Hugo Victor
The man who laughs
In England everything is majestic, even the bad, even the oligarchy. The English patrician is a patrician in the full sense of the word. Nowhere was there a feudal system more brilliant, more cruel and more tenacious than in England. True, at one time it turned out to be useful. It is in England that feudal law must be studied, just as royal power must be studied in France.
This book should actually be entitled “Aristocracy.” The other, which will be its continuation, can be called “Monarchy”. Both of them, if the author is destined to complete this work, will be preceded by a third, which will close the entire cycle and will be entitled “The Ninety-third Year.”
Hauteville House. 1869.
PROLOGUE
1. URSUS
Ursus and Homo were bound by bonds of close friendship. Ursus was a man, Homo was a wolf. Their personalities suited each other very well. The name "Homo" was given to the wolf by man. He probably came up with his own; Having found the nickname “Ursus” suitable for himself, he considered the name “Homo” quite suitable for the beast. The partnership between man and wolf was a success at fairs, at parish festivals, at street intersections where passersby crowded; the crowd is always happy to listen to the joker and buy all sorts of charlatan drugs. She liked the tame wolf, who deftly, without coercion, carried out the orders of his master. It is a great pleasure to see a tamed obstinate dog, and there is nothing more pleasant than watching all the varieties of training. That is why there are so many spectators along the route of the royal motorcades.
Ursus and Homo wandered from crossroads to crossroads, from Aberystwyth square to Eedburgh square, from one area to another, from county to county, from city to city. Having exhausted all the possibilities at one fair, they moved on to another. Ursus lived in a shed on wheels, which Homo, well-trained enough for this purpose, drove during the day and guarded at night. When the road became difficult due to potholes, mud, or when going uphill, the man harnessed himself to the strap and pulled the cart like brothers, side by side with the wolf. So they grew old together.
For the night they settled down wherever they had to - among an unplowed field, in a forest clearing, at the intersection of several roads, at the village outskirts, at the city gates, on the market square, in places of public festivities, at the edge of the park, on the church porch. When the cart stopped at some fairground, when the gossips came running with their mouths open and a circle of onlookers gathered around the booth, Ursus began to rant, and Homo listened to him with obvious approval. Then the wolf politely walked around those present with a wooden cup in his teeth. This is how they earned their living. The wolf was educated, and so was the man. The wolf was taught by man or taught himself all sorts of wolf tricks that increased the collection.
The main thing is not to degenerate into a human being,” the owner used to tell him in a friendly manner.
A wolf has never bitten, but this has sometimes happened to a person. In any case, Ursus had an urge to bite. Ursus was a misanthrope and, to emphasize his hatred of man, he became a buffoon. In addition, it was necessary to feed ourselves somehow, because the stomach always makes its claim. However, this misanthrope and buffoon, perhaps thinking in this way to find a more important place in life and a more difficult job, was also a doctor. Moreover, Ursus was also a ventriloquist. He could speak without moving his lips. He could mislead those around him, copying the voice and intonation of any of them with amazing accuracy. He alone imitated the roar of the whole crowd, which gave him every right to the title of “engastrimit.” That's what he called himself. Ursus reproduced all sorts of bird voices: the voice of a song thrush, teal, lark, white-breasted blackbird - wanderers like himself; thanks to this talent, he could, at any moment, at will, give you the impression of either a square buzzing with people, or a meadow resounding with the lowing of a herd; sometimes he was menacing, like a rumbling crowd, sometimes childishly serene, like the morning dawn. Such talent, although rare, still occurs. In the past century, a certain Tuzel, who imitated the mixed hum of human and animal voices and reproduced the cries of all animals, was under Buffon as a menagerie man. Ursus was insightful, extremely original and inquisitive. He had a penchant for all sorts of stories that we call fables, and pretended to believe them himself - the usual trick of a crafty charlatan. He told fortunes by hand, by a book opened at random, predicted fate, explained signs, assured that meeting a black mare was a sign of bad luck, but what is even more dangerous to hear when you are completely ready to go is the question: “Where are you going?” He called himself a “salesman of superstitions,” usually saying, “I don’t hide it; that is the difference between the Archbishop of Canterbury and me.” The archbishop, rightly indignant, one day summoned him to his place. However, Ursus skillfully disarmed his Eminence by reading before him a sermon of his own composition on the day of the Nativity of Christ, which the archbishop liked so much that he learned it by heart, delivered it from the pulpit and ordered it to be published as his work. For this he granted Ursus forgiveness.
Thanks to his skill as a healer, and perhaps despite it, Ursus healed the sick. He treated with aromatic substances. Well versed in medicinal herbs, he skillfully used the enormous healing powers contained in a variety of neglected plants - in pride, in white and evergreen buckthorn, in black viburnum, warthog, in ramen; he treated sundew for consumption, used, as needed, milkweed leaves, which, when picked at the root, act as a laxative, and when picked at the top, as an emetic; healed throat diseases with the help of growths of a plant called “rabbit’s ear”; he knew what kind of reed could cure an ox and what kind of mint could put a sick horse back on its feet; knew all the valuable, beneficial properties of mandrake, which, as everyone knows, is a bisexual plant. He had medicine for every occasion. He healed burns with the skin of a salamander, from which Nero, according to Pliny, made a napkin. Ursus used a retort and a flask; he himself carried out the distillation and sold the universal potions himself. There were rumors that at one time he was in a madhouse; They honored him by mistaking him for an insane person, but soon released him, making sure that he was just a poet. It is possible that this did not happen: each of us has been a victim of such stories.
