ACT IV
Scene.—A prison. Door in the center
SCENE I
ESMERALDA (alone, chained, lying upon a bed of straw).
What! He in the tomb and I in this cell—
He a victim and I a prisoner!
I saw him fall! In truth, he's dead!
And this crime, this awful crime—
They say it is my work!
The stem of our life, while yet green, is broken.
Phœbus has gone, and he shows me the way.
Yesterday they made his grave,
To-morrow they'll make mine!
ROMANCE
Phœbus, is there nothing left,
No help given, to those bereft
In this cruel wise—
Neither filters, love, nor charms,
To assuage the soul's alarms,
Or reopen closèd eyes?
God in heaven, I adore thee!
Every hour I implore thee!
Deign to end my life to-day
Or to take my love away!
Phœbus, let us turn our wings
Toward the lights supernal,
Where all things must go at last,
Where love bides and is eternal.
On earth our bodies sleep together,
In heaven our souls will live forever!
God in heaven, I adore thee!
Every hour I implore thee!
Deign to end my life to-day
Or to take my love away!
[The door opens. Claude Frollo enters, a lamp in his hand, his hood pulled over his face: he comes and stands, motionless, in front of Esmeralda.
ESMERALDA (jumping up with terror).
Who is this man?
CLAUDE FROLLO (covered by his hood).
A priest!
ESMERALDA.
A priest! How mysterious!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Are you ready?
ESMERALDA.
Ready for what?
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Ready to die.
ESMERALDA.
Yes.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
It is well.
ESMERALDA.
Will it be soon? Answer me, father!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Do you suffer so much?
ESMERALDA.
Yes, I suffer.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Perhaps I, who shall live to-morrow,
Suffer more than you.
ESMERALDA.
You? Who, then, are you?
CLAUDE FROLLO.
The tomb lies between us!
ESMERALDA.
Your name?
CLAUDE FROLLO.
You wish to know it?
ESMERALDA.
Yes. [He lifts his hood.
The priest!
It is the priest! O God! my feeble strength inspire!
It is indeed his brow of ice, it is his glance of fire!
'Tis he who has pursued me, remorseless, day and night;
'Twas he who killed my Phœbus, and slew my heart's delight.
Monster, from my prison, with death's cold hand on me,
I'll curse thee, till within the grave my lips shall silent be!
What have I done to thee? What is thine awful plan?
What dost thou want with me, relentless, impious man?
You hate me!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
I love you!
I love you—it is infamous!
Oh, shame to my priesthood!
This love, it is my soul;
This love, it is my blood!
At your feet I fall;
Hear my heart, which cries,
I prefer your tomb
Unto Paradise.
Pity me. I love you! Your pity I implore!
For you I've sinned. Have mercy, do not curse me more!
ESMERALDA.
He loves me! Oh, crown of horrors!
He holds me—this horrible sorcerer!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
The only living thing in me
Is my love and my anguish!
Hopeless anguish,
Wretched plight!
Alas! I love her,
Painful night!
ESMERALDA.
Awful moment,
Cruel fright!
Heaven! He loves me,
Fearful night.
CLAUDE FROLLO (aside).
She shudders, quivers in my arms;
The priest has won his chance at last!
By night I bore her, once, away;
Now, in the day, I'll hold her fast!
Death, which follows in my train,
Will give her back to love again!
ESMERALDA.
Pity—pity, let me go!
Phœbus is dead; he waits above.
Alas! I tremble, I'm afraid,
I shiver at your frightful love,
E'en as the bird which, tortured, dies
Beneath the vulture's cruel eyes!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Accept me, I love you! Refuse me no more!
Have pity for me, for yourself, I implore!
ESMERALDA.
Your prayer is an insult.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Would you rather die?
ESMERALDA.
The body dies—the soul lives!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
To die is terrible!
ESMERALDA.
Hush! your impious words!
Your love makes death beautiful!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Choose! choose! Or Claude or death!
[Claude falls at Esmeralda's feet in supplication. She repels him.
ESMERALDA.
No, murderer, I will not! Hush!
A crime is this foul love you've nursed.
Better the tomb to which I fly—
Be cursed amid the most accursed!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Tremble, for the scaffold claims you!
You know not what awful schemes
This breast of fury has engendered;
And hell abets me in my dreams.
How I love thee!
Thy hand give,
And to-morrow
Thou shalt live!
Night benumbed
With terror's breath!
Tears for me,
For thee death!
Say, "I love thee!"
Cease thy scorning;
Thy last day
Is dawning!
Ah! since in vain I supplicate,
In vain thy hate I fight,
Farewell forever! One day more,
Then comes eternal night.
