THAT　THOU　LOVEST　ME！〃
  〃I　have　told　thee　that　my　life　is　apart　from　others。　　Wouldst
  thou　not　seek　to　share　it？〃
  〃I　share　it　now！〃
  〃But　were　it　possible　to　be　thus　young　and　fair　forever；　till　the
  world　blazes　round　us　as　one　funeral　pyre！〃
  〃We　shall　be　so；　when　we　leave　the　world！〃
  Zanoni　was　mute　for　some　moments；　and　at　length　he　said；
  〃Canst　thou　recall　those　brilliant　and　aerial　dreams　which　once
  visited　thee；　when　thou　didst　fancy　that　thou　wert　preordained　to
  some　fate　aloof　and　afar　from　the　common　children　of　the　earth？〃
  〃Zanoni；　the　fate　is　found。〃
  〃And　hast　thou　no　terror　of　the　future？〃
  〃The　future！　　I　forget　it！　　Time　past　and　present　and　to　come
  reposes　in　thy　smile。　　Ah；　Zanoni；　play　not　with　the　foolish
  credulities　of　my　youth！　　I　have　been　better　and　humbler　since
  thy　presence　has　dispelled　the　mist　of　the　air。　　The　future！
  well；　when　I　have　cause　to　dread　it；　I　will　look　up　to　heaven；
  and　remember　who　guides　our　fate！〃
  As　she　lifted　her　eyes　above；　a　dark　cloud　swept　suddenly　over
  the　scene。　　It　wrapped　the　orange…trees；　the　azure　ocean；　the
  dense　sands；　but　still　the　last　images　that　it　veiled　from　the
  charmed　eyes　of　Glyndon　were　the　forms　of　Viola　and　Zanoni。　　The
  face　of　the　one　rapt；　serene；　and　radiant；　the　face　of　the　other；
  dark；　thoughtful；　and　locked　in　more　than　its　usual　rigidness　of
  melancholy　beauty　and　profound　repose。
  〃Rouse　thyself；〃　said　Mejnour；　〃thy　ordeal　has　commenced！　　There
  are　pretenders　to　the　solemn　science　who　could　have　shown　thee
  the　absent；　and　prated　to　thee；　in　their　charlatanic　jargon；　of
  the　secret　electricities　and　the　magnetic　fluid　of　whose　true
  properties　they　know　but　the　germs　and　elements。　　I　will　lend
  thee　the　books　of　those　glorious　dupes；　and　thou　wilt　find；　in
  the　dark　ages；　how　many　erring　steps　have　stumbled　upon　the
  threshold　of　the　mighty　learning；　and　fancied　they　had　pierced
  the　temple。　　Hermes　and　Albert　and　Paracelsus；　I　knew　ye　all；
  but；　noble　as　ye　were；　ye　were　fated　to　be　deceived。　　Ye　had　not
  souls　of　faith；　and　daring　fitted　for　the　destinies　at　which　ye
  aimed！　　Yet　Paracelsusmodest　Paracelsushad　an　arrogance　that
  soared　higher　than　all　our　knowledge。　　Ho；　ho！he　thought　he
  could　make　a　race　of　men　from　chemistry；　he　arrogated　to　himself
  the　Divine　gift；the　breath　of　life。　　（Paracelsus；　〃De　Nat。
  Rer。；〃　lib。　i。）
  He　would　have　made　men；　and；　after　all；　confessed　that　they　could
  be　but　pygmies！　　My　art　is　to　make　men　above　mankind。　　But　you
  are　impatient　of　my　digressions。　　Forgive　me。　　All　these　men
  （they　were　great　dreamers；　as　you　desire　to　be）　were　intimate
  friends　of　mine。　　But　they　are　dead　and　rotten。　They　talked　of
  spirits；but　they　dreaded　to　be　in　other　company　than　that　of
  men。　　Like　orators　whom　I　have　heard；　when　I　stood　by　the　Pnyx　of
  Athens；　blazing　with　words　like　comets　in　the　assembly；　and
  extinguishing　their　ardour　like　holiday　rockets　when　they　were　in
  the　field。　　Ho；　ho！　Demosthenes；　my　hero…coward；　how　nimble　were
