the works of edgar allan poe-3-第51章

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first　portion　of　what　is　here　written；　pretend　to　strict　accuracy　in
respect　to　dates；　or　latitudes　and　longitudes；　having　kept　no　regular
journal　until　after　the　period　of　which　this　first　portion　treats。　In
many　instances　I　have　relied　altogether　upon　memory。

｛*5｝　This　day　was　rendered　remarkable　by　our　observing　in　the　south
several　huge　wreaths　of　the　grayish　vapour　I　have　spoken　of。

｛*6｝　The　marl　was　also　black；　indeed；　we　noticed　no　light　colored
substances　of　any　kind　upon　the　island。

｛*7｝For　obvious　reasons　I　cannot　pretend　to　strict　accuracy　in　these
dates。　They　are　given　principally　with　a　view　to　perspicity　of
naarrative；　and　as　set　down　in　my　pencil　memorandum。。

~~~~~~　End　of　Text　~~~~~~　Narrative　of　A。　Gordon　Pym



LIGEIA

And　the　will　therein　lieth；　which　dieth　not。　Who　knoweth　the
mysteries　of　the　will；　with　its　vigor？　For　God　is　but　a　great　will
pervading　all　things　by　nature　of　its　intentness。　Man　doth　not　yield
himself　to　the　angels；　nor　unto　death　utterly；　save　only　through　the
weakness　of　his　feeble　will。　Joseph　Glanvill。

I　Cannot；　for　my　soul；　remember　how；　when；　or　even　precisely　where；　I
first　became　acquainted　with　the　lady　Ligeia。　Long　years　have　since
elapsed；　and　my　memory　is　feeble　through　much　suffering。　Or；　perhaps；
I　cannot　now　bring　these　points　to　mind；　because；　in　truth；　the
character　of　my　beloved；　her　rare　learning；　her　singular　yet　placid
cast　of　beauty；　and　the　thrilling　and　enthralling　eloquence　of　her
low　musical　language；　made　their　way　into　my　heart　by　paces　so
steadily　and　stealthily　progressive　that　they　have　been　unnoticed　and
unknown。　Yet　I　believe　that　I　met　her　first　and　most　frequently　in
some　large；　old；　decaying　city　near　the　Rhine。　Of　her　family　　I
have　surely　heard　her　speak。　That　it　is　of　a　remotely　ancient　date
cannot　be　doubted。　Ligeia！　Ligeia！　in　studies　of　a　nature　more　than
all　else　adapted　to　deaden　impressions　of　the　outward　world；　it　is　by
that　sweet　word　alone　　by　Ligeia　　that　I　bring　before　mine　eyes
in　fancy　the　image　of　her　who　is　no　more。　And　now；　while　I　write；　a
recollection　flashes　upon　me　that　I　have　never　known　the　paternal
name　of　her　who　was　my　friend　and　my　betrothed；　and　who　became　the
partner　of　my　studies；　and　finally　the　wife　of　my　bosom。　Was　it　a
playful　charge　on　the　part　of　my　Ligeia？　or　was　it　a　test　of　my
strength　of　affection；　that　I　should　institute　no　inquiries　upon　this
point？　or　was　it　rather　a　caprice　of　my　own　　a　wildly　romantic
offering　on　the　shrine　of　the　most　passionate　devotion？　I　but
indistinctly　recall　the　fact　itself　　what　wonder　that　I　have
utterly　forgotten　the　circumstances　which　originated　or　attended　it？
And；　indeed；　if　ever　she；　the　wan　and　the　misty…winged　Ashtophet　of
idolatrous　Egypt；　presided；　as　they　tell；　over　marriages　ill…omened；
then　most　surely　she　presided　over　mine。

There　is　one　dear　topic；　however；　on　which　my　memory　falls　me　not。　It
is　the　person　of　Ligeia。　In　stature　she　was　tall；　somewhat　slender；
and；　in　her　latter　days；　even　emaciated。　I　would　in　vain　attempt　to
portray　the　majesty；　the　quiet　ease；　of　her　demeanor；　or　the
incomprehensible　lightness　and　elasticity　of　her　footfall。　She　came
and　departed　as　a　shadow。　I　was　never　made　aware　of　her　entrance　into
my　closed　study　save　by　the　dear　music　of　her　low　sweet　voice；　as　she
placed　her　marble　hand　upon　my　shoulder。　In　beauty　of　face　no　maiden
ever　equalled　her。　It　was　the　radiance　of　an　opium…dream　　an　airy
and　spirit…lifting　vision　more　wildly　divine　than　the　phantasies
which　hovered　vision　about　the　slumbering　souls　of　the　daughters　of
Delos。　Yet　her　features　were　not　of　that　regular　mould　which　we　have
been　falsely　taught　to　worship　in　the　classical　labors　of　the
heathen。　〃There　is　no　exquisite　beauty；〃　says　Bacon；　Lord　Verulam；
speaking　truly　of　all　the　forms　and　genera　of　beauty；　without　some
strangeness　in　the　proportion。〃　Yet；　although　I　saw　that　the　features
of　Ligeia　were　not　of　a　classic　regularity　　although　I　perceived
that　her　loveliness　was　indeed　〃exquisite；〃　and　felt　that　there　was