The tramp Ursus appears to be a versatile person, capable of numerous tricks: he can ventriloquize and convey any sounds, brew healing infusions, he is an excellent poet and philosopher. Together with their pet wolf Gomo, who is not a pet, but a friend, assistant and show participant, they travel throughout England in a wooden carriage, decorated in a very unusual style. On the walls there was a long treatise on the rules of etiquette of English aristocrats and no shorter list of the possessions of all those in power. Inside this chest, for which Homo and Ursus themselves acted as horses, there was a chemical laboratory, a chest with belongings and a stove.
In the laboratory, he brewed potions, which he then sold, luring people with his performances. Despite his many talents, he was poor and often went without food. His inner state was always dull rage, and his outer shell was irritation. However, he chose his own fate when he met Gomo in the forest and chose wandering over life with the lord.
He hated aristocrats and considered their government evil - but he still painted the cart with treatises about them, considering this a small satisfaction.
Despite the persecution of the Comprachicos, Ursus still managed to avoid problems. He himself did not belong to this group, but he was also a tramp. The Comprachicos were gangs of itinerant Catholics who turned children into freaks for the amusement of the public and royal court. To do this, they used various surgical methods, deforming the developing bodies and creating dwarf jesters.
Part one: cold, the hanged man and the baby
The winter from 1689 to 1690 turned out to be truly harsh. At the end of January, a Biscay urka stopped in Portland harbor, where eight men and a little boy They began to load chests and food. When the job was done, the men swam away, leaving the child to freeze on the shore. He resignedly accepted his share, setting off on the journey so as not to freeze to death.
On one of the hills he saw the body of a hanged man covered in tar, under which lay shoes. Even though the boy himself was barefoot, he was afraid to take the dead man’s shoes. A sudden rush of wind and the shadow of a crow frightened the boy, and he began to run.
Meanwhile, at the lesson, the men rejoice at their departure. They see that the storm is coming and decide to turn west, but this does not save them from death. By some miracle, the ship remains intact after hitting a reef, but it turns out to be overfilled with water and sank. Before the crew is killed, one of the men writes a letter and seals it in a bottle.
A boy wanders through snow storm and comes across women's footprints. He walks along them and stumbles upon the body of a dead woman in a snowdrift, next to whom lies a living nine-month-old girl. The kid takes her and goes to the village, but all the houses are locked.
Eventually, he found shelter in Ursus's cart. Of course, he didn’t particularly want to let the boy and baby girl into his house, but he couldn’t leave the kids to freeze. He shared his dinner with the boy and fed the baby milk.
When the children fell asleep, the philosopher buried the dead woman.
In the morning, Ursus discovered that a mask of laughter was frozen on the boy’s face, and the girl was blind.
Lord Linnaeus Clencharley was a "living fragment of the past" and was an ardent republican who did not defect to the restored monarchy. He himself went into exile on Lake Geneva, leaving his mistress and illegitimate son in England.
The mistress quickly became friends with King Charles II, and son David Derry-Moir found a place for himself at court.
The forgotten lord found himself a legitimate wife in Switzerland, where he had a son. However, by the time James II ascended the throne, he had already died and his son had mysteriously disappeared. The heir was David Derry-Moir, who fell in love with the beautiful Duchess Josiana, the king's illegitimate daughter.
Anna, the legitimate daughter of James II, became the queen, and Josianna and David still did not get married, although they really liked each other. Josiana was considered a depraved virgin, since it was not modesty that limited her from numerous love affairs, but pride. She couldn't find someone worthy of her.
Queen Anne, an ugly and stupid person, was jealous of her stepsister.
David was not cruel, but he loved various cruel entertainments: boxing, cockfighting and others. He often entered such tournaments disguised as a commoner, and then, out of kindness, paid for all the damage. His nickname was Tom-Jim-Jack.
Barkilphedro was also a triple agent who was monitoring the queen, Josiana and David at the same time, but each of them considered him their reliable ally. Under the patronage of Josiana, he entered the palace and became an uncorker of ocean bottles: he had the right to open all bottles thrown onto land from the sea. He was sweet on the outside and evil on the inside, sincerely hating all his masters, and especially Josiana.
Part three: tramps and lovers
Guiplen and Deya remained to live with Ursus, who officially adopted them. Guiplen began to work as a buffoon, attracting buyers and spectators who could not contain their laughter. Their popularity was prohibitive, which is why three tramps were able to acquire a new large wagon and even a donkey - now Homo did not need to pull the cart on himself.
Inner beauty
Deya grew into a beautiful girl and sincerely loved Guiplen, not believing that her lover was ugly. She believed that if he is pure in soul and kind, then he cannot be ugly.
Deya and Guiplen literally idolized each other, their love was platonic - they did not even touch each other. Ursus loved them as his own children and rejoiced in their relationship.
They had enough money to not deny themselves anything. Ursus was even able to hire two gypsy women to help with housework and during performances.
Part Four: The Beginning of the End
In 1705, Ursus and his children arrived in the vicinity of Southwark, where he was arrested for public performance. After a lengthy interrogation, the philosopher is released.
