the works of edgar allan poe-2-第7部分

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long　｛*4｝；　while　from　an　abyss　on　the　summit；　issued　so　vast　a
quantity　of　ashes　that　the　sun　was　entirely　blotted　out　from　the
heavens；　and　it　became　darker　than　the　darkest　midnight；　so　that　when
we　were　even　at　the　distance　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　the
mountain；　it　was　impossible　to　see　the　whitest　object；　however　close
we　held　it　to　our　eyes。'〃　｛*5｝

〃Hum！〃　said　the　king。

〃'After　quitting　this　coast；　the　beast　continued　his　voyage　until　we
met　with　a　land　in　which　the　nature　of　things　seemed　reversed　　for
we　here　saw　a　great　lake；　at　the　bottom　of　which；　more　than　a　hundred
feet　beneath　the　surface　of　the　water；　there　flourished　in　full　leaf
a　forest　of　tall　and　luxuriant　trees。'〃　｛*6｝

〃Hoo！〃　said　the　king。

〃Some　hundred　miles　farther　on　brought　us　to　a　climate　where　the
atmosphere　was　so　dense　as　to　sustain　iron　or　steel；　just　as　our　own
does　feather。'〃　｛*7）

〃Fiddle　de　dee；〃　said　the　king。

〃Proceeding　still　in　the　same　direction；　we　presently　arrived　at　the
most　magnificent　region　in　the　whole　world。　Through　it　there
meandered　a　glorious　river　for　several　thousands　of　miles。　This　river
was　of　unspeakable　depth；　and　of　a　transparency　richer　than　that　of
amber。　It　was　from　three　to　six　miles　in　width；　and　its　banks　which
arose　on　either　side　to　twelve　hundred　feet　in　perpendicular　height；
were　crowned　with　ever…blossoming　trees　and　perpetual　sweet…scented
flowers；　that　made　the　whole　territory　one　gorgeous　garden；　but　the
name　of　this　luxuriant　land　was　the　Kingdom　of　Horror；　and　to　enter
it　was　inevitable　death'〃　｛*8｝

〃Humph！〃　said　the　king。

〃'We　left　this　kingdom　in　great　haste；　and；　after　some　days；　came　to
another；　where　we　were　astonished　to　perceive　myriads　of　monstrous
animals　with　horns　resembling　scythes　upon　their　heads。　These　hideous
beasts　dig　for　themselves　vast　caverns　in　the　soil；　of　a　funnel
shape；　and　line　the　sides　of　them　with；　rocks；　so　disposed　one　upon
the　other　that　they　fall　instantly；　when　trodden　upon　by　other
animals；　thus　precipitating　them　into　the　monster's　dens；　where　their
blood　is　immediately　sucked；　and　their　carcasses　afterwards　hurled
contemptuously　out　to　an　immense　distance　from　〃the　caverns　of
death。〃'〃　｛*9｝

〃Pooh！〃　said　the　king。

〃'Continuing　our　progress；　we　perceived　a　district　with　vegetables
that　grew　not　upon　any　soil　but　in　the　air。　｛*10｝　There　were　others
that　sprang　from　the　substance　of　other　vegetables；　｛*11｝　others　that
derived　their　substance　from　the　bodies　of　living　animals；　｛*12｝　and
then　again；　there　were　others　that　glowed　all　over　with　intense　fire；
｛*13｝　others　that　moved　from　place　to　place　at　pleasure；　｛*14｝　and
what　was　still　more　wonderful；　we　discovered　flowers　that　lived　and
breathed　and　moved　their　limbs　at　will　and　had；　moreover；　the
detestable　passion　of　mankind　for　enslaving　other　creatures；　and
confining　them　in　horrid　and　solitary　prisons　until　the　fulfillment
of　appointed　tasks。'〃　｛*15｝

〃Pshaw！〃　said　the　king。

〃'Quitting　this　land；　we　soon　arrived　at　another　in　which　the　bees
and　the　birds　are　mathematicians　of　such　genius　and　erudition；　that
they　give　daily　instructions　in　the　science　of　geometry　to　the　wise
men　of　the　empire。　The　king　of　the　place　having　offered　a　reward　for
the　solution　of　two　very　difficult　problems；　they　were　solved　upon
the　spot　　the　one　by　the　bees；　and　the　other　by　the　birds；　but　the
king　keeping　their　solution　a　secret；　it　was　only　after　the　most
profound　researches　and　labor；　and　the　writing　of　an　infinity　of　big
books；　during　a　long　series　of　years；　that　the　men…mathematicians　at
length　arrived　at　the　identical　solutions　which　had　been　given　upon
the　spot　by　the　bees　and　by　the　birds。'〃　｛*16｝