  thy　heels　at　Chaeronea！　　And　thou　art　impatient　still！　　Boy；　I
  could　tell　thee　such　truths　of　the　past　as　would　make　thee　the
  luminary　of　schools。　　But　thou　lustest　only　for　the　shadows　of
  the　future。　　Thou　shalt　have　thy　wish。　　But　the　mind　must　be
  first　exercised　and　trained。　　Go　to　thy　room；　and　sleep；　fast
  austerely；　read　no　books；　meditate；　imagine；　dream；　bewilder
  thyself　if　thou　wilt。　　Thought　shapes　out　its　own　chaos　at　last。
  Before　midnight；　seek　me　again！〃
  CHAPTER　4。IV。
  It　is　fit　that　we　who　endeavour　to　rise　to　an　elevation　so
  sublime；　should　study　first　to　leave　behind　carnal　affections；
  the　frailty　of　the　senses；　the　passions　that　belong　to　matter；
  secondly；　to　learn　by　what　means　we　may　ascend　to　the　climax　of
  pure　intellect；　united　with　the　powers　above；　without　which　never
  can　we　gain　the　lore　of　secret　things；　nor　the　magic　that　effects
  true　wonders。Tritemius　〃On　Secret　Things　and　Secret　Spirits。〃
  It　wanted　still　many　minutes　of　midnight；　and　Glyndon　was　once
  more　in　the　apartment　of　the　mystic。　　He　had　rigidly　observed　the
  fast　ordained　to　him；　and　in　the　rapt　and　intense　reveries　into
  which　his　excited　fancy　had　plunged　him；　he　was　not　only
  insensible　to　the　wants　of　the　flesh；he　felt　above　them。
  Mejnour；　seated　beside　his　disciple；　thus　addressed　him：
  〃Man　is　arrogant　in　proportion　to　his　ignorance。　　Man's　natural
  tendency　is　to　egotism。　　Man；　in　his　infancy　of　knowledge；　thinks
  that　all　creation　was　formed　for　him。　　For　several　ages　he　saw　in
  the　countless　worlds　that　sparkle　through　space　like　the　bubbles
  of　a　shoreless　ocean　only　the　petty　candles；　the　household
  torches；　that　Providence　had　been　pleased　to　light　for　no　other
  purpose　but　to　make　the　night　more　agreeable　to　man。　　Astronomy
  has　corrected　this　delusion　of　human　vanity；　and　man　now
  reluctantly　confesses　that　the　stars　are　worlds　larger　and　more
  glorious　than　his　own；that　the　earth　on　which　he　crawls　is　a
  scarce　visible　speck　on　the　vast　chart　of　creation。　　But　in　the
  small　as　in　the　vast；　God　is　equally　profuse　of　life。　　The
  traveller　looks　upon　the　tree；　and　fancies　its　boughs　were　formed
  for　his　shelter　in　the　summer　sun；　or　his　fuel　in　the　winter
  frosts。　　But　in　each　leaf　of　these　boughs　the　Creator　has　made　a
  world；　it　swarms　with　innumerable　races。　　Each　drop　of　the　water
  in　yon　moat　is　an　orb　more　populous　than　a　kingdom　is　of　men。
  Everywhere；　then；　in　this　immense　design；　science　brings　new　life
  to　light。　　Life　is　the　one　pervading　principle；　and　even　the
  thing　that　seems　to　die　and　putrify　but　engenders　new　life；　and
  changes　to　fresh　forms　of　matter。　　Reasoning；　then；　by　evident
  analogy：　　if　not　a　leaf；　if　not　a　drop　of　water；　but　is；　no　less
  than　yonder　star；　a　habitable　and　breathing　world；nay；　if　even
  man　himself　is　a　world　to　other　lives；　and　millions　and　myriads
  dwell　in　the　rivers　of　his　blood；　and　inhabit　man's　frame　as　man