Meanwhile, David, under his guise as a commoner, becomes a regular spectator of Gwynplaine's performances, and one evening he brings Josiana to see the freak. She understands that this young man should become her lover. Gwynplaine himself is amazed by the beauty of the woman, but he still sincerely loves Deya, whom he now began to dream of as a girl.
The Duchess sends him a letter inviting him to her place.
Gwynplaine suffers all night, but in the morning she still decides to refuse the duchess’s invitation. He burns the letter, and the artists begin breakfast.
However, at this moment the staff-bearer arrives and takes Gwynplaine to prison. Ursus secretly follows them, although in doing so he breaks the law.
In prison, the young man is not tortured - on the contrary, he witnesses the terrible torture of another person who confesses to his crime. It turns out that he was the one who disfigured Gwynplaine as a child. During interrogation, the unfortunate man also confesses that in fact Gwynplaine is Lord Fermin of Clancharlie, peer of England. The young man faints.
In this Barkilphedro sees an excellent reason for revenge on the duchess, since she is now obliged to marry Gwynplaine. When the young man comes to his senses, he is brought to his new chambers, where he indulges in dreams of the future.
Victor Hugo’s masterpiece “Les Miserables” remains a very popular work today, which is also confirmed by the many options for its film adaptation and theatrical productions.
In our next article, we will learn more about the biography of Victor Hugo, an outstanding French writer and poet, whose work left an indelible mark on the history of literature.
Part Six: Ursus Masks, Nudity and the House of Lords
Ursus returns home, where he puts on a performance in front of Deya so that she does not notice Gwynplaine is missing. Meanwhile, a bailiff comes to them and demands that the artists leave London. He also brings Gwynplaine's things - Ursus runs to the prison and sees the coffin being taken out of there. He decides that his named son has died and begins to cry.
Meanwhile, Gwynplaine himself is looking for a way out of the palace, but stumbles upon Josiana’s chambers, where the girl showers him with caresses. However, upon learning that the young man is to become her husband, he drives him away. She believes that the groom cannot take the place of his lover.
The Queen summons Gwynplaine to her and sends him to the House of Lords. Since the other lords are old and blind, they do not notice the freak of the newly-made aristocrat, and therefore listen to him first. Gwynplaine talks about the poverty of the people and their troubles, that revolution will soon overwhelm the country if nothing is changed - but the lords only laugh at him.
The young man seeks consolation from David, his half-brother, but he slaps him in the face and challenges him to a duel for insulting his mother.
Gwynplaine escapes from the palace and stops on the banks of the Thames, where he reflects on his former life and how he allowed vanity to overwhelm him. The young man realizes that he himself exchanged his real family and love for a parody, and decides to commit suicide. However, Homo appears and saves him from such a step.
Conclusion: Death of Lovers
The wolf brings Gwynplaine to the ship, where the young man hears his adoptive father talking to Deya. She says that she will soon die and go after her lover. In her delirium, she begins to sing - and then Gwynplaine appears. However, the girl’s heart cannot withstand such happiness and she dies in the arms of the young man. He understands that there is no point in living without his beloved and throws himself into the water.
Ursus, who lost consciousness after the death of his daughter, comes to his senses. Gomo sits next to them and howls.
Ursus, wandering around England, was once a philosopher. But after meeting a wolf in the forest, whom he named Gomo, he was drawn to a free life. Since then, this thoughtful, hunched man traveled in company with his four-legged companion on a small cart. There he had a sleeping place and even a laboratory where he created his drugs for sale. He lived on the proceeds from the performances that he himself wrote, and on the proceeds from the potions he sold. Ursus rarely laughed, and only a bitter laugh. He was a pessimist. At that time, the authorities persecuted comprachicos who specifically bought children in order to mutilate them.
Part I. Sea and night
On a chilly evening in January 1690, a child was abandoned on the shore of Portland Bay by a gang of sailing thugs. The boy reached human habitation, picking up a baby near the woman’s corpse along the way. He knocked on every house in a row to no avail. Finally, Ursus, who spent the night in his cart in a vacant lot, let him in. He was very surprised to find a one-year-old girl in the package brought by the boy. In the light of the coming morning, it turned out that the baby could not see at all, and someone had disfigured the face of the older child with an eternal smile.
Part II. By order of the king
Old Lord Clenchary emigrated to Switzerland after Cromwell's execution. The peer's mistress quickly found solace in the arms of Charles II, but Clancharlie's illegitimate son got a chance to make a name for himself at court. James II, having become king, wanted to correct the mistakes of the previous ruler, but the old man had already died by that time, his legal heir had disappeared. Therefore, the peerage with the title went to David, who was unrecognized by his father. And he found a bride worthy of him - Josiana, the king’s daughter, also illegitimate. Over time, Anne, daughter of James II, took the throne.
One day David showed his bride a freak saved by Ursus. His constantly grinning face with dyed bright red hair against the backdrop of the blind girl Deya who had grown into a beauty amused everyone around her. But it was the drowned comprachicos who were to blame for this ugliness.
Gwynplaine (the name of the freak) and Dey sincerely loved each other. Ursus was only happy looking at the adopted children. The extravagant Josiana got it into her head that Gwynplaine would be her lover. But he burned the letter from her, remaining faithful to his Deya. And the sweet girl was weakening due to an incurable illness.
