the works of edgar allan poe-5-第22章
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'aulos。'〃
〃Giving the lambda a fillip with my finger； I turned it upside down。
So the sentence now read 'o nous estin augos'； and is； you perceive； the
fundamental doctrines in his metaphysics。〃
〃Were you ever at Rome？〃 asked the restaurateur； as he finished his
second bottle of Mousseux； and drew from the closet a larger supply of
Chambertin。
But once； Monsieur Bon…Bon； but once。 There was a time；〃 said the
devil； as if reciting some passage from a book … 〃there was a time when
occurred an anarchy of five years； during which the republic； bereft of
all its officers； had no magistracy besides the tribunes of the people；
and these were not legally vested with any degree of executive power … at
that time； Monsieur Bon…Bon … at that time only I was in Rome； and I have
no earthly acquaintance； consequently； with any of its philosophy。〃*
｛*2｝ Ils ecrivaient sur la Philosophie （_Cicero； Lucretius； Seneca_） mais
c'etait la Philosophie Grecque。 … _Condorcet_。
〃What do you think of … what do you think of … hiccup！ … Epicurus？〃
〃What do I think of whom？〃 said the devil； in astonishment； 〃you
cannot surely mean to find any fault with Epicurus！ What do I think of
Epicurus！ Do you mean me； sir？ … I am Epicurus！ I am the same philosopher
who wrote each of the three hundred treatises commemorated by Diogenes
Laertes。〃
〃That's a lie！〃 said the metaphysician； for the wine had gotten a
little into his head。
〃Very well！ … very well； sir！ … very well； indeed； sir！〃 said his
Majesty； apparently much flattered。
〃That's a lie！〃 repeated the restaurateur； dogmatically； 〃that's a …
hiccup！ … a lie！〃
〃Well； well； have it your own way！〃 said the devil； pacifically； and
Bon…Bon； having beaten his Majesty at argument； thought it his duty to
conclude a second bottle of Chambertin。
〃As I was saying；〃 resumed the visiter … 〃as I was observing a little
while ago； there are some very outre notions in that book of yours
Monsieur Bon…Bon。 What； for instance； do you mean by all that humbug about
the soul？ Pray； sir； what is the soul？〃
〃The … hiccup！ … soul；〃 replied the metaphysician； referring to his
MS。； 〃is undoubtedly…〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃Indubitably…〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃Indisputably…〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃Evidently…〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃Incontrovertibly…〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃Hiccup！ …〃
〃No； sir！〃
〃And beyond all question； a…〃
〃No sir； the soul is no such thing！〃 （Here the philosopher； looking
daggers； took occasion to make an end； upon the spot； of his third bottle
of Chambertin。）
〃Then … hic…cup！ … pray； sir … what … what is it？〃
〃That is neither here nor there； Monsieur Bon…Bon；〃 replied his
Majesty； musingly。 〃I have tasted … that is to say； I have known some very
bad souls； and some too … pretty good ones。〃 Here he smacked his lips；
and； having unconsciously let fall his hand upon the volume in his pocket；
was seized with a violent fit of sneezing。
He continued。
〃There was the soul of Cratinus … passable： Aristophanes … racy： Plato
… exquisite… not your Plato； but Plato the comic poet； your Plato would
have turned the stomach of Cerberus … faugh！ Then let me see！ there were
Naevius； and Andronicus； and Plautus； and Terentius。 Then there were
Lucilius； and Catullus； and Naso； and Quintus Flaccus； … dear Quinty！ as I
called him when he sung a seculare for my amusement； while I toasted him；
in pure good humor； on a fork。 But they want flavor； these Romans。 One fat
Greek is worth a dozen of them； and besides will keep； which cannot be
said of a Quirite。 … Let us taste your Sauterne。〃
Bon…Bon had by this time made up his mind to nil admirari and
endeavored to hand down the bottles in question。 He was； however；
conscious of a strange sound in the room like the wagging of a tail。 Of
this； although extremely indecent in his Majesty； the philosopher took no
