the works of edgar allan poe-3-第53部分

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manuscripts；〃　（here　the　speaker　produced　a　note…book　in　which　several
pages　appeared　to　have　been　freshly　written；）　〃that　at　the　very
period　in　which　you　fancied　these　things　amid　the　hills；　I　was
engaged　in　detailing　them　upon　paper　here　at　home。〃

In　about　a　week　after　this　conversation；　the　following　paragraphs
appeared　in　a　Charlottesville　paper：

〃We　have　the　painful　duty　of　announcing　the　death　of　Mr。　Augustus
Bedlo；　a　gentleman　whose　amiable　manners　and　many　virtues　have　long
endeared　him　to　the　citizens　of　Charlottesville。

〃Mr。　B。；　for　some　years　past；　has　been　subject　to　neuralgia；　which
has　often　threatened　to　terminate　fatally；　but　this　can　be　regarded
only　as　the　mediate　cause　of　his　decease。　The　proximate　cause　was　one
of　especial　singularity。　In　an　excursion　to　the　Ragged　Mountains；　a
few　days　since；　a　slight　cold　and　fever　were　contracted；　attended
with　great　determination　of　blood　to　the　head。　To　relieve　this；　Dr。
Templeton　resorted　to　topical　bleeding。　Leeches　were　applied　to　the
temples。　In　a　fearfully　brief　period　the　patient　died；　when　it
appeared　that　in　the　jar　containing　the　leeches；　had　been　introduced；
by　accident；　one　of　the　venomous　vermicular　sangsues　which　are　now
and　then　found　in　the　neighboring　ponds。　This　creature　fastened
itself　upon　a　small　artery　in　the　right　temple。　Its　close　resemblance
to　the　medicinal　leech　caused　the　mistake　to　be　overlooked　until　too
late。

〃N。　B。　The　poisonous　sangsue　of　Charlottesville　may　always　be
distinguished　from　the　medicinal　leech　by　its　blackness；　and
especially　by　its　writhing　or　vermicular　motions；　which　very　nearly
resemble　those　of　a　snake。〃

I　was　speaking　with　the　editor　of　the　paper　in　question；　upon　the
topic　of　this　remarkable　accident；　when　it　occurred　to　me　to　ask　how
it　happened　that　the　name　of　the　deceased　had　been　given　as　Bedlo。

〃I　presume；〃　I　said；　〃you　have　authority　for　this　spelling；　but　I
have　always　supposed　the　name　to　be　written　with　an　e　at　the　end。〃

〃Authority？　　no；〃　he　replied。　〃It　is　a　mere　typographical　error。
The　name　is　Bedlo　with　an　e；　all　the　world　over；　and　I　never　knew　it
to　be　spelt　otherwise　in　my　life。〃

〃Then；〃　said　I　mutteringly；　as　I　turned　upon　my　heel；　〃then　indeed
has　it　come　to　pass　that　one　truth　is　stranger　than　any　fiction　
for　Bedloe；　without　the　e；　what　is　it　but　Oldeb　conversed！　And　this
man　tells　me　that　it　is　a　typographical　error。〃

~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　SPECTACLES

MANY　years　ago；　it　was　the　fashion　to　ridicule　the　idea　of　〃love　at
first　sight；〃　but　those　who　think；　not　less　than　those　who　feel
deeply；　have　always　advocated　its　existence。　Modern　discoveries；
indeed；　in　what　may　be　termed　ethical　magnetism　or　magnetoesthetics；
render　it　probable　that　the　most　natural；　and；　consequently；　the
truest　and　most　intense　of　the　human　affections　are　those　which　arise
in　the　heart　as　if　by　electric　sympathy　　in　a　word；　that　the
brightest　and　most　enduring　of　the　psychal　fetters　are　those　which
are　riveted　by　a　glance。　The　confession　I　am　about　to　make　will　add
another　to　the　already　almost　innumerable　instances　of　the　truth　of
the　position。

My　story　requires　that　I　should　be　somewhat　minute。　I　am　still　a　very
young　man　　not　yet　twenty…two　years　of　age。　My　name；　at　present；　is
a　very　usual　and　rather　plebeian　one　　Simpson。　I　say　〃at　present；〃
for　it　is　only　lately　that　I　have　been　so　called　　having
legislatively　adopted　this　surname　within　the　last　year　in　order　to
receive　a　large　inheritance　left　me　by　a　distant　male　relative；
Adolphus　Simpson；　Esq。　The　bequest　was　conditioned　upon　my　taking　the
name　of　the　testator；　　the　family；　not　the　Christian　name；　my
Christian　name　is　Napoleon　Bonaparte　　or；　more　properly；　these　are
my　first　and　middle　appellations。

I　assumed　the　name；　Simpson；　with　some　reluctance；　as　in　my　true
patronym；　Froissart；　I　felt　a　very　pardonable　pride　　believing　that
I　could　trace　a　descent　from　the　immortal　author　of　the　〃Chronicles。〃
While　on　the　subject　of　names；　by　the　bye；　I　may　mention　a　singular
coincidence　of　sound　attending　the　names　of　some　of　my　immediate
predecessors。　My　father　was　a　Monsieur　Froissart；　of　Paris。　His　wife
　my　mother；　whom　he　married　at　fifteen　　was　a　Mademoiselle
Croissart；　eldest　daughter　of　Croissart　the　banker；　whose　wife；
again；　being　only　sixteen　when　married；　was　the　eldest　daughter　of
one　Victor　Voissart。　Monsieur　Voissart；　very　singularly；　had　married
a　lady　of　similar　name　　a　Mademoiselle　Moissart。　She；　too；　was
quite　a　child　when　married；　and　her　mother；　also；　Madame　Moissart；
was　only　fourteen　when　led　to　the　altar。　These　early　marriages　are
usual　in　France。　Here；　however；　are　Moissart；　Voissart；　Croissart；
and　Froissart；　all　in　the　direct　line　of　descent。　My　own　name；
though；　as　I　say；　became　Simpson；　by　act　of　Legislature；　and　with　so
much　repugnance　on　my　part；　that；　at　one　period；　I　actually　hesitated
about　accepting　the　legacy　with　the　useless　and　annoying　proviso
attached。

