zanoni-第44章

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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

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