notice： … simply kicking the dog； and requesting him to be quiet。 The
visiter continued：
〃I found that Horace tasted very much like Aristotle； … you know I am
fond of variety。 Terentius I could not have told from Menander。 Naso； to
my astonishment； was Nicander in disguise。 Virgilius had a strong twang of
Theocritus。 Martial put me much in mind of Archilochus … and Titus Livius
was positively Polybius and none other。〃
〃Hic…cup！〃 here replied Bon…Bon； and his majesty proceeded：
〃But if I have a penchant； Monsieur Bon…Bon … if I have a penchant； it
is for a philosopher。 Yet； let me tell you； sir； it is not every dev … I
mean it is not every gentleman who knows how to choose a philosopher。 Long
ones are not good； and the best； if not carefully shelled； are apt to be a
little rancid on account of the gall！〃
〃Shelled！〃
〃I mean taken out of the carcass。〃
〃What do you think of a … hic…cup！ … physician？〃
〃Don't mention them！ … ugh！ ugh！ ugh！〃 （Here his Majesty retched
violently。） 〃I never tasted but one … that rascal Hippocrates！ … smelt of
asafoetida … ugh！ ugh！ ugh！ … caught a wretched cold washing him in the
Styx … and after all he gave me the cholera morbus。〃
〃The … hiccup … wretch！〃 ejaculated Bon…Bon； 〃the … hic…cup！ …
absorption of a pill…box！〃 … and the philosopher dropped a tear。
〃After all；〃 continued the visiter； 〃after all； if a dev … if a
gentleman wishes to live； he must have more talents than one or two； and
with us a fat face is an evidence of diplomacy。〃
〃How so？〃
〃Why； we are sometimes exceedingly pushed for provisions。 You must
know that； in a climate so sultry as mine； it is frequently impossible to
keep a spirit alive for more than two or three hours； and after death；
unless pickled immediately （and a pickled spirit is not good）； they will …
smell … you understand； eh？ Putrefaction is always to be apprehended when
the souls are consigned to us in the usual way。〃
〃Hiccup！ … hiccup！ … good God！ how do you manage？〃
Here the iron lamp commenced swinging with redoubled violence； and the
devil half started from his seat； … however； with a slight sigh； he
recovered his composure； merely saying to our hero in a low tone： 〃I tell
you what； Pierre Bon…Bon； we must have no more swearing。〃
The host swallowed another bumper； by way of denoting thorough
comprehension and acquiescence； and the visiter continued。
〃Why； there are several ways of managing。 The most of us starve： some
put up with the pickle： for my part I purchase my spirits vivente corpore；
in which case I find they keep very well。〃
〃But the body！ … hiccup！ … the body！〃
〃The body； the body … well； what of the body？ … oh！ ah！ I perceive。
Why； sir； the body is not at all affected by the transaction。 I have made
innumerable purchases of the kind in my day； and the parties never
experienced any inconvenience。 There were Cain and Nimrod； and Nero； and
Caligula； and Dionysius； and Pisistratus； and … and a thousand others； who
never knew what it was to have a soul during the latter part of their
lives； yet； sir； these men adorned society。 Why possession of his
faculties； mental and corporeal？ Who writes a keener epigram？ Who reasons
more wittily？ Who … but stay！ I have his agreement in my pocket…book。〃
Thus saying； he produced a red leather wallet； and took from it a
number of papers。 Upon some of these Bon…Bon caught a glimpse of the
letters Machi … Maza… Robesp … with the words Caligula； George； Elizabeth。
His Majesty selected a narrow slip of parchment； and from it read aloud
the following words：
〃In consideration of certain mental endowments which it is unnecessary
to specify； and in further consideration of one thousand louis d'or； I
being aged one year and one month； do hereby make over to the bearer of
this agreement all my right； title； and appurtenance in the shadow called
my soul。 （Signed） A。。。。〃 ｛*4｝ （Here His Majesty repeated a name which I
did not feel justified in indicating more unequivocally。）
｛*4｝ Quere…Arouet？
〃A clever fellow that；〃 resumed he； 〃but like you； Monsieur Bon…Bon；
he was mistaken about the soul。 The soul a shadow； truly！ The soul a
shadow； Ha
