anner.vittoriothevampire-第42部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


angels；　and　those　angels　too　have　always　for　one　instant　met　my　eyes　when　I　came　to　worship　before　those　canvases；　sad　and　brokenhearted　and　full　of　love　and　afraid。
　In　1469；　Filippo　died　in　the　town　of　Spoleto；　and　there　ended　the　life　of　one　of　the　greatest　painters　the　world　has　ever　known。　This　was　the　man　who　was　put　on　the　rack　for　fraud；　and　who　had　debauched　a　convent；　this　was　a　man　who　painted　Mary　as　the　frightened　Virgin；　as　the　Madonna　of　Christmas　Night；　as　the　Queen　of　Heaven；　as　the　Queen　of　All　Saints。
　And　I；　five　hundred　years　after；　have　never　strayed　too　far　from　that　city　which　gave　birth　to　Filippo　and　to　that　time　we　call　the　Age　of　Gold。　Gold。　That　is　what　I　see　when　I　look　at　you。
　That　is　what　I　see　when　I　look　at　any　man；　woman；　child。
　I　see　the　flaming　celestial　gold　that　Mastema　revealed　to　me。　I　see　it　surrounding　you；　and　holding　you；　encasing　you　and　dancing　with　you；　though　you　yourself　may　not　behold　it；　or　even　care。
　From　this　tower　tonight　in　Tuscany　I　look　out　over　the　land；　and　far　away；　deep　in　the　valleys；　I　see　the　gold　of　human　beings；　I　see　the　glowing　vitality　of　beating　souls。　So　you　have　my　story。　What　do　you　think？
　Do　you　not　see　a　strange　conflict　here？　Do　you　see　a　dilemma？　Let　me　put　it　to　you　this　way。
　Think　back　to　when　I　told　you　about　how　my　father　and　I　rode　through　the　woods　together　and　we　spoke　of　Fra　Filippo；　and　my　father　asked　me　what　it　was　that　drew　me　to　this　monk。　I　said　that　it　was　struggle　and　a　divided　nature　in　Filippo　which　so　attracted　me　to　him；　and　that　from　this　divided　nature；　this　conflict；　there　came　a　torment　to　the　faces　which　Filippo　rendered　in　paint。　Filippo　was　a　storm　unto　himself。　So　am　I。
　My　father；　a　man　of　calm　spirits　and　simpler　thoughts；　smiled　at　this。
　But　what　does　it　mean　in　relationship　to　this　tale？
　Yes；　I　am　a　vampire；　as　I　told　you；　I　am　a　thing　that　feeds　on　mortal　life。　I　exist　quietly；　contentedly　in　my　homeland；　in　the　dark　shadows　of　my　home　castle；　and　Ursula　is　with　me　as　always；　and　five　hundred　years　is　not　so　long　for　a　love　as　strong　as　ours。
　We　are　demons。　We　are　damned。　But　have　we　not　seen　and　understood　things；　have　I　not　written　things　here　that　are　of　value　to　you？　Have　I　not　rendered　a　conflict　so　full　of　torment　that　something　looms　here　which　is　full　of　brilliance　and　color；　not　unlike　Filippo's　work？　Have　I　not　embroidered；　interwoven　and　gilded；　have　I　not　bled？
　Look　at　my　story　and　tell　me　that　it　gives　you　nothing。　I　don't　believe　you　if　you　say　that。
　And　when　I　think　back　on　Filippo；　and　his　rape　of　Lucrezia；　and　all　his　other　tempestuous　sins；　how　can　I　separate　them　from　the　magnificence　of　his　paintings？　How　can　I　separate　the　violation　of　his　vows；　and　his　deceits　and　his　quarrels；　from　the　splendor　which　Filippo　gave　to　the　world？
　I　am　not　saying　I　am　a　great　painter。　I　am　not　such　a　fool。　But　I　say　that　out　of　my　pain；　out　of　my　folly；　out　of　my　passion　there　es　a　vision　…　a　vision　which　I　carry　with　me　eternally　and　which　I　offer　to　you。
