’Tis certain that this man has an estate of fifty thousand
livres, and seems to be a person of very great accomplishments1.
But, then, if he’s a wizard, are wizards so devoutly2 given as
this man seems to be? In short, I could make neither head nor
tail on’t
The Count de Gabalis, Translation affixed3 to the second edition of the “Rape of the Lock.”
Of all the weaknesses which little men rail against, there is none that they are more apt to ridicule4 than the tendency to believe. And of all the signs of a corrupt5 heart and a feeble head, the tendency of incredulity is the surest.
Real philosophy seeks rather to solve than to deny. While we hear, every day, the small pretenders to science talk of the absurdities6 of alchemy and the dream of the Philosopher’s Stone, a more erudite knowledge is aware that by alchemists the greatest discoveries in science have been made, and much which still seems abstruse7, had we the key to the mystic phraseology they were compelled to adopt, might open the way to yet more noble acquisitions. The Philosopher’s Stone itself has seemed no visionary chimera8 to some of the soundest chemists that even the present century has produced. (Mr. Disraeli, in his “Curiosities of Literature” (article “Alchem”), after quoting the sanguine9 judgments10 of modern chemists as to the transmutation of metals, observes of one yet greater and more recent than those to which Glyndon’s thoughts could have referred, “Sir Humphry Davy told me that he did not consider this undiscovered art as impossible; but should it ever be discovered, it would certainly be useless.”) Man cannot contradict the Laws of Nature. But are all the laws of Nature yet discovered?
“Give me a proof of your art,” says the rational inquirer. “When I have seen the effect, I will endeavour, with you, to ascertain11 the causes.”
Somewhat to the above effect were the first thoughts of Clarence Glyndon on quitting Zanoni. But Clarence Glyndon was no “rational inquirer.” The more vague and mysterious the language of Zanoni, the more it imposed upon him. A proof would have been something tangible12, with which he would have sought to grapple. And it would have only disappointed his curiosity to find the supernatural reduced to Nature. He endeavoured in vain, at some moments rousing himself from credulity to the scepticism he deprecated, to reconcile what he had heard with the probable motives13 and designs of an imposter. Unlike Mesmer and Cagliostro, Zanoni, whatever his pretensions14, did not make them a source of profit; nor was Glyndon’s position or rank in life sufficient to render any influence obtained over his mind, subservient15 to schemes, whether of avarice16 or ambition. Yet, ever and anon, with the suspicion of worldly knowledge, he strove to persuade himself that Zanoni had at least some sinister17 object in inducing him to what his English pride and manner of thought considered a derogatory marriage with the poor actress. Might not Viola and the Mystic be in league with each other? Might not all this jargon18 of prophecy and menace be but artifices19 to dupe him?
He felt an unjust resentment20 towards Viola at having secured such an ally. But with that resentment was mingled21 a natural jealousy22. Zanoni threatened him with rivalry23. Zanoni, who, whatever his character or his arts, possessed24 at least all the external attributes that dazzle and command. Impatient of his own doubts, he plunged25 into the society of such acquaintances as he had made at Naples — chiefly artists, like himself, men of letters, and the rich commercialists, who were already vying26 with the splendour, though debarred from the privileges, of the nobles. From these he heard much of Zanoni, already with them, as with the idler classes, an object of curiosity and speculation27.
