the works of edgar allan poe-5-第3章

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money？　or；　Holy　Moses　！　are　they　weighing　the　shekels　of　the　tabernacle　？〃

〃They　have　given　the　signal　at　last！〃　cried　the　Pharisee…〃they　have
given　the　signal　at　last！pull　away；　Abel…Phittim！…and　thou；　Buzi…Ben…Levi；
pull　away！…for　verily　the　Philistines　have　either　still　hold　upon　the
basket；　or　the　Lord　hath　softened　their　hearts　to　place　therein　a　beast　of
good　weight！〃　And　the　Gizbarim　pulled　away；　while　their　burden　swung
heavily　upward　through　the　still　increasing　mist。

〃Booshoh　he！〃…as；　at　the　conclusion　of　an　hour；　some　object　at　the
extremity　of　the　rope　became　indistinctly　visible…〃Booshoh　he！〃　was　the
exclamation　which　burst　from　the　lips　of　Ben…Levi。

　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。　　　　　　。

〃Booshoh　he！for　shame！…it　is　a　ram　from　the　thickets　of　Engedi；　and　as
rugged　as　the　valley　of　jehosaphat！〃

〃It　is　a　firstling　of　the　flock；〃　said　Abel…Phittim；　〃I　know　him　by　the
bleating　of　his　lips；　and　the　innocent　folding　of　his　limbs。　His　eyes　are
more　beautiful　than　the　jewels　of　the　Pectoral；　and　his　flesh　is　like　the
honey　of　Hebron。〃

〃It　is　a　fatted　calf　from　the　pastures　of　Bashan；〃　said　the　Pharisee；　〃the
heathen　have　dealt　wonderfully　with　us　let　us　raise　up　our　voices　in　a
psalm　let　us　give　thanks　on　the　shawm　and　on　the　psaltery…on　the　harp
and　on　the　huggab…on　the　cythern　and　on　the　sackbut！〃

It　was　not　until　the　basket　had　arrived　within　a　few　feet　of　the　Gizbarim
that　a　low　grunt　betrayed　to　their　perception　a　hog　of　no　common　size。