Ursus's adopted son was arrested after burning the letter. In prison, someone was tortured in front of his eyes. And this man recognized him. Gwynplaine was immediately named Lord Fermain of Clancharlie, baron, marquess and peer of England. Out of surprise, having learned the whole truth about himself, he fainted and woke up already in the palace. They no longer allowed him to see Deya and Ursus, promising to bring them money.
Ursus saw a coffin being taken out of prison and decided that it was his son. And the duchess’s treacherous servant only confirmed this erroneous guess.
That same day, the freak was consecrated to the peerage of England. All Gwynplaine's good intentions to benefit the people by speaking at meetings of the lords only caused a stream of insults from the nobility. The last straw that broke the cup of patience was a quarrel with my brother David. The poor freak ran away in search of his family. But, alas, Ursus sold his cart and left somewhere. Gwynplaine was about to drown himself out of despair, but he was saved by Homo, who found the young man near the river bank.
Conclusion. Sea and night
It was the wolf who showed the way to the ship “Vograat”: on it the old man and Deya were preparing to sail. The girl was completely weak, because she missed her beloved so much. But his unexpected appearance excited her incredibly and her weak heart could not stand it. Deya died right in his arms. The shocked young man rushed into the Thames. He woke up completely alone to the melancholy howl of Homo.
Still from the film “The Man Who Laughs” (2012)
Prologue
Ursus (Latin for Bear) was a versatile man. Hidden within him was a philosopher, a poet, a healer, a street buffoon, and a ventriloquist, capable of accurately reproducing any sound. Ursus wandered throughout England with his faithful wolf Homo (Latin for Man). Their shelter was a small wooden cart made of thin boards, similar to a box with two doors at the ends. Inside there was a large chest, an iron stove and a small chemical laboratory. The horse for the cart was Homo, next to whom Ursus was often harnessed. The wolf was not only a draft force, but a full-fledged participant in the performances: he performed various tricks and walked around the audience with a wooden cup in his teeth. One profession of Ursus helped another: the play he wrote and performed gathered people who bought the potions prepared by Ursus.
“He was short in stature, but seemed lanky. He was hunched over and always thoughtful.” Despite his many talents, Ursus was poor and often went to bed without dinner. “In his youth, he lived as a philosopher with a lord,” but, having met Homo in the forest, he felt a craving for vagrancy and preferred “hunger in the forest to slavery in the palace.” Now “Ursus’s internal state was a constant dull rage; his external state was grumpiness.” He was a pessimist and saw the world only from the bad side.
Ursus approached life with a gloomy philosophy. This man never smiled, and his laughter was bitter. He considered the power of the aristocracy to be an inevitable evil that should be accepted. He, however, kept these thoughts to himself, pretending to be an ardent admirer of aristocrats. Proof of this were two very long inscriptions on the walls of the cart. One described very complicated rules etiquette that guided English aristocrats. The second inscription was a list of all the possessions of dukes, counts and barons. This list was preceded by the inscription: “The consolation that those who have nothing should be content with.” Opposite the name of Lord Linnaeus Clencharlia it was written that all his property was under arrest, and the lord himself was a rebel in exile.
Wandering around England, Ursus managed to avoid trouble, although James II had already passed a law persecuting the Comprachicos. The persecution against them continued during the reign of William and Mary. Comprachicos was the name given to people who produced monsters. IN XVII-XVIII centuries at the court of any aristocrat there was always a dwarf jester, and the public at fairgrounds was entertained by freaks. Comprachicos bought children and changed their appearance surgically. They turned beautiful, healthy children into dwarfs and funny freaks. Often the services of comprachicos were used to remove an unwanted heir. These swindlers were of different nationalities and usually formed gangs. Oddly enough, the Comprachicos were not pagans, but ardent Catholics and “jealously guarded the purity of their faith.”
Part I. Sea and night
The winter of 1689-1690 turned out to be unusually cold. On one of the coldest January evenings in 1690, a Biscay urka, an ancient ship with a strong pot-bellied hull, moored in one of the bays of Portland Bay. Some people were hastily loading into class. One of the vague silhouettes, the smallest one, belonged to a child. He was dressed in rags, while his companions covered themselves with long, wide cloaks with hoods. Having loaded, people boarded. The child wanted to follow them, but the leader of the gang at the last moment threw off the board that served as a ladder. Urka set sail, leaving the child alone on a deserted and cold wasteland.
The boy had no shoes, and his rags and the sailor's jacket thrown over them did not keep him warm at all. Having difficulty getting out of a deep bay with steep slopes, the child saw in front of him an endless and deserted plateau, white with snow. He ended up on the Portland Peninsula. The boy was lucky: he turned towards the narrow isthmus that connected the peninsula with the English Isles. On the way, he came across a gallows. The corpse of the hanged smuggler was covered in tar. This was done so that the body could be preserved for as long as possible and serve as a lesson to others. The shoes of the hanged man were lying under the gallows, but the child did not dare take them.
Standing spellbound in front of the corpse, the boy almost froze to death. Suddenly a gust of wind, a harbinger of a snow storm, shook the dead man sharply. This scared the boy and he ran. Soon he passed the very dangerous Portland Isthmus, which was a “double-sided slope with a rocky ridge in the middle,” and saw smoke - a trace of human habitation.
