the works of edgar allan poe-3-第37章

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south。'　It　should　be　observed　that　these　interpretations　confirm　the
opinion　of　Peters　in　regard　to　the　〃most　northwardly〃　of　the；
figures。　The　arm　is　outstretched　toward　the　south。

Conclusions　such　as　these　open　a　wide　field　for　speculation　and
exciting　conjecture。　They　should　be　regarded；　perhaps；　in　connection
with　some　of　the　most　faintly　detailed　incidents　of　the　narrative；
although　in　no　visible　manner　is　this　chain　of　connection　complete。
Tekeli…li！　was　the　cry　of　the　affrighted　natives　of　Tsalal　upon
discovering　the　carcase　of　the　_white　_animal　picked　up　at　sea。　This
also　was　the　shuddering　exclamatives　of　Tsalal　upon　discovering　the
carcass　of　the　_white　_materials　in　possession　of　Mr。　Pym。　This　also
was　the　shriek　of　the　swift…flying；　_white；　_and　gigantic　birds　which
issued　from　the　vapory　_white　_curtain　of　the　South。　Nothing　_white
_was　to　be　found　at　Tsalal；　and　nothing　otherwise　in　the　subsequent
voyage　to　the　region　beyond。　It　is　not　impossible　that　〃Tsalal；〃　the
appellation　of　the　island　of　the　chasms；　may　be　found；　upon　minute
philological　scrutiny；　to　betray　either　some　alliance　with　the　chasms
themselves；　or　some　reference　to　the　Ethiopian　characters　so
mysteriously　written　in　their　windings。

_〃I　have　graven　it　within　the　hills；　and　my　vengeance　upon　the　dust
within　the　rock。〃_

~~~　End　of　text　Chapter　25　~~~

Notes

｛*1｝　Whaling　vessels　are　usually　fitted　with　iron　oil…tanks…　why　the
_Grampus_　was　not　I　have　never　been　able　to　ascertain。

｛*2｝　The　case　of　the　brig　_Polly_；　of　Boston；　is　one　so　much　in
point；　and　her　fate；　in　many　respects；　so　remarkably　similar　to　our
own；　that　I　cannot　forbear　alluding　to　it　here。　This　vessel；　of　one
hundred　and　thirty　tons　burden；　sailed　from　Boston；　with　a　cargo　of
lumber　and　provisions；　for　Santa　Croix；　on　the　twelfth　of　December；
1811；　under　the　command　of　Captain　Casneau。　There　were　eight　souls　on
board　besides　the　captain…　the　mate；　four　seamen；　and　the　cook；
together　with　a　Mr。　Hunt；　and　a　negro　girl　belonging　to　him。　On　the
fifteenth；　having　cleared　the　shoal　of　Georges；　she　sprung　a　leak　in
a　gale　of　wind　from　the　southeast；　and　was　finally　capsized；　but；　the
masts　going　by　the　board；　she　afterward　righted。　They　remained　in
this　situation；　without　fire；　and　with　very　little　provision；　for　the
period　of　one　hundred　and　ninety…one　days　（from　December　the
fifteenth　to　June　the　twentieth）；　when　Captain　Casneau　and　Samuel
Badger；　the　only　survivors；　were　taken　off　the　wreck　by　the　Fame；　of
Hull；　Captain　Featherstone；　bound　home　from　Rio　Janeiro。　When　picked
up；　they　were　in　latitude　28　degrees　N。；　longitude　13　degrees　W。；
having　drifted　above　two　thousand　miles！　On　the　ninth　of　July　the
Fame　fell　in　with　the　brig　Dromero；　Captain　Perkins；　who　landed　the
two　sufferers　in　Kennebeck。　The　narrative　from　which　we　gather　these
details　ends　in　the　following　words：

　　　　〃It　is　natural　to　inquire　how　they　could　float　such　a　vast
distance；　upon　the　most　frequented　part　of　the　Atlantic；　and　not　be
discovered　all　this　time。　They　were　passed　by　more　than　a　dozen　sail；
one　of　which　came　so　nigh　them　that　they　could　distinctly　see　the
people　on　deck　and　on　the　rigging　looking　at　them；　but；　to　the
inexpressible　disappointment　of　the　starving　and　freezing　men；　they
stifled　the　dictates　of　compassion；　hoisted　sail；　and　cruelly
abandoned　them　to　their　fate。〃

｛*3｝　Among　the　vessels　which　at　various　times　have　professed　to　meet
with　the　Auroras　may　be　mentioned　the　ship　San　Miguel；　in　1769；　the
ship　Aurora；　in　1774；　the　brig　Pearl；　in　1779；　and　the　ship　Dolores；
in　1790。　They　all　agree　in　giving　the　mean　latitude　fifty…three
degrees　south。

｛*4｝　The　terms　morning　and　evening；　which　I　have　made　use　of　to　avoid
confusion　in　my　narrative；　as　far　as　possible；　must　not；　of　course；
be　taken　in　their　ordinary　sense。　For　a　long　time　past　we　had　had　no
night　at　all；　the　daylight　being　continual。　The　dates　throughout　are
according　to　nautical　time；　and　the　bearing　must　be　understood　as　per
compass。　I　would　also　remark；　in　this　place；　that　I　cannot；　in　the
first　portion　of　what　is　here　written；　pretend　to　strict　accuracy　in
respect　to　dates；　or　latitudes　and　longitudes；　having　kept　no　regular
journal　until　after　the　period　of　which　this　first　portion　treats。　In
many　instances　I　have　relied　altogether　upon　memory。

｛*5｝　This　day　was　rendered　remarkable　by　our　observing　in　the　south
several　huge　wreaths　of　the　grayish　vapour　I　have　spoken　of。

｛*6｝　The　marl　was　also　black；　indeed；　we　noticed　no　light　colored
substances　of　any　kind　upon　the　island。

｛*7｝For　obvious　reasons　I　cannot　pretend　to　strict　accuracy　in　these
dates。　They　are　given　principally　with　a　view　to　perspicity　of
naarrative；　and　as　set　down　in　my　pencil　memorandum。。

