the works of edgar allan poe-2-第8部分

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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　weighed　them　with　scrupulous　accuracy；　probed　into　their
depths　and　found　out　the　solidity　of　the　substance　of　which　they　were
made。　But　the　whole　nation　is；　indeed；　of　so　surprising　a　necromantic
ability；　that　not　even　their　infants；　nor　their　commonest　cats　and
dogs　have　any　difficulty　in　seeing　objects　that　do　not　exist　at　all；
or　that　for　twenty　millions　of　years　before　the　birth　of　the　nation
itself　had　been　blotted　out　from　the　face　of　creation。〃'　｛*34｝

Analogous　experiments　in　respect　to　sound　produce　analogous　results。

〃Preposterous！〃　said　the　king。

〃'The　wives　and　daughters　of　these　incomparably　great　and　wise
magi；'〃　continued　Scheherazade；　without　being　in　any　manner　disturbed
by　these　frequent　and　most　ungentlemanly　interruptions　on　the　part　of
her　husband　　〃'the　wives　and　daughters　of　these　eminent　conjurers
are　every　thing　that　is　accomplished　and　refined；　and　would　be　every
thing　that　is　interesting　and　beautiful；　but　for　an　unhappy　fatality
that　besets　them；　and　from　which　not　even　the　miraculous　powers　of
their　husbands　and　fathers　has；　hitherto；　been　adequate　to　save。　Some
fatalities　come　in　certain　shapes；　and　some　in　others　　but　this　of
which　I　speak　has　come　in　the　shape　of　a　crotchet。'〃

〃A　what？〃　said　the　king。

〃'A　crotchet'〃　said　Scheherazade。　〃'One　of　the　evil　genii；　who　are
perpetually　upon　the　watch　to　inflict　ill；　has　put　it　into　the　heads
of　these　accomplished　ladies　that　the　thing　which　we　describe　as
personal　beauty　consists　altogether　in　the　protuberance　of　the　region
which　lies　not　very　far　below　the　small　of　the　back。　Perfection　of
loveliness；　they　say；　is　in　the　direct　ratio　of　the　extent　of　this
lump。　Having　been　long　possessed　of　this　idea；　and　bolsters　being
cheap　in　that　country；　the　days　have　long　gone　by　since　it　was
possible　to　distinguish　a　woman　from　a　dromedary…'〃

〃Stop！〃　said　the　king　　〃I　can't　stand　that；　and　I　won't。　You　have
already　given　me　a　dreadful　headache　with　your　lies。　The　day；　too；　I
perceive；　is　beginning　to　break。　How　long　have　we　been　married？　　my
conscience　is　getting　to　be　troublesome　again。　And　then　that
dromedary　touch　　do　you　take　me　for　a　fool？　Upon　the　whole；　you
might　as　well　get　up　and　be　throttled。〃

These　words；　as　I　learn　from　the　〃Isitsoornot；〃　both　grieved　and
astonished　Scheherazade；　but；　as　she　knew　the　king　to　be　a　man　of
scrupulous　integrity；　and　quite　unlikely　to　forfeit　his　word；　she
submitted　to　her　fate　with　a　good　grace。　She　derived；　however；　great
consolation；　（during　the　tightening　of　the　bowstring；）　from　the
reflection　that　much　of　the　history　remained　still　untold；　and　that
the　petulance　of　her　brute　of　a　husband　had　reaped　for　him　a　most
righteous　reward；　in　depriving　him　of　many　inconceivable　adventures。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



A　DESCENT　INTO　THE　MAELSTR諱。

　　　　The　ways　of　God　in　Nature；　as　in　Providence；　are　not　as　_our_
ways　；　　nor　are　the　models　that　we　frame　any　way　commensurate　to　the
vastness；　profundity；　and　unsearchableness　of　His　works；　_which　have
a　depth　in　them　greater　than　the　well　of　Democritus_。　_Joseph
Glanville。　_　　　　　　　。
　　　WE　had　now　reached　the　summit　of　the　loftiest　crag。　For　some
minutes　the　old　man　seemed　too　much　exhausted　to　speak。

