zanoni-第8部分

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night。　　The　legends　and　tales　of　Gionetta　only　served　to　make　the

child　better　understand　the　signification　of　those　mysterious

tones；　they　furnished　her　with　words　to　the　music。　　It　was

natural　that　the　daughter　of　such　a　parent　should　soon　evince

some　taste　in　his　art。　　But　this　developed　itself　chiefly　in　the

ear　and　the　voice。　　She　was　yet　a　child　when　she　sang　divinely。

A　great　Cardinalgreat　alike　in　the　State　and　the　Conservatorio

heard　of　her　gifts；　and　sent　for　her。　　From　that　moment　her

fate　was　decided：　　she　was　to　be　the　future　glory　of　Naples；　the

prima　donna　of　San　Carlo。



The　Cardinal　insisted　upon　the　accomplishment　of　his　own

predictions；　and　provided　her　with　the　most　renowned　masters。　　To

inspire　her　with　emulation；　his　Eminence　took　her　one　evening　to

his　own　box：　　it　would　be　something　to　see　the　performance；

something　more　to　hear　the　applause　lavished　upon　the　glittering

signoras　she　was　hereafter　to　excel！　　Oh；　how　gloriously　that

life　of　the　stage；　that　fairy　world　of　music　and　song；　dawned

upon　her！　　It　was　the　only　world　that　seemed　to　correspond　with

her　strange　childish　thoughts。　　It　appeared　to　her　as　if；　cast

hitherto　on　a　foreign　shore；　she　was　brought　at　last　to　see　the

forms　and　hear　the　language　of　her　native　land。　　Beautiful　and

true　enthusiasm；　rich　with　the　promise　of　genius！　　Boy　or　man；

thou　wilt　never　be　a　poet；　if　thou　hast　not　felt　the　ideal；　the

romance；　the　Calypso's　isle　that　opened　to　thee　when　for　the

first　time　the　magic　curtain　was　drawn　aside；　and　let　in　the

world　of　poetry　on　the　world　of　prose！



And　now　the　initiation　was　begun。　　She　was　to　read；　to　study；　to

depict　by　a　gesture；　a　look；　the　passions　she　was　to　delineate　on

the　boards；　lessons　dangerous；　in　truth；　to　some；　but　not　to　the

pure　enthusiasm　that　comes　from　art；　for　the　mind　that　rightly

conceives　art　is　but　a　mirror　which　gives　back　what　is　cast　on

its　surface　faithfully　onlywhile　unsullied。　　She　seized　on

nature　and　truth　intuitively。　　Her　recitations　became　full　of

unconscious　power；　her　voice　moved　the　heart　to　tears；　or　warmed

it　into　generous　rage。　　But　this　arose　from　that　sympathy　which

genius　ever　has；　even　in　its　earliest　innocence；　with　whatever

feels；　or　aspires；　or　suffers。



It　was　no　premature　woman　comprehending　the　love　or　the　jealousy

that　the　words　expressed；　her　art　was　one　of　those　strange

secrets　which　the　psychologists　may　unriddle　to　us　if　they

please；　and　tell　us　why　children　of　the　simplest　minds　and　the

purest　hearts　are　often　so　acute　to　distinguish；　in　the　tales　you

tell　them；　or　the　songs　you　sing；　the　difference　between　the　true

art　and　the　false；　passion　and　jargon；　Homer　and　Racine；echoing

back；　from　hearts　that　have　not　yet　felt　what　they　repeat；　the

melodious　accents　of　the　natural　pathos。　　Apart　from　her　studies；

Viola　was　a　simple；　affectionate；　but　somewhat　wayward　child；

wayward；　not　in　temper；　for　that　was　sweet　and　docile；　but　in　her

moods；　which；　as　I　before　hinted；　changed　from　sad　to　gay　and　gay

to　sad　without　an　apparent　cause。　　If　cause　there　were；　it　must

be　traced　to　the　early　and　mysterious　influences　I　have　referred

to；　when　seeking　to　explain　the　effect　produced　on　her

imagination　by　those　restless　streams　of　sound　that　constantly

played　around　it；　for　it　is　noticeable　that　to　those　who　are　much

alive　to　the　effects　of　music；　airs　and　tunes　often　come　back；　in

the　commonest　pursuits　of　life；　to　vex；　as　it　were；　and　haunt

