the works of edgar allan poe-1-第6章

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Rotterdam；　and　some　people　went　so　far　as　to　imagine　that　in　this　
spot　a　foul　murder　had　been　committed；　and　that　the　sufferers　were　in　
all　probability　Hans　Pfaall　and　his　associates。　But　to　return。

The　balloon　（for　such　no　doubt　it　was）　had　now　descended　to　within　a　
hundred　feet　of　the　earth；　allowing　the　crowd　below　a　sufficiently　
distinct　view　of　the　person　of　its　occupant。　This　was　in　truth　a　very　
droll　little　somebody。　He　could　not　have　been　more　than　two　feet　in　
height；　but　this　altitude；　little　as　it　was；　would　have　been　
sufficient　to　destroy　his　equilibrium；　and　tilt　him　over　the　edge　of　
his　tiny　car；　but　for　the　intervention　of　a　circular　rim　reaching　as　
high　as　the　breast；　and　rigged　on　to　the　cords　of　the　balloon。　The　
body　of　the　little　man　was　more　than　proportionately　broad；　giving　to　
his　entire　figure　a　rotundity　highly　absurd。　His　feet；　of　course；　
could　not　be　seen　at　all；　although　a　horny　substance　of　suspicious　
nature　was　occasionally　protruded　through　a　rent　in　the　bottom　of　the　
car；　or　to　speak　more　properly；　in　the　top　of　the　hat。　His　hands　were　
enormously　large。　His　hair　was　extremely　gray；　and　collected　in　a　cue　
behind。　His　nose　was　prodigiously　long；　crooked；　and　inflammatory；　
his　eyes　full；　brilliant；　and　acute；　his　chin　and　cheeks；　although　
wrinkled　with　age；　were　broad；　puffy；　and　double；　but　of　ears　of　any　
kind　or　character　there　was　not　a　semblance　to　be　discovered　upon　any　
portion　of　his　head。　This　odd　little　gentleman　was　dressed　in　a　loose　
surtout　of　sky…blue　satin；　with　tight　breeches　to　match；　fastened　
with　silver　buckles　at　the　knees。　His　vest　was　of　some　bright　yellow　
material；　a　white　taffety　cap　was　set　jauntily　on　one　side　of　his　
head；　and；　to　complete　his　equipment；　a　blood…red　silk　handkerchief　
enveloped　his　throat；　and　fell　down；　in　a　dainty　manner；　upon　his　
bosom；　in　a　fantastic　bow…knot　of　super…eminent　dimensions。

Having　descended；　as　I　said　before；　to　about　one　hundred　feet　from　
the　surface　of　the　earth；　the　little　old　gentleman　was　suddenly　
seized　with　a　fit　of　trepidation；　and　appeared　disinclined　to　make　
any　nearer　approach　to　terra　firma。　Throwing　out；　therefore；　a　
quantity　of　sand　from　a　canvas　bag；　which；　he　lifted　with　great　
difficulty；　he　became　stationary　in　an　instant。　He　then　proceeded；　in　
a　hurried　and　agitated　manner；　to　extract　from　a　side…pocket　in　his　
surtout　a　large　morocco　pocket…book。　This　he　poised　suspiciously　in　
his　hand；　then　eyed　it　with　an　air　of　extreme　surprise；　and　was　
evidently　astonished　at　its　weight。　He　at　length　opened　it；　and　
drawing　there　from　a　huge　letter　sealed　with　red　sealing…wax　and　tied　
carefully　with　red　tape；　let　it　fall　precisely　at　the　feet　of　the　
burgomaster；　Superbus　Von　Underduk。　His　Excellency　stooped　to　take　it　
up。　But　the　aeronaut；　still　greatly　discomposed；　and　having　
apparently　no　farther　business　to　detain　him　in　Rotterdam；　began　at　
this　moment　to　make　busy　preparations　for　departure；　and　it　being　
necessary　to　discharge　a　portion　of　ballast　to　enable　him　to　
reascend；　the　half　dozen　bags　which　he　threw　out；　one　after　another；　
without　taking　the　trouble　to　empty　their　contents；　tumbled；　every　
one　of　them；　most　unfortunately　upon　the　back　of　the　burgomaster；　and　
rolled　him　over　and　over　no　less　than　one…and…twenty　times；　in　the　
face　of　every　man　in　Rotterdam。　It　is　not　to　be　supposed；　however；　
that　the　great　Underduk　suffered　this　impertinence　on　the　part　of　the　
little　old　man　to　pass　off　with　impunity。　It　is　said；　on　the　
contrary；　that　during　each　and　every　one　of　his　one…and　twenty　
circumvolutions　he　emitted　no　less　than　one…and…twenty　distinct　and　
furious　whiffs　from　his　pipe；　to　which　he　held　fast　the　whole　time　
with　all　his　might；　and　to　which　he　intends　holding　fast　until　the　
day　of　his　death。

