the works of edgar allan poe-2-第37部分

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passed　with　him　some　wretched　years；　she　died；　…　　at　least　her
condition　so　closely　resembled　death　as　to　deceive　every　one　who　saw
her。　She　was　buried　…　　not　in　a　vault；　but　in　an　ordinary　grave　in
the　village　of　her　nativity。　Filled　with　despair；　and　still　inflamed
by　the　memory　of　a　profound　attachment；　the　lover　journeys　from　the
capital　to　the　remote　province　in　which　the　village　lies；　with　the
romantic　purpose　of　disinterring　the　corpse；　and　possessing　himself
of　its　luxuriant　tresses。　He　reaches　the　grave。　At　midnight　he
unearths　the　coffin；　opens　it；　and　is　in　the　act　of　detaching　the
hair；　when　he　is　arrested　by　the　unclosing　of　the　beloved　eyes。　In
fact；　the　lady　had　been　buried　alive。　Vitality　had　not　altogether
departed；　and　she　was　aroused　by　the　caresses　of　her　lover　from　the
lethargy　which　had　been　mistaken　for　death。　He　bore　her　frantically
to　his　lodgings　in　the　village。　He　employed　certain　powerful
restoratives　suggested　by　no　little　medical　learning。　In　fine；　she
revived。　She　recognized　her　preserver。　She　remained　with　him　until；
by　slow　degrees；　she　fully　recovered　her　original　health。　Her　woman's
heart　was　not　adamant；　and　this　last　lesson　of　love　sufficed　to
soften　it。　She　bestowed　it　upon　Bossuet。　She　returned　no　more　to　her
husband；　but；　concealing　from　him　her　resurrection；　fled　with　her
lover　to　America。　Twenty　years　afterward；　the　two　returned　to　France；
in　the　persuasion　that　time　had　so　greatly　altered　the　lady's
appearance　that　her　friends　would　be　unable　to　recognize　her。　They
were　mistaken；　however；　for；　at　the　first　meeting；　Monsieur　Renelle
did　actually　recognize　and　make　claim　to　his　wife。　This　claim　she
resisted；　and　a　judicial　tribunal　sustained　her　in　her　resistance；
deciding　that　the　peculiar　circumstances；　with　the　long　lapse　of
years；　had　extinguished；　not　only　equitably；　but　legally；　the
authority　of　the　husband。

The　〃Chirurgical　Journal〃　of　Leipsic　　a　periodical　of　high
authority　and　merit；　which　some　American　bookseller　would　do　well　to
translate　and　republish；　records　in　a　late　number　a　very　distressing
event　of　the　character　in　question。

An　officer　of　artillery；　a　man　of　gigantic　stature　and　of　robust
health；　being　thrown　from　an　unmanageable　horse；　received　a　very
severe　contusion　upon　the　head；　which　rendered　him　insensible　at
once；　the　skull　was　slightly　fractured；　but　no　immediate　danger　was
apprehended。　Trepanning　was　accomplished　successfully。　He　was　bled；
and　many　other　of　the　ordinary　means　of　relief　were　adopted。
Gradually；　however；　he　fell　into　a　more　and　more　hopeless　state　of
stupor；　and；　finally；　it　was　thought　that　he　died。

The　weather　was　warm；　and　he　was　buried　with　indecent　haste　in　one　of
the　public　cemeteries。　His　funeral　took　place　on　Thursday。　On　the
Sunday　following；　the　grounds　of　the　cemetery　were；　as　usual；　much
thronged　with　visiters；　and　about　noon　an　intense　excitement　was
created　by　the　declaration　of　a　peasant　that；　while　sitting　upon　the
grave　of　the　officer；　he　had　distinctly　felt　a　commotion　of　the
earth；　as　if　occasioned　by　some　one　struggling　beneath。　At　first
little　attention　was　paid　to　the　man's　asseveration；　but　his　evident
terror；　and　the　dogged　obstinacy　with　which　he　persisted　in　his
story；　had　at　length　their　natural　effect　upon　the　crowd。　Spades　were
hurriedly　procured；　and　the　grave；　which　was　shamefully　shallow；　was
in　a　few　minutes　so　far　thrown　open　that　the　head　of　its　occupant
appeared。　He　was　then　seemingly　dead；　but　he　sat　nearly　erect　within
his　coffin；　the　lid　of　which；　in　his　furious　struggles；　he　had
partially　uplifted。