~~~~~~　End　of　Text　~~~~~~　Narrative　of　A。　Gordon　Pym



LIGEIA

And　the　will　therein　lieth；　which　dieth　not。　Who　knoweth　the
mysteries　of　the　will；　with　its　vigor？　For　God　is　but　a　great　will
pervading　all　things　by　nature　of　its　intentness。　Man　doth　not　yield
himself　to　the　angels；　nor　unto　death　utterly；　save　only　through　the
weakness　of　his　feeble　will。　Joseph　Glanvill。

I　Cannot；　for　my　soul；　remember　how；　when；　or　even　precisely　where；　I
first　became　acquainted　with　the　lady　Ligeia。　Long　years　have　since
elapsed；　and　my　memory　is　feeble　through　much　suffering。　Or；　perhaps；
I　cannot　now　bring　these　points　to　mind；　because；　in　truth；　the
character　of　my　beloved；　her　rare　learning；　her　singular　yet　placid
cast　of　beauty；　and　the　thrilling　and　enthralling　eloquence　of　her
low　musical　language；　made　their　way　into　my　heart　by　paces　so
steadily　and　stealthily　progressive　that　they　have　been　unnoticed　and
unknown。　Yet　I　believe　that　I　met　her　first　and　most　frequently　in
some　large；　old；　decaying　city　near　the　Rhine。　Of　her　family　　I
have　surely　heard　her　speak。　That　it　is　of　a　remotely　ancient　date
cannot　be　doubted。　Ligeia！　Ligeia！　in　studies　of　a　nature　more　than
all　else　adapted　to　deaden　impressions　of　the　outward　world；　it　is　by
that　sweet　word　alone　　by　Ligeia　　that　I　bring　before　mine　eyes
in　fancy　the　image　of　her　who　is　no　more。　And　now；　while　I　write；　a
recollection　flashes　upon　me　that　I　have　never　known　the　paternal
name　of　her　who　was　my　friend　and　my　betrothed；　and　who　became　the
partner　of　my　studies；　and　finally　the　wife　of　my　bosom。　Was　it　a
playful　charge　on　the　part　of　my　Ligeia？　or　was　it　a　test　of　my
strength　of　affection；　that　I　should　institute　no　inquiries　upon　this
point？　or　was　it　rather　a　caprice　of　my　own　　a　wildly　romantic
offering　on　the　shrine　of　the　most　passionate　devotion？　I　but
indistinctly　recall　the　fact　itself　　what　wonder　that　I　have
utterly　forgotten　the　circumstances　which　originated　or　attended　it？
And；　indeed；　if　ever　she；　the　wan　and　the　misty…winged　Ashtophet　of
idolatrous　Egypt；　presided；　as　they　tell；　over　marriages　ill…omened；
then　most　surely　she　presided　over　mine。

