zanoni-第14部分

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visage　of　his　companion；　the　past；　to　him；　as　is　now　the　present；

has　been　but　as　Nature　to　the　sage；　the　volume　to　the　student；a

calm　and　spiritual　life；　a　study；　a　contemplation。



From　the　past　they　turn　to　the　future。　　Ah！　at　the　close　of　the

last　century；　the　future　seemed　a　thing　tangible；it　was　woven

up　in　all　men's　fears　and　hopes　of　the　present。



At　the　verge　of　that　hundred　years；　Man；　the　ripest　born　of　Time；



（〃An　des　Jahrhunderts　Neige；

Der　reifste　Sohn　der　Zeit。〃

〃Die　Kunstler。〃）



stood　as　at　the　deathbed　of　the　Old　World；　and　beheld　the　New

Orb；　blood…red　amidst　cloud　and　vapour；uncertain　if　a　comet　or

a　sun。　　Behold　the　icy　and　profound　disdain　on　the　brow　of　the

old　man；the　lofty　yet　touching　sadness　that　darkens　the

glorious　countenance　of　Zanoni。　　Is　it　that　one　views　with

contempt　the　struggle　and　its　issue；　and　the　other　with　awe　or

pity？　　Wisdom　contemplating　mankind　leads　but　to　the　two

results；compassion　or　disdain。　　He　who　believes　in　other　worlds

can　accustom　himself　to　look　on　this　as　the　naturalist　on　the

revolutions　of　an　ant…hill；　or　of　a　leaf。　　What　is　the　Earth　to

Infinity；what　its　duration　to　the　Eternal？　　Oh；　how　much

greater　is　the　soul　of　one　man　than　the　vicissitudes　of　the　whole

globe！　　Child　of　heaven；　and　heir　of　immortality；　how　from　some

star　hereafter　wilt　thou　look　back　on　the　ant…hill　and　its

commotions；　from　Clovis　to　Robespierre；　from　Noah　to　the　Final

Fire。　　The　spirit　that　can　contemplate；　that　lives　only　in　the

intellect；　can　ascend　to　its　star；　even　from　the　midst　of　the

burial…ground　called　Earth；　and　while　the　sarcophagus　called　Life

immures　in　its　clay　the　everlasting！



But　thou；　Zanoni；thou　hast　refused　to　live　ONLY　in　the

intellect；　thou　hast　not　mortified　the　heart；　thy　pulse　still

beats　with　the　sweet　music　of　mortal　passion；　thy　kind　is　to　thee

still　something　warmer　than　an　abstraction；thou　wouldst　look

upon　this　Revolution　in　its　cradle；　which　the　storms　rock；　thou

wouldst　see　the　world　while　its　elements　yet　struggle　through　the

chaos！



Go！





CHAPTER　1。VI。



Precepteurs　ignorans　de　ce　faible　univers。Voltaire。

（Ignorant　teachers　of　this　weak　world。）



Nous　etions　a　table　chez　un　de　nos　confreres　a　l'Academie；

Grand　Seigneur　et　homme　d'esprit。La　Harpe。

（We　supped　with　one　of　our　confreres　of　the　Academy；a　great

nobleman　and　wit。）



One　evening；　at　Paris；　several　months　after　the　date　of　our　last

chapter；　there　was　a　reunion　of　some　of　the　most　eminent　wits　of

the　time；　at　the　house　of　a　personage　distinguished　alike　by

noble　birth　and　liberal　accomplishments。　　Nearly　all　present　were

of　the　views　that　were　then　the　mode。　　For；　as　came　afterwards　a

time　when　nothing　was　so　unpopular　as　the　people；　so　that　was　the

time　when　nothing　was　so　vulgar　as　aristocracy。　　The　airiest　fine

gentleman　and　the　haughtiest　noble　prated　of　equality；　and　lisped

enlightenment。



Among　the　more　remarkable　guests　were　Condorcet；　then　in　the

prime　of　his　reputation；　the　correspondent　of　the　king　of

Prussia；　the　intimate　of　Voltaire；　the　member　of　half　the

academies　of　Europe；noble　by　birth；　polished　in　manners；

republican　in　opinions。　　There；　too；　was　the　venerable

Malesherbes；　〃l'amour　et　les　delices　de　la　Nation。〃　　（The　idol

and　delight　of　the　nation　（so…called　by　his　historian；

Gaillard）。）　　There　Jean　Silvain　Bailly；　the　accomplished

scholar；the　aspiring　politician。　　It　was　one　of　those　petits