〃Now　El　Emanu！〃　slowly　and　with　upturned　eyes　ejaculated　the　trio；　as；
letting　go　their　hold；　the　emancipated　porker　tumbled　headlong　among　the
Philistines；　〃El　Emanu！…God　be　with　us…it　is　_the　unutterable　flesh！〃_

~~~~~~　End　of　Text　~~~~~~



THE　SPHINX

DURING　the　dread　reign　of　the　Cholera　in　New　York；　I　had　accepted　the
invitation　of　a　relative　to　spend　a　fortnight　with　him　in　the　retirement
of　his　_cottage　ornee_　on　the　banks　of　the　Hudson。　We　had　here　around　us
all　the　ordinary　means　of　summer　amusement；　and　what　with　rambling　in　the
woods；　sketching；　boating；　fishing；　bathing；　music；　and　books；　we　should
have　passed　the　time　pleasantly　enough；　but　for　the　fearful　intelligence
which　reached　us　every　morning　from　the　populous　city。　Not　a　day　elapsed
which　did　not　bring　us　news　of　the　decease　of　some　acquaintance。　Then　as
the　fatality　increased；　we　learned　to　expect　daily　the　loss　of　some
friend。　At　length　we　trembled　at　the　approach　of　every　messenger。　The　very
air　from　the　South　seemed　to　us　redolent　with　death。　That　palsying
thought；　indeed；　took　entire　possession　of　my　soul。　I　could　neither　speak；
think；　nor　dream　of　any　thing　else。　My　host　was　of　a　less　excitable
temperament；　and；　although　greatly　depressed　in　spirits；　exerted　himself
to　sustain　my　own。　His　richly　philosophical　intellect　was　not　at　any　time
affected　by　unrealities。　To　the　substances　of　terror　he　was　sufficiently
alive；　but　of　its　shadows　he　had　no　apprehension。

His　endeavors　to　arouse　me　from　the　condition　of　abnormal　gloom　into　which
I　had　fallen；　were　frustrated；　in　great　measure；　by　certain　volumes　which
I　had　found　in　his　library。　These　were　of　a　character　to　force　into
germination　whatever　seeds　of　hereditary　superstition　lay　latent　in　my
bosom。　I　had　been　reading　these　books　without　his　knowledge；　and　thus　he
was　often　at　a　loss　to　account　for　the　forcible　impressions　which　had　been
made　upon　my　fancy。

A　favorite　topic　with　me　was　the　popular　belief　in　omens　　a　belief
which；　at　this　one　epoch　of　my　life；　I　was　almost　seriously　disposed　to
defend。　On　this　subject　we　had　long　and　animated　discussions　　he
maintaining　the　utter　groundlessness　of　faith　in　such　matters；　　I
contending　that　a　popular　sentiment　arising　with　absolute　spontaneity…
that　is　to　say；　without　apparent　traces　of　suggestion　　had　in　itself　the
unmistakable　elements　of　truth；　and　was　entitled　to　as　much　respect　as
that　intuition　which　is　the　idiosyncrasy　of　the　individual　man　of　genius。

The　fact　is；　that　soon　after　my　arrival　at　the　cottage　there　had　occurred
to　myself　an　incident　so　entirely　inexplicable；　and　which　had　in　it　so
much　of　the　portentous　character；　that　I　might　well　have　been　excused　for
regarding　it　as　an　omen。　It　appalled；　and　at　the　same　time　so　confounded
and　bewildered　me；　that　many　days　elapsed　before　I　could　make　up　my　mind
to　communicate　the　circumstances　to　my　friend。

Near　the　close　of　exceedingly　warm　day；　I　was　sitting；　book　in　hand；　at　an
open　window；　commanding；　through　a　long　vista　of　the　river　banks；　a　view
of　a　distant　hill；　the　face　of　which　nearest　my　position　had　been　denuded
by　what　is　termed　a　land…slide；　of　the　principal　portion　of　its　trees。　My
thoughts　had　been　long　wandering　from　the　volume　before　me　to　the　gloom
and　desolation　of　the　neighboring　city。　Uplifting　my　eyes　from　the　page；
they　fell　upon　the　naked　face　of　the　bill；　and　upon　an　object　　upon　some
living　monster　of　hideous　conformation；　which　very　rapidly　made　its　way
from　the　summit　to　the　bottom；　disappearing　finally　in　the　dense　forest
below。　As　this　creature　first　came　in　sight；　I　doubted　my　own　sanity　　or
at　least　the　evidence　of　my　own　eyes；　and　many　minutes　passed　before　I
succeeded　in　convincing　myself　that　I　was　neither　mad　nor　in　a　dream。　Yet
when　I　described　the　monster　（which　I　distinctly　saw；　and　calmly　surveyed
through　the　whole　period　of　its　progress）；　my　readers；　I　fear；　will　feel
more　difficulty　in　being　convinced　of　these　points　than　even　I　did　myself。

Estimating　the　size　of　the　creature　by　comparison　with　the　diameter　of　the
large　trees　near　which　it　passed　　the　few　giants　of　the　forest　which　had
escaped　the　fury　of　the　land…slide　　I　concluded　it　to　be　far　larger　than
any　ship　of　the　line　in　existence。　I　say　ship　of　the　line；　because　the
shape　of　the　monster　suggested　the　idea…　the　hull　of　one　of　our
seventy…four　might　convey　a　very　tolerable　conception　of　the　general
outline。　The　mouth　of　the　animal　was　situated　at　the　extremity　of　a
proboscis　some　sixty　or　seventy　feet　in　length；　and　about　as　thick　as　the
body　of　an　ordinary　elephant。　Near　the　root　of　this　trunk　was　an　immense
quantity　of　black　shaggy　hair…　more　than　could　have　been　supplied　by　the
coats　of　a　score　of　buffaloes；　and　projecting　from　this　hair　downwardly
and　laterally；　sprang　two　gleaming　tusks　not　unlike　those　of　the　wild
