to　resign　to　thee　the　heart　that　was　mighty　enough；　while　mine；
  Glyndon；　to　content　me？　　Was　it　not　thine　own　daring　and　resolute
  choice　to　brave　the　initiation！　　Of　thine　own　free　will　didst
  thou　make　Mejnour　thy　master；　and　his　lore　thy　study！〃
  〃But　whence　came　the　irresistible　desires　of　that　wild　and　unholy
  knowledge？　　I　knew　them　not　till　thine　evil　eye　fell　upon　me；　and
  I　was　drawn　into　the　magic　atmosphere　of　thy　being！〃
  〃Thou　errest！the　desires　were　in　thee；　and；　whether　in　one
  direction　or　the　other；　would　have　forced　their　way！　　Man！　thou
  askest　me　the　enigma　of　thy　fate　and　my　own！　　Look　round　all
  being；　is　there　not　mystery　everywhere？　　Can　thine　eye　trace　the
  ripening　of　the　grain　beneath　the　earth？　　In　the　moral　and　the
  physical　world　alike；　lie　dark　portents；　far　more　wondrous　than
  the　powers　thou　wouldst　ascribe　to　me！〃
  〃Dost　thou　disown　those　powers；　dost　thou　confess　thyself　an
  imposter？or　wilt　thou　dare　to　tell　me　that　thou　art　indeed　sold
  to　the　Evil　one；a　magician　whose　familiar　has　haunted　me　night
  and　day？〃
  〃It　matters　not　what　I　am；〃　returned　Zanoni；　〃it　matters　only
  whether　I　can　aid　thee　to　exorcise　thy　dismal　phantom；　and　return
  once　more　to　the　wholesome　air　of　this　common　life。　　Something；
  however；　will　I　tell　thee；　not　to　vindicate　myself；　but　the
  Heaven　and　the　Nature　that　thy　doubts　malign。〃
  Zanoni　paused　a　moment；　and　resumed　with　a　slight　smile；
  〃In　thy　younger　days　thou　hast　doubtless　read　with　delight　the
  great　Christian　poet；　whose　muse；　like　the　morning　it　celebrated；
  came　to　earth；　'crowned　with　flowers　culled　in　Paradise。'
  （'L'aurea　testa
  Di　rose　colte　in　Paradiso　infiora。'
  Tasso；　〃Ger。　Lib。〃　iv。　l。）
  〃No　spirit　was　more　imbued　with　the　knightly　superstitions　of　the
  time；　and　surely　the　Poet　of　Jerusalem　hath　sufficiently；　to
  satisfy　even　the　Inquisitor　he　consulted；　execrated　all　the
  practitioners　of　the　unlawful　spells　invoked；
  'Per　isforzar　Cocito　o　Flegetonte。'
  （To　constrain　Cocytus　or　Phlegethon。）
  But　in　his　sorrows　and　his　wrongs；　in　the　prison　of　his　madhouse；
  know　you　not　that　Tasso　himself　found　his　solace；　his　escape；　in
  the　recognition　of　a　holy　and　spiritual　Theurgia；of　a　magic
  that　could　summon　the　Angel；　or　the　Good　Genius；　not　the　Fiend？
  And　do　you　not　remember　how　he；　deeply　versed　as　he　was　for　his
  age；　in　the　mysteries　of　the　nobler　Platonism；　which　hints　at　the
  secrets　of　all　the　starry　brotherhoods；　from　the　Chaldean　to　the
  later　Rosicrucian；　discriminates　in　his　lovely　verse；　between　the
  black　art　of　Ismeno　and　the　glorious　lore　of　the　Enchanter　who
  counsels　and　guides　upon　their　errand　the　champions　of　the　Holy
  Land？　　HIS；　not　the　charms　wrought　by　the　aid　of　the　Stygian
  Rebels　（See　this　remarkable　passage；　which　does　indeed　not
  unfaithfully　represent　the　doctrine　of　the　Pythagorean　and　the
  Platonist；　in　Tasso；　cant。　xiv。　stanzas　xli。　to　xlvii。　（〃Ger。
  Lib。〃）　　They　are　beautifully　translated　by　Wiffen。）；　but　the
