Tales of the Grotesque and ArabesqueIII怪诞蔓藤花纹的传.docx

Tales of the Grotesque and ArabesqueIII怪诞蔓藤花纹的传.docx

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TalesoftheGrotesqueandArabesqueIII怪诞蔓藤花纹的传

TalesoftheGrotesqueandArabesque（III）怪诞蔓藤花纹的传说/怪异故事集（英文版）

AllanPoe

CONTENTS

Part22

FourBeastsinOne3

Silence9

TheUnparalleledAdventureofOneHansPfaall12

ATaleofJerusalem44

VonJung47

LossofBreath53

Part2

FourBeastsinOne

Chacunasesvertus.

—Crebillon'sXerxes.

AntiochusEpiphanesisverygenerallylookeduponastheGogoftheprophetEzekiel.Thishonoris,however,moreproperlyattributabletoCambyses,thesonofCyrus.And,indeed,thecharacteroftheSyrianmonarchdoesbynomeansstandinneedofanyadventitiousembellishment.Hisaccessiontothethrone,orratherhisusurpationofthesovereignty,ahundredandseventy-oneyearsbeforethecomingofChrist;hisattempttoplunderthetempleofDianaatEphesus;hisimplacablehostilitytotheJews;hispollutionoftheHolyofHolies;andhismiserabledeathatTaba,afteratumultuousreignofelevenyears,arecircumstancesofaprominentkind,andthereforemoregenerallynoticedbythehistoriansofhistimethantheimpious,dastardly,cruel,silly,andwhimsicalachievementswhichmakeupthesumtotalofhisprivatelifeandreputation.

Letussuppose,gentlereader,thatitisnowtheyearoftheworldthreethousandeighthundredandthirty,andletus,forafewminutes,imagineourselvesatthatmostgrotesquehabitationofman,theremarkablecityofAntioch.Tobesuretherewere,inSyriaandothercountries,sixteencitiesofthatappellation,besidestheonetowhichImoreparticularlyallude.ButoursisthatwhichwentbythenameofAntiochiaEpidaphne,fromitsvicinitytothelittlevillageofDaphne,wherestoodatempletothatdivinity.Itwasbuilt（althoughaboutthismatterthereissomedispute）bySeleucusNicanor,thefirstkingofthecountryafterAlexandertheGreat,inmemoryofhisfatherAntiochus,andbecameimmediatelytheresidenceoftheSyrianmonarchy.IntheflourishingtimesoftheRomanEmpire,itwastheordinarystationoftheprefectoftheeasternprovinces;andmanyoftheemperorsofthequeencity（amongwhommaybementioned,especially,VerusandValens）spentherethegreaterpartoftheirtime.ButIperceivewehavearrivedatthecityitself.Letusascendthisbattlement,andthrowoureyesuponthetownandneighboringcountry.

"Whatbroadandrapidriveristhatwhichforcesitsway,withinnumerablefalls,throughthemountainouswilderness,andfinallythroughthewildernessofbuildings?

"

ThatistheOrontes,anditistheonlywaterinsight,withtheexceptionoftheMediterranean,whichstretches,likeabroadmirror,abouttwelvemilesofftothesouthward.EveryonehasseentheMediterranean;butletmetellyou,therearefewwhohavehadapeepatAntioch.Byfew,Imean,fewwho,likeyouandme,havehad,atthesametime,theadvantagesofamoderneducation.Thereforeceasetoregardthatsea,andgiveyourwholeattentiontothemassofhousesthatliebeneathus.Youwillrememberthatitisnowtheyearoftheworldthreethousandeighthundredandthirty.Wereitlater—forexample,wereittheyearofourLordeighteenhundredandforty-five,weshouldbedeprivedofthisextraordinaryspectacle.InthenineteenthcenturyAntiochis—thatistosay,Antiochwillbe—inalamentablestateofdecay.Itwillhavebeen,bythattime,totallydestroyed,atthreedifferentperiods,bythreesuccessiveearthquakes.Indeed,tosaythetruth,whatlittleofitsformerselfmaythenremain,willbefoundinsodesolateandruinousastatethatthepatriarchshallhaveremovedhisresidencetoDamascus.Thisiswell.Iseeyouprofitbymyadvice,andaremakingthemostofyourtimeininspectingthepremises—in

—satisfyingyoureyes

Withthememorialsandthethingsoffame

Thatmostrenownthiscity.—

Ibegpardon;IhadforgottenthatShakespearewillnotflourishforseventeenhundredandfiftyyearstocome.ButdoesnottheappearanceofEpidaphnejustifymeincallingitgrotesque?

"Itiswellfortified;andinthisrespectisasmuchindebtedtonatureastoart."

Verytrue.

"Thereareaprodigiousnumberofstatelypalaces."

Thereare.

"Andthenumeroustemples,sumptuousandmagnificent,maybearcomparisonwiththemostlaudedofantiquity."

AllthisImustacknowledge.Stillthereisaninfinityofmudhuts,andabominablehovels.Wecannothelpperceivingabundanceoffilthineverykennel,and,wereitnotfortheover-poweringfumesofidolatrousincense,Ihavenodoubtweshouldfindamostintolerablestench.Didyoueverbeholdstreetssoinsufferablynarrow,orhousessomiraculouslytall?

Whatgloomtheirshadowscastupontheground!

Itiswelltheswinginglampsinthoseendlesscolonnadesarekeptburningthroughouttheday;weshouldotherwisehavethedarknessofEgyptinthetimeofherdesolation.

"Itiscertainlyastrangeplace!

Whatisthem