He　was　forthwith　conveyed　to　the　nearest　hospital；　and　there
pronounced　to　be　still　living；　although　in　an　asphytic　condition。
After　some　hours　he　revived；　recognized　individuals　of　his
acquaintance；　and；　in　broken　sentences　spoke　of　his　agonies　in　the
grave。

From　what　he　related；　it　was　clear　that　he　must　have　been　conscious
of　life　for　more　than　an　hour；　while　inhumed；　before　lapsing　into
insensibility。　The　grave　was　carelessly　and　loosely　filled　with　an
exceedingly　porous　soil；　and　thus　some　air　was　necessarily　admitted。
He　heard　the　footsteps　of　the　crowd　overhead；　and　endeavored　to　make
himself　heard　in　turn。　It　was　the　tumult　within　the　grounds　of　the
cemetery；　he　said；　which　appeared　to　awaken　him　from　a　deep　sleep；
but　no　sooner　was　he　awake　than　he　became　fully　aware　of　the　awful
horrors　of　his　position。

This　patient；　it　is　recorded；　was　doing　well　and　seemed　to　be　in　a
fair　way　of　ultimate　recovery；　but　fell　a　victim　to　the　quackeries　of
medical　experiment。　The　galvanic　battery　was　applied；　and　he　suddenly
expired　in　one　of　those　ecstatic　paroxysms　which；　occasionally；　it
superinduces。

The　mention　of　the　galvanic　battery；　nevertheless；　recalls　to　my
memory　a　well　known　and　very　extraordinary　case　in　point；　where　its
action　proved　the　means　of　restoring　to　animation　a　young　attorney　of
London；　who　had　been　interred　for　two　days。　This　occurred　in　1831；
and　created；　at　the　time；　a　very　profound　sensation　wherever　it　was
made　the　subject　of　converse。

The　patient；　Mr。　Edward　Stapleton；　had　died；　apparently　of　typhus
fever；　accompanied　with　some　anomalous　symptoms　which　had　excited　the
curiosity　of　his　medical　attendants。　Upon　his　seeming　decease；　his
friends　were　requested　to　sanction　a　post…mortem　examination；　but
declined　to　permit　it。　As　often　happens；　when　such　refusals　are　made；
the　practitioners　resolved　to　disinter　the　body　and　dissect　it　at
leisure；　in　private。　Arrangements　were　easily　effected　with　some　of
the　numerous　corps　of　body…snatchers；　with　which　London　abounds；　and；
upon　the　third　night　after　the　funeral；　the　supposed　corpse　was
unearthed　from　a　grave　eight　feet　deep；　and　deposited　in　the　opening
chamber　of　one　of　the　private　hospitals。

An　incision　of　some　extent　had　been　actually　made　in　the　abdomen；
when　the　fresh　and　undecayed　appearance　of　the　subject　suggested　an
application　of　the　battery。　One　experiment　succeeded　another；　and　the
customary　effects　supervened；　with　nothing　to　characterize　them　in
any　respect；　except；　upon　one　or　two　occasions；　a　more　than　ordinary
degree　of　life…likeness　in　the　convulsive　action。

It　grew　late。　The　day　was　about　to　dawn；　and　it　was　thought
expedient；　at　length；　to　proceed　at　once　to　the　dissection。　A
student；　however；　was　especially　desirous　of　testing　a　theory　of　his
own；　and　insisted　upon　applying　the　battery　to　one　of　the　pectoral
muscles。　A　rough　gash　was　made；　and　a　wire　hastily　brought　in
contact；　when　the　patient；　with　a　hurried　but　quite　unconvulsive
movement；　arose　from　the　table；　stepped　into　the　middle　of　the　floor；
gazed　about　him　uneasily　for　a　few　seconds；　and　then　　spoke。　What
he　said　was　unintelligible；　but　words　were　uttered；　the
syllabification　was　distinct。　Having　spoken；　he　fell　heavily　to　the
floor。

