zanoni-第53节

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experiments。　　The　castle　will　suit　me　very　well；　provided　you

will　accept　me　as　a　neighbour；　and　place　me　and　my　friends　under

your　special　protection。　　I　am　rich；　but　I　shall　take　nothing　to

the　castle　worth　robbing。　　I　will　pay　one　rent　to　the　count；　and

another　to　you。'



〃With　that　we　soon　came　to　terms；　and　as　the　strange　signor

doubled　the　sum　I　myself　proposed；　he　is　in　high　favour　with　all

his　neighbours。　　We　would　guard　the　whole　castle　against　an　army。

And　now；　signor；　that　I　have　been　thus　frank；　be　frank　with　me。

Who　is　this　singular　cavalier？〃



〃Who？he　himself　told　you；　a　philosopher。〃



〃Hem！　searching　for　the　Philosopher's　Stone；eh；　a　bit　of　a

magician；　afraid　of　the　priests？〃



〃Precisely；　you　have　hit　it。〃



〃I　thought　so；　and　you　are　his　pupil？〃



〃I　am。〃



〃I　wish　you　well　through　it；〃　said　the　robber；　seriously；　and

crossing　himself　with　much　devotion；　〃I　am　not　much　better　than

other　people；　but　one's　soul　is　one's　soul。　　I　do　not　mind　a

little　honest　robbery；　or　knocking　a　man　on　the　head　if　need　be；

but　to　make　a　bargain　with　the　devil！　　Ah；　take　care；　young

gentleman；　take　care！〃



〃You　need　not　fear；〃　said　Glyndon；　smiling；　〃my　preceptor　is　too

wise　and　too　good　for　such　a　compact。　　But　here　we　are；　I

suppose。　　A　noble　ruin；a　glorious　prospect！〃



Glyndon　paused　delightedly；　and　surveyed　the　scene　before　and

below　with　the　eye　of　a　painter。　　Insensibly；　while　listening　to

the　bandit；　he　had　wound　up　a　considerable　ascent；　and　now　he　was

upon　a　broad　ledge　of　rock　covered　with　mosses　and　dwarf　shrubs。

Between　this　eminence　and　another　of　equal　height；　upon　which　the

castle　was　built；　there　was　a　deep　but　narrow　fissure；　overgrown

with　the　most　profuse　foliage；　so　that　the　eye　could　not

penetrate　many　yards　below　the　rugged　surface　of　the　abyss；　but

the　profoundness　might　be　well　conjectured　by　the　hoarse；　low；

monotonous　roar　of　waters　unseen　that　rolled　below；　and　the

subsequent　course　of　which　was　visible　at　a　distance　in　a

perturbed　and　rapid　stream　that　intersected　the　waste　and

desolate　valleys。



To　the　left；　the　prospect　seemed　almost　boundless；the　extreme

clearness　of　the　purple　air　serving　to　render　distinct　the

features　of　a　range　of　country　that　a　conqueror　of　old　might　have

deemed　in　itself　a　kingdom。　　Lonely　and　desolate　as　the　road

which　Glyndon　had　passed　that　day　had　appeared；　the　landscape　now

seemed　studded　with　castles；　spires；　and　villages。　　Afar　off；

Naples　gleamed　whitely　in　the　last　rays　of　the　sun；　and　the

rose…tints　of　the　horizon　melted　into　the　azure　of　her　glorious

bay。　　Yet　more　remote；　and　in　another　part　of　the　prospect；　might

be　caught；　dim　and　shadowy；　and　backed　by　the　darkest　foliage；

the　ruined　pillars　of　the　ancient　Posidonia。　There；　in　the　midst

of　his　blackened　and　sterile　realms；　rose　the　dismal　Mount　of

Fire；　while　on　the　other　hand；　winding　through　variegated　plains；

to　which　distance　lent　all　its　magic；　glittered　many　and　many　a

stream　by　which　Etruscan　and　Sybarite；　Roman　and　Saracen　and

Norman　had；　at　intervals　of　ages；　pitched　the　invading　tent。　　All

the　visions　of　the　pastthe　stormy　and　dazzling　histories　of

Southern　Italyrushed　over　the　artist's　mind　as　he　gazed　below。

　And　then；　slowly　turning　to　look　behind；　he　saw　the　grey　and

mouldering　walls　of　the　castle　in　which　he　sought　the　secrets

that　were　to　give　to　hope　in　the　future　a　mightier　empire　than

memory　owns　in　the　past。　　It　was　one　of　those　baronial　fortresses

with　which　Italy　was　studded　in　the　earlier　middle　ages；　having

but　little　of　the　Gothic　grace　or　grandeur　which　belongs　to　the

ecclesiastical　architecture　of　the　same　time；　but　rude；　vast；　and

menacing；　even　in　decay。　　A　wooden　bridge　was　thrown　over　the

chasm；　wide　enough　to　admit　two　horsemen　abreast；　and　the　planks

trembled　and　gave　back　a　hollow　sound　as　Glyndon　urged　his　jaded

steed　across。



A　road　which　had　once　been　broad　and　paved　with　rough　flags；　but

which　now　was　half…obliterated　by　long　grass　and　rank　weeds；

conducted　to　the　outer　court　of　the　castle　hard　by；　the　gates

were　open；　and　half　the　building　in　this　part　was　dismantled；　the

ruins　partially　hid　by　ivy　that　was　the　growth　of　centuries。　　But

on　entering　the　inner　court；　Glyndon　was　not　sorry　to　notice　that

there　was　less　appearance　of　neglect　and　decay；　some　wild　roses

gave　a　smile　to　the　grey　walls；　and　in　the　centre　there　was　a

