zanoni-第54节

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third　would　strike　lifeless　to　the　dust　their　most　stalwart

champion；　that　tears　and　laughter；　vigour　and　disease；　madness

and　reason；　wakefulness　and　sleep；　existence　and　dissolution；

were　coiled　up　in　those　unregarded　leaves；would　they　not　have

held　him　a　sorcerer　or　a　liar？　　To　half　the　virtues　of　the

vegetable　world　mankind　are　yet　in　the　darkness　of　the　savages　I

have　supposed。　　There　are　faculties　within　us　with　which　certain

herbs　have　affinity；　and　over　which　they　have　power。　　The　moly　of

the　ancients　is　not　all　a　fable。〃



The　apparent　character　of　Mejnour　differed　in　much　from　that　of

Zanoni；　and　while　it　fascinated　Glyndon　less；　it　subdued　and

impressed　him　more。　　The　conversation　of　Zanoni　evinced　a　deep

and　general　interest　for　mankind；a　feeling　approaching　to

enthusiasm　for　art　and　beauty。　　The　stories　circulated　concerning

his　habits　elevated　the　mystery　of　his　life　by　actions　of　charity

and　beneficence。　　And　in　all　this　there　was　something　genial　and

humane　that　softened　the　awe　he　created；　and　tended；　perhaps；　to

raise　suspicions　as　to　the　loftier　secrets　that　he　arrogated　to

himself。　　But　Mejnour　seemed　wholly　indifferent　to　all　the　actual

world。　　If　he　committed　no　evil；　he　seemed　equally　apathetic　to

good。　　His　deeds　relieved　no　want；　his　words　pitied　no　distress。

What　we　call　the　heart　appeared　to　have　merged　into　the

intellect。　　He　moved；　thought；　and　lived　like　some　regular　and

calm　abstraction；　rather　than　one　who　yet　retained；　with　the

form；　the　feelings　and　sympathies　of　his　kind。



Glyndon　once；　observing　the　tone　of　supreme　indifference　with

which　he　spoke　of　those　changes　on　the　face　of　earth　which　he

asserted　he　had　witnessed；　ventured　to　remark　to　him　the

distinction　he　had　noted。



〃It　is　true；〃　said　Mejnour；　coldly。　　〃My　life　is　the　life　that

contemplates；Zanoni's　is　the　life　that　enjoys：　　when　I　gather

the　herb；　I　think　but　of　its　uses；　Zanoni　will　pause　to　admire

its　beauties。〃



〃And　you　deem　your　own　the　superior　and　the　loftier　existence？〃



〃No。　　His　is　the　existence　of　youth；mine　of　age。　　We　have

cultivated　different　faculties。　　Each　has　powers　the　other　cannot

aspire　to。　　Those　with　whom　he　associates　live　better；those　who

associate　with　me　know　more。〃



〃I　have　heard；　in　truth；〃　said　Glyndon；　〃that　his　companions　at

Naples　were　observed　to　lead　purer　and　nobler　lives　after

intercourse　with　Zanoni；　yet　were　they　not　strange　companions；　at

the　best；　for　a　sage？　　This　terrible　power；　too；　that　he

exercises　at　will；　as　in　the　death　of　the　Prince　di　；　and　that

of　the　Count　Ughelli；　scarcely　becomes　the　tranquil　seeker　after

good。〃



〃True；〃　said　Mejnour；　with　an　icy　smile；　〃such　must　ever　be　the

error　of　those　philosophers　who　would　meddle　with　the　active　life

of　mankind。　　You　cannot　serve　some　without　injuring　others；　you

cannot　protect　the　good　without　warring　on　the　bad；　and　if　you

desire　to　reform　the　faulty；　why；　you　must　lower　yourself　to　live

with　the　faulty　to　know　their　faults。　　Even　so　saith　Paracelsus；

a　great　man；　though　often　wrong。　　（〃It　is　as　necessary　to　know

evil　things　as　good；　for　who　can　know　what　is　good　without　the

knowing　what　is　evil？〃　etc。Paracelsus；　〃De　Nat。　Rer。；〃　lib。　3。）

Not　mine　this　folly；　I　live　but　in　knowledge；I　have　no　life　in

mankind！〃



Another　time　Glyndon　questioned　the　mystic　as　to　the　nature　of

that　union　or　fraternity　to　which　Zanoni　had　once　referred。



〃I　am　right；　I　suppose；〃　said　he；　〃in　conjecturing　that　you　and

himself　profess　to　be　the　brothers　of　the　Rosy　Cross？〃



〃Do　you　imagine；〃　answered　Mejnour；　〃that　there　were　no　mystic

and　solemn　unions　of　men　seeking　the　same　end　through　the　same

means　before　the　Arabians　of　Damus；　in　1378；　taught　to　a

wandering　German　the　secrets　which　founded　the　Institution　of　the

Rosicrucians？　　I　allow；　however；　that　the　Rosicrucians　formed　a

sect　descended　from　the　greater　and　earlier　school。　　They　were

wiser　than　the　Alchemists；their　masters　are　wiser　than　they。〃



〃And　of　this　early　and　primary　order　how　many　still　exist？〃



〃Zanoni　and　myself。〃



〃What；　two　only！and　you　profess　the　power　to　teach　to　all　the

secret　that　baffles　Death？〃



〃Your　ancestor　attained　that　secret；　he　died　rather　than　survive

the　only　thing　he　loved。　　We　have；　my　pupil；　no　arts　by　which　we

CAN　PUT　DEATH　OUT　OF　OUR　OPTION；　or　out　of　the　will　of　Heaven。

These　walls　may　crush　me　as　I　stand。　　All　that　we　profess　to　do

