zanoni- 第70部分

still　to　think　that　thy　power　can　read　the　heart！　　Thou　knowest

that　it　is　the　faithful　mother　that　writes　to　thee；　it　is　not　the

faithless　wife！　　Is　there　sin　in　thy　knowledge；　Zanoni？　　Sin　must

have　sorrow：　　and　it　were　sweetoh；　how　sweetto　be　thy

comforter。　　But　the　child；　the　infant；　the　soul　that　looks　to

mine　for　its　shield！magician；　I　wrest　from　thee　that　soul！

Pardon；　pardon；　if　my　words　wrong　thee。　　See；　I　fall　on　my　knees

to　write　the　rest！



〃Why　did　I　never　recoil　before　from　thy　mysterious　lore；　why　did

the　very　strangeness　of　thine　unearthly　life　only　fascinate　me

with　a　delightful　fear？　　Because；　if　thou　wert　sorcerer　or　angel…

demon；　there　was　no　peril　to　other　but　myself：　　and　none　to　me；

for　my　love　was　my　heavenliest　part；　and　my　ignorance　in　all

things；　except　the　art　to　love　thee；　repelled　every　thought　that

was　not　bright　and　glorious　as　thine　image　to　my　eyes。　　But　NOW

there　is　another！　　Look！　why　does　it　watch　me　thus；why　that

never…sleeping；　earnest；　rebuking　gaze？　　Have　thy　spells

encompassed　it　already？　　Hast　thou　marked　it；　cruel　one；　for　the

terrors　of　thy　unutterable　art？　　Do　not　madden　me；do　not　madden

me！unbind　the　spell！



〃Hark！　the　oars　without！　　They　come；they　come；　to　bear　me　from

thee！　　I　look　round；　and　methinks　that　I　see　thee　everywhere。

Thou　speakest　to　me　from　every　shadow；　from　every　star。　　There；

by　the　casement；　thy　lips　last　pressed　mine；　there；　there　by　that

threshold　didst　thou　turn　again；　and　thy　smile　seemed　so

trustingly　to　confide　in　me！　　Zanonihusband！I　will　stay！　　I

cannot　part　from　thee！　　No；　no！　　I　will　go　to　the　room　where　thy

dear　voice；　with　its　gentle　music；　assuaged　the　pangs　of

travail！where；　heard　through　the　thrilling　darkness；　it　first

whispered　to　my　ear；　'Viola；　thou　art　a　mother！'　　A　mother！yes；

I　rise　from　my　knees；I　AM　a　mother！　　They　come！　　I　am　firm；

farewell！〃



Yes；　thus　suddenly；　thus　cruelly；　whether　in　the　delirium　of

blind　and　unreasoning　superstition；　or　in　the　resolve　of　that

conviction　which　springs　from　duty；　the　being　for　whom　he　had

resigned　so　much　of　empire　and　of　glory　forsook　Zanoni。　　This

desertion；　never　foreseen；　never　anticipated；　was　yet　but　the

constant　fate　that　attends　those　who　would　place　Mind　BEYOND　the

earth；　and　yet　treasure　the　Heart　WITHIN　it。　　Ignorance

everlastingly　shall　recoil　from　knowledge。　　But　never　yet；　from

nobler　and　purer　motives　of　self…sacrifice；　did　human　love　link

itself　to　another；　than　did　the　forsaking　wife　now　abandon　the

absent。　　For　rightly　had　she　said　that　it　was　not　the　faithless

wife；　it　WAS　the　faithful　mother　that　fled　from　all　in　which　her

earthly　happiness　was　centred。



As　long　as　the　passion　and　fervour　that　impelled　the　act　animated

her　with　false　fever；　she　clasped　her　infant　to　her　breast；　and

was　consoled；resigned。　　But　what　bitter　doubt　of　her　own

conduct；　what　icy　pang　of　remorse　shot　through　her　heart；　when；

as　they　rested　for　a　few　hours　on　the　road　to　Leghorn；　she　heard

the　woman　who　accompanied　herself　and　Glyndon　pray　for　safety　to

reach　her　husband's　side；　and　strength　to　share　the　perils　that

would　meet　her　there！　　Terrible　contrast　to　her　own　desertion！

She　shrunk　into　the　darkness　of　her　own　heart；and　then　no　voice

from　within　consoled　her。





