the castle of otranto-第2章

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Hippolita；　his　wife；　an　amiable　lady；　did　　sometimes　venture　to　represent　the　danger　of　marrying　their　only　son　　so　early；　considering　his　great　youth；　and　greater　infirmities；　but　　she　never　received　any　other　answer　than　reflections　on　her　own　　sterility；　who　had　given　him　but　one　heir。　　His　tenants　and　subjects　　were　less　cautious　in　their　discourses。　　They　attributed　this　hasty　　wedding　to　the　Prince's　dread　of　seeing　accomplished　an　ancient　　prophecy；　which　was　said　to　have　pronounced　that　the　castle　and　　lordship　of　Otranto　〃should　pass　from　the　present　family；　whenever　the　　real　owner　should　be　grown　too　large　to　inhabit　it。〃　　It　was　difficult　　to　make　any　sense　of　this　prophecy；　and　still　less　easy　to　conceive　　what　it　had　to　do　with　the　marriage　in　question。　　Yet　these　mysteries；　　or　contradictions；　did　not　make　the　populace　adhere　the　less　to　their　　opinion。

Young　Conrad's　birthday　was　fixed　for　his　espousals。　　The　company　was　　assembled　in　the　chapel　of　the　Castle；　and　everything　ready　for　　beginning　the　divine　office；　when　Conrad　himself　was　missing。　　　Manfred；　impatient　of　the　least　delay；　and　who　had　not　observed　his　　son　retire；　despatched　one　of　his　attendants　to　summon　the　young　　Prince。　　The　servant；　who　had　not　stayed　long　enough　to　have　crossed　　the　court　to　Conrad's　apartment；　came　running　back　breathless；　in　a　　frantic　manner；　his　eyes　staring；　and　foaming　at　the　month。　　He　said　　nothing；　but　pointed　to　the　court。

The　company　were　struck　with　terror　and　amazement。　　The　Princess　　Hippolita；　without　knowing　what　was　the　matter；　but　anxious　for　her　　son；　swooned　away。　　Manfred；　less　apprehensive　than　enraged　at　the　　procrastination　of　the　nuptials；　and　at　the　folly　of　his　domestic；　　asked　imperiously　what　was　the　matter？　　The　fellow　made　no　answer；　but　　continued　pointing　towards　the　court…yard；　and　at　last；　after　repeated　　questions　put　to　him；　cried　out；　〃Oh！　the　helmet！　the　helmet！〃

In　the　meantime；　some　of　the　company　had　run　into　the　court；　from　　whence　was　heard　a　confused　noise　of　shrieks；　horror；　and　surprise。　　　Manfred；　who　began　to　be　alarmed　at　not　seeing　his　son；　went　himself　　to　get　information　of　what　occasioned　this　strange　confusion。　　Matilda　　remained　endeavouring　to　assist　her　mother；　and　Isabella　stayed　for　　the　same　purpose；　and　to　avoid　showing　any　impatience　for　the　　bridegroom；　for　whom；　in　truth；　she　had　conceived　little　affection。

The　first　thing　that　struck　Manfred's　eyes　was　a　group　of　his　servants　　endeavouring　to　raise　something　that　appeared　to　him　a　mountain　of　　sable　plumes。　　He　gazed　without　believing　his　sight。

〃What　are　ye　doing？〃　cried　Manfred；　wrathfully；　〃where　is　my　son？〃

A　volley　of　voices　replied；　〃Oh！　my　Lord！　the　Prince！　the　Prince！　the　　helmet！　the　helmet！〃

Shocked　with　these　lamentable　sounds；　and　dreading　he　knew　not　what；　　he　advanced　hastily；　…　but　what　a　sight　for　a　father's　eyes！　…　he　　beheld　his　child　dashed　to　pieces；　and　almost　buried　under　an　enormous　　helmet；　an　hundred　times　more　large　than　any　casque　ever　made　for　　human　being；　and　shaded　with　a　proportionable　quantity　of　black　　feathers。

The　horror　of　the　spectacle；　the　ignorance　of　all　around　how　this　　misfortune　had　happened；　and　above　all；　the　tremendous　phenomenon　　before　him；　took　away　the　Prince's　speech。　　Yet　his　silence　lasted　　longer　than　even　grief　could　occasion。　　He　fixed　his　eyes　on　what　he　　wished　in　vain　to　believe　a　vision；　and　seemed　less　attentive　to　his　　loss；　than　buried　in　meditation　on　the　stupendous　object　that　had　　occasioned　it。　　He　touched；　he　examined　the　fatal　casque；　nor　could　　even　the　bleeding　mangled　remains　of　the　young　Prince　divert　the　eyes　　of　Manfred　from　the　portent　before　him。

All　who　had　known　his　partial　fondness　for　young　Conrad；　were　as　much　　surprised　at　their　Prince's　insensibility；　as　thunderstruck　themselves　　at　the　miracle　of　the　helmet。　　They　conveyed　the　disfigured　corpse　　into　the　hall；　without　receiving　the　least　direction　from　Manfred。　　As　　little　was　he　attentive　to　the　ladies　who　remained　in　the　chapel。　　On　　the　contrary；　without　mentioning　the　unhappy　princesses；　his　wife　and　　daughter；　the　first　sounds　that　dropped　from　Manfred's　lips　were；　　〃Take　care　of　the　Lady　Isabella。〃

