the works of edgar allan poe-2-第13部分

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residence　at　Bremen；　and　often；　it　was　well　known；　he　had　been　put　to
extreme　shifts　in　order　to　raise　trifling　sums。　When　the　great
excitement　occurred　about　the　forgery　on　the　house　of　Gutsmuth　&　Co。；
suspicion　was　directed　toward　Von　Kempelen；　on　account　of　his　having
purchased　a　considerable　property　in　Gasperitch　Lane；　and　his
refusing；　when　questioned；　to　explain　how　he　became　possessed　of　the
purchase　money。　He　was　at　length　arrested；　but　nothing　decisive
appearing　against　him；　was　in　the　end　set　at　liberty。　The　police；
however；　kept　a　strict　watch　upon　his　movements；　and　thus　discovered
that　he　left　home　frequently；　taking　always　the　same　road；　and
invariably　giving　his　watchers　the　slip　in　the　neighborhood　of　that
labyrinth　of　narrow　and　crooked　passages　known　by　the　flash　name　of
the　'Dondergat。'　Finally；　by　dint　of　great　perseverance；　they　traced
him　to　a　garret　in　an　old　house　of　seven　stories；　in　an　alley　called
Flatzplatz；　　and；　coming　upon　him　suddenly；　found　him；　as　they
imagined；　in　the　midst　of　his　counterfeiting　operations。　His
agitation　is　represented　as　so　excessive　that　the　officers　had　not
the　slightest　doubt　of　his　guilt。　After　hand…cuffing　him；　they
searched　his　room；　or　rather　rooms；　for　it　appears　he　occupied　all
the　mansarde。

Opening　into　the　garret　where　they　caught　him；　was　a　closet；　ten　feet
by　eight；　fitted　up　with　some　chemical　apparatus；　of　which　the　object
has　not　yet　been　ascertained。　In　one　corner　of　the　closet　was　a　very
small　furnace；　with　a　glowing　fire　in　it；　and　on　the　fire　a　kind　of
duplicate　crucible　　two　crucibles　connected　by　a　tube。　One　of　these
crucibles　was　nearly　full　of　lead　in　a　state　of　fusion；　but　not
reaching　up　to　the　aperture　of　the　tube；　which　was　close　to　the　brim。
The　other　crucible　had　some　liquid　in　it；　which；　as　the　officers
entered；　seemed　to　be　furiously　dissipating　in　vapor。　They　relate
that；　on　finding　himself　taken；　Kempelen　seized　the　crucibles　with
both　hands　（which　were　encased　in　gloves　that　afterwards　turned　out
to　be　asbestic）；　and　threw　the　contents　on　the　tiled　floor。　It　was
now　that　they　hand…cuffed　him；　and　before　proceeding　to　ransack　the
premises　they　searched　his　person；　but　nothing　unusual　was　found
about　him；　excepting　a　paper　parcel；　in　his　coat…pocket；　containing
what　was　afterward　ascertained　to　be　a　mixture　of　antimony　and　some
unknown　substance；　in　nearly；　but　not　quite；　equal　proportions。　All
attempts　at　analyzing　the　unknown　substance　have；　so　far；　failed；　but
that　it　will　ultimately　be　analyzed；　is　not　to　be　doubted。

Passing　out　of　the　closet　with　their　prisoner；　the　officers　went
through　a　sort　of　ante…chamber；　in　which　nothing　material　was　found；
to　the　chemist's　sleeping…room。　They　here　rummaged　some　drawers　and
boxes；　but　discovered　only　a　few　papers；　of　no　importance；　and　some
good　coin；　silver　and　gold。　At　length；　looking　under　the　bed；　they
saw　a　large；　common　hair　trunk；　without　hinges；　hasp；　or　lock；　and
with　the　top　lying　carelessly　across　the　bottom　portion。　Upon
attempting　to　draw　this　trunk　out　from　under　the　bed；　they　found
that；　with　their　united　strength　（there　were　three　of　them；　all
powerful　men）；　they　'could　not　stir　it　one　inch。'　Much　astonished　at
this；　one　of　them　crawled　under　the　bed；　and　looking　into　the　trunk；
said：

