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nothing；　and　in　the　beautiful；　artless　Viola；　an　exquisite

creation；　pure　womanhood；　loving；　trusting　and　truthful。　　As　a

work　of　art　the　romance　is　one　of　great　power。　　It　is　original　in

its　conception；　and　pervaded　by　one　central　idea；　but　it　would

have　been　improved；　we　think；　by　a　more　sparing　use　of　the

supernatural。　　The　inevitable　effect　of　so　much　hackneyed

diablerieof　such　an　accumulation　of　wonder　upon　wonderis　to

deaden　the　impression　they　would　naturally　make　upon　us。　　In

Hawthorne's　tales　we　see　with　what　ease　a　great　imaginative

artist　can　produce　a　deeper　thrill　by　a　far　slighter　use　of　the

weird　and　the　mysterious。



The　chief　interest　of　the　story　for　the　ordinary　reader　centres；

not　in　its　ghostly　characters　and　improbable　machinery；　the

scenes　in　Mejnour's　chamber　in　the　ruined　castle　among　the

Apennines；　the　colossal　and　appalling　apparitions　on　Vesuvius；

the　hideous　phantom　with　its　burning　eye　that　haunted　Glyndon；

but　in　the　loves　of　Viola　and　the　mysterious　Zanoni；　the　blissful

and　the　fearful　scenes　through　which　they　pass；　and　their　final

destiny；　when　the　hero　of　the　story　sacrifices　his　own　〃charmed

life〃　to　save　hers；　and　the　Immortal　finds　the　only　true

immortality　in　death。　　Among　the　striking　passages　in　the　work

are　the　pathetic　sketch　of　the　old　violinist　and　composer；

Pisani；　with　his　sympathetic　〃barbiton〃　which　moaned；　groaned；

growled；　and　laughed　responsive　to　the　feelings　of　its　master；

the　description　of　Viola's　and　her　father's　triumph；　when　〃The

Siren；〃　his　masterpiece；　is　performed　at　the　San　Carlo　in　Naples；

Glyndon's　adventure　at　the　Carnival　in　Naples；　the　death　of　his

sister；　the　vivid　pictures　of　the　Reign　of　Terror　in　Paris；

closing　with　the　downfall　of　Robespierre　and　his　satellites；　and

perhaps；　above　all；　the　thrilling　scene　where　Zanoni　leaves　Viola

asleep　in　prison　when　his　guards　call　him　to　execution；　and　she；

unconscious　of　the　terrible　sacrifice；　but　awaking　and　missing

him；　has　a　vision　of　the　procession　to　the　guillotine；　with

Zanoni　there；　radiant　in　youth　and　beauty；　followed　by　the　sudden

vanishing　of　the　headsman；the　horror；and　the　〃Welcome〃　of　her

loved　one　to　Heaven　in　a　myriad　of　melodies　from　the　choral　hosts

above。



〃Zanoni〃　was　originally　published　by　Saunders　and　Otley；　London；

in　three　volumes　12mo。；　in　1842。　　A　translation　into　French；　made

by　M。　　Sheldon　under　the　direction　of　P。　Lorain；　was　published　in

Paris　in　the　〃Bibliotheque　des　Meilleurs　Romans　Etrangers。〃



W。M。





PREFACE　TO　THE　EDITION　OF　1853。



As　a　work　of　imagination；　〃Zanoni〃　ranks；　perhaps；　amongst　the

highest　of　my　prose　fictions。　　In　the　Poem　of　〃King　Arthur；〃

published　many　years　afterwards；　I　have　taken　up　an　analogous

design；　in　the　contemplation　of　our　positive　life　through　a

spiritual　medium；　and　I　have　enforced；　through　a　far　wider

development；　and；　I　believe；　with　more　complete　and　enduring

success；　that　harmony　between　the　external　events　which　are　all

that　the　superficial　behold　on　the　surface　of　human　affairs；　and

the　subtle　and　intellectual　agencies　which　in　reality　influence

the　conduct　of　individuals；　and　shape　out　the　destinies　of　the

world。　　As　man　has　two　lives；that　of　action　and　that　of

thought；so　I　conceive　that　work　to　be　the　truest　representation

