the works of edgar allan poe-1-第25章

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is　therefore　neither　unbecoming　nor　over　large。　We　may；　however；　
presume　he　would　not　have　adopted　it　but　for　some　occasion　of　
especial　state。　Such；　you　will　allow；　is　the　massacre　of　a　thousand　
Jews。　With　how　superior　a　dignity　the　monarch　perambulates　on　all　
fours！　His　tail；　you　perceive；　is　held　aloft　by　his　two　principal　
concubines；　Elline　and　Argelais；　and　his　whole　appearance　would　be　
infinitely　prepossessing；　were　it　not　for　the　protuberance　of　his　
eyes；　which　will　certainly　start　out　of　his　head；　and　the　queer　color　
of　his　face；　which　has　become　nondescript　from　the　quantity　of　wine　
he　has　swallowed。　Let　us　follow　him　to　the　hippodrome；　whither　he　is　
proceeding；　and　listen　to　the　song　of　triumph　which　he　is　commencing：

Who　is　king　but　Epiphanes？

Say　　do　you　know？

Who　is　king　but　Epiphanes？

Bravo！　　bravo！

There　is　none　but　Epiphanes；

No　　there　is　none：

So　tear　down　the　temples；

And　put　out　the　sun！

Well　and　strenuously　sung！　The　populace　are　hailing　him　'Prince　of　
Poets；'　as　well　as　'Glory　of　the　East；'　'Delight　of　the　Universe；'　
and　'Most　Remarkable　of　Cameleopards。'　They　have　encored　his　
effusion；　and　do　you　hear？　　he　is　singing　it　over　again。　When　he　
arrives　at　the　hippodrome；　he　will　be　crowned　with　the　poetic　wreath；　
in　anticipation　of　his　victory　at　the　approaching　Olympics。

〃But；　good　Jupiter！　what　is　the　matter　in　the　crowd　behind　us？〃

Behind　us；　did　you　say？　　oh！　ah！　　I　perceive。　My　friend；　it　is　
well　that　you　spoke　in　time。　Let　us　get　into　a　place　of　safety　as　
soon　as　possible。　Here！　　let　us　conceal　ourselves　in　the　arch　of　
this　aqueduct；　and　I　will　inform　you　presently　of　the　origin　of　the　
commotion。　It　has　turned　out　as　I　have　been　anticipating。　The　
singular　appearance　of　the　cameleopard　and　the　head　of　a　man；　has；　it　
seems；　given　offence　to　the　notions　of　propriety　entertained；　in　
general；　by　the　wild　animals　domesticated　in　the　city。　A　mutiny　has　
been　the　result；　and；　as　is　usual　upon　such　occasions；　all　human　
efforts　will　be　of　no　avail　in　quelling　the　mob。　Several　of　the　
Syrians　have　already　been　devoured；　but　the　general　voice　of　the　
four…footed　patriots　seems　to　be　for　eating　up　the　cameleopard。　'The　
Prince　of　Poets；'　therefore；　is　upon　his　hinder　legs；　running　for　his　
life。　His　courtiers　have　left　him　in　the　lurch；　and　his　concubines　
have　followed　so　excellent　an　example。　'Delight　of　the　Universe；'　
thou　art　in　a　sad　predicament！　'Glory　of　the　East；'　thou　art　in　
danger　of　mastication！　Therefore　never　regard　so　piteously　thy　tail；　
it　will　undoubtedly　be　draggled　in　the　mud；　and　for　this　there　is　no　
help。　Look　not　behind　thee；　then；　at　its　unavoidable　degradation；　but　
take　courage；　ply　thy　legs　with　vigor；　and　scud　for　the　hippodrome！　
Remember　that　thou　art　Antiochus　Epiphanes。　Antiochus　the　
Illustrious！　　also　'Prince　of　Poets；'　'Glory　of　the　East；'　'Delight　
of　the　Universe；'　and　'Most　Remarkable　of　Cameleopards！'　Heavens！　
what　a　power　of　speed　thou　art　displaying！　What　a　capacity　for　
leg…bail　thou　art　developing！　Run；　Prince！　　Bravo；　Epiphanes！　Well　
done；　Cameleopard！　　Glorious　Antiochus！　　He　runs！　　he　leaps！　　
he　flies！　Like　an　arrow　from　a　catapult　he　approaches　the　hippodrome！　
He　leaps！　　he　shrieks！　　he　is　there！　This　is　well；　for　hadst　
thou；　'Glory　of　the　East；'　been　half　a　second　longer　in　reaching　the　
gates　of　the　Amphitheatre；　there　is　not　a　bear's　cub　in　Epidaphne　
that　would　not　have　had　a　nibble　at　thy　carcase。　Let　us　be　off　　let　
us　take　our　departure！　　for　we　shall　find　our　delicate　modern　ears　
unable　to　endure　the　vast　uproar　which　is　about　to　commence　in　
celebration　of　the　king's　escape！　Listen！　it　has　already　commenced。　
See！　　the　whole　town　is　topsy…turvy。