〃Oh　my！〃　said　the　king。

〃'We　had　scarcely　lost　sight　of　this　empire　when　we　found　ourselves
close　upon　another；　from　whose　shores　there　flew　over　our　heads　a
flock　of　fowls　a　mile　in　breadth；　and　two　hundred　and　forty　miles
long；　so　that；　although　they　flew　a　mile　during　every　minute；　it
required　no　less　than　four　hours　for　the　whole　flock　to　pass　over　us
　in　which　there　were　several　millions　of　millions　of　fowl。'〃　｛*17｝

〃Oh　fy！〃　said　the　king。

〃'No　sooner　had　we　got　rid　of　these　birds；　which　occasioned　us　great
annoyance；　than　we　were　terrified　by　the　appearance　of　a　fowl　of
another　kind；　and　infinitely　larger　than　even　the　rocs　which　I　met　in
my　former　voyages；　for　it　was　bigger　than　the　biggest　of　the　domes　on
your　seraglio；　oh；　most　Munificent　of　Caliphs。　This　terrible　fowl　had
no　head　that　we　could　perceive；　but　was　fashioned　entirely　of　belly；
which　was　of　a　prodigious　fatness　and　roundness；　of　a　soft…looking
substance；　smooth；　shining　and　striped　with　various　colors。　In　its
talons；　the　monster　was　bearing　away　to　his　eyrie　in　the　heavens；　a
house　from　which　it　had　knocked　off　the　roof；　and　in　the　interior　of
which　we　distinctly　saw　human　beings；　who；　beyond　doubt；　were　in　a
state　of　frightful　despair　at　the　horrible　fate　which　awaited　them。
We　shouted　with　all　our　might；　in　the　hope　of　frightening　the　bird
into　letting　go　of　its　prey；　but　it　merely　gave　a　snort　or　puff；　as
if　of　rage　and　then　let　fall　upon　our　heads　a　heavy　sack　which　proved
to　be　filled　with　sand！'〃

〃Stuff！〃　said　the　king。

〃'It　was　just　after　this　adventure　that　we　encountered　a　continent　of
immense　extent　and　prodigious　solidity；　but　which；　nevertheless；　was
supported　entirely　upon　the　back　of　a　sky…blue　cow　that　had　no　fewer
than　four　hundred　horns。'〃　｛*18｝

〃That；　now；　I　believe；〃　said　the　king；　〃because　I　have　read　something
of　the　kind　before；　in　a　book。〃

〃'We　passed　immediately　beneath　this　continent；　（swimming　in　between
the　legs　of　the　cow；　and；　after　some　hours；　found　ourselves　in　a
wonderful　country　indeed；　which；　I　was　informed　by　the　man…animal；
was　his　own　native　land；　inhabited　by　things　of　his　own　species。　This
elevated　the　man…animal　very　much　in　my　esteem；　and　in　fact；　I　now
began　to　feel　ashamed　of　the　contemptuous　familiarity　with　which　I
had　treated　him；　for　I　found　that　the　man…animals　in　general　were　a
nation　of　the　most　powerful　magicians；　who　lived　with　worms　in　their
brain；　｛*19｝　which；　no　doubt；　served　to　stimulate　them　by　their
painful　writhings　and　wrigglings　to　the　most　miraculous　efforts　of
imagination！'〃

〃Nonsense！〃　said　the　king。

〃'Among　the　magicians；　were　domesticated　several　animals　of　very
singular　kinds；　for　example；　there　was　a　huge　horse　whose　bones　were
iron　and　whose　blood　was　boiling　water。　In　place　of　corn；　he　had
black　stones　for　his　usual　food；　and　yet；　in　spite　of　so　hard　a　diet；
he　was　so　strong　and　swift　that　he　would　drag　a　load　more　weighty
than　the　grandest　temple　in　this　city；　at　a　rate　surpassing　that　of
the　flight　of　most　birds。'〃　｛*20｝