is　but　this；to　find　out　the　secrets　of　the　human　frame；　to　know

why　the　parts　ossify　and　the　blood　stagnates；　and　to　apply

continual　preventives　to　the　effects　of　time。　　This　is　not　magic；

it　is　the　art　of　medicine　rightly　understood。　　In　our　order　we

hold　most　noble；first；　that　knowledge　which　elevates　the

intellect；　secondly；　that　which　preserves　the　body。　　But　the　mere

art　（extracted　from　the　juices　and　simples）　which　recruits　the

animal　vigour　and　arrests　the　progress　of　decay；　or　that　more

noble　secret；　which　I　will　only　hint　to　thee　at　present；　by　which

HEAT；　or　CALORIC；　as　ye　call　it；　being；　as　Heraclitus　wisely

taught；　the　primordial　principle　of　life；　can　be　made　its

perpetual　renovater；these　I　say；　would　not　suffice　for　safety。

It　is　ours　also　to　disarm　and　elude　the　wrath　of　men；　to　turn　the

swords　of　our　foes　against　each　other；　to　glide　（if　not

incorporeal）　invisible　to　eyes　over　which　we　can　throw　a　mist　and

darkness。　　And　this　some　seers　have　professed　to　be　the　virtue　of

a　stone　of　agate。　　Abaris　placed　it　in　his　arrow。　　I　will　find

you　an　herb　in　yon　valley　that　will　give　a　surer　charm　than　the

agate　and　the　arrow。　　In　one　word；　know　this；　that　the　humblest

and　meanest　products　of　Nature　are　those　from　which　the　sublimest

properties　are　to　be　drawn。〃



〃But；〃　said　Glyndon；　〃if　possessed　of　these　great　secrets；　why　so

churlish　in　withholding　their　diffusion？　　Does　not　the　false　or

charlatanic　science　differ　in　this　from　the　true　and

indisputable；that　the　last　communicates　to　the　world　the

process　by　which　it　attains　its　discoveries；　the　first　boasts　of

marvellous　results；　and　refuses　to　explain　the　causes？〃



〃Well　said；　O　Logician　of　the　Schools；　but　think　again。　　Suppose

we　were　to　impart　all　our　knowledge　to　all　mankind

indiscriminately；alike　to　the　vicious　and　the　virtuous；should

we　be　benefactors　or　scourges？　　Imagine　the　tyrant；　the

sensualist；　the　evil　and　corrupted　being　possessed　of　these

tremendous　powers；　would　he　not　be　a　demon　let　loose　on　earth？

Grant　that　the　same　privilege　be　accorded　also　to　the　good；　and

in　what　state　would　be　society？　　Engaged　in　a　Titan　war；the

good　forever　on　the　defensive；　the　bad　forever　in　assault。　　In

the　present　condition　of　the　earth；　evil　is　a　more　active

principle　than　good；　and　the　evil　would　prevail。　　It　is　for　these

reasons　that　we　are　not　only　solemnly　bound　to　administer　our

lore　only　to　those　who　will　not　misuse　and　pervert　it；　but　that

we　place　our　ordeal　in　tests　that　purify　the　passions　and　elevate

the　desires。　　And　Nature　in　this　controls　and　assists　us：　　for　it

places　awful　guardians　and　insurmountable　barriers　between　the

ambition　of　vice　and　the　heaven　of　the　loftier　science。〃



Such　made　a　small　part　of　the　numerous　conversations　Mejnour　held

with　his　pupil；conversations　that；　while　they　appeared　to

address　themselves　to　the　reason；　inflamed　yet　more　the　fancy。

It　was　the　very　disclaiming　of　all　powers　which　Nature；　properly

investigated；　did　not　suffice　to　create；　that　gave　an　air　of

probability　to　those　which　Mejnour　asserted　Nature　might　bestow。



Thus　days　and　weeks　rolled　on；　and　the　mind　of　Glyndon；　gradually

fitted　to　this　sequestered　and　musing　life；　forgot　at　last　the

vanities　and　chimeras　of　the　world　without。



One　evening　he　had　lingered　alone　and　late　upon　the　ramparts；

watching　the　stars　as；　one　by　one；　they　broke　upon　the　twilight。

Never　had　he　felt　so　sensibly　the　mighty　power　of　the　heavens　and

the　earth　upon　man；　how　much　the　springs　of　our　intellectual

being　are　moved　and　acted　upon　by　the　solemn　influences　of

Nature。　　As　a　patient　on　whom；　slowly　and　by　degrees；　the

agencies　of　mesmerism　are　brought　to　bear；　he　acknowledged　to　his

heart　the　growing　force　of　that　vast　and　universal　magnetism

which　is　the　life　of　creation；　and　binds　the　atom　to　the　whole。

A　strange　and　ineffable　consciousness　of　power；　of　the　SOMETHING

GREAT　within　the　perishable　clay；　appealed　to　feelings　at　once

dim　and　glorious；like　the　faint　recognitions　of　a　holier　and

former　being。　　An　impulse；　that　he　could　not　resist；　led　him　to

seek　the　mystic。　　He　would　demand；　that　hour；　his　initiation　into

the　worlds　beyond　our　world；he　was　prepared　to　breathe　a

diviner　air。　　He　entered　the　castle；　and　strode　the　shadowy　and

starlit　gallery　which　conducted　to　Mejnour's　apartment。





CHAPTER　4。III。



Man　is　the　eye　of　things。Euryph；　〃de　Vit。　Hum。〃



。。。There　is；　therefore；　a　certain　ecstatical　or　trans