　It　is　a　vision　of　every　human　being；　bursting　with　fire　and　with　mystery；　a　vision　I　cannot　deny；　nor　blot　out；　nor　ever　turn　away　from；　nor　ever　belittle　nor　ever　escape。　Others　write　of　doubt　and　darkness。　Others　write　of　meaninglessness　and　quiet。
　I　write　of　indefinable　and　celestial　gold　that　will　forever　burn　bright。
　I　write　of　blood　thirst　that　is　never　satisfied。　I　write　of　knowledge　and　its　price。
　Behold；　I　tell　you；　the　light　is　there　in　you。　I　see　it。　I　see　it　in　each　and　every　one　of　us；　and　will　always。　I　see　it　when　I　hunger；　when　I　struggle；　when　I　slaughter。　I　see　it　sputter　and　die　in　my　arms　when　I　drink。
　Can　you　imagine　what　it　would　be　like　for　me　to　kill　you？
　Pray　it　never　takes　a　slaughter　or　a　rape　for　you　to　see　this　light　in　those　around　you。　God　forbid　it　that　it　should　demand　such　a　price。　Let　me　pay　the　price　for　you　instead。
　
　THE　END
　
　
　SELECTED　AND　ANNOTATED　BIBLIOGRAPHY

　I　went　to　Florence　to　receive　this　manuscript　directly　from　Vittorio　di　Raniari。　It　was　my　fourth　visit　to　the　city；　and　it　was　with　Vittorio　that　I　decided　to　list　here　a　few　books　for　those　of　you　who　might　want　to　know　more　about　the　Age　of　Gold　in　Florence　and　about　Florence　itself。
　Let　me　remend　first　and　foremost；　and　above　all　others；　the　brilliant　Public　Life　in　Renaissance　Florence　by　Richard　C。　Trexler；　published　today　by　Cornell　University　Press。
　Professor　Trexler　has　also　written　other　wonderful　books　on　Italy；　but　this　book　is　a　particularly　rich　and　inspiring　one；　especially　for　me；　because　Professor　Trexler's　analyses　and　insights　regarding　Florence　have　helped　me　to　understand　my　own　city　of　New　Orleans；　Louisiana；　better　than　anything　directly　written　by　anyone　about　New　Orleans　itself。
　New　Orleans；　like　Florence；　is　a　city　of　public　spectacles；　rituals　and　feast　days；　of　demonstrations　of　munal　celebration　and　belief。　It　is　almost　impossible　to　realistically　explain　New　Orleans；　and　its　Mardi　Gras；　its　St。　Patrick's　Day　and　its　annual　Jazz　Fest；　to　those　who　have　not　been　here。　Professor　Trexler's　brilliant　scholarship　gave　me　tools　to　gather　thoughts　about　and　observations　pertaining　to　those　things　I　most　love。　Other　works　by　Professor　Trexler　include　his　Journey　of　the　Magi：　Meanings　in　History　of　a　Christian　Story；　a　work　only　recently　discovered　by　me。　Readers　familiar　with　my　previous　novels　might　remember　the　intense　and　blasphemously　fervent　relationship　between　my　character　the　vampire　Armand　and　the　Florentine　painting　The　Procession　of　the　Magi；　created　for　Piero　de'　Medici　by　Benozzo　Gozzoli；　which　can　be　seen　in　all　its　glory　in　Florence　today。
　On　the　subject　of　the　great　painter　Fra　Filippo　Lippi；　let　me　first　remend　his　biography　by　the　painter　Vasari　for　its　rich　though　unauthenticated　details。
　Also；　there　is　the　bright　and　shiny　book　Filippo　Lippi；　published　by　Scala；　text　by　Gloria　Fossi；　which　is　for　sale　in　numerous　translations　in　Florence　and　other　places　in　Italy　as　well。　The　only　other　book　of　which　I　know　that　is　exclusively　devoted　to　Filippo　is　the　immense　Fra　Filippo　Lippi　by　Jeffrey　Ruda；　subtitled　Life　and　Work；　with　a　plete　Catalogue。　It　is　published　by　Phaidon　Press　in　England　and　distributed　in　America　by　Harry　N。　Abrams。
