zanoni-第62部分

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I　would　be　gone。〃



Mascari　muttered　some　inaudible　words；　bowed　low；　and　led　the　way

to　the　chamber　in　which　Viola　was　confined。





CHAPTER　3。XVIII。



Merc：　　Tell　me；　therefore；　what　thou　seekest　after；　and　what　thou

wilt　have。　　What　dost　thou　desire　to　make？



Alch：　　The　Philosopher's　Stone。



Sandivogius。



It　wanted　several　minutes　of　midnight；　and　Glyndon　repaired　to

the　appointed　spot。　　The　mysterious　empire　which　Zanoni　had

acquired　over　him；　was　still　more　solemnly　confirmed　by　the

events　of　the　last　few　hours；　the　sudden　fate　of　the　prince；　so

deliberately　foreshadowed；　and　yet　so　seemingly　accidental；

brought　out　by　causes　the　most　commonplace；　and　yet　associated

with　words　the　most　prophetic；　impressed　him　with　the　deepest

sentiments　of　admiration　and　awe。　　It　was　as　if　this　dark　and

wondrous　being　could　convert　the　most　ordinary　events　and　the

meanest　instruments　into　the　agencies　of　his　inscrutable　will；

yet；　if　so；　why　have　permitted　the　capture　of　Viola？　　Why　not

have　prevented　the　crime　rather　than　punish　the　criminal？　　And

did　Zanoni　really　feel　love　for　Viola？　　Love；　and　yet　offer　to

resign　her　to　himself；to　a　rival　whom　his　arts　could　not　have

failed　to　baffle。　　He　no　longer　reverted　to　the　belief　that

Zanoni　or　Viola　had　sought　to　dupe　him　into　marriage。　　His　fear

and　reverence　for　the　former　now　forbade　the　notion　of　so　poor　an

imposture。　　Did　he　any　longer　love　Viola　himself？　　No；　when　that

morning　he　had　heard　of　her　danger；　he　had；　it　is　true；　returned

to　the　sympathies　and　the　fears　of　affection；　but　with　the　death

of　the　prince　her　image　faded　from　his　heart；　and　he　felt　no

jealous　pang　at　the　thought　that　she　had　been　saved　by　Zanoni；

that　at　that　moment　she　was　perhaps　beneath　his　roof。　　Whoever

has；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　indulged　the　absorbing　passion　of