  inhabits　earth；　commonsense　（if　your　schoolmen　had　it）　would
  suffice　to　teach　that　the　circumfluent　infinite　which　you　call
  spacethe　countless　Impalpable　which　divides　earth　from　the　moon
  and　starsis　filled　also　with　its　correspondent　and　appropriate
  life。　　Is　it　not　a　visible　absurdity　to　suppose　that　being　is
  crowded　upon　every　leaf；　and　yet　absent　from　the　immensities　of
  space？　　The　law　of　the　Great　System　forbids　the　waste　even　of　an
  atom；　it　knows　no　spot　where　something　of　life　does　not　breathe。
  In　the　very　charnel…house　is　the　nursery　of　production　and
  animation。　　Is　that　true？　　Well；　then；　can　you　conceive　that
  space；　which　is　the　Infinite　itself；　is　alone　a　waste；　is　alone
  lifeless；　is　less　useful　to　the　one　design　of　universal　being
  than　the　dead　carcass　of　a　dog；　than　the　peopled　leaf；　than　the
  swarming　globule？　　The　microscope　shows　you　the　creatures　on　the
  leaf；　no　mechanical　tube　is　yet　invented　to　discover　the　nobler
  and　more　gifted　things　that　hover　in　the　illimitable　air。　　Yet
  between　these　last　and　man　is　a　mysterious　and　terrible　affinity。
  And　hence；　by　tales　and　legends；　not　wholly　false　nor　wholly
  true；　have　arisen　from　time　to　time；　beliefs　in　apparitions　and
  spectres。　　If　more　common　to　the　earlier　and　simpler　tribes　than
  to　the　men　of　your　duller　age；　it　is　but　that；　with　the　first；
  the　senses　are　more　keen　and　quick。　　And　as　the　savage　can　see　or
  scent　miles　away　the　traces　of　a　foe；　invisible　to　the　gross
  sense　of　the　civilised　animal；　so　the　barrier　itself　between　him
  and　the　creatures　of　the　airy　world　is　less　thickened　and
  obscured。　　Do　you　listen？〃
  〃With　my　soul！〃
  〃But　first；　to　penetrate　this　barrier；　the　soul　with　which　you
  listen　must　be　sharpened　by　intense　enthusiasm；　purified　from　all
  earthlier　desires。　　Not　without　reason　have　the　so…styled
  magicians；　in　all　lands　and　times；　insisted　on　chastity　and
  abstemious　reverie　as　the　communicants　of　inspiration。　　When　thus
  prepared；　science　can　be　brought　to　aid　it；　the　sight　itself　may
  be　rendered　more　subtle；　the　nerves　more　acute；　the　spirit　more
  alive　and　outward；　and　the　element　itselfthe　air；　the　space
  may　be　made；　by　certain　secrets　of　the　higher　chemistry；　more
  palpable　and　clear。　　And　this；　too；　is　not　magic；　as　the
  credulous　call　it；　as　I　have　so　often　said　before；　magic　（or
  science　that　violates　Nature）　exists　not：　　it　is　but　the　science
  by　which　Nature　can　be　controlled。　　Now；　in　space　there　are
  millions　of　beings　not　literally　spiritual；　for　they　have　all；
  like　the　animalculae　unseen　by　the　naked　eye；　certain　forms　of
  matter；　though　matter　so　delicate；　air…drawn；　and　subtle；　that　it
  is；　as　it　were；　but　a　film；　a　gossamer　that　clothes　the　spirit。
  Hence　the　Rosicrucian's　lovely　phantoms　of　sylph　and　gnome。　　Yet；
  in　truth；　these　races　and　tribes　differ　more　widely；　each　from
  each；　than　the　Calmuc　from　the　Greek；differ　in　attributes　and
  powers。　　In　the　drop　of　water　you　see　how　the　animalculae　vary；
  how　vast　and　terrib