zanoni-第4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！



'Comte　de　Gabalis。'〃



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

error；　and　translate　literally　the　allegorical　language　of　the

mystics。〃



With　that　the　old　gentleman　condescended　to　enter　into　a　very

interesting；　and；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　a　very　erudite　relation；　of

the　tenets　of　the　Rosicrucians；　some　of　whom；　he　asserted；　still

existed；　and　still　prosecuted；　in　august　secrecy；　their　profound

researches　into　natural　science　and　occult　philosophy。



〃But　this　fraternity；〃　said　he；　〃however　respectable　and

virtuous；virtuous　I　say；　for　no　monastic　order　is　more　severe

in　the　practice　of　moral　precepts；　or　more　ardent　in　Christian

faith；this　fraternity　is　but　a　branch　of　others　yet　more

transcendent　in　the　powers　they　have　obtained；　and　yet　more

illustrious　in　their　origin。　　Are　you　acquainted　with　the

Platonists？〃



〃I　have　occasionally　lost　my　way　in　their　labyrinth；〃　said　I。

〃Faith；　they　are　rather　difficult　gentlemen　to　understand。〃



〃Yet　their　knottiest　problems　have　never　yet　been　published。

Their　sublimest　works　are　in　manuscript；　and　constitute　the

initiatory　learning；　not　only　of　the　Rosicrucians；　but　of　the

nobler　brotherhoods　I　have　referred　to。　　More　solemn　and　sublime

still　is　the　knowledge　to　be　gleaned　from　the　elder　Pythagoreans；

and　the　immortal　masterpieces　of　Apollonius。〃



〃Apollonius；　the　imposter　of　Tyanea！　are　his　writings　extant？〃



〃Imposter！〃　cried　my　host；　〃Apollonius　an　imposter！〃



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　I　did　not　know　he　was　a　friend　of　yours；　and

if　you　vouch　for　his　character；　I　will　believe　him　to　have　been　a

very　respectable　man；　who　only　spoke　the　truth　when　he　boasted　of

his　power　to　be　in　two　places　at　the　same　time。〃



〃Is　that　so　difficult？〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃if　so；　you　have

