Tales of the Grotesque and ArabesqueIV怪诞蔓藤花纹的传说Word格式.docx

Tales of the Grotesque and ArabesqueIV怪诞蔓藤花纹的传说Word格式.docx

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Metzengerstein2

Berenice9

WhytheLittleFrenchmanWearsHisHandinaSling15

TheConversationofEirosandCharmion19

PersonalOpinions23

EditorialOpinions25

Metzengerstein

Pestiseramvivus—morienstuamorsero.

MartinLuther

Horrorandfatalityhavebeenstalkingabroadinallages.WhythengiveadatetothisstoryIhavetotell?

Letitsufficetosay,thatattheperiodofwhichIspeak,thereexisted,intheinteriorofHungary,asettledalthoughhiddenbeliefinthedoctrinesoftheMetempsychosis.Ofthedoctrinesthemselves—thatis,oftheirfalsity,oroftheirprobability—Isaynothing.Iassert,however,thatmuchofourincredulity—asLaBruyeresaysofallourunhappiness—"

vientdenepouvoiretreseuls."

ButtherearesomepointsintheHungariansuperstitionwhichwerefastvergingtoabsurdity.They—theHungarians—differedveryessentiallyfromtheirEasternauthorities.Forexample,"

Thesoul,"

saidtheformer—IgivethewordsofanacuteandintelligentParisian—"

nedemeurequ'

unseulfoisdansuncorpssensible:

aureste—uncheval,unchien,unhommememe,n'

estquelaressemblancepeutangibledecesanimaux."

ThefamiliesofBerlifitzingandMetzengersteinhadbeenatvarianceforcenturies.Neverbeforeweretwohousessoillustrious,mutuallyembitteredbyhostilitysodeadly.Indeedattheeraofthishistory,itwasobservedbyanoldcroneofhaggardandsinisterappearance,that"

fireandwatermightsoonerminglethanaBerlifitzingclaspthehandofaMetzengerstein."

Theoriginofthisenmityseemstobefoundinthewordsofanancientprophecy—"

Aloftynameshallhaveafearfulfallwhen,astherideroverhishorse,themortalityofMetzengersteinshalltriumphovertheimmortalityofBerlifitzing."

Tobesurethewordsthemselveshadlittleornomeaning.Butmoretrivialcauseshavegivenrise—andthatnolongwhileago—toconsequencesequallyeventful.Besides,theestates,whichwerecontiguous,hadlongexercisedarivalinfluenceintheaffairsofabusygovernment.Moreover,nearneighborsareseldomfriends;

andtheinhabitantsoftheCastleBerlifitzingmightlook,fromtheirloftybuttresses,intotheverywindowsofthepalaceMetzengerstein.Leastofallhadthemorethanfeudalmagnificence,thusdiscovered,atendencytoallaytheirritablefeelingsofthelessancientandlesswealthyBerlifitzings.Whatwonderthen,thatthewords,howeversilly,ofthatprediction,shouldhavesucceededinsettingandkeepingatvariancetwofamiliesalreadypredisposedtoquarrelbyeveryinstigationofhereditaryjealousy?

Theprophecyseemedtoimply—ifitimpliedanything—afinaltriumphonthepartofthealreadymorepowerfulhouse;

andwasofcourserememberedwiththemorebitteranimositybytheweakerandlessinfluential.

Wilhelm,CountBerlifitzing,althoughloftilydescended,was,attheepochofthisnarrative,aninfirmanddotingoldman,remarkablefornothingbutaninordinateandinveteratepersonalantipathytothefamilyofhisrival,andsopassionatealoveofhorses,andofhunting,thatneitherbodilyinfirmity,greatage,normentalincapacity,preventedhisdailyparticipationinthedangersofthechase.

Frederick,BaronMetzengerstein,was,ontheotherhand,notyetMary,followedhimquicklyafter.Frederickwas,atthattime,inhisfifteenthyear.Inacity,fifteenyearsarenolongperiod—achildmaybestillachildinhisthirdlustrum:

butinawilderness—insomagnificentawildernessasthatoldprincipality,fifteenyearshaveafardeepermeaning.

ThebeautifulLadyMary!

Howcouldshedie?

—andofconsumption!

ButitisapathIhaveprayedtofollow.IwouldwishallIlovetoperishofthatgentledisease.Howglorious—todepartintheheydayoftheyoungblood—theheartofallpassion—theimaginationallfire—amidtheremembrancesofhappierdays—inthefalloftheyear-andsobeburiedupforeverinthegorgeousautumnalleaves!

ThusdiedtheLadyMary.TheyoungBaronFrederickstoodwithoutalivingrelativebythecoffinofhisdeadmother.Heplacedhishanduponherplacidforehead.Noshuddercameoverhisdelicateframe—nosighfromhisflintybosom.Heartless,self-willedandimpetuousfromhischildhood,hehadreachedtheageofwhichIspeakthroughacareerofunfeeling,wanton,andrecklessdissipation;

andabarrierhadlongsinceariseninthechannelofallholythoughtsandgentlerecollections.

Fromsomepeculiarcircumstancesattendingtheadministrationofhisfather,theyoungBaron,atthedeceaseoftheformer,enteredimmediatelyuponhisvastpossessions.SuchestateswereseldomheldbeforebyanoblemanofHungary.Hiscastleswerewithoutnumber.Thechiefinpointofsplendorandextentwasthe"

ChateauMetzengerstein."

Theboundarylineo