A House With Soul

Victor Hugo's message to us on the walls of his house.

« The first inscriptions can be read straight away in the central part of the sculptures. They are a brief statement of religious and philosophical faith: Love and Believe. ».

Charles Hugo
Chez Victor Hugo par un passant [At Victor Hugo’s House - by a Passerby]

Hauteville House is not only a writer’s house; it is also a house of books. Victor Hugo engraved a number of inscriptions on the walls: philosophical statements, mottos about hygiene, political proclamations, and souvenirs of his work. They were written in Latin, French and English. The quotations are listed below, room by room:

Vestibule

AMA CREDE         Love. Believe

EGO HUGO           I Hugo

EDE I ORA        Eat, go, pray

AVE                         Greetings

Tapestry Room

BON ROY Good king ROY QUI S'EN VA King who leaves

CROSSE D'OR ÉVÊQUE DE BOIS Golden staff, wooden bishop   CROSSE DE BOIS ÉVÊQUE D'OR Wooden staff, golden bishop

IN LIBRO               In the book

AD COELUM     To heaven

JOB, ISAIAH, HOMER, AESCHYLUS, LUCRECE, DANTE, SHASPEARE (sic), MOLIÈRE, MOSES, SOCRATES, CHRIST, COLOMBUS, LUTHER, WASHINGTON

LAETUS HOMO RIDET, FLET BESTIA TRISTIS         Man is happy and laughs, the beast is sad and cries

YOU ARE A ROUGE VH

15 MARS 1858 ÉCLIPSE V.H. (Hidden behind a mirror)

“Workshop”

AD AUGUSTA PER ANGUSTA                  Towards high goals by narrow ways (Hernani)

Dining Room

EXILIUM VITA EST              Life is an exile or/and exile is life 

LEVER A VI DINER A X SOUPER A VI COUCHER A X FAICT VIVRE L’HOMME X FOIS X

Rise at 6, dine at 10, supper at 6, bed at 10, Makes a man live 10 x 10

POST CAENAM STABU SEU PASSUS MILLE MEABIS VALE         After meals, you will stand up or walk a thousand steps. Take care of yourself. 

POPULUS           The people

PATRIA               Homeland

HOMO                 Man

DEUS                   God

 Under the paintings on the stalls:

LA FIN DU SEIGNEUR End of the Lord

LA FIN DU PRESTRE End of the prestre (priest)

LA FIN DU SOLDAT End of the soldier

Above the fireplace:

LE PEUPLE EST PETIT The People are small                  MAIS IL SERA GRAND but they will be great

DANS TES BRAS SACRES In your sacred arms        O MERE FECONDE O fertile Mother

O LIBERTE SAINTE O holy freedom                         AU PAS CONQUERANT with conquering step

TU PORTES L’ENFANT You carry the Child                 QUI PORTE LE MONDE who carries the world 

On the Ancestor’s Chair:

CELLA PATRUM DEFUNCTORUM*       sanctuary of the dead ancestors

ABSENTES ADSUNT*                               the absent are present  

HIC NIHIL*                                               here nothing

ALIAS ALIQUID                                          elsewhere something

PULVIS ES*                                             you are dust

CINIS SUM                                              I am ashes

TU QUI TRANSIS PER DOMOS PERITURAS SIS MEMOR DOMUS AETERNAE          you who pass through perishable dwellings remember the eternal dwelling

SEDEO SED PROGREDIO                     I sit but I progress

L’ESPOIR EST MA FORCE*                     Hope is my strength*

* not inscribed by Victor Hugo but appearing on an object

Oak Gallery

PERGE / SURGE                  Go ahead / Get up

SUM NON SEQUOR        I am not a follower

STO SED FLEO                    I stand but weep

FILIUS / AMATUS AMAT    Son / Beloved, he loves

PATER                                     Father

MATER                                     Mother

JUPITER AURATI PACASSET IURGA POMI POMI QUI LITEM SEDET SED PARIS ELIGITUR TUR* :   Jupiter the apple would have appeased the war but Paris is chosen to settle the matter

LES DIEUX SONT AU VAINQUEUR CATON RESTE AUX VAINCUS The gods are to the victor Cato remains to the vanquished.

A DEO AD DEUM              From God, to God

LAETITIA                             Joy

TRISTITIA                            Sadness

GLORIA VICTIS / VAE NEMINI Glory to the defeated / Woe to none 

L’ESPRIT SOUFFLE OU IL VEUT / L’HONNEUR VA OU IL DOIT The spirit blows where it wills / honour goes where it must

ERRORTERROR

Stairway

DEUS DIES                        God is the day or The day is God

Library Landing

TOUTES LAISSENT LEUR TRACE AU CORPS COMME A L’ESPRIT. All leave their mark on the body and mind. TOUTES BLESSENT HELAS – LA DERNIERE GUERIT. All hurt, alas - the last one heals.

Garden

On the base of the Snake Fountain:

UBI SPES   /   IBI PAX       Where there is hope / There is peace

On the stone bench:

IMMENSITE DIT L’ETRE ETERNITE DIT L’AME Immensity says the being Eternity says the soul

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