zanoni-第38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！



steadfast；　resolute；　earnest　even　in　his　crimes；never

relinquishes　an　object。　　But　one　passion　controls　his　lust；it

is　his　avarice。　　The　day　after　his　attempt　on　Viola；　his　uncle；

the　Cardinal　；　from　whom　he　has　large　expectations　of　land　and

gold；　sent　for　him；　and　forbade　him；　on　pain　of　forfeiting　all

the　possessions　which　his　schemes　already　had　parcelled　out；　to

pursue　with　dishonourable　designs　one　whom　the　Cardinal　had

heeded　and　loved　from　childhood。　　This　is　the　cause　of　his

present　pause　from　his　pursuit。　　While　we　speak；　the　cause

expires。　　Before　the　hand　of　the　clock　reaches　the　hour　of　noon；

the　Cardinal　　will　be　no　more。　　At　this　very　moment　thy　friend；

Jean　Nicot；　is　with　the　Prince　di　。〃



〃He！　wherefore？〃



〃To　ask　what　dower　shall　go　with　Viola　Pisani；　the　morning　that

she　leaves　the　palace　of　the　prince。〃



〃And　how　do　you　know　all　this？〃



〃Fool！　　I　tell　thee　again；　because　a　lover　is　a　watcher　by　night

and　day；　because　love　never　sleeps　when　danger　menaces　the

beloved　one！〃



〃And　you　it　was　that　informed　the　Cardinal　？〃



〃Yes；　and　what　has　been　my　task　might　as　easily　have　been　thine。

　Speak；thine　answer！〃



〃You　shall　have　it　on　the　third　day　from　this。〃



〃Be　it　so。　　Put　off；　poor　waverer；　thy　happiness　to　the　last

hour。　　On　the　third　day　from　this；　I　will　ask　thee　thy　resolve。〃



〃And　where　shall　we　meet？〃



〃Before　midnight；　where　you　may　least　expect　me。　　You　cannot　shun

me；　though　you　may　seek　to　do　so！〃



〃Stay　one　moment！　　You　condemn　me　as　doubtful；　irresolute；

suspicious。　　Have　I　no　cause？　　Can　I　yield　without　a　struggle　to

the　strange　fascination　you　exert　upon　my　mind？　　What　interest

can　you　have　in　me；　a　stranger；　that　you　should　thus　dictate　to

me　the　gravest　action　in　the　life　of　man？　　Do　you　suppose　that

any　one　in　his　senses　would　not　pause；　and　deliberate；　and　ask

himself；　'Why　should　this　stranger　care　thus　for　me？'〃



〃And　yet；〃　said　Zanoni；　〃if　I　told　thee　that　I　could　initiate

thee　into　the　secrets　of　that　magic　which　the　philosophy　of　the

whole　existing　world　treats　as　a　chimera；　or　imposture；　if　I

promised　to　show　thee　how　to　command　the　beings　of　air　and　ocean；

how　to　accumulate　wealth　more　easily　than　a　child　can　gather

pebbles　on　the　shore；　to　place　in　thy　hands　the　essence　of　the

herbs　which　prolong　life　from　age　to　age；　the　mystery　of　that

attraction　by　which　to　awe　all　danger　and　disarm　all　violence　and

subdue　man　as　the　serpent　charms　the　bird；if　I　told　thee　that

all　these　it　was　mine　to　possess　and　to　communicate；　thou　wouldst

listen　to　me　then；　and　obey　me　without　a　doubt！〃



〃It　is　true；　and　I　can　account　for　this　only　by　the　imperfect

associations　of　my　childhood；by　traditions　in　our　house　of〃



〃Your　forefather；　who；　in　the　revival　of　science；　sought　the

secrets　of　Apollonius　and　Paracelsus。〃



〃What！〃　said　Glyndon；　amazed；　〃are　you　so　well　acquainted　with

the　annals　of　an　obscure　lineage？〃



〃To　the　man　who　aspires　to　know；　no　man　who　has　been　the　meanest

student　of　knowledge　should　be　unknown。　　You　ask　me　why　I　have

shown　this　interest　in　your　fate？　　There　is　one　reason　which　I

have　not　yet　told　you。　　There　is　a　fraternity　as　to　whose　laws

and　whose　mysteries　the　most　inquisitive　schoolmen　are　in　the

dark。　　By　those　laws　all　are　pledged　to　warn；　to　aid；　and　to

guide　even　the　remotest　descendants　of　men　who　have　toiled；

though　vainly；　like　your　ancestor；　in　the　mysteries　of　the　Order。

We　are　bound　to　advise　them　to　their　welfare；　nay；　more；if　they

command　us　to　it；　we　must　accept　them　as　our　pupils。　　I　am　a

survivor　of　that　most　ancient　and　immemorial　union。　　This　it　was

that　bound　me　to　thee　at　the　first；　this；　perhaps；　attracted

thyself　unconsciously；　Son　of　our　Brotherhood；　to　me。〃



〃If　this　be　so；　I　command　thee；　in　the　name　of　the　laws　thou

obeyest；　to　receive　me　as　thy　pupil！〃



〃What　do　you　ask？〃　said　Zanoni；　passionately。　　〃Learn；　first；　the

