myself　ere　my　researches　had　made　it　mine；　thou　wouldst　have
  escaped　the　curse　of　which　thou　complainest　now；thou　wouldst
  not　have　mourned　over　the　brevity　of　human　affection　as　compared
  to　the　duration　of　thine　own　existence；　for　thou　wouldst　have
  survived　the　very　desire　and　dream　of　the　love　of　woman。
  Brightest；　and；　but　for　that　error；　perhaps　the　loftiest；　of　the
  secret　and　solemn　race　that　fills　up　the　interval　in　creation
  between　mankind　and　the　children　of　the　Empyreal；　age　after　age
  wilt　thou　rue　the　splendid　folly　which　made　thee　ask　to　carry　the
  beauty　and　the　passions　of　youth　into　the　dreary　grandeur　of
  earthly　immortality。〃
  〃I　do　not　repent；　nor　shall　I；〃　answered　Zanoni。　　〃The　transport
  and　the　sorrow；　so　wildly　blended；　which　have　at　intervals
  diversified　my　doom；　are　better　than　the　calm　and　bloodless　tenor
  of　thy　solitary　waythou；　who　lovest　nothing；　hatest　nothing；
  feelest　nothing；　and　walkest　the　world　with　the　noiseless　and
  joyless　footsteps　of　a　dream！〃
  〃You　mistake；〃　replied　he　who　had　owned　the　name　of　Mejnour；
  〃though　I　care　not　for　love；　and　am　dead　to　every　PASSION　that
  agitates　the　sons　of　clay；　I　am　not　dead　to　their　more　serene
  enjoyments。　　I　carry　down　the　stream　of　the　countless　years；　not
  the　turbulent　desires　of　youth；　but　the　calm　and　spiritual
  delights　of　age。　　Wisely　and　deliberately　I　abandoned　youth
  forever　when　I　separated　my　lot　from　men。　　Let　us　not　envy　or
  reproach　each　other。　　I　would　have　saved　this　Neapolitan；　Zanoni
  （since　so　it　now　pleases　thee　to　be　called）；　partly　because　his
  grandsire　was　but　divided　by　the　last　airy　barrier　from　our　own
  brotherhood；　partly　because　I　know　that　in　the　man　himself　lurk
  the　elements　of　ancestral　courage　and　power；　which　in　earlier
  life　would　have　fitted　him　for　one　of　us。　　Earth　holds　but　few　to
  whom　Nature　has　given　the　qualities　that　can　bear　the　ordeal。
  But　time　and　excess；　that　have　quickened　his　grosser　senses；　have
  blunted　his　imagination。　　I　relinquish　him　to　his　doom。〃
  〃And　still；　then；　Mejnour；　you　cherish　the　desire　to　revive　our
  order；　limited　now　to　ourselves　alone；　by　new　converts　and
  allies。　　Surelysurelythy　experience　might　have　taught　thee；
  that　scarcely　once　in　a　thousand　years　is　born　the　being　who　can
  pass　through　the　horrible　gates　that　lead　into　the　worlds
  without！　　Is　not　thy　path　already　strewed　with　thy　victims？　　Do
  not　their　ghastly　faces　of　agony　and　fearthe　blood…stained
  suicide；　the　raving　maniacrise　before　thee；　and　warn　what　is
  yet　left　to　thee　of　human　sympathy　from　thy　insane　ambition？〃
  〃Nay；〃　answered　Mejnour；　〃have　I　not　had　success　to
  counterbalance　failure？　　And　can　I　forego　this　lofty　and　august
  hope；　worthy　alone　of　our　high　condition；the　hope　to　form　a
  mighty　and　numerous　race　with　a　force　and　power　sufficient　to
  permit　them　to　acknowledge　to　mankind　their　majestic　conquests
  and　dominion；　to　become　the　true　lords　of　this　planet；　invaders；
