the works of edgar allan poe-5-第3部分

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fit　to　listen　to　your　idolatrous　importunities？　The　god　Phoebus；　who　is　a
true　god；　has　been　charioted　for　an　hour…and　were　you　not　to　be　on　the
ramparts　by　sunrise？　Aedepol！　do　you　think　that　we；　the　conquerors　of　the
world；　have　nothing　better　to　do　than　stand　waiting　by　the　walls　of　every
kennel；　to　traffic　with　the　dogs　of　the　earth？　Lower　away！　I　sayand　see
that　your　trumpery　be　bright　in　color　and　just　in　weight！〃

〃El　Elohim！〃　ejaculated　the　Pharisee；　as　the　discordant　tones　of　the
centurion　rattled　up　the　crags　of　the　precipice；　and　fainted　away　against
the　temple　…〃El　Elohim！who　is　the　god　Phoebus？whom　doth　the　blasphemer
invoke？　Thou；　Buzi…BenLevi！　who　art　read　in　the　laws　of　the　Gentiles；　and
hast　sojourned　among　them　who　dabble　with　the　Teraphim！is　it　Nergal　of
whom　the　idolater　speaketh？or　Ashimah？or　Nibhaz；or　Tartak？　or
Adramalech？or　Anamalech？or　Succoth…Benith？…or　Dagon？…or
Belial？…or　Baal…Perith？　…or　Baal…Peor？…or　Baal…Zebub？〃

〃Verily　it　is　neither…but　beware　how　thou　lettest　the　rope　slip　too
rapidly　through　thy　fingers；　for　should　the　wicker…work　chance　to　hang　on
the　projection　of　Yonder　crag；　there　will　be　a　woful　outpouring　of　the
holy　things　of　the　sanctuary。〃

By　the　assistance　of　some　rudely　constructed　machinery；　the　heavily　laden
basket　was　now　carefully　lowered　down　among　the　multitude；　and；　from　the
giddy　pinnacle；　the　Romans　were　seen　gathering　confusedly　round　it；　but
owing　to　the　vast　height　and　the　prevalence　of　a　fog；　no　distinct　view　of
their　operations　could　be　obtained。

Half　an　hour　had　already　elapsed。

〃We　shall　be　too　late！〃　sighed　the　Pharisee；　as　at　the　expiration　of　this
period　he　looked　over　into　the　abyss…〃we　shall　be　too　late！　we　shall　be
turned　out　of　office　by　the　Katholim。〃

　〃No　more；〃　responded　Abel…Phittim〃no　more　shall　we　feast　upon　the　fat
of　the　land…no　longer　shall　our　beards　be　odorous　with　frankincenseour
loins　girded　up　with　fine　linen　from　the　Temple。〃

〃Racal〃　swore　Ben…Levi；　〃Racal　do　they　mean　to　defraud　us　of　the　purchase
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