zanoni-第44章

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CHAPTER　3。X。



O　chiunque　tu　sia；　che　fuor　d'ogni　uso

Pieghi　Natura　ad　opre　altere　e　strane；

E；　spiando　i　segreti；　entri　al　piu　chiuso

Spazi'　a　tua　voglia　delle　menti　umane

Deh；　Dimmi！

〃Gerus。　Lib。；〃　Cant。　x。　xviii。



（O　thou；　whoever　thou　art；　who　through　every　use　bendest　Nature

to　works　foreign　and　strange；　and　by　spying　into　her　secrets；

enterest　at　thy　will　into　the　closest　recesses　of　the　human

mind；O　speak！　　O　tell　me！）



Early　the　next　morning　the　young　Englishmen　mounted　their　horses；

and　took　the　road　towards　Baiae。　　Glyndon　left　word　at　his　hotel；

that　if　Signor　Zanoni　sought　him；　it　was　in　the　neighbourhood　of

that　once　celebrated　watering…place　of　the　ancients　that　he

should　be　found。



They　passed　by　Viola's　house；　but　Glyndon　resisted　the　temptation

of　pausing　there；　and　after　threading　the　grotto　of　Posilipo；

they　wound　by　a　circuitous　route　back　into　the　suburbs　of　the

city；　and　took　the　opposite　road；　which　conducts　to　Portici　and

Pompeii。　　It　was　late　at　noon　when　they　arrived　at　the　former　of

these　places。　　Here　they　halted　to　dine；　for　Mervale　had　heard

much　of　the　excellence　of　the　macaroni　at　Portici；　and　Mervale

was　a　bon　vivant。



They　put　up　at　an　inn　of　very　humble　pretensions；　and　dined　under

an　awning。　　Mervale　was　more　than　usually　gay；　he　pressed　the

lacrima　upon　his　friend；　and　conversed　gayly。



〃Well；　my　dear　friend；　we　have　foiled　Signor　Zanoni　in　one　of　his

predictions　at　least。　　You　will　have　no　faith　in　him　hereafter。〃



〃The　ides　are　come；　not　gone。〃



〃Tush！　　If　he　be　the　soothsayer；　you　are　not　the　Caesar。　　It　is

your　vanity　that　makes　you　credulous。　　Thank　Heaven；　I　do　not

think　myself　of　such　importance　that　the　operations　of　Nature

should　be　changed　in　order　to　frighten　me。〃



〃But　why　should　the　operations　of　Nature　be　changed？　　There　may

be　a　deeper　philosophy　than　we　dream　of；a　philosophy　that

discovers　the　secrets　of　Nature；　but　does　not　alter；　by

penetrating；　its　courses。〃



〃Ah；　you　relapse　into　your　heretical　credulity；　you　seriously

suppose　Zanoni　to　be　a　prophet；a　reader　of　the　future；　perhaps

an　associate　of　genii　and　spirits！〃



Here　the　landlord；　a　little；　fat；　oily　fellow；　came　up　with　a

fresh　bottle　of　lacrima。　　He　hoped　their　Excellencies　were

pleased。　　He　was　most　touchedtouched　to　the　heart；　that　they

liked　the　macaroni。　　Were　their　Excellencies　going　to　Vesuvius？

There　was　a　slight　eruption；　they　could　not　see　it　where　they

were；　but　it　was　pretty；　and　would　be　prettier　still　after

sunset。



〃A　capital　idea！〃　cried　Mervale。　　〃What　say　you；　Glyndon？〃



〃I　have　not　yet　seen　an　eruption；　I　should　like　it　much。〃



〃But　is　there　no　danger？〃　asked　the　prudent　Mervale。



〃Oh；　not　at　all；　the　mountain　is　very　civil　at　present。　　It　only

plays　a　little；　just　to　amuse　their　Excellencies　the　English。〃



〃Well；　order　the　horses；　and　bring　the　bill；　we　will　go　before　it

is　dark。　　Clarence；　my　friend；nunc　est　bibendum；　but　take　care

of　the　pede　libero；　which　will　scarce　do　for　walking　on　lava！〃



The　bottle　was　finished；　the　bill　paid；　the　gentlemen　mounted；

the　landlord　bowed；　and　they　bent　their　way；　in　the　cool　of　the

delightful　evening；　towards　Resina。



The　wine；　perhaps　the　excitement　of　his　thoughts；　animated

Glyndon；　whose　unequal　spirits　were；　at　times；　high　and　brilliant

as　those　of　a　schoolboy　released；　and　the　laughter　of　the

Northern　tourists　sounded　oft　and　merrily　along　the　melancholy

domains　of　buried　cities。



Hesperus　had　lighted　his　lamp　amidst　the　rosy　skies　as　they

arrived　at　Resina。　　Here　they　quitted　their　horses；　and　took

mules　and　a　guide。　　As　the　sky　grew　darker　and　more　dark；　the

mountain　fire　burned　with　an　intense　lustre。　　In　various　streaks

and　streamlets；　the　fountain　of　flame　rolled　down　the　dark

summit；　and　the　Englishmen　began　to　feel　increase　upon　them；　as

they　ascended；　that　sensation　of　solemnity　and　awe　which　makes

