not　felt　able　to　pass　before　this　extraordinary　house　without　entering　it；　and　without　introducing　the　minds　which　acpany　us；　and　which　are