their　common　aspect　of　the　rugged　and　the　mean；　he　receded　from
  her　eyes；　and　the　outward　scene　was　commonplace　once　more。
  The　stranger　passed　on；　through　that　long　and　lovely　road　which
  reaches　at　last　the　palaces　that　face　the　public　gardens；　and
  conducts　to　the　more　populous　quarters　of　the　city。
  A　group　of　young；　dissipated　courtiers；　loitering　by　the　gateway
  of　a　house　which　was　open　for　the　favourite　pastime　of　the　day；
  the　resort　of　the　wealthier　and　more　high…born　gamesters；made
  way　for　him；　as　with　a　courteous　inclination　he　passed　them　by。
  〃Per　fede；〃　said　one；　〃is　not　that　the　rich　Zanoni；　of　whom　the
  town　talks？〃
  〃Ay；　they　say　his　wealth　is　incalculable！〃
  〃THEY　say；who　are　THEY？what　is　the　authority？　　He　has　not
  been　many　days　at　Naples；　and　I　cannot　yet　find　any　one　who　knows
  aught　of　his　birthplace；　his　parentage；　or；　what　is　more
  important；　his　estates！〃
  〃That　is　true；　but　he　arrived　in　a　goodly　vessel；　which　THEY　SAY
  is　his　own。　　See；no；　you　cannot　see　it　here；　but　it　rides
  yonder　in　the　bay。　　The　bankers　he　deals　with　speak　with　awe　of
  the　sums　placed　in　their　hands。〃
  〃Whence　came　he？〃
  〃From　some　seaport　in　the　East。　　My　valet　learned　from　some　of
  the　sailors　on　the　Mole　that　he　had　resided　many　years　in　the
  interior　of　India。〃
  〃Ah；　I　am　told　that　in　India　men　pick　up　gold　like　pebbles；　and
  that　there　are　valleys　where　the　birds　build　their　nests　with
  emeralds　to　attract　the　moths。　　Here　comes　our　prince　of
  gamesters；　Cetoxa；　be　sure　that　he　already　must　have　made
  acquaintance　with　so　wealthy　a　cavalier；　he　has　that　attraction
  to　gold　which　the　magnet　has　to　steel。　　Well；　Cetoxa；　what　fresh
  news　of　the　ducats　of　Signor　Zanoni？〃
  〃Oh；〃　said　Cetoxa；　carelessly；　〃my　friend〃
  〃Ha！　ha！　hear　him；　his　friend〃
  〃Yes；　my　friend　Zanoni　is　going　to　Rome　for　a　short　time；　when　he
  returns；　he　has　promised　me　to　fix　a　day　to　sup　with　me；　and　I
  will　then　introduce　him　to　you；　and　to　the　best　society　of
  Naples！　　Diavolo！　but　he　is　a　most　agreeable　and　witty
  gentleman！〃
  〃Pray　tell　us　how　you　came　so　suddenly　to　be　his　friend。〃
  〃My　dear　Belgioso；　nothing　more　natural。　　He　desired　a　box　at　San
  Carlo；　but　I　need　not　tell　you　that　the　expectation　of　a　new
  opera　（ah；　how　superb　it　is；that　poor　devil；　Pisani；　who　would
  have　thought　it？）　and　a　new　singer　（what　a　face；what　a　voice！
  ah！）　had　engaged　every　corner　of　the　house。　　I　heard　of　Zanoni's
  desire　to　honour　the　talent　of　Naples；　and；　with　my　usual
  courtesy　to　distinguished　strangers；　I　sent　to　place　my　box　at
  his　disposal。　　He　accepts　it；I　wait　on　him　between　the　acts；　he
  is　most　charming；　he　invites　me　to　supper。　　Cospetto；　what　a
  retinue！　　We　sit　late；I　tell　him　all　the　news　of　Naples；　we
  grow　bosom　friends；　he　presses　on　me　this　diamond　before　we
  part；is　a　trifle；　he　tells　me：　　the　jewellers　value　it　at　5000
  pistoles！the　merriest　evening　I　have　passed　these　ten　years。〃
  The　cavaliers　crowded　round　to　admire　the　diamond。
