zanoni-第90节

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to　resign　to　thee　the　heart　that　was　mighty　enough；　while　mine；

Glyndon；　to　content　me？　　Was　it　not　thine　own　daring　and　resolute

choice　to　brave　the　initiation！　　Of　thine　own　free　will　didst

thou　make　Mejnour　thy　master；　and　his　lore　thy　study！〃



〃But　whence　came　the　irresistible　desires　of　that　wild　and　unholy

knowledge？　　I　knew　them　not　till　thine　evil　eye　fell　upon　me；　and

I　was　drawn　into　the　magic　atmosphere　of　thy　being！〃



〃Thou　errest！the　desires　were　in　thee；　and；　whether　in　one

direction　or　the　other；　would　have　forced　their　way！　　Man！　thou

askest　me　the　enigma　of　thy　fate　and　my　own！　　Look　round　all

being；　is　there　not　mystery　everywhere？　　Can　thine　eye　trace　the

ripening　of　the　grain　beneath　the　earth？　　In　the　moral　and　the

physical　world　alike；　lie　dark　portents；　far　more　wondrous　than

the　powers　thou　wouldst　ascribe　to　me！〃



〃Dost　thou　disown　those　powers；　dost　thou　confess　thyself　an

imposter？or　wilt　thou　dare　to　tell　me　that　thou　art　indeed　sold

to　the　Evil　one；a　magician　whose　familiar　has　haunted　me　night

and　day？〃



〃It　matters　not　what　I　am；〃　returned　Zanoni；　〃it　matters　only

whether　I　can　aid　thee　to　exorcise　thy　dismal　phantom；　and　return

once　more　to　the　wholesome　air　of　this　common　life。　　Something；

however；　will　I　tell　thee；　not　to　vindicate　myself；　but　the

Heaven　and　the　Nature　that　thy　doubts　malign。〃



Zanoni　paused　a　moment；　and　resumed　with　a　slight　smile；



〃In　thy　younger　days　thou　hast　doubtless　read　with　delight　the

great　Christian　poet；　whose　muse；　like　the　morning　it　celebrated；

came　to　earth；　'crowned　with　flowers　culled　in　Paradise。'

（'L'aurea　testa

Di　rose　colte　in　Paradiso　infiora。'

Tasso；　〃Ger。　Lib。〃　iv。　l。）

〃No　spirit　was　more　imbued　with　the　knightly　superstitions　of　the

time；　and　surely　the　Poet　of　Jerusalem　hath　sufficiently；　to

satisfy　even　the　Inquisitor　he　consulted；　execrated　all　the

practitioners　of　the　unlawful　spells　invoked；



'Per　isforzar　Cocito　o　Flegetonte。'

