zanoni-第5章

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

with　a　pious　determination　to　have　nothing　more　to　do　with　them；

when　my　eye　fell　upon　a　book；　neatly　bound　in　blue　morocco；　and

which；　in　my　eagerness；　I　had　hitherto　overlooked。　　I　opened　this

volume　with　great　precaution；　not　knowing　what　might　jump　out；

andguess　my　delightfound　that　it　contained　a　key　or

dictionary　to　the　hieroglyphics。　　Not　to　weary　the　reader　with　an

account　of　my　labours；　I　am　contented　with　saying　that　at　last　I

imagined　myself　capable　of　construing　the　characters；　and　set　to

work　in　good　earnest。　　Still　it　was　no　easy　task；　and　two　years

elapsed　before　I　had　made　much　progress。　　I　then；　by　way　of

experiment　on　the　public；　obtained　the　insertion　of　a　few

desultory　chapters；　in　a　periodical　with　which；　for　a　few　months；

I　had　the　honour　to　be　connected。　　They　appeared　to　excite　more

curiosity　than　I　had　presumed　to　anticipate；　and　I　renewed；　with

better　heart；　my　laborious　undertaking。　　But　now　a　new　misfortune

befell　me：　　I　found；　as　I　proceeded；　that　the　author　had　made　two

copies　of　his　work；　one　much　more　elaborate　and　detailed　than　the

other；　I　had　stumbled　upon　the　earlier　copy；　and　had　my　whole

task　to　remodel；　and　the　chapters　I　had　written　to　retranslate。

I　may　say　then；　that；　exclusive　of　intervals　devoted　to　more

pressing　occupations；　my　unlucky　promise　cost　me　the　toil　of

several　years　before　I　could　bring　it　to　adequate　fulfilment。

The　task　was　the　more　difficult；　since　the　style　in　the　original

is　written　in　a　kind　of　rhythmical　prose；　as　if　the　author

desired　that　in　some　degree　his　work　should　be　regarded　as　one　of

poetical　conception　and　design。　　To　this　it　was　not　possible　to

do　justice；　and　in　the　attempt　I　have　doubtless　very　often　need

of　the　reader's　indulgent　consideration。　　My　natural　respect　for

the　old　gentleman's　vagaries；　with　a　muse　of　equivocal　character；

must　be　my　only　excuse　whenever　the　language；　without　luxuriating

into　verse；　borrows　flowers　scarcely　natural　to　prose。　　Truth

compels　me　also　to　confess；　that；　with　all　my　pains；　I　am　by　no

means　sure　that　I　have　invariably　given　the　true　meaning　of　the

cipher；　nay；　that　here　and　there　either　a　gap　in　the　narrative；

or　the　sudden　assumption　of　a　new　cipher；　to　which　no　key　was

afforded；　has　obliged　me　to　resort　to　interpolations　of　my　own；

no　doubt　easily　discernible；　but　which；　I　flatter　myself；　are　not

inharmonious　to　the　general　design。　　This　confession　leads　me　to

the　sentence　with　which　I　shall　conclude：　　If；　reader；　in　this

book　there　be　anything　that　pleases　you；　it　is　certainly　mine；

but　whenever　you　come　to　something　you　dislike；lay　the　blame

upon　the　old　gentleman！



London；　January；　1842。



N。B。The　notes　appended　to　the　text　are　sometimes　by　the　author；

sometimes　by　the　editor。　　I　have　occasionally　（but　not　always）

marked　the　distinction；　where；　however；　this　is　omitted；　the

ingenuity　of　the　reader　will　be　rarely　at　fault。









ZANONI。



BOOK　I。



THE　MUSICIAN。



Due　Fontane

Chi　di　diverso　effeto　hanno　liquore！



〃Ariosto；　Orland。　Fur。〃　Canto　1。7。



（Two　Founts

That　hold　a　draught　of　different　effects。）





CHAPTER　1。I。



Vergina　era

D'　alta　belta；　ma　sua　belta　non　cura：

。。。

Di　natura；　d'　amor；　de'　cieli　amici

Le　negligenze　sue　sono　artifici。



〃Gerusal。　Lib。；〃　canto　ii。　xiv。…xviii。



（She　was　a　virgin　of　a　glorious　beauty；　but　regarded　not　her

beauty。。。Negligence　itself　is　art　in　those　favoured　by　Nature；　by

love；　and　by　the　heavens。）



At　Naples；　in　the　latter　half　of　the　last　century；　a　worthy

artist　named　Gaetano　Pisani　lived　and　flourished。　　He　was　a

musician　of　great　genius；　but　not　of　popular　reputation；　there

was　in　all　his　compositions　something　capricious　and　fantastic

which　did　not　please　the　taste　of　the　Dilettanti　of　Naples。　　He

was　fond　of　unfamiliar　subjects　into　which　he　introduced　airs　and

symphonies　that　excited　a　kind　of　terror　in　those　who　listened。