  〃Signor　Count　Cetoxa；〃　said　one　grave…looking　sombre　man；　who　had
  crossed　himself　two　or　three　times　during　the　Neapolitan's
  narrative；　〃are　you　not　aware　of　the　strange　reports　about　this
  person；　and　are　you　not　afraid　to　receive　from　him　a　gift　which
  may　carry　with　it　the　most　fatal　consequences？　　Do　you　not　know
  that　he　is　said　to　be　a　sorcerer；　to　possess　the　mal…occhio；
  to〃
  〃Prithee；　spare　us　your　antiquated　superstitions；〃　interrupted
  Cetoxa；　contemptuously。　　〃They　are　out　of　fashion；　nothing　now
  goes　down　but　scepticism　and　philosophy。　　And　what；　after　all；　do
  these　rumours；　when　sifted；　amount　to？　　They　have　no　origin　but
  this；a　silly　old　man　of　eighty…six；　quite　in　his　dotage；
  solemnly　avers　that　he　saw　this　same　Zanoni　seventy　years　ago　（he
  himself；　the　narrator；　then　a　mere　boy）　at　Milan；　when　this　very
  Zanoni；　as　you　all　see；　is　at　least　as　young　as　you　or　I；
  Belgioso。〃
  〃But　that；〃　said　the　grave　gentleman；〃THAT　is　the　mystery。　　Old
  Avelli　declares　that　Zanoni　does　not　seem　a　day　older　than　when
  they　met　at　Milan。　　He　says　that　even　then　at　Milanmark　this
  where；　though　under　another　name；　this　Zanoni　appeared　in　the
  same　splendour；　he　was　attended　also　by　the　same　mystery。　　And
  that　an　old　man　THERE　remembered　to　have　seen　him　sixty　years
  before；　in　Sweden。〃
  〃Tush；〃　returned　Cetoxa；　〃the　same　thing　has　been　said　of　the
  quack　Cagliostro；mere　fables。　　I　will　believe　them　when　I　see
  this　diamond　turn　to　a　wisp　of　hay。　　For　the　rest；〃　he　added
  gravely；　〃I　consider　this　illustrious　gentleman　my　friend；　and　a
  whisper　against　his　honour　and　repute　will　in　future　be
  equivalent　to　an　affront　to　myself。〃
  Cetoxa　was　a　redoubted　swordsman；　and　excelled　in　a　peculiarly
  awkward　manoeuvre；　which　he　himself　had　added　to　the　variations
  of　the　stoccata。　　The　grave　gentleman；　however　anxious　for　the
  spiritual　weal　of　the　count；　had　an　equal　regard　for　his　own
  corporeal　safety。　　He　contented　　himself　with　a　look　of
  compassion；　and；　turning　through　the　gateway；　ascended　the　stairs
  to　the　gaming…tables。
  〃Ha；　ha！〃　said　Cetoxa；　laughing；　〃our　good　Loredano　is　envious　of
  my　diamond。　　Gentlemen；　you　sup　with　me　to…night。　　I　assure　you　I
  never　met　a　more　delightful；　sociable；　entertaining　person；　than
  my　dear　friend　the　Signor　Zanoni。〃
  CHAPTER　1。V。
  Quello　Ippogifo；　grande　e　strano　augello
  Lo　porta　via。
  〃Orlando　Furioso；〃　c。　vi。　xviii。
  （That　hippogriff；　great　and　marvellous　bird；　bears　him　away。）
  And　now；　accompanying　this　mysterious　Zanoni；　am　I　compelled　to
  bid　a　short　farewell　to　Naples。　　Mount　behind　me；mount　on　my
  hippogriff；　reader；　settle　yourself　at　your　ease。　　I　bought　the
  pillion　the　other　day　of　a　poet　who　loves　his　comfort；　it　has
  been　newly　stuffed　for　your　special　accommodation。　　So；　so；　we
  ascend！　　Look　as　we　ride　aloft；look！never　fear；　hippogriffs
  never　stumble；　and　every　hippogriff　in　Italy　is　warranted　to
  carry　elderly　gentlemen；look　down　on　the　gliding　landscapes！