〃Surely　this　is　the　most　populous　city　of　the　East！　What　a　wilderness　
of　people！　what　a　jumble　of　all　ranks　and　ages！　what　a　multiplicity　
of　sects　and　nations！　what　a　variety　of　costumes！　what　a　Babel　of　
languages！　what　a　screaming　of　beasts！　what　a　tinkling　of　
instruments！　what　a　parcel　of　philosophers！〃

Come　let　us　be　off。

〃Stay　a　moment！　I　see　a　vast　hubbub　in　the　hippodrome；　what　is　the　
meaning　of　it；　I　beseech　you？〃

That？　　oh；　nothing！　The　noble　and　free　citizens　of　Epidaphne　being；　
as　they　declare；　well　satisfied　of　the　faith；　valor；　wisdom；　and　
divinity　of　their　king；　and　having；　moreover；　been　eye…witnesses　of　
his　late　superhuman　agility；　do　think　it　no　more　than　their　duty　to　
invest　his　brows　（in　addition　to　the　poetic　crown）　with　the　wreath　of　
victory　in　the　footrace　　a　wreath　which　it　is　evident　he　must　
obtain　at　the　celebration　of　the　next　Olympiad；　and　which；　therefore；　
they　now　give　him　in　advance。

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~

Footnotes　　　Four　Beasts

｛*1｝　Flavius　Vospicus　says；　that　the　hymn　here　introduced　was　sung　by　
the　rabble　upon　the　occasion　of　Aurelian；　in　the　Sarmatic　war；　having　
slain；　with　his　own　hand；　nine　hundred　and　fifty　of　the　enemy。

　


　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　MURDERS　IN　THE　RUE　MORGUE

What　song　the　Syrens　sang；　or　what　name　Achilles　assumed　when　he　hid　
himself　among　women；　although　puzzling　questions；　are　not　beyond　
_all_　conjecture。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　_Sir　Thomas　Browne。_

　
The　mental　features　discoursed　of　as　the　analytical；　are；　in　
themselves；　but　little　susceptible　of　analysis。　We　appreciate　them　
only　in　their　effects。　We　know　of　them；　among　other　things；　that　they　
are　always　to　their　possessor；　when　inordinately　possessed；　a　source　
of　the　liveliest　enjoyment。　As　the　strong　man　exults　in　his　physical　
ability；　delighting　in　such　exercises　as　call　his　muscles　into　
action；　so　glories　the　analyst　in　that　moral　activity　which　
_disentangles。_　He　derives　pleasure　from　even　the　most　trivial　
occupations　bringing　his　talent　into　play。　He　is　fond　of　enigmas；　of　
conundrums；　of　hieroglyphics；　exhibiting　in　his　solutions　of　each　a　
degree　of　_acumen_　which　appears　to　the　ordinary　apprehension　
pr鎡ernatural。　His　results；　brought　about　by　the　very　soul　and　
essence　of　method；　have；　in　truth；　the　whole　air　of　intuition。

The　faculty　of　re…solution　is　possibly　much　invigorated　by　
mathematical　study；　and　especially　by　that　highest　branch　of　it　
which；　unjustly；　and　merely　on　account　of　its　retrograde　operations；　
has　been　called；　as　if　_par　excellence_；　analysis。　Yet　to　calculate　
is　not　in　itself　to　analyse。　A　chess…player；　for　example；　does　the　
one　without　effort　at　the　other。　It　follows　that　the　game　of　chess；　
in　its　effects　upon　mental　character；　is　greatly　misunderstood。　I　am　
not　now　writing　a　treatise；　but　simply　prefacing　a　somewhat　peculiar　
narrative　by　observations　very　much　at　random；　I　will；　therefore；　
take　occasion　to　assert　that　the　higher　powers　of　the　reflective　
intellect　are　more　decidedly　and　more　usefully　tasked　by　the　
unostentatious　game　of　draughts　than　by　a　the　elaborate　frivolity　of　
chess。　In　this　latter；　where　the　pieces　have　different　and　_bizarre_　
motions；　with　various　and　variable　values；　what　is　only　complex　is　
mistaken　（a　not　unusual　error）　for　what　is　profound。　The　_attention_　
is　here　called　powerfully　into　play。　If　it　flag　for　an　instant；　an　
oversight　is　committed　resulting　in　injury　or　defeat。　The　possible　
moves　being　not　only　manifold　but　involute；　the　chances　of　such　
oversights　are　multiplied；　and　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　it　is　the　
more　concentrative　rather　than　the　more　acute　player　who　conquers。　In　
draughts；　on　the　contrary；　where　the　moves　are　_unique_　and　have　but　
little　variation；　the　probabilities　of　inadvertence　are　diminished；　
and　the　mere　attention　being　left　comparatively　unemployed；　what　
advantages　are　obtained　by　either　party　are　obtained　by　superior　
_acumen_。　To　be　less　abstract　…　Let　us　suppose　a　game　of　draughts　
where　the　pieces　are　reduced　to　four　kings；　and　where；　of　course；　no　
oversight　is　to　be　expected。　It　is　obvious　that　here　the　victory　can　
be　decided　（the　players　being　at　all　equal）　only　by　some　_recherch開　
movement；　the　result　of　some　strong　exertion　of　the　intellect。　
Deprived　of　ordinary　resources；　the　analyst　throws　himself　into　the　
spirit　of　his　opponent；　identifies　himself　therewith；　and　not　
unfrequently　sees　thus；　at　a　glance；　the　sole　methods　（sometime　
indeed　absurdly　simple　ones）　by　which　he　may　seduce　into　error　or　
hurry　into　miscalculation。