As　to　personal　endowments；　I　am　by　no　means　deficient。　On　the
contrary；　I　believe　that　I　am　well　made；　and　possess　what　nine　tenths
of　the　world　would　call　a　handsome　face。　In　height　I　am　five　feet
eleven。　My　hair　is　black　and　curling。　My　nose　is　sufficiently　good。
My　eyes　are　large　and　gray；　and　although；　in　fact　they　are　weak　a
very　inconvenient　degree；　still　no　defect　in　this　regard　would　be
suspected　from　their　appearance。　The　weakness　itself；　however；　has
always　much　annoyed　me；　and　I　have　resorted　to　every　remedy　　short
of　wearing　glasses。　Being　youthful　and　good…looking；　I　naturally
dislike　these；　and　have　resolutely　refused　to　employ　them。　I　know
nothing；　indeed；　which　so　disfigures　the　countenance　of　a　young
person；　or　so　impresses　every　feature　with　an　air　of　demureness；　if
not　altogether　of　sanctimoniousness　and　of　age。　An　eyeglass；　on　the
other　hand；　has　a　savor　of　downright　foppery　and　affectation。　I　have
hitherto　managed　as　well　as　I　could　without　either。　But　something　too
much　of　these　merely　personal　details；　which；　after　all；　are　of
little　importance。　I　will　content　myself　with　saying；　in　addition；
that　my　temperament　is　sanguine；　rash；　ardent；　enthusiastic　　and
that　all　my　life　I　have　been　a　devoted　admirer　of　the　women。

One　night　last　winter　I　entered　a　box　at　the　P…　　Theatre；　in
company　with　a　friend；　Mr。　Talbot。　It　was　an　opera　night；　and　the
bills　presented　a　very　rare　attraction；　so　that　the　house　was
excessively　crowded。　We　were　in　time；　however；　to　obtain　the　front
seats　which　had　been　reserved　for　us；　and　into　which；　with　some
little　difficulty；　we　elbowed　our　way。

For　two　hours　my　companion；　who　was　a　musical　fanatico；　gave　his
undivided　attention　to　the　stage；　and；　in　the　meantime；　I　amused
myself　by　observing　the　audience；　which　consisted；　in　chief　part；　of
the　very　elite　of　the　city。　Having　satisfied　myself　upon　this　point；
I　was　about　turning　my　eyes　to　the　prima　donna；　when　they　were
arrested　and　riveted　by　a　figure　in　one　of　the　private　boxes　which
had　escaped　my　observation。

If　I　live　a　thousand　years；　I　can　never　forget　the　intense　emotion
with　which　I　regarded　this　figure。　It　was　that　of　a　female；　the　most
exquisite　I　had　ever　beheld。　The　face　was　so　far　turned　toward　the
stage　that；　for　some　minutes；　I　could　not　obtain　a　view　of　it　　but
the　form　was　divine；　no　other　word　can　sufficiently　express　its
magnificent　proportion　　and　even　the　term　〃divine〃　seems
ridiculously　feeble　as　I　write　it。

The　magic　of　a　lovely　form　in　woman　　the　necromancy　of　female
gracefulness　　was　always　a　power　which　I　had　found　it　impossible　to
resist；　but　here　was　grace　personified；　incarnate；　the　beau　ideal　of
my　wildest　and　most　enthusiastic　visions。　The　figure；　almost　all　of
which　the　construction　of　the　box　permitted　to　be　seen；　was　somewhat
above　the　medium　height；　and　nearly　approached；　without　positively
reaching；　the　majestic。　Its　perfect　fullness　and　tournure　were
delicious。　The　head　of　which　only　the　back　was　visible；　rivalled　in
outline　that　of　the　Greek　Psyche；　and　was　rather　displayed　than
concealed　by　an　elegant　cap　of　gaze　aerienne；　which　put　me　in　mind　of
the　ventum　textilem　of　Apuleius。　The　right　arm　hung　over　the
balustrade　of　the　box；　and　thrilled　every　nerve　of　my　frame　with　its
exquisite　symmetry。　Its　upper　portion　was　draperied　by　one　of　the
loose　open　sleeves　now　in　fashion。　This　extended　but　little　below　the
elbow。　Beneath　it　was　worn　an　under　one　of　some　frail　material；
close…fitting；　and　terminated　by　a　cuff　of　rich　lace；　which　fell
gracefully　over　the　top　of　the　hand；　revealing　only　the　delicate
fingers；　upon　one　of　which　sparkled　a　diamond　ring；　which　I　at　once
saw　was　of　extraordinary　value。　The　admirable　roundness　of　the　wrist
was　well　set　off　by　a　bracelet　which　encircled　it；　and　which　also　was
ornamented　and　clasped　by　a　magnificent　aigrette　of　jewels…telling；
in　words　that　could　not　be　mistaken；　at　once　of　the　wealth　and
fastidious　taste　of　the　wearer。

I　gazed　at　this　queenly　apparition　for　at　least　half　an　hour；　as　if　I
had　been　suddenly　converted　to　stone；　and；　during　this　period；　I　felt
the　full　force　and　truth　of　all　that　has　been　said　or　sung　concerning
〃love　at　first