soupers　for　which　the　capital　of　all　social　pleasures　was　so

renowned。　　The　conversation；　as　might　be　expected；　was　literary

and　intellectual；　enlivened　by　graceful　pleasantry。　　Many　of　the

ladies　of　that　ancient　and　proud　noblessefor　the　noblesse　yet

existed；　though　its　hours　were　already　numberedadded　to　the

charm　of　the　society；　and　theirs　were　the　boldest　criticisms；　and

often　the　most　liberal　sentiments。



Vain　labour　for　mevain　labour　almost　for　the　grave　English

languageto　do　justice　to　the　sparkling　paradoxes　that　flew　from

lip　to　lip。　　The　favourite　theme　was　the　superiority　of　the

moderns　to　the　ancients。　　Condorcet　on　this　head　was　eloquent；

and　to　some；　at　least；　of　his　audience；　most　convincing。　　That

Voltaire　was　greater　than　Homer　few　there　were　disposed　to　deny。

Keen　was　the　ridicule　lavished　on　the　dull　pedantry　which　finds

everything　ancient　necessarily　sublime。



〃Yet；〃　said　the　graceful　Marquis　de　；　as　the　champagne　danced

to　his　glass；　〃more　ridiculous　still　is　the　superstition　that

finds　everything　incomprehensible　holy！　　But　intelligence

circulates；　Condorcet；　like　water；　it　finds　its　level。　　My

hairdresser　said　to　me　this　morning；　'Though　I　am　but　a　poor

fellow；　I　believe　as　little　as　the　finest　gentleman！'〃

〃Unquestionably；　the　great　Revolution　draws　near　to　its　final

completion；a　pas　de　geant；　as　Montesquieu　said　of　his　own

immortal　work。〃



Then　there　rushed　from　allwit　and　noble；　courtier　and

republicana　confused　chorus；　harmonious　only　in　its

anticipation　of　the　brilliant　things　to　which　〃the　great

Revolution〃　was　to　give　birth。　　Here　Condrocet　is　more　eloquent

than　before。



〃Il　faut　absolument　que　la　Superstition　et　le　Fanatisme　fassent

place　a　la　Philosophie。　　（It　must　necessarily　happen　that

superstition　and　fanaticism　give　place　to　philosophy。）　　Kings

persecute　persons；　priests　opinion。　　Without　kings；　men　must　be

safe；　and　without　priests；　minds　must　be　free。〃



〃Ah；〃　murmured　the　marquis；　〃and　as　ce　cher　Diderot　has　so　well

sung；



'Et　des　boyaux　du　dernier　pretre

Serrez　le　cou　du　dernier　roi。'〃

（And　throttle　the　neck　of　the　last　king　with　the　string　from　the

bowels　of　the　last　priest。）



〃And　then；〃　resumed　Condorcet；〃then　commences　the　Age　of

Reason！equality　in　instruction；　equality　in　institutions；

equality　in　wealth！　　The　great　impediments　to　knowledge　are；

first；　the　want　of　a　common　language；　and　next；　the　short

duration　of　existence。　　But　as　to　the　first；　when　all　men　are

brothers；　why　not　a　universal　language？　　As　to　the　second；　the

organic　perfectibility　of　the　vegetable　world　is　undisputed；　is

Nature　less　powerful　in　the　nobler　existence　of　thinking　man？

The　very　destruction　of　the　two　most　active　causes　of　physical

deteriorationhere；　luxurious　wealth；　there；　abject　penury；

must　necessarily　prolong　the　general　term　of　life。　　（See

Condorcet's　posthumous　work　on　the　Progress　of　the　Human　Mind。

Ed。）　　The　art　of　medicine　will　then　be　honoured　in　the　place　of

war；　which　is　the　art　of　murder：　　the　noblest　study　of　the

acutest　minds　will　be　devoted　to　the　discovery　and　arrest　of　the

causes　of　disease。　　Life；　I　grant；　cannot　be　made　eternal；　but　it

may　be　prolonged　almost　indefinitely。　　And　as　the　meaner　animal

bequeaths　its　vigour　to　its　offspring；　so　man　shall　transmit　his

improved　organisation；　mental　and　physical；　to　his　sons。　　Oh；

yes；　to　such　a　consummation　does　our　age　approach！〃



The　venerable　Malesherbes　sighed。　　Perhaps　he　feared　the

consummatio