The　domestics；　without　observing　the　singularity　of　this　direction；　　were　guided　by　their　affection　to　their　mistress；　to　consider　it　as　　peculiarly　addressed　to　her　situation；　and　flew　to　her　assistance。　　　They　conveyed　her　to　her　chamber　more　dead　than　alive；　and　indifferent　　to　all　the　strange　circumstances　she　heard；　except　the　death　of　her　　son。

Matilda；　who　doted　on　her　mother；　smothered　her　own　grief　and　　amazement；　and　thought　of　nothing　but　assisting　and　comforting　her　　afflicted　parent。　　Isabella；　who　had　been　treated　by　Hippolita　like　a　　daughter；　and　who　returned　that　tenderness　with　equal　duty　and　　affection；　was　scarce　less　assiduous　about　the　Princess；　at　the　same　　time　endeavouring　to　partake　and　lessen　the　weight　of　sorrow　which　she　　saw　Matilda　strove　to　suppress；　for　whom　she　had　conceived　the　warmest　　sympathy　of　friendship。　　Yet　her　own　situation　could　not　help　finding　　its　place　in　her　thoughts。　　She　felt　no　concern　for　the　death　of　young　　Conrad；　except　commiseration；　and　she　was　not　sorry　to　be　delivered　　from　a　marriage　which　had　promised　her　little　felicity；　either　from　　her　destined　bridegroom；　or　from　the　severe　temper　of　Manfred；　who；　　though　he　had　distinguished　her　by　great　indulgence；　had　imprinted　her　　mind　with　terror；　from　his　causeless　rigour　to　such　amiable　princesses　　as　Hippolita　and　Matilda。

While　the　ladies　were　conveying　the　wretched　mother　to　her　bed；　　Manfred　remained　in　the　court；　gazing　on　the　ominous　casque；　and　　regardless　of　the　crowd　which　the　strangeness　of　the　event　had　now　　assembled　around　him。　　The　few　words　he　articulated；　tended　solely　to　　inquiries；　whether　any　man　knew　from　whence　it　could　have　come？　　　Nobody　could　give　him　the　least　information。　　However；　as　it　seemed　to　　be　the　sole　object　of　his　curiosity；　it　soon　became　so　to　the　rest　of　　the　spectators；　whose　conjectures　were　as　absurd　and　improbable；　as　　the　catastrophe　itself　was　unprecedented。　　In　the　midst　of　their　　senseless　guesses；　a　young　peasant；　whom　rumour　had　drawn　thither　from　　a　neighbouring　village；　observed　that　the　miraculous　helmet　was　　exactly　like　that　on　the　figure　in　black　marble　of　Alfonso　the　Good；　　one　of　their　former　princes；　in　the　church　of　St。　Nicholas。

〃Villain！　　What　sayest　thou？〃　cried　Manfred；　starting　from　his　trance　　in　a　tempest　of　rage；　and　seizing　the　young　man　by　the　collar；　〃how　　darest　thou　utter　such　treason？　　Thy　life　shall　pay　for　it。〃

The　spectators；　who　as　little　comprehended　the　cause　of　the　Prince's　　fury　as　all　the　rest　they　had　seen；　were　at　a　loss　to　unravel　this　new　　circumstance。　　The　young　peasant　himself　was　still　more　astonished；　　not　conceiving　how　he　had　offended　the　Prince。　　Yet　recollecting　　himself；　with　a　mixture　of　grace　and　humility；　he　disengaged　himself　　from　Manfred's　grip；　and　then　with　an　obeisance；　which　discovered　more　　jealousy　of　innocence　than　dismay；　he　asked；　with　respect；　of　what　he　　was　guilty？　　Manfred；　more　enraged　at　the　vigour；　however　decently　　exerted；　with　which　the　young　man　had　shaken　off　his　hold；　than　　appeased　by　his　submission；　ordered　his　attendants　to　seize　him；　and；　　if　he　had　not　been　withheld　by　his　friends　whom　he　had　invited　to　the　　nuptials；　would　have　poignarded　the　peasant　in　their　arms。

During　this　altercation；　some　of　the　vulgar　spectators　had　run　to　the　　great　church；　which　stood　near　the　castle；　and　came　back　open…mouthed；　　declaring　that　the　helmet　was　missing　from　Alfonso's　statue。　　Manfred；　　at　this　news；　grew　perfectly　frantic；　and；　as　if　he　sought　a　subject　　on　which　to　vent　the　tempest　within　him；　he　rushed　again　on　the　young　　peasant；　crying　…

〃Villain！　Monster！　Sorcerer！　'tis　thou　hast　done　this！　'tis　thou　hast　　slain　my　son！〃

The　mob；　who　wanted　some　object　within　the　scope　of　their　capacities；　　on　whom　they　might　discharge　their　bewildered　reasoning；　caught　the　　words　from　the　mouth　of　their　lord；　and　re…echoed　…

〃Ay；　ay；　'tis　he；　'tis　he：　　he　has　stolen　the　helmet　from　good　　Alfonso's　tomb；　and　dashed　o