'No　wonder　we　couldn't　move　it　　why　it's　full　to　the　brim　of　old
bits　of　brass！'

Putting　his　feet；　now；　against　the　wall　so　as　to　get　a　good　purchase；
and　pushing　with　all　his　force；　while　his　companions　pulled　with　an
theirs；　the　trunk；　with　much　difficulty；　was　slid　out　from　under　the
bed；　and　its　contents　examined。　The　supposed　brass　with　which　it　was
filled　was　all　in　small；　smooth　pieces；　varying　from　the　size　of　a
pea　to　that　of　a　dollar；　but　the　pieces　were　irregular　in　shape；
although　more　or　less　flat…looking；　upon　the　whole；　'very　much　as
lead　looks　when　thrown　upon　the　ground　in　a　molten　state；　and　there
suffered　to　grow　cool。'　Now；　not　one　of　these　officers　for　a　moment
suspected　this　metal　to　be　any　thing　but　brass。　The　idea　of　its　being
gold　never　entered　their　brains；　of　course；　how　could　such　a　wild
fancy　have　entered　it？　And　their　astonishment　may　be　well　conceived；
when　the　next　day　it　became　known；　all　over　Bremen；　that　the　'lot　of
brass'　which　they　had　carted　so　contemptuously　to　the　police　office；
without　putting　themselves　to　the　trouble　of　pocketing　the　smallest
scrap；　was　not　only　gold　　real　gold　　but　gold　far　finer　than　any
employed　in　coinage…gold；　in　fact；　absolutely　pure；　virgin；　without
the　slightest　appreciable　alloy。

I　need　not　go　over　the　details　of　Von　Kempelen's　confession　（as　far
as　it　went）　and　release；　for　these　are　familiar　to　the　public。　That
he　has　actually　realized；　in　spirit　and　in　effect；　if　not　to　the
letter；　the　old　chimaera　of　the　philosopher's　stone；　no　sane　person
is　at　liberty　to　doubt。　The　opinions　of　Arago　are；　of　course；
entitled　to　the　greatest　consideration；　but　he　is　by　no　means
infallible；　and　what　he　says　of　bismuth；　in　his　report　to　the
Academy；　must　be　taken　cum　grano　salis。　The　simple　truth　is；　that　up
to　this　period　all　analysis　has　failed；　and　until　Von　Kempelen
chooses　to　let　us　have　the　key　to　his　own　published　enigma；　it　is
more　than　probable　that　the　matter　will　remain；　for　years；　in　statu
quo。　All　that　as　yet　can　fairly　be　said　to　be　known　is；　that　'Pure
gold　can　be　made　at　will；　and　very　readily　from　lead　in　connection
with　certain　other　substances；　in　kind　and　in　proportions；　unknown。'

Speculation；　of　course；　is　busy　as　to　the　immediate　and　ultimate
results　of　this　discovery　　a　discovery　which　few　thinking　persons
will　hesitate　in　referring　to　an　increased　interest　in　the　matter　of
gold　generally；　by　the　late　developments　in　California；　and　this
reflection　brings　us　inevitably　to　another　　the　exceeding
inopportuneness　of　Von　Kempelen's　analysis。　If　many　were　prevented
from　adventuring　to　California；　by　the　mere　apprehension　that　gold
would　so　materially　diminish　in　value；　on　account　of　its
plentifulness　in　the　mines　there；　as　to　render　the　speculation　of
going　so　far　in　search　of　it　a　doubtful　one　　what　impression　will
be　wrought　now；　upon　the　minds　of　those　about　to　emigrate；　and
especially　upon　the　minds　of　those　actually　in　the　mineral　region；　by
the　announcement　of　this　astounding　discovery　of　Von　Kempelen？　a
discovery　which　declares；　in　so　many　words；　that　beyond　its　intrinsic
worth　for　manufacturing　purposes　（whatever　that　worth　may　be）；　gold
now　is；　or　at　least　soon　will　be　（for　it　cannot　be　supposed　that　Von
Kempelen　can　long　retain　his　secret）；　of　no　greater　value　than　lead；
and　of　far　inferior　value　to　silver。　It　is；　indeed；　exceedingly
difficult　to　speculate　prospectively　upon　the　consequences　of　the
discovery；　but　one　thing　may　be　positively　maintained　　that　the
announcement　of　the　discovery　six　months　ago　would　have　had　material
influence　in　regard　to　the　settlement　of　California。

