zanoni-第57节

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powers。　　In　the　drop　of　water　you　see　how　the　animalculae　vary；

how　vast　and　terrible　are　some　of　those　monster　mites　as　compared

with　others。　　Equally　so　with　the　inhabitants　of　the　atmosphere：

some　of　surpassing　wisdom；　some　of　horrible　malignity；　some

hostile　as　fiends　to　men；　others　gentle　as　messengers　between

earth　and　heaven。



He　who　would　establish　intercourse　with　these　varying　beings

resembles　the　traveller　who　would　penetrate　into　unknown　lands。

He　is　exposed　to　strange　dangers　and　unconjectured　terrors。　　THAT

INTERCOURSE　ONCE　GAINED；　I　CANNOT　SECURE　THEE　FROM　THE　CHANCES　TO

WHICH　THY　JOURNEY　IS　EXPOSED。　　I　cannot　direct　thee　to　paths　free

from　the　wanderings　of　the　deadliest　foes。　　Thou　must　alone；　and

of　thyself；　face　and　hazard　all。　　But　if　thou　art　so　enamoured　of

life　as　to　care　only　to　live　on；　no　matter　for　what　ends；

recruiting　the　nerves　and　veins　with　the　alchemist's　vivifying

elixir；　why　seek　these　dangers　from　the　intermediate　tribes？

Because　the　very　elixir　that　pours　a　more　glorious　life　into　the

frame；　so　sharpens　the　senses　that　those　larvae　of　the　air　become

to　thee　audible　and　apparent；　so　that；　unless　trained　by　degrees

to　endure　the　phantoms　and　subdue　their　malice；　a　life　thus

gifted　would　be　the　most　awful　doom　man　could　bring　upon　himself。

Hence　it　is；　that　though　the　elixir　be　compounded　of　the　simplest

herbs；　his　frame　only　is　prepared　to　receive　it　who　has　gone

through　the　subtlest　trials。　　Nay；　some；　scared　and　daunted　into

the　most　intolerable　horror　by　the　sights　that　burst　upon　their

eyes　at　the　first　draft；　have　found　the　potion　less　powerful　to

save　than　the　agony　and　travail　of　Nature　to　destroy。　　To　the

unprepared　the　elixir　is　thus　but　the　deadliest　poison。　　Amidst

the　dwellers　of　the　threshold　is　ONE；　too；　surpassing　in

malignity　and　hatred　all　her　tribe；one　whose　eyes　have

paralyzed　the　bravest；　and　whose　power　increases　over　the　spirit

precisely　in　proportion　to　its　fear。　　Does　thy　courage　falter？〃



〃Nay；　thy　words　but　kindle　it。〃



〃Follow　me；　then；　and　submit　to　the　initiatory　labours。〃



With　that；　Mejnour　led　him　into　the　interior　chamber；　and

proceeded　to　explain　to　him　certain　chemical　operations　which；

though　extremely　simple　in　themselves；　Glyndon　soon　perceived

were　capable　of　very　extraordinary　results。



〃In　the　remoter　times；〃　said　Mejnour；　smiling；　〃our　brotherhood

were　often　compelled　to　recur　to　delusions　to　protect　realities；

and；　as　dexterous　mechanicians　or　expert　chemists；　they　obtained

the　name　of　sorcerers。　　Observe　how　easy　to　construct　is　the

Spectre　Lion　that　attended　the　renowned　Leonardo　da　Vinci！〃



And　Glyndon　beheld　with　delighted　surprise　the　simple　means　by

which　the　wildest　cheats　of　the　imagination　can　be　formed。　　The

magical　landscapes　in　which　Baptista　Porta　rejoiced；　the　apparent

change　of　the　seasons　with　which　Albertus　Magnus　startled　the

Earl　of　Holland；　nay；　even　those　more　dread　delusions　of　the

Ghost　and　Image　with　which　the　necromancers　of　Heraclea　woke　the

conscience　of　the　conqueror　of　Plataea　（Pausanias；see

Plutarch。）；all　these；　as　the　showman　enchants　some　trembling

children　on　a　Christmas　Eve　with　his　lantern　and　phantasmagoria；

Mejnour　exhibited　to　his　pupil。



。。。



〃And　now　laugh　forever　at　magic！　when　these；　the　very　tricks；　the

very　sports　and　frivolities　of　science；　were　the　very　acts　which

men　viewed　with　abhorrence；　and　inquisitors　and　kings　rewarded

with　the　rack　and　the　stake。〃



〃But　the　alchemist's　transmutation　of　metals〃



〃Nature　herself　is　a　laboratory　in　which　metals；　and　all

elements；　are　forever　at　change。　　Easy　to　make　gold；easier；

more　commodious；　and　cheaper　still；　to　make　the　pearl；　the

diamond；　and　the　ruby。　　Oh；　yes；　wise　men　found　sorcery　in　this

too；　but　they　found　no　sorcery　in　the　discovery　that　by　the

simplest　combination　of　things　of　every…day　use　they　could　raise

a　devil　that　would　sweep　away　thousands　of　their　kind　by　the

breath　of　consuming　fire。　　Discover　what　will　destroy　life；　and

you　are　a　great　man！what　will　prolong　it；　and　you　are　an

imposter！　　Discover　some　invention　in　machinery　that　will　make

the　rich　more　rich　and　the　poor　more　poor；　and　they　will　build

you　a　statue！　　Discover　some　mystery　in　art　that　will　equalise

physical　disparities；　and　they　will　pull　down　their　own　houses　to

stone　you！　　Ha；　ha；　my　pupil！　such　is　the　world　Zanoni　still

