zanoni-第33节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




〃Say；　rather；　that；　unaccustomed　to　continuous　labour；　you　were

fatigued　with　your　employment。〃



〃That　is　true。　　Shall　I　confess　it？　　I　began　to　miss　the　world

without。　　It　seemed　to　me　as　if；　while　I　lavished　my　heart　and　my

youth　upon　visions　of　beauty；　I　was　losing　the　beautiful

realities　of　actual　life。　　And　I　envied　the　merry　fisherman；

singing　as　he　passed　below　my　casement；　and　the　lover　conversing

with　his　mistress。〃



〃And；〃　said　Zanoni；　with　an　encouraging　smile；　〃do　you　blame

yourself　for　the　natural　and　necessary　return　to　earth；　in　which

even　the　most　habitual　visitor　of　the　Heavens　of　Invention　seeks

his　relaxation　and　repose？　　Man's　genius　is　a　bird　that　cannot　be

always　on　the　wing；　when　the　craving　for　the　actual　world　is

felt；　it　is　a　hunger　that　must　be　appeased。　　They　who　command

best　the　ideal；　enjoy　ever　most　the　real。　　See　the　true　artist；

when　abroad　in　men's　thoroughfares；　ever　observant；　ever　diving

into　the　heart；　ever　alive　to　the　least　as　to　the　greatest　of　the

complicated　truths　of　existence；　descending　to　what　pedants　would

call　the　trivial　and　the　frivolous。　　From　every　mesh　in　the

social　web；　he　can　disentangle　a　grace。　　And　for　him　each　airy

gossamer　floats　in　the　gold　of　the　sunlight。　　Know　you　not　that

around　the　animalcule　that　sports　in　the　water　there　shines　a

halo；　as　around　the　star　（The　monas　mica；　found　in　the　purest

pools；　is　encompassed　with　a　halo。　　And　this　is　frequent　amongst

many　other　species　of　animalcule。）　that　revolves　in　bright

pastime　through　the　space？　　True　art　finds　beauty　everywhere。　　In

the　street；　in　the　market…place；　in　the　hovel；　it　gathers　food

for　the　hive　of　its　thoughts。　　In　the　mire　of　politics；　Dante　and

Milton　selected　pearls　for　the　wreath　of　song。



〃Who　ever　told　you　that　Raphael　did　not　enjoy　the　life　without；

carrying　everywhere　with　him　the　one　inward　idea　of　beauty　which

attracted　and　imbedded　in　its　own　amber　every　straw　that　the　feet

of　the　dull　man　trampled　into　mud？　　As　some　lord　of　the　forest

wanders　abroad　for　its　prey；　and　scents　and　follows　it　over　plain

and　hill；　through　brake　and　jungle；　but；　seizing　it　at　last；

bears　the　quarry　to　its　unwitnessed　cave；so　Genius　searches

through　wood　and　waste；　untiringly　and　eagerly；　every　sense

awake；　every　nerve　strained　to　speed　and　strength；　for　the

scattered　and　flying　images　of　matter；　that　it　seizes　at　last

with　its　mighty　talons；　and　bears　away　with　it　into　solitudes　no

footstep　can　invade。　　Go；　seek　the　world　without；　it　is　for　art

the　inexhaustible　pasture…ground　and　harvest　to　the　world

within！〃



〃You　comfort　me；〃　said　Glyndon；　brightening。　　〃I　had　imagined　my

weariness　a　proof　of　my　deficiency！　　But　not　now　would　I　speak　to

you　of　these　labours。　　Pardon　me；　if　I　pass　from　the　toil　to　the

reward。　　You　have　uttered　dim　prophecies　of　my　future；　if　I　wed

one　who；　in　the　judgment　of　the　sober　world；　would　only　darken

its　prospects　and　obstruct　its　ambition。　　Do　you　speak　from　the

wisdom　which　is　experience；　or　that　which　aspires　to　prediction？〃



〃Are　they　not　allied？　　Is　it　not　he　best　accustomed　to

calculation　who　can　solve　at　a　glance　any　new　problem　in　the

arithmetic　of　chances？〃



〃You　evade　my　question。〃



〃No；　but　I　will　adapt　my　answer　the　better　to　your　comprehension；

for　it　is　upon　this　very　point　that　I　have　sought　you。　　Listen　to

me！〃　　Zanoni　fixed　his　eyes　earnestly　on　his　listener；　and

continued：　　〃For　the　accomplishment　of　whatever　is　great　and

lofty；　the　clear　perception　of　truths　is　the　first　requisite；

truths　adapted　to　the　object　desired。　　The　warrior　thus　reduces

the　chances　of　battle　to　combinations　almost　of　mathematics。　　He

can　predict　a　result；　if　he　can　but　depend　upon　the　materials　he

is　forced　to　employ。　　At　such　a　loss　he　can　cross　that　bridge；　in

such　a　time　he　can　reduce　that　fort。　　Still　more　accurately；　for

he　depends　less　on　material　causes　than　ideas　at　his　command；　can

the　commander　of　the　purer　science　or　diviner　art；　if　he　once

perceive　the　truths　that　are　in　him　and　around；　foretell　what　he

can　achieve；　and　in　what　he　is　condemned　to　fail。　　But　this

perception　of　truths　is　disturbed　by　many　causes；vanity；

passion；　fear；　indolence　in　himself；　ignorance　of　the　fitting

means　without　to　accomplish　what　he　designs。　　He　may　miscalculate

his　own　forces；　he　may　have　no　chart　of　the　country　he　would

invade。　　It　is　only　in　a　peculiar　state　of　the　mind　that　it　is