Meanwhile, the river crossing the English Channel was overtaken by a snowstorm. The crew struggled with it for a long time, miraculously avoiding a variety of dangers, but the struggle was in vain. When the storm subsided, it turned out that almost the entire crew of the boat, led by the captain, had been washed out to sea, and the ship itself had received a hole and was sinking. The urca's passengers were comprachicos. They hired a ship to escape to Spain. Convinced that land was far away and there was no salvation, the eldest of the Comprachicos wrote a confession, which the others signed. The document was placed in a glass flask braided with willow twigs. The name of the owner was knitted on the braid. They stopped the flask, tarred the neck, and threw this fragile vessel into the sea.
The snowstorm that raged at sea also covered the land. Having passed the isthmus, the child noticed human footprints in the fresh snow. Quiet and strange sounds coming from the snowy darkness helped him not to lose track. In the end, the boy came across a dead woman, next to whom a baby was fussing. The boy picked up the baby, wrapped it in his jacket, and moved on with the load in his arms.
Some time later, the boy saw “not far from him roofs and pipes covered with snow.” He entered the town, sleeping soundly, and began knocking on all the doors, but no one was in a hurry to open for him. Finally, he came across a vacant lot, where Ursus' cart stopped for the night.
When the boy knocked, Ursus was about to eat his meager supper. He didn’t want to share, but the philosopher couldn’t leave the child to freeze. Without ceasing to grumble and swear, he let the boy into the house, changed him into dry clothes and gave him his dinner. To Ursus's amazement, the package that the boy brought with him contained a one-year-old girl. Ursus gave her milk, which he hoped to refresh himself with. In the morning, the philosopher discovered that the boy’s face was disfigured - eternal laughter froze on him. The girl turned out to be blind.
Part II. By order of the king
Lord Linnaeus Clencharley was a "living fragment of the past." He, like many other peers, recognized the republic, but after the execution of Cromwell he did not go over to the side of the restored monarchy. Remaining a staunch republican, Lord Clancharlie went into exile on the shores of Lake Geneva. In England he left his mistress with an illegitimate son. The woman was beautiful, noble and very quickly became the mistress of King Charles II, and her son David Derry-Moir began a career at court. Clancharlie was forgotten for a while.
The old lord, however, retained his title and peerage. In Switzerland he married and had a legitimate son and heir. Having ascended the throne, James II decided to correct the mistake made by the previous king. Old Clancharlie had died by then, his legitimate son had mysteriously disappeared, and David had become Lord Peer. Lord David also got an enviable bride, the beautiful Duchess Josiana, the illegitimate daughter of James II.
Time has passed. Anne, daughter of James II, became Queen of England. Josiana and David liked each other, “the sophistication of their relationship delighted the court.” He was slender, tall, handsome and cheerful. She is beautiful and noble. However, they did not rush the wedding: both the bride and groom valued their freedom, although in 1705 she turned 23 years old and he turned 44.
Like all aristocrats of the time, David and Josiana were satiated with their wealth. The Duchess, an arrogant and sensual woman, considered herself a princess, since she was Queen Anne's half-sister. She did not have a lover only because Josiana could not find the most worthy; it was not modesty that protected her, but pride. The Duchess could be called a depraved virgin, “the personification of sensual beauty.” The queen, an ugly and stupid woman, did not like her beautiful sister.
David, the rake and trendsetter, had much more opportunities to amuse himself. He took part in the cruel pranks of aristocratic youth, but he himself was not cruel. He was the first to begin to compensate for the damage caused to victims of entertainment. David attended boxing matches, participated in cockfights, and often dressed as a commoner to walk the streets of London, where he was known as Tom Jim Jack.
The Queen, David and Josiana watched each other. A man named Barkilphedro helped them in this. He was the confidant of all three, while each of this trio believed that Barkilphedro served only him. As a servant of James II, he gained access to Josiana, and through her he entered the royal chambers. After some time, Josiana arranged for her “trusted person” to take the position of “opener of ocean bottles” - such a position then existed in the Admiralty of England. Now Barkilphedro had the right to open any container thrown ashore by the sea. The outward politeness and helpfulness of the servant hid true deceit underneath. He hated Josiana, who patronized him casually and casually. All good requires vengeance, and Barkilphedro was waiting for an opportunity to strike Josiana.
Saving the bride from boredom, Lord David showed her Gwynplaine - this is what they began to call the boy who was once saved by Ursus. The blind girl who turned into a beautiful girl like an angel was called Deya. Ursus adopted both children. For fifteen years now they have been traveling the roads of England, entertaining the mob. Gwynplaine was incredibly ugly. His face resembled “the head of a laughing Medusa,” and his coarse, thick hair was dyed bright red. His body, on the contrary, was beautiful and flexible. The guy was not stupid: Ursus tried to convey to him everything he knew. The young man’s deformity was not natural; his face was reshaped by the Comprachicos. Gwynplaine, however, did not complain. Looking at him, the people laughed until they had colics, and then paid well. Thanks to Gwynplaine's appearance, his companions did not need anything.
