Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1835 edition. Excerpt:... seemed dim. "Canst thou appear to me in thine old, wan, and tmdulating brightness!" said I, after a pause. "Not until thine eyes receive power to behold me." "And when may I be worthy that power 'P' "When thou art thoroughly dissatisfied with thy present gifts." "Dread Demon, Iam so now!" "Wilt thou pass from this pleasant state at a hazard--not knowing that which may ensue? Behold, all around thee is full of joy! Wilt thou abandon that state for a dark and perilous Unknown?" "The Unknown is the passion of him who aspirefi to know." "Pause; for it is a-dread alternative," said the InVisible. "My heart beats steadily.--Come,--mine be the penalty of desire!" "Thy wish is granted," said the Spirit. Then straightway a pang, quick, sharp, agonizing: shot through my heart. I felt the stream in my Veins stand still, hardening into a congealed substance---ml' throat rattled, I struggled against the grasp of some iron power.--A terrible sense of my own impotence seized me--my muscles refused my will, my voice fled--I was in the possession of some authority that had entered, and claimed, and usurped the citadel of my own self. Then came a creeping of the flesh, a deadly sensation of ice and utter coldness: and lastly, a blackness, deep and solid as a mass of rock, fell over the whole earth--I had entered Dmrn! From this state I was roused by the voice of the Demon. "Awake, look forth!--Thou hast thy desire!--Abide the penalty!" The darkness broke from the earth; the ice thawed from my veins; once more my senses were my servants. I looked, and behold, I stood in the same spot, but how changed! The earth was one...