THE DEVIL IN MANUSCRIPT.docx
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THE DEVIL IN MANUSCRIPT.docx
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THEDEVILINMANUSCRIPT
THEDEVILINMANUSCRIPT
OnabittereveningofDecember,Iarrivedbymailinalarge
town,whichwasthentheresidenceofanintimatefriend,oneof
thosegiftedyouthswhocultivatepoetryandthebelles-lettres,
andcallthemselvesstudentsatlaw.Myfirstbusiness,after
supper,wastovisithimattheofficeofhisdistinguished
instructor.AsIhavesaid,itwasabitternight,clear
starlight,butcoldasNovaZembla,--theshop-windowsalongthe
streetbeingfrosted,soasalmosttohidethelights,whilethe
wheelsofcoachesthunderedequallyloudoverfrozenearthand
pavementsofstone.Therewasnosnow,eitheronthegroundor
theroofsofthehouses.Thewindblewsoviolently,thatIhad
buttospreadmycloaklikeamain-sail,andscudalongthe
streetattherateoftenknots,greatlyenviedbyother
navigators,whowerebeatingslowlyup,withthegalerightin
theirteeth.OneoftheseIcapsized,butwasgoneonthewings
ofthewindbeforehecouldevenvociferateanoath.
Afterthispictureofaninclementnight,beholdusseatedbya
greatblazingfire,whichlookedsocomfortableanddelicious
thatIfeltinclinedtoliedownandrollamongthehotcoals.
Theusualfurnitureofalawyer'sofficewasaroundus,--rowsof
volumesinsheepskin,andamultitudeofwrits,summonses,and
otherlegalpapers,scatteredoverthedesksandtables.But
therewerecertainobjectswhichseemedtointimatethatwehad
littledreadoftheintrusionofclients,orofthelearned
counsellorhimself,who,indeed,wasattendingcourtinadistant
town.Atall,decanter-shapedbottlestoodonthetable,between
twotumblers,andbesideapileofblottedmanuscripts,
altogetherdissimilartoanylawdocumentsrecognizedinour
courts.Myfriend,whomIshallcallOberon,--itwasanameof
fancyandfriendshipbetweenhimandme,--myfriendOberonlooked
atthesepaperswithapeculiarexpressionofdisquietude.
"Idobelieve,"saidhe,soberly,"or,atleast,Icouldbelieve,
ifIchose,thatthereisadevilinthispileofblottedpapers.
Youhavereadthem,andknowwhatImean,--thatconceptionin
whichIendeavoredtoembodythecharacterofafiend,as
representedinourtraditionsandthewrittenrecordsof
witchcraft.Oh,Ihaveahorrorofwhatwascreatedinmyown
brain,andshudderatthemanuscriptsinwhichIgavethatdark
ideaasortofmaterialexistence!
Wouldtheywereoutofmy
sight!
"
"Andofmine,too,"thoughtI.
"Youremember,"continuedOberon,"howthehellishthingusedto
suckawaythehappinessofthosewho,byasimpleconcessionthat
seemedalmostinnocent,subjectedthemselvestohispower.Just
somypeaceisgone,andallbytheseaccursedmanuscripts.Have
youfeltnothingofthesameinfluence?
"
"Nothing,"repliedI,"unlessthespellbehidinadesireto
turnnovelist,afterreadingyourdelightfultales."
"Novelist!
"exclaimedOberon,halfseriously."Then,indeed,my
devilhashisclawonyou!
Youaregone!
Youcannotevenprayfor
deliverance!
Butwewillbethelastandonlyvictims;forthis
nightImeantoburnthemanuscripts,andcommitthefiendtohis
retributionintheflames."
"Burnyourtales!
"repeatedI,startledatthedesperationofthe
idea.
"Evenso,"saidtheauthor,despondingly."Youcannotconceive
whataneffectthecompositionofthesetaleshashadonme.I
havebecomeambitiousofabubble,andcarelessofsolid
reputation.Iamsurroundingmyselfwithshadows,whichbewilder
me,byapingtherealitiesoflife.Theyhavedrawnmeasidefrom
thebeatenpathoftheworld,andledmeintoastrangesortof
solitude,--asolitudeinthemidstofmen,-wherenobodywishes
forwhatIdo,northinksnorfeelsasIdo.Thetaleshavedone
allthis.Whentheyareashes,perhapsIshallbeasIwasbefore
theyhadexistence.Moreover,thesacrificeislessthanyoumay
suppose,sincenobodywillpublishthem."
"Thatdoesmakeadifference,indeed,"saidI.
"Theyhavebeenoffered,byletter,"continuedOberon,reddening
withvexation,"tosomeseventeenbooksellers.Itwouldmakeyou
staretoreadtheiranswers;andreadthemyoushould,onlythat
Iburntthemasfastastheyarrived.Onemanpublishesnothing
butschool-books;anotherhasfivenovelsalreadyunder
examination."
"WhatavoluminousmasstheunpublishedliteratureofAmerica
mustbe!
"criedI.
"Oh,theAlexandrianmanuscriptswerenothingtoit!
"saidmy
friend."Well,anothergentlemanisjustgivingupbusiness,on
purpose,Iverilybelieve,toescapepublishingmybook.Several,
however,wouldnotabsolutelydeclinetheagency,onmyadvancing
halfthecostofanedition,andgivingbondsfortheremainder,
besidesahighpercentagetothemselves,whetherthebooksells
ornot.Anotheradvisesasubscription."