There　is　one　dear　topic；　however；　on　which　my　memory　falls　me　not。　It
is　the　person　of　Ligeia。　In　stature　she　was　tall；　somewhat　slender；
and；　in　her　latter　days；　even　emaciated。　I　would　in　vain　attempt　to
portray　the　majesty；　the　quiet　ease；　of　her　demeanor；　or　the
incomprehensible　lightness　and　elasticity　of　her　footfall。　She　came
and　departed　as　a　shadow。　I　was　never　made　aware　of　her　entrance　into
my　closed　study　save　by　the　dear　music　of　her　low　sweet　voice；　as　she
placed　her　marble　hand　upon　my　shoulder。　In　beauty　of　face　no　maiden
ever　equalled　her。　It　was　the　radiance　of　an　opium…dream　　an　airy
and　spirit…lifting　vision　more　wildly　divine　than　the　phantasies
which　hovered　vision　about　the　slumbering　souls　of　the　daughters　of
Delos。　Yet　her　features　were　not　of　that　regular　mould　which　we　have
been　falsely　taught　to　worship　in　the　classical　labors　of　the
heathen。　〃There　is　no　exquisite　beauty；〃　says　Bacon；　Lord　Verulam；
speaking　truly　of　all　the　forms　and　genera　of　beauty；　without　some
strangeness　in　the　proportion。〃　Yet；　although　I　saw　that　the　features
of　Ligeia　were　not　of　a　classic　regularity　　although　I　perceived
that　her　loveliness　was　indeed　〃exquisite；〃　and　felt　that　there　was
much　of　〃strangeness〃　pervading　it；　yet　I　have　tried　in　vain　to
detect　the　irregularity　and　to　trace　home　my　own　perception　of　〃the
strange。〃　I　examined　the　contour　of　the　lofty　and　pale　forehead　　it
was　faultless　　how　cold　indeed　that　word　when　applied　to　a　majesty
so　divine！　　the　skin　rivalling　the　purest　ivory；　the　commanding
extent　and　repose；　the　gentle　prominence　of　the　regions　above　the
temples；　and　then　the　raven…black；　the　glossy；　the　luxuriant　and
naturally…curling　tresses；　setting　forth　the　full　force　of　the
Homeric　epithet；　〃hyacinthine！〃　I　looked　at　the　delicate　outlines　of
the　nose　　and　nowhere　but　in　the　graceful　medallions　of　the　Hebrews
had　I　beheld　a　similar　perfection。　There　were　the　same　luxurious
smoothness　of　surface；　the　same　scarcely　perceptible　tendency　to　the
aquiline；　the　same　harmoniously　curved　nostrils　speaking　the　free
spirit。　I　regarded　the　sweet　mouth。　Here　was　indeed　the　triumph　of
all　things　heavenly　　the　magnificent　turn　of　the　short　upper　lip　
the　soft；　voluptuous　slumber　of　the　under　　the　dimples　which
sported；　and　the　color　which　spoke　　the　teeth　glancing　back；　with　a
brilliancy　almost　startling；　every　ray　of　the　holy　light　which　fell
upon　them　in　her　serene　and　placid；　yet　most　exultingly　radiant　of
all　smiles。　I　scrutinized　the　formation　of　the　chin　　and　here；　too；
I　found　the　gentleness　of　breadth；　the　softness　and　the　majesty；　the
fullness　and　the　spirituality；　of　the　Greek　　the　contour　which　the
god　Apollo　revealed　but　in　a　dream；　to　Cleomenes；　the　son　of　the
Athenian。　And　then　I　peered　into　the　large　eves　of　Ligeia。

For　eyes　we　have　no　models　in　the　remotely　antique。　It　might　have
been；　too；　that　in　these　eves　of　my　beloved　lay　the　secret　to　which
Lord　Verulam　alludes。　They　were；　I　must　believe；　far　larger　than　the
ordinary　eyes　of　our　own　race。　They　were　even　fuller　than　the　fullest
of　the　gazelle　eyes　of　the　tribe　of　the　valley　of　Nourjahad。　Yet　it
was　only　at　intervals　　in　moments　of　intense　excitement　　that
this　peculiarity　became　more　than　slightly　noticeable　in　Ligeia。　And
at　such　moments　was　her　beauty　　in　my　heated　fancy　thus　it　appeared
perhaps　　the　beauty　of　beings　either　above　or　apart　from　the　earth
　the　beauty　of　the　fabulous　Houri　of　the　Turk。　The　hue　of　the　orbs
was　the　most　brilliant　of　black；　and；　far　over　them；　hung　jetty
lashes　of　great　length。　The　brows；　slightly　irregular　in　outline；　had
the　same　tint。　The　〃strangeness；〃　however；　which　I　found　in　the　eyes；
was　of　a　nature　distinct　from　the　formation；　or　the　color；　or　the
brilliancy　of　the　features；　and　must；　after　all；　be　referred　to　the
expression。　Ah；　word　of　no　meaning！　behind　whose　vast　latitude　of
mere　sound　we　intrench　our　ignorance　of　so　much　of　the　spiritual。　The
expression　of　the　eyes　of　Ligeia！　How　for　long　hours　have　I　pondered
upon　it！　How　have　I；　through　the　whole　of　a　midsummer　night；
struggled　to　fathom　it！　What　was　it　　that　something　more　profound
than　the　well　of　Democritus　　which　lay　far　within　the　pupils　of　my
beloved？　What　was　it？　I　was　possessed　with　a　passion　to　dis