the masque of the red death-第1章

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The　Masque　of　the　Red　Death



by　Edgar　Allan　Poe







The　〃Red　Death〃　had　long　devastated　the　country。　　No

pestilence　had　ever　been　so　fatal；　or　so　hideous。　　Blood　was　its

Avatar　and　its　sealthe　redness　and　the　horror　of　blood。　　There　were

sharp　pains；　and　sudden　dizziness；　and　then　profuse　bleeding　at　the

pores；　with　dissolution。　　The　scarlet　stains　upon　the　body　and

especially　upon　the　face　of　the　victim；　were　the　pest　ban　which

shut　him　out　from　the　aid　and　from　the　sympathy　of　his　fellow…men。　

And　the　whole　seizure；　progress　and　termination　of　the　disease；

were　the　incidents　of　half　an　hour。



But　the　Prince　Prospero　was　happy　and　dauntless　and　sagacious。　

When　his　dominions　were　half　depopulated；　he　summoned　to　his

presence　a　thousand　hale　and　light…hearted　friends　from　among　the

knights　and　dames　of　his　court；　and　with　these　retired　to　the　deep

seclusion　of　one　of　his　castellated　abbeys。　　This　was　an　extensive

and　magnificent　structure；　the　creation　of　the　prince's　own

eccentric　yet　august　taste。　　A　strong　and　lofty　wall　girdled　it　in。　

This　wall　had　gates　of　iron。　　The　courtiers；　having　entered；

brought　furnaces　and　massy　hammers　and　welded　the　bolts。　　They

resolved　to　leave　means　neither　of　ingress　nor　egress　to　the　sudden

impulses　of　despair　or　of　frenzy　from　within。　　The　abbey　was　amply

provisioned。　　With　such　precautions　the　courtiers　might　bid

defiance　to　contagion。　　The　external　world　could　take　care　of

itself。　　In　the　meantime　it　was　folly　to　grieve；　or　to　think。　　The

prince　had　provided　all　the　appliances　of　pleasure。　　There　were

buffoons；　there　were　improvisatori；　there　were　ballet…dancers；

there　were　musicians；　there　was　Beauty；　there　was　wine。　　All　these

and　security　were　within。　　Without　was　the　〃Red　Death〃。



It　was　towards　the　close　of　the　fifth　or　sixth　month　of　his　

seclusion；　and　while　the　pestilence　raged　most　furiously

abroad；　that　the　Prince　Prospero　entertained　his　thousand　friends

at　a　masked　ball　of　the　most　unusual　magnificence。



It　was　a　voluptuous　scene；　that　masquerade。　　But　first　let　me

tell　of　the　rooms　in　which　it　was　held。　　These　were　sevenan

imperial　suite。　　In　many　palaces；　however；　such　suites　form　a　long

and　straight　vista；　while　the　folding　doors　slide　back　nearly　to

the　walls　on　either　hand；　so　that　the　view　of　the　whole　extent　is

scarcely　impeded。　　Here　the　case　was　very　different；　as　might　have

been　expected　from　the　duke's　love　of　the　　bizarre。　　The

apartments　were　so　irregularly　disposed　that　the　vision　embraced

but　little　more　than　one　at　a　time。　　There　was　a　sharp　turn　at

every　twenty　or　thirty　yards；　and　at　each　turn　a　novel　effect。　　To

the　right　and　left；　in　the　middle　of　each　wall；　a　tall　and　narrow

Gothic　window　looked　out　upon　a　closed　corridor　which　pursued　the

windings　of　the　suite。　　These　windows　were　of　stained　glass　whose

colour　varied　in　accordance　with　the　prevailing　hue　of　the

decorations　of　the　chamber　into　which　it　opened。　　That　at　the

eastern　extremity　was　hung；　for　example　in　blueand　vividly　blue

were　its　windows。　　The　second　chamber　was　purple　in　its　ornaments

and　tapestries；　and　here　the　panes　were　purple。　　The　third　was

green　throughout；　and　so　were　the　casements。　　The　fourth　was

furnished　and　lighted　with　orangethe　fifth　with　whitethe　sixth

with　violet。　　The　seventh　apartment　was　closely　shrouded　in　black

velvet　tapestries　that　hung　all　over　the　ceiling　and　down　the

walls；　falling　in　heavy　folds　upon　a　carpet　of　the　same　material

and　hue。　　But　in　this　chamber　only；　the　colour　of　the　windows

failed　to　correspond　with　the　decorations。　　The　panes　here　were

scarleta　deep　blood　colour。　　Now　in　no　one　of　the　seven

apartments　was　there　any　lamp　or　candelabrum；　amid　the　profusion　of

golden　ornaments　that　lay　scattered　to　and　fro　or　depended　from　the

roof。　　There　was　no　light　of　any　kind　emanating　from　lamp　or　candle

within　the　suite　of　chambers。　　But　in　the　corridors　that　followed

