zanoni-第5部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



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　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　MUSICI