CHAPTER　6。IX。



Zukunft　hast　du　mir　gegeben；

Doch　du　nehmst　den　Augenblick。

〃Kassandra。〃



（Futurity　hast　thou　given　to　me；yet　takest　from　me　the　Moment。）



〃Mejnour；　behold　thy　work！　　Out；　out　upon　our　little　vanities　of

wisdom！out　upon　our　ages　of　lore　and　life！　　To　save　her　from

Peril　I　left　her　presence；　and　the　Peril　has　seized　her　in　its

grasp！〃



〃Chide　not　thy　wisdom　but　thy　passions！　　Abandon　thine　idle　hope

of　the　love　of　woman。　　See；　for　those　who　would　unite　the　lofty

with　the　lowly；　the　inevitable　curse；　thy　very　nature

uncomprehended；thy　sacrifices　unguessed。　　The　lowly　one　views

but　in　the　lofty　a　necromancer　or　a　fiend。　　Titan；　canst　thou

weep？〃



〃I　know　it　now；　I　see　it　all！　　It　WAS　her　spirit　that　stood

beside　our　own；　and　escaped　my　airy　clasp！　　O　strong　desire　of

motherhood　and　nature！　unveiling　all　our　secrets；　piercing　space

and　traversing　worlds！Mejnour；　what　awful　learning　lies　hid　in

the　ignorance　of　the　heart　that　loves！〃



〃The　heart；〃　answered　the　mystic；　coldly；　〃ay；　for　five　thousand

years　I　have　ransacked　the　mysteries　of　creation；　but　I　have　not

yet　discovered　all　the　wonders　in　the　heart　of　the　simplest

boor！〃



〃Yet　our　solemn　rites　deceived　us　not；　the　prophet…shadows；　dark

with　terror　and　red　with　blood；　still　foretold　that；　even　in　the

dungeon；　and　before　the　deathsman；　I；I　had　the　power　to　save

them　both！〃



〃But　at　some　unconjectured　and　most　fatal　sacrifice　to　thyself。〃



〃To　myself！　　Icy　sage；　there　is　no　self　in　love！　　I　go。　　Nay；

alone：　　I　want　thee　not。　　I　want　now　no　other　guide　but　the　human

instincts　of　affection。　　No　cave　so　dark；　no　solitude　so　vast；　as

to　conceal　her。　　Though　mine　art　fail　me；　though　the　stars　heed

me　not；　though　space；　with　its　shining　myriads；　is　again　to　me

but　the　azure　void；I　return　but　to　love　and　youth　and　hope！

When　have　they　ever　failed　to　triumph　and　to　save！〃







BOOK　VII。



THE　REIGN　OF　TERROR。



Orrida　maesta　nei　fero　aspetto

Terrore　accresce；　e　piu　superbo　il　rende；

Rosseggian　gli　occhi；　e　di　veneno　infetto

Come　infausta　cometa；　il　guardo　splende；

Gil　involve　il　mento；　e　sull　'irsuto　petto

Ispida　efoita　la　gran　barbe　scende；

E　IN　GUISA　DE　VORAGINE　PROFONDA

SAPRE　LA　BOCCA　A'ATRO　SANGUE　IMMONDA。

（Ger。　Lib。；　Cant。　iv。　7。）



A　horrible　majesty　in　the　fierce　aspect　increases　it　terror；　and

renders　it　more　　superb。　　Red　glow　the　eyes；　and　the　aspect

infected；　like　a　baleful　comet；　with　　envenomed　influences；

glares　around。　　A　vast　beard　covers　the　chinand；　rough　　and

thick；　descends　over　the　shaggy　breast。And　like　a　profound　gulf

expand　the　jaws；　foul　with　black　gore。







CHAPTER　7。I。



Qui　suis…je；　moi　qu'on　accuse？　　Un　esclave　de　la　Liberte；　un

martyr　vivant　de　la　Republique。

〃Discours　de　Robespierre；　8　Thermidor。〃



（Who　am　I；_I_　whom　they　accuse？　　A　slave　of　Liberty；a　living

martyr　for　the　Republic。）



It　roars；The　River　of　Hell；　whose　first　outbreak　was　chanted　as

the　gush　of　a　channel　to　Elysium。　　How　burst　into　blossoming

hopes　fair　hearts　that　had　nourished　themselves　on　the　diamond

dews　of　the　rosy　dawn；　when　Liberty　came　from　the　dark　ocean；　and

the　arms　of　decrepit　ThraldomAurora　from　the　bed　of　Tithon！

Hopes！　ye　have　ripened　into　fruit；　and　the　fruit　is　gore　and

ashes！　　Beautiful　Roland；　eloquent　Vergniaud；　visionary