of　humanity　which　faithfully　delineates　both；　and　opens　some

elevating　glimpse　into　the　sublimest　mysteries　of　our　being；　by

establishing　the　inevitable　union　that　exists　between　the　plain

things　of　the　day；　in　which　our　earthly　bodies　perform　their

allotted　part；　and　the　latent；　often　uncultivated；　often

invisible；　affinities　of　the　soul　with　all　the　powers　that

eternally　breathe　and　move　throughout　the　Universe　of　Spirit。



I　refer　those　who　do　me　the　honour　to　read　〃Zanoni〃　with　more

attention　than　is　given　to　ordinary　romance；　to　the　Poem　of　〃King

Arthur；〃　for　suggestive　conjecture　into　most　of　the　regions　of

speculative　research；　affecting　the　higher　and　more　important

condition　of　our　ultimate　being；　which　have　engaged　the　students

of　immaterial　philosophy　in　my　own　age。



Affixed　to　the　〃Note〃　with　which　this　work　concludes；　and　which

treats　of　the　distinctions　between　type　and　allegory；　the　reader

will　find；　from　the　pen　of　one　of　our　most　eminent　living

writers；　an　ingenious　attempt　to　explain　the　interior　or　typical

meanings　of　the　work　now　before　him。





INTRODUCTION。



It　is　possible　that　among　my　readers　there　may　be　a　few　not

unacquainted　with　an　old…book　shop；　existing　some　years　since　in

the　neighbourhood　of　Covent　Garden；　I　say　a　few；　for　certainly

there　was　little　enough　to　attract　the　many　in　those　precious

volumes　which　the　labour　of　a　life　had　accumulated　on　the　dusty

shelves　of　my　old　friend　D。　　There　were　to　be　found　no　popular

treatises；　no　entertaining　romances；　no　histories；　no　travels；　no

〃Library　for　the　People；〃　no　〃Amusement　for　the　Million。〃　　But

there；　perhaps；　throughout　all　Europe；　the　curious　might　discover

the　most　notable　collection；　ever　amassed　by　an　enthusiast；　of

the　works　of　alchemist；　cabalist；　and　astrologer。　　The　owner　had

lavished　a　fortune　in　the　purchase　of　unsalable　treasures。　　But

old　D　did　not　desire　to　sell。　　It　absolutely　went　to　his　heart

when　a　customer　entered　his　shop：　　he　watched　the　movements　of

the　presumptuous　intruder　with　a　vindictive　glare；　he　fluttered

around　him　with　uneasy　vigilance；he　frowned；　he　groaned；　when

profane　hands　dislodged　his　idols　from　their　niches。　　If　it　were

one　of　the　favourite　sultanas　of　his　wizard　harem　that　attracted

you；　and　the　price　named　were　not　sufficiently　enormous；　he　would

not　unfrequently　double　the　sum。　　Demur；　and　in　brisk　delight　he

snatched　the　venerable　charmer　from　your　hands；　accede；　and　he

became　the　picture　of　despair；nor　unfrequently；　at　the　dead　of

night；　would　he　knock　at　your　door；　and　entreat　you　to　sell　him

back；　at　your　own　terms；　what　you　had　so　egregiously　bought　at

his。　　A　believer　himself　in　his　Averroes　and　Paracelsus；　he　was

as　loth　as　the　philosophers　he　studied　to　communicate　to　the

profane　the　learning　he　had　collected。



It　so　chanced　that　some　years　ago；　in　my　younger　days；　whether　of

authorship　or　life；　I　felt　a　desire　to　make　myself　acquainted

with　the　true　origin　and　tenets　of　the　singular　sect　known　by　the

name　of　Rosicrucians。　　Dissatisfied　with　the　scanty　and

superficial　accounts　to　be　found　in　the　works　usually　referred　to

on　the　subject；　it　struck　me　as　possible　that　Mr。　D's

collection；　which　was　rich；　not　only　in　black…letter；　but　in

manuscripts；　might　contain　some　more　accurate　and　authentic