  There；　near　the　ruins　of　the　Oscan's　old　Atella；　rises　Aversa；
  once　the　stronghold　of　the　Norman；　there　gleam　the　columns　of
  Capua；　above　the　Vulturnian　Stream。　　Hail　to　ye；　cornfields　and
  vineyards　famous　for　the　old　Falernian！　　Hail　to　ye；　golden
  orange…groves　of　Mola　di　Gaeta！　　Hail　to　ye；　sweet　shrubs　and
  wild　flowers；　omnis　copia　narium；　that　clothe　the　mountain…skirts
  of　the　silent　Lautulae！　　Shall　we　rest　at　the　Volscian　Anxur；
  the　modern　Terracina；where　the　lofty　rock　stands　like　the　giant
  that　guards　the　last　borders　of　the　southern　land　of　love？　　Away；
  away！　and　hold　your　breath　as　we　flit　above　the　Pontine　Marshes。
  Dreary　and　desolate；　their　miasma　is　to　the　gardens　we　have
  passed　what　the　rank　commonplace　of　life　is　to　the　heart　when　it
  has　left　love　behind。
  Mournful　Campagna；　thou　openest　on　us　in　majestic　sadness。　　Rome；
  seven…hilled　Rome！　receive　us　as　Memory　receives　the　way…worn；
  receive　us　in　silence；　amidst　ruins！　　Where　is　the　traveller　we
  pursue？　　Turn　the　hippogriff　loose　to　graze：　　he　loves　the
  acanthus　that　wreathes　round　yon　broken　columns。　　Yes；　that　is
  the　arch　of　Titus；　the　conqueror　of　Jerusalem；that　the
  Colosseum！　　Through　one　passed　the　triumph　of　the　deified
  invader；　in　one　fell　the　butchered　gladiators。　　Monuments　of
  murder；　how　poor　the　thoughts；　how　mean　the　memories　ye　awaken；
  compared　with　those　that　speak　to　the　heart　of　man　on　the　heights
  of　Phyle；　or　by　thy　lone　mound；　grey　Marathon！　　We　stand　amidst
  weeds　and　brambles　and　long　waving　herbage。　　Where　we　stand
  reigned　Nero；here　were　his　tessellated　floors；　here；
  〃Mighty　in　the　heaven；　a　second　heaven；〃
  hung　the　vault　of　his　ivory　roofs；　here；　arch　upon　arch；　pillar
  on　pillar；　glittered　to　the　world　the　golden　palace　of　its
  master；the　Golden　House　of　Nero。　　How　the　lizard　watches　us
  with　his　bright；　timorous　eye！　　We　disturb　his　reign。　　Gather
  that　wild　flower：　　the　Golden　House　is　vanished；　but　the　wild
  flower　may　have　kin　to　those　which　the　stranger's　hand　scattered
  over　the　tyrant's　grave；　see；　over　this　soil；　the　grave　of　Rome；
  Nature　strews　the　wild　flowers　still！
  In　the　midst　of　this　desolation　is　an　old　building　of　the　middle
  ages。　　Here　dwells　a　singular　recluse。　　In　the　season　of　the
  malaria　the　native　peasant　flies　the　rank　vegetation　round；　but
  he；　a　stranger　and　a　foreigner；　no　associates；　no　companions；
  except　books　and　instruments　of　science。　　He　is　often　seen
  wandering　over　the　grass…grown　hills；　or　sauntering　through　the
  streets　of　the　new　city；　not　with　the　absent　brow　and　incurious
  air　of　students；　but　with　observant　piercing　eyes　that　seem　to
  dive　into　the　hearts　of　the　passers…by。　　An　old　man；　but　not
  infirm；erect　and　stately；　as　if　in　his　prime。　　None　know
  whether　he　be　rich　or　poor。　　He　asks　no　charity；　and　he　gives
  none；he　does　no　evil；　and　seems　to　confer　no　good。　　He　is　a　man
  who　appears　to　have　no　world　beyond　himself；　but　appearanc