zanoni-第3章

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

his。　　A　believer　himself　in　his　Averroes　and　Paracelsus；　he　was

as　loth　as　the　philosophers　he　studied　to　communicate　to　the

profane　the　learning　he　had　collected。



It　so　chanced　that　some　years　ago；　in　my　younger　days；　whether　of

authorship　or　life；　I　felt　a　desire　to　make　myself　acquainted

with　the　true　origin　and　tenets　of　the　singular　sect　known　by　the

name　of　Rosicrucians。　　Dissatisfied　with　the　scanty　and

superficial　accounts　to　be　found　in　the　works　usually　referred　to

on　the　subject；　it　struck　me　as　possible　that　Mr。　D's

collection；　which　was　rich；　not　only　in　black…letter；　but　in

manuscripts；　might　contain　some　more　accurate　and　authentic

records　of　that　famous　brotherhood；written；　who　knows？　by　one

of　their　own　order；　and　confirming　by　authority　and　detail　the

pretensions　to　wisdom　and　to　virtue　which　Bringaret　had　arrogated

to　the　successors　of　the　Chaldean　and　Gymnosophist。　　Accordingly

I　repaired　to　what；　doubtless；　I　ought　to　be　ashamed　to　confess；

was　once　one　of　my　favourite　haunts。　　But　are　there　no　errors　and

no　fallacies；　in　the　chronicles　of　our　own　day；　as　absurd　as

those　of　the　alchemists　of　old？　　Our　very　newspapers　may　seem　to

our　posterity　as　full　of　delusions　as　the　books　of　the　alchemists

do　to　us；　not　but　what　the　press　is　the　air　we　breathe；and

uncommonly　foggy　the　air　is　too！



On　entering　the　shop；　I　was　struck　by　the　venerable　appearance　of

a　customer　whom　I　had　never　seen　there　before。　　I　was　struck　yet

more　by　the　respect　with　which　he　was　treated　by　the　disdainful

collector。　　〃Sir；〃　cried　the　last；　emphatically；　as　I　was　turning

over　the　leaves　of　the　catalogue；〃sir；　you　are　the　only　man　I

have　met；　in　five…and…forty　years　that　I　have　spent　in　these

researches；　who　is　worthy　to　be　my　customer。　　Howwhere；　in　this

frivolous　age；　could　you　have　acquired　a　knowledge　so　profound？

And　this　august　fraternity；　whose　doctrines；　hinted　at　by　the

earliest　philosophers；　are　still　a　mystery　to　the　latest；　tell　me

if　there　really　exists　upon　the　earth　any　book；　any　manuscript；

in　which　their　discoveries；　their　tenets；　are　to　be　learned？〃



At　the　words；　〃august　fraternity；〃　I　need　scarcely　say　that　my

attention　had　been　at　once　aroused；　and　I　listened　eagerly　for

the　stranger's　reply。



〃I　do　not　think；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃that　the　masters　of

the　school　have　ever　consigned；　except　by　obscure　hint　and

mystical　parable；　their　real　doctrines　to　the　world。　　And　I　do

not　blame　them　for　their　discretion。〃



Here　he　paused；　and　seemed　about　to　retire；　when　I　said；　somewhat

abruptly；　to　the　collector；　〃I　see　nothing；　Mr。　D；　in　this

catalogue　which　relates　to　the　Rosicrucians！〃



〃The　Rosicrucians！〃　repeated　the　old　gentleman；　and　in　his　turn

he　surveyed　me　with　deliberate　surprise。　　〃Who　but　a　Rosicrucian

could　explain　the　Rosicrucian　mysteries！　　And　can　you　imagine

that　any　members　of　that　sect；　the　most　jealous　of　all　secret

societies；　would　themselves　lift　the　veil　that　hides　the　Isis　of

their　wisdom　from　the　world？〃



〃Aha！〃　thought　I；　〃this；　then；　is　'the　august　fraternity'　of

which　you　spoke。　　Heaven　be　praised！　　I　certainly　have　stumbled

on　one　of　the　brotherhood。〃



〃But；〃　I　said　aloud；　〃if　not　in　books；　sir；　where　else　am　I　to

obtain　information？　　Nowadays　one　can　hazard　nothing　in　print

without　authority；　and　one　may　scarcely　quote　Shakespeare　without

citing　chapter　and　verse。　　This　is　the　age　of　facts；the　age　of

facts；　sir。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　with　a　pleasant　smile；　〃if　we