The beautiful Dea was sixteen years old, Gwynplaine was 24, they loved each other and were endlessly happy. Their love was pure - they hardly touched each other. For Dea, Gwynplaine was the most beautiful man in the world, because she saw his soul. The girl did not believe that her beloved was ugly and people were laughing at him. Gwynplaine idolized Deja. Ursus looked at them, rejoiced and grumbled. Over the years they acquired a new large van, the Green Box, the middle part of which served as a stage. Homo no longer had to carry the house on himself; the wolf was replaced by a donkey. An old cart, placed in the corner of the wagon, served as Deya's bedroom. Ursus even hired two gypsies who took part in performances and helped with housework. A sign hanging on the side of the wagon told the story of Gwynplaine.
Having traveled all over England, Ursus decided to go to London. The comedians settled in the Tedcaster Hotel, located in one of the outskirts of London. The square courtyard of the hotel turned into a theater hall, in which Ursus presented the play “Defeated Chaos”, which he had written. The most ardent fan of the play was Tom-Jim-Jack. “The Man Who Laughs” was such a success that it ruined all the nearby booths. The owners of the booths filed a complaint against Ursus, the priests joined them, but this time Ursus managed to get away with it, and the scandal only increased the popularity of the Green Box.
One day, a beautiful and noble woman attended a performance of Ursus. It was Josiana. Gwynplaine's ugliness struck her. The Duchess decided that only this king of freaks was worthy of becoming her lover. One evening Gwynplaine, as usual, was walking near the hotel. A smart page boy approached him and handed him a letter from the duchess, which contained a confession and an appeal. Even at the performance, Gwynplaine was impressed by the beauty of the woman, but he did not cheat on Deya. Without telling anyone, the young man burned the letter.
Meanwhile, Deya, fragile as a reed, became weaker and weaker. Ursus suspected she had an incurable heart disease. He was afraid that the first strong shock would kill the girl.
On the morning when Gwynplaine burned the duchess's letter, a staff-bearer appeared at the Green Box. In the 18th century, this person performed police functions, arresting criminals, suspects or witnesses. In his hands he held an iron rod. The one who was touched by the iron rod had to silently follow the rod-bearer, without asking questions. That morning the rod touched Gwynplaine. Deya did not understand that her beloved had left, and Ursus did not tell her anything, fearing for the girl’s health.
The old philosopher followed the staff-bearer. He brought Gwynplaine to prison. Ursus spent the whole night near the prison, but the prison doors never opened. Gwynplaine was taken to an underground chamber, where a man was tortured - he was crucified and crushed under a lead slab. Seeing the young man, the man recognized him and “burst into terrible laughter.” After this, the judge who was present stood up and named Gwynplaine Lord Ferman of Clancharlie, baron, marquis and peer of England.
This transformation took place thanks to Barkilphedro. It was he who opened the flask with the confession written by a gang of Comprachicos before their death. He learned that the boy they had abandoned on the shore was the legal heir of the exiled Lord Clancharlie, who had been sold to the Comprachicos by order of King James II. The mask of laughter on Gwynplaine's face was created by a certain Hardquanon. They found him, tortured him, and he confessed. Lady Josiana was betrothed to Lord Clancharlie, not to a man, but to his title. If the title changed owner, then the duchess had to change her groom. Barkilphedro realized that he had in his hands the long-awaited instrument of revenge. The queen supported her faithful servant. Together they restored Gwynplaine to his rights.
Stunned by this news, the young man lost consciousness. He woke up in a beautiful palace, where Barkilphedro brought him. He explained to Gwynplaine that his life had changed dramatically, and he should forget the Green Box and its inhabitants. Gwynplaine was eager to tell Ursus about everything and take him money, but Barkilphedro did not allow it. He undertook to withdraw a substantial sum himself and left, locking Gwynplaine in the palace.
The young man did not sleep all night. In his soul there was “a displacement of moral greatness by a thirst for material greatness.” He, as if in delirium, reveled in his power and wealth all night, but when the sun rose, he remembered Dey.
Ursus returned home only in the morning. He did not dare tell Deya that Gwynplaine had disappeared, and staged a whole performance, imitating Gwynplaine’s voice and the noise of the crowd. However, he could not deceive the blind girl - she felt that her beloved was not next to her. In the evening a policeman came to the hotel and brought Gwynplaine's clothes. Ursus rushed to the prison gates and saw a coffin being taken out of them. In it lay a comprachico who had died from torture, but the philosopher decided that it was his pupil who was being buried. Returning to the hotel, Ursus found Barkilphedro there, accompanied by a bailiff. He confirmed that Gwynplaine was dead and ordered the philosopher to leave England.
Having come to his senses, Gwynplaine began to look for a way out of the palace, which resembled a labyrinth. Soon he found himself in a hall with a marble bath. Adjacent to the hall was a small room with mirrored walls, in which a half-naked woman slept. She woke up, and the young man recognized the duchess. She began to seduce Gwynplaine. He almost gave up, but at that moment a letter arrived from the queen, from which Josiana learned that Gwynplaine was hers. future husband. She instantly lost interest in her new toy, declared that her husband had no right to take the place of her lover, and disappeared into the labyrinth of the palace.