〃Twattle！〃　said　the　king。

〃'I　saw；　also；　among　these　people　a　hen　without　feathers；　but　bigger
than　a　camel；　instead　of　flesh　and　bone　she　had　iron　and　brick；　her
blood；　like　that　of　the　horse；　（to　whom；　in　fact；　she　was　nearly
related；）　was　boiling　water；　and　like　him　she　ate　nothing　but　wood　or
black　stones。　This　hen　brought　forth　very　frequently；　a　hundred
chickens　in　the　day；　and；　after　birth；　they　took　up　their　residence
for　several　weeks　within　the　stomach　of　their　mother。'〃　｛*21｝

〃Fa！　lal！〃　said　the　king。

〃'One　of　this　nation　of　mighty　conjurors　created　a　man　out　of　brass
and　wood；　and　leather；　and　endowed　him　with　such　ingenuity　that　he
would　have　beaten　at　chess；　all　the　race　of　mankind　with　the
exception　of　the　great　Caliph；　Haroun　Alraschid。　｛*22｝　Another　of
these　magi　constructed　（of　like　material）　a　creature　that　put　to
shame　even　the　genius　of　him　who　made　it；　for　so　great　were　its
reasoning　powers　that；　in　a　second；　it　performed　calculations　of　so
vast　an　extent　that　they　would　have　required　the　united　labor　of
fifty　thousand　fleshy　men　for　a　year。　（*23｝　But　a　still　more
wonderful　conjuror　fashioned　for　himself　a　mighty　thing　that　was
neither　man　nor　beast；　but　which　had　brains　of　lead；　intermixed　with
a　black　matter　like　pitch；　and　fingers　that　it　employed　with　such
incredible　speed　and　dexterity　that　it　would　have　had　no　trouble　in
writing　out　twenty　thousand　copies　of　the　Koran　in　an　hour；　and　this
with　so　exquisite　a　precision；　that　in　all　the　copies　there　should
not　be　found　one　to　vary　from　another　by　the　breadth　of　the　finest
hair。　This　thing　was　of　prodigious　strength；　so　that　it　erected　or
overthrew　the　mightiest　empires　at　a　breath；　but　its　powers　were
exercised　equally　for　evil　and　for　good。'〃

〃Ridiculous！〃　said　the　king。

〃'Among　this　nation　of　necromancers　there　was　also　one　who　had　in　his
veins　the　blood　of　the　salamanders；　for　he　made　no　scruple　of　sitting
down　to　smoke　his　chibouc　in　a　red…hot　oven　until　his　dinner　was
thoroughly　roasted　upon　its　floor。　｛*24｝　Another　had　the　faculty　of
converting　the　common　metals　into　gold；　without　even　looking　at　them
during　the　process。　｛*25｝　Another　had　such　a　delicacy　of　touch　that
he　made　a　wire　so　fine　as　to　be　invisible。　｛*26｝　Another　had　such
quickness　of　perception　that　he　counted　all　the　separate　motions　of
an　elastic　body；　while　it　was　springing　backward　and　forward　at　the
rate　of　nine　hundred　millions　of　times　in　a　second。'〃　｛*27｝

〃Absurd！〃　said　the　king。

〃'Another　of　these　magicians；　by　means　of　a　fluid　that　nobody　ever
yet　saw；　could　make　the　corpses　of　his　friends　brandish　their　arms；
kick　out　their　legs；　fight；　or　even　get　up　and　dance　at　his　will。
｛*28｝　Another　had　cultivated　his　voice　to　so　great　an　extent　that　he
could　have　made　himself　heard　from　one　end　of　the　world　to　the　other。
｛*29｝　Another　had　so　long　an　arm　that　he　could　sit　down　in　Damascus
and　indite　a　letter　at　Bagdad　　or　indeed　at　any　distance
whatsoever。　｛*30｝　Another　commanded　the　lightning　to　come　down　to　him
out　of　the　heavens；　and　it　came　at　his　call；　and　served　him　for　a
plaything　when　it　came。　Another　took　two　loud　sounds　and　out　of　them
made　a　silence。　Another　constructed　a　deep　darkness　out　of　two
brilliant　lights。　｛*31｝　Another　made　ice　in　a　red…hot　furnace。　｛*32｝
Another　directed　the　sun　to　paint　his　portrait；　and　the　sun　did。
｛*33｝　Another　took　this　luminary　with　the　moon　and　the　planets；　and
having　first　weig