meet　again；　perhaps；　at　least；　I　may　direct　your　researches　to

the　proper　source　of　intelligence。〃　　And　with　that　he　buttoned

his　greatcoat；　whistled　to　his　dog；　and　departed。



It　so　happened　that　I　did　meet　again　with　the　old　gentleman；

exactly　four　days　after　our　brief　conversation　in　Mr。　D's　book…

shop。　　I　was　riding　leisurely　towards　Highgate；　when；　at　the　foot

of　its　classic　hill；　I　recognised　the　stranger；　he　was　mounted　on

a　black　pony；　and　before　him　trotted　his　dog；　which　was　black

also。



If　you　meet　the　man　whom　you　wish　to　know；　on　horseback；　at　the

commencement　of　a　long　hill；　where；　unless　he　has　borrowed　a

friend's　favourite　hack；　he　cannot；　in　decent　humanity　to　the

brute　creation；　ride　away　from　you；　I　apprehend　that　it　is　your

own　fault　if　you　have　not　gone　far　in　your　object　before　you　have

gained　the　top。　　In　short；　so　well　did　I　succeed；　that　on

reaching　Highgate　the　old　gentleman　invited　me　to　rest　at　his

house；　which　was　a　little　apart　from　the　village；　and　an

excellent　house　it　was；small；　but　commodious；　with　a　large

garden；　and　commanding　from　the　windows　such　a　prospect　as

Lucretius　would　recommend　to　philosophers：　　the　spires　and　domes

of　London；　on　a　clear　day；　distinctly　visible；　here　the　Retreat

of　the　Hermit；　and　there　the　Mare　Magnum　of　the　world。



The　walls　of　the　principal　rooms　were　embellished　with　pictures

of　extraordinary　merit；　and　in　that　high　school　of　art　which　is

so　little　understood　out　of　Italy。　　I　was　surprised　to　learn　that

they　were　all　from　the　hand　of　the　owner。　　My　evident　admiration

pleased　my　new　friend；　and　led　to　talk　upon　his　part；　which

showed　him　no　less　elevated　in　his　theories　of　art　than　an　adept

in　the　practice。　　Without　fatiguing　the　reader　with　irrelevant

criticism；　it　is　necessary；　perhaps；　as　elucidating　much　of　the

design　and　character　of　the　work　which　these　prefatory　pages

introduce；　that　I　should　briefly　observe；　that　he　insisted　as

much　upon　the　connection　of　the　arts；　as　a　distinguished　author

has　upon　that　of　the　sciences；　that　he　held　that　in　all　works　of

imagination；　whether　expressed　by　words　or　by　colours；　the　artist

of　the　higher　schools　must　make　the　broadest　distinction　between

the　real　and　the　true；in　other　words；　between　the　imitation　of

actual　life；　and　the　exaltation　of　Nature　into　the　Ideal。



〃The　one；〃　said　he；　〃is　the　Dutch　School；　the　other　is　the

Greek。〃



〃Sir；〃　said　I；　〃the　Dutch　is　the　most　in　fashion。〃



〃Yes；　in　painting；　perhaps；〃　answered　my　host；　〃but　in

literature〃



〃It　was　of　literature　I　spoke。　　Our　growing　poets　are　all　for

simplicity　and　Betty　Foy；　and　our　critics　hold　it　the　highest

praise　of　a　work　of　imagination；　to　say　that　its　characters　are

exact　to　common　life；　even　in　sculpture〃



〃In　sculpture！　　No；　no！　THERE　the　high　ideal　must　at　least　be

essential！〃



〃Pardon　me；　I　fear　you　have　not　seen　Souter　Johnny　and　Tam

O'Shanter。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　shaking　his　head；　〃I　live　very　much

out　of　the　world；　I　see。　　I　suppose　Shakespeare　has　ceased　to　be

admired？〃



〃On　the　contrary；　people　make　the　adoration　of　Shakespeare　the

excuse　for　attacking　everybody　else。　　But　then　our　critics　have

discovered　that　Shakespeare　is　so　REAL！〃



〃Real！　　The　poet　who　has　never　once　drawn　a　character　to　be　met

with　in　actual　life；who　has　never　once　descended　to　a　passion

that　is　false；　or　a　personage　who　is　real！〃



I　was　about　to　reply　very　severely　to　this　paradox；　when　I

perceived　that　my　companion　was　growing　a　little　out　of　temper。

And　he　who　wishes　to　catch　a　Rosicrucian；　must　take　care　not　to

disturb　the　waters。　　I　thought　it　better；　therefore；　to　turn　the

conversation。



〃Revenons　a　nos　moutons；〃　said　I；　〃you　promised　to　enlighten　my

ignorance　as　to　the　Rosicrucians。〃



〃Well！〃　quoth　he；　rather　sternly；　〃but　for　what　purpose？　　Perhaps

you　desire　only　to　enter　the　temple　in　order　to　ridicule　the

rites？〃



〃What　do　you　take　me　for！　　Surely；　were　I　so　inclined；　the　fate

of　the　Abbe　de　Villars　is　a　sufficient　warning　to　all　men　not　to

treat　idly　of　the　realms　of　the　Salamander　and　the　Sylph。

Everybody　knows　how　mysteriously　that　ingenious　personage　was

deprived　of　his　life；　in　revenge　for　the　witty　mockeries　of　his

'Comte　de　Gabalis。'〃



〃Salamander　and　Sylph！　　I　see　that　you　fall　into　the　vulgar

erro