thought；pure　intellect　without　affection；lives　on。
  Bulwer　has　himself　justly　characterised　this　work；　in　the
  Introduction；　as　a　romance　and　not　a　romance；　as　a　truth　for
  those　who　can　comprehend　it；　and　an　extravagance　for　those　who
  cannot。　　The　most　careless　or　matter…of…fact　reader　must　see　that
  the　work；　like　the　enigmatical　〃Faust；〃　deals　in　types　and
  symbols；　that　the　writer　intends　to　suggest　to　the　mind　something
  more　subtle　and　impalpable　than　that　which　is　embodied　to　the
  senses。　　What　that　something　is；　hardly　two　persons　will　agree。
  The　most　obvious　interpretation　of　the　types　is；　that　in　Zanoni
  the　author　depicts　to　us　humanity；　perfected；　sublimed；　which
  lives　not　for　self；　but　for　others；　in　Mejnour；　as　we　have　before
  said；　cold；　passionless；　self…sufficing　intellect；　in　Glyndon；
  the　young　Englishman；　the　mingled　strength　and　weakness　of　human
  nature；　in　the　heartless；　selfish　artist；　Nicot；　icy；　soulless
  atheism；　believing　nothing；　hoping　nothing；　trusting　and　loving
  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