capable　of　perceiving　truth；　and　that　state　is　profound　serenity。

Your　mind　is　fevered　by　a　desire　for　truth：　　you　would　compel　it

to　your　embraces；　you　would　ask　me　to　impart　to　you；　without

ordeal　or　preparation；　the　grandest　secrets　that　exist　in　Nature。

But　truth　can　no　more　be　seen　by　the　mind　unprepared　for　it；　than

the　sun　can　dawn　upon　the　midst　of　night。　　Such　a　mind　receives

truth　only　to　pollute　it：　　to　use　the　simile　of　one　who　has

wandered　near　to　the　secret　of　the　sublime　Goetia　（or　the　magic

that　lies　within　Nature；　as　electricity　within　the　cloud）；　'He

who　pours　water　into　the　muddy　well；　does　but　disturb　the　mud。'〃

（〃Iamb。　de　Vit。　Pythag。〃）



〃What　do　you　tend　to？〃



〃This：　　that　you　have　faculties　that　may　attain　to　surpassing

power；　that　may　rank　you　among　those　enchanters　who；　greater　than

the　magian；　leave　behind　them　an　enduring　influence；　worshipped

wherever　beauty　is　comprehended；　wherever　the　soul　is　sensible　of

a　higher　world　than　that　in　which　matter　struggles　for　crude　and

incomplete　existence。



〃But　to　make　available　those　faculties；　need　I　be　a　prophet　to

tell　you　that　you　must　learn　to　concentre　upon　great　objects　all

your　desires？　　The　heart　must　rest；　that　the　mind　may　be　active。

At　present　you　wander　from　aim　to　aim。　　As　the　ballast　to　the

ship；　so　to　the　spirit　are　faith　and　love。　　With　your　whole

heart；　affections；　humanity；　centred　in　one　object；　your　mind　and

aspirations　will　become　equally　steadfast　and　in　earnest。　　Viola

is　a　child　as　yet；　you　do　not　perceive　the　high　nature　the　trials

of　life　will　develop。　　Pardon　me；　if　I　say　that　her　soul；　purer

and　loftier　than　your　own；　will　bear　it　upward；　as　a　secret　hymn

carries　aloft　the　spirits　of　the　world。　　Your　nature　wants　the

harmony；　the　music　which；　as　the　Pythagoreans　wisely　taught；　at

once　elevates　and　soothes。　　I　offer　you　that　music　in　her　love。〃



〃But　am　I　sure　that　she　does　love　me？〃



〃Artist；　no；　she　loves　you　not　at　present；　her　affections　are

full　of　another。　　But　if　I　could　transfer　to　you；　as　the

loadstone　transfers　its　attraction　to　the　magnet；　the　love　that

she　has　now　for　me；if　I　could　cause　her　to　see　in　you　the　ideal

of　her　dreams〃



〃Is　such　a　gift　in　the　power　of　man？〃



〃I　offer　it　to　you；　if　your　love　be　lawful；　if　your　faith　in

virtue　and　yourself　be　deep　and　loyal；　if　not；　think　you　that　I

would　disenchant　her　with　truth　to　make　her　adore　a　falsehood？〃



〃But　if；〃　persisted　Glyndon；〃if　she　be　all　that　you　tell　me；

and　if　she　love　you；　how　can　you　rob　yourself　of　so　priceless　a

treasure？〃



〃Oh；　shallow　and　mean　heart　of　man！〃　exclaimed　Zanoni；　with

unaccustomed　passion　and　vehemence；　〃dost　thou　conceive　so　little

of　love　as　not　to　know　that　it　sacrifices　alllove　itselffor

the　happiness　of　the　thing　it　loves？　　Hear　me！〃　　And　Zanoni's

face　grew　pale。　　〃Hear　me！　　I　press　this　upon　you；　because　I　love

her；　and　because　I　fear　that　with　me　her　fate　will　be　less　fair

than　with　yourself。　　Why；ask　not；　for　I　will　not　tell　you。

Enough！　　Time　presses　now　for　your　answer；　it　cannot　long　be

delayed。　　Before　the　night　of　the　third　day　from　this；　all　choice

will　be　forbid　you！〃



〃But；〃　said　Glyndon；　still　doubting　and　suspicious；〃but　why

this　haste？〃



〃Man；　you　are　not　worthy　of　her　when　you　ask　me。　　All　I　can　tell

you　here；　you　should　have　known　yourself。　　This　ravisher；　this

man　of　will；　this　son　of　the　old　Visconti；　unlike　you；

steadfast；　resolute；　earnest　even　in　his　crimes；never

relinquishes　an　object。　　But　one　passion　controls　his　lust；it

is　his　avarice。　　The　day　after　his　attempt　on　Viola；　his　uncle；

the　Cardinal　；　from　whom　he　has　large　expectations　of　land　and

gold；　sent　for　him；　and　forbade　him；　on　pain　of　forfeiting　all

the　possessions　which　his　schemes　already　had　parcelled　out；　to

pursue　with　dishonourable　designs　one　whom　the　Cardinal　had

heeded　and　loved　from　childhood。　　This　is　the　cause　of　his

present　pause　from　his　pursuit。　　While　we　speak；　the　cause

expires。　　Before　the　hand　of　the　clock　reaches　the　hour　of　noon；

the　Cardinal　　will　be　no　more。　　At　this　very　moment　thy　friend；

Jean　Nicot；　is　with　the　Prince　di　。〃



〃He！　wherefore？〃



〃To　ask　what　dower　shall　go　with　Viola　Pisani；　the　morning　that

she　leaves　the　palace　of　the　prince。〃



〃And　how　do　you　know　all　this？〃



〃Fool！　　I　tell　thee　again；　because　a　lover　is　a　watcher　by　night

and　day；　because　love　never　sleeps　when　danger　menaces　the

beloved　one！〃



〃And　y