（To　constrain　Cocytus　or　Phlegethon。）



But　in　his　sorrows　and　his　wrongs；　in　the　prison　of　his　madhouse；

know　you　not　that　Tasso　himself　found　his　solace；　his　escape；　in

the　recognition　of　a　holy　and　spiritual　Theurgia；of　a　magic

that　could　summon　the　Angel；　or　the　Good　Genius；　not　the　Fiend？

And　do　you　not　remember　how　he；　deeply　versed　as　he　was　for　his

age；　in　the　mysteries　of　the　nobler　Platonism；　which　hints　at　the

secrets　of　all　the　starry　brotherhoods；　from　the　Chaldean　to　the

later　Rosicrucian；　discriminates　in　his　lovely　verse；　between　the

black　art　of　Ismeno　and　the　glorious　lore　of　the　Enchanter　who

counsels　and　guides　upon　their　errand　the　champions　of　the　Holy

Land？　　HIS；　not　the　charms　wrought　by　the　aid　of　the　Stygian

Rebels　（See　this　remarkable　passage；　which　does　indeed　not

unfaithfully　represent　the　doctrine　of　the　Pythagorean　and　the

Platonist；　in　Tasso；　cant。　xiv。　stanzas　xli。　to　xlvii。　（〃Ger。

Lib。〃）　　They　are　beautifully　translated　by　Wiffen。）；　but　the

perception　of　the　secret　powers　of　the　fountain　and　the　herb；

the　Arcana　of　the　unknown　nature　and　the　various　motions　of　the

stars。　　His；　the　holy　haunts　of　Lebanon　and　Carmel；beneath　his

feet　he　saw　the　clouds；　the　snows；　the　hues　of　Iris；　the

generations　of　the　rains　and　dews。　　Did　the　Christian　Hermit　who

converted　that　Enchanter　（no　fabulous　being；　but　the　type　of　all

spirit　that　would　aspire　through　Nature　up　to　God）　command　him　to

lay　aside　these　sublime　studies；　'Le　solite　arte　e　l'　uso　mio'？

No！　but　to　cherish　and　direct　them　to　worthy　ends。　　And　in　this

grand　conception　of　the　poet　lies　the　secret　of　the　true

Theurgia；　which　startles　your　ignorance　in　a　more　learned　day

with　puerile　apprehensions；　and　the　nightmares　of　a　sick　man's

dreams。〃



Again　Zanoni　paused；　and　again　resumed：



〃In　ages　far　remote；of　a　civilisation　far　different　from　that

which　now　merges　the　individual　in　the　state；there　existed　men

of　ardent　minds；　and　an　intense　desire　of　knowledge。　　In　the

mighty　and　solemn　kingdoms　in　which　they　dwelt；　there　were　no

turbulent　and　earthly　channels　to　work　off　the　fever　of　their

minds。　　Set　in　the　antique　mould　of　casts　through　which　no

intellect　could　pierce；　no　valour　could　force　its　way；　the　thirst

for　wisdom　alone　reigned　in　the　hearts　of　those　who　received　its

study　as　a　heritage　from　sire　to　son。　　Hence；　even　in　your

imperfect　records　of　the　progress　of　human　knowledge；　you　find

that；　in　the　earliest　ages；　Philosophy　descended　not　to　the

business　and　homes　of　men。　　It　dwelt　amidst　the　wonders　of　the

loftier　creation；　it　sought　to　analyse　the　formation　of　matter；

the　essentials　of　the　prevailing　soul；　to　read　the　mysteries　of

the　starry　orbs；　to　dive　into　those　depths　of　Nature　in　which

Zoroaster　is　said　by　the　schoolmen　first　to　have　discovered　the

arts　which　your　ignorance　classes　under　the　name　of　magic。　　In

such　an　age；　then；　arose　some　men；　who；　amidst　the　vanities　and

delusions　of　their　class；　imagined　that　they　detected　gleams　of　a

brighter　and　steadier　lore。　　They　fancied　an　affinity　existing

among　all　the　works　of　Nature；　and　that　in　the　lowliest　lay　the

secret　attraction　that　might　conduct　them　upward　to　the　loftiest。

（Agreeably；　it　would　seem；　to　the　notion　of　Iamblichus　and

Plotinus；　that　the　universe　is　as　an　animal；　so　that　there　is

sympathy　and　communication　between　one　part　and　the　other；　in　the

smallest　part　may　be　the　subtlest　nerve。　　And　hence　the　universal

magnetism　of　Nature。　　But　man　contemplates　the　universe　as　an

animalcule　would　an　elephant。　　The　animalcule；　seeing　scarcely

the　tip　of　the　hoof；　would　be　incapable　of　comprehending　that　the

trunk　belonged　to　the　same　creature；that　the　effect　produced

upon　one　extremity　would　be　felt　in　an　instant　by　the　other。）

Centuries　passed；　and　lives　were　wasted　in　these　discoveries；　but

step　after　step　was　chronicled　and　marked；　and　became　the　guide

to　the　few　who　alone　had　the　hereditary　privilege　to　track　their

path。



At　last　from　this　dimness　upon　some　eyes　the　light　broke；　but

think　not；　young　visionary；　that　to　those　who　nursed　unholy

thoughts；　over　whom　the　Origin　of　Evil　held　a　sway；　that　dawning

was　vouchsafed。　　It　could　be　given　then；　as　now；　only　to　the

purest　ecstasies　of　imagination　and　intellect；　undistracted　by

the　cares　of　a　vulgar　life；　or　the　appetites　of　the　common　clay。

Far　from　descending　to　the　assistance　of　a　fiend；　theirs　was　but

the　august　ambition　to　approach　nearer　to　the　Fount　of　Good；　the

more　they　emancipated　themselves　from　this　limbo　of　the　planets；

the　more　they　were　penetrated　by　the　splendour　and　beneficence　of

God。　　And　if　they　sought；　and　at　last　discovered；　how　to　the　eye

of　the　Spirit　all　the　subtler　modifications　of　being　and　of

matter　might　be　made　apparent；　if　they　discovered　how；　for　the

wings　of　the　Spirit；　all　space　might　be　annihilated；　and　while

the　body　stood　heavy　and　solid　here；　as　a　deserted　tomb；　the

freed　IDEA　might　wander　from　star　to　star；if　such　discoveries

became　in　truth　their　own；　the　sublimest　luxury　of　their

knowledge　was　but　this；　to　wonder；　to　venerate；　and　adore！　　For；

as　one　not　unlearned　in　these　high　matters　has　expressed　it；

'There　is　a　principle　of　the　soul　superior　to　all　external

nature；　and　through　this　principle　we　are　capable　of　surpassing

the　order　and　systems　of　the　world；　and　participating　the

immortal　life　and　the　energy　of　the　Sublime　Celestials。　　When　the

soul　is　elevated　to　natures　above　itself；　it　deserts　the　order　to

which　it　is　awhile　compelled；　and　by　a　religious　magnetism　is

attracted　to　another　and　a　loftier；　with　which　it　blends　and

mingles。'　　（From　Iamblichus；　〃On　the　Mysteries；〃　c。　7；　sect。　7。）

Grant；　then；　that　such　beings　found　at　last　the　secret　to　arrest

death；　to　fascinate　danger　and　the　foe；　to　walk　the　revolutions

of　the　earth　unharmed；think　you　that　this　life　could　teach　them

other　desire　than　to　yearn　the　more　for　the　Immortal；　and　to　fit

their　intellect　the　better　for　the　higher　being　to　which　they

might；　when　Time　and　Death　exist　no　longer；　be　transferred？　　Away

with　your　gloomy　fantasies　of　sorcerer　and　demon！the　soul　can

aspire　only　to　the　light；　and　even　the　error　of　our　lofty

knowledge　was　but　the　forgetfulness　of　the　weakness；　the

passions；　and　the　bonds　which　the　death　we　so　vainly　conquered

only　can　purge　away！〃



This　address　was　so　different　from　what　Glyndon　had　anticipated；

that　he　remained　for　some　moments　speechless；　and　at　length

faltered　out；



〃But　why；　then；　to　me〃



〃Why；〃　added　Zanoni；〃why　to　thee　have　been　only　the　penance　and

the　terror；the　Threshold　and　the　Phantom？　　Vain　man！　look　to

the　commonest　elements　of　the　common　learning。　　Can　every　tyro　at

his　mere　wish　and　will　become　the　master；　can　the　student；　when

he　has　bought　his　Euclid；　become　a　Newton；　can　the　youth　whom　the

Muses　haunt；　say；　'I　will　equal　Homer；'　yea；　can　yon　pale　tyrant；

with　all　the　parchment　laws　of　a　hundred　syste