For　some　moments　all　were　paralyzed　with　awe　　but　the　urgency　of
the　case　soon　restored　them　their　presence　of　mind。　It　was　seen　that
Mr。　Stapleton　was　alive；　although　in　a　swoon。　Upon　exhibition　of
ether　he　revived　and　was　rapidly　restored　to　health；　and　to　the
society　of　his　friends　　from　whom；　however；　all　knowledge　of　his
resuscitation　was　withheld；　until　a　relapse　was　no　longer　to　be
apprehended。　Their　wonder　　their　rapturous　astonishment　　may　be
conceived。

The　most　thrilling　peculiarity　of　this　incident；　nevertheless；　is
involved　in　what　Mr。　S。　himself　asserts。　He　declares　that　at　no
period　was　he　altogether　insensible　　that；　dully　and　confusedly；　he
was　aware　of　everything　which　happened　to　him；　from　the　moment　in
which　he　was　pronounced　dead　by　his　physicians；　to　that　in　which　he
fell　swooning　to　the　floor　of　the　hospital。　〃I　am　alive；〃　were　the
uncomprehended　words　which；　upon　recognizing　the　locality　of　the
dissecting…room；　he　had　endeavored；　in　his　extremity；　to　utter。

It　were　an　easy　matter　to　multiply　such　histories　as　these　　but　I
forbear　　for；　indeed；　we　have　no　need　of　such　to　establish　the　fact
that　premature　interments　occur。　When　we　reflect　how　very　rarely；
from　the　nature　of　the　case；　we　have　it　in　our　power　to　detect　them；
we　must　admit　that　they　may　frequently　occur　without　our　cognizance。
Scarcely；　in　truth；　is　a　graveyard　ever　encroached　upon；　for　any
purpose；　to　any　great　extent；　that　skeletons　are　not　found　in
postures　which　suggest　the　most　fearful　of　suspicions。

Fearful　indeed　the　suspicion　　but　more　fearful　the　doom！　It　may　be
asserted；　without　hesitation；　that　no　event　is　so　terribly　well
adapted　to　inspire　the　supremeness　of　bodily　and　of　mental　distress；
as　is　burial　before　death。　The　unendurable　oppression　of　the　lungs　
the　stifling　fumes　from　the　damp　earth　　the　clinging　to　the　death
garments　　the　rigid　embrace　of　the　narrow　house　　the　blackness　of
the　absolute　Night　　the　silence　like　a　sea　that　overwhelms　　the
unseen　but　palpable　presence　of　the　Conqueror　Worm　　these　things；
with　the　thoughts　of　the　air　and　grass　above；　with　memory　of　dear
friends　who　would　fly　to　save　us　if　but　informed　of　our　fate；　and
with　consciousness　that　of　this　fate　they　can　never　be　informed　
that　our　hopeless　portion　is　that　of　the　really　dead　　these
considerations；　I　say；　carry　into　the　heart；　which　still　palpitates；
a　degree　of　appalling　and　intolerable　horror　from　which　the　most
daring　imagination　must　recoil。　We　know　of　nothing　so　agonizing　upon
Earth　　we　can　dream　of　nothing　half　so　hideous　in　the　realms　of　the
nethermost　Hell。　And　thus　all　narratives　upon　this　topic　have　an
interest　profound；　an　interest；　nevertheless；　which；　through　the
sacred　awe　of　the　topic　itself；　very　properly　and　very　peculiarly
depends　upon　our　conviction　of　the　truth　of　the　matter　narrated。　What
I　have　now　to　tell　is　of　my　own　actual　knowledge　　of　my　own
positive　and　personal　experience。

For　several　years　I　had　been　subject　to　attacks　of　the　singular
disorder　which　physicians　have　agreed　to　term　catalepsy；　in　default
of　a　more　definitive　title。　Although　both　the　immediate　and　the
predisposing　causes；　and　even　the　actual　diagnosis；　of　this　disease
are　still　mysterious；　its　obvious　and　apparent　character　is
sufficiently　well　understood。　Its　variations　seem　to　be　chiefly　of