  perchance；　of　others；　masters　of　the　inimical　and　malignant
  tribes　by　which　at　this　moment　we　are　surrounded：　　a　race　that
  may　proceed；　in　their　deathless　destinies；　from　stage　to　stage　of
  celestial　glory；　and　rank　at　last　amongst　the　nearest　ministrants
  and　agents　gathered　round　the　Throne　of　Thrones？　　What　matter　a
  thousand　victims　for　one　convert　to　our　band？　　And　you；　Zanoni；〃
  continued　Mejnour；　after　a　pause；〃you；　even　you；　should　this
  affection　for　a　mortal　beauty　that　you　have　dared；　despite
  yourself；　to　cherish；　be　more　than　a　passing　fancy；　should　it；
  once　admitted　into　your　inmost　nature；　partake　of　its　bright　and
  enduring　essence；even　you　may　brave　all　things　to　raise　the
  beloved　one　into　your　equal。　　Nay；　interrupt　me　not。　　Can　you　see
  sickness　menace　her；　danger　hover　around；　years　creep　on；　the
  eyes　grow　dim；　the　beauty　fade；　while　the　heart；　youthful　still；
  clings　and　fastens　round　your　own；can　you　see　this；　and　know　it
  is　yours　to〃
  〃Cease！〃　cried　Zanoni；　fiercely。　　〃What　is　all　other　fate　as
  compared　to　the　death　of　terror？　　What；　when　the　coldest　sage；
  the　most　heated　enthusiast；　the　hardiest　warrior　with　his　nerves
  of　iron；　have　been　found　dead　in　their　beds；　with　straining
  eyeballs　and　horrent　hair；　at　the　first　step　of　the　Dread
  Progress；thinkest　thou　that　this　weak　womanfrom　whose　cheek　a
  sound　at　the　window；　the　screech　of　the　night…owl；　the　sight　of　a
  drop　of　blood　on　a　man's　sword；　would　start　the　colourcould
  brave　one　glance　ofAway！　the　very　thought　of　such　sights　for
  her　makes　even　myself　a　coward！〃
  〃When　you　told　her　you　loved　her；when　you　clasped　her　to　your
  breast；　you　renounced　all　power　to　foresee　her　future　lot；　or
  protect　her　from　harm。　　Henceforth　to　her　you　are　human；　and
  human　only。　　How　know　you；　then；　to　what　you　may　be　tempted；　how
  know　you　what　her　curiosity　may　learn　and　her　courage　brave？　　But
  enough　of　this；you　are　bent　on　your　pursuit？〃
  〃The　fiat　has　gone　forth。〃
  〃And　to…morrow？〃
  〃To…morrow；　at　this　hour；　our　bark　will　be　bounding　over　yonder
  ocean；　and　the　weight　of　ages　will　have　fallen　from　my　heart！　　I
  compassionate　thee；　O　foolish　sage；THOU　hast　given　up　THY
  youth！〃
  CHAPTER　3。XVII。
  Alch：　　Thou　always　speakest　riddles。　　Tell　me　if　thou　art　that
  fountain　of　which　Bernard　Lord　Trevizan　writ？
  Merc：　　I　am　not　that　fountain；　but　I　am　the　water。　　The　fountain
  compasseth　me　about。
  Sandivogius；　〃New　Light　of　Alchymy。〃
  The　Prince　di　　was　not　a　man　whom　Naples　could　suppose　to　be
  addicted　to　superstitious　fancies。　　Still；　in　the　South　of　Italy；
  there　was　then；　and　there　still　lingers　a　certain　spirit　of
  credulity；　which　may；　ever　and　anon；　be　visible　amidst　the
  boldest　dogmas　of　their　philosophers　and　sceptics。　　In　his
  childhood；　the　prince　had　learned　strange　tales　of　the　ambition；
  the　genius；　and　the　career　of　his　grandsire；and　secretly；
  perhaps　influenced　by　ancestral　example；　in　earlier　youth　he
  himself　had　followed　science；　not　only　through　her　legitimate