　The　most　enjoyable　books　for　the　general　reader　that　I　have　read　on　Florence　and　on　the　Medici　have　been　by　Christopher　Hibbert；　including　his　Florence：　The　Biography　of　a　City；　published　by　Norton；　and　The　House　of　Medici：　Its　Rise　and　Fall；　published　by　Morrow。
　There　is　also　The　Medici　of　Florence：　A　Family　Portrait；　by　Emma　Micheletti；　published　by　Becocci　Editore。　The　Medici　by　James　Cleugh；　published　originally　in　1975；　is　available　now　through　Barnes　&　Noble。
　Popular　books　on　Florence　and　Tuscany　…　travelers'　observations；　loving　memoirs　and　tributes　…　abound。　Primary　sources　in　translation　…　that　is；　letters　and　diaries　and　histories　written　during　the　Renaissance　in　Florence　…　are　everywhere　on　library　and　bookstore　shelves。
　In　trying　to　render　correctly　Vittorio's　quotations　from　Aquinas；　I　used　the　translation　of　the　Summa　Theologica　by　Fathers　of　the　English　Dominican　Province。　In　dealing　with　St。　Augustine；　I　have　used　Henry　Bettenson's　translation　of　The　City　of　God；　published　by　Penguin　Books。
　I　caution　readers　to　avoid　abridged　versions　of　Augustine's　works。　Augustine　lived　in　a　pagan　world　where　the　most　theologically　scrupulous　Christians　still　believed　in　the　demonic　existence　of　fallen　pagan　gods。　To　understand　Florence　and　her　fifteenth…century　romance　with　the　joys　and　freedoms　of　a　classical　heritage；　one　must　read　Augustine　and　Aquinas　in　their　full　context。
　For　those　who　would　read　more　about　the　marvelous　museum　of　San　Marco；　there　are　countless　works　on　Fra　Angelico；　the　monastery's　most　famous　painter；　which　include　descriptions　and　details　regarding　the　building；　and　there　are　many　books　available　on　the　architecture　of　Florence　entire。　I　owe　a　debt　of　gratitude　not　only　to　the　museum　of　San　Marco　for　having　so　beautifully　preserved　the　architectural　work　of　Michelozzo；　so　praised　in　this　novel；　but　for　the　publications　readily　available　in　the　shop　there　on　monastery's　architecture　and　art。
　In　closing；　let　me　add　this：　if　Vittorio　were　asked　to　name　a　recording　of　Renaissance　music　which　best　captures　the　mood　of　the　High　Mass　and　munion　which　he　witnessed　at　the　Court　of　the　Ruby　Grail；　it　would　inevitably　be　the　All　Souls'　Vespers；　requiem　music　from　Cordoba　Cathedral；　performed　by　the　Orchestra　of　the　Renaissance　led　by　Richard　Cheetham　…　though　I　must　confess；　this　music　is　described　as　circa　1570　…　some　years　after　Vittorio's　fearful　ordeal。　The　recording　is　available　on　the　Veritas　label；　through　Virgin　Classics　London　and　New　York。
　In　closing　these　notes；　allow　me　one　final　quote　from　St。　Augustine's　The　City　of　God：
　For　God　would　never　have　created　a　man；　let　alone　an　angel；　in　the　foreknowledge　of　his　future　evil　state；　if　he　had　not　known　at　the　same　time　how　he　would　put　such　creatures　to　good　use；　and　thus　enrich　the　course　of　the　world　history　by　the　kind　of　antithesis　which　gives　beauty　to　a　poem。
　I　personally　do　not　know　whether　or　not　Augustine　is　ri