In　the　meantime　the　balloon　arose　like　a　lark；　and；　soaring　far　away　
above　the　city；　at　length　drifted　quietly　behind　a　cloud　similar　to　
that　from　which　it　had　so　oddly　emerged；　and　was　thus　lost　forever　to　
the　wondering　eyes　of　the　good　citiezns　of　Rotterdam。　All　attention　
was　now　directed　to　the　letter；　the　descent　of　which；　and　the　
consequences　attending　thereupon；　had　proved　so　fatally　subversive　of　
both　person　and　personal　dignity　to　his　Excellency；　the　illustrious　
Burgomaster　Mynheer　Superbus　Von　Underduk。　That　functionary；　however；　
had　not　failed；　during　his　circumgyratory　movements；　to　bestow　a　
thought　upon　the　important　subject　of　securing　the　packet　in　
question；　which　was　seen；　upon　inspection；　to　have　fallen　into　the　
most　proper　hands；　being　actually　addressed　to　himself　and　Professor　
Rub…a…dub；　in　their　official　capacities　of　President　and　
Vice…President　of　the　Rotterdam　College　of　Astronomy。　It　was　
accordingly　opened　by　those　dignitaries　upon　the　spot；　and　found　to　
contain　the　following　extraordinary；　and　indeed　very　serious；　
communications。

To　their　Excellencies　Von　Underduk　and　Rub…a…dub；　President　and　
Vice…President　of　the　States'　College　of　Astronomers；　in　the　city　of　
Rotterdam。

〃Your　Excellencies　may　perhaps　be　able　to　remember　an　humble　artizan；　
by　name　Hans　Pfaall；　and　by　occupation　a　mender　of　bellows；　who；　with　
three　others；　disappeared　from　Rotterdam；　about　five　years　ago；　in　a　
manner　which　must　have　been　considered　by　all　parties　at　once　sudden；　
and　extremely　unaccountable。　If；　however；　it　so　please　your　
Excellencies；　I；　the　writer　of　this　communication；　am　the　identical　
Hans　Pfaall　himself。　It　is　well　known　to　most　of　my　fellow　citizens；　
that　for　the　period　of　forty　years　I　continued　to　occupy　the　little　
square　brick　building；　at　the　head　of　the　alley　called　Sauerkraut；　in　
which　I　resided　at　the　time　of　my　disappearance。　My　ancestors　have　
also　resided　therein　time　out　of　mind　　they；　as　well　as　myself；　
steadily　following　the　respectable　and　indeed　lucrative　profession　of　
mending　of　bellows。　For；　to　speak　the　truth；　until　of　late　years；　
that　the　heads　of　all　the　people　have　been　set　agog　with　politics；　no　
better　business　than　my　own　could　an　honest　citizen　of　Rotterdam　
either　desire　or　deserve。　Credit　was　good；　employment　was　never　
wanting；　and　on　all　hands　there　was　no　lack　of　either　money　or　
good…will。　But；　as　I　was　saying；　we　soon　began　to　feel　the　effects　of　
liberty　and　long　speeches；　and　radicalism；　and　all　that　sort　of　
thing。　People　who　were　formerly；　the　very　best　customers　in　the　
world；　had　now　not　a　moment　of　time　to　think　of　us　at　all。　They　had；　
so　they　said；　as　much　as　they　could　do　to　read　about　the　revolutions；　
and　keep　up　with　the　march　of　intellect　and　the　spirit　of　the　age。　If　
a　fire　wanted　fanning；　it　could　readily　be　fanned　with　a　newspaper；　
and　as　the　government　grew　weaker；　I　have　no　doubt　that　leather　and　
iron　acquired　durability　in　proportion；　for；　in　a　very　short　time；　
there　was　not　a　pair　of　bellows　in　all　Rotterdam　that　ever　stood　in　
need　of　a　stitch　or　required　the　assistance　of　a　hammer。　This　was　a　
state　of　things　not　to　be　endured。　I　soon　grew　as　poor　as　a　rat；　and；　
having　a　wife　and　children　to　provide　for；　my　burdens　at　length　
became　intolerable；　and　I　spent　hour　after　hour　in　reflecting　upon　
the　most　convenient　method　of　putting　an　end　to　my　life。　Duns；　in　the　
meantime；　left　me　little　leisure　for　contemplation。　My　house　was　
literally　besieged　from　morning　till　night；　so　that　I　began　to　rave；　
and　foam；　and　fret　like　a　caged　tiger　against　the　bars　of　his　
enclosure。　There　were　three　fellows　in　particular　who　worried　me　
beyond　endurance；　keeping　watch　continually　about　my　door；　and　
threatening　me　with　the　law。　Upon　these　three　I　internally　vowed　the　
bitterest　revenge；　if　ever　I　should　be　so　happy　as　to　get　them　within　
my　clutches；　and　I　believe　nothing　in　the　world　but　the　pleasure　of　
this　anticipation　prevented　me　from　putting　my　plan　of　suicide　into　
immediate　execution；　by　blowing　my　brains　out　with　a　blunderbuss。　I　
thought　it　best；　however；　to　dissemble　my　wrath；　and　to　treat　them　
with　promises　and　fair　words；　until；　by　some　good　turn　of　fate；　an　
opportunity　of　vengeance　should　be　afforded　me。