On the evening of the same day, Gwynnplain went through the full ceremony of initiation into the peerage of England and found himself at a meeting of the House of Lords. He considered himself a messenger from the lower classes of English society, hoping to reach the consciousness and souls of those who rule England, to talk about the poverty and lack of rights of the common people. Rumors had already spread throughout London about the rise of the fair buffoon, and the lords who had gathered for the meeting talked only about this. They did not notice Gwynplaine until he stood up and made a fiery speech. With a superhuman effort, he managed to drive the grimace of eternal laughter from his face. Now he was serious and terrible. For some time, Gwynplaine managed to capture the attention of the lords, but soon the “mask of despair petrified in laughter, a mask that captured innumerable disasters and was forever doomed to serve for fun and cause laughter” returned to his face. Gwynplaine's laughter personified all the "troubles, all the misfortunes, all the disasters, all the diseases, all the ulcers, all the agony" of the poor people. The lords burst into Homeric laughter and began to hurl insults at Gwynplaine. The meeting had to be closed. The nobles, who received the buffoon with applause, rejected the lord. Gwynplaine's aspirations "were destroyed by laughter."
In the lobby the young man met Lord David, whom he knew as Tom-Jim-Jack. He defended Gwynplaine, who turned out to be his half-brother. The young man decided that he had finally found a family, but Lord David challenged him to a duel - in his chaotic speech, Gwynplaine insulted his mother. It was a devastating blow last hopes young man, "he fled from London." Now he wanted one thing - to see Deya.
Gwynplaine returned to the hotel and found it closed and empty: the owner was arrested, and Ursus sold the “green box” and left. The fairground was also suddenly empty. Carried away by the ghost of power and wealth, the young man lost everything he had. His feet led him to the banks of the Thames. Now Gwynplaine had nothing to live for. He had already undressed, preparing to throw himself into the water, but suddenly “he felt that someone was licking his hands.” It was Homo.
Conclusion. Sea and night
The wolf led Gwynplaine to the Dutch ship Vograat. There the young man found Ursus and Deya. The girl was completely weak, and the philosopher could no longer fix anything - Deya was dying of longing for Gwynplaine. The young man rushed to his beloved, and for a moment she came to life, a blush appeared on her pale cheeks. This didn't last long. Deya had already come to terms with the death of her beloved and his sudden return caused a shock too strong for the girl’s sick heart. She died in Gwynplaine's arms. The young man was terrible in his grief. He jumped to his feet, and, as if following some invisible creature, approached the edge of the deck. The ship had no sides, and nothing prevented Gwynplaine from throwing himself into the water. When Ursus woke up, there was no one next to him, only Homo “howled pitifully in the darkness.”
The tramp Ursus appears to be a versatile person, capable of numerous tricks: he can ventriloquize and convey any sounds, brew healing infusions, he is an excellent poet and philosopher. Together with their pet wolf Gomo, who is not a pet, but a friend, assistant and show participant, they travel throughout England in a wooden carriage, decorated in a very unusual style. On the walls there was a long treatise on the rules of etiquette of English aristocrats and no shorter list of the possessions of all those in power. Inside this chest, for which Homo and Ursus themselves acted as horses, there was a chemical laboratory, a chest with belongings and a stove.
In the laboratory, he brewed potions, which he then sold, luring people with his performances. Despite his many talents, he was poor and often went without food. His inner state was always dull rage, and his outer shell was irritation. However, he chose his own fate when he met Gomo in the forest and chose wandering over life with the lord.
He hated aristocrats and considered their government evil - but he still painted the cart with treatises about them, considering this a small satisfaction.
Despite the persecution of the Comprachicos, Ursus still managed to avoid problems. He himself did not belong to this group, but he was also a tramp. The Comprachicos were gangs of itinerant Catholics who turned children into freaks for the amusement of the public and the royal court. To do this, they used various surgical methods, deforming the developing bodies and creating dwarf jesters.
Part one: cold, the hanged man and the baby
The winter from 1689 to 1690 turned out to be truly harsh. At the end of January, a Biscay urka stopped in Portland harbor, where eight men and a small boy began to load chests and provisions. When the job was done, the men swam away, leaving the child to freeze on the shore. He resignedly accepted his share, setting off on the journey so as not to freeze to death.
On one of the hills he saw the body of a hanged man covered in tar, under which lay shoes. Even though the boy himself was barefoot, he was afraid to take the dead man’s shoes. A sudden rush of wind and the shadow of a crow frightened the boy, and he began to run.
Meanwhile, at the lesson, the men rejoice at their departure. They see that the storm is coming and decide to turn west, but this does not save them from death. By some miracle, the ship remains intact after hitting a reef, but it turns out to be overfilled with water and sank. Before the crew is killed, one of the men writes a letter and seals it in a bottle.
A boy wanders through a snowstorm and stumbles upon a woman's footprints. He walks along them and stumbles upon the body of a dead woman in a snowdrift, next to whom lies a living nine-month-old girl. The kid takes her and goes to the village, but all the houses are locked.
Eventually, he found shelter in Ursus's cart. Of course, he didn’t particularly want to let the boy and baby girl into his house, but he couldn’t leave the kids to freeze. He shared his dinner with the boy and fed the baby milk.
When the children fell asleep, the philosopher buried the dead woman.
In the morning, Ursus discovered that a mask of laughter was frozen on the boy’s face, and the girl was blind.
Lord Linnaeus Clencharley was a "living fragment of the past" and was an ardent republican who did not defect to the restored monarchy. He himself went into exile on Lake Geneva, leaving his mistress and illegitimate son in England.