Whist　has　long　been　noted　for　its　influence　upon　what　is　termed　the　
calculating　power；　and　men　of　the　highest　order　of　intellect　have　
been　known　to　take　an　apparently　unaccountable　delight　in　it；　while　
eschewing　chess　as　frivolous。　Beyond　doubt　there　is　nothing　of　a　
similar　nature　so　greatly　tasking　the　faculty　of　analysis。　The　best　
chess…player　in　Christendom　_may_　be　little　more　than　the　best　player　
of　chess；　but　proficiency　in　whist　implies　capacity　for　success　in　
all　those　more　important　undertakings　where　mind　struggles　with　mind。　
When　I　say　proficiency；　I　mean　that　perfection　in　the　game　which　
includes　a　comprehension　of　_all_　the　sources　whence　legitimate　
advantage　may　be　derived。　These　are　not　only　manifold　but　multiform；　
and　lie　frequently　among　recesses　of　thought　altogether　inaccessible　
to　the　ordinary　understanding。　To　observe　attentively　is　to　remember　
distinctly；　and；　so　far；　the　concentrative　chess…player　will　do　very　
well　at　whist；　while　the　rules　of　Hoyle　（themselves　based　upon　the　
mere　mechanism　of　the　game）　are　sufficiently　and　generally　
comprehensible。　Thus　to　have　a　retentive　memory；　and　to　proceed　by　
〃the　book；〃　are　points　commonly　regarded　as　the　sum　total　of　good　
playing。　But　it　is　in　matters　beyond　the　limits　of　mere　rule　that　the　
skill　of　the　analyst　is　evinced。　He　makes；　in　silence；　a　host　of　
observations　and　inferences。　So；　perhaps；　do　his　companions；　and　the　
difference　in　the　extent　of　the　information　obtained；　lies　not　so　
much　in　the　validity　of　the　inference　as　in　the　quality　of　the　
observation。　The　necessary　knowledge　is　that　of　_what_　to　observe。　
Our　player　confines　himself　not　at　all；　nor；　because　the　game　is　the　
object；　does　he　reject　deductions　from　things　external　to　the　game。　
He　examines　the　countenance　of　his　partner；　comparing　it　carefully　
with　that　of　each　of　his　opponents。　He　considers　the　mode　of　
assorting　the　cards　in　each　hand；　often　counting　trump　by　trump；　and　
honor　by　honor；　through　the　glances　bestowed　by　their　holders　upon　
each。　He　notes　every　variation　of　face　as　the　play　progresses；　
gathering　a　fund　of　thought　from　the　differences　in　the　expression　of　
certainty；　of　surprise；　of　triumph；　or　of　chagrin。　From　the　manner　of　
gathering　up　a　trick　he　judges　whether　the　person　taking　it　can　make　
another　in　the　suit。　He　recognises　what　is　played　through　feint；　by　
the　air　with　which　it　is　thrown　upon　the　table。　A　casual　or　
inadvertent　word；　the　accidental　dropping　or　turning　of　a　card；　with　
the　accompanying　anxiety　or　carelessness　in　regard　to　its　
concealment；　the　counting　of　the　tricks；　with　the　order　of　their　
arrangement；　embarrassment；　hesitation；　eagerness　or　trepidation　…　
all　afford；　to　his　apparently　intuitive　perception；　indications　of　
the　true　state　of　affairs。　The　first　two　or　three　rounds　having　been　
played；　he　is　in　full　pos