  course；　but　her　antiquated　and　erratic　windings。　　I　have；　indeed；
  been　shown　in　Naples　a　little　volume；　blazoned　with　the　arms　of
  the　Visconti；　and　ascribed　to　the　nobleman　I　refer　to；　which
  treats　of　alchemy　in　a　spirit　half…mocking　and　half…reverential。
  Pleasure　soon　distracted　him　from　such　speculations；　and　his
  talents；　which　were　unquestionably　great；　were　wholly　perverted
  to　extravagant　intrigues；　or　to　the　embellishment　of　a　gorgeous
  ostentation　with　something　of　classic　grace。　　His　immense　wealth；
  his　imperious　pride；　his　unscrupulous　and　daring　character；　made
  him　an　object　of　no　inconsiderable　fear　to　a　feeble　and　timid
  court；　and　the　ministers　of　the　indolent　government　willingly
  connived　at　excesses　which　allured　him　at　least　from　ambition。
  The　strange　visit　and　yet　more　strange　departure　of　Mejnour
  filled　the　breast　of　the　Neapolitan　with　awe　and　wonder；　against
  which　all　the　haughty　arrogance　and　learned　scepticism　of　his
  maturer　manhood　combated　in　vain。　　The　apparition　of　Mejnour
  served；　indeed；　to　invest　Zanoni　with　a　character　in　which　the
  prince　had　not　hitherto　regarded　him。　　He　felt　a　strange　alarm　at
  the　rival　he　had　braved；at　the　foe　he　had　provoked。　　When；　a
  little　before　his　banquet；　he　had　resumed　his　self…possession；　it
  was　with　a　fell　and　gloomy　resolution　that　he　brooded　over　the
  perfidious　schemes　he　had　previously　formed。　　He　felt　as　if　the
  death　of　the　mysterious　Zanoni　were　necessary　for　the
  preservation　of　his　own　life；　and　if　at　an　earlier　period　of
  their　rivalry　he　had　determined　on　the　fate　of　Zanoni；　the
  warnings　of　Mejnour　only　served　to　confirm　his　resolve。
  〃We　will　try　if　his　magic　can　invent　an　antidote　to　the　bane；〃
  said　he；　half…aloud；　and　with　a　stern　smile；　as　he　summoned
  Mascari　to　his　presence。　　The　poison　which　the　prince；　with　his
  own　hands；　mixed　into　the　wine　intended　for　his　guest；　was
  compounded　from　materials；　the　secret　of　which　had　been　one　of
  the　proudest　heir…looms　of　that　able　and　evil　race　which　gave　to
  Italy　her　wisest　and　guiltiest　tyrants。　　Its　operation　was　quick
  yet　not　sudden：　　it　produced　no　pain；it　left　on　the　form　no
  grim　convulsion；　on　the　skin　no　purpling　spot；　to　arouse
  suspicion；　you　might　have　cut　and　carved　every　membrane　and　fibre
  of　the　corpse；　but　the　sharpest　eyes　of　the　leech　would　not　have
  detected　the　presence　of　the　subtle　life…queller。　　For　twelve
  hours　the　victim　felt　nothing　save　a　joyous　and　elated
  exhilaration　of　the　blood；　a　delicious　languor　followed；　the　sure
  forerunner　of　apoplexy。　　No　lancet　then　could　save！　　Apoplexy　had
  run　much　in　the　families　of　the　enemies　of　the　Visconti！
  The　hour　of　the　feast　arrived；the　guests　assembled。　　There　were
  the　flower　of　the　Neapolitan　seignorie；　the　descendants　of　the
  Norman；　the　Teuton；　the　Goth；　for　Naples　had　then　a　nobility；　but
  derived　it　from　the　North；　which　has　indeed　been　the　Nutrix
  Leonum；the　nurse　of　the　lion…hearted　chivalry　of　the　world。
  Las