〃One　day；　having　given　my　creditors　the　slip；　and　feeling　more　than　
usually　dejected；　I　continued　for　a　long　time　to　wander　about　the　
most　obscure　streets　without　object　whatever；　until　at　length　I　
chanced　to　stumble　against　the　corner　of　a　bookseller's　stall。　Seeing　
a　chair　close　at　hand；　for　the　use　of　customers；　I　threw　myself　
doggedly　into　it；　and；　hardly　knowing　why；　opened　the　pages　of　the　
first　volume　which　came　within　my　reach。　It　proved　to　be　a　small　
pamphlet　treatise　on　Speculative　Astronomy；　written　either　by　
Professor　Encke　of　Berlin　or　by　a　Frenchman　of　somewhat　similar　name。　
I　had　some　little　tincture　of　information　on　matters　of　this　nature；　
and　soon　became　more　and　more　absorbed　in　the　contents　of　the　book；　
reading　it　actually　through　twice　before　I　awoke　to　a　recollection　of　
what　was　passing　around　me。　By　this　time　it　began　to　grow　dark；　and　I　
directed　my　steps　toward　home。　But　the　treatise　had　made　an　indelible　
impression　on　my　mind；　and；　as　I　sauntered　along　the　dusky　streets；　I　
revolved　carefully　over　in　my　memory　the　wild　and　sometimes　
unintelligible　reasonings　of　the　writer。　There　are　some　particular　
passages　which　affected　my　imagination　in　a　powerful　and　
extraordinary　manner。　The　longer　I　meditated　upon　these　the　more　
intense　grew　the　interest　which　had　been　excited　within　me。　The　
limited　nature　of　my　education　in　general；　and　more　especially　my　
ignorance　on　subjects　connected　with　natural　philosophy；　so　far　from　
rendering　me　diffident　of　my　own　ability　to　comprehend　what　I　had　
read；　or　inducing　me　to　mistrust　the　many　vague　notions　which　had　
arisen　in　consequence；　merely　served　as　a　farther　stimulus　to　
imagination；　and　I　was　vain　enough；　or　perhaps　reasonable　enough；　to　
doubt　whether　those　crude　ideas　which；　arising　in　ill…regulated　
minds；　have　all　the　appearance；　may　not　often　in　effect　possess　all　
the　force；　the　reality；　and　other　inherent　properties；　of　instinct　or　
intuition；　whether；　to　proceed　a　step　farther；　profundity　itself　
might　not；　in　matters　of　a　purely　speculative　nature；　be　detected　as　
a　legitimate　source　of　falsity　and　error。　In　other　words；　I　believed；　
and　still　do　believe；　that　truth；　is　frequently　of　its　own　essence；　
superficial；　and　that；　in　many　cases；　the　depth　lies　more　in　the　
abysses　where　we　seek　her；　than　in　the　actual　situations　wherein　she　
may　be　found。　Nature　herself　seemed　to　afford　me　corroboration　of　
these　ideas。　In　the　contemplation　of　the　heavenly　bodies　it　struck　me　
forcibly　that　I　could　not　distinguish　a　star　with　nearly　as　much　
precision；　when　I　gazed　on　it　with　earnest；　direct　and　undeviating　
attention；　as　when　I　suffered　my　eye　only　to　glance　in　its　vicinity　
alone。　I　was　not；　of　course；　at　that　time　aware　that　this　apparent　
paradox　was　occasioned　by　the　center　of　the　visual　area　being　less　
susceptible　of　feeble　impressions　of　light　than　the　exterior　portions　
of　the　retina。　This　knowledge；　and　some　of　another　kind；　came　
afterwards　in　the　course　of　an　eventful　five　years；　during　which　I　
have　dropped　the　prejudices　of　my　f