zanoni-第75部分

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circling　arm！　　Tara…ra…tara；　ta…tara；　rara…ra！　　What　the　devil　is

in　the　measure　that　it　makes　the　blood　course　like　quicksilver

through　the　veins？　　Was　there　ever　a　pair　of　eyes　like　Fillide's？

Nothing　of　the　cold　stars　there！　　Yet　how　they　twinkle　and　laugh

at　thee！　　And　that　rosy；　pursed…up　mouth　that　will　answer　so

sparingly　to　thy　flatteries；　as　if　words　were　a　waste　of　time；

and　kisses　were　their　proper　language。　　Oh；　pupil　of　Mejnour！

Oh；　would…be　Rosicrucian；　Platonist；　Magian；　I　know　not　what！　　I

am　ashamed　of　thee！　　What；　in　the　names　of　Averroes　and　Burri　and

Agrippa　and　Hermes　have　become　of　thy　austere　contemplations？

Was　it　for　this　thou　didst　resign　Viola？　　I　don't　think　thou　hast

the　smallest　recollection　of　the　elixir　or　the　Cabala。　　Take

care！　　What　are　you　about；　sir？　　Why　do　you　clasp　that　small　hand

locked　within　your　own？　　Why　do　youTara…rara　tara…ra　tara…rara…

ra；　rarara；　ta…ra；　a…ra！　　Keep　your　eyes　off　those　slender　ankles

and　that　crimson　bodice！　　Tara…rara…ra！　　There　they　go　again！

And　now　they　rest　under　the　broad　trees。　　The　revel　has　whirled

away　from　them。　　They　hearor　do　they　not　hearthe　laughter　at

the　distance？　　They　seeor　if　they　have　their　eyes　about　them；

they　SHOULD　seecouple　after　couple　gliding　by；　love…talking　and

love…looking。　　But　I　will　lay　a　wager；　as　they　sit　under　that

tree；　and　the　round　sun　goes　down　behind　the　mountains；　that　they

see　or　hear　very　little　except　themselves。



〃Hollo；　Signor　Excellency！　and　how　does　your　partner　please　you？

Come　and　join　our　feast；　loiterers；　one　dances　more　merrily　after

wine。〃



Down　goes　the　round　sun；　up　comes　the　autumn　moon。　　Tara；　tara；

rarara；　rarara；　tarara…ra！　　Dancing　again；　is　it　a　dance；　or　some

movement　gayer；　noisier；　wilder　still？　　How　they　glance　and　gleam

through　the　night　shadows；　those　flitting　forms！　　What

confusion！what　order！　　Ha；　that　is　the　Tarantula　dance；　Maestro

Paolo　foots　it　bravely！　　Diavolo；　what　fury！　the　Tarantula　has

stung　them　all。　　Dance　or　die；　it　is　fury；the　Corybantes；　the

Maenads；　theHo；　ho！　more　wine！　the　Sabbat　of　the　Witches　at

Benevento　is　a　joke　to　this！　　From　cloud　to　cloud　wanders　the

moon；now　shining；　now　lost。　　Dimness　while　the　maiden　blushes；

light　when　the　maiden　smiles。



〃Fillide；　thou　art　an　enchantress！〃



〃Buona　notte；　Excellency；　you　will　see　me　again！〃



〃Ah；　young　man；〃　said　an　old；　decrepit；　hollow…eyed　octogenarian；

leaning　on　his　staff；　〃make　the　best　of　your　youth。　　I；　too；　once

had　a　Fillide！　　I　was　handsomer　than　you　then！　　Alas！　if　we　could

be　always　young！〃



〃Always　young！〃　Glyndon　started；　as　he　turned　his　gaze　from　the

fresh；　fair；　rosy　face　of　the　girl；　and　saw　the　eyes　dropping

rheum；　the　yellow　wrinkled　skin；　the　tottering　frame　of　the　old

man。



〃Ha；　ha！〃　said　the　decrepit　creature；　hobbling　near　to　him；　and

with　a　malicious　laugh。　　〃Yet　I；　too；　was　young　once！　　Give　me　a

baioccho　for　a　glass　of　aqua　vitae！〃



Tara；　rara；　ra…rara；　tara；　rara…ra！　　There　dances　Youth！　　Wrap

thy　rags　round　thee；　and　totter　off；　Old　Age！





CHAPTER　4。VI。



Whilest　Calidore　does　follow　that　faire　mayd；

Unmindful　of　his　vow　and　high　beheast

Which　by　the　Faerie　Queene　was　on　him　layd。

Spenser；　〃Faerie　Queene；〃　cant。　x。　s。　1。



It　was　that　grey；　indistinct；　struggling　interval　between　the

night　and　the　dawn；　when　Clarence　stood　once　more　in　his　chamber。

The　abstruse　calculations　lying　on　his　table　caught　his　eye；　and