  perception　of　the　secret　powers　of　the　fountain　and　the　herb；
  the　Arcana　of　the　unknown　nature　and　the　various　motions　of　the
  stars。　　His；　the　holy　haunts　of　Lebanon　and　Carmel；beneath　his
  feet　he　saw　the　clouds；　the　snows；　the　hues　of　Iris；　the
  generations　of　the　rains　and　dews。　　Did　the　Christian　Hermit　who
  converted　that　Enchanter　（no　fabulous　being；　but　the　type　of　all
  spirit　that　would　aspire　through　Nature　up　to　God）　command　him　to
  lay　aside　these　sublime　studies；　'Le　solite　arte　e　l'　uso　mio'？
  No！　but　to　cherish　and　direct　them　to　worthy　ends。　　And　in　this
  grand　conception　of　the　poet　lies　the　secret　of　the　true
  Theurgia；　which　startles　your　ignorance　in　a　more　learned　day
  with　puerile　apprehensions；　and　the　nightmares　of　a　sick　man's
  dreams。〃
  Again　Zanoni　paused；　and　again　resumed：
  〃In　ages　far　remote；of　a　civilisation　far　different　from　that
  which　now　merges　the　individual　in　the　state；there　existed　men
  of　ardent　minds；　and　an　intense　desire　of　knowledge。　　In　the
  mighty　and　solemn　kingdoms　in　which　they　dwelt；　there　were　no
  turbulent　and　earthly　channels　to　work　off　the　fever　of　their
  minds。　　Set　in　the　antique　mould　of　casts　through　which　no
  intellect　could　pierce；　no　valour　could　force　its　way；　the　thirst
  for　wisdom　alone　reigned　in　the　hearts　of　those　who　received　its
  study　as　a　heritage　from　sire　to　son。　　Hence；　even　in　your
  imperfect　records　of　the　progress　of　human　knowledge；　you　find
  that；　in　the　earliest　ages；　Philosophy　descended　not　to　the
  business　and　homes　of　men。　　It　dwelt　amidst　the　wonders　of　the
  loftier　creation；　it　sought　to　analyse　the　formation　of　matter；
  the　essentials　of　the　prevailing　soul；　to　read　the　mysteries　of
  the　starry　orbs；　to　dive　into　those　depths　of　Nature　in　which
  Zoroaster　is　said　by　the　schoolmen　first　to　have　discovered　the
  arts　which　your　ignorance　classes　under　the　name　of　magic。　　In
  such　an　age；　then；　arose　some　men；　who；　amidst　the　vanities　and
  delusions　of　their　class；　imagined　that　they　detected　gleams　of　a
  brighter　and　steadier　lore。　　They　fancied　an　affinity　existing
  among　all　the　works　of　Nature；　and　that　in　the　lowliest　lay　the
  secret　attraction　that　might　conduct　them　upward　to　the　loftiest。
  （Agreeably；　it　would　seem；　to　the　notion　of　Iamblichus　and
  Plotinus；　that　the　universe　is　as　an　animal；　so　that　there　is
  sympathy　and　communication　between　one　part　and　the　other；　in　the
  smallest　part　may　be　the　subtlest　nerve。　　And　hence　the　universal
  magnetism　of　Nature。　　But　man　contemplates　the　universe　as　an
  animalcule　would　an　elephant。　　The　animalcule；　seeing　scarcely
  the　tip　of　the　hoof；　would　be　incapable　of　comprehending　that　the
  trunk　belonged　to　the　same　creature；that　the　effect　produced
  upon　one　extremity　would　be　felt　in　an　instant　by　the　other。）
  Centuries　passed；　and　lives　were　wasted　in　these　discoveries；　but
  step　after　step　was　chronicled　and　marked；　and　became　the　guide
  to　the　few　who　alone　had　the　hereditary　privilege　to　track　their
  path。