ESMERALDA.
Inhuman priest.
Go! I abhor thee!
His dear blood yet
Seems dripping o'er thee,
Oh, night of horror,
Night of shame!
Enough of tears;
Death I claim!
In prison I brave thee,
In chains defy!
Be thou accursed
Eternally!
Thy passion be thy punishment!
To God my love leads me:
The gates of heaven he'll open,
But hell shall close o'er thee!
[A jailer appears. Claude Frollo signs to him to lead out Esmeralda. He exits while they drag forth the gypsy.
SCENE II
The area before Notre Dame; the front of the church. The sound of bells is heard
QUASIMODO.
My God! I love,
Except myself,
All that's here—
The air which passes,
And which chases
Away care;
And the swallow
Who is faithful
To the old roof;
The chapels high
O'ershadowed by
The Holy Cross;
Every rose
That grows;
Every sight
Of delight!
Sad creature, I—
Uncouth, ill-made!
None envies me!
This is life
As it is!
Darkest night,
Bluest sky,
What matters it?
Every door
Leads to God.
Ignoble scabbard,
Noble blade;
Fair my soul
God has made.
Ring, bells small and great—
Ring on, ring on!
Mix well your voices,
Gruff and sweet!
In the turrets,
In the tower,
Sing your song!
How they ring!
With all their might,
Let them hum
Day and night!
Our festival shall be
Magnificent, I swear!
Assail it fiercer yet,
The palpitating air!
The stupid peasants run,
And o'er the bridges tear!
Let them ring,
Let them hum,
Day and night!
Every feast
Is increased
By their might!
[He turns toward the front of the church.
I saw black hangings in the chapel.
Are they dragging some misery here?
God! a presentiment! I'll not believe it!
[Enter Claude Frollo and Clopin without perceiving Quasimodo.
[He hides himself in an obscure angle of the porch.
SCENE III
Quasimodo hidden, Claude Frollo, Clopin
CLAUDE FROLLO.
So Phœbus is at Montfort?
CLOPIN.
My lord, he is not dead!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Provided nothing brings him here!
CLOPIN.
Do not fear it;
He is too feeble yet for such a journey.
If he came, 'twould be his death.
My lord, you can feel sure
That every step would reopen his wound;
Do not fear anything this morning.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Oh! let me hold her just to-day
For life or death within my power!
Hell! I'll give you all the rest,
If you grant me this one hour!
[To Clopin.] They will soon bring the gypsy here!
You remember everything!
In the square—with your men—
CLOPIN.
Yes.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Keep in the shadow;
If I cry, "To me!" you come.
CLOPIN.
Yes!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Have plenty with you!
CLOPIN.
If you cry, "To me!"
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Yes.
CLOPIN.
I rush to her,
I tear her from the King's men—
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Yes.
CLOPIN.
And give her to you.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Go, mix among the crowd,
And perhaps she
Will look upon the priest
More tenderly;
Then rush—rush all of you—
CLOPIN.
Yes, my master!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Hold yourselves close!
CLOPIN.
Yes.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Hide your arms,
Not to excite suspicion!
CLOPIN.
Master, you shall see!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
But hell may take her quick,
With my good-will,
If now this insane creature
Refuses still!
Destiny! Oh, fatal stroke!
Friend, I count on thee!
On this my only chance I wait
With fierce anxiety.
CLOPIN.
Fear nothing terrible, my lord,
Count faithfully on me,
And on this last and only chance
Rely courageously!
[They go out hurriedly. The populace begin to enter the square.
SCENE IV
The populace; Quasimodo; afterward Esmeralda, and her escort; then Claude Frollo, Phœbus, Clopin Frouillefou, priests, archers, officers of the law
CHORUS.
To Notre Dame
Come, get a sight
Of the young woman
Who dies to-night!
This gypsy woman
Who stabbed, they say,
The handsomest officer
In the King's pay.
In vain did Heaven
Beauty lend her!
Is it possible—
God defend her!—
A soul so black,
An eye so tender!
A frightful thing,
Human nature is so!
The poor unfortunate!
Come, let us go
To Notre Dame
To get a sight
Of the young woman
Who dies to-night!
[The crowd increases; noise; a gloomy procession begins to appear on the Place du Parvis. Rows of black penitents. Banners of La Miséricorde. Torches, archers, officers of the law and the watch. The soldiers disperse the crowd. Esmeralda appears. She wears a chemise; a rope is around her neck; her feet are bare, and she is covered with a long black veil of crape. Following her, come the executioners and the King's officers. As the prisoner reaches the front of the church, a somber chant is heard in the distance, coming from the interior of the church, whose doors are closed.