In　Europe；　as　yet；　the　most　noticeable　results　have　been　a　rise　of
two　hundred　per　cent。　in　the　price　of　lead；　and　nearly　twenty…five
per　cent。　that　of　silver。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



MESMERIC　REVELATION

　　　　　WHATEVER　doubt　may　still　envelop　the　_rationale_　of　mesmerism；
its　startling　_facts_　are　now　almost　universally　admitted。　　Of　these
latter；　those　who　doubt；　are　your　mere　doubters　by　profession　…　an
unprofitable　and　disreputable　tribe。　　There　can　be　no　more　absolute
waste　of　time　than　the　attempt　to　_prove_；　at　the　present　day；　that
man；　by　mere　exercise　of　will；　can　so　impress　his　fellow；　as　to　cast
him　into　an　abnormal　condition；　of　which　the　phenomena　resemble　very
closely　those　of　_death_；　or　at　least　resemble　them　more　nearly　than
they　do　the　phenomena　of　any　other　normal　condition　within　our
cognizance　；　　that；　while　in　this　state；　the　person　so　impressed
employs　only　with　effort；　and　then　feebly；　the　external　organs　of
sense；　yet　perceives；　with　keenly　refined　perception；　and　through
channels　supposed　unknown；　matters　beyond　the　scope　of　the　physical
organs　；　　that；　moreover；　his　intellectual　faculties　are　wonderfully
exalted　and　invigorated　；　　that　his　sympathies　with　the　person　so
impressing　him　are　profound　；　　and；　finally；　that　his　susceptibility
to　the　impression　increases　with　its　frequency；　while；　in　the　same
proportion；　the　peculiar　phenomena　elicited　are　more　extended　and
more　_pronounced_。

　　　　　I　say　that　these　…　which　are　the　laws　of　mesmerism　in　its
general　features　…　it　would　be　supererogation　to　demonstrate　；　　nor
shall　I　inflict　upon　my　readers　so　needless　a　demonstration　；
to…day。　　My　purpose　at　present　is　a　very　different　one　indeed。　　I　am
impelled；　even　in　the　teeth　of　a　world　of　prejudice；　to　detail
without　comment　the　very　remarkable　substance　of　a　colloquy；
occurring　between　a　sleep…waker　and　myself。

　　　　　I　had　been　long　in　the　habit　of　mesmerizing　the　person　in
question；　（Mr。　Vankirk；）　and　the　usual　acute　susceptibility　and
exaltation　of　the　mesmeric　perception　had　supervened。　For　many　months
he　had　been　laboring　under　confirmed　phthisis；　the　more　distressing
effects　of　which　had　been　relieved　by　my　manipulations　；　　and　on　the
night　of　Wednesday；　the　fifteenth　instant；　I　was　summoned　to　his
bedside。

　　　　　The　invalid　was　suffering　with　acute　pain　in　the　region　of　the
heart；　and　breathed　with　great　difficulty；　having　all　the　ordinary
symptoms　of　asthma。　　In　spasms　such　as　these　he　had　usually　found
relief　from　the　application　of　mustard　to　the　nervous　centres；　but
to…night　this　had　been　attempted　in　vain。

　　　　　As　I　entered　his　room　he　greeted　me　with　a　cheerful　smile；　and
although　evidently　in　much　bodily　pain；　appeared　to　be；　mentally；
quite　at　ease。

　　　　　〃I　sent　for　you　to…night；〃　he　said；　〃not　so　much　to　administer
to　my　bodily　ailment；　as　to　satisfy　me　concerning　certain　psychal
impressions　which；　of　late；　have　occasioned　me　much　anxiety　and
surprise。　　I　need　not　tell　you　how　sceptical　I　have　hitherto　been　on
the　topic　of　the　soul's　immortality。　　I　cannot　deny　that　there　has
always　existed；　as　if　in　that　very　soul　which　I　have　been　denying；　a
vague　half…sentiment　of　its　own　existence。　　But　this　half…sentiment
at　no　time　amounted　to　convi