  At　last　from　this　dimness　upon　some　eyes　the　light　broke；　but
  think　not；　young　visionary；　that　to　those　who　nursed　unholy
  thoughts；　over　whom　the　Origin　of　Evil　held　a　sway；　that　dawning
  was　vouchsafed。　　It　could　be　given　then；　as　now；　only　to　the
  purest　ecstasies　of　imagination　and　intellect；　undistracted　by
  the　cares　of　a　vulgar　life；　or　the　appetites　of　the　common　clay。
  Far　from　descending　to　the　assistance　of　a　fiend；　theirs　was　but
  the　august　ambition　to　approach　nearer　to　the　Fount　of　Good；　the
  more　they　emancipated　themselves　from　this　limbo　of　the　planets；
  the　more　they　were　penetrated　by　the　splendour　and　beneficence　of
  God。　　And　if　they　sought；　and　at　last　discovered；　how　to　the　eye
  of　the　Spirit　all　the　subtler　modifications　of　being　and　of
  matter　might　be　made　apparent；　if　they　discovered　how；　for　the
  wings　of　the　Spirit；　all　space　might　be　annihilated；　and　while
  the　body　stood　heavy　and　solid　here；　as　a　deserted　tomb；　the
  freed　IDEA　might　wander　from　star　to　star；if　such　discoveries
  became　in　truth　their　own；　the　sublimest　luxury　of　their
  knowledge　was　but　this；　to　wonder；　to　venerate；　and　adore！　　For；
  as　one　not　unlearned　in　these　high　matters　has　expressed　it；
  'There　is　a　principle　of　the　soul　superior　to　all　external
  nature；　and　through　this　principle　we　are　capable　of　surpassing
  the　order　and　systems　of　the　world；　and　participating　the
  immortal　life　and　the　energy　of　the　Sublime　Celestials。　　When　the
  soul　is　elevated　to　natures　above　itself；　it　deserts　the　order　to
  which　it　is　awhile　compelled；　and　by　a　religious　magnetism　is
  attracted　to　another　and　a　loftier；　with　which　it　blends　and
  mingles。'　　（From　Iamblichus；　〃On　the　Mysteries；〃　c。　7；　sect。　7。）
  Grant；　then；　that　such　beings　found　at　last　the　secret　to　arrest
  death；　to　fascinate　danger　and　the　foe；　to　walk　the　revolutions
  of　the　earth　unharmed；think　you　that　this　life　could　teach　them
  other　desire　than　to　yearn　the　more　for　the　Immortal；　and　to　fit
  their　intellect　the　better　for　the　higher　being　to　which　they
  might；　when　Time　and　Death　exist　no　longer；　be　transferred？　　Away
  with　your　gloomy　fantasies　of　sorcerer　and　demon！the　soul　can
  aspire　only　to　the　light；　and　even　the　error　of　our　lofty
  knowledge　was　but　the　forgetfulness　of　the　weakness；　the
  passions；　and　the　bonds　which　the　death　we　so　vainly　conquered
  only　can　purge　away！〃
  This　address　was　so　different　from　what　Glyndon　had　anticipated；
  that　he　remained　for　some　moments　speechless；　and　at　length
  faltered　out；
  〃But　why；　then；　to　me〃
  〃Why；〃　added　Zanoni；〃why　to　thee　have　been　only　the　penance　and
  the　terror；the　Threshold　and　the　Phantom？　　Vain　man！　look　to
  the　commonest　elements　of　the　common　learning。　　Can　every　tyro　at
  his　mere　wish　and　will　become　the　master；　can　the　student；　when
  he　has　bought　his　Euclid；　become　a　Newton；　can　the　youth　whom　the
  Muses　haunt；　say；　'I　will　equal　Homer；'　yea；　can　yon　pale　tyrant；
  with　all　the　parchment　laws　of　a　hundred　syste