zanoni-第14章

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great　philosophers；　your　murderers　will　have　no　word　but

philosophy　on　their　lips！〃



The　hush　was　complete　and　universal　when　the　pupil　of　Voltaire

the　prince　of　the　academic　sceptics；　hot　La　Harpecried　with　a

sarcastic　laugh；　〃Do　not　flatter　me；　O　prophet；　by　exemption　from

the　fate　of　my　companions。　　Shall　_I_　have　no　part　to　play　in

this　drama　of　your　fantasies。〃



At　this　question；　Cazotte's　countenance　lost　its　unnatural

expression　of　awe　and　sternness；　the　sardonic　humour　most　common

to　it　came　back　and　played　in　his　brightening　eyes。



〃Yes；　La　Harpe；　the　most　wonderful　part　of　all！　　YOU　will

becomea　Christian！〃



This　was　too　much　for　the　audience　that　a　moment　before　seemed

grave　and　thoughtful；　and　they　burst　into　an　immoderate　fit　of

laughter；　while　Cazotte；　as　if　exhausted　by　his　predictions；　sank

back　in　his　chair；　and　breathed　hard　and　heavily。



〃Nay；　said　Madame　de　G；　〃you　who　have　predicted　such　grave

things　concerning　us；　must　prophesy　something　also　about

yourself。〃



A　convulsive　tremor　shook　the　involuntary　prophet；it　passed；

and　left　his　countenance　elevated　by　an　expression　of　resignation

and　calm。　　〃Madame；〃　said　he；　after　a　long　pause；　〃during　the

siege　of　Jerusalem；　we　are　told　by　its　historian　that　a　man；　for

seven　successive　days；　went　round　the　ramparts；　exclaiming；　'Woe

to　thee；　Jerusalem；woe　to　myself！'〃



〃Well；　Cazotte；　well？〃



〃And　on　the　seventh　day；　while　he　thus　spoke；　a　stone　from　the

machines　of　the　Romans　dashed　him　into　atoms！〃



With　these　words；　Cazotte　rose；　and　the　guests；　awed　in　spite　of

themselves；　shortly　afterwards　broke　up　and　retired。





CHAPTER　1。VII。



Qui　donc　t'a　donne　la　mission　s'annoncer　au　peuple　que　la

divinite　n'existe　pas？　　Quel　avantage　trouves…tu　a　persuader　a

l'homme　qu'une　force　aveugle　preside　a　ses　destinees　et　frappe　au

hasard　le　crime　et　la　vertu？Robespierre；　〃Discours；〃　Mai　7；

1794。



（Who　then　invested　you　with　the　mission　to　announce　to　the　people

that　there　is　no　God？　　What　advantage　find　you　in　persuading　man

that　nothing　but　blind　force　presides　over　his　destinies；　and

strikes　haphazard　both　crime　and　virtue？）



It　was　some　time　before　midnight　when　the　stranger　returned　home。

His　apartments　were　situated　in　one　of　those　vast　abodes　which

may　be　called　an　epitome　of　Paris　itself；the　cellars　rented　by

mechanics；　scarcely　removed　a　step　from　paupers；　often　by

outcasts　and　fugitives　from　the　law；　often　by　some　daring　writer；

who；　after　scattering　amongst　the　people　doctrines　the　most

subversive　of　order；　or　the　most　libellous　on　the　characters　of

priest；　minister；　and　king；　retired　amongst　the　rats；　to　escape

the　persecution　that　attends　the　virtuous；　the　ground…floor

occupied　by　shops；　the　entresol　by　artists；　the　principal　stories

by　nobles；　and　the　garrets　by　journeymen　or　grisettes。



As　the　stranger　passed　up　the　stairs；　a　young　man　of　a　form　and

countenance　singularly　unprepossessing　emerged　from　a　door　in　the

entresol；　and　brushed　beside　him。　　His　glance　was　furtive；

sinister；　savage；　and　yet　timorous；　the　man's　face　was　of　an

ashen　paleness；　and　the　features　worked　convulsively。　　The

stranger　paused；　and　observed　him　with　thoughtful　looks；　as　he

hurried　down　the　stairs。　　While　he　thus　stood；　he　heard　a　groan

from　the　room　which　the　young　man　had　just　quitted；　the　latter

had　pulled　to　the　door　with　hasty　vehemence；　but　some　fragment；

probably　of　fuel；　had　prevented　its　closing；　and　it　now　stood

slightly　ajar；　the　stranger　pushed　it　open　and　entered。　　He

passed　a　small　anteroom；　meanly　furnished；　and　stood　in　a

bedchamber　of　meagre　and　sordid　discomfort。　　Stretched　on　the

bed；　and　writhing　in　pain；　lay　an　old　man；　a　single　candle　lit

the　room；　and　threw　its　feeble　ray　over　the　furrowed　and

death…like　face　of　the　sick　person。　　No　attendant　was　by；　he

seemed　left　alone；　to　breathe　his　last。　　〃Water；〃　he　moaned

feebly；〃water：I　parch；I　burn！〃　　The　intruder　approached　the