The　names　of　his　pieces　will　probably　suggest　their　nature。　　I

find；　for　instance；　among　his　MSS。；　these　titles：　　〃The　Feast　of

the　Harpies；〃　〃The　Witches　at　Benevento；〃　〃The　Descent　of　Orpheus

into　Hades；〃　〃The　Evil　Eye；〃　〃The　Eumenides；〃　and　many　others

that　evince　a　powerful　imagination　delighting　in　the　fearful　and

supernatural；　but　often　relieved　by　an　airy　and　delicate　fancy

with　passages　of　exquisite　grace　and　beauty。　　It　is　true　that　in

the　selection　of　his　subjects　from　ancient　fable；　Gaetano　Pisani

was　much　more　faithful　than　his　contemporaries　to　the　remote

origin　and　the　early　genius　of　Italian　Opera。



That　descendant；　however　effeminate；　of　the　ancient　union　between

Song　and　Drama；　when；　after　long　obscurity　and　dethronement；　it

regained　a　punier　sceptre；　though　a　gaudier　purple；　by　the　banks

of　the　Etrurian　Arno；　or　amidst　the　lagunes　of　Venice；　had　chosen

all　its　primary　inspirations　from　the　unfamiliar　and　classic

sources　of　heathen　legend；　and　Pisani's　〃Descent　of　Orpheus〃　was

but　a　bolder；　darker；　and　more　scientific　repetition　of　the

〃Euridice〃　which　Jacopi　Peri　set　to　music　at　the　august　nuptials

of　Henry　of　Navarre　and　Mary　of　Medicis。*　　Still；　as　I　have　said；

the　style　of　the　Neapolitan　musician　was　not　on　the　whole

pleasing　to　ears　grown　nice　and　euphuistic　in　the　more　dulcet

melodies　of　the　day；　and　faults　and　extravagances　easily

discernible；　and　often　to　appearance　wilful；　served　the　critics

for　an　excuse　for　their　distaste。　　Fortunately；　or　the　poor

musician　might　have　starved；　he　was　not　only　a　composer；　but　also

an　excellent　practical　performer；　especially　on　the　violin；　and

by　that　instrument　he　earned　a　decent　subsistence　as　one　of　the

orchestra　at　the　Great　Theatre　of　San　Carlo。　　Here　formal　and

appointed　tasks　necessarily　kept　his　eccentric　fancies　in

tolerable　check；　though　it　is　recorded　that　no　less　than　five

times　he　had　been　deposed　from　his　desk　for　having　shocked　the

conoscenti；　and　thrown　the　whole　band　into　confusion；　by

impromptu　variations　of　so　frantic　and　startling　a　nature　that

one　might　well　have　imagined　that　the　harpies　or　witches　who

inspired　his　compositions　had　clawed　hold　of　his　instrument。



The　impossibility；　however；　to　find　any　one　of　equal　excellence

as　a　performer　（that　is　to　say；　in　his　more　lucid　and　orderly

moments）　had　forced　his　reinstalment；　and　he　had　now；　for　the

most　part；　reconciled　himself　to　the　narrow　sphere　of　his

appointed　adagios　or　allegros。　　The　audience；　too；　aware　of　his

propensity；　were　quick　to　perceive　the　least　deviation　from　the

text；　and　if　he　wandered　for　a　moment；　which　might　also　be

detected　by　the　eye　as　well　as　the　ear；　in　some　strange

contortion　of　visage；　and　some　ominous　flourish　of　his　bow；　a

gentle　and　admonitory　murmur　recalled　the　musician　from　his

Elysium　or　his　Tartarus　to　the　sober　regions　of　his　desk。　　Then

he　would　start　as　if　from　a　dream；　cast　a　hurried；　frightened；

apologetic　glance　around；　and；　with　a　crestfallen；　humbled　air；

draw　his　rebellious　instrument　back　to　the　beaten　track　of　the

glib　monotony。　　But　at　home　he　would　make　himself　amends　for　this

reluctant　drudgery。　　And　there；　grasping　the　unhappy　violin　with

ferocious　fingers；　he　would　pour　forth；　often　till　the　morning

rose；　strange；　wild　measures　that　would　startle　the　early

fisherman　on　the　shore　below　with　a　superstitious　awe；　and　make

him　cross　himself　as　if　mermaid　or　sprite　had　wailed　no　earthly

music　in　his　ear。



（*Orpheus　was　the　favourite　hero　of　early　Italian　Opera；　or

Lyrical　Drama。　　The　Orfeo　of　Angelo　Politiano　was　produced　in

1475。　　The　Orfeo　of　Monteverde　was　performed　at　Venice　in　1667。）



This　man's　appearance　was　in　keeping　with　the　characteristics　of

his　art。　　The　features　were　noble　and　striking；　but　worn　and

haggard；　with　black；　careless　locks　tangled　into　a　maze　of　curls；

and　a　fixed；　speculative；　dreamy　stare　in　his　large　and　hollow

eyes。　　All　his　movements