records　of　that　famous　brotherhood；written；　who　knows？　by　one

of　their　own　order；　and　confirming　by　authority　and　detail　the

pretensions　to　wisdom　and　to　virtue　which　Bringaret　had　arrogated

to　the　successors　of　the　Chaldean　and　Gymnosophist。　　Accordingly

I　repaired　to　what；　doubtless；　I　ought　to　be　ashamed　to　confess；

was　once　one　of　my　favourite　haunts。　　But　are　there　no　errors　and

no　fallacies；　in　the　chronicles　of　our　own　day；　as　absurd　as

those　of　the　alchemists　of　old？　　Our　very　newspapers　may　seem　to

our　posterity　as　full　of　delusions　as　the　books　of　the　alchemists

do　to　us；　not　but　what　the　press　is　the　air　we　breathe；and

uncommonly　foggy　the　air　is　too！



On　entering　the　shop；　I　was　struck　by　the　venerable　appearance　of

a　customer　whom　I　had　never　seen　there　before。　　I　was　struck　yet

more　by　the　respect　with　which　he　was　treated　by　the　disdainful

collector。　　〃Sir；〃　cried　the　last；　emphatically；　as　I　was　turning

over　the　leaves　of　the　catalogue；〃sir；　you　are　the　only　man　I

have　met；　in　five…and…forty　years　that　I　have　spent　in　these

researches；　who　is　worthy　to　be　my　customer。　　Howwhere；　in　this

frivolous　age；　could　you　have　acquired　a　knowledge　so　profound？

And　this　august　fraternity；　whose　doctrines；　hinted　at　by　the

earliest　philosophers；　are　still　a　mystery　to　the　latest；　tell　me

if　there　really　exists　upon　the　earth　any　book；　any　manuscript；

in　which　their　discoveries；　their　tenets；　are　to　be　learned？〃



At　the　words；　〃august　fraternity；〃　I　need　scarcely　say　that　my

attention　had　been　at　once　aroused；　and　I　listened　eagerly　for

the　stranger's　reply。



〃I　do　not　think；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　〃that　the　masters　of

the　school　have　ever　consigned；　except　by　obscure　hint　and

mystical　parable；　their　real　doctrines　to　the　world。　　And　I　do

not　blame　them　for　their　discretion。〃



Here　he　paused；　and　seemed　about　to　retire；　when　I　said；　somewhat

abruptly；　to　the　collector；　〃I　see　nothing；　Mr。　D；　in　this

catalogue　which　relates　to　the　Rosicrucians！〃



〃The　Rosicrucians！〃　repeated　the　old　gentleman；　and　in　his　turn

he　surveyed　me　with　deliberate　surprise。　　〃Who　but　a　Rosicrucian

could　explain　the　Rosicrucian　mysteries！　　And　can　you　imagine

that　any　members　of　that　sect；　the　most　jealous　of　all　secret

societies；　would　themselves　lift　the　veil　that　hides　the　Isis　of

their　wisdom　from　the　world？〃



〃Aha！〃　thought　I；　〃this；　then；　is　'the　august　fraternity'　of

which　you　spoke。　　Heaven　be　praised！　　I　certainly　have　stumbled

on　one　of　the　brotherhood。〃



〃But；〃　I　said　aloud；　〃if　not　in　books；　sir；　where　else　am　I　to

obtain　information？　　Nowadays　one　can　hazard　nothing　in　print

without　authority；　and　one　may　scarcely　quote　Shakespeare　without

citing　chapter　and　verse。　　This　is　the　age　of　facts；the　age　of

facts；　sir。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　old　gentleman；　with　a　pleasant　smile；　〃if　we

meet　again；　perhaps；　at　least；　I　may　direct　your　researches　to

the　proper　source　of　intelligence。〃　　And　with　that　he　buttoned

his　greatcoat；　whistled　to　his　dog；　and　departed。



It　so　happened　that　I　did　meet　again　with　the　old　gentleman；

exactly　four　days　after　our　brief　conversation　in　Mr。　D's　book…

shop。　　I　was　riding　leisurely　towards　Highgate；　when；　at　the　foot

of　its　classic　hill；　I　recognised　the　stranger；　he　was　mou