　　　　〃Not　long　ago；〃　said　he　at　length；　〃and　I　could　have　guided　you
on　this　route　as　well　as　the　youngest　of　my　sons　；　　but；　about　three
years　past；　there　happened　to　me　an　event　such　as　never　happened　to
mortal　man　…　or　at　least　such　as　no　man　ever　survived　to　tell　of　…
and　the　six　hours　of　deadly　terror　which　I　then　endured　have　broken
me　up　body　and　soul。　You　suppose　me　a　_very_　old　man　…　but　I　am　not。
It　took　less　than　a　single　day　to　change　these　hairs　from　a　jetty
black　to　white；　to　weaken　my　limbs；　and　to　unstring　my　nerves；　so
that　I　tremble　at　the　least　exertion；　and　am　frightened　at　a　shadow。
Do　you　know　I　can　scarcely　look　over　this　little　cliff　without
getting　giddy　？〃

　　　　The　〃little　cliff；〃　upon　whose　edge　he　had　so　carelessly　thrown
himself　down　to　rest　that　the　weightier　portion　of　his　body　hung　over
it；　while　he　was　only　kept　from　falling　by　the　tenure　of　his　elbow　on
its　extreme　and　slippery　edge　…　this　〃little　cliff〃　arose；　a　sheer
unobstructed　precipice　of　black　shining　rock；　some　fifteen　or　sixteen
hundred　feet　from　the　world　of　crags　beneath　us。　Nothing　would　have
tempted　me　to　within　half　a　dozen　yards　of　its　brink。　In　truth　so
deeply　was　I　excited　by　the　perilous　position　of　my　companion；　that　I
fell　at　full　length　upon　the　ground；　clung　to　the　shrubs　around　me；
and　dared　not　even　glance　upward　at　the　sky　…　while　I　struggled　in
vain　to　divest　myself　of　the　idea　that　the　very　foundations　of　the
mountain　were　in　danger　from　the　fury　of　the　winds。　It　was　long
before　I　could　reason　myself　into　sufficient　courage　to　sit　up　and
look　out　into　the　distance。

　　　　〃You　must　get　over　these　fancies；〃　said　the　guide；　〃for　I　have
brought　you　here　that　you　might　have　the　best　possible　view　of　the
scene　of　that　event　I　mentioned　…　and　to　tell　you　the　whole　story
with　the　spot　just　under　your　eye。〃

　　　　〃We　are　now；〃　he　continued；　in　that　particularizing　manner　which
distinguished　him　…　〃we　are　now　close　upon　the　Norwegian　coast　…　in
the　sixty…eighth　degree　of　latitude　…　in　the　great　province　of
Nordland　…　and　in　the　dreary　district　of　Lofoden。　The　mountain　upon
whose　top　we　sit　is　Helseggen；　the　Cloudy。　Now　raise　yourself　up　a
little　higher　…　hold　on　to　the　grass　if　you　feel　giddy　…　so　…　and
look　out；　beyond　the　belt　of　vapor　beneath　us；　into　the　sea。〃

　　　　I　looked　dizzily；　and　beheld　a　wide　expanse　of　ocean；　whose
waters　wore　so　inky　a　hue　as　to　bring　at　once　to　my　mind　the　Nubian
geographer's　account　of　the　_Mare　Tenebrarum_。　A　panorama　more
deplorably　desolate　no　human　imagination　can　conceive。　To　the　right
and　left；　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　there　lay　outstretched；　like
ramparts　of　the　world；　lines　of　horridly　black　and　beetling　cliff；
whose　character　of　gloom　was　but　the　more　forcibly　illustrated　by　the
surf　which　reared　high　up　against　its　white　and　ghastly　crest；
howling　and　shrieking　forever。　Just　opposite　the　promontory　upon
whose　apex　we　were　placed；　and　at　a　distance　of　some　five　or　six
miles　out　at　sea；　there　was　visible　a　small；　bleak…looking　island　；
or；　more　properly；　its　position　was　discernible　through　the
wilderness　of　surge　in　which　it　was　enveloped。　About　two　miles　nearer
the　land；　arose　another　of　smaller　size；　hideously　craggy　and　barren；
and　encompassed　at　various　intervals　by　a　cluster　of　dark　rocks。