the　suite；　there　stood；　opposite　to　each　window；　a　heavy　tripod；

bearing　a　brazier　of　fire；　that　projected　its　rays　through　the

tinted　glass　and　so　glaringly　illumined　the　room。　　And　thus　were

produced　a　multitude　of　gaudy　and　fantastic　appearances。　　But　in

the　western　or　black　chamber　the　effect　of　the　fire…light　that　

streamed　upon　the　dark　hangings　through　the　blood…tinted　panes；

was　ghastly　in　the　extreme；　and　produced　so　wild　a　look　upon　the

countenances　of　those　who　entered；　that　there　were　few　of　the

company　bold　enough　to　set　foot　within　its　precincts　at　all。



It　was　in　this　apartment；　also；　that　there　stood　against　the

western　wall；　a　gigantic　clock　of　ebony。　　Its　pendulum　swung　to　and

fro　with　a　dull；　heavy；　monotonous　clang；　and　when　the　minute…hand

made　the　circuit　of　the　face；　and　the　hour　was　to　be　stricken；

there　came　from　the　brazen　lungs　of　the　clock　a　sound　which　was

clear　and　loud　and　deep　and　exceedingly　musical；　but　of　so　peculiar

a　note　and　emphasis　that；　at　each　lapse　of　an　hour；　the　musicians

of　the　orchestra　were　constrained　to　pause；　momentarily；　in　their

performance；　to　harken　to　the　sound；　and　thus　the　waltzers　perforce

ceased　their　evolutions；　and　there　was　a　brief　disconcert　of　the

whole　gay　company；　and；　while　the　chimes　of　the　clock　yet　rang；　it

was　observed　that　the　giddiest　grew　pale；　and　the　more　aged　and

sedate　passed　their　hands　over　their　brows　as　if　in　confused

revery　or　meditation。　　But　when　the　echoes　had　fully　ceased；　a

light　laughter　at　once　pervaded　the　assembly；　the　musicians　looked

at　each　other　and　smiled　as　if　at　their　own　nervousness　and　folly；

and　made　whispering　vows；　each　to　the　other；　that　the　next　chiming

of　the　clock　should　produce　in　them　no　similar　emotion；　and　then；

after　the　lapse　of　sixty　minutes；　（which　embrace　three　thousand　and

six　hundred　seconds　of　the　Time　that　flies；）　there　came　yet　another

chiming　of　the　clock；　and　then　were　the　same　disconcert　and

tremulousness　and　meditation　as　before。



But；　in　spite　of　these　things；　it　was　a　gay　and　magnificent

revel。　　The　tastes　of　the　duke　were　peculiar。　　He　had　a　fine　eye

for　colours　and　effects。　　He　disregarded　the　　decora　of　mere

fashion。　　His　plans　were　bold　and　fiery；　and　his　conceptions　glowed

with　barbaric　lustre。　　There　are　some　who　would　have　thought　him

mad。　　His　followers　felt　that　he　was　not。　　It　was　necessary　to　hear

and　see　and　touch　him　to　be　　sure　that　he　was　not。



He　had　directed；　in　great　part；　the　movable　embellishments　of

the　seven　chambers；　upon　occasion　of　this　great　　fete；　and　it

was　his　own　guiding　taste　which　had　given　character　to　the

masqueraders。　　Be　sure　they　were　grotesque。　　There　were　much　glare

and　glitter　and　piquancy　and　phantasmmuch　of　what　has　been　since

　seen　in　　〃Hernani〃。　　There　were　arabesque　figures　with

unsuited　limbs　and　appointments。　　There　were　delirious　fancies　such

as　the　madman　fashions。　　There　were　much　of　the　beautiful；　much　of

the　wanton；　much　of　the　　bizarre；　something　of　the　terrible；　and

not　a　little　of　that　which　might　have　excited　disgust。　　To　and　fro

in　the　seven　chambers　there　stalked；　in　fact；　a　multitude　of

dreams。　　And　thesethe　dreamswrithed　in　and　about　taking　hue

from　the　rooms；　and　causing　the　wild　music　of　the　orchestra　to　seem

as　the　echo　of　their　steps。　　And；　anon；　there　strikes　the　ebony

clock　which　stands　in　the　hall　of　the　velvet。　　And　then；　for　a

moment；　all　is　still；　and　all　is　silent　save　the　voice　of　the

clock。　　The　dreams　are　stiff…frozen　as　they　stand。　　But　the　echoes

of　the　chime　die　awaythey　have　endured　but　an　instantand　a

light；　half…subdued　laughter　floats　after　them　as　they　depart。　　And

now　again　the　music　swells；　and　the　dreams　live；　and　writhe　to　and

fro　more　merrily　than　ever；　taking　hue　from　the　many　tinted　windows

through　which　stream　the　rays　from　the　tripods。　　But　to　the　chamber

which　lies　most　westwardly　of　the　seven；　there　are　now　none　of　the

maskers　who　venture；　for　the　night　is　waning　away；　and　there　fl