CHORUS (in the church).
Omnes fluctus fluminis
Transierunt super me
In imo voraginis
Ubi plorant animæ.
[The chant draws nearer. It bursts forth, at length, when near the doors, which open suddenly and discover the interior of the church. It is filled with a long procession of priests in their robes of ceremony; banners are borne before them. Claude Frollo, in sacerdotal costume, leads the procession. He goes toward the criminal.
THE PEOPLE.
Alive to-day, to-morrow dead!
Heaven! thy wings around her spread!
ESMERALDA.
It is Phœbus who calls me
Unto our home eternal,
Where God will hold us in His arms,
Safe from misfortunes cruel.
Though plunged in the abyss of woe,
A joyful hope is given:
I am to die upon the earth
To be re-born in heaven!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
To die so young, so beautiful!
Alas! the guilty priest
Must suffer greater woe than she;
He ne'er will be released.
Oh, hapless child of sorrow,
Lost through my infamy,
You only die from off this earth,
While heaven is lost to me!
THE PEOPLE.
Alas! she is an infidel.
God's words, unto us spoken,
Say that in heaven for such as she
No blessed gate shall open.
Death holds her fast, what misery!
She can escape it, never!
She dies unto the world this day,
And unto heaven forever!
[The procession approaches. Claude accosts Esmeralda.
ESMERALDA (frozen with terror).
It is the priest!
CLAUDE FROLLO (low).
Yes, it is I! I love you, I entreat you!
Say but one word! 'Tis not too late;
I can yet save you!
Say, I love you!
ESMERALDA.
I abhor you! Go!
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Then die! I'll go where I can find you!
[Claude turns to the crowd.
[As the officers of the law are about to seize Esmeralda, Quasimodo jumps into the square, thrusts back the archers, takes Esmeralda in his arms, and throws himself with her into the church.
QUASIMODO.
Sanctuary! sanctuary! sanctuary!
THE PEOPLE.
Sanctuary! sanctuary! sanctuary!
Rejoice, O people!
Hail to the good bell-ringer!
Oh, destiny!
The criminal
Belongs to heaven!
The scaffold falls!
The eternal God
Instead of a tomb
Discloses the altar!
Executioners, back!
King's officers, back!
This barrier
Limits your power.
Thou hast changed
Everything here.
The angels claim her;
She belongs to God!
CLAUDE FROLLO (commanding silence by a gesture).
She is not saved! She is a gypsy!
Notre Dame can save none but Christians!
Pagans are proscribed even when clasping the altar!
[To the King's men.] In the name of my lord the Archbishop of Paris,
I give you back this sinful woman!
QUASIMODO (to the archers).
I will defend her! I swear it.
Approach us not!
CLAUDE FROLLO (to the archers).
Do you hesitate?
Obey me, on the instant!
Tear the gypsy from this holy place.
[The archers advance. Quasimodo places himself between them and Esmeralda.
QUASIMODO.
Never!
[A horseman is heard approaching. He calls out:
PHŒBUS (appearing on horseback. He is pale, breathless, exhausted as is a man who has made a long journey).
Wait!
ESMERALDA.
Phœbus!
CLAUDE FROLLO (aside, terrified).
My plot has failed.
PHŒBUS (leaping from his horse).
God be praised! I breathe
And I arrive in time!
This girl is innocent.
Behold my assassin!
[Points to Claude Frollo.
ALL.
Heavens! the priest!
PHŒBUS.
The priest alone is guilty, and I will prove it!
Arrest him!
THE PEOPLE.
Oh, wonder!
[The archers surround Claude Frollo.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
God alone is Master!
ESMERALDA.
Phœbus!
PHŒBUS.
Esmeralda!
[They fall into each other's arms.
ESMERALDA.
My adored Phœbus, we shall live!
PHŒBUS.
Thou shalt live!
ESMERALDA.
For us shines happiness!
THE PEOPLE.
Live, both of you!
ESMERALDA.
Hear these joyous shouts!
At thy feet receive me, humble girl!
Heavens! thou art pale! What is the matter?
PHŒBUS (staggering).
I die!
[She catches him in her arms. Expectation and anxiety among the crowd.
ESMERALDA.
Phœbus! He dies! In an instant everything is changed!
[She falls upon his body.
CLAUDE FROLLO.
Fatality!
THE PEOPLE.
Fatality!
Transcriber's Notes:
A few minor typographical errors have been silently corrected. Names of characters have been regularized, but other variant spellings have been left as they were printed. Page numbers have been removed from the table of contents.