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第26章

zanoni-第26章

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Universe are not so scanty and so stern as to deny to men the

divine privilege of Free Will; all of us can carve out our own

way; and God can make our very contradictions harmonise with His

solemn ends。  You have before you an option。  Honourable and

generous love may even now work out your happiness; and effect

your escape; a frantic and selfish passion will but lead you to

misery and doom。〃



〃Do you pretend; then; to read the future?〃



〃I have said all that it pleases me to utter。〃



〃While you assume the moralist to me; Signor Zanoni;〃 said

Glyndon; with a smile; 〃are you yourself so indifferent to youth

and beauty as to act the stoic to its allurements?〃



〃If it were necessary that practice square with precept;〃 said

Zanoni; with a bitter smile; 〃our monitors would be but few。  The

conduct of the individual can affect but a small circle beyond

himself; the permanent good or evil that he works to others lies

rather in the sentiments he can diffuse。  His acts are limited

and momentary; his sentiments may pervade the universe; and

inspire generations till the day of doom。  All our virtues; all

our laws; are drawn from books and maxims; which ARE sentiments;

not from deeds。  In conduct; Julian had the virtues of a

Christian; and Constantine the vices of a Pagan。  The sentiments

of Julian reconverted thousands to Paganism; those of Constantine

helped; under Heaven's will; to bow to Christianity the nations

of the earth。  In conduct; the humblest fisherman on yonder sea;

who believes in the miracles of San Gennaro; may be a better man

than Luther; to the sentiments of Luther the mind of modern

Europe is indebted for the noblest revolution it has known。  Our

opinions; young Englishman; are the angel part of us; our acts;

the earthly。〃



〃You have reflected deeply for an Italian;〃 said Glyndon。



〃Who told you that I was an Italian?〃



〃Are you not?  And yet; when I hear you speak my own language as

a native; I〃



〃Tush!〃 interrupted Zanoni; impatiently turning away。  Then;

after a pause; he resumed in a mild voice; 〃Glyndon; do you

renounce Viola Pisani?  Will you take some days to consider what

I have said?〃



〃Renounce her;never!〃



〃Then you will marry her?〃



〃Impossible!〃



〃Be it so; she will then renounce you。  I tell you that you have

rivals。〃



〃Yes; the Prince di ; but I do not fear him。〃



〃You have another whom you will fear more。〃



〃And who is he?〃



〃Myself。〃



Glyndon turned pale; and started from his seat。



〃You; Signor Zanoni!you;and you dare to tell me so?〃



〃Dare!  Alas! there are times when I wish that I could fear。〃



These arrogant words were not uttered arrogantly; but in a tone

of the most mournful dejection。  Glyndon was enraged; confounded;

and yet awed。  However; he had a brave English heart within his

breast; and he recovered himself quickly。



〃Signor;〃 said he; calmly; 〃I am not to be duped by these solemn

phrases and these mystical assumptions。  You may have powers

which I cannot comprehend or emulate; or you may be but a keen

imposter。〃



〃Well; proceed!〃



〃I mean; then;〃 continued Glyndon; resolutely; though somewhat

disconcerted;〃I mean you to understand; that; though I am not

to be persuaded or compelled by a stranger to marry Viola Pisani;

I am not the less determined never tamely to yield her to

another。〃



Zanoni looked gravely at the young man; whose sparkling eyes and

heightened colour testified the spirit to support his words; and

replied; 〃So bold! well; it becomes you。  But take my advice;

wait yet nine days; and tell me then if you will marry the

fairest and the purest creature that ever crossed your path。〃



〃But if you love her; whywhy〃



〃Why am I anxious that she should wed another?to save her from

myself!  Listen to me。  That girl; humble and uneducated though

she be; has in her the seeds of the most lofty qualities and

virtues。  She can be all to the man she loves;all that man can

desire in wife。  Her soul; developed by affection; will elevate

your own; it will influence your fortunes; exalt your destiny;

you will become a great and a prosperous man。  If; on the

contrary; she fall to me; I know not what may be her lot; but I

know that there is an ordeal which few can pass; and which

hitherto no woman has survived。〃



As Zanoni spoke; his face became colourless; and there was

something in his voice that froze the warm blood of the listener。



〃What is this mystery which surrounds you?〃 exclaimed Glyndon;

unable to repress his emotion。  〃Are you; in truth; different

from other men?  Have you passed the boundary of lawful

knowledge?  Are you; as some declare; a sorcerer; or only a〃



〃Hush!〃 interrupted Zanoni; gently; and with a smile of singular

but melancholy sweetness; 〃have you earned the right to ask me

these questions?  Though Italy still boast an Inquisition; its

power is rivelled as a leaf which the first wind shall scatter。

The days of torture and persecution are over; and a man may live

as he pleases; and talk as it suits him; without fear of the

stake and the rack。  Since I can defy persecution; pardon me if I

do not yield to curiosity。〃



Glyndon blushed; and rose。  In spite of his love for Viola; and

his natural terror of such a rival; he felt himself irresistibly

drawn towards the very man he had most cause to suspect and

dread。  He held out his hand to Zanoni; saying; 〃Well; then; if

we are to be rivals; our swords must settle our rights; till then

I would fain be friends。〃



〃Friends!  You know not what you ask。〃



〃Enigmas again!〃



〃Enigmas!〃 cried Zanoni; passionately; 〃ay! can you dare to solve

them?  Not till then could I give you my right hand; and call you

friend。〃



〃I could dare everything and all things for the attainment of

superhuman wisdom;〃 said Glyndon; and his countenance was lighted

up with wild and intense enthusiasm。



Zanoni observed him in thoughtful silence。



〃The seeds of the ancestor live in the son;〃 he muttered; 〃he

mayyet〃  He broke off abruptly; then; speaking aloud; 〃Go;

Glyndon;〃 said he; 〃we shall meet again; but I will not ask your

answer till the hour presses for decision。〃





CHAPTER 2。VI。



'Tis certain that this man has an estate of fifty thousand

livres; and seems to be a person of very great accomplishments。

But; then; if he's a wizard; are wizards so devoutly given as

this man seems to be?  In short; I could make neither head nor

tail on'tThe Count de Gabalis; Translation affixed to the

second edition of the 〃Rape of the Lock。〃



Of all the weaknesses which little men rail against; there is

none that they are more apt to ridicule than the tendency to

believe。  And of all the signs of a corrupt heart and a feeble

head; the tendency of incredulity is the surest。



Real philosophy seeks rather to solve than to deny。  While we

hear; every day; the small pretenders to science talk of the

absurdities of alchemy and the dream of the Philosopher's Stone;

a more erudite knowledge is aware that by alchemists the greatest

discoveries in science have been made; and much which still seems

abstruse; had we the key to the mystic phraseology they were

compelled to adopt; might open the way to yet more noble

acquisitions。  The Philosopher's Stone itself has seemed no

visionary chimera to some of the soundest chemists that even the

present century has produced。  (Mr。 Disraeli; in his 〃Curiosities

of Literature〃 (article 〃Alchem〃); after quoting the sanguine

judgments of modern chemists as to the transmutation of metals;

observes of one yet greater and more recent than those to which

Glyndon's thoughts could have referred; 〃Sir Humphry Davy told me

that he did not consider this undiscovered art as impossible; but

should it ever be discovered; it would certainly be useless。〃)

Man cannot contradict the Laws of Nature。  But are all the laws

of Nature y

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