zanoni-第2章

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achieved　immortality：　　one；　Mejnour；　void　of　all　passion　or

feeling；　calm；　benignant；　bloodless；　an　intellect　rather　than　a

man；　the　other；　Zanoni；　the　pupil　of　Mejnour；　the　representative

of　an　ideal　life　in　its　utmost　perfection；　possessing　eternal

youth；　absolute　power；　and　absolute　knowledge；　and　withal　the

fullest　capacity　to　enjoy　and　to　love；　and；　as　a　necessity　of

that　love；　to　sorrow　and　despair。　　By　his　love　for　Viola　Zanoni

is　compelled　to　descend　from　his　exalted　state；　to　lose　his

eternal　calm；　and　to　share　in　the　cares　and　anxieties　of

humanity；　and　this　degradation　is　completed　by　the　birth　of　a

child。　　Finally；　he　gives　up　the　life　which　hangs　on　that　of

another；　in　order　to　save　that　other；　the　loving　and　beloved

wife；　who　has　delivered　him　from　his　solitude　and　isolation。

Wife　and　child　are　mortal；　and　to　outlive　them　and　his　love　for

them　is　impossible。　　But　Mejnour；　who　is　the　impersonation　of

thought；pure　intellect　without　affection；lives　on。



Bulwer　has　himself　justly　characterised　this　work；　in　the

Introduction；　as　a　romance　and　not　a　romance；　as　a　truth　for

those　who　can　comprehend　it；　and　an　extravagance　for　those　who

cannot。　　The　most　careless　or　matter…of…fact　reader　must　see　that

the　work；　like　the　enigmatical　〃Faust；〃　deals　in　types　and

symbols；　that　the　writer　intends　to　suggest　to　the　mind　something

more　subtle　and　impalpable　than　that　which　is　embodied　to　the

senses。　　What　that　something　is；　hardly　two　persons　will　agree。

The　most　obvious　interpretation　of　the　types　is；　that　in　Zanoni

the　author　depicts　to　us　humanity；　perfected；　sublimed；　which

lives　not　for　self；　but　for　others；　in　Mejnour；　as　we　have　before

said；　cold；　passionless；　self…sufficing　intellect；　in　Glyndon；

the　young　Englishman；　the　mingled　strength　and　weakness　of　human

nature；　in　the　heartless；　selfish　artist；　Nicot；　icy；　soulless

atheism；　believing　nothing；　hoping　nothing；　trusting　and　loving

nothing；　and　in　the　beautiful；　artless　Viola；　an　exquisite

creation；　pure　womanhood；　loving；　trusting　and　truthful。　　As　a

work　of　art　the　romance　is　one　of　great　power。　　It　is　original　in

its　conception；　and　pervaded　by　one　central　idea；　but　it　would

have　been　improved；　we　think；　by　a　more　sparing　use　of　the

supernatural。　　The　inevitable　effect　of　so　much　hackneyed

diablerieof　such　an　accumulation　of　wonder　upon　wonderis　to

deaden　the　impression　they　would　naturally　make　upon　us。　　In

Hawthorne's　tales　we　see　with　what　ease　a　great　imaginative

artist　can　produce　a　deeper　thrill　by　a　far　slighter　use　of　the

weird　and　the　mysterious。



The　chief　interest　of　the　story　for　the　ordinary　reader　centres；

not　in　its　ghostly　characters　and　improbable　machinery；　the

scenes　in　Mejnour's　chamber　in　the　ruined　castle　among　the

Apennines；　the　colossal　and　appalling　apparitions　on　Vesuvius；

the　hideous　phantom　with　its　burning　eye　that　haunted　Glyndon；

but　in　the　loves　of　Viola　and　the　mysterious　Zanoni；　the　blissful

and　the　fearful　scenes　through　which　they　pass；　and　their　final

destiny；　when　the　hero　of　the　story　sacrifices　his　own　〃charmed

life〃　to　save　hers；　and　the　Immortal　finds　the　only　true

immortality　in　death。　　Among　the　striking　passages　in　the　work

are　the　pathetic　sketch　of　the　old　violinist　and　composer；

Pisani；　with　his　sympathetic　〃barbiton〃　which　moaned；　groaned；

growled；　and　laughed　responsive　to　the　feelings　of　its　master；

the　description　of　Viola's　and　her　father's　triumph；　when　〃The

Siren；〃　his　masterpiece；　is　performed　at　the　San　Carlo　in　Naples；

Glyndon's　adventure　at　the　Carnival　in　Naples；　the　death　of　his

sister；　the　vivid　pictures　of　the　Reign　of　Terror　in　Paris；

closing　with　the　downfall　of　Robespierre　and　his　satellites；　and

perhaps；　above　all；　the　thrilling　scene　where　Zanoni　leaves　Viola

asleep　in　prison　when　his　guards　call　him　to　execution；　and　she；

unconscious　of　the　terrible　sacrifice；　but　awaking　and　missing