He had noticed, as a thing remarkable28, that Zanoni had conversed29 with him in English, and with a command of the language so complete that he might have passed for a native. On the other hand, in Italian, Zanoni was equally at ease. Glyndon found that it was the same in languages less usually learned by foreigners. A painter from Sweden, who had conversed with him, was positive that he was a Swede; and a merchant from Constantinople, who had sold some of his goods to Zanoni, professed30 his conviction that none but a Turk, or at least a native of the East, could have so thoroughly31 mastered the soft Oriental intonations32. Yet in all these languages, when they came to compare their several recollections, there was a slight, scarce perceptible distinction, not in pronunciation, nor even accent, but in the key and chime, as it were, of the voice, between himself and a native. This faculty33 was one which Glyndon called to mind, that sect34, whose tenets and powers have never been more than most partially35 explored, the Rosicrucians, especially arrogated36. He remembered to have heard in Germany of the work of John Bringeret (Printed in 1615.), asserting that all the languages of the earth were known to the genuine Brotherhood37 of the Rosy38 Cross. Did Zanoni belong to this mystical Fraternity, who, in an earlier age, boasted of secrets of which the Philosopher’s Stone was but the least; who considered themselves the heirs of all that the Chaldeans, the Magi, the Gymnosophists, and the Platonists had taught; and who differed from all the darker Sons of Magic in the virtue39 of their lives, the purity of their doctrines40, and their insisting, as the foundation of all wisdom, on the subjugation41 of the senses, and the intensity42 of Religious Faith?— a glorious sect, if they lied not! And, in truth, if Zanoni had powers beyond the race of worldly sages43, they seemed not unworthily exercised. The little known of his life was in his favour. Some acts, not of indiscriminate, but judicious44 generosity45 and beneficence, were recorded; in repeating which, still, however, the narrators shook their heads, and expressed surprise how a stranger should have possessed so minute a knowledge of the quiet and obscure distresses46 he had relieved. Two or three sick persons, when abandoned by their physicians, he had visited, and conferred with alone. They had recovered: they ascribed to him their recovery; yet they could not tell by what medicines they had been healed. They could only depose47 that he came, conversed with them, and they were cured; it usually, however, happened that a deep sleep had preceded the recovery.
Another circumstance was also beginning to be remarked, and spoke48 yet more in his commendation. Those with whom he principally associated — the gay, the dissipated, the thoughtless, the sinners and publicans of the more polished world — all appeared rapidly, yet insensibly to themselves, to awaken49 to purer thoughts and more regulated lives. Even Cetoxa, the prince of gallants, duellists, and gamesters, was no longer the same man since the night of the singular events which he had related to Glyndon. The first trace of his reform was in his retirement50 from the gaming-houses; the next was his reconciliation51 with an hereditary52 enemy of his house, whom it had been his constant object for the last six years to entangle53 in such a quarrel as might call forth54 his inimitable manoeuvre55 of the stoccata. Nor when Cetoxa and his young companions were heard to speak of Zanoni, did it seem that this change had been brought about by any sober lectures or admonitions. They all described Zanoni as a man keenly alive to enjoyment56: of manners the reverse of formal,— not precisely57 gay, but equable, serene58, and cheerful; ever ready to listen to the talk of others, however idle, or to charm all ears with an inexhaustible fund of brilliant anecdote59 and worldly experience. All manners, all nations, all grades of men, seemed familiar to him. He was reserved only if allusion60 were ever ventured to his birth or history.
The more general opinion of his origin certainly seemed the more plausible61. His riches, his familiarity with the languages of the East, his residence in India, a certain gravity which never deserted62 his most cheerful and familiar hours, the lustrous63 darkness of his eyes and hair, and even the peculiarities64 of his shape, in the delicate smallness of the hands, and the Arab-like turn of the stately head, appeared to fix him as belonging to one at least of the Oriental races. And a dabbler65 in the Eastern tongues even sought to reduce the simple name of Zanoni, which a century before had been borne by an inoffensive naturalist66 of Bologna (The author of two works on botany and rare plants.), to the radicals67 of the extinct language. Zan was unquestionably the Chaldean appellation68 for the sun. Even the Greeks, who mutilated every Oriental name, had retained the right one in this case, as the Cretan inscription69 on the tomb of Zeus (Ode megas keitai Zan.—“Cyril contra Julian.” (Here lies great Jove.)) significantly showed. As to the rest, the Zan, or Zaun, was, with the Sidonians, no uncommon70 prefix71 to On. Adonis was but another name for Zanonas, whose worship in Sidon Hesychius records. To this profound and unanswerable derivation Mervale listened with great attention, and observed that he now ventured to announce an erudite discovery he himself had long since made,— namely, that the numerous family of Smiths in England were undoubtedly72 the ancient priests of the Phrygian Apollo. “For,” said he, “was not Apollo’s surname, in Phrygia, Smintheus? How clear all the ensuing corruptions73 of the august name,— Smintheus, Smitheus, Smithe, Smith! And even now, I may remark that the more ancient branches of that illustrious family, unconsciously anxious to approximate at least by a letter nearer to the true title, take a pious74 pleasure in writing their names Smithe!”
The philologist75 was much struck with this discovery, and begged Mervale’s permission to note it down as an illustration suitable to a work he was about to publish on the origin of languages, to be called “Babel,” and published in three quartos by subscription76.