the　gamester；　will　remember　how　all　other　pursuits　and　objects

vanished　from　his　mind；　how　solely　he　was　wrapped　in　the　one　wild

delusion；　with　what　a　sceptre　of　magic　power　the　despot…demon

ruled　every　feeling　and　every　thought。　　Far　more　intense　than　the

passion　of　the　gamester　was　the　frantic　yet　sublime　desire　that

mastered　the　breast　of　Glyndon。　　He　would　be　the　rival　of　Zanoni；

not　in　human　and　perishable　affections；　but　in　preternatural　and

eternal　lore。　　He　would　have　laid　down　life　with　contentnay；

raptureas　the　price　of　learning　those　solemn　secrets　which

separated　the　stranger　from　mankind。　　Enamoured　of　the　goddess　of

goddesses；　he　stretched　forth　his　armsthe　wild　Ixionand

embraced　a　cloud！



The　night　was　most　lovely　and　serene；　and　the　waves　scarcely

rippled　at　his　feet　as　the　Englishman　glided　on　by　the　cool　and

starry　beach。　　At　length　he　arrived　at　the　spot；　and　there；

leaning　against　the　broken　pillar；　he　beheld　a　man　wrapped　in　a

long　mantle；　and　in　an　attitude　of　profound　repose。　　He

approached；　and　uttered　the　name　of　Zanoni。　　The　figure　turned；

and　he　saw　the　face　of　a　stranger：　　a　face　not　stamped　by　the

glorious　beauty　of　Zanoni；　but　equally　majestic　in　its　aspect；

and　perhaps　still　more　impressive　from　the　mature　age　and　the

passionless　depth　of　thought　that　characterised　the　expanded

forehead；　and　deep…set　but　piercing　eyes。



〃You　seek　Zanoni；〃　said　the　stranger；　〃he　will　be　here　anon；　but；

perhaps；　he　whom　you　see　before　you　is　more　connected　with　your

destiny；　and　more　disposed　to　realise　your　dreams。〃



〃Hath　the　earth；　then；　another　Zanoni？〃



〃If　not；〃　replied　the　stranger；　〃why　do　you　cherish　the　hope　and

the　wild　faith　to　be　yourself　a　Zanoni？　　Think　you　that　none

others　have　burned　with　the　same　godlike　dream？　　Who；　indeed　in

his　first　youth；youth　when　the　soul　is　nearer　to　the　heaven

from　which　it　sprang；　and　its　divine　and　primal　longings　are　not

all　effaced　by　the　sordid　passions　and　petty　cares　that　are　begot

in　time；who　is　there　in　youth　that　has　not　nourished　the　belief

that　the　universe　has　secrets　not　known　to　the　common　herd；　and

panted；　as　the　hart　for　the　water…springs；　for　the　fountains　that

lie　hid　and　far　away　amidst　the　broad　wilderness　of　trackless

science？　　The　music　of　the　fountain　is　heard　in　the　soul　WITHIN；

till　the　steps；　deceived　and　erring；　rove　away　from　its　waters；

and　the　wanderer　dies　in　the　mighty　desert。　　Think　you　that　none

who　have　cherished　the　hope　have　found　the　truth；　or　that　the

yearning　after　the　Ineffable　Knowledge　was　given　to　us　utterly　in

vain？　　No！　　Every　desire　in　human　hearts　is　but　a　glimpse　of

things　that　exist；　alike　distant　and　divine。　　No！　in　the　world

there　have　been　from　age　to　age　some　brighter　and　happier　spirits

who　have　attained　to　the　air　in　which　the　beings　above　mankind

move　and　breathe。　　Zanoni；　great　though　he　be；　stands　not　alone。

He　has　had　his　predecessors；　and　long　lines　of　successors　may　be

yet　to　come。〃



〃And　will　you　tell　me；〃　said　Glyndon；　〃that　in　yourself　I　behold

one　of　that　mighty　few　over　whom　Zanoni　has　no　superiority　in

power　and　wisdom？〃



〃In　me；〃　answered　the　stranger；　〃you　see　one　from　whom　Zanoni

himself　learned　some　of　his　loftiest　secrets。　　On　these　shores；

on　this　spot；　have　I　stood　in　ages　that　your　chroniclers　but

feebly　reach。　　The　Phoenician；　the　Greek；　the　Oscan；　the　Roman；

the　Lombard；　I　have　seen　them　all！leaves　gay　and　glittering　on

the　trunk　of　the　universal　life；　scattered　in　due　season　and

again　renewed；　till；　indeed；　the　same　race　that　gave　its　glory　to

the　ancient　world　bestowed　a　second　youth　upon　the　new。　　For　the

pure　Greeks；　the　Hellenes；　whose　origin　has　bewildered　your

dreaming　scholars；　were　of　the　same　great　family　as　the　Norman

tribe；　born　to　be　the　lords　of　the　universe；　and　in　no　land　on

earth　destined　to　become　the　hewers　of　wood。　　Even　the　dim

traditions　of　the　learned；　which　bring　the　sons　of　Hellas　from

the　vast　and　undetermined　territories　of　Northern　Thrace；　to　be

the　victors　of　the　pastoral　Pelasgi；　and　the　founders　of　the　line

of　demi…gods；　which　assign　to　a　population　bronzed　beneath　the

suns　of　the　West；　the　blue…eyed　Minerva　and　the　yellow…haired

Achilles　（physical　characteristics　of　the　North）；　which

introduce；　amongst　a　pastoral　people；　warlike　aristocracies　and

limited　monarchies；　the　feudalism　of　the　classic　time；even

these　might　serve　you　to　trace　back　the　primeval　settlements　of

the　Hellenes　to　the　same　region　whence；　in　later　times；　the

Norman　warriors　broke　on　the　dull　and　savage　hordes　of　the　Celt；

and　became　the　Greeks　of　the　Christian　world。　　But　this　interests

you　not；　and　you　are　wise　in　your　indifference。　　Not　in　the

knowledge　of　things　without；　but　in　the　perfection　of　the　soul

within；　lies　the　empire　of　man　aspiring　to　be　more　than　man。〃



〃And　what　books　contain　that　science；　from　what　laboratory　is　it

wrought？〃



〃Nature　supplies　the　materials；　they　are　around　you　in　your　daily

walks。　　In　the　herbs　that　the　beast　devours　and　the　chemist

disdains　to　cull；　in　the　elements　from　which　matter　in　its

meanest　a