him；　has　a　vision　of　the　procession　to　the　guillotine；　with

Zanoni　there；　radiant　in　youth　and　beauty；　followed　by　the　sudden

vanishing　of　the　headsman；the　horror；and　the　〃Welcome〃　of　her

loved　one　to　Heaven　in　a　myriad　of　melodies　from　the　choral　hosts

above。



〃Zanoni〃　was　originally　published　by　Saunders　and　Otley；　London；

in　three　volumes　12mo。；　in　1842。　　A　translation　into　French；　made

by　M。　　Sheldon　under　the　direction　of　P。　Lorain；　was　published　in

Paris　in　the　〃Bibliotheque　des　Meilleurs　Romans　Etrangers。〃



W。M。





PREFACE　TO　THE　EDITION　OF　1853。



As　a　work　of　imagination；　〃Zanoni〃　ranks；　perhaps；　amongst　the

highest　of　my　prose　fictions。　　In　the　Poem　of　〃King　Arthur；〃

published　many　years　afterwards；　I　have　taken　up　an　analogous

design；　in　the　contemplation　of　our　positive　life　through　a

spiritual　medium；　and　I　have　enforced；　through　a　far　wider

development；　and；　I　believe；　with　more　complete　and　enduring

success；　that　harmony　between　the　external　events　which　are　all

that　the　superficial　behold　on　the　surface　of　human　affairs；　and

the　subtle　and　intellectual　agencies　which　in　reality　influence

the　conduct　of　individuals；　and　shape　out　the　destinies　of　the

world。　　As　man　has　two　lives；that　of　action　and　that　of

thought；so　I　conceive　that　work　to　be　the　truest　representation

of　humanity　which　faithfully　delineates　both；　and　opens　some

elevating　glimpse　into　the　sublimest　mysteries　of　our　being；　by

establishing　the　inevitable　union　that　exists　between　the　plain

things　of　the　day；　in　which　our　earthly　bodies　perform　their

allotted　part；　and　the　latent；　often　uncultivated；　often

invisible；　affinities　of　the　soul　with　all　the　powers　that

eternally　breathe　and　move　throughout　the　Universe　of　Spirit。



I　refer　those　who　do　me　the　honour　to　read　〃Zanoni〃　with　more

attention　than　is　given　to　ordinary　romance；　to　the　Poem　of　〃King

Arthur；〃　for　suggestive　conjecture　into　most　of　the　regions　of

speculative　research；　affecting　the　higher　and　more　important

condition　of　our　ultimate　being；　which　have　engaged　the　students

of　immaterial　philosophy　in　my　own　age。



Affixed　to　the　〃Note〃　with　which　this　work　concludes；　and　which

treats　of　the　distinctions　between　type　and　allegory；　the　reader

will　find；　from　the　pen　of　one　of　our　most　eminent　living

writers；　an　ingenious　attempt　to　explain　the　interior　or　typical

meanings　of　the　work　now　before　him。





INTRODUCTION。



It　is　possible　that　among　my　readers　there　may　be　a　few　not

unacquainted　with　an　old…book　shop；　existing　some　years　since　in

the　neighbourhood　of　Covent　Garden；　I　say　a　few；　for　certainly

there　was　little　enough　to　attract　the　many　in　those　precious

volumes　which　the　labour　of　a　life　had　accumulated　on　the　dusty

shelves　of　my　old　friend　D。　　There　were　to　be　found　no　popular

treatises；　no　entertaining　romances；　no　histories；　no　travels；　no

〃Library　for　the　People；〃　no　〃Amusement　for　the　Million。〃　　But

there；　perhaps；　throughout　all　Europe；　the　curious　might　discover

the　most　notable　collection；　ever　amassed　by　an　enthusiast；　of

the　works　of　alchemist；　cabalist；　and　astrologer。　　The　owner　had

lavished　a　fortune　in　the　purchase　of　unsalable　treasures。　　But

old　D　did　not　desire　to　sell。　　It　absolutely　went　to　his　heart

when　a　customer　entered　his　shop：　　he　watched　the　movements　of

the　presumptuous　intruder　with　a　vindictive　glare；　he　fluttered

around　him　with　uneasy　vigilance；he　frowned；　he　groaned；　when

profane　hands　dislodged　his　idols　from　their　niches。　　If　it　were

one　of　the　favourite　sultanas　of　his　wizard　harem　that　attracted

you；　and　the　price　named　were　not　sufficiently　enormous；　he　would

not　unfrequently　double　the　sum。　　Demur；　and　in　brisk　delight　he

snatched　the　venerable　charmer　from　your　hands；　accede；　and　he

became　the　picture　of　despair；nor　unfrequently；　at　the　dead　of

night；　would　he　knock　at　your　door；　and　entreat　you　to　sell　him

back；　at　your　own　terms；　what　you　had　so　egregiously　bought　at

his。　　A　believer　himself　in　his　Averroes　and　Paracelsus