filled　him　with　a　sentiment　of　weariness　and　distaste。　　But

〃Alas；　if　we　could　be　always　young！　　Oh；　thou　horrid　spectre　of

the　old；　rheum…eyed　man！　　What　apparition　can　the　mystic　chamber

shadow　forth　more　ugly　and　more　hateful　than　thou？　　Oh；　yes；　if

we　could　be　always　young！　　But　not　＇thinks　the　neophyte　now＇not

to　labour　forever　at　these　crabbed　figures　and　these　cold

compounds　of　herbs　and　drugs。　　No；　but　to　enjoy；　to　love；　to

revel！　　What　should　be　the　companion　of　youth　but　pleasure？　　And

the　gift　of　eternal　youth　may　be　mine　this　very　hour！　　What　means

this　prohibition　of　Mejnour's？　　Is　it　not　of　the　same　complexion

as　his　ungenerous　reserve　even　in　the　minutest　secrets　of

chemistry；　or　the　numbers　of　his　Cabala？compelling　me　to

perform　all　the　toils；　and　yet　withholding　from　me　the　knowledge

of　the　crowning　result？　　No　doubt　he　will　still；　on　his　return；

show　me　that　the　great　mystery　CAN　be　attained；　but　will　still

forbid　ME　to　attain　it。　　Is　it　not　as　if　he　desired　to　keep　my

youth　the　slave　to　his　age；　to　make　me　dependent　solely　on

himself；　to　bind　me　to　a　journeyman's　service　by　perpetual

excitement　to　curiosity；　and　the　sight　of　the　fruits　he　places

beyond　my　lips？〃　　These；　and　many　reflections　still　more

repining；　disturbed　and　irritated　him。　　Heated　with　wineexcited

by　the　wild　revels　he　had　lefthe　was　unable　to　sleep。　　The

image　of　that　revolting　Old　Age　which　Time；　unless　defeated；　must

bring　upon　himself；　quickened　the　eagerness　of　his　desire　for　the

dazzling　and　imperishable　Youth　he　ascribed　to　Zanoni。　　The

prohibition　only　served　to　create　a　spirit　of　defiance。　　The

reviving　day；　laughing　jocundly　through　his　lattice；　dispelled

all　the　fears　and　superstitions　that　belong　to　night。　　The　mystic

chamber　presented　to　his　imagination　nothing　to　differ　from　any

other　apartment　in　the　castle。　　What　foul　or　malignant　apparition

could　harm　him　in　the　light　of　that　blessed　sun！　　It　was　the

peculiar；　and　on　the　whole　most　unhappy；　contradiction　in

Glyndon's　nature；　that　while　his　reasonings　led　him　to　doubt；

and　doubt　rendered　him　in　MORAL　conduct　irresolute　and　unsteady；

he　was　PHYSICALLY　brave　to　rashness。　　Nor　is　this　uncommon：

scepticism　and　presumption　are　often　twins。　　When　a　man　of　this

character　determines　upon　any　action；　personal　fear　never　deters

him；　and　for　the　moral　fear；　any　sophistry　suffices　to　self…will。

Almost　without　analysing　himself　the　mental　process　by　which　his

nerves　hardened　themselves　and　his　limbs　moved；　he　traversed　the

corridor；　gained　Mejnour's　apartment；　and　opened　the　forbidden

door。　　All　was　as　he　had　been　accustomed　to　see　it；　save　that　on

a　table　in　the　centre　of　the　room　lay　open　a　large　volume。　　He

approached；　and　gazed　on　the　characters　on　the　page；　they　were　in

a　cipher；　the　study　of　which　had　made　a　part　of　his　labours。

With　but　slight　difficulty　he　imagined　that　he　interpreted　the

meaning　of　the　first　sentences；　and　that　they　ran　thus：



〃To　quaff　the　inner　life；　is　to　see　the　outer　life：　　to　live　in

defiance　of　time；　is　to　live　in　the　whole。　　He　who　discovers　the

elixir　discovers　what　lies　in　space；　for　the　spirit　that　vivifies

the　frame　strengthens　the　senses。　　There　is　attraction　in　the

elementary　principle　of　light。　　In　the　lamps　of　Rosicrucius　the

fire　is　the　pure　elementary　principle。　　Kindle　the　lamps　while

thou　openst　the　vessel　that　contains　the　elixir；　and　the　light

attracts　towards　thee　those　beings　whose　life　is　that　light。

Beware　of　Fear。　　Fear　is　the　de