bed；　bent　over　him；　and　took　his　hand。　　〃Oh；　bless　thee；　Jean；

bless　thee！〃　said　the　sufferer；　〃hast　thou　brought　back　the

physician　already？　　Sir；　I　am　poor；　but　I　can　pay　you　well。　　I

would　not　die　yet；　for　that　young　man's　sake。〃　　And　he　sat

upright　in　his　bed；　and　fixed　his　dim　eyes　anxiously　on　his

visitor。



〃What　are　your　symptoms；　your　disease？〃



〃Fire；　fire；　fire　in　the　heart；　the　entrails：　　I　burn！〃



〃How　long　is　it　since　you　have　taken　food？〃



〃Food！　only　this　broth。　　There　is　the　basin；　all　I　have　taken

these　six　hours。　　I　had　scarce　drunk　it　ere　these　pains　began。〃



The　stranger　looked　at　the　basin；　some　portion　of　the　contents

was　yet　left　there。



〃Who　administered　this　to　you？〃



〃Who？　　Jean！　　Who　else　should？　　I　have　no　servant；none！　　I　am

poor；　very　poor；　sir。　　But　no！　you　physicians　do　not　care　for　the

poor。　　I　AM　RICH！　can　you　cure　me？〃



〃Yes；　if　Heaven　permit。　　Wait　but　a　few　moments。〃



The　old　man　was　fast　sinking　under　the　rapid　effects　of　poison。

The　stranger　repaired　to　his　own　apartments；　and　returned　in　a

few　moments　with　some　preparation　that　had　the　instant　result　of

an　antidote。　　The　pain　ceased；　the　blue　and　livid　colour　receded

from　the　lips；　the　old　man　fell　into　a　profound　sleep。　　The

stranger　drew　the　curtains　round　the　bed；　took　up　the　light；　and

inspected　the　apartment。　　The　walls　of　both　rooms　were　hung　with

drawings　of　masterly　excellence。　　A　portfolio　was　filled　with

sketches　of　equal　skill；but　these　last　were　mostly　subjects

that　appalled　the　eye　and　revolted　the　taste：　　they　displayed　the

human　figure　in　every　variety　of　suffering；the　rack；　the　wheel；

the　gibbet；　all　that　cruelty　has　invented　to　sharpen　the　pangs　of

death　seemed　yet　more　dreadful　from　the　passionate　gusto　and

earnest　force　of　the　designer。　　And　some　of　the　countenances　of

those　thus　delineated　were　sufficiently　removed　from　the　ideal　to

show　that　they　were　portraits；　in　a　large；　bold；　irregular　hand

was　written　beneath　these　drawings；　〃The　Future　of　the

Aristocrats。〃　　In　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　close　by　an　old

bureau；　was　a　small　bundle；　over　which；　as　if　to　hide　it；　a　cloak

was　thrown　carelessly。　　Several　shelves　were　filled　with　books；

these　were　almost　entirely　the　works　of　the　philosophers　of　the

time；the　philosophers　of　the　material　school；　especially　the

Encyclopedistes；　whom　Robespierre　afterwards　so　singularly

attacked　when　the　coward　deemed　it　unsafe　to　leave　his　reign

without　a　God。



（〃Cette　secte　（les　Encyclopedistes）　propagea　avec　beaucoup　de

zele　l'opinion　du　materialisme；　qui　prevalut　parmi　les　grands　et

parmi　les　beaux　esprits；　on　lui　doit　en　partie　cette　espece　de

philosophie　pratique　qui；　reduisant　l'Egoisme　en　systeme　regarde

la　societe　humaine　comme　une　guerre　de　ruse；　le　succes　comme　la

regle　du　juste　et　de　l'injuste；　la　probite　comme　une　affaire　de

gout；　ou　de　bienseance；　le　monde　comme　le　patrimoine　des　fripons

adroits。〃〃Discours　de　Robespierre；〃　Mai　7；　1794。　　（This　sect

（the　Encyclopaedists）　propagate　with　much　zeal　the　doctrine　of

materialism；　which　prevails　among　the　great　and　the　wits；　we　owe

to　it　partly　that　kind　of　practical　philosophy　which；　reducing

Egotism　to　a　system；　looks　upon　society　as　a　war　of　cunning；

success　the　rule　of　right　and　wrong；　honesty　as　an　affair　of

taste　or　decency：　　and　the　world　as　the　patrimony　of　clever

scoundrels。））



A　volume　lay　on　a　table；it　was　one　of　Voltaire；　and　the　page

was　opened　at　his　argumentative　assertion　of　the　existence　of　the

Supreme　Being。　　（〃Histoire　de　Jenni。〃）　　The　margin　was　covered

with　pencilled　notes；　in　the　stiff　but　tremulous　hand　of　old　age；

all　in　attempt　to　refute　or　to　ridicule　the　logic　of　the　sage　of

Ferney：　　Voltaire　did　not　go　far　enough　for　the　annotator！　　The

clock　struck　two；　when　the　sound　of　steps　was　heard　without。　　The

stranger　silently　seated　himself　on　the　farther　side　of　the　bed；

and　its　drapery　screened　him；　as　he　sat；　fro