1 accomplishments | |
n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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2 devoutly | |
adv.虔诚地,虔敬地,衷心地 | |
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3 affixed | |
adj.[医]附着的,附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 );粘贴;加以;盖(印章) | |
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4 ridicule | |
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄 | |
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5 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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6 absurdities | |
n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 );荒谬;谬论;荒谬的行为 | |
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7 abstruse | |
adj.深奥的,难解的 | |
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8 chimera | |
n.神话怪物;梦幻 | |
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9 sanguine | |
adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的 | |
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10 judgments | |
判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判 | |
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11 ascertain | |
vt.发现,确定,查明,弄清 | |
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12 tangible | |
adj.有形的,可触摸的,确凿的,实际的 | |
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13 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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14 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
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15 subservient | |
adj.卑屈的,阿谀的 | |
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16 avarice | |
n.贪婪;贪心 | |
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17 sinister | |
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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18 jargon | |
n.术语,行话 | |
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19 artifices | |
n.灵巧( artifice的名词复数 );诡计;巧妙办法;虚伪行为 | |
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20 resentment | |
n.怨愤,忿恨 | |
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21 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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22 jealousy | |
n.妒忌,嫉妒,猜忌 | |
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23 rivalry | |
n.竞争,竞赛,对抗 | |
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24 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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25 plunged | |
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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26 vying | |
adj.竞争的;比赛的 | |
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27 speculation | |
n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机 | |
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28 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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29 conversed | |
v.交谈,谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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30 professed | |
公开声称的,伪称的,已立誓信教的 | |
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31 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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32 intonations | |
n.语调,说话的抑扬顿挫( intonation的名词复数 );(演奏或唱歌中的)音准 | |
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33 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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34 sect | |
n.派别,宗教,学派,派系 | |
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35 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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36 arrogated | |
v.冒称,妄取( arrogate的过去式和过去分词 );没来由地把…归属(于) | |
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37 brotherhood | |
n.兄弟般的关系,手中情谊 | |
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38 rosy | |
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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39 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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40 doctrines | |
n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 );教义;学说;(政府政策的)正式声明 | |
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41 subjugation | |
n.镇压,平息,征服 | |
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42 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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43 sages | |
n.圣人( sage的名词复数 );智者;哲人;鼠尾草(可用作调料) | |
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44 judicious | |
adj.明智的,明断的,能作出明智决定的 | |
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45 generosity | |
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
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46 distresses | |
n.悲痛( distress的名词复数 );痛苦;贫困;危险 | |
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47 depose | |
vt.免职;宣誓作证 | |
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48 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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49 awaken | |
vi.醒,觉醒;vt.唤醒,使觉醒,唤起,激起 | |
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50 retirement | |
n.退休,退职 | |
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51 reconciliation | |
n.和解,和谐,一致 | |
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52 hereditary | |
adj.遗传的,遗传性的,可继承的,世袭的 | |
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53 entangle | |
vt.缠住,套住;卷入,连累 | |
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54 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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55 manoeuvre | |
n.策略,调动;v.用策略,调动 | |
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56 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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57 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
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58 serene | |
adj. 安详的,宁静的,平静的 | |
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59 anecdote | |
n.轶事,趣闻,短故事 | |
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60 allusion | |
n.暗示,间接提示 | |
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61 plausible | |
adj.似真实的,似乎有理的,似乎可信的 | |
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62 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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63 lustrous | |
adj.有光泽的;光辉的 | |
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64 peculiarities | |
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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65 dabbler | |
n. 戏水者, 业余家, 半玩半认真做的人 | |
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66 naturalist | |
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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67 radicals | |
n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 );根基;基本原理;[数学]根数 | |
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68 appellation | |
n.名称,称呼 | |
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69 inscription | |
n.(尤指石块上的)刻印文字,铭文,碑文 | |
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70 uncommon | |
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的 | |
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71 prefix | |
n.前缀;vt.加…作为前缀;置于前面 | |
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72 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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73 corruptions | |
n.堕落( corruption的名词复数 );腐化;腐败;贿赂 | |
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74 pious | |
adj.虔诚的;道貌岸然的 | |
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75 philologist | |
n.语言学者,文献学者 | |
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76 subscription | |
n.预订,预订费,亲笔签名,调配法,下标(处方) | |
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