conditions。　　No　neophyte　must　have；　at　his　initiation；　one

affection　or　desire　that　chains　him　to　the　world。　　He　must　be

pure　from　the　love　of　woman；　free　from　avarice　and　ambition；　free

from　the　dreams　even　of　art；　or　the　hope　of　earthly　fame。　　The

first　sacrifice　thou　must　make　isViola　herself。　　And　for　what？

For　an　ordeal　that　the　most　daring　courage　only　can　encounter；

the　most　ethereal　natures　alone　survive！　　Thou　art　unfit　for　the

science　that　has　made　me　and　others　what　we　are　or　have　been；　for

thy　whole　nature　is　one　fear！〃



〃Fear！〃　cried　Glyndon；　colouring　with　resentment；　and　rising　to

the　full　height　of　his　stature。



〃Fear！　and　the　worst　fear；fear　of　the　world's　opinion；　fear　of

the　Nicots　and　the　Mervales；　fear　of　thine　own　impulses　when　most

generous；　fear　of　thine　own　powers　when　thy　genius　is　most　bold；

fear　that　virtue　is　not　eternal；　fear　that　God　does　not　live　in

heaven　to　keep　watch　on　earth；　fear；　the　fear　of　little　men；　and

that　fear　is　never　known　to　the　great。〃



With　these　words　Zanoni　abruptly　left　the　artist；　humbled；

bewildered；　and　not　convinced。　　He　remained　alone　with　his

thoughts　till　he　was　aroused　by　the　striking　of　the　clock；　he

then　suddenly　remembered　Zanoni's　prediction　of　the　Cardinal's

death；　and；　seized　with　an　intense　desire　to　learn　its　truth；　he

hurried　into　the　streets；he　gained　the　Cardinal's　palace。　　Five

minutes　before　noon　his　Eminence　had　expired；　after　an　illness　of

less　than　an　hour。　　Zanoni's　visit　had　occupied　more　time　than

the　illness　of　the　Cardinal。　　Awed　and　perplexed；　he　turned　from

the　palace；　and　as　he　walked　through　the　Chiaja；　he　saw　Jean

Nicot　emerge　from　the　portals　of　the　Prince　di　。





CHAPTER　3。V。



Two　loves　I　have　of　comfort　and　despair；

Which　like　two　spirits　do　suggest　me　still。

Shakespeare。



Venerable　Brotherhood；　so　sacred　and　so　little　known；　from　whose

secret　and　precious　archives　the　materials　for　this　history　have

been　drawn；　ye　who　have　retained；　from　century　to　century；　all

that　time　has　spared　of　the　august　and　venerable　science；thanks

to　you；　if　now；　for　the　first　time；　some　record　of　the　thoughts

and　actions　of　no　false　and　self…styled　luminary　of　your　Order　be

given；　however　imperfectly；　to　the　world。　　Many　have　called

themselves　of　your　band；　many　spurious　pretenders　have　been

so…called　by　the　learned　ignorance　which　still；　baffled　and

perplexed；　is　driven　to　confess　that　it　knows　nothing　of　your

origin；　your　ceremonies　or　doctrines；　nor　even　if　you　still　have

local　habitation　on　the　earth。　　Thanks　to　you　if　I；　the　only　one

of　my　country；　in　this　age；　admitted；　with　a　profane　footstep；

into　your　mysterious　Academe　（The　reader　will　have　the　goodness

to　remember　that　this　is　said　by　the　author　of　the　original　MS。；

not　by　the　editor。）；　have　been　by　you　empowered　and　instructed　to

adapt　to　the　comprehension　of　the　uninitiated；　some　few　of　the

starry　truths　which　shone　on　the　great　Shemaia　of　the　Chaldean

Lore；　and　gleamed　dimly　through　the　darkened　knowledge　of　latter

disciples；　labouring；　like　Psellus　and　Iamblichus；　to　revive　the

embers　of　the　fire　which　burned　in　the　Hamarin　of　the　East。

Though　not　to　us　of　an　aged　and　hoary　world　is　vouchsafed　the

NAME　which；　so　say　the　earliest　oracles　of　the　earth；　〃rushes

into　the　infinite　worlds；〃　yet　is　it　ours　to　trace　the　reviving

truths；　through　each　new　discovery　of　the　philosopher　and

chemist。　　The　laws　of　attraction；　of　electricity；　and　of　the　yet

more　mysterious　agency　of　that　great　principal　of　life；　which；　if

drawn　from　the　universe；　would　leave　the　universe　a　grave；　were

but　the　code　in　which　the　Theurgy　of　old　sought　the　guides　that

led　it　to　a　legislation　and　science　of　its　own。　　To　rebuild　on

words　the　fragments　of　this　history；　it　seems　to　me　as　if；　in　a

solemn　trance；　I　was　led　through　the　ruins　of　a　city　whose　only

remains　were　tombs。　　From　the　sarcophagus　and　the　urn　I　awake　the

genius　（The　Greek　Genius　of　Death。）　of　the　extinguished　Torch；