"Thevillain!
"exclaimedI.
"Afact!
"saidOberon."Inshort,ofalltheseventeen
booksellers,onlyonehasvouchsafedeventoreadmytales;and
he--aliterarydabblerhimself,Ishouldjudge--hasthe
impertinencetocriticisethem,proposingwhathecallsvast
improvements,andconcluding,afterageneralsentenceof
condemnation,withthedefinitiveassurancethathewillnotbe
concernedonanyterms."
"Itmightnotbeamisstopullthatfellow'snose,"remarkedI.
"Ifthewhole'trade'hadonecommonnose,therewouldbesome
satisfactioninpullingit,"answeredtheauthor."But,there
doesseemtobeonehonestmanamongtheseseventeenunrighteous
ones;andhetellsmefairly,thatnoAmericanpublisherwill
meddlewithanAmericanwork,--seldomifbyaknownwriter,and
neverifbyanewone,--unlessatthewriter'srisk."
"Thepaltryrogues!
"criedI."Willtheylivebyliterature,and
yetrisknothingforitssake?
But,afterall,youmightpublish
onyourownaccount."
"AndsoImight,"repliedOberon."Butthedevilofthebusiness
isthis.Thesepeoplehaveputmesooutofconceitwiththe
tales,thatIloathetheverythoughtofthem,andactually
experienceaphysicalsicknessofthestomach,wheneverIglance
atthemonthetable.Itellyouthereisademoninthem!
I
anticipateawildenjoymentinseeingthemintheblaze;suchas
Ishouldfeelintakingvengeanceonanenemy,ordestroying
somethingnoxious."
Ididnotverystrenuouslyopposethisdetermination,being
privatelyofopinion,inspiteofmypartialityfortheauthor,
thathistaleswouldmakeamorebrilliantappearanceinthefire
thananywhereelse.Beforeproceedingtoexecution,webroached
thebottleofchampagne,whichOberonhadprovidedforkeepingup
hisspiritsinthisdolefulbusiness.Weswallowedeacha
tumblerful,insparklingcommotion;itwentbubblingdownour
throats,andbrightenedmyeyesatonce,butleftmyfriendsad
andheavyasbefore.Hedrewthetalestowardshim,witha
mixtureofnaturalaffectionandnaturaldisgust,likeafather
takingadeformedinfantintohisarms.
"Pooh!
Pish!
Pshaw!
"exclaimedhe,holdingthematarm's-length.
"ItwasGray'sideaofheaven,toloungeonasofaandreadnew
novels.Now,whatmoreappropriatetorturewouldDantehimself
havecontrived,forthesinnerwhoperpetratesabadbook,than
tobecontinuallyturningoverthemanuscript?
"
"Itwouldfailofeffect,"saidI,"becauseabadauthoris
alwayshisowngreatadmirer."
"Ilackthatonecharacteristicofmytribe,--theonlydesirable
one,"observedOberon."Buthowmanyrecollectionsthrongupon
me,asIturnovertheseleaves!
Thisscenecameintomyfancyas
Iwalkedalongahillyroad,onastarlightOctoberevening;in
thepureandbracingair,Ibecameallsoul,andfeltasifI
couldclimbthesky,andrunaracealongtheMilkyWay.Hereis
anothertale,inwhichIwraptmyselfduringadarkanddreary
night-rideinthemonthofMarch,tilltherattlingofthewheels
andthevoicesofmycompanionsseemedlikefaintsoundsofa
dream,andmyvisionsabrightreality.Thatscribbledpage
describesshadowswhichIsummonedtomybedsideatmidnight:
theywouldnotdepartwhenIbadethem;thegraydawncame,and
foundmewideawakeandfeverish,thevictimofmyown
enchantments!
"
"Theremusthavebeenasortofhappinessinallthis,"saidI,
smittenwithastrangelongingtomakeproofofit.
"Theremaybehappinessinafeverfit,"repliedtheauthor."And
thenthevariousmoodsinwhichIwrote!
Sometimesmyideaswere
likepreciousstonesundertheearth,requiringtoiltodigthem
up,andcaretopolishandbrightenthem;butoftenadelicious
streamofthoughtwouldgushoutuponthepageatonce,like
watersparklingupsuddenlyinthedesert;andwhenithad
passed,Ignawedmypenhopelessly,orblunderedonwithcoldand
miserabletoil,asiftherewereawalloficebetweenmeandmy
subject."
"Doyounowperceiveacorrespondingdifference,"inquiredI,
"betweenthepassageswhichyouwrotesocoldly,andthosefervid
flashesofthemind?
"
"No,"saidOberon,tossingthemanuscriptsonthetable."Ifind
notracesofthegoldenpenwithwhichIwroteincharactersof
fire.Mytreasureoffairycoinischangedtoworthlessdross.My
picture,paintedinwhatseemedtheloveliesthues,presents
nothingbutafadedandindistinguishablesurface.Ihavebeen
eloquentandpoeticalandhumorousinadream,--andbehold!
itis
allnonsense,nowthatIamawake."
Myfriendnowthrewsticksofwoodanddrychipsuponthefire,
andseeingitblazelikeNebuchadnezzar'sfurnace,seizedthe
champagnebottle,anddranktwoorthreebrimmingbumpers,
successively.Theheadyliquorcombinedwithhisagitationto
throwhimintoaspeciesofrage.Helaidviolenthandsonthe
tales.Inoneinstantmore,th
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