I've never heard a more beautiful Angelus. Who is the bellringer of Notre Dame? Quasimodo,...

Louis XI, King of France: [opening scene, at the print shop, after hearing the bells of Notre Dame] I've never heard a more beautiful Angelus. Who is the bellringer of Notre Dame? Printer: Quasimodo, Your Majesty. The people simply call him the Hunchback. Louis XI, King of France: What an odd name. And now, Master Fisher, let's see what reason my High Justice had for asking me to come to your shop. What do you call this apparatus? Printer: The German inventor, Gutenberg, calls it a printing press, Your Majesty. Louis XI, King of France: What is it for? Printer: To print books, Your Majesty. Louis XI, King of France: For whom? Printer: For the people. They will learn to read when they can get books. I can print a volume, like this one, in a few weeks, and quite inexpensively. Louis XI, King of France: Imagine, Frollo, a few weeks. When I ordered my prayer book, it took them years to copy it out and cost me a fortune. This is more beautiful than the printed book. Nevertheless, the printing press is a miracle. Frollo: A horrifying miracle. Louis XI, King of France: Horrifying? This small press? Frollo: Small things have a way of overmastering the great. The Nile rat kills the crocodile. This small press can destroy a kingdom. Louis XI, King of France: Oh, come, my High Justice, don't exaggerate. What is that? Printer: It is the first page of a new book, Your Majesty. Louis XI, King of France: Let me see it. "On the Freedom of Thought." Who wrote it? Printer: Pierre Gringoire. Louis XI, King of France: Gringoire? Who is he? Printer: A French poet, Your Majesty. Frollo: A heretic, sire. To spread him is to communicate disease. Louis XI, King of France: How do you know? It may be a great blessing to France if people can get books and learn to read. To me, it's a new form of expression of thought. Out there is the old form. All over France, in every city, there stand cathedrals like this one, triumphal monuments of the past. They tower over the homes of our people like mighty guardians, keeping alive the invincible faith of the Christians. Every arch, every column, every statue is a carved leaf out of our history. A book in stone, glorifying the spirit of France. The cathedrals are the handwriting of the past. The press is of our time, and I won't do anything to stop it, Frollo. Frollo: Sire, we must break the press and hang the printer. For, between them, they will destroy our old and holy order. No, I'm not such a fool. I, for my part, will protect France from these printed books, as I will protect it from witches, sorcerers and Gypsies, the foreign race that is overrunning all of Europe.

I've never heard a more beautiful Angelus. Who is the bell ringer of Notre Dame? Quasimodo, Your Majesty. The people simply call him the Hunchback. Quasimodo. Heh. What an odd name. And now, Master Fisher, let's see what reason... ...my High Justice had for asking me to come to your shop. What do you call this apparatus? The German inventor Gutenberg calls it a printing press, Your Majesty. - What is it for? - To print books, Your Majesty. - For whom? - For the people. They will learn to read when they can get books. I can print a volume like this one in a few weeks... ...and quite inexpensively. Imagine, Frollo, a few weeks. When I ordered my prayer book... ...it took them years to copy it out... ...and cost me a fortune. This is more beautiful than the printed book. Nevertheless, the printing press is a miracle. A horrifying miracle. Horrifying? This small press? Small things have a way of overmastering the great. "The Nile rat kills the crocodile." This small press can destroy a kingdom. Oh, come, come, my High Justice, don't exaggerate. What is that? It is the first page of a new book, Your Majesty. Let me see it. On the Freedom of Thought. - Who wrote it? - Pierre Gringoire. Gringoire? Who is he? A French poet, Your Majesty. A heretic, sire. To spread him is to communicate disease. How do you know? It may be a great blessing to France if people can get books and learn to read. To me, it's a new form of expression of thought. Out there is the old form. All over France, in every city... ...there stand cathedrals like this one... ...triumphal monuments of the past. They tower over the homes of our people like mighty guardians... ...keeping alive the invincible faith of the Christian. Every arch, every column, every statue... ...is a carved leaf out of our history. A book in stone... ...glorifying the spirit of France. The cathedrals are the handwriting of the past. The press is of our time... ...and I won't do anything to stop it, Frollo. We must break the press and hang the printer, for they will destroy our old and holy order. No, no, no. I'm not such a fool. I will protect France from these books... ...as I will protect it from witches, sorcerers and Gypsies... ...the foreign race that is overrunning all of Europe. Get back. Why do you stop us? Because no Gypsies can enter Paris any longer without a permit. - It's the new law. - If the others can enter, why can't we? They are Frenchmen. You're Gypsies. Foreigners. Foreigners. You came yesterday, we come today. Hey! Hey! Hey! Let them pass. It's Fools' Day. Fools' Day or not, we don't want foreigners. Stop her. Catch her. What's the matter, Helene? Grandma, the Hunchback of Notre Dame just crossed my path. Go home quickly and light the candle. That won't help against Quasimodo. He's possessed. Yvonne, aren't you going to the festival to see the king? I can't. Mother says there are too many thieves and beggars in the crowd. Oh, they'll get you at home just as well. You'll see. Well, what's he trying to do? He's heard it rumored that the Earth is round and is attempting to walk to the Indies. - It's not round, it's flat. - The idiot? Some famous geographers and mathematicians also believe the Earth is round. - Isn't round, it's flat. - Do you recollect that letter we had from, uh...? What's his name? Christopher Co... Oh, Christopher Columbus... ...who wrote claiming he could, by steering a westerly course... - ...reach the Indies? - It's flat. I'm greatly tempted to endow the venture. Our country could not afford the risk of such an enterprise. Columbus. Hmm. The man's the laughingstock of the court of Spain. Who knows? The future may prove Ferdinand's court was the laughingstock. - It isn't round. - What are you mumbling about, doctor?