boar；　but　of　infinitely　greater　dimensions。　Extending　forward；　parallel
with　the　proboscis；　and　on　each　side　of　it；　was　a　gigantic　staff；　thirty
or　forty　feet　in　length；　formed　seemingly　of　pure　crystal　and　in　shape　a
perfect　prism；　　it　reflected　in　the　most　gorgeous　manner　the　rays　of　the
declining　sun。　The　trunk　was　fashioned　like　a　wedge　with　the　apex　to　the
earth。　From　it　there　were　outspread　two　pairs　of　wings…　each　wing　nearly
one　hundred　yards　in　length　　one　pair　being　placed　above　the　other；　and
all　thickly　covered　with　metal　scales；　each　scale　apparently　some　ten　or
twelve　feet　in　diameter。　I　observed　that　the　upper　and　lower　tiers　of
wings　were　connected　by　a　strong　chain。　But　the　chief　peculiarity　of　this
horrible　thing　was　the　representation　of　a　Death's　Head；　which　covered
nearly　the　whole　surface　of　its　breast；　and　which　was　as　accurately　traced
in　glaring　white；　upon　the　dark　ground　of　the　body；　as　if　it　had　been
there　carefully　designed　by　an　artist。　While　I　regarded　the　terrific
animal；　and　more　especially　the　appearance　on　its　breast；　with　a　feeling
or　horror　and　awe　　with　a　sentiment　of　forthcoming　evil；　which　I　found
it　impossible　to　quell　by　any　effort　of　the　reason；　I　perceived　the　huge
jaws　at　the　extremity　of　the　proboscis　suddenly　expand　themselves；　and
from　them　there　proceeded　a　sound　so　loud　and　so　expressive　of　wo；　that　it
struck　upon　my　nerves　like　a　knell　and　as　the　monster　disappeared　at　the
foot　of　the　hill；　I　fell　at　once；　fainting；　to　the　floor。

Upon　recovering；　my　first　impulse；　of　course；　was　to　inform　my　friend　of
what　I　had　seen　and　heard　　and　I　can　scarcely　explain　what　feeling　of
repugnance　it　was　which；　in　the　end；　operated　to　prevent　me。

At　length；　one　evening；　some　three　or　four　days　after　the　occurrence；　we
were　sitting　together　in　the　room　in　which　I　had　seen　the　apparition　　I
occupying　the　same　seat　at　the　same　window；　and　he　lounging　on　a　sofa　near
at　hand。　The　association　of　the　place　and　time　impelled　me　to　give　him　an
account　of　the　phenomenon。　He　heard　me　to　the　end　　at　first　laughed
heartily　　and　then　lapsed　into　an　excessively　grave　demeanor；　as　if　my
insanity　was　a　thing　beyond　suspicion。　At　this　instant　I　again　had　a
distinct　view　of　the　monster…　to　which；　with　a　shout　of　absolute　terror；　I
now　directed　his　attention。　He　looked　eagerly　　but　maintained　that　he
saw　nothing…　although　I　designated　minutely　the　course　of　the　creature；　as
it　made　its　way　down　the　naked　face　of　the　hill。

I　was　now　immeasurably　alarmed；　for　I　considered　the　vision　either　as　an
omen　of　my　death；　or；　worse；　as　the　fore…runner　of　an　attack　of　mania。　I
threw　myself　passionately　back　in　my　chair；　and　for　some　moments　buried　my
face　in　my　hands。　When　I　uncovered　my　eyes；　the　apparition　was　no　longer
apparent。

My　host；　however；　had　in　some　degree　resumed　the　calmness　of　his　demeanor；
and　questioned　me　very　rigorously　in　respect　to　the　conformation　of　the
visionary　creature。　When　I　had　fully　satisfied　him　on　this　head；　he　sighed
deeply；　as　if　relieved　of　some　intolerable　burden；　and　went　on　to　talk；
with　what　I　thought　a　cruel　calmness；　of　various　points　of　speculative
philosophy；　which　had　heretofore　formed　subject　of　discussion　between　us。
I　remember　his　insisting　very　especially　（among　other　things）　upon　the
idea　that　the　principle　source　of　error　in　all　human　investigations　lay　in
the　liability　of　the　understanding　to　under…rate　or　to　over…value　the
importance　of　an　object；　through　mere　mis…admeasurement　of　its
propinquity。　〃To　estimate　properly；　for　example；〃　he　said；　〃the　influence
to　be　exercised　on　mankind　at　large　by　the　thorough　diffusion　of
Democracy；　the　distance　of　the　epoch　at　which　such　diffusion　may　possibly
be　accomplished　should　not　fail　to　form　an　item　in　the　estimate。　Yet　can
you　tell　me　one　writer　on　the　subject　of　government　who　has　ever　thought
this　particular　branch　of　the　subject　worthy　of　discussion　at　all？〃

He　here　paused　for　a　moment；　stepped　to　a　book…case；　and　brought　forth　one
of　the　ordinary　synopses　of　Natural　History。　Requesting　me　then　to
exchange　seats　with　him；　that　he　might　the　better　distinguish　the　fine
print　of　the　volume；　he　took　my　armchair　at　the　window；　and；　opening　the
book；　resumed　his　discourse　very　much　in　the　same　tone　as　before。

〃But　for　your　exceeding　minuteness；〃　he　said；　〃in　describing　the　monster；
I　might　never　have　had　it　in　my　power　to　demonstrate　to　you　what　it　was。
In　the　first　place；　let　me　read　to　you　a　schoolboy　account　of　the　genus
Sphinx；　of　the　family　Crepuscularia　of　the　order　Lepidoptera；　of　the　class
of　Insecta　　or　insects。　The　account　runs　thus：

〃'Four　membranous　wings　covered　with　little　colored　scales　of　metallic
appearance；　mouth　forming　a　rolled　proboscis；　produced　by　an　elongation　of
the　jaws；　upon　the　sides　of　which　are　foun