the　very　atmosphere　that　surrounds　the　Giant　of　the　Plains　of　the

Antique　Hades。



It　was　night；　when；　leaving　the　mules；　they　ascended　on　foot；

accompanied　by　their　guide；　and　a　peasant　who　bore　a　rude　torch。

The　guide　was　a　conversable；　garrulous　fellow；　like　most　of　his

country　and　his　calling；　and　Mervale；　who　possessed　a　sociable

temper；　loved　to　amuse　or　to　instruct　himself　on　every　incidental

occasion。



〃Ah；　Excellency；〃　said　the　guide；　〃your　countrymen　have　a　strong

passion　for　the　volcano。　　Long　life　to　them；　they　bring　us　plenty

of　money！　　If　our　fortunes　depended　on　the　Neapolitans；　we　should

starve。〃



〃True；　they　have　no　curiosity；〃　said　Mervale。　　〃Do　you　remember；

Glyndon；　the　contempt　with　which　that　old　count　said　to　us；　'You

will　go　to　Vesuvius；　I　suppose？　　I　have　never　been；　why　should　I

go？　　You　have　cold；　you　have　hunger；　you　have　fatigue；　you　have

danger；　and　all　for　nothing　but　to　see　fire；　which　looks　just　as

well　in　a　brazier　as　on　a　mountain。'　　Ha！　ha！　the　old　fellow　was

right。〃



〃But；　Excellency；〃　said　the　guide；　〃that　is　not　all：　　some

cavaliers　think　to　ascend　the　mountain　without　our　help。　　I　am

sure　they　deserve　to　tumble　into　the　crater。〃



〃They　must　be　bold　fellows　to　go　alone；　you　don't　often　find

such。〃



〃Sometimes　among　the　French；　signor。　　But　the　other　nightI

never　was　so　frightenedI　had　been　with　an　English　party；　and　a

lady　had　left　a　pocket…book　on　the　mountain；　where　she　had　been

sketching。　　She　offered　me　a　handsome　sum　to　return　for　it；　and

bring　it　to　her　at　Naples。　　So　I　went　in　the　evening。　　I　found

it；　sure　enough；　and　was　about　to　return；　when　I　saw　a　figure

that　seemed　to　emerge　from　the　crater　itself。　　The　air　there　was

so　pestiferous　that　I　could　not　have　conceived　a　human　creature

could　breathe　it；　and　live。　　I　was　so　astounded　that　I　stood

still　as　a　stone；　till　the　figure　came　over　the　hot　ashes；　and

stood　before　me；　face　to　face。　　Santa　Maria；　what　a　head！〃



〃What！　hideous？〃



〃No；　so　beautiful；　but　so　terrible。　　It　had　nothing　human　in　its

aspect。〃



〃And　what　said　the　salamander？〃



〃Nothing！　　It　did　not　even　seem　to　perceive　me；　though　I　was　near

as　I　am　to　you；　but　its　eyes　seemed　to　emerge　prying　into　the

air。　　It　passed　by　me　quickly；　and；　walking　across　a　stream　of

burning　lava；　soon　vanished　on　the　other　side　of　the　mountain。　　I

was　curious　and　foolhardy；　and　resolved　to　see　if　I　could　bear

the　atmosphere　which　this　visitor　had　left；　but　though　I　did　not

advance　within　thirty　yards　of　the　spot　at　which　he　had　first

appeared；　I　was　driven　back　by　a　vapour　that　wellnigh　stifled　me。

Cospetto！　　I　have　spat　blood　ever　since。〃



〃Now　will　I　lay　a　wager　that　you　fancy　this　fire…king　must　be

Zanoni；〃　whispered　Mervale；　laughing。



The　little　party　had　now　arrived　nearly　at　the　summit　of　the

mountain；　and　unspeakably　grand　was　the　spectacle　on　which　they

gazed。　　From　the　crater　arose　a　vapour；　intensely　dark；　that

overspread　the　whole　background　of　the　heavens；　in　the　centre

whereof　rose　a　flame　that　assumed　a　form　singularly　beautiful。

It　might　have　been　compared　to　a　crest　of　gigantic　feathers；　the

diadem　of　the　mountain；　high…arched；　and　drooping　downward；　with

the　hues　delicately　shaded　off；　and　the　whole　shifting　and

tremulous　as　the　plumage　on　a　warrior's　helmet。



The　glare　of　the　flame　spread；　luminous　and　crimson；　over　the

dark　and　rugged　ground　on　which　they　stood；　and　drew　an

innumerable　variety　of　shadows　from　crag　and　hollow。　　An

oppressive　and　sulphureous　exhalation　served　to　increase　the

gloomy　and　sublime　terror　of　the　place。　　But　on　turning　from　the

mountain；　and　towards　the　distant　and　unseen　ocean；　the　contrast

was　wonderfully　great；　the　heavens　serene　and　blue；　the　stars

still　and　calm　as　the　eyes　of　Divine　Love。　　It　was　as　if　the

realms　of　the　opposing　principles　of　Evil　and　of　Good　were

brought　in　one　view　before　the　gaze　of　man！　　Glyndononce　more

the　enthusiast；　the　artistwas