cares　for！you　and　I　will　leave　this　world　to　itself。　　And　now

that　you　have　seen　some　few　of　the　effects　of　science；　begin　to

learn　its　grammar。〃



Mejnour　then　set　before　his　pupil　certain　tasks；　in　which　the

rest　of　the　night　wore　itself　away。





CHAPTER　4。V。



Great　travell　hath　the　gentle　Calidore

And　toyle　endured。。。

There　on　a　day；

He　chaunst　to　spy　a　sort　of　shepheard　groomes；

Playing　on　pipes　and　caroling　apace。

。。。He；　there　besyde

Saw　a　faire　damzell。

Spenser；　〃Faerie　Queene；〃　cant。　ix。



For　a　considerable　period　the　pupil　of　Mejnour　was　now　absorbed

in　labour　dependent　on　the　most　vigilant　attention；　on　the　most

minute　and　subtle　calculation。　　Results　astonishing　and　various

rewarded　his　toils　and　stimulated　his　interest。　　Nor　were　these

studies　limited　to　chemical　discovery；in　which　it　is　permitted

me　to　say　that　the　greatest　marvels　upon　the　organisation　of

physical　life　seemed　wrought　by　experiments　of　the　vivifying

influence　of　heat。　　Mejnour　professed　to　find　a　link　between　all

intellectual　beings　in　the　existence　of　a　certain　all…pervading

and　invisible　fluid　resembling　electricity；　yet　distinct　from　the

known　operations　of　that　mysterious　agencya　fluid　that

connected　thought　to　thought　with　the　rapidity　and　precision　of

the　modern　telegraph；　and　the　influence　of　this　fluid；　according

to　Mejnour；　extended　to　the　remotest　past；that　is　to　say；

whenever　and　wheresoever　man　had　thought。　　Thus；　if　the　doctrine

were　true；　all　human　knowledge　became　attainable　through　a　medium

established　between　the　brain　of　the　individual　inquirer　and　all

the　farthest　and　obscurest　regions　in　the　universe　of　ideas。

Glyndon　was　surprised　to　find　Mejnour　attached　to　the　abstruse

mysteries　which　the　Pythagoreans　ascribed　to　the　occult　science

of　NUMBERS。　　In　this　last；　new　lights　glimmered　dimly　on　his

eyes；　and　he　began　to　perceive　that　even　the　power　to　predict；　or

rather　to　calculate；　results；　might　by　（Here　there　is　an

erasure　in　the　MS。）



。。。



But　he　observed　that　the　last　brief　process　by　which；　in　each　of

these　experiments；　the　wonder　was　achieved；　Mejnour　reserved　for

himself；　and　refused　to　communicate　the　secret。　　The　answer　he

obtained　to　his　remonstrances　on　this　head　was　more　stern　than

satisfactory：



〃Dost　thou　think；〃　said　Mejnour；　〃that　I　would　give　to　the　mere

pupil；　whose　qualities　are　not　yet　tried；　powers　that　might

change　the　face　of　the　social　world？　　The　last　secrets　are

intrusted　only　to　him　of　whose　virtue　the　Master　is　convinced。

Patience！　　It　is　labour　itself　that　is　the　great　purifier　of　the

mind；　and　by　degrees　the　secrets　will　grow　upon　thyself　as　thy

mind　becomes　riper　to　receive　them。〃



At　last　Mejnour　professed　himself　satisfied　with　the　progress

made　by　his　pupil。　　〃The　hour　now　arrives；〃　he　said；　〃when　thou

mayst　pass　the　great　but　airy　barrier；when　thou　mayst　gradually

confront　the　terrible　Dweller　of　the　Threshold。　　Continue　thy

labourscontinue　to　surpass　thine　impatience　for　results　until

thou　canst　fathom　the　causes。　　I　leave　thee　for　one　month；　if　at

the　end　of　that　period；　when　I　return；　the　tasks　set　thee　are

completed；　and　thy　mind　prepared　by　contemplation　and　austere

thought　for　the　ordeal；　I　promise　thee　the　ordeal　shall　commence。

One　caution　alone　I　give　thee：　　regard　it　as　a　peremptory

command；　enter　not　this　chamber！〃　　（They　were　then　standing　in

the　room　where　their　experiments　had　been　chiefly　made；　and　in

which　Glyndon；　on　the　night　he　had　sought　the　solitude　of　the

mystic；　had　nearly　fallen　a　victim　to　his　intrusion。）



〃Enter　not　this　chamber　till　my　return；　or；　above　all；　if　by　any

search　for　materials　necessary　to　thy　toils　thou　shouldst　venture

hither；　forbear　to　light　the　naphtha　in　those　vessels；　and　to

open　the　vases　on　yonder　shelves。　　I　leave　the　key　of　the　room　in

thy　keeping；　in　order　to　try　thy　abstinence　and　self…control。

Young　man；　this　very　temptation　is　a　part　of　thy　trial。〃



With　that；　Mejnour　placed　the　key　in　his　hands；　and　at　sunset　he

left　the　castle。



For　several　days　Glyndon　continued　immersed　in　employments　which

strained　to　the　utmost　all　the　faculties　of　his　intellect。　　Even

the　most　partial　success　depended　so　entirely　on　the　abstraction

of　the　mind；　and　the　minuteness　of　its　calculations；　that　there

was　scarcely　room　for　any　other　thought　than　those　absorbed　in

the　occupation。　　And　doubtless　this　perpetual　strain　of　the

faculties　was　the　object　of　Mejnour　in　works　that　did　not　seem

exactly