zanoni-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Then　there　rushed　from　allwit　and　noble；　courtier　and

republicana　confused　chorus；　harmonious　only　in　its

anticipation　of　the　brilliant　things　to　which　〃the　great

Revolution〃　was　to　give　birth。　　Here　Condrocet　is　more　eloquent

than　before。



〃Il　faut　absolument　que　la　Superstition　et　le　Fanatisme　fassent

place　a　la　Philosophie。　　（It　must　necessarily　happen　that

superstition　and　fanaticism　give　place　to　philosophy。）　　Kings

persecute　persons；　priests　opinion。　　Without　kings；　men　must　be

safe；　and　without　priests；　minds　must　be　free。〃



〃Ah；〃　murmured　the　marquis；　〃and　as　ce　cher　Diderot　has　so　well

sung；



'Et　des　boyaux　du　dernier　pretre

Serrez　le　cou　du　dernier　roi。'〃

（And　throttle　the　neck　of　the　last　king　with　the　string　from　the

bowels　of　the　last　priest。）



〃And　then；〃　resumed　Condorcet；〃then　commences　the　Age　of

Reason！equality　in　instruction；　equality　in　institutions；

equality　in　wealth！　　The　great　impediments　to　knowledge　are；

first；　the　want　of　a　common　language；　and　next；　the　short

duration　of　existence。　　But　as　to　the　first；　when　all　men　are

brothers；　why　not　a　universal　language？　　As　to　the　second；　the

organic　perfectibility　of　the　vegetable　world　is　undisputed；　is

Nature　less　powerful　in　the　nobler　existence　of　thinking　man？

The　very　destruction　of　the　two　most　active　causes　of　physical

deteriorationhere；　luxurious　wealth；　there；　abject　penury；

must　necessarily　prolong　the　general　term　of　life。　　（See

Condorcet's　posthumous　work　on　the　Progress　of　the　Human　Mind。

Ed。）　　The　art　of　medicine　will　then　be　honoured　in　the　place　of

war；　which　is　the　art　of　murder：　　the　noblest　study　of　the

acutest　minds　will　be　devoted　to　the　discovery　and　arrest　of　the

causes　of　disease。　　Life；　I　grant；　cannot　be　made　eternal；　but　it

may　be　prolonged　almost　indefinitely。　　And　as　the　meaner　animal

bequeaths　its　vigour　to　its　offspring；　so　man　shall　transmit　his

improved　organisation；　mental　and　physical；　to　his　sons。　　Oh；

yes；　to　such　a　consummation　does　our　age　approach！〃



The　venerable　Malesherbes　sighed。　　Perhaps　he　feared　the

consummation　might　not　come　in　time　for　him。　　The　handsome

Marquis　de　　and　the　ladies；　yet　handsomer　than　he；　looked

conviction　and　delight。



But　two　men　there　were；　seated　next　to　each　other；　who　joined　not

in　the　general　talk：　　the　one　a　stranger　newly　arrived　in　Paris；

where　his　wealth；　his　person；　and　his　accomplishments；　had

already　made　him　remarked　and　courted；　the　other；　an　old　man；

somewhere　about　seventy；the　witty　and　virtuous；　brave；　and

still　light…hearted　Cazotte；　the　author　of　〃Le　Diable　Amoureux。〃



These　two　conversed　familiarly；　and　apart　from　the　rest；　and　only

by　an　occasional　smile　testified　their　attention　to　the　general

conversation。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　stranger；〃yes；　we　have　met　before。〃