fountain　in　which　the　waters　still　trickled　coolly；　and　with　a

pleasing　murmur；　from　the　jaws　of　a　gigantic　Triton。　　Here　he　was

met　by　Mejnour　with　a　smile。



〃Welcome；　my　friend　and　pupil；〃　said　he：　　〃he　who　seeks　for　Truth

can　find　in　these　solitudes　an　immortal　Academe。〃





CHAPTER　4。II。



And　Abaris；　so　far　from　esteeming　Pythagoras；　who　taught　these

things；　a　necromancer　or　wizard；　rather　revered　and　admired　him

as　something　divine。Iamblich。；　〃Vit。　Pythag。〃



The　attendants　whom　Mejnour　had　engaged　for　his　strange　abode

were　such　as　might　suit　a　philosopher　of　few　wants。　　An　old

Armenian　whom　Glyndon　recognised　as　in　the　mystic's　service　at

Naples；　a　tall；　hard…featured　woman　from　the　village；　recommended

by　Maestro　Paolo；　and　two　long…haired；　smooth…spoken；　but

fierce…visaged　youths　from　the　same　place；　and　honoured　by　the

same　sponsorship；　constituted　the　establishment。　　The　rooms　used

by　the　sage　were　commodious　and　weather…proof；　with　some　remains

of　ancient　splendour　in　the　faded　arras　that　clothed　the　walls；

and　the　huge　tables　of　costly　marble　and　elaborate　carving。

Glyndon's　sleeping　apartment　communicated　with　a　kind　of

belvedere；　or　terrace；　that　commanded　prospects　of　unrivalled

beauty　and　extent；　and　was　separated　on　the　other　side　by　a　long

gallery；　and　a　flight　of　ten　or　a　dozen　stairs；　from　the　private

chambers　of　the　mystic。　　There　was　about　the　whole　place　a　sombre

and　yet　not　displeasing　depth　of　repose。　　It　suited　well　with　the

studies　to　which　it　was　now　to　be　appropriated。



For　several　days　Mejnour　refused　to　confer　with　Glyndon　on　the

subjects　nearest　to　his　heart。



〃All　without；〃　said　he；　〃is　prepared；　but　not　all　within；　your

own　soul　must　grow　accustomed　to　the　spot；　and　filled　with　the

surrounding　nature；　for　Nature　is　the　source　of　all　inspiration。〃



With　these　words　Mejnour　turned　to　lighter　topics。　　He　made　the

Englishman　accompany　him　in　long　rambles　through　the　wild　scenes

around；　and　he　smiled　approvingly　when　the　young　artist　gave　way

to　the　enthusiasm　which　their　fearful　beauty　could　not　have

failed　to　rouse　in　a　duller　breast；　and　then　Mejnour　poured　forth

to　his　wondering　pupil　the　stores　of　a　knowledge　that　seemed

inexhaustible　and　boundless。　　He　gave　accounts　the　most　curious；

graphic；　and　minute　of　the　various　races　（their　characters；

habits；　creeds；　and　manners）　by　which　that　fair　land　had　been

successively　overrun。　　It　is　true　that　his　descriptions　could　not

be　found　in　books；　and　were　unsupported　by　learned　authorities；

but　he　possessed　the　true　charm　of　the　tale…teller；　and　spoke　of

all　with　the　animated　confidence　of　a　personal　witness。

Sometimes；　too；　he　would　converse　upon　the　more　durable　and　the

loftier　mysteries　of　Nature　with　an　eloquence　and　a　research

which　invested　them　with　all　the　colours　rather　of　poetry　than

science。　　Insensibly　the　young　artist　found　himself　elevated　and

soothed　by　the　lore　of　his　companion；　the　fever　of　his　wild

desires　was　slaked。　　His　mind　became　more　and　more　lulled　into

the　divine　tranquillity　of　contemplation；　he　felt　himself　a

nobler　being；　and　in　the　silence　of　his　senses　he　imagined　that

he　heard　the　voice　of　his　soul。



It　was　to　this　state　that　Mejnour　evidently　sought　to　bring　the

neophyte；　and　in　this　elementary　initiation　the　mystic　was　like

every　more　ordinary　sage。　　For　he　who　seeks　to　DISCOVER　must

first　reduce　himself　into　a　kind　of　abstract　idealism；　and　be

rendered　up；　in　solemn　and　sweet　bondage；　to　the　faculties　which

CONTEMPLATE　and　IMAGINE。



Glyndon　noticed　that；　in　their　rambles；　Mejnour　often　paused；

where　the　foliage　was　rifest；　to　gather　some　herb　or　flower；　and

this　reminded　him　that　he　had　seen　Zanoni　similarly　occupied。

〃Can　these　humble　children　of　Nature；〃　said　he　one　day　to

Mejnour；〃things　that　bloom　and　wither　in　a　day；　be　serviceable

to　the　science　of　the　higher　secrets？　　Is　there　a　pharmacy　for

the　soul　as　well　as　the　body；　and　do　the　nurslings　of　the　summer

minister　not　only　to　human　health　but　spiritual　immortality？〃



〃If；〃　answered　Mejnour；　〃a　stranger　had　visited　a　wandering　tribe

before　one　property　of　herbalism　was　known　to　them；　if　he　had

told　the　savages　that　the　herbs　which　every　day　they　trampled

under　foot　were　endowed　with　the　most　potent　virtues；　that　one

would　restore　to　health　a　brother　on　the　verge　of　death；　that

another　would　paralyse　into　idiocy　their　wisest　sage；　that　a

third　would　strike　lifeless　to　the　dust　their　most　stalwart

champ