He therefore turned to mankind only with regret. His cathedral was
enough for him. It was peopled with marble figures of kings, saints and
bishops who at least did not laugh in his face and looked at him with
only tranquility and benevolence. The other statues, those of monsters
and demons, had no hatred for him – he resembled them too closely for
that. It was rather the rest of mankind that they jeered at. The saints
were his friends and blessed him; the monsters were his friends and kept
watch over him.
Victor Hugo