Condorcet；　high…hearted　Malesherbes！wits；　philosophers；

statesmen；　patriots；　dreamers！　behold　the　millennium　for　which　ye

dared　and　laboured！



I　invoke　the　ghosts！　　Saturn　hath　devoured　his　children　（〃La

Revolution　est　comme　Saturne；　elle　devorera　tous　ses　enfans。〃

Vergniaud。）；　and　lives　alone；I　his　true　name　of　Moloch！



It　is　the　Reign　of　Terror；　with　Robespierre　the　king。　　The

struggles　between　the　boa　and　the　lion　are　past：　　the　boa　has

consumed　the　lion；　and　is　heavy　with　the　gorge；Danton　has

fallen；　and　Camille　Desmoulins。　　Danton　had　said　before　his

death；　〃The　poltroon　Robespierre；I　alone　could　have　saved　him。〃

From　that　hour；　indeed；　the　blood　of　the　dead　giant　clouded　the

craft　of　〃Maximilien　the　Incorruptible；〃　as　at　last；　amidst　the

din　of　the　roused　Convention；　it　choked　his　voice。　　（Le　sang　de

Danton　t'etouffe！〃　（the　blood　of　Danton　chokes　thee！）　said

Garnier　de　l'Aube；　when　on　the　fatal　9th　of　Thermidor；

Robespierre　gasped　feebly　forth；　〃Pour　la　derniere　fois；

President　des　Assassins；　je　te　demande　la　parole。〃　　（For　the　last

time；　President　of　Assassins；　I　demand　to　speak。））　　If；　after

that　last　sacrifice；　essential；　perhaps；　to　his　safety；

Robespierre　had　proclaimed　the　close　of　the　Reign　of　Terror；　and

acted　upon　the　mercy　which　Danton　had　begun　to　preach；　he　might

have　lived　and　died　a　monarch。　　But　the　prisons　continued　to

reek；the　glaive　to　fall；　and　Robespierre　perceived　not　that　his

mobs　were　glutted　to　satiety　with　death；　and　the　strongest

excitement　a　chief　could　give　would　be　a　return　from　devils　into

men。



We　are　transported　to　a　room　in　the　house　of　Citizen　Dupleix；　the

menuisier；　in　the　month　of　July；　1794；　or；　in　the　calendar　of　the

Revolutionists；　it　was　the　Thermidor　of　the　Second　Year　of　the

Republic；　One　and　Indivisible！　　Though　the　room　was　small；　it　was

furnished　and　decorated　with　a　minute　and　careful　effort　at

elegance　and　refinement。　　It　seemed；　indeed；　the　desire　of　the

owner　to　avoid　at　once　what　was　mean　and　rude；　and　what　was

luxurious　and　voluptuous。　　It　was　a　trim；　orderly；　precise　grace

that　shaped　the　classic　chairs；　arranged　the　ample　draperies；

sank　the　frameless　mirrors　into　the　wall；　placed　bust　and　bronze

on　their　pedestals；　and　filled　up　the　niches　here　and　there　with

well…bound　books；　filed　regularly　in　their　appointed　ranks。　　An

observer　would　have　said；　〃This　man　wishes　to　imply　to　you；I　am

not　rich；　I　am　not　ostentatious；　I　am　not　luxurious；　I　am　no

indolent　Sybarite；　with　couches　of　down；　and　pictures　that

provoke　the　sense；　I　am　no　haughty　noble；　with　spacious　halls；

and　galleries　that　awe　the　echo。　　But　so　much　the　greater　is　my

merit　if　I　disdain　these　excesses　of　the　ease　or　the　pride；　since

I　love　the　elegant；　and　have　a　taste！　　Others　may　be　simple　and

honest；　from　the　very　coarseness　of　their　habits；　if　I；　with　so

much　refinement　and　delicacy；　am　simple　and　honest；reflect；　and

admire　me！〃



On　the　walls　of　this　chamber　hung　many　portraits；　most　of　them

represented　but　one　face；　on　the　formal　pedestals　were　grouped

many　busts；　most　of　them　sculptured　but　one　head。　　In　that　small

chamber　Egotism　sat　supreme；　and　made　the　Arts　its　looking…

glasses。　　Erect　in　a　chair；　before　a　large　table　spread　with

letters；　sat