　　　　The　appearance　of　the　ocean；　in　the　space　between　the　more
distant　island　and　the　shore；　had　something　very　unusual　about　it。
Although；　at　the　time；　so　strong　a　gale　was　blowing　landward　that　a
brig　in　the　remote　offing　lay　to　under　a　double…reefed　trysail；　and
constantly　plunged　her　whole　hull　out　of　sight；　still　there　was　here
nothing　like　a　regular　swell；　but　only　a　short；　quick；　angry　cross
dashing　of　water　in　every　direction　…　as　well　in　the　teeth　of　the
wind　as　otherwise。　Of　foam　there　was　little　except　in　the　immediate
vicinity　of　the　rocks。

　　　　〃The　island　in　the　distance；〃　resumed　the　old　man；　〃is　called　by
the　Norwegians　Vurrgh。　The　one　midway　is　Moskoe。　That　a　mile　to　the
northward　is　Ambaaren。　Yonder　are　Islesen；　Hotholm；　Keildhelm；
Suarven；　and　Buckholm。　Farther　off　…　between　Moskoe　and　Vurrgh　…　are
Otterholm；　Flimen；　Sandflesen；　and　Stockholm。　These　are　the　true
names　of　the　places　…　but　why　it　has　been　thought　necessary　to　name
them　at　all；　is　more　than　either　you　or　I　can　understand。　Do　you　hear
anything　？　Do　you　see　any　change　in　the　water　？〃

　　　　We　had　now　been　about　ten　minutes　upon　the　top　of　Helseggen；　to
which　we　had　ascended　from　the　interior　of　Lofoden；　so　that　we　had
caught　no　glimpse　of　the　sea　until　it　had　burst　upon　us　from　the
summit。　As　the　old　man　spoke；　I　became　aware　of　a　loud　and　gradually
increasing　sound；　like　the　moaning　of　a　vast　herd　of　buffaloes　upon
an　American　prairie；　and　at　the　same　moment　I　perceived　that　what
seamen　term　the　_chopping_　character　of　the　ocean　beneath　us；　was
rapidly　changing　into　a　current　which　set　to　the　eastward。　Even　while
I　gazed；　this　current　acquired　a　monstrous　velocity。　Each　moment
added　to　its　speed　…　to　its　headlong　impetuosity。　In　five　minutes　the
whole　sea；　as　far　as　Vurrgh；　was　lashed　into　ungovernable　fury　；　　but
it　was　between　Moskoe　and　the　coast　that　the　main　uproar　held　its
sway。　Here　the　vast　bed　of　the　waters；　seamed　and　scarred　into　a
thousand　conflicting　channels；　burst　suddenly　into　phrensied
convulsion　…　heaving；　boiling；　hissing　…　gyrating　in　gigantic　and
innumerable　vortices；　and　all　whirling　and　plunging　on　to　the
eastward　with　a　rapidity　which　water　never　elsewhere　assumes　except
in　precipitous　descents。

　　　　In　a　few　minutes　more；　there　came　over　the　scene　another　radical
alteration。　The　general　surface　grew　somewhat　more　smooth；　and　the
whirlpools；　one　by　one；　disappeared；　while　prodigious　streaks　of　foam
became　apparent　where　none　had　been　seen　before。　These　streaks；　at
length；　spreading　out　to　a　great　distance；　and　entering　into
combination；　took　unto　themselves　the　gyratory　motion　of　the　subsided
vortices；　and　seemed　to　form　the　germ　of　another　more　vast。　Suddenly
…　very　suddenly　…　this　assumed　a　distinct　and　definite　existence；　in
a　circle　of　more　than　a　mile　in　diameter。　The　edge　of　the　whirl　was
represented　by　a　broad　belt　of　gleaming　spray　；　　but　no　particle　of
this　slipped　into　the　mouth　of　the　terrific　funnel；　whose　interior；
as　far　as　the　eye　could　fathom　it；　was　a　smooth；　shining；　and
jet…black　wall　of　water；　inclined　to　the　horizon　at　an　angle　of　some
forty…five　degrees；　speeding　dizzily　round　and　round　with　a　swaying
and　sweltering　motion；　and　sending　forth　to　the　winds　an　appalling
voice；　half　shriek；　half　roar；　such　as　not　even　the　mighty　cataract
of　Niagara　ever　lifts　up　in　its　agony　to　Heaven。

　　　　The　mountain　trembled　to　its　very　base；　and　the　rock　rocked。　I
threw　myself　upon　my　face；　and　clung　to　the　scant　herbage　in　an
ex