much　of　〃strangeness〃　pervading　it；　yet　I　have　tried　in　vain　to
detect　the　irregularity　and　to　trace　home　my　own　perception　of　〃the
strange。〃　I　examined　the　contour　of　the　lofty　and　pale　forehead　　it
was　faultless　　how　cold　indeed　that　word　when　applied　to　a　majesty
so　divine！　　the　skin　rivalling　the　purest　ivory；　the　commanding
extent　and　repose；　the　gentle　prominence　of　the　regions　above　the
temples；　and　then　the　raven…black；　the　glossy；　the　luxuriant　and
naturally…curling　tresses；　setting　forth　the　full　force　of　the
Homeric　epithet；　〃hyacinthine！〃　I　looked　at　the　delicate　outlines　of
the　nose　　and　nowhere　but　in　the　graceful　medallions　of　the　Hebrews
had　I　beheld　a　similar　perfection。　There　were　the　same　luxurious
smoothness　of　surface；　the　same　scarcely　perceptible　tendency　to　the
aquiline；　the　same　harmoniously　curved　nostrils　speaking　the　free
spirit。　I　regarded　the　sweet　mouth。　Here　was　indeed　the　triumph　of
all　things　heavenly　　the　magnificent　turn　of　the　short　upper　lip　
the　soft；　voluptuous　slumber　of　the　under　　the　dimples　which
sported；　and　the　color　which　spoke　　the　teeth　glancing　back；　with　a
brilliancy　almost　startling；　every　ray　of　the　holy　light　which　fell
upon　them　in　her　serene　and　placid；　yet　most　exultingly　radiant　of
all　smiles。　I　scrutinized　the　formation　of　the　chin　　and　here；　too；
I　found　the　gentleness　of　breadth；　the　softness　and　the　majesty；　the
fullness　and　the　spirituality；　of　the　Greek　　the　contour　which　the
god　Apollo　revealed　but　in　a　dream；　to　Cleomenes；　the　son　of　the
Athenian。　And　then　I　peered　into　the　large　eves　of　Ligeia。

For　eyes　we　have　no　models　in　the　remotely　antique。　It　might　have
been；　too；　that　in　these　eves　of　my　beloved　lay　the　secret　to　which
Lord　Verulam　alludes。　They　were；　I　must　believe；　far　larger　than　the
ordinary　eyes　of　our　own　race。　They　were　even　fuller　than　the　fullest
of　the　gazelle　eyes　of　the　tribe　of　the　valley　of　Nourjahad。　Yet　it
was　only　at　intervals　　in　moments　of　intense　excitement　　that
this　peculiarity　became　more　than　slightly　noticeable　in　Ligeia。　And
at　such　moments　was　her　beauty　　in　my　heated　fancy　thus　it　appeared
perhaps　　the　beauty　of　beings　either　above　or　apart　from　the　earth
　the　beauty　of　the　fabulous　Houri　of　the　Turk。　The　hue　of　the　orbs
was　the　most　brilliant　of　black；　and；　far　over　them；　hung　jetty
lashes　of　great　length。　The　brows；　slightly　irregular　in　outline；　had
the　same　tint。　The　〃strangeness；〃　however；　which　I　found　in　the　eyes；
was　of　a　nature　distinct　from　the　formation；　or　the　color；　or　the
brilliancy　of　the　features；　and　must；　after　all；　be　referred　to　the
expression。　Ah；　word　of　no　meaning！　behind　whose　vast　latitude　of
mere　sound　we　intrench　our　ignorance　of　so　much　of　the　spiritual。　The
expression　of　the　eyes　of　Ligeia！　How　for　long　hours　have　I　pondered
upon　it！　How　have　I；　through　the　whole　of　a　midsummer　night；
struggled　to　fathom　it！　What　was　it　　that　something　more　profound
than　the　well　of　Democritus　　which　lay　far　within　the　pupils　of　my
beloved？　What　was　it？　I　was　possessed　with　a　passion　to　discover。
Those　eyes！　those　large；　those　shining；　those　divine　orbs！　they
became　to　me　twin　stars　of　Leda；　and　I　to　them　devoutest　of
astrologers。

There　is　no　point；　among　the　many　incomprehensible　anomalies　of　the
science　of　mind；　more　thrillingly　exciting　than　the　fact　　never；　I
believe；　noticed　in　the　schools　　that；　in　our　endeavors　to　recall
to　memory　something　long　forgotten；　we　often　find　ourselves　upon　the
very　verge　of　remembrance；　without　being　able；　in　the　end；　to
remember。　And　thus　how　frequently；　in　my　intense　scrutiny　of　Ligeia's
eyes；　have　I　felt　approaching　the　full　knowledge　of　their　expression
　felt　it　approaching　　yet　not　quite　be　mine　　and　so　at　length
entirely　depart！　And　（strange；　oh　strangest　mystery　of　all！）　I　found；
in　the　commonest　objects　of　the　universe；　a　circle　of　analogies　to
theat　expression。　I　mean　to　say　that；　subsequently　to　the　period　when
Ligeia's　beauty　passed　into　my　spirit；　there　dwelling　as　in　a　shrine；
I　derived；　from　many　existences　in　the　material　world；　a　sentiment
such　as　I　felt　always　aro