never　dreamed！〃



Here　ended　our　conversation；　but　from　that　time　an　acquaintance

was　formed　between　us　which　lasted　till　my　venerable　friend

departed　this　life。　　Peace　to　his　ashes！　　He　was　a　person　of

singular　habits　and　eccentric　opinions；　but　the　chief　part　of　his

time　was　occupied　in　acts　of　quiet　and　unostentatious　goodness。

He　was　an　enthusiast　in　the　duties　of　the　Samaritan；　and　as　his

virtues　were　softened　by　the　gentlest　charity；　so　his　hopes　were

based　upon　the　devoutest　belief。　　He　never　conversed　upon　his　own

origin　and　history；　nor　have　I　ever　been　able　to　penetrate　the

darkness　in　which　they　were　concealed。　　He　seemed　to　have　seen

much　of　the　world；　and　to　have　been　an　eye…witness　of　the　first

French　Revolution；　a　subject　upon　which　he　was　equally　eloquent

and　instructive。　　At　the　same　time　he　did　not　regard　the　crimes

of　that　stormy　period　with　the　philosophical　leniency　with　which

enlightened　writers　（their　heads　safe　upon　their　shoulders）　are；

in　the　present　day；　inclined　to　treat　the　massacres　of　the　past：

he　spoke　not　as　a　student　who　had　read　and　reasoned；　but　as　a　man

who　had　seen　and　suffered。　　The　old　gentleman　seemed　alone　in　the

world；　nor　did　I　know　that　he　had　one　relation；　till　his

executor；　a　distant　cousin；　residing　abroad；　informed　me　of　the

very　handsome　legacy　which　my　poor　friend　had　bequeathed　me。

This　consisted；　first；　of　a　sum　about　which　I　think　it　best　to　be

guarded；　foreseeing　the　possibility　of　a　new　tax　upon　real　and

funded　property；　and；　secondly；　of　certain　precious　manuscripts；

to　which　the　following　volumes　owe　their　existence。



I　imagine　I　trace　this　latter　bequest　to　a　visit　I　paid　the　Sage；

if　so　I　may　be　permitted　to　call　him；　a　few　weeks　before　his

death。



Although　he　read　little　of　our　modern　literature；　my　friend；　with

the　affable　good…nature　which　belonged　to　him；　graciously

permitted　me　to　consult　him　upon　various　literary　undertakings

meditated　by　the　desultory　ambition　of　a　young　and　inexperienced

student。　　And　at　that　time　I　sought　his　advice　upon　a　work　of

imagination；　intended　to　depict　the　effects　of　enthusiasm　upon

different　modifications　of　character。　　He　listened　to　my

conception；　which　was　sufficiently　trite　and　prosaic；　with　his

usual　patience；　and　then；　thoughtfully　turning　to　his

bookshelves；　took　down　an　old　volume；　and　read　to　me；　first；　in

Greek；　and　secondly；　in　English；　some　extracts　to　the　following

effect：



〃Plato　here　expresses　four　kinds　of　mania；　by　which　I　desire　to

understand　enthusiasm　and　the　inspiration　of　the　gods：　　Firstly；

the　musical；　secondly；　the　telestic　or　mystic；　thirdly；　the

prophetic；　and　fourthly；　that　which　belongs　to　love。〃



The　author　he　quoted；　after　contending　that　there　is　something　in

the　soul　above　intellect；　and　stating　that　there　are　in　our

nature　distinct　energies；by　the　one　of　which　we　discover　and

seize；　as　it　were；　on　sciences　and　theorems　with　almost　intuitive

rapidity；　by　another；　through　which　high　art　is　accomplished；

like　the　statues　of　Phidias；proceeded　to　state　that

〃enthusiasm；　in　the　true　acceptation　of　the　word；　is；　when　that

part　of　the　soul　which　is　above　intellect　is　excited　to　the　gods；

and　thence　derives　its　inspiration。〃



The　author；　then　pursuing　his　comment　upon　Plato；　observes；　that

〃one　of　these　manias　may　suffice　（especially　that　which　belongs

to　love）　to　lead　back　the　soul　to　its　first　divinity　and

happiness；　but　that　there　is　an　intimate　union　with　them　all；　and

that　the　ordinary　progress　through　which　the　soul　ascends　is；

primarily；　through　the　musical；　next；　through　the　telestic　or

mystic；　thirdly；　through　the　prophetic；　and　lastly；　through　the

enthusiasm　of　love。〃



While　with　a　bewildered　understanding　and　a　reluctant　attention　I

listened　to　these　intricate　sublimities；　my　adviser　closed　the

volume；　and　said　with　complacency；　〃There　is　the　motto　for　your

book；the　thesis　for　your　theme。〃



〃Davus　sum；　non　Oedipus；〃　said　I；　shaking　my　head；

discontentedly。　　〃All　this　may　be　exceedingly　fine；　but；　Heaven

forgive　me；I　don't　understand　a　word　of　it。　　The　mysteries　of

your　Rosicrucians；　and　your　fraternities；　are　mere　child's　play

to　the　jargon　of　the　Platonists。〃



〃Yet；　not　till　you　rightly　understand　this　passage；　can　you

understand　the　higher　theories　of　the　Rosicrucians；　or　of　the

still　nobler　fraternities　you　speak　of　with　so　much　levity。〃



〃Oh；　if　that　be　the　case；　I　give　up　in　despair。　　Why　not；　since

you　are　so　well　versed　in　the　matter；　take　the　motto　for　a　book

of　your　own？〃



〃But　if　I　have　already　composed　a　book　with　that　thesis　for　its

theme；　will　you　prepare　it　for　the　public？〃



〃With　the　greatest　pleasure；〃　said　I；alas；　too　rashly！



〃I　shall　hold　you　to　your　promise；〃　returned　the　old　gentleman；

〃and　when　I　am　no　more；　you　will　receive　the　manuscripts。　　From

what　you　say　of　the　prevailing　taste　in　literature；　I　cannot

flatter　you　with　the　hope　that　you　will　gain　much　by　the

undertaking。　　And　I　tell　you　beforehand　that　you　will　find　it　not

a　little　laborious。〃



〃Is　your　work　a　romance？〃



〃It　is　a　romance；　and　it　is　not　a　romance。　　It　is　a　truth　for

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

cannot。〃



At　last　there　arrived　the　manuscripts；　with　a　brief　note　from　my

deceased　friend；　reminding　me　of　my　imprudent　promise。



With　mournful　interest；　and　yet　with　eager　impatience；　I　opened

the　packet　and　trimmed　my　lamp。　　Conceive　my　dismay　when　I　found

the　whole　written　in　an　unintelligible　cipher。　　I　present　the

reader　with　a　specimen：



（Several　strange　characters。）



and　so　on　for　nine　hundred　and　forty　mortal　pages　in　foolscap。　　I

could　scarcely　believe　my　eyes：　　in　fact；　I　began　to　think　the

lamp　burned　singularly　blue；　and　sundry　misgivings　as　to　the

unhallowed　nature　of　the　characters　I　had　so　unwittingly　opened

upon；　coupled　with　the　strange　hints　and　mystical　language　of　the

old　gentleman；　crept　through　my　disordered　imagination。

Certainly；　to　say　no　worse　of　it；　the　whole　thing　looked　UNCANNY！

I　was　about；　precipitately；　to　hurry　the　papers　into　my　desk；

with　a　pious　de