The mistress quickly became friends with King Charles II, and son David Derry-Moir found a place for himself at court.
The forgotten lord found himself a legitimate wife in Switzerland, where he had a son. However, by the time James II ascended the throne, he had already died and his son had mysteriously disappeared. The heir was David Derry-Moir, who fell in love with the beautiful Duchess Josiana, the king's illegitimate daughter.
Anna, the legitimate daughter of James II, became the queen, and Josianna and David still did not get married, although they really liked each other. Josiana was considered a depraved virgin, since it was not modesty that limited her from numerous love affairs, but pride. She couldn't find someone worthy of her.
Queen Anne, an ugly and stupid person, was jealous of her stepsister.
David was not cruel, but he loved various cruel entertainments: boxing, cockfighting and others. He often entered such tournaments disguised as a commoner, and then, out of kindness, paid for all the damage. His nickname was Tom-Jim-Jack.
Barkilphedro was also a triple agent who was monitoring the queen, Josiana and David at the same time, but each of them considered him their reliable ally. Under the patronage of Josiana, he entered the palace and became an uncorker of ocean bottles: he had the right to open all bottles thrown onto land from the sea. He was sweet on the outside and evil on the inside, sincerely hating all his masters, and especially Josiana.
Part three: tramps and lovers
Guiplen and Deya remained to live with Ursus, who officially adopted them. Guiplen began to work as a buffoon, attracting buyers and spectators who could not contain their laughter. Their popularity was prohibitive, which is why three tramps were able to acquire a new large wagon and even a donkey - now Homo did not need to pull the cart on himself.
Inner beauty
Deya grew into a beautiful girl and sincerely loved Guiplen, not believing that her lover was ugly. She believed that if he is pure in soul and kind, then he cannot be ugly.
Deya and Guiplen literally idolized each other, their love was platonic - they did not even touch each other. Ursus loved them as his own children and rejoiced in their relationship.
They had enough money to not deny themselves anything. Ursus was even able to hire two gypsy women to help with housework and during performances.
Part Four: The Beginning of the End
In 1705, Ursus and his children arrived in the vicinity of Southwark, where he was arrested for public speaking. After a lengthy interrogation, the philosopher is released.
Meanwhile, David, under his guise as a commoner, becomes a regular spectator of Gwynplaine's performances, and one evening he brings Josiana to see the freak. She understands that this young man should become her lover. Gwynplaine himself is amazed by the beauty of the woman, but he still sincerely loves Deya, whom he now began to dream of as a girl.
The Duchess sends him a letter inviting him to her place.
Gwynplaine suffers all night, but in the morning she still decides to refuse the duchess’s invitation. He burns the letter, and the artists begin breakfast.
However, at this moment the staff-bearer arrives and takes Gwynplaine to prison. Ursus secretly follows them, although in doing so he breaks the law.
In prison, the young man is not tortured - on the contrary, he witnesses the terrible torture of another person who confesses to his crime. It turns out that he was the one who disfigured Gwynplaine as a child. During interrogation, the unfortunate man also confesses that in fact Gwynplaine is Lord Fermin of Clancharlie, peer of England. The young man faints.
In this Barkilphedro sees an excellent reason for revenge on the duchess, since she is now obliged to marry Gwynplaine. When the young man comes to his senses, he is brought to his new chambers, where he indulges in dreams of the future.
In our next article we will learn more about the outstanding French writer and poet, whose work has left an indelible mark on the history of literature.
Part Six: Ursus Masks, Nudity and the House of Lords
Ursus returns home, where he puts on a performance in front of Deya so that she does not notice Gwynplaine is missing. Meanwhile, a bailiff comes to them and demands that the artists leave London. He also brings Gwynplaine's things - Ursus runs to the prison and sees the coffin being taken out of there. He decides that his named son has died and begins to cry.
Meanwhile, Gwynplaine himself is looking for a way out of the palace, but stumbles upon Josiana’s chambers, where the girl showers him with caresses. However, upon learning that the young man is to become her husband, he drives him away. She believes that the groom cannot take the place of his lover.
The Queen summons Gwynplaine to her and sends him to the House of Lords. Since the other lords are old and blind, they do not notice the freak of the newly-made aristocrat, and therefore listen to him first. Gwynplaine talks about the poverty of the people and their troubles, that revolution will soon overwhelm the country if nothing is changed - but the lords only laugh at him.
The young man seeks consolation from David, his half-brother, but he slaps him in the face and challenges him to a duel for insulting his mother.
Gwynplaine escapes from the palace and stops on the banks of the Thames, where he reflects on his former life and how he allowed vanity to overwhelm him. The young man realizes that he himself exchanged his real family and love for a parody, and decides to commit suicide. However, Homo appears and saves him from such a step.
Conclusion: Death of Lovers
The wolf brings Gwynplaine to the ship, where the young man hears his adoptive father talking to Deya. She says that she will soon die and go after her lover. In her delirium, she begins to sing - and then Gwynplaine appears. However, the girl’s heart cannot withstand such happiness and she dies in the arms of the young man. He understands that there is no point in living without his beloved and throws himself into the water.
Ursus, who lost consciousness after the death of his daughter, comes to his senses. Gomo sits next to them and howls.