them。　　The　music；　once　admitted　to　the　soul；　becomes　also　a　sort

of　spirit；　and　never　dies。　　It　wanders　perturbedly　through　the

halls　and　galleries　of　the　memory；　and　is　often　heard　again；

distinct　and　living　as　when　it　first　displaced　the　wavelets　of

the　air。　　Now　at　times；　then；　these　phantoms　of　sound　floated

back　upon　her　fancy；　if　gay；　to　call　a　smile　from　every　dimple；

if　mournful；　to　throw　a　shade　upon　her　brow；to　make　her　cease

from　her　childishmirth；　and　sit　apart　and　muse。



Rightly；　then；　in　a　typical　sense；　might　this　fair　creature；　so

airy　in　her　shape；　so　harmonious　in　her　beauty；　so　unfamiliar　in

her　ways　and　thoughts；rightly　might　she　be　called　a　daughter；

less　of　the　musician　than　the　music；　a　being　for　whom　you　could

imagine　that　some　fate　was　reserved；　less　of　actual　life　than　the

romance　which；　to　eyes　that　can　see；　and　hearts　that　can　feel；

glides　ever　along　WITH　the　actual　life；　stream　by　stream；　to　the

Dark　Ocean。



And　therefore　it　seemed　not　strange　that　Viola　herself；　even　in

childhood；　and　yet　more　as　she　bloomed　into　the　sweet　seriousness

of　virgin　youth；　should　fancy　her　life　ordained　for　a　lot；

whether　of　bliss　or　woe；　that　should　accord　with　the　romance　and

reverie　which　made　the　atmosphere　she　breathed。　　Frequently　she

would　climb　through　the　thickets　that　clothed　the　neighbouring

grotto　of　Posilipo；the　mighty　work　of　the　old　Cimmerians；and；

seated　by　the　haunted　Tomb　of　Virgil；　indulge　those　visions；　the

subtle　vagueness　of　which　no　poetry　can　render　palpable　and

defined；　for　the　Poet　that　surpasses　all　who　ever　sang；　is　the

heart　of　dreaming　youth！　　Frequently　there；　too；　beside　the

threshold　over　which　the　vine…leaves　clung；　and　facing　that

dark…blue；　waveless　sea；　she　would　sit　in　the　autumn　noon　or

summer　twilight；　and　build　her　castles　in　the　air。　　Who　doth　not

do　the　same；not　in　youth　alone；　but　with　the　dimmed　hopes　of

age！　　It　is　man's　prerogative　to　dream；　the　common　royalty　of

peasant　and　of　king。　　But　those　day…dreams　of　hers　were　more

habitual；　distinct；　and　solemn　than　the　greater　part　of　us

indulge。　　They　seemed　like　the　Orama　of　the　Greeks；prophets

while　phantasma。





CHAPTER　1。II。



Fu　stupor；　fu　vaghezza；　fu　diletto！

〃Gerusal。　Lib。；〃　cant。　ii。　xxi。



（〃Desire　it　was；　't　was　wonder；　't　was　delight。〃

Wiffen's　Translation。）



Now　at　last　the　education　is　accomplished！　　Viola　is　nearly

sixteen。　　The　Cardinal　declares　that　the　time　is　come　when　the

new　name　must　be　inscribed　in　the　Libro　d'Oro；the　Golden　Book

set　apart　to　the　children　of　Art　and　Song。　　Yes；　but　in　what

character？to　whose　genius　is　she　to　give　embodiment　and　form？

Ah；　there　is　the　secret！　　Rumours　go　abroad　that　the

inexhaustible　Paisiello；　charmed　with　her　performance　of　his　〃Nel

cor　piu　non　me　sento；〃　and　his　〃Io　son　Lindoro；〃　will　produce

some　new　masterpiece　to　introduce　the　debutante。　　Others　insist

upon　it　that　her　forte　is　the　comic；　and　that　Cimarosa　is　hard　at

work　at　another　〃Matrimonia　Segreto。〃　　But　in　the　meanwhile　there

is　a　check　in　the　diplomacy　somewhere。　　The　Cardinal　is　observed

to　be　out　of　humour。　　He　has　said　publicly；and　the　words　are

portentous；〃The　silly　girl　is　as　mad　as　her　father；　what　she

asks　is　preposterous！〃　　Conference　follows　conference；　the

Cardinal　talks　to　the　poor　child　very　solemnly　in　his　closet；

all　in　vain。　　Naples　is　distracted　with　curiosity　and　conjecture。

The　lecture　ends　in　a　quarrel；　and　Viola　comes　home　sullen　and

pouting：　　she　wi