〃I　thought　I　could　not　forget　your　countenance；　yet　I　task　in

vain　my　recollections　of　the　past。〃



〃I　will　assist　you。　　Recall　the　time　when；　led　by　curiosity；　or

perhaps　the　nobler　desire　of　knowledge；　you　sought　initiation

into　the　mysterious　order　of　Martines　de　Pasqualis。〃



（It　is　so　recorded　of　Cazotte。　　Of　Martines　de　Pasqualis　little

is　known；　even　the　country　to　which　he　belonged　is　matter　of

conjecture。　　Equally　so　the　rites；　ceremonies；　and　nature　of　the

cabalistic　order　he　established。　　St。　Martin　was　a　disciple　of

the　school；　and　that；　at　least；　is　in　its　favour；　for　in　spite　of

his　mysticism；　no　man　more　beneficent；　generous；　pure；　and

virtuous　than　St。　Martin　adorned　the　last　century。　　Above　all；　no

man　more　distinguished　himself　from　the　herd　of　sceptical

philosophers　by　the　gallantry　and　fervour　with　which　he　combated

materialism；　and　vindicated　the　necessity　of　faith　amidst　a　chaos

of　unbelief。　　It　may　also　be　observed；　that　Cazotte；　whatever

else　he　learned　of　the　brotherhood　of　Martines；　learned　nothing

that　diminished　the　excellence　of　his　life　and　the　sincerity　of

his　religion。　　At　once　gentle　and　brave；　he　never　ceased　to

oppose　the　excesses　of　the　Revolution。　　To　the　last；　unlike　the

Liberals　of　his　time；　he　was　a　devout　and　sincere　Christian。

Before　his　execution；　he　demanded　a　pen　and　paper　to　write　these

words：　　〃Ma　femme；　mes　enfans；　ne　me　pleurez　pas；　ne　m'oubliez

pas；　mais　souvenez…vous　surtout　de　ne　jamais　offenser　Dieu。〃

（〃My　wife；　my　children；　weep　not　for　me；　forget　me　not；　but

remember　above　everything　never　to　offend　God。）Ed。）



〃Ah；　is　it　possible！　　You　are　one　of　that　theurgic　brotherhood？〃



〃Nay；　I　attended　their　ceremonies　but　to　see　how　vainly　they

sought　to　revive　the　ancient　marvels　of　the　cabala。〃



〃Such　studies　please　you？　　I　have　shaken　off　the　influence　they

once　had　on　my　own　imagination。〃



〃You　have　not　shaken　it　off；〃　returned　the　stranger；　bravely；　〃it

is　on　you　still；on　you　at　this　hour；　it　beats　in　your　heart；　it

kindles　in　your　reason；　it　will　speak　in　your　tongue！〃



And　then；　with　a　yet　lower　voice；　the　stranger　continued　to

address　him；　to　remind　him　of　certain　ceremonies　and　doctrines；

to　explain　and　enforce　them　by　references　to　the　actual

experience　and　history　of　his　listener；　which　Cazotte　thrilled　to

find　so　familiar　to　a　stranger。



Gradually　the　old　man's　pleasing　and　benevolent　countenance　grew

overcast；　and　he　turned；　from　time　to　time；　searching；　curious；

uneasy　glances　towards　his　companion。



The　charming　Duchesse　de　G　archly　pointed　out　to　the　lively

guests　the　abstracted　air　and　clouded　brow　of　the　poet；　and

Condorcet；　who　liked　no　one　else　to　be　remarked；　when　he　himself

was　present；　said　to　Cazotte；　〃Well；　and　what　do　YOU　predict　of

the　Revolution；how；　at　least；　will　it　affect　us？〃



At　that　question　Cazotte　started；　his　cheeks　grew　pale；　large

drops　stood　on　his　forehead；　his　lips　writhed；　his　gay　companions

gazed　on　him　in　surprise。



〃Speak！〃　whispered　the　stranger；　laying　his　hand　gently　upon　the

arm　of　the　old　wit。



At　that　word　Cazotte's　face　grew　locked　and　rigid；　his　eyes　dwelt

vacantly　on　space；　and　in　a　low；　hollow　voice；　he　thus　answered



（The　following　prophecy　（not　unfamiliar；　perhaps；　to　some　of　my

readers）；　with　some　slight　variations；　and　at　greater　length；　in

the　text　of　the　authority　I　am　about　to　cite；　is　to　be　found　in

La　Harpe's　posthumous　works。　　The　MS。　is　said　to　exist　still　in

La　Harpe's　handwriting；　and　the　story　is　given　on　M。　Petitot's

authority；　volume　i。　page　62。　　It　is　not　for　me　to　enquire　if

there　be　doubts　of　its　foundation　on　fact。Ed。）；



〃You　ask　how　it　will　affect　yourselves；you；　its　most　learned；

and　its　least　selfish　agents。　　I　will　answer：　　you；　Marquis　de

Condorcet；　will　die　in　prison；　but　not　by　the　hand　of　the

executioner。　　In　the　peaceful　happiness　of　that　day；　the

philosopher　will　carry　about　with　him　not　the　elixir　but　the

poison。〃



〃My　poor　Cazotte；〃　said　Condorcet；　with　his　gentle　smile；　〃what

have　prisons；　executioners；　and　poison　to　do　with　an　age　of

liberty　and　brotherhood？〃



〃It　is　in　the　names　of　Liberty　and　Brotherhood　that　the　prisons

will　reek；　and　the　headsman　be　glutted。〃



〃You　are　thinking　of　priestcraft；　not　philosophy；　Cazotte；〃　said

Champfort。



（Champfort；　one　of　those　men　of　letters　who；　though　misled　by　the

first　fair　show　of　the　Revolution；　refused　to　follow　the　baser

men　of　action　into　its　horrible　excesses；　lived　to　express　the

murderous　philanthropy　of　its　agents　by　the　best　bon　mot　of　the

time。　　Seeing　written　on　the　walls；　〃Fraternite　ou　la　Mort；〃　he

observed　that　the　sentiment　should　be　translated　thus；　〃Sois　mon

frere；　ou　je　te　tue。〃　　（〃Be　my　brother；　or　I　kill　thee。〃））　　〃And

what　of　me？〃



〃You　will　open　your　own　veins　to　escape　the　fraternity　of　Cain。

Be　comforted；　the　last　drops　will　not　follow　the　razor。　　For　you；

venerable　Malesherbes；　for　you；　Aimar　Nicolai；　for　you；　learned

Bailly；I　see　them　dress　the　scaffold！　　